PMID- 17780682 TI - Neuropathology. PMID- 17780681 TI - On the Origin of Life. PMID- 17780684 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17780683 TI - Types and Name-Bearers. PMID- 17780685 TI - New Prducts. PMID- 17780686 TI - THE MEDICAL PROFESSION AND THE ISSUES WHICH CONFRONT IT. PMID- 17780687 TI - THE KEEPING OF TOBACCO. PMID- 17780688 TI - Sur le development de l'nalyse et ses rapports avec diverses sciences. PMID- 17780690 TI - A PERSISTENT ERROR. PMID- 17780689 TI - THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF THE PAPAW TREE. PMID- 17780691 TI - PARALLLEL DEVELOPMENT IN BRACHIOPODA. PMID- 17780692 TI - GEOLOGICAL SECTION OF NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17780693 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17780694 TI - THE WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. PMID- 17780696 TI - Experiments in Concert. PMID- 17780695 TI - THE DANISH ARCTIC EXPEDITION. PMID- 17780697 TI - Personnel Security in the Atomic Energy Program. AB - I have attempted to confine this article to an analytic description of the operations of the commission's personnel security program. This program has been analyzed critically and in detail by a number of individuals. I have not attempted to take issue with criticism, for this is not the purpose of a descriptive analysis. I have mentioned those limitations inherent in our program which do not entirely coincide with the traditional methods of due process. These limitations are significant, but, if they are properly exercised in the context of the commission's program, I feel that they are justified. PMID- 17780699 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17780698 TI - R. Zon, Pioneer in Forest Research. PMID- 17780700 TI - Cold-Resistant Oat Varieties also Resistant to Heat. PMID- 17780702 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17780701 TI - Singing Female Canaries. PMID- 17780703 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17780705 TI - Starfish infestation: hypothesis. PMID- 17780704 TI - Unified science courses. PMID- 17780706 TI - Humanitarian research. PMID- 17780708 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17780707 TI - University self-government: who calls the tune? PMID- 17780709 TI - The university as a five-legged animal. PMID- 17780711 TI - Ovshinsky: promoter or persecuted genius? PMID- 17780710 TI - Lunar and planetary mass concentrations. PMID- 17780713 TI - Tax reform: house bill holds penalties for foundations. PMID- 17780714 TI - Mariner 6 television pictures: first report. PMID- 17780715 TI - Methane-derived marine carbonates of pleistocene age. AB - In some calcium carbonate-bearing sandstones from the edge of the continental shelf off the northeast United States, the deltaC(13) range is from -30 and -60 per mil for both aragonite and high-magnesium calcite. The deltaC(13) of co existing shells of Modiolus sp. is normal (+ 1.7 to -2.7 per mil). The deltaO(18) values of around + 3.5 per mil in all samples suggest deposition at temperatures around 0 degrees C. Quaternary methane oxidized either chemically or microbiologically to carbon dioxide is the probable source of carbon in these carbonates. PMID- 17780716 TI - Lunar maria: structure and evolution. AB - The lunar maria are considered to have evolved as homologous, transient, gravity wave systems from large impact craters on a crustal layer 50 kilometers thick, fluidized from beneath by prompt, shock-induced melting inside an initially hot moon. PMID- 17780717 TI - Acidic components of green river shale identified by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-computer system. AB - A system consisting of a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer and computer has been used to characterize the extractable acidic components of Green River shale. This system accumulates mass spectra at every point of the gas chromatogram in a permanent form which permits one to observe mass spectra of minor as well as major constituents. One minor component, whose identification was confirmed by synthesis, was 6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecanoic acid. PMID- 17780718 TI - Blastocladia and aqualinderella: fermentative water molds with high carbon dioxide optima. AB - The uniflagellate aquatic phycomycete Blastocladia ramosa appears to be a facultative anaerobe. Blastocladia pringsheimii requires traces of oxygen. Growth of both species is no greater or only slightly greater at normal atmospheric oxygen pressure than under 0.2 percent oxygen pressure, but their growth is enhanced by the addition of 5 or 20 percent carbon dioxide. The cells of both species lack typical cristate mitochondria and contain only traces of cytochrome. Blastocladia resembles the biflagellate Aqualinderella fermentans in adaptation to an environment poor in oxygen and rich in carbon dioxide. PMID- 17780719 TI - Bird Migration: Influence of Physiological State upon Celestial Orientation. AB - By means of photoperiod manipulation, the physiological states of spring and autumn migratory readiness were induced in indigo buntings. The orientational tendencies of these two groups of birds were tested simultaneously in May 1968, under an artificial, spring planetarium sky. Birds in spring condition oriented northward; those in autumnal condition, southward. These results suggest that changes in the internal physiological state of the bird rather than differences in the external stimulus situation are responsible for the seasonal reversal of preferred migration direction in this species. PMID- 17780720 TI - Preliminary program aaas annual meeting, Boston, massachusetts. PMID- 17780721 TI - THE HUMAN SIGNIFICANCE OF MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17780722 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17780723 TI - KARL EUGEN GUTHE. PMID- 17780724 TI - THE POSITION OF REFERENCES IN JOURNAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17780725 TI - INJECTIONS OF THE BUNDLE OF HIS. PMID- 17780726 TI - A REMARKABLE FLIGHT OF CADDIS FLIES AND CHIRONOMIDS. PMID- 17780727 TI - THE PISTILLATE SPIKELET IN ZEA MAYS. PMID- 17780728 TI - COOPERATION IN LABELLING MUSEUMS. PMID- 17780730 TI - DR. EDWARD HINDLE. PMID- 17780729 TI - ON THE NOMENCLATURE OF ELECTRICAL UNITS. PMID- 17780731 TI - SPECIAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17780732 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17780734 TI - A RECENT DRIFT IN BIOLOGICAL THOUGHT. PMID- 17780733 TI - THE FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF SINGLE UNITS IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. AB - Single motor units, i.e., anterior horn cells plus the muscle fibers they innervate, have recently been placed under direct observation while responding to a normal reflex stimulus. Details such as the normal rate of discharge, latent period, refractory period, influence of fatigue, etc., have been carefully studied. The work of Denny-Brown, Adrian and Bronk, Eccles and Sherrington have all indicated that the natural rate of discharge of the anterior horn cell is slow, i.e., 5 to 25 per sec., and never more than 80 to 90 per sec. under intense stimulation. A motor unit discharging at 10 per sec. may continue in activity for indefinite periods of time without fatigue. Tonic responses are maintained by such rates of discharge and therefore no special tonic mechanisms need be postulated to explain the absence of fatigue. PMID- 17780735 TI - EVOLUTION A DETAIL IN THE DYNAMICS OF POPULATIONS. PMID- 17780736 TI - NECESSITY OF ORGANIC MATTER FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF AN AVAILABLE SUPPLY OF PHOSPHORUS IN THE SOIL. PMID- 17780737 TI - AWARDS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BY THE CONGRESS. PMID- 17780738 TI - INSECTS AS POLLEN CARRIERS. PMID- 17780739 TI - NEW TECHNICAL WORDS. PMID- 17780740 TI - TWELFTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION. PMID- 17780741 TI - A SIMPLE AUTOMATIC PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR FILTRATION. PMID- 17780743 TI - INEXPENSIVE AERATED AQUARIA. PMID- 17780742 TI - DIFFERENTIAL FILTRATION AS A MEANS OF ISOLATING BACTERIUM GRANULOSIS. PMID- 17780744 TI - A RATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF RICKETS IN CHICKS. PMID- 17780746 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17780745 TI - AN INVESTIGATION OF "INSIGHT" IN RATS. PMID- 17780747 TI - FIFTY YEARS OF AMERICAN MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17780748 TI - A MEASURE OF THE FLIGHT CAPACITY OF GRASSHOPPERS. PMID- 17780749 TI - AUTHORITY CITATIONS AGAIN. PMID- 17780750 TI - M(ANILLE) IDE, THE DISCOVERER OF "BIOS". PMID- 17780751 TI - ELLIPTICAL ERYTHROCYTES. PMID- 17780752 TI - A REVERSED CAT. PMID- 17780753 TI - THE SECRETION OF IODINE BY THYROID GLANDS CULTIVATED IN THE LINDBERGH PUMP. PMID- 17780754 TI - ACTION OF VANADIUM ON TISSUE OXIDATIONS. PMID- 17780755 TI - PHOTOGRAPHIC NATURE OF TANNING OF THE HUMAN SKIN AS SHOWN BY STUDIES OF MALE HORMONE THERAPY. PMID- 17780756 TI - A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SUBTERRANEAN MEMBERS OF THREE FIELD GRASSES. PMID- 17780757 TI - FDR's Science Policy. PMID- 17780758 TI - History of life sciences. PMID- 17780759 TI - Optical brighteners. PMID- 17780760 TI - Prospectus for science advising. PMID- 17780761 TI - Host-Guest Chemistry: Complexes between organic compounds simulate the substrate selectivity of enzymes. PMID- 17780762 TI - Prevention of Food-Processing Wastes: Processes can be changed to reduce wastes, maintain product quality, and improve product yield. PMID- 17780763 TI - NIH: Who Is Running the Show-Scientists or Politicians? PMID- 17780764 TI - Edwards strikes back in the post. PMID- 17780765 TI - On reading the federal budget. AB - Within the scientific community there seem to be at least two schools of thought as far as the federal budget is concerned. One holds that more money would be made available for research if only spokesmen for research could gain access to high government officials. The other view is that the research budget of the United States reflects well-considered policy and cannot be changed by friendly persuasion. Rashi Fein, professor of the economics of medicine at Harvard Medical School, believes the latter. He expressed his point of view recently in an address before the American Public Health Association. His remarks were directed to last year's budget but apply equally to the President's budget for fiscal 1975. Excerpts from his talk, "The new national health spending policy-who pays and who gets?" follow. PMID- 17780766 TI - World population: u.N. On the move but grounds for optimism are scant. PMID- 17780767 TI - Plutonium and the "hot particle problem": environmental group proposes a draconian answer. PMID- 17780769 TI - Combinatorics: Steps toward a Unified Theory. PMID- 17780768 TI - Electron-hole droplets: a unique form of matter. PMID- 17780770 TI - Wind tunnel simulations of light and dark streaks on Mars. AB - Wind tunnel experiments have revealed a characteristic flow field pattern over raised-rim craters which causes distinctive zones of aeolian erosion and deposition. Comparisons of the results with Mariner 9 images of Mars show that some crater-associated dark zones result from wind erosion and that some crater associated light streaks are depositional. PMID- 17780771 TI - Predictive simulation of the subsidence of venice. AB - Land subsidence at Venice is the result of sediment compaction in the unconsolidated, aquifer-aquitard system that underlies the Venetian Lagoon. Compaction is caused by extensive groundwater withdrawals at the nearby industrial port of Marghera. The total subsidence at Venice for the period from 1930 through 1973 has been about 15 centimeters. Predictive simulations with a calibrated mathematical model were hampered by the sparseness of available data, but, as a first estimate, they suggest that, if withdrawals are kept constant in the future as they have been since 1969, about 3 centimeters of further subsidence can be expected. PMID- 17780772 TI - Site of biosynthesis of galactolipids in spinach chloroplasts. AB - The envelope of the spinach chloroplast is the site of galactolipid synthesis. PMID- 17780773 TI - Mammalian pheromone: identification of active component in the subauricular scent of the male pronghorn. AB - Male pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) mark vegetation by rubbing with their subauricular glands. Males respond to scent marks by sniffing, licking, thrashing, and marking. Hand-raised males were confronted with artificial scent marks consisting of whole extract of the subauricular gland or synthesized compounds corresponding to those identified from the extract. Of these, isovaleric acid released the strongest responses. PMID- 17780774 TI - On the "square" model of maya territorial organization. PMID- 17780776 TI - Radiation chemistry of condensed phases: report of a joint Japan-United States seminar. PMID- 17780775 TI - Rubey conference on crustal evolution. PMID- 17780777 TI - H. J. Muller and the Geneva Conference. PMID- 17780779 TI - C. P. Berkey, Pioneer in Engineering Geology. PMID- 17780778 TI - Another Look at the Ice Age. PMID- 17780780 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17780782 TI - Proton Affinity of Phosphine in the Phosphonium Halides. PMID- 17780781 TI - Ecology and the Population Problem. PMID- 17780783 TI - 6-Aminonicotinamide--a Potent Nicotinamide Antagonist. PMID- 17780784 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17780785 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17780787 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17780786 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17780788 TI - Trends in the use of oil. PMID- 17780789 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article, "McLean-AMI agree on joint venture" (News & Comment, 21 Mar., p. 1363), the name of the new company formed was inaccurate. It is McLean Health Services, Inc. PMID- 17780790 TI - Serine proteases. PMID- 17780791 TI - Directions of research. PMID- 17780793 TI - High school scientists. PMID- 17780792 TI - High school scientists. PMID- 17780794 TI - Uncertainty Clouds R&D Budget: Research and academic communities urged at AAAS colloquium to make broader pitch to the public and members of Congress; some predict little or no budgetary growth next year. PMID- 17780796 TI - Agricultural Firms Seek More Patent Protection: The chemical industry and environmental groups strike a deal that would lengthen the patent life on agricultural chemicals. PMID- 17780795 TI - Centers targeted by activists. PMID- 17780797 TI - X-ray Laser Budget Grows as Public Information Declines: A senior Energy Department official demands "a general lowering of the program's visibility," to the embarrassment of his boss, Secretary John Herrington. PMID- 17780798 TI - Nuclear Meltdown: A Calculated (and Recalculated) Risk. PMID- 17780799 TI - Panel sees decline in undergraduate education. PMID- 17780800 TI - New shuttle director promises emphasis on safety. PMID- 17780801 TI - Insurance drought fosters self-help plan for biotechnology firms. PMID- 17780802 TI - Another Try at Forecasting El Nino: There are signs in the Pacific Ocean, and in some mathematical models, that an El Nino is on the way, but most experts remain cautious. PMID- 17780803 TI - Prospects for Physics in The 1990's Surveyed: A National Academy of Sciences report says that American physics has been a highly diversified and productive enterprise, but continued excellence cannot be taken for granted. PMID- 17780804 TI - Interstellar molecular clouds. AB - The interstellar medium in our galaxy contains matter in a variety of states ranging from hot plasma to cold and dusty molecular gas. The molecular phase consists of giant clouds, which are the largest gravitationally bound objects in the galaxy, the primary reservoir of material for the ongoing birth of new stars, and the medium regulating the evolution of galactic disks. PMID- 17780805 TI - Atomic-resolution microscopy in water. AB - The scanning tunneling microscope is revolutionizing the study of surfaces. In ultra-high vacuum it is capable not only of imaging individual atoms but also of determining energy states on an atom-by-atom basis. It is now possible to operate this instrument in water. Aqueous optical microscopy is confined to a lateral resolution limit of about 2000 angstroms, and aqueous x-ray microscopy has yielded a lateral resolution of 75 angstroms. With a scanning tunneling microscope, an image of a graphite surface immersed in deionized water was obtained with features less than 3 angstroms apart clearly resolved. Further, an image measured in saline solution demonstrated that the instrument can be operated under conditions useful for many biological samples. PMID- 17780806 TI - Decrease in deformation rate observed by two-color laser ranging in long valley caldera. AB - After the January 1983 earthquake swarm, the last period of notable seismicity, the rapid rate of deformation of the south moat and resurgent dome of the Long Valley caldera diminished. Frequently repeated two-color laser ranging measurements made within a geodetic network in the caldera during the interval June 1983 to November 1984 reveal that, although the deformation accumulated smoothly in time, the rate of extension of many of the baselines decreased by factors of 2 to 3 from mid-1983 to mid-1984. Areal dilatation was the dominant signal during this period, with rates of extension of several baselines reaching as high as 5 parts per million per annum during the summer of 1983. Within the south moat, shear deformation also was apparent. The cumulative deformation can be modeled as the result of injection of material into two points located beneath the resurgent dome in addition to shallow right lateral slip on a vertical fault in the south moat. PMID- 17780807 TI - Geometrical aspects of sorted patterned ground in recurrently frozen soil. AB - A model for sorted patterned ground shows that some types arise from density driven Rayleigh free convection that occurs during thawing of water-saturated recurrently frozen soils. The regularly spaced convection cells result in an uneven melting of the underlying ice front. Frost action causes stones to be upthrusted and to form in a pattern on the ground surface that mirrors the corrugation in the underlying ice front. The implications of the water circulation direction in the cells on the sorting process are considered. PMID- 17780808 TI - Ontogeny in animal colonies: a persistent trend in the bryozoan fossil record. AB - The principal modes of zooid and colony growth in encrusting cheilostome bryozoans have undergone a major evolutionary transition during the last 100 million years. Comparisons of species within successive North American fossil faunas reveal a persistent trend in which one mode of growth is gradually supplanted by another. Ecological evidence from living faunas and the polyphyletic nature of this trend suggest that the transition has adaptive significance. PMID- 17780810 TI - AAAS Annual Meeting Philadelphia, 25-30 May 1986: We Must Keep Meeting Like This. PMID- 17780809 TI - El nino: a chaotic dynamical system? AB - Most of the principal qualitative features of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phenomenon can be explained by a simple but physically motivated theory. These features are the occurrence of sea-surface warmings in the eastern equatorial Pacific and the associated trade wind reversal; the aperiodicity of these events; the preferred onset time with respect to the seasonal cycle; and the much weaker events in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The theory, in its simplest form, is a conceptual model for the interaction of just three variables, namely near-surface temperatures in the east and west equatorial ocean and a wind-driven current advecting the temperature field. For a large range of parameters, the model is naturally chaotic and aperiodically produces El Nino-like events. For a smaller basin, representing a smaller ocean, the events are proportionally less intense. PMID- 17780811 TI - Peculiar red giants: cool stars with excesses of heavy elements. PMID- 17780812 TI - Measuring selection: the statistics of natural selection on animal populations. PMID- 17780813 TI - Amphibians: biology of amphibians. PMID- 17780814 TI - Invertebrate neural systems: model neural networks and behavior. PMID- 17780816 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17780815 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17780818 TI - Response. PMID- 17780817 TI - Science in Russia. PMID- 17780819 TI - Response. PMID- 17780820 TI - Women in science: cultural comparisons. PMID- 17780821 TI - Response. PMID- 17780822 TI - Response. PMID- 17780823 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - The enzyme shown in the photo on page 1363 accompanying the 11 March ScienceScope item "Lobbying backfires on LBL, Berkeley" was not a "designed enzyme" or an engineered protein, nor was it human glutathione S-transferase. It is a representation of the mu 3-3 isozyme of rat liver glutathione S-transferase with an inhibitor, 9-(S-glutathionyl)-10-hydroxy-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene. The structure was determined at the Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology as a result of collaborative work between the laboratory of Gary L. Gilliland and that of Richard Armstrong in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park [X. Ji et al., Biochemistry 33, 1043 (1994)]. PMID- 17780824 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17780825 TI - Scaling down planetary science. PMID- 17780826 TI - Pinning down a treacherous border in logical statements. PMID- 17780827 TI - Atmospheric scientists puzzle over high-altitude flashes. PMID- 17780828 TI - Biologists sort the lessons of fisheries collapse. PMID- 17780829 TI - A call for better science. PMID- 17780830 TI - Fighting grade inflation. PMID- 17780831 TI - Hot dog hazards. PMID- 17780832 TI - A scientific community on the edge. PMID- 17780833 TI - Saving Russia's Threatened Biological Heritage. PMID- 17780834 TI - A once-favored discipline has the furthest to fall. PMID- 17780835 TI - Trying to continue research on a wing and a prayer. PMID- 17780836 TI - Space station: a marriage of convenience. PMID- 17780837 TI - New borders divide up a once-strong discipline. PMID- 17780838 TI - A world-class community, scattered around the world. PMID- 17780839 TI - Contacts with the west bring cultural revolution. PMID- 17780840 TI - Shirshov institute: mixing research and commerce. PMID- 17780841 TI - Does research in the former soviet union have a future? PMID- 17780842 TI - Soros support for science education in the former soviet union. PMID- 17780843 TI - Giant predators from the cambrian of china. PMID- 17780844 TI - A new look at proton transfer dynamics along the hydrogen bonds in amides and peptides. AB - Vibrational spectroscopy with inelastic neutron scattering can provide spectra that are more detailed and easier to interpret than optical spectra. The spectral intensity depends on energy transfer and kinetic momentum transfer, allowing determination of the potential function. Experiments reveal that the proton involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonding in N-methylacetamide and polyglycine I vibrates almost independently. An ionic representation (N(delta )...H(+)...O(delta-)) of the hydrogen bond is more realistic than the normally accepted covalent model (NH...O). For polyglycine I, the proton experiences a local, symmetric double-minimum potential arising from dynamic exchange between the amide-like (CONH) and imidol-like (HOCN) forms of the peptide unit. PMID- 17780845 TI - Orientational Disorder of C60 in Li2CsC60. AB - The x-ray diffraction of the nonsuperconducting ternary fulleride Li(2)CsC(60) reveals at room temperature a face-centered-cubic (Fm3m) disordered structure that persists to a temperature of 13 Kelvin. The crystal structure is best modeled as containing quasispherical [radius of 3.556(4) angstroms] C(60)(3-) ions, in sharp contrast to their orientational state in superconducting face centered-cubic K(3)C(60) (merohedral disorder) and primitive cubic Na(2)CsC(60) (orientational order). The orientational disorder of the carbon atoms on the C(60)(3-) sphere was analyzed with symmetry-adapted spherical-harmonic functions. Excess atomic density is evident in the <111> directions, indicating strong bonding Li(+)-C interactions, not encountered before in any of the superconducting alkali fullerides. The intercalate-carbon interactions and the orientational state of the fullerenes have evidently affected the superconducting pair-binding mechanism in this material. PMID- 17780846 TI - Critical behavior in the satisfiability of random boolean expressions. AB - Determining the satisfiability of randomly generated Boolean expressions with k variables per clause is a popular test for the performance of search algorithms in artificial intelligence and computer science. It is known that for k = 2, formulas are almost always satisfiable when the ratio of clauses to variables is less than 1; for ratios larger than 1, the formulas are almost never satisfiable. Similar sharp threshold behavior is observed for higher values of k. Finite-size scaling, a method from statistical physics, can be used to characterize size dependent effects near the threshold. A relationship can be drawn between thresholds and computational complexity. PMID- 17780847 TI - Langmuir-blodgett films of a functionalized molecule with cross-sectional mismatch between head and tail. AB - A functionalized surfactant has been investigated as floating monolayers by synchrotron x-ray diffraction and as bilayers transferred to solid supports by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique through atomic force microscopy. The transfer process is accompanied by an increase of the unit cell area (about 17 percent) and by an increase of the average domain diameter of nanometer-scale domains (about three times). The unit cell area of the floating monolayer corresponds to close packing of the head groups and a noncharacteristic packing of the tifted alkyl chains. The larger unit cell area of the bilayer film is consistent with a particular ordered packing of the alkyl chains, leaving free space for the head groups. PMID- 17780848 TI - Evidence for monophyly and arthropod affinity of cambrian giant predators. AB - The Chinese Early Cambrian Chengjiang fauna includes three different anomalocaridids, a globally spread, extinct marine group including the largest known Cambrian animals. Anomalocaridids were active predators, and their presence implies that a complex ecosystem appeared abruptly in the earliest Phanerozoic. Complete specimens display several sets of characters shared only with some other exclusively Cambrian forms. This evidence indicates that anomalocaridids, Opabinia, and Kerygmachela form a monophyletic clade. Certain features indicate arthropod affinities of the lade, and for this group an unnamed (sub)phylum-level taxon within an arthropod (super)phylum is proposed. PMID- 17780849 TI - Reconciling short recurrence intervals with minor deformation in the new madrid seismic zone. AB - At least three great earthquakes occurred in the New Madrid seismic zone in 1811 and 1812. Estimates of present-day strain rates suggest that such events may have a repeat time of 1000 years or less. Paleoseismological data also indicate that earthquakes large enough to cause soil liquefaction have occurred several times in the past 5000 years. However, pervasive crustal deformation expected from such a high frequency of large earthquakes is not observed. This suggests that the seismic zone is a young feature, possibly as young as several tens of thousands of years old and no more than a few million years old. PMID- 17780850 TI - Discovery of intense gamma-ray flashes of atmospheric origin. AB - Detectors aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory have observed an unexplained terrestrial phenomenon: brief, intense flashes of gamma rays. These flashes must originate in the atmosphere at altitudes above at least 30 kilometers in order to escape atmospheric absorption and reach the orbiting detectors. At least a dozen such events have been detected over the past 2 years. The photon spectra from the events are very hard (peaking in the high-energy portion of the spectrum) and are consistent with bremsstrahlung emission from energetic (million-electron volt) electrons. The most likely origin of these high-energy electrons, although speculative at this time, is a rare type of high-altitude electrical discharge above thunderstorm regions. PMID- 17780851 TI - Analyzing ultraviolet-B radiation: is there a trend? PMID- 17780853 TI - Charges of espionage. PMID- 17780852 TI - Response. PMID- 17780854 TI - A Blossoming under Totalitarianism. PMID- 17780855 TI - Excavations in iraq. PMID- 17780856 TI - Corrections. AB - In "Women in Science: Some Books of the Year" (11 March, p. 1458) the name of the senior editor of second edition of The History of Women and Science, Health, and Technology should have been given as Phyllis Holman Weisbard, and the name of the editor of the first edition should have been given as Susan Searing. Also, the statement that the author of A Matter of Choices: Memoirs of a Female Physicist, Fay Ajzenberg-Selove, is now retired was incorrect. PMID- 17780857 TI - Vignettes: chemical nomenclature. PMID- 17780858 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17780859 TI - Oil exploration. PMID- 17780860 TI - Oil exploration. PMID- 17780861 TI - Social research support. PMID- 17780862 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article "A firing over formaldehyde" (News and Comment, 7 Aug., p. 630), the directors of two agencies were incorrectly identified. The head of the biology division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is Richard Griesemer. The head of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is David Rall. PMID- 17780863 TI - Growth in publishing. PMID- 17780865 TI - Industrial recruiting on campus. PMID- 17780864 TI - "Affordable science": another perspective. PMID- 17780867 TI - Threat to u.s. Air power: the dust factor. PMID- 17780866 TI - Radar mapping, archeology, and ancient maya land use. AB - A severe incongruity has long existed between the well-known complexity of ancient Maya civilization and the relatively feeble economic base that could be reconstructed for it. Recent fieldwork has ihdicated that much more intensive cultivation patterns were used than was previously thought. Data from the use of synthetic aperture radar in aerial surveys of the southern Maya lowlands suggest that large areas were drained by ancient canals that may have been used for intensive cultivation. Ground checks in several limited areas have confirmed the existence of canals, and excavations and ground surveys have provided valuable comparative information. Taken together, the new data suggest that Late Class period Maya civilization was firmly grounded in large-scale and intensive cultivation of swampy zones. PMID- 17780868 TI - Weevil war simmers unresolved. PMID- 17780870 TI - Reagan's Energy Policy and Other "Myths". PMID- 17780869 TI - Engineering education under stress. PMID- 17780871 TI - IAEA Divided Over Leadership, Israeli Censure. PMID- 17780873 TI - Scientific family under attack in Russia. PMID- 17780872 TI - Research council supports mining rule changes. PMID- 17780874 TI - Can Physicists Clean Up Coal's Act? PMID- 17780876 TI - Crustaceans. PMID- 17780875 TI - American anthropology: early years. PMID- 17780877 TI - Energy in the Earth's Crust. PMID- 17780878 TI - Mutation processes. PMID- 17780879 TI - Atomic clouds as distributed sources for the io plasma torus. AB - Several recent developments have implications for the neutral particle environment of Jupiter. Very hot sulfur ions have been detected in the Io torus with gyrospeeds comparable to the corotation speed, a phenomenon that would result from a neutral sulfur cloud. Current evidence supports the hypothesis that extensive neutral clouds of oxygen and sulfur exist in the Jupiter magnetosphere and that they are important sources of ions and energy for the Io torus. PMID- 17780881 TI - Mutator activity in maize: timing of its activation in ontogeny. AB - Mutator activity in maize seems not to be active throughout the development of the plant, but to arise late in ontogeny, and to be developmentally rather than chronologically triggered. PMID- 17780880 TI - Agglutinin from Alfalfa Necessary for Binding and Nodulation by Rhizobium meliloti. AB - A protein that specifically agglutinates Rhizobium meliloti, the alfalfa root nodule endosymbiont, has been purified from alfalfa seed. Material cross-reactive to antiserum prepared against the purified agglutinin is present in all alfalfa varieties that were tested but is absent in corn and other legumes not nodulated by Rhizobium meliloti. Studies with nonnodulating mutants of this microorganism incapable of binding to alfalfa roots suggest that the agglutinin is responsible for specific recognition between Rhizobium meliloti and alfalfa and that this recognition is an essential step in nodule formation. PMID- 17780882 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17780883 TI - THE CHEMIST AS DEFENDER OF HIS FATHERLAND. PMID- 17780884 TI - RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE THEORY OF PROTOPLASMIC STRUCTURE. PMID- 17780885 TI - SCIENCE IN THE LIBRARY. PMID- 17780886 TI - A NEW DIETARY WATER SOLUBLE FACTOR REQUIRED BY CHICKS. PMID- 17780887 TI - A NEW COLOR REACTION OF VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN). PMID- 17780888 TI - DECEMBER-HATCHED PHEASANTS LAY IN JULY ON NORMAL DAYLIGHT. PMID- 17780889 TI - NATIONAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17780890 TI - THE CHEMISTRY OF VITAMIN E. I. THE STRUCTURE AND SYNTHESIS OF agr-TOCOPHEROL. PMID- 17780891 TI - THE CHEMISTRY OF VITAMIN E. II. BIOLOGICAL ASSAYS OF VARIOUS SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17780892 TI - THE CHEMISTRY OF VITAMIN E. III. PERMANGANATE OXIDATION OF ALPHA TOCOPHEROL. PMID- 17780893 TI - Reverse in Geneva. PMID- 17780894 TI - Normal Sources of Pathological Behavior. PMID- 17780895 TI - Science and Human Welfare. PMID- 17780896 TI - Some Vistas of Astronomical Discovery. PMID- 17780897 TI - Basic Research in the Defense Department: The Department's View. PMID- 17780899 TI - Congressional Recess: Some Matters Left Undecided until August. PMID- 17780898 TI - Eugenics in New Guinea. PMID- 17780900 TI - Electronic Structure and Nicotine-like Stimulant Activity in Choline Phenyl Ethers. AB - Frontier electron density at the ether oxygen position and superdelocalizability at the ortho position show good parallelism with biological activity-that is, the stimulant activity of phenyl ether choline molecules. The mechanism of the biological action is discussed in connection with this finding. PMID- 17780901 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17780902 TI - Competitive Exclusion. PMID- 17780903 TI - Oxygen Transport. PMID- 17780904 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17780905 TI - Names for the Sun and the Moon. PMID- 17780906 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17780907 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17780908 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17780909 TI - On Being Fair though One-sided. PMID- 17780910 TI - Radio Spectrum of Jupiter: Radio-frequency signals are providing important new information about the giant planet and its environs. PMID- 17780911 TI - Grand Strategy: The Administration Has a Problem That It Would Rather Not Deal With in Public. PMID- 17780912 TI - Transfedotr of Allergic Encephalomyelitis by Lymph Node Cells in Inbred Guinea Pigs. AB - Severe or lethal allergic encephalomyelitis was transferred between histocompatible guinea pigs by lymphoid cells capable of persistence in a viable state in the recipient. For optimum induction of passive disease, cells must be transferred before the day on which the disease becomes manifest in the donor. PMID- 17780913 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17780914 TI - Respiratory Tract Diseases. PMID- 17780915 TI - THE HARVARD ASTROPHYSICAL CONFERENCE. PMID- 17780917 TI - MEETING OF THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION AT BOSTON. PMID- 17780916 TI - GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION MEETING. PMID- 17780918 TI - THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17780919 TI - NOTES ON PHYSICS. PMID- 17780920 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17780922 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17780921 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17780923 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17780924 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17780925 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17780927 TI - THE COMPETITION OF CONVICT LABOR. PMID- 17780926 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17780928 TI - THE NEW VOLCANO IN THE PACIFIC. PMID- 17780929 TI - THE RECENT COLD WAVE. PMID- 17780930 TI - AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ARCHEOLOGY. PMID- 17780931 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17780932 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17780933 TI - Sea-level and ocean-currents. PMID- 17780935 TI - Oil on troubled waters. PMID- 17780934 TI - An early prediction of the decay of the obelisk. PMID- 17780936 TI - The Taconic controversy in a nutshell. PMID- 17780937 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17780938 TI - Demand for good maps. PMID- 17780939 TI - The temperature of the moon. PMID- 17780940 TI - Equality in ability of the young of the human species. PMID- 17780941 TI - The English sparrow. PMID- 17780943 TI - THE PERSISTENCY OF FAMILY TRAITS. PMID- 17780942 TI - Cliff-picture in Colorado. PMID- 17780944 TI - "SCIENTIFIC" GENEALOGY -- A REJOINDER. PMID- 17780945 TI - A COMPARISON OF THE DESERTS OF NORTH AMERICA WITH THOSE OF NORTH AFRICA AND NORTHERN INDIA. PMID- 17780946 TI - THE NEW STAR IN AURIGA. PMID- 17780947 TI - THE SPECIALIST. PMID- 17780948 TI - THE TIMBER TREES OF WEST VIRGINIA. PMID- 17780949 TI - ON A RECENT DISCOVERY OF THE REMAINS OF EXTINCT BIRDS IN NEW ZEALAND. PMID- 17780950 TI - Anthropology. PMID- 17780951 TI - Need of Physiology and Anatomy in Psyrchological Training. PMID- 17780952 TI - The Date of Discovery of the Galapagos Islands. PMID- 17780953 TI - The Aboriginal American Tea. PMID- 17780954 TI - Letters. PMID- 17780955 TI - Draft lottery: validity of randomness. PMID- 17780956 TI - Steps toward a National Policy for Academic Science. PMID- 17780957 TI - Ecosystems of national parks. AB - The preservation and maintenance of natural park ecosystems, with modern man's being restricted to generally nonconsumptive uses of the park, represents one end of a spectrum of land use that extends through exploitation of natural ecosystems to the development of simplified agricultural ecosystems. Criteria for management of a park ecosystem must, of necessity, differ from criteria for other uses of land, since park management involves preventing or compensating for the influence of man. The objectives for natural areas appear to be ecologically feasible if it is recognized that these areas have a finite capacity for absorbing man's consumptive and disruptive influences. The interpretation of ecosystems to park visitors provides an opportunity to contribute to an environmental ethic that extends beyond the park environment. PMID- 17780959 TI - CERN: Final Planning Begins for Europe's Big Machine. PMID- 17780958 TI - Civil service reform: science agency heads balk at nixon plan. PMID- 17780960 TI - Non-race in space. PMID- 17780961 TI - Whaling farewell. PMID- 17780962 TI - AAAS (III): Is Order of Magnitude Expansion a Reasonable Goal? PMID- 17780963 TI - Drought returns to the land. PMID- 17780965 TI - Solar energy: a feasible source of power? PMID- 17780964 TI - Faculty salary pinch worsens. PMID- 17780966 TI - San fernando earthquake of 9 february 1971: pattern of faulting. AB - Mapping of the surface breaks that resulted from the San Fernando earthquake of 9 February 1971 reveals that the pattern of faulting was highly complex; it consisted of a number of segments that produced ground displacements and acceleration throughout the entire northern end of the San Fernando Valley. Instead of occurring on the frontal fault zone, as might have been expected, the faulting occurred on the valley side of the frontal fault system, which separates the crystalline rocks of the San Gabriel Mountains from the Tertiary sediments of the San Fernando Valley. However, the new fault system does, in many cases, follow breaks in slope and subtle escarpments that suggest faulting along these zones in the recent geologic past. PMID- 17780967 TI - Permanent lunar surface magnetism and its deflection of the solar wind. AB - Magnetic compressions intermittently observed outside the lunar wake in the solar wind may be limb shocks caused by the presence of local regions of permanent magnetism on the lunar limb. Observable compression would be due to regions of length scale (radius) at least as great as several tens of kilometers and field strength greater, similar 10 gammas. Thousands of such regions might exist on the lunar surface. The steady magnetic field measured at the Apollo 12 site probably has length scale less, similar 10 kilometers and probably does not produce an observable limb shock. PMID- 17780968 TI - Modified superheating of purified water. AB - Purified water, intensively redistilled and allowed to overflow so as to shed residual adsorbate from the container, acquires a limiting thermal sensitivity to additions of long-chain fatty acids and alcohols. Thus two to three molecules of cis-13-docosenoic acid supplied for each 1000 molecules of exposed surface of water held quietly at the normal boiling point increases the superheat, Deltatg, by 10 percent. PMID- 17780969 TI - Lunar hadley rille: considerations of its origin. AB - Geomorphology, topographic configuration, comparisons with terrestrial analogs, and considerations of the chemical and physical characteristics of mare lavas indicate that the Hadley Rille is a lava channel. Some of the structure was roofed to form a lava tube, parts of which have subsequently collapsed. PMID- 17780970 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17780971 TI - Early Man's Food Habits. PMID- 17780972 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17780973 TI - Military spending. PMID- 17780974 TI - The pH Concept. PMID- 17780975 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17780976 TI - Cancer politics. PMID- 17780977 TI - Limit on tax exclusion. PMID- 17780978 TI - On growing old in america. PMID- 17780979 TI - Microanalysis of materials by backscattering spectrometry. PMID- 17780980 TI - How the chinese scientist survives. PMID- 17780981 TI - Nuclear Safety (II): The Years of Delay. PMID- 17780982 TI - The fall of phillips nuclear. PMID- 17780983 TI - FDA to regulate all blood banks. PMID- 17780984 TI - The jackson laboratory: "mice are our most important product". PMID- 17780985 TI - New Levich Statement Deplores Campaign against Him. PMID- 17780986 TI - Energy options: challenge for the future. PMID- 17780987 TI - Turbidity trends at tucson, Arizona. AB - Variations in atmospheric turbidity at Tucson, Arizona, since 1956 are similar to those at Mauna Loa in Hawaii, especially before January 1970. The turbidity at both locations increased markedly in 1963 after the Bali eruption. Since January 1970, the turbidity has returned to its pre-1963 level at Mauna Loa, but has remained relatively high at Tucson. PMID- 17780988 TI - Particulate bioluininescence in dinoflagellates: dissociation and partial reconstitution. AB - With the same extraction conditions used for Gonyaulax polyedra, soluble and particulate bioluminescence can be isolated from two additional species, Pyrodinium bahamense and Pyrocystis lunula. We have been able, for all three species, to dissociate soluble luciferin and luciferase from the particulate system. Luciferin can be incorporated into both reacted and unreacted particulate systems. PMID- 17780989 TI - Abandoned larvacean houses: a unique food source in the pelagic environment. AB - Observations made by using conventional scuba techniques reveal that abandoned larvacean houses serve as food sources for marine, planktonic copepods. Techniques have been developed for photographing these houses in the field for the first time. The abundance of larvacean houses in the open ocean indicates that they are important in pelagic food webs and as a source of particulate organic matter. PMID- 17780990 TI - Calcium oxalate crystals in the aragonite-producing green alga penicillus and related genera. AB - Calcium oxalate crystals occur in the marine green algae Penicillus, Rhipocephalus, and Udotea, known as producers of sedimentary aragonite needles. In contrast to the externally deposited aragonite crystals which are generally < 15 micrometers long, the oxalate crystals are larger (up to 150 micrometers) and are located in the vacuolar system of the plant. No calcium oxalate was found in the related but noncalcifying genera Avrainvillea and Cladocephalus. PMID- 17780991 TI - Limit cycles in predator-prey communities. AB - Essentially all models that have been proposed for predator-prey systems are shown to possess either a stable point equilibrium or a stable limit cycle. This stable limit cycle, an explicitly nonlinear feature, is commonly overlooked in conventional analyses of these models. Such a stable limit cycle provides a satisfying explanation for those animal communities in which populations are observed to oscillate in a rather reproducible periodic manner. PMID- 17780992 TI - Enriched predator-prey systems: theoretical stability. PMID- 17780993 TI - Immunology and genetics. PMID- 17780994 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17780995 TI - THE PICTURE IN THE LANDSCAPE. PMID- 17780996 TI - POSTAGE ON NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. PMID- 17780997 TI - THE ORIGINAL TYPE OF CORN. PMID- 17780998 TI - RECENT DISCOVERIES IN NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA: GRANITE HILLS, MOUTONNED RIDGES AND GOLD-CONTAINING LODES OR REEFS, AND LEADS OR PLACER MINES. PMID- 17781000 TI - THE SENSE-ORGANS ON THE LEGS OF OUR WHITE ANTS, TERMES FLAVIPES, KOLL. PMID- 17780999 TI - A NEW REFLECTING AND DIRECT ACTING POLARISCOPE FOR THE ARC LIGHT PROJECTOR. PMID- 17781001 TI - THE OSAGE RIVER AND THE OZARK UPLIFT. PMID- 17781003 TI - PUMP WATER. PMID- 17781002 TI - COON-CATS. PMID- 17781004 TI - COON CATS. PMID- 17781006 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781005 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17781008 TI - A PLEA FOR GREATER SIMPLICITY IN THE LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17781007 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN ANATOMISTS. PMID- 17781009 TI - NOTES ON CUBAN FOSSIL MAMMALS. PMID- 17781010 TI - NEJED: AN ARABIAN METEORITE. PMID- 17781011 TI - THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17781012 TI - PRECAUTION IN THE USE OF GASOLINE. PMID- 17781014 TI - FOSSIL SHELLS OF THE JOHN DAY REGION. PMID- 17781013 TI - ON THE SIPHON. PMID- 17781015 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17781016 TI - THE STRECKER COLLECTION OF LEPIDOPTERA AND THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17781017 TI - THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. PMID- 17781018 TI - THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17781019 TI - ON THE THEORY OF ORGANIC VARIATION. PMID- 17781020 TI - MICROSCOPICAL EXAMINATION OF WATER, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A SIMPLE FORM OF APPARATUS. PMID- 17781021 TI - SPECTRUM COLOR STANDARDS. PMID- 17781022 TI - PLEISTOCENE FOSSILS FROM BAFFINLAND AND GREENLAND. PMID- 17781023 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17781025 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17781024 TI - A BRILLIANT METEOR. PMID- 17781026 TI - EXPLOSIONS IN COAL-MINES. PMID- 17781027 TI - ELECTRIC RAILROADS IN THIS COUNTRY. PMID- 17781028 TI - EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL. PMID- 17781029 TI - Comparative psychology. PMID- 17781030 TI - The relations of the International geological congress to geological workers. PMID- 17781031 TI - City feeding of milch-cows. PMID- 17781032 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. PMID- 17781033 TI - PRESENTATION OF THE AGASSIZ MEDAL FOR OCEANOGRAPHY TO EDGAR JOHNSON ALLEN. PMID- 17781034 TI - PRESENTATION OF THE PUBLIC WELFARE MEDAL TO WILLIS RODNEY WHITNEY. PMID- 17781036 TI - ATTENDANCE AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND MEMBERSHIP POPULATION CENTER. PMID- 17781035 TI - RESPONSE BY THE MEDALIST. PMID- 17781037 TI - FOSSIL ALGAE FROM THE SALEM LIMESTONE OF INDIANA. PMID- 17781038 TI - STUDIES IN THE POTASSIUM METABOLISM OF THE ANIMAL BODY BY MEANS OF ITS ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE. PMID- 17781040 TI - THE TREATMENT OF "SNIFFLES" IN THE RAT WITH SULFANILAMIDE. PMID- 17781039 TI - EFFECT OF OXYGEN LIGHT AND LACTO-FLAVIN ON THE OXIDATION OF VITAMIN C IN MILK. PMID- 17781041 TI - THE MODE OF ACTION OF SULFANILAMIDE AND PRONTOSIL. PMID- 17781042 TI - INCREASE IN VITAMIN A ACTIVITY OF CORN CAUSED BY DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF CHROMOSOMES. PMID- 17781043 TI - A METHOD FOR FIXING AND STAINING EARTHWORMS. PMID- 17781044 TI - SIMPLIFIED SCHAEFFER SPORE STAIN. PMID- 17781045 TI - GRASS VOLUME TABLES FOR DETERMINING RANGE UTILIZATION. PMID- 17781046 TI - Environmental quality standards. PMID- 17781047 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781048 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781050 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781049 TI - The ph.d. Market. PMID- 17781051 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781052 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781053 TI - "Scientists of north americae". PMID- 17781055 TI - Division of biologics standards: in the matter of j. Anthony morris. PMID- 17781054 TI - Community health. PMID- 17781056 TI - Drug abuse council formed. PMID- 17781057 TI - Defense research: the names are changed to protect the innocent. PMID- 17781058 TI - David cultivates the grass roots. PMID- 17781059 TI - Lunar research: no agreement on evolutionary models. PMID- 17781060 TI - A message from Earth. PMID- 17781061 TI - Superconductivity of Double Chalcogenides: Lix Ti1.1S2. AB - Lithium titanium sulfides, Li(x)Ti(1.1)S(2)(0.1 x 1x1, which occurs near 300 degrees C. PMID- 17781307 TI - Magmatic vapor source for sulfur dioxide released during volcanic eruptions: evidence from mount pinatubo. AB - Sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) released by the explosive eruption of Mount Pinatubo on 15 June 1991 had an impact on climate and stratospheric ozone. The total mass of SO(2) released was much greater than the amount dissolved in the magma before the eruption, and thus an additional source for the excess SO(2) is required. Infrared spectroscopic analyses of dissolved water and carbon dioxide in glass inclusions from quartz phenocrysts demonstrate that before eruption the magma contained a separate, SO(2)-bearing vapor phase. Data for gas emissions from other volcanoes in subduction-related arcs suggest that preeruptive magmatic vapor is a major source of the SO(2) that is released during many volcanic eruptions. PMID- 17781308 TI - Evidence from paleosols for the geological antiquity of rain forest. AB - Kaolinitic claystones in Paleozoic paleokarst underlying the Middle Pennsylvanian Fort Scott Limestone near Drake, Missouri, contain abundant fossil root traces. These include a surficial root mat as well as stout, woody, deeply penetrating root traces: a rooting pattern similar to that under rain forest. Also similar to soils of rain forest is the deeply weathered clay of the paleosol, in which minimal amounts of nutrient bases remain. Forest communities adapted to oligotrophic clayey substrates in humid climates existed at least 305 million years ago. PMID- 17781309 TI - Fabrication of atomic-scale structures on si(001) surfaces. AB - The scanning tunneling microscope has been used to define regular crystalline structures at room temperature by removing atoms from the silicon (001) surface. A single atomic layer can be removed to define features one atom deep and create trenches with ordered floors. Segments of individual dimer rows can be removed to create structures with atomically straight edges and with lateral features as small as one dimer wide. Conditions under which such removal is possible are defined, and a mechanism is proposed. PMID- 17781310 TI - Creation of liquid crystal waveguides with scanning force microscopy. AB - The rubbing of a polymer layer, a commonly applied process, leads to an anisotropic surface morphology, aligning liquid crystal molecules. Scanning force microscopy can be used to intentionally create areas with a similar anisotropy by operating the instrument at loads in the range of 10(-7) to 10(-5) newtons. These areas have an orientation effect on liquid crystals indistinguishable from the rubbing process, which allows a systematic investigation of the orientation properties of an alignment layer as a function of its nanometer-scale morphology. Refractive index patterns can be tailored with this method by scratching a suitable area, as demonstrated by fabrication of an optical waveguide 6 micrometers wide and 5 millimeters long. PMID- 17781311 TI - Measurement of Laser-Plasma Electron Density with a Soft X-ray Laser Deflectometer. AB - A soft x-ray laser (wavelength lambda = 15.5 nanometers) was used to create a moire deflectogram of a high-density, laser-produced plasma. The use of deflectometry at this short wavelength permits measurement of the density spatial profile in a long-scalelength (3 millimeters), high-density plasma. A peak density of 3.2 x 10(21) per cubic centimeter was recorded. PMID- 17781312 TI - Response. PMID- 17781313 TI - The wages of accommodation. PMID- 17781315 TI - Vignettes: non-skepticism. PMID- 17781314 TI - Reptilian offspring. PMID- 17781316 TI - The idea of chemistry. PMID- 17781318 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17781317 TI - Categorization. PMID- 17781319 TI - The scramble for census data. PMID- 17781320 TI - Bettelheim's Essay on Youth. PMID- 17781321 TI - The aspiring eronaut. PMID- 17781322 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17781323 TI - Name names! PMID- 17781324 TI - Traffic and highway research and how it may be improved. PMID- 17781327 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17781326 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17781328 TI - EXPERIMENTS ON THE FEEDING OF HOGS. PMID- 17781329 TI - THE CURABILITY OF PULMONARY PHTHISIS. PMID- 17781330 TI - THE PREPARATION OF MACARONI IN ITALY. PMID- 17781331 TI - EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHES ON MECHANICAL FLIGHT. PMID- 17781332 TI - REMARKS ON AN ACT FOR THE PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS. PMID- 17781333 TI - OLD STANDARDS. PMID- 17781334 TI - Beech Trees and Lightning. PMID- 17781335 TI - INHALATIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF PHTHISIS. PMID- 17781336 TI - Information Wanted. PMID- 17781337 TI - That Hessian Fly Parasite. PMID- 17781338 TI - THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEDICINE IN WARTIME. PMID- 17781340 TI - JOSEPH CHARLES ARTHUR. PMID- 17781339 TI - INFRARED RADIATION. PMID- 17781341 TI - THE DEDICATION OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17781342 TI - THE DEDICATION OF THE BAUSCH HALL OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY. PMID- 17781343 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SEDIMENTATION. PMID- 17781344 TI - THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17781345 TI - METHODS OF DETECTING MILD CASES OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY. PMID- 17781346 TI - RUBBER ANALYSIS OF PLANTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. PMID- 17781347 TI - RELEASE OF POTASSIUM BY THE BRAIN OF THE DOG DURING ELECTRICAL STIMULATION. PMID- 17781349 TI - MORE ANTISEPTICS FROM MOLDS. PMID- 17781348 TI - OCCURRENCE OF VITAMINS IN FUNGI. PMID- 17781350 TI - MR. McNUTT AND THE DOCTORS. PMID- 17781351 TI - A CENTURY OF DARWINISM. PMID- 17781352 TI - THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17781353 TI - FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17781354 TI - THE SEPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CAROTENOID PIGMENTS PRODUCED FROM MINERAL OIL BY BACTERIA. PMID- 17781355 TI - SYNTHESIS OF ASCORBIC ACID IN EXCISED TOMATO ROOTS. PMID- 17781356 TI - ELIMINATION OF DEHYDRATION IN HISTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUE. PMID- 17781357 TI - AN APPARATUS FOR VACUUM DRYING IN THE FROZEN STATE. PMID- 17781358 TI - X-RAYS FROM RADIO TUBES. PMID- 17781360 TI - THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION IN THE PRESENT AGRICULTURAL SITUATION. PMID- 17781359 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17781361 TI - ERNST J. LESSER. PMID- 17781363 TI - THE LITTLE CIRCLE OF REFERENCE. PMID- 17781364 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17781362 TI - LOUIS AGASSIZ AND THE HALL OF FAME. PMID- 17781367 TI - THE EARLIEST DYNAMO. PMID- 17781366 TI - OCCURRENCE OF A MUTANT MEADOWMOUSE. PMID- 17781365 TI - NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF SARCOCYSTIS. PMID- 17781368 TI - QUAILS, POTATO-BUGS AND OTHER THINGS. PMID- 17781370 TI - A COMBINED FIXATIVE AND STAIN FOR DEMONSTRATING FLAGELLA AND CILIA IN TEMPORARY MOUNTS. PMID- 17781369 TI - REPRODUCING ILLUSTRATIONS WITHOUT A CAMERA. PMID- 17781371 TI - THE PARATHYROID GLANDS AS INFLUENCED BY SELECTIVE SOLAR RADIATON. PMID- 17781372 TI - A NEW TYPE OF ACID CARBOHYDRATE FROM SEAWEED. PMID- 17781373 TI - THE HUMANIZING OF KNOWLEDGE. PMID- 17781375 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17781374 TI - THE FOOD RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17781376 TI - THE "PROCESSING" OF STRAW. PMID- 17781377 TI - FILTERED AIR. PMID- 17781378 TI - DOES THE BIBLE TEACH EVOLUTION? PMID- 17781379 TI - BACTERIAL PUSTULE OF SOY BEAN. PMID- 17781380 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781381 TI - Origin of Life. PMID- 17781382 TI - Origin of Life. PMID- 17781383 TI - Discomfort Index. PMID- 17781384 TI - Scholars in Spite of Ourselves. PMID- 17781385 TI - Animal Domestication in the Prehistoric Near East: The origins and history of domestication are beginning to emerge from archeological excavations. PMID- 17781386 TI - Basic Research at State Stations: Twenty-two percent of federal-grant payments to state agricultural experiment stations support basic science. PMID- 17781387 TI - Science in the News. PMID- 17781388 TI - Blood Flow Rates by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measurements. AB - Blood flow rates may be determined by nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation time measurements. A set of experiments carried out on the flow of blood in mice tails has demonstrated the feasibility of the scheme. Two simple measurement methods are described, and the pertinent equations are given. In addition, some procedures for using nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance for tracing the flow of specific materials in the body are outlined. PMID- 17781389 TI - Stimulation of Striga asiatica (Witchweed) Seed Germination by 6-Substituted Purines. AB - Kinetin [6-(2-furfuryl) aminopurine] and certain other 6-substituted aminopurines stimulated germination of seed of Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze. Optimum concentration for most active compounds was in the range of 5 to 25 mg/lit. Derivatives which showed high activity possessed an adenine nucleus with a phenyl, benzyl, phenethyl, or furfuryl radical substituted on the amino group. PMID- 17781390 TI - All-Female Strains of the Teleost Fishes of the Genus Poeciliopsis. AB - In addition to the viviparous fish Mollienesia formosa, two other species of poeciliids have recently been found to produce only female offspring. The young of these females, however, unlike those of M. formosa, inherit characteristics from any one of the several species of males used in experimental matings. PMID- 17781391 TI - New Permian Insects Discovered in Kansas and Oklahoma. AB - The Midco insect bed of Oklahoma and a newly discovered insect bed above this were traced across Kay County, Okla., into Sumner County, Kan. As a result, a greater time span is available for study of insect evolution during the mid continent Permian, and the exact stratigraphic correlation of the Wellington of Oklahoma and Kansas can now be demonstrated. Four insect orders have thus far been identified from the new insect bed: Protodonata, Odonata, Protoperlaria, and Ephemeroptera. Numerous new species and higher categories are included in the collections from the two insect beds. PMID- 17781394 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17781392 TI - Wave-Riding Dolphins. PMID- 17781395 TI - A "one license--one hearing" policy. PMID- 17781397 TI - Federal research funding: open competition. PMID- 17781396 TI - NAS Acid Rain Study. PMID- 17781398 TI - Federal research funding: open competition. PMID- 17781400 TI - Approval Seen for New U.S. Chemical Weapons: A NATO committee is expected to provide a key endorsement for the production of binary weapons; European opponents say the issue has not been given broad enough political debate. PMID- 17781401 TI - Binary deployment remains controversial. PMID- 17781399 TI - NIH Starts New Grants Program. PMID- 17781402 TI - Congress urged to change patterns of research support. PMID- 17781403 TI - Congressmen urge support for supercollider. PMID- 17781406 TI - Greenhouse Warming still Coming: Estimates of the carbon dioxide-induced climate warming predict a large effect that could be doubled by increasing trace gases; some effects of the warming may already be evident. PMID- 17781404 TI - Science and engineering academies elect new officers. PMID- 17781405 TI - Copyrights Obsolete in An Electronic Age, OTA Finds. PMID- 17781407 TI - Did ancient humans make stone caches? PMID- 17781408 TI - A solution to the solar neutrino puzzle? PMID- 17781409 TI - Basic research and economic health: the coming challenge. AB - The United States faces an international economic challenge that can best be met with a renewed emphasis on the basic science and engineering that underlies new technology. For 20 years, however, the nation has not invested adequately in the science and engineering base, with the result that we have too few young people entering science and engineering programs and inadequate facilities and equipment in the nation's universities. We need a fresh infusion of resources into the universities, together with a new emphasis on cooperative efforts between universities and industry. The engineering research centers recently established by the National Science Foundation are an example of how we should proceed. PMID- 17781410 TI - Marine cobalt resources. AB - Ferromanganese oxides in the open oceans are more enriched in cobalt than any other widely distributed sediments or rocks. Concentrations of cobalt exceed 1 percent in ferromanganese crusts on seamounts, ocean ridges, and other raised areas of the ocean. The cobaltrich crusts may be the slowest growing of any earth material, accumulating one molecular layer every 1 to 3 months. Attention has been drawn to crusts as potential resources because they contain cobalt, manganese, and platinum, three of the four priority strategic metals for the United States. Moreover, unlike abyssal nodules, whose recovery is complicated by their dominant location in international waters, some of the most cobalt-rich crusts occur within the exclusive economic zone of the United States and other nations. Environmental impact statements for crust exploitation are under current development by the Department of the Interior. PMID- 17781411 TI - Cool water: demonstration of a clean and efficient new coal technology. AB - Cool Water, the world's first commercial-scale, integrated coal gasification combined cycle power plant, has been operating successfully since May 1984 near Barstow, California. The 100-megawatt plant, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, is probably the cleanest coal-fired power generating facility now in commercial operation. An ongoing demonstration program at Cool Water shows that future baseload power plants that use this technology can be built modularly in increments of a few hundred megawatts and compete economically with much larger, conventional coal-fired power plants equipped for flue gas desulfurization. PMID- 17781412 TI - A mid-brunhes climatic event: long-term changes in global atmosphere and ocean circulation. AB - A long-term climatic change 4.0 x 10(5) to 3.0 x 10(5) years ago is recorded in deep-sea sediments of the Angola and Canary basins in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. In the Angola Basin (Southern Hemisphere) the climatic signal shows a transition to more humid ("interglacial") conditions in equatorial Africa, and in the Canary Basin (Northern Hemisphere) to more "glacial" oceanic conditions. This trend is confirmed by comparison with all well-documented marine and continental records from various latitudes available; in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Atlantic north of 20 degrees N, climate merged into more "glacial" conditions and in equatorial regions and in the Southern Hemisphere to more "interglacial" conditions. The data point to a more northern position of early Brunhes oceanic fronts and to an intensified atmosphere and ocean surface circulation in the Southern Hemisphere during that time, probably accompanied by a more zonal circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. The mid-Brunhes climatic change may have been forced by the orbital eccentricity cycle of 4.13 x 10(5) years. PMID- 17781413 TI - Archaeopteryx is not a forgery. AB - Archaeopteryx lithographica might be regarded as the most important zoological species known, fossil or recent. Its importance lies not in that its transitional nature is unique-there are many such transitional forms at all taxonomic levels but in the fact that it is an obvious and comprehensible example of organic evolution. There have been recent allegations that the feather impressions on Archaeopteryx are a forgery. In this report, proof of authenticity is provided by exactly matching hairline cracks and dendrites on the feathered areas of the opposing slabs, which show the absence of the artificial cement layer into which modern feathers could have been pressed by a forger. PMID- 17781414 TI - Reduction in summer soil wetness induced by an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. AB - The geographical distribution of the change in soil wetness in response to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide was investigated by using a mathematical model of climate. Responding to the increase in carbon dioxide, soil moisture in the model would be reduced in summer over extensive regions of the middle and high latitudes, such as the North American Great Plains, western Europe, northern Canada, and Siberia. These results were obtained from the model with predicted cloud cover and are qualitatively similar to the results from several numerical experiments conducted earlier with prescribed cloud cover. PMID- 17781416 TI - Winner of trip to annual meeting announced. PMID- 17781415 TI - Gradual dinosaur extinction and simultaneous ungulate radiation in the hell creek formation. AB - Dinosaur extinction in Montana, Alberta, and Wyoming was a gradual process that began 7 million years before the end of the Cretaceous and accelerated rapidly in the final 0.3 million years of the Cretaceous, during the interval of apparent competition from rapidly evolving immigrating ungulates. This interval involves rapid reduction in both diversity and population density of dinosaurs. The last dinosaurs known are from a channel that contains teeth of Mantuan mammals, seven species of dinosaurs, and Paleocene pollen. The top of this channel is 1.3 meters above the likely position of the iridium anomaly, the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. PMID- 17781417 TI - "Reporting the shuttle disaster"--additional annual meeting symposium. PMID- 17781418 TI - Annual meeting returns to Philadelphia. PMID- 17781419 TI - Women's Participation in the Professional Work Force Levels Off--Minority Representation at Near Standstill. PMID- 17781421 TI - Obituaries. PMID- 17781420 TI - SB&F to Focus on Space Science in 1986--87. PMID- 17781422 TI - Nuclear nonproliferation: the nuclear suppliers and nonproliferation. PMID- 17781424 TI - Social psychology: attribution. PMID- 17781423 TI - The behaviorist tradition: the origins of behaviorism. PMID- 17781425 TI - Some other books of interest: nucleic Acid hybridisation. PMID- 17781426 TI - Some other books of interest: bacteria in their natural environments. PMID- 17781427 TI - Some other books of interest: insect locomotion. PMID- 17781428 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17781429 TI - A biological survey of the United States. PMID- 17781430 TI - Dynamics of molecular motion at single-crystal surfaces. AB - Dramatic advances in our understanding of the motion of individual atoms and molecules at single-crystal surfaces have been made within the past 5 years. Recent experimental and theoretical studies of the interaction of nitric oxide with metal surfaces illustrate the depth of understanding now obtainable. General principles, applicable to a broader range of molecule-surface encounters, have begun to emerge out of the systematic and in-depth analyses of these and related studies. PMID- 17781431 TI - Infinite resources: the ultimate strategy. AB - By projecting global population growth and demand for nonrenewable materials over the next century, it appears unlikely that the world will run short of any element before about 2050. This provides considerable time to develop new technology to economically exploit lower grade and alternative ores to bring some 30 elements into essentially infinite supply, and to use these elements in developing substitutes to satisfy the requirements of modern civilized societies. PMID- 17781432 TI - Florida Flip-Flops on EDB. PMID- 17781434 TI - Sea-Floor Spreading Is Not So Variable: A new measure of how fast ancient ocean crust formed suggests that this rate, as well as sea level, were not as high 80 million years ago as once thought. PMID- 17781433 TI - University of california sees budget turnaround. PMID- 17781435 TI - A Renewed Interest in Immobilized Enzymes: A host of potential new applications for immobilized enzymes and cells presages what some call "a new industrial revolution". PMID- 17781436 TI - How do you immobilize an enzyme? PMID- 17781437 TI - Forecasting of Severe Storms Improved: A combination of sophisticated technology and human skills can improve short-term forecasting of severe thunderstorms. PMID- 17781438 TI - 1983 annual report of the executive officer. PMID- 17781439 TI - Mirror for lawyers: chicago lawyers. PMID- 17781440 TI - A career in genetics: a feeling for the organism. PMID- 17781441 TI - Ocean eddies: eddies in marine science. PMID- 17781442 TI - Geologic thought: great geological controversies. PMID- 17781443 TI - Lignin signature of aquatic humic substances. AB - Lignin-derived phenols dominate the cupric oxide oxidation products of dissolved humic substances from river and lake waters. The relative distributions of these phenols suggest the presence of intact, though oxidized, lignin, which is indicative of the locally dominant vascular plant vegetation. Recognizable lignin is present mostly in humic acid as opposed to fulvic acid fractions. This lignin component represents a source-specific and process-dependent tracer that can uniquely characterize dissolved organic matter. PMID- 17781444 TI - Guidance of peripheral pioneer neurons in the grasshopper: adhesive hierarchy of epithelial and neuronal surfaces. AB - An important question in developmental neurobiology is how a neuron finds its way over long distances to its correct target during embryogenesis. Peripheral pioneer neurons in insect embryos have been used for study because of the relative simplicity of the early embryonic appendages, and the accessibility of the identified neurons whose growth cones traverse this terrain. The data presented suggest an adhesive hierarchy of both epithelial and neuronal surfaces that guides the first growth cones from the appendages of the grasshopper embryo. PMID- 17781445 TI - Inheritance of functional foreign genes in plants. AB - Morphologically normal plants were regenerated from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cells transformed with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain containing a tumor inducing plasmid with a chimeric gene for kanamycin resistance. The presence of the chimeric gene in regenerated plants was demonstrated by Southern hybridization analysis, and its expression in plant tissues was confirmed by the ability of leaf segments to form callus on media containing kanamycin at concentrations that were normally inhibitory. Progeny derived from several transformed plants inherited the foreign gene in a Mendelian manner. PMID- 17781446 TI - All variegated plants are not chimeras. PMID- 17781448 TI - Summary of apollo 11 lunar science conference. PMID- 17781447 TI - All variegated plants are not chimeras. PMID- 17781449 TI - Lunar regolith at tranquillity base. AB - The regolith at Tranquillity Base is a layer of fragmental debris that ranges in thickness from about 3 to 6 meters. The thickness of the regolith and the exposure histories of its constituent fragments can be related, by means of a relatively simple model, to the observed crater distribution. PMID- 17781450 TI - Passive seismic experiment. AB - Seismometer operation for 21 days at Tranquillity Base revealed, among strong signals produced by the Apollo 11 lunar module descent stage, a small proportion of probable natural seismic signals. The latter are long-duration, emergent oscillations which lack the discrete phases and coherence of earthquake signals. From similarity with the impact signal of the Apollo 12 ascent stage, they are thought to be produced by meteoroid impacts or shallow moonquakes. This signal character may imply transmission with high Q and intense wave scattering, conditions which are mutually exclusive on earth. Natural background noise is very much smaller than on earth, and lunar tectonism may be very low. PMID- 17781451 TI - Laser ranging retro-reflector: continuing measurements and expected results. AB - After successful acquisition in August of reflected ruby laser pulses from the Apollo 11 laser ranging retro-reflector (LRRR) with the telescopes at the Lick and McDonald observatories, repeated measurements of the round-trip travel time of light have been made from the McDonald Observatory in September with an equivalent range precision of +/-2.5 meters. These acquisition period observations demonstrated the performance of the LRRR through lunar night and during sunlit conditions on the moon. Instrumentation activated at the McDonald Observatory in October has yielded a precision of +/-0.3 meter, and improvement to +/-0.15 meter is expected shortly. Continued monitoring of the changes in the earth-moon distance as measured by the round-trip travel time of light from suitably distributed earth stations is expected to contribute to our knowledge of the earth-moon system. PMID- 17781452 TI - Age of the moon: an isotopic study of uranium-thorium-lead systematics of lunar samples. AB - Concentrations of U, Th, and Pb in Apollo 11 samples studied are low (U. 0.16 to 0.87; Th, 0.53 to 3.4; Pb, 0.29 to 1.7, in ppm) but the extremely radiogenic lead in samples allows radiometric dating. The fine dust and the breccia have a concordant age of 4.66 billion years on the basis of (207)Pb/(206)Pb, (206)Pb/(238)U, (207)Pb/(235U), and(208)Pb/(232)Th ratios. This age is comparable with the age of meteorites and with the age generally accepted for the earth. Six crystalline and vesicular samples are distinctly younger than the dust and breccia. The (238)U/(235)U ratio is the same as that in earth rocks, and (234)U is in radioactive equilibrium with parent (238)U. PMID- 17781453 TI - Ages, irradiation history, and chemical composition of lunar rocks from the sea of tranquillity. AB - The (87)Rb-(87)Sr internal isochrons for five rocks yield an age of 3.65 +/-0.05 x 10(9) years which presumably dates the formation of the Sea of Tranquillity. Potassium-argon ages are consistent with this result. The soil has a model age of 4.5 x10(9) years, which is best regarded as the time of initial differentiation of the lunar crust. A peculiar rock fragment from the soil gave a model age of 4.44 x 10(9) years. Relative abundances of alkalis do not suggest differential volatilization. The irradiation history of lunar rocks is inferred from isotopic measurements of gadolinium, vanadium, and cosmogenic rare gases. Spallation xenon spectra exhibit a high and variable (131)Xe/(126)Xe ratio. No evidence for (129)I was found. The isotopic composition of solar-wind xenon is distinct from that of the atmosphere and of the average for carbonaceous chondrites, but the krypton composition appears similar to average carbonaceous chondrite krypton. PMID- 17781454 TI - Argon-40/ argon-39 dating of lunar rock samples. AB - Seven crystalline rock samples returned by Apollo 11 have been analyzed in detail by means of the (40)Ar-(-39)Ar dating technique. The extent of radiogenic argon loss in these samples ranges from 7 percent to >/= 48 percent. Potassium-argon ages, corrected for the effects of this loss, cluster relatively closely around the value of 3.7 x 10(9) years. Most of the vulcanism associated with the formation of the Mare Tranquillitatis presumably occurred around 3.7 x 10(9) years ago. A major cause of the escape of gas from lunar rock is probably the impact event which ejected the rock from its place of origin to its place of discovery. Upper limits for the times at which these impact events occurred have been estimated. PMID- 17781455 TI - Uranium-thorium-lead isotope relations in lunar materials. AB - The lead isotopic compositions and uranium, thorium, and lead concentrations have been measured on six samples of material from the Sea of Tranquillity. The leads are moderately to very radiogenic; the initial lead concentrations are very low; the uranium and thorium levels are 0.26 to 0.88 and 0.87 to 3.35 parts per million, respectively. The Th/U ratios cluster about a 3.6 value. Apparent ages calculated for four rocks are 4.1 to 4.2 x 10(9) years. Dust and breccia yield apparent ages of 4.60 to 4.63 x 10(9) years. The uranium-lead ages are concordant, or nearly so, in all cases. The lunar surface is an ancient region with an extended record of events in the early history of the solar system. discrepancy between the rock ages and dust ages poses a fundamental qusestion about rock genesis on the moon. PMID- 17781456 TI - Rubidium-strontium, uranium, and thorium-lead dating of lunar material. AB - Rubidiuom and stronztiulm concentrations and strontium isotopic compositions have been measutred on whole rock samples and density fractions of microgabbro. Density fractionis on two rocks define isochrons of 3400 and 4500 million years with large uincertainties owing to low enrichment of radiogenic strontium. Lead from fine surface material is highly radiogenic. An age of 4750 million years has been calculated from the ratio of (207)Pb/(206)Pb. The concentrations of uiranium, thorium, and lead isotopes are consistent with the evolution of lead in a 4700-million-year-old closed system characterized by the ratios of uranium to lead and of thoriunm to lead in this sutrface material. PMID- 17781457 TI - Rubidium-strontium relations in tranquillity base samples. AB - Preliminary total rock analyses disclosed a greatly different rubidium depletion between two groups of these igneous rocks, and ratios of strontium-87 to strontium-86 indicate that the rubidium depletion in these materials must have occurred during or shortly after the accretion of the terrestrial planets. PMID- 17781458 TI - Rubidium-strontium chronology and chemistry of lunar material. AB - Igneous lunar rocks divide into two chemical types, probably representing two rock units. They form separate close groups on the isochron diagram; no total rock age is valid unless the rocks are cogenetic. Mineral isochrons prove that one type has an age of 3.80 +/-0.11 billion years, equal to the line joining total-rock groups, and the initial ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 of both types is close to 0.6994. Soil and breccias chemically resemble a mixture of the two igneous types, with a superimposed variation of mineral components, plus a small transferred component rich in nickel, copper, zinc, and possibly stron-tium 87. PMID- 17781459 TI - Rubidium-strontium age and elemental and isotopic abundances of some trace elements in lunar samples. AB - Data on six lunar crystalline rocks give an apparent Rb-Sr isochron age of 4.42 +/- 0.24 x 10(9) years (95 percent confidence limits) and initial (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio similar to that in a basaltic achondrite. Relationships between K, Rb, Sr, and Ba and depletion of Eu in these samples point to plagioclase separation from the melts that produced these rocks. The abundance of (157)Gd in the three lunar samples is similar to terrestrial abundance within < 0.2 percent, thus setting a limit of < 6 x 10(15) neutrons per square centimeter for the integrated thermal neutron flux difference between lunar and terrestrial materials. PMID- 17781460 TI - The moon issue. PMID- 17781461 TI - Age determinations and isotopic abundance measurements on lunar samples. AB - A K-Ar age of 2300 x 10(6) years has been determined for a sample of type A crystalline rock (57,34). The presence of an anomalously large quantity of 4 degrees Ar, in a sample of type C breccia (65,35) precluded the calculation of its K-Ar age. Both of the rock types are characterized by low Rb/Sr ratios and consequently low (87)Sr/(86)Sr values. The U-Th-Pb results for a sample of type D fines (84,33) yield a (207)Pb/(206)Pb age of 4760 x 10(6) years, but ages based on U-Pb and Th-Pb ratios are anomalously high. Isotopic compositions of Li, K, Rb, Sr, U, and Th are very close to the accepted values for terrestrial materials. PMID- 17781462 TI - Lead and thallium isotopes in mare tranquillitatis surface material. AB - Lead from Apollo 11 fines is more radiogenic than any meteoritic lead reported and older than any terrestrial radiogenic lead: (201)Pb/(206)Pb/(207)Pb/(208)Pb = 1/99(.6)/69(.0)117(.1). Comparison with primordial lead from meteoritic troilite yields a 207Pb/ 206Pb age of 4.7 + 0.1 x 10(9) years. The (238)U/(204)Pb ratio is > 90 and the (232)Th/(238)U ratio is 3.9 +/-0.1. The lead conitent is > 1.7 x 10( 6). Evidently Pb was strongly depleted and Th and U strongly enriched in the formation of this material. Thallium was too low (< 5 x 10-9) to yield mass spectra, but indications are favorable for eventual observation of extinct natural radioactivity of (205)Pb. PMID- 17781463 TI - Abundance of alkali metals, alkaline and rare earths, and strontium-87/ strontium 86 ratios in lunar samples. AB - The variation in trace element abundance patterns indicates that lunar igneous rocks are the product of extensive igneous fractionation. Variations in the Sr(87)/ Sr(86) ratio indicate that these rocks crystallized 3.5+/-0.3 x 10(9) years ago. PMID- 17781464 TI - Rare Earth elements in returned lunar samples. AB - A linear correlation between concentrations of Sm and ratios of Sm to Eu for nine lunar samples suggests that those samples could correspond to liquids from equilibrium partial melting of a common source. On the basis of partition coefficients in terrestrial systems, the fraction of melting would not have exceeded about 15 percent and the immediate source could have been composed of olivine, orthopyroxene, and opaque minerals plus at least 25 percent feldspar, with at most a few percent calcic clinopyroxene and less than 1 percent apatite. The large Eu depletions could also have been produced by fractional crystallization if the ratio of Eu(2+) to Eu(3+) in lunar magmas significantly exceeds the values for terrestrial magmas. PMID- 17781465 TI - Trace elements and radioactivity in lunar rocks: implications for meteorite infall, solar-wind flux, and formation conditions of moon. AB - Lunar soil and type C breccias are enriched 3-to 100-fold in Ir, Au, Zn, Cd, Ag, Br, Bi, and Tl, relative to type A, B rocks. Smaller enrichments were found for Co, Cu, Ga, Pd, Rb, and Cs. The solar wind at present intensity can account for only 3 percent of this enrichment; an upper limit to the average proton flux during the last 4.5 x 109 years thus is 8 x 10(9) cm(-2) yr(-1). The remaining enrichment seems to be due to a 1.5 to 2 percent admixture of carbonaceous chondritelike material, corresponding to an average influx rate of meteoritic and cometary matter of 2.9 x 10(-9) g cm(-2) yr(-1) at Tranquility Base. This is about one-quarter the terrestrial rate. Type A, B rocks are depleted 10-to 100 fold in Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, In, Tl, and Bi, relative to terrestrial basalts. This suggests loss by high-temperature volatilization, before or after accretion of the moon. Positron activities due mainly to (22)Na and (26)Al range from 90 to 220 beta(+) min(-1) kg(-1) in five small rocks or fragments (9 to 29 g). The higher activities presumably indicate surface locations. Th and U contents generally agree with those found by the preliminary examination team. PMID- 17781466 TI - Potassium, rubidium, strontium, barium, and rare-Earth concentrations in lunar rocks and separated phases. AB - Concentrations of potassium, rubidium, strontium, barium, and rareearth elements have been determined by mass spectrometric isotope dilution for eight Apollo 11 lunar samples and for some separated phases. Potassiumn and ritbidium are at chondritic levels, strontium at 15 times, and barium and rare earths at 30 to 100 times chondritic levels. There are trace element similarities between the lunar samples and basaltic achondrites, terrestrial dredge basalts and the bulk earth. The trace element data appear to be consistent with these lunar samples being the result of limited partial fusion of some material similar to the brecciated eucrite meteorites. PMID- 17781467 TI - Total carbon and nitrogen abundances in lunar samples. AB - Total carbon and nitrogen abundances were determined by using combustion-gas chromatographic techlniques. Weighited mean analyses for butlk fines were 225 and 140 ppm total carbon and 150 anid 100 ppm total nitrogen. Total carbon in fine breccia was 230 ppm; in coarse breccia, 100 ppmn; in fine-grained rock, 70 ppm; and in mediumn-grained rock, 64 ppm. The finest sieved fraction had the highest carbon content. Total nitrogen in fine breccia was 125 ppm; in coarse breccia, 100 ppm; in fine-grained rock, 115 ppm; and in medium-grained rock, 30 ppm. The total carbon and nitrogen finies appeat to be mixtuires of indigenous lunar material togetheer with meteoritic and solar wind components. PMID- 17781468 TI - Instrumental neutron activation analyses of lunar specimens. AB - Ten Apollo 11 specimnens were divided into 24 samtples. Sodillim contents of 8 diverse specimens clluster tightly abolit 0.3 percent. Plagioclase separated from sample 10044 contains aboltt 1.09 percent Na; barium is not enriched in the plagioclase separate. Contents of the rare earths are strikingly high, and relative abtmndances resemble those of calcium-rich achondrites or abyssal basalts but are depleted in Eu by factors of 2 to 3 and in La by about 20 percent. The plagioclase separate is enriched in Eu and pyroxenes (and opaqtte minerals are Eu-depleted. Fine fractions of 10044 are abotit 20 to 40 percent richer in most rare earths (50 percent for Eu) than coarse fractions, probably becaitse of the presence of small grains in which rare earths are mnarkedly concentrated. "Microgabbro" 10045 is imnpoverished, relative to the soil, in rare eartlhs and Hf. Ratios by mass of Zr to Hf are comlparatively low. Abttndances of Mn, Co, Fe, Sc and Cr stiggest systematic differences between igneous rocks on one hanid and breccias and "soil" on the other. Fromn the Co abuindances, no more than about 3 percent of the present "soil" can consist of chondritic mleteorite conitamination. PMID- 17781469 TI - Isotopic abundances of actinide elements in lunar material. AB - The abunldanzces of uranium and thorium were measured mass spectrometrically as 0.59 +/- 0.02 and 2.24 +/- 0.06 parts per million, respectively, in the fines of Apollo 11 builk sample. The ratio (235)U/(238)U was 0.007258 +/- 0.000016, in agreement with terrestrial uranium. The following upper limits were set: (236)U/(238)U 3 x 10(9) per square centimeter have been measured in different samples. Rocks 17, 47, 57, and 58 have VH (Z >22) galactic cosmic ray ages of 11, 14, 28, and 13 x 10(6) years, respectively. Rock 57 has a calculated erosion rate of 10(-7) centimeter per year. Near-surface track versus depth data in rock 17 can be fit with solar flare particles that have a differential energy spectrum aE(-3); lunar samples can be used to study the history of solar activity. The uranium in the crystalline rocks occurs principally in small regions <10 to approximately 100 micrometers in size. The (low) thermoluminescence of the fines increases with depth in core 10004. With one possible exception, x-ray studies have not shown pronounced radiation damage effects. The total energy release upon heating is small up to 900 degrees C and occurs in three broad regions. PMID- 17781499 TI - Tritium and argon radioactivties in lunar material. AB - Tritium and argon radioactivities, attributable to galactic and solar cosmic-ray interactions, were measured in lunar soil and in three lunar rocks. The tritium in the soil, 325 +/- 17 disintegrations per minute per kilogram, is slightly higher than that in the rocks, 212 to 250 dpm/kg. For two rocks, the tritium was combined with the helium-3 in order to calculate exposure ages of 375 +/- 40 and 205 +/- 25 million years. The argon-37 radioactivities, 21.0 to 27.2 dpm/kg, and the argon-39 radioactivities, 12.1 to 16.4 dpm/kg, are slightly higher than those in stony meteorites. Higher exposure ages were obtained from the argon isotopes than from tritium and helium-3. On the basis of the known galactic cosmic-ray flux and the known cross section, at least half of the observed radioactivities are produced by solar cosmic rays. PMID- 17781500 TI - Particle Track, X-ray, Thermal, and Mass Spectrometric Studies of Lunar Material. AB - Particle tracks in Apollo 11 samples are dominantly of cosmic ray and solar origin: primary galactic and solar flare particles, likely spallation recoil tracks, and possible solar-wind heavy particles. The energy spectrum of irongroup nuclei is inferred from track density gradients in surface layers, and a limit of << 10(-7) centimeter per year is deduced for the surface erosion rate. From cosmic ray tracks in rock and core samples it is clear that the lunar soil is stirred often during each few million years. X-rays reveal augite, anorthite, olivine, ilmenite, troilite, nonmeteoritic iron, and assorted glasses, but no major structural damage. Hydrogen, helium, and other gases in the fines are compatible with expected solar wind ratios. PMID- 17781501 TI - Rare gases in lunar samples: study of distribution and variafions by a microprobe technique. AB - The rare gas distribution in lunar soil, breccias, and rocks was studied with a micro-helium-probe. Gases are concentrated in grain surfaces and originate from solar wind. Helium-4 concentrations of different mineral components vary by more than a factor of 10 apart from individual fluctuations for each type. Also grains with no detectable helium-4 exist. Titanium-rich components have the highest, calcium-rich minerals the lowest concentrations. The solar wind was redistributed by diffusion. Mean gas layer thicknesses are 10, 6, and 5 microm for helium, neon, and argon respectively. Lithic fragments in breccias contain no solar gases. Glass pitted surfaces of crystalline rocks contain about 10(-2) cubic centimeter of helium-4 per square centimeter. Etched dust grains clearly show spallogenic and radiogenic components. The apparent mean exposure age of dust is approximately 500 x 10(6) years, its potassium-argon age is approximately 3.5 x 10(9) yerars. Cavities of crystalline rocks contain helium-4, radiogenic argon, H(2), and N(2). PMID- 17781502 TI - Pattern of bombardment-produced radionuclides in rock 10017 and in lunar soil. AB - A large number of radionuclides have been measured as a function of depth in lunar rock 10017 and in bulk fines. Data are reported on (10)Be, (22)Na, (26)Al, (36)Cl, (49)V, (53)mn, (54)Mn (55)Fe, (56)Co, (57)Co, and (59)Ni and on upper limits for (46)Sc, (48)V, (51)Cr, and (60)Co. The results for several nuclides show striking evidence of excess surface production attributable to solar flare particles. Data for short-lived species, (56)Co, (57)CO, (54)Mn, (55)Fe, and (22)Na, appear consistent with fluxes from known recent events. Long-lived species demonstrate the existence of solar flare protons and alphas at least for the last 10(5) to 10(6) years, at fluxes comparable to those now observerved. PMID- 17781503 TI - Cosmogenic and primordial radionuclides in lunar samples by nondestructive gamma ray spectrometry. AB - The (7)Be, (22)Na, (26)Al, (44)Ti, (46)SC, (48)V (51)Cr, (54)Mn, (56)Co, (57)Co, (57)CO, (40)K, (238)U, and (232)Th were measured in lunar fines and portions of three rocks. Major production of cosmogenic radionuclides is due to solar protons, thus their concentrations are far different than those in meteorites. Surface exposures of the rocks and fines are long compared with the 0.74 million year half-life of (26)Al. Lunar fines show substantially higher concentrations of low energy reaction products. The ratios of thorium to uranium are extremely constant at 3.8, which indicates very little geochemical differentiation and are in good agreement with a common nucleosynthesis for lunar and earth materials. PMID- 17781504 TI - Elemental compositions and ages of lunar samples by nondestructive gamma-ray spectrometry. AB - A gamma-ray spectrometry system with low background was used to determine the radioactivity of crystalline rocks, breccias, and fine material. Nuclides identified were (40)K, (232)Th, (238)U, (7)Be, (22)Na (26)A1, (44)Ti, (46)Sc, (48)V, (52)Mn, (54)Mn, and (56)Co. Concentrations of K, Th, and U ranged between 480 and 2550, 1.01 and 3.30, and 0.26 and 0.83 parts per million, respectively. Concentrations of thorium and uranium were those of terrestrial basalts, while the potassium concentrations were near values for chondrites. Products of low energy nuclear reactions showed pronounced concentration gradients at rock surfaces. Concentrations of K and of (22)Na determined here were combined with concentrations of rare gases to estimate gas-retention ages and cosmic-ray exposure ages with ranges of 2200 to 3200 and 34 to 340 million years, respectively, for three rocks. PMID- 17781505 TI - Mineralogy and petrology of some lunar samples. AB - Chemical analyses and norms of four samples are presented which confirm original estimates of low silica, unusual abundance of titania, and low oxidation state of the rocks. Accounts are given of mineralogy and petrology of fine-and coarse grained igneous rocks and microbreccias with emphasis on chemical composition of individual minerals and glasses. The glasses are either spheres that scatter widely around the composition of lunar basalts or coating glasses that approximate basalts and microbreccias in composition. PMID- 17781506 TI - Petrologic history of moon suggested by petrography, mineralogy, and crystallography. AB - Opaque mineral compositions indicate that the fugacity of oxygen is approximately 10(-13) (earth basalts, 10(-10)). Experiments under reducing conditions suggest that the crystallization range is approximately 1140 degrees to 1070 degrees C. Iron-rich pyroxmangite, fayalite, and hedenbergite occur in microgabbro. Ferropseudobrookite rimmed by ilmenite containing rutile and Cr-spinel lamellae occurs in ferrobasalt. Plagioclase vitrophyres in breccia can explain highland Surveyor VII analysis. We suggest crystal-liquid differentiation of out-gassed convecting moon with growing Fe-rich core, olivine-pyroxene mantle, plagioclase rich dynamic crust underlain by nonspherical, inversely stratified ferrobasalt. Impact-breaking or convection-thrusting of crust releases fraction rich in Fe and Ti. Scanning electron microscopy of glass balls reveals minute depressions consistent with micrometeorite impact. PMID- 17781507 TI - Electron microprobe analysis of lunar samples. AB - Plagioclase feldspar, clinopyroxene, and ilmenite in a polished thin section of a type A crystalline rock were analyzed. The clinopyroxene grains are compositionally variable, and both high Ca and low Ca phases are present. The plagioclase is compositionally homogeneous. The ilmenite is chemically homogeneous except for occasional, small areas of high local chromium concentration. Accessory minerals are: apatite (containing Cl, F, Y, and Ce), troilite, and metallic iron. Glassy spherules from the lunar soil are for the most part similar in composition to the crystalline rocks; however, some appear to have been monomineralic. The crystalline rock has apparently formed by relatively rapid cooling of a silicate melt under conditions of low oxygen partial pressure. Many components of the soil appear to have formed by meteoritic impact. PMID- 17781508 TI - Mineralogical and petrological investigations of lunar samples. AB - Fragments of igneous rocks and breccias, and one coarse-grained rock with thin sections, have been studied. Minerals found include pyroxene, plagioclase, olivine, ilmenite, troilite, ulvospinel, native iron, cristobalite, tridymite, alkali feldspar, apatite, and quartz. Textures are described and interpreted. Among features revealed by optical, microprobe, x-ray diffraction, and electron microscope methods are extreme zoning and unmixing in pyroxene grains, compositional variations in ilmenites, and effects of shock metamorphism. Some trace elements were determined by x-ray fluorescence analysis. PMID- 17781509 TI - Mineralogy and deformation in some lunar samples. AB - Observations on the mineralogy and deformation in samples of crystalline rocks, breccias, and fines from Tranquillity Base provide evidence for magmatic and impact processes. Overall homogeneity, igneous textures, and absence of xenoliths in the crystalline rocks indicate derivation from a common titanium-rich magma by internal, anorogenic volcanism rather than by impact. Crystallization conditions allowed strong compositional variation in pyroxenes, olivine, and plagioclase and the growth of a new mineral, the iron analog of pyroxmangite. Subsequently, impact produced breccias containing shock-deformed crystals and glasses of varying compositions. PMID- 17781510 TI - Mineral chemistry of lunar samples. AB - Glass spherules, glass fragments, augite, ferroaugite, titanaugite, pyroxmangite, pigeonite, hypersthene, plagioclase, potassium feldspar, maskelynite, olivine, silica, ilmenite, TiO(2), "ferropseudobrookite," spinel, ulvospinel, native iron, nickel-iron, troilite, and chlorapatite were analyzed with the electron microprobe. There are no indications of large-scale chemical differentiation, chemical weathering, or hydrous minerals. Contributions of meteoritic material to lunar surface rocks are small. Rocks with igneous textures originated from a melt that crystallized at or near the surface, and oxygen fugacities have been low. Shock features indicate that at least some surface material is impact-produced. PMID- 17781511 TI - Petrographic, mineralogic, and x-ray fluorescence analysis of lunar igneous-type rocks and spherules. AB - Three lunar rocks show almost identical mineralogy but grain sizes that vary from basaltic to gabbroic. Clinopyroxene is zoned from augite to subcalcic ferroaugite compositions and is accompanied by decrease in Cr, Al, and Ti. Plagioclase is zoned from 93 to 78 percent anorthite. Olivine (68 percent forsterite) is present in one rock and apatite is rare. Cristobalite, ilmenite with Ti-rich lamellae, ulvospinel (often Cr-rich), troilite, and kamacite are low in trace elements. Glassy spherules are of basaltic or feldspathic (92 percent anorthite) composition but contain abundant iron spheres of taenite composition (13 percent Ni). Four rock analyses by x-ray fluorescence show affinity with terrestrial basalts but with anomalous amounts of Ti, Na, Cr, Zr, Y, Rb, Nb, Ni, Cu, and Zn. PMID- 17781512 TI - Lunar anorthosites. AB - Sixty-one of 1676 lunar rock fragments examined were found to be anorthosites, markedly different in composition, color, and specific gravity from mare basalts and soil breccias. Compositional similiarity to Tycho ejecta analyzed by Surveyor 7 suggests that the anorthosites are samples of highlands material, thrown to Tranquillity Base by cratering events. A lunar structural model is proposed in which a 25-kilometer anorthosite crust, produced by magmatic fractionation, floats on denser gabbro. Where early major impacts punched through the crust, basaltic lava welled up to equilibrium surface levels and solidified (maria). Mascons are discussed in this context. PMID- 17781513 TI - Experimental petrology of lunar material: the nature of mascons, seas, and the lunar interior. AB - One-atmosphere melting data show that Apollo 11 samples are near cotectic. Melting relations at pressures up to 35 kilobars show that clinopyroxenite or amphibole peridotite are possible lunar interiors. Mascons cannot be eclogite; they may be ilmenite accumulate. Hot lunar surface material will boil off alkalis. PMID- 17781514 TI - Petrogenesis of lunar basalts and the internal constitution and origin of the moon. AB - Petrographic and electron-microprobe studies combined with high pressure temperature investigations of phase relationships in average Apollo 11 basalt and possible source material show that the lower parts of maria may be composed of eclogite (density 3.74 grams per cubic centimeter), thus explaining the existence of mascons. The Apollo 11 basalt was probably formed at depths of 200 to 400 kilometers by a small degree of partial melting from pyroxenitic source material [FeO/(FeO + MgO) = 0.25, A1(2)O(3) 4 percent, CaO 3 percent]. This composition may be representative of the lunar interior and yields the observed mean lunar density and moment of inertia. Present data are in conflict with fission, binary planet, and capture hypotheses of lunar origin but are consistent with Ringwood's (1966) precipitation hypothesis. PMID- 17781515 TI - Crystallization of some lunar mafic magmas and generation of rhyolitic liquid. AB - During crystallization of lunar crystalline rocks 10022 and 10024, augite changes in composition almost continuously from titanaugite (Ca(36)Mg(47) Fe, (17) with TiO(2) 3 percent) to a very iron-rich variety (Ca(9)Mg(5)Fe(86)), pigeonite changes from Ca(9)Mg(66)Fe(25) to Ca(1O)Mg(51)Fe(39), and olivine changes (in 10022) from Mg(71)Fe(29) to Mg(41)Fe(59), whereas plagioclase stays as bytownite. These compositional variations, as well as the textural relations, may be explained by rapid crystallization of undercooled magmas. The residual liquids found as mesostasis are rhyolitic, which suggests that fractional crystallization of some lunar mafic magmas can generate rhyolitic magmas. Melting experiments were made on crystalline rocks to determine liquidus temperatures and crystallizing phases. PMID- 17781516 TI - Iron-titanium oxides and olivine from 10020 and 10071. AB - A new mineral (approximately Fe(0.5)Mg(0.5)Ti(2)O(5)) related to the pseudobrookite series has been discovered in section 10071,28. Electron-probe analyses for this mineral, a coexisting ilmenite, and a chromian ulvospinel ilmenite assemblage in section 10020,40 indicate crystallization under highly reducing conditions. Analytical and optical absorption studies of the olivine in 10020 show it to contain unusually high Cr (1400 parts per million) probably as Cr(2+). PMID- 17781517 TI - Opaque minerals of the lunar rocks and dust from mare tranquillitatis. AB - The opaque minerals in the lunar rocks 10047, 10050, 10057, 10059, 10068 and in the dust were studied. Rock 10047 contains ilmenite as a main component besides Al-bearing chromian ulvospinel, a new Ti, Fe, Zr, Y, Ca silicate, troilite, cobaltian alpha Fe, minor hafnian baddeleyite and dysanalyte. Dysanalyte contains Ca, Ti, and Fe as major elements and shows concentrations (rare earth elements together approximately 10 percent) of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Hf, Y, and Zr plus traces of Nb, Ba, and Na. The chemistry of ilmenite in the igneous rocks shows no appreciable variations. A new mineral of the solid solution series MgTi(2)O(5)-FeTi(2)O(5) has also been encountered in the polymict breccias. The microbreccias and the fines contain meteorite debris indicating an impact origin. PMID- 17781518 TI - Search for magnetite in lunar rocks and fines. AB - Magnetite crystals larger than 2 micrometers are absent from rocks and fines. Smaller opaque spheres in the fines can tentatively be identified as magnetite. Their concentration is not higher than 1 x 10(-6) particle per particle smaller than 1 millimeter. In the fines from the sampling site, the contribution of material similar to type 1 carbonaceous meteorites is insignificant, either because it never existed, or because it was evaporated or comminuted by impact or was diluted by indigenous material. Other magnetite habits typical of carbonaceous meteorites or possibly of cosmic dust or comets were also sought without success-such as rods, platelets, framboids, spherulites, and idiomorphic crystals. PMID- 17781519 TI - Quantitative optical and electron-probe studies of the opaque phases. AB - Ilmenite, chrome-titanium spinel, ulvospinel, troilite, native iron, iron-nickel alloy, and native copper are present. In addition mackinawite is provisionally identified. Three additional opaque phases are present but not identified. Modal analysis indicates that the breccia is enriched in iron relative to ilmenite and troilite, and the high nickel content of this iron suggests that it is largely of meteoritic origin. The bulk composition of liquids corresponding to iron/troilite droplets in the rocks indicates an oxygen fugacity no greater than 10(-15.5) and a sulfur fugacity of 10(-6) bar. Complete melting of rocks produced a glass containing complex iron/troilite globules and skeletal ilmenites. PMID- 17781520 TI - Lunar troilite: crystallography. AB - Fine, euhedral crystals of troilite from lunar sample 10050 show a hexagonal habit consistent with the high-temperature NiAs-type structure. Complete three dimensional counter intensity data have been measured and used to confirm and refine Bertaut's proposed low-temperature crystal structure. PMID- 17781521 TI - Opaque minerals in lunar samples. AB - Microscope study and electron microprobe analysis of lunar rocks and soil show that ilmenite, troilite, and native iron are accompanied by trace amounts of ulvospinel, titanochromite (new mineral name), an unidentified Ti-Fe oxide, and a complex Zr-Y silicate. The assemblage requires a strongly reducing environment. Textures and modal proportions show that the rocks present are not a differentiation series. The restricted nature of the opaque mineral assemblage suggests a narrow range of composition for the materials from which the parent liquids of the rocks were generated. Textural variety mnust reflect differences in cooling rates, probably related to depths of formation. PMID- 17781522 TI - Diffraction and mossbauer studies of minerals from lunar soils and rocks. AB - Constituents of lunar soils and rocks were studied by powder and singlecrystal x ray diffraction. In addition to identification of minerals, including rare amphibole, mica, and aragonite, a detailed study of the important rock-forming minerals of the plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine groups has begun. Mossbauer spectra were recorded from lunar soils, ground rock samples, and separates of iron-bearing minerals. The proportions of iron-bearing minerals were estimated from computer-fitted areas for the bulk samples. The Fe(2+) in the lower-density fraction of pyroxene was ordered, whereas that of the higher-density fraction was disordered. PMID- 17781523 TI - Lunar clinopyroxenes: chemical composition, structural state, and texture. AB - Single-crystal x-ray diffraction, microprobe, optical and electron optical examinations of clinopyroxenes from Apollo 11 lunar samples 10003, 10047, 10050, and 10084 show that generally the crystals are composed of (001) augitepigeonite intergrowths in varying ratios. Transmission electron micrographs reveal abundant exsolution lamellae, many only 60 A thick. In addition to the phase inhomogeneities, primary chemical inhomogeneities are clearly demonstrated. There are reciprocal relationships between calcium and iron and between Ti(4+) + 2Ai and 2Si. Our evidence suggests that a chemically inhomogeneous subcalcic C2/c augite was the only primary pyroxene from which pigeonite later exsolved. PMID- 17781524 TI - Compositional zoning and its significance in pyroxenes from three coarse-grained lunar samples. AB - The calcium-rich pyroxenes in lunar samples 10047, 10058, and 10062 show pronounced sectoral and radial compositional variations which correlate with sharp to gradual variations in color and optical properties. The pyroxenes apparently grew as nearly euhedral crystals from melts of approximately the same composition as that of the samples. The coupled substitutions determined across sector boundaries suggest that Al is predominantly in the tetrahedral site and that Ti is predominantly quadrivalent. The pyroxene differentiation trend (unknown in terrestrial pyroxenes) is toward extreme enrichment in the ferrosilite molecule. The iron-enriched portions of the pyroxene grains may have grown with a triclinic pyroxenoid structure. PMID- 17781525 TI - Crystallography of some lunar plagioclases. AB - Crystals of calcic bytownite from type B rocks have space group I1 with c approximately 14 angstroms. Bytownite crystals from type A rocks are more sodic and have space group C1, c approximately 7 angstroms. Cell parameters of eight bulk feldspar separates from crystalline rocks indicate that the range of angle gamma is about 23 times the standard error of measurement, and its value might be useful for estimation of composition. Cell parameters of seven ilmenites are close to those of pure FeTiO(3). PMID- 17781526 TI - Petrology of a fine-grained igneous rock from the sea of tranquillity. AB - All phases in a thin section of sample 10022 have been analyzed by electron microprobe. Augite grains show strong iron enrichment in the outer 15 to 20 microns. Pigeonite cores occur within augite grains. The plagioclase has an anorthite content of between 73 and 81 mole percent and is high in Si and low in Al compared to stoichiometric feldspar. Residual phases include microcrystalline Fe-rich "pyroxene," plagioclase, K-rich alkali feldspar, silica, and rare areas rich in P and Zr with concentrations of Ba, Y, and rare earth elements. The density, viscosity, and crystallization history of the lava of sample 10022 are discussed. PMID- 17781527 TI - High-voltage transmission electron microscopy study of lunar surface material. AB - The internal substructures of a type B sample have been examined at high magnification and compared with terrestrial rocks. Selected ultrathin sections were prepared from these multiphase materials by an ion-thinning technique and examined in a 1-Mev electron microscope, with complementary optical analyses. The structures in the ilmenite and plagioclase indicate that the lunar material has undergone plastic deformation by dislocation movement and possibly microtwinning, with subsequent recovery. The pyroxene exhibits complex lamellar structures of submicron spacing. These various observations are consistent with the optical microscopy evidence for distortion and recovery and identify the processes involved. PMID- 17781528 TI - Silicate liquid immiscibility in lunar magmas, evidenced by melt inclusions in lunar rocks. AB - Examination of multiphase melt inclusions in 91 sections of 26 lunar rocks revealed abundant evidence of late-stage immiscibility in all crystalline rock sections and in soil fragments and most breccias. The two individual immiscible silicate melts (now glasses) vary in composition, but are essentially potassic granite and pyroxenite. This immiscibility may be important in the formation of the lunar highlands and tektites. Other inclusions yield the following temperatures at which the several minerals first appear on cooling the original magma: ilmenite (?) liquidus, 1210 degrees C; pyroxene, 1140 degrees C; plagioclase, 1105 degrees C; solidus, 1075 degrees C. The glasses also place some limitations on maximum and minimum cooling rates. PMID- 17781529 TI - Petrology of unshocked crystalline rocks and shock effects in lunar rocks and minerals. AB - On the basis of rock modes, textures, and mineralogy, unshocked crystalline rocks are classified into a dominant ilmenite-rich suite (subdivided into intersertal, ophitic, and hornfels types) and a subordinate feldspar-rich suite (subdivided into poikilitic and granular types). Weakly to moderately shocked rocks show high strain-rate deformation and solid-state transformation of minerals to glasses; intensely shocked rocks are converted to rock glasses. Data on an unknown calcium bearing iron metasilicate are presented. PMID- 17781530 TI - Lunar soil: size distribution and mineralogical constituents. AB - The lunar soil collected by Apollo 11 consists primarily of submillimeter material and is finer in grain size than soil previously recorded photographically by Surveyor experiments. The main constituents are fine-grained to glassy rocks of basaltic affinity and coherent breccia of undetermined origin. Dark glass, containing abundant nickel-iron spheres, coats many rocks, mineral, and breccia fragments. Several types of homogeneous glass occur as fragments and spheres. Colorless spheres, probably an exotic component, are abundant in the fraction finer than 20 microns. PMID- 17781531 TI - Mineralogy and petrology of coarse particulate material from lunar surface at tranquillity base. AB - Five grams of coarse fines (10085,11) contains 1227 grains, mostly mafic holocrystalline rock fragments, microbreccia, and glass spatter and agglomerates with less abundant anorthosite fragments and regularly shaped glass. The crystalline lithic fragments in the coarse fines and microbreccias represent a closely related suite of gabbroid igneous rocks that have a wider range of modal analyses and textures than seen in the larger crystalline rock samples returned by Apollo 11. Petrographic evidence of shock metamorphism is common, and the abundant glass is almost all shock-produced. None of the glass observed is similar to tektite glass. PMID- 17781532 TI - High crystallization temperatures indicated for igneous rocks from tranquillity base. AB - Complex intergrowths of troilite (FeS) and iron in the igneous rocks from Tranquillity Base contain 8.4 percent native iron by volume. The intergrowths were derived from an initially homogeneous sulfide liquid that separated immiscibly from the magma at 1140 degrees C or above. Textures show that the sulfide liquid formed late in the crystallization and cooling history of the igneous rocks and after the major ilmenite and pyroxene had formed. PMID- 17781533 TI - Morphology and related chemistry of small lunar particles from tranquillity base. AB - Glass spherules show multiple high-velocity impact craters and are coated with small particles including glass, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, ilmenite, olivine, chromite, rock fragments, and frozen droplets of iron, nickel-iron, and troilite. These spherules passed through an impact cloud of hot fragmental material, condensing iron-rich vapor and high-velocity projectiles. Breccia contains concentric, accretionary lapilli units and appears to be a sintered deposit from a hot lunar base surge generated by impact. PMID- 17781534 TI - Mineralogy and petrography of lunar samples. AB - The lunar samples consist largely of augite, calcic plagioclase, and ilmenite. Olivine is a minor constituent of some rocks, as is cristobalite. Other minerals present in small amounts include tridymite, chromite, kamacite, taenite, and troilite. The principal rock types can be broadly grouped into ilmenite basalts and breccias. Except for their high ilmenite content, the lunar rocks resemble the calcium-rich achondritic meteorites (eucrites and howardites) in composition and structure. Evidence of a meteoritic increment in the lunar soil is provided by the presence of nickel-iron particles in glass and breccia, and the occurrence of metal-troilite spheroids; the breccias contain occasional silicate aggregates that resemble meteoritic chondrules. The lunar fines contain 325 parts of watersoluble calcium per million. PMID- 17781535 TI - Phase chemistry, structure, and radiation effects in lunar samples. AB - Phase chemistry, structure, and radiation effects were studied in rock, breccia, and soil samples. The regolith apparently developed in the final stages of accretion and was modified by later impact processes and radiation weathering. Exposure ages indicate transfer of buried igneous rock fragments to the near surface late in lunar history. With a few exceptions igneous rock fragments, soil, and breccia share the same distinctive chemistry, probably acquired before accretion of the moon. The igneous rocks texturally resemble basaltic achondrites, and the soil and breccias contain glassy spheres analogous to chondrules. PMID- 17781536 TI - Mineralogy, petrology, and surface features of lunar samples 10062,35, 10067,9, 10069,30, and 10085,16. AB - The primary rocks are a sequence of titanium-rich basic volcanics, composed of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and ilmenite with minor olivine, troilite, and native iron. The soil and microbreccias are respectively loose and compacted mixtures of fragments and aggregates of similar rocks, minerals, and glassy fragments and spheres. Impact events are reflected by the presence of shock metamorphosed rock fragments, breccias, and glasses and their resulting compaction to form complex breccias, glass-spattered surfaces, and numerous glass-lined craters. Chemistry of the glasses formed by the impact events is highly variable, and the high iron and nickel content of a few moundlike features suggests that at least some of the projectiles are iron and nickel-rich meteorites. PMID- 17781537 TI - Lunar glasses and micro-breccias: properties and origin. AB - Impact has been an important rock-forming process on the moon. Electron- and ion probe analyses of major and minor elements show that most glasses and chondrule like particles formed by shock melting of various proportions of mainly pyroxene, plagioclase, and ilmenite. This is the first direct evidence that chondrule-like molten droplets can form in impact events. Welding and shock lithification resulted in rocks texturally similar to chondrites but composition rules out the moon as source for chondrites. Impact craters on a nickel-iron sample evidence the importance of secondary impacts by accelerated lunar matter. PMID- 17781538 TI - Deformation of silicates from the sea of tranquillity. AB - Plagioclase and olivine crystals in the crystalline rocks from the Sea of Tranquillity show little or no evidence of either static or dynamic deformation. The large disorientations in many of the pyroxene crystals are commonly consistent with slip on the system T -(100), t = [001], but these distortions are not due to plastic flow. They are ascribed to rapid growth and quenching phenomena as deduced from studies of chondrules and of quenched natural and experimentally produced melts. Some of the silicates in the breccias and regolith show evidence of shock deformation, from mild to intense, as indicated by pervasive featuring, shock lamallae, and partial transformatiion of pyroxene and plagioclase crystals to glass. PMID- 17781539 TI - Shock metamorphism in lunar samples. AB - Indications of shock metamorphism produced by pressures up to the megabar region have been observed in the fine material and the breccias, but very rarely in the coarser fragments of crystalline rocks. These indications are deformation structures in plagioclase and pyroxene, diaplectic plagioclase glasses, and glasses formed by shock-induced melting of lunar rocks. Two sources of shock waves have been distinguished: primary impact of meteorites and secondary impact of crater ejecta. There are two major chemical types of shock-induced melts. The differences in chemistry may be related to impact sites in mare and highland areas. PMID- 17781540 TI - Impact metamorphism of lunar surface materials. AB - Silicate grains from Tranquillity Base have shock-induced features ranging from internal fragmentation through complete disruption of the lattice to thermal melting. Half the crystalline grains with diameters less than 125 micrometers have features of shock equivalent to those produced in the laboratory at pressures greater than about 40 kilobars. One quarter have features indicative of pressures greater than 90 kilobars. These properties together with great quantities of melt glass and aluminum-26 in the fine-grained material are indicative of repeated shock-loading by meteoritic bombardment over long periods of time. PMID- 17781541 TI - Evidence and implications of shock metamorphism in lunar samples. AB - Lunar microbreccias and loose regolith materials contain abundant evidence of shock metamorphism related to crater-forming meteorite impacts. Diagnostic shock effects include (i) planar features in a silica phase and feldspars, and lamellae in clinopyroxene, (ii) thetomorphic feldspar glass, (iii) heterogeneous glasses of rock and mineral composition, (iv) distinctive recrystallization textures, and (v) characteristic changes in crystal structure as indicated by x-ray diffraction analysis and measurements of refractive index. The microbreccias are produced from regolith materials (ejected fromz craters) by shock lithification. Some feldsparrich fragments may represent ejecta introduced from nonlocal sources, such as the lunar highlands. PMID- 17781542 TI - Shock-wave damage in minerals of lunar rocks. AB - The mineral fragments that constitute the Apollo 11 microbreccia and fines show a number of shock-induced microstructural effects including multiple twinning on (001) in clinopyroxene and incipient development of lattice-controlled discontinuities in olivine. These structures coupled with the effects of shock induced melting as manifested by spherules and angular fragments of glass and their partly to completely crystallized equivalents indicate that Apollo 11 materials were subjected to weak to moderate shocks with associated peak pressures of the order of 100 to 200 kilobars. PMID- 17781543 TI - Cathodoluminescence properties of lunar rocks. AB - Calcic plagioclase is the dominant luminescent mineral in crystalline rocks and breccias. Minor amounts of cristobalite and tridymite are also luminescent, as are trace grains of potassium feldspar. Two types of intergrowths of potassium feldspar with a silica phase, possibly quartz, were found in the breccias. Luminescence spectra of plagioclase show significant similarities to, and differences from, spectra of terrestrial plagioclase. Shock damage in the breccias is reflected in systematic changes in the plagioclase spectra, thus giving evidence of disordering on the angstrom scale. Associated extinction patterns seen between crossed Nicol prisms give evidence of disordering on the micrometer scale. PMID- 17781544 TI - Mineralogy and composition of lunar fines and selected rocks. AB - Mineralogical descriptions and both wet chemical analyses and microprobe analyses are given of the glasses and crystalline components of the lunar fines and of the minerals in microgabbros (samples 10050 and 10047). The principal minerals described are various clinopyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine, low cristobalite, low tridymite, ilmenite, iron-nickel, iron, schreibersite, cohenite, troilite, and a new CaFe pyroxenoid. Descriptions are given of small craters produced by hypervelocity particle impact on glass and iron-nickel fragments in the fines. The rounding of grains in the fines and of surface rocks is attributed to mechanical ahrasion and not to cratering. PMID- 17781545 TI - Mossbauer spectrometry of lunar samples. AB - Nuclear gamma resonance measurements for the nuclide (57)Fe in lunar material were made in transmission on lunar fines and in scattering on intact lunar rock chips. No appreciable amnount of ferric iron was detected. Resonances were observed for ilmenite in all samples. Strong resonances attributed to ferrous iron in silicates, including pyroxenes and, in some samples, glasses and olivine, were also present. Metallic iron, alloyed with nickel, and troilite were also detected in the lunar fines. Differences in the spectra of various samples of lunar material and their significance are discussed. PMID- 17781546 TI - Mossbauer effect and high-voltage electron microscopy of pyroxenes in type B samples. AB - Site occupancy numbers for ferrous iron, magnesium, and calcium at the Ml and M2 sites in lunar clinopyroxenes are estimated from nuclear gamma-ray resonant absorption spectra of (57)Fe. The cation distribution is ordered; calcium and magnesium prefer M2 and Ml, respectively. The distribution corresponds to an equilibrium at a temperature lower than 680 degrees C. Crystals cleaved and sectioned by diamond-knife ultramicrotomy were examined by high-voltage (200 kv) electron microscopy and diffraction. Uniform 300-to 600-A-wide bands that correspond to single crystal domains were found. Correlation of the bands with magnetic ordering at low temperatures is considered. PMID- 17781547 TI - Mossbauer spectroscopy of moon samples. AB - Lunar bulk sample 10084,85 (< 1 mm size dust), and samples from rocks 10017,17 (fine grained, vesicular), 10046,17 (breccia), 10057,59 (fine grained, vesicular, top surface), 10057,60 (fine grained, vesicular, interior), and 10058,24 (medium grained, not vesicular) have been investigated by (57)Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. Iron metal and the Fe(2+) minerals ilmenite, pyroxene, troilite, and iron containing glass have been identified. An iron line of sample 10084,85 (originally sealed in nitrogen) showed no significant intensity change when the sample was exposed to air. The antiferromagnetic transition in several lunar ilmenites at 57(0) +/- 2 degrees K corresponds to stoichiometric FeTiO,. Magneticallv separated 10057 showed troilite and somne metallic iron. PMID- 17781548 TI - Magnetic properties of lunar samples. AB - A breccia sample (10023) from the moon was found to have a strong and fairly stable remanent magnetization. If this sample was not magnetized by local fields in the spacecraft or in the lunar receiving laboratory, it must have been magnetized on the moon. This could have happened in a variety of ways, such as cooling through the Curie temperature, by comitinuous thermal cycling, or by impact, but all of these require the presence ofr a magnetic field. Such a field could have been of internal origin in the moon, or it could have been a residual effect from the earth's magnetic field at a time when the moon and the earth were much closer together. Thermomagnetic studies identify the presence of iron with about 1 percent nickel (igneous). iron with abiout 5 to 10 percent nickel (meteoritic), iron with about 33 percent or more nickel (meteoritic), and ilmenite. PMID- 17781549 TI - Magnetic properties of lunar dust and rock samples. AB - Determinations on 20-to 80-milligram portions of the rock samples and the -150 mesh fraction of the lunar dust show pronounced Curie points between 680 degrees and 780 degrees C. Remanent intensities of five rock fragments vary from 8.4 x 10(-5) to 0.30 X J0(-5) emu/gram. Upon demagnetization, two of the samples had only viscous magnetization and two other samples had stable magnetizations with remanent coercivities in excess of 50 oersteds. Partial thermal demagnetization suggests that these apparently stable moments may have been acquired in a magnetic field in excess of 1500 gammas. xsxs. PMID- 17781550 TI - Magnetic studies of lunar samples. AB - The remanent magnetismn of a lunar type C breccia sample includes a large viscous component with a time constant of several hours, and a high coercivity remanence, possibly acquired by impact processes on the lunar surface. Ilmenite(?) and metallic iron in breccias, and ferrous and metallic iron in glass beads separated from lunar fines (type D) were identified by high-field and low-temperature experiments. The iron appears to occur in a wide range of grain sizes including the single domain and multidomain states. PMID- 17781551 TI - Magnetic properties of lunar samples. AB - The magnetic properties of samples of rock, fines, and magnetic separate from the fines from Apollo 11 have been measured. Native iron, or possibly nickel-iron, of submicroscopic particle size is the most important constituent, with minor contributions from ilmenite, paramagnetic iron minerals, and other iron-titanium oxides. The remanent magnetization of a sample of the micro-breccia rapidly acquires a viscous magnetization and does not appear to have a significant stable remanence. The crystalline sample has a weak natural remanence showing some stability. PMID- 17781552 TI - Magnetic properties of lunar sample 10048-22. AB - The natural remanent magnetization (3.7 x 10(4) electromagnetic units per cubic centimeter) and the susceptibility per cubic centimeter (6.3 x 10(-13)) of an 18.5-gram breccia specimen were determined with instrumentation and techniques currently used in paleomagnetism. The relatively low magnetic stability of the rock in the earth's field and in alternating demagnetizing fields precludes considering it as a reliable carrier of paleomagnetism. A magnetic balance study yields an unusually high Curie temperature (750 degrees C) which is possibly diagnostic of metallic Fe containing less than 5 percent nickel. The estimated relative abundance of the iron in the sample is about 0.5 percent. PMID- 17781553 TI - Search for magnetic monopoles in the lunar sample. AB - An electromagnetic search for magnetic monopoles of the minimum size predicted by Dirac, or of any larger magnitude, has been performed on 8.37 kilograms of lunar surface material. No monopole was found. This experimnent sets new limists on the production cross section for monopoles and on their occurrence in cosmic radiation. PMID- 17781554 TI - Magnetic properties of the lunar crystalline rock and fines. AB - Magnetic measurements have shown that nondiamagnetic minerals in a lunar crystalline rock of type B are (free Fe(2)+ in paramagnetic pyroxenes) : (antiferromagnetic FeSiO(3)) : (antiferromagnetic FeTiO(3)) : (ferromagnetic iron) = 4.3 : 7 : 20 : 0.08 in weight percentage. The abundance of ferromagnetic Fe in the lunar fines is about 7.5 times its abundance in the crystalline rock. The natural remanent magnetization of the crystalline rock of 7.5 x 10(-6) emu/ g in intensity may not be attributable to its thermoremanent magnetization. PMID- 17781555 TI - Magnetic resonance properties of some lunar material. AB - Paramagnetic resonance spectra of Apollo 11 fines and rocks were measured at 9 and 35 gigahertz and at 4 degrees , 80 degrees , and 300 degrees K. At both frequencies the material has an intense absorption at g = 2, with a line width of approximately 950 gauss. Fe ions with strong exchange interactions produce this resonance. A comparison of the resonance absorption due to Fe(3+) showed that the energy of the crystal field interaction was approximately 0.1 per centimeter. Mn(2+) was identified in several samples, and an absorption at g = 1.89 was tentatively attributed to Ti(3+). The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of (27)Al had a distribution of asymmetry parameters eta ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 and had nuclear quadrupole coupling constants e(2)qQ/h of approximately 3 megahertz. PMID- 17781556 TI - Optical and high-frequency electrical properties of the lunar sample. AB - Reflectivity and polarization laws for the powder sample and its spectrum are close to the mean for the lunar maria. Solid samples show a marked absorption feature at 1 micron. The low albedo appears to be due to a surface coating on dust grains rather than to volume absorption. The high-frequency electrical properties resemble those of a fine powder made from typical dense terrestrial rocks and are consistent with previous estimates from ground-based radar observations. The differential mass spectrum is almost constant from 100 micron particles down to 0.1 micron particles; most particles are smaller than 0.3 micron. Their shapes disclose a variety of processes of generation. PMID- 17781557 TI - Magnetic resonance studies of lunar samples. AB - Electron spin resonance searches at 9.5 gigahertz on several fines samples and portions of several rocks have yielded signals whose lineshapes and temperature dependences show that the samples are principally ferromagnetic in nature. Proton magnetic resonance searches at 60 megahertz of these samples have not revealed any signals ascribable to water or any other types of hydrogen in concentrations greater than 0.0001 percent by weight contained in narrow lines (5 oersteds wide or less) and 0.01 percent by weight in wide lines (as wide as 100 oersteds). PMID- 17781558 TI - Thermoluminescence of lunar samples. AB - Appreciable natural thermoluminescence with glow curve peaks at about 350 degrees centigrade for lunar fines and breccias and above 400 degrees centigrade for crystalline rocks has been recognized in lunar samples. Plagioclase has been identified as the principal carrier of thermoluminescence, and the diference in peak temperatures indicates compositional or structural differences between the feldspars of the different rock types. The present thermoluminescence in the lunar samples is probably the result of a dynamic equilibrium between acquisition from radiation and loss in the lunar thermal environment. A progressive change in the glow curves of core samples with depth below the surface suggests the use of thermoluminescence disequilibrium to detect surfaces buried by recent surface activity, and it also indicates that the lunar diurnal temperature variation penetrates to at least 10.5 centimeters. PMID- 17781559 TI - Luminescence and thermoluminescence induced by bombardment with protons of 159 million electron volts. AB - We have observed a red luminescence, qualitatively similar to that of enstatite achondrites, in unsorted fines, their separated mineral phases, and rock chips. The energy efficiency of the plagioclase fraction is approximately 1 percent. At 196 degrees C the effect is enhanced by a factor between 1 and 2. All fractions except ilmenite exhibit blue thermoluminescence with a glow peak near -135 degrees C and an energy efficiency approximately 4 x 10(-6). Unlike the thermoluminescence of terrestrial and meteoritic material, it is nonrepeatable even after annealing at 200 degrees C. Similar thermoluminescence is seen in rock chips, but in unsorted fines it is masked by the opaque fractions. PMID- 17781560 TI - Luminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance, and optical properties of lunar material. AB - Dust samples have been found to luminesce weakly under proton excitation, but not under ultraviolet. Damage, recovery, and heating effects have been investigated. Chips of breccia show luminescence, from white inclusions only, under ultraviolet and protons. Some rock chips show general luminescence, mainly from plagioclase. No natural or excited thermoluminescence has been found for dust or chips. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum shows the same broad Fe(3+) dipole resonance for dust and for some chips; other chips show no response. The polarization characteristics of dust are found to be identical to those of the Sea of Tranquillity, independently of proton damage. Chips show characteristics unlike any part of the lunar surface. PMID- 17781561 TI - Luminescence of apollo 11 lunar samples. AB - Luminescence measurements were made of four lunar rocks, two terrestrial rocks (granite and gabbro), and one terrestrial mineral (willemite) by comparing the spectral curves with the curve of a barium sulfate standard. Efficiencies with 3000 angstrom excitation were < 6 x 10(-5) for the lunar samples, < 8 x 10(-5) for gabbro of very similar composition to the lunar samples, approximately 10(-4) for granite, and approximately 2 X 10(-2) for willemite. If these are typical values for other ultraviolet excitation wavelengths, the Apollo 11 site appears to contribute little to the observed lunar luminescence. PMID- 17781562 TI - Luminescence and reflectance of tranquillity samples: effects of irradiation and vitrification. AB - Luminescence measurements of Tranquillity samples indicate that energy efficiencies for excitation by protons and ultraviolet are in the range 10(-6) or below; natural and induced thermoluminescence is even weaker. If these samples are typical, lunar surface luminescence cannot occur at reported levels. Comparison of proton luminescence spectra from the exterior and interior of rocks and fine fragments provides evidence of solar wind impingement on the moon's surface. Spectral reflectance and albedo measurements of fresh rock powders before and after both laboratory proton irradiation and fusion indicate that vitrification may be an important mechanism of lunar darkening. PMID- 17781563 TI - Thermal radiation properties and thermal conductivity of lunar material. AB - The thermal radiation properties were measured for lunar fines and chips from three different lunar rocks. Measurements for the fines were made at atmospheric pressure and at a pressure of 10(-5) torr or lower. The directional reflectance was obtained over a wavelength range of 0.5 to 2.0 microns for angles of incidence up to 60 degrees. The bidirectional reflectance-the distribution of reflected light-was measured for white light angles of illumination up to 60 degrees. The thermal conductivity was measured over a temperature range 200 to 400 degrees K under vacuum conditions. PMID- 17781564 TI - Elastic wave velocities of lunar samples at high pressures and their geophysical implications. AB - Ultrasonic measurement of P and S velocities of Apollo 11 lunar samples 10020, 10057, and 10065 to 5 kilobars pressure at room temperature shows a pronounced increase of velocity (as much as twofold) for the first 2 kilobars. The travel times predicted from the velocity-depth curve of sample 10057 are consistent with the results of the Apollo 12 seismic experiments. At pressures below 200 bars, the samples are highly attenuating; for both P and S waves, the value of Q is about 10. PMID- 17781565 TI - Infrared and thermal properties of lunar rock. AB - The infrared absorption properties of lunar rock throughout the range 2 to 2000 micrometers were investigated and, in addition, direct measurements of specific heat and thermal conductivity of rock samples were made. The results suggest that pure radiation is an important, if not dominant, process in heat flow in the lunar surface layer. A new method for determining the mean conductivity of this layer gives somewhat lower values than earlier earth-based measurements. There is also evidence to suggest that, at depths of about 10 meters, the rock is still of a porous and fragmental nature. PMID- 17781566 TI - Thermal diffusivity and conductivity of lunar material. AB - The thermal diffusivity and conductivity of type C lunar samples returned by Apollo 11 are lower and less dependent on temperature than those of type A samples. The thermal properties of both types are lower than the corresponding properties of normal terrestrial rocks. PMID- 17781567 TI - Compressibilities of lunar crystalline rock, microbreccia, and fines to 40 kilobars. AB - The compressibilities of three lunar samples were studied at room temperature from 0 to 40 kilobars. The samples were a fine-grained vesicular crystalline rock (type A), a microbreccia (type C), and fines (type D). All samples were porous. The microbreccia and fines were quite compressible at all pressures; the compressibility of the crystalline rock was somewhat less, being 8.4 megabar(-1) at 1 atmosphere and 1.5 megabar(-1) at 35 kilobars. Some porosity appeared to remain in the samples at all pressures. Thus the pressure-volume data derived from these samples may be representative of porous surface and near-surface material in the vicinity of the Apollo 11 landing site but may not be representative of lunar material at depth. PMID- 17781568 TI - Sound velocity and compressibility for lunar rocks 17 and 46 and for glass spheres from the lunar soil. AB - Four experiments on lunar materials are reported: (i) resonance on glass spheres from the soil; (ii) compressibility of rock 10017; (iii) sound velocities of rocks 10046 and 10017; (iv) sound velocity of the lunar fines. The data overlap and are mutually consistent. The glass beads and rock 10017 have mechanical properties which correspond to terrestrial materials. Results of (iv) are consistent with low seismic travel times in the lunar maria. Results of analysis of the microbreccia (10046) agreed with the soil during the first pressure cycle, but after overpressure the rock changed, and it then resembled rock 10017. Three models of the lunar surface were constructed giving density and velocity profiles. PMID- 17781569 TI - Apollo 11 drive-tube core samples: an initial physical analysis of lunar surface sediment. AB - Two drive-tube core samples were obtained at Tranquillity Base. Fines include much glass, are unweathered, medium gray, loose, nonstructured, very weakly coherent, and demonstrate both accumulation and mixing in a waterless vacuum environment. In contrast to chemical weathering characteristic on the earth, lunar alteration processes are primarily mechanical. We infer that environmental processes of the lunar surface may be expressed as follows: R (regolith) = f(cl, p, r, t, b, a, . . .), in which climate (cl) is constant and the time (t)-de pendent processes of bombardment (b) and accumulation (a) assume significance unparalleled on the earth because of their effects on parent material (p) and relief (r). PMID- 17781570 TI - Spectral reflectivity of lunar samples. AB - Twelve rock chips and two samples of fines all have electronic absorption bands in diffuse reflected light between 0.32 and 2.5 micrometers. Major bands occur between 0.94 and 1.00 micrometer and at 2.0 micrometers, and arise from Fe(2+) in clinopyroxene and to a lesser extent in olivine. A band at 0.95 micrometer and other details of curve slope and shape for the lunar surface fines match McCord's telescopic curve for an 18-kilometer area that includes the Apollo-il site. Results confirm mineralogical predictions based on telescopic data and support the feasibility of obtaining mineralogical information by remote and in glass content. reflectivity measurements. PMID- 17781571 TI - Apollo 11 soil mechanics investigation. AB - The fine-grained surface material at the Apollo 11 landing site is a brownish, medium-gray, slightly cohesive granular soil, with bulky grains in the silt-to fine-sand range, having a specific gravity of 3.1 and exhibiting adhesive characteristics. Within the upper few centimeters, the lunar soil has an average density of about 1.6 grams per cubic centimeter and is similar in appearance and behavior to the soils studied at the Surveyor equatorial landing sites. Althouglh considerably different in composition and in range of particle shapes, it is similar in its mechanical behavior to terrestrial soils of the same grain size distribution. PMID- 17781572 TI - lnterferometric Examination of Small (Glassy Spherules and Related Objects in a 5 Graml Lunar Dust Sample. AB - Over two hundred spherules and cylinders were extracted from the lunar dust sample. Sizes ranged from 0.7 to 0.03 millimeters, and most were shiny glassy objects, which were studied by interferometry. This study reveals very high spcular feflection, frequentperfect sphericity, and clear evidence n some objects of micracking and microchipping. Many spheres were once projectiles. Some have inpacted in free flight with much smaller pices of rocky material, which embedded in the surface. It is conjectured that the glassy spherules originated as a gas blown shower from a pool of molten glass. PMID- 17781573 TI - Surface properties of lunar samples. AB - Fine-grained samples disrupted after exposure to oxygen and oxygen with 3.5 percent water above 2 torr. Chemical etching revealed plastic deformation in some samples, adhesion due to impact melting in others, dislocations in crystalline phases and evidence that some glasses were partially devitrified. Specimens of rock that were fractured in ultrahigh vacuum exhibited a time-dependent adhesion and a network of localized electrostatically charged areas. PMID- 17781574 TI - Solar radiation effects in lunar samples. AB - Optical properties of the pulverized crystalline rocks from the Apollo 11 samples are different from the optical properties of lunar soil. Changes in these properties were induced in the samples by ultraviolet and x-irradiation, standing, and heating. The albedo and spectrum of the soil differed significantly from expected values. PMID- 17781575 TI - Determination of manganese-53 by neutron activation and other miscellaneous studies on lunar dust. AB - A highly sensitive determination of spallogenic (53)Mn (T = 2 x 106 yr) was accomplished in 0.99 g of lunar soil. The chemical yield of Mn is determined with "carrier-free" (52)Mn tracer. During a 23-day reactor irradiation the (53)Mn is transformed into (54)Mn (T = 300 days). Appropriate chemical recycling was done by ion exchange and distillation. Interferences of the (n,p) and the (n,2n) nuclear reactions were carefully studied. A (53)Mn disintegration rate of 30.3 +/ 5.5 dpm/kg results. This extremely economic method is proposed for further detailed lunar profile measurements. The Re content, which is of possible cosmochemical interest, was determined to be 11 ppb. Appropriate separation techniques were used. The rather weak and complex thermoluminescence properties made a more basic study advisable. Thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectroscopy, and Moessbauer spectroscopy were applied. The presence of ilmenite, metallic Fe etc., and of an unidentified Fe(2+)-containing compound was deduced. Natural thermoluminescence could not be proved with certainty in our surface sample. However, the complexity of the artificial thermoluminescence demands better defined mineral fractions. The fission track method was used to measure U distribution in glass spherules etc. PMID- 17781576 TI - Specific heats of lunar surface materials from 90 to 350 degrees Kelvin. AB - The specific heats of lunar samples 10057 and 10084 returned by the Apollo 11 mission have been measured between 90 and 350 degrees Kelvin by use of an adiabatic calorimeter. The samples are representative of type A vesicular basalt like rocks and of finely divided lunar soil. The specific heat of these materials changes smoothly from about 0.06 calorie per gram per degree at 90 degrees Kelvin to about 0.2 calorie per gram per degree at 350 degrees Kelvin. The thermal parameter gamma=(kpC-(1/2) for the lunar surface will accordingly vary by a factor of about 2 between lunar noon and midnight. PMID- 17781577 TI - Lunar organic compounds: search and characterization. AB - The carbon concentration in Apollo 11 lunar fine material is of the order of 200 ppm. By far the largest single amount of this carbon appears to be in carbon monoxide. Some of this seems to be in the form of gas bubbles in the glass spheres, but most of it could be in some complex form other than gas. This result would be consistent with the idea that most of the fines passed through a high temperature and that the carbon was oxidized by mineral oxides at that time. PMID- 17781578 TI - Search for alkanes of 15 to 30 carbon atom length. AB - A 50-gram sample of lunar fines was subjected to stepwise extraction in a mixture of benzene and methanol while intact, after being pulverized, and after being digested in hydrofluoric acid. None of these three extracts contained detectable quantities of C(15) to C(30) alkanes. No C(15) to C(30) alkane was present in this lunar sample at a concentration exceeding I part per billion by weight. PMID- 17781579 TI - Fluorometric examination of a lunar sample. AB - We have been unable to detect porphyrins in 13 grams of the bulk fine lunar sample from the Sea of Tranquillity under conditions in which less than 10-(1J) mole per gram of lunar sample could have been detected. By appropriate extraction, however, the lunar sample yields a material which exhibits absorption maxima at 310 and 350 nanometers and a fluorescence maximum at 410 nanometers. PMID- 17781580 TI - Search for organic material in lunar fines by mass spectrometry. AB - Three kinds of experiments were performed in an effort to detect and identify organic compounds present in the lunar material (fines 10,086): (i) vaporization of the volatilizable components directly into the ion source of a high-resolution mass spectrometer, and (ii and iii) extraction of the material with organic solvents before and after dissolving most of the inorganic substrate in hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid. The extracts were investigated by a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Although a number of organic compounds or compound types have been detected, none appears to be indigenous to the lunar surface. PMID- 17781581 TI - Organic analysis of the returned lunar sample. AB - Lunar fines have been examined for organic compounds by crushing, programmed heating, hydrofluoric acid etching, and solvent extraction. Products were examined by mass spectroscopy. A variety of small organic molecules, including methane and other hydrocarbons, accompanied the release of the rare gases when the sample was heated in a stepwise fashion to 900 degrees C under vacuum. Methane is more abundant (abundance on the order of 1 part per million) than argon in the matrix-entrapped gases liberated by hydrofluoric acid etching of lunar fines. Methane is also present in a dark portion of the gas-rich meteorite Kapoeta. PMID- 17781582 TI - Pyrolysis-hydrogen flame ionization detection of organic carbon in a lunar sample. AB - The lunar samples were analyzed for total organic carbon content by pyrolysis at 850 degrees C and subsequent detection of the resulting volatilized organic compounds in a hydrogen flame ionization detector. The organic content ranged from 10 to 126 parts per million, depending primarily upon the handling in the sample processing. No correlation of organic content with rock type has been shown. The small quantities of organic matter are primarily contamination, and the indigenous organic content is estimated to be less than 10 parts per million. PMID- 17781583 TI - Search for organic compounds in the lunar dust from the sea of tranquiblity. AB - A sample of lunar dust was examined for organic compounds. Carbon detected in concentrations of 157 micrograms per gram had a delta(13)C per mil (PDB) value of + 20. Treatment with hydrochloric acid yielded hydrocarbons of low molecular weight, suggesting the presence of carbides. The gas chromatogram of the acylated and esterified derivatives of the hydrolyzate was similar to that obtained for the Pueblito de Allende meteorite. There were no detectable amounts of extractable high-molecular-weight alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, isoprenoid hydrocarbons, normal alkanes, fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, or nucleic acid bases. Traces of porphyrins were found, perhaps arising from rocket exhaust materials. PMID- 17781584 TI - Search for porphyrins in lunar dust. AB - Evidence for porphyrins was obtained in the Apollo 11 bulk sample of lunar dust by fluorescence spectrometry and analytical demetallation. The indicated porphyrins showed major fluorescence excitation at 390 nanometers. Abundance was about 10(-10) gram of porphyrin per gram of dust. Similar pigments were found in exhaust products from tests of a lunar descent engine. The similarity of results suggests that most if not all of the indicated porphyrin aggregate of the lunar sample probably was synthesized from rocket fuel during the landing of the lunar module. These compounds may be the product of a novel high-temperature synthesis of cosmochemical interest. PMID- 17781585 TI - Organogenic elements and compounds in surface samples from the sea of tranquillity. AB - Organogenic elements, mainly carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are present in the particulate material and in a breccia rock from Tranquillity Base in amounts ranging from 5 to 4200 parts per million. The major compounds of carbon released by heating are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; the former predominates. Small amounts of other compounds of carbon have also been observed. Sulfur can be released as hydrogen sulfide by treatment with acid. The carbon isotopic delta(13L)C values are definitely nonterrestrial (+ 13 to + 18.5 per mil). PMID- 17781586 TI - Micromorphology and surface characteristics of lunar dust and breccia. AB - Although nothing of direct biologic interest was observed in the sample studied, small shaped glass particles and glazed pits resemble objects which elsewhere have been described as fossils. These features, although nonbiological, do bear on processes of lunar weathering and outgassing. The glazed pits are impact features. Fusion of their surfaces released gases. Electron microscopy of the glasses, pits, and angular microfractured mineral grains indicates a prevalence of destructive weathering processes-thermal expansion and contraction, abrasion by by-passing particles, and, of course, impact. ous at room temperature. PMID- 17781587 TI - Analysis of lunar material for organic compounds. AB - A sample of lunar material from Apollo 11 was subjected to analysis by several techniques, which included mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance and their variations, in an effort to detect the presence of organic compounds. None were found. On the basis of the sensitivity ascribed to certain of the methods employed, it is assumed that if organic matter were present it would exist in concentrations less than 1 part per million. phere. PMID- 17781588 TI - Micropaleontological studies of lunar samples. AB - Optical and electron microscopic studies of rock chips and dust from the bulk sample box returned by Apollo 11 and of petrographic thin sections and acid resistant residues of lunar material have yielded no evidence of indigenous biological activity. vestigations. PMID- 17781590 TI - Numbering system for moon samples. PMID- 17781591 TI - List of abbreviations. PMID- 17781593 TI - DANGER FROM THE POPULAR MISUSE OF QUININE. PMID- 17781592 TI - POPULAR ERRORS ABOUT WILD ANIMALS. PMID- 17781594 TI - CONCERNING THE AERATION OF MILK. PMID- 17781595 TI - REPOR'T OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL OF THE BROOKLYN INSTITUTE FOR THE SEASON JUST CLOSED. PMID- 17781596 TI - ON SOME HABITS OF AMPHIUMA MEANS. PMID- 17781597 TI - A LABORATORY FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17781598 TI - THE RETICULATED PROTOPLASM OF PELOMYXA. PMID- 17781599 TI - GLACTATION IN WESTERN MONTANA. PMID- 17781600 TI - Pre-Aino Race in Japan. PMID- 17781601 TI - THE SHIRINKAGE OF LEAVES. PMID- 17781602 TI - Grand-Gulf Formation. PMID- 17781603 TI - On Biological Nomenclature.:. PMID- 17781604 TI - The English Sparrow and Other Birds. PMID- 17781605 TI - European Origin of the Aryans. PMID- 17781607 TI - Physician-investigators. PMID- 17781606 TI - Journal prices. PMID- 17781608 TI - Physician-investigators. PMID- 17781609 TI - Graduate education: signs of trouble. PMID- 17781610 TI - Free-radical carbon-carbon bond formation in organic synthesis. AB - Organic chemists have begun to use intra- and intermolecular free-radical addition reactions to develop useful synthetic transformations. Carboncentered radicals can form bonds with electron-rich or electron-deficient alkenes, allenes, and acetylenes. Radical addition reactions can also be used to construct hindered carbon-carbon bonds. These characteristics, as well as the large number of functional groups that tolerate free-radical conditions contribute to the importance of such reactions in organic synthesis. PMID- 17781611 TI - Polymerized surfactant vesicles: novel membrane mimetic systems. AB - Vesicles formed from dialkyl surfactants containing vinyl, methacrylate, diacetylene, isocyano, and styrene groups have been stabilized by polymerization across their bilayers of head groups. Polymerized vesicles have shelf lives of many months and controllable permeabilities and sizes. The kinetics of surfactant vesicle photopolymerzation have been determined, and the mechanism of photopolymerization has been discussed as a two-dimensional surface process. Polymerized surfactant vesicles concentrate reagents in their aqueous interiors, in bilayers, and in their inner or outer surfaces. This, in turn, leads to altered reaction rates and sites. Polymerized surfactant vesicles also provide a good media for the generation, in situ, of small, uniform, and efficient colloidal catalysts. PMID- 17781612 TI - Iron-stabilized carbocations as intermediates for organic synthesis. AB - Attachment of a transition metal moiety to an olefinic ligand presents the organic chemist with unequaled opportunities to control the regio- and stereospecificities of bond formation. Applications of cationic dienyliron carbonyl complexes to a range of natural product syntheses have been developed. These applications show how the iron-carbonyl unit directs the regio- and stereochemistry of nucleophile addition. They also show that the iron-carbonyl unit can be used to stabilize otherwise inaccessible carbocations, thereby making them readily available as synthetic intermediates. PMID- 17781613 TI - Activation of alkanes with organotransition metal complexes. AB - Alkanes, although plentiful enough to be considered for use as feedstocks in large-scale chemical processes, are so unreactive that relatively few chemical reagents have been developed to convert them to molecules having useful functional groups. However, a recently synthesized iridium (lr) complex successfully converts alkanes into hydridoalkylmetal complexes (M + R-H --> R-M H). This is a dihydride having the formula Cp(*)(L)lrH(2), where Cp(*) and L are abbreviations for the ligands (CH(3))(5)C(5) and (CH(3))(3)P, respectively. Irradiation with ultraviolet light causes the dihydride to lose H(2), generating the reactive intermediate Cp(*)lrL. This intermediate reacts rapidly with C-H bonds in every molecule so far tested (including alkanes) and leads to hydridoalkyliridium complexes Cp(*)(L)lr(R)(H). Evidence has been obtained that this C-H insertion, or oxidative addition, reaction proceeds through a simple three-center transition state and does not involve organic free radicals as intermediates. Thus the intermediate Cp(*)lrL reacts most rapidly with C-H bonds having relatively high bond energies, such as those at primary carbon centers, in small organic rings, and in aromatic rings. This contrasts directly with the type of hydrogen-abstraction selectivity that is characteristic of organic radicals. The hydridoalkyliridium products of the insertion reactions can be converted into functionalized organic molecules-alkyl halides-by treatment with mercuric chloride followed by halogens. Expulsion (reductive elimination) of the hydrocarbon from the hydridoalkyliridium complexes can be induced by Lewis acids or heat, regenerating the reactive intermediate Cp(*)lrL. Oxidative addition of the corresponding rhodium complexes Cp(*)RhL to alkane C-H bonds has also been observed, although the products formed in this case are much less stable and undergo reductive elimination at -20 degrees C. These and other recent observations provide an incentive for reexamining the factors that have been assumed to control the rate of reaction of transition metal complexes with C-H bonds-notably the need for electron-rich metals and the proximity of reacting centers. PMID- 17781614 TI - Proposed terms of sale. PMID- 17781615 TI - NRC Targets University Reactors: They may be ordered not to use weapons-grade fuel; researchers claim conversion could be financially and scientifically costly. PMID- 17781617 TI - Powerful New Magnet Material Found: Several groups in Japan and the United States independently hit upon the same iron-based compound, which is already going to market. PMID- 17781616 TI - Order Out of Chaos in Computers: Computer scientists are controlling decision making with probabilistic methods, which work in cases where determinism does not. PMID- 17781618 TI - Evolutionary thinking observed: dimensions of darwinism. PMID- 17781619 TI - Protists: radiolaria. PMID- 17781621 TI - Centuries of geology: it began with a stone. PMID- 17781620 TI - A boreal biota: biogeography and ecology of the island of newfoundland. PMID- 17781622 TI - Antiquity of the continental slope along the middle-atlantic margin of the United States. AB - A detailed high-resolution geophysical study of part of the continental slope along the mid-Atlantic margin of the United States indicates that it is an ancient, relict landscape largely unmodified by modern slope processes. The slope morphology is heavily influenced by bedrock outcrops, including joints and bedding planes, rather than by any single degradational process. A pelagic drape averaging 3 to 5 meters in thickness blankets the slope. Carbon-14 dates from eight drop cores show that the drape was deposited in late Pleistocene and Holocene times. The Holocene part of the drape, comprising the uppermost 1 meter, was deposited at a continuous rate of 10 centimeters per 1000 years. Most features on the slope predate the drape cover. PMID- 17781623 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17781624 TI - The ozone controversy. PMID- 17781625 TI - Astronomers' petition. PMID- 17781626 TI - The ozone controversy. PMID- 17781627 TI - Hepatitis B vaccine: tests in humans. PMID- 17781628 TI - The ozone controversy. PMID- 17781629 TI - Big university--humane or bureaucratic? PMID- 17781630 TI - The surface of the ice-age Earth. AB - In the Northern Hemisphere the 18,000 B.P. world differed strikingly from the present in the huge land-based ice sheets, reaching approximately 3 km in thickness, and in a dramatic increase in the extent of pack ice and marine-based ice sheets. In the Southern Hemisphere the most striking contrast was the greater extent of sea ice. On land, grasslands, steppes, and deserts spread at the expense of forests. This change in vegetation, together with extensive areas of permanent ice and sandy outwash plains, caused an increase in global surface albedo over modern values. Sea level was lower by at least 85 m. The 18,000 B.P. oceans were characterized by: (i) marked steepening of thermal gradients along polar frontal systems, particularly in the North Atlantic and Antarctic; (ii) an equatorward displacement of polar frontal systems; (iii) general cooling of most surface waters, with a global average of -2.3 degrees C; (iv) increased cooling and up-welling along equatorial divergences in the Pacific and Atlantic; (v) low temperatures extending equatorward along the western coast of Africa, Australia, and South America, indicating increased upwelling and advection of cool waters; and (vi) nearly stable positions and temperatures of the central gyres in the subtropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. PMID- 17781631 TI - Modeling the ice-age climate. AB - Using the boundary conditions of seasurface temperature, ice sheet topography, and surface albedo assembled by CLIMAP for 18,000 B.P., the global ice-age July climate has been simulated with a two-level dynamical atmospheric model. Compared with the simulation for present July climate, the ice age is substantially cooler and drier over the unglaciated continental areas, with the maximum zonal westerlies in the Northern Hemisphere displaced southward in the vicinity of the ice sheets. The simulated changes of surface air temperature agree reasonably well with the estimates available from the analysis of fossil pollen and periglacial data, and are consistent with the simulated changes of other climatic variables. These results are generally supported by independent investigations with simpler models. In spite of this qualified success, further analysis of both simulated and verification data is needed to establish the details of ice-age climate, especially the precipitation regimes, and to document the role of eddy fluxes in maintaining the heat, momentum, and moisture balances of the ice-age general circulation. New paleoclimatic data bases for both July and January of 18,000 B.P. are being assembled by CLIMAP and will be used in new simulations of the seasonal ice-age climate. PMID- 17781632 TI - NAS Finds Flaws in RANN. PMID- 17781633 TI - Ethics and values as genetic traits. PMID- 17781635 TI - Pesticides: three EPA attorneys quit and hoist a warning flag. PMID- 17781634 TI - Pending tax legislation would cut home office deductions. PMID- 17781636 TI - Penicillin g: suddenly a shortage. PMID- 17781637 TI - Solar variability: is the sun an inconstant star? PMID- 17781638 TI - Molecular cloning: powerful tool for studying genes. PMID- 17781639 TI - Laser enrichment: time clarifies the difficulty. PMID- 17781640 TI - Views of the cosmos. PMID- 17781641 TI - A problem in physics. PMID- 17781642 TI - The coastal zone. PMID- 17781643 TI - Natural anticancer agents. PMID- 17781644 TI - A broader view of primates. PMID- 17781645 TI - Plant pigments. PMID- 17781646 TI - Glacial and pluvial periods: their relationship revealed by pleistocene sediments of the red sea and gulf of aden. AB - Oxygen isotope analyses of planktonic foraminifera from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden indicate that during periods of maximum continental and polar glaciation in the late Pleistocene, the Red Sea was subject to strong evaporation. Between glacial maximums the salinity of the Red Sea was equal to or below that of the open ocean. This suggests that high-latitude glacial periods corresponded in time to interpluvial stages in the present-day desert belt of northern Africa, whereas high-latitude interglacial periods coincided with pluvial stages. PMID- 17781647 TI - Historical dates for neolithic sites of southeast europe. AB - Direct comparison of the radiocarbon contents of charcoal samples with those of bristlecone pine wood samples dated by tree rings shows that a full-fledged Neolithic with pottery and all the domesticated animals, except the horse, was present in southeast Europe as early as the 65th century B.C. The chronologies for the stratigraphic sequences of the settlements of Achilleion and Anza, based on a total of 37 La Jolla radiocarbon measurements, cover almost 1000 years. PMID- 17781648 TI - Microwave measurement of mesospheric carbon monoxide. AB - Ground-based observation of atmospheric absorption of solar radiation at a wavelength of 2.6 millimeters has provided the first measurement of mesospheric carbon monoxide. The measurement agrees with photochemical predictions of a carbon monoxide source in the lower thermosphere due to dissociation of carbon dioxide by solar radiation, and has implications for the magnitude of vertical transport in the mesosphere. PMID- 17781649 TI - Shoot Initiation from Carnation Shoot Apices Frozen to -196{degrees}C. AB - Aseptically excised shoot apices from Dianthus caryophyllus were frozen to -196 degrees C and subsequently thawed to room temperature. Survival rates as high as 33 percent, determined by callus formation, growth, or chlorophyll formation, are reported; plant formation has been observed. PMID- 17781650 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17781651 TI - THE PAST AND FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781652 TI - THE ORIGIN OF OUR VERNAL FLORA. PMID- 17781653 TI - ON CERTAIN HABITS AND INSTINCTS OF SOCIAL INSECTS. PMID- 17781654 TI - THE AMERICAN FOLK-LORE SOCIETY. PMID- 17781655 TI - THE PROPER SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR BREWER'S MOLE. PMID- 17781657 TI - THE JESUP EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST. PMID- 17781656 TI - A STATEMENT CONCERNING THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT WOOD'S HOLL, MASS. PMID- 17781658 TI - EXPERIMENTAL MORPHOLOGY. PMID- 17781660 TI - THE PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION FROM PRINCETON UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17781659 TI - PHYSIOLOGY AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17781662 TI - THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17781661 TI - GRANTS FROM THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17781663 TI - RESULTS FROM THE HIGHEST KITE FLIGHT. PMID- 17781664 TI - 'THE PRESENT EVOLUTION OF MAN.'. PMID- 17781665 TI - J. WILLARD GIBBS AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17781666 TI - MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17781667 TI - THE CONSERVATION OF MARINE MAMMALS. PMID- 17781668 TI - THE PROFESSOR AND HIS WAGES. PMID- 17781669 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17781670 TI - "A HUNDRED POUNDS". PMID- 17781671 TI - THE TEMPERATURE OF MINES. PMID- 17781672 TI - MULTIPLE SEEDED BURS OF XANTHIUM. PMID- 17781673 TI - THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. II. PMID- 17781674 TI - COOPERATION BETWEEN THE MAKERS AND USERS OF SCIEINTIFIC APPARATUS IN AMERICA. PMID- 17781675 TI - SUMMARY OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARY'S SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, MARCH 31, 1923. PMID- 17781676 TI - GEORGE LINCOLN GOODALE 1839-1923. PMID- 17781677 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17781679 TI - MATHEMATICAL PROPAGANDA. PMID- 17781678 TI - PEARL'S BIOLOGY OF DEATH. PMID- 17781680 TI - "THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC". PMID- 17781681 TI - TWO MEDITERRANEAN CLOVERS NEW TO THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17781682 TI - MEANLY BUGS ON THE ROOTS AND NODULES OF LEGUMES GROWING IN THE FIELD. PMID- 17781683 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781684 TI - A HISTOLOGICAL SLIDE DRYING PLATE. PMID- 17781685 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781686 TI - SOME CURRENT CONCEPTIONS OF THE GERM PLASM. PMID- 17781687 TI - AGRICULTURE IN SCHOOLS. PMID- 17781688 TI - THE NATURE OF THE INHERITANCE OF HORNS IN SHEEP. PMID- 17781689 TI - TERMS USED TO DENOTE THE ABUNDANCE OR RARITY OF BIRDS. PMID- 17781690 TI - SIMPLE DEMONSTRATION APPARATUS FOR THE INFRA-RED SPECTRUM. PMID- 17781691 TI - TRIVALENT PLATINUM. PMID- 17781692 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17781693 TI - THE FACTORS OF SAFETY IN ANIMAL STRUCTURE AND ANIMAL ECONOMY. PMID- 17781694 TI - THE LIMITATIONS OF ISOLATION IN THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. PMID- 17781695 TI - NOTE ON A TERTIARY BASIN IN NORTHERN ALASKA. PMID- 17781696 TI - THE PENEPLAIN OF BRITTANY. PMID- 17781697 TI - DRAINAGE CHANGES IN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17781698 TI - PHYSIOGRAPHIC TYPES. PMID- 17781699 TI - THE NEW GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BRAZIL. PMID- 17781700 TI - SYSTEMATIC PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17781701 TI - THE FAYUM EXPEDITION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. PMID- 17781703 TI - SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS OF A REPORT BY DRS. D. H. BERGEY, S. WEIR MITCHELL AND J. S. BILLINGS UPON 'THE COMPOSITION OF EXPIRED AIR AND ITS EFFECTS UPON ANIMAL LIEE.'. PMID- 17781702 TI - NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. REPORT OF THE WATSON TRUSTEES ON THE AWARD OF THE WATSON MEDAL TO SETH C. CHANDLER. PMID- 17781704 TI - AMERICAN METROLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781705 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17781706 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (V.). PMID- 17781708 TI - JAMES D. DANA. PMID- 17781707 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (VII.). PMID- 17781709 TI - THE DISTRIBUTION OF SLEDGES, ETC. PMID- 17781710 TI - THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17781711 TI - CYCADEOID WOOD STRUCTURE. PMID- 17781712 TI - THE RELATION BETWEEN AGE AND AREA IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. PMID- 17781713 TI - ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOGENIC ORGANS OF PHOTURIS PENSYLVANICA. PMID- 17781714 TI - JOSEPH YOUNG BERGEN. PMID- 17781715 TI - COMPARATIVE PERMEABILITY OF FERTILIZED AND UNFERTILIZED EGGS TO WATER. PMID- 17781716 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17781717 TI - THE SPIRIT OF IT. PMID- 17781719 TI - GENERAL SESSIONS. PMID- 17781718 TI - A FEW STATISTICS. PMID- 17781720 TI - SOME PROBLEMS. PMID- 17781721 TI - WESLEY CLAIR MITCHELL, PRESIDENTELECT. PMID- 17781722 TI - RESOLUTIONS OF PUBLIC INTEREST. PMID- 17781723 TI - THE ASSOCIATION PRIZE AWARD. PMID- 17781724 TI - RADIO PROGRAMS. PMID- 17781725 TI - PRESS SERVICE. PMID- 17781727 TI - SECTION ON MATHEMATICS (A) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781726 TI - FINANCIAL REPORTS. PMID- 17781729 TI - THE ACADEMY AND SECRETARIES' CONFERENCES. PMID- 17781728 TI - THE ANNUAL SCIENCE EXHIBITION. PMID- 17781730 TI - SECTION ON CHEMISTRY (C). PMID- 17781731 TI - SECTION ON PHYSICS (B) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781732 TI - SECTION ON GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY (E) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781734 TI - SECTION ON ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCES (F) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781733 TI - SECTION ON ASTRONOMY (D). PMID- 17781735 TI - SECTION ON BOTANICAL SCIENCES (G) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781736 TI - SOCIETIES RELATED TO THE SECTION ON ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCES (F) AND THE SECTION ON BOTANICAL SCIENCES (G). PMID- 17781737 TI - SECTION ON ANTHROPOLOGY (H). PMID- 17781738 TI - SECTION ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES (K) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781739 TI - SECTION ON PSYCHOLOGY (I). PMID- 17781740 TI - SECTION ON MEDICAL SCIENCES (N) AND SUBSECTIONS. PMID- 17781741 TI - SECTION ON ENGINEERING (M) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781742 TI - SECTION ON HISTORICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (L). PMID- 17781743 TI - SECTION ON AGRICULTURE (O) AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17781744 TI - ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO THE ASSOCIATION AS A WHOLE. PMID- 17781745 TI - SECTION ON EDUCATION (Q). PMID- 17781746 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GRANTS. PMID- 17781747 TI - SCIENCE FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE. PMID- 17781748 TI - Channel 37. PMID- 17781749 TI - Science Advisory Staffs for House and Senate. PMID- 17781750 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17781751 TI - The Littlest Astronomer. PMID- 17781752 TI - Revitalizing the Mature Scientist. PMID- 17781753 TI - Optical Pumping. PMID- 17781754 TI - Space Science and the Universities. PMID- 17781755 TI - Test Ban: Testimony on Technical Aspects To Help Senators Decide if Treaty Is a Boon or a Bane. PMID- 17781756 TI - Enovid: Contraceptive Pill Is Cleared by FDA, But Not All The Questions Have Been Answered. PMID- 17781757 TI - Potentiation of 5-Fluorouracil Inhibition of Flexner-Jobling Carcinoma by Glucose. AB - A significant potentiation of the antitumor action of 5-fluorouracil in rats bearing the Flexner-Jobling carcinoma is produced by the intraperitoneal administration of large doses of glucose. PMID- 17781758 TI - Radiocarbon Dating: Fictitious Results with Mollusk Shells. AB - Evidence is presented to show that modern mollusk shells from rivers can have anomalous radiocarbon ages, owing mainly to incorporation of inactive (carbon-14 deficient) carbon from humus, probably through the food web, as well as by the pathway of carbon dioxide from humus decay. The resultant effect, in addition to the variable contributions of atmospheric carbon dioxide, fermentative carbon dioxide from bottom muds, and, locally, of carbonate carbon from dissolving limestones, makes the initial carbon-14-activity of ancient fresh-water shell indeterminate, but within limits. Consequent errors of shell radiocarbon dates may be as large as several thousand years for river shells. PMID- 17781759 TI - Mutations: Incidence in Drosophila melanogaster Reared on Irradiated Medium. AB - An increase in the rate of mutation has been found in Drosophila melanogaster reared on a basic medium that was irradiated with a sterilizing dose (150,000 rads) of cobalt-60 gamma rays. In Muller-5 tests, sex-linked recessive lethals occurred only in the F(2) progenies of the male test flies obtained from breeding the parent flies on irradiated medium, while visible changes occurred in experimental cultures from both the control and irradiated media. The frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals was 0.35, 0.55, and 0.8 percent in three independent experiments. Visible changes were two to six times more frequent in the irradiated series than in the controls. PMID- 17781760 TI - Radiocarbon Activity of Shells from Living Clams and Snails. PMID- 17781761 TI - Methanol in Normal Human Breath. AB - Free methanol has been detected and measured, by gas-liquid chromatography, in the breath of several normal, healthy humans. It is suggested that this is a metabolic product rather than the result of diet or intestinal bacterial decomposition although there seems to be no biochemical reason for its presence. PMID- 17781763 TI - Gene Action Mechanisms in the Determination of Color and Pattern in the Frog (Rana pipiens). PMID- 17781762 TI - Iodine-131 in Utah during July and August 1962. AB - Nuclear explosions in Nevada in July 1962 caused an average intake of about 58,000 picocuries of I(131) and a peak intake of 800,000 picocuries of I(131) by Utah residents consuming one liter of milk per day. Corresponding infant thyroid doses were about 1 rad (average) and 14 rad (peak). PMID- 17781764 TI - Sex Chromatin Patterns and the Lyon Hypothesis. AB - Polyploid human cells in culture often have paired sex chromatin masses. They are neither chance juxtapositions of randomly distributed X chromosomes nor manifestations of a propensity for pairing. The pairs are characteristic of the first polyploid interphase. They are thought to reflect the persistent differentiation of X chromosomes, as proposed in the Lyon hypothesis. PMID- 17781765 TI - Histone Biology and Chemistry. PMID- 17781766 TI - Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy. PMID- 17781767 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17781768 TI - THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. PMID- 17781769 TI - THE HEMENWAY-CUSHING EXPEDITION. PMID- 17781770 TI - THE BENDEGO METEORITE. PMID- 17781771 TI - THE IMPARTIAL STUDY OF POLITICS. PMID- 17781772 TI - ELECTRICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17781773 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17781774 TI - Professor Loizette's Memory. PMID- 17781776 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17781775 TI - A Pseudometeorite. PMID- 17781777 TI - At NSF: Fewer, Longer Grants. PMID- 17781779 TI - Silly science goes online. PMID- 17781778 TI - Expert panel criticizes federal activities. PMID- 17781780 TI - Utah puts fusion out in the cold. PMID- 17781781 TI - Lighting a path for lightning. PMID- 17781782 TI - Clinton's New Policy: More Is Less. PMID- 17781783 TI - Pattern emerges in cosmic ray mystery. PMID- 17781784 TI - The deadly latur earthquake. PMID- 17781785 TI - Lipid tubules: a paradigm for molecularly engineered structures. AB - The use of molecular self-assembly to fabricate microstructures suitable for advanced material development is described. Templating techniques that transform biomolecular self-assemblies into rugged and stable nano- and microstructures are described. By using a lipid-based microcylinder (tubule) as a paradigm, the path followed from research and development to emerging technological applications is detailed. This process includes modification of the lipid molecular structure, the formation and subsequent characterization of cylindrical microstructures, the use of these structures as templates for metallization, and the characterization and assessment of these hollow metal microcylinders for several potential applications. PMID- 17781786 TI - Biological diversity, soils, and economics. AB - Terrestrial biological diversity is supported by solar energy captured by plants growing in soil. This soil-based plant productivity also provides the foundation for human societies through production of food and renewable forms of energy. Variations in plant productivity, resulting from differences in inherent soil fertility, variations in climate and weather, and differences in chemical inputs and agricultural practices, produce patterns of biological diversity that are associated with the agricultural component of economic productivity. Ecological processes lead to a generally negative relation between the diversity of plant species and potential agricultural productivity at both local and global scales. One implication of this negative relation is that preservation of areas of high plant biodiversity does not require the sacrifice of productive agricultural lands. PMID- 17781787 TI - Manipulating Chlorine Atom Bonding on the Si(100)-(2 x 1) Surface with the STM. AB - Chlorine atoms strongly chemisorbed at dangling bond sites on the Si(100)-(2 x 1) surface are observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to hop between adjacent sites. The origin of this behavior is suggested to be an interaction between the field of the probe tip and the dipole moment of the silicon-chlorine bond. Chlorine atom migration is shown to be facilitated by the presence of a metastable chlorine bridge-bonded minimum. The STM probe was used to excite single chlorine atoms into this bridging configuration, resulting in a local population inversion. Selective application of voltage pulses between the probe tip and the surface rearranged the local bonding and induced transformations between different types of chlorine sites. In this manner, adsorbed species can be dissected and their composition and structure directly probed. PMID- 17781788 TI - Inner Core Anisotropy Due to the Magnetic Field--induced Preferred Orientation of Iron. AB - Anisotropy of the inner core of the Earth is proposed to result from the lattice preferred orientation of anisotropic iron crystals during their solidification in the presence of a magnetic field. The resultant seismic anisotropy is related to the geometry of the magnetic field in the core. This hypothesis implies that the observed anisotropy (fast velocity along the rotation axis) indicates a strong toroidal field in the core, which supports a strong field model for the geodynamo if the inner core is made of hexagonal close-packed iron. PMID- 17781789 TI - Adhesive electroless metallization of fluoropolymeric substrates. AB - A process for producing patterned metal deposits on fluoropolymeric substrates is described. A metal ion-chelating organosilane is chemisorbed by self-assembly onto a fluoropolymer surface after radio-frequency glow discharge plasma surface hydroxylation. Positional modulation of the surface hydrophobicity is illustrated by wetting. The silane covalently binds an aqueous palladium catalyst and subsequent electroless deposition yields homogeneous or patterned metal deposits that exhibit excellent adhesion to the fluoropolymer. PMID- 17781790 TI - The matter of tobacco use. PMID- 17781791 TI - Culture in the paleolithic. PMID- 17781793 TI - Vignette: a letter from nobel. PMID- 17781792 TI - New world representations. PMID- 17781794 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17781795 TI - Correction. AB - Due to a printer's error, a recent meeting of the Planetary Society in Washington, D.C., was incorrectly identified as a "Planetary Soviet" meeting in the News and Comment article by R. Jeffrey Smith, "A fresh start for arms control" (25 Jan., p. 389). PMID- 17781796 TI - Erratum. AB - Two statements in the article "Heart panel's conclusions questioned" by Gina Kolata (Research News, 4 Jan., p. 40) were not accurate. The first, in the third paragraph on page 40, should have read, "But these trials failed to show that cholesterol-lowering saves lives," instead of, "But these trials failed to show that cholesterol-lowering prevents deaths from heart disease." A second statement, in the ninth paragraph on page 41, should have read, "The incidences of angina, bypass surgery, and abnormal exercise electrocardiograms all came down in the cholestyramine group. All but bypass surgery were statistically significant." PMID- 17781797 TI - A department of science? PMID- 17781798 TI - Perspectives on supercomputing. AB - This article provides a brief look at the current status of supercomputers and supercomputing in the United States. It addresses a variety of applications of supercomputers and the characteristics of a large modern supercomputing facility, the radical changes in the design of supercomputers that are impending, and the conditions that are necessary for a conducive climate for the further development and application of supercomputers. PMID- 17781799 TI - Galileo, planetary atmospheres, and prograde revolution. AB - Early in March 1610 Galileo was preoccupied with curious brightness variations of the newly discovered satellites of Jupiter. In formulating an incorrect explanation he advanced important generalizations about the existence of planetary atmospheres and counterclockwise circulation within the solar system. PMID- 17781800 TI - The agricultural mechanization controversy. AB - Attorneys of California Rural Legal Assistance are suing the University of California on behalf of 19 farm workers, alleging that publicly funded mechanization research displaces farm workers, eliminates small farmers, hurts consumers, impairs the quality of rural life, and impedes collective bargaining. This article reviews the evidence and finds that it does not support the charges. The mechanization lawsuit is important because applied research by universities is often authorized by legislation stipulating multiple goals, leaving researchers and universities vulnerable to lawsuits alleging that only some of the legislative goals are being pursued. PMID- 17781801 TI - Kaitoku seamount and the mystery cloud of 9 april 1984. AB - On 9 April 1984, commercial airlines enroute from Tokyo, Japan, to Anchorage, Alaska, reported an unusual mushroom-shaped cloud at about 38.5 degrees N, 146.0 degrees E. On 8 and 9 April the intensity of volcanism from Kaitoku Seamount (26.0 degrees N, 140.8 degrees E), as indicated by T-phase recordings on an array of ocean bottom hydrophones, reached a maximum level and then declined rapidly. An examination was made of the possible relation of the cloud to eruptions of Kaitoku through an analysis of pilot depositions, satellite photos, wind charts, signal strengths and spectra of known man-made underwater explosions, as well as ascent rates of volcanic plumes and cumulonimbus clouds. PMID- 17781802 TI - Classification Dispute Stalls NOAA Program: NOAA wants to produce detailed maps of the ocean floor around the United States; the Defense Department says such information should be kept secret. PMID- 17781804 TI - China's Science Academy Revamps Funding Process. PMID- 17781803 TI - DOD Reorganizes Management. PMID- 17781805 TI - Ashes to Ashes--to Orbit. PMID- 17781806 TI - A science primer for freshman legislators. PMID- 17781807 TI - The Technological Challenge in Africa: Why has the green revolution not worked in Africa? Experts meeting in Washington say the problems are more complex than those in Asia. PMID- 17781808 TI - SPARX Fly Over U.S.-German Space Venture: A dispute over the application of U.S. laws to foreign companies could affect negotiations on Europe's participation in the space station. PMID- 17781809 TI - New Technology Aids Geophysicists: Geophysicists are listening in on a new military satellite system to determine precise positions on the earth with unprecedented ease. PMID- 17781810 TI - A dash of aluminum-26. PMID- 17781811 TI - Going with the flow. PMID- 17781812 TI - Mating dance of the two-tailed radio source. PMID- 17781813 TI - Zeta particle in question. PMID- 17781814 TI - AAAS Program Activities Taken to Africa, China, Germany, Hungary, and Israel. PMID- 17781815 TI - Obituaries. PMID- 17781816 TI - For the library. PMID- 17781817 TI - SWARM to Meet in Tucson in March. PMID- 17781818 TI - Physics in france: physique et physiciens en france, 1918-1940. PMID- 17781819 TI - Bone and its functions: the mechanical adaptations of bones. PMID- 17781820 TI - Soviet science: soviet scientists and the state. PMID- 17781821 TI - Some other books of interest: spatial orientation. PMID- 17781822 TI - Some other books of interest: ecological entomology. PMID- 17781823 TI - Pollution monitoring of puget sound with honey bees. AB - To show that honey bees are effective biological monitors of environmental contaminants over large geographic areas, beekeepers of Puget Sound, Washington, collected pollen and bees for chemical analysis. From these data, kriging maps of arsenic, cadmium, and fluoride were generated. Results, based on actual concentrations of contaminants in bee tissues, show that the greatest concentrations of contaminants occur close to Commencement Bay and that honey bees are effective as large-scale monitors. PMID- 17781824 TI - Raman microprobe evidence for lignin orientation in the cell walls of native woody tissue. AB - Raman microprobe spectra from the secondary wall of earlywood tissue from Picea mariana (black spruce) reveal evidence of the orientation of lignin relative to the plane of the cell wall. In most instances, the aromatic rings of the phenyl propane structural units are parallel to the plane of the cell-wall surface. PMID- 17781825 TI - Role of chemotaxis in establishing a specific nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial bacterial association. AB - A specific association with the cyanobacterium Anabaena oscillarioides was established by positive bacterial (pseudomonad) chemotaxis to Anabaena oscillarioides heterocysts. This association enhanced nitrogen fixation in A. oscillarioides, and positive chemotaxis was particularly strong during periods of active nitrogen fixation. Addition of compounds known to elicit positive chemotaxis in pseudomonads interfered with the establishment of the association, while removal of these compounds led to reestablishment of the association. Anabaena oscillarioides excretion products, some of which are exuded from heterocyst-vegetative cell junctions, are likely to be responsible for positive chemotactic responses. Chemotaxis-controlled associations such as this one explain in part why aquatic bacterial-algal and bacterial-particle associations occur sporadically and are heterogeneously distributed in time and space. PMID- 17781826 TI - THE PROVINCIAL UNIVERSITY IN CANADIAN DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17781827 TI - THE INDIAN LADDER RESERVATION. PMID- 17781828 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17781829 TI - THE OHIO STATE BOARD OF HEALTH AND THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17781830 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17781832 TI - THE PARTICIPATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS IN POLITICS. PMID- 17781831 TI - THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SULPHATES AND PHOSPHATES IN SOILS. PMID- 17781833 TI - GRIZZLY BEARS: SKULLS WANTED. PMID- 17781834 TI - NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17781835 TI - THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE ORGANISM OF THE COMMON POTATO SCAB. PMID- 17781836 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17781838 TI - CYCLE IN THE LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL (ONTOGENY) AND IN THE EVOLUTION OF ITS OWN GROUP (PHYLOGENY). PMID- 17781837 TI - THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17781839 TI - THE BLACKBOARD TREATMENT OF PHYSICAL VECTORS. PMID- 17781841 TI - ORIGIN OF PARASITISM IN THE COWBIRD. PMID- 17781840 TI - NANSEN'S DISCOVERY OF THE BREEDING GROUNDS OF THE ROSY GULL. PMID- 17781842 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17781843 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17781844 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17781845 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17781846 TI - SIMPLIFIED SPELLING. PMID- 17781847 TI - AN EXPLANATION OF THE SO-CALLED PSEUDOAURORA. PMID- 17781848 TI - THE POTENCY OF ENGINEERING SCHOOLS AND THEIR IMPERFECTIONS. PMID- 17781849 TI - STAMENS AND PISTILS ARE SEXUAL ORGANS. PMID- 17781850 TI - A TROPICAL MARINE LABORATORY FOR RESEARCH? PMID- 17781851 TI - IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17781852 TI - WILL-MAKING. PMID- 17781853 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17781855 TI - SOME SINGULAR NICKEL-STEEL ALLOYS. PMID- 17781854 TI - RECENT ZOOPALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17781856 TI - RADIUM. PMID- 17781858 TI - THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY OF THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION. PMID- 17781857 TI - MONOGRAPH OF NORTH AMERICAN MOSQUITOES. PMID- 17781859 TI - Economic growth. PMID- 17781861 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781860 TI - Ultrafast streak camera. PMID- 17781862 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781864 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781863 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781865 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17781867 TI - Traditional tobacco substitute. PMID- 17781866 TI - Filming of behavior. PMID- 17781868 TI - Energy alternatives for Brazil. PMID- 17781869 TI - Cenozoic Tectonics of Asia: Effects of a Continental Collision: Features of recent continental tectonics in Asia can be interpreted as results of the India Eurasia collision. PMID- 17781870 TI - NSF Peer Review Hearings: House Panel Starts with Critics. PMID- 17781871 TI - NSF Gains Social Sciences Champion. PMID- 17781872 TI - The bicentennial: science loses out. PMID- 17781873 TI - Interior secretary resigns. PMID- 17781874 TI - Binary program wins a narrow escape. PMID- 17781876 TI - ERTS: Americans Took Pictures of Soviet Union--To Be Friendly. PMID- 17781875 TI - H-bomb power project is laid to rest. PMID- 17781877 TI - The new particle mystery: solid clues now lead to charm. PMID- 17781878 TI - DESY: West Germany's Biggest Accelerator Center. PMID- 17781879 TI - Evolution of DNA: Changes in Gene Regulation. PMID- 17781880 TI - High-Pressure Phase Transformation of CaSO4 (Anhydrite) During a Nuclear Explosion. AB - Examination of the postshot cores from the portion of the Tatum Salt Dome that had been subjected to a nuclear explosion (Salmon Event) has indicated evidence for the high-pressure phase transformation of anhydrite. This evidence consists of distinctly different optical domains within the shocked anhydrite. Evidence for the transition exists out to approximately 1.5 cavity radii. Excellent agreement exists between experimental work and the theoretical calculations of the predicted pressure profile. PMID- 17781881 TI - Precipitation: its acidic nature. AB - A comparison of the free hydrogen ion concentration and the total hydrogen ion concentration of rain samples shows that rain is a weak acid. The weak acid nature of rain casts doubt on the concepts that the acidity of rain is increasing and that these increases are due to strong acids such as sulfuric acid. PMID- 17781882 TI - Solar proton events: stratospheric sources of nitric oxide. AB - The production of nitric oxide (NO) in the stratosphere during each of the solar proton events of November 1960, September 1966, and August 1972 is calculated to have been comparable to or larger than the total average annual production of NO by the action of galactic cosmic rays. It is therefore very important to consider the effect of solar proton events on the temporal and spatial distribution of ozone in the stratosphere. A study of ozone distribution after such events may be particularly important for validating photochemical-diffusion models. PMID- 17781883 TI - Turquoise mine and artifact correlation for snaketown site, Arizona. AB - Trace element analyses on turquoise from 24 mines in the southwestern United States indicate that the turquoise artifacts from Snaketown site in south-central Arizona came from the Himalaya mine near Halloron Springs, California. The correlation of artifact and mine turquoise in the Southwest is a means of determining prehistoric exchange patterns. PMID- 17781884 TI - Climatic change: are we on the brink of a pronounced global warming? AB - If man-made dust is unimportant as a major cause of climatic change, then a strong case can be made that the present cooling trend will, within a decade or so, give way to a pronounced warming induced by carbon dioxide. By analogy with similar events in the past, the natural climatic cooling which, since 1940, has more than compensated for the carbon dioxide effect, will soon bottom out. Once this happens, the exponential rise in the atmospheric carbon dioxide content will tend to become a significant factor and by early in the next century will have driven the mean planetary temperature beyond the limits experienced during the last 1000 years. PMID- 17781885 TI - Coexistence of sparrows: a test of community theory. AB - A study of the coexistence of sparrows in grassland and woodland habitats of the Research Ranch in southeastern Arizona supports the predictability of current community theory. For each of the habitats studied, the production of seeds and the abundance of seed-eating, winter-resident sparrows were measured. The theory correctly predicts the number of species supported in each of the habitats. In both cases for which the prediction is that only one species could be supported, the theory correctly predicts which species should be present. PMID- 17781886 TI - Nectar Fluorescence under Ultraviolet Irradiation. AB - Nectar, which fluoresces in the visible and absorbs in the ultraviolet spectrum when irradiated by ultraviolet light, occurs in many bee-pollinated plants. It is suggested that these characteristics function as direct visual cues by which bees can evaluate the quantities of nectar available. Thus, they assume an important role in pollination of the flowers and foraging efficiency of beers. PMID- 17781887 TI - Plant "primary perception": electrophysiological unresponsiveness to brine shrimp killing. AB - A test of the "primary perception" hypothesis proposed by Backster in 1968 was made by recording electrical activity from the leaves of Philodendra scandentia while randomly ejecting the contents of micropipettes filled with brine shrimp or distilled water into boiling water. Test conditions conformed to those published by Backster or communicated in personal exchanges. Data were analysed from five experiments, in each of which recordings were made from four plants in the presence of three brine shrimp killings and two control water ejections. Inspection of the data and analysis by two statistical methods revealed no relationship between brine shrimp killing and electrical "responsiveness" of philodendron. PMID- 17781888 TI - Literature. PMID- 17781889 TI - Film balance. PMID- 17781891 TI - Marine radar. PMID- 17781890 TI - Chromatography metering pump. PMID- 17781892 TI - X-ray Spectrometer. PMID- 17781893 TI - Sonic digitizer. PMID- 17781894 TI - Current measuring system. PMID- 17781895 TI - Chromatography adsorbents and supports. PMID- 17781896 TI - Infrared thermometer. PMID- 17781897 TI - Sludged Blood. PMID- 17781898 TI - COMMENTS by Readers. PMID- 17781899 TI - The Remote Sustained Threshold Therapeutic Action of Streptomycin in Tuberculosis. PMID- 17781900 TI - A Possible Role of Food Purification in the Etiology of Dental Caries. PMID- 17781901 TI - Effect of Tetraethylammonium Chloride in Experimental Gastric Ulceration in the Rat. PMID- 17781902 TI - A Method for Screening Antimalarial Compounds in the Mosquito Host. PMID- 17781903 TI - A Simple Pen for Kymograph Tracings. PMID- 17781904 TI - Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid to Dehydroascorbic Acid. PMID- 17781905 TI - A Simple Method for Explanting and Cultivating Early Chick Embryos in Vitro. PMID- 17781906 TI - An Interesting Case of Water Undercooling. PMID- 17781907 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT Of SCIENCE. THE SCIENCE OF EDUCATION. PMID- 17781908 TI - THE TEACHING OF CRYSTALLOGRAPHY. PMID- 17781909 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF THE TYPES OF GENERAL A CORRECTION. PMID- 17781910 TI - CHARACTER OF THE BACTERIAL FLORA OF CARNIVOROUS AND OF HERBIVOROUS ANIMALS. PMID- 17781911 TI - THE EXCEPTIONAL NATURE AND GENESIS OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA. PMID- 17781912 TI - NOTES ON ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17781913 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17781914 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17781915 TI - PCB's: Another Source? PMID- 17781917 TI - Biotic energy flows. PMID- 17781916 TI - Virus cancer program. PMID- 17781918 TI - Human ecology. PMID- 17781919 TI - Instability of N-nitrosamides. PMID- 17781920 TI - AAAS Meetings. PMID- 17781921 TI - Interstellar Hydrogen in Galaxies: Radio observations of neutral hydrogen yield valuable information on the properties of galaxies. AB - Measurement of the 21-cm line radiation originating from the interstellar neutral hydrogen in a galaxy yields information on the total mass and total hydrogen content of the galaxy. The ratio of these two quantities is correlated with structural type in the sense that the later type galaxies contain a higher fraction of their total mass in the form of interstellar hydrogen This ratio is one of the few physical parameters known to correlate with structural type. It need not, however, reflect an evolutionary sequence, such as more hydrogen implying a younger galaxy. Efficiency of conversion of hydrogen to stars can just as easily explain the correlation. Except for the very latest systems, the total mass of a spiral does not appear to be correlated with type. Red shifts of galaxies measured at optical wavelengths and at 21 cm are in excellent agreement. The form of the Doppler expression has been shown to hold over a wavelength range of 5 x 105. All spirals earlier than type Ir which have been studied with adequate resolution show a central minimum in their hydrogen distribution. The region of maximum projected HI surface density occurs at some distance from the center. In the earlier type spirals the optical arms are located in the region of this maximum surface density. In the later type spirals the maximum HI density and prominent optical arms are less well correlated and, at times, are anticorrelated. Detailed studies of the HI distribution and motions within a galaxy require the high relative resolution of beam synthesis arrays. We may expect significant new information from such studies, which are now in progress. Filled-aperture telescopes will supply the necessary observations at zero spacing and vital statistical information on large numbers of galaxies, peculiar systems and groups and clusters of galaxies. The two types of telescope systems will complement one another. In the near future we should have a much better description of spiral galaxies and, we hope, a better understanding of these systems. PMID- 17781922 TI - The Keller Plan in Science Teaching: An individually paced, student-tutored, and mastery-oriented instructional method is evaluated. AB - A review of evaluative research on the Keller plan establishes the following points: 1) The Keller plan is an attractive teaching method to most students. In every published report, students rate the Keller plan much more favorably than teaching by lecture. 2) Self-pacing and interaction with tutors seem to be the features of the Keller courses most favored by students. 3) Several investigators report higher-than-average withdrawal rates for their Keller sections. The conditions that influence withdrawal and procrastination in Keller courses have been studied, and it seems possible to control procrastination and withdrawal through course design. 4) Content learning (as measured by final examinations) is adequate in Keller courses. In the published studies, final examination performance in Keller sections always equals, and usually exceeds, performance in lecture sessions. 5) Students almost invariably report that they learn more in PSI than in lecture courses, and also nearly always report putting more time and effort into the Keller courses. PMID- 17781923 TI - Office of management and budget: skeptical view of scientific advice. PMID- 17781924 TI - Adamantly vague on chemicals and health. PMID- 17781925 TI - Off-road vehicles: a compromise plan for the california desert. PMID- 17781926 TI - . . . Hosmer says no. PMID- 17781927 TI - Fredrickson says yes . . PMID- 17781928 TI - Theoretical ecology: beginnings of a predictive science. PMID- 17781929 TI - Venus clouds: structure and composition. AB - The clouds of Venus consist of a fine sulfuric acid aerosol similar to that found in the earth's stratosphere. The acid aerosol on Venus appears to be uniformly mixed with the gas, at least in the visible layers, and possibly down to the cloud base. PMID- 17781930 TI - Suppression of nitrogen fixation by blue-green algae in a eutrophic lake with trace additions of copper. AB - Nitrogen fixation by blue-green algae in highly eutrophic Clear Lake, California, was severely inhibited by trace amounts of copper. The chelation capacity of the lake is probably saturated by indigenous copper. Additions were only 1/200 of those normally used in algal control. Since nitrogen fixation provides half of the lake's annual nitrogen budget, economical eutrophication control appears possible. PMID- 17781931 TI - Detection of radon emission at the edges of lunar maria with the apollo alpha particle spectrometer. AB - The distribution of radioactive polonium-210, a decay product of radon-222, shows enhanced concentrations at the edges of lunar maria. Enhancements are seen at the edges of Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Crisium, Mare Smythii. Mare Tranquillitatis, Mare Nubium, Mare Cognitum, and Oceanus Procellarum. The observation is indicative of the transient emission of radon gas from the perimeters of lunar maria. PMID- 17781932 TI - Radon-222 from the island of hawaii: deep soils are more important than lava fields or volcanoes. AB - The mean flux of radon-222 atoms from the island of Hawaii is 0.45 atom per square centimeter per second. Lava fields occupy 50 percent of the land area, but their radon flux is only 1 percent of that from deep volcanic soils. The island yields approximately 10 curies of radon-222 per hour to the air surrounding it. The radon-222 contribuition of volcanoes is negligible. PMID- 17781933 TI - Dynamics of expanding inhibitory fields. PMID- 17781934 TI - Beryllium disease. PMID- 17781935 TI - ELECTRIFICATION OF WATER AND OSMOTIC FLOW. PMID- 17781936 TI - HENRY ANDREWS BUMSTEAD. PMID- 17781937 TI - A METEOR FALL IN THE ATLANTIC. PMID- 17781938 TI - MUSICAL NOTATION. PMID- 17781939 TI - STOCK CULTURES OF A PROTOZOON. PMID- 17781940 TI - PULSATION OF A CAT'S HEART AFTER DEATH. PMID- 17781941 TI - STAR-TIME OBSERVATIONS WITH AN ENGINEER'S Y-LEVEL. PMID- 17781942 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17781943 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17781944 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17781945 TI - A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND WORK OF MAX RUBNER. PMID- 17781946 TI - THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OF AUGUST 31, 1932. PMID- 17781947 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17781949 TI - PHOTO-PRINTING. PMID- 17781950 TI - ORIGIN OF A TETRAPLOID SHOOT FROM THE REGION OF A TUMOR ON TOMATO. PMID- 17781948 TI - DORMANCY IN TILIA SEEDS. PMID- 17781952 TI - CRYSTALLIZATION OF CERTAIN SALTS USED FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF SHALES. PMID- 17781951 TI - A MOTOR-DRIVEN MAKE-BREAK STIMULUS SELECTOR. PMID- 17781953 TI - TOPOGRAPHIC SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MATERIALS REVEALED BY ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT PHOTOMICROGRAPHY OF LIVING CELLS AND BY MICRO-INCINERATION. PMID- 17781955 TI - THE SMITHSONIAN "SOLAR CONSTANT" EXPEDITION TO CALAMA, CHILE. PMID- 17781954 TI - SCIENCE AND MEDICAL TEACHING. PMID- 17781956 TI - THE HARVARD ENGINEERING SCHOOL. PMID- 17781957 TI - THE MEDALLISTS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17781958 TI - AGE FLOW AND EBB OF THE EOCENE SEAS. PMID- 17781960 TI - BIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN THE ZOOLOGY COURSE. PMID- 17781959 TI - HEREDITARY DEFICIENCIES IN THE SENSE OF SMELL. PMID- 17781961 TI - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17781963 TI - RESISTANCE IN THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT TO THE BARK DISEASE. PMID- 17781962 TI - A NATIONAL LABORATORY FOR THE STUDY OF NUTRITION. PMID- 17781964 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF AZOTOBACTER IN CRANBERRY SOILS. PMID- 17781965 TI - Chrysotile asbestos: health effects. PMID- 17781966 TI - Oil Refinery near the Taj Mahal. PMID- 17781967 TI - American ice cream. PMID- 17781968 TI - !Kung ecology. PMID- 17781969 TI - Commission on federal paperwork. PMID- 17781970 TI - Paleoenvironment and human settlement in Japan and Korea. AB - The climate of Japan changed from cooler than present (12,000 to 11,000 years ago) to warmer than present (8000 to 4000 years ago) to cooler than present (4000 to 1500 years ago). The height of the warm period coincides with the Jomon marine transgression, which flooded coastal lands and invaded river valleys. The Jomon culture of the post-Pleistocene shows changes in subsistence patterns and site location at different time periods. Although it is very long and there is definite cultural continuity, shifts in settlement patterns and the development of fishing and collecting techniques show that it was not static. Village layouts and intersite relationships are examined. While there is not yet enough information for the reconstruction of the environment of the Korean peninsula, investigations seem to show shifts in settlement location from low coastal areas to hills and slopes occurring at relatively the same time periods as in Japan. House plans and average size of dwellings in Korea are briefly discussed. PMID- 17781971 TI - Nepotism and the evolution of alarm calls. PMID- 17781973 TI - Carter revives dream of a sea-level canal. PMID- 17781972 TI - Controls on trade and technology: pentagon puts stress on know-how. PMID- 17781974 TI - Harvard under fire for mishandling grant money. PMID- 17781975 TI - McKelvey Ousted as Director of Geological Survey. PMID- 17781976 TI - Nuclear wastes: popular antipathy narrows search for disposal sites. PMID- 17781977 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Fatty acids ... smooth muscle cells" by J. J. Huttner et al. (15 July, p. 289), Table 1 was reset after the authors had approved their galleys. Through faulty proofreading at Science, an omitted line was not detected and the table as printed is meaningless. The body of Table 1 should read. PMID- 17781978 TI - Alternative astronomy: experiment in self-sufficiency blossoms. AB - Half a dozen astronomy graduate students facing meager job prospects decide they would rather fight than switch. They drop out of the postdoctoral rat race, move to California, and establish a close-knit if impoverished community centered around astronomy. They build their own observatory complete with a telescope superior to those of many universities and incorporating the latest in modern electronic instruments, all the while maintaining their independence and doing without government grants. They undertake an ambitious research effort and win the respect, admiration, and even envy of prominent astronomers. PMID- 17781979 TI - Carcinogens in the workplace: where to start cleaning up. PMID- 17781980 TI - Introductions to a pivotal subject. PMID- 17781981 TI - Childbearing and health risk. PMID- 17781982 TI - Ozone monitoring with an infrared heterodyne radiometer. AB - Measurements of the total burden and of the concentration versus altitude profiles of ozone have been made with a ground-based heterodyne radiometer at Pasadena, California. The measurements were made in the 9.5-micrometer wavelength region, where a strong ozone infrared absorption band exists. The radiometer measured solar absorption at selected wavelengths, with a spectral resolution of 0.001 reciprocal centimeter, equivalent to the half-width of an ozone absorption line at the 10-millibar altitude level. A carbon dioxide laser served as the local oscillator. This technique can be used to gather important data on both tropospheric and stratospheric ozone, which are not readily accessible with other remote-sensing techniques. PMID- 17781983 TI - Function of Shell Sculpture in Marine Gastropods: Hydrodynamic Destabilization in Ceratostoma foliatum. AB - The gastropod Ceratostoma foliatum (Gmelin) possesses three bladelike varices on the body whorl of the shell. The precise positioning and relative width of these varices destabilize the animal as it falls through the water, substantially increasing the chances that it will land upright (aperture down). For a gastropod pulled off rocks and dropped by predatory fish, such a mechanism could considerably reduce its probability of being eaten. PMID- 17781984 TI - Sympatric speciation based on allelic changes at three Loci: evidence from natural populations in two habitats. AB - Allelic changes at three loci largely explain Chrysopa downesi's sympatric speciation from a Chrysopa carnea-like ancestor. Disruptive selection first produced a stable polymorphism based on a single pair of alleles that adapted individuals to two habitats, and second, it established seasonal asynchrony in reproduction through allelic substitutions at two loci. PMID- 17781985 TI - Marihuana and epilepsy. PMID- 17781986 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17781987 TI - AN ESSAY ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. PMID- 17781988 TI - HOW MAY MUSEUMS BEST RETARD THE ADVANCE OF SCIENCE? PMID- 17781990 TI - A LAYMAN'S VIEWS ON SPECIFIC NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17781989 TI - INTERNAL SECRETIONS CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO VARIATION AND DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17781992 TI - SCIENTIFIC EXHIBITS OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE TENNESSEE EXPOSITION. PMID- 17781991 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17781993 TI - HOW FLOWERS ATTRACT INSECTS. PMID- 17781995 TI - THE QUATERNARY OF MISSOURI. PMID- 17781994 TI - THE RE-DISTRIBUTION OF TYPE-SPECIMENS IN MUSEUMS. PMID- 17781996 TI - A 'DRIFTLESS' RIDGE. PMID- 17781997 TI - Detection of polarized light. PMID- 17781998 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17781999 TI - The delaney clause. PMID- 17782000 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17782001 TI - Moratorium on fetal research. PMID- 17782002 TI - Success in graduate school. PMID- 17782003 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17782004 TI - Evaluating acupuncture. PMID- 17782006 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17782005 TI - Aldrin and dieldrin. PMID- 17782007 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17782008 TI - Global Effects of Man's Production of Energy. PMID- 17782009 TI - The upgraded arecibo observatory. AB - Arecibo Observatory's giant spherical reflector antenna has undergone a massive upgrading over the past 3 years. The surface of the reflector has been replaced with aluminum panels to obtain an accuracy of 3.2 mm r.m.s. over the reflector surface. The superstructure has been stabilized and modified to permit operation at S-band frequencies. A high-power S-band radar transmitter has been added to the existing UHF system. These additions and improvements provide the observatory with new and promising research capabilities in the fields of radio and radar astronomy. PMID- 17782010 TI - Skylab Report: Man's Role in Space Research. PMID- 17782011 TI - Cancer and the environment (I): a creaky system grinds on. PMID- 17782012 TI - Speak plainly and eschew neologisms. PMID- 17782013 TI - Cancer and the Environment (II): Groping for New Remedies. PMID- 17782014 TI - Shuttle pollution study sought. PMID- 17782016 TI - Justice joins in appeal on taconite pollution. PMID- 17782015 TI - Air force tries again on agent orange. PMID- 17782017 TI - The continuing breast cancer controversy. PMID- 17782018 TI - Diagnostic medicine: the coming ultrasonic boom. PMID- 17782019 TI - Assessment of ultrasound research. PMID- 17782020 TI - Ozone concentrations in new jersey and new york: statistical association with related variables. AB - The concentrations of ozone at nine measurements sites in New Jersey and New York during the period 1 May through 30 September 1973 have been examined. Daily fluctuations in the ozone concentrations at any two sites are highly correlated. The concentrations are lower with low levels of solar radiation and also with high wind speed. The average ozone concentration shows only minor differences between weekdays and weekends, despite markedly different traffic patterns. PMID- 17782021 TI - Sulfates as pollution particulates: catalytic formation on carbon (soot) particles. AB - Experimental evidence (obtained by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis) is presented which shows that finely divided carbon (soot) particles may play a major role in the catalytic oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfate in polluted atmospheres. The results obtained with sulfates produced in the laboratory by the oxidation of sulfur dioxide on graphite particles and combustion-produced soot particles are compared with the properties and behavior of ambient sulfates. The proposed sulfur dioxide oxidation mechanism is qualitatively consistent with field observations. PMID- 17782023 TI - THE NEAR FUTURE OF BOTANY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17782022 TI - Alkanes at the air-sea interface from offshore louisiana and Florida. AB - Alkanes at the air-sea interface were analyzed in 118 surface samples collected at five different intervals over a 12-month period from Timbalier Bay (Louisiana), ogfshore Louiisiana, and offshore Florida. The alkanes were characterized by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Unexpectedly, methyl branched alkanes ranging in chain length froin C(15) to C(35) and cycloalkanes were frequently the predominant components. This suggests that the alkanes are produced by natural biological sources as well as human activities. PMID- 17782024 TI - A FLOOD IN THE VALLEY OF THE ORISKANY CREEK, NEW YORK. PMID- 17782025 TI - VITAMINES AND NUTRITION. PMID- 17782026 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17782027 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF ATOMIC WEIGHTS BY MEANS OF X-RAYS. PMID- 17782029 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17782028 TI - THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. PMID- 17782031 TI - "Collaboratory" principles. PMID- 17782030 TI - Minorities in science. PMID- 17782032 TI - Support for Russian science. PMID- 17782034 TI - Support for Russian science. PMID- 17782033 TI - Support for Russian science. PMID- 17782035 TI - Status and prospects for success of the endangered species act: a look at recovery plans. PMID- 17782036 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17782037 TI - ORI Faces High Hurdle in Gallo Case. PMID- 17782038 TI - Lane's Strategy on Strategic Research. PMID- 17782040 TI - Pan-European drug, environment agencies. PMID- 17782039 TI - Diamond know-how at a bargain price. PMID- 17782041 TI - Art et science. PMID- 17782042 TI - Nature supplies lens for astronomers. PMID- 17782043 TI - Global water scare. PMID- 17782044 TI - Second-hand leukemia. PMID- 17782045 TI - UFO Sighters not Batty, Study Finds. PMID- 17782046 TI - Filling a hole in the ozone argument. PMID- 17782047 TI - Geologists Get Together to Dissect Earth's Thin Skin. AB - At the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Boston during late October, Earth's crust came in for close scrutiny. One surprise was its age: Chemical and isotopic evidence suggested the crust formed soon after the planet did. Participants also discussed features of today's crust, including a horizontal slice beneath San Francisco and the possibility that a particular kind of crustal stretching, long envisioned, may not actually take place. PMID- 17782048 TI - Chemistry with photons. PMID- 17782049 TI - Picosecond resolution in scanning tunneling microscopy. AB - A method has been developed for performing fast time-resolved experiments with a scanning tunneling microscope. The method uses the intrinsic nonlinearity in the microscope's current versus voltage characteristics to resolve optically generated transient signals on picosecond time scales. The ability to combine the spatial resolution of tunneling microscopy with the time resolution of ultrafast optics yields a powerful tool for the investigation of dynamic phenomena on the atomic scale. PMID- 17782050 TI - Evidence for large upward trends of ultraviolet-B radiation linked to ozone depletion. AB - Spectral measurements of ultraviolet-B radiation made at Toronto since 1989 indicate that the intensity of light at wavelengths near 300 nanometers has increased by 35 percent per year in winter and 7 percent per year in summer. The wavelength dependence of these trends indicates that the increase is caused by the downward trend in total ozone that was measured at Toronto during the same period. The trend at wavelengths between 320 and 325 nanometers is essentially zero. PMID- 17782051 TI - Images of Excited H3+ at the Foot of the lo Flux Tube in Jupiter's Atmosphere. AB - The electrodynamic interaction between lo and the Jovian magnetosphere drives currents to and from the planet's ionosphere, where H(3)(+) emission is excited. Direct images of this phenomenon were obtained with the ProtoCAM infrared camera at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 3-m Infrared Telescope Facility. The emissions are localized to the instantaneous foot of the lo flux tube, approximately 8 degrees equatorward of the more intense auroral H(3)(+) emission associated with higher magnetic latitudes. The foot of the lo flux tube leads that of (undisturbed) model magnetic field lines passing through lo by 15 degrees to 20 degrees in longitude and is less visible in the northern hemisphere at longitudes where the surface magnetic field strength is greatest. These data favor the unipolar inductor model of the lo interaction and provide insight into the source location and generation of Jovian decameter radio emission. PMID- 17782053 TI - A recent huxley. PMID- 17782052 TI - Response. PMID- 17782054 TI - Matters of scale. PMID- 17782056 TI - Vignettes: minority malaise. PMID- 17782055 TI - Exsanguinators. PMID- 17782058 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17782057 TI - Markers of disease. PMID- 17782059 TI - A question of identity. PMID- 17782061 TI - Reaching critical mass in graduate school. PMID- 17782060 TI - Finding--and Keeping--Minority Professors. PMID- 17782062 TI - Are asian-americans 'underrepresented'? PMID- 17782064 TI - Are foreigners squeezing minorities out? PMID- 17782063 TI - Germany's Turks Struggle Into Science. PMID- 17782065 TI - A ;model minority' speaks out on cultural shyness. PMID- 17782066 TI - Asian or american? PMID- 17782067 TI - Schools stumble on an afrocentric science essay. PMID- 17782068 TI - Last hired, first fired? Minorities retreat in defense. PMID- 17782069 TI - Minorty networks forge bonds in chemistry. PMID- 17782070 TI - White men can mentor: help from the majority. PMID- 17782071 TI - Growing a diverse lab culture. PMID- 17782072 TI - A guide to minority aid from scientific societies. PMID- 17782073 TI - Plugging in: a resource guide to minority programs. PMID- 17782074 TI - Order coupon. PMID- 17782075 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17782076 TI - THE ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY OF THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17782078 TI - HEADQUARTERS HOTELS AND HOTEL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FIFTH NEW YORK MEETING. PMID- 17782077 TI - THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF RESPIRATION FERMENT. PMID- 17782079 TI - EUGEN AMANDUS SCHWARZ. PMID- 17782080 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17782081 TI - A READILY DETECTABLE SIGN OF OVULATION IN THE MONKEY. PMID- 17782082 TI - EXPERIMENTAL CONFIRMATION FOR SOMMERFELD-FERMI-DIRAC DEGENERATE GAS THEORY OF CONDUCTION ELECTRONS. PMID- 17782083 TI - OCCURRENCE OF FAINT BLEEDING ON A DEFINITE INTERMENSTRUAL DAY IN MAN. PMID- 17782084 TI - HUMIDITY AND SONG. PMID- 17782085 TI - NOMENCLATORIAL STATUS OF THE AMEBAS MAYORELLA BIGEMMA AND M.(?) DOFLEINI. PMID- 17782087 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF NITRATES AND NITROGEN. PMID- 17782086 TI - INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS ANATOMICALLY CONSIDERED. PMID- 17782088 TI - THE ACTION OF GLUTATHIONE AND HEMOGLOBIN ON THE GROWTH OF FIBROBLASTS IN VITRO. PMID- 17782090 TI - THE NEPHELOMETER IN MYCOLOGY. PMID- 17782089 TI - AN ACCURATE METHOD OF TAKING READINGS ON EXCEEDINGLY LOW ROCK DIPS. PMID- 17782091 TI - ZOOPHILOUS MOTHS. PMID- 17782093 TI - THE LAW OF THE LONG RUN. PMID- 17782092 TI - THE FUNCTIONAL FORM OF THE CONSTANT OF MASS ACTION AND ATOMIC ACTIVATION. PMID- 17782094 TI - HORTICULTURE AT CORNELL. PMID- 17782095 TI - ON SCHOOL HYGIENE. PMID- 17782096 TI - A SIMPLE APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING SAMPLES OF WATER AT VARIOUS DEPTHS. PMID- 17782097 TI - THE LOBACHEVSKI PRIZE. PMID- 17782098 TI - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17782099 TI - ASTRONOMICAL. PMID- 17782101 TI - THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17782100 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (XV.). PMID- 17782102 TI - BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF THE SCIENCES. PMID- 17782104 TI - A LAST WORD ON ERECT VISION. PMID- 17782103 TI - PROGRAM FOR THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17782105 TI - MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS AND THE PERCEPTION OF DISTANCE. PMID- 17782106 TI - MR. SPENCER ON TACTUAL PERCEPTION AND 'NATURAL SELECTION.'. PMID- 17782107 TI - BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICAN PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17782109 TI - Secrecy and Scientific Progress. PMID- 17782108 TI - The Scientist's Perspective. PMID- 17782110 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17782111 TI - Reversible Bleaching of Chlorophyll in vivo. PMID- 17782112 TI - Distribution of Alpha-Radioactivity in Certain Forest Types. PMID- 17782113 TI - Palynological Study of Pleistocene Deposits on Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. PMID- 17782114 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17782116 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17782118 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17782117 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17782119 TI - Computing: networks and modeling. PMID- 17782120 TI - "Culture wars". PMID- 17782121 TI - "Culture wars". PMID- 17782122 TI - "Culture wars". PMID- 17782123 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - Marcia Barinaga's 1 July Research News article "Knockout mice: Round two" (p. 26), did not mention that Alexandra Joyner's collaborator on the brain cell fate mapping experiment is Eric Mercer, in David Anderson's laboratory at Caltech. PMID- 17782124 TI - Response. PMID- 17782125 TI - New clues to superconductivity. PMID- 17782126 TI - Lab custody fight in institute ;divorce'. PMID- 17782128 TI - Do Tides Power Black Widow's Mate? PMID- 17782127 TI - Artificial-life researchers try to create social reality. AB - Some scientists, among them cosmologist Stephen Hawking, argue that computer viruses are alive. A better case might be made for many of the self-replicating silicon-based creatures featured at the fourth Conference on Artificial Life, held on 5 to 8 July in Boston. Researchers from computer science, biology, and other disciplines presented computer programs that, among other things, evolved cooperative strategies in a selfish world and recreated themselves in ever more complex forms. PMID- 17782129 TI - Gag on animal activist. PMID- 17782131 TI - U.k. Is too defensive. PMID- 17782130 TI - Russian laser set to sing a u.s. Tune. PMID- 17782133 TI - Space Rock Gets Zappa'd. PMID- 17782132 TI - Tinkering with the death program. PMID- 17782134 TI - White flight from science. PMID- 17782135 TI - Does vitamin C clear the smoke? PMID- 17782136 TI - Fields medal honorees announced. PMID- 17782138 TI - High-performance artificial intelligence. PMID- 17782137 TI - Software agents prepare to sift the riches of cyberspace. PMID- 17782139 TI - Enterprise-wide computing. PMID- 17782140 TI - NCSA Mosaic and the World Wide Web: Global Hypermedia Protocols for the Internet. AB - Network information systems reached the public consciousness this year as a result of the phenomenal growth in the use of the Internet. In particular, the software constituting NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) Mosaic and the World Wide Web have made global hypermedia a widespread reality for the first time. The technology underlying this software is described to explain the protocols behind information spaces. These include the historical predecessors, the current protocols with examples, future directions for the software, and discussion of research systems with different architectures. Reasons for its popularity are given, with the goal of illuminating successful services for the National Information Infrastructure. PMID- 17782141 TI - Fast algorithms for classical physics. AB - Some of the recently developed fast summation methods that have arisen in scientific computing are described. These methods require an amount of work proportional to N or N log N to evaluate all pairwise interactions in an ensemble of N particles. Traditional methods, by contrast, require an amount of work proportional to N(2). As a result, largescale simulations can be carried out using only modest computer resources. In combination with supercomputers, it is possible to address questions that were previously out of reach. Problems from diffusion, gravitation, and wave propagation are considered. PMID- 17782142 TI - Chemically anomalous, preaccretionally irradiated grains in interplanetary dust from comets. AB - Nonstoichiometric grains with depletions of magnesium and silicon (relative to oxygen) and inclusions of iron-nickel metal and iron-rich sulfides have been identified in interplanetary dust particles from comets. These chemical anomalies accumulate in grains exposed to ionizing radiation. The grains, known as GEMS (glass with embedded metal and sulfides), were irradiated before the accretion of comets, and their inferred exposure ages, submicrometer sizes, and "amorphous" silicate structures are consistent with those of interstellar silicate grains. The measured compositional trends suggest that chemical (as well as isotopic) anomalies can be used to identify presolar interstellar components in primitive meteoritic materials. PMID- 17782143 TI - Impact crater densities on volcanoes and coronae on venus: implications for volcanic resurfacing. AB - The density of impact craters on large volcanoes on Venus is half the average crater density for the planet. The crater density on some classes of coronae is not significantly different from the global average density, but coronae with extensive associated volcanic deposits have lower crater densities. These results are inconsistent with both single-age and steady-state models for global resurfacing and suggest that volcanoes and coronae with associated volcanism have been active on Venus over the last 500 million years. PMID- 17782144 TI - Discovery of microwave emission from four nearby solar-type g stars. AB - Radio waves from the sun were detected 50 years ago, but the microwave detection of other single solar-type stars has remained a challenge. Here, the discovery of four solar-type radio stars is reported. These "solar twin" G stars are radio sources up to 3000 times stronger than the quiet sun. The microwaves most likely originate from a large number of relativistic electrons, possibly produced along with coronal heating, a process that is not understood. Two of the stars are younger than the sun and rotate more rapidly; the dynamo process in the stellar interior is therefore presumably more vigorous, resulting in enhanced coronal activity. One of the detections, however, is an old, metal-deficient G dwarf. PMID- 17782145 TI - Surface dating of dynamic landforms: young boulders on aging moraines. AB - The dating of landforms is crucial to understanding the evolution, history, and stability of landscapes. Cosmogenic isotope analysis has recently been used to determine quantitative exposure ages for previously undatable landform surfaces. A pioneering application of this technique to date moraines illustrated its considerable potential but suggested a chronology partially inconsistent with existing geological data. Consideration of the dynamic nature of landforms and of the ever-present processes of erosion, deposition, and weathering leads to a resolution of this inconsistency and, more generally, offers guidance for realistic interpretation of exposure ages. PMID- 17782146 TI - Controlling molecular order in "hairy-rod" langmuir-blodgett films: a polarization-modulation microscopy study. AB - The interplay of molecular weight, layer thickness, and thermal annealing in controlling molecular order in ultrathin Langmuir-Blodgett films is characterized with the use of polarization-modulation laser-scanning microscopy. The degree and direction of molecular alignment can be imaged rapidly and sensitively through the magnitude and orientation of linear dichroism in Langmuir-Blodgett films of rodlike poly(phthalocyaninatosiloxane) (PcPS). Images are presented for films as thin as two molecular layers ( approximately 44 angstroms). Molecular alignment along the transfer direction is much stronger for films of PcPS with approximately 25 repeat units ( approximately 10 nanometers long) than for those with approximately 50 repeat units ( approximately 20 nanometers long). Enhancement of alignment by thermal annealing is also much greater for PcPS-25 than PcPS-50. Intimate interaction with the substrate suppresses improvement in alignment by annealing, evident by an anomalously small increase in anisotropic absorption of the first two layers. PMID- 17782147 TI - Highly efficient light-emitting diodes with microcavities. AB - One-dimensional microcavities are optical resonators with coplanar reflectors separated by a distance on the order of the optical wavelength. Such structures quantize the energy of photons propagating along the optical axis of the cavity and thereby strongly modify the spontaneous emission properties of a photon emitting medium inside a microcavity. This report concerns semiconductor light emitting diodes with the photon-emitting active region of the light-emitting diodes placed inside a microcavity. These devices are shown to have strongly modified emission properties including experimental emission efficiencies that are higher by more than a factor of 5 and theoretical emission efficiencies that are higher by more than a factor of 10 than the emission efficiencies in conventional light-emitting diodes. PMID- 17782148 TI - The helmholtz program. PMID- 17782149 TI - Vignettes: ascendancy. PMID- 17782150 TI - Environmental test case. PMID- 17782151 TI - Non-linearity and behavior. PMID- 17782152 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17782153 TI - OPENING OF THE EAST WING OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17782155 TI - THE NORTH AMERICAN ORIGIN OF THE EDENTATES. PMID- 17782154 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT UPON THE DISCHARGE OF ELECTRIFIED BODIES. PMID- 17782156 TI - THE NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT LEIPZIG. PMID- 17782157 TI - AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. PMID- 17782158 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17782159 TI - THE DECIMAL DIVISION OF TIME AND ANGLES. PMID- 17782160 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17782161 TI - A TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17782162 TI - AGE OF THE POTOMAC FORMATION. PMID- 17782163 TI - COMPLIMENT OR PLAGIARISM. PMID- 17782164 TI - THE POSITION OF THE COMPANION OF SIRIUS. PMID- 17782165 TI - LE CONTE'S ELEMENTS OF GEOLOGY. PMID- 17782166 TI - THE DATE OF PUBLICATION AGAIN. PMID- 17782167 TI - FIELD-CLUBS AND LOCAL SOCIETIES. PMID- 17782168 TI - THE NATIONAL RAILWAY EXPOSITION. PMID- 17782169 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITATION, MOISTURE, AND LIGHT UPON THE DIRECTION OF GROWTH IN THE ROOT AND STEM OF PLANTS. PMID- 17782170 TI - THE UNITED STATES FISH-COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. PMID- 17782171 TI - SOME GLACIAL ACTION IN INDIANA. PMID- 17782172 TI - SURFACE CONDITIONS ON THE OTHER PLANETS. PMID- 17782173 TI - THE ECLIPSE OF 1882. PMID- 17782174 TI - COMPOSITION OF THE MESODERM. PMID- 17782175 TI - First use of wire in sounding. PMID- 17782177 TI - MACLOSKIE'S ELEMENTARY BOTANY. PMID- 17782176 TI - The relative ages of planets, comets, and meteors. PMID- 17782179 TI - THE GEOLOGY OF BELGIUM. PMID- 17782178 TI - False claims. PMID- 17782181 TI - LEDGER'S SUN AND ITS PLANETS. PMID- 17782180 TI - DU MONCEL'S ELECTRO-MAGNETS. PMID- 17782182 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17782183 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17782184 TI - Global economic competitiveness. PMID- 17782185 TI - DOE and the National Labs. PMID- 17782186 TI - DOE and the National Labs. PMID- 17782187 TI - "Mission-oriented" agricultural science. PMID- 17782188 TI - Clarification. AB - A News & Comment article by Jon Cohen about an investigation of indirect costs charged by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to federal grants and contracts (22 Nov., p. 1103) reported that congressional staff members had inquired about a condominium owned by the Academy at the Watergate building. The article should have noted that NAS officials responded that the apartment, which has served as the residence of the NAS president for 25 years, is not charged to indirect costs but is paid for entirely with private funds. PMID- 17782189 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17782190 TI - SSC: The Japan That Can Say No. PMID- 17782191 TI - Bug detectives crack the tough cases. PMID- 17782192 TI - A cold fusion deja vu at caltech. PMID- 17782193 TI - Name your planet--enter now! PMID- 17782194 TI - Brains: is bigger better? PMID- 17782195 TI - Academy refund to government. PMID- 17782196 TI - Radioactive waste plan stalled. PMID- 17782197 TI - Feminizing medicine. PMID- 17782198 TI - Musical chairs. PMID- 17782200 TI - New lease for landsat. PMID- 17782199 TI - Micro winners. PMID- 17782201 TI - Academy honors abelson. PMID- 17782202 TI - Reading history from a single grain of rock. PMID- 17782203 TI - Grains of truth in a tibetan controversy? PMID- 17782204 TI - Solar neutrinos: still missing. PMID- 17782205 TI - A frontal attack on a paradigm of meteorology. PMID- 17782206 TI - Now all astronomers need is the maple syrup. PMID- 17782208 TI - Beating a fractal drum. PMID- 17782207 TI - Soviet slide. PMID- 17782209 TI - Catastrophes and conservation: lessons from sea otters and the exxon valdez. PMID- 17782210 TI - Perceived risk, trust, and the politics of nuclear waste. AB - The Department of Energy's program for disposing of high-level radioactive wastes has been impeded by overwhelming political opposition fueled by public perceptions of risk. Analysis of these perceptions shows them to be deeply rooted in images of fear and dread that have been present since the discovery of radioactivity. The development and use of nuclear weapons linked these images to reality and the mishandling of radioactive wastes from the nation's military weapons facilities has contributed toward creating a profound state of distrust that cannot be erased quickly or easily. Postponing the permanent repository and employing dry-cask storage of wastes on site would provide the time necessary for difficult social and political issues to be resolved. PMID- 17782211 TI - Morphology and local structure in labyrinthine stripe domain phase. AB - Analysis of globally disordered, nonequilibrium "labyrinthine" stripe-domain patterns in thin ferrimagnetic garnet films has revealed a well-defined local structure containing an oblong polygonal plaquette as the fundamental motif. Two types of labyrinths were found: one having topological defects, the other composed of a single, unbranched, meandering line. These patterns emerge when the labyrinthine state is approached either by heating at constant magnetic field or by demagnetizing from saturation at constant temperature. Size and aspect ratios of the oblong polygonal plaquettes prove to be independent of the choice of these two mutually orthogonal trajectories within the phase diagram, which is surprising in view of the different mechanisms and concomitant topological constraints governing the evolution of disorder. The significance of this unique local structure is discussed in the general context of defectmediated melting of two-dimensional stripe phases. PMID- 17782212 TI - Tunneling Spectroscopy of M3C60 Superconductors: The Energy Gap, Strong Coupling, and Superconductivity. AB - Tunneling spectroscopy has been used to characterize the magnitude and temperature dependence of the superconducting energy gap (triangle up) for K(3)C(60) and Rb(3)C(60). At low temperature the reduced energy gap, 2triangle upkappaT(c) (where T(c) is the transition temperature) has a value of 5.3 +/- 0.2 and 5.2 +/- 0.3 for K(3)C(60) and Rb(3)C(60), respectively. The magnitude of the reduced gap for these materials is significantly larger than the value of 3.53 predicted by Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. Hence, these results show that the pair-coupling interaction is strong in the M(3)C(60) superconductors. In addition, measurements of triangle up(T) for both K(3)C(60) and Rb(3)C(60) exhibit a similar mean-field temperature dependence. The characterization of triangle up and triangle up(T) for K(3)C(60) and Rb(3)C(60) provides essential constraints for theories evolving to describe superconductivity in the M(3)C(60) materials. PMID- 17782213 TI - Eighth millennium pottery from a prehistoric shell midden in the brazilian Amazon. AB - The earliest pottery yet found in the Western Hemisphere has been excavated from a prehistoric shell midden near Santarem in the lower Amazon, Brazil. Calibrated accelerator radiocarbon dates on charcoal, shell, and pottery and a thermoluminescence date on pottery from the site fall from about 8000 to 7000 years before the present. The early fishing village is part of a long prehistoric trajectory that contradicts theories that resource poverty limited cultural evolution in the tropics. PMID- 17782214 TI - Raman Studies of Alkali-Metal Doped AxC60 Films (A = Na, K, Rb, and Cs; x = 0, 3, and 6). AB - The room temperature Raman spectra of the intramolecular modes between 100 cm(-1) and 2000 cm(-1) are reported for alkali-metal doped AxC(60) films. For A = K, Rb, and Cs, phase separation is observed with the spectra of C(60), K(3)C(60), K(6)C(60), Rb(3)C(60), Rb(6)C(60), and Cs(6)C(60) phases reported. The x = 3 phases show only three Raman active modes: two of Ag symmetry and only the lowest frequency Hg mode. The other Hg modes regain intensity in the x = 6 films, with several mode splittings observed. For A = Na, such phase separation is not clearly observed, and reduced mode shifts are interpreted as due to incomplete charge transfer in these films. PMID- 17782215 TI - Science and tort law. PMID- 17782216 TI - The new genetics. PMID- 17782217 TI - Vignettes: the textbook scene. PMID- 17782219 TI - Radioactive waste plan stalled. PMID- 17782218 TI - Basin formation. PMID- 17782220 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17782221 TI - Materials science. PMID- 17782222 TI - Textbook controversy. PMID- 17782223 TI - Textbook controversy. PMID- 17782225 TI - Homelessness. PMID- 17782224 TI - Homelessness. PMID- 17782226 TI - Response: homelessness. PMID- 17782228 TI - Erratum. AB - In Mark Crawford's News & Comment article, "Reagan okays the Supercollider," (6 Feb., p. 625), Alvin W. Trivelpiece was incorrectly identified as director of basic research at the Department of Energy. Trivelpiece actually serves as the director of the Office of Energy Research. PMID- 17782227 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Females' choice of ;good genotypes' as mates is promoted by an insect mating system" (12 Sept., p. 1187), W. B. Watt et al. do not evaluate the fitness of the progeny of Colias butterflies, as suggested in This Week in Science (12 Sept., p. 1131). PMID- 17782229 TI - The Dark Side of SDI: Technologies being developed as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative will be inherently capable of offensive uses, claim speakers at the AAAS annual meeting. PMID- 17782231 TI - Nuclear tests defended. PMID- 17782230 TI - Expanding deserts, shrinking resources. PMID- 17782232 TI - AIDS stresses health care in san francisco. PMID- 17782233 TI - "We're Killing Our World". PMID- 17782234 TI - Space Station Cost Estimates Double: A more complete accounting suggests a cost of some $16 billion; even supporters wonder if it is time to think again. PMID- 17782235 TI - Pilot Program Cuts Red Tape for Federal Grants: "Do science project" in Florida aims to reduce role of federal agencies in managing details of research they fund; broader application is possible. PMID- 17782236 TI - Broader public role sought in biotechnology. PMID- 17782237 TI - "Competitiveness" bill goes to congress. PMID- 17782238 TI - NSF to Formulate 5-Year Plan, Budget. PMID- 17782239 TI - Release of soviet dissidents continues. PMID- 17782241 TI - DOD to Reassess Bioweapons' Risks. PMID- 17782240 TI - Academy to drop issues quarterly. PMID- 17782242 TI - Freed hands or enslaved feet? PMID- 17782244 TI - Milankovitch Climate Cycles Through the Ages: Earth's orbital variations that bring on ice ages have been modulating climate for hundreds of millions of years. PMID- 17782243 TI - Glimpses of Solar Systems in the Making: New observations at both visible and radio wavelengths are allowing theorists to test their ideas of how planetary systems come to be. PMID- 17782245 TI - Disordered materials: a survey of amorphous solids. AB - A brief historical perspective and a review of the current research on amorphous or glassy materials are presented. Glass formation by natural processes and by laboratory synthesis techniques is described. Recent efforts to characterize and model the atomic scale structure of amorphous phases are surveyed. The relation between amorphous and liquid states is emphasized in a discussion of thermodynamics and kinetics. The topic of crystal-to-glass transformation in the solid state and the related issue of crystal stability and melting are discussed. PMID- 17782246 TI - 1987 AAAS--Philip Hauge Abelson Prize. PMID- 17782247 TI - Optical materials. AB - Optical technologies are becoming increasingly important in areas that were traditionally the domain of electronics. This trend is likely to continue into the foreseeable future with optics and electronics being integral, mutually compatible components of systems for consumer markets, industry, and defense. The basis of this progress is the development of materials that have the required purity, physical properties, and optical quality; glass fibers for optical transmission, semiconductors for lasers and detectors, and nonlinear materials for optical switching are examples. In this article, some of the materials of choice for a variety of applications are described and the frontiers of materials research for new areas of opportunity are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on optical materials for the transmission and processing of information. PMID- 17782248 TI - The art and science of microstructural control. AB - A historical perspective on the development of physical metallurgy is presented. Two recent advances in the control of microstructure, rapid solidification and artificial multilayers, are discussed. Rapid solidification has produced metallic glasses and metastable crystalline systems, and has led to important technological and scientific discoveries. The synthesis of artificial multilayers by direct deposition represents the ultimate control of such microstructures. PMID- 17782249 TI - Artificially structured thin-film materials and interfaces. AB - The ability to artificially structure new materials on an atomic scale by using advanced crystal growth methods such as molecular beam epitaxy and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition has recently led to the observation of unexpected new physical phenomena and to the creation of entirely new classes of devices. In particular, the growth of materials of variable band gap in technologically important semiconductors such as GaAs, InP, and silicon will be reviewed. Recent results of studies of multilayered structures and interfaces based on the use of advanced characterization techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy will be presented. PMID- 17782250 TI - Electronic theory for materials science. AB - Some of the important ingredients used in theoretical investigations of the electronic properties of materials are delineated by means of examples. The importance of examining the physical behavior of related materials is emphasized as a means of establishing the credibility of theoretical explanations. Since the ability to deal realistically with complex technologically important materials is limited by analytic and computational capabilities, theories for materials science must aim at the development of comprehensive and predictive models based on physically motivated approximations. The emergence of such models and their ability to describe a broad range of properties foreshadows an increasingly important role of theoretical analysis in the future development of the field. PMID- 17782251 TI - Functional box-counting and multiple elliptical dimensions in rain. AB - Many physical systems that have interacting structures that span wide ranges in size involve substantial scale invariant (or scaling) subranges. In these regimes, the large and small scales are related by an operation that involves only the scale ratio. The system has no intrinsic characteristic size. In the atmosphere gravity causes differential stratification, so that the scale change involves new elliptical dimensions (d(el)). Fields that are extremely variable, such as rain, involve multiple scaling and dimensions that characterize the increasingly intense regions. Elliptical dimensional sampling and functional box counting have been used to analyze radar rain data to obtain both the multiple dimensions of the rain field and the estimate d(el) = 2.22 +/- 0.07. PMID- 17782252 TI - Foam Structures with a Negative Poisson's Ratio. AB - A novel foam structure is presented, which exhibits a negative Poisson's ratio. Such a material expands laterally when stretched, in contrast to ordinary materials. PMID- 17782253 TI - Solution of a protein crystal structure with a model obtained from NMR interproton distance restraints. AB - Model calculations were performed to test the possibility of solving crystal structures of proteins by Patterson search techniques with three-dimensional structures obtained from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) interproton distance restraints. Structures for crambin obtained from simulated NMR data were used as the test system; the root-mean-square deviations of the NMR structures from the x ray structure were 1.5 to 2.2 A for backbone atoms and 2.0 to 2.8 A for side chain atoms. Patterson searches were made to determine the orientation and position of the NMR structures in the unit cell. The correct solution was obtained by comparing the rotation function results of several of the NMR structures and the average structure derived from them. Conventional refinement techniques reduced the R factor from 0.43 at 4 A resolution to 0.27 at 2 A resolution without inclusion of water molecules. The partially refined structure has root-mean-square backbone and side-chain atom deviations from the x-ray structure of 0.5 and 1.3 A, respectively. PMID- 17782254 TI - Apogeotropic roots in an Amazon rain forest. AB - Roots of some tropical trees grow vertically upward on the stems of neighboring trees. Apogeotropic roots occur in 12 species across five families. These roots, originating as fine roots in the mineral soil, grow upward as fast as 5.6 centimeters in 72 hours. Apogeotropic root growth may be an adaptation to extremely low soil nutrient availability in Amazon forests. In these forests upward-growing roots obtain nutrients via the predictable pathway of precipitation that flows down along the stem. Apogeotropic roots form a nutrient cycling pathway in which nutrients are absorbed and transported directly from plant to plant, without entering the soil solution. PMID- 17782255 TI - R&D Policies, Budgets, and Economic Competitiveness: Twelfth Annual AAAS Colloquium on R&D Policy. PMID- 17782257 TI - Anorogenic granite complexes: ring complex granites and anorogenic magmatism. PMID- 17782256 TI - Verifying arms control agreements: arms control verification. PMID- 17782258 TI - Particle detectors: introduction to experimental particle physics. PMID- 17782259 TI - Women Scientists: Hypatia's Heritage. PMID- 17782260 TI - Personal bibliographic databases. PMID- 17782261 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17782264 TI - THE INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS OF FIELD EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT PHOSPHATES. PMID- 17782263 TI - THE PECK TESTIMONIAL EXHIBIT OF MUSHROOM MODELS. PMID- 17782262 TI - LIEBIG'S LAW OF THE MINIMUM IN RELATION TO GENERAL BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. PMID- 17782266 TI - THE EQUAL PARALLAX CURVE FOR FRONTAL AND LATERAL VISION. PMID- 17782265 TI - A METHOD FOR OBTAINING AMOEligBA. PMID- 17782267 TI - CROSSING-OVER IN THE SEX CHROMOSOME OF THE MALE FOWL. PMID- 17782268 TI - A PREDECESSOR OF PRIESTLEY. PMID- 17782270 TI - THE STANSIPHON. PMID- 17782269 TI - THE EFFECTS OF THYROID REMOVAL UPON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GONADS IN THE LARVAe OF RANA PIPIENS. PMID- 17782272 TI - GENERAL PROBLEMS AND TENDENCIES IN CANCER RESEARCH. PMID- 17782271 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17782273 TI - THE UNITED STATES FISHERIES BIOLOGICAL STATION AT BEAUFORT, N. C., DURING 1914 AND 1915. PMID- 17782275 TI - PRESENTATION OF A PORTRAIT OF J. PETER LESLEY. PMID- 17782274 TI - ALVIN DAVISON. PMID- 17782276 TI - THE FUNDAMENTAL EQUATION OF MECHANICS. PMID- 17782278 TI - POLARIZATION OF GLOBIGERINA. PMID- 17782277 TI - THE TEACHING OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782279 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIUM BULGARICUS GROUP IN ENSILAGE. PMID- 17782280 TI - THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17782281 TI - THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. II. PMID- 17782282 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17782283 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17782284 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17782285 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17782287 TI - Competence in the Universities. PMID- 17782286 TI - Antiunion. PMID- 17782288 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17782289 TI - Future Administrators. PMID- 17782290 TI - Transpiration and the Stomata of Leaves. PMID- 17782291 TI - The Schools Lectures at the Royal Institution. PMID- 17782292 TI - Vertical Density Currents. PMID- 17782293 TI - Foreign Affairs Research: Review Process Rises on Ruins of Camelot. PMID- 17782294 TI - International Cooperation: LBJ Gets Conference Proposals. PMID- 17782295 TI - Blackett Chosen President of Royal Society. PMID- 17782296 TI - Atmosphere of Mars. AB - The Martian ionospheric observations made by Mariner IV are interpreted in terms of an atmospheric model. The ion peak is identified as an F2 peak, that is, as a maximum whose profile is controlled by ambipolar diffusion. The principal features of the resulting atmospheric model are that the atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide, the temperature is very low, and there is no thermosphere. Surface temperature is 210 degrees K. The tropopause occurs at an altitude of 14 kilometers and has a temperature of 140 degrees K. Above the tropopause, the temperature decreases with altitude at the rate of 0.64 degrees C km(-1), following the solid carbon dioxide vapor-pressure curve up to 100 km, where the temperature is 85 degrees K; at higher altitudes the temperature is isothermal. PMID- 17782297 TI - Electron Density and Electronic Properties in Noble-Metal Transition Elements. AB - It is shown empirically that the superconducting transition temperature as well as the magnetic susceptibility and the electronic specific heat of noble-metal transition elements and alloys can be described reasonably well as universal functions of the valence electron density, that is, the number of valence electrons per cubic centimeter. PMID- 17782298 TI - Dendroctonus pseudotsugae: A Hypothesis Regarding Its Primary Attractant. AB - The Douglas-fir beetle is attracted to alpha-pinene but repelled by beta-pinene. Attacks on standing trees are related to the content of alpha- or beta-pinene in the tree; this correlation suggests that volatile oils may be the stimuli initially attracting the insect to the Douglas fir. PMID- 17782299 TI - Second Mutant Gene Affecting the Amino Acid Pattern of Maize Endosperm Proteins. AB - The mutant floury-2 results in the production of maize endosperm proteins with an altered amino acid pattern. The lysine concentration is high, eapproximately equal to that in mutant opaque-2, and the methionine concentration is higher than in any other stock tested. Other mutants of similar phenotype!, opaque-1, floury 1, and soft-starch do not cause major changes in amino acid Pattern. PMID- 17782300 TI - Pogonophora: Living Species Found off the Coast of Florida. AB - A population of pogonophorans, consisting of species attributable to at least four genera and living at a depth of about 200 meters in an accessible locality off south Florida, has been discovered. PMID- 17782301 TI - Carbon-14 and Tritium Dating. PMID- 17782303 TI - HEALTH OF NEW YORK DURING APRIL. PMID- 17782302 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17782305 TI - SYMPATHETIC VIBRATIONS OF JETS. PMID- 17782304 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17782306 TI - BOSTON LETTER. PMID- 17782307 TI - Scent-organs in some bombycid moths. PMID- 17782308 TI - A national zoological garden. PMID- 17782309 TI - Double vision. PMID- 17782310 TI - Muscles of the hind-limb of Cheiromeles torquatus. PMID- 17782311 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT FAIRPORT, IOWA, AS AN AGENCY FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. PMID- 17782312 TI - BRYOZOA AS FOOD FOR OTHER ANIMALS. PMID- 17782313 TI - COPPER IN ANIMALS AND PLANTS. PMID- 17782314 TI - EXTRAMUNDANE LIFE. PMID- 17782315 TI - ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION FOR THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17782317 TI - AN EYELESS DAPHNID, WITH REMARKS ON THE POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF EYELESS CAVE ANIMALS. PMID- 17782316 TI - NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF GAMMERUS LIMNAEUS SMITH IN A SALINE HABITAT. PMID- 17782318 TI - THE EASTER MEETING OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY AT CHICAGO. PMID- 17782320 TI - THE BALTIMORE MEETING. PMID- 17782319 TI - PACIFIC DIVISION. PMID- 17782321 TI - SCIENCE TEACHING AS A CAREER. PMID- 17782322 TI - RECENT RESEARCHES ON THE DETERMINATION AND HEREDITY OF SEX. PMID- 17782323 TI - PROFESSOR ALFRED GIARD (1846-1908). PMID- 17782325 TI - THE NEW YORK SERIES. PMID- 17782324 TI - LIGHTS ATTRACTING INSECTS. PMID- 17782326 TI - EDUCATION AND THE TRADES. PMID- 17782327 TI - NOTES ON RECENT GENERAL PAPERS. PMID- 17782328 TI - NOTE ON SOME NEW JERSEY FISHES. PMID- 17782330 TI - DR. CASTLE AND THE DZIERZON THEORY. PMID- 17782329 TI - THE TRAINING OF TECHNICAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17782331 TI - RIGHT-EYEDNESS AND LEFT-EYEDNESS. PMID- 17782333 TI - STUDENTS AT GERMAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17782332 TI - VEGETABLE BALLS. PMID- 17782334 TI - RESOLUTIONS OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON IN MEMORY OF E. E. EWELL AND E. A. DE SCHWEINITZ. PMID- 17782335 TI - DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH IN TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM OF THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. PMID- 17782336 TI - SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION AND PROGRESS. PMID- 17782338 TI - VITALISM AND MECHANISM IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE. PMID- 17782337 TI - THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BOTANY. PMID- 17782339 TI - THE ANIMAL PARASITE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CAUSE OF YELLOW FEVER. PMID- 17782340 TI - THE NEW COSMICAL METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17782341 TI - HORTICULTURAL VARIETIES OF COMMON CROPS. PMID- 17782342 TI - FIELD EXPEDITIONS DURING THE PAST SEASON. PMID- 17782343 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17782344 TI - THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. PMID- 17782345 TI - REMINISCENCES OF THE WOODS HOLE LABORATORY OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES, 1882-89. PMID- 17782346 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING CONGRESS. PMID- 17782347 TI - EDITH JANE CLAYPOLE. PMID- 17782348 TI - BALANCED SOLUTIONS AND NUTRITIVE SOLUTIONS. PMID- 17782349 TI - THE TYPICAL CASE EXEMPLIFIED. PMID- 17782350 TI - A TYPICAL CASE. PMID- 17782351 TI - SPECIAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17782352 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782353 TI - RECENT ADVANCES IN THE TEACHING OF PHYSICS. PMID- 17782355 TI - THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY. PMID- 17782354 TI - THE SCIENCE OF SMOKE PREVENTION. PMID- 17782356 TI - BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE WATERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BY THE MARINE LABORATORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SAN DIEGO. PMID- 17782358 TI - THE NECESSITY FOR REFORM IN THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE FUNGI. PMID- 17782357 TI - INSTABILITY OF THE WATER SUPPLY OF THE RIO GRANDE. PMID- 17782359 TI - ENERGETICS AND MECHANICS. PMID- 17782361 TI - BOTANICAL WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES. PMID- 17782360 TI - A QUARTERLY ISSUE OF THE 'SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS.'. PMID- 17782362 TI - Japanese conception of nature. PMID- 17782363 TI - Disruptions at AAAS Meetings. PMID- 17782364 TI - Laser isotope separation. PMID- 17782365 TI - Letters to the editor 1. PMID- 17782366 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17782367 TI - Letters to the editor 2. PMID- 17782369 TI - Maintaining a pluralistic society. PMID- 17782368 TI - Oncogene theory. PMID- 17782370 TI - Natural marine oil seepage. AB - The probable range of seepage into the marine environment is 0.2 x 10(6) to 6.0 x 10(6) metric tons per year. Within this range the best estimate for the present marine seepage worldwide is on the order of 0.6 x 10(6) metric tons per year. This estimate is based on the presumption that only a few other areas around the world are as seepage-prone as southern California. Measurements of seeps and seepage rates are too few to allow an accurate estimation by observation and measurement techniques alone. Seepage potential can, however, be related to geologic criteria, and these provide sound bases for marine seepage assessment. On the basis of this estimate, areas of high seepage potential contribute about 45 percent of the worldwide seepage, areas of moderate seepage about 55 percent, and areas of low seepage less than 1 percent. The situation varies somewhat from ocean to ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, areas of high seep potential are by far the major contributors. In the Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern oceans, areas of moderate seep potential are most significant because areas of high seep potential are relatively rare in these realnis. The circum-Pacific area is the area of greatest seepage; it contributes about 40 percent of the world's total. PMID- 17782371 TI - Britain: a touch of austerity for research and universities. PMID- 17782372 TI - Low Marks for AEC's Breeder Reactor Study. PMID- 17782373 TI - Science and Crime: Engineers Claim a Rosy Outlook, but Police Aren't Sure. PMID- 17782375 TI - Drug Abuse Man to Head ADAMHA. PMID- 17782374 TI - American tentative society has money, needs ideas. PMID- 17782376 TI - Airlines: half-empty planes keep profits low, waste fuel. PMID- 17782377 TI - Energy Storage (II): Developing Advanced Technologies. PMID- 17782378 TI - The finite element method: a mathematical revival. PMID- 17782379 TI - Continental pleistocene climatic variations from speleothem age and isotopic data. AB - Speleothems from continental North American caves have been dated by means of the (230)Th/(234)U method. Oxygen isotopic variations in the dated samples and phases of speleothem deposition can be interpreted in terms of climatic change. A glacial chronology constructed from the age and isotopic data lends support to the astronomical theory of climatic change. PMID- 17782380 TI - Elemental mercury evolution mediated by humic Acid. AB - Elemental mercury is formed in aqueous solution by the chemical reduction of mercuric ion in the presence of humic acid. The reduction proceeds via first order kinetics (rate constant, 0.009 hour-(1)) and is depndent on pH. The reaction mechanism involves interaction of the ionic metal species with the free radical electrons of the humic acid. PMID- 17782381 TI - Eutrophication and recovery in experimental lakes: implications for lake management. AB - Combinations of phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon were added to several small lakes in northwestern Ontario, Canada, at rates similar to those in many culturally eutrophied lakes. Phosphate and nitrate caused rapid eutrophication. A similar result was obtained with phosphate, ammonia, and sucrose, but recovery was almost immediate when phosphate additions only were discontinued. When two basins of one lake were fertilized with equal amounts of nitrate and sucrose, and phosphorus was also added to one of the basins, the phosphateenriched basin quickly became highly eutrophic, while the basin receiving only nitrogen and carbon remained at prefertilization conditions. These results, and the high affinity of sediments for phosphorus indicate that rapid abatement of eutrophication may be expected to follow phosphorus control measures. PMID- 17782382 TI - Opaline sediments of the southeastern coastal plain and horizon a: biogenic origin. AB - Scanning electron microscope techniques show that Eocene opaline claystones (fuller's earth and buhrstone) of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, deposits long considered volcanic in origin, are actually highly altered diatomites formed as transgressive facies in normal marine continental shelf environmnents. These findings are in agreement with a biogenic origin for time-equivalent horizon A and A deep-sea cherts of the North Atlantic and Caribbean. PMID- 17782383 TI - Jovian Atmosphere: Structure and Composition between the Turbopause and the Mesopause. AB - The occultation of the star Beta Scorpii by Jupiter was observed at high time resolution in three wavelength channels. The results imply a temperature of 220 degrees K at an altitude in the Jovian atmosphere corresponding to 10(14) molecules per cubic centimeter, and temperature fluctuations of 2 degrees to 10 degrees K over vertical scales of 2 to 10 kilometers. They suggest that the vertical eddy diffusion coefficient near the turbopause has a lower limit of 7 x 10(5)K square centimeters per second, and that the turbopause lies above the altitude where the density is 5 x 10(13) molecules per cubic centimeter. Below the turbopause, the ratio of hydrogen to helium is consistent with cosmic abundances. PMID- 17782385 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17782384 TI - Holocene stratigraphy and archeology in the middle missouri river trench, South dakota. AB - Shoreline erosion along man-made lakes in North Dakota and South Dakota has led to the discovery of stratified preceramic cultural remains in an area where previously few such materials have been found. One important exposure, the Walth Bay site, contains a 7000-year sequence of alluvial and eolian deposition capping an abandoned Missouri River terrace. Three distinct soil profiles are associated with successive Late Paleo-Indian, Plains Archaic, and Plains Village Tradition occupations. PMID- 17782386 TI - THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND THE NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17782388 TI - MALAY AND FILIPINO BASKETRY. PMID- 17782387 TI - THE 'ELIMINATION' AND 'FIRST SPECIES' METHODS OF FIXING THE TYPES OF GENERA. PMID- 17782389 TI - EARLY TYPES OF MAN IN IOWA. PMID- 17782391 TI - MISREPRESENTATIONS OF NATURE IN POPULAR MAGAZINES. PMID- 17782390 TI - SPECIAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE GASTEROPODA OF THE UNITED STATES--LEIDY. A CORRECTION. PMID- 17782392 TI - NOTICE OF A NEW MIOCENE RHINOCEROS, DICERATHERIUM ARIKARENSE. PMID- 17782394 TI - THE RIGIDITY OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17782393 TI - THE LIGHTNING-ROD COINCIDENT WITH FRANKLIN'S KITE EXPERIMENT. PMID- 17782395 TI - QUOTATIONS. PMID- 17782396 TI - THE TERM 'COLLUVIAL' AS APPLIED TO CLAY DEPOSITS. PMID- 17782397 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17782398 TI - PALEONTOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17782399 TI - The origin of maize. PMID- 17782400 TI - Learning in the womb. PMID- 17782401 TI - Human rights in central america. PMID- 17782403 TI - In reply: the origin of maize. PMID- 17782402 TI - U.s.-Polish exchanges. PMID- 17782404 TI - The origin of maize. PMID- 17782406 TI - Isolable compounds containing a silicon-silicon double bond. AB - After 70 years of unsuccessful attempts, several stable disilene-compounds with double bonds between silicon atoms-have now been made. The silicon-silicon double bond resembles in many ways the well-known carbon-carbon double bond of organic chemistry. However, striking dissimilarities are also found between disilenes and alkenes in both their structures and chemical reactions. PMID- 17782405 TI - Hemispheric cooperation in science. PMID- 17782407 TI - Five firms with the right stuff. PMID- 17782409 TI - OSTP Seeks Advice on Export Controls. PMID- 17782408 TI - Viruses across the sea. PMID- 17782410 TI - France Puts Diderot in the Limelight: The bicentenary of the philosopher's death is being used to stimulate a new interest in science and technology. PMID- 17782411 TI - Magnetic "Jerk" Gaining Wider Acceptance: Something seems to have happened within the earth's core that jerked the magnetic field in 1969 during its slow drift across the globe. PMID- 17782412 TI - The Intelligence of Organizations: Humans work in organizations, and increasingly, so do computers; are there lessons to be learned? PMID- 17782413 TI - High Spatial Resolution Ion Microprobe: With focused scanning ion beams, researchers can now make elemental maps with 400-angstrom resolution by secondary ion mass spectrometry. PMID- 17782414 TI - A botanical explorer: frank N. Meyer. PMID- 17782416 TI - Biogeochemistry: microbial geochemistry. PMID- 17782415 TI - Fleming as bacteriologist: alexander fleming. PMID- 17782417 TI - Theoretical seismology: seismic wave propagation in stratified media. PMID- 17782418 TI - Oxygen metabolism: the biology and chemistry of active oxygen. PMID- 17782419 TI - Hail detection with a differential reflectivity radar. AB - A major objective in the remote sensing of convective storms by radar is the clear and reliable differentiation between regions of hail and regions of rainfall. This report describes the application of the differential reflectivity (Z(DR)) radar technique to the problem of hail detection. The procedure is based on the markedly different polarization-dependent backscatter characteristics of rain and hail. Field experiments conducted in Colorado during the spring of 1983 provide significant evidence of hail detection with this new radar technique. PMID- 17782420 TI - Large yearly production of phytoplankton in the Western bering strait. AB - Production in the western Bering Strait is estimated at 324 grams of carbon per square meter per year over 2.12x 10(4) square kilometers. An ice-reduced growing season makes this large amount of primary production unexpected, but it is consistent with the area's large upper trophic level stocks. The productivity is fueled by a cross-shelf flow of nutrient-rich water from the Bering Sea continental slope. This phytoplankton production system from June through September is analogous to a laboratory continuous culture. PMID- 17782421 TI - Side-scan sonar assessment of gray whale feeding in the bering sea. AB - Side-scan sonar was used to map and measure feeding pits of the California gray whale over 22,000 square kilometers of the northeastern Bering Sea floor. The distribution of pits, feeding whales, ampeliscid amphipods (whale prey), and a fine-sand substrate bearing the amphipods were all closely correlated. The central Chirikov Basin and nearshore areas of Saint Lawrence Island supply at least 6.5 percent of the total gray whale food resource in summer. While feeding, the whales resuspend at least 1.2 x 10(8) cubic meters of sediment annually; this significantly affects the geology and biology of the region. PMID- 17782422 TI - Magnetic cristobalite (?): a possible new magnetic phase produced by the thermal decomposition of nontronite. AB - Prolonged heat treatment (> 1 hour) of nontronite (an iron-rich smectite clay) at 900 degrees to 1000 degrees C produces a phase with some unusual magnetic properties. This new phase has a Curie temperature of 200 degrees to 220 degrees C, extremely high remanent coercivities in excess of 800 milliteslas, and a room temperature coercivity dependent on the magnitude of the applied field during previous thermomagnetic cycling from above 220 degrees C. X-ray and magnetic analyses suggest that an iron-substituted cristobalite could be responsible, in part, for these observations. Formation of this magnetic cristobalite, however, may require topotactic growth from a smectite precursor. PMID- 17782424 TI - Coal conversion processes. PMID- 17782423 TI - Remote acoustic imaging of the plume from a submarine spring in an arctic fjord. AB - Acoustic backscatter observations at 200 kilohertz were made of the buoyant plume from a submarine spring at a depth of 47 meters in Cambridge Fiord, Baffin Island. Vertical velocities of up to 37 centimeters per second are inferred from the ascent rates of discrete scattering structures in the plume. PMID- 17782425 TI - Genetic vulnerability. PMID- 17782427 TI - Biomass conversion technologies. PMID- 17782426 TI - The right westinghouse. PMID- 17782428 TI - Biomass conversion technologies. PMID- 17782429 TI - Centuary of joel h. Hildebrand. PMID- 17782431 TI - Broad Receives NASW Prize. PMID- 17782430 TI - Large-scale air-sea interactions and short-period climatic fluctuatioins. AB - Research during the last 15 years has shown that there is order in large-scale air-sea interactions, so that space scales of abnormalities of the lower atmosphere's circulation and the upper oceanic thermal structure are comparable. Because of this air-sea coupling, each oceanic or atmospheric pattern can be reasonably well specified by the other. Patterns of oceanic thermal anomalies are about an order of magnitude more persistent than those of atmospheric circulations, and empirical studies have had some success in using sea surface temperature patterns in long-range weather prediction. In addition to empirical studies, efforts continue in the development of numerical-dynamical models in order to understand the complex linkages of the large-scale air-sea system. PMID- 17782432 TI - Northern tier pipeline in trouble. PMID- 17782434 TI - Sex discrimination persists in academe. PMID- 17782433 TI - French science agency loses its head. PMID- 17782435 TI - Satellite for arabs causes a stir in senate. PMID- 17782436 TI - Impact looks real, the catastrophe smaller. PMID- 17782437 TI - The biology of parental care. PMID- 17782438 TI - Evolutionary change. PMID- 17782439 TI - Marine invertebrates. PMID- 17782440 TI - Microbial adhesion to surfaces. PMID- 17782441 TI - The solar-stellar connection. PMID- 17782442 TI - A regulatory protein. PMID- 17782443 TI - Measurements of the stratospheric plume from the mount st. Helens eruption: radioactivity and chemical composition. AB - Gas measurements made in the stratospheric plume from the eruption of Mount St. Helens on 18 May 1980 were not consistent with a reported large injection of radon-222 into the atmosphere. No enrichment in the volatile element polonium was found in filter samples, and the ratio of polonium-210 to lead-210 was not different from background values. Data obtained with an experimental impactor, flown shortly after the eruption, showed an increase of 10(3) in the stratospheric number concentration of submicrometer sulfate particles compared to concentrations before the eruption. PMID- 17782444 TI - Measurement of solar radius changes. AB - Photoelectric solar radius measurements since 1974 at Mount Wilson show no change in the solar radius, with a limit of abouit 0.1 arc second (1 standard deviation), over the interval. The limit is set by residual systematic effects. PMID- 17782445 TI - Growth rate of a vesicomyid clam from the galapagos spreading center. AB - The shell of a 19-centimeter-long vesicomyid clam, collected live at the Galapagos spreading center hydrothermal field, was sampled along growth lines and analyzed for members of the (238)U and (232)Th decay series. The growth rate, determined from the (210)Po/(210)Pb and (228)Th/(228)Ra couples, is about 4 centimeters per year along the axis of maximum growth, which is 12 centimeters long. This yields an age of 3 to 4 years for this clam. PMID- 17782446 TI - Growth of bivalves at deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the galapagos rift. AB - Direct measurements of shell growth of an unclassified mussel from active hydrothermal vents along the Galapagos Rift reveal growth rates of approxmately 1 centimeter per year for mature specimens. The largest mussel collected (with shell length of 18.4 centimeters) was estimated to be 19 +/- 7 years old at the time of sampling. Recorded growth rates are among the highest documented for deep sea species. PMID- 17782447 TI - Hanford-derived plutonium in columbia river sediments. AB - Mass spectrometry data on plutonium isolated from Columbia River sediments exhibit mean ratios of plutonium-240 to plutonium-242 consistent with those observed for integrated global fallout. Ratios of plutonium-240 to plutonium-239 show marked deviations from accepted fallout values, suggesting a second source of plutonium-239. This additional plutonium-239 arises from the decay of neptunium-239 produced in reactor effluent water from the old plutonium production reactors located on the Hanford Reservation. An estimated 20 to 25 percent of the total plutonium inventory in sediments behind McNary Reservoir, the first downriver site of fine sediment accumulation below the Hanford Reservation, is ascribed to reactor operations. PMID- 17782448 TI - Fossil molluscan larvae: a new biostratigraphic tool. AB - Fossil molluscan larvae are less facies dependent and have a wider geographic range than their adult counterparts. They are also easily recovered from cores and small samples. With proper documentation, the study of fossil larvae can considerably enhance the biostratigraphic potential of macrofossils. PMID- 17782450 TI - In reply: restricting immigrant labor. PMID- 17782449 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17782451 TI - Restricting immigrant labor. PMID- 17782452 TI - Instrumentation. PMID- 17782453 TI - Time-resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy. AB - Two recent instrumental improvements in high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy make possible the recording of complete surface vibrational spectra on the millisecond time scale. This is the first spectroscopic probe capable of directly measuring fundamental surface rate processes in real time with a resolution less than or equal to 1 millisecond. Such measurements are the key to understanding surface kinetics at the molecular level. This article summarizes experiments on the adsorption and decomposition of formic acid on Cu(100) to investigate the temperature and coverage dependence of the formate intermediate. Other results are cited that provide a detailed description of the decomposition of methanol on Ni(110). Also reported are direct measurements of the residence time of carbon monoxide on Cu(100) and the associated desorption kinetics. PMID- 17782454 TI - Laser resonance ionization mass spectrometry. AB - The analysis of inorganic atomic species is greatly facilitated by the coupling of lasers with mass spectrometers. A tunable dye laser, alone or in combination with a pump laser, ionizes atoms by resonant excitation processes; the ions are then analyzed in the mass spectrometer. The laser-mass spectrometer system promises to overcome traditional limits of sensitivity and selectivity and to have diverse applications in analytical chemistry. PMID- 17782455 TI - Electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy. AB - Precise information about the molecular structure, stereochemistry, and environment of paramagnetic species can be obtained by electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy. This technique has been applied in a wide range of disciplines to liquid-phase, single-crystal, and powder samples. In some cases the study of defects in ionic single crystals, for instance-the volume and complexity of data obtained by ENDOR can hinder interpretation. Such difficulties have been overcome by the use of supplemental ENDOR techniques that simplify the assignment of ENDOR lines. The increased use of computers for the automation of instrumentation, the design of experiments, and the analysis of data has made possible the study of a wider range of problems. With these improvements, as well as with the increased sensitivity provided by optically detected ENDOR, it is now feasible to study polycrystalline and amorphous materials, such as thin-film semiconductors and biological samples in vivo. PMID- 17782456 TI - Slow neutron scattering experiments. AB - Neutron scattering is a versatile technique that has been successfully applied to condensed-matter physics, biology, polymer science, chemistry, and materials science. The United States lost its leadership role in this field to Western Europe about 10 years ago. Recently, a modest investment in the United States in new facilities and a positive attitude on the part of the national laboratories toward outside users have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of U.S. scientists involved in neutron scattering research. Plans are being made for investments in new and improved facilities that could return the leadership role to the United States. PMID- 17782457 TI - Instrumentation in the next decade. AB - The progress of instrumentation and measurement science in the next decade will be marked by three major trends. First, as the average instrument achieves a rather considerable level of intelligence, "dumb" systems will become the exception, and we will eventually begin to become proficient in exploiting the resulting capabilities. Second, more sophisticated understanding of measurement science and of actual measurement needs will drive instrumentation design advances such as miniaturized sensors and yet more "hyphenated" instruments and "mapping" instruments. Third, the combination of sensor-based instrumentation and microminiaturization will make possible distributed measurement by allowing point of-use measurements by nonexperts. PMID- 17782458 TI - Static Budgets Undercut NBS's Competence: Hard times, pay freezes stymie pioneering work at bureau; House science committee eyes truce with Administration, program shifts. PMID- 17782460 TI - Plants can be patented now. PMID- 17782459 TI - Soviets Propose New Arms Agreement: Despite some defects, including tough constraints on lab research, a new Soviet arms control proposal might provide the basis for serious negotiations. PMID- 17782461 TI - France plans increased r&d spending. PMID- 17782462 TI - Atomic-Resolution TEM Images of Surfaces: The newest electron microscopes that crack the 2-angstrom barrier can resolve atom positions on metal and semiconductor surfaces. PMID- 17782463 TI - Developments at MIT: A Century of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, 1882-1982. PMID- 17782464 TI - Ontogeny of thought: intellectual development. PMID- 17782465 TI - Transplanted neurons: neural grafting in the Mammalian CNS. PMID- 17782466 TI - Plant mitochondria: higher plant cell respiration. PMID- 17782467 TI - Local influences on shear-flow turbulence in the equatorial ocean. AB - A 12-day series of 1749 profiles of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation above the equatorial undercurrent at 140 degrees west showed that, in the upper 110 meters of the ocean, the dissipation radically decreased during the solar heating period each day. Daily averages were linearly related to the local wind power. When integrated over the depth range of 10 to 110 meters, the dissipation was 10.6 ergs per square centimeter per second or 0.92 +/- 0.10 percent of the wind power, a proportion not substantially different from those found in mid-latitude surface mixed layers. These results suggest that much of the energy dissipated above the equatorial undercurrent may be extracted directly from the local wind. PMID- 17782469 TI - SCIENTIFIC TRAINING FOR DENTISTS. PMID- 17782468 TI - Influence of solar heating and precipitation scavenging on the simulated lifetime of post--nuclear war smoke. AB - The behavior of smoke injected into the atmosphere by massive fires that might follow a nuclear war was simulated. Studies with a three-dimensional global atmospheric circulation model showed that heating of the smoke by sunlight would be important and might produce several effects that would decrease the efficiency with which precipitation removes smoke from the atmosphere. The heating gives rise to vertical motions that carry smoke well above the original injection height. Heating of the smoke also causes the tropopause, which is initially above the smoke, to reform below the heated smoke layer. Smoke above the tropopause is physically isolated from precipitation below. Consequently, the atmospheric residence time of the remaining smoke is greatly increased over the prescribed residence times used in previous models of nuclear winter. PMID- 17782470 TI - THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON RATS. PMID- 17782471 TI - THE MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE. PMID- 17782472 TI - AVIATION WEATHER PROBLEMS. PMID- 17782473 TI - POTTERY FROM TLAXCALA. PMID- 17782474 TI - ANTI-FREEZE MIXTURES FOR AUTOMOBILES. PMID- 17782475 TI - ERWIN F. SMITH. PMID- 17782477 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17782476 TI - COLLEGE LIBRARIES AND CHEMICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17782478 TI - EXIT THE TENTAMEN, BUT . . PMID- 17782479 TI - PARASITIC COPEPODS. PMID- 17782480 TI - DO CATS SHARPEN THEIR CLAWS? PMID- 17782481 TI - NEW DUST TREATMENTS FOR OATS SMUTS. PMID- 17782482 TI - PREPARATIONS OF STAINED DECALCIFIED BONE WHICH RIVAL GROUND SECTIONS. PMID- 17782483 TI - SOME FIXATIVES FOR BOTH NUCLEI AND MITOCHONDRIA. PMID- 17782484 TI - THE MnII SPECTRUM EXCITED BY RARE GAS IONS. PMID- 17782486 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17782485 TI - FOG PRECIPITATED BY TREES. PMID- 17782488 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17782487 TI - ACTION CURRENTS FROM MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS DURING CONSCIOUS PROCESSES. PMID- 17782489 TI - OBSERVATIONS UPON THE FILTERABILITY OF BACTERIA, INCLUDING A FILTERABLE ORGANISM OBTAINED FROM CASES OF INFLUENZA. AB - 1. The isolation of a filter-passing diplococcus from the blood of certain cases of influenza by means of a special cultural medium is described. The experimental effects of this organism, while in the filterable state, upon rabbits, is discussed. 2. A procedure is formulated for inducing at will both a filterable and a non-filterable state in bacteria. Mention is made of a series of experiments in which both the filterable and the non-filterable state has thus been induced in a series of well-known bacteria comprising a variety of types. 3. It is postulated that a majority, if not all, known bacteria can and do exist in a filterable and in a non-filterable state. 4. A preliminary report of the isolation of microbes in the blood, not only of cases of influenza, but also from common cold, rheumatic fever, arthritis, from Staphylococcus bacteriophage and Besredka's Staphylococcus Antivirus is presented in evidence of the ubiquity of the procedure. 5. An explanation of the chemical basis for the existence of bacteria, both in the filterable and non-filterable states, in the animal and human body, and in culture, is proferred. 6. The relation of this chemical concept to microbic infection, and the state of microbes in the body during infection is discussed. In conclusion, it is a privilege as well as a pleasure to inscribe here my appreciation for the courteous cooperation of Dean Irving S. Cutter, Doctors Charles A. Elliott, Paul Starr, James G. Carr, Walter Nadler, Howard Alt and Herbert Barker, of the department of medicine, and to Northwestern University for the generous facilities and unrestricted opportunity for research which have contributed immeasurably to this investigation. PMID- 17782490 TI - ARREST OF GEOLOGIC, ARCHEOLOGIC AND PALEONTOLOGIC WORK IN CENTRAL ASIA. AB - The arrest of British, French, Swedish and American paleontologic and archeologic work in Central Asia constitutes a very serious setback to the cause of science and of civilization. The matter would not be so serious if there were any possibility or prospect of the present ability of the Chinese to carry out this work themselves. They have neither the scholarship nor the financial means of doing so beyond the confines of old China. The American Museum geologic, paleontologic and stratigraphic and topographic work in Mongolia and the great publications issuing therefrom have been possible only because the party was composed of a body of field experts such as has never been brought together before in the history of these branches of science, under a leader who has shown unprecedented ability to organize a series of expeditions into an absolutely unknown desert where all previous explorers had failed either to make discoveries or obtain substantial results. PMID- 17782491 TI - "THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF MICRO-ORGANISMS IN THE PRECIPITATION OF CALCIUM CARBONATE IN TROPICAL SEAS". PMID- 17782493 TI - INHERITED TASTE DEFICIENCY. PMID- 17782492 TI - REDUCTION OF OXYLUCIFERIN BY ATOMIC HYDROGEN. PMID- 17782494 TI - GETTING THE STUDENT TO USE HIS OWN INTELLECT. PMID- 17782495 TI - POSITIVE GAS PRESSURE IN POPLAR. PMID- 17782496 TI - RUTHENIUM TETROXIDE AS A FIXATIVE IN CYTOLOGY. PMID- 17782497 TI - ON ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17782498 TI - A METHOD FOR LOCATING THE LARVAE OF THE MOSQUITO MANSONIA. PMID- 17782499 TI - USE OF PROTOZOA IN MEASURING THE NEUTRALIZING VALUE OF COBRA ANTI-SERUM. PMID- 17782500 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17782502 TI - The electricity industry. PMID- 17782501 TI - The electricity industry. PMID- 17782503 TI - The electricity industry. PMID- 17782504 TI - To: universal science foundation planet utopia galaxy 7,073,216. PMID- 17782506 TI - Reagan Announces a New ASAT Test: The Administration claims that ASATs are needed to deter attacks and destroy key Soviet satellites, but many others disagree. PMID- 17782505 TI - Seismology of the sun. AB - Oscillations of the sun make it possible to probe the inside of a star. The frequencies of the oscillations have already provided measures of the sound speed and the rate of rotation throughout much of the solar interior. These quantities are important for understanding the dynamics of the magnetic cycle and have a bearing on testing general relativity by planetary precession. The oscillation frequencies yield a helium abundance that is consistent with cosmology, but they reinforce the severity of the neutrino problem. They should soon provide an important standard by which to calibrate the theory of stellar evolution. PMID- 17782507 TI - Bomb Scandal Highlights French Testing: The sinking of an environmentalist group's vessel has hardened attitudes both for and against France's weapons testing. PMID- 17782508 TI - U.s., Mexico pledge smelter controls. PMID- 17782509 TI - Academy's Fusion Study Causes a Stir. PMID- 17782510 TI - Biotechnology's Movie Debut Worries Industry. PMID- 17782511 TI - Ohio State's Telescope Granted 10-year Reprieve. PMID- 17782512 TI - British scientists urge supercomputer program. PMID- 17782513 TI - "Spy dust" irritates diplomats. PMID- 17782514 TI - Continental Drift Nearing Certain Detection: Geodesists are increasingly confident that they are directly measuring the drifting of continents near rates seen in the geologic record. PMID- 17782515 TI - An agenda for space physics. PMID- 17782516 TI - WIMP's, Cosmions, and Solar Neutrinos: The same mysterious particles that dominate the evolution of the universe may also lurk in the core of the sun. PMID- 17782517 TI - Fixing nitrogen without molybdenum? PMID- 17782519 TI - Professional ethics group reports on spring meeting. PMID- 17782518 TI - Gene rearrangements in a prokaryote. PMID- 17782520 TI - Summer fellows work on environmental issues and with mass media. PMID- 17782521 TI - Arid lands conference slated for october in tucson. PMID- 17782522 TI - AAAS Offers Desk Diary for 1986. PMID- 17782523 TI - Issues on arms control featured in new publications. PMID- 17782524 TI - Primate socioecology: reproductive decisions. PMID- 17782525 TI - Psychobiology: the neurobiology of motivation and reward. PMID- 17782526 TI - Issues in quantum physics: the creation of quantum mechanics and the bohr-pauli dialogue. PMID- 17782527 TI - Landform evolution: geomorphology. PMID- 17782528 TI - Rare earths: atmospheric signatures for oil-fired power plants and refineries. AB - The concentration pattern of rare earth elements on fine airborne particles (less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) is distorted from the crustal abundance pattern in areas influenced by emissions from oil-fired plants and refineries. For example, the ratio of lanthanum to samarium is often greater than 20 compared to a crustal ratio less than 6. The unusual pattern apparently results from the distribution of rare earths in zeolite catalysts used in refining oil. Oil industry emissions perturb the rare earth pattern even at remote locations such as the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. Rare earth ratios are probably better for long-range tracing of oil emissions than vanadium and nickel concentrations because the ratios of rare earths on fine particles are probably not influenced by deposition and other fractionating processes. Emissions from oil-fired plants can be differentiated from those of refineries on an urban scale by the much smaller amounts of vanadium in the latter. PMID- 17782529 TI - Crassulacean Acid Metabolism in the Strangler Clusia rosea Jacq. AB - Observations of malic acid fluctuation, leaf anatomy, and stable carbon isotopic composition showed that the epiphytic strangler Clusia rosea, growing on Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands, has crassulacean acid metabolism. This hemiepiphyte may be the only woody dicotyledonous tree species among the many thousands of flowering species in the 30 or more plant families that shows this type of metabolism. The finding has implications with respect to water balance during the process whereby Clusia rosea establishes itself as a tree, since crassulacean acid metabolism is a photosynthetic adaptation to water-stressed environments. PMID- 17782530 TI - A 1500-year record of tropical precipitation in ice cores from the quelccaya ice cap, peru. AB - Two ice cores, covering 1500 years of climatic information, from the summit (5670 meters) of the tropical Quelccaya ice cap, in the Andes of southern Peru, provide information on general environmental conditions including droughts, volcanic activity, moisture sources, temperature, and glacier net balance. The net balance record reconstructed from these cores reflects major precipitation trends for the southern Andes of Peru. These records indicate extended dry periods between 1720 and 1860, 1250 and 1310, and 570 and 610; wet conditions prevailed between 1500 and 1720. Establishing a tropical precipitation record may help explain climatic fluctuations since the tropical evaporation-precipitation cycle is a principal mechanism driving the atmospheric circulation. PMID- 17782531 TI - RHYTHMS AND GEOLOGIC TIME. PMID- 17782532 TI - THE EIGHTH GROUP OF THE PERIODIC SYSTEM AND SOME OF ITS PROBLEMS. PMID- 17782533 TI - THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. PMID- 17782534 TI - THE MISUSE OF TECENICAL TERMS. PMID- 17782535 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17782536 TI - THE STUDY OF ELECTRICAL PRESSURE. PMID- 17782537 TI - THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY. PMID- 17782539 TI - INSANITY VERSUS CIVILIZATION. PMID- 17782538 TI - THE FORTHCOMING MIEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17782540 TI - ACTION OF AN INTERMITTENT BEAM OF RADIANT HEAT UPON GASEOUS MATTER. PMID- 17782541 TI - SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES IN WASHINGTON, D. C. PMID- 17782542 TI - THE UNITY OF NATURE. PMID- 17782543 TI - ASTRONOMY: The lick Observatory. PMID- 17782544 TI - CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17782545 TI - CO-OPERATION IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17782546 TI - A FOURTH STATE OF MATTER. PMID- 17782547 TI - A DARWINIAN STUDY. PMID- 17782548 TI - NOTE BY THE DUKE OF ARGYLE. PMID- 17782549 TI - ON A NEW JELLY-FISH OF THE ORDER TRACHOMEDUSAe, LIVING IN FRESH WATER. PMID- 17782550 TI - EVOLUTION OF LOCOMOTIVES IN AMERICA. PMID- 17782551 TI - GENERAL NOTES. PMID- 17782552 TI - LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. PMID- 17782553 TI - THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN TAXIDERMISTS. PMID- 17782554 TI - Improving Scientific Communication. PMID- 17782555 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17782556 TI - Age of the Earth. PMID- 17782558 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17782557 TI - Effect of 2,4-D on Respiration and on Destruction of IAA in Oat and Sunflower Tissues. AB - In the issue of 29 Oct. 1954 the name of the third author of "Effect of 2,4-D on respiration and on destruction of IAA in oat and sunflower tissues," page 710, was incorrectly spelled. It should be Dawson C. Deese (not Desse). PMID- 17782561 TI - Estimation of Basicity with a Novel Thermochromic Indicator. PMID- 17782560 TI - Humidity Responsive Organics. PMID- 17782562 TI - Free Amino Groups of Human Serum Albumin. PMID- 17782563 TI - Reaction of Bromine Water with Alfalfa Saponins. PMID- 17782565 TI - Importance of Proteases as Factors Involved in the Exsheathing Mechanism of Infective Nematode Larvae of Sheep. PMID- 17782564 TI - Earthworm Breeding Farms. PMID- 17782566 TI - A Scattering Layer Observation. PMID- 17782567 TI - Modern Cosmology and the Fixed Stars. PMID- 17782568 TI - Pure Cultures of Fungi Produced by Ants. PMID- 17782569 TI - Relationship of Motive to Author and Statement. PMID- 17782571 TI - Note on the Dating of Terraces in the Lake Melville District, Labrador. PMID- 17782570 TI - Acclimatization? PMID- 17782572 TI - Mineral Nutrition and the Size of Local Lesions Induced by Tobacco Mosaic Virus. PMID- 17782573 TI - THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PREHISTORIC POPULATION OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. PMID- 17782574 TI - THE PRINCIPLE OF "DIVERSIFICATION" IN THE WILDLIFE FIELD. PMID- 17782575 TI - PROTOPLASMIC SPECIFICITY. PMID- 17782577 TI - THE AUDIBILITY OF ESPERANTO. PMID- 17782576 TI - THE PHILOSOPHY OF PHYSICS. PMID- 17782578 TI - ELECTRON MOTION IN A PLASMA. PMID- 17782579 TI - POTABLE WATER FROM THE SEA. PMID- 17782580 TI - BRAIN POTENTIALS IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS. PMID- 17782581 TI - THE EXTRACTION OF LABILE BACTERIAL ANTIGEN BY DISRUPTION OF THE BACTERIAL CELLS AT LOW TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17782582 TI - SUCCESSFUL TRANSPLANTATION OF A LEG IN ALBINO RATS WITH REESTABLISHMENT OF MUSCULAR CONTROL. PMID- 17782583 TI - PHYSIOLOGICAL APPARATUS. PMID- 17782584 TI - SODIUM ETHYL XANTHATE AS A PLANT POISON. PMID- 17782585 TI - JOHN DUER IRVING. PMID- 17782586 TI - RACE-APPRECIATION IN LATIN AMERICA. PMID- 17782587 TI - THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AND ITS ROLE IN HELPING TO WIN THE WAR. PMID- 17782589 TI - A COUNTRY WITHOUT A NAME. PMID- 17782588 TI - BARLEY BREAD, OPTIMUM REACTION AND SALT EFFECT. PMID- 17782590 TI - CONCERTED BEHAVIOR OF TERRESTRIAL MOLLUSKS. PMID- 17782592 TI - THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782593 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS THE CHICAGO MEETING. PMID- 17782591 TI - SPECIAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17782594 TI - THE MODERN SUBJECTION OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION TO PROPAGANDA. PMID- 17782595 TI - A SUMMER'S DREDGING ON THE COAST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17782596 TI - THE MEASUREMENT OF WIND AT SEA. PMID- 17782598 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17782597 TI - THE ANDREW CARNEGIE RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP. PMID- 17782599 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17782600 TI - THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. PMID- 17782601 TI - GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. PMID- 17782602 TI - PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN. PMID- 17782603 TI - HEIGHT IN FRANCE. PMID- 17782604 TI - THE EXTRACTION OF SUGAR FROM SORGHUM AND SUGAR-CANE. PMID- 17782605 TI - PROGRESS IN METALLURGY. PMID- 17782606 TI - RECENT CHALLENGER MONOGRAPHS. PMID- 17782607 TI - DROUGHT AND WEATHERCOCKS. PMID- 17782608 TI - RECENT ADVANCES IN DYNAMICS. PMID- 17782609 TI - SIR WILLIAM OSLER (1849-1919). PMID- 17782611 TI - THE INITIAL COURSE IN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17782610 TI - MUSICAL SANDS. PMID- 17782612 TI - MORE ON SINGING SANDS. PMID- 17782613 TI - THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND ITS OPPORTUNITY. PMID- 17782614 TI - THE CANADIAN BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17782615 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. VI. PMID- 17782617 TI - Use and Renewal of Natural Resources: Science and technology can create new materials faster than consumers can exhaust present resources. PMID- 17782616 TI - Oh Brave New Moon. PMID- 17782618 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17782620 TI - Creativity and Age. PMID- 17782619 TI - Effects of Amygdaloid Lesions upon Septal Hyperemotionality in the Rat. PMID- 17782623 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17782622 TI - Soviet Scientific Literature. PMID- 17782621 TI - Creativity and Age. PMID- 17782625 TI - Chemistry at High Temperatures: New molecules will be discovered and new theories required to explain events from 1000{degrees} to 1,000,000{degrees}K. PMID- 17782626 TI - Higher Education Bill: It Has Bipartisan Support, But There May Be a Lively Battle Anyway. PMID- 17782624 TI - A Minimal Program. PMID- 17782628 TI - Kennedy on Cholesterol: An Episode in Which the President Mixes Fats and Politics. PMID- 17782627 TI - Birth Control: Pakistan Receiving Direct Swedish Assistance. PMID- 17782629 TI - Fish Flour: FDA Says Consumers Would Not Like It, Therefore They May Not Have It. PMID- 17782630 TI - Aid to Education: House Group Cites Need for More Technicians, Research on Learning Process. PMID- 17782631 TI - Extraction of Distinctive Antigens from Neoplastic Tissue. AB - Antigens have been obtained from HeLa and J111 cells by treatment with fluorocarbon. Cross absorption studies revealed that the antigen from HeLa cells had no serologic relationship to normal human uterus. Antibody for HeLa extract coated red blood cells was found in 25 percent of the sera from patients with malignant diseases. PMID- 17782632 TI - Possible Transpacific Contact on the Coast of Ecuador. AB - The earliest pottery-producing culture on the coast of Ecuador, the Valdivia culture, shows many striking similarities in decoration and vessel shape to pottery of eastern Asia. In Japan, resemblances are closest to the Middle Jomon period. Both early Valdivia and Middle Jomon are dated between 2000 and 3000 B.C. A transpacific contact from Asia to Ecuador during this time is postulated. PMID- 17782633 TI - Simazine: Degradation by Corn Seedlings. AB - The herbicide 2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (simazine) is converted to 2-hydroxy-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (hydroxysimazine) in vivo by corn seedlings and in vitro by corn extracts. Hydroxysimazine is considered to be a detoxified form of the herbicide. In vitro conversion was produced by reacting simazine with either a cyclic hydroxamate (2,4-dihydroxy-3-keto-7-methoxy-1,4 benzoxazine) or its glucoside. The latter compounds may mediate at least some of the in vivo conversion in corn. PMID- 17782634 TI - Vertical Extension of Mid-Continent Leonardian Insect Occurrences. AB - Two new Permian insect-bearing beds are reported. To date, these are geologically the oldest and youngest found in the Wellington formation of Kansas and Oklahoma. Altogether, six such beds are now known. When these beds are stratigraphically placed in relative elevation above the marine Herington limestone, they are found to recur at intervals of approximately 100 feet. PMID- 17782635 TI - Research in Australia. PMID- 17782636 TI - Science and Engineering Manpower. PMID- 17782637 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17782638 TI - BEVERAGES. PMID- 17782639 TI - THE STANDARD OF LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17782640 TI - Denicotinizing Tobacco Smoke. PMID- 17782641 TI - Is Fair Hair becoming Extinct? PMID- 17782642 TI - A New Butter Substitute. PMID- 17782643 TI - Source of the Rocky Mountain Precipitation. PMID- 17782645 TI - Professor A. Graham Bell's Studies of the Deaf. PMID- 17782644 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17782646 TI - Temperature in Storms and High Areas. PMID- 17782647 TI - Treatment of Snake-Bites. PMID- 17782648 TI - The High-School Science Teacher. PMID- 17782649 TI - Wendell M. Latimer, Chemist. PMID- 17782650 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17782651 TI - Geomorphic Evidences of Recent Climatic Fluctuation in the Peruvian Coastal Desert. PMID- 17782654 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17782652 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17782655 TI - PUEBLO ENVIRONMENT. PMID- 17782656 TI - NATHANIEL SOUTHGATE SHALER. PMID- 17782657 TI - Dr. J. Frick's Physical Technique. PMID- 17782658 TI - A PLEA TO MAKE THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUITION A NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17782660 TI - QUOTATIONS. PMID- 17782659 TI - A MACHINE FOR COMPOUNDING SINE CURVES. PMID- 17782662 TI - FLUID LENSES. PMID- 17782661 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17782663 TI - THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17782664 TI - THE CONGRESS Of THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17782665 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL GEODETIC ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17782666 TI - THE ITHACA MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782667 TI - STORAGE-BATTERIES FOR STREET-CARS. PMID- 17782669 TI - IVORY VARNISH. PMID- 17782668 TI - THE JULL SNOW-EXCAVATOR. PMID- 17782670 TI - IMPROVED STEAM APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND VENTILATING. PMID- 17782672 TI - A FIVE-MASTED SAILING-SHIP. PMID- 17782671 TI - BRICK FOR STREET-PAVING. PMID- 17782673 TI - ELECTRIC-LIGHTING STATIONS IN EUROPE, AND THEIR LESSONS. PMID- 17782674 TI - THE SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17782675 TI - TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. PMID- 17782676 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17782677 TI - Magnetic Storms and their Astronomical Effects. PMID- 17782678 TI - New Sources of Heat. PMID- 17782680 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17782679 TI - A Mound in Calhoun County, Ill. PMID- 17782681 TI - INSTANTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY. PMID- 17782682 TI - SOME FOOD SUBSTITUTES AND ADULTERANTS. PMID- 17782683 TI - THE ORIGIN OF HUMAN FACULTY. PMID- 17782684 TI - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EPIDEMCS. PMID- 17782685 TI - TRICHINAE IN SWINE. PMID- 17782686 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17782687 TI - THE METHOD OF MULTIPLE WORKING HYPOTHESES. PMID- 17782688 TI - Physical Fields. PMID- 17782690 TI - Influenza. PMID- 17782689 TI - Lightning Discharge. PMID- 17782691 TI - Pressure-Waves. PMID- 17782692 TI - Recent Advances in Color Vision. AB - Until a few years ago it was possible to account for nearly all the aspects of human color perception on the basis of the three-color theory, but such is no longer the case. This is largely due to improvements in the older methods of investigation and to the invention of new ones. Among the latter may be mentioned the microelectrode technique of Granit and the retinal direction effect of Stiles and Crawford. Modern requirements are met by a polychromatic theory, comprising 7 types of receptor, but there is no necessity for these to have such narrow spectral response curves as those exhibited by Granit's modulators. Modifications of the three- and four-color theories have been examined to see to what extent they can be made to fit in with experimental results. Particular notice has been taken of the possibility that there is polychromatism of the retinal receptors, but trichromatism of the nerve paths which connect these to the brain or even of the brain itself. The conclusion arrived at is that there must be polychromatism throughout the entire visual mechanism for color perception if a complete account is to be given of all the known facts. PMID- 17782693 TI - Absence of Protective Action of Rutin in Anaphylactic and Histamine Shock. PMID- 17782694 TI - Human Saliva as a Germination Inhibitor. PMID- 17782695 TI - Denaturation of Urease Without Inactivation. PMID- 17782696 TI - On Olfaction and Infrared Radiation Theories. PMID- 17782697 TI - Red Skin Color of Bliss Triumph Potatoes Increased by the Use of Synthetic Plant Hormones. PMID- 17782698 TI - The Curare-like Action of Thiamine. PMID- 17782699 TI - Body Temperature, Blood Pressure, and Hypothalamus. PMID- 17782700 TI - Indole-3-Acetic Acid and Flowering. PMID- 17782701 TI - Observation on the Mechanism of Action of Dicoumarol. PMID- 17782702 TI - Isolation of Pure Vitamin A2. PMID- 17782703 TI - Some Quantitative Aspects of the Feulgen Reaction for Desoxyribose Nucleic Acid. PMID- 17782704 TI - Photomicrography at Your Convenience. PMID- 17782705 TI - Use of the Dropping-Mercury Electrode for the Continuous Measurement of Dissolved Oxygen in Flowing Water. PMID- 17782706 TI - THE PAST AND THE FUTURE OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17782707 TI - SUBSIDY FUNDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PROJECTS. PMID- 17782708 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17782709 TI - PROFESSOR SUDHOFF'S PARACELSUS. PMID- 17782710 TI - THE RAY SOCIETY. PMID- 17782711 TI - CASTS OF FOSSIL VERTEBRATES AT STUTTGART. PMID- 17782712 TI - THE VALUE OF TILTH IN AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17782713 TI - A CONVENIENT METHOD OF DETERMINING THE BRIGHTNESS OF LUMINESCENCE. PMID- 17782714 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17782715 TI - Quantitative Inferences concerning the Genetic Effects of Radiation on Human Beings. PMID- 17782717 TI - Electron Micrographic Observations of Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Crude, Undiluted Plant Juice. PMID- 17782716 TI - Neomycin, a New Antibiotic Active against Streptomycin-Resistant Bacteria, including Tuberculosis Organisms. PMID- 17782718 TI - Infrared Spectra and the Amide Linkage in a Native Globular Protein. PMID- 17782720 TI - A New Method of Inoculating the Maydeae with Smut Fungi. PMID- 17782719 TI - The Effect of Choline-Deficiency on Uterine Activity of Rats. PMID- 17782721 TI - The Semiquinone Radical of Tocopherol. PMID- 17782722 TI - Scanning Instrument for Quantitative One-Dimensional Paper Partition Chromatography. PMID- 17782723 TI - Technique for Making Spreads of Omentum from Small Animals. PMID- 17782724 TI - The Use of Ion Exchange for the Determination of Radioelements in Large Volumes of Urine. PMID- 17782725 TI - Research Is a Gamble. PMID- 17782726 TI - Ancient Greeks in Ireland? PMID- 17782728 TI - Government Regulations. PMID- 17782727 TI - Proposed Pay Raises for Scientists in Government. PMID- 17782729 TI - Sex Conversion in the Copepod. PMID- 17782730 TI - Momentous Innovation. PMID- 17782731 TI - Radiation Effects on the Reactivity of Solid Surfaces: Defects produced in solids by radiation fields can enter into chemical reactions on the surface. PMID- 17782732 TI - Atmospheric Concentration of Cladosporium Spores: The concentration has a peculiar diurnal cycle, and it may either increase or decrease during rain. PMID- 17782733 TI - World Atom Agency: Cold War Has Dimmed Once Bright Hopes, but IAEA Still Manages To Carry on. PMID- 17782734 TI - Variable Transmission Silicate Glasses Sensitive to Sunlight. AB - The process of variable transmission in silicate glasses has been accomplished by optically pumping color centers by electron transfer from europium (II) or cerium (III) which absorb sunlight at higher energies than the color center. Absorbed energy quickly pumps the visible color center band to a maximum. Upon removal of activating light, the visible color spontaneously decays. PMID- 17782735 TI - Changes in Permeability Induced by Victorin. AB - When susceptible oat tissues were treated with victorin, the toxin produced by the fungus Helminthosporium victoriae, and suspended and shaken in water, they lost electrolytes much more rapidly than untreated controls. Similar results were obtained with susceptible plants infected with H. victoriae but not with victorin treated or inoculated, resistant plants. These results provide further evidence of the specificity of victorin and its ability to produce all the symptoms of Victoria blight of oats. They also suggest that changes in permeability, by affecting the salt balance of cells, may play a role in the augmented respiration characteristic of diseased plants. PMID- 17782736 TI - Factors Causing Seasonal Forms in Ascia monuste (Lepidoptera). AB - Light effects will produce the seasonal forms of Ascia monuste L. but they are not yet proved to be the only causative agent. The long-day form is melanic; the short-day form is white. Only females exhibit the effect. The capacity to form melanic females is most frequent in the Florida population and is probably genetically determined. PMID- 17782737 TI - Photoautotrophy in Gymnodinium breve Davis. AB - Pure cultures of the Florida "red-tide" flagellate required light and carbon dioxide for growth. Multiplication in darkness was not supported by any of a number of organic compounds and mixtures. The ecological importance of micronutrients is suggested. PMID- 17782738 TI - Hallucinations in Sensory Deprivation--Method or Madness? AB - Ten-minute observations of visual fields in binocularly patched subjects, and self-observation for dreams yielded visual imagery similar to sensory deprivation hallucinations. The latter probably arise from fragments of normal imagery whose origins are unrecognized because of reduced awareness. PMID- 17782739 TI - Determination of the Tropospheric Residence Time of Lead-210. AB - The ratios of bismuth-210 to lead-210 in rain samples were used to calculate tropospheric residence time for lead-210. The value of about 6 days thus obtained agrees closely with the average interval between two rainfalls. PMID- 17782740 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17782741 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17782743 TI - THE MOUNTING OF MUNGO. PMID- 17782742 TI - THE GERMAN ASSOCIATION OF NATURALISTS AND PHYSICIANS. PMID- 17782744 TI - A FEW WORDS ABOUT PAVEMENTS. PMID- 17782745 TI - ST. PETERSBURG LETTER. PMID- 17782746 TI - The genesis of the diamond. PMID- 17782747 TI - Education and the cost of living. PMID- 17782748 TI - The theory of utility. PMID- 17782749 TI - The eccentricity theory of the glacial period. PMID- 17782750 TI - How astronomers may work. PMID- 17782752 TI - Earthquake sounds. PMID- 17782751 TI - Unexplained noises. PMID- 17782753 TI - Erratum. AB - In William Shea's review of Maurice A. Finocchiaro's Galileo and the Art of Reasoning (15 May, p. 780), the third symbol in the passage quoted from the book should have been "A12." The first sentence of the passage quoted from Galileo's Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems should have read, "The art of demonstration is learned by reading works which contain demonstrations." PMID- 17782755 TI - ;Graphs, not punctuation! PMID- 17782754 TI - ;Graphs, not punctuation! PMID- 17782756 TI - Hubbert's Estimates. PMID- 17782757 TI - Genetic influence on behavior. PMID- 17782758 TI - The fate of the seed corn. PMID- 17782759 TI - Tropical archeoastronomy. AB - Too often, judged by the Westem cultural yardstick, astronomical systems developed by indigenous civilizations of the tropical latitudes are found to be both complex and fundamentally different from those originating in civilizations of the temperate latitudes. One explanation for this difference is the radically contrasting sky orientations that are viewed from different parts of the globe, a determinative environmental factor in the development of cosmological systems that should not be neglected by the anthropologist and cultural historian. PMID- 17782761 TI - Keyworth gives first policy speech. PMID- 17782760 TI - The agriculture grants program. AB - The Competitive Research Grants Office was established in 1978 by the federal government to encourage and support basic research related to agriculture. The effort has been enfeebled by controversy and continues to teeter on the edge of congressional extinction. The origins of the Competitive Research Grants Office and its first 3 years of operation make an interesting portrait of the problems of science and government in these times. PMID- 17782762 TI - Reagan officials discuss science budget. PMID- 17782763 TI - Soviets sentence scientist to 5 years in exile. PMID- 17782765 TI - Denis Hayes Fired from SERI. PMID- 17782764 TI - Ariane is a success. PMID- 17782766 TI - Rostow Confirmed as Hard-Liner Head of ACDA. PMID- 17782767 TI - Percheron: entrepreneurial exuberance in space. PMID- 17782768 TI - The u.s. Flight from pilotless planes. PMID- 17782769 TI - CERN Sets Intermediate Vector Boson Hunt. PMID- 17782770 TI - Annual meeting washington. PMID- 17782771 TI - Energy seminars address a range of concerns. PMID- 17782772 TI - Media fellows begin assignments. PMID- 17782773 TI - AAAS/NASW Host Chinese Science Writers Delegation. PMID- 17782774 TI - Division meeting at greeley highlights the unusual. PMID- 17782776 TI - Obituaries. PMID- 17782775 TI - The clearinghouse on science and human rights. PMID- 17782777 TI - Arms control committee established. PMID- 17782778 TI - AAAS Alaska Division Announces Its 32nd Annual Meeting. PMID- 17782779 TI - U.s. Foreign policy after hiroshima. PMID- 17782780 TI - Medicinal drugs and public policy. PMID- 17782781 TI - A simple behavioral system. PMID- 17782782 TI - Highly anisotropic solids. PMID- 17782783 TI - The marine geochemistry of germanium: ekasilicon. AB - The geochemical behavior of dissolved germanium in rivers, estuaries, and the oceans is similar to that of silicon. It is chemically weathered from continental rocks and transported by rivers to the oceans, where it is taken up by siliceous organisms and deposited in biogenic opal. The ratio of germanium to silicon buried in siliceous oozes must reflect the oceanic input ratios from rivers (crustal weathering) and sea-floor vents (mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal weathering). The opal germanium/silicon ratio may thus monitor relative variations in these weathering processes and provide information about the geochemical history of seawater. PMID- 17782784 TI - Lateral P-Velocity Gradients near Major Strike-Slip Faults in California. AB - The P-wave velocity in shallow crystalline rock decreases systematically from a normal value of about 5.5 kilometers per second 20 kilometers or more from the Garlock and San Andreas faults to less than 3 kilometers per second at distances of less than 2 kilometers from these faults. This lateral velocity gradient closely resembles the shear stress profile. It is proposed that the velocity gradient results from increased fracturing nearer these major strike-slip faults and that this fracturing dominates the response of the shallow crust to tectonic stress. PMID- 17782785 TI - Generation of stabilized microbubbles in seawater. AB - Bubbles of less than 1 micrometer and as large as 13.5 micrometers in diameter, stabilized by an apparent compression of substances sorbed onto their surfaces, were examined to determine their physical and temporal stability. Their ease of formation is related to the qualities of the water in which they are formed. Their presence in the water column must now be considered when interpreting acoustic data gathered to determine marine bubble populations. PMID- 17782786 TI - Solar photovoltaic power systems: will they reduce utility peaking requirements? AB - From an analysis of the long-run electric generating requirements of several representative utilities, it is concluded that the energy supplied by solar photovoltaic power devices will displace primarily base-load, and to a lesser extent intermediate, generating plants, even at relatively modest penetrations corresponding to several percent of the utility peak load. Attaching photovoltaic devices to the utility grid will not yield significant fuel oil savings over the long run, in which utilities approach the economic optimum generating mix, and will increase peak plant requirements. Utility capacity and fuel savings of photovoltaic devices are reported both for the case without storage and for the case in which the utility has access to load-leveling storage. PMID- 17782787 TI - Constraints on the formation of sedimentary dolomite. AB - The experimental replacement of calcite and aragonite by dolomite under a variety of conditions indicates that dolomitization can take place in marine and lacustrine environments under two conditions: (i) low dissolved sulfate concentrations and (ii) insubstantial contemporaneous silica diagenesis. Common sites for dolomite formation are areas where the dissolved sulfate concentration is reduced by microbial sulfate reduction, through the mixing of seawater with large amounts of fresh water, or where low-sulfate alkaline lacustrine environments prevail. Even under these conditions, dolomite formation may be inhibited by the concurrent transformation of opal-A (amorphous silica) to opal CT (disordered cristobalite and tridymite), whereas the subsequent transformation of opal-CT to quartz favors the formation of dolomite. PMID- 17782789 TI - Aseismic uplift in california. PMID- 17782788 TI - Calcium dependence of the inactivation of calcium currents in skeletal muscle fibers of an insect. AB - Calcium currents in skeletal muscle fibers of an insect, Carausius morosus, inactivate under depolarization. This inactivation depends on the current being carried across the membrane by calcium ions, rather than strontium or bariumions. PMID- 17782790 TI - Aseismic uplift in california. PMID- 17782792 TI - Tornado predictions. PMID- 17782791 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17782793 TI - THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ELECTRICIANS. PMID- 17782794 TI - THE HARVARD PHYSIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17782795 TI - KRAKATOA. PMID- 17782797 TI - A PROPOSED NEW DEPARTURE IN HYGROMETRY. PMID- 17782796 TI - OVERWORK IN GERMAN SCHOOLS. PMID- 17782798 TI - THE NEW BOGOSLOFF VOLCANO. PMID- 17782799 TI - INDIAN LANGUAGES OF SOUTH AMERICA. PMID- 17782800 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17782801 TI - Uncertainties about global warming. PMID- 17782802 TI - Department size and quality. PMID- 17782803 TI - Organoids and genetic drugs. PMID- 17782804 TI - Patent court scientist. PMID- 17782805 TI - Takeover Bid: Chiron's Discussions with the Media. PMID- 17782806 TI - Gallo's Potential Jurors. PMID- 17782807 TI - Hot fusion: a meltdown in political support. PMID- 17782808 TI - Mit tenure case heads for trial. PMID- 17782809 TI - The chase continues for metallic hydrogen. PMID- 17782810 TI - Hubble space telescope takes aim at the stars. PMID- 17782811 TI - Precise monitoring of global temperature trends from satellites. AB - Passive microwave radiometry from satellites provides more precise atmospheric temperature information than that obtained from the relatively sparse distribution of thermometers over the earth's surface. Accurate global atmospheric temperature estimates are needed for detection of possible greenhouse warming, evaluation of computer models of climate change, and for understanding important factors in the climate system. Analysis of the first 10 years (1979 to 1988) of satellite measurements of lower atmospheric temperature changes reveals a monthly precision of 0.01 degrees C, large temperature variability on time scales from weeks to several years, but no obvious trend for the 10-year period. The warmest years, in descending order, were 1987, 1988, 1983, and 1980. The years 1984, 1985, and 1986 were the coolest. PMID- 17782812 TI - Intragranular diffusion: an important mechanism influencing solute transport in clastic aquifers? AB - Quantification of intragranular porosity in sand-size material from an aquifer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, by scanning electron microscopy, mercury injection, and epifluorescence techniques shows that there are more reaction sites and that porosity is greater than indicated by standard short-term laboratory tests and measurement techniques. Results from laboratory and field tracer tests show solute nonequilibrium for a reacting ion consistent with a model of diffusion into, and exchange within, grain interiors. These data indicate that a diffusion expression needs to be included in transport codes, particularly for simulation of the transport of radioactive and toxic wastes. PMID- 17782813 TI - Orientational dielectric relaxation of collisionless molecules. AB - The generation of the orientation component of the polarization of matter in an electric field has previously been thought to require interaction of molecules with their neighbors. It is demonstrated that, even in the absence of collisions between neighboring molecules, hot isolated polyatomic molecules can reorient in response to an external field, thereby giving rise to the orientation component of polarization. This reorientation occurs through the interaction of rotation with molecular vibrations, which provides a heat bath to establish thermal rotational equilibrium. This effect is demonstrated for o-difluorobenzene, o dichlorobenzene, and p-chlorotoluene, with an inhomogeneous electric field used to deflect molecular beams of these molecules. PMID- 17782814 TI - The Uses of Experiment. Studies in the Natural Sciences. David Gooding, Trevor Pinch, and Simon Schaffer, Eds. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1989. xviii, 481 pp., illus. $80. PMID- 17782815 TI - Synthetic Fuel Technology Development in the United States. A Retrospective Assessment. Michael Crow, Barry Bozeman, Walter Meyer, and Ralph Shangraw, Jr. Praeger, Westport, CT, 1988. xiv, 175 pp. $39.95. PMID- 17782816 TI - Advances in Mutagenesis Research. Vol. 1. G. Obe, Ed. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990. x, 217 pp., illus. $79.50. PMID- 17782817 TI - Modulation of Defined Vertebrate Neural Circults. Michael Davis, Barry L. Jacobs, and Ronald I. Schoenfeld, Eds. New York Academy of Sciences, New York, 1989. viii, 195 pp., illus. $49. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 563. From a conference, Elkridge, MD, Sept. 1988. PMID- 17782818 TI - THE COMMON AIMS OF SCIENCE AND HUMANITY. PMID- 17782820 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17782819 TI - THE MIGRATIONS OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS. PMID- 17782821 TI - POWDERY SCAB OF POTATOES IN OREGON. PMID- 17782824 TI - OCCURRENCE OF THE PROTOZOAN, COLACIUM MULTOCULATA KENT, IN IOWA. PMID- 17782823 TI - SPORE MEASUREMENTS. PMID- 17782822 TI - THE ABSORPTION OF AIR BY CHARCOAL COOLED TO THE TEMPERATURE OF LIQIUID AIR. PMID- 17782826 TI - In Defense of Scientist-Rotarians. PMID- 17782825 TI - THE NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782827 TI - Author(s)! Author(s)! PMID- 17782829 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17782828 TI - AAAS Meeting and the Press. PMID- 17782830 TI - An Aye for "I". PMID- 17782831 TI - Overdone Overhead. PMID- 17782832 TI - Educational Leadership. PMID- 17782833 TI - The Nonprevalence of Humanoids. PMID- 17782834 TI - Science in Japan. PMID- 17782835 TI - Social Life of Japanese Monkeys. PMID- 17782837 TI - Brain Drain-The View from This Side of the Atlantic. PMID- 17782836 TI - Scientific Migration: Britain Agitated Anew by Research Team's Decision to Move to United States. PMID- 17782838 TI - Tobacco Report: Agencies Ponder Action; Congress Takes the Lead with a $5-Million Research Plan. PMID- 17782839 TI - Subways and Science: Two N.Y. Institutions Consider Meaning of Coexistence in Crowded Manhattan. PMID- 17782840 TI - Elliott Committee: First Report Should Quell Fears that Inquiry Has Anti Scientific Orientation. PMID- 17782841 TI - Mass Spectral Studies of Surface Catalysis: The Production of Free Radicals at 40{degrees}C. AB - A wide variety of free radicals can be produced thermally at temperatures as low as 40 degrees C by a new catalytic method which provides a means for studying the mechanism of many catalytic hydrogenation-dehydrogenation processes. Initial results include the first chemical evidence for the existence of the H(3) molecule. PMID- 17782842 TI - Condensation Model Producing Crystalline or Amorphous Tetrahedral Networks. AB - Wire models of tetrahedral networks have been built up by a process representing condensation from a fluid, which yields amorphous structures unless a nucleus of crystalline structure is present initially. A random tetrahedral network of 300 units has been constructed for direct measurement of coordinates; the construction process is uniquely defined so that it may be possible to synthesize larger networks by use of a computer. PMID- 17782843 TI - Cellulose Acetate Membranes: Electron Microscopy of Structure. AB - Electron photomicrographs of cellulose acetate membranes used in the reverse osmosis processof water desalination reveal a dense surface layer with a porous substructure. The high rate oftransmission for water can be correlated with the thickness of the dense layer on the air-driedsurface of the membrane. PMID- 17782844 TI - Tritium-Hydrologic Research: Some Results of the U.S. Geological Survey Research Program. AB - In general tritium is of limited usefulness as a tool in hydrologic studies because the tritium content of ground water, as a result of radioactive decay, becomes too low to be detectable after about 50 years. Nevertheless, a unique study was made of the hydrologic cycle of small stream basins in Wisconsin and New Jersey on the basis of measurements relative to the peak of tritium fallout in the spring of 1958. The continental and the coastal basins receivedapproximately the same tritium fallout. Approximately 30 percent went into ground-water storage, the remainder being exported as runoff and evapotranspiration. The mean residence time for ground-water recharge for the two basins was 45 and 30 days, respectively. PMID- 17782845 TI - Conchostracans: Living and Fossil from Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. AB - In August 1963, living conchostracans (branchipod Crustacea) of the genera Leptestheria and Eulimnadia were collected at three stations in Chihuahua. One Sonoran locality yielded Triassic fossils of the family Cyzicidae, a widespread North American group. The geographic rangeof the geologically younger families Leptestheriidae and Limnadidae (particularly the genus Eulimnadia) thus extended to Chihuahua during post-Mesozoic time. PMID- 17782846 TI - Asynchronous Synthesis of RNA in Nucleoli of Root Meristem. AB - During pulse incubations of onion roots with RNA precursors, incorporation into meristematic nucleoli is asynchronous for some, but not for all, cells. After a 30-minute labeling period, the "zero-class" is as large as 25 percent, and the asynchrony is intracellular rather than cellular. This suggests an individual specificity of nucleolar function in a population of differentiating cells. PMID- 17782847 TI - Atmospheric Aldehydes Related to Petunia Leaf Damage. AB - Snowstorm petunias grown in the greenhouse developed a necrotic banding of the actively expanding foliage characteristic of injury ascribed to various photochemically produced pollutants in the atmosphere. In this case the damage appeared to be related to the high aldehyde content of the ambient air. Each time the aldehyde concentration exceeded 0.20 parts per million for 2 hours, injury appeared within a day or two. From July to September 1963 such plant injury was observed on seven occasions. PMID- 17782848 TI - Henry Eyring, President-Elect. PMID- 17782850 TI - Chemistry (C). PMID- 17782849 TI - A Report of the Seventh Cleveland Meeting. PMID- 17782851 TI - Physics (B). PMID- 17782853 TI - Geology and Geography (E). PMID- 17782852 TI - Mathematics (A). PMID- 17782854 TI - American Association of Clinical Chemists (c1). PMID- 17782855 TI - Zoological Sciences (F). PMID- 17782856 TI - National Speleological Society (E4). PMID- 17782857 TI - Association of American Geographers (East Lakes Division) (El). PMID- 17782859 TI - Ecological Society of America (FG5). PMID- 17782858 TI - Recent Trends in Ecological Research in the Great Lakes. PMID- 17782860 TI - Vertebrate Morphology, Session II. PMID- 17782862 TI - Psychology (I). PMID- 17782861 TI - Vertebrate Morphology, Session I. PMID- 17782863 TI - Botanical Sciences (G). PMID- 17782864 TI - Use of Morphological and Autecological Characteristics of Plants in Community Gradient Analysis. PMID- 17782865 TI - Population Association of America (K7). PMID- 17782866 TI - National Institute of Social and Behavioral Science (K6). PMID- 17782867 TI - Engineering (M). PMID- 17782868 TI - Pharmaceutical Sciences (Np). PMID- 17782869 TI - History and Philosophy of Science (L). PMID- 17782871 TI - AAAS Cooperative Committee on the Teaching of Science and Mathematics (Q1). PMID- 17782870 TI - Agriculture (0). PMID- 17782872 TI - Education (Q). PMID- 17782874 TI - Science Teaching Societies (Q9). PMID- 17782873 TI - National Association of Biology Teachers. PMID- 17782875 TI - Control of Metallurgical Information. PMID- 17782876 TI - Information and Communication (T). PMID- 17782877 TI - Luncheon and Business Meeting. PMID- 17782878 TI - Vice-Presidential Address. PMID- 17782879 TI - Sigmna Delta Epsilon (X6). PMID- 17782880 TI - American Nature Study Society (X3). PMID- 17782881 TI - Academy Conference (XI). PMID- 17782882 TI - Statistics (U). PMID- 17782883 TI - Committee on Desert and Arid Zones Research. PMID- 17782884 TI - Radical-Ions and the Excited State. PMID- 17782885 TI - Degenerate Stars. PMID- 17782886 TI - Growth and Development of the Face, Teeth, and Jaws. PMID- 17782887 TI - Science Research Planning: Instruments and Equipment Use. PMID- 17782888 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17782889 TI - Mit methanol project. PMID- 17782890 TI - Mit methanol project. PMID- 17782891 TI - Mit methanol project. PMID- 17782892 TI - Gas chromatographs: health effects. PMID- 17782893 TI - Mit methanol project. PMID- 17782894 TI - Ozone healing. PMID- 17782895 TI - Grade inflation. PMID- 17782896 TI - Grade inflation. PMID- 17782897 TI - Grade inflation. PMID- 17782898 TI - Grade inflation. PMID- 17782899 TI - Science in the public forum: keeping it honest. PMID- 17782900 TI - Predicting and observing el nino. AB - In October 1974 the occurrence of a weak El Nino event was predicted for early 1975 on the basis of the southern oscillation index. An expedition was organized to observe the event in the waters off Peru and Ecuador during two cruises in order to study its occurrence and its development with time. During the first cruise a massive transgression of warm low salinity water across the equator to 4 degrees S was observed, as well as a depression of the thermocline along the equator and off the coast of South America, indicating the start of El Nino development. During the second cruise the oceanographic situation had changed and conditions were returning to normal. PMID- 17782901 TI - Hydration rate of obsidian. AB - The hydration rates of 12 obsidian samples of different chemical compositions were measured at temperatures from 95 degrees to 245 degrees C. An expression relating hydration rate to temperature was derived for each sample. The SiO(2) content and refractive index are related to the hydration rate, as are the CaO, MgO, and original water contents. With this information it is possible to calculate the hydration rate of a sample from its silica content, refractive index, or chemical index and a knowledge of the effective temperature at which the hydration occurred. The effective hydration temperature can be either measured or approximated from weather records. Rates have been calculated by both methods, and the results show that weather records can give a good approximation to the true EHT, particularly in tropical and subtropical climates. If one determines the EHT by any of the methods suggested, and also measures or knows the rate of hydration of the particular obsidian used, it should be possible to carry out absolute dating to +/- 10 percent of the true age over periods as short as several years and as long as millions of years. PMID- 17782903 TI - Nuclear energy: do States lack power to block proliferation of reactors? PMID- 17782902 TI - Shellfish-eating preceramic indians in coastal Brazil. PMID- 17782904 TI - Ruckelshaus: what happened to mr. Clean? PMID- 17782906 TI - Congress looks harder at cancer. PMID- 17782905 TI - Projecting the Ph.D. Labor Market: NSF and BLS Disagree. PMID- 17782907 TI - Brigham young university: an alternative R & d style. PMID- 17782908 TI - Research across campus boundaries. PMID- 17782909 TI - European Breeders (II): The Nuclear Parts Are Not the Problem. PMID- 17782910 TI - The way fast breeders work. PMID- 17782912 TI - The meeting phenomenon. PMID- 17782911 TI - Protein structure: systematic alteration of amino Acid sequences. PMID- 17782913 TI - Paleontological clocks. PMID- 17782914 TI - Applications of spectroscopy. PMID- 17782915 TI - Molecular rearrangements. PMID- 17782916 TI - Regulatory neurophysiology. PMID- 17782917 TI - Practical scientists. PMID- 17782918 TI - Venus: microwave detection of carbon monoxide. AB - The 115-gigahertz microwave line of carbon monoxide has been detected in the spectrum of Venus. The measurement proves that the carbon monoxide mixing ratio increases above an altitude of 85 kilometers in the Venus stratosphere and provides quantitative information on carbon monoxide in the altitude region from 80 to 110 kilometers. This altitude region is well above that which has been previously sensed. PMID- 17782919 TI - Role of the generative cell in androgenesis in henbane. AB - When anthers of henbane containing uninucleate pollen grains were cultured, a large number of embryoids originated exclusively from the division of the generative cell. In a small proportion of pollen grains, both generative and vegetative cells contributed to embryoid formation. Embryogenesis by segmentation of the vegetative cell alone was rarely observed. PMID- 17782921 TI - Pigeons can learn identity or difference, or both. PMID- 17782920 TI - Panhandling: sharing of resources. AB - Panhandling was used to study sharing of resources. Male panhandlers were more successful in spring than in autumn. Female panhandlers were more successful than males in autumn. Panhandlers were generally successful only when submissively approaching individuals who were eating. Families and male-female pairs were resistant to panhandling. The results are discussed in terms of reciprocal altruism and kinship selection. PMID- 17782922 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17782923 TI - SCIENCE AND THE NEWSPAPERS. PMID- 17782924 TI - MALNUTRITION IN PLANTS. PMID- 17782925 TI - THE FUNCTIONAL NATURE OF THE CONSTANT OF MASS ACTION. PMID- 17782926 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17782927 TI - LIVING CELLS IN HEART-WOOD OF TREES. PMID- 17782928 TI - VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF THE APPLE BY SEED. PMID- 17782929 TI - THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATION OF THE HARVARD OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17782930 TI - PHILOSOPHY OR IRONY, WHICH? PMID- 17782932 TI - APPARATUS. PMID- 17782931 TI - A PREHISTORY CHART. PMID- 17782933 TI - A PLATINUM SPOON FOR ISOLATING AND TRANSFERRING PROTOZOA. PMID- 17782934 TI - A METHOD FOR CUTTING GLASS TUBING. PMID- 17782935 TI - STATISTICS OF VOCABULARY. PMID- 17782936 TI - JOACHIM BARRANDE. PMID- 17782937 TI - WHIRLWINDS, CYCLONES, AND TOR-NADOES.--V. PMID- 17782938 TI - ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEETH IN THE LAMPREY. PMID- 17782939 TI - NORDENSKIOLD ON THE INLAND ICE OF GREENLAND. PMID- 17782940 TI - Primitive visual organs. PMID- 17782941 TI - From superstition to humbug. PMID- 17782942 TI - Synchronism of geological formations. PMID- 17782943 TI - Sense of direction. PMID- 17782944 TI - Osteology of the cormorant. PMID- 17782945 TI - THE RESTORATION OF ANCIENT TEMPLES. PMID- 17782946 TI - Probable occurrence of the Taconian system in Cuba. PMID- 17782948 TI - CO-OPERATION ON THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE. PMID- 17782947 TI - THE ORKNEYS AND SHETLAND. PMID- 17782949 TI - SANITARY EXAMINATIONS OF WATER, AIR, AND FOOD. PMID- 17782950 TI - SCIENTIFIC WRITINGS OF JOSEPH HENRY. PMID- 17782951 TI - STORER'S AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17782952 TI - THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ENGINEER. PMID- 17782953 TI - THE VOLUME OF ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE. PMID- 17782954 TI - THE PUBLICATION OF TROLAND'S PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17782955 TI - THE CHEMICAL ATOMIC WEIGHT OF CARBON. PMID- 17782956 TI - SELECTION OF FOOD BY THE CILIATE CHILODON. PMID- 17782957 TI - THE ALABAMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782959 TI - THE OCCURRENCE IN MAMMALIAN TISSUE OF A LIPID FRACTION ACTING AS INHIBITOR OF BLOOD CLOTTING. PMID- 17782958 TI - THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17782960 TI - THE DECOMPOSITION OF YEAST NUCLEIC ACID BY A HEAT RESISTANT ENZYME. PMID- 17782961 TI - THE PREPARATION OF CRYSTALLINE beta-4-GLUCOSIDOSORBITOL AND ITS NONOMETHYL DERIVATIVE. PMID- 17782962 TI - Erratum. AB - The publisher of The Biology of Seaweeds, edited by Christopher S. Lobban and Michael J. Wynne, listed in the Books Received column of 16 July (p. 272), should have been given as University of California Press, Berkeley. PMID- 17782963 TI - Polish crackdown. PMID- 17782964 TI - Uranium enrichment technology. PMID- 17782966 TI - NASA Student Rat Project Questioned. PMID- 17782965 TI - Mechanism and stereoselectivity of asymmetric hydrogenation. AB - Rhodium complexes containing chiral phosphine ligands catalyze the hydrogenation of olefinic substrates such as alpha-aminoacrylic acid derivatives, producing chiral products with very high optical yields. Elucidation of the mechanisms of such reactions leads to the conclusion that the stereoselection is dictated not by the preferred initial binding of the substrate to the chiral catalyst, but rather by the much higher reactivity of the minor diastereomer of the catalyst substrate adduct corresponding to the less favored binding mode. PMID- 17782967 TI - Industrial R & d rises. PMID- 17782968 TI - ISABELLE Spending Questioned. PMID- 17782969 TI - Debate stirred by new love canal report. PMID- 17782970 TI - Heart institute gets new director. PMID- 17782972 TI - Topologists startled by new results. PMID- 17782971 TI - NRC Puts Limit on Mental Stress Tests. PMID- 17782973 TI - Quantum mechanics passes another test. PMID- 17782975 TI - Evolution from the molecular viewpoint. PMID- 17782974 TI - The apportionment problem. PMID- 17782976 TI - Processes of cell division. PMID- 17782977 TI - Plasma physics. PMID- 17782978 TI - Pollination and airflow patterns around conifer ovulate cones. AB - Wind-tunnel studies indicate that the geometry of Pinus ovulate cones may enhance the probability of pollen entrapment by aerodynamically predetermining airflow patterns around scale-bract complexes. Pollination experiments reveal that pollen from a particular species has the highest probability of reaching the ovules of its own species. The phenomenon of species-specific pollination appears to be related to the specific morphometry of scale-bract complexes and the terminal settling velocity of pollen of the same species. These data are interpreted as evidence for a reciprocity between the aerodynamic characteristics of airborne pollen and ovulate cones of some conifer species. PMID- 17782979 TI - Resource partitioning and interspecific competition in two two-species insular anolis lizard communities. AB - Population experiments with Anolis lizard species demonstrate a relation between the amount of between-species competition and the degree of interspecific resource partitioning (the more the partitioning the less the competition). Specifically, the amount of resource partitioning between the two species (Anolis gingivinus and Anolis wattsi pogus) on the island of St. Maarten is less than that between the two species (Anolis bimaculatus and Anolis wattsi schwartzi) on the island of St. Eustatius. The presence of Anolis wattsi both lowers the growth rates and raises the perch heights of Anolis gingivinus individuals. In contrast, Anolis wattsi has no effect on Anolis bimaculatus. Thus, when there is less resource partitioning, Anolis wattsi has a greater competitive effect. This verifies, for these species, a central assumption of competition theory: the strength of between-species competition is inversely related to the amount of interspecific resource partitioning. PMID- 17782980 TI - Manipulations of endosperm balance number overcome crossing barriers between diploid solanum species. AB - Abortion of the hybrid endosperm is the basis for the inability to hybridize many angiosperm species. This has made it nearly impossible to incorporate the valuable characteristics from several wild, diploid Solanum species into the cultivated potato Solanum tuberosum. But some wild species have "endosperm balance numbers" different from those of most Solanum diploid species, and these numbers or "effective ploidies" can be manipulated to create new hybrids. PMID- 17782981 TI - Changes in the cell membranes of the bullfrog gastric mucosa with Acid secretion. AB - The effective area, resistance, and configuration of the apical and basolateral cell membranes of the bullfrog gastric mucosa were studied as a function of acid secretion rate, by alternating-current impedance methods. The drop in transepithelial resistance with acid secretion is attributed to the great increase in apical membrane area (hence conductance) associated with tubulovesicles. There is no evidence of a change in basolateral membrane resistance or of apical membrane premeability per unit area. PMID- 17782983 TI - Technetium in the Sun. PMID- 17782982 TI - Radiocarbon Datability of Peat, Marl, Caliche, and Archaeological Materials. PMID- 17782984 TI - Probable Extreme Age of Pegmatites from Southern Rhodesia. PMID- 17782985 TI - Static Electrification of Solid Particles by Spraying. PMID- 17782987 TI - Up or Down? PMID- 17782986 TI - The Monarch Butterfly. PMID- 17782989 TI - REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENGINEERING. PMID- 17782988 TI - BOTANY AS A NATIONAL ASSET. PMID- 17782990 TI - REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17782991 TI - REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17782992 TI - LEIDY ON THE CAUSE OF MALARIA: A CORRECTION. PMID- 17782993 TI - A RELIEF MAP OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17782994 TI - A CULTURE MEDIUM FOR EUGLENA. PMID- 17782996 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17782995 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE PRE-COLUMBIAN CIVILIZATION OF AMERICA. PMID- 17782997 TI - On the Two Cultures. PMID- 17783000 TI - Publications and Basic Research. PMID- 17782999 TI - Publications and Basic Research. PMID- 17782998 TI - On the Two Cultures. PMID- 17783001 TI - Crowded Spectrum. PMID- 17783002 TI - Further Evidence of Vegetation on Mars: The presence of large organic molecules is indicated by recent infrared-spectroscopic tests. PMID- 17783003 TI - Science in the News. PMID- 17783005 TI - Another Meteorite Crater Studied. PMID- 17783004 TI - Electrolyte-Solvent Interactions: Effect of Electrolytes on Vibrational Spectrum of Methanol. AB - The addition of quaternary ammonium halides to dilute solutions of methanol in benzene shifts the equilibrium. PMID- 17783006 TI - Parasitic Relationship between Two Culturally Isolated and Unrelated Lichen Components. AB - The presence of numerous haustoria, with accompanying death of the algal cells, was noted in a mixed cuture of the fungal symbiont (mycobiont) of Collema tenax (Sw.) Ach., em. Degel. and Trebouxia impressa Ahm., the algal partner (phycobiont) of Physcia stellaris (L.) Nyl. The parasitic action was noted even on media which would optimally sustain the independent growth of the individual symbionts. PMID- 17783008 TI - THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE STUDENT BODY AT A NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. PMID- 17783010 TI - THE RULES OF NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17783009 TI - THE RELATIONS OF THE ENGINEERING SCHOOLS TO POLYTECHNIC INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17783011 TI - DR. MONTGOMERY'S PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE RULES OF NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17783012 TI - THE DISTANCES OF THE FIXED STARS. PMID- 17783013 TI - HENS THAT HAVE LAID TWO EGGS IN A DAY. PMID- 17783014 TI - ON THE ORIGIN OF LIMESTONE SINK-HOLES. PMID- 17783016 TI - "Nuclear winter" studies. PMID- 17783015 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17783017 TI - "Nuclear winter" studies. PMID- 17783018 TI - "Nuclear winter" studies. PMID- 17783019 TI - 1 + 1 = 0: new math for a new age. PMID- 17783020 TI - Packing structures and transitions in liquids and solids. AB - Classification of potential energy minima-mechanically stable molecular packings offers a unifying principle for understanding condensed phase properties. This approach permits identification of an inherent structure in liquids that is normally obscured by thermal motions. Melting and freezing occur through characteristic sequences of molecular packings, and a defect-softening phenomenon underlies the fact that they are thermodynamically first order. The topological distribution of feasible transitions between contiguous potential minima explains glass transitions and associated relaxation behavior. PMID- 17783021 TI - Networking in international agricultural research. AB - Informal and structured collaboration is becoming increasingly common in international agricultural research. A network approach to research generally reduces costs, minimizes duplication, and boosts efficiency. Collaborative teams, sometimes involving hundreds of scientists in dozens of countries, have been formed to tackle numerous constraints to boosting food production. Networks have been established to test crop germplasm over a broad range of environments, explore ways of boosting the efficiency of fertilizer use, upgrade disease resistance in livestock, and identify socioeconomic obstacles to improved agricultural output. The benefits of networking are especially valuable to countries with limited funds and scientific manpower. PMID- 17783022 TI - OMB Jeopardizes U.S.--Soviet Satellite Accord: It wants to save money by reneging on a U.S. commitment to launch two weather satellites with search-and-rescue receivers. PMID- 17783023 TI - Scientists warm to the space station. PMID- 17783025 TI - Population studies age prematurely. PMID- 17783024 TI - Exxon Builds on Basic Research: New corporate research laboratories reflect R&D policy of going back to the fundamentals. PMID- 17783027 TI - Is biotechnology research insurable? PMID- 17783026 TI - Peterson leaving a changed audubon society. PMID- 17783028 TI - Details delay resumption of polish--u.s. Exchanges. PMID- 17783029 TI - Comings and goings. PMID- 17783031 TI - FDA Amending Regulations to Reduce LD50 Testing. PMID- 17783030 TI - Japan plans to look to the stars from hawaii. PMID- 17783033 TI - Surprise Proof of an Old Conjecture: An American mathematician claimed to have resolved a famous conjecture, but he had to go to Russia to get a hearing. PMID- 17783034 TI - Impacts of another kind. PMID- 17783032 TI - NIH and Hughes Institute Form Training Partnership. PMID- 17783036 TI - Help AAAS Membership Office Stop Repetition. PMID- 17783035 TI - Slow Atmospheric Oscillations Confirmed: A disturbance that travels through the tropics every 40 to 50 days seems to modulate the Indian monsoon and influence the jet stream. PMID- 17783037 TI - Scientific freedom and responsibility award: call for nominations. PMID- 17783038 TI - Lecture describes use of genetics to establish grandpaternity. PMID- 17783039 TI - Personal views of an enigma: margaret mead. PMID- 17783040 TI - A field of astronomy: glimpsing an invisible universe. PMID- 17783042 TI - Quaternary geology: glacial lake agassiz. PMID- 17783041 TI - An argument for moderation: the culture of technology. PMID- 17783043 TI - Elements of an orogen: regional trends in the geology of the appalachian caledonian-hercynian-mauritanide orogen. PMID- 17783044 TI - Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide: tree ring evidence for growth enhancement in natural vegetation. AB - A response of plant growth to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, which has been anticipated from laboratory data, may now have been detected in the annual rings of subalpine conifers growing in the western United States. Experimental evidence shows that carbon dioxide can be an important limiting factor in the growth of plants in this high-altitude environment. The greatly increased tree growth rates observed since the mid-l9th century exceed those expected from climatic trends but are consistent in magnitude with global trends in carbon dioxide, especially in recent decades. If correctly interpreted, these findings have important implications for climate studies involving tree ring observations and for models of the global carbon dioxide budget. PMID- 17783045 TI - Periodic interfacial precipitation in polymer films. AB - Interfacial precipitation of silver halides in water-swollen polymer films occurred in complex, multilayered patterns if the concentrations of counterdiffusing reactants were unequal or decreased at different rates. Development of the rapidly forming Liesegang rings, which extend the phenomenon of periodic precipitation to the submicrometer range, is attributable to the combined effect of a moving reaction zone and periodic immobilization of colloidal silver halide. PMID- 17783046 TI - Computer simulations of the atmospheric chemistry of sulfate and nitrate formation. AB - Simulations of the atmospheric chemistry of sulfate and inorganic nitrate formation have been carried out by means of a detailed gas phase-liquid phase chemical kinetic mechanism. Consideration has been given to the effect of changes in sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and reactive hydrocarbon concentrations on sulfate and nitrate formation for conditions typical of the midwestern and northeastern United States. The results indicate significant nonlinearities in the chemistry of acid formation, particularly between sulfur dioxide and sulfate concentrations. PMID- 17783047 TI - Disruption of the terrestrial plant ecosystem at the cretaceous-tertiary boundary, Western interior. AB - The palynologically defined Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the western interior of North America occurs at the top of an iridium-rich clay layer. The boundary is characterized by the abrupt disappearance of certain pollen species, immediately followed by a pronounced, geologically brief change in the ratio of fern spores to angiosperm pollen. The occurrence of these changes at two widely separated sites implies continentwide disruption of the terrestrial ecosystem, probably caused by a major catastrophic event at the end of the period. PMID- 17783048 TI - Cadmium-Resistant Pseudomonas putida Synthesizes Novel Cadmium Proteins. AB - Three cysteine-rich proteins of molecular weight 4000 to 7000, containing 4 to 7 gram atoms of cadmium, zinc, and copper per mole were isolated from Pseudomonas putida growing in 3 mM cadmium. The three proteins were induced during different phases of growth, and the smallest (molecular weight 3600; 3 gram atoms of cadmium) was released into the medium when the cells lysed. The results of amino acid analyses and of ultraviolet, circular dichroism, electron paramagnetic resonance, and cadmium-113 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggest a novel cadmium(II)-zinc(II)-copper(I) cluster structure for the major protein. PMID- 17783049 TI - Flying squirrels are monophyletic. AB - Seven genera of flying squirrels share five characters of wrist anatomy, which form a functional complex associated with the support of the patagium. In these characters, they differ from all genera of tree and ground squirrels examined. Among mammals, gliding membranes have evolved independently in several other groups. The manner of attachment of the patagium to the forelimb is different in each and demonstrates five morphologies differing from that of flying squirrels. This complex wrist anatomy of flying squirrels provides evidence that gliding evolved only once among squirrels and that the flying squirrels are a monophyletic group. PMID- 17783050 TI - Erratum. AB - Erratum In the report by K. L. Webb and C. F. D'Elia (29 Feb., p. 983),( )the title should read "Nutrient and oxygen redistribution during( )a spring neap tidal cycle in a temperate estuary." ( ). PMID- 17783051 TI - The "monster" proof. PMID- 17783052 TI - "Retreading" Ph.D.'s. PMID- 17783053 TI - Public doubts about science. PMID- 17783054 TI - Extraterrestrial cause for the cretaceous-tertiary extinction. AB - Platinum metals are depleted in the earth's crust relative to their cosmic abundance; concentrations of these elements in deep-sea sediments may thus indicate influxes of extraterrestrial material. Deep-sea limestones exposed in Italy, Denmark, and New Zealand show iridium increases of about 30, 160, and 20 times, respectively, above the background level at precisely the time of the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinctions, 65 million years ago. Reasons are given to indicate that this iridium is of extraterrestrial origin, but did not come from a nearby supernova. A hypothesis is suggested which accounts for the extinctions and the iridium observations. Impact of a large earth-crossing asteroid would inject about 60 times the object's mass into the atmosphere as pulverized rock; a fraction of this dust would stay in the stratosphere for several years and be distributed worldwide. The resulting darkness would suppress photosynthesis, and the expected biological consequences match quite closely the extinctions observed in the paleontological record. One prediction of this hypothesis has been verified: the chemical composition of the boundary clay, which is thought to come from the stratospheric dust, is markedly different from that of clay mixed with the Cretaceous and Tertiary limestones, which are chemically similar to each other. Four different independent estimates of the diameter of the asteroid give values that lie in the range 10 +/- 4 kilometers. PMID- 17783055 TI - No-tillage agriculture. AB - The no-tillage cropping system, a combination of ancient and modern agricultural practices, has been rapidly increasing in use. By the year 2000, as much as 65 percent of the acreage of crops grown in the United States may be grown by the no tillage practice. Soil erosion, the major source of pollutants in rural streams, is virtually eliminated when no-tillage agriculture is practiced. The no-tillage system reduces the energy input into corn and soybean production by 7 and 18 percent, respectively, when compared to the conventional tillage system of moldboard plowing followed by disking. In addition, crop yields are as high as or higher than those obtained with traditional tillage practices on large areas of agricultural land. PMID- 17783056 TI - Risks of risk decisions. AB - The analytical approaches utilized for evaluating the acceptability of technological risk originate from analogies to financial cost-benefit risk analysis. These analogies appear generally valid for viewing risk from a societal basis, but are not applicable to individual risk assessments. Conflicts arising from these different views of risk assessment provide insights to the origins of individual, intuitive evaluations. Societal risk decisions made under conflict represent political compromises, and the resulting decision process creates substantial conflict costs. The pragmatic use of quantitative risk criteria (safety targets) may be useful in reducing these costs. PMID- 17783057 TI - Math center protests army contract terms. PMID- 17783058 TI - Oil Embargo Might Cost $270 Billion, CBO Reports. PMID- 17783059 TI - NSF Searches for New Leaders. PMID- 17783060 TI - Fight Brewing over Reactor Fuel for India. PMID- 17783061 TI - Potential bomb-builders. PMID- 17783063 TI - New releases from the symposia series. PMID- 17783062 TI - Officials debate nuclear policy shift. PMID- 17783064 TI - Reminder. PMID- 17783065 TI - Science enrichment programs to include handicapped students. PMID- 17783066 TI - R&D colloquium. PMID- 17783067 TI - Fellowships awarded. PMID- 17783068 TI - Patterns of health risk. PMID- 17783069 TI - History of mathematics. PMID- 17783070 TI - Chain polymers. PMID- 17783071 TI - Control theory. PMID- 17783072 TI - Precipitation chemistry patterns: a two-network data set. AB - Precipitation chemistry data from two networks, one with nine sites and the other with eight, are shown to provide comparable data, that is, they were drawn from the same population. These data may thus be combined into a 17-site network. This combination of data provides a comprehensive description of the contemporary patterns of acid precipitation in the northeastern United States. PMID- 17783073 TI - Sex ratio adaptations to local mate competition in a parasitic wasp. AB - Females of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis adjust the sex ratio of their broods according to whether they are a first or second wasp to parasitize a host. The first wasp produces a strong daughter bias. The second wasp adjusts the prorportion of sons to the relative level of local mate competition, as predicted by a natural selection model. The results provide a quantitative test of sex ratio theory. PMID- 17783074 TI - SEVENTH SUMMER MEETING OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17783075 TI - THE RELATIONS OF THE INDUSTRIES TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17783076 TI - AMERICAN MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783077 TI - THE 'DATE OF PUBLICATION' IN THE LIGHT OF THE LAW OF PRIORITY. PMID- 17783078 TI - THE NATURE OF VOWELS. PMID- 17783079 TI - ELECTRIC STORM ON MOUNT ELBERT, COLORADO. PMID- 17783081 TI - Programs for Fuller Utilization of Present Resources of Scientific Personnel. PMID- 17783080 TI - Trends in Supply and Demand of Scientific Personnel. PMID- 17783083 TI - Crayfish in Southern Nevada. PMID- 17783082 TI - The Effect of Rutin on Anaphylactic and Histamine Shock. PMID- 17783084 TI - Hydrolysis of Steroid Esters on Activated Alumina. PMID- 17783085 TI - FIAT Review of German Science. PMID- 17783086 TI - The Geological Society of America: A Proposed Section on Geomorphology and Glacial Geology. PMID- 17783087 TI - Physical State of Lipids and Foreign Substances Producing Atherosclerosis. PMID- 17783088 TI - The Production of Mushroom Mycelium (Agaricus campestris) in Submerged Culture. PMID- 17783089 TI - Diffuse and Nodular Hyperplasia of the Thyroid Gland in Thiouracil-treated Rats. PMID- 17783090 TI - Heterologous Tumor Transplantation by Intravenous Inoculation of the Chick Embryo. PMID- 17783092 TI - A Method for the Aeration of Liquid Cultures of Microorganisms. PMID- 17783091 TI - The Use of Glycine in the Disruption of Bacterial Cells. PMID- 17783093 TI - A Pipette for the Rapid Transfer of Measured Quantities of Solution. PMID- 17783094 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17783095 TI - WILLIAM CHAUVENET. PMID- 17783097 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17783096 TI - THE TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN PROTOZOA. PMID- 17783099 TI - AMOEBOID MOVEMENT. PMID- 17783098 TI - DO CILIATED ORGANISMS ROTATE COUNTER-CLOCKWISE WHILE SWIMMING? PMID- 17783100 TI - A DENOMINATIONAL COLLEGE AND EVOLUTION. PMID- 17783101 TI - AN INTERCHANGEABLE TYPEWRITER. PMID- 17783102 TI - NEW TERMS IN THE SPECTRA OF ZINC AND MERCURY. PMID- 17783104 TI - THE MID-WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGISTS. PMID- 17783105 TI - THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS. PMID- 17783103 TI - AN AUTOMATIC THERMOREGULATOR, DEPENDING ON THE FLOW OF WARMED LIQUID. PMID- 17783106 TI - ARE WE AN INVENTIVE PEOPLE IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION? PMID- 17783107 TI - THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE OHIO UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17783108 TI - IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ULTRA-VIOLET MICROSCOPE. PMID- 17783110 TI - HOLOTHURIAN NAMES. PMID- 17783109 TI - CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP OF PHYLLOSTICTA SOLITARIA TO THE FRUIT BLOTCH OF APPLES. PMID- 17783111 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17783112 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17783113 TI - The global carbon cycle. PMID- 17783114 TI - The global carbon cycle. PMID- 17783116 TI - The global carbon cycle. PMID- 17783115 TI - Mature accelerators. PMID- 17783117 TI - Response:the global carbon cycle. PMID- 17783118 TI - AAAS Presidential Lecture: Voices from the Pipeline. AB - The number of white males of college age, who have been the dominant participants in the fields of science and engineering, is predicted to drop significantly in the future. Rapid increases in the participation of women offer some hope of filling anticipated vacancies in the ranks of scientifically trained personnel, although this rapid growth has reached a plateau in many fields. Most studies show that women enter graduate school at about the same rate as men; the dropoff in women's participation occurs sometime before the attainment of the Ph.D. Recent surveys of graduate students indicate that men and women respond differently to the pressures of graduate school and often have a different image of themselves and of their advisers' perceptions of them as graduate students. Some clues from these results may show how the environment can be made more supportive for all students, and for women and minority students in particular. PMID- 17783120 TI - The Shroud of Turin: An Answer Is at Hand: After generations of speculations and argument, the true age of the Shroud has now been determined by radiocarbon methods; rumor has it that the answer is not 33 A.D. PMID- 17783119 TI - Army shifts on dugway lab. PMID- 17783121 TI - Science achievement in schools called "distressingly low". PMID- 17783122 TI - Hard Choices Ahead on Biodiversity: With many species on the verge of extinction, biologists call for a quick and dirty survey to chart the biodiversity of the planet. PMID- 17783123 TI - Chips Made with X-ray Lithography. PMID- 17783124 TI - Ecologists' Opportunity in Yellowstone's Blaze: The recent fires that spread through half of Yellowstone National Park offer insights into important ecological questions. PMID- 17783125 TI - Guacamole, anyone? PMID- 17783126 TI - Going far on a B.s. PMID- 17783127 TI - What's in a Name? PMID- 17783128 TI - Industrial innovation in Japan and the United States. AB - Japanese firms tend to be quicker and more economical than U.S.firms at developing and introducing new products and processes, but this advantage seems to exist only among innovations based on external technology, rather than internal technology. Whereas U.S.firms put more emphasis on marketing start-up, they put much less emphasis on tooling, equipment, and manufacturing facilities than do Japanese firms. Applied R&D in Japan, which focuses more on processes than in the United States, seems to have yielded a handsome return; but there is no evidence that the rate of return from basic research has been relatively high in Japan. In robotics, the Japanese edge seems to increase as one moves from R&D toward the market. PMID- 17783129 TI - Soft X-ray Images of the Solar Corona with a Normal-Incidence Cassegrain Multilayer Telescope. AB - High-resolution images of the sun in the soft x-ray to extreme ultraviolet(EUV) regime have been obtained with normal-incidence Cassegrain multilayer telescopes operated from a sounding rocket in space. The inherent energy-selective property of multilayer-coated optics allowed distinct groups of emission lines to be isolated in the solar corona and the transition region. The Cassegrain telescopes provided images in bands centered at 173 and 256 angstroms. The bandpass centered at 173 angstroms is dominated by emission from the ions Fe IX Fe X. This emission is from coronal plasma in the temperature range 0.8 x 10(6) to 1.4 x 10(6)K. The images have angular resolution of about 1.0 to 1.5 arc seconds, and show no degradation because of x-ray scattering. Many features of coronal structure, including magnetically confined loops of hot plasma, coronal plumes, polar coronal holes, faint structures on the size scale of supergranulation and smaller, and features due to overlying cool prominences are visible in the images. The density structure of polar plumes, which are thought to contribute to the solar wind, has been derived from the observations out to 1.7 solar radii. PMID- 17783131 TI - 1989 AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17783130 TI - Middle archaic period domestic architecture from southern peru. AB - Domestic or residential structures ranging in age from 6040 to 6850 years old have discovered at the open air site of Asana in the high sierra of southern Peru. These are the earliest domestic structures known from the high elevation zones of the south central Andes, and they are contemporaneous with sites with structures on the north Chilean littoral. Analysis of site structure and content suggests that during the Middle Archaic the site was a logistical camp within a dry puna-high sierra settlement system. PMID- 17783133 TI - A new scholarship: psychology in twentieth-century thought and society. PMID- 17783132 TI - The science of mind: the making of cognitive science. PMID- 17783134 TI - Sedimentary geology: new perspectives in basin analysis. PMID- 17783136 TI - Some other books of interest. PMID- 17783135 TI - Surface science: physics at surfaces. PMID- 17783137 TI - The biome programs. PMID- 17783138 TI - Exercise and heart disease. PMID- 17783139 TI - The biome programs. PMID- 17783140 TI - The biome programs. PMID- 17783141 TI - Unfreezing the future. PMID- 17783143 TI - New administration: EPA nominees seem acceptable to all sides. PMID- 17783142 TI - Perovskite oxides: materials science in catalysis. AB - In a time of growing need for catalysts, perovskites have been rediscovered as a family of catalysts of such great diversity that a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines have been brought to bear in their study and application. Because of the wide range of ions and valences which this simple structure can accommodate, the perovskites lend themselves to chemical tailoring. It is relatively simple to synthesize perovskites because of the flexibility of the structure to diverse chemistry. Many of the techniques of ceramic powder preparation are applicable to perovskite catalysts. In their own right, they are therefore of interest as a model system for the correlation of solid-state parameters and catalytic mechanisms. Such correlations [See figure in the PDF file] have recently been found between the rate and selectivity of oxidation-reduction reactions and the thermodynamic and electronic parameters of the solid. For commercial processes such as those mentioned in the introduction, perovskite catalysts have not yet proven to be practical. Much of the initial interest in these catalysts related to their use in automobile exhaust control. Current interest in this field centers on noble metalsubstituted perovskites resistant to S poisoning for single bed, dual-bed, and three-way catalyst configurations. The formulations commercially tested to date have shown considerable promise, but long-term stability has not yet been achieved. A very large fraction of the elements that make up presently used commercial catalysts can be incorporated in the structure of perovskite oxides. Conversely, it is anticipated that perovskite oxides, appropriately formulated, will show catalytic activity for a large variety of chemical conversions. Even though this expectation is by no means a prediction of commercial success in the face of competition by existing catalyst systems, it makes these oxides attractive models in the study of catalytic chemical conversion. By appropriate formulation many desirable properties can be tailored, including the valence state of transition metal ions, the binding energy and diffusion of O in the lattice, the distance between active sites, and the magnetic and conductive properties of the solid. Only a very small fraction of possible perovskite formulations have been explored as catalysts. It is expected that further investigation will greatly expand the scope of perovskite catalysis, extend the understanding of solid-state parameters in catalysis, and contribute to the development of practical catalytic processes. PMID- 17783144 TI - Scanning the Want Ads with President Ford's Top Officials. PMID- 17783145 TI - Aftermath of the new math: its originators defend it. PMID- 17783146 TI - NCAT: Appropriate Technology with a Mission. PMID- 17783147 TI - A new center for the humanities. PMID- 17783149 TI - Applied ecology: showing the way to better insect control. PMID- 17783148 TI - NIH Seeks Law on Gene-Splice Research. PMID- 17783150 TI - Unconventional energy sources: Brazil looks for applications. PMID- 17783152 TI - Native americans project to compile resource bank. PMID- 17783153 TI - 1976 AAAS Awards Presented in Denver. PMID- 17783154 TI - Nominations Invited for 1977 AAAS Awards and Fellows. PMID- 17783155 TI - For the library. PMID- 17783156 TI - New publications. PMID- 17783158 TI - Resource Survey for Handicapped Students to Be Undertaken by AAAS. PMID- 17783157 TI - Law-science group appoints new members. PMID- 17783159 TI - Regional seminar on ethical dimensions of scientific research set. PMID- 17783160 TI - Contributions to the modern synthesis. PMID- 17783161 TI - The search for natural groups. PMID- 17783162 TI - Bases of personality variance. PMID- 17783163 TI - Eruptions of the st. Augustine volcano: airborne measurements and observations. AB - Airborne measurements of the effluents from the St. Augustine volcano obtained during a 10-day period of activity showed that aerosol was ejected at the rate of about 10(5) kilograms per second during brief eruptions (3 to 8 minutes). Steadier emissions contained much more water vapor and gaseous sulfur but less aerosol mass. A nuee ardente (glowing avalanche) produced by one eruption reached a maximum average speed of about 50 meters per second. PMID- 17783164 TI - The biome programs: evaluating an experiment. PMID- 17783165 TI - THE LAWS OF NATURE. PMID- 17783166 TI - KINETIC EVOLUTION IN MAN. PMID- 17783167 TI - THE NEW LABORATORY AND GREENHOUSE FOR PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AT SMITH COLLEGE. PMID- 17783168 TI - AN ELECTRIC LAMP FOR MICROSCOPE ILLUMINATION. PMID- 17783169 TI - WORK OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PMID- 17783170 TI - VOLCANIC DUST AND SAND FROM ST. VINCENT CAUGHT AT SEA AND THE BARBADOS. PMID- 17783171 TI - W. E. HAMILTON. PMID- 17783172 TI - THE GRAY SQUIRREL AS A TWIG-PRUNER. PMID- 17783174 TI - MASS AND WEIGHT. PMID- 17783173 TI - A SUPPOSED EARLY TERTIARY PENEPLAIN IN THE KLAMATH REGION, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17783176 TI - THE RATE OF INTEREST ON GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. PMID- 17783175 TI - CORRESPONDENCE OF RAFINESQUE AND CUTLER. PMID- 17783177 TI - RAILWAY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PITTSBURGH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17783179 TI - THE COMET. PMID- 17783178 TI - THE UNITY OF NATURE: Duke of Argyll. PMID- 17783180 TI - ON THE OVERGROWN TEETH OF FIBER WIBETHICUS. PMID- 17783181 TI - FIRE BALLS. PMID- 17783182 TI - To the Editor of "Science.". PMID- 17783183 TI - WAR DEPaRTMENT REPORTS. PMID- 17783184 TI - INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTATE ASPECTS OF THE COLORADO RIVER PROBLEM. PMID- 17783185 TI - PROGRESS IN POLYNESIAN RESEARCH. PMID- 17783186 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17783187 TI - TINGITIDAe OR TINGIDAe AGAIN. PMID- 17783188 TI - STELLAR DIAMETERS. PMID- 17783189 TI - A MINIATURE PHOTOGRAPHIC DARKROOM. PMID- 17783190 TI - THE VALUE OF COST ACCOUNTING IN ANALYTICAL AND CONSULTING LABORATORIES. PMID- 17783191 TI - THE ORDER OF SCIENTIFIC MERIT. PMID- 17783193 TI - ADVANCES IN METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17783192 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783195 TI - WALCOTT ON THE CAMBRIAN FAUNAS. PMID- 17783194 TI - HYPNOTISM IN FRANCE. PMID- 17783196 TI - FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE PRACTISING ENGINEER. PMID- 17783197 TI - FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING. PMID- 17783198 TI - GRADUATE SCHOOL OF HOME ECONOMICS. PMID- 17783199 TI - CAVERNS IN THE OZARKS. PMID- 17783200 TI - PRESS BULLLETINS OF THE FOREST SERVICE. PMID- 17783202 TI - A CONTINUOUS CALORIMETER. PMID- 17783201 TI - A PROTEST. PMID- 17783204 TI - THE LIQUEFACTION OF HELIUM. PMID- 17783203 TI - ELECTROMAGNETIC MASS. PMID- 17783206 TI - THE UNIVERSITY AND THE WORLD'S GREAT WORKSHOP. PMID- 17783205 TI - THE THIRTY-EIGHTH GENERAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783207 TI - CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO A STUDY OF AN AREA OF CRYSTALLINE ROCKS IN SOUTH WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. PMID- 17783208 TI - SPECIAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17783209 TI - A NOTE ON ASSORTATIVE MATING. PMID- 17783210 TI - THE SALARIES OF PROFESSORS. PMID- 17783211 TI - ON THE FORMATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM INORGANIC BY THE INFLUENCE OF LIGHT. PMID- 17783212 TI - DINOSAURS AND COAL IN THE RED DEER COUNTRY, ALBERTA, CANADA. PMID- 17783213 TI - EXPLOSIVE ERUPTIONS OF KILAUEA. PMID- 17783215 TI - EINSTEIN DISPLACEMENT ON THE PLATES TAKEN BY THE CANADIAN PARTY AT THE AUSTRALIAN ECLIPSE. PMID- 17783214 TI - FUNDAMENTAL CLASSIFICATION OF GALLS. PMID- 17783216 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17783218 TI - WAR EXPLOSIVES MISTAKEN FOR MINERALS. PMID- 17783217 TI - ATHLETICS AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783219 TI - PARTIAL LIST OF BIOLOGICAL INSTITUTES AND BIOLOGISTS DOING EXPERIMENTAL WORK IN RUSSIA AT THE PRESENT TIME. PMID- 17783221 TI - FISHERIES RESEARCH. PMID- 17783220 TI - FREE MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES. PMID- 17783222 TI - CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17783223 TI - CRITICAL POTENTIALS OF THALLIUM VAPOR. PMID- 17783224 TI - CROSS-INOCULATION STUDIES WITH CUCURBIT MOSAIC. PMID- 17783226 TI - PACIFIC DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783225 TI - A FURTHER NOTE ON THE FRESH-WATER MEDUSA. PMID- 17783227 TI - Nighttime driving accidents and selective visual degradation. PMID- 17783228 TI - Landsat's Role in Brine Discovery. PMID- 17783229 TI - Is small always beautiful? PMID- 17783230 TI - Federal reorganization: science and technology. PMID- 17783231 TI - Fish culture: problems and prospects. PMID- 17783232 TI - Computer encryption and the national security agency connection. PMID- 17783233 TI - New york blackout: weak links tie con ed to neighboring utilities. PMID- 17783235 TI - One hand lights up while the other wags a finger. PMID- 17783234 TI - Executive Office Reorganization: OSTP and CEQ Are Still In. PMID- 17783236 TI - Congress kills research money for smithsonian scientists. PMID- 17783237 TI - Photovoltaics: the semiconductor revolution comes to solar. PMID- 17783239 TI - Double stars. PMID- 17783238 TI - A national facility for making submicron structures. PMID- 17783240 TI - Biological anthropology. PMID- 17783241 TI - Immunity. PMID- 17783242 TI - A teleost family. PMID- 17783243 TI - Possible surface reactions on Mars: implications for viking biology results. AB - The results of two of the three biology experiments carried out on the Viking Mars landers have been simulated. The mixture of organic compounds labeled with carbon-14 used on Mars released carbon dioxide containing carbon-14 when reacted with a simulated martian surface and atmosphere exposed to ultraviolet light (labeled release experiment). Oxygen was released when metal peroxides or superoxides were treated with water (gas exchange experiment). The simulations suggest that the results of these two Viking experiments can be explained on the basis of reactions of the martian surface and atmosphere. PMID- 17783244 TI - Shock-produced olivine glass: first observation. AB - Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations of an experimentally shock deformed single crystal of natural peridot, (Mg(0.88)Fe(0.12))(2)SiO(4), recovered from peak pressures of about 56 x 10(9) pascals revealed the presence of amorphous zones located within crystalline regions with a high density of tangled dislocations. This is the first reported observation of olivine glass. The shocked sample exhibits a wide variation in the degree of shock deformation on a small scale, and the glass appears to be intimately associated with the highest density of dislocations. This study suggests that olivine glass may be formed as a result of shock at pressures above about 50 to 55 x 10(9) pascals and that further TEM observations of naturally shocked olivines may demonstrate the presence of glass. PMID- 17783245 TI - Harvesting natural populations in a randomly fluctuating environment. AB - As harvesting effort and yield are increased, animal populations that are being harvested for sustained yield will take longer to recover from environmentally imposed disturbances. One consequence is that the coefficient of variation (the relative variance) of the yield increases as the point of maximum sustained yield (MSY) is approached. When overexploitation has resulted in a population smaller than that for MSY, high effort produces a low average yield with high variance. These observations accord with observed trends in several fish and whaling industries. We expect these effects to be more pronounced for a harvesting strategy based on constant quotas than for one based on constant effort. Although developed in a MSY context, the conclusions also apply if the aim is to maximize the present value of (discounted) net economic revenue. PMID- 17783246 TI - Compressional and surface waves in sand: used by desert scorpions to locate prey. AB - Loose sand conducts compressional and surface (Rayleigh) waves at relatively low velocities (95 to 120 meters per second and 40 to 50 meters per second, respectively) compared to other natural substrates. For frequencies between 1 and 5 kilohertz, the specific attenuation factor, Q, for sand is 18. Compound slit sensilla on basitarsal leg segments of sand-dwelling scorpions respond to surface waves generated by movements of insects as far as 50 centimeters away, and tarsal sensory hairs respond to higher-frequency (mostly compressional-wave) components of the signal. PMID- 17783247 TI - Childhood IQ's as Predictors of Adult Educational and Occupational Status. AB - IQ's between 3 and 18 years of age were used to predict attained education and occupational status after 26 years of age. By the second grade these predictive correlations approached those that have been obtained with contemporaneous adult IQ's, especially for occupational status. However, they were not high enough for practical purposes requiring long-term prediction for individual normal children. PMID- 17783248 TI - Long-Term Effects of an Oil Spill on Populations of the Salt-Marsh Crab Uca pugnax. AB - A spill of fuel oil at West Falmouth, Massachusetts, in 1969, contaminated contiguous salt marshes with up to 6000 micrograms of oil per gram (ppm) of wet mud and affected local populations of Uca pugnax. Directly related to high sediment oil content were reduced crab density, reduced ratio of females to males, reduced juvenile settlement, heavy overwinter mortality, incorporation of oil into body tissues, behavioral disorders such as locomotor impairment, and abnormal burrow construction. Concentrations of weathered fuel oil greater than 1000 ppm were directly toxic to adults, while those of 100 to 200 ppm were toxic to juveniles. Cumulative effects occurred at lower concentrations. Recovery of the marsh from this relatively small oil spill is still incomplete after 7 years. PMID- 17783249 TI - Ovarian Dynamics in Heliconiine Butterflies: Programmed Senescence versus Eternal Youth. AB - New oocytes are generated throughout long lives in butterflies of the genus Heliconius, which as adults feed on amino acids from pollen. In Dryas julia, a related heliconiine that feeds only on nectar and is relatively short-lived, the original oocyte supply is eventually depleted. Such divergent ovarian dynamics in closely related organisms are significant in terms of both their evolutionary basis and their physiological controls. PMID- 17783250 TI - Bag cell control of egg laying in freely behaving aplysia. AB - Neuroendocrine (bag cell) control of egg laying was studied in freely behaving Aplysia. Surgical lesions showed that bag cells are not necessary for egg laying, although they play a crucial role in its control, and that the pleurovisceral connectives are the afferent pathway to the bag cells. Recording in vivo showed that synchronous bag cell spikes progressively invade the network, leading to prolonged repetitive firing that initiates natural egg laying. PMID- 17783251 TI - Refractoriness in female lizard reproduction: a probable circannual clock. AB - Postreproductive Cnemidophorus uniparens maintained under free-running conditions of constant darkness for 7 months became reproductive at the same time as controls exposed to a long photoperiod. This lizard exhibits a pause in reproductive activity (refractory period) commencing in late summer in nature and terminating in mid-December in captivity. Both groups terminated refractoriness and started reproducing simultaneously in December despite maintenance of the experimental group in darkness since September. These results confirm the hypothesis that the refractory period in this lizard is under endogenous control. PMID- 17783252 TI - Chemical Basis for Feeding Adaptation of Pine Sawflies Neodiprion rugifrons and Neodiprion swainei. AB - Larvae of two pine sawflies, Neodiprion rugifrons Midd. and Neodiprion swainei Midd., consume only old foliage of jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lamb., and leave juvenile foliage intact early in the growing season. The chemical basis for this unique adaptation is a feeding deterrent chemical, 13-keto-8(14)-podocarpen-18 oic acid, which was isolated from juvenile foliage. The content of this deterrent chemical decreases as the foliage begins to mature until needles become acceptable to Neodiprion swainei larvae by August (60-day-old foliage) and to second-generation Neodiprion rugifrons by September (90-day-old foliage). The precise timing of larval acceptance of juvenile foliage indicates a highly specific relationship between these insects and their host tree based on the composition of chemicals in the foliage. PMID- 17783253 TI - Biomedical Sciences in Europe. PMID- 17783254 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17783255 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17783256 TI - Identifying Great Teachers. PMID- 17783257 TI - Empiricism in Engineering and Science. PMID- 17783258 TI - For Complexity. PMID- 17783260 TI - Appendix: Taxonomic Treatment of Genera and Species from the Lower Algal Chert, Gunflint Formation, Animikie Series, Ontario, Canada. PMID- 17783261 TI - Congress and Science: Tensions Appear To Be Minimal as Annual Review Begins on Budget Requests. PMID- 17783259 TI - Microorganisms from the Gunflint Chert: These structurally preserved Precambrian fossils from Ontario are the most ancient organisms known. PMID- 17783262 TI - ACDA: LBJ Supports Agency Plea for Bigger Budget, Longer Life; but Old Problems Still Remain. PMID- 17783263 TI - West Germany Debates a "Cultural Crisis". PMID- 17783264 TI - Potassium Content of Illite. AB - The average potassium oxide content of 18 Paleozoic two-layer monoclinic illites is 8.75 percent. There is an excellent linear relation between the ratio of the intensities of the reflections at 10 angstroms and 5 angstroms (10 A/5 A) and the potassium oxide content. The frequency distribution curve of the 10 A/5 A intensity ratio of 249 Paleozoic illite-rich shales is approximately normal. The modal value is 2.0, equivalent to 9.3 percent potassium oxide, and the average ratio is 2.47, equivalent to approximately 8.5 percent potassium oxide. The illite layers of many of the mixed layer illites-montmorillonites have from 8 to 10 percent potassium oxide. With a minimum number of assumptions realistic structural formulas for the two members of a mixed-layer illite-montmorillonite can be calculated. PMID- 17783265 TI - Crystal Packing of Molecules. AB - The packing position of a molecule of known or assumed dimensions in a crystal can be found by minimizing the energy of the crystal with respect to molecular position by the method of steepest descent. Molecular flexibility can be introduced by allowing internal rotation about selected bonds. The method can be used to solve the diffraction phase problem in appropriate cases. PMID- 17783266 TI - Late-Wisconsin End Moraines in Northern Canada. AB - A system of end moraines nearly 2240 kilometers long has been identified by field investigation and aerial photography. It extends through northeastern Keewatin, Melville Peninsula, and Baffin Island and marks the border of a late-Wisconsin ice sheet centered over Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay 8000 or 9000 years ago. PMID- 17783267 TI - Radiocarbon Dates from a Tomb in Mexico. AB - The first series of radiocarbon dates to be obtained from a deep shaft-and chamber tomb of the type restricted in Mesoamerica to parts of Nayarit, Jalisco, and Colima in western Mexico ranges from 2230 +/- 100 years to 1710 +/- 80 years. Examination of the evidence indicates that for the present a date equivalent to A.D. 250 should be accepted for at least one phase, possibly a late phase, of the shaft tomb culture and for the hollow, polychrome figurines associated with the tombs. PMID- 17783268 TI - Feeding Stimulants for the Female House Fly, Musca domestica Linneaus. AB - Both casein and yeast hydrolysate contain feeding stimulants for the adult female house fly. Guanosine monophosphate is the major active component in yeast hydrolysate. Several amino acids, including leucine, methionine, lysine, and isoleucine, are also effective feeding stimulants and are presumed to be the active components in the casein hydrolysate. Solution in phosphate buffer is necessary in all instances to obtain maximum activity with the stimulants. PMID- 17783269 TI - Ethology and Experimental Psychology. PMID- 17783270 TI - Protoplasts and L-Forms. PMID- 17783271 TI - Marine Microorganisms. PMID- 17783272 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Abnormal glutamate metabolism in an adult-onset degenerative neurological disorder" by Andreas Plaitakis et al. (9 Apr., p. 193), the identification number of the grant from the National Institutes of Health Division of Research Resources [(15), p. 196] is misprinted. It should read RR 71. PMID- 17783273 TI - Nuclear waste disposal. PMID- 17783274 TI - Ten years after stockholm. PMID- 17783275 TI - Galactic evolution: a survey of recent progress. AB - Current observational knowledge bearing on the evolution of elliptical and disk galaxies is reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying the factors that appear common to all galaxies of a particular type as opposed to those that seem to depend on environmental conditions. The success of various classes of galactic formation and evolution models used to confront these data is evaluated. PMID- 17783276 TI - Energy and the oil-importing developing countries. AB - Oil-importing developing countries will need more energy during the 1980's to sustain development and to support their subsistence sectors. Development plans must be revised to reflect the potentially disastrous effects of high-cost oil on foreign exchange reserves and on national indebtedness. Energy use efficiency must be increased, and wider use must be made of domestic sources of energy-of conventional fossil and hydro sources and of new and renewable options such as biomass and other solar resources. The international community can help by careful management of world financial flows and trade agreements, expansion of capital assistance, and provision of technical assistance. The importance of improving levels of scientific and technical expertise in the less-developed countries is a challege to the worldwide scientific and engineering community. PMID- 17783277 TI - Pentagon moves toward first-strike capability. PMID- 17783278 TI - Another in a series of counterforce weapons. PMID- 17783279 TI - A poor start for the militarization of space. PMID- 17783280 TI - Security Checks on USDA Peer Reviewers. PMID- 17783281 TI - Chip makers turn to academe with offer of research support. PMID- 17783282 TI - Fewer Grants Next Year, Says Future NIH Director. PMID- 17783283 TI - Environmentalists now targeting reagan. PMID- 17783284 TI - Inman Resigns from CIA. PMID- 17783285 TI - New biology foundation offers fellowships. PMID- 17783286 TI - Neutrinos: no oscillations? PMID- 17783288 TI - In quest of comet halley. PMID- 17783287 TI - The origin of the moon. PMID- 17783289 TI - Dreams of preplanetary fire. PMID- 17783291 TI - Scientists call for "national commitment" at senate hearings. PMID- 17783290 TI - U.s. Weather and the equatorial connection. PMID- 17783292 TI - Policy colloquium set for june. PMID- 17783293 TI - Conferences to address issues in science education. PMID- 17783294 TI - Gandhi addresses Indian science congress. PMID- 17783295 TI - Howard a. Meyerhoff, 1899--1982. PMID- 17783296 TI - Help bring science to the visually impaired. PMID- 17783297 TI - Your assistance is requested. PMID- 17783298 TI - Obituaries. PMID- 17783299 TI - OCEANS '82 Set for Washington, D.C. PMID- 17783300 TI - The use of nitrogen by plants. PMID- 17783301 TI - A theory of cognitive balance. PMID- 17783302 TI - Peat bogs. PMID- 17783304 TI - High energy physics. PMID- 17783303 TI - Paleobotany. PMID- 17783305 TI - Precambrian age of the Boston basin: new evidence from microfossils. AB - A Vendian (Late Proterozoic Z) age has been determined for the Boston Basin by comparison of a microflora from the Cambridge Argillite with other late Precambrian assemblages. The microfossils, which include Bavlinella cf. faveolata, are preserved as petrifactions in pyrite. This age designation for the sedimentary rocks of the Boston Basin should allow for the reinterpretation of the structure of the basin and its regional correlations. PMID- 17783306 TI - Skeleton of diacodexis, oldest known artiodactyl. AB - A nearly complete skeleton of early Eocene Diacodexis, the oldest known member of the mammalian order Artiodactyla, is described. Its slender, elongate limb elements indicate that Diacodexis was highly cursorial and closer in postcranial adaptations to tragulids and other primitive ruminants than to living or extinct nonruminant artiodactyls. Its skeletal specializations call into question the widespread notion that Diacodexis was the ancestor of all later artiodactyls. PMID- 17783307 TI - Upwelling of hydrothermal solutions through ridge flank sediments shown by pore water profiles. AB - High calcium ion and low magnesium ion concentrations in sediment pore waters in cores from the Galapagos Mounds Hydrothermal Field on the flank of the Galapagos Spreading Center are believed to be due to a calcium-magnesium exchange reaction between circulating seawater and basement basalt. The nonlinearity of the calcium ion and magnesium ion gradients indicates that these discharging hydrothermal solutions on the ridge flank are upwelling at the rate of about 1 centimeter per year through the pelagic sediments of the Mounds Field and at about 20 centimeters per year through the hydrothermal mounds themselves. PMID- 17783308 TI - Blade technology in the egyptian-nile valley: some new evidence. AB - An Upper Paleolithic site with blade technology was excavated at Nazlet Khater, Egypt. Radiocarbon dates center around 31,500 years ago, indicating that the Egyptian Nile Valley was not an isolated enclave where blade technology appeared late in comparison with other eastern Mediterranean areas. This site fills a gap in the record of human history in Egypt between 40,000 and 20,000 years ago. PMID- 17783309 TI - The mount st. Helens volcanic eruption of 18 may 1980: large short-term surface temperature effects. AB - The surface temperature effects of the 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens Volcano were examinedfor 1 day immediately after the eruption; 24-hour temperature differences and Model Output Statistics errors as well as the detailed temporal evolution of surface temperature at selected stations were used. During the daytime hours immediately after the eruption, the temperature was suppressed by the volcanic plume by as much as 8 degrees C. That night, low level volcanic dust produced temperature enhancements of up to 8 degrees C. These effects quickly diminished the next day as the volcanic dust cloud dissipated and moved toward the east. The net local effect of the eruption appears to be warming, in contrast to cooling which might be expected over climatic time scales. PMID- 17783310 TI - Venus was wet: a measurement of the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen. AB - The deuterium-hydrogen abundance ratio in the Venus atmosphere was measured while the inlets to the Pioneer Venus large probe mass spectrometer were coated with sulfuric acid from Venus' clouds. The ratio is (1.6 +/- 0.2) x 10(-2). The hundredfold enrichment of deuterium means that at least 0.3 percent of a terrestrial ocean was outgassed on Venus, but is consistent with a much greater production. PMID- 17783311 TI - Uptake of Dissolved Sulfide by Spartina alterniflora: Evidence from Natural Sulfur Isotope Abundance Ratios. AB - The difference in the stable sulfur isotope ratios of sulfate and sulfide in marsh pore water was used to verify the uptake of hydrogen sulfide by the salt marsh cordgrass Spartina alterniflora in a North Carolina salt marsh. Most of the plant sulfur derived from pore-water sulfide was recovered as sulfate, an indication that the sulfide had been oxidized within the plant. The analysis of the sulfur isotope ratios of other coastal halophytes may be a useful technique for determining whether sulfide is taken up by plants in saline wetlands. PMID- 17783313 TI - Dolphins and the bends. PMID- 17783312 TI - Curiosities in periodic precipitation patterns. AB - Observations have been made of several types of Liesegang patterns that are more complex than the usual concentric ring or parallel bands of precipitate. The structures observed show radial gaps, segmentation, irregular patterns within concentric rings, add the formation of spiral precipitation bands instead of sets of parallel Lisegang bands. PMID- 17783314 TI - WHITE MAN VERSUS THE PRAIRIE. PMID- 17783315 TI - VITAMIN K. AB - During the decade following Dam's first observations on the hemorrhagic syndrome the combined efforts of several groups of investigators have solved many of the important problems connected with the new vitamin. Sources of vitamin K were discovered, methods of extraction and purification devised, the isolation effected, the structure of K(1) worked out and then verified by synthesis, and a promising start made on the therapeutic applications. In addition, simple water soluble compounds with antihemorrhagic properties have been supplied for clinical work. Preliminary results with these compounds are encouraging. PMID- 17783317 TI - THE CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE AT BUENOS AIRES. PMID- 17783316 TI - FERDINAND AUGUSTUS SILCOX 1882-1939. PMID- 17783318 TI - THE OBSERVATORY OF THE CASE SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE. PMID- 17783319 TI - COOPER UNION ENGINEERING CAMP. PMID- 17783320 TI - THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783322 TI - AWARDS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, LONDON. PMID- 17783321 TI - EXPEDITIONS OF THE FIELD MUSEUM, CHICAGO. PMID- 17783323 TI - STAGNATION OF ICE IN CONNECTICUT. PMID- 17783324 TI - MACROCOSMS IN VITRO. PMID- 17783325 TI - TORNADO CLOUD SEEN IN ALASKA. PMID- 17783326 TI - THE UNIVERSITY OF CRACOW. PMID- 17783327 TI - A NEW USE FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL INDEX. PMID- 17783328 TI - THE CHROMOSOMES OF THE CHIMPANZEE. PMID- 17783330 TI - COENZYME CONCENTRATION OF TISSUES. PMID- 17783329 TI - CORTIN-LIKE EFFECTS OF STEROID GLYCOSIDES ON POTASSIUM. PMID- 17783331 TI - PROTOCOL. PMID- 17783332 TI - PARTICULATE COMPONENTS OF NORMAL AND TUMOR CELLS. PMID- 17783334 TI - THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17783333 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17783335 TI - THE SWAMPS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17783336 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17783337 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17783338 TI - BOSTON LETTER. PMID- 17783339 TI - Bishop's ring during solar eclipses. PMID- 17783341 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17783342 TI - The destruction of birds. PMID- 17783340 TI - A trap-door spider at work. PMID- 17783343 TI - Chinook winds. PMID- 17783344 TI - Is the dodo an extinct bird? PMID- 17783345 TI - Apropos to Pteranodon and Homo. PMID- 17783346 TI - A recent ice-storm. PMID- 17783348 TI - Foreword From Vernalization and Photoperiodism. PMID- 17783347 TI - The Effects of Changes in Quantity, Combination, and Position of Genes. PMID- 17783349 TI - Mechanical Transmission of a Virus Disease to Cucumber From Sour Cherry. PMID- 17783351 TI - Six-Segment Head Regenerates in an Earthworm, Eisenia foetida (Savigny) 1826. PMID- 17783350 TI - Crystallization of Hypophyseal Growth Hormone. PMID- 17783352 TI - Liver Tumors in Rats Fed Thiourea or Thioacetamide. PMID- 17783353 TI - Desoxypentosenuclease in Yeast and Specific Nature of Its Cellular Regulation. PMID- 17783354 TI - Effect of Flavonoids (Vitamin P) on Mortality From Total Body Roentgen Irradiation. PMID- 17783355 TI - Urinary Flow, Excretion of Solutes, and Osmotic Work During Diuresis of Solute Loading in Hydropenia in Man. PMID- 17783356 TI - Effects of the Antithyrotoxic Factor of Liver on Growth and Survival of Immature Rats Fed Massive Doses of Thyroactive Materials. PMID- 17783357 TI - Comparative Data on Vitamin B12 From Liver and From a New Source, Streptomyces griseus. PMID- 17783358 TI - Cytochrome C Labeled With Radioactive Iron. PMID- 17783359 TI - "Serology" and "Immunology". PMID- 17783361 TI - XLIV. MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, SPRINGFIELD, MASS., AUG. 28th-SEPT. 4th, 1895. PMID- 17783360 TI - Cultivation Is Necessary. PMID- 17783362 TI - THE RELATION OF ENGINEERING TO ECONOMICS. PMID- 17783363 TI - JOHN ADAM RYDER. PMID- 17783364 TI - REPORTS OF INTERNATIONAL MIETEOROLOGICAL MEETINGS. PMID- 17783365 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783366 TI - ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. PMID- 17783367 TI - RAILWAY SPEED IN GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17783368 TI - WINDS AND OCEAN CURRENTS. PMID- 17783369 TI - BOLOMETRIC INVESTIGATIONS; A CORRECTION. PMID- 17783370 TI - PLANS AND WORK AT CLARK UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17783372 TI - THE ARYAN CRADLE-LAND. PMID- 17783371 TI - ETHER INTOXICATION. PMID- 17783374 TI - Child Suicides. PMID- 17783373 TI - Malarious Africa. PMID- 17783375 TI - Cremation at Milan. PMID- 17783376 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17783377 TI - Hairs as Records of Emotional Disturbances. PMID- 17783378 TI - Deaf-Mutes and their Instruction. PMID- 17783379 TI - Espy's Experiments. PMID- 17783380 TI - Another Magnetic Man. PMID- 17783382 TI - ENGINEERING AND RELIGION. PMID- 17783381 TI - A MODERN CONCEPTION OF THE ACTION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. PMID- 17783383 TI - DEDICATION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES BUILDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17783384 TI - SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS OF USE IN THE WAR. PMID- 17783385 TI - CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17783387 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17783386 TI - NEW DISPENSARIES IN NEW YORK CITY. PMID- 17783388 TI - EDUCATION AND PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17783390 TI - VEGETATION TYPE MAPS OF CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN NEVADA. PMID- 17783389 TI - SEX VARIATION IN THE UTILIZATION OF IRON BY ANEMIC RATS. PMID- 17783391 TI - SUGGESTIONS REGARDING A PROPOSED STANDARDIZATION OF OSMOTIC PRESSURE AS A TERM. PMID- 17783392 TI - A NEW CHEMICAL REACTION WITH THE NITROSYL RADICAL NOH. PMID- 17783393 TI - THE FUNCTIONS OF DIPHOSPHOTHIAMINE (PHOSPHORYLATED VITAMIN B1). PMID- 17783394 TI - BIOELECTRIC POTENTIAL AS INDICATOR OF OVULATION IN THE HEN. PMID- 17783395 TI - THERMOSTATIC CONTROL. PMID- 17783396 TI - USE OF SODIUM THIOGLYCOLLATE IN CULTURING LARGE VOLUMES OF ANAEROBIC BACTERIA. PMID- 17783397 TI - INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. PMID- 17783398 TI - JEFFERSONIAN "FREEDOM OF SPEECH" FROM THE STANDPOINT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783400 TI - CONFIRMATION OF COSMIC PHENOMENON. PMID- 17783399 TI - THOMAS JEFFERSON AS A PALEONTOLOGIST. PMID- 17783401 TI - MIGRATION OF GRAY SQUIRRELS. PMID- 17783402 TI - A HIGHLY ACTIVE PRESSOR SUBSTANCE FROM CEREBRAL VENTRICULAR FLUID OF HUMAN BEINGS. PMID- 17783403 TI - MISTAKEN IDENTITY? PMID- 17783404 TI - FOREIGN JOURNALS IN THE USSR. PMID- 17783405 TI - EFFECTS OF ETHYLENE ON PLANT GROWTH HORMONE. PMID- 17783406 TI - THE ANTISCORBUTIC VALUE OF DANDELION. PMID- 17783408 TI - ABSOLUTE MEASUREMENTS OF SOUND. PMID- 17783407 TI - HISTORICAL NOTE ON THE PROBLEM OF LIGHT DEFLECTION IN THE SUN'S GRAVITATIONAL FIELD. PMID- 17783409 TI - SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY IN VIRGIL. PMID- 17783411 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICAL TABLES. PMID- 17783410 TI - TRANSITION ZONES. PMID- 17783412 TI - THE MARINE LABORATORY AT TORTUGAS. PMID- 17783413 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17783414 TI - A RECESSIVE BLACK VARIETY OF ROOF RAT. PMID- 17783415 TI - THE VIBRATIONAL ISOTOPE EFFECT IN THE BRAND SPECTRUM OF BORON NITRIDE. PMID- 17783416 TI - HYDROGEN ION CONCENTRATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCLEROTINIA APOTHECIA. PMID- 17783417 TI - ADVENTURE, ROMANCE AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17783418 TI - THE MAINTENANCE OF ORGANIC MATTER IN SOILS. PMID- 17783420 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17783419 TI - MEDICAL LICENSURE OF NON-MEDICAL DOCTORS. PMID- 17783421 TI - THE STREAMS OF LONG ISLAND. PMID- 17783422 TI - THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AND PROFESSOR SCHAEFFER. PMID- 17783423 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17783425 TI - A METHOD OF ULTRAMICROSCOPY WHEREBY FLUORESCENCE IN THE CYANOPHYCEAE AND DIATOMACEAE MAY BE DEMONSTRATED. PMID- 17783424 TI - NOTE ON THE THEORY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIVITY. PMID- 17783426 TI - SAMUEL JAMES MELTZER. PMID- 17783427 TI - THE RELATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY TO MEDICINE. PMID- 17783428 TI - ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH IN THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES. PMID- 17783429 TI - URTHER REMARKS ON "THE USE OF THE TERM FOSSIL". PMID- 17783431 TI - THE BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783430 TI - TECHNICAL STUDY AT OBERLIN COLLEGE. PMID- 17783432 TI - A FURTHER NOTE ON WAR AND POPULATION. PMID- 17783434 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17783433 TI - THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE ON THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783435 TI - Competitiveness: a long-enduring problem. PMID- 17783436 TI - Erratum. AB - In the second paragraph of the News & Comment briefing "Duesberg gets his day in court" by William Booth (15 April, p. 279), William Haseltine's name was misspelled. PMID- 17783437 TI - AIDS education. PMID- 17783438 TI - Is China Cutting Back on Overseas Students?: Chinese students in the United States protest Education Commission document, but Academy of Sciences president says a final decision has not been made. PMID- 17783439 TI - Big flap over a small space station. PMID- 17783440 TI - Labs Struggle to Promote Spin-Offs: Federal laboratories are increasingly viewed as promising sources of commercial technology, but getting it into the private sector is proving difficult. PMID- 17783441 TI - Oak ridge leads the way. PMID- 17783443 TI - Science at duke in black and white. PMID- 17783442 TI - Crafoord prize winner abstains. PMID- 17783444 TI - The Weather in the Wake of El Nino: This El Nino is disappearing as it releases its hold on the world's weather; it was a sobering experience. PMID- 17783445 TI - Global sea level and Earth rotation. AB - Recent analyses of long time scale secular variations of sea level, based on tide gauge observations, have established that sea level is apparently rising at a globally averaged rate somewhat in excess of 1 millimeter per year. It has been suggested that the nonsteric component of this secular rate might be explicable in terms of ongoing mass loss from the small ice sheets and glaciers of the world. Satellite laser ranging and very long baseline interferometry data may be used to deliver strong constraints on this important scenario because of the information that these systems provide on variations of the length of day and of the position of the rotation pole with respect to the earth's surface geography. These data demonstrate that the hypothesis of mass loss is plausible if the Barents Sea was covered by a substantial ice sheet at the last maximum of the current ice age 18,000 years ago. PMID- 17783446 TI - A model of solar luminosity modulation by magnetic activity between 1954 and 1984. AB - A simple model based on the changes in excess radiation from bright magnetic faculae and on changes in reduced radiation from dark spots is remarkably successful in matching the slow variations of total solar irradiance measured simultaneously by the ERB and ACRIM satellite radiometers between 1981 and 1984. This model was extended back to 1954 to reconstruct the modulation of irradiance by magnetic activity during the past three 11-year solar cycles. The model predicts that the sun is consistently brighter at activity maximum than at minimum. The 0.07 percent brightening at the peak of the last cycle in 1980 was more pronounced than the brightenings found for either of the two previous cycles, even though cycle 19, which peaked around 1957, had the largest sunspot number amplitude in the history of reliable sunspot records. PMID- 17783447 TI - Japanese medicine: health, illness, and medical care in Japan. PMID- 17783448 TI - Computer pioneers: the first electronic computer. PMID- 17783449 TI - Techniques for ecologists: developments in numerical ecology. PMID- 17783450 TI - Immune regulation: recombinant lymphokines and their receptors. PMID- 17783451 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17783452 TI - American Archaeology. PMID- 17783453 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17783454 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17783455 TI - Radioactive waste disposal. PMID- 17783456 TI - Safety of cosmetics. PMID- 17783457 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17783458 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17783459 TI - Management techniques. PMID- 17783460 TI - Schistosomiasis research projects. PMID- 17783461 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17783462 TI - Inter-american relations. PMID- 17783463 TI - A perspective on climatic change. PMID- 17783464 TI - Traditional maize processing techniques in the new world. PMID- 17783465 TI - Arms control: u.s., soviets revive threshold test ban talks. PMID- 17783466 TI - Antarctica: world hunger for oil spurs security council review. PMID- 17783467 TI - CEQ Weighs Oil Exploration in the Atlantic, off Alaska. PMID- 17783468 TI - Schlesinger's R & D Funding Plan Attacked. PMID- 17783469 TI - Soviets mysteriously cancel jubilee. PMID- 17783470 TI - Kissinger on science: making the linkage with diplomacy. PMID- 17783471 TI - Particle physics: is the electron really a hadron at heart? PMID- 17783472 TI - The simplest quark model. PMID- 17783473 TI - Energy storage (I): using electricity more efficiently. PMID- 17783474 TI - Genetic regulation of chlorophyll synthesis analyzed with mutants in barley. AB - Barley seedlings homozygous both for the xantha-1(35) and tigrina-d(12) mutation accumulate magnesium protopophyrins and other precursors of chlorophyllide constitutively in darkness. The homozygous double mutant xantha-f(10), tigrina O(34) produces protoporphyrin constitutively. These results provide evidence for the control of chlorophyllide synthesis in higher plants through the products of regulatory genes in the nucleus. PMID- 17783475 TI - Colonization of exploded volcanic islands by birds: the supertramp strategy. AB - After volcanic explosions or tidal waves had defaunated several islands near New Guinea, bird species number rapidly returned to equilibrium on coral islets and rapidly returned to quasi-steady-state values limited by regrowth of vegetation in lowland forest of larger islands. However, reequilibration in montane forest has been limited by slow dispersal of the birds. Colonists have been drawn disproportionately from r-selected "supertramrip" species, which maintain much higher population densities than do K-selected faunas, perhaps due to selection for resource overexploitation by the latter. PMID- 17783476 TI - Gravity anomalies in the galapagos islands area. PMID- 17783477 TI - THE GEOLOGY OF ORE DEPOSITS. PMID- 17783478 TI - THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17783479 TI - PREGLACIAL DRAINAGE IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO. PMID- 17783480 TI - MAGAZINE ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17783481 TI - PERMANENT SKIN DECORATION. PMID- 17783482 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17783483 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17783484 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17783485 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND THE SOCIETY OF SIGMA XI. PMID- 17783486 TI - RESPONSE TO ADDRESSES OF WELCOME. PMID- 17783487 TI - BRIEF HISTORY OF SIGMA XI. PMID- 17783488 TI - THE INCEPTION OF THE SOCIETY OF THE SIGMA XI. PMID- 17783489 TI - SUBMERGED VALLEYS ON CONTINENTAL SLOPES AND CHANGES OF SEA LEVEL. PMID- 17783490 TI - STELLAR DISTANCES AND THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE. PMID- 17783491 TI - AN EXPLANATION OF ADRENALIN ACTION. PMID- 17783493 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF ACIDITY IN HEAVY WATER MIXTURES. PMID- 17783492 TI - FLOODS AND DUST STORMS. PMID- 17783494 TI - THE INACTIVATION OF CRYSTALLINE TOBACCO-MOSAIC VIRUS PROTEIN. PMID- 17783495 TI - A LOW COST ELECTROCARDIOPHONE FOR TEACHING PURPOSES. PMID- 17783496 TI - SUPERIOR INFLUENCE OF THE MOTHER ON BODY SIZE IN RECIPROCAL HYBRIDS. PMID- 17783497 TI - The cultures of science and technology. PMID- 17783498 TI - Four years of reagan science policy: notable shifts in priorities. AB - Administration priorities for federal support of nondefense research and development emphasize basic research and the concomitant training of students. In 4 years basic research has moved from the smallest to the largest component in nondefense R & D expenditures, and basic research specifically to universities has grown by 26 percent in real terms during that period. New programs for fiscal year 1985 emphasize engineering education and research, as well as improved interactions between universities, federal laboratories, and industry. PMID- 17783499 TI - Early results from the infrared astronomical satellite. AB - For 10 months the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) provided astronomers with what might be termed their first view of the infrared sky on a clear, dark night. Without IRAS, atmospheric absorption and the thermal emission from both the atmosphere and Earthbound telescopes make the task of the infrared astronomer comparable to what an optical astronomer would face if required to work only on cloudy afternoons. IRAS observations are serving astronomers in the same manner as the photographic plates of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey; just as the optical survey has been used by all astronomers for over three decades, as a source of quantitative information about the sky and as a "roadmap" for future observations, the results of IRAS will be studied for years to come. IRAS has demonstrated the power of infrared astronomy from space. Already, from a brief look at a miniscule fraction of the data available, we have learned much about the solar system, about nearby stars, about the Galaxy as a whole and about distant extragalactic systems. Comets are much dustier than previously thought. Solid particles, presumably the remnants of the star-formation process, orbit around Vega and other stars and may provide the raw material for planetary systems. Emission from cool interstellar material has been traced throughout the Galaxy all the way to the galactic poles. Both the clumpiness and breadth of the distribution of this material were previously unsuspected. The far-infrared sky away from the galactic plane has been found to be dominated by spiral galaxies, some of which emit more than 50 percent and as much as 98 percent of their energy in the infrared-an exciting and surprising revelation. The IRAS mission is clearly the pathfinder for future missions that, to a large extent, will be devoted to the discoveries revealed by IRAS. PMID- 17783500 TI - Weapons Bureaucracy Spurns Star Wars Goal: Contrary to popular belief, the Pentagon did not endorse Reagan's vision of a missile-free world. PMID- 17783501 TI - Star wars panels highlight uncertainties. PMID- 17783502 TI - Writing Engineering's Ticket at NSF: Hearings on new amendment ventilate old worries about basic research, also provide outlet for current concern about U.S. competitiveness. PMID- 17783504 TI - The 1984 pittsburgh conference: a special instrumentation report: personal computers attract lab software. PMID- 17783503 TI - Do tax credits for R & d work? PMID- 17783505 TI - A New Library for GC Unknowns. PMID- 17783506 TI - Ultrahigh Sensitivity from GC-IR. PMID- 17783507 TI - Superfast time-resolved optical spectroscopy. PMID- 17783508 TI - Why buy when you can rent? PMID- 17783510 TI - Automating Wet Chemistry with FIA. PMID- 17783509 TI - Technical publishing workstation. PMID- 17783511 TI - A new dimension in NMR. PMID- 17783513 TI - Within the community of scientists. PMID- 17783512 TI - Black engineers. PMID- 17783515 TI - Amendment to AAAS Constitution. PMID- 17783514 TI - Interciencia begins network of biotechnology in the americas. PMID- 17783516 TI - Evolution/Creation book published. PMID- 17783518 TI - The benthic fauna: deep-sea biology. PMID- 17783517 TI - The patch clamp: single-channel recording. PMID- 17783519 TI - Fibrinogen and fibrin: molecular biology of fibrinogen and fibrin. PMID- 17783520 TI - Invertebrate lineages: crustacean phylogeny. PMID- 17783521 TI - Carbon Monoxide in the Earth's Atmosphere: Increasing Trend. AB - The results of an analysis of more than 60,000 atmospheric measurements of carbon monoxide taken over 3(1/2) years at Cape Meares, Oregon (45 degrees N, 125 degrees W), indicate that the background concentration of this gas is increasing. The rate of increase, although uncertain, is about 6 percent per year on average. Human activities are the likely cause of a substantial portion of this observed increase; however, because of the short atmospheric lifetime of carbon monoxide and the relatively few years of observations, fluctuations of sources and sinks related to the natural variability of climate may have affected the observed trend. Increased carbon monoxide may deplete tropospheric hydroxyl radicals, slowing down the removal of dozens of man-made and anthropogenic trace gases and thus indirectly affecting the earth's climate and possibly the stratospheric ozone layer. PMID- 17783522 TI - Detectability of supernova neutrinos with an existing proton decay detector. AB - The 8000-ton water IMB nucleon decay detector has good sensitivity to the neutrino burst associated with the collapse of stars. It is particularly sensitive to the v(e) charged current interactions with protons but can also record other neutrino interactions through ve scattering. Signal, noise, physics objectives, and detector modifications that would enhance burst detection are discussed. The objectives include astrophysical questions about the pulse structure and power. It also may be possible with a distant source to study neutrino masses and neutrino oscillations. PMID- 17783523 TI - Major carbon-14 deficiency in modern snail shells from southern nevada springs. AB - Carbon-14 contents as low as 3.3 +/- 0.2 percent modern (apparent age, 27,000 years) measured from the shells of snails Melanoides tuberculatus living in artesian springs in southern Nevada are attributed to fixation of dissolved HCO(3)(-) with which the shells are in carbon isotope equilibrium. Recognition of the existence of such extreme deficiencies is necessary so that erroneous ages are not attributed to freshwater biogenic carbonates. PMID- 17783524 TI - Enhanced Atmospheric Circulation over North America During the Early Holocene: Evidence from Lake Superior. AB - Profiles of grain sizes in five cores recovered from Lake Superior show that grain size increased with burial depth to the postglacial-glacial contact. The results reflect a substantial reduction in bottom-current velocity and the corresponding wind velocity from 9500 to 6500 years ago. PMID- 17783525 TI - Precipitation of sulfide ores and organic matter: sulfate reactions at pine point, Canada. AB - Bitumen is a common associate of carbonate-hosted lead-zinc deposits. On the Pine Point lead-zinc property, Northwest Territories, Canada, there are two forms of bitumen. Unaltered bitumens have atomic hydrogen/carbon ratios of about 1.4, sulfur contents of about 7.8 percent, and sulfur isotope ratios ( section sign(34)S) of approximately +4.6 per mil. Altered bitumens occur in proximity to sulfide ore bodies and white sparry dolomite. Their hydrogen/carbon ratios are about 1.02, the sulfur contents average 22 percent, and the section sign(34)S values are about +12.4 per mil. These data indicate that some bitumen has participated in the thermochemical reduction of sulfate to produce hydrogen sulfide required to precipitate the ores. Mass balance considerations show that the amount and degree of alteration of bitumen is more than adequate to account for the reduced sulfur species (lead, zinc, and iron sulfides) deposited at Pine Point. These reactions may provide an important means of generating the large volumes of sulfide necessary to precipitate ore bodies in carbonate rocks. PMID- 17783526 TI - A new charge-mosaic membrane from a multiblock copolymer. AB - A charge-mosaic membrane was prepared from a pentablock copolymer of the BABCB type by selectively introducing anion and cation exchange groups into the microseparated phases. The three-layer lamellar structure of the starting pentablock copolymer film was not disturbed by the modifications. The membrane obtained was highly permeable only to sodium chloride in mixed aqueous solutions of sodium chloride and organic species of low molecular weight, such as sucrose. Marked pH-dependent permeabilities were also observed for amino acids. PMID- 17783527 TI - Carnivorous mushrooms. AB - Ten species of gilled fungi, including the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), have been shown to attack and consume nematodes. It is suggested that these wood decay fungi utilize the nutrients in their prey to supplement the low levels of nitrogen available in wood. This mode of nutrition is similar in principle to that of carnivorous higher plants. PMID- 17783528 TI - Late triassic naticid drillholes: carnivorous gastropods gain a major adaptation but fail to radiate. AB - Infaunal and reclining bivalves of the Late Triassic Cassian Formation of northern Italy contain drillholes that closely resemble those produced by modern naticid gastropods. The oldest drillholes previously reported are from the late Early Cretaceous; this suggests that the drilling adaptation was lost soon after its appearance in the Late Triassic and originated independently in another naticid clade 120 million years later. The perceived selective value of such an adaptation may thus not always be a good predictor of its long-term survival, which is ultimately governed by factors that affect the speciation and extinction rates of the clade that carries it. PMID- 17783529 TI - An unusual phycoerythrin from a marine cyanobacterium. AB - Phycoerythrin conjugates are reagents for cell sorting and analyses in which the argon-ion laser line at 488 nanometers is used for excitation. Many marine Synechococcus strains contain phycoerythrins with absorption maxima at approximately 490 and 550 nanometers; these maxima indicate the presence of phycourobilin and phycoerythrobilin prosthetic groups in the protein. Phycoerythrins of red algae contain both groups, but those of freshwater and soil cyanobacteria contain only phycoerythrobilin. Phycoerythrin purified from Synechococcus WH8103 has molecular properties typical of red algal phycoerythrins, but its phycourobilin content is higher than that of other phycoerythrins. The protein has absorption maxima at 492 and 543 nanometers and corresponding molar extinction coefficients of 2.78 and 1.14 x 10(6); it fluoresces maximally at 565 nanometers with a quantum yield of 0.5. Conjugates of Synechococcus WH8103 phycoerythrin could increase the sensitivity of cell analysis techniques to almost twice that possible with other phycoerythrin conjugates. PMID- 17783530 TI - Olfactory-based orientation in artificially imprinted sea turtles. AB - Sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempi) are being artificially imprinted to Padre Island, Texas, in an effort to establish a new nesting population. These turtles spent more time per exposure in solutions made of Padre Island sand and seawater than in control solutions in a multiple-choice test. This is evidence that sea turtles may detect differences in natural water samples and remember olfactory cues to which they were exposed neonatally and that these differences may affect their orientation behavior. This suggests that imprinting could be used as a conservation technique for establishing new breeding populations of endangered sea turtles. PMID- 17783531 TI - Termites and atmospheric gas production. PMID- 17783532 TI - Termites and atmospheric gas production. PMID- 17783533 TI - THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17783534 TI - MEETING OF SECTION E--GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17783535 TI - THE GEOGRAPHIC BOARD OF CANADA. PMID- 17783537 TI - THE U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17783536 TI - ELIMINATION VS. THE FIRST-SPECIES RULE. PMID- 17783538 TI - VARIATION IN MOSQUITO HABITS. PMID- 17783539 TI - COLOR INHERITANCE IN MAMMALS. PMID- 17783540 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17783542 TI - THE STORAGE OF ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17783541 TI - WILLIAM WELLS NEWELL. PMID- 17783543 TI - THE RISLEY AND LAKE COMPOSING-MACHINE. PMID- 17783545 TI - A BLIZZARD MEETS AN ELECTRIC ROAD. PMID- 17783544 TI - TESTING A PNEUMATIC DYNAMITE GUN. PMID- 17783546 TI - METHYLATED ALCOHOL. PMID- 17783547 TI - NEW RECKENZAUN TRAM-CAR. PMID- 17783548 TI - TRIALS OF THE SUBMARINE BOATS "GYMNOTE" AND "PERAL.". PMID- 17783549 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17783550 TI - The Woman's Anthropological Society. PMID- 17783551 TI - Fish Commission Experiments. PMID- 17783552 TI - Electrical Conductivity of Glass. PMID- 17783553 TI - APPLICATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS TO MINING. PMID- 17783554 TI - SNOW-STORMS OF ELECTRIC ROADS. PMID- 17783555 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17783556 TI - Indian Relics from Florida. PMID- 17783557 TI - The Survey for Irrigation. PMID- 17783558 TI - THE VALUE OF MERCURIC CHLORIDE AS A DISINFECTANT. PMID- 17783559 TI - FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17783561 TI - Dew-Point and Predictions of Weather. PMID- 17783560 TI - Horns of the Prong-Buck (Antilocapra). PMID- 17783562 TI - The Color of Katydid. PMID- 17783564 TI - Felspar, or Feldspar? PMID- 17783563 TI - The Soaring of Birds. PMID- 17783565 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN THE STUDY OF EARLY MAN. PMID- 17783566 TI - "REMARKS ON SULAIMAN'S THEORY OF RELATIVITY". PMID- 17783567 TI - THE NEW ERGOT ALKALOID. PMID- 17783568 TI - HETEROTHALLISM OF SUNFLOWER POWDERY MILDEW. PMID- 17783569 TI - RARE AQUATIC PHENOMENA. PMID- 17783570 TI - CONCERNING ACTIVE IMMUNIZATION IN POLIOMYELITIS. PMID- 17783571 TI - THE ERGOT ALKALOIDS. SYNTHESIS OF 4-CARBOLINE CARBONIC ACIDS. PMID- 17783572 TI - THE PREPARATION AND DETERMINATION OF TREHALOSE IN YEAST. PMID- 17783573 TI - APPARATUS FOR THE STUDY OF SENSORY DISCRIMINATION IN MAMMALS. PMID- 17783574 TI - THE ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF CERTAIN ORGANS OF CHICKS RAISED ON VITAMIN C DEFICIENT RATION. PMID- 17783576 TI - FOREST POLICY FOR THE FORESTED LANDS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17783575 TI - THE "CONTOUR" CHART AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN PUBLIC HEALTH TABULATIONS. PMID- 17783577 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783578 TI - THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TERMS IN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17783579 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17783580 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17783582 TI - THE BRITISH REPORT ON THE BEHRING SEA SEAL FISHERIES. PMID- 17783581 TI - THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783584 TI - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNAL SECRETION. PMID- 17783583 TI - THE POTTER'S WHEEL IN ANCIENT AMERICA. PMID- 17783585 TI - A QUESTION OF CLASSIFICATION. PMID- 17783586 TI - HIGHHOLE COURTSHIP. PMID- 17783587 TI - THE ENDOWMENT OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17783588 TI - RESEARCH WORK FOR PHYSICS TEACHERS. PMID- 17783590 TI - THE PROBABLE SUCCESSORS OF CERTAIN NORTH AMERICAN PRIMATES. PMID- 17783589 TI - ON ECLIPSE PHOTOGRAPHY. PMID- 17783591 TI - AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17783592 TI - IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17783593 TI - THE NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. PMID- 17783594 TI - THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783595 TI - THE STANLEY-MCCORMICK HOPI EXPEDITIONS. PMID- 17783596 TI - A BIBLIOGRAPHIC CATCH TITLE FOR EVER AND EVER. PMID- 17783597 TI - A FURTHER APPEAL TO ALL LOVERS OF BIRDS. PMID- 17783599 TI - THE HARVARD METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS IN PERU. PMID- 17783598 TI - THE PROPER NAMES OF THE ALPINE CHOUGH AND OF THE EGYPTIAN CROCODILE. PMID- 17783601 TI - THE 'BOOM' POPULATION OF KANSAS. PMID- 17783600 TI - THE METEOROLOGY OF LOWER CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17783602 TI - THE WOOD BUFFALO. PMID- 17783603 TI - THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY IN CONGRESS. PMID- 17783604 TI - RECENT PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17783605 TI - [COMMUNICATION FROM PROFESSOR BONNEY.]. PMID- 17783606 TI - [COMMUNICATION FROM THE DUKE OF ARGYLL.]. PMID- 17783608 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17783607 TI - THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17783609 TI - EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL. PMID- 17783610 TI - ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17783611 TI - Eskimo and the Indian. PMID- 17783612 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17783614 TI - Rate of Change in American Languages. PMID- 17783613 TI - Amnesia. PMID- 17783615 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17783616 TI - American Microscopes. -- A Complaint. PMID- 17783617 TI - METEOR-FALL. PMID- 17783618 TI - The American Physique. PMID- 17783619 TI - The 'Act of God' and 'Fuerza Mayor.'. PMID- 17783620 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17783621 TI - THE HUMANIZING OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783623 TI - A WIDE-SPREAD ERROR RELATING TO EGYPTIAN MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17783622 TI - ONE ASPECT OF THE LONGEVITY PROBLEM. PMID- 17783624 TI - A PASTEURELLA-LIKE MICROORGANISM IN THE BRAINS OF HORSES SUFFERING FROM SO-CALLED CORNSTALK DISEASE. PMID- 17783626 TI - THE ELIHU ROOT LECTURES OF THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17783625 TI - A FRESH WATER SPONGE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17783627 TI - ON d-XYLOMETHYLOSE (5-DESOXY-XYLOSE). PMID- 17783628 TI - A MERCURY PUMP FOR MAKING AND SUPPLYING A UNIFORM MIXTURE OF GASES. PMID- 17783629 TI - ELEMENTS AND GENERAL JUPITER PERTURBATIONS OF TEN WATSON PLANETS. PMID- 17783630 TI - VITAMIN B2 (G) AND CANINE BLACK TONGUE. PMID- 17783631 TI - THE RETRACTOR MUSCLE OF THE POUCH IN THE GEOMYIDAE. PMID- 17783632 TI - PLEISTOCENE GEOLOGY OF NEW YORK STATE. I. PMID- 17783633 TI - UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION STATISTICS. PMID- 17783634 TI - BUILDING STONES AND CLAY PRODUCTS. PMID- 17783635 TI - THE DIAGRAMS IN PROFESSOR THORNDIKE'S ADDRESS ON EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSIS. PMID- 17783636 TI - A WILD HOST-PLANT OF THE BOLL-WEEVIL IN ARIZONA. PMID- 17783638 TI - RACE AND PROGRESS. PMID- 17783637 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17783639 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17783640 TI - THE POSITION OF SCIENCE IN SOVIET RUSSIA. PMID- 17783641 TI - HEMOPHILIA. PMID- 17783642 TI - HORMONES IN CANCER. PMID- 17783643 TI - GLAUCONITE IN FOSSIL FORAMINIFERAL SHELLS. PMID- 17783644 TI - AN ELECTRICAL DROP COUNTER. PMID- 17783646 TI - INTELLIGENCE AND BODY CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17783645 TI - PAPER APRON TO PREVENT CURLING OF MICROTOME SECTIONS. PMID- 17783647 TI - THE AGGLUTINATING ACTION OF AGAR ON BACTERIA. PMID- 17783649 TI - Recycled oil. PMID- 17783648 TI - Nuclear reactor accidents: long-term health effects. PMID- 17783650 TI - Nuclear reactor accidents: long-term health effects. PMID- 17783651 TI - Cell line identification. PMID- 17783652 TI - Cell line identification. PMID- 17783653 TI - A report from the research community. PMID- 17783654 TI - Preceramic animal utilization in the central peruvian andes. AB - The analysis of animal bones recovered from preceramic period deposits at Uchcumachay Cave and other sites in the Puna of Junin has documented the development of an economy involving primary camelid utilization beginning around 5,500 B.C. and culminating with the appearance of domestic forms between 2,500 and 1,750 B.C. A model that can be used to explain this process in both the Puna of Junin and the Central Andes has been presented. PMID- 17783655 TI - U.s. Universities and the world food problem. AB - The imponderable now is time. Certainly, it is in short supply if we hope to improve the world's prospects for food production. The requisite scientific skills that can contribute to greater world agricultural production exist in a uniquely concentrated form in the U.S. universities. Incentives for increased university involvement in technical assistance created by the International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1975 will not become effective until a mechanism which guarantees adequate and long-term funding is established. A continuing dialogue to define the nature and scope of needed reforms is necessary if maximum involvement of U.S. scientists in agricultural technical assistance is to be realized. Such involvement is vital in meeting the food needs of the developing world. PMID- 17783656 TI - Jimmy carter. PMID- 17783657 TI - Gerald R. Ford. PMID- 17783658 TI - Scientific journal publishers are perplexed and alarmed about threatened postage hike. PMID- 17783659 TI - President awards science medals. PMID- 17783660 TI - Conflict of Interest: DOD's Currie Charged with Favoritism to Rockwell. PMID- 17783661 TI - Epidemiology of heart disease: searches for causes. PMID- 17783662 TI - Cardiovascular disease and the forms it takes. PMID- 17783663 TI - Events surrounding the superbomb. PMID- 17783664 TI - Background for a mission. PMID- 17783665 TI - Hominid evolution. PMID- 17783666 TI - Fossil plant assemblages. PMID- 17783667 TI - DNA transcription. PMID- 17783668 TI - Permeability mechanisms. PMID- 17783669 TI - Sea level variations in the northwest mediterranean during roman times. AB - Archeological remains indicate an average rise of sea level of 7.5 centimeters per 100 years from 300 B.C. to A.D. 150. At A.D. 0 mean sea level was about 0.5 meter below the present value. Eustatic fluctuations have not exceeded 0.15 meter. PMID- 17783670 TI - Stratospheric ion chemistry and the 11-year variation in polar ozone. PMID- 17783671 TI - Dopamine receptors and average clinical doses. PMID- 17783672 TI - RESEARCH AND INVENTION IN ENGINEERING COLLEGES. PMID- 17783673 TI - PHYSIOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS AS THE CAUSE OF SENILE DEBILITY AND SENILE MORTALITY. PMID- 17783674 TI - LETA S. HOLLINGWORTH. PMID- 17783675 TI - OCCURRENCE OF A DEPOSIT OF TRONA. PMID- 17783677 TI - THE FINANCES OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783676 TI - THE PERMANENT SCIENCE FUND OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17783678 TI - THE PRIZE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17783679 TI - THE WESTERN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17783680 TI - THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLIOMYELITIS IN LOUISIANA. PMID- 17783681 TI - A THEORY OF PROTEIN METABOLISM: THE TRANSFORMATION OF PROTEINS. PMID- 17783683 TI - THE TREATMENT OF EXTREME CASES OF "SNIFFLES" IN THE RAT WITH SULFAPYRIDINE. PMID- 17783682 TI - SOVIET COSMOLOGY. PMID- 17783684 TI - IMMUNITY TO EXPERIMENTAL PNEUMOCOCCAL INFECTION WITH AN ARTIFICIAL ANTIGEN CONTAINING A SACCHARIDE OF SYNTHETIC ORIGIN. PMID- 17783685 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF THE TOTAL D-AMINO ACID CONTENT OF HUMAN TUMORS AND NORMAL TISSUES BY MEANS OF D-AMINO ACID OXIDASE. PMID- 17783686 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD TO USE IN RECOVERING FECES AT MEASURED INTERVALS. PMID- 17783687 TI - INDEXING AND FILING SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHS. PMID- 17783688 TI - A NEW AGENCY FOR THE POPULARIZATION OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17783689 TI - THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOOKWORMS IN THE ZOOLOGICAL REGIONS. PMID- 17783690 TI - VEGETATION MAPPING. PMID- 17783691 TI - THE COST OF GERMAN PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17783692 TI - THE CHROMOSOMES OF CONOCEPHALUM CONICUM. PMID- 17783693 TI - OSTEOMYELITIS IN THE PERMIAN. PMID- 17783694 TI - REQUESTS FOR BIOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17783695 TI - THE COST OF AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS IN ROUMANIA. PMID- 17783696 TI - A NEW TYPE OF INHERITANCE. PMID- 17783698 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY. PMID- 17783697 TI - SECTION A AND ASSOCIATED MATHEMATICAL ORGANIZATIONS. PMID- 17783699 TI - "THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA" OR MEDICAL ETHICS IN PEACE AND WAR. PMID- 17783700 TI - AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE WAR AND AFTER. II. PMID- 17783702 TI - EXHIBIT OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE U.S.S.R. AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. PMID- 17783701 TI - JOSEPH JASTROW, 1863-1944. PMID- 17783703 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17783704 TI - IN MEMORY OF CHARLES BENEDICT DAVENPORT. PMID- 17783705 TI - AWARDS OF THE BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783706 TI - A NOTE ON THE SEROLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF DENATURED ANTIBODIES. PMID- 17783707 TI - APPEARANCE OF MENDEL'S PAPER IN AMERICAN LIBRARIES. PMID- 17783709 TI - CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17783708 TI - GENERAL BIOLOGY. PMID- 17783710 TI - HONORS AND PRIZES OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17783711 TI - THE POSSIBLE SYNTHESIS OF BIOTIN FROM DESTHIOBIOTIN BY YEAST AND THE ANTI-BIOTIN EFFECT OF DESTHIOBIOTIN FOR L. CASEI. PMID- 17783712 TI - THE ANTI-BIOTIN EFFECT OF DESTHIOBIOTIN. PMID- 17783713 TI - A RAPID METHOD FOR MAKING PERMANENT MOUNTS OF MOSQUITO LARVAE. PMID- 17783714 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17783715 TI - Fisheries management. PMID- 17783716 TI - Disposing of weapons-grade plutonium. PMID- 17783717 TI - DOE Pulls Plug on SSC Contractor. PMID- 17783719 TI - DNA with a designer name. PMID- 17783718 TI - Report takes aim at 50 new projects. PMID- 17783720 TI - DOE Doles Out Millions For High Tech Tools. PMID- 17783721 TI - Oregon natural history gets its own museum. PMID- 17783722 TI - Making a chemical warfare treaty work. PMID- 17783723 TI - How collapsing stars might hide their tracks in black holes. PMID- 17783724 TI - Artificial atom unveils quantum effects. PMID- 17783725 TI - Networking the worm. PMID- 17783726 TI - Fitting planet Earth into a user-friendly database. PMID- 17783727 TI - ERS-1: A Cautionary Tale of Data Overload. PMID- 17783728 TI - Frustrated With Fortran? Bored by Basic? Try OOP! PMID- 17783730 TI - Workstation clusters rise and shine. PMID- 17783729 TI - The ever-present packaging challenge. PMID- 17783731 TI - Parallel scientific computation. AB - Massively parallel computers offer scientists a new tool for computation, with capabilities and limitations that are substantially different from those of traditional serial computers. Most categories of large-scale scientific computations have proven remarkably amenable to parallel computation, but often the algorithms involved are different from those used on sequential machines. By surveying a range of examples of parallel scientific computations, this article summarizes our current understanding of the issues of applicability and programming of parallel computers for scientific applications. PMID- 17783732 TI - Microprocessors: from desktops to supercomputers. AB - Continuing improvements in integrated circuit technology and computer architecture have driven microprocessors to performance levels that rival those of supercomputers-at a fraction of the price. The use of sophisticated memory hierarchies enables microprocessor-based machines to have very large memories built from commodity dynamic random access memory while retaining the high bandwidth and low access time needed in a high-performance machine. Parallel processors composed of these high-performance microprocessors are becoming the supercomputing technology of choice for scientific and engineering applications. The challenges for these new supercomputers have been in developing multiprocessor architectures that are easy to program and that deliver high performance without extraordinary programming efforts by users. Recent progress in multiprocessor architecture has led to ways to meet these challenges. PMID- 17783733 TI - Reversible rotation of antimony dimers on the silicon (001) surface with a scanning tunneling microscope. AB - The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was used to control the configuration of antimony clusters on the (001) surface of silicon. In particular, the STM tip induced a reversible rotation between two orthogonal orientations of individual antimony dimers on the surface. This simple rotation can be explained by an atomic-scale torque exerted on the antimony dimers by the STM tip. The reversibility of this process could provide a basis for making atomic-scale memory cells. PMID- 17783734 TI - Multiple ion association in supercritical aqueous solutions of single electrolytes. AB - Solute speciation in supercritical aqueous alkali metal halide solutions plays an important role in various industrial and natural processes, for example, corrosion of metals, solvent extraction, crystal growth, metamorphism, and the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits. To better characterize such speciation, degrees of formation of polyatomic clusters of sodium and chlorine ions have been computed with the aid of dissociation constants generated from Monte Carlo calculations which are consistent with both supercritical conductance measurements and electrostatic theory. The calculations indicate that the solute in alkali-halide solutions is successively dominated by increasingly complex polyatomic clusters as the solute molality increases at pressures and temperatures where the dielectric constant of water is 15. PMID- 17783735 TI - Protein catalysis of the retinal subpicosecond photoisomerization in the primary process of bacteriorhodopsin photosynthesis. AB - The rate of retinal photoisomerization in wild-type bacteriorhodopsin (wt bR) is compared with that in a number of mutants in which a positively charged (Arg(82)), a negatively charged (Asp(85) or Asp(212)), or neutral hydrogen bonding (Asp(115) or Tyr(185)) amino acid residue known to be functionally important within the retinal cavity is replaced by a neutral, non-hydrogen bonding one. Only the replacements of the charged residues reduced the photoisomerization rate of the 13-cis and all-trans isomers present in these mutants by factors of approximately 1/4 and approximately 1/20, respectively. Retinal photo- and thermal isomerization catalysis and selectivity in wt bR by charged residues is discussed in terms of the known protein structure, the valence-bond wave functions of the ground and excited state of the retinal, and the electrostatic stabilization interactions within the retinal cavity. PMID- 17783736 TI - Micromachining a miniaturized capillary electrophoresis-based chemical analysis system on a chip. AB - Micromachining technology was used to prepare chemical analysis systems on glass chips (1 centimeter by 2 centimeters or larger) that utilize electroosmotic pumping to drive fluid flow and electrophoretic separation to distinguish sample components. Capillaries 1 to 10 centimeters long etched in the glass (cross section, 10 micrometers by 30 micrometers) allow for capillary electrophoresis based separations of amino acids with up to 75,000 theoretical plates in about 15 seconds, and separations of about 600 plates can be effected within 4 seconds. Sample treatment steps within a manifold of intersecting capillaries were demonstrated for a simple sample dilution process. Manipulation of the applied voltages controlled the directions of fluid flow within the manifold. The principles demonstrated in this study can be used to develop a miniaturized system for sample handling and separation with no moving parts. PMID- 17783737 TI - High-Density Nanosecond Charge Trapping in Thin Films of the Photoconductor ZnODEP. AB - An electrooptical memory effect is observed with solid thin films of the photoconductor zinc-octakis(beta-decoxyethyl) porphyrin (ZnODEP) sandwiched between two optically transparent electrodes. Upon irradiation with the simultaneous application of an electric field, electron-hole pairs are generated and separated within the photoconductive layer. These electron-hole pairs become "frozen" within the films when the irradiation is interrupted. These trapped charges can be released by irradiation of the cell, resulting in a transient short-circuit photocurrent. No cross talk between adjacent memory elements separated by approximately 0.2 micrometer (a density of 3 gigabits per square centimeter) was detected. The charge storage system is robust and nonvolatile. The response time for the write-read beam is in the subnanosecond range, and no refreshing is required for long-term retention of trapped charges. PMID- 17783738 TI - Electron diffraction and imaging of uncompressed monolayers of amphiphilic molecules on vitreous and hexagonal ice. AB - A new approach is described for probing domains of ordered self-assemblies of amphiphilic monolayers at the aqueous solution interface. The method has potential importance for the study of membrane structure, Langmuir-Blodgett films, and nucleation processes of two-and three-dimensional crystals. Electron diffraction (ED) patterns indicative of two-dimensional crystalline self-assembly were obtained from samples, which were examined by cryo-electron microscopy, of monolayers of water-insoluble amphiphiles on vitrified aqueour substrates. The apparent hexagonal symmetry of an ED pattern from a C(16)H(33)OH monolayer was interpreted in terms of multiple twinning. Monolayers of the CL(31)H(63)OH and cadmium salt of C(19)H(39)CO(2)H that were studied by dark-field techniques displayed faceted two-dimensional crystallites with a maximal size of 1 to 2 micrometers. Epitaxial nucleation of hexagonal ice by the C(31)H(63)OH monolayer has also been demonstrated by ED. PMID- 17783739 TI - Early and Late Alkali Igneous Pulses and a High-3He Plume Origin for the Deccan Flood Basalts. AB - Several alkalic igneous complexes of nephelinite-carbonatite affinities occur in extensional zones around a region of high heat flow and positive gravity anomaly within the continental flood basalt (CFB) province of Deccan, India. Biotites from two of the complexes yield (40)Ar/(39)Ar dates of 68.53 +/- 0.16 and 68.57 +/- 0.08 million years. Biotite from a third complex, which intrudes the flood basalts, yields an (40)Ar/(39)Ar date of 64.96 +/- 0.1 1 million years. The complexes thus represent early and late magmatism with respect to the main pulse of CFB volcanism 65 million years ago. Rocks from the older complexes show a (3)He/(4)He ratio of 14.0 times the air ratio, an initial (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio of 0.70483, and other geochemical characteristics similar to ocean island basalts; the later alkalic pulse shows isotopic evidence of crustal contamination. The data document 3.5 million years of incubation of a primitive, high-(3)He mantle plume before the rapid eruption of the Deccan CFB. PMID- 17783740 TI - Influence of productivity on the stability of real and model ecosystems. AB - The lengths of food chains within ecosystems have been thought to be limited either by the productivity of the ecosystem or by the resilience of that ecosystem after perturbation. Models based on ecological energetics that follow the form of Lotka-Volterra equations and equations that include material (detritus) recycling show that productivity and resilience are inextricably interrelated. The models were initialized with data from 5-to 10-year studies of actual soil food webs. Estimates indicate that most ecological production worldwide is from ecosystems that are themselves sufficiently productive to recover from minor perturbations. PMID- 17783741 TI - Composition Limits of FexO and the Earth's Lower Mantle. PMID- 17783742 TI - Response. PMID- 17783743 TI - Simplifications of a self-replication model. PMID- 17783744 TI - Non-degenerates. PMID- 17783745 TI - Multisensory integration. PMID- 17783747 TI - Vignettes: short-lived phenomena. PMID- 17783746 TI - Interpreting europe. PMID- 17783748 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17783749 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17783750 TI - The arctic: a key to world climate. PMID- 17783751 TI - Erratum. AB - Because of a transmission error, the West German government's position on Europe's genome program was incorrectly stated in David Dickson's News & Comment article "Genome project gets rough ride in Europe" (3 Feb., p. 599). The Bundestag has given its qualified approval to the program. It has not endorsed the views of a parliamentary committee that opposes the effort, as the article stated. PMID- 17783752 TI - Bush Adopts Reagan's R&D Budget. PMID- 17783753 TI - R&D suffers after corporate raids. PMID- 17783754 TI - New u.k. Science initiatives backed. PMID- 17783755 TI - Environment, culture, and change in the arctic. PMID- 17783756 TI - Bahcall to head new astronomy survey. PMID- 17783757 TI - Shuttle faces tough schedule in 1989. PMID- 17783758 TI - High energy physics crunch foreseen. PMID- 17783759 TI - CIA Details Chemical Weapons Spread. PMID- 17783760 TI - Our future in the stars? PMID- 17783763 TI - Chaos in a hydrogen atom. PMID- 17783761 TI - 1988 ties for warmest year. PMID- 17783762 TI - Quantum chaos: enigma wrapped in a mystery. PMID- 17783765 TI - "She wanted $50 a week. I thought she was worth it". PMID- 17783766 TI - Unclogging L.A.'s Streets. PMID- 17783764 TI - One mailing list to avoid. PMID- 17783767 TI - Length-of-Day Variations Caused by El Nino-Southern Oscillation and Quasi Biennial Oscillation. AB - Two prominent interannual atmospheric fluctuations, the El Nino-Southern Oscillation in the troposphere-ocean system and the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation in the equatorial stratosphere, account for most of the observed interannual length of-day (LOD) variation from 1964 through 1987, with a relative contribution of about 2 to 1. Thus the atmosphere-LOD connection extends from seasonal and shorter periods to interannual periods up to about 10 years. PMID- 17783768 TI - Cordierite-spinel troctolite, a new magnesium-rich lithology from the lunar highlands. AB - A clast of spinel troctolite containing 8 percent cordierite (Mg(2)Al(4)Si(5)O(18)) has been identified among the constituents of Apollo 15 regolith breccia 15295. The cordierite and associated anorthite, forsteritic olivine, and pleonaste spinel represent a new, Mg-rich lunar highlands lithology that formed by metamorphism of an igneous spinel cumulate. The cordierite forsterite pair in the assemblage is stable at a maximum pressure of 2.5 kilobars, equivalent to a depth of 50 kilometers, or 10 kilometers above the lunar crust-mantle boundary. The occurrence of the clast indicates that spinel cumulates are a more important constituent of the lower lunar crust than has been recognized. The rarity of cordierite-spinel troctolite among lunar rock samples suggests that it is excavated only by large impact events, such as the one that formed the adjacent Imbrium Basin. PMID- 17783770 TI - The Other Nomads. Peripatetic Minorities in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Aparna Rao, Ed. Bohlau, Cologne, 1987. xiv, 391 pp., illus. DM 96. PMID- 17783771 TI - The Community Ecology of Sea Otters. G. R. VanBlaricom and J. A. Estes, Eds. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1988. xvi, 247 pp., illus. $89.50. Ecological Studies, vol. 65. PMID- 17783772 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17783773 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17783774 TI - ACCLIMATIZATION IN NEW ZEALAND. PMID- 17783775 TI - THE HEALTH OF NEW YORK DURING SEPTEMBER. PMID- 17783776 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17783777 TI - On the figures illustrating zoological literature. PMID- 17783779 TI - The teaching of natural history. PMID- 17783778 TI - The source of the Mississippi. PMID- 17783780 TI - A long skull. PMID- 17783781 TI - For what purpose mosquitoes were created. PMID- 17783782 TI - THE PROTEIN PROBLEM OF CHINA. AB - (1) The protein intake of China is approximately 80 grams per capita per day, 5 per cent. of which is animal protein. (2) The lower digestibility of the protein in vegetarian diets causes the effective protein intake to be much less than is indicated by this figure. (3) Attempts in the laboratory to devise an adequate diet using foods from vegetarian sources only have not met with marked success. (4) The use of mixed cereals in the diet has provided protein of higher biological value; this habit may reflect the attempt on the part of the rural peoples to work out a more effective protein intake. (5) It is suggested that in China some of the cereal protein in the dietary intake be replaced by more leaf vegetable protein. (6) The question is raised as to how far it is feasible in the war economy to replace animal protein by vegetable protein. (7) In long-term plans for food relief in the Far East it is urged that an emphasis be placed on the protein factor. PMID- 17783783 TI - ARCHIE SCOTT WOODS. PMID- 17783784 TI - A COLLEGE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT SAO PAULO. PMID- 17783786 TI - THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION. PMID- 17783785 TI - LESTER S. GUSS. PMID- 17783788 TI - DEDICATION OF AN EQUIPMENT MUSEUM AT THE MEDICAL FIELD SERVICE SCHOOL. PMID- 17783787 TI - OFFICERS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17783789 TI - BACTERIOSTATIC AND FUNGISTATIC ACTION OF SOME ORGANIC CHEMICALS. PMID- 17783790 TI - VARIANTS IN FUNGI: FORMATION, REVERSION AND PREVENTION. PMID- 17783791 TI - EDUCATION IN ARGENTINA. PMID- 17783792 TI - AGGREGATION IN SOLUTION OF A SYNTHETIC HAPTEN. PMID- 17783793 TI - RAW HEN EGG WHITE AND THE ROLE OF IRON IN GROWTH INHIBITION OF SHIGELLA DYSENTERIAE, STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, ESCHERICHIA COLI AND SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE. PMID- 17783795 TI - A MANOMETRIC VALVE OR RESPIRATOR. PMID- 17783794 TI - AN OXIDATIVE METABOLITE OF PYRIDOXINE IN HUMAN URINE. PMID- 17783796 TI - Mathematical ability: is sex a factor? PMID- 17783797 TI - Mathematical ability: is sex a factor? PMID- 17783799 TI - Mathematical ability: is sex a factor? PMID- 17783798 TI - Mathematical ability: is sex a factor? PMID- 17783800 TI - Mathematical ability: is sex a factor? PMID- 17783801 TI - Errare humanum est. AB - In the erratum published in the issue of 13 February (p. 656), Tables 1 and 2 from the report "Mutagenicity of fly ash particles in Paramecium" by J. Smith Sonneborn et al. (9 Jan., p. 180) were printed incorrectly. Significance lines missing in the original tables were also missing in the erratum. With determination, we again reprint the tables as they should have appeared (Table 1 above, Table 2 at right). PMID- 17783802 TI - Voyager mission to saturn. PMID- 17783803 TI - The bridge of language. AB - The elements of human culture, including literature and the sciences, grow out of a basis in social concern. As they develop, their inner structures begin to emerge and those practicing them make discoveries within those structures. When tensions arise with the concerns of society a divided loyalty arises. In the past, social concerns which resisted science or censored literature were usually wrong, but there are very intense concerns today, such as environmental pollution, which appear to be bringing us to a common meeting point. PMID- 17783804 TI - Iron ore: from depletion to abundance. AB - Following World War II, Americans feared their iron ore supplies were depleted. The steel industry attempted to increase supplies by exploring foreign countries for new, high-grade hematite ores and experimenting with technology that upgraded low-grade domestic taconite ores into acceptable, but apparently uneconomical, pellets. Government did little at first, but the Korean War renewed fears of domestic resource exhaustion. Congress quickly enacted loan guarantees, rapid tax write-offs, and other tax policies that helped commercialize taconite pellets for national defense. These policies lingered long after the Korean War ended. Other policies bolstering taconite were enacted on the state level well after taconite had replaced hematite as industry's ore of choice. Understanding how government policies helped to develop pelletized lean iron ore may help in thinking about current policy suggestions aimed at easing our energy crisis or other mineral shortages. For taconite, too much government help came too late. PMID- 17783805 TI - MX Lobotomized by Air Force, Critic Says. PMID- 17783806 TI - Califano Tells Tales of the Top Post at HEW. PMID- 17783807 TI - House science panel throws down gauntlet. PMID- 17783808 TI - DOE Blocks Mailing of "Antinuclear" Publication. PMID- 17783809 TI - Heroin no better than morphine as analgesic. PMID- 17783810 TI - Levy to Leave NHLBI. PMID- 17783811 TI - More about cloned mice. PMID- 17783813 TI - The 1981 pittsburgh conference: a special instrument report. PMID- 17783814 TI - Rough going for lasers at the pittsburgh conference. PMID- 17783812 TI - Myriad ways to measure small particles. PMID- 17783815 TI - How many solvents is the limit for HPLC? PMID- 17783817 TI - Concentrations measured by delayed lasing. PMID- 17783816 TI - Persistence pays off in the form of a new product. PMID- 17783818 TI - IBM Now Making Analytical Instruments. PMID- 17783819 TI - IR Spectrophotometer Wed to a Microscope. PMID- 17783820 TI - New Ways to Measure SO2 Remotely. PMID- 17783821 TI - At $100 per hour, service is a big concern. PMID- 17783822 TI - Ecological genetics. PMID- 17783823 TI - The early universe. PMID- 17783824 TI - An ethological problem. PMID- 17783825 TI - Seabirds. PMID- 17783826 TI - Voyager 1 encounter with the saturnian system. AB - An overview of the Voyager 1 encounter with Saturn is presented, including a brief discussion of the flight, trajectory, science plan formulation, and highlights of the results described in the subsequent reports. PMID- 17783827 TI - Encounter with saturn: voyager 1 imaging science results. AB - As Voyager 1 flew through the Saturn system it returned photographs revealing many new and surprising characteristics of this complicated community of bodies. Saturn's atmosphere has numerous, low-contrast, discrete cloud features and a pattern of circulation significantly different from that of Jupiter. Titan is shrouded in a haze layer that varies in thickness and appearance. Among the icy satellites there is considerable variety in density, albedo, and surface morphology and substantial evidence for endogenic surface modification. Trends in density and crater characteristics are quite unlike those of the Galilean satellites. Small inner satellites, three of which were discovered in Voyager images, interact gravitationally with one another and with the ring particles in ways not observed elsewhere in the solar system. Saturn's broad A, B, and C rings contain hundreds of "ringlets," and in the densest portion of the B ring there are numerous nonaxisymmetric features. The narrow F ring has three components which, in at least one instance, are kinked and crisscrossed. Two rings are observed beyond the F ring, and material is seen between the C ring and the planet. PMID- 17783828 TI - Orbits of the small satellites of saturn. AB - Orbital parameter values and associated uncertainties determined from Voyager 1 imaging data for the satellites 1980S1, 1980S3, 1980S6, 1980S26, 1980S27, and 1980S28 are presented. PMID- 17783829 TI - Infrared observations of the saturnian system from voyager 1. AB - During the passage of Voyager 1 through the Saturn system, the infrared instrument acquired spectral and radiometric data on Saturn, the rings, and Titan and other satellites. Infrared spectra of Saturn indicate the presence of H(2), CH(4), NH(3), PH(3), C(2)H(2), C(2)H(6), and possibly C(3)H(4) and C(3)H(8). A hydrogen mole fraction of 0.94 is inferred with an uncertainty of a few percent, implying a depletion of helium in the atmosphere of Saturn relative to that of Jupiter. The atmospheric thermal structure of Saturn shows hemisphere asymmetries that are consistent with a response to the seasonally varying insolation. Extensive small-scale latitudinal structure is also observed. On Titan, positive identifications of infrared spectral features are made for CH(4), C(2)H(2), C(2)H(4), C(2)H(6), and HCN; tentative identifications are made for C(3)H(4) and C(3)H(8). The infrared continuum opacity on Titan appears to be quite small between 500 and 600 cm(-1), implying that the solid surface is a major contributor to the observed emission over this spectral range; between 500 and 200 cm(-1) theopacity increases with decreasing wave number, attaining an optical thickness in excess of 2 at 200 cm(-1). Temperatures near the 1-millibar level are independent of longitude and local time but show a decrease of approximately 20 K between the equator and north pole, which suggests a seasonally dependent cyclostrophic zonal flow in the stratosphere of approximately 100 meters per second. Measurements of the C ring of Saturn yield a temperature of 85 +/- 1 K and an infrared optical depth of 0.09 +/- 0.01. Radiometer observations of sunlight transmitted through the ring system indicate an optical depth of 10(-1.3 +/-0.3) for the Cassini division. A phase integral of 1.02 +/- 0.06 is inferred for Rhea, which agrees with values for other icy bodies in the solar system. Rhea eclipse observations indicate the presence of surface materials with both high and low thermal inertias, the former most likely a blocky component and the latter a frost. PMID- 17783830 TI - Radio science investigations of the saturn system with voyager 1: preliminary results. AB - Voyager 1 radio occultation measurements of Titan's equatorial atmosphere successfully probed to the surface, which is provisionally placed at a radius of 2570 kilometers. Derived scale heights plus other experimental and theoretical results indicate that molecular nitrogen is the predominant atmospheric constituent. The surface pressure and temperature appear to be about 1.6 bars and 93 K, respectively. The main clouds are probably methane ice, although some condensation of nitrogen cannot be ruled out. Solar abundance arguments suggest and the measurements allow large quantities of surface methane near its triple point temperature, so that the three phases of methane could play roles in the atmosphere and on the surface of Titan similar to those of water on Earth. Radio occultation measurements of Saturn's atmosphere near 75 degrees south latitude reached a maximum pressure of 1.4 bars, where the temperature is about 156 K. The minimum temperature is about 91 K near the 60-millibar pressure level. The measured part of the polar ionosphere of Saturn has a peak electron concentration of 2.3 x 10(4) per cubic centimeter at an altitude of 2500 kilometers above the 1 bar level in the atmosphere, and a plasma scale height at the top of the ionosphere of 560 kilometers. Attenuation of monochromatic radiation at a wavelength of 3.6 centimeters propagating obliquely through Saturn's rings is consistent with traditional values for the normal optical depth of the rings, but the near-forward scattering of this radiation by the rings indicates effective scattering particles with larger than expected diameters of 10, 8, and 2 meters in the A ring, the outer Cassini division, and the C ring, respectively. Preliminary analysis of the radio tracking data yields new values for the masses of Rhea and Titan of 4.4 +/- 0.3 x 10(-6) and 236.64 +/- 0.08 x 10(-6) times the mass of Saturn. Corresponding values for the mean densities of these objects are 1.33 +/- 0.10 and about 1.89 grams per cubic centimeter. The density of Rhea is consistent with a solar-composition mix of anhydrous rock and volatiles, while Titan is apparently enriched in silicates relative to the solar composition. PMID- 17783831 TI - Extreme ultraviolet observations from voyager 1 encounter with saturn. AB - The global hydrogen Lyman alpha, helium (584 angstroms), and molecular hydrogen band emissions from Saturn are qualitatively similar to those of Jupiter, but the Saturn observations emphasize that the H(2) band excitation mechanism is closely related to the solar flux. Auroras occur near 80 degrees latitude, suggesting Earth-like magnetotail activity, quite different from the dominant Io plasma torus mechanism at Jupiter. No ion emissions have been detected from the magnetosphere of Saturn, but the rings have a hydrogen atmosphere; atomic hydrogen is also present in a torus between 8 and 25 Saturn radii. Nitrogen emission excited by particles has been detected in the Titan dayglow and bright limb scans. Enhancement of the nitrogen emission is observed in the region of interaction between Titan's atmosphere and the corotating plasma in Saturn's plasmasphere. No particle-excited emission has been detected from the dark atmosphere of Titan. The absorption profile of the atmosphere determined by the solar occultation experiment, combined with constraints from the dayglow observations and temperature information, indicate that N(2) is the dominant species. A double layer structure has been detected above Titan's limb. One of the layers may be related to visible layers in the images of Titan. PMID- 17783832 TI - Magnetic field studies by voyager 1: preliminary results at saturn. AB - Magnetic field studies by Voyager 1 have confirmed and refined certain general features of the Saturnian magnetosphere and planetary magnetic field established by Pioneer 11 in 1979. The main field of Saturn is well represented by a dipole of moment 0.21 +/- 0.005 gauss-R(s)(3) (where 1 Saturn radius, R(s), is 60,330 kilometers), tilted 0.7 degrees +/- 0.35 degrees from the rotation axis and located within 0.02 R(s) of the center of the planet. The radius of the magnetopause at the subsolar point was observed to be 23 R(s) on the average, rather than 17 R(s). Voyager 1 discovered a magnetic tail of Saturn with a diameter of approximately 80 R(s). This tail extends away from the Sun and is similar to type II comet tails and the terrestrial and Jovian magnetic tails. Data from the very close flyby at Titan (located within the Saturnian magnetosphere) at a local time of 1330, showed an absence of any substantial intrinsic satellite magnetic field. However, the results did indicate a very well developed, induced magnetosphere with a bipolar magnetic tail. The upper limit to any possible internal satellite magnetic moment is 5 x 10(21) gauss-cubic centimeter, equivalent to a 30-nanotesla equatorial surface field. PMID- 17783833 TI - Plasma observations near saturn: initial results from voyager 1. AB - Extensive measurements of low-energy plasma electrons and positive ions were made during the Voyager 1 encounter with Saturn and its satellites. The magnetospheric plasma contains light and heavy ions, probably hydrogen and nitrogen or oxygen; at radial distances between 15 and 7 Saturn-radii (Rs) on the inbound trajectory, the plasma appears to corotate with a velocity within 20 percent of that expected for rigid corotation. The general morphology of Saturn's magnetosphere is well represented by a plasma sheet that extends from at least 5 to 17 Rs, is symmetrical with respect to Saturn's equatorial plane and rotation axis, and appears to be well ordered by the magnetic shell parameter L (which represents the equatorial distance of a magnetic field line measured in units of Rs). Within this general configuration, two distinct structures can be identified: a central plasma sheet observed from L = 5 to L = 8 in which the density decreases rapidly away from the equatorial plane, and a more extended structure from L = 7 to beyond 18 Rs in which the density profile is nearly flat for a distance +/- 1.8 Rs off the plane and falls rapidly thereafter. The encounter with Titan took place inside the magnetosphere. The data show a clear signature characteristic of the interaction between a subsonic corotating magnetospheric plasma and the atmospheric or ionospheric exosphere of Titan. Titan appears to be a significant source of ions for the outer magnetosphere. The locations of bow shock crossings observed inbound and outbound indicate that the shape of the Saturnian magnetosphere is similar to that of Earth and that the position of the stagnation point scales approximately as the inverse one-sixth power of the ram pressure. PMID- 17783834 TI - Low-Energy Charged Particles in Saturn's Magnetosphere: Results from Voyager 1. AB - The low-energy charged particle instrument on Voyager 1 measured low-energy electrons and ions (energies >/= 26 and >/= 40 kiloelectron volts, respectively) in Saturn's magnetosphere. The first-order ion anisotropies on the dayside are generally in the corotation direction with the amplitude decreasing with decreasing distance to the planet. The ion pitch-angle distributions generally peak at 90 degrees , whereas the electron distributions tend to have field aligned bidirectional maxima outside the L shell of Rhea. A large decrease in particle fluxes is seen near the L shell of Titan, while selective particle absorption (least affecting the lowest energy ions) is observed at the L shells of Rhea, Dione, and Tethys. The phase space density of ions with values of the first invariant in the range approximately 300 to 1000 million electron volts per gauss is consistent with a source in the outer magnetosphere. The ion population at higher energies (>/= 200 kiloelectron volts per nucleon) consists primarily of protons, molecular hydrogen, and helium. Spectra of all ion species exhibit an energy cutoff at energies >/= 2 million electron volts. The proton-to-helium ratio at equal energy per nucleon is larger (up to approximately 5 x 10(3)) than seen in other magnetospheres and is consistent with a local (nonsolar wind) proton source. In contrast to the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Earth, there are no lobe regions essentially devoid of particles in Saturn's nighttime magnetosphere. Electron pitch-angle distributions are generally bidirectional andfield-aligned, indicating closed field lines at high latitudes. Ions in this region are generally moving toward Saturn, while in the magnetosheath they exhibit strong antisunward streaming which is inconsistent with purely convective flows. Fluxes of magnetospheric ions downstream from the bow shock are present over distances >/= 200 Saturn radii from the planet. Novel features identified in the Saturnian magnetosphere include a mantle of low-energy particles extending inward from the dayside magnetopause to approximately 17 Saturn radii, at least two intensity dropouts occurring approximately 11 hours apart in the nighttime magnetosphere, and a pervasive population of energetic molecular hydrogen. PMID- 17783835 TI - Energetic Charged Particles in Saturn's Magnetosphere: Voyager 1 Results. AB - Voyager 1 provided the first look at Saturn's magnetotail and magnetosphere during relatively quiet interplanetary conditions. This report discusses the energetic particle populations of the outer magnetosphere of Saturn and absorption features associated with Titan and Rhea, and compares these observations with Pioneer 11 data of a year earlier. The trapped proton fluxes had soft spectra, represented by power laws E(-gamma) in kinetic energy E, with gamma approximately 7 in the outer magnetosphere and gamma approximately 9 in the magnetotail. Structure associated with the magnetotial was observed as close as 10 Saturn radii (R(s)) on the outbound trajectory. The proton and electron fluxes in the outer magnetosphere and in the magnetotail were variable and appeared to respond to changes in interplanetary conditions. Protons with energies >/= 2 million electron volts had free access to the magnetosphere from interplanetary space and were not stably trapped outside approximately 7.5 R(s). PMID- 17783836 TI - Plasma waves near saturn: initial results from voyager 1. AB - The Voyager 1 plasma wave instrument detected many familiar types of plasma waves during the encounter with Saturn, including ion-acoustic waves and electron plasma oscillations upstream of the bow shock, an intense burst of electrostatic noise at the shock, and chorus, hiss, electrostatic electron cyclotron waves, and upper hybrid resonance emissions in the inner magnetosphere. A clocklike Saturn rotational control of low-frequency radio emissions was observed, and evidence was obtained of possible control by the moon Dione. Strong plasma wave emissions were detected at the Titan encounter indicating the presence of a turbulent sheath extending around Titan, and upper hybrid resonance measurements of the electron density show the existence of a dense plume of plasma being carried downstream of Titan by the interaction with the rapidly rotating magnetosphere of Saturn. PMID- 17783837 TI - Planetary radio astronomy observations from voyager 1 near saturn. AB - The Voyager 1 planetary radio astronomy experiment detected two distinct kinds of radio emissions from Saturn. The first, Saturn kilometric radiation, is strongly polarized, bursty, tightly correlated with Saturn's rotation, and exhibits complex dynamic spectral features somewhat reminiscent of those in Jupiter's radio emission. It appears in radio frequencies below about 1.2 megahertz. The second kind of radio emission, Saturn electrostatic discharge, is unpolarized, extremely impulsive, loosely correlated with Saturn's rotation, and very broadband, appearing throughout the observing range of the experiment (20.4 kilohertz to 40.2 megahertz). Its sources appear to lie in the planetary rings. PMID- 17783839 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17783838 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17783840 TI - A STUDY IN BIOKINETICS. AB - In the foregoing pages the writer has attempted to point out first, the importance to physiologists of the discovery and application to their problems of a unit of physiological activity to serve as a universal measure of life processes. Second, a survey of the field of excitation and response points to the probability that electron transfers are involved in every case and, therefore, that such a standard of measure, if ever determined, will probably involve terms of radiational units. Third, a brief statement of some of the laws of radiation that seem to be involved is given, together with a sketch of the radiation hypothesis of chemical thermal reaction. Fourth, an analysis of the data of a few physiological processes is then presented, the results of which strongly suggest the possibility that the influence of temperature upon living processes may be due to dark-field radiations quite as much as the photochemical effects in living processes are due to radiation of visible light. PMID- 17783841 TI - A PROPOSED CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASE TRANSMISSIONS BY ARTHROPODS. PMID- 17783843 TI - GLAUCONITE AND FORAMINIFERAL SHELLS. PMID- 17783842 TI - A FORGOTTEN CONTRIBUTION TO NUTRITION BY MAGENDIE. PMID- 17783844 TI - A FLORA OF MEXICO. PMID- 17783845 TI - PEAT UNDER A DELAWARE BEACH. PMID- 17783846 TI - A NEW MICROMANIPULATOR. PMID- 17783847 TI - PURE SMOOTH AND ROUGH COLONY TYPES AT WILL. PMID- 17783848 TI - A SINGING TUBE. PMID- 17783849 TI - HETEROTHALLISM IN PUCCINIA TRITICINA. PMID- 17783850 TI - VARIATIONS IN THE EVENING PRIMROSE INDUCED BY RADIUM. PMID- 17783851 TI - THE REDIA OF THE GASTEROSTOMES. PMID- 17783852 TI - RESEARCH AND APPLICATION. PMID- 17783853 TI - THE INTERALLIED CHEMICAL CONFERENCE. PMID- 17783854 TI - THE BRUSSELS MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17783855 TI - DIRECT PHOTOGRAPHY OF COLONIES OF BACTERI. PMID- 17783857 TI - THE AURORA OF AUGUST 11 AT BURLINGTON, VERMONT. PMID- 17783856 TI - WILL THERE BE ANOTHER AURORA ABOUT SEPTEMBER 7-8, 1919? PMID- 17783858 TI - SHELL-SHOCK IN THE BATTLE OF MARATHON. PMID- 17783860 TI - BACTERIUM SOLANACEARUM IN BEANS. PMID- 17783859 TI - ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN SECTION OF THE PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL UNION. PMID- 17783861 TI - JAPANESE HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17783862 TI - THE SPIRIT OF WARD IN SOCIOLOGY. PMID- 17783863 TI - THE PREGLACIAL PHYSIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN OHIO. PMID- 17783864 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF COSMIC RAY SHOWERS. PMID- 17783865 TI - NERVE CELLS WITHOUT CENTRAL PROCESSES IN THE FOURTH SPINAL GANGLION OF THE BULLFROG. PMID- 17783866 TI - THE THERMOPHILIC AND ANAEROBIC NATURE OF LACTOBACILLUS BULGARICUS. PMID- 17783867 TI - A HIGH SPEED CRYSTAL INK WRITER. PMID- 17783868 TI - LABELING MUSEUM SPECIMENS AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT. PMID- 17783869 TI - ANOTHER METHOD OF PREPARING DISTRIBUTION MAPS. PMID- 17783870 TI - THE OUTLOOK FOR A BETTER CORRELATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE INSTRUCTION IN CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17783871 TI - HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY: THE CONTENT OF THE COURSE. PMID- 17783873 TI - THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17783872 TI - CHEMISTRY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. PMID- 17783874 TI - THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17783875 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17783876 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17783877 TI - WATER VAPOR ON MARS. PMID- 17783878 TI - THE SALARIES OF PROFESSORS. PMID- 17783880 TI - ON THE SPECTRUM OF MARS AS PHOTOGRAPHED WITH HIGH DISPERSION. PMID- 17783879 TI - BACTERIA IN THE TROPICS. PMID- 17783881 TI - FRANCIS MAITLAND BALFOUR. PMID- 17783882 TI - THE INTELLIGENCE OF BIRDS. PMID- 17783883 TI - THE IGLOO OF THE INNUIT.--IV. PMID- 17783884 TI - BALFOUR'S LAST RESEARCHES ON PERIPATUS. PMID- 17783885 TI - A CRITIQUE OF DESIGN ARGUMENTS. PMID- 17783886 TI - An interesting sun-spot. PMID- 17783887 TI - Letters in surface film. PMID- 17783888 TI - Kalmia. PMID- 17783889 TI - Prairie warbler in New Hampshire. PMID- 17783890 TI - MAYNARD'S MANUAL OF TAXIDERMY. PMID- 17783891 TI - ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON THE MICROSCOPE. PMID- 17783892 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17783893 TI - BACTERIAL LIFE BELOW EARTH SURFACE. PMID- 17783894 TI - PICTURES BY TELEPHONE. PMID- 17783896 TI - CHANGES IN OCEAN DEPTHS. PMID- 17783895 TI - TICK JUICE AS A PROTECTION AGAINST ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER. PMID- 17783897 TI - JOSEPH HENRY. PMID- 17783898 TI - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HEXYLRESORCINOL AND ITS HOMOLOGUES IN RELATION TO THE PROBLEM OF INTERNAL ANTISEPSIS. PMID- 17783899 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17783901 TI - PHOTOGRAPHY OF SHADOW BANDS. PMID- 17783902 TI - AN APPEAL FOR SIMPLIFIED LITERATURE CITATIONS. PMID- 17783900 TI - SMITHSONIAN WEATHER FORECASTS. PMID- 17783903 TI - THE EFFECT OF MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS ON REPRODUCTION OF THE ALBINO RAT. PMID- 17783904 TI - THE HYDROID OF CRASPEDACUSTA RYDERI IN KENTUCKY. PMID- 17783905 TI - THE CHEMICAL EFFECTS IN IONIZED ORGANIC GASES. PMID- 17783906 TI - MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN BACTERIUM TUMEFACIENS. PMID- 17783907 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17783908 TI - THE MODE OF ADMISSION INTO THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783909 TI - HISTORY OF ANGLO-SAXON. PMID- 17783910 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17783911 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17783912 TI - WASHINGTON LETTER. PMID- 17783914 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17783913 TI - ST. PETERSBURG LETTER. PMID- 17783915 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17783916 TI - Newcomb's 'Political economy.'. PMID- 17783917 TI - The Biela meteors. PMID- 17783918 TI - The English sparrow. PMID- 17783920 TI - A bright meteor. PMID- 17783919 TI - Absorption of mercurial vapor by soils. PMID- 17783921 TI - A new variable. PMID- 17783922 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17783923 TI - Some Recommendations of the President's Commission on Higher Education. PMID- 17783924 TI - Adjustments in University Plans and Programs to Meet Long-Range Needs. PMID- 17783925 TI - Growth of Stumps. PMID- 17783926 TI - Distribution of Funds for Medical Research. PMID- 17783927 TI - Courses on the Biochemistry of Cancer. PMID- 17783928 TI - The Laboratory Growing of Quartz. PMID- 17783929 TI - Effect of Diethylstilbestrol on the Thyroid Glands of Chicks Receiving Thiouracil. PMID- 17783930 TI - Crystalline Vitamin B12. PMID- 17783931 TI - Activity of Vitamin B12 for the Growth of Lactobacillus lactis. PMID- 17783932 TI - Activity of Vitamin B12 in Addisonian Pernicious Anemia. PMID- 17783933 TI - Stabilization of Prothrombin Activity by Freezing: Application to the Standardization of Prothrombin Determinations. PMID- 17783934 TI - An Improved Method of Precipitating and Drying Vinyl Copolymers. PMID- 17783935 TI - A Simple Graphical Solution for Potency Calculations of Multidose Assays. PMID- 17783936 TI - Automatic Masking of Lantern Slides. PMID- 17783937 TI - A Method for Obtaining Massive Growth of Bacteria in Fluid Media. PMID- 17783938 TI - ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS AND ITS RELATIONS TO SOME OTHER SCIENCES. PMID- 17783940 TI - CONVOCATION WEEK. PMID- 17783939 TI - PRESENT PROBLEMS OF METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17783941 TI - THE TERM 'GEOLOGY.'. PMID- 17783943 TI - NOTE ON THREE VERY LARGE BEAKED WHALES FROM THE NORTH PACIFIC. PMID- 17783942 TI - THE KELEP AND THE COTTON PLANT. PMID- 17783944 TI - ANENT GIZZARDS. PMID- 17783945 TI - ASTER FORMATION IN ENUCLEATED EGG-FRAGMENTS OF CEREBRATULUS. PMID- 17783946 TI - A GEOGRAPHIC DICTIONARY. PMID- 17783947 TI - THE VASCULAR BUNDLES IN AN APPLE. PMID- 17783949 TI - EARLIEST NOTICE OF AMERICAN PROBOSCIDEA. PMID- 17783948 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17783950 TI - THE ISAAC NEWTON STUDENTSHIPS AT CAMBRIDGE. PMID- 17783951 TI - THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783952 TI - THE FOOD SUPPLY OF THE FUTURE. PMID- 17783953 TI - A DEFENCE OF SANITY. PMID- 17783954 TI - ANTON DOHRN, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE NAPLES AQUARIUM. PMID- 17783955 TI - THE PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783956 TI - SECTION F, ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17783957 TI - SECTION A, MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17783958 TI - SECTION B, PHYSICS AND THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17783959 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17783960 TI - INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE. PMID- 17783961 TI - THE ADVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE. PMID- 17783962 TI - COLLEGE SOLIDARITY. PMID- 17783963 TI - THE ACTION OF RADIUM SALTS ON RUBIES. PMID- 17783964 TI - DEMONSTRATIONS OF ELECTRICAL OSCILLATIONS. PMID- 17783965 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY NORTHEASTERN SECTION. PMID- 17783966 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17783967 TI - Wanted--Definitions. PMID- 17783968 TI - Not from Scratch. PMID- 17783969 TI - Kinds of Probability: Although there are at least five kinds of probability, we can get along with just one kind. PMID- 17783971 TI - News of Science: Conference on Exchange of Persons Clarifies Role of Visiting Scholars and Teachers in Foreign Policy. PMID- 17783970 TI - Water Transport: This classical problem in plant physiology is becoming increasingly amenable to mathematical analysis. PMID- 17783972 TI - Extent of the Antarctic Continent. AB - Group velocities of eartquake-generated Love and Rayleigh waves for certain transantarctic paths are abnormally high when compared with data from other continents. For these paths, the data indicate that at most only three-fourths of the antarctic ice sheet is underlain by continent, the remaining area being oceanic in structure. PMID- 17783973 TI - Theory of Ice Ages. PMID- 17783974 TI - Theory of Ice Ages. PMID- 17783975 TI - Histology of Mammoth Bone. AB - Compact bone from a frozen Alaskan mammoth was examined histologically and chemically to determine whether there had been any detectable alterations since the death of the animal. Histological sections closely resembled similar specimens from modern elephants. Total nitrogen and acid-extractable carbonate were at levels to be expected in fresh bone. PMID- 17783976 TI - Uranyl-Ion Exchange Resin Reaction and Demineralization. AB - Complex ion formation on an ion exchange resin with one ion of an electrolyte results in the release of exchange sites which are then available for the sorption of the remaining ion. The result is a demineralization with but one ion exchange resin. The exchange capacity of the resin is limited by the nature of the complex formed. PMID- 17783977 TI - A Report of the Washington Meeting. PMID- 17783979 TI - Physics (Section B). PMID- 17783978 TI - Public Information Service. PMID- 17783980 TI - Mathematics (Section A). PMID- 17783981 TI - Astronomical League (D2). PMID- 17783982 TI - Astronomy (Section D). PMID- 17783983 TI - Chemistry (Section C). PMID- 17783984 TI - Association of American Geographers (El). PMID- 17783985 TI - Geology and Geography (Section E). PMID- 17783986 TI - Botanical Sciences (Section G). PMID- 17783987 TI - Social and Economic Sciences (Section K). PMID- 17783988 TI - Anthropology (Section H). PMID- 17783989 TI - General Systems Research (L2). PMID- 17783990 TI - Engineering (Section M). PMID- 17783991 TI - Medical Sciences (Section N). PMID- 17783992 TI - American Society of Photogrammetry (M3). PMID- 17783993 TI - Dentistry (Section Nd). PMID- 17783994 TI - Pharmacy (Section Np). PMID- 17783995 TI - Alpha Epsilon Delta (N1). PMID- 17783996 TI - Agriculture (Section O). PMID- 17783997 TI - American Psychiatric Association (N5). PMID- 17783999 TI - Academy Conference (X1). PMID- 17783998 TI - Society for Industrial Microbiology (P2). PMID- 17784000 TI - Education (Section Q). PMID- 17784002 TI - Conference on Scientific Manpower (X8). PMID- 17784001 TI - Conference on Participation of Women in Science (X2). PMID- 17784004 TI - Washington Academy of Sciences (X19). PMID- 17784006 TI - German Scientists and the Atom Bomb. PMID- 17784007 TI - Federal Recruiting of Research Scientists. PMID- 17784005 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17784008 TI - Vertebrate Metamorphosis. PMID- 17784009 TI - Adoption of the Metric System. PMID- 17784011 TI - BIOMETRY OF BEES' TONGUES. PMID- 17784010 TI - Vertebrate Metamorphosis. PMID- 17784012 TI - THE CREATION OF MATTER. PMID- 17784013 TI - THE CAUSE OF CANCER. PMID- 17784014 TI - CALMETTE VACCINE IN A CATTLE TEST. PMID- 17784015 TI - THE LARCH CANKER. PMID- 17784016 TI - DESCENDANTS OF STONE AGE MAN. PMID- 17784017 TI - THE TREND OF MORPHOLOGY. PMID- 17784019 TI - CLASSIFICATION OF THE PLEISTOCENE OF CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17784018 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17784021 TI - MEIER-SEASHORE ART JUDGMENT TEST. PMID- 17784020 TI - THE PROBLEM OF THE INTERACTION OF RADIATION AND THE ELECTRON. PMID- 17784022 TI - MOSAIC OF SUGAR-CANE IN PERU. PMID- 17784023 TI - RECORDING BY PERFORATING. PMID- 17784024 TI - SOME USEFUL PETROGRAPHIC METHODS. PMID- 17784025 TI - THE STIMULATION OF METABOLISM BY ALCOHOL. AB - (1) The effect of ethyl alcohol, fat and protein, or the amino acids, on sugar metabolism was determined directly. (2) It was found that alcohol stimulated sugar metabolism almost as much as fat and protein. (3) From this it is concluded that alcohol, in addition to serving as a source of heat and energy, may also serve another function of the foodstuffs, namely, that of stimulating metabolism. PMID- 17784026 TI - A RELATION BETWEEN THE MEAN DISTANCES OF THE PLANETS FROM THE SUN. PMID- 17784027 TI - BORDERLANDS IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17784028 TI - THE SOLUTE AS LIQUID. PMID- 17784029 TI - ON THE FORMATION OF LAKE BALLS. PMID- 17784030 TI - THE PHENOMENON OF MASKING. PMID- 17784031 TI - A COMPREHENSIVE MORPHOLOGY OF SPHENODON. PMID- 17784032 TI - THE NINTH ANNUAL FIELD CONFERENCE OF THE KANSAS GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17784033 TI - FRACTIONATION STUDIES ON PROVITAMIN D. PMID- 17784034 TI - THE BLUE MUD-DAUBER AS A PREDATOR OF THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER. PMID- 17784035 TI - GLASS ELECTRODES. PMID- 17784037 TI - THE ETIOLOGY OF HEMACHROMATOSIS. PMID- 17784036 TI - A METHOD OF NUMBERING LABORATORY RATS. PMID- 17784038 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF MALE CHARACTERISTICS IN FEMALE CHICKENS. PMID- 17784040 TI - THE EFFECT OF COOKING ON VITAMINS. PMID- 17784039 TI - FUNCTION OF THE THYMUS GLAND. PMID- 17784042 TI - RESEARCH IN COLLEGES. PMID- 17784041 TI - THE EQUINOX OF 1950.0. PMID- 17784043 TI - DISMISSAL OF DR. HENRY FOX FROM THE FACULTY OF MERCER UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17784045 TI - HONOR TO WHOM HONOR--. PMID- 17784044 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17784046 TI - OLDER PUBLICATIONS ON COLLOIDS. PMID- 17784048 TI - RECIPROCAL INNERVATION IN THE FROG AS A LABORATORY EXPERIMENT. PMID- 17784047 TI - THE SEX-CHROMOSOMES OF SEA-URCHINS. PMID- 17784049 TI - ANOTHER ADULT "HOWLER". PMID- 17784050 TI - COCONUT BUD ROT EXPERIMENTS IN PORTO RICO. PMID- 17784051 TI - ADDITIONAL REPORTS ON THE FIFTH WASHINGTON MEETING. PMID- 17784052 TI - THE MATHEMATICAL SOCIETIES AT THE WASHINGTON MEETING. PMID- 17784053 TI - PHYSICAL SOCIETIES AT THE WASHINGTON MEETING. PMID- 17784054 TI - THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY AT WASHINGTON. PMID- 17784055 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17784056 TI - Frontiers in chemistry. PMID- 17784057 TI - Erratum. AB - At the end of his Research News article "New superconductors answer some questions" (8 Apr., p. 146), Robert Pool's name was misspelled. PMID- 17784059 TI - What's in an Acronym? PMID- 17784058 TI - Science focuses on the next presidency. AB - Revitalization of OSTP, science advisory mechanisms contemplated as the sun sets on the Reagan Administration and a changeover approaches. PMID- 17784060 TI - EPA Will Keep Old SO2 Rules. PMID- 17784061 TI - No Longer Willful, Gaia Becomes Respectable: The Gaia hypothesis, that Earth is a single huge organism intentionally creating an optimum environment for itself; has been made more palatable; interesting science is coming of it. PMID- 17784062 TI - A Loop Between plant and Cloud. PMID- 17784063 TI - On the Advantage of Being Different: Experiments with nest predation in birds show that patterns of species coexistence can mimic those formed by competition. PMID- 17784064 TI - Voltammetry with microscopic electrodes in new domains. AB - Voltammetric electrodes of microscopic dimension, termed ultramicroelectrodes, can be used to make measurements that are difficult or impossible with conventional electrochemical techniques. Measurements of chemical concentration can be made with these electrodes on a microsecond time scale and with micrometer spatial resolution. In addition, measurements can be made in highly resistive solutions. PMID- 17784065 TI - Intramolecular long-distance electron transfer in organic molecules. AB - Intramolecular long-distance electron transfer (EI) has been actively studied in recent years in order to test existing theories in a quantitative way and to provide the necessary constants for predicting ET rates from simple structural parameters. Theoretical predictions of an "inverted region," where increasing the driving force of the reaction will decrease its rate, have begun to be experimentally confirmed. A predicted nonlinear dependence of ET rates on the polarity of the solvent has also been confirmed. This work has implications for the design of efficient photochemical charge-separation devices. Other studies have been directed toward determining the distance dependence of ET reactions. Model studies on different series of compounds give similar distance dependences. When different stereochemical structures are compared, it becomes apparent that geometrical factors must be taken into account. Finally, the mechanism of coupling between donor and acceptor in weakly interacting systems has become of major importance. The theoretical and experimental evidence favors a model in which coupling is provided by the interaction with the orbitals of the intervening molecular fragments, although more experimental evidence is needed. PMID- 17784066 TI - The vibrational spectroscopy and dynamics of weakly bound neutral complexes. AB - A growing number of binary and tertiary van der Waals and hydrogen-bonded complexes are being studied by means of near-infrared laser spectroscopy. Studies of this type have generated a wealth of detailed structural and dynamical information that provides exacting tests of the corresponding theoretical methods. An additional incentive for the investigation of such clusters arises from the fact that they may be considered as intermediates between the gas and condensed phases of matter. As a result, these systems represent a fertile meeting ground for researchers from both fields and can often be studied with a variety of methods. PMID- 17784067 TI - Theoretical studies of the energetics and dynamics of chemical reactions. AB - Computational studies of basic chemical processes not only provide numbers for comparison with experiment or for use in modeling complex chemical phenomena such as combustion, but also provide insight into the fundamental factors that govern molecular structure and change which cannot be obtained from experiment alone. We summarize the results of three case studies, on HCO, OH + H(2), and O + C(2)H(2), which illustrate the range of problems that can be addressed by using modern theoretical techniques. In all cases, the potential energy surfaces were characterized by using ab initio electronic structure methods. Collisions between molecules leading to reaction or energy transer were described with quantum dynamical methods (HCO), classical trajectory techniques (HCO and OH + H(2)), and statistical methods (HCO, OH + H(2), and O + C(2)H(2)). We can anticipate dramatic increases in the scope of this work as new generations of computers are introduced and as new chemistry software is developed to exploit these computers. PMID- 17784068 TI - Chemical waves. AB - Spatial structures may occur in nonlinear systems far from equilibrium. Chemical waves, which are concentration variations of chemical species propagating in a system, are an example of such structures. A survey is given of some experiments on chemical waves by spectroscopic and microphotographic techniques, arranged according to different types of waves, different geometries, and various properties. PMID- 17784069 TI - Fabrics in polar ice sheets: development and prediction. AB - Fabrics in polar ice sheets provide a record of deformational history and control the viscosity of ice during further deformation; they affect geophysical sensing of ice sheets and provide an accessible analogue to fabric development during deformation of other geological and engineering materials. A new synthesis of experimental and theoretical results shows that c-axis fabrics are quantitatively related to cumulative strain and stress state in ice sheets for the full range of likely flow patterns. Basal shear, divergent flow, and parallel flow cause c axes to rotate toward the vertical axis, whereas convergent flow causes c axes to rotate toward a vertical plane transverse to flow. PMID- 17784070 TI - Superconducting and Magnetic Behavior in La2-xNaxCuO4. AB - New phases of the type La2-xAx(l+)CUO4-y have been prepared where A(l+) is sodium or potassium. The sodium phases are superconducting for x values from 0.2 to 0.5 at temperatures up to about 40 K. In addition, there are unusual magnetic properties below about 10 K that may be indicative of spin glass behavior. Phases of the type La2-xKxCuO4-y could only be prepared with x values up to about 0.1, and these phases are not superconducting above 4.2 K. PMID- 17784071 TI - Subsidence in the northeastern nile delta: rapid rates, possible causes, and consequences. AB - Holocene fluvial and marine deposits have accumulated in a graben-like structure on the northeastern margin of the Nile delta. This part of the delta, which includes Lake Manzala, Port Said, and the northern Suez Canal, has subsided rapidly at rates of up to 0.5 centimeter per year since about 7500 years ago. This subsidence has diverted at last four major distributaries of the Nile River into this region. The combined effects of continued subsidence and sea level rise may flood a large part of the northern delta plain by as much as 1 meter by the year 2100. The impact of continued subsidence, now occurring when sediment input along the coast has been sharply reduced because of the Aswan High Dam, is likely to be substantial, particularly in the Port Said area and as far inland as south of Lake Manzala. PMID- 17784072 TI - Single-Stranded DNA Binding Protein Encoded by the virE Locus of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. AB - The transfer process of T (transfer)-DNA of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is activated after the induction of the expression of the Ti plasmid virulence (vir) loci by plant signal molecules such as acetosyringone. The vir gene products then act to generate a free transferable single-stranded copy of the T-DNA, designated the T-strand. Although some vir proteins are responsible for the synthesis of the T-strand, others may mediate T-strand transfer to plant cells as part of a DNA protein complex. Here, a novel 69-kilodalton vir-specific single-stranded DNA binding protein is identified in Agrobacterium harboring a nopaline-type Ti plasmid. This protein binds single-stranded but not double-stranded DNA regardless of nucleotide sequence composition. The molecular size of the vir specific single-stranded DNA binding protein and its relative abundance in acetosyringone-induced Agrobacterium suggested that it might be the product of the virE locus; molecular cloning and expression of the virE region in Escherichia coli confirmed this prediction. PMID- 17784073 TI - Food problems: soviet agriculture. PMID- 17784074 TI - The Role of GABA: Neurotrophic Activity of GABA During Development. PMID- 17784076 TI - Plant ecology: seed dispersal. PMID- 17784075 TI - Archeological reconstruction: production and exchange of stone tools. PMID- 17784078 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17784077 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17784079 TI - The disputed birth of buckyballs. PMID- 17784081 TI - Allocating the pain in energy science. PMID- 17784080 TI - Why Bigger Isn't Better in Earth Observation. PMID- 17784082 TI - Rating university r&d. PMID- 17784083 TI - New awards. PMID- 17784084 TI - Money for brains. PMID- 17784085 TI - Tists in the hood. PMID- 17784086 TI - Indirect directions. PMID- 17784087 TI - Signs of wet weather in the polar mesosphere? PMID- 17784089 TI - Lightning found on venus at last? PMID- 17784088 TI - Report nixes "geritol" fix for global warming. PMID- 17784090 TI - Radar images of Mars. AB - Full disk images of Mars have been obtained with the use of the Very Large Array (VLA) to map the radar reflected flux density. The transmitter system was the 70 m antenna of the Deep Space Network at Goldstone, California. The surface of Mars was illuminated with continuous wave radiation at a wavelength of 3,5 cm. The reflected energy was mapped in individual 12-minute snapshots with the VLA in its largest configuration; fringe spacings as small as 67 km were obtained. The images reveal near-surface features including a region in the Tharsis volcano area, over 2000 km in east-west extent, that displayed no echo to the very low level of the radar system noise. The feature, called Stealth, is interpreted as a deposit of dust or ash with a density less than about 0.5 gram per cubic centimeter and free of rocks larger than 1 cm across. The deposit must be several meters thick and may be much deeper. The strongest reflecting geological feature was the south polar ice cap, which was reduced in size to the residual south polar ice cap at the season of observation. The cap image is interpreted as arising from nearly pure CO(2) or H(2)O ice with a small amount of martian dust (less than 2 percent by volume) and a depth greater than 2 to 5 m. Only one anomalous reflecting feature was identified outside of the Tharsis region, although the Elysium region was poorly sampled in this experiment and the north pole was not visible from Earth. PMID- 17784091 TI - The galileo venus encounter. AB - The Galileo spacecraft passed Venus on its way to Jupiter on 10 February 1990, less than 4 months after launch from Earth aboard the shuttle Atlantis. Because Galileo's instruments were selected for broad-based planetary exploration, the spacecraft was able to obtain a wide range of measurements during the Venus encounter. Together with ground-based observations conducted during the encounter, these observations have yielded more accurate information about the planet's plasma environment, cloud patterns, and the possible existence of lightning. PMID- 17784092 TI - Magnetic field studies of the solar wind interaction with venus from the galileo flyby. AB - During the 10 February 1990 flyby of Venus, the Galileo spacecraft skimmed the downstream flank of the planetary bow shock. This provided an opportunity to examine both the global and the local structure of the shock in an interval during which conditions in the solar wind plasma were quite steady. The data show that the cross section of the shock in planes transverse to the flow is smaller in directions aligned with the projection of the interplanetary magnetic field than in directions not so aligned. Ultralow-frequency waves were present in the unshocked solar wind, and their amplitude peaked when the spacecraft was downstream of the foreshock. At large distances down the tail, the Mach number of the flow normal to the shock is low, thus providing the opportunity to study repeated crossings of the collisionless shock in an interesting parameter regime. Some of the shock crossings reveal structure that comes close to the theoretically predicted form of intermediate shocks, whose existence in collisionless plasmas has not been confirmed. PMID- 17784093 TI - Lightning and plasma wave observations from the galileo flyby of venus. AB - During the Galileo flyby of Venus the plasma wave instrument was used to search for impulsive radio signals from lightning and to investigate locally generated plasma waves. A total of nine events were detected in the frequency range from 100 kilohertz to 5.6 megahertz. Although the signals are weak, lightning is the only known source of these signals. Near the bow shock two types of locally generated plasma waves were observed, low-frequency electromagnetic waves from about 5 to 50 hertz and electron plasma oscillation at about 45 kilohertz. The plasma oscillations have considerable fine structure, possibly because of the formation of soliton-like wave packets. PMID- 17784094 TI - Energetic particles at venus: galileo results. AB - At Venus the Energetic Particles Detector (EPD) on the Galileo spacecraft measured the differential energy spectra and angular distributions of ions >22 kiloelectron volts (keV) and electrons > 15 keV in energy. The only time particles were observed by EPD was in a series of episodic events [0546 to 0638 universal time (UT)] near closest approach (0559:03 UT). Angular distributions were highly anisotropic, ordered by the magnetic field, and showed ions arriving from the hemisphere containing Venus and its bow shock. The spectra showed a power law form with intensities observed into the 120- to 280-keV range. Comparisons with model bow shock calculations show that these energetic ions are associated with the venusian foreshock-bow shock region. Shock-drift acceleration in the venusian bow shock seems the most likely process responsible for the observed ions. PMID- 17784095 TI - Plasma observations at venus with galileo. AB - Plasma measurements were obtained with the Galileo spacecraft during an approximately 3.5-hour interval in the vicinity of Venus on 10 February 1990. Several crossings of the bow shock in the local dawn sector were recorded before the spacecraft passed into the solar wind upstream from this planet. Although observations of ions of the solar wind and the postshock magnetosheath plasmas were not possible owing to the presence of a sunshade for thermal protection of the instrument, solar wind densities and bulk speeds were determined from the electron velocity distributions. A magnetic field-aligned distribution of hotter electrons or ;;strahl'' was also found in the solar wind. Ions streaming into the solar wind from the bow shock were detected. Electron heating at the bow shock, +/-40 degrees ) and persisted throughout the observing program. It had a rotation period of 5.5 +/- 0.15 days. The remainder of this latitude band was characterized by small-scale (400 to 1000 kilometers) dark and bright markings with rotation periods of 7.4 +/- 1 days. The different rotation periods for the large dark cloud and the smaller markings suggests that they are produced at different altitudes. Mid-latitudes (+/-40 degrees to 60 degrees ) were usually occupied by bright east-west bands. The highest observable latitudes (+/-60 degrees to 70 degrees ) were always dark and featureless, indicating greater cloud opacity. Maps of the water vapor distribution show no evidence for large horizontal gradients in the lower atmosphere of Venus. PMID- 17784099 TI - Galileo infrared imaging spectroscopy measurements at venus. AB - During the 1990 Galileo Venus flyby, the Near Infaied Mapping Spectrometer investigated the night-side atmosphere of Venus in the spectral range 0.7 to 5.2 micrometers. Multispectral images at high spatial resolution indicate substanmial cloud opacity variations in the lower cloud levels, centered at 50 kilometers altitude. Zonal and meridional winds were derived for this level and are consistent with motion of the upper branch of a Hadley cell. Northern and southern hemisphere clouds appear to be markedly different. Spectral profiles were used to derive lower atmosphere abundances of water vapor and other species. PMID- 17784100 TI - Galileo ultraviolet spectrometer experiment: initial venus and interplanetary cruise results. AB - The Galileo Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer obtained a spectrum of Venus atmospheric emissions in the 55.0- to 125.0-nanometer (nm) wavelength region. Emissions of helium (58.4 nm), ionized atomic oxygen (83.4 nm), and atomic hydrogen (121.6 nm), as well as a blended spectral feature of atomic hydrogen (Lyman-beta) and atomic oxygen (102.5 nm), were observed at 3.5-nm resolution. During the Galileo spacecraft cruise from Venus to Earth, Lyman-alpha emission from solar system atomic hydrogen (121.6 nm) was measured. The dominant source of the Lyman-alpha emission is atomic hydrogen from the interstellar medium. A model of Galileo observations at solar maximum indicates a decrease in the solar Lyman alpha flux near the solar poles. A strong day-to-day variation also occurs with the 27-day periodicity of the rotation of the sun. PMID- 17784101 TI - Authors! Authors! PMID- 17784102 TI - AAAS Launches Electronic Journal Amid New Publications Push. PMID- 17784103 TI - Report on malaria in Africa now available. PMID- 17784104 TI - 1992 AAAS Council Meeting. PMID- 17784105 TI - A muster of veterans. PMID- 17784107 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17784106 TI - The burt case: another foray. PMID- 17784108 TI - Rail transit and energy consumption. PMID- 17784110 TI - Computer Security and IBM. PMID- 17784111 TI - New texico? PMID- 17784109 TI - Imprisoned argentine scientist. PMID- 17784112 TI - The Diesel's Advantages. PMID- 17784113 TI - Radioactive waste disposal: an environmental standard. PMID- 17784114 TI - Energy and climate. PMID- 17784115 TI - How Much Are Nature's Services Worth? PMID- 17784116 TI - Seafarer: project still homeless as milliken says no to navy. PMID- 17784117 TI - Odyssey of agent orange ends in the pacific. PMID- 17784119 TI - National bureau of standards: a fall from grace. PMID- 17784118 TI - Blast-off for swigert, reentry for mosher. PMID- 17784120 TI - Wind energy: large and small systems competing. PMID- 17784122 TI - CSFR to Meet. PMID- 17784121 TI - Drug for treatment of herpes encephalitis. PMID- 17784123 TI - Technology topic of pacific science association meeting. PMID- 17784124 TI - Energy seminars scheduled. PMID- 17784125 TI - French association meets in brittany. PMID- 17784126 TI - Resolutions invited for 1978 council meeting. PMID- 17784128 TI - Media figures. PMID- 17784127 TI - 1976 aaas summary financial statements. PMID- 17784129 TI - New ideas in america. PMID- 17784130 TI - Developmental genetics. PMID- 17784131 TI - The oldest macroborers: lower cambrian of labrador. AB - We have discovered numerous borings of Trypanites penetrating skeletons and synsedimentary cemented limestones in archaeocyathid reefs of the Forteau formation in southern Labrador. These are, to date, the oldest known macroborings. The discovery of these structures extends the record of large endolithic organisms 100 million years from the Lower Ordovician to the Lower Cambrian. This immediately postdates the appearance of metazoans with hard parts and confirms that endoliths have played a role in reef formation since the early Cambrian. PMID- 17784132 TI - Deadline for Nominations: 15 September 1977 AAAS-Newcomb Cleveland Prize: Contest Year Is Nearly Over. PMID- 17784133 TI - Triassic-jurassic tetrapod extinctions: are they real? AB - Terrestrial vertebrate fossils show that part of the Newark supergroup of the eastern United States, all of the Glen Canyon group of the southwestern United States, and the Upper Stormberg group of southern Africa are Early Jurassic. This new correlation demonstrates that the supposed widespread tetrapod extinction at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary is an artifact of spurious correlation. PMID- 17784134 TI - Lunar surface chemistry: a new imaging technique. AB - Detailed chemical maps of the lunar surface have been constructed by applying a new weighted-filter imaging technique to Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 x-ray fluorescence data. The data quality improvement is amply demonstrated by (i) modes in the frequency distribution, representing highland and mare soil suites, which are not evident before data filtering and (ii) numerous examples of chemical variations which are correlated with small-scale (about 15 kilometer) lunar topographic features. PMID- 17784135 TI - Nucleon stability: a geochemical test independent of decay mode. AB - By analyzing published geochemical data on xenon isotopes measured in a 2.46 x 10(9)-year-old telluride ore, a lower limit of 1.6 x 10(25) years has been obtained for the mean lifetime of the nucleons in the tellurium-130 nucleus. This result is insensitive to the particular mode by which the nucleons decay and therefore provides a rigorous limit on possible baryon number nonconservation. The new limit is about two orders of magnitude better than the previous rigorous limit on nucleon stability. PMID- 17784136 TI - Microwave spectroscopic imagery of the Earth. AB - The microwave spectrometer on the Nimbus 6 satellite has produced the first microwave spectral images of the earth. It has yielded global maps of (i) atmospheric temperature profiles, (ii) the distributions of water vapor and liquid water over ocean, and (iii) the coverage and type of ice and snow. The method has potential for operational synoptic monitoring. PMID- 17784137 TI - Combustion of Several 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxy Compounds: Formation of 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. AB - Grass and paper coated with several compounds containing the 2,4,5 trichlorophenoxy moiety have been subjected to combustion. By using compounds that had been purified to achieve low background amounts of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) together with an efficient cleanup and analysis of the residue, it was possible to detect as little as 0.001 microgram of TCDD in the combustion products of 0.5 gram of the 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy material. Small self-supported fires converted about 10(-6) of the 2,4,5 trichlorophenoxy material to TCDD. PMID- 17784138 TI - Immunological resolution of a diploid-tetraploid species complex of tree frogs. AB - Micro-complement fixation studies of eastern and western populations of the North American tree frog Hyla chrysoscelis reveal they have been genetically isolated for about 4 million years. Immunological comparisons of populations of the cryptic tetraploid Hyla versicolor indicate a recent origin, from hybridization between eastern and western H. chrysoscelis. PMID- 17784139 TI - AN ILLUSTRATION OF PRACTICAL RESULTS FROM THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. PMID- 17784140 TI - NATIONAL TEMPERAMENT IN SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. PMID- 17784141 TI - ARE THE LANCE AND FORT UNION FORMATIONS OF MESOZOIC TIME? PMID- 17784142 TI - SURVEYING FROM THE AIR. PMID- 17784144 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NOMENCLATURE OF THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17784143 TI - PROOF OF NON-DISJUNCTION FOR THE FOURTH CHROMOSOME OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. PMID- 17784145 TI - A FISH, WITH A LUMINOUS ORGAN, DESIGNED FOR THE GROWTH OF LUMINOUS BACTERIA. PMID- 17784146 TI - SECTION L--HISTORY OF SCIENCE SESSIONS. PMID- 17784147 TI - THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17784149 TI - JAMES M. MACOUN. PMID- 17784148 TI - THE STIMULATION OF RESEARCH AFTER THE WAR. PMID- 17784150 TI - THE AURORA OF MARCH 22, 1920. PMID- 17784151 TI - POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN SUNSPOTS AND EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17784152 TI - THE RECENT AURORAS AND SUN SPOTS. PMID- 17784153 TI - CONDITIONS IN HUNGARY. PMID- 17784154 TI - SOME MICRO-PLANKTON FROM SALTON SEA. PMID- 17784155 TI - JOURNALS FOR PRAGUE. PMID- 17784156 TI - SECTION E-GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17784157 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17784158 TI - THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION. PMID- 17784159 TI - Marine Fungi and Limnoria. PMID- 17784161 TI - Terms for Temperatures. PMID- 17784160 TI - European Degrees. PMID- 17784162 TI - In Perspective. PMID- 17784164 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17784163 TI - Mathematical Inutility and the Advance of Science: Should science entice the mathematician from his ivory tower into Solomon's House? PMID- 17784165 TI - Variations in Style Number and Other Gynoecial Structures of Lychnis alba. AB - Consistent variations in style number (from the typical five), ranging from zero to ten, inclusive, are found in ovaries of Lychnis alba flowers. The number of carpels, placentae, and vascular strands of a given ovary usually varied directly with the number of its styles. PMID- 17784168 TI - "Personal Liberties" Threatened? PMID- 17784166 TI - Marine Fungi and Limnoria. PMID- 17784169 TI - Teaching and Research. PMID- 17784170 TI - Private Spending for Science. PMID- 17784171 TI - Uniform Luminescent Materials. PMID- 17784172 TI - Another Chain Reaction. PMID- 17784173 TI - Further Notes on Science Legislation. PMID- 17784174 TI - S. 1720 vs. S. 1777. PMID- 17784175 TI - Statement by Senator Willis Introducing a Bill for a National Science Foundation. PMID- 17784176 TI - S. 1777. PMID- 17784177 TI - Characterization of Pectin. PMID- 17784179 TI - Pulsating Perfusing Apparatus. PMID- 17784178 TI - Inhibition of Growth of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by a Mold Product--the Effect on Pathogenic Human Tubercle Bacilli. PMID- 17784180 TI - An Apparatus for Determining the Respiratory Volume of Large Aquatic Birds. PMID- 17784181 TI - A New Sterile Technic for Preparing Agar Cup-plates. PMID- 17784182 TI - Reversal in the Winter Flounder. PMID- 17784183 TI - What Can You Do About It? PMID- 17784184 TI - Information for B. and T. PMID- 17784185 TI - Information for B. and T. PMID- 17784186 TI - Information for B. and T. PMID- 17784188 TI - Algae in the Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. PMID- 17784187 TI - Information for B. and T. PMID- 17784189 TI - Preservation of Biological Specimens With Clarite X. PMID- 17784191 TI - What Is the Matter With Science? PMID- 17784192 TI - Veterans' Retraining Program in Geology. PMID- 17784190 TI - The Coloration of Acid Earths Caused by Vitamin A. PMID- 17784193 TI - The Prevention of Atomic Warfare. PMID- 17784194 TI - The Law of Precharged Luminescence. PMID- 17784195 TI - Plea for Change in Regular Time of Meeting of the AAAS. PMID- 17784196 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17784197 TI - THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHARLES DENISON AND HENRY SEWALL TO MEDICINE. PMID- 17784198 TI - A PSYCHIATRIC ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT-DAY MADNESS IN THE WORLD. PMID- 17784199 TI - RATE OF REACTION AND CONCENTRATION OF ENZYME. PMID- 17784200 TI - DATA ON FORAMINIFERA COLLECTED BY THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION. PMID- 17784202 TI - RESEARCH AWARDS OF YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17784201 TI - PEANUT "POUTS". PMID- 17784203 TI - A PROLONGED AFTER EFFECT FROM ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE CEREBELLAR CORTEX IN UNANESTHETIZED CATS. PMID- 17784204 TI - THE MECHANISM OF BACTERIOPHAGE PRODUCTION. PMID- 17784205 TI - CRYSTALLINE PAPAIN. PMID- 17784206 TI - PURIFICATION OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS AND PRODUCTION OF MESOMORPHIC FIBERS BY TREATMENT WITH TRYPSIN. PMID- 17784207 TI - A METHOD FOR THE SECTIONING OF PROTOZOA EN MASSE. PMID- 17784208 TI - CATALYTIC REDUCTION OF THE METHYL ESTER OF 2:3:4-TRIACETYL agr-METHYL GALACTURONIDE TO METHYL-GALACTOSIDE. PMID- 17784209 TI - THE PRESERVATION OF TETANUS TOXIN BY THE LYOPHILE PROCESS. PMID- 17784210 TI - Superconducting niobium-germanium. PMID- 17784211 TI - Kuiper archive. PMID- 17784212 TI - Underneath the waterfalls. PMID- 17784213 TI - Pseudoscience. PMID- 17784214 TI - Josephson junction detectoi. PMID- 17784216 TI - Prehistory of west Mexico. PMID- 17784215 TI - Drugs, neurotransmitters, and schizophrenia. PMID- 17784217 TI - 20 june tape: critics fault logic of experts' final report. PMID- 17784218 TI - Congress reincarnates stratton commission on oceans. PMID- 17784219 TI - NSF's Public Understanding of Science Program Treads Lightly around Nuclear Controversies. PMID- 17784220 TI - Court limits class actions. PMID- 17784221 TI - Chemical warfare: binary plan, geneva talks on a collision course. PMID- 17784222 TI - HeLa (for Henrietta Lacks). PMID- 17784223 TI - Clean air: congress settles for a restrained coal conversion plan. PMID- 17784224 TI - Oil shale: a huge resource of low-grade fuel. PMID- 17784225 TI - Creativity: can it be dissected? Can it be taught? PMID- 17784226 TI - Jupiter's Clouds: Equatorial Plumes and Other Cloud Forms in the Pioneer 10 Images. AB - Pioneer 10 images of Jupiter show bright nuclei in the equatorial zone that appear to be thermally driven sources of cloud plume formations. PMID- 17784227 TI - Variation of P-Wave Velocity before the Bear Valley, California, Earthquake of 24 February 1972. AB - Residuals for P-wave traveltimes at a seismnograph station near Bear Valley, California, for small, precisely located local earthquakes at distances of 20 to 70 kilometers show a sharp increase of nearly 0.3 second about 2 months before a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that occurred within a few kilometers of the station. This indicates that velocity changes observed elsewhere premonitory to earthquakes, possibly related to dilatancy, occur along the central section of the San Andreas fault system. PMID- 17784228 TI - Strain release mechanism of the 1906 san francisco earthquake. AB - Reexamination of geodetic data has shown that aseismic slip occurred on or near the San Andreas fault in the period of about 20 years after 1906. The inferred displacements are comparable to but at greater depths than the sudden slip that occurred at the time of the earthquake. The postseismic slip is constrained only between late 1906 and 1925, and data are insufficient to determine the movements, if any, below about 20 kilometers on the fault. Two independent observations also indicate stubstantial anomalous crustal deformation away from the fault at least 30 years before the earthquake. PMID- 17784229 TI - Earthquake mechanics in the central United States. AB - Focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes in the central United States suggest that local stress fields are important in determining the type and orientation of faulting. The implied stress system is considerably more complicated than that which would be produced by east-west trending compressive stresses, as previously suggested for this region. PMID- 17784230 TI - Induced polarization: a geophysical method for locating cultural metallic refuse. AB - The problem of delineating cultural refuse sites (dumps) arises in civil engineering studies. Induced polarization measurements have been successfully applied in several cases. Laboratory tests on synthetic samples indicate that the effect is due to the metal content of the dumps. The method may be applicable to archeological investigations. PMID- 17784231 TI - Pollination by ants: a low-energy system. AB - Polygonum cascadense, a small, apparently self-incompatible, annual plant, is regularly cross-pollinated by the ant Formica argentea. Comparison of other purported ant-pollinated plants with traits favoring such pollination suggests that some, but not all, may be ant pollinated. Ant-pollination interactions are characterized by low expenditure of energy by both ant and plant. PMID- 17784232 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17784233 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17784234 TI - EXPERIMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY. PMID- 17784235 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17784236 TI - THE FIELD NATURALIST IN THE FINAL INTERPRETATIONS OF LIFE. PMID- 17784237 TI - SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION IN THE MARSHES OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. PMID- 17784239 TI - RHYTHMIC PHENOMENA IN GELS. PMID- 17784238 TI - BEHAVIORISM IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17784240 TI - INFLUENCE OF METHOD OF SHAKING ON AMOUNT OF PHOSPHATE DISSOLVED FROM SOIL BY WATER. PMID- 17784241 TI - A METHOD OF ARTIFICIALLY FEEDING THE SUGAR-BEET LEAFHOPPER. PMID- 17784242 TI - VISUAL PURPLE IN SNAKES. PMID- 17784243 TI - A NOTE ON THE FLOW OF FLUIDS THROUGH POROUS MEDIA. PMID- 17784245 TI - NATURAL SELECTION AND USE-INHERITANCE. PMID- 17784244 TI - THE COMPARATIVE METHOD OF STUDY. PMID- 17784246 TI - NOTE ON THE GENERIC NAME CHIROTES. PMID- 17784247 TI - FEEDING-LINES OF A LIVING LAND GASTEROPOD ON LICHENED SLATE. PMID- 17784248 TI - THE RAVAGES OF BOOK WORMS. PMID- 17784249 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.-XXV. PMID- 17784251 TI - BRITISH STONE CIRCLES. PMID- 17784250 TI - THE EVOLUTION AND USE OF THE AFTERSHAFT IN BIRDS. PMID- 17784252 TI - An Alleged Mongoloid Race in Europe. PMID- 17784253 TI - PHYSIOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. I. PMID- 17784254 TI - A Possible Source of Confusion as to the Origin and Character of Certain Shells. PMID- 17784255 TI - AN ARTIFICIAL PLANET. PMID- 17784256 TI - HORMONES FROM THE PITUITARY GLAND. PMID- 17784257 TI - AMERICA'S LONGEST RAILROAD TUNNEL. PMID- 17784259 TI - CORN BORER WAR IN 1929. PMID- 17784258 TI - THE ITALIAN HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECT. PMID- 17784260 TI - NEW SUGARS. PMID- 17784261 TI - THE STORY OF THE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS. PMID- 17784262 TI - THE RELATION OF SCIENCE TO INDUSTRY. PMID- 17784263 TI - WILLIAM NORTH RICE 1845-1928. PMID- 17784264 TI - IS THIS SCIENCE OR METAPHYSICS? PMID- 17784266 TI - WORDS AND LIFE. PMID- 17784265 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17784267 TI - AN EXPERIMENTUM CRUCIS IN DIABETES. PMID- 17784268 TI - TWO ADDITIONS TO THE HERPETOLOGICAL FAUNA OF RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS. PMID- 17784269 TI - REGISTRATION IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17784270 TI - THE SPECTRUM OF DOUBLY IONIZED POTASSIUM (K III). PMID- 17784272 TI - VARIATION IN SIZE OF PLASTIDS IN GENETIC STRAINS OF ZEA MAYS. PMID- 17784271 TI - ON THE CONFIGURATIONAL RELATIONSHIP OF 3-CHLOROBUTYRIC AND 3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACIDS. PMID- 17784273 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17784274 TI - University-based public service. PMID- 17784275 TI - Response: agricultural r&d. PMID- 17784276 TI - Agricultural r&d. PMID- 17784278 TI - The federal deficit. PMID- 17784277 TI - Agricultural r&d. PMID- 17784279 TI - The federal deficit. PMID- 17784280 TI - NATO Ponders Its Nuclear Options: The INF treaty has focused renewed attention on proposals to modernize the nuclear weapons that will remain in Europe, but NATO is divided on their merits. PMID- 17784281 TI - EPA to Cut U.S. CFC Production to Protect Ozone in Stratosphere. PMID- 17784282 TI - President's AIDS Panel Issues First Report. PMID- 17784284 TI - Geographical limit on research funds in bill seen as swipe at peer review. PMID- 17784283 TI - Applicants Deluge NSF. PMID- 17784285 TI - Capturing El Nino in Models: The physical mechanism that makes a model produce El Ninos is an oscillator in the tropical Pacific; whether the models and reality coincide remains unclear. PMID- 17784287 TI - Domino Effect Invoked in Ice Age Extinctions: Large herbivores have such a dramatic effect on vegetational patterns that their removal can affect the lives of smaller species; could this be a model for ice age extinctions? PMID- 17784286 TI - El nino and winter weather. PMID- 17784288 TI - A New Window Onto the Chemists' Big Bang: By using femtosecond laser pulses chemists can for the first time watch molecules in the act of formation or fragmentation, thus yielding insights into the most crucial component of all chemical reactions, the transition state. PMID- 17784289 TI - Low-input cropping for Acid soils of the humid tropics. AB - A low-input cropping system has been developed at Yurimaguas, Peru, to serve as a transition technology between shifting and continuous cultivation for acid soils of the humid tropics. Principal features are slash-and-burn clearing, rotation of acid-tolerant upland rice and cowpea cultivars, maximum residue return, no tillage, and no lime or fertilizer applications. When yields decline as a result of increasing weed pressure and nutrient deficiencies, a kudzu fallow is grown for 1 year. Subsequent options include fertilizer-based continuous cultivation, pastures, or agroforestry. The system preserves some agroecosystem diversity and contributes toward a sustainable level of production and income for farmers in humid tropical regions. PMID- 17784290 TI - Very high energy gamma-ray binary stars. AB - One of the major astronomical discoveries of the last two decades was the detection of luminous x-ray binary star systems in which gravitational energy from accretion is released by the emission of x-ray photons, which have energies in the range of 0.1 to 10 kiloelectron volts. Recent observations have shown that some of these binary sources also emit photons in the energy range of 10(12) electron volts and above. Such sources contain a rotating neutron star that is accreting matter from a companion. Techniques to detect such radiation are ground based, simple, and inexpensive. Four binary sources (Hercules X-1, 4U0115+63, Vela X-1, and Cygnus X-3) have been observed by at least two independent groups. Although the discovery of such very high energy "gamma-ray binaries" was not theoretically anticipated, models have now been proposed that attempt to explain the behavior of one or more of the sources. The implications of these observations is that a significant portion of the more energetic cosmic rays observed on Earth may arise from the action of similar sources within the galaxy during the past few million years. PMID- 17784291 TI - Wind-driven ocean currents and ekman transport. AB - Oceanographic Engineering of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Woods Hole, MA 02543. Oceanographers have long sought to verify the theoretical Ekman transport relation, which predicts that a steady wind stress acting together with the Coriolis force will produce a transport of water to the right of the wind. In situ measurements of wind and ocean currents provide a detailed view of this phenomenon. By separating the wind driven current from the measured total current and by averaging over a long record, it is found that the observed transport is consistent with theoretical Ekman transport to within about 10 percent. In this case the wind-driven transport is strongly surface trapped, with 95 percent occurring in the upper 25 meters as a result of fair summer weather. PMID- 17784292 TI - Star Formation in W49A: Gravitational Collapse of the Molecular Cloud Core Toward a Ring of Massive Stars. AB - High-resolution molecular line and continuum radio images from the Hat Creek Radio Observatory and the Very Large Array suggest that the core of the W49A star forming region is undergoing gravitational collapse. The radio continuum shows a 2-parsec ring of at least ten distinct ultracompact H-II regions, each associated with at least one O star. The ring is a region of large-scale, organized massive star formation. Recombination line velocities and HCO(+) excitation requirements indicate that the ring is rotating around 50,000 solar masses of material. Because the HCO(+) (1-0) line shows red-shifted absorption but blue-shifted emission, the molecular cloud core is believed to be collapsing toward the center of the ring. The HCO(+) radial velocities, as well as H-I, H(2)CO, and magnetic field measurements, fit a simple model of inside-out gravitational collapse of a once magnetically supported cloud. PMID- 17784293 TI - Oxygen isotope effect in high-temperature oxide superconductors. AB - The effect of oxygen isotope substitution on the superconducting transition temperature, T(c), has been measured for BaBi(0.25)Pb(0.75)O(3) (T(c), approximately 11 K) and Lal(1.85) Ca(0.15)CuO(4) (T(c) approximately 20 K), and is compared to the shifts observed for La(1.85)Sr(0.15)CuO(4) (T(c) approximately 37 K) and YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) (T(c) approximately 92 K). For all four materials, the transition temperature is shifted to lower temperature upon substitution of oxygen-18 for oxygen-16. The observed shifts demonstrate that phonons are involved in the electron-pairing mechanism in these oxide superconductors. PMID- 17784294 TI - Spectrophotometry of pluto-charon mutual events: individual spectra of pluto and charon. AB - Time-resolved spectra of the 3 March and 4 April 1987 mutual events of Pluto and its satellite Charon were obtained with spectral coverage from 5,500 to 10,000 angstroms with 25 angstrom spectral resolution. Since both events were total occultations of Charon by Pluto, spectra were obtained of the anti-Charon-facing hemisphere of Pluto, with no contribution from Charon during totality. On 4 April, a combined spectrum of Pluto and Charon immediately before first contact was also obtained. The spectrum of the Pluto-facing hemisphere of Charon was extracted by differencing the pre-event and totality spectra. The spectra were reduced to reflectances by ratioing them to spectra of solar analog stars. Charon has a featureless reflectance spectrum, with no evidence of methane absorption. Charon's reflectance appears neutral in color and corresponds to a geometric albedo of approximately 0.37 at 6000 angstroms. The Pluto reflectance spectrum displays methane absorption bands at 7300, 7900, 8400, 8600, and 8900 angstroms and is red in color, with a geometric albedo of approximately 0.56 at 6000 angstroms. The signal-to-noise ratios of the eclipse spectra were not high enough to unambiguously identify the weaker methane band at 6200 angstroms. PMID- 17784295 TI - Response: do 15 million cat neurons mediate the memory of a circle and a star? PMID- 17784296 TI - Do 15 million cat neurons mediate the memory of a circle and a star? PMID- 17784297 TI - Arms control in space: space and national security. PMID- 17784298 TI - Persistent specter: the dread disease. PMID- 17784299 TI - Avian sociobiology: population ecology of the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker. PMID- 17784300 TI - A social insect: the biology of the honey bee. PMID- 17784301 TI - Animal relations: kin recognition in animals. PMID- 17784303 TI - Letters. PMID- 17784302 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17784304 TI - Letters. PMID- 17784305 TI - Humanism in teaching science. PMID- 17784307 TI - Solid State Physics as a Source of Modern Electronics: Solid state physics leads to device effects from which electronic technology provides new tools for science. PMID- 17784306 TI - Hydride Complexes: The chemistry and current significance of covalent hydrogen compounds of transition metals are discussed. AB - Hydride complexes of transition metals were virtually unknown 12 years ago, but they have now been found to lie at the root of many interesting catalytic chemical reactions, some of which were used in industry even before the unique properties of hydride complexes, which formed their basis, had been realized. This article surveys the history, preparations, important properties, and reactions of hydride complexes, surveys their part in important catalytic industrial processes, and speculates about their possible role in the biological fixation of nitrogen. PMID- 17784308 TI - Mathematics for Biologists, Chemists, and Physicists: Results of National Study of Mathematics Requirements for Scientists and Engineers are presented. PMID- 17784309 TI - IDA: University-Sponsored Center Hit Hard by Assaults on Campus. PMID- 17784311 TI - France: the latest eruption of the international student revolt. PMID- 17784312 TI - Federal aid: house votes to deny funds to campus rebels. PMID- 17784313 TI - Pulse structure of four pulsars. AB - The pulse structure of the four known pulsars is given. The pulse is about 38 milliseconds for the two pulsars of longest period, and within the pulsewidth three subpulses typically appear. The pulsar of next longest period typically radiates two pulses separated about 23 milliseconds in time. The one short-period pulsar emits single pulses of constant shape. The first subpulses of all pulsars have nearly the same shape. The shape of the first subpulse agrees well with the pulse shape expected from a radio-emitting sphere which is excited by a spherically expanding disturbance, and in which the radio emission, once excited, decays exponentially. PMID- 17784314 TI - Thermally driven rossby-mode dynamo for solar magnetic-field reversals. AB - There is increasing interest in the possible existence of large eddies or "Rossby waves" in Sun's convection zone and photosphere. It is shown that many flows of this type, driven by an equator-pole temperature diffrence, act as hydromagnetic dynamos to produce magnetic fields that periodically reverse. The periods and field amplitudes agree with solar phenomena within an order of magnitude. PMID- 17784315 TI - Parameters of the plasma affecting the radiation of pulsar 1. AB - Analysis of the relation between time delay and frequency for pulses from Pulsar 1 shows that the dispersive region of the ray path must exceed 300 astronomical units and have an average electron number density less than 8000 per cubic centimeter and average magnetic field strength less than 2 x 10(-3) gauss. These requirements almost guarantee that the observed dispersion takes place in the interstellar medium. PMID- 17784316 TI - Wake collapse in stratified fluid: experimental exploration of scaling characteristics. AB - Passage of a submerged self-propelled body or other mixing device produces a region of more or less homogeneous fluid, in a fluid having a stable vertical density gradient (stratified), which initially expands vertically and then falls back (collapses). Maximum expansion Z(2) at time t(2) after the start of mixing are dependent variables related to the diameter Z(1) of propeller or mixer and to the Vaisala-Brunt period T by T/t(2) = 2.5 and Z(2)t(2)/Z(1)T = 1.3. These scaling relations are first-order approximations. PMID- 17784318 TI - Physics: atomic, molecular, and solid-state. PMID- 17784317 TI - Exsolution lamellae and optic orientation of clinoamphiboles. AB - Exsolution lamellae are abundant in coexisting hornblende and cummingtonite, and in hornblende coexisting with anthophyllite in Ordovician volcanics metamorphosed in the kyanite and sillimanite zones in central Massachusetts and adjacent New Hampshire. The lamellae have the same orientation relative to the internal structure as the (100) and (001) exsolution lamellae in clinopyroxenes, but are indexed (100) and (i01) with the C2/m space group commonly chosen for amphiboles. Specimens from the kyanite zone contain very thin (100) and (i01) lamellae. In the sillimanite zone, both (100) and (i01) lamellae are thicker and more abundant in iron-rich specimens than they are in magnesian specimens, as might be expected by analogy with pyroxenes from layered mafic intrusions. The (i01 lamellae allow correct determination of the relations between the optic vibration directions and the crystallographic axes for two alternatively selected space group C2/m and I2/m. This evidence shows that there has been much confusion concerning these relations. PMID- 17784319 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17784320 TI - ADDRESS ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW HOSPITAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. PMID- 17784321 TI - THE FIGURE OF THE EARTH AND THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ELLIPSOID OF REFERENCE. PMID- 17784322 TI - CHARLES VANCOUVER PIPER. PMID- 17784323 TI - SAMUEL MARX BARTON. PMID- 17784324 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17784326 TI - SCIENCE NOT IN IT. PMID- 17784325 TI - BLEACHED FLOUR AND NEUTRALIZED CREAM. PMID- 17784327 TI - LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF SCIENCE FROM THE PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITY OF THE FUNDAMENTALISTS. PMID- 17784329 TI - LIGHT LOCALIZATION IN CTENOPHORES. PMID- 17784328 TI - PLEISTOCENE FEATURES OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. PMID- 17784331 TI - Cousins' recovery. PMID- 17784332 TI - Reform of peer review. PMID- 17784333 TI - Science in an election year. PMID- 17784330 TI - Hayflick-NIH Settlement. PMID- 17784334 TI - Relativistic Jets in SS 433. AB - A variety of recent optical, radio, and x-ray observation have confirmed the hypothesis that the peculiar star SS 433 is ejecting two narrow, opposed, highly collimated jets of matter at one-quarter the speed of light. This unique behavior is probably driven by mass exchange between a relatively normal star and a compact companion, either a neutron star or a black hole. However, numerous details regarding the energetics, radiation, acceleration, and collimation of the jets remain to be understood. This phenomenon may well be a miniature example of similar collimated ejection of gas by active extragalactic objects such as quasars and radio galaxies. PMID- 17784335 TI - Maya archeology. AB - Maya beginnings go back at least 4000 years in southern Mexico and Central America. The Maya of the tropical lowlands were one of several linguistically distinct groups who occupied pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Their complex social order and civilization, which arose from early village farming, encompassed remarkable achievements in architecture, the arts, and hieroglyphic writing. Their Classic civilization (A.D. 250 to 1000) was a tightly integrated system in which subsistence, technology, settlement, the arts, and ideology closely intermeshed. Their decline and the subsequent Postclassic Period (A.D. 1000 to .1520), the continuing subjects of debate among Mayanists, are perhaps best understood in the light of more widespread Mesoamerican trends and changes. PMID- 17784336 TI - Safe to delay 1985 diesel rule, study says. PMID- 17784338 TI - Public Attitude Toward Science Is Yes, but--. PMID- 17784337 TI - Philip handler dies. PMID- 17784339 TI - Hayflick case settled. PMID- 17784340 TI - Science magazines: the second wave rolls in. PMID- 17784341 TI - Yale professor refuses to file effort reports. PMID- 17784344 TI - Tectonics on venus: like that of ancient Earth? PMID- 17784342 TI - 145 congressmen oppose solar research cuts. PMID- 17784343 TI - First question in geneva: what numbers to use? PMID- 17784345 TI - The weather of venus: also a relation to Earth? PMID- 17784346 TI - Origins: a problem with rare gases. PMID- 17784347 TI - The war against hookworm. PMID- 17784349 TI - Nineteenth-century shifts. PMID- 17784348 TI - Polymers and patents. PMID- 17784350 TI - Chemical senses. PMID- 17784351 TI - Inland fishes. PMID- 17784352 TI - Evolution of a mammal. PMID- 17784353 TI - Virginia barrier island configuration: a reappraisal. AB - The 12 Virginia barrier islands are divided into three groups on the basis of historical retreat rates and characteristics. The growth and reversal of inlet offsets is a long-term event that results from the operation of known coastal processes. Both geomorphic evidence and wave refraction analyses indicate that shoreline irregularity will diminish with time. There is no basis for the prediction (or expectation) that cape-like features will evolve along this shoreline. PMID- 17784354 TI - The rise of global mean sea level as an indication of climate change. AB - Rising mean sea level, it is proposed, is a significant indicator of global climate change. The principal factors that can have contributed to the observed increases of global mean sea level in recent decades are thermal expansion of the oceans and the discharge of polar ice sheets. Calculations indicate that thermal expansion cannot be the sole factor responsible for the observed rise in sea level over the last 40 years; significant discharges of polar ice must also be occurring. Global warming, due in some degree presumably to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, has been opposed by the extraction of heat necessary to melt the discharged ice. During the past 40 years more than 50,000 cubic kilometers of ice has been discharged and has melted, reducing the surface warming that might otherwise have occurred by as much as a factor of 2. The transfer of mass from the polar regions to a thin spherical shell covering all the oceans should have increased the earth's moment of inertia and correspondingly reduced the speed of rotation by about 1.5 parts in 10(8). This accounts for about three quarters of the observed fractional reduction in the earth's angular velocity since 1940. Monitoring of global mean sea level, ocean surface temperatures, and the earth's speed of rotation should be complemented by monitoring of the polar ice sheets, as is now possible by satellite altimetry. All parts of the puzzle need to be examined in order that a consistent picture emerge. PMID- 17784355 TI - Occultation by a possible third satellite of neptune. AB - The 24 May 1981 close approach of Neptune to an uncataloged star was photoelectrically monitored from two observatories separated by 6 kilometers parallel to the occultation track. An 8.1-second drop in signal, recorded simultaneously at both sites, is interpreted as resulting from the passage of a third satellite of Neptune in front of the star. From the duration of the event, the derived minimum diameter for an object sharing Neptune's motion is 180 kilometers. If the object was in Neptune's equatorial plane and there are no significant errors in the prediction ephemeris, the object was located at a distance of 3 Neptune radii from Neptune's center. PMID- 17784356 TI - Photosynthetic hydrogen and oxygen production: kinetic studies. AB - Steady-state turnover times for simultaneous photosynthetic production of hydrogen and oxygen have been measured for two systems: the in vitro system comprised of isolated chloroplasts, ferredoxin, and hydrogenase, and the anaerobically adapted green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii [137c(+) mating type]. In both systems, the simultaneous photoproduction of hydrogen and oxygen was measured by driving the systems into the steady state with repetitive, single turnover, flash illumination. The turnover times for production of both oxygen and hydrogen in photosynthetic water splitting are in milliseconds and are equal to or less than the turnover time for carbon dioxide reduction in intact algal cells. The oxygen and hydrogen turnover times are therefore compatible with each other and partially compatible with the excitation rate of the photosynthetic reaction centers under conditions of solar irradiation. PMID- 17784357 TI - Stephanopogon, a phylogenetically important "ciliate," shown by ultrastructural studies to be a flagellate. AB - A benthic marine protist (Stephanopogon) with a homokaryotic nucleus has long been considered to be a gymnostome ciliate. It has been important in hypotheses concerning the origin of ciliates, the evolution and origin of the dual nuclear apparatus of contemporary species of the Ciliophora, and the origin of the multicellular Eumetazoa. Ultrastructural observations reveal that the organism should be reclassified as a flagellate, despite its superficial resemblance to ciliates. PMID- 17784358 TI - Scatchard plots. PMID- 17784360 TI - ON A NEW CONSTITUENT OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR. PMID- 17784359 TI - Scatchard plots. PMID- 17784361 TI - LIQUID HYDROGEN. PMID- 17784362 TI - THE SPECIFIC HEAT OF METALS AT LOW TEMPERATURES. PMID- 17784363 TI - THE FLICKER PHOTOMETER. PMID- 17784365 TI - EUGENE FLACHAT. PMID- 17784364 TI - BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LAKE ERIE. PMID- 17784366 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17784367 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17784368 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17784369 TI - NEW GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE. PMID- 17784370 TI - AWARD OF THE LOUBAT PRIZES. PMID- 17784371 TI - CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17784372 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17784373 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17784374 TI - COLOR VISION. PMID- 17784375 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. PMID- 17784376 TI - GRADUATE MATHEMATICAL INSTRUCTION FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS NOT INTENDING TO BECOME MATHEMATICIANS. PMID- 17784377 TI - PRELIMINARY REPORT ON A SHALER MEMORIAL STUDY OF CORAL REEFS. PMID- 17784378 TI - CONRAD RONTGEN. PMID- 17784379 TI - THE SCALED AMPHIBIA OF THE COAL MEASURES. PMID- 17784380 TI - THE CONTENTS OF A SHARK'S STOMACH. PMID- 17784381 TI - THE COTTON WORM MOTH IN 1912. PMID- 17784382 TI - LIGHT AND THE RATE OF GROWTH IN PLANTS. PMID- 17784383 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS HELD IN PHILADELPHIA, 1914. II. PMID- 17784384 TI - Teaching and Research. PMID- 17784385 TI - Food Preservation. PMID- 17784386 TI - Basic Research in France. PMID- 17784387 TI - Hazards of the '60's. PMID- 17784388 TI - The Atmosphere in Motion. PMID- 17784389 TI - Enforcing an Atom Test Ban: Scientists Testify Before Joint Atomic Energy Committee. PMID- 17784390 TI - The Drug Hearings: Kefauver Continues His Campaign. PMID- 17784391 TI - AAAS Socio-Psychological Prize. PMID- 17784392 TI - Regulations for Selection of Fulbright Scholars Changed. PMID- 17784393 TI - Navy Telescope Locates New Radio Sources in Space. PMID- 17784394 TI - The Need for Better Macromolecular Models. AB - Atomic models useful for small molecules become clumsy, expensive, and even inaccurate when used to represent the large molecules important in biology. More convenient models, authoritatively designed and semi-mass-produced, would be of the greatest value both for teaching and biological research. PMID- 17784395 TI - Amber with Insect and Plant Inclusions from the Dominican Republic. AB - An amber-bearing formation observed in the Dominican Republic in 1959 is described, and several insect orders, spiders, and plants found in amber are noted. An amber trace is recorded for Haiti, and the known fossil-bearing amber deposits or sites in the New World are summarized. PMID- 17784396 TI - Chlorophyll-Sensitized Photoreduction in the Thionine-Ferrous System. AB - The reduction of thionine in aqueous solution to leucothionine by ferrous ions in light can be sensitized by chlorophyll in the colloidal state, as obtained by diluting alcoholic solution with water. PMID- 17784398 TI - National Academy of Sciences. PMID- 17784397 TI - Opponent Color Responses in Retinal Ganglion Cells. AB - The receptive fields of certain ganglion cells in the goldfish retina have been mapped. These fields are "off" center. "on-off" intermediate, and "on" periphery types. The excitatory process controlling the "on" response is stimulated maximally by green light; the "off" response process, inhibitory in nature, is stimulated maximally by red light. The two processes can be light adapted independently. PMID- 17784399 TI - Macromolecular Complexes. PMID- 17784400 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17784401 TI - Funding basic research. PMID- 17784402 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17784403 TI - Argonne's Role. PMID- 17784404 TI - Anecdotal evidence. PMID- 17784405 TI - Freedom of information. PMID- 17784406 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17784407 TI - Marihuana and motivation. PMID- 17784408 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17784409 TI - A bubble in the educational pipeline. PMID- 17784410 TI - The Crisis about the Origin Irreversibility and Time Anisotro. PMID- 17784412 TI - National environmental policy act: signs of backlash are evident. PMID- 17784411 TI - Strategies of mutual deterrence. PMID- 17784413 TI - Sperm banks multiply as vasectomies gain popularity. PMID- 17784414 TI - DBS: Agency Contravenes Its Own Regulations. PMID- 17784415 TI - Navy F-14: New Fighter's Cost, Sophistication, Stir Controversy. PMID- 17784416 TI - Magnetite: Behavior near the Single-Domain Threshold. AB - Maximum values for the single-domain threshold d(0) and superpara-magnetic threshold d(8) in pure magnetite are found to be 570+/-50 and 350+/-50 angstroms, respectively. Particles larger than do but smaller than about 0.25 micron have size-dependent saturation remanences and coercive forces like those of multidomain particles, but intense and stable thermoremanent magnetization like that of single-domain particles. The presence of magnetite grains in this size range could account for the essentially single-domain character of stable natural remanence in many volcanic and intrusive rocks. PMID- 17784417 TI - Ratite eggshells from lanzarote, canary islands. AB - Struthious and aepyornithoid eggshells from Tertiary calcareous sediments on Lanzarote prove the presence, until about 12 million years ago, of large flightless birds. The calcarenite horizon is recognized as an old land surface. Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in the basement of the volcanic islands of Lanzarote and neighboring Fuerteventura indicate that at least part of the Canary Archipelago is underlain by continental crust. Separation of the eastern Canaries from Africa raight have been by rifting, and a land connection might still have existed in the lower Pliocene. PMID- 17784418 TI - Radula Tooth Structure of the Gastropod Conus imperialis Elucidated by Scanning Electron Microscopy. AB - Scanning electron microscopy of the hollow, harpoon-like radula tooth of the toxoglossan gastropod Conus has elucidated the structure and relationships of its component parts: apex, cutting edge, barbs, serration, adapical and basal openings of the lumen, external and internal folds of the shaft, and base. The functional roles of these components in prey capture are proposed. PMID- 17784419 TI - Biosynthesis of agr and beta-Ecdysones from Cholesterol outside the Prothoracic Gland in Bombyx mori. AB - Labeling experiments have established that cholesterol is converted into alpha and beta-ecdysones in isolated abdomens of silkworm larvae. Since the isolated abdomens do not contain the prothoracic glands, a doubt is cast on the long standing principle in insect endocrinology that the prothoracic glands are the source of ecdysone secretion. PMID- 17784420 TI - Magnetic compass of European robins. AB - The magnetic compass of European robins does not use the polarity of the magnetic field for detecting the north direction. The birds derive their north direction from interpreting the inclination of the axial direction of the magnetic field lines in space, and they take the direction on the magnetic north-south axis for "north" where field lines and gravity vector form the smaller angle. PMID- 17784421 TI - Cochlear Microphonic Audiograms in the "Pure Tone" Bat Chilonycteris parnellii parnellii. AB - Audiograms are sharply tuned to a frequency close to the second harmonic of the pulse. The tuning, which is much sharper than previously reported for any vertebrate receptor, provides a mechanism whereby the bat can effectively perceive echoes even during periods of pulse-echo overlap. PMID- 17784422 TI - Mating behavior and life habits of the sweet-bay silk moth (cailosamia Carolina). AB - The mating activity of the sweet-bay silk moth (Callosamia carolina) was confined to the midday period between 10 a. m. and 3 p. m. The closely related tulip-tree silk moth (Callosamia angulifera), with which Callosamia carolina is often confused, is entirely nocturnal. Reproductive isolation between these sibling species is most probably geared to these differences in circadian activity. Larvae of Callosamia carolina thrived only on the leaves of Magnolia virginiana, upon which the species was double-brooded annually. PMID- 17784423 TI - Complex Components of Habitat Suitability within a Butterfly Colony. AB - The microdistribution of adult Euphydryas editha changes from year to year, and the colony is subdivided into three populations that fluctuate independently in size. These observations are attributed largely to fluctuations in time and space of three complex larval resources associated with the availability of food. This cotnplexity also entails selection pressure favoring the observed low dispersal tendency of adults. PMID- 17784424 TI - THE ICE-WALL ON THE BEACH AT HULL, MASSACHUSETTS, JANUARY, 1893. PMID- 17784425 TI - THE GENERIC EVOLUTION OF THE PALAeOZOIC BRACHIOPODA. PMID- 17784426 TI - ON THE SO-CALLED INCAS EYES. PMID- 17784427 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.--XXII. PMID- 17784428 TI - EXTREMES IN THE PLANT WORLD. PMID- 17784429 TI - RECENT OBSERVATIONS AT KILAUEA. PMID- 17784430 TI - REMARKS ON AMERICAN LICHENOLOGY.--III. PMID- 17784431 TI - DESTRUCTION OF CROWS DURING THE RECENT COLD SPELL. PMID- 17784432 TI - OSTEOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17784433 TI - Confusion in Weights and Measures. PMID- 17784434 TI - EARLY METHODS OF BORING. PMID- 17784435 TI - Easy Method of Calculating Complex Surveys. PMID- 17784437 TI - Skeletons of Steller's Sea-Cow Preserved in the Various Museums. PMID- 17784436 TI - "Unconscious Cerebration.". PMID- 17784438 TI - Notes on Several Special Transformations. PMID- 17784439 TI - The Testimony of Tradition. By DAVID MAcRITCHIE. London, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, & Co. 204 p. Illustrated. PMID- 17784440 TI - The Foor-Path Way. By BRADFORD TORREY. Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. PMID- 17784441 TI - Bible Studies. By HENRY WARD BEECHER. Edited by John R. Howard. New York, Fords, Howard, and Hulbert. 438 p. 8{degrees}. $1 50; The Evolution of Christianity. By M. J. SAVAGE. Boston, G. H. Ellis. 178 p. 8{degrees}. PMID- 17784442 TI - Criminology By ARTHUR MACDONALD. With an Introduction by Dr. Cesare Lombroso. New York, Funk & Wagnalls Company. 416 P. 8{degrees}. PMID- 17784443 TI - WATCH FOR ICE TO PROTECT ATLANTIC SHIPS. PMID- 17784444 TI - MEXICAN EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17784445 TI - ECLIPSE EXPEDITION OF THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17784447 TI - THE RESEMBLANCE OF TWINS. PMID- 17784446 TI - RAYNAUD'S DISEASE. PMID- 17784448 TI - TEMPERATURES OF HOUSE-WRENS. PMID- 17784449 TI - ORTHOPSYCHIATRY. PMID- 17784450 TI - THE AMERICAN NEGRO. PMID- 17784451 TI - THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION--AN INSTITUTE FOR FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN RURAL AFFAIRS. PMID- 17784452 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17784453 TI - THE INTERACTION OF MATTER AND RADIATION. PMID- 17784455 TI - A FACTOR IN THE PROBLEM OF BIOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17784454 TI - THE ALLEGED SCARCITY OF RESEARCH MEN. PMID- 17784456 TI - THRIPS AS CARRIERS OF FIG-DECAYING ORGANISMS. PMID- 17784457 TI - CREPIS REUTERIANA AND ITS CHROMOSOMES. PMID- 17784458 TI - PROFESSOR HUNTINGTON'S METHOD IN CONTROVERSY. PMID- 17784459 TI - RAMAN SCATTERING FROM HCl LIQUID. PMID- 17784460 TI - THE RADIOACTIVITY OF LIGHT ELEMENTS. PMID- 17784461 TI - GALBA BULIMOIDES LEA AN INTERMEDIATE HOST OF FASCIOLA HEPATICA IN OREGON. PMID- 17784462 TI - THE USE OF "DRY ICE" OR SOLID CARBON DIOXIDE AS A LABORATORY REFRIGERANT. PMID- 17784463 TI - SERIES IN THE ARC SPECTRUM OF BROMINE. PMID- 17784464 TI - THE USE OF SOLID CARBON DIOXIDE IN MAKING FREEZING-POINT DETERMINATIONS WITH PLANT JUICES. PMID- 17784465 TI - CONTROL OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL BY INSECT ENEMIES. PMID- 17784466 TI - ON THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF X-RAYS. PMID- 17784468 TI - Planetary fluids. PMID- 17784467 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17784469 TI - In reply: greenland ice sheet: is it growing or shrinking? PMID- 17784470 TI - Greenland ice sheet: is it growing or shrinking? PMID- 17784471 TI - In reply: fish, money, and science in puget sound. PMID- 17784472 TI - Fish, money, and science in puget sound. PMID- 17784473 TI - East Germany Struggles to CLean Its Air and Water: In the midst of dramatic political changes, environmental planners in East Berlin draw up a scheme to restore what's left of nature. PMID- 17784474 TI - Gordon & breach impanels a journal jury. PMID- 17784475 TI - How the United States stacks up in key technologies. PMID- 17784476 TI - A Generational Rift in Geophysics: An eminent geophysicist and his intellectual offspring are locked in a decades-long debate on a central question of geophysics: the behavior of Earth's deep interior. PMID- 17784477 TI - Not so irreconcilable differences? PMID- 17784478 TI - Polymer Chemists Are Having a ROMP: Conducting polymers, block polymers, "living" polymers--a new class of catalysts does it all, with extraordinary precision. PMID- 17784479 TI - Truth in labeling. PMID- 17784480 TI - Changing u.s. Demography. PMID- 17784481 TI - Social Science: NSF's Poor Relation. PMID- 17784482 TI - The dimmest "star". PMID- 17784483 TI - Atmospheric dynamics of the outer planets. AB - Despite major differences in the solar and internal energy inputs, the atmospheres of the four Jovian planets all exhibit latitudinal banding and high speed jet streams. Neptune and Saturn are the windiest planets, Jupiter is the most active, and Uranus is a tipped-over version of the others. Large oval storm systems exhibit complicated time-dependent behavior that can be simulated in numerical models and laboratory experiments. The largest storm system, the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, has survived for more than 300 years in a chaotic shear zone where smaller structures appear and dissipate every few days. Future space missions will add to our understanding of small-scale processes, chemical composition, and vertical structure. Theoretical hypotheses about the interiors provide input for fluid dynamical models that reproduce many observed features of the winds, temperatures, and cloud patterns. In one set of models the winds are confined to the thin layer where clouds form. In other models, the winds extend deep into the planetary fluid interiors. Hypotheses will be tested further as observations and theories become more exact and detailed comparisons are made. PMID- 17784484 TI - The dynamics of the oceanic subtropical gyres. AB - Recent theoretical advances in physical oceanography have produced plausible models for the structure of the circulation in the oceans' subtropical gyres. These theoretical ideas are reviewed and assessed in the light of present observational evidence. The dominant role of potential vorticity is emphasized in describing the strong interplay between three-dimensional distributions of density and velocity. In particular, the complementary processes of subduction and recirculation jointly act to shape the circulation pattern of the subtropical gyre. PMID- 17784485 TI - Scales and effects of fluid flow in the upper crust. AB - Two of the most important agents of geological change, solar energy and internal heat from the mantle, meet and battle for dominance in propelling aqueous and related fluids in the earth's upper crust. Which prevails and how they interact are subjects of active research. Recent work has demonstrated that both agents can propel fluids over nearly continental-scale distances in a fashion that influences a host of important geological processes and leaves a record in chemical alteration, mineral deposits, and hydrocarbon resources. PMID- 17784486 TI - Fluid processes in subduction zones. AB - Fluids play a critical role in subduction zones and arc magmatism. At shallow levels in subduction zones (<40 kilometers depth), expulsion of large volumes of pore waters and CH(4)-H(2)O fluids produced by diagenetic and low-grade metamorphic reactions affect the thermal and rheological evolution of the accretionary prism and provide nutrients for deep-sea biological communities. At greater depths, H(2)O and CO(2) released by metamorphic reactions in the subducting oceanic crust may alter the bulk composition in the overlying mantle wedge and trigger partial melting reactions. The location and conse-quences of fluid production in subduction zones can be constrained by consideration of phase diagrams for relevant bulk compositions in conjunction with fluid and rock pressure-temperature-time paths predicted by numerical heat-transfer models. Partial melting of subducting, amphibole-bearing oceanic crust is predicted only within several tens of million years of the initiation of subduction in young oceanic lithosphere. In cooler subduction zones, partial melting appears to occur primarily in the overlying mantle wedge as a result of fluid infiltration. PMID- 17784487 TI - Mantle oxidation state and its relationship to tectonic environment and fluid speciation. AB - The earth's mantle is degassed along mid-ocean ridges, while rehydration and possibly recarbonaton occurs at subduction zones. These processes and the speciation of C-H-O fluids in the mantle are related to the oxidation state of mantle peridotite. Peridotite xenoliths from continental localities exhibit an oxygen fugacity (fo(2)) range from -1.5 to +1.5 log units relative to the FMQ (fayalite-magnetite-quartz) buffer. The lowest values are from zones of continental extension. Highly oxidized xenoliths (fo(2) greater than FMQ) come from regions of recent or acive subduction (for example, Ichinomegata, Japan), are commonly amphibole-bearing, and show trace element and isotopic evidence of fluid-rock interaction. Peridotites from ocean ridges are reduced and have an averae fo(2) of about -0.9 log units relative to FMQ, virtually coincident with values obtained from mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) glasses. These data are further evidence of the genetic link between MORB liquids and residual peridotite and indicate that the asthenosphere, although reducing, has CO(2) and H(2)O as its major fluid species. Incorporation of oxidized material from subduction zones into the continental lithosphere produces xenoliths that have both asthenospheric and subduction signatures. Fluids in the lithosphere are also dominated by CO(2) and H(2)O, and native C is generally unstable. Although the occurrence of native C (diamond) in deep-seated garnetiferous xenoliths and kimberlites does not require reducing conditions, calculations indicate that high Fe(3+) contents are stabilized in the garnet structure and that fo(2) deareases with increasing depth. PMID- 17784488 TI - Paleomagnetism and the nature of the geodynamo. AB - Records of direct observations of the earth's magnetic field cover less than a ten-millionth ofthe known lifetime of the field. Thus our knowledge of several geomagnetic phenomena, critical to our understanding of the geodynamo, must come firom the paleomagnetic record. A combination of substantial advances during the past decade or so both in dynamo theory (previously the domain of the mathematician) and in paleomagnetism (previously the domain of the geologist) has led to provocative models of the earth's magnetic field and a better understanding of the geodynamo. PMID- 17784489 TI - Seismic-wave attenuation associated with crustal faults in the new madrid seismic zone. AB - The attenuation of upper crustal seismic waves that are refracted with a velocity of about 6 kilometers per second varies greatly among profiles in the area of the New Madrid seismic zone in the central Mississippi Valley. The waves that have the strongest attenuation pass through the seismic trend along the axis of the Reelfoot rift in the area of the Blytheville arch. Defocusing of the waves in a low-velocity zone and/or seismic scattering and absorption could cause the attenuation; these effects are most likely associated with the highly deformed rocks along the arch. Consequently, strong seismic-wave attenuation may be a useful criterion for identifying seismogenic fault zones. PMID- 17784490 TI - Theory of spontaneous vesicle formation in surfactant mixtures. AB - The curvature elastic energy of bilayer vesicles formed by a mixture of two surfactants, which individually form either micelles or lamellar bilayer phases is described theoretically. In the limit of large bending elastic modulus K being much greater than the temperature T, the free energy is minimized by vesicles with different concentrations of the two surfactants in each monolayer of the bilayer. Vesicles are more stable than lameliar structures only when interactions or complexing of the two surfactants is taken into account. PMID- 17784491 TI - Developmental arrest during larval life and life-span extension in a marine mollusc. AB - The length of larval life in the nudibranch Phestilia sibogae is determined by a chance encounter with a specific metamorphic stimulus associated with the post larval benthic habitat. A developmental hiatus begins at the onset of larval metamorphic competence and ends at metamorphosis; aging is suspended during this hiatus. Because the duration of post-larval life is unaffected by the duration of larval life, total life-span varies with the length of the larval period. Developmental control of the timing of expression of life-history stages is an important factor regulating aging and senescence in animals with complex life cycles. PMID- 17784492 TI - 1990 AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Prize. PMID- 17784493 TI - American Teachers. Histories of a Profession at Work. Donald Warren. Ed. Macmillan, New York, 1989. xvi, 472 pp., illus. $34.95. PMID- 17784494 TI - Science Between the Superpowers. Yakov M. Rbkin. Priority Press, New York, 1988 (distributor, Unwin Hyman, Winchester, MA). viii, 119 pp. Paper, $8.95; Techno Diplomacy. US-Soviet Confrontations in Science and Technoloy. Glenn E. Schweitzer. Plenum, New York, 1989. xiv, 320 pp. $22.95. PMID- 17784495 TI - Physiology of Cold Adaptation in Birds. Claus Bech and Randi Edismo Reinertsen, Eds. Plenum, New York, 1989. x, 384 pp., illus. $89.50. NATO Advanced Science Institutes Series A, vol. 173. From a workshop, Leon, Norway, June 1988. PMID- 17784497 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17784496 TI - Red Panda Biology. A. R. Glatston, Ed. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, 1989. xvi, 187 pp., illus. Paper, $34. From a conference, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Aug. 1987. PMID- 17784499 TI - Bibliography. Current world literature. Services research and outcomes. PMID- 17784498 TI - Characterization of genetically modified maize in weakly contaminated seed batches and identification of the origin of the adventitious contamination. AB - So far, relatively few genetically modified plants (GMPs) have been planted in the European Union (EU). However, in France, seed batches weakly contaminated by unidentified GM materials have recently been detected among commercial maize seeds (14 seed batches positive out of 447 analyzed). We have developed a 3-step approach to precisely identify the genetic modifications detected in such maize seed batches. First, to isolate GMPs derived from the contaminated seed batches, 10 000 maize seeds of each batch were planted and screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on 100-plant batches, then on 10-plant subbatches, and finally, plant by plant. In a second step, specific identification of the individual GMPs was performed. Finally, to determine the origin of the contamination, each individual GMP was analyzed by simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The results showed that all batches were contaminated by few GM seeds, having a GM content < 0.1%. Finally, 12 individual GMPs have been isolated from 17 plant pools that were tested positive either for P35-S and/or T-Nos. MON810 and T25 transformation events approved for cultivation in the EU were detected in 7 individual GMPs. The other seed batches were contaminated by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are not approved in the EU, including GA21 or the stacking MON810/T25. Presumable identification of T14 was also achieved following sequencing of 1 individual GMP. The data also showed that most of the seed batches were contaminated by several transformation events. Finally, analysis of SSR markers indicated that the contaminations were essentially due to cross-pollination in the seed production process. PMID- 17784500 TI - Bibliography. Current world literature. Medical comorbidity. PMID- 17784501 TI - The four knights gambit. PMID- 17784502 TI - Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738). PMID- 17784503 TI - Heister's mouth gag. PMID- 17784504 TI - [Picture of the month: osteonecrosis]. PMID- 17784505 TI - Portrait of William Harvey (1578-1657) at the National Portrait gallery. PMID- 17784507 TI - [Stable ischemic heart disease--medical treatment or PCI?]. PMID- 17784508 TI - ["Impartial hearing aid counseling"]. PMID- 17784509 TI - FMD in Surrey: investigations continue into the source of the virus. PMID- 17784510 TI - Abstracts from the XXXVIII Nordic Meeting of Gastroenterology, XXIX Nordic Meeting of Digestive Endoscopy, XVII Nordic Meeting of Gastrointestinal Motility, 6-9 June 2007, Reykjavik, Iceland. PMID- 17784511 TI - [Proceedings of the XIIth Congress of Public Health Research, March 2007, Mexico]. PMID- 17784512 TI - [Strengthen the antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B]. PMID- 17784513 TI - Statement on the surgical workforce. PMID- 17784514 TI - [A look at another national society, the Nurse Midwives Society. Interview by Sylvie Warnet]. PMID- 17784517 TI - [Physical pain, psychic suffering and multidisciplinary approach]. PMID- 17784518 TI - [The nurse's role in the campaign against pain]. PMID- 17784519 TI - [Better educated to care better]. PMID- 17784520 TI - [Definition and physiology of pain]. PMID- 17784521 TI - [Scales to better evaluate pain]. PMID- 17784522 TI - [The heart, its history and its histories]. PMID- 17784523 TI - [The hard labor of nurses in Kabul. Interview by Constance de Bonnaventure]. PMID- 17784524 TI - [The patient at the heart of the service]. PMID- 17784526 TI - [C-reactive protein]. PMID- 17784525 TI - [MEOPA: analgesia in a bottle]. PMID- 17784527 TI - [Until death, support during life--Jalmalv]. PMID- 17784528 TI - Reducing the "domino effect" of the metabolic syndrome. PMID- 17784529 TI - Challenges and strategies in managing cardiometabolic risk. AB - The obesity epidemic is associated with numerous health-related sequelae, including alterations in glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. These conditions, in turn, are associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, which ultimately leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Abdominal obesity, in particular, has been identified as a key risk factor. Accordingly, therapeutic lifestyle change remains the cornerstone of treatment for patients with obesity. Therapeutic lifestyle change is effective; even moderate weight loss leads to clinical improvements. However, lifestyle change is often challenging to implement, and pharmacologic therapies may become necessary. Available pharmacologic and surgical treatment modalities for patients with obesity are fraught with challenges of their own, including poor patient adherence and presence of adverse events. The author outlines available modes of treatment and their consequences for patients with obesity. PMID- 17784530 TI - The endocannabinoid system as a novel approach for managing obesity. AB - The recent discovery of the endocannabinoid system has led to the development of promising treatments for patients with obesity and associated cardiometabolic risk factors. Basic research has demonstrated that the endocannabinoid system plays an integral role in the regulation of food intake, metabolism, and storage. Research with the endocannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant has demonstrated statistically significant improvements in body weight, fasting insulin levels, glucose tolerance, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, serum triglyceride levels, and waist circumference, compared with placebo. Rimonabant has also produced statistically significant improvements in inflammatory markers. Research with rimonabant has demonstrated sustained efficacy for as long as 2 years when used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and moderate physical activity. Rimonabant is the first cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist to be marketed in Europe and the first to file an New Drug Application in the United States. It may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with obesity and associated cardiometabolic risk factors. PMID- 17784531 TI - Advances in the pathophysiology of status epilepticus. AB - Status epilepticus (SE) describes an enduring epileptic state during which seizures are unremitting and tend to be self-perpetuating. We describe the clinical phases of generalized convulsive SE, impending SE, established SE, and subtle SE. We discuss the physiological and biochemical cascades which characterize self-sustaining SE (SSSE) in animal models. At the transition from single seizures to SSSE, GABAA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors move from the synaptic membrane to the cytoplasm, where they are functionally inactive. This reduces the number of GABAA receptors available for binding GABA or GABAergic drugs, and may in part explain the development of time-dependent pharmacoresistance to benzodiazepines and the tendency of seizures to become self sustaining. At the same time, 'spare' subunits of AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5 methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid) receptors move from subsynaptic sites to the synaptic membrane, causing further hyperexcitability and possibly explaining the preserved sensitivity to NMDA blockers late in the course of SE. Maladaptive changes in neuropeptide expression occur on a slower time course, with depletion of the inhibitory peptides dynorphin, galanin, somatostatin and neuropeptide Y, and with an increased expression of the proconvulsant tachykinins, substance P and neurokinin B. Finally, SE-induced neuronal injury and epileptogenesis are briefly discussed. PMID- 17784533 TI - Childhood convulsive status epilepticus: epidemiology, management and outcome. AB - Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in childhood is a medical emergency and its aetiology and outcome mean that it should be studied separately from adult CSE. The incidence in developed countries is between 17 and 23/100,000 with a higher incidence in younger children. Febrile CSE is the commonest single group with a good prognosis in sharp distinction to CSE related to central nervous system infections which have a high mortality. The aim of treatment is to intervene at 5 min and studies indicate that intravenous (i.v.) lorazepam may be a better first line treatment than rectal diazepam and i.v. phenytoin a better second-line treatment than rectal paraldehyde. An epidemiological study strongly supports the development of prehospital treatment with buccal midazolam becoming a widely used but unlicensed option in the community. More than two doses of benzodiazepines increase the rate of respiratory depression without obvious benefit. The 1 year recurrence rate is 17% and the hospital mortality is about 3%. PMID- 17784532 TI - Inflammation contributes to seizure-induced hippocampal injury in the neonatal rat brain. AB - OBJECTIVE: The extent of neuronal injury in the hippocampus produced by experimental status epilepticus (SE) is age dependent and is not readily demonstrable in many models of neonatal seizures. Neonatal seizures often occur in clinical settings that include an inflammatory component. We examined the potential contributory role of pre-existing inflammation as an important variable in mediating neuronal injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postnatal day 7 (P7) and P14 rat pups were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 2 h prior to SE induced by lithium-pilocarpine (LiPC). Neuronal injury was assessed by well-described histologic methods. RESULTS: While LPS by itself did not produce any discernible cell injury at either age, this treatment exacerbated hippocampal damage induced by LiPC-SE. The effect was highly selective for the CA1 subfield. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation can contribute substantially to the vulnerability of immature hippocampus to seizure-induced neuronal injury. The combined effects of inflammation and prolonged seizures in early life may impact long-term outcomes of neonatal seizures. PMID- 17784534 TI - Hippocampal volumes and diffusion-weighted image findings in children with prolonged febrile seizures. AB - OBJECTIVES: To assess hippocampal volumes (HV) and signal changes on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) within 5 days of prolonged febrile seizures (PFS) and compare them with the PFS duration and EEG. METHODS: We studied 12 children (mean age: 32 +/- 21 months, range 10 months-5 years) within 5 days of a first episode of PFS (a seizure or series of seizures lasting for 30 min or longer, without return of consciousness between the seizures). The HV measurements were carried out using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and signal intensity abnormalities were evaluated visually on DWI. HV in patients were compared with those of 13 neurologically normal controls (mean age 31 +/- 16 months, range 15 months-5 years). HV abnormalities correlated with PFS duration. HV and DWI abnormalities were compared with EEG abnormalities. RESULTS: Seizure duration ranged from 40 to 95 min. In seven out of twelve patients, seizures were refractory and lasted for 60 min or longer despite intravenous infusion of diazepam. In the patients with PFS for 60 min or longer, HV were significantly larger than that of controls. In all patients, there was a positive correlation between HV and seizure duration. DWI showed hyperintensity in unilateral hippocampus in three patients with intractable seizures, ipsilateral thalamus in two, and cingulate in one. EEG showed abnormalities in temporal areas ipsilateral to the DWI abnormalities in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Large HV and hippocampal hyperintensity on DWI were seen in patients with refractory PFS. Our results suggest that medically refractory PFS lasting for 60 min or longer may cause structural changes in limbic structures that could promote later epileptogenesis. PMID- 17784535 TI - Magnetoencephalography for surgical treatment of refractory status epilepticus. AB - Magnetoencephalography (MEG) provides accurate localizing information of the epileptogenic zones in localization-related epilepsies. Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is a life-threatening emergency that often requires prolonged high-dose suppressive therapy (HDST) to stop frequent and prolonged seizures. Surgical treatments for patients with RSE secondary to pre-existing epilepsy were reported. This article addresses the role of MEG in localizing the epileptogenic zone for the surgical treatment of patients with RSE. Five pediatric patients with RSE underwent epilepsy surgery using MEG, scalp video EEG and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ictal MEG spike sources (MEGSSs) were localized in the clustered interictal MEGSSs in right Rolandic region (patient 3) and right temporal region (patient 5). Interictal MEG revealed unilateral clustered MEGSSs in four patients (patients 1, 2, 4, and 5) and bilateral (patient 3). Ictal-onset EEG findings were localized to one region in three patients (patients 1, 3, and 5) and two regions in the other two patients (patients 2 and 4). In all five patients, interictal discharges were widespread involving over two lobes (patients 2 and 4) or three lobes (patients 1, 3, and 5). Suppression burst pattern was obtained by HDST (patient 5). MRI showed cortical dysplasia in three patients (patients 1, 3, and 4). Patient 2 had a normal MRI. Patient 5 had normal MRI at the onset. Repeat MRI 5 days later showed diffusion restriction in the right hippocampus associated with increased signal intensity on T2 and FLAIR sequences. We performed cortical excision in two patients (patients 1 and 4), hemispherectotomy one (patient 3) and anterior temporal lobectomy two patients (patients 2 and 5). Two patients (patients 1 and 3) became seizure free, the other three patients experienced residual seizures. MEG showed clustered MEGSSs during the RSE in the pre-existing epilepsy patients and at an early time window in the acute symptomatic RSE patients. The complete resection of clustered MEGSSs can control RSE and possibly lead to a seizure free outcome. PMID- 17784536 TI - Is hypsarrhythmia a form of non-convulsive status epilepticus in infants? AB - BACKGROUND: Hypsarrhythmia is generally associated with infantile spasms, a combination referred to as West syndrome. It is debatable whether hypsarrhythmia is usefully regarded as a form of non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). SUMMARY POINTS: The earliest English language description of hypsarrhythmia reported an almost continuous EEG pattern, although later studies showed a degree of state dependence. Its principal features are very high amplitude and irregular slow waves with superimposed multifocal epileptiform discharges. Paroxysms of spasms are clearly overt seizure events, and there are variable EEG patterns associated with this ictus. There remains a debate about the definitional boundaries of hypsarrhythmia, and about the defining characteristics of NCSE. There is evidence that hypsarrhythmia is an age-dependent EEG pattern that evolves, sometimes independently of clinical features. Frequently, hypsarrhythmia is associated with delay in or regression of neuro-developmental skills, and recent studies have reported that a longer lead time to diagnosis and effective treatment is associated with poorer long-term neuro-developmental outcomes. Recent consensus definitions and classifications of NCSE have suggested boundaries that permit inclusion of hypsarrhythmia as an EEG pattern of NCSE. In practice, adopting the idea that hypsarrhythmia is a form of NCSE might lead to earlier appropriate investigation of infants with subtle developmental delay or regression, hence avoiding treatment delays and potentially preserving developmental potential. PMID- 17784537 TI - Acute encephalopathy associated with influenza and other viral infections. AB - Acute encephalopathy is the most serious complication of pediatric viral infections, such as influenza and exanthem subitum. It occurs worldwide, but is most prevalent in East Asia, and every year several hundreds of Japanese children are affected by influenza-associated encephalopathy. Mortality has recently declined, but is still high. Many survivors are left with motor and intellectual disabilities, and some with epilepsy. This article reviews various syndromes of acute encephalopathy by classifying them into three major categories. The first group caused by metabolic derangement consists of various inherited metabolic disorders and the classical Reye syndrome. Salicylate is a risk factor of the latter condition. The second group, characterized by a systemic cytokine storm and vasogenic brain edema, includes Reye-like syndrome, hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome, and acute necrotizing encephalopathy. Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, such as diclofenac sodium and mephenamic acid, may aggravate these syndromes. Severe cases are complicated by multiple organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Mortality is high, although methylprednisolone pulse therapy may be beneficial in some cases. The third group, characterized by localized edema of the cerebral cortex, has recently been termed acute encephalopathy with febrile convulsive status epilepticus, and includes hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia syndrome and acute infantile encephalopathy predominantly affecting the frontal lobes. Theophylline is a risk factor of these syndromes. The pathogenesis is yet to be clarified, but an increasing body of evidence points to excitotoxicity and delayed neuronal death. PMID- 17784538 TI - First-line therapy for theophylline-associated seizures. AB - Theophylline-associated seizures (TAS) are considered a neurologic emergency, as they can sometimes be intractable and difficult to stop with standard treatments such as intravenous administration of diazepam. As a consequence, a proportion of patients who experience status epilepticus while receiving theophylline will require endotracheal intubation. The optimal first-line therapy for TAS has not yet been fully investigated. We compared 54 cases of TAS with 779 cases of non TAS, that had presented at a single institution between 1991 and 2002. Among the 54 cases of TAS, 36 experienced generalized tonic-clonic seizures, with the remainder experiencing partial seizures. TAS occurred mainly in children under 3 years of age, and serum theophylline levels were within the therapeutic range in 78% of the cases. The duration of TAS tended to be longer than for non-TAS, and intravenous administration of diazepam was less effective in controlling TAS (45%), compared with non-TAS (68%). Many cases required repeated injections of diazepam, and 15 cases (27%) eventually required endotracheal intubation. Reports concerning the therapy for TAS were also reviewed. Theophylline is known to antagonize the effects of benzodiazepines, and this may explain why drugs such as diazepam are relatively ineffective in treating TAS. In TAS, the prompt use of barbiturates is recommended when diazepam is not effective, to avoid potential brain injury secondary to status epilepticus. PMID- 17784539 TI - Treatment of convulsive status epilepticus in infants and young children in Japan. AB - We review the types and causes of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in infants and young children in Japan, and discuss the current recommendations for the use of intravenous (IV) drugs in managing this condition, and report on our clinical experiences. There are prolonged or continuous CSE and clustered or intermittent CSE, and treatments are different between them. In Japan, fosphenytoin and IV preparation of lorazepam and phenobarbital are not available. Recently, midazolam and lidocaine (LDC) have been widely used, although neither of these drugs have official approval for the management of CSE. Febrile seizures and epilepsies are common causes of CSE in infants and young children in Japan, followed by benign infantile convulsions (BIC), convulsions with gastroenteritis (CwG), and acute encephalitis with refractory CSE and intractable epilepsy (AECSEE), which are familiar disorders in Japan. BIC and CwG frequently present with clustered CSE and do not respond to IV diazepam, but have an excellent response with oral carbamazepine or IV LDC. CSE in AECSEE requires control with barbiturate coma. The Research Committee on Clinical Evidence of Medical Treatment for Status Epilepticus in Childhood has developed a proposed guideline for the treatment of CSE in childhood in Japan by an evidence-based approach and consensus conference. Initial management of seizures should be attempted mainly with IV diazepam, the second-line treatment involves IV midazolam followed by IV phenytoin if seizures persist, and the third-line treatment requires barbiturate coma. However, our experience of 247 episodes of CSE in 77 patients, predominantly with chronic epilepsy, required different second-line treatments for prolonged CSE compared with clustered CSE: the former were treated with IV midazolam or pentobarbital, and the latter were given IV phenytoin or LDC. We propose modifications to the guideline for CSE that the second-line treatment is divided by prolonged CSE and clustered CSE, and that the procedures for brain protection and systemic management are added. PMID- 17784540 TI - [A comparative analysis of results of operative treatment of olecranon fracture utilizing Gruca screw and Weber girth]. AB - An injury to the elbow constitutes 3.5% of all injuries of the movement system and of these 31% concern olecranon fractures. In the majority of cases they are intra-articular fractures, unstable because of the action of the triceps muscle of the arm. Most of the patients require operative treatment. In the years 1984 2001 in the Traumatic and Orthopedic Ward we treated 49 patients with olecranon fractures. In 30 patient we utilized Gruca screw and in 10 of them Weber girth. 3 fractures were fixed with a wire loop and the remaining 6 did not require operative but only conservative treatment. The results were estimated according to the Hofbauer's scale in 37 patients among whom 27 were treated making a fixation with a Gruca screw and 10 by using Weber girth. Altogether, we achieved good and satisfactory results in 33 cases and bad results in 4 cases. Based on these results there is no evident superiority of one method over the other. The study emphasizes the importance of the correct qualification to either therapeutic method. PMID- 17784541 TI - [Disorders considering concrescence of os longums in plurilocular injuries]. AB - The work describes the influence of plurilocular trauma on complications of concrescence in comparison with single trauma of the motion organ. It has been show that disorders of fractures healing had appeared in 13% of plurilocular trauma with accompanying fractures of the bone and in 4% in isolated trauma. Manner of stabilization and the kind of fracture also influences concrescence disorders. PMID- 17784542 TI - [The pathogenesis of chrono osseous necrosis of the knee joint]. AB - The research presents pathogenesis of the chrono osseous necrosis of the knee joint with accompanying clinical, histological and radiological symptoms; as well as its treatment. The results of treatment have been analyzed. The method - site of bone abrasion and stabilization of parted fragment with a metal screw; as well as rebuilding of the stabilized part. Ten results were very positive and two were satisfying. No poor results have been noticed. The conclusion from the above work - the stabilization of a free fragment by a screw is an advisable and preferable method. The present methods of filling the chrono osseous defects have been revised. PMID- 17784543 TI - [The use of the gamma nail in fractures of the nearer end of femur]. AB - The elaboration presents the operating indications in treatment of fractures of the nearer end of the femur using the Gamma nail. In comminuted fractures, the Kyle partition was used. The operating- techniques, difficulties and complications appeared after treatment with this method have been presented. Among 42 patients operated with the Gamma nail, 39 good and satisfactory results have been obtained. The stable intramedullary osteosynthesis ought to be recommended in fractures of the nearer end of femur having in mind characterised by the closed operating techniques, little loss of blood, stability of the junction and early mobilization of the patient. PMID- 17784544 TI - [Atherosclerosis risk factors among patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 diagnosed during hospitalisation due to other diseases in the year 2004]. AB - In the year 2004 there were 2515 patients hospitalysed in the Internal Diseases Department in Dabrowa Tarnowska. In this group 670 of persons suffered from diabetes mellitus t 2. In more than 62 patients the diabetes was detected coincidentally during hospitalization on account of other diseases. Analysed was the occurrence of other risk factors of artherosclerosis in this group, such as: age, sex, hypertension (mild in 17.7%, moderate in 29.1% and severe in 33.9% of patients), obesity (45%), high serum level of cholesterol (200-250 mg% in 45 % and >250 mg% in 24% of patients), BMI indicator (>30 in 40% of subjects), serum level of creatinine (>1.2 mg% in 35.5%), presence of microalbuminuria (30-300 mg/24h in 29%) and proteinuria (17.7%). PMID- 17784545 TI - [Organ complications in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 diagnosed during hospitalization due to other diseases in the year 2004]. AB - In the last years the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has rapidly increased. The presence of cardiovascular complications, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy are the results of delayed diagnosis. In the year 2004, in the Internal Diseases Depertment in Dabrowa Tarnowska, type 2 diabetes mellitus was diagnosed for the first time in 62 patients. In this group the majority of patient suffered from I-III degree hypertension, 27% had ishaemic heart disease, and 11% were hospitalized because of heart infarction. Heart failure was present in 20% and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in 21% of them. The other diabetic complications diagnosed in this group were: microalbuminuria (43%), proteinuria (27%), simple retinopathy (64%), proliferative retinopathy (21%), and peripheral neuropathy in 40 of patients. PMID- 17784546 TI - [Chronic renal failure diagnosed among patients hospitalised in internal ward in 2004 yuear]. AB - In 52 patients treated in Internal Diseases Depertment of the hospital in Dabrowa Tarnowska because of other diseases, the chronic renal failure was primary diagnosed. In 11 of patients diabetes t 2 was also for the first time detected. 80% of patients was over 70 years. Mild hypertension was present in 23% persons, moderate in 21%, and in 27% severe hypertension. In 48% of patient latent renal failure was ascertained, stable in 40.5%, and unstable renal failure was prevailing in 11.5% of patients. Ultrasonography displayed essential decrease of kidney's size in 19% of patients, fuzzily of cortical-medullar structure and thickness of cortical layer in 64%. Anaemia was present in 27% of patients. PMID- 17784547 TI - [Central located lung tumor in patients hospitalized in years 2004 in Pulmonology Department of the Internal Ward in Dabrowa Tarnowska]. AB - In the year 2004 there were 699 patients hospitalized in the Pulmonology Department of the hospital in Dabrowa Tarnowska. In 189 of themm bronchoscopic examination was performed because of such indications: tumor- like lesions centrally localized, haemoptysis, persistent cough, unclear x-ray imaging. In every case of bronchoscopy, material for further histopatological examination was collected. Lung cancer was diagnosed in 19 patients. PMID- 17784549 TI - [Red cell system and selected red cell enzymes in men occupationally exposed to mercury vapours]. AB - Determination of erythrocyte number and their indices and enzymatic activity of: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), acetylcholinesterase (AchE), glutathione reductase (GR) and hexokinase (Hx) in peripheral blood erythrocytes of workers chronically exposed to mercury vapours during the production of chloride (the mercuric electrolysis method). The studied workers were equipment operators, electricians and electrolysis maintenance men at the chloride production department using the mercuric electrolysis method. The study involved 46 men, aged 21 to 56, (x = 39 +/- 10.4) exposed to mercury vapours for the period from 7 months to 32 years (x = 14.7+/-10.8), working in a three shift system, for 8 hours a day. Smokers constituted 50% of the studied group (23 men). Urine mercury concentrations of workers exposed to mercury vapours were in the range from 10 to 215 microg/dm3 (x = 81,4 +/- 72,9) and in blood in range 4 do 72 microg/dm3 (x=16.3 +/- 15,0). Controls were 46 men aged 20 54, (x=33.6 +/- 9.8), workers and voluntary blood donors, who never experienced occupational exposure to mercury vapours or other chemicals, and to physical agents. The percentage of smokers in the control group was 34.7% (16 men). Basic haematological determinations (hematocrit - Hct, Hb concentration, erythrocyte number in mm3 of blood, mean red cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean red cell volume (MCV) and enzymatic studies (activity of G-6PD, SOD, AchE, GR, Hx) in peripheral blood samples obtained from workers and controls were performed. Hematological parameters of the peripheral blood were determined using AVL 808 hematological counter, following the manufacturer's instructions. Activity of the studied enzymes was estimated by the spectrophotometric method described by Beutler, following the recommendations of the International Committee for Standardisation in Hematology. Values of Ht were higher in all the subgroups exposed to Hg workers (divided according to duration of exposure or urine mercury concentrations) in comparison to the control group. The erythrocyte number in mm3 of peripheral blood was also higher in the exposed workers group than in controls. MCHC in the total group exposed to mercury vapours was lower than in the controls. In the subgroup exposed to mercury vapours for < 10 years, the value of this parameter was lower than in the control group; whereas in the subgroups separated in respect to mercury concentration in the urine, it was lower only in workers showing the highest urine concentration of this metal. In workers exposed to mercury vapours, MCV index values were lower than in the controls. In the subgroups of workers who smoked and those who did not smoke, they were also lower than in the controls; whereas in the group of the longest exposed workers from 21 to 35 years, it was found to be higher than in controls. The activity of G6PD was lower in the group of subjects occupationally exposed to mercury vapours than in the control group - 5.60 +/- 1.60 and 7.41 +/- 0.43 IU/gHb respectively. When comparing the subgroups of smokers and non-smokers with the controls, workers showed lower G6PD activity than in the matching control subgroups - 6.24 +/- 1.97 and 7.44 +/-0.22 IU/gHb in the subgroups of smokers and 4.97 +/- 0.72 and 7.38 +/- 0.18 IU/gHb in non-smokers respectively. Erythrocyte G6PD activity was lower in all studied groups separated in respect to exposure time - 5.54 +/- 1.75, 6.02 +/- 2.05 and 5.54 +/- 1.05 IU/gHb respectively. The same pattern of changes was observed in the subgroups separated in respect to mercury concentration in the urine compared to the controls. The lowest enzyme activity was found in the subgroups showing the highest mercury concentration in the urine wnen compared with the subgroup with the lowest urine concentration of this metal - 5.19 +/- 1.50 and 6.00 +/- 1.84 IU/gHb respectively SOD activity in the group of workers exposed to mercury was lower compared to the controls - 2289.97 +/- 122.31 and 2418.03 +/- 60.28 IU/gHb respectively. The smoking and non smoking workers showed respective SOD activities on - 2305.43 +/- 102.75 and 2274.50 +/- 124.5 IU/gHb; whereas in the matching subgroup of controls - 2452.11 +/- 88.72 and 2382.09 +/- 91.22 IU/gHb, respectively. The activity of this enzyme in all investigated groups selected in respect to length of employment, revealed lower values when compared with the controls - 2271.20 +/- 115.23 in the group with under 10 years of exposure, 2335.11 +/-167.71 IU/gHb in those exposed for 11 20 years, and 2290.40 +/- 26.12 IU/gHb in the subgroup exposed for the longest period of time. Similar changes were observed in the activity of this enzyme in the subgroups separated in respect to mercury concentration in the urine when SOD activity was compared with the controls. The AchE activity was higher in the group exposed to mercury vapours compared to the controls and the respective values were - 50.22 +/- 14.44 and 36.87 +/- 2.92 IU/gHb. In the subgroups separated in respect to length of exposure, the activity of this enzyme was statistically significantly higher than in the control group. The GR activity levels were lower in the exposed group - 8.01 +/-2.54 IU/gHb, compared to the controls - 10.24 +/- 1.24 IU/gHb. In the subgroups of smokers and non-smokers, GR activity was lower, 8.48 +/- 2.37 and 7.54 +/- 2.68 IU/gHb, compared to smokers and non-smokers in the control group, 10.26 +/- 1.01 and 10.16 +/- 1.03 IU/gHb, respectively. The GR activity was also statistically significantly lower in all groups separated in respect to duration of exposure, with the values of 8.56 +/ 2.39, 8.26 +/- 2.38, 7.06 +/- 2.75 IU/gHb, respectively in subject groups and 10.24 +/- 1.35 in the control group. Similar changes were noticed in the subgroup separated in respect to mercury concentration in the urine. The Hx activity was lower in the group exposed to mercury vapours - 1.08 +/-0.11. compared with the controls - 1.21 +/- 0.16 IU/gHb. The enzyme activity showed a similar pattern in the subgroups separated in respect to duration of exposure when they were compared with the control group. Exposure to mercury vapours present changes in the red blood cells, manifested by increased (when compared with the control group), number of erythrocytes in peripheral and decreased mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin concentration values, as well as changes in the metabolic processes occurring in the erythrocytes. In subjects exposed to mercury vapours some metabolic processes may be additionally modified by addiction to cigarette smoking. PMID- 17784548 TI - [Selected markers of subclinical renal damage in men occupationally exposed to mercury vapours]. AB - The concentrations of albumin, IgG, transferrin, retinol binding protein (RBP), alpha-1-microglobulin (alpha-1-m) and beta-2-microglobulin (beta-2-m) were determined in urine of 83 males 21 to 60 years old (Mean = 41.2 +/- SD = 10.7) with a history of occupational exposure to metallic mercury vapours from 7 months to 37 years (Mean=16.3 +/- 10.9) and in 30 males without this exposure by using the nephelometry (Behring's antibodies, references and controls). The weighted mean of mercury concentrations in air was from 0.028 to 0.037 mg m(-3). The urinary level of mercury was determined by using the atomic absorption spectrometer Coleman Mercury Analyzer Mas-50, Perkin-Elmer USA, in alpha=253.7nm. The detection limit of the analytical procedure of determination of mercury in urine was 10 microg/dm3 and in blood was 4 microg Hg/dm3. Workers were divided into three groups depending on the duration of exposure: I/. 30 males with a short history of exposure to Hg0 (7 months to 9 years) (4.2 +/- 2.8), II/. 18 males exposed from 10 to 20 years (14.5 +/- 3.3) and III/. 35 males with a history of long exposure (21 to 37 years) (27.5 +/- 4.0) following three groups were divided depending on the degree of exposure: 1/. 32 males with concentrations of mercury in urine < 50 microg Hg/ dm3 (30.5 +/- 10.7) aged 26 to 59 years (45.5 +/- 8.0) and exposed to Hg0 from 7 months to 37 years (18.1 +/- 10.8); 2/. 41 males with concentrations of mercury in urine 51 to 150 microg Hg/dm3 (86.1 +/- 24.3) aged 21 to 60 years (39.8 +/- 10.8) and exposed to Hg0 from 7 months to 35 years (15.9 +/- 10.8) and group 3/. 32 males with concentrations of mercury in urine 151 to 260 microg Hg/dm3 (211.4 +/- 37.1) aged 21 to 56 years (35.5 +/- 13.1) and exposed to Hg0 from 7 months to 30 years (9.1 +/- 8.8). Occupational exposure to mercury vapours influenced urine mercury concentration and urine excretion of determined proteins: albumin, IgG, transferrin, alpha-1-microglubulin and beta-2-microglubulin. In the group of workers exposed to mercury vapours from 7 months to 9 years, statistically significance elevation of alpha-1-m and beta-2-m [alpha-1-m by 67.5% (p<0.05) and beta-2-m by 66.7%] according to the control group was observed. Albumin urine concentrations was highest in the group of exposed workers with mean urine mercury concentration > 150 microg/dm3, 2-times higher (p<0.05) than in the control group as well as in the group workers exposed to mercury with mean urine mercury concentrations 51 to 150 microg/dm3 (p<0.05) and more than 3-times higher than in the workers with mean urine mercury concentrations < or = 50 microg/ dm3. Mean IgG and transferrin urine concentrations were higher [IgG 2.6-times higher (p<0.05), transferrin 7.5-times higher (p<0.05) according to the control group] in the group of workers with urine mercury concentrations > 150 microg/dm3. Mean alpha-1-m and beta-2-m urine concentrations were highest in group of workers with urine mercury concentration > 150 microg/dm3 [alpha-1-m by 82% (p<0.05) and beta 2-m by 289% (p<0.01)]. Moreover, a positive correlation between mercury urine concentration and alpha-1-m (r=0,33), as well as between mercury urine concentration and albumin (r=0,31) and IgG (r=0.30) also were observed. Values of "r" between mercury urine concentration and albumine (r=0.46), IgG (r=0.46) and transferrin (r=0.42) were highest in group of workers exposed to mercury vapours from 10 to 20 years. Albumin, transferrin and IgG urine concentrations, as well as alpha-1-m and beta-2-m urine concentrations were statistically significantly higher in the group of workers with > 150 microg Hg/dM3 urine concentration. In conclusion, determination of urine proteins, as a markers of early subclinical renal damage may be useful in monitoring occupational exposure to mercury vapours, especially in the group of workers with higher values of urine mercury concentrations. PMID- 17784550 TI - [Mercury and the risk of coronary heart disease]. AB - Results from recently published studies have shown an independent association between the mercury concentration in the human body and the risk of coronary heart disease. There are two major sources of exposure to mercury of the general population: fish consumption and dental amalgamats. Mercury may promote atheriosclerosis and hence it may increase the risk of acute coronary events in several ways. Mercury stimulates the production of free radicals, binds to sulfhydryl groups of enzymes and forms an insoluble complex with selenium. Thus mercury may induce lipid peroxydation and increase oxidized low-density lipoprotein concentration in blood. PMID- 17784552 TI - [Selected aspects concerning rehabilitation in osteoporosis]. AB - Osteoporosis is one of the most frequent diseases of the bone skeleton. In spite of many medications influencing on metabolism of osseous tissue group, alternative ways of treatment and prophylaxis of this disease are used. The study presents the chosen elements of the physiotherapy practical in osteoporosis treatment and prophylaxis in sanatorium conditions. PMID- 17784551 TI - [Lyme disease in children]. AB - Lyme disease is a vector-borne infectious disease affecting especially skin, nervous system, heart and joints. In the early stage of borrelia infection, asymptomatic course is possible. The causative agent, the spirochete Borrelia, is carried to the human body by tick. The bacteriological culture from blood, joint fluid or cerebrospinal fluid is very difficult. The laboratory diagnosis depends mainly on serological assays (ELISA, Western blot) and on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The treatment is based on antibiotic therapy - penicillin's and cephalosporins. The period of therapy depends on clinical form of borreliosis. Early tick removing is the best borreliosis prophylaxis. PMID- 17784553 TI - [Tuberculous pericarditis--diagnostic difficulties. A case report]. AB - A 17-year-old male developed four times in a three month period treatment resistant infectious pericarditis. Etiology of the disease was established on the bases of chest computed tomography (CT) end effective trial of antituberculous treatment. PMID- 17784554 TI - [So called healthy food and supplement]. PMID- 17784555 TI - [Bites of "Mamushi (Agkistrodon halys biomhoffii)"]. PMID- 17784556 TI - [Habu-bite]. PMID- 17784557 TI - [Clinical feature of envenomation by the snake, Yamakagashi (Rhabdophis tigrinus)]. PMID- 17784558 TI - [Envenomations by the imported venomous snakes]. PMID- 17784559 TI - [Magnetic resonance imaging could predict delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide intoxication]. AB - OBJECTIVES: Some patients with acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication relapse into severe neuropsychiatric symptomes several weeks after the lucid interval. This serious neurological sequelae, delayed encephalopathy, is difficult to anticipate. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was reported to show characteristic findings, there has been few information on MRI during the lucid interval. We retrospectively reviewed MR images obtained within 15 days after the exposure, and analyzed whether MRI could predict delayed encephalopathy. DESIGN: Retrospective, single-center study. PATIENTS: Sixteen serial patients with severe CO intoxication, who were found unconscious and underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and in whom MR-imagings were performed at least once within 15 days after the exposure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Although all 16 patients recovered consciouness, six of them (37.5 %) went into delayed encephalopathy (DE group) while the others did not (non-DE group). FLAIR images of all patients in DE group showed bilateral diffuse high intensity in white matter of centrum semiovale after the relapse of neuropsychiatric symptomes. In 4 of them, the identical findings were recognized earlier during the lucid interval. In contrast, no MR images of patients in non-DE group showed white matter hyperintensity (4/6 vs 0/10, p < 0.01). T2-hyperintensities in basal ganglia were seen not only in DE group (3 of 6 patients) but also in non-DE group (2 of 10). Diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were obtained in 10 patients (5 in each group). Although white matter hyperintensities in DWI were positive in 4 patients in DE group (none in non-DE group), 3 of them showed negative findings during the lucid interval. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral symmetric white matter hyperintensity in MRI (T2WI/FLAIR) could be a good predictor of delayed encephalopathy after acute CO intoxication. PMID- 17784560 TI - [Case of concrete hardener poisoning complicated with acute renal failure treated by hemodialysis]. AB - A 54-year-old man took approximately 180 mL of rapid-hardening cement (75% sodium silicate) with suicidal intent and was transferred to our department after at least 2 hours had elapsed from the time he took the poison. Milk, sodium alginate, and a proton pump inhibitor were administered to the patient, and intravenous fluid infusion in a large dose with antibiotics was started. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed lesions in the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, and stomach. The most severe lesions observed were in the greater curvature of the stomach body. Hemodialysis was performed because of persistent oliguria and worsening of the renal function parameters. The patient underwent 8 sessions of hemodialysis over a period of 11 days, after which the dialysis was stopped. The serum level of silicon was 25.1 microg/mL on admission and 9.2 microg/mL at the time of withdrawal from hemodialysis. The gastrointestinal mucosal lesions resolved completely in response to the treatment. There were no residual lesions except for some scarring in the greater curvature of the stomach. Although the serum levels of silicon decreased transiently following each hemodialysis session, they increased again on the following day. Based on the observations in this case, it was proposed that a serum silicon level of less than 10 microg/mL is unlikely to cause renal dysfunction. PMID- 17784561 TI - [Case of intractable ventricula fibrillation by a multicomponent dietary supplement containing ephedra and caffeine overdose]. AB - Multicomponent dietary supplement containing ephedra and caffeine (DSEC) was widely used for weight loss and energy enhancement. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of DSEC in 2004 because of side effects such as cardiotoxity. We report a rare case of intractable ventricular fibrillation, requiring frequent defibrillation, by DSEC overdose. The direct cardiotoxity of ephedra, synergistic effect of caffeine and ephedra, and hypokalemia may cause refractory ventricular arrhythmia. PMID- 17784562 TI - [Diagnosis and treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning]. PMID- 17784563 TI - [Case of datura intoxication]. PMID- 17784564 TI - [Proposal of analytical pathway for the treatment of poisonings--improvement of toxicological analysis in clinical laboratory and reconsideration of useful treatment for poisonings]. PMID- 17784565 TI - [Acute colchicine poisoning by plant ingestions]. PMID- 17784566 TI - [The evolution of surgical techniques for donor liver procurement]. AB - The article is dedicated to the development of donor liver procurement and describes the technique developed by Starzl et al., as well as the method which T. E. Starzl named "a rapid technique" and which eliminates drawbacks of classical liver procurement technique of the former method. The authors describe a standard, simple and fast technique of donor hepatectomy. In addition, a technique of fast liver procurement from an asystolic donor is described. Advantages of the "rapid technique" of combined hepatectomy consist in its atraumaticity and a possibility of its application in utterly instable donors, because this technique makes it possible to begin effective organ cooling in a few minutes after the surgery is commenced. PMID- 17784567 TI - [Anesthesiological management of heart transplantation: some historical aspects and the modern state of the problem]. AB - The author discusses some historical aspects of anesthesia for heart transplantation in Russia and other countries. The original study included 31 heart recipients aged 16 to 54. The duration of heart conservation was 2 to 6.6 hours. The optimal anesthesia consisted in a combination of fentanyl in low doses with midazolam and isoflurane. All the recipients needed intensive inotropic support with different sympathomimetic drug combinations following the reestablishment of transplanted heart functioning. There was a significant correlation between the duration of heart conservation and the doses of epinephrine (r = 0.51; p = 0.017). In most recipients with a duration of heart anoxic period of less than 2.5 hours, heart functioning proved to be possible to normalize with a dopamine-dobutamine combination. Epinephrine was the main agent in recipients with a longer period of heart anoxia. There was a significant correlation between the duration of heart conservation and systemic vascular resistance following cardio-pulmonary bypass. Epinephrine and norepinephrine were applied in combination with nitric oxide inhalation to prevent negative pulmonary vasoconstrictor effect of epinephrine and norepinephrine. PMID- 17784568 TI - [On the mechanism of action of recombinant activated factor VII in massive non hemophylic bleeding in cardiosurgical patients]. AB - Recombinant activated factor VII was used in a dose of 30 to 140 mcgr/kg in 35 cardiosurgical patients during intra- and postoperative periods complicated by massive uncontrolled (5 to 25 ml/min) bleeding of non-surgical origin. Basing on the analysis of changes in the hemostasis system parameters, the mechanism of action of the preparation may be presented as follows: recombinant fVIIa forms a complex with TF at the site of lesion; the formation of TF-fVIIa complex leads to the appearance of small amount of synthesized thrombin on the membrane of TF containing cells, which, in turn, activates thrombocytes at the site of lesion; thrombocytes excrete phosphatidylserine, which serves as a matrix for further thrombin formation. FXIII is expressed from a granules ofthrombocytes and gets activated. FXIII binds with a specific receptor on platelets' membrane. It remains active as enzyme and participates in the formation of a firm fibrin plug at the site of lesion. Besides, substances with pro- and antifibrinolytic activity, antiheparin factor 4 and fibronectin are released from alpha granules. Factors IXa, VIIIa, and Va effectively "attach" to the surface of activated thrombocytes, and the forming of IXa-VIIIa complex leads to further activation of factor X, which, together with factor 3 expression, facilitates further local thrombin generation. PMID- 17784569 TI - [Endothelial dysfunction and renal lesion in obesity]. AB - The subjects of the study were 29 men (mean age 37.7+/-9.3 years) suffering from abdominal obesity without carbohydrate exchange disturbances or signs of chronic renal diseases. The results of the study show that the surplus of leptin, typical of obese patients, leads to the development of intrarenal vascular endothelial dysfunction, which is manifested by microalbuminuria, the growth of endothelin-1 serum level, and endothelium-dependent vasodilatation impairment, leading to unfavorable changes in renal filtration. Administration of angiotensin II receptor blockers results in the elimination of microalbuminuria and the recovery of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in obese patients. PMID- 17784570 TI - [Study of the revascularizing properties of the greater omentum for creating prefabricated complex autografts under experimantal conditions]. AB - The revascularizing properties of the greater omentum used as a vascular pedicle for the prefabrication of skin, skin/cartilage or skin/ bone autografts, and their viability after rotation and recipient zone infection were studied in rat experiments. The experiment showed that complexity factor did not have a significant effect on the revascularizing properties of the greater omentum, and required only an insignificant prolongation of prefabrication period. Skin/omental, skin/cartilageous, and skin/bony autografts based on the greater omentum formed by day 7, 14, and 21, respectively. After these periods prefabricated autografts remained viable upon rotation. In case of infection, the survival rate of prefabricated skin/bone autografts, revascularized with two layer greater omentum, is lower than that of skin/cartilage ones. The technique of prefabrication of autografts including skin, cartilage, and bone, is a promising method for closure of vast multicomponent defects in complicated clinical situations. PMID- 17784571 TI - [Three-dimensional visualization of medical tomographic data using a modern personal computer]. AB - The authors review experience of three-dimensional tomographic reconstructions performed by means of a modern personal computer. Basic algorithms of volume reconstruction, their implementation on Windows platform, and their comparison are discussed from radiological point of view. A hardware configuration of a Pentium class workstation for medical volume visualization is proposed; its productivity in fulfilling real tasks is evaluated. PMID- 17784572 TI - [Back to the future]. PMID- 17784573 TI - The low friction contradiction (low friction or fiction). AB - Low friction is on everyone' lips, from companies to lecturers, some are just whispering and others are shouting the advantages of low friction self-ligating brackets. The low friction appliances get tremendous attention and publicity. Most major companies have a bracket that they describe as low fiction. Many clinicians have switched or are considering the switch to these brackets. Most companies present their low friction line describing and promoting their bracket design. In our opinion low friction is not only a question of bracket design. Low friction must be looked at, promoted and used as a complete philosophy. To insure maximum results the low friction clinicians will have to choose and respect the philosophy of the system. Using only a so-called low friction bracket will not assure the clinician the performance of low friction mechanics. This article will try to expose a low friction philosophy which goes beyond the bracket design. We will describe a global approach to low friction philosophy using the Damon System as an example. We do not imply that the Damon System is the only system that can get excellent results but it is a system that has a good track record and that has been on the market for many years. PMID- 17784574 TI - The not-so-controversial issue of condylar position. AB - There are controversies that seem to transcend time and reason; one of these is condyle/disc/fossa positional relation in the normal asymptomatic temporomandibular joint. This article is based on an extensive literature search; it reveals that there are many areas of agreement, but condylar position remains the most contentious. This lack of agreement seems to be tied to different philosophical treatment approaches rather than to present available scientific evidence. The evidence appears to indicate that "centric" is the normal condylar position, very closely related to the Gelb 4/7 position. PMID- 17784575 TI - Mandibular repositioning as an option for treatment for sleep apnea. PMID- 17784576 TI - Early treatment with "function generating bite" of a left unillateral posterior cross-bite: chewing pattern before and after therapy with FGB. AB - A case of a 5.2 years-old child, with a left unilateral posterior cross-bite, from the canine to the second deciduous molar, corrected with the functional appliance "Function Generating Bite" (FGB) is reported. The chewing cycles were recorded before and 6 months after correction. The number of reverse chewing cycles on the cross-bite/corrected side decreased significantly six months after therapy (2% with the soft bolus and 4% with the hard bolus) with respect to the initial condition (70% with the soft bolus and 79% with the hard bolus). In conclusion, the FGB achieved the orthodontic correction and also corrected the masticatory function. PMID- 17784577 TI - Finishing elastics. PMID- 17784578 TI - Excellence in orthodontics with a systematic approach smile design governed by stability concerns. Part I: transverse relationships. PMID- 17784579 TI - The modified Ricketts utility arch. PMID- 17784580 TI - The orthodontic train "Chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo". PMID- 17784581 TI - Periodontics: 3. Non-surgical periodontal therapy in general dental practice. AB - Non-surgical periodontal therapy is an integral part of periodontal treatment and has been defined as plaque removal, plaque control, supra- and subgingival scaling, root surface debridement, and the adjunctive use of chemical agents. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Knowledge of the role of non-surgical periodontal therapy is central to good patient care. PMID- 17784582 TI - Referrals. AB - It is beholden to the general dental practitioner to refer patients for whom (s)he feels that treatment could be carried out to a higher standard, or more efficiently and effectively, by another dentist. In addition, patients are entitled to a referral for a second opinion at any time. This paper discusses the responsibilities of the referring dentist and those of the dentist to whom the patient has been referred. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The experience of clinicians varies, so referral to another dentist may be appropriate if the patient's dental practitioner considers that treatment might be more effectively carried out by another dentist. PMID- 17784583 TI - Referrals in oral medicine. AB - This invited article offers dentists and dental care professionals an understanding of the most appropriate and effective way of referring patients for specialist care in oral medicine, hence enabling them to offer more effective care to patients, as well as avoiding misunderstandings. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Referrals to a specialist can help patient management, particularly for patients who may have malignant disease (or potentially malignant disease); a complicated or serious non-malignant diagnosis (such as HIV disease or pemphigus); a requirement for treatment with potent agents or complicated equipment; extra-oral lesions; or disease that is unresponsive to treatment. It can also be useful where there is a diagnosis that is in some doubt, or a situation when the clinician (or patient) requests a second opinion or wishes to share care with the specialist. PMID- 17784584 TI - A patient with a macrodont, transposition and supplemental tooth in the upper anterior segment: a case report. AB - This case report describes the presence of multiple dental anomalies in the upper labial segment of a 7-year-old boy; a macrodont, transposition and supplemental tooth. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case highlights the need for careful treatment planning in patients with mutiple dental anomalies. PMID- 17784585 TI - TMD current concepts: 2. Imaging and treatment options. An update. AB - The second part of this series addresses the need for imaging and explores treatment concepts of temporomandibular disorders. TMD management in general dental practice is widely regarded as being a contentious subject with several differing and often diametrically opposed viewpoints being aired, not only in relation to aetiology and diagnosis, but also in relation to treatment. This uncertainty often prompts the dentist to refer for secondary care. Another recurring issue is the lack of adequate remuneration in the general dental services for management of the patients, for example by splint therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Sound up-to-date knowledge of all aspects of TMD, a commonly encountered condition, is essential. PMID- 17784586 TI - The psychology of failure for dentists. AB - Failure in practice is inevitable. Failure may have negative consequences both for the patient and the dental team. This article will explore the psychological impact of failure on the dental team, and how to manage this. In addition, an approach to managing, preventing and ameliorating the effects of failure based upon an analysis of healthcare systems will be described. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This article will assist general dental practitioners and other members of the dental team in coping with the psychological impact of failure, and to design systems to minimize the harmful effects of failure in practice. PMID- 17784587 TI - Head and neck cancers. PMID- 17784588 TI - Eating patterns, diet and dental caries (Dent Update 2007; 34:295-300). PMID- 17784589 TI - Physical signs for the general dental practitioner. Case 46. Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum. PMID- 17784590 TI - Aspects of human disease. PMID- 17784591 TI - New architecture for MPEG video streaming system with backward playback support. AB - MPEG digital video is becoming ubiquitous for video storage and communications. It is often desirable to perform various video cassette recording (VCR) functions such as backward playback in MPEG videos. However, the predictive processing techniques employed in MPEG severely complicate the backward-play operation. A straightforward implementation of backward playback is to transmit and decode the whole group-of-picture (GOP), store all the decoded frames in the decoder buffer, and play the decoded frames in reverse order. This approach requires a significant buffer in the decoder, which depends on the GOP size, to store the decoded frames. This approach could not be possible in a severely constrained memory requirement. Another alternative is to decode the GOP up to the current frame to be displayed, and then go back to decode the GOP again up to the next frame to be displayed. This approach does not need the huge buffer, but requires much higher bandwidth of the network and complexity of the decoder. In this paper, we propose a macroblock-based algorithm for an efficient implementation of the MPEG video streaming system to provide backward playback over a network with the minimal requirements on the network bandwidth and the decoder complexity. The proposed algorithm classifies macroblocks in the requested frame into backward macroblocks (BMBs) and forward/backward macroblocks (FBMBs). Two macroblock-based techniques are used to manipulate different types of macroblocks in the compressed domain and the server then sends the processed macroblocks to the client machine. For BMBs, a VLC-domain technique is adopted to reduce the number of macroblocks that need to be decoded by the decoder and the number of bits that need to be sent over the network in the backward-play operation. We then propose a newly mixed VLC/DCT-domain technique to handle FBMBs in order to further reduce the computational complexity of the decoder. With these compressed-domain techniques, the proposed architecture only manipulates macroblocks either in the VLC domain or the quantized DCT domain resulting in low server complexity. Experimental results show that, as compared to the conventional system, the new streaming system reduces the required network bandwidth and the decoder complexity significantly. PMID- 17784592 TI - Color reproduction from noisy CFA data of single sensor digital cameras. AB - Single sensor digital color still/video cameras capture images using a color filter array (CFA) and require color interpolation (demosaicking) to reconstruct full color images. The color reproduction has to combat sensor noises which are channel dependent. If untreated in demosaicking, sensor noises can cause color artifacts that are hard to remove later by a separate denoising process, because the demosaicking process complicates the noise characteristics by blending noises of different color channels. This paper presents a joint demosaicking-denoising approach to overcome this difficulty. The color image is restored from noisy mosaic data in two steps. First, the difference signals of color channels are estimated by linear minimum mean square-error estimation. This process exploits both spectral and spatial correlations to simultaneously suppress sensor noise and interpolation error. With the estimated difference signals, the full resolution green channel is recovered. The second step involves in a wavelet based denoising process to remove the CFA channel-dependent noises from the reconstructed green channel. The red and blue channels are subsequently recovered. Simulated and real CFA mosaic data are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed joint demosaicking-denoising scheme and compare it with many recently developed sophisticated demosaicking and denoising schemes. PMID- 17784593 TI - Combined curvelet shrinkage and nonlinear anisotropic diffusion. AB - In this paper, a diffusion-based curvelet shrinkage is proposed for discontinuity preserving denoising using a combination of a new tight frame of curvelets with a nonlinear diffusion scheme. In order to suppress the pseudo-Gibbs and curvelet like artifacts, the conventional shrinkage results are further processed by a projected total variation diffusion, in which only the insignificant curvelet coefficients or high-frequency part of the signal are changed by use of a constrained projection. Numerical experiments from piecewise-smooth to textured images show good performances of the proposed method to recover the shape of edges and important detailed components, in comparison to some existing methods. PMID- 17784594 TI - Edge-based color constancy. AB - Color constancy is the ability to measure colors of objects independent of the color of the light source. A well-known color constancy method is based on the gray-world assumption which assumes that the average reflectance of surfaces in the world is achromatic. In this paper, we propose a new hypothesis for color constancy namely the gray-edge hypothesis, which assumes that the average edge difference in a scene is achromatic. Based on this hypothesis, we propose an algorithm for color constancy. Contrary to existing color constancy algorithms, which are computed from the zero-order structure of images, our method is based on the derivative structure of images. Furthermore, we propose a framework which unifies a variety of known (gray-world, max-RGB, Minkowski norm) and the newly proposed gray-edge and higher order gray-edge algorithms. The quality of the various instantiations of the framework is tested and compared to the state-of the-art color constancy methods on two large data sets of images recording objects under a large number of different light sources. The experiments show that the proposed color constancy algorithms obtain comparable results as the state-of-the-art color constancy methods with the merit of being computationally more efficient. PMID- 17784595 TI - Geometric direct search algorithms for image registration. AB - A widely used approach to image registration involves finding the general linear transformation that maximizes the mutual information between two images, with the transformation being rigid-body [i.e., belonging to SE(3)] or volume-preserving [i.e., belonging to SL(3)]. In this paper, we present coordinate-invariant, geometric versions of the Nelder-Mead optimization algorithm on the groups SL(3), SE(3), and their various subgroups, that are applicable to a wide class of image registration problems. Because the algorithms respect the geometric structure of the underlying groups, they are numerically more stable, and exhibit better convergence properties than existing local coordinate-based algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate the improved convergence properties of our geometric algorithms. PMID- 17784596 TI - Low bit-rate image coding using adaptive geometric piecewise polynomial approximation. AB - We present a new image coding algorithm, the geometric piecewise polynomials (GPP) method, that draws on recent developments in the theory of adaptive multivariate piecewise polynomials approximation. The algorithm relies on a segmentation stage whose goal is to minimize a functional that is conceptually similar to the Mumford-Shah functional except that it measures the smoothness of the segmentation instead of the length. The initial segmentation is "pruned" and the remaining curve portions are lossy encoded. The image is then further partitioned and approximated by low order polynomials on the subdomains. We show examples where our algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art wavelet coding in the low bit-rate range. The GPP algorithm significantly outperforms wavelet based coding methods on graphic and cartoon images. Also, at the bit rate 0.05 bits per pixel, the GPP algorithm achieves on the test image Cameraman, which has a geometric structure, a PSNR of 21.5 dB, while the JPEG2000 Kakadu software obtains PSNR of 20 dB. For the test image Lena, the GPP algorithm obtains the same PSNR as JPEG2000, but with better visual quality at 0.03 bpp. PMID- 17784597 TI - Efficient coding of shape and transparency for video objects. AB - A novel scheme for coding gray-level alpha planes in object-based video is presented. Gray-level alpha planes convey the shape and the transparency information, which are required for smooth composition of video objects. The algorithm proposed is based on the segmentation of the alpha plane in three layers: binary shape layer, opaque layer, and intermediate layer. Thus, the latter two layers replace the single transparency layer of MPEG-4 Part 2. Different encoding schemes are specifically designed for each layer, utilizing cross-layer correlations to reduce the bit rate. First, the binary shape layer is processed by a novel video shape coder. In intra mode, the DSLSC binary image coder presented in [3] is used. This is extended here with an intermode utilizing temporal redundancies in shape image sequences. Then the opaque layer is compressed by a newly designed scheme which models the strong correlation with the binary shape layer by morphological erosion operations. Finally, three solutions are proposed for coding the intermediate layer. The knowledge of the two previously encoded layers is utilized in order to increase compression efficiency. Experimental results are reported demonstrating that the proposed techniques provide substantial bit rate savings coding shape and transparency when compared to the tools adopted in MPEG-4 Part 2. PMID- 17784598 TI - Joint exact histogram specification and image enhancement through the wavelet transform. AB - Histogram specification (equalization) is an important tool for tasks such as image enhancement and normalization. Although this problem has exact solution for continuous images, in the case of digital images, it is ill posed. Recently, an exact pixel ordering method based solely on local image intensity was proposed, yet still with some limitations, especially since it ignores the important image edge information. In this paper, we present a wavelet-based method that simultaneously achieves the exact histogram specification and good image enhancement performance. It does so through a carefully designed strict pixel ordering process, during which the wavelet coefficients are fine tuned for the image enhancement purpose. Compared to previous work, this approach takes into account not only local mean intensity values, but also local edge information. Other advantages include fast pixel ordering, good statistical models, and better image enhancement performance. Experimental results and comparison with state-of the-art methods are presented. PMID- 17784599 TI - Variational models for image colorization via chromaticity and brightness decomposition. AB - Colorization refers to an image processing task which recovers color in grayscale images when only small regions with color are given. We propose a couple of variational models using chromaticity color components to colorize black and white images. We first consider total variation minimizing (TV) colorization which is an extension from TV inpainting to color using chromaticity model. Second, we further modify our model to weighted harmonic maps for colorization. This model adds edge information from the brightness data, while it reconstructs smooth color values for each homogeneous region. We introduce penalized versions of the variational models, we analyze their convergence properties, and we present numerical results including extension to texture colorization. PMID- 17784600 TI - Spatiotemporal inpainting for recovering texture maps of occluded building facades. AB - We present a technique for constructing a "clean" texture map of a partially occluded building facade from a series of images taken from a moving camera. Building regions blocked by trees, signs, people, and other foreground objects in a minority of views can be recovered via temporal median filtering on a registered image mosaic of the planar facade. However, when such areas are occluded in the majority of camera views, appearance information from other visible portions of the facade provides a critical cue to correctly complete the mosaic. In this paper, we apply a robust measure of spread to infer whether a particular mosaic pixel is occluded in a majority of views, and introduce a novel spatiotemporal timeline-based inpainting algorithm that uses appearance and motion cues in order to fill the texture map in majority-occluded regions. We describe methods for automatically training appearance-based classifiers from a coarse motion-based segmentation to efficiently recognize foreground and background patches in static imagery. Results of recovered building facades are shown for various sequences. PMID- 17784602 TI - VSNR: a wavelet-based visual signal-to-noise ratio for natural images. AB - This paper presents an efficient metric for quantifying the visual fidelity of natural images based on near-threshold and suprathreshold properties of human vision. The proposed metric, the visual signal-to-noise ratio (VSNR), operates via a two-stage approach. In the first stage, contrast thresholds for detection of distortions in the presence of natural images are computed via wavelet-based models of visual masking and visual summation in order to determine whether the distortions in the distorted image are visible. If the distortions are below the threshold of detection, the distorted image is deemed to be of perfect visual fidelity (VSNR = infinity) and no further analysis is required. If the distortions are suprathreshold, a second stage is applied which operates based on the low-level visual property of perceived contrast, and the mid-level visual property of global precedence. These two properties are modeled as Euclidean distances in distortion-contrast space of a multiscale wavelet decomposition, and VSNR is computed based on a simple linear sum of these distances. The proposed VSNR metric is generally competitive with current metrics of visual fidelity; it is efficient both in terms of its low computational complexity and in terms of its low memory requirements; and it operates based on physical luminances and visual angle (rather than on digital pixel values and pixel-based dimensions) to accommodate different viewing conditions. PMID- 17784601 TI - Learning multimodal dictionaries. AB - Real-world phenomena involve complex interactions between multiple signal modalities. As a consequence, humans are used to integrate at each instant perceptions from all their senses in order to enrich their understanding of the surrounding world. This paradigm can be also extremely useful in many signal processing and computer vision problems involving mutually related signals. The simultaneous processing of multimodal data can, in fact, reveal information that is otherwise hidden when considering the signals independently. However, in natural multimodal signals, the statistical dependencies between modalities are in general not obvious. Learning fundamental multimodal patterns could offer deep insight into the structure of such signals. In this paper, we present a novel model of multimodal signals based on their sparse decomposition over a dictionary of multimodal structures. An algorithm for iteratively learning multimodal generating functions that can be shifted at all positions in the signal is proposed, as well. The learning is defined in such a way that it can be accomplished by iteratively solving a generalized eigenvector problem, which makes the algorithm fast, flexible, and free of user-defined parameters. The proposed algorithm is applied to audiovisual sequences and it is able to discover underlying structures in the data. The detection of such audio-video patterns in audiovisual clips allows to effectively localize the sound source on the video in presence of substantial acoustic and visual distractors, outperforming state-of the-art audiovisual localization algorithms. PMID- 17784603 TI - PKCS: a polynomial kernel family with compact support for scale- space image processing. AB - In a scale-space framework, the Gaussian kernel has some properties that make it unique. However, because of its infinite support, exact implementation of this kernel is not possible. To avoid this drawback, there exist two different approaches: approximating the Gaussian kernel by a finite support kernel, or defining new kernels with properties closed to the Gaussian. In this paper, we propose a polynomial kernel family with compact support which overcomes the Gaussian practical drawbacks while preserving a large number of the useful Gaussian properties. The new kernels are not obtained by approximating the Gaussian, though they are derived from it. We show that, for a suitable choice of kernel parameters, this family provides an approximated solution of the diffusion equation and satisfies some other basic constraints of the linear scale-space theory. The construction and properties of the proposed kernel are described, and an application in which handwritten data are extracted from noisy document images is presented. PMID- 17784604 TI - SAR image autofocus by sharpness optimization: a theoretical study. AB - Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) autofocus techniques that optimize sharpness metrics can produce excellent restorations in comparison with conventional autofocus approaches. To help formalize the understanding of metric-based SAR autofocus methods, and to gain more insight into their performance, we present a theoretical analysis of these techniques using simple image models. Specifically, we consider the intensity-squared metric, and a dominant point-targets image model, and derive expressions for the resulting objective function. We examine the conditions under which the perfectly focused image models correspond to stationary points of the objective function. A key contribution is that we demonstrate formally, for the specific case of intensity-squared minimization autofocus, the mechanism by which metric-based methods utilize the multichannel defocusing model of SAR autofocus to enforce the stationary point property for multiple image columns. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the objective function has a special separble property through which it can be well approximated locally by a sum of 1-D functions of each phase error component. This allows fast performance through solving a sequence of 1-D optimization problems for each phase component simultaneously. Simulation results using the proposed models and actual SAR imagery confirm that the analysis extends well to realistic situations. PMID- 17784605 TI - A unified approach to superresolution and multichannel blind deconvolution. AB - This paper presents a new approach to the blind deconvolution and superresolution problem of multiple degraded low-resolution frames of the original scene. We do not assume any prior information about the shape of degradation blurs. The proposed approach consists of building a regularized energy function and minimizing it with respect to the original image and blurs, where regularization is carried out in both the image and blur domains. The image regularization based on variational principles maintains stable performance under severe noise corruption. The blur regularization guarantees consistency of the solution by exploiting differences among the acquired low-resolution images. Several experiments on synthetic and real data illustrate the robustness and utilization of the proposed technique in real applications. PMID- 17784606 TI - Movie denoising by average of warped lines. AB - Here, we present an efficient method for movie denoising that does not require any motion estimation. The method is based on the well-known fact that averaging several realizations of a random variable reduces the variance. For each pixel to be denoised, we look for close similar samples along the level surface passing through it. With these similar samples, we estimate the denoised pixel. The method to find close similar samples is done via warping lines in spatiotemporal neighborhoods. For that end, we present an algorithm based on a method for epipolar line matching in stereo pairs which has per-line complexity O (N), where N is the number of columns in the image. In this way, when applied to the image sequence, our algorithm is computationally efficient, having a complexity of the order of the total number of pixels. Furthermore, we show that the presented method is unsupervised and is adapted to denoise image sequences with an additive white noise while respecting the visual details on the movie frames. We have also experimented with other types of noise with satisfactory results. PMID- 17784607 TI - Spatiotemporal selective extrapolation for 3-D signals and its applications in video communications. AB - In this paper, we derive a spatiotemporal extrapolation method for 3-D discrete signals. Extending a discrete signal beyond a limited number of known samples is commonly referred to as discrete signal extrapolation. Extrapolation problems arise in many applications in video communications. Transmission errors in video communications may cause data losses which are concealed by extrapolating the surrounding video signal into the missing area. The same principle is applied for TV logo removal. Prediction in hybrid video coding is also interpreted as an extrapolation problem. Conventionally, the unknown areas in the video sequence are estimated from either the spatial or temporal surrounding. Our approach considers the spatiotemporal signal including the missing area in a volume and replaces the unknown samples by extrapolating the surrounding signal from spatial, as well as temporal direction. By exploiting spatial and temporal correlations at the same time, it is possible to inherently compensate motion. Deviations in luminance occurring from frame to frame can be compensated, too. PMID- 17784608 TI - Nonparametric snakes. AB - Active contours, or so-called snakes, require some parameters to determine the form of the external force or to adjust the tradeoff between the internal forces and the external forces acting on the active contour. However, the optimal values of these parameters cannot be easily identified in a general sense. The usual way to find these required parameters is to run the algorithm several times for a different set of parameters, until a satisfactory performance is obtained. Our nonparametric formulation translates the problem of seeking these unknown parameters into the problem of seeking a good edge probability density estimate. Density estimation is a well-researched field, and our nonparametric formulation allows using well-known concepts of density estimation to get rid of the exhaustive parameter search. Indeed, with the use of kernel density estimation these parameters can be defined locally, whereas, in the original snake approach, all the shape parameters are defined globally. We tested the proposed method on synthetic and real images and obtained comparatively better results. PMID- 17784609 TI - Subspace-based and DIRECT algorithms for distorted circular contour estimation. AB - Circular features are commonly sought in digital image processing. The subspace based line detection (SLIDE) method proposed to estimate the center and the radius of a single circle. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for estimating several radii while extending the circle estimation to retrieve circular-like distorted contours. Particularly, we develop and validate a new model for virtual signal generation by simulating a circular antenna. The circle center is estimated by the SLIDE method. A variable speed propagation scheme toward the circular antenna yields a linear phase signal. Therefore, a high resolution method provides the radius. Either the gradient method or the more robust combination of dividing rectangles and spline interpolation can extend this method extend this method for free form object segmentation. The retrieval of multiple non concentric circles and rotated ellipses is also considered. To evaluate the performance of the proposed methods, we compare them with a least squares method, Hough transform, and gradient vector flow. We apply the proposed method to hand-made images while considering some real-world images. PMID- 17784610 TI - Low bit-rate compression of facial images. AB - An efficient approach for face compression is introduced. Restricting a family of images to frontal facial mug shots enables us to first geometrically deform a given face into a canonical form in which the same facial features are mapped to the same spatial locations. Next, we break the image into tiles and model each image tile in a compact manner. Modeling the tile content relies on clustering the same tile location at many training images. A tree of vector-quantization dictionaries is constructed per location, and lossy compression is achieved using bit-allocation according to the significance of a tile. Repeating this modeling/coding scheme over several scales, the resulting multiscale algorithm is demonstrated to compress facial images at very low bit rates while keeping high visual qualities, outperforming JPEG-2000 performance significantly. PMID- 17784611 TI - On the unequal error protection for progressive image transmission. AB - In this paper, we consider the unequal error protection (UEP) for progressive image transmission when the coded packet size is fixed. First, we prove that, for the source code with convex rate-distortion (R-D) function and practically used channel codes, the channel code rate for each packet in the optimal rate allocation is nondecreasing indeed. Then, we give an upper bound for the channel code rate of the last packet so that the number of rate allocations in the exhaustive search can be predicted. Further, we propose a heuristic optimization method which has low complexity and obtains performance approaching to the optimal solutions for various channel conditions and transmission rates. PMID- 17784612 TI - Median filtering in constant time. AB - The median filter is one of the basic building blocks in many image processing situations. However, its use has long been hampered by its algorithmic complexity of O (r) in the kernel radius. With the trend toward larger images and proportionally larger filter kernels, the need for a more efficient median filtering algorithm becomes pressing. In this correspondence, a new, simple, yet much faster, algorithm exhibiting O (1) runtime complexity is described and analyzed. It is compared and benchmarked against previous algorithms. Extensions to higher dimensional or higher precision data and an approximation to a circular kernel are presented, as well. PMID- 17784613 TI - Suffering a slow recovery. Failed rebuilding after Katrina sets off a mental health crisis in the Gulf. PMID- 17784614 TI - Speaking in tones. Ni hao or bonjour: do genes drive preference for language type? PMID- 17784615 TI - Muons for peace. New way to spot hidden nukes gets ready to debut. PMID- 17784617 TI - Deja vu disks. For Blu-ray and HD DVD, encryption and court orders prove futile- again. PMID- 17784616 TI - Healing broken nerves. Combination therapy as the best approach for damaged spinal cords. PMID- 17784618 TI - Dangling a COROT. Space telescope aims to find more planets orbiting other stars. PMID- 17784619 TI - Take nutrition claims with a grain of salt. Dietary studies sponsored by the food industry are often biased. PMID- 17784621 TI - Full speed ahead for an accelerator. The US must stay competitive in nuclear science. PMID- 17784620 TI - Breaking the poverty trap. Targeted investments can trump a region's geographic disadvantages. PMID- 17784622 TI - Rational atheism. An open letter to messrs. Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and Hitchens. PMID- 17784623 TI - What visions in the dark of light. PMID- 17784624 TI - A question of sustenance. PMID- 17784625 TI - Eating made simple. PMID- 17784626 TI - Can fat be fit? PMID- 17784627 TI - What fuels fat. PMID- 17784628 TI - This is your brain on food. Interview by Kristin Leutwyler-Ozelli. PMID- 17784630 TI - Still hungry. One eighth of the world's people do not have enough to eat. PMID- 17784629 TI - The world is fat. PMID- 17784631 TI - Sowing a gene revolution. PMID- 17784632 TI - Is your food contaminated? New approaches are needed to protect the food supply. PMID- 17784633 TI - Fresh from the sea. PMID- 17784634 TI - Do living people outnumber the dead? PMID- 17784635 TI - Ultrastructural analysis of a murine model of congenital hydrocephalus produced by overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta1 in the central nervous system. AB - The purpose of this study was to elucidate using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the ultrastructural changes that occur within the cortical gray matter of a novel reproducible model of congenital hydrocephalus in mice created to overexpress the cytokine transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in the central nervous system. Brain tissue was obtained from mice from a colony engineered to overexpress TGF-beta1 at two days postpartum and compared to a wild type aged-matched control. This tissue was fixed using a solution containing 1.25% paraformaldehyde and 1.25% glutaraldehyde in phosphate buffer at least 3-4 h and then cut into 40-50 microm sections. Randomly selected thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and then analyzed using a JEOL 100CX or 1200EX transmission electron microscope at accelerating voltage 80 kV. Dramatic neuronal and glial pathology was observed throughout the cortical neuropil in TGF-beta1 mice. The most striking change in the hydrocephalic mice was severe edema with extracellular fluid, possibly due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration into the cortex. In addition, severe disruption of the cytoplasmic matrix was seen throughout the cortex, with damage to cellular organelles and particularly severe damage to mitochondria. Our results suggest that congenital hydrocephalus may be associated with significant damage to cortical tissue. PMID- 17784636 TI - Testis of the lizard Mabuya carinata: a light microscopic and ultrastructural seasonal study. AB - Histomorphology and ultrastructure of the testis during breeding and nonbreeding phases of the reproductive cycle of the lizard Mabuya carinata are studied. Observations of the ultrastructural features of the testis during breeding and nonbreeding phases of the reproductive cycle reveal a prenuptial type of spermatogenesis and a clearcut discontinuous spermatogenic cycle. Seminiferous tubules are enlarged and there is active spermatogenesis as shown by the presence of all the stages of spermatogenesis (spermatogonia to spermatids) and spermatozoa during the breeding phase (November). During the nonbreeding phase (April) only spermatogonia and Sertoli cells are seen in the shrunken seminiferous tubules. Leydig cells and Sertoli cells show distinct changes in the morphological appearance with hypertrophy of the cells in breeding phase and atrophy of the cells in the nonbreeding phase of the reproductive cycle. The present study suggests that Sertoli cells and Leydig cells functions are synchronous in the lizard M. carinata. PMID- 17784637 TI - Type V and VI collagen for cohesion of dermal fibrillar structures. AB - Type V and VI collagen were capable to joint each other and with type I and IV collagen, as well as mucopolysaccharides. This capability suggested that these collagens function for cohesion of fibrillar tissue components of dermis. This study demonstrated the locality of these types of collagen in dermis. Fresh specimens of normal skin were fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde in phosphate-buffered saline, overnight. Besides, in order to loosen the twist of collagen fibril, some pieces of the skin specimens were treated by citrate buffer pH 3.0, prior to fixation. The specimens were embedded in Technovit 4100 and the ultrathin sections were stained by antibody to type V collagen and followed by antibody to type I, III, IV and VI collagen. The immune reactant was visualized by gold particles for electron microscopic observation. Type V and VI collagen formed networks in dermis and jointed to collagen fibrils, elastic fibre and basal lamina. Type V collagen was found inside collagen fibrils, broad elastic fibres and junctions. Dermo-epidermal junction showed type V collagen on the dermal aspects of basal lamina and at the sites where anchoring filaments joint to basal lamina, while in junction of mesenchymal tissues, no precise structural components for type V collagen were identified. Type VI collagen wove with type V collagen in dermis and associated with mucopolysaccharides. In conclusion, type V collagen formed networks in dermal interfibrillar space and participated in assembling collagen fibrils and forming broad elastic fibres. Epithelial and mesenchymal cells cohered to the underlying dermal matrix in the junction by type V collagen. Type VI collagen interwove with type V collagen in the interfibrous space and associated with mucopolysaccharides. Types V and VI collagen preserved architecture of dermal matrix. PMID- 17784638 TI - The Golgi apparatus of spinal ganglion neurons: quantitative changes with aging. AB - The Golgi apparatus of spinal ganglion neurons was studied in 1, 3.6, 6.7, and 8.8-year-old rabbits. The structure of this organelle did not differ in the four age groups examined. While the mean volume of the neuronal perikaryon increased progressively with age, the total volume of the Golgi apparatus remained stable throughout life. As a consequence, the mean percentage of perikaryal volume occupied by this organelle decreased significantly with age. Since the percentage of perikaryal volume occupied by lipofuscin remained at low levels throughout life, the ratio of the total volume of the Golgi apparatus to the functionally active volume of cytoplasm decreased with age. It is possible that this decrease is related to the reduction in neuronal metabolism that occurs in senescence. The age-related quantitative changes in the Golgi apparatus were very similar in large light and in small dark neurons. Finally, neither fragmentation, nor peripheral displacement of the Golgi apparatus was observed with advancing age. PMID- 17784639 TI - Morphological alterations on the prostate of Calomys callosus submitted to chronic ethanol ingestion. AB - The objective of the present study was to assess the possible toxic effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the ultrastructure of the glandular epithelium of the prostate of the rodent Calomys callosus, in order to contribute to the understanding of the consequences of alcohol abuse for the morphology of the male reproductive apparatus. Sixteen adult animals aged three months were divided into two experimental groups. The control group received a solid diet and tap water, and the alcoholic group received the same solid diet and ethanol P.A. diluted 20% in water (v/v). After 120 days of treatment, all animals were anesthetized, weighed and sacrificed. At the end of treatment, mean body weight did not differ between control and alcoholic animals. The prostate epithelial cells of the alcoholic group showed intense atrophy and ultrastructural alterations such as the presence of lipid droplets, altered nuclei, ruptured mitochondrial cristae, and intense dilatation of the cisterns of the granular endoplasmic reticulum. It was concluded that 20% ethanol provokes marked lesions on the epithelium of the prostate probably interfering on the glandular secretion. PMID- 17784640 TI - Microvillus inclusion disease: progressive mucosal pathology. A scanning and transmission electron microscopic study, and thoughts about possible pathogenesis. AB - An infant of African-American descent presented in the immediate newborn period with secretory diarrhea, the cause of which turned out to be microvillus inclusion disease (MID). Small intestinal mucosal biopsies at 6 weeks of age were diagnostic for MID by electron microscopy and repeat biopsies from the small intestine at 15 months demonstrated the seeming relentless progression of this disorder, when a normal structure and organization of small intestinal mucosa was no longer recognizable. Since the child could not tolerate any form of enteral nutrition, a small intestinal transplant was contemplated, but could not be done. The patient did not survive the consequences of an overwhelming sepsis, which resulted in multi-organ failure. PMID- 17784641 TI - Three cases of genetic defects affecting sperm tail: a FISH study. AB - Submicroscopic alterations in the cytoskeletal structure of sperm flagellum are associated with severely reduced or completely absent motility in subfertile or infertile men. Sometimes these alterations can be related to well known genotypic defects when the same anomaly affects the whole sperm population. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is the only tool able to specifically characterize the morphological features of genetic sperm defects. In this study, the frequencies of aneuploid and diploid spermatozoa were identified in three patients showing specific flagellar anomalies, each of them affecting the whole sperm population: dysplasia of the fibrous sheath, primary ciliary dyskinesia and absence of fibrous sheath. All these defects were highlighted by TEM. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed on decondensed sperm nuclei for chromosomes 18, X and Y, highlighting higher diploidies and sex chromosome disomies in cases of dysplasia of the fibrous sheath and primary ciliary dyskinesia, in agreement with other reports. We have also described FISH results in spermatozoa with absence of fibrous sheath. In this case, the only one reported due to the rarity of this defect, the aneuploidies and diploidies were within normal range. These data contribute to the growing evidence that genetic sperm defects of sperm flagella are generally correlated with meiotic segregation derangement. For this reason, genetic counseling is advisable, although all the genes involved and the possible mechanisms of these mutations have not yet been fully characterized. PMID- 17784642 TI - Ultrastructural pathological changes in mice kidney caused by Plasmodium berghei infection. AB - Malaria, a common health problem in certain parts of the world, has a considerable morbidity and mortality. This work reports under electron microscopy studies serious ultrastructural kidney damage such as extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation, vesiculation and autophagic vacuoles in proximal tubular cells. A thickened endothelial wall on peritubular capillary, interdigitation disorganization and significant decrease of their number in some areas were detected. Swollen rough endoplasmic reticulum, swollen mitochondria, and parasitized erythrocytes were observed. Many epithelial cells exhibited cytoplasmic areas of autophagia and a myelin-like form. A tubular cell presented severe cytoarchitecture alterations. Abundant lipid droplets were noticed. Almost total loss of interdigitations, rough endoplasmic reticulum vesiculation, peritubular capillaries with endothelial cells thickened cytoplasm, papillary processes projected to the lumen, and an inflammatory infiltrate of macrophages were also observed. These ultrastructural kidney changes could cause, on the basis of their clinical and pathologic expressions, a fat accumulation, an acute temporary reversible glomerulonephritis, a chronic progressive irreversible glomerulonephritis, and an acute renal failure (ARF). PMID- 17784644 TI - Electron microscopic specimen preparation from low concentration of cell suspension using cytospin technique. AB - Electron microscopic examinations are sometimes limited due to the small number of cells available for analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine the limit of cell concentration for a successful transmission electron microscopic preparation. Various concentrations of monocyte cell suspension were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide according to the standard methods. Cell preparations were made on silane-coated glass slides in a cytospin centrifuge. The attached cells to the glass slides were dehydrated, and embedded in epoxy resin by routine electron microscopic technique. By this method, cell suspensions containing as low as 2x10(3) cells could show approximately 5 to 10 cells in each hole of the 150-mesh grids which was designated as the lowest limit for the successful preparation with detectable cells for evaluation. The fine structure of cells was clearly evident and the preparations were uniformly free from artifacts, similar or superior to those of cell pellet preparations. This method is useful whenever dealing with the samples containing a low number of cells, particularly those of clinical samples. PMID- 17784643 TI - Ultracytochemical demonstration of soluble guanylate cyclase activation in rat aorta by NCX4016, a NO-releasing aspirin derivative. AB - Biochemical studies demonstrate that the NO-releasing-aspirin derivative (NCX4016) stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activity and increases cyclic GMP (cGMP) in human platelet and monocytes by releasing NO. In the present study, an ultracytochemical technique for electron microscopy was used to investigate the effects of NCX4016 (2 mM) on sGC activity in rat thoracic aorta, using sodium nitroprusside (0.01 mM) as reference NO-donor. Guanylyl imidodiphosphate sodium salt [Gpp(NH)p], a synthetic non-hydrolyzable analogue of GTP, was used as sGC substrate. NO-activated sGC released imidodiphosphate ions which were precipitated with lead ions, giving rise to deposits of electron-dense granules (reaction product). Ultracytochemistry allowed us to demonstrate that NCX4016 stimulated sGC activity in smooth muscle cells, and particularly in vascular endothelial cells, as sodium nitroprusside did. This result could explain the protective effects of chronic treatment with NCX4016 on aortic endothelium of diabetic rats demonstrated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. PMID- 17784645 TI - Ultrastructural features of the lining epithelium of the vas deferens of Agouti paca. AB - The epididymal epithelium of Agouti paca, a wild South American rodent, was basically formed by principal and basal cells. Principal cells were closely related to processes of adsorptive endocytosis, phase-fluid endocytosis and also secretion originating from their cytoplasmic ultrastructural features. Principal cells were also characterized by the presence of vesicles of several shapes, sizes and internalized content occurring in smaller pits, pale small vesicles next to the apical brush border of microvillus, as well as coated vesicles, smooth surface vesicles and great vesicles. Multivesicular bodies, endosomes and lysosomes were mainly observed in supranuclear position. Moreover, presence of an apocrine secretory process was demonstrated by the occurrence of apical cytoplasmic expansions projecting into the vas deferens luminal compartment. Basal flattened cells without luminal surface contact occurred next to the basement membrane of the ductus, and did no exhibit special ultrastructural features. PMID- 17784646 TI - Two types of autophagy in the podocytes in renal biopsy specimens: ultrastructural study. AB - Two types of autophagy in the podocytes were found in renal biopsy specimens by electron microscopy. Type I autophagy (about 1 microm in diameter) was found in 10 out of the 100 cases with renal diseases, and showed a condensed ribosome area with a limiting membrane. The origin of limiting membrane appeared to be from degenerated mitochondria. During type I autophagy formation, the thickness of limiting membrane changed from 5-6 nm to about 8-10 nm thickness. Type I autophagy did not transform to autophagosomes and autophagic vacuoles. On the other hand, many cases (90 out of the 100 cases) showed type II autophagy. Type II autophagy (3-8 microm in diameter) showed that many ribosomes were aggregated, formed condensed ribosome area, which always included many aggregated lipid droplets at first. Next, during the formation of autophagosome, rough ER connected to condensed ribosome area, and partly formed limiting membranes from dilated ER membrane. Finally, the limiting membrane of autophagic vacuoles was completely formed, and this membrane changed from about 5-6 nm to 8-10 nm thickness. Ribosomes and lipid droplets were resolved in autophagic vacuoles. Thus, type II autophagy might play a significant role in clearance of proteins and lipids in comparison with type I autophagy. The occurrence of type I autophagy in the renal biopsy specimens was not clearly associated with age, sex or pathological diagnosis. However, cases with type I autophagy may show a tendency to poor prognosis. PMID- 17784647 TI - Beta-keratin localization in developing alligator scales and feathers in relation to the development and evolution of feathers. AB - Beta-keratins form large part of the corneous material of scales and feathers. The present immunocytochemical study describes the fine distribution of scale- and feather-keratins (beta-keratins) in embryonic scales of the alligator and in avian embryonic feathers. In embryonic scales of the alligator both scale-keratin and feather-keratin can be immunolocalized, especially in the subperiderm layer. No immunolabeling for feather keratin is instead present in the adult scale after the embryonic epidermis is lost. The embryonic epidermis of feather folds into barb ridges while subperiderm or subsheath cells are displaced into two barbule plates joined to the central ramus. Subperiderm cells react with an antibody against feather keratin and with lower intensity with an antibody against scale keratin. The axial plate is colonized by barb ridge vane cells, which surround subperiderm cells that become barb/barbule cells. The latter cells merge into a branched syncitium and form the micro ramification of feathers. The lengthening of barbule cells derives from the polymerization of feather keratin into long bundles coursing along the main axis of cells. Keratin bundles in feather cells are however ordered in parallel rows while those of scales in both alligator and birds are irregularly packed. This observation indicates a different modality of aggregation and molecular structure between the feather keratin of subperiderm cells versus that of barbule/barbs. Barb vane ridge cells among barbule cells degenerate at late stage of feather development leaving spaces that separate barbules. Barb vane ridge cells contain alpha-keratin and lipids, but not beta keratin. Cells of marginal plates do not contain beta-keratin, and later degenerate allowing the separation of barbs. The latter become isolated only after sloughing of the sheath, which cells contain bundle of keratin not reactive for both scale- and feather-keratin antibodies. The study confirms morphological observations and shows that subperiderm or subsheath cells differentiate into barb and barbule cells. The morphogenesis of barb ridges has to be considered as an evolutionary novelty that permitted the evolution of feathers from a generalized archosaurian embryonic epidermis. PMID- 17784649 TI - Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies: a review of routine morphological diagnostic methods with emphasis on the role of electron microscopy. AB - Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies (MEs) are a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous diseases. They can be caused by defects in both mitochondrial or nuclear coded genes. Their phenotypic expression is governed by unique biological phenomena such as the dual genetic control, mitotic segregation, heteroplasmy and threshold effects. Currently, the correct diagnosis of ME relies on a multidisciplinary approach which includes clinical information as well as laboratory data from muscle morphology, biochemistry and molecular genetics. Among the morphological methods, histology, histochemistry and electron microscopy were historically instrumental in the diagnosis of MEs. However, with the development of molecular genetics, the diagnostic value of morphology and of electron microscopy in particular have been questioned. The aim of the present review is to present a comparative assessment of the diagnostic contribution of histology, histochemistry and electron microscopy in a group of 48 patients with a diagnosis of ME. PMID- 17784648 TI - Expression of nestin in rat and human glomerular podocytes. AB - Nestin is a neuroepithelial precursor cell marker expressed in a variety of human cell types during development. However, no information exists on the expression of nestin in mature glomeruli as well as during the glomerular development. Here, we examined nestin expression in rat and human glomerular tissues in quiescent states using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical methods. Nestin mRNA was detected in the rat glomeruli in parallel with its expression in developing rat brains. In the normal mature rat glomeruli, WT-1 positive cells expressed nestin. Co expression of nestin and vimentin was observed in mature rat podocytes. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed nestin localization in the cell bodies and primary processes of podocytes. A similar expression pattern was observed for vimentin. In matured glomeruli, nestin was not expressed by mesangial and endothelial cells. In the newborn rat, early developing glomeruli (metanephric cap, metanephric vesicle, comma-shaped vesicle and S-shaped body phases) expressed nestin. In the capillary loop stage, Bowman's capsules also expressed nestin. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that developing podocytes and endothelial cells in S-shaped phase glomeruli expressed nestin. Additionally, in immature glomeruli, the mesangial cells in capillary stage of glomerulus also expressed nexin. As in the rat, WT-1 positive cells in human glomeruli also expressed nestin and immunoelectron microscopy confirmed nestin expression in human glomerular podocytes. These results reveal that in normal condition nestin is expressed in several glomerular cell types at early stage of development and becomes confined to podocytes in mature glomeruli, thus implicating nestin in podocyte functions. PMID- 17784650 TI - Morphological, cytochemical, and ultrastructural study of thrombocytes and leukocytes in neotropical fish, Brycon orbignyanus Valenciennes, 1850 (Characidae, Bryconinae). AB - Morphological, cytochemical and ultrastructural studies are important to demonstrate the function of the blood cells, which is very little understood in teleosts. In peripheral blood of 'piracanjuba' Brycon orbignyanus, thrombocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils and heterophils were studied and characterized. Thrombocytes had a fusiform or oval shape with PAS-positive granules. Lymphocytes presented small size with sparse basophilic cytoplasm. Monocytes were large in size, presented basophilic cytoplasm that may be foamy or vacuolated, with non-specific esterase staining. The neutrophils presented lightly neutrophilic granule cytoplasm, with positivity for PAS and peroxidase. The heterophils were large in size, with eosinophilic and basophilic granules cytoplasm and PAS-positive. Transmission electron microscopy study demonstrated that the thrombocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes features were similar to other teleosts. In ultrastructural study only one type of neutrophils was observed. Cytochemical findings indicated that neutrophils and monocytes of B. orbignyanus may be involved in phagocytosis, and neutrophils play an important microbicidal role. PMID- 17784651 TI - Evaluating public health research in different countries. PMID- 17784652 TI - Measures needed to strengthen strategic HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in China. AB - This paper traces the commonly believed three phases of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in China from the early 1980s to the present time and reviews how the Chinese Government and NGOs are dealing with the crisis. Transmission routes for HIV infection in China are thought to be via IDUs, blood plasma donors, sexual contacts and from mother-to-child transmissions. The author examined interventions for HIV/ AIDS prevention tried in other countries that could provide useful lessons learned and discussed how they could be adapted or replicated in China. While recognising the need for the treatment of HIV positive persons and AIDS patients, this paper is limited to suggesting a number of proven strategic interventions to prevent new HIV infections in China among the "general population", adolescents in schools, sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, and, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS to stem the epidemic. An extensive literature search of articles in published academic journals, published and unpublished documents of international agencies and development NGOs and media reports was conducted for data source to this paper. Internet search engines such as ProQuest, PubMed, Google and Yahoo search engines were used as well as hard copies of reports and internal documents available at the UNFPA Country Technical Services Team's Office in Bangkok tapped for information. PMID- 17784653 TI - Challenges to the meaningful involvement of HIV-positive people in the response to HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, India and Indonesia. AB - This study examines challenges to HIV-positive people's involvement in AIDS policy making and project design and implementation in Asia. Forty-eight interviews were conducted with key players in the HIV sector in Cambodia, India and Indonesia. The major barrier to involvement is AIDS-related stigma. Most people are diagnosed late in infection and have poor access to antiretroviral drugs. The majority of positive people working in HIV/ AIDS have no training in public health or organisational management and few training opportunities are available. Respondents in all countries said NGOs exploit positive people in order to enhance funding opportunities. Representation on policy making bodies is low because the few people well enough to take on these roles often lack the confidence to assert their needs in front of doctors and government officials. Positive activists need advocacy skills to become more effective, encouragement and support to take on roles as educators and counsellors, sustainable incomes, and medication to stay alive. PMID- 17784654 TI - Comparison of active and passive case detection systems in Jepara District, Indonesia. AB - This study compares the role and performance of active case detection (ACD) and passive case detection (PCD) in Jepara district, Indonesia. The number of blood slides examined and positive for malaria reported from 1994-1998 was retrieved from the district surveillance registers. Age of cases, parasite species, types of drugs and dosage, and time lapse were recorded from malaria registers at the three most endemic health centres. The quality of diagnosis was examined by re reading 153 slides at the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University. Almost 60% of the 10,493 confirmed cases in Jepara district were identified from ACD. ACD detected significantly higher P. falciparum gametocyte infections than PCD (14.7% vs. 5.7%; p=0.002). The duration for slides prepared for examination was longer in ACD than in PCD (2.3 vs. 1.1 days; p<0.001), but this was still within the presumptive treatment period. Based on this we conclude that in the transition period to a decentralised health system, ACD for malaria parasites should be continued in a specified endemic area and therefore, efforts to retain the village malaria workers should be considered. PMID- 17784655 TI - Evaluation of playground injuries based on ICD, E codes, international classification of external cause of injury codes (ICECI), and abbreviated injury scale coding systems. AB - The survey is aimed to describe the epidemiology of playground related injuries in Singapore based on the ICD-9, AIS/ ISS and PTS scoring systems, and mechanisms and causes of such injuries according to E codes and ICECI codes. A cross sectional questionnaire survey examined children (< 16 years old), who sought treatment for or died of unintentional injuries in the ED of three hospitals, two primary care centers and the sole Forensic Medicine Department of Singapore. A data dictionary was compiled using guidelines from CDC/WHO. The ISS, AIS and PTS, ICD-9, ICECI v1 and E codes were used to describe the details of the injuries. 19,094 childhood injuries were recorded in the database, of which 1617 were playground injuries (8.5%). The injured children (mean age=6.8 years, SD 2.9 years) were predo-minantly male (M:F ratio = 1.71:1). Falls were the most frequent in-juries (70.7%) using ICECI. 25.0% of injuries involved radial and ulnar fractures (ICD-9 code). 99.4% of these injuries were minor, with PTS scores of 9-12. Children aged 6-10 years, were prone to upper limb injuries (71.1%) based on AIS. The use of international coding systems in injury surveillance facilitated standardisation of description and comparison of playground injuries. PMID- 17784656 TI - Community's knowledge and perceptions about filarial elephantiasis and hydrocele in coastal Orissa, India. AB - This study assesses people's knowledge and perceptions on transmission, prevention and eradication of elephantiasis and hydrocele, common manifestations of chronic lymphatic filariasis (LF). The assessment was done during mass drug administration (MDA) of the programme to eliminate LF in the State of Orissa, India. A household survey with pre-tested interview questionnaire was conducted in four LF endemic districts of Orissa state, India, where the MDA has been taken place. The sampling units (clusters of households) of the household survey are taken based on (1) urban/rural and (2) type of or absence of health facility. A total of 1,448 respondents were selected randomly. Majority of the respondents heard about elephantiasis and hydrocele. About one third of them know that mosquito bite is the cause of elephantiasis but very few people know about hydrocele. Around 50% of the respondent believed that elephantiasis could be cured completely, while almost 60% said that it could be totally removed from the community. But for hydrocele, more than 80% of respondents showed a positive approach for cure and nearly about 70% said that hydrocele could totally be eradicated from community. Various causes and methods of cure and prevention were suggested. Around 55% of respondents suggested that elephantiasis can be eradicated by taking medicine, but only 40% felt that hydrocele can be cured by taking medicine. Basic knowledge on LF is poor and relatively low proportion of people knows that LF can be eliminated by taking medicine. As there are plans to undertake further rounds of MDA in Orissa, people's knowledge has to be strengthened and perception and attitudes have to be addressed to achieve positive behavioural change, which eventually lead to higher compliance of MDA. PMID- 17784657 TI - Maternal understanding of diarrhoea-related dehydration and its influence on ORS use in Indonesia. AB - Dehydration resulting from diarrhoea remains a significant cause of death for young children in developing countries such as Indonesia. Although Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) is effective in preventing and treating dehydration, its use in home treatment is not widespread. This study sought to assess whether mothers' understanding of diarrhoea-related dehydration influenced their use of ORS in home treatment. One hundred mothers of children under the age of five years in rural Indonesia were surveyed using a structured questionnaire, administered in an interview format in their homes. Only 38 (38%) of the mothers surveyed could identify two or more correct signs of dehydration. Significant relationship was found between maternal knowledge of correct signs of dehydration and the use of ORS in home treatment (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.24, 10.63). Resulting recommendations include improved health education programming for mothers of young children, as well as future programme evaluation and intervention studies. PMID- 17784658 TI - A review on adolescent childbearing in Taiwan: its characteristics, outcomes and risks. AB - In Taiwan, the age-specific fertility rate for adolescent girls aged 15-19 years has remained at 14-18/1,000 births during the past two decades, which is the highest among developed countries in Asia. There was a surprisingly high age specific fertility rate for married women aged 15-19 years at 726 per 1,000 in 1994, much higher than that of the United States. Adolescent childbearing causes many adverse outcomes including unwanted and unstable marriage, repeated childbearing during adolescence, and increased risks of having low birth weight and preterm births and neonatal mortality. Studies in Taiwan showed that adolescent childbearing is associated with their poor knowledge but open attitude and behaviour on sexuality, the inadequate contraceptive services for the adolescents in need, some risk-taking behaviors, family dysfunction and low socioeconomic status of the adolescents' families. About two-thirds of the fathers of infants born to adolescent girls were adults, even old adults with a low education level Effective strategies for adolescent childbearing prevention range from sex education, the direct provision of contraceptive supplies, and to life options programmes, especially for the adolescents with high risk of adolescent pregnancy. Reducing the incidence of adolescent childbearing by active use of contraception is more important and practical than prohibiting adolescent sexual activity. PMID- 17784659 TI - Adherence to regimens and glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes attending a tertiary hospital clinic. AB - This cross-sectional study is aimed to measure the prevalence of patient adherence to treatment regimens and factors affecting glycemic control among Type 2 diabetes patients. 243 diabetes patients seeking care at a tertiary hospital diabetic clinic in Bangkok were interviewed. HbA1c was used as an index of glycemic control. The proportions of cases with good adherence to physical exercise and diet regimen were 31.7 and 54.3%, respectively. About 46.5% reported receiving good social support for diabetes from his/her family. The median of HbA1c was 8% (normal range 4.7-6.3%). Approximately 33.3% achieved good glycemic control (HbAlc < or =7%), while 50.2% had poor control (HbAlc >8%). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated two variables were significantly associated with glycemic control: adherence to diet control and exercise. Interactive health education should be introduced to increase patient adherence to treatment regimens. Family members should be informed about their important roles in encouraging patients' glycemic control. PMID- 17784660 TI - Vaccinating girls against HPV. PMID- 17784661 TI - Gouty glycosuria. 1907. PMID- 17784662 TI - Achieving glucose control in diabetes. PMID- 17784663 TI - Tailor treatment to the patient in thyrotoxicosis. AB - All the management options for thyrotoxicosis have advantages and disadvantages. It is important to have a full discussion with the patient to ensure that a treatment option is selected that is tailored to the individual. PMID- 17784664 TI - Detecting patients with adrenal disorders. PMID- 17784665 TI - Prophylaxis crucial in sickle cell disease. PMID- 17784666 TI - Scalp and hair problems. PMID- 17784667 TI - [Viruses and virus emergences in the context of globalization: a major challenge]. PMID- 17784668 TI - [Gabon: it's Chikungunya]. PMID- 17784669 TI - [Triatominae: growing trend to domesticity]. AB - Triatominae are biting hematophageous insects that have been wild vectors of the parasite Trypanosoma curzi for thousands of years. The arrival of man with his cortege of domestic animals and impact on the natural environment led these insects to adapt to the human environment so well that many species are now domesticated. Insect extermination programs have allowed satisfactory control of parasite transmission but have also promoted replacement of the exterminated species by species that were once semi-domestic or wild. PMID- 17784670 TI - [Venomous and poisonous animals. V. Envenomations by venomous marine invertebrates]. AB - Epidemiological information about marine envenomation is generally less extensive in Europe than in tropical countries where this type of injury is more severe and the need for medical attention is more frequent. For this reason use of the regional poison control centers in the areas where envenomation occurs must be encouraged. The purpose of this review is to describe envenomation by poisonous marine invertebrates (cephalopods, sea urchins, cone shells, jellyfish, anemones, star-fish, corals, and worms). Understanding of these envenomation syndromes is important not only in tropical areas but also in Europe where importation of dangerous species has increased in recent years. PMID- 17784671 TI - [Treatment of snakebite using Congo Red]. PMID- 17784672 TI - [Fatal basidiobolous mycosis in a Guinean child infected with HIV]. PMID- 17784673 TI - [Evaluation of primary health care activities at the Albert Schweitzer hospital in Lambarene, Gabon]. AB - In 1999 the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambrene, Gabon set up a community health care service that provides immunization campaigns and mother/child health care and manages 9 village health care centers in a district with a population of approximately 64000 inhabitants. An evaluation conducted in April 2006 showed that collection of a consultation charge (15 euros) could cover the basic costs of operating these centers and purchasing necessary medicines. Three of the four centers evaluated demonstrated good quality indicators including properly kept records, posting of information bulletins for patients, appropriate referrals, and good relations with village authorities. At the center that performed poorly, the nurse apparently received no pay or lodging. Analysis of data about pediatric activity showed that diagnosis of diarrhea, malnutrition and anemia has fallen while hospitalization for tuberculosis and urinary schistomiasis is now being recorded. At the same time, village health centers are increasingly concerned with problems related to management and prevention of AIDS, malaria and urinary schistomiasis. This service shows that with good supervision it is possible to improve the quality of primary health care with partial but adequate recovery of costs and that basic health care workers are able to provide overall management for complicated patients, facilitate the work of reference hospital, and report new health problems. PMID- 17784674 TI - [Provencal humanitarian health day of the European center for humanitarian health care (French acronym, CESH): "between desire and ability"]. PMID- 17784675 TI - [Study of names and folklore associated with Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in various endemic countries in Africa]. AB - The purpose of this article is to present names used for Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer) and explain their meanings in various African languages. Representations associated with the disease were also studied. The study approach involved qualitative analysis of information from interviews and literature. Interviews were conducted with the directors of various programs and management centers. Findings from 9 African countries where Buruli ulcer is known to be endemic, i.e., Benin, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and Togo, showed that the names used for the disease could be classified into three categories based on the geographical origin of infection, the features of the observed lesions, and aspects of ost often associated with belief in witch-craft, i.e., bad luck, fetishes, and curses. Representation of the disease in different African languages were similar and appear to demonstrate a good understanding of the disease in the countries where Buruli ulcer is prevalent. The impact of the representations of the disease on therapeutic choices and itineraries is also discussed. PMID- 17784676 TI - [Characterisation of viral agents with potential to cause diarrhea in Djibouti]. AB - Due to limited laboratory facilities in the tropics, the exact role of enteric viruses in causing diarrhea among adults in the tropics is unknown. The purpose of this report is to describe a multicenter study undertaken in Djibouti to determine the prevalence of a large panel of enteric viruses using immunochromatography; antigenic detection by ELISA, RT-PCR cellular inoculation, sequence analysis; and indirect serology. Study samples were collected from 108 patients presenting acute and sporadic diarrhea. Although they are well known causes of diarrhea in children, rotavirus and adenovirus were identified in only 2 and 5% of adults respectively. In contrast human caliciviruses (HuCVs) and enterovirus were identified in 25 and 42% of adult cases respectively. Uncommon genotypes of HuCVs and recombinant forms (junction pol/l cap) as well as a significant number of sapovirus (30%) were identified. Further study is needed to clarify the role of enterovirus (echovirus) in the etiology of acute diarrhea in adults. No polivirus was identified. These new data from the Horn of Africa increase our knowledge about the epidemiology of acute infectious diarrhea that is a major public health problem and potential danger for travelers. PMID- 17784677 TI - [Prevalence of adenovirus antigens in children presenting with acute diarrhoea]. AB - Viral diarrhoea remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. Four major categories of viruses are now recognized as clinically important, including rotavirus, astrovirus, adenovirus, and calicivirus. This retrospective epidemiological study was conducted in the East centre part of Tunisia. A total of 638 stool samples were collected from children under 5 years of age presenting with acute diarrhoea at hospitals the East centre part of Tunisia between October 2003 and September 2005. All samples were analyzed using commercially available immunoenzymatic assay (EIA) kits to detect specific adenovirus antigens. Samples positive for adenovirus antigen were further screened using an ELISA technique allowing specific detection of species F enteric adenovirus types 40 and 41. Adenovirus was detected in 6% of the stools tested using ELISA. Among stool samples testing positive for adenovirus, 57% (20/35) were found to contain species F adenovirus types 40/41. In addition to diarrhoea that was present in all children studied, vomiting and fever were observed in 89% and 53% respectively and were associated with respiratory troubles in 32%. Enteric adenoviruses appear to play an important role in paediatric diarrhoea in Tunisia. Use of simple effective viral diagnostic techniques in paediatric hospitals could improve patient care by reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics. PMID- 17784678 TI - [Results of two-year surveillance of flu in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire]. AB - Influenza (flu) is a seasonal viral disease that may have a favorable outcome or be associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate during epidemics. In view of the lack of epidemiological and virological data about flu in Cote d'Ivoire, a surveillance network was set up in Abidjan to monitor the spread of flu and characterize isolated viruses. Over the 24-month period from January 2003 to December 2004, nasal secretions were collected in patients presenting with flu syndrome at various heath care centers in Abidjan. Laboratory identification of viruses was performed by the ELISA technique using anti-A and anti-B monoclonal antibodies (immunocapture) and by isolation on MDCK cells. A fraction of the original samples and isolates was sent for confirmation to the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France and to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Amongst the 211 samples analyzed, 30 (12.8%) proved positive for flu virus. Twenty-two isolates were positive for influenza virus A including 21 for A (H3N2) type and one for A (H1N1) type. The remaining 8 isolates were positive for influenza virus B. Most of these strains were isolated from patients in two age ranges, i.e. 0 to 5 years (34%) and 15 to 59 years (47%). More than 60% of the strains were isolated in June and October but the study duration was too short to define a flu season. Further surveillance data will allow better determination of flu season and definition of clinical and biological characteristics as a prerequisite for a preventive immunization program. PMID- 17784679 TI - [Lumbar spinal stenosis in an outpatient clinic in Lome, Togo]. AB - The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and semiological characteristics of lumbar spinal stenosis in patients attending the rheumatology outpatient clinic at the Lome Teaching Hospital. Medical records of 13081 patients seen over a 15-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 760 (5.8%) had lumbar spinal stenosis. There were 556 women (73.2%) and 204 men (26.8%) with a mean age at onset of 52 years (range, 25 to 65 years). The mean duration of lumbar spinal stenosis was 4.5 years. The main symptom was nerve root pain in 712 (93.7%) involving one root in 248 cases and more than one root in 464. Most patients in this group were between the ages of 35 and 65 years. Pain was relieved by bending the spine forward in 456 patients (60%) and claudication was present in 643 patients (84.6%). Walking distance was less than 500 meters in 491 patients and more than 500 meters in 152. Pain was exacerbated by extension of the spine in 475 patients (62.5%) and associated with paresthesia in 532 patients (70%) and sphincter dysfunction in 155 patients (20.4%). Roentgenography of the lumbar spine was performed in 504 patients and showed abnormalities in 475. The most common radiographic abnormality was degenerative disk disease (n = 251). Myelography was performed in 56 patients, showing a rosary-like image in 31 cases and disk herniation in 23. Lumbar spinal stenosis in Black Africa appears to be more common than in industrialized countries and to affect mainly women in the fifth decade of life. The semiological profile of lumbar spinal stenosis appeared to be similar in Black Africa and industrialized countries. PMID- 17784680 TI - [Treatment of complications of intramuscular injection of quinine salts in Africa]. AB - Intramuscular injection of quinine is a mainstay treatment for malaria in children. However it can lead to severe orthopedic complications including sciatic paralysis after intragluteal injection and quadriceps contracture after intraquadricipital injection. This report based on a 98-case series of complications following intramuscular quinine injection that were treated surgically in 88 cases describes clinical findings with special emphasis on the severity. Therapeutic alternatives for these complications are presented and discussed including the use of medial release or double subtalar and midtarsal arthrodesis for correction of foot deformity in function of age. Correction may be associated with anterolateral transposition of the posterior tibialis tendon that is generally not paralyzed. For correction of complications involving the knee, the authors recommend extended proximal quadriceps release that is more invasive but achieves better results than lengthening plasty of the distal quadriceps. PMID- 17784681 TI - [Special features of humeral osteomyelitis in four children in Madagascar]. AB - The purpose of this report is to describe the epidemiological and pathological features of humeral osteomyelitis based on four pediatric cases observed during the subacute and chronic stage over a 12-month period. All locations were encountered. The offending bacterium was always Staphylococcus aureus. All four patients presented involvement of both the shoulder and elbow. Spreading of infection was largely due to the adverse effect of traditional massage therapy performed on these young patients. The poor living conditions of these children accounted for the existence of multiple foci of infection in one case and morbid association of tuberculosis pleurisy in another. Delay of treatment due to the use of traditional medicine can lead to severe functional sequels. PMID- 17784683 TI - [Brazil, land of choice for arbovirosis?]. AB - Scores of arboviroses have been indexed in Brazil with variable rates of morbidity and mortality. Emergence of arboviroses and their transmission by hematophageous vectors are closely related to the country's recent history and in particular to its economic, social and ecological development. Most arboviroses are caused by alphaviruses and flaviviruses. Some species of bunyavirus are also found. Brazil is often regarded as an arbovirus sanctuary where dormant or nonpathogenic viruses can find an optimal context to emerge or reinforce their pathogenic potential in the middle term. Currently yellow fever and especially dengue fever are major public health problems. PMID- 17784682 TI - [Cutaneous blastomycosis revealing intravascular B-cell lymphoma: a case in Morocco]. AB - Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by a thermally dimorphic fungus, Blastomyces dermatitidis. The incidence in immunocompromised patients has increased in the last two decades. A 55-year-old man consulted for inflammatory nodules on the forearm. Biopsy of one nodules showed a pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplastic epidermis overlaying a dense agranulomatous inflammatory infiltrate containing free-formed ovoid bodies enclosing giant macrophageous cells. These findings were consistent with blastomycosis. After a month of treatment cutaneous lesions regressed partially but the patient's general status continued to deteriorate with the appearance of an edematous-ascitic syndrome and icterus. Laboratory blood testing demonstrated cholestasia and abdominal ultrasound showed hepatosplenomegaly. Needle liver biopsy revealed giant B-cell lymphomatous infiltration of the hepatic ducts. The patient's condition worsened rapidly and he died five months after diagnosis despite four rounds of chemotherapy. Blastomycosis is rare in Morocco. Primary infection is usually a pneumonic process. Isolated cutaneous infection is possible but uncommon. To our knowledge the association of blastomycosis and intravascular lymphoma has not been previously reported. In immunocompromised patients, clinical findings can be alarming and the outcome can be rapidly fatal. PMID- 17784684 TI - [Tolerance of amodiaquine]. AB - Amodiaquin is still considered as a poorly tolerated antimalarial causing hematological and hepatic toxicity. In view of complications observed during prophylaxis, the WHO has advised against the use of amodiaquin for prophylaxis as well as treatment. However due to the rapid increase in chloroquine resistance and to the absence of reported cases of toxicity during treatment, the WHO has reconsidered its position and now accepts therapeutic use of amodiaquin under some conditions. It has been demonstrated that amodiaquin activates release of quinoneimine granulocytes causing hematological toxicity. In liver microsomes, metabolism into desethyl derivatives is catalyzed by cytochrome P450 CYP2C8 that has several variant forms with low activity on amodiaquin clearance. Carriers of these variants are at a higher risk for adverse effects. Currently the safety and effectiveness of amodiaquin in association with artesunate has been documented and this therapeutic combination is now recommended for first line treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 18 African countries. PMID- 17784685 TI - [Risk of nosocomial infection in intertropical Africa--part 3: health care workers]. AB - Parts of the nosocomial infections issue are the professionally-acquired infections of health care workers. This problem is widely neglected in sub Saharan Africa, and little is known on the subject, in spite of the high prevalence of blood-borne infections such as HIV or hepatitis B and C, and air borne diseases like tuberculosis. Besides, unsafe practices and accidents like blood exposures are more frequent than in western countries. This is due to the lack of political concern, of safer equipment and of specific teachings. Most of this severe infections' treatments are long, difficult or unavailable in Subsaharan Africa. The loss of contaminated health care workers can then become devastating for their family and the fragile health care structures of those developing countries. Finally, one should not underestimate the risk of infection transmission from health care provider to patient, like in several past outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever. PMID- 17784686 TI - [Training course to improve management and distribution of antiretroviral treatment in Benin from December 4-8, 2006]. AB - A training course on managing and dispensing antiretroviral treatment was developed to improve the practices and behavior of personnel at 35 centers providing care for HIV/AIDS patients in Benin. This course proposes several ways to adapt the "Handbook of supply management at first-level health care facilities" (OMS) and to make successful use of "A method for better counseling and dispensing of medicines" developed by the Reseau Medicaments et Developpement et le Centre de Pharmacovigilance (Alger). PMID- 17784687 TI - [Using PubMed subject headings to enhance reference searches]. AB - The PubMed search engine is an essential tool to stay abreast of the latest medical literature on specific topics. While the basic search techniques are common knowledge, the ability to use medical subject headings properly is an essential in obtaining valuable references. The purpose of this article is to explain what medical subject headings are and how they can be used to improve the results of reference searches in PubMed. PMID- 17784688 TI - [Open radomized study comparing chloroquine and amodiaquine for treatment of uncomplicated plasmodium falciparum malaria in children in Aboisso, Cote d' Ivoire]. PMID- 17784689 TI - [Chronology of the development of Aedes albopictus in the Alpes-Maritimes Department of France, from 2002 to 2005]. PMID- 17784690 TI - [Poisoning due to tropical spurges: description of two cases]. PMID- 17784691 TI - [Bile leakage. A performance indicator with markedly different consequences for the patient, specialist and care insurer]. AB - Bile leakage following laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis developed in 3 patients, two women aged 51 and 44, respectively, and a 45-year-old man. The first woman recovered after drainage and was discharged 1 day later. The second woman had persistent symptoms for several months but recovered after invasive examination and restorative surgery. The man died after 2 months of intensive therapy. The Netherlands Healthcare Inspectorate recently published a report on quality of care in Dutch healthcare institutions. Quality of care was assessed on the basis of a set of developed performance indicators, including bile leakage after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The reported prevalence of bile leakage ranged between 0 and 7%; however, the cause, localisation and severity of the bile leakage and bile-duct injury were not reported. Bile leakage may be used as an indicator to identify hospitals in which this patient population should be analysed in more detail. This analysis could provide more information about the incidence of severe complications (such as bile-duct injury or transection) in order to analyse the quality ofcare. Bile leakage is not directly suitable for the comparison of quality of care by the general population. PMID- 17784692 TI - [Claims for damages due to bile-duct injury following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: some legal remarks]. AB - Of 278 patients who were referred to a tertiary centre because of a bile-duct injury incurred during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 19% had sued the doctor or hospital involved. This percentage is relatively low compared with data from the US, and also if compared with the much larger group of patients who believe that their injury was due to medical negligence. When patients perceive their injury in this way, malpractice litigation is not the only option available to them; they can also lodge a complaint with the hospital's complaint committee or with the medical disciplinary board. If such complaints are found justified, this increases the chance of a settlement without court proceedings. Patients should be informed about the possibility of bile-duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Apart from the legal obligation to do so, an informed patient will be less inclined to attribute the injury automatically to a medical error. Finally, the high number of complications and claims justifies further debate on whether a no-fault compensation system is to be preferred over the present system of compensation based on medical negligence. PMID- 17784693 TI - [Arthritis psoriatica]. AB - The symptoms ofpsoriatic arthritis vary from arthralgia and enthesitis to chronic erosive and mutilating arthritis, and are seen in 6-39% of all psoriasis patients. Because of increasing awareness of the clinical signs of psoriatic arthritis among both dermatologists and rheumatologists, the diagnosis ofpsoriatic arthritis is made more often; this is important since earlier diagnosis and treatment can avoid irreversible joint destruction. The overlap between the immunological mechanisms in the pathogenesis ofpsoriasis and psoriatic arthritis has led to the identification of common therapeutic targets, of which tumour-necrosis factor (TNF) is the most important. The successful treatment of psoriasis patients with TNF-a-blocking agents has not only brought about a marked improvement in the quality of life of many patients but has also improved the insight into the pathogenesis, for example by demonstrating that the role of acquired immunity is much more important than was previously thought. The Dutch Society of Dermatology and Venereology and the Dutch Society of Rheumatology have drawn up guidelines for the treatment of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis using these so-called biologics. PMID- 17784695 TI - [Diagnostic image (335). A man with tumours in the oral cavity]. AB - A 40-year-old man presented with chronic rhinosinusitis and dysphonia. Intraoral examination revealed blue-purple oropharyngeal tumours due to Kaposi sarcoma. The patient was HIV-infected. PMID- 17784694 TI - [The effects of blue algae on health]. AB - Cyanobacteria (blue algae) regularly cause recreational waters to become murky and smelly. Skin irritation and mild gastrointestinal disorders have regularly been reported following recreational activities in water suspected of being contaminated with cyanobacteria. The exact cause of these effects on health is not clear. Severe effects are not to be expected from recreational exposure to water contaminated with cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria can produce hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins and irritants. In Brazil lethal intoxications have occurred due to the occurrence of toxins in drinking water and in dialysis fluid. The Dutch policy is based on the Commissie Integraal Waterbeheer (Commission Integral Water Management) guidelines for recreational waters. It is not clear to what extent the other cyanotoxins occur in the Netherlands. However, several genera ofcyanobacteria capable of producing these other cyanotoxins have been found in the Netherlands. For a good risk assessment in the Netherlands, more information is needed on the effects on health of cyanobacteria. There is also a need for more data on the prevalence of different cyanobacteria and toxins in Dutch recreational waters. PMID- 17784696 TI - [Thromboprophylaxis is indicated for knee arthroscopy and cast immobilisation]. AB - There is no uniform policy regarding thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy or plaster-cast immobilisation. The available literature indicates that the risk of venous thromboembolism is substantial in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy (10%) and plaster-cast immobilisation (200%). Therefore, thromboprophylaxis should be considered mandatory in these patients. PMID- 17784697 TI - [Thromboprophylaxis is not indicated for knee arthroscopy and cast immobilisation]. AB - The incidence ofvenous thromboembolism following knee arthroscopy and plaster cast immobilisation of the lower extremity is considerable (10-20%). The available data are insufficient to demonstrate that pharmacological thromboprophylaxis reduces the incidence of venous thromboembolism significantly. Withholding patients thromboprophylaxis in these situations is therefore a reasonable approach. PMID- 17784698 TI - [Claims for damages as a result of bile-duct injury during (laparoscopic) cholecystectomy]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of claims for damages initiated by patients referred to a tertiary centre for the treatment of bile-duct injury after a (laparoscopic) cholecystectomy. To determine the relationship between patient characteristics and the initiation of a claim procedure. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHOD: Between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2005, 500 patients with a bile duct injury were referred to the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, 454 of whom in the period up to 31 December 2004. Of these, 403 received a mailed questionnaire about the initiation of legal claims for damages. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed and returned by 278 patients (69%), a representative cohort ofthe 500. Of these, 53 (19%) had submitted a claim for damages. The percentage of claims did not increase over the periods 1991-1995 (19%), 1996-2000 (18%) and 2001-2005 (20%). In the univariate analysis, factors associated with the initiation of a claim procedure were: younger age, the severity of the injury, surgical treatment, being employed at the time of the initial cholecystectomy, and having been placed on sick leave. A complete transection of the common bile duct was the only independent predictive factor for starting a claim procedure (odds ratio: 7.5; 95% CI: 1.9-30.6). PMID- 17784699 TI - [Two patients with syringomyelia and Charcot's arthropathy]. AB - Two patients, a man aged 45 years and a woman aged 61 years, were diagnosed with syringomyelia. They later developed Charcot's arthropathy of the elbow and shoulder, respectively. The second patient was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis during the pre-MRI era. The 3 hallmarks of syringomyelia are impairment of vital or non-vital sensory perception, muscle weakness with atrophy and areflexia of the arms. Syringomyelia often occurs in association with other disorders, such as Chiari's malformation type I or tumours of the spinal column. Diagnosis should include scanning of the entire spinal column and the region surrounding the foramen magnum. Various treatment options exist: watchful waiting is possible or surgery, including decompression of the foramen magnum or placement of a syringosubarachnoidal or syringoperitoneal shunt. In the first patient, the elbow became infected, necessitating surgery. The joint later became non-functional. In the second patient, a conservative approach was followed. PMID- 17784700 TI - [Two patients with progressive nasal obstruction due to a dentigerous cyst and a nasolabial cyst]. AB - Slowly progressing nasal obstructions are usually caused by otorhinolaryngological abnormalities but are sometimes caused by maxillofacial disorders. Two patients, a boy aged 13 years and a man aged 56 years, had unilateral nasal obstruction. The boy was diagnosed with a dentigerous cyst in the maxillary sinus and the man had a nasolabial cyst (Klestadt's cyst). Both patients were treated with trans-oral enucleation and fully recovered. PMID- 17784701 TI - [Renal function assessment]. PMID- 17784702 TI - [Renal function assessment]. PMID- 17784703 TI - [Renal function assessment]. PMID- 17784704 TI - [Renal function assessment]. PMID- 17784705 TI - [Renal function assessment]. PMID- 17784706 TI - [Renal function assessment]. PMID- 17784707 TI - 'How many can you take?' A medical mass-casualty incident requires consultation and coordination in its response. PMID- 17784708 TI - Turf games. PMID- 17784709 TI - Connections. PMID- 17784710 TI - Medicare margins. PMID- 17784711 TI - Money management. PMID- 17784713 TI - Talk soup. PMID- 17784712 TI - Twisters terrorize Sunshine state. PMID- 17784714 TI - Unwelcome visitors: is EMS ready for fire ants and killer bees. AB - Fire ants and AHBs are aggressive social insects that readily attack when they perceive a threat. Rarely, each can cause fatal allergic reactions. However, AHBs can overwhelm and kill even healthy, nonallergic people. Such encounters are relatively rare, yet increasing in frequency. As a rule, fire ants can't overwhelm a healthy, mobile person, and even hundreds of stings are rarely fatal. AHBs, however, pose a greater threat to EMS and fire personnel when encountered. Every EMS agency in areas where AHBs are located (or predicted to migrate) should develop protocols for AHB attacks. Such a response should assure adequate personnel and, above all, rescuer safety. The protocol should be periodically practiced and reviewed. PMID- 17784715 TI - Beyond the basics: bariatric emergencies. PMID- 17784716 TI - Founding fathers of EMS. PMID- 17784718 TI - The big chill. PMID- 17784717 TI - Prehospital pharmacology: fentanyl. PMID- 17784719 TI - Response is mixed on CMS value-based purchasing paper. AB - While jury may still be out on P4P, for CMS it's clearly full speed ahead. Hospital association asks for more predictability in budgetary considerations. Issues arise over who will assist hospitals with data validation. PMID- 17784720 TI - 'Value exchanges' next step in HHS QI initiative. AB - New structure will be available for public reporting of cost and quality data. Learning network will provide resources for education, information sharing. All stakeholders must work cooperatively to optimize patient value, quality. PMID- 17784721 TI - Study shows best practices do improve outcomes. AB - Improvement seen not only among inpatients, but also in six-month outcomes. Core measures, linkage of performance to reimbursement are important factors in improvement. Eliminate errors by creating systems in which your staff can't fail. PMID- 17784722 TI - WHO unveils patient strategies to redesign care. AB - Recommendations based on sentinel event data, National Patient Safety Goals, international safety organizations. Implementation protocols will be focus of next phase of initiative. International input offers new approaches to catheter connections, single injection devices. PMID- 17784723 TI - PA partnership publishes IT recommendations. AB - Long-term goal is a statewide regional health information system. Partners assert that electronic health information exchange will promote safety and efficiency. Eventually, all citizens in the state will have complete personal health records available electronically. PMID- 17784724 TI - National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2005 outpatient department summary. AB - OBJECTIVES: This report describes ambulatory care visits to hospital outpatient departments (OPDs) in the United States. Statistics are presented on selected hospital, patient, and visit characteristics. Selected trends in OPD utilization from 1995 to 2005 are also presented. METHODS: The data presented in this report were collected in the 2005 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), a national probability sample survey of visits to emergency and OPDs of nonfederal, short-stay, and general hospitals in the United States. Sample data are weighted to produce annual national estimates. RESULTS: During 2005, an estimated 90.4 million visits were made to hospital OPDs in the United States, about 31.0 visits per 100 persons. Females (37.2 per 100 persons) had higher OPD visit rates than males (24.7 visits per 100 persons), and black or African American persons (56.8 visits per 100 persons) had higher OPD visit rates than white persons (28.3 visits per 100 persons). Visit rates to OPD clinics for preventive care were highest for children under 1 year of age (43.1 per 100 persons). Almost one-half of OPD visits (46.1 percent) were made by patients with one or more chronic conditions. Hypertension was the most frequent chronic condition listed (19.7 percent). Visits with asthma declined with increasing age. From 1995 to 2005, the following visit characteristics changed: The visit rate for children under 15 years of age increased by 38%, the percentage of visits made by adults 18 years and over with depression indicated on the medical record increased by 48%; visits by adults with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension increased by 24%, 34%, and 43%, respectively; visits with counseling for tobacco use increased from 2.7 to 3.8 percent; visits with counseling for diet and nutrition increased from 9.4 to 15.7 percent; and visits with 6 or more medications prescribed or provided more than doubled, from 4.9 to 11.2 percent. PMID- 17784725 TI - Ambulatory medical care utilization estimates for 2005. AB - OBJECTIVE: This report presents statistics on ambulatory care visits to physician offices, hospital outpatient departments (OPDs), and hospital emergency departments (EDs) in the United States in 2005. Ambulatory medical care utilization is described in terms of patient, practice, facility, and visit characteristics. METHODS: Data from the 2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) were combined to produce averaged annual estimates of ambulatory medical care utilization. RESULTS: Patients in the United States made an estimated 1.2 billion visits to physician offices and hospital OPDs and EDs, a rate of 4.0 visits per person annually. Between 1995 and 2005, population visit rates increased by about 20% in primary care offices, surgical care offices, and OPDs; 37% in medical specialty offices; and 7% in EDs. The aging of the population has contributed to increased volume of visits because older patients have higher visit rates. Visits by patients 40-59 years of age represented about 28.5 percent in 2005, compared with 23.9 percent in 1995. Black persons had higher visit rates than white persons to hospital OPDs and EDs, but lower visit rates to office-based primary care and to surgical and medical specialists. In the ED, the visit rate for patients with no insurance was about twice that of those with private insurance; whereas for all types of office-based care, the visit rates were higher for privately insured persons than for uninsured persons. About 29.4 percent of all ambulatory care visits were for chronic diseases and 25.2 percent were for preventive care, including checkups, prenatal care, and postsurgical care. The leading treatment provided at ambulatory care visits was medicinal with 71.3 percent of all visits having one or more medications prescribed, up by 10% since 1995 when encounters with drug therapy represented 64.9 percent of all visits. In 2005, 2.4 billion medications were prescribed or administered at these visits. PMID- 17784726 TI - Phytochemicals for health, the role of pulses. AB - Pulses are the seeds of legumes that are used for human consumption and include peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans. Pulses are an important source of macronutrients, containing almost twice the amount of protein compared to cereal grains. In addition to being a source of macronutrients and minerals, pulses also contain plant secondary metabolites that are increasingly being recognised for their potential benefits for human health. The best-studied legume is the soybean, traditionally regarded as an oilseed crop rather than a pulse. The potential health benefits of soy, particularly with respect to isoflavone content, have been the subject of much research and the focus of several reviews. By comparison, less is known about pulses. This review investigates the health potential of pulses, examining the bioactivity of pulse isoflavones, phytosterols, resistant starch, bioactive carbohydrates, alkaloids and saponins. The evidence for health properties is considered, as is the effect of processing and cooking on these potentially beneficial phytochemicals. PMID- 17784728 TI - Enantiomerically enriched allylic alcohols and allylic amines via C-C bond forming hydrogenation: asymmetric carbonyl and imine vinylation. AB - Hydrogenation of alkynes in the presence of carbonyl compounds and imines using cationic rhodium(I) and iridium(I) precatalysts enables the formation of allylic alcohols and allylic amines, respectively. Through the use of hydrogenation catalysts modified by chiral ligands, allylic alcohols and allylic amines may be generated in highly optically enriched forms. Hydrogenative fragment couplings of this type circumvent the use of preformed organometallic reagents and avoid the generation of stoichiometric byproducts. PMID- 17784727 TI - Folate-targeted dinitrophenyl hapten immunotherapy: effect of linker chemistry on antitumor activity and allergic potential. AB - Targeting of malignancies with folate-linked therapeutics has proven to be a promising endeavor due to the preferential expression of folate receptors (FR) on human tumors. We have shown that folic acid (pteroyl-glutamate) can be used to deliver an antigenic hapten, fluorescein, to the surface of tumor cells to promote their opsonization within a fluorescein-immunized host. Here, we investigate structure-activity relationships among members of another class of folate-hapten conjugates ( EC57, EC63, EC0293, and EC0294), namely, those containing the dinitrophenyl (DNP) group as the antigenic hapten. We report that despite exhibiting similar affinities for the FR, the antitumor activity and allergic potential of these DNP conjugates varied depending on their linker chemistries and abilities to bind anti-DNP IgG/IgE antibodies. Unlike EC57 and EC63, both EC0293 and EC0294 (i) share the identical DNP bridging chemistry to that found in keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)-DNP (i.e., the immunogen), (ii) efficiently recognize DNP-specific IgG, and (iii) mediate more pronounced antitumor responses. However, EC0293 and EC0294 were also found to recognize DNP specific IgE, and they displayed a greater risk of allergy when evaluated in a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis assay. Nonetheless, upon co-stimulation with the appropriate cytokines (IL-2/IFN-alpha), the folate-targeted "haptenization" process allowed for tumor rejection and protective antitumor immunity without causing any visible allergy in immunized mice. Our data further support the concept that folate-hapten-targeted immunotherapy may offer an effective therapeutic option for treatment of FR-positive cancers, but such treatment should proceed with caution given the risk of a potential allergic reaction. PMID- 17784729 TI - Water-soluble contrast agents targeted at the estrogen receptor for molecular magnetic resonance imaging. AB - Novel estrogen-conjugated pyridine-containing Gd(III) and Eu(III) contrast agents (EPTA-Gd/Eu) were designed and effectively synthesized. Convenient to administration and MRI experiments, both EPTA-Gd and EPTA-Eu are soluble in water. The EPTA-Gd selectively binds with a micromolar affinity to the estrogen receptor and induces proliferation of human breast cancer cells. The EPTA-Gd is not lethal and does not cause any adverse effects when administrated intravenously. It enhances T1 and T2 nuclear relaxation rates of water and serves as a selective contrast agent for localizing the estrogen receptor by MRI. PMID- 17784730 TI - Long-wavelength fluorescence polarization immunoassay: determination of amikacin on solid surface and gliadins in solution. AB - The versatility of the fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is increased by using two long-wavelength labels, Nile Blue and a ruthenium(II) chelate. The first label has been used to study the potential of FPIA on a solid surface using dry reagent technology. The aminoglycoside antibiotic amikacin has been used as an analyte model, and the method has been applied to the analysis of serum samples. The second label has been used to show the practical application of FPIA to the determination of macromolecules, using gliadins as an analyte model, which have been determined in gluten-free food. Very low amounts of anti-amikacin antibodies and amikacin-Nile Blue tracer were immobilized onto nitrocellulose membranes, for the development of the amikacin method, and the consumption of reagents is lower than in conventional FPIA. Only the addition of the standard or sample extract at an adequate pH is required at the analysis time. The analyte displaces the tracer from the tracer-antibody immunocomplex, obtaining a decrease in the fluorescence polarization proportional to the analyte concentration. The gliadin-Ru(II) chelate tracer shows a relatively long lifetime, which allows the observation of differences in fluorescence polarization values between the tracer antibody complex and the tracer alone. The dynamic range of the calibration graphs for both analytes is 0.5-10 microg mL-1 and the detection limits are 0.1 and 0.09 microg mL-1 for amikacin and gliadins, respectively. The study of the precision gave values of relative standard deviations lower than 5 and 1.5% for the amikacin and gliadin methods, respectively. Amikacin was determined in human serum samples using a previous deproteinization step with acetonitrile, obtaining recovery values in the range 83.4-122.8%. The gliadin method was applied to the analysis of gluten-free food samples by using a previous extraction step. The recovery study gave values between 94.3 and 105.0%. PMID- 17784731 TI - High-throughput elemental analysis of small aqueous samples by emission spectrometry with a compact, atmospheric-pressure solution-cathode glow discharge. AB - A miniaturized version of an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge using a solution as the cathode was recently evaluated for elemental analysis of continuously sampled aqueous solutions. Although continuous sampling is useful, transient analysis is required for certain applications, including chromatographic or similar separations, small-volume sampling, high-throughput sampling, and on-line preconcentration. The miniaturized solution-cathode glow discharge seems particularly well suited to transient analysis by virtue of its low dead volume and high sensitivity. Two benefits of transient analysis were exploited here: high throughput and small sample volume. Sampling 25-microL volumes at 1000 samples/h, the discharge achieved detection limits ranging from 5 pg (0.2 ppb) for Li to 6 ng (270 ppb) for Hg. PMID- 17784732 TI - Laser-induced fluorescence-capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence microplate reader measurement: two methods to quantify the effect of antibiotics. AB - Putative antibiotic drugs have to be classified according to their bactericidal potential. Two new methods by means of fluorescence spectroscopy (FS) using a fluorescence microplate reader (FMR) and laser-induced fluorescence capillary electrophoresis (LIF-CE), respectively, were developed for the assessment of the bactericidal efficiency using the LIVE/DEAD BacLight viability kit composed of the two fluorescent nucleic acid stains, SYTO9 (stains all cells green) and propidium iodide (stains cells with damaged membrane red). By correlation of the ratio of green and red fluorescence with the percentage of live cells by employing FS and LIF-CE, respectively, dose response curves of drug-treated Pseudomonas spp. and Streptococcus spp. samples were calculated, which allowed for the assessment of ED50 values. Both methods led to similar results which were in agreement with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) obtained by conventional broth microdilution. The application of the BacLight viability kit on drug-treated bacteria cultures presents a rapid method of assessing the antibiotic potency which is of great importance for high throughput screening in the development of new antibiotics. Additionally, the new LIF-CE method, which based on the use of a second unlabeled bacteria injection as a stacking front, allowed drawing conclusions from the electrophoretic profile about the constitution of the bacterial population. Thus, the tendency of bacterial chain formation and alterations in the live/dead ratio of the bacterial composition can be directly observed in the presence of different antibiotics. PMID- 17784733 TI - Nitrilotriacetic acid-coated magnetic nanoparticles as affinity probes for enrichment of histidine-tagged proteins and phosphorylated peptides. AB - We herein demonstrate superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with nitrilotriacetic acid derivative (NTA) that can bind with different immobilized metal ions are capable of probing diverse target species. Immobilized Ni(II) on the surfaces of the NTA-magnetic nanoparticles have the capability of selectively trapping histidine (His)-tagged proteins such as a mutated streptopain tagged with 6x His, i.e., C192S (MW approximately 42 kDa), from cell lysates. Enrichment was achieved by vigorously mixing the sample solution and the nanoparticles by pipetting in and out of a sample vial for only 30 s. After enrichment, the probe target species could be readily isolated by magnetic separation. We also characterized the proteins enriched on the affinity probes using on-probe tryptic digestion under microwave irradiation for only 2 min, followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry analysis. Using this enrichment and tryptic digestion, the target species can be rapidly enriched and characterized, reducing the time required for carrying out the complete analysis to less than 10 min. Furthermore, when either Zr(IV) or Ga (III) ions are immobilized on the surfaces of the NTA-magnetic nanoparticles, the nanoparticles have the capability of selectively enriching phosphorylated peptides from tryptic digests of alpha-, beta-caseins, and diluted milk. The detection limit for the tryptic digests of alpha- and beta-caseins is approximately 50 fmol. PMID- 17784734 TI - Optically transparent diamond electrode for use in ir transmission spectroelectrochemical measurements. AB - A new analytical spectroelectrochemical methodology is reported on that utilizes an optically transparent boron-doped diamond thin film. The film was deposited on undoped Si by microwave-assisted chemical vapor deposition using a 4-h growth with a 0.5% CH4/H2 source gas mixture and 2 ppm B2H6 added for boron doping. The thin-film electrode possessed a transparency of 40-60% in the mid- and far-IR regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The physical, electrical, optical, and electrochemical properties of the electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, four-point probe electrical resistance measurements, IR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The film's electrochemical behavior was evaluated using both aqueous (Fe(CN)(6)3-/4-, methyl viologen, Ru(NH3)(6)3+/2+, and IrCl(6)2-/3-) and nonaqueous (ferrocene) redox systems. The film exhibited a low and stable background current and a nearly reversible voltammetric response for all these redox systems. The diamond/Si optically transparent electrode (OTE) and a thin-layer transmission cell were used to record the spectroelectrochemical response for 10 mM Fe(CN)(6)3 /4- in 1 M KCl. Difference IR spectra (oxidized minus reduced), recorded at various applied potentials, showed that the CN vibrational mode at 2039 cm-1 for Fe(CN)(6)4- reversibly shifted to 2116 cm-1 upon oxidation to Fe(CN)(6)3-, as expected. Difference IR spectra (oxidized minus reduced) were also recorded for 20 mM ferrocene in 0.1 M TBABF4/CH3CN. A shift of the C-H bending mode of the cyclopentadienyl ring from 823 to 857 cm-1 occurred upon oxidation of ferrocene to ferricenium. The key finding from the work is that the diamond OTE provides sensitive, reproducible, and stable spectroelectrochemical responses for aqueous and nonaqueous redox systems in the mid- and far-IR. PMID- 17784735 TI - High-speed mass analysis of whole erythrocytes by charge-detection quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. AB - Herein, we report an application of charge-detection quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry to the measurement of total dry masses of mammalian and poultry erythrocytes evaporated/ionized by laser-induced acoustic desorption. The method is rapid and widely applicable. Eight different types of red blood cells (RBCs) have been successfully analyzed, including those of human, goat, cow, mouse, pig, and chicken. The measured mean masses (weights per corpuscle) range from 0.58 x 10(13) Da (9.6 pg) of goat RBCs to 2.80 x 10(13) Da (46.5 pg) of chicken RBCs. The total dry weights determined for human RBCs from a healthy male adult, a patient with iron-deficiency anemia, and a patient with thalassemia are 34.8, 28.8, and 20.6 pg, respectively. These weights, except that of thalassemia, are all approximately 10% higher than their corresponding mean corpuscular hemoglobin values determined by a commercial automated hematology analyzer. The mass distribution profiles of the cells are all near-Gaussian, with a standard deviation of 15% for the normal human RBCs. The deviation increases significantly to 20% for RBCs with thalassemia characteristics and 27% for RBCs with iron deficiency anemia characteristics. All the observations are in accord with their corresponding mean corpuscular volume measurements, indicating an increase in anisocytosis (variation in RBC size) in the anemic samples. Our results suggest a broad and promising application of this new technology to high-speed mass analysis of RBCs and other biological whole cells as well. PMID- 17784736 TI - Cytochrome bd from Azotobacter vinelandii: evidence for high-affinity oxygen binding. AB - Cytochrome bd from Azotobacter vinelandii is a respiratory quinol oxidase that is highly efficient in reducing intracellular oxygen concentration, thus enabling nitrogen fixation under ambient aerobic conditions. Equilibrium measurements of O2 binding to ferrous heme d in the one-electron-reduced form of the A. vinelandii enzyme give Kd(O2) = 0.5 microM, close to the value for the Escherichia coli cytochrome bd (ca. 0.3 microM); thus, both enzymes have similar, high affinity for oxygen. The reaction of the A. vinelandii cytochrome bd in the one-electron-reduced and fully reduced states with O2 is extremely fast approaching the diffusion-controlled limit in water. In the fully reduced state, the rate of O2 binding depends linearly on the oxygen concentration consistently with a simple, single-step process. In contrast, in the one-electron-reduced state the rate of oxygen binding is hyperbolic, implying a more complex binding pattern. Two possible explanations for the saturation kinetics are considered: (A) There is a spectroscopically silent prebinding of oxygen to an unidentified low-affinity saturatable site followed by the oxygen transfer to heme d. (B) Oxygen binding to heme d requires an "activated" state of the enzyme in which an oxygen channel connecting heme d to the bulk is open. This channel is permanently open in the fully reduced enzyme (hence no saturation behavior) but flickers between the open and closed states in the one-electron-reduced enzyme. PMID- 17784737 TI - Temperature-induced reversal of proton tautomerism: role of hydrogen bonding and aggregation in 7-hydroxyquinolines. AB - UV-vis absorption spectra of 7-hydroxyquinolines in saturated hydrocarbon solvents were measured at various temperatures between 293 and 77 K. The tautomeric equilibrium was found to reverse when the temperature was lowered. At 293 K, the enol form was exclusively present. As the temperature was lowered, the enol form decreased substantially, and the keto form became predominant. A close examination of the spectral changes suggests that the reversal of the tautomeric equilibrium at lower temperatures proceeds in two steps: aggregation of the enol forms by intermolecular hydrogen bonding and further aggregation of the hydrogen bonded aggregates. PMID- 17784738 TI - Theoretical study of above-threshold dissociation on diatomic molecules by using nonresonant intense laser pulses. AB - The above-threshold dissociation of the ground state of a OH molecule under intense nonresonant laser pulses has been studied using the time-dependent Schrodinger equation with discrete variable representation. The applied field is assumed as a two-color mixed nonresonant laser pulses which has the nonresonant frequency omega and the overtone 2omega. After modulating the relative phase factor between the omega and 2omega pulse, we extracted a three-photon absorption peak or a five-photon absorption peak in the ATD spectrum. PMID- 17784739 TI - DNA oligonucleotide-cis-platin binding: Ab initio interpretation of the vibrational spectra. AB - The cis-platin binding to the d(CCTGGTCC)*d(GGACCAGG) model DNA octamer was monitored with infrared absorption (IR) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopies. The spectra were modeled with the aid of density functional computations and a Cartesian coordinate-based transfer of molecular property tensors from smaller DNA fragments. Because of the fragmentation, the tensors could be calculated with a higher precision. Environmental effects, such as the presence of the solvent or the cis-platin ligand, could be included in the modeling. The solvent was modeled by an explicit inclusion of hydrogen-bound water molecules, positions of which were estimated from a molecular dynamics simulation, or by the polarized continuum COSMO model. The B3LYP and BPW91 functionals used for the calculations of the spectral parameters were combined with the relativistic LANL2DZ platinum pseudo-potentials. The simulations reproduced the main IR and VCD DNA spectral features and explained most of the changes observed experimentally upon metal binding. The results confirmed that the influence of the ligand on DNA vibrational properties is quite complex; it originates in the geometry deformation and normal mode coupling pattern changes of the platinated octamer, as well as in local perturbations of the electronic structure and force field of the GC base pairs to which the platinum is bound. Many of the local effects could be accounted for by a point charge used in place of the metal in the GC complex. PMID- 17784741 TI - Study of the interaction of human defensins with cell membrane models: relationships between structure and biological activity. AB - The HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3 defensins are human antimicrobial peptides produced in response to microbial invasion. Their properties are distinct, with a more potent action for HNP-3. In this study, the relationship between their structural dissimilarities and their different microbial actions was evaluated by molecular dynamics simulation. Structural determinants related to their intra- and intermolecular interactions were defined for each HNP using a simplified membrane model consisting of a water/n-hexane interface. The hydrophobic portion of the HNPs promotes their diffusion to the interface with a concomitant, slight change in the structure induced by the intermolecular electrostatic interactions between the HPN molecules and the interface. As a consequence, different orientations are probably adopted by the HNPs at the interface, which may explain their different actions. The interaction of HNP-1 and HNP-2 with the surfaces was also studied using Langmuir monolayers as a biomimetic system. It was found that peptides adsorb rapidly at n-hexane/water interfaces as well as at phospholipid Langmuir monolayers but not at the air/liquid interface. This reveals that the presence of an organic phase is required for the exposure of the hydrophobic groups of the peptides. In addition, adsorption kinetics and surface pressure-area isotherms for Langmuir monolayers suggested that the lipid-peptide interaction is strongly influenced by the monolayer electrical charge and packing, depending also on the HPN structure. This study supports a model in which defensins, acting in a dimeric form, are able to disrupt membranes. The model also shows that the individual structures of the HNPs are responsible for their different actions on microbes. PMID- 17784742 TI - Glass transition of low-density amorphous water and related structures. AB - In this work, the glass transition of water was studied with density functional theory. The transition temperature was determined by measuring the heat capacity Cp of low-density amorphous water during rapid heating. This technique ensures that all measurements were implemented without crystallization occurring, which is difficult to be achieved experimentally. The results showed that the glass transition occurs at 171 K, which is much higher than the reported value of 136 K. In addition, the triply hydrogen-bonded water molecules were found when T > 180 K, demonstrating the existence of the liquid structure at the higher temperature range. PMID- 17784743 TI - Polyoxometalate binding to human serum albumin: a thermodynamic and spectroscopic approach. AB - The molecular recognition of polyoxometalates by human serum albumin is studied using two different polyoxometalates (POMs) at pH 7.5. The results are compared with those obtained at pH 3.5 and 9.0. At pH 7.5, both POMs strongly interact with the protein with different binding behaviors. The Keggin shaped POM, [H(2)W(12)O(40)](6-) (H2W12), specifically binds the protein, forming a complex with a 1:1 stoichiometry with Ka = 2.9 x 10(6) M(-1). The binding constant decreased dramatically with the increase of the ionic strength, thus indicating a mostly electrostatic binding process. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments show that the binding is an enthalpically driven exothermic process. For the wheel shaped POM [NaP(5)W(30)O(110)](14-) (P5W30), there are up to five binding sites on the protein. Increasing the ionic strength changes the binding behavior significantly, leading to a simple exothermic process, with several binding sites. Competitive binding experiments indicate that the two POMs share one common binding site. In addition, they show the existence of another important binding site for P5W30. The two POMs exhibit different binding dependences on the pH. The combination of the experimental results with the knowledge of the surface map of the protein in its N-B conformation transition domain leads to the proposal for the probable binding site of POMs. The present work reveals a protein conformation change upon P5W30 binding, a new feature not explicitly documented in previous studies. PMID- 17784744 TI - Bulk melting of ice at the limit of superheating. AB - The ice-water phase transition after an ultrafast temperature jump is studied in HDO:D2O (15 M) ice with use of 2-color IR spectroscopy. The OH-stretching vibration is applied for rapid heating of the sample and for fast and sensitive probing of local temperature and structure. For energy depositions beyond the limit of superheating (330 +/- 10 K) partial melting in two steps is observed and assigned to (i) catastrophic melting within the thermalization time of the excited ice lattice of 5 +/- 2 ps and (ii) secondary melting with a time constant of 33 +/- 5 ps that is assigned to interfacial melting at the generated phase boundaries. The latter process is found to consume energy amounts in agreement with the latent heat of melting and is accompanied by an accelerated temperature and pressure decrease of the residual ice component. PMID- 17784745 TI - Photophysics of a cationic biological photosensitizer in anionic micellar environments: combined effect of polarity and rigidity. AB - A steady-state and time-resolved photophysical study of a cationic phenazinium dye, phenosafranin (PSF), has been investigated in well-characterized biomimetic micellar nanocavities formed by anionic surfactants of varying chain lengths, namely, sodium decyl sulfate (S(10)S), sodium dodecyl sulfate (S(12)S), and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (S(14)S). In all these micellar environments, the charge transfer fluorescence of PSF shows a large hypsochromic shift along with an enhancement in the fluorescence quantum yield as compared to that in aqueous medium. A reduction in the nonradiative deactivation rate within the hydrophobic interior of micelles led to an increase in the fluorescence yield and lifetime. The present work shows the degree of accessibility of the fluorophore toward the ionic quencher in the presence of surfactants of different surfactant chain lengths. The fluorometric and fluorescence quenching studies suggest that the fluorophore resides at the micelle-water interfacial region. The enhancements in the fluorescence anisotropy and rotational relaxation time of the probe in all the micellar environments from the pure aqueous solution suggest that the fluorophore binds in motionally restricted regions introduced by the micelles. Polarity and viscosity of the microenvironments around the probe in the micellar systems have been determined. The work has paid proper attention to the hydrophobic effect of the surfactant chain length on photophysical observations. PMID- 17784746 TI - Solvation of transmembrane proteins by isotropic membrane mimetics: a molecular dynamics study. AB - Mixtures of organic solvents are often used as membrane mimetics in structure determination of transmembrane proteins by solution NMR; however, the mechanism through which these isotropic solvents mimic the anisotropic environment of cell membranes is not known. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the solvation thermodynamics of the c-subunit of Escherichia coli F1F0 ATP synthase in membrane mimetic mixtures of methanol, chloroform, and water with varying fractions of components as well as in lipid bilayers. We show that the protein induces a local phase separation of the solvent components into hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers, which provides the anisotropic solvation environment to stabilize the amphiphilic peptide. The extent of this effect varies with solvent composition and is most pronounced in the ternary methanol-chloroform-water mixtures. Analysis of the solvent structure, including the local mole fraction, density profiles, and pair distribution functions, reveals considerable variation among solvent mixtures in the solvation environment surrounding the hydrophobic transmembrane region of the protein. Hydrogen bond analysis indicates that this is primarily driven by the hydrogen-bonding propensity of the essential Asp(61) residue. The impact of the latter on the conformational stability of the solvated protein is discussed. Comparison with the simulations in explicit all-atom models of lipid bilayer indicates a higher flexibility and reduced structural integrity of the membrane mimetic solvated c-subunit. This was particularly true for the deprotonated form of the protein and found to be linked to solvent stabilization of the charged Asp(61). PMID- 17784747 TI - Binding of organic cations to gramicidin A channel studied with AutoDock and molecular dynamics simulations. AB - The accurate description of protein-ligand binding energies and configurations is an important problem in molecular biology with many applications in medicine and pharmacology. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide the required accuracy but they are too slow for searching binding positions. Conversely, docking methods are much faster but have limited accuracy. An appropriate combination of the two methods could avoid the shortcomings associated with each, thus offering a better approach to the protein-ligand binding problem. Here we investigate the feasibility of such a combined docking-MD approach in a well-defined system: binding of organic cations to the gramicidin A channel. We use the AutoDock program to generate a set of protein-ligand binding configurations, which are then refined in MD simulations. For each system, we examine the binding configuration in detail and calculate the binding free energy by constructing the potential of mean force for the ligand. Our results show that AutoDock provides suitable initial configurations, which can be used profitably in MD simulations to obtain an accurate description of protein-ligand binding with a reasonable computational effort. PMID- 17784748 TI - Sulfur X-ray absorption and vibrational spectroscopic study of sulfur dioxide, sulfite, and sulfonate solutions and of the substituted sulfonate ions X3CSO3- (X = H, Cl, F). AB - Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra have been recorded and the S(1s) electron excitations evaluated by means of density functional theory-transition potential (DFT-TP) calculations to provide insight into the coordination, bonding, and electronic structure. The XANES spectra for the various species in sulfur dioxide and aqueous sodium sulfite solutions show considerable differences at different pH values in the environmentally important sulfite(IV) system. In strongly acidic (pH < approximately 1) aqueous sulfite solution the XANES spectra confirm that the hydrated sulfur dioxide molecule, SO2(aq), dominates. The theoretical spectra are consistent with an OSO angle of approximately 119 degrees in gas phase and acetonitrile solution, while in aqueous solution hydrogen bonding reduces the angle to approximately 116 degrees . The hydration affects the XANES spectra also for the sulfite ion, SO32-. At intermediate pH ( approximately 4) the two coordination isomers, the sulfonate (HSO3-) and hydrogen sulfite (SO3H-) ions with the hydrogen atom coordinated to sulfur and oxygen, respectively, could be distinguished with the ratio HSO3-:SO3H about 0.28:0.72 at 298 K. The relative amount of HSO3- increased with increasing temperature in the investigated range from 275 to 343 K. XANES spectra of sulfonate, methanesulfonate, trichloromethanesulfonate, and trifluoromethanesulfonate compounds, all with closely similar S-O bond distances in tetrahedral configuration around the sulfur atom, were interpreted by DFT-TP computations. The energy of their main electronic transition from the sulfur K shell is about 2478 eV. The additional absorption features are similar when a hydrogen atom or an electron-donating methyl group is bonded to the -SO3 group. Significant changes occur for the electronegative trichloromethyl (Cl3C-) and trifluoromethyl (F3C-) groups, which strongly affect the distribution especially of the pi electrons around the sulfur atom. The S-D bond distance 1.38(2) A was obtained for the deuterated sulfonate (DSO3-) ion by Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data of CsDSO3. Raman and infrared absorption spectra of the CsHSO3, CsDSO3, H3CSO3Na, and Cl3CSO3Na.H2O compounds and Raman spectra of the sulfite solutions have been interpreted by normal coordinate calculations. The C S stretching force constant for the trichloromethanesulfonate ion obtains an anomalously low value due to steric repulsion between the Cl3C- and -SO3 groups. The S-O stretching force constants were correlated with corresponding S-O bond distances for several oxosulfur species. PMID- 17784749 TI - Oxidation of guanine in double-stranded DNA by [Ru(bpy)2dppz]Cl2 in cationic reverse micelles. AB - DNA oxidation has been investigated in the medium of cationic reverse micelles (RMs). The oxidative chemistry is photochemically initiated using the DNA intercalator bis(bipyridine)dipyridophenazine ruthenium(II) chloride ([Ru(bpy)2dppz]Cl2) bound to duplex DNA in the RMs. High-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is used to reveal and quantify guanine (G) oxidation products, including 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8OG). In buffer solution, the addition of the oxidative quenchers potassium ferricyanide or pentaamminechlorocobalt(III) dichloride leads to an increase in the amount of piperidine-labile G oxidation products generated via one-electron oxidation. In RMs, however, the yield of oxidatively generated damage is attenuated. With or without ferricyanide quencher in the RMs, the yield of oxidatively generated products is approximately the same. Inclusion of the cationic quencher [CoCl(NH3)5]2+ in the RMs increases the amount of oxidation products generated but not to the extent that it does in buffer solution. Under anaerobic conditions, all of the samples in RMs, with or without added oxidative quenchers, show decreased levels of piperidine-labile oxidation products, suggesting that the primary oxidant in RMs is singlet oxygen. G oxidation is enhanced in D2O and deuterated heptane and is diminished in the presence of sodium azide in RMs, also supporting 1O2 as the main G oxidant in RMs. Isotopic labeling experiments show that the oxygen atom in 8OG produced in RMs is not from water. The observed change in the G oxidation mechanism from a one-electron process in buffer to mostly 1O2 in RMs illustrates the importance of both DNA structure and DNA environment on the chemistry of G oxidation. PMID- 17784750 TI - Mixed-ligand copper(II)-phenolate complexes: effect of coligand on enhanced DNA and protein binding, DNA cleavage, and anticancer activity. AB - The copper(II) complex [Cu(tdp)(ClO4)].0.5H2O (1), where H(tdp) is the tetradentate ligand 2-[(2-(2-hydroxyethylamino)ethylimino)methyl]phenol, and the mixed ligand complexes [Cu(tdp)(diimine)]+ (2-5), where diimine is 2,2' bipyridine (bpy) (2), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) (3), 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10 phenanthroline (tmp) (4), and dipyrido-[3,2-d:2',3'-f]-quinoxaline (dpq) (5), have been isolated and characterized by analytical and spectral methods. Complexes 1 and [Cu(tdp)(phen)]ClO4 (3) have been structurally characterized, and their coordination geometries around copper(II) are described as distorted octahedral. The equatorially coordinated ethanolic oxygen in 1 is displaced to an axial position upon incorporating the strongly chelating phen, as in 3. The solution structures of all the complexes have been assessed to be square-based using electronic absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The interaction of the complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT DNA) has been explored by using absorption, emission, and circular dichroic spectral and viscometric studies, and modes of DNA binding for the complexes have been proposed. Absorption spectral (Kb = 0.071 +/- 0.005 (2), 0.90 +/- 0.03 (3), 7.0 +/- 0.2 (4), 9.0 +/- 0.1 x 10(5) M(-1) (5)), emission spectral (Kapp = 4.6 (1), 7.8 (2), 10.0 (3), 12.5 (4), 25.0 x 10(5) M(-1) (5)), and viscosity measurements reveal that 5 interacts with DNA more strongly than the other complexes through partial intercalation of the extended planar ring of the coordinated dpq with the DNA base stack. Interestingly, only complex 4 causes a B to A conformational change upon binding DNA. All the complexes hydrolytically cleave pBR322 supercoiled DNA in 10% DMF/5 mM Tris-HCl/50 mM NaCl buffer at pH 7.1 in the absence of an activating agent, and the cleavage efficiency varies in the order 5 > 3 > 2 > 4 > 1 with 5 displaying the highest Kcat value (5.47 +/- 0.10 h(-1)). The same order of cleavage is observed for the oxidative cleavage of DNA in the presence of ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. Interestingly, of all the complexes, only 5 displays efficient photonuclease activity through double-strand DNA breaks upon irradiation with 365 nm light through a mechanistic pathway involving hydroxyl radicals. The protein binding ability of 1-5 has been also monitored by using the plasma protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), and 4 exhibits a protein binding higher than that of the other complexes. Further, the anticancer activity of the complexes on human cervical epidermoid carcinoma cell line (ME180) has been examined. Interestingly, the observed IC50 values reveal that complex 4, which effects conformational change on DNA and binds to BSA more strongly, exhibits a cytotoxicity higher than the other complexes. It also exhibits approximately 100 and 6 times more potency than cisplatin and mitomycin C for 24 and 48 h incubation times, respectively, suggesting that 4 can be explored further as a potential anticancer drug. Complexes 4 and 5 mediate the arrest of S and G2/M phases in the cell cycle progression at 24 h harvesting time, which progress into apoptosis. PMID- 17784752 TI - Polymer-like structures of LiSCN, NaSCN, KSCN, RbSCN, and CsSCN complexes with an armed monoaza-15-crown-5 ether bearing a 3',5'-difluoro-4'-hydroxybenzyl group. AB - Structures of LiSCN, NaSCN, KSCN, RbSCN, and CsSCN complexes with 3',5'-difluoro 4'-hydroxybenzyl-armed monoaza-15-crown-5 ether (5) were investigated. The Li+ and Na+ complexes are (1:1)n polymer-like complexes bridged by hydrogen bonding. On the other hand, the K+, Rb+, and Cs+ complexes are polymer-like complexes bridged by the fluorine atoms of the side arms. The titration calorimetry and 19F NMR titration experiments suggest that one or both fluorine atoms along with the oxygen atom of the phenolic OH group coordinate to the alkali metal ions incorporated in the crown part of a second armed ligand to give polymer-like complexes in solution. The FAB-MS data indicated that larger alkali metal ions form more stable polymer-like complexes. PMID- 17784753 TI - Anisole-diphenoxide ligands and their zirconium dichloride and dialkyl complexes. AB - Linear triphenol H3[RO3] (2,6-bis(3-tert-butyl-5-methyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)-4-R phenol; R = Me, tBu) was found to undergo selective mono-deprotonation and mono-O methylation. Deprotonation of H3[RO3] with 1 equiv of nBuLi resulted in the formation of Li{H2[RO3]}(Et2O)2 (R = Me (1a), tBu (1b)), in which the central phenol unit was lithiated. Treatment of H3[RO3] with methyl p-toluenesulfonate in the presence of K2CO3 in CH3CN gave the corresponding anisol-diphenol H2[RO2O] (2,6-bis(3-tert-butyl-5-methyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)-4-R-anisole; R = Me (2a), tBu (2b)). Reaction of H2[RO2O] with 2 equiv of nBuLi gave the dilithiated derivatives Li2[RO2O]. The lithium salts were reacted with ZrCl4 in toluene/THF to obtain the dichloride complex [RO2O]ZrCl2(thf) (R = Me (3a), tBu (3b)). 3b underwent dimerization along with a loss of THF to generate {[tBuO2O]ZrCl2}2 (4), whereas 4 was dissolved in THF to regenerate the monomer 3b. Alkylation of 3 with MeMgBr, PhCH2MgCl, and Me3SiCH2MgCl gave [MeO2O]ZrMe2(thf) (5), [RO2O]Zr(CH2Ph)2 (R = Me (6a), tBu (6b)), and [tBuO2O]Zr(CH2SiMe3)2 (7), respectively. Reaction of 3b with LiBHEt3 produced the hydride-bridged dimer [Li2(thf)4Cl]{[tBuO3]Zr}2(micro-H)3} (8), in which demethylation of the dianionic [tBuO2O] ligand took place to give the trianionic [tBuO3] ligand. The X-ray crystal structures of 1b, 2a, 3a, 4, 6a, and 7 were reported. PMID- 17784751 TI - Synthesis and structural characterization of complexes of a DO3A-conjugated triphenylphosphonium cation with diagnostically important metal ions. AB - To understand the coordination chemistry of a DO3A-conjugated triphenylphosphonium (TPP) cation, triphenyl(4-((4,7,10-tris(carboxymethyl) 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1-yl)methyl)benzyl)phosphonium (DO3A-xy-TPP), with diagnostically important metal ions, In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+, Ga(DO3A-xy-TPP)+, and Mn(DO3A-xy-TPP) were prepared by reacting DO3A-xy-TPP with 1 equiv of the respective metal salt. All three complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ESI-MS, NMR methods (for In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ and Ga(DO3A-xy-TPP)+), and X-ray crystallography. Results from HPLC concordance experiments show that (111)In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ and In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ have the same composition. The solid state structures of In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ and Mn(DO3A-xy-TPP) are very similar with DO3A being heptadentate in bonding to In(III) and Mn(II) in a monocapped octahedral coordination geometry. Because of the smaller size of Ga(III), the DO3A in Ga(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ is only hexadentate with four amine-N and two carboxylate-O atoms bonding to Ga(III). One carboxylic acid group in DO3A is deprotonated to balance the positive charge of Ga(III). The coordination geometry of Ga(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ is best described as a distorted octahedron. The NMR data shows that the coordinated DO3A in In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ and Ga(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ is symmetrical in aqueous solution. There is no dissociation of the acetate chelating arms in In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ and Ga(DO3A-xy-TPP)+, providing indirect evidence for the high solution stability of (111)In(DO3A-xy-TPP)+ and (68)Ga(DO3A xy-TPP)+. PMID- 17784754 TI - Formal DNA hydrolysis by mono- and dinuclear iron complexes. AB - The complexes CpFe(CO)(2)Ph and [CpFe(CO)(2)](2) cleave DNA in the presence of H2O2 or organic peroxides to give products resulting from the formal hydrolysis of the phosphodiester groups. PMID- 17784755 TI - Binding of pertechnetate to uranyl(VI) in aqueous solution. A density functional theory molecular dynamics study. AB - According to constrained Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations and thermodynamic integration, the free binding energy between uranyl hydrate and pertechnetate in aqueous solution is significantly lower than that between uranyl and nitrate, namely, by 1.7 kcal mol(-1). This is the first study of the differential binding of these two ligands to uranyl, which can have implications for the separability of uranium and technetium during the reprocessing of nuclear waste. PMID- 17784756 TI - Keto-enol driven assembly of methyl pyruvate on Pt(111). PMID- 17784759 TI - Arm-first method as a simple and general method for synthesis of miktoarm star copolymers. AB - Miktoarm star copolymers containing two or more arm species were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization using a simple and general "arm-first" method, that is, one-pot cross-linking a mixture of different linear macroinitiator (MI) species by a divinyl cross-linker, such as divinylbenzene. Using linear MIs with a high degree of bromine chain-end functionality, including polyacrylate, polystyrene, polymethacrylate and poly(ethylene oxide), resulted in high-yield star polymers (>90%). Characterized by liquid adsorption chromatography techniques, which separated star polymers on the basis of the chemical composition of arms, the obtained star product was proved to be miktoarm star copolymers containing two or more arm species in one molecule, instead of mixture of different homoarm star polymers. Within our investigation, the molar ratios of the arms in the miktoarm star copolymers were always in agreement with the composition of the initial MI mixture, indicating the powerful capacity of this arm-first method for synthesis of miktoarm star copolymers with potentially any molar ratios and species of the arms. By using a mixture containing five types of linear MIs with different chemical compositions, miktoarm star copolymers containing five kinds of arms were synthesized for the first time, which significantly expanded the methodologies for synthesis of miktoarm star copolymers by living polymerization techniques. PMID- 17784758 TI - Single ion-channel recordings using glass nanopore membranes. AB - Protein ion-channel recordings using a glass nanopore (GNP) membrane as the support structure for lipid bilayer membranes are presented. The GNP membrane is composed of a single conical-shaped nanopore embedded in a approximately 50 microm-thick glass membrane chemically modified with a 3 cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane monolayer to produce a surface of intermediate hydrophobicity. This surface modification results in lipid monolayer formation on the glass surface and a lipid bilayer suspended across the small orifice (100-400 nm-radius) of the GNP membrane, while allowing aqueous solutions to fully wet the glass nanopore. The GNP membrane/bilayer structures, which exhibit ohmic seal resistances of approximately 70 GOmega and electrical breakdown voltages of approximately 0.8 V, are exceptionally stable to mechanical disturbances and have lifetimes of at least 2 weeks. These favorable characteristics result from the very small area of bilayer (10(-10)-10(-8) cm(2)) that is suspended across the GNP membrane orifice. Fluorescence microscopy and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy demonstrate that a lipid monolayer forms on the 3-cyanopropyl dimethylchlorosilane modified glass surface with the lipid tails oriented toward the glass. The GNP membrane/bilayer structure is well suited for single ion channel recordings. Reproducible insertion of the protein ion channel, wild-type alpha-hemolysin (WTalphaHL), and stochastic detection of a small molecule, heptakis(6-O-sulfo)-beta-cyclodextrin, are demonstrated. In addition, the insertion and removal of WTalphaHL channels are reproducibly controlled by applying small pressures (-100 to 350 mmHg) across the lipid bilayer. The electrical and mechanical stability of the bilayer, the ease of which bilayer formation is achieved, and the ability to control ion-channel insertion, coupled with the small bilayer capacitance of the GNP membrane-based system, provide a new and nearly optimal system for single ion-channel recordings. PMID- 17784760 TI - Second SH3 domain of ponsin solved from powder diffraction. AB - Determination of protein crystal structures is dependent on the growth of high quality single crystals, a process that is not always successful. Optimum crystallization conditions must be systematically sought for, and microcrystalline powders are frequently obtained in failed attempts to grow the desired crystal. In materials science, structures of samples ranging from ceramics, pharmaceuticals, zeolites, etc., can nowadays be solved, almost routinely, from powdered samples, and there seems to be no fundamental reason, except the sheer size and complexity of the structures involved, why powder diffraction should not be employed to solve structures of small proteins. Indeed, recent work has shown that the high-quality powder diffraction data can be used in the study of protein crystal structures. We report the solution, model building, and refinement of a 67-residue protein domain crystal structure, with a cell volume of 64 879 A3, from powder diffraction. The second SH3 domain of ponsin, a protein of high biological significance due to its role in cellular processes, is determined and refined to resolution limits comparable to single crystal techniques. Our results demonstrate the power and future applicability of the powder technique in structural biology. PMID- 17784761 TI - Stereospecific enzymatic transformation of alpha-ketoglutarate to (2S,3R)-3 methyl glutamate during acidic lipopeptide biosynthesis. AB - The acidic lipopeptides, including the calcium-dependent antibiotics (CDA), daptomycin, and A54145, are important macrocyclic peptide natural products produced by Streptomyces species. All three compounds contain a 3-methyl glutamate (3-MeGlu) as the penultimate C-terminal residue, which is important for bioactivity. Here, biochemical in vitro reconstitution of the 3-MeGlu biosynthetic pathway is presented, using exclusively enzymes from the CDA producer Streptomyces coelicolor. It is shown that the predicted 3-MeGlu methyltransferase GlmT and its homologues DptI from the daptomycin producer Streptomyces roseosporus and LptI from the A54145 producer Streptomyces fradiae do not methylate free glutamic acid, PCP-bound glutamate, or Glu-containing CDA in vitro. Instead, GlmT, DptI, and LptI are S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent alpha-ketoglutarate methyltransferases that catalyze the stereospecific methylation of alpha-ketoglutarate (alphaKG) leading to (3R)-3-methyl-2 oxoglutarate. Subsequent enzyme screening identified the branched chain amino acid transaminase IlvE (SCO5523) as an efficient catalyst for the transformation of (3R)-3-methyl-2-oxoglutarate into (2S,3R)-3-MeGlu. Comparison of reversed phase HPLC retention time of dabsylated 3-MeGlu generated by the coupled enzymatic reaction with dabsylated synthetic standards confirmed complete stereocontrol during enzymatic catalysis. This stereospecific two-step conversion of alphaKG to (2S,3R)-3-MeGlu completes our understanding of the biosynthesis and incorporation of beta-methylated amino acids into the nonribosomal lipopeptides. Finally, understanding this pathway may provide new possibilities for the production of modified peptides in engineered microbes. PMID- 17784762 TI - A new approach to anodic substitution reaction using parallel laminar flow in a micro-flow reactor. PMID- 17784765 TI - Synthesis of stimuli-responsive cyclodextrin derivatives and their inclusion ability control by ring opening and closing reactions. AB - Novel stimuli-responsive cyclodextrins (CDs), in which a disulfide unit was inserted into the rings of permethylated alpha- and beta-CDs, were synthesized. Their inclusion ability was controlled by the opening and closing of the ring based on dithiol-disulfide interconversions. PMID- 17784763 TI - Selective transport of water mediated by porous dendritic dipeptides. PMID- 17784766 TI - Strain-release electrophilic activation via E-cycloalkenones. AB - UVA irradiation (ca. 350 nm) of a mixture of cyclic enones and nitrogen heterocycles leads to efficient formation of the 1,4-adducts in a variety of solvents, at room temperature. These reactions likely proceed through strained E cycloalkenone intermediates, as suggested by low-temperature generation/trapping experiments monitored by 1H NMR. These results demonstrate that E-cycloalkenones are good electrophiles despite their known tendency to favor a conformation in which the carbonyl is not fully conjugated with the double bond. PMID- 17784767 TI - New sensitive fluorophores for selective DNA detection. AB - 4,7-Disubstituted benzothiadiazoles containing 1-arylethynyl and 4-methoxyphenyl groups are selective photoluminescent "light up" probes to duplex DNA with unprecedented sensibility in both spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric measurements. PMID- 17784768 TI - Gold-catalyzed cyclization of (ortho-alkynylphenylthio)silanes: intramolecular capture of the vinyl-Au intermediate by the silicon electrophile. AB - The gold-catalyzed cyclization of (ortho-alkynylphenylthio)silanes 1 produced the corresponding 3-silylbenzo[b]thiophenes 2 in good to excellent yields. For example, the reaction of [2-(1-pentynyl)phenylthio]triisopropylsilane 1a, [2-(p anisylethynyl)phenylthio]triisopropylsilane 1e, and [2 (phenylethynyl)phenylthio]triisopropylsilane 1g in the presence of 2 mol % of AuCl in toluene at 45 degrees C gave 2a, 2e, and 2g in 98, 99, and 97% yields, respectively. This reaction proceeds through intramolecular capture of the vinyl Au intermediate by the silicon electrophile, so-called silyldemetalation. PMID- 17784769 TI - Obtaining cellulose nanofibers with a uniform width of 15 nm from wood. PMID- 17784770 TI - A general and stereoselective route to alpha- or beta-galactosphingolipids via a common four-carbon building block. AB - A general synthetic strategy toward alpha- or beta-galactosylceramides and their analogues from 3-azido-2-O-benzyl-1-O-(4-methoxybenzyl)butane-1,2,4-triol is described. The key steps for the installation of the main lipid chain are either a diasteroselective alkynylation reaction yielding the 4R stereocenter of phytosphingosine or a Wittig olefination generating the trans double bond of sphingosine. The methodology allows the preparation of different glycolipids with variations in the structure of the sphingoid base. In particular, three alpha GalCer-related compounds have been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to activate CD1d-restricted T-cells. PMID- 17784771 TI - Synthesis of new enantiomerically enriched beta-Hydroxy-gamma-amino phosphines by selective transformation of naturally occurring amino acids. AB - Ring opening of amino epoxides derived from naturally occurring amino acids with lithium diphenylphosphido borane is reported as an efficient approach to a new family of enantiomerically enriched multifunctional phosphines. PMID- 17784772 TI - Reaction dynamics on the formation of styrene: a crossed molecular beam study of the reaction of phenyl radicals with ethylene. AB - The reaction dynamics of phenyl radicals (C6H5) with ethylene (C2H4) and D4 ethylene (C2D4) were investigated at two collision energies of 83.6 and 105.3 kJ mol-1 utilizing a crossed molecular beam setup. The experiments suggested that the reaction followed indirect scattering dynamics via complex formation and was initiated by an addition of the phenyl radical to the carbon-carbon double bond of the ethylene molecule forming a C6H5CH2CH2 radical intermediate. Under single collision conditions, this short-lived transient species was found to undergo unimolecular decomposition via atomic hydrogen loss through a tight exit transitions state to synthesize the styrene molecule (C6H5C2H3). Experiments with D4-ethylene verified that in the corresponding reaction with ethylene the hydrogen atom was truly emitted from the ethylene unit but not from the phenyl moiety. The overall reaction to form styrene plus atomic hydrogen from the reactants was found to be exoergic by 25 +/- 12 kJ mol(-1). This study provides solid evidence that in combustion flames the styrene molecule, a crucial precursor to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), can be formed within a single neutral-neutral collision, a long-standing theoretical prediction which has remained to be confirmed by laboratory experiments under well-defined single collision conditions for the last 50 years. PMID- 17784773 TI - Synthesis, optical resolution, and configurational assignment of novel axially chiral quateraryls. AB - A one-pot general synthesis of highly functionalized quateraryls through carbanion-induced, base-catalyzed ring transformation of 5,6-diaryl-2H-pyran-2 ones and core-substituted phenylacetones is delineated. These conversions were found to give diversely functionalized benzenes bearing peripheral aryl rings, some of which possess inherent atropisomerism. Exemplarily for one of the quateraryls, the optical resolution of the respective atropo-enantiomers by HPLC on a chiral phase and the assignment of their absolute axial configurations succeeded by LC-CD coupling in combination with semiempirical CNDO/S and TDDFT CD calculations. This synthetic approach offers-in a transition metal-free environment-high flexibility in the construction of quateraryls with the desired conformational freedom along the molecular axis, which may help in exploring and developing new potential ligands for asymmetric synthesis. PMID- 17784774 TI - Determination of the absolute configurations of pharmacological natural products via density functional theory calculations of vibrational circular dichroism: the new cytotoxic iridoid prismatomerin. AB - A new highly cytotoxic iridoid has very recently been isolated from Prismatomeris tetrandra and shown to have the structure 3, similar to that of the iridoid oruwacin, 2. We report the determination of the absolute configuration (AC) of the new iridoid, prismatomerin, using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy. The VCD spectrum of the acetate derivative of 3, 4, is analyzed using the Stephens theory of VCD and density functional theory (DFT). The AC of the naturally occurring 3 is shown to be 1R,5S,8S,9S,10S, identical to that of the naturally occurring iridoid plumericin, 1, also determined using VCD spectroscopy. The [alpha]D values of the natural products 3 and 1 are negative and positive, respectively. Since the ACs of 3 and 1 are identical, it follows that the AC of 3 cannot be correctly determined by empirical comparison of the signs of the [alpha]D values of 3 and 1. PMID- 17784775 TI - Synthesis of polysubstituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines via microwave-assisted one pot cyclization/Suzuki coupling/palladium-catalyzed heteroarylation. AB - A new and efficient method for the synthesis of 2,3,6-trisubstituted imidazo[1,2 a]pyridine derivatives using a microwave-assisted one-pot, two-step Suzuki/heteroarylation or one-pot, three-step cyclization/Suzuki/heteroarylation was developed. Polysubstituted compounds are obtained in good yield from 2-amino 5-halogenopyridines, 2-halogenocarbonyl derivatives, boronic acids, and heteroaryl bromides. PMID- 17784776 TI - Phosphorus-carbon bond formation by lewis Acid catalyzed/mediated addition of silylphosphines. AB - Triethylaluminum-catalyzed/mediated addition of a silylphosphine to aldehydes and epoxides is described. Organophosphines containing a silyloxy group at the alpha- or beta-position on the alkyl substituent are successfully prepared in good yields. PMID- 17784777 TI - Unsaturated fatty acids in alkane solution: adsorption to steel surfaces. AB - The adsorption of the unsaturated fatty acids oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid on steel surfaces has been investigated by means of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Two different solvents were used, n-hexadecane and its highly branched isomer, viz., 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane. The area occupied per molecule of oleic acid at 1 wt % corresponds to what is needed for adsorption parallel to the surface. At the same concentration, the adsorbed amount of linoleic acid and linolenic acid indicates that they adsorb in multilayers. The chemisorbed amount estimated from static secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements was found to be similar for the three unsaturated fatty acids. In the case of linolenic acid, it was found that the presence of water significantly alters the adsorption, most likely because of the precipitation of fatty acid/water aggregates. Furthermore, static SIMS results indicate that the amount of water used here inhibits the chemisorption of linolenic acid. PMID- 17784778 TI - Recent evolutions of multiple sequence alignment algorithms. PMID- 17784779 TI - A primer on learning in Bayesian networks for computational biology. PMID- 17784780 TI - Slowness and sparseness lead to place, head-direction, and spatial-view cells. AB - We present a model for the self-organized formation of place cells, head direction cells, and spatial-view cells in the hippocampal formation based on unsupervised learning on quasi-natural visual stimuli. The model comprises a hierarchy of Slow Feature Analysis (SFA) nodes, which were recently shown to reproduce many properties of complex cells in the early visual system []. The system extracts a distributed grid-like representation of position and orientation, which is transcoded into a localized place-field, head-direction, or view representation, by sparse coding. The type of cells that develops depends solely on the relevant input statistics, i.e., the movement pattern of the simulated animal. The numerical simulations are complemented by a mathematical analysis that allows us to accurately predict the output of the top SFA layer. PMID- 17784781 TI - A numerical approach to ion channel modelling using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings and a genetic algorithm. AB - The activity of trans-membrane proteins such as ion channels is the essence of neuronal transmission. The currently most accurate method for determining ion channel kinetic mechanisms is single-channel recording and analysis. Yet, the limitations and complexities in interpreting single-channel recordings discourage many physiologists from using them. Here we show that a genetic search algorithm in combination with a gradient descent algorithm can be used to fit whole-cell voltage-clamp data to kinetic models with a high degree of accuracy. Previously, ion channel stimulation traces were analyzed one at a time, the results of these analyses being combined to produce a picture of channel kinetics. Here the entire set of traces from all stimulation protocols are analysed simultaneously. The algorithm was initially tested on simulated current traces produced by several Hodgkin-Huxley-like and Markov chain models of voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels. Currents were also produced by simulating levels of noise expected from actual patch recordings. Finally, the algorithm was used for finding the kinetic parameters of several voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels models by matching its results to data recorded from layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the rat cortex in the nucleated outside-out patch configuration. The minimization scheme gives electrophysiologists a tool for reproducing and simulating voltage-gated ion channel kinetics at the cellular level. PMID- 17784782 TI - Buffering mechanisms in aging: a systems approach toward uncovering the genetic component of aging. AB - An unrealized potential to understand the genetic basis of aging in humans, is to consider the immense survival advantage of the rare individuals who live 100 years or more. The Longevity Gene Study was initiated in 1998 at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to investigate longevity genes in a selected population: the "oldest old" Ashkenazi Jews, 95 years of age and older, and their children. The study proved the principle that some of these subjects are endowed with longevity-promoting genotypes. Here we reason that some of the favorable genotypes act as mechanisms that buffer the deleterious effect of age-related disease genes. As a result, the frequency of deleterious genotypes may increase among individuals with extreme lifespan because their protective genotype allows disease-related genes to accumulate. Thus, studies of genotypic frequencies among different age groups can elucidate the genetic determinants and pathways responsible for longevity. Borrowing from evolutionary theory, we present arguments regarding the differential survival via buffering mechanisms and their target age-related disease genes in searching for aging and longevity genes. Using more than 1,200 subjects between the sixth and eleventh decades of life (at least 140 subjects in each group), we corroborate our hypotheses experimentally. We study 66 common allelic site polymorphism in 36 candidate genes on the basis of their phenotype. Among them we have identified a candidate-buffering mechanism and its candidate age-related disease gene target. Previously, the beneficial effect of an advantageous cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP-VV) genotype on lipoprotein particle size in association with decreased metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as with better cognitive function, have been demonstrated. We report an additional advantageous effect of the CETP-VV (favorable) genotype in neutralizing the deleterious effects of the lipoprotein(a) (LPA) gene. Finally, using literature-based interaction discovery methods, we use the set of longevity genes, buffering genes, and their age related target disease genes to construct the underlying subnetwork of interacting genes that is expected to be responsible for longevity. Genome wide, high-throughput hypothesis-free analyses are currently being utilized to elucidate unknown genetic pathways in many model organisms, linking observed phenotypes to their underlying genetic mechanisms. The longevity phenotype and its genetic mechanisms, such as our buffering hypothesis, are similar; thus, the experimental corroboration of our hypothesis provides a proof of concept for the utility of high-throughput methods for elucidating such mechanisms. It also provides a framework for developing strategies to prevent some age-related diseases by intervention at the appropriate level. PMID- 17784783 TI - Pathway switching explains the sharp response characteristic of hypoxia response network. AB - Hypoxia induces the expression of genes that alter metabolism through the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). A theoretical model based on differential equations of the hypoxia response network has been previously proposed in which a sharp response to changes in oxygen concentration was observed but not quantitatively explained. That model consisted of reactions involving 23 molecular species among which the concentrations of HIF and oxygen were linked through a complex set of reactions. In this paper, we analyze this previous model using a combination of mathematical tools to draw out the key components of the network and explain quantitatively how they contribute to the sharp oxygen response. We find that the switch-like behavior is due to pathway-switching wherein HIF degrades rapidly under normoxia in one pathway, while the other pathway accumulates HIF to trigger downstream genes under hypoxia. The analytic technique is potentially useful in studying larger biomedical networks. PMID- 17784785 TI - Dual targeting of antioxidant and metabolic enzymes to the mitochondrion and the apicoplast of Toxoplasma gondii. AB - Toxoplasma gondii is an aerobic protozoan parasite that possesses mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes to safely dispose of oxygen radicals generated by cellular respiration and metabolism. As with most Apicomplexans, it also harbors a chloroplast-like organelle, the apicoplast, which hosts various biosynthetic pathways and requires antioxidant protection. Most apicoplast-resident proteins are encoded in the nuclear genome and are targeted to the organelle via a bipartite N-terminal targeting sequence. We show here that two antioxidant enzymes-a superoxide dismutase (TgSOD2) and a thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase (TgTPX1/2)-and an aconitase are dually targeted to both the apicoplast and the mitochondrion of T. gondii. In the case of TgSOD2, our results indicate that a single gene product is bimodally targeted due to an inconspicuous variation within the putative signal peptide of the organellar protein, which significantly alters its subcellular localization. Dual organellar targeting of proteins might occur frequently in Apicomplexans to serve important biological functions such as antioxidant protection and carbon metabolism. PMID- 17784784 TI - Reliance of host cholesterol metabolic pathways for the life cycle of hepatitis C virus. AB - Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, infects more than 170 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of liver failure in the United States. A unique feature of HCV is that the viral life cycle depends on cholesterol metabolism in host cells. This review summarizes the cholesterol metabolic pathways that are required for the replication, secretion, and entry of HCV. The potential application of drugs that alter host cholesterol metabolism in treating HCV infection is also discussed. PMID- 17784786 TI - Limits on replenishment of the resting CD4+ T cell reservoir for HIV in patients on HAART. AB - Whereas cells productively infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV 1) decay rapidly in the setting of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), latently infected resting CD4(+) T cells decay very slowly, persisting for the lifetime of the patient and thus forming a stable reservoir for HIV-1. It has been suggested that the stability of the latent reservoir is due to low-level viral replication that continuously replenishes the reservoir despite HAART. Here, we offer the first quantitative study to our knowledge of inflow of newly infected cells into the latent reservoir due to viral replication in the setting of HAART. We make use of a previous observation that in some patients on HAART, the residual viremia is dominated by a predominant plasma clone (PPC) of HIV-1 not found in the latent reservoir. The unique sequence of the PPC serves as a functional label for new entries into the reservoir. We employ a simple mathematical model for the dynamics of the latent reservoir to constrain the inflow rate to between 0 and as few as 70 cells per day. The magnitude of the maximum daily inflow rate is small compared to the size of the latent reservoir, and therefore any inflow that occurs in patients on HAART is unlikely to significantly influence the decay rate of the reservoir. These results suggest that the stability of the latent reservoir is unlikely to arise from ongoing replication during HAART. Thus, intensification of standard HAART regimens should have minimal effects on the decay of the latent reservoir. PMID- 17784787 TI - In vitro and in vivo neurotoxicity of prion protein oligomers. AB - The mechanisms underlying prion-linked neurodegeneration remain to be elucidated, despite several recent advances in this field. Herein, we show that soluble, low molecular weight oligomers of the full-length prion protein (PrP), which possess characteristics of PrP to PrPsc conversion intermediates such as partial protease resistance, are neurotoxic in vitro on primary cultures of neurons and in vivo after subcortical stereotaxic injection. Monomeric PrP was not toxic. Insoluble, fibrillar forms of PrP exhibited no toxicity in vitro and were less toxic than their oligomeric counterparts in vivo. The toxicity was independent of PrP expression in the neurons both in vitro and in vivo for the PrP oligomers and in vivo for the PrP fibrils. Rescue experiments with antibodies showed that the exposure of the hydrophobic stretch of PrP at the oligomeric surface was necessary for toxicity. This study identifies toxic PrP species in vivo. It shows that PrP-induced neurodegeneration shares common mechanisms with other brain amyloidoses like Alzheimer disease and opens new avenues for neuroprotective intervention strategies of prion diseases targeting PrP oligomers. PMID- 17784788 TI - Mutation in mouse hei10, an e3 ubiquitin ligase, disrupts meiotic crossing over. AB - Crossing over during meiotic prophase I is required for sexual reproduction in mice and contributes to genome-wide genetic diversity. Here we report on the characterization of an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced, recessive allele called mei4, which causes sterility in both sexes owing to meiotic defects. In mutant spermatocytes, chromosomes fail to congress properly at the metaphase plate, leading to arrest and apoptosis before the first meiotic division. Mutant oocytes have a similar chromosomal phenotype but in vitro can undergo meiotic divisions and fertilization before arresting. During late meiotic prophase in mei4 mutant males, absence of cyclin dependent kinase 2 and mismatch repair protein association from chromosome cores is correlated with the premature separation of bivalents at diplonema owing to lack of chiasmata. We have identified the causative mutation, a transversion in the 5' splice donor site of exon 1 in the mouse ortholog of Human Enhancer of Invasion 10 (Hei10; also known as Gm288 in mouse and CCNB1IP1 in human), a putative B-type cyclin E3 ubiquitin ligase. Importantly, orthologs of Hei10 are found exclusively in deuterostomes and not in more ancestral protostomes such as yeast, worms, or flies. The cloning and characterization of the mei4 allele of Hei10 demonstrates a novel link between cell cycle regulation and mismatch repair during prophase I. PMID- 17784789 TI - The complete genome sequence of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis IP31758, the causative agent of Far East scarlet-like fever. AB - The first reported Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF) epidemic swept the Pacific coastal region of Russia in the late 1950s. Symptoms of the severe infection included erythematous skin rash and desquamation, exanthema, hyperhemic tongue, and a toxic shock syndrome. The term FESLF was coined for the infection because it shares clinical presentations with scarlet fever caused by group A streptococci. The causative agent was later identified as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, although the range of morbidities was vastly different from classical pseudotuberculosis symptoms. To understand the origin and emergence of the peculiar clinical features of FESLF, we have sequenced the genome of the FESLF-causing strain Y. pseudotuberculosis IP31758 and compared it with that of another Y. pseudotuberculosis strain, IP32953, which causes classical gastrointestinal symptoms. The unique gene pool of Y pseudotuberculosis IP31758 accounts for more than 260 strain-specific genes and introduces individual physiological capabilities and virulence determinants, with a significant proportion horizontally acquired that likely originated from Enterobacteriaceae and other soil-dwelling bacteria that persist in the same ecological niche. The mobile genome pool includes two novel plasmids phylogenetically unrelated to all currently reported Yersinia plasmids. An icm/dot type IVB secretion system, shared only with the intracellular persisting pathogens of the order Legionellales, was found on the larger plasmid and could contribute to scarlatinoid fever symptoms in patients due to the introduction of immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive capabilities. We determined the common and unique traits resulting from genome evolution and speciation within the genus Yersinia and drew a more accurate species border between Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis. In contrast to the lack of genetic diversity observed in the evolutionary young descending Y. pestis lineage, the population genetics of Y. pseudotuberculosis is more heterogenous. Both Y. pseudotuberculosis strains IP31758 and the previously sequenced Y. pseudotuberculosis strain IP32953 have evolved by the acquisition of specific plasmids and by the horizontal acquisition and incorporation of different genetic information into the chromosome, which all together or independently seems to potentially impact the phenotypic adaptation of these two strains. PMID- 17784790 TI - Systematic identification of cis-regulatory sequences active in mouse and human embryonic stem cells. AB - Understanding the transcriptional regulation of pluripotent cells is of fundamental interest and will greatly inform efforts aimed at directing differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells or reprogramming somatic cells. We first analyzed the transcriptional profiles of mouse ES cells and primordial germ cells and identified genes upregulated in pluripotent cells both in vitro and in vivo. These genes are enriched for roles in transcription, chromatin remodeling, cell cycle, and DNA repair. We developed a novel computational algorithm, CompMoby, which combines analyses of sequences both aligned and non-aligned between different genomes with a probabilistic segmentation model to systematically predict short DNA motifs that regulate gene expression. CompMoby was used to identify conserved overrepresented motifs in genes upregulated in pluripotent cells. We show that the motifs are preferentially active in undifferentiated mouse ES and embryonic germ cells in a sequence-specific manner, and that they can act as enhancers in the context of an endogenous promoter. Importantly, the activity of the motifs is conserved in human ES cells. We further show that the transcription factor NF-Y specifically binds to one of the motifs, is differentially expressed during ES cell differentiation, and is required for ES cell proliferation. This study provides novel insights into the transcriptional regulatory networks of pluripotent cells. Our results suggest that this systematic approach can be broadly applied to understanding transcriptional networks in mammalian species. PMID- 17784793 TI - Combining propensity score matching and group-based trajectory analysis in an observational study. AB - In a nonrandomized or observational study, propensity scores may be used to balance observed covariates and trajectory groups may be used to control baseline or pretreatment measures of outcome. The trajectory groups also aid in characterizing classes of subjects for whom no good matches are available and to define substantively interesting groups between which treatment effects may vary. These and related methods are illustrated using data from a Montreal-based study. The effects on subsequent violence of gang joining at age 14 are studied while controlling for measured characteristics of boys prior to age 14. The boys are divided into trajectory groups based on violence from ages 11 to 13. Within trajectory group, joiners are optimally matched to a variable number of controls using propensity scores, Mahalanobis distances, and a combinatorial optimization algorithm. Use of variable ratio matching results in greater efficiency than pair matching and also greater bias reduction than matching at a fixed ratio. The possible impact of failing to adjust for an important but unmeasured covariate is examined using sensitivity analysis. PMID- 17784791 TI - "Myc'ed messages": myc induces transcription of E2F1 while inhibiting its translation via a microRNA polycistron. AB - The recent revelation that there are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate the expression of many other genes has led to an exciting, emerging body of literature defining the biological role for these molecules within signaling networks. In a flurry of recent papers, a microRNA polycistron induced by the oncogenic transcription factor c-myc has been found to be involved in an unusually structured network of interactions. This network includes the seemingly paradoxical transcriptional induction and translational inhibition of the same molecule, the E2F1 transcription factor. This microRNA cluster has been implicated in inhibiting proliferation, as well as inhibiting apoptosis, and promoting angiogenesis. Consistent with its seemingly paradoxical functions, the region of the genome in which it is encoded is deleted in some tumors and overexpressed in others. We consider the possibility that members of this polycistronic microRNA cluster help cells to integrate signals from the environment and decide whether a signal should be interpreted as proliferative or apoptotic. PMID- 17784794 TI - The effects of attrition on baseline comparability in randomized experiments in education: a meta-analysis. AB - Using meta-analysis, randomized experiments in education that either clearly did or clearly did not experience student attrition were examined for the baseline comparability of groups. Results from 35 studies suggested that after attrition, the observed measures of baseline comparability of groups did not differ more than would be expected given sampling error. The degree of either overall or differential attrition did not relate to baseline comparability, a finding that held under sensitivity analyses. Also, both overall and differential attrition rates were unrelated to posttest effect sizes. All of these analyses, however, lacked sufficient statistical power to detect small but potentially meaningful effects. Results suggest caution is warranted when applying quality scales and other blanket rules pertaining to attrition that are meant to either serve as inclusion-exclusion criteria or in scoring study quality. Much greater attention is needed to both the reporting of attrition in primary studies and to the development of conceptual and empirical models of the attrition process. These developments would aid further investigation of the relation between attrition and study outcomes. PMID- 17784792 TI - Gene duplication and adaptive evolution of digestive proteases in Drosophila arizonae female reproductive tracts. AB - It frequently has been postulated that intersexual coevolution between the male ejaculate and the female reproductive tract is a driving force in the rapid evolution of reproductive proteins. The dearth of research on female tracts, however, presents a major obstacle to empirical tests of this hypothesis. Here, we employ a comparative EST approach to identify 241 candidate female reproductive proteins in Drosophila arizonae, a repleta group species in which physiological ejaculate-female coevolution has been documented. Thirty-one of these proteins exhibit elevated amino acid substitution rates, making them candidates for molecular coevolution with the male ejaculate. Strikingly, we also discovered 12 unique digestive proteases whose expression is specific to the D. arizonae lower female reproductive tract. These enzymes belong to classes most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of a diverse array of organisms. We show that these proteases are associated with recent, lineage-specific gene duplications in the Drosophila repleta species group, and exhibit strong signatures of positive selection. Observation of adaptive evolution in several female reproductive tract proteins indicates they are active players in the evolution of reproductive tract interactions. Additionally, pervasive gene duplication, adaptive evolution, and rapid acquisition of a novel digestive function by the female reproductive tract points to a novel coevolutionary mechanism of ejaculate-female interaction. PMID- 17784795 TI - Building path diagrams for multilevel models. AB - Multilevel models have come to play an increasingly important role in many areas of social science research. However, in contrast to other modeling strategies, there is currently no widely used approach for graphically diagramming multilevel models. Ideally, such diagrams would serve two functions: to provide a formal structure for deriving the underlying equations and to provide a mechanism for clearly and efficiently communicating the model structure, assumptions, and empirical results. Here the authors propose a path diagramming approach for multilevel models that seeks to meet these goals. The authors begin with a description of the core components of their proposed diagramming system and establish tracing rules for the direct derivation of model equations. They then demonstrate their approach using several published empirical multilevel applications and conclude with potential limitations and directions for future developments. PMID- 17784796 TI - Hierarchical modeling of sequential behavioral data: examining complex association patterns in mediation models. AB - This article presents new methods for modeling the strength of association between multiple behaviors in a behavioral sequence, particularly those involving substantively important interaction patterns. Modeling and identifying such interaction patterns becomes more complex when behaviors are assigned to more than two categories, as is the case for most observational research. The authors propose multilevel empirical Bayes methods to overcome the challenges inherent in such data. Furthermore, these methods allow the study of how variation in interaction patterns can mediate the effects of antecedents or intervention on distal outcomes. New procedures are developed to compare alternative mediation models and pinpoint which random effects operate as mediators. These models are then applied to observational data taken from a study of the behavioral interactions of 254 couples. PMID- 17784797 TI - Mixed-effects logistic regression for estimating transitional probabilities in sequentially coded observational data. AB - This article demonstrates the use of mixed-effects logistic regression (MLR) for conducting sequential analyses of binary observational data. MLR is a special case of the mixed-effects logit modeling framework, which may be applied to multicategorical observational data. The MLR approach is motivated in part by G. A. Dagne, G. W. Howe, C. H. Brown, & B. O. Muthen (2002) advances in general linear mixed models for sequential analyses of observational data in the form of contingency table frequency counts. The advantage of the MLR approach is that it circumvents obstacles in the estimation of random sampling error encountered using Dagne and colleagues' approach. This article demonstrates the MLR model in an analysis of observed sequences of communication in a sample of young adult same-sex peer dyads. The results obtained using MLR are compared with those of a parallel analysis using Dagne and colleagues' linear mixed model for binary observational data in the form of log odds ratios. Similarities and differences between the results of the 2 approaches are discussed. Implications for the use of linear mixed models versus mixed-effects logit models for sequential analyses are considered. PMID- 17784798 TI - Nonlinear principal components analysis: introduction and application. AB - The authors provide a didactic treatment of nonlinear (categorical) principal components analysis (PCA). This method is the nonlinear equivalent of standard PCA and reduces the observed variables to a number of uncorrelated principal components. The most important advantages of nonlinear over linear PCA are that it incorporates nominal and ordinal variables and that it can handle and discover nonlinear relationships between variables. Also, nonlinear PCA can deal with variables at their appropriate measurement level; for example, it can treat Likert-type scales ordinally instead of numerically. Every observed value of a variable can be referred to as a category. While performing PCA, nonlinear PCA converts every category to a numeric value, in accordance with the variable's analysis level, using optimal quantification. The authors discuss how optimal quantification is carried out, what analysis levels are, which decisions have to be made when applying nonlinear PCA, and how the results can be interpreted. The strengths and limitations of the method are discussed. An example applying nonlinear PCA to empirical data using the program CATPCA (J. J. Meulman, W. J. Heiser, & SPSS, 2004) is provided. PMID- 17784799 TI - Stability of nonlinear principal components analysis: an empirical study using the balanced bootstrap. AB - Principal components analysis (PCA) is used to explore the structure of data sets containing linearly related numeric variables. Alternatively, nonlinear PCA can handle possibly nonlinearly related numeric as well as nonnumeric variables. For linear PCA, the stability of its solution can be established under the assumption of multivariate normality. For nonlinear PCA, however, standard options for establishing stability are not provided. The authors use the nonparametric bootstrap procedure to assess the stability of nonlinear PCA results, applied to empirical data. They use confidence intervals for the variable transformations and confidence ellipses for the eigenvalues, the component loadings, and the person scores. They discuss the balanced version of the bootstrap, bias estimation, and Procrustes rotation. To provide a benchmark, the same bootstrap procedure is applied to linear PCA on the same data. On the basis of the results, the authors advise using at least 1,000 bootstrap samples, using Procrustes rotation on the bootstrap results, examining the bootstrap distributions along with the confidence regions, and merging categories with small marginal frequencies to reduce the variance of the bootstrap results. PMID- 17784800 TI - Anterior and middle cranial fossa in traumatic brain injury: relevant neuroanatomy and neuropathology in the study of neuropsychological outcome. AB - The frontal and temporal lobe regions of the brain have a high vulnerability to injury as a consequence of cerebral trauma. One reason for this selective vulnerability is how the frontal and temporal regions are situated in the anterior and cranial fossa of the skull. These concavities of the skull base cup the frontal and temporal lobes which create surface areas of contact between the dura, brain, and skull where mechanical deformation injures the brain. In particular, the sphenoid ridge and the free-edge of the tentorium cerebelli are uniquely situated to facilitate injury to the posterior base of the frontal lobe and the anterior pole and medial surface area of the temporal lobe. Three dimensional image reconstruction with computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used to demonstrate the vulnerability of these regions. How neuropsychological deficits result from damage to these areas is reviewed and discussed. PMID- 17784801 TI - Age-related deficits in component processes of working memory. AB - Working memory deficits in normal aging have been well documented, and studies suggest that high memory load plus the presence of distraction negatively impacts successful memory performance to a greater degree in older individuals. However, characterization of the component processes that are impaired by these task manipulations is not clear. In this behavioral study, younger and older subjects were tested with a delayed-recognition and recall task in which the encoding and delay period were both manipulated. During the encoding period, the subjects were presented with either a single letter or multiple letters at their predetermined forward letter span, and the delay period was either uninterrupted or interrupted with a visual distraction. There was an age-related impairment of working memory recognition accuracy only in the combination of high memory load and distraction. These results suggest that when working memory maintenance systems are taxed, faulty recognition processes may underlie cognitive aging deficits in healthy older individuals. PMID- 17784803 TI - Amnestic mild cognitive impairment: difference of memory profile in subjects who converted or did not convert to Alzheimer's disease. AB - Episodic long-term, short-term, and implicit memory were investigated in 79 elderly subjects who fulfilled criteria for the amnestic form of mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI; i.e., by having an idiopathic amnestic disorder with absence of impairment in cognitive areas other than memory and without confounding medical or psychiatric conditions) and who developed Alzheimer's disease (AD) after 2 years as well as in 111 subjects affected by a-MCI who did not develop dementia. Results document a memory profile in a-MCI subjects characterized by preserved short-term and implicit memory and extensive impairment of episodic long-term memory. In virtually all episodic memory indexes examined (learning, forgetting, recognition abilities), a-MCI subjects who converted to AD were more severely impaired than were subjects who did not become demented. This memory profile, which closely resembles that exhibited by amnestic patients with bilateral mesial-temporal lobe lesions, confirms a precocious phase in preclinical AD characterized by selective involvement of mesial-temporal areas and worsening of the memory impairment as atrophic changes progress in hippocampal structures. In this context of pervasive episodic memory impairment, tests assessing the free recall of verbal material following a delay interval demonstrated the greater sensitivity to memory deficits of a-MCI subjects who developed AD. PMID- 17784802 TI - The relationship between specific cognitive functions and falls in aging. AB - The current study examined the relationship between cognitive function and falls in older people who did not meet criteria for dementia or mild cognitive impairment (N = 172). To address limitations of previous research, the authors controlled for the confounding effects of gait measures and other risk factors by means of associations between cognitive function and falls. A neuropsychological test battery was submitted to factor analysis, yielding 3 orthogonal factors (Verbal IQ, Speed/Executive Attention, Memory). Single and recurrent falls within the last 12 months were evaluated. The authors hypothesized that Speed/Executive Attention would be associated with falls. Additionally, the authors assessed whether associations between different cognitive functions and falls varied depending on whether single or recurrent falls were examined. Multivariate logistic regressions showed that lower scores on Speed/Executive Attention were associated with increased risk of single and recurrent falls. Lower scores on Verbal IQ were related only to increased risk of recurrent falls. Memory was not associated with either single or recurrent falls. These findings are relevant to risk assessment and prevention of falls and point to possible shared neural substrates of cognitive and motor function. PMID- 17784804 TI - Retrieval monitoring and anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease. AB - This study explored the relationship between episodic memory and anosognosia (a lack of deficit awareness) among patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants studied words and pictures for subsequent memory tests. Healthy older adults made fewer false recognition errors when trying to remember pictures compared with words, suggesting that the perceptual distinctiveness of picture memories enhanced retrieval monitoring (the distinctiveness heuristic). In contrast, although participants with AD could discriminate between studied and nonstudied items, they had difficulty recollecting the specific presentation formats (words or pictures), and they had limited use of the distinctiveness heuristic. Critically, the demands of the memory test modulated the relationship between memory accuracy and anosognosia. Greater anosognosia was associated with impaired memory accuracy when participants with AD tried to remember words but not when they tried to remember pictures. These data further delineate the retrieval monitoring difficulties among individuals with AD and suggest that anosognosia measures are most likely to correlate with memory tests that require the effortful retrieval of nondistinctive information. PMID- 17784805 TI - Genetics of verbal working memory processes: a twin study of middle-aged men. AB - Genetic and environmental influences on cognitive components of reading span in 345 middle-aged male twin pairs were examined. Shared variance among word recognition (reading only), digits forward (short-term memory only), and reading span (concurrent reading plus memory) was almost entirely mediated by common genetic influences. Overall heritability was .52 for word recognition, .27 for digits forward, and .51 for reading span. All of the genetic influences on word recognition and digits forward, but only about one-half of the genetic influences on reading span, came from a common latent phenotype. The genetic influences that were specific to reading span were concluded to most likely reflect an executive function component. Implications for genetic studies of aging and prefrontal brain function are discussed. PMID- 17784806 TI - Planning ability in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. AB - Planning ability was investigated in 26 patients diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adulthood and in 27 control participants, with groups matched for age, predicted IQ, and social class. They were tested using the 3-dimensional computerized Tower of London Test (Morris, Ahmed, Syed, & Toone, 1993; Morris, Rushe, Woodruffe, & Murray, 1995), which measures planning latencies as well as accuracy, with problems increasing in graded difficulty. For the control group, planning latencies increased systematically with task difficulty, with the participants slowing their initial responses to ensure accuracy. For those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, there was no increase in planning time and a corresponding diminution in accuracy on the most difficult problems. This pattern of impairment is interpreted as resulting from failure to inhibit responses when confronted with problem solving, leading to reduced planning activity. PMID- 17784807 TI - Short-term neuropsychological outcome following uncomplicated mild TBI: effects of day-of-injury intoxication and pre-injury alcohol abuse. AB - Research suggests that individuals who are intoxicated at the time of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have worse cognitive outcome compared with those who are sober. Worse outcome in patients with day-of-injury intoxication might (a) be related to the increased magnitude of brain injury resulting from a variety of negative responses not present following TBI in nonintoxicated individuals, or (b) reflect the effect of pre-injury alcohol abuse that is prevalent in individuals intoxicated at the time of injury. Most studies in this area have focused on patients with moderate to severe TBIs, and on medium- to long-term neuropsychological outcome. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative contributions of day-of-injury intoxication versus pre-injury alcohol abuse on short-term cognitive recovery following mild TBI. Participants were 169 patients with uncomplicated mild TBIs who were assessed on 13 cognitive measures within 7 days postinjury. The prevalence of intoxication at the time of injury was 54.4%. The prevalence of possible pre-injury alcohol abuse was 46.2%. Overall, the results suggest that pre-injury alcohol abuse, compared with day-of-injury alcohol intoxication, had the most influence on short-term neuropsychological outcome from uncomplicated mild TBI. However, the influence of pre-injury alcohol abuse was considered small at best. PMID- 17784809 TI - Using regression equations built from summary data in the neuropsychological assessment of the individual case. AB - Regression equations have many useful roles in neuropsychological assessment. This article is based on the premise that there is a large reservoir of published data that could be used to build regression equations; these equations could then be used to test a wide variety of hypotheses concerning the functioning of individual cases. This resource is currently underused because (a) not all neuropsychologists are aware that equations can be built with only basic summary data for a sample and (b) the computations involved are tedious and prone to error. To overcome these barriers, the authors set out the steps required to build regression equations from sample summary statistics and the further steps required to compute the associated statistics for drawing inferences concerning an individual case. The authors also develop, describe, and make available computer programs that implement the methods. Although caveats attach to the use of the methods, these need to be balanced against pragmatic considerations and against the alternative of either entirely ignoring a pertinent data set or using it informally to provide a clinical "guesstimate." PMID- 17784808 TI - Auditory verbal working memory load and thalamic activation in nonpsychotic relatives of persons with schizophrenia: an fMRI replication. AB - First-degree relatives of persons with schizophrenia are at genetic risk for the illness and show deficits on high-load information-processing tasks. In a prior study of auditory working memory (WM) using functional MRI (fMRI), the authors demonstrated that adult relatives had significantly increased activation in the dorsomedial (DM) thalamus, anterior cingulate, and prefrontal cortex (H. W. Thermenos et al., 2004). In this study, the authors extended this work using a parametric WM task designed for fMRI in an independent, unmedicated sample. Twelve nonpsychotic relatives of persons with schizophrenia and 13 healthy controls were administered multiple versions of an auditory continuous performance test during fMRI. Data were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping software. Compared with controls, relatives showed significantly greater task-elicited activation in the DM thalamus. When fMRI signal change was modeled as a function of increasing WM load, there was a significant Group x Load interaction, with relatives showing significantly greater task-elicited activation in the right DM thalamus compared with controls. Greater DM thalamic activation in the relatives remained significant when WM performance, vocabulary score, and education were controlled. This replication suggests that altered thalamic activation is a feature of neurobiological risk for schizophrenia. PMID- 17784810 TI - Probability matching involves rule-generating ability: a neuropsychological mechanism dealing with probabilities. AB - Probability matching is a nonoptimal strategy consisting of selecting each alternative in proportion to its reinforcement contingency. However, matching is related to hypothesis testing in an incidental, marginal, and methodologically disperse manner. Although some authors take it for granted, the relationship has not been demonstrated. Fifty-eight healthy participants performed a modified, bias-free probabilistic two-choice task, the Simple Prediction Task (SPT). Self reported spurious rules were recorded and then graded by two independent judges. Participants who produced the most complex rules selected the probability matching strategy and were therefore less successful than those who did not produce rules. The close relationship between probability matching and rule generating makes SPT a complementary instrument for studying decision making, which might throw some light on the debate about irrationality. The importance of the reaction times, both before and after responding, is also discussed. PMID- 17784811 TI - The impact of monetary reward on memory in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. AB - The impact of monetary reward on verbal working memory (vWM) and verbal long-term memory (vLTM) was evaluated in 50 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 52 matched healthy participants. This research was motivated by the observations that negative symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with reduced drive and that patients with these symptoms exhibit greater mnemonic impairments. Reward-related gains were evaluated across two levels of vWM load on the n-back task and across three aspects of vLTM derived from the California Verbal Learning Test-II (i.e., learning, total immediate recall, and retention). Although healthy individuals benefited from reward at a high vWM load level, schizophrenia patients exhibited no reward-related improvements in vWM. In contrast, improvement in vLTM retention was induced by reward for both patients and controls. Finally, symptomatic and pharmacology treatment factors were associated with reward-related gains in persons with schizophrenia. In conclusion, contingent monetary rewards delivered during vWM and vLTM enhanced specific aspects of memory. The influence was relatively small and dependent on the specific neurocognitive operation examined, the mental health status of the participants, and for patients, their particular symptoms and pharmacological treatments. PMID- 17784812 TI - Congruency, attentional set, and laterality effects with emotional words. AB - The present study investigated the influence of attention and word-emotion congruency on auditory asymmetries with stimuli that include verbal and emotional components. Words were presented dichotically to 80 participants and were pronounced in either congruent or incongruent emotional tones. Participants were asked to identify the presence of a target word or emotion under 1 of 2 conditions. The blocked condition required detection of a word or emotional target in separate blocks. In the randomized condition, the target was changed across trials by means of a postcue. A right-ear advantage (REA) and a left-ear advantage (LEA) were found for word and emotion targets, respectively. However, the finding of a Condition x Stimulus Type x Ear x Congruency interaction indicated that in the randomized condition, a REA was obtained for words when the stimuli were congruent and a LEA was observed for emotions when the stimuli were incongruent. The findings suggest that randomizing the target reduced the influence of the attentional set established by blocking the target. It is likely that this promoted the detection of hemispheric interference in the randomized condition. PMID- 17784813 TI - Reminiscences of the early days of getting to know one of man's best friends. PMID- 17784814 TI - The protein kinase C (PKC) family of proteins in cytokine signaling in hematopoiesis. AB - The members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of proteins play important roles in signaling for various growth factors, cytokines, and hormones. Extensive work over the years has led to the identification of three major groups of PKC isoforms. These include the classic PKCs (PKCalpha, PKCbeta(I), PKCbeta(II), PKCgamma), the novel PKCs (PKCdelta, PKCepsilon, PKCeta, PKCmu, PKCtheta), and the atypical PKCs (PKCzeta, PKCiota/lambda). All these PKC subtypes have been shown to participate in the generation of signals for important cellular processes and to mediate diverse and, in some cases, opposing biologic responses. There is emerging evidence that these kinases also play key functional roles in the regulation of cell growth, apoptosis, and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. In this review, both the engagement of the various PKC members in cytokine and growth factor signaling and their role in the regulation of hematopoiesis are discussed. PMID- 17784815 TI - Measured neutralizing titers of IFN-beta neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) can depend on the preparations of IFN-beta used in the assay. AB - An immune response to recombinant human protein therapeutics, including type I interferons (IFNs), has the potential to have a serious negative impact on safety and efficacy. Monitoring of patients for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) often is advisable. In the case of IFN-beta therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), we obtained reproducible quantitative titers of NAbs using an improved and well characterized assay based on a 10-fold reduction of a challenge dose of IFN-beta. However, the observed titer was significantly affected by the preparation of IFN beta used as the assay challenge. NAb titers obtained using IFN-beta1b averaged 3 5-fold lower than titers of the same sample assayed using either IFN-beta1a or human fibroblast-derived IFN-beta. This was the case whether neutralizing serum was obtained from patients on therapy with IFN-beta1a or IFN-beta1b. The reason for this apparent titer difference is not fully understood but appears to be related to protein folding or other structural properties that differentiate the IFN-beta1b both from commercial IFN-beta1a preparations and from human fibroblast derived IFN-beta. PMID- 17784816 TI - Recombinant human IFN-beta affects androgen receptor level, neuroendocrine differentiation, cell adhesion, and motility in prostate cancer cells. AB - We provide evidence that recombinant human interferon-beta (rHuIFN-beta) is able to increase androgen receptor (AR) expression, interfere with the acquisition of a neuroendocrine (NE) phenotype, and improve adhesion potential of androgen insensitive prostate cancer cells (PC-3). The effect of rHuIFN-beta (10-1000 IU/mL) on AR, chromogranin A (CgA), E-cadherin (E-cad), N-cadherin (N-cad), and c met levels was investigated by Western blotting after 48, 96, and 144 h. In agreement with our previous results, rHuIFN-beta (10-1000 IU/mL) induced a dramatic increase in AR (up to 5.3-fold, p < 0.001) that was already evident with the lowest cytokine concentration (10 IU/mL). A reduction in CgA levels (up to 45%, p < 0.002) was produced by 100 and 1000 IU/mL after 48-144 h. E-cad upregulation (up to 90%, p < 0.05) was observed starting from 96 h of treatment with 100 and 1000 IU/mL rHuIFN-beta and persisted until 144 h. An rHuIFN-beta dependent reduction occurred in N-cad and c-met signal after a 48-96 h of treatment. This effect was particularly strong after 144 h of exposure to 1000 IU/mL rHuIFN-beta (81.5%, N-cad; 58%, c-met) (p < 0.002). Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis of c-met expression demonstrated that the IFN-induced c-met downregulation mostly occurs at the transcriptional level (reduction up to nearly 50%, p < 0.000). Together, these results indicate that rHuIFN-beta may reduce the motility and invasiveness of poorly differentiated prostate cancer cells and interfere with the acquisition of an NE phenotype, often characterized by a low AR level. PMID- 17784817 TI - Upregulation of a small subset of genes drives type I interferon-induced antiviral memory. AB - Interferons (IFNs) stand in the frontline of defense against viral infections. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the gene expression profile specific to the antiviral effect out of the hundreds of genes involved also in other IFN activities. We found that the IFN-induced antiviral state is maintained for a prolonged time even after IFN occlusion. This was achieved through the active expression of a small set of <40 genes long after IFN was occluded, from which two groups are distinguished: one includes genes participating in direct inhibition of viral replication, such as Mx and OAS; the second group is related to antigen presentation, including all genes involved in the proteasome-to immunoproteasome switch and class I MHC genes. Transcription of these genes continued after IFN removal and was Stat1 independent, suggesting the involvement of other signaling elements in addition to the canonical signal transduction pathway. Not less important were genes whose upregulation, in cases by many fold, is terminated once IFN is removed. Among these are viral sensing genes, such as retinoic acid-inducible gene-I protein (RIG-I), melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) and toll-like receptor (TLR), cytokines, and apoptotic related genes. Our findings provide a systemwide depiction of prolonged intracellular antiviral protection without the need for ongoing IFN stimulation. PMID- 17784818 TI - Assessment of in vitro cytokine response in hemophilia A patients with or without factor VIII inhibitory antibody. AB - Factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitor antibodies are produced in a proportion of hemophilia A patients. Development of anti-FVIII inhibitor antibodies is a T cell dependent response, mediated by FVIII specific CD4(+) T cells. This study was performed to investigate the contribution of T helper (Th) cell-mediated cytokine response in inhibitor production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from hemophilia A patients with (n = 14) or without inhibitor (n = 14) and from normal individuals (n = 14). Following stimulation of PBMCs with rFVIII and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) mitogen, the secreted cytokines, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF beta1), in culture supernatant and the proliferative response were assessed using sandwich ELISA and (3)H-thymidine incorporation, respectively. No significant proliferative response to FVIII was observed, whereas PHA induced a strong response in all groups. No cytokine secretion was observed in response to FVIII stimulation. Although PHA induced IL-10, TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma secretion in all groups, the level of IFN-gamma was significantly lower in hemophilia A patients than in normal individuals (p < 0.0001). The levels of TGF-beta1 and IL-10 were similarly higher in patients compared with normal subjects, but the difference was not statistically significant. Lack of FVIII-induced proliferative response and cytokine production together with reduced secretion of PHA-induced IFN-gamma in both groups of patients suggest involvement of nonspecific immunosuppression possibly due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection observed in the majority of patients. PMID- 17784826 TI - The critical values of rotation and expansion. PMID- 17784819 TI - Antiproliferative activity of the human IFN-alpha-inducible protein IFI44. AB - The interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)-inducible protein IFI44 is associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and its function is unknown. We show here in two human melanoma cell lines (ME15 and D10) that transcription starts 4 h after induction, and peak protein levels are reached 24 h after stimulation. We show by immunofluorescence, viral overexpression, and cellular fractionation that IFI44 is a cytoplasmic protein. Overexpression of IFI44 cDNA induces an antiproliferative state in vitro, even in cells that are not responsive to IFN alpha. IFI44 contains a perfect GTP binding site but has no homology to known GTPases or G proteins. Based on these results, we propose a model in which IFI44 binds intracellular GTP, and this depletion abolishes extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and results finally in cell cycle arrest. PMID- 17784827 TI - Stem cell therapy: a hope for dying hearts. AB - The restoration of functional myocardium following heart failure still remains a formidable challenge among researchers. Irreversible damage caused by myocardial infarction is followed by left ventricular remodeling. The current pharmacologic and interventional strategies fail to regenerate dead myocardium and are usually insufficient to meet the challenge caused by necrotic cardiac myocytes. There is growing evidence, suggesting that the heart has the ability to regenerate through the activation of resident cardiac stem cells or through the recruitment of a stem cell population from other tissues such as bone marrow. These new findings belie the earlier conception about the poor regenerating ability of myocardial tissue. Stem cell therapy is a promising new approach for myocardial repair. However, it has been limited by the paucity of cell sources for functional human cardiomyocytes. Moreover, cells isolated from different sources exhibit idiosyncratic characteristics including modes of isolation, ease of expansion in culture, proliferative ability, characteristic markers, etc., which are the basis for several technical manipulations to achieve successful engraftment. Clinical trials show some evidence for the successful integration of stem cells of extracardiac origin in adult human heart with an improved functional outcome. This may be attributed to the discrepancies in the methods of detection, study subject selection (early or late post transplantation), presence of inflammation, and false identification of infiltrating leukocytes. This review discusses these issues in a comprehensive manner so that their physiological significance in animal as well as in human studies can be better understood. PMID- 17784828 TI - Efficiency of the elongation factor-1alpha promoter in mammalian embryonic stem cells using lentiviral gene delivery systems. AB - The establishment of new technology for genetic modification in human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines has raised great hopes for achieving new ground in basic and clinical research. Recently, lentiviral vector technology has been shown to be highly effective and therefore could emerge as a popular tool for human ES cell genetic modification. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficiency of promoters in lentiviral gene delivery systems in mammalian ES cells, including mouse, monkey, and human, and to construct efficient and optimized conditions for lentivirus-mediated transfection systems. Mammalian ES cells were transfected with self-inactivating (SIN) human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-based lentiviral vectors containing the human polypeptide chain elongation factor-1alpha (EF-1alpha) promoter or cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter and analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis for the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter gene. The efficiency of the EF-1alpha promoter was higher than that of the CMV promoter in all ES cells tested. The EF-1alpha promoter efficiently drove gene expression (14.74%) compared with CMV promoter (3.69%) in human ES cells. We generated a stable eGFP+ human ES cell line (CHA3-EGFP human ES cells) that continuously expressed high levels of EGFP ( approximately 95%) from the EF-1alpha promoter and was maintained for up to 60 weeks with undifferentiated proliferation. The established CHA3-EGFP human ES cell lines were characterized as being negative for nondifferentiation markers and teratoma formation. These results imply that genetic modification by lentiviral vectors with specific promoters in ES cells constitute a powerful tool for guided differentiation as well as gene therapy. PMID- 17784829 TI - Recombinant HoxB4 fusion proteins enhance hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. AB - Enforced expression of the HoxB4 gene promotes expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and enhances hematopoietic development of both murine and human embryonic stem (ES) cells. HoxB4- expanded HSCs have also been shown to retain their normal potential for differentiation and longterm self-renewal in vivo without the development of leukemia, suggesting that manipulation of HoxB4 expression might represent an effective way to expand functional HSCs for use in transplantation medicine. However, the genetic modification of cells poses clinical concerns, including a potentially increased risk of tumor genicity. Constitutive high-level ectopic viral expression of HoxB4 can also produce perturbations in the lineage differentiation of HSCs, an indication that uncontrolled HoxB4 manipulation may not be a satisfactory therapeutic strategy. Here we demonstrate that recombinant HoxB4 protein fused with a triple protein transduction domain (tPTD) promotes hematopoietic development of hES cells. The tPTD-HoxB4 protein enhanced the development of erythroid, myeloid, and multipotential progenitors in both early- and late-stage embryoid bodies (EBs). This effect varied considerably between different hES cell lines. Addition of the tPTD-HoxB4 protein did not alter the globin gene expression pattern; progeny derived from hES cells expressed high levels of embryonic (epsilon) and fetal (gamma) globin genes with or without tPTD-HoxB4 treatment. CD34+ cells derived from hES cells engrafted in bone marrow when transplanted into fetal CD1 mice, although supplementation of the differentiation medium with tPTD-HoxB4 protein did not result in increased repopulating capacity. This suggests that other gene(s), together with HoxB4, are required for generating more competitive HSCs. In summary, our study demonstrates that the tPTD-HoxB4 protein can be used with other recombinant proteins to efficiently generate transplantable HSCs from human ES cells. PMID- 17784830 TI - Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into the pancreatic endocrine lineage. AB - Human embryonic stem (hES) cells represent a potentially unlimited source of transplantable beta-cells for the treatment of diabetes. Here we describe a differentiation strategy that reproducibly directs HES3, an National Institutes of Health (NIH)-registered hES cell line, into cells of the pancreatic endocrine lineage. HES3 cells are removed from their feeder layer and cultured as embryoid bodies in a three-dimensional matrix in the presence of Activin A and Bmp4 to induce definitive endoderm. Next, growth factors known to promote the proliferation and differentiation of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells to glucose-sensing, insulin-secreting beta-cells are added. Pdx1 expression, which identifies pancreatic progenitors, is detected as early as day 12 of differentiation. By day 34, Pdx1+ cells comprise between 5% and 20% of the total cell population and Insulin gene expression is up-regulated, with release of C peptide into the culture medium. Unlike another recent report of the induction of insulin+ cells in differentiated hES cell populations, we are unable to detect the expression of other pancreatic hormones in insulin+ cells. When transplanted into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, differentiated cell populations retain their endocrine identity and synthesize insulin. PMID- 17784831 TI - Temporal response of neural progenitor cells to disease onset and progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like transgenic mice. AB - Regenerative medicine through neural stem cells (NSCs) or neural progenitor cells (NPCs) has been proposed as an alterative avenue for restoring neurological dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is critical to understand the organization and distribution of endogenous adult NPCs in response to motor neuron degeneration before regenerative medicine can be applied for ALS therapy. For this reason, we analyzed the temporal response of NPCs to motor neuron degeneration in the spinal cord and brain using nestin enhancer-driven LacZ reporter transgenic mice (pNes-Tg mice, control) and bi-transgenic mice containing both the nestin enhancer-driven LacZ reporter gene and mutant G93A SOD1 gene (Bi-Tg mice). We observed an increase of NPCs in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord at the disease onset and progression stages in the Bi-Tg mice compared with that of age-matched pNes-Tg control mice. In contrast, an increase of NPCs in the ventral horns was detected at the disease progression stage. On the other hand, an increase of NPCs in the motor cortex at the disease-onset stage, but not at the disease progression stage, was detected. Furthermore, a decrease of NPCs in the lateral ventricle at the disease progression stage was observed, whereas no difference in the number of NPCs in the hippocampus was detected at the disease onset and progression stages. Some of the NPCs differentiate into neuron-like cells in response to motor neuron degeneration. The organization and distribution of endogenous adult NPCs in the ALS-like transgenic mice at the disease onset and progression stages provide fundamental bases for consideration of regenerative therapy of ALS by increasing de novo neurogenesis. PMID- 17784832 TI - SDF-1/CXCL12 enhances in vitro replating capacity of murine and human multipotential and macrophage progenitor cells. AB - Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) manifest a limited self-renewal capacity, as determined by a surrogate assay involving replating capacity of single colonies in vitro with generation of secondary colonies. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12), has been implicated in regulation of hematopoiesis through its modulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and HPC migration, homing, mobilization, and survival. We used bone marrow cells from SDF-1/CXCL12 transgenic and littermate control mice, and culture of normal mouse bone marrow and human cord blood cells plated in the presence or absence of recombinant SDF 1/CXCL12 to evaluate a role for SDF-1/CXCL12 in the replating capability in vitro of multipotential [colony-forming units (CFU)-GEMM] and macrophage (CFU-M) progenitor cells. Competitive repopulating capacity of mouse HSCs was assessed in lethally irradiated mice. Transgenic or exogenous SDF-1/CXCL12 significantly enhanced numbers of secondary colonies formed from primary CFU-GEMM or CFU-M colonies. In the limited setting of our in vivo studies, the SDF-1/CXCL12 transgene did not influence HSC competitive repopulation. However, the results suggest that SDF-1/CXCL12 enhances in vitro replating/self-renewal of HPCs, which may contribute to myelopoiesis in vivo. This information may be of value to ex vivo expansion of HPCs/HSCs. PMID- 17784833 TI - Human heart, spleen, and perirenal fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells have immunomodulatory capacities. AB - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have important tissue repair functions and show potent immunosuppressive capacities in vitro. Although usually isolated from the bone marrow, MSCs have been identified in other tissues, including the skin and liver. In the present study, we isolated and characterized MSCs from human heart, spleen, and perirenal adipose tissue. MSCs from these different tissue sites were similar to those derived from bone marrow in that they expressed comparable levels of the cell-surface markers CD90, CD105, CD166, and HLA class I, were negative for CD34, CD45, HLA class II, CD80, and CD86 expression, and were capable of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Like bone marrow-derived MSCs, MSCs from these different tissue sources inhibited the proliferation of alloactivated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), giving 85%, 79%, 79%, and 81% inhibition, respectively. Also in line with bone marrow-derived MSCs they inhibited proliferative responses of PBMCs to phytohemagglutinin, a nonspecific stimulator of lymphocyte proliferation, and reduced-memory T lymphocyte responses to tetanus toxoid. The results of this study demonstrate that MSCs from various tissues have similar immunophenotypes, in vitro immunosuppressive properties, and differentiation potential. PMID- 17784834 TI - GATA factors induce mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation toward extraembryonic endoderm. AB - The GATA family of transcription factors are implicated in early embryonic development. There are six factors in this family in vertebrates. GATA4 and GATA6 have been demonstrated to induce mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells differentiation toward extraembryonic endoderm (ExE). We investigated the effect of GATA3 on the differentiation of mES cells both in the ES cell and in the embryoid body (EB) states. The results demonstrate that GATA3 overexpression can initiate the ES cell differentiation program toward ExE. Furthermore, overexpression of GATA1 and GATA2 in ES cells and EBs resulted in similar effects. We believe this finding can augment our understanding of mouse ES cell differentiation. PMID- 17784835 TI - Enhancement of NF-kappaB expression and activity upon differentiation of human embryonic stem cell line SNUhES3. AB - NF-kappaB is involved in many biological processes including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Because human embryonic stem (ES) cells have the potential to differentiate to various lineages, understanding mechanisms involved in stemness and lineage differentiation is an important issue. We investigated expression of NF-kappaB in the human ES cell lines SNUhES3 and MizhES4 and found that expression of NF-kappaB mRNA and protein in these two cell lines was significantly lower compared to those of other adult cell lines. However, when SNUhES3 cells were induced to differentiate by retinoic acid, expression levels of NF-kappaB significantly increased compared to undifferentiated SNUhES3 cells. As the components of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) signaling are expressed comparably in undifferentiated and differentiated SNUhES3 cells, we examined the responsiveness of SNUhES3 cells to treatment with TNF-alpha, an agonist of NF-kappaB signaling. Nuclear localization of NF-kappaB in response to TNF-alpha was evident in differentiated, but not undifferentiated, SNUhES3 cells. In agreement with this observation, induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in response to TNF-alpha was seen only in differentiated SNUhES3 cells. On the basis of an IkappaB kinase (IKK) inhibitor study, expression of IL-8 induced by TNF-alpha was dependent on NF-kappaB activity. Taken together, our results suggest that expression and activity of NF-kappaB is comparatively low in undifferentiated human ES cells, but increases during differentiation of the ES cells. PMID- 17784836 TI - Dopamine D2/D3 receptor stimulation fails to promote dopaminergic neurogenesis of murine and human midbrain-derived neural precursor cells in vitro. AB - The potential application of neural precursor cells (NPCs) in brain repair of neurodegenerative diseases has placed the factors capable of stimulating neurogenesis under increasing attention. Among these factors are dopamine (DA) D2/D3 receptor agonists, like 7-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin (7-OH-DPAT). The purpose of this investigation was to explore proliferating and neurostimulating effects of this drug in murine and human NPCs derived from the fetal midbrain. In both cell types, dopamine D2 and D3 receptors were detected by microarray data analysis and quantitative RT-PCR. Despite D2/D3 receptors expression, treatment with 7-OH-DPAT did not affect proliferation, survival, or neurogenesis of murine and human NPCs. Our data question the relevance of neuroregenerative effects of dopamine agonists for human predopaminergic cells as well as patients with Parkinson's disease. PMID- 17784837 TI - Phenotypic and functional comparison of mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow of normal adults and patients with hematologic malignant diseases. AB - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have received much attention for their ability to differentiate into various cell types under specific conditions and to support the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells. However, it is unclear whether the characteristics of MSCs are altered in different disease states. In this study, we obtained and expanded MSCs from bone marrow of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Hodgkin disease (HD), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Our results showed that MSCs derived from ALL, HD, and NHL were similar to normal adult bone marrow-derived MSCs in morphology, growth properties, surface epitopes, and differentiation ability in vitro. Moreover, MSCs derived from ALL, NHL, and HD had a normal karyotype and ultrastructure. These cells could express hematopoietic cytokines and support hematopoiesis in long-term culture. However, adherent cells isolated from bone marrow of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) showed abnormal biological properties, including heterogeneity in morphology, limited proliferation capacity, and impaired differentiation and hematopoiesis support ability. These results indicate that there are differences in the characteristics of adherent cells derived from different disease states, which may be important for reasonable MSC selection in stem cell-based therapy. PMID- 17784838 TI - Nicotine enlivenment of blood flow recovery following endothelial progenitor cell transplantation into ischemic hindlimb. AB - Nicotine has been demonstrated to stimulate postnatal angiogenesis, having an antiapoptotic effect on endothelial cells. Given the extent of this angiogenesis promoting effect, we hypothesized that nicotine may also stimulate postnatal vasculogenesis on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Our analyses reveal some intriguing results using an in vitro assay with 2 x 10(-6) M of nicotine (smoker's average nicotine concentration and the dose of nicotine replacement therapy). The proliferation and migration activities of human EPCs cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of non-smoking healthy volunteers were not affected by nicotine. The effect of nicotine on EPC survival was significantly enhanced under serum starvation on the ratio of Hoechest 33342-stained pyknotic nuclear cells as well as Annexin-V-stained cells to total cells. Furthermore, the antiapoptotic effect of nicotine was blocked completely by nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist hexamethonium. Next, we verified how nicotine acts in vivo. Nicotine (100 ng/ml) was administered orally for 7 days before and 4 weeks after injection of cultured EPCs (1 x 10(5) /mouse) into the tail veins of 8-week-old athymic nude mice with ischemic hindlimbs. Laser doppler imaging analysis indicated that blood perfusion in the ischemic hindlimb was significantly enhanced in EPCs plus nicotine, as compared with EPCs alone. These findings suggest nicotine improves blood flow following EPC transplantation in patients with ischemic diseases. PMID- 17784839 TI - Improved mobilization of peripheral blood CD34+ cells and dendritic cells by AMD3100 plus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients. AB - AMD3100 is a drug capable of mobilizing peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in donors and in cancer patients as a single agent or in combination with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). We initiated a phase II study of 11 refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients, receiving 16 microg/kg daily of G-CSF for 4 days followed by 240 microg/kg of AMD3100 given subcutaneously on a new schedule of 9-10 h before apheresis collection on day 5. Our aims were to assess the effect of AMD3100 on the mobilization of CD34+ cells, dendritic cells (DCs) and lymphoma cells. Administration of G-CSF and AMD3100 were continued daily until >or=2 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg were collected. Adequate collection of the target of CD34+ cells was achieved in all but 1 patient within 2 days, and 10/11 patients were transplanted within 2 months. All transplanted patients engrafted with a mean of 10 and 12 days for neutrophils and platelets, respectively. Addition of AMD3100 to G-CSF resulted with >2.5-fold increase in CD34+ cells/microl (p = 0.0001) and in a >2-fold increase in pDC1 and pDC2 cells/microl (p = 0.003). Adverse events related to AMD3100 were minimal. AMD3100 was generally safe and improved PBSC and DC cell mobilization with no apparent contamination of lymphoma cells. PMID- 17784840 TI - Neurospheres derived from human embryoid bodies treated with retinoic Acid show an increase in nestin and ngn2 expression that correlates with the proportion of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells. AB - In the central nervous system (CNS), generation of phenotypic diversity within the neuronal lineage is precisely regulated in a spatial and temporal fashion. Neural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are cell intrinsic factors that control commitment to neuronal lineage and play an important role in neuronal cell type specification. The ability to differentiate human embryonic stem (hES) cells into neurons provides a good model system to address human neuronal specification. Previous studies have shown neurogenin-2 (Ngn2) to be involved in the development of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons. Toward the goal of correlating neuronal phenotype with early gene expression pattern, we have characterized the expression of Ngn2 during hES cell differentiation. Our results show that treatment of embryoid bodies (EBs) with retinoic acid (RA) leads to the greatest proportion of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells followed by vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-treated EBs as compared to untreated EBs. This increase in the proportion of TH-positive neurons was correlated with the unique morphology of RA-treated aggregates and the spatial delocalization of the expression of Ngn2 within the EB. Neurospheres derived from RA-treated EBs contained many nestin-positive cells within regions that expressed Ngn2. We show that the extent of nestin-positive cells that arise from the region of Ngn2 expression is correlated with the appearance of TH-positive neurons. Our results show for the first time the expression of Ngn2 during the differentiation of hES cells. PMID- 17784841 TI - Is it possible to obtain "true endothelial progenitor cells" by in vitro culture of bone marrow mononuclear cells? AB - In vitro-cultured bone marrow cells have been shown to contain some low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake-positive cells. Although a small portion of LDL uptake positive cells had expression for endothelial markers, all of them demonstrated a phagocytosis function similar to monocyte/macrophages and expression of the panleukocyte surface marker CD45 and monocyte marker CD14. These LDL uptake positive cells did not show significant proliferative capacity and died out gradually in long-term culture. In contrast, the bone marrow-derived LDL uptake negative cells showed strong proliferation and expression of typical mesenchymal surface markers CD29 and CD44. Although cultured under endothelial promoting conditions, these mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) did not show any sign of differentiation toward endothelial cells. In conclusion, adult bone marrow derived LDL uptake-positive cells that have been reported so far actually are monocytes/macrophages that can express some endothelial markers but are not "true endothelial progenitor cells" (EPCs). MSCs, which are the only cell type that shows strong proliferation during long-term adherent culture for bone marrow cells, do not differentiate toward the endothelial lineage when grown under endothelial promoting conditions. PMID- 17784842 TI - Trabecular structure quantified with the MRI-based virtual bone biopsy in postmenopausal women contributes to vertebral deformity burden independent of areal vertebral BMD. AB - In postmenopausal women with a wide range of vertebral deformities, MRI-based structural measures of topology and scale at the distal radius are shown to account for as much as 30% of vertebral deformity, independent of integral vertebral BMD. INTRODUCTION: Trabecular bone architecture has been postulated to contribute to overall bone strength independent of vertebral BMD measured by DXA. However, there has thus far been only sparse in vivo evidence to support this hypothesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal women, 60-80 yr of age, were screened by DXA, and those with T-scores at either the hip or spine falling within the range of -2.5 +/- 1.0 were studied with the MRI-based virtual bone biopsy, along with heel broadband ultrasound absorption and pQCT of the tibia. The data from 98 subjects meeting the enrollment criteria were subjected to microMRI at the distal tibia and radius, and measures of topology and scale of the trabecular bone network were computed. A spinal deformity index (SDI) was obtained from morphometric measurements in midline sagittal MR images of the thoracic and lumbar spine to evaluate associations between structure and deformity burden. RESULTS: A number of structural indices obtained at the distal radius were correlated with the SDI. Among these were the topological surface density (a measure of trabecular plates) and trabecular bone volume fraction, which were inversely correlated with SDI (p < 0.0001). Combinations of two structural parameters accounted for up to 30% of the variation in SDI (p < 0.0001) independent of spinal BMD, which was not significantly correlated. pQCT trabecular BMD was also weakly associated, whereas broadband ultrasound absorption was not. No significant association between SDI and structural indices were found at the tibia. CONCLUSIONS: Structural measures at the distal radius obtained in vivo by microMRI explained a significant portion of the variation in total spinal deformity burden in postmenopausal women independent of areal BMD. PMID- 17784843 TI - Risk factors for vertebral and nonvertebral fracture over 10 years: a population based study in women. AB - Risk factors may vary for different types of fracture, in particular for vertebral fractures. We followed 367 women >50 yr of age from a population-based cohort for up to 10 yr. Factors that predicted vertebral rather than nonvertebral fractures related to physical weakness, poor health, and weight loss. Similar factors were also associated with greater bone loss at the hip. INTRODUCTION: Many risk factors predict fractures overall, but it is less clear whether certain factors relate to vertebral fractures in particular. The aim of this study was to compare the risk factors for vertebral and nonvertebral fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We carried out a 10-yr prospective population-based study of 375 women who were 50-85 yr of age initially. At baseline, we measured BMD, blood and urine biochemistry, and anthropometric measurements. Medical and lifestyle data were obtained by questionnaire. Incident vertebral fractures were determined for 311 subjects from spinal radiographs at 0, 2, 5, 7, and 10 yr using an algorithm based qualitative method, and nonvertebral fractures were confirmed radiographically. Relative risks were calculated by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: During follow-up, 70 subjects sustained one or more nonvertebral fractures and 29 sustained one or more vertebral fractures. Risk factors that predicted both types of fracture included increasing age, decreasing BMD at all sites, prevalent vertebral fracture, and shorter estrogen exposure. For nonvertebral fractures only, the risk factors included low urinary creatinine and less frequent use of stairs. The factors for vertebral fractures included lighter weight, reduced body fat, heavy smoking, lower serum calcium, albumin, and thyroid T(3), weak grip strength, and poor physical capability. In a multivariate model, weight, fat mass, serum calcium and T(3), prevalent vertebral fracture, and physical capability remained significant. Furthermore, grip strength, serum albumin, weight loss, and physical capability were associated with rate of bone loss at the femoral neck, and a fast rate of bone loss was also associated with vertebral fractures. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that overall frailty, which may consist of general poor health, small or thin body size, and lack of strength and physical capability, predicts vertebral fractures but is not a significant predictor of nonvertebral fractures. Bone loss rates are associated with similar risk factors and also with the incidence of vertebral fractures. PMID- 17784845 TI - Abstracts of the 3rd Conference of Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS), September 6-10, Cambridge, United Kingdom. PMID- 17784850 TI - Characterization of an exported monoglyceride lipase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis possibly involved in the metabolism of host cell membrane lipids. AB - The Rv0183 gene of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain, which has been implicated as a lysophospholipase, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified Rv0183 protein did not show any activity when lysophospholipid substrates were used, but preferentially hydrolysed monoacylglycerol substrates with a specific activity of 290 units x mg(-1) at 37 degrees C. Rv0183 hydrolyses both long chain di- and triacylglycerols, as determined using the monomolecular film technique, although the turnover was lower than with MAG (monoacyl glycerol). The enzyme shows an optimum activity at pH values ranging from 7.5 to 9.0 using mono-olein as substrate and is inactivated by serine esterase inhibitors such as E600, PMSF and tetrahydrolipstatin. The catalytic triad is composed of Ser110, Asp226 and His256 residues, as confirmed by the results of site-directed mutagenesis. Rv0183 shows 35% sequence identity with the human and mouse monoglyceride lipases and well below 15% with the other bacterial lipases characterized so far. Homologues of Rv0183 can be identified in other mycobacterial genomes such as Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and even Mycobacterium leprae, which is known to contain a low number of genes involved in the replication process within the host cells. The results of immunolocalization studies performed with polyclonal antibodies raised against the purified recombinant Rv0183 suggested that the enzyme was present only in the cell wall and culture medium of M. tuberculosis. Our results identify Rv0183 as the first exported lipolytic enzyme to be characterized in M. tuberculosis and suggest that Rv0183 may be involved in the degradation of the host cell lipids. PMID- 17784851 TI - The widely utilized brominated flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a potent inhibitor of the SERCA Ca2+ pump. AB - TBBPA (tetrabromobisphenol A) is currently the most widely used type of BFR (brominated flame retardant) employed to reduce the combustibility of a large variety of electronic and other manufactured products. Recent studies have indicated that BFRs, including TBBPA, are bio-accumulating within animal and humans. BFRs including TBBPA have also been shown to be cytotoxic and potentially endocrine-disrupting to a variety of cells in culture. Furthermore, TBBPA has specifically been shown to cause disruption of Ca2+ homoeostasis within cells, which may be the underlying cause of its cytotoxicity. In this study, we have demonstrated that TBBPA is a potent non-isoform-specific inhibitor of the SERCA (sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) (apparent K(i) 0.46-2.3 microM), thus we propose that TBBPA inhibition of SERCA contributes in some degree to Ca2+ signalling disruption. TBBPA binds directly to the SERCA without the need to partition into the phospholipid bilayer. From activity results and Ca2+-induced conformational results, it appears that the major effect of TBBPA is to decrease the SERCA affinity for Ca2+ (increasing the K(d) from approx. 1 microM to 30 microM in the presence of 10 microM TBBPA). Low concentrations of TBBPA can quench the tryptophan fluorescence of the SERCA and this quenching can be reversed by BHQ [2,5-di-(t-butyl)-1,4-hydroquinone] and 4-n-nonylphenol, but not thapsigargin, indicating that TBBPA and BHQ may be binding to similar regions in the SERCA. PMID- 17784852 TI - Emerging oral therapies for multiple sclerosis. AB - BACKGROUND: Current disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) have positively affected the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS); however, the requirement for long-term injections imposes a burden on patients and may lead to reduced adherence in some cases. Furthermore, not all patients respond adequately to current DMDs, suggesting that certain patients require different therapeutic approaches. Therefore, alternative MS treatments with less invasive routes of administration and new modes of action are needed to expand the current treatment repertoire, increase patient satisfaction and adherence, and thereby improve efficacy. DISCUSSION: This review discusses the current unmet need for an orally administered treatment for RRMS, including potential benefits of this route of administration, and implications for improved treatment outcomes. Oral drugs that are currently in Phase II/III clinical development are discussed. PMID- 17784844 TI - Correlation of obesity and osteoporosis: effect of fat mass on the determination of osteoporosis. AB - It was previously believed that obesity and osteoporosis were two unrelated diseases, but recent studies have shown that both diseases share several common genetic and environmental factors. Body fat mass, a component of body weight, is one of the most important indices of obesity, and a substantial body of evidence indicates that fat mass may have beneficial effects on bone. Contrasting studies, however, suggest that excessive fat mass may not protect against osteoporosis or osteoporotic fracture. Differences in experimental design, sample structure, and even the selection of covariates may account for some of these inconsistent or contradictory results. Despite the lack of a clear consensus regarding the impact of effects of fat on bone, a number of mechanistic explanations have been proposed to support the observed epidemiologic and physiologic associations between fat and bone. The common precursor stem cell that leads to the differentiation of both adipocytes and osteoblasts, as well the secretion of adipocyte-derived hormones that affect bone development, may partially explain these associations. Based on our current state of knowledge, it is unclear whether fat has beneficial effects on bone. We anticipate that this will be an active and fruitful focus of research in the coming years. PMID- 17784853 TI - Analysis of Yarrowia lipolytica extracellular lipase Lip2p glycosylation. AB - Wild-type (WT) Yarrowia lipolytica strain secretes a major extracellular lipase Lip2p which is glycosylated. In silico sequence analysis reveals the presence of two potential N-glycosylation sites (N113IS and N134NT). Strains expressing glycosylation mutant forms were constructed. Esterase activities for the different forms were measured with three substrates: p-nitrophenol butyrate (p NPB), tributyrin and triolein. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of supernatant indicated that the suppression of the two sites of N-glycosylation did not affect secretion. S115V or N134Q mutations led to lipase with similar specific activity compared with WT lipase while a T136V mutation reduced specific activity toward p-NPB and tributyrin. Electrospray ionization MS of the WT entire protein led to an average mass of 36 950 Da, higher than the mass deduced from the amino acid sequence (33 385 Da) and to the observation of at least two different mannose structures: Man(8)GlcNAc(2) and Man(9)GlcNAc(2). LC-tandem MS analysis of the WT Lip2p after trypsin and endoproteinase Asp-N treatments led to high coverage (87%) of protein sequence but the peptides containing N113 and N134 were not identified. We confirmed that the presence of N-glycosylation occurred at both N113 and N134 by MS of digested proteins obtained after enzymatic deglycosylation or from mutant forms. PMID- 17784855 TI - Delayed cerebral venous thrombosis in a patient with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. PMID- 17784854 TI - Impaired functioning and quality of life in severe migraine: the role of catastrophizing and associated symptoms. AB - Migraine characteristics are associated with impaired functioning and quality of life (Fn/QoL), but the impact of other factors on Fn/QoL in headache patients is largely unexplored. We examined catastrophizing, comorbid anxiety/depression and migraine characteristics as related to Fn/QoL, and explored the consistency of these relationships across five Fn/QoL measures. We evaluated 232 frequent migraine sufferers for comorbid psychiatric diagnosis, and they completed anxiety, depression and catastrophizing measures, recorded migraine characteristics in a diary and completed five Fn/QoL measures (four self-report questionnaires, one diary disability measure). Backward regression revealed catastrophizing and severity of associated symptoms (photophobia, phonophobia, nausea) independently predicted Fn/QoL across all five measures (beta weights 0.16-0.50, all P < 0.01). This is the first demonstration that a psychological response to migraines (catastrophizing) is associated with impaired Fn/QoL independent of migraine characteristics and other demographic and psychological variables. Severity of associated symptoms also emerged as an important contributor to Fn/QoL. PMID- 17784857 TI - Fungal nucleobase transporters. AB - Early genetic and physiological work in bacteria and fungi has suggested the presence of highly specific nucleobase transport systems. Similar transport systems are now known to exist in algae, plants, protozoa and metazoa. Within the last 15 years, a small number of microbial genes encoding nucleobase transporters have been cloned and studied in great detail. The sequences of several other putative proteins submitted to databases are homologous to the microbial nucleobase transporters but their physiological functions remain largely undetermined. In this review, genetic, biochemical and molecular data are described concerning mostly the nucleobase transporters of Aspergillus nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the two model ascomycetes from which the great majority of data come from. It is also discussed as to what is known on the nucleobase transporters of the two most significant pathogenic fungi: Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Apart from highlighting how a basic process such as nucleobase recognition and transport operates, this review intends to highlight features that might be applicable to antifungal pharmacology. PMID- 17784856 TI - The vestibulo-collic reflex is abnormal in migraine. AB - Interictal evoked central nervous system responses are characterized in migraineurs by a deficit of habituation, at both cortical and subcortical levels. The click-evoked vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) allows the assessment of otolith function and an oligosynaptic pathway linking receptors in the saccular macula to motoneurons of neck muscles. Three blocks of 75 averaged responses to monaural 95 dB normal hearing level 3-Hz clicks were recorded over the contracted ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle in 25 migraineurs between attacks and 20 healthy subjects, without vestibular symptoms. Amplitudes, raw and corrected for baseline electromyography, were significantly smaller in migraine patients. Whereas in healthy volunteers the VCR habituated during stimulus repetition (-4.96% +/- 14.3), potentiation was found in migraineurs (4.34% +/- 15.3; P = 0.04). The combination with a reduced mean amplitude does not favour vestibular hyperexcitability as an explanation for the habituation deficit in migraine, but rather an abnormal processing of repeated stimuli in the reflex circuit. PMID- 17784859 TI - An rmlA gene encoding d-glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase is essential for mycobacterial growth. AB - The rhamnose-GlcNAc disaccharide is a critical linker which connects arabinogalactan to peptidoglycan via a phosphodiester linkage. The biosynthesis of dTDP-rhamnose is catalysed by four enzymes, and the first reaction is catalysed by an rmlA gene encoding d-glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (RmlA). We generated a Mycobacterium smegmatis mc(2)155 mutant lacking the rmlA gene via a homologous recombination method. We tested the requirement for the rmlA gene and the effect of a lack of RmlA on bacterial cell morphology. The results demonstrate that the rmlA gene is essential for mycobacterial growth and that lack of RmlA activity has profound negative effects on bacterial cell morphology. RmlA is thus a potential target for the development of new antituberculosis drugs. PMID- 17784858 TI - YddG from Escherichia coli promotes export of aromatic amino acids. AB - The inner membrane protein YddG of Escherichia coli is a homologue of the known amino acid exporters RhtA and YdeD. It was found that the yddG gene overexpression conferred resistance upon E. coli cells to the inhibiting concentrations of l-phenylalanine and aromatic amino acid analogues, dl-p fluorophenylalanine, dl-o-fluorophenylalanine and dl-5-fluorotryptophan. In addition, yddG overexpression enhanced the production of l-phenylalanine, l tyrosine or l-tryptophan by the respective E. coli-producing strains. On the other hand, the inactivation of yddG decreased the aromatic amino acid accumulation by these strains. The cells of the E. colil-phenylalanine-producing strain containing overexpressed yddG accumulated less l-phenylalanine inside and exported the amino acid at a higher rate than the cells of the isogenic strain containing wild-type yddG. Taken together, these results indicate that YddG functions as an aromatic amino acid exporter. PMID- 17784860 TI - Impact of the small RNA RyhB on growth, physiology and heterologous protein expression in Escherichia coli. AB - The small noncoding RNA RyhB is a regulator of iron homeostasis in Escherichia coli. During iron limitation, it downregulates the expression of a number of iron containing proteins, including enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the respiratory chain. Because this infers a potential for RyhB to limit energy metabolism and biosynthetic capacity, the effect of knocking out ryhB on the physiology and heterologous protein productivity of E. coli has been analyzed. During iron limitation, induced either through insufficient extracellular supply or through overexpression of an iron-containing protein, ryhB mutants showed unaltered growth and substrate consumption. They did, however, exhibit significantly lowered acetate production rates. Plasmid-based expression of green fluorescent protein and the heterologous Vitreoscilla hemoglobin VHb was negatively affected by the ryhB knock-out. PMID- 17784861 TI - Fungal cannons: explosive spore discharge in the Ascomycota. AB - The ascomycetous fungi produce prodigious amounts of spores through both asexual and sexual reproduction. Their sexual spores (ascospores) develop within tubular sacs called asci that act as small water cannons and expel the spores into the air. Dispersal of spores by forcible discharge is important for dissemination of many fungal plant diseases and for the dispersal of many saprophytic fungi. The mechanism has long been thought to be driven by turgor pressure within the extending ascus; however, relatively little genetic and physiological work has been carried out on the mechanism. Recent studies have measured the pressures within the ascus and quantified the components of the ascus epiplasmic fluid that contribute to the osmotic potential. Few species have been examined in detail, but the results indicate diversity in ascus function that reflects ascus size, fruiting body type, and the niche of the particular species. PMID- 17784863 TI - Long-term outcome of patients treated with terlipressin for types 1 and 2 hepatorenal syndrome. AB - BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that terlipressin is effective in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). However, factors predicting response to therapy and the long-term outcome of patients have not been defined. METHODS: We reviewed all patients from our institution treated with terlipressin between July 1, 2001 and December 31, 2005 for HRS. Follow up continued until June 30, 2006. HRS was defined according to the International Ascites Club. The following data were retrieved: age, gender, etiology of liver disease, Child-Pugh score, HRS precipitant, therapy duration, creatinine at day 0 and end of treatment, adverse events, and patient outcome. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were included. Forty nine episodes (71%) of HRS were type 1, and 20 episodes (29%) type 2. Forty-one (59.4%) patients responded to terlipressin. Two variables predicted renal function improvement: type 1 HRS and age. Twenty-one (30.4%) patients survived; 17 (81%) had type 1 HRS while four (19%) had type 2 HRS (P = 0.27). The only factor predicting transplant-free survival was type 1 HRS. No patients with type 2 HRS survived without transplantation (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The only factor predicting transplant-free survival following terlipressin therapy is the presence of type 1 HRS. Therefore, it is difficult to justify the use of this drug in patients with type 2 HRS who are not liver transplant candidates. PMID- 17784862 TI - Dominance of Geobacteraceae in BTX-degrading enrichments from an iron-reducing aquifer. AB - Microbial community structure was linked to degradation potential in benzene-, toluene- or xylene- (BTX) degrading, iron-reducing enrichments derived from an iron-reducing aquifer polluted with landfill leachate. Enrichments were characterized using 16S rRNA gene-based analysis, targeting of the benzylsuccinate synthase-encoding bssA gene and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling in combination with tracking of labelled substrate. 16S rRNA gene analysis indicated the dominance of Geobacteraceae, and one phylotype in particular, in all enrichments inoculated with polluted aquifer material. Upon cultivation, progressively higher degradation rates with a concomitant decrease in species richness occurred in all primary incubations and successive enrichments. Yet, the same Geobacteraceae phylotype remained common and dominant, indicating its involvement in BTX degradation. However, the bssA gene sequences in BTX degrading enrichments differed considerably from those of Geobacter isolates, suggesting that the first steps of toluene, but also benzene and xylene oxidation, are carried out by another member of the enrichments. Therefore, BTX would be synthrophically degraded by a bacterial consortium in which Geobacteraceae utilized intermediate metabolites. PLFA analysis in combination with (13)C-toluene indicated that the enriched Geobacteraceae were assimilating carbon originally present in toluene. Combined with previous studies, this research suggests that Geobacteraceae play a key role in the natural attenuation of each BTX compound in situ. PMID- 17784864 TI - Vascular endothelial growth factor reduces Fas-mediated acute liver injury in mice. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Fulminant hepatitis is still a fatal liver disease, and no specific treatment for it has been available. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the focus of attention because of its various actions. We investigated the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on Fas-induced fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). METHOD: Male Balb/c mice were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of an anti-Fas antibody (Jo-2 Ab) with or without premedication with intraperitoneally administered human recombinant VEGF. RESULTS: The serum level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was up to 300 times higher that of normal mice following the Jo-2 Ab injection, and histological analysis revealed hepatic injury and massive hepatocyte apoptosis. The VEGF significantly suppressed an elevation in serum ALT levels and hepatocyte apoptosis. Immunohistochemically, VEGF-treated mice showed that Bcl-xL in hepatocytes was strongly expressed. CONCLUSIONS: Since hepatocytes do not express VEGF receptors, we speculated that VEGF acts on sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) and promotes production of cytokines such as hepatocyte growth factor in SECs, resulting in reducing apoptosis through an increase expression of Bcl-xL in hepatocytes. We suggest that VEGF has a potent antiapoptotic effect on hepatocytes through cell-cell interaction between SECs and hepatocytes. PMID- 17784865 TI - Reduced expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor in hepatocellular carcinoma with paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently associated with paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia. In familial hypercholesterolemia, genetic mutation of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene has been recognized as being a pathogenesis of the disease. We investigate the expression of a LDL receptor protein and gene abnormalities of a LDL receptor in HCC cells in cases with paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Eleven patients with HCC associated with paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia and seven patients with HCC who did not have hypercholesterolemia were studied. Paraffin-embedded tissues were obtained at operative resection, autopsy, or biopsy. Immunohistochemistry was performed using a monoclonal antibody against human LDL receptors. Confocal laser-scanning microscopy was used to observe the FITC-labeled LDL receptor. DNA samples were extracted from paraffin-embedded tissues. Since a LDL receptor gene is located on chromosome 19p13.2, a microsatellite marker, D19S413, was used to analyze the chromosomes. RESULTS: Immunoreactive LDL receptors were observed all over the surface of non-tumorous hepatocytes. However, expression of the LDL receptor was significantly decreased in all HCC cells derived from the 11 patients with hypercholesterolemia. In contrast, the expression was retained in the HCC cells of all patients without hypercholesterolemia. In two patients with hypercholesterolemia, DNA analysis revealed a loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 19p13.2. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated reduced expression of the LDL receptor in HCC cases with paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia. LDL receptor genes with genomic disorders may cause decreased expression of the LDL receptor protein, leading to feed-back failure of the cholesterol regulation system, as seen in familial hypercholesterolemia. This is the first report considering the mechanism behind the development of paraneoplastic hypercholesterolemia in HCC. PMID- 17784866 TI - N-acyl homoserine lactone-degrading microbial enrichment cultures isolated from Penaeus vannamei shrimp gut and their probiotic properties in Brachionus plicatilis cultures. AB - Three bacterial enrichment cultures (ECs) were isolated from the digestive tract of Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, by growing the shrimp microbial communities in a mixture of N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules. The ECs, characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis and subsequent rRNA sequencing, degraded AHL molecules in the degradation assays. Apparently, the resting cells of the ECs also degraded one of the three types of quorum sensing signal molecules produced by Vibrio harveyi in vitro [i.e. harveyi autoinducer 1 (HAI-1)]. The most efficient AHL-degrading ECs, EC5, was tested in Brachionus experiments. EC5 degraded the V. harveyi HAI-1 autoinducer in vivo, neutralizing the negative effect of V. harveyi autoinducer 2 (AI-2) mutant, in which only the HAI-1- and CAI-1-mediated components of the quorum-sensing system are functional on the growth of Brachionus. This suggests that EC5 interferes with HAI-1-regulated metabolism in V. harveyi. These AHL-degrading ECs need to be tested in other aquatic systems for their probiotic properties, preferably in combination with specific AI-2-degrading bacteria. PMID- 17784867 TI - Self-expanding metallic stent insertion in the proximal colon. AB - OBJECTIVE: Colonic obstruction may be relieved by the insertion of a self expanding metallic stent (SEMS), either for permanent palliative relief or as a bridge to surgery. Lesions proximal to the descending colon can be more difficult to intubate and stent [1]. SEMS placement in the more proximal colon lesions has been reported in only a few cases [2,4]. The aim of this study was to review the outcome of SEMS for obstruction at the splenic flexure and above. METHOD: A study of all colonic stents inserted in one specialist unit was undertaken. Patients' demographics, site and aetiology of the underlying obstruction, success or other outcome of the procedures were collected. Thirty-day morbidity and mortality were documented. RESULTS: Seven patients had proximal lesions: four in the transverse colon and three at the splenic flexure. Six patients had colorectal carcinoma and one had extrinsic compression from a gastric carcinoma. Six of the SEMS were inserted for permanent palliation, and one as a bridge to surgery. Stent placement was technically successful in six of the seven patients. In the seventh patient, there was a failure of expansion of the stent, after successful intubation of the lesion, which was in the distal transverse colon. One patient suffered from minor self-limiting abdominal pain in the first 24 h after the procedure. There was no other SEMS related morbidity or mortality. All of the successfully stented patients were discharged from the surgical ward within 3 days after the procedure. Median survival time was 4.3 months (range 3-12 months). Three patients are still alive. CONCLUSION: The SEMS is a useful tool in managing acute bowel obstruction. Placement of colonic stents proximal to the descending colon is safe, feasible and effective. PMID- 17784868 TI - Faecal dimeric M2 pyruvate kinase in colorectal cancer and polyps correlates with tumour staging and surgical intervention. AB - OBJECTIVE & METHOD: A dimeric form of pyruvate kinase isoenzyme (tumour M2-PK) is predominantly found in highly proliferating cells. Sandwich ELISA with monoclonal antibodies against dimeric (tumour) M2-PK was used to measure faecal tumour M2-PK in; 13 controls, 10 patients with colonic polyps and 32 patients with colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Levels of faecal tumour M2-PK were higher in patients with colorectal cancer (median 11.72 U/ml; range 0.9-146.95 U/ml, P = 0.0001) and polyps greater than 10 mm (median 2.54 U/ml; range 0.9-29.46 U/ml, P = 0.041) when compared with controls (median 1.75 U/ml; range 0.9-3.41 U/ml). Furthermore, levels were higher in stages Duke's B (P = 0.013) and Duke's C (P = 0.43) than in Duke's A. Six months postsurgery faecal tumour M2-PK levels fell significantly to 3.46 U/ml (range 1.03-9.05 U/ml, P = 0.001). The sensitivity of a positive faecal tumour M2-PK test, defined as a level above 3.33 U/ml, was 91% for colorectal cancer, 60% for >10 mm and 20% for <10 mm polyps, with a specificity of 92%. CONCLUSION: Faecal tumour M2-PK is a highly sensitive marker for colorectal cancer and larger polyps. It also correlates with more advanced stages of colorectal cancer and its reduction is associated with successful surgical intervention. PMID- 17784871 TI - Surgical load and long-term outcome for patients with Kock continent ileostomy. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of Kock continent ileostomy (CI) during the same period when ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was the preferred operation for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). METHOD: During the period 1983-2002, 50 patients underwent CI. The surgical technique was unchanged during the period. Follow-up included all patients. Forty-eight patients had UC, two of these had the diagnosis later changed to Crohn's disease and two had FAP. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had 38 reoperations, four (8%) of whom had the pouch removed. The main causes for reoperation included leakage and difficulty in intubation due to sliding of the nipple valve (42%), fistula formation (29%) and stenosis (21%). Seventeen (45%) underwent a revision of the nipple valve and the pouch and nine (24%) a local procedure. The reoperation rate was higher among patients having a conventional ileostomy converted to CI than among those having CI. As a primary procedure (P = 0.016). The risk of a second reoperation was higher for those reoperated within the first year after having a CI, than for those reoperated later (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The reoperation rate of patients with CI is high but the removal rate of the pouch is low and is not associated with a high rate of revision. CI is a good alternative to conventional ileostomy in patients not suitable for restorative proctocolectomy or where this procedure has failed. PMID- 17784872 TI - Identification of JTP-70902, a p15(INK4b)-inductive compound, as a novel MEK1/2 inhibitor. AB - The INK4 family members p16(INK4a) and p15(INK4b) negatively regulate cell cycle progression by inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6. Loss of p16(INK4a) functional activity is frequently observed in tumor cells, and is thought to be one of the primary causes of carcinogenesis. In contrast, despite the biochemical similarity to p16(INK4a), the frequency of defects in p15(INK4b) was found to be lower than in p16(INK4a), suggesting that p15(INK4b)-inductive agents may be useful for tumor suppression. Here we report the discovery of a novel pyrido-pyrimidine derivative, JTP-70902, which exhibits p15(INK4b)-inducing activity in p16(INK4a)-inactivated human colon cancer HT-29 cells. JTP-70902 also induced another CDK-inhibitor, p27(KIP1), and downregulated the expression of c Myc and cyclin D1, resulting in G(1) cell cycle arrest. MEK1/2 was identified by compound-immobilized affinity chromatography as the molecular target of JTP 70902, and this was further confirmed by the inhibitory activity of JTP-70902 against MEK1/2 in kinase assays. JTP-70902 suppressed the growth of most colorectal and some other cancer cell lines in vitro, and showed antitumor activity in an HT-29 xenograft model. However, JTP-70902 did not inhibit the growth of COLO320 DM cells; in these, constitutive extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation was not detected, and neither p15(INK4b) nor p27(KIP1) induction was observed. Moreover, p15(INK4b)-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts were found to be more resistant to the growth-inhibitory effect of JTP-70902 than wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These findings suggest that JTP-70902 restores CDK inhibitor-mediated cell cycle control by inhibiting MEK1/2 and exerts a potent antitumor effect. PMID- 17784873 TI - Identification of human leukocyte antigen-A24-restricted epitope peptides derived from gene products upregulated in lung and esophageal cancers as novel targets for immunotherapy. AB - For the development of cancer vaccine therapies, we have searched for possible epitope peptides that can elicit cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to the TTK protein kinase (TTK), lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K (LY6K) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP-3), which were previously identified to be transactivated in the majority of lung and esophageal cancers. We screened 31, 17 and 17 candidate human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*2402-binding peptides to parts of TTK, LY6K and IMP-3, respectively. As a result, we successfully established strong CTL clones stimulated by TTK-567 (SYRNEIAYL), LY6K-177 (RYCNLEGPPI) and IMP-3-508 (KTVNELQNL) that have specific cytotoxic activities against the HLA-A24-positive target cells pulsed with the candidate peptides. Subsequent analysis of the CTL clones also revealed their cytotoxic activities against lung and esophageal tumor cells that endogenously express TTK, LY6K or IMP-3. A cold target inhibition assay further confirmed that the CTL cell clones specifically recognized the MHC class I-peptide complex. Our results strongly imply that TTK, LY6K and IMP-3 are novel tumor-associated antigens recognized by CTL, and TTK-567 (SYRNEIAYL), LY6K-177 (RYCNLEGPPI) and IMP-3-508 (KTVNELQNL) are HLA-A24-restricted epitope peptides that can induce potent and specific immune responses against lung and esophageal cancer cells expressing TTK, LY6K and IMP 3. PMID- 17784874 TI - Targeted optical fluorescence imaging of human ovarian adenocarcinoma using a galactosyl serum albumin-conjugated fluorophore. AB - Achieving maximal cytoreduction during surgery is a critical prognostic factor for women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Targeting optical imaging agents directly to ovarian cancer cells by attaching them to galactosyl (galactosamine conjugated) serum albumin, whose sugar residues bind surface lectins that are expressed in certain ovarian adenocarcinomas, may improve metastatic tumor identification and resection. Thus, we sought to demonstrate that galactosyl serum albumin-conjugated fluorophores would be a robust mechanism through which to target ovarian cancer by evaluating its tumor-targeting capability in nine human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines. The optical fluorophore rhodamine green was conjugated to galactosyl serum albumin, a non-immunogenic targeting molecule. Galactosyl serum albumin-rhodamine green's ability to target nine human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines was evaluated by flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy and in vivo optical fluorescence imaging using female athymic nu/nu mice. All nine cell lines tested bound galactosyl serum albumin-rhodamine green more effectively than non-glycosylated controls (P < 0.0001). Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that galactosyl serum albumin-rhodamine green was internalized into each cell line in a galactosamine-dependent manner. In vivo optical fluorescence images of intraperitoneal tumor-bearing mice acquired 3 h after intraperitoneal injection of galactosyl serum albumin-rhodamine green successfully differentiated between tumor and normal tissue. This technique also allowed the visualization of submillimeter-sized ovarian tumor implants. These results indicate that galactosyl serum albumin-rhodamine green can selectively target a variety of human ovarian adenocarcinomas for optical fluorescence imaging and thus may improve intraoperative tumor detection and resection. PMID- 17784875 TI - Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status and clinicopathological features of combined small cell carcinoma with adenocarcinoma of the lung. AB - In lung cancer, somatic mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are concentrated in exons 18-21, especially in adenocarcinoma (Ad), but these mutations have rarely been reported in small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Combined SCLC is rare, and the EGFR mutation status and its relationship to the clinicopathological features of this tumor type have not yet been elucidated. We retrospectively studied six patients with combined SCLC with Ad components among 64 consecutive patients who underwent resection of SCLC. The clinicopathological features of each patient were reviewed, especially for the distribution pattern of the Ad component and lymph node metastases. EGFR mutations were screened by high-resolution melting analysis in each case, and were confirmed by sequencing of each mutation in the microdissected SCLC or Ad components. Regarding EGFR, no specific mutation was detected in five of the six patients, whereas one female patient who had never smoked had a missense mutation. In this case, both the SCLC and Ad components shared the same mutation in exon 21 (L858R). We identified a patient with combined SCLC with Ad sharing an identical EGFR mutation in both the SCLC and Ad components. In addition to the clinicopathological characteristics of this rare histological type of lung cancer, these findings provide useful information for better understanding the biology, natural history and clinical management of SCLC. PMID- 17784876 TI - HIF activation and VEGF overexpression are coupled with ZO-1 up-phosphorylation in the brain of dystrophic mdx mouse. AB - In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) metabolic and structural alterations of the central nervous system are described. Here, we investigated in the brain of 10 mdx mice and in five control ones, the expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and we correlated it with the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) and of the endothelial tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 (ZO 1) and claudin-1. Results showed an activation of mRNA HIF-1alpha by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and a strong HIF1-alpha labeling of perivascular glial cells and cortical neurons by immunohistochemistry, in mdx mouse. Moreover, overexpression of VEGF and VEGFR-2, respectively, in neurons and in endothelial cells coupled with changes to endothelial ZO-1 and claudin-1 expression in the latter were detected by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry, in the mdx brain. Furthermore, by immunoprecipitation, an up-phosphorylation of ZO-1 was demonstrated in mdx endothelial cells in parallel with the reduction in ZO-1 protein content. These data suggest that the activation of HIF-1alpha in the brain of dystrophic mice coupled with VEGF and VEGFR-2 up-regulation and ZO-1 and claudin-1 rearrangement might contribute to both blood-brain barrier opening and increased angiogenesis. PMID- 17784877 TI - Presence of HSV-1 immediate early genes and clonally expanded T-cells with a memory effector phenotype in human trigeminal ganglia. AB - The latent persistence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in human trigeminal ganglia (TG) is accompanied by a chronic CD8 T-cell infiltrate. The focus of the current work was to look for HSV-1 transcription activity as a potential trigger of the immune response and to characterize the immune cell infiltrates by this feature. We combined in situ hybridization, laser cutting microscopy, and single cell RT-PCR to demonstrate the expression of the HSV-1 immediate early (IE) genes ICP0 and ICP4 in human trigeminal neurons. Using CDR3 spectratyping, we showed that the infiltrating T-cells are clonally expanded, indicating an antigen-driven immune response. Moreover, the persisting CD8+ T-cells had features of the memory effector phenotype. The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3, a marker of chronic activated memory effector cells, and the chemokines CCL5 and CXCL10 were expressed by a subpopulation of infiltrating cells. The corresponding chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR3 were co-expressed on virtually all CD8 T-cells. In addition, T-cells expressed granzymes and perforin. In contrast to animal models of HSV-1 latency, hardly any FoxP3-positive regulatory T-cells were detected in human TG. Thus, HSV-1 IE genes are expressed in human TG and the infiltrating T cells bear several characteristics that suggest viral antigenic stimulation. PMID- 17784878 TI - Oxidative stress in desminopathies and myotilinopathies: a link between oxidative damage and abnormal protein aggregation. AB - Myotilinopathies and desminopathies are subgroups of myofibrillar myopathies (MFM) caused by mutations in myotilin and desmin genes, respectively. They are characterized by the presence of protein aggregates in muscle cells. As oxidation of proteins facilitates their aggregation and makes them more resistant to proteolysis, the present study was geared to analyze oxidative stress in MFM. For this purpose, markers of glycoxidation, lipoxidation and nitration were examined with gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, single immunohistochemistry, and double- and triple-labeling immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy in muscle biopsies from patients suffering from myotilinopathy and desminopathy. Increased levels of glycation-end products (AGEs), N-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) and N carboxyethyl-lysine (CEL), malondialdehyde-lysine (MDAL), 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and nitrotyrosine (N-tyr) were found in MFM. Furthermore, aberrant expression of AGE, CML, CEL, MDAL and HNE, as well as of neuronal, inducible and endothelial nitric oxide synthases (nNOS, iNOS, eNOS), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), was found in muscle fibers containing protein aggregates in myotilinopathies and desminopathies. AGE, ubiquitin and p62 co-localized in several muscle fibers in MFM. As oxidized proteins are vulnerable to misfolding and are resistant to degradation by the UPS, the present observations support a link between oxidative stress, protein aggregation and abnormal protein deposition in MFMs. PMID- 17784880 TI - High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia is an independent predictor of outcome after radical prostatectomy. AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) in retropubic radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens and cancer-specific outcomes, including pathological variables and biochemical disease-free survival (bDFS), as HGPIN shares many histopathological characteristics with prostate carcinoma and has been considered a precursor lesion to prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Columbia University Urologic Oncology Database was reviewed; 3460 patients were identified who underwent RP between 1988-2006, and 2133 with or without HGPIN and >12 months of follow-up were included in the analysis. Analysis of variance methods were used to evaluate the relationship between HGPIN and pathological stage, Gleason sum, perineural invasion, multifocality, extraprostatic extension, margin and nodal status. Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model fitted for preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason sum and pathological stage were used to assess differences in bDFS. RESULTS: In all, 1885 (88.4%) patients had HGPIN in the RRP specimen and 248 (11.6%) had no HGPIN. There was no significant difference in the distribution of PSA level (P = 0.27), pathological stage (P = 0.18) or Gleason sum (P = 0.84) between patients with and with no HGPIN. The HGPIN-positive group had higher rates of perineural invasion (69.9 vs 57.5%; P = 0.003) and multifocality (63.0 vs 38.4%; P < 0.001). Patients with no HGPIN had a better bDFS, at 87.3% vs 81.0% at a median follow-up of 50 months, and 73.6% vs 67.0% at 9 years (P = 0.045). The risk of biochemical failure was 1.9 times greater in the HGPIN-positive group than the negative group (P = 0.006) when controlling for PSA level, pathological stage and Gleason sum. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to traditional pathological prognostic variables, the absence of HGPIN in RRP specimens, although found in a minority of patients, denotes a significantly lower rate of tumour multifocality, perineural invasion and ultimately biochemical recurrence. PMID- 17784882 TI - Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder of plasmacytoma-like subtype. PMID- 17784881 TI - Concurrent upper and lower urinary tract robotic surgery: strategies for success. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of combined upper and lower urinary tract robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) during one operative session. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe strategies for port placement and the use of the new da Vinci S surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), equipped with a fourth arm, for concurrent surgeries in a porcine model and in humans within one operative session. We studied various schemes of port placement, patient positioning and robotic arm manoeuvring while doing concurrent ipsilateral upper and lower urinary tract surgery on six pigs. The operative times and estimated blood loss were recorded prospectively. Qualitative data such as robotic arm ergonomics, advantages and disadvantages of various port placement strategies were noted. During the various surgical exercises, particular attention was given to the extent and the limits of instrument arm reach and mobility of the various port-placement schemes. These concepts for port placement and patient positioning were then further evaluated in a cadaver followed by demonstration of feasibility by performing a robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RAL) right nephroureterectomy in a patient. RESULTS: We describe a four-port 'baseball diamond' strategy to allow instrument access to the entire ipsilateral urinary tract in one operating session without repositioning the patient and re docking the robot. Furthermore, if additional instrument length is required to reach the deep pelvis, we describe a novel 'pivoting triangle' manoeuvre that incorporates the fourth arm and allows dual-port cannulation and lens telescoping. CONCLUSION: Single session, concurrent multiple quadrant RALS is facilitated by using the da Vinci S surgical system with a 'baseball diamond' port-placement strategy. PMID- 17784883 TI - Cerebral toxoplasmosis in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated with fludarabine. PMID- 17784884 TI - Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large pheochromocytoma. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large adrenal pheochromocytomas as although the safety and efficacy for small pheochromocytomas is relatively well documented its use for large pheochromocytomas is controversial because of a perceived increased risk of malignancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All pheochromocytomas (>8 cm) managed prospectively using a laparoscopic approach between January 2002 and April 2006 were included. Blood loss, operative duration, complications, and hospital stay were assessed. RESULTS: In all, 11 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large pheochromocytomas. The adrenal sizes were 8-15 cm. The mean blood loss was <100 mL, the mean operative duration was 145 min and the mean postoperative stay was 3.6 days. Only one patient had an intraoperative hypertensive crisis, and recovery was uneventful in all. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic transperitoneal, lateral adrenalectomy is safe and efficient means of resecting large (>8 cm) adrenal pheochromocytomas. Although intraoperative catecholamine surges are a cause of major concern, early clipping and dividing of the adrenal vein helps to avoid a catecholamine-induced hypertensive crisis. PMID- 17784885 TI - Prostatic involvement by urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: clinicopathological features and outcome after radical cystectomy. AB - OBJECTIVES: To review the long-term outcome of prostatic involvement in patients with bladder cancer (BC) treated with radical cystectomy (RC), as urothelial carcinoma (UC) involving the prostate occurs in such patients, and prostatic invasion by UC is by transmural invasion (contiguous), or when UC develops from the epithelium of the prostatic urethra (not contiguous). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1992 and 2006, 351 men had RC for BC by one surgeon at our centre; they were stratified into those with contiguous or non-contiguous disease, based on prostatic stromal involvement. Relevant clinical and pathological data were collected and the survival analysed. RESULTS: In all, 24% (78/320) of the patients who had RC had prostatic involvement; 29 (9%) and 49 (15%) had contiguous and non-contiguous involvement, respectively. In the non-contiguous group, there was stromal and non-stromal UC involvement in 18 (37%) and 31 (63%), respectively. The overall 5-year survival of contiguous, non-contiguous and no prostatic involvement was 6%, 57% and 66% (P < 0.001). The 5-year overall survival of stromal and non-stromal UC was 26% and 74% (P = 0.008). There was no statistical difference in survival between contiguous and non-contiguous stromal involvement (P = 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: Prostatic UC with no stromal involvement did not alter the survival predicted by the primary bladder stage. Stromal involvement of the prostate has a poor prognosis regardless of the mode of invasion. PMID- 17784886 TI - Angiotension II receptor 1 blocker modifies the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and transforming growth factor-beta1 in prostate tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess whether angiotensin II (Ang II), important in hypertension and highly expressed in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is involved in prostate growth, by analysing changes in the histological composition, tissue apoptotic status and level of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) induced by an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker, losartan, in the prostates of spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed four groups of six rats each: normotensive Wistar-Kyoto counterparts of SH rats; untreated SH rats; SH rats given low-dose losartan (10 mg/kg/day for 10 weeks); and SH given high dose losartan (30 mg/kg/day for 10 weeks). We evaluated the histological composition and expression of TGFbeta1 and apoptosis-related proteins, i.e. Bax and the 116-kDa poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP), by Western blotting in the rat prostate ventral lobes. RESULTS: Compared with Wistar-Kyoto rats, untreated SH rats had a significantly increased epithelium component in the prostate (P < 0.01), but with losartan treatment, SH rats showed less of the epithelium component than untreated rats (P < 0.01 for both low- and high-dose losartan). Western-blot analysis showed a significantly increased level of Bax in high-dose losartan-treated rats (P < 0.01). The expression of 116 kDa PARP was also decreased in these rats (P < 0.01), which suggests increased caspase-3 activity. In addition, TGFbeta1 levels were significantly elevated in high-dose losartan-treated rats (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results show that losartan can induce apoptosis of prostate epithelium and increase the TGFbeta1 expression in SH rats, suggesting that Ang II stimulation might be involved in the pathogenesis of BPH, which might correlate with the regulation of TGFbeta1 expression. PMID- 17784887 TI - Persistence of the synaptosomal-associated protein-25 cleavage product after intradetrusor botulinum toxin A injections in patients with myelomeningocele showing an inadequate response to treatment. AB - OBJECTIVE To monitor the presence and cleavage of synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) by botulinum toxin type A (botox-A), in human detrusor muscle, as the effects of botox-A in the urinary bladder last significantly longer than when applied for disorders of striated muscles. PATIENTS AND METHODS Tissue samples were obtained from eight patients with end-stage neurogenic bladder at different times after injection with botox-A. The resected bladder domes were examined using biochemical and immunohistological techniques. RESULTS The presence of intact SNAP-25 in human bladder was detected, for the first time, in all samples by both Western blotting and immunofluorescence. By contrast, detection of a band potentially representing toxin-cleaved SNAP-25(A) required its enrichment by precipitation with a specific antibody. This putative product was present in four of six patients treated with botox-A 5 weeks to 11 months previously, but could not be detected in one patient 30 months after botox injection, and in an untreated control. Fluorescence microscopy showed no obvious effects of the toxin treatment on the presence and pattern of SNAP-25-positive neurones. CONCLUSIONS A limited amount of SNAP-25 appears to be cleaved in nerves that innervate the smooth detrusor muscle in most patients who had been injected with botox-A; its absolute identification was precluded by the sensitivity of the detection. This protein was detectable much longer after toxin treatment than published for rodent striated muscle, and thus could contribute to the clinically reported longer duration of the effectiveness of botox-A. PMID- 17784888 TI - A delay in radical cystectomy of >3 months is not associated with a worse clinical outcome. AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between the interval from the last transurethral resection (TUR) to radical cystectomy (RC) and bladder cancer specific outcome, as the decision to proceed to RC for an individual patient is complex, and recent reports suggest an interval from diagnosis to RC of >3 months is associated with adverse outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of 592 patients who had RC were reviewed; the interval from the last TUR was analysed as both a continuous and categorical variable (<3 vs >/=3 months). Logistic regression and survival analyses were used to evaluate the association between the interval to RC with pathological characteristics and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The mean (sd) actuarial cancer-specific survival was 70.5 (2.3)% and 60.7 (3.2)% at 3 and 7 years, respectively. Overall, the median (range) time from TUR to RC was 1.8 (0.3-11.6) months. The interval to RC analysed as a continuous or categorical variable was not associated with extravesical or nodal disease, lymph node metastases, disease recurrence, overall or cancer-specific survival. The results were similar in the subgroup of 320 patients (54%) with clinically muscle-invasive disease. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a reasonable delay from the last TUR to RC is not independently associated with stage progression or with decreased recurrence-free or disease-specific survival. These findings might have important implications for trial design in the ongoing evaluation of neoadjuvant regimens. Nevertheless, we see no reason to advocate anything less than the timely consideration of definitive treatment for patients with high-risk bladder cancer. PMID- 17784889 TI - Influence of intravesical potassium on pelvic floor activity in women with recurrent urinary tract infections: comparative urodynamics might lead to enhanced detection of dysfunctional voiding. AB - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of intravesical potassium on pelvic floor activity (PFA) during voiding in women with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) by using comparative urodynamics (CUD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: CUD was conducted in 49 women (mean age 34.6 years, range 15-82) with rUTI. Every patient had two sessions of pressure-flow studies with simultaneous measurement of PFA by perineal surface electromyography (EMG); the first was with 0.9% saline and in the second the bladder was filled with 0.2 m KCl solution. All patients had voiding cysto-urethrography, and dysfunctional voiding (DV) was diagnosed when significant PFA was measured by EMG during voiding. RESULTS: Overall, DV was diagnosed in 37 patients (76%) using CUD; 16 (32%) had DV with saline on the pelvic floor EMG. In all these patients there were significantly greater EMG signals in the presence of KCL. In 21 patients (43%) DV was only detected using KCL; this improvement in the detection rate of DV was statistically significant (P = 0.006). Filling with KCl also prompted a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in maximum bladder capacity, maximum and average flow rates and in postvoid residual urine volume. CONCLUSION: The present data show that DV is present in most women with rUTI but cannot sufficiently be diagnosed by conventional urodynamics with standard 0.9% saline. The present study suggests that CUD might enhance the detection rates of DV. PMID- 17784890 TI - Patient outcomes and length of hospital stay after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: analysis of hospital episodes statistics for England. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morbidity and mortality after radical prostatectomy (RP) in relation to the numbers of RPs carried out at individual hospitals, as recent studies of complex surgery report worse outcomes in low-volume hospitals, and there has been a large increase in RPs for localized prostate cancer. METHODS: We analysed hospital episode statistics data for all 18 027 RPs in English National Health Service hospitals between 1997 and 2004. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, there was a U-shaped association of hospital volume with mortality (P for nonlinear trend, 0.004), but this finding was based on only 59 (0.3%) deaths. The mean length of stay was 6 days and decreased by 2.96% (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.98-3.92; P < 0.001) per quintile increase in hospital volume. In all, 16.1% of men had 30-day in-hospital complications; 20.3% were readmitted with complications within a year. The odds of 30-day in-hospital wound/bleeding complications decreased by 6% (95% CI 1-11; P = 0.02), and miscellaneous medical complications decreased by 10% (0-19; P = 0.04) per increase in hospital volume quintile. For re-admissions within a year, the hazard of vascular complications decreased by 15% (6-22; P = 0.001), wound/bleeding complications decreased by 8% (2-13; P = 0.01) and genitourinary complications decreased by 5% (2-8; P = 0.002), per increase in hospital volume quintile. CONCLUSION: In men undergoing RP the length of hospital stay and rates of some short- and long-term postoperative complications afterward are lower in high volume hospitals. The magnitudes of these effects on the outcomes studied may be too small and inconsistent to indicate a policy of selective referral to high volume hospitals. Quality of life and oncological outcomes, however, could not be investigated in this dataset. PMID- 17784891 TI - Renal neuroendocrine tumours: a clinicopathological study. AB - OBJECTIVES: To report cases of primary neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the kidney, including carcinoid tumour, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and small cell carcinoma (SCC), which show a wide range of NE differentiation and biological behaviour, and are exceedingly rare. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinicopathological features of all nine renal NETs diagnosed during a 7-year period were reviewed. RESULTS: Six carcinoids, two SCC and one LCNEC were identified from 2780 kidney tumours. No patient had carcinoid syndrome or other NE symptoms. Three of six carcinoids and no SCC/LCNEC arose in horseshoe kidneys. The mean size of the six carcinoids and three SCC/LCNEC was 4.8 cm and 12.2 cm, respectively. No carcinoid had tumour necrosis or mitosis. By contrast, three SCC/LCNEC had extensive tumour necrosis and brisk mitosis. All renal NETs were positive for synaptophysin but were variably positive for chromogranin and CD56. Three of six carcinoid tumours were confined to the kidney, and four of five patients were disease-free at a mean (range) of 26 (6-74) months. One patient with nodal metastases has had no recurrence and another died with liver metastases. Three patients with SCC/LCNEC each presented with locally advanced disease and extensive lymphadenopathy; two of them died from distant metastasis or local tumour progression, and the third is currently alive with disease. CONCLUSIONS: Various NETs can occur in the kidney, but rarely. Renal carcinoids have a variable clinical course; SCC and LCNEC are associated with poor clinical outcomes. The diagnosis of NETs, especially LCNEC, requires awareness of their rare occurrence and prudent use of immunohistochemical NE markers. PMID- 17784892 TI - Intravenous and intranasal heroin-dependent treatment-seekers: characteristics and treatment outcome. AB - AIMS: This study compared the characteristics of intravenous (i.v.) and intranasal (i.n.) heroin users seeking methadone treatment, and their response to treatment. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 319 heroin-dependent adults. DESIGN: Participants were assigned randomly to receive interim methadone treatment or to a waiting list control on a 3 : 2 basis. Analyses were conducted by dividing participants into two groups based on their route of heroin ingestion: i.v. or i.n. SETTING: A methadone clinic in Baltimore City, Maryland. INTERVENTION: Interim methadone treatment consisted of providing an adequate and stable dose of methadone, but no psychosocial services, to heroin-dependent adults for up to 120 days while they awaited an opening for comprehensive methadone treatment. MEASURES: Addiction Severity Index, Texas Christian University AIDS Risk Assessment, a questionnaire on treatment entry and a urine drug test were collected at baseline and at entry into a comprehensive treatment program, or at 120 days after baseline assessment, whichever came first. FINDINGS: At baseline, over 60% of participants were i.n. users and had been for an average of over 12 years; i.v. users, compared to i.n. users, were more likely to have ever used cocaine, to have used cocaine in the past 30 days, to have more medical complications and to report more income generated from criminal behavior. Both i.v. and i.n. users reduced their self-reported days of heroin use, cocaine use and days of criminal activity in response to interim methadone treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite differences in baseline characteristics, i.n. and i.v. heroin-dependent individuals did not differ in their response to interim methadone treatment. PMID- 17784893 TI - Peer acceleration: effects of a social network tailored substance abuse prevention program among high-risk adolescents. AB - OBJECTIVE: To test whether a social network tailored substance abuse prevention program can reduce substance use among high-risk adolescents without creating deviancy training (iatrogenic effects). METHODS: A classroom randomized controlled trial comparing control classes with those receiving an evidence-based substance use prevention program [Towards No Drug Abuse (TND)] and TND Network, a peer-led interactive version of TND. Students (n = 541, mean age 16.3 years) in 75 classes from 14 alternative high schools completed surveys before and approximately 1 year after curriculum delivery. Past-month use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, TND Network was effective in reducing substance use. However, the program effect interacted with peer influence and was effective mainly for students who had peer networks that did not use substances. Students with classroom friends who use substances were more likely to increase their use. CONCLUSIONS: A peer-led interactive substance abuse prevention program can accelerate peer influences. For students with a peer environment that supports non-use, the program was effective and reduced substance use. For students with a peer environment that supports substance use, an interactive program may have deleterious effects. PMID- 17784894 TI - Longitudinal predictors of changes to illicit drug use among young Australian women. AB - AIM: Much information regarding predictors of illicit drug initiation and cessation is drawn from cross-sectional data. This paper aims to determine the longitudinal changes in factors associated with initiation and cessation of illicit drugs by young Australian women over a 3-year period. PARTICIPANTS: The sample was the cohort of young women moving from their mid- to late 20s, completing the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) survey in 2000 and 2003, who were either 'new' users or 'quitters' at the 2003 survey. MEASUREMENTS: Crude and multivariate associations between changes in predictor variables and the probability of illicit drug initiation or cessation were evaluated. Variables significant in univariate analyses were used to create multivariable logistic regression models which predicted initiation and cessation of illicit drugs. FINDINGS: All categories of smokers, except ex-smokers and those who adopted and quit smoking between surveys, were less likely to cease the use of illicit drugs. Women who became pregnant were more likely to cease illicit drug use. Women who continued to drink at levels described as long-/short-term risk and women who suffered continuing emotional abuse were less likely to cease use of illicit drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal studies that examine factors associated with illicit drug initiation are best conducted in a cohort aged in their late teens to early 20s. Following the current cohort into their late 30s may further explain predictors of illicit drug cessation. PMID- 17784895 TI - Comparative toxicology of fatal heroin overdose cases and morphine positive homicide victims. AB - AIMS: To compare the blood toxicology of heroin overdose cases and morphine positive homicide victims. DESIGN: Analysis of coronial cases. SETTING: Sydney, Australia. Cases A total of 705 cases of death due to opioid toxicity and 28 morphine positive homicide cases (1 January 1998-31 December 2002). FINDINGS: There was no significant difference between the median morphine concentrations of the overdose and homicide groups (0.50 versus 0.45 mg/l). The overdose group was more likely to have blood alcohol (OR 3.21) present, but less likely to have methadone (OR 0.26) and cannabis (OR 0.04). There was a significant negative correlation between blood morphine and alcohol concentrations among the overdose group (rho = -0.32), but not among the homicide group (rho = -0.03). Independent predictors of a higher blood morphine concentration were a lower alcohol concentration and a higher methadone concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Morphine concentrations per se are not diagnostic of overdose. The study confirms the salience of concomitant alcohol consumption in such events. PMID- 17784896 TI - A randomized trial of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of observed versus unobserved administration of buprenorphine-naloxone for heroin dependence. AB - AIMS: To compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of unobserved versus observed dosing of patients seeking treatment of heroin dependence. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis. Setting Specialist out-patient drug treatment centres in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Heroin users seeking maintenance treatment. INTERVENTION: Participants were allocated randomly to observed or unobserved dosing for 3 months. All subjects received buprenorphine-naloxone and weekly clinical reviews. MEASUREMENTS: Primary end points were retention in treatment and heroin use at 3 months. Costs of treatment were measured (in Australian dollars, AU$) and cost-effectiveness compared. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, psychological symptoms and use of non-opioid drugs. FINDINGS: A total of 119 subjects were randomized and analysed. At 3 months, 33/58 (57%) randomized to unobserved treatment, and 37/61 (61%) observed were retained (log-rank chi2 = 0.04, df = 1, P = 0.84). On an intention to-treat analysis, reductions in days of heroin use in the preceding month, from baseline to 3 months, did not differ significantly; 18.5 days (95% CI: 21.8-15.3) and 22.0 days (95% CI: 24.3-19.7), respectively (Mann-Whitney U = 807.5, P = 0.13). The mean cost for the unobserved group was AU$1,663 (95% CI 1308-2017) per treatment episode, significantly less than the mean cost for the observed group at AU$2,138 (95% CI 1713-2562). CONCLUSIONS: Retention and heroin use was not significantly different between observed and unobserved dosing groups. Attendance for observed dosing was not associated with worse retention. Treatment with close clinical monitoring, but no observation of dosing, was significantly cheaper and therefore significantly more cost-effective. PMID- 17784897 TI - Consistency of self-reported smoking over a 6-year interval from adolescence to young adulthood. AB - AIMS: To examine the reliability of self-report cigarette smoking questions by describing recanting (denial of previous smoking reports) in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents followed throughout young adulthood. Predictors of recanting across stages of smoking uptake/progression are examined. DESIGN: A total of 12 985 respondents to cigarette smoking questions during in home interviews at waves I and III (6 years apart) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The sample survey procedures of Stata 9.0 were used to produce nationally representative estimates, with standard errors adjusted for both clustering at the school level and stratification by geographical region. MEASUREMENTS: Recanting probabilities determined by reports of stages of smoking uptake/progression at each time-point were predicted by race/ethnicity, parental education, household income, poverty level, depression and peer daily smoking. FINDINGS: Stage-specific results indicated that recanting is higher when the earlier smoking was less frequent/intense. Recanters were older, from lower-income households and had higher baseline depression levels. Non-Hispanic black youth were significantly more likely to recant previous smoking compared to non-Hispanic white youth, even in multivariate models controlling for socio-demographic variables. Predictors of recanting differed by level of tobacco involvement. The greater likelihood of non-Hispanic black respondents to deny previous smoking may be a reflection of less intense or more intermittent use of tobacco that leads to recall differences over time. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic subgroups and/or respondents endorsing depressive symptoms may be more vulnerable to misclassification during interpretation of national survey data and subsequently not identified properly for prevention/intervention programs. PMID- 17784898 TI - Suicidal behaviour and associated risk factors among opioid-dependent individuals: a case-control study. AB - AIMS: To examine suicidal behaviour and the associated risk factors among opioid dependent cases and non-opioid-dependent controls. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Sydney, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 726 opioid-dependent cases and 399 non-opioid-dependent controls, matched on age, sex and employment status. FINDINGS: Cases had significantly higher life-time prevalence of suicidal thoughts (66% versus 55%), suicide attempts (31% versus 20%) and multiple attempts (19% versus 11%) compared to controls. Cases were significantly more likely to indicate a severe intent to die (63% versus 43%). Both cases and controls who had attempted suicide were significantly more likely than others to suffer from substance use and psychological disorders, as well as childhood maltreatment. Risk factors which predicted suicide attempts were the same among cases and controls, including screening positive for borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and persistent suicidal thoughts. CONCLUSIONS: Although controls had elevated levels of suicidal behaviour compared to those seen in general population surveys, the prevalence of suicidal behaviour among cases was still much higher. Although opioid dependence was related to suicidal behaviour, it did not make a unique contribution to the risk of suicide attempts over and above the other risk factors identified. PMID- 17784899 TI - Young Australians and alcohol: the acceptabllity of ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages among 12-30-year-olds. AB - BACKGROUND: Concern has been expressed regarding the influence of the newer premixed alcohols, known as ready-to-drinks (RTDs), on adolescent alcohol use as a result of their sweet and milky flavours. Use of these flavours may reduce the natural barrier of the often strong and unpleasant flavour of alcohol to early experimentation and regular and heavy use. AIM: To determine the acceptability and alcohol detectability of a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to young adolescents and young adults. DESIGN: A convenience sample of 350 participants was recruited, 70 in each of five age groups. Participants were grouped according to age into 12-13 years, 14-15 years, 16-17 years, younger adults of 18-23 years and older adults of 24-30 years, with even gender distribution in an experimental design comparing blind and labelled acceptability testing of a range of RTDs and their alcohol and soft drink components, beer, wine and a novel beverage. FINDINGS: The acceptability of alcohol increased with age; however, chocolate 'Mudshake', and to a lesser extent watermelon 'Breezer', had acceptability scores more like their soft drink base than their alcohol component. There were no significant differences in the ability to detect the presence of alcohol in the RTDs across age or beverage types. CONCLUSION: Public policy makers and others concerned with preventing early initiation to alcohol use and binge drinking among adolescents should be aware that when using milk as a base for an RTD, particularly with an alcoholic base such as vodka, the drink may have high acceptance with young adolescents and equal palatability to milk, even though the presence of alcohol is not completely masked. Further research with a wider range of RTDs is required. PMID- 17784900 TI - Crack-heroin speedball injection and its implications for vein care: qualitative study. AB - BACKGROUND: We report on an exploratory qualitative study investigating drug injectors' narratives of vein damage and groin (femoral vein) injection associated with the injection of crack-heroin speedball. METHODS: We undertook 44 in-depth qualitative interviews among injectors of crack-heroin speedball in Bristol and London, England, in 2006. FINDINGS: The data suggest an emerging culture of crack-based speedball injection. Injectors' narratives link speedball injection with shifts towards groin injection articulated as an acceptable risk, and not merely as a last resort in the face of increased vein deterioration associated with speedball. Accounts of vein damage linked to speedball emphasize 'missed hits' related to the local anaesthetic action of crack, the excess use of citric in the preparation of speedball injections and 'flushing' when making a hit. We find that groin injection persists despite an awareness of health risks and medical complications. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize an urgent need for reviewing harm reduction in relation to vein care in the context of shifts to crack-based speedball injection, and the use of the femoral vein, among UK injectors. There is an additional need for interventions to promote safer groin and speedball injecting as well as to prevent transitions toward groin and crack injection. PMID- 17784901 TI - The effect of brief interventions on alcohol consumption among heavy drinkers in a general hospital setting. AB - AIMS: (i) To evaluate the effect of receiving one of two brief interventions in reducing alcohol consumption among general hospital patients compared with usual care. (ii) To assess whether a brief intervention of self-efficacy enhancement was superior to a self-help booklet in reducing alcohol consumption. DESIGN: A three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Seven general medical, six general surgical, one dermatology and two otolaryngology wards of a large teaching hospital covering a large urban and rural area. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 215 of 789 in-patients aged 18-75 years, who screened positive for alcohol consumption in excess of national recommended limits according to a 7-day retrospective drinking diary. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were allocated to receive one of three interventions: (i) face-to-face self-efficacy enhancement; (ii) a self-help booklet; or (iii) usual care. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was change in reported alcohol consumption at 6-month follow-up as measured by a 7-day retrospective drinking diary. Secondary outcomes were change in: number of alcohol drinking days in last week; the maximum units of alcohol consumed on any one day in last week; and Drinking Refusal Self-efficacy Expectancy Questionnaire score. FINDINGS: Compared to the usual care group the self-efficacy enhancement group (-10.1 units 95% CI -16.1 to -4.1) and the self help booklet group (-10.0 units 95% CI -16.0 to -3.9) had greater reductions in self-reported weekly alcohol consumption. There was no evidence that self efficacy enhancement was superior to the self-help booklet (P = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Brief interventions delivered in hospital offer simple means of helping heavy drinkers to reduce their alcohol consumption. PMID- 17784902 TI - Aminoguanidine produces beneficial haemodynamic effects in a canine model of acute pulmonary thromboembolism. AB - AIM: Activating the nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) pathway improves haemodynamics following acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APT). However, the role of NO synthase (NOS) isoforms in the responses to APT has not been determined. We examined the effects of selective and non-selective inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibition. METHODS: Haemodynamic evaluations were performed in non embolized dogs treated with saline (control group; n = 4), L-NAME (NAME group; n = 3), or aminoguanidine (AG group; n = 3), and in dogs that received the same drugs and were embolized with 5 mL kg(-1) of clots made with autologous blood (Emb group, n = 9; NAME + Emb group, n = 4 and AG + Emb group, n = 7). The lung concentrations of nitrite/nitrate (NOx) and cGMP were determined by chemiluminescence and ELISA respectively. RESULTS: Acute pulmonary thromboembolism increased mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) by 21.4 +/- 1.7 mmHg and by 843 +/- 34 dyn s cm( 5) m(-2), respectively, in Emb group. MPAP and PVRI increased to higher levels in the NAME + Emb group 15 min after APT and all dogs in this group died 15-30 min after APT. Conversely, lower MPAP and PVRI levels were found in the AG + Emb group 2 h after APT compared with the Emb group (both P < 0.05). Higher NOx concentrations were found in the Emb group compared with the other groups (all P < 0.05). Higher cGMP concentrations were found in the Emb and AG + Emb groups compared with the other groups (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that endogenous NO protects against APT-induced cardiovascular responses. Moreover, iNOS-derived NO possibly produces unfavourable effects, which are counteracted by aminoguanidine. However, non-NO-related mechanisms may also be involved. PMID- 17784903 TI - Respiratory modulation of cardiovascular rhythms before and after short-duration human spaceflight. AB - AIM: Astronauts commonly return from space with altered short-term cardiovascular dynamics and blunted baroreflex sensitivity. Although many studies have addressed this issue, post-flight effects on the dynamic circulatory control remain incompletely understood. It is not clear how long the cardiovascular system needs to recover from spaceflight as most post-flight investigations only extended between a few days and 2 weeks. METHODS: In this study, we examined the effect of short-duration spaceflight (1-2 weeks) on respiratory-mediated cardiovascular rhythms in five cosmonauts. Two paced-breathing protocols at 6 and 12 breaths min(-1) were performed in the standing and supine positions before spaceflight, and after 1 and 25 days upon return. Dynamic baroreflex function was evaluated by transfer function analysis between systolic pressure and the RR intervals. RESULTS: Post-flight orthostatic blood pressure control was preserved in all cosmonauts. In the standing position after spaceflight there was an increase in heart rate (HR) of approx. 20 beats min(-1) or more. Averaged for all five cosmonauts, respiratory sinus dysrhythmia and transfer gain reduced to 40% the day after landing, and had returned to pre-flight levels after 25 days. Low frequency gain decreased from 6.6 (3.4) [mean (SD)] pre-flight to 3.9 (1.6) post flight and returned to 5.7 (1.3) ms mmHg(-1) after 25 days upon return to Earth. Unlike alterations in the modulation of HR, blood pressure dynamics were not significantly different between pre- and post-flight sessions. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that short-duration spaceflight reduces respiratory modulation of HR and decreases cardiac baroreflex gain without affecting post-flight arterial blood pressure dynamics. Altered respiratory modulation of human autonomic rhythms does not persist until 25 days upon return to Earth. PMID- 17784904 TI - Initial mechanomyographical signals from twitching fibres of human skeletal muscle. AB - AIM: To elucidate the origin of characteristic low-frequency sound of contracting skeletal muscle, propagation properties of mechanical and electrical signals along twitching muscle were studied. METHODS: From voluntarily twitching muscle in human vastus medialis muscle, mechanical and electrical signals were simultaneously recorded through the skin with microphones and wire electrodes. RESULTS: The initial part of the mechanical signal recorded by the microphone showed transient pressure decrease (negative-going phase) followed by sustained pressure increase (positive-going phase). The mechanical signals obtained over the nerve insertion lacked the negative-going phase. The onset of the positive going phase appeared 2.5 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SEM, n = 7) ms behind the onset of spike potential independently of the sensor position. The onset of the negative going phase propagated along the muscle at a constant velocity of 29.8 +/- 3.4 m s(-1), which was about ten times faster than the propagation velocity of action potentials (3.2 +/- 0.1 m s(-1)). Extrapolation analyses showed that the negative and positive-going phases originated at the nerve insertion 2.1 +/- 0.3 and 1.6 +/- 0.1 ms behind the generation of muscle action potentials respectively. Local muscle compression blocked the propagation of only the negative-going phase. CONCLUSIONS: The negative-going mechanical signal represents a passive process, probably the thinning of the internally stretched segments of the twitching muscle. The positive-going phase, on the other hand, represents an active process, probably muscle thickening due to the internal shortening. Each phase, therefore, would convey information about the mechanical properties of resting and contracting muscle fibres respectively. PMID- 17784905 TI - Effects of a 3-day fast on regional lipid and glucose metabolism in human skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. AB - AIM: Fasting is characterized by increased whole body lipolysis and lipid oxidation, decreased glucose oxidation and insulin resistance. To identify the regional sources and underlying mechanisms, we studied 10 healthy male volunteers post-absorptively and after 72 h of fasting. METHODS: Each study comprised a 3-h basal period and a 3-h hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp and we used a combination of leg and forearm arteriovenous techniques, upper and lower body microdialysis and glucose and palmitate tracers. RESULTS: In the basal state, plasma levels, fluxes and oxidation rates of free fatty acids all roughly doubled after fasting. Palmitate fluxes across the forearm and leg also increased by two to threefold and interstitial leg muscle glycerol concentrations doubled. Subcutaneous femoral glycerol concentrations and blood flows were unaltered, but abdominal subcutaneous blood flow increased by 50% in the presence of unchanged glycerol concentrations, indicating stimulated abdominal lipolysis. During the clamp, we observed whole body insulin resistance and glucose uptake across the leg and forearm decreased by 60%. CONCLUSION: Our data show that fasting induces insulin resistance in upper and lower body muscles and suggest that increased lipolysis, is primarily due to the activation of lipolysis in muscle-associated fat (in the leg) and in upper body subcutaneous fat, whereas peripheral subcutaneous fat is spared. PMID- 17784906 TI - Hyperoxia reduces basal release of nitric oxide and contracts porcine coronary arteries. AB - AIM: The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether changes in nitric oxide (NO) concentration is involved in hyperoxia-induced vasoconstriction in porcine conduit coronary arteries. METHODS: The effect of hyperoxia on NO release and vasoconstriction was evaluated by tension recording, microsensor measurements, and immunoblotting in porcine conduit coronary arteries contracted with U46619 or 5-hydroxytryptamine. RESULTS: In endothelium-intact segments exchanging 20% O2, 5% CO2, 75% N2 (normoxia) for 95% O2, 5% CO2 (hyperoxia) increased contraction. In segments without endothelium hyperoxia-evoked contraction was abolished, but restored by an encircling donor segment with endothelium. An inhibitor of NOS, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA, 300 mum), reduced hyperoxic contraction and basal NO concentration by, respectively, 38 +/- 12% and 46 +/- 3% (P < 0.05, n = 9). A NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), increased NO concentration and evoked relaxation to the same levels in normoxic and hyperoxic conditions. beta-actin and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein expression was similar in normoxic and hyperoxic arterial segments. Phosphorylation of eNOS was unaltered in normoxia vs. hyperoxia, but phosphorylation of eNOS-Ser(1177) was increased and phosphorylation of eNOS Thr(495) decreased by U46619. Blockers of ATP-sensitive, voltage-dependent and calcium-activated K+ channels did not change hyperoxic contraction. However, high extracellular K+ concentration or a second and third exposure to hyperoxia decreased contraction. CONCLUSION: The present study provides direct evidence that hyperoxia reduces basal release of NO leading to depletable endothelium dependent vasoconstriction in porcine coronary arteries independent of changes in eNOS phosphorylation. PMID- 17784907 TI - Alleviating peanut allergy using genetic engineering: the silencing of the immunodominant allergen Ara h 2 leads to its significant reduction and a decrease in peanut allergenicity. AB - Peanut allergy is one of the most life-threatening food allergies and one of the serious challenges facing the peanut and food industries. Current proposed solutions focus primarily on ways to alter the immune system of patients allergic to peanut. However, with the advent of genetic engineering novel strategies can be proposed to solve the problem of peanut allergy from the source. The objectives of this study were to eliminate the immunodominant Ara h 2 protein from transgenic peanut using RNA interference (RNAi), and to evaluate the allergenicity of resulting transgenic peanut seeds. A 265-bp-long PCR product was generated from the coding region of Ara h 2 genomic DNA, and cloned as inverted repeats in pHANNIBAL, an RNAi-inducing plant transformation vector. The Ara h 2 specific RNAi transformation cassette was subcloned into a binary pART27 vector to construct plasmid pDK28. Transgenic peanuts were produced by infecting peanut hypocotyl explants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA 105 harbouring the pDK28 construct. A total of 59 kanamycin-resistant peanut plants were regenerated with phenotype and growth rates comparable to wild type. PCR and Southern analyses revealed that 44% of plants stably integrated the transgene. Sandwich ELISA performed using Ara h 2-mAbs revealed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in Ara h 2 content in several transgenic seeds. Western immunobloting performed with Ara h 2-mAb corroborated the results obtained with ELISA and showed absence of the Ara h 2 protein from crude extracts of several transgenic seeds of the T(0) plants. The allergenicity of transgenic peanut seeds expressed as IgE binding capacity was evaluated by ELISA using sera of patients allergic to peanut. The data showed a significant decrease in the IgE binding capacity of selected transgenic seeds compared to wild type, hence, demonstrating the feasibility of alleviating peanut allergy using the RNAi technology. PMID- 17784908 TI - Borrelia burgdorferi adhesins identified using in vivo phage display. AB - Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, disseminates from the site of deposition by Ixodes ticks to cause systemic infection. Dissemination occurs through the circulation and through tissue matrices, but the B. burgdorferi molecules that mediate interactions with the endothelium in vivo have not yet been identified. In vivo selection of filamentous phage expressing B. burgdorferi protein fragments on the phage surface identified several new candidate adhesins, and verified the activity of one adhesin that had been previously characterized in vitro. P66, a B. burgdorferi ligand for beta(3)-chain integrins, OspC, a protein that is essential for the establishment of infection in mammals, and Vls, a protein that undergoes antigenic variation in the mammal, were all selected for binding to the murine endothelium in vivo. Additional B. burgdorferi proteins for which no functions have been identified, including all four members of the OspF family and BmpD, were identified as candidate adhesins. The use of in vivo phage display is one approach to the identification of adhesins in pathogenic bacteria that are not easily grown in the laboratory, or for which genetic manipulations are not straightforward. PMID- 17784910 TI - Expression of the Fis protein is sustained in late-exponential- and stationary phase cultures of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium grown in the absence of aeration. AB - The classic expression pattern of the Fis global regulatory protein during batch culture consists of a high peak in the early logarithmic phase of growth, followed by a sharp decrease through mid-exponential growth phase until Fis is almost undetectable at the end of the exponential phase. We discovered that this pattern is contingent on the growth regime. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium cultures grown in non-aerated SPI1-inducing conditions, Fis can be detected readily in stationary phase. On the other hand, cultures grown with standard aeration showed the classic Fis expression pattern. Sustained Fis expression in non-aerated cultures was also detected in some Escherichia coli strains, but not in others. This novel pattern of Fis expression was independent of sequence differences in the fis promoter regions of Salmonella and E. coli. Instead, a clear negative correlation between the expression of the Fis protein and of the stress-and-stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS was observed in a variety of strains. An rpoS mutant displayed elevated levels of Fis and had a higher frequency of epithelial cell invasion under these growth conditions. We discuss a model whereby Fis and RpoS levels vary in response to environmental signals allowing the expression and repression of SPI1 invasion genes. PMID- 17784909 TI - The RovA regulons of Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pestis are distinct: evidence that many RovA-regulated genes were acquired more recently than the core genome. AB - RovA is a transcriptional activator of Yersinia invasin, an outer membrane protein involved in bacterial attachment and invasion across the intestinal epithelium. In Y. enterocolitica, a rovA mutant is attenuated for virulence compared with either wild-type or inv mutant strains, indicating that RovA may regulate additional virulence factors. Here, we used microarray analysis to define the RovA regulon. Curiously, there was little overlap between the RovA regulons of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pestis despite the fact that RovA itself is highly conserved between the two species. Some of these differences are explained by the observation that a number of RovA-regulated loci in Y. enterocolitica do not have orthologues in Y. pestis and vice versa, suggesting that RovA established regulatory control over genetic material acquired after the divergence of the species. Electromobility shift assays demonstrated that 15 of these RovA-regulated loci directly interact with RovA, and 11 of these promoters had similar affinity as observed for the inv promoter. H-NS and YmoA are believed to form a transcriptional repression complex on the inv promoter, and several studies indicate that RovA and H-NS have overlapping DNA binding sites. H-NS and YmoA regulated a subset of the RovA-regulated loci. Furthermore, H-NS directly bound to 14 of the 15 promoters bound by RovA. From these data, we hypothesize that RovA generally behaves as an anti-H-NS factor to alleviate transcriptional repression in Y. enterocolitica. A number of recent studies have presented data and a model suggesting that H-NS functions as a transcriptional silencer of horizontally acquired genes. This repression can be selectively relieved by regulators such as RovA, and the observation that nearly all RovA-activated genes are repressed by H-NS is consistent with this model. PMID- 17784911 TI - The rolling-circle plasmid pTN1 from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus nautilus. AB - The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus nautilus carries a plasmid, pTN1, which encodes a rolling-circle (RC) replication initiator protein of 74 kDa (Rep74) and an orphan protein of 24 kDa (p24). The Rep74 protein is homologous to the Rep75 protein encoded by the RC plasmid pGT5 from Pyrococcus abyssi. Comparative analysis of Rep74 and Rep75 sequences shows that these proteins correspond to a new family of RC initiators formed by the fusion of a Rep domain with an N-terminal domain of unknown function. Surprisingly, the Rep domain of Rep74/75 is more closely related to transposases encoded by IS elements than to Rep proteins of other RC plasmids. The p24 protein contains a hydrophobic segment, a highly charged region and a zinc finger motif. A recombinant p24 protein lacking the hydrophobic segment binds and condenses both single- and double-stranded DNA, and forms DNA aggregates with extreme compaction at high protein to DNA ratio. In addition to encoding proteins of significant interest, pTN1 is remarkable by being the only characterized plasmid isolated from a Thermococcus strain, thus being useful to develop genetic tools in Thermococcus kodakaraensis for which gene disruption methods became recently available. PMID- 17784913 TI - Tracking the role of alternative prey in soybean aphid predation by Orius insidiosus: a molecular approach. AB - The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a pest of soybeans in Asia, and in recent years has caused extensive damage to soybeans in North America. Within these agroecosystems, generalist predators form an important component of the assemblage of natural enemies, and can exert significant pressure on prey populations. These food webs are complex and molecular gut content analyses offer nondisruptive approaches for examining trophic linkages in the field. We describe the development of a molecular detection system to examine the feeding behaviour of Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) upon soybean aphids, an alternative prey item, Neohydatothrips variabilis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), and an intraguild prey species, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Specific primer pairs were designed to target prey and were used to examine key trophic connections within this soybean food web. In total, 32% of O. insidiosus were found to have preyed upon A. glycines, but disproportionately high consumption occurred early in the season, when aphid densities were low. The intensity of early season predation indicates that O. insidiosus are important biological control agents of A. glycines, although data suggest that N. variabilis constitute a significant proportion of the diet of these generalist predators. No Orius were found to contain DNA of H. axyridis, suggesting intraguild predation upon these important late-season predators during 2005 was low. In their entirety, these results implicate O. insidiosus as a valuable natural enemy of A. glycines in this soybean agroecosystem. PMID- 17784912 TI - Mycoplasma genitalium: an efficient strategy to generate genetic variation from a minimal genome. AB - Mycoplasma genitalium, a human pathogen associated with sexually transmitted diseases, is unique in that it has smallest genome of any known free-living organism. The goal of this study was to investigate if and how M. genitalium uses a minimal genome to generate genetic variations. We analysed the sequence variability of the third gene (MG192 or mgpC) of the M. genitalium MgPa adhesion operon, demonstrated that the MG192 gene is highly variable among and within M. genitalium strains in vitro and in vivo, and identified MG192 sequence shifts in the course of in vitro passage of the G37 type strain and in sequential specimens from an M. genitalium-infected patient. In order to establish the origin of the MG192 variants, we examined nine genomic loci containing partial copies of the MgPa operon, known as MgPar sequences. Our analysis suggests that the MG192 sequence variation is achieved by recombination between the MG192 expression site and MgPar sequences via gene cross-over and, possibly, also by gene conversion. It appears plausible that M. genitalium has the ability to generate unlimited variants from its minimized genome, which presumably allows the organism to adapt to diverse environments and/or to evade host defences by antigenic variation. PMID- 17784914 TI - Integrative use of spatial, genetic, and demographic analyses for investigating genetic connectivity between migratory, montane, and sedentary caribou herds. AB - Genetic differentiation is generally assumed to be low in highly mobile species, but this simplistic view may obscure the complex conditions and mechanisms allowing genetic exchanges between specific populations. Here, we combined data from satellite-tracked migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus), microsatellite markers, and demographic simulations to investigate gene flow mechanisms between seven caribou herds of eastern Canada. Our study included one montane, two migratory, and four sedentary herds. Satellite-tracking data indicated possibilities of high gene flow between migratory herds: overlap of their rutting ranges averaged 10% across years and 9.4% of females switched calving sites at least once in their lifetime. Some migratory individuals moved into the range of the sedentary herds, suggesting possibilities of gene flow between these herds. Genetic differentiation between herds was weak but significant (FST=0.015): migratory and montane herds were not significantly distinct (FST all9) than vice versa (4Nm all<5), which suggests migratory herds had a demographic impact on sedentary herds. Demographic simulations showed that an effective immigration rate of 0.0005 was sufficient to obtain the empirical FST of 0.015, while a null immigration rate increased the simulated FST to >0.6. In conclusion, the weak genetic differentiation between herds cannot be obtained without some genetic exchanges among herds, as demonstrated by genetic and spatial data. PMID- 17784915 TI - Merging methods in molecular and ecological genetics to study the adaptation of plants to anthropogenic metal-polluted sites: implications for phytoremediation. AB - Metallophyte species that occur naturally on metal-enriched soils represent major biological resources for the improvement of phytoremediation, a benign and cost effective technology that uses plants to clean up anthropogenic metal-polluted soils. Within the last decade, molecular genetic studies carried out on several model organisms (including Arabidopsis halleri) have considerably enhanced our understanding of metal tolerance and hyperaccumulation in plants, but the identification of the genes of interest for phytoremediation purposes remains a challenge. To meet this challenge, we propose to combine '-omics' with molecular ecology methods. Using A. halleri, we confronted molecular genetic results with: (i) within-species polymorphism and large-scale population differentiation for zinc tolerance; (ii) the demographical context (e.g. migration pattern) of the species for zinc tolerance evolution; (iii) the Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis of the genetic architecture for zinc tolerance; and (iv) the fine-scale dissection of identified QTL regions, to discuss more precisely the nature of the genes potentially involved in the adaptation to zinc-polluted soils. PMID- 17784916 TI - High genetic diversity and population differentiation in Boechera fecunda, a rare relative of Arabidopsis. AB - Conservation of endangered species becomes a critical issue with the increasing rates of extinction. In this study, we use 13 microsatellite loci and 27 single copy nuclear loci to investigate the population genetics of Boechera fecunda, a rare relative of Arabidopsis thaliana, known from only 21 populations in Montana. We investigated levels of genetic diversity and population structure in comparison to its widespread congener, Boechera stricta, which shares similar life history and mating system. Despite its rarity, B. fecunda had levels of genetic diversity similar to B. stricta for both microsatellites and nucleotide polymorphism. Populations of B. fecunda are highly differentiated, with a majority of genetic diversity existing among populations (F(ST) = 0.57). Differences in molecular diversity and allele frequencies between western and eastern population groups suggest they experienced very different evolutionary histories. PMID- 17784917 TI - Birdsong and anthropogenic noise: implications and applications for conservation. AB - The dramatic increase in human activities all over the world has caused, on an evolutionary time scale, a sudden rise in especially low-pitched noise levels. Ambient noise may be detrimental to birds through direct stress, masking of predator arrival or associated alarm calls, and by interference of acoustic signals in general. Two of the most important functions of avian acoustic signals are territory defence and mate attraction. Both of these functions are hampered when signal efficiency is reduced through rising noise levels, resulting in direct negative fitness consequences. Many bird species are less abundant near highways and studies are becoming available on reduced reproductive success in noisy territories. Urbanization typically leads to homogenization of bird communities over large geographical ranges. We review current evidence for whether and how anthropogenic noise plays a role in these patterns of decline in diversity and density. We also provide details of a case study on great tits (Parus major), a successful urban species. Great tits show features that other species may lack and make them unsuitable for city life. We hypothesize that behavioural plasticity in singing behaviour may allow species more time to adapt to human-altered environments and we address the potential for microevolutionary changes and urban speciation in European blackbirds (Turdus merula). We conclude by providing an overview of mitigating measures available to abate noise levels that are degrading bird breeding areas. Bird conservationists probably gain most by realizing that birds and humans often benefit from the same or only slightly modified measures. PMID- 17784918 TI - Landscape genetics of the self-compatible forest herb Geum urbanum: effects of habitat age, fragmentation and local environment. AB - To investigate the role of habitat fragmentation, fragment age and local environment in shaping the genetics of plant populations, we examined the genetic structure of the self-compatible forest herb Geum urbanum using microsatellite markers. A historical land-use reconstruction assigned the studied populations to two age classes: populations in primary forest fragments, and populations in secondary fragments. Local environmental conditions were quantified on the basis of the herb-layer community composition. A stepwise general linear model revealed that levels of within-population genetic diversity were best explained by population size, landscape connectivity and the interaction between both. Connectivity was positively correlated with the genetic diversity of small populations, but did not significantly affect the diversity of large populations. Contrary to what we expected, secondary-forest populations showed lower divergence relative to populations located in primary patches. Small populations were genetically more diverged compared to large populations. Mantel tests showed no significant isolation by distance and no significant correlation between habitat similarity and genetic differentiation. We conclude that gene flow has probably prevented founder events from being reflected in the present genetic structure of G. urbanum. Gene flow towards low-connectivity populations, however, seemed to be insufficient to counteract the effects of drift in small populations. PMID- 17784919 TI - Facing change: forms and foundations of contemporary adaptation to biotic invasions. AB - Ongoing adaptation in native populations to anthropogenic change both facilitates and challenges ecologically appropriate and sustainable management. Human disturbance promotes adaptive responses at the genomic, individual and population levels. Traits vary widely in whether adaptation occurs through plasticity or evolution, and these modes interact within and among traits. For example, plasticity in one trait may be adaptive because it permits homeostasis and lessens the intensity of selection in another. Both opportunity and catastrophe generate adaptive responses. Recently evolved adaptations characterize the responses of many native species to biotic invasions. Several well-known examples involve native phytophagous insects colonizing introduced plants. For example, our studies of North American and Australian soapberry bugs on nonindigenous plants demonstrate both diversifying and homogenizing contemporary evolution. Modes of adaptation differ among traits and populations and as a function of the host on which they develop. The genetic architecture of the evolving adaptations involves a substantial degree of nonadditive genetic variation. One important consequence of contemporary adaptation may be an enhanced capacity of native communities to provide adaptive biological control of invasive species. Conservation scientists may manipulate adaptation to achieve conservation goals, but must also decide how deeply they wish to attempt to control the phenotypes and genotypes of other species. PMID- 17784920 TI - Diversity and divergence patterns in regulatory genes suggest differential gene flow in recently derived species of the Hawaiian silversword alliance adaptive radiation (Asteraceae). AB - The impact of gene flow and population size fluctuations in shaping genetic variation during adaptive radiation, at both the genome-wide and gene-specific levels, is very poorly understood. To examine how historical population size and gene flow patterns within and between loci have influenced lineage divergence in the Hawaiian silversword alliance, we have investigated the nucleotide sequence diversity and divergence patterns of four floral regulatory genes (ASAP1-A, ASAP1 B, ASAP3-A, ASAP3-B) and a structural gene (ASCAB9). Levels and patterns of molecular divergence across these five nuclear loci were estimated between two recently derived species (Dubautia ciliolata and Dubautia arborea) which are presumed to be sibling species. This multilocus analysis of genetic variation, haplotype divergence and historical demography indicates that population expansion and differential gene flow occurred subsequent to the divergence of these two lineages. Moreover, contrasting patterns of allele- sharing for regulatory loci vs. a structural locus between these two sibling species indicate alternative histories of genetic variation and partitioning among loci where alleles of the floral regulatory loci are shared primarily from D. arborea to D. ciliolata and alleles of the structural locus are shared in both directions. Taken together, these results suggest that adaptively radiating species can exhibit contrasting allele migration rates among loci such that allele movement at specific loci may supersede genetic divergence caused by drift and that lineage divergence during adaptive radiation can be associated with population expansion. PMID- 17784921 TI - Molecular evolution of the Li/li chemical defence polymorphism in white clover (Trifolium repens L.). AB - White clover (Trifolium repens) is naturally polymorphic for cyanogenesis (hydrogen cyanide release following tissue damage). The ecological factors favouring cyanogenic and acyanogenic plants have been examined in numerous studies over the last half century, making this one of the best-documented examples of an adaptive polymorphism in plants. White clover cyanogenesis is controlled by two, independently segregating Mendelian genes: Ac/ac controls the presence/absence of cyanogenic glucosides; and Li/li controls the presence/absence of their hydrolysing enzyme, linamarase. In this study, we examine the molecular evolution and population genetics of Li as it relates to the cyanogenesis polymorphism. We report here that Li exists as a single-copy gene in plants possessing linamarase activity, and that the absence of enzyme activity in li/li plants is correlated with the absence of much or all of the gene from the white clover genome. Consistent with this finding, we confirm by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction that Li gene expression is absent in plants lacking enzyme activity. In a molecular population genetic analysis of Li and three unlinked genes using a worldwide sample of clover plants, we find an absence of nucleotide variation and statistically significant deviations from neutrality at Li; these findings are consistent with recent positive directional selection at this cyanogenesis locus. PMID- 17784922 TI - High prevalence of multiple paternity within fruits in natural populations of Silene latifolia, as revealed by microsatellite DNA analysis. AB - Data on multiple paternity within broods has been gathered in several animal species, and comparable data in plants would be of great importance to understand the evolution of reproductive traits in a common framework. In this study, we first isolated and characterized six microsatellite loci from the dioecious plant Silene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae). The polymorphism of the loci was assessed in 60 individual females from four different populations. Two of the investigated loci showed a pattern of inheritance consistent with X-linkage. These microsatellite loci were highly polymorphic and therefore useful tools for parentage analysis. We then used four of the markers to determine paternity within naturally pollinated fruits in four European populations. This study revealed widespread multiple paternity in all populations investigated. The minimum number of fathers per fruit varied from one to nine, with population means ranging from 3.4 to 4.9. The number of fathers per fruit was not significantly correlated with offspring sex ratios. High prevalence of multiple paternity within fruits strongly suggest that pollen competition is likely to occur in this species. This may substantially impact male reproductive success and possibly contribute to increase female and offspring fitness, either through postpollination selection or increased genetic diversity. Wide variation in outcrossing rates may be an overlooked aspect of plant mating systems. PMID- 17784923 TI - Genetic differentiation across a latitudinal gradient in two co-occurring butterfly species: revealing population differences in a context of climate change. AB - Genetic differentiation within a species' range is determined by natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow. Selection and drift enhance genetic differences if populations are sufficiently isolated, while gene flow precludes differentiation and local adaptation. Over large geographical areas, these processes can create a variety of scenarios, ranging from admixture to a high degree of population differentiation. Genetic differences among populations may signal functional differences within a species' range, potentially leading to population or ecotype-specific responses to global change. We investigated differentiation within the geographical range of two butterfly species along a broad latitudinal gradient. This gradient is the primary axis of climatic variation, and many ecologists expect populations at the poleward edge of this gradient to expand under climate change. Our study species inhabit a shared ecosystem and differ in body size and resource specialization; both also find their poleward range limit on an island. We find evidence for divergence of peripheral populations from the core in both taxa, suggesting the potential for genetic distinctiveness at the leading edge of climate change. We also find differences between the species in the extent of peripheral differentiation with the smaller and more specialized species showing greater population divergence (microsatellites and mtDNA) and reduced gene flow (mtDNA). Finally, gene flow estimates in both species differed strongly between two marker types. These findings suggest caution in assuming that populations are invariant across latitude and thus will respond as a single ecotype to climatic change. PMID- 17784924 TI - The nature of fisheries- and farming-induced evolution. AB - Humans have a penchant for unintentionally selecting against that which they desire most. In fishes, unprecedented reductions in abundance have been associated with unprecedented changes in harvesting and aquaculture technologies. Fishing, the predominant cause of fish-population collapses, is increasingly believed to generate evolutionary changes to characters of import to individual fitness, population persistence and levels of sustainable yield. Human-induced genetic change to wild populations can also result from interactions with their domesticated counterparts. Our examination of fisheries- and farming-induced evolution includes factors that may influence the magnitude, rate and reversibility of genetic responses, the potential for shifts in reaction norms and reduced plasticity, loss of genetic variability, outbreeding depression and their demographic consequences to wild fishes. We also suggest management initiatives to mitigate the effects of fisheries- and farming-induced evolution. Ultimately, the question of whether fishing or fish farming can cause evolutionary change is moot. The key issue is whether such change is likely to have negative conservation- or socio-economic consequences. Although the study of human-induced evolution on fishes should continue to include estimates of the magnitude and rate of selection, there is a critical need for research that addresses short- and long-term demographic consequences to population persistence, plasticity, recovery and productivity. PMID- 17784925 TI - Behavioural inbreeding avoidance in wild African elephants. AB - The costs of inbreeding depression, as well as the opportunity costs of inbreeding avoidance, determine whether and which mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance evolve. In African elephants, sex-biased dispersal does not lead to the complete separation of male and female relatives, and so individuals may experience selection to recognize kin and avoid inbreeding. However, because estrous females are rare and male-male competition for mates is intense, the opportunity costs of inbreeding avoidance may be high, particularly for males. Here we combine 28 years of behavioural and demographic data on wild elephants with genotypes from 545 adult females, adult males, and calves in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, to test the hypothesis that elephants engage in sexual behaviour and reproduction with relatives less often than expected by chance. We found support for this hypothesis: males engaged in proportionally fewer sexual behaviours and sired proportionally fewer offspring with females that were natal family members or close genetic relatives (both maternal and paternal) than they did with nonkin. We discuss the relevance of these results for understanding the evolution of inbreeding avoidance and for elephant conservation. PMID- 17784926 TI - Patterns of relatedness and parentage in an asocial, polyandrous striped hyena population. AB - We investigated patterns of relatedness and reproduction in a population of striped hyenas in which individuals are behaviourally solitary but form polyandrous spatial groups consisting of one adult female and multiple adult males. Group-mate males were often close relatives, but were unrelated or distantly related in some cases, indicating that male coalitions are not strictly a result of philopatry or dispersal with cohorts of relatives. Most male-female pairs within spatial groups were unrelated or only distantly related. Considering patterns of relatedness between groups, relatedness was significantly higher among adult males living in non-neighbouring ranges than among neighbouring males. Mean relatedness among male-female dyads was highest for group-mates, but relatedness among non-neighbouring males and females was also significantly higher than among dyads of opposite-sex neighbours. Female-female relatedness also increased significantly with increasing geographic separation. These unusual and unexpected patterns may reflect selection to settle in a nonadjacent manner to reduce inbreeding and/or competition among relatives for resources (both sexes), or mates (males). Finally, resident males fathered the majority of the resident female's cubs, but extra-group paternity was likely in 31% of the cases examined, and multiple paternity was likely in half of the sampled litters. PMID- 17784927 TI - Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes: still many secrets of a hidden life. AB - Sexual differentiation and parasite transmission are intimately linked in the life cycle of malaria parasites. The specialized cells providing this crucial link are the Plasmodium gametocytes. These are formed in the vertebrate host and are programmed to mature into gametes emerging from the erythrocytes in the midgut of a blood-feeding mosquito. The ensuing fusion into a zygote establishes parasite infection in the insect vector. Although key mechanisms of gametogenesis and fertilization are becoming progressively clear, the fundamental biology of gametocyte formation still presents open questions, some of which are specific to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Developmental commitment to sexual differentiation, regulation of stage-specific gene expression, the profound molecular and cellular changes accompanying gametocyte specialization, the requirement for tissue-specific sequestration in P. falciparum gametocytogenesis are proposed here as areas for future investigation. The epidemiological relevance of parasite transmission from humans to mosquito in the spread of malaria and of Plasmodium drug resistance genes indicates that understanding molecular mechanisms of gametocyte formation is highly relevant to design strategies able to interfere with the transmission of this disease. PMID- 17784928 TI - Infectious endocarditis caused by gas-producing Escherichia coli in a diabetic dog. AB - A 10-year-old, female West Highland white terrier was presented with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and a previously undetected heart murmur. Emphysematous cystitis, emphysematous peritonitis and infective endocarditis of the tricuspid valve with gas accumulation were diagnosed with radiographs, including non-selective angiocardiography. The diagnoses were confirmed by post mortem examination and positive cultures for Escherichia coli in blood, urine and tricuspid valve tissue samples. PMID- 17784929 TI - Effects of aglepristone, a progesterone receptor antagonist, in a dog with a vaginal fibroma. AB - A 12-year-old, entire, nulliparous crossbreed female dog was presented with a history of vulval bleeding, bulging of the perineum and faecal tenesmus. A firm, non-painful perineal mass, measuring 9.11x5.4 cm, with erythema was detected. Abdominal radiography showed compression and elevation of the rectal ampulla. A dose of 10 mg/kg aglepristone was administered subcutaneously on days 1, 2, 8, 15, 28 and 35. An incision biopsy was taken on day 15 and immunohistochemical analysis showed that the majority of neoplastic cells expressed progesterone receptors. Both the cutaneous erythema and the faecal tenesmus had resolved by day 28. A 50 per cent reduction in size was observed by day 60 (surgical excision). This study shows that benign tumours of the vagina of the dog that contain progesterone receptors can be reduced in size in a palliative or neoadjuvant setting using the progesterone receptor antagonist aglepristone. PMID- 17784930 TI - Transitional cell carcinoma forming a perirenal cyst in a cat. AB - An eight-year-old, neutered male Burmese cat presented with five days vomiting and anorexia. Physical examination, clinical pathology and diagnostic imaging findings suggested a perirenal pseudocyst. After partial resection of the perirenal capsule clinical signs temporarily resolved, but the cat was euthanased 34 days postoperatively as a result of seizures and recurrence of vomiting. Postoperative histopathology showed neoplastic transitional cells within and lining the resected perirenal capsule; a diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma was confirmed post-mortem. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of this presentation of transitional cell carcinoma. Transitional cell carcinoma should be a differential diagnosis for the aetiology of perirenal pseudocyst. PMID- 17784931 TI - Toxoplasma gondii brain granuloma in a cat: diagnosis using cytology from an intraoperative sample and sequential magnetic resonance imaging. AB - A cat with a history of seizures and clinical suspicion of forebrain disorder underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging. A space-occupying lesion was identified in the left temporal lobe. The mass was surgically removed, and cytological, histological and immunohistochemical examinations documented the presence of Toxoplasma gondii. A definitive diagnosis of an intracranial T gondii granuloma was made. The cat was treated with clindamycin and phenobarbital and the seizures did not recur. After 10 months, a second magnetic resonance imaging showed severe brain atrophy, but T gondii granuloma recurrence was not noted. Twenty-one months after surgery, the cat's condition deteriorated, and another magnetic resonance imaging showed a presumptive recurrence of T gondii granuloma. In cats, T gondii granuloma must be considered as a differential diagnosis even when only a single intracranial mass is present. Cytology and magnetic resonance imaging can be useful in making a definitive diagnosis and to follow the evolution of the lesion. PMID- 17784932 TI - Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita in a Great Dane. AB - Autoimmune subepidermal blistering diseases in dogs were all classified as bullous pemphigoid until 1998. Since then, refinements in reagents and immunological techniques have allowed diseases which are histologically similar but which have a different molecular pathogenesis to be described. This report describes the first case of one such disease, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, to be documented in the UK. The dog presented with a severe blistering and ulcerative disease affecting the oral cavity, pinnae and distal limbs. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology and direct and indirect immunofluorescent demonstration of immunoglobulin G reactivity to basement membrane antigens. Treatment with glucocorticoids, azathioprine, colchicine and an intravenous infusion of immunoglobulins resulted in complete resolution. The drugs were discontinued 12 months after the start of treatment and the dog remained in remission. PMID- 17784933 TI - Thyroid hormone abnormalities and outcome in dogs with non-thyroidal illness. AB - OBJECTIVES: To document thyroid hormone abnormalities in dogs with non-thyroidal illness and identify markers of prognostic value. METHODS: Circulating total and free thyroxine, total triiodothyronine and thyrotropin concentrations were measured in 196 dogs with non-thyroidal illness. Clinical signs, previous medications and outcome were recorded in each case. Data were analysed to determine endocrine prognostic factors, and to document the prevalence of thyroid hormone abnormalities. RESULTS: Total triiodothyronine, and total and free thyroxine concentrations were decreased in 75.9, 34.7 and 4.5 per cent of cases, respectively. Dogs which were euthanased had significantly decreased total triiodothyronine, and total and free thyroxine concentrations compared with those which made a full recovery. Total triiodothyronine concentrations were significantly lower in dogs that were euthanased compared with those which made a partial recovery. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Thyroid hormone concentrations may be used as prognostic indicators in dogs with non-thyroidal illness. Low triiodothyronine syndrome may be more common in dogs than previously recognised. PMID- 17784934 TI - Insulinoma in a cat. AB - A 14-year-old domestic shorthair cat was presented with hypoglycaemia and seizures of several weeks duration. Bloodwork revealed hypoglycaemia (1.83 mmol/l; reference range 4.22-8.05 mmol/l) with concurrent normal insulin levels (171 pmol/l; reference range 72-583 pmol/l). An insulinoma was suspected and medical and dietary management were attempted with minimal success. An exploratory laparotomy was performed and a single, well-defined mass was found within the left lobe of the pancreas. The mass was removed and histologically classified as an islet cell carcinoma, consistent with an insulinoma. The cat had an episode of presumed postoperative pancreatitits, but recovered with appropriate treatment. The cat has had no clinical signs of recurrence of greater than 32 months postsurgery. There are only four cases of insulinoma in cats reported in the literature. All prior insulionomas reported were in older cats and were malignant in character, which is similar to the reports in the dog. This case is unique because of the apparent lack of local recurrence and development of metastatic disease, leading to the prolonged survival. PMID- 17784935 TI - The posterior part of the human cerebral arterial circle (CAC): arterial caliber from gestational weeks 13 to 24. AB - Numerous studies have reported that all components of the cerebral arterial circle in the 4-month-old human fetus are more slender than adult vessels, and of equal caliber. After that period, a degree of caliber differentiation is present, especially at the level of the posterior communicating arteries. The aim of this study was to determine arterial diameters in the posterior part of the fetal cerebral arterial circle from the 4th month (IV) to the 6th (VI). One hundred and seventy-two fetal cerebral arterial circles were examined by means of a surgical microscope. It was determined that average diameters of the left (right) pre communicating parts of the posterior cerebral artery ranged from 0.30 +/- 0.03 (0.29 +/- 0.02) mm in month IV, to 0.36 +/- 0.04 (0.36 +/- 0.03) mm during month V and up to 0.55 +/- 0.22 (0.50 +/- 0.18) mm in month VI. The average diameters of the left (right) posterior communicating artery ranged from 0.24 +/- 0.02 mm (0.25 +/- 0.02) in month IV, to 0.30 +/- 0.03 mm (0.29 +/- 0.05) during month V and up to 0.38 +/- 0.08 (0.44 +/- 0.10) in month VI. Gender differences between posterior cerebral artery and posterior communicating artery diameters were not significant. Average posterior cerebral artery diameters were significantly larger than posterior communicating artery diameters in months IV and V, but not in month VI. It was established that caliber differentiation in the posterior part of the cerebral arterial circle began from gestational month IV, and that gender differences in arterial diameters were not significant until month VI of gestation. PMID- 17784936 TI - An ultrastructural study of cell death in the CA1 pyramidal field of the hippocapmus in rats submitted to transient global ischemia followed by reperfusion. AB - In the course of ischemia and reperfusion a disruption of release and uptake of excitatory neurotransmitters occurs. This excitotoxicity triggers delayed cell death, a process closely related to mitochondrial physiology and one that shows both apoptotic and necrotic features. The aim of the present study was to use electron microscopy to characterize the cell death of pyramidal cells from the CA1 field of the hippocampus after 10 min of transient global ischemia followed by short reperfusion periods. For this study 25 adult male Wistar rats were used, divided into six groups: 10 min of ischemia, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h of reperfusion and an untouched group. Transient forebrain ischemia was produced using the 4-vessel occlusion method. The pyramidal cells of the CA1 field from rat hippocampus submitted to ischemia exhibited intracellular alterations consistent with a process of degeneration, with varied intensities according to the reperfusion period and bearing both apoptotic and necrotic features. Gradual neuronal and glial modifications allowed for the classification of the degenerative process into three stages: initial, intermediate and final were found. With 3 and 6 h of reperfusion, slight and moderate morphological alterations were seen, such as organelle and cytoplasm edema. Within 12 h of reperfusion, there was an apparent recovery and more 'intact' cells could be identified, while 24 h after the event neuronal damage was more severe and cells with disrupted membranes and cell debris were identified. Necrotic-like neurons were found together with some apoptotic bodies with 24 h of reperfusion. Present results support the view that cell death in the CA1 field of rat hippocampus submitted to 10 min of global transient ischemia and early reperfusion times includes both apoptotic and necrotic features, a process referred to as parapoptosis. PMID- 17784938 TI - A system for success: BMC Systems Biology, a new open access journal. AB - BMC Systems Biology is the first open access journal spanning the growing field of systems biology from molecules up to ecosystems. The journal has launched as more and more institutes are founded that are similarly dedicated to this new approach. BMC Systems Biology builds on the ongoing success of the BMC series, providing a venue for all sound research in the systems-level analysis of biology. PMID- 17784937 TI - Fractal dimension as a quantitator of the microvasculature of normal and adenomatous pituitary tissue. AB - It is well known that angiogenesis is a complex process that accompanies neoplastic growth, but pituitary tumours are less vascularized than normal pituitary glands. Several analytical methods aimed at quantifying the vascular system in two-dimensional histological sections have been proposed, with very discordant results. In this study we investigated the non-Euclidean geometrical complexity of the two-dimensional microvasculature of normal pituitary glands and pituitary adenomas by quantifying the surface fractal dimension that measures its space-filling property. We found a statistical significant difference between the mean vascular surface fractal dimension estimated in normal versus adenomatous tissues (P = 0.01), normal versus secreting adenomatous tissues (P = 0.0003), and normal versus non-secreting adenomatous tissues (P = 0.047), whereas the difference between the secreting and non-secreting adenomatous tissues was not statistically significant. This study provides the first demonstration that fractal dimension is an objective and valid quantitator of the two-dimensional geometrical complexity of the pituitary gland microvascular network in physiological and pathological states. Further studies are needed to compare the vascular surface fractal dimension estimates in different subtypes of pituitary tumours and correlate them with clinical parameters in order to evaluate whether the distribution pattern of vascular growth is related to a particular state of the pituitary gland. PMID- 17784939 TI - Adaptation of the MapMan ontology to biotic stress responses: application in solanaceous species. AB - BACKGROUND: The results of transcriptome microarray analysis are usually presented as a list of differentially expressed genes. As these lists can be long, it is hard to interpret the desired experimental treatment effect on the physiology of analysed tissue, e.g. via selected metabolic or other pathways. For some organisms, gene ontologies and data visualization software have been implemented to overcome this problem, whereas for others, software adaptation is yet to be done. RESULTS: We present the classification of tentative potato contigs from the potato gene index (StGI) available from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) into the MapMan ontology to enable the application of the MapMan family of tools to potato microarrays. Special attention has been focused on mapping genes that could not be annotated based on similarity to Arabidopsis genes alone, thus possibly representing genes unique for potato. 97 such genes were classified into functional BINs (i.e. functional classes) after manual annotation. A new pathway, focusing on biotic stress responses, has been added and can be used for all other organisms for which mappings have been done. The BIN representation on the potato 10 k cDNA microarray, in comparison with all putative potato gene sequences, has been tested. The functionality of the prepared potato mapping was validated with experimental data on plant response to viral infection. In total 43,408 unigenes were mapped into 35 corresponding BINs. CONCLUSION: The potato mappings can be used to visualize up-to-date, publicly available, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and other sequences from GenBank, in combination with metabolic pathways. Further expert work on potato annotations will be needed with the ongoing EST and genome sequencing of potato. The current MapMan application for potato is directly applicable for analysis of data obtained on potato 10 k cDNA microarray by TIGR (The Institute for Genomic Research) but can also be used by researchers working on other potato gene sets. The potato mapping file and the stress mapping diagram are available from the MapMan website 1. PMID- 17784940 TI - Multiple organ failure after trauma affects even long-term survival and functional status. AB - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of organ failure in trauma patients treated in an intensive care unit (ICU), and to study the relationship between organ failure and long-term survival and functional status. METHODS: This is a cohort study of all adult ICU trauma patients admitted to a university hospital during 1998 to 2003. Organ failure was quantified by the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. A telephone interview was conducted in 2005 (2 to 7 years after trauma) using the Karnofsky Index to measure functional status, and the Glasgow Outcome Score to measure recovery. RESULTS: Of the 322 patients included, 47% had multiple organ failure (MOF), and 28% had single organ failure. In a Cox regression, MOF increased the overall risk of death 6.0 times. At follow-up, 242 patients (75%) were still alive. Patients with MOF had 3.9 times greater odds for requiring personal assistance in activities of daily living compared to patients without organ failure. Long-term survival and functional status were the same for patients suffering single organ failure and no organ failure. Complete recovery occurred in 52% of survivors, and 87% were able to look after themselves. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the ICU trauma patients had MOF. While single organ failure had no impact on long-term outcomes, the presence of MOF greatly increased mortality and the risk of impaired functional status. MOF expressed by SOFA score may be used to define trauma patients at particular risk for poor long-term outcomes. PMID- 17784941 TI - Genomic analysis reveals the major driving forces of bacterial life in the rhizosphere. AB - BACKGROUND: Mutualistic interactions less well known than those between rhizobia and legumes are commonly found between plants and bacteria, frequently pseudomonads, which colonize roots and adjacent soil areas (the rhizosphere). RESULTS: A global analysis of Pseudomonas putida genes expressed during their interaction with maize roots revealed how a bacterial population adjusts its genetic program to this lifestyle. Differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing rhizosphere-colonizing populations with three distinct controls covering a variety of nutrients, growth phases and life styles (planktonic and sessile). Ninety rhizosphere up-regulated (rup) genes, which were induced relative to all three controls, were identified, whereas there was no repressed gene in common between the experiments. Genes involved in amino acid uptake and metabolism of aromatic compounds were preferentially expressed in the rhizosphere, which reflects the availability of particular nutrients in root exudates. The induction of efflux pumps and enzymes for glutathione metabolism indicates that adaptation to adverse conditions and stress (oxidative) response are crucial for bacterial life in this environment. The finding of a GGDEF/EAL domain response regulator among the induced genes suggests a role for the turnover of the secondary messenger c-diGMP in root colonization. Several mutants in rup genes showed reduced fitness in competitive root colonization. CONCLUSION: Our results show the importance of two selective forces of different nature to colonize the rhizosphere: stress adaptation and availability of particular nutrients. We also identify new traits conferring bacterial survival in this niche and open a way to the characterization of specific signalling and regulatory processes governing the plant-Pseudomonas association. PMID- 17784942 TI - Identification of MSRA gene on chromosome 8p as a candidate metastasis suppressor for human hepatitis B virus-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. AB - BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains very dismal, which is mainly due to metastasis. In our previous studies, we found that chromosome 8p deletions might contribute to metastasis of HCC. In this study, we aimed to identify the candidate metastatic suppressor gene on chromosome 8p. METHODS: Oligo-nucleotide microarrays which included 322 genes on human chromosome 8p were constructed to analyze the difference in gene expression profiles between HCC tissues with and without metastasis. The leading differentially expressed genes were identified and selected for further analysis by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Recombinant expression plasmid vectors for each target gene were constructed and transfected into HCC cells and its in vitro effects on proliferation and invasion of HCC cells were also investigated. RESULTS: Sixteen leading differentially expressed genes were identified from the HCC tissues with metastasis compared with those without metastasis (p < 0.01, q < 16 %). Among of the 10 significantly down-regulated genes in HCC with metastasis, methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA) had the lowest p value and false discovery rate (FDR), and was considered as a potential candidate for metastasis suppressor gene. Real-time PCR and Western blotting confirmed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of MSRA were significantly decreased in HCC with metastasis compared with those without metastasis (p < 0.001), and MSRA mRNA level in HCCLM6 cells (with high metastatic potential) was also much lower than that of other HCC cell lines. Transfection of a recombinant expression plasmid vector and overexpression of MSRA gene could obviously inhibit cell colony formation (4.33 +/- 2.92 vs. 9.17 +/- 3.38, p = 0.008) and invasion (7.40 +/- 1.67 vs. 17.20 +/- 2.59, p= 0.0001) of HCCLM6 cell line. CONCLUSION: MSRA gene on chromosome 8p might possess metastasis suppressor activity in HCC. PMID- 17784944 TI - Protocol of a prospective study on the diagnostic value of transcranial duplex scanning of the substantia nigra in patients with parkinsonian symptoms. AB - BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. As there is no definitive diagnostic test, its diagnosis is based on clinical criteria. Recently transcranial duplex scanning (TCD) of the substantia nigra in the brainstem has been proposed as an instrument to diagnose PD. We and others have found that TCD scanning of substantia nigra duplex is a relatively accurate diagnostic instrument in patients with parkinsonian symptoms. However, all studies on TCD so far have involved well-defined, later-stage PD patients, which will obviously lead to an overestimate of the diagnostic accuracy of TCD. We have therefore set out to conduct a prospective study testing the diagnostic accuracy of TCD in patients with a parkinsonism of unclear origin. METHODS/DESIGN: We will enroll 250 consecutive patients, who are referred to neurology outpatient clinics of two teaching hospitals, for analysis of clinically unclear parkinsonism. Patients, whose parkinsonism is clearly diagnosable at the first visit, will be excluded from the study. All patients will undergo a TCD of the substantia nigra. As a surrogate gold standard we will use the consensus clinical diagnosis reached by two independent, blinded, movement disorder specialist neurologists after 2 years follow-up. At the time of TCD, patients will also undergo a SPECT scan of the brain. DISCUSSION: As this prospective trial enroll only patients with an early-stage parkinsonism, it will yield data on the diagnostic accuracy of TCD that is relevant to daily clinical practice: The neurologist needs a diagnostic tool that provides additional information in patients with a clinically indefinable parkinsonian syndrome. The above described observational longitudinal study was designed to explicitly study this aspect in the diagnostic process. PMID- 17784945 TI - Lysis of tubercle bacilli in fresh and stored sputum specimens: implications for diagnosing tuberculosis in stored and paucibacillary specimens by PCR. AB - BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid amplification techniques are being used increasingly in diagnosing tuberculosis. In developing countries clinical samples are often stored for subsequent analysis since molecular tests are conducted at only a limited number of laboratories. This study was conducted to assess the speed at which mycobacteria undergo autolysis and free DNA is detected in the supernatant during low-temperature storage. RESULTS: Eighty-seven smear positive sputa from tuberculosis patients were analysed immediately and after storage at -20 degrees C. Timelines of 1 and 2 months were selected to assess the maximum extent of DNA loss that occurred during storage. All samples remained PCR- and smear-positive at 1 month and only 1 sample turned negative after 2 months. Bacterial lysis in the specimens was demonstrated by PCR analysis of supernatant fractions; 53% of the freshly analysed samples contained mycobacterial DNA in supernatants. PCR positivity increased significantly during storage (to 69% and 77% after 1 and 2 months of storage, respectively, P < 0.0001). Storage-associated bacterial lysis was accompanied by a decrease in smear grade status in 28 of 87 samples (P < 0.0001 after 2 months of storage) and a significant storage-associated reduction in bacterial numbers in the remaining samples. CONCLUSION: We conclude that (i) freshly isolated sputum contains both intact and lysed mycobacteria, (ii) lysis increased during storage and (iii) supernatant fractions routinely discarded during sample processing contain mycobacterial DNA. We propose that supernatant is a valuable sample for PCR for both fresh and stored specimens, particularly those with a low bacterial load in addition to conventional sediment. PMID- 17784943 TI - Living with an imperfect cell wall: compensation of femAB inactivation in Staphylococcus aureus. AB - BACKGROUND: Synthesis of the Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan pentaglycine interpeptide bridge is catalyzed by the nonribosomal peptidyl transferases FemX, FemA and FemB. Inactivation of the femAB operon reduces the interpeptide to a monoglycine, leading to a poorly crosslinked peptidoglycan. femAB mutants show a reduced growth rate and are hypersusceptible to virtually all antibiotics, including methicillin, making FemAB a potential target to restore beta-lactam susceptibility in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Cis-complementation with wild type femAB only restores synthesis of the pentaglycine interpeptide and methicillin resistance, but the growth rate remains low. This study characterizes the adaptations that ensured survival of the cells after femAB inactivation. RESULTS: In addition to slow growth, the cis-complemented femAB mutant showed temperature sensitivity and a higher methicillin resistance than the wild type. Transcriptional profiling paired with reporter metabolite analysis revealed multiple changes in the global transcriptome. A number of transporters for sugars, glycerol, and glycine betaine, some of which could serve as osmoprotectants, were upregulated. Striking differences were found in the transcription of several genes involved in nitrogen metabolism and the arginine deiminase pathway, an alternative for ATP production. In addition, microarray data indicated enhanced expression of virulence factors that correlated with premature expression of the global regulators sae, sarA, and agr. CONCLUSION: Survival under conditions preventing normal cell wall formation triggered complex adaptations that incurred a fitness cost, showing the remarkable flexibility of S. aureus to circumvent cell wall damage. Potential FemAB inhibitors would have to be used in combination with other antibiotics to prevent selection of resistant survivors. PMID- 17784946 TI - The PreCardio-study protocol--a randomized clinical trial of a multidisciplinary electronic cardiovascular prevention programme. AB - BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death and the third cause of disability in Europe. Prevention programmes should include interventions aimed at a reduction of medical risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterol, hyperglycemia, overweight and obesity) as well as behavioural risk factors (sedentary lifestyle, high fat intake and low fruit and vegetable intake, smoking). The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a multifaceted, multidisciplinary electronic prevention programme on cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS/DESIGN: In a randomized controlled trial, one group will receive a maximal intervention (= intervention group). The intervention group will be compared to the control group receiving a minimal intervention. An inclusion of 350 patients in total, with a follow-up of 3 years is foreseen. The inclusion criteria are age between 25-65 and insured by the Onderlinge Ziekenkas, insuring for guaranteed income in case of illness for self-employed. The maximal intervention group receives several prevention consultations by their general practitioner (GP) using a new type of cardiovascular risk calculator with personalized feedback on behavioural risk factors. These patients receive a follow-up with intensive support of health behaviour change via different methods, i.e. a tailored website and personal advice of a multidisciplinary team (psychologist, physiotherapist and dietician). The aim of this strategy is to reduce cardiovascular risk factors according to the guidelines. The primary outcome measures will be cardiovascular risk factors. The secondary outcome measures are cardiovascular events, quality of life, costs and incremental cost effectiveness ratios. The control group receives prevention consultations using a new type of cardiovascular risk calculator and general feedback. DISCUSSION: This trial incorporates interventions by GPs and other health professionals aiming at a reduction of medical and behavioural cardiovascular risk factors. An assessment of clinical, psychological and economical outcome measures will be performed. PMID- 17784947 TI - Comparative evaluation of (1, 3)-beta-D-glucan, mannan and anti-mannan antibodies, and Candida species-specific snPCR in patients with candidemia. AB - BACKGROUND: Candidemia is a major infectious complication of seriously immunocompromised patients. In the absence of specific signs and symptoms, there is a need to evolve an appropriate diagnostic approach. A number of methods based on the detection of Candida mannan, nucleic acid and (1,3)-beta- D- glucan (BDG) have been used with varying specificities and sensitivities. In this retrospective study, attention has been focused to evaluate the usefulness of two or more disease markers in the diagnosis of candidemia. METHODS: Diagnostic usefulness of Platelia Candida Ag for the detection of mannan, Platelia Candida Ab for the detection of anti-mannan antibodies, Fungitell for the detection of BDG, and of a semi-nested PCR (snPCR) for the detection Candida species-specific DNA have been retrospectively evaluated using 32 sera from 27 patients with culture-proven candidemia, 51 sera from 39 patients with clinically suspected candidemia, sera of 10 women with C. albicans vaginitis, and sera of 16 healthy controls. RESULTS: Using cut-off values recommended by the manufacturers, the sensitivity of the assays for candidemia patients were as follows: Candida snPCR 88%, BDG 47%, mannan 41%, anti-mannan antibodies 47%, respectively. snPCR detected 5 patients who had candidemia due to more than one Candida species. The sensitivities of the combined tests were as follows: Candida mannan and anti mannan antibodies 75%, and Candida mannan and BDG 56%. Addition of snPCR data improved the sensitivity further to 88%, thus adding 10 sera that were negative by BDG and/or mannan. In clinically suspected, blood culture negative patients; the positivities of the tests were as follows: Candida DNA was positive in 53%, BDG in 29%, mannan in 16%, and anti-mannan antibodies in 29%. The combined detection of mannan and BDG, and mannan, BDG and Candida DNA enhanced the positivity to 36% and 54%, respectively. None of the sera from Candida vaginitis patients and healthy subjects were positive for Candida DNA and mannan. CONCLUSION: The observations made in this study reinforce the diagnostic value of snPCR in the sensitive and specific diagnosis of candidemia and detection of more than one Candida species in a given patient. Additionally, in the absence of a positive blood culture, snPCR detected Candida DNA in sera of more than half of the clinically suspected patients. While detection of BDG, mannan and anti-mannan antibodies singly or in combination could help enhancing sensitivity and eliminating false positive tests, a more extensive evaluation of these assays in sequentially collected serum samples is required to assess their value in the early diagnosis of candidemia. PMID- 17784948 TI - Architecture of Burkholderia cepacia complex sigma70 gene family: evidence of alternative primary and clade-specific factors, and genomic instability. AB - BACKGROUND: The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) groups bacterial species with beneficial properties that can improve crop yields or remediate polluted sites but can also lead to dramatic human clinical outcomes among cystic fibrosis (CF) or immuno-compromised individuals. Genome-wide regulatory processes of gene expression could explain parts of this bacterial duality. Transcriptional sigma70 factors are components of these processes. They allow the reversible binding of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase to form the holoenzyme that will lead to mRNA synthesis from a DNA promoter region. Bcc genome-wide analyses were performed to investigate the major evolutionary trends taking place in the sigma70 family of these bacteria. RESULTS: Twenty sigma70 paralogous genes were detected in the Burkholderia cenocepacia strain J2315 (Bcen-J2315) genome, of which 14 were of the ECF (extracytoplasmic function) group. Non-ECF paralogs were related to primary (rpoD), alternative primary, stationary phase (rpoS), flagellin biosynthesis (fliA), and heat shock (rpoH) factors. The number of sigma70 genetic determinants among this genome was of 2,86 per Mb. This number is lower than the one of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a species found in similar habitats including CF lungs. These two bacterial groups showed strikingly different sigma70 family architectures, with only three ECF paralogs in common (fecI-like, pvdS and algU). Bcen-J2315 sigma70 paralogs showed clade-specific distributions. Some paralogs appeared limited to the ET12 epidemic clone (ecfA2), particular Bcc species (sigI), the Burkholderia genus (ecfJ, ecfF, and sigJ), certain proteobacterial groups (ecfA1, ecfC, ecfD, ecfE, ecfG, ecfL, ecfM and rpoS), or were broadly distributed in the eubacteria (ecfI, ecfK, ecfH, ecfB, and rpoD-, rpoH-, fliA like genes). Genomic instability of this gene family was driven by chromosomal inversion (ecfA2), recent duplication events (ecfA and RpoD), localized (ecfG) and large scale deletions (sigI, sigJ, ecfC, ecfH, and ecfK), and a phage integration event (ecfE). CONCLUSION: The Bcc sigma70 gene family was found to be under strong selective pressures that could lead to acquisition/deletion, and duplication events modifying its architecture. Comparative analysis of Bcc and Pseudomonas aeruginosa sigma70 gene families revealed distinct evolutionary strategies, with the Bcc having selected several alternative primary factors, something not recorded among P. aeruginosa and only previously reported to occur among the actinobacteria. PMID- 17784949 TI - Effect of oral lactulose on clinical and immunohistochemical parameters in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study. AB - BACKGROUND: The prebiotic potential of lactulose is well established and preclinical studies demonstrated a protective effect of lactulose in murine models of colitis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical and histological efficacy of lactulose in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for which probiotic therapy yielded promising results. METHODS: Patients were treated with standard medication alone or combined with 10 g lactulose daily as adjuvant therapy for 4 months. Clinical efficacy of treatment was assessed using clinical activity indices, a quality of life index (IBDQ), endoscopic scores, defecation frequency and monitoring corticosteroid medication. Orsomucoid, alpha1-antitrypsin and other laboratory parameters were determined. In addition, in some participants colonic biopsies were analyzed with haematoxylin-eosin staining or with antibodies against HLA-DR, CD68, IgA and CD3, and evaluated systematically. All measurements were performed both at enrollment and at the end of the trial. RESULTS: 14 patients presenting ulcerative colitis (UC) and 17 patients presenting Crohn's disease (CD), most of them in a clinically active state, were enrolled in this pilot study. After 4 month no significant improvement of clinical activity index, endoscopic score or immunohistochemical parameters was observed in CD or UC patients receiving lactulose in comparison to the control group. However, significant improvement of quality of life was observed in UC patients receiving lactulose compared to the control group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The findings of the present pilot study indicate that oral lactulose has no beneficial effects in IBD patients in particular with regard to clinical activity, endoscopic score or immunohistochemical parameters. The importance of the beneficial effect of lactulose in UC patients regarding the quality of life needs further evaluation in larger controlled clinical trials. PMID- 17784950 TI - Functional constraint and small insertions and deletions in the ENCODE regions of the human genome. AB - BACKGROUND: We describe the distribution of indels in the 44 Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) regions (about 1% of the human genome) and evaluate the potential contributions of small insertion and deletion polymorphisms (indels) to human genetic variation. We relate indels to known genomic annotation features and measures of evolutionary constraint. RESULTS: Indel rates are observed to be reduced approximately 20-fold to 60-fold in exonic regions, 5-fold to 10-fold in sequence that exhibits high evolutionary constraint in mammals, and up to 2-fold in some classes of regulatory elements (for instance, formaldehyde assisted isolation of regulatory elements [FAIRE] and hypersensitive sites). In addition, some noncoding transcription and other chromatin mediated regulatory sites also have reduced indel rates. Overall indel rates for these data are estimated to be smaller than single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rates by a factor of approximately 2, with both rates measured as base pairs per 100 kilobases to facilitate comparison. CONCLUSION: Indel rates exhibit a broadly similar distribution across genomic features compared with SNP density rates, with a reduction in rates in coding transcription and evolutionarily constrained sequence. However, unlike indels, SNP rates do not appear to be reduced in some noncoding functional sequences, such as pseudo-exons, and FAIRE and hypersensitive sites. We conclude that indel rates are greatly reduced in transcribed and evolutionarily constrained DNA, and discuss why indel (but not SNP) rates appear to be constrained at some regulatory sites. PMID- 17784951 TI - Serum IL-15 in patients with early systemic sclerosis: a potential novel marker of lung disease. AB - The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy and fibrosis. IL-15 is a pleiotropic cytokine that has impact on immune, vascular and connective tissue cells. We therefore investigated IL-15 in the circulation of patients with early SSc and explored possible associations of serum IL-15 with vasculopathy and fibrosis. Serum levels of IL-15 were analysed in 63 consecutive patients with SSc of disease duration less than 4 years and without disease-modifying treatment. Thirty-three age-matched healthy control individuals were enrolled. Serum IL-15 levels were increased in the sera of SSc patients compared with that of healthy control individuals (P < 0.01). Serum IL 15 levels correlated with impaired lung function, assessed both by the vital capacity (P < 0.05) and by the carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (P < 0.05). The association between IL-15 and the vital capacity remained after multiple linear regression analysis. Patients with intermediate serum IL-15 levels had a higher prevalence of increased systolic pulmonary pressure compared with patients with either low or high serum IL-15 levels (P < 0.05). Moreover, increased serum IL-15 levels were associated with a reduced nailfold capillary density in multivariable logistic regression analysis (P < 0.01). Serum IL-15 levels also correlated inversely with the systolic blood pressure (P < 0.01). We conclude that IL-15 is associated with fibrotic as well as vascular lung disease and vasculopathy in early SSc. IL-15 may contribute to the pathogenesis of SSc. IL-15 could also be a candidate biomarker for pulmonary involvement and a target for therapy in SSc. PMID- 17784952 TI - Dynamic cumulative activity of transcription factors as a mechanism of quantitative gene regulation. AB - BACKGROUND: The regulation of genes in multicellular organisms is generally achieved through the combinatorial activity of different transcription factors. However, the quantitative mechanisms of how a combination of transcription factors controls the expression of their target genes remain unknown. RESULTS: By using the information on the yeast transcription network and high-resolution time series data, the combinatorial expression profiles of regulators that best correlate with the expression of their target genes are identified. We demonstrate that a number of factors, particularly time-shifts among the different regulators as well as conversion efficiencies of transcription factor mRNAs into functional binding regulators, play a key role in the quantification of target gene expression. By quantifying and integrating these factors, we have found a highly significant correlation between the combinatorial time-series expression profile of regulators and their target gene expression in 67.1% of the 161 known yeast three-regulator motifs and in 32.9% of 544 two-regulator motifs. For network motifs involved in the cell cycle, these percentages are much higher. Furthermore, the results have been verified with a high consistency in a second independent set of time-series data. Additional support comes from the finding that a high percentage of motifs again show a significant correlation in time series data from stress-response studies. CONCLUSION: Our data strongly support the concept that dynamic cumulative regulation is a major principle of quantitative transcriptional control. The proposed concept might also apply to other organisms and could be relevant for a wide range of biotechnological applications in which quantitative gene regulation plays a role. PMID- 17784953 TI - Metabolic peculiarities of Aspergillus niger disclosed by comparative metabolic genomics. AB - BACKGROUND: Aspergillus niger is an important industrial microorganism for the production of both metabolites, such as citric acid, and proteins, such as fungal enzymes or heterologous proteins. Despite its extensive industrial applications, the genetic inventory of this fungus is only partially understood. The recently released genome sequence opens a new horizon for both scientific studies and biotechnological applications. RESULTS: Here, we present the first genome-scale metabolic network for A. niger and an in-depth genomic comparison of this species to seven other fungi to disclose its metabolic peculiarities. The raw genomic sequences of A. niger ATCC 9029 were first annotated. The reconstructed metabolic network is based on the annotation of two A. niger genomes, CBS 513.88 and ATCC 9029, including enzymes with 988 unique EC numbers, 2,443 reactions and 2,349 metabolites. More than 1,100 enzyme-coding genes are unique to A. niger in comparison to the other seven fungi. For example, we identified additional copies of genes such as those encoding alternative mitochondrial oxidoreductase and citrate synthase in A. niger, which might contribute to the high citric acid production efficiency of this species. Moreover, nine genes were identified as encoding enzymes with EC numbers exclusively found in A. niger, mostly involved in the biosynthesis of complex secondary metabolites and degradation of aromatic compounds. CONCLUSION: The genome-level reconstruction of the metabolic network and genome-based metabolic comparison disclose peculiarities of A. niger highly relevant to its biotechnological applications and should contribute to future rational metabolic design and systems biology studies of this black mold and related species. PMID- 17784955 TI - The DAVID Gene Functional Classification Tool: a novel biological module-centric algorithm to functionally analyze large gene lists. AB - The DAVID Gene Functional Classification Tool http://david.abcc.ncifcrf.gov uses a novel agglomeration algorithm to condense a list of genes or associated biological terms into organized classes of related genes or biology, called biological modules. This organization is accomplished by mining the complex biological co-occurrences found in multiple sources of functional annotation. It is a powerful method to group functionally related genes and terms into a manageable number of biological modules for efficient interpretation of gene lists in a network context. PMID- 17784956 TI - Development of potential manufacturing routes for substituted thiophenes- preparation of halogenated 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid derivatives as building blocks for a new family of 2,6-dihaloaryl 1,2,4-triazole insecticides. AB - BACKGROUND: Dow AgroSciences has been investigating a new family of functionalized 2,6-dihaloaryl 1,2,4-triazole insecticides featuring specifically targeted insecticidal activities coupled with low mammalian toxicity. With broad spectrum control of both chewing and sap-feeding pests in mind, this family of compounds has been under investigation for aphid, mite, and whitefly control in food crop protection as well as ornamental applications. Two specific targets for development have been the 2,6-dihalo 1,2,4-triazoles XR-693 and XR-906, which require a supply of the halogenated 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid derivatives 1, 2, and 3 for assembly of the C-ring portion of the triazole products. RESULTS: Potential manufacturing routes to three halogenated 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid derivatives 4-bromo-3-methyl-2-thiophenecarbonyl chloride 1, 3,4,5-trichloro-2 thiophenecarbonyl chloride 2, and 3,4,5-trichloro-2-thiophenecarbonitrile 3 from commercially available thiophene raw materials have been developed and demonstrated on a laboratory scale. A one-pot bromination/debromination procedure developed for 3-methylthiophene gave 2,4-dibromo-3-methylthiophene. Carboxylic acid functionality was then introduced either by a Grignard metallation followed by carbonation with CO2, or by a palladium catalyzed carbonylation procedure under CO pressure. The vapor phase chlorination of 2-thiophenecarbonitrile with chlorine gas at 500 degrees C with an average residence time of 6 seconds gave 3,4,5-trichloro-2-thiophenenitrile 3 in a 69% distilled yield, a process that was carried out on a multi-kilogram scale in the laboratory. Finally, a route for the preparation of 3,4,5-trichloro-2-thiophenecarbonyl chloride 2 was developed from tetrachlorothiophene via either a lithiation reaction with n-butyllithium in MTBE solvent, or by a previously reported Grignard method using 1,2-dibromoethane as activator, followed by carbonation of the anion with CO2 to give the trichloro-2 thiophenecarboxylic acid, which was readily converted to the acid chloride 2 with SOCl2. CONCLUSION: The successful development of efficient synthetic routes to the halogenated thiophene building blocks 4-bromo-3-methyl-2-thiophenecarbonyl chloride 1, 3,4,5-trichloro-2-thiophenecarbonyl chloride 2, and 3,4,5-trichloro-2 thiophenecarbonitrile 3 paved the way for the development of viable commercial processes for XR-693 and XR-906, members of a new class of 2,6-dihaloaryl 1,2,4 triazole insecticides that exhibit selective activity against aphids, mites, and whiteflies coupled with low mammalian toxicity. The process development work for the experimental insecticide target molecules XR-693 and XR-906 will be the topic of a forthcoming paper. PMID- 17784954 TI - The complement of protein kinases of the microsporidium Encephalitozoon cuniculi in relation to those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. AB - BACKGROUND: Microsporidia, parasitic fungi-related eukaryotes infecting many cell types in a wide range of animals (including humans), represent a serious health threat in immunocompromised patients. The 2.9 Mb genome of the microsporidium Encephalitozoon cuniculi is the smallest known of any eukaryote. Eukaryotic protein kinases are a large superfamily of enzymes with crucial roles in most cellular processes, and therefore represent potential drug targets. We report here an exhaustive analysis of the E. cuniculi genomic database aimed at identifying and classifying all protein kinases of this organism with reference to the kinomes of two highly-divergent yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. RESULTS: A database search with a multi-level protein kinase family hidden Markov model library led to the identification of 29 conventional protein kinase sequences in the E. cuniculi genome, as well as 3 genes encoding atypical protein kinases. The microsporidian kinome presents striking differences from those of other eukaryotes, and this minimal kinome underscores the importance of conserved protein kinases involved in essential cellular processes. Approximately 30% of its kinases are predicted to regulate cell cycle progression while another approximately 28% have no identifiable homologues in model eukaryotes and are likely to reflect parasitic adaptations. E. cuniculi lacks MAP kinase cascades and almost all protein kinases that are involved in stress responses, ion homeostasis and nutrient signalling in the model fungi S. cerevisiae and S. pombe, including AMPactivated protein kinase (Snf1), previously thought to be ubiquitous in eukaryotes. A detailed database search and phylogenetic analysis of the kinomes of the two model fungi showed that the degree of homology between their kinomes of approximately 85% is much higher than that previously reported. CONCLUSION: The E. cuniculi kinome is by far the smallest eukaryotic kinome characterised to date. The difficulty in assigning clear homology relationships for nine out of the twentynine microsporidian conventional protein kinases despite its compact genome reflects the phylogenetic distance between microsporidia and other eukaryotes. Indeed, the E. cuniculi genome presents a high proportion of genes in which evolution has been accelerated by up to four-fold. There are no orthologues of the protein kinases that constitute MAP kinase pathways and many other protein kinases with roles in nutrient signalling are absent from the E. cuniculi kinome. However, orthologous kinases can nonetheless be identified that correspond to members of the yeast kinomes with roles in some of the most fundamental cellular processes. For example, E. cuniculi has clear orthologues of virtually all the major conserved protein kinases that regulate the core cell cycle machinery (Aurora, Polo, DDK, CDK and Chk1). A comprehensive comparison of the homology relationships between the budding and fission yeast kinomes indicates that, despite an estimated 800 million years of independent evolution, the two model fungi share approximately 85% of their protein kinases. This will facilitate the annotation of many of the as yet uncharacterised fission yeast kinases, and also those of novel fungal genomes. PMID- 17784958 TI - 3D cell nuclei segmentation based on gradient flow tracking. AB - BACKGROUND: Reliable segmentation of cell nuclei from three dimensional (3D) microscopic images is an important task in many biological studies. We present a novel, fully automated method for the segmentation of cell nuclei from 3D microscopic images. It was designed specifically to segment nuclei in images where the nuclei are closely juxtaposed or touching each other. The segmentation approach has three stages: 1) a gradient diffusion procedure, 2) gradient flow tracking and grouping, and 3) local adaptive thresholding. RESULTS: Both qualitative and quantitative results on synthesized and original 3D images are provided to demonstrate the performance and generality of the proposed method. Both the over-segmentation and under-segmentation percentages of the proposed method are around 5%. The volume overlap, compared to expert manual segmentation, is consistently over 90%. CONCLUSION: The proposed algorithm is able to segment closely juxtaposed or touching cell nuclei obtained from 3D microscopy imaging with reasonable accuracy. PMID- 17784957 TI - A novel p38 alpha MAPK inhibitor suppresses brain proinflammatory cytokine up regulation and attenuates synaptic dysfunction and behavioral deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. AB - BACKGROUND: An accumulating body of evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that excessive or prolonged increases in proinflammatory cytokine production by activated glia is a contributor to the progression of pathophysiology that is causally linked to synaptic dysfunction and hippocampal behavior deficits in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). This raises the opportunity for the development of new classes of potentially disease-modifying therapeutics. A logical candidate CNS target is p38 alpha MAPK, a well established drug discovery molecular target for altering proinflammatory cytokine cascades in peripheral tissue disorders. Activated p38 MAPK is seen in human AD brain tissue and in AD-relevant animal models, and cell culture studies strongly implicate p38 MAPK in the increased production of proinflammatory cytokines by glia activated with human amyloid-beta (A beta) and other disease-relevant stressors. However, the vast majority of small molecule drugs do not have sufficient penetrance of the blood-brain barrier to allow their use as in vivo research tools or as therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that brain p38 alpha MAPK is a potential in vivo target for orally bioavailable, small molecules capable of suppressing excessive cytokine production by activated glia back towards homeostasis, allowing an improvement in neurologic outcomes. METHODS: A novel synthetic small molecule based on a molecular scaffold used previously was designed, synthesized, and subjected to analyses to demonstrate its potential in vivo bioavailability, metabolic stability, safety and brain uptake. Testing for in vivo efficacy used an AD-relevant mouse model. RESULTS: A novel, CNS-penetrant, non-toxic, orally bioavailable, small molecule inhibitor of p38 alpha MAPK (MW01-2-069A-SRM) was developed. Oral administration of the compound at a low dose (2.5 mg/kg) resulted in attenuation of excessive proinflammatory cytokine production in the hippocampus back towards normal in the animal model. Animals with attenuated cytokine production had reductions in synaptic dysfunction and hippocampus dependent behavioral deficits. CONCLUSION: The p38 alpha MAPK pathway is quantitatively important in the A beta-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines in hippocampus, and brain p38 alpha MAPK is a viable molecular target for future development of potential disease-modifying therapeutics in AD and related neurodegenerative disorders. PMID- 17784960 TI - Clinical risk conditions for acute lung injury in the intensive care unit and hospital ward: a prospective observational study. AB - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the development of acute lung injury outside the intensive care unit. We set out to document the following: the association between predefined clinical conditions and the development of acute lung injury by using the American-European consensus definition; the frequency of lung injury development outside the intensive care unit; and the temporal relationship between antecedent clinical risk conditions, intensive care admission, and diagnosis of lung injury. METHODS: We conducted a 4-month prospective observational study in three Spanish teaching hospitals, enrolling consecutive patients who developed clinical conditions previously linked to lung injury, both inside and outside the intensive care unit. Patients were followed prospectively for outcomes, including the diagnosis of acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. RESULTS: A total 815 patients were identified with at least one clinical insult; the most common were sepsis, pneumonia, and pancreatitis. Pulmonary risk conditions were observed in 30% of cases. Fifty-three patients (6.5%) developed acute lung injury; 33 of these (4.0%) met criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Lung injury occurred most commonly in the setting of sepsis (46/53; 86.7%), but shock (21/59; 36%) and pneumonia (20/211; 9.5%) portended the highest proportional risk; this risk was higher in patients with increasing numbers of clinical risk conditions (2.2%, 14%, and 21% (P < 0.001) in patients with one, two, and three conditions, respectively). Median days (interquartile range) from risk condition to diagnosis of lung injury was shorter with pulmonary (0 (0 to 2)) versus extrapulmonary (3 (1 to 5)) (P = 0.029) risk conditions. Admission to the intensive care unit was provided to 9/20 (45%) patients with acute lung injury and to 29/33 (88%) of those with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Lung injury patients had higher mortality than others (acute lung injury 25.0%; acute respiratory distress syndrome 45.5%; others 10.3%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The time course from clinical insult to diagnosis of lung injury was rapid, but may be longer for extrapulmonary cases. Some patients with lung injury receive care and die outside the intensive care unit; this observation needs further study. PMID- 17784959 TI - Transcriptomic and phenotypic analysis of murine embryonic stem cell derived BMP2+ lineage cells: an insight into mesodermal patterning. AB - BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)2 is a late mesodermal marker expressed during vertebrate development and plays a crucial role in early embryonic development. The nature of the BMP2-expressing cells during the early stages of embryonic development, their transcriptome and cell phenotypes developed from these cells have not yet been characterized. RESULTS: We generated a transgenic BMP2 embryonic stem (ES) cell lineage expressing both puromycin acetyltransferase and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by the BMP2 promoter. Puromycin resistant and EGFP positive BMP2+ cells with a purity of over 93% were isolated. Complete transcriptome analysis of BMP2+ cells in comparison to the undifferentiated ES cells and the control population from seven day-old embryoid bodies (EBs; intersection of genes differentially expressed between undifferentiated ES cells and BMP2+ EBs as well as differentially expressed between seven-day-old control EBs and BMP2+ EBs by t-test, p < 0.01, fold change >2) by microarray analysis led to identification of 479 specifically upregulated and 193 downregulated transcripts. Transcription factors, apoptosis promoting factors and other signaling molecules involved in early embryonic development are mainly upregulated in BMP2+ cells. Long-term differentiation of the BMP2+ cells resulted in neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), smooth muscle cells, epithelial-like cells, neuronal-like cells, osteoblasts and monocytes. Interestingly, development of cardiomyocytes from the BMP2+ cells requires secondary EB formation. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to identify the complete transcriptome of BMP2+ cells and cell phenotypes from a mesodermal origin, thus offering an insight into the role of BMP2+ cells during embryonic developmental processes in vivo. PMID- 17784961 TI - Gender differences in the clinical management of patients with angina pectoris: a cross-sectional survey in primary care. AB - BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests that women admitted to hospital with acute myocardial infarction (MI) are managed less intensively than men. Chronic stable angina is the commonest clinical manifestation of coronary heart disease in the community, but little information is available concerning its contemporary clinical management. The aim of this study is to assess the extent of gender differences in the clinical management of angina pectoris in primary care. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey undertaken in 8 sentinel centres serving 63,724 individuals in the city of Liverpool (15% of the city population). Aspects of clinical care assessed included: risk factor recording (smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index); secondary prevention (aspirin, beta-blocker, statin); cardiac investigation (exercise ECG, perfusion scanning, angiography); and revascularisation (percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting). Male-to-female adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated (adjusted for age, angina duration, age at diagnosis and previous MI) using logistic regression. RESULTS: 1,162 patients (610 men; 552 women) with angina were identified. Women were older than men (71 vs 67 years), with a shorter duration of angina (6 vs 7 years), and a lower prevalence of previous MI (25% vs 43%). Men were significantly more likely than women to undergo detailed risk factor assessment (AOR = 1.35, 95%CI 1.06 to 1.73); receive 'triple' secondary prevention with aspirin, beta-blockers and statins (AOR = 1.47, 95%CI 1.07 to 2.02); access exercise ECG testing (AOR = 1.31, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.68); angiography (AOR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.23 to 2.12); and undergo coronary revascularisation (AOR = 1.93, 95%CI 1.39 to 2.68). CONCLUSION: Systematic gender differences exist in the comprehensive clinical management of patients with angina in primary care. PMID- 17784962 TI - High resolution radiation hybrid maps of bovine chromosomes 19 and 29: comparison with the bovine genome sequence assembly. AB - BACKGROUND: High resolution radiation hybrid (RH) maps can facilitate genome sequence assembly by correctly ordering genes and genetic markers along chromosomes. The objective of the present study was to generate high resolution RH maps of bovine chromosomes 19 (BTA19) and 29 (BTA29), and compare them with the current 7.1X bovine genome sequence assembly (bovine build 3.1). We have chosen BTA19 and 29 as candidate chromosomes for mapping, since many Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for the traits of carcass merit and residual feed intake have been identified on these chromosomes. RESULTS: We have constructed high resolution maps of BTA19 and BTA29 consisting of 555 and 253 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers respectively using a 12,000 rad whole genome RH panel. With these markers, the RH map of BTA19 and BTA29 extended to 4591.4 cR and 2884.1 cR in length respectively. When aligned with the current bovine build 3.1, the order of markers on the RH map for BTA19 and 29 showed inconsistencies with respect to the genome assembly. Maps of both the chromosomes show that there is a significant internal rearrangement of the markers involving displacement, inversion and flips within the scaffolds with some scaffolds being misplaced in the genome assembly. We also constructed cattle-human comparative maps of these chromosomes which showed an overall agreement with the comparative maps published previously. However, minor discrepancies in the orientation of few homologous synteny blocks were observed. CONCLUSION: The high resolution maps of BTA19 (average 1 locus/139 kb) and BTA29 (average 1 locus/208 kb) presented in this study suggest that by the incorporation of RH mapping information, the current bovine genome sequence assembly can be significantly improved. Furthermore, these maps can serve as a potential resource for fine mapping QTL and identification of causative mutations underlying QTL for economically important traits. PMID- 17784963 TI - Participatory mapping of target areas to enable operational larval source management to suppress malaria vector mosquitoes in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. AB - BACKGROUND: Half of the population of Africa will soon live in towns and cities where it can be protected from malaria by controlling aquatic stages of mosquitoes. Rigorous but affordable and scaleable methods for mapping and managing mosquito habitats are required to enable effective larval control in urban Africa. METHODS: A simple community-based mapping procedure that requires no electronic devices in the field was developed to facilitate routine larval surveillance in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The mapping procedure included (1) community-based development of sketch maps and (2) verification of sketch maps through technical teams using laminated aerial photographs in the field which were later digitized and analysed using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). RESULTS: Three urban wards of Dar es Salaam were comprehensively mapped, covering an area of 16.8 km2. Over thirty percent of this area were not included in preliminary community-based sketch mapping, mostly because they were areas that do not appear on local government residential lists. The use of aerial photographs and basic GIS allowed rapid identification and inclusion of these key areas, as well as more equal distribution of the workload of malaria control field staff. CONCLUSION: The procedure developed enables complete coverage of targeted areas with larval control through comprehensive spatial coverage with community-derived sketch maps. The procedure is practical, affordable, and requires minimal technical skills. This approach can be readily integrated into malaria vector control programmes, scaled up to towns and cities all over Tanzania and adapted to urban settings elsewhere in Africa. PMID- 17784964 TI - Acute graft versus host disease. AB - Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and is a reaction of donor immune cells against host tissues. Activated donor T cells damage host epithelial cells after an inflammatory cascade that begins with the preparative regimen. About 35%-50% of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients will develop acute GVHD. The exact risk is dependent on the stem cell source, age of the patient, conditioning, and GVHD prophylaxis used. Given the number of transplants performed, we can expect about 5500 patients/year to develop acute GVHD. Patients can have involvement of three organs: skin (rash/dermatitis), liver (hepatitis/jaundice), and gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain/diarrhea). One or more organs may be involved. GVHD is a clinical diagnosis that may be supported with appropriate biopsies. The reason to pursue a tissue biopsy is to help differentiate from other diagnoses which may mimic GVHD, such as viral infection (hepatitis, colitis) or drug reaction (causing skin rash). Acute GVHD is staged and graded (grade 0-IV) by the number and extent of organ involvement. Patients with grade III/IV acute GVHD tend to have a poor outcome. Generally the patient is treated by optimizing their immunosuppression and adding methylprednisolone. About 50% of patients will have a solid response to methylprednisolone. If patients progress after 3 days or are not improved after 7 days, they will get salvage (second-line) immunosuppressive therapy for which there is currently no standard-of-care. Well-organized clinical trials are imperative to better define second-line therapies for this disease. Additional management issues are attention to wound infections in skin GVHD and fluid/nutrition management in gastrointestinal GVHD. About 50% of patients with acute GVHD will eventually have manifestations of chronic GVHD. PMID- 17784966 TI - A systematic review of cooling for neuroprotection in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy - are we there yet? AB - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to systematically review randomized trials assessing therapeutic hypothermia as a treatment for term neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. METHODS: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL databases, reference lists of identified studies, and proceedings of the Pediatric Academic Societies were searched in July 2006. Randomized trials assessing the effect of therapeutic hypothermia by either selective head cooling or whole body cooling in term neonates were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was death or neurodevelopmental disability at >or= 18 months. RESULTS: Five trials involving 552 neonates were included in the analysis. Cooling techniques and the definition and severity of neurodevelopmental disability differed between studies. Overall, there is evidence of a significant effect of therapeutic hypothermia on the primary composite outcome of death or disability (RR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.92, NNT: 8, 95% CI: 5, 20) as well as on the single outcomes of mortality (RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.96) and neurodevelopmental disability at 18 to 22 months (RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.98). Adverse effects include benign sinus bradycardia (RR: 7.42, 95% CI: 2.52, 21.87) and thrombocytopenia (RR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.03, NNH: 8) without deleterious consequences. CONCLUSION: In general, therapeutic hypothermia seems to have a beneficial effect on the outcome of term neonates with moderate to severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Despite the methodological differences between trials, wide confidence intervals, and the lack of follow-up data beyond the second year of life, the consistency of the results is encouraging. Further research is necessary to minimize the uncertainty regarding efficacy and safety of any specific technique of cooling for any specific population. PMID- 17784967 TI - Attitude of medical students towards Early Clinical Exposure in learning endocrine physiology. AB - BACKGROUND: Different teaching-learning methods have been used in teaching endocrine physiology for the medical students, so as to increase their interest and enhance their learning. This paper describes the pros and cons of the various approaches used to reinforce didactic instruction in endocrine physiology and goes on to describe the value of adding an Early Clinical Exposure program (ECE) to didactic instruction in endocrine physiology, as well as student reactions to it as an alternative approach. DISCUSSION: Various methods have been used to reinforce didactic instruction in endocrine physiology such as case-stimulated learning, problem-based learning, patient-centred learning and multiple-format sessions. We devised a teaching-learning intervention in endocrine physiology, which comprised of traditional didactic lectures, supplemented with an ECE program consisting of case based lectures and a hospital visit to see patients. A focus group discussion was conducted with the medical students and, based on the themes that emerged from it, a questionnaire was developed and administered to further enquire into the attitude of all the students towards ECE in learning endocrine physiology. The students in their feedback commented that ECE increased their interest for the subject and motivated them to read more. They also felt that ECE enhanced their understanding of endocrine physiology, enabled them to remember the subject better, contributed to their knowledge of the subject and also helped them to integrate their knowledge. Many students said that ECE increased their sensitivity toward patient problems and needs. They expressed a desire and a need for ECE to be continued in teaching endocrine physiology for future groups of students and also be extended for teaching other systems as well. The majority of the students (96.4%) in their feedback gave an overall rating of the program as good to excellent on a 5 point Likert scale. SUMMARY: The ECE program was introduced as an alternative approach to reinforce didactic instruction in endocrine physiology for the first year medical students. The study demonstrated that students clearly enjoyed the experience and perceived that it was valuable. This method could potentially be used for other basic science topics as well. PMID- 17784969 TI - The confluence of sarcopenia and obesity. PMID- 17784971 TI - Media training for diabetes prevention: a participatory evaluation. AB - The Media and the Message - Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living for Diabetes Prevention was a project aimed at raising awareness of diabetes risk factors and enhancing the public's access to credible, up-to-date, healthy eating and active living messages in the media. Cross-country workshops were held to teach media strategies and key diabetes prevention messages to multidisciplinary groups of health professionals. Evaluation was integral to the project; both the process and outcomes were assessed using Health Canada's Population Health Approach. Timeline and budget were tracked. Questionnaires were created to evaluate advisory committee conference calls and to determine participants' perceptions of the 19 workshops and resources. A pre-workshop/post-workshop and three-month follow-up questionnaire format, along with an online media-tracking tool, was used to collect outcome data and to measure changes in confidence and media behaviour. Sixty-three percent of participants (150 of 238) reported that multidisciplinary workshops were very valuable. Three-month follow-up revealed a significant increase in confidence in all media activities taught at the workshops, although this failed to translate into increased media activity. Sixty eight percent (78 of 115) of responding participants disseminated workshop learning. Detailed evaluation revealed that multidisciplinary workshops are valued and effective in increasing confidence. However, eliciting behaviour change following a workshop remains a challenge. PMID- 17784970 TI - What do adults in Prince Edward Island know about nutrition? AB - PURPOSE: To assess adults' knowledge of dietary recommendations, food sources of key nutrients, food choices, and diet-disease relationships. METHODS: A previously validated survey, designed to assess nutrition knowledge, was adapted for use in Prince Edward Island and mailed to a random sample of 3,500 adults (aged 18 to 74). Dillman's Total Design Method was followed and a response rate of 26.4% achieved. Mean scores and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the overall survey and for each section. Demographic variations were assessed by univariate analysis. RESULTS: Of an overall possible score of 110 points, the mean score with 95% CI was 71.0 (70.1, 71.9). Respondents scored higher on the sections on dietary recommendations, food sources, and food choices than diet disease relationships. Demographic differences existed in gender, age, education, and income. Findings suggest that adults have good general knowledge of dietary recommendations, but lack knowledge about how to make healthier food choices and the impact of diet on disease risk. CONCLUSION: When designing intervention strategies, dietitians should consider targeted messages to provide adults with the information they need to make healthy food choices. PMID- 17784972 TI - Cognitive-behavioural treatment for women who binge eat. AB - PURPOSE: A dietitian-administered, shortened form of the Apple and Agras cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) method was evaluated in a group setting to determine its effect on improving obese women's self-esteem and reducing binge eating behaviours, depression, and negative body image. METHODS: Participants were recruited through newspaper and radio advertisements. Respondents who met study selection criteria were randomly assigned to either a CBT group (n=13) or a delayed group (D-CBT) (n=9). The treatment was administered over six weekly sessions to the CBT group, and then twice weekly over three weeks to the D-CBT group. Two measures of bingeing behaviour (severity and frequency), three measures of mood (depression, body image, and self-esteem), and body weight were assessed. RESULTS: The intervention did not result in any changes in body weight. There were statistically significant and clinically important changes after treatment (p<0.05) for all five measures. Binge-eating severity and frequency decreased, depression decreased, body image improved, and self-esteem improved. All changes were greater in the six-week treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: The dietitian-administered, group setting CBT program is effective for reducing binge eating and improving emotional state in obese women. PMID- 17784973 TI - Mandatory folic acid fortification in Newfoundland and Labrador. AB - PURPOSE: Dietary folic acid (FA) intakes were analyzed in random samples of 302 young women (aged 18 to 34) and 337 seniors (aged 65 to 74) residing in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). The analyses were an attempt to estimate the amount of FA they would consume solely because of mandatory fortification of foods. METHODS: Secondary analysis was performed on raw data collected through single 24-hour recalls as part of a larger study. RESULTS: The dietary FA contributed by fortified foods eaten in the specified amounts was estimated to be 136 to 148 mcg/day (226 to 247 DFE/day) for young women and 151 to 160 mcg/day (252 to 267 DFE/day) for seniors. Most of this FA was contributed to the diet by enriched white flour. CONCLUSIONS: Mandatory fortification of foods appears to have improved the total mean intake of folate by young women and seniors residing in NL. PMID- 17784974 TI - Rural consumers' attitudes towards nutrition labelling. AB - PURPOSE: Consumer workshops in rural and remote locations were evaluated for their efficacy in changing participants' self-perceived attitudes and behaviours related to nutrition labelling. METHODS: Project-trained community health educators used pilot-tested workshop resources to facilitate 18 workshops across the country. Participants completed pre-workshop questionnaires to permit the identification of demographic characteristics and attitudes and behaviours related to nutrition labelling at point-of-purchase. RESULTS: The majority of the 259 consumers who submitted questionnaires were women (81%), and aged 35 to 54 (35%); 51% reported more than a high school education and 34% had less than $25,000 as a yearly family income. Self-perceived attitudes and behaviours related to nutrition labelling differed only slightly by family income before the workshop. Workshops were rated positively (mode=4 [range 2 to 5]). Thirty-five consumers were surveyed three months after the workshop; the majority were women (89%), were aged 35 to 54 (43%), and had completed high school (51%). Self perceived attitudes and behaviours for all respondents (n=35) had improved. Use of acquired knowledge and skills at point-of-purchase was high for all respondents (mode=4 [range 2 to 5]; five-point Likert scale). CONCLUSIONS: Providing in-person consumer workshops with pilot-tested materials in rural and remote locations had positive impacts on attitudes and behaviours related to the use of nutrition labelling. PMID- 17784975 TI - Zinc-specific food frequency questionnaire. AB - PURPOSE: A new dietary zinc assessment tool (ZAT) was evaluated to determine its usefulness in estimating zinc intakes among college students. METHODS: A food frequency questionnaire specifically designed for calculating average zinc intakes was administered to university students who had also completed three-day food records. Zinc intakes from the two instruments were compared. RESULTS: Among 171 participants (38 male, 133 female) aged 20.2 +/- 1.6 years (mean +/- standard deviation), the two dietary assessment methods were positively correlated (r=0.33, p<0.001). The ZAT correctly identified 76% of the women who were obtaining less than the National Academy of Sciences Recommended Dietary Allowance for zinc (8 mg/day for females, 11 mg/day for males). CONCLUSIONS: This convenient tool may assist in the identification of problematic dietary patterns at an early stage. Further design modifications and expanded studies are warranted. PMID- 17784976 TI - University science students' knowledge of fats. AB - PURPOSE: Students entering university often lack knowledge about fats; whether students gain such information during four years at university is unclear. Students' knowledge of fat in the first and fourth years was measured and compared. The effect of a nutrition course on knowledge was also examined. METHODS: A total of 215 science students at a small undergraduate university completed a 15-item, closed-ended questionnaire concerning knowledge of fats in the diet. RESULTS: Fourth-year science students have greater nutrition knowledge of fats than do first-year science students (p<0.005). Given that the majority of first-year students reside on campus and the majority of fourth-year students reside off campus, the purchasing of food and preparation of meals may explain the senior students' greater knowledge of fat. Students who have taken a nutrition course know more about fats than do those who have not (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Taking even one course in nutrition greatly increases nutrition knowledge. Universities could encourage undergraduate students to take a basic nutrition course, which should emphasize the identification and understanding of different types of dietary fats. PMID- 17784965 TI - A transcriptomic analysis of the adult stage of the bovine lungworm, Dictyocaulus viviparus. AB - BACKGROUND: Lungworms of the genus Dictyocaulus (family Dictyocaulidae) are parasitic nematodes of major economic importance. They cause pathological effects and clinical disease in various ruminant hosts, particularly in young animals. Dictyocaulus viviparus, called the bovine lungworm, is a major pathogen of cattle, with severe infections being fatal. In this study, we provide first insights into the transcriptome of the adult stage of D. viviparus through the analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs). RESULTS: Using our EST analysis pipeline, we estimate that the present dataset of 4436 ESTs is derived from 2258 genes based on cluster and comparative genomic analyses of the ESTs. Of the 2258 representative ESTs, 1159 (51.3%) had homologues in the free-living nematode C. elegans, 1174 (51.9%) in parasitic nematodes, 827 (36.6%) in organisms other than nematodes, and 863 (38%) had no significant match to any sequence in the current databases. Of the C. elegans homologues, 569 had observed 'non-wildtype' RNAi phenotypes, including embryonic lethality, maternal sterility, sterility in progeny, larval arrest and slow growth. We could functionally classify 776 (35%) sequences using the Gene Ontologies (GO) and established pathway associations to 696 (31%) sequences in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). In addition, we predicted 85 secreted proteins which could represent potential candidates for developing novel anthelmintics or vaccines. CONCLUSION: The bioinformatic analyses of ESTs data for D. viviparus has elucidated sets of relatively conserved and potentially novel genes. The genes discovered in this study should assist research toward a better understanding of the basic molecular biology of D. viviparus, which could lead, in the longer term, to novel intervention strategies. The characterization of the D. viviparus transcriptome also provides a foundation for whole genome sequence analysis and future comparative transcriptomic analyses. PMID- 17784977 TI - New insights into body composition and health through imaging analysis. 2007 Ryley-Jeffs memorial lecture. AB - From calipers to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we have come a long way in our ability to analyze body composition. Some historical milestones are a reminder that many concepts in muscle and fat metabolism, and their measurement, have stood the test of time. However, newer imaging technology has improved our understanding of population heterogeneity in body composition, and the potential health problems associated with certain body composition phenotypes. Imaging analyses, such as dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography, and MRI, have provided detailed characterization of the type and amount of fat deposited centrally (abdominal adipose tissue), the trajectory of losses in muscle tissue (sarcopenia), and the combination of low muscle mass/high fat mass (sarcopenic obesity). The last is a new emerging health concern because the presence of these two disproportionate tissue depots may have an additive effect on increasing morbidity. Ongoing measurement of body composition is needed, and preliminary research suggests this may have important nutritional implications. PMID- 17784979 TI - The role of the bladder surface in interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. AB - INTRODUCTION: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a potentially severe and debilitating condition of the bladder. Numerous factors have been implicated in its pathogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was conducted on the following topics: urothelium, mucosal lining, interstitial cystitis, bladder, and glycosaminoglycans. RESULTS: A commonly proposed cause for IC is a defect or alteration in the bladder surface leading to increased permeability to noxious urinary solutes and ultimately to tissue inflammation and neurogenic upregulation. Support for this concept is drawn from studies of the structure, function, and composition of the bladder surface. The cause(s) of this alteration is not known, although recent research has implicated changes in the levels of growth factors and/or compounds that protect against irritants and potentially "toxic" factors. The etiology of IC is likely multifactorial. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations of the bladder surface are observed in IC, and may play an important role in the etiology of this condition. PMID- 17784980 TI - Toxicity and health-related quality-of-life assessment in prostate radiotherapy. AB - The use of radiation therapy in the radical treatment of prostate cancer can lead to potential acute and long-term toxicity and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) changes. Ongoing investigation into dose-escalation, dose-per-fraction escalation, new radiation treatment technology/paradigms, and novel systemic therapy may have either positive and/or negative effects on normal tissue toxicity/HRQoL. Herein, common toxicity scales and HRQoL instruments that attempt to describe the deleterious effects of prostate radiation therapy are reviewed. PMID- 17784981 TI - Correlation of pathology with tumor size of renal masses. AB - OBJECTIVE: The current standard of care for radiographically identified enhancing renal lesions is surgical removal. However, some of these lesions prove to be benign and did not truly warrant extirpation. Mass size has been traditionally described as a parameter to predict the malignant potential. We compiled our experience with surgically treated renal masses and correlated lesion size with final pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of extirpative renal surgery and resultant renal mass pathology from 1998- January 2006. Nephrectomies performed for non-malignant disease or transitional cell carcinomas were excluded. Renal tumors were staged by the 2002 TNM classification system. RESULTS: Three hundred ninety-four patients with 460 lesions were identified. Overall, 24% of masses were determined to be benign and 76% were malignant. Three hundred forty-three malignant lesions were renal cell carcinoma (98%). Masses were stratified by size. Two hundred thirty masses were smaller than 4 cm and 72 (31.3%) of these were benign. There were 166 lesions between 4 cm and 7 cm with an 18% benign rate. Sixty-four lesions were > 7 cm in size. Only eight of these were benign (12.5%). Chi square testing revealed the 31.3% benign rate of the < 4 cm group to be significantly different than the benign rates of the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The preponderance of renal lesions removed for benign pathology occurs when lesion size is small, typically less than 4 cm. This information may be useful in deciding to offer expectant management of an otherwise surgical lesion in a patient who is a poor candidate to undergo an operative procedure. PMID- 17784982 TI - What is the optimal duration of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer patients presenting with prostate-specific antigen levels > 20 ng/ml? AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the optimal duration of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), who present with PSA levels > 20 ng/mL. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 307 patients presenting with a PSA > 20 ng/ml were treated with EBRT and ADT. The cohort was divided into four groups according to the duration of ADT: Group 1 received < 6 months (n = 71), group 2 received 6-12 months (n = 80), group 3 received 12-24 months (n = 72), and group 4 received > 24 months (n = 84) of ADT. The endpoints analyzed were biochemical control (bNED), overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS). Statistical analysis was conducted using Kaplan Meier estimates and Cox regression models. RESULTS: Compared to patients who received < 6 months of ADT, patients treated with 12-24 months or > 24 months of ADT experienced significantly improved bNED (p = 0.01 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Cause-specific survival with ADT durations 12-24 and > 24 months were significantly higher compared to < 6 months (p < 0.007 and 0.024, respectively). Overall survival with ADT durations > 24 months was also significantly higher compared to < 6 months (p = 0.0025). CONCLUSIONS: The present analysis supports the hypothesis that longer durations of ADT improves bNED, CSS and OS in patients presenting with a PSA > 20 ng/ml. PMID- 17784984 TI - Impact of previous inguinal hernia repair on transperitoneal robotic prostatectomy. AB - OBJECTIVE: Several investigators have noted that previous inguinal hernia repair with or without the use of prosthetic mesh might be a relative contraindication for open or laparoscopic radical prostatectomy due to the presence of adhesions and the difficulty of tissue dissection. We aimed to evaluate the impact of previous hernia repair on the performance and feasibility of robotic prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 354 patients who underwent robotic prostatectomy at our institution. The three patient groups were: 292 patients who had no prior hernia repair (group 1), 50 patients who had prior inguinal herniorrhaphy without the use of prosthetic mesh (group 2), and 12 patients who had prior inguinal herniorrhaphy with the use of prosthetic mesh. We compared operative time (surgeon console time), estimated blood loss, and operative complications (bladder, bowel, and/or vascular injuries) in the three groups. RESULTS: Patients with no prior herniorrhaphy (group 1), prior herniorrhaphy without mesh (group 2), and prior herniorrhaphy with mesh (group 3), had similar mean operating times (126.9 minutes, 129.3 minutes and 145.6 minutes, respectively) and similar mean estimated blood loss (152.5 ml, 140.6 ml, and 141.6 ml, respectively) during radical prostatectomy. However, compared to the group of patients who had no prior hernia repair, the group who had prior herniorrhaphy with the use of mesh had a significantly longer mean console operating time (145.6 versus 126.9 minutes, p = .012). CONCLUSION: Previous hernia surgery, with or without the use of prosthetic mesh, did not represent a significant barrier to the performance of transperitoneal robotic prostatectomy. PMID- 17784983 TI - Cystectomy in the ninth decade: operative results and long-term survival outcomes. AB - INTRODUCTION: Radical cystectomy (RC) with urinary diversion remains as one of the more complex urological procedures despite considerable progress in surgical technique. Increasing patient age, along with associated age-related comorbidities, may portend a poor outcome in those undergoing such complicated surgical procedures. Herein, we report our experience with radical cystectomy in the elderly population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our RC results from 1995 to 2003. Patients >or = 80 years old were included in this analysis. Perioperative outcomes, as well as overall and disease-free survival were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 517 patients underwent RC with urinary diversion during this time period. Forty-nine (9.5%) patients were >or= 80 years old. Mean age and BMI were 83.4 years (range 80-94) and 27.1kg/m2 (range 17.4-39.0), respectively. Eighty-three percent of the patients had >or= 1 comorbidities and 67% had a significant smoking history. Mean operative time and estimated blood loss were 279 minutes and 985 ml, respectively. Thirty-two patients (76%) required blood transfusion in the perioperative period. Among patients found to have urothelial cancer a pathological analysis (36), 21 patients (58%) had < pT3a while 15 patients (42%) had >or= pT3b or >or= N1. Intraoperative complications (5%) included one large bowel injury and hypogastric artery laceration. Thirty- and 90-day mortality rates were 9.5% and 11%, respectively. Early and late postoperative complications were 57% and 17% and 5-year overall and disease-free survival were 44% and 36%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion in patients >or= 80 years old is related with significant short term and long-term morbidity. Proper patient selection assessing performance status and psychosocial parameters appear to optimize survival outcomes. However, regardless of age, timely surgical management for localized disease control is essential for ultimate sustained disease-free survival. PMID- 17784985 TI - Robot-assisted partial cystectomy for the treatment of urachal carcinoma. AB - The traditional treatment of choice for urachal carcinoma has been either an open radical cystectomy or the more recently accepted extended partial cystectomy and umbilectomy. Recently a laparoscopic technique has been reported. We report for the first time a robot-assisted technique for an extended partial cystectomy with en bloc umbilectomy for the management of urachal carcinoma in a 49-year-old man. PMID- 17784986 TI - Epidermoid carcinoma of the lung with isolated penile metastasis. AB - We report a case of epidermoid-cell carcinoma of the lung that developed a metastatic lesion in the penis. A 50-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with bloody sputum and cough. He had a left pneumectomy and was diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of the lung at stage IIB (T2N1M0). He was started on an adjuvant chemotherapy protocol consisting of cisplatin and paclitaxel. He was admitted to our urology clinic with obstructive symptoms during urination and pain during penile erection. Physical examination revealed a firm, 3 cm x 2 cm palpable mass on the radix of his penis. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the penile mass revealed epidermoid carcinoma that was consistent with lung cancer. The patient was considered to have penile metastasis from epidermoid carcinoma of the lung. PMID- 17784987 TI - Prostatic abscess as a delayed complication following cryosurgery for primary prostate cancer. AB - Prostatic abscess is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease when left untreated. We report the first case of a man who developed a prostatic abscess as a long-term complication of cryoablation for primary prostate cancer. Timely diagnosis with non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan, retrograde CT cystogram to ensure no bladder involvement, percutaneous drainage under CT guidance, and antibiotic treatment sensitive to the causative organism were crucial for prompt recovery. PMID- 17784988 TI - Isolated renal metastasis after colon cancer. AB - Renal infiltration of colon adenocarcinoma is a rare event. The authors present the case report of a 52-year-old female who had a high carcinoembryonic antigen level 18 months after right hemicolectomy and a chemotherapy regimen to treat transverse colon adenocarcinoma. The patient presented cancer recurrence after 12 months, and underwent a paraaortic lymphadenoctomy and a second adjuvant chemotherapy with the folfox regimen. Abdomen computerized tomography revealed two solid masses in the right kidney, without evidence of any other metastatic sites. A nephrectomy was performed in the right kidney followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. PMID- 17784989 TI - Ruptured superficial dorsal vein of the penis masquerading as a penile fracture: case report. AB - Acute onset of pain, swelling, and ecchymosis of the penis during sexual intercourse indicate a penile fracture until proven otherwise. However, there have been few case reports of isolated injuries to the dorsal penile artery or dorsal vein mimicking a penile fracture. Presented herein is a rare case of a patient who ruptured his superficial dorsal vein during intercourse. PMID- 17784990 TI - Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase gram-negative sepsis following prostate biopsy: implications for use of fluoroquinolone prophylaxis. AB - Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms are resistant to penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, aztreonam, and most fluoroquinolones. We report a case of a 72-year old man who developed septic shock with an ESBL organism after a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy despite having received fluoroquinolone prophylaxis. The patient recovered with intravenous ertapenem. Fluoroquinolone resistant bacteria are increasing in prevalence. This needs to be recognized when the antibiotic choice for pre-procedure prophylaxis is made. PMID- 17784992 TI - Clinical trials: benefit or danger to the patient? PMID- 17784991 TI - Giant fibroepithelial polyp of the penis associated with long-term use of condom catheter. Case report and literature review. AB - BACKGROUND: A condom catheter is a commonly used drainage system for incontinent patients. However, it is associated with different complications including infection and erosion. One very rare complication that has been recognized is the development of giant fibroepithelial polyps in the penis; to date, to the best of our knowledge, seven cases have been reported in the literature. We report a new case of giant fibroepithelial polyp associated with long-term condom catheter use. CASE SUMMARY: A 43-year-old incontinent man who had been using a condom catheter for 14 years following a motor vehicle accident presented with a mass on the ventral aspect of his penis; the mass had appeared a year ago. The patient underwent excisional biopsy. Grossly, there was a mass with a maximum dimension of 4.0 cm, which had an irregular surface. Histological examination revealed a fibroepithelial polyp with vascular proliferation and edematous stroma with prominent bundles of smooth muscle. Perivascular lymphoid aggregates were seen. The morphology was similar to that in the previously reported cases; the presence of smooth muscle was distinct. CONCLUSION: Giant fibroepithelial polyps can be associated with long-term condom catheter use and pathologists and urologists should be aware of this rare complication as their size can mimic carcinoma. PMID- 17784993 TI - Open clinical uro-oncology trials in Canada. PMID- 17784994 TI - Feckless fathers and monopolizing mothers: motive, identity, and fundamental truths in the Australian Public Inquiry into Child Custody. AB - This paper presents findings from a discursive analysis of Hansard recordings of the public hearings of the Australian Public Inquiry into Child Custody. Using a synthesis of membership categorization analysis, sequential conversation analysis, and rhetorical analysis, the study shows how two witnesses, and the committee members they interacted with, oriented to a normative requirement to talk in terms of being motivated by children's interests. Building on discursive psychological research into ways that categories-in-talk can imply and infer things about psychological concepts such as motive and identity, this paper shows how motive and identity were a salient participants' concern in a setting where an important social issue was being contested. A contribution is the illumination of several common ideas that formed part of people's sense making about parenting practices and what children purportedly need. Some implications of an uncritical acceptance of these ideas by psychologists, researchers, and people influential in assisting families with post-separation parenting arrangements are suggested. PMID- 17784995 TI - Patient and caregiver outcomes after 6 +/- 1.5-months of rivastigmine therapy for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: the Belgian FExT study. AB - OBJECTIVE: Despite response variability, cholinesterase inhibitors are recommended in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Dose titration is common; however randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have mainly investigated fixed-dose regimens. We examined practice patterns and outcomes of 6 +/- 1.5-month rivastigmine therapy. METHODS: Prospective, pharmacoepidemiologic, naturalistic study of 175 evaluable patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (+ 151 caregivers) from 52 centers in Belgium on 6 +/- 1.5 month (titrated) rivastigmine treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measured at baseline (enrollment) and follow-up (6 +/- 1.5 months). For patients: Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) scores; treatment response (improvement, maintenance, or decline less than normative slope). For caregivers: hours/week spent caring; Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS), 12-item version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scores. RESULTS: Patients' MMSE and NPI scores (p < 0.001) improved from baseline to follow-up, but not ADL and GDS scores. Treatment response was 89.1% of patients for MMSE (including 60.6% with improvement) and 77.7% for NPI (including 57.1% with improvement). Quadratic curves were fitted for the average daily dose and the MMSE and NPI scores; with a trend towards average daily dose of 6.0 +/- 3.0 mg/day. Caregivers' ZCBS (p = 0.036) and GHQ-12 (p = 0.029) scores improved, but not IADL scores and time spent caring. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' MMSE and ADL scores confirmed the meta-analyses of rivastigmine efficacy trials, while NPI scores exceeded efficacy results. Proportionately more patients responded to (titrated) treatment than in fixed dose RCTs. Caregivers reported less burden (similar to meta-analysis) and better general health over the study period. Where efficacy and effectiveness results diverge, the benefit is in 'real-world' effectiveness. Large sample, multi country replications, less sensitive to censoring secondary to missing data and powered to permit advanced modeling, as well as RCTs with adaptive designs to accommodate titration, are needed. The profile of patients most likely to benefit from treatment or most vulnerable to treatment outcome must be studied, as must the impact of physician- and center-related variables on outcomes. PMID- 17784996 TI - Sublingual immunotherapy efficacy in patients with atopic dermatitis and house dust mites sensitivity: a prospective pilot study. AB - BACKGROUND: Specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) with house dust mite (HDM) preparation has recently been shown to improve eczema in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). So far, there is less data regarding efficacy and safety of specific sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in patients with AD. STUDY AIM: To evaluate in an open non-controlled, non-randomized pilot trial the effect of SLIT with HDM allergen extracts preparation (SLITone, ALK Abello Italy) on SCORAD in adult patients with mild-moderate AD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 86 Subjects (53 females and 33 males) between 3 and 60 years of age with AD and IgE-proved (Class > 2) HDM sensitization were enrolled after their informed consent in the trial. Exclusion criteria were severe asthma and treatment with systemic or high potent topical corticosteroids or immunosuppressant agents. Patients were treated with SLIT (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae extracts: SLITone, ALK-Abello) for at least 12 months. SCORAD was evaluated at baseline and after 12 months of treatment. RESULTS: Baseline SCORAD value, mean +/- SD, was 43.3 +/- 13.7 (range 15-84). After 1 year of SLIT, mean +/- SD, SCORAD value was reduced to 23.7 +/- 13.3 (range: 0-65) (p = 0.0001; unpaired t-test vs. baseline). This was a 46% reduction in SCORAD in comparison with baseline value. A significant improvement, defined as a SCORAD reduction of > 30%, was observed in 51 out of 86 patients (59%). In 5 patients (5.8%) SCORAD values did not change at the end of the observation period. In 30 patients (35%) the SCORAD reduction after SIT was or = 3 TPV-RS mutations than non-failures (P = 0.06). Presence of a major IAS-USA mutation at baseline was strongly associated with absence of a 1 log viral load drop at 24 weeks (P = 0.02). TPV-containing regimens showed impressive efficacy and tolerability in this heavily experienced cohort. PMID- 17785010 TI - Management of HIV infection in adolescents attending inner London HIV services. AB - Increasing numbers of HIV-infected children are now reaching adulthood and young people account for 10% of new HIV diagnosis in the UK each year. This audit of young people attending specialist and generic HIV services in Inner London in 2006 (n=39) highlights the complex medical and psychosocial needs of this patient group: 63% were diagnosed with HIV because of poor health, 39% had received more than three antiretroviral regimens, 21% had resistance to two antiretroviral classes and 32% had significant mental health problems. In addition, 45% reported to be sexually active with poor uptake of contraception other than condoms and frequent non-disclosure of their HIV status to a sexual partner. PMID- 17785011 TI - UK national audit of sexual health care for people with HIV infection: clinic policies. AB - A national audit of the sexual health care for people with HIV infection (PWHIV) was conducted in genitourinary medicine clinics and other clinics providing care for PWHIV in the UK in the summer of 2006. Data were aggregated by region and clinic, allowing practice to be compared between regions, as well as to national averages and against various guidelines. In this, the first of two papers, clinics were surveyed on their local policies. In total, 126 clinics participated. Only 38 clinics (30%, regional range 0-60%) had written local care pathways on management of sexually transmitted infection in PWHIV, while 73 (58, 20-100%) had unwritten policies. This compares with the national standard that 100% of service providers should be able to provide documentation of local care pathways for sexually transmitted diseases in people with HIV. Clinics should consider creating policies especially where standards are not being met. PMID- 17785012 TI - Papulonecrotic tuberculid in an HIV-positive patient. AB - We present a 33-year-old HIV-positive man who presented with a two-year history of a non-itchy papular eruption, associated with night sweats, headaches, poor memory and weight loss. On examination, he had erythematous papular lesions with necrotic centres on the face, arms and torso with no systemic abnormalities. A skin biopsy eventually led to the diagnosis of papulonecrotic tuberculid, and treatment with quadruple therapy resulted in resolution of his rash and systemic symptoms. Papulonecrotic tuberculid is thought to be a immunological response to Mycobacterium bacillus components in a previously sensitized patient following haematogenous spread from a focus of infection elsewhere. Cultures from the skin are typically negative and there are no acid-fast bacilli seen, but mycobacterial DNA can be detected using polymerase chain reaction. This case is an example of the paradoxical activation of the immune system seen in patients with HIV. It highlights the importance of skin biopsy in patients with unexplained systemic symptoms and a rash, as the differential diagnosis can be wide in HIV. PMID- 17785013 TI - Pharyngeal gonorrhoea - is dual therapy the way forward? PMID- 17785015 TI - Sexually transmitted infection screening in asymptomatic women. PMID- 17785016 TI - Response to Six Sigma study group's article regarding releasing capacity in sexual health through modernization. PMID- 17785017 TI - Uptake of HIV testing in a genitourinary medicine clinic following opt-out screening method and uptake rate by individual clinicians. PMID- 17785018 TI - Atazanavir-associated menorrhagia. PMID- 17785019 TI - Use of nucleic acid amplification tests for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: survey of genitourinary medicine clinics in England. PMID- 17785020 TI - HIV and related infections in a sample of recyclable waste collectors of Brazil. PMID- 17785021 TI - Support for the clinician in providing a regional telehealth service. AB - However attractive the idea of telehealth may appear to them, clinicians in regional hospitals will be preoccupied with clinical matters and are unlikely to have either the time or the expertise necessary to address the infrastructure and organizational aspects of establishing a telehealth service. Our experience of telepaediatrics in Queensland has shown that the support of the central service and coordinator has been essential in overcoming initial difficulties and has freed us as clinicians to concentrate on appropriate clinical referrals and consultation via telehealth. The central service is also able to assist in data collection, and in the analysis and interpretation of telehealth activity, for example in measuring cost-effectiveness. We have found that consolidating most consultations into planned clinics creates efficiency. The central coordinator can teach and support those new to telehealth in the regional and primary care setting, thus relieving the local clinician of this responsibility. As telehealth services expand in a regional centre, having a dedicated local telehealth coordinator may become appropriate. A central telehealth support service, which is clinically focused and responsive to clinicians' needs, is an essential foundation for successful telehealth. PMID- 17785022 TI - Low-cost printing of computerised tomography (CT) images where there is no dedicated CT camera. AB - Many developing countries still rely on conventional hard copy images to transfer information among physicians. We have developed a low-cost alternative method of printing computerised tomography (CT) scan images where there is no dedicated camera. A digital camera is used to photograph images from the CT scan screen monitor. The images are then transferred to a PC via a USB port, before being printed on glossy paper using an inkjet printer. The method can be applied to other imaging modalities like ultrasound and MRI and appears worthy of emulation elsewhere in the developing world where resources and technical expertise are scarce. PMID- 17785023 TI - A review of the outcomes of the recommendations made during paediatric telepsychiatry consultations. AB - Little is known about whether the recommendations made during telepsychiatry are actually implemented. We reviewed 100 telepsychiatry consultations, chosen randomly from a paediatric telepsychiatry programme serving rural communities in Ontario. Treatment recommendations had been made for each case reviewed and up to nine recommendations had been made for a single case. Twenty-seven percent of recommendations revolved around monitoring (10%), changing (9%), starting (4%), continuing (3%) and stopping (1%) medication. Case managers associated with 54 of the cases were interviewed to determine whether the recommendations had been implemented and to examine the barriers and facilitators to implementation. The results indicated that cooperation of both child and parent, clear communication of recommendations, involvement of the school and local health providers, stability of the agencies and availability of services were key components in the successful implementation of recommendations. The matter of technology or technological difficulties acting as a barrier to telepsychiatric consultations was not mentioned by case managers, suggesting that it was not a problem. PMID- 17785024 TI - A cohort study of acute plastic surgery trauma and burn referrals using telemedicine. AB - A store-and-forward telemedicine system was used to supplement normal telephone referrals to the plastic surgery unit at the Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH). During a 12-week prospective study, 11 units (8 hospitals and 3 minor injury units) with the telemedicine system and 10 units (8 hospitals and 2 minor injury units) without it regularly made referrals (at least 10) to the QVH. There were 389 referrals from the telemedicine-equipped units and 607 telephone referrals from the non-telemedicine units. The telemedicine system was used for 246 of the 389 referrals (63%) made from telemedicine-equipped units. There was a significant difference in the management of patients when the telemedicine system was available, with more patients booked directly into day surgery and fewer attending for assessment. The burns unit and the day surgery unit demonstrated a significantly improved accuracy of triage. Telemedicine could have a valuable role to play in the triage and planning of acute plastic surgery referrals. PMID- 17785025 TI - Two-year experience with telemedicine in the follow-up of patients in home peritoneal dialysis. AB - We evaluated the use of telemedicine in the long-term control of stable patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis at home. From September 2003 to August 2005, patients were randomly selected from current cases and invited to join study group A, in which they had telemedicine support. Patients not selected for this group, or who refused the invitation, were placed in study group B, and used for comparison. There were 25 patients in group A and 32 patients in group B. Videoconferencing equipment was installed in each patient's home, connected to a videoconferencing unit at the hospital by three ISDN lines. Patients in group A were followed for a mean of 8 months (range 3-24) with alternate months of teleconsultations and hospital visits. A total of 172 teleconsultations were conducted. A mean of 22 min (SD 9) were spent on each teleconsultation, significantly less than in hospital consultations, which took a mean of 33 min (SD 8) (P<0.01). In 148 teleconsultations (89%) medical treatment was modified. In 4 cases (2%) patients needed a hospital visit. In all instances (100%) the condition of the catheter exit site and the presence of oedema could be evaluated. In group A, the estimated cost of telemedicine was euro198 and that of a hospital visit was euro177. The mean hospitalization rate was 2.2 days/patient/year in group A and 5.7 days/patient/year in group B (P<0.05). Home telemedicine appears to be clinically useful in the long-term follow-up of stable patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, and the costs and savings also seem to be encouraging. PMID- 17785026 TI - The role of telecare in supporting the needs of elderly people. AB - A literature review was conducted to identify the 'trigger factors' associated with a need for increased levels of care and support for elderly people. An expert panel then prioritized the trigger factors into one of five bands of importance. The literature review produced 2037 hits. Of these, 1768 were excluded after reading the abstract and 111 after reading the full paper, leaving 158 papers for inclusion in the review. From these papers, 102 unique factors that triggered a need for greater care and support among elderly people were identified. The expert panel ranked 36 of the trigger factors into the top three bands of importance. Subsequent analysis suggested that telecare could be used to assist, prevent or minimise the impact of some 66% of these 36 trigger factors and 75% of the top 12 factors. This suggests that telecare has a significant role to play in the support of elderly people and should be a major consideration when re-designing services. PMID- 17785027 TI - Determinants of successful telemedicine implementations: a literature study. AB - Telemedicine implementations often remain in the pilot phase and do not succeed in scaling-up to robust products that are used in daily practice. We conducted a qualitative literature review of 45 conference papers describing telemedicine interventions in order to identify determinants that had influenced their implementation. The identified determinants, which would influence the future implementation of telemedicine interventions, can be classified into five major categories: (1) Technology, (2) Acceptance, (3) Financing, (4) Organization and (5) Policy and Legislation. Each category contains determinants that are relevant to different stakeholders in different domains. We propose a layered implementation model in which the primary focus on individual determinants changes throughout the development life cycle of the telemedicine implementation. For success, a visionary approach is required from the multidisciplinary stakeholders, which goes beyond tackling specific issues in a particular development phase. Thus the right philosophy is: 'start small, think big'. PMID- 17785028 TI - Process evaluation of a nurse-led telemonitoring programme for patients with asthma. AB - We performed a process evaluation of a nurse-led telemonitoring programme for patients with asthma. The indicators used to evaluate the programme were feasibility, consistency of peak expiratory flow (PEF) tests, compliance and patient satisfaction. Patients in the intervention group received a home monitor in which spirometry results and symptoms could be recorded. They were asked to measure PEF in the morning and evening. A nurse studied the home monitoring data and took stepwise actions in accordance with the intervention protocol. During a 12-month study period, 55 patients were allocated to the intervention group (26 adults and 29 children). Although technical and logistical problems did occur, the dropout rate was low. At least 75% of the PEF manoeuvres were valid for two thirds of the patients. Compliance with the study protocol was high. The average number of recorded PEF tests was 1.5 per day, which was less than the two tests per day that were required by the protocol. Patient satisfaction was high and, after one year, less than 20% of the participants chose to discontinue their participation. The results indicate that nurse-led telemonitoring for a motivated group of patients with mild to moderate asthma is feasible and reliable, and satisfying to patients. PMID- 17785029 TI - The cost-utility of a care coordination/home telehealth programme for veterans with diabetes. AB - We examined the cost-effectiveness of a care coordination/home telehealth (CCHT) programme for veterans with diabetes. We conducted a retrospective, pre-post study which compared data for a cohort of veterans (n=370) before and after the introduction of the CCHT programme for two periods of 12 months. To assess the cost-effectiveness, we converted the patients' health-related quality of life data into Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) utility scores and used costs to construct incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The overall mean ICER for the programme at one-year was $60,941, a value within the commonly-cited range of cost-effectiveness of $50,000-100,000. The programme was cost-effective for one-third of the participants. Characteristics that contributed to cost effectiveness were marital status, location and clinically relevant co morbidities. By targeting the intervention differently in future work, it may become cost-effective for a greater proportion of patients. PMID- 17785030 TI - A survey in India of doctors' knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding telemedicine and e-health. PMID- 17785031 TI - Health information Websites: characteristics of US users by race and ethnicity. AB - We conducted a national public opinion survey of adults aged 18 years or older in the continental US to determine their use of health Websites. Of the 928 individuals contacted, 868 (94%) reported their race/ethnicity. More non-Hispanic Whites reported using the Internet (34%) than African Americans (31%) and Hispanics (20%). We used logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios describing the relationship between Website usage and covariates across the racial/ethnic subgroups. Whereas better perceived health was associated with greater Website use among Hispanics and Whites, stronger health literacy was associated with greater use among Hispanics. No African American or Hispanic respondent aged 65 years or older reported going online. The relationship between education and use was more than twice as strong for African Americans and Hispanics than other groups. That some minority groups are less likely to use the World Wide Web for health information may further compound existing disparities. One place where this problem may be addressed is in the nation's schools. PMID- 17785034 TI - The petty crimes perpetuated by academia: scientific literature's death by a thousand cuts. PMID- 17785035 TI - Fallowfield's Sexual Activity Questionnaire in women with without and at risk of cancer. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of cancer, cancer risk, menopausal status and psychological factors on sexual activity as measured by Fallowfield's Sexual Activity Questionnaire (FSAQ). STUDY DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Five groups of women completed the FSAQ: 1451 healthy women who were participating in an ovarian cancer screening trial; 488 healthy women at increased risk of breast cancer who were participating in a chemoprevention trial; 154 healthy women at increased risk of breast cancer who had been offered risk-reducing surgery; 117 women with advanced ovarian cancer; and a healthy non-study sample of 162 women. RESULTS: There were significant between-group differences regarding age (F=1373.79, P<0.01) and the proportion of women who were sexually active (chi2(4)=212.62, P<0.01) (more younger women reported being sexually active). The most commonly cited reason for sexual inactivity was the absence of a partner. In relation to their sexual activity, women with ovarian cancer reported less pleasure (F=18.27, P<0.01), more discomfort (F=21.33, P<0.01) and less frequency (F=200.01, P<0.01) than the other groups. Premenopausal women reported more pleasure (t=4.41, P<0.01), less discomfort (t=11.79, P<0.01) and greater frequency of sexual activity (t=8.58, P<0.01) than postmenopausal women. Psychological morbidity was associated with decreased pleasure in sexual activity among the women with an elevated risk of cancer - that is, those participating in the chemoprevention trial (t=4.20, P<0.01) and those offered risk-reducing surgery (t=3.32, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The FSAQ is a useful tool for measuring sexual activity in women with cancer and women at a normal or increased risk of developing cancer. Age, cancer, psychological distress and menopausal status affect sexual activity in these groups of women and should be considered in future investigations. PMID- 17785036 TI - Risk factors for clinical fractures among postmenopausal women: a 10-year prospective study. AB - OBJECTIVE: Only scarce data are available on the long-term absolute risk (AR) of all clinical fractures, taking into account the time when they occurred. Therefore, we assessed during a 10-year follow-up the risk factors associated with the occurrence of any first or second clinical fracture. STUDY DESIGN: This was a population-based study in 10 general practice centres. The sample comprised 2372 postmenopausal women, aged between 50 and 80 years at baseline, who completed a questionnaire about the incidence of radiographically confirmed fractures and fracture risks, analysed by multiple Cox regression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: AR for any clinical fracture. RESULTS: During the 10-year follow-up, 380 women (16%) had a fracture. A first fracture occurred in 267 women (11%). Osteoporosis at the lumbar spine (T-score <-2.5; hazard ratio (HR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-2.3) and age over 60 years (HR1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8) were the only risk factors retained in the Cox analysis. The AR in the lowest risk group was 10%, and it was 23% in the highest-risk group. A second fracture occurred in 113 women during follow-up (5%). The time when a fracture occurred was the only risk factor retained in the Cox analysis. The AR for a second fracture was 41% in the five years after any first fracture before baseline and 25% if the first fracture had occurred earlier (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.7). CONCLUSION: In postmenopausal women, over a 10-year follow-up, the AR of a second clinical fracture is highest in the five years after any first clinical fracture. The AR for a first clinical fracture is lower and depends on osteoporosis and age. PMID- 17785037 TI - Continuous combined hormone replacement therapy relieves climacteric symptoms and improves health-related quality of life in early postmenopausal women. AB - OBJECTIVE: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) relieves menopausal symptoms but its effect on health related quality of life (HRQoL) is uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of three dose regimens of continuous combined HRT, consisting of estradiol valerate (E2V) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on HRQoL in early postmenopausal women (last menstrual period 1-3 years before study entry). STUDY DESIGN: This was a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, multinational study comparing E2V (1 mg or 2 mg) plus MPA (2.5 mg or 5 mg) in different dose combinations. The intention-to-treat population comprised 459 women (average age 51.5 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HRQoL was assessed by the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), the 15D Questionnaire and a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: There were improvements on eight of the nine domains of the WHQ with all dose regimens during the first 12 weeks (P<0.0001) and an improvement in the remaining domain (menstrual symptoms) with the lower-dose regimens (P<0.05). These initial improvements in HRQoL were then maintained or augmented over the remainder of the study (P<0.0001 for change from baseline at 52 weeks for all domains and dose regimens). Mean 15D total score had improved meaningfully and significantly by 12 weeks (P<0.0001 versus baseline) in all treatment groups and this improvement was maintained thereafter. This improvement in 15D total score was most marked among previous non-users of HRT (P<0.05 versus previous users). VAS scores recorded significant (P<0.05) reductions in hot flushes, sweating and sleep disturbances in all groups after week 1 and highly significant (P<0.0001) relief of all climacteric symptoms at week 52. CONCLUSION: Continuous combined HRT was associated with pronounced improvement of vasomotor symptoms and HRQoL in this population of early postmenopausal women. PMID- 17785039 TI - Hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of postmenopausal bleeding. AB - Postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) accounts for 5% of gynaecology referrals. Investigations should exclude malignancy and pre-malignancy, and diagnose the benign conditions that need treatment. The three modalities that are most commonly used are transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVS), endometrial biopsy (EB) and hysteroscopy. Most authors agree that the first-line investigation should be TVS, followed by endometrial assessment (EB or hysteroscopy) if the endometrial thickness is >4 mm. When scanning demonstrates the possibility of pathology, outpatient hysteroscopy and biopsy are the gold standard for investigating the endometrial cavity. Focal pathology can be removed during the hysteroscopy, thereby reducing hospital admissions and costs. PMID- 17785038 TI - Efficacy and tolerability of continuous combined hormone replacement therapy in early postmenopausal women. AB - OBJECTIVE: Continuous combined hormone replacement therapy (ccHRT) based on estradiol valerate (E2V) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is effective for relief of menopausal symptoms three years or more after the menopause. This study was undertaken to examine the efficacy and tolerability of ccHRT in early postmenopausal women (last menstrual period 1.3 years before study entry). STUDY DESIGN: This was a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, multinational study of ccHRT comprising three different dose combinations of E2V/MPA in 459 early postmenopausal non-hysterectomized women experiencing 30 or more moderate to severe hot flushes a week and/or vasomotor symptoms requiring treatment. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The primary endpoint was change in frequency and severity of moderate to severe hot flushes at 12 weeks. Secondary outcome measures included number of bleeding days and evaluation of tolerability. RESULTS: The frequency of hot flushes was reduced by >or=70% after one month (P<0.001 for all doses at week 2 onwards), with little evidence of statistically different dose effects. Severity of flushing was also attenuated by ccHRT. Mean number of bleeding days fell to <1 per 28-day cycle at 52 weeks. Rates of amenorrhoea approached 80-90% at the end of the study, but were significantly lower at several time points with the highest-dose regimen (2 mg E2V + 5 mg MPA) than with the lower-dose options (1 mg E2V + 2.5 mg MPA and 1 mg E2V + 5 mg MPA; P<0.05). Adverse events declined in frequency over time with all regimens but throughout the study were more numerous with the highest-dose regimen than with lower doses (P= 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous combined HRT was effective for the relief of climacteric symptoms in early postmenopausal women and was well tolerated. PMID- 17785040 TI - [Fees as the expression of system inadequacy: the paradox of oncologic DRG at excellent centers]. PMID- 17785042 TI - Juxtapapillary duodenal diverticular bezor as an exceptional cause of biliary stent obstruction. Case report. AB - INTRODUCTION: we describe the first case in literature of biliary stent obstruction by bezoar impaction in a iuxtapapillary duodenal diverticulum. CASE REPORT: this case illustrates an juxtapapillary duodenal diverticulum and bezoar in it causing obstructive jaundice in subject with two biliary stents for cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin's tumor) in the absence of bile duct stones. RESULT: successful treatment with endoscopic stent removal and diverticulum toilette. Obstructive jaundice was cured after endoscopic removal of the bezoar and stent substitution. DISCUSSION: the presence of a bezoar and its possible contribution to the pathogenesis of pancreatitis in the presence of periampullary extraluminal duodenal diverticula makes endoscopic intervention for removal of the bezoar necessary and effective. CONCLUSIONS: biliary bezoar is a very rare but treatable cause of stents obstruction in patients with juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatografhy is helpful in making diagnosis and for resolutive treatment. PMID- 17785041 TI - Surgery in hepatic and extrahepatic colorectal metastases. AB - Extrahepatic disease (EHD) has been considered a contraindication to hepatectomy. Over the last few years, some series reported interesting 5-year survival rates after resection with hepatic colorectal metastases and EHD free margins. Between August 1989 and October 2005, 116 patients underwent liver resection for colorectal metastases at Surgical Department of the University of Udine, Italy. Among these, we reviewed the data of 5 patients affected by EHD. In 3 patients there were also an anastomotic recurrence of the primary tumor, in 3 patients diaphragm was infiltrated by contiguous liver metastases. We performed in all the patients minor liver resections. We have associated the radiofrequence ablation of a lesion not surgically resectable with liver resection in one case. The surgical procedure was always considered as curative. We observed no case of operative mortality. The mean survival of the entire cohort is 23.2 months (range 4-42 months). Our study, even if based upon a limited number of patients, supports the thesis that extrahepatic disease in patients affected by colorectal cancer with hepatic metastases should not be considered as an absolute contraindication to liver resection especially for the cases in with local radical cure exeresis is achievable. PMID- 17785043 TI - Retroperitoneal well-differentiated liposarcoma presenting as an incarcerated inguinal hernia. AB - A 69-year-old man was admitted with a complaint of left irreducible inguinal mass. On surgical exploration no evidence of hernia was found and the inguinal floor was overwhelmed by a large lobulated mass, arising from the properitoneal fat, that involved the spermatic cord. The mass was partially removed, sparing the elements of cord. The transversalis fascia was repaired by direct suture and a polypropylene mesh was located above. The histopathological diagnosis was well differentiated-type liposarcoma with myxoid features. The liposarcoma is a malignant tumour of the adipose tissue that arises from the primitive mesenchymal cells. These neoplasms have been usually found in the soft tissues of limbs, trunk, mediastinum, retroperitoneum and occasionally in the spermatic cord. The clinical aspect is frequently a complaint of scrotal or inguinal painless mass, mimicking to an inguinal hernia and the diagnosis of tumor is performed mainly during surgery, as in our patient. In the case of a firm not reducible painless inguinal mass without signs and symptoms of bowel obstruction, an abdominal tumor with inguinal or scrotal extension should be suspected and preoperatively excluded. The US and CT scan may be helpful to plane a correct therapeutic strategy before intervention. PMID- 17785044 TI - Primary mesenteric liposarcoma. Report of a case. AB - Primary mesenteric liposarcomas are very rare neoplasms. The authors report a case of mesenteric liposarcoma recently observed. The patient presented with a history of dyspeptic syndrome, meteorism and abdominal pain associated with a change in bowel habit and constipation. On physical examination there was a large, well-circumscribed, abdominal mass. Computed tomography revealed an abdominal, dishomogeneous, low-density mass. Surgical excision with a tumour-free margin was achieved. The histologic appearances were those of a well differentiated liposarcoma (atypical lipomatous tumour). The patient is alive and disease-free 33 months after the surgery. Primary mesenteric liposarcoma is often resectable and requires aggressive surgical management; in consideration of the high risk of tumour recurrence, the treatment of choice is a wide surgical excision. PMID- 17785045 TI - [Total thyroidectomy: initial experience of a territorial reference center]. AB - Authors report their initial experience in surgical treatment of thyroid diseases in an area with high percentage of thyroid tumors. Since January 2006, we examinated 428 patients. By clinical features, hormonal profile, imaging and US guided FNAB, we selected 134 of them for surgery; 93 patients underwent thyroidectomy in January-November 2006. The Authors analyse therapeutic choises and surgical techniques, stressing the high percentage of thyroid neoplasms. PMID- 17785046 TI - [Endoscopic resection of a gastric haemangioma: case report]. AB - Gastric haemangiomas are an infrequent histological type of gastrointestinal benign tumors. Diagnosis is based on imaging but only pathological examination can give certainty. Endoscopic resection, according some specific criteria, is the gold standard procedure. Authors present a case of cavernous haemangioma diagnosed and treated by endoscopic procedure. PMID- 17785047 TI - [Clavicle fracture complicated by pneumothorax. Case report and literature review]. AB - INTRODUCTION: the clavicle is one of the most commonly fractured bones, accounting for up to 4-10% of all adult's fractures. These fractures are comparatively easy to manage and typically heal with routine immobilisation. CASE REPORT: a 28 year old man had direct driving trauma to the left shoulder and reported a displaced fracture of the third lateral of left clavicle and an apical pneumothorax. The pneumothorax was treated by the insertion of a chest drain under local anaesthesia. The chest drain was removed 12 days after the injury and the patient was transferred in Traumatology for specific therapy. RESULT: 6 months after the accident, the clavicular fracture had united and the chest radiograph and CT were normal. DISCUSSION: most clavicular fractures result from a fall or a trauma on ipsilateral shoulder. However, the incidence of complications associated with isolated clavicle fracture, including vascular, brachial plexus, and penumothorax, are low but potentially serious. CONCLUSION: careful history and physical examination with particular attention to the neurovascular and chest examination are vital. Close inspection of the radiographs for such potential complication are mandatory in all clavicular fractures and cannot be overstated. From the analysis of international literature, we can affirm that thoracostomy and immobilization are effective to heal pneumothorax and clavicle fracture. PMID- 17785048 TI - [Multimodal treatment complications of post-cholecystectomy intrahepatic lithiasis. Case report]. AB - The Authors presents a case of post-cholecystectomy intrahepatic lithiasis. They focalized their attention to the complications of multimodal treatment. PMID- 17785049 TI - [Axillary polymastia: three cases description]. AB - The Authors present three cases of axillary polymastia and examine the embryological and morphological aspects of this anomaly, including related surgical problems. PMID- 17785050 TI - [Multidetector CT urography: diagnostic role in the evaluation of patients with non-traumatic hematuria]. AB - Blood in the urine (hematuria) can originate from any site along the urinary tract and may be the only sign of renal or vesical malignancy. Therefore, literature recommends for the evaluation of any case of macroscopic or microscopic hematuria. Our aim was to define the diagnostic role of multidetector CT urography (MDCTu) in the evaluation of this symptom through the analysis of 181 consecutive patients from January 2003 to March 2006. PMID- 17785051 TI - [Non palpable testis in adult: laparoscopic treatment]. AB - Cryptorchidism has an incidence of 0.8 - 2%, being undescendent testis nonpalpable in 20% of the cases. The latters have an increased risk of malignant transformation, infertility and epididymal malformation. Surgical treatment of nonpalpable testis is prone to failure compared to the palpable ones. Many diagnostic methods have been described; the most promising is the use of diagnostic laparoscopy which, compared to the imaging modalities, is more reliable to determine the site of the nonpalpable testis. PMID- 17785052 TI - [Active small-molecule compounds and leukemia: approach from chemical biology]. PMID- 17785053 TI - [Targetting therapy of leakaemia stem cells]. PMID- 17785054 TI - [Recent advances of the mechanisms and prevention of photoaging]. PMID- 17785055 TI - [The importance of image guided radiofrequency ablation with standard treatment strategy for liver malignancies]. PMID- 17785056 TI - [Exploratory study of novel leukemia bone marrow stromal cell adhesion mediated drug resistance model]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To construct cell adhesion mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR) model based on Acute lymphocyte leukemia bone marrow stromal cells(BMSC) for further studying drug resistance of leukemia. METHODS: Firstly, we adhesively cultured Jurkat cell strain of human leukaemia lymphocyte with the matrix cell radiated by (60)Co to construct the model of CAM-DR, then evaluated the model in morph and construction by scanning electron microscope. The IC50 of DNR on Jurkat cell was examen by MTT and the concentration and distribution of DNR in the cell was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: When the Jurkat cells were cultured with BMSC for 24 h, we found that Jurkat cells had adhesioned the bone marrow stromal cell layer by parapodium and some of them had nichd the mesh consisted by the confluence of BMSC. At the point of 48 h, some Jurkat cells had migrated to underlayer of BMSC, and Jurkat cells were nichd the mesh of BMSC like nidi. The accumulation and distribution of DNR in the Jurkat cells were not affected in the model, but the reaction of Jurkat cells to DNR were significantly inhibited. CONCLUSION: The model of CAM-DR based on Acute lymphocyte leukemia bone marrow stromal cells was successfully built. PMID- 17785057 TI - [Correlation between MDR1 genetic polymorphism and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the correlation of the multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T with the outcome of induction chemotherapy in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: A total of 44 AML patients were enrolled in this study. Genotype of MDR1 C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T were analyzed with PCR/PFLP assay. Bone marrow smear was made at the end of the first induction chemotherapy to estimate whether complete remission (CR) has been achieved with the clinical characteristics. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the MDR1 C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T were tested using a chi(2) analysis. Frequencies of genotype and allele in MDR1 C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T were compared using a chi(2) test or Fisher's test in terms of the clinical characteristics or achievement of CR. RESULTS: There were significant differences among ethnicities in exon 12, 21, 26, but which were not between healthy chinese volunteers and AML patients. The CR rate of the group with the number of white blood cells (WBC) < 10 x 10(9)/L were significantly higher than that of the group with WBC > 10 x 10(9)/L (chi(2) = 7.207, P = 0.007). There was no correlation between the MDR1 C1236T and C3435T and CR rate (P = 0.349, P = 0.074), but MDR1 G2677T/A genetic polymorphisms were strong associated with the probability of CR (chi(2) = 6.214, P = 0.045). In addition, the CR was lower in G/G genotype at -2677 than non G/G genotype (chi(2) = 6.142, P = 0.013), and was lower in C/T genotype at -3435 than non C/T genotype (chi(2) = 3.991, P = 0.046), even lower than T/T genotype (chi(2) = 5.134, P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: With important prognostic significance, MDR1 genetic polymorphisms, such as G2677T/A can predict whether complete remission can be achieved after the first course of induction chemotherapy. PMID- 17785058 TI - [Clinical study on fluoroquinolone prophylaxis in neutropenia patients with acute leukemia]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical benefits and the impacts on distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacterium associated with fluoroquinolone prophylaxis during neutropenia in patients with acute leukemia. METHODS: A total of 309 infection episodes occurred in patients with acute leukemia were retrospectively analyzed. The patients admitted in ward A (group A, n = 149) received oral ofloxacin as antibacterial prophylaxis during the neutropenia phase; no antibacterial prophylaxis was administered to the patients in ward B (group B, n = 160). The influences of prophylactic ofloxacin were determined by comparative evaluation on the clinical characteristics and the microbiological profile in both groups' patients. RESULTS: Almost all enrolled patients experienced severe neutropenia. The median durations of ANC (absolute neutrophil count, ANC) < 0.2 x 10(9)/L were 11 (range 0 - 43) days. The median persistence time of fever was 8(range 1 - 46) days. Prophylaxis of ofloxacin decreased the proportion of normal flora (P = 0.00). The frequency of Escherichia coli was higher in group A than group B (23.9%, 12.5%, respectively, P = 0.00). Exposure to ofloxacin didn't affect the distributions of other pathogenic bacteria. No difference in the rate of ESBL (+) Escherichia coli was discovered between ofloxacin and no ofloxacin prophylaxis groups (31.9%, 35.4%, respectively, P = 0.61). Commonly used antibiotics had similar activity against the major strains isolated from two groups. Patients who received antibacterial prophylaxis showed a lower incidence (10.7%) of upper respiratory infections/tonsillitis and a relative higher incidence (14.4%) of gastrointestinal tract infections than those without intervention measure. The prophylactic use of ofloxacin couldn't cut down the risk of septicemia. Ofloxacin prophylaxis did not display negative effect on initial clinical response (65.8% in group A, 60.6% in group B, respectively, P = 0.35) and final efficacy (96.0% in group A, 91.9% in group A, P = 0.14) to the same empirical antimicrobial treatment schemes. CONCLUSION: The fluoroquinolone prophylaxis induces diminishing proportion of normal flora and increasing frequency of Escherichia coli in severely neutropenic patients with acute leukemia, may not influence the distribution of other bacteria. The susceptibility of main pathogens may not be affected by antibiotic prophylaxis. The fluoroquinolone don't decrease the incidence of septicemia and infection in gastrointestinal tract. Our data suggest that more prudent use of antibiotic prophylaxis may be reasonable even in patients at high-risk for developing infection. PMID- 17785059 TI - [Effects of rejuvenation by intense pulsed light and basic mechanism thereof]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of rejuvenation by intense pulsed light (IPL) and the mechanism thereof. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with photo aging were treated with IPL of single, double, or triple pulse pattern for 3 - 5 times with the intervals of 3 - 4 weeks. Three weeks after the last treatment, photography was conducted and the pictures underwent grading by the physicians and patients according to blind method. Skin specimens of the posteroinferior ear lobe or the nape were obtained from 4 patients to undergo HE staining, Uana orcein staining of elastin, immunohistochemical staining for collagenous fibers of types I and III, and transmission electron microscopy was conducted in 2 of the 4 patients. Skin digitalized image analysis was conducted on 34 female patients to measure and analyze the depth and width of dermatographs, roughness of skin. RESULTS: After the third treatment, the wrinkles and skin texture of 62.1% of the patients showed improvement, and 84.60% of the pigmented lesions and 81.25% of the vascular lesions showed improvement. Pathology showed that type I and type III collagen increased while elastin decreased, and the fibers were orderly re arranged. Transmission electron microscopy showed that after treatment the fibroblasts increased in number and became more active in secretion and there were more collagen fibers orderly re-arranged in the stroma. Digitalized image analysis showed significant improvement in skin smoothness, depth, arithmetic average roughness and average roughness of skin texture (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: IPL is effective to improve the skin texture. The mechanism may be the increasing of the activity of the fibroblasts, and hyperplasia and re arrangement of collagen and elastin. PMID- 17785060 TI - [Photo-protection of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on aging and gene mutation of human skin fibroblasts caused by ultraviolet radiation: an in vitro experiment]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the cell aging and hypoxanthine-phosphoribosyl-transferase (HPRT) gene mutation frequency induced by long-term ultraviolet (UV) A and UVB irradiation in human skin fibroblasts (HSF). METHODS: HSF were separated from infant foreskin, cultured, and divided into six groups: control, EGCG group (treated by 25 microg/ml EGCG), UVA group (irradiated by 10 J/cm(2) UVA for 2 weeks), UVB group (irradiated by 30 mJ/cm(2) UVB for 2 weeks), UVA + EGCG group and UVB + EGCG group. beta-galactosidase (beta-GAL), a biological marker associated with senescence, was detected by histochemical staining. The HPRT gene mutation frequency was detected by the HPRT mutagenesis assay. RESULTS: The HSFs of the control and EGCG groups only showed a few beta-GAL positive cells, and the beta GAL positive cell ratios of the other 4 groups were higher and could be arranged from low to high according to the sequence: UVB group (43% +/- 4%) < UVA group (54% +/- 4%) < EGCG + UVB group (64% +/- 5%) < EGCG + UVA group (75% +/- 5%). The mutation rates of the control and EGCG groups were very low. The mutation rates of the UVB and UVA groups were 72 and 241 times that of the control group. The mutation rate of the UVB + EGCG and UVA + EGCG groups were significantly lower than those of the UVB and UVA groups by 52.78% and 32.37%, respectively (t = 2.0742, 2.7042, both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The photo-protection of EGCG on HSFs from long-term UVA and UVB irradiation may be related to both the direct reduction of HPRT mutation frequency and the indirect induction of aging cells, thus decreasing the mutation frequency. PMID- 17785061 TI - [A study on the social adjustment and its affective factors in Down syndrome children]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the social adjustment status and affected factors thereof in Down syndrome children. METHODS: The family environment, cognitive development and social adjustment were examined in 36 Down syndrome children aged 52 - 167 months, 30 mental age-matched children aged 20 - 65 months, and 40 chronological age-matched children aged 43 - 144 months with questionnaire of family influential factors, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and Infants-Junior Middle School Students' Social-Life Abilities Scale from September 2004 to July 2006. The gender and general family environment were matched among the three groups. The information about the mode of delivery, history of newborn, family structure, income of family, and parents' education could be gathered from the questionnaire (used by parents). PPVT was adopted as research tool of cognitive development. Infants-Junior Middle School Students' Social-Life Abilities Scale was adopted as research tool of social adjustment. RESULTS: There were no differences between the Down syndrome children and mental age-matched group in communication and socialization. The Down syndrome children were better than the mental age-matched group in self-help [(20.0 +/- 4.8) vs (13.3 +/- 4.7), t = 5.72, P = 0.000]; locomotion [(7.5 +/- 1.4) vs (6.4 +/- 1. 6), t = 3.10, P = 0.003]; occupation [(8.2 +/- 2.4) vs (6.2 +/- 2.0), t = 3.68, P = 0.000], and self-direction [(5.9 +/- 2.6) vs (4.6 +/- 2.0), t = 2. 28, P = 0.026]. The chronological age-matched group were much better than the Down syndrome children in all factors of social-life abilities, including self-help [(20.0 +/- 4.8) vs (26.5 +/- 4.9), t = 5.84, P = 0.000]; locomotion [(7.5 +/- 1.4) vs (11.4 +/- 3.3), t = 6.76, P = 0.000]; occupation [(8.2 +/- 2.4) vs (14.4 +/- 3.9), t = 8.55, P = 0.000]; communication [(8.3 +/- 3.6) vs (18.3 +/- 4.8), t = 10.38, P = 0.000]; socialization [(9.6 +/- 2.3) vs (17.1 +/- 4.2), t = 9.76, P = 0.000], and self-direction [(5.9 +/- 2.6) vs (13. 8 +/- 4.6), t = 9.25, P = 0.000]. There was a relationship between the raw score of PPVT and social-life abilities in these children. Even after controlling effect of age, it was still associated with self help (r = 0.70, P = 0.000), locomotion (r = 0.74, P = 0.000), occupation (r = 0.77, P = 0.000), communication (r = 0.86, P = 0.000), socialization (r = 0.80, P = 0.000), and self-direction (r = 0.76, P = 0.000). Multiple stepwise regression showed that the main factor influencing self-help was family structure. Family structure and mother's education influenced locomotion. Family structure and newborn history influenced occupation, communication, socialization and self direction. CONCLUSION: Down syndrome children have better social adjustment than the mental age-matched group, yet worse than the chronological age-matched group. Cognition development, family environment and newborn history differently influence the Down syndrome child, which means proper intervention can improve their social adjustment. PMID- 17785063 TI - [The distribution of hepatitis C virus genotype 1a in Yanbian area]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)genotype 1a in Yanbian area, Jilin province. METHODS: The genotypes of the serum specimens of 47 patients with HCV from Yanbian area were determined by Scheme ABC of RFLP based on HCV 5' noncoding region (5'NCR). The samples of type 1a (Y2, Y4, Y6, and Y8) were amplified from the 5'NCR and NS5B regions by RT-PCR, and then sequenced directly. These sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis with 27 reference sequences of HCV complete genomes from GenBank. RESULTS: 44 specimens were HCV RNA positive, among which 19 specimens (43.2%) were of the type 1a/1b, 12 (27.3%) were of the type 1b, 8 (18.2%) were of the type 2a/1b, 4 (9.1%) were of the type 1a, and 1 (2.3%) was of the type 2a, however, the genotypes 2b and 3 approximately 6 lacked. The phylogenetic analysis for 1a samples showed that according to 5'NCR they belonged to type 1a, while on NS5B belonging to type 1b. The most nucleotide identity of 5'NCR was respectively 0.990, 0.990, 0.990, and 0.990 between Y2, Y4, Y6, Y8 and the isolate HC-J1 (genotype 1a), while that of NS5B was respectively 0.936, 0.957, 0.936, and 0.936 between Y2, Y4, Y6, Y8 and the isolate HC-J4 (genotype 1b). CONCLUSION: In Yanbian area the distribution of HCV genotype is different from those in other areas and 1a/1b has even replaced 1b as the most HCV genotype here. The results of genotyping 1a on 5'NCR and NS5B are completely inconsistent. This phenomenon may be the consequence of recombination in evolution. PMID- 17785064 TI - [Changes of serum hepatocyte growth factor before and after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with unstable angina pectoris and significance there]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of unfitrate heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on the expression of serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: Seventy patients with chronic unstable angina pectoris were divided into 2 groups: PCI group (n = 49, with at least one main coronary artery branch with stenosis > or = 70%) and non PCI group (n = 21, with the main coronary artery branch with stenosis < 70%). UFH was used at the beginning of coronary angiography in both groups and LMWH was used after PCI only in the PCI group. The serum level of HGF was measured before, during, and 1 and 7 days after PCI; and cardiac troponin 1 (cTnI) was measured before and 1 day after PCI in all 70 patients. RESULTS: The serum level of HGF of the PCI group increased during and immediately after PCI (12 322 +/- 3723 ng/L and 13 566 +/- 3767 ng/L respectively), both significantly higher than that before the procedure (1736 +/- 604 ng/L, both P < 0.0001), The serum level of HGF of the non-PCI group increased during and immediately after the procedure (10 928 +/- 2196 ng/L and 11 457 +/- 2298 ng/L respectively), both significantly higher than that before the procedure (967 +/- 349 ng/L, both P < 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the HGF levels during and after the procedure between the PCI and non-PCI groups. The serum HGF returned to the normal level 24 h after the procedure in both groups. The serum GHF 7 days after the procedure of the cTnI (-) PCI group was significantly lower than that before the procedure (P < 0.01), however, the serum GHF 7 days after the procedure of the cTnI (+) PCI group remained relatively high, not significantly different from that before the procedure. CONCLUSION: There is an enhanced secretion of cardiac HGF in the patients with severe coronary artery disease. UFH promotes the release of serum HGF in the patients with chronic unstable angina pectoris undergoing PCI, which indicates some other biological effects in addition to its anticoagulant property. The delayed fall of serum HGF after PCI has relationship with minor myocardial infarction. PMID- 17785067 TI - [The clinical significance of colorectal flat lesions under endoscopy]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To identify flat lesion in colon and rectum with combination of magnifying endoscope and mucosa staining technique ad to compare the differences between the protruded and flat colorectal lesions. METHODS: 16 457 consecutive patients with colorectal lesions underwent magnifying endoscopy and mucosa staining to detect protruded and flat colorectal lesions. The clinical data were analyzed. RESULTS: (1) A total of 1472 adenoma cases were found; 154 (10.46%) of which were of the flat type. (2) The average size of flat adenoma was (17 +/- 14) mm, significantly smaller than that of polypoid adenoma [(29 +/- 9) mm, P < 0.05)]. (3) The incidence of colorectal tumor in the left colon was 82.35% (140/170) in the flat type tumor, significantly higher than that in the protruded type tumors (79.59%, 1630/2048, P = 0.013). (4) The incidence rates of tubular adenoma, tubulo-villous adenoma, villous adenoma, and cancer were 51.34%, 4.25%, 8.79%, and 35.65% respectively in the protruded type tumor, and were 55.55%, 17.06%, 17.64%, and 9.43% respectively. The detection rates of mild, moderate, and severe dysplasia and early cancer were 31.15%, 16.46%, 2.20%, and 2.39% respectively in the protruded type tumor, and were 25.88%, 20.00%, 9.41%, and 8.62% respectively in the flat type tumor. CONCLUSION: The detection rates of moderate and severe dysplasia and early colorectal cancer in the flat adenomas are higher than in the protruded adenoma. Of higher malignancy grade, flat adenomatous lesions are more likely to be carcinomatous compared with the protruded adenomatous lesions. PMID- 17785065 TI - [Management of chylous leakage after radical operation of gastric cancer]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the management of chylous leakage after radical operation of gastric carcinoma. METHODS: 161 patients with gastric carcinoma underwent D2-D4 dissection. A double catheterization cannula was employed in each patient around the abdominal aorta above the celiac trunk and crus of diaphragm. Postoperatively, the chylous fluid from the drainage tube was observed, smeared and cultured; infection of chylous fluid was treated. The development of chylous leakage was observed and the optimal time to remove the drainage tube was determined. RESULTS: Chylous leakage occurred in 19 patients. The volume of chylous leakage was less than 250 ml/24 h in 8 patients, 250 - 500 ml/24 h in 7, and 500 - 1500 ml/24 h in 4. Candida albicans was founded in the fluid of chylous leakage in 8 patients, and bacterial infection was found simultaneously in 5 of them. The patients with chylous leakage were healed within 10 - 90 postoperative days. The drainage tube was removed when there was no fluid in the tube and no hydrops in peritoneal cavity by B ultrasound, and the patient were in good condition without signs and symptoms of infections. CONCLUSION: Chylous leakage after D2 - D4 dissection for gastric carcinoma can be cured by immediate diagnosis, thorough drainage, and anti-infectious treatment with regional and continuative washout when the chylous fluid is infected by Candida or bacteria. PMID- 17785068 TI - [The finite element study on zygomatic injury by impact in child]. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to establish the constructive of craniofacial suture in the three-dimensional finite element model of craniofacial complex in child, to analyse the response procedure of the zygomatic impact, to explore the biomechanics characteristic of the children craniofacial trauma. METHODS: A 7-year-old female was adopted for study The complex cranial geometry was measured from a series of two-dimensional CT images. The multi-lay spiral CT scans were transformed with a self-developed preprocessor into a finite element mesh. The craniofacial sutures were constructed through the MSC Patran program. Identical impact and boundary conditions were used for the zygomatic impact simulations. RESULTS: It has been shown that the finite element model (FEM) exhibited fine morphological and mechanical comparability. The higher stress was showed in the zygomatic regions and atlas occipital articular in 3d FEM. The maximum von Mises stress was found at the zygomatic regions and atlas occipital articular. CONCLUSION: The concentrations of shear stress and tension stress in the suture and articular would increase the risk of injury in this area. But the conduction of the stress might be weakening in the suture of child skull. PMID- 17785069 TI - [Laparoscopically ureteroplasty in treatment of congenital obstructive megaureter in childhood: report of 3 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the technique and efficacy of laparoscopic ureteroplasty in treatment of congenital obstructive megaureter in childhood. METHODS: Three children with congenital obstructive megaureter, all male, aged 7 approximately 24, underwent laparoscopic surgery. The dilated ureter was dissected and cut off near the place connecting the ureter and the bladder by laparoscopy. A double J tube was placed in the free ureter and connected with the urinary catheter by 7 - 0 wire. Then the free ureter was sutured with the bladder mucosa by laparoscopy. RESULTS: The operation duration was 80 to 200 min and blood loss was 30 to 50 ml. No complication developed. The double J was removed 10 days after the operation. Follow-up for 4 approximately 24 months showed good ureter drainage in all 3 cases without any infection, obstruction and hydrops. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic surgery to treat megaureter in childhood has the benefits of slight injury and fast recovery in a short-time follow-up. PMID- 17785070 TI - [Experience in laparoscopic cholecystectomy by exposing common hepatic duct using blunt dissection to prevent bile duct injury]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To introduce an effective method for preventing bile duct injury in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: From January 2003 to October 2005, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed on 629 patients, 335 males and 294 females, aged 46.3 (14 - 81). The common hepatic duct was exposed by blunt dissection routinely before transecting the cystic duct. RESULTS: No bile duct injury occurred. 7 cases were converted to open procedure, 5 cases for severe abdominal adhesion, one for internal fistula of bile duct to intestinal tract, and another 1 for gall bladder cancer. 2 patients had postoperative complications, one with raw surface bleeding, and the other with incision bleeding. CONCLUSION: Exposing common hepatic duct by blunt dissection in laparoscopic cholecystectomy can prevent intraoperative bile duct injury. Such procedure is simple, easy to learn and easy to apply. PMID- 17785071 TI - [The value of 64-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) coronary angiography in patients with coronary heart disease]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of 64-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) coronary angiography in patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: Fifty eight patients were performed 64-slice spiral CT in coronary artery. Intravenously contrast enhanced 64-slice spiral computed tomography coronary angiography was achieved during a single breath hold, and ECG images were reconstructed retrospectively. All axial images were transferred to an external workstation. The reconstructed images were processed into volume rendering (VR) and multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and curved planner reconstruction (CPR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP), 24 of the 58 patients underwent selective coronary artery angiography, the outcomes of the two kinds of examination were compared. RESULTS: The main branches and of the sub-branches of the coronary artery were clearly displayed. 115 coronary artery branches of 38 patients were found coronary plaques, plaque morphology and stenosis extent could be clearly differentiated. In the segments with coronary stents and bypass graft, the position and distal blood flow were well showed. CONCLUSION: 64-slice MSCT coronary angiography is a reliable diagnostic method for coronary heart disease and promising technique for noninvasive screening and diagnosis of coronary artery disease. PMID- 17785072 TI - [Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 induces apoptosis in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the apoptosis-inducing effects of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) coactivator-1 (PGC-1alpha) on the human epithelial ovarian cancer cell. METHODS: Human epithelial ovarian cancer cell of the line HO8910 were cultured and divided into 3 groups Ad- PGC-1alpha group (infected with adenovirus. containing PGC-1alpha), Ad- GFP group (infected with adenovirus containing green fluorescent protein, and blank control group. Forty eight hours later, light microscopy was used to observe the morphological changes of the cells, and apoptosis of the cells was observed by Hoechst staining assay. RT-PCR was used to measure the expression of intracellular Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA. Chinese hamster ovary cells of the line CHO were cultured, infected by adenovirus containing PGC-1alpha and GFP and negative adenovirus respectively, and then underwent Hoechst staining assay and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Light microscopy and Hoechst staining assay showed that there were many morphological characteristics of apoptosis including compaction and margination of nuclear chromatin, nuclear fragments, and apoptotic bodies in the Ad- PGC-1alpha. RT-PCR showed the mRNA expression of intracellular Bax was up-regulated by 1.5 times and the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated by 69% in the Ad- PGC-1alpha group. However, PGC-1alpha treatment did not induce apoptosis in the CHO cells. CONCLUSION: PGC-1alpha induces apoptosis in epithelial ovarian cancer cells in vitro, which may be a result of up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic gene Bax and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2. And over-expression of PGC 1alpha results in no apoptosis in CHO. PMID- 17785076 TI - [Development of and considerations on the future of gastrointestinal surgery in China]. PMID- 17785073 TI - [Effects of calorie restriction on SIRT1 expression in liver of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: experiment with rats]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular mechanisms of calorie restriction (CR) in treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: 25 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: normal control group (NC, n = 7) fed with regular diet and high fat diet-NAFLD model group (HFM, n = 18) fed with high fat diet. Two months later, the rats in Group HFM were further divided into 2 subgroups: continuous high-fat feeding group (HF, n = 9) and normal diet feeding with 60% calorie restriction group (CR, n = 9). The rats were sacrificed after 1 month calorie restriction. By the end of experiment, body weight (BW), visceral fat mass (VF), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting serum insulin (FINS), blood lipids (BL), including total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), and hepatoultrastructure changes were examined to evaluate the effect of different feeding protocols on the experimental animals. The mRNA expression of the longevity gene SIRT1 in the liver was detected by RT-PCR. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of SIRT1 protein in each group. RESULTS: Electron microscopy showed that the rats in group HF displayed obviously abnormal hepatoultrastructure, and the ultramicropathology changes of liver cell were improved obviously in Group CR. The VF, FINS, FPG, TC, and TG of the Group HF were 15.1 g +/- 4.1 g, 29.22 mU/L +/- 7.28 mU/L, 6.2 mmol/L +/- 1.46 mmol/L, 2.61 mmol/L +/- 0.29 mmol/L, and 1.35 mmol/L +/- 0.21 mmol/L respectively, all significantly higher than those in Group NC (9.0 g +/- 0.4 g, 13.09 mU/L +/- 1.18 mU/L, 4.4 mmol/L +/- 0.57 mmol/L, 1.41 mmol/L +/- 0.28 mmol/L, and 0.67 mmol/L +/ 0.10 mmol/L respectively, all P < 0.01). The mRNA expression of SIRT1 in the liver of Group HF was significantly lower than that of Group NC (P < 0.05), and the mRNA expression of SIRT1 in the liver of Group CR was significantly higher than those of Group HF and Group NC (both P < 0.01). The protein expression of SIRT1 of Group HF was significantly lower than that of Group NC (P < 0.01), and that of Group CR was significantly higher than that of Group HF, however, still significantly lower than that of Group NC (both P < 0.01). The BW and VF, FINS, FPG, TC, and TG of Group CR were all significantly lower than those of Group HF (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CR can reverse NAFLD significantly. The increased expression of SIRT1 in liver induced by CR may be an important molecular mechanism involved in the improvement of NAFLD by CR. PMID- 17785078 TI - [Screening the hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer by revised Bethesda guideline: a cohort study of 110 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the value of screening hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) by the revised Bethesda guideline and the rate of HNPCC in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHOD: Tumor tissues and normal colorectal mucous membrane tissues were collected from 110 successive cases with CRC, 66 males and 42 females, aged 60.8 (26 - 94). Fluorescence multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the microsatellite instability (MSI). The peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients with MSI, genomic DNA was extracted, and PCR and DNA sequencing were used to detect the germline mutations of hMSH2, hMSH6, and hMLH1. RESULTS: Twenty-three out of the 110 patients (20.9%), 12 males and 22 females, aged 57 (47 - 94), had MSI. Seven germline mutations were found in these 23 MSI patients, accounting for 6.4% among the 110 CRC patients, including 3 cases of hMSH2 mutation, 3 cases of hMSH6 mutation, and 1 case of mutation of hMLH1. CONCLUSION: Screened by revised Bethesda guideline, the rate of MSI CRC is 20.9% and the rate of HNPCC is 6.4%. The missence germline mutations of hMSH2 and hMSH6 are more common in the Chinese patients with CRC. PMID- 17785079 TI - [TP53 gene polymorphisms and colorectal cancer risk in Chinese population]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TP53 gene and susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC) in Chinese population. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected and white cell genomic DNA was extracted from 345 CRC patients, 198 males and 1447 females, aged (58.7 +/- 13.5), and 670 sex, age, smoking and drinking situations-matched controls in Ningbo city, Zhejiang province The genotypes of the SNPs of C-8343G, C-1863T, and R72P in TP53 gene were determined by either TaqMan assays or PCR based restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for CRC after adjustment of the covariates, such as sex, age, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index and first-degree family history of CRC, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) so as to evaluate relative risk. RESULTS: There were not significant differences in the above mentioned covariates between these 2 groups. No significant association of C-8343G or C-1863T polymorphism with CRC risk was observed (both P > 0.05). The CRC risk of the 72P genotype was 50.3%, 1.53 times that of the 72R genotype (39.6%) (95% CI = 1.27 - 1.85, P < 0.01). The CRC risk of the RP heterozygotes was 1.60 times that of the RP homozygote (95% CI = 1.17 - 2.18, P < 0.01), and the CRC risk of the PP homozygotes was 2.37 times that of the RP heterozygotes (95% CI = 1.61 - 3.47, P < 0.01). A dose-response relationship was shown (P < 0.01). Stratified analysis indicated that the 72P allele conferred a more pronounced increase in CRC risk among the alcohol consumers: the CRC risk was 3.01 times for the RP heterozygotes (95% CI = 1.48 - 6.12), and 4.71 times for the PP homozygotes (95% CI = 1.90 - 11.68). CONCLUSION: TP53 C-8343G and C 1863T polymorphisms are not associated with CRC risk. R72P polymorphism contributes to the etiology of CRC in the Chinese population, particularly among the alcohol consumers. PMID- 17785080 TI - [Endoscopic submucosal resection with ligation of rectal carcinoids: 3 years experience]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of endoscopic submucosal resection with ligation (ESMRL) in rectal carcinoids. METHODS: 45 patients with rectal carcinoids, 20 males and 25 females, aged 58 +/- 18 (19 - 73), were treated with ESMRL from April, 2002 to April, 2006. The radical resection rate, complication rate, relapse rate, and metastasis rate were analyzed. RESULTS: Carcinoids accounted for 1.8% of the 24,600 cases undergoing colonoscopy at the same time. All the carcinoids were located 2 - 15 cm from anal border, with a mean diameter of (1.4 +/- 0.3) cm (0.3 - 2.0 cm). The endoscopic ultrasonographic (EUS) characteristic was a hypoechoic solid tumor in the superficial submucosa (24 cases, 53%) or in both the mucosa and submucosa (21 cases, 47%) without involvement of the muscularis propria. All patients received ESMRL of the rectal carcinoids, of which 34 cases (75.6%) needed more hemostasis of the incision margin. The mean operation time was (25 +/- 4) min. 7 cases (15.6%) with tardy bleeding 2 - 7 days after ESMRL needed endoscopic re-hemostasis, of which 3 cases (43%) showed oozing of blood from the muscle layer and another 4 showed oozing of blood or arterial bleeding from the incision border. No perforation or inflammatory was reported. 39 cases (86.7%) had negative margin in pathological examination, and the incision margins of the other 6 patients, as normal submucosal layer could not be seen outside the tumor envelope, could not be evaluated. But the tumor envelope was integrated without involvement of tumor and other biopsy results 7 days after ESMRL was negative. So no more therapies were selected. All 45 patients were followed up for 31 months (6 - 52 months), there was no metastasis, relapse and dead cases. CONCLUSION: ESMRL is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive method to deal with rectal carcinoids. PMID- 17785081 TI - [Outcome of surgical therapy for liver metastasis of colorectal cancer: analysis of 75 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the strategy to improve the long term survival of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer after surgical treatment. METHODS: The clinical data of 75 patients with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer, 43 males and 32 females, aged 51.4, who received hepatectomy between January 1981 and November 2005, were analyzed. RESULTS: The primary tumor site was colon in 39 cases, and rectum in 36 cases. Liver metastasis was synchronous in 59 patients, and metachronous in 16 patients. 45 patients received simultaneous liver and colorectal resection, 29 patients received metachronous resection, and 1 patient did not receive primary rectal cancer resection. The operative complication rate and the mortality were 16% (12/75) and 1.33% (1/75) respectively. The overall 1- 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 86.7%, 35.5%, and 22.2% respectively, and the median survival time was 25 months. There were residual tumors in 35 patients. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of the residual tumor group were 80.6%, 5.4%, and 5.4% respectively, all significantly lower than those of the radical resection group (91.6%, 58.1%, and 34.9% respectively, and the median survival time of the residual tumor group was 18 months, significantly shorter than that of the radical resection group (38 months) (all P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Surgical resection of liver metastasis of colorectal cancer significantly prolongs the survival time, and resection of all liver deposits and the extrahepatic disease is the most important factor influencing survival. PMID- 17785082 TI - [10-hydroxy-camptothecin plus fluorouracil/leucovorin for the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of 10-hydroxy-camptothecin (10-HCPT) in HFL regimen for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: 18 advanced CRC patients, 13 males and 3 females, aged 33 - 70, were randomly assigned to 6 groups to be treated with 10 HCPT 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 mg/m(2), and 5-fluoro-uracil (5-FU) 425 mg/m(2), and leucovorin (LV) 20 mg/m(2), all administered intravenously on days 1 - 5 with 4 weeks as one cycle. The efficacy and side-effect were evaluated. RESULTS: There were two patients with grade IV myelosuppression in the 10, 12, and 14 mg/m(2) groups each. The most dose-associated adverse reactions were myelosuppression and GI dysfunction. The DLT was myelosuppression, and the maximum tolerable dose of 10-HCPT is 10 mg/m(2) on days 1 - 5. CONCLUSION: HFL regimen is well tolerated in the patients with advanced CRC. The dosing regimen recommended in clinic trial is 8 mg/m(2). PMID- 17785083 TI - [Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in female adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms with abnormal growth pattern and low bone mass in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 164 female patients with AIS, aged 14.4 +/- 2 (9 - 20), and 122 age matched healthy girls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique was used to detect the VDR gene distributions. RESULTS: The frequency of Bb genotype was significantly higher in the AIS patients than in the controls (P < 0.01). The frequency of B alleles of the AIS patients was significantly higher than that of the controls (P < 0.01). In AIS patients, the expression rate of Aa genotype of the AIS patients with the body mass index (BMI) > or = 18 kg/m(2) was significantly higher than those with the BMI < 18 kg/m(2) (P < 0.05), and the expression rate of Bb genotype of the AIS patients with the BMI < 18 kg/m(2) and arm span < 160 cm was significantly higher than that of the AIS patients with the BMI > or = 18 kg/m(2) and arm span > or = 160 cm (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The BsmI site polymorphism of vitamin D receptor gene may be associated with abnormal growth pattern and low bone mass in girls with AIS. PMID- 17785084 TI - [Low minimal stimulating current improves infraclavicular brachial plexus block efficacy]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate if low minimal stimulating current used in nerve stimulator localizing is associated with a greater likelihood of infraclavicular block success. METHODS: 188 patients, aged 14 to 64, of ASA physical status class I - II, and scheduled for surgical procedures below elbow were assigned to low current group (Group A, n = 118) or regular current group (Group B, n = 70) according to the last figure of admission number. The infraclavicular plexus block was performed using the Wilson's approach 2 cm medial and caudal to the coracoid process guided by nerve stimulator with 30 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine after eliciting distal motor responses. The minimal stimulating current (I) was adjusted to 0.1 mA < or = I < 0.3 mA in Group A or 0.3 mA < or = I < 0.5 mA in Group B. The 2 groups were further sub-divided into 2 subgroups: lateral cord subgroup when motor responses of wrist and finger-flexion and pronation of forearm were induced, and posterior subgroup when extension of wrist and finger was induced. Anesthesia efficacy was assessed 5, 10, 20 and 30 min after the local anesthetic injection. A successful blockade was defined as analgesia in all dermatomes of the five nerves (median nerve, musculocutaneous nerve, radial nerve, ulnar nerve, and medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve). RESULTS: The success rate of Group A was 84.7%, significantly higher than that of Group B (67.1%, P < 0.05). When divided into posterior and lateral cord subgroups, The success rate of the posterior subgroup of Group A was 96.5%, significantly higher than that of the posterior subgroup of Group B (78.9%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Minimal stimulating current lower than 0.3 mA, significantly lower than the recommended value (0.5 mA), improves the efficacy of infraclavicular brachial plexus block, especially when the posterior cord is stimulated. PMID- 17785085 TI - [Therapeutic effects of transabdominal radical total gastrectomy on cardiac cancer: analysis of 56 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of transabdominal radical total gastrectomy on cardiac cancer and analyze the factors influencing the prognosis. METHODS: The clinicopathologic data of 56 cardiac cancer patients, 42 males and 14 females, aged 59 (27 - 81), who underwent transabdominal radical total gastrectomy from April 1993 to March 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The total lymph node metastatic incidence of the 56 patients was 71.4% (40/56). In 19 patients who underwent para-aortic lymphadenectomy, the metastatic rate of lymph node group 16 was 31.6% (6/19). The important factors influencing lymph node metastasis included the depth of tumor invasion, Borrmann type of the tumor, tumor size, and esophageal infiltration. The postoperative morbidity rate was 21.4% (12/56) and the postoperative complication rate was 3.6% (2/56). The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year postoperative survival rates for the entire patient cohort were 77.6%, 47.7%, and 37.1% respectively. Univariate analysis showed that lymph node metastases, tumor size, histopathological type of the tumor, Borrmann type of the tumor, depth of tumor invasion, and esophageal infiltration significantly influenced the postoperative survival. The 5-year survival rate of the patients without lymph node metastasis was 63.3%, significantly higher than that of the patients with lymph node metastasis (25.4%, P = 0.011). Multivariate analysis by Cox regression showed that lymph node metastasis was an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Transabdominal radical total gastrectomy is an effective and safe procedure for treatment of Siewert type II and type III cardiac cancer. Lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor of these tumors. PMID- 17785087 TI - [A clinical study of thoracic-abdominal double-incision and two-field lymphadenectomy in treatment of esophagogastric junction cancer]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the best operation pattern of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) cancer and the regularity of lymph node metastasis in EGJ cancer according to Siewert typing. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with EGJ cancer received esophagogastrectomy by thoracic-abdominal double incision and two-field lymphadenectomy (12 cases) or by traditional left postero-lateral thoracotomy and lymph node sampling (14 cases). The outcomes were analyzed with SPSS 10.0 software RESULTS: (1) The number of lymph node dissection group of the thoracic abdominal double incision group was 7.3 lymph node groups, significantly more than that of the traditional left postero-lateral thoracotomy group (3.5 lymph node group, P < 0.001). The number of proved metastatic lymph nodes of the thoracic-abdominal double incision group was 1.9 groups, significantly higher than that of the traditional left postero-lateral thoracotomy group (0.9 group, P = 0.013). The distance between the esophageal incisal edge and the tumor was 5.8 cm in the thoracic-abdominal double incision, longer than that in the traditional left thoracotomy group (5.1 cm). The diaphragm was not damaged in the double incision group, thus the influence to respiration and circulation was decreased. (2) The abdominal metastasis of Siewert type I cancer was not severe, the cancer of type II might metastasize to abdominal or thoracic cavity, and the main metastatic site of type III cancer was abdominal cavity. CONCLUSION: Thoracic abdominal double incision and two-field lymphadenectomy helps increase the radical resection rate of EGJ cancer and study the regularity of lymph node metastasis. PMID- 17785088 TI - [Treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension through pulmonary thromboendarterectomy and the effect of deep hypothermia circulation arrest thereon]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of the pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) in the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and the effect of the deep hypothermia circulation arrest (DHCA) thereon. METHODS: The clinical data of 40 cases of CTEPH, 25 cases of central type and 15 cases of peripheral type, 29 males and 11 females, aged 46 +/- 12 (20 - 70), underwent PTH, 17 under deep hypothermia circulatory arrest (DHCA, Group A) and 23 not under DHCA (Group B), from February 1995 to October 2006. Follow-up was conducted for 41.8 +/- 36.4 months. RESULTS: In the peri-operative period, no patient died in Group A and there were 6 deaths in Group B. 9 suffered with residual pulmonary hypertension and 18 with severe pulmonary reflux injury. 72 h after the PTE, the pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) was 58.3 +/- 30.7 mm Hg, significantly lower than that before PTS (91.4 +/- 38.4 mm Hg, P < 0.05), the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was 357 +/- 278.7 dynes x sec(-1) x cm(-5), significantly lower than that before PTE (978 +/- 675.6 dynes x sec(-1) x cm(-5), P < 0.01); the partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood (PaO(2)) was 89.9 +/- 7 mm Hg, significantly higher than that before the PTE (54.5 +/- 7.7 mm Hg, P < 0.01),; and the arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)) was 96.5 +/- 1.8%, significantly higher than that before the PTE (90 +/- 4.3%, P < 0.05). During the follow-up there were 2 late deaths, and the cardiac function was graded as NYHA class I in 22 patients, as NYHA class II in 9 patients, and as NYHA class III in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: DHCA is a necessary and elementary condition for PTE, and it is a key factor in promoting the effect of PTE to treat the pulmonary reflux injury and residual pulmonary hypertension properly. PMID- 17785089 TI - [Dysferlin expression in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and Miyoshi myopathy: analysis of 45 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To clarify the expression patterns of dysferlin in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) and Miyoshi myopathy (MM), and to investigate the frequency and clinicopathologic features of dysferlinopathy. METHODS: The expressing patterns of dysferlin were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, with a set of antibodies against dystrophin, alpha-sarcoglycan and dysferlin, in the biopsied muscle specimens from 45 patients with LGMD or MM diagnosed on the basis of clinical manifestations and muscle pathological features. The specimens with abnormal dysferlin expression shown by IHC were further analyzed with Western blotting for a quantitative evaluation. RESULTS: Eight patients were proved to be primary dysferlinopathy according to total dysferlin deficiency or a significant decrease of dysferlin (less than 15% that of normal value). The clinical manifestations of 5 of the 8 dysferlinopathy patients were consistent with those of typical MM, and the other 3 were diagnosed as with LGMD. All patients had an average onset at the age of 18.8 years. Two of them had family history, and one patient had consanguineous mating parents, meaning an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The serum CK levels were 6240 IU/L on average. EMG showed myogenic patterns in all patients. Muscular pathology showed typical changes of muscular dystrophy in all patients. Focal or scattered inflammatory cellular infiltrations were found in 3 cases. CONCLUSION: The clinical and pathological features of dysferlinopathy are nonspecific. Inflammatory cellular infiltrations are relatively common in biopsied muscles of dysferlinopathy patients, which may cause misdiagnosis of inflammatory myopathy. Identification of dysferlin expression by IHC and Western blotting are essential for the diagnosis of dysferlinopathy and differential diagnosis of inflammatory myopathy. PMID- 17785090 TI - [Ultrasonic diagnosis and prognosis of fetal multicystic kidney dysplasia]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnosis, clinical course and prognosis of fetal multicystic kidney dysplasia (MCDK). METHODS: 24 858 pregnant women detected by prenatal ultrasound, here were 41 cases with fetal multicystic kidney dysplasia, these fetuses were diagnosed at average 29.8 weeks of gestation, Carried on an observation to fetuses with multicystic kidney dysplasia and postnatal follow-up study. RESULTS: T17 cases were induced abortion. Of 13 infants, 1 case involute, 3 cases decrease, 9 cases no change. CONCLUSION: Prenatal ultrasonography can actual diagnosis for fetal multicystic kidney dysplasia, the key of management of multicystic kidney dysplasia is assessment of fetal prognosis, the natural history of unilateral MCDK is usually benign, the affected kidneys tend to show involution after birth. But bilateral MCDK often associated with impairement of renal function, abnormal chromosome or other anomalies, which indicates a poor prognosis. PMID- 17785091 TI - [Experience in treatment of Eisenmenger's syndrome by heart-lung transplantation]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To summarize the experience in treatment of Eisenmenger's syndrome by heart-lung transplantation (HLT). METHODS: Two cases of congenital heart disease with Eisenmenger's syndrome, aged 20 and 22, underwent bicaval orthotopic HLT. Modified St. Thomas cardioplegic solution and modified LPD solution were used to preserve the donor heart and lung. After removing the heart and lung of the recipient and thorough hemostasis in thoracic cavity and mediastinal septum, the donor heart and lung was implanted, and trachea, superior/inferior vena cava and aortic artery were anastomosed gradually. Intensive care against infection, rejection and other complications were performed after operation. RESULTS: The operations were successful. Tracheal anastomotic stenosis happened in one case seven months after HLT and was cured by sleeve resection of the stenosed trachea segment. Acute rejection happened in one case 10 days after HLT and was cured by stoss therapy. Both patients recovered to normal life and work. CONCLUSION: The success of HLT is related to perfect organ preservation, precise surgical performance and proper peri-operative treatment. PMID- 17785092 TI - [The study of apoptosis factors released from laser injured cartilage inducing apoptosis of chondrocyte]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of pro-apoptotic signals following tissue injury and how these may promote a progression of further cell death. METHODS: Laser treated porcine articular cartilage disks were maintained in culture media. The collected media at various time periods (3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 48 h), was called treated conditioned media (TCM). Non-laser treated cartilage disks were used to create control conditioned media (CCM). Each disk was subsequently maintained for 28 days and used in confocal microscopic assessment to document the progression of the damaged area. Isolated porcine chondrocytes were cultured in monolayer, and were exposed to TCM, CCM or normal culture medium (NM). As a positive inducer of apoptosis, the monolayer cells were exposed to UV radiation for 10 min and cultured in NM. Following 24 h exposure, the cells were harvested and stained with the appropriate combination of fluorescent dyes and processed via flow cytometry. RESULTS: All cultured cells exposed to TCM displayed a caspase-3 positive subpopulation, a loss of CMXRos, and with a reduced or lost NO signal. CCM exposure signals were comparable to the NM treatments with all having retained CMXRos, NO and without evidence of caspase-3 activity. UV treatment also induced a reduction in NO, but both CMXRos and caspase-3 positive, representing an earlier stage of apoptosis and suggesting that the mode of cell death via UV and TCM exposure are via different processes. The investigation of a dose (100%, 50%, 25% and 12.5%) and time (0.5, 1, 3, 9, 12 h) response to TCM exhibited that all treatments observed an increase in caspase-3 positive cells and a reduction in NO and CMXRos. CONCLUSION: The usefulness of FCM can be used in the study of cell viability and apoptosis. Such a system may be useful in the study of mechanisms of disease such as osteoarthritis, thus may be of practical use for the pharmaceutical industry for screening associated drugs. PMID- 17785097 TI - [Controversy in percutaneous coronary intervention]. PMID- 17785093 TI - [Effects of calcitonin on osteoblast cell proliferation and OPG/RANKL expression: experiment with mouse osteoblasts]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of calcitonin on the proliferation of osteoblasts and the OPG/RANKL expression therein. METHODS: Osteoblasts were separated by enzyme digestion methods from the cranial bones of 30 newborn mice, cultured, and inoculated in 96-well plate. Calcitonin of the concentrations of 10, 40, and 80 IU/L was administrated into the culture medium for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The proliferation of osteoblasts was detected by MTT method. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle. The mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and RANKL and protein expression of OPG were examined by RT PCR and ELISA respectively. RESULTS: The proliferation rates of the osteoblasts exposed to the calcitonin of the concentrations of 40 and 80 IU/L for 24. 48, and 72 hours cell were all significantly higher than those of the blank control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The index of osteoblasts at the G1 phase was significantly lower and the indexes of the osteoblasts at the S phase and G2-M phase were significantly increased after exposure to calcitonin (all P < 0.01). The OPG mRNA expression of the osteoblasts exposed to 80 IU/L calcitonin was significantly higher and the RANKL mRNA expression was significantly lower compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The OPG protein expression of the osteoblasts exposed to 80 LU/L calcitonin was significantly higher than that of the control group at different time points (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Calcitonin increases the osteoblast proliferation and the OPG mRNA expression in the osteoblasts while RANKL mRNA expression in the osteoblasts is inhibited. PMID- 17785094 TI - [shRNA-mediated insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene silencing inhibits cell proliferation, induces cell apoptosis, and suppresses tumor growth in non small cell lung cancer: in vitro and in vivo experiments]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) gene silencing on human lung cancer cells. METHODS: Plasmids expressing IGF-IR shRNA1 and IGF-IR shRNA2 were constructed. Human non-small cell lung cancer cells of the line A549 were cultured and transfected with sequence-specific shRNA. RT-PCR was used to monitor the IGF-IR mRNA expression. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of IGF-IR, bcl-2 and caspase-3, associated with apoptosis, and IGF-IR signaling pathways associated proteins, total and phospho-ERK1/2 and Akt. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to examine the cell activity and cell cycle. Twelve nude mice were injected subcutaneously with A549 cells, 20 days later the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups to be injected into the tumor with IGF-IR, PBS, or blank plasmid respectively 4 times with the interval of 5 days. Five days after the 4th injection the mice were killed and the tumors were taken out. TUNNEL assay was used to detect the apoptotic cell in the tumor. RESULTS: RT-PCR showed that the IGF-IR mRNA expression level of the A549 cells transfected with IGF-IR shRNA1 was only 24% +/- 4% that of the A549 cells transfected with blank plasmid (P < 0.05); however, the IGF-IR mRNA expression level of the A549 cells transfected with IGF-IR shRNA2 was 78% +/- 5% that of the A549 cells transfected with blank plasmid (P > 0.05). The IGF-IR protein expression level of the A549 cells of the IGF-IR shRNA1 group was only 10.2% +/- 2.8% that of the A549 cells of the blank plasmid group (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed that the protein expression levels of bcl-2 and caspase-3p20 of the A549 cells of the IGF-IR shRNA1 group were 46% +/- 6% and 156% +/- 8% those of the negative controls (both P < 0.05); however, the protein expression levels of bcl-2 and caspase-3p20 of the A549 cells of the IGF-IR shRNA2 group were not different from those of the negative control cells. The Akt kinase and ERK phosphorylation levels of the A549 cells of the IGF-IR shRNA1 group were 10% and 36% +/- 3% those of the negative control cells respectively (both P < 0.05). Since 48h after the transfection the active cell number of the IGF-IR shRNA1 group was 64% +/- 7% that of the negative group (P < 0.05), and this decrease effect lasted to 72 h after (67% +/- 6% that of the negative cells, P < 0.05). 48 h after the transfection the percentage of cells at G(0)/G(1) phase of the IGF-IR shRNA1 group was 77.5%, significantly higher than that of the negative control group, and the percentages of the cells at S and G(2)/M phases of the IGF-IR shRNA1 group were 15.7% and 7.3% respectively, both significantly lower than those of the negative control group (23.0% and 29.9% respectively). Since the second injection the tumor size of the mice of IGF-IR shRNA group was 40% - 50% that of the PBS group (P < 0.05), and the tumor size of the mice of the PBS group was 90% that of the control group. TUNNEL assay showed that the number of apoptotic cells in the tumors of the IGF IR shRNA1 group mice was 118 +/- 8/high power, significantly higher than that of the control group (70 +/- 9, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RNAi technique effectively inhibits the expression of IGF-IR, thus decreasing the NSCLC cell proliferation inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the tumor growth. PMID- 17785098 TI - [Prevention and treatment of thrombosis after implantation of drug-eluting stents]. PMID- 17785099 TI - [Impact of drug-eluting stents on transferring treatment with coronary surgical revascularization among patients initially admitted to department of internal medicine]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of drug-eluting stent (DES) on transferring treatment with coronary surgical revascularization among the patients initially admitted to department of internal medicine. METHODS: 2598 patients initially admitted in department of internal medicine underwent revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) before the introduction of DES from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 [bare metal stent (BMS) era group, n = 923) or after the introduction of DES from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004 (DES era group). The clinical manifestations and coronary angiography characteristics were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: In the DES era group 1333 patients (80.1%) were revascularized with PCI, and 331 patients (19.9%) were transferred to treatment with CABG; and in the BMS era group, 721 patients (77.2%) underwent PCI, and 213 patients (22.8%) were transferred to treatment with CABG. The rate of transference to CABG of the DES era group was lower by 12.7% compared with the BMS era group. The rates of left main coronary disease, proximal left anterior descending coronary stenosis and diffuse long lesions among the patients revascularized with PCI in the DES era group were 3.2%, 44.2%, and 19.7% respectively, all significantly higher than those in the BMS era group (1.4%, 39.8%, and 11.2%, P = 0.025, P = 0.047, and = 0.021 respectively). But no matter if DES was implanted or not, left main coronary disease, proximal left anterior descending coronary stenosis, diffuse long lesions and ostial lesions were the most common coronary lesions in the patients revascularized with CABG. Logistic regression showed that number of diseased vessels, left main coronary disease, chronic total occlusion lesions, and proximal left anterior descending coronary stenosis were independent predictor for transferring treatment with CABG (all P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: DES has a certain impact on the coronary revascularization strategies, because the rate of in-stent restenosis and repeat revascularization are lower significantly after implantation of DES than after implantation of BMS. Many coronary lesions that should undergo CABG in non-DES era may be revascularized with PCI and implantation of DES. PMID- 17785100 TI - [MR imaging of injected magnetically labeled stem cells in myocardial infarction: experiment with pigs]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in tracking bone marrow derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles. METHODS: BM-MNCs were isolated from the bone marrow of 14 pigs. These 14 pigs underwent occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) to establish myocardial infarction (MI) models and then randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental group (n = 9) to be injected with BM-MNCs labeled with SPIO intracoronarily under X-ray fluoroscopy, and control group (n = 5), to be injected with unlabelled BM-MNCs MRI was performed with a 1.5T MR scanner to demonstrate the location of the BM-MNCs once a week. T pigs were killed when no labeled BM-MSC was detected. The hearts were taken out to undergo HE staging and Prussian blue staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the desmin and myosin. RESULTS: The cell labeling efficiency was almost 100%. Contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrated successful establishment of MI models. Effective MRI tracking findings were obtained in 8 pigs, 7 of the experimental group and 3 of the control group. In 3 pigs T2* weighted MRI showed the zone of labeled cell accumulation shows vague low-signal area around the infarction area and much better conspicuity of the zone of hypoenhancement was shown under contrast-enhanced MRI. The hypoenhancement zone disappeared 14 - 21 days after the injection of BM-MSCs. Histological analyses showed that most Prussian blue positive cells were well correlated with the area where a signal intensity loss was observed in MRI. CONCLUSION: 1.5T MR imaging can monitor the magnetically labeled BM-MNC in vivo in myocardial infarction provided the number of injected is nor less than 10(6). PMID- 17785101 TI - [Relationship between plasma asymmetrical dimethylarginine and coronary artery disease]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the plasma asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) level correlates with the extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: 110 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography were divided into five groups according to the result thereof: control group (n = 22, with normal coronary artery), mild coronary artery disease (CAD) group (n = 21, with stenosis < 50% of the major coronary arteries), single branch CAD group III (n = 22, with stenosis >/= 50% of one major coronary artery); double branch CAD group IV (n = 23, with stenosis >/= 50% of two major coronary arteries); and multi branch CAD group (n = 22, with significant stenosis >/= 50% of more than two major coronary arteries or companies with stenosis of left major coronary). ELISA was used to detect the plasma ADMA. Nitric acid reductase method and colorimetry were used to measure the levels of plasma nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen oxide synthase (NOS). The relationship between the plasma ADMA and severity of CAD was analyzed. RESULTS: The plasma ADMA levels of in last three a groups were 1.52 micromol/L +/- 0.61 micromol/L, 1.67 micromol/L +/- 0.80 micromol/L, and 2.60 micromol/L +/- 0.62 micromol/L all significantly higher than that of the control group (0.79 micromol/L +/- 0.54 micromol/L, P < 0.01). The plasma NO and NOS levels of the multi-branch CAD group were significantly lower than those of the other groups (all P < 0.01), and there were not significant differences in Plasma NO and NOS levels among the other groups. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the plasma ADMA level was significantly positively correlated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis (r = 0.684, P = 0.007) and total cholesterol and triglyceride (r = 0.623 and 0.536 respectively), and significantly negatively correlated with the NO and NOS levels (r = -0.709 and -0.701 respectively). CONCLUSION: Correlated significantly with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis, the plasma ADMA level may become a novel marker of CAD. PMID- 17785103 TI - [Incidence and risk factors of acute radial artery occlusion following transradial percutaneous coronary intervention]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the incidence and risk factors of acute radial artery occlusion (RAO) following transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TRI). METHODS: A total of 7215 patients who underwent TRI were divided into normal group and RAO group, according to whether the patient without and with RAO. Risk factors of RAO were analyzed by logistic regression model. RESULTS: Acute RAO occurred in 68 patients (0.94%). As compared to the patients in normal group, there were more female and diabetes mellitus patients in RAO group. The dosage of heparin used in the operational procedure in RAO group were significantly less than normal group (3723 IU +/- 556 IU vs 7603 IU +/- 1533 IU, P < 0.01). The post procedure duration of high-pressure compression hemostasis were longer in RAO patients than normal patients (103.8 min +/- 23.3 min vs 87.7 min +/- 31.2 min, P = 0.02). Logistic regression analyses showed that the dosage of heparin used in the procedure, the category and size of sheath and the post-procedure compression time were independent risk factors for RAO. CONCLUSION: The incidence of RAO can be minimized by appropriate anticoagulation, proper sheath selection, and avoiding prolonged duration of high-pressure compression hemostasis following the procedure. PMID- 17785105 TI - [Sequence analysis of gag and env genes of HIV type 1 circulating in former blood donors of Fuyang city, Anhui province]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the subtype and analyze the genetic characteristics of the HIV-1 predominantly circulating in the former blood donors of Fuyang city, Anhui province. METHODS: Whole blood samples were collected from 294 HIV-positive former blood donors of Fuyang city, 157 males and 137 females, aged 42 +/- 8. The fragments of HIV-1 env and gag genes were amplified by nested-PCR from the whole blood samples and thereafter sequenced. The env and gag sequences derived from 244 and 245 HIV infected individuals respectively were analyzed by using MEGA software, and related researches were also done according to the disease progression of the HIV infected individuals. RESULTS: Phylogenetic trees showed that both the env and gag strains were clustered with the Thailand B reference strains. The internal nucleotide distances of the env and gag genes were 9.11% and 3.59% respectively. The nucleotide distances of both env and gag genes significantly increased as the CD4 T-cell counts decreased or as the viral load rose (both P < 0.001). The V3 loop tip motifs were dramatically dominated by GPGQ in the long-time non-progressors, and by GPGR in the slow progressors (P = 0.038). CONCLUSION: The predominant strains circulating in the HIV-1 infected former blood donors of Fuyang city are of the Thailand B clade. Low CD4 T-cell count and high viral load are associated with the increase of genetic distances among viral isolates. The V3 loop tip motif changes from GPGQ to GPGR along with the progression of disease. PMID- 17785106 TI - [Prenatal gene diagnosis of paternally inherited alpha-thalassemia by detecting fetal DNA in maternal plasma]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of diagnosis of alpha-thalassemia by analyzing fetal DNA in maternal plasma. METHODS: Ten families were screened, the husbands being alpha-thalassemia Southeast Asia deletion (SEA alpha-thalassemia-1) heterozygotes and the pregnant women being alpha-thalassemia-2 heterozygotes. Fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene scanning were used to detect the paternally inherited genotypes of SEA alpha-thalassemia-1 gene mutation and short tandem repeats (STRs) in the maternal plasma fetal DNA. The results were compared to those of conventional prenatal diagnosis of fetal DNA in amniotic fluid, chorionic villus or cord blood. RESULTS: Paternally derived STR genotypes were detected in all specimens of plasma fetal DNA. Paternally inherited SEA alpha-thalassemia-1 gene mutation was detected in 4 cases, while the other 6 cases did not inherit the paternal mutation. The results were completely concordant with those of the conventional prenatal diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Noninvasive prenatal diagnostic method, the technique using fluorescent PCR and gene scanning to detect the fetal DNA and paternally inherited SEA alpha thalassemia-1 gene mutation in maternal plasma helps exclude the fetuses with hemoglobin H diseases. PMID- 17785108 TI - [Value of multiplanar reconstruction of lumbar nerve roots on the same level by high resolution computed tomography in diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation and/or bulge]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore value of multiplanar reconstruction of lumbar nerve roots on the same level by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation and/or bulge (LDHB). METHODS: Thirty-one patients with manifestations of typical nerve root compression, such as lumbago and tenderness of percussion pain at the corresponding sites were scanned with 16-slice spiral CT and multiplanar reconstruction of lumbar nerve roots on the same level with the workshop ADW4.150, and were diagnosed as with LDHB with 50 segments. The diagnoses were confirmed by operation later. RESULTS: This technique showed not only the existence of LDHB but also the signs of nerve root compression, including the touch of nerve roots with the LDHB (100%), translocation of nerve roots (96%), morphological change (94%), changes of diameter (92%), changes of direction (88%), changes of density (80%), increase of the angle between the dural sac and nerve root (76%), etc. Along with the prolonging of time, the nerve roots became thinner in all segments. CONCLUSION: Multiplanar reconstruction of lumbar nerve roots on the same level by high resolution computed tomography is valuable in the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation and/or bulge. PMID- 17785109 TI - [Expression of fibrillin-1 in congenital bicuspid aortic valves]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of fibrillin-1 in congenital bicuspid aortic valves, and to investigate the molecular mechanism of congenital bicuspid aortic valves. METHODS: Specimens of aortic valve were obtained from 12 pediatric patients with congenital bicuspid aortic valve, 11 boys and 1 girl, aged 16.7 (10 - 18), including 5 cases of aortic stenosis (AS), 8 of aortic insufficiency (AI), and 1 of AS and AI, undergoing valve replacement, 8 children who died accidentally without cardiovascular system and collagen system diseases, 6 boys and 2 girls, aged 9.1 (1 - 17), collected in autopsy [normal (tricuspid) aortic valve controls], and 18 pediatric patients of rheumatic valvular heart disease with diseased tricuspid aortic valves who underwent aortic valve replacement, 13 boys and 5 girls, aged 16.5 (12 - 18) (rheumatic valvular heart disease controls). HE staining and light microscopy were conducted. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of fibrillin-1 in the aortic valves. RESULTS: Microscopy showed that the tissue structure of the congenital bicuspid aortic valves was unclear with hyperplasia of fibrous tissue. The grey degree value of fibrillin-1 of the congenital bicuspid aortic valve group was 170 +/- 10, significantly lower than those of normal aortic valve group and diseased tricuspid aortic valve group (126 +/- 8 and 73 +/- 16 respectively, both P < 0.05). There were not significant difference in the grey degree value of fibrillin-1 among the patients of congenital bicuspid aortic valves with AS, AI, and AS + AI (167 +/- 6, 171 +/- 8, and 168 +/- 6 respectively). CONCLUSION: The expression of fibrillin-1 is significantly reduced in congenital bicuspid aortic valves which may contribute to the morphological changes of the aortic valve leaflets and their resultant functional failure in congenital bicuspid aortic valves. PMID- 17785110 TI - [Association of the coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms in PLUNC gene with nasopharyngeal carcinoma]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site G14595T of PLUNC gene coding region is significantly correlated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 239 NPC patients, 163 males and 76 females, aged 46.9, and 286 sex(-), and age(-)-matched healthy controls in Guangdong, China. The coding region and regulating region, 3'UTR and 3'Flank as well as 5'UTR and 5'Flank were sequenced to identify and characterize the SNPs. All SNP were analyzed by linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype tag SNP (htSNP) derived from the results by calculating haplotype. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were used to study the PLUNC genotypes. RESULTS: Nine SNPs were obtained by sequencing. Eight of the 9 SNPs presented high LD, and 3 of the SNP were determined as htSNPs. The frequencies of genotype and allele on SNP marker G14595T in the NPC patients and controls suggested there was no significant association between the phenotype and NPC susceptibility (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The marker G14595T in coding region does not influence the expression of PLUNC gene. There is no significant association between the phenotype and susceptibility to NPC in Guangdong. PMID- 17785111 TI - [Evidence of occurrence of gap junctions in stable nonobstructed human bladder]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurrence of gap junctions and the gap junction forming protein connexin (Cx) in normal human detrusor. METHODS: Specimens of detrusor smooth muscle were obtained from 6 patients with localized bladder tumors during radical cystectomy. Transmission electron microscopy and freeze fracture microscopy were used to observe the microstructure of the detrusor smooth muscle. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Cx in the detrusor smooth muscle. RESULTS: Ultrastructural and freeze fracture studies showed gap junctions in the detrusor smooth muscle cells. However, these gap junctions appeared to be small and irregularly shaped. RT-PCR amplified 2 fragments with the lengths of 300 bp and 200 bp, and sequencing showed that they were identical with the Cx45 already published. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry showed the existence of immunological signal of Cx45 in most of the detrusor smooth muscles. CONCLUSION: The smooth muscle cells of stable human detrusor are electrically coupled through gap junctions. PMID- 17785112 TI - [Preweaning exposure to enriched environment induces hippocampal neurogenesis: experiment with rats]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of preweaning exposure to enriched environment on hippocampal neurogenesis and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Thirty-six 10 day-old SD rats were randomly divided into the 2 equal groups: control group and enriched environment group (EE group. From the age of 10 days to 24 days the rats received intraperitoneal injection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) 50 mg/kg every other day to label the newly proliferated cells in vivo, and the rats in EE group were daily exposed to enriched environment for 20 minutes. Six rats of each group were sacrificed whren they were 24 days of age. Nuclear protein of the hippocampus was extracted to undergo Western blotting to detect the levels of calmodulin and phosphorylated CREB (cAMP response element binding). Other rats were sacrificed at the age of 63 days. Coronal cryostat sections of brain were cut. Sections at the level 3.6 mm posterior to the bregma were obtained and stained with methyl aniline blue and the number of cells in the hippocampal dentate gurus (DG) of the right hemisphere were counted using x 400 microscope. BrdU immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence labeling with BrdU/NeuN or BrdU/GFAP were done, and the numbers of BrdU-labeled cells and ratios of neurons and astrocytes differentiated from BrdU-labeled cells were calculated. RESULTS: The levels of calmodulin and phosphorylated CREB in the hippocampal nuclear extract of the EE group were 0.065 +/- 0.035 and 0.485 +/- 0.007 respectively, both significantly higher than those of the control group (0.245 +/ 0.035 and 0.220 +/- 0.014 respectively, P = 0.01 and P = 0.002). The number of cells in the DG area of right hippocampus 3.6 mm posterior to bregma of the EE group was 1580 +/- 72, significantly higher than that of the control rats (1375 +/- 62, t = -7.461, P < 0.01). The number of BrdU labeled cells of the EE group was 5363 +/- 487, significantly higher than that of the control group (2984 +/- 318, t = -14.177, P < 0.01). The ratio of neurons of the EE group was 85.0% +/- 2.8%, significantly higher than that of the control group (80.2% +/- 2.8%, t = 4.166, P < 0.01). The differentiation rate of astrocytes of the EE group was 4.0% +/- 0.5%, significantly higher than that of the control group (2.6% +/- 0.6%, t = -6.493, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Preweaning exposure to enriched environment can induce neurogenesis. The underlying mechanism may be that enriched environment induces the activation of calmodulin and CREB in hippocampus. PMID- 17785114 TI - [Regulatory effects of RhoGTPase on transition of liver sinusoidal capillarization: experiment with mice of schistosomal hepatic fibrosis]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory effects of RhoGTPase on the transition of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and the potential mechanism thereof on the sinusoidal capillarization in schistosomal hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: Eight-eight mice underwent abdominal infection of schistosomal cercaria so as to establish liver fibrosis models. 13 weeks later the mice were divided into 5 groups: Group A (normal control group, n = 10), Group B (group of schistosomiasis, n = 24), Group C (anti-schistosoma control group, treated with biltricide), Group D (group of schistosomiasis + hydroxyfasudil, treated with hydroxyfasudil since the week 14, n = 18), and Group E (biltricide + hydroxyfasudil, treated with biltricide since week 13 and added with hydroxyfasudil since week 14, n = 18). The mice in Group A and 6 mice of Group B were killed in week 13, and 6 mice of Groups B, C, D, and E were killed in weeks 16, 19, and 21 each. The livers were taken out to undergo electron microcopy. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of p-moesin, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), RhoA, collagen IV (Col IV), and laminin (LN) protein expressions were assessed by Western blotting, and RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of CTGF, RhoA, and ROCK II. RESULTS: Compared with Group A, the mRNA levels of RhoA, ROCK II, and CTGF were significantly increased (all P < 0.05) and the protein expression levels of p moesin, CTGF, RhoA, Col IV, and LN were significantly increased (all P < 0.05) in Group B. After intervention with biltricide and/or hydroxyfasudil, the CTGF mRNA expression was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in Group E in week 16 and the protein expression levels of CTGF, Col IV, and LN were decreased (all P < 0.05) compared with other groups, and the expression of p-moesin of Group E was significantly lower than that of Group D (P < 0.05). Electron microcopy showed that the liver sinusoids of the mice in Group E was significantly better compared with the other groups, and there was no significant difference between Groups B and D. CONCLUSION: An upregulation of RhoGTPase that contributes to increased CTGF expression and phosphorylation of moesin may induce a transition of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells in schistosomiasis. PMID- 17785116 TI - [Relationship between sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agent in vivo and in vitro: experiment with mouse lymphoma cells]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship of the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agent between in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Mouse lymphoma cells of the line E14 were cultured and melphalan resistant EL4 cell line (EL4/melphalan) was established by culturing EL4 cells with continuous low concentration and intermittent gradually-increasing-concentration of melphalan in vitro. MTT assay was used to evaluate the drug sensitivity and the resistance index of the EL4/melphalan cells to melphalan was calculated. EL4/melphalan and EL4 cells of the concentration of 5 x 10(8)/L were inoculated separately into 20 C57BL/6 mice subcutaneously. 12 days later, the EL4 and EL4/melphalan tumor bearing mice were randomly divided into 2 groups respectively, 5 mice in each group. Treatment groups were given 7.5 mg/kg melphalan intraperitoneally, and control groups were given the same volume of normal saline. The tumor size was observed every other day. RESULTS: Compared with the EL4 cells, the EL4/melphalan cells had no obvious changes morphologically. They could grow in RPMI 1640 medium containing 5 mg/ml melphalan. The resistance index was 2.87 against melphalan. After the treatment of melphalan of the dose 7.5 mg/kg, the tumor sizes of the treatment groups and control groups inoculated with both EL4 cells and the EL4/melphalan cells gradually decreased at the similar speed, and about one week later all tumors disappeared. However, the tumors of the control groups grew progressively and all the mice died at last. CONCLUSION: The chemotherapeutic effects of tumors in vivo have nothing to do with the effects of the chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells in vitro. The tumor cells resistant to melphalan in vitro remain sensitive to the drug in vivo. PMID- 17785119 TI - Guidance on the control of multi-resistant acinetobacter outbreaks: a time to act ? PMID- 17785115 TI - [The potential role of Id1 in COX-2 mediated angiogenesis in gastric cancer]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential role of inhibitor of DNA binding/differentiation 1 (Id1) in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mediated angiogenesis in gastric cancer. METHODS: Two human gastric cancer sub-cell lines (SGC7901/COX 2 and SGC7901/COX-2RNAi) highly expressing COX-2 and COX-2 RNAi respectively were established. Western blotting and RT-PCR were performed to detect the protein and mRNA expression levels of Id1 in these transfectants. ELISA was performed to detect the levels of VEGF protein in the supernatants of these cells. Humane umbilical vein endothelial cells of the line HU-LT were cultured in condition medium, supernatant of SGC7901/COX2 cells transfected with COX-2 sense strand, COX-2 SiRNA and Id1. MTT assay was used to examine the proliferation ability of these cells. Suspensions of SGC7901/COX-2 and SGC7901/COX-2RNAi cells were injected subcutaneously to nude mice respectively. Eight weeks later the mice were killed and the tumors were taken out to undergo immunohistochemistry and detection of mcrovessel density (MVD). RESULTS: Western blotting and RT-PCR showed that the expression levels of COX-2 protein and mRNA, as well as those of Id1 in the SGC7901/COX-2 cells were high, and the expression level of Id1 was down-regulated in the SGC7901/COX-2RNAi cells transfected with Id1 RNAi. The VEGF level of the SGC7901/COX-2 cells was 2060 +/- 42, significantly higher than that of the control SGC7901/PC cells (1248 +/- 28, P = 0.000) and VEGF level of the supernatant of then SGC7901/COX-2 RNAi cells was 1024 +/- 20, significantly lower than that of the SGC7901/COX-2/PC cells (2033 +/- 27, P = 0.000). The proliferation rate of the HU-LT cells cultured in SGC7901/COX-2 condition medium was higher than that of the HU-LT cells cultured in SGC7901/COX-2RNAi condition medium. The increase of VEGF in the SGC7901/COX-2 and the effect of contribution to the proliferation of HU-LT were both abrogated when Id1 was knocked out in the SGC7901/COX-2. The tumor weight of the COX-2 RNAi group was (353 +/- 12) mg, significantly lower than that of the SGC7901/COX-2 group [(1020 +/- 91) mg, P = 0.038]. The MVD of the tumor of the COX-2 RNAi group was 8.8 +/- 1.6, significantly lower than that of the SGC7901/COX-2 group (20 +/- 1.7, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: COX-2 can stimulate VEGF and enhance the proliferation of endothelial cells by upregulating Id1, and blocking this pathway may be helpful to the tumor therapeutics, so COX-2 and Id1 can be exploited as therapeutic targets of gastric cancer. PMID- 17785120 TI - Clinical spectrum of onchodermatitis. AB - OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency and to see various dermatological presentations of onchocerciasis in black Africans of Sierra Leone. DESIGN: An observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Eastern province (Kenema) of Sierra Leone from November 2004 to October, 2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Local black patients of all age groups, attending dermatology outpatient department of Pak Field Hospital (established as a part of UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone) with clinical diagnosis of onchodermatitis, based on symptomatology and morphological features of the disease, were included. UN troops were excluded. Laboratory investigations including blood complete picture and skin snips were carried out in all patients. Skin biopsy and nodule biopsy was performed in selected cases. Skin manifestations were recorded and categorized into various clinical patterns, i.e. acute, chronic, lichenified, onchocercoma, etc. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics in "Instat." RESULTS: A total of 3011 patients, belonging to different local tribes, having a variety of skin disorders, were seen during the study period. One hundred and eighty-seven (6.2%) patients were found to have onchodermatitis. Patients were of all ages and both sexes, their ages ranging from 1 month to 73 years. Gender ratio was almost equal. A whole clinical spectrum of onchodermatitis was observed, chronic papular onchodermatitis being the most common pattern. CONCLUSION: Onchodermatitis with a large spectrum of clinical manifestations was seen in black Africans of the eastern part of Sierra Leone. PMID- 17785121 TI - Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding tuberculosis and dots among interns in delhi, India. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding tuberculosis (TB) and DOTS among young medical graduates (interns). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Lady Hardinge Medical College and Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India, during November and December 2002, simultaneously. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 30 items was administered to the young medical graduates/interns posted in different departments. The questions covered mode of transmission, symptoms of pulmonary TB, investigations, short course chemotherapy including DOTS as well as conventional anti-tubercular treatment, special situations, health education and chemoprophylaxis. RESULTS: A total of 287 interns were surveyed. Majority of the study subjects (92.7%) ranked DOTS strategy as more successful for treating tuberculosis in comparison to self-administered therapy. However, a mere 4.2% study subjects were aware of all modes of transmission. One hundred and eighty-nine (65.9%) correctly chose sputum examination for acid fast bacilli as the single most confirmatory test for diagnosing pulmonary TB. The rest either gave incorrect responses (including ELISA-17.0%, PCR-9.8%, X-ray chest-4.2%, ESR-1.7%) or did not respond (1.4%). Only 2.1% marked pyrazinamide and rifampicin as the agents to be avoided in patients with liver disease. One hundred and forty-one different treatment regimens were mentioned in the responses received and of those only 11(7.8%) were scientifically acceptable. CONCLUSION: TB is a major health problem in South-East Asian countries. There is a need for appropriate changes to be made in the undergraduate medical teaching/training curriculum in the concerned countries with regard to TB. PMID- 17785122 TI - Antibiotic prophylaxis in clean general surgery. AB - OBJECTIVE: To find out the incidence of surgical site infection in clean general surgery cases operated without prophylactic antibiotics. DESIGN: A comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The study was carried out in Combined Military Hospital, Pano Aqil Cantonment, from July 2003 to December 2004. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four clean surgical cases operated without antibiotic prophylaxis between July 2003 and December 2004, were studied and these were compared with similar number of cases who received antibiotics. The data was collected and analyzed using software SPSS (version 10.0). Chi square and student "t" test were used to analyze the association between antibiotics and wound infection. RESULTS: The most frequent operation was repair of various hernias, 69.3% in group A and 75% in group B. More operations were carried out between 21-30 years, 38.7% in group A and 41.9% in group B. Surgical site infection occurred in one patient (0.8 %) in each group. Chi- square test (0.636) applied to group A and B showed no association of infection and administration/ no administration of antibiotics (p > 0.25). The "t" test applied on group A and B (t=0) also showed no significant difference between administration of antibiotics/ no antibiotics and infection (p > 0.25). CONCLUSION: The use of prophylactic antibiotic in clean, non implant and elective cases is unnecessary. PMID- 17785123 TI - Anterior tension - free repair versus posterior preperitoneal repair for recurrent hernia. AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare anterior tension-free approach with posterior preperitoneal repair for complications and early recurrence. DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Combined Military Hospital, Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi, from March 1997 to December 2002. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with unilateral recurrent inguinal scrotal and irreducible hernias, were randomized to either anterior tension-free or posterior preperitoneal repair. Patients with primary inguinal hernia, patients with class11/111 obesity (BMI > 35) and ASA grade 3 and beyond were excluded. For posterior repair, preperitoneal space was entered through a transverse lower abdominal incision placed 3 cms above inguinal ligament. Anterior repair was done by standard Lichtenstein technique. Forty-two patients were operated under spinal anesthesia while 25 patients had general anesthesia. Follow-up was on 7th and 12th postoperative day, at third month, and then yearly for two years. Main outcome measures were postoperative pain and recovery; postoperative complications related to wound, testicles, sensory nerves; and recurrence. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients had anterior tension-free hernioplasty while 33 patients had posterior preperitoneal repair. Mean operating time was longer for anterior preperitoneal repair as compared to posterior repair (70.1min vs. 62.6 min, p = 0.1). Pain score and hospital stay was same for both groups. Return to normal activity was not significantly different being 14.1 days for anterior and 13 days for posterior repair (p= 0.07). Heavy duties were also resumed after statistically non significant interval, 34.6 days for anterior, and 33 days for posterior repair (p = 0.09). Complication rate in anterior hernioplasty group was 17.6% while in preperitoneal group it was 3% ( p=0.001). There was no recurrence in either group after a mean follow-up of 2 years. CONCLUSION: Open preperitoneal repair and anterior tension-free repair were equivalent in terms of postoperative pain, recovery and early recurrence rate. Considering fewer testicular complications with posterior repair, it should be the procedure of choice for repair of recurrent groin hernia in men. PMID- 17785124 TI - Clinical diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome and response to metformin therapy. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of diagnosing polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) predominantly on clinical features and the response to metformin therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Shifa College of medicine and Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad from January 2003 to July 2006. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women fulfilling the inclusion criteria (oligo/hypomenorrhea, infertility, weight gain, hyperandrogenism) were enrolled. Ultrasound pelvis was obtained in all women. Presence of eight or more multiple follicles in both or one ovary without presence of mature follicle was the cutoff number for positive ultrasound. Thyroid stimulating hormone levels were performed in all patients, and patients with abnormal levels were excluded from the study. Metformin was adjusted to 500 mg thrice daily. Six months later patients were again evaluated for response to metformin therapy and those who failed to conceive were given clomiphene citrate along with metformin. Fertility was re evaluated at the end of one year. RESULTS: At the start of the study, 81% women had menstrual irregularity and 84% had infertility. Hirsutism was seen in 72% while history of weight gain was present in 62% of patients. Ultrasound evidence of polycystic ovaries was seen in 93% of women. After 6 months of metformin therapy, 80% patients had achieved correction in their menstrual irregularity. After 6 months on metformin alone, 51% patients conceived while an additional 20% conceived on both metformin and clomiphene citrate during next 6 months. Overall fertility rate was 71% at the end of one year. There was statistically significant change in pre-treatment and posttreatment BMI. CONCLUSION: Combination of three or more of the clinical features (irregular cycles, history of weight gain, infertility and hirsutism) provide an appropriate basis for the diagnosis of PCOS. Metformin alone was an effective treatment for PCOS in this series. PMID- 17785125 TI - Knowledge, attitude and practices (kap) regarding blood donation prevalent in medical and paramedical personnel. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) regarding voluntary blood donation prevalent in medical and paramedical personnel having basic level of awareness on the subject. DESIGN: Cross-sectional Study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The study was conducted in AK CMH, Muzaffarabad, from 15th March 2003 to 15th September 2003. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For the assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding voluntary blood donation in medical and paramedical personnel, 83 doctors and 83 paramedics were interviewed. A pre tested close-ended questionnaire was designed according to the basic level of awareness of paramedics regarding voluntary blood donation. Variables used in the study were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Thereafter, Chi-square test was applied to see association between level of awareness and the actual gesture of voluntarily donating blood. RESULTS: Maximum number of doctors was in the age group ranging from 30 to 50 years while maximum paramedics were in the range of 30-40 years of age. Sixty three out of 83 doctors were blood donors that makes a percentage of 76, whereas 34 out of 83 paramedics were blood donors that makes a percentage of 41.Chi-square test was applied on two groups to compare the association between increased level of awareness and act of donating blood. Our statistical results supported this association (c2 = 20.85) and value fell in the rejection region accepting alternate hypothesis and rejecting null hypothesis (c2 Z. 3.84). A 49.2% of blood donations by doctors (whether random or regular donors) were voluntary and this percentage for paramedics was 35.3. Among doctors, only 3.40% were regular Voluntary Non-remunerated blood Donors (VNDs), whereas no one was found amongst the paramedics. Forty percent of non-donor doctors and 63.3% of non-donor paramedics stated the reason for their non donation as "no one had ever asked them to do so". CONCLUSION: It is concluded from our study that there is an urgent need to create and strengthen programs for motivation, recruitment and retention of Voluntary Non-remunerated blood Donors (VNDs) in our country on the basis of following observations of the study:- More blood donations from medical doctors are observed in our study as compared to the paramedics. This phenomenon seems to be related to the basic and advanced medical education of doctors that obviously tends to increase their level of awareness manifolds as compared to the paramedics. Maximum number of non-donors (both medical and paramedical) in the study stated the reason of their non-donation being "no one has ever asked them to donate blood". This implies that even the increased level of awareness on the subject does not result in actual act of donating blood. It would, therefore, not be justified to expect from general public 'humane gesture of preserving life' without creating in them awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation. PMID- 17785126 TI - A crimean - congo haemorrhagic Fever outbreak in northern balochistan. AB - OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, predictors of fatal outcome (PFO), and management effects of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) patients during an outbreak in Northern Balochistan. DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Fatima Jinnah Hospital and Combined Military Hospital, Quetta, from June to October, 2001. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients presenting with a fever of less than 2 weeks duration and bleeding manifestations were included. Clinical history was recorded and patients were placed on oral ribavirin, and hematological support. Diagnosis was established by PCR for CCHF or detection of CCHF specific IgM and IgG. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients were received, 34 (40.5%) were suspected of suffering from classical CCHF. All 34 (100%) patients presented with a history of fever and bleeding (epistaxis, gum bleeding, melena or haematuria). Mean platelet count was 30 x 109/L and mean ALT (alanine transferase) was 288 U/L. Among fatal cases, the mean platelet count was 18.4 x 109/L and ALT was 781 units/L. PCR for CCHF viral RNA performed on 10 patients was positive in 3 (30%) patients. CCHF specific IgM and IgG was positive in 17.6% (6/34). Four patients were brought in moribund condition and expired before treatment could be started, 4 patients expired during treatment and 76.5% (26/34) were cured. The overall mortality was 23.5% (8/34). Main predictors of fatal outcome were ALT Z 150 units/L, activated partial thromboplastin time(aPT) Z 60 seconds, prothrombin time (PT) Z 34 seconds, aspartate transferase (AST) Z 200 units/L, platelets 20 x 109/L, and fibrinogen 110 mg/dL. CONCLUSION: In this series of CCHF occurring in Northern parts of Balochistan, gastrointestinal tract bleeding was the worst prognostic factor associated with fatal outcome. Providing education to healthcare workers and at risk populations, hematological support, anti-viral drugs, and barrier nursing may help reduce mortality. PMID- 17785127 TI - Relationship of postdialysis serum sodium level and interdialytic weight gain in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship of postdialysis serum sodium level and interdialytic weight gain in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. DESIGN: A descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Hemodialysis Department, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, from May to October 2006. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 50 adult patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis were enrolled for the study with nonprobability convenience sampling technique. Pre-, post- and pre-next dialysis serum sodium were measured in each patient and their weights were recorded. Intradialytic sodium gains (delta Na1=postdialysis minus pre-dialysis sodium), interdialytic sodium fall (delta Na2 = previous postdialysis sodium minus pre subsequent dialysis sodium), and interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) (IDWG = weight, pre subsequent dialysis weight minus previous postdialysis weight) were computed. The relationship between delta Na1 and delta Na 2 with interdialytic weight gain was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There were 26 males and 24 females. The mean age of the patients was 49.6+/-14.5 years, and mean duration of HD was 40.9+/-40.8 months. The mean sodium gain during the session (delta Na1) was 4.0+/-3.1 and mean sodium fall in interdialytic period (delta Na2) was 4.2+/-2.7. The mean interdialytic weight gain was 2+/-0.8 Kg. The relationship between deltaNa1 and delta Na2 with interdialytic weight gain was statistically non-significant (r - .048, p = 0.739 and r = .019, P = 0 .897 respectively). CONCLUSION: The trend towards higher post dialysis serum sodium level and interdialytic weight gain was not statistically significant. Studies are needed with measurement of serum osmolality and investigation of other factors affecting interdialytic weight gain like dietary habits and medication etc. PMID- 17785128 TI - Morphological characteristics affecting extraction decision in class ii division 1 malocclusion in females. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the morphological characteristics affecting extraction decision in Class II Division 1 malocclusion in females. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Dental Section, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from June 2002 to June 2004. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Lateral cephalograms and study casts of 35 female patients having Class II Division 1 malocclusion were taken. Out of those, 13 were treated with 4 premolar extractions while 22 were treated on non-extraction basis. The cephalometric and cast analysis of Aga Khan University Hospital was used. RESULTS: Patients in the extraction group had larger SN-MP, FMA, and LFH: AFH, L1-NB (mm), E plane-LS, E plane-LI, S line-LS, S line-LI, and smaller Z angle. However, the sagittal discrepancy and tooth size arch length discrepancy had no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The vertical dimensions and the upper and lower lip were the key structures to decide about extraction or non-extraction. PMID- 17785129 TI - Anti-inflammatory role of methotrexate in adjuvant arthritis: effect on substance p and calcitonin gene-related Peptide in thymus and spleen. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of methotrexate (MTX) in rats with adjuvant arthritis through its influence on the expression of proinflammatory neuropeptides, substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in immune organs, thymus and spleen. DESIGN: Phase-I pre-clinical trial. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Aga Khan University, Karachi, from July to December 2003. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Adjuvant arthritis was induced in rats by inoculation with heat-killed mycobacteria. One group of arthritic rats (n=6) was treated with MTX (0.2 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously) on every 4th day for a period of 18 weeks, while another group of arthritic rats (n=6) was treated with physiological saline served as control. At the end of experiment, animals were sacrificed and thymus and spleen were dissected and prepared for immunohistochemical analysis. The neuronal density of SP and CGRP immunoreactivity in thymus and spleen was assessed by semi-quantitative analysis. RESULTS: There was a marked reduction in hind paw swelling and inflammation in the MTX-treated rats after 18 weeks of treatment. Restoration of joint spaces (tibiotalar and subtalar) was seen after 9 weeks of MTX treatment. CGRP-positive nerve fibres were significantly reduced (p=0.0001) in thymus of rats treated with MTX compared to control rats. SP-positive nerve fibers were also found to be decreased in thymus of rats treated with MTX compared to controls, however, the decrease was not statistically significant. The neuronal density of SP and CGRP immunoreactivity in spleen was not significantly different in MTX-treated and placebo-treated rats. CONCLUSION: In arthritic rats, MTX significantly reduced CGRP expression in thymus. Suppression of pro-inflammatory neuropeptides, such as CGRP and probably SP could be another mechanism by which MTX produces its anti inflammatory effect in adjuvant arthritis. PMID- 17785130 TI - Disabling pansclerotic and plaque morphoea. AB - Disabling pansclerotic morphoea of children is a clinical subset of morphoea that tends to involve deeper structures and progresses relentlessly. This is a case of 09 years old girl who developed morphoea in pansclerotic form on limb and in plaque form on abdomen. The combination is rare and resulted in severe shortening and functional disability of the involved limbs. PMID- 17785131 TI - Aneurysm of the right subclavian artery presenting as hoarseness of voice. AB - Intrathoracic segment of the subclavian artery is a rare location for a peripheral arterial aneurysm. A young man presented with hoarseness of voice, diminished pulses in right upper limb and superior mediastinal widening on X-ray chest. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed an aneurysm of right subclavian artery with thrombus in its wall. Surgical repair of the aneurysm was carried out due to risk of rupture. PMID- 17785132 TI - Multiple thyroid ectopics in a single patient: a rare presentation. AB - A rare case of multiple thyroid ectopics has been presented. A 16 years old girl presented with swelling on the right side of neck and sense of lump in the throat. Oral examination confirmed presence of lingual thyroid. Examination of neck confirmed a 4 cm rounded soft mass on upper right side of patient's neck. Thyroid scan with I131 showed uptake of radio-iodine at the tongue base and also on right side of neck. Biopsy of mass from tongue dorsum and FNA from neck mass confirmed presence of thyroid tissue at both sites. Hormonal assay showed high TSH and low T3 and T4 level. Treatment with thyroxin for 3 months caused regression of thyroid tissue from both sites and improvement of patient's symptoms. Thyroid hormonal profile improved with thyroxin therapy and patient soon became euthyroid. The patient remained on long-term hormonal replacement with no recurrence of symptoms. PMID- 17785133 TI - Laparoscopic surgery for giant adult bochdalek diaphragmatic hernia: combined suturing and polypropylene mesh repair. AB - Congenital diaphragmatic hernias occur through embryologic defects in the diaphragm. A subset of adults (5-10 %) may present with a congenital hernia undetected during childhood. It requires surgery because of the risk of incarceration. An old lady having vomiting, upper abdominal pain, dyspnoea and retrosternal discomfort was diagnosed with the presence of a large left-sided Bochdalek diaphragmatic hernia and a hypoplastic lung. Laparoscopic repair was performed successfully after adequate preparation. The patient had postoperative respiratory difficulty and needed mechanical ventilation and intensive care for 5 days. She was discharged 8th POD. There was no recurrence in 32 months follow-up, though the hypoplastic left lung never recovered. Laparoscopy is proving to be more beneficial than laparotomy or thoracotomy. The use of a mesh further strengthens the defect and reduces chance of recurrence. PMID- 17785134 TI - Torsion of gallbladder: a diagnostic predicament. AB - A 69-year-old woman underwent an emergency laparotomy and cholecystectomy, revealed gangrene of the gallbladder secondary to torsion. PMID- 17785136 TI - Postoperative sore throat. PMID- 17785135 TI - Hematometrocolpos associated with common cloacal anomaly. AB - A rare case of hematometrocolpos is presented in a 14 years old female with known common cloacal malformation. It presented as a slowly growing tender pelvic mass. Ultrasound and CT scan of the pelvis revealed vagina and uterus filled with blood. A diagnosis of hematometrocolpos was made. Per-operatively multiple adhesions were found in the pelvis necessitating the removal of blood-filled uterus. PMID- 17785137 TI - Impact factor of pakistani medical journals: a view from abroad. PMID- 17785138 TI - Outcome of combined interferon-ribavirin in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. PMID- 17785139 TI - [Bariatric surgery: an approach of choice with several technical options]. PMID- 17785140 TI - [Diagnosis and treatment of functional oropharyngeal dysphagia. Features of interest to the digestive surgeon]. AB - Digestive surgeons should form part of the multidisciplinary team managing patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. These patients can be diagnosed through clinical methods and complementary investigations such as videofluoroscopy and pharyngoesophageal manometry. These techniques also allow specific treatment to be selected. Up to one-third of patients with dysphagia suffer from malnutrition as a result of alterations in food bolus transport. Furthermore, up to two-thirds show alterations in swallowing safety (penetrations and aspirations, especially when swallowing liquids), as well as a high risk of respiratory infections and aspiration pneumonia. Increasing food bolus viscosity to 3500-4000 mPas (pudding viscosity) improves the effectiveness of swallowing and reduces the risk of aspirations. Botulinic toxin injection in the upper esophageal sphincter is indicated in patients with spasticity of neuromuscular origin. Cricopharyngeal myotomy is the basis of treatment for Zenker's diverticulum and is also indicated in patients with alterations in the upper esophageal sphincter and preserved oropharyngeal motor response. PMID- 17785141 TI - [Mesenteric closure in laparoscopic gastric bypass: surgical technique and literature review]. AB - Despite the advantages offered by laparoscopy in bariatric surgery, the incidence of a new complication that was uncommon in the previous era of open surgery- internal hernias--has increased. Most publications in the literature dealing with internal hernia describe the incidence and form of presentation of this entity but few explain how these complications can be prevented. In this review article we describe a technique to close mesenteric defects in retrocolic Roux-en-Y laparoscopic gastric bypass with permanent, continuous running suture (ethibond). We also review the literature in MEDLINE (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/ using the key words: obesity, laparoscopy, gastric bypass, internal hernia, Petersen hernia) and references from articles of interest to determine the real incidence of this complication. Our technique has proven to be safe, reliable and reproducible and has greatly diminished the incidence of internal hernias. However, our data need to be analyzed in the future to determine whether the technique described eliminates this complication. The optimal results achieved with complete closure of all mesenteric defects have also been observed by other authors. PMID- 17785142 TI - [Long-term results of emergency surgery for colon cancer compared with elective surgery]. AB - INTRODUCTION: Currently, the mechanisms that worsen the prognosis of complicated colon cancers are still not well known. Moreover, the possible effect of using sound oncological principles in emergency surgery on long-term prognosis has not been studied in detail. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to analyze the 5 year efficacy of curative oncological surgery for complicated colon cancer performed in an emergency setting in terms of tumor recurrence and survival compared with elective surgery of uncomplicated tumors. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We performed a prospective observational cohort study in patients who underwent emergency surgery for complicated colon cancer (group 1) and patients who underwent elective surgery (group 2). Exclusion criteria were tumors of less than 15 cm from the anal verge, palliative surgery, and distant metastases. RESULTS: During the study period, 646 patients underwent surgery: there were 165 (25.5%) emergency surgeries and 481 (74.5%) elective interventions. Surgery was considered curative in 456 (70.6%) patients: 102 (22.4%) emergency and 354 (77.6%) elective surgeries. Significant differences were found in disease stage between the 2 groups (P = 0.003). The postoperative mortality rate was 12.7% in group 1 and 3.4% in group 2 (P = 0.001). When patients were stratified by TNM stage, worse 5-year cancer-related and disease-free survival rates were observed in group 1 patients with stage II tumors. No differences were found in cancer related survival rates in stage III patients (P = 0.178). There were no significant differences in overall survival, cancer-related survival or tumor recurrence rates when group 1 was compared with a subgroup of patients in group 2 with factors of poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Complicated colon cancer presents in more advanced stages and had a worse overall long-term prognosis than uncomplicated tumour. These differences decrease when patients are subclassified by tumoral stage. Overall survival and cancer-related survival rates similar to those of elective surgery can be achieved in emergency surgery when curative oncological resection is performed. PMID- 17785143 TI - [Planning, management and results of the implantation of laparoscopic surgery of the colon and rectum in a general hospital]. AB - INTRODUCTION: The introduction of laparoscopic surgery in a hospital is a slow process requiring the involvement of a multidisciplinary team. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We performed a prospective, descriptive study of all patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery of the colon and rectum in the Mataro Hospital between 2003 and 2006. We also describe the model used to introduce laparoscopic surgery of the colon and rectum in our center. RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2006, 166 patients with colorectal disease underwent laparoscopic surgery. Patients included for rectal disease represented 36% of the total. The conversion rate was 7% of the mean in all the periods studied, with a complications rate of 13.25%. CONCLUSIONS: The controlled development of laparoscopic surgery allows satisfactory results to be obtained in colorectal disease. PMID- 17785144 TI - [Indications and results of pancreatic surgery preserving the duodenopancreatic region]. AB - INTRODUCTION: Surgery that preserves the duodenopancreatic region has become well established in chronic pancreatitis (CP) and some groups have begun to use these techniques to treat benign tumors and even those with uncertain potential malignancy. However, the technical complexity of this type of intervention may be greater than that of cephalic duodenopancreatectomy and complications may be even more frequent and consequently the indications for these procedures are debated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the experience accumulated at our center over the past few years in the use of pancreatic surgery preserving the duodenopancreatic region (PS). MATERIAL AND METHODS. Between 1996 and 2006, we carried out PS in 24 patients with disease localized in the head of the pancreas. PS was defined as any of the following techniques: resection of the head of the pancreas with duodenal preservation (RHPDP), uncinatectomy (UC) and cystic tumor enucleation (EN). RESULTS: RHPDP was performed in 20 patients (83%), UC in 1 (4%) and EN in 3 (13%). Surgery was performed for CP in 11 patients, serous cystoadenoma in 4, intraductal papillary mucinous tumor in 5 and miscellaneous injuries in the four remaining patients. Overall, the series showed 54% morbidity with no post-operative mortality. The median length of postoperative hospital stay was 11 days (7-43). CONCLUSION: After analyzing the experience accumulated over the years, showing nil mortality and acceptable morbidity, we believe that the use of these 3 techniques for preserving the pancreatic parenchyma is useful when their suitability is rigorously indicated. Subsequent studies should look in depth at improving quality of life and physiological effects, depending on the technique used. PMID- 17785145 TI - ['Same-day' thyroid surgery. Results after 805 thyroidectomies in a fast-track program]. AB - INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyze the validity of a fast-track surgery program with less than 24-hour admission for all thyroid disease treated in an endocrine surgery unit. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between January 2000 and January 2006, 805 consecutive patients underwent thyroid surgery in a fast-track program. Data on type of disease, procedure, operating time, length of hospital stay, postoperative morbidity, and the number of reinterventions and readmissions were gathered. RESULTS: After a minimum follow-up of 6 months, transitory hypocalcemia occurred in 4.8%, permanent hypocalcemia in 0.2%, transitory dysphonia in 2.5%, and permanent dysphonia in 1.1%. Only 7 patients required emergency reintervention in the first 6 hours after surgery, in all patients due to hemorrhage. Most of these complications occurred in patients undergoing surgery for hyperthyroidism or in those undergoing total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection. Most patients were discharged within 24 hours with a mean length of hospital stay of 23.9 hours, excluding patients who underwent cervical lymphadenectomy. There were only three readmissions, all of which were due to correction of symptomatic hypocalcemia. CONCLUSIONS: Except for total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection due to cancer, all thyroid surgery can be performed in a fast-track program with less than 24-hour admission, within a specialized endocrine surgery unit. PMID- 17785146 TI - [Intraabdominal hypertension and decompressive surgery. Clinical experience]. AB - INTRODUCTION: Increased intraabdominal pressure (IAP) is associated with higher complication and mortality rates. Decompressive surgery is the most effective treatment for abdominal hypertension in trauma and septic patients with IAP. OBJECTIVE: To establish the association between IAP, complications, and mortality and to evaluate morbidity and mortality after decompressive surgery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We performed a prospective, analytical, longitudinal study designed in 2 phases. In the first phase, 17 patients (mean age = 66 years, range: 39-78) admitted to the intensive care unit who underwent abdominal surgery were studied. In the second phase, 47 patients (mean age = 65 years, range: 48-78) underwent decompressive surgery, 6 for abdominal trauma and 41 for postoperative peritonitis. In both phases, all patients were fitted with urinary, arterial, and pulmonary artery catheters. The following variables were recorded: hemodynamic, respiratory and renal parameters; IAP, APACHE II, complications, and mortality. RESULTS: Patients with complications had significantly higher mean IAP (12.3 mm Hg; 95% CI, 10.7-13.9) than those without complications (7.9 mm Hg; 95% CI, 4.7 11.1) (p = 0.004). Patients that survived had a significantly lower mean IAP (8.7 mm Hg; 95% CI, 5.9-11.5) than those that died (12.4 mm Hg; 95% CI, 10.2-14.7) (p = 0.03). In patients who underwent decompressive surgery, a significant difference was found between APACHE II predicted mortality (40.4%) and observed mortality (25.5%) (p = 0.02). One patient with decompressive surgery developed an intestinal fistula. CONCLUSIONS: Controlling IAP, prophylaxis against abdominal hypertension, recognizing abdominal hypertension and decompressive surgery are new parameters and new concepts to be considered in the treatment of critical surgical patients. PMID- 17785147 TI - [Ileal endometriosis and Crohn's disease. A difficult differential diagnosis]. AB - Endometriosis is an endometrial tissue proliferation that occurs in any extrauterine site and is usually confined to the pelvis. When the terminal ileum is affected, this entity can simulate Crohn's disease both clinically and radiologically. We describe 2 patients previously diagnosed with Crohn's disease with inadequate response to treatment, who showed intestinal obstruction located in the ileum. One patient had an enterocutaneous fistula, which is extremely unusual. In both patients intestinal endometriosis was diagnosed after histopathologic assessment. Although complex, the differential diagnosis between endometriosis and Crohn's disease should be kept in mind since the prognosis and treatment of these 2 entities differ. PMID- 17785148 TI - [Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata]. AB - Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata is an uncommon condition characterized by subperitoneal proliferation of benign nodules mainly composed of benign smooth muscle cells. This entity generally appears in premenopausal women and hormonal influences may play a role in its pathogenesis. The macroscopic appearance mimics peritoneal carcinomatosis. The characteristic clinical course is asymptomatic and diagnosis is only feasible after microscopic examination. To date, less than 100 cases have been reported in the literature. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman who underwent surgery in our department. PMID- 17785149 TI - [Composite tumor of the colon with liver metastases]. AB - Colonic composite tumors are uncommon masses composed of endo- and exocrine cells. Treatment is similar to that of adenocarcinomas. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who consulted for abdominal pain. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a tumor at the splenic flexure bowel and 2 hepatic nodules, suggesting metastases. Preoperative biopsies confirmed an adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent surgery, which confirmed the CT findings. Extended right colectomy was performed, followed by an ileal-sigmoid anastomosis, resection of a diaphragm segment, and resection of both hepatic metastases. The patient made a good postoperative recovery. Histological analysis showed moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma combined with a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma and metastases in 25 of 28 lymph nodes. The 2 hepatic metastases showed areas of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient is currently asymptomatic and is undergoing chemotherapy. PMID- 17785150 TI - [Gastroduodenal intussusception due to gastrointestinal stromal tumor]. PMID- 17785151 TI - [The vacuum-pack technique as the procedure of choice in abdominal compartment syndrome. Even after cytoreductive surgery and chemohyperthermia]. PMID- 17785152 TI - [Mesenteric varices: a cause of mesosystemic shunts and gastrointestinal hemorrhage]. PMID- 17785153 TI - [Jejuno-colonic fistula due to adenocarcinoma of the descending colon]. PMID- 17785154 TI - [Consensus on asthma in pediatrics. What's new?]. PMID- 17785155 TI - [Imported malaria: clinical and epidemiological review of an emerging disease]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features and outcome of children younger than 15 years with malaria in our hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective case review of all children admitted to our hospital with malaria between 1997 and 2005 was performed. The following epidemiological data were analyzed: age, sex, nationality of the child and of the family, country and date of trip, chemoprophylaxis used, clinical features, laboratory parameters (hemogram and biochemistry), type of plasmodium and degree of parasitization, treatment, associated diseases, length of hospital stay, and outcome. RESULTS: A total of 24 children (16 boys) were diagnosed (median age, 6.5 years). All of the patients were immigrants or were the children of sub-Saharian immigrants. Thirteen patients had traveled to a malaria-endemic country during the summer holidays. Eleven children started chemoprophylaxis, but only two completed the whole course. The most common symptoms were fever (21 patients) and gastrointestinal symptoms (16 patients). Nineteen patients had anemia and six had thrombocytopenia. The most common species identified was Plasmodium falciparum (19 patients). After treatment, outcome was satisfactory in 21 patients. One patient had recurrence at 3 months, another showed sequelae, and one died after 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Most children with imported malaria in our area were immigrants or the children of immigrants. Although treatment response is usually satisfactory, rapid diagnosis of this disease in the emergency room of any hospital capable of treating these patients is required. PMID- 17785156 TI - [Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the pediatric age group]. AB - AIMS: To study the clinical and epidemiological features in eight pediatric patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) diagnosed from 1994 to 2005 in three hospitals in Madrid (Spain). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in patients aged less than 15 years old with positive culture for multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and patients with negative cultures diagnosed after contact with MDR-TB. RESULTS: Pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed in seven patients and arthritis in one. Fifty percent of the patients were immigrants and an adult source case was found in four (50%). M. tuberculosis was isolated in gastric juice in four patients and in synovial biopsy in one. In three patients cultures were negative but these patients had previously been in contact with MDR-TB. Two strains were resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, four were resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin and streptomycin, one was resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin and pyrazinamide, and one was resistant to 11 drugs. Six patients initially received conventional treatment without improvement. Patients received therapy for 15 months (range: 12 to 18) with 3 to 5 drugs according to the sensitivity study. The following adverse effects were observed: creatine phosphokinase increase (one patient), tendinitis (one patient), alteration of visual evoked responses (one patient) and transitory psychosis (one patient). One patient required pulmonary lobectomy. All patients responded satisfactorily to medical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MDR-TB should be suspected in patients not responding to TB treatment, especially those from countries with high resistance rates. In patients with negative cultures, treatment should rely on the results of a sensitivity study in the adult source case. MDR-TB requires the use of second-line anti-TB drugs for prolonged periods with possible toxic effects. PMID- 17785157 TI - [Human bocavirus infections in Spanish 0-14 year-old: clinical and epidemiological characteristics of an emerging respiratory virus]. AB - INTRODUCTION: In 2005 a new respiratory virus, called human bocavirus (HBoV), was cloned from respiratory samples from Swedish infants and children with lower respiratory tract infections. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether HBoV has circulated in Spain, estimate the frequency of HBoV infections in patients hospitalized for respiratory infection and describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a descriptive prospective study of confirmed HBoV infections in patients aged < 14 years old, hospitalized for respiratory infections between October 2004 and June 2005. Virologic diagnosis was based on multiple RT-PCR for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A and B, influenza A,B, and C, parainfluenza 1 4, adenovirus and rhinovirus; PCR was used for human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirates was used for HBoV. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-two cases of HBoV infection were detected, representing 17.1% (95% CI: 13% a 21%) of patients hospitalized for respiratory infections. HBoV was the third most frequent viral agent after RSV (30%) and rhinovirus (25%). In 39 patients (71.1%) coinfection with another respiratory virus was detected. Fifty percent of the patients were aged less than 13.6 months and 75% were aged less than 2 years. The most frequent diagnoses were recurrent wheezing (55.8%), bronchiolitis (21.2%) and pneumonia (15.4%). Clinical sepsis with petechial exanthema was found in two patients. Fever > 38 degrees C was found in 72.1% and radiological infiltrate in 44%. Hypoxia was present in 55.8 % of the patients. HBoV was isolated in distinct episodes in two patients. Coinfections were similar to simple infections except that hypoxia was more frequent in the former (p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: HBoV is one of the most frequent viruses in severe respiratory infections in patients aged less than 14 years old. Only RSV and rhinovirus are more frequent. Coinfections are highly frequent. Most patients are infants with recurrent wheezing and bronchiolitis. PMID- 17785158 TI - [Incidence of streptococcal pharyngitis]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of streptococcal pharyngitis in patients younger than 2 years of age, and to evaluate the role of group C streptococci as a pathogenic agent in acute pharyngitis through throat culture in symptomatic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective descriptive study of patients with clinical symptoms of acute pharyngitis and fast detection of streptococcal antigen and/or exudate culture who attended the emergency department between February 2004 and February 2005. RESULTS: Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) was isolated by pharyngeal culture in 85 patients aged less than 2 years (12.6%). In these patients the fast test displayed lower sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) (sensitivity: 78%; PPV: 69%, p < 0.01). Patients aged less than 2 years had a greater frequency fever, exanthema and catarrhal symptoms than older children (p < 0.01). In the younger age group, erythromycin resistance rates increased to 24.7% (p = 0.08). Group C streptococcus was isolated in 5.2% (43 patients). The most frequent reason for consultation was fever (74.4%) and the most common findings on examination were abnormal pharynx in 90.7%, odynophagia and adenopathies in 55.8%. Two incidence peaks (in May and September) were observed, with sporadic cases throughout the year. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, the percentage of GAS in patients aged less than 2 years was higher than that reported in other series. In this age group, the sensitivity of the fast test is lower than in other age groups and there is a higher rate of erythromycin resistance. The percentage of tonsillitis due to serotype C was also slightly higher than expected. Two peaks of incidence were observed, similar to those occurring with SGA, with sporadic cases throughout the year. PMID- 17785159 TI - [Fluid and electrolyte disorders following surgery for brain tumors]. AB - INTRODUCTION: Fluid and electrolyte disorders such as diabetes insipidus, salt wasting syndrome (SWS) and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) can appear in the immediate postoperative period after surgery for brain tumors. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent the potential adverse effects of these disorders on the central nervous system (CNS). OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and characteristics of fluid and electrolyte disorders in the immediate postoperative period after surgery for CNS tumors in children treated in our hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and laboratory data in all infants and children who underwent surgery for CNS tumors in our hospital from January 1998 to June 2005 and who met the laboratory criteria for diabetes insipidus, SWS or SIADH. RESULTS: Twenty-three electrolyte disorders were identified in 149 surgical patients (an incidence of 15.4%). The median age was 5 years and 3 months (from 6 months to 17 years) and 48.7% of the patients were male. The most frequent electrolyte disturbance was diabetes insipidus (65.2% of all electrolyte disorders). On average, onset of diabetes insipidus occurred 19 hours after surgery. Treatment with desmopressin was administrated in all patients. On average, diabetes insipidus was resolved 73 hours after diagnosis, except in one patient with permanent diabetes insipidus due to a surgical lesion of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The second most frequent electrolyte disturbance was SWS (26.1%) with a mean time of onset of 50.4 hours after surgery. On average, SWS was resolved 57.6 hours after administration of saline solutions. Only two patients developed SIADH, which was treated with water restriction and adequate sodium supply. Both cases of SIADH resolved spontaneously in the first 36 hours after diagnosis. At discharge, none of the patients showed neurological disturbances due to an electrolytic disorder. CONCLUSIONS: In our series, the most frequent electrolyte disorder after surgery for CNS tumors was diabetes insipidus. Early treatment with desmopressin almost always prevents hypernatremia. Unless there is a surgical lesion of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, spontaneous resolution will take place in 3 days on average. The management of SWS and SIADH requires close monitoring of plasma sodium due to the risk of hyponatremia. PMID- 17785160 TI - [Psychopathology associated with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in the pediatric age group]. AB - AIM: To analyze the influence of several variables in the genesis of psychological morbidity in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) as compared with healthy controls. METHODS: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was administered to children with INS (n = 23) and a control group of healthy children (n = 38). The SDQ is a well-known screening instrument for psychological/psychiatric morbidity in childhood. The questionnaire consists of five scales that evaluate emotional symptoms, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, peer problems and prosocial behavior. The total score is calculated by adding all the subscales except the prosocial behavior scale. In children with INS, type of treatment, sex, steroid dose, disease stage, disease duration, and prognosis (number of relapses/disease stage) were also noted. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in two of the scales (emotional symptoms and peer problems), as well as in the total score in children with INS as compared with the control group (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between disease duration and total score in the INS group. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional and behavioral problems were more frequent in children with INS. The only variable related to the severity of the symptoms studied in these children was disease duration. PMID- 17785161 TI - [Tracheal agenesis associated with laryngeal malformations as an unusual cause of airway failure]. AB - Tracheal agenesis is an uncommon congenital malformation with an extremely high mortality rate. This malformation manifests after delivery as severe respiratory distress, cyanosis, lack of crying and impossibility of endotracheal respiratory support. This anomaly is usually associated with cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal malformations. Only a high index of suspicion and early surgical management will prevent death. An early diagnosis may also help the parents and the medical team to take appropriate decisions. Currently, there is no effective therapy that guarantees long-term survival. PMID- 17785162 TI - [Uncommon localization of osteomyelitis]. AB - Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) causes almost 10% of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHOM). These entities are frequently located in long bones (femur, tibia and humerus), and only 6-8% of all AHOM are located in the pelvis. This uncommon localization delays diagnosis and can lead to inappropriate management, with negative effects on outcomes. We present the case of a 6-year old boy with high fever, pain in the right hip and difficulty in walking due to pelvic AHOM and septic shock caused by GAS. We also provide a review of the literature. PMID- 17785163 TI - [Doubts and confusions in the diagnosis and treatment of positional plagiocephaly. Management protocol]. AB - INTRODUCTION: Positional plagiocephaly is currently the most frequent cause of consultation at pediatric neurosurgical departments in Spain and other western countries. There is considerable confusion in the literature on the terminology and physiopathology of this deformity, as well as its differential diagnosis with true synostosis and treatment recommendations. OBJECTIVES: To clarify these concepts and present a protocol for the management of positional plagiocephaly, which was recently requested by the Health Administration of the Community of Madrid. PROTOCOL: The protocol aims to achieve coordination among pediatricians and neurosurgeons, as well as to provide precise information on this deformity for parents, pediatricians and neurosurgeons. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Previous consensus was reached on a series of data. Infants were classified into three categories of deformity (mild, moderate, severe) according to measurements on digital photographs. Diagnosis and treatment follows two phases: a pediatric phase (up to 5 months of age) and a neurosurgical phase (from 5 months onwards). Infants are referred to neurosurgical consultation only after being treated with postural changes and physiotherapy and only after reaching the age of 5 months. The reasons for this approach are explained in the protocol, which also defines the functions and responsibilities of each specialty. CONCLUSION: The treatment proposed in the protocol is staged, starting with postural changes and physiotherapy, followed by orthotic cranial devices and finally surgical treatment. PMID- 17785164 TI - [Consensus on the treatment of asthma in pediatrics]. PMID- 17785165 TI - [Endemic goiter in the autonomous community of Valencia (Spain)]. PMID- 17785166 TI - [Rashkind atrioseptostomy with cutting balloon catheter]. PMID- 17785167 TI - [Comatose state after cannabis intake]. PMID- 17785168 TI - [Fatal hemoptysis secondary to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a girl with acute myeloblastic leukemia]. PMID- 17785169 TI - [Breast disease in children and adolescents]. PMID- 17785170 TI - [Bilateral plantar nodules in an infant]. PMID- 17785171 TI - [Supraclavicular mass]. PMID- 17785172 TI - Does epileptiform activity contribute to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease? AB - Alzheimer's disease is a devastating neurological disorder. The role of hyperexcitability in the disease's cognitive decline is not completely understood. In this issue of Neuron, Palop et al. report both limbic seizures and presumed homeostatic responses to seizures in an animal model of Alzheimer's. PMID- 17785173 TI - A silver bullet for the treatment of depression? AB - The search for a rapid-acting antidepressant has been a subject of intense research interest for several decades. The article by Lucas and colleagues in this issue of Neuron provides compelling evidence from preclinical animal models that drugs acting at the serotonin 5-HT(4) receptor could finally achieve this goal. However, caution is warranted, as results from animal studies are not always predictive of therapeutic actions in humans. PMID- 17785174 TI - There's more than one way to skin a chimaerin. AB - In two manuscripts published in Neuron (Beg et al. and Wegmeyer et al.) and one published in Cell (Iwasato et al.), investigators have found that a particular GAP, alpha-chimaerin, is required in vivo for ephrinB3/EphA4-dependent motor circuit formation. PMID- 17785175 TI - Electrical signals propagate unbiased in cortex. AB - The greater spatial coherence of local field potentials (LFPs) compared with that of spiking activity has been attributed to frequency-dependent propagation of signals through the cortical medium. However, in this issue of Neuron, Logothetis and colleagues show that signal propagation within cortex is largely unbiased across different frequencies, thus suggesting a more functional and interpretable basis of LFP coherence. PMID- 17785176 TI - Secrets of the secretory pathway in dendrite growth. AB - Dendrites and axons exhibit different morphologies and patterns of growth. This difference in neuronal structure is controlled by evolutionarily conserved directed trafficking through the secretory pathway. PMID- 17785177 TI - Male behavior by knockout. AB - A recent paper published by Kimchi, Xu, and Dulac in Nature describes the emergence of male-type sexual behavior in female mice following incapacitation of the accessory olfactory system. The authors argue that this implies a default male-type behavioral pattern that is otherwise constantly inhibited in the female brain by chemical signals transduced in the accessory olfactory system. In addition to reviewing these findings, we suggest in this Preview how these findings in the mouse could have relevance for human behavior. PMID- 17785178 TI - Aberrant excitatory neuronal activity and compensatory remodeling of inhibitory hippocampal circuits in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. AB - Neural network dysfunction may play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuronal circuits vulnerable to AD are also affected in human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice. hAPP mice with high levels of amyloid beta peptides in the brain develop AD-like abnormalities, including cognitive deficits and depletions of calcium-related proteins in the dentate gyrus, a region critically involved in learning and memory. Here, we report that hAPP mice have spontaneous nonconvulsive seizure activity in cortical and hippocampal networks, which is associated with GABAergic sprouting, enhanced synaptic inhibition, and synaptic plasticity deficits in the dentate gyrus. Many Abeta induced neuronal alterations could be simulated in nontransgenic mice by excitotoxin challenge and prevented in hAPP mice by blocking overexcitation. Aberrant increases in network excitability and compensatory inhibitory mechanisms in the hippocampus may contribute to Abeta-induced neurological deficits in hAPP mice and, possibly, also in humans with AD. PMID- 17785179 TI - Serotonin(4) (5-HT(4)) receptor agonists are putative antidepressants with a rapid onset of action. AB - Current antidepressants are clinically effective only after several weeks of administration. Here, we show that serotonin(4) (5-HT(4)) agonists reduce immobility in the forced swimming test, displaying an antidepressant potential. Moreover, a 3 day regimen with such compounds modifies rat brain parameters considered to be key markers of antidepressant action, but that are observed only after 2-3 week treatments with classical molecules: desensitization of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors, increased tonus on hippocampal postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors, and enhanced phosphorylation of the CREB protein and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. In contrast, a 3 day treatment with the SSRI citalopram remains devoid of any effect on these parameters. Finally, a 3 day regimen with the 5 HT(4) agonist RS 67333 was sufficient to reduce both the hyperlocomotion induced by olfactory bulbectomy and the diminution of sucrose intake consecutive to a chronic mild stress. These findings point out 5-HT(4) receptor agonists as a putative class of antidepressants with a rapid onset of action. PMID- 17785180 TI - ETS transcription factor Erm controls subsynaptic gene expression in skeletal muscles. AB - Accumulation of specific proteins at synaptic structures is essential for synapse assembly and function, but mechanisms regulating local protein enrichment remain poorly understood. At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), subsynaptic nuclei underlie motor axon terminals within extrafusal muscle fibers and are transcriptionally distinct from neighboring nuclei. In this study, we show that expression of the ETS transcription factor Erm is highly concentrated at subsynaptic nuclei, and its mutation in mice leads to severe downregulation of many genes with normally enriched subsynaptic expression. Erm mutant mice display an expansion of the muscle central domain in which acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters accumulate, show gradual fragmentation of AChR clusters, and exhibit symptoms of muscle weakness mimicking congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS). Together, our findings define Erm as an upstream regulator of a transcriptional program selective to subsynaptic nuclei at the NMJ and underscore the importance of transcriptional control of local synaptic protein accumulation. PMID- 17785182 TI - EphA4-dependent axon guidance is mediated by the RacGAP alpha2-chimaerin. AB - Neuronal network formation in the developing nervous system is dependent on the accurate navigation of nerve cell axons and dendrites, which is controlled by attractive and repulsive guidance cues. Ephrins and their cognate Eph receptors mediate many repulsive axonal guidance decisions by intercellular interactions resulting in growth cone collapse and axon retraction of the Eph-presenting neuron. We show that the Rac-specific GTPase-activating protein alpha2-chimaerin binds activated EphA4 and mediates EphA4-triggered axonal growth cone collapse. alpha-Chimaerin mutant mice display a phenotype similar to that of EphA4 mutant mice, including aberrant midline axon guidance and defective spinal cord central pattern generator activity. Our results reveal an alpha-chimaerin-dependent signaling pathway downstream of EphA4, which is essential for axon guidance decisions and neuronal circuit formation in vivo. PMID- 17785181 TI - Crucial role of Drosophila neurexin in proper active zone apposition to postsynaptic densities, synaptic growth, and synaptic transmission. AB - Neurexins have been proposed to function as major mediators of the coordinated pre- and postsynaptic apposition. However, key evidence for this role in vivo has been lacking, particularly due to gene redundancy. Here, we have obtained null mutations in the single Drosophila neurexin gene (dnrx). dnrx loss of function prevents the normal proliferation of synaptic boutons at glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions, while dnrx gain of function in neurons has the opposite effect. DNRX mostly localizes to the active zone of presynaptic terminals. Conspicuously, dnrx null mutants display striking defects in synaptic ultrastructure, with the presence of detachments between pre- and postsynaptic membranes, abnormally long active zones, and increased number of T bars. These abnormalities result in corresponding alterations in synaptic transmission with reduced quantal content. Together, our results provide compelling evidence for an in vivo role of neurexins in the modulation of synaptic architecture and adhesive interactions between pre- and postsynaptic compartments. PMID- 17785183 TI - alpha2-Chimaerin is an essential EphA4 effector in the assembly of neuronal locomotor circuits. AB - The assembly of neuronal networks during development requires tightly controlled cell-cell interactions. Multiple cell surface receptors that control axon guidance and synapse maturation have been identified. However, the signaling mechanisms downstream of these receptors have remained unclear. Receptor signals might be transmitted through dedicated signaling lines defined by specific effector proteins. Alternatively, a single cell surface receptor might couple to multiple effectors with overlapping functions. We identified the neuronal RacGAP alpha2-chimaerin as an effector for the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA4. alpha2 Chimaerin interacts with activated EphA4 and is required for ephrin-induced growth cone collapse in cortical neurons. alpha2-Chimaerin mutant mice exhibit a rabbit-like hopping gait with synchronous hindlimb movements that phenocopies mice lacking EphA4 kinase activity. Anatomical and functional analyses of corticospinal and spinal interneuron projections reveal that loss of alpha2 chimaerin results in impairment of EphA4 signaling in vivo. These findings identify alpha2-chimaerin as an indispensable effector for EphA4 in cortical and spinal motor circuits. PMID- 17785184 TI - Rapid bidirectional switching of synaptic NMDA receptors. AB - Synaptic NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) play important roles in synaptic plasticity, brain development, and pathology. In the last few years, the view of NMDARs as relatively fixed components of the postsynaptic density has changed. A number of studies have now shown that both the number of receptors and their subunit compositions can be altered. During development, the synaptic NMDARs subunit composition changes, switching from predominance of NR2B-containing to NR2A-containing receptors, but little is known about the mechanisms involved in this developmental process. Here, we report that, depending on the pattern of NMDAR activation, the subunit composition of synaptic NMDARs is under extremely rapid, bidirectional control at neonatal synapses. This switching, which is at least as rapid as that seen with AMPARs, will have immediate and dramatic consequences on the integrative capacity of the synapse. PMID- 17785185 TI - N-cadherin regulates cytoskeletally associated IQGAP1/ERK signaling and memory formation. AB - Cadherin-mediated interactions are integral to synapse formation and potentiation. Here we show that N-cadherin is required for memory formation and regulation of a subset of underlying biochemical processes. N-cadherin antagonistic peptide containing the His-Ala-Val motif (HAV-N) transiently disrupted hippocampal N-cadherin dimerization and impaired the formation of long term contextual fear memory while sparing short-term memory, retrieval, and extinction. HAV-N impaired the learning-induced phosphorylation of a distinctive, cytoskeletally associated fraction of hippocampal Erk-1/2 and altered the distribution of IQGAP1, a scaffold protein linking cadherin-mediated cell adhesion to the cytoskeleton. This effect was accompanied by reduction of N cadherin/IQGAP1/Erk-2 interactions. Similarly, in primary neuronal cultures, HAV N prevented NMDA-induced dendritic Erk-1/2 phosphorylation and caused relocation of IQGAP1 from dendritic spines into the shafts. The data suggest that the newly identified role of hippocampal N-cadherin in memory consolidation may be mediated, at least in part, by cytoskeletal IQGAP1/Erk signaling. PMID- 17785187 TI - In vivo measurement of cortical impedance spectrum in monkeys: implications for signal propagation. AB - To combine insights obtained from electric field potentials (LFPs) and neuronal spiking activity (MUA) we need a better understanding of the relative spatial summation of these indices of neuronal activity. Compared to MUA, the LFP has greater spatial coherence, resulting in lower spatial specificity and lower stimulus selectivity. A differential propagation of low- and high-frequency electric signals supposedly underlies this phenomenon, which could result from cortical tissue specifically attenuating higher frequencies, i.e., from a frequency-dependent impedance spectrum. Here we directly measure the cortical impedance spectrum in vivo in monkey primary visual cortex. Our results show that impedance is independent of frequency, is homogeneous and tangentially isotropic within gray matter, and can be theoretically predicted assuming a pure-resistive conductor. We propose that the spatial summation of LFP and MUA is determined by the size of these signals' generators and the nature of neural events underlying them, rather than by biophysical properties of gray matter. PMID- 17785186 TI - Specialized circuits from primary visual cortex to V2 and area MT. AB - Primary visual cortex recombines inputs from magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) streams to create functionally specialized outputs. Understanding these input output relationships is complicated by the fact that layer 4B, which provides outputs to dorsal visual areas, contains multiple cell types. Using a modified rabies virus that expresses green fluorescent protein, we show that layer 4B neurons projecting to MT are a majority spiny stellate, whereas those projecting to V2 are overwhelmingly pyramidal. Regardless of cell type, MT-projecting neurons have larger cell bodies, more dendritic length, and are deeper within layer 4B. Furthermore, MT-projecting pyramidal neurons are located preferentially underneath cytochrome oxidase blobs, indicating that MT-projecting neurons of both types restrict their dendrites to M-recipient zones. We conclude that MT projecting layer 4B neurons are specialized for the fast transmission of information from the M pathway, while V2-projecting neurons are likely to mediate slower computations involving mixed M and P signals. PMID- 17785188 TI - The adipokinetic hormones in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda: cDNA cloning, quantitative real time RT-PCR analysis, and gene specific localization. AB - Small neuropeptides of the adipokinetic/red pigment-concentrating hormone (AKH/RPCH) family regulate energy metabolism in insects. Within lepidopterans, the nonapeptide Manduca sexta AKH (Manse-AKH) represents a widely occurring AKH, whereas the decapeptide Helze-HrTH (at first isolated from Helicoverpa zea) seems to be restricted to moths. Here we report the identification of the Manse-AKH like Spofr-AKH 1 and the Helze-HrTH-like Spofr-AKH 2 prohormone precursors from the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. Moreover, by PCR screening of a random primer cDNA library and by RACE, three 668, 835 and 1008 bp cDNA sequences were obtained, which encode putative translation products of 67-74 amino acids, each containing one copy of a peptide sequence that in its processed form has the sequence of QLTFSSGW-amide (Spofr-AKH 3). Another cDNA sequence of 634 bp encodes a putative translation product of 40 amino acids, potentially leading to one copy of an elongated, non-amidated Helze-HrTH (pQLTFSSGWGNCTS-OH; Spofr-AKH 4). Q-RT PCR analysis showed that the Spofr-AKH mRNAs are expressed in 2d-old female brain/corpora cardiaca complexes, but also in ovaries, midgut, fat body, accessory glands and muscle tissues. Expression was also found in the ovaries of 4d-old females. Whole-mount in situ RT-PCR analysis with ovaries from 2d-old females showed that the Spofr-AKH 2 and Spofr-AKH 4 were mainly localized in the germarium (phase 3), whereas the Spofr-AKH 1, and the three mRNA isoforms of Spofr-AKH 3 were localized at the end of the vitellarium and in the fully developed oocytes (phase 1 and 2). The results suggest that Spofr-AKH genes play a role in the regulation of oocyte maturation in S. frugiperda. PMID- 17785189 TI - Reconstitution of a branch of the Manduca sexta prophenoloxidase activation cascade in vitro: snake-like hemolymph proteinase 21 (HP21) cleaved by HP14 activates prophenoloxidase-activating proteinase-2 precursor. AB - Upon wounding or infection, a serine proteinase cascade in insect hemolymph leads to prophenoloxidase (proPO) activation and melanization, a defense response against invading microbes. In the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, this response is initiated via hemolymph proteinase 14 (HP14), a mosaic protein that interacts with bacterial peptidoglycan or fungal beta-1,3-glucan to autoactivate. In this paper, we report the expression, purification, and functional analysis of M. sexta HP21 precursor, an HP14 substrate similar to Drosophila snake. The recombinant proHP21 is a 51.1 kDa glycoprotein with an amino-terminal clip domain, a linker region, and a carboxyl-terminal serine proteinase domain. HP14, generated by incubating proHP14 with beta-1,3-glucan and beta-1,3-glucan recognition protein-2, activated proHP21 by limited proteolysis between Leu(152) and Ile(153). Active HP21 formed an SDS-stable complex with M. sexta serpin-4, a physiological regulator of the proPO activation system. We determined the P1 site of serpin-4 to be Arg(355) and, thus, confirmed our prediction that HP21 has trypsin-like specificity. After active HP21 was added to the plasma, there was a major increase in PO activity. HP21 cleaved proPO activating proteinase-2 precursor (proPAP-2) after Lys(153) and generated an amidase activity, which activated proPO in the presence of serine proteinase homolog-1 and 2. In summary, we have discovered and reconstituted a branch of the proPO activation cascade in vitro: beta-1,3-glucan recognition--proHP14 autoactivation--proHP21 cleavage--PAP 2 generation--proPO activation--melanin formation. PMID- 17785190 TI - The Aedes aegypti glutathione transferase family. AB - In this report, we describe the glutathione transferase (GST) gene family in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti and suggest a novel role for a new class of mosquito GSTs. Twenty-six GST genes are present in Ae. aegypti, two of which are alternatively spliced to give a total of 29 transcripts for cytosolic GSTs. The six classes identified in other insect species are all represented and, as in Anopheles gambiae, the majority of the mosquito GSTs belong to the insect specific Delta and Epsilon classes with eight members each. Sixteen secure 1:1 orthologs were identified between GSTs in Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae, but only four of these have recognisable orthologs in Drosophila melanogaster. Three mosquito-specific GSTs were identified which did not belong to any previously recognised GST classes. One of these, GSTx2, has been previously implicated in conferring 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) resistance in Ae. aegypti from South America. However, we found no evidence for increased levels of this GST protein in DDT/pyrethroid-resistant populations from Thailand. Furthermore, we show that the recombinant GSTX2-2 protein is unable to metabolise DDT. Interestingly, GSTX2-2 showed an affinity for hematin, and this, together with the restricted distribution of this class to haematophagous insects, may indicate a role for these enzymes in protecting mosquitoes against heme toxicity during blood feeding. PMID- 17785191 TI - An independently evolved Dipteran silk with features common to Lepidopteran silks. AB - Male hilarine flies (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae) present prospective mates with silk-wrapped gifts. The silk is produced by specialised cells located in the foreleg basitarsus of the fly. In this report, we describe 2.3 kbp of the silk gene from a hilarine fly (Hilara spp.) that was identified from highly expressed mRNA extracted from the prothoracic basitarsus of males. Using specific primers, we found that the silk gene is expressed in the basitarsi and not in any other part of the male fly. The silk gene from the basitarsi cDNA library matched an approximately 220 kDa protein from the silk-producing basitarsus. Although the predicted silk protein sequence was unlike any other protein sequence in available databases, the architecture and composition of the predicted protein had features in common with previously described silks. The convergent evolution of these features in the Hilarini silk and other silks emphasises their importance in the functional requirements of silk proteins. PMID- 17785192 TI - Two independent duplications forming the Cyp307a genes in Drosophila. AB - The conserved relationship between orthologs of many cytochrome P450 genes involved in ecdysone synthesis is not reflected in the evolution of the Drosophila Cyp307a genes. In Drosophila melanogaster Cyp307a1 (spook) and Cyp307a2 (spookier) both play essential roles in ecdysone synthesis and may possess biochemically redundant functions. Using phylogenetic analyses we show that the Drosophila Cyp307a genes were formed from two independent duplication events depicting a complicated evolutionary scenario. An initial duplication, from a Cyp307a2 ancestral gene produced the Cyp307a1 gene that has been maintained only in the Sophophoran subgenus. A second duplication in the Drosophila subgenus formed an additional paralog, Cyp307a3. Microsynteny is conserved for Cyp307a2 throughout the Drosophila species, but is not conserved between Cyp307a1 and Cyp307a3. These are located in different genomic positions in the Sophophora and Drosophila subgenera, respectively. Cyp307a3 appears to encode a functional gene product and is expressed in a different spatial and temporal manner to Cyp307a1. This suggests some level of functional divergence between the Cyp307a paralogs in different Drosophila species. PMID- 17785193 TI - Introducing transgenes into insect populations using combined gene-drive strategies: modeling and analysis. AB - Engineered underdominance (EU), meiotic drive (MD) and Wolbachia have been proposed as mechanisms for driving anti-pathogen transgenes into natural populations of insect vectors of human diseases. EU can drive transgenes to high and stable frequencies but requires the release of sizeable numbers of engineered insects. MD and Wolbachia either cannot maintain high frequencies of transgenes or lack appropriate expression in critical tissues, but both can drive the transgenes to spread from very low initial frequencies. Here we use mathematical models to assess the utility of combining EU with MD or with Wolbachia. Under some conditions, the combination of EU and MD results in a more efficient transgene-drive strategy than either mechanism alone. This combined strategy could drive the transgenes to stable fixation and would require fewer released insects than EU alone, especially when only males are released. However, a combination of EU and Wolbachia does not work better than EU alone because it requires the release of even more engineered insects. PMID- 17785194 TI - Diversity of stonefly hexamerins and implication for the evolution of insect storage proteins. AB - Hexamerins are large storage proteins of insects in the 500 kDa range that evolved from the copper-containing hemocyanins. Hexamerins have been found at high concentration in the hemolymph of many insect taxa, but have remained unstudied in relatively basal taxa. To obtain more detailed insight about early hexamerin evolution, we have studied hexamerins in stoneflies (Plecoptera). Stoneflies are also the only insects for which a functional hemocyanin is known to co-occur with hexamerins in the hemolymph. Here, we identified hexamerins in five plecopteran species and obtained partial cDNA sequences from Perla marginata (Perlidae), Nemoura sp. (Nemouridae), Taeniopteryx burksi (Taeniopterygidae), Allocapnia vivipara (Capniidae), and Diamphipnopsis samali (Diamphipnoidae). At least four distinct hexamerins are present in P. marginata. The full-length cDNA of one hexamerin subunit was obtained (PmaHex1) that measures 2475 bp and translates into a native polypeptide of 702 amino acids. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the plecopteran hexamerins are monophyletic and positioned at the base of the insect hexamerin tree, probably diverging about 360 million years ago. Within the Plecoptera, distinct hexamerin types evolved before the divergence of the families. Mapping amino acid compositions onto the phylogenetic tree shows that the accumulation of aromatic amino acids (and thus the evolution of "arylphorins") commenced soon after the hexamerins diverged from hemocyanins, but also indicates that hexamerins with distinct amino acid compositions reflect secondary losses of aromatic amino acids. PMID- 17785195 TI - The Glossina morsitans tsetse fly saliva: general characteristics and identification of novel salivary proteins. AB - The tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) is an obligate blood-sucking insect that transmits different human-pathogenic and livestock threatening trypanosome species in Africa. To obtain more insight in the tsetse salivary function, some general aspects of the tsetse fly saliva and its composition were studied. Direct pH and protein content measurements revealed a moderately alkaline (pH approximately 8.0) salivary environment with approximately 4.3 microg soluble proteins per gland and a constant representation of the major saliva proteins throughout the blood-feeding cycle. Although major salivary genes are constitutively expressed, upregulation of salivary protein synthesis within 48 h after the blood meal ensures complete protein replenishment from day 3 onwards. Screening of a non normalised Glossina morsitans morsitans lambdagt11 salivary gland expression library with serum from a saliva-immunized rabbit identified three full-length cDNAs encoding for novel salivary proteins with yet unknown functions: a 8.3 kDa glycine/glutamate-rich protein (G. morsitans morsitans salivary gland protein Gmmsgp1), a 12.0 kDa proline-rich protein (Gmmsgp2), and a 97.4 kDa protein composed of a metallophosphoesterase/5'nucleotidase region with a glutamate/aspartate/asparagines-rich region (Gmmsgp3). PMID- 17785196 TI - VHDL, a larval storage protein from the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, is a member of the vitellogenin gene family. AB - The hemolymph of last instar larvae of the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea contains a blue very high-density lipoprotein (VHDL) that is selectively taken up into fat body prior to pupation. Its amino-terminal sequence was determined by Edman degradation, and used to design a degenerate primer for PCR amplification. With 5' and 3' RACE techniques, the entire cDNA coding for VHDL was amplified and sequenced. Conceptual translation reveals a 173 kDa protein that contains a 15 amino acid signal sequence immediately before the experimentally determined N terminus of the mature protein. The protein contains a typical lipoprotein N terminal domain, and shows high sequence similarity to vitellogenins from Lepidoptera and other insect species. VHDL mRNA was not detectable in adult H. zea, and antibodies raised against VHDL did not react with adult hemolymph or yolk proteins. Therefore VHDL, although a member of the vitellogenin gene family, seems to be distinct from the vitellogenin expressed in adult females. PMID- 17785197 TI - Seasonal photoperiodism regulates the expression of cuticular and signalling protein genes in the pea aphid. AB - Seasonal photoperiodism in aphids is responsible for the spectacular switch from asexual to sexual reproduction. However, little is known on the molecular and physiological mechanisms involved in reproductive mode shift through the action of day length. Earlier works showed that aphid head, but not eyes, directly perceives the photoperiodic signal through the cuticle. In order to identify genes regulating the photoperiodic response, a 3321 cDNA microarray developed for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum was used to compare RNA populations extracted from heads of short- and long-day reared aphids. Microarray analyses revealed that 59 different transcripts were significantly regulated, among which a majority encoded cuticular proteins and several encoded proteins involved in cellular signalling or signal transduction. These results were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR experiments on two cuticular and three signalling protein genes. Complementary experiments eliminated moulting and circadian rhythms as putative confounding effects. Quantitative RT-PCR performed at additional developmental stages demonstrated the regulation of expression of cuticular and signalling protein genes during the whole process of photoperiod shortening. This suggests that photoperiodic changes could affect cuticle structure and cell to cell communication in the head of aphids in relation with the switch of reproductive modes. PMID- 17785198 TI - A mitochondrial exopolyphosphatase activity modulated by phosphate demand in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus embryo. AB - This study describes Exopolyphosphatases (PPX) activity in mitochondria of Rhipicephalus microplus embryos. Mitochondria were isolated by differential centrifugation and PPX activity was analyzed through the hydrolysis of the substrate Polyphosphate (Poly P(15)). We investigated the influence of NADH, NAD+, Pi and ADP in a concentration range of 0.1-2.0 mM. Poly P hydrolysis was stimulated about two-fold by NADH and strongly inhibited by Pi. The PPX activity also increased in the presence of the respiratory substrates pyruvic and succinic acids, and this stimulatory effect disappeared upon addition of KCN. Mitochondrial respiration was activated by ADP using poly P as the only source of Pi. Endogenous poly P content changed following PPX activity during embryogenesis from the first up to 18th day of development. The data describe exopoly P as being modulated by Pi demand and related to energy supply during embryogenesis of hard ticks. PMID- 17785199 TI - New insights into RSK activation and hematopoietic cancer. AB - The tyrosine kinase receptor FGFR3 is thought to play a role in hematopoietic malignancies. A new study in this issue of Cancer Cell identifies the serine/threonine kinase RSK2 as a key substrate of FGFR3 in human t(4;14) positive multiple myeloma (MM) cells. Constitutively active FGFR3 directly phosphorylates RSK2 on Tyr529, which primes RSK2 for activation by the kinases ERK1 and ERK2 (ERK1/2). In turn, RSK2 activity plays an important role in the survival of FGFR3-expressing MM cells. PMID- 17785200 TI - The endless complexity of lymphocyte differentiation and lymphomagenesis: IRF-4 downregulates BCL6 expression. AB - The BCL6 gene is a key factor necessary for formation of germinal centers and is implicated in pathogenesis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In this issue of Cancer Cell, Saito and colleagues explore regulation of BCL6 gene expression by CD40-NF-kappaB signaling pathway and show that the IRF4 transcriptional factor, induced by the NF-kappaB canonical pathway, directly downregulates BCL6 expression. The authors further demonstrate that this negative regulatory mechanism may be disturbed in DLBCLs harboring BCL6 gene translocations or mutations. These finding suggest that IRF4 may function as a key regulator of germinal center reaction and a guardian of lymphomagenesis. PMID- 17785201 TI - Targeting immunosupportive cancer therapies: accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. AB - In this Commentary we aim to provide an overview of some specific examples of cancer therapeutics, including targeted approaches using monoclonal antibodies and kinase inhibitors, as well as highlight novel approaches for enhancing immunological responses against tumors. We point out that a fundamental property of the cancer cell, genomic instability, confounds the targeted therapies that aim to induce cell death directly while simultaneously enhancing the potential for immunological attack by creating a large number of neoantigens. We argue for combinatorial strategies with agents that target tumor cells to release these antigens together with innovative therapies that enhance immunological responses by interfering with inhibitory checkpoints. PMID- 17785202 TI - FGFR3 activates RSK2 to mediate hematopoietic transformation through tyrosine phosphorylation of RSK2 and activation of the MEK/ERK pathway. AB - To better understand the signaling properties of oncogenic FGFR3, we performed phospho-proteomics studies to identify potential downstream signaling effectors that are tyrosine phosphorylated in hematopoietic cells expressing constitutively activated leukemogenic FGFR3 mutants. We found that FGFR3 directly tyrosine phosphorylates the serine/threonine kinase p90RSK2 at Y529, which consequently regulates RSK2 activation by facilitating inactive ERK binding to RSK2 that is required for ERK-dependent phosphorylation and activation of RSK2. Moreover, inhibition of RSK2 by siRNA or a specific RSK inhibitor fmk effectively induced apoptosis in FGFR3-expressing human t(4;14)-positive myeloma cells. Our findings suggest that FGFR3 mediates hematopoietic transformation by activating RSK2 in a two-step fashion, promoting both the ERK-RSK2 interaction and subsequent phosphorylation of RSK2 by ERK. PMID- 17785203 TI - Ultraconserved regions encoding ncRNAs are altered in human leukemias and carcinomas. AB - Noncoding RNA (ncRNA) transcripts are thought to be involved in human tumorigenesis. We report that a large fraction of genomic ultraconserved regions (UCRs) encode a particular set of ncRNAs whose expression is altered in human cancers. Genome-wide profiling revealed that UCRs have distinct signatures in human leukemias and carcinomas. UCRs are frequently located at fragile sites and genomic regions involved in cancers. We identified certain UCRs whose expression may be regulated by microRNAs abnormally expressed in human chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and we proved that the inhibition of an overexpressed UCR induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Our findings argue that ncRNAs and interaction between noncoding genes are involved in tumorigenesis to a greater extent than previously thought. PMID- 17785204 TI - HIF-dependent antitumorigenic effect of antioxidants in vivo. AB - The antitumorigenic activity of antioxidants has been presumed to arise from their ability to squelch DNA damage and genomic instability mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we report that antioxidants inhibited three tumorigenic models in vivo. Inhibition of a MYC-dependent human B lymphoma model was unassociated with genomic instability but was linked to diminished hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1 levels in a prolyl hydroxylase 2 and von Hippel-Lindau protein-dependent manner. Ectopic expression of an oxygen-independent, stabilized HIF-1 mutant rescued lymphoma xenografts from inhibition by two antioxidants: N acetylcysteine and vitamin C. These findings challenge the paradigm that antioxidants diminish tumorigenesis primarily through decreasing DNA damage and mutations and provide significant support for a key antitumorigenic effect of diminishing HIF levels. PMID- 17785205 TI - LZAP, a putative tumor suppressor, selectively inhibits NF-kappaB. AB - LZAP has been reported to inhibit cellular proliferation and clonogenic growth. Here, we report that decreased LZAP expression promoted cellular transformation, xenograft tumor growth, and xenograft tumor vascularity. Loss of LZAP also increased cellular invasion, and MMP-9 expression dependent on NF-kappaB. LZAP directly bound to RelA, impaired serine 536 phosphorylation of RelA, increased HDAC association with RelA, inhibited basal and stimulated NF-kappaB transcriptional activity, and was found at the promoter of selective NF-kappaB responsive genes. LZAP protein levels were markedly decreased in 32% of primary HNSCCs (n = 28) and decreased LZAP levels in primary HNSCC correlated with increased expression of the NF-kappaB-regulated genes IL-8 and IkappaBalpha. In aggregate, these data support a role of LZAP in NF-kappaB regulation and tumor suppression. PMID- 17785206 TI - Human C-reactive protein binds activating Fcgamma receptors and protects myeloma tumor cells from apoptosis. AB - Elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are present in many disease situations including malignancies and may contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders. This study was undertaken in a myeloma setting to determine whether CRP affects tumor cell growth and survival. We show that CRP enhanced myeloma cell proliferation under stressed conditions and protected myeloma cells from chemotherapy drug-induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. CRP binds activating Fcgamma receptors; activates PI3K/Akt, ERK, and NF-kappaB pathways; and inhibits caspase cascade activation induced by chemotherapy drugs. CRP also enhanced myeloma cell secretion of IL-6 and synergized with IL-6 to protect myeloma cells from chemotherapy drug-induced apoptosis. Thus, our results implicate CRP as a potential target for cancer treatment. PMID- 17785207 TI - Concomitant pancreatic activation of Kras(G12D) and Tgfa results in cystic papillary neoplasms reminiscent of human IPMN. AB - Growth factors have been implicated in pancreatic carcinogenesis. In this study we analyzed the effect of Tgfa overexpression in addition to mutant Kras(G12D) by crossing Elastase-Tgfa mice with p48(+/Cre);Kras(+/LSL-G12D) mice. We show that concomitant expression of TGFalpha and Kras(G12D) accelerates the progression of mPanIN lesions to metastatic pancreatic cancer and leads to the development of cystic papillary lesions resembling human intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN). Microarray data in mice revealed an IPMN signature and IPMNs expressed MUC1 and MUC5AC but not MUC2, similar to human pancreatobiliary IPMNs. Invasive ductal adenocarcinoma developed from PanINs and IPMNs, suggesting precursor lines for both lesion types in this model. In conclusion, Egfr signaling in synergy with oncogenic Kras may be a prerequisite for IPMN development and progression to pancreatic cancer. PMID- 17785208 TI - A signaling pathway mediating downregulation of BCL6 in germinal center B cells is blocked by BCL6 gene alterations in B cell lymphoma. AB - The BCL6 proto-oncogene encodes a transcriptional repressor necessary for the development of germinal centers (GCs) and directly implicated in lymphomagenesis. Post-GC development of B cells requires BCL6 downregulation, while its constitutive expression caused by chromosomal translocations leads to diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Herein we identify a signaling pathway that downregulates BCL6 expression in normal GC B cells and is blocked in a subset of DLBCL due to alterations in the BCL6 gene. Activation of the CD40 receptor leads to NF-kappaB-mediated induction of the IRF4 transcription factor, which, in turn, represses BCL6 expression by binding to its promoter region. A subset of DLBCL displays chromosomal translocations or mutations that disrupt the IRF4-responsive region in the BCL6 promoter and block its downregulation by CD40 signaling. PMID- 17785211 TI - [Cardiac ruptures following myocardial infarction in medicolegal cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: Characteristics of legal autopsy cases with cardiac rupture following myocardial infarction are investigated in this retrospective observational study and the results are compared with a control group consisting of acute myocardial infarction cases without rupture. METHODS: Legal autopsy reports of 50 cases with heart tamponade resulting from heart muscle rupture following myocardial infarction, autopsied at the Morgue Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine between the years 1998-2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Findings were compared to control group consisting of 30 myocardial infarction cases without rupture. RESULTS: The rupture was located in the left ventricle in 48 of 50 cases. At microscopic examination, infarction date was consistent with first three days, 4-7 days and 1-2 weeks for 30, 12 and 8 cases, respectively. The average volume of fluid leading to tamponade was 467 ml in males and 352.3 ml in females. There were no statistical differences between rupture and control groups for existence of hypertrophy and scar tissue in myocardium and advanced atheromatous lesions in coronaries (p>0.05). Considering the manner of death of the cases died due to heart wall rupture and tamponade formation, 28 of the cases were found dead at home, 6 died suddenly by falling to the ground at home or on the street, and 5 were delivered dead to the hospital. CONCLUSION: The rupture was located in the left ventricle in almost all cases. Ruptures in the left ventricle were found most frequently in the anterior wall. There was no relationship between development of rupture and existence of hypertrophy and scar tissue in myocardium, and advanced atheromatous lesions in coronaries. PMID- 17785212 TI - Angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism and left ventricular indices in treated hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries. AB - OBJECTIVE: Hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are important causes of morbidity and mortality in the population. Angiotensinogen (AGT) M235T polymorphism has been associated with LVH, left ventricular dimensions, coronary artery disease and antihypertensive drug response in previous studies. We examined relationship between AGT M235T polymorphism and echocardiographic left ventricular indices in a Turkish population of treated hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study a Turkish population of 92 hypertensive patients treated in our outpatient clinic were enrolled. All patients had normal coronary angiographic examinations. Genotypes for AGT M235T were determined from peripheral leukocytes. Left ventricular dimensions, mass and function indices, after adjustment for clinical covariates were analyzed by multiple regression analysis according to genotypes. RESULTS: Genotype frequencies for AGT M235T were MM-24.7%, MT-52.8% and TT-22.5%. Left ventricular end-systolic (LVES) dimensions for AGT M235T MM, MT, TT genotypes were 17.9+/-4.2 mm, 19.4+/-6.2 mm, and 16.4+/-2.9 mm, respectively (p=0.08). Angiotensinogen M235T TT genotype showed a trend towards a lower LVES dimension but results were not statistically significant. Left ventricular ejection fractions for AGT M235T MM, MT, TT subgroups were 61.3+/-15.0%, 59.4+/-14.0%, and 67.8+/-8.5%, respectively (p=0.07). Angiotensinogen M235T TT genotype showed a tendency towards lower left ventricular mass index but results were not statistically significant. None of the AGT M235T genotypes predicted left ventricular dilatation, mass or function in treated hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries. CONCLUSION: Angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism was not useful to predict left ventricular mass, function, hypertrophy or dilatation in a small population of treated Turkish hypertensive patients with normal coronary arteries. PMID- 17785213 TI - B-type natriuretic peptide level in the diagnosis of asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction. AB - OBJECTIVE: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) reflects the left ventricular pressure and volume overload. It is known that it increases in systolic dysfunction proportionally with left ventricular pressure increase. The BNP levels are well correlated with NYHA classification and prognosis. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive value of BNP in patients with diastolic dysfunction but normal systolic dysfunction demonstrated by echocardiography. METHODS: Fifty patients (mean age: 48.5+/-6.75 years; 29 males, 21 females) were included in this cross sectional, case-controlled study. Systolic dysfunction was the exclusion criterion. The following parameters were used to evaluate diastolic function: isovolumetric relaxation time, transmitral early to late filling flow velocities (E/A) ratio, deceleration time E, pulmonary vein Doppler findings and color mitral flow propagation velocity. Diastolic dysfunction was determined in 30 hypertensive patients (Group 1), whereas 20 patients who had normal diastolic flow patterns on echocardiography (Group 2). Blood samples were taken for serum BNP level measurements. RESULTS: The BNP levels were 12.0+/-4.97 pg/ml in individuals with normal filling pattern and 66.17+/-17.56 pg/ml in individuals with abnormal filling patterns (p<0.001). The accuracy of BNP in detection of diastolic dysfunction was assessed with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The area under the ROC curve for BNP test accuracy in detection any abnormal diastolic dysfunction was 0.969 (95% CI, 0.909 to 1.029; p<0.001). A BNP value of 37.0 pg/ml had sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, a negative predictive value of 23% and accuracy of 88% in identifying asymptomatic prolonged relaxation pattern. We found a strong correlation between left ventricular mass index and plasma BNP levels (r=0.62, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Estimation of BNP values could be accepted as a fast and reliable blood test in the diagnosis of asymptomatic diastolic dysfunction. PMID- 17785214 TI - Is BNP testing useful for detecting diastolic dysfunction? PMID- 17785215 TI - The relationship between iron stores and corrected QT dispersion in patients undergoing hemodialysis. AB - OBJECTIVE: Cardiac arrhythmias commonly occur in hemodialysis patients. QT dispersion (QTd=QTmax-QTmin) reflects heterogeneity of cardiac repolarization, and increased QTd is known to predispose the heart to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The aim of our study was to assess the association of iron stores, reflected by transferrin saturation (TSAT) and ferritin, with the dispersion of corrected QT intervals (QTc) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: This cross-sectional, case-controlled study included 40 patients (23 men and 17 women) with renal failure undergoing hemodialysis (Patient group) and 27 subjects (10 men and 17 women) with normal renal function (Control group). In all patients and control subjects, QT intervals were measured on electrocardiogram, and QTc intervals and QTc dispersion were calculated. Electrolyte, hemoglobin and serum TSAT and ferritin levels were also determined. RESULTS: Hemodialysis patients had significantly greater QTc dispersion compared to that of control subjects (61.7+/-23.0 msec vs. 46.0+/-15.7 msec; p=0.001). Though serum iron levels were significantly associated with greater QTc dispersion (r=0.324, p=0.042), other electrolyte levels, duration of dialysis, TSAT and serum ferritin levels were not. CONCLUSION: Although hemodialysis patients have greater QTc dispersion than control subjects, their levels of iron stores as reflected by TSAT and ferritin levels, does not correlate with the degree of QT dispersion. PMID- 17785216 TI - Relationship between the elastic properties of aorta and QT dispersion in newly diagnosed arterial adult hypertensives. AB - OBJECTIVE: Afterload is increased in hypertensive patients and increased afterload associated with both ventricular repolarization inhomogeneity and impaired elastic properties of aorta. Thus, we investigated whether QT dispersion (QTd), which is a reflection of ventricular repolarization inhomogeneity, is related to aortic elastic properties in patients with hypertension. METHODS: Overall 113 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension and 25 normal control subjects were included in this cross-sectional case-controlled study. Aortic strain (AS) and aortic distensibility (AD) were calculated echocardiographically from the derived ascending aorta diameters. Electrocardiograms were recorded in all subjects, and QTd and corrected QTd (cQTd) were then calculated. RESULTS: Patients as compared with control subjects had lower mean AS and AD (p<0.001, for both). The QT interval maximum and corrected QT interval maximum durations, QTd and cQTd were increased in patients compared with control subjects. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that corrected QTd was independently related to age, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), AS and AD (b=0.204, p=0.030, b=0.219, p=0.026, b=-0.238, p=0.021 and b=-0.208, p=0.032 respectively) in hypertensive patients. The QTd was independently related to AS (p=0.043) and AD (p=0.037), as well as age (p=0.003) and LVMI (p=0.008). CONCLUSION: The QTd and cQTd were increased in hypertensives. Aortic elastic properties may play a role in increased dispersion of QT and cQT intervals. PMID- 17785217 TI - Arterial distensibility in Wegener's granulomatosis: a carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity study. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis; that chronic inflammation may impair vascular function and lead to an increase of arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). METHODS: We recruited 5 patients with WG and 5 healthy age and sex matched controls in this cross-sectional case-controlled study. Aortic PWV was determined by using an automatic device (Complior Colson, France), which allowed on-line pulse wave recording and automatic calculation of PWV. RESULTS: The carotid femoral (aortic) PWV was increased in patients with WG as compared with control group (p=0.04). Although we found positive correlation between PWV and heart rate (r=0.75, p=0.01), we did not find any significant correlation between PWV and anthropometric and other hemodynamic parameters (p>0.05). In addition, we found positive correlation between PWV and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with WG (r=0.90, p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Pulse wave velocity is increased and arterial distensibility decreased in patients with WG. Measurements of carotid femoral (aortic) PWV may provide an easy and noninvasive technique to identify patients at increased risk of arterial disease. PMID- 17785218 TI - Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis. PMID- 17785219 TI - Angiographic extent of coronary artery stenosis in patients with high and intermediate likelihood of unstable angina according to likelihood classification of American Heart Association. AB - OBJECTIVE: In accordance with the AHA/ACC clinical practice guideline, the likelihood of acute ischemia caused by coronary artery disease (CAD) is to be determined as high, intermediate, or low for all patients presenting with chest discomfort. This study was conducted to estimate extent of significant CAD in patients with high and intermediate likelihood of unstable angina (UA) according to "AHA likelihood classification". METHODS: Overall, 133 consecutive patients presented with symptoms or signs suggestive of UA, which was classified as of high or intermediate likelihood in Emergency Department (ED), and undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) within one week were enrolled into the study. The characteristics of the patients in either subgroup were compared in terms of the findings of the CAG. RESULTS: In patients with high likelihood of UA (n=89), CAG revealed that 62 had significant CAD, 7-moderate CAD, 20-mild CAD or normal coronary angiogram. In patients with intermediate likelihood of UA (n=19), CAG revealed that 2 patients had significant CAD, and 17-mild CAD or normal coronary angiogram. The rate of significant CAD was significantly higher in patients with high likelihood (p<0.001, LR 23.97, 95% CI 4.21-90.43). The sensitivity and specificity of having at least one of high likelihood features for detecting significant CAD were found to be 96.8% and 38.6% respectively. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the likelihood classification is useful for the triage of the UA patients in the ED. When supported with further studies, utilization of this classification will yield a high diagnostic accuracy in predicting or ruling out severe CAD in patients presenting with chest pain. PMID- 17785220 TI - Transvenous cardiac pacing in children: problems and complications during follow up. AB - OBJECTIVE: Transvenous permanent cardiac pacing (TPCP) has become a frequently used therapeutic modality in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of pediatric TPCP regarding problems and complications. METHODS: Records of 155 patients (mean age 9.2+/-4.7 years) who underwent implantation of TPCP between 1993 and 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Indications for pacing included atrioventricular block in 76% and sinus node dysfunction in 22% patients. In 92 patients, bradyarrhythmia was secondary to cardiac surgery. Percutaneous subclavian puncture was used for lead implantation in 96% of patients. Pacemakers were placed to the right side of the chest in 84% and in the subpectoral area in 68%. Pacing modes were VVIR in 72%, VDD in 13%, AAIR in 8%, and DDD in 7% of patients at the initial implantation time. Of all electrodes, 95% had steroid elution and 53% had an active fixation mechanism. Mean follow-up period was 37+/-28 (1-120) months. RESULTS: Forty-five (29%) patients had 21 minor and 45 major complications. Forty-four of 76 revisions were due to lead problems and battery extraction. Most of the lead problems were dislodgment and stretching (n=14). Kaplan Meier analysis of lead survival did not show any difference between lead types. During the follow-up, there were three sudden unexpected deaths. CONCLUSIONS: In children, TPCP can be used safely and effectively. Although, complications are possible and sometimes lead or generator revision may be necessary, long-term outcome is favorable. PMID- 17785221 TI - [Patient education and exercise in cardiac rehabilitation]. AB - Cardiac rehabilitation includes all the activities implemented for the cardiac patient to gain his/her condition prior to the disease. World Health Organization accepted that cardiac rehabilitation is one of the main components of management of cardiac patients. Although activities of cardiac rehabilitation have begun in 1970s in our country, its level is lower than it should have to be especially with regards to patient education. Cardiac rehabilitation has ten main components, including patient assessment, nutritional counseling, lipid management, hypertension management, smoking cessation, weight management, diabetes management, psychosocial management, physical activity counseling, and exercise training. For all of these components, patient education is essential. In patient education, the fact that patient is adult, learning needs, learning type, readiness to learn and stage of behavioral change should be taken into consideration. As one of the most important factors affecting the quality of life, exercise is thought to be very important in all cardiac rehabilitation programs. In exercise prescription, the type, intensity, rate of progression of the intensity and duration of the exercise should be planned according the patient. In this article, patient education and exercise in the context of cardiac rehabilitation are covered. PMID- 17785222 TI - Cardiovascular side effects of newer antidepressants. AB - We review the cardiovascular effects of newer antidepressants. Although further studies are warranted, the safety of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on patients with comorbid cardiac conditions is impressive. Newer antidepressants should be considered as first-line agents for the treatment of depression in patients with and without cardiovascular disease. PMID- 17785223 TI - Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular diastolic function. AB - Assessment of diastolic function and left ventricular filling pressures in the setting of both normal and reduced systolic function is of major importance particularly in patients with dyspnea. Since multiple echocardiography parameters are used to assess diastolic function each with some limitations, a comprehensive approach should be applied. Transmitral Doppler flow should be evaluated in combination with newer, less load dependent Doppler techniques. Tissue Doppler imaging provides accurate, well validated data regarding diastolic properties and filling pressures of the left ventricle. Tissue Doppler imaging should be the part of a routine echocardiography study due to its ease of use and high reproducibility. Pulmonary vein Doppler and flow propagation velocity should be incorporated into the evaluation when needed. PMID- 17785224 TI - [The conviction of patients and hospital attendants on tissue and organ transplantation]. PMID- 17785225 TI - [An algorithm for the differential diagnosis of physiologic and pathologic hypertrophy]. PMID- 17785226 TI - [Spontaneous coronary artery dissection]. PMID- 17785228 TI - Beta-blocker treatment in an adolescent with amitriptyline intoxication. PMID- 17785227 TI - A rare cause of myocardial infarction: acute carbon monoxide poisoning. PMID- 17785230 TI - Surgical removal of a migrated guidewire: a safe method. PMID- 17785229 TI - Infective endarteritis in a 2-month-old infant associated with silent patent ductus arteriosus. PMID- 17785231 TI - Amplatzer device embolization: hazards of multiple attempts at catheter retrieval. PMID- 17785232 TI - [Total variation of LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B/ Serum apolipoprotein B is superior to LDL-cholesterol level in predicting incident coronary disease among Turks]. PMID- 17785233 TI - [The anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva]. PMID- 17785234 TI - [Determination of TIMI frame counts and slow coronary flow/ Relationship between the slow coronary flow and carotid artery intima-media thickness]. PMID- 17785235 TI - Ross operation for teenagers: correct indication determines the long-term outcome/ Early double valve re-replacement after Ross operation. PMID- 17785236 TI - Giant pulmonary artery aneurysm due to undiagnosed atrial septal defect associated with pulmonary hypertension. PMID- 17785237 TI - [Carotid artery stenting: from a glance of a surgeon. Early and late outcomes of carotid artery stenting]. PMID- 17785238 TI - Effect of female gender on the outcome of coronary artery bypass surgery for left main coronary artery disease. PMID- 17785239 TI - High blood glucose concerns heart specialist very.../Coronary atherosclerosis distribution and the effect of blood glucose level on operative mortality/morbidity in diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: a single center experience. PMID- 17785240 TI - [Syncopal episodes due to inappropriate peripheral vascular response in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]. PMID- 17785241 TI - [Heart failure: erythropoietin in treatment of anemia]. PMID- 17785242 TI - Incomplete Kawasaki disease: a pediatric diagnostic conflict. PMID- 17785243 TI - Transposition of the great arteries in a newborn whose mother was treated with carbamazepine during pregnancy. PMID- 17785244 TI - Correctable causes of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction may not be absolute contraindications for arterial switch operation. PMID- 17785245 TI - [Surgical approach to the cases of coarctation in combination with aortic pathologies]. PMID- 17785246 TI - [Scanning electron microscopy findings of microembolic debris material on distal protection device in a patient who underwent carotid stenting]. PMID- 17785247 TI - A case of multiple ascending aorta and aortic arch thrombi causing simultaneous cerebral and peripheral embolism. PMID- 17785248 TI - Thrombosed giant right coronary artery aneurysm. PMID- 17785249 TI - Multiple and bilateral coronary fistulas resulting in myocardial ischemia due to significant stealing of coronary artery blood flow. PMID- 17785250 TI - [A rare cause of Eisenmenger syndrome: type A aortic interruption associated with large ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus]. PMID- 17785251 TI - Renal artery fenestration in a hypertensive adult patient. PMID- 17785252 TI - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with systolic anterior motion of the posterior mitral leaflet. PMID- 17785253 TI - Unusual late cardiac complication of left pneumonectomy: left atrial compression. PMID- 17785254 TI - Intracardiac vascularized mass. PMID- 17785255 TI - Left atrial ball-shaped thrombus mimicking myxoma detected by transthoracic echocardiography. PMID- 17785256 TI - Giant left atrium. PMID- 17785257 TI - A huge right atrium in a patient with ankle edema. PMID- 17785260 TI - Extrinsic effects, estimating opponents' RHP, and the structure of dominance hierarchies. AB - We examined the impact of winner and loser effects on dominance hierarchy formation when individuals are capable of estimating their opponent's resource holding power (RHP). The accuracy of such estimates was a variable in our simulations, and we considered cases in which all individuals err within the same bounds, as well as cases in which some individuals consistently overestimate, while others consistently underestimate their opponent's fighting RHP. In all cases, we found a clearly defined linear hierarchy. In most simulations, the vast majority of interactions were 'attack-retreats', and the remainder of interactions were almost all 'fights'. Error rates had no effect on the linearity of the hierarchy or the basic attack-retreat nature of interactions, and consistent over and underestimation did not affect the ultimate position of an individual in a hierarchy. PMID- 17785261 TI - Elevated substitution rates estimated from ancient DNA sequences. AB - Ancient DNA sequences are able to offer valuable insights into molecular evolutionary processes, which are not directly accessible via modern DNA. They are particularly suitable for the estimation of substitution rates because their ages provide calibrating information in phylogenetic analyses, circumventing the difficult task of choosing independent calibration points. The substitution rates obtained from such datasets have typically been high, falling between the rates estimated from pedigrees and species phylogenies. Many of these estimates have been made using a Bayesian phylogenetic method that explicitly accommodates heterochronous data. Stimulated by recent criticism of this method, we present a comprehensive simulation study that validates its performance. For datasets of moderate size, it produces accurate estimates of rates, while appearing robust to assumptions about demographic history. We then analyse a large collection of 749 ancient and 727 modern DNA sequences from 19 species of animals, plants and bacteria. Our new estimates confirm that the substitution rates estimated from ancient DNA sequences are elevated above long-term phylogenetic levels. PMID- 17785262 TI - Four-legged friend or foe? Dog walking displaces native birds from natural areas. AB - Dog walking is among the world's most popular recreational activities, attracting millions of people to natural areas each year with diverse benefits to human and canine health. But conservation managers often ban dog walking from natural areas fearing that wildlife will see dogs as potential predators and abandon their natural habitats, resulting in outcry at the restricted access to public land. Arguments are passionate on both sides and debate has remained subjective and unresolved because experimental evidence of the ecological impacts of dog walking has been lacking. Here we show that dog walking in woodland leads to a 35% reduction in bird diversity and 41% reduction in abundance, both in areas where dog walking is common and where dogs are prohibited. These results argue against access by dog walkers to sensitive conservation areas. PMID- 17785263 TI - Strong parasitoid-mediated selection in experimental populations of aphids. AB - Clonal diversity in asexual populations may be maintained if different clones are favoured under different environmental conditions. For aphids, parasitoids are an important variable of the biotic environment. To test whether parasitoids can mediate selection among host clones, we used experimental populations consisting of 10 clones of the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae, and allowed them to evolve for several generations either without parasitoids or in the presence of two species of parasitoid wasps. In the absence of parasitoids, strong shifts in clonal frequencies occurred, mostly in favour of clones with high rates of increase. The parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae hardly affected aphid densities but changed the outcome of competition by favouring one entirely resistant clone and disfavouring a highly susceptible clone. Aphidius colemani, the more infective parasitoid, strongly reduced aphid densities and dramatically changed host clonal frequencies. The most resistant clone, not a successful clone without parasitoids, became totally dominant. These results highlight the potential of temporal or spatial variation in parasitoid densities to maintain clonal diversity in their aphid hosts. PMID- 17785264 TI - Re-plumbing in a Mediterranean sponge. AB - Observations are reported for Dysidea avara sponges where once functioning oscula (outlets) are converted through internal re-plumbing into functioning oversized ostia (OSO; inlets). Flow tank studies employed high-speed photography and particle tracking of laser-illuminated 0.5-6.0 microm diameter glass beads to trace particles streaming into OSO. A fluorescein dye/glass bead uptake experiment showed that an oversized ostium was connected through internal structures to the lone osculum. Beginning 30 s after uptake and continuing over a 20 min period, dye streamed from the osculum, but no beads emerged. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that beads were deposited only on the inhalant side of particle filtering choanocyte chambers and not on the exhalant side, suggesting that internal re-plumbing had occurred. Functioning OSO were also found on freshly collected specimens in the field, making it highly unlikely that formation of OSO was only an artefact of sponges being held in a laboratory tank. PMID- 17785265 TI - Limited performance of DNA barcoding in a diverse community of tropical butterflies. AB - DNA 'barcoding' relies on a short fragment of mitochondrial DNA to infer identification of specimens. The method depends on genetic diversity being markedly lower within than between species. Closely related species are most likely to share genetic variation in communities where speciation rates are rapid and effective population sizes are large, such that coalescence times are long. We assessed the applicability of DNA barcoding (here the 5' half of the cytochrome c oxidase I) to a diverse community of butterflies from the upper Amazon, using a group with a well-established morphological taxonomy to serve as a reference. Only 77% of species could be accurately identified using the barcode data, a figure that dropped to 68% in species represented in the analyses by more than one geographical race and at least one congener. The use of additional mitochondrial sequence data hardly improved species identification, while a fragment of a nuclear gene resolved issues in some of the problematic species. We acknowledge the utility of barcodes when morphological characters are ambiguous or unknown, but we also recommend the addition of nuclear sequence data, and caution that species-level identification rates might be lower in the most diverse habitats of our planet. PMID- 17785266 TI - The role of gap phase processes in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests. AB - The responses of tropical forests to global anthropogenic disturbances remain poorly understood. Above-ground woody biomass in some tropical forest plots has increased over the past several decades, potentially reflecting a widespread response to increased resource availability, for example, due to elevated atmospheric CO2 and/or nutrient deposition. However, previous studies of biomass dynamics have not accounted for natural patterns of disturbance and gap phase regeneration, making it difficult to quantify the importance of environmental changes. Using spatially explicit census data from large (50 ha) inventory plots, we investigated the influence of gap phase processes on the biomass dynamics of four 'old-growth' tropical forests (Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama; Pasoh and Lambir, Malaysia; and Huai Kha Khaeng (HKK), Thailand). We show that biomass increases were gradual and concentrated in earlier-phase forest patches, while biomass losses were generally of greater magnitude but concentrated in rarer later-phase patches. We then estimate the rate of biomass change at each site independent of gap phase dynamics using reduced major axis regressions and ANCOVA tests. Above-ground woody biomass increased significantly at Pasoh (+0.72% yr( 1)) and decreased at HKK (-0.56% yr(-1)) independent of changes in gap phase but remained stable at both BCI and Lambir. We conclude that gap phase processes play an important role in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests, and that quantifying the role of gap phase processes will help improve our understanding of the factors driving changes in forest biomass as well as their place in the global carbon budget. PMID- 17785267 TI - Isolation and characterization of melanopsin (Opn4) from the Australian marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata (fat-tailed dunnart). AB - Melanopsin confers photosensitivity to a subset of retinal ganglion cells and is responsible for many non-image-forming tasks, like the detection of light for circadian entrainment. Recently, two melanopsin genes, Opn4m and Opn4x, were described in non-mammalian vertebrates. However, only one form, Opn4m, has been described in the mammals, although studies to date have been limited to the placentals and have not included the marsupials. We report here the isolation and characterization of an Opn4 gene from an Australian marsupial, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), and present evidence which suggests that the Opn4x gene was lost before the placental/marsupial split. In situ hybridization shows that the expression of Opn4 in the dunnart eye is restricted to a subset of ganglion cells, a pattern previously reported for rodents and primates. These Opn4-positive cells are randomly distributed across the dunnart retina. We also undertook a comparative analysis with the South American marsupial, the grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica), and two placental mammals, mouse and human. This approach reveals that the two marsupials show a higher sequence identity than that seen between rodents and primates, despite separating at approximately the same point in time, some 65-85 Myr ago. PMID- 17785268 TI - A new theory for the evolution of polyandry as a means of inbreeding avoidance. AB - We propose a novel theory for the evolution of polyandry driven by genetic benefits to females whose offspring interbreed. In species with an ecology characterized by frequent colonization of new habitat patches, consanguineous matings may be common during the early stages of colonization, but genetic diversity may grow as new colonizers arrive. We show that with levels of inbreeding depression similar to those found in predominantly inbreeding populations, a polyandrous female can benefit her descendants since matings among her brood are mainly between half siblings rather than full siblings. We examine the invasion by a polyandrous phenotype using explicit genetic models in which costs of inbreeding are themselves subject to selection. In common with other models of inbreeding, we find that underlying high levels of inbreeding tend to purge deleterious recessive alleles, and hence these are unlikely to maintain sufficient inbreeding depression to favour polyandry. However, if costs of inbreeding are due to overdominance, biologically realistic levels of inbreeding depression result in genetic benefits large enough to favour polyandry provided it is not too costly. The potential significance of polyandry as a mechanism to reduce inbreeding in grandchildren will depend upon the genetic basis of inbreeding depression in natural, inbreeding populations. PMID- 17785270 TI - Reed bunting females increase fitness through extra-pair mating with genetically dissimilar males. AB - Females of many socially monogamous species accept or even actively seek copulations outside the social pair bond. As females cannot increase the number of offspring with promiscuous behaviour, the question arises why they engage in extra-pair mating. We used microsatellite data to determine paternity, heterozygosity and genetic relatedness in the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), a species with high levels of extra-pair paternity (EPP). We found that extra-pair young (EPY) were more heterozygous than within-pair young (WPY). The high heterozygosity of the EPY resulted from a low genetic similarity between females and their extra-pair mates. EPY were heavier and larger when compared with their maternal half-siblings shortly before they left the nest. Recapture data indicated a higher fledgling survival of EPY compared with WPY. Our data suggest that reed bunting females increase the viability of their offspring and thus fitness through extra-pair mating with genetically dissimilar males. PMID- 17785269 TI - Adaptive evolution of genes underlying schizophrenia. AB - Schizophrenia poses an evolutionary-genetic paradox because it exhibits strongly negative fitness effects and high heritability, yet it persists at a prevalence of approximately 1% across all human cultures. Recent theory has proposed a resolution: that genetic liability to schizophrenia has evolved as a secondary consequence of selection for human cognitive traits. This hypothesis predicts that genes increasing the risk of this disorder have been subject to positive selection in the evolutionary history of humans and other primates. We evaluated this prediction using tests for recent selective sweeps in human populations and maximum-likelihood tests for selection during primate evolution. Significant evidence for positive selection was evident using one or both methods for 28 of 76 genes demonstrated to mediate liability to schizophrenia, including DISC1, DTNBP1 and NRG1, which exhibit especially strong and well-replicated functional and genetic links to this disorder. Strong evidence of non-neutral, accelerated evolution was found for DISC1, particularly for exon 2, the only coding region within the schizophrenia-associated haplotype. Additionally, genes associated with schizophrenia exhibited a statistically significant enrichment in their signals of positive selection in HapMap and PAML analyses of evolution along the human lineage, when compared with a control set of genes involved in neuronal activities. The selective forces underlying adaptive evolution of these genes remain largely unknown, but these findings provide convergent evidence consistent with the hypothesis that schizophrenia represents, in part, a maladaptive by product of adaptive changes during human evolution. PMID- 17785271 TI - Socially induced brain differentiation in a cooperatively breeding songbird. AB - Birds living in social groups establish dominance hierarchies, and taking up the dominant position influences behaviour and physiological parameters. In cooperatively breeding white-browed sparrow weavers (Plocepasser mahali), the transition from subordinate helper to dominant breeder male induces the production of a new type of song. This song contains a large number of new syllables and differs in temporal pattern from duet songs produced by all other group members. Here we show that this change in social status of adult males affects the morphology of a behavioural control circuit, the song control system of songbirds that is composed of large neuron populations. The volume of the song control areas HVC and RA and their gene-expression levels depend on males' social status. Dominant males have several times larger testes than subordinates, which is not reflected in circulating androgen and oestrogen levels. Our findings suggest a remarkable differentiation of adult vertebrate brains in relation to changing social cues. PMID- 17785272 TI - Computer simulation of feeding behaviour in the thylacine and dingo as a novel test for convergence and niche overlap. AB - The extinct marsupial thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and placental grey wolf (Canis lupus) are commonly presented as an iconic example of convergence. However, various analyses suggest distinctly different behaviours and specialization towards either relatively small or large prey in the thylacine, bringing the degree of apparent convergence into question. Here we apply a powerful engineering tool, three-dimensional finite element analysis incorporating multiple material properties for bone, to examine mechanical similarity and niche overlap in the thylacine and the wolf subspecies implicated in its extinction from mainland Australia, Canis lupus dingo. Comparisons of stress distributions not only reveal considerable similarity, but also informative differences. The thylacine's mandible performs relatively poorly where only the actions of the jaw muscles are considered, although this must be considered in the light of relatively high bite forces. Stresses are high in the posterior of the thylacine's cranium under loads that simulate struggling prey. We conclude that relative prey size may have been comparable where both species acted as solitary predators, but that the dingo is better adapted to withstand the high extrinsic loads likely to accompany social hunting of relatively large prey. It is probable that there was considerable ecological overlap. As a large mammalian hypercarnivore adapted to taking small-medium sized prey, the thylacine may have been particularly vulnerable to disturbance. PMID- 17785273 TI - Spatial considerations for the allocation of pre-pandemic influenza vaccination in the United States. AB - The impact of the next influenza pandemic may be mitigated by inducing immunity in individuals prior to the start of national epidemics using a pre-pandemic vaccine targeted against current avian influenza strains. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends that pre-pandemic vaccines will be allocated to states in proportion to the size of their population in predefined priority groups, i.e. approximately pro-rata. We show that such an equitable policy is likely to be the least efficient in terms of the number of infections averted. We demonstrate that the potential benefits could be substantial if a fully discretionary policy is allowed, i.e. if some regions are allocated sufficient vaccines to achieve herd immunity while other regions are allocated no vaccine. Since such an inequitable policy may be impractical, we consider the sensitivity of an intermediate policy (in which 50% of the stockpile is allocated on a pro-rata basis) to key transmission uncertainties. The benefits of the 50% discretionary policy are sensitive to parameter values which cannot be known in advance. Therefore, despite substantial potential benefits of non-pro-rata policies, our results suggest that the current HHS policy of pro-rata allocation by state is a good compromise in terms of simplicity, robustness, equity and efficiency. PMID- 17785274 TI - Assessing the impacts of agricultural intensification on biodiversity: a British perspective. AB - Agricultural intensification is best considered as the level of human appropriation of terrestrial net primary production. The global value is set to increase from 30%, increasing pressures on biodiversity. The pressures can be classified in terms of spatial scale, i.e. land cover, landscape management and crop management. Different lowland agricultural landscapes in Great Britain show differences among these pressures when habitat diversity and nutrient surplus are used as indicators. Eutrophication of plants was correlated to N surplus, and species richness of plants correlated with broad habitat diversity. Bird species diversity only correlated with habitat diversity when the diversity of different agricultural habitats was taken into account. The pressures of agricultural change may be reduced by minimizing loss of large habitats, minimizing permanent loss of agricultural land, maintaining habitat diversity in agricultural landscapes in order to provide ecosystem services, and minimizing pollution from nutrients and pesticides from the crops themselves. While these pressures could potentially be quantified using an internationally consistent set of indicators, their impacts would need to be assessed using a much larger number of locally applicable biodiversity indicators. PMID- 17785275 TI - Soil health in agricultural systems. AB - Soil health is presented as an integrative property that reflects the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural intervention, so that it continues to support both the agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services. The major challenge within sustainable soil management is to conserve ecosystem service delivery while optimizing agricultural yields. It is proposed that soil health is dependent on the maintenance of four major functions: carbon transformations; nutrient cycles; soil structure maintenance; and the regulation of pests and diseases. Each of these functions is manifested as an aggregate of a variety of biological processes provided by a diversity of interacting soil organisms under the influence of the abiotic soil environment. Analysis of current models of the soil community under the impact of agricultural interventions (particularly those entailing substitution of biological processes with fossil fuel-derived energy or inputs) confirms the highly integrative pattern of interactions within each of these functions and leads to the conclusion that measurement of individual groups of organisms, processes or soil properties does not suffice to indicate the state of the soil health. A further conclusion is that quantifying the flow of energy and carbon between functions is an essential but non-trivial task for the assessment and management of soil health. PMID- 17785277 TI - Bioavailability of pollutants and soil remediation. PMID- 17785278 TI - Prediction of microbial accessibility of carbon-14-phenanthrene in soil in the presence of pyrene or benzo[a]pyrene using an aqueous cyclodextrin extraction technique. AB - Traditionally, solvent extractions are routinely used in the assessment of contaminated land. However, vigorous solvent extractions only give total concentrations rather than that relating to the bioaccessible fraction. Recently, less harsh, aqueous-based extraction methods have been shown to be a better estimate of the microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aqueous-based hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) extraction technique was tested using 14C-PAHs in soils and compared against indigenous microbial mineralization (a measure of bioaccessibility) of 14C-phenanthrene in the presence of pyrene or benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) over a range of concentrations (0, 5, 10, or 50 mg kg(-1)) and aged for 0, 25, 50, and 100 d in four soils. At each time point, the total loss, extractability, and mineralization of 14C phenanthrene was measured in each of the soils. The presence of the other PAHs had little effect on the behavior of 14C-phenanthrene in any of the soils. Comparisons between the amounts of 14C-phenanthrene extracted using HPCD and mineralized were made and showed that there was a correlation (1:1). This study demonstrates that HPCD extraction is able to predict the microbial accessibility fraction of 14C-phenanthrene in the presence of other PAHs in a range of soils, further supporting the applicability of this technique. PMID- 17785279 TI - Magnetic resonance imaging versus arthroscopy in the diagnosis of knee pathology, concentrating on meniscal lesions and ACL tears: a systematic review. AB - PURPOSE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is of great aid in the diagnosis of knee lesions. Most diagnostic studies comparing MRI and arthroscopy have shown good diagnostic performance in detecting lesions of the menisci and cruciate ligaments. Nevertheless, arthroscopy has remained the reference standard for the diagnosis of internal derangements of the knee, against which alternative diagnostic modalities should be compared. METHODS: We took arthroscopy to be the 'gold standard', and we undertook a systematic review of MRI and arthroscopy in the diagnosis of internal derangements of the knee. We used Coleman scoring methodology to identify scientifically sound articles in a reproducible format. RESULTS: MRI is highly accurate in diagnosing meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. It is the most appropriate screening tool before therapeutic arthroscopy. It is preferable to diagnostic arthroscopy in most patients because it avoids the surgical risks of arthroscopy. The results of MRI differ for medial and lateral meniscus and ACL, with only 85% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Study design characteristics should also be taken into account whenever a study on MRI assessing its diagnostic performance is designed or reviewed. PMID- 17785280 TI - Impact of socioeconomic deprivation and type of facility on perceptions of the Scottish smoke-free legislation. PMID- 17785281 TI - Caspofungin in vitro and in vivo activity against Brazilian Pythium insidiosum strains isolated from animals. AB - OBJECTIVES: The present study evaluated the susceptibility of 27 clinical isolates of Pythium insidiosum to caspofungin in vitro and correlated the results with the therapeutic response in vivo in rabbits with experimental pythiosis. METHODS: The macrodilution method was performed in accordance with the CLSI document M38-A technique. Three reading criteria for MICs were adopted: MIC0, MIC1 and MIC2 (100%, 90% and 50% growth inhibition, respectively). The minimum fungicidal concentration was also determined. Ten rabbits inoculated with viable P. insidiosum zoospores were divided into two groups: group 1 (control) and group 2 (treated with caspofungin at a dosage of 1 mg/kg/day for 20 consecutive days). RESULTS: Of the isolates 51.8% had an MIC0 of 64 mg/L, 88.8% of isolates had an MIC1 between 8 and 64 mg/L and 62.9% of isolates had a minimum fungicidal concentration of 64 mg/L. In the in vivo assay, growth of subcutaneous lesions reduced during treatment, but rapidly resumed when treatment was stopped. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that caspofungin has limited fungistatic activity against P. insidiosum. This work is the first study to analyse the susceptibility of this oomycete to inhibitors of beta-glucans of the cellular wall. PMID- 17785283 TI - Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Autoimmunity, November 29 December 3, 2006, Sorrento, Italy. PMID- 17785282 TI - Pharmacodynamics of ceftazidime and meropenem in cerebrospinal fluid: results of population pharmacokinetic modelling and Monte Carlo simulation. AB - BACKGROUND: Ceftazidime and meropenem are frequently used in the empirical treatment of hospital-acquired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) infections. Although their dispositions in CSF have been described, the ability of these agents to achieve critical pharmacodynamic targets against the array of nosocomial CSF Gram negative bacteria encountered in practice has not been reported. METHODS: Serum and CSF pharmacokinetic data were obtained from hospital patients with external ventricular drains and who received ceftazidime or meropenem. Concentration-time profiles in serum and CSF were modelled using a three-compartment model with zero order infusion and first-order elimination and transfer. The model parameters were identified using population pharmacokinetic analysis [Big Non-Parametric Adaptive Grid (BigNPAG)]. A Monte Carlo simulation (9999 subjects) estimated the probability of target attainment (PTA) for total drug CSF concentrations at 50% and 100% T(>MIC) for ceftazidime 2 g intravenously every 8 h and meropenem 2 g intravenously every 8 h. The Gram-negative infection isolates of the seven most prevalent Gram-negative bacilli from the Meropenem Yearly Susceptibility Test Information Collection Program were used as a measure of contemporary MIC distribution. RESULTS: Post-Bayesian measures of bias and precision, observed predicted plots and R(2) values were highly acceptable for both drugs. Although the PTA in CSF was approximately one dilution higher for ceftazidime compared with meropenem at a given MIC value, the cumulative fraction of response (CFR) in CSF against all Gram-negatives was markedly higher for meropenem when compared with ceftazidime secondary to the higher occurrence of lower MIC values for meropenem. Both agents had a low CFR against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacodynamics of meropenem was superior to that of ceftazidime against Gram-negative pathogens in the CSF. PMID- 17785284 TI - The nature and nurture of common autoimmunity. AB - Autoimmune diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders where multiple alterations in the immune system result in a spectrum of syndromes that either target specific organs or affect the body systematically. Although their heterogeneity is due to a collection of diverse conditions based on epidemiology, pathology, or diagnostic criteria, the underlying immunogenetic mechanism might be similar. Herein the nature and nurture of autoimmune diseases considered as a trait are reviewed, and a discussion is given on their multifactorial characteristics. PMID- 17785285 TI - Designed ankyrin repeat proteins as anti-idiotypic-binding molecules. AB - According to the network theory antibodies may act as antigens thus generating anti-idiotypic antibodies that can function as regulators of immune responses. Designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) are a new class of binding proteins and may serve as an alternative to antibodies. Selections from large DARPin libraries against the variable regions of a murine monoclonal anti-human IgE antibody, termed BSW17, yielded two highly specific anti-idiotypic DARPins both with high affinity. Their binding characteristics were comparable with these of a previously selected anti-idiotypic antibody. In vitro cell assays showed that the anti-idiotypic DARPins were able to inhibit the binding of BSW17 to cell-bound IgE and prevented BSW17 functional activity. These experiments demonstrate the possibility to isolate anti-idiotypic DARPins recognizing idiotypic determinants analogous to antibodies. In the future these DARPins may be further analyzed for their potential as putative vaccine candidates. PMID- 17785286 TI - SLAM-associated protein solves a mystery of autoimmunity. AB - SLAM-associated protein (SAP) is essential for viral protection, lifelong immune memory (vaccination), and lifelong autoantibody production. We discuss how SAP is a key player in the development of autoimmune disease. PMID- 17785287 TI - Standardization of autoimmune diagnostics in Germany: activities of the German group in the European Autoimmune Standardization Initiative. AB - The German Regional Group of EASI was established during the annual Meeting of the German Society of Immunology in Kiel in September 2005. Since this initial informative meeting, an active core group of about a dozen rheumatologists, immunologists, and laboratory specialists has been generating starter projects. In general, these projects do focus on clinically associated diagnostic questions, and do integrate a variety of specialists with profound knowledge in several related subjects. The aims of the German EASI group are to contribute to the definition of standards and to improve patient care. Therefore, the group is establishing guidelines for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, to standardize and improve their quality, combining the experience of clinical and laboratory specialists. The diagnostic activities focus currently on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and on rheumatoid arthritis. These activities include laboratory investigations and diagnosis through clinical manifestations. Standardized diagnostics cannot be based solely on vague symptoms and positive laboratory tests. In laboratory diagnostics, standardization and implementation of objective methods for the detection of autoantibodies has been identified as a central challenge. Here, immune fluorescence techniques and the evaluation of RibP are used as first parameters that could improve SLE diagnostics. Furthermore, guidelines and proposals from scientific medical organizations, and in particular from other national EASI groups will be adapted to the German health system. A cornerstone of implementation is the identification and logistic preparation of existing serum banks, the definition of gaps that should be bridged, and, particularly, the definition and collection of adequate control groups. Through these measures, the German EASI group will provide a standardized diagnostic model of autoimmune disorders throughout Europe starting in the field of rheumatology. Diagnostics may become more rational, efficient, faster, and cost-efficient. Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disorders will profit from receiving an earlier and more accurate diagnosis, which again will allow earlier therapeutic intervention and lead to a better long-term clinical outcome. PMID- 17785288 TI - Autoimmunity and time entanglement. AB - Time is an important factor for every patient affected by chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. More often than not we cannot predict the natural outcome of the process neither determine whether a remission depends on a particular treatment schedule or it does depend on the restoring capability by the "health drive." Autoimmune manifestations appear to be entangled with time in most complex ways. PMID- 17785289 TI - The pro- and anti-inflammatory potential of interleukin-12. AB - T helper (Th) lymphocytes, upon activation and differential costimulation, differentiate into various types of Th memory cells with distinct functions. Upon activation in the presence of interleukin-12 (IL-12), Th1 memory cells are imprinted for the expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), by genetic modification of the ifngamma gene and expression of the transcription factor T bet. Th1 cells are potent inducers of chronic inflammation of tissues expressing their cognate (auto)antigen. Here, we discuss an anti-inflammatory potential of Th1 cells, based on their expression of IL-10. While the expression of IFN-gamma in memory Th1 cells is independent of the original inducer IL-12, IL-12 is and remains required to induce expression of the regulatory cytokine IL-10 by Th1 memory cells giving IL-12 the potential to act anti-inflammatory during secondary responses. PMID- 17785290 TI - NKG2D and natural cytotoxicity receptors are involved in natural killer cell interaction with self-antigen presenting cells and stromal cells. AB - It is thought that human natural killer (NK) lymphocytes should not damage self tissues due to the inhibiting signal initiated by the engagement of one or another inhibitory receptor superfamily (IRS) members with self-human histocompatibility antigen (HLA)-I. During viral infection, the low expression of self-HLA-I on infected-cells leads to a reduction of the inhibiting signal and thus NK cells kill self-cells (missing self-hypothesis). Here, we have analyzed human NK cell interaction with self-cells as antigen-presenting cells (APC) or stromal cells isolated from bone marrow or skin. Despite the expression of high levels of HLA-I, APC and stromal cells are killed by interleukin (IL)-2-activated NK cells upon lymphocyte function antigen (LFA)1-(intracellular adhesion molecule) (ICAM)1 interaction. The natural cytotoxicity receptors NKp30 and NKp46 are responsible for the delivery of lethal hit to APC, whereas NKG2D-activating receptor, the ligand of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-related molecule MICA, and the UL16-binding protein are involved in stromal cell killing. These events are dependent on the activation of phosphoinositol 3-kinase and consequent release of perforins and granzymes. Both bone marrow stromal cells and skin fibroblasts inhibit T cell proliferation to alloantigen or triggering through CD3/T cell receptor complex. Importantly, NK cells can revert this veto effect. Altogether, these findings support the notion that NK cells can recognize self-cells possibly affecting both APC function and interaction between lymphocytes and microenvironment leading to autoreactivity. PMID- 17785291 TI - Role of Toll-like receptors in HMGB1 release from macrophages. AB - HMGB1 is a nonhistone nuclear protein that can serve as a cytokine and activate innate immunity. The translocation of this molecule from the inside to the outside of cells is a critical event in inflammation, occurring following activation of certain Toll-like receptors (TLRs) as well as during the course of apoptotic as well as necrotic cell death. Because the kinetics of HMGB1 release differs from that of a conventional cytokine, it provides a broader therapeutic window and may be an important new target of therapy for inflammatory, autoimmune, and infectious diseases. PMID- 17785292 TI - Immune complex pathophysiology. AB - Antigen-antibody (Ab) interactions that lead to the formation of immune complexes (ICs) are subtle biochemical processes determining health or disease according to the outcome. Good laboratory practice (GLP)-acknowledged IC detection methods reveal that plasma levels of up to 15 microg/mL heat-aggregated immunoglobulin G (IgG) equivalents are normal, indicating the physiological role of ICs. Among the major variables that influence the equilibrium association constant Ka, are specificity and epitope density of the antigen, Ig class/subclass of the Ab, IC complement (C)-activating capacity, Fc receptor (FcR) interaction, and cytokine activation pattern. The Ka of antigen-Ab binding at approximately 20 degrees C ranges from low affinity (105) to high affinity (107-1011). Beneficial ICs serve to remove and/or neutralize infectious or toxic antigens, following an infectious attack in immune and vaccinated hosts. Circulating ICs are more prone for benefit than tissue-bound ICs, which reflect in situ formation and/or undesired deposition in tissues due to overflow from insufficient reticuloendothelial system (RES) removal. The classical textbook topic on ICs still holds true but is under revision because of the improved knowledge of effector systems, such as C, cytokine, and FcR apparatus. Therapeutic options to treat IC-associated diseases include intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) at their onset and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed at C activation products and/or cytokines. PMID- 17785293 TI - Human proteinase 3 (PR3) and its binding molecules: implications for inflammatory and PR3-related autoimmune responses. AB - Human proteinase 3 (PR3) is a multifunctional serine protease, mainly located in the azurophilic granules and on the cell surface of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Cumulated data indicate that PR3, which is the main target autoantigen of antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), interacts with several surface receptors and participates in the local inflammatory response. Herein, we summarize the efforts made to elucidate ANCA-binding epitopes of PR3, extended by data derived from the use of a random peptide library. The inserts for 107 peptides were obtained by panning of a random peptide library with PR3-ANCA(+) immunoglobulins. Analysis of the amino acid sequences of the inserted peptides derived from isolated positive clones suggested that they do not belong to linear epitopes of PR03 and possess a high proportion of positively charged amino acids. Furthermore, this article focuses on immune functions of PR3 with respect to PR3 modulation of cell activation via cleavage of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR 2) and as binding protein for the proinflammatory cytokine IL-32alpha. Altogether, there are a number of (auto)molecules that bind to PR3, some of them even competitive and each binding interaction seems to have specific implications. PMID- 17785294 TI - Loss of self-control in the complement system and innate autoreactivity. AB - The complement system performs effective antimicrobial and clean-up functions to keep the body clear from invading microbes and accumulating debris. From its about 35 components many regulate complement activity to prevent self-attack. Our work has focused on regulator defects and dysfunctions that cause autoreactivity, that is, inflammation and damage against self-tissues ("innate autoreactivity"). The major complement regulator, factor H (FH), protects host cells and keeps excessive amplification under control. Mutations and polymorphisms in FH predispose to four different diseases: membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type II (MPGN II), partial lipodystrophy (PLD), recurrent atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Loss of the complement regulatory activity (cofactor activity for C3b inactivation and decay accelerating activity) in the N terminus of FH leads to PLD and MPGN II, the latter of which is characterized by C3b and MAC deposition on the glomerular basement membranes of kidneys. Polymorphism in the SCR7-domain in the middle part of FH predisposes to AMD, which is the most common cause of vision loss in elderly people. This polymorphism influences the ability of FH to bind to C reactive protein (CRP) and to target phagocytic clearance of debris (e.g., eye pigment) and control local inflammation. Finally, the loss of the ability of the FH C terminus to recognize C3b molecules deposited on self-structures predisposes to aHUS, where blood cells, platelets, and endothelial cells, particularly in kidneys, become targets for repeated complement attacks and increased procoagulant activity. The pathogenetic mechanisms of these diseases are being increasingly understood, which in the future will help in designing new therapies. PMID- 17785295 TI - Immunodeficiency and autoimmune phenomena in female hyper-IgM syndrome. AB - We report an unusual case that highlights the clinical problems associated with autoimmune phenomena. A female (born 1972) was referred to our hospital with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis. During the follow-up (7 years), we observed the appearance and the disappearance of a lot of autoantibodies detected. The history of recurrent bacterial sinopulmonary infections since puberty and enlargement of lymphonodes, elevated IgM, very low IgA and normal IgG levels, and the variable autoantibody profile oriented toward a "defective Ig class switch recombination" disorder: the hyper-IgM syndrome. Immunodeficiency and autoimmune phenomena may occur concomitantly in the same individual and sometimes the differential diagnosis is difficult. PMID- 17785296 TI - Veterinary autoimmunity: autoimmune diseases in domestic animals. AB - The first spontaneous animal model of autoimmunity was the New Zealand black mouse, discovered in 1959. Interestingly, although several models of induced autoimmunity were demonstrated in a variety of rodents, the recognition of autoimmune disease in dogs came somewhat later. Dog breeding and selection of traits within certain dog breeds have become an important enterprise with intensive husbandry and selection criteria being applied to each breed standard. This has resulted in breeding for specific phenotypic characteristics. This selection has inadvertently led to the propagation of a number of autoimmune diseases in dogs. For example, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), autoimmune hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, autoimmune myasthenia gravis, and diabetes mellitus are now fairly common. In the final analysis, the appearance of autoimmunity in dogs reflects their breeding selection and illustrates the importance of genetics in the development of autoimmune disease. PMID- 17785297 TI - Prediction and prevention of autoimmune disease: a personal perspective. AB - Biomarkers, represented by genetically determined traits or biologic changes predictive of disease onset or outcome, are increasingly employed by academic and industrial investigators. They can identify unusually susceptible populations or individuals, facilitate prognosis, forecast the outcome of therapy in clinical trials, or aid in developing improved treatments or preventative measures. All of these applications have been applied to the autoimmune diseases. As a case in point, we have through the years used biomarkers to predict susceptibility and the longer-range outcome of thyroid autoimmunity employing, a number of different approaches. They have taught us valuable lessons for future broader applications of biomarkers. The clues for susceptibility include major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC genes combined with the fine specificity of thyroid autoantibodies in siblings of patients with juvenile thyroid disease. Together these biomarkers are highly predictive of later thyroid autoimmunity and subclinical thyroid dysfunction. For example, the progression from benign autoimmunity to clinical thyroid disease is marked by the appearance of autoantibodies to species-restricted epitopes on thyroglobulin. Thus, predictive biomarkers aid in identifying individuals with inordinate risk of disease and provide opportunities for earlier interventions to arrest the disease process. PMID- 17785298 TI - Alterations of TH1/TH2 reactivity by heavy metals: possible consequences include induction of autoimmune diseases. AB - Heavy metal pollution still represents a primary concern regarding human health. Recently, it become evident that the contribution of heavy metals extends far beyond their accepted role in allergic diseases, and that they may play a more extensive role in a variety of other diseases. Several lines of evidence indicate that heavy metals have a key role in the induction or exacerbation of several autoimmune diseases (AD). Moreover, the association between exposure to heavy metals and the signs of autoimmunity are supported by some studies. The mechanisms by which heavy metals induce the development of AD are not yet fully understood. Our objective here is to highlight the association of exposure to some heavy metals and AD. In addition, we present recent results showing the possible alterations in Th1/Th2 reactivity by some heavy metals, which may constitute the trigger for the incidence of autoimmunity in susceptible individuals. PMID- 17785299 TI - EASI - The European Autoimmunity Standardisation Initiative: a new initiative that can contribute to agreed diagnostic models of diagnosing autoimmune disorders throughout Europe. AB - The European Autoimmunity Standardisation Initiative (EASI) was founded 6 years ago with the intention of improving diagnostics in chronic rheumatic disorders by strengthening the collaboration between clinical and laboratory scientists responsible for autoimmune diagnostics at any given level of the health care systems in Europe. Thorough clinical work-up is frequently not the basis for the usage of laboratory tests. Old established test methods may be exchanged for new methods without the differences being communicated. Often, the optimal way of reporting laboratory results to the clinic has not been agreed upon between clinicians and laboratory scientists. An EASI international team consisting of expert rheumatologists/internists/laboratory scientists from Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom meets once a year to discuss how interactions between laboratories and rheumatology clinics could be improved in practical terms, how algorithms for cost-effective and rational autoantibody testing could be harmonized, and what an international concept of standardization in this area could look like. In national EASI teams, which were founded in many European countries, clinical and laboratory experts also meet regularly to discuss how European guidelines may lead to practical improvements in their recent country-specific approaches. To enable the exchange of information and experiences, representatives of the different teams of the EASI Network will meet annually in the EASI Forum. All EASI teams will present and discuss the results of their activities with other experts in the field in an EASI Conference, which will be held biannually at the International Congress on Autoimmunity. PMID- 17785300 TI - Effector memory CD8+ T cells are resistant to apoptosis. AB - Based upon their migrating properties and effector functions, CD8(+) T cells have been further classified into central memory (T(CM)) and two types of effector memory (T(EM) and T(EMRA)) cells. These memory cells display distinct replicative characteristics. Because apoptosis plays an important role in cellular homeostasis, we have examined the relative sensitivity of naive (T(N)) and different memory CD8(+) T cells to apoptosis. We show that both T(EM) and T(EMRA) CD8(+) T cells are resistant to apoptosis, whereas T(N) and T(CM) CD8(+) T cells are sensitive to apoptosis. PMID- 17785301 TI - Two-step mechanism of virus-induced autoimmune hemolytic anemia. AB - Viruses are associated with the development of autoantibody-mediated blood autoimmune diseases. A two-step mechanism could explain virus involvement in the development of experimental hemolytic anemia. Immunization of normal mice with rat erythrocytes results in an autoantibody production that could be enhanced by viral infection, without erythrocyte destruction. Inoculation of the same virus when autoantibodies are at high levels triggers clinical anemia. This results from macrophage activation by gamma-interferon, leading to exacerbated erythrophagocytosis. Thus the development of anemia during the course of viral infection may require two independent stimuli, in which the first triggers autoantibody production and the second enhances the pathogenicity of these autoantibodies. PMID- 17785302 TI - Autoimmune reactions after electro-oxidation of IgG from healthy persons: relevance of electric current and antioxidants. AB - Proteins, including immunoglobulins, can be modified by oxidation. Extensive oxidation of immunoglobulins leads to denaturation and loss of biological activity, while initial steps of oxidation may change their specificity due to chemical alteration of the paratope. Electro-oxidation of the IgG fraction from healthy persons progress to auto-immunoreactivity, as shown for several autoantibodies including anti-beta2-glycoprotein I. Changes in immunoreactivity of IgG due to oxidative reactions highly depend on electric current and levels of serum antioxidants. Autoimmune reactions, leading to certain autoimmune diseases, may be partially a consequence of unbalanced antioxidative status of an individual. PMID- 17785303 TI - Autoimmune diseases are connected with disturbances in cytokine synthesis, and therapy with IFN-gamma blockers is their main pathogenetic treatment. AB - Development of autoimmune process in the organism is mainly due to disturbances in cytokine production. Hyperproduction of cytokines can be induced by certain viruses, bacteria, genetic factors, and other triggers. Cytokines act in an interrelated immune cascade with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) playing a central role. Blocking IFN-gamma is the safest and most effective method of treatment of TH1-mediated autoimmune diseases, although blocking other cytokines in the cascade may lead to some therapeutic effect as well. Disturbances in the synthesis of IFN-gamma and, possibly, IFN-alpha may lead to autoantigen formation. Antibodies to IFN-gamma have shown very pronounced therapeutic effect in multiple autoimmune conditions, especially in autoimmune skin diseases. Anticytokine therapy that we have pioneered may be the main pathogenetic method of treatment of a variety of autoimmune conditions. PMID- 17785304 TI - Screening of endothelial expression libraries for the identification of novel autoantigens involved in distinct autoimmune diseases characterized by endothelial dysfunction. AB - Screening a cDNA expression library is a powerful technique that allows identification of previously uncharacterized antigens. Proteins recognized by antibodies from patients with autoimmune diseases have been intensively studied over the past two decades since cDNAs encoding autoantigens have become available. Identity of many of them has been defined, and specific structural motifs or post-translational modifications, which may be important to explain the generation of such antibodies during the autoimmune process, have been pointed out. The screening of human umbilical artery or microvascular endothelial cell expression libraries appears to be a useful tool for the characterization of endothelial autoantigens allowing us to identify several molecules recognized from serum anti-endothelial cell antibodies of patients with diseases characterized by immune-mediated endothelial dysfunctions. PMID- 17785305 TI - Diagnosing diseases by measurement of electrical skin impedance: a novel technique. AB - Recently, we have seen the development of diagnostic tools based on the rationale that the measurement of electrical impedance of specific dermal zones might reflect the occurrence of pathological states in corresponding internal organs. Studies published lately have shown the diagnostic potential of this technique. We set out to evaluate the accuracy of this tool in diagnosing cancer. Our study group was composed of cancer patients visiting the Oncology clinic for a routine follow-up. All patients underwent conventional medical history and physical examination by a physician. We evaluated a device manufactured by Medex Screen Ltd. The device analysis was carried out by a physician who was blinded to the previous diagnosis. A third researcher compared the "conventional" diagnosis with the Medex device output using standard statistical analysis. Overall, 125 cancer patients were included in the study. When comparing Medex Screen diagnostic technique with the conventional methods of diagnosis for the various disorders we found a sensitivity of 76.2%, 78.7%, and 92.9% and a specificity of 95.0%, 90.7%, and 90.4% for lung, breast, and prostate cancer, respectively. Existence of metastatic disease or specific treatment did not affect the diagnostic properties of the described device. Although the exact mechanism is not entirely clear, measurement of electrical impedance of dermal-visceral zones has the potential to serve as a diagnostic and perhaps a screening tool for neoplastic pathologies. Further research should be conducted to create more evidence to support or dispute the use of this technique as a reliable diagnostic tool. PMID- 17785306 TI - Antigen preparation for immunological studies in systemic autoimmune diseases. AB - Systemic autoimmune diseases are characterized by the presence in patient sera of high titers of autoantibodies directed against self-antigens. The characterization of specific autoantigen-autoantibody system is very important for research as well as for diagnostic tools and several techniques can be employed in such immunological studies. In this review an overview of the different biochemical methods of antigen preparation and the specific methodological applications is given, also describing potential critical aspects and benefits of the different protocols. PMID- 17785307 TI - Comparison of two ELISA assays for anti-Sp100 determination. AB - Antibodies to Sp100 have been described not only in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but also in other diseases. Two assays for detection of Sp100 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have been compared in a cohort of patients from our area: (a) Sp100 kit produced by IMTEC, Immunodiagnostica GmbH, and (b) Quanta Lite Sp100 kit produced by INOVA Diagnostics. We analyze here the correlation between the two assays and compare their efficiency in diagnosing PBC. We also comment on the exceptions derived from reactivity with other diseases. We studied 78 sera by IIF with the typical multiple nuclear dots (MND) pattern from patients who suffered from PBC, hepatopathies different from PBC, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), other connective tissue diseases (CTD), skeletal diseases, lung diseases, hematological disorders, a miscellaneous group, and a healthy IIF negative control group. The tests work equally well despite their different quantification system: (a) it is based on a standard curve; and (b) it is based on a single-point antigen-specific calibration. Some discrepancies could be explained by differences in the immunodominant epitope used in the ELISA. The main finding of this study is that the presence of MND/Sp100-positive antibodies were detected not only in hepatic diseases, mainly PBC, but also in other clinical conditions, confirmed by both tests. Diagnosis of PBC must be established in the right clinical context, because other diseases recognizing the same epitope, mainly SLE, may also show high Sp100 levels. Sera from PBC patients with antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) showed higher anti Sp100 than the AMA-negative group. PMID- 17785308 TI - Diagnostic accuracy of IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody assays in celiac disease patients with selective IgA deficiency. AB - Clinical studies have estimated a 10- to 20-fold increased risk for celiac disease (CD) in patients with selective IgA deficiency (SIgAD). For this reason, screening for CD is mandatory in SIgAD patients, but it represents a special challenge since the specific IgA class antibodies against gliadin (AGA), endomysium (EMA), and tissue-transglutaminase (tTG) are not produced in patients with CD. IgG class counterparts of these antibodies may be informative; in particular IgG EMA has been demonstrated to be a valid marker for diagnosing CD in SIgAD cases, but it is not used much in clinical laboratories, because it is cumbersome and involves some technical difficulties. Even if it was widely used in clinical laboratories, the measuring of IgG AGA has shown a less-than-optimum diagnostic accuracy, so that now it tends to be substituted by tests for anti-tTG IgG, for which the few available studies have shown diagnostic performances superior to AGA. Since it is not known whether various available methods for measuring IgG anti-tTG antibodies offer similar diagnostic performances, we have compared the results obtained from nine second-generation commercial methods (D tek, Phadia, Immco, Orgentec, Radim, Euroimmun, Inova, Aesku, Generic Assays), measuring IgG anti-tTG antibodies in 20 patients with CD and SIgAD and in 113 controls (9 patients with SIgAD without CD, 54 patients with chronic liver disease, and 50 healthy individuals). Diagnostic sensitivity, calculated by means of ROC plot analysis, ranged between 75% and 95%, and specificity ranged from 94% to 100%. In the same population, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of AGA IgG were 40% and 87%, respectively. Even though they perform differently, all IgG anti-tTG methods evaluated are reliable serological assays for the diagnosis of CD in SIgAD patients, with diagnostic accuracy superior to the AGA IgG method. The methods that use a mix of tTG and gliadin peptides as the antigenic preparation have a specificity slightly lower than that of the methods that use only tTG. PMID- 17785309 TI - Antitopoisomerase 1 antibodies in systemic sclerosis: how to improve the detection? AB - Among the multiple autoantibodies identified in the serum of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, three are disease-specific, mutually exclusive, and helpful to determine the prognosis: anticentromere antibodies, antitopoisomerase 1 antibodies (ATA), and anti-RNA-polymerase III antibodies. ATA can be identified through different techniques, including double immunodiffusion (DID) assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or immunoblot. Although all of them are commonly used, none of them can be considered as the reference. Herein, we propose a brief description of the different methods available for the detection of ATA. All these studies revealed that ATA, determined by DID assay, ELISA, or immunoblot, are highly specific for SSc although the reported sensitivity is fickle. As we recently reported, patients with ATA had an almost similar phenotype without distinction between the methods of detection, ELISA, and immunoblot, and the use of these two techniques improves the sensitivity without diminishing the specificity. Thus, we may propose that a combination of the immunoblot using HEp-2 cells antigens and ELISA could be used for the detection of ATA. PMID- 17785310 TI - The effect of open heart surgery on tuberculin skin test reactivity. AB - To examine whether treatment with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which causes transient cellular immunity depression, influences tuberculin skin testing (TST) interpretation. The study was also aimed to assess the degree of cellular immunity depression following open heart surgery. Fifteen children from developing countries with latent tuberculosis (TST >or=10 mm), undergoing open heart surgery had their TST repeated within 48-72 h following surgery. We compared the size of skin test induration before and after surgery and the relation of postsurgery skin induration to time on CPB (pump time). There was no significant difference in the size of induration before and after surgery (mean: 14.7 mm versus 13 mm, respectively). Pump time ranged from 38 to 204 min (mean: 110 min). Two of the children had pump time over 3 h. The TST of both of them turned negative after surgery, as opposed to all other children (P = 0.01). Most patients retained skin test reactivity. Only patients with pump time longer than 3 h had a negative TST. PMID- 17785311 TI - Reliability of control skin tests with common antigens in children undergoing tuberculin skin test. AB - The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of skin tests with common antigens as a measure of delayed-type hypersensitivity response in children undergoing tuberculin skin test (TST). Children from developing countries underwent TST as well as skin tests with diphtheria-tetanus vaccine (DT) and candida antigens prior to heart surgery. We included 52 children (mean age: 7.16 years). Forty-two (81%) and 20 of the 52 patients (38%) reacted to the DT and candida skin tests, respectively (P < 0.001 for the difference in response to these antigens). There was no difference in response to candida and DT antigens between patients with positive or negative TST. There was no difference between patients aged 6 years or older compared to younger patients in the response to DT or candida antigen. Skin tests with common antigens are associated with a high false-negative rate and may not predict reliably a state of anergy. PMID- 17785312 TI - ENA screen chemiluminescence immunoassay: a random access method in autoimmunology. AB - Recently, autoimmunity, due to an increase in examination requests, has become an independent area of laboratory research, which needs management optimization in terms of quality, time, and flexibility. Therefore, we have evaluated the screening of extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) antibodies both with a chemiluminescence immunoassay and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, which was used in our laboratory, as a reference kit. The most important difference between these two methods is the possibility of processing serum samples with a random access system, which is different from batch methods. PMID- 17785313 TI - Evaluation of the BioPlex 2200 ANA screen for the detection of antinuclear antibodies and comparison with conventional methods. AB - BioPlex 2200 multiplexed assays system is an automatic method allowing detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANA). The aim of our study was to evaluate the determination of 13 autoantibodies against chromatinic and nonchromatinic nuclear antigens by the BioPlex 2200 system and to compare the results achieved by this method to those obtained with our routinely used immunoassays. One thousand and four serum samples consecutively sent for ANA detection were routinely tested by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on HEp2 cells. Among them, 321 were also analyzed by dsDNA enzyme immunoassay (EliA) test and 657 by double immunodiffusion (DID) for extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) antibodies. All the sera were evaluated by the BioPlex 2200 ANA screen kit allowing simultaneous detection of antibodies against the following antigens: dsDNA, chromatin, SSA-52 kDa, SSA-60 kDa, SSB, Sm, Sm/RNP, RNP-A, RNP-68 kDa, Scl70, centromere B, Jo-1, and P ribosomal proteins. The kappa coefficient between BioPlex 2200 and routine tests for detection of ANA on HEp2 cells, anti-dsDNA, and anti-ENA antibodies was, respectively, 0.31, 0.66, and 0.61. The comparison with our routine tests showed numerous discrepancies between IIF ANA screening and BioPlex but a good concordance for detection of anti-dsDNA and anti-ENA specificities. BioPlex 2200 system is a rapid and sensitive method for simultaneous quantitative detection of several autoantibodies. It is perfectly well adapted to determine ANA antigenic specificities of samples found positive using initial IIF screening. The capability of this multiplexed technology to analyze simultaneously 13 ANA autoantibodies leads to the rapid availability of an "autoimmune connective tissue disease serologic profile." PMID- 17785314 TI - A new line immunoassay for the multiparametric detection of antiganglioside autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune peripheral neuropathies. AB - A novel line immunoassay for the multiparametric detection of 11 antiganglioside autoantibodies (GM1, GM2, GM3, GM4, GD1a, GD1b, GD2, GD3, GT1a, GT1b, and GQ1b) was evaluated by comparing the reactivities in sera of 77 patients with suspected or definite autoimmune peripheral neuropathies (PNP), 60 blood donors, and 30 systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE) patients. At least one antiganglioside autoantibody was detectable in 97.4% of the patients with neuropathies compared to 12.2% in the control group. A broad spectrum of reactivities with more than two antiganglioside autoantibodies including all tested gangliosides except GD2 and GT1b was found in nearly one-third of the patients with neuropathies whereas in the control group autoantibody profiles with more than two reactivities were observed in two SLE patients only. For the first time anti-GM4 IgG and IgM antibodies were shown in PNP including Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). Different autoantibody profiles detectable by this multiparametric assay may help to diagnose different entities within the growing spectrum of autoimmune PNP. PMID- 17785315 TI - Lipocalin-2, TWEAK, and other cytokines as urinary biomarkers for lupus nephritis. AB - Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As the course of LN is often unpredictable, it is important to identify reliable, noninvasive methods to repeatedly assess the condition of the kidneys in these patients. Urinary biomarkers are easily obtained and probably are best at reflecting the current renal status, as they specifically represent local inflammatory activity. In this article, we review a number of potential urinary biomarkers, including Lipocalin-2, MCP-1, IP-10, IL 6, and IL-8. Additionally, we provide evidence for the possible utility of the novel cytokine TWEAK as a urinary biomarker for LN. PMID- 17785316 TI - Prevalence of antinucleosome antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune systemic diseases. AB - The objective was to report our experience with the detection of antinucleosome antibodies (anti-Ncs Ab) in a series of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and to compare these results with those of antihistone and anti-double stranded (ds) DNA antibodies. For this we selected 128 patients (106 females, 22 males, mean age 40 years) including 52 patients with SLE without organ involvement, 14 with lupus nephritis, 8 with neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE), 39 with systemic sclerosis (SSc), 15 with Sjogren syndrome (SS), and 51 healthy controls (38 females, 13 males, mean age 42 years). The sera were assayed for the levels of anti-ds DNA (ELISA), antihistone (INNO LIA ANA Update), anti-Ncs Ab (ELISA) and antinuclear antibodies (ANA-indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on Hep 2 cells). The frequencies of positive anti-Ncs Ab, anti-ds DNA, and antihistone antibodies were in group of patients with SLE: 73%, 63%, and 54%, with SSc: 18%, 8%, 5%, and with SS: 3%, 3% and 0%, respectively. Patients with SLE have significantly increased levels of anti-Ncs Ab in their sera compared to healthy controls, SSc patients, and patients with SS. The concentration of the anti-Ncs Ab was 76 IU/mL in the SLE patients, 139 IU/mL in cases with lupus nephritis, 117 IU in NPSLE patients, 15 IU/mL in the SSc and 8 IU/mL in the healthy controls. All the three autoantibodies were present more frequently in cases with lupus and this correlation was significant in statistical means. Antinucleosome IgG antibodies seem to be a more sensitive marker of SLE than anti-ds DNA. PMID- 17785317 TI - Predictive value of antibodies to citrullinated peptides and rheumatoid factors in anti-TNF-alpha treated patients. AB - This article will focus on the relationship between serum levels of anti citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) or rheumatoid factor (RF) and clinical response to TNF-alpha blockers in order to evaluate whether these antibodies may have a role as serological markers of response to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The changes induced in anti-CCP levels after TNF blocking therapy still remain a controversial issue even though a marked reduction following conventional DMARDs has been reported in early disease. On the other hand, a drop in RF levels during treatment has been reported by many authors. Decreased IgM RF levels seem to parallel clinical response suggesting that this antibody can also be regarded as a marker of response to treatment. Pre treatment RF positivity or negativity does not influence response to TNF-alpha blocking therapy while high pre-treatment levels of IgA RF seem to be associated with a poor response rate. PMID- 17785318 TI - Redox-reactive autoantibodies in cerebrospinal fluids. AB - The oxidative stress associated with increased transitional metal concentrations in neurodegenerative diseases served as the impetus for our testing the status of redox-reactive autoantibodies in the cerebrospinal fluids from autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's patients. Here we describe a novel family of autoantibodies capable of recognizing autoantigens subsequent to in vitro oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions in the blood and spinal fluids of all normal individuals tested. Redox autoantibodies are not detected in conventional immunoassays, thereby differentiating them from natural and hidden autoantibodies described by others. Whereas blood-borne redox autoantibodies can be IgG, IgM, and/or IgA, in spinal fluid the antibody isotype is limited to IgG. Autoantibodies in certain patients are reversible and disappear when exposed to oxidizing agents in vitro. One mechanism proposed to modulate the autoantibody unmasking-masking reactions relies upon redox-driven nitrosylation of an amino acid-containing aromatic ring, which is found within the complementarity-determining regions (CDR) of the antibodies' antigen-binding sites. The evolutionary persistence of this novel autoantibody family indicates that they are important for immunological homeostasis and suggests that they perform necessary physiological functions. The dramatic difference in the presence of such antibodies in normal versus Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggests an important immune system dysfunction in AD. PMID- 17785319 TI - Determination of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL) versus ox LDL/beta2GPI complexes for the assessment of autoimmune-mediated atherosclerosis. AB - The immunolocalization of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL), beta2 glycoprotein I (beta(2)GPI), CD4(+)/CD8(+) immunoreactive lymphocytes, and immunoglobulins in atherosclerotic lesions strongly suggested an active participation of the immune system in atherogenesis. Oxidative stress leading to ox-LDL production is thought to play a central role in both the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. ox-LDL is highly proinflammatory and chemotactic for macrophage/monocyte and immune cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to measure circulating ox-LDL have been developed and are being currently used to assess oxidative stress as risk factor or marker of atherosclerotic disease. ox-LDL interacts with beta(2)GPI and circulating ox LDL/beta(2)GPI complexes have been demonstrated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). It has been postulated that beta(2)GPI binds ox-LDL to neutralize its proinflammatory and proatherosclerotic effects. Because beta(2)GPI is ubiquitous in plasma, its interaction with ox-LDL may mask oxidized epitopes recognized by capture antibodies potentially interfering with immunoassays results. The measurement of ox-LDL/beta(2)GPI complexes may circumvent this interference representing a more physiological and accurate way of measuring ox-LDL. PMID- 17785320 TI - Serological and clinical characterization of anti-dsDNA and anti-PM/Scl double positive patients. AB - Antibodies to double-stranded desoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) and to the polymyositis/scleroderma (PM/Scl) complex are regarded as serological markers for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and PM/Scl overlap syndrome, respectively. In a previous study, serum samples were identified that contained antibodies specific for both dsDNA and PM/Scl. Fourteen of these sera were available for more detailed investigation including the autoantibody profile as determined by several methods including an addressable laser bead assay, Crithidia luciliae indirect immunofluorescence test (CLIFT) and a PM1-Alpha ELISA. Moreover, 300 samples from connective tissue disease patients and 30 PM/Scl positive samples were screened for anti-dsDNA(+)/PM/Scl(+) specimens by CLIFT, dsDNA ELISA, and PM1-Alpha ELISA. We confirmed anti-dsDNA and anti-PM/Scl reactivity in 2/7 samples from the previous study. One sample had also anti-chromatin and anti-SS-A reactivity and the second sample was oligoreactive. In addition, 2/300 (0.7%) unselected samples from connective tissue disease patients were identified with anti-dsDNA and anti-PM/Scl reactivity. In a panel of PM1-Alpha positive samples (n = 30) collected regardless of the diagnosis of the patients, no anti-dsDNA reactivity was found. All anti-dsDNA(+)/anti-PM/Scl(+) patients identified fulfilled sufficient criteria to be classified as definite SLE and also had at least one feature of systemic sclerosis (i.e., sclerodactyly and/or Raynaud's phenomenon). Only 1/4 patients had clinical evidence of dermatomyositis. The combination of anti-dsDNA(+)/anti-PM/Scl(+) in patients suffering from connective tissue disease is less frequently found than previously described when newer assays are used. Clinically, anti-dsDNA(+)/anti-PM/Scl(+) patients may define a small subgroup of SLE patients with additional features of systemic sclerosis. PMID- 17785321 TI - Performance of antinuclear antibody connective tissue disease screen. AB - Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) have become routine laboratory parameters in clinical hospitals. However, ANA testing by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) assays is not an automated laboratory test. Efforts are being made to develop easy and semi- or automated methods to screen for ANAs. We evaluated the clinical performance of a new ELISA developed to screen for connective tissue disease related ANAs. The presence of serum ANA was studied with a commercial ELISA (Varelisa ANA CTD Screen) in 472 patients (202 SLE, 41 Sjogren syndrome, 11 CREST, 59 rheumatoid arthritis, 30 seronegative spondyloarthropaties, 77 inflammatory bowel disease, 13 reactive arthritis, 11 giant cell arteritis, 28 ankylosing spondilitis). A hundred and five sera from healthy subjects were used as controls. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis was carried out in order to optimize the cutoff. At target specificities of 80/90%, sensitivities of 80.8/ 73.9% were achieved. At the manufacturer's cutoff (ratio >or=1.0) sensitivity/specificity of 71.4/91.2% was found. At that cutoff, a positive likelihood ratio of 8.11 was found. For helping in the diagnosis of connective tissue diseases a test employing a subset of the most prevalent specificities reveals a good compromise as indicated by a high-positive likelihood ratio. However, the presence of ANAs in pathologies other than connective tissue diseases, such as SLE or Sjogren syndrome, may be of clinical significance as well. In these cases an IIF assay test is still mandatory, especially in autoimmune laboratories. PMID- 17785322 TI - Multiplex assays to diagnose celiac disease. AB - Patients with celiac disease are sensitive to the gluten fractions of wheat. Symptoms include gastrointestinal problems and a failure to thrive in children, but may range from headaches to general malaise in adults. Thus, it is difficult to diagnose celiac disease by symptoms alone. The standard diagnostic criteria include the presence of the characteristic anti-gliadin or anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (anti-tTG) in serum, flattened mucosa on intestinal biopsy, and improved symptoms on a gluten-free diet. Because of the ease of use of the tTG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) compared to endomysial by indirect immunofluorescence assay, there has been much more screening for celiac disease in recent years. This increased screening showed that celiac disease was more prevalent than previously believed. We compared a new multiplex assay that includes a novel form of deamidated gliadin and recombinant human tTG as the antigens to other assays using standard antigens. In addition, the new assay detects the presence of selective IgA deficiency, which shows a 10-fold increase in prevalence in patients with celiac disease compared to the general population. The combination of sensitivity and specificity of the new multiplex assay was equal or better than those for standard assays. Thus the performance, ease of use, and ability to measure three clinically important parameters in a single test make the new multiplex assay a viable alternative to standard assays in a clinical lab. PMID- 17785323 TI - Could serum antibody to poly(ADP-ribose) and/or histone H1 be marker for senile dementia of Alzheimer type? AB - Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation has been focused on ischemic injury in the brain in relation to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have measured IgG antibodies against poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose (pADPR) as well as histone H1 (H1) in 26 patients with either AD or with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT), and found that 80.7% (21/26) were positive for anti-pADPR IgG antibodies. Anti-H1 IgG antibodies were less positive (57.6%) (15/26) than anti-pADPR IgG antibodies, however, titers of both antibodies were well correlated (r = 0.768). Meanwhile, similar studies on 32 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who were positive for anti-pADPR antibody showed poor correlation (r = 0.184) and the difference in the correlation was statistically significant (r < 0.01). It is worthy of remark that anti-double-stranded (ds) DNA antibody, which is the hallmark of SLE, was negative in all dementia patients. Together with the findings that major subclass in dementia is both IgG1 and IgG2 and that in SLE was IgG2, the mode of production of anti-pADPR antibody in AD and SDAT is under different regulation mechanisms from that in SLE. Given the evidence that major target for ADP-ribosylation is H1 molecule, the association between anti-pADPR and anti-H1 in AD/SDAT makes sense and supports the concept that modification of proteins renders them immunogenic. Whatever the regulation is, parallel assay of two antibodies above would be of use not only for monitoring the disease process but also as a prodrome for possible subsets of SDAT and AD. PMID- 17785324 TI - Identification by proteomic tool of atypical anti-liver/kidney microsome autoantibodies targets in de novo autoimmune hepatitis after liver transplantation. AB - De novo autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) occurs after liver transplantation for nonautoimmune disorders. Autoantibodies so-called atypical anti-liver/kidney microsome antibodies (LKMA) with an unusual liver/kidney cytoplasmic staining as judged by indirect immunofluorescence, can be detected in some patients' sera. Few studies investigated their molecular targets, and the aim of this work was to identify the atypical anti-LKMA targets by proteomic tool. This proteomic approach consisted of (a) two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of cytosolic and microsomal proteins obtained by differential centrifugations of rat liver and rat kidney, followed by (b) two-dimensional immunoblotting with sera of patients with de novo AIH (n = 8, including 2 with anti-LKMA antibodies) and then (c) identifications of interest spots performed by ion trap mass spectrometry. By this way several proteins at 25 kDa were unambiguously identified: isoforms of carbonic anhydrase III, members of different glutathione S-transferase (GST) families, and subunit beta1 of proteasome. This is the first report of proteasome and carbonic anhydrase III as autoantigens in de novo AIH. These results could lead to a better diagnosis of this disease using identified autoantigens in diagnostic tests, and strengthen proteomic approach as a new way of autoantigens investigation. PMID- 17785325 TI - Automatic analysis of immunofluorescence patterns of HEp-2 cells. AB - The standard screening test for the recognition of autoimmune diseases is the proof of autoantibodies in serum of patients by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) based on HEp-2 cells. Manual evaluation of this test is very subjective, slow, and there are no objective parameters as guidelines available. Interlaboratory tests showed occasionally large deviations in the test evaluation resulting in a high variance of results. The aim of this project is fast, objective, safe, and economical automatic analysis of HEp-2 IIF patterns. Images of IIF patterns were completely and automatically captured using an inverse motorized fluorescence microscope. Thereby, device-specific parameters were controlled automatically, too. For fast analysis of IIF patterns new algorithms of image processing were developed. Artifacts were recognized and excluded from analysis by the developed software. Analysis of more than 80,000 images clearly demonstrated full automatization and fast processing of IIF patterns. Additionally serum-specific fluorescence could be easily distinguished from background. Even very weak but positive patterns can be recognized and used for diagnosis. A detailed separation into different basic patterns is possible. Objective, fast, and disease-related economical analysis of HEp-2 immunofluorescence patterns is feasible. The implemented software algorithms allowed a mathematical way of describing IIF patterns and can therefore be a useful tool for the needed standardization process. PMID- 17785326 TI - Exploring cDNA phage display for autoantibody profiling in the serum of multiple sclerosis patients: optimization of the selection procedure. AB - We applied a cDNA phage display method called serological antigen selection (SAS) to identify immunogenic targets that evoke an autoantibody response in the serum of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This method involves the display of a cDNA expression library, in this study a MS brain library, on filamentous phage and subsequent selection using patient immunoglobulin G (IgG). To apply the SAS technology for autoantibodies in the serum of MS patients, an optimization was necessary to deplete cDNA products that encode IgG fragments derived from B cells present in the MS brain plaques. We describe a differential screening procedure in which positive selection rounds on MS serum and negative selection rounds on healthy control serum were alternated to optimize the selection procedure. As a result, a substantial decrease of IgG-displaying phage clones was observed after each negative selection round, thereby preventing an overgrowth of IgG-displaying phage clones. Our depletion strategy was therefore successful in preventing the enrichment of IgG-displaying phage clones. This approach will facilitate the identification of possible MS-related antigens. PMID- 17785327 TI - Novel biomarkers in autoimmune diseases: prolactin, ferritin, vitamin D, and TPA levels in autoimmune diseases. AB - The development of autoimmune diseases may be influenced by hormonal, immunomodulatory, and metabolic pathways. Prolactin (PRL), ferritin, vitamin D, and the tumor marker tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) were measured in autoimmune diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), multiple sclerosis (MS), autoimmune thyroid diseases, and antiphospholipid syndrome. Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL) was detected in 24% of PM patients, in 21% of SLE patients, in 6.7% of MS patients, 6% of RA patients, and in 3% of SSc patients. Hyperferritinemia was detected in 23% of SLE patients, 15% of DM patients, 8% of MS patients, and 4% of RA patients. The patients had relatively low levels of 25 OH Vitamin D: the average results (mean +/- SD) were between 9.3 +/- 4.4 to 13.7 +/- 7.1 ng/mL in the different diseases, while the 25 OH Vitamin D concentrations less than 20 ng/mL are regarded as deficient. TPA levels were in the same range of the controls, elevated only in SLE. HPRL, hyperferritinemia, hypovitaminosis D, and TPA levels did not correlate with SLE activity elevated levels of rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP antibodies in RA. HPRL, hyperferritinemia, and hypovitaminosis D have different immunological implications in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune diseases. Preventive treatment with vitamin D or therapy for HPRL with dopamine agonists, may be considered in certain cases. Hyperferritinemia may be used as an acute-phase reactant marker in autoimmune diseases mainly SLE. TPA may be used to indicate the tendency for malignancies. PMID- 17785328 TI - Evaluation of current methods for the measurement of serum anti double-stranded DNA antibodies. AB - Autoantibodies to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) are, by definition, serological markers of systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the clinical value of anti dsDNA antibodies largely depends on the assay principle and analytical variables of the methods used to quantitate and immunologically characterize them. In the present article, an overview of current methods for anti-dsDNA antibody detection is presented, together with a look at the future trends in technologies newly employed in this field. PMID- 17785329 TI - Evaluation of the LIAISON ANA screen assay for antinuclear antibody testing in autoimmune diseases. AB - Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are widely detected by immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells in patients with connective tissue diseases and other pathological conditions. We evaluated the first-automated chemiluminescence immunoassay for the detection of ANA (LIAISON ANA screen, DiaSorin). This study was carried out simultaneously in two laboratories by testing 327 patient samples with clinically defined connective diseases, 273 routine samples for ANA screening, and 300 blood donors. A total of 268 out of 337 IIF-positive sera were positive with LIAISON ANA screen (79.5% of agreement) and 240 out of 263 IIF-negative sera were negative with LIAISON ANA screen (91.2% of agreement). After resolution of discrepant results, the concordance reached, respectively, 94.9% and 98.8%. The specificity was 99.3% and the sensitivity was 94%. Unlike results obtained by other ANA screening assays, we observed acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Despite the presence of HEp-2 cell extract, we failed to detect some antibodies as antinucleolar, antinuclear envelope, and antiproliferating cell nuclear antigen. This automated assay allows quick process to results and exhibits satisfactory sensitivity for the detection of the main ANA specificities of connective tissue diseases. PMID- 17785331 TI - Antinucleosome antibodies and systemic lupus erythematosus. AB - The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of antinucleosome antibody in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their association with disease activity and renal involvement. The study included 131 patients with SLE, 74 rheumatoid arthritis, 26 systemic sclerosis, and 50 healthy individuals. Antinucleosome antibody and anti-dsDNA antibody were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antinuclear antibody was tested by immunofluorescence using HEp-2 cells. Out of 131 SLE patients, 72 (54.9%) were seropositive for antinucleosome antibody, which was significantly higher than only 3 of 74 (4%) patients with rheumatoid arthritis (chi(2) = 52.82, P < 0.001); none of the patients with systemic sclerosis and 50 healthy individuals were seropositive. The sensitivity and specificity of antinucleosome antibodies in SLE were 83.6% and 70%, respectively. Fifty-one (38.9%) of SLE patients had renal involvement. Among these patients, the rate of antinucleosome positivity and anti-dsDNA were 74.5% and 78.4%, respectively. Antinucleosome antibodies were found to be 31.4% positive in SLE patients lacking anti-dsDNA antibody. Antinucleosome antibodies significantly correlated with disease activity (r = 0.428, P < 0.001) and anti dsDNA (r = 0518, P < 0.001). The positivity of antinucleosome antibodies was significantly higher in patients with renal disease than the subjects without renal disease (chi(2) = 12.89, P < 0.001). The results of our study have revealed that in SLE patients, antinucleosome antibody could be a useful parameter for the assessment of disease activity or renal involvement. PMID- 17785330 TI - Clinical significance of anti-histidyl-tRNA synthetase (Jo1) autoantibodies. AB - The clinical significance of a discovery of anti-histidyl-tRNA synthetase (Jo1) autoantibodies patients was established in the early diagnosis of antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) as the common form of this pathology is characterized by interstitial lung disease (ILD), inflammatory muscle disease, and production of anti-Jo1 autoantibodies. However, the specificity of such autoantibodies has to be evaluated in daily clinical practice. In this study, the clinical and prognostic profiles of 45 patients displaying anti-Jo1 autoantibodies were determined. Among 36 patients with a titer of anti-Jo1 autoantibodies above the cutoff value suggested by the manufacturer (40 AU/mL), three different groups were identified. The first group (n = 26) suffered from a complete or incomplete ASS and showed anti-Jo1 autoantibodies mostly above 60 AU/mL. A second group (n = 7) suffered from another autoimmune disease, that is, a systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn's disease with anti-Jo1 autoantibodies mostly below 60 AU/mL. The third group (n = 3) did not suffer from any autoimmune disease and presented anti-Jo1 autoantibodies below 60 AU/mL. The nine doubtful cases (titer of anti-Jo1 autoantibodies of 30-39 AU/mL) were from patients with no ASS nor myositis. Only 27 out of 45 patients showed antinuclear antibodies with 15 sera showing a pattern characteristic of anti-Jo1 autoantibodies by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp2 cells. In conclusion, this study underlines the need to search for anti-Jo1 autoantibodies even if antinuclear antibodies are negative by indirect immunofluorescence and underlines the usefulness of anti-Jo1 antibodies of titer above 60 AU/mL in the diagnosis of complete or incomplete ASS. PMID- 17785332 TI - Protein expression profile of celiac disease patient with aberrant T cell by two dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. AB - One complication of celiac disease (CD) is refractory CD. These patients frequently show aberrant intraepithelial T cell clones and an increasing risk of evolution into enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma (EATL). There is debate in the literature whether these cases are actually a smoldering lymphoma from the outset. The mechanism inducing T cell proliferation and prognosis remains unknown. Recently, alemtuzumab has been proposed as a promising new approach to treat these patients. Only few single cases have been tested presently, nevertheless, in all of them a clinical improvement has been observed, while intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) effectively targeted by alemtuzumab are still a debated issue. Using 2D-DIGE, we found hyperexpressed proteins specifically associated with aberrant T cell in a patient with CD by comparing the protein expression with that of patients with CD and polyclonal T cell or with that of control subjects (patients with polyclonal T cell and no CD). Proteins with a higher expression in duodenal biopsy of the patient with aberrant T cell were identified as IgM, apolipoprotein C-III, and Charcot-Leyden crystal proteins. These preliminary data allow hypothesizing different clinical effects of alemtuzumab in patients with CD, since besides the probable effect of alemtuzumab on T cell, it could effect inflammatory-associated CD52(+) IgM(+)B cell and eosinophils cells, known to produce IgM and Charcot-Leyden crystal proteins, which we demonstrated to be altered in this patient. Results also emphasize the possible association of apolipoprotein with aberrant T cell proliferation. PMID- 17785333 TI - Chemokine profile of different inflammatory myopathies reflects humoral versus cytotoxic immune responses. AB - The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IM) are subdivided into dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis (PM), and sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM). These autoimmune muscle diseases represent different immunopathological entities. DM is a humoral endotheliopathy initiated by complement deposition in intramuscular blood vessels, and characterized by perimysial inflammation and muscle fiber atrophy in perifascicular regions. In PM and IBM, nonnecrotic muscle fibers are actively invaded by autoaggressive macrophages and cytotoxic T cells. Chemokines are key mediators of inflammatory disease as they regulate leukocyte recruitment to tissue target sites. We studied a large selection of alpha/beta-chemokines and receptors in normal controls and in the IM using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, and Western blotting. We showed that the chemokine array of normal myocytes was limited, while the blood vessels in normal skeletal muscle tissue displayed a broad chemokine profile. The IM were characterized by a general increase of specific chemokines and chemokine receptors, while chemokine distribution reflected the two different immune responses represented within these muscle diseases. In DM, endothelial expression of CCL2 and CXCL12beta was highly increased. In PM and IBM, macrophages and cytotoxic T cells actively invading nonnecrotic muscle fibers expressed highest levels of CXCL10 and CCL2. Some chemokines were selectively expressed by different IM infiltrates: CCL4 was present only in the perimysial inflammatory foci of a subset of DM biopsies, while CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CCL7-positive cells were exclusively detected in endomysial infiltrates of a number of PM and IBM samples. The chemokine receptor profile of the IM indicated the predominance of Th1-mediated immune responses in all three IM. Our studies identified three ligand-receptor pairs, namely CXCL10/CXCR3, CXCL12/CXCR4, and CCL2/CCR2, as potential targets for chemokine-based therapy in IM. PMID- 17785334 TI - Evaluation of the FIDIS vasculitis multiplex immunoassay for diagnosis and follow up of ANCA-associated vasculitis and Goodpasture's disease. AB - We have evaluated a new-multiplex immunoassay (FIDIS Vasculitis) for simultaneous detection and quantification of anti-MPO, -PR3, and -glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies in diagnosis and follow-up of ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) and Goodpasture's disease. ANCA were determined in sera of (a) 87 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven pauci-immune NCGN and 72 controls; (b) 9 patients with Goodpasture's disease; and (c) 60 WG patients and 60 controls, previously used in a multicenter comparison of direct and capture ELISA for PR3-ANCA. Finally, for prediction of relapses, PR3-ANCA was measured in samples preceding relapse in 23 PR3-AAV patients and in 23 matched PR3-AAV patients without relapse. The relative sensitivity of the FIDIS Vasculitis assay was 97.4% for MPO ANCA and 92.3% for PR3-ANCA; specificity was 100% and 97.2%, respectively. Evaluation of the anti-GBM antibody detection revealed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.6%. The sensitivity for WG of the PR3-ANCA detection (71.6%) approached the performance of capture ELISA (74%), although at the cost of specificity (96.7% versus 100%). For prediction of relapses a rise of 50% in ANCA level by FIDIS Vasculitis appeared optimal (ROC curve) for prediction of relapses. However, as compared to capture ELISA, both positive (63% versus 76%) and negative (68% versus 72%) predictive values were reduced. In conclusion, simultaneous detection of anti-MPO, -PR3, and -GBM antibodies in the multiplex FIDIS Vasculitis assay has excellent performance in terms of diagnosis of patients with AAV or Goodpasture's disease. However, detection of rises in PR3 ANCA for prediction of relapses gives less optimal results when compared to capture ELISA. PMID- 17785335 TI - Comparison of three multiplex immunoassays for detection of antibodies to extractable nuclear antibodies using clinically defined sera. AB - We set out to determine the agreement of three multiplex immunoassays for the detection of autoantibodies involved in connective tissue disease using clinically defined sera. Usefulness of the immunoassays will be defined by correlation to disease state. Using the immunoassays from Inova Diagnostics, Biomedical Diagnostics (BMD), and AtheNA, reactivity, to Smith (Sm), ribonucleic protein (RNP), SSA (Ro), SSB (La), Scl-70, and dsDNA or chromatin, we tested 273 clinically defined sera consisting of 57 systemic lupus erythrematosus (SLE) sera, 69 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sera, 47 sera defined as various other connective tissue diseases, and 100 normal donor sera. Samples were also tested for anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) oN HEp-2 cells by IFA for analysis of discrepant results. Inova, BMD, and AtheNA assays demonstrated 57%, 89%, and 80% concordance, respectively, in the 47 connective tissue disease sera. The BMD assay was the most sensitive in detecting Scl-70. The immunoassays did not correlate well in the 57 SLE-defined sera; however, each had a variety of antibodies positive for each serum. The AtheNA assay demonstrated the highest degree of nonspecificity. Inova, BMD, AtheNA, and the Inova ANA HEp-2 IFA demonstrated 97%, 98%, 97%, and 99% specificity, respectively, using normal sera. Thus, all three assays showed a 97% or better negative predictive value. Positive correlation varied from 83% to 98%. Antibodies in SLE sera did not compare well among the three immunoassays. Significant variation in specificity and sensitivity due to individual characteristics of each assay was demonstrated, with the BMD assay showing the highest correlation with clinical diagnosis. PMID- 17785336 TI - Identification of histidine-rich glycoprotein, a potential autoantigen, in human and rat brain preparations. AB - Beta(2)-glycoprotein-I (beta(2)-GPI, also known as apolipoprotein H) is a major autoantigen in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a disease commonly affecting the central nervous system. We examined whether beta2-GPI and similar proteins exist in rat and human brains. No expression was found on Northern blot analysis of human brain. Utilizing a standard procedure for the isolation of serum beta2 GPI we purified a 100 kD human brain protein, which was found by peptide sequencing to have full homology with the serum protein, histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRGP). Expression of HRGP in rat and human brain was established by RT-PCR studies and a partial sequence of rat brain HRGP was obtained showing 68% homology with the human protein. IgG from most APS patients bound to HRGP, which shares distinct biochemical properties with beta2-GPI, is present in the brain and may be an important autoantigen. PMID- 17785337 TI - An analysis of experimental conditions influencing the anti-beta2-glycoprotein I ELISA assay results. AB - Five components of the anti-beta(2)-glycoprotein I (abeta(2)GPI) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (coating buffer, microplate brand, blocking buffer, dilution buffer, and conjugate) were analyzed to evaluate how they affect variability in test results. Thirty-two samples from patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) positive for abeta(2)GPI IgG antibodies and three calibrators (a pool of abeta(2)GPI-positive patients, the monoclonal HCAL antibody, and a home-made calibrator) were tested. No differences with regard to the blocking step were noted. Differences were found between the neutral and basic coating buffer when HCAL was used. There were significant differences between Maxisorp and all the other brands of tested microplates. Differences were found between phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and all the other dilution buffers examined, with exception of TRIS when HCAL or the home-made calibrator was used. There were differences between our routine conjugate and one of the other four conjugates tested when using two of the three calibrators. There were also significant differences between the routine and another conjugate analyzed when using the third calibrator. As variations in abeta(2)GPI ELISA conditions determine significant differences in the results, selecting the appropriate test variables is an important step toward abeta(2)GPI assay standardization. PMID- 17785338 TI - Development of automated assays for anticardiolipin antibodies determination: addressing antigen and standardization issues. AB - The lack of reliable standardization tools as well as the poorly defined nature of the "Cardiolipin antigen" makes the development of the anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) assays (for anti-IgG and IgM detection) highly challenging. This article describes how several issues have been solved during the development of an automated ACA immunoassays, based on a technology that includes paramagnetic microbeads as solid-phase reagents and chemiluminescence as a signal. The technology is adapted to an automatic immunoanalyzer, called LIAISON, which performs, in an automatic manner, the whole assay, starting from the primary tube of the bleeding to the display of the assay result. Briefly, the magnetic microbeads were coated with an ethanolic solution of cardiolipin (CL) followed by an affinity-purified, cross-linked human beta2-glycoprotein I. CL-coated paramagnetic microbeads, after incubation with an ACA-positive sera plus addition of immunogold-protein A, were visualized by SEM, showing the presence of well defined protein clusters on the microbeads surface as an indication of the successful occurrence of the "antigen" coating. The assay standardization was achieved on the basis of human samples containing various amount of ACA, which were previously classified according to consensus doses. The evaluation of the optimized LIAISON Cardiolipin assays (IgG and IgM) was conducted by using clinically characterized APS sera. The results of the evaluation showed that the LIAISON assays perform at least similar to certain well-established ACA enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) products. PMID- 17785339 TI - Biological and clinical relevance of anti-prothrombin antibodies. AB - Anti-prothrombin (anti-PT) antibodies are recently identified antibodies directed toward a phospholipid-binding protein (prothrombin), which deserve attention for the reported clinical and pathogenic relevance in antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We have recently carried out a longitudinal study on the predictive value of anti-PT antibodies in SLE showing that they have a higher diagnostic accuracy for thrombosis than anti-beta(2)-GPI and anticardiolipin antibodies, and, along with LAC activity, are the best predictors of thromboembolic events in SLE patients. PMID- 17785340 TI - Clinical evaluation of a new quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of double-stranded DNA autoantibodies. AB - The measurement of autoantibodies specific for double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) is a useful tool for the diagnosis and the prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A new quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), ORG anti-dsDNA, is recently available for the determination of anti dsDNA antibodies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of this new assay in a cohort of SLE patients. Seventy-five sera from SLE patients were tested by two methods for anti-dsDNA determination, ORG anti-dsDNA, and EliA anti-dsDNA. Normal controls were 60 sera from healthy subjects. Moreover, 37 sera from patients with non-SLE connective tissue diseases were tested in parallel. The levels of complement components (C3, C4, CH50) were measured by nephelometry. From SLE patients, 91% were positive against 9% in non SLE patients and 2% in healthy subjects. The sensitivity, specificity, and Youden test for SLE were 90%, 98%, and 88%, respectively. The Yule test (1%) indicated a close association with the disease. The comparison with EliA anti-dsDNA showed a moderate concordance between the two tests in the group of SLE (kappa = 0.51) and a good concordance in the non-SLE group (kappa = 0.89). A significant inverse correlation was found with complement components levels, biological markers associated with disease activity. Our results show this new assay as sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of SLE. Moreover, the correlation with markers associated with disease activity makes it promising for clinical use. PMID- 17785341 TI - Characterization of autoantibodies against components of the nuclear pore complexes: high frequency of anti-p62 nucleoporin antibodies. AB - Antibodies against nuclear components (ANAs) occur in sera of approximately 50% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). By indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) ANA-positive PBC sera generate most frequently, homogeneous, speckled, centromere, and rim-like staining patterns. A perinuclear staining pattern is indicative for the reactivity of the sera with the components of the nuclear envelope. A substantial subset of PBC patients develops antibodies against constituents of the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). These autoantibodies target two major autoantigens: gp210 glycoprotein and p62 kDa nucleoporin. Originally, a strong reaction of PBC with a 60 kDa protein of NPCs that was affinity purified on wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA)-Sepharose was described. Recently, using human recombinant p62 nucleoporin the identity of the reactivity was confirmed. In this work we compared by immunoprecipitation the reactivity of 20 PBC sera with the two recombinant autoantigens of the NPCs. Two out of 20 (10%) PBC sera precipitated recombinant gp210 glycoprotein and 11 out of 20 (55%) PBC sera reacted with p62 nucleoporin. These results evidence that anti-p62 antibodies occur more frequently than the autoantibodies against gp210 glycoprotein. Considering the recently reported clinical significance of ANAs in PBC, the prognostic value of the anti-NPC antibodies and their correlation with severity and progression of the disease is under evaluation. PMID- 17785342 TI - Anti-cardiolipin and anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies: performance of new commercial ELISA kits. AB - Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are known to be pathogenic in experimental models and are predictive of thrombosis and miscarriages in patients, so it is important to correctly evaluate their presence for identifying patients at risk. Despite many years of work, the standardization of aPL ELISA remains an open problem, so evaluation of newly introduced commercial preparations is mandatory. A total of 80 sera were collected (10 primary antiphospholipid syndromes (APSs), 10 APSs associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, 20 infectious diseases, 20 rheumatoid arthritis and 20 normal blood donors) and tested for IgG/IgM anti cardiolipin and anti-beta2GPI antibodies on commercial ELISA kits (ETI) by DiaSorin and on home-made ELISA. Both methods displayed good sensitivity and specificity for APS and were found to be concordant, especially in determining antibodies of IgG class. PMID- 17785343 TI - A combined SDS-PAGE and proteomics approach to identify target autoantigens in healthy individuals and patients with autoimmune diseases. AB - We here present a method for the identification of antigens recognized by autoantibodies in healthy individuals and patients with autoimmune diseases. We have analyzed IgG reactivities from healthy individuals and patients with autoimmune diseases with endothelial cell antigens by combining a one-dimensional (1D) quantative immunoblotting technique and a 2D immunoblotting technique. Whole cell protein extracts obtained from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used as a source of antigens. Serum IgG from healthy blood donors and from patients with autoimmune diseases were tested at a concentration of 200 microg/mL. One-dimensional immunoblotting was first performed to detect candidate reactivity bands and 2D immunoblotting was secondly performed following 2D electrophoresis to identify protein spots. The gels and 2D blots were scanned and analyzed by imaging software. The matching permitted exact localization of particular relevant protein spots hybridized by antibodies on the 2D blots. The targeted bands from 1D spots and the targeted spots from 2D gels were identified by Edman's N-terminal sequencing and mass spectrometry, respectively. This approach is applicable to both normal and pathological conditions, potentially leading to the identification of new relevant target antigens. PMID- 17785344 TI - Anti-vitamin D, vitamin D in SLE: preliminary results. AB - The aim of this study was to detect antibodies to vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. The results may shed light to a novel aspect of vitamin D deficiency in autoimmune diseases. Sera from 171 patients with SLE, 56 with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and 18 with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) were studied employing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-vitamin D antibodies along with 94 healthy blood donors. In parallel, vitamin D concentrations in the serum were determined by a DiaSorin commercial kit (LIAISON 25 OH vitamin D). Antibody-positive and antibody-negative individuals were compared with respect to demographic variables, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score, autoantibodies profile, and serum vitamin D levels. Anti-vitamin D antibodies were detected in 7 (4%) of 171 patients with SLE, in 2 (3.5%) of 56 of sera from patients with APS, and in 2 (11%) of 18 sera from patients with PV. Vitamin D levels were similar in both SLE groups with and without anti-vitamin D antibodies. Demographic features, organ involvement, SLEDAI score, and autoantibodies did not differ between the groups. Except for anti-dsDNA antibodies, in which anti-vitamin D antibodies were strongly associated with these antibodies in sera from SLE patients (P = 0.0004). Anti vitamin D antibodies are observed in a subset of patients with SLE, APS, and PV, and are associated with anti-dsDNA antibodies in SLE. Further studies are required to explore the potential diagnostic and prognostic role of these novel antibodies in SLE. PMID- 17785345 TI - Multiparametric MRI evaluation of kainic acid-induced neuronal activation in rat hippocampus. AB - We investigated the pathogenic mechanisms of hippocampal structural changes and neuronal activation in a kainic acid (KA)-treated rat model using non-invasive high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, and manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI). We found that high-resolution MRI can reveal KA-induced subtle lesions in hippocampus. The signal changes were first observed in the CA3 area and then the CA1 area, and were revealed to be focal edema and neuronal death in histopathological studies. MR signal intensity was higher in CA1 area than in CA3 area at 168 h post KA treatment due to the increase of proliferating astrocytes as shown by histopathological studies. MEMRI studies revealed signal hyperintensity in the CA3 pyramidal cell layer after KA treatment, and the MEMRI signal can be attenuated by diltiazem, an L-type calcium channel blocker. Histopathological study revealed attenuation of focal edema and neuronal swelling following diltiazem treatment. It indicated that KA-induced neuronal activation mainly developed in CA3, and calcium channels may play important roles in pathogenesis of KA-induced hippocampal lesions. We conclude that high-resolution MRI is able to identify KA-induced hippocampal damage, and that MEMRI can be used to investigate the role of calcium channels in the pathogenic mechanisms of neurological conditions. PMID- 17785346 TI - Long-term survival with glioblastoma multiforme. AB - The median survival of glioblastoma patients is approximately 12 months. However, 3-5% of the patients survives for more than 3 years and are referred to as long term survivors. The clinical and molecular factors that contribute to long-term survival are still unknown. To identify specific parameters that might be associated with this phenomenon, we performed a detailed clinical and molecular analysis of 55 primary glioblastoma long-term survivors recruited at the six clinical centres of the German Glioma Network and one associated centre. An evaluation form was developed and used to document demographic, clinical and treatment-associated parameters. In addition, environmental risk factors, associated diseases and occupational risks were assessed. These patients were characterized by young age at diagnosis and a good initial Karnofsky performance score (KPS). None of the evaluated socioeconomic, environmental and occupational factors were associated with long-term survival. Molecular analyses revealed MGMT hypermethylation in 28 of 36 tumours (74%) investigated. TP53 mutations were found in 9 of 31 tumours (29%) and EGFR amplification in 10 of 38 tumours (26%). Only 2 of 32 tumours (6%) carried combined 1p and 19q deletions. Comparison of these data with results from an independent series of 141 consecutive unselected glioblastoma patients registered in the German Glioma Network revealed significantly more frequent MGMT hypermethylation in the long-term survivor group. Taken together, our findings underline the association of glioblastoma long-term survival with prognostically favourable clinical factors, in particular young age and good initial performance score, as well as MGMT promoter hypermethylation. PMID- 17785347 TI - Cost-utility analysis of cinacalcet in addition to standard of care in the UK. PMID- 17785348 TI - Simulating association studies: a data-based resampling method for candidate regions or whole genome scans. AB - MOTIVATION: Reductions in genotyping costs have heightened interest in performing whole genome association scans and in the fine mapping of candidate regions. Improvements in study design and analytic techniques will require the simulation of datasets with realistic patterns of linkage disequilibrium and allele frequencies for typed SNPs. METHODS: We describe a general approach to simulate genotyped datasets for standard case-control or affected child trio data, by resampling from existing phased datasets. The approach allows for considerable flexibility in disease models, potentially involving a large number of interacting loci. The method is most applicable for diseases caused by common variants that have not been under strong selection, a class specifically targeted by the International HapMap project. RESULTS: Using the three population Phase I/II HapMap data as a testbed for our approach, we have implemented the approach in HAP-SAMPLE, a web-based simulation tool. PMID- 17785349 TI - MSQT for choosing SNP assays from multiple DNA alignments. AB - MOTIVATION: One challenging aspect of genotyping and association mapping projects is often the identification of markers that are informative between groups of individuals and to convert these into genotyping assays. RESULTS: The Multiple SNP Query Tool (MSQT) extracts SNP information from multiple sequence alignments, stores it in a database, provides a web interface to query the database and outputs SNP information in a format directly applicable for SNP-assay design. MSQT was applied to Arabidopsis thaliana sequence data to develop SNP genotyping assays that distinguish a recurrent parent (Col-0) from five other strains. SNPs with intermediate allele frequencies were also identified and developed into markers suitable for efficient genetic mapping among random pairs of wild strains. AVAILABILITY: The source code for MSQT is available at http://msqt.weigelworld.org, together with an online instance of MSQT containing data on 1214 sequenced fragments from 96 ecotypes (wild inbred strains) of the reference plant A. thaliana. All SNP genotyping assays are available in several formats for broad community use. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID- 17785350 TI - Up-regulation, modification, and translocation of S100A6 induced by exposure to ionizing radiation revealed by proteomics profiling. AB - The cellular response to genotoxic stress is a complex cascade of events including altered protein expression, interactions, modifications, and relocalization, leading to cell cycle arrest and DNA repair or to apoptosis. p53 protein has a central role in this process, and p53 status is an important factor in the response of a tumor to genotoxic anticancer therapy. We studied p53 related changes postexposure to ionizing radiation using top-down mass spectrometry. Initially two cell lines were compared, HCT116 p53 wild type (wt) and p53(-/-), in a time course study postirradiation. In the p53 wt cell line a striking increase of a 10.2-kDa protein was detected, and this protein was identified with MS/MS analysis as S100A6. Further MS profiling led to detection of two post-translationally modified variants of S100A6, namely glutathionylated and cysteinylated forms. In p53 wt cells, a specific shift from glutathionylated to cysteinylated S100A6 occurred postirradiation. The p53 dependence of this specific change in protein level and modification pattern of S100A6 postirradiation was confirmed in a panel of four lung cancer cell lines (H23, U1810, H69, and A549) with different p53 status and using small interfering RNA against p53. Interestingly the closely related S100 family protein S100A4 showed the same changes in modification pattern post-ionizing radiation in the p53 wt lung cancer cell line, and S100A4 also showed p53-dependent expression. Using confocal microscopy, relocalization of S100A6 from nucleus to cytosol and a colocalization with tropomyosin in stress fibers was detected in A549 cells postirradiation. This relocalization coincided with the change in S100A6 modification pattern. Based on these results, we suggest that S100A6 and S100A4 are regulated via redox modifications in vivo and that these proteins are involved in the cellular response to genotoxic stress. PMID- 17785351 TI - A comparative analysis of perturbations caused by a gene knock-out, a dominant negative allele, and a set of peptide aptamers. AB - The study of protein function mostly relies on perturbing regulatory networks by acting upon protein expression levels or using transdominant negative agents. Here we used the Escherichia coli global transcription regulator Fur (ferric uptake regulator) as a case study to compare the perturbations exerted by a gene knock-out, the expression of a dominant negative allele of a gene, and the expression of peptide aptamers that bind a gene product. These three perturbations caused phenotypes that differed quantitatively and qualitatively from one another. The Fur peptide aptamers inhibited the activity of their target to various extents and reduced the virulence of a pathogenic E. coli strain in Drosophila. A genome-wide transcriptome analysis revealed that the "penetrance" of a peptide aptamer was comparable to that of a dominant negative allele but lower than the penetrance of the gene knock-out. Our work shows that comparative analysis of phenotypic and transcriptome responses to different types of perturbation can help decipher complex regulatory networks that control various biological processes. PMID- 17785352 TI - Risk factors for development of coronary heart disease in patients with acromegaly: a five-year prospective study. AB - BACKGROUND: Data on coronary heart disease (CHD) are scanty and matter of argument in acromegalic patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors for development of CHD and the occurrence of cardiac events in acromegalic patients during a 5-yr prospective study. DESIGN: Ten-year likelihood for CHD development was estimated by the Framingham scoring system (FS); patients were stratified as having low (FS < 10), intermediate (>or= 10 FS < 20), or high (FS >or= 20) risk. Coronary artery calcium content was measured using the Agatston score (AS) in all patients; those with positive AS were submitted to myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography; cardiac events were recorded during a 5-yr follow-up period. PATIENTS: Fifty-two consecutive patients (31 women, mean age 52 +/- 11 yr) with controlled or uncontrolled acromegaly were followed prospectively for 5 yr. RESULTS: Thirty seven patients (71%) had low, 14 patients (27%) had intermediate, and one patient (2%) had high CHD risk. CHD risk was unrelated to acromegaly activity or the estimated duration of disease. Among patients with FS less than 10%, 24 had AS equal to 0, eight had AS of 1 or greater and less than 100, and five had AS 100 or greater and less than 300, respectively. Among patients with FS 10 or greater and less than 20%, nine had AS equal to 0, two had AS of one or greater and less than 100, one had AS of 100 or greater and less than 300, and two had AS of 300 or greater; a patient of the latter group, having AS of 400 or greater, increased his CHD risk from 11% to 20% or more. FS or AS did not differ in patients with controlled or uncontrolled acromegaly (P = 0.981). All patients with positive AS had no single photon emission computed tomography perfusion defects. During the 5 yr follow-up period no patient developed ischemic cardiac events. CONCLUSIONS: CHD risk in acromegalic patients, predicted by FS as in nonacromegalic subjects, is low; AS might have adjunctive role only in a subset of patients. However, most patients have systemic complications of acromegaly, which participate in the assessment of global CHD risk. PMID- 17785353 TI - The endogenous cannabinoid system stimulates glucose uptake in human fat cells via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and calcium-dependent mechanisms. AB - BACKGROUND: The endogenous cannabinoid system participates in the regulation of energy balance, and its dysregulation may be implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. Adipose tissue endocannabinoids may produce metabolic and endocrine effects, but very few data are available in human adipose tissue and in primary human fat cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We measured expression of type 1 and type 2 cannabinoid receptors (CNR), enzymes of cannabinoids synthesis and degradation in human omental, sc abdominal, and gluteal adipose tissue from lean and obese subjects. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of CNR1 stimulation on glucose uptake and intracellular transduction mechanisms in primary human adipocytes. Then we assessed the reciprocal regulation between CNR1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma). Finally, we tested whether leptin and adiponectin are regulated by CNR1 in human adipocytes. RESULTS: We found that most genes of the endocannabinoid system are down-regulated in gluteal fat and up-regulated in visceral and sc abdominal adipose tissue of obese patients. Treatment of adipocytes with rosiglitazone markedly down-regulated CNR1 expression, whereas Win 55,212 up-regulated PPARgamma. Win 55,212 increased (+50%) glucose uptake, the translocation of glucose transporter 4, and intracellular calcium in fat cells. All these effects were inhibited by SR141716 and wortmannin and by removing extracellular calcium. Win 55,212 and SR141716 had no effect on expression of adiponectin and leptin. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a role for the local endocannabinoids in the regulation of glucose metabolism in human adipocytes and suggest a role in channeling excess energy fuels to adipose tissue in obese humans. PMID- 17785354 TI - Angiotensin II regulates adipocyte apolipoprotein E expression. AB - CONTEXT: Obesity is increasing in prevalence and it is important to understand factors that regulate adipose tissue lipid metabolism. Recently, endogenous expression of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in adipose tissue has been shown to have important effects on adipocyte lipid flux and gene expression. Adipose tissue is also a physiological target of angiotensin II (AII). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to evaluate a potential regulatory effect for AII on adipose tissue apoE expression. RESULTS: Infusion of AII into mice for 3 d significantly reduced apoE expression in adipocytes from freshly isolated adipose tissue. ApoE expression was unchanged by the AII infusion in the stromovascular fraction. In isolated human adipocytes, treatment with AII significantly reduced cellular and secreted apoprotein E (by 20-60%). Suppression of apoE expression was observed in sc adipocytes obtained from nonobese (body mass index < 30 kg/m(2)) donors, and in sc and omental adipocytes obtained from obese (body mass index > 30 kg/m(2)) donors. Evaluation of the effect of AII in matched sets of sc and omental adipocytes from three separate donors showed lower overall apoE expression in omental adipocytes in two of the donors, and a concordant down-regulation of apoE expression in sc and omental adipocytes from all three subjects. The specific AT(1) receptor blocker, valsartan, eliminated the effect of AII on adipocyte apoE expression. CONCLUSION: Both apoE and components of the renin-angiotensin system are expressed in adipose tissue, and each has important effects on adipocyte lipid metabolism and gene expression. The regulatory interaction we have identified between these two pathways has important implications for a complete understanding of adipose tissue lipid homeostasis. PMID- 17785356 TI - Individual thermogenic responses to mild cold and overfeeding are closely related. AB - CONTEXT: Adaptive thermogenesis is defined as the increase in energy expenditure in response to overfeeding or cold. Large interindividual differences in adaptive thermogenesis have been described. OBJECTIVE: Because there are indications for a common underlying mechanism, we studied in humans whether the increase in thermogenesis during short-term overfeeding (3 d) is related to mild cold-induced thermogenesis. INTERVENTIONS: Thirteen lean male subjects have been exposed to three experimental conditions in respiration chambers: baseline (36 h in energy balance at thermoneutrality, 22 C), overfeeding (84 h at 160% of energy balance, 22 C), and mild cold (84 h in energy balance, 16 C). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: During the interventions, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), physical activity, skin temperatures, and core temperature were measured. After each condition, fasting plasma norepinephrine concentration was measured. RESULTS: Overfeeding caused significant increases in TDEE (0.77 MJ/d, P < 0.001). During cold exposure TDEE increased significantly (0.59 MJ/d, P < 0.005), whereas physical activity decreased. The changes in TDEE during both overfeeding and mild cold exposure showed considerable interindividual variation (respectively, -0.11 to 1.61 MJ/d and -0.19 to 1.58 MJ/d). The individual changes in energy expenditure during mild cold exposure and overfeeding were highly correlated (P < 0.005). Fasting norepinephrine plasma concentrations correlated significantly to energy expenditure in both situations (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that both overfeeding-induced and mild cold-induced adaptive thermogenesis share common regulating mechanisms. This indicates that cold exposure could be used as a biomarker for the individual thermogenic response to excess energy intake. PMID- 17785355 TI - Association of BRAF V600E mutation with poor clinicopathological outcomes in 500 consecutive cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma. AB - CONTEXT: Because very few studies have examined the correlation between BRAF mutations and clinicopathological features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), we analyzed here a large and homogeneous cohort of patients with PTC for the presence of the BRAF mutation. OBJECTIVE: We examined BRAF mutations in a consecutive series of 500 PTC patients who underwent surgery in the Department of Surgery of the University of Pisa, and we correlated the presence of the mutation with clinicopathological parameters of the patients: age, gender, tumor size, presence of tumor capsule, extrathyroidal invasion, multicentricity, presence of node metastases, and tumor class. DESIGN: BRAF (exon 15) mutation was examined by PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism followed by DNA sequencing in laser capture microdissected tissue samples. RESULTS: In this study, BRAF mutation was found in 219 of 500 cases (43.8%). In particular, we found the most common BRAF V600E mutation in 214 cases (42.8%), BRAF K601E mutation in three cases (0.6%), BRAF VK600-1E (0.2%) in one case, whereas in one case we found a new 14-bp deletion with concomitant 2-bp insertion, VKSR600-3del and T599I, respectively. BRAF V600E was associated with extrathyroidal invasion (P < 0.0001), multicentricity (P = 0.0026), presence of nodal metastases (P = 0.0009), class III vs. classes I and II (P < 0.00000006), and absence of tumor capsule (P < 0.0001), in particular in follicular- and micro-PTC variants. By multivariate analysis, the absence of tumor capsule remained the only parameter associated (P = 0.0005) with BRAF V600E mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that BRAF V600E mutation is associated with high-risk PTC and in particular in follicular variant with invasive tumor growth. PMID- 17785357 TI - Growth hormone replacement improves thyroxine biological effects: implications for management of central hypothyroidism. AB - CONTEXT: The biological significance of GH-induced changes in serum TH concentrations is unknown. It has been suggested that serum free T(4) (FT(4)) should be targeted at the high-normal range during GH replacement. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate the effects of GH replacement on T(4) biological effects. HYPOTHESIS: If GH modulates thyroxine biological effects, serum FT(4) should be targeted accordingly. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted observational (study 1) and interventional (studies 2 and 3)/outpatient studies. PATIENTS: Thirty-two GH-deficient patients (13 off GH; 22 on l-T(4)) participated in the study. INTERVENTIONS: In study 2, levothyroxine was administered to increase FT(4) (>1.0 ng/dl). In study 3, GH was administered or withdrawn. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured FT(4), total T(3) (TT(3)), myocardial isovolumic contraction time (ICT), and resting energy expenditure (REE). RESULTS: In study 1, off-GH and on-GH groups had similar FT(4), but off GH showed lower TT(3) (P < 0.01) and REE (P = 0.02), higher ICT (P < 0.05) than on-GH and controls. On GH, ICT and REE correlated only with TT(3) (r = -0.48; r = 0.58; P < 0.05). Off GH, ICT correlated only with FT(4) (P < 0.01). In study 2, off GH, levothyroxine intervention increased FT(4) (P = 0.005) and TT(3) (P = 0.012), decreased ICT (P = 0.006), and increased REE (P = 0.013); ICT and FT(4) changes correlated (r = 0.72; P = 0.06). On GH, levothyroxine increased FT(4) (P = 0.0002), TT(3) (P = 0.014), and REE (P = 0.10) and decreased ICT (P = 0.049); REE and TT(3) changes correlated (r = 0.60; P = 0.05). In study 3, GH decreased FT(4), increased TT(3), decreased ICT, and increased REE (P < 0.05). REE correlated (P < 0.05) with IGF-I (r = 0.57) and TT(3) (r = 0.64). ICT correlated only with TT(3) (r = -0.46). CONCLUSIONS: GH replacement improves the biological effects of T(4). Serum FT(4) should be targeted at the high-normal range in GH-deficient patients only off GH replacement. PMID- 17785358 TI - Circulating tissue factor procoagulant activity and thrombin generation in patients with type 2 diabetes: effects of insulin and glucose. AB - CONTEXT: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a hypercoagulable state. Tissue factor (TF) is the principal initiator of blood coagulation. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine the effects of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia on the TF pathway of blood coagulation in T2DM. DESIGN: Three study protocols were used: 1) acute correction of hyperglycemia (with iv insulin) followed by 24 h of euglycemia, 2) 24 h of selective hyperinsulinemia, and 3) 24 h of combined hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. SETTING: The study took place at a clinical research center. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Participants included 18 T2DM patients and 22 nondiabetic controls. RESULTS: Basal TF-procoagulant activity (TF-PCA), monocyte TF mRNA, plasma coagulation factor VII (FVIIc), and thrombin-anti thrombin complexes were higher in T2DM than in nondiabetic controls, indicating a chronic procoagulant state. Acutely normalizing hyperglycemia over 2-4 h resulted in a small ( approximately 7%) but significant decline in TF-PCA with no further decline over 24 h. Raising insulin levels alone raised TF-PCA by 30%, whereas raising insulin and glucose levels together increased TF-PCA (by 80%), thrombin anti-thrombin complexes, and prothrombin fragment 1.2. Plasma FVIIa and FVIIc declined with increases in TF-PCA. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the combination of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, common in poorly controlled patients with T2DM, contributes to a procoagulant state that may predispose these patients to acute cardiovascular events. PMID- 17785359 TI - Bone mass in prepubertal boys is associated with a Gln223Arg amino acid substitution in the leptin receptor. AB - OBJECTIVE: The contribution of leptin to bone mass acquisition in humans remains unclear. We investigated the association of the Gln223Arg polymorphism in the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) with bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in prepubertal boys and LEPR interaction with vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotypes (Bsm1 and Fok1). DESIGN: In a cross-sectional design with a longitudinal follow-up, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements at the lumbar spine, hip, femoral diaphysis, and radius were performed at baseline (mean age 7.4 +/- 0.4 yr) and 2 yr later in 222 healthy Caucasian males. RESULTS: LEPR genotypes were significantly associated with baseline BMC at the hip (P = 0.017), femur diaphysis (P = 0.019), and radius (P = 0.007) and with height (P = 0.041) as well as with physical activity (P = 0.016). Associations with height and BMC at femur diaphysis and radius remained significant after 2 yr. Significant differences in 2-yr bone mass gain at the spine and femur neck were also found among LEPR genotypes. In contrast, adjusting BMC for projected bone area (aBMD) and/or weight, height, and physical activity resulted in a weak association only at the femur (P = 0.014-0.054). VDR polymorphisms were not associated with BMC or aBMD, but significant interactions occurred between VDR Fok1 and LEPR genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: The LEPR Gln223Arg polymorphism was associated with bone mass in growing boys. The association, however, was markedly dependent on bone area, body size, and physical activity, in addition to VDR genetic variation, suggesting that the leptin system may modulate bone mass in humans mostly through indirect mechanisms. PMID- 17785360 TI - 17-hydroxyprogesterone responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone disclose distinct phenotypes of functional ovarian hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovary syndrome. AB - CONTEXT: The exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to GnRH agonists, which reflects functional ovarian hyperandrogenism (FOH), is believed to be the prominent abnormality in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were to quantify the prevalence of PCOS with FOH and to evaluate whether the presence of FOH may distinguish different clinical and biochemical phenotypes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted an observational study at an academic hospital that included 148 PCOS women and 22 healthy age matched normal-weight control women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A hormone profile was taken at baseline and in response to (1-24)ACTH and to a GnRH agonist, buserelin, administered during dexamethasone suppression. RESULTS: Based on the data obtained in the control subjects, the PCOS patients were divided into two groups, one with a normal (NR-PCOS, n = 78) and one with a high 17-hydroxyprogesterone response (HR-PCOS, n = 70) to buserelin. The two groups of PCOS subjects had similar anthropometric parameters and clinical signs of hyperandrogenism. Age and body weight at menarche were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the HR-PCOS group than the NR-PCOS group. Moreover, the HR-PCOS group had higher basal testosterone (P < 0.001), free androgen index (P < 0.01), 17 hydroxyprogesterone (P < 0.05), estrogens (P < 0.05), area under the curve for insulin (insulin(AUC)) (P < 0.05), and C-peptide(AUC) (P < 0.01) and lower insulin sensitivity (as composite insulin sensitivity index) (P < 0.05) than the NR-PCOS group. The response of 17-hydroxyprogesterone to (1-24)ACTH (as percent variation) was lower in the HR-PCOS group with respect to the NR-PCOS group (P < 0.05), whereas the response of cortisol, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone was similar. Finally, the HR-PCOS group had lower percent suppression of androstenedione (P < 0.001) and 17-hydoxyprogesterone (P < 0.05) to dexamethasone. In a multiple regression model applied in all PCOS women, insulin(AUC) but not androgens or markers of insulin resistance predicted the 17 hydroxyprogesterone response to buserelin to a highly significant extent (t = 3.269; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the paradigm that FOH is a specific feature of the PCOS status can no longer be sustained. We have shown that women with an exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to a GnRH agonist, buserelin, are characterized by more severe hyperandrogenemia, glucose-stimulated beta-cell insulin secretion, and worse insulin resistance than those without evidence of FOH. Our data may be consistent with the hypothesis that excess insulin may represent a candidate factor responsible for FOH in these women, through the overactivation of the cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17) enzyme pathway. PMID- 17785361 TI - Effect of growth hormone on body composition and visceral adiposity in middle aged men with visceral obesity. AB - RATIONALE: GH replacement in GH-deficient adults results in an improvement in metabolic status. GH might also decrease visceral adiposity in obese adults that are not GH deficient. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the effects of supraphysiological GH therapy on the metabolic syndrome and visceral adiposity in men with low blood levels of IGF-I and the durability of these effects after stopping GH therapy. DESIGN: The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled 6 month intervention trial followed by a blinded follow-up period of 6 months. SUBJECTS: Thirty nondiabetic middle-aged men with central adiposity (body mass index > 27 kg/m(2); waist circumference > 102 cm) participated. RESULTS: After 6 months of GH therapy, we observed an increase in weight and lean body mass (2.5 +/- 0.6 kg, P < 0.05 compared with baseline and placebo) and 8.8% reduction in visceral adiposity. GH increased resting energy expenditure by 172.5 +/- 41.6 kcal/24 h after 6 months of therapy. Fasting insulin, glucose, and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index for insulin resistance increased during GH therapy. The effects of GH on fatness and visceral adiposity disappeared shortly after GH withdrawal, but weight remained increased over baseline and when compared with the placebo group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that GH therapy is associated with small but statistically significant decreases in visceral adiposity and an increase in lean mass and body weight. In viscerally obese subjects, supraphysiological GH administration is not an effective treatment; however, additional studies are needed to evaluate the effects of low-dose, physiological GH treatment. PMID- 17785362 TI - Prolonged reactive oxygen species generation and nuclear factor-kappaB activation after a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal in the obese. AB - BACKGROUND: Because obesity is associated with chronic oxidative and inflammatory stress, and high-fat, high-carbohydrate meals induce significant oxidative and inflammatory stress in normal subjects, we have now hypothesized that the intake of a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal would result in a greater and more prolonged oxidative and inflammatory stress in the obese than in normal subjects. METHODS: Ten normal-weight and eight obese subjects were given a high-fat, high carbohydrate meal after an overnight fast. Blood samples were collected at baseline and hourly following the meal for 3 h. RESULTS: Reactive oxygen species generation by mononuclear cells increased significantly by 2 h in both groups but continued to increase significantly at 3 h in the obese subjects, whereas in normal subjects it returned to baseline. Levels of p47(phox) increased significantly (by 81 +/- 26%) at 3 h in obese individuals (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant change in p47(phox) in normal subjects. Nuclear factor kappaB DNA binding in mononuclear cells increased significantly (by 48 +/- 58%, P < 0.036) at 2 h but not at 3 h in normal subjects, whereas in the obese, nuclear factor-kappaB increased significantly at both 2 and 3 h (by 36 +/- 57 and 42 +/- 63%, respectively, P < 0.004). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 concentrations were significantly higher in the obese at baseline (580 +/- 103.9 vs. 373 +/- 30.03 ng/ml, P < 0.05) and increased to significantly greater concentrations after the meal than in the lean subjects. CONCLUSIONS: High-fat, high-carbohydrate meals induced a significantly more prolonged and greater oxidative and inflammatory stress in the obese. This may contribute to the increased atherogenic risk in obesity. PMID- 17785363 TI - Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in obese men with and without sleep apnea: effects of continuous positive airway pressure therapy. AB - CONTEXT: Previous studies on the association between the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis activity and sleep apnea (SA) and obesity are inconsistent and/or limited. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated the activity of the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis in nonpsychologically distressed obese subjects with and without SA and examined the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in SA patients. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: In study I, four-night sleep laboratory recordings and serial 24-h plasma measures of cortisol were obtained in 45 obese men with and without apnea and nonobese controls. Sleep apneic patients were reassessed after 3 months of CPAP use. In study II, 38 obese men with and without sleep apnea and nonobese controls were challenged with ovine CRH administration after four nights in the sleep laboratory. RESULTS: The sleep patterns were similar between obese and nonobese controls. Twenty-four-hour plasma cortisol levels were highest in nonobese controls, intermediate in obese apneic patients, and lowest in obese controls (8.8 +/- 0.4 vs. 8.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 7.5 +/- 0.3 microg/dl, P < 0.05). CPAP tended to reduce cortisol levels in the apneic patients (difference -0.7 +/- .4 microg/dl, P = 0.1). CRH administration resulted in a higher ACTH response in both obese groups, compared with nonobese controls; the three groups were not different in cortisol response. CONCLUSIONS: Nonpsychologically distressed, normally sleeping, obese men had low cortisol secretion. The cortisol secretion was slightly activated by SA and returned to low by CPAP use. The low cortisol secretion in obesity through its inferred hyposecretion of hypothalamic CRH might predispose the obese to sleep apnea. PMID- 17785364 TI - Identification of a polycystic ovary syndrome susceptibility variant in fibrillin 3 and association with a metabolic phenotype. AB - CONTEXT: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common reproductive endocrine disorder of premenopausal women, is also associated with metabolic abnormalities including insulin resistance and an increased risk for diabetes mellitus. We previously mapped a PCOS susceptibility locus to chromosome 19p13.2 near the dinucleotide repeat marker D19S884. OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to localize the chromosome 19p13.2 PCOS susceptibility locus and determine its impact on metabolic features of PCOS. DESIGN: Resequencing and family-based association testing were used to examine the effect of sequence variation within 100 kb of D19S884 on the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of PCOS. SETTING: The study was conducted in an academic medical center. SUBJECTS: Genetic analyses were performed on DNA obtained from1723 individuals in 412 families with 412 index cases and 43 affected sisters of predominantly European origin (>94%). Genotype phenotype associations were assessed in 601 women with PCOS and 168 brothers of affected women. RESULTS: D19S884 allele 8 (A8) within intron 55 of the fibrillin 3 (FBN3) gene showed the strongest evidence for association with PCOS of 53 variants tested (P(corrected) = 0.0037). A8 was also associated with higher levels of fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance in women with PCOS and higher fasting levels of proinsulin and proinsulin/insulin ratio in brothers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings strongly suggest that A8 of D19S884 is the chromosome 19p13.2 PCOS susceptibility locus. The association of D19S884 with markers of insulin resistance and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction suggests that the same variant contributes to the reproductive and metabolic abnormalities of PCOS in affected women and their brothers. PMID- 17785365 TI - Bone mineral density in adults with the metabolic syndrome: analysis in a population-based U.S. sample. AB - BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is associated with low-grade inflammation. It has been suggested that proinflammatory cytokines and low-grade systemic inflammation activate bone resorption and may lead to reduced bone mineral density (BMD), but no previous studies have evaluated the association between the metabolic syndrome and BMD. We examined this relationship in a representative U.S. population-based sample from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994). METHODS: We identified adult subjects enrolled in NHANES III with the metabolic syndrome as defined by the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel III. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of femoral neck BMD (FN-BMD) for subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome. Analyses were adjusted for relevant covariates and stratified by quintile of body mass index. RESULTS: Among 8,197 persons at least 20 yr old who underwent FN-BMD measurement, 1773 (22%) had the metabolic syndrome. After multivariable adjustment, FN-BMD was higher among subjects with the metabolic syndrome (0.86 g/cm(2)) than those without (0.80 g/cm(2); P < 0.0001). When stratified by body mass index, FN-BMD was similar between subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome. Adjusted FN-BMD increased with additional components of the metabolic syndrome (P < 0.0001 for trend), and there was a significant positive association with abdominal obesity (P < 0.0001). A subgroup of subjects with diabetes had higher FM-BMD than those without, independent of abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS: In NHANES III, the metabolic syndrome was not associated with reduced FN-BMD. PMID- 17785366 TI - Progesterone receptor regulates Bcl-2 gene expression through direct binding to its promoter region in uterine leiomyoma cells. AB - CONTEXT: Uterine leiomyomas are smooth muscle cell tumors that cause irregular uterine bleeding and pregnancy loss in many reproductive-age women. Progesterone stimulates their growth, whereas treatment with progesterone receptor (PR) antagonists or selective progesterone receptor modulators shrinks these tumors. Molecular mechanisms underlying these observations are unknown. OBJECTIVE: Bcl-2 is a key protein that inhibits apoptosis. It was proposed that growth enhancement of leiomyoma cells by progesterone was mediated via bcl-2 induction. Here we test the hypothesis that PR regulates the bcl-2 gene by directly binding to its promoter. RESULTS: The pure progesterone agonist R5020 increased the total number of viable primary human leiomyoma smooth muscle (LSM) cells in culture. Progesterone or R5020 (10(-6) m) significantly increased bcl-2 mRNA levels after 2 and 4 h by 9.2- and 3.4-fold, respectively, in LSM cells. Transient transfection with deletion mutants of bcl-2 promoter showed that the -1281/-258 bp region conferred responsiveness to progesterone induction in the presence of PR-A. We identified a palindromic progesterone response element (PRE) at -553/ 539 bp. EMSA showed that PR in nuclear extracts from LSM cells bound specifically to this PRE. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR confirmed in situ recruitment of PR to the -629/-388-bp region bearing the PRE. In vivo, bcl-2 mRNA levels correlated significantly with total PR mRNA levels in leiomyoma tissues. CONCLUSION: Taken together, progesterone via PR interacts with the bcl-2 promoter to induce its expression in leiomyoma tissue. This may explain, in part, the progesterone-dependent enhancement of growth in uterine leiomyoma. PMID- 17785367 TI - Dietary macronutrient content alters cortisol metabolism independently of body weight changes in obese men. AB - CONTEXT: Dietary macronutrient composition influences cardiometabolic health independently of obesity. Both dietary fat and insulin alter glucocorticoid metabolism in rodents and, acutely, in humans. However, whether longer-term differences in dietary macronutrients affect cortisol metabolism in humans and contribute to the tissue-specific dysregulation of cortisol metabolism in obesity is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to test the effects of dietary macronutrients on cortisol metabolism in obese men. DESIGN: The study consisted of two randomized, crossover studies. SETTING: The study was conducted at a human nutrition unit. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included healthy obese men. INTERVENTIONS, OUTCOME MEASURES, AND RESULTS: Seventeen obese men received 4 wk ad libitum high fat-low carbohydrate (HF-LC) (66% fat, 4% carbohydrate) vs. moderate fat-moderate carbohydrate (MF-MC) diets (35% fat, 35% carbohydrate). Six obese men participated in a similar study with isocaloric feeding. Both HF-LC and MF-MC diets induced weight loss. During 9,11,12,12-[(2)H](4)-cortisol infusion, HF-LC but not MF-MC increased 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta HSD1) activity (rates of appearance of cortisol and 9,12,12-[(2)H](3)-cortisol) and reduced urinary excretion of 5alpha- and 5beta-reduced [(2)H](4)-cortisol metabolites and [(2)H](4)-cortisol clearance. HF-LC also reduced 24-h urinary 5alpha- and 5beta-reduced endogenous cortisol metabolites but did not alter plasma cortisol or diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm. In sc abdominal adipose tissue, 11beta-HSD1 mRNA and activity were unaffected by diet. CONCLUSIONS: A low carbohydrate diet alters cortisol metabolism independently of weight loss. In obese men, this enhances cortisol regeneration by 11beta-HSD1 and reduces cortisol inactivation by A-ring reductases in liver without affecting sc adipose 11beta-HSD1. Alterations in cortisol metabolism may be a consequence of macronutrient dietary content and may mediate effects of diet on metabolic health. PMID- 17785368 TI - Variable phenotypes in familial isolated growth hormone deficiency caused by a G6664A mutation in the GH-1 gene. AB - CONTEXT: G to A transition at position 6,664 (G6664A) in human GH-1 results in the substitution of arginine by histidine at position 183 (R183H) of the GH molecule and causes familial isolated GH deficiency type II (IGHD II). OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to assess the phenotype-genotype correlation of subjects affected with IGHD II caused by a G6664A mutation in 34 affected members of two large families. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Sixty-six subjects from two core families were included. The G6664A mutation among family members was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS: Twenty-four of the 52 members from family 1 and 10 of 14 from family 2 carried the same G6664A mutation in a heterozygous state. The affected subjects in family 1 were significantly shorter [-2.6 vs. -0.1 sd score (SDS), P < 0.0001] and had significantly lower IGF-I serum levels (-1.9 vs. -0.5 SDS, P < 0.0001), compared with normal-genotype family members. The affected adults exhibited great variability in their stature, ranging from -4.5 to -1.0 (mean -2.8 SDS), with five members being of normal height (>-2 SDS). Twelve children were diagnosed with IGHD. Two affected children had normal peak GH levels, although one of these subsequently demonstrated GH insufficiency (6.5 and 3.7 ng/ml). The affected children from both families exhibited large variability in their height, growth velocity, delay in bone age (chronological age - bone age), age at diagnosis, peak GH response, and IGF-I levels. CONCLUSIONS: These detailed phenotypic analyses show the variable expressivity of patients bearing a G6664A mutation, reflecting the spectrum of GH deficiency in affected patients, even within families, and the presence of additional genes modifying height determination. Our findings raise a new dilemma in the guidelines for the diagnosis of GH deficiency and the indications for GH therapy. PMID- 17785369 TI - Paediatric prescribing of asthma drugs in the UK: are we sticking to the guideline? AB - BACKGROUND: Asthma guidelines should lead to improved, more rational asthma medication prescribing. The aims of this study were to assess trends in paediatric asthma drug prescribing in the UK and to assess the potential impact of the publication of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) asthma guideline. METHODS: The estimated community paediatric prescribing figures for asthma medications in the UK were studied using data from the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care for the years 2000-2006. RESULTS: The numbers of prescriptions for bronchodilator syrups decreased by 60% from 2000 to 2006. However, this still represents 121,000 prescriptions for bronchodilator syrups in 2006 despite minimal recommendations for their use. The percentage of steroid inhalers prescribed as combination inhalers of a steroid and a long-acting beta agonist increased from 2.6% in 2000 to 20.6% in 2006. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid-alone inhalers should be the mainstay for the vast majority of patients with asthma who require controller medications. The increase in the number of combination inhalers prescribed is not consistent with the guideline recommendations that combination inhalers should only be introduced in those patients with asthma not controlled on adequate doses of inhaled steroids. Further education of health professionals is required. PMID- 17785370 TI - Fat transforms ascorbic acid from inhibiting to promoting acid-catalysed N nitrosation. AB - BACKGROUND: The major potential site of acid nitrosation is the proximal stomach, an anatomical site prone to a rising incidence of metaplasia and adenocarcinoma. Nitrite, a pre-carcinogen present in saliva, can be converted to nitrosating species and N-nitroso compounds by acidification at low gastric pH in the presence of thiocyanate. AIMS: To assess the effect of lipid and ascorbic acid on the nitrosative chemistry under conditions simulating the human proximal stomach. METHODS: The nitrosative chemistry was modelled in vitro by measuring the nitrosation of four secondary amines under conditions simulating the proximal stomach. The N-nitrosamines formed were measured by gas chromatography-ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry, while nitric oxide and oxygen levels were measured amperometrically. RESULTS: In absence of lipid, nitrosative stress was inhibited by ascorbic acid through conversion of nitrosating species to nitric oxide. Addition of ascorbic acid reduced the amount of N-nitrosodimethylamine formed by fivefold, N-nitrosomorpholine by >1000-fold, and totally prevented the formation of N-nitrosodiethylamine and N-nitrosopiperidine. In contrast, when 10% lipid was present, ascorbic acid increased the amount of N-nitrosodimethylamine, N nitrosodiethylamine and N-nitrosopiperidine formed by approximately 8-, 60- and 140-fold, respectively, compared with absence of ascorbic acid. CONCLUSION: The presence of lipid converts ascorbic acid from inhibiting to promoting acid nitrosation. This may be explained by nitric oxide, formed by ascorbic acid in the aqueous phase, being able to regenerate nitrosating species by reacting with oxygen in the lipid phase. PMID- 17785372 TI - Physical therapy: stories that must be told. PMID- 17785371 TI - Novel germ cell markers characterize testicular seminoma and fetal testis. AB - Seminomas are characterized by expression of several stem cell markers, supporting their origin from germ cells. The current study focuses on novel germ cell markers in normal testes compared to those in fetal testes and different progression stages of seminomas. Microarray data were followed by RT-PCRs and immunohistochemistry on pure seminomas (pT1 to pT3) compared to adult and fetal testis. An upregulation of known germ cell markers, KIT, OCT4 and NANOG, was confirmed in seminoma specimens. We also identified novel germ cell markers such as BOB1 (POU2AF1, OBF1) and prominin 1 (PROM1, CD133), which were significantly upregulated in seminoma specimens, compared to normal testes. Furthermore, two Sertoli cell markers, SCGF (SCF) and the newly identified neuronal stem cell factor, MCFD2 (SDNSF), were expressed in seminoma cells. While BOB1 was expressed in fetal testis of second and third trimester of gestation, MCFD2 and PROM1 were only present in gonocytes up to the second trimester. All marker genes investigated were not further regulated in progressing tumour stages between pT1 and pT3. In conclusion, the germ cell markers described here provide evidence for the origin of seminoma cells, which could be from the developmental stage of early gonocytes or from spermatogonia re-expressing markers of the developing germ cells. PMID- 17785373 TI - Gross motor development of children with hurler syndrome after umbilical cord blood transplantation. AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little is known about the gross motor development of children with Hurler syndrome who have undergone umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). The purpose of this study was to provide a description of gross motor development in children with Hurler syndrome after UCBT. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Longitudinal changes in gross motor abilities were documented on the gross motor subtests of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, second edition (PDMS-2) for 21 children with Hurler syndrome. Each child was assessed between 1 and 6 times after UCBT. The participants had a mean age (+/-SD) of 32.2+/-16.0 months at the time of the first assessment. The mean time (+/-SD) between UCBT and the first assessment was 16.2+/-16.5 months. RESULTS: The participants had marked gross motor delays, with a mean gross motor quotient 2 standard deviations below the mean for children who were developing typically. The rate of development differed between the subtests of the PDMS-2. The participants gained abilities at the slowest rate on the stationary subtest and at the fastest rate on the locomotor subtest. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The participants had varying degrees of delay in different gross motor domains. While gaining new gross motor abilities over time, these children continued to have delays up to 48 months after UCBT. Physical therapists treating children with Hurler syndrome after UCBT should use assessment tools that will capture these differences and should individualize treatment plans accordingly. Additional research is needed to document the efficacy of physical therapy intervention with this population. PMID- 17785374 TI - Mary McMillan Lecture. Are you waving or drowning? PMID- 17785375 TI - Reference group data for the functional gait assessment. AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a clinical tool for evaluating performance in walking. The purpose of this study was to determine age-referenced norms for performance on the FGA in community-living older adults. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 200 adults, ages 40 to 89 years, living independently. METHODS: Each subject completed the FGA one time and was scored simultaneously by 2 testers. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient for interrater reliability was .93. Mean scores for the FGA ranged from 29/30 for adults in their 40s to 21/30 for adults in their 80s. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Patient performance on the FGA can be compared with age-referenced norms for expected performance. Further research is needed to determine the FGA's usefulness in tracking clinical changes or predicting falls. The FGA is a reliable test for people without disease, and it is able to detect decreases in gait performance among typical older adults. PMID- 17785377 TI - The dirt on being clean: or, why more children develop asthma. PMID- 17785378 TI - Dentistry at the movies. PMID- 17785376 TI - Age-related changes in strength, joint laxity, and walking patterns: are they related to knee osteoarthritis? AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Aging is associated with musculoskeletal changes and altered walking patterns. These changes are common in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and may precipitate the development of OA. We examined age related changes in musculoskeletal structures and walking patterns to better understand the relationship between aging and knee OA. METHODS: Forty-four individuals without OA (15 younger, 15 middle-aged, 14 older adults) and 15 individuals with medial knee OA participated. Knee laxity, quadriceps femoris muscle strength (force-generating capacity), and gait were assessed. RESULTS: Medial laxity was greater in the OA group, but there were no differences between the middle-aged and older control groups. Quadriceps femoris strength was less in the older control group and in the OA group. During the stance phase of walking, the OA group demonstrated less knee flexion and greater knee adduction, but there were no differences in knee motion among the control groups. During walking, the older control group exhibited greater quadriceps femoris muscle activity and the OA group used greater muscle co-contraction. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Although weaker, the older control group did not use truncated motion or higher co contraction. The maintenance of movement patterns that were similar to the subjects in the young control group may have helped to prevent development of knee OA. Further investigation is warranted regarding age-related musculoskeletal changes and their influence on the development of knee OA. PMID- 17785379 TI - Calcified carotid artery atheromas. PMID- 17785385 TI - Oral health literacy among adult patients seeking dental care. AB - BACKGROUND: This study examined the association of knowledge, dental care visits and oral health status with oral health literacy in dental patients. METHODS: The authors administered to adult patients in two private dental offices the short version of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry-30 (REALD-30), a word-recognition test. An interview provided primary predictor variables for REALD-30 and variables that would serve as controls in multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: About 29 percent of the sample scored below 22 on the 30-point test, a score that the authors defined as a low literacy level. Those with incorrect knowledge (odds ratio [OR] = 5.98; P < .01) and fair-to-poor oral health status (OR = 3.08; P = .06) were more likely to have a low literacy level than were their reference groups. Not having had a dental care visit in the last year was not associated with literacy (OR = 2.26; P = .17). A change from an unfavorable to favorable category for the primary predictor variables would decrease the probability of having a low literacy level by 35 to 61 percent. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of patients may have a low level of oral health literacy, which possibly interferes with their ability to process and understand oral health information. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providers should identify patients who are having difficulty understanding and using dental health information and address their needs. PMID- 17785386 TI - A dose-effect analysis of children's exposure to dental amalgam and neuropsychological function: the New England Children's Amalgam Trial. AB - BACKGROUND: The New England Children's Amalgam Trial (NECAT) was a five-year randomized trial of 534 6- to 10-year-old children that compared the neuropsychological outcomes of those whose caries were restored using dental amalgam with the outcomes of those those whose caries were restored using mercury free resin-based composite. The primary intention-to-treat analyses did not reveal significant differences between the treatment groups on the primary or secondary outcomes of the administered psychological tests: Full-Scale IQ score on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition, General Memory Index of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, and Visual-Motor Composite of the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities. METHODS: To determine whether treatment group assignment, a dichotomous measure of exposure, was sufficiently sensitive to detect associations between mercury exposure and these outcomes, the authors conducted analyses to evaluate the associations between the primary and secondary outcomes and two continuously distributed indexes of potential exposure, surface-years of amalgam and urinary mercury excretion. RESULTS: Neither index of mercury exposure was significantly associated with any of the three outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found no evidence that exposure to mercury from dental amalgam was associated with any adverse neuropsychological effects over the five-year period after placement of amalgam restorations. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Analyses of the outcomes of the NECAT study indicate that use of dental amalgam was not associated with an increase in children's risk of experiencing neuropsychological dysfunction. PMID- 17785387 TI - Denture-related osteonecrosis of the maxilla associated with oral bisphosphonate treatment. AB - BACKGROUND: Bisphosphonates are a class of agents used to treat various systemic conditions. Despite the benefits of bisphosphonates, osteonecrosis of the jaws is an important complication in a subset of patients who receive this drug treatment. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 66-year-old woman was referred to an oral surgeon at a private surgical center because of a pressure wound in the margins of a removable maxillary denture. The patient reported that she had received oral alendronate sodium treatment for eight years. A clinical examination revealed a palatal ulcer with exposed necrotic gray bone at its center. The clinician performed an excisional biopsy and separated two palatal rotational flaps to enable an adequate blood supply to reach the operated-on area. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This report, together with growing evidence in the literature, serves to alert treating physicians and dental practitioners about the potential complication of maxillary and mandibular bone necrosis in patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy. PMID- 17785388 TI - Vitamin and mineral supplements: what is the dentist to do? AB - BACKGROUND: Vitamins and minerals are essential for systemic and oral health and the prevention of nutrient deficiencies. The author reviews recommendations for their use, consumer intake patterns and considerations for dental practice. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin and mineral supplements are designed to treat and prevent deficiency syndromes and promote health. Consumers frequently misuse them, as they are guided by the belief that these supplements will prevent diseases and cure symptoms. Scientific evidence demonstrates their limited usefulness in systemic disease prevention or treatment. The author reviews demonstrated benefits in select diseases. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Being familiar with the appropriate uses of vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as nutrient supplement and drug-supplement interactions, will give dental professionals the knowledge to question and advise patients using evidence-based resources. PMID- 17785389 TI - The antimicrobial and antifungal activity of a root canal core material. AB - BACKGROUND: The authors conducted an in vitro study to determine the antimicrobial and antifungal activity of a recently introduced thermoplastic, synthetic, polymer-based polyester root canal core material (Resilon, Resilon Research, Madison, Conn.) against five different microorganisms by means of the agar diffusion test over different periods. METHODS: The microorganisms tested were Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Porphyromonas endodontalis and Candida albicans. A microbiologist transferred Resilon cones and gutta-percha cones to the inoculated agar and incubated them at 37 C, either aerobically or anaerobically, as required for optimal growth. RESULTS: The Resilon cones exhibited no antimicrobial effect against any of the bacteria tested, except for S. aureus. It showed antimicrobial efficacy against S. aureus during the first 24-hour period (P < .05). However, after 48 and 72 hours, Resilon cones no longer inhibited the growth of S. aureus. In addition, the material demonstrated no antifungal activity during any of the three testing periods. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of the Resilon cone is not superior to that of conventional gutta-percha. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should not use the new root canal core material for its antimicrobial or antifungal efficacy. PMID- 17785390 TI - An evaluation of DNA yield, DNA quality and bite registration from a dental impression wafer. AB - BACKGROUND: The authors determined the amount and quality of the DNA captured by a bite impression wafer and analyzed any inaccuracies in the impression wafer. METHODS: The authors made bite registrations for subjects aged 7 to 12 years by using a dental impression wafer (Toothprints, Kerr, Orange, Calif.), obtained an oral rinse sample, took cheek cells by using buccal swabs and made an alginate impression to pour a stone model. They extracted and quantified the DNA from the dental impression wafer, mouthwash and buccal swabs by using the Quant-iT PicoGreen (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) assay and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. They compared the stone models and imprints from the wafer. RESULTS: The average amounts of DNA determined by using Quant-iT PicoGreen from the buccal swab, mouthwash and dental impression wafer samples were 113.61, 509.57 and 1.03 micrograms, respectively. The average amounts of DNA determined by using RT-PCR from the buccal swab, mouthwash and dental impression wafer samples were 11.5240, 22.2540 and 0.0279 mug, respectively. The bite registrations and stone models had an average of 14 percent of mismatches. CONCLUSION: The dental impression wafers captured DNA but not in high quantities. They did not produce an accurate representation of the dentition. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The dental impression wafers captured enough DNA to permit amplification. The accuracy of the bite registration was not sufficient for identification purposes. Therefore, dental impression wafers may be useful only as a reservoir for DNA. PMID- 17785391 TI - Hypnotizability, absorption and negative cognitions as predictors of dental anxiety: two pilot studies. AB - BACKGROUND: The authors conducted two pilot studies that investigated the roles of hypnotizability, absorption (defined as the ability to maintain focused attention on a task or stimulus) and state versus trait anxiety as predictors of dental anxiety. One of the studies also examined the effectiveness of hypnosis in managing dental anxiety. METHODS: Participants in study 1 completed measures of hypnotizability and anxiety, viewed a video of a dental procedure either under hypnosis or not, and completed dental anxiety questionnaires. Participants in study 2 were told either that the video showed major dental work or a routine polishing. All subjects watched the video and then completed measures assessing their perceptions of the video and their anxiety. RESULTS: The authors found a positive relationship between hypnotizability and scores on the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) (F(1,290) = 3.45, P = .06), as well as an interaction between hypnotizability and hypnosis (F(1,290) = 6.55, P = .01). An analysis of covariance found a relationship between trait and dental anxiety (F(1,290) = 11.50; P = .001). A two-way analysis of variance found a main effect for hypnosis (F(1,290) = 3.20, P = .07). The authors found an effect for group on the DAS (F(1,228) = 3.67, P = .057), such that subjects in the negative-cognition group scored higher on the DAS. The authors found an interaction between absorption and cognition in perceptions of pain experienced by the patient in the video (F(1,228) = 3.70, P = .05) and in ratings of one's own pain level if in the same situation (F(1,228) = 4.38, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Hypnotizability or absorption, pre-existing anxiety and cognitions about dental procedures predict dental anxiety, and hypnosis may be helpful for some, but not all, patients. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Characteristics such as hypnotizability, trait anxiety and negative cognitions predict which people develop dental anxiety and who will be more responsive to hypnosis. The authors provide suggestions for dentists treating anxious patients. PMID- 17785392 TI - Condylar and disk position and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in stress-free subjects. AB - BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a study in subjects who tested free of psychological stress to determine the position of the condyle and whether that position was related to signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). METHODS: Forty subjects underwent psychological evaluation to ensure freedom from psychological stress. The authors evaluated tenderness of the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joints (TMJs) by means of bimanual digital palpation, and they determined the positions of the condyle and disk by using magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: A total of 23.75 percent of the condyles were displaced away from the centric position either anteriorly (3.75 percent) or posteriorly (20.00 percent). chi(2) analysis showed a relationship between the position of the condyle and displacement of the disk, as well as a relationship between the position of the condyle and tenderness of the TMJs. CONCLUSION: Although these relationships proved significant, it cannot be assumed that displacement of the condyle away from the centric position is predictive of TMD. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Only two subjects were judged to have had TMJ internal derangement. Thus, the absence of psychological stress seems to have played a role in this finding. PMID- 17785393 TI - Ongoing changes in fixed prosthodontics, 2007. PMID- 17785394 TI - Taking control of the dental practice. PMID- 17785395 TI - Is it ethical to tell a patient to sue a former dentist? PMID- 17785396 TI - For the dental patient. A look at toothbrushes. PMID- 17785397 TI - Role of delayed enhancement MRI in patients with acute coronary syndrome and unobstructed coronary arteries. PMID- 17785398 TI - Coronary embolization detected by delayed enhancement MRI. PMID- 17785399 TI - Understanding interventions that encourage minorities to pursue research careers: major questions and appropriate methods. PMID- 17785400 TI - Teaching without a textbook: strategies to focus learning on fundamental concepts and scientific process. AB - Textbooks are ubiquitous. They are available for almost every conceivable subdiscipline of biology, and few of us would consider teaching a course without using a textbook. Over the years, they have become more colorful, more encyclopedic, and accompanied by more ancillary materials such as CD-ROMs, study guides, and websites. With all these tools to assist our students, it seems reasonable that they are able to learn more and better than ever. Thus, the question most instructors ask themselves is most likely which textbook to use, not whether to use a textbook. But does the use of textbooks really help students learn better? In this Point of View, I invited a commentary on this question from a faculty member who has decided to abandon the use of a textbook in an introductory level cell and molecular biology course. PMID- 17785401 TI - Make microarray data with known ratios. PMID- 17785402 TI - High school biology today: what the Committee of Ten actually said. AB - This essay describes how in the 1890s the Committee of Ten arrived at their recommendations about the organization of the high school biological sciences and seeks to correct the frequently held, but erroneous view that the Committee of Ten was the initiator of the Biology-Chemistry-Physics order of teaching sciences prevalent in high schools today. The essay details the factors underlying the changing views of high school biology from its "natural history" origins, through its "zoology, botany, physiology" disciplinary phase to its eventual integration into a "general biology" course. The simultaneous parallel development of the "Carnegie Unit" for measuring coursework is highlighted as a significant contributor in the evolution of the present day high school biology course. The essay concludes with a discussion of the implications of the grade placement of the sciences for the future development of high school biology. PMID- 17785403 TI - Supplemental instruction in introductory biology I: enhancing the performance and retention of underrepresented minority students. AB - Supplemental instruction classes have been shown in many studies to enhance performance in the supported courses and even to improve graduation rates. Generally, there has been little evidence of a differential impact on students from different ethnic/racial backgrounds. At San Francisco State University, however, supplemental instruction in the Introductory Biology I class is associated with even more dramatic gains among students from underrepresented minority populations than the gains found among their peers. These gains do not seem to be the product of better students availing themselves of supplemental instruction or other outside factors. The Introductory Biology I class consists of a team-taught lecture component, taught in a large lecture classroom, and a laboratory component where students participate in smaller lab sections. Students are expected to master an understanding of basic concepts, content, and vocabulary in biology as well as gain laboratory investigation skills and experience applying scientific methodology. In this context, supplemental instruction classes are cooperative learning environments where students participate in learning activities that complement the course material, focusing on student misconceptions and difficulties, construction of a scaffolded knowledge base, applications involving problem solving, and articulation of constructs with peers. PMID- 17785404 TI - The value of animations in biology teaching: a study of long-term memory retention. AB - Previous work has established that a narrated animation is more effective at communicating a complex biological process (signal transduction) than the equivalent graphic with figure legend. To my knowledge, no study has been done in any subject area on the effectiveness of animations versus graphics in the long term retention of information, a primary and critical issue in studies of teaching and learning. In this study, involving 393 student responses, three different animations and two graphics-one with and one lacking a legend-were used to determine the long-term retention of information. The results show that students retain more information 21 d after viewing an animation without narration compared with an equivalent graphic whether or not that graphic had a legend. Students' comments provide additional insight into the value of animations in the pedagogical process, and suggestions for future work are proposed. PMID- 17785405 TI - Characterization of human genetics courses for nonbiology majors in U.S. colleges and universities. AB - We characterized college human genetics courses for nonscience majors (NSM) by 1) determining the number of U.S. institutions offering courses and the number of students taking them; and 2) surveying course instructors on course demographics, content, materials, and pedagogies. Between 2002 and 2004, an estimated 480 institutions of higher education (15.2%) offered a course: 8.4% of 1667 associate colleges, 16.1% of baccalaureate institutions, 25.3% of master's institutions, and 32.9% of doctoral institutions. This indicates a need to increase access to genetics education in 2-yr colleges. Based on instructor responses, approximately 32,000-37,000 students annually complete an NSM human genetics course out of approximately 1.9 million students earning a college degree each year (2.0%). Regarding course content, instructors consistently rated many concepts significantly higher in importance than the emphasis placed on those concepts in their courses. Although time could be a factor, instructors need guidance in the integration of the various concepts into their courses. Considering only 30.2% of the instructors were reportedly trained in genetics (another 25.4% in molecular and cellular biology) and the small fraction of students completing NSM human genetics courses, these results demonstrate the need for increasing the availability of these courses in undergraduate institutions of higher education, and particularly at 2-yr colleges. PMID- 17785406 TI - Graduate Experience in Science Education: the development of a science education course for biomedical science graduate students. AB - The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with practical teaching and communication skills to help them better relate science content to, and increase their confidence in, their own teaching abilities. The 2-h weekly sessions include an introduction to cognitive hierarchies, learning styles, and multiple intelligences; modeling and coaching some practical aspects of science education pedagogy; lesson-planning skills; an introduction to instructional methods such as case studies and problem based learning; and use of computer-based instructional technologies. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers. This article summarizes the GESE course and presents evidence on the effectiveness of this course in providing graduate students with information about teaching and learning that they will use throughout their careers. PMID- 17785407 TI - Increased learning observed in redesigned introductory biology course that employed web-enhanced, interactive pedagogy. AB - Our Introduction to Biology course (BIOL 1010) changed in 2004 from a standard instructor-centered, lecture-homework-exam format to a student-centered format that used Web-enhanced, interactive pedagogy. To measure and compare conceptual learning gains in the traditional course in fall 2003 with a section of the interactive course in fall 2004, we created concept inventories for both evolution and ecology. Both classes were taught by the same instructor who had taught BIOL 1010 since 1976, and each had a similar student composition with comparable biological knowledge. A significant increase in learning gain was observed with the Web-enhanced, interactive pedagogy in evolution (traditional, 0.10; interactive, 0.19; p = 0.024) and ecology (traditional, -0.05; interactive, 0.14; p = 0.000009) when assessment was made unannounced and for no credit in the last week of classes. These results strengthen the case for augmenting or replacing instructor-centered teaching with Web-enhanced, interactive, student centered teaching. When assessment was made using the final exam in the interactive course, for credit and after studying, significantly greater learning gains were made in evolution (95%, 0.37, p = 0.0001) and ecology (143%, 0.34, p = 0.000003) when compared with learning gains measured without credit or study in the last week of classes. PMID- 17785408 TI - Different transmitter transients underlie presynaptic cell type specificity of GABAA,slow and GABAA,fast. AB - Phasic (synaptic) and tonic (extrasynaptic) inhibition represent the two most fundamental forms of GABA(A) receptor-mediated transmission. Inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) generated by GABA(A) receptors are typically extremely rapid synaptic events that do not last beyond a few milliseconds. Although unusually slow GABA(A) IPSCs, lasting for tens of milliseconds, have been observed in recordings of spontaneous events, their origin and mechanisms are not known. We show that neocortical GABA(A,slow) IPSCs originate from a specialized interneuron called neurogliaform cells. Compared with classical GABA(A,fast) IPSCs evoked by basket cells, single spikes in neurogliaform cells evoke extraordinarily prolonged GABA(A) responses that display tight regulation by transporters, low peak GABA concentration, unusual benzodiazepine modulation, and spillover. These results reveal a form of GABA(A) receptor mediated communication by a dedicated cell type that produces slow ionotropic responses with properties intermediate between phasic and tonic inhibition. PMID- 17785409 TI - Of light and mouse embryos: less is more. PMID- 17785410 TI - Estrogen receptor-alpha expression in the mammary epithelium is required for ductal and alveolar morphogenesis in mice. AB - The estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) is a critical transcription factor that regulates epithelial cell proliferation and ductal morphogenesis during postnatal mammary gland development. Tissue recombination and transplantation studies using the first generation of ERalpha knockout (ERKO) mice suggested that this steroid hormone receptor is required in the mammary stroma that subsequently exerts its effect on the epithelium through additional paracrine signaling events. A more detailed analysis revealed that ERKO mice produce a truncated ERalpha protein with detectable transactivation activity, and it is likely that this functional ERalpha variant has masked the biological significance of this steroid receptor in the mammary epithelium. In this article, we describe the generation a Cre-lox based conditional knockout of the ERalpha gene to study the biological function of this steroid receptor in the epithelial compartment at defined stages of mammary gland development. The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-Cre-mediated, epithelial-specific ablation of exon 3 of the ERalpha gene in virgin mice severely impaired ductal elongation and side branching. The conditional knockout resulted in ablation of the ERalpha protein, and the progesterone receptor (PR), whose expression is under the control of ERalpha, was largely absent. The whey acidic protein (WAP)-Cre-mediated deletion of ERalpha during successive gestation cycles resulted in a loss of ductal side-branching and lobuloalveolar structures, ductal dilation, and decreased proliferation of alveolar progenitors. These abnormalities compromised milk production and led to malnourishment of the offspring by the second lactation. These observations suggest that ERalpha expression in the mammary epithelium is essential for normal ductal morphogenesis during puberty and alveologenesis during pregnancy and lactation. PMID- 17785411 TI - Axonal netrin-Gs transneuronally determine lamina-specific subdendritic segments. AB - Axons from a distinct group of neurons make contact with dendritic trees of target neurons in clearly segregated and laminated patterns, thereby forming functional units for processing multiple inputs of information in the vertebrate central nervous system. Whether and how dendrites acquire lamina-specific properties corresponding to each pathway is not known. We show here that vertebrate-specific membrane-anchored members of the UNC-6/netrin family, netrin G1 and -G2, organize the lamina/pathway-specific differentiation of dendrites. Netrin-G1 and -G2 distribute on axons of different pathways and specifically interact with receptors NGL-1 and -2, respectively. In the hippocampus, parietal cortex, and piriform cortex, NGL-1 is concentrated in the dendritic segments corresponding to the lamina-specific termination of netrin-G1-positive axons, and NGL-2 is concentrated in distinct dendritic segments corresponding to the termination of netrin-G2-positive axons. In netrin-G1- and -G2-deficient mice, in which axonal path-finding is normal, the segmental distribution of NGL-1 and -2 is selectively disrupted, and the individual receptors are diffused along the dendrites. These findings indicate that transneuronal interactions of netrin-Gs and their specific receptors provide a molecular basis for the axonal innervation dependent mechanism of postsynaptic membrane organization, and provide insight into the formation of the laminar structure within the dendrites. PMID- 17785412 TI - Nuclear gene silencing directs reception of long-distance mRNA silencing in Arabidopsis. AB - In plants, silencing of mRNA can be transmitted from cell to cell and also over longer distances from roots to shoots. To investigate the long-distance mechanism, WT and mutant shoots were grafted onto roots silenced for an mRNA. We show that three genes involved in a chromatin silencing pathway, NRPD1a encoding RNA polymerase IVa, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 2 (RDR2), and DICER-like 3 (DCL3), are required for reception of long-distance mRNA silencing in the shoot. A mutant representing a fourth gene in the pathway, argonaute4 (ago4), was also partially compromised in the reception of silencing. This pathway produces 24-nt siRNAs and resulted in decapped RNA, a known substrate for amplification of dsRNA by RDR6. Activation of silencing in grafted shoots depended on RDR6, but no 24-nt siRNAs were detected in mutant rdr6 shoots, indicating that RDR6 also plays a role in initial signal perception. After amplification of decapped transcripts, DCL4 and DCL2 act hierarchically as they do in antiviral resistance to produce 21 and 22-nt siRNAs, respectively, and these guide mRNA degradation. Several dcl genotypes were also tested for their capacity to transmit the mobile silencing signal from the rootstock. dcl1-8 and a dcl2 dcl3 dcl4 triple mutant are compromised in micro-RNA and siRNA biogenesis, respectively, but were unaffected in signal transmission. PMID- 17785413 TI - Distinct pathways of genomic progression to benign and malignant tumors of the liver. AB - We used several of the genetic lesions commonly associated with human liver tumors to reconstruct genetic progression to hepatocellular carcinoma and adenoma in mouse models. We initiated tumorigenesis with a transgene of the protooncogene MET or by hydrodynamic transfection of MET in combination with other genes into the livers of adult animals. Hepatocellular carcinoma in both instances arose from cooperation between MET and constitutively active versions of beta-catenin. In contrast, adenomas were produced by cooperation between MET and defective signaling through the transcription factor HNF1alpha. Prompted by these findings, we uncovered a coincidence between activation of the protein-tyrosine kinase encoded by MET and activating mutations of beta-catenin in a subset of human hepatocellular carcinomas. Inactivation of MET transgenes led to regression of hepatocellular carcinomas despite the persistence of activated beta-catenin. The tumors eventually recurred in the absence of MET expression, however, presumably after the occurrence of one or more events that cooperated with activated beta catenin in lieu of MET. These results offer insight into hepatic tumorigenesis, provide mouse models that should be useful in the further study of hepatic tumorigenesis and for preclinical testing, and identify a subset of human hepatocellular carcinomas that may be susceptible to combination therapy directed against Met and the Wnt signaling pathway. PMID- 17785414 TI - Control of transposase activity within a transpososome by the configuration of the flanking DNA segment of the transposon. AB - The multiple steps of DNA transposition take place within a large complex called the transpososome, in which a pair of transposon DNA ends are synapsed by a multimer of the transposase protein. The final step, a DNA strand transfer reaction that joins the transposon ends to the target DNA strands, entails no net change in the number of high-energy chemical bonds. Physiology demands that, despite remaining stably associated with the transpososome, the strand transfer products undergo neither the reverse reaction nor any further cleavage reactions. Accordingly, when the Mu or Tn10 strand transfer complex was produced in vitro through transposase-catalyzed reaction steps, reverse reactions were undetectable. In contrast, when the Mu or Tn10 strand transfer complexes were assembled from DNA already having the structure of the strand transfer product, we detected a reaction that resembled reversal of target DNA strand transfer. The stereoselectivity of phosphorothioate-containing substrates indicated that this reaction proceeds as the pseudoreversal of the normal target DNA strand transfer step. Comparison of the reactivity of closely related Mu substrate DNA structures indicated that the configuration of the flanking DNA outside of the transposon sequence plays a key role in preventing the transposon end cleavage reaction after the strand transfer step. PMID- 17785415 TI - Antipsychotic drugs reverse the disruption in prefrontal cortex function produced by NMDA receptor blockade with phencyclidine. AB - NMDA receptor (NMDA-R) antagonists are extensively used as schizophrenia models because of their ability to evoke positive and negative symptoms as well as cognitive deficits similar to those of the illness. Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) abnormalities. These deficits are of particular interest because an early improvement in cognitive performance predicts a better long-term clinical outcome. Here, we examined the effect of the noncompetitive NMDA-R antagonist phencyclidine (PCP) on PFC function to understand the cellular and network elements involved in its schizomimetic actions. PCP induces a marked disruption of the activity of the PFC in the rat, increasing and decreasing the activity of 45% and 33% of the pyramidal neurons recorded, respectively (22% of the neurons were unaffected). Concurrently, PCP markedly reduced cortical synchrony in the delta frequency range (0.3-4 Hz) as assessed by recording local field potentials. The subsequent administration of the antipsychotic drugs haloperidol and clozapine reversed PCP effects on pyramidal cell firing and cortical synchronization. PCP increased c fos expression in PFC pyramidal neurons, an effect prevented by the administration of clozapine. PCP also enhanced c-fos expression in the centromedial and mediodorsal (but not reticular) nuclei of the thalamus, suggesting the participation of enhanced thalamocortical excitatory inputs. These results shed light on the involvement of PFC in the schizomimetic action of NMDA R antagonists and show that antipsychotic drugs may partly exert their therapeutic effect by normalizing a disrupted PFC activity, an effect that may add to subcortical dopamine receptor blockade. PMID- 17785416 TI - Light signaling to the zebrafish circadian clock by Cryptochrome 1a. AB - Zebrafish tissues and cells have the unusual feature of not only containing a circadian clock, but also being directly light-responsive. Several zebrafish genes are induced by light, but little is known about their role in clock resetting or the mechanism by which this might occur. Here we show that Cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a) plays a key role in light entrainment of the zebrafish clock. Intensity and phase response curves reveal a strong correlation between light induction of Cry1a and clock resetting. Overexpression studies show that Cry1a acts as a potent repressor of clock function and mimics the effect of constant light to "stop" the circadian oscillator. Yeast two-hybrid analysis demonstrates that the Cry1a protein interacts directly with specific regions of core clock components, CLOCK and BMAL, blocking their ability to fully dimerize and transactivate downstream targets, providing a likely mechanism for clock resetting. A comparison of entrainment of zebrafish cells to complete versus skeleton photoperiods reveals that clock phase is identical under these two conditions. However, the amplitude of the core clock oscillation is much higher on a complete photoperiod, as are the levels of light-induced Cry1a. We believe that Cry1a acts on the core clock machinery in both a continuous and discrete fashion, leading not only to entrainment, but also to the establishment of a high amplitude rhythm and even stopping of the clock under long photoperiods. PMID- 17785417 TI - SIRT1 promotes endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase. AB - Reduced caloric intake decreases arterial blood pressure in healthy individuals and improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in obese and overweight individuals. The SIRT1 protein deacetylase mediates many of the effects of calorie restriction (CR) on organismal lifespan and metabolic pathways. However, the role of SIRT1 in regulating endothelium-dependent vasomotor tone is not known. Here we show that SIRT1 promotes endothelium-dependent vasodilation by targeting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) for deacetylation. SIRT1 and eNOS colocalize and coprecipitate in endothelial cells, and SIRT1 deacetylates eNOS, stimulating eNOS activity and increasing endothelial nitric oxide (NO). SIRT1-induced increase in endothelial NO is mediated through lysines 496 and 506 in the calmodulin-binding domain of eNOS. Inhibition of SIRT1 in the endothelium of arteries inhibits endothelium-dependent vasodilation and decreases bioavailable NO. Finally, CR of mice leads to deacetylation of eNOS. Our results demonstrate that SIRT1 plays a fundamental role in regulating endothelial NO and endothelium-dependent vascular tone by deacetylating eNOS. Furthermore, our results provide a possible molecular mechanism connecting the effects of CR on the endothelium and vascular tone to SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of eNOS. PMID- 17785419 TI - Enzymatic synthesis of DNA on glycerol nucleic acid templates without stable duplex formation between product and template. AB - Glycerol nucleic acid (GNA) is an interesting alternative base-pairing system based on an acyclic, glycerol-phosphate backbone repeat unit. The question of whether DNA polymerases can catalyze efficient template-dependent synthesis using GNA as the template is of particular interest because GNA is unable to form a stable duplex with DNA. In the present study, we screened a variety of DNA polymerases for GNA-dependent DNA synthesis. We find that Bst DNA polymerase can catalyze full-length DNA synthesis on a dodecamer GNA template. The efficiency of DNA synthesis is increased by replacing adenine with diaminopurine in both the GNA template and the DNA monomers and by the presence of manganese ions. We suggest that the BstDNA polymerase maintains a short, transient region of base pairing between the DNA product strand and the GNA template, but that stable duplex formation between product and template strands is not required for template-dependent polymerization. PMID- 17785418 TI - Dual role of the RNA substrate in selectivity and catalysis by terminal uridylyl transferases. AB - Terminal RNA uridylyltransferases (TUTases) catalyze template-independent UMP addition to the 3' hydroxyl of RNA. TUTases belong to the DNA polymerase beta superfamily of nucleotidyltransferases that share a conserved catalytic domain bearing three metal-binding carboxylate residues. We have previously determined crystal structures of the UTP-bound and apo forms of the minimal trypanosomal TUTase, TbTUT4, which is composed solely of the N-terminal catalytic and C terminal base-recognition domains. Here we report crystal structures of TbTUT4 with bound CTP, GTP, and ATP, demonstrating nearly perfect superposition of the triphosphate moieties with that of the UTP substrate. Consequently, at physiological nucleoside 5'-triphosphate concentrations, the protein-uracil base interactions alone are not sufficient to confer UTP selectivity. To resolve this ambiguity, we determined the crystal structure of a prereaction ternary complex composed of UTP, TbTUT4, and UMP, which mimics an RNA substrate, and the postreaction complex of TbTUT4 with UpU dinucleotide. The UMP pyrimidine ring stacks against the uracil base of the bound UTP, which on its other face also stacks with an essential tyrosine. In contrast, the different orientation of the purine bases observed in cocrystals with ATP and GTP prevents this triple stacking, precluding productive binding of the RNA. The 3' hydroxyl of the bound UMP is poised for in-line nucleophilic attack while contributing to the formation of a binding site for a second catalytic metal ion. We propose a dual role for RNA substrates in TUTase-catalyzed reactions: contribution to selective incorporation of the cognate nucleoside and shaping of the catalytic metal binding site. PMID- 17785420 TI - East African megadroughts between 135 and 75 thousand years ago and bearing on early-modern human origins. AB - The environmental backdrop to the evolution and spread of early Homo sapiens in East Africa is known mainly from isolated outcrops and distant marine sediment cores. Here we present results from new scientific drill cores from Lake Malawi, the first long and continuous, high-fidelity records of tropical climate change from the continent itself. Our record shows periods of severe aridity between 135 and 75 thousand years (kyr) ago, when the lake's water volume was reduced by at least 95%. Surprisingly, these intervals of pronounced tropical African aridity in the early late-Pleistocene were much more severe than the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the period previously recognized as one of the most arid of the Quaternary. From these cores and from records from Lakes Tanganyika (East Africa) and Bosumtwi (West Africa), we document a major rise in water levels and a shift to more humid conditions over much of tropical Africa after approximately 70 kyr ago. This transition to wetter, more stable conditions coincides with diminished orbital eccentricity, and a reduction in precession-dominated climatic extremes. The observed climate mode switch to decreased environmental variability is consistent with terrestrial and marine records from in and around tropical Africa, but our records provide evidence for dramatically wetter conditions after 70 kyr ago. Such climate change may have stimulated the expansion and migrations of early modern human populations. PMID- 17785422 TI - Carbon dioxide enrichment alters plant community structure and accelerates shrub growth in the shortgrass steppe. AB - A hypothesis has been advanced that the incursion of woody plants into world grasslands over the past two centuries has been driven in part by increasing carbon dioxide concentration, [CO(2)], in Earth's atmosphere. Unlike the warm season forage grasses they are displacing, woody plants have a photosynthetic metabolism and carbon allocation patterns that are responsive to CO(2), and many have tap roots that are more effective than grasses for reaching deep soil water stores that can be enhanced under elevated CO(2). However, this commonly cited hypothesis has little direct support from manipulative experimentation and competes with more traditional theories of shrub encroachment involving climate change, management, and fire. Here, we show that, although doubling [CO(2)] over the Colorado shortgrass steppe had little impact on plant species diversity, it resulted in an increasingly dissimilar plant community over the 5-year experiment compared with plots maintained at present-day [CO(2)]. Growth at the doubled [CO(2)] resulted in an approximately 40-fold increase in aboveground biomass and a 20-fold increase in plant cover of Artemisia frigida Willd, a common subshrub of some North American and Asian grasslands. This CO(2)-induced enhancement of plant growth, among the highest yet reported, provides evidence from a native grassland suggesting that rising atmospheric [CO(2)] may be contributing to the shrubland expansions of the past 200 years. Encroachment of shrubs into grasslands is an important problem facing rangeland managers and ranchers; this process replaces grasses, the preferred forage of domestic livestock, with species that are unsuitable for domestic livestock grazing. PMID- 17785421 TI - Differential neuroprotective and antiinflammatory effects of estrogen receptor (ER)alpha and ERbeta ligand treatment. AB - Treatment with either estradiol or an estrogen receptor (ER)alpha ligand has been shown to be both antiinflammatory and neuroprotective in a variety of neurological disease models, but whether neuroprotective effects could be observed in the absence of an antiinflammatory effect has remained unknown. Here, we have contrasted effects of treatment with an ERalpha vs. an ERbeta ligand in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the multiple sclerosis model with a known pathogenic role for both inflammation and neurodegeneration. Clinically, ERalpha ligand treatment abrogated disease at the onset and throughout the disease course. In contrast, ERbeta ligand treatment had no effect at disease onset but promoted recovery during the chronic phase of the disease. ERalpha ligand treatment was antiinflammatory in the systemic immune system, whereas ERbeta ligand treatment was not. Also, ERalpha ligand treatment reduced CNS inflammation, whereas ERbeta ligand treatment did not. Interestingly, treatment with either the ERalpha or the ERbeta ligand was neuroprotective, as evidenced by reduced demyelination and preservation of axon numbers in white matter, as well as decreased neuronal abnormalities in gray matter. Thus, by using the ERbeta selective ligand, we have dissociated the antiinflammatory effect from the neuroprotective effect of estrogen treatment and have shown that neuroprotective effects of estrogen treatment do not necessarily depend on antiinflammatory properties. Together, these findings suggest that ERbeta ligand treatment should be explored as a potential neuroprotective strategy in multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, particularly because estrogen-related toxicities such as breast and uterine cancer are mediated through ERalpha. PMID- 17785423 TI - Osteopontin regulates hindlimb-unloading-induced lymphoid organ atrophy and weight loss by modulating corticosteroid production. AB - Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional secreted phosphoglycoprotein, plays diverse roles in bone biology, immune regulation, cell survival, inflammation, and cancer metastasis. Here we show its role in determining lymphocyte homeostasis and body mass in response to hindlimb unloading (HU), a model for evaluating effects of weightlessness on the musculoskeletal and other physiological systems. Using this stress model, we compared OPN(-/-) mice with OPN(+/+) mice subjected to HU for 3 days. Whereas OPN(+/+) mice suffered a marked reduction of body weight and significant spleen and thymus atrophy, OPN(-/-) mice exhibited minor weight loss and much less spleen and thymus atrophy. The HU-induced lymphoid organ atrophy was the result of dramatically diminished numbers, respectively, of T and B cells in the spleen and CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive cells in the thymus of OPN(+/+) mice. Increased levels of corticosterone, which modulates lymphocyte activation responses and apoptosis during stress, were found only in OPN(+/+) mice. Apoptotic cell death was evident in the spleen and thymus of OPN(+/+) mice subjected to HU but not in OPN(-/-)mice. Importantly, lymphocytes from both OPN(+/+) and OPN(-/-) mice were equally sensitive to corticosteroid-induced apoptosis. These results reveal that OPN is required for enhanced corticosterone production, immune organ atrophy, and weight loss in mice subjected to HU. PMID- 17785424 TI - Mechanism of positioning the cell nucleus in vertebrate photoreceptors. AB - Organelles are frequently distributed in a nonrandom manner in a cell's cytoplasm. A particular distribution pattern often facilitates a specific function of a cell, whereas its aberrations can lead to cell death. We show that a mutation in the zebrafish mikre oko (mok) locus, which encodes dynactin 1 subunit of the dynactin complex, produces a severe displacement of the photoreceptor cell nucleus toward the synaptic terminus. Interference with the function of other dynein complex constituents, including p50/dynamitin, the Lis1 polypeptide, and the disruption of a nuclear envelope component of the syne gene family in vertebrate photoreceptors also result in the mispositioning of nuclei. Although the overall photoreceptor polarity is not affected, this phenotype is accompanied by a misdistribution of the Bardet-Biedl syndrome 4 polypeptide and a decreased photoreceptor survival. These findings reveal an important mechanism that regulates nuclear position in vertebrate neurons. PMID- 17785425 TI - Specific and covalent labeling of a membrane protein with organic fluorochromes and quantum dots. AB - The real-time observation of protein dynamics in living cells and organisms is of fundamental importance for understanding biological processes. Most approaches to labeling proteins exploit noncovalent interactions, unsuitable to long-term studies, or genetic fusion to naturally occurring fluorescent proteins that often have unsatisfactory optical properties. Here we used the fungal enzyme cutinase and its suicide substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphonate to covalently attach a variety of labels to the integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA 1) on the surface of living cells. Cutinase was embedded in the extracellular domain of LFA-1 with no appreciable influence on integrin function and conformational regulation. p-nitrophenyl phosphonate-conjugated fluorochromes, including the very bright and stable quantum dots, bound efficiently and specifically to LFA-1/cutinase. The availability of a genetically encoded tag that binds covalently to quantum dots could foster the development of new experimental strategies for the study of protein dynamics in vivo. PMID- 17785426 TI - Breast cancer resistance protein 1 limits fetal distribution of nitrofurantoin in the pregnant mouse. AB - The efflux transporter, the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), is most abundantly expressed in the apical membrane of the placental syncytiotrophoblasts, indicating that it could play an important role in protecting the fetus by limiting xenobiotic/drug penetration across the placental barrier. In the present study, we examined whether Bcrp1, the murine homolog of human BCRP, limits fetal distribution of the model BCRP/Bcrp1 substrate, nitrofurantoin (NFT), in the pregnant mouse. NFT was administered i.v. to FVB wild-type and Bcrp1(-/-) pregnant mice. The maternal plasma samples and fetuses were collected at various times (5-60 min) after drug administration. The NFT concentrations in the maternal plasma samples and homogenates of fetal tissues were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography/UV assay. Although the maternal plasma area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of NFT in the Bcrp1(-/-) pregnant mice (97.4 +/- 10.0 microg . min/ml plasma) was only slightly (but significantly) higher than that in the wild-type pregnant mice (78.4 +/- 6.0 microg . min/ml plasma), the fetal AUC of NFT in the Bcrp1(-/-) pregnant mice (1493.0 +/- 235.3 ng . min/g of fetus) was approximately 5 times greater than that in the wild-type pregnant mice (298.6 +/- 77.4 ng . min/g of fetus). These results clearly suggest that Bcrp1 significantly limits fetal distribution of NFT in the pregnant mouse, but has only a minor effect on the systemic clearance of the drug. PMID- 17785427 TI - Neuropeptide y receptor selective ligands in the treatment of obesity. AB - Obesity is a serious public health problem throughout the world, affecting both developed societies and developing countries. The central nervous system has developed a meticulously interconnected circuitry in order to keep us fed and in an adequate nutritional state. One of these consequences is that an energy-dense environment favors the development of obesity. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the most abundant and widely distributed peptides in the central nervous system of both rodents and humans and has been implicated in a variety of physiological actions. Within the hypothalamus, NPY plays an essential role in the control of food intake and body weight. Centrally administered NPY causes robust increases in food intake and body weight and, with chronic administration, can eventually produce obesity. NPY activates a population of at least six G protein-coupled Y receptors. NPY analogs exhibit varying degrees of affinity and specificity for these Y receptors. There has been renewed speculation that ligands for Y receptors may be of benefit for the treatment of obesity. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of Y(1), Y(2), Y(4), and Y(5) receptor agonists and antagonists as additional intervention to treat human obesity. PMID- 17785428 TI - Immunological responses to exogenous insulin. AB - Regardless of purity and origin, therapeutic insulins continue to be immunogenic in humans. However, severe immunological complications occur rarely, and less severe events affect a small minority of patients. Insulin autoantibodies (IAAs) may be detectable in insulin-naive individuals who have a high likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes or in patients who have had viral disorders, have been treated with various drugs, or have autoimmune disorders or paraneoplastic syndromes. This suggests that under certain circumstances, immune tolerance to insulin can be overcome. Factors that can lead to more or less susceptibility to humoral responses to exogenous insulin include the recipient's immune response genes, age, the presence of sufficient circulating autologous insulin, and the site of insulin delivery. Little proof exists, however, that the development of insulin antibodies (IAs) to exogenous insulin therapy affects integrated glucose control, insulin dose requirements, and incidence of hypoglycemia, or contributes to beta-cell failure or to long-term complications of diabetes. Studies in which pregnant women with diabetes were monitored for glycemic control argue against a connection between IAs and fetal risk. Although studies have shown increased levels of immune complexes in patients with diabetic microangiopathic complications, these immune complexes often do not contain insulin or IAs, and insulin administration does not contribute to their formation. The majority of studies have shown no relationship between IAs and diabetic angiopathic complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. With the advent of novel insulin formulations and delivery systems, such as insulin pumps and inhaled insulin, examination of these issues is increasingly relevant. PMID- 17785429 TI - The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I axis in exercise and sport. AB - The syndrome of adult GH deficiency and the effects of GH replacement therapy provide a useful model with which to study the effects of the GH/IGF-I axis on exercise physiology. Measures of exercise performance including maximal oxygen uptake and ventilatory threshold are impaired in adult GH deficiency and improved by GH replacement, probably through some combination of increased oxygen delivery to exercising muscle, increased fatty acid availability with glycogen sparing, increased muscle strength, improved body composition, and improved thermoregulation. In normal subjects, in addition to the long-term effects of GH/IGF-I status, there is evidence that the acute GH response to exercise is important in regulating substrate metabolism after exercise. Administration of supraphysiological doses of GH to athletes increases fatty acid availability and reduces oxidative protein loss, particularly during exercise, and increases lean body mass. Despite a lack of evidence that these metabolic effects translate to improved performance, GH abuse by athletes is widespread. Tests to detect GH abuse have been developed based on measurement in serum of 1) indirect markers of GH action, and 2) the relative proportions of the two major naturally occurring isoforms (20 and 22kDa) of GH. There is evidence that exercise performance and strength are improved by administration of GH and testosterone in combination to elderly subjects. The potential benefits of GH in these situations must be weighed against potential adverse effects. PMID- 17785430 TI - An intronic locus control region plays an essential role in the establishment of an autonomous hepatic chromatin domain for the human vitamin D-binding protein gene. AB - The human vitamin D-binding protein (hDBP) gene exists in a cluster of four liver expressed genes. A minimal hDBP transgene, containing a defined set of liver specific DNase I hypersensitive sites (HSs), is robustly expressed in mouse liver in a copy-number-dependent manner. Here we evaluate these HSs for function. Deletion of HSI, located 5' to the promoter (kb -2.1) had no significant effect on hDBP expression. In contrast, deletion of HSIV and HSV from intron 1 repressed hDBP expression and eliminated copy number dependency without a loss of liver specificity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed peaks of histone H3 and H4 acetylation coincident with HSIV in the intact hDBP locus. This region contains a conserved array of binding sites for the liver-enriched transcription factor C/EBP. In vitro studies revealed selective binding of C/EBPalpha to HSIV. In vivo occupancy of C/EBPalpha at HSIV was demonstrated in hepatic chromatin, and depletion of C/EBPalpha in a hepatic cell line decreased hDBP expression. A nonredundant role for C/EBPalpha was confirmed in vivo by demonstrating a reduction of hDBP expression in C/EBPalpha-null mice. Parallel studies revealed in vivo occupancy of the liver-enriched factor HNF1alpha at HSIII (at kb 0.13) within the hDBP promoter. These data demonstrate a critical role for elements within intron 1 in the establishment of an autonomous and productive hDBP chromatin locus and suggest that this function is dependent upon C/EBPalpha. Cooperative interactions between these intronic complexes and liver-restricted complexes within the target promoter are likely to underlie the consistency and liver specificity of the hDBP activation. PMID- 17785431 TI - Heme levels switch the function of Hap1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae between transcriptional activator and transcriptional repressor. AB - Changes in oxygen levels cause widespread changes in gene expression in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this response is mediated in part by Hap1, originally identified as a heme-dependent transcriptional activator that functions during aerobic growth. We show here that Hap1 also plays a significant and direct role under hypoxic conditions, not as an activator, but as a repressor. The repressive activity of Hap1 controls several genes, including three ERG genes required for ergosterol biosynthesis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed that Hap1 binds to the ERG gene promoters, while additional experiments showed that the corepressor Tup1/Ssn6 is recruited by Hap1 and is also required for repression. Furthermore, mutational analysis demonstrated that conserved Hap1 binding sites in the ERG5 5' regulatory region are required for repression. The switch of Hap1 from acting as a hypoxic repressor to an aerobic activator is determined by heme, which is synthesized only in the presence of oxygen. The ability of Hap1 to function as a ligand dependent repressor and activator is a property shared with mammalian nuclear hormone receptors and likely allows greater transcriptional control by Hap1 in response to changing oxygen levels. PMID- 17785432 TI - FADD negatively regulates lipopolysaccharide signaling by impairing interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1-MyD88 interaction. AB - Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) engages Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on various cells to initiate inflammatory and angiogenic pathways. FADD is an adaptor protein involved in death receptor-mediated apoptosis. Here we report a role for FADD in regulation of TLR4 signals in endothelial cells. FADD specifically attenuates LPS induced activation of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase in a death domain-dependent manner. In contrast, FADD-null cells show hyperactivation of these kinases. Examining physical associations of endogenous proteins, we show that FADD interacts with interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and MyD88. LPS stimulation increases IRAK1-FADD interaction and recruitment of the IRAK1-FADD complex to activated MyD88. IRAK1 is required for FADD-MyD88 interaction, as FADD does not associate with MyD88 in IRAK1-null cells. By shuttling FADD to MyD88, IRAK1 provides a mechanism for controlled and limited activation of the TLR4 signaling pathway. Functionally, enforced FADD expression inhibited LPS- but not vascular endothelial growth factor-induced endothelial cell sprouting, while FADD deficiency led to enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokines induced by stimulation of TLR4 and TLR2, but not TLR3. Reconstitution of FADD reversed the enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokines. Thus, FADD is a physiological negative regulator of IRAK1/MyD88 dependent responses in innate immune signaling. PMID- 17785434 TI - The Tom1L1-clathrin heavy chain complex regulates membrane partitioning of the tyrosine kinase Src required for mitogenic and transforming activities. AB - Compartmentalization of Src tyrosine kinases (SFK) plays an important role in signal transduction induced by a number of extracellular stimuli. For example, Src mitogenic signaling induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is initiated in cholesterol-enriched microdomain caveolae. How this Src subcellular localization is regulated is largely unknown. Here we show that the Tom1L1 clathrin heavy chain (CHC) complex negatively regulates the level of SFK in caveolae needed for the induction of DNA synthesis. Tom1L1 is both an interactor and a substrate of SFK. Intriguingly, it stimulates Src activity without promoting mitogenic signaling. We found that, upon association with CHC, Tom1L1 reduced the level of SFK in caveolae, thereby preventing its association with the PDGF receptor, which is required for the induction of mitogenesis. Similarly, the Tom1L1-CHC complex reduced also the level of oncogenic Src in cholesterol enriched microdomains, thus affecting both its capacity to induce DNA synthesis and cell transformation. Conversely, Tom1L1, when not associated with CHC, accumulated in caveolae and promoted Src-driven DNA synthesis. We concluded that the Tom1L1-CHC complex defines a novel mechanism involved in negative regulation of mitogenic and transforming signals, by modulating SFK partitioning at the plasma membrane. PMID- 17785433 TI - Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 and dysregulated c-Myc cooperatively induce vascular endothelial growth factor and metabolic switches hexokinase 2 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1. AB - Hypoxia is a pervasive microenvironmental factor that affects normal development as well as tumor progression. In most normal cells, hypoxia stabilizes hypoxia inducible transcription factors (HIFs), particularly HIF-1, which activates genes involved in anaerobic metabolism and angiogenesis. As hypoxia signals a cellular deprivation state, HIF-1 has also been reported to counter the activity of MYC, which encodes a transcription factor that drives cell growth and proliferation. Since many human cancers express dysregulated MYC, we sought to determine whether HIF-1 would in fact collaborate with dysregulated MYC rather countering its function. Here, using the P493-6 Burkitt's lymphoma model with an inducible MYC, we demonstrate that HIF-1 cooperates with dysregulated c-Myc to promote glycolysis by induction of hexokinase 2, which catalyzes the first step of glycolysis, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1, which inactivates pyruvate dehydrogenase and diminishes mitochondrial respiration. We also found the collaborative induction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by HIF-1 and dysregulated c-Myc. This study reports the previously unsuspected collaboration between HIF-1 and dysregulated MYC and thereby provides additional insights into the regulation of VEGF and the Warburg effect, which describes the propensity for cancer cells to convert glucose to lactate. PMID- 17785435 TI - EWI-2/CD316 is an inducible receptor of HSPA8 on human dendritic cells. AB - The activation of dendritic cells is marked by changes both on their cell surfaces and in their functions. We define EWI-2/CD316 as an early activation marker of dendritic cells upregulated by Toll-like receptor ligands clearly before CD86 and CD83. By expression cloning, human heat shock protein A8 (HSPA8), a member of the hsp70 family, was identified as the ligand for EWI-2. Soluble EWI 2 bound both to cells expressing HSPA8 and also to immobilized HSPA8 protein. Although heat shock proteins are evolutionarily well conserved, other members of this class, including human hsp60 and mycobacterial hsp65, did not bind to EWI-2. The ligation of EWI-2 enhanced the CCL21/SLC-dependent migration of activated mature dendritic cells but attenuated their antigen-specific stimulatory capacities. Important functions of recently activated dendritic cells are thus critically modulated by the newly discovered HSPA8-EWI-2 interaction. PMID- 17785436 TI - E-cadherin is required for caveolin-1-mediated down-regulation of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein survivin via reduced beta-catenin-Tcf/Lef-dependent transcription. AB - Caveolin-1 reportedly acts as a tumor suppressor and promotes events associated with tumor progression, including metastasis. The molecular mechanisms underlying such radical differences in function are not understood. Recently, we showed that caveolin-1 inhibits expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein survivin via a transcriptional mechanism involving the beta-catenin-Tcf/Lef pathway. Surprisingly, while caveolin-1 expression decreased survivin mRNA and protein levels in HT29(ATCC) human colon cancer cells, this was not the case in metastatic HT29(US) cells. Survivin down-regulation was paralleled by coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization of caveolin-1 with beta-catenin in HT29(ATCC) but not HT29(US) cells. Unlike HT29(ATCC) cells, HT29(US) cells expressed small amounts of E-cadherin that accumulated in intracellular patches rather than at the cell surface. Re-expression of E-cadherin in HT29(US) cells restored the ability of caveolin-1 to down-regulate beta-catenin-Tcf/Lef dependent transcription and survivin expression, as seen in HT29(ATCC) cells. In addition, coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization between caveolin-1 and beta catenin increased upon E-cadherin expression in HT29(US) cells. In human embryonic kidney HEK293T and HT29(US) cells, caveolin-1 and E-cadherin cooperated in suppressing beta-catenin-Tcf/Lef-dependent transcription as well as survivin expression. Finally, mouse melanoma B16-F10 cells, another metastatic cell model with low endogenous caveolin-1 and E-cadherin levels, were characterized. In these cells, caveolin-1-mediated down-regulation of survivin in the presence of E cadherin coincided with increased apoptosis. Thus, the absence of E-cadherin severely compromises the ability of caveolin-1 to develop activities potentially relevant to its role as a tumor suppressor. PMID- 17785437 TI - Cardiac-myocyte-specific excision of the vinculin gene disrupts cellular junctions, causing sudden death or dilated cardiomyopathy. AB - Vinculin is a ubiquitously expressed multiliganded protein that links the actin cytoskeleton to the cell membrane. In myocytes, it is localized in protein complexes which anchor the contractile apparatus to the sarcolemma. Its function in the myocardium remains poorly understood. Therefore, we developed a mouse model with cardiac-myocyte-specific inactivation of the vinculin (Vcl) gene by using Cre-loxP technology. Sudden death was found in 49% of the knockout (cVclKO) mice younger than 3 months of age despite preservation of contractile function. Conscious telemetry documented ventricular tachycardia as the cause of sudden death, while defective myocardial conduction was detected by optical mapping. cVclKO mice that survived through the vulnerable period of sudden death developed dilated cardiomyopathy and died before 6 months of age. Prior to the onset of cardiac dysfunction, ultrastructural analysis of cVclKO heart tissue showed abnormal adherens junctions with dissolution of the intercalated disc structure, expression of the junctional proteins cadherin and beta1D integrin were reduced, and the gap junction protein connexin 43 was mislocalized to the lateral myocyte border. This is the first report of tissue-specific inactivation of the Vcl gene and shows that it is required for preservation of normal cell-cell and cell matrix adhesive structures. PMID- 17785439 TI - Wnt/beta-catenin is essential for intestinal homeostasis and maintenance of intestinal stem cells. AB - The Wnt signaling pathway is deregulated in over 90% of human colorectal cancers. beta-Catenin, the central signal transducer of the Wnt pathway, can directly modulate gene expression by interacting with transcription factors of the TCF/LEF family. In the present study we investigate the role of Wnt signaling in the homeostasis of intestinal epithelium by using tissue-specific, inducible beta catenin gene ablation in adult mice. Block of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling resulted in rapid loss of transient-amplifying cells and crypt structures. Importantly, intestinal stem cells were induced to terminally differentiate upon deletion of beta-catenin, resulting in a complete block of intestinal homeostasis and fatal loss of intestinal function. Transcriptional profiling of mutant crypt mRNA isolated by laser capture microdissection confirmed those observations and allowed us to identify genes potentially responsible for the functional preservation of intestinal stem cells. Our data demonstrate an essential requirement of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling for the maintenance of the intestinal epithelium in the adult organism. This challenges attempts to target aberrant Wnt signaling as a new therapeutic strategy to treat colorectal cancer. PMID- 17785438 TI - Restricting conformational flexibility of the switch II region creates a dominant inhibitory phenotype in Obg GTPase Nog1. AB - Nog1 is a conserved eukaryotic GTPase of the Obg family involved in the biogenesis of 60S ribosomal subunits. Here we report the unique dominant inhibitory properties of a point mutation in the switch II region of mouse Nog1; this mutation is predicted to restrict conformational mobility of the GTP-binding domain. We show that although the mutation does not significantly affect GTP binding, ectopic expression of the mutant in mouse cells disrupts productive assembly of pre-60S subunits and arrests cell proliferation. The mutant impairs processing of multiple pre-rRNA intermediates, resulting in the degradation of the newly synthesized 5.8S/28S rRNA precursors. Sedimentation analysis of nucleolar preribosomes indicates that defective Nog1 function inhibits the conversion of 32S pre-rRNA-containing complexes to a smaller form, resulting in a drastic accumulation of enlarged pre-60S particles in the nucleolus. These results suggest that conformational changes in the switch II element of Nog1 have a critical importance for the dissociation of preribosome-bound factors during intranucleolar maturation and thereby strongly influence the overall efficiency of the assembly process. PMID- 17785440 TI - The Pu.1 locus is differentially regulated at the level of chromatin structure and noncoding transcription by alternate mechanisms at distinct developmental stages of hematopoiesis. AB - The Ets family transcription factor PU.1 is crucial for the regulation of hematopoietic development. Pu.1 is activated in hematopoietic stem cells and is expressed in mast cells, B cells, granulocytes, and macrophages but is switched off in T cells. Many of the transcription factors regulating Pu.1 have been identified, but little is known about how they organize Pu.1 chromatin in development. We analyzed the Pu.1 promoter and the upstream regulatory element (URE) using in vivo footprinting and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. In B cells, Pu.1 was bound by a set of transcription factors different from that in myeloid cells and adopted alternative chromatin architectures. In T cells, Pu.1 chromatin at the URE was open and the same transcription factor binding sites were occupied as in B cells. The transcription factor RUNX1 was bound to the URE in precursor cells, but binding was down-regulated in maturing cells. In PU.1 knockout precursor cells, the Ets factor Fli-1 compensated for the lack of PU.1, and both proteins could occupy a subset of Pu.1 cis elements in PU.1-expressing cells. In addition, we identified novel URE-derived noncoding transcripts subject to tissue-specific regulation. Our results provide important insights into how overlapping, but different, sets of transcription factors program tissue-specific chromatin structures in the hematopoietic system. PMID- 17785441 TI - Requirement of RAD52 group genes for postreplication repair of UV-damaged DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. AB - In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, replication through DNA lesions is promoted by Rad6 Rad18-dependent processes that include translesion synthesis by DNA polymerases eta and zeta and a Rad5-Mms2-Ubc13-controlled postreplicational repair (PRR) pathway which repairs the discontinuities in the newly synthesized DNA that form opposite from DNA lesions on the template strand. Here, we examine the contributions of the RAD51, RAD52, and RAD54 genes and of the RAD50 and XRS2 genes to the PRR of UV-damaged DNA. We find that deletions of the RAD51, RAD52, and RAD54 genes impair the efficiency of PRR and that almost all of the PRR is inhibited in the absence of both Rad5 and Rad52. We suggest a role for the Rad5 pathway when the lesion is located on the leading strand template and for the Rad52 pathway when the lesion is located on the lagging strand template. We surmise that both of these pathways operate in a nonrecombinational manner, Rad5 by mediating replication fork regression and template switching via its DNA helicase activity and Rad52 via a synthesis-dependent strand annealing mode. In addition, our results suggest a role for the Rad50 and Xrs2 proteins and thereby for the MRX complex in promoting PRR via both the Rad5 and Rad52 pathways. PMID- 17785442 TI - Human TOB, an antiproliferative transcription factor, is a poly(A)-binding protein-dependent positive regulator of cytoplasmic mRNA deadenylation. AB - In mammalian cells, mRNA decay begins with deadenylation, which involves two consecutive phases mediated by the PAN2-PAN3 and the CCR4-CAF1 complexes, respectively. The regulation of the critical deadenylation step and its relationship with RNA-processing bodies (P-bodies), which are thought to be a site where poly(A)-shortened mRNAs get degraded, are poorly understood. Using the Tet-Off transcriptional pulsing approach to investigate mRNA decay in mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, we found that TOB, an antiproliferative transcription factor, enhances mRNA deadenylation in vivo. Results from glutathione S-transferase pull down and coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that TOB can simultaneously interact with the poly(A) nuclease complex CCR4-CAF1 and the cytoplasmic poly(A) binding protein, PABPC1. Combining these findings with those from mutagenesis studies, we further identified the protein motifs on TOB and PABPC1 that are necessary for their interaction and found that interaction with PABPC1 is necessary for TOB's deadenylation-enhancing effect. Moreover, our immunofluorescence microscopy results revealed that TOB colocalizes with P bodies, suggesting a role of TOB in linking deadenylation to the P-bodies. Our findings reveal a new mechanism by which the fate of mammalian mRNA is modulated at the deadenylation step by a protein that recruits poly(A) nuclease(s) to the 3' poly(A) tail-PABP complex. PMID- 17785443 TI - Maf1 is involved in coupling carbon metabolism to RNA polymerase III transcription. AB - RNA polymerase III (Pol III) produces essential components of the biosynthetic machinery, and therefore its activity is tightly coupled with cell growth and metabolism. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Maf1 is the only known global and direct Pol III transcription repressor which mediates numerous stress signals. Here we demonstrate that transcription regulation by Maf1 is not limited to stress but is important for the switch between fermentation and respiration. Under respiratory conditions, Maf1 is activated by dephosphorylation and imported into the nucleus. The transition from a nonfermentable carbon source to that of glucose induces Maf1 phosphorylation and its relocation to the cytoplasm. The absence of Maf1-mediated control of tRNA synthesis impairs cell viability in nonfermentable carbon sources. The respiratory phenotype of maf1-Delta allowed genetic suppression studies to dissect the mechanism of Maf1 action on the Pol III transcription apparatus. Moreover, in cells grown in a nonfermentable carbon source, Maf1 regulates the levels of different tRNAs to various extents. The differences in regulation may contribute to the physiological role of Maf1. PMID- 17785444 TI - Nemo-like kinase-myocyte enhancer factor 2A signaling regulates anterior formation in Xenopus development. AB - The development of anterior neural structure in Xenopus laevis requires the inhibition of bone morphogenic protein 4 and Wnt signaling. We previously reported that Nemo-like kinase (NLK) negatively regulates Wnt signaling via the phosphorylation of T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor. However, the molecular events occurring downstream of NLK pathways in early neural development remain unclear. In the present study, we identified the transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) as a novel substrate for NLK. NLK regulates the function of Xenopus MEF2A (xMEF2A) via phosphorylation, and this modification can be inhibited by the depletion of endogenous NLK. In Xenopus embryos, the depletion of either NLK or MEF2A results in a severe defect in anterior development. The endogenous expression of anterior markers was blocked by the depletion of endogenous Xenopus NLK (xNLK) or xMEF2A but, notably, not by the depletion of other xMEF2 family proteins, xMEF2C and xMEF2D. Defects in head formation or the expression of the anterior marker genes caused by the depletion of endogenous xMEF2A could be eliminated by the expression of wild-type xMEF2A, but not xMEF2A containing mutated xNLK phosphorylation sites. Furthermore, the expression of xNLK-induced anterior markers was efficiently blocked by the depletion of endogenous xMEF2A in animal pole explants. These results show that NLK specifically regulates the MEF2A activity required for anterior formation in Xenopus development. PMID- 17785445 TI - PITX2 and beta-catenin interactions regulate Lef-1 isoform expression. AB - Lef-1 and PITX2 function in the Wnt signaling pathway by recruiting and interacting with beta-catenin to activate target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays identified the Lef-1 promoter as a PITX2 downstream target. Transgenic mice expressing LacZ driven by the 2.5-kb LEF-1 promoter demonstrated expression in the tooth epithelium correlated with endogenous Lef-1 FL epithelial expression. PITX2 isoforms regulate the LEF-1 promoter, and beta-catenin synergistically enhanced activation of the LEF-1 promoter in combination with PITX2 and Lef-1 isoforms. PITX2 enhances endogenous expression of the full-length beta-catenin-dependent Lef-1 isoform (Lef-1 FL) while decreasing expression of the N-terminally truncated beta-catenin independent isoform. Our research revealed a novel interaction between PITX2, Lef 1, and beta-catenin in which the Lef-1 beta-catenin binding domain is dispensable for its interaction with PITX2. PITX2 interacts with two sites within the Lef-1 protein. Furthermore, beta-catenin interacts with the PITX2 homeodomain and Lef-1 interacts with the PITX2 C-terminal tail. Lef-1 and beta-catenin interact simultaneously and independently with PITX2 through two different sites to regulate PITX2 transcriptional activity. These data support a role for PITX2 in cell proliferation, migration, and cell division through differential Lef-1 isoform expression and interactions with Lef-1 and beta-catenin. PMID- 17785446 TI - The DNA binding and catalytic domains of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 cooperate in the regulation of chromatin structure and transcription. AB - We explored the mechanisms of chromatin compaction and transcriptional regulation by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), a nucleosome-binding protein with an NAD(+)-dependent enzymatic activity. By using atomic force microscopy and a complementary set of biochemical assays with reconstituted chromatin, we showed that PARP-1 promotes the localized compaction of chromatin into supranucleosomal structures in a manner independent of the amino-terminal tails of core histones. In addition, we defined the domains of PARP-1 required for nucleosome binding, chromatin compaction, and transcriptional repression. Our results indicate that the DNA binding domain (DBD) of PARP-1 is necessary and sufficient for binding to nucleosomes, yet the DBD alone is unable to promote chromatin compaction and only partially represses RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription in an in vitro assay with chromatin templates (approximately 50% of the repression observed with wild-type PARP-1). Furthermore, our results show that the catalytic domain of PARP-1, which does not bind nucleosomes on its own, cooperates with the DBD to promote chromatin compaction and efficient transcriptional repression in a manner independent of its enzymatic activity. Collectively, our results have revealed a novel function for the catalytic domain in chromatin compaction. In addition, they show that the DBD and catalytic domain cooperate to regulate chromatin structure and chromatin-dependent transcription, providing mechanistic insights into how these domains contribute to the chromatin-dependent functions of PARP-1. PMID- 17785447 TI - CUB domain-containing protein 1 is a novel regulator of anoikis resistance in lung adenocarcinoma. AB - Malignant tumor cells frequently achieve resistance to anoikis, a form of apoptosis induced by detachment from the basement membrane, which results in the anchorage-independent growth of these cells. Although the involvement of Src family kinases (SFKs) in this alteration has been reported, little is known about the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of anoikis under the control of SFKs. In this study, we identified a membrane protein, CUB-domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1), as an SFK-binding phosphoprotein associated with the anchorage independence of human lung adenocarcinoma. Using RNA interference suppression and overexpression of CDCP1 mutants in lung cancer cells, we found that tyrosine phosphorylated CDCP1 is required to overcome anoikis in lung cancer cells. An apoptosis-related molecule, protein kinase Cdelta, was found to be phosphorylated by the CDCP1-SFK complex and was essential for anoikis resistance downstream of CDCP1. Loss of CDCP1 also inhibited the metastatic potential of the A549 cells in vivo. Our findings indicate that CDCP1 is a novel target for treating cancer specific disorders, such as metastasis, by regulating anoikis in lung adenocarcinoma. PMID- 17785448 TI - A Hox-Eya-Pax complex regulates early kidney developmental gene expression. AB - During embryonic development, the anterior-posterior body axis is specified in part by the combinatorial activities of Hox genes. Given the poor DNA binding specificity of Hox proteins, their interaction with cofactors to regulate target genes is critical. However, few regulatory partners or downstream target genes have been identified. Herein, we demonstrate that Hox11 paralogous proteins form a complex with Pax2 and Eya1 to directly activate expression of Six2 and Gdnf in the metanephric mesenchyme. We have identified the binding site within the Six2 enhancer necessary for Hox11-Eya1-Pax2-mediated activation and demonstrate that this site is essential for Six2 expression in vivo. Furthermore, genetic interactions between Hox11 and Eya1 are consistent with their participation in the same pathway. Thus, anterior-posterior-patterning Hox proteins interact with Pax2 and Eya1, factors important for nephrogenic mesoderm specification, to directly regulate the activation of downstream target genes during early kidney development. PMID- 17785449 TI - Activation of p53 function by human transcriptional coactivator PC4: role of protein-protein interaction, DNA bending, and posttranslational modifications. AB - Tumor suppressor p53 controls cell cycle checkpoints and apoptosis via the transactivation of several genes that are involved in these processes. The functions of p53 are regulated by a wide variety of proteins, which interact with it either directly or indirectly. The multifunctional human transcriptional coactivator PC4 interacts with p53 in vivo and in vitro and regulates its function. Here we report the molecular mechanisms of the PC4-mediated activation of p53 function. PC4 interacts with the DNA binding and C-terminal domains of p53 through its DNA binding domain, which is essential for the stimulation of p53 DNA binding. Remarkably, ligation-mediated circularization assays reveal that PC4 induces significant bending in the DNA double helix. Deletion mutants defective in DNA bending are found to be impaired in activating p53-mediated DNA binding and apoptosis. Furthermore, acetylation of PC4 enhances, while phosphorylation abolishes, its ability to bend DNA, activate p53 DNA binding, and, thereby, regulate p53 functions. In conclusion, PC4 activates p53 recruitment to p53 responsive promoters (Bax and p21) in vivo through its interaction with p53 and by providing bent substrate for p53 recruitment. These results elucidate the general molecular mechanisms of activation of p53 function, mediated by its coactivators. PMID- 17785450 TI - Skp2B stimulates mammary gland development by inhibiting REA, the repressor of the estrogen receptor. AB - Skp2B, an F-box protein of unknown function, is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer. In order to determine the function of Skp2B and whether it has a role in breast cancer, we performed a two-hybrid screen and established transgenic mice expressing Skp2B in the mammary glands. We found that Skp2B interacts with the repressor of estrogen receptor activity (REA) and that overexpression of Skp2B leads to a reduction in REA levels. In the mammary glands of MMTV-Skp2B mice, REA levels are also low. Our results show that in virgin transgenic females, Skp2B induces lobuloalveolar development and differentiation of the mammary glands normally observed during pregnancy. As this phenotype is identical to what was observed for REA heterozygote mice, our observations suggest that the Skp2B-REA interaction is physiologically relevant. However, in contrast to REA(+/-) mice, MMTV-Skp2B mice develop mammary tumors, suggesting that Skp2B affects additional proteins. These results indicate that the observed expression of Skp2B in breast cancer does contribute to tumorigenesis at least in part by modulating the activity of the estrogen receptor. PMID- 17785452 TI - Different electrostatic potentials define ETGE and DLG motifs as hinge and latch in oxidative stress response. AB - Nrf2 is the regulator of the oxidative/electrophilic stress response. Its turnover is maintained by Keap1-mediated proteasomal degradation via a two-site substrate recognition mechanism in which two Nrf2-Keap1 binding sites form a hinge and latch. The E3 ligase adaptor Keap1 recognizes Nrf2 through its conserved ETGE and DLG motifs. In this study, we examined how the ETGE and DLG motifs bind to Keap1 in a very similar fashion but with different binding affinities by comparing the crystal complex of a Keap1-DC domain-DLG peptide with that of a Keap1-DC domain-ETGE peptide. We found that these two motifs interact with the same basic surface of either Keap1-DC domain of the Keap1 homodimer. The DLG motif works to correctly position the lysines within the Nrf2 Neh2 domain for efficient ubiquitination. Together with the results from calorimetric and functional studies, we conclude that different electrostatic potentials primarily define the ETGE and DLG motifs as a hinge and latch that senses the oxidative/electrophilic stress. PMID- 17785451 TI - Interaction of SOS2 with nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 and catalases reveals a point of connection between salt stress and H2O2 signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. AB - SOS2, a class 3 sucrose-nonfermenting 1-related kinase, has emerged as an important mediator of salt stress response and stress signaling through its interactions with proteins involved in membrane transport and in regulation of stress responses. We have identified additional SOS2-interacting proteins that suggest a connection between SOS2 and reactive oxygen signaling. SOS2 was found to interact with the H2O2 signaling protein nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NDPK2) and to inhibit its autophosphorylation activity. A sos2-2 ndpk2 double mutant was more salt sensitive than a sos2-2 single mutant, suggesting that NDPK2 and H2O2 are involved in salt resistance. However, the double mutant did not hyperaccumulate H2O2 in response to salt stress, suggesting that it is altered signaling rather than H2O2 toxicity alone that is responsible for the increased salt sensitivity of the sos2-2 ndpk2 double mutant. SOS2 was also found to interact with catalase 2 (CAT2) and CAT3, further connecting SOS2 to H2O2 metabolism and signaling. The interaction of SOS2 with both NDPK2 and CATs reveals a point of cross talk between salt stress response and other signaling factors including H2O2. PMID- 17785454 TI - Conformational analysis of Epac activation using amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. AB - Exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (Epac) play important roles in mediating the effects of cAMP through the activation of downstream small GTPases, Rap. To delineate the mechanism of Epac activation, we probed the conformation and structural dynamics of Epac using amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange and structural modeling. Our studies show that cAMP induces significant conformational changes that lead to a spatial rearrangement of the regulatory components of Epac and allows the exposure of the catalytic core for effector binding without imposing significant conformational change on the catalytic core. Homology modeling and comparative structural analyses of the cAMP binding domains of Epac and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) lead to a model of Epac activation, in which Epac and PKA activation by cAMP employs the same underlying principle, although the detailed structural and conformational changes associated with Epac and PKA activation are significantly different. PMID- 17785455 TI - Dual role for Zn2+ in maintaining structural integrity and inducing DNA sequence specificity in a promiscuous endonuclease. AB - We describe two uncommon roles for Zn2+ in enzyme KpnI restriction endonuclease (REase). Among all of the REases studied, KpnI REase is unique in its DNA binding and cleavage characteristics. The enzyme is a poor discriminator of DNA sequences, cleaving DNA in a promiscuous manner in the presence of Mg2+. Unlike most Type II REases, the active site of the enzyme comprises an HNH motif, which can accommodate Mg2+, Mn2+, or Ca2+. Among these metal ions, Mg2+ and Mn2+ induce promiscuous cleavage by the enzyme, whereas Ca2+-bound enzyme exhibits site specific cleavage. Examination of the sequence of the protein revealed the presence of a zinc finger CCCH motif rarely found in proteins of prokaryotic origin. The zinc binding motif tightly coordinates zinc to provide a rigid structural framework for the enzyme needed for its function. In addition to this structural scaffold, another atom of zinc binds to the active site to induce high fidelity cleavage and suppress the Mg2+- and Mn2+-mediated promiscuous behavior of the enzyme. This is the first demonstration of distinct structural and catalytic roles for zinc in an enzyme, suggesting the distinct origin of KpnI REase. PMID- 17785453 TI - Mutation at the polymerase active site of mouse DNA polymerase delta increases genomic instability and accelerates tumorigenesis. AB - Mammalian DNA polymerase delta (Pol delta) is believed to replicate a large portion of the genome and to synthesize DNA in DNA repair and genetic recombination pathways. The effects of mutation in the polymerase domain of this essential enzyme are unknown. Here, we generated mice harboring an L604G or L604K substitution in highly conserved motif A in the polymerase active site of Pol delta. Homozygous Pold1(L604G/L604G) and Pold1(L604K/L604K) mice died in utero. However, heterozygous animals were viable and displayed no overall increase in disease incidence, indicative of efficient compensation for the defective mutant polymerase. The life spans of wild-type and heterozygous Pold1(+/L604G) mice did not differ, while that of Pold1(+/L604K) mice was reduced by 18%. Cultured embryonic fibroblasts from the heterozygous strains exhibited comparable increases in both spontaneous mutation rate and chromosome aberrations. We observed no significant increase in cancer incidence; however, Pold1(+/L604K) mice bearing histologically diagnosed tumors died at a younger median age than wild-type mice. Our results indicate that heterozygous mutation at L604 in the polymerase active site of DNA polymerase delta reduces life span, increases genomic instability, and accelerates tumorigenesis in an allele-specific manner, novel findings that have implications for human cancer. PMID- 17785456 TI - Cellular oligomerization of alpha-synuclein is determined by the interaction of oxidized catechols with a C-terminal sequence. AB - The mechanisms that govern the formation of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) aggregates are not well understood but are considered a central event in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). A critically important modulator of alpha-syn aggregation in vitro is dopamine and other catechols, which can prevent the formation of alpha-syn aggregates in cell-free and cellular model systems. Despite the profound importance of this interaction for the pathogenesis of PD, the processes by which catechols alter alpha-syn aggregation are unclear. Molecular and biochemical approaches were employed to evaluate the mechanism of catechol-alpha-syn interactions and the effect on inclusion formation. The data show that the intracellular inhibition of alpha-syn aggregation requires the oxidation of catechols and the specific noncovalent interaction of the oxidized catechols with residues (125)YEMPS(129) in the C-terminal region of the protein. Cell-free studies using novel near infrared fluorescence methodology for the detection of covalent protein-ortho-quinone adducts showed that although covalent modification of alpha-syn occurs, this does not affect alpha-syn fibril formation. In addition, oxidized catechols are unable to prevent both thermal and acid-induced protein aggregation as well as fibrils formed from a protein that lacks a YEMPS amino acid sequence, suggesting a specific effect for alpha-syn. These results suggest that inappropriate C-terminal cleavage of alpha-syn, which is known to occur in vivo in PD brain or a decline of intracellular catechol levels might affect disease progression, resulting in accelerated alpha-syn inclusion formation and dopaminergic neurodegeneration. PMID- 17785457 TI - A triplex-forming sequence from the human c-MYC promoter interferes with DNA transcription. AB - Naturally occurring DNA sequences that are able to form unusual DNA structures have been shown to be mutagenic, and in some cases the mutagenesis induced by these sequences is enhanced by their transcription. It is possible that transcription-coupled DNA repair induced at sites of transcription arrest might be involved in this mutagenesis. Thus, it is of interest to determine whether there are correlations between the mutagenic effects of such noncanonical DNA structures and their ability to arrest transcription. We have studied T7 RNA polymerase transcription through the sequence from the nuclease-sensitive element of the human c-MYC promoter, which is mutagenic in mammalian cells (Wang, G., and Vasquez, K. M. (2004) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 101, 13448-13453). This element has two mirror-symmetric homopurine-homopyrimidine blocks that potentially can form either DNA triplex (H-DNA) or quadruplex structures. We detected truncated transcription products indicating partial transcription arrest within and closely downstream of the element. The arrest required negative supercoiling and was much more pronounced when the pyrimidine-rich strand of the element served as the template. The exact positions of arrest sites downstream from the element depended upon the downstream flanking sequences. We made various nucleotide substitutions in the wild-type sequence from the c-MYC nuclease sensitive element that specifically destabilize either the triplex or the quadruplex structure. When these substitutions were ranked for their effects on transcription, the results implicated the triplex structure in the transcription arrest. We suggest that transcription-induced triplex formation enhances pre existing weak transcription pause sites within the flanking sequences by creating steric obstacles for the transcription machinery. PMID- 17785458 TI - The eIF2alpha kinases PERK and PKR activate glycogen synthase kinase 3 to promote the proteasomal degradation of p53. AB - Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) is mediated by a family of kinases that respond to various forms of environmental stress. The eIF2alpha kinases are critical for mRNA translation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Activation of the tumor suppressor p53 results in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to various types of stress. We previously showed that, unlike the majority of stress responses that stabilize and activate p53, induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress leads to p53 degradation through an Mdm2-dependent mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that the endoplasmic reticulum resident eIF2alpha kinase PERK mediates the proteasomal degradation of p53 independently of translational control. This role is not specific for PERK, because the eIF2alpha kinase PKR also promotes p53 degradation in response to double-stranded RNA. We further establish that the eIF2alpha kinases induce glycogen synthase kinase 3 to promote the nuclear export and proteasomal degradation of p53. Our findings reveal a novel cross-talk between the eIF2alpha kinases and p53 with implications in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. PMID- 17785459 TI - Structural and thermodynamic bases for the design of pure prolactin receptor antagonists: X-ray structure of Del1-9-G129R-hPRL. AB - Competitive antagonists of the human prolactin (hPRL) receptor are a novel class of molecules of potential therapeutic interest in the context of cancer. We recently developed the pure antagonist Del1-9-G129R-hPRL by deleting the nine N terminal residues of G129R-hPRL, a first generation partial antagonist. We determined the crystallographic structure of Del1-9-G129R-hPRL, which revealed no major change compared with wild type hPRL, indicating that its pure antagonistic properties are intrinsically due to the mutations. To decipher the molecular bases of pure antagonism, we compared the biological, physicochemical, and structural properties of numerous hPRL variants harboring N-terminal or Gly(129) mutations, alone or combined. The pure versus partial antagonistic properties of the multiple hPRL variants could not be correlated to differences in their affinities toward the hPRL receptor, especially at site 2 as determined by surface plasmon resonance. On the contrary, residual agonism of the hPRL variants was found to be inversely correlated to their thermodynamic stability, which was altered by all the Gly(129) mutations but not by those involving the N terminus. We therefore propose that residual agonism can be abolished either by further disrupting hormone site 2-receptor contacts by N-terminal deletion, as in Del1-9 G129R-hPRL, or by stabilizing hPRL and constraining its intrinsic flexibility, as in G129V-hPRL. PMID- 17785460 TI - A protein kinase Cepsilon-anti-apoptotic kinase signaling complex protects human vascular endothelial cells against apoptosis through induction of Bcl-2. AB - Endothelial cell apoptosis is associated with vascular injury and predisposes to atherogenesis. Endothelial cells express anti-apoptotic genes including Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and survivin, which also contribute to angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. We report a central role for protein kinase Cepsilon (PKCepsilon) in the regulation of Bcl-2 expression and cytoprotection of human vascular endothelium against apoptosis. Using myristoylated inhibitory peptides, a predominant role for PKCepsilon in vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated endothelial resistance to apoptosis was revealed. Immunoblotting of endothelial cells infected with an adenovirus expressing a constitutively active form of PKCepsilon (Adv-PKCepsilon-CA) or control Adv-beta-galactosidase demonstrated a 3 fold, PKCepsilon-dependent increase in Bcl-2 expression, with no significant change in Bcl-XL, Bad, Bak, or Bax. The induction of Bcl-2 inhibited apoptosis induced by serum starvation or etoposide, and PKCepsilon activation attenuated etoposide-induced caspase-3 cleavage. The functional role of Bcl-2 was confirmed with Bcl-2 antagonist HA-14-1. Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase attenuated vascular endothelial growth factor-induced protection against apoptosis, and this was rescued by overexpression of constitutively active PKCepsilon, suggesting PKCepsilon acts downstream of phosphoinositide 3-kinase. Co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated a physical interaction between PKCepsilon and Akt, which resulted in formation of a signaling complex, leading to optimal induction of Bcl 2. This study reveals a pivotal role for PKCepsilon in endothelial cell cytoprotection against apoptosis. We demonstrate that PKCepsilon forms a signaling complex and acts co-operatively with Akt to protect human vascular endothelial cells against apoptosis through induction of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and inhibition of caspase-3 cleavage. PMID- 17785461 TI - A multifunctional RNA recognition motif in poly(A)-specific ribonuclease with cap and poly(A) binding properties. AB - Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) is an oligomeric, processive and cap interacting 3' exoribonuclease that efficiently degrades mRNA poly(A) tails. Here we show that the RNA recognition motif (RRM) of PARN harbors both poly(A) and cap binding properties, suggesting that the RRM plays an important role for the two critical and unique properties that are tightly associated with PARN activity, i.e. recognition and dependence on both the cap structure and poly(A) tail during poly(A) hydrolysis. We show that PARN and its RRM have micromolar affinity to the cap structure by using fluorescence spectroscopy and nanomolar affinity for poly(A) by using filter binding assay. We have identified one tryptophan residue within the RRM that is essential for cap binding but not required for poly(A) binding, suggesting that the cap- and poly(A)-binding sites associated with the RRM are both structurally and functionally separate from each other. RRM is one of the most commonly occurring RNA-binding domains identified so far, suggesting that other RRMs may have both cap and RNA binding properties just as the RRM of PARN. PMID- 17785462 TI - Mitochondrial swelling impairs the transport of organelles in cerebellar granule neurons. AB - Organelle transport in neuronal processes is central to the organization, developmental fate, and functions of neurons. Organelles must be transported through the slender, highly branched neuronal processes, making the axonal transport vulnerable to any perturbation. However, some intracellular structures like mitochondria are able to considerably modify their volume. We therefore hypothesized that swollen mitochondria could impair the traffic of other organelles in neurite shafts. To test this hypothesis, we have investigated the effects of mitochondrial swellers on the organelle traffic. Our data demonstrate that treatment of neurons with potassium ionophore valinomycin led to the fast time-dependent inhibition of organelle movement in cerebellar granule neurons. Similar inhibition was observed in neurons treated with the inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, sodium azide and antimycin, which also induced swelling. No decrease in the motility of organelles was observed in cultures treated with inhibitors of ATP production or transport, oligomycin or bongkrekic acid, suggesting that inhibition of the ATP-generating activity itself without swelling does not affect the motility of organelles. The effect of swellers on the traffic was more important in thin processes, thus indicating the role of steric hindrance of swollen mitochondria. We propose that the size and morphology of the transported cargo is also relevant for seamless axonal transport and speculate that mitochondrial swelling could be one of the reasons for impaired organelle transport in neuronal processes. PMID- 17785463 TI - Functional calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors are formed by the asymmetric assembly of a calcitonin receptor-like receptor homo-oligomer and a monomer of receptor activity-modifying protein-1. AB - In addition to their interactions with hetero-trimeric G proteins, seven transmembrane domain receptors are now known to form multimeric complexes that can include receptor homo- or hetero-oligomers and/or accessory proteins that modulate their activity. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor requires the assembly of the seven-transmembrane domain calcitonin receptor-like receptor with the single-transmembrane domain receptor activity-modifying protein 1 to reach the cell surface and be active. However, the relative stoichiometric arrangement of these two proteins within a receptor complex remains unknown. Despite recent advances in the development of protein-protein interactions assays, determining the composition and stoichiometric arrangements of such signaling complexes in living cells remains a challenging task. In the present study, we combined bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) with bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) to probe the stoichiometric arrangement of the CGRP receptor complex. Together with BRET competition assays, co-immunoprecipitation experiments, and BiFC imaging, dual BRET/BiFC revealed that functional CGRP receptors result from the association of a homo-oligomer of the calcitonin receptor-like receptor with a monomer of the accessory protein receptor activity-modifying protein-1. In addition to revealing the existence of an unexpected asymmetric oligomeric organization for a G protein-coupled receptor, our study illustrates the usefulness of dual BRET/BiFC as a powerful tool for analyzing constitutive and dynamically regulated multiprotein complexes. PMID- 17785464 TI - Involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 in thrombus formation. AB - The involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) has never been investigated in hemostasis and thrombosis. Using two JNK inhibitors (SP600125 and 6o), we have demonstrated that JNK1 is involved in collagen-induced platelet aggregation dependent on ADP. In these conditions, JNK1 activation requires the coordinated signaling pathways of collagen receptors (alpha2beta1 and glycoprotein (GP)VI) and ADP. In contrast, JNK1 is not required for platelet adhesion on a collagen matrix in static or blood flow conditions (300-1500 s(-1)) involving collagen receptors (alpha2beta1 and GPVI). Importantly, at 1500 s(-1), JNK1 acts on thrombus formation on a collagen matrix dependent on GPIb-von Willebrand factor (vWF) interaction but not ADP receptor activation. This is confirmed by the involvement of JNK1 in shear-induced platelet aggregation at 4000 s(-1). We also provide evidence during rolling and adhesion of platelets to vWF that platelet GPIb-vWF interaction triggers alphaIIbbeta3 activation in a JNK1-dependent manner. This was confirmed with a Glanzmann thrombastenic patient lacking alphaIIbbeta3. Finally, in vivo, JNK1 is involved in arterial but not in venular thrombosis in mice. Overall, our in vitro studies define a new role of JNK1 in thrombus formation in flowing blood that is relevant to thrombus development in vivo. PMID- 17785465 TI - Conditional deletion of gremlin causes a transient increase in bone formation and bone mass. AB - Gremlin is a glycoprotein that binds bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) 2, 4, and 7, antagonizing their actions. Gremlin opposes BMP effects on osteoblastic differentiation and function in vitro and in vivo, and its overexpression causes osteopenia. To define the function of gremlin in the skeleton, we generated gremlin 1 (grem1) conditional null mice by mating mice where grem1 was flanked by lox(P) sequences with mice expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of the osteocalcin promoter. grem1 null male mice displayed increased trabecular bone volume due to enhanced osteoblastic activity, because mineral apposition and bone formation rates were increased. Osteoblast number and bone resorption were not altered. Marrow stromal cells from grem1 conditional null mice expressed higher levels of alkaline phosphatase activity. Gremlin down-regulation by RNA interference in ST-2 stromal and MC3T3 osteoblastic cells increased the BMP-2 stimulatory effect on alkaline phosphatase activity, on Smad 1/5/8 phosphorylation, and on the transactivation of the BMP/Smad reporter construct 12xSBE-Oc-pGL3. Gremlin down-regulation also enhanced osteocalcin and Runx-2 expression, Wnt 3a signaling, and activity in ST-2 cells. In conclusion, deletion of grem1 in the bone microenvironment results in sensitization of BMP signaling and activity and enhanced bone formation in vivo. PMID- 17785467 TI - Peptides selected for the protein nanocage pores change the rate of iron recovery from the ferritin mineral. AB - Pores regulate access between ferric-oxy biomineral inside and reductants/chelators outside the ferritin protein nanocage to control iron demineralization rates. The pore helix/loop/helix motifs that are contributed by three subunits unfold independently of the protein cage, as observed by crystallography, Fe removal rates, and CD spectroscopy. Pore unfolding is induced in wild type ferritin by increased temperature or urea (1-10 mM), a physiological urea range, 0.1 mM guanidine, or mutation of conserved pore amino acids. A peptide selected for ferritin pore binding from a combinatorial, heptapeptide library increased the rate of Fe demineralization 3-fold (p<0.001), similarly to a mutation that unfolded the pores. Conjugating the peptide to Desferal (desferrioxamine B mesylate), a chelator in therapeutic use, increased the rates to 8-fold (p<0.001). A second pore binding peptide had the opposite effect and decreased the rate of Fe demineralization 60% (p<0.001). The peptides could have pharmacological uses and may model regulators of ferritin demineralization rates in vivo or peptide regulators of gated pores in membranes. The results emphasize that small peptides can exploit the structural plasticity of protein pores to modulate function. PMID- 17785466 TI - NR4A orphan nuclear receptors modulate insulin action and the glucose transport system: potential role in insulin resistance. AB - After observing that expression of two NR4A orphan nuclear receptors, NR4A3 and NR4A1, was altered by insulin in cDNA microarray analyses of human skeletal muscle, we studied whether these receptors could modulate insulin sensitivity. We found that both NR4A3 and NR4A1 were induced by insulin and by thiazolidinedione drugs (pioglitazone and troglitazone) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, gene expression of NR4A3 and NR4A1 was reduced in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues from multiple rodent models of insulin resistance. To determine whether NR4A3 could modulate insulin sensitivity, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were stably transduced with NR4A3 or LacZ (control) lentiviral vectors. Compared with LacZ expressing cells, hyperexpression of NR4A3 increased the ability of insulin to augment glucose transport activity, and the mechanism involved increased recruitment of GLUT4 glucose transporters to the plasma membrane. NR4A3 hyperexpression also led to an increase in insulin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 as well as Akt phosphorylation. Suppression of NR4A3 using lentiviral short hairpin RNA constructs reduced the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose transport and phosphorylate Insulin receptor substrate-1 and Akt. Thus, NR4A3 and NR4A1 are attractive novel therapeutic targets for potential amelioration of insulin resistance, and treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. PMID- 17785468 TI - Interaction of the adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein with the hormone sensitive lipase: regulation by fatty acids and phosphorylation. AB - Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (AFABP/aP2) forms a physical complex with the hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and AFABP/aP2-null mice exhibit reduced basal and hormone-stimulated lipolysis. To identify the determinants affecting the interaction fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging was used in conjunction with a mutagenesis strategy to evaluate the roles AFABP/aP2 fatty acid binding and HSL phosphorylation have in complex formation as well as determine the HSL binding site on AFABP/aP2. The nonfatty acid binding mutant of AFABP/aP2 (R126Q) failed to form a FRET-competent complex with HSL either under basal or forskolin-stimulated conditions, indicating that lipid binding is required for association. Once bound to HSL and on the surface of the lipid droplet, YFP-AFABP/aP2 (but not YFP-HSL) exhibited energy transfer between the fusion protein and BODIPY-C12-labeled triacylglycerol. Serine to alanine mutations at the two PKA phosphorylation sites of HSL (659 and 660), or at the AMPK phosphorylation sites (565), blocked FRET between HSL and AFABP/aP2. Substitution of isoleucine for lysine at position 21 of AFABP/aP2 (K21I), but not 31 (K31I), resulted in a non-HSL-binding protein indicating that residues on helix alphaI of AFABP/aP2 define a component of the HSL binding site. These results indicate that the ligand-bound form of AFABP/aP2.interacts with the activated, phosphorylated HSL and that the association is likely to be regulatory; either delivering FA to inhibit HSL (facilitating feedback inhibition) or affecting multicomponent complex formation on the droplet surface. PMID- 17785469 TI - The Mycobacterium bovis BCG cyclic AMP receptor-like protein is a functional DNA binding protein in vitro and in vivo, but its activity differs from that of its M. tuberculosis ortholog, Rv3676. AB - Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3676 encodes a cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor-like protein (CRP(Mt)) that has been implicated in global gene regulation and may play an important role during tuberculosis infection. The CRP(Mt) ortholog in Mycobacterium bovis BCG, CRP(BCG), is dysfunctional in an Escherichia coli CRP competition assay and has been proposed as a potential source of M. bovis BCG's attenuation. We compared CRP(BCG) and CRP(Mt) in vitro and in vivo, in M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis, to evaluate CRP(BCG)'s potential function in a mycobacterial system. Both proteins formed dimers in mycobacterial lysates, bound to the same target DNA sequences, and were similarly affected by the presence of cAMP in DNA binding assays. However, CRP(Mt) and CRP(BCG) differed in their relative affinities for specific DNA target sequences and in their susceptibilities to protease digestion. Surprisingly, CRP(BCG) DNA binding activity was stronger than that of CRP(Mt) both in vitro and in vivo, as measured by electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Nutrient starvation-associated regulation of several CRP(Mt) regulon members also differed between M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis. We conclude that CRP(BCG) is a functional cAMP-responsive DNA binding protein with an in vivo DNA binding profile in M. bovis BCG similar to that of CRP(Mt) in M. tuberculosis. However, biologically significant functional differences may exist between CRP(BCG) and CRP(Mt) with respect to gene regulation, and this issue warrants further study. PMID- 17785470 TI - Characterization of an immunogenic outer membrane autotransporter protein, Arp, of Bartonella henselae. AB - Bartonella henselae is a recently recognized pathogenic bacterium associated with cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, and bacillary peliosis. This study describes the cloning, sequencing, and characterization of an antigenic autotransporter gene from B. henselae. A cloned 6.0-kb BclI-EcoRI DNA fragment expresses a 120-kDa B. henselae protein immunoreactive with 21.2% of sera from patients positive for B. henselae immunoglobulin G antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence, with 97.3% specificity and no cross-reactivity with antibodies against various other organisms. DNA sequencing of the clone revealed one open reading frame of 4,320 bp with a deduced amino acid sequence that shows homology to the family of autotransporters. The autotransporters are a group of proteins that mediate their own export through the outer membrane and consist of a passenger region, the alpha-domain, and an outer membrane transporter region, the beta-domain. The passenger domain shows homology to a family of pertactin like adhesion proteins and contains seven, nearly identical 48-amino-acid repeats not found in any other bacterial or Bartonella DNA sequences. The passenger alpha domain has a calculated molecular mass of 117 kDa, and the transporter beta domain has a calculated molecular mass of 36 kDa. The clone expresses a 120-kDa protein and a protein that migrates at approximately 38 kDa exclusively in the outer membrane protein fraction, suggesting that the 120-kDa passenger protein remains associated with the outer membrane after cleavage from the 36-kDa transporter. PMID- 17785471 TI - Characterization of a new variant of IS257 that has displaced the capsule genes within bovine isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. AB - Many bovine Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Argentina are nontypeable (NT), i.e., they do not produce serotype 5 or 8 capsular polysaccharides (CPs). Some of these NT strains have a deletion of the cap5(8) gene cluster mediated by a variant of IS257, now designated IScap. IScap showed 93% amino acid identity to S. aureus ORF49 but only 85% identity to IS431 from S. aureus N315 and 88% identity to an IS257-like element from bovine strain RF122. Thirty-six (53%) of 68 bovine isolates, drawn from a previously described S. aureus strain collection, carried some variant of IS257, including IScap. Of these 36 IS+ isolates, 6 were CP5+, 1 was CP8+, and 29 were NT. Forty-four of the 68 isolates were NT, and 24 of these 44 NT isolates (55%) exhibited IScap-mediated deletion of the cap5(8) gene cluster. IScap was not found among 20 human NT S. aureus isolates bearing the cap5HIJK genes, which suggests that IScap-mediated deletion of the capsule locus is restricted to bovine strains of S. aureus. We were unable to identify a precursor strain in which IScap flanked the cap5(8) capsule locus, nor were we able to select for deletion of the cap5(8) locus in vitro. Our results support the hypothesis that deletion of the cap5 locus occurred in the distant past and that the relative abundance of these NT strains may be a result of their ability to persist in subclinical mastitis infection in cows. PMID- 17785472 TI - Roles of serine accumulation and catabolism in the colonization of the murine urinary tract by Escherichia coli CFT073. AB - A D-serine deaminase (DsdA) mutant of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain CFT073 has a hypercolonization phenotype in a murine model of urinary tract infection (UTI) due to increased virulence gene expression by an unknown mechanism (B. J. Haugen et al., Infect. Immun. 75:278-289, 2007). DsdC is a D serine-dependent activator of dsdXA transcription. DsdC may regulate the virulence genes responsible for hypercolonization. The loss of DsdA leads to increased intracellular accumulation of D-serine. In this study we show that deletion of the genes encoding L-serine deaminases SdaA and SdaB resulted in a mutant that accumulates higher intracellular levels of L-serine than CFT073. CFT073 sdaA sdaB has a mild competitive colonization defect whereas a CFT073 dsdA sdaA sdaB triple mutant shows a greater loss in competitive colonization ability. Thus, the inability to generate serine-specific catabolic products does not result in hypercolonization and the ability to catabolize serine represents a positive physiological trait during murine UTI. CFT073 dsdC and CFT073 dsdC dsdA mutants continue to outcompete the wild type in the UTI model. These results confirm that loss of DsdA activity results in the hypercolonization phenotype and that DsdC does not play a direct role in the elevated-colonization phenotype. Interestingly, a CFT073 dsdA mutant with deletions of D-serine transporter genes dsdX and cycA shows wild-type colonization levels of the bladder but is attenuated for kidney colonization. Thus, D-serine acts as a signal for hypercolonization and virulence gene expression by CFT073 dsdA, whereas overall catabolism of serine represents a positive Escherichia coli fitness trait during UTI. PMID- 17785473 TI - Enterococcus faecalis constitutes an unusual bacterial model in lysozyme resistance. AB - Lysozyme is an important and widespread compound of the host constitutive defense system, and it is assumed that Enterococcus faecalis is one of the few bacteria that are almost completely lysozyme resistant. On the basis of the sequence analysis of the whole genome of E. faecalis V583 strain, we identified two genes that are potentially involved in lysozyme resistance, EF_0783 and EF_1843. Protein products of these two genes share significant homology with Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase (OatA) and Streptococcus pneumoniae N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (PgdA), respectively. In order to determine whether EF_0783 and EF_1843 are involved in lysozyme resistance, we constructed their corresponding mutants and a double mutant. The DeltaEF_0783 mutant and DeltaEF_0783 DeltaEF_1843 double mutant were shown to be more sensitive to lysozyme than the parental E. faecalis JH2-2 strain and DeltaEF_1843 mutant were. However, compared to other bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes or S. pneumoniae, the tolerance of DeltaEF_0783 and DeltaEF_0783 DeltaEF_1843 mutants towards lysozyme remains very high. Peptidoglycan structure analysis showed that EF_0783 modifies the peptidoglycan by O acetylation of N-acetyl muramic acid, while the EF_1843 deletion has no obvious effect on peptidoglycan structure under the same conditions. Moreover, the EF_0783 and EF_1843 deletions seem to significantly affect the ability of E. faecalis to survive within murine macrophages. In all, while EF_0783 is currently involved in the lysozyme resistance of E. faecalis, peptidoglycan O acetylation and de-N-acetylation are not the main mechanisms conferring high levels of lysozyme resistance to E. faecalis. PMID- 17785474 TI - Toll-like receptor 2 controls the gamma interferon response to Francisella tularensis by mouse liver lymphocytes. AB - The production of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is a key step in the protective innate immune response to Francisella tularensis. Natural killer cells and T cells in the liver are important sources of this cytokine during primary F. tularensis infections, and interleukin-12 (IL-12) appears to be an essential coactivating cytokine for hepatic IFN-gamma expression. The present study was undertaken to determine whether or not macrophages (Mphi) or dendritic cells (DC) provide coactivating signals for the liver IFN-gamma response in vitro, whether IL-12 mediates these effects, and whether Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is essential to induce this costimulatory activity. Both bone marrow-derived Mphi and DC significantly augmented the IFN-gamma response of F. tularensis-challenged liver lymphocytes in vitro. While both cell types produced IL-12p40 in response to F. tularensis challenge, only DC secreted large quantities of IL-12p70. DC from both IL-12p35-deficient and TLR2-deficient mice failed to produce IL-12p70 and did not costimulate liver lymphocytes for IFN-gamma production in response to viable F. tularensis organisms. Conversely, liver lymphocytes from TLR2-deficient mice cocultured with wild-type accessory cells produced IFN-gamma at levels comparable to those for wild-type hepatic lymphocytes. These findings indicate that TLR2 controls hepatic lymphocyte IFN-gamma responses to F. tularensis by regulating DC IL-12 production. While Mphi also coinduced hepatic IFN-gamma production in response to F. tularensis, they did so in a fashion less dependent on TLR2. PMID- 17785476 TI - Maintenance of antibody to pathogen epitopes generated by segmental gene conversion is highly dynamic during long-term persistent infection. AB - Multiple bacterial and protozoal pathogens utilize gene conversion to generate rapid intrahost antigenic variation. Both large- and small-genome pathogens expand the size of the variant pool via a combinatorial process in which oligonucleotide segments from distinct donor loci are recombined in various combinations into expression sites. Although the potential combinatorial diversity generated by this segmental gene conversion mechanism is quite large, the functional variant pool depends on whether immune responses against the recombined segments are generated and maintained, regardless of their specific combinatorial context. This question was addressed by tracking the Anaplasma marginale variant population and corresponding segment-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses during long-term infection. Antibody was induced early in A. marginale infection, predominately against the surface-exposed hypervariable region (HVR) rather than against the invariant conserved flanking domains, and these HVR oligopeptides were most immunogenic at the time of acute bacteremia, when the variant population is derived via recombination from a single donor locus. However antibody to HVR oligopeptides was not consistently maintained during persistent infection, despite reexpression of the same segment, although in a different combinatorial context. This dynamic antibody recognition over time was not attributable to the major histocompatibility complex haplotype of individual animals or use of specific msp2 donor alleles. In contrast, the position and context of an individual oligopeptide segment within the HVR were significant determinants of antibody recognition. The results unify the genetic potential of segmental gene conversion with escape from antibody recognition and identify immunological effects of variant mosaic structure. PMID- 17785475 TI - Protective properties and surface localization of Plasmodium falciparum enolase. AB - The enolase protein of the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum has recently been characterized. Apart from its glycolytic function, enolase has also been shown to possess antigenic properties and to be present on the cell wall of certain invasive organisms, such as Candida albicans. In order to assess whether enolase of P. falciparum is also antigenic, sera from residents of a region of Eastern India where malaria is endemic were tested against the recombinant P. falciparum enolase (r-Pfen) protein. About 96% of immune adult sera samples reacted with r-Pfen over and above the seronegative controls. Rabbit anti-r-Pfen antibodies inhibited the growth of in vitro cultures of P. falciparum. Mice immunized with r-Pfen showed protection against a challenge with the 17XL lethal strain of the mouse malarial parasite Plasmodium yoelii. The antibodies raised against r-Pfen were specific for Plasmodium and did not react to the host tissues. Immunofluorescence as well as electron microscopic examinations revealed localization of the enolase protein on the merozoite cell surface. These observations establish malaria enolase to be a potential protective antigen. PMID- 17785477 TI - Relative contributions of Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF sortase-encoding genes, srtA and bps (srtC), to biofilm formation and a murine model of urinary tract infection. AB - Deletion mutants of the two sortase genes of Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF were constructed. srtC (renamed here bps for biofilm and pilus-associated sortase) was previously shown to be necessary for the production of Ebp pili and important for biofilm formation and endocarditis. Here, we report that a srtA deletion mutant showed a small (5%) yet significant (P = 0.037) reduction in biofilm relative to OG1RF, while a DeltasrtA Deltabps double mutant showed a much greater reduction (74% versus OG1RF and 44% versus the Deltabps mutant). In a murine urinary tract infection (UTI), the 50% infective doses of both the DeltasrtA Deltabps and Deltabps mutants were approximately 2 log10 greater than that of OG1RF or the DeltasrtA mutant. Similarly, approximately 2 log10 fewer bacteria were recovered from the kidneys after infection with the Deltabps mutant (P = 0.017) and the DeltasrtA Deltabps double mutant (P = 0.022) compared to wild-type strain OG1RF. In a competition UTI, the Deltabps mutant was slightly, but not significantly, less attenuated than the DeltasrtA Deltabps double mutant. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis with Ebp-specific antibodies confirmed that a minority of OG1RF cells express Ebp pili on their surface in vitro and that Bps has a major role in Ebp pilus biogenesis but also indicated a function for SrtA in surface localization of the pilus subunit protein EbpA. In conclusion, deletion of bps had a major effect on virulence in murine UTIs, as well as biofilm; deletion of srtA from OG1RF had little effect on these phenotypes, but its deletion from a bps mutant had a pronounced effect on biofilm, suggesting that Bps and/or the proteins it anchors may compensate for the loss of some SrtA function(s). PMID- 17785478 TI - Recombinant exosporium protein BclA of Bacillus anthracis is effective as a booster for mice primed with suboptimal amounts of protective antigen. AB - Bacillus collagen-like protein of anthracis (BclA) is an immunodominant glycoprotein located on the exosporium of Bacillus anthracis. We hypothesized that antibodies to this spore surface antigen are largely responsible for the augmented immunity to anthrax that has been reported for animals vaccinated with inactivated spores and protective antigen (PA) compared to vaccination with PA alone. To test this theory, we first evaluated the capacity of recombinant, histidine-tagged, nonglycosylated BclA (rBclA) given with adjuvant to protect A/J mice against 10 times the 50% lethal dose of Sterne strain spores introduced subcutaneously. Although the animals elicited anti-rBclA antibodies and showed a slight but statistically significant prolongation in the mean time to death (MTD), none of the mice survived. Similarly, rabbit anti-rBclA immunoglobulin G (IgG) administered intraperitoneally to mice before spore inoculation increased the MTD statistically significantly but afforded protection to only 1 of 10 animals. However, all mice that received suboptimal amounts of recombinant PA and that then received rBclA 2 weeks later survived spore challenge. Additionally, anti-rBclA IgG, compared to anti-PA IgG, promoted a sevenfold-greater uptake of opsonized spores by mouse macrophages and markedly decreased intramacrophage spore germination. Since BclA has some sequence similarity to human collagen, we also tested the extent of binding of anti-rBclA antibodies to human collagen types I, III, and V and found no discernible cross-reactivity. Taken together, these results support the concept of rBclA as being a safe and effective boost for a PA-primed individual against anthrax and further suggest that such rBclA enhanced protection occurs by the induction of spore-opsonizing and germination inhibiting antibodies. PMID- 17785479 TI - Direct microscopic quantification of dynamics of Plasmodium berghei sporozoite transmission from mosquitoes to mice. AB - The number of malaria sporozoites delivered to a host by mosquitoes is thought to have a significant influence on the subsequent course of the infection in the mammalian host. We did studies with Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes with salivary gland infections of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites expressing a red fluorescent protein. After individual mosquitoes fed on an ear pinna or the ventral abdomen of a mouse, fluorescence microscopy was used to count numbers of sporozoites. Mosquitoes allowed to feed on the ear for periods of 3 versus 15 min deposited means of 281 versus 452 sporozoites, respectively, into the skin; this may have epidemiological implications because mosquitoes can feed for longer periods of time on sleeping hosts. Mosquitoes feeding on the ventral abdomen injected sporozoites not only into the skin but also into the underlying peritoneal musculature. Although mosquitoes injected fewer sporozoites into the abdominal tissues, more of these were reingested into the mosquito midgut, probably a consequence of easier access to blood intake from the abdominal area. The most consistent parameter of sporozoite transmission dynamics under all conditions of mosquito probing and feeding was the relatively slow release rate of sporozoites (approximately 1 to 2.5 per second) from the mosquito proboscis. The numbers of sporozoites introduced into the host by mosquitoes and the transmission efficiencies of sporozoite delivery are multifactorial phenomena that vary with length of probing time, skin site being fed upon, and numbers of sporozoites within the salivary glands. PMID- 17785481 TI - Summaries for patients. Accuracy of serologic tests and HLA-DQ typing for diagnosing celiac disease. PMID- 17785480 TI - Galectin-3 modulates immune and inflammatory responses during helminthic infection: impact of galectin-3 deficiency on the functions of dendritic cells. AB - Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional beta-galactoside-binding lectin that senses self-derived and microbial glycoconjugates. Although Gal-3 is important in immune reactions and host defense in some experimental models, the function of Gal-3 during helminthic diseases (e.g., schistosomiasis) is still elusive. We show that, compared to wild-type Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice, infected Gal 3-/- mice have a reduced number of T and B lymphocytes in the spleen, develop reduced liver granulomas at 7 weeks (acute phase) and 14 weeks (chronic phase) postinfection, and mount a biased cellular and humoral Th1 response. In an attempt to understand this latter phenomenon, we studied the role of endogenous Gal-3 in dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen-presenting cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Although Gal-3 deficiency in DCs does not impact their differentiation and maturation processes, it greatly influences the strength (but not the nature) of the adaptive immune response that they trigger, suggesting that Gal-3 deficiency in some other cell types may be important during murine schistosomiasis. As a whole, this study implies that Gal-3 is a modulator of the immune/inflammatory responses during helminthic infection and reveals for the first time that Gal-3 expression in DCs is pivotal to control the magnitude of T lymphocyte priming. PMID- 17785482 TI - In the clinic. Dyslipidemia. PMID- 17785483 TI - Infection risk with nitrofurazone-impregnated urinary catheters in trauma patients: a randomized trial. AB - BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection is one of the most common nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients. It is predominantly associated with indwelling urinary catheters. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether nitrofurazone impregnated urinary catheters reduce the incidence of catheter-associated bacteriuria and funguria (CABF). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. SETTING: Copenhagen Trauma Center, Copenhagen, Denmark. PATIENTS: 212 consecutive adult trauma patients admitted between July 2003 and August 2005. Eligible patients needed a urinary catheter on arrival and were excluded if they were HIV positive, were pregnant, had a primary burn injury, or were receiving steroid treatment or if informed consent was unattainable. INTERVENTIONS: Nitrofurazone-impregnated or standard silicone catheter throughout the duration of catheterization. MEASUREMENTS: Catheter-associated bacteriuria and funguria, defined as at least 10(3) colony-forming units/mL, was assessed daily until removal of the catheter, with a prespecified minimum of 24-hour follow-up for the primary analysis. The microbiologist was blinded to study group assignment. RESULTS: 1190 urine cultures were obtained over 1001 catheter-days. Catheter associated bacteriuria and funguria occurred less frequently in the nitrofurazone catheter group than in the silicone catheter group (7 of 77 [9.1%] vs. 19 of 77 [24.7%]; incidence per 1000 catheter-days, 13.8 vs. 38.6; adjusted risk, 0.31 [95% CI, 0.14 to 0.70]; P = 0.005). Onset of CABF was delayed in the nitrofurazone group (P = 0.01), and nitrofurazone catheters led to fewer instances of new or changed antimicrobial therapy (adjusted risk, 0.27 [CI, 0.10 to 0.69]; P = 0.006). LIMITATIONS: The clinical significance of asymptomatic bacteriuria and funguria is unclear. Data were missing in 27% of patients, and the magnitude of effect of the nitrofurazone catheters varied by assumptions about outcomes in patients who did not complete 24-hour follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrofurazone-impregnated urinary catheters reduced the incidence of CABF in adult trauma patients, reducing the need to change or prescribe new antimicrobial therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00192985. PMID- 17785484 TI - Accuracy of serologic tests and HLA-DQ typing for diagnosing celiac disease. AB - BACKGROUND: Estimates of the diagnostic performance of serologic testing and HLA DQ typing for detecting celiac disease have mainly come from case-control studies. OBJECTIVE: To define the performance of serologic testing and HLA-DQ typing prospectively. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Patients referred for small-bowel biopsy for the diagnosis of celiac disease. INTERVENTIONS: Celiac serologic testing (antigliadin antibodies [AGA], antitransglutaminase antibodies [TGA], and antiendomysium antibodies [EMA]) and HLA-DQ typing. MEASUREMENTS: Diagnostic performance of serologic testing and HLA-DQ typing compared with a reference standard of abnormal histologic findings and clinical resolution after a gluten-free diet. RESULTS: Sixteen of 463 participants had celiac disease (prevalence, 3.46% [95% CI, 1.99% to 5.55%]). A positive result on both TGA and EMA testing had a sensitivity of 81% (CI, 54% to 95.9%), specificity of 99.3% (CI, 98.0% to 99.9%), and negative predictive value of 99.3% (CI, 98.0% to 99.9%). Testing positive for either HLA DQ type maximized sensitivity (100% [CI, 79% to 100%]) and negative predictive value (100% [CI, 98.6% to 100%]), whereas testing negative for both minimized the negative likelihood ratio (0.00 [CI, 0.00 to 0.40]) and posttest probability (0% [CI, 0% to 1.4%]). The addition of HLA-DQ typing to TGA and EMA testing, and the addition of serologic testing to HLA-DQ typing, did not change test performance compared with either testing strategy alone. LIMITATION: Few cases of celiac disease precluded meaningful comparisons of testing strategies. CONCLUSIONS: In a patient population referred for symptoms and signs of celiac disease with a prevalence of celiac disease of 3.46%, TGA and EMA testing were the most sensitive serum antibody tests and a negative HLA-DQ type excluded the diagnosis. However, the addition of HLA-DQ typing to TGA and EMA testing, and the addition of serologic testing to HLA-DQ typing, provided the same measures of test performance as either testing strategy alone. PMID- 17785485 TI - Influence of renal function on the efficacy and safety of fondaparinux relative to enoxaparin in non ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes. AB - BACKGROUND: A recent randomized, controlled trial, the Fifth Organization to Assess Strategies in Acute Ischemic Syndromes (OASIS 5) trial, reported that major bleeding was 2-fold less frequent with fondaparinux than with enoxaparin in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Renal dysfunction increases the risk for major bleeding. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of fondaparinux and enoxaparin over the spectrum of renal dysfunction observed in the OASIS 5 trial. DESIGN: Subgroup analysis of a randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Patients presenting to the hospital with non-ST-segment elevation ACS. PATIENTS: 19,979 of the 20,078 patients in the OASIS 5 trial in whom creatinine was measured at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Death, myocardial infarction, refractory ischemia, and major bleeding were evaluated separately and as a composite end point at 9, 30, and 180 days. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated by using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. RESULTS: The absolute differences in favor of fondaparinux (efficacy and safety) were most marked in patients with a GFR less than 58 mL/min per 1.73 m2; the largest differences occurred in major bleeding events. At 9 days, death, myocardial infarction, or refractory ischemia occurred in 6.7% of patients receiving fondaparinux and 7.4% of those receiving enoxaparin (hazard ratio, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.73 to 1.11]); major bleeding occurred in 2.8% and 6.4%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.42 [CI, 0.32 to 0.56]). Statistically significant differences in major bleeding persisted at 30 and 180 days. The rates of the composite end point were lower with fondaparinux than with enoxaparin in all quartiles of GFR, but the differences were statistically significant only among patients with a GFR less than 58 mL/min per 1.73 m2. LIMITATIONS: Subgroup analyses warrant caution; the study was powered to detect noninferiority at 9 days. Fondaparinux is not approved for use in patients with ACS in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of fondaparinux over enoxaparin when administered for non-ST-segment elevation ACS are most marked among patients with renal dysfunction and are largely explained by lower rates of major bleeding with fondaparinux. PMID- 17785486 TI - Regression of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with less hospitalization for heart failure in hypertensive patients. AB - BACKGROUND: Reduction of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been associated with decreased cardiovascular death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation. However, whether reduction of electrocardiographic LVH is associated with decreased heart failure is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation of reduction of electrocardiographic LVH to incident heart failure. DESIGN: Multicenter cohort study derived from a randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension study. PATIENTS: 8479 hypertensive patients without history of heart failure who were randomly assigned to losartan or atenolol treatment. MEASUREMENTS: Change in Cornell product electrocardiographic LVH between baseline and in-study electrocardiograms, examined as both a continuous variable and a dichotomous variable (above or below the median decrease of 236 mm x msec) to predict heart failure hospitalization occurring after the 6-month follow-up visit. RESULTS: During mean follow-up of 4.7 years (SD, 1.1 years), 214 patients were hospitalized for heart failure (2.5%): 77 patients with an in treatment decrease of 236 mm x msec or more (4.4 per 1000 patient-years) and 137 patients with a reduction less than 236 mm x msec during treatment (6.8 per 1000 patient-years). In a univariate Cox analysis in which change in Cornell product was treated as a time-varying continuous variable, decrease in Cornell product during treatment was associated with a decreased risk for new-onset heart failure, with a 24% lower risk for heart failure for every 817-mm x msec (1 SD of the mean) lower Cornell product (hazard ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.72 to 0.80]). In a parallel analysis in which change in Cornell product was entered as a time varying dichotomous variable, a greater-than-median in-treatment decrease in Cornell product (236 mm x msec) was associated with a 43% lower risk for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.57 [CI, 0.44 to 0.76]). After adjustment for treatment, baseline risk factors for heart failure, baseline and in-treatment blood pressure, and baseline severity of electrocardiographic LVH, in-treatment decrease of Cornell product LVH in time-varying multivariate Cox models remained strongly associated with new heart failure hospitalization, with a 19% lower risk for every 817-mm . msec lower Cornell product treated as a continuous variable (hazard ratio, 0.81 [CI, 0.77 to 0.85]) or a 36% decreased rate of new heart failure in patients with an in-treatment reduction in Cornell product of 236 mm x msec or more (hazard ratio, 0.64 [CI, 0.47 to 0.89]; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). LIMITATIONS: Use of electrocardiographic LVH to select patients may have increased risk compared with unselected hypertensive patients, and use of hospitalization for heart failure as the end point will underestimate the incidence of new heart failure. CONCLUSION: Reduction in Cornell product electrocardiographic LVH during antihypertensive therapy is associated with fewer hospitalizations for heart failure, independent of blood pressure lowering, treatment method, and other risk factors for heart failure. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00338260. PMID- 17785488 TI - Narrative review: hyperkyphosis in older persons. AB - Hyperkyphosis is a widely recognized yet largely ignored condition. Although there are no uniform diagnostic criteria for hyperkyphosis, current studies estimate its prevalence among older adults at 20% to 40%. The causes and consequences of hyperkyphosis are not well understood. Some physicians think that fractures cause hyperkyphosis and that management strategies should focus solely on diagnosis and treatment for osteoporosis. Recent studies, however, demonstrate that many older adults who are most affected by hyperkyphosis do not have vertebral fractures. Hyperkyphosis may be independently associated with an increased risk for adverse health outcomes, including impaired pulmonary function, decreased physical function capabilities, and future fractures. With the growing older population, we now need research that leads to a deeper understanding of the causes, consequences, and treatment of this common condition. PMID- 17785487 TI - The effect of adherence to practice guidelines on depression outcomes. AB - BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed clinician adherence to depression practice guidelines and the relationship between clinician adherence and depression outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To estimate how frequently specific guideline recommendations are followed and to assess whether following guideline recommendations is linked to improved depression outcomes. DESIGN: Observational analysis of data collected from 1996 to 1998 in 3 randomized clinical trials. SETTING: 45 primary care practices in 13 U.S. states. PATIENTS: 1131 primary care patients with depression. MEASUREMENTS: Expert panel methods were used to develop a patient survey-based index that measured adherence to clinical practice guidelines on depression. Rates of adherence to the 20 indicators that form the index were evaluated. Multivariable regression that controlled for case mix was used to assess how index scores predicted continuous and dichotomous depression measures at 12, 18, and 24 months. RESULTS: Quality of care was high (clinician adherence > or =79%) for 6 indicators, including primary care clinician detection of depression. Quality of care was low (adherence, 20% to 38%) for 8 indicators, including management of suicide risk (3 indicators), alcohol abuse (2 indicators), and elderly patients; assessment of symptoms and history of depression; and treatment adjustment for patients who did not respond to initial treatment. Greater adherence to practice guidelines significantly predicted fewer depressive symptoms on continuous measures (P < 0.001 for 12 months, P < 0.01 for 18 months, and P < 0.001 for 24 months) and dichotomous measures (P < 0.05 for 18 and 24 months). LIMITATIONS: Data are based on patient self-report. Possible changes in practice since 1998 may limit the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to guidelines was high for one third of the recommendations that were measured but was very low for nearly half of the measures, pointing to specific needs for quality improvement. Guideline concordant depression care appears to be linked to improved outcomes in primary care patients with depression. PMID- 17785489 TI - Tailored testing for celiac disease. PMID- 17785490 TI - Guideline recommendations and results: the importance of the linkage. PMID- 17785491 TI - Trials that matter: minimizing treatment of mild, persistent asthma. PMID- 17785492 TI - Alternative treatments of vasomotor symptoms of menopause. PMID- 17785493 TI - Alternative treatments of vasomotor symptoms of menopause. PMID- 17785494 TI - Alternative treatments of vasomotor symptoms of menopause. PMID- 17785495 TI - Benzodiazepines and hip fractures. PMID- 17785496 TI - Opioid treatment for chronic back pain and its association with addiction. PMID- 17785497 TI - Opioid treatment for chronic back pain and its association with addiction. PMID- 17785498 TI - Ambulatory management of obstructive sleep apnea without polysomnography. PMID- 17785499 TI - Inflammatory pseudotumor of the heart. PMID- 17785500 TI - Characterization of hepatic and brain metabolism in young adults with glycogen storage disease type 1: a magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. AB - In glycogen storage disease type 1 (GSD1), children present with severe hypoglycemia, whereas the propensity for hypoglycemia may decrease with age in these patients. It was the aim of this study to elucidate the mechanisms for milder hypoglycemia symptoms in young adult GSD1 patients. Four patients with GSD1 [body mass index (BMI) 23.2 +/- 6.3 kg/m, age 21.3 +/- 2.9 yr] and four healthy controls matched for BMI (23.1 +/- 3.0 kg/m) and age (24.0 +/- 3.1 yr) were studied. Combined (1)H/(31)P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) was used to assess brain metabolism. Before and after administration of 1 mg glucagon, endogenous glucose production (EGP) was measured with d-[6,6 (2)H(2)]glucose and hepatic glucose metabolism was examined by (1)H/(13)C/(31)P NMRS. At baseline, GSD1 patients exhibited significantly lower rates of EGP (0.53 +/- 0.04 vs. 1.74 +/- 0.03 mg.kg(-1).min(-1); P < 0.01) but an increased intrahepatic glycogen (502 +/- 89 vs. 236 +/- 11 mmol/l; P = 0.05) and lipid content (16.3 +/- 1.1 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.4%; P < 0.001). After glucagon challenge, EGP did not change in GSD1 patients (0.53 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.59 +/- 0.24 mg.kg(-1).min( 1); P = not significant) but increased in healthy controls (1.74 +/- 0.03 vs. 3.95 +/- 1.34; P < 0.0001). In GSD1 patients, we found an exaggerated increase of intrahepatic phosphomonoesters (0.23 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.86 +/- 0.19 arbitrary units; P < 0.001), whereas inorganic phosphate decreased (0.36 +/- 0.08 vs. -0.43 +/- 0.17 arbitrary units; P < 0.01). Intracerebral ratios of glucose and lactate to creatine were higher in GSD1 patients (P < 0.05 vs. control). Therefore, hepatic defects of glucose metabolism persist in young adult GSD1 patients. Upregulation of the glucose and lactate transport at the blood-brain barrier could be responsible for the amelioration of hypoglycemic symptoms. PMID- 17785501 TI - Secretion of neuropeptide Y in human adipose tissue and its role in maintenance of adipose tissue mass. AB - NPY is an important central orexigenic hormone, but little is known about its peripheral actions in human adipose tissue (AT) or its potential paracrine effects. Our objective was to examine NPY's role in AT, specifically addressing NPY protein expression, the effect of NPY on adipokine secretion, and the influence of insulin and rosiglitazone (RSG) on adipocyte-derived NPY in vitro. Ex vivo human AT was obtained from women undergoing elective surgery [age: 42.7 +/- 1.5 yr (mean +/- SE), BMI: 26.2 +/- 0.7 kg/m(2); n = 38]. Western blot analysis was used to determine NPY protein expression in AT depots. Abdominal subcutaneous (AbSc) adipocytes were isolated and treated with recombinant (rh) NPY, insulin, and RSG. NPY and adipokine levels were measured by ELISA. Our results were that NPY was localized in human AT and adipocytes and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Depot-specific NPY expression was noted as highest in AbSc AT (1.87 +/- 0.23 ODU) compared with omental (Om; 1.03 +/- 0.15 ODU, P = 0.029) or thigh AT (Th; 1.0 +/- 0.29 ODU, P = 0.035). Insulin increased NPY secretion (control: 0.22 +/- 0.024 ng/ml; 1 nM insulin: 0.26 +/- 0.05 ng/ml; 100 nM insulin: 0.29 +/- 0.04 ng/ml; 1,000 nM insulin: 0.3 +/- 0.04 ng/ml; P < 0.05, n = 13), but cotreatment of RSG (10 nM) with insulin (100 nM) had no effect on NPY secretion. Furthermore, adipocyte treatment with rh-NPY downregulated leptin secretion (control: 6.99 +/- 0.89 ng/ml; 1 nmol/l rh-NPY: 4.4 +/- 0.64 ng/ml; 10 nmol/l rh-NPY: 4.3 +/- 0.61 ng/ml, 100 nmol/l rh-NPY: 4.2 +/- 0.67 ng/ml; P < 0.05, n = 10) but had no effect on adiponectin or TNF-alpha secretion. We conclude that NPY is expressed and secreted by human adipocytes. NPY secretion is stimulated by insulin, but this increment was limited by cotreatment with RSG. NPY's antilipolytic action may promote an increase in adipocyte size in hyperinsulinemic conditions. Adipose-derived NPY mediates reduction of leptin secretion and may have implications for central feedback of adiposity signals. PMID- 17785502 TI - Plasma obestatin is lower at fasting and not suppressed by insulin in insulin resistant humans. AB - Obestatin, a recently discovered 23-amino acid peptide, is involved in the regulation of appetite and body weight in antagonistic fashion to ghrelin, both deriving from a common precursor peptide. Ghrelin was shown to be associated with insulin resistance, which may also affect obestatin. We investigated the association between insulin resistance and plasma concentrations of obestatin and ghrelin in nondiabetic individuals with high (IS; n = 18, 13 females and 5 males, age 47 +/- 2 yr, BMI = 25.5 +/- 0.9 kg/m(2)) and low (IR; n = 18, 12 females and 6 males, age 45 +/- 2 yr, P = 0.49, BMI = 27.5 +/- 1.1 kg/m(2), P = 0.17) insulin stimulated glucose disposal (M), measured by 2-h hyperinsulinemic (40 mU.min( 1).m(-2)) isoglycemic clamp tests. M(100-120 min) was higher in IS (10.7 +/- 0.7) than in IR (4.4 +/- 0.2 mg.min(-1).kg(-1), P < 10(-9)), whereas insulin-dependent suppression of free fatty acids (FFA) in plasma was reduced in IR (71 +/- 6% vs. IS: 82 +/- 5%, P < 0.02). In both groups, plasma ghrelin concentrations were comparable at fasting and similarly reduced by 24-28% during insulin infusion. IR had lower fasting plasma obestatin levels (383 +/- 26 pg/ml vs. IS: 469 +/- 23 pg/ml, P < 0.02). Clamp insulin infusion reduced plasma obestatin to approximately 81% of basal values in IS (P < 0.00002), but not in IR. Fasting plasma obestatin was correlated positively with M (r = 0.34, P = 0.04), HDL cholesterol (r = 0.45, P = 0.01), and plasma ghrelin concentrations (r = 0.80, P < 0.000001) and negatively with measures of adiposity, plasma FFA during clamp (r = -0.42, P < 0.01), and systolic blood pressure (r = -0.33, P < 0.05). In conclusion, fasting plasma concentrations of obestatin, but not of ghrelin, are reduced in insulin resistance and are positively associated with whole body insulin sensitivity in nondiabetic humans. Furthermore, plasma obestatin is reduced by insulin in insulin-sensitive but not in insulin-resistant persons. PMID- 17785503 TI - The expression of prolactin and its cathepsin D-mediated cleavage in the bovine corpus luteum vary with the estrous cycle. AB - In the corpus luteum (CL), blood vessels develop, stabilize, and regress. This process depends on the ratio of pro- and antiangiogenic factors, which change during the ovarian cycle. The present study focuses on the possible roles of 23,000 (23K) prolactin (PRL) in the bovine CL and its antiangiogenic NH(2) terminal fragments after extracellular cleavage by cathepsin D (Cath D). PRL RNA and protein were demonstrated in the CL tissue, in luteal endothelial cells, and in steroidogenic cells. Cath D was detected in CL tissue, cell extracts, and corresponding cell supernatants. In the intact CL, 23K PRL levels decreased gradually, whereas Cath D levels concomitantly increased between early and late luteal stages. In vitro, PRL cleavage occurred in the presence of acidified homogenates of CL tissue, cells, and corresponding cell supernatants. Similar fragments were obtained with purified Cath D, and their appearance was inhibited by pepstatin A. The aspartic protease specific substrate MOCAc-GKPILF~FRLK(Dnp)-D R-NH(2) was cleaved by CL cell supernatants, providing further evidence for Cath D activity. The 16,000 PRL inhibited proliferation of luteal endothelial cells accompanied by an increase in cleaved caspase-3. In conclusion, 1) the bovine CL is able to produce PRL and to process it into antiangiogenic fragments by Cath D activity and 2) PRL cleavage might mediate angioregression during luteolysis. PMID- 17785504 TI - Selective role of neuropeptide Y receptor subtype Y2 in the control of gonadotropin secretion in the rat. AB - Different signals with key roles in energy homeostasis regulate the reproductive axis. These include neuropeptide Y and polypeptide YY(3-36), whose type Y(2) receptor is the most abundant of this family in the brain. We evaluated herein the putative roles of Y(2) receptors in the control of gonadotropin secretion by means of central administration of PYY(13-36) (agonist of Y(2) receptors) and BIIE 0246 (antagonist of Y(2) receptors) to intact and orchidectomized male rats. In addition, the ability of PYY(13-36) to elicit GnRH and gonadotropin secretion in vitro and the impact of fasting on LH responses to PYY(13-36) in vivo were also monitored. Central administration of PYY(13-36) significantly decreased the circulating levels of both gonadotropins, an effect that was observed in prepubertal and adult rats. Yet a dual action of Y(2) receptors in the control of male gonadotropic axis was evidenced as their activation induced 1) stimulation of gonadotropin responses to GnRH at the pituitary but 2) inhibition of GnRH secretion at the hypothalamus. Antagonization of Y(2) receptors failed to modify basal LH secretion in intact males either after being fed ad libitum or after being fasted. In contrast, their central blockade in orchidectomized rats evoked a significant increase in circulating LH and FSH level, suggesting the constitutive activation of Y(2) receptor in such stimulated conditions. In summary, our data evidence a complex mode of action of Y(2) receptors in the control of gonadotropic axis, with stimulatory and inhibitory actions at different levels of the system that are sensitive to the gonadal status. PMID- 17785505 TI - Glucose infusion causes insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of rats without changes in Akt and AS160 phosphorylation. AB - Hyperglycemia is a defining feature of Type 1 and 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia also causes insulin resistance, and our group (Kraegen EW, Saha AK, Preston E, Wilks D, Hoy AJ, Cooney GJ, Ruderman NB. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab Endocrinol Metab 290: E471-E479, 2006) has recently demonstrated that hyperglycemia generated by glucose infusion results in insulin resistance after 5 h but not after 3 h. The aim of this study was to investigate possible mechanism(s) by which glucose infusion causes insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and in particular to examine whether this was associated with changes in insulin signaling. Hyperglycemia (~10 mM) was produced in cannulated male Wistar rats for up to 5 h. The glucose infusion rate required to maintain this hyperglycemia progressively lessened over 5 h (by 25%, P < 0.0001 at 5 h) without any alteration in plasma insulin levels consistent with the development of insulin resistance. Muscle glucose uptake in vivo (44%; P < 0.05) and glycogen synthesis rate (52%; P < 0.001) were reduced after 5 h compared with after 3 h of infusion. Despite these changes, there was no decrease in the phosphorylation state of multiple insulin signaling intermediates [insulin receptor, Akt, AS160 (Akt substrate of 160 kDa), glycogen synthase kinase-3beta] over the same time course. In isolated soleus strips taken from control or 1- or 5-h glucose-infused animals, insulin stimulated 2-deoxyglucose transport was similar, but glycogen synthesis was significantly reduced in the 5-h muscle sample (68% vs. 1-h sample; P < 0.001). These results suggest that the reduced muscle glucose uptake in rats after 5 h of acute hyperglycemia is due more to the metabolic effects of excess glycogen storage than to a defect in insulin signaling or glucose transport. PMID- 17785506 TI - Cdc42-interacting protein-4 functionally links actin and microtubule networks at the cytolytic NK cell immunological synapse. AB - An essential function of the immunological synapse (IS) is directed secretion. NK cells are especially adept at this activity, as they direct lytic granules to the synapse for secretion, which enables cytotoxicity and facilitates host defense. This initially requires rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton and, subsequently, microtubule-dependent trafficking of the lytic granules. As these two steps are sequential, specific linkages between them are likely to serve as critical regulators of cytotoxicity. We studied Cdc42-interacting protein-4 (CIP4), which constitutively interacts with tubulin and microtubules but focuses to the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) after NK cell activation, when it is able to associate with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) and the actin filament-rich IS. WASp deficiency, overexpression of CIP4, or parts of CIP4 interfere with this union and block normal CIP4 localization, MTOC polarization to the IS, and cytotoxicity. Reduction of endogenous CIP4 expression using small interfering RNA similarly inhibits MTOC polarization and cytotoxic activity but does not impair actin filament accumulation at the IS, or Cdc42 activation. Thus, CIP4 is an important cytoskeletal adaptor that functions after filamentous actin accumulation and Cdc42 activation to enable MTOC polarization and NK cell cytotoxicity. PMID- 17785507 TI - Programmed death-1 (PD-1) defines a transient and dysfunctional oligoclonal T cell population in acute homeostatic proliferation. AB - The host responds to lymphopenic environments by acute homeostatic proliferation, which is a cytokine- and endogenous peptide-driven expansion of lymphocytes that restores the numbers and diversity of T cells. It is unknown how these homeostatically proliferating (HP) cells are ultimately controlled. Using a system where lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-immune C57BL/6 splenocytes were transferred into lymphopenic T cell-deficient hosts and allowed to reconstitute the environment, we defined the following three populations of T cells: slowly dividing Ly6C+ cells, which contained bona fide virus-specific memory cells, and more rapidly dividing Ly6C- cells segregating into programmed death (PD)-1+ and PD-1- fractions. The PD-1+ HP cell population, which peaked in frequency at day 21, was dysfunctional in that it failed to produce interferon gamma or tumor necrosis factor alpha on T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation, had down-regulated expression of interleukin (IL)-7Ralpha, IL-15Rbeta, and Bcl-2, and reacted with Annexin V, which is indicative of a preapoptotic state. The PD-1+ HP cells, in contrast to other HP cell fractions, displayed highly skewed TCR repertoires, which is indicative of oligoclonal expansion; these skewed repertoires and the PD 1+ population disappeared by day 70 from the host, presumably because of apoptosis. These results suggest that PD-1 may play a negative regulatory role to control rapidly proliferating and potentially pathogenic autoreactive CD8+ T cells during homeostatic reconstitution of lymphopenic environments. PMID- 17785508 TI - Chromosomal reinsertion of broken RSS ends during T cell development. AB - The V(D)J recombinase catalyzes DNA transposition and translocation both in vitro and in vivo. Because lymphoid malignancies contain chromosomal translocations involving antigen receptor and protooncogene loci, it is critical to understand the types of "mistakes" made by the recombinase. Using a newly devised assay, we characterized 48 unique TCRbeta recombination signal sequence (RSS) end insertions in murine thymocyte and splenocyte genomic DNA samples. Nearly half of these events targeted "cryptic" RSS-like elements. In no instance did we detect target-site duplications, which is a hallmark of recombinase-mediated transposition in vitro. Rather, these insertions were most likely caused by either V(D)J recombination between a bona fide RSS and a cryptic RSS or the insertion of signal circles into chromosomal loci via a V(D)J recombination-like mechanism. Although wild-type, p53, p53 x scid, H2Ax, and ATM mutant thymocytes all showed similar levels of RSS end insertions, core-RAG2 mutant thymocytes showed a sevenfold greater frequency of such events. Thus, the noncore domain of RAG2 serves to limit the extent to which the integrity of the genome is threatened by mistargeting of V(D)J recombination. PMID- 17785509 TI - Activity of an antimicrobial peptide mimetic against planktonic and biofilm cultures of oral pathogens. AB - Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are naturally occurring, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that have recently been examined for their utility as therapeutic antibiotics. Unfortunately, they are expensive to produce and are often sensitive to protease digestion. To address this problem, we have examined the activity of a peptide mimetic whose design was based on the structure of magainin, exhibiting its amphiphilic structure. We demonstrate that this compound, meta-phenylene ethynylene (mPE), exhibits antimicrobial activity at nanomolar concentrations against a variety of bacterial and Candida species found in oral infections. Since Streptococcus mutans, an etiological agent of dental caries, colonizes the tooth surface and forms a biofilm, we quantified the activity of this compound against S. mutans growing under conditions that favor biofilm formation. Our results indicate that mPE can prevent the formation of a biofilm at nanomolar concentrations. Incubation with 5 nM mPE prevents further growth of the biofilm, and 100 nM mPE reduces viable bacteria in the biofilm by 3 logs. Structure-function analyses suggest that mPE inhibits the bioactivity of lipopolysaccharide and binds DNA at equimolar ratios, suggesting that it may act both as a membrane-active molecule, similar to magainin, and as an intracellular antibiotic, similar to other AMPs. We conclude that mPE and similar molecules display great potential for development as therapeutic antimicrobials. PMID- 17785510 TI - Isoxyl activation is required for bacteriostatic activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. AB - Isoxyl (ISO), a thiourea derivative that was successfully used for the clinical treatment of tuberculosis during the 1960s, is an inhibitor of the synthesis of oleic and mycolic acids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its effect on oleic acid synthesis has been shown to be attributable to its inhibitory activity on the stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase DesA3, but its enzymatic target(s) in the mycolic acid pathway remains to be identified. With the goal of elucidating the mode of action of ISO, we have isolated a number of spontaneous ISO-resistant mutants of M. tuberculosis and undertaken their genotypic characterization. We report here the characterization of a subset of these strains carrying mutations in the monooxygenase gene ethA. Through complementation studies, we demonstrate for the first time that the EthA-mediated oxidation of ISO is absolutely required for this prodrug to inhibit its lethal enzymatic target(s) in M. tuberculosis. An analysis of the metabolites resulting from the in vitro transformation of ISO by purified EthA revealed the occurrence of a formimidamide allowing the formulation of an activation pathway in which the oxidation of ISO catalyzed by EthA is followed by chemical transformations involving extrusion or elimination and, finally, hydrolysis. PMID- 17785511 TI - Penetration of amphotericin B lipid formulations into pleural effusion. AB - The penetration of the amphotericin B (AMB) lipid formulations (liposomal AMB, AMB colloidal dispersion, and AMB lipid complex formulations) into pleural effusions in seven critically ill patients was assessed. AMB was detected in all pleural effusion samples at concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.43 microg/ml. The penetration ratio was 3 to 44%. PMID- 17785512 TI - Effects of serum on in vitro susceptibility testing of echinocandins. AB - The effects of protein binding on the activities of caspofungin, anidulafungin, and micafungin were evaluated against Candida and Aspergillus species. Adding human serum sharply increased the MICs of micafungin and anidulafungin and modestly affected the MIC of caspofungin. The increase in MICs does not appear consistent with the rate of protein binding for the three compounds. PMID- 17785513 TI - Identification of 16S rRNA methylase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains in North America. AB - Five highly amikacin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were collected at a medical center in Pennsylvania. The aminoglycoside resistance was due to the production of the 16S rRNA methylase ArmA. Two of the isolates coproduced OXA-23 beta-lactamase and were highly resistant to carbapenems as well. The isolates were genetically closely related by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. PMID- 17785514 TI - Effect of caspofungin on metabolite profiles of Aspergillus species determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. AB - Invasive aspergillosis remains a potentially life-threatening infection, the incidence of which is increasing. Current methods used to determine the susceptibilities of Aspergillus strains to antifungal drugs are often unreliable. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can identify the metabolic complement of microorganisms while monitoring nutrient utilization from the incubation medium. We used 600-MHz (1)H NMR spectroscopy to monitor the metabolic responses of five Aspergillus species cultured in RPMI 1640-2% glucose morpholinepropanesulfonate buffer to various concentrations of the antifungal drugs amphotericin B (AMB) and caspofungin. The metabolic endpoint (MEP) was determined from nutrient and metabolite resonances, measured as a function of the drug concentration, and was defined as a > or =50% reduction in nutrient consumption or metabolite production. MICs were evaluated by a modification of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute broth microdilution method M27-A, and minimal effective concentrations (MECs) were determined by microscopic examination of fungal hyphae. For AMB, the MEPs coincided with the MICs. For caspofungin, the MEPs agreed with the MECs for several Aspergillus strains, but the effect of drug pressure was more complex for others. Expansion of the MEP definition to include any significant changes in metabolite production resulted in agreement with the MEC in most cases. Paradoxical metabolic responses were observed for several Aspergillus strains at either high or low caspofungin concentrations and for one Aspergillus terreus strain with AMB. NMR spectroscopy proved to be a powerful tool for detecting the subtle effects of drug pressure on fungal metabolism and has the potential to provide an alternative method for determining the susceptibilities of Aspergillus species to antifungal drugs. PMID- 17785515 TI - A novel role for the nuclear membrane protein emerin in association of the centrosome to the outer nuclear membrane. AB - The type II inner nuclear membrane protein emerin is a component of the LINC complex that connects the nuclear lamina to the actin cytoskeleton. In emerin null or -deficient human dermal fibroblasts we find that the centrosome is detached from the nucleus. Moreover, following siRNA knockdown of emerin in wild type fibroblasts, the centrosome also becomes detached from the nucleus. We show that emerin interacts with tubulin, and that nocadozole-treated wild-type cells phenocopy the detached centrosome characteristic of emerin-null/deficient cells. We also find that a significant fraction of emerin is located at the outer nuclear membrane and peripheral ER, where it interacts directly with the centrosome. Our data provide the first evidence in mammalian cells as to the nature of the linkage of the centrosome, and therefore the tubulin cytoskeleton, with the outer nuclear membrane. PMID- 17785516 TI - UTF1 is a chromatin-associated protein involved in ES cell differentiation. AB - Embryonic stem (ES) cells are able to grow indefinitely (self-renewal) and have the potential to differentiate into all adult cell types (pluripotency). The regulatory network that controls pluripotency is well characterized, whereas the molecular basis for the transition from self-renewal to the differentiation of ES cells is much less understood, although dynamic epigenetic gene silencing and chromatin compaction are clearly implicated. In this study, we report that UTF1 (undifferentiated embryonic cell transcription factor 1) is involved in ES cell differentiation. Knockdown of UTF1 in ES and carcinoma cells resulted in a substantial delay or block in differentiation. Further analysis using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assays, subnuclear fractionations, and reporter assays revealed that UTF1 is a stably chromatin-associated transcriptional repressor protein with a dynamic behavior similar to core histones. An N-terminal Myb/SANT domain and a C-terminal domain containing a putative leucine zipper are required for these properties of UTF1. These data demonstrate that UTF1 is a strongly chromatin-associated protein involved in the initiation of ES cell differentiation. PMID- 17785517 TI - Msk is required for nuclear import of TGF-{beta}/BMP-activated Smads. AB - Nuclear translocation of Smad proteins is a critical step in signal transduction of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). Using nuclear accumulation of the Drosophila Smad Mothers against Decapentaplegic (Mad) as the readout, we carried out a whole-genome RNAi screening in Drosophila cells. The screen identified moleskin (msk) as important for the nuclear import of phosphorylated Mad. Genetic evidence in the developing eye imaginal discs also demonstrates the critical functions of msk in regulating phospho-Mad. Moreover, knockdown of importin 7 and 8 (Imp7 and 8), the mammalian orthologues of Msk, markedly impaired nuclear accumulation of Smad1 in response to BMP2 and of Smad2/3 in response to TGF-beta. Biochemical studies further suggest that Smads are novel nuclear import substrates of Imp7 and 8. We have thus identified new evolutionarily conserved proteins that are important in the signal transduction of TGF-beta and BMP into the nucleus. PMID- 17785518 TI - New Tetrahymena basal body protein components identify basal body domain structure. AB - Basal bodies organize the nine doublet microtubules found in cilia. Cilia are required for a variety of cellular functions, including motility and sensing stimuli. Understanding this biochemically complex organelle requires an inventory of the molecular components and the contribution each makes to the overall structure. We define a basal body proteome and determine the specific localization of basal body components in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila. Using a biochemical, bioinformatic, and genetic approach, we identify 97 known and candidate basal body proteins. 24 novel T. thermophila basal body proteins were identified, 19 of which were localized to the ultrastructural level, as seen by immunoelectron microscopy. Importantly, we find proteins from several structural domains within the basal body, allowing us to reveal how each component contributes to the overall organization. Thus, we present a high resolution localization map of basal body structure highlighting important new components for future functional studies. PMID- 17785519 TI - Extracellular stimuli specifically regulate localized levels of individual neuronal mRNAs. AB - Subcellular regulation of protein synthesis requires the correct localization of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) within the cell. In this study, we investigate whether the axonal localization of neuronal mRNAs is regulated by extracellular stimuli. By profiling axonal levels of 50 mRNAs detected in regenerating adult sensory axons, we show that neurotrophins can increase and decrease levels of axonal mRNAs. Neurotrophins (nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and neurotrophin-3) regulate axonal mRNA levels and use distinct downstream signals to localize individual mRNAs. However, myelin-associated glycoprotein and semaphorin 3A regulate axonal levels of different mRNAs and elicit the opposite effect on axonal mRNA levels from those observed with neurotrophins. The axonal mRNAs accumulate at or are depleted from points of ligand stimulation along the axons. The translation product of a chimeric green fluorescent protein-beta-actin mRNA showed similar accumulation or depletion adjacent to stimuli that increase or decrease axonal levels of endogenous beta-actin mRNA. Thus, extracellular ligands can regulate protein generation within subcellular regions by specifically altering the localized levels of particular mRNAs. PMID- 17785521 TI - Transcription strategies in terminally differentiated cells: shaken to the core. PMID- 17785520 TI - uPA deficiency exacerbates muscular dystrophy in MDX mice. AB - Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal and incurable muscle degenerative disorder. We identify a function of the protease urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) in mdx mice, a mouse model of DMD. The expression of uPA is induced in mdx dystrophic muscle, and the genetic loss of uPA in mdx mice exacerbated muscle dystrophy and reduced muscular function. Bone marrow (BM) transplantation experiments revealed a critical function for BM-derived uPA in mdx muscle repair via three mechanisms: (1) by promoting the infiltration of BM-derived inflammatory cells; (2) by preventing the excessive deposition of fibrin; and (3) by promoting myoblast migration. Interestingly, genetic loss of the uPA receptor in mdx mice did not exacerbate muscular dystrophy in mdx mice, suggesting that uPA exerts its effects independently of its receptor. These findings underscore the importance of uPA in muscular dystrophy. PMID- 17785522 TI - The lateral line microcosmos. AB - The lateral-line system is a simple sensory system comprising a number of discrete sense organs, the neuromasts, distributed over the body of fish and amphibians in species-specific patterns. Its development involves fundamental biological processes such as long-range cell migration, planar cell polarity, regeneration, and post-embryonic remodeling. These aspects have been extensively studied in amphibians by experimental embryologists, but it is only recently that the genetic bases of this development have been explored in zebrafish. This review discusses progress made over the past few years in this field. PMID- 17785523 TI - A tDNA establishes cohesion of a neighboring silent chromatin domain. AB - DNA replication generates sister chromatid pairs that are bound to one another until anaphase onset. The process, termed sister chromatid cohesion, requires the multisubunit cohesin complex that resides at centromeres and sites where genes converge. At the HMR mating-type locus of budding yeast, cohesin associates with a heterochromatin-like structure known as silent chromatin. In this report, we show that silent chromatin is necessary but not sufficient for cohesion of the replicating locus. A tRNA gene (tDNA) that delimits the silent chromatin domain is also required, as are subunits of the TFIIIB and RSC complexes that bind the gene. Non-tDNA boundary elements do not substitute for tDNAs in cohesion, suggesting that barrier activity is not responsible for the phenomenon. The results reveal an unexpected role for tDNAs and RNA polymerase III-associated proteins in establishment of sister chromatid cohesion. PMID- 17785524 TI - Dual roles of autophagy in the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans during starvation. AB - Autophagy is a major pathway used to degrade long-lived proteins and organelles. Autophagy is thought to promote both cell and organism survival by providing fundamental building blocks to maintain energy homeostasis during starvation. Under different conditions, however, autophagy may instead act to promote cell death through an autophagic cell death pathway distinct from apoptosis. Although several recent papers suggest that autophagy plays a role in cell death, it is not known whether autophagy can cause the death of an organism. Furthermore, why autophagy acts in some instances to promote survival but in others to promote death is poorly understood. Here we show that physiological levels of autophagy act to promote survival in Caenorhabditis elegans during starvation, whereas insufficient or excessive levels of autophagy contribute to death. We found that inhibition of autophagy decreases survival of wild-type worms during starvation, and that muscarinic signaling regulates starvation-induced autophagy, at least in part, through the death-associated protein kinase signaling pathway. Furthermore, we found that in gpb-2 mutants, in which muscarinic signaling cannot be down regulated, starvation induces excessive autophagy in pharyngeal muscles, which in turn, causes damage that may contribute to death. Taken together, our results demonstrate that autophagy can have either prosurvival or prodeath functions in an organism, depending on its level of activation. PMID- 17785525 TI - HDAC6 controls major cell response pathways to cytotoxic accumulation of protein aggregates. AB - A cellular defense mechanism counteracts the deleterious effects of misfolded protein accumulation by eliciting a stress response. The cytoplasmic deacetylase HDAC6 (histone deacetylase 6) was previously shown to be a key element in this response by coordinating the clearance of protein aggregates through aggresome formation and their autophagic degradation. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that HDAC6 is involved in another crucial cell response to the accumulation of ubiquitinated protein aggregates, and unravel its molecular basis. Indeed, our data show that HDAC6 senses ubiquitinated cellular aggregates and consequently induces the expression of major cellular chaperones by triggering the dissociation of a repressive HDAC6/HSF1 (heat-shock factor 1)/HSP90 (heat-shock protein 90) complex and a subsequent HSF1 activation. HDAC6 therefore appears as a master regulator of the cell protective response to cytotoxic protein aggregate formation. PMID- 17785526 TI - Adult and larval photoreceptors use different mechanisms to specify the same Rhodopsin fates. AB - Although development of the adult Drosophila compound eye is very well understood, little is known about development of photoreceptors (PRs) in the simple larval eye. We show here that the larval eye is composed of 12 PRs, four of which express blue-sensitive rhodopsin5 (rh5) while the other eight contain green-sensitive rh6. This is similar to the 30:70 ratio of adult blue and green R8 cells. However, the stochastic choice of adult color PRs and the bistable loop of the warts and melted tumor suppressor genes that unambiguously specify rh5 and rh6 in R8 PRs are not involved in specification of larval PRs. Instead, primary PR precursors signal via EGFR to surrounding tissue to develop as secondary precursors, which will become Rh6-expressing PRs. EGFR signaling is required for the survival of the Rh6 subtype. Primary precursors give rise to the Rh5 subtype. Furthermore, the combinatorial action of the transcription factors Spalt, Seven up, and Orthodenticle specifies the two PR subtypes. Therefore, even though the larval PRs and adult R8 PRs express the same rhodopsins (rh5 and rh6), they use very distinct mechanisms for their specification. PMID- 17785527 TI - Arabidopsis JACKDAW and MAGPIE zinc finger proteins delimit asymmetric cell division and stabilize tissue boundaries by restricting SHORT-ROOT action. AB - In the Arabidopsis root, the SHORT-ROOT transcription factor moves outward to the ground tissue from its site of transcription in the stele and is required for the specification of the endodermis and the stem cell organizing quiescent center cells. In addition, SHORT-ROOT and the downstream transcription factor SCARECROW control an oriented cell division in ground tissue stem cell daughters. Here, we show that the JACKDAW and MAGPIE genes, which encode members of a plant-specific family of zinc finger proteins, act in a SHR-dependent feed-forward loop to regulate the range of action of SHORT-ROOT and SCARECROW. JACKDAW expression is initiated independent of SHORT-ROOT and regulates the SCARECROW expression domain outside the stele, while MAGPIE expression depends on SHORT-ROOT and SCARECROW. We provide evidence that JACKDAW and MAGPIE regulate tissue boundaries and asymmetric cell division and can control SHORT-ROOT and SCARECROW activity in a transcriptional and protein interaction network. PMID- 17785529 TI - ASY1 mediates AtDMC1-dependent interhomolog recombination during meiosis in Arabidopsis. AB - ASY1 is an Arabidopsis protein required for synapsis and crossover formation during meiosis. The chronology of meiotic recombination has been investigated in wild type and an asy1 mutant. We observe a delay between the appearance of chromatin-associated AtSPO11-1 foci and DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation, which occurs contemporaneously with chromosome axis formation and transition of ASY1 from chromatin-associated foci to a linear axis-associated signal. DSBs are formed independently of ASY1 in an AtSPO11-1-dependent manner. They are partially restored in Atspo11-1-3 using cisplatin, but their control appears abnormal. Axis morphogenesis is independent of ASY1, but axis structure may be compromised in asy1. Localization of the strand exchange proteins AtRAD51 and AtDMC1 to the chromatin occurs asynchronously shortly after DSB formation, with AtDMC1 localizing in advance of AtRAD51. In wild-type nuclei, both recombinases form numerous foci that persist for approximately 12 h before gradually decreasing in number. In asy1, initial localization of AtDMC1 is normal, but declines abruptly such that interhomolog recombination is severely compromised. Limited ASY1 independent, DMC1-dependent interhomolog recombination remains, but appears restricted to subtelomeric sequences where the homologs are fortuitously in proximity. Thus, ASY1 plays a key role in coordinating the activity of the RecA homologs to create a bias in favor of interhomolog recombination. PMID- 17785530 TI - Deficient mismatch repair improves organismal fitness and survival of mice with dysfunctional telomeres. AB - Mismatch repair (MMR) has important roles in meiotic and mitotic recombination, DNA damage signaling, and various aspects of DNA metabolism including class switch recombination, somatic hypermutation, and triplet-repeat expansion. Defects in MMR are responsible for human cancers characterized by microsatellite instability. Intriguingly, MMR deficiency has been shown to rescue survival and proliferation of telomerase-deficient yeast strains. A putative role for MMR at mammalian telomeres that could have an impact on cancer and aging is, however, unknown. Here, we studied the role of MMR in response to dysfunctional telomeres by generating mice doubly deficient for telomerase and the PMS2 MMR gene (Terc-/ /PMS2-/- mice). PMS2 deficiency prolonged the mean lifespan and median survival of telomerase-deficient mice concomitant with rescue of degenerative pathologies. This rescue of survival was independent of changes in telomere length, in sister telomere recombination, and in microsatellite instability. Importantly, PMS2 deficiency rescued cell proliferation defects but not apoptotic defects in vivo, concomitant with a decreased p21 induction in response to short telomeres. The proliferative advantage conferred to telomerase-deficient cells by the ablation of PMS2 did not produce increased tumors. Indeed, Terc-/-/PMS2-/- mice showed reduced tumors compared with PMS2-/- mice, in agreement with a tumor suppressor role for short telomeres in the context of MMR deficiencies. These results highlight an unprecedented role for MMR in mediating the cellular response to dysfunctional telomeres in vivo by attenuating p21 induction. PMID- 17785528 TI - Tension-sensitive Plk1 phosphorylation on BubR1 regulates the stability of kinetochore microtubule interactions. AB - Mitotic phosphorylation of the spindle checkpoint component BubR1 is highly conserved throughout evolution. Here, we demonstrate that BubR1 is phosphorylated on the Cdk1 site T620, which triggers the recruitment of Plk1 and phosphorylation of BubR1 by Plk1 both in vitro and in vivo. Phosphorylation does not appear to be required for spindle checkpoint function but instead is important for the stability of kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) interactions, timely mitotic progression, and chromosome alignment onto the metaphase plate. By quantitative mass spectrometry, we identify S676 as a Plk1-specific phosphorylation site on BubR1. Furthermore, using a phospho-specific antibody, we show that this site is phosphorylated during prometaphase, but dephosphorylated at metaphase upon establishment of tension between sister chromatids. These findings describe the first in vivo verified phosphorylation site for human BubR1, identify Plk1 as the kinase responsible for causing the characteristic mitotic BubR1 upshift, and attribute a KT-specific function to the hyperphosphorylated form of BubR1 in the stabilization of KT-MT interactions. PMID- 17785531 TI - The anatomy of microbial cell state transitions in response to oxygen. AB - Adjustment of physiology in response to changes in oxygen availability is critical for the survival of all organisms. However, the chronology of events and the regulatory processes that determine how and when changes in environmental oxygen tension result in an appropriate cellular response is not well understood at a systems level. Therefore, transcriptome, proteome, ATP, and growth changes were analyzed in a halophilic archaeon to generate a temporal model that describes the cellular events that drive the transition between the organism's two opposing cell states of anoxic quiescence and aerobic growth. According to this model, upon oxygen influx, an initial burst of protein synthesis precedes ATP and transcription induction, rapidly driving the cell out of anoxic quiescence, culminating in the resumption of growth. This model also suggests that quiescent cells appear to remain actively poised for energy production from a variety of different sources. Dynamic temporal analysis of relationships between transcription and translation of key genes suggests several important mechanisms for cellular sustenance under anoxia as well as specific instances of post-transcriptional regulation. PMID- 17785532 TI - Prediction of individual genetic risk to disease from genome-wide association studies. AB - Empirical studies suggest that the effect sizes of individual causal risk alleles underlying complex genetic diseases are small, with most genotype relative risks in the range of 1.1-2.0. Although the increased risk of disease for a carrier is small for any single locus, knowledge of multiple-risk alleles throughout the genome could allow the identification of individuals that are at high risk. In this study, we investigate the number and effect size of risk loci that underlie complex disease constrained by the disease parameters of prevalence and heritability. Then we quantify the value of prediction of genetic risk to disease using a range of realistic combinations of the number, size, and distribution of risk effects that underlie complex diseases. We propose an approach to assess the genetic risk of a disease in healthy individuals, based on dense genome-wide SNP panels. We test this approach using simulation. When the number of loci contributing to the disease is >50, a large case-control study is needed to identify a set of risk loci for use in predicting the disease risk of healthy people not included in the case-control study. For diseases controlled by 1000 loci of mean relative risk of only 1.04, a case-control study with 10,000 cases and controls can lead to selection of approximately 75 loci that explain >50% of the genetic variance. The 5% of people with the highest predicted risk are three to seven times more likely to suffer the disease than the population average, depending on heritability and disease prevalence. Whether an individual with known genetic risk develops the disease depends on known and unknown environmental factors. PMID- 17785533 TI - Causes for the intriguing presence of tRNAs in phages. AB - Phages have highly compact genomes with sizes reflecting their capacity to exploit the host resources. Here, we investigate the reasons for tRNAs being the only translation-associated genes frequently found in phages. We were able to unravel the selective processes shaping the tRNA distribution in phages by analyzing their genomes and those of their hosts. We found ample evidence against tRNAs being selected to facilitate phage integration in the prokaryotic chromosomes. Conversely, there is a significant association between tRNA distribution and codon usage. We support this observation by introducing a master equation model, where tRNAs are randomly gained from their hosts and then lost either neutrally or according to a set of different selection mechanisms. Those tRNAs present in phages tend to correspond to codons that are simultaneously highly used by the phage genes, while rare in the host genome. Accordingly, we propose that a selective recruitment of tRNAs compensates for the compositional differences between the phage and the host genomes. To further understand the importance of these results in phage biology, we analyzed the differences between temperate and virulent phages. Virulent phages contain more tRNAs than temperate ones, higher codon usage biases, and more important compositional differences with respect to the host genome. These differences are thus in perfect agreement with the results of our master equation model and further suggest that tRNA acquisition may contribute to higher virulence. Thus, even though phages use most of the cell's translation machinery, they can complement it with their own genetic information to attain higher fitness. These results suggest that similar selection pressures may act upon other cellular essential genes that are being found in the recently uncovered large viruses. PMID- 17785535 TI - High-throughput methylation profiling by MCA coupled to CpG island microarray. AB - An abnormal pattern of DNA methylation occurs at specific genes in almost all neoplasms. The lack of high-throughput methods with high specificity and sensitivity to detect changes in DNA methylation has limited its application for clinical profiling. Here we overcome this limitation and present an improved method to identify methylated genes genome-wide by hybridizing a CpG island microarray with amplicons obtained by the methylated CpG island amplification technique (MCAM). We validated this method in three cancer cell lines and 15 primary colorectal tumors, resulting in the discovery of hundreds of new methylated genes in cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of the method to detect hypermethylated loci were 88% and 96%, respectively, according to validation by bisulfite-PCR. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering segregated the tumors into the expected subgroups based on CpG island methylator phenotype classification. In summary, MCAM is a suitable technique to discover methylated genes and to profile methylation changes in clinical samples in a high-throughput fashion. PMID- 17785534 TI - Mapping the C. elegans noncoding transcriptome with a whole-genome tiling microarray. AB - The number of annotated protein coding genes in the genome of Caenorhabditis elegans is similar to that of other animals, but the extent of its non-protein coding transcriptome remains unknown. Expression profiling on whole-genome tiling microarrays applied to a mixed-stage C. elegans population verified the expression of 71% of all annotated exons. Only a small fraction (11%) of the polyadenylated transcription is non-annotated and appears to consist of approximately 3200 missed or alternative exons and 7800 small transcripts of unknown function (TUFs). Almost half (44%) of the detected transcriptional output is non-polyadenylated and probably not protein coding, and of this, 70% overlaps the boundaries of protein-coding genes in a complex manner. Specific analysis of small non-polyadenylated transcripts verified 97% of all annotated small ncRNAs and suggested that the transcriptome contains approximately 1200 small (<500 nt) unannotated noncoding loci. After combining overlapping transcripts, we estimate that at least 70% of the total C. elegans genome is transcribed. PMID- 17785536 TI - Biased clustered substitutions in the human genome: the footprints of male-driven biased gene conversion. AB - We examined fixed substitutions in the human lineage since divergence from the common ancestor with the chimpanzee, and determined what fraction are AT to GC (weak-to-strong). Substitutions that are densely clustered on the chromosomes show a remarkable excess of weak-to-strong "biased" substitutions. These unexpected biased clustered substitutions (UBCS) are common near the telomeres of all autosomes but not the sex chromosomes. Regions of extreme bias are enriched for genes. Human and chimp orthologous regions show a striking similarity in the shape and magnitude of their respective UBCS maps, suggesting a relatively stable force leads to clustered bias. The strong and stable signal near telomeres may have participated in the evolution of isochores. One exception to the UBCS pattern found in all autosomes is chromosome 2, which shows a UBCS peak midchromosome, mapping to the fusion site of two ancestral chromosomes. This provides evidence that the fusion occurred as recently as 740,000 years ago and no more than approximately 3 million years ago. No biased clustering was found in SNPs, suggesting that clusters of biased substitutions are selected from mutations. UBCS is strongly correlated with male (and not female) recombination rates, which explains the lack of UBCS signal on chromosome X. These observations support the hypothesis that biased gene conversion (BGC), specifically in the male germline, played a significant role in the evolution of the human genome. PMID- 17785537 TI - The evolution of genome compression and genomic novelty in RNA viruses. AB - The genomes of RNA viruses are characterized by their extremely small size and extremely high mutation rates (typically 10 kb and 10(-4)/base/replication cycle, respectively), traits that are thought to be causally linked. One aspect of their small size is the genome compression caused by the use of overlapping genes (where some nucleotides code for two genes). Using a comparative analysis of all known RNA viral species, we show that viruses with larger genomes tend to have less gene overlap. We provide a numerical model to show how a high mutation rate could lead to gene overlap, and we discuss the factors that might explain the observed relationship between gene overlap and genome size. We also propose a model for the evolution of gene overlap based on the co-opting of previously unused ORFs, which gives rise to two types of overlap: (1) the creation of novel genes inside older genes, predominantly via +1 frameshifts, and (2) the incremental increase in overlap between originally contiguous genes, with no frameshift preference. Both types of overlap are viewed as the creation of genomic novelty under pressure for genome compression. Simulations based on our model generate the empirical size distributions of overlaps and explain the observed frameshift preferences. We suggest that RNA viruses are a good model system for the investigation of general evolutionary relationship between genome attributes such as mutational robustness, mutation rate, and size. PMID- 17785538 TI - Computational identification and functional validation of regulatory motifs in cartilage-expressed genes. AB - Chondrocyte gene regulation is important for the generation and maintenance of cartilage tissues. Several regulatory factors have been identified that play a role in chondrogenesis, including the positive transacting factors of the SOX family such as SOX9, SOX5, and SOX6, as well as negative transacting factors such as C/EBP and delta EF1. However, a complete understanding of the intricate regulatory network that governs the tissue-specific expression of cartilage genes is not yet available. We have taken a computational approach to identify cis regulatory, transcription factor (TF) binding motifs in a set of cartilage characteristic genes to better define the transcriptional regulatory networks that regulate chondrogenesis. Our computational methods have identified several TFs, whose binding profiles are available in the TRANSFAC database, as important to chondrogenesis. In addition, a cartilage-specific SOX-binding profile was constructed and used to identify both known, and novel, functional paired SOX binding motifs in chondrocyte genes. Using DNA pattern-recognition algorithms, we have also identified cis-regulatory elements for unknown TFs. We have validated our computational predictions through mutational analyses in cell transfection experiments. One novel regulatory motif, N1, found at high frequency in the COL2A1 promoter, was found to bind to chondrocyte nuclear proteins. Mutational analyses suggest that this motif binds a repressive factor that regulates basal levels of the COL2A1 promoter. PMID- 17785539 TI - A systems biology approach for pathway level analysis. AB - A common challenge in the analysis of genomics data is trying to understand the underlying phenomenon in the context of all complex interactions taking place on various signaling pathways. A statistical approach using various models is universally used to identify the most relevant pathways in a given experiment. Here, we show that the existing pathway analysis methods fail to take into consideration important biological aspects and may provide incorrect results in certain situations. By using a systems biology approach, we developed an impact analysis that includes the classical statistics but also considers other crucial factors such as the magnitude of each gene's expression change, their type and position in the given pathways, their interactions, etc. The impact analysis is an attempt to a deeper level of statistical analysis, informed by more pathway specific biology than the existing techniques. On several illustrative data sets, the classical analysis produces both false positives and false negatives, while the impact analysis provides biologically meaningful results. This analysis method has been implemented as a Web-based tool, Pathway-Express, freely available as part of the Onto-Tools (http://vortex.cs.wayne.edu). PMID- 17785540 TI - Functional conservation of Rel binding sites in drosophilid genomes. AB - Evolutionary constraints on gene regulatory elements are poorly understood: Little is known about how the strength of transcription factor binding correlates with DNA sequence conservation, and whether transcription factor binding sites can evolve rapidly while retaining their function. Here we use the model of the NFKB/Rel-dependent gene regulation in divergent Drosophila species to examine the hypothesis that the functional properties of authentic transcription factor binding sites are under stronger evolutionary constraints than the genomic background. Using molecular modeling we compare tertiary structures of the Drosophila Rel family proteins Dorsal, Dif, and Relish and demonstrate that their DNA-binding and protein dimerization domains undergo distinct rates of evolution. The accumulated amino acid changes, however, are unlikely to affect DNA sequence recognition and affinity. We employ our recently developed microarray-based experimental platform and principal coordinates statistical analysis to quantitatively and systematically profile DNA binding affinities of three Drosophila Rel proteins to 10,368 variants of the NFKB recognition sequences. We then correlate the evolutionary divergence of gene regulatory regions with differences in DNA binding affinities. Genome-wide analyses reveal a significant increase in the number of conserved Rel binding sites in promoters of developmental and immune genes. Significantly, the affinity of Rel proteins to these sites was higher than to less conserved sites and was maintained by the conservation of the DNA binding site sequence (static conservation) or in some cases despite significantly diverged sequences (dynamic conservation). We discuss how two types of conservation may contribute to the stabilization and optimization of a functional gene regulatory code in evolution. PMID- 17785541 TI - Survival of patients with clinical stage I lung cancer diagnosed by computed tomography screening for lung cancer. PMID- 17785542 TI - CT screening for lung cancer: are we ready for wide-scale application? PMID- 17785543 TI - Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation testing in lung cancer: searching for the ideal method. PMID- 17785544 TI - Inhibitor-kappaB kinase in tumor promotion and suppression during progression of squamous cell carcinoma. PMID- 17785545 TI - Targeting the limitless replicative potential of cancer: the telomerase/telomere pathway. AB - The maintenance of telomeric DNA underlies the ability of tumors to possess unlimited replicative potential, one of the hallmarks of cancer. Telomere length and structure are maintained by the reverse transcriptase telomerase and a multiprotein telomere complex termed shelterin. Telomerase activity is elevated in the vast majority of tumors, and telomeres are critically shortened in tumors versus normal tissues, thus providing a compelling rationale to target the telomerase/telomere pathway for broad-spectrum cancer therapy. This strategy is supported by a variety of genetic-based target validation studies. Both telomerase inhibitors and telomere interactive molecules have shown stand-alone antitumor activity at nontoxic doses against a variety of human tumor xenografts in mice. These translational advances have resulted in the first antitelomerase agent, the oligonucleotide-based GRN163L targeting the telomerase RNA template, entering clinical evaluation. Additional translational approaches, such as targeting telomeres using G-quadruplex ligands, should result in antitelomere agents, such as RHPS4, entering the clinic in the near future. These prototype trials will be extremely informative in determining the role of the telomerase/telomere pathway in clinical oncology and, moreover, whether drugs targeting the unlimited replicative potential of cancer will find a place in cancer chemotherapy. PMID- 17785546 TI - Dissecting the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling network: emerging results from the head and neck cancer tissue array initiative. AB - PURPOSE: As an approach to evaluate the expression pattern and status of activation of signaling pathways in clinical specimens from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients, we established the Head and Neck Cancer Tissue Array Initiative, an international consortium aimed at developing a high density HNSCC tissue microarray, with a high representation of oral squamous cell carcinoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: These tissue arrays were constructed by acquiring cylindrical biopsies from multiple individual tumor tissues and transferring them into tissue microarray blocks. From a total of 1,300 cases, 547 cores, including controls, were selected and used to build the array. RESULTS: Emerging information by the use of phosphospecific antibodies detecting the activated state of signaling molecules indicates that the Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is frequently activated in HNSCC, but independently from the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor or the detection of mutant p53. Indeed, we identified a large group of tissue samples displaying active Akt and mTOR in the absence of epidermal growth factor receptor activation. Furthermore, we have also identified a small subgroup of patients in which the mTOR pathway is activated but not Akt, suggesting the existence of an Akt-independent signaling route stimulating mTOR. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide important information about the nature of the dysregulated signaling networks in HNSCC and may also provide the rationale for the future development of novel mechanism-based therapies for HNSCC patients. PMID- 17785547 TI - Rapid detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in lung cancer by the SMart-Amplification Process. AB - PURPOSE: A positive response to gefitinib in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been correlated to mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. Previous reports have been based mainly on diagnostic screening by sequencing. However, sequencing is a time-consuming and complicated procedure, not suitable for routine clinical use. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We have developed rapid, simple, and sensitive mutation detection assays based on the SMart Amplification Process (SMAP) and applied it for analyzing EGFR gene mutations in clinical samples. By using SMAP, we can detect mutations within 30 min including sample preparation. To validate the assay system for potential use in clinical diagnostics, we examined 45 NSCLC patients for EGFR mutations using sequencing and SMAP. RESULTS: The outcomes of the SMAP assay perfectly matched the sequencing results, except in one case where SMAP was able to identify a mutation that was not detected by sequencing. We also evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of SMAP in mutation detection for EGFR. In a serial dilution study, SMAP was able to find a mutation in a sample containing only 0.1% of the mutant allele in a mixture of wild-type genomic DNA. We also could show amplification of mutated DNA with only 30 copies per reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The SMAP method offers higher sensitivity and specificity than alternative technologies, while eliminating the need for sequencing to identify mutations in the EGFR gene of NSCLC. It provides a robust and point-of-care accessible approach for a rapid identification of most patients likely to respond to gefitinib. PMID- 17785548 TI - Is there a human homologue to the murine proteolysis-inducing factor? AB - PURPOSE: A tumor-derived proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF) is suggested to be a potent catabolic factor in skeletal muscle of mice and humans. We aimed to establish the clinical significance of PIF in cancer patients and to elucidate its structural features. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: PIF was detected in human urine using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) and related to clinical outcomes. PIF immunoaffinity-purified using the mAb was purified/separated using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and two-dimensional electrophoresis. Ten human cancer cell lines were tested for expression of mRNA encoding PIF core peptide. RESULTS: PIF immunoreactivity was present in 160 of 262 patients with advanced cancers of the lung, esophagus/stomach, and other organs. In a Kaplan Meier survival analysis of 181 lung cancer patients, PIF was unrelated to survival; PIF status was also unrelated to skeletal muscle loss confirmed by computed tomography imaging. PIF was seen in 16 of 24 patients with chronic heart failure and thus is not exclusive to malignant disease. In-gel digestion and mass spectrometric analysis of immunoaffinity purified PIF from cancer patients consistently identified human albumin and immunoglobulins. We showed nonspecific binding of purified albumin and immunoglobulins to the anti-PIF mAb, which is thus not a useful tool for PIF detection or purification in humans. Finally, the human PIF core peptide was detected in human cancer cell lines using reverse transcription-PCR and nucleotide sequencing; however, none of the amplified products had a site for the glycosylation critical to the proteolysis-inducing activity of murine PIF. CONCLUSIONS: A putative human homologue of murine PIF and its role in human cancer cachexia cannot be verified. PMID- 17785549 TI - A new diagnostic marker for secreted Epstein-Barr virus encoded LMP1 and BARF1 oncoproteins in the serum and saliva of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. AB - PURPOSE: EBV has been associated with nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC). In North Africa, the incidence is bimodal-the first peak occurring at approximately 20 years of age and the second peak occurring at approximately 50 years. Standard diagnostic tests based on immunofluorescence using anti-IgA EBV have shown that young North African patients have a negative serology compared with older patients. We are interested in two EBV-encoded oncoproteins, LMP1 and BARF1, which have thus far not been studied in terms of their potential as diagnostic markers for NPC. These two viral oncoproteins have been detected in cell culture media, so we tested whether they could be detected in the serum and saliva of patients with NPC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: LMP1 and BARF1 proteins were analyzed in the sera and saliva of young patients and adult patients with NPC from North Africa and China. We then examined whether the secreted proteins had biological activity by analyzing their mitogenic activity. RESULTS: Both LMP1 and BARF1 were present in the serum and saliva from North African and Chinese patients with NPC. All young North African patients secreted both proteins, whereas 62% and 100% of adult patients secreted LMP1 and BARF1, respectively. From animal studies, the secreted LMP1 was associated with exosome-like vesicles. These secreted EBV oncoproteins showed a powerful mitogenic activity in B cells. CONCLUSION: Both proteins will be a good diagnostic marker for NPC whereas BARF1 is a particularly promising marker for all ages of patients with NPC. Their mitogenic activity suggests their implication in the oncogenic development of NPC. PMID- 17785550 TI - Isolation and molecular profiling of bone marrow micrometastases identifies TWIST1 as a marker of early tumor relapse in breast cancer patients. AB - PURPOSE: Micrometastatic cells detected in the bone marrow have prognostic significance in breast cancer. These cells are heterogeneous and likely do not exhibit uniform biological behavior. To understand the molecular diversity of disseminated cancer cells that reside in bone marrow, we enriched this cell population and did global gene expression profiling in the context of a prospective clinical trial involving women with clinical stage II/III breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Enrichment of TACSTD1 (EpCAM)-expressing cells from bone marrow of breast cancer patients was achieved using immunomagnetic beads. Gene expression profiles were compared between enriched cell populations and whole bone marrow from 5 normal volunteers and 23 breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment. Enriched cells from bone marrow samples of breast cancer patients before treatment or at 1 year follow-up were also analyzed (total of 87 data sets). The expression of transcripts specifically detected in enriched cell populations from breast cancer patients was correlated with 1-year clinical outcome using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR in an independent cohort of bone marrow samples. RESULTS: Analysis of EpCAM-enriched bone marrow cells revealed specific expression of a subgroup of transcripts, including the metastasis regulator, TWIST1. Most transcripts identified, including TWIST1, were not expressed in enriched populations of bone marrow from normal volunteers, suggesting that this expression profile reflects a signature of breast cancer bone marrow micrometastases that persist after chemotherapy. In an independent set of bone marrow samples obtained before any treatment, TWIST1 expression correlated with early disease relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Disseminated breast cancer cells present in bone marrow after chemotherapy possess unique transcriptional signatures. Genes whose expression is overrepresented in these cell populations, such as TWIST1, may prove to be excellent markers of early distant relapse in breast cancer patients. PMID- 17785551 TI - Melanoma cells exhibit variable signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 phosphorylation and a reduced response to IFN-alpha compared with immune effector cells. AB - PURPOSE: IFN-alpha is administered to melanoma patients and its endogenous production is essential for immune-mediated tumor recognition. We hypothesized that a reduced capacity for signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 activation allows melanoma cells to evade the direct actions of IFN alpha. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Tyr(701)-phosphorylated STAT1 (P-STAT1) was measured by flow cytometry in IFN-alpha-stimulated human melanoma cell lines, melanoma cells derived from patient tumors, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Expression of other Janus-activated kinase (Jak)-STAT intermediates (STAT1, STAT2, Jak1, tyrosine kinase 2, IFN-alpha receptor, STAT3, and STAT5) was evaluated by flow cytometry, immunoblot, or immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Significant variability in P-STAT1 was observed in human melanoma cell lines following IFN-alpha treatment (P < 0.05) and IFN-alpha-induced P-STAT1 correlated with the antiproliferative effects of IFN-alpha (P = 0.042). Reduced formation of P-STAT1 was not explained by loss of Jak-STAT proteins or enhanced STAT5 signaling as reported previously. Basal levels of P-STAT3 were inversely correlated with IFN-alpha-induced P-STAT1 in cell lines (P = 0.013). IFN-alpha induced formation of P-STAT1 was also variable in melanoma cells derived from patient tumors; however, no relationship between P-STAT3 and IFN-alpha-induced P STAT1 was evident. Because IFN-alpha acts on both tumor and immune cells, we examined the ability of IFN-alpha to induce P-STAT1 in patient-derived melanoma cells and PBMCs. IFN-alpha induced significantly lower levels of P-STAT1 in melanoma cells compared with matched PBMCs (P = 0.046). Melanoma cells and human melanocytes required 10-fold higher IFN-alpha doses to exert P-STAT1 levels comparable with PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: Melanoma cells are variable in their IFN alpha responsiveness, and cells of the melanocytic lineage exhibit a lower capacity for IFN-alpha-induced Jak-STAT signaling compared with immune cells. PMID- 17785552 TI - Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 secreted by primary breast tumors stimulates migration of mesenchymal stem cells. AB - PURPOSE: Major barriers to effective adenovirus-based gene therapy include induction of an immune response and tumor-specific targeting of vectors. The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as systemic delivery vehicles for therapeutic genes has been proposed as a result of their combined ability to home in on the tumor site and evade the host immune response. This study is aimed at investigating factors mediating homing of human MSCs to breast cancer primary cultures and cell lines in vitro and in vivo. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Fluorescently labeled MSCs were given to mice bearing breast cancer xenografts, and tumor tissue was harvested to detect MSC engraftment. MSC migration in response to primary breast tumors in vitro was quantified, and chemokines secreted by tumor cells were identified. The role of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in cell migration was investigated using antibodies and standards of the chemokine. Serum MCP-1 was measured in 125 breast cancer patients and 86 healthy controls. RESULTS: Engrafted MSCs were detected in metastatic breast tumors in mice after systemic administration. There was a significant increase in MSC migration in response to primary breast tumor cells in vitro (6-fold to 11-fold increase). Tumor explants secreted a variety of chemokines including GROalpha, MCP-1, and stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha. An MCP-1 antibody caused a significant decrease (37-42%) in MSC migration to tumors. Serum MCP-1 levels were significantly higher in postmenopausal breast cancer patients than age-matched controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight a role for tumor secreted MCP-1 in stimulating MSC migration and support the potential of these cells as tumor-targeted delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents. PMID- 17785553 TI - Deletion of a small consensus region at 6q15, including the MAP3K7 gene, is significantly associated with high-grade prostate cancers. AB - PURPOSE: Chromosome 6q14-21 is commonly deleted in prostate cancers, occurring in approximately 22% of all tumors and approximately 40% of metastatic tumors. However, candidate prostate tumor suppressor genes in this region have not been identified, in part due to the large and broad nature of the deleted region implicated in previous studies. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We first used high resolution Affymetrix single nucleotide polymorphism arrays to examine DNA from malignant and matched nonmalignant cells from 55 prostate cancer patients. We identified a small consensus region on 6q14-21 and evaluated the deletion status within the region among additional 40 tumors and normal pairs using quantitative PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization. We finally tested the association between the deletion and Gleason score using the Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Tumors with small, interstitial deletions at 6q14-21 defined an 817-kb consensus region that is affected in 20 of 21 tumors. The MAP3K7 gene is one of five genes located in this region. In total, MAP3K7 was deleted in 32% of 95 tumors. Importantly, deletion of MAP3K7 was highly associated with higher-grade disease, occurring in 61% of tumors with Gleason score >or=8 compared with only 22% of tumors with Gleason score or=10,000/microL, patients with extramedullary disease, and patients with the French-American-British classification subtype M7. In addition, Apollon overexpression (>or=median expression) was associated with an unfavorable day 7 response to induction chemotherapy and also associated with a poorer 3-year relapse-free survival rate (48.3 +/- 11.2% versus 78.7 +/- 8.5%, P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: This is the first study demonstrating the prognostic implication of the Apollon expression in human cancers, indicating that Apollon overexpression may be used as a poor prognostic marker in childhood acute myeloid leukemia through validation by further studies. PMID- 17785566 TI - Significance of HER2 low-level copy gain in Barrett's cancer: implications for fluorescence in situ hybridization testing in tissues. AB - PURPOSE: HER2 may be a relevant biomarker in Barrett's cancer. We compared three HER2 laboratory methods, standard fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), image-based three-dimensional FISH in thick (16 microm) sections, and immunohistochemistry, to predict patient outcome. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Tissue microarray sections from 124 Barrett's cancer patients were analyzed by standard FISH on thin (4 microm) sections and by image-based three-dimensional FISH on thick (16 microm) sections for HER2 and chromosome-17, as well for p185(HER2) by immunohistochemistry. Correlations with clinical and follow-up data were examined. RESULTS: Only three-dimensional FISH on thick (16 microm) sections revealed HER2 gene copy gain to be associated with increased disease-specific mortality (relative risk, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.26; P = 0.033). In contrast, standard FISH on thin (4 microm) sections and immunohistochemistry failed to predict clinical outcome. Low-level gain of HER2 occurred frequently in Barrett's cancer (>or=2.5-4.0 HER2 copies, 59.7%; HER2-to-chromosome-17 ratio, >or=1.1-2.0; 61.2%) and defined a subpopulation for patient outcome as unfavorable as HER2 gene amplification [disease-free survival, P = 0.017 (HER2 copies)]. This low-level group was neither definable by standard FISH nor immunohistochemistry. No prognostic significance was found for chromosome-17 aneusomy. CONCLUSIONS: Low-level copy gains of HER2 define a biologically distinct subpopulation of Barrett's cancer patients. Importantly, these subtle copy number changes are not reliably detected by standard FISH in thin (4 microm) tissue sections, highlighting a thus far unrecognized weakness in HER2 FISH testing. These results should be taken into account for accurate evaluation of biomarkers by FISH and for HER2 FISH testing in tissue sections. PMID- 17785567 TI - Age-related EBV-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders constitute a distinct clinicopathologic group: a study of 96 patients. AB - PURPOSE: We have recently reported EBV+ B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) occurring predominantly in elderly patients, which shared features of EBV+ B-cell neoplasms arising in the immunologically deteriorated patients despite no predisposing immunodeficiency and were named as senile or age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs. To further characterize this disease, age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs were compared with EBV-negative diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Among 1,792 large B-cell LPD cases, 96 EBV+ cases with available clinical data set were enrolled for the present study. For the control group, 107 patients aged over 40 years with EBV-negative DLBCL were selected. We compared clinicopathologic data between two groups and determined prognostic factors by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Patients with age-related EBV+ B cell LPDs showed a higher age distribution and aggressive clinical features or parameters than EBV-negative DLBCLs: 44% with performance status >1, 58% with serum lactate dehydrogenase level higher than normal, 49% with B symptoms, and higher involvement of skin and lung. Overall survival was thus significantly inferior in age-related EBV+ group than in DLBCLs. Univariate and multivariate analyses further identified two factors, B symptoms and age older than 70 years, independently predictive for survival. A prognostic model using these two variables well defined three risk groups: low risk (no adverse factors), intermediate risk (one factor), and high risk (two factors). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that age-related EBV+ B-cell LPDs constitute a distinct group, and innovative therapeutic strategies such as EBV-targeted T-cell therapy should be developed for this uncommon disease. PMID- 17785568 TI - Augmented HER-2 specific immunity during treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy. AB - PURPOSE: Passive immunotherapy with antitumor antibodies has the potential to induce active tumor immunity via the opsonic enhancement of immunogenicity of tumor antigen. We have assessed whether immune sensitization to the HER-2/neu tumor antigen occurs during treatment with the anti-HER-2/neu monoclonal antibody trastuzumab. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Twenty-seven patients treated with trastuzumab and chemotherapy were assessed for the induction of HER-2/neu-specific immunity. Sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained before and after trastuzumab therapy were compared for the presence of anti-HER-2/neu endogenous Iglambda antibodies and HER-2/neu-specific CD4 responses by ELISA and enzyme-linked immunospot, respectively. RESULTS: Anti-HER-2/neu antibodies were detectable in 8 of 27 (29%) patients before trastuzumab treatment and in 15 of 27 (56%) patients during trastuzumab treatment. In the overall study population, anti-HER-2/neu humoral responses significantly increased during therapy (P < 0.001) and were not associated with development of an anti-idiotypic response. In 10 evaluable individuals, 6 showed augmented HER-2/neu-specific CD4 T-cell responses during therapy. Of the 22 individuals treated for metastatic disease, those patients showing objective clinical responses exhibited more frequent (P = 0.004) and larger (P = 0.006) treatment-associated anti-HER-2/neu humoral responses. CONCLUSION: Humoral immune sensitization occurs during treatment with chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether augmented anti-HER-2/neu humoral and cellular immunity contributes mechanistically to clinical outcome. PMID- 17785569 TI - Phase I study of SS1P, a recombinant anti-mesothelin immunotoxin given as a bolus I.V. infusion to patients with mesothelin-expressing mesothelioma, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. AB - PURPOSE: To determine the toxicities, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics of the recombinant immunotoxin SS1P (anti-mesothelin dsFv-PE38) in patients with mesothelin-expressing cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: SS1P given as a 30-min i.v. infusion every other day (QOD) for six or three doses was administered to 34 patients with advanced mesothelioma (n = 20), ovarian (n = 12), and pancreatic (n = 2) cancer. RESULTS: The initial cohort of 17 patients received SS1P QOD x 6 doses and the MTD was 18 microg/kg/dose. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) included grade 3 uticaria (one patient) and grade 3 vascular leak syndrome (two patients). To allow further SS1P dose escalation, 17 patients were treated on the QOD x 3 schedule and the MTD was 45 microg/kg/dose. The DLT was grade 3 pleuritis and was seen in two of two patients treated at a dose of 60 microg/kg and in one of nine patients treated at a dose of 45 microg/kg. At the MTD of 45 microg/kg, the mean C(max) of SS1P was 483 ng/mL and half-life was 466 min. Of the 33 evaluable patients treated, 4 had minor responses, 19 had stable disease (including 2 with resolution of ascites), and 10 had progressive disease. CONCLUSIONS: SS1P is well tolerated with pleuritis as the DLT at the highest dose level. Evidence of clinical activity was noted in a group of heavily pretreated patients. Phase II clinical trials of SS1P are being planned for malignant mesothelioma and other mesothelin-expressing malignancies. PMID- 17785570 TI - Prospective assessment of discontinuation and reinitiation of erlotinib or gefitinib in patients with acquired resistance to erlotinib or gefitinib followed by the addition of everolimus. AB - PURPOSE: Ten percent of U.S. patients with non-small cell lung cancer experience partial radiographic responses to erlotinib or gefitinib. Despite initial regressions, these patients develop acquired resistance to erlotinib or gefitinib. In these patients, we sought to assess changes in tumor metabolism and size after stopping and restarting erlotinib or gefitinib and to determine the effect of adding everolimus. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer and acquired resistance to erlotinib or gefitinib were eligible. Patients had 18-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography and computed tomography scans at baseline, 3 weeks after stopping erlotinib or gefitinib, and 3 weeks after restarting erlotinib or gefitinib. Three weeks after restarting erlotinib or gefitinib, everolimus was added to treatment. RESULTS: Ten patients completed all four planned studies. Three weeks after stopping erlotinib or gefitinib, there was a median 18% increase in SUV(max) and 9% increase in tumor diameter. Three weeks after restarting erlotinib or gefitinib, there was a median 4% decrease in SUV(max) and 1% decrease in tumor diameter. No partial responses (0 of 10; 95% confidence interval, 0-31%) were seen with the addition of everolimus to erlotinib or gefitinib. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who develop acquired resistance, stopping erlotinib or gefitinib results in symptomatic progression, increase in SUV(max), and increase in tumor size. Symptoms improve and SUV(max) decreases after restarting erlotinib or gefitinib, suggesting that some tumor cells remain sensitive to epidermal growth factor receptor blockade. No responses were observed with combined everolimus and erlotinib or gefitinib. We recommend a randomized trial to assess the value of continuing erlotinib or gefitinib after development of acquired resistance. PMID- 17785571 TI - Inherited variation in hormone-regulating genes and prostate cancer survival. AB - PURPOSE: Hormonal manipulation is the mainstay treatment of prostate cancer, notably in advanced stages. Despite initial favorably response, the cancer eventually develops hormone resistance resulting in disease progression and death. However, little is known about genetic determinants of disease progression and prostate cancer-specific death. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We analyzed a population based cohort comprising 2,761 men diagnosed with prostate cancer from March 2001 to October 2003 and with complete follow-up through July 2006. During a median follow-up time of 3.8 years, a total of 300 men had died from prostate cancer. We genotyped 23 haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes AR, CYP17, and SRD5A2 and used Cox proportional hazards analyses to quantify associations between genotype and risk of dying from prostate cancer. RESULTS: The variant 'A' allele of an AR promoter single nucleotide polymorphism, rs17302090, was borderline associated with a 50% increased risk of dying from prostate cancer (95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.3; P = 0.07). This finding was more pronounced in patients who received hormonal therapy as primary treatment at diagnosis (hazard ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.9; P = 0.007). We did not identify any associations between CYP17 or SRD5A2 variation and prostate cancer-specific death. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that inherited genetic variation in the androgen receptor gene affects hormonal treatment response and ultimately prostate cancer death. PMID- 17785572 TI - Resveratrol inhibits tumor growth of human neuroblastoma and mediates apoptosis by directly targeting mitochondria. AB - PURPOSE: Neuroblastoma is an aggressive childhood disease of the sympathetic nervous system. Treatments are often ineffective and have serious side effects. Because resveratrol, a natural plant product, has been reported to have limited toxicity at chemotherapeutic levels, we investigated its efficacy in the treatment of neuroblastoma as well as its underlying mechanism of action. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Resveratrol was tested in mouse xenograft models of human neuroblastoma and in vitro using human cell lines. RESULTS: Resveratrol inhibited the outgrowth of tumors by as much as 80%. The bioavailability of the drug in serum was in the low micromolar range (2-10 micromol/L) and no accumulation was observed in tumor tissue. When resveratrol levels were increased by peritumor injection, rapid tumor regression occurred. Resveratrol decreased tumor cell viability in vitro by 75% to 90%, resulting from an inhibition of cell proliferation and an induction of apoptosis. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was an early response to resveratrol. In addition, resveratrol treatment of isolated mitochondria also led to depolarization, suggesting that the drug may target mitochondria directly. Following depolarization, resveratrol caused the release of cytochrome c and Smac/Diablo from the mitochondria and subsequently the activation of caspase-9 (4- to 8-fold) and caspase-3 (4- to 6 fold). CONCLUSIONS: These studies indicate that, despite low bioavailability, resveratrol is effective at inhibiting tumor growth. Elevated levels of resveratrol enhance its antitumor potency leading to tumor regression, associated with widespread tumor cell death, the underlying mechanism of which involves the direct activation of the mitochondrial intrinsic apoptotic pathway. PMID- 17785573 TI - The intestinotrophic peptide, glp-2, counteracts intestinal atrophy in mice induced by the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, gefitinib. AB - PURPOSE: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been introduced as antitumor agents in the treatment of cancers overexpressing the receptor. The treatment has gastrointestinal side effects which may decrease patient compliance and limit the efficacy. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an intestinal hormone with potent intestinotrophic properties and therapeutic potential in disorders with compromised intestinal capacity. The growth stimulation is highly specific to the gastrointestinal tract, and no effects are observed elsewhere. The aim of this study was to examine whether the inhibition of the EGFR induces intestinal atrophy and if this can be counteracted by treatment with GLP-2. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Mice were treated for 10 days with either gefitinib orally, GLP-2 as injections, or a combination of both. After sacrifice, the weight and length of the segments of the gastrointestinal tract were determined, and histologic sections were analyzed by morphometric methods. RESULTS: A significant atrophy of the small-intestinal wall was observed after treatment with gefitinib because both intestinal weight and morphometrically estimated villus height and cross-sectional area were decreased. The same parameters were increased by GLP-2 treatment alone, and when GLP-2 was combined with the gefitinib treatment, the parameters remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor in mice results in small intestinal growth inhibition that can be completely prevented by simultaneous treatment with GLP-2. This suggests that the gastrointestinal side effects elicited by treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors can be circumvented by GLP-2 treatment. PMID- 17785574 TI - Chemoprevention of carcinogenic progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma by the manganese superoxide dismutase supplementation. AB - PURPOSE: Oxidative stress is related to the carcinogenic pathway of reflux esophagitis to Barrett's metaplasia to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Recent studies have shown that a decreased manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) level is associated with the increased incidences of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and EAC. The aim of this study was to investigate MnSOD supplementation as a chemopreventive agent to prevent oxidative injury and subsequent BE and EAC formation. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Our esophagoduodenal anastomotic (EDA) model was done on rats according to our established procedure and treated with Mn(III)tetrakis(4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP; 10 mg/kg, i.p. every 3 days). Histologic changes were determined after the EDA model at 1, 3, and 6 months. Lipid peroxidation and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine for DNA oxidative damage were determined by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance assay and immunohistochemical staining. Enzymatic activities of MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD were evaluated, and the rate of proliferation was determined by proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining. RESULTS: Severe esophagitis was seen in 100% of the EDA rats, and morphologic transformation within the esophageal epithelium was observed with intestinal metaplasia (40% of animals) and cancer (40% of animals) identified after 3 months. Decreased oxidative damage, along with the decreased degree of esophagitis and incidence of BE (20%) and EAC (0%), was found in MnTBAP treated EDA rats comparing with the saline-treated EDA control. Decreased proliferation (46%) and increased SOD enzymatic activities (25%) were also found in the EDA rats treated with MnTBAP. CONCLUSION: MnTBAP protected rat esophageal epithelium from oxidative injury induced by EDA, and it could prevent the transformation of esophageal epithelial cell to BE to EAC by preservation of antioxidants. PMID- 17785575 TI - Nelfinavir, A lead HIV protease inhibitor, is a broad-spectrum, anticancer agent that induces endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. AB - PURPOSE: The development of new cancer drugs is slow and costly. HIV protease inhibitors are Food and Drug Administration approved for HIV patients. Because these drugs cause toxicities that can be associated with inhibition of Akt, an emerging target in cancer, we assessed the potential of HIV protease inhibitors as anticancer agents. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: HIV protease inhibitors were screened in vitro using assays that measure cellular proliferation, apoptotic and nonapoptotic cell death, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, autophagy, and activation of Akt. Nelfinavir was tested in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) xenografts with biomarker assessment. RESULTS: Three of six HIV protease inhibitors, nelfinavir, ritonavir, and saquinavir, inhibited proliferation of NSCLC cells, as well as every cell line in the NCI60 cell line panel. Nelfinavir was most potent with a mean 50% growth inhibition of 5.2 micromol/L, a concentration achievable in HIV patients. Nelfinavir caused two types of cell death, caspase-dependent apoptosis and caspase-independent death that was characterized by induction of ER stress and autophagy. Autophagy was protective because an inhibitor of autophagy increased nelfinavir-induced death. Akt was variably inhibited by HIV protease inhibitors, but nelfinavir caused the greatest inhibition of endogenous and growth factor-induced Akt activation. Nelfinavir decreased the viability of a panel of drug-resistant breast cancer cell lines and inhibited the growth of NSCLC xenografts that was associated with induction of ER stress, autophagy, and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Nelfinavir is a lead HIV protease inhibitor with pleiotropic effects in cancer cells. Given its wide spectrum of activity, oral availability, and familiarity of administration, nelfinavir is a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that could be repositioned as a cancer therapeutic. PMID- 17785577 TI - Radiation-enhanced vascular targeting of human lung cancers in mice with a monoclonal antibody that binds anionic phospholipids. AB - PURPOSE: New treatment strategies aimed at damaging tumor vasculature could potentially improve tumor response to radiation therapy. We recently showed that anionic phospholipids, principally phosphatidylserine, are specifically exposed on the luminal surface of tumor blood vessels. Here we tested the hypothesis that radiation therapy can increase phosphatidylserine exposure on lung tumor vasculature, thereby enhancing the antitumor properties of the anti phosphatidylserine antibody 2aG4. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The therapeutic efficacy of radiation therapy plus 2aG4 was tested in nude mice bearing radiation resistant A549 human lung tumors. Radiation-induced phosphatidylserine exposure on endothelial cells and A549 tumor cells was analyzed by immunofluoresence staining. The mechanism of the enhanced antitumor effect was examined by histology and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity experiments. RESULTS: Focal irradiation of A549 human lung cancer xenografts increased the percentage of tumor vessels with exposed phosphatidylserine from 4% to 26%. Treatment of mice bearing A549 tumors with 2aG4 plus focal radiation therapy inhibited tumor growth by 80% and was superior to radiation therapy or 2aG4 alone (P < 0.01). Combination therapy reduced blood vessel density and enhanced monocyte infiltration into the tumor mass beyond that observed with individual treatments. In vitro, 2aG4 enhanced the ability of macrophages to kill endothelial cells with exposed phosphatidylserine in an Fc'-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 2aG4 enhances the antitumor effects of radiation therapy by increasing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity toward tumor vessels with externalized phosphatidylserine. Bavituximab, a chimeric version of 2aG4 in clinical trials, has the potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of radiation therapy in lung cancer patients. PMID- 17785576 TI - Targeting lymphotoxin beta receptor with tumor-specific T lymphocytes for tumor regression. AB - PURPOSE: One of the impediments of immunotherapy against cancer is the suppression of tumor-specific CTLs in the tumor microenvironment, partly due to the selective inhibition of the perforin pathway and the emergence of Fas resistant tumors. Therefore, we sought to identify perforin- and Fas-independent cytotoxic pathways and explored the potential of targeting LTbetaR with tumor specific CTLs to induce tumor rejection in vivo. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Fas resistant tumors were examined for their susceptibility to perforin-deficient (pfp) CTLs via CTL adoptive transfer in mouse models of experimental lung metastasis. The specificity of LTbetaR, a cell surface death receptor, in causing tumor rejection by CTLs was analyzed by LTbetaR-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody in vitro. The specificity and efficacy of LTbetaR in the suppression of established tumors was further investigated by silencing LTbetaR in tumor cells in vivo. RESULTS: pfp CTLs exhibited significant cytotoxicity against Fas resistant tumors in vivo. The perforin- and Fas-independent cytotoxicity was directly mediated, at least in part, by the adoptively transferred CTLs. It was observed that LTbetaR was expressed on the tumor cell surface, and LTalpha, LTbeta, and LIGHT, all of which are ligands for LTbetaR, were either constitutively expressed or activated in the tumor-specific CTLs and primary CD8(+) T cells. Blocking LTbetaR with LTbetaR-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody decreased CTL cytotoxicity in vitro. Silencing LTbetaR using LTbetaR specific short hairpin RNA reduced the ability of pfp CTLs to induce tumor rejection in vivo. CONCLUSION: LTbetaR directly mediates CTL-directed tumor rejection in vivo. Targeting LTbetaR with tumor-specific CTLs is a potential therapeutic approach. PMID- 17785578 TI - Decitabine up-regulates S100A2 expression and synergizes with IFN-gamma to kill uveal melanoma cells. AB - PURPOSE: Metastatic uveal melanoma is resistant to conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In this study, we investigated the responsiveness of uveal melanoma cell lines to IFNs and the hypomethylating agent decitabine. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The uveal melanoma cell lines 92-1, UW-1, OCM-1, and MKT-BR were exposed to varying concentrations of IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, and decitabine, alone and in combination. The effects of decitabine on gene expression were examined using DNA microarray analysis. RESULTS: We found that IFN-gamma and decitabine induced cell death in uveal melanoma. Whereas a high concentration of IFN-gamma (1,000 units/mL) was required to induce cell death, we observed a dose related increase in cell death when decitabine was used at a range of 0.1 to 10 micromol/L. Strikingly, 1 micromol/L decitabine synergized with 10 to 1,000 units/mL IFN-gamma to induce massive cell death. In contrast, decitabine had no effect on three cutaneous melanoma cell lines and exhibited no synergy with either IFN. In uveal melanoma, decitabine up-regulated the expression of genes involved in growth control and apoptosis and down-regulated genes that have been implicated in the malignant phenotype of cutaneous melanoma. The gene up regulated to the greatest degree by decitabine and whose expression showed a dose effect across the three concentrations of decitabine was S100A2, a putative tumor suppressor. The genes modulated by decitabine in uveal melanoma were largely unaffected in cutaneous melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: These findings form a basis for testing the decitabine/IFN-gamma combination in metastatic uveal melanoma and for exploring the role of S100A2 in the susceptibility of uveal melanoma to IFN mediated cell death. PMID- 17785580 TI - Evidence for functional P2X4/P2X7 heteromeric receptors. AB - The cytolytic ionotropic ATP receptor P2X7 has several important roles in immune cell regulation, such as cytokine release, apoptosis, and microbial killing. Although P2X7 receptors are frequently coexpressed with another subtype of P2X receptor, P2X4, they are believed not to form heteromeric assemblies but to function only as homomers. Both receptors play a role in neuropathic pain; therefore, understanding how they coordinate the cellular response to ATP is important for the development of effective pain therapies. Here, we provide biochemical and electrophysiological evidence for an association between P2X4 and P2X7 that increases the diversity of receptor currents mediated via these two subtypes. The heterologously expressed receptors were coimmunoprecipitated from human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, and the endogenous P2X4 and P2X7 receptors were similarly coimmunoprecipitated from bone marrow-derived macrophages. In HEK293 cells, the fraction of P2X4 receptors biotinylated at the plasma membrane increased 2-fold in the presence of P2X7 although there was no change in overall expression. Coexpression of a dominant-negative P2X4 mutant (C353W) with P2X7, inhibited P2X7 receptor mediated currents by greater than 2 fold, whereas a nonfunctional but non-dominant-negative mutant (S341W) did not. Coexpression of P2X4S341W with P2X7 produced a current that was potentiated by ivermectin and inhibited by 2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) adenosine 5 triphosphate (TNP-ATP), whereas expression of P2X7 alone produced a current that was insensitive to both of these compounds at the concentrations used. These results demonstrate a structural and functional interaction between P2X4 and P2X7, which suggests that they associate to form heteromeric receptors. PMID- 17785579 TI - A dioxin-responsive enhancer 3' of the human CYP1A2 gene. AB - The human CYP1A genes CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 are in a head-to-head orientation on chromosome 15. Both CYP1A genes and CYP1B1 are transcriptionally induced by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor that binds 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin). Although the TCDD responsive enhancers for CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 are well characterized, a similar CYP1A2 enhancer has not been identified. In the human prostate cell line RWPE-1, CYP1A2 mRNA expression is dramatically induced by TCDD. Therefore, analysis of the native CYP1A2 gene in these cells can provide insight into its induction mechanism. To identify sites that may bind AhR on the CYP1A locus, we scanned 75 kilobases of chromosome 15 sequence for high-affinity AhR binding sites. We then analyzed most of the sites for TCDD-inducible AhR interaction by chromatin immunoprecipitation. As expected, the CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 enhancers bind AhR in TCDD-treated cells. It is noteworthy that we identify a region 3' of CYP1A2 that also binds AhR in response to TCDD. We cannot detect AhR binding at other sites on the CYP1A locus. In vivo footprinting demonstrates that two AhR binding sites in the CYP1A2 3' region are occupied in TCDD-treated cells. Reporter-gene studies show that these sites confer TCDD-responsiveness to a heterologous promoter. AhR also binds to the CYP1A2 3' region in TCDD-treated LS180 cells but not in HepG2 and ND-1 cells. In the latter cell lines, the CYP1A2 3' region is extensively methylated. In summary, we identify a novel TCDD-responsive enhancer for CYP1A2. We were surprised to find that this enhancer is not conserved across species and is primarily human-specific. PMID- 17785581 TI - Deletion of the dominant autoantigen in NZB mice with autoimmune hemolytic anemia: effects on autoantibody and T-helper responses. AB - The mechanisms underlying apparently spontaneous autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) in New Zealand Black (NZB) mice, are unknown. Here, we determine the contribution of the dominant red blood cell (RBC) autoantigen, the anion exchanger protein Band 3, to the development of NZB autoimmune responses. The approach was to prevent Band 3 expression in NZB mice by disrupting the AE1 gene. AE1(-/-) NZB mice produced RBC autoantibodies at the same levels as the wild-type strain, but they differed in recognizing antigens that correspond to glycophorins, rather than Band 3. Splenic T-helper (Th) cells from wild-type NZB mice proliferated strongly against multiple Band 3 peptides, particularly the dominant epitope within aa861-874. This helper response was severely attenuated in AE1(-/-) animals, leaving only weak proliferation to peptide aa861-874. The results demonstrate that the defect in self-tolerance in NZB AIHA is directed to the RBC type, and is not specific for, or dependent on, Band 3. However, the predisposition to RBC autoimmunity may be focused onto Band 3 by weak Th cell cross-reactivity between the helper dominant epitope and an exogenous antigen. The redundancy of the major autoantigen illustrates the requirement for specific therapy to induce dominant forms of tolerance, such as T cell regulation. PMID- 17785582 TI - Impaired responsiveness to T-cell receptor stimulation and defective negative selection of thymocytes in CCR7-deficient mice. AB - The chemokine receptor CCR7 has been implicated in maintenance of thymus morphology and establishment of tolerance to self-antigens. In this study, we provide direct evidence that negative selection of maturing thymocytes is defective in CCR7-deficent mice. Impaired negative selection was observed after TCR/CD3 complex stimulation in vivo as well as in vitro and was prominent in both double-positive and semimature single positive cells (CD4(+)CD8(-)CD24(high)). It is noteworthy that thymocytes of CCR7(-/-) mice display defective negative selection in response to endogenous superantigens, demonstrating that the defect also occurs under physiological conditions. Disturbed negative selection was correlated with delayed activation kinetics and decreased calcium flux response of CCR7(-/-) thymocytes after in vitro TCR/CD3 stimulation, suggesting that an impaired response of CCR7(-/-) thymocytes via TCR-mediated signaling is responsible for defective negative selection in these mice. PMID- 17785583 TI - High-resolution donor-recipient HLA matching contributes to the success of unrelated donor marrow transplantation. AB - The relative importance of various human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci and the resolution level at which they are matched has not been fully defined for unrelated donor transplantation. To address this question, National Marrow Donor Program data from 3857 transplantations performed from 1988 to 2003 in the United States were analyzed. Patient-donor pairs were fully typed for HLA-A, -B, -C, DRB1, -DQB1, -DQA1, -DPB1, and -DPA1 alleles. High-resolution DNA matching for HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 (8/8 match) was the minimum level of matching associated with the highest survival. A single mismatch detected by low- or high-resolution DNA testing at HLA-A, -B, -C or -DRB1 (7/8 match) was associated with higher mortality (relative risk, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.13-1.38; P < .001) and 1-year survival of 43% compared with 52% for 8/8 matched pairs. Single mismatches at HLA-B or HLA C appear better tolerated than mismatches at HLA-A or HLA-DRB1. Mismatching at 2 or more loci compounded the risk. Mismatching at HLA-DP or -DQ loci and donor factors other than HLA type were not associated with survival. In multivariate modeling, patient age, race, disease stage, and cytomegalovirus status were as predictive of survival as donor HLA matching. High-resolution DNA matching for HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 alleles is associated with higher rates of survival. PMID- 17785585 TI - Dynamics of BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations in chronic myeloid leukemia after sequential treatment with multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors. AB - Dasatinib and nilotinib are potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with activity against many imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) clones with BCR-ABL kinase domain (KD) mutations, except T315I. We assessed for changes in the BCR-ABL KD mutation status in 112 patients with persistent CML who received a second-generation TKI after imatinib failure. Sixty-seven different KD mutations were detected before the start of therapy with a second TKI, with T315I seen in 15%. Equal numbers of patients received nilotinib or dasatinib following imatinib, and 18 received 3 TKIs. Response rates were similar for patients with and without mutations, regardless of mutation site except for T315I. Overall, 29 patients (26%) developed new KD mutations after therapy with a second (n = 24) or third (n = 5) TKI, but only 4 (4%) developed T315I. In 73% of cases, the KD mutations that persisted or developed following switch to new TKI were at sites also found in prior in vitro TKI mutagenesis assays. Although there is only a mild increase in mutation frequency with sequential TKI treatment, novel mutations do occur and mutation regression/acquisition/persistence generally reflects the in vitro differential sensitivity predicted for each TKI. In this study, there was no marked increase in development of T315I. PMID- 17785584 TI - Rapid and selective death of leukemia stem and progenitor cells induced by the compound 4-benzyl, 2-methyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolidine, 3,5 dione (TDZD-8). AB - Leukemia is thought to arise from malignant stem cells, which have been described for acute and chronic myeloid leukemia (AML and CML) and for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are relatively resistant to current chemotherapy and likely contribute to disease relapse and progression. Consequently, the identification of drugs that can efficiently eradicate LSCs is an important priority. In the present study, we investigated the antileukemia activity of the compound TDZD-8. Analysis of primary AML, blast crisis CML (bcCML), ALL, and chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL) specimens showed rapid induction of cell death upon treatment with TDZD-8. In addition, for myeloid leukemias, cytotoxicity was observed for phenotypically primitive cells, in vitro colony-forming progenitors, and LSCs as defined by xenotransplantation assays. In contrast, no significant toxicity was observed for normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Notably, cell death was frequently evident within 2 hours or less of TDZD-8 exposure. Cellular and molecular studies indicate that the mechanism by which TDZD-8 induces cell death involves rapid loss of membrane integrity, depletion of free thiols, and inhibition of both the PKC and FLT3 signaling pathways. We conclude that TDZD-8 uses a unique and previously unknown mechanism to rapidly target leukemia cells, including malignant stem and progenitor populations. PMID- 17785586 TI - Inhibition of adhesive interaction between multiple myeloma and bone marrow stromal cells by PPARgamma cross talk with NF-kappaB and C/EBP. AB - Binding of multiple myeloma (MM) cells to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) triggers expression of adhesive molecules and secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), promoting MM cell growth, survival, drug resistance, and migration, which highlights the possibility of developing and validating novel anti-MM therapeutic strategies targeting MM cells-host BMSC interactions and their sequelae. Recently, we have found that expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and its ligands can potently inhibit IL-6-regulated MM cell growth. Here we demonstrate that PPARgamma agonists 15-d-PGJ2 and troglitazone significantly suppress cell-cell adhesive events, including expression of adhesion molecules and IL-6 secretion from BMSCs triggered by adhesion of MM cells, as well as overcome drug resistance by a PPARgamma dependent mechanism. The synthetic and natural PPARgamma agonists have diverging and overlapping mechanisms blocking transactivation of transcription factors NF kappaB and 5'-CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPbeta). Both 15-d-PGJ2 and troglitazone blocked C/EBPbeta transcriptional activity by forming PPARgamma complexes with C/EBPbeta. 15-d-PGJ2 and troglitazone also blocked NF-kappaB activation by recruiting the coactivator PGC-1 from p65/p50 complexes. In addition, 15-d-PGJ2 had a non-PPARgamma-dependent effect by inactivation of phosphorylation of IKK and IkappaB. These studies provide the framework for PPARgamma-based pharmacological strategies targeting adhesive interactions of MM cells with the bone marrow microenvironment. PMID- 17785588 TI - IFN-gamma and STAT1 are required for efficient induction of CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) on CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells. PMID- 17785589 TI - Epigallocathechin-3-gallate in AL amyloidosis: a new therapeutic option? PMID- 17785587 TI - Telomerase reverse-transcriptase homozygous mutations in autosomal recessive dyskeratosis congenita and Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome. AB - Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a multisystem bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by a triad of mucocutaneous abnormalities and an increased predisposition to malignancy. X-linked DC is due to mutations in DKC1, while heterozygous mutations in TERC (telomerase RNA component) and TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) have been found in autosomal dominant DC. Many patients with DC remain uncharacterized, particularly families displaying autosomal recessive (AR) inheritance. We have now identified novel homozygous TERT mutations in 2 unrelated consanguineous families, where the index cases presented with classical DC or the more severe variant, Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson (HH) syndrome. These TERT mutations resulted in reduced telomerase activity and extremely short telomeres. As these mutations are homozygous, these patients are predicted to have significantly reduced telomerase activity in vivo. Interestingly, in contrast to patients with heterozygous TERT mutations or hemizygous DKC1 mutations, these 2 homozygous TERT patients were observed to have higher-than expected TERC levels compared with controls. Collectively, the findings from this study demonstrate that homozygous TERT mutations, resulting in a pure but severe telomerase deficiency, produce a phenotype of classical AR-DC and its severe variant, the HH syndrome. PMID- 17785590 TI - The relationship of feeding behavior to residual feed intake in crossbred Angus steers fed traditional and no-roughage diets. AB - Two studies were conducted to determine the relationship of feeding behavior to a phenotypic expression of residual feed intake (RFI), a measure of efficiency. In Exp. 1, a feedlot diet containing roughage was fed (traditional). In Exp. 2, a no roughage diet was fed. Residual feed intake, a measure of feed efficiency, was calculated for both studies. In Exp. 1, six feed-efficient (low RFI) steers and six feed-inefficient steers (high RFI) were selected from a contemporary group of 80 steers, and feeding behaviors were analyzed. In Exp. 2, nine feed-efficient and eight feed-inefficient steers were selected from a contemporary group of 40 steers. There were no differences (P > 0.13) in initial or final BW or ADG between efficient and inefficient groups in either Exp. 1 or 2. In Exp. 1, DMI and average eating bouts daily differed (P < 0.001), with efficient steers consuming less feed and eating fewer times per day. In Exp. 2, efficient steers consumed less (P < 0.001) feed, and average eating bouts daily tended (P = 0.07) to be fewer in efficient animals. Limited differences were noted in feeding behavior between groups, with inefficient steers from both studies having a more variable eating pattern throughout the day. The average daily eating rate did not differ (P > 0.20) between groups in either experiment. The average number of days comprising a feeding pattern for both efficiency groups in Exp. 1 and 2 was found to be 2 to 3 d and multiples of 2 to 3 d. In Exp. 1, the feed intake pattern of efficient and inefficient steers changed once they reached a BW of approximately 391 and 381 kg, respectively. This occurred near d 47 for the efficient steers and near d 32 for inefficient steers. In Exp. 2, the feed intake pattern of both efficient and inefficient steers changed once they reached a BW of approximately 399 kg, which occurred on d 31 for the efficient steers and on d 33 for the inefficient steers. From the measured variables, there were no differences in growth and limited differences noted in feeding behavior between efficient and inefficient groups. The results of the trials suggest increased variability of feed intake throughout the day for inefficient animals. PMID- 17785591 TI - Effect of dietary protein content on ileal amino acid digestibility, growth performance, and formation of microbial metabolites in ileal and cecal digesta of early-weaned pigs. AB - Diarrhea incidence in weaned pigs may be associated with the concentration of intestinal microbial metabolites (ammonia, amines, and VFA) that are influenced by dietary CP content. Three experiments were conducted to determine effects of a low-protein, AA-supplemented diet on ileal AA digestibility, growth performance, diarrhea incidence, and concentration of microbial metabolites in ileal and cecal digesta of pigs weaned at 14 d of age. In Exp. 1, 8 pigs fitted with a simple T cannula at the distal ileum were assigned in a crossover design to 2 diets containing 24 or 20% CP using wheat, corn, full-fat soybeans, whey powder, fish meal, and blood plasma as the main ingredients. Supplemental AA were added to the diets to meet the AA standards according to the 1998 NRC recommendations. Chromic oxide was used as an indigestible marker. Diets were fed at 2.5 times the ME requirement for maintenance. The reduction of dietary CP decreased (P < 0.05) the apparent ileal digestibility of most AA, except Lys, Met, Thr, Val, and Pro. Dietary CP content did not affect the pH of ileal digesta or ileal concentrations of ammonia N, cadaverine, putrescine, or VFA. In Exp. 2, 8 pigs fitted with a simple T-cannula in the cecum were assigned to 2 diets, similar to Exp. 1. Dietary CP content did not affect the pH of cecal digesta. The reduction in CP content decreased (P < 0.05) cecal ammonia N, acetic acid, isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, total VFA, and putrescine concentrations by 28 to 39%. In Exp. 3, 32 pigs were assigned to 2 diets, similar to Exp. 1, according to a randomized complete block design. Pigs had free access to feed and water. Dietary CP content did not affect growth performance or fecal consistency scores during the 3-wk study, and diarrhea was not observed. The results of these experiments indicate that lowering the dietary CP content combined with supplementation of AA markedly reduced the production of potentially harmful microbial metabolites in cecal digesta of early-weaned pigs without affecting growth performance. PMID- 17785592 TI - Effects of feeding schedule on body condition, aggressiveness, and reproductive failure in group-housed sows. AB - A total of 208 sows and 288 gilts (PIC line C29) were used to determine the influence of feeding frequency (2 vs. 6 times/d, floor fed) on performance and welfare measurements on a commercial sow farm. Treatments consisted of feeding similar amounts of feed to each sow (2.5 kg) or gilt (2.05 kg) over 2 (0700 and 1530) or 6 times daily (0700, 0730, 0800, 1530, 1600, and 1630). There were 8 sows or 12 gilts in each pen. Gilts and sows were moved to pens 1 to 4 d after breeding. In sows, there were no differences (P > 0.10) in ADG, backfat change, or variation in BW. There was a trend (P < 0.08) for sows fed twice daily to farrow more total pigs born, but number born alive or other reproductive performance traits were not different (P > 0.10) among treatments. Sows fed 6 times per day had increased vocalization during the morning (P < 0.07) and afternoon (P < 0.01) feeding periods compared with sows fed twice daily. Sows fed twice daily had more skin (P < 0.01) and vulva (P < 0.04) lesions as well as a small increase in feet and leg (P < 0.01) and hoof (P < 0.02) problems. In this commercial facility, the standard management protocol required moving gilts to a different gestation facility on d 42. On d 42, two pens of gilts with similar breeding dates and treatment were combined and moved to another facility with larger pens until farrowing. Gilts fed 6 times daily had a tendency for greater ADG (P < 0.07) from d 0 to 42 and a tendency for greater (P < 0.09) backfat on d 42. After movement to the larger groups from d 42 to farrowing, ADG was similar (P > 0.10) for gilts fed 2 or 6 times daily. Gilts fed twice daily had lower BW variation at d 42 (P < 0.04) and tended to at farrowing (P < 0.10). In gilts, there were no differences (P > 0.10) for reproductive performance, skin and vulva lesions, and feet and leg scores. In conclusion, there were few growth, farrowing, or aggression differences among gilts fed 2 or 6 times daily. This suggests that either feeding method is suitable for group-housed gilts. Among sows, feeding frequency resulted in few growth or farrowing performance differences. Feeding 6 times daily resulted in a small but significant reduction in skin and vulva lesions and structural problem scores while increasing vocalization. Increasing the feeding frequency from 2 to 6 times daily does not appear to have a negative or positive impact on performance or welfare of group housed gilts and sows. PMID- 17785593 TI - Measuring in vivo intracellular protein degradation rates in animal systems. AB - Continual synthesis and breakdown or remodeling of proteins (also called protein turnover) is a principal characteristic of protein metabolism. During animal production, the net differences between synthesis and breakdown represent the actual marketable muscle foods. Because protein synthesis is a highly end-ergonic and protein breakdown is metabolic energy dependent, efficiency of production can be markedly enhanced by lower muscle protein breakdown rates. Herein, various methodological approaches to studying protein breakdown, with particular emphasis toward food-producing animals, are presented. These include whole-animal tracer AA infusions in vivo, quantifying marker AA release from muscle proteins, and in vitro AA release-based methodologies. From such methods, protein synthesis rates and protein breakdown rates (mass units/time) may be obtained. The applications of such methods and innovations based on traditional methods are discussed. Whole animal in vivo approaches are resource intensive and often not easily applied to high-throughput metabolic screening. Over the last 25 yr, biochemical mechanisms and molecular regulation of protein biosynthesis and protein breakdown have been extensively documented. Proteolysis is dependent in part on the extent of expression of genes for components of cellular proteolytic machinery during skeletal muscle atrophy. It is proposed that high-throughput methods, based on emerging understanding about protein breakdown, may be useful in enhancing production efficiency. PMID- 17785594 TI - Lactation feed disappearance and weaning to estrus interval for sows fed spray dried plasma. AB - Four experiments involving 265, 410, 894, and 554 sows (Exp. 1 to 4, respectively) were conducted to determine the effect of spray-dried plasma (SDP) at 0 or 0.25% (Exp. 1 and 2) and 0 or 0.50% (Exp. 3 and 4) in lactation diets on average daily feed disappearance (FD), sum of sow BW, fetal and placental loss from d 110 gestation to weaning (SWL), litter size at weaning, litter weight at weaning, and average days from weaning to first estrus (WEI). Experiments 1, 3, and 4 were conducted during summer months, and Exp. 2 was conducted during fall to winter months. Experiment 1 used only parity 1 and parity 2 sows and Exp. 4 used only mature (>2 parities) sows, whereas Exp. 2 and 3 used all parity groups. Sows fed SDP in Exp. 1 had increased (P < 0.01) FD and a tendency for reduced (P = 0.06) SWL and WEI (P = 0.06). Sows fed SDP in Exp. 2 had a tendency for increased (P = 0.09) sow BW at weaning and reduced (P = 0.09) SWL, whereas other variables were not different between diets. Parity 1 and 2 sows fed SDP in Exp. 3 had increased (P < 0.01) FD, but mature sows fed SDP had reduced (P = 0.02) FD. Pig survival and litter size at weaning for all parity groups was not different between diets. The WEI for parity 1 sows fed SDP was reduced (P = 0.02) and tended to be reduced (P = 0.10) for mature sows fed SDP, but was not different between diets for parity 2 sows. More parity 1 sows fed SDP were detected (P = 0.01) in estrus 4 to 6 d after weaning, and fewer were detected (P < 0.01) in estrus 6 d after weaning compared with control parity 1 sows. In Exp. 4, FD was reduced (P < 0.01) for mature sows fed SDP; however, litter weight and average pig BW at weaning was increased (P < 0.01) with more (P < 0.01) marketable pigs (pig BW > 3.6 kg) weaned per litter. Relatively low dietary levels of SDP (0.25 to 0.50%) fed to parity 1 sows farrowed during summer months increased lactation FD and reduced WEI. Mature sows fed SDP during summer months consumed less lactation feed without compromising WEI, but had an increased litter weight, average pig BW, and number of marketable pigs at weaning. PMID- 17785595 TI - Enterocyte proliferation and apoptosis in the caudal small intestine is influenced by the composition of colonizing commensal bacteria in the neonatal gnotobiotic pig. AB - We previously reported marked differences in small intestinal morphology, including changes in crypt depth and villous height, after inoculation of germ free pigs with different bacterial species. In an attempt to identify the mechanisms governing changes in villous morphology associated with bacterial colonization, 2 gnotobiotic experiments were performed. In each experiment, 16 piglets were allocated to 4 treatment groups including germ-free (GF), monoassociation with Lactobacillus fermentum (LF) or Escherichia coli (EC), or conventionalized with sow feces (SF). Piglets were reared under gnotobiotic conditions until 14 d of age, at which time whole intestinal tissue and enterocytes were collected for histological, gene expression, and protein analysis. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), Fas ligand (FasL), CD3epsilon, caspase 3 (casp3), and toll-like receptors (TLR)2, 4, and 9 expression were measured by quantitative PCR. Activated casp3 was measured by Western blot. Increased abundance of activated casp3 and transcripts encoding proliferating cell nuclear antigen, TNFalpha, CD3epsilon, and FasL was observed in SF and EC treatment groups compared with GF and LF. Expression of TLR2 was increased (P < 0.05) in the SF treatment and tended to be greater (P < 0.08) in EC relative to LF and GF. Results indicate that conventional bacteria and E. coli but not L. fermentum increase overall cell turnover by stimulating increased apoptosis through the expression of FasL and TNFalpha and by increasing cell proliferation. The differential regulation of TLR expression indicates that microbially induced changes may be mediated in part by these receptors. Induction of inflammatory responses and activation of apoptosis through death receptors appears to play a significant role in enterocyte turnover mediated by commensal bacteria. PMID- 17785596 TI - Effects of distance moved during loading and floor space on the trailer during transport on losses of market weight pigs on arrival at the packing plant. AB - Effects of distance moved during loading and floor space on the trailer during transport on the incidence of transport losses (dead and nonambulatory pigs) on arrival at the packing plant were evaluated in a study involving 42 loads of pigs (average BW = 131.2 kg, SD 5.05). A split-plot design was used with a 2 x 6 factorial arrangement of the following treatments: 1) distance moved from the pen to the exit of the building [short (0 to 30.5 m) vs. long (61.0 to 91.4 m)] and 2) transport floor space (0.396, 0.415, 0.437, 0.462, 0.489, or 0.520 m(2)/pig). Loading distance treatments (sub-plots) were compared within transport floor space treatments (main plot). Pigs were loaded at the farm using sorting boards and, if necessary, electric goads, transported approximately 3 h to a commercial packing plant and unloaded using livestock paddles. The number of nonambulatory pigs during loading and the number of dead and nonambulatory pigs at the plant were recorded. Nonambulatory pigs were classified as fatigued, injured, or injured and fatigued. In addition, the incidence of pigs exhibiting signs of stress (open-mouth breathing, skin discoloration, and muscle tremors) during loading and unloading was recorded. There were no interactions (P > 0.05) between distance moved and transport floor space treatments. Moving pigs long compared with short distances during loading increased (P < 0.001) the incidence of open mouth breathing after loading (24.9 vs. 11.0 +/- 1.03%, respectively) and tended to increase the incidence of nonambulatory pigs during loading (0.32 vs. 0.08 +/- 0.09%, respectively; P = 0.09) and of nonambulatory, injured pigs at the plant (0.24 vs. 0.04 +/- 0.07%, respectively; P = 0.06). However, distance moved did not affect other losses at the plant. Total losses at the plant were greater (P < 0.05) for the 3 lowest floor spaces compared with the 2 highest floor spaces, and pigs provided 0.462 m(2)/pig during transport had similar transport losses to those provided 0.489 and 0.520 m(2)/pig (total losses at the plant = 2.84, 1.88, 1.87, 0.98, 0.13, and 0.98 +/- 0.43% of pigs transported, for 0.396, 0.415, 0.437, 0.462, 0.489, and 0.520 m(2)/pig, respectively). These data confirm previous findings that transport floor space has a major effect on transport losses and suggest that these losses are minimized at a floor space of 0.462 m(2)/pig or greater. PMID- 17785598 TI - The effect of vitamin C supplementation on plasma concentration and urinary excretion of vitamin C in cattle. AB - We investigated the plasma concentration and urinary excretion of vitamin C in cows supplemented with vitamin C. Five cows (mean BW = 597 kg) were allocated to a 5 x 5 Latin square design and supplemented with a vitamin C preparation coated with hydrogenated soybean oil at 0, 10, 20, 40, or 60 mg of vitamin C per kg of BW per day for 9 d. Plasma and urine samples were collected for measuring vitamin C concentration. Urinary excretion of vitamin C was expressed as the ratio of vitamin C to creatinine. Plasma vitamin C concentration and urinary vitamin C excretion increased quadratically as dietary vitamin C increased (P < 0.001); that is, the lowest dose affected neither plasma vitamin C concentration nor urinary vitamin C excretion but the plasma vitamin C concentration and urinary vitamin C excretion increased (P < 0.05) with increasing supplementation of vitamin C at greater doses. This suggests that plasma vitamin C concentration affects urinary excretion of vitamin C in cattle and that plasma vitamin C concentration exceeded the renal threshold for vitamin C in the cows receiving vitamin C at 20 mg/kg of BW per day. Furthermore, increased urinary excretion of vitamin C appears to limit plasma vitamin C concentration in response to vitamin C intake. The daily excretion of vitamin C was estimated by the reported value of daily creatinine excretion, indicating that the daily amount of vitamin C excreted into urine was more than half of supplied vitamin C. Therefore, a large part of supplied vitamin C probably escapes ruminal degradation and is absorbed but excreted into urine. PMID- 17785599 TI - Effects of dry matter intake restriction on diet digestion, energy partitioning, phosphorus retention, and ruminal fermentation by beef steers. AB - Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of DMI restriction on diet digestion, ruminal fermentation, ME intake, and P retention by beef steers. In Exp. 1, twelve Angus x steers (average initial BW = 450 +/- 18 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 diets that were formulated to promote a 1.6-kg ADG at intake levels corresponding approximately to 100% (ad libitum, AL), 90% (IR90), or 80% (IR80) of ad libitum DMI. In Exp. 2, twelve crossbred steers (average initial BW = 445 +/- 56 kg) fitted with ruminal cannulae were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 diets that were formulated to promote a 1.6-kg ADG at AL or IR80. All diets delivered similar total NE, MP, Ca, and P per day. During both experiments, fecal DM output by IR80 was less (P /= 0.20) among treatments during both experiments, whereas P retention was similar (P >/= 0.46) among treatments during Exp. 1. Total VFA and the molar proportion of acetate of AL were greater (P 0.05) in feed intake, ADG, or final BW. Carcass weights were not affected by vitamin A treatment (P > 0.20), although backfat thickness tended to be different between HL and LL lambs (0.80 vs. 0.64 cm, respectively; P = 0.08). Carcasses from the HH group had greater (P < 0.05) marbling scores than those from the LL group (514 vs. 459) and had 25.8% more extractable intramuscular lipids (3.88 vs. 3.08% for HH and LL, respectively; P < 0.05); the LH and HL treatments were intermediate. Interestingly, the LL group had the greatest increase in serum fatty acids throughout the experimental period (change of 127 vs. 41 microg/g for LL and HH, respectively; P < 0.01). The degree of saturation of fatty acids was not affected by treatment (P = 0.18) in the serum but was affected in the longissimus thoracis fat. Oleic acid increased and linoleic acid decreased in the longissimus thoracis of HH-treated lambs (P < 0.02). These data suggest that increases in total intramuscular lipids may be achieved with high levels of vitamin A supplementation for 112 d in young lambs. PMID- 17785602 TI - Intrauterine bacterial inoculation and level of dietary methionine alter amino acid metabolism in nulliparous yearling ewes. AB - Using an intrauterine bacterial inoculation method, our objective was to determine the effects of acute sepsis and level of dietary metabolizable Met (MM) on splanchnic metabolism of AA in ewes. Twenty-four nulliparous yearling Rambouillet-cross ewes (initial BW = 65.1 +/- 0.6 kg), surgically fitted with chronic-indwelling catheters in hepatic and portal veins, a mesenteric vein and artery, and the uterine lumen, were assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors were intrauterine bacterial inoculation (noninoculated vs. inoculated) and level of MM [low (2.28 g/d) vs. high (3.91 g/d)]. Beginning 12 h before sampling, inoculated and noninoculated ewes received 10-mL intrauterine infusions of Escherichia coli (9.69 x 10(11) cfu) + Arcanobacterium pyogenes (2.76 x 10(12) cfu) and of sterile saline, respectively. Uterine infection was induced in ewes that received intrauterine bacterial inoculations, but not in ewes infused with sterile saline. Bacterial inoculation resulted in increased hepatic release and plasma concentrations of aromatic AA used for acute-phase protein synthesis, increased hepatic removal and decreased plasma concentrations of AA used for glutathione synthesis, and decreased plasma concentrations of some gluconeogenic and acetogenic AA used for glucose recycling and anaerobic energy production, respectively (P < 0.05). In ewes fed high-MM diets, compared with low MM diets, a consistent net hepatic uptake of Phe occurred throughout the sampling period, more Asp was released from the portal-drained viscera, and hepatic vein glucose concentrations were greater (P < 0.05). We conclude that Met seemed to be limiting in low-MM ewes, and as such, would continue to be limiting during sepsis. However, additional MM, in excess of the dietary requirement, would not necessarily result in a benefit to ewes experiencing acute sepsis. PMID- 17785603 TI - Mammary tissue damage during bovine mastitis: causes and control. AB - Mastitis, an inflammatory reaction of the mammary gland that is usually caused by a microbial infection, is recognized as the most costly disease in dairy cattle. Decreased milk production accounts for approximately 70% of the total cost of mastitis. Mammary tissue damage reduces the number and activity of epithelial cells and consequently contributes to decreased milk production. Mammary tissue damage has been shown to be induced by either apoptosis or necrosis. These 2 distinct types of cell death can be distinguished by morphological, biochemical, and molecular changes in dying cells. Both bacterial factors and host immune reactions contribute to epithelial tissue damage. During infection of the mammary glands, the tissue damage can initially be caused by bacteria and their products. Certain bacteria produce toxins that destroy cell membranes and damage milk producing tissue, whereas other bacteria are able to invade and multiply within the bovine mammary epithelial cells before causing cell death. In addition, mastitis is characterized by an influx of somatic cells, primarily polymorphonuclear neutrophils, into the mammary gland. With more immune cells migrating into the mammary gland and the breakdown of the blood-milk barrier, damage to the mammary epithelium worsens. It is well known that breakdown of the extracellular matrix can lead to death of the epithelial cells. Meanwhile, polymorphonuclear neutrophils can harm the mammary tissue by releasing reactive oxygen intermediates and proteolytic enzymes. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that the use of antioxidants and other protective compounds in mastitis control programs is worth investigating, because they may aid in alleviating damage to secretory cells and thus reduce subsequent milk loss. PMID- 17785604 TI - Polymorphisms and haplotypes in the bovine neuropeptide Y, growth hormone receptor, ghrelin, insulin-like growth factor 2, and uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 genes and their associations with measures of growth, performance, feed efficiency, and carcass merit in beef cattle. AB - Genes that regulate metabolism and energy partitioning have the potential to influence economically important traits in farm animals, as do polymorphisms within these genes. In the current study, SNP in the bovine neuropeptide Y (NPY), growth hormone receptor (GHR), ghrelin (GHRL), uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 (UCP2 and UCP3), IGF2, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and GH genes were evaluated for associations with growth, feed efficiency, and carcass merit in beef steers. In total, 24 SNP were evaluated for associations with these traits and haplotypes were constructed within each gene when 2 or more SNP showed significant associations. An A/G SNP located in intron 4 of the GHR gene had the largest effects on BW of the animals (dominance effect P < 0.01) and feed efficiency (allele substitution effect P < 0.05). Another A/G SNP located in the promoter region of GHR had similar effects but the haplotypes of these 2 SNP reduced the effects of the SNP located in intron 4. Three SNP in the NPY gene showed associations to marbling (P < 0.001) as well as with ADG, BW, and feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.05). The combination of these 3 SNP into haplotypes generally improved the association or had a similar scale of association as each single SNP. Only 1 SNP in UCP3, an A/G SNP in intron 3, was associated with ADG (P = 0.025), partial efficiency of growth, and FCR (P < 0.01). Three SNP in UCP2 gene were in almost complete linkage disequilibrium and showed associations with lean meat yield, yield grade, DMI, and BW (P < 0.05). Haplo-types between the SNP in UCP3 and UCP2 generally reduced the associations seen individually in each SNP. An A/G SNP in the GHRL gene tended to show effects on residual feed intake, FCR, and partial efficiency of growth (P < 0.10). The IGF2 SNP most strongly affected LM area (P < 0.01), back fat, ADG, and FCR (P < 0.05). The SNP in the CART, MC4R, POMC, GH, and CRH genes did not show associations at P < 0.05 with any of the traits. Although most of the SNP that showed associations do not cause amino acid changes, these SNP could be linked to other yet to be detected causative mutations or nearby QTL. It will be very important to verify these results in other cattle populations. PMID- 17785606 TI - S1P1 receptor expression regulates emergence of NKT cells in peripheral tissues. AB - The S1P1 receptor, on the surface of lymphocytes and endothelial cells, regulates the unique trafficking behavior of certain lymphocyte populations. We have examined whether the S1P1 receptor also dictates the distinctive tissue distribution of V alpha14-J alpha18 natural killer T (NKT) cells, whose trafficking pattern is not well understood. Mice (TCS1P1 KO) were established with a conditional deletion of the S1P1 receptor in thymocytes that included precursors of NKT cells. Within the thymus, NKT cells were found at normal or increased levels, indicating that S1P1 receptor expression was dispensable for NKT cell development. However, substantially reduced numbers of NKT cells were detected in the peripheral tissues of the TCS1P1 KO mice. Short-term S1P1 deletion after NKT cells had established residence in the periphery did not substantially alter their distribution in tissues, except for a partial decrease in the spleen. FTY720, a S1P1 receptor ligand that has potent effects on the trafficking of conventional T cells, did not alter the preexisting distribution of NKT cells within peripheral tissues of wild-type mice. Our results indicate that the S1P1 receptor expression on NKT cells is dispensable for development within thymus but is essential for the establishment of their tissue residency in the periphery. PMID- 17785607 TI - CRMP3 is required for hippocampal CA1 dendritic organization and plasticity. AB - In vitro studies have pointed to the collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs) as key regulators of neurite outgrowth and axonal differentiation. CRMP3 is expressed mostly in the nervous system during development but remains at high levels in the hippocampus of adults. To explore CRMP3 function in vivo, we generated mice with targeted disruption of the CRMP3 gene. Immunohistochemistry and Golgi staining of CA1 showed abnormal dendrite and spine morphogenesis in the hippocampus of CRMP3-deficient mice. Apical dendrites displayed an increase in undulation and a reduction in length and branching points. Basal dendrites also exhibited a reduction in length with an alteration in soma stem distribution and an increased number of thick dendrites localized in stratum oriens (SO). Long term potentiation (LTP) was impaired in this area. These data indicate an important role for CRMP3 in dendrite arborization, guide-posts navigation, and neuronal plasticity. PMID- 17785608 TI - Caveolae dysfunction contributes to impaired relaxation induced by nitric oxide donor in aorta from renal hypertensive rats. AB - Relaxation induced by nitric oxide (NO) donors is impaired in renal hypertensive two kidney-one clip (2K-1C) rat aortas. It has been proposed that caveolae are important in signal transduction and Ca2+ homeostasis. Therefore, in the present study we investigate the integrity of caveolae in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), as well as their influence on the effects produced by NO released from both the new NO donor [Ru(NH.NHq) (terpy)NO+]3+ (TERPY) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on 2K-1C rat aorta. The potency of both TERPY and SNP was lower in the 2K 1C aorta that in the normotensive aorta [two kidney (2K)], whereas the maximal relaxant effect (ME) was similar in both 2K-1C and 2K aortas. In the 2K aorta, methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CD) reduced both the potency of TERPY and SNP, and their ME compared with the control, but it had no effect on the potency and ME of these NO donors in 2K-1C aortas. The decrease in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) induced by TERPY was larger in 2K than in 2K-1C cells, and this effect was inhibited by CD in 2K cells only. Aortic VSMCs from 2K rats presented a larger number of caveolae than those from 2K-1C rats. Treatment with CD reduced the number of caveolae in both 2K and 2K-1C aortic VSMCs. Our results support the idea that caveolae play a critical role in the relaxant effect and in the decrease in [Ca2+]c induced by NO, and they could be responsible for impaired aorta relaxation by NO in renal hypertensive rats. PMID- 17785609 TI - Potential interactions between complementary/alternative products and conventional medicines in a Medicare population. AB - BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) product use among the elderly, little is known about the extent of concurrent CAM-conventional medicine use and the potential for adverse reactions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of CAM product use concurrent with conventional medications, prescription and nonprescription, in a Medicare population and assess the risk for adverse interactions. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on Cardiovascular Health Study interview data from 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1999. The prevalence of concurrent combinations of CAM products and conventional drugs was tabulated. The adverse interaction risks were categorized as unknown, theoretical, and significant. RESULTS: Of 5052 participants, the median age was 75, 60.2% were female, 16.6% were African American, and 83.4% were white. The percent using CAM products during the 4 time periods was 6.3%, 6.7%, 12.8%, and 15.1%. The percent using both CAM products and conventional drugs was 6.0%, 6.2%, 11.7%, and 14.4%. Of these, 294 (5.8%) individuals took combinations considered to have a significant risk for an adverse interaction. Combinations with risk were observed on 393 separate interviews. Most (379) involved a risk of bleeding due to use of ginkgo, garlic, or ginseng together with aspirin, warfarin, ticlopidine, or pentoxifylline. An additional 786 observations of combinations were considered to have some, albeit theoretical or uncertain, risk for an adverse interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent use of CAM products and conventional medicines in a Medicare population was found to be common. Research to define the risks of combining ginkgo and garlic supplements with aspirin should be of high priority. PMID- 17785610 TI - Linezolid for the treatment of Nocardia spp. infections. AB - OBJECTIVE: To review the available evidence regarding the use of linezolid for the treatment of Nocardia spp. infections. DATA SOURCES: Data were identified through a search of MEDLINE (1966-May 2007), American Search Premier (1975-May 2007), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1960-2007), Science Citation Index Expanded (1996-2007), and Cochrane Databases (publications archived until May 2007) using the terms linezolid and Nocardia. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Prospective and retrospective studies, case reports, case series, and in vitro studies were eligible for inclusion if they used linezolid for nocardiosis regardless of site of infection and outcome. DATA SYNTHESIS: We identified 11 published cases of linezolid use for Nocardia spp. infections. The predominant species isolated were N. asteroides (n = 4; 36%) and N. farcinica (n = 3; 27%). Nocardiosis with central nervous system involvement (n = 7; 64%) or disseminated disease (n = 4; 36%) were most common. The main reason for discontinuation of previous antimicrobials was most often related to adverse effects (n = 5; 45%), followed by clinical failure (n = 3; 27%). Linezolid was associated with cure or improvement in all cases (n = 11; 100%). However, the majority of patients developed serious complications that may have led to premature discontinuation of therapy with linezolid, including myelosuppression (n = 5; 45%) or possible/confirmed peripheral neuropathy (n = 2; 18%). CONCLUSIONS: The limited published data suggest that linezolid appears to be an effective alternative to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for the treatment of nocardiosis. Unfortunately, the high cost and potentially serious long-term toxicities of linezolid appear to limit its use and relegate it to salvage therapy alone or in combination with other antimicrobials. PMID- 17785611 TI - Weighing in: emergent diabetes mellitus and second-generation antipsychotics. AB - Of all the metabolic effects of some of the atypical second-generation antipsychotics, their potential to induce glucose dysregulation has induced a storm of controversy over the past several years. The numerous published epidemiologic studies are difficult to interpret due to the high background rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus in this population, the inherent problems with analysis of observational data, and the short duration of the available studies. A plan to monitor for weight gain, hypertriglyceridemia, glucose dysregulation, and other potential adverse metabolic effects resulting from antipsychotic treatment is critical. PMID- 17785612 TI - Long-term continuation on cardiovascular drug treatment in patients with coronary heart disease. AB - BACKGROUND: Combination therapy to reduce risk factors is effective in preventing recurrent cardiovascular disease events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), but medications need to be continued indefinitely to maximize the benefits. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the extent of long-term continuation with cardiovascular drug therapy and its expected impact on the prevention of CHD. METHODS: We studied 242 patients with CHD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention following an acute coronary syndrome over a 6 month period in 2004. We prospectively examined the extent to which specific drugs and drug combinations were continued over time by reviewing medication use at the time of hospital discharge and after 2 years. The results were used to estimate the expected loss in preventive efficacy due to discontinuation of therapy. RESULTS: The changes over a 2 year period in the proportions of patients taking each drug class were as follows: 15% reduction for aspirin (95% CI, -21 to -9), 10% reduction for statins (95% CI, -16 to -5), 19% reduction for angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (95% CI, -26 to -12), 12% reduction for beta blockers (95% CI, -18 to -6), 0% increase for calcium-channel blockers (95% CI, 5 to 6), 2% increase for thiazides (95% CI, -2 to 6), and 12% increase for angiotensin-II receptor blockers (95% CI, 6 to 18). The combination of aspirin, statin, and at least 2 blood pressure lowering drugs was prescribed to 81% of patients, three-quarters of whom remained on this combination after 2 years. The overall expected preventive effect on CHD of the combined medication taken during hospitalization and after 2 years was 80% and 74%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CHD, long-term continuation of combination cardiovascular drug therapy is considerably greater than generally perceived. PMID- 17785613 TI - Risk of treatment-emergent diabetes mellitus in patients receiving antipsychotics. AB - BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been reported during antipsychotic treatment. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the potential risk of treatment-emergent diabetes mellitus among patients receiving antipsychotic medications. METHODS: The MEDLINE and Psychinfo databases were searched using the key words antipsychotic (including individual drug names), diabetes, risk, and incidence for all English-language articles published between 1966 and 2005. Risk calculations were performed using data obtained from pharmacoepidemiologic studies that met the following criteria: (1) cohort design, (2) determination of preexisting diabetes, (3) inclusion of antipsychotic monotherapy as an exposure variable, and (4) comparison with exposure to first-generation antipsychotics. Studies meeting these criteria were used to calculate incidence, attributable risk between agents, and number needed to harm. RESULTS: A total of 25 observational pharmacoepidemiologic studies were found comparing antipsychotics on the outcome of diabetes mellitus. Sufficient information was provided in 15 of the reports to be able to estimate attributable risk. Attributable risk for individual second-generation antipsychotics relative to first-generation antipsychotics ranged from 53 more to 46 fewer new cases of diabetes per 1000 patients. Little observable difference was noted between the individual second generation antipsychotics versus first-generation antipsychotics on this outcome. However, few of the studies controlled for body weight, race or ethnicity, or the presence of diabetogenic medications. None adjusted for familial history of diabetes, levels of physical activity, or diet, as this information is not usually available in the databases used in pharmacoepidemiologic studies. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the published pharmacoepidemiologic reports reviewed, the avoidance of diabetes as an outcome cannot be predictably achieved with precision by choice of a second-versus a first-generation antipsychotic. Risk management for new-onset diabetes requires the assessment of established risk factors such as family history, advancing age, non-white ethnicity, diet, central obesity, and level of physical activity. PMID- 17785614 TI - Frequency of adverse events associated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with pemphigus or pemphigoid. AB - BACKGROUND: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is widely used in immune mediated diseases as an immunomodulatory agent and is considered to be a safe biologic agent. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of adverse events associated with IVIG therapy in patients with pemphigus and pemphigoid. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data on patients treated with IVIG for pemphigus and pemphigoid over a 10 year period. Patients had pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, mucous membrane pemphigoid, or bullous pemphigoid. IVIG was given according to a published protocol at a dose of 2 g/kg administered over 3-5 days at prescribed intervals. Patient records were reviewed for information on sex, age, duration of treatment, number of cycles given, number of days each patient received IVIG, weight of each patient, IVIG dose each patient received per infusion, and early or delayed adverse effects reported by patients or observed by healthcare providers. RESULTS: We identified 9892 infusions given to 174 patients. Headaches were the most common adverse effects; they were observed during 886 (8.9%) infusions and involved 123 (70.6%) patients. The incidence of other minor adverse effects, including fatigue, nausea, vomiting, chills, urticaria, swollen glands, hoarseness, thoracic discomfort, and palpitations, was 0.57-3.4% per infusion and 0.04-1.3% per patient. Hoarseness of voice and swelling of cervical lymph nodes have not been previously reported. Acute renal failure occurred in one patient and was the only major adverse effect observed. None of the patients required hospitalization, and there were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse events associated with IVIG therapy are usually mild and self-limiting. The incidence of serious adverse events is low. Identification of risk factors and close monitoring of high-risk patients throughout the therapy are likely to decrease the occurrence of rare serious and less likely fatal adverse effects. PMID- 17785615 TI - Impact of drug use and comorbidities on in-hospital falls in patients with chronic kidney disease. AB - BACKGROUND: In-hospital falls are a major problem in healthcare institutions and contribute to morbidity and mortality in this setting. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were previously found to be at higher risk for experiencing an in-hospital fall. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between comorbidities and drug use with the risk of in-hospital falls in adults with CKD. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted in patients with CKD hospitalized between January 1, 1998, and June 30, 2003. Cases included patients who experienced an in-hospital fall, were 18 years of age or older, and had been hospitalized for more than 24 hours. For every case, 2 controls were identified and matched for CKD, age, and sex. Information about comorbidities and drug use was collected from an electronic medical data repository. Statistical tests performed were t-tests, chi2 analysis, and multivariate logistic regression, using occurrence of a fall as the dependent variable and race, comorbidities, and drug groups as covariates. RESULTS: There were 635 fall cases that met study criteria. The mean age of patients was 68 +/- 15 years, 54% were female, and 82% were white. There were 1270 matched controls with CKD who were included in the regression analysis. Comorbidities that increased the likelihood of experiencing an in-hospital fall were dementia (OR 2.63), pneumonia (OR 1.72), gastrointestinal disease (OR 1.41), and diabetes (OR 1.31). Drugs associated with an in-hospital fall were antidepressants (OR 1.65) and anticonvulsants (OR 1.52). CONCLUSIONS: Several comorbidities, especially dementia, significantly increase the risk of experiencing an in-hospital fall in patients with CKD. Drugs that place CKD patients at risk include antidepressants and anticonvulsants. PMID- 17785616 TI - Characterization and clinical management of clozapine-induced fever. AB - OBJECTIVE: To characterize clozapine-induced fever and suggest clinically relevant management recommendations. DATA SOURCES: Literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1966-June 2007) using the terms clozapine, fever, and adverse effects. In addition, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All English-language articles about human studies of fever associated with the use of clozapine were evaluated. DATA SYNTHESIS: Mild to high-grade fever frequently accompanies clozapine therapy. Fever usually occurs within 10-15 days after treatment initiation and has been reported to last between 2 and 4 days. The mechanism and clinical implications of clozapine-induced fever are unclear. The primary concern for clinicians, with regard to these fevers, is the possibility of 2 serious conditions: agranulocytosis with infection or neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). However, the presence of fever during clozapine therapy does not appear to predict agranulocytosis, NMS, or an increased rate of drug discontinuation at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Available data suggest that clozapine-induced fevers are benign; once infectious and other medical causes for fever are ruled out, clozapine therapy can be continued. PMID- 17785617 TI - Fingolimod: a novel immunosuppressant for multiple sclerosis. AB - OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of fingolimod, a novel immune modulator. DATA SOURCES: Information was obtained through a MEDLINE search (1966-February 2007) and from published abstracts. Search terms included fingolimod, FTY720, FTY-720, and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All English-language studies and abstracts pertaining to fingolimod were considered for inclusion. Preference was given to human data. DATA SYNTHESIS: Fingolimod is the first in a new class of immune modulators known as the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonists. It is administered orally once daily and causes a dose-related reduction in the number of circulating lymphocytes by preventing their egress from secondary lymph organs, but it does not alter T-cell activation or proliferation. Bradycardia and lymphopenia are the most common adverse effects. Clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy of fingolimod in renal transplantation and multiple sclerosis (MS). Further research for renal transplantation will not take place, but Phase 3 studies in MS are underway, as Phase 2 study results are favorable. CONCLUSIONS: Due to its distinct mechanism of action and its oral administration, fingolimod may be a useful therapeutic option for patients with relapsing forms of MS. More data are needed to assess the safety and clinical utility of fingolimod. PMID- 17785618 TI - Sildenafil improves exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with systolic heart failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension. AB - BACKGROUND: Patients with systolic heart failure (HF) who develop secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH) have reduced exercise capacity and increased mortality compared with HF patients without PH. We tested the hypothesis that sildenafil, an effective therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension, would lower pulmonary vascular resistance and improve exercise capacity in patients with HF complicated by PH. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-four patients with symptomatic HF and PH were randomized to 12 weeks of treatment with sildenafil (25 to 75 mg orally 3 times daily) or placebo. Patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing before and after treatment. The change in peak VO2 from baseline, the primary end point, was greater in the sildenafil group (1.8+/-0.7 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) than in the placebo group (-0.27 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1); P=0.02). Sildenafil reduced pulmonary vascular resistance and increased cardiac output with exercise (P<0.05 versus placebo for both) without altering pulmonary capillary wedge or mean arterial pressure, heart rate, or systemic vascular resistance. The ability of sildenafil treatment to augment peak VO2 correlated directly with baseline resting pulmonary vascular resistance (r=0.74, P=0.002) and indirectly with baseline resting right ventricular ejection fraction (r= 0.64, P=0.01). Sildenafil treatment also was associated with improvement in 6 minute walk distance (29 m versus placebo; P=0.047) and Minnesota Living With Heart Failure score (-14 versus placebo; P=0.01). Subjects in the sildenafil group experienced fewer hospitalizations for HF and a higher incidence of headache than those in the placebo group without incurring excess serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition with sildenafil improves exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with systolic HF with secondary PH. PMID- 17785619 TI - Parental occurrence of premature cardiovascular disease predicts increased coronary artery and abdominal aortic calcification in the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation cohorts. AB - BACKGROUND: Parental premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). We related validated parental premature CVD with the subclinical measures of coronary artery (CAC) and abdominal aortic (AAC) calcification in the community. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 2 generations of Framingham Heart Study subjects who underwent multidetector computed tomography measurements of CAC and AAC and who had 2 parents in the study. Subjects included 797 Framingham Offspring (mean age, 63 years; 56% women) and 1238 Third Generation (Gen3) (mean age, 46 years; 47% women) participants free of CVD. Generalized estimating equations adjusted for major CVD risk factors were used to relate validated parental premature CVD and CHD to CAC and AAC, defined by >90th percentile age- and sex-specific cut points from a healthy subsample. Parental premature CVD was associated with CAC among Gen3 (odds ratio=2.17 [1.41 to 3.33]; P<0.001) and nonsignificantly among Offspring (odds ratio=1.42 [0.91 to 2.22]; P=0.12). Parental premature CHD was associated with CAC among Gen3 (odds ratio=2.22 [1.22 to 4.01]) but not Offspring. Parental premature CVD was not associated with AAC in either cohort. Parental premature CHD was associated with AAC among Gen3 (odds ratio=1.65 [0.99 to 2.75]; P=0.05) but not among Offspring. The magnitude of risk conferred was greater for paternal than maternal premature CVD. CONCLUSIONS: Parental premature CVD is associated with CAC, and premature CHD is associated with AAC, after adjustment for risk factors, particularly in younger middle-aged adults. Risk conferred by parental premature CVD on vascular calcification may be mediated through novel mechanisms not accounted for by classic CVD risk factors known to cause atherosclerosis. PMID- 17785620 TI - Atrium-selective sodium channel block as a strategy for suppression of atrial fibrillation: differences in sodium channel inactivation between atria and ventricles and the role of ranolazine. AB - BACKGROUND: The development of selective atrial antiarrhythmic agents is a current strategy for suppression of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Whole-cell patch clamp techniques were used to evaluate inactivation of peak sodium channel current (I(Na)) in myocytes isolated from canine atria and ventricles. The electrophysiological effects of therapeutic concentrations of ranolazine (1 to 10 micromol/L) and lidocaine (2.1 to 21 micromol/L) were evaluated in canine isolated coronary-perfused atrial and ventricular preparations. Half-inactivation voltage of I(Na) was approximately 15 mV more negative in atrial versus ventricular cells under control conditions; this difference increased after exposure to ranolazine. Ranolazine produced a marked use-dependent depression of sodium channel parameters, including the maximum rate of rise of the action potential upstroke, conduction velocity, and diastolic threshold of excitation, and induced postrepolarization refractoriness in atria but not in ventricles. Lidocaine also preferentially suppressed these parameters in atria versus ventricles, but to a much lesser extent than ranolazine. Ranolazine produced a prolongation of action potential duration (APD90) in atria, no effect on APD90 in ventricular myocardium, and an abbreviation of APD90 in Purkinje fibers. Lidocaine abbreviated both atrial and ventricular APD90. Ranolazine was more effective than lidocaine in terminating persistent AF and in preventing the induction of AF. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates important differences in the inactivation characteristics of atrial versus ventricular sodium channels and a striking atrial selectivity for the action of ranolazine to produce use-dependent block of sodium channels, leading to suppression of AF. Our results point to atrium-selective sodium channel block as a novel strategy for the management of AF. PMID- 17785621 TI - Clinical characteristics of dialysis patients with acute myocardial infarction in the United States: a collaborative project of the United States Renal Data System and the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction. AB - BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is catastrophic for dialysis patients. This study set out to determine the clinical characteristics of dialysis patients hospitalized for AMI in the United States. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective cohort study used data from the US Renal Data System (USRDS) database (n=1,285,177) and the third National Registry of Myocardial Infarction (NRMI 3) (n=537,444). AMI hospitalizations from April 1, 1998, through June 30, 2000, were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition, clinical modification, codes 410, 410.x, 410.x0, and 410.x1. The 9418 unique dialysis patients identified with AMI hospitalizations in the USRDS database were cross-matched with the NRMI registry, creating a cohort for analysis that consisted of 3049 matching patients. Clinical characteristics of dialysis and nondialysis (n=534,395) AMI patients were compared by use of the chi2 test. Of clinical significance, 44.8% of dialysis patients were diagnosed as not having acute coronary syndrome on admission, versus 21.2% of nondialysis patients; 44.4% presented with chest pain, versus 68.3% of nondialysis patients; and 19.1% had ST elevation, versus 35.9% of nondialysis patients. Cardiac arrest was twice as frequent for dialysis patients (11.0% versus 5.0%), and in-hospital death was nearly so (21.3% versus 11.7%). In a logistic regression model, the odds ratio for in-hospital death for dialysis versus nondialysis patients was 1.498 (95% CI, 1.340 to 1.674). CONCLUSIONS: Dialysis patients hospitalized for AMI differ strikingly from nondialysis patients, which possibly explains their poor outcomes. Intensive efforts for early, accurate recognition of AMI in dialysis patients are warranted. PMID- 17785622 TI - Cardioprotection afforded by inducible nitric oxide synthase gene therapy is mediated by cyclooxygenase-2 via a nuclear factor-kappaB dependent pathway. AB - BACKGROUND: Gene therapy with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) markedly reduces myocardial infarct size; this effect is associated with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) upregulation and is ablated by COX-2 inhibitors. However, pharmacological inhibitors are limited by relative lack of specificity; furthermore, the mechanism whereby iNOS gene therapy upregulates COX-2 remains unknown. Accordingly, we used genetically engineered mice to test the hypothesis that the cardioprotection afforded by iNOS gene transfer is mediated by COX-2 upregulation via a nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB-dependent pathway. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice received an intramyocardial injection of Av3/LacZ (LacZ group) or Av3/iNOS (iNOS group); 3 days later, myocardial infarction was produced by a 30-minute coronary occlusion followed by 4 hours of reperfusion. Among Av3/LacZ-treated mice, infarct size was similar in COX-2(-/-) and wild-type groups. iNOS gene transfer (confirmed by iNOS immunoblotting and activity assays) markedly reduced infarct size in wild-type mice but failed to do so in COX-2(-/-) mice. In transgenic mice with cardiac-specific expression of a dominant-negative mutant of IkappaB alpha (IkappaB alpha(S32A,S36A)), the upregulation of phosphorylated IkappaB alpha, activation of NF-kappaB, and cardiac COX-2 protein expression 3 days after iNOS gene therapy were abrogated, which was associated with the abolishment of the cardioprotective effects afforded by iNOS gene therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide strong genetic evidence that COX-2 is an obligatory downstream effector of iNOS-dependent cardioprotection and that NF-kappaB is a critical link between iNOS and COX-2. Thus, iNOS imparts its protective effects, at least in part, by recruiting NF-kappaB, leading to COX-2 upregulation. However, COX-2 does not play an important cardioprotective role under basal conditions (when iNOS is not upregulated). PMID- 17785623 TI - Bone morphogenic protein antagonists are coexpressed with bone morphogenic protein 4 in endothelial cells exposed to unstable flow in vitro in mouse aortas and in human coronary arteries: role of bone morphogenic protein antagonists in inflammation and atherosclerosis. AB - BACKGROUND: Exposure to disturbed flow, including oscillatory shear stress, stimulates endothelial cells (ECs) to produce bone morphogenic protein (BMP) 4, which in turn activates inflammation, a critical atherogenic step. BMP activity is regulated by the level of BMP antagonists. Until now it was not known whether shear also regulates the expression of BMP antagonists and whether they play a role in EC pathophysiology. METHODS AND RESULTS: BMP antagonists follistatin, noggin, and matrix Gla protein were expressed in cultured bovine and human arterial ECs. Surprisingly, oscillatory shear stress increased expression of the BMP antagonists in ECs, whereas unidirectional laminar shear decreased such expression. Immunohistochemical studies with mouse aortas showed data consistent with in vitro findings: Only ECs in the lesser curvature exposed to disturbed flow, but not those in the greater curvature and straight arterial regions exposed to undisturbed flow, showed coexpression of BMP4 and the BMP antagonists. Similarly, in human coronary arteries, expression of BMP4 and BMP antagonists in ECs positively correlated with the severity of atherosclerosis. Monocyte adhesion induced by oscillatory shear stress was inhibited by knockdown of BMP4 or treatment with recombinant follistatin or noggin, whereas it was increased by knockdown of follistatin and/or noggin. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that ECs coexpress BMP antagonists along with BMP4 in an attempt to minimize the inflammatory response by oscillatory shear stress as part of a negative feedback mechanism. The balance between the agonist, BMP4, and its antagonists may play an important role in the overall control of inflammation and atherosclerosis. PMID- 17785624 TI - Left ventricular resynchronization is mandatory for response to cardiac resynchronization therapy: analysis in patients with echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular dyssynchrony at baseline. AB - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that a positive response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is related to the presence of preimplantation left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony. The time course and the extent of LV resynchronization after CRT implantation and their relationship to response are currently unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred consecutive patients scheduled for implantation of a CRT device were prospectively included if they met the following criteria: New York Heart Association class III to IV, LV ejection fraction < or = 35%, QRS duration > 120 ms, and LV dyssynchrony (> or = 65 ms) on color-coded tissue Doppler imaging. Immediately after CRT implantation, LV dyssynchrony was reduced from 114+/-36 to 40+/-33 ms (P<0.001), which persisted at the 6-month follow-up (35+/-31 ms; P<0.001 versus baseline; P=0.14 versus immediately after implantation). At the 6-month follow-up, 85% of patients were classified as responders to CRT (defined as > 10% reduction in LV end systolic volume). Immediately after implantation, the responders to CRT demonstrated a significant reduction in LV dyssynchrony from 115+/-37 to 32+/-23 ms (P<0.001). The nonresponders, however, did not show a significant reduction in LV dyssynchrony (106+/-29 versus 79+/-44 ms; P=0.08). If the extent of acute LV resynchronization was < 20%, response to CRT at the 6-month follow-up was never observed. Conversely, 93% of patients with LV resynchronization > or = 20% responded to CRT. CONCLUSIONS: LV resynchronization after CRT is an acute phenomenon and predicts response to CRT at 6-month follow-up in patients with echocardiographic evidence of LV dyssynchrony at baseline. PMID- 17785625 TI - Change in salt intake affects blood pressure of chimpanzees: implications for human populations. AB - BACKGROUND: Addition of up to 15.0 g/d salt to the diet of chimpanzees caused large rises in blood pressure, which reversed when the added salt was removed. Effects of more modest alterations to sodium intakes in chimpanzees, akin to current efforts to lower sodium intakes in the human population, are unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sodium intakes were altered among 17 chimpanzees in Franceville, Gabon, and 110 chimpanzees in Bastrop, Tex. In Gabon, chimpanzees had a biscuit diet of constant nutrient composition except that the sodium content was changed episodically over 3 years from 75 to 35 to 120 mmol/d. In Bastrop, animals were divided into 2 groups; 1 group continued on the standard diet of 250 mmol/d sodium for 2 years, and sodium intake was halved for the other group. Lower sodium intake was associated with lower systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures in Gabon (2-tailed P<0.001, unadjusted and adjusted for age, sex, and baseline weight) and Bastrop (P<0.01, unadjusted; P=0.08 to 0.10, adjusted), with no threshold down to 35 mmol/d sodium. For systolic pressure, estimates were -12.7 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, -16.9 to -8.5, adjusted) per 100 mmol/d lower sodium in Gabon and -10.9 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, -18.9 to -2.9, unadjusted) and -5.7 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 12.2 to 0.7, adjusted) for sodium intake lower by 122 mmol/d in Bastrop. Baseline systolic pressures higher by 10 mm Hg were associated with larger falls in systolic pressure by 4.3/2.9 mm Hg in Gabon/Bastrop per 100 mmol/d lower sodium. CONCLUSIONS: These findings from an essentially single-variable experiment in the species closest to Homo sapiens with high intakes of calcium and potassium support intensified public health efforts to lower sodium intake in the human population. PMID- 17785626 TI - Effect of distal embolization on myocardial perfusion reserve after percutaneous coronary intervention: a quantitative magnetic resonance perfusion study. AB - BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that a subset of patients demonstrate persistent impairment in microcirculatory function after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Distal embolization of plaque contents has been postulated as the main mechanism for this. We sought to investigate this further by evaluating PCI induced changes in myocardial perfusion reserve index (MPRI) over time in segments with "distal-type" procedure-related myonecrosis using high-resolution quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty patients undergoing PCI were studied with pre-PCI and 24-hour post-PCI delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging and first-pass perfusion magnetic resonance imaging at rest and stress. Twenty patients underwent a third magnetic resonance imaging scan at 6 months. For perfusion imaging, 3 short-axis images were acquired during every heartbeat with a T1-weighted turboFLASH sequence. MPRI was calculated as the ratio of hyperemic to resting myocardial blood flow and subdivided according to the presence and location of new delayed hyperenhancement. Twenty-one patients demonstrated new distal hyperenhancement after PCI. Mean MPRI in revascularized myocardial segments not demonstrating new HE was significantly increased after the procedure (2.06 [95% CI, 1.99 to 2.13] before PCI and 2.52 [95% CI, 2.42 to 2.62] after PCI; P<0.001). In contrast, MPRI in segments with distal hyperenhancement was reduced after PCI (2.16 [95% CI, 1.95 to 2.37] before PCI; 2.00 [95% CI, 1.82 to 2.19] after PCI; mixed-model z= 4.82; P<0.001). Changes in mean MPRI 24 hours after PCI in segments upstream to new injury were not significantly different compared with perfusion changes in remote myocardium (z=-0.68; P=0.50). At 6 months after the procedure, mean MPRI in segments with new injury improved significantly compared with MPRI measured in these segments at 24 hours after PCI. CONCLUSIONS: MPRI is reduced in myocardial segments that demonstrate new distal irreversible injury at 24 hours after PCI. These reductions are confined to the segments with injury and do not affect the entire supply territory of the culprit vessel. PMID- 17785627 TI - Is peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma a new "pal" of renin? PMID- 17785628 TI - Pulse pressure is an age-independent predictor of stroke development after cardiac surgery. AB - Chronologic age is a strong predictor of adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. The variability in age-related cardiovascular changes suggests that age may not be the most accurate predictor of adverse perioperative outcomes. Vascular stiffness has emerged as an important surrogate of vascular aging. In a retrospective review, we investigated the value of vascular stiffness, as assessed by brachial pulse pressure (PP) measurements, in predicting stroke in 703 patients (63.4% men and 36.6% women). Patients were followed for 348+/-215 days after cardiac surgery. We used a multivariable logistic model and unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional-hazard models to assess the probability of stroke and the hazards of stroke over time. Stroke patients had a significantly higher PP (81.2 mm Hg versus 64.5 mm Hg; P=0.0006). In the logistic regression model, PP was an independent predictor of stroke development (unadjusted odds ratio: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.62, for every 10-mm Hg increase in PP; P=0.001). In the unadjusted and adjusted Cox models, PP again predicted stroke (hazard ratio: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.57; hazard ratio: 2.62; 95% CI: 1.49 to 4.60, respectively; P=0.001 for both) for every 10 mm Hg increase in PP. Age, gender, and diabetes were not independent predictors of stroke. Ejection fraction was inversely related to stroke in the adjusted model. Kaplan-Meier estimates and corresponding log-rank test indicated that the probability of stroke-free survival function was significantly lower (P=0.0067) in patients with PP >72 mm Hg versus <72 mm Hg. This analysis suggests that indices of vascular stiffness could be important predictors of neurologic complications. PMID- 17785629 TI - Gender-specific associations of short sleep duration with prevalent and incident hypertension: the Whitehall II Study. AB - Sleep deprivation (or=140/90 mm Hg or regular use of antihypertensive medications. In cross sectional analyses at phase 5 (n=5766), short duration of sleep ( or =15 headache days/month) and 72% had "very severe" headache-related disability. Major depression was recorded in 18%. Physical or sexual abuse was reported in 38%, and 12% reported both physical and sexual abuse in the past. Migraineurs with current major depression reported physical (p < 0.001) and sexual (p < 0.001) abuse in higher frequencies compared to those without depression. Women with major depression were more likely to report sexual abuse occurring before age 12 years (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.14 to 4.77), and the relationship was stronger when abuse occurred both before and after age 12 years (OR = 5.08, 95% CI: 2.15 to 11.99). Women with major depression were also twice as likely to report multiple types of maltreatment (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.27 to 3.35) compared to those without depression. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment was more common in women with migraine and concomitant major depression than in those with migraine alone. The association of childhood sexual abuse with migraine and depression is amplified if abuse also occurs at a later age. PMID- 17785665 TI - Recurrent meningioma: salvage therapy with long-acting somatostatin analogue. AB - BACKGROUND: Somatostatin receptors, especially the sst2A subtype, are present on most meningiomas. The addition of somatostatin inhibits meningioma growth in vitro in some studies. There have been anecdotal reports of octreotide inhibiting growth in meningiomas. OBJECTIVES: A prospective pilot trial of sustained-release somatostatin (Sandostatin LAR) in 16 patients with recurrent meningiomas was conducted with a primary study objective of progression-free survival at 6 months. METHODS: Sixteen patients (11 women, 5 men; median age 58) with recurrent meningioma were treated prospectively with long-acting somatostatin. Patients had progressed radiographically after prior therapy with surgery (14/16; complete resection in 5; subtotal in 7; biopsy only in 2), radiotherapy (13/16), and chemotherapy (12/16). All patients had confirmation of the presence of somatostatin receptors in their tumor using (111)In-octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin agonist, SPECT scanning. RESULTS: Patients received 2 to 15 cycles (median 4.5) of somatostatin with minimal toxicity. Five [corrected] partial responses, five stable disease, and six [corrected] progressive disease patterns were seen. Duration of response ranged from 2 to 20+ months (median 5.0 months). Median survival was 7.5 months (range 3 to 20+). The overall progression-free survival was 44% (seven patients) at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: In this small trial of patients with recurrent meningiomas shown to overexpress somatostatin receptors by octreotide scintigraphy, long-acting somatostatin (Sandostatin LAR) was administered on a monthly schedule. Thirty-one percent of patients demonstrated a partial radiographic response and 44% achieved progression-free survival at 6 months. Toxicity was minimal, suggesting somatostatin analogues may offer a novel, relatively nontoxic alternative treatment for recurrent meningiomas. PMID- 17785666 TI - The metabolic syndrome is associated with decelerated cognitive decline in the oldest old. AB - BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors including hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose metabolism, associated with cardiovascular disease. The metabolic syndrome also appears to predispose to cognitive dysfunction and dementia. In this study the association between the metabolic syndrome and cognitive function was examined in a population of the oldest old. METHODS: The Leiden 85-Plus Study is a population-based study of 599 persons from age 85 onward. Cognitive function was assessed annually from age 85 to 90 by means of four neuropsychological tests. The presence (n = 237) or absence (n = 325) of the metabolic syndrome was recorded at baseline. Cross sectional and prospective associations between the metabolic syndrome and cognitive function were analyzed with linear mixed models, adjusted for sex and level of education. RESULTS: At age 85 the metabolic syndrome was not associated with lower cognitive performance. The metabolic syndrome was associated with a decelerated cognitive decline from age 85 to 90 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (additional annual effect 0.18 [0.07], p = 0.01), the Stroop Test ( 1.49 [0.59], p = 0.01), and the Letter Digit Coding Test (0.26 [0.09], p = 0.005). This effect was mainly attributable to glucose, body mass index, and, to a lesser extent, blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The association between the metabolic syndrome and accelerated cognitive decline, which has been reported in persons up to age 75, is not evident in a population of the oldest old. The concept of the metabolic syndrome may be less valid in this age group. PMID- 17785667 TI - Spatial cognition and the human navigation network in AD and MCI. AB - BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying navigation impairments in Alzheimer disease (AD) are unknown. We characterized navigation in AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to test the hypothesis that navigation disability reflects selective impairments in spatial cognition and relates to atrophy of specific brain regions. METHODS: We compared 13 mild AD and 21 MCI patients with 24 controls on a route-learning task that engaged various spatial processes. Using structural MRI and optimized voxel-based morphometry, we also investigated the neural correlates of spatial abilities in a subset of subjects (10 AD, 12 MCI, 21 controls). RESULTS: AD and MCI patients recognized landmarks as effectively as controls, but could not find their locations on maps or recall the order in which they were encountered. Half of AD and one-quarter of MCI patients got lost on the route, compared with less than 10% of controls. Regardless of diagnosis, patients who got lost had lower right posterior hippocampal and parietal volumes than patients and controls who did not get lost. The ability to identify locations on a map correlated with right posterior hippocampal and parietal volumes, whereas order memory scores correlated with bilateral inferior frontal volumes. CONCLUSIONS: The navigation disability in Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) involves a selective impairment of spatial cognition and is associated with atrophy of the right-lateralized navigation network. Extensive spatial impairments in MCI suggest that navigation tests may provide early markers of cognitive and neural damage. PMID- 17785668 TI - Relation between smoking and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: the Rotterdam Study. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Previous studies relating smoking with the risk of dementia have been inconsistent and limited in their validity by short follow-up times, large intervals between baseline and follow-up assessments, and unspecific determination of dementia diagnosis. We re-assessed after longer follow-up time in the large population-based cohort of the Rotterdam Study whether smoking habits and pack-years of smoking are associated with the risk of dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD). METHODS: Prospective population-based cohort study in 6,868 participants, 55 years or older and free of dementia at baseline. First, Cox proportional hazard models were used to relate smoking status at baseline with the risks of incident dementia, VaD, and AD, using never smokers as the reference category in all analyses. Then Cox proportional hazard models were used to relate pack-years of smoking with the risks of incident dementia, VaD, and AD. To explore the impact of the APOEepsilon4 allele, sex, and age on the association between smoking status and dementia, we repeated all analyses stratifying, in separate models, by APOEepsilon4 genotype, sex, and median of age. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up time of 7.1 years, current smoking at baseline was associated with an increased risk of dementia (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.86) and AD (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.02). This increase in disease risk was restricted to persons without the APOEepsilon4 allele. There was no association between current smoking and risk of VaD, and there was no association between past smoking and risk of dementia, AD, or VaD. CONCLUSION: Current smoking increases the risk of dementia. This effect is more pronounced in persons without the APOEepsilon4 allele than APOEepsilon4 carriers. PMID- 17785669 TI - Longitudinal changes of CSF biomarkers in memory clinic patients. AB - OBJECTIVE: In Alzheimer disease (AD), longitudinal changes of beta-amyloid(1-42) (Abeta(1-42)), tau, and phosphorylated tau at threonine 181 (ptau-181) in CSF have been reported in small studies only. We evaluated the natural course of CSF biomarkers in patients with AD, subjective complaints, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: One hundred five patients (50 AD, 38 MCI, 17 subjective complaints) underwent two lumbar punctures, with a mean interval of 21 +/- 9 months. CSF levels of Abeta(1-42), tau, and ptau-181 were measured. RESULTS: CSF Abeta(1-42) and tau levels showed main effects for both diagnosis and time (all p < 0.05), with average increases of 47 +/- 72 and 49 +/- 143 pg/mL. The interaction terms were not significant, which implies a similar time effect for all diagnostic groups. CSF ptau-181 levels showed a main effect for diagnosis (p = 0.01) but not for time (p = 0.27, increase of 1.0 +/- 12 pg/mL). CONCLUSION: Levels of CSF beta-amyloid(1-42) and tau but not phosphorylated tau at threonine 181 increased over time in this memory clinic patient cohort with comparable change in all diagnostic groups. The cross-sectional difference between diagnostic groups, however, exceeded by far the longitudinal changes within individuals, suggesting that these biomarkers are not sensitive as markers of disease progression. PMID- 17785670 TI - Up-regulation of hippocampal serotonin metabolism in mild cognitive impairment. AB - OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested modifications of serotonin cerebral metabolism and of 5-HT(1A) receptors density in Alzheimer disease (AD). This study aims at exploring hippocampus 5-HT(1A) receptor density in patients at the amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and mild AD dementia stages. METHODS: With use of PET with a selective 5-HT(1A) antagonist, 2'-methoxyphenyl-(N-2' pyridinyl)-p-[(18)F]fluoro-benzamidoethylpiperazine ([(18)F]MPPF), the hippocampus 5-HT(1A) binding potential (BP) was quantified in 10 patients with mild AD, in 11 patients with aMCI, and in 21 aged paired control subjects. To take into account hippocampal atrophy, a partial volume correction was applied to the [(18)F]MPPF data, leading to the calculation of a corrected BP (BP(c)). Comparison of hippocampus BP over populations was performed using Kruskal-Wallis rank analysis. RESULTS: Hippocampus serotonergic receptor binding distinguishes patients from controls and patients with aMCI from patients with AD. In aMCI patients, the mean hippocampus BP(c) was 59% higher than the controls' (p < 0.005), and it was conversely 35% lower in patients with mild AD (p < 0.01). The difference in BP(c) values between patients with aMCI and mild AD was large, resulting in a p value of <0.0005. These differences were not related to hippocampus atrophy. CONCLUSION: A compensatory mechanism illustrated by an up regulation of serotonergic metabolism has been shown at the stage of amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) in contrast with a dramatic decrease at later stages of Alzheimer disease (AD). This difference of hippocampus serotonergic receptor labeling allows distinguishing of patients with aMCI from those with mild AD. Exploring 5-HT(1A) receptors with 2'-methoxyphenyl-(N-2'-pyridinyl)-p-(18)F fluoro-benzamidoethylpiperazine PET seems to be of interest for better understanding pathophysiologic changes at early stages of AD. PMID- 17785671 TI - Hypomethylation is restricted to the D4Z4 repeat array in phenotypic FSHD. AB - BACKGROUND: Patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) show a contraction of the D4Z4 repeat array in the subtelomere of chromosome 4q. This D4Z4 contraction is associated with significant allele-specific hypomethylation of the repeat. Hypomethylation of D4Z4 is also observed in patients with phenotypic FSHD without contraction of D4Z4 and in patients with the immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, an unrelated disease that does not present with muscular dystrophy and is in part caused by DNMT3B mutations. METHODS: In order to identify the gene defect and to find the pathogenetic epigenetic pathway in phenotypic FSHD, we have aimed to identify the differences and commonalities in phenotypic FSHD and ICF by 1) investigation of DNA methylation of non-D4Z4 repeat arrays, 2) analysis of mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes to detect pericentromeric abnormalities involving chromosomes 1, 9, and 16, 3) determination of IgA, IgG, and IgM levels, and 4) mutational analysis of candidate genes to identify a second disease locus involved in the pathogenesis of phenotypic FSHD. RESULTS: Our results do not show epigenetic or phenotypic commonalities between phenotypic FSHD and ICF other than the earlier observed D4Z4 hypomethylation. We could not identify any mutations in the candidate genes tested for. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that in phenotypic FSHD hypomethylation is restricted to D4Z4 and that phenotypic FSHD and ICF do not share a defect in the same molecular pathway. PMID- 17785672 TI - Evaluation of brivaracetam, a novel SV2A ligand, in the photosensitivity model. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the activity of brivaracetam, a novel SV2A ligand, in the photosensitivity model as a proof-of-principle of efficacy in patients with epilepsy. METHODS: A subject-blind placebo-controlled study in patients with photosensitive epilepsy was performed to investigate the effect of single-dose brivaracetam (10, 20, 40, or 80 mg) on photosensitive responses. Each patient was exposed to intermittent photic stimulation that evoked a generalized photoparoxysmal EEG response. Individual standard photosensitivity ranges (SPRs) were recorded post-placebo (day -1) and post-brivaracetam until return to baseline (day 1 to 3). Plasma concentrations of brivaracetam and any concomitant antiepileptic drugs were determined. RESULTS: Of the 18 evaluable patients, none achieved SPR abolishment post-placebo, whereas 14 (78%) achieved complete abolishment post-brivaracetam. Decrease in SPR was seen in 8 patients (44%) post placebo compared to 17 (94%) post-brivaracetam. Duration of response was twice as long post-brivaracetam 80 mg (59.5 hours) compared with lower doses, although the overall effect was not dose-dependent. Time to maximal photosensitive response was dose-related with the shortest time interval observed at the highest dose (0.5 hours post-brivaracetam 80 mg). The area under the effect curve (SPR change from pre-dose vs time) appeared linearly correlated with the area under the plasma concentration curve. Brivaracetam was well tolerated. The most common adverse events were dizziness and somnolence. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that brivaracetam clearly suppresses generalized photoparoxysmal EEG response. As such, investigations of the antiepileptic properties and tolerability of brivaracetam are warranted in further clinical studies of patients with epilepsy. PMID- 17785673 TI - Primary collagen VI deficiency is the second most common congenital muscular dystrophy in Japan. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of primary collagen VI deficiency in congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) in Japan and to establish the genotype phenotype correlation. METHODS: We performed immunohistochemistry for collagen VI in muscles from 362 Japanese patients with CMD, and directly sequenced the three collagen VI genes, COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, in patients found to have collagen VI deficiency. RESULTS: In Japan, primary collagen VI deficiency accounts for 7.2% of congenital muscular deficiency. Among these patients, five had complete deficiency (CD) and 29 had sarcolemma-specific collagen VI deficiency (SSCD). We found two homozygous and three compound heterozygous mutations in COL6A2 and COL6A3 in all five patients with CD, and identified heterozygous missense mutations or in-frame small deletions in 21 patients with SSCD in the triple helical domain (THD) of COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3. All mutations in SSCD were sporadic dominant. No genotype-phenotype correlation was seen. CONCLUSION: Primary collagen VI deficiency is the second most common CMD after Fukuyama type CMD in Japan. Dominant mutations located in the N-terminal side from the cysteine residue in the THD of COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3 are closely associated with SSCD. PMID- 17785674 TI - Reduced cell anchorage may cause sarcolemma-specific collagen VI deficiency in Ullrich disease. AB - BACKGROUND: COL6 gene mutations are associated with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), which is clinically characterized by muscle weakness from early infancy, hyperlaxity of distal joints, and multiple proximal joint contractures. We previously reported that the majority of patients with UCMD have sarcolemma specific collagen VI deficiency (SSCD). More recently, we found heterozygous COL6A1 glycine substitutions in patients with UCMD with SSCD. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how COL6A1 glycine mutation leads to SSCD. METHODS: We evaluated the synthesis, formation, and binding of collagen VI to the extracellular matrix in fibroblasts with p.G284R mutation in COL6A1. RESULTS: Collagen VI was normally secreted into the cultured medium in fibroblasts harboring p.G284R mutation. When the medium with normal collagen VI was added to collagen VI-deficient fibroblast culture, collagen VI bound surrounding the cells, while collagen VI with p.G284R mutation did not. Cell adhesion of fibroblasts with p.G284R mutation was markedly reduced similarly to that of collagen VI-deficient cells. Interestingly, this reduction in adhesion of the cells with p.G284R mutation was recovered by the addition of the medium with normal collagen VI, which would suggest a therapeutic strategy for a replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: Heterozygous glycine substitution in COL6A1 may cause decreased binding of collagen VI microfibrils to the extracellular matrix resulting in sarcolemma-specific collagen VI deficiency. PMID- 17785675 TI - Hyperventilation-induced nystagmus in peripheral vestibulopathy and cerebellopontine angle tumor. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and characteristics of hyperventilation induced nystagmus (HIN) in cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors and unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy (UPV), and to elucidate differential contribution of hyperventilation to bring out vestibular asymmetry between acute and chronic phases of UPV. METHODS: We recorded horizontal HIN in 33 patients with CPA tumors and 145 with UPV. The UPV included patients of either acute (7 days or less from symptom onset, n = 47) or chronic (more than 7 days from symptom onset, n = 98) phases. RESULTS: The incidence of HIN was higher in the CPA tumor than in the UPV group (82 vs 34%, p < 0.01) and was also higher in the acute than in the chronic UPV group (60 vs 21%, p < 0.01). Furthermore, HIN was more commonly ipsilesional (i-HIN) in the CPA tumor than in the UPV group (52 vs 8%, p < 0.01) and more commonly ipsilesional in the acute than in the chronic UPV group (21 vs 1%, p < 0.01). The patients with i-HIN and acoustic neuroma had a tendency to harbor smaller tumors and to have less severe caloric asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: The contribution of hyperventilation on vestibular nystagmus differs depending on the disease phase or underlying pathologies. Our study demonstrates that hyperventilation-induced nystagmus (HIN) beating to the side of reduced caloric response, hearing impairment, or abnormal auditory brainstem response responses may be a valuable sign for bedside detection of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. CPA tumor should be a prime suspicion in patients with acute vertigo and ipsilesional HIN, especially when the vertigo accompanies hearing impairments. PMID- 17785676 TI - Neuroimaging of retinal nerve fiber layer in AD using optical coherence tomography. PMID- 17785677 TI - Low LDL cholesterol, statins, and brain hemorrhage: should we worry? PMID- 17785678 TI - Fixed dystonia unresponsive to pallidal stimulation improved by motor cortex stimulation. PMID- 17785679 TI - Fluctuations of CSF amyloid-beta levels: implications for a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker. PMID- 17785680 TI - In vitro metabolism of 8-2 fluorotelomer alcohol: interspecies comparisons and metabolic pathway refinement. AB - The detection of perfluorinated organic compounds in the environment has generated interest in their biological fate. 8-2 Fluorotelomer alcohol (8-2 FTOH, C(7)F(15)CF(2)CH(2)CH(2)OH), a raw material used in the manufacture of fluorotelomer-based products, has been identified in the environment and has been implicated as a potential source for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the environment. In this study, the in vitro metabolism of [3-(14)C] 8-2 FTOH and selected acid metabolites by rat, mouse, trout, and human hepatocytes and by rat, mouse, and human liver microsomes and cytosol were investigated. Clearance rates of 8-2 FTOH in hepatocytes indicated rat > mouse > human >/= trout. A number of metabolites not previously reported were identified, adding further understanding to the pathway for 8-2 FTOH metabolism. Neither perfluorooctanoate nor perfluorononanoate was detected from incubations with human microsomes. To further elucidate the steps in the metabolic pathway, hepatocytes were incubated with 8-2 fluorotelomer acid, 8-2 fluorotelomer unsaturated acid, 7-3 acid, 7-3 unsaturated acid, and 7-2 secondary fluorotelomer alcohol. Shorter chain perfluorinated acids were only observed in hepatocyte and microsome incubations of the 8-2 acids but not from the 7-3 acids. Overall, the results indicate that 8 2 FTOH is extensively metabolized in rats and mice and to a lesser extent in humans and trout. Metabolism of 8-2 FTOH to perfluorinated acids was extremely small and likely mediated by enzymes in the microsomal fraction. These results suggest that human exposure to 8-2 FTOH is not expected to be a significant source of PFOA or any other perfluorocarboxylic acids. PMID- 17785681 TI - FK506, a calcineurin inhibitor, prevents cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in mice. AB - Cadmium, a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, damages several major organs in humans and other mammals. The molecular mechanisms for damage are not known. At high doses (5 mg/kg cadmium chloride or higher), testicular damage in mice, rats, and other rodents includes interstitial edema, hemorrhage, and changes in the seminiferous tubules affecting spermatogenesis. Necrosis is evident by 48 h. The goal of this study was to fine map and identify the cdm gene, a gene that when mutated prevents cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in mouse strains with a mutation in this gene. A serine-threonine phosphatase, calcineurin (CN), subunit A, alpha isoform (Ppp3ca), was one of the seven candidates in the cdm region that was narrowed from 5.6 to 2.0 Mb on mouse chromosome 3. An inhibitor of CN, the immunosuppressant, FK506, prevented cadmium-induced testicular damage in five pathological categories, including vascular endothelial and seminiferous epithelial endpoints. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry revealed that FK506 protected without lowering the amount of cadmium in the testes. Ppp3ca(-/-) mice were investigated but were found to exhibit endogenous testicular abnormalities, making them an inappropriate model for determining whether the inactivation of the Ppp3ca gene would afford protection from cadmium-induced testicular toxicity. The protection afforded by FK506, found by the current study, indicated that CN is likely to be important in the mechanism of cadmium toxicity in the testis and possibly other organs. PMID- 17785682 TI - Endocrine-disrupting activities in vivo of the fungicides tebuconazole and epoxiconazole. AB - The triazole fungicides tebuconazole and epoxiconazole were investigated for reproductive toxic effects after exposure during gestation and lactation. Rats were dosed with epoxiconazole (15 or 50 mg/kg bw/day) or tebuconazole (50 or 100 mg/kg bw/day) during pregnancy from gestational day (GD) 7 and continued during lactation until postnatal day (PND) 16. Some dams were randomly chosen for cesarean section at GD 21 to evaluate effects on sexual differentiation in the fetuses. Other dams delivered normally, and the pups were examined (e.g., anogenital distance [AGD] and hormone levels) at birth, at PND 13 or PND 16, and semen quality was assessed in adults. Both tebuconazole and epoxiconazole affected reproductive development in the offspring after exposure in utero. Both compounds virilized the female offspring as shown by an increased AGD PND 0. Furthermore, tebuconazole had a feminizing effect on male offspring as shown by increased nipple retention. This effect was likely caused by the reduced testosterone levels seen in male fetuses. Tebuconazole increased the testicular concentrations of progesterone and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in male fetuses, indicating a direct impact on the steroid synthesis pathway in the Leydig cells. The high dose of epoxiconazole had marked fetotoxic effects, while the lower dose caused increased birth weights. The increased birth weights may be explained by a marked increase in testosterone levels in dams during gestation. Common features for azole fungicides are that they increase gestational length, virilize female pups, and affect steroid hormone levels in fetuses and/or dams. These effects strongly indicate that one major underlying mechanism for the endocrine disrupting effects of azole fungicides is disturbance of key enzymes like CYP17 involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones. PMID- 17785686 TI - Evidence-based medicine, part 2. An introduction to critical appraisal of articles on therapy. AB - This article provides an introductory step-by-step process to appraise a therapeutic article. The authors introduce these principles using a systematic approach and case-based format. The process of assessing the validity of a therapeutic article, determining its importance, and applying it to an individual patient is reviewed. The concepts of randomization, blinding, and concealment are discussed to help physicians determine an article's validity. Instruction on calculating relative risk reduction, absolute risk reduction, and number needed to treat is provided and applied to the clinical scenario. Finally, information that is learned from the previous two steps is applied to patient care. The skills learned from appraising a therapeutic article in the manner outlined provides a basis for life-long learning and improved patient care. PMID- 17785685 TI - Evidence-based medicine, part 1. An introduction to creating an answerable question and searching the evidence. AB - This article, the first in a series of six articles, introduces the concept of evidence-based medicine and describes the first two steps of practicing it: formulating an answerable clinical question and searching the available evidence. The types of clinical questions practitioners can ask are examined and a hierarchy of how to search for the best and most authoritative evidence is provided. The skills learned from creating an answerable question and searching the evidence, as outlined in this article, provide a solid basis for life-long learning and improved patient care. PMID- 17785683 TI - Identification of genes involved in the toxic response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae against iron and copper overload by parallel analysis of deletion mutants. AB - Iron and copper are essential nutrients for life as they are required for the function of many proteins but can be toxic if present in excess. Accumulation of these metals in the human body as a consequence of overload disorders and/or high environmental exposures has detrimental effects on health. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an accepted cellular model for iron and copper metabolism in humans primarily because of the high degree of conservation between pathways and proteins involved. Here we report a systematic screen using yeast deletion mutants to identify genes involved in the toxic response to growth inhibitory concentrations of iron and copper sulfate. We aimed to understand the cellular responses to toxic concentrations of these two metals by analyzing the different subnetworks and biological processes significantly enriched with these genes. Our results indicate the presence of two different detoxification pathways for iron and copper that converge toward the vacuole. The product of several of the identified genes in these pathways form molecular complexes that are conserved in mammals and include the retromer, endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) and AP-3 complexes, suggesting that the mechanisms involved can be extrapolated to humans. Our data also suggest a disruption in ion homeostasis and, in particular, of iron after copper exposure. Moreover, the identification of treatment-specific genes associated with biological processes such as DNA double-strand break repair for iron and tryptophan biosynthesis for copper suggests differences in the mechanisms by which these two metals are toxic at high concentrations. PMID- 17785687 TI - Evidence-based medicine, part 3. An introduction to critical appraisal of articles on diagnosis. AB - This article provides an introductory step-by-step process to appraise an article on diagnosis. The authors introduce these principles using a systematic approach and case-based format. The process of assessing the validity of an article on diagnosis, determining its importance, and applying it to an individual patient is reviewed. The concepts of study population homogeneity, reference and criterion standards, and completeness are discussed to help physicians determine an article's validity. Instruction on calculating prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios is provided and applied to a hypothetical clinical scenario. Study generalizability and the role of patient values, expectations, and concerns are also addressed. The skills learned from appraising an article on diagnosis in the manner outlined provides a solid basis for life-long learning and improved patient care. PMID- 17785688 TI - Evidence-based medicine, part 4. An introduction to critical appraisal of articles on harm. AB - This article provides an introductory step-by-step process to appraise an article on harm. The authors introduce these principles using a systematic approach and case-based format. The process of assessing the validity of an article on harm, determining its importance, and applying it to an individual patient is reviewed. The concepts of study population homogeneity, equal treatment, sufficient follow up periods, and completeness are discussed to help physicians determine an article's validity. Instruction on calculating odds ratios, relative risk, absolute risk increase, and the number needed to harm is provided and applied to the clinical scenario. Finally, information that is learned from the previous two steps is applied to patient care. Study generalizability and the role of patient values, patient expectations, and patient concerns are also addressed. The skills learned from appraising an article on harm in the manner outlined provides a solid basis for lifelong learning and improved patient care. PMID- 17785689 TI - Evidence-based medicine, part 5. An introduction to critical appraisal of articles on prognosis. AB - This article provides an introductory step-by-step process to appraise an article on prognosis. The authors introduce these principles using a systematic approach and case-based format. The process of assessing the validity of an article on prognosis, determining its importance, and applying it to an individual patient is reviewed. The concepts of study population homogeneity, sufficient follow-up periods, and completeness are discussed to help physicians determine an article's validity. Instruction on how to evaluate confidence intervals is provided. Finally, information that is learned from the previously mentioned steps is applied to patient care. Study generalizability and the role of patient values, expectations, and concerns are also addressed. The skills learned from appraising an article on prognosis in the manner outlined provides a solid basis for life long learning and improved patient care. PMID- 17785690 TI - Evidence-based medicine, part 6. An introduction to critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines. AB - This article provides an introductory step-by-step process to appraise clinical practice guidelines. The authors introduce these principles using a systematic approach and case-based format. The process of assessing the validity of clinical practice guidelines, determining their importance, and applying them to an individual patient is reviewed. The concepts of study population homogeneity, equal treatment, and study completeness are discussed to help physicians determine the validity of clinical practice guidelines. Finally, information that is learned from the previously mentioned steps is applied to patient care. Study generalizability and the role of patient values, expectations, and concerns are also addressed. The skills learned from appraising clinical practice guidelines in the manner outlined provides a solid basis for life-long learning and improved patient care. PMID- 17785692 TI - Genetic disorders in the GH IGF-I axis in mouse and man. AB - Animal knockout experiments have offered the opportunity to study genes that play a role in growth and development. In the last few years, reports of patients with genetic defects in GH-IGF-I axis have greatly increased our knowledge of genetically determined causes of short stature. We will present the animal data and human reports of genetic disorders in the GH-IGF-I axis in order to describe the role of the GH-IGF-I axis in intrauterine and postnatal growth. In addition, the effects of the GH-IGF-I axis on the development and function of different organ systems such as brain, inner ear, eye, skeleton, glucose homeostasis, gonadal function, and immune system will be discussed. The number of patients with genetic defects in the GH-IGF-I axis is small, and a systematic diagnostic approach and selective genetic analysis in a patient with short stature are essential to identify more patients. Finally, the implications of a genetic defect in the GH-IGF-I axis for the patient and the therapeutic options will be discussed. PMID- 17785693 TI - Pharmacogenomics and pharmacoproteomics in the evaluation and management of short stature. AB - It has long been recognized that growth failure encompasses a diverse spectrum of underlying pathophysiological processes, a characteristic that has significantly impacted both the diagnosis and management of growth disorders. This problem is exacerbated by inherent difficulty in distinguishing the borders between the 'normal range' for stature and defined abnormal growth. Evaluation of GH secretion has proven problematic, both diagnostically and prognostically, except in cases of unequivocal GH deficiency. Measurement of serum concentrations of IGF I, IGFBP-3, and ALS have proven useful in the assessment of GH responsiveness and have contributed to the concept of primary and secondary 'IGF deficiency'. Nevertheless, there is great need for biochemical and/or molecular biomarkers that could: i) predict short- and long-term responsiveness to various therapeutic modalities, such as GH and IGF-I, and ii) predict potential risk for adverse effects of therapy. Candidate proteins and genes identified to date, and worthy of further evaluation, include IGF-I, IGF-I receptor, GH receptor and its variants (such as exon 3-deleted GHR), STAT5b and short stature homeobox. Proteomic analysis of serum samples pre- and post-treatment and correlation with clinical responsiveness should provide additional candidate biomarkers. Molecular studies to consider include: i) sequencing and mutation analysis of known genetic components of the GH-IGF axis; ii) evaluation of single nucleotide polymorphisms of candidate genes; and iii) identification of new candidate genes. It is proposed that the major target population to study is that of children currently labeled as idiopathic short stature (ISS). These children can be divided into those with: i) primary IGFD, where the focus should be on genes related to GHR, GHR signaling, and IGF-I gene expression, or ii) no IGFD (i.e. 'true ISS'), where the focus should be on genes related to IGFR, IGF signaling and epiphyseal growth. PMID- 17785694 TI - Hypothalamic and pituitary development: novel insights into the aetiology. AB - The anterior pituitary gland is a central regulator of growth, reproduction and homeostasis, and is the end-product of a carefully orchestrated pattern of expression of signalling molecules and transcription factors leading to the development of this complex organ secreting six hormones from five different cell types. Naturally occurring and transgenic murine models have demonstrated a role for many of these molecules in the aetiology of combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). These include the transcription factors HESX1, PROP1, POU1F1, LHX3, LHX4, TBX19, SOX2 and SOX3. The expression pattern of these transcription factors dictates the phenotype that results when the gene encoding the relevant transcription factor is mutated. The highly variable phenotype may consist of isolated hypopituitarism, or more complex disorders such as septo-optic dysplasia and holoprosencephaly. Since mutations in any one transcription factor are uncommon, and since the overall incidence of mutations in known transcription factors is low in patients with CPHD, it is clear that many genes remain to be identified, and the characterization of these will further elucidate the pathogenesis of these complex conditions and also shed light on normal pituitary development. PMID- 17785695 TI - Idiopathic short stature: will genetics influence the choice between GH and IGF-I therapy? AB - BACKGROUND: Idiopathic short stature (ISS) includes a range of conditions. Some are caused by defects in the GH-IGF-I axis. ISS is an approved indication for GH therapy in the USA and a similar approval in Europe may be imminent. Genetic analysis for single-gene defects has made enormous contributions to understanding the physiology of growth regulation. Can this type of investigation help in predicting growth responses to GH or IGF-I therapy? METHODS: The rationale for choice of GH or IGF-I therapy in ISS is reviewed. Many ISS patients have low IGF I, but most can generate IGF-I levels in response to short-term GH administration. Some GH resistance seems to be present. Mutation analysis in several cohorts of GHIS and ISS patients is reviewed. RESULTS: Low IGF-I levels suggest either unrecognised GH deficiency or GH resistance. In classical GHIS patients, there was a positive relationship between IGFBP-3 levels and height SDS. No relationship exists between mutations and phenotype. There is a wide variability of phenotype in patients carrying identical mutations. Heterozygous GH receptor (GHR) mutations were present in <5% of ISS patients and their role in causing growth defects is questionable. Exceptions are dominant negative mutations that have been shown to disturb growth. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis for single-gene defects does not give sensitive predictions of phenotype and cannot predict responses to GH or IGF-I therapy. Endocrine abnormalities have closer correlations with phenotype and may thus be a better guide to therapeutic responsiveness. PMID- 17785696 TI - Fat distribution and storage: how much, where, and how? AB - Obesity does not necessarily imply disease and similarly obese individuals may manifest obesity-related morbidity or seemingly be in reasonably good health. Recent studies have shown that patterns of lipid partitioning are a major determinant of the metabolic profile and not just obesity per se. The underlying mechanisms and clinical relevance of lipid deposition in the visceral compartment and in insulin-sensitive tissues are described. Increased intramyocellular lipid deposition impairs the insulin signal transduction pathway and is associated with insulin resistance. Increased hepatic lipid deposition is similarly associated with the majority of the components of the insulin resistance syndrome. The roles of increased circulating fatty acids in conditions of insulin resistance and the typical pro-inflammatory milieu of specific obesity patterns are provided. Insights into the patterns of lipid storage within the cell are provided along with their relation to changes in insulin sensitivity and weight loss. PMID- 17785697 TI - Metabolic implications of GH treatment in small for gestational age. AB - Fetal growth retardation is associated with decreased postnatal growth, resulting in a lower adult height. In addition, a low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of developing diseases during adulthood, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases. Children with persistent postnatal growth retardation, i.e., incomplete catch-up growth, can be treated with human GH. The GH/IGF-I axis is involved in the regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The question of whether treatment with GH in children born small for gestational age (SGA) has long-term implications with respect to glucose/insulin and lipid metabolism has not been answered yet. In this article, the available data are reviewed. PMID- 17785698 TI - IGF-I treatment of insulin resistance. AB - Severe insulin resistance resulting from known or putative genetic defects affecting the insulin receptor or post-insulin receptor signalling represents a clinical spectrum ranging from Donohue's and Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome, where the genetic defect is identified, through to the milder phenotype of type A insulin resistance, where a genetic defect can only be detected in around 10% of cases. Paradoxically, subjects with these conditions may present with hypoglycaemia due to mismatch of post-prandial glucose excursion and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia. Ultimately, treatment with insulin and insulin sensitisers will be unsuccessful and subjects may succumb to diabetes or its complications. Recombinant human IGF-I alone or combined with its binding protein (IGFBP-3) provides an alternative therapy as IGF-I receptor shares structural and functional homology with the insulin receptor and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I) therapy could improve glucose disposal by signalling through the IGF-I receptor, whilst reducing the adverse effects of high insulin concentrations. There are also data which indicate that IGF-I signalling through the IGF-I receptor on the pancreatic beta-cell may be important in maintaining insulin secretion. Pilot studies confirmed that rhIGF-I could reduce glucose and insulin levels in subjects with type A insulin resistance and those with Rabson Mendenhall syndrome with sustained beneficial effects on HbA1c. Continued study has confirmed efficacy of rhIGF-I when combined with IGFBP-3 in the treatment of Donohue's and type A insulin resistance subjects. Observations that IGF-I treatment can improve C-peptide levels in these subjects may indicate that it might be more valuable as a first line intervention to preserve beta-cell function, rather than its current use as a medication of last resort in subjects where all other therapies have failed. PMID- 17785699 TI - IGF-I therapy in growth disorders. AB - Patients with GH insensitivity, typically resulting from mutations affecting the GH receptor (GHR), GHR signaling cascade, or the IGF-I gene, are, generally, unresponsive to GH therapy. Beginning in the 1990s, clinical trials of IGF-I administration in such patients demonstrated both short- and long-term efficacy, although not to the degree observed with GH treatment of naive GH-deficient patients. Adverse effects, including hypoglycemia, lymphoid overgrowth, benign intracranial pressure, and coarsening of facial features, have been observed, but, in general, have proven to be transient. As interest in the potential efficacy of IGF-I treatment for children currently labeled as idiopathic short stature increases, it will be important to have controlled clinical trials of GH, versus IGF-I versus combination, GH + IGF-I. PMID- 17785700 TI - Adrenal insufficiency in phytosterolaemia. AB - BACKGROUND: Phytosterolaemia (sitosterolaemia) is a rare autosomal recessive condition caused by mutations on the ABCG5 and ABCG8 gut transporter proteins. This leads to accumulation of plant-derived cholesterol-like molecules in blood and tissues. CASE: We describe a family of Bangladesh origin, where three siblings (two males and one female) have homozygous mutations for phytosterolaemia, and exhibit short stature and adrenal failure with the female having ovarian failure. FINDINGS: The index case (18-year-old female) and her sibling (16 years) have adrenal insufficiency with hyperpigmentation and raised levels of ACTH, at 367 and 690 ng/l respectively. The youngest child at 7 years has normal adrenal function. In addition, the index case has ovarian failure and sibling 2 has partial growth hormone deficiency. CONCLUSION: Although short stature is a recognised phenomenon, no previous association has been made between phytosterolaemia and other endocrine abnormalities. We postulate that the elevated plant sterol levels in phytosterolaemia may interfere with endocrine hormone synthesis; in particular, we present evidence that adrenal cholesterol metabolism may be preferentially affected, accounting for the adrenal insufficiency. PMID- 17785701 TI - GH mutant (R77C) in a pedigree presenting with the delay of growth and pubertal development: structural analysis of the mutant and evaluation of the biological activity. AB - A heterozygous missense mutation in the GH-1 gene converting codon 77 from arginine (R) to cysteine (C), which was previously reported to have some GH antagonistic effect, was identified in a Syrian family. The index patient, a boy, was referred for assessment of his short stature (-2.5 SDS) at the age of 6 years. His mother and grandfather were also carrying the same mutation, but did not differ in adult height from the other unaffected family members. Hormonal examination in all affected subjects revealed increased basal GH, low IGF-I concentrations, and subnormal IGF-I response in generation test leading to the diagnosis of partial GH insensitivity. However, GH receptor gene (GHR) sequencing demonstrated no abnormalities. As other family members carrying the GH-R77C form showed similar alterations at the hormonal level, but presented with normal final height, no GH therapy was given to the boy, but he was followed through his pubertal development which was delayed. At the age of 20 years he reached his final height, which was normal within his parental target height. Functional characterization of the GH-R77C, assessed through activation of Jak2/Stat5 pathway, revealed no differences in the bioactivity between wild-type-GH (wt-GH) and GH-R77C. Detailed structural analysis indicated that the structure of GH R77C, in terms of disulfide bond formation, is almost identical to that of the wt GH despite the introduced mutation (Cys77). Previous studies from our group demonstrated a reduced capability of GH-R77C to induce GHR/GH-binding protein (GHBP) gene transcription rate when compared with wt-GH. Therefore, reduced GHR/GHBP expression might well be the possible cause for the partial GH insensitivity found in our patients. In addition, this group of patients deserve further attention because they could represent a distinct clinical entity underlining that an altered GH peptide may also have a direct impact on GHR/GHBP gene expression causing partial GH insensitivity. This might be responsible for the delay of growth and pubertal development. Finally, we clearly demonstrate that GH-R77C is not invariably associated with short stature, but that great care needs to be taken in ascribing growth failure to various heterozygous mutations affecting the GH-IGF axis and that careful functional studies are mandatory. PMID- 17785702 TI - Move onward, press forward, and take a deep breath: can lifestyle interventions improve the quality of life of women with breast cancer, and how can we be sure? PMID- 17785703 TI - Melphalan, prednisone, and lenalidomide treatment for newly diagnosed myeloma: a report from the GIMEMA--Italian Multiple Myeloma Network. AB - PURPOSE: Lenalidomide has shown significant antimyeloma activity in clinical studies. Oral melphalan, prednisone, and thalidomide have been regarded as the standard of care in elderly multiple myeloma patients. We assessed dosing, efficacy, and safety of melphalan, prednisone, and lenalidomide (MPR) in newly diagnosed elderly myeloma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Oral melphalan was administered in doses ranging from 0.18 to 0.25 mg/kg on days 1 to 4, prednisone at a 2-mg/kg dose on days 1 to 4, and lenalidomide at doses ranging from 5 to 10 mg on days 1 to 21, every 28 days for nine cycles, followed by maintenance therapy with lenalidomide alone. Aspirin was given as a prophylaxis for thrombosis. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were enrolled and evaluated after completing the assigned treatment schedule. The maximum tolerated dose was defined as 0.18 mg/kg melphalan and 10 mg lenalidomide. With these doses, 81% of patients achieved at least a partial response, 47.6% achieved a very good partial response, and 23.8% achieved a complete immunofixation-negative response. In all patients, 1-year event-free and overall survival rates were 92% and 100%, respectively. At the maximum tolerated dose, grade 3 adverse events included neutropenia (38.1%), thrombocytopenia (14.2%), febrile neutropenia (9.5%), vasculitis (9.5%), and thromboembolism (4.8%); grade 4 adverse events were neutropenia (14.2%) and thrombocytopenia (9.5%). CONCLUSION: Oral MPR therapy is a promising first-line treatment for elderly myeloma patients. Hematologic adverse events were frequent but manageable. A low incidence of nonhematologic adverse events was noted. Aspirin appears to provide adequate antithrombosis prophylaxis. PMID- 17785704 TI - Phase II PETHEMA trial of alternating bortezomib and dexamethasone as induction regimen before autologous stem-cell transplantation in younger patients with multiple myeloma: efficacy and clinical implications of tumor response kinetics. AB - PURPOSE: This is the first study in which bortezomib and dexamethasone were administered on an alternating basis as up-front therapy in multiple myeloma (MM). We investigated the efficacy and kinetics of response to each drug and safety. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed MM who were less than 66 years old were treated with bortezomib at 1.3 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 (cycles 1, 3, and 5) and dexamethasone 40 mg orally on days 1 through 4, 9 to 12, and 17 to 20 (cycles 2, 4, and 6), followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). Responses were evaluated by modified European Bone Marrow Transplantation criteria. Random effects models were used to analyze the tumor response kinetics. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled. Partial response (PR) or greater was 65% (12.5% complete response [CR], 10% very good PR [VGPR], and 42.5% PR) plus 17.5% minor response. Time to response was rapid, with 82% serum M protein reduction achieved within the first two cycles. The M-protein decrease was similar with dexamethasone and with bortezomib (P = .48). Chromosome 13 deletion, t(4;14), and t(14;16) did not have a negative impact on response. Toxicity was low, with no grade 3 to 4 peripheral neuropathy and no grade 2 to 4 thrombocytopenia. The response rate after ASCT was 88%, with 33% CR (negative immunofixation) plus 22% VGPR. CONCLUSION: Bortezomib alternating with dexamethasone is a highly effective induction regimen with low toxicity. The kinetic study has shown a high degree of heterogeneity in response and rapid effect from both agents, supporting the use of a short induction regimen before ASCT in MM. PMID- 17785705 TI - Randomized active-controlled phase II study of denosumab efficacy and safety in patients with breast cancer-related bone metastases. AB - PURPOSE: Denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody to receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand, suppresses bone resorption. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of five dosing regimens of denosumab in patients with breast cancer-related bone metastases not previously treated with intravenous bisphosphonates (IV BPs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible women (n = 255) with breast cancer-related bone metastases were stratified by type of antineoplastic therapy received and randomly assigned to one of six cohorts (five denosumab cohorts [blinded to dose and frequency]; one open-label IV BP cohort). Denosumab was administered subcutaneously every 4 weeks (30, 120, or 180 mg) or every 12 weeks (60 or 180 mg). The primary end point was percentage of change in the bone turnover marker urine N-telopeptide corrected for urine creatinine (uNTx/Cr) from baseline to study week 13. The percentage of patients achieving more than 65% uNTx/Cr reduction, time to more than 65% uNTx/Cr reduction, patients experiencing one or more on-study skeletal-related events (SRE), and safety were also evaluated. RESULTS: At study week 13, the median percent reduction in uNTx/Cr was 71% for the pooled denosumab groups and 79% for the IV BP group. Overall, 74% of denosumab-treated patients (157 of 211) achieved a more than 65% reduction in uNTx/Cr compared with 63% of bisphosphonate-treated patients (27 of 43). On-study SREs were experienced by 9% of denosumab-treated patients (20 of 211) versus 16% of bisphosphonate-treated patients (seven of 43). No serious or fatal adverse events related to denosumab occurred. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous denosumab may be similar to IV BPs in suppressing bone turnover and reducing SRE risk. The safety profile was consistent with an advanced breast cancer population receiving systemic therapy. PMID- 17785706 TI - Measurement of residual breast cancer burden to predict survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. AB - PURPOSE: To measure residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in order to improve the prognostic information that can be obtained from evaluating pathologic response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pathologic slides and reports were reviewed from 382 patients in two different treatment cohorts: sequential paclitaxel (T) then fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) in 241 patients; and a single regimen of FAC in 141 patients. Residual cancer burden (RCB) was calculated as a continuous index combining pathologic measurements of primary tumor (size and cellularity) and nodal metastases (number and size) for prediction of distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) in multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: RCB was independently prognostic in a multivariate model that included age, pretreatment clinical stage, hormone receptor status, hormone therapy, and pathologic response (pathologic complete response [pCR] v residual disease [RD]; hazard ratio = 2.50; 95% CI 1.70 to 3.69; P < .001). Minimal RD (RCB-I) in 17% of patients carried the same prognosis as pCR (RCB-0). Extensive RD (RCB-III) in 13% of patients was associated with poor prognosis, regardless of hormone receptor status, adjuvant hormone therapy, or pathologic American Joint Committee on Cancer stage of residual disease. The generalizability of RCB for prognosis of distant relapse was confirmed in the FAC-treated validation cohort. CONCLUSION: RCB determined from routine pathologic materials represented the distribution of RD, was a significant predictor of DRFS, and can be used to define categories of near-complete response and chemotherapy resistance. PMID- 17785707 TI - Relationship between epidemiologic risk factors and breast cancer recurrence. AB - PURPOSE: Early-stage breast cancers are biologically heterogeneous and vary in clinical behavior, supporting the role of factors other than tumor size and lymph node involvement as outcome determinants. We evaluated the effect of epidemiologic breast cancer risk factors on recurrence in women with early-stage disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records from 2,327 women with early-stage breast cancer, treated at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1985 and 2000, were used to derive information on epidemiologic, clinical, and histological factors. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios of 5-year risk of breast cancer recurrence adjusted for treatment and stage. Statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: None of the breast cancer risk factors were associated with recurrence, adjusting for tumor characteristics and treatment. A significant interaction between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use and tumor hormone receptor status on risk of recurrence (P = .0003) was observed. Among ever-users of HRT, recurrence risk was two-fold lower for estrogen receptor (ER)--positive and progesterone receptor (PR)--positive tumors compared with ER- and PR-negative tumors; whereas, among never-users of HRT, there was no statistically significant association between recurrence risk and receptor status. CONCLUSION: HRT users who develop receptor-positive early-stage disease have better outcomes than those who develop receptor-negative disease. Among never-users of HRT, the expected beneficial effect of ER- or PR-positive tumors on recurrence risk was absent. These data lend support to the notion that the biology of hormone receptor-positive disease in HRT users differs from that in nonusers. PMID- 17785708 TI - Effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. AB - PURPOSE: Breast cancer chemotherapy may cause unfavorable changes in physical functioning, body composition, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life (QOL). We evaluated the relative merits of aerobic and resistance exercise in blunting these effects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial in Canada between 2003 and 2005 that randomly assigned 242 breast cancer patients initiating adjuvant chemotherapy to usual care (n = 82), supervised resistance exercise (n = 82), or supervised aerobic exercise (n = 78) for the duration of their chemotherapy (median, 17 weeks; 95% CI, 9 to 24 weeks). Our primary end point was cancer-specific QOL assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Anemia scale. Secondary end points were fatigue, psychosocial functioning, physical fitness, body composition, chemotherapy completion rate, and lymphedema. RESULTS: The follow-up assessment rate for our primary end point was 92.1%, and adherence to the supervised exercise was 70.2%. Unadjusted and adjusted mixed-model analyses indicated that aerobic exercise was superior to usual care for improving self-esteem (P = .015), aerobic fitness (P = .006), and percent body fat (adjusted P = .076). Resistance exercise was superior to usual care for improving self-esteem (P = .018), muscular strength (P < .001), lean body mass (P = .015), and chemotherapy completion rate (P = .033). Changes in cancer-specific QOL, fatigue, depression, and anxiety favored the exercise groups but did not reach statistical significance. Exercise did not cause lymphedema or adverse events. CONCLUSION: Neither aerobic nor resistance exercise significantly improved cancer-specific QOL in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, but they did improve self esteem, physical fitness, body composition, and chemotherapy completion rate without causing lymphedema or significant adverse events. PMID- 17785709 TI - Randomized controlled trial of yoga among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients: effects on quality of life. AB - PURPOSE: This study examines the impact of yoga, including physical poses, breathing, and meditation exercises, on quality of life (QOL), fatigue, distressed mood, and spiritual well-being among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-eight patients (42% African American, 31% Hispanic) recruited from an urban cancer center were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to a 12-week yoga intervention (n = 84) or a 12 week waitlist control group (n = 44). Changes in QOL (eg, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy) from before random assignment (T1) to the 3-month follow-up (T3) were examined; predictors of adherence were also assessed. Nearly half of all patients were receiving medical treatment. RESULTS: Regression analyses indicated that the control group had a greater decrease in social well-being compared with the intervention group after controlling for baseline social well being and covariates (P < .0001). Secondary analyses of 71 patients not receiving chemotherapy during the intervention period indicated favorable outcomes for the intervention group compared with the control group in overall QOL (P < .008), emotional well-being (P < .015), social well-being (P < .004), spiritual well being (P < .009), and distressed mood (P < .031). Sixty-nine percent of intervention participants attended classes (mean number of classes attended by active class participants = 7.00 +/- 3.80), with lower adherence associated with increased fatigue (P < .001), radiotherapy (P < .0001), younger age (P < .008), and no antiestrogen therapy (P < .02). CONCLUSION: Despite limited adherence, this intent-to-treat analysis suggests that yoga is associated with beneficial effects on social functioning among a medically diverse sample of breast cancer survivors. Among patients not receiving chemotherapy, yoga appears to enhance emotional well-being and mood and may serve to buffer deterioration in both overall and specific domains of QOL. PMID- 17785710 TI - Re: "Parental infertility and semen quality in male offspring: a follow-up study". PMID- 17785711 TI - Prospective study of cured meats consumption and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in men. AB - Cured meats are high in nitrites. Nitrites generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause damage to the lung. The objective is to assess the relation between frequent consumption of cured meats and the risk of newly diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Between 1986 and 1998, the authors identified 111 self-reported cases of newly diagnosed COPD among 42,915 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The cumulative average intake of cured meats consumption (processed meats, bacon, hot dogs) was calculated from food frequency questionnaires administrated in 1986, 1990, and 1994 and divided according to servings per week (never/almost never, <1 serving/week, 1-3 servings/week, 4-6 servings/week, at least once/day). After adjustment for age, smoking status, pack-years, pack-years squared, energy intake, race/ethnicity, US region, body mass index, and physical activity, the consumption of cured meats was positively associated with the risk of newly diagnosed COPD (for highest vs. lowest intake: relative risk = 2.64, 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 5.00; p(trend) = 0.002). In contrast to these findings, the consumption of cured meats was not associated with the risk of adult-onset asthma. These data suggest that cured meat may worsen the adverse effects of smoking on risk of COPD. PMID- 17785712 TI - Obesity and oral contraceptive failure: findings from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. AB - Oral contraceptives are the most popular reversible method of contraception in the United States. Although most women using oral contraceptives are reliably protected against pregnancy, nearly half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States annually occur among the 90% of women who use contraception. Recent findings suggest that obesity may reduce the biologic effectiveness of oral contraceptives. The purpose of this study was to further investigate the potential obesity-oral contraceptive failure association using 2002 National Survey of Family Growth data. In this retrospective cohort of 1,491 women, body mass index (kg/m2) was derived from self-reported values, and oral contraceptive failure was defined as conceptions that occurred while women used oral contraceptives. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained from Cox proportional hazards models. Obese women (body mass index > or = 30 vs. 18.5 24.9) had an increased risk of oral contraceptive failure (hazard ratio = 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.94, 2.68). Results were largely attenuated after adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, and parity. This population-based study found no association between obesity and oral contraceptive failure. While it is possible that misclassification or uncontrolled confounding obscured a true relation, it may be that there is no association. Large, prospective studies are needed to assess whether obesity plays a biologically relevant role in oral contraceptive effectiveness. PMID- 17785714 TI - Toll-like receptors in brain development and homeostasis. AB - Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are best known as initiators of the innate immune response to pathogens. Recent reports now reveal intriguing roles for TLRs in the central nervous system (CNS). These include the regulation of neuroinflammation and of neurite outgrowth. The archetypal Toll protein in Drosophila melanogaster was implicated in the development of the nervous system. Now similar functions have been uncovered for the mammalian orthologs, the TLRs. TLRs expressed on CNS glia and neurons may recognize endogenous ligands and participate both in development and in responses associated with CNS injury. PMID- 17785715 TI - T cell activation by TLRs: a role for TLRs in the adaptive immune response. AB - Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation is primarily thought to affect antigen presenting cells (APCs) by inducing an innate immune response that can subsequently activate the adaptive immune system. However, there are increasing data that demonstrate expression and activation of TLRs on T cells, thus providing evidence for a direct role for TLRs in the activation of an adaptive immune response. A study recently demonstrated that Pam3CSK {N-palmitoyl-S-[2,3 bis(palmitoloxy)-(2RS)-propyl]-Cys-Ser-Lys(4)}, a TLR2 agonist lipopeptide, activates T helper 1 (T(H)1) cells and induces interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production, even in the absence of TLR1, which differs from its mechanism of activation of APCs. Moreover, whereas Pam3CSK-stimulated IFN-gamma production by T(H)1 cells is ablated in the absence of both myeloid differentiation marker 88 (MyD88), an adaptor protein in the TLR pathway, and interleukin-1 receptor (IL 1R)-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4), the mitogen-activated protein kinases p38 and c Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) are still phosphorylated. These data suggest that TLR2 activation of T(H)1 cells occurs through a mechanism different from that described for APCs and provides further evidence of direct TLR activation of the adaptive immune system. PMID- 17785716 TI - Isolation and chemical synthesis of a major, novel biliary bile acid in the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus): 15alpha-hydroxylithocholic acid. AB - The major bile acids present in the gallbladder bile of the common Australian wombat (Vombatus ursinus) were isolated by preparative HPLC and identified by NMR as the taurine N-acylamidates of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and 15alpha hydroxylithocholic acid (3alpha,15alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid). Taurine-conjugated CDCA constituted 78% of biliary bile acids, and (taurine conjugated) 15alpha-hydroxylithocholic acid constituted 11%. Proof of structure of the latter compound was obtained by its synthesis from CDCA via a Delta14 intermediate. The synthesis of its C-15 epimer, 15beta-hydroxylithocholic acid (3alpha,15beta-dihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid), is also reported. The taurine conjugate of 15alpha-hydroxylithocholic acid was synthesized and shown to have chromatographic and spectroscopic properties identical to those of the compound isolated from bile. It is likely that 15alpha-hydroxylithocholic acid is synthesized in the wombat hepatocyte by 15alpha-hydroxylation of lithocholic acid that was formed by bacterial 7alpha-dehydroxylation of CDCA in the distal intestine. Thus, the wombat appears to use 15alpha-hydroxylation as a novel detoxification mechanism for lithocholic acid. PMID- 17785717 TI - Are you ready? PMID- 17785722 TI - How do we introduce the next generation of radiotracers into clinical practice? PMID- 17785723 TI - Senate appropriators restore funding for basic nuclear medicine research at DOE. PMID- 17785713 TI - Associations of plasma fibrinogen levels with established cardiovascular disease risk factors, inflammatory markers, and other characteristics: individual participant meta-analysis of 154,211 adults in 31 prospective studies: the fibrinogen studies collaboration. AB - Long-term increases in plasma fibrinogen levels of 1 g/liter are associated with an approximate doubling of risk of major cardiovascular disease outcomes, but causality remains uncertain. To quantify cross-sectional associations of fibrinogen levels with established risk factors and other characteristics, the investigators combined individual data on 154,211 apparently healthy adults from 31 prospective studies conducted between 1967 and 2003, using a linear mixed model that included random effects at the cohort level. Fibrinogen levels increased with age and showed continuous, approximately linear relations with several risk markers and slightly curvilinear associations with log triglycerides, albumin, and tobacco and alcohol consumption. Female sex, Black ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status, and alcohol abstinence were each associated with modestly higher fibrinogen levels. Approximately one third of the variation in fibrinogen levels was explained by cohort, age, and sex. An additional 7% was explained by established risk factors (notably, positive associations with smoking and body mass index and an inverse association with high density lipoprotein cholesterol), and a further 10% was explained by inflammatory markers (notably, a positive association with C-reactive protein). The association with body mass index was twice as strong in women as in men, whereas the association with smoking was much stronger in men. These findings substantially advance understanding of the correlates and possible determinants of fibrinogen levels. PMID- 17785724 TI - A reduced role of V/Q scintigraphy in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism. PMID- 17785725 TI - Quantum dots: a quantum jump for molecular imaging? PMID- 17785726 TI - Very low probability interpretation of V/Q lung scans in combination with low probability objective clinical assessment reliably excludes pulmonary embolism: data from PIOPED II. AB - Use of a very low probability interpretation of ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scans, if verified by prospective evaluation to have a low positive predictive value (PPV), will reduce the number of nondiagnostic interpretations of V/Q scans and may be particularly useful in patients with a relative contraindication to CT. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that a very low probability interpretation of the V/Q scan has a PPV of <10%. METHODS: Data are from PIOPED II (Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis II). Very low probability criteria are (a) nonsegmental perfusion abnormalities, (b) perfusion defect smaller than corresponding radiographic lesion, (c) > or =2 matched V/Q defects with regionally normal chest radiograph, (d) 1-3 small segmental perfusion defects (<25% of a segment), (e) solitary triple matched defect in middle or upper lung zones, (f) stripe sign around the perfusion defect(s), and (g) perfusion defect from pleural effusion equal to one third or more of the pleural cavity with no other perfusion defect. RESULTS: A very low probability consensus interpretation of the V/Q scan was made in 56% of patients. The PPV of a very low probability interpretation of the V/Q scans was 36 of 440 patients (8.2%). Among patients with suspected pulmonary embolism who had a low clinical probability objective clinical assessment and a very low probability V/Q scan, the PPV was 8 of 259 patients (3.1%). Among women < or =40 y, the PPV of the very low probability V/Q with a low objective clinical assessment was 1 of 50 (2%). CONCLUSION: The very low probability V/Q scan together with a low probability clinical assessment reliably excludes pulmonary embolism. PMID- 17785727 TI - Added value of coronary artery calcium score as an adjunct to gated SPECT for the evaluation of coronary artery disease in an intermediate-risk population. AB - The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a readily and widely available tool for the noninvasive diagnosis of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the added value of the CAC score as an adjunct to gated SPECT for the assessment of CAD in an intermediate-risk population. METHODS: Seventy-seven prospectively recruited patients with intermediate risk (as determined by the Framingham Heart Study 10-y CAD risk score) and referred for coronary angiography because of suspected CAD underwent stress (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and CT CAC scoring within 2 wk before coronary angiography. The sensitivity and specificity of SPECT alone and of the combination of the 2 methods (SPECT plus CAC score) in demonstrating significant CAD (>/=50% stenosis on coronary angiography) were compared. RESULTS: Forty-two (55%) of the 77 patients had CAD on coronary angiography, and 35 (45%) had abnormal SPECT results. The CAC score was significantly higher in subjects with perfusion abnormalities than in those who had normal SPECT results (889 +/- 836 [mean +/- SD] vs. 286 +/- 335; P < 0.0001). Similarly, with rising CAC scores, a larger percentage of patients had CAD. Receiver-operating-characteristic analysis showed that a CAC score of greater than or equal to 709 was the optimal cutoff for detecting CAD missed by SPECT. SPECT alone had a sensitivity and a specificity for the detection of significant CAD of 76% and 91%, respectively. Combining SPECT with the CAC score (at a cutoff of 709) improved the sensitivity of SPECT (from 76% to 86%) for the detection of CAD, in association with a nonsignificant decrease in specificity (from 91% to 86%). CONCLUSION: The CAC score may offer incremental diagnostic information over SPECT data for identifying patients with significant CAD and negative MPI results. PMID- 17785728 TI - Tumor imaging using 1-(2'-deoxy-2'-18F-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)thymine and PET. AB - The kinetics of 1-(2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-d-arabinofuranosyl)thymine (FMAU) were studied using PET to determine the most appropriate and simplest approach to image acquisition and analysis. The concept of tumor retention ratio (TRR) is introduced and validated. METHODS: Ten patients with brain (n = 4) or prostate (n = 6) tumors were imaged using (18)F-FMAU PET (mean dose, 369 MBq). Sixty-minute dynamic images were obtained; this was followed by whole-body images. Mean and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmean and SUVmax, respectively) of each tumor were determined as the mean over 3 planes of each time interval. For kinetic analyses, blood activity was measured in 18 samples over 60 min. Samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography at 3 selected times to determine tracer metabolites. FMAU kinetics were measured using a 3-compartment model yielding the flux (K1 x k3/(k2 + k3)) (K1, k2, and k3 are rate constants) and compared with TRR measurements. TRR was calculated as the tumor (18)F-FMAU uptake area under the curve divided by the product of blood (18)F-FMAU AUC and time. A similar analysis was performed using muscle to estimate (18)F-FMAU delivery. RESULTS: SUVmean measurements obtained from 5 to 11 min correlated with those obtained from 30 to 60 min (r(2) = 0.92, P < 0.0001) and 50 to 60 min (r(2) = 0.92, P < 0.0001) due to the rapid clearance of (18)F-FMAU. Similar results were obtained using SUVmax measurements (r(2) = 0.93, P < 0.0001; r(2) = 0.88, P < 0.0001, respectively). The measurement of TRR using either blood or muscle activity over 11 min provided results comparable to those of 60-min dynamic imaging and a 3-compartment model. This analysis required only 5 blood samples drawn at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 11 min without metabolite correction to produce comparable results. CONCLUSION: Tissue retention ratio measurements obtained over 11 min can replace flux measurements in (18)F-FMAU imaging. The SUVmean and the SUVmax in 5-11 min images correlated well with those of images obtained at 50-60 min. The quality of the images and tissue kinetics in 11 min of imaging makes it a desirable and shorter tumor imaging option. PMID- 17785729 TI - Dual-labeled trastuzumab-based imaging agent for the detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression in breast cancer. AB - Overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family has been implicated in cancer because of its participation in signaling pathways regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, motility, and survival. In this work, we exploited the extracellular binding property of trastuzumab, a clinically therapeutic monoclonal antibody to the second member of the HER family (HER2), to design a diagnostic imaging agent, ((111)In-DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab (IRDye 800CW)(m), that is dual labeled with (111)In, a gamma-emitter, and a near infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, IRDye 800CW, to detect HER2 overexpression in breast cancer cells. The stoichiometric ratios "n" and "m" refer to the number of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid dianhydride (DTPA) and IRDye 800CW molecules bound per trastuzumab molecule, respectively. METHODS: Fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy were used to determine the molecular specificity of (DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) in vitro in SKBr3 (HER2-positive) and MDA-MB 231 (HER2-negative) breast cancer cells. SKBr3 cells were incubated with (DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) or IRDye800CW or pretreated with trastuzumab or human IgG followed by (DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) and examined under a fluorescence microscope. For in vivo characterization, athymic nude mice bearing HER2-overexpressing SKBr3-luc subcutaneous xenografts were injected intravenously with ((111)In-DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) and imaged with SPECT and NIR fluorescence imaging at 48 h. Tumor-bearing mice were also injected intravenously with trastuzumab 24 h before administration of ((111)In-DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab (IRDye800)(m). Nonspecific uptake in the SKBr3-luc tumors was analyzed by injecting the mice with IRDye 800CW and ((111)In-DTPA)(p)-IgG-(IRDye800)(q), where "p" and "q" are the stoichiometric ratios of DTPA and IRDye 800CW bound per IgG antibody, respectively. RESULTS: (DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) showed significantly greater binding to SKBr3 cells than to MDA-MB-231 cells. Confocal imaging revealed that this binding occurred predominantly around the cell membrane. Competitive binding studies with excess trastuzumab before incubation with (DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) abolished this binding affinity, but pretreatment with nonspecific IgG did not alter binding. In vivo nuclear and optical imaging of SKBr3-luc xenografts injected with ((111)In-DTPA)(n) trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) revealed significantly more uptake in the tumor region than in the contralateral muscle region. The tumor-to-muscle ratio decreased in mice pretreated with trastuzumab and in mice injected with IRDye 800CW and ((111)In-DTPA)(p)-IgG-(IRDye800)(q). Ex vivo imaging of dissected organs confirmed these results. Finally, coregistration of histologic hematoxylin-eosin stains with autoradiography signals from tumor and muscle tissue slices indicated that ((111)In-DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab-(IRDye800)(m) bound only in tumor tissue and not to muscle. CONCLUSION: Dual-labeled ((111)In-DTPA)(n)-trastuzumab (IRDye800)(m) may be an effective diagnostic biomarker capable of tracking HER2 overexpression in breast cancer patients. PMID- 17785732 TI - Would patient selection based on both calcitonin blood level and doubling time improve 18F-FDG PET sensitivity in restaging of medullary thyroid cancer? PMID- 17785733 TI - Assessment of mobility after multi-level surgery for cerebral palsy. AB - In cerebral palsy, the site and severity of the brain lesion are directly linked to gross motor function and the development of musculoskeletal deformities. The relationship between walking ability and orthopaedic surgery in children with cerebral palsy is not fully understood. The development of new tools such as the Functional Assessment Questionnaire and the Functional Mobility Scale can be used to give new insights on the functional impact of multilevel surgery. These scales are most useful as part of systematic, long-term follow-up. PMID- 17785734 TI - Congenital talipes equinovarus: a review of current management. AB - Talipes equinovarus is one of the more common congenital abnormalities affecting the lower limb and can be challenging to manage. This review provides a comprehensive update on idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus with emphasis on the initial treatment. Current management is moving away from operative towards a more conservative treatment using the Ponseti regime. The long-term results of surgical correction and the recent results of conservative treatment will be discussed. PMID- 17785735 TI - The long head of biceps and associated tendinopathy. AB - This paper describes the current views on the pathology of lesions of the tendon of the long head of biceps and their management. Their diagnosis is described and their surgical management classified, with details of the techniques employed. PMID- 17785736 TI - The use of the Oxford hip and knee scores. AB - The Oxford hip and knee scores have been extensively used since they were first described in 1996 and 1998. During this time, they have been modified and used for many different purposes. This paper describes how they should be used and seeks to clarify areas of confusion. PMID- 17785737 TI - Charnley low-friction arthroplasty: survival patterns to 38 years. AB - We studied survival to 38 years after Charnley low-friction arthroplasty of the hip. We used revision as an end-point, while adopting a policy of regular follow up and early revision for radiological changes alone if indicated. Between November 1962 and June 2005, 22,066 primary low-friction arthroplasties (17,409 patients) had been performed at Wrightington Hospital by more than 330 surgeons. By June 2006, 1001 (4.5%) hips had been revised and 1490 patients (2662 hips, 12%) had died. At 31 years, where a minimum of 40 hips were still attending follow-up, survival with revision for infection as an endpoint was 95%, for dislocation 98%, for a fractured stem 88.6%, for a loose stem 72.5% and for a loose acetabular component 53.7%. Wear and loosening of the ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene acetabular component were the main long-term problems. We conclude that regular follow-up after hip replacement is essential and that all operative findings should be recorded at revision. PMID- 17785738 TI - Narrowing of the neck in resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip: a radiological study. AB - Narrowing of the femoral neck after resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip has been described previously in both cemented and uncemented hip resurfacing. The natural history of narrowing of the femoral neck is unknown. We retrospectively measured the diameter of the femoral neck in a series of 163 Birmingham hip resurfacings in 163 patients up to a maximum of six years after operation to determine the extent and progression of narrowing. There were 105 men and 58 women with a mean age of 52 years (18 to 82). At a mean follow-up of five years, the mean Harris hip score was 94.8 (47 to 100) and the mean flexion of the hip 112.5 degrees (80 degrees to 160 degrees ). There was some narrowing of the femoral neck in 77% (125) of the patients reviewed, and in 27.6% (45) the narrowing exceeded 10% of the diameter of the neck. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association (chi-squared test (derived from logistic regression) p = 0.01) of narrowing with female gender and a valgus femoral neck/shaft angle. There was no significant association between the range of movement, position or size of the component or radiological lucent lines and narrowing of the neck (chi squared test; p = 0.10 (flexion), p = 0.08 (size of femoral component), p = 0.09 (size of acetabular component), p = 0.71 (femoral component angulation), p = 0.99 (lucent lines)). There was no significant difference between the diameter of the neck at a mean of three years (2.5 to 3.5) and that at five years (4.5 to 5.5), indicating that any change in the diameter of the neck had stabilised by three years (sign rank test, p = 0.60). We conclude that narrowing of the femoral neck which is found with the Birmingham hip resurfacing arthroplasty is in most cases associated with no adverse clinical or radiological outcome up to a maximum of six years after the initial operation. PMID- 17785739 TI - Arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement secondary to paediatric hip disorders. AB - Open reduction of the prominence at the femoral head-neck junction in femoroacetabular impingement has become an established treatment for this condition. We report our experience of arthroscopically-assisted treatment of femoroacetabular impingement secondary to paediatric hip disease in 14 hips in 13 consecutive patients (seven women, six men) with a mean age of 30.6 years (24 to 39) at the time of surgery. The mean follow-up was 2.5 years (2 to 4). Radiologically, 13 hips had successful restoration of the normal geometry and only one had a residual deformity. The mean increase in the Western Ontario McMasters Osteoarthritis Index for the series at the last follow-up was 9.6 points (4 to 14). No patient developed avascular necrosis or sustained a fracture of the femoral neck or any other complication. These findings suggest that femoroacetabular impingement associated with paediatric hip disease can be treated safely by arthroscopic techniques. PMID- 17785740 TI - Iliopsoas impingement after total hip replacement: the results of non-operative management, tenotomy or acetabular revision. AB - We have reviewed a group of patients with iliopsoas impingement after total hip replacement with radiological evidence of a well-fixed malpositioned or oversized acetabular component. A consecutive series of 29 patients (30 hips) was assessed. All had undergone a trial of conservative management with no improvement in their symptoms. Eight patients (eight hips) preferred continued conservative management (group 1), and 22 hips had either an iliopsoas tenotomy (group 2) or revision of the acetabular component and debridement of the tendon (group 3), based on clinical and radiological findings. Patients were followed clinically for at least two years, and 19 of the 22 patients (86.4%) who had surgery were contacted by phone at a mean of 7.8 years (5 to 9) post-operatively. Conservative management failed in all eight hips. At the final follow-up, operative treatment resulted in relief of pain in 18 of 22 hips (81.8%), with one hip in group 2 and three in group 3 with continuing symptoms. The Harris Hip Score was significantly better in the combined groups 2 and 3 than in group 1. There was a significant rate of complications in group 3. This group initially had better functional scores, but at final follow-up these were no different from those in group 2. Tenotomy of the iliopsoas and revision of the acetabular component are both successful surgical options. Iliopsoas tenotomy provided the same functional results as revision of the acetabular component and avoided the risks of the latter procedure. PMID- 17785741 TI - Retrieval analyses of highly cross-linked polyethylene acetabular liners four and five years after implantation. AB - Two Durasul highly crosslinked polyethylene liners were exchanged during revision surgery four and five years after implantation, respectively. The retrieved liners were evaluated macroscopically and surface analysis was performed using optical and electron microscopy. A sample of each liner was used to determine the oxidation of the material by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Samples of the capsule were examined histologically. The annual wear rate was found to be 0.010 and 0.015 mm/year, respectively. Surface analysis showed very little loss of material caused by wear. Histological evaluation revealed a continuous neosynovial lining with single multinucleated foreign-body giant cells. Our findings showed no unexpected patterns of wear on the articulating surfaces up to five years after implantation and no obvious failure of material. PMID- 17785742 TI - A conservative approach is feasible in unexplained pain after knee replacement: a selected cohort study. AB - Pain is the main indication for performing total knee replacement (TKR). In most patients after TKR there is an improvement, but a few continue to have pain. Generally, the cause of the pain can be addressed when it is identified. However, unexplained pain can be more difficult to manage because revision surgery is likely to be unrewarding in this group. In our study of 622 cemented TKRs in 512 patients with a mean age of 69 years (23 to 90) treated between January 1995 and August 1998, we identified 24 patients (knees) with unexplained pain at six months. This group was followed for five years (data was available for 18 knees in the study) [corrected] and ten patients (55.5%) went on to show an improvement without intervention. In the case of unexplained pain, management decisions must be carefully considered, but reassurance can be offered to patients that the pain will improve in more than half with time. PMID- 17785743 TI - Posterior cruciate ligament balancing in total knee replacement: the quantitative relationship between tightness of the flexion gap and tibial translation. AB - We have examined the relationship between the size of the flexion gap and the anterior translation of the tibia in flexion during implantation of a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)-retaining BalanSys total knee replacement (TKR). In 91 knees, the flexion gap and anterior tibial translation were measured intra operatively using a custom-made, flexible tensor-spacer device. The results showed that for each increase of 1 mm in the flexion gap in the tensed knee a mean anterior tibial translation of 1.25 mm (SD 0.79, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.37) was produced. When implanting a PCL-retaining TKR the surgeon should be aware that the tibiofemoral contact point is related to the choice of thickness of the polyethylene insert. An additional thickness of polyethylene insert of 2 mm results in an approximate increase in tibial anterior translation of 2.5 mm while the flexed knee is distracted with a force of between 100 N and 200 N. PMID- 17785744 TI - Revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: timing of surgery and the incidence of meniscal tears and degenerative change. AB - We reviewed 87 patients who underwent revision reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. The incidence of meniscal tears and degenerative change was assessed and related to the interval between failure of the primary graft and revision reconstruction. Patients were divided into two groups: early revision surgery within six months of graft failure, and delayed revision. Degenerative change was scored using the French Society of Arthroscopy system. There was a significantly higher incidence of articular cartilage degeneration in the delayed group (Mann-Whitney U-test, 53.2% vs 24%, p < 0.01). No patient in the early group had advanced degenerative change, compared to 9.2% of patients in the delayed group. There was no significant difference (Mann-Whitney U-test, p = 0.3) in the incidence of meniscal tears between the two groups. We conclude that revision reconstruction should be carried out within six months of primary graft failure, in order to minimise the risk of degenerative change. PMID- 17785745 TI - The use of gravity or manual-stress radiographs in the assessment of supination external rotation fractures of the ankle. AB - Supination-external rotation (SER) fractures of the ankle may present with a medial ligamentous injury that is not apparent on the initial radiographs. A cadaver gravity-stress view has been described, but the manual-stress view is considered to be the examination of choice for the diagnosis of medial injuries. We prospectively compared the efficacy of these two examinations. We undertook both examinations in 29 patients with SER fractures. Of these, 16 (55%) were stress-positive, i.e. and had widening of the medial clear space of > 4 mm with a mean medial clear space of 6.09 mm (4.4 to 8.1) on gravity-stress and 5.81 mm (4.0 to 8.2) on manual-stress examination, and 13 patients (45%) were stress negative with a mean medial clear space of 3.91 mm (3.3 to 5.1) and 3.61 mm (2.6 to 4.5) on examination of gravity- and manual-stress respectively. The mean absolute visual analgoue scale score for discomfort in the examination of gravity stress was 3.45 (1 to 6) and in the manual-stress procedure 6.14 (3 to 10). We have shown that examination of gravity-stress is as reliable and perceived as more comfortable than that of manual stress. We recommend using it as the initial diagnostic screening examination for the detection of occult medial ligamentous injuries in SER fractures of the ankle. PMID- 17785746 TI - Measurement of the dose of radiation to the surgeon during surgery to the foot and ankle. AB - We carried out a prospective study over a period of 12 months to measure the exposure to radiation of the hands of a dedicated foot and ankle surgeon. A thermoluminescent dosimeter ring (TLD) was used to measure the cumulative dose of radiation. Fluoroscopy was used in operations on the foot and ankle. The total screening time was 3028 s, with a mean time per procedure of 37.4 s (0.6 to 197). This correlated positively with the number of procedures performed (r = 0.92, p < 0.001), and with the dose of radiation in both the left (r = 0.85, p = 0.0005) and right TLDs (r = 0.59, p = 0.419). There was no significant difference in the dose of radiation between the two hands (t-test, p = 0.62). The total dose to the right TLD over the 12 months was 2.4 millisieverts. This is a simple and convenient method for evaluating the exposure of a single surgeon to radiation. The radiation detected was well below the annual dose limit set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. PMID- 17785747 TI - The open modified Bankart procedure: outcome at follow-up of 10 to 15 years. AB - We report the outcome of a modified Bankart procedure using suture anchors in 31 patients (31 shoulders) with a mean follow-up of 11 years (10 to 15). The mean age of the patients was 28 years (16 to 39). At follow-up, the mean Rowe score was 90 points (66 to 98) and the Constant score was 96 points (85 to 100). A total of 26 shoulders (84%) had a good or excellent result. The rate of recurrence varied between 6.7% and 9.7% and depended on how recurrence was defined. Two patients had a significant new injury at one and nine years, respectively after operation. The overall rate of instability (including subluxations) varied between 12.9% and 22.6%. All patients returned to work, with 29 (94%) resuming their pre-operative occupation and level of activity. Mild radiological osteoarthritis was seen in nine shoulders (29%) and severe osteoarthritis in one. We conclude that the open modified Bankart procedure is a reliable surgical technique with good long-term results. PMID- 17785748 TI - Delayed recovery and late development of complex regional pain syndrome in patients with an isolated fracture of the distal radius: prediction of a regional inflammatory response by early signs. AB - We studied prospectively the regional inflammatory response to a unilateral distal radial fracture in 114 patients at eight to nine weeks after injury and again at one year. Our aim was to identify patients at risk for a delayed recovery and particularly those likely to develop complex regional pain syndrome. In order to quantify clinically the inflammatory response, a regional inflammatory score was developed. In addition, blood samples were collected from the antecubital veins of both arms for comparative biochemical and blood-gas analysis. The severity of the inflammatory response was related to the type of treatment (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.002). A highly significantly-positive correlation was found between the regional inflammatory score and the length of time to full recovery (r(2) = 0.92, p = 0.01, linear regession). A regional inflammatory score of 5 points with a sensitivity of 100% but a specificity of only 16% also identified patients at risk of complex regional pain syndrome. None of the biochemical parameters studied correlated with regional inflammatory score or predicted the development of complex regional pain syndrome. Our study suggests that patients with a distal radial fracture and a regional inflammatory score of 5 points or more at eight to nine weeks after injury should be considered for specific anti-inflammatory treatment. PMID- 17785749 TI - Treatment of benign bone tumours using external fixation. AB - We present a retrospective study of patients suffering from a variety of benign tumours in whom external fixators were used to treat deformity and limb-length discrepancy, and for the reconstruction of bone defects. A total of 43 limbs in 31 patients (12 male and 19 female) with a mean age of 14 years (2 to 54) were treated. The diagnosis was Ollier's disease in 12 limbs, fibrous dysplasia in 11, osteochondroma in eight, giant cell tumour in five, osteofibrous dysplasia in five and non-ossifying fibroma in two. The lesions were treated in the tibia in 19 limbs, in the femur in 16, and in the forearm in eight. The Ilizarov frame was used in 25 limbs, the Taylor Spatial Frame in seven, the Orthofix fixator in six, the Monotube in four and the Heidelberg fixator in one. The mean follow-up was 72 months (22 to 221). The mean external fixation period was 168 days (71 to 352). The mean external fixation index was 42 days/cm (22.2 to 102.0) in the 22 patients who required limb lengthening. The mean correction angle for those with angular deformity was 23 degrees (7 degrees to 45 degrees ). At final follow-up all patients had returned to normal activities. Four patients required a second operation for recurrent deformity of further limb lengthening. Local recurrence occurred in one patient, requiring further surgery. PMID- 17785750 TI - Cementless fixation of megaprostheses using a conical fluted stem in the treatment of bone tumours. AB - We reviewed 25 patients in whom a MUTARS megaprosthesis with a conical fluted stem had been implanted. There were three types of stem: a standard stem was used in 17 cases (three in the proximal femur, nine in the distal femur and five proximal tibia), a custom-made proximal femoral stem in four cases and a custom made distal femoral stem in four cases. The mean age of the patients was 40.1 years (17 to 70) and the mean follow-up was for 2.5 years (0.9 to 7.4). At follow up two patients had died from their disease: one was alive with disease and 22 were disease-free. One of 23 prostheses had been removed for infection and another revised to a cemented stem. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 24.9 (12 to 30) and the mean Karnofsky index was 82% (60% to 100%). There was no radiological evidence of loosening or subsidence. Stem stress shielding was seen in 11 patients and was marked in five of these. There were five complications, rupture of the extensor mechanism of the knee after extra articular resection in two patients, deep venous thrombosis in one, septic loosening in one, and dislocation of the hip in one. The survival rate after seven years was 87% (95% confidence interval (CI) 83 to 91) for the patients and 95% (95% CI 91 to 99) for the megaprosthesis. A longer follow-up is needed to confirm these encouraging results. PMID- 17785751 TI - Outcome of single-event multilevel surgery in untreated cerebral palsy in a developing country. AB - In developed countries, children with cerebral palsy are treated from the time of diagnosis. This is usually not the case in developing countries where such patients often present at an age when it is traditionally believed that if walking has not already commenced, it is unlikely to. This study reports the outcome of the surgical treatment of 85 spastic diplegic patients at a mean of 8.5 years (5 to 12). All presented as untreated non-walkers and had achieved sitting balance by the age of five to six years. They underwent single-event multilevel surgery followed by physiotherapy and orthotic support. For outcome assessment, a modified functional walking scale was used at a mean of 3.5 years (2 to 5) post-operatively. At all levels, static joint contractures had resolved almost completely. All patients improved and became walkers, 18 (21.2%) as exercise, 39 (45.9%) as household and 28 (33%) as community walkers. This study shows that children with cerebral palsy who cannot walk and have not been treated can be helped by single-event multilevel surgery, provided that inclusion criteria are followed and a structural, supervised rehabilitation programme is in place. PMID- 17785752 TI - Post-operative blood salvage with autologous retransfusion in primary total hip replacement. AB - Clinical, haematological or economic benefits of post-operative blood salvage with autologous blood re-transfusion have yet to be clearly demonstrated for primary total hip replacement. We performed a prospective randomised study to analyse differences in postoperative haemoglobin levels and homologous blood requirements in two groups of patients undergoing primary total hip replacement. A series of 158 patients was studied. In one group two vacuum drains were used and in the other the ABTrans autologous retransfusion system. A total of 58 patients (76%) in the re-transfusion group received autologous blood. There was no significant difference in the mean post-operative haemoglobin levels in the two groups. There were, however, significantly fewer patients with post-operative haemoglobin values less than 9.0 g/dl and significantly fewer patients who required transfusion of homologous blood in the re-transfusion group. There was also a small overall cost saving in this group. PMID- 17785753 TI - Articular cartilage restoration in load-bearing osteochondral defects by implantation of autologous chondrocyte-fibrin constructs: an experimental study in sheep. AB - Ovine articular chondrocytes were isolated from cartilage biopsy and culture expanded in vitro. Approximately 30 million cells per ml of cultured chondrocytes were incorporated with autologous plasma-derived fibrin to form a three dimensional construct. Full-thickness punch hole defects were created in the lateral and medial femoral condyles. The defects were implanted with either an autologous 'chondrocyte-fibrin' construct (ACFC), autologous chondrocytes (ACI) or fibrin blanks (AF) as controls. Animals were killed after 12 weeks. The gross appearance of the treated defects was inspected and photographed. The repaired tissues were studied histologically and by scanning electron microscopy analysis. All defects were assessed using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification. Those treated with ACFC, ACI and AF exhibited median scores which correspond to a nearly-normal appearance. On the basis of the modified O'Driscoll histological scoring scale, ACFC implantation significantly enhanced cartilage repair compared to ACI and AF. Using scanning electron microscopy, ACFC and ACI showed characteristic organisation of chondrocytes and matrices, which were relatively similar to the surrounding adjacent cartilage. Implantation of ACFC resulted in superior hyaline-like cartilage regeneration when compared with ACI. If this result is applicable to humans, a better outcome would be obtained than by using conventional ACI. PMID- 17785754 TI - Stem cells and debrided waste: two alternative sources of cells for transplantation of cartilage. AB - Implantation of autologous chondrocytes and matrix autologous chondrocytes are techniques of cartilage repair used in the young adult knee which require harvesting of healthy cartilage and which may cause iatrogenic damage to the joint. This study explores alternative sources of autologous cells. Chondrocytes obtained from autologous bone-marrow-derived cells and those from the damaged cartilage within the lesion itself are shown to be viable alternatives to harvest derived cells. A sufficient number and quality of cells were obtained by the new techniques and may be suitable for autologous chondrocyte and matrix autologous chondrocyte implantation. PMID- 17785756 TI - Bone transport using hydroxyapatite loaded with bone morphogenetic protein in rabbits. AB - The feasibility of bone transport with bone substitute and the factors which are essential for a successful bone transport are unknown. We studied six groups of 12 Japanese white rabbits. Groups A to D received cylindrical autologous bone segments and groups E and F hydroxyapatite prostheses. The periosteum was preserved in group A so that its segments had a blood supply, cells, proteins and scaffold. Group B had no blood supply. Group C had proteins and scaffold and group D had only scaffold. Group E received hydroxyapatite loaded with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 and group F had hydroxyapatite alone. Distraction osteogenesis occurred in groups A to C and E which had osteo conductive transport segments loaded with osteo-inductive proteins. We conclude that scaffold and proteins are essential for successful bone transport, and that bone substitute can be used to regenerate bone. PMID- 17785755 TI - Vacuum-mixing cement does not decrease overall porosity in cemented femoral stems: an in vitro laboratory investigation. AB - The role of vacuum mixing on the reduction of porosity and on the clinical performance of cemented total hip replacements remains uncertain. We have used paired femoral constructs prepared with either hand-mixed or vacuum-mixed cement in a cadaver model which simulated intra-operative conditions during cementing of the femoral component. After the cement had cured, the distribution of its porosity was determined, as was the strength of the cement-stem and cement-bone interfaces. The overall fraction of the pore area was similar for both hand-mixed and vacuum-mixed cement (hand 6%; vacuum 5.7%; paired t-test, p = 0.187). The linear pore fractions at the interfaces were also similar for the two techniques. The pore number-density was much higher for the hand-mixed cement (paired t-test, p = 0.0013). The strength of the cement-stem interface was greater with the hand mixed cement (paired t-test, p = 0.0005), while the strength of the cement-bone interface was not affected by the conditions of mixing (paired t-test, p = 0.275). The reduction in porosity with vacuum mixing did not affect the porosity of the mantle, but the distribution of the porosity can be affected by the technique of mixing used. PMID- 17785757 TI - Computer navigation versus conventional total knee replacement. PMID- 17785758 TI - Oxytocin: bringing magic into nipple aspiration. PMID- 17785759 TI - The impact of the Calman-Hine report on the processes and outcomes of care for Yorkshire's breast cancer patients. AB - BACKGROUND: The 1995 Calman-Hine plan outlined radical reform of the UK's cancer services with the aim of improving outcomes and reducing inequalities in National Health Service cancer care. Its main recommendation was to concentrate care into the hands of site-specialist multidisciplinary teams. This study aimed to determine whether these teams improved processes and outcomes of care for breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients diagnosed and treated with breast cancer in the Yorkshire region of the UK from 1995 to 2000 were identified within the Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service database. Changes in the use of breast-conserving surgery, adjuvant radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery and 5-year survival were assessed among these patients in relation to their managing breast cancer team's degree of adherence to the manual of cancer service standards (which outlines the specification of the 'ideal' breast cancer team) and the extent of site specialisation of each team's surgeons. RESULTS: Variation was observed in the extent to which the breast cancer teams in Yorkshire had conformed to the Calman-Hine recommendations. Increases in adherence to the recommendations in the manual of cancer service standards were associated with a reduction in the use of breast conserving surgery [odds ratio (OR) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70 0.98, P < 0.01]. Increases in both surgical specialisation (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.00-1.55, P = 0.06) and adherence to the manual of cancer service standards (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.97-1.52, P = 0.05) were associated with the increased use of radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery. There was a trend towards improved 5-year survival (hazard ratio = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.86-1.01, P = 0.10) in relation to increasing surgical site specialisation. All these effects were present after adjustment for the casemix factors of age, stage of disease, socio economic background and year of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of implementation of the Calman-Hine report has been variable and, on the basis of limited clinical and organisational information available, its recommendations appear to be associated with improvements in processes and outcomes of care for breast cancer patients. PMID- 17785760 TI - Patients with advanced stage breast carcinoma immunoreactive to biotinylated Herceptin are most likely to benefit from trastuzumab-based therapy: an hypothesis-generating study. AB - BACKGROUND: Biotin-labeled trastuzumab (BiotHER) can be used to test for HER2 by immunohistochemistry. We previously showed that BiotHER immunoreactivity is highly correlated with HER2 amplification and indicated that it could be associated with better clinical outcome in advanced breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumor specimens and clinical information from 234 patients who received trastuzumab-based treatments were collected from 10 institutions. HER2 amplification and BiotHER immunoreactivity were assessed centrally. The effect of BiotHER positivity on response rate (RR), time to progression and survival were studied by univariate and multivariate analysis in patients presenting HER2-amplified breast cancer. The pathologic reviews of the assays were blinded to patient outcomes. RESULTS: BiotHER was positive in 109/194 (56%) HER2-amplified breast cancers and in one not amplified tumor. RRs were 74% [95% (confidence interval) CI 64%-81%] and 47% (95% CI 36% 58%) in BiotHER-positive and -negative tumors, respectively (P < 0.001). BiotHER immunoreactivity was independently associated with increased probability of tumor response (odds ratio 3.848; 95% CI 1.952-7.582), with reduced risk of disease progression [hazard ratio (HR) 0.438; 95% CI 0.303-0.633] and with reduced risk of death (HR 0.566; 95% CI 0.368-0.870) by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The results support a role for BiotHER testing in better tailoring trastuzumab-based treatments in patients with advanced HER2-amplified breast cancers. PMID- 17785761 TI - Influence of education level on cancer survival in Sweden. AB - BACKGROUND: While cancer survival at several sites has historically been shown to vary by education level, a current comprehensive assessment of survival following a cancer diagnosis in Sweden, a country with universal health care and cancer screening, has yet to be carried out. METHODS: Using the 2006 update of the Swedish Family-Cancer Database and Cox's proportional hazards regression methods, we calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval to estimate the influence of education level on site-specific cancer survival. RESULTS: Significant positive associations between education level and cancer survival were observed following a diagnosis of upper aerodigestive track cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, urinary bladder cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Although the HRs differed between cancer sites, compared with women and men completing <9 years of education, university graduates were associated with a significant 40% improved survival for all cancer sites combined. CONCLUSIONS: Survival differences by education level were observed for both indolent and aggressive malignancies. PMID- 17785762 TI - Menopause hormone replacement therapy and cancer risk: an Italian record linkage investigation. AB - BACKGROUND: The effects of persistence with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the risk of hospitalization for cancer and of the route of HRT administration on the risk of breast and colorectal cancer were explored in a large cohort study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The 73 505 women residing in Lombardia (Italy), aged 45-75 years, who received at least one HRT prescription during 1998-2000 were followed until 2005. Among these, 3687 experienced cancer hospitalization. Proportional hazards model was fitted to estimate the association between cumulative HRT persistence and cancer risk. RESULTS: Compared with women who took HRT for <6 months, those exposed for >2 years showed hazard ratios (HR) of 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.68-0.92) for colorectal cancer and 1.34 (1.13-1.58) for breast cancer. HR for breast cancer associated with long-term use of transdermal and oral HRT were, respectively, 1.27 (1.07-1.51) and 2.14 (1.43-3.21). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence that long-term use of HRT is associated with increased risk of breast cancer and decreased risk of colorectal cancer is supplied from this study from a southern European population. Our findings indicate that transdermal therapy might have lower effect than oral therapy in increasing breast cancer risk. PMID- 17785763 TI - Consensus guidelines for the management of radiation dermatitis and coexisting acne-like rash in patients receiving radiotherapy plus EGFR inhibitors for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. AB - BACKGROUND: Radiation dermatitis occurs to some degree in most patients receiving radiotherapy, with or without chemotherapy. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) who receive radiotherapy in combination with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, such as cetuximab, may develop a characteristic acne-like rash in addition to dermatitis. DESIGN: An advisory board of 11 experienced radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and dermatologists discussed the management options for skin reactions in patients receiving EGFR inhibitors and radiotherapy for SCCHN. Skin toxicity was categorised according to the National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 3) grading. RESULTS: Both general and grade specific approaches for the management of dermatitis in this patient group are presented. It was concluded that where EGFR inhibitor-related acne-like rash and dermatitis coexist within irradiated fields, management should be based on the grade of dermatitis: for grade 1 (or no dermatitis), treatment recommendations for EGFR-related acne-like rash outside irradiated fields should be followed; for grades 2 and above, treatment recommendations for dermatitis were proposed. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents comprehensive consensus guidelines for the treatment of dermatitis in patients with SCCHN receiving EGFR inhibitors in combination with radiotherapy. PMID- 17785764 TI - An open-label, single-arm study assessing safety and efficacy of panitumumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to standard chemotherapy. AB - BACKGROUND: A phase 3 study demonstrated that panitumumab, a human monoclonal anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody, significantly prolonged progression-free survival versus best supportive care (BSC) in patients with chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This open label extension study evaluated panitumumab monotherapy in BSC patients with radiographically documented disease progression in the phase 3 study. Patients received panitumumab 6 mg/kg every 2 weeks. The primary end point was safety; efficacy was also evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-six patients were randomly assigned to the BSC arm of the phase 3 study received >/=1 panitumumab dose in this extension study. Panitumumab was well tolerated. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events were skin toxic effects. Three (2%) patients had a grade 4 treatment-related adverse event. There were no infusion reactions. One (0.6%) patient had a complete response; 19 (11%) patients had a partial response; and 58 (33%) patients had stable disease. Median progression-free survival time was 9.4 [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.0-13.4) weeks. Median overall survival time was 6.3 (95% CI: 5.1-6.8) months. Anti-panitumumab antibodies were detected in 3 (4.2%) of 71 patients with a post-baseline sample. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are comparable to those from the phase 3 study and support panitumumab monotherapy for chemorefractory colorectal cancer. PMID- 17785765 TI - A randomized phase II trial evaluating safety and efficacy of an experimental chemotherapy regimen (irinotecan + oxaliplatin, IRINOX) and two standard arms (LV5 FU2 + irinotecan or LV5 FU2 + oxaliplatin) in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer: a study of the Digestive Group of the Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: To assess activity and safety of an experimental combination of irinotecan and oxaliplatin (IRINOX) as first-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this randomized phase II trial, 80 patients were treated: arm A (IRINOX) in 40 patients received at day 1 oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) and irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) biweekly, standard arm B received a biweekly simplified folinic acid (FA) and fluorouracil (FU), FA 200 mg/m(2) in a 2-h infusion and bolus injection of 5FU 400 mg/m(2) on day 1, then a two 400 mg/m(2) continuous infusion of FU on days 1 and 2 with either oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) (20 patients) or irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) (20 patients). RESULTS: Twenty one partial responses (52.5%, median duration 7.2 months) were observed with the IRINOX arm and two complete and 20 partial responses (55%, median duration 6.4 months) with arm B. Median progression-free and overall survival times were 8.4 and 19 months, respectively, in the IRINOX arm and 8.1 and 20.4 months in arm B. Main grade 3/4 toxic effects were, respectively, neutropenia 42.5% and 32.5%; febrile neutropenia 10% and 5%; diarrhea 32.5% and 7.5%; vomiting 10.0% and 5%; neurosensory toxicity 17.5% and 7.5%. CONCLUSION: The IRINOX arm has a manageable toxicity and is active. PMID- 17785766 TI - Pathology and clinical course of MALT lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation. AB - BACKGROUND: The feature of plasmacytic differentiation (PCD) is present in up to 30% of patients diagnosed with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. To date, the influence of PCD on the clinical course of MALT lymphoma has not been assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Therefore, we have retrospectively analysed the clinical characteristics and the course of the disease in 34 (25%) patients with PCD as compared with 101 (75%) MALT lymphoma patients without this histological feature. RESULTS: Patients with PCD had significantly more extragastric lymphomas [28 of 34 (82%) versus 54 of 101 (53%), P = 0.003] and a significantly lower rate of t(11;18) [2 of 26 (8%) versus 22 of 72 (31%), P = 0.02]. There was no significant difference of age at diagnosis (62 versus 64 years, P = 0.64), relapse rate (48% versus 37%, P = 0.27), estimated median time to progression (43 versus 65 months, P = 0.14), monoclonal gammopathy (50% versus 44%, P = 0.63), t(14;18) involving IGH/MALT 1 (11% versus 8%, P = 0.68), trisomy 3 (31% versus 27%, P = 0.69), trisomy 18 (8% versus 10%, P = 0.74) and the presence of autoimmune diseases between both groups (53% versus 37%, P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we found that PCD is predominantly found in extragastric MALT lymphoma but has no significant impact on clinical course and prognosis. PMID- 17785767 TI - Multicenter phase II trial of Genexol-PM, a novel Cremophor-free, polymeric micelle formulation of paclitaxel, with cisplatin in patients with advanced non small-cell lung cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: Genexol-PM is a novel Cremophor EL (CrEL)-free polymeric micelle formulation of paclitaxel (Taxol). This multicenter phase II study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of Genexol-PM and cisplatin for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with advanced NSCLC received Genexol-PM 230 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) on day 1 of a 3-week cycle as first-line therapy. Intrapatient dose escalation of Genexol-PM to 300 mg/m(2) was carried out from the second cycle if the prespecified toxic effects were not observed after the first cycle. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. Overall response rate was 37.7%. The median time to progression was 5.8 months and the median survival period was 21.7 months. The major non-hematologic toxic effects included grade 3 peripheral sensory neuropathy (13.0%) and grade 3/4 arthralgia (7.3%). Four patients (5.8%) experienced grade 3/4 hypersensitivity reactions. The major hematological toxic effects were grade 3/4 neutropenia (29.0% and 17.4%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Genexol-PM plus cisplatin combination chemotherapy showed significant antitumor activity. The use of CrEL free, polymeric micelle formulation of paclitaxel allowed administration of higher doses of paclitaxel compared with the CrEL-based formulation without significant increased toxicity. PMID- 17785768 TI - The role of serum uric acid as an antioxidant protecting against cancer: prospective study in more than 28 000 older Austrian women. AB - BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that serum uric acid (SUA), via its antioxidant properties may protect against carcinogenesis. However, few epidemiological investigations have addressed this association and previous findings are inconsistent. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively investigated the relation of SUA levels to subsequent cancer mortality in a large cohort of 28613 elderly Austrian women with a median follow-up of 15.2 years. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were calculated to evaluate SUA as an independently related factor to fatal cancer events. RESULTS: High SUA (>5.41 mg/dL) was independently associated with increased risk of total cancer mortality (p<0.0001); the adjusted hazard ratio for the highest versus lowest quartile of SUA was 1.27 (1.08-1.48). SUA levels were further positively related to deaths from malignant neoplasms of breast and female genital organs (P = 0.02) and nervous system and unspecified sites (P = 0.02). We found no evidence for an inverse relationship between SUA levels and risk of total or site-specific cancer mortality. CONCLUSION: Our results are contrary to the proposed antioxidant and protective effect of SUA against cancer and rather suggest high SUA concentrations to be associated with outcome possibly reflecting more serious prognostic indication. PMID- 17785770 TI - Angiotensin receptors, autoimmunity, and preeclampsia. AB - Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorder that causes substantial maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Despite being a leading cause of maternal death and a major contributor to maternal and perinatal morbidity, the mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of preeclampsia are poorly understood. Recent studies indicate that women with preeclampsia have autoantibodies that activate the angiotensin receptor, AT1, and that autoantibody mediated receptor activation contributes to pathophysiology associated with preeclampsia. The research reviewed here raises the intriguing possibility that preeclampsia may be a pregnancy-induced autoimmune disease. PMID- 17785771 TI - Cutting edge: syntaxin 11 regulates lymphocyte-mediated secretion and cytotoxicity. AB - Little is known about the regulatory roles of specific soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins in cytotoxic lymphocytes. Recent information suggests that mutations in the SNARE protein syntaxin 11 result in a form of familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL). Because genetic abnormalities in key granule components (e.g., perforin) or in regulators of secretion (e.g., Munc13-4) underlie the other identified forms of FHL, we assessed whether syntaxin 11 might also serve a related regulatory role. We determined that syntaxin 11 is expressed in NK cells and activated CTLs and is located in discrete membrane-associated structures in the cytoplasm. Enhanced expression of syntaxin 11 augments the secretion and killing of tumor targets, and suppression of syntaxin 11 expression inhibits these functions. Our data identify and characterize a role for syntaxin 11 in granule exocytosis and in the generation of cell-mediated killing. These results also provide new insights on the mechanisms of hemopoietic dysregulation in FHL. PMID- 17785773 TI - Cutting edge: a critical role of nitric [corrected] oxide in preventing inflammation upon apoptotic cell clearance. AB - Apoptotic cells are removed by phagocytes without causing inflammation. It remains largely unresolved whether anti-inflammatory mediators prevent neutrophil infiltration upon apoptotic cell clearance in vivo. In this study, we showed that, upon induction of apoptosis in the thymus by x-ray, inducible NO synthase knockout (KO) mice exhibited higher levels of neutrophil infiltration and production of MIP-2 and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) in the thymus than wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, administration of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, an inhibitor of NO synthase, to x-irradiated WT mice increased the level of neutrophil infiltration to that of KO mice by the augmentation of MIP-2 and KC production. Additionally, thymic macrophages isolated from x-irradiated KO mice produced more MIP-2 and KC than those from WT mice. Thus, although apoptosis is believed to be noninflammatory, this is actually achieved by the production of immunosuppressive signals such as NO that counteract proinflammatory chemokines such as MIP-2 and KC. PMID- 17785775 TI - Bim and Bcl-2 mutually affect the expression of the other in T cells. AB - The life and death of T cells is controlled to a large extent by the relative amounts of Bcl-2-related proteins they contain. The antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the proapoptotic protein Bim are particularly important in this process with the amount of Bcl-2 per cell dropping by about one-half when T cells prepare to die. In this study we show that Bcl-2 and Bim each control the expression of the other. Absence of Bim leads to a drop in the amount of intracellular Bcl-2 protein, while having no effect on the amounts of mRNA for Bcl-2. Conversely, high amounts of Bcl-2 per cell allow high amounts of Bim, although in this case the effect involves increases in Bim mRNA. These mutual effects occur even if Bcl 2 is induced acutely. Thus these two proteins control the expression of the other, at either the protein or mRNA level. PMID- 17785774 TI - Cutting edge: size and diversity of CD4+CD25high Foxp3+ regulatory T cell repertoire in humans: evidence for similarities and partial overlapping with CD4+CD25- T cells. AB - Both differentiation and function of CD4+CD25(high) naturally arising regulatory T cells (Treg), which play a key role in the control of autoimmunity, are thought to depend on TCR specificity. In the present study, we comparatively measured the alphabetaTCR repertoire sizes of human peripheral blood Treg and CD4+CD25- T cells by using a methodology based on PCR amplification and sequencing analysis. We show that Treg use a large unrestricted alphabeta TCR repertoire, the size and diversity of which are closely similar to those of CD4+CD25- T cells, with a mean estimated size of 3.5 x 10(6) distinct alphabeta TCR vs 4.7 x 10(6) distinct alphabetaTCR for CD4+CD25- T cells. In addition, a 24% overlap between the repertoires of these two CD4+ subsets in the periphery is found. These data emphasize the intersection between naturally occurring Treg and effector T cell peripheral repertoires and provide new insights into the ontogeny of Treg in humans. PMID- 17785772 TI - Cutting edge: selective tyrosine dephosphorylation of interferon-activated nuclear STAT5 by the VHR phosphatase. AB - Cytokine-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT5 is required for its transcriptional activity. In this article we show that the small dual-specificity phosphatase VHR selectively dephosphorylates IFN-alpha- and beta activated, tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT5, leading to the subsequent inhibition of STAT5 function. Phosphorylation of VHR at Tyr(138) was required for its phosphatase activity toward STAT5. In addition, the Src homology 2 domain of STAT5 was required for the effective dephosphorylation of STAT5 by VHR. The tyrosine kinase Tyk2, which mediates the phosphorylation of STAT5, was also responsible for the phosphorylation of VHR at Tyr(138). PMID- 17785776 TI - Histamine improves antigen uptake and cross-presentation by dendritic cells. AB - Previous studies have shown that histamine is able to modulate the function of dendritic cells (DCs). Histamine seems to be required for the normal differentiation of DCs. Moreover, it is capable of stimulating the chemotaxis of immature DCs and of promoting the differentiation of T CD4+ cells into a Th2 profile. In this study, we analyzed whether histamine was able to modulate endocytosis and cross-presentation mediated by immature DCs. Our results show that both functions are stimulated by histamine. Endocytosis of soluble HRP and FITC-OVA and cross-presentation of soluble OVA were markedly increased by histamine. Interestingly, stimulation of endocytosis and cross-presentation appeared to be mediated through different histamine receptors. In fact, the enhancement of endocytosis was prevented by the histamine2 receptor (H2R) antagonist cimetidine, whereas the stimulation of cross-presentation was prevented by the H3R/H4R antagonist thioperamide. Of note, contrasting with the observations made with soluble Ags, we found that histamine did not increase either the uptake of OVA-attached to latex beads, or the cross-presentation of OVA immobilized on latex beads. This suggests that the ability of histamine to increase endocytosis and cross-presentation is dependent on the Ag form and/or the mechanisms through which the Ag is internalized by DCs. Our results support that histamine may favor cross-presentation of soluble allergens by DCs enabling the activation of allergen-specific T CD8+ cells, which appears to play an important role in the development of allergic responses in the airway. PMID- 17785777 TI - IFN regulatory factor family members differentially regulate the expression of type III IFN (IFN-lambda) genes. AB - Virus replication induces the expression of antiviral type I (IFN-alphabeta) and type III (IFN-lambda1-3 or IL-28A/B and IL-29) IFN genes via TLR-dependent and independent pathways. Although type III IFNs differ genetically from type I IFNs, their similar biological antiviral functions suggest that their expression is regulated in a similar fashion. Structural and functional characterization of the IFN-lambda1 and IFN-lambda3 gene promoters revealed them to be similar to IFN beta and IFN-alpha genes, respectively. Both of these promoters had functional IFN-stimulated response element and NF-kappaB binding sites. The binding of IFN regulatory factors (IRF) to type III IFN promoter IFN-stimulated response element sites was the most important event regulating the expression of these genes. Ectopic expression of the components of TLR7 (MyD88 plus IRF1/IRF7), TLR3 (Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter-inducing factor), or retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) signal transduction pathways induced the activation of IFN-lambda1 promoter, whereas the IFN-lambda3 promoter was efficiently activated only by overexpression of MyD88 and IRF7. The ectopic expression of Pin1, a recently identified suppressor for IRF3-dependent antiviral response, decreased the IFN promoter activation induced by any of these three signal transduction pathways, including the MyD88-dependent one. To conclude, the data suggest that the IFN-lambda1 gene is regulated by virus-activated IRF3 and IRF7, thus resembling that of the IFN-beta gene, whereas IFN-lambda2/3 gene expression is mainly controlled by IRF7, thus resembling those of IFN-alpha genes. PMID- 17785778 TI - Dendritic cell type determines the mechanism of bystander suppression by adaptive T regulatory cells specific for the minor antigen HA-1. AB - One hallmark of acquired tolerance is bystander suppression, a process whereby Ag specific (adaptive) T regulatory cells (TR) inhibit the T effector cell response both to specific Ag and to a colocalized third-party Ag. Using peripheral blood T cells from recipients of HLA-identical kidney transplants as responders in the trans vivo-delayed type hypersensitivity assay, we found that dendritic cells (DC), but not monocyte APCs, could mediate bystander suppression of EBV-specific recall response. When HA-1(H) peptide was added to mixtures of plasmacytoid DC (pDC) and T cells, bystander suppression of the response to a colocalized recall Ag occurred primarily via indolamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) production. Similarly, addition of HA-1(H) peptide to cocultures of T cells and pDC, but not myeloid DC (mDC), induced IDO activity in vitro. When mDC presented HA-1(H) peptide to Ag specific CD8+ TR, cytokine release (TGF-beta, IL-10, or both) was the primary mode of bystander suppression. Bystander suppression via mDC was reversed not only by Ab to TGF-beta and its receptor on T cells, but also by Ab to thrombospondin-1. EBV addition did not induce IDO or thrombospondin-1 in T-DC cocultures, suggesting that these DC products are not induced by T effector cells, but only by TR cells. These results shed light upon the mechanism of bystander suppression by donor Ag-specific TR in patients with organ transplant tolerance and underscores the distinct and critical roles of mDC and pDCs in this phenomenon. PMID- 17785779 TI - Invariant NKT cells biased for IL-5 production act as crucial regulators of inflammation. AB - Although invariant NKT (iNKT) cells play a regulatory role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and allergy, an initial trigger for their regulatory responses remains elusive. In this study, we report that a proportion of human CD4+ iNKT cell clones produce enormous amounts of IL-5 and IL-13 when cocultured with CD1d+ APC in the presence of IL-2. Such IL-5 bias was never observed when we stimulated the same clones with alpha-galactosylceramide or anti-CD3 Ab. Suboptimal TCR stimulation by plate-bound anti-CD3 Ab was found to mimic the effect of CD1d+ APC, indicating the role of TCR signaling for selective induction of IL-5. Interestingly, DNA microarray analysis identified IL-5 and IL-13 as the most highly up-regulated genes, whereas other cytokines produced by iNKT cells, such as IL-4 and IL-10, were not significantly induced. Moreover, iNKT cells from BALB/c mice showed similar IL-5 responses after stimulation with IL-2 ex vivo or in vivo. The iNKT cell subset producing IL-5 and IL-13 could play a major role in the development of allergic disease or asthma and also in the immune regulation of Th1 inflammation. PMID- 17785780 TI - Dectin-1 interaction with Mycobacterium tuberculosis leads to enhanced IL-12p40 production by splenic dendritic cells. AB - Dectin-1 is a fungal pattern recognition receptor that binds to beta-glucans and triggers cytokine production by facilitating interaction with TLR2 or by directly activating spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk). To assess the possible role of Dectin-1 in the innate response to mycobacteria, we used an in vitro system in which IL 12p40 production is measured in splenic dendritic cells (SpDC) following exposure to live Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli. Treatment of SpDC with laminarin or glucan phosphate, two molecules known to block Dectin-1-dependent activity, led to a reduction in M. tuberculosis-induced IL-12p40 as well as IL-12p70 production. Moreover, SpDC from Dectin-1-/- chimeric mice displayed reduced IL 12p40 production in response to mycobacteria when compared with Dectin-sufficient DC. Laminarin treatment also inhibited mycobacterial-induced IL-12p40 production in DC from TLR2-/- mice, arguing that Dectin-1 functions independently of TLR2 signaling in this system. Importantly, a Dectin-1 fusion protein was found to directly bind to live mycobacteria in a laminarin-inhibitable manner indicating the presence of ligands for the receptor in the bacterium and laminarin pretreatment resulted in reduced association of mycobacteria to SpDC. In additional experiments, mycobacterial stimulation was shown to be associated with increased phosphorylation of Syk and this response was inhibited by laminarin. Furthermore, pharmacologic inhibition of Syk reduced the M. tuberculosis-induced IL-12p40 response. Together, these findings support a role for Dectin-1 in promoting M. tuberculosis-induced IL-12p40 production by DC in which the receptor augments bacterial-host cell interaction and enhances the subsequent cytokine response through an unknown mechanism involving Syk signaling. PMID- 17785781 TI - A Y chromosome-linked factor impairs NK T development. AB - Valpha14 invariant (Valpha14i) NK T cell development is unique from mainstream T cell selection, and the polygenic factors that influence NK T cell ontogeny are still unclear. In this study, we report the absence of Valpha14i NK T cells in B6.IFN-alphabetaR1-/- male mice, whereas both the conventional T and NK cell populations are relatively unaffected. The lack of Valpha14i NK T cells in the B6.IFN-alphabetaR1-/- males is not due to an insufficient level of CD1d1 or a defect in CD1d1-Ag presentation, but it is intrinsic to the male Valpha14i NK T cells. This surprising defect displays >or=99% penetrance in the male population, whereas female mice remain unaffected, indicating the deficiency is not X linked. Analysis of the Valpha14i NK T cell compartment in B6.Tyk2-/-, B6.STAT1-/-, 129.IFN-alphabetaR1-/-, and B6.IFN-alphabetaR1-/+ mice demonstrate that the deficiency is linked to the Y chromosome, but independent of IFN-alphabeta. This is the first study demonstrating that Y-linked genes can exclusively impact Valpha14i NK T development and further highlight the unique ontogeny of these innate T cells. PMID- 17785782 TI - Lung macrophages serve as obligatory intermediate between blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages. AB - Alveolar macrophages are a unique type of mononuclear phagocytes that populate the external surface of the lung cavity. Early studies have suggested that alveolar macrophages originate from tissue-resident, local precursors, whereas others reported their derivation from blood-borne cells. However, the role of circulating monocytes as precursors of alveolar macrophages was never directly tested. In this study, we show through the combined use of conditional cell ablation and adoptive cell transfer that alveolar macrophages originate in vivo from blood monocytes. Interestingly, this process requires an obligate intermediate stage, the differentiation of blood monocytes into parenchymal lung macrophages, which subsequently migrate into the alveolar space. We also provide direct evidence for the ability of both lung and alveolar macrophages to proliferate. PMID- 17785783 TI - Differential effects of CpG DNA on IFN-beta induction and STAT1 activation in murine macrophages versus dendritic cells: alternatively activated STAT1 negatively regulates TLR signaling in macrophages. AB - Classical STAT1 activation in response to TLR agonists occurs by phosphorylation of the Y701 and S727 residues through autocrine type I IFN signaling and p38 MAPK signaling, respectively. In this study, we report that the TLR9 agonist CpG DNA induced Ifn-beta mRNA, as well as downstream type I IFN-dependent genes, in a MyD88-dependent manner in mouse myeloid dendritic cells. This pathway was required for maximal TNF and IL-6 secretion, as well as expression of cell surface costimulatory molecules. By contrast, neither A- nor B-type CpG containing oligonucleotides induced Ifn-beta in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) and a CpG-B oligonucleotide did not induce IFn-beta in the macrophage-like cell line, J774. In BMM, STAT1 was alternatively activated (phosphorylated on S727, but not Y701), and was retained in the cytoplasm in response to CpG DNA. CpG DNA responses were altered in BMM from STAT1(S727A) mice; Il-12p40 and Cox-2 mRNAs were more highly induced, whereas Tlr4 and Tlr9 mRNAs were more repressed. The data suggest a novel inhibitory function for cytoplasmic STAT1 in response to TLR agonists that activate p38 MAPK but do not elicit type I IFN production. Indeed, the TLR7 agonist, R837, failed to induce Ifn-beta mRNA and consequently triggered STAT1 phosphorylation on S727, but not Y701, in human monocyte-derived macrophages. The differential activation of Ifn beta and STAT1 by CpG DNA in mouse macrophages vs dendritic cells provides a likely mechanism for their divergent roles in priming the adaptive immune response. PMID- 17785784 TI - In vitro induction of mucosa-type dendritic cells by all-trans retinoic acid. AB - Efficient induction of mucosal immunity usually employs nasal or oral vaccination while parenteral immunization generally is ineffective at generating mucosal immune responses. This relates to the unique ability of resident mucosal dendritic cells (DC) to induce IgA switching and to imprint mucosa-specific homing receptors on lymphocytes. Based on the well-established plasticity of the DC system, this study sought to investigate whether peripheral DC could be modulated toward "mucosa-type" DC by treatment with immunomodulatory, and therefore potentially adjuvant-like, factors. In this study, we show that monocyte-derived DCs pretreated with the vitamin A derivative all-trans retinoic acid (RA) indeed acquired several attributes characteristic of mucosal DC: secretion of TGF-beta and IL-6 and the capacity to augment mucosal homing receptor expression and IgA responses in cocultured lymphocytes. Addition of a TGF-beta-neutralizing Ab to cocultures significantly inhibited alpha4beta7 integrin, but not CCR9 mRNA expression by the lymphocytes. Both alpha4beta7 integrin and CCR9 mRNA expression, but not IgA production, were suppressed in the presence of a RA receptor antagonist. None of the observed effects on the lymphocytes were influenced by citral, a retinal dehydrogenase inhibitor, arguing against a role for de novo-synthesized RA. Collectively, our findings identified a novel role for RA as a mucosal immune modulator targeting DC. Our results further demonstrate that DC can act as efficient carriers of RA at least in vitro. Consequently, RA targeting of DC shows potential for promoting vaccine induced mucosal immune responses via a parenteral route of immunization. PMID- 17785785 TI - Dendritic cell expression of OX40 ligand acts as a costimulatory, not polarizing, signal for optimal Th2 priming and memory induction in vivo. AB - Costimulatory cross-talk can occur at multiple cellular levels to potentiate expansion and polarization of Th responses. Although OX40L ligand (OX40L) is thought to play a key role in Th2 development, the critical cellular source of this molecule has yet to be identified. In this study, we demonstrate that OX40L expression by the initiating dendritic cell (DC) is a fundamental requirement for optimal induction of primary and memory Th2 responses in vivo. Analysis of the kinetics of the residual Th2 response primed by OX40L-deficient DC suggested a failure to stimulate appropriate expansion and/or survival of T cells, rather than an inability to polarize per se. The dependence upon OX40L was predominantly due to the provision of signaling through OX40 rather than retrograde signaling to the DC. Mechanistically, impaired Th2 priming in the absence of OX40L was not due to exaggerated regulation because there was no evidence of increased expansion or function of regulatory cell populations, suppression through IL-10 production, or hyporesponsiveness to secondary challenge. These data define a critical role for DC-derived OX40L in the induction and development of Th2 responses in vivo. PMID- 17785786 TI - Enhanced levels of costimulation lead to reduced effector/memory CD8+ T cell functionality. AB - The role of different levels of costimulation in conjunction with signal 1 in the activation of memory CD8+ T cells remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate, in a mouse model with the influenza nucleoprotein epitope NP68, that mouse early memory (effector/memory) CD8+ T cells that were generated with high levels of costimulation have reduced CTL functionality compared with those that were generated with low levels of costimulation. This reduction is associated with increased phosphorylation of the negative regulatory site 292 on Zap70 and a decrease in granzyme B levels. Furthermore, we show that enhanced costimulation reduces proliferation and cytokine production of effector/memory CD8+ T cells in response to intermediate and weak TCR stimulation, in contrast to previously described positive effects of costimulation on naive CD8+ T cells. This effect is associated with the expression of ICAM-1 on APCs. Together, our results indicate that enhanced costimulation can lead to reduced functionality in effector/memory CD8+ T cells. This compromised effector function of effector/memory CD8+ T cells in response to high levels of costimulation can have important implications for designing immunotherapeutic strategies to enhance immune responses. PMID- 17785787 TI - Antigen-specific CD8+ T cell clonal expansions develop from memory T cell pools established by acute respiratory virus infections. AB - Increasing age is associated with the development of CD8+ T cell clonal expansions (TCE) that can dominate the peripheral T cell repertoire and interfere with immune responses to infection and vaccination. Some TCE are driven by chronic infections, consistent with dysregulated outgrowth of T cell clones in response to persistent antigenic stimulation. However, a second class of TCE develops with age in the absence of chronic infections and is poorly understood in terms of origin or Ag dependence. In this study, we present evidence that Ag specific TCE develop at high frequencies from conventional memory CD8+ T cell pools elicited by nonpersistent influenza and parainfluenza virus infections. Putative TCE occurred in both the central- and effector-memory CD8+ T cell populations and did not require Ag for their maintenance. In addition, they were similar to normal memory T cells in terms of phenotype and function, suggesting that they develop stochastically from the memory T cell pool. These data suggest that memory T cell pools become progressively dysregulated over time and this may have a significant impact on immune responsiveness in the aged. PMID- 17785788 TI - Impaired induction of CD27 and CD28 predicts naive CD4 T cell proliferation defects in HIV disease. AB - Many immunological defects have been described in HIV disease, including a diminished capacity of naive CD4+ T cells to expand after TCR stimulation. The mechanisms underlying impaired naive CD4+ T cell expansion in HIV disease are not well described. Using a rigorous phenotypic definition of naive T cells, we found that cell cycle entry after TCR engagement was restricted to cells that increased surface expression of costimulatory molecules CD27 and CD28. Induction of these receptors, however, was not sufficient to result in cell cycle entry among the CD4+CD31- naive T cell subset. Analyses of cells from HIV-infected persons indicated that naive CD4+CD31+ T cells from these subjects were impaired in their ability to enter the cell cycle after stimulation and this impairment was predicted by the relatively poor induction of costimulatory molecules on these cells. Thus, failure to increase surface expression of costimulatory molecules may contribute to the naive T cell expansion failure that characterizes HIV infection. PMID- 17785789 TI - Gene expression profiling defines ATP as a key regulator of human dendritic cell functions. AB - Extracellular ATP and PGE2 are two cAMP-elevating agents inducing semimaturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs). We have extensively compared the gene expression profiles induced by adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATPgammaS) and PGE2 in human MoDCs using microarray technology. At 6 h of stimulation, ATPgammaS initiated an impressive expression profile compared with that of PGE2 (1125 genes compared with 133 genes, respectively) but after 24 h the number of genes regulated by ATPgammaS or PGE2 was more comparable. Many target genes involved in inflammation have been identified and validated by quantitative RT-PCR experiments. We have then focused on novel ATPgammaS and PGE2 target genes in MoDCs including CSF-1, MCP-4/CCL13 chemokine, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, and neuropilin-1. ATPgammaS strongly down-regulated CSF-1 receptor mRNA and CSF-1 secretion, which are involved in monocyte and dendritic cell (DC) differentiation. Additionally, ATPgammaS down-regulated several chemokines involved in monocyte and DC migration including CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1alpha, CCL4/MIP-1beta, CCL8/MCP-2, and CCL13/MCP-4. Interestingly, vascular endothelial growth factor A, a major angiogenic factor displaying immunosuppressive properties, was secreted by MoDCs in response to ATPgammaS, ATP, or PGE2, alone or in synergy with LPS. Finally, flow cytometry experiments have demonstrated that ATPgammaS, ATP, and PGE2 down-regulate neuropilin-1, a receptor playing inter alia an important role in the activation of T lymphocytes by DCs. Our data give an extensive overview of the genes regulated by ATPgammaS and PGE2 in MoDCs and an important insight into the therapeutic potential of ATP- and PGE2-treated human DCs. PMID- 17785790 TI - Adhesion and degranulation-promoting adapter protein (ADAP) positively regulates T cell sensitivity to antigen and T cell survival. AB - The hemopoietic specific adapter protein ADAP (adhesion and degranulation promoting adapter protein) positively regulates TCR-dependent, integrin-mediated adhesion and participates in signaling pathways downstream of the TCR that result in T cell activation. The specific role of ADAP in regulating Ag-dependent T cell interactions with APCs and T cell activation following Ag stimulation is not known. We used ADAP-/- DO11.10 T cells to demonstrate that ADAP promotes T cell conjugation to Ag-laden APCs. Complementary in vitro and in vivo approaches reveal that ADAP controls optimal T cell proliferation, cytokine production, and expression of the prosurvival protein Bcl-xL in response to limiting Ag doses. Furthermore, ADAP is critical for clonal expansion in vivo independent of Ag concentration under conditions of low clonal abundance. These results suggest that ADAP regulates T cell activation by promoting Ag-dependent T cell-APC interactions, resulting in enhanced T cell sensitivity to Ag, and by participating in prosurvival signaling pathways initiated by Ag stimulation. PMID- 17785791 TI - Mouse neutrophils require JNK2 MAPK for Toxoplasma gondii-induced IL-12p40 and CCL2/MCP-1 release. AB - The MAPK family member JNK/stress-activated MAPK (SAPK) is involved in extracellular stress and proinflammatory cytokine responses, including production of cytokines such as IL-12. The JNK1 and 2 isoforms are widely expressed, but JNK3 is largely restricted to tissues of the brain, testis, and heart. In this study, we focus on mouse neutrophils, a cell type in which JNK/SAPK expression and activity has been given little study. We used Western blot analysis to examine expression patterns of JNK/SAPK in wild-type and JNK2-/- polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Surprisingly, neutrophils displayed a major deficiency in JNK1 expression, in contrast to macrophages that expressed high levels of both JNK1 and JNK2 MAPK. JNK1 expression was steadily reduced during the neutrophil maturation in bone marrow. We used PMN infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii to determine whether neutrophil JNK2 was functional. The parasite induced rapid JNK2 phosphorylation and intracellular FACS staining demonstrated preferential activation in infected neutrophils. Use of JNK2-/- neutrophils revealed that this MAPK family member was required for PMN IL-12p40 and CCL2/MCP-1 production. The chemotactic response displayed a minor JNK2 dependence but phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity did not require this MAPK. These findings are important because they demonstrate 1) a previously unrecognized unusual JNK expression pattern in mouse neutrophils, 2) JNK2 in PMN is activated by Toxoplasma invasion, and 3) a requirement for JNK2 in PMN IL 12p40 and CCL2/MCP-1 production in response to a microbial pathogen. PMID- 17785792 TI - Rapid suppression of cytokine transcription in human CD4+CD25 T cells by CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells: independence of IL-2 consumption, TGF-beta, and various inhibitors of TCR signaling. AB - CD4+CD25(high) forkhead box P3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are critical mediators of peripheral self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. Treg suppress proliferation and cytokine production of conventional T cells (Tcon). The exact mechanism of suppression, however, is still unknown. To gain a better understanding of Treg function, we investigated the kinetics of cytokine suppression in Tcon reisolated from cocultures with preactivated human Treg. Treg inhibited induction of Th1 cytokine mRNA as early as 1 h after stimulation, whereas induction/suppression of Th2 cytokines was delayed to 10-15 h. We show that immediate cytokine mRNA suppression in Tcon was neither dependent on TGF-beta/IL-10 or IL-2 consumption, nor on induction of the transcriptional-repressor forkhead box P3 or other anergy related genes (e.g., gene related to anergy, transducer of ErbB-2, forkhead homolog-4, repressor of GATA, inducible cAMP early repressor). In contrast, lymphocyte activation gene 3, suppressor of cytokine signaling 1, and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 mRNA were strongly up-regulated in Tcon in the presence of Treg. However, protein analysis did not confirm a role for these proteins in early suppression. Thus, the identification of a fast inhibitory mechanism in Tcon induced by Treg constitutes an important step for future efforts to unravel the entire elusive suppressive mechanism. PMID- 17785794 TI - IL-21 induces apoptosis of antigen-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes. AB - IL-21, a member of the common gamma-chain family of cytokines, has pleiotropic effects on T, B, and NK cells. We found that IL-21 and the prototype common gamma chain cytokine IL-2 can stimulate proliferation and cytokine secretion by Ag specific rhesus monkey CD8+ T cells. However, unique among the members of this family of cytokines, we found that IL-21 drives these cells to apoptosis by down regulation of Bcl-2. These findings suggest that IL-21 may play an important role in the contraction of CD8+ T cell responses. PMID- 17785793 TI - Xenogeneic beta 2-microglobulin substitution affects functional binding of MHC class I molecules by CD8+ T cells. AB - NK cells and CD8+ T cells bind MHC-I molecules using distinct topological interactions. Specifically, murine NK inhibitory receptors bind MHC-I molecules at both the MHC-I H chain regions and beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) while TCR engages MHC-I molecules at a region defined solely by the class I H chain and bound peptide. As such, alterations in beta2m are not predicted to influence functional recognition of MHC-I by TCR. We have tested this hypothesis by assessing the capability of xenogeneic beta2m to modify the interaction between TCR and MHC-I. Using a human beta2m-transgenic C57BL/6 mouse model, we show that human beta2m supports formation and expression of H-2K(b) and peptide:H-2K(b) complexes at levels nearly equivalent to those in wild-type mice. Despite this finding, the frequencies of CD8+ single-positive thymocytes in the thymus and mature CD8+ T cells in the periphery were significantly reduced and the TCR Vbeta repertoire of peripheral CD8+ T cells was skewed in the human beta2m-transgenic mice. Furthermore, the ability of mouse beta2m-restricted CTL to functionally recognize human beta2m+ target cells was diminished compared with their ability to recognize mouse beta2m+ target cells. Finally, we provide evidence that this effect is achieved through subtle conformational changes occurring in the distal, peptide-binding region of the MHC-I molecule. Our results indicate that alterations in beta2m influence the ability of TCR to engage MHC-I during normal T cell physiology. PMID- 17785795 TI - The osmolyte taurine protects against ultraviolet B radiation-induced immunosuppression. AB - Organic osmolytes, such as taurine, are involved in cell volume homeostasis and cell protection. Epidermal keratinocytes possess an osmolyte strategy, i.e., they take up taurine upon hyperosmotic stress and express the corresponding transporter TAUT. UVB irradiation also triggers taurine uptake and TAUT expression in this cell type. We therefore asked whether taurine plays a role in photoprotection. By using a TAUT-deficient mouse model, lack of taurine in the skin was found to cause a significantly higher sensitivity to UVB-induced immunosuppression. This was not due to an increased generation or decreased repair of UVB-induced DNA photoproducts in the skin of these animals. Instead, decreased skin taurine levels were associated with an increased formation of the soluble immunosuppressive molecule platelet-activating factor (PAF) from the membranes of UVB-irradiated epidermal cells. Blocking PAF activity in taut deficient mice with a PAF receptor antagonist abrogated their increased sensitivity to UVB-induced immunosuppression. Moreover, taut -/- mice were more sensitive to PAF-mediated immunosuppression than taut +/+ mice. These data suggest that taurine uptake by epidermal cells prevents undue PAF formation, and thereby photoimmunosuppression. Thus, similar to nucleotide excision repair, taurine uptake is critically involved in photoprotection of the skin. PMID- 17785796 TI - Atorvastatin inhibits T cell activation through 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase without decreasing cholesterol synthesis. AB - The localization of the TCR and other signaling molecules in membrane rafts (MR) is essential for the activation of T lymphocytes. MR are stabilized by sphingolipids and cholesterol. Activation of T lymphocytes leads to the confluence of small MR and the formation of an immunological synapse that is essential for sustained activation and proliferation. In this study, we investigated the effect of statins on MR and T cell activation in superantigen stimulated human PBMC. Atorvastatin significantly inhibited cellular activation and proliferation. The binding of cholera toxin B subunit to isolated MR and to whole cells was inhibited by low doses of statins. Statins reduce the association of critical signaling proteins such as Lck and linker of activation in T cells with MR in stimulated T cells. The expression of activation markers CD69 and CD25 was inhibited. Several statin-mediated mechanisms, such as a lower stimulation with MHC-II, an inhibition of costimulation by direct binding of statins to LFA 1, a reduced secretion of cytokines, or a depletion of cellular cholesterol pools, were excluded. Inhibition of protein prenylation had a similar effect on T cell proliferation, suggesting that a reduced protein prenylation might contribute to the statin-mediated inhibition of T cell activation. Statins induce both lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and inhibition of T cell activation, which might contribute to an inhibition of atherosclerosis. PMID- 17785797 TI - Negative regulation of TLR-signaling pathways by activating transcription factor 3. AB - Activating transcription factor-3 (ATF3) is rapidly induced by LPS in mouse macrophages and regulates TLR4 responses. We show that ATF3 is rapidly induced by various TLRs in mouse macrophages and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs), as well as plasmacytoid and myeloid subsets of human DCs. In primary macrophages from mice with a targeted deletion of the atf3 gene (ATF3-knockout (KO)), TLR stimulated levels of IL-12 and IL-6 were elevated relative to responses in wild type macrophages. Similarly, targeted deletion of atf3 correlated with enhanced responsiveness of myeloid DCs to TLR activation as measured by IL-12 secretion. Ectopic expression of ATF3 antagonized TLR-stimulated IL-12p40 activation in a reporter assay. In vivo, CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide, a TLR9 agonist, given i.p. to ATF3-KO mice resulted in enhanced cytokine production from splenocytes. Furthermore, while ATF3-KO mice challenged with a sublethal dose of PR8 influenza virus were delayed in body weight recovery in comparison to wild type, the ATF3 KO mice showed higher titers of serum neutralizing Ab against PR8 5 mo postinfection. Thus, ATF3 behaves as a negative regulatory transcription factor in TLR pathways and, accordingly, deficiency in atf3 alters responses to immunological challenges in vivo. ATF3 dysregulation merits further exploration in diseases such as type I diabetes and cancer, where altered innate immunity has been implicated in their pathogenesis. PMID- 17785798 TI - Molecular determinants of inverse agonist activity of biologicals targeting CTLA 4. AB - Ligation of CD28 or CTLA-4 with some biologicals can activate T cells due to an unexpected superagonist or inverse agonist activity, respectively. The risk of such an outcome limits the therapeutic development of these reagents. Thus, identifying the molecular determinants of superagonist/inverse agonist properties for biologicals targeting costimulatory/inhibitory receptors has not only fundamental value but also important therapeutic implications. In this study, we show that ligation of CTLA-4 with either soluble B7.1 Ig (but not B7.2 Ig) or with a recombinant bispecific in-tandem single chain Fv known as 24:26 induces TCR-independent, T cell activation. Such an inverse agonist activity requires CD28 expression and high CTLA-4 expression and is not seen when CTLA-4 is ligated by membrane-bound B7.1 or B7.2. At the molecular level, the inverse agonist activity of B7.1 Ig or 24:26 correlates with their ability to induce the formation of unique dimer-based, CTLA-4 oligomers on the T cell surface and involves CTLA-4 signaling through its cytoplasmic domain. Our results provide a potential mechanism to explain and to predict inverse agonist activity for CTLA-4 ligands. PMID- 17785800 TI - A key role for TGF-beta signaling to T cells in the long-term acceptance of allografts. AB - TGF-beta is a key immunoregulatory cytokine which supports self-tolerance by signaling to T cells. In this report, we show a crucial role for TGF-beta signaling to T cells in enabling the long-term acceptance of allografts, whether natural or induced therapeutically by coreceptor and costimulation blockade. The requirement for TGF-beta appears most pronounced during the initial exposure to alloantigens. We demonstrate the ability of TGF-beta to direct the development in vitro of regulatory cells that suppress graft rejection in vivo. Such suppression was not affected by anti-TGF-beta treatment of the recipient mice. Despite this, TGF-beta may still have a role in CD4+ cell-mediated suppression of antiallograft responses in vivo, since its neutralization can, in some cases, abrogate suppression. These results show that TGF-beta signaling to T cells is dispensable for mounting destructive responses against skin allografts while appearing to be an essential intermediary in establishing long-term tolerance. PMID- 17785799 TI - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor prevents diabetes development in NOD mice by inducing tolerogenic dendritic cells that sustain the suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. AB - Autoimmune diabetes results from a breakdown of self-tolerance that leads to T cell-mediated beta-cell destruction. Abnormal maturation and other defects of dendritic cells (DCs) have been associated with the development of diabetes. Evidence is accumulating that self-tolerance can be restored and maintained by semimature DCs induced by GM-CSF. We have investigated whether GM-CSF is a valuable strategy to induce semimature DCs, thereby restoring and sustaining tolerance in NOD mice. We found that treatment of prediabetic NOD mice with GM CSF provided protection against diabetes. The protection was associated with a marked increase in the number of tolerogenic immature splenic DCs and in the number of Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). Activated DCs from GM-CSF protected mice expressed lower levels of MHC class II and CD80/CD86 molecules, produced more IL-10 and were less effective in stimulating diabetogenic CD8+ T cells than DCs of PBS-treated NOD mice. Adoptive transfer experiments showed that splenocytes of GM-CSF-protected mice did not transfer diabetes into NOD.SCID recipients. Depletion of CD11c+ DCs before transfer released diabetogenic T cells from the suppressive effect of CD4+CD25+ Tregs, thereby promoting the development of diabetes. These results indicated that semimature DCs were required for the sustained suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ Tregs that were responsible for maintaining tolerance of diabetogenic T cells in NOD mice. PMID- 17785801 TI - Intracellular cysteine residues in the tail of MHC class I proteins are crucial for extracellular recognition by leukocyte Ig-like receptor 1. AB - The activity of NK cells is regulated by activating receptors that recognize mainly stress-induced ligands and by inhibitory receptors that recognize mostly MHC class I proteins on target cells. Comparing the cytoplasmic tail sequences of various MHC class I proteins revealed the presence of unique cysteine residues in some of the MHC class I molecules which are absent in others. To study the role of these unique cysteines, we performed site specific mutagenesis, generating MHC class I molecules lacking these cysteines, and demonstrated that their expression on the cell surface was impaired. Surprisingly, we demonstrated that these cysteines are crucial for the surface binding of the leukocyte Ig-like receptor 1 inhibitory receptor to the MHC class I proteins, but not for the binding of the KIR2DL1 inhibitory receptor. In addition, we demonstrated that the cysteine residues in the cytoplasmic tail of MHC class I proteins are crucial for their egress from the endoplasmic reticulum and for their palmitoylation, thus probably affecting their expression on the cell surface. Finally, we show that the cysteine residues are important for proper extracellular conformation. Thus, although the interaction between leukocyte Ig-like receptor 1 and MHC class I proteins is formed between two extracellular surfaces, the intracellular components of MHC class I proteins play a crucial role in this recognition. PMID- 17785802 TI - Characterization of early stages of human B cell development by gene expression profiling. AB - We have characterized several stages of normal human B cell development in adult bone marrow by gene expression profiling of hemopoietic stem cells, early B (E B), pro-B, pre-B, and immature B cells, using RNA amplification and Lymphochip cDNA microarrays (n = 6). Hierarchical clustering of 758 differentially expressed genes clearly separated the five populations. We used gene sets to investigate the functional assignment of the differentially expressed genes. Genes involved in VDJ recombination as well as B lineage-associated transcription factors (TCF3 (E2A), EBF, BCL11A, and PAX5) were turned on in E-B cells, before acquisition of CD19. Several transcription factors with unknown roles in B lymphoid cells demonstrated interesting expression patterns, including ZCCHC7 and ZHX2. Compared with hemopoietic stem cells and pro-B cells, E-B cells had increased expression of 18 genes, and these included IGJ, IL1RAP, BCL2, and CD62L. In addition, E-B cells expressed T/NK lineage and myeloid-associated genes including CD2, NOTCH1, CD99, PECAM1, TNFSF13B, and MPO. Expression of key genes was confirmed at the protein level by FACS analysis. Several of these Ags were heterogeneously expressed, providing a basis for further subdivision of E-B cells. Altogether, these results provide new information regarding expression of genes in early stages of human B cell development. PMID- 17785803 TI - The function of donor versus recipient programmed death-ligand 1 in corneal allograft survival. AB - Programmed death-ligand (PD-L)1 and PD-L2, newer B7 superfamily members, are implicated in the negative regulation of immune responses and peripheral tolerance. To examine their function in alloimmunity, we used the murine model of orthotopic corneal transplantation. We demonstrate that PD-L1, but not PD-L2, is constitutively expressed at high levels by the corneal epithelial cells, and at low levels by corneal CD45+ cells in the stroma, whereas it is undetectable on stromal fibroblasts and corneal endothelial cells. Inflammation induces PD-L1 up regulation by corneal epithelial cells, and infiltration of significant numbers of PD-L1+CD45+CD11b+ cells. Blockade with anti-PD-L1 mAb dramatically enhances rejection of C57BL/6 corneal allografts by BALB/c recipients. To examine the selective contribution of donor vs host PD-L1 in modulating allorejection, we used PD-L1-/- mice as hosts or donors of combined MHC and minor H-mismatched corneal grafts. BALB/c grafts placed in PD-L1-/- C57BL/6 hosts resulted in pronounced T cell priming in the draining lymph nodes, and universally underwent rapid rejection. Allografts from PD-L1-/- C57BL/6 donors were also significantly more susceptible to rejection than wild-type C57BL/6 grafts placed into BALB/c hosts, primarily as a result of increased T cell infiltration rather than enhanced priming. Taken together, our results identify differential roles for recipient vs donor PD-L1 in regulating induction vs effector of alloimmunity in corneal grafts, the most common form of tissue transplantation, and highlight the importance of peripheral tissue-derived PD-L1 in down-regulating local immune responses. PMID- 17785805 TI - A biochemical signature for rapid recall of memory CD4 T cells. AB - Mechanisms for the rapid recall response mediated by memory T cells remain unknown. In this study, we present a novel, multiparameter analysis of TCR coupled signaling and function in resting and activated naive and memory CD4 T cells, revealing a biochemical basis for immunological recall. We identify a striking elevation in expression of the proximal tyrosine kinase Zap70 in resting Ag-specific and polyclonal mouse memory vs naive CD4 T cells that is stably maintained independent of protein synthesis. Elevated Zap70 protein levels control effector function as IFN-gamma production occurs exclusively from the Zap70(high) fraction of activated T cells in vitro and in vivo, and specific down modulation of Zap70 expression in memory CD4 T cells by small interfering RNA or protein inhibition significantly reduces rapid IFN-gamma production. Downstream of Zap70, we show quantitative differences in distal phosphorylation associated with effector function in naive and memory subsets, with low accumulation of phosphorylation in memory T cells producing IFN-gamma at early time points, contrasting extensive phosphorylation associated with IFN-gamma production following sustained activation of naive T cells. Our results reveal a novel biochemical signature imparted to memory CD4 T cells enabling efficacious responses through increased Zap70 expression and reduced accumulation of downstream signaling events. PMID- 17785804 TI - Nitrogen dioxide promotes allergic sensitization to inhaled antigen. AB - Allergen sensitization and allergic airway disease are likely to come about through the inhalation of Ag with immunostimulatory molecules. However, environmental pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), may promote adaptive immune responses to innocuous Ags that are not by themselves immunostimulatory. We tested in C57BL/6 mice whether exposure to NO2, followed by inhalation of the innocuous protein Ag, OVA, would result in allergen sensitization and the subsequent development of allergic airway disease. Following challenge with aerosolized OVA alone, mice previously exposed via inhalation to NO2 and OVA developed eosinophilic inflammation and mucus cell metaplasia in the lungs, as well as OVA-specific IgE and IgG1, and Th2-type cytokine responses. One hour of exposure to 10 parts per million NO2 increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels of total protein, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and heat shock protein 70; promoted the activation of NF-kappaB by airway epithelial cells; and stimulated the subsequent allergic response to Ag challenge. Furthermore, features of allergic airway disease were not induced in allergen-challenged TLR2 /- and MyD88-/- mice exposed to NO2 and aerosolized OVA during sensitization. These findings offer a mechanism whereby allergen sensitization and asthma may result under conditions of high ambient or endogenous NO2 levels. PMID- 17785806 TI - T cell lineage determination precedes the initiation of TCR beta gene rearrangement. AB - Loss of dendritic cell potential is one of the major events in intrathymic T cell development, during which the progenitors become determined to the T cell lineage. However, it remains unclear whether this event occurs in synchrony with another important event, TCRbeta chain gene rearrangement, which has been considered the definitive sign of irreversible T cell lineage commitment. To address this issue, we used transgenic mice in which GFP expression is controlled by the lck proximal promoter. We found that the double-negative (DN) 2 stage can be subdivided into GFP- and GFP+ populations, representing functionally different developmental stages in that the GFP-DN2, but not GFP+DN2, cells retain dendritic cell potential. The GFP+DN2 cells were found to undergo several rounds of proliferation before the initiation of TCRbeta rearrangement as evidenced by the diversity of D-Jbeta rearrangements seen in T cells derived from a single GFP+DN2 progenitor. These results indicated that the determination step of progenitors to the T cell lineage is a separable event from TCRbeta rearrangement. PMID- 17785807 TI - Effect of the purinergic receptor P2X7 on Chlamydia infection in cervical epithelial cells and vaginally infected mice. AB - Ligation of the purinergic receptor, P2X7R, with its agonist ATP has been previously shown to inhibit intracellular infection by chlamydiae and mycobacteria in macrophages. The effect of P2X7R on chlamydial infection had never been investigated in the preferred target cells of chlamydiae, cervical epithelial cells, nor in vaginally infected mice. In this study, we show that treatment of epithelial cells with P2X7R agonists inhibits partially Chlamydia infection in epithelial cells. Chelation of ATP with magnesium or pretreatment with a P2X7R antagonist blocks the inhibitory effects of ATP. Similarly to previous results obtained with macrophages, ATP-mediated inhibition of infection in epithelial cells requires activation of host-cell phospholipase D. Vaginal infection was also more efficient in P2X7R-deficient mice, which also displayed a higher level of acute inflammation in the endocervix, oviduct, and mesosalpingeal tissues than in infected wild-type mice. However, secretion of IL-1beta, which requires P2X7R ligation during infection by other pathogens, was decreased mildly and only at short times of infection. Taken together, these results suggest that P2X7R affects Chlamydia infection by directly inhibiting infection in epithelial cells, rather than through the ability of P2X7R to modulate IL-1beta secretion. PMID- 17785808 TI - Blockade of hyaluronan inhibits IL-2-induced vascular leak syndrome and maintains effectiveness of IL-2 treatment for metastatic melanoma. AB - Vascular leak syndrome (VLS) is a life-threatening toxicity induced during IL-2 treatment of cancer patients. The mechanism of IL-2-induced VLS is still poorly understood. At present, there is no specific therapy for VLS. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that hyaluronan (HA), a large glycosaminoglycan, abundant in the extracellular matrix and on the cell surface, caused a marked increase of IL-2-induced VLS in the lungs and liver of C57BL/6 mice. Conversely, blockade or knockout of its major receptor, CD44, resulted in a marked decrease of VLS, thereby suggesting a role for HA in VLS. In this study, we report a novel means to prevent IL-2-induced VLS by blocking endogenous HA with HA-specific binding peptide, Pep-1, a newly isolated peptide which specifically binds to soluble, cell-associated, and immobilized forms of HA. Our results demonstrated that blocking HA with Pep-1 dramatically inhibited IL-2-induced VLS in both normal mice as well as in mice bearing melanoma. Moreover, Pep-1 treatment maintained the effectiveness of IL-2 and prevented the metastasis of melanoma. IL 2-induced emigration of lymphocytes across the endothelium and cytotoxicity against tumor by lymphokine-activated killer cells were not affected by Pep-1. Instead, use of Pep-1 maintained endothelial integrity and reduced their apoptosis during IL-2-induced VLS. These data suggested that HA plays a critical role in regulating endothelial cell damage and induction of IL-2-mediated VLS. Also, blockade of HA using Pep-1 could constitute a novel therapeutic modality to prevent IL-2-mediated toxicity, thereby facilitating the effectiveness of high dose IL-2 in the treatment of metastatic melanomas. PMID- 17785809 TI - Vitamin A metabolites induce gut-homing FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. AB - In this study, we report a novel biological function of vitamin A metabolites in conversion of naive FoxP3- CD4+ T cells into a unique FoxP3+ regulatory T cell subset (termed "retinoid-induced FoxP3+ T cells") in both human and mouse T cells. We found that the major vitamin A metabolite all-trans-retinoic acid induces histone acetylation at the FoxP3 gene promoter and expression of the FoxP3 protein in CD4+ T cells. The induction of retinoid-induced FoxP3+ T cells is mediated by the nuclear retinoic acid receptor alpha and involves T cell activation driven by mucosal dendritic cells and costimulation through CD28. Retinoic acid can promote TGF-beta1-dependent generation of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells but decrease the TGF-beta1- and IL-6-dependent generation of inflammatory Th17 cells in mouse T cells. Retinoid-induced FoxP3+ T cells can efficiently suppress target cells and, thus, have a regulatory function typical for FoxP3+ T cells. A unique cellular feature of these regulatory T cells is their high expression of gut-homing receptors that are important for migration to the mucosal tissues particularly the small intestine. Taken together, these results identify retinoids as positive regulatory factors for generation of gut-homing FoxP3+ T cells. PMID- 17785810 TI - Reciprocal NFAT1 and NFAT2 nuclear localization in CD8+ anergic T cells is regulated by suboptimal calcium signaling. AB - Anergy is an important mechanism of maintaining peripheral immune tolerance. T cells rendered anergic are refractory to further stimulation and are characterized by defective proliferation and IL-2 production. We used a model of in vivo anergy induction in murine CD8+ T cells to analyze the initial signaling events in anergic T cells. Tolerant T cells displayed reduced phospholipase Cgamma activation and calcium mobilization, indicating a defect in calcium signaling. This correlated with a block in nuclear localization of NFAT1 in anergic cells. However, we found that stimulation of anergic, but not naive T cells induced nuclear translocation of NFAT2. This suggested that NFAT2 is activated preferentially by reduced calcium signaling, and we confirmed this hypothesis by stimulating naive T cells under conditions of calcium limitation or partial calcineurin inhibition. Thus, our work provides new insight into how T cell stimulation conditions might dictate specific NFAT isoform activation and implicates NFAT2 involvement in the expression of anergy-related genes. PMID- 17785811 TI - The endothelial cell-produced antiangiogenic cytokine vascular endothelial growth inhibitor induces dendritic cell maturation. AB - Angiogenesis is an essential component of chronic inflammation that is linked to carcinogenesis. In this study, we report that human vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI, TNF superfamily 15), an endothelial cell-produced antiangiogenic cytokine, induces mouse dendritic cell (DC) maturation, a critical event in inflammation-initiated immunity. VEGI-stimulated bone marrow-derived immature DCs display early activation of maturation signaling molecules NF-kappaB, STAT3, p38, and JNK, and cytoskeleton reorganization and dendrite formation. The activation signals are partially inhibited by using a neutralizing Ab against death domain containing receptor-3 (DR3) or a truncated form of DR3 consisting of the extracellular domain, indicating an involvement of DR3 in the transmission of VEGI activity. A VEGI isoform, TL1A, does not induce similar activities under otherwise identical experimental conditions. Additionally, the cells reveal significantly enhanced expression of mature DC-specific marker CD83, secondary lymphoid tissue-directing chemokine receptor CCR7, the MHC class-II protein (MHC II), and costimulatory molecules CD40, CD80, and CD86. Functionally, the cells exhibit decreased Ag endocytosis, increased cell surface distribution of MHC-II, and increased secretion of IL-12 and TNF. Moreover, VEGI-stimulated DCs are able to facilitate the differentiation of CD4+ naive T cells in cocultures. These findings suggest that the anticancer activity of VEGI arises from coupling the inhibition of endothelial cell growth with the promotion of the adaptive immune mechanisms through the stimulation of DC maturation. PMID- 17785812 TI - Bcl10 plays a divergent role in NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cytokine generation. AB - Activating receptors such as NKG2D and Ly49D mediate a multitude of effector functions including cytotoxicity and cytokine generation in NK cells. However, specific signaling events that are responsible for the divergence of distinct effector functions have yet to be determined. In this study, we show that lack of caspase recruitment domain-containing protein Bcl10 significantly affected receptor-mediated cytokine and chemokine generation, but not cytotoxicity against tumor cells representing "missing-self" or "induced-self." Lack of Bcl10 completely abrogated the generation of GM-CSF and chemokines and it significantly reduced the generation of IFN-gamma (>75%) in NK cells. Commitment, development, and terminal maturation of NK cells were largely unaffected in the absence of Bcl10. Although IL-2-activated NK cells could mediate cytotoxicity to the full extent, the ability of the freshly isolated NK cells to mediate cytotoxicity was somewhat reduced. Therefore, we conclude that the Carma1-Bcl10-Malt1 signaling axis is critical for cytokine and chemokine generation, although it is dispensable for cytotoxic granule release depending on the activation state of NK cells. These results indicate that Bcl10 represents an exclusive "molecular switch" that links the upstream receptor-mediated signaling to cytokine and chemokine generations. PMID- 17785813 TI - DAP10 deficiency breaks the immune tolerance against transplantable syngeneic melanoma. AB - DAP10, an activating adaptor protein, associates with the NKG2D protein to form a multisubunit receptor complex that is expressed in lymphoid and myeloid cells. The ligands for NKG2D-DAP10 receptor are expressed in both normal and tumor cells, suggesting distinct roles for this receptor in autoimmunity and cancer. In this study, we report that constitutive DAP10 activating signaling is part of regulatory mechanisms that control immunity against tumors. Mice lacking DAP10 (DAP10KO), showed enhanced immunity against melanoma malignancies due to hyperactive functioning of NK1.1+CD3+ NKT cells. DAP10 deficiency resulted in substantially increased NKT cell functions, including cytokine production and cytotoxicity, leading to efficient killing of melanoma tumors. Moreover, the antitumor phenotype of DAP10KO mice correlated with impaired activation status of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). Upon activation, DAP10KO Tregs maintained higher levels of IL-2 and produced significantly lower amounts of IL-10 and IFN gamma cytokines when compared with wild-type Tregs. Our data suggest that DAP10 signaling is involved in adjusting the activation threshold and generation of NKT cells and Tregs to avoid autoreactivity, but also modulates antitumor mechanisms. PMID- 17785815 TI - Cytoplasmic linker protein-170 enhances spreading and phagocytosis in activated macrophages by stabilizing microtubules. AB - Activation of macrophages causes increased cell spreading, increased secretion of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases, and enhanced phagocytosis. The intracellular mechanisms driving the up-regulation of these activities have not been completely clarified. We observe that classical activation of murine resident peritoneal or RAW 264.7 macrophages with a combination of IFN-gamma and LPS induces an increase in stabilized cytoplasmic microtubules (MTs), measured with an anti-acetylated alpha-tubulin Ab. We examined the mechanism of this MT stabilization and find that macrophage activation causes redistribution of the MT plus-end tracking protein, cytoplasmic linker protein-170 (CLIP-170). CLIP-170 is localized at the distal plus-ends of MTs in resting macrophages, but accumulates along the length of MTs in IFN-gamma/LPS-activated cells. A direct involvement of CLIP-170 in MT stabilization has not been thoroughly established. In this study, we show that expression of a mutant CLIP-170 chimeric protein (dominant-negative CLIP-170-GFP), lacking the MT-binding domain, prevents MT stabilization in activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, we find enhanced CLIP-170 association with MTs and MT stabilization by treating resting macrophages with okadaic acid, implicating the protein phosphatase 2A in CLIP-170 binding and MT stabilization in RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, we observed enhanced cell spreading and phagocytosis in both IFN-gamma/LPS-activated and okadaic acid-treated resting RAW 264.7 cells, which are markedly reduced in activated cells expressing dominant-negative CLIP-170-GFP. These results identify CLIP-170 as a key regulator of MT stabilization and establish a prominent role for stabilized MTs in cell spreading and phagocytosis in activated macrophages. PMID- 17785814 TI - Attenuation of experimental autoimmune myositis by blocking ICOS-ICOS ligand interaction. AB - Polymyositis (PM) is an acquired, systemic, connective tissue disease characterized by the proximal muscle weakness and infiltration of mononuclear cells into the affected muscles. To understand its etiology and immunopathogenesis, appropriate animal model is required. It has been demonstrated that immunization with native human skeletal C protein induces severe and reproducible experimental autoimmune myositis (EAM) in Lewis rats, and that the muscle inflammatory lesions in the EAM mimic those of human PM. In the present study, we prepared recombinant skeletal C protein fragment and succeeded in inducing as severe EAM as that by native C protein. We found ICOS expression on muscle fiber-infiltrating T cells in the EAM rats, but not in normal rats. Treatment with anti-ICOS mAb reduced incidence and severity of myositis; decreased the number of muscle-infiltrating CD11b/c+, TCR+, and CD8a+ cells; and inhibited the expression of IL-1alpha and CCL2 in the hamstring muscles of the EAM rats. However, the treatment neither inhibited serum anti-C protein IgG level, C protein-induced proliferation of lymph node (LN) cells, or LN T cells, nor production of IFN-gamma by C protein-stimulated LN cells in EAM rats. These data indicate that analysis of C protein-induced EAM provides not only insights into pathogenesis of PM, but also useful information regarding development of effective immunotherapy against the disease. ICOS-ICOS ligand interaction would be a novel therapeutic target for PM. PMID- 17785817 TI - The B7 homolog butyrophilin BTN2A1 is a novel ligand for DC-SIGN. AB - The MHC-encoded butyrophilin, BTN2A1, is a cell surface glycoprotein related to the extended family of B7 costimulatory molecules. BTN2A1 mRNA was expressed in most human tissues, but protein expression was significantly lower in leukocytes. An Ig-fusion protein of BTN2A1 bound to immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Binding diminished upon MoDC maturation and no binding was detected to Langerhans cells. Induction of the counterreceptor was IL-4 dependent and occurred early during dendritic cell differentiation. The interaction required the presence of Ca2+ and was mediated by high-mannose oligosaccharides. These properties matched DC-SIGN, a DC-specific HIV-1 entry receptor. This was confirmed by binding of soluble BTN2A1 to DC-SIGN-transfectants and its inhibition by a specific Ab. DC-SIGN bound to native BTN2A1 expressed on a range of tissues. However, BTN2A1 was not recognized on some normal cells such as HUVECs despite a similar expression level. The BTN2A1 of tumor cells such as HEK293T have more high-mannose moieties in comparison to HUVECs, and those high mannose moieties are instrumental for binding to DC-SIGN. The data are consistent with tumor- or tissue-specific glycosylation of BTN2A1 governing recognition by DC-SIGN on immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells. PMID- 17785816 TI - IFN-alpha is not sufficient to drive Th1 development due to lack of stable T-bet expression. AB - During inflammatory immune responses, the innate cytokine IL-12 promotes CD4+ Th 1 development through the activation of the second messenger STAT4 and the subsequent expression of T-bet. In addition, type I IFN (IFN-alphabeta), secreted primarily during viral and intracellular bacterial infections, can promote STAT4 activation in human CD4+ T cells. However, the role of IFN-alphabeta in regulating Th1 development is controversial, and previous studies have suggested a species-specific pathway leading to Th1 development in human but not mouse CD4+ T cells. In this study, we found that although both IFN-alpha and IL-12 can promote STAT4 activation, IFN-alpha failed to promote Th1 commitment in human CD4+ T cells. The difference between these innate signaling pathways lies with the ability of IL-12 to promote sustained STAT4 tyrosine phosphorylation, which correlated with stable T-bet expression in committed Th1 cells. IFN-alpha did not promote Th1 development in human CD4+ T cells because of attenuated STAT4 phosphorylation, which was insufficient to induce stable expression of T-bet. Further, the defect in IFN-alpha-driven Th1 development was corrected by ectopic expression of T-bet within primary naive human CD4+ T cells. These results indicate that IL-12 remains unique in its ability to drive Th1 development in human CD4+ T cells and that IFN-alpha lacks this activity due to its inability to promote sustained T-bet expression. PMID- 17785818 TI - Granzyme B activity in target cells detects attack by cytotoxic lymphocytes. AB - Lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity via granule exocytosis operates by the perforin mediated transfer of granzymes from CTLs and NK cells into target cells where caspase activation and other death pathways are triggered. Granzyme B (GzB) is a major cytotoxic effector in this pathway, and its fate in target cells has been studied by several groups using immunodetection. In this study, we have used a newly developed cell-permeable fluorogenic GzB substrate to measure this protease activity in three different living targets following contact with cytotoxic effectors. Although no GzB activity is measurable in CTL or NK92 effector cells, this activity rapidly becomes detectable throughout the target cytoplasm after effector-target engagement. We have combined the GzB substrate with a second fluorogenic substrate selective for caspase 3 to allow both flow cytometry and fluorescence confocal microscopy studies of cytotoxicity. With both effectors, caspase 3 activity appears subsequent to that of GzB inside all three targets. Overexpression of Bcl-2 in target cells has minimal effects on lysis, NK- or CTL delivered GzB activity, or activation of target caspase 3. Detection of target GzB activity followed by caspase 3 activation provides a unique readout of a potentially lethal injury delivered by cytotoxic lymphocytes. PMID- 17785819 TI - The role of B cells in the development of CD4 effector T cells during a polarized Th2 immune response. AB - Previous studies have suggested that B cells promote Th2 cell development by inhibiting Th1 cell differentiation. To examine whether B cells are directly required for the development of IL-4-producing T cells in the lymph node during a highly polarized Th2 response, B cell-deficient and wild-type mice were inoculated with the nematode parasite, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. On day 7, in the absence of increased IFN-gamma, IL-4 protein and gene expression from CD4 T cells in the draining lymph nodes were markedly reduced in B cell-deficient mice and could not be restored by multiple immunizations. Using a DO11.10 T cell adoptive transfer system, OVA-specific T cell IL-4 production and cell cycle progression, but not cell surface expression of early activation markers, were impaired in B cell-deficient recipient mice following immunization with N. brasiliensis plus OVA. Laser capture microdissection and immunofluorescent staining showed that pronounced IL-4 mRNA and protein secretion by donor DO11.10 T cells first occurred in the T cell:B cell zone of the lymph node shortly after inoculation of IL-4-/- recipients, suggesting that this microenvironment is critical for initial Th2 cell development. Reconstitution of B cell-deficient mice with wild-type naive B cells, or IL-4-/- B cells, substantially restored Ag specific T cell IL-4 production. However, reconstitution with B7-1/B7-2-deficient B cells failed to rescue the IL-4-producing DO11.10 T cells. These results suggest that B cells, expressing B7 costimulatory molecules, are required in the absence of an underlying IFN-gamma-mediated response for the development of a polarized primary Ag-specific Th2 response in vivo. PMID- 17785820 TI - Induction of the CTLA-4 gene in human lymphocytes is dependent on NFAT binding the proximal promoter. AB - CTLA-4 is a member of the costimulatory family, has homology to CD28, and binds the B7 family of ligands. Unlike CD28, CTLA-4 ligation transmits a negative signal in T cells. CTLA-4 expression, while inducible in most T cells, is expressed constitutively on T cells with a regulatory phenotype. The mechanism controlling CTLA-4 expression in human T cells is poorly characterized, thus we sought to better understand the mechanism of activation of the CTLA-4 gene. By cloning the 5' upstream promoter and creating promoter-deletion reporter constructs, we show that the proximal promoter is critical for activating the CTLA-4 gene. Within this region, we identify a NFAT consensus sequence that binds NFAT with high affinity that differs from other NFAT sequences and does not recruit AP-1. Analysis of the chromatin proteins in the native CTLA-4 gene shows that this promoter region becomes associated with acetylated histones by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. In addition, NFAT1 binds to the promoter of the CTLA-4 gene after stimulation by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The functional requirement of the NFAT site for CTLA-4 transcription was demonstrated by mutations in the NFAT site that abolished the activity of the promoter. Furthermore, inhibitors of NFAT suppressed CTLA-4 gene expression, indicating that NFAT plays a critical role in regulating the induction of the CTLA-4 gene in lymphocytes. The identification of NFAT as a critical regulator of the CTLA-4 gene suggests that targeting NFAT function may lead to novel approaches to modulate the CTLA-4 gene to control the immune response. PMID- 17785821 TI - Kinetic, affinity, and diversity limits of human polyclonal antibody responses against tetanus toxoid. AB - Due to technical limitations, little knowledge exists on the composition of Ag specific polyclonal Ab responses. Hence, we here present a molecular analysis of two representative human Ab repertoires isolated by using a novel single-cell cloning approach. The observed genetic diversity among tetanus toxoid-specific plasma cells indicate that human polyclonal repertoires are limited to the order of 100 B cell clones and hypermutated variants thereof. Affinity and kinetic binding constants are log-normally distributed, and median values are close to the proposed affinity ceilings for positive selection. Abs varied a million-fold in affinity but were restricted in their off-rates with an upper limit of 2 x 10( 3) s(-1). Identification of Abs of high affinity without hypermutations in combination with a modest effect of hypermutations on observed affinity increases indicate that Abs selected from the naive repertoire are not only of low affinity but cover a relatively large span in affinity, reaching into the subnanomolar range. PMID- 17785822 TI - Zap70 signaling pathway mediates glucocorticoid receptor-dependent transcriptional activation: role in the regulation of annexin 1 expression in T cells. AB - We have recently shown that Zap70 is important in retinoid receptor-dependent transactivation in T lymphocytes. We report that Zap70 signaling is also essential in dexamethasone-inducible glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated transactivation in T lymphocytes. Zap70-negative Jurkat T cells and cells reconstituted with inactive Zap70 exhibited attenuated GR-mediated activation as compared with Zap70 reconstituted and wild-type cells. Lck-lacking Jurkat cells were also found to show markedly reduced GR activation, and reconstitution with Lck restored the activation. Gene array and protein analysis showed that the level of annexin 1 (ANXA1), an anti-inflammatory protein known to be induced and released by the glucocorticoid action, was significantly reduced in Zap70 negative and Zap70-inactive Jurkat cells as compared with wild-type cells. Lck lacking cells were also found to have markedly reduced ANXA1 levels and reconstitution with Lck restored the ANXA1 expression. RNA interference-induced knockdown of Zap70 or Lck in Jurkat cells and peripheral blood T lymphocytes also resulted in the loss of ANXA1 expression. Transcriptional analysis revealed that dexamethasone-inducible GR-mediated activation of ANXA1 promoter was compromised in both Zap70 knocked down peripheral blood T cells and Zap70 or Lck deficient/Lck-inactive Jurkat cells, indicating an essential role of these kinases in GR-mediated ANXA1 promoter activation in T lymphocytes. To summarize, our data demonstrate an important role for Zap70 signaling in GR-mediated transactivation in T lymphocytes and also point out a crucial role of this kinase in maintaining normal ANXA1 levels in these cells. PMID- 17785823 TI - Identification of a second group of type I IFNs in fish sheds light on IFN evolution in vertebrates. AB - In this report, three type I IFN genes were identified in rainbow trout (rt) Oncorhynchus mykiss and are classified into two groups based on their primary protein sequences: group I containing two cysteine residues; and group II containing four cysteines residues. The group I rtIFNs were induced in fibroblasts (RTG-2 cells), macrophages (RTS-11 cells), and head kidney leukocytes when stimulated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, whereas group II IFN was up regulated in head kidney leukocytes but not in RTG-2 and RTS-11 cells. Recombinant group I rtIFNs were potent at inducing Mx expression and eliciting antiviral responses, whereas recombinant group II rtIFN was poor in these activities. That two subgroups of type I IFN exist in trout prompted a survey of the genomes of several fish species, including zebrafish, medaka, threespine stickleback and fugu, the amphibian Xenopus tropicalis, the monotreme platypus and the marsupial opossum, to gain further insight into possible IFN evolution. Analysis of the sequences confirmed that the new IFN subgroup found in trout (group II IFN) exists in other fish species but was not universally present in fish. The IFN genes in amphibians were shown for the first time to contain introns and to conserve the four cysteine structure found in all type I IFNs except IFN-betaepsilon and fish group I IFN. The data overall support the concept that different vertebrate groups have independently expanded their IFN types, with deletion of different pairs of cysteines apparent in fish group I IFN and IFN-betaepsilon of mammals. PMID- 17785824 TI - Bruton's tyrosine kinase mediates NF-kappa B activation and B cell survival by B cell-activating factor receptor of the TNF-R family. AB - Loss of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) function results in mouse Xid disease characterized by a reduction in mature B cells and impaired humoral immune responses. These defects have been mainly attributed to impaired BCR signaling including reduced activation of the classical NF-kappaB pathway. In this study we show that Btk also couples the receptor for B cell-activating factor (BAFF) of the TNF family (BAFF-R) to the NF-kappaB pathway. Loss of Btk results in defective BAFF-mediated activation of both classical and alternative NF-kappaB pathways. Btk appears to regulate directly the classical pathway in response to BAFF such that Btk-deficient B cells exhibit reduced kinase activity of IkappaB kinase gamma-containing complexes and defective IkappaBalpha degradation. In addition, Btk-deficient B cells produce reduced levels of NF-kappaB2 (p100) basally and in response to stimulation via the BCR or BAFF-R, resulting in impaired activation of the alternative NF-kappaB pathway by BAFF. These results suggest that Btk regulates B cell survival by directly regulating the classical NF-kappaB pathway under both BCR and BAFF-R, as well as by inducing the expression of the components of alternative pathway for sustained NF-kappaB activation in response BAFF. Thus, impaired BCR- and BAFF-induced signaling to NF kappaB may contribute to the observed defects in B cell survival and humoral immune responses in Btk-deficient mice. PMID- 17785825 TI - Kaempferol inhibits IL-4-induced STAT6 activation by specifically targeting JAK3. AB - IL-4 is involved in several human diseases including allergies, autoimmunity, and cancer. Its effects are mainly mediated through the transcription factor STAT6. Therefore, investigation of compounds that regulate STAT6 activation is of great interest for these diseases. Natural polyphenols are compounds reported to have therapeutic properties in diseases involving IL-4 and STAT6. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these compounds in the activation of this transcription factor. We found that in hemopoietic cells from human and mouse origin, some flavonoids were able to inhibit the activation of STAT6 by IL-4. To identify molecular mechanisms, we focused on kaempferol, the compound that showed the greatest inhibitory effect with the lowest cell toxicity. Treatment of cells with kaempferol did not affect activation of Src kinase by IL-4 but did prevent the phosphorylation of JAK1 and JAK3. Further enzymatic analysis demonstrated that kaempferol blocked the in vitro phosphorylation activity of JAK3 without affecting JAK1, suggesting that it specifically targeted JAK3 activity. Accordingly, kaempferol had no effect on STAT6 activation in nonhemopoietic cell lines lacking JAK3, supporting its selective inhibition of IL-4 responses through type I receptors expressing JAK3 but not type II lacking this kinase. The inhibitory effect of kaempferol was also observed in IL-2 but not IL-3-mediated responses and correlated with the inhibition of MLC proliferation. These findings reveal the potential use of kaempferol as a tool for selectively controlling cell responses to IL-4 and, in general, JAK3-dependent responses. PMID- 17785826 TI - A novel mouse model for invariant NKT cell study. AB - We have generated a novel mouse model harboring the in-frame rearranged TCRValpha specific for invariant NKT (iNKT) cells (Valpha14-Jalpha18) on one allele by crossing the mouse cloned from NKT cells with wild-type mice. This genomic configuration would ensure further rearrangement and expression of TCRValpha14 Jalpha18 under the endogenous promoters and enhancers. Mice harboring such an in frame rearranged TCRValpha (Valpha14-Jalpha18 mouse) possessed an increase in iNKT cells in the thymus, liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Intriguingly, both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines were produced upon stimulation with alphaGalactosylceramide, an agonist of iNKT cells, and the IgE level in the serum remained unaffected in the Valpha14-Jalpha18 mouse. These features markedly distinguish the nature of iNKT cells present in the Valpha14-Jalpha18 mouse from that of iNKT cells found in the Valpha14-Jalpha18 transgenic mouse. Besides these, the expression of TCRVgammadelta cells remained intact, and the use of the TCRVbeta repertoire in iNKT cells was highly biased to TCRVbeta8 in the Valpha14 Jalpha18 mouse. Furthermore, alphaGalactosylceramide-CD1d dimer-reactive immature iNKT cells expressed less Rag2 as compared with the conventional immature T cells at the positive selection stage. Cell cycle analysis on the thymocytes revealed that no particular subset proliferated more vigorously than the others. Crossing the Valpha14-Jalpha18 mouse with the CD1d knockout mouse revealed a novel population of iNKT cells whose coreceptor expression profile was similar to that assigned to iNKT precursor cells. These mice will be useful for the study on the development of iNKT cells as well as on their functions in the immune system. PMID- 17785827 TI - The type 1 diabetes locus Idd6 controls TLR1 expression. AB - The Idd6 locus on mouse chromosome 6, which controls the development of type 1 diabetes in the NOD mouse, affects proliferation rates of T cells and the activity of regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells. Using a transcriptional profiling approach, we show that splenocytes and thymocytes from diabetes-resistant Idd6 NOD.C3H-congenic mouse strains exhibit a constitutive and specific down regulation of Toll-like receptor 1 (Tlr1) gene expression compared with diabetes prone NOD mice. This phenotype correlates with a diminished proliferation capacity of both CD4+CD25- effector and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells upon in vitro stimulation of the TLR1/TLR2 pathway by the ligand palmitoyl-3-cysteine serine-lysine 4, and with the constitutive down-regulation of Tnf-alpha and IL-6 in macrophages of Idd6- congenic mice. These data suggest that TLR1 is involved in the regulation of mechanisms that impinge on diabetes development in the NOD mouse. PMID- 17785828 TI - IFN-gamma and R-848 dependent activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells by Neisseria meningitidis adhesin A. AB - A soluble recombinant form of Neisseria meningitidis adhesin A (NadADelta351 405), proposed as a constituent of anti-meningococcal B vaccines, is here shown to specifically interact with and immune-modulate human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mo-DCs). After priming with IFN-gamma and stimulation with NadADelta351-405, mo-DCs strongly up-regulated maturation markers CD83, CD86, CD80, and HLA-DR, secreted moderate quantities of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8, and produced a slight, although significant, amount of IL-12p70. Costimulation of mo DCs with NadADelta351-405 and the imidoazoquinoline drug R-848, believed to mimic bacterial RNA, increased CD86 in an additive way, but strongly synergized the secretion of IL-12p70, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and MIP-1alpha, especially after IFN-gamma priming. CD86/CD80 overexpression correlated with the occupation of high-(kd approximately 80 nM) and low-(kd approximately 4 muM) affinity binding sites for NadADelta351-405. Alternatively, secretion of IL-12p70 and TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 corresponded to the occupation of high- or low-affinity receptors, respectively. Mo-DCs matured by IFN-gamma and NadADelta351-405 supported the proliferation of naive CD4+ T lymphocytes, inducing the differentiation of both IFN-gamma and IL-4 producing phenotypes. Our data show that NadA not only is a good immunogen but is as well endowed with a proimmune, self-adjuvating, activity. PMID- 17785829 TI - IL-23 enhances host defense against vaccinia virus infection via a mechanism partly involving IL-17. AB - To investigate roles of IL-23 in viral infection, we have engineered recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) expressing IL-12 (VV-IL-12) and expressing IL-23 (VV-IL-23). We found VV-IL-23 was less virulent in BALB/c mice than wild-type VV (VV-WT), indicating that IL-23 enhances resistance to VV. VV-specific CTL activity in VV IL-23-infected mice was slightly higher than activity in VV-WT-inoculated mice, although antiviral Ab production and NK activity were not increased. IL-12/23p40 deficient mice survived the infection with VV-IL-23, indicating that IL-23 promotes VV resistance independently of IL-12. The mechanism of the IL-23 mediated resistance was distinct from that of the IL-12-regulated resistance because IFN-gamma-deficient mice did not eliminate VV-IL-12, but did eradicate VV IL-23. These data indicate that IFN-gamma is essential for the IL-12-mediated resistance, but dispensable for the IL-23-regulated resistance. Because IL-17 is a key in the IL-23-regulated resistance to bacteria, we hypothesized an involvement of IL-17 in the resistance to VV. Treatment with an anti-IL-17 mAb resulted in a significant increase of viral titers in VV-IL-23-infected IFN-gamma deficient mice. In addition, VV-IL-17 was less virulent than VV-WT in BALB/c mice, and IL-17-deficient mice were more sensitive to VV-WT than control mice. However, the effect of neutralization with an anti-IL-17 mAb was limited, and IL 17-deficient mice survived the infection with VV-IL-23. Taken together, these data suggest that the IL-23/IL-17 axis plays a certain but subdominant role in the IL-23-mediated resistance to VV. Unveiling of an alternative pathway in the IL-23-regulated resistance might provide a novel strategy against infectious pathogens without side effects of autoimmunity. PMID- 17785830 TI - Alternative activation is an innate response to injury that requires CD4+ T cells to be sustained during chronic infection. AB - Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMPhi) are found in abundance during chronic Th2 inflammatory responses to metazoan parasites. Important roles for these macrophages are being defined, particularly in the context of Th2-mediated pathology and fibrosis. However, a full understanding of the requirements for alternative activation, particularly at the innate level, is lacking. We present evidence that alternative activation by the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 is an innate and rapid response to tissue injury that takes place even in the absence of an infectious agent. This early response does not require CD4+ Th2 cells because it occurred in RAG-deficient mice. However, class II-restricted CD4+ T cell help is essential to maintain AAMPhi in response to infection, because AAMPhi were absent in RAG-deficient and MHC class II-deficient, but not B cell deficient mice after chronic exposure to the nematode parasite, Brugia malayi. The absence of AAMPhi was associated with increased neutrophilia and reduced eosinophilia, suggesting that AAMPhi are involved in the clearance of neutrophils as well as the recruitment of eosinophils. Consistent with this hypothesis, AAMPhi show enhanced phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils, but not latex beads. Our data demonstrate that alternative activation by type 2 cytokines is an innate response to injury that can occur in the absence of an adaptive response. However, analogous to classical activation by microbial pathogens, Th2 cells are required for maintenance and full activation during the ongoing response to metazoan parasites. PMID- 17785831 TI - TLR9 is required for protective innate immunity in Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia: role of dendritic cells. AB - In this study, experiments were performed to determine the contribution of TLR9 to the generation of protective innate immunity against virulent bacterial pathogens of the lung. In initial studies, we found that the intratracheal administration of Klebsiella pneumoniae in wild-type (WT) BALB/c mice resulted in the rapid accumulation of dendritic cells (DC) expressing TLR9. As compared with WT mice, animals deficient in TLR9 (TLR9-/-) displayed significantly increased mortality that was associated with a >50-fold increase in lung CFU and a >400 fold increase in K. pneumoniae CFU in blood and spleen, respectively. Intrapulmonary bacterial challenge in TLR9-/- mice resulted in reduced lung DC accumulation and maturation as well as impaired activation of lung macrophages, NK cells, and alphabeta and gammadelta T cells. Mice deficient in TLR9 failed to generate an effective Th1 cytokine response following bacterial administration. The adoptive transfer of bone marrow-derived DC from syngeneic WT but not TLR9-/- mice administered intratracheally reconstituted antibacterial immunity in TLR9-/- mice. Collectively, our findings indicate that TLR9 is required for effective innate immune responses against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens and that approaches to maximize TLR9-mediated DC responses may serve as a means to augment antibacterial immunity in pneumonia. PMID- 17785832 TI - CD8+ T cell protective immunity against Chlamydia pneumoniae includes an H2-M3 restricted response that is largely CD4+ T cell-independent. AB - CD8+ T cells are important for immunity to the intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn). Recently, we reported that type 1 CD8+ (Tc1) from Cpn infected B6 mice recognize peptides from multiple Cpn Ags in a classical MHC class Ia-restricted fashion. In this study, we show that Cpn infection also induces nonclassical MHC class Ib-(H2-M3)-restricted CD8+ T cell responses. H2-M3 binding peptides representing the N-terminal formylated sequences from five Cpn Ags sensitized target cells for lysis by cytolytic effectors from the spleens of infected B6 mice. Of these, only peptides fMFFAPL (P1) and fMLYWFL (P4) stimulated IFN-gamma production by infection-primed splenic and pulmonary CD8+ T cells. Studies with Cpn-infected Kb-/-/Db-/- mice confirmed the Tc1 cytokine profile of P1- and P4-specific CD8+ T cells and revealed the capacity of these effectors to exert in vitro H2-M3-restricted lysis of Cpn-infected macrophages and in vivo pulmonary killing of P1- and P4-coated splenocytes. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of P1- and P4-specific CD8+ T cells into naive Kb-/-/Db-/- mice reduced lung Cpn loads following challenge. Finally, we show that in the absence of MHC class Ia-restricted CD8+ T cell responses, CD4+ T cells are largely expendable for the control of Cpn growth, and for the generation, memory maintenance, and secondary expansion of P1- and P4-specific CD8+ T cells. These results suggest that H2-M3-restricted CD8+ T cells contribute to protective immunity against Cpn, and that chlamydial Ags presented by MHC class Ib molecules may represent novel targets for inclusion in anti-Cpn vaccines. PMID- 17785833 TI - Chemoattraction of macrophages, T lymphocytes, and mast cells is evolutionarily conserved within the human alpha-defensin family. AB - Human defensins are natural peptide antibiotics. On the basis of the position and bonding of six conserved cysteine residues, they are divided into two families, designated alpha- and beta-defensins. Human alpha-defensins are expressed predominantly in neutrophils (human neutrophil peptides (HNP) 1-4) or intestinal Paneth cells (human defensins (HD) 5 and 6). Although alpha-defensins have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, their immunomodulatory functions are poorly understood. In the present study, HNP-1, HNP-3, and HD5 were found to be potent chemotaxins for macrophages but not dendritic cells using Galphai proteins and MAPK as signal transducers. Alpha defensins were also chemoattractive for the human mast cell line HMC-1 but lacked, in contrast to beta-defensins, the ability to induce intracellular calcium fluxes. Furthermore, HNP-1, HNP-3, and HD5 comparably mobilized naive as well as memory T lymphocytes. Using the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors GF109 and Go6976, we observed a PKC-independent functional desensitization to occur between human alpha-defensins, which suggests a common receptor for HNP-1, HNP-3, and HD5 on immune cells. This alpha-defensin receptor was subject to heterologous desensitization by the PKC activator PMA and to PKC-dependent cross desensitization by human beta-defensins. Conversely, alpha-defensins desensitized beta-defensin-mediated migration of immune cells in a PKC-dependent manner, suggesting unique receptors for both defensin families. Taken together, our observations indicate that chemoattraction of macrophages, T lymphocytes, and mast cells represents an immunomodulatory function which is evolutionarily conserved within the human alpha-defensin family and tightly regulated by beta defensins. PMID- 17785834 TI - C1 inhibitor-mediated protection from sepsis. AB - C1 inhibitor (C1INH) protects mice from lethal Gram-negative bacterial LPS induced endotoxin shock and blocks the binding of LPS to the murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7, via an interaction with lipid A. Using the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model for sepsis in mice, treatment with C1INH improved survival in comparison with untreated controls. The effect was not solely the result of inhibition of complement and contact system activation because reactive center-cleaved, inactive C1INH (iC1INH) also was effective. In vivo, C1INH and iC1INH both reduced the number of viable bacteria in the blood and peritoneal fluid and accelerated killing of bacteria by blood neutrophils and peritoneal macrophages. In vitro, C1INH bound to bacteria cultured from blood or peritoneal fluid of mice with CLP-induced sepsis, but had no direct effect on bacterial growth. However, both C1INH and iC1INH enhanced the bactericidal activity of blood neutrophils and peritoneal exudate leukocytes. C1INH-deficient mice (C1INH /- mice) subjected to CLP had a higher mortality than did wild-type littermate mice. Survival of C1INH-/- mice was significantly increased with two doses of C1INH, one given immediately following CLP, and the second at 6 h post-CLP. C1INH may be important in protection from sepsis through enhancement of bacterial uptake by, and/or bactericidal capacity of, phagocytes. Treatment with C1INH may provide a useful additional therapeutic approach in some patients with peritonitis and/or sepsis. PMID- 17785835 TI - Induction of CD8 T cells against a novel epitope in TB10.4: correlation with mycobacterial virulence and the presence of a functional region of difference-1. AB - Although infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) induces a robust CD8 T cell response, the role of CD8 T cells in the defense against M.tb, and the mechanisms behind the induction of CD8 T cells, is still not clear. TB10.4 is a recently described Ag that is expressed by both bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and M.tb. In the present study, we describe a novel CD8 T cell epitope in TB10.4, TB10.4(3-11). We show that TB10.4(3-11)-specific CD8 T cells are induced at the onset of infection and are present throughout the infection in high numbers. TB10.4(3-11) CD8 T cells were recruited to the site of infection and expressed CD44, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma. In addition, TB10.4(3-11) CD8 T cells showed an up-regulation of FasL and LAMP-1/2 (CD107A/B), which correlated with a strong in vivo cytolytic activity. The induction of TB10.4(3-11)-specific CD8 T cells was less pronounced following infection with BCG compared to infection with M.tb. By using a rBCG expressing the genetic region of difference-1 (RD1), we show that the presence of a functional RD1 region increases the induction of TB10.4(3-11) specific CD8 T cells as well as the bacterial virulence. Finally, as an M.tb variant lacking the genetic region RD1 also induced a significant amount of TB10.4(3-11)-specific CD8 T cells, and exhibited increased virulence compared with BCG, our data suggest that virulence in itself is also involved in generating a robust CD8 T cell response against mycobacterial epitopes, such as TB10.4(3-11). PMID- 17785836 TI - Systemic tumor necrosis factor generated during lethal Plasmodium infections impairs dendritic cell function. AB - Dendritic cells (DCs) initiate innate and adaptive immune responses including those against malaria. Although several studies have shown that DC function is normal during malaria, other studies have shown compromised function. To establish why these studies had different findings, we examined DCs from mice infected with two lethal species of parasite, Plasmodium berghei or P. vinckei, and compared them to DCs from nonlethal P. yoelii 17XNL or P. chabaudi infections. These studies found that DCs from only the lethal infections became uniformly mature 7 days after infection and were functionally impaired as they were unable to endocytose latex particles, secrete IL-12, or present OVA to transgenic OTII T cells. These changes coincided with a peak in levels of systemic TNF-alpha. Because TNF-alpha is known to mature DCs, we used TNF-KO mice to determine the role of this cytokine in the loss of DC function. In the TNF-KO mice, phenotype, Ag presentation, and IL-12 secretion by DCs were restored to normal following both lethal infections. This study shows that the systemic production of TNF-alpha contributes to poor DC function during lethal infections. These studies may explain, at least in part, immunosuppression that is associated with malaria. PMID- 17785837 TI - Neutrophils activate macrophages for intracellular killing of Leishmania major through recruitment of TLR4 by neutrophil elastase. AB - We investigated the role of neutrophil elastase (NE) in interactions between murine inflammatory neutrophils and macrophages infected with the parasite Leishmania major. A blocker peptide specific for NE prevented the neutrophils from inducing microbicidal activity in macrophages. Inflammatory neutrophils from mutant pallid mice were defective in the spontaneous release of NE, failed to induce microbicidal activity in wild-type macrophages, and failed to reduce parasite loads upon transfer in vivo. Conversely, purified NE activated macrophages and induced microbicidal activity dependent on secretion of TNF alpha. Induction of macrophage microbicidal activity by either neutrophils or purified NE required TLR4 expression by macrophages. Injection of purified NE shortly after infection in vivo reduced the burden of L. major in draining lymph nodes of TLR4-sufficient, but not TLR4-deficient mice. These results indicate that NE plays a previously unrecognized protective role in host responses to L. major infection. PMID- 17785838 TI - Function and regulation of SPLUNC1 protein in Mycoplasma infection and allergic inflammation. AB - Respiratory infections, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp), contribute to asthma pathobiology. To date, the mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility of asthmatics to airway Mp infection remain unclear. Short palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone 1 (SPLUNC1) protein is a recently described large airway epithelial cell-derived molecule that was predicted to exert host defense activities. However, SPLUNC1 function and regulation in an infectious or allergic milieu are still unknown. We determined host defense and anti inflammatory functions of SPLUNC1 protein in Mp infection and the regulation of SPLUNC1 by Mp and allergic inflammation (e.g., IL-13). SPLUNC1 function was examined in Mp or human airway epithelial cell cultures by using SPLUNC1 recombinant protein, overexpression and RNA interference. Human and mouse bronchial epithelial SPLUNC1 was examined using immunostaining, Western blotting, ELISA, laser capture microdissection, and real-time PCR. Mouse models of Mp infection and allergic inflammation and air-liquid interface cultures of normal human primary bronchial epithelial cells were used to study SPLUNC1 regulation by Mp and IL-13. We found that: 1) SPLUNC1 protein decreased Mp levels and inhibited epithelial IL-8 production induced by Mp-derived lipoproteins; 2) normal human and mouse large airway epithelial cells expressed high levels of SPLUNC1; and 3) although Mp infection increased SPLUNC1, IL-13 significantly decreased SPLUNC1 expression and Mp clearance. Our results suggest that SPLUNC1 serves as a novel host defense protein against Mp and that an allergic setting markedly reduces SPLUNC1 expression, which may in part contribute to the persistent nature of bacterial infections in allergic airways. PMID- 17785839 TI - A glycosylphosphatidylinositol-based treatment alleviates trypanosomiasis associated immunopathology. AB - The GPI-anchored trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) triggers macrophages to produce TNF, involved in trypanosomiasis-associated inflammation and the clinical manifestation of sleeping sickness. Aiming at inhibiting immunopathology during experimental Trypanosoma brucei infections, a VSG-derived GPI-based treatment approach was developed. To achieve this, mice were exposed to the GPI before an infectious trypanosome challenge. This GPI-based strategy resulted in a significant prolonged survival and a substantial protection against infection-associated weight loss, liver damage, acidosis, and anemia; the latter was shown to be Ab-independent and correlated with reduced macrophage-mediated RBC clearance. In addition, GPI-based treatment resulted in reduced circulating serum levels of the inflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-6, abrogation of infection induced LPS hypersensitivity, and an increase in circulating IL-10. At the level of trypanosomiasis-associated macrophage activation, the GPI-based treatment resulted in an impaired secretion of TNF by VSG and LPS pulsed macrophages, a reduced expression of the inflammatory cytokine genes TNF, IL-6, and IL-12, and an increased expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine gene IL-10. In addition, this change in cytokine pattern upon GPI-based treatment was associated with the expression of alternatively activated macrophage markers. Finally, the GPI-based treatment also reduced the infection-associated pathology in Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma evansi model systems as well as in tsetse fly challenge experiments, indicating potential field applicability for this intervention strategy. PMID- 17785840 TI - Critical negative regulation of type 1 T cell immunity and immunopathology by signaling adaptor DAP12 during intracellular infection. AB - Transmembrane signaling adaptor DAP12 has increasingly been recognized for its important role in innate responses. However, its role in the regulation of antimicrobial T cell responses has remained unknown. In our current study, we have examined host defense, T cell responses, and tissue immunopathology in models of intracellular infection established in wild-type and DAP12-deficient mice. During mycobacterial infection, lack of DAP12 leads to pronounced proinflammatory and Th1 cytokine responses, overactivation of Ag-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells of type 1 phenotype, and heightened immunopathology both in the lung and lymphoid organs. DAP12-deficient airway APC display enhanced NF-kappaB activation and cytokine responses upon TLR stimulation or mycobacterial infection in vitro. Of importance, adoptive transfer of Ag-loaded DAP12-deficient APC alone could lead to overactivation of transferred transgenic or endogenous wild-type T cells in vivo. We have further found that the immune regulatory role by DAP12 is not restricted only to intracellular bacterial infection, since lack of this molecule also leads to uncontrolled type 1 T cell activation and severe immunopathology and tissue injury during intracellular viral infection. Our study thus identifies DAP12 as an important novel immune regulatory molecule that acts, via APC, to control the level of antimicrobial type 1 T cell activation and immunopathology. PMID- 17785841 TI - Plasmid-deficient Chlamydia muridarum fail to induce immune pathology and protect against oviduct disease. AB - Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the world. In women, genital infection can cause endometritis and pelvic inflammatory disease with the severe sequelae of ectopic pregnancy or infertility. Chlamydia sp. do not damage tissues directly, but induce an injurious host inflammatory response at the infected site. In the murine model of genital disease with Chlamydia muridarum, TLR2 plays a role in both early production of inflammatory mediators and development of chronic oviduct pathology. We report the results of studies with plasmid-cured C. muridarum mutants that retain the ability to infect the murine genital tract, but fail to cause disease in the oviduct. These mutants do not stimulate TLR2-dependent cytokine production in mice, nor in innate immune cells or epithelial cells in vitro. They induce an effective Th1 immune response, with no evidence for Th1 immune-mediated collateral tissue damage. Furthermore, mice previously infected with the plasmid-deficient strains are protected against oviduct disease upon challenge with virulent C. muridarum. If plasmid-cured derivatives of human C. trachomatis biovars exhibit similar phenotypic characteristics, they have the potential to serve as vaccines to prevent human disease. PMID- 17785842 TI - Reduction of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by serum amyloid P. AB - Fibrotic diseases such as scleroderma, severe chronic asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and cardiac fibrosis kill tens of thousands of people each year in the U.S. alone. Growing evidence suggests that in fibrotic lesions, a subset of blood monocytes enters the tissue and differentiates into fibroblast-like cells called fibrocytes, causing tissue dysfunction. We previously found that a plasma protein called serum amyloid P (SAP) inhibits fibrocyte differentiation in vitro. Bleomycin treatment is a standard model for pulmonary fibrosis, and causes an increase in collagen, fibrocytes, and leukocytes in the lungs, and a decrease in peripheral blood hemoglobin oxygen saturation. We find that injections of rat SAP in rats reduce all of the above bleomycin-induced changes, suggesting that the SAP injections reduced the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. We repeated these studies in mice, and find that injections of murine SAP decrease bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis. To confirm the efficacy of SAP treatment, we used a delayed treatment protocol using SAP from day 7 to 13 only, and then measured fibrosis at day 21. Delayed SAP injections also reduce the bleomycin-induced decrease in peripheral blood hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and an increase in lung collagen, leukocyte infiltration, and fibrosis. Our data suggest the possibility that SAP may be useful as a therapy for pulmonary fibrosis in humans. PMID- 17785843 TI - Functional transient receptor potential melastatin 7 channels are critical for human mast cell survival. AB - Mast cells play a significant role in the pathophysiology of many diverse diseases such as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. Ca2+ influx is essential for mast cell degranulation and release of proinflammatory mediators, while Mg2+ plays an important role in cellular homeostasis. The channels supporting divalent cation influx in human mast cells have not been identified, but candidate channels include the transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) family. In this study, we have investigated TRPM7 expression and function in primary human lung mast cells (HLMCs) and in the human mast cell lines LAD2 and HMC-1, using RT-PCR, patch clamp electrophysiology, and RNA interference. Whole cell voltage-clamp recordings revealed a nonselective cation current that activated spontaneously following loss of intracellular Mg2+. The current had a nonlinear current-voltage relationship with the characteristic steep outward rectification associated with TRPM7 channels. Reducing external divalent concentration from 3 to 0.3 mM dramatically increased the size of the outward current, whereas the current was markedly inhibited by elevated intracellular Mg2+ (6 mM). Ion substitution experiments revealed cation selectivity and Ca2+ permeability. RT-PCR confirmed the presence of mRNA for TRPM7 in HLMC, LAD2, and HMC-1 cells. Adenoviral mediated knockdown of TRPM7 in HLMC with short hairpin RNA and in HMC-1 with short interfering RNA markedly reduced TRPM7 currents and induced cell death, an effect that was not rescued by raising extracellular Mg2+. In summary, HLMC and human mast cell lines express the nonselective cation channel TRPM7 whose presence is essential for cell survival. PMID- 17785844 TI - ICAM-1-mediated, Src- and Pyk2-dependent vascular endothelial cadherin tyrosine phosphorylation is required for leukocyte transendothelial migration. AB - Leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM) has been modeled as a multistep process beginning with rolling adhesion, followed by firm adhesion, and ending with either transcellular or paracellular passage of the leukocyte across the endothelial monolayer. In the case of paracellular TEM, endothelial cell (EC) junctions are transiently disassembled to allow passage of leukocytes. Numerous lines of evidence demonstrate that tyrosine phosphorylation of adherens junction proteins, such as vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) and beta-catenin, correlates with the disassembly of junctions. However, the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in the regulation of junctions during leukocyte TEM is not completely understood. Using human leukocytes and EC, we show that ICAM-1 engagement leads to activation of two tyrosine kinases, Src and Pyk2. Using phospho-specific Abs, we show that engagement of ICAM-1 induces phosphorylation of VE-cadherin on tyrosines 658 and 731, which correspond to the p120-catenin and beta-catenin binding sites, respectively. These phosphorylation events require the activity of both Src and Pyk2. We find that inhibition of endothelial Src with PP2 or SU6656 blocks neutrophil transmigration (71.1 +/- 3.8% and 48.6 +/- 3.8% reduction, respectively), whereas inhibition of endothelial Pyk2 also results in decreased neutrophil transmigration (25.5 +/- 6.0% reduction). Moreover, overexpression of the nonphosphorylatable Y658F or Y731F mutants of VE cadherin impairs transmigration of neutrophils compared with overexpression of wild-type VE-cadherin (32.7 +/- 7.1% and 38.8 +/- 6.5% reduction, respectively). Our results demonstrate that engagement of ICAM-1 by leukocytes results in tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-cadherin, which is required for efficient neutrophil TEM. PMID- 17785845 TI - Metalloproteinases shed TREM-1 ectodomain from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human monocytes. AB - Triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cell (TREM) proteins are a family of cell surface receptors that participate in diverse cellular processes such as inflammation, coagulation, and bone homeostasis. TREM-1, in particular, is expressed on neutrophils and monocytes and is a potent amplifier of inflammatory responses. LPS and other microbial products induce up-regulation of cell surface localized TREM-1 and the release of its soluble form, sTREM-1. Two hypotheses have been advanced to explain the origin of sTREM-1: alternative splicing of TREM 1 mRNA and proteolytic cleavage(s) of mature, membrane-anchored TREM-1. In this report, we present conclusive evidence in favor of the proteolytic mechanism of sTREM-1 generation. No alternative splicing forms of TREM-1 were detected in monocytes/macrophages. Besides, metalloproteinase inhibitors increased the stability of TREM-1 at the cell surface while significantly reducing sTREM-1 release in cultures of LPS-challenged human monocytes and neutrophils. We conclude that metalloproteinases are responsible for shedding of the TREM-1 ectodomain through proteolytic cleavage of its long juxtamembrane linker. PMID- 17785846 TI - Increased transcriptional activity of milk-related genes following the active phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. AB - We analyzed global transcriptional changes in the lymph nodes of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in a longitudinal fashion. Most of the transcriptional activity was observed between 3 and 5 days postimmunization. After that period, gene expression changes decayed sharply back to baseline levels. A comparison of transcriptional profiles between immunized and control mice at the time of peak disease activity revealed 266 transcripts, mostly involved in cell-cell interaction and protein synthesis. When the same comparison was performed at the time of recovery from an attack, increased expression of genes coding for milk components were identified. Specifically, casein alpha (Csn1s1), beta (Csn2), gamma (Csn1s2a), and kappa (Csn3), in addition to lactoalbumin alpha and extracellular proteinase were elevated >3-fold in immunized animals compared with CFA-injected controls. We confirmed these findings by quantitative RT-PCR and immunostaining of Csn3. Interestingly, the expression of Csn3 was also found elevated in the blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients after a relapse. Altogether, our data suggest that increased production of milk-related transcripts in the lymph nodes and blood succeeds an inflammatory event in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and MS. The potential role of lactogenic hormones in MS is discussed. PMID- 17785847 TI - Role for MyD88-independent, TRIF pathway in lipid A/TLR4-induced endotoxin tolerance. AB - Repeated exposure to low doses of endotoxin results in progressive hyporesponsiveness to subsequent endotoxin challenge, a phenomenon known as endotoxin tolerance. In spite of its clinical significance in sepsis and characterization of the TLR4 signaling pathway as the principal endotoxin detection mechanism, the molecular determinants that induce tolerance remain obscure. We investigated the role of the TRIF/IFN-beta pathway in TLR4-induced endotoxin tolerance. Lipid A-induced homotolerance was characterized by the down regulation of MyD88-dependent proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and CCL3, but up-regulation of TRIF-dependent cytokine IFN-beta. This correlated with a molecular phenotype of defective NF-kappaB activation but a functional TRIF dependent STAT1 signaling. Tolerance-induced suppression of TNF-alpha and CCL3 expression was significantly relieved by TRIF and IFN regulatory factor 3 deficiency, suggesting the involvement of the TRIF pathway in tolerance. Alternatively, selective activation of TRIF by poly(I:C)-induced tolerance to lipid A. Furthermore, pretreatment with rIFN-beta also induced tolerance, whereas addition of IFN-beta-neutralizing Ab during the tolerization partially alleviated tolerance to lipid A but not TLR2-induced endotoxin homo- or heterotolerance. Furthermore, IFNAR1-/- murine embryonal fibroblast and bone-marrow derived macrophages failed to induce tolerance. Together, these observations constitute evidence for a role of the TRIF/IFN-beta pathway in the regulation of lipid A/TLR4-mediated endotoxin homotolerance. PMID- 17785848 TI - Ligation of B and T lymphocyte attenuator prevents the genesis of experimental cerebral malaria. AB - B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA; CD272) is a coinhibitory receptor that is predominantly expressed on T and B cells and dampens T cell activation. In this study, we analyzed the function of BTLA during infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. Infection of C57BL/6 mice with this strain leads to sequestration of leukocytes in brain capillaries that is associated with a pathology resembling cerebral malaria in humans. During the course of infection, we found an induction of BTLA in several organs, which was either due to up-regulation of BTLA expression on T cells in the spleen or due to infiltration of BTLA-expressing T cells into the brain. In the brain, we observed a marked induction of BTLA and its ligand herpesvirus entry mediator during cerebral malaria, which was accompanied by an accumulation of predominantly CD8+ T cells, but also CD4+ T cells. Application of an agonistic anti-BTLA mAb caused a significantly reduced incidence of cerebral malaria compared with control mice. Treatment with this Ab also led to a decreased number of T cells that were sequestered in the brain of P. berghei ANKA-infected mice. Our findings indicate that BTLA-herpesvirus entry mediator interactions are functionally involved in T cell regulation during P. berghei ANKA infection of mice and that BTLA is a potential target for therapeutic interventions in severe malaria. PMID- 17785849 TI - Pathogenic complement activation in collagen antibody-induced arthritis in mice requires amplification by the alternative pathway. AB - Immune complex-induced inflammation can be mediated by the classical pathway of complement. However, using mice genetically deficient in factor B or C4, we have shown that the collagen Ab-induced model of arthritis requires the alternative pathway of complement and is not dependent on the classical pathway. We now demonstrate that collagen Ab-induced arthritis is not altered in mice genetically deficient in either C1q or mannose-binding lectins A and C, or in both C1q and mannose-binding lectins. These in vivo results prove the ability of the alternative pathway to carry out pathologic complement activation in the combined absence of intact classical and lectin pathways. C3 activation was also examined in vitro by adherent collagen-anti-collagen immune complexes using sera from normal or complement-deficient mice. These results confirm the ability of the alternative pathway to mediate immune complex-induced C3 activation when C4 or C1q, or both C1q and mannose-binding lectins, are absent. However, when all three activation pathways of complement are intact, initiation by immune complexes occurs primarily by the classical pathway. These results indicate that the alternative pathway amplification loop, with its ability to greatly enhance C3 activation, is necessary to mediate inflammatory arthritis induced by adherent immune complexes. PMID- 17785850 TI - Chloride movements in human neutrophils during phagocytosis: characterization and relationship to granule release. AB - Chloride ion efflux is an early event occurring after exposure of human neutrophils to several soluble agonists. Under these circumstances, a rapid and reversible fall in the high basal intracellular chloride (Cl-i) levels is observed. This event is thought to play a crucial role in the modulation of several critical neutrophil responses including activation and up-regulation of adhesion molecules, cell attachment and spreading, cytoplasmic alkalinization, and activation of the respiratory burst. At present, however, no data are available on chloride ion movements during neutrophil phagocytosis. In this study, we provide evidence that phagocytosis of Candida albicans opsonized with either whole serum, complement-derived opsonins, or purified human IgG elicits an early and long-lasting Cl- efflux accompanied by a marked, irreversible loss of Cl-i. Simultaneous assessment of Cl- efflux and phagocytosis in cytochalasin D treated neutrophils indicated that Cl- efflux occurs without particle ingestion. These results suggest that engagement of immune receptors is sufficient to promote chloride ion movements. Several structurally unrelated chloride channel blockers inhibited phagocytosis-induced Cl- efflux as well as the release of azurophilic-but not specific-granules. It implicates that different neutrophil secretory compartments display distinct sensitivity to Cl-i modifications. Intriguingly, inhibitors of Cl- exchange inhibited cytosolic Ca2+ elevation, whereas Cl- efflux was not impaired in Ca2+-depleted neutrophils. We also show that FcgammaR(s)- and CR3/CR1-mediated Cl- efflux appears to be dependent on protein tyrosine phosphorylation but independent of PI3K and phospholipase C activation. PMID- 17785851 TI - Variant IL-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 mediates increased NF-kappa B activity. AB - IL-1R-associated kinase (IRAK)-1 is a critical mediator of TLR/IL-1R-induced activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. We previously described that a commonly occurring IRAK-1 variant haplotype, containing amino acid changes from serine to phenylalanine at position 196 and from leucine to serine at position 532, is associated with increased activation of NF-kappaB in LPS-stimulated neutrophils from patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury and also higher mortality and more severe clinical outcomes in such patients. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we examined the ability of wild-type and variant IRAK-1 to modulate NF-kappaB activation. We found increased NF-kappaB transcriptional activity and expression of NF-kappaB-dependent proinflammatory cytokines in IL-1beta-stimulated IRAK-1-deficient cells transfected with variant IRAK-1 as compared with IRAK-1 wild type. IkappaB-alpha degradation was faster and p65 phosphorylation more prolonged after IL-1beta stimulation in cells expressing the IRAK-1 variant. However, IL-1-induced activation of MAPKs and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB are comparable in both IRAK-1 variant- and IRAK-1 wild-type-expressing cells. Autophosphorylation of the IRAK-1 variant is greater than that found with wild-type IRAK-1. Additionally, variant IRAK-1 has greater interaction with TNFR-associated factor 6 than does wild-type IRAK-1. The enhanced activity of variant IRAK-1 appeared to be due to the alteration at aa 532, with only minimal effects being associated with change at aa 196. These results demonstrate that variant IRAK-1 is associated with alterations in multiple intracellular events that are likely to contribute to increased NF kappaB activation and inflammatory responses in individuals with this IRAK-1 haplotype. PMID- 17785852 TI - IL-17 enhances chemokine gene expression through mRNA stabilization. AB - IL-17 plays an important role in host defense and autoimmunity via the induction of proinflammatory gene expression, particularly in combination with TNF-alpha. The molecular mechanisms by which IL-17 regulates such expression are not well understood. Using the mouse chemokine CXCL1 (KC) gene as a model, we have examined the effects of IL-17 alone or in combination with TNF-alpha on transcriptional and posttranscriptional events. Although treatment of mouse embryonic fibroblasts with IL-17 alone only modestly increased KC expression, the combination of IL-17 with TNF-alpha induced a synergistic response. IL-17 treatment exerted a strong posttranscriptional effect by extending the t1/2 of the highly unstable, TNF-alpha-induced KC mRNA. Using a tetracycline-regulated transgene in HeLa cells, we determined that IL-17 treatment alone promoted stabilization of KC mRNA in the absence of TNF-alpha. IL-17 treatment exerted little effect on KC transcription or NF-kappaB activation, suggesting that it primarily acts posttranscriptionally. We identified a number of other mRNAs whose t1/2 are prolonged in response to IL-17, suggesting that this is a common mechanism by which IL-17 promotes enhanced gene expression. Finally, activator of NF-kappaB1 protein (Act1), an adaptor protein recently implicated in IL-17 signaling, was necessary for IL-17-induced stabilization, and overexpression of Act1 resulted in stabilization of KC mRNA, indicating that events downstream of Act1 are sufficient to initiate this process. Thus, the synergy between TNF-alpha and IL-17 reflects their independent actions on KC gene expression; TNF-alpha serves as a stimulus to initiate transcription through activation of NF-kappaB, whereas IL-17 drives mRNA stabilization through an Act1-dependent pathway. PMID- 17785854 TI - Hydrogen sulfide up-regulates substance P in polymicrobial sepsis-associated lung injury. AB - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been shown to induce the activation of neurogenic inflammation especially in normal airways and urinary bladder. However, whether endogenous H2S would regulate sepsis-associated lung inflammation via substance P (SP) and its receptors remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of H2S on the pulmonary level of SP in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis and its relevance to lung injury. Male Swiss mice or male preprotachykinin-A gene knockout (PPT-A-/-) mice and their wild-type (PPT A+/+) mice were subjected to CLP-induced sepsis. DL-propargylglycine (50 mg/kg i.p.), an inhibitor of H2S formation was administered either 1 h before or 1 h after the induction of sepsis, while NaHS, an H2S donor, was given at the same time as CLP. L703606, an inhibitor of the neurokinin-1 receptor was given 30 min before CLP. DL-propargylglycine pretreatment or posttreatment significantly decreased the PPT-A gene expression and the production of SP in lung whereas administration of NaHS resulted in a further rise in the pulmonary level of SP in sepsis. PPT-A gene deletion and pretreatment with L703606 prevented H2S from aggravating lung inflammation. In addition, septic mice genetically deficient in PPT-A gene or pretreated with L703606 did not exhibit further increase in lung permeability after injection of NaHS. The present findings show for the first time that in sepsis, H2S up-regulates the generation of SP, which contributes to lung inflammation and lung injury mainly via activation of the neurokinin-1 receptor. PMID- 17785855 TI - Herpesvirus chemokine-binding glycoprotein G (gG) efficiently inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro and in vivo. AB - Glycoprotein G (gG) of alphaherpesviruses has been described to function as a viral chemokine-binding protein (vCKBP). More recently, mutant viruses devoid of gG have been shown to result in increased virulence, but it remained unclear whether the potential of gG to serve as a vCKBP is responsible for this observation. In this study, we used equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) as a model to study the pathophysiological importance of vCKBP activity. First, in vitro chemotaxis assays studying migration of immune cells, an important function of chemokines, were established. In such assays, supernatants of EHV-1-infected cells significantly inhibited IL-8-induced chemotaxis of equine neutrophils. Identification of gG as the responsible vCKBP was achieved by repeating similar experiments with supernatants from cells infected with a gG-negative mutant, which were unable to alter IL-8-induced equine neutrophil migration. Furthermore, rEHV-1 gG was able to significantly reduce neutrophil migration, establishing gG as a bona fide vCKBP. Second, and importantly, in vivo analyses in a murine model of EHV-1 infection showed that neutrophil migration in the target organ lung was significantly reduced in the presence of gG. In summary, we demonstrate for the first time that EHV-1 gG not only binds to chemokines but is also capable of inhibiting their chemotactic function both in vitro and in vivo, thereby contributing to viral pathogenesis and virulence. PMID- 17785853 TI - Involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-mediated up-regulation of I kappa B alpha in anti-inflammatory effect of gemfibrozil in microglia. AB - The present study underlines the importance of PI3K in mediating the anti inflammatory effect of gemfibrozil, a prescribed lipid-lowering drug for humans, in mouse microglia. Gemfibrozil inhibited LPS-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and proinflammatory cytokines in mouse BV-2 microglial cells and primary microglia. By overexpressing wild-type and dominant-negative constructs of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha) in microglial cells and isolating primary microglia from PPAR-alpha-/- mice, we have demonstrated that gemfibrozil inhibits the activation of microglia independent of PPAR-alpha. Interestingly, gemfibrozil induced the activation of p85alpha associated PI3K (p110beta but not p110alpha) and inhibition of that PI3K by either chemical inhibitors or dominant-negative mutants abrogated the inhibitory effect of gemfibrozil. Conversely, overexpression of the constitutively active mutant of p110 enhanced the inhibitory effect of gemfibrozil on LPS-induced expression of proinflammatory molecules. Similarly, gemfibrozil also inhibited fibrillar amyloid beta (Abeta)-, prion peptide (PrP)-, dsRNA (poly IC)-, HIV-1 Tat-, and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-, but not IFN-gamma-, induced microglial expression of iNOS. Inhibition of PI3K also abolished the inhibitory effect of gemfibrozil on Abeta-, PrP-, poly IC-, Tat-, and MPP+-induced microglial expression of iNOS. Involvement of NF-kappaB activation in LPS-, Abeta , PrP-, poly IC-, Tat-, and MPP+-, but not IFN-gamma-, induced microglial expression of iNOS and stimulation of IkappaBalpha expression and inhibition of NF-kappaB activation by gemfibrozil via the PI3K pathway suggests that gemfibrozil inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB and the expression of proinflammatory molecules in microglia via PI3K-mediated up-regulation of IkappaBalpha. PMID- 17785856 TI - Adenovirus type 5 exerts multiple effects on the expression and activity of cytosolic phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-2, and prostaglandin synthesis. AB - In this study, we examine how infection of murine and human fibroblasts by adenovirus (Ad) serotype 5 (Ad5) affects the expression and activity of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and production of PGs. Our experiments showed that infection with Ad5 is accompanied by the rapid activation of cPLA2 and the cPLA2-dependent release of [3H]arachidonic acid ([3H]AA). Increased expression of COX-2 was also observed after Ad infection, as was production of PGE2 and PGI2. Later, however, as the infection progressed, release of [3H]AA and production of PGs stopped. Late-stage Ad5-infected cells also did not release [3H]AA or PGs following treatment with a panel of biologically diverse agents. Experiments with UV-inactivated virus confirmed that Ad infection is accompanied by the activation of a host-dependent response that is later inhibited by the virus. Investigations of the mechanism of suppression of the PG pathway by Ad5 did not reveal major effects on the expression or activity of cPLA2 or COX-2. We did note a change in the intracellular position of cPLA2 and found that cPLA2 did not translocate normally in infected cells, raising the possibility that Ad5 interferes with the PG pathway by interfering with the intracellular movement of cPLA2. Taken together, these data reveal dynamic interactions between Ad5 and the lipid mediator pathways of the host and highlight a novel mechanism by which Ad5 evades the host immune response. In addition, our results offer insight into the inflammatory response induced by many Ad vectors lacking early region gene products. PMID- 17785857 TI - Zinc-dependent suppression of TNF-alpha production is mediated by protein kinase A-induced inhibition of Raf-1, I kappa B kinase beta, and NF-kappa B. AB - Excessive and permanent cytokine production in response to bacterial LPS causes cell and tissue damage, and hence organ failure during sepsis. We have previously demonstrated that zinc treatment prevents LPS-induced TNF-alpha expression and production in human monocytes by inhibiting cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity and expression, and subsequent elevation of the cyclic nucleotide cGMP. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which cGMP signaling affects the LPS-induced signaling cascade to suppress TNF-alpha transcription and release from monocytes. Zinc-mediated cGMP elevation led to cross activation of protein kinase A. This zinc-induced protein kinase A activation inhibited Raf-1 activity by phosphorylation at serine 259, preventing activation of Raf-1 by phosphorylation of serine 338. By this mechanism, zinc suppressed LPS-induced activation of IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta) and NF-kappaB, and subsequent TNF-alpha production. Our study shows that PDE inhibition by zinc modulates the monocytic immune response by selectively intervening in the Raf 1/IKKbeta/NF-kappaB pathway, which may constitute a common mechanism for the anti inflammatory action of PDE inhibitors. PMID- 17785858 TI - Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor attenuates complement activation and complement induced lung injury. AB - Complement activation is a central component of inflammation and sepsis and can lead to significant tissue injury. Complement factors are serum proteins that work through a cascade of proteolytic reactions to amplify proinflammatory signals. Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (IaI) is an abundant serum protease inhibitor that contains potential complement-binding domains, and has been shown to improve survival in animal sepsis models. We hypothesized that IaI can bind complement and inhibit complement activation, thus ameliorating complement dependent inflammation. We evaluated this hypothesis with in vitro complement activation assays and in vivo in a murine model of complement-dependent lung injury. We found that IaI inhibited complement activation through the classical and alternative pathways, inhibited complement-dependent phagocytosis in vitro, and reduced complement-dependent lung injury in vivo. This novel function of IaI provides a mechanistic explanation for its observed salutary effects in sepsis and opens new possibilities for its use as a treatment agent in inflammatory diseases. PMID- 17785860 TI - A soluble form of lymphocyte activation gene-3 (IMP321) induces activation of a large range of human effector cytotoxic cells. AB - The principal antitumor immune response is mediated through the activation of type 1 cytotoxic (Tc1) CD8 T cells, NK cells, and monocytes/macrophages. In this study, we investigated the potency of a clinical-grade soluble form of lymphocyte activation gene-3 protein (IMP321), a physiological high-affinity MHC class II binder, at inducing in PBMCs an appropriate cytotoxic-type response in short-term ex vivo assays. We found that IMP321 binds to a minority (<10%) of MHC class II + cells in PBMCs, including all myeloid dendritic cells, and a small fraction of monocytes. Four hours after addition of IMP321 to PBMCs, these myeloid cells produce TNF-alpha and CCL4 as determined by intracellular staining. At 18 h, 1% of CD8+ T cells and 3.7% NK cells produce Tc1 cytokines such as IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha (mean values from 60 blood donors). Similar induction was observed in metastatic cancer patient PBMCs, but the values were lower for the NK cell subset. Early APC activation by IMP321 is needed for this Tc1-type activation because pure sorted CD8+ T cells could not be activated by IMP321. Only Ag experienced, fully differentiated granzyme+ CD8 T cells (effector and effector memory but not naive or central memory T cells) are induced by IMP321 to full Tc1 activation. In contrast to IMP321, TLR1-9 agonists induce IL-10 and are therefore unable to induce this Tc1 IFN-gamma+ response. Thus, IMP321 has many properties that confirm its potential to be a new class of immunopotentiator in cancer patients. PMID- 17785859 TI - The induction and persistence of T cell IFN-gamma responses after vaccination or natural exposure is suppressed by Plasmodium falciparum. AB - Epidemiological observations suggest that T cell immunity may be suppressed in malaria-endemic areas. In vitro studies, animal models, and limited data in humans link immunosuppression with malaria, malnutrition, and other parasitic infections. However, there are no data to determine whether malaria-induced immunosuppression is significant in the long-term, or relative data comparing it with other factors in malaria-endemic areas, so as to measure the impact of malaria, other parasitic disease, nutritional status, age. and location on the acquisition and longevity of IFN-gamma responses in children in Kenya. We studied these factors in two cohorts of 1- to 6-year-old children in a malaria-endemic area. T cell responses were induced by vaccination in one cohort, and acquired as a result of natural exposure in a second cohort. Serial ELISPOT assays conducted over a 1-year period measured the induction and kinetics of IFN-gamma production in response to the malaria Ag thrombospondin-related adhesion protein. Induced responses in both cohorts and the longevity of response in the vaccinated cohort were fitted to potential explanatory variables. Parasitemia was prospectively associated with reduced IFN-gamma-producing T cells in both cohorts (by 15-25%), and both parasitemia and episodes of febrile malaria were associated with 19 and 31% greater attrition of T cell responses, respectively. Malaria may reduce the efficacy vaccinations such as bacillus Calmette-Guerin and investigational T cell inducing vaccines, and may delay the acquisition of immunity following natural exposure to malaria and other pathogens. PMID- 17785861 TI - CD45RB ligation inhibits allergic pulmonary inflammation by inducing CTLA4 transcription. AB - CD45, a type I transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase expressed on nucleated hemopoietic cells, is prominently involved in T cell activation. Ligation of CD45RB isoforms has been associated with transplant tolerance. A recent genotyping analysis of asthma indicates a correlation with CD45 splicing. In this study, we administered an anti-CD45RB mAb (aCD45) in a murine model of allergic asthma and found that CD45RB ligation decreases allergic responses. aCD45 decreases allergen-induced pulmonary eosinophilia, bronchoalveolar lavage IL-13, IgE, and airway responses. Also, aCD45 increases the expression of CTLA4, a negative regulator of T cell activation. Furthermore, CD45RB signals no longer decrease allergic inflammation when CTLA4 is inhibited. These data support a role for CTLA4 in CD45RB-mediated inhibition of allergic inflammation. T cells and splenocytes stimulated with aCD45 exhibited increased CTLA4 levels, and analysis of CTLA4 promoter gene constructs identified a CD45RB-inducible regulatory region localized from -335 to -62 bp relative to the transcription start site. Together, these findings suggest that CD45RB signals mediate a novel role in the modulation of allergic inflammation, orchestrated by T cells through induction of CTLA4 transcription. PMID- 17785862 TI - Impaired plasmacytoid dendritic cell innate immune responses in patients with herpes virus-associated acute retinal necrosis. AB - Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC), the main producers of type I IFNs in the blood, are important for the recognition and control of viral and bacterial infections. Because several viruses induce IFN-alpha production, severe courses of herpes virus infections in nonimmunocompromised patients may be related to numerical or functional PDC deficits. To evaluate this hypothesis, PBMC and PDC were repeatedly isolated from nine patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN), caused by herpes simplex or varicella zoster virus. The patients experienced meningitis/encephalitis and frequent infections in childhood (n = 2), recurrent herpes virus infections at unusual localizations (n = 2), ocular surgery (n = 1), infections (n = 4), and stress around ARN (n = 6). The median percentage of isolated PDC was significantly lower in patients compared with 18 age-matched healthy controls (p < 0.001), confirmed by FACS analysis using peripheral blood, and was extremely low during acute disease. PDC counts dropped in five controls suffering from respiratory infections or diarrhea. IFN-alpha production in PDC and PBMC exposed to different stimuli was significantly lower in patients than in controls (p < 0.05). Anergy to these stimuli was observed on four occasions, in particular during acute disease. PDC of patients showed up-regulated IFN regulatory factor-7 mRNA levels and evidence of in vivo activation (CD80) and maturation (CD83) (p < 0.05). CD8+ cell responses were significantly lower in patients vs controls (p = 0.04). These data support a risk factor model in which numerical and functional deficits in PDC-mediated innate immune responses contribute to an impaired control of latent herpes virus infections and subsequent development of ARN. PMID- 17785863 TI - Postimmunization with IFN-gamma-secreting glioma cells combined with the inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor mercaptoethylguanidine prolongs survival of rats with intracerebral tumors. AB - High-grade gliomas are one of the most aggressive human tumors with <1% of patients surviving 5 years after surgery. Immunotherapy could offer a possibility to eradicate remnant tumor cells after conventional therapy. Experimental immunotherapy can induce partial cure of established intracerebral tumors in several rodent models. One reason for the limited therapeutic effects could be immunosuppression induced by both the growing tumor and the induced immune reaction. NO has been implicated in tumor-derived immune suppression in tumor bearing hosts, and unspecific inhibitors of NO synthase have been shown to boost antitumor immunity. In this study, we show that the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) specific inhibitor mercaptoethylguanidine (MEG) superiorly enhanced lymphocyte reactivity after polyclonal stimulation compared with the iNOS-specific inhibitor L-NIL and the unspecific NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME. Both iNOS inhibitors increased the number and proliferation of T cells but not of B cells. When combined during postimmunization with IFN-gamma-secreting N32 rat glioma cells of rats harboring intracerebral tumors, only MEG increased the cure rate. However, this was only achieved when MEG was administered after immunizations. These findings implicate that NO has both enhancing and suppressive effects after active immunotherapy. PMID- 17785864 TI - Interaction between transmembrane TNF and TNFR1/2 mediates the activation of monocytes by contact with T cells. AB - Monocytes and monocytic cells produce proinflammatory cytokines upon direct cell contact with activated T cells. In the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis, the pivotal role of TNF-alpha implies that the interaction between transmembrane TNF-alpha (mTNF) and the TNF receptors (TNFR1 and TNFR2) might participate in the T cell contact-dependent activation of monocytes. Accordingly, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by administration of a TNF-alpha-blocking Ab was found to significantly decrease TNF-alpha production by monocytes. Several lines of evidence indicated that signaling through TNFR1/2 and through mTNF (reverse signaling) is involved in TNF-alpha production by monocytes after T cell contact: 1) blocking mTNF on activated T cells leads to a significant reduction in TNF alpha production; 2) down-regulation of TNFR1/2 on monocytes by transfection with small interfering RNA results in diminished TNF-alpha production; 3) blocking or down-regulating TNFR2 on activated T cells inhibits TNF-alpha production, indicating that mTNF on the monocyte surface mediates signaling; 4) ligation of mTNF on monocytes by surface TNFR2 transfected into resting T cells induces TNF alpha production due to reverse signaling by mTNF; and 5) ligation of mTNF on monocytes by a soluble TNFR2:Ig receptor construct induces TNF-alpha production due to reverse signaling. In conclusion, we identified mTNF and TNFR1/2 as interaction partners contributing to TNF-alpha production in monocytes. Both pathways initiated by mTNF-TNFR interaction are likely to be inhibited by treatment with anti-TNF-alpha Abs. PMID- 17785865 TI - Accelerated telomere erosion is associated with a declining immune function of caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients. AB - Caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients endure chronic stress associated with a decline of immune function. To assess the psychological and immunological changes of caregivers, we compared depressive symptoms, PBMC composition, in vitro activation-induced proliferation and cytokine production, and telomere length and telomerase activity of 82 individuals (41 caregivers and 41 age- and gender-matched controls). We found depressive symptoms were significantly higher in caregivers than in controls (p < 0.001). Correspondingly, caregivers had significantly lower T cell proliferation but higher production of immune regulatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-10) than controls in response to stimulation in vitro. We examined the impact of these changes on cellular replicative lifespan and found that caregivers had significantly shorter telomere lengths in PBMC than controls (6.2 and 6.4 kb, respectively, p < 0.05) with similar shortening in isolated T cells and monocytes and that this telomere attrition in caregivers was not due to an increase of shorter telomere possessing T cell subsets in PBMC. Finally, we showed that basal telomerase activity in PBMC and T cells was significantly higher in caregivers than in controls (p < 0.0001), pointing to an unsuccessful attempt of cells to compensate the excessive loss of telomeres in caregivers. These findings demonstrate that chronic stress is associated with altered T cell function and accelerated immune cell aging as suggested by excessive telomere loss. PMID- 17785867 TI - Rituximab-CD20 complexes are shaved from Z138 mantle cell lymphoma cells in intravenous and subcutaneous SCID mouse models. AB - Infusion of standard-dose rituximab (RTX) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients promotes rapid complement activation and deposition of C3 fragments on CLL B cells. However, immediately after RTX infusions, there is substantial loss (shaving) of CD20 from circulating malignant cells. Because shaving can compromise efficacies of anticancer immunotherapeutic mAbs, we investigated whether shaving occurs in SCID mouse models. Z138 cells, a B cell line derived from human mantle cell lymphoma, were infused i.v. or s.c. The i.v. model recapitulates findings we previously reported for therapeutic RTX in CLL: i.v. infused RTX rapidly binds to Z138 cells in lungs, and binding is accompanied by deposition of C3 fragments. However, within 1 h targeted cells lose bound RTX and CD20, and these shaved cells are still demonstrable 40 h after RTX infusion. Z138 cells grow in tumors at s.c. injection sites, and infusion of large amounts of RTX (0.50 mg on each of 4 days) leads to considerable loss of CD20 from these cells. Human i.v. Ig blocked shaving, suggesting that FcgammaRI on cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system promote shaving. Examination of frozen tumor sections from treated mice by immunofluorescence revealed large areas of B cells devoid of CD20, with CD20 intact in adjacent areas; it is likely that RTX had opsonized Z138 cells closest to capillaries, and these cells were shaved by monocyte/macrophages. The shaving reaction occurs in neoplastic B cells in tissue and in peripheral blood, and strategies to enhance therapeutic targeting and block shaving are under development. PMID- 17785866 TI - TGF-beta 1 variants in chronic beryllium disease and sarcoidosis. AB - Evidence suggests a genetic predisposition to chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and sarcoidosis, which are clinically and pathologically similar granulomatous lung diseases. TGF-beta1, a cytokine involved in mediating the fibrotic/Th1 response, has several genetic variants which might predispose individuals to these lung diseases. We examined whether certain TGF-beta1 variants and haplotypes are found at higher rates in CBD and sarcoidosis cases compared with controls and are associated with disease severity indicators for both diseases. Using DNA from sarcoidosis cases/controls from A Case Control Etiologic Study of Sarcoidosis Group (ACCESS) and CBD cases/controls, TGF-beta1 variants were analyzed by sequence-specific primer PCR. No significant differences were found between cases and controls for either disease in the TGF-beta1 variants or haplotypes. The 509C and codon 10T were significantly associated with disease severity indicators in both CBD and sarcoidosis. Haplotypes that included the -509C and codon 10T were also associated with more severe disease, whereas one or more copies of the haplotype containing the -509T and codon 10C was protective against severe disease for both sarcoidosis and CBD. These studies suggest that the -509C and codon 10T, implicated in lower levels of TGF-beta1 protein production, are shared susceptibility factors associated with more severe granulomatous disease in sarcoidosis and CBD. This association may be due to lack of down-regulation by TGF-beta1, although future studies will be needed to correlate TGF-beta1 protein levels with known TGF-beta1 genotypes and assess whether there is a shared mechanisms for TGF-beta1 in these two granulomatous diseases. PMID- 17785868 TI - Down-modulation of CXCR3 surface expression and function in CD8+ T cells from cutaneous T cell lymphoma patients. AB - Viruses can escape destruction by the immune system by exploitation of the chemokine-chemokine receptor system. It is less established whether human cancers can adopt similar strategies to evade immunologic control. In this study, we show that advanced cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is associated with selective and efficient inactivation of CXCR3-dependent T cell migration. Our studies demonstrate that this alteration is at least in part due to CXCR3 down-regulation in vivo by elevated serum levels of CXCR3 ligands. The T cell population most affected by this down-regulatory mechanism are CD8+ cytotoxic effector T cells. In CTCL patients, cytotoxic effector T cells have strongly reduced surface CXCR3 expression, accumulate in peripheral blood, but are virtually absent from CTCL tumor lesions, indicating an inability to extravasate into lymphoma tissue. CTCL associated inactivation of effector cell recruitment may be a paradigmatic example of a new type of immune escape mechanisms shielding the neoplasm from a tumoricidal attack. PMID- 17785870 TI - Indian Journal of Gastroenterology: 25 years and running. PMID- 17785869 TI - Massive load of functional effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cells against cytomegalovirus in very old subjects. AB - A progressive, systemic, and low-grade proinflammatory status is one of the major characteristics of immunosenescence. Emerging data suggest a possible contribution of CMV, known to chronically infect a large proportion of humans, lifelong from newborns to centenarians. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated functional T cell responses to two CMV immunogenic proteins, pp65 and IE-1, in 65 chronically infected subjects aged 25-100 years. PBMC were stimulated with mixtures of peptides spanning the entire sequence of both proteins, and Ag specificity and magnitude of intracellular IFN-gamma- and TNF-alpha-positive cells were then analyzed within both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Results indicate that pp65 and, to a lesser extent, IE-1 constitute major Ags against which aged people target functionally efficient T cell effector responses with massive production of Th1 cytokines and exhibition of CD107a degranulation marker. As a result, the production of IFN-gamma induced in T cells by both Ags was seven to eight times greater in very old than in young subjects. The comparative analysis of pp65 specific responses in these very long-term carriers revealed a reciprocal relationship between CD4+ and CD8+ producing IFN-gamma in the same individuals. These results indicate that CMV represents an important pathogen responsible for a strong immune activation in human aging. Such a remarkable burden of effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cells may be necessary to protect the elderly from CMV endogenous reactivation, but can turn detrimental by giving a substantial contribution to the proinflammatory status that accompanies the main age-related diseases. PMID- 17785872 TI - Gastroenterology in India--a retrospect. PMID- 17785873 TI - Indian Society of Gastroenterology: reminiscences of the days gone by. PMID- 17785874 TI - Hepatology in Kolkata. PMID- 17785875 TI - Indian Society of Gastroenterology and Indian Journal of Gastroenterology: past, present, future. PMID- 17785876 TI - Stem cells in digestive diseases. PMID- 17785877 TI - Fading memories and some thoughts. PMID- 17785878 TI - Thoughts about the Society. PMID- 17785879 TI - Gastroenterology in India. PMID- 17785880 TI - Preventive gastroenterology: interesting and rewarding. PMID- 17785881 TI - Progress of gastroenterology in India. PMID- 17785882 TI - Impact factor of Indian Journal of Gastroenterology for the years 2005 and 2006. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact factor (IF) of the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology (IJG) for the years 2005 and 2006. METHODS: For each of the two years, the number of citations received during that year in the journals included in the Science Citation Index (SCI), obtained by searching the online SCI database, divided by items published in the IJG in the previous two calendar years was determined. Self-citations in the IJG of the items published during the preceding two calendar years were determined by manual search. IF was calculated from these data. RESULTS: The IF of IJG for the year 2005 was 0.384 and that for the year 2006 was 0.667. The latter may be an underestimate because some citations during the year 2006 may not yet have appeared in the database. These values were higher than the previously reported IF of IJG of 0.192 in 1990. CONCLUSION: The IF of IJG has shown significant improvement over time. PMID- 17785884 TI - Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the management of patients with acute respiratory failure: minimum standard of care, anywhere. PMID- 17785885 TI - An evaluation of the role of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in the management of acute respiratory failure in a developing country. AB - OBJECTIVE: Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has been shown to decrease the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) in patients presenting with acute respiratory failure (ARF). We conducted a prospective study to assess if NIPPV use, in a developing country, was associated with clinical and physiological improvements. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit during a 2 year period who fulfilled criteria for inclusion formed the study cohort to receive NIPPV. FINDINGS: Baseline (mean +/- SD) pH, PaCO 2 and PaO 2 were 7.25 +/ 0.08, 76.6 +/- 20.9 and 79.18 +/- 40.56 mmHg respectively. The primary indication for NIPPV was hypercapnic respiratory failure (n = 36, 90%). The success rate with NIPPV was 85%, with 34 of 40 patients weaned successfully. Significant improvements were observed at 1 hour following institution of NIPPV in pH (7.31 +/- 0.09, P 2 (65 +/- 17.9, P 2 54.7 +/- 20) and maintained (within 12 h) postweaning from the ventilator (pH 7.39 +/- 0.08, PaCO 2 51.9 +/- 12.4). No significant change in the PaO 2 was observed during NIPPV; PaO 2 after 1 h, prior to weaning and after weaning was 90.53 +/- 42.85, 84.80 +/- 33.76, 78.71 +/ 43.81 respectively. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated benefits of NIPPV in avoiding the need for invasive MV in patients presenting with ARF of diverse etiology, with results comparable to developed nations. Increased use of NIPPV in ARF is likely to impact favorably in nations with limited resources. PMID- 17785886 TI - Azoospermia factor deletions in varicocele cases with severe oligozoospermia. AB - BACKGROUND: Varicocele is the most common cause of male infertility. The etiology and pathophysiology of varicocele are multifactorial. When low sperm counts are associated with varicocele, varicocelectomy can partially restore spermatogenesis and fertility. Few recent studies have reported that in some varicocele cases, there may be an associated genetic etiology. Presence of a genetic factor like azoospermia factor microdeletions may lead to irreversible spermatogenic arrest in these cases, but very few reports support these findings. However, it is still not understood why some cases improve after varicocelectomy and why some cases show no improvement in semen parameters postoperatively. AIM: It is important to distinguish varicocele cases from Yq microdeletions as these cases have irreversible testicular damage and thus carry a poor prognosis after varicocelectomy. SETTINGS: Research and Referral tertiary care hospital. DESIGN: Prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two infertile men with varicocele were referred for Yq microdeletion analysis from the infertility clinic of AIIMS and Army Research and Referral Hospital. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood and polymerase chain reaction microdeletion screening was done in these cases to determine the presence or deletion of AZF loci. RESULTS: In this study 7 (9.7%) varicocele cases harbored Yq microdeletion. The sperm count in cases which harbored Yq microdeletion was significantly lower than in cases without Yq microdeletion. CONCLUSION: Varicocele cases with Yq microdeletion do not show improvement in semen parameters post-varicocelectomy. Detection of Yq microdeletion determines prognosis and future management in such cases. PMID- 17785887 TI - Alcohol expectancy responses from first year medical students: are they prone to alcoholism? AB - CONTEXT: Modern life style and affluence lead to changes in people's outlook on various habits, including alcohol intake. Some of them will fall prey to the addictive nature of the drink. AIMS: Present study was done to evaluate the responses to comprehensive alcohol expectancy questionnaire (comprehensive effects of alcohol--CEOA) in order to test the tendency towards alcohol intake among the First Year Medical (MBBS) students of our college--that is, to assess the positive or negative reinforcement they would expect if they consumed alcohol. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was done by giving a set of questionnaires to be answered by the students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaires of CEOA had 38 responses, in which both negative and positive feelings were represented. All questions were again grouped into four groups of positive and three groups of negative responses. Each question was rated to what degree they agreed, by 4-point Likert-type scale (1 = disagree, 2 = slightly disagree, 3 = slightly agree, 4 = agree). The positive and negative responses were analyzed to group them into agreeing or disagreeing type. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Analysis of responses by Student 't' test and 2-way ANOVA was done to analyze the results. 'P' RESULTS: Results showed that negative expectancies outweighed positives significantly (2.8017 +/- 0.58554 vs. 2.3055 +/- 0.67604, t = 7.526; P< 0.001.). Females rated the negatives more firmly (P< 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference with respect to different religious beliefs, places of origin or incomes of the respondents. An experience of alcohol had a significant effect on the responses where they had stronger positive expectancy, which is an important point revealed in this study. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we have observed a general acceptance that alcohol could provide positive reinforcement, especially among those who have had a prior experience of intake of alcohol. Thus, this study throws light on whether there is likelihood of youngsters falling into addiction in the later part of their life; hence it can act as a useful predictor for parents, health professionals, social counselors and the society as a whole so that they can take preventive measures against alcohol addiction. PMID- 17785888 TI - Risk factors for maternal mortality in Delhi slums: a community-based case control study. AB - BACKGROUND: In order to develop, implement and evaluate policy for reducing maternal mortality, it is essential to study the risk factors associated with maternal deaths. AIMS: The study aims to determine the epidemiological risk factors and its related causes associated with maternal deaths in Delhi slums. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community-based case-control study was designed, wherein snowball-sampling method was used to identify the maternal deaths (cases) in the community and circular systematic random sampling procedure was used to select the controls from the same area where a maternal death was found. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data on 70 cases and 384 controls that had live births as the outcome of the pregnancy were analyzed. Logistic regression was applied to identify the risk factors. RESULTS: In the study population, most of the deliveries were conducted at home by untrained 'dais.' Cases were mostly illiterate, young, having high parity and no antenatal care taken during pregnancy (P CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that women should be educated about the importance of antenatal registration and regular checkups. Untrained 'dais' should be trained to recognize the obstetric complications at an early stage and refer high-risk cases for adequate management. These preventive measures could help in reducing maternal mortality at the community level. PMID- 17785889 TI - Case report. Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome with pericardial effusion. AB - We report a 10-year-old female child with hypothyroidism and limb muscle pseudohypertrophy (i.e. Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome) with pericardial effusion. The child presented with generalized swelling, breathlessness and difficulty in walking and in getting up from sitting position (of chronic duration). She had bradycardia, dull facies, marked hypertrophy of both calf muscles and nonpitting edema of legs. Pericardial effusion was detected clinically and confirmed on investigations. Muscle pseudohypertrophy was a striking feature and hypothyroidism was confirmed on thyroid studies. The response to thyroxine replacement was excellent, with resolution of the pericardial effusion and clinical improvement. The unusual presence of pericardial effusion in Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome is discussed in the report. PMID- 17785890 TI - Capillary hemangiomatous polyp in anterior urethra. PMID- 17785891 TI - Concomitant allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and allergic fungal sinusitis. PMID- 17785892 TI - How the findings of national family health survey-3 can act as a trigger for improving the status of anemic mothers and undernourished children in India: a review. AB - The national family health survey-3 (NFHS-3) reports of declining fertility rate while increasing prevalence of anemia in women and children, since NFHS-2 in 1998 99. The proportion of anemic, stunted and wasted children has also increased since the previous two rounds. NFHS trends show that the status of mother's and child's health indicators is continuing to deteriorate in spite of the many government-run targeted programs, e.g. integrated child development scheme (ICDS), Midday meal program. The only good sign in the findings is the favorable trend in fertility indicators and infant mortality rate. A review of the findings of NFHS surveys, the current government policies and programs targeted upon the improving of health status of women and children in India and of the published scientific literature was conducted. The aim of the review was to understand the health situation of women and children in India and to suggest measures to bring about positive changes in the health status of this population. The analysis suggests that the findings of these successive surveys are not being utilized for the necessary corrective measures. The authors argue that although the NFHS is a useful exercise, in the wake of decentralized planning, the country needs more detailed data focusing on the districts. Synchronization of the ICDS and national rural health mission (NRHM), along with entrusting the responsibility of conducting NFHS to the planning commission, is the other possible solution to tackle the problems of rising anemia and malnutrition in the country. PMID- 17785893 TI - Psychological problems and quality of life in children with thalassemia. AB - OBJECTIVE: The study is aimed to assess psychological problems and quality of life (QOL) in children with thalassemia. METHODS: Thirty-nine children (8-16 yr) with transfusion dependent thalassemia attending day care services for blood transfusion were assessed for psychological problems using the Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule and QOL was assessed using the EQ-5D. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of the children had psychological problems and 74% had a poor QOL. Anxiety-related symptoms (67%), emotional problems, particularly depression (62%) and conduct problems (49%) were the main findings. The children were most likely to report impaired QOL due to severe difficulties in pain/discomfort (64%) dimension, followed by depression and mobility problems of equal severity (33%). The side effects of chelation were an independent predictor of psychological problems and impaired QOL. Also psychological problems were a significant predictor of impaired QOL. CONCLUSION: The recognition and management of the psychological problems that accompany chronic physical illnesses including thalassemia would optimize treatment outcomes and QOL. PMID- 17785894 TI - Iodine deficiency in school going children of Pondicherry. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the status of iodine deficiency in Pondicherry by finding out the urinary excretion of iodine and the prevalence of goiter among school children. METHODS: 315 children between the age group of 9-13 yr from 30 schools in Pondicherry were examined for the presence of goiter and their urine samples were subjected to biochemical analysis to find out the urinary iodine levels (UIE). RESULTS: The percentage of children who had inadequate iodine intake and showed urinary iodine level of less than 100 mcg/ L was 44.4%. Amongst them, 14.3% had a greater degree of iodine deficiency with less than 50 mcg/L of iodine in urine. The prevalence of goiter was 15.24%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of goiter is high. The iodine intake is quite low as exhibited by the UIE levels of < 100mcg/L in the children in Pondicherry, which might have had an unseen impact on the intelligence and school performance of these children. PMID- 17785895 TI - Blood transfusion rate in Congolese patients with sickle cell anemia. AB - OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of blood transfusion in African Sickle Cell Patients and the risks related to the use of total blood. METHODS: 186 sickle cell patients (95 males and 91 females) aged 0 21 years were regularly followed over a 3 years period in Katanga province, DR Congo. Indications for blood transfusion were mainly based on clinical criteria and Hb level (less than 5g% ml or a drop of 2g% under the steady state value). All the subjects, who were transfused, wer screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and Human Immune deficit Virus (HIV). RESULTS: Of 186 patients, 150 (80.6%) were transfused and the average blood transfusion requirement was 0.4 units per patient-year. According to the age of first transfusion, 75.3% (113/150) of them were transfused before the 6th year of life; but the frequency of transfusions seemed to decline in children aged more than 13 years. The risk of HIV infection from blood transfusion was estimated at 1 per 37.1 units or 26 per 1000 blood units. The hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in 15 cases (10%) and HIV serology was positive in 17 patients (11.3%). CONCLUSION: Because of the complications related to blood transfusions in Africa, efforts are needed in order to reduce the frequency of transfusions, by preventive measures (early diagnosis, malarial and penicillin-prophylaxis) and to use more rational indications. PMID- 17785896 TI - Impact of long-term oral iron supplementation in breast-fed infants. AB - OBJECTIVE: To weigh benefits of oral iron supplements on infant's growth against its potential hazards. METHODS: 248 exclusively breast-fed infants aged 4-6 months were consecutively enrolled and divided into treatment group given iron containing multivitamin (TG = 198) and control group (placebo, PG = 50) given the same multivitamin but without is subdivided according to clinical assessment into group A (well nourished) and group B (malnourished); both were further stratified according to basal blood iron status. Assessment was done after 6 and 12 months with concurrent collection of morbidity parameters (diarrhea and fever). Data were normalized and analyzed using SPSS and Eurogrowth softwares. RESULTS: After 6 months treatment, weight and length gain was better in TG compared to placebo especially evident in anemic malnourished infants (P 0.05). Morbidity risk was linked to immunologic background of infant; odds ratio for diarrhea and fever was higher in malnourished compared to well nourished (P 0.05) or iron therapy (P for well-nourished non-anemic treatment vs PG > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Oral iron supplementation resulted in better effects on growth velocity of breast fed infants especially those who were initially malnourished and anemic or at least iron depleted, with less marked morbidity than in iron replete infants. PMID- 17785897 TI - Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in LBW infants--a western Rajasthan experience. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study was taken to study the various beneficial effects of KMC in LBW babies. METHODS: 50 LBW babies (birth weight> 2 kg) two who delivered at Umaid Hospital, RIMCH Jodhpur included in this study and they have given KMC 4-6 hours/day in 3-4 settings. Maternal & Neonatal characteristics and complications prospectively recorded. RESULTS: Of 50 LBW babies enrolled, M:F ratio was 1.5:1 and mean birth weight was 1.487 +/- 0.175 kg. The mean age at which KMC started was 4+/-1.738 days. The mean weight gain was 29 +/- 3.52 g, mean age of discharge 23.6 +/- 3.52 days and mean duration of hospital stay was 15.5 +/- 11.3 days. CONCLUSION: KMC is effective and safe in stable preterm infants and as effective on traditional care with incubators. KMC because of its simplicity may have a place in home care of LBW babies. PMID- 17785898 TI - Surveillance of cold chain system during intensified pulse polio programme--2006 in Chandigarh. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the maintenance of cold chain system in the Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) campaign in the Union Territory, Chandigarh. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in 18 designated vaccine sub depots, where OPV vials were stored prior to IPPI and 25 IPPI booths out of the designated 406 IPPI booths in U.T, Chandigarh. The booths were selected by stratified random sampling technique. 25 Vaccine vials, one from each booth were selected and sent for potency testing at Central Research Institute (CRI) Kasauli. RESULTS: All the randomly selected vaccine samples were reported portent, as per the reports provided by CRI-Kasauli. Cold chain maintenance and temperature charting was found satisfactory. CONCLUSION: There are some avoidable errors which leaves room for improvement, which can be in the form of provision of adequate number of exhaust fan, voltage stabilizers, etc. Uninterrupted power supply should be ensured. Lastly, more emphasis is to be given on maintenance of cold chain system in reorientation training program of all health functionaries. PMID- 17785899 TI - Aural foreign bodies in children. AB - OBJECTIVE: Foreign body in the ear is commonly encountered in children by primary care givers, emergency department Physicians, Pediatricians and Otolaryngologists worldwide. METHODS: We reviewed cases of aural foreign bodies in children seen in our centre over a five-year period with the aim of auditing our current practice and suggesting possible improvements suited for developing countries. RESULTS: Grains and seeds (27.9%), beads (19.7%), cotton wool (13.6%), paper (8.8%) and eraser (8.2%) formed the bulk of the aural foreign bodies. About 96% was removed without general anesthesia by using Jobson Horne's probe or aural dressing forceps (73.8%) under direct vision; or by syringing (22.1%). Some 4% had to be removed in the operating theatre under general anesthesia. The complications observed include bruise or laceration and bleeding from the external auditory canal (16.3%), otitis externa (6.5%) and traumatic perforation of the tympanic membrane (1.7%). CONCLUSION: Despite a high proportion of cases managed in the office setting, complication rates were within acceptable levels. There is need to develop practical criteria that will be beneficial to primary health care givers to determine which patients could be managed in the primary care setting with acceptable outcome. PMID- 17785900 TI - Current status of iron overload and chelation with deferasirox. AB - A large number of complications in thalassemia major are due mainly to iron overload. Deferoxamine in iron-overloaded patients has established that chelation therapy, when given at an adequate dose, reduces iron-related complications. Parenteral administration and the daily nuisance of an infusion pump hinder the optimal compliance. Deferiprone is moderately effective oral iron chelator. Arthralgia and cytopenias constitute the main side effects. Deferasirox is a new orally effective iron chelator which has been shown to be non-inferior to deferoxamine in clinical trials. Further clinical trials especially in Indian children will tell if it stands the test of time. PMID- 17785901 TI - Hypothermic cardiac arrest. AB - After being lost for 16 hr, a 7-yr-old boy was admitted to the emergency Department (ED) in a severe hypothermic condition of 23.3 degrees C with cardiac arrest. Active rewarming was conducted with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Sixty minutes after admission, return of spontaneous circulation was confirmed. Fever developed 14 hr after admission and continued for 9 days due to frostbite wound of both feet. This case report demonstrates successful resuscitation in severe hypothermic cardiac arrest with complete neurologic recovery in a 7-yr-old boy. PMID- 17785902 TI - Innominate artery compression of trachea. AB - Innominate artery may cross the trachea and cause airway obstruction is a rare cause of vascular obstruction of airway. We describe a child with stridor, inability to extubate in whom the diagnosis was suspected on fluoroscopy and confirmed by angiography. Reimplantation of the innominate artery resulted in excellent results with longterm follow up. Variantions of this condition and modalities for confirmation of diagnosis are discussed. PMID- 17785903 TI - Tuberculous cold abscess. AB - A tubercular cold abscess secondary to adjoining bone involvement is a well-known entity. However, a primary cold abscess with no bony involvement in children is very rare. We present such a case. PMID- 17785904 TI - Recurrent herpes zoster in early childhood. AB - Herpes Zoster is produced by reactivation of latent Varicella Zoster Virus from the dorsal root ganglion of sensory nerves. It is common in older individuals and rarely described in the pediatric age group. We report a case of recurrent herpes zoster in a 3-year-old HIV positive child involving T4 dermatome on the first occasion and subsequently involving T10 dermatome. The child responded well to oral acyclovir. PMID- 17785905 TI - HIV infection mimicking autoimmune disorder. AB - A 13-yr-old girl born to healthy parents presented with cough, fever, easy fatiguability, photosensitivity and alopecia. She had clubbing and diffuse crackles in the chest on examination. Her CT scan of the chest showed evidence of bronchiectasis with consolidation. Investigations for tuberculosis and collagen vascular disease were negative. In due course she developed features of raised intracranial tension. Her blood for HIV ELISA was positive with CD4 counts of 17/ microL. Her CSF, sputum, blood and urine specimen were all positive for Cryptococcus neoformans on culture. HIV was not considered initially because of her atypical presentation. There was no history of sexual abuse, her parents were healthy and she did not receive any blood transfusion in the past. PMID- 17785906 TI - Primary hypothyroidism with precocious puberty and bilateral cystic ovaries. AB - It is a general observation that children with hypothyroidism have delayed sexual maturation and delayed puberty. However, longstanding untreated hypothyroidism could be associated with isosexual precocious puberty. Here we report a nine year old girl with longstanding untreated hypothyroidism presenting with precocious puberty and bilateral multicystic ovaries, which promptly responded to thyroid hormone replacement. PMID- 17785907 TI - Vertical transmission of Salmonella paratyphi A. AB - Neonatal enteric fever is a rare but life-threatening illness. Patients may present with varying severity, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi causing more severe illness than Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi A. Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi A is considered to cause milder infection with fewer complications. We report a rare case of vertical transmission of Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi A with severe complications and high mortality. Even though there are case reports of vertical transmission of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, to our knowledge, this is the first case report of vertical transmission of Salmonella enterica serotype ParatyphiA. The role of blood culture in accurate diagnosis and treatment is also discussed. PMID- 17785908 TI - Absence of Wharton's jelly around the umbilical arteries. AB - Wharton's jelly is a specialized tissue which acts as supportive and protective structure substituting for the adventitia of the umbilical vessels. Absence of Wharton's jelly around the umbilical arteries is very rare and an unusual cause of perinatal mortality. We report a case of absent Wharton's jelly around the umbilical arteries with patent vitellointestinal duct--a rare association. PMID- 17785909 TI - Brucellosis concomitant with acute leukemia. AB - We present two patients with brucellosis concomitant with acute leukemia. Co existence of acute leukemia with brucellosis which may have similar symptoms, have not been reported earlier. The first case presented with generalized arthralgia, fever, paleness and pancytopenia. The second patient had mild leucopenia and thrombocytopenia. She presented with fever. We carried out the chemotherapy for both ALL and brucellosis simultaneously. While the first patient's fever disappeared within 3 days, the second patient's fever had continued on subfebril level for five days and then disappeared. We achieved the remission in both patients and no reactivation was observed during the follow-up period. PMID- 17785910 TI - A rare association of hydranencephaly with congenital rubella syndrome. PMID- 17785911 TI - Outbreak of dengue infection in rural Maharashtra. PMID- 17785912 TI - Implication of amphiphysin 1 and dynamin 2 in tubulobulbar complex formation and spermatid release. AB - Tubulobulbar complexes (TBCs) are composed of several tubular invaginations formed at the plasma membrane of testicular Sertoli cells. TBCs are transiently formed at the contact region with spermatids at spermatogenic stage VII in rat and mouse, and such TBC formation is prerequisite for spermatid release. Since the characteristic structure of TBCs suggests that the molecules implicated in endocytosis could be involved in TBC formation, we here investigated the localization and physiological roles of endocytic proteins, amphiphysin 1 and dynamin 2, at TBCs. We demonstrated by immunofluorescence that the endocytic proteins were concentrated at TBCs, where they colocalized with cytoskeletal proteins, such as actin and vinculin. Immunoelectron microscopy disclosed that both amphiphysin 1 and dynamin 2 were localized on TBC membrane. Next, we histologically examined the testis from amphiphysin 1 deficient {Amph(-/-)} mice. Morphometric analysis revealed that the number of TBCs was significantly reduced in Amph(-/-). The ratio of stage VIII seminiferous tubules was increased, and the ratio of stage IX was conversely decreased in Amph(-/-). Moreover, unreleased spermatids in stage VIII seminiferous tubules were increased in Amph(-/-), indicating that spermatid release and the following transition from stage VIII to IX was prolonged in Amph(-/-) mice. These results suggest that amphiphysin 1 and dynamin 2 are involved in TBC formation and spermatid release at Sertoli cells. PMID- 17785913 TI - Transcription factor GATA-6 in the human adrenocortex: association with adrenal development and aging. AB - Transcription factor GATA-6 has been demonstrated to be expressed in the human fetal and adult adrenal cortex and has been postulated to play an important role in adrenal steroid biosynthesis. However, the status for GATA-6 expression has not been examined in detail especially in relation to adrenal development and aging. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed GATA-6 expression in 11 human fetal adrenals and 19 adrenal glands after birth using immunohistochemistry. In the fetal adrenals, the status of GATA-6 immunoreactivity in the definitive zone was significantly and directly correlated with ages of development (P<0.05) but in the fetal zone was significantly and inversely correlated with ages of development (P<0.05). After birth, GATA-6 was more abundant in the zona fasciculata compared to other zones (P<0.05) but was not related to aging of the subject. These results suggest that GATA-6 expression is involved in the regulation of corticosteroid production in both the human fetal and adult adrenals, and the changes of intra-adrenal GATA-6 expression in the human fetal adrenal plays important roles in developmental changes of both the definitive and fetal zones. PMID- 17785914 TI - An infant case of macroprolactinemia with transient idiopathic central precocious puberty. AB - Macroprolactinemia was recognized more than a decade ago as a cause of hyperprolactinemia and the prevalence of macroprolactinemia is thought to be 10% 26% of patients with hyperprolactinemia. However, there are few published reports about macroprolactinemia in childhood. We report a 7-year-and-1-month-old girl with hyperprolactinemia due to macroprolactinemia with the complication of transient idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP). At the age of 6 years and 9 months, she was diagnosed with ICPP at another clinic, on the basis of isolated mammary development and increased height velocity with slightly advanced bone age. At that time, the unexpected finding of high PRL level was also observed. Four months later, she was referred to our clinic for persistently high PRL level. At this time, other endocrinological data showed prepubertal stage and we demonstrated macroprolactinemia and the presence of anti-PRL autoantibody. After other causes of hyperprolactinemia such as prolactinoma and stress were ruled out, we finally diagnosed her with hyperprolactinemia due to macroprolactinemia. Because most patients with macroprolactinemia are symptom-free despite hyperprolactinemia and drug therapy would not be indicated, macroprolactinemia should be suspected even in children to avoid unnecessary examinations and treatments. PMID- 17785915 TI - Glucose homeostasis in a diabetic patient during liver transplantation: a case report. AB - A 66-year-old woman with type C hepatitis had been treated for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with transcatheter arterial embolization and radiofrequency ablation. Liver function worsened gradually to decompensated liver cirrhosis. She had recurrence of HCC and was later admitted to Juntendo University Hospital for living-donor liver transplantation. Although blood glucose was high, she had never been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. No diabetes-related complications were detected at that time. We started treatment with multiple insulin injections. There is a unique time called the anhepatic phase during liver transplantation during which the liver does not exist in the body. Recent reports show that it is not necessary to administer glucose for patients with normal glucose tolerance during the anhepatic phase since plasma glucose could be maintained at normoglycemia to hyperglycemia (100-150 mg/dl). In our patient, plasma glucose concentration was rather high during the anhepatic phase without glucose administration. We analyzed the levels of blood glucose, insulin and various other hormones during the anhepatic phase. This could be the first report on glucose homeostasis during the anhepatic phase in a diabetic patient. PMID- 17785916 TI - New HLA DRB1 and DQB1 haplotypes in a pedigree of familial Graves' disease in Japan. AB - The present study demonstrated genetic analysis of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in a familial Graves' disease linked to autoimmune mechanism. The proband was a 17 year-old female. At 15 years, Graves' disease was diagnosed with serum TSH was <0.015 IU/ml; free T(3), 13.6 pg/ml; free T(4), 4.51 ng/dl; and TSH receptor antibody (TRAb), 94.1%. She had two brothers (19 and 13 years-old), who manifested Graves' disease at 18 and 13 years, respectively. They also had elevated TRAb as high as 48.4 and 49.1%, respectively. There was a strong family history of Graves' disease in their maternal pedigree. Namely, their two aunts and a cousin had Graves' disease, and their onset ages of Graves' disease were also during their teen-age years. However, there was no patient with Graves' disease in the paternal pedigree. We checked HLA-DRB and -DQB haplotype in the members of maternal pedigree and proband's father. The members of maternal pedigree including both affected and unaffected Graves' disease had haplotypes of DRB1*150101 and DQB1*0602, except for the cousin who had DRB1*140301 and DQB1*030101. The haplotypes of DRB1*150101 and DQB1*0602 were different from susceptible HLA types in Japanese childhood onset Graves' disease. However, two cases of Graves' disease also had HLA types of DRB1*40501 and DQB1*0401, in addition to the haplotypes of DRB1*150101 and DQB1*0602. There was no other autoimmune disease including type 1 diabetes mellitus in their family. The present findings indicated that familial Graves' disease was found mainly in the maternal females and become overt during their teen-age years. They had new HLA haplotypes distinct from those susceptibly in Japanese Graves' patients. Further study will be necessary to analyze the mutant locus of DNA to elucidate pathogenesis of familial Graves' disease. PMID- 17785917 TI - Biological roles of estrogen and progesterone in human endometrial carcinoma--new developments in potential endocrine therapy for endometrial cancer. AB - Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common female pelvic malignancies. It is well known that uterine endometrial cell proliferation is under the control of both estrogen and progesterone. In this review, results of the recent studies on the biosynthesis and action of estrogen and progestin in normal endometrium and its disorders will be summarized and the new aspects of hormonal therapies in the patients with endometrial carcinoma will be discussed including its future prospectives. We reported that the enzymes responsible for intratumoral estrogen metabolism and biosynthesis are markedly different between human breast and endometrial carcinoma, although both of them are considered "estrogen-dependent malignancies". In addition, the biological significance of Progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms is considered to differ between endometrial and breast carcinomas. Clinical data concerning Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and estrogen-dependent cancer risk also support these findings. These basic and clinical findings help to understand the biology and provide the new knowledge for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human endomerial carcinoma. Specific endocrine treatment of endometrial carcinoma should be explored in future, although aromatase inhibitors are the most effective endocrine treatments of estrogen-responsive breast carcinoma. Retinoid, metabolities of vitamin A, and synthetic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma ligands, which have been used for the treatment of insulin resistance in type II diabetes mellitus, may be the important candidates as drugs not only for prevention but also for possible endocrine treatment of endometrial carcinoma. PMID- 17785918 TI - Physiological roles of prolactin in the adrenocortical response to acute restraint stress. AB - The present study characterized the different hormonal responses to stress in the endocrine milieu with different circulating levels of prolactin (PRL) and examined the direct effects of PRL on adrenal steroidogenic responses to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) using experimentally induced hyperprolactinemia and hypoprolactinemia male rat models. Hyperprolactinemia was induced by transplantation of two adult female rat anterior pituitary glands under the kidney capsule for 2 weeks, and hypoprolactinemia was induced by daily subcutaneous injection of 2-Bromo-alpha-Ergocryptine (CB-154) for 2 weeks. Under stress conditions, the peak levels of ACTH were significantly higher in hypoprolactinemia than normal rats. Meanwhile, the peak levels of corticosterone and progesterone were significantly higher in hyperprolactinemia than in normal and hypoprolactinemia stressed rats. Results of in vitro experiments showed that adrenocortical cells in hyperprolactinemia exhibited higher basal levels of corticosterone and progesterone rats than normal and hypoprolactinemia rats. The stimulatory effect of ACTH on corticosterone and progesterone release was higher in hyperprolactinemia than hypoprolactinemia rats. In addition, PRL increased the stimulatory effect of ACTH-induced corticosterone secretion in all rat models. These results suggest that hypoprolactinemia and hyperprolactinemia rats exhibit marked differences in the response of their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during acute restrain stress. Additionally, these studies emphasize that the adrenal cortex might be more sensitive to ACTH stimulation in endocrine milieu with high levels of PRL resulting in high corticosterone and progesterone release. PMID- 17785919 TI - Is central obesity a good predictor of carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese type 2 diabetes with metabolic syndrome? AB - Metabolic syndrome has been revealed to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and early mortality in non-diabetic and diabetic patients. In 2005, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the Examination Committee of Criteria for Diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome in Japan published new definitions of metabolic syndrome in which central obesity was an indispensable factor. However, the significance of this new definition to CVD in type 2 diabetes has not yet been clarified. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 294 Japanese type 2 diabetic patients without known cardiovascular disease to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome defined by this new definition and carotid atherosclerosis, and the significance of central obesity for the prediction of the development of carotid atherosclerosis. In a multivariate regression analysis, metabolic syndrome but not central obesity was significantly associated with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) independent of known cardiovascular risk factors (p<0.05). In addition, whereas carotid IMT was significantly increased according to the increase in the number of components of metabolic syndrome, it was not significantly different between the groups with the same number of components of metabolic syndrome with or without central obesity. These findings suggest that the prediction of the development of carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients could be improved by the assessment of aggregation of components of metabolic syndrome rather than with or without metabolic syndrome by this new definition. PMID- 17785920 TI - Low molecular weight hyaluronan increases the Uptaking of oxidized LDL into monocytes. AB - Since accumulation and interaction of immune cells including T cells and monocytes/macrophages are involved in the processes of atherosclerosis, atherosclerosis is currently understood as an inflammatory disorder. Entrapment of extracellular matrices components such as hyaluronan by monocytes and macrophages, as well as uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) by these cells, plays a central role in foam cell formation and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We investigated the role of CD44, the principal receptor for hyaluronic acid, and ox-LDL in scavenger receptor expression on resting monocytes prepared by counterflow centrifugal elutriation from the endothelium. Our results showed that the low-molecular weight (6.9 kDa) form of hyaluronan increased the expression of CD36 scavenger receptor; the incorporation of (125) I-labeled ox LDL, and the transendothelial migration of monocytes, which were mediated at least in part via tyrosine kinase and the PKC pathway. Our results imply that low molecular weight hyaluronan produced in large amounts in atherosclerotic lesions induces differentiation of circulating monocytes to macrophages/foam cells and enhances the progression of atherosclerosis via the PKC pathway. Furthermore, low molecular weight hyaluronan also amplifies the migration of monocytes into inflamed atherosclerotic plaques. Thus, we propose that engagement of CD44 with low molecular weight hyaluronan is centrally involved in the inflammatory pathogenesis of athelosclerotic plaques through migration of monocytes and foamed macrophage differentiation. PMID- 17785921 TI - Complete surgical resolution of bilateral total opthalmoplegia without visual field defect in an acromegalic patient presented with pituitary apoplexy. AB - Pituitary apoplexy (PA), which is one of the most serious life-threatening complications of pituitary adenoma, is characterized by abrupt onset of headache, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances and oculomotor paresis. Combination of oculomotor cranial nerve paralysis with normal visual fields is very rare in PA. We report a 60-year-old acromegalic man presented with panhypopituitarism and bilateral total opthalmoplegia without a visual field defect. At initial evaluation his clinical findings were compatible with adrenal crisis and eye examination revealed total opthalmoplegia, bilateral ptosis and normal vision. MRI showed a large heterogeneous mass in the pituitary fossa. Although clinical findings due to adrenal crisis improved after glucocorticoid therapy there was no improvement in opthalmoplegia and ptosis. The patient underwent transsphenoidal excision of the pituitary mass. Histological examination revealed an adenoma with large areas of hemorrhagic infarction and most of the cells were positive for GH in immunohistochemical analysis. Although opthalmoplegia was severe at presentation, total recovery was achieved 3 months after transsphenoidal surgery. Therefore the presented case clearly demonstrates that opthalmoplegia without a visual field defect due to PA has a good prognosis and early diagnosis and treatment including surgical decompression are crucially important. PMID- 17785922 TI - Roles and regulation of transcription factor MafA in islet beta-cells. AB - Insulin is a critical hormone in the regulation of blood glucose levels. It is produced exclusively by pancreatic islet beta-cells. beta-cell-enriched transcription factors, such as Pdx1 and Beta2, have dual roles in the activation of the insulin gene promoter establishing beta-cell-specific insulin expression, and in the regulation of beta-cell differentiation. It was shown that MafA, a beta-cell-specific member of the Maf family of transcription factors, binds to the conserved C1/RIPE3b element of the insulin promoter. The Maf family proteins regulate tissue-specific gene expression and cell differentiation in a wide variety of tissues. MafA acts synergistically with Pdx1 and Beta2 to activate the insulin gene promoter, and mice with a targeted deletion of mafA develop age dependent diabetes. MafA also regulates genes involved in beta-cell function such as Glucose transporter 2, Glucagons-like peptide 1 receptor, and Prohormone convertase 1/3. The abundance of MafA in beta-cells is regulated at both the transcriptional and post-translational levels by glucose and oxidative stress. This review summarizes recent progress in determining the functions and roles of MafA in the regulation of insulin gene transcription in beta-cells. PMID- 17785923 TI - Are promoter polymorphisms of interleukin 6 ready to be applied in genetic markers of cardiovascular diseases? PMID- 17785924 TI - Migraine is associated with enhanced arterial stiffness. AB - Migraine is a common subtype of headache. Epidemiological studies have revealed that migraine could be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke even in elderly subjects. Arterial stiffness is one of the major pathophysiological bases of stroke. In the present study, we cross-sectionally investigated the possible relationship between migraine and arterial stiffness in community-dwelling subjects. The study subjects were independently recruited from two sources (Group A, n=134, 68+/-5 years; Group B, n=138, 68+/-7 years). Augmentation index (AI), the ratio of augmented pressure by the reflection pressure wave to the pulse pressure, was obtained from the radial arterial waveform as an index of arterial stiffness. Brachial blood pressure was also measured simultaneously. Migraine was diagnosed using a previously validated questionnaire. The prevalence of migraine was 5.2% (Group A) and 16.7% (Group B). Subjects with migraine had higher radial AI in both Group A (migraine, 101+/-15%; other headache, 88+/-12%; no headache, 86+/-12%, p=0.003) and Group B (95+/-11%, 90+/-11%, 91+/-14%, p=0.058). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that migraine was an independent determinant of AI (beta=0.154, p=0.002) after adjustment for other confounding factors: age (beta=-0.024, p=0.654); sex (beta=0.141, p=0.069); body height (beta=-0.215, p=0.005); systolic blood pressure (beta=0.174, p=0.001); medication for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus (beta=-0.014, p=0.787); and heart rate (beta=-0.539, p<0.001). In a separate analysis by sex, migraine was also a significant determinant for AI (male, beta=0.246, p=0.019; female, beta=0.159, p=0.008). Migraine in the elderly could be a clinical manifestation of enhanced arterial stiffness. PMID- 17785925 TI - Common single nucleotide polymorphisms in Japanese patients with essential hypertension: aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene as a risk factor independent of alcohol consumption. AB - Essential hypertension (EH) is a multifactorial disorder determined by the interaction of environmental and genetic factors. EH patients' responses to these factors may vary, depending on differences in their genes that determine the physiological systems that mediate the response. The purpose of this investigation was to clarify the contributions of genetic background and lifestyle to EH through an association study using some common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that should have functional effects on EH phenotypes. We studied the associations between common SNPs of some causal genes related to EH and lifestyle in a Japanese population. The variants of the causal genes were selected based on their functions, including: obesity (adrenergic, beta-3-, receptor: ADRB3), alcohol consumption (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2: ALDH2), water electrolyte metabolism (guanine nucleotide binding protein [G protein], beta polypeptide 3: GNB3), glycometabolism (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma: PPARG), lipometabolism (cholesteryl ester transfer protein, plasma: CETP), atherosclerosis (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase [NADPH]: MTHFR), and cellular behavior (gap junction protein, alpha 4, 37 kD: GJA4). Case-control association analysis showed a significant association between EH and both the ALDH2 (Lys487Glu) and GNB3 (C825T) variants. Logistic regression analysis indicated that body mass index (BMI) is an important risk factor for EH, and that the GG (Glu/Glu) genotype of ALDH2 was an independent risk factor for EH overall and especially for EH in males. There was no interaction between the ALDH2 genotype and alcohol consumption overall or in male subjects. Our results suggest that the ALDH2 genotype is associated with EH independently of alcohol consumption. PMID- 17785926 TI - Effects of the Interaction between Interleukin-6 -634C/G Polymorphism and Smoking on Serum C-Reactive Protein Concentrations. AB - Smoking and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are major factors in inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the IL6 -634C/G polymorphism (rs1800796) and its interaction with smoking influence serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. The subjects were 347 Japanese male employees of a transit company. CRP and conventional cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. IL6 634C/G polymorphisms were genotyped by allelic discrimination using fluorogenic probes and the 5' nuclease assay. The mean values of CRP were significantly higher in current smokers than in nonsmokers after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, log triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose, and drinking habit (p=0.011). Comparison of three genotypes revealed significant interaction between smoking and the IL6 -634C/G genotype manifested by CRP concentrations (p=0.007) after the adjustments cited above. After stratification by smoking status, CRP differed significantly among IL6 -634C/G genotypes groups in nonsmokers (p=0.010, p for trend=0.007), whereas no significant difference was found in current smokers. Comparison between -634C/C and C/G+G/G groups revealed also a significant interaction between smoking and the IL6 -634C/G genotype (p=0.007). These findings suggest that the impact of the -634G allele on CRP elevation is greater in nonsmokers than in current smokers. Since gene-environment interactions have been insufficiently examined, further studies are required to clarify their effect on inflammation, including CRP elevation. PMID- 17785927 TI - Autonomic function in adolescents with orthostatic dysregulation measured by heart rate variability. AB - We evaluated the responses of autonomic nervous system to transient positional changes and daily changes in orthostatic dysregulation (OD) patients in order to clarify the mechanisms underlying the appearance of symptoms. The control group consisted of 16 healthy adolescents (8 males and 8 females), and the OD group consisted of 25 adolescents (13 males and 12 females). Each subject underwent continuous electrocardiographic monitoring during the head-up tilt test, followed by electrocardiographic monitoring for 24 h. Low frequency power (LF) and high frequency power (HF) were calculated as indices of autonomic function. During 0-5 min in the standing position in the tilt test, HF was higher in the OD group than in the control group (180+/-110 ms(2) vs. 42.6+/-54.1 ms(2); p<0.05). The LF/HF ratio during standing for 15-20 min was higher in OD patients than in the controls (4.75+/-3.45 vs. 1.67+/-1.21; p<0.05). The 24 h analysis showed that HF during sleep was significantly lower in the OD patients than in the controls (516+/-290 ms(2) vs. 1,290+/-429 ms(2); p<0.05); the LF/HF ratios were consistently higher in the OD patients than in the controls (4.13+/-3.41 and 2.92+/-2.00 vs. 2.46+/-0.89 and 1.35+/-1.54 in waking and sleeping states, respectively; p<0.05). This study showed that OD patients have less variability of the parasympathetic nervous system as well as hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. This autonomic dysfunction is responsible for the symptoms of OD. PMID- 17785928 TI - Measurement of the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and flow-mediated dilatation in young, healthy smokers. AB - The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a quick test which adequately estimates arterial stiffness. Because flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery assesses an essential endothelial function, we tested the hypothesis that the brachial-ankle PWV could reflect the early stages of endothelial dysfunction caused by smoking in young, healthy subjects. Fifty-seven healthy subjects (13 females and 44 males; mean 29.9+/-5.6 years) were enrolled. Twenty-six of the subjects (30.4+/-5.7 years) were active smokers, with a mean cumulative nicotine consumption of 10.0+/-8.6 pack/years, and thus were assigned to the smoking group. Thirty-one subjects without a history of smoking (29.5+/ 5.5 years) were assigned to the non-smoking group. The brachial-ankle PWV and arterial blood pressure were simultaneously measured using a recently established, non-invasive automatic device (model BP-203RPE; Nihon Colin, Tokyo, Japan). Endothelium-dependent FMD was induced by reactive hyperemia, while endothelium-independent vasodilation of the brachial artery was induced by administration of sublingual nitroglycerin spray. The FMD was lower in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to the brachial-ankle PWV. In the non-smoking group, multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that FMD was predicted by the systolic blood pressure (F=16.351). In the smoking group, statistical analysis revealed that FMD was independently predicted by either the brachial-ankle PWV (F=8.108) or the subject's age (F=4.381). Our results suggest that a reduction in FMD is closely associated with the early stages of endothelial dysfunction caused by cigarette smoking in young, healthy subjects, which is at least partly reflected by the PWV value. PMID- 17785929 TI - The association between ankle-brachial index and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality in metabolic syndrome of elderly Chinese. AB - The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a non-invasive, reliable measurement of lower extremity ischemia. A low ABI is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and death. However, the relationship between ABI and all-cause mortality or cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been well studied. Accordingly, we here investigated the association between ABI and all-cause and CVD mortality in an elderly Chinese population with MetS. A total of 2,274 MetS patients diagnosed under the criteria proposed by the International Diabetes Federation were divided into two groups based on repeated ABI measurement over a period of 13.6 months: ABIor=130/85 mmHg. Efonidipine 20-60 mg twice daily and amlodipine 2.5-7.5 mg once daily were given for 4 months each in a random crossover manner. In both periods, calcium channel blockers were titrated when the BP exceeded 130/85 mmHg. Blood sampling and urinalysis were performed at the end of each treatment period. The average blood pressure was comparable between the efonidipine and the amlodipine periods (133+/-10/86+/-5 vs. 132+/-8/86+/-5 mmHg). Urinary protein excretion was significantly less in the efonidipine period than in the amlodipine period (1.7+/-1.5 vs. 2.0+/-1.6 g/g creatinine, p=0.04). Serum albumin was significantly higher in the efonidipine period than the amlodipine period (4.0+/-0.5 vs. 3.8+/-0.5 mEq/L, p=0.03). Glomerular filtration rate was not significantly different between the two periods. Plasma aldosterone was lower in the efonidipine period than in the amlodipine period (52+/-46 vs. 72+/-48 pg/mL, p=0.009). It may be concluded that efonidipine results in a greater reduction of plasma aldosterone and proteinuria than amlodipine, and that these effects occur by a mechanism independent of blood pressure reduction. A further large-scale clinical trial will be needed in order to apply the findings of this study to the treatment of patients with renal disease. PMID- 17785931 TI - Lower birth weight associated with current overweight status is related with the metabolic syndrome in obese Japanese children. AB - The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between lower birth weight and current overweight status and to examine the involvement of these factors in the development of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in obese Japanese children. We examined 97 obese boys (mean age 11.3 years; mean percentage overweight [POW] 52.4%) and 29 obese girls (mean age 11.1 years; mean POW 58.3%). The anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting serum insulin and blood glucose, liver enzymes, lipids and lipoproteins were measured. Birth weight and gestational weeks were also recorded. The subjects were divided into either an MS group or a Non-MS group using criteria proposed for Japanese children. We compared the weight parameters (birth weight, current weight and current weight to-birth weight ratio [WBWR]) between the two groups and analyzed the relationships between the weight parameters and metabolic derangements. There were no significant differences in age or anthropometric measurements between the two groups. However, birth weight in the MS group was lower than that in the Non MS group, while WBWR of the MS group was higher than that in the Non-MS group. Blood pressure and serum insulin correlated positively with WBWR. These findings suggested that lower birth weight with current overweight status was associated with the MS in obese Japanese children. We were unable to clarify whether subjects with lower birth weight who achieved proper weight gains had the same risk as subjects with appropriate birth weight. However, they should be assisted to grow adequately to prevent future metabolic derangements. PMID- 17785932 TI - Effects of renin-angiotensin system blockade on macrophage infiltration in patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis. AB - The mechanisms of hypertensive nephrosclerosis are not fully understood. In experimental models of the disease, inflammatory reactions such as macrophage infiltration play an important role. In human hypertensive nephrosclerosis, however, there have been few studies examining the role of inflammation histologically. We investigated whether the number of infiltrating macrophages was increased in human hypertensive nephrosclerosis, and evaluated the effects of a blockade of the renin-angiotensin system on clinical and histological findings. We examined macrophage infiltration using immunohistochemistry in renal biopsy specimens obtained from 16 patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis, 5 patients with IgA nephropathy, 5 patients with membranous nephropathy, and 5 patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. The number of infiltrating macrophages in glomeruli was significantly larger in the patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis than in those with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. The patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis were divided into groups based on their use of antihypertensive agents at the time of renal biopsy. We investigated the effects of antihypertensive agents on clinical findings, macrophage infiltration, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression. There was no difference in clinical findings between the hypertensive groups. The numbers of infiltrating macrophages and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-positive cells in glomeruli were significantly smaller in patients treated with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, whereas calcium channel blockers had no influence on histological findings. In conclusion, inflammation is involved in the progression of human hypertensive nephrosclerosis and the inflammatory process is inhibited by blocking the renin angiotensin system. PMID- 17785933 TI - Blood pressure categories and cardiovascular risk factors in Japan: the Jichi Medical School (JMS) Cohort Study. AB - Few studies have reported on risk factors by blood pressure categories based on antihypertensive treatment in the general population. We examined the associations between blood pressure categories and other risk factors in Japan. Cross-sectional study, multicenter population-based study was designed. A total of 11,302 men and women were eligible. Data were obtained from April 1992 to July 1995 in 12 rural districts in Japan. Subjects were divided into three categories: normotensives (with blood pressure <140/90 mmHg), treated hypertensives (antihypertensive treatment regardless of current blood pressure), and nontreated hypertensives (blood pressure >or=140/90 mmHg without hypertensive treatment). The proportions of normotensives, treated hypertensives, and nontreated hypertensives were 63%, 10%, and 27% among men, and 67%, 13%, and 20% among women, respectively. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, blood glucose, and body mass index were higher in treated or nontreated hypertensives than in normotensives. Fibrinogen, factor VIIc, and physical activity index were higher in treated hypertensives than in normotensives. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was higher in normotensives than in treated or nontreated hypertensives in women; but no tendency was shown in men. The proportions of dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance, and metabolic syndrome were significantly higher in treated and nontreated hypertensives than in normotensive men and women. In conclusion, cardiovascular risk factors were higher in hypertensives with or without treatment than in normotensives in a general population in Japan. PMID- 17785934 TI - Use of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide level to identify asymptomatic hypertensive patients with abnormal diurnal blood pressure variation profiles: nondippers, extreme dippers, and risers. AB - We examined the relationship between plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and diurnal variability pattern of blood pressure (BP). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring was performed in 98 patients with asymptomatic essential hypertension, and the patients were classified into four groups according to their circadian BP variation profiles: dippers (n=29), nondippers (n=36), extreme dippers (n=19), and risers (n=14). Plasma BNP was measured by enzyme immunoassay. Based on the distribution pattern of BNP values, the values were analyzed after logarithmic transformation. Significant differences in plasma BNP levels among the types of circadian BP variations were demonstrated by analysis of variance (p<0.0005). Nondippers and risers showed significantly higher plasma BNP levels (mean [range: -1 SD and +1 SD]: 16.1 [6.3, 41.6] pg/mL and 29.2 [15.9, 53.4] pg/mL, respectively) than dippers (8.4 [3.7, 19.1] pg/mL). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for distinguishing patients with abnormal circadian BP variation from those with normal variation was 0.72, indicating that plasma BNP levels were useful for distinguishing between these patients. Specificity of 69% and sensitivity of 72% were obtained with a cut-off value of 10.5 pg/mL (log plasma BNP, 1.02) for distinguishing the abnormal diurnal BP profile group from the normal group. In conclusion, hypertensive patients with abnormal diurnal BP variation patterns (nondippers, extreme dippers, and risers) showed higher plasma BNP levels than those with normal circadian BP variation (dippers). Plasma BNP level is clinically useful for the identification of hypertensive patients who have abnormal circadian BP variability, which increases the risk of cardiovascular events. PMID- 17785935 TI - Positive and negative regulation of radiation-induced apoptosis by protein kinase C. AB - Indicators such as clonogenic survival, transformation, and chromosomal aberrations are used to evaluate the effects of radiation on cells. Apoptosis, another such indicator, is a mode of cell death, and radiation-induced apoptosis contributes to eliminating damaged cells and preventing malformation and carcinogenesis. Understanding radiation-induced apoptosis will assist in radiotherapy for cancer and treatment of patients in accidental radiation exposure. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a serine/threonine kinase that is related to cell proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, and apoptosis, and has many roles in the radiation-induced cellular responses involving apoptosis. This review describes the functions of PKC, including its relationship with other signaling networks and oxidative stress in the regulation of radiation-induced apoptosis. Such information might provide clues for evaluating the effects of radiation and for identifying clinical applications. PMID- 17785936 TI - Low-dose whole-body irradiation induced radioadaptive response in C57BL/6 mice. AB - Radioadaptive survival responses after relatively low doses of radiation were investigated in C57BL/6 mice. The 8-week-old mice received whole-body mid-lethal challenging irradiation (5.9 Gy) at various intervals after conditioning whole body irradiation with 50-400 mGy. Thereafter, survival of the mice was observed for 30 days. The mice receiving 400 mGy at 6 h before the challenging dose had a lower survival rate than the control group, but it was not observed when the conditioning 400-mGy irradiation was given 24 h beforehand. The conditioning doses of 100 and 200 mGy did not influence the survival of mice after the challenging dose. The mice receiving 50 mGy at 1 day, 3 days or 1 week before the challenging dose had a higher survival rate than the control, although this adaptive response was not observed when 50 mGy was given 6 h, 12 h, 3.5 weeks, or 5 weeks beforehand. When 50 mGy was given 2 weeks before the challenging dose, the adaptive response was observed in an experiment in which the mice were caged in our laboratory at the age of 5 weeks, whereas it was not observed in another experiment in which the mice were caged at 3 weeks. This study confirmed the presence of radioadaptive survival responses at the dose of 50 mGy given relatively shortly before the challenging dose. PMID- 17785937 TI - Monitoring translocations by M-FISH and three-color FISH painting techniques: a study of two radiotherapy patients. AB - PURPOSE: To compare translocation rate using either M-FISH or FISH-3 in two patients treated for head and neck cancer, with a view to retrospective dosimetry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Translocation analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures from blood samples taken at different times during the radiotherapy (0 Gy, 12 Gy and 50 Gy) and a few months after the end of the treatment (follow-up). RESULTS: Estimated translocation yield varied according to the FISH technique used. At 50 Gy and follow-up points, the translocation yields were higher with FISH-3 than with M-FISH. This difference can be attributed to three events. First, an increase in complex aberrations was observed for 50 Gy and follow-up points compared with 0 Gy and 12 Gy points. Second, at the end of treatment for patient A, involvement of chromosomes 2, 4, 12 in translocations was less than expected according to the Lucas formula. Third, a clone bearing a translocation involving a FISH-3 painted chromosome was detected. CONCLUSIONS: More translocations were detected with M-FISH than with FISH-3, and so M-FISH is expected to improve the accuracy of chromosome aberration analyses in some situations. PMID- 17785939 TI - Preclinical electrophysiology assays of mitemcinal (GM-611), a novel prokinetic agent derived from erythromycin. AB - Mitemcinal (GM-611) is a novel erythromycin-derived prokinetic agent that acts as an agonist at the motilin receptor. Erythromycin has shown QT prolongation and torsades de pointes (TdP) in humans and cisapride, a second class of prokinetic agents typified by the 5-HT(4) receptor agonist, has been terminated due to TdP. In this study an extended series of safety pharmacology protocols and evaluations have been undertaken to assess the potential risk of mitemcinal on QT prolongation or proarrhythmic effects. Mitemcinal and its metabolites, GM-577 and GM-625, inhibited the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) tail current in a concentration-dependent manner with IC(50) values of 20.2, 41.7, and 55.0 microM, respectively. Administration of 10 mg/kg mitemcinal in anesthetized guinea pigs resulted in a slight prolongation of the monophasic action potential (MAP) duration during atrial pacing at the plasma concentration of mitemcinal 1.1 microM, with low maximum increases in MAPD(70) (6.6%) and MAPD(90) (4.6%) relative to vehicle. A 10-min infusion of 20 mg/kg of mitemcinal in a proarrhythmic rabbit model did not evoke TdP even when QT and corrected QT (QTc) intervals were significantly prolonged. In this study, the Cmax plasma-free concentration of mitemcinal indicates that the prolongation was more than 400 fold that of the therapeutic dose. Our findings of a wide safety margin and the absence of TdP within this margin suggest that mitemcinal may provide sufficient safety in clinical use. PMID- 17785938 TI - Evaluation of human hepatocyte chimeric mice as a model for toxicological investigation using panomic approaches--effect of acetaminophen on the expression profiles of proteins and endogenous metabolites in liver, plasma and urine. AB - Toxicological responses to acetaminophen (APAP) overdose were evaluated in human hepatocytes transplanted chimeric mice using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE)-based proteomics and (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomics. Huge variations, which were supported by histopathological findings, were observed in proteins expression in chimeric mice liver. The proteomic analysis of the livers showed that the proteins involved in the pathways of lipid/fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis and energy metabolism/production were affected. In addition, oxidative stress-related proteins showed altered expression. The metabonomic analysis of urine and plasma revealed alterations of endogenous metabolites, which were the intermediates involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Those findings were already confirmed in normal mice. We hypothesized that the mechanism of APAP-induced effects on chimeric mice liver was in accordance with the mechanism observed in normal mice. Therefore, these toxicopanomic approaches successfully revealed that the mechanisms in humans were identical with "known" APAP-induced hepatotoxicity detected in chimeric mice. Further investigations are needed to detect idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in humans using chimeric mice. PMID- 17785940 TI - Hemodynamic and electrophysiological effects of mitemcinal (GM-611), a novel prokinetic agent derived from erythromycin in a halothane-anesthetized canine model. AB - Mitemcinal (GM-611) is a novel erythromycin-derived prokinetic agent that acts as an agonist at the motilin receptor. We investigated the QT-prolonging effects of mitemcinal using a halothane-anesthetized canine model. Intravenous administration of mitemcinal at doses of more than 8.3 mg/kg per 10 min significantly prolonged the QT interval corrected by Fridericia's corrections. Mitemcinal exhibited a bradycardiac effect and produced significantly greater prolongation in monophasic action potential duration (MAP(90)) at sinus rhythm compared with MAP(90) at pacing and showed reverse use-dependent prolongation of repolarization, suggesting that the negative chronotropic effect of mitemcinal potentiates the prolongation of the repolarization period. A technique using MAP/pacing electrodes allowed measurements of both MAP(90) and effective refractory period (ERP) simultaneously at the same ventricular site. Although mitemcinal slightly prolonged the MAP(90(CL400)) and ERP in comparison with the control group at the dose of 25 mg/kg per 10 min, the terminal repolarization period, the difference between MAP(90(CL400)) and ERP, did not increase suggesting the absence of a proarrhythmic effect even with a 7000-fold for the therapeutic blood concentration as free level. The electrophysiological results from mitemcinal in this study indicate that the risk of serious arrhythmia such as torsades de pointes, a major clinical concern related to QT interval prolongation, might be low. PMID- 17785941 TI - GTX 2/3 epimers permeate the intestine through a paracellular pathway. AB - The aim of this work was to typify the mechanisms involved in gonyautoxins intestinal permeability. For this purpose, permeability of gonyautoxins through intestinal epithelium, and their effect on transepithelial resistance was investigated in excised human jejunal segments. The isolated mucosa segments were mounted in a Ussing chamber and experiments performed under voltage-controlled conditions. Organic gonyautoxin cations were applied in the apical side and samples collected in the basolateral side. Results show that gonyautoxin 2/3 epimers (GTX 2/3) permeate the intestine through a paracellular pathway and, to reach the resolution of the technique we used, no evidence was found of any other transport mechanism involved in the process. A model was developed, according to which tight junctions undergo a toxin concentration and time-dependent change, while transepithelial resistance shows a modest decrease. PMID- 17785942 TI - DNA damage measured by comet assay and 8-OH-dG formation related to blood chemical analyses in aged rats. AB - To evaluate the effects of aging on DNA damage, spontaneous and chemical-induced DNA damage and its repair were examined using comet assays at pH 9, 12.1 and 13, and an 8-OH-dG assay in the liver and kidney of young (9-week-old) and aged (20 month-old) rats. Additionally, blood chemistry was examined to investigate any correlation between vital functions and age-dependent DNA damage. DNA migration at pH 13 and 8-OH-dG levels increased in the liver and/or kidney of aged rats, but DNA migration did not increase at pH 9 or 12.1; that is, alkali-labile sites and 8-OH-dG were concomitantly accumulated in aged rats. These results suggest that 8-OH-dG production caused by reactive oxygen species exceeded glycosylation and that the glycosylation activity is far more than the AP endonucleation in aged rats. Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS, 80 mg/kg, i.p.) increased DNA migration at pH 12.1 and 13 in the liver and kidney at 3 and 24 hr after treatment in young and aged rats. The DNA damage in aged rats was less and decreased more slowly compared with young rats. The pictures of MMS-induced DNA migrations at pH 12.1 and 13 were very similar to each other. These results suggest that the adduct glycosylation and repair of the single-strand breaks (SSBs) of aged rats are less than those of young rats, although AP endonucleation is sufficient to remove the AP sites. N-nitrosodiethylamine (160 mg/kg, i.p.) increased DNA migration at pH 12.1 and 13 in the liver and kidney at 3 and 24 hr in young rats and at pH 12.1 and 13 in the kidney at 24 hr in aged rats. These results showed that SSBs were predominantly detected as chemical-induced DNA damage and DNA repairs such as N glycosylase, DNA polymerase and DNA ligase, and that the metabolic activation declined in aged rats. Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, total protein, globulin, creatinine and chloride age-dependently increased and alkaline phosphates, albumin/globulin ratio, inorganic phosphorus and potassium age-dependently decreased, and these changes were correlated with the DNA migration at pH 13 and/or 8-OH-dG. These results suggest that the activity of DNA repair and metabolic activation enzymes declines in aged rats and that the accumulation of spontaneous DNA damage may affect vital functions. PMID- 17785943 TI - A comparative study of gene expression profiles in rat liver after administration of alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane and lindane. AB - Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH) is a stereoisomer of gamma-HCH, the active ingredient of lindane (> 99% gamma-HCH). In the present study, cDNA microarray technology was employed to identify changes in gene expression associated with toxicity in livers of male Fischer 344 rats after treatment with alpha-HCH (2, 20 mg/kg/day) and lindane (1, 10 mg/kg/day) by daily oral gavage for up to 28 days. Liver samples were obtained after 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days and compared for gene expression profiles. The dose of the alpha-HCH was higher than that of lindane and toxicity was greater, but the numbers of probe sets with differences in expression were fewer for the alpha-HCH-treated group except on Day 3. Only very few probe sets with differences in expression overlapped between alpha-HCH and lindane at each time point and the gene expression profiles were very dissimilar. Important liver-based differences in expression between alpha HCH and lindane might possibly account for hepato-carcinogenicity of alpha-HCH. PMID- 17785944 TI - Simultaneous measurement of nucleated cell counts and cellular differentials in rat bone marrow examination using flow cytometer. AB - The purpose of this study was to establish the simultaneous measurement of nucleated cell counts and cellular differentials in rat bone marrow examination. The bone marrow cells were stained with an anthraquinone fluorescent DNA stain (DRAQ5) and fluorescence-labeled antibodies, and were analyzed quantitatively using a flow cytometer in the presence of internal standard beads. DRAQ5 distinguished populations of nucleated cells. The absolute counts of nucleated cells were determined using an internal standard, and were equivalent to that measured by the electrical resistance method. The population of nucleated cells was classified into myeloids and erythroids by labeling with CD11b/c and CD71 antibodies, respectively. In a separate examination, T- and B-lymphocytes were also classified by labeling with CD3 and CD45RA antibodies, respectively. The classification of each cell lineage was identical with that of the alternative flow-cytometric method in which cells were differentiated according to cellular size and the fluorescence of a peroxidase indicator, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin. The ratios of cell lineage, together with myeloid/erythroid ratio (ME), were the same as those obtained by a manual microscopic method. The present flow cytometric method enables the simultaneous measurement of the total nucleated cell counts and cellular differentials of rat bone marrow cells, allowing for rapid and highly quantitative bone marrow examination in rats. PMID- 17785945 TI - Monitoring of gene expression in differentiation of embryoid bodies from cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells in the presence of bisphenol A. AB - An embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation model would facilitate analysis of developmental processes at the cellular level and the effects of embryotoxic and teratogenic factors in vitro. We explored the use of differentiation of embryoid bodies (EBs) from cynomolgus monkey ES cells for embryotoxicity testing. We determined the mRNA expression of various genes using real-time RT-PCR. Oct-3/4 expression was almost completely suppressed on day 14, suggesting that ES cells reached differentiated status in around 14 days. mRNA expression of E-cadherin, connexin 43, caveolin-1, and argininosuccinate synthetase was reproducibly suppressed during EB differentiation in 7-32% of ES cells in three separate experiments. Although these may not be "general stemness marker genes" such as Oct-3/4, they could play a role in readying stem cells for differentiation in response to deletion of signals from feeder cells. Next, we examined the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on the mRNA expression of several differentiation marker genes for ES cells. That of PAX-6, an ectoderm marker, with 0, 0.1, and 10 microM BPA in 21-day EBs was 3,500%, 6,668%, and 8,394%, respectively, compared with ES cells. The difference between doses of 0 and 10 microM BPA in 21-day EBs was statistically significant (p=0.049). Pax-6 activation in the presence of BPA may interfere with the development of eyes, sensory organs, and certain neural and epidermal tissues usually derived from ectodermal tissues. Differentiation of EBs from cynomolgus monkey ES cells could be a useful model for detecting gene expression changes in response to chemical exposure. PMID- 17785946 TI - Cisplatin (CDDP)-induced acute toxicity in an experimental model of hepatic fibrosis. AB - Cisplatin (CDDP)-induced acute toxicity was investigated in an experimental model of liver fibrosis produced through repeated intraperitoneal injections of swine serum in rats. A significant increase in level of hepatic markers, such as plasma ASAT, LDH, glucose, total cholesterol and bile acid levels, and a significant decrease in the plasma triacylglycerol level were observed. Slight histological changes, such as necrosis, vacuolar degeneration, and the proliferation of bile ducts were observed as compared with the control fibrotic rats. On the other hand, a significant increase in levels of renal markers, such as plasma BUN and creatinine levels as well as more remarkable tubular degeneration were observed. From these results, CDDP's hepatotoxicity was slight while its nephrotoxicity was more extensive in fibrotic rats. PMID- 17785947 TI - Arsenic accumulation decreased in metallothionein null Cisplatin-resistant cell lines. AB - Metallothionein (MT) is known to play an important role in the resistance of tumor cells to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin). To identify non-MT factors of cisplatin resistance, we characterized cisplatin-resistant cell lines derived from MT-null cells. All of the cisplatin-resistant MT- null cell lines, namely MKCr-1, -3, -4, -12, and -13, showed strong cisplatin resistance and decreased platinum accumulation. Some multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs) have been reported to contribute to cisplatin resistance. However, no significant difference of the MRPs was observed in any of these cell lines. The MKCrs showed cross-resistance to other metals such as arsenite, arsenate, cadmium and antimony. The arsenate and arsenite sensitivities were highly correlated with sensitivity to cisplatin. In addition, the degree of arsenite accumulation was correlated with the degree of cisplatin accumulation. These results suggest that the cisplatin resistance was strongly correlated with the arsenite transport mechanism in these cells. PMID- 17785948 TI - Heme as a magnificent molecule with multiple missions: heme determines its own fate and governs cellular homeostasis. AB - Heme is a prosthetic group of various types of proteins, such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochrome c, cytochrome p450, catalase and peroxidase. In addition, heme is involved in a variety of biological events by modulating the function or the state of hemoproteins. For example, protein synthesis is inhibited in erythroid cells under heme deficiency, as the consequence of the activation of heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI). Iron concentration in the cell is sensed and regulated by the heme-mediated oxidization and subsequent degradation of iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2). Heme also binds to certain types of potassium channels, thereby inhibiting transmembrane K(+) currents. Importantly, heme determines its own fate; namely, heme regulates its synthesis and degradation through the feedback mechanisms, by which intracellular heme level is precisely maintained. Heme reduces heme synthesis by suppressing the expression of non specific 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS1) and stimulates heme breakdown by inducing heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression. ALAS1 and HO-1 are the rate limiting enzymes in heme biosynthesis and catabolism, respectively. Accordingly, under the heme-rich condition, heme binds to cysteine-proline (CP) motifs of ALAS1 and those of transcriptional repressor Bach1, thereby leading to repression of mitochondrial transport of ALAS1 and induction of HO-1 transcription, respectively. Moreover, chemosensing functions of HO-2 containing CP motifs, another isozyme of HO, have been unveiled recently. In this review article, we summarize and update the pleiotropic effects of heme on various biological events and the regulatory network of heme biosynthesis and catabolism. PMID- 17785949 TI - Problems with registration-directed clinical trials for lung cancer in Japan. AB - New anticancer agents against lung cancer are needed because efficacy of chemotherapy is limited. The long time required, low quality, and considerable costs of registration-directed clinical trials in Japan ("Chiken") have been pointed out. The quality of 24 phase I and 41 phase II trials of an anticancer drug for lung cancer were analyzed according to the approval year of the drug. The human resources and infrastructure to support oncology clinical practice and clinical trials were compared between Japan and the USA. A maximum tolerated dose was not defined in any of seven phase I trials before 1989, and was determined in two of six trials between 1989 and 1996 and in seven of 10 trials thereafter. Before 1989, 29 (20%) of 142 patients registered in two trials were ineligible, and the number of ineligible patients was not reported in the five trials. Sample size calculations were not performed in any of seven phase II trials before 1989 and were performed in only four of 10 trials between 1989 and 1996 and in all 23 trials conducted thereafter. The shortage of human resources, including medical oncologists, oncology nurse practitioners and clinical research coordinators, is serious and acute. The infrastructure to support clinical trials also remains insufficient in Japan. In conclusion, registration-directed clinical trials of anticancer agents have advanced significantly during last three decades but remain unsatisfactory. The development of infrastructure and human resources is an urgent task to ensure high-quality clinical trials without unnecessary delays. PMID- 17785950 TI - Combined use of fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin A1c in a stepwise fashion to detect undiagnosed diabetes mellitus. AB - Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common and serious condition related with considerable morbidity. Screening for DM is one strategy for reducing this burden. In Japan National Diabetes Screening Program (JNDSP) guideline, the combined use of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a stepwise fashion has been recommended to identify the group of people needing life-style counseling or medical care. However, the efficacy of this program has not been fully evaluated, as an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is not mandatory in the guideline. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the screening test scenario, in which an OGTT would be applied to people needing life-style counseling or medical care on this guideline: FPG 110-125 mg/dl and HbA1c over 5.5%. Subjects were 1,726 inhabitants without a previous history of DM in the Funagata study, which is a population-based survey conducted in Yamagata prefecture to clarify the risk factors, related conditions, and consequences of DM. DM was diagnosed according to the 1999 World Health Organization criteria. The prevalence of undiagnosed DM was 6.6%. The tested screening scenario gave a sensitivity of 55.3%, a specificity of 98.4%, a positive predictive value of 70.8%, and a negative predictive value of 96.9% for undiagnosed DM. In conclusion, the screening test scenario, in which an OGTT would be followed by the combined use of FPG and HbA1c in a stepwise fashion according to the JNDSP guideline, was not effective in identifying people with undiagnosed DM. PMID- 17785951 TI - Expression of angiopoietin-2 is correlated with vascularization and tumor size in human colorectal adenocarcinoma. AB - Angiopoietins are endothelial growth factors, which play crucial roles in normal vascular development and tumor angiogenesis. We examined the expression profiles of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Tie-2, a receptor for Ang-1 and Ang-2, in both colorectal adenocarcinoma and adjacent normal tissues, as judged by histology, in order to elucidate their relationships with microvascular density (MVD) and clinicopathologic properties. Higher MVD was associated with a lower degree of differentiation of colorectal adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of Ang-2 and VEGF was significantly increased in colorectal adenocarcinoma compared to adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.01), and the expression of Ang-2 positively correlated with that of VEGF (r = 0.997, p < 0.01). In contrast, the expression of Ang-1 was lower in adenocarcinoma tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in Tie-2 expression in both tissues. Moreover, MVD was increased in Ang-2- and VEGF-expressing adenocarcinoma tissues compared to the Ang-2- and VEGF negative tissues, respectively (p < 0.01). Importantly, MVD was lower in Ang-1 expressing adenocarcinoma tissues relative to Ang-1-negative tissues (p < 0.01). Furthermore, expression of Ang-2 as well as VEGF was significantly up-regulated in colorectal adenocarcinoma with diameters > or = 5 cm or with lymph-node metastases (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the increased expression of Ang-2 and the decreased expression of Ang-1 may be responsible for blood vessel formation and rapid growth of the colorectal adenocarcinoma. PMID- 17785952 TI - Ets-1 proto-oncogene as a potential predictor for poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma. AB - The proto-oncogene Ets-1 is a transcription factor that is known to regulate certain matrix metalloproteinases and plasminogen activator, which have been associated with malignant behaviors in solid carcinomas. We hypothesized that Ets 1 expression is also associated with tumor progression and a worse prognosis in lung carcinoma patients. To clarify the role of the Ets-1 proto-oncogene, the expression of Ets-1 in non-small cell lung carcinomas using 156 paraffin-embedded specimens was determined in surgically resected tissue samples. Immunohistochemical staining showed Ets-1 expression in 82 cases of 156 carcinomas (53%): 36 of 52 (69%) squamous cell carcinomas, 41 of 96 (43%) adenocarcinomas, and 5 of 8 (63%) other carcinomas. In adenocarcinomas, a higher proportion of acinar type expressed Ets-1 compared to papillary or alveolar type (p < 0.05). The proportion of adenocarcinoma that expressed Ets-1 increased with poorer histologic differentiation of the adenocarcinoma (p < 0.05). Ets-1 positive adenocarcinomas had a larger mean size than Ets-1 negative adenocarcinomas (p < 0.01). In adenocarcinoma patients, expression of Ets-1 was associated with disease-free (p = 0.09) and overall survivals (p < 0.05) after lung resection. Such relationship was not observed among squamous cell carcinoma patients. Our findings indicate that Ets-1 expression is related to histopathological differentiation, morphogenesis, and tumor progression of lung adenocarcinomas. Ets-1 appears to be a useful predictor of poor prognosis after surgical resection in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Ets-1 expression could be used to evaluate the malignant behaviors of lung adenocarcinomas. PMID- 17785953 TI - Suprailiac or abdominal skinfold thickness measured with a skinfold caliper as a predictor of body density in Japanese adults. AB - Measurement of subcutaneous fat thickness with a skinfold caliper is a simple and inexpensive technique for assessment of body composition, but is influenced by the skin site or the obesity level. The resulting measurement errors may influence the prediction accuracy of body density. We therefore aimed to clarify the characteristics of measurement errors with a skinfold caliper and to determine useful measurement sites for the prediction of body density in Japanese adults of wide-ranging age and obesity levels. The present study included 126 Japanese male and 77 female subjects ranging from 21 to 81 years old. They were divided into a "non-obese group" and an "obese group", based on the Japanese criteria of obesity (BMI > or = 25 kg/m(2)). Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured at 14 sites with a skinfold caliper and ultrasound. Percent body fat was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and body density was calculated using Brozek's formula. Sex and obesity level differences in the measurement error of skinfolds (ultrasound minus skinfold caliper measurements) were examined by 2 x 2 ANOVA (sex and obesity groups) for each site. The relationship between body density and the systematic error was examined. We developed an accurate prediction equation for body density with smaller measurement and systematic errors. Although measurement errors in skinfold thickness tended to increase with increasing obesity levels, the influence was smaller for the abdominal and suprailiac skinfolds compared with other sites. Measurement of suprailiac or abdominal skinfold thickness is useful to accurately estimate body density in Japanese adults. PMID- 17785954 TI - Plasma troponins as markers of myocardial damage during cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. AB - All types of cardiac surgery involve considerable injury to the myocardium. However, it is difficult to differentiate, in the immediate post-operative state, between ischemic alterations associated with the cardiac surgery itself and the pathological alterations of a peri-operative myocardial infarction. The diagnosis of damaged myocardium, classically performed with the enzymatic markers creatine kinase (CK) and its muscle fraction (CK-MB), has become more precise with the option of measuring cardiac troponins T and I. We measured these markers in 58 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with extra-corporeal circulation (ECC). The patients included 37 cases undergoing valve surgery, 14 for coronary revascularization, 6 for mixed procedures, and 1 for closure of an inter-atrial communication. The markers were measured in plasma at baseline (at anesthesia initiation), 5 min post-ECC commencement, following aorta de-clamping, during the surgical closure, and 6, 18 and 42 hrs after surgery. All the markers were increased significantly relative to the baseline values. Troponin I, CK and CK-MB values peaked between 6 and 18 hrs after surgery, troponin T between 18 and 42 hrs, and myoglobin at the surgical closure. The values of all markers were higher in patients undergoing coronary surgery compared to those in patients undergoing valve surgery. In the evaluation of myocardial damage after surgery, the measurement of classical markers such as CK and myoglobin remain valid, but other markers such as troponins provide significant additional diagnostic benefit and, thus, need to be included in the routine biochemical measurements for monitoring myocardial damage associated with the surgical procedure. PMID- 17785955 TI - Coronary artery bypass grafting ameliorates the decreased plasma adiponectin level in atherosclerotic patients. AB - Adiponectin functions as an anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic factor, and the decreased plasma adiponectin is a risk factor for coronary disease. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in plasma levels of adiponectin, a potential parameter for atherosclerosis, in patients underwent surgical revascularization. We included forty patients with atherosclerosis (age, 58 +/- 9 years; body mass index [BMI] 26.93 +/- 2.3 kg/m(2)) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Control group consisted of 40 healthy volunteers, matched for age, gender and BMI (age, 56 +/- 6 years; BMI, 26.78 +/- 2.3 kg/m(2)). We measured various parameters, including high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) indexes, and adiponectin. The baseline profile of the patients before CABG showed higher levels of serum hsCRP (13.15 +/- 2.40 mg/l vs 3.97 +/- 1.07 mg/l) and HOMA-IR (1.86 +/- 0.30 vs 1.26 +/- 0.33) and lower plasma adiponectin levels (7.02 +/- 2.01 microg/ml vs 25.46 +/- 3.9 microg/ml), compared to controls (p < 0.001 for each parameter). Plasma adiponectin level was increased one month after CABG from the baseline level to 8.67 +/- 2.05 microg/ml(p < 0.001), although the level was still lower than the control value. Thus, postoperative adiponectin level might be helpful for evaluating the progression of atherosclerosis. Moreover, CABG significantly decreased hsCRP to 7.25 +/- 1.89 mg/l and HOMA-IR to 1.59 +/- 0.33, although these levels were higher than the controls. These results suggest that CABG decreases the cardiac risk factors in atherosclerotic patients. PMID- 17785956 TI - Treatment with lithium, alone or in combination with olanzapine, relieves oxidative stress but increases atherogenic lipids in bipolar disorder. AB - The changes in antioxidant-oxidant balance play important roles in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric conditions. Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric condition with recurrent mood disturbances. This study evaluates the effects of treatment with lithium, alone or in combination with antipsychotic olanzapine, on oxidant-antioxidant status and atherogenic character in patients with BD. The blood samples from 15 patients were tested before the treatment (pre treatment phase) and at the ends of two consecutive treatment periods: period I, treatment with lithium and an antipsychotic drug, olanzapine (first 6 months) and period II, treatment with only lithium (6 months following period I). We measured serum atherogenic lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol), plasma lipid peroxides (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances), antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) in neutrophils and lymphocytes, and total antioxidant status in plasma. Compared with pre-treatment phase, the lipid parameters were increased with each treatment; especially, LDL-cholesterol was significantly increased only with lithium treatment. These findings alert to be cautious about use of lithium in patients with atherogenic conditions. Moreover, plasma lipid peroxides were decreased significantly after the combination therapy and further decreased with lithium treatment. Antioxidant enzyme activities in lymphocytes were decreased after both types of treatment. Importantly, plasma total antioxidant status was increased only with lithium treatment. Thus, treatment with lithium alone decreases already up-set oxidant status in BD. In conclusion, the combination therapy with olanzapine is better in terms of atherogenic profile, while lithium alone produces better antioxidant status in patients with BD. PMID- 17785958 TI - Retropharyngeal abscess complicated with torticollis: case report and review of the literature. AB - Retropharyngeal abscess commonly develops among infants and small children, and is associated with the severe inflammation of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes located in the retropharyngeal space. Retropharyngeal abscess causes cervical pain, swelling, contracture of the neck, and in rare cases inflammatory torticollis, all of which result from an inflammatory process that irritates the cervical muscles, nerves or vertebrae. Here we report a rare case of retropharyngeal abscess with a complication of torticollis. A 4-year-old girl suffered from severe retropharyngeal abscess spreading through the deep cervical fascia, as judged by magnetic resonance imaging of the neck. Blood analysis showed high degree of inflammatory reactions, and so the patient was transferred to our hospital ward. The inflammation caused spasms of the prevertebral muscles, eventually leading to torticollis. The surgical drainage was performed immediately under general anesthesia, and an anti-inflammation therapy with intravenously administered meropenem trihydrate and clindamycin was used together with traction therapy to relieve the symptoms of the patient. We must be careful about the existence of epidural abscess and infectious spondylitis when the retropharyngeal abscess causes torticollis. In conclusion, an anti-inflammation therapy using antibiotics, along with traction therapy, was effective to relieve the symptoms. In addition to repeated clinical examinations, cooperation with orthopedists and careful follow-up are necessary. We also discussed the relationship between acute torticollis and retropharyngeal abscess. PMID- 17785957 TI - Urocortin induces endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and hyperpolarization of rat mesenteric arteries by activating Ca2+-activated K+ channels. AB - Urocortin, a member of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) peptide family, has positive chronotropic and inotropic effects on heart and also shows a vasodilatory effect. However, the mechanism underlying its vasodilatory effect has yet to be elucidated. Endothelium-dependent relaxation of resistance arteries is mainly achieved by activation of K+ channels. Therefore, we investigated possible role of K+ channels and hyperpolarization for the vasodilatory effect of urocortin using the isolated perfused rat mesenteric arteries. Urocortin (0.2 nM) produced a slow-onset decrease in the perfusion pressure of the mesenteric vascular bed, which was elevated by an alpha1-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine (2-4 microM). Urocortin also hyperpolarized the main mesenteric artery. Removal of endothelium with saponin treatment considerably inhibited the relaxation and hyperpolarization induced by urocortin. In contrast, the hyperpolarization was not significantly changed by cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin (1 microM) and/or nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (100 microM). Urocortin-induced relaxation was not affected by the combination of a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 1 microM), indomethacin and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine. However, the relaxation and hyperpolarization were abolished by high extracellular potassium concentration (40 mM) or by a large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel blocker, charybdotoxin (1 nM). Glibenclamide (1 microM), an ATP-dependent K+ channel inhibitor, did not affect the relaxation and hyperpolarization. These results suggest that urocortin causes endothelium-dependent relaxation and hyperpolarization of rat mesenteric arteries, probably through the activation of charybdotoxin sensitive Ca2+-activated K+ channels. These findings also indicate an essential role of the endothelium for the urocortin-elicited vascular relaxation and hyperpolarization. PMID- 17785959 TI - Development of an in vitro model for bovine placentation: a comparison of the in vivo and in vitro expression of integrins and components of extracellular matrix in bovine placental cells. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Interaction of trophoblastic integrins with the extracellular matrix plays a role in embryo implantation and trophoblast invasion. The phenomenon of restricted trophoblast invasion, observed in the bovine epitheliochorial placenta offers intriguing conditions to study invasive processes. The migration of bovine trophoblast giant cells is accompanied by the expression of specific integrins and corresponding extracellular matrix ligands. METHODS: Primary cultures of different cell populations from cow placentomes were established and characterized, and in vitro phenotypes were compared with in vivo conditions by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Propagated epithelial cells were positive for cytokeratin and vimentin, while fibroblasts contained alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin and vimentin. Epithelial cells coexpressed integrin subunits alpha(6) and beta(1) with laminin, and fibroblast cells were positive for alpha(v), beta(3), fibronectin and laminin. In contrast to cells in vivo, cultured epithelial cells secreted fibronectin, while collagen IV was not detected. The occurrence of integrin subunits was confirmed at mRNA level by RT PCR. CONCLUSION: We have established cell cultures isolated from maternal and fetal components of bovine placentomes expressing typical cytoskeletal filaments and integrin receptors also present in their in vivo counterparts. These bovine placentomal cells provide a suitable in vitro model for the study of cell-cell interactions. PMID- 17785960 TI - Spatial and temporal expression of perlecan in the early chick embryo. AB - Perlecan is a major heparan sulfate proteoglycan that binds growth factors and interacts with various extracellular matrix proteins and cell surface molecules. The expression and spatiotemporal distribution of perlecan was studied by RT-PCR, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence in the chick embryo from stages X (morula) to HH17 (29 somites). Combined RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry demonstrated the expression of perlecan as early as stage X and its presence may be fundamental to the first basement membrane assembly on the epiblast ventral surface at stage XIII (blastula). Perlecan fluorescence was intense in the cells ingressing through the primitive streak and was strong lining the epiblast ventral surface lateral to the streak at stage HH3-4 (gastrula). At stage HH5-6 (neurula), perlecan fluorescence was low in the neuroepithelium and stronger in the apical surface of the neural plate. At stage HH10-11 (12 somites), perlecan fluorescence was intense in the neuroepithelium and was then essentially nondetectable in the neuroepithelium, and the intensity had shifted to the basement membranes of encephalic vesicles by stage HH17. Perlecan immunofluorescence was intense in neural crest cells, strong in pharyngeal arches, intense in thymus and lung rudiments, intense in aortic arches and in dorsal aorta, strong in lens and retina and intense in intraretinal space and in optic stalk, strong in the dorsal mesocardium, myocardium and endocardium, strong in dermomyotome, low in sclerotome in somites, intense in mesonephric duct and tubule rudiments, intense in the lining of the gut luminal surface. Inhibition of the function of perlecan by blocking antibodies showed that perlecan is crucial for maintaining basement membrane integrity which mediates the epithelialization, adhesive separation and maintenance of neuroepithelium in brain, somite epithelialization, and tissue architecture during morphogenesis of the heart tube, dorsal aorta and gut. An intriguing possibility is that perlecan, as a signaling molecule that modulates the activity of growth factors and cytokines, participates in the signaling pathways that guide gastrulation movements and neural crest cell migration, proliferation and survival, cardiac cell proliferation and paraxial mesoderm (somitic) cell proliferation and segmentation. PMID- 17785961 TI - T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: treatment outcomes and survival in 3 large UK centres. PMID- 17785962 TI - Association of CD38 expression and diagnostic immunophenotypic score in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. PMID- 17785963 TI - Chronic liver abnormalities in sickle cell disease: a clinicopathological study in 70 living patients. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIM: The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence and etiology of chronic liver abnormalities in 70 living patients with sickle cell disease from the Hematology and Hemotherapy Center of the State University of Campinas. METHODS: Clinical and laboratory investigations, including liver function tests, serological tests for viral hepatitis and abdominal ultrasound, were performed in all patients. Additionally, liver biopsies were taken from 20 patients. RESULTS: Sixty-seven (96%) patients had some liver abnormality; these included abnormal liver function tests, viral hepatitis, liver ultrasonographic changes or cholelithiasis. The sickling process was the only explanation for the abnormal liver function tests or liver ultrasonographic changes in 24% of these patients. One or more defined reasons, including viral hepatitis, cholelithiasis, clinical hemosiderosis, alcoholism or diabetes, justified the liver abnormalities in 76% of the patients. Nineteen of the 20 liver biopsies presented some degree of vascular lesion; other histological findings were associated with hemosiderosis, viral hepatitis or cholestasis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with sickle cell disease, chronic liver abnormalities are frequent and seem to be a multifactorial phenomenon, depending on overlapping factors such as cholelithiasis, viral damage, iron overload and also the primary disease itself. PMID- 17785964 TI - From mitochondria to disease: role of the renin-angiotensin system. AB - Mitochondria are energy-producing organelles that conduct other key cellular tasks. Thus, mitochondrial damage may impair various aspects of tissue functioning. Mitochondria generate oxygen- and nitrogen-derived oxidants, being themselves major oxidation targets. Dysfunctional mitochondria seem to contribute to the pathophysiology of hypertension, cardiac failure, the metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, atherosclerosis, and aging. Mitochondrial proteins and metabolic intermediates participate in various cellular processes, apart from their well-known roles in energy metabolism. This emphasizes the participation of dysfunctional mitochondria in disease, notwithstanding that most evidences supporting this concept come from animal and cultured-cell studies. Mitochondrial oxidant production is altered by several factors related to vascular pathophysiology. Among these, angiotensin-II stimulates mitochondrial oxidant release leading to energy metabolism depression. By lowering mitochondrial oxidant production, angiotensin-II inhibition enhances energy production and protects mitochondrial structure. This seems to be one of the mechanisms underlying the benefits of angiotensin-II inhibition in hypertension, diabetes, and aging rodent models. If some of these findings can be reproduced in humans, they would provide a new perspective on the implications that RAS-blockade can offer as a therapeutic strategy. This review intends to present available information pointing to mitochondria as targets for therapeutic Ang-II blockade in human renal and CV disease. PMID- 17785965 TI - Dietary lupin protein lowers triglyceride concentrations in liver and plasma in rats by reducing hepatic gene expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c. AB - BACKGROUND: Recently, it has been shown that dietary lupin protein lowers plasma triglyceride concentrations in rats. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that this effect is due to a downregulation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c, a transcription factor that regulates the expression of lipogenic enzymes in the livers of rats. METHODS: Two groups of 12 rats each were fed semisynthetic diets containing 200 g/kg of either casein (control group) or lupin protein from Lupinus albus for 22 days. RESULTS: Rats fed the diet containing lupin protein had lower concentrations of triglycerides in the liver, plasma and VLDL + chylomicrons (p < 0.05). The concentration of protein in VLDL + chylomicrons was also lower in rats fed lupin protein than in rats fed casein (p < 0.05). The mRNA concentrations of SREBP-1c and fatty acid synthase in the liver were lower in rats fed lupin protein than in rats fed casein (p < 0.05). The mRNA concentrations of lipoprotein lipase in the liver did not differ between both groups of rats. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that a protein isolated from L. albus is strongly hypotriglyceridemic in rats. It is shown for the first time that this effect is at least in part due to a downregulation of SREBP-1c in the liver which in turn leads to a reduction in hepatic fatty acid synthesis. PMID- 17785966 TI - Selection of anticoagulants for leukocytapheresis therapy in cases of active ulcerative colitis. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) is an extracorporeal leukocyte removal therapy that removes immunocompetent leukocytes from the peripheral blood. Nafamostat mesilate (NM) is the most commonly used anticoagulant for LCAP due to various benefits associated with its use, such as a reduced likelihood of bleeding and minimization of adverse reactions caused by contact between blood and the LCAP device. However, adverse reactions have also been reported with NM administration. We reviewed the safety of anticoagulants other than NM, from the perspective of bradykinin production and the consequent drop in blood pressure during treatment. METHODS: For each of 10 patients with ulcerative colitis, we used four types of anticoagulants sequentially [NM (30-50 mg), heparin, low molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and NM (1 mg), and LMWH] for LCAP. We then examined the changes in the blood bradykinin concentrations from the perspective of adverse reactions during LCAP. RESULTS: The bradykinin production levels from Cellsorba EX varied, depending on the type of anticoagulant used. NM alone (30-50 mg) or LMWH + NM (1 mg) inhibited bradykinin production, whereas heparin alone or LMWH alone significantly accelerated it. However, an excessive fall of blood pressure was not noted in any of the cases. Use of LMWH alone was frequently associated with pressure elevations in the column. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant benefits of minimized adverse reactions of LCAP and of continuation of LCAP, we suggest that an appropriate selection of the anticoagulant(s) may allow safer execution of LCAP. PMID- 17785967 TI - The long road to wearable blood-cleansing devices. PMID- 17785968 TI - The Vicenza wearable artificial kidney for peritoneal dialysis (ViWAK PD). AB - BACKGROUND: The study describes the structure and operational characteristics of a new wearable system for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for chronic kidney disease patients. METHODS: We designed a wearable system consisting of: (1) a double lumen peritoneal catheter; (2) a dialysate outflow line; (3) a miniaturized rotary pump; (4) a circuit for dialysate regeneration featuring a waterproof container with 4 cartridges in parallel with a mixture of activated carbon and polystyrenic resins; (5) a filter for deaeration and microbiological safety; (6) a dialysate inflow line, and (7) a handheld computer as a remote control. The system has been tested circulating 12 liters of exhausted PD solution through the experimental adsorption unit at a rate of 20 ml/min. Creatinine, beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG) and angiogenin were measured before and after the adsorption unit at baseline, and after 4 and 10 h of use. RESULTS: The cartridges containing polystyrenic resin completely removed beta2-MG and angiogenin from the fluid batch. Those with the activated carbon removed completely urea and creatinine. The final result was 11.2 liters of net solute clearance. The system is designed to be used as follows: The peritoneal cavity is loaded in the morning with 2 liters of fresh PD solution. After 2 h, when dialysate/plasma equilibration at approximately 50% has occurred, recirculation is activated for 10 h at a rate of 20 ml/min. After this period, recirculation stops and glucose is optionally added to the peritoneal cavity to achieve ultrafiltration if needed. After 2 h the fluid is drained and a 2-liter icodextrin exchange is performed overnight to achieve further ultrafiltration. The clearance provided by the minicycler is further increased by the 2-liter exchange and the overnight exchange. Therefore, the system operates 24 h/day and provides creatinine and beta2-MG clearance in the range of 15-16 liters/day, corresponding to a weekly clearance of 100-110 liters. The patient reduces the number of exchanges compared to CAPD and uses less fluid than in automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). Furthermore, the handheld computer allows for prescription and assessment of the therapy providing information on cartridge saturation, flow and pressure conditions and offering the possibility of remote wireless control of operations. Some problems still remain to be solved in the present configuration including the addition of an injection system for glucose and bicarbonate when needed, a system to reduce fibrin delivery to the sorbent and finally a more complex mixture of sorbents to make sure a complete removal of small molecules including urea is achieved. CONCLUSION: The wearable PD system may become a possible alternative to APD or CAPD reducing the time dedicated to perform exchanges and improving peritoneal dialysis adequacy and patient's rehabilitation. PMID- 17785969 TI - Identification of natural compounds with anti-hepatitis B virus activity from Rheum palmatum L. ethanol extract. AB - BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a severe health problem in the world; however, there is still no satisfactory therapeutic strategy for the HBV infection. In search for new anti-HBV agents with higher efficiency and less side effects, the anti-HBV activities of traditional Chinese medicine Rheum palmatum L. ethanol extract (RPE) and isolated anthraquinones were evaluated. METHODS: The anti-HBV activities of RPE and isolated anthraquinones were demonstrated in a stable HBV-producing cell line HepG2 2.2.15 by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Southern blot analysis. RESULTS: RPE could inhibit HBV-DNA production and HBsAg expression in a dose-dependent manner. The concentration of 50% HBV-DNA inhibition (IC(50)) of RPE was calculated at 212.36 +/- 11 microg/ml. Six anthraquinones were isolated from RPE by using RP-HPLC. Five free anthraquinones showed weakly or slightly inhibitory activities against HBV. The only combined anthraquinone chrysophanol 8 O-beta-D-glucoside exhibited significant activity against HBV DNA production and antigens expression with an IC(50) value of 36.98 +/- 2.28 microg/ml on HBV DNA inhibition. Endogenous HBV DNA polymerase activity assay indicated that chrysophanol 8-O-beta-D-glucoside might be a potential inhibitor of the HBV DNA polymerase. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that RPE could effectively inhibit HBV. The combined anthraquinone chrysophanol 8-O-beta-D-glucoside is the major active compound in RPE and could be a promising candidate for the development of new anti-HBV drugs in the treatment of HBV infection. PMID- 17785970 TI - Nutrient-starved incubation conditions enhance pyrazinamide activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. AB - Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an unconventional frontline tuberculosis drug characterized by high in vivo sterilizing activity, but poor in vitro activity. The study on the mechanism of action of PZA has attracted significant attention because of the peculiarity of PZA and its ability to shorten the tuberculosis chemotherapy. In this study, we examined the effect of nutrient-starved conditions on PZA activity in vitroat acid pH. We also examined the effect of fatty acids, benzoic acid and salicylic acid on PZA activity. The results showed that nutrient-starved conditions lowered the membrane potential of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and enhanced the activity of PZA, with 5- and 10-day starvation conditions resulting in greater enhancement than 3-day starvation. Fatty acids, benzoic acid and salicylic acid enhanced PZA activity in both normal and starved bacilli, especially in starved bacilli. These findings provide further support for the recent model of PZA action and may have implications for developing new drugs that shorten therapy. PMID- 17785971 TI - Intestinal toxicity induced by 5-fluorouracil in pigs: a new preclinical model. AB - BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to develop an animal model of intestinal injury induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in pigs. METHODS: Six domestic pigs were used as control (healthy group) and another 6 malnourished pigs orally received 5 FU (treated group). After 4 weeks of treatment, pigs were sacrificed and jejunum, ileum and colon were isolated for histological, immunological and biochemical analyses. RESULTS: 5-FU caused a decrease in the intestinal mass. Disaccharidase, and phosphate alkaline activities, and glutathione redox cycle were disrupted by 5-FU. Histopathological alterations in the crypts and villous were greater in the small intestine than in the colon. 5-FU decreased the number of peripheral and intestinal leukocytes, promoting an increase in T-cytotoxic cells and a decrease in T-helper and B cells. CONCLUSION: This pig model of intestinal dysfunction closely mimics the common side effects of cancer chemotherapy in humans, and provides a useful tool for evaluating novel antimucotoxic agents. PMID- 17785972 TI - Complete remission of a metastatic pancreatic carcinoma after modified G-FLIP therapy. AB - This is a report about a patient who had a complete remission of a metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma after a modified G-FLIP therapy administered in an outpatient setting. The patient underwent surgery and the complete remission could be proven histologically. The administered chemotherapy was very effective and is even more attractive since it could be administered without admission to hospital. PMID- 17785973 TI - Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of piperacillin and sulbactam during intermittent and continuous intravenous infusion. AB - BACKGROUND: The antibacterial effect of piperacillin/sulbactam depends on the time of drug concentration above the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Therefore, continuous infusion (CI) may be a more rational approach than standard intermittent short-term infusion (SI). The study investigated whether CI achieves effective drug concentrations comparable with SI. METHODS: Seven intensive care unit patients received either piperacillin/sulbactam as 4/1 g intravenous infusion over 15-20 min every 8 h or as 4/1 g intravenous loading dose (15-20 min) followed by 8/2 g intravenous CI per 24 h. After 2 days, regimes were crossed over. RESULTS: Pharmacokinetic parameters (mean +/- SD) for SI piperacillin/sulbactam were: (1) peak serum concentration: piperacillin 231 +/- 66 mg/l, sulbactam 53.1 +/- 15.0 mg/l; (2) minimum serum concentration: piperacillin 11.5 +/- 14.8 mg/l, sulbactam 4.2 +/- 3.5 mg/l; (3) clearance: piperacillin 197 +/- 72 ml/min (CI 269 +/- 123 ml/min), sulbactam 167 +/- 61 ml/min (CI 212 +/- 109 ml/min); (4) half-life: piperacillin 2.4 +/- 1.2 h, sulbactam 3.1 +/- 1.6 h. Steady-state concentrations during CI were 25.5 +/- 14.5 mg/l for piperacillin and 8.0 +/- 3.7 mg/l for sulbactam. Average serum concentrations were comparable in both regimens. CONCLUSION: A large German survey demonstrated that approximately 89% of Pseudomonas aerugionsa have an MIC < or =16 mg/l and approximately 82% have an MIC < or =8 mg/l. According to this threshold, appropriate anti-bacterial concentrations of piperacillin/sulbactam were achievable with CI. CI dosing has the additional advantage that less drug is necessary. Further prospective studies are warranted to compare the clinical efficacy of CI and SI regimens in bacterial infections. PMID- 17785974 TI - Successful preoperative chemotherapy with S-1 plus low-dose cisplatin for advanced gastric cancer with synchronous liver metastases: report of 2 cases. AB - We report 2 cases of advanced gastric cancer with synchronous liver metastases who were successfully downstaged using S-1 plus low-dose cisplatin chemotherapy followed by surgical resection. S-1 was administered orally (80 mg/m(2)/day) twice daily for 14 consecutive days, and cisplatin (15 mg/m(2)) was infused over 1 h on days 1 and 8. Successful downstaging of the hepatic metastases was confirmed by imaging analyses; however, neither patient showed a complete response of the primary lesion in the stomach. Toxicities, according to the WHO criteria, were mild. The patients underwent surgical resection within 4 weeks after the last chemotherapy. Postoperatively, they were discharged without complications and received adjuvant chemotherapy. Both patients remained alive and well at 17 and 12 months after surgery, respectively, without recurrence. These cases provide further evidence that S-1 plus low-dose cisplatin chemotherapy enables downstaging of advanced gastric cancer and a subsequent potentially curative resection without serious complications. PMID- 17785975 TI - Resistance in uropathogens among HIV-positive Kenyan and Cambodian children in comparison to an HIV-negative population in south Sudan. PMID- 17785976 TI - Routine use of gastrograffin enema prior to the reversal of a loop ileostomy. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anastomotic failure occurs in up to 10% of patients following anterior resection. Selective use of a loop ileostomy may reduce the septic consequences of anastomotic leak. The use of gastrograffin enema to confirm the anastomotic integrity prior to ileostomy closure is still controversial. Our aim was to determine the impact of the routine use of gastrograffin enema on patients' management prior to ileostomy reversal. METHODS: A review of 81 patients who underwent low anterior resection with loop ileostomy for rectal cancer over 3 years. RESULTS: Gastrograffin enema was performed in 69 patients (85.2%). The mean time from operation to gastrograffin enema was 22 weeks. Four patients (5.8%) had a positive radiological leak without clinical suspicion of anastomotic problems, 2 patients (2.9%) of these subsequently had the ileostomy closed despite the positive result, 2 patients (2.9%) had a gastrograffin enema repeated which showed no leak and the patients are awaiting reversal. CONCLUSION: The incidence of positive radiological leak in uncomplicated patients is low; such patients had their loop ileostomies closed with or without serial gastrograffin enema. Routine gastrograffin enema in the absence of a clinical suspicion of anastomotic failure would appear to be of little value. PMID- 17785977 TI - Sectionectomy is suitable for patients with T2 hepatocellular carcinoma according to the modified international union against cancer TNM Classification. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The effectiveness of systematized hepatectomy in the modified International Union Against Cancer (UICC) staging classification for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been clarified in detail. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 406 patients with UICC T1 HCC and 124 patients with T2 HCC who underwent initial curative hepatectomy from 1994 through 2003. Outcomes after sectionectomy or larger resection and segmentectomy or smaller resection for patients with T1 HCC and T2 HCC were examined. RESULTS: The overall recurrence-free survival rate and survival rate of sectionectomy or larger resection at 5 years (45 and 79%, respectively) did not significantly differ from those of segmentectomy or smaller resection (38 and 81%, respectively) in patients with T1 HCC. However, in patients with T2 HCC, the 5-year recurrence free survival rate and survival rate after sectionectomy or larger resection (37 and 71%, respectively) were significantly different from those after segmentectomy or smaller resection (6%: p < 0.0001, and 35%: p = 0.0027, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed sectionectomy or larger resection to be a significant independent prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival and survival in patients with T2 HCC. CONCLUSIONS: Sectionectomy or larger resection prevents intrahepatic recurrence of HCC and prolongs survival in patients with T2 HCC. PMID- 17785978 TI - Witzel catheter feeding jejunostomy: is it safe? AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients often suffer from malnutrition after digestive tract surgery. It leads to a longer recovery and a higher rate of postoperative complications. Early postoperative jejunostomy feeding is a way of tackling this problem. Opinions emerge that feeding via jejunostomy catheter is not the ideal method because of its complications. Our aim was to assess a complication rate of longitudinal Witzel catheter feeding jejunostomy and complications related to the onset of enteral feeding. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of case histories of 136 patients operated on for upper digestive tract diseases at our clinic between 1992 and 2004 with catheter feeding jejunostomy as an adjunct. We interviewed our patients by telephone about the jejunostomy-related complications during the 1st postoperative year. RESULTS: We observed two feeding jejunostomy-related complications (1.5%). Complications related to the onset of enteral feeding were observed in 12 cases (26.7%). There was no mortality. No complication of catheter jejunostomy was observed during the 1st postoperative year. CONCLUSIONS: A longitudinal Witzel catheter jejunostomy feeding is beneficial after surgery of the upper digestive tract. It is a rather safe procedure, which can be safely started on the day of operation. PMID- 17785979 TI - Red hot chilli consumption is harmful in patients operated for anal fissure - a randomized, double-blind, controlled study. AB - AIMS: This study was aimed to determine whether there was any relationship between consumption of chillies and postoperative symptoms after closed anal sphincterotomy in patients with chronic anal fissure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive analgesics and fiber supplement alone (control patients) or consumption of 1.5 g chilli powder twice daily along with identical fiber and analgesics (chilli group). The evaluation of symptoms (pain, anal burning, and pruritus) during the postoperative period was assessed by means of patients' self-questionnaires. The amount of analgesic tablets consumed and the frequency of stool during the study period were also noted. RESULTS: 28 patients were recruited in each arm. Postoperative symptoms were higher in the group consuming chillies during the first postoperative week. The global scores for postoperative pain (7.60 in chilli group and 2.95 in control group, p < 0.001) and for anal burning (8.85 for the chilli group vs. 4.21 for the control group, p < 0.0001) were significant. CONCLUSION: This study shows that consumption of red chillies after anal fissure surgery should be forbidden to avoid postoperative symptoms. PMID- 17785980 TI - Long-term results of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of unresectable colorectal hepatic metastases: final outcomes. AB - INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PcRFA) provides alternative means of treating patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases. We previously reported our initial experience in 30 patients treated with PcRFA. We present the final long-term results in these 30 patients. METHODS: The final outcome of the 30 patients treated with PcRFA is reported, 30 months following the initial results published in 2004. RESULTS: Thirty patients (21 males and 9 females), median age 74.5 (44-85) years, underwent PcRFA for 57 lesions in 60 sessions. The final results in this cohort of patients are reported: 28 dead and 2 lost to follow-up. Median follow-up was 22 (3-53) months. Median size was 31 (8 70) mm. Nineteen lesions required repeat PcRFA. Median ablation time per lesion was 12 (4.5-36) min. Eleven patients received chemotherapy pre-PcRFA and 15 received chemotherapy post-PcRFA. Three patients went on to have limited hepatectomies. Complications occurred in 3 (5%) and median hospital stay was 1 (1 7) day. The median hepatic disease-free survival was 12 (95% CI 6.1-17.9) months and actuarial survival was 23.2 (95% CI 18.5-27.8) months. CONCLUSION: PcRFA is safe and associated with increased disease-free and overall survival in patients with unresectable colorectal hepatic metastases. PMID- 17785981 TI - Outcome after emergency surgery for acute perforated diverticulitis in 200 cases. AB - BACKGROUND: Mortality and morbidity rates of acute perforated diverticulitis remain high. The ideal treatment is still controversial. The object of this study was to compare patients with perforated diverticulitis treated either by resection with primary anastomosis (PA) or Hartmann's procedure (HP). METHODS: A multicenter study was carried out on 200 consecutive patients with acute perforated diverticulitis who were presented in the surgical units of four affiliated teaching hospitals in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, between 1995 and 2005. Mortality and morbidity were compared in relation to type of surgery, ASA classification, age, gender, Mannheim Peritonitis Index (MPI), Hinchey score, surgeon's experience, and the time of operation. RESULTS: There was a tendency for more severely affected patients (Hinchey, MPI, ASA and age) to undergo HP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no significant difference in mortality between HP and PA. After HP, more patients needed one or more reinterventions to treat postoperative complications compared to PA. Besides, HP resulted in a longer total hospital and intensive care unit stay. Specialist colorectal surgeons performed significantly more frequently a PA instead of a HP and had fewer postoperative complications than general surgeons. The time of operation did not influence the choice of surgical procedure. CONCLUSION: Selected patients with perforated diverticulitis can be managed well by PA, as it does not seem to be inferior to HP in terms of severe postoperative complications that need surgical or radiological reintervention and mortality. This decision should be made while taking into account the patient's concomitant diseases, response on preoperative resuscitation and the availability of a surgeon experienced in colorectal surgery. PMID- 17785982 TI - Laparoscopic versus open total mesorectal excision: a comparative study on short term outcomes. A single-institution experience regarding anterior resections and abdominoperineal resections. AB - BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) is being used in rectal cancer more frequently. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in short-term outcomes between open and laparoscopic TME. METHODS: In this nonrandomized consecutive study, the short-term outcomes of 100 patients undergoing TME for proven rectal cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: Two groups of 50 patients underwent an open or laparoscopic TME for rectal cancer. Both groups were comparable. Laparoscopic surgery took longer to perform (250 vs. 197.5 min, p < 0.01), but was accompanied by less blood loss (350 vs. 800 ml, p < 0.01). Enteric function recovered sooner after laparoscopy. The numbers of major and minor complications were comparable between both groups, although fewer patients had major complications in the laparoscopic group (6 vs. 15 patients, p = 0.03). Hospital stay was shorter for patients who underwent a laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection (10 vs. 12 days, p = 0.04). Median follow-up was 17 months for the laparoscopic group and 22 months for the open group. Survival analyses between the groups showed no statistical difference in disease-free and overall survival. CONCLUSION: This study shows that laparoscopic TME for rectal cancer is a safe and feasible technique with some short-term benefits over open TME. PMID- 17785983 TI - Impact of upward lymph node dissection on survival rates in advanced lower rectal carcinoma. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study investigated appropriate level of upward lymph node (LN) dissection in advanced lower rectal carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 285 consecutive patients with stage II/III lower rectal carcinoma were analyzed. LN dissection was classified as follows: division of the root of the superior rectal artery (UD2), division of the root of the inferior mesenteric artery (UD3) and UD3 with para-aortic LN dissection (UD4). RESULTS: LN metastases at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery were found in 4 patients. Their prognoses were worse than those of the other stage III patients (p = 0.011). On the other hand, LN metastases along the superior rectal artery were discovered in 14 patients, whose 5-year overall survival rate was 61.2%. By removing the LNs either UD2 or UD3/4, a similar survival rate was achieved in stage III patients with LN metastases along the superior rectal artery. CONCLUSION: Survival of a minority with metastatic LNs at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery was poor. Additionally, survival is no worse in patients with positive LN along the superior rectal artery as long as these positive nodes are resected by either UD2 or UD3/4. Low ligation is adequate for advanced lower rectal carcinoma. PMID- 17785984 TI - Prospective, randomized trial comparing a 3- versus 6-stitch purse-string suture in stapled hemorrhoidopexy. AB - AIM: The purse-string suture is the most important part of the procedure in stapled hemorrhoidopexy affecting resection of an ideal mucosal rectal ring. We designed a prospective, randomized study to evaluate the safety and clinical outcome of a 6-stitch purse-string suture compared with a more simple 3-stitch purse-string suture intended to achieve certain interruption of the hemorrhoidal artery. METHODS: Ninety patients were randomly assigned to undergo stapled hemorrhoidopexy with either a 6-stitch (n = 45) or a 3-stitch (n = 45) purse string suture. Operative data and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. The ring of excised rectal mucosa was examined histologically. Anal physiology was also assessed. RESULTS: Although there were no statistically significant differences in postoperative complication rates, histological analysis of the excised mucosa, or anorectal function between the 2 groups, the 3-stitch procedure was significantly superior to the 6-stitch procedure in terms of intraoperative hemostasis and operative time, especially in advanced surgery. CONCLUSION: Once the learning curve has been completed, a 3 stitch purse-string suture in stapled hemorrhoidopexy could be an alternative to the 6-stitch suture, with effective hemostasis and a shorter operative time. PMID- 17785985 TI - The post-surgical inflammatory response provokes enhanced tumour recurrence: a crucial role for neutrophils. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Peritoneal trauma activates a cascade of peritoneal defence mechanisms responsible for postoperative intra-abdominal tumour recurrence. After peritoneal trauma, inflammatory cells and soluble factors are present in the abdominal cavity and can be captured in lavage fluids. The present study evaluated which component enhances intra-abdominal tumour recurrence. Furthermore, we evaluated which inflammatory cells are present and studied the influence of anti-neutrophil serum (ANS) on peritoneal tumour recurrence. METHODS: In a peritoneal trauma model in rats, postoperative lavage fluids were collected and separated into cellular and supernatant components. Both components were injected in naive rats together with CC531s colon carcinoma cells. In a second experiment, rats were treated with one or three doses of ANS. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of naive recipients with inflammatory cells or supernatant resulted in significant tumour recurrence. Severe peritoneal trauma provoked significant intra-abdominal neutrophil influx which could be prevented by ANS. Treatment with one dose did not affect blood cell counts and significantly reduced tumour recurrence. Treatment with three doses of ANS decreased blood lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils and induced tumour load. CONCLUSIONS: Neutrophils play a crucial role in postoperative adhesion and growth of spilled tumour cells after surgical peritoneal trauma. Prevention of peritoneal neutrophil influx reduces local tumour recurrence. PMID- 17785986 TI - Anti-Yo-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in a man with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. AB - Anti-Yo-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a cancer-related syndrome affecting the nervous system. This syndrome occurs almost exclusively in middle-aged women with gynecological cancers and it is rarely found in patients with other types of cancer or in males. In this report we describe a male patient adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction and PCD with anti-Yo antibodies. To our knowledge, this is only the third report of PCD with positive anti-Yo antibodies in an esophageal tumor and the first report in a tumor of the gastroesophageal junction. PMID- 17785987 TI - Splenic abscesses caused by a reptile-associated salmonella infection. AB - Salmonella infections are not very uncommon. The source generally has to be looked for in food. The syndrome concerns mostly gastro-enteritis. We present a 17-year-old girl with sepsis caused by splenic abscesses which was successfully treated with splenectomy and antibiotics. After analysis (blood and surgical specimen samples), she appeared to be infected with Salmonella type Telelkebir, a rare variant that is associated with exotic animal species, mainly reptiles. The same variant was cultivated from the faeces of the reptile pets that were held in the patients' home. We describe a case with a not often recognized source and an unusual course of Salmonella infection. Exotic pets can be a source of Salmonella infections with a catastrophic course of the disease even in healthy people. PMID- 17785988 TI - The roles of intrarenal 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids in the regulation of renal function in hypertensive Ren-2 transgenic rats. AB - BACKGROUND: The present study was performed in hypertensive Ren-2 transgenic rats (TGR) and in normotensive Hannover Sprague-Dawley (HanSD) rats. First, the intrarenal protein expression of CYP4A, the enzyme catalyzing the formation of 20 hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), and of CYP2C23, the enzyme responsible for epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) production, was evaluated. Second, the renal functional responses to inhibition of the intrarenal formation of 20-HETE and EETs were investigated. METHODS: Renal hemodynamics and electrolyte excretion were evaluated in response to the administration of inhibitors of 20-HETE and EET formation into the renal artery. In renal cortical tissue, CYP4A and CYP2C23 protein expression was assessed by Western blot analysis. Urinary concentrations of 20-HETE and EETs were measured using a fluorescent HPLC assay. RESULTS: TGR have higher kidney CYP4A protein expression and urinary 20-HETE excretion but significantly lower CYP2C23 protein expression and urinary EET excretion than HanSD. Intrarenal inhibition of 20-HETE and EET formation decreased sodium excretion in HanSD, whereas inhibition of 20-HETE increased urinary excretion of sodium in TGR without altering renal hemodynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that in TGR, deficient intrarenal synthesis of EETs combined with increased synthesis of 20-HETE with its stimulation of tubular sodium absorption may contribute to the development of hypertension in TGR. PMID- 17785989 TI - Neurohumoral activity, heart failure and prognosis in patients with end-stage renal disease treated by hemodialysis. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic renal failure treated by regular hemodialysis is frequently accompanied by chronic heart failure; the mortality of both is high. AIM: To evaluate the role of markers of neurohumoral activation for the prognosis of patients treated with regular dialysis. PATIENTS: 99 patients with end-stage renal disease were followed up for 3 years. METHODS: Clinical evaluation, echocardiography, biochemistry including NT-proBNP and big endothelin (Big-ET). RESULTS: The incidence of heart failure was 97% and the 3-year mortality was 50%. The sensitivity of NT-proBNP and Big-ET level for the prediction of death was 0.712 and 0.824, respectively, and specificity 0.642 and 0.695, respectively. The cut-off points were NT-proBNP > or = 2,000 pg/ml and Big-ET > or = 1.55 pmol/l. Neither NT-proBNP nor Big-ET could be incorporated in the multivariate model for overall survival, which means that although both parameters significantly influenced overall survival as single risk factors, they were not effective in competition with the other significant predictors. CONCLUSION: Overall survival seems to be influenced namely by age, hemoglobin, left atrium diameter or pulmonary congestion class on chest X-ray, while probability of early risk was associated with Big-ET, history of diabetes mellitus, C-reactive protein, uric acid and hemoglobin. The only intersection of the models is hemoglobin as a thoroughly significant predictor. PMID- 17785990 TI - Antioxidant activity in the newborn brain: a luciferase mouse model. AB - INTRODUCTION: Oxidative stress in the newborn period may cause cell injury and inflammation if the antioxidant capacity is insufficient. To monitor antioxidant and inflammatory activity we examined by in vivo imaging various strains of luciferase reporter mice whose light-emitting properties were regulated by response elements or complete promoters related to oxidative stress and/or inflammation. The aim of this study is to present a model that can monitor genetic activity in vivo during pregnancy and the first 10 days of life. METHODS: One mouse strain reports the activity of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity, a transcription factor essential for modulating inflammation, apoptosis, differentiation and cell growth. A second mouse strain reports on superoxide dismutase 1-promoter activity. A third strain reports the promoter activity of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, the rate limiting enzyme in glutathione production, and the last strain reports on antioxidant responsive element (ARE)/electrophil responsive element. Wild-type female mice mated with NF kappaB mice were imaged through pregnancy to monitor intrauterine NF-kappaB activation. RESULTS: Intrauterine NF-kappaB activity increased dramatically from day 17 towards labor. During the first 4 days of life luminescence measured was intense in all mice with distinct strain differences. All strains had high luminescence levels at day 1 and a considerably lower level at day 10. CONCLUSION: This model allows investigation of the transcriptional regulation of key proteins related to oxidative stress and inflammation in pregnancy and the first days of life. With very little stress to the newborn animals genetic activity can be monitored day by day. PMID- 17785991 TI - Effects of stress and neuropeptides on airway responses in ovalbumin-sensitized rats. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of stress and neuropeptides on airway responses in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized rats. METHODS: Three experimental conditions were employed: neonatal capsaicin treatment, foot shock stress and OVA sensitization. For neuropeptide depletion, male Wistar rats were neonatally treated with capsaicin (50 mg/kg) or with control solution 2 days after birth. Ninety days later, they were injected with OVA and aluminum hydroxide (ED0) or no injection. Thereafter, rats of the stressed groups were individually placed in a shuttle box where they received 50 mild escapable foot shocks/day; the stressful stimuli were repeated until ED14, when the animals received OVA aerosol. Pulmonary mechanic function was measured before and after OVA challenge in anesthetized and mechanically ventilated rats. RESULTS: Data on ultrasonic vocalizations and corticosterone showed high levels of anxiety in stressed animals. As expected, a significant increment in airway elastance and resistance after the OVA challenge was found in sensitized rats compared to non sensitized ones. Capsaicin treatment decreased the values of elastance in sensitized and non-stressed rats; however, after the OVA challenge, elastance was increased in stressed animals. No differences were found in the levels of resistance among sensitized and non-stressed rats; however, a reduced increment in resistance was verified in capsaicin-treated, stressed animals. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that neurokinin depletion and stress may affect smooth muscle tonus around the airways during an anaphylactic reaction. These data suggest that stress and neuropeptides play a significant role in pulmonary function in OVA sensitized rats. PMID- 17785992 TI - A dose escalation study of biweekly oral vinorelbine and gemcitabine in patients with solid tumors. AB - PURPOSE: To determine the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) and the dose-limiting toxicities of a biweekly administration of oral vinorelbine and gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with advanced stage solid tumors were enrolled, and 12 (42.9%) of them were chemotherapy naive. Escalating doses of vinorelbine (50-70 mg/m2 per os) and gemcitabine (800-1,000 mg/m2 as a 30-min intravenous infusion) were administered on days 1 and 15 in 4-week cycles. RESULTS: MTDs were reached at 70 mg/m2 p.o. for vinorelbine and 900 mg/m2 for gemcitabine. Grade 4 neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, grade 4 nausea/vomiting and treatment delay due to grade 3 neutropenia were the dose-limiting events during the first cycle of chemotherapy. A total of 94 chemotherapy cycles were administered with only one episode of febrile neutropenia and no toxic deaths. Severe (grade 3-4) neutropenia occurred in 10% of cycles while non-hematological toxicity was mild with grade 2-3 asthenia occurring in 17 (18%) cycles. Objective responses were achieved in patients with prostate and non-small cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of biweekly oral vinorelbine (70 mg/m2) and gemcitabine (900 mg/m2) is a well-tolerated regimen with promising results in patients with advanced solid tumors. PMID- 17785993 TI - Early versus late local recurrences after conservative treatment of breast carcinoma: differences in primary tumor characteristics and patient outcome. AB - OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether some aspects of patient or tumor characteristics influence the timing of local recurrence (LR) in breast cancer treated conservatively, and to assess the impact of the timing of LR on patient outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients treated with conservative breast surgery followed by radiotherapy for breast carcinoma who developed LR. Out of 2,008 cases treated in our Institute between 1977 and 2002, 180 ipsilateral LR were observed. Of these, 46 LR were observed within 36 months after treatment, called early local recurrence (ELR), 44 developed between 37 and 60 months, called medium local recurrence (MLR), and 90 occurred after 60 months, called late local recurrence (LLR). Patient and tumor characteristics were analyzed in the 2 groups and compared. RESULTS: Primary tumors >20 mm were more frequently found in patients with ELR (31%) than in patients with LLR (17%, p = 0.047). Grade 3 tumors were more often encountered in patients with ELR than in patients with LLR (27 versus 7%, p = 0.0002). Patients with ELR more frequently had tumors with negative estrogen receptors than patients with LLR (37% versus 6%, p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in the axillary lymph node (LN) status between patients with ELR and those with LLR (35 and 23% of positive LN, respectively, p = 0.24). Tumor size, grade, LN status, hormone receptors and the timing of LR affected the specific survival (SS) from initial surgery. On multivariate analysis, only LN status and the timing of LR retained an independent prognostic value, with an odds ratio of 6.7 for ELR. After LR, the SS was also influenced by all of the above factors, and on multivariate analysis, LN status, hormone receptors and the timing of LR were independent predictors with an odds ratio of SS of 2.50 in case of ELR (p = 0.006). The 5-year SS after LR for ELR, MLR and LLR were 55.8, 74.8 and 79.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Unfavorable tumor characteristics such as big size, high grade, lack of hormone receptors, but not LN status, were associated with ELR. These findings suggest that patients with such aggressive tumor characteristics who do not recur early will have a lower risk of LLR than patients with more favorable factors. PMID- 17785994 TI - Diagnosis, management and clinical outcome of bone metastases in breast cancer patients: results from a prospective, multicenter study. AB - BACKGROUND: Little information is available about the management and clinical outcome of bone metastases (BM) in breast cancer patients. METHODS: We prospectively studied 459 breast cancer patients with first diagnosis of BM for at least 2 years to collect information about diagnosis, management and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight patients (54%) had only BM, 86 (18.7%) had concomitant nonskeletal BM and 125 (27.2%) had previous nonskeletal BM. At enrolment, skeletal-related events were present in 132 patients (28.8%). Cancer treatments consisted of hormones (227/459, 49.5%) or chemotherapy (192/459, 41.8%). Age (< or =70) and nonskeletal BM are inversely correlated with the use of chemotherapy or endocrine treatment (p < 0.0001). Bisphosphonates were used in 67.5% of the cases, alone (62.3%) or combined with other drugs. After a median follow-up of 28 months (range 2-43), 272 patients developed new metastases (59.2%), progression occurred mainly in nonskeletal sites (107/459, 23.3%), except for BM patients, who progressed prevalently at bone (69/248, 27.8%). New skeletal-related events were observed in 122 patients (26.6%). The 2-year probability for disease progression control and survival was 0.19 (95% CI 0.15 0.24) and 0.64 (95% CI 0.58-0.69), respectively. The 2-year probability for death according to the presence of nonskeletal metastases and the time of appearance (previous or concomitant to BM) was 0.74 (95% CI 0.67-0.79) for BM, 0.38 (95% CI 0.25-0.51) for previous nonskeletal BM and 0.56 (95% CI 0.46-0.66) for concomitant nonskeletal BM (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcome is significantly different according to the metastatic sites. PMID- 17785995 TI - Silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions in normal and dysplastic cervical lesions: correlation with DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction by flow cytometry. AB - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prognostic significance of DNA ploidy and silver stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR), their relation to the cytological grades of cervical dysplasia and correlation of cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle and DNA ploidy with AgNOR count. METHODS: Multiparametric DNA flow cytometric analysis and AgNOR count were performed on cervical smear samples, cytologically diagnosed as normal (n = 196), atypical squamous cells of unknown significance (ASCUS, n = 98) and various grades of cervical dysplasia (n = 127). RESULTS: Among the cytological grade, aneuploid cases from low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (mild) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (moderate and severe) groups were showing high AgNOR counts (ranges 4.33-5.86 and 5.91-7.42, respectively). Aneuploid cases from the ASCUS group also presented high AgNOR (range 3.72-4.93). The high percentage of cells in the S-phase (>12%) correlated with these 2 parameters in the ASCUS and dysplasia groups. After grouping the cases into those with high (>4.0) and low (<4.0) AgNOR counts, significant correlations in the group with high AgNOR count with DNA ploidy, S phase and cytological grade were recorded (p < 0.001). Results obtained from follow-up study revealed that cases with aneuploidy, high AgNOR count and S-phase fraction presented with a progressive trend of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the study shows that high AgNOR count, S-phase fraction and aneuploid DNA have prognostic significance in the early detection of cervical cancer. PMID- 17785996 TI - Newer N-phthaloyl GABA derivatives with antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic activities in both sciatic nerve and spinal nerve ligation models of neuropathic pain. AB - BACKGROUND: There is considerable research evidence supporting a palliative role for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurotransmission and voltage-gated sodium channel blockade in neuropathic pain conditions. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the peripheral analgesic, antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic activities of the synthesized structural analogues of GABA. METHODS: The screening study included acute tissue injury, chronic constriction injury (CCI), and spinal nerve ligation (SNL) models of neuropathic pain. RESULTS: All of the tested compounds sup-pressed the acetic acid-induced writhing response significantly in comparison to the control. In particular, compound JVP 8 was observed to be the most active compound with percent inhibition greater than that of the standard drug aspirin (97.8% inhibition of writhing response as against 97.0% shown by aspirin). In neuropathic pain studies, compound JVP-5 (100 mg/kg i.p.) emerged as the most active compound affording maximum protection against dynamic allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia in the CCI model, and against spontaneous pain and mechanical hyperalgesia in SNL rats. CONCLUSION: In this study, we have demonstrated that combining phthalimide pharmacophore with GABA has evolved compounds effective for the treatment of neuropathic pain. PMID- 17785997 TI - Lidocaine attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through inhibiting NF-kappaB activation. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Lidocaine has been reported to attenuate the inflammatory response in addition to its anesthetic activity, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. The objective of this study is to determine if lidocaine prior to endotoxemia diminishes pulmonary dysfunction by blocking the NF-kappaB activation. METHODS: Rats were assigned to: (1) control (0.9% sodium chloride); (2) lipopolysaccharides (LPS); (3) LPS + lidocaine 1 mg/kg; (4) LPS + lidocaine 2 mg/kg, and (5) LPS + lidocaine 4 mg/kg. The LPS and LPS + lidocaine 4 mg/kg groups were subjected to 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-hour time points. To investigate the activation of NF-kappaB, the expression of NF-kappaB in the nuclear and I kappaB alpha in the cytosol extracts were analyzed by Western blot. The concentration of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in serum was detected by ELISA. The pathologic changes of the lung were observed using HE staining. RESULTS: After i.p. injection of LPS, the expression of NF-kappaB in the nuclear extracts was significantly increased and I kappaB alpha in the cytosol extracts was markedly decreased. The concentration of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in serum was increased. Pathological examination showed that the normal structure of the lung was destroyed badly. However, lidocaine reversed the above results. CONCLUSION: Lidocaine attenuates LPS-induced lung injury via mechanisms involving inhibiting NF-kappaB activation and cytokine release, which implies that lidocaine may be a potential anti-inflammatory agent in endotoxemia. PMID- 17785998 TI - Subdural haematomas and physical abuse in the first two years of life. AB - OBJECTIVE: To analyze our institution's work-up for patients with a diagnosis of subdural haematoma (SDH) in order to determine how many of them are secondary to child abuse, as well as to examine their final functional outcome. METHODS: Retrospective review of children under 2 years of age diagnosed as having SDH between 1995 and 2005. RESULTS: A total of 35 cases were identified. Fifteen patients that had underlying conditions that predispose them to bleed were excluded. Among the remaining 20 patients, seizures and head trauma were the main causes for consultation. All patients had a coagulation study and a head computed tomography carried out, 11 of these had a magnetic resonance imaging and 1 had a post-mortem examination. Bilateral SDHs in different stages of evolution was the most common pattern of intracranial haemorrhage. Fourteen infants had a skeletal survey, 4 had a bone scintigraphy and 19 had an ophthalmoscopic examination. Fractures were diagnosed in 7 patients and retinal haemorrhages in 11. The final diagnoses were: 10 shaken baby syndromes, 4 idiopathic SDH, 3 strokes, 2 coagulopathies and 1 accidental head injury. Upon follow-up, 1 patient had died and 9 had sustained permanent disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Cases of infantile SDH are usually thoroughly investigated. In spite of this, sometimes it is not possible to determine the SDH aetiology. Nonetheless, shaken baby syndrome remains the most frequent cause of SDH in infants, and it carries a poor prognosis. PMID- 17785999 TI - Surgical treatment of 13 pediatric patients with Dandy-Walker syndrome. AB - We present our experience with the treatment of 13 patients with Dandy-Walker syndrome. The common presenting symptom and associated central nervous system anomaly were enlargement of head and occipital encephalocele, respectively. Eleven out of 13 patients were treated surgically after stabilization of systemic medical status. Two patients could not be operated because of poor medical condition. In 6 patients with an opened passage between posterior fossa cyst and lateral ventricle, cystoperitoneal shunt system with medium pressure valve was the treatment of choice. In 5 patients with no relation between cyst and ventricle, cystoperitoneal and ventriculoperitoneal shunting with 'Y' connectors were applied separately. Another patient with a shunt infection was treated by shunt system renewal combined with parenteral antibiotics. One patient died 7 months after the operation due to recurrent meningitis. PMID- 17786000 TI - Recurrence in supratentorial anaplastic ependymoma. AB - AIM: To study the outcome and recurrence in supratentorial anaplastic ependymoma. METHODS: Sixteen cases of supratentorial anaplastic ependymoma were reviewed. The average age of presentation was 8.2 years ranging from 1 to 16 years of age. The mean duration between the onset of first symptoms to time of presentation was 4.2 months. Follow-up ranged from 5 to 58 months with a mean of 16.8 months. RESULTS: Gross total excision of tumor was achieved in 14 cases, as judged on the basis of intraoperative impression and confirmed with postoperative contrast MR or CT scan. There were 2 unfortunate deaths in the series, one as result of disseminated intravascular coagulation in view of massive blood loss and the other child had evidence of central transtentorial herniation preoperatively which failed to recover. Postoperative cranial radiotherapy was offered to all the 14 remaining cases. Twelve of 14 cases showed evidence of recurrence at follow-up. Recurrence occurred as early at 6 months and as late as 58 months. Only 2 children were recurrence free at follow-up of 6 months and 14 months, respectively. Two operated and irradiated cases of differentiated ependymomas (grade II) developed anaplastic recurrence at follow-up of 5 years and 9 years, respectively, suggesting a malignant transformation of tumor at follow-up. Four out of 12 cases were reoperated for their recurrence in view of localized nature of recurrence and good Karnofsky's performance status. CONCLUSION: It is obvious that anaplastic ependymomas of the supratentorial compartment are aggressive tumors with high rates of recurrence even after gross total excision and irradiation. Gross total excision and postoperative irradiation are not effective in preventing early recurrence in anaplastic ependymomas, and other factors affecting the outcome need to be analyzed. PMID- 17786001 TI - Glioblastoma multiforme following cranial irradiation and chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukaemia. Report of 3 cases. AB - The most common secondary neoplasms which occur following cranial radiation therapy are sarcoma and meningioma. The occurrence of glioblastoma multiforme following radiation and chemotherapy in acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) is rare. We report 3 cases of glioblastoma multiforme in children developing 11-72 months following completion of chemotherapy/radiotherapy for ALL. The exact cause for the development of glioblastoma multiforme following therapy for ALL is not clear. A genetic predisposition may be essential for the occurrence of such a highly malignant primary brain tumour in leukaemia patients, irrespective of radiation and/or chemotherapy. The pathogenesis and surgical management are discussed, and the literature on the subject is reviewed. PMID- 17786002 TI - Surgical management of Chiari malformation: analysis of 128 cases. AB - OBJECTIVE: A variety of surgical interventions have been recommended for patients with Chiari malformations (CMs). In this study, we have evaluated the intraoperative findings and clinical outcome in different-aged patients with CMs undergoing posterior fossa decompression. METHODS: Sixteen pediatric and 112 adult cases with CMs underwent suboccipital craniectomy and wide duraplasty as well as autogenous bone grafting in selected cases. The clinical outcome was assessed by evaluation of postoperative signs and symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging of the craniocervical junction. RESULTS: The most striking intraoperative finding was the presence of a very thin membrane over the opening of the central canal; the occurrence of this membrane in pediatric patients was significantly higher than that in adults (94 and 43%, respectively; p < 0.05, Fisher's exact probability test). During the immediate postoperative period, 81% of pediatric CMs and 90% of adult CMs showed improved symptomatology and magnetic resonance imaging revealed favorable findings comprising syrinx collapse or reduction of the syrinx diameter in 14 (88%) pediatric and 92 (82%) adult CMs. During discharge from hospital, 103 (90%) patients with CMs type I and 11 (85%) with CMs type II achieved good results. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of poor results between patients treated with bony fusion and those without fusion (24 vs. 6%;p < 0.05, Fisher's exact probability test). The incidence of vertebral instability was markedly augmented in pediatric CMs in comparison to adult CMs (19 vs. 2%; p < 0.01, Fisher's exact probability test). CONCLUSIONS: Suboccipital decompression and duraplasty with autogenous bone grafts in selected cases are effective treatments for most patients with CMs. A higher incidence of a special membrane over the obex and atlantoaxial instability were closely associated with childhood CMs. PMID- 17786003 TI - Cervical nerve root synovial sarcoma in a child with chromosomal (X;18) translocation. Case report and review of the literature. AB - We report on an 11-year-old female with a history of cervicobrachialgia and progressive weakness of the right arm. Cervical spine MRI showed an enhancing heterogeneous intradural mass occupying the right C6-C7 foramen. She underwent a right C6-C7 foraminotomy with a complete macroscopic removal of the lesion. Pathological examination revealed a synovial sarcoma. Treatment was completed by chemotherapy and proton radiotherapy, and the girl remained free of symptoms for 3 years. After appearance of new symptoms, a local recurrence was confirmed, and despite aggressive treatment with salvage chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the disease progressed beyond medical control, and the child died, 6 years after diagnosis. Early recognition of this rare entity compared to its more benign differential diagnosis is crucial, as an aggressive management is needed. PMID- 17786004 TI - Posterior fossa syndrome after a vermian stroke: a new case and review of the literature. AB - The posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) is a well-known clinical consequence of posterior fossa surgery that has only been reported in a limited number of cases with a nontumoral etiology. It consists of transient cerebellar mutism, behavioral abnormalities and personality changes. We describe a 12-year-old child who developed transient cerebellar mutism associated with behavioral and emotional symptoms following rupture of a vermis arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Following the stroke, the girl experienced a 24-hour symptom-free interval. After that, she became mute and her emotional state was characterized by severe anxiety, irritability and withdrawal. After 3 days, mutism resolved and dysarthria became apparent. Two weeks after stroke, the AVM was surgically removed and the postoperative course was uneventful. This case is the first reported in which the PFS occurred after focal nonsurgically induced cerebellar damage. PMID- 17786005 TI - CSF fistula through the umbilicus following a shunt surgery: a case report and literature review. AB - BACKGROUND: Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is among the commonest neurosurgical operations. Shunt catheters within the peritoneal cavity have migrated through and perforated almost all the intra-abdominal hollow viscera. CASE DESCRIPTION: A unique case of an infant is presented, in whom CSF leaked via a fistulous opening through the umbilicus. The embryological aspect of this anomalous communication is described, along with all the 7 cases previously reported with their pathophysiological causes. CONCLUSIONS: The CSF fistula through the umbilicus may be due to varying pathological causes. The present paper describes an altogether new pathological cause behind such a complication, with a re-visit to all other described causes. The present description of a patent intercoelomic communication, an embryological remnant, puts a new light on this 3-decade-old complication. PMID- 17786006 TI - Ependymoma of the cauda equina starting with communicating hydrocephalus: a case report. AB - The presence of concomitant hydrocephalus in cases with spinal cord tumors is relatively rare. Here, we describe a case of myxopapillary ependymoma of the cauda equina starting with communicating hydrocephalus in a 14-year-old boy. The patient presented to the clinic without underlying causes of hydrocephalus on the neuroimaging data. After ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement, despite the numerous malfunction incidents, the patient was doing well. Eight years later, he developed progressive weakness and coldness of the lower limbs. Multiple cystic lesions in the cervicothoracic area were found on magnetic resonance imaging. Decompressive hemilaminectomy of the cervicothoracic region was performed with temporary improvement of the patient's condition. Because of persisting complaints, the sacral area of the spine was also observed and neuroimaging data for a tumoral lesion in the cauda equina region were found. The lesion was surgically removed and the histological result was myxopapillary ependymoma. Therefore, cases presenting with internal hydrocephalus without clear-cut intracranial etiology should have detailed neuroimaging of the whole central nervous system. PMID- 17786007 TI - Schwannoma of the cervical vagus nerve. AB - Nerve sheath tumors arising from the cervical vagus nerve are extremely rare and difficult to diagnose. We report a 14-year-old boy who presented with a several month history of an asymptomatic right cervical swelling. Ultrasound and fine needle aspiration cytology revealed a vascular lesion. He was meticulously evaluated with CT scan and digital subtraction angiography. Surgical excision of the lesion was carried out and histological examination revealed a schwannoma. Schwannoma is a relatively rare tumor and even rarer in children. The incidence of such tumors and the management of our patients are discussed. PMID- 17786008 TI - Cerebrospinal fluid penetration and bacteriostatic activity of linezolid against Enterococcus faecalis in a child with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection. AB - We report a 4-year-old girl with a complicated Enterococcus faecalis ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection who failed vancomycin therapy. We demonstrate linezolid's high CSF penetration and its CSF bacteriostatic activity against E. faecalis. Linezolid may be a good alternative for treatment of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections in cases of vancomycin-resistant organisms or apparent treatment failures. PMID- 17786009 TI - Giant malignant nerve sheath tumor of lumbosacral plexus with intraspinal extension in a child with neurofibromatosis type 1. AB - Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are the leading cause of death in young adults and are one of the most frequent non-rhabdomyosarcomatous soft tissue tumors in pediatric age. These tumors usually occur in young adults from a previously recognized neurofibroma, neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), with a noted change in size and pain. This child reached the age of 10 without the presence of the more commonly seen manifestations of NF1. Pseudoarthrosis in children has a high rate of association with NF1, and in this case diagnosis of NF1 was supported by development of MPNST in a pre-existing plexiform neurofibroma. PMID- 17786010 TI - Postoperative brain stem tension pneumocephalus causing transient locked-in syndrome. AB - The incidence of pneumocephalus after supratentorial craniotomy has been reported to be as high as 100%. However, transformation of postoperative pneumocephalus into tension pneumocephalus (symptomatic intracranial air) is a rather rare phenomenon. Tension pneumocephalus after posterior fossa surgery is reported mainly when the surgery is performed in a sitting position. We hereby report on a patient who developed brain-stem tension pneumocephalus in the early postoperative period after posterior fossa craniotomy for an exophytic brainstem astrocytoma, operated in the prone position. A complete locked-in syndrome resolved following surgical relief of the trapped air. PMID- 17786011 TI - Intramedullary spinal epidermoid associated with an intramedullary lipoma. AB - True intramedullary epidermoids and true intramedullary lipomas of the spinal cord are very rare lesions. To our knowledge, there has been no reported case associated with an intramedullary spinal lipoma. This is the first reported case with the association of these two lesions. In this report a 3-year-old boy with intramedullary spinal lipoma is presented. We discuss the frequency, clinical features, MRI characteristics and limits of surgical treatment of these tumors and review the associated literature. PMID- 17786012 TI - Intracerebral sewing needle. AB - A 9-year-old male patient complaining of seizure attack was admitted to the neurosurgery department. Radiologic investigations revealed a 5-cm-long metallic sewing needle extending from the right frontal cortex to the right lateral ventricle. Burr hole surgery was performed and the needle was grasped with biopsy forceps and removed with endoscopic guidance. The patient recovered without any complications. PMID- 17786013 TI - Chiari malformation type III treated with primary closure. AB - Chiari malformations represent various clinical and anatomic processes that entail varying degrees of involvement of the rhombencephalon (hindbrain). The type III Chiari malformation is distinctly rare. Chiari described only one case of his type III deformity, which is indicative of its rarity. We report a case of Chiari malformation type III, a female child who presented to us at the age of 1 month with a swelling at the back of the neck since birth. MRI revealed a Chiari type III malformation with a high cervical meningoencephalocele along with herniation of cerebellar tissue through the bony defect in the posterior elements of the C2 vertebra. At surgery, the meningoencephalocele was excised along with the gliotic cerebellar tissue, and a posterior fossa decompression along with augmentation duraplasty was done. The postoperative period was uneventful. The case and relevant literature is reviewed. PMID- 17786014 TI - Valve pressure upgrade may produce progressive deterioration of vision in children with slit ventricle syndrome. AB - Recently, valve upgrade and/or endoscopic third ventriculostomy, which have the merit of no additional shunting, were introduced for the treatment of slit ventricle syndrome, because lumboperitoneal shunting entails various complications including development of Chiari malformation, shunt malfunction, and infection. However, the safety of valve upgrading is not confirmed, especially in a child with slit ventricle syndrome developed as a result of pseudotumor cerebri. A 5-year-old boy with pseudotumor cerebri presented with headache, intermittent vomiting, and sudden deterioration of visual acuity. His cerebrospinal pressure during lumbar puncture was 69 cm H(2)O and his magnetic resonance imaging revealed only small ventricles. He underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt resulting in dramatic improvement. Four months later, he returned with recurrent spontaneous valve malfunction with recurrent severe headache and visual deterioration. After shunt revision with a programmable valve, his intermittent valve malfunction was improved by upgrading the valve opening pressure. However, his visual acuity became progressively aggravated. He underwent a lumboperitoneal shunt with low-pressure valve, which resulted in the disappearance of intermittent headaches and a deterioration of visual acuity. We suggest that valve pressure upgrade in children with slit ventricle syndrome after ventriculoperitoneal shunt for pseudotumor cerebri may produce acute deterioration of vision that had already been compromised, even within the normal intracranial pressure range and with improvement of associated symptoms. PMID- 17786016 TI - Inflicted traumatic brain injury: advances in evaluation and collaborative diagnosis. AB - The determination that a traumatic brain injury is not accidental requires data collection from multiple domains: historical, clinical, laboratory, radiographic, environmental and psychosocial. These essential, yet disparate, types of information must be synthesized in a collaborative and interdisciplinary process to formulate a medical opinion with regard to the cause of an injury, and the final opinion has tremendous consequences for children and families. Medically directed child protection teams have emerged as the standard of care in many children's hospitals and child abuse pediatrics is now a recognized medical subspecialty with board certification available in the next several years. Not only do the child and family benefit from this coordinated effort, but there are also great benefits for the members of the child protection team: more clearly defined responsibilities, redirected focus on treatment for the surgeon, and increased confidence that the opinion is based upon consensus and current scientific knowledge. By this process and its division of labor, the child abuse pediatrician assumes responsibility for ensuring that a final medical opinion is arrived at, and then advocates for appropriate disposition for the child. The child abuse pediatrician is responsible for establishing institutional standards for family evaluation, collecting all necessary medical data and directing a consensus-based decision making process that is based upon current medical knowledge, medical literature and experience. The child abuse pediatrician also assumes the role of primary communication conduit for investigational agencies and the courts. The neurosurgeon is a key member of the child protection team and relies on the team to obtain necessary historical information to address consistency of the mechanism with the sustained injuries and has an integral role in determining the team's final opinion. An interdisciplinary response to inflicted traumatic brain injury is the cornerstone for establishing a rigorous standard of care; it also fosters education across medical subspecialties where controversy has been a significant part of the landscape. Valid and useful clinical research that describes head injury as accidental or inflicted can only be performed in the context of an interdisciplinary, medically directed child protection team that strives for objectivity and precision in the determination of the manner of an injury. PMID- 17786015 TI - A witnessed short fall mimicking presumed shaken baby syndrome (inflicted childhood neurotrauma). AB - A witnessed fall backwards of an infant from a sitting position resulted in the subdural hematoma and retinal hemorrhages characteristic of presumed shaken baby syndrome. Violent shaking is not necessary to produce these findings. PMID- 17786017 TI - Giant colloid cyst in a child. AB - We describe a case of a giant third ventricular colloid cyst occurring in a 10 year-old child with unusual imaging features and discuss the causes for these imaging findings. PMID- 17786018 TI - Liver cyst caused by the peritoneal catheter of a CSF shunt. PMID- 17786019 TI - Type III Chiari malformation presenting as intermittent respiratory stridor: a neurological image. PMID- 17786020 TI - Tipping the delicate balance: defining how proteasome maturation affects the degradation of a substrate for autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD). AB - An increasing body of data links endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function to autophagy. Not surprisingly, then, some aberrant proteins in the ER can be destroyed either via ER associated degradation (ERAD), which is proteasome mediated, or via autophagy. One such substrate is the "Z" variant of the alpha-1 protease inhibitor (A1Pi), variably known as A1Pi-Z or AT-Z ("anti-trypsin, Z variant"). The wild type protein is primarily synthesized in the liver and is secreted. In contrast, AT-Z, like other ERAD substrates, is retro-translocated from the ER and delivered to the proteasome. However, AT-Z can form high molecular weight polymers that are degraded via autophagy, and cells that accumulate AT-Z polymers ultimately succumb, which leads to liver disease. Therefore, identifying genes that have an impact AT-Z turnover represents an active area of research. To this end, a yeast expression system for AT-Z has proven valuable. For example, a recent study using this system indicates that the activity of a proteasome assembly chaperone (PAC) is critical for maximal AT-Z turnover, which suggests a new role for PACs. Because PACs are conserved, it will be critical to analyze whether these dedicated chaperones are implicated in other diseases associated with ERAD and autophagy. PMID- 17786021 TI - Non-autophagic GFP-LC3 puncta induced by saponin and other detergents. AB - Expression of GFP-LC3 is now in widespread use to visualize autophagy in cultured cells. Recently, Kuma et al. (Autophagy 2007; 3:323-8) highlighted some complications using GFP-LC3, demonstrating that punctate dots containing GFP-LC3 do not always represent autophagic structures. We report here that GFP-LC3 can also rapidly aggregate into autophagosome look-alike structures when cells are permeabilized with saponin before cell fixation. Treatment with saponin reduced diffuse cytosolic and nuclear GFP-LC3 but caused an increase in the number and intensity of fluorescent puncta per cell regardless of whether the cells were induced to undergo autophagy. Saponin also induced GFP-LC3 puncta in Atg5(-/-) MEF transfected with GFP-LC3, where no LC3-II is produced, demonstrating that the puncta are autophagosome-independent. The increase in GFP-LC3 puncta was not matched by an increase in endogenous LC3-II or GFP-LC3-II detected by immunoblotting when protein samples were normalized to cell number. A qualitatively similar effect was observed when cells were treated with other detergents commonly used for membrane permeabilization, such as CHAPS, Triton X 100 or digitonin. We also noted that tubulin could not be used to normalize for protein loading on blots after applying saponin as it was selectively extracted from untreated cells but not from cells treated with vinblastine. When using mild detergents to remove background fluorescence, we recommend using a membrane associated protein such as ATP synthase beta for normalization. Thus, detergents used prior to fixation may precipitate GFP-LC3 aggregation into structures that appear autophagosomal and so should be used with caution. PMID- 17786022 TI - Small molecule enhancers of rapamycin-induced TOR inhibition promote autophagy, reduce toxicity in Huntington's disease models and enhance killing of mycobacteria by macrophages. AB - Upregulation of autophagy may have therapeutic benefit in a range of diseases that includes neurodegenerative conditions caused by intracytosolic aggregate prone proteins, such as Huntington's disease, and certain infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. The best-characterized drug that enhances autophagy is rapamycin, an inhibitor of the TOR (target of rapamycin) proteins, which are widely conserved from yeast to man. Unfortunately, the side effects of rapamycin, especially immunosuppression, preclude its use in treating certain diseases including tuberculosis, which accounts for approximately 2 million deaths worldwide each year, spurring interest in finding novel drugs that selectively enhance autophagy. We have recently reported a novel two-step screening process for the discovery of such compounds. We first identified compounds that enhance the growth-inhibitory effects of rapamycin in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which we termed small molecule enhancers of rapamycin (SMERs). Next we showed that three SMERs induced autophagy independently, or downstream of mTOR, in mammalian cells, and furthermore enhanced the clearance of a mutant huntingtin fragment in Huntington's disease cell models. These SMERs also protected against mutant huntingtin fragment toxicity in Drosophila. We have subsequently tested two of the SMERs in models of tuberculosis and both enhance the killing of mycobacteria by primary human macrophages. PMID- 17786023 TI - Role of autophagy in breast cancer. AB - Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process of cytoplasm and cellular organelle degradation in lysosomes. Autophagy is a survival pathway required for cellular viability during starvation; however, if it proceeds to completion, autophagy can lead to cell death. In neurons, constitutive autophagy limits accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and prevents neuronal degeneration. Therefore, autophagy has emerged as a homeostatic mechanism regulating the turnover of long-lived or damaged proteins and organelles, and buffering metabolic stress under conditions of nutrient deprivation by recycling intracellular constituents. Autophagy also plays a role in tumorigenesis, as the essential autophagy regulator beclin1 is monoallelically deleted in many human ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers, and beclin1(+/-) mice are tumor-prone. We found that allelic loss of beclin1 renders immortalized mouse mammary epithelial cells susceptible to metabolic stress and accelerates lumen formation in mammary acini. Autophagy defects also activate the DNA damage response in vitro and in mammary tumors in vivo, promote gene amplification, and synergize with defective apoptosis to accelerate mammary tumorigenesis. Thus, loss of the prosurvival role of autophagy likely contributes to breast cancer progression by promoting genome damage and instability. Exploring the yet unknown relationship between defective autophagy and other breast cancer promoting functions may provide valuable insight into the pathogenesis of breast cancer and may have significant prognostic and therapeutic implications for breast cancer patients. PMID- 17786024 TI - Increased autophagic degradation of mitochondria in Alzheimer disease. AB - Extensive literature exists supporting a role for mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. Mitochondria are a major source of intracellular reactive oxygen species and are themselves particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. It has been recently shown that the immunoreactivity of lipoic acid and cytochrome oxidase-1, two mitochondrial markers, is increased in the cytoplasm of pyramidal neurons in Alzheimer disease cases compared with controls. Furthermore, lipoic acid was found to be strongly associated with granular structures and, by ultrastructure analysis, shown to be localized in mitochondria, cytosol and, importantly, in organelles identified as autophagic vacuoles. Lipoic acid was also found associated with the electron dense core of lipofuscin in the brains of Alzheimer disease cases but not in controls, whereas cytochrome oxidase-1 immunoreactivity was limited to mitochondria and cytosol in both Alzheimer and control cases. These data suggest that mitochondria are key targets of increased autophagic degradation in Alzheimer disease. The study of autophagy in Alzheimer disease could clarify the mechanisms underlying this neurodegenerative disorder and, eventually, help in the development of new therapeutic strategies. PMID- 17786025 TI - Myocyte autophagy in heart disease: friend or foe? AB - In the setting of hemodynamic stress, such as occurs in hypertension or following myocardial infarction, the heart undergoes a compensatory hypertrophic growth response. Left unchecked, this hypertrophic response triggers myocyte death, ventricular dilation, diminished contractile performance, and a clinical syndrome of heart failure. For some years, autophagy has been implicated in heart failure. More recently, mechanistic studies have emerged which provide new insights into the molecular underpinnings of hemodynamic stress-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy. Further, these studies have begun to provide clues as to whether cardiomyocyte autophagy is adaptive, mitigating disease pathogenesis, or maladaptive, contributing to disease progression. Here, we discuss recent studies that both answer some questions and pose new ones. PMID- 17786026 TI - Roles of the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K and ERK1/2 signaling pathways in curcumin-induced autophagy. AB - Curcumin has a potent anticancer effect and is a promising new therapeutic strategy. We previously demonstrated that curcumin induced non-apoptotic autophagic cell death in malignant glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. This compound inhibited the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase pathway and activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 thereby inducing autophagy. Interestingly, activation of the first pathway inhibited curcumin-induced autophagy and cytotoxicity, whereas inhibition of the latter pathway inhibited curcumin-induced autophagy and induced apoptosis, thus augmenting the cytotoxicity of curcumin. These results imply that these two autophagic pathways have opposite effects on curcumin's cytotoxicity. However, inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB, which is the main target of curcumin for its anticancer effect, was not observed in malignant glioma cells. These results suggest that autophagy but not nuclear factor kappaB plays a central role in curcumin anticancer therapy and warrant further investigation toward application in patients with malignant gliomas. Here, we discuss the therapeutic role of two autophagic pathways influenced by curcumin. PMID- 17786027 TI - Regulation of mitochondrial integrity, autophagy and cell survival by BNIP3. AB - Understanding the role of BNIP3 in the systemic response to hypoxia has been complicated by conflicting results that indicate on the one hand that BNIP3 promotes cell death, and other data, including our own that BNIP3 is not sufficient for cell death, but rather plays a critical role in hypoxia-induced autophagy. This work suggests that rather than promoting death, BNIP3 may actually allow survival either by preventing ATP depletion or by eliminating damaged mitochondria. However, the function of BNIP3 may be subverted under unusual conditions associated with acidosis that arise following extended periods of hypoxia and anaerobic glycolysis. Despite this novel insight into BNIP3 function, much remains to be done in terms of pinning down a molecular activity for BNIP3 that explains both its role in autophagy and how this may be subverted to induce cell death. As a target of the RB tumor suppressor, our work also places BNIP3 at the center of efforts to exploit autophagy to better treat human cancers in which tumor hypoxia is implicated as a progression factor. PMID- 17786028 TI - Dihydroxyacetone induced autophagy in African trypanosomes. AB - Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) was examined to explore its trypanocidal activity. The compound is easily taken up by trypanosomes via its aquaglyceroporins but is not converted to a glycolytic intermediate due to the lack of a respective kinase. Investigating the DHA-induced cell death it became evident that parasites die by autophagy rather than by necrosis or apoptosis. Since autophagy is not well studied in African trypanosomes our work offers a way to investigate the importance of autophagy for trypanosomes not only for stress coping but also for organelle reconstruction during differentiation. PMID- 17786029 TI - Chromosomal mapping of the GFP-LC3 transgene in GFP-LC3 mice. AB - GFP-LC3 mice are widely used to monitor autophagy. Here, we report chromosomal mapping of the GFP.LC3 transgene in this mouse model. The transgene was located in a very distal region of chromosome 2, immediately upstream of a putative open reading frame that is thought to be a part of a pseudogene. With this information, we were able to generate a PCR system to easily determine zygosity. Homozygous GFP-LC3 mice (GFP-LC3(tg/tg)) were healthy, fertile and did not show an abnormal phenotype. Thus, GFP-LC3 integration in this model appears not to affect functions of other genes, justifying use of this mouse model. PMID- 17786030 TI - Caveolin-1 is required for the upregulation of fatty acid synthase (FASN), a tumor promoter, during prostate cancer progression. AB - Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is normally upregulated during human prostate cancer onset and metastatic progression and its expression positively correlates with the development of advanced metastatic disease. However, it remains unknown what molecular factor(s) control FASN expression. It has been hypothesized that FASN functions as a tumor promoter during prostate cancer progression in humans. Consistently, an established mouse of model of prostate cancer, termed TRAMP mice, also shows the progressive upregulation of FASN levels during prostate cancer development. Here, we examine the role of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in regulating FASN expression during prostate cancer progression. For this purpose, we crossed Cav-1-/- null mice with TRAMP mice to generate TRAMP/Cav-1+/+ and TRAMP/Cav-1-/- mice. Then, we assessed the expression of FASN in Cav-1+/+ and Cav-1-/- prostate tumors by immuno-histochemistry and Western blot analysis. Interestingly, our results indicate that FASN fails to be upregulated in Cav-1-/- tumors. Importantly, the tumors examined were the same morphological grade, but Cav-1-/- tumors were dramatically smaller and did not metastasize efficiently. We conclude that Cav-1 expression is normally required for the upregulation of FASN during prostate cancer progression. These results also mechanistically explain why TRAMP/Cav-1-/- mice are dramatically resistant to the development of prostate tumors and lung metastases, as they lack the expression of the FASN tumor promoter. Thus, TRAMP/Cav-1-/- mice will provide a novel model system to elucidate the role of FASN in prostate tumor progression. In addition, our results provide the first molecular genetic evidence that Cav-1 functions upstream of FASN during prostate cancer progression. PMID- 17786031 TI - PKCeta expression contributes to the resistance of Hodgkin's lymphoma cell lines to apoptosis. AB - The Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg (HRS) malignant cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) originate from germinal center B lymphocytes that did not undergo apoptosis. Protein Kinase C (PKC), a family of serine/threonine kinases, plays a crucial role in signal transduction modulating cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Here, we report the expression of PKC isoforms in two HL-derived cell lines, L428 and KMH2 and their correlation with drug resistance to CPT and doxorubicin. Among the PKC isoforms examined, only PKCeta and PKCbetaII were preferentially expressed in the drug resistant L428 cells. We have shown correlation between the response to apoptosis of L428 and KMH2 cells and PKCeta expression in these cell lines. In order to directly demonstrate a role for PKCeta in apoptosis, its expression was knocked-down by siRNA in the resistant L428 cells. Downregulation of PKCeta rendered L428 cells more sensitive to doxorubicin and CPT. Furthermore, PKCeta knocked-down cells showed increased PARP 1 cleavage, cytochrome c release and caspase 7 activation. It appears that PKCeta functions as an anti-apoptotic protein in HL-derived cell lines, and as we show here that it is also expressed in HRS of HL biopsies, it may have therapeutic relevance in HL. Thus, PKCeta could provide a new target aimed to reduce resistance to anti-cancer treatments of HL and other cancer patients. PMID- 17786032 TI - MDA-MB-435: the questionable use of a melanoma cell line as a model for human breast cancer is ongoing. AB - In September 2006, Rae et al. provided unmistakable evidence that the MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cell line is identical to the M14 human melanoma cell line. This discovery was no surprise to the breast cancer research community. In fact, the expression of melanocyte-specific marker proteins by MDA-MB-435 cells was first recognized many years ago. In 2007, the year after MDA-MB-435 cells were officially redefined as melanoma cells, this mix-up has gained a new aspect: We could easily identify 20 novel studies published in the recent issues of leading journals which simply proceeded to employ MDA-MB-435 cells as a model system for human breast cancer. Here we want to draw attention to this questionable practice which should further raise our (self-) skepticism and awareness about the true origin, the identity and molecular properties of any biological materials used in cancer research. PMID- 17786034 TI - Anthracenedione derivative 1403P-3 induces apoptosis in KB and KBv200 cells via reactive oxygen species-independent mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway. AB - Anthracenedione derivatives are potent cytotoxic agents to tumor cells. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activities of anthracenedione derivative 1403P-3 separated from the secondary metabolites of the mangrove endophytic fungus No. 1403. Our results demonstrated that 1403P-3 showed potent cytotoxicity not only to human epidermoid carcinoma drug-sensitive parental KB cells but also to multidrug resistant (MDR) KBv200 cells and the IC50 values were 19.66 and 19.27 muM, respectively. Further research indicated that 1403P-3 induced apoptosis in KB cells and KBv200 cells confirmed by Hoechst 33258 staining, detection of DNA fragmentation and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Furthermore, apoptosis triggered by 1403P-3 was characterized by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), release of cytochrome c, cleavage of Bid, and activation of caspases-2, -3, -7, -8 and -9. Z-IETD-FMK, caspase-8 inhibitor could inhibit the activation of caspase-2 and cleavage of Bid induced by 1403P-3. However, activation of caspase-9 and cleavage of PARP caused by 1403P-3 were not inhibited by Z-IETD-FMK. Additionally, 1403P-3 did not influence the expression level of Bcl-2 and Bax. It is noteworthy that 1403P-3 decreased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in KB cells and KBv200 cells. DNA binding assay exhibited that apoptosis induced by 1403P-3 was not involved in intercalating to DNA. In summary, 1403P-3 induced apoptosis of KB cells and KBv200 cells through mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway. Furthermore, the mitochondrial pathway was independent of reactive oxygen species and activation of caspase-8. PMID- 17786035 TI - A retrospective study on the quality of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines used in the UK between 1996 and 2004. AB - Following the reduction in efficacy of Hib-TT vaccines in the primary immunization schedule observed in the UK between 1999 and 2003, batches of vaccine manufactured by two different companies were retrospectively examined by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control. The study evaluated 41 batches of the Hib-TT vaccines manufactured between 1994 and 2003, assaying potency (total PRP saccharide content), integrity (% free saccharide), consistency (molecular sizing), and immunogenicity, as well as reviewing data previously obtained at the time of release. The study indicated the stability of the lyophilized final fill vaccines to extend well past their assigned shelf lives, and found no trends in the endotoxin content, total saccharide or % free saccharide content. A trend towards slightly larger conjugates was observed over time in Hib-TT A, evidenced in both the manufacturer's data obtained at the time that samples were submitted for testing and in data obtained from the retrospective analysis. The study confirmed that that there had been no significant change in the quality of the Hib vaccines that could possibly account for the change reported in their protective efficacy in the UK. The study also demonstrated the value of independent testing of vaccines from the time of licensure and in the ongoing monitoring and re-examination of selected batches, as necessary, to assure their continuing quality, safety and consistency. PMID- 17786033 TI - Preclinical and clinical studies with the multi-kinase inhibitor CEP-701 as treatment for prostate cancer demonstrate the inadequacy of PSA response as a primary endpoint. AB - PURPOSE: CEP-701 is a potent inhibitor of trk receptors that causes cell death in prostate cancer (PC) models. CEP-701 binds to serum proteins and a preprostatectomy study was performed to assess prostate tissue penetration and clinical response to CEP-701. METHODS: Growth assays and Western blot analyses were performed to evaluate CEP-701 kinase inhibition. In a preprostatectomy study, patients received CEP-701 for five days prior to prostatectomy and prostate tissue analyzed for CEP-701 levels. A phase II dose escalation study was performed in patients with hormone refractory PC with rising PSA and no metastases. Endpoints included PSA response and safety. RESULTS: CEP-701 binds to serum proteins limiting tissue penetration. An oral dose of 40 mg bid of CEP-701 for five days produced levels of 219 +/- 38 nM in prostate at time of prostatectomy. No patients in the Phase II study met the primary response criteria of >50% PSA decline. 7/9 patients had increase in PSA slope on CEP-701 compared to PSA slope prestudy. 5/9 patients had a decrease in PSA levels after stopping CEP-701. Laboratory studies showed increased PSA production by CEP-701 growth arrested human PC cells in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of PSA response is an inadequate indicator of response in CEP-701 treated PC patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of CEP-701 as treatment for prostate cancer has not been adequately tested. Based on a strong preclinical rationale, further clinical studies with CEP-701 using alternative endpoints are indicated. PMID- 17786036 TI - Knowledge of Spanish parents about their children's vaccinations during the decade 1993-2003. AB - This study aims to analyze the knowledge of Spanish parents about the officially recommended vaccinations for their children. We analyzed 3,653 questionnaires from the Spanish National Health Surveys for the years 1993 and 2003. We used as a dichotomous dependent variable ("yes" or "no") the question "For which of the following diseases do you think vaccination is officially recommended?" As independent variables, we used sociodemographic data and perceived health of the child. Knowledge of five of the seven recommended vaccinations decreased during the decade of the study. Logistic regression associates highly educated Spanish parents with decreased knowledge of vaccines. When analyzing the global outcome of vaccines recommended during the decade, we can see that, in 2003, parents had less knowledge about vaccines (OR: 0.54, CI 95%: 0.40-0.73) than in 1993. PMID- 17786037 TI - Rabies antibody levels in bat handlers in the United Kingdom: immune response before and after purified chick embryo cell rabies booster vaccination. AB - Periodic rabies booster injections are recommended for persons who are at continued risk of rabies exposures, but literature on booster intervals is not comprehensive. We recruited bat workers who received rabies vaccinations between September 2002 and March 2003 either as a primary rabies vaccination course (primary group) or rabies booster vaccination (secondary group). From September 2004, those bat workers in the primary group had two blood tests to determine their rabies antibody level; one immediately prior to their first booster vaccination and one approximately one month after the booster vaccination. Bat workers in the secondary group had one blood test, approximately two years after their last booster vaccination. Overall, 185 bat workers participated in the study: 145 in the primary group, 40 in the secondary group. Sixteen (11.1%) in the primary group were below the minimum recognized rabies antibody level of 0.5 IU/ml prior to their first booster vaccination; all were above this level one month after their booster. All bat workers in the secondary group had a rabies antibody level above 0.5 IU/ml. In the primary group, age of the bat worker at primary immunization and rabies vaccine type were significantly associated with antibody response to the rabies booster. We recommend that the first rabies booster vaccination is given one year after the primary course and subsequent boosters are given every three to five years thereafter. PMID- 17786038 TI - Gtdap-1 and the role of autophagy during planarian regeneration and starvation. AB - Planarians have been established as an ideal model organism for stem cell research and regeneration. Planarian regeneration and homeostasis require an exquisite balancing act between cell death and cell proliferation as new tissues are made (epimorphosis) and existing tissues remodeled (morphallaxis). Some of the genes and mechanisms that control cell proliferation and pattern formation are known. However, studies about cell death during remodeling are few and far between. We have studied the gene Gtdap-1, the planarian ortholog of human death associated protein-1 or DAP-1. DAP-1 together with DAP-kinase has been identified as a positive mediator of programmed cell death induced by gamma-interferon in HeLa cells. We have found that the gene functions at the interface between autophagy and cell death in the remodeling of the organism that occurs during regeneration and starvation in sexual and asexual races of planarians. Our data suggest that autophagy of existing cells may be essential to fuel the continued proliferation and differentiation of stem cells by providing the necessary energy and building blocks to neoblasts. PMID- 17786039 TI - Lepidopteran larval midgut during prepupal instar: digestion or self-digestion? AB - Programmed cell death (PCD) is crucial in body restructuring during metamorphosis of holometabolous insects (those that have a pupal stage between the final larval and adult stages). Besides apoptosis, an increasing body of evidence indicates that in several insect species programmed autophagy also plays a key role in these developmental processes. We have recently characterized the midgut replacement process in Heliothis virescens larva, during the prepupal phase, responsible for the formation of a new pupal midgut. We found that the elimination of the old larval midgut epithelium is obtained by a combination of apoptotic and autophagic events. In particular, autophagic PCD completely digests decaying tissues, and provides nutrients that are rapidly absorbed by the newly formed epithelium, which is apparently functional at this early stage. The presence of both apoptosis and autophagy in the replacement of midgut cells in Lepidoptera offers the opportunity to investigate the functional peculiarities of these PCD modalities and if they share any molecular mechanism, which may account for possible cross-talk between them. PMID- 17786040 TI - mDia function is critical for the cell suicide program triggered by farnesyl transferase inhibition. AB - Farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs) exhibit limited cytotoxic effects against human cancer cells, perhaps explaining the limited efficacy of FTIs in clinical trials. Learning how these well-tolerated drugs trigger p53-independent apoptosis in mouse models of cancer might therefore benefit efforts to leverage their utility in clinic. Recent clinical findings indicate that the oncogenic Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor AKAP13/Lbc is associated with clinical responsiveness, in support of an earlier genetic proof in mice that gain of the geranylgeranylated isoform of RhoB which blocks oncogenic Rho signaling is essential for FTI-induced apoptosis. Here we offer evidence that the RhoB effector mDia is a critical downstream player in this death program. Dominant inhibition of mDia ablated FTI-induced apoptosis but not actin reorganization or growth inhibition, the latter of which has been linked previously to interactions with a RhoB effector kinase pathway that downregulates c-Myc. In nude mice, dominant inhibition of mDia promoted tumor formation and ablated FTI antitumor efficacy. Our findings suggest that the RhoB-mDia pathway is critical for the cell death mechanism engaged by FTI. Further, they suggest that mDia may be important for Rho-dependent survival of oncogenically transformed cells, perhaps driven by AKAP13/Lbc. PMID- 17786041 TI - MicroRNAs and cell cycle regulation. AB - MicroRNAs (microRNAs) are abundant, approximately 21-25 nucleotide (nt) non coding RNAs that mediate sequence-specific, post-transcriptional repression of mRNA targets. Emerging evidence suggests that several microRNAs target transcripts that encode proteins directly or indirectly involved in cell cycle progression and cellular proliferation. Moreover, alteration of microRNA levels can contribute to pathological conditions, including tumorigenesis, that are associated with loss of cell cycle control. In this review we highlight recent data linking microRNAs to mammalian cell cycle regulation. We describe how specific miRNAs function within pathways that control cell cycle checkpoints. We discuss emerging evidence that support the idea that some microRNA activity may be cell cycle dependent, and we outline how the coordinate regulation of microRNA targets may influence cell cycle progression. PMID- 17786042 TI - Nutlin-3 inhibits the NFkappaB pathway in a p53-dependent manner: implications in lung cancer therapy. AB - Nutlins were identified as the first potent and specific small molecule Mdm2 antagonists that inhibit the p53-Mdm2 interaction. We show in this study that Nutlin-3 can downregulate TNFalpha induced activation of the NFkappaB reporter in lung cancer cells. Activation of p53 dependent transcription is not compromised when Nutlin-3 is combined with TNFalpha. Instead, this combination treatment decreases cell viability in a p53 dependent manner. We show that Nutlin-3 strikingly inhibits the protein expression of NFkappaB target genes ICAM-1 and MCP-1 while other targets like Bcl-xL and FLIP are not affected, thereby suggesting that the inhibition is promoter specific. This inhibition of ICAM-1 and MCP-1 by Nutlin-3 is again dependent on the p53 status in cells. Furthermore, we show that Nutlin-3 strongly inhibits protein expression of ICAM-1 and MCP-1 induced by IL1, another NFkappaB activating stimuli. Nutlin-3 does not inhibit Akt phosphorylation, IkappaB alpha phosphorylation, IkappaB alpha degradation, p65 modification or p65 DNA binding in the cell lines tested. This study suggests the potential of Nutlin-3 as a bitargeted anti-cancer drug by simultaneously causing p53 activation and NFkappaB suppression. It also suggests that Nutlin-3 could be evaluated for treatment of lung cancer as a single agent or in combination therapy by targeting its effect on ICAM-1 and MCP-1 which are known to be critical for cancer cell invasion, thereby downregulating tumor formation and metastasis. This study also suggests biomarkers of response for evaluation of Nutlin-3 in the clinic. PMID- 17786043 TI - Mdm2 plays a positive role as an effector of p53-dependent responses. AB - The p53 tumor suppressor is negatively regulated in cells by the Mdm2 protein. Mdm2 has therefore been the focus of intensive research aiming at using it as a target for cancer therapy with the ultimate goal of restoring p53 activity. Several studies have attempted to ablate Mdm2 expression or disrupt its interaction with p53 in cancer cells. While the p53-Mdm2 duo has concentrated a lot of attention, multiple new and diverse functions and targets of Mdm2 have been uncovered. Downregulation of Mdm2 using an siRNA approach has recently provided evidence for a new role of Mdm2 in the p53 response, by modulating the inhibition of the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) by p21. Here, this and other recent findings are discussed that support a new role for Mdm2 in the regulation of p53 response. PMID- 17786044 TI - A novel mechanism of E2F1 regulation via nucleocytoplasmic shuttling: determinants of nuclear import and export. AB - E2F1 is a transcription factor central for cell survival, proliferation, and repair following genomic insult. Depending on the cell type and conditions, E2F1 can induce apoptosis in transformed cells, behaving as a tumour suppressor, or impart growth advantages favouring tumour formation. The pleiotropic functions of E2F1 are a likely consequence of its ability to transcriptionally control a wide variety of target genes, and require tight regulation of its activity at multiple levels. Although sequestration of proteins to particular cellular compartments is a well-established regulatory mechanism, virtually nothing is known about its contribution to modulation of E2F1 target gene expression. We have examined the subcellular trafficking of E2F1 and, contrary to the widely held notion that this factor is constitutively nuclear, we now demonstrate that it is subjected to continuous nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. We have also defined two nuclear localization domains and a nuclear export region, which mediates CRM1-dependent transit out of the nucleus. The predominant subcellular location of E2F1 is likely determined by the balance between the activity of nuclear import and export domains, and can be modulated by differentiation stimuli in epidermal cells. Thus, we have identified a hitherto unrecognized mechanism to control E2F1 function through modulation of its subcellular localization. PMID- 17786045 TI - Chromatin polymorphism and the nucleosome superfamily: a genealogy. AB - Nucleosomes were discovered more than thirty years ago as the basic repeating units of chromatin. Since then, nucleosomes have progressively revealed their taste to come in many appearances, upon either adjunction of other proteins (e.g., a fifth histone or a nonhistone protein, HMG-N), histone substitution for isoforms (histone variants), depletion of one or the two H2A-H2B dimers (sub nucleosomes), intimate two-particle association, or isomeric structural alterations. The resulting entities, some of them are only transient, acquire new properties useful for their specific roles in chromatin function. These structures are presented here in the chronological order of their identification, from the chromatosome to the sub-nucleosomal hexasome and tetrasome, and from the dinucleosomal altosome and nucleodisome to the nucleosome variants and altered forms: the old lexosome and the most recent reversome. PMID- 17786046 TI - Bacterially-derived nanocells for tumor-targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics and cell cycle inhibitors. AB - Chemotherapeutic drug therapy in cancer is seriously hampered by severe toxicity primarily due to indiscriminate drug distribution and consequent collateral damage to normal cells. Molecularly targeted drugs such as cell cycle inhibitors are being developed to achieve a higher degree of tumor cell specificity and reduce toxic side effects. Unfortunately, relative to the cytotoxics, many of the molecularly targeted drugs are less potent and the target protein is expressed only at certain stages of the cell cycle thus necessitating regimens like continuous infusion therapy to arrest a significant number of tumor cells in a heterogeneous tumor mass. Here we discuss targeted drug delivery nanovectors and a recently reported bacterially-derived 400 nm sized minicell that can be packaged with therapeutically significant concentrations of chemotherapeutic drugs, targeted to tumor cell surface receptors and effect intracellular drug delivery with highly significant anti-tumor effects in vivo. We also report that molecularly targeted drugs can also be packaged in minicells and targeted to tumor cells with highly significant tumor growth-inhibition and regression in mouse xenografts despite administration of minute amounts of drug. This targeted intracellular drug delivery may overcome many of the hurdles associated with the delivery of cytotoxic and molecularly targeted drugs. PMID- 17786047 TI - Replicational stress selects for p53 mutation. AB - p53 is a critical mediator of cellular responses to a variety of stresses. Given the frequency of p53 mutations in human malignancies and that disruption of p53 has been implicated in chemoresistance, understanding the factors that select for p53 disruption is important both for understanding tumor evolution and for designing cancer therapies. While it is widely believed that genotoxic stress selects for p53 mutations, the effects of DNA damaging agents on long-term proliferative potential are usually not affected by p53 status. Previous reports have demonstrated that despite being activated, p53 loss does not prevent cell cycle arrest and senescence in response to high levels of acute replicational stress. In contrast, we recently reported that chronic exposure of non transformed cells to low, clinically relevant levels of replicational stress induces p53-dependent senescence-like arrest. Disruption of p53 or its target gene p21(CIP1) antagonizes this arrest, leading to a long-term proliferative advantage. However, when replicational stress is associated with substantial DNA strand breaks, the ability of p53 disruption to up-regulate RAD51 dependent homologous recombination becomes important. Replicational stress is induced by many chemotherapeutic treatments and perhaps by some dietary deficiencies, and may be an important factor that selects for p53 mutations during cancer initiation and progression. PMID- 17786048 TI - A novel role for Hedgehog in T-cell receptor signaling: implications for development and immunity. AB - The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is a key regulator of both embryonic development and homeostasis of adult tissues, including thymus and blood. In the thymus, Hh signals for differentiation, survival and proliferation in the early stages of T cell development, before TCR gene rearrangement. Our recent data has shown that Hh signaling also modulates T cell receptor (TCR) signal strength in more mature T lineage cells. We showed that constitutive activation of the Hh pathway in thymocytes (by transgenic expression of the transcriptional activator form of Gli2) decreased TCR signal strength with profound consequences for the thymus--allowing self-reactive T cells to escape deletion and altering T cell CD4/CD8 lineage decisions. In contrast, in the Sonic Hh deficient thymus, TCR signaling was increased, again influencing both TCR repertoire selection and CD4/8 lineage commitment. In peripheral T cells, the transcriptional changes induced by activation of the Hh signaling pathway lead to reduced T cell activation. Hh signaling also attenuated ERK phosphorylation and proliferation in mature T cells on TCR ligation. Modulation of TCR signal strength by Hh pathway activation has importance for immunity as the presence or absence of Hh in the environment in which a T cell is activated would shape the immune response. PMID- 17786049 TI - COMMD1: a novel protein involved in the proteolysis of proteins. AB - COMMD1 is a protein which is associated with multiple cellular pathways, including NFkappaB signaling, copper homeostasis and sodium transport. Recently we found that COMMD1 is also essential for normal mouse embryogenesis. Embryos deficient for Commd1 are retarded and die between 9.5 and 10.5 dpc. Increased HIF 1 activity and elevated HIF-1alpha protein expression were observed in 9.5 dpc Commd1-deficient embryos. In line with these in vivo data, in vitro studies showed that reduced COMMD1 expression caused increased HIF-1alpha protein stability and HIF-1 activity. Functional characterization of COMMD1 in NFkappaB signaling and ATP7B-dependent biliary copper excretion suggested that COMMD1 also has a role in regulating the protein degradation of RelA (p65) and ATP7B. The exact function of COMMD1 in these pathways remains elusive but these recent studies suggest that COMMD1 is associated with the ubiquitin-proteasomal system for regulating protein stability. PMID- 17786051 TI - hClp1: a novel kinase revitalizes RNA metabolism. AB - The RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) is the effector complex in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. In order to become assembled into RISC, synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are phosphorylated at the 5' end upon transfection into cells. The enzymatic activity responsible for this phosphorylation event has so far remained elusive. Using a classical chromatographic approach, we recently identified and characterized hClp1 as the "siRNA-kinase" in HeLa cells. hClp1 is in fact a general RNA-kinase, and a component of the tRNA splicing endonuclease and the mRNA 3' end formation machinery. We discuss the relevance of this finding, and provide further views and perspectives for the analysis of hClp1 in tRNA splicing, mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation and other RNA metabolic processes in which hClp1 might play a role. PMID- 17786050 TI - The tubulin code. AB - Microtubules create diverse arrays with specific cellular functions such as the mitotic spindle, cilia and bundles inside neurons. How microtubules are regulated to enable specific functions is not well understood. Recent work has shown that posttranslational modifications of the tubulin building blocks mark subpopulations of microtubules and selectively affect downstream microtubule based functions. In this way, the tubulin modifications generate a "code" that can be read by microtubule-associated proteins in a manner analogous to how the histone code directs diverse chromatin functions. Here we review recent progress in understanding how the tubulin code is generated, maintained, and read by microtubule effectors. PMID- 17786052 TI - Role of beta-catenin in adult cardiac remodeling. AB - The adult heart has a uniform cellular response to adapt to injury after infarct or increased wall stress in chronic hypertension: hypertrophy of adult cardiomyocytes increases muscle fiber mass while at the same time apoptosis of cardiomyocytes may lead to further loss of contractile mass. The existence and quantitative amount of endogenous cardiac regeneration is currently under intense dispute, no clear picture has yet emerged. Recently, cardiac precursor cells and the signaling pathways controlling their differentiation in the adult organ have come into focus. In heart development, beta-catenin was identified to play a biphasic role in cardiomyocyte differentiation. While initially WNT/beta-catenin activation is required to commit mesenchymal cells to the cardiac lineage, downregulation of beta-catenin is needed for cardiomyocyte differentiation at later stages. Recent genetic data published by our lab suggest beta-catenin downregulation to be beneficial for adult cardiac remodeling. Here we discuss these data in the context of beta-catenin's role in adult cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, apoptosis and possibly regeneration. PMID- 17786053 TI - Breast tumor heterogeneity: cancer stem cells or clonal evolution? AB - Breast tumors are composed of a variety of cell types with distinct morphologies and behaviors. It is not clear how this tumor heterogeneity comes about. Two popular concepts that attempt to explain this are the cancer stem cell hypothesis and the clonal evolution model. Each of these ideas has been investigated for some time, leading to the accumulation of numerous findings that are used to support one or the other. Although the two views share some similarities, they are fundamentally different notions with very different clinical implications. Analysis of the research backing each concept, along with a review of the results of our recent study investigating putative breast cancer stem cells, suggests how the cancer stem cell hypothesis and the clonal evolution model may be involved in generating breast tumor heterogeneity. An understanding of this process will allow the development of more effective ways to treat and prevent breast cancer. PMID- 17786054 TI - BRCA2 function and the central nervous system. AB - Defective responses to DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in the nervous system can lead to neurodegeneration or tumorigenesis. A key player in the repair of DNA DSBs is the tumor suppressor BRCA2, an essential component of the homologous recombination repair pathway and the Fanconi Anemia complex. We recently demonstrated that BRCA2 was required for normal neurogenesis and prevention of medulloblastoma brain tumors. Here, we discuss how this study contributes both to our understanding of BRCA2 functions in vivo, and the tissue-specific requirements for DNA repair and damage-signaling pathways. PMID- 17786055 TI - Drug choice affects treatment compliance and blood pressure outcomes in elderly hypertensive patients. PMID- 17786056 TI - Persistence of treatment and blood pressure control in elderly hypertensive patients treated with different classes of antihypertensive drugs. AB - Unsatisfactory blood pressure (BP) control in the treated hypertensive patient is largely related to poor compliance with antihypertensive drug regimens. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the rate of persistence on treatment and the extent of BP control in 301 elderly, uncomplicated grade I or II hypertensive patients randomly allocated to monotherapy with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), beta blockers, angiotensin II receptors (ARBs), or diuretics according to an open label single-blind study design. After 24 months, the percentage of patients continuing their initial therapy was higher in those treated with ARBs (68.5%) and ACE inhibitors (64.5%) and lower in patients taking diuretics (34.4%; P<.01). The logistic regression model using ARBs as reference term showed that patients treated with ACE inhibitors (odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-0.99) or CCBs (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.54-0.85) were more likely to continue their initial antihypertensive therapy when compared with those treated with beta blockers (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57-0.79) or diuretics (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38 0.84). The average systolic and diastolic BP decrease was greater in patients treated with ARBs (-11.2+/-4/-5.8+/-2 mm Hg), ACE inhibitors (-10.5+/-4/-5.1+/-2 mm Hg), and CCBs (-8.5+/-3/-4.6+/-2 mm Hg) and lesser in those treated with diuretics (-2.3+/-4/-2.1+/-3 mm Hg, P<.05) and beta-blockers (-4.0+/-2/-2.3+/-2 mm Hg; P<.05). The study confirms the importance of persistence with treatment for the effective management of hypertension in clinical practice. PMID- 17786057 TI - New-onset syncope in older adults: focus on age and etiology. AB - The authors explored the differences in clinical presentation, etiology, mortality, and recurrences of new-onset syncope in 502 patients across 3 age groups: middle-aged (36-60 years), older (61-75 years), and elderly (older than 75 years). Clinical features of syncopal episodes were similar except for more frequent presyncopal episodes in patients older than 75 years. Yield of diagnostic tests was similarly low except for higher incidence of positive tilt table test (60%) in older patients. Syncope remained unexplained more frequently in the elderly (54% vs 37% in middle-aged and 43% in older adults, P=.01). Syncope recurrence was higher in the middle-aged and elderly groups. Overall mortality for the 3 age groups was similar to that recorded in the general population after adjustment for age and comorbidities. Etiology of syncope was not associated with age- and comorbidity-adjusted all-cause mortality. Cardiovascular mortality was significantly higher in patients with cardiogenic syncope (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.44; P=.044). PMID- 17786058 TI - Fourth Pivotal Research in Cardiology in the Elderly (PRICE-IV) Symposium- electrophysiology and heart rhythm disorders in the elderly: mechanisms and management. PMID- 17786059 TI - Optimal revascularization strategies for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in the elderly patient. AB - Patients older than 75 years account for >60% of all deaths from acute myocardial infarction. Although there are accepted guidelines for treatment of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, elderly patients tend to have a variety of conditions that can complicate decisions about the best therapy. Many elderly patients do not receive potentially lifesaving treatments, such as percutaneous coronary intervention or thrombolytic therapy, for fear of an adverse event. Those who do receive appropriate revascularization therapy often receive it later in the course of the infarct, when irreversible damage has occurred. Yet studies show that patients older than 75 years will benefit substantially from these therapies. Early treatment improves outcomes in this population, as in younger patients, despite a higher risk of complications. In this review, the evidence regarding medical and revascularization therapies in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is critically examined. PMID- 17786060 TI - Atrial fibrillation ablation procedures in the geriatric population. PMID- 17786061 TI - Sudden collapse in aortic stenosis. PMID- 17786062 TI - Cholesterol and heart disease in older adults: a conversation with Dr Wilbert S. Aronow. Interview by Dr Ali Ahmed. PMID- 17786063 TI - Multiorgan vascular event due to left atrial myxoma. PMID- 17786064 TI - Risk of anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation in the elderly. PMID- 17786065 TI - Ventricular tachycardia epitomizing a new algorithm. PMID- 17786066 TI - Combined alpha/beta-blockade: an underused approach to the treatment of resistant hypertension. PMID- 17786067 TI - A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study to assess the efficacy and safety of nebivolol, a novel beta-blocker, in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. AB - This double-blind, multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled study evaluated the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of nebivolol, a selective beta1 adrenoreceptor blocker with vasodilating effects, in patients with mild to moderate hypertension (sitting diastolic blood pressure [SiDBP] > or =95 mm Hg and < or =109 mm Hg). A total of 909 patients were randomized to receive placebo or nebivolol 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg once daily for up to 84 days. The primary end point was the change in trough SiDBP from baseline to study end. Nebivolol significantly reduced trough SiDBP (8.0-11.2 mm Hg compared with 2.9 mm Hg with placebo; P<.001) and trough sitting systolic blood pressure (a 4.4-9.5-mm Hg decrease compared with a 2.2-mm Hg increase [corrected] with placebo; P< or =.002). The overall adverse event experience was similar in the nebivolol (46.1%) and placebo (40.7%) groups (P=.273). Once-daily nebivolol is an effective antihypertensive in mild to moderate hypertensive patients. PMID- 17786068 TI - Linear relationship between blood pressure and stroke: the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study. AB - Hypertension is a major risk for stroke; a linear or J-shaped relationship between blood pressure (BP) and stroke have been reported. The authors examined the relationship between systolic and diastolic BP and risk of stroke in the general population in Japan. The study included 11,097 men and women who were divided into quintiles by systolic BP and diastolic BP in each sex. Follow-up duration was 10.7 years. In men, risks of second to fifth quintiles of systolic BP for all stroke were 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7-3.0), 2.2 (CI, 1.2 4.2), 3.0 (CI, 1.7-5.5), and 4.2 (CI, 2.4-7.6) compared with a reference of the first quintile using Cox's proportional hazard model, respectively. In women, risk of second to fifth quintiles of systolic BP for all stroke were 1.2 (95% CI, 0.6-2.4), 1.5 (CI, 0.8-2.9), 2.2(CI, 1.2-4.1), and 3.1 (CI, 1.7-5.6), respectively. Systolic BP and diastolic BP were related to stroke incidence linearly in the general Japanese population. Systolic BP was slightly more predictive of the risk of stroke than diastolic BP. PMID- 17786069 TI - Treatment of hypertension and dyslipidemia or their combination among US managed care patients. AB - The authors examined treatment rates in managed-care patients with hypertension (HTN) only or dyslipidemia (DYS) only compared with patients who had both (HTN+DYS). A retrospective, cross-sectional claims analysis was performed in a 2002 US national managed-care database of 1.23 million continuously eligible members aged 18 years or older. Median age was 44.0 years, 8.8% were aged 65 years or older, and 53.2% were women. Study criteria identified 354,324 patients, 32.9% with HTN only, 34.7% with DYS only, and 32.4% with HTN+DYS. Overall, 49.7% of HTN patients had DYS and 48.3% of DYS patients had HTN. Patients with HTN+DYS were significantly older, more likely to have cardiovascular comorbidities, and more likely to use medications and hospital facilities than were patients with HTN only or DYS only (P<.01). About two-thirds of patients with HTN only received 1 or more prescription for an antihypertensive medication, compared with three quarters of those with HTN+DYS. Fewer than half of patients with DYS only and approximately two-thirds with HTN+DYS received a cholesterol-lowering agent. PMID- 17786070 TI - Effects of initial antihypertensive drug class on patient persistence and compliance in a usual-care setting in the United States. AB - Antihypertensive treatment regimen persistence and compliance were measured using a retrospective cohort study of pharmacy claims data. Newly treated patients receiving monotherapy with angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), beta blockers (BBs), or diuretics were followed for 1 year (N=242,882). A higher proportion of ARB patients (51.9%) were persistent in taking prescribed medication compared with those in the ACEI (48.0%), BB (40.3%), CCB (38.3%), and diuretic groups (29.9%). Compared with patients receiving diuretics, those receiving ARBs (hazard ratio [HR], 0.593; P<.0001), ACEIs (HR, 0.640; P<.0001), CCBs (HR, 0.859; P<.0001), and BBs (HR, 0.819; P<.0001) were all less likely to discontinue therapy. Compliance was similar in ACEI and ARB patients, but patients receiving ARBs and ACEIs had better compliance than those receiving BBs, CCBs, or diuretics. The lesser degree of compliance and persistence observed in patients receiving diuretics compared with other antihypertensive medications may have public health as well as cost implications. PMID- 17786071 TI - The use of renin inhibitors in the management of hypertension. PMID- 17786072 TI - Renin inhibitors in the management of hypertension. PMID- 17786073 TI - Management of hypertension complicated by psychiatric comorbidity. PMID- 17786074 TI - Cardiovascular health in patients with serious mental illnesses: we need to do more. PMID- 17786075 TI - Improved control of resistant hypertension with device-mediated electrical carotid sinus baroreflex stimulation. PMID- 17786076 TI - Antihypertensive medications and anemia. AB - Antihypertensive medication use can be associated with a reduction in hemoglobin concentration. The magnitude of such a change is generally small, but in certain instances it can be extreme enough to produce a clinically significant degree of anemia. The mechanistic basis for antihypertensive medication-related changes in hemoglobin concentration include hemodilution, hemolytic anemia, and suppression of red blood cell production, as this occurs most commonly with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. A reduction in hemoglobin concentration in a patient who is receiving treatment for hypertension and does not have an obvious source of blood loss should account for potential antihypertensive therapy involvement. PMID- 17786077 TI - Index Medicus update. PMID- 17786078 TI - Serum uric acid is significantly related to the components of the metabolic syndrome in Japanese workingmen. AB - The aim of this study was to examine whether serum uric acid (SUA) concentration was related to the metabolic syndrome (MS). A total of 981 Japanese workingmen were studied. MS was diagnosed based on the modified criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. MS was present in 8.0% of the target participants. Logistic regression analysis using a cutoff value of the SUA of 7.0 mg/dL showed that some components of MS and the logarithmic value of the serum C reactive protein were associated with a significant odds ratio for predicting elevated SUA. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of a high logarithmic value of the serum C-reactive protein, large waist girth, elevated blood pressure, and dyslipidemia for elevated SUA were 1.76 (CI, 1.21-2.55), 1.72 (CI, 1.21-2.45), 1.42 (CI, 1.01-2.00), and 1.87 (CI, 1.30-2.69), respectively. Most of the components of MS were significant determinants of SUA. PMID- 17786079 TI - Atorvastatin does not induce glomerular or tubular dysfunction even at high doses. AB - The current analyses evaluated the effect of atorvastatin on biomarkers of renal function. Serum creatinine level and markers of tubular and glomerular function, including cystatin C, urine N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, urine and serum beta2-microglobulin, and urine albumin, were assessed in osteopenic postmenopausal women with mild dyslipidemia who received atorvastatin 20 mg, atorvastatin 80 mg, or placebo for 1 year. During the study, changes in serum creatinine levels were the same in all 3 treatment groups. Cystatin C levels remained unchanged in all groups at all time points. For the additional markers of renal function, median values at baseline and weeks 26 and 52 in both of the atorvastatin and the placebo groups were similar. Neither moderate- nor high-dose atorvastatin treatment for 1 year altered markers of glomerular and renal tubular function compared with placebo. These data indicate that in this patient population, atorvastatin, even at a high dose, does not interfere with renal tubular reabsorption of protein, induce renal tubular dysfunction, or alter glomerular filtration rate in humans. PMID- 17786081 TI - Hypoadiponectinemia as a marker of adipocyte dysfunction -- Part I: the biology of adiponectin. AB - Adiponectin is the most abundantly secreted adipocyte-derived peptide hormone, possessing an array of antidiabetogenic and cardiovascular protective effects. Acting through 2 distinct membrane receptors, adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 (which utilize 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha as key cell signaling elements), adiponectin increases hepatic and skeletal muscle sensitivity to insulin, enhances fatty acid oxidation, suppresses monocyte-endothelial interaction, supports endothelial cell growth, lowers blood pressure, and moderates adipose tissue growth. The secretion of adiponectin can be suppressed by adipose factors, which are turned on once fat cell mass increases, such as cytokines, adipose renin-angiotensin system, and increased oxidative stress. Inhibition of adiponectin secretion results in the loss of an array of mechanisms, which under normal conditions of fat cell homeostasis provide protection from insulin resistance, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. PMID- 17786080 TI - Evaluation of the metabolic syndrome in hypertensive patients: results from the ICEBERG Study. AB - The Intensive/Initial Cardiovascular Examination Regarding Blood Pressure Levels: Evaluation of Risk Groups (ICEBERG) study was aimed at evaluating the components of the metabolic syndrome (MS) for cardiovascular risk stratification in hypertensive patients. The ICEBERG study consisted of 2 subprotocols: ICEBERG-1, conducted at 20 university hospitals, and ICEBERG-2, conducted at 197 primary health care centers. Each subprotocol had 2 patient profiles: patients diagnosed with hypertension and receiving medical treatment (treated group) and patients who had not received antihypertensive treatment (untreated group). MS was defined in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel as the presence of at least 3 of the following abnormalities: decreased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, increased plasma triglyceride level, hypertension, increased fasting glucose level, and obesity. In a total of 4039 patients, 65.0% had MS, 30.2% had 3 components, 15.0% had 2 components, and 24.8% had 4 components. The most common accompanying component to hypertension was abdominal obesity. Therefore, this study underlined the value of questioning metabolic components in patients with high-normal or high blood pressure to identify individuals with high added risk of cardiovascular disease. PMID- 17786082 TI - The cardiometabolic syndrome and sarcopenic obesity in older persons. AB - The aging of the world's population is a major contributor to the growing prevalence of the cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) because older persons are more affected by the constellation of cardiovascular risk factors that constitute the syndrome. The prevalence of CMS has been related to the increasing prevalence of obesity, which is growing progressively even among older age groups. Indeed, obesity and aging are 2 overlapping mounting public health problems. It is currently accepted that CMS predicts cardiovascular mortality and/or the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and this is also true in studies including older persons. CMS is further complicated by modifications in body composition and fat redistribution during aging; older adults are at higher risk for developing central obesity and sarcopenia or sarcopenic obesity, a condition characterized by an important reduction in lean body mass associated with obesity, linked to an increased production of inflammatory adipokines that may alter insulin sensitivity and muscle mass and strength. A better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of sarcopenic obesity may help to elucidate the complex relationship between CMS and mortality/morbidity in older adults. PMID- 17786083 TI - Metabolic syndrome: an evolving threat in the genesis of coronary artery disease. AB - Cardiovascular disease is an escalating worldwide health problem. Effective tools to predict and prevent its development and progression are needed. Correctly diagnosing the metabolic syndrome, which identifies people at higher risk for developing diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, may be valuable in guiding treatment and prevention of these major disorders. Several important definitions of the metabolic syndrome have been proposed. The authors discuss these definitions and how they vary in terms of their relationship to incident cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and surrogate markers of atherosclerosis. Establishing clarity on what is meant by the metabolic syndrome and agreement as to its underlying basis is needed to reach consensus between the many different definitions that have been proposed. This is particularly the case if it is to become a useful adjunct in clinical practice to identify those who may benefit from more intensive lifestyle interventions and more detailed short term risk assessments. PMID- 17786084 TI - Cardiovascular risk with subclinical hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism: pathophysiology and management. AB - Previous studies have suggested that subclinical thyroid dysfunction, as manifested by abnormalities in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, are associated with detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. Subclinical hypothyroidism is characterized by abnormal lipid metabolism, cardiac dysfunction, diastolic hypertension conferring an elevated risk of atherosclerosis, and ischemic heart disease. Similarly, patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism have nearly 3 times the likelihood of atrial fibrillation over a 10-year follow-up interval, raising the question of whether patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism should be treated to prevent atrial fibrillation. A single measurement of low serum TSH in individuals aged 60 years or older has been reported to be associated with increased mortality from all causes and in particular from circulatory and cardiovascular disease in a 10-year follow-up study. Subclinical thyroid dysfunction is currently the subject of numerous studies and remains controversial, particularly as it relates to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and clinical applications. PMID- 17786085 TI - The cardiometabolic syndrome and calcium channel blocker combination drugs. AB - On April 18, 2007, a panel was convened to discuss the metabolic syndrome and its relationship to the renin-angiotensin system. James R. Sowers, MD, Professor of Medicine and Physiology and Director of the Diabetes Research Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, moderated the panel. George L. Bakris, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Henry R. Black, MD, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY; and Thomas D. Giles, MD, Professor of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, participated in the discussion. This expert panel discussion was supported by Novartis and each author received an honorarium from Novartis for time and effort spent participating in the discussion and reviewing the transcript for important intellectual content prior to publication. The authors maintained full control of the discussion and the resulting content of this article. PMID- 17786086 TI - Management of hypertension in patients with ischemic heart disease: new guidelines. PMID- 17786087 TI - Evaluation of chest pain in a patient with the cardiometabolic syndrome: assessment by coronary CT angiography. PMID- 17786088 TI - Is severity of chest pain a cue for women and men to recognize acute myocardial infarction symptoms as cardiac in origin? AB - Recognizing symptoms as cardiac in origin is associated with the prompt seeking of medical care in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therefore, the authors compared the symptom attribution of men and women experiencing AMI and examined factors associated with cardiac attribution by sex. In a cross sectional study, a total of 1059 AMI patients were consecutively recruited across 5 countries. A structured interview was performed during hospitalization. Approximately 40% of both men and women interpreted their symptoms as cardiac in origin. In men, a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) and chest pain severity were significantly associated with symptom interpretation as cardiac in origin (odds ratio [OR], 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9-5.6; OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.7, respectively). In women, a history of CHD was also significantly associated with symptom interpretation as cardiac in origin (OR, 4.95; 95% CI, 2.39-10.25), but not severity of chest pain. As opposed to men, severe chest pain may not be a cue for women to interpret their symptom as cardiac in origin. Education and counseling must take sex differences into account to be effective. PMID- 17786089 TI - Predictors of increased body mass index in Chinese children. AB - A longitudinal study design was used to examine factors related to change of body mass index (BMI) over a 1-year period in 307 Chinese children, aged 7 and 8 years, in Taiwan. Standardized instruments were used to measure the children's food intake, physical activity/inactivity, and physical fitness, as well as maternal BMI. Results suggested that a high baseline BMI, poor aerobic capacity, and a high maternal BMI were significantly correlated with increased BMI at 12 months' follow-up. A higher baseline BMI, an overweight mother, increased television viewing and computer time, and poorer aerobic capacity were identified as predictors for weight gain in children (F=207.67; P<.001; adjusted R(2)=0.752). These findings suggest that health care providers need to include the family in children's health care visits and incorporate an assessment of maternal weight status and children's BMI status, activity levels, and aerobic capacity into patient care and education. PMID- 17786090 TI - Impedance cardiography: a comparison of cardiac output vs waveform analysis for assessing left ventricular systolic dysfunction. AB - Early detection of asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is beneficial in managing heart failure. Recent studies have cast doubt on the usefulness of cardiac output as an indicator of LVSD. In impedance cardiography (ICG), the dZ/dt waveform has a systolic wave called the E wave. This study looked at measurements of the amplitude and area of the E wave compared with ICG derived cardiac output, stroke volume, cardiac index, and stroke index as methods of assessing LVSD. ICG data were obtained from patients (n=26) admitted to a coronary care unit. Clinical LVSD severity was stratified into 4 groups (none, mild, moderate, and severe) based on echocardiography data and standard clinical assessment by a cardiologist blinded to ICG data. Statistical analysis showed that the E wave amplitude and area were better indicators of the level of LVSD than cardiac output, stroke volume, cardiac index, or stroke index. ICG waveform analysis has potential as a simple point-of-care test for detecting LVSD in asymptomatic patients at high risk for developing heart failure and for monitoring LVSD in patients being treated for heart failure. PMID- 17786091 TI - A practical use of theory to study adherence. AB - Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a costly Medicare expenditure, with approximately 70% of the costs of heart failure care attributable to acute, symptom-related hospitalizations. The most common preventable cause of rehospitalization is nonadherence to the CHF regimen. Theoretic models have been used to study adherence; however, these models are predominantly designed for health behavior interventions (ie, smoking cessation, diet modification, or exercise) and focus less on conceptualizing the work involved in carrying out complex self-care regimens. The purpose of this paper was to present one approach for operationalizing the Trajectory Theory of Chronic Illness to study adherence in patients with heart failure. The trajectory model offers unique opportunities to study adherence, specifically because measurable patient attributes are clearer when evaluated in the context of the work required to adhere over time. Using trajectory theory may allow providers to better understand and facilitate patient adherence to the CHF regimen. PMID- 17786092 TI - Taking the pressure off type 2 diabetes mellitus: implementing hypertension guidelines. AB - Successful treatment of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus increases life expectancy and reduces the risk of many of the complications associated with diabetes, such as heart disease, stroke, and retinopathy. Controlling blood pressure also protects against advancing renal disease, with several recent studies having clearly shown the advantage of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in slowing the progression of renal disease. Here, the authors review current guidelines for the management of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and explore ways in which nurse practitioners can improve care for these patients. PMID- 17786093 TI - The Euro Heart Survey program: what's in it for nurses? PMID- 17786094 TI - Psychosocial aspects of heart failure management. PMID- 17786095 TI - Amiodarone: development, clinical indications, and safety. PMID- 17786096 TI - ECG evidence of biventricular capture. PMID- 17786097 TI - Bedrest and cutaneous pain receptors: an important relationship? PMID- 17786098 TI - Atopic dermatitis and Valpha24+ natural killer T cells. AB - OBJECTIVE: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with cutaneous hyperreactivity to environmental triggers and is often the first step in the atopic march that results in asthma and allergic rhinitis. Helper T cells and their cytokines, in addition to IgE and eosinophils, play a major role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. Natural killer T (NKT) cells may play a role in atopic dermatitis status. METHODS: The authors examined the percentage of Valpha24+CD161+ NKT cells and CD3+CD16+ CD56+ NKT cells in peripheral blood from 23 patients with atopic dermatitis aged 8 to 35 years (mean, 21.77+/-2.88 years) and 30 healthy controls aged 18 to 32 years (mean, 24.32+/-2.44 years) by using flow cytometric analysis. The mean percentages of Valpha24+CD161+ NKT cell subtypes in the atopic dermatitis group and the healthy group were 0.29%+/-0.02% and 0.42%+/-0.05%, respectively (P<.001). RESULTS: Percentages of Valpha24+CD161+ NKT cell subtypes are significantly lower in patients with atopic dermatitis than healthy individuals. On the other hand, the CD3+CD16+CD56+ NKT cell subtype does not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of Valpha24+CD161+ NKT cells subtypes may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. PMID- 17786099 TI - Anti-inflammatory dose doxycycline (40 mg controlled-release) confers maximum anti-inflammatory efficacy in rosacea. AB - BACKGROUND: Two large clinical trials have recently demonstrated the efficacy of a 40-mg controlled-release formulation of doxycycline in the treatment of rosacea, a dose well below the conventional level of 100 to 200 mg/d. Since no formal dose-response studies have been conducted, the authors analyzed phase 3 data to determine whether a dose-efficacy relationship exists. METHODS: Standard parametric regression analyses were used to estimate the correlations between dose (mg/kg body weight) and overall drug exposure (area under the curve [AUC]) in a phase 1 pharmacokinetic study and between dose and efficacy (mean change from baseline in total inflammatory lesion count at week 16) in 2 pooled phase 3 clinical efficacy studies. Additional regressions were run at each visit for the clinical efficacy studies to determine whether results differed across visits. A regression analysis was also performed in a subset of patients who showed a greater efficacy response. RESULTS: We found overall drug exposure (AUC) to have a highly significant correlation with dose (mg/kg) (r=0.49; P=.006). In contrast, clinical efficacy did not correlate with dose at any of the visits at week 3 (r=0.01; P=.85), week 6 (r=0.04; P=.53), week 12 (r<0.01; P=.98), and week 16 (r=0.03; P=.64) or among the subset of patients who showed greater clinical benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Higher mg/kg doses led to higher plasma concentrations but did not lead to increased clinical efficacy. Anti-inflammatory dose doxycycline (40-mg controlled-release formulation) conferred peak anti-inflammatory efficacy in the treatment of rosacea. PMID- 17786100 TI - Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis: a proliferation of macrophages with tropism for skin and joints, part II. AB - In this second part of the review of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, the authors discuss its association with other diseases, in particular, cancer, and laboratory and therapeutic aspects of this incapacitating and disfiguring disease. Histopathologic aspects are characteristic: dense mononuclear infiltrate with typical multinucleated cells that contain periodic acid-Schiff-positive and diastasis-resistant material, conferring a "ground glass" aspect when stained with hematoxylineosin. PMID- 17786101 TI - Immunosuppression and squamous cell carcinoma: a focus on solid organ transplant recipients. AB - As transplant medicine advances, new immunosuppressive regimens are increasing the long-term survival of solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). This growing population is at significantly increased risk for developing cutaneous malignancies, particularly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), as a result of chronic immunosuppression. Conventional risk factors for the development of skin cancer, including fair skin type, advanced age, sun exposure, and genetic predisposition, also play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of SCC in SOTRs. Immunosuppressed patients develop more aggressive and more numerous SCCs than immunocompetent individuals, however. It is important to understand the mechanisms underlying immunosuppression-mediated SCC development to identify prognostic markers and to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. This article addresses the fundamental differences between SCC in SOTRs and those in the general population, focusing on the role that immunosuppression plays in the pathogenesis of this malignancy. PMID- 17786103 TI - Desonide gel. PMID- 17786102 TI - Altabax (retapamulin ointment), 1%. PMID- 17786104 TI - Sexually transmitted infections-microbial infections, 2007 update. AB - Human sexual behavior required for the continuation of humankind nevertheless has its downsides, among them sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The treatment of microbial STIs is challenging but not in itself essentially very difficult. Controlling STIs, on the other hand, is like the task of Sisyphus, a king in Greek mythology who was forced forever to roll a block of stone to the top of a steep hill, only to see it roll back to the valley, where he started the toilsome task again. This is how many a venereologist must view the day's practice, supervising patients with STIs. Yes, there are newcomers, many of them very young, but there are many others, the recidivists, whom the physician and health care staff know only too well. "You don't mind seeing me again, doc. You (collectively) were so good to me last time"--as though catching a chlamydial infection 3 or 4 times, gonorrhea 20 or 30 times, and syphilis on occasion were badges of virility or part of life's natural progression. This is the pattern of STIs in 2007. PMID- 17786105 TI - Successful treatment of long-standing, recalcitrant subcorneal pustular dermatosis with etanercept. PMID- 17786106 TI - Madelung's disease in a patient with diabetes mellitus. PMID- 17786107 TI - Leishmaniasis recidivans in a Palestinian Bedouin child. PMID- 17786109 TI - Elastosis perforans serpiginosa. AB - A 41-year-old white man with Down syndrome presented with a slightly pruritic, papular eruption on bilateral forearms of several years' duration. Physical examination revealed multiple 2- to 3-mm keratotic, umbilicated pink papules in an annular configuration distributed symmetrically on the flexural surfaces of the forearms (Figure 1). The skin surrounding these papules was noted to be hyperpigmented and somewhat atrophic. The remainder of his skin examination was unremarkable. A shave biopsy of 1 papule was performed and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections showed clumps of bright red fibers being extruded through an acanthotic epidermis with a central invagination (Figure 2). Verhoeff-van Gieson stain confirmed these fibers to be elastin (Figure 3). Elastosis perforans serpiginosa was diagnosed. PMID- 17786108 TI - Rheumatoid arthritis associated with pemphigus foliaceus in a patient not taking penicillamine. PMID- 17786112 TI - A new syndrome of tufting enteropathy and choanal atresia, with ophthalmologic, hematologic and hair abnormalities. AB - Three siblings are reported with a syndrome of intractable diarrhea of infancy (owing to tufting enteropathy) and choanal atresia/stenosis. Additional components of this condition are a mild shortness of stature, a prominent and broad nasal bridge, micrognathia, single palmar creases, chronic corneal inflammation, episodic cytopenia, and abnormal hair texture. Intelligence is normal, and there is no immunodeficiency distinguishing this syndrome from that reported by Girault et al. (1994). Additional features that might occur in this syndrome include bifid uvula, preauricular pits, and 2/3 toe syndactyly. We compare this syndrome with previously reported intractable diarrhea syndromes and speculate on the developmental mechanisms that could account for many of the features demonstrated by this sibship. PMID- 17786113 TI - Familial mental retardation due to a cryptic subtelomeric translocation -del 14qter and dup 9qter (the Anyon phenotype). AB - An example of familial mental retardation is described in which there is a distinctive phenotype. It consists of IQ in the 30-50 range, microcephaly, short stature, narrow skull, prominent ears and nose and a cryptic subtelomeric translocation resulting in del 14qter and dup 9qter. Variable features include congenital heart disease, peripheral neuropathy and epilepsy. The phenotype was described in 1965 by Anyon. PMID- 17786114 TI - A de novo subtelomeric monosomy 11q (11q24.2-qter) and trisomy 20q (20q13.3-qter) in a girl with findings compatible with Jacobsen syndrome: case report and review. AB - We report on a 2-year-old dysmorphic girl with prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency, cardiopathy, left-sided hydronephrosis due to pyelourethral junction stenosis, frequent respiratory infections and psychomotor retardation, in whom a de novo unbalanced submicroscopic translocation (11q;20q) was detected by subtelomeric multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses. Additional fluorescence in situ hybridization studies with locus-specific BAC probes and analyses with microsatellite markers revealed that this translocation resulted in a paternal chromosome 11q terminal deletion of approximately 8.9 Mb and a subtelomeric 20q duplication of approximately 3.7 Mb. A subtelomeric 20q trisomy has only been reported in four cases so far. A subtelomeric 11q deletion has been clinically reported in 18 patients. We review the clinical phenotype of these patients. We suggest that patients with a subterminal (11q24.2/25-qter) deletion may present with features of the well-known phenotype of terminal 11q deletion or Jacobsen syndrome. PMID- 17786115 TI - Alagille syndrome with deletion 20p12.2-p12.3 and hypoplastic left heart. AB - We report a male patient born at 37-weeks gestation, weighing 1.885 kg (<0.4th centile). Shortly after birth, he was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome for which he underwent a Norwood procedure. Subsequently, he developed problems with failure to thrive and developmental delay. At the age of 4 years his delay in growth and development led to further investigations, which revealed a small de-novo interstitial deletion of chromosome 20p12.2. JAGGED1 haploinsufficiency was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis confirmed and quantified an approximate 5.4 Mb interstitial deletion involving the chromosomal region 20p12.2 p12.3. This precise interstitial deletion has not been previously reported. Further clinical evaluation revealed posterior embryotoxon and butterfly vertebrae. He has normal liver function tests, facial features consistent with Alagille syndrome, and mild learning difficulties. To our knowledge this is the first report of Alagille syndrome associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. PMID- 17786116 TI - Midline defects in deletion 18p syndrome: clinical and molecular characterization of three patients. AB - The phenotype of monosomy 18p varies widely, the main clinical manifestations being mental and growth retardation, and craniofacial dysmorphism. Clinical features also include growth hormone (GH) deficiency, or holoprosencephaly (HPE). Haploinsufficiency for TGIF, mapped to 18p11.3, is not generally sufficient to cause HPE. To perform a genotype-phenotype correlation, and delineate the region involved in GH deficiency, we carried out a molecular characterization of the 18p deletions, in three patients with midline defects. Two unrelated children, a 7 month-old girl and a 2-month-old boy had del(18p) syndrome and GH deficiency. In addition, the boy had HPE. HPE genes, SHH, ZIC2, SIX3, and TGIF, were tested by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and quantitative multiplex of PCR short fluorescent fragments analyses. A deletion of TGIF was confirmed, without any associated mutation for the tested HPE genes, suggesting the role of other genetic or environmental factors. The third patient was his moderately retarded mother. A set of chromosome 18p-specific BACs clones was used as fluorescence in-situ hybridization probes to define the breakpoints. Recently, it was found that there seem to be a breakpoint cluster in the centromeric region at 18p11.1, which was not observed in our patients. The girl was found to have a deletion of 10.3 Mb, with a breakpoint in 18p11.22. The boy and his mother had a smaller deletion (8 Mb), with a breakpoint in 18p11.23. These findings suggest that the distal region on 18p is involved in the main clinical features, and GH deficiency, in 18p deletions. PMID- 17786117 TI - Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of a de-novo cryptic deletion of 7p21 associated with an apparently balanced translocation and complex craniosynostosis. AB - We describe a female infant with complex craniosynostosis, significant craniofacial dysmorphism and developmental delay in which a de-novo apparently balanced translocation between chromosomes 7 and 18 [46,XX,t(7;18)(p15.3;q11.2)] was identified. Additional cytogenetic and molecular investigations identified a cryptic interstitial 7.6-10.6-Mb deletion of the region between bands 7p21.2 and 7p21.3 on the derivative chromosome 18. The deletion was of paternal origin and contained the TWIST1 gene, although her features were not completely characteristic of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. The phenotype of this patient is likely further complicated by loss of other genes within the deleted region and/or disruption of a critical gene(s) at the sites of the breakpoints on chromosomes 7 and 18. This case illustrates the need for a systematic molecular study of breakpoints and the surrounding chromosomal regions in patients with apparently balanced rearrangements and phenotypic abnormalities. PMID- 17786118 TI - High prevalence of Cohen syndrome among Irish travellers. PMID- 17786119 TI - Mutations and new polymorphic changes in the TCOF1 gene of patients with oculo auriculo-vertebral spectrum and Treacher-Collins syndrome. AB - Oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum, the exact genetic predisposition of which has not yet been resolved, is characterized by varying degrees of the prevalently unilateral underdevelopment of craniofacial structures and spinal anomalies. Here, we analyzed four cases exhibiting multiple features of oculo-auriculo vertebral spectrum and one case with Treacher-Collins syndrome. The cranium was analyzed using three-dimensional computed tomography, which reliably identifies craniofacial malformations. We detected one typical oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum patient who had a missense mutation in exon 9 of the TCOF1 gene complex and two silent mutations in exons 10 and 23, three partial oculo-auriculo vertebral spectrum patients who had no detectable mutations in the TCOF1 gene complex, and one Treacher-Collins syndrome patient who had a nonsense mutation in exon 14. All five patients had eight previously reported polymorphic changes in the TCOF1 exons 10, 11, 12, 16, 21, 22, and 23, and four unreported polymorphisms in exons 9, 17, and 22 that were also detected in 51 Taiwanese control patients. These observations strongly suggest that the TCOF1 genetic changes observed in these five patients might be related to oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum symptoms. PMID- 17786120 TI - Supernumerary nostrils together with oesophageal atresia and patent ductus arteriosus. AB - Supernumerary nostril is an extremely rare congenital anomaly. It can be unilateral or bilateral and it sometimes occurs in association with other congenital abnormalities. We describe a newborn infant with bilateral supernumerary nostrils together with oesophageal atresia and patent ductus arteriosus, an association that has not been reported previously in the literature. PMID- 17786121 TI - A patient with Mullerian abnormalities, renal dysplasia, cervical spine fusion, cataracts and intellectual disability: MURCS-plus? AB - We report a 15-year-old girl with features of the MURCS (Mullerian abnormalities, renal agenesis/ectopy and cervicothoracic somite dysplasia) association and birth defects not typically associated with MURCS. In addition to seizures and intellectual disability, she has cortical brain heterotopia, bilateral subclinical cataracts, submucous cleft palate and patent ductus arteriosus. We propose that this patient represents a more severe form of MURCS, or 'MURCS plus', which may represent a defect of or insult to mesodermal morphogenesis. PMID- 17786122 TI - MURCS and thenar hypoplasia. AB - We describe the case of a woman with some features of the MURCS (Mullerian duct aplasia, renal aplasia, and cervicothoracic somite dysplasia) association, along with a radial ray anomaly. She had fusion of two cervical vertebrae, and a unicornuate uterus as MURCS components; and thenar muscle hypoplasia and absent radial pulses reflecting radial ray elements. We review two similar cases from the literature. We discuss whether our case might represent an incomplete and variant form of the MURCS association, or an example of an overlap between the MURCS and VATER (vertebral, anal, tracheo-esophageal, radial) associations. PMID- 17786123 TI - Mucosal lesions can occur in leopard syndrome. PMID- 17786124 TI - Tall stature and minor facial dysmorphisms in a patient with a 17.5 Mb interstitial deletion of chromosome 13 (q14.3q21.33): clinical report and review. AB - We present a 4-year-old boy with developmental delay and several into minor dysmorphic features due to an interstitial deletion of 17.5 Mb on the long arm of chromosome 13 [46,XY,del (13)(q14.3q21.33)]. The deletion was detected initially during routine cytogenetic screening and further analyzed on a genome-wide BAC array. In contrast to several previous papers reporting a short stature, our patient was tall with a 1 year advanced skeletal age. In this paper, we compare growth and clinical features of this patient with previously reported cases, with a similar interstitial deletion on the long arm of chromosome 13. PMID- 17786125 TI - Job strain and risk of breast cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: Cohort studies investigating the association between stress and breast cancer have shown highly inconsistent results. METHODS: The Women's Lifestyle and Health Cohort Study included 36,332 Swedish women age 30-50 years who were employed at baseline (1991-1992). Participants were followed through December 2004 using linkages to national registries. A total of 767 women were diagnosed with breast cancer during follow-up. RESULTS: Among women working full time, low job control and high job demands were weakly associated with breast cancer risk (hazard ratios of 1.2; 95% CI = 1.0-1.5). Women with both low job control and high job demands ("job strain") had higher risk of breast cancer than women with high job control and low demands ("low strain") (1.2; 0.9-1.6). Multivariate adjustment slightly strengthened the association between breast cancer and job strain (1.4; 1.1-1.9), whereas the associations with control and demands were unchanged. Work characteristics were unrelated to breast cancer risk among women working part-time. DISCUSSION: There was a small increased risk of breast cancer among women in full-time employment who experienced job strain, but not among part-time workers. PMID- 17786126 TI - HIV seroreversion time in HIV-1-uninfected children born to HIV-1-infected mothers in Malawi. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study temporal changes in HIV-1 seroreversion (change in reactivity of HIV serology from positive to negative) in uninfected infants born to HIV-1 infected mothers. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data from 3 cohort studies conducted in Malawi among infants born 1989 through 1991 (International Collaborative AIDS Research [ICAR]), 1993 through 1996 (HIV Network for Prevention Trials [HIVNET]), and 2000 through 2003 (nevirapine/zidovudine [NVAZ]). The proportion of children HIV seroreverting at ages 15, 18, and 21 months and the relative odds for seroreversion comparing infants born before 1997 to those born after 1999 were calculated. RESULTS: Included in this analysis were 635 infants from ICAR, 459 from HIVNET, and 1020 from NVAZ. During the study, there was a consistent trend of decrease in proportion of children seroreverting over time: highest during 1989 through 1991, intermediate during 1993 through 1996, and lowest during 2000 through 2003. Additionally, there was a strong association between seroreversion and year of birth (before 1997 vs. after 1999): adjusted relative odds 5.1 at 15 months, 8.2 at 18 months, and 11.2 at 21 months. CONCLUSIONS: Age of seroreversion in HIV-1-exposed uninfected infants increased over time. Persistence of maternal HIV-1 antibodies could have implications on timing of infant HIV-1 diagnosis using serological diagnostic methods. PMID- 17786127 TI - Adjusting HIV prevalence data from a program for the prevention of mother-to child transmission for surveillance purposes in Uganda. AB - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a method for adjusting estimates of HIV prevalence based on data from a program for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV infection for the potential bias attributable to refusal of PMTCT-related testing. METHODS: Age-specific logistic regression models were used to estimate the HIV risk coefficients for 10 predictor variables among women who accepted the PMTCT-related testing (n = 1874) at an antenatal clinic in northern Uganda. These risk coefficients were used to predict the prevalence among women who were not tested (n = 1719) and to adjust the PMTCT-based prevalence for nonparticipation bias. Crude and adjusted PMTCT-based prevalence estimates were compared with the prevalence among women who were anonymously tested as part of routine sentinel surveillance (n = 2225). RESULTS: The PMTCT-based prevalence represented an underestimate compared with that based on anonymous surveillance in 2004 (9.0% vs. 10.5%); in 2005, it constituted an overestimate (11.8% vs. 10.9%). Adjusting the PMTCT-based prevalence reduced the difference attributable to nonparticipation bias by approximately 70% in both years, so that the adjusted prevalence (10.1% in 2004 and 11.2% in 2005) was similar to the surveillance based prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The adjustment method was effective in reducing the nonparticipation bias. Further studies are needed to assess the utility of PMTCT program data for HIV surveillance. PMID- 17786129 TI - The costs associated with adverse event procedures for an international HIV clinical trial determined by activity-based costing. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine costs for adverse event (AE) procedures for a large HIV perinatal trial by analyzing actual resource consumption using activity-based costing (ABC) in an international research setting. METHODS: The AE system for an ongoing clinical trial in Uganda was evaluated using ABC techniques to determine costs from the perspective of the study. Resources were organized into cost categories (eg, personnel, patient care expenses, laboratory testing, equipment). Cost drivers were quantified, and unit cost per AE was calculated. A subset of time and motion studies was performed prospectively to observe clinic personnel time required for AE identification. RESULTS: In 18 months, there were 9028 AEs, with 970 (11%) reported as serious adverse events. Unit cost per AE was $101.97. Overall, AE-related costs represented 32% ($920,581 of $2,834,692) of all study expenses. Personnel ($79.30) and patient care ($11.96) contributed the greatest proportion of component costs. Reported AEs were predominantly nonserious (mild or moderate severity) and unrelated to study drug(s) delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive identification and management of AEs to conduct clinical trials ethically and protect human subjects require expenditure of substantial human and financial resources. Better understanding of these resource requirements should improve planning and funding of international HIV-related clinical trials. PMID- 17786128 TI - A randomized controlled trial of therapeutic drug monitoring in treatment-naive and -experienced HIV-1-infected patients. AB - OBJECTIVE: To improve the utility of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) by defining the proportion of patients with and predictors of above or below target protease inhibitor (PI) or nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) concentrations. METHODS: This 48-week, multicenter, open-label clinical trial randomized patients to TDM versus standard of care (SOC). Serial pharmacokinetics, including a week-2 3-sample sparse collection, and expert committee TDM recommendations were given to TDM-arm patients' providers. RESULTS: Seventy-four (39%) of 190 patients had week-2 concentrations outside of targets and 122 (64%) of 190 had nontarget exposure at least once over 48 weeks. Providers accepted 75% of TDM recommendations. Among patients with below-target concentrations, more TDM-arm than SOC-arm patients achieved targets (65% vs. 45%; P = 0.09). Increased body weight and efavirenz or lopinavir/ritonavir use were significant predictors of nontarget concentrations. Patients at target and patients who achieved targets after TDM-directed dose modifications trended toward greater viral load reductions at week 48 than patients with below-target exposures (HIV RNA reductions: 2.4, 2.3, and 1.9 log10 copies/mL, respectively; P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients had nontarget PI and/or NNRTI concentrations over 48 weeks. TDM recommendations were well accepted and improved exposure. Patients below TDM targets trended toward worse virologic response. PMID- 17786130 TI - Comparative costs of inpatient care for HIV-infected and uninfected children and adults in Soweto, South Africa. AB - BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS creates a massive burden of care for health systems. A better understanding of the impact of HIV infection on health care utilization and costs may enable better use of limited resources. METHODS: We compared public sector inpatient costs of HIV-infected versus uninfected adults and children at a large hospital in Soweto, South Africa. Daily hotel costs estimated from hospital financial data and total patient visits were combined with utilization, abstracted from patients' charts, and costed using government price lists to estimate total inpatient costs. RESULTS: A total of 1185 eligible records were included over a 6-week period in 2005. Eight hundred twelve were from HIV infected patients, and of these, 77 were on antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. The mean length of stay (LOS) and mean drug and intravenous fluid utilization of HIV infected adults not on ARVs was greater than those of uninfected adults, resulting in a $200 higher total average admission cost. Patients on ARVs had longer LOS and incurred a total average admission cost of $750 more than HIV infected adults not on ARVs. CONCLUSIONS: Inpatient costs were greater for this selected group of HIV-infected adults, and even higher for the small proportion of individuals receiving ARVs. Budget allocations should incorporate case mix by HIV and ARV status as a key determinant of hospital expenditure. PMID- 17786132 TI - HIV-1 upregulates intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene expression in lymphoid tissue of patients with chronic HIV-1 infection. AB - OBJECTIVES: Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 is an adhesion molecule that plays an important role in the transmission of HIV-1 to CD4+ target cells and in the decrease of these cells in lymphoid tissue (LT). Our main objective was to study ICAM-1 expression in LT from HIV-1-infected persons and to correlate this expression with LT viral load and the immunoarchitecture alteration before and after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: Tonsillar LT samples from 16 patients with chronic asymptomatic HIV-1 infection were studied before initiating treatment and after 12 months of HAART. ICAM-1 protein expression was studied by immunohistochemistry in all cases, and ICAM-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) was quantified from frozen tissue in 6 patients using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). LT viral load was determined by PCR. The LT immunoarchitecture, p24 immunoexpression, and CD4+ cell count were assessed from tissue sections. RESULTS: Before initiating HAART, there was high immunohistochemical ICAM-1 expression in follicular dendritic and endothelial cells and high ICAM-1 mRNA quantification. These findings correlated with a high LT viral load, strong p24 expression, and an effacement of LT immunoarchitecture with a low number of CD4+ cells. After HAART, there was a significant decrease of immunohistochemical and gene ICAM-1 expression. These results correlated with a significant decrease of LT viral load and p24 immunoexpression, a recovery of LT architecture, and a significant increase of CD4+ cells. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-1 upregulates ICAM-1 expression in LT. This finding is associated with a marked effacement of LT architecture. HAART produces downregulation of ICAM-1 expression and recovery of LT architecture by reducing LT viral load significantly. PMID- 17786133 TI - [The influence of tacrolimus on oxidative stress and free-radical processes]. AB - Oxidative stress causes disturbances in homeostasis leading to an excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Free-radical reactions undergo intensification during transplantation and are responsible for both damage to the graft and cardiovascular complications, one of the major causes of patient death. The function of immunosuppressive drugs in this process is currently the object of research. Investigations of medications which would decrease the level of oxidative stress are in progress. Tacrolimus (FK-506) is a medication commonly used in immunosuppressive therapy. It has a better cardiac-lipid profile than cyclosporine A. Some reports about the beneficial effect of tacrolimus on the level of oxidative stress in the organism have appeared. Especially in vitro studies and animal tests indicate antioxidative properties for tacrolimus. Decreases in parameters of oxidative stress, such as the concentration of malone dialdehyde (MDA), the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), and neutrophilic infiltration, were observed after treatment. In in vitro studies on endotheliocytes, tacrolimus induced oxidative stress more weakly than other medications and was the only one that did not increase the production of nitric oxide (NO). The protective effect of tacrolimus on inflammatory response in rat liver during ischemia-reperfusion injury, on atrocytes exposed to stimulated ischemia in vitro, and in experimental traumatic injury of spinal cord tissues in rats were also described. Findings in patients after transplantation are not so clear and even indicate that the influence of tacrolimus on the activity of antioxidative enzymes in kidneys may be involved in side-effect of tacrolimus. PMID- 17786134 TI - [Quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, with a particular description of methodology]. AB - The notion of quality of life (QoL) gained prominence in the second part of the twentieth century, and there has been a dynamic development of research connected with the medical aspects of QoL in recent years. Most papers are about QoL in a chronic and incurable diseases, such as cancer and "civilizational" diseases, but also in some skin diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a model autoimmune disease whose etiopathogenesis is still unknown. SLE is a systemic connective tissue disease and occurs especially in young women. The possibility of its different localization makes SLE an object of interest for many specialists. Patient age, the most common symptoms, difficulties with pregnancy, the necessity of using sun blockers, and the kinds of treatment are all responsible for decreased patient comfort. Up to now there have been few publications about the quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. In this paper some general rules of measuring quality of life are presented. Some questionnaires used to measure quality of life in SLE patients are also described. PMID- 17786135 TI - [Autoimmune aspects of treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors]. AB - Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and juvenile chronic arthritis. Recent years have brought improvement in the understanding of the pathogeneses of these diseases, resulting in the production of new groups of biological drugs, including, among others, anti-TNF-alpha antibodies. The use of TNF inhibitors has been a great advance in the treatment of patients with these inflammatory diseases. Infliximab and adalimumab are monoclonal antibodies that bind to and neutralize the activity of TNF-alpha. Infliximab is a mouse/human chimera that joins the variable regions of a mouse antibody to the constant region of human IgG1. Adalimumab is a fully human IgG1 antibody. Etanercept is a dimeric fusion protein that joins the human p75 TNF receptor to the Fc domain of human IgG1. The beneficial effects of the anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies infliximab and adalimumab and the soluble receptor fusion protein etanercept in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, especially in patients resistant to other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), are discussed. We observe stoppage of articular destruction during treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors. Soon after the introduction of this therapy it was found that these agents have a propensity for stimulating the production of autoantibodies and antibodies against themselves. In this review, recent studies analyzing the effect of TNF-alpha blockade (infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab) on the ANA, anti-dsDNA, and anticardiolipin antibody profiles in autoimmune diseases are discussed. PMID- 17786138 TI - Hepatopulmonary syndrome - past to present. AB - Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is the one of the complication of liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension, irrespective of etiology, age and sex. It has also been observed in non cirrhotic portal hypertension and in acute hepatic conditions. Presence of hypoxemia or abnormal alveolar arterial oxygen tension with intrapulmonary vasodilation in liver cirrhosis is termed as HPS. Contrast echocardiogram is the better screening tool to demonstrate intrapulmonary shunt. Clinicians should be aware of other common chronic pulmonary and cardiac comorbid conditions, in particular COPD, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, etc. which may coexist with HPS. There is no specific clinical finding to diagnose but digital clubbing, cyanosis, dyspnoea, platypnoea, and spider naevi are more common among cirrhosis with HPS. The presence of HPS independently worsens prognosis of cirrhosis. Even though number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain arterial hypoxemia in HPS, role of nitric oxide is the major one along with cytokines. Liver transplantation is the choice of treatment though mortality is comparatively high. There is no still effective recommended medical therapy to reverse this condition and anti cytokine/ nitric oxide inhibitors, etc are under preliminary stage. PMID- 17786139 TI - MDR3 mutations associated with intrahepatic and gallbladder cholesterol cholelithiasis: an update. AB - BACKGROUND: The recurrent microlithiasis represents one of the most frequent clinical forms of lithiasis of the bile ducts. This affection is characterized by the presence of cholesterolic microgallstones on hepatic canaliculars, and belongs to a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive liver disorders. Radiological diagnosis can be confirmed by analysis of MDR3 gene, coding a protein involved in physiologic translocation of phospholipids in bile. Discovery of MDR3 mutations is of particular interest, since normally associated with good effectiveness of medication by ursodesoxycholic acid. AIM: To review MDR3 mutations in humans associated with recurrent cholesterol microlithiasis and to suggest a practical approach for MDR3 gene analysis. RESULTS: 48 mutations of MDR3 gene have been reported in humans to date, from which 43 (89.5%) in the coding region, and 5 splice site mutations have been associated to cholesterol cholelithiasis. 21 (43.8%) of the 43 precited mutations are located in only 8 exons on 28, near transmembrane or nucleotide binding domains of the protein. From the 22 remaining described mutations, 9 (18.8%) are restricted to exon 14. We suggest therefore to start analysis of MDR3 gene by screening exons 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 23 and 24 with an appropriate protocol in this diagnosis associated with effective treatment. In conclusion such therapeutic orientation is valuable, since recurrent cholesterolic microlithiasis occurs relatively early in life, and by the fact that recurrence of symptoms may occur despite cholecystectomy, or shock-wave therapy. PMID- 17786140 TI - Abnormal hepatic biochemistries and clinical liver disease in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome may present liver involvement. Our goals were to establish the prevalence of abnormal hepatic biochemistries and clinical liver disease in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome and correlate their presence with other clinical and laboratory features. METHODS: Ninety-five patients with diagnosis of primary Sjogren's syndrome were studied. Data on gender, age, clinical features, liver biochemistries, tests of inflammation and autoimmunity, and concomitant diseases were collected. RESULTS: Forty-two patients (44%) had abnormal hepatic biochemistries, and of these 19 patients (20%) had clinical liver disease. Patients with abnormal hepatic biochemistries had higher frequency of autoimmune hypotiroidism, arthritis, vasculitis, Raynaud's phenomenon, higher sedimentation rate,and higher frequency of antinuclear and antimitochondrial antibodies than patients with normal liver biochemistries (P < 0.05 for each). Patients with clinical liver disease had higher frequency of arthritis, vasculitis, and higher frequency of antimitochondrial antibodies than patients without clinical liver disease (P < 0.05 for each). Twenty-one patients had diagnosis of a specific liver disease, such as hepatitis C virus infection (n = 11), autoimmune hepatitis (n = 2), primary biliary cirrhosis (n =5),nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 2), and hepatitis B virus infection (n = 1). In half of patients with liver involvement a definitive cause could not be identified. CONCLUSION: Liver involvement is frequently found in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome, and its presence is associated with clinical features of systemic disease, and markers of autoimmunity and inflammation. There may be a subgroup of patients with liver involvement secondary to primary Sjogren's syndrome. PMID- 17786141 TI - Geographical distribution of HCV genotypes in Mexico. AB - Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is the second cause of endstage liver disease in our country and one of the main indications of liver transplantation. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is the principal prognostic factor and the determinant of the therapeutic scheme. In our country few data exist regarding the prevalence of HCV infection and genotype distribution in the Mexican Republic has not been determined. The aim of this study was to characterize the prevalence of the different HCV genotypes and to explore their geographical distribution. METHODS: Mexican patients with hepatitis C infection, detected throughout the country between 2003 and 2006, were included. All samples were analyzed by a central laboratory and Hepatitis C genotype was identified by Line Immuno Probe Assay in PCR positive samples (Versant Line Probe Assay Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, San Juan Capistrano CA). Data were analyzed according to the four geographical areas in Mexico. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred and ninety CHC patients were included. The most frequent genotype detected was genotype 1 (69%) followed by genotype 2 (21.4%) and genotype 3 (9.2%). Genotype 4 and 5 were infrequent. There was no subject infected with genotype 6. Genotype 1 and 2 exhibit very similar distribution in all geographical areas. Genotype 3 infected patients were more frequent in the North region (52%) compared with other areas:center-western (30%), center (17%), South-South east (1%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent HCV genotype in Mexico is genotype 1. Geographical distribution of HCV genotypes in the four geographical areas in Mexico is not homogenous with a greater frequency of genotype3 in the north region. This difference could be related to the global changes of risk factors for HCV infection. PMID- 17786142 TI - Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: population based study. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIM: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of chronic liver disease and liver transplantation in western countries. Increasing incidence of NAFLD has been well documented from Asian countries like Japan and China. Diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity, hyperinsulinemia are predisposing factors for NAFLD. There is increase in incidence of DM, obesity and insulin resistance in India in last two decades. Hence it is logical to expect increase in incidence of NAFLD in India. There is limited data on the prevalence of NAFLD from India. Majority of data comes from hospital based studies including small number of patients. Therefore this study was planned to estimate the prevalence of NAFLD in general population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Residents of two Railway colonies were evaluated on history, clinical examination, anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests and abdominal ultrasound. RESULTS: 1,168 participants were evaluated. Persons with any amount of alcohol consumption, HBs Ag positive, Anti HCV positive, persons with other known liver diseases and taking medications causing liver disease were excluded. Prevalence of NAFLD on ultrasound was 16.6%. Out of 730 subjects above the age of 20 years (341 male 384 female 389) mean age 39.08 +/- 12.3 years, 4% had diabetes, 57% had central obesity. Prevalence of NAFLD based on the ultrasound above 20 years of age was 18.9%. NAFLD was more prevalent in male than female (24.6% vs 13.6%, p < 0.001). Risk factors associated with NAFLD were age more than 40 years, male gender, central obesity, high BMR > 25, elevated fasting blood sugar, raised AST and ALT. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of NAFLD in Indian population is comparable to the west. PMID- 17786143 TI - Evaluation of gallbladder motility: comparison of two-dimensional and three dimensional ultrasonography. AB - Since impaired gallbladder emptying contributes to gallstone formation, the evaluation of gallbladder motility requires accurate methodology. Recently developed 3-dimensional ultrasonography may take into account various gallbladder shapes more accurately than conventional 2-dimensional ultrasonography. Therefore, volumes of water-filled balloons of various sizes were determined in vitro by 2-dimensional ultrasonography with the sum of cylinders method and by 3 dimensional ultrasonography. Also, in 15 gallstone patients and 6 healthy volunteers, fasting gallbladder volumes and postprandial motility were determined by both methods. Volumes of water-filled balloons as measured by both methods correlated strongly with true volumes (R= 0.93 for 2-dimensional and R = 0.98 for 3- dimensional ultrasonography). Gallbladder volumes measured by both methods were also correlated (R = 0.66, P <0.001). In gallstone patients, 3-dimensional ultrasonography yielded smaller gallbladder volumes than 2-dimensional ultrasonography (P = 0.007), but not in healthy subjects. With both methods, gallstone patients exhibited decreased postprandial gallbladder motility compared to healthy subjects. In conclusion, gallbladder volume measurements by 3 dimensional and 2-dimensional ultrasonography are strongly correlated.Nevertheless, in gallstone patients, gallbladder volumes by 3 dimensional ultrasonography tend to be smaller than by 2-dimensional ultrasonography, possibly due to interference of gallstones with the volume measurement. PMID- 17786144 TI - Angiogenesis in chronic liver disease. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic liver disease is characterized by inflammation and fibrosis. As a consequence angiogenesis leading to new vasculature may have prognostic value in disease progression. Interfering with angiogenesis may be a potential target to avoid progression of liver disease. Hence we planned to evaluate the CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the markers for angiogenesis in chronic liver disease. METHOD: Liver biopsies from 79 patients of chronic liver disease and 21 cases of HCC (M: F = 4:1, age range 22 to 80) were stained for routine HE, CD 34 and VEGF immunostaining (Dako Corp & Santa Cruz respectively). Etiologies of chronic liver disease were alcoholic liver disease, HBV, HCV infection, NAFLD, autoimmune liver disease, and cryptogenic liver disease. Thirty biopsies from normal liver obtained at autopsy were taken as controls. Expressions of CD 34 and VEGF were compared with the stage of fibrosis. RESULTS: Out of 79 patients, angiogenesis was seen in 45.5% cases of chronic liver disease. None of the case with normal liver histology was CD 34 or VEGF positive. No significant correlation of angiogenesis was found between any etiologies of chronic liver disease. CD 34 was positive in 18/21 (85.7%) cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. CD 34 and VEGF positivity was 20.9% and 46.5% in stage 1 and 2 fibrosis while it was 75% and 80% in stage 3 and 4 fibrosis respectively. VEGF appeared more common as compared to CD 34 in early fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Angiogenesis was present in 45.5% cases of chronic liver disease. It was proportional to the increase in stage of fibrosis. Expression of VEGF was commonly found in early stages of fibrosis. Hence, therapeutic strategies of inhibiting VEGF expression may be of importance in preventing the progression of chronic liver disease in its early stage. PMID- 17786145 TI - Antiviral therapy: inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus expression by RNA interference directed against the NS5B region of the viral genome. AB - BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem with 170 million chronically infected people throughout the world. Currently, the only treatment available consists of a combination of pegylated interferon (INF-alpha) and ribavirin, but only half of the patients treated show a sufficient antiviral response. Thus there is a great need for the development of new treatments for HCV infections. RNA interference (RNAi) represents a new promising approach to develop effective antiviral drugs and has been extremely effective against HCV gene expression in short-term cell culture. Our aim was to determine the effect of RNAi directed against the NS5B-HCV region on HCV expression in a human hepatoma cell line that expresses HCV-subgenomic replicon (Huh7 HCV replicon cells). METHODS: We transfected Huh7 HCV replicon cells with different concentrations of RNAi (100-200 nM) targeting the NS5B region of the viral genome. 2-6 days post-transfection HCV-RNA was quantified by semiquantitative and real-time RT-PCR, and HCV NS5B protein levels were assayed by western blot. Cell viability was also quantified by MTT assay. RESULTS: Our results indicate that the NS5B-siRNAs used in this study can specifically inhibit HCV-RNA replication and protein expression (more than 90%) compared to control cells. CONCLUSIONS: Synthetic siRNA against NS5BHCV inhibited HCV replication and viral proteins levels and thereby becomes a powerful strategy to combat hepatitis C virus. PMID- 17786146 TI - Skin manifestations of liver diseases. PMID- 17786147 TI - Hepatic portal venous gas. PMID- 17786148 TI - Fatal hepatitis C associated fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis as a complication of cyclophosphamide and corticosteroid treatment of active glomerulonephritis. AB - Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH) is an aggressive and usually fatal form of viral hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. It is characterized by progressive cholestasis leading to hepatic failure, and a characteristic histopathological features including: periportal fibrosis, ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes, cholestasis, with minimal inflammation. FCH has been reported almost exclusively in heavily immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients or patients with AIDS. This case report describes a previously immunocompetent patient with previously stable chronic hepatitis C who developed fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis after receiving cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids for active glomerulonephritis. PMID- 17786149 TI - Spontaneous rupture of a giant non parasitic hepatic cyst presenting as an acute surgical abdomen. AB - Spontaneous rupture of a non parasitic hepatic cyst is an extremely rare occurrence. A 50 -year- old male, was admitted with typical clinical manifestations of acute surgical abdomen. At exploratory laparotomy, a giant ruptured non parasitic cyst occupying the entire left liver lobe was found, along with a large amount of free intraperitoneal fluid. The cyst was widely unroofed very close to the liver parenchyma. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged six days later. The clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation and surgical management of this extremely rare clinical entity are discussed, along with a review of the literature. This case, which according to our best knowledge is the fourth reported in the literature, highlights the considerable risk of serious complications associated with the presence of a large symptomatic nonparasitic hepatic cyst. Prophylactic treatment should be considered in all these cases. PMID- 17786150 TI - Worldwide mortality from cirrhosis. PMID- 17786152 TI - Exporting RNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. AB - The transport of RNA molecules from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is fundamental for gene expression. The different RNA species that are produced in the nucleus are exported through the nuclear pore complexes via mobile export receptors. Small RNAs (such as tRNAs and microRNAs) follow relatively simple export routes by binding directly to export receptors. Large RNAs (such as ribosomal RNAs and mRNAs) assemble into complicated ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles and recruit their exporters via class-specific adaptor proteins. Export of mRNAs is unique as it is extensively coupled to transcription (in yeast) and splicing (in metazoa). Understanding the mechanisms that connect RNP formation with export is a major challenge in the field. PMID- 17786153 TI - A bag of pretzels. PMID- 17786151 TI - Autophagy is increased after traumatic brain injury in mice and is partially inhibited by the antioxidant gamma-glutamylcysteinyl ethyl ester. AB - Autophagy is a homeostatic process for recycling of proteins and organelles, induced by nutrient deprivation and regulated by oxygen radicals. Whether autophagy is induced after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not established. We show that TBI in mice results in increased ultrastructural and biochemical evidence of autophagy. Specifically, autophagosomal vacuoles and secondary lysosomes were frequently observed in cell processes and axons in ipsilateral brain regions by electron microscopy, and lipidated microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, a biochemical footprint of autophagy referred to as LC3 II, was increased at 2 and 24 h after TBI versus controls. Since oxygen radicals are believed to be important in the pathogenesis of TBI and are essential for the process of starvation-induced autophagy in vitro, we also sought to determine if treatment with the antioxidant gamma-glutamylcysteinyl ethyl ester (GCEE) reduced autophagy and influenced neurologic outcome after TBI in mice. Treatment with GCEE reduced oxidative stress and partially reduced LC3 II formation in injured brain at 24 h after TBI versus vehicle. Treatment with GCEE also led to partial improvement in behavioral and histologic outcome versus vehicle. Taken together, these data show that autophagy occurs after experimental TBI, and that oxidative stress contributes to overall neuropathology, in part by initiating or influencing autophagy. PMID- 17786154 TI - Editors may inappropriately influence authors' decisions regarding selection of references in scientific articles. PMID- 17786155 TI - Erectile dysfunction: risk factor or manifestation of cardiovascular disease? PMID- 17786156 TI - Regulatory issues in female sexual dysfunction. AB - Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) remains an enigmatic area to some, a controversial area to others and the subject of continued, intense debate in the literature. Questions remain regarding the legitimacy of FSD as a bona fide disease; the definition of FSD; the methods of diagnosis; and, the treatment of FSD. In this timely perspective, Jean Fourcroy, Consultant in Urology, Endocrinology and Regulatory Issues, discusses the controversies that continue to plague FSD. PMID- 17786157 TI - Reply: potential differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cell transplanted in rat corpus cavernosum toward endothelial or smooth muscle cells. PMID- 17786159 TI - Life is so much easier for the sea urchin. PMID- 17786160 TI - Heritability of dispersal rate and other life history traits in the Glanville fritillary butterfly. AB - Knowing the variances and heritabilities (h(2)) of life history traits in populations living under natural conditions is necessary for a mechanistic understanding of respective evolutionary processes. I estimated heritabilities of several life history traits, including dispersal rate, body mass, age at first reproduction, egg mass, clutch size and lifetime reproductive success, in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) using parent-offspring regression. Experiments were conducted under field conditions in a large population cage (32 x 26 m). Heritability estimates ranged from zero to almost one and several were significantly different from zero. Body size for both sexes, female age at first reproduction and egg weight were all moderately to highly heritable, whereas heritabilities were low or non-existent in clutch size and lifetime egg production. Heritability estimates for dispersal rate varied between the sexes, so that dispersal was heritable from mother to her female offspring only. This finding is consistent with previous results showing that the F1 female but not male offspring of females that naturally established new populations in the field are significantly more dispersive than butterflies in old populations. PMID- 17786161 TI - Comparing sire and dam estimates of heritability: jackknife and likelihood approaches. AB - Three estimates of heritability are available from the half-sib pedigree design: the sire, dam and genotypic estimates. Because of its significantly smaller standard error, the genotypic estimate is preferred provided that there are no non-additive effects that inflate the estimate. I present two methods to test for such effects: these are a t-test of the paired sire and dam pseudovalues from the jackknife procedure and the likelihood ratio test from the animal model. Both methods are shown to be valid tests for significant dominance and/or maternal effects. SPLUS coding for the implementation of the jackknife method is provided. Unless sample sizes are very large, the power of the tests is low and hence caution is advised in the use of the genotypic estimate following a nonsignificant test. An approximate power analysis can be done using the data from the jackknife method but the estimated power is typically a substantial underestimate of the true power and its use is not recommended. PMID- 17786162 TI - Characteriation of clinical data packages using foreign data in new drug applications in Japan. AB - The objective of this research was to characterize clinical data packages (CDPs) of new drug applications (NDAs) using foreign data based on the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) E5 guideline. Official review reports of NDAs approved in Japan between January 1999 and April 2005 were examined. Those NDAs considered by the official reviewers to be approved based on the ICH E5 guideline (E5-NDAs) were identified and classified into six categories of approval requirements in Japan. The details of pivotal clinical efficacy studies in the CDPs were examined. Forty-one NDAs were identified as E5-NDAs. Pivotal clinical studies conducted in Japan were required by the E5-NDAs, except for nine of those in which the foreign clinical studies reduced Japanese clinical studies in the CDPs. Given the differences in approval requirements among regions, the acceptability of foreign clinical data to Japanese approval is limited. PMID- 17786163 TI - Male genital tract pharmacology: developments in quantitative methods to better understand a complex peripheral compartment. AB - A substantial health burden results from medical problems affecting the male genital tract, including chronic morbidity conditions affecting a large proportion of men, such as benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostatitis, and potentially lethal conditions, such as prostate cancer and human immunodeficiency virus transmission. Rational approaches to therapeutics in these conditions should benefit from understanding local pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of active drugs within the male genital tract. However, the description of drug distribution into the male genital tract has been largely limited to total, rather than protein-free drug concentrations in the whole ejaculate at one or two time points within a dosing interval, which may be misleading in understanding local drug action. Recent innovations enable a quantitative understanding of protein-free drug kinetics into semen and drug distribution into individual male genital tract glands. These methods may benefit therapeutics through optimization of targeted drug delivery and facilitate drug development for diseases related to these glands. PMID- 17786167 TI - [In Process Citation]. PMID- 17786168 TI - [Mortality among a cohort of psychiatric patients hospitalized.]. AB - In this study, standardized mortality ratios (SMR - observed deaths/expected deaths) were calculated among a cohort of psychiatric patients hospitalized in Livorno (Italy) in the years 1990-2003. Findings show an excess of deaths due to both natural (SMR=2.37) and non natural (SMR=2.37) causes, with a higher rate of excess mortality in younger patients and in the first years after discharge. A slightly decreasing trend in excess deaths was found from 1990-2003. Better and more timely access to healthcare, aimed at improving physical as well as well as mental health, is warranted in this population. PMID- 17786169 TI - [Gender differences in avoidable mortality in Umbria (Italy).]. AB - The aim of this study was to examine differences in avoidable mortality between males and females in the Umbria region (Italy). Data on deaths was obtained from the Regional mortality registry (RENCAM). Deaths which occurred in the years from 1994 to 2004 were classified into three groups, according to the type of intervention through which they may have been avoided: primary prevention, early detection and treatment or improved medical care. All causes of death were coded according to the IX and X revisions of the International Classification of Causes of Death. PMID- 17786170 TI - [Methodological problems associated with the planning of.]. AB - Cluster randomization, where groups (or clusters) of subjects, rather than single individuals, are randomly allocated to intervention groups, is increasingly being adopted in studies to evaluate interventions directed at a whole area or healthcare unit (such as a hospital ward, or a medical practice). Studies that use this method of randomization are referred to as cluster randomized trials (CRT) and have considerable organizational and economic advantages. However, CRTs have distinctive ethical issues that need to be considered and most importantly, require a series of methodological modifications during data analysis and calculation of sample size (during which additional parameters, such as the intracluster correlation coefficient and the design effect, need to be obtained). Methodological guidelines for conducting CRTs have been published in November 2002. However, no scientific articles dealing with the methodology associated with the design and analysis of this type of study have yet been published in Italian. The aim of this article, therefore, is to provide methodological support to healthcare researchers who are planning a CRT, through a description of the methodology used in the Raffaello project. This project is in the start-off phase in the Marche and Abruzzo regions of Italy and represents an excellent case study, it being a CRT aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a Disease Management model in the general population (with general practitioners therefore, being the cluster of randomization). PMID- 17786171 TI - [A survey to assess nursing organizational well-being in several hospitals in Rome, Italy.]. AB - A questionnaire survey was performed to evaluate perceived organizational well being of nurses in several prominent hospitals in Rome (Italy). The term "organizational well-being" refers to all of the organizational processes and practices that stimulate the dynamics of working relationships leading to the promotion and improvement of quality of life, and of the degree of physical, psychological and social well-being in the work environment. In total 853 nurses from several hospitals in Rome participated in the survey. Results show on one hand, mainly satisfactory nursing working conditions, but on the other, a lack of professional fulfilment, no influence by nurses in the decision-making processes, and a lack of career development opportunities, all of which lead to a total mistrust toward the hospital management. PMID- 17786172 TI - [Public health care system in the Italia regions.]. AB - The National Health Plan 2006-2008 underlines the need to overcome the differences that exist in the health care services of the Italian regions. Because the health care systems are organised differently on the territory, the Regions provide different answers to the health needs of their residents. Therefore, the purpose of this document is that of analysing the characteristics of the Italian public health care system in 2003. While in the first part, the health system is described region by region, in the second part, a cluster analysis is used to describe the local health authorities. The results show that while both the first and second level assistance have become stronger, the centrality of the hospital system has decreased, even though it still occupies a dominant position. PMID- 17786173 TI - [The nurse answers for health in social inequalities: the development of the nursing critical paradigm.]. AB - Until the early Eighties, critical social theory as a philosophical orientation informing nursing science, theory development and practice did not exist. Interest on this topic began to arise only after the mid-Eighties. In fact, nursing scholars questioned the validity of empiricism as the historical foundation for nursing science and the limitations of interpretivism in strengthening nursing knowledge, and thus started to focus on the lack of epistemological perspectives in nursing, giving particular prominence to the peculiar social, political, historical and economic conditions involving those who needed nursing care. The theoretical reflection began to develop, like the empirical paradigm, the post-positivist paradigm and, later, the interpretative paradigm, expanded thanks to the early works by Martha Rogers and Rosemarie Rizzo Parse, were seen as unable to address issues related to power inequities, structural constraints and oppression suffered by vulnerable groups such as the homeless, mental health individuals, people affected by HIV+ and other infectious diseases, unemployed, etc.. Empiricism and interpretative paradigms did not manage to bridge the gap between theory and praxis, and a new theoretical and philosophical approach gradually gained ground. This paradigm, based on critical social theory, was developed by distinguished scholars and intellectuals, such as Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse of the Frankfurt School in the Thirties, and, in recent years, by Giddens, Bourdieu, Foucault, Habermas. On this social field the first works of Allen, Thompson, Stevens, Campbell and Bunting, Kendall, allowed to work out a new paradigmatic nursing approach that would have predicted the employment of the critical theory for particular nursing aspects, as a conceptual framework for nursing education, as a paradigm to carry out participatory action-research and for the development of the discipline. The purpose of this article was to describe this new paradigmatic nursing approach. In this way, we hope to give emphasis to the epistemological debate that should characterize a discipline that has undertaken by now, also in Italy, the characteristics of a scientific and a fully epistemological validity. PMID- 17786164 TI - Recent advances on the molecular mechanisms involved in the drug resistance of cancer cells and novel targeting therapies. AB - This review summarizes the recent knowledge obtained on the molecular mechanisms involved in the intrinsic and acquired resistance of cancer cells to current cancer therapies. We describe the cascades that are often altered in cancer cells during cancer progression that may contribute in a crucial manner to drug resistance and disease relapse. The emphasis is on the implication of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) multidrug efflux transporters in drug disposition and antiapoptotic factors, including epidermal growth factor receptor cascades and deregulated enzymes in ceramide metabolic pathways. The altered expression and activity of these signaling elements may have a critical role in the resistance of cancer cells to cytotoxic effects induced by diverse chemotherapeutic drugs and cancer recurrence. Of therapeutic interest, new strategies for reversing the multidrug resistance and developing more effective clinical treatments against the highly aggressive, metastatic, and recurrent cancers, based on the molecular targeting of the cancer progenitor cells and their further differentiated progeny, are also described. PMID- 17786174 TI - [In Process Citation]. PMID- 17786176 TI - The myth of patient centrality in integrated care: the case of back pain services. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the extent of patient centrality within integrated chronic back pain management services and compare policy rhetoric with practice reality. CONTEXT: Integrated chronic back pain management services. DATA SOURCES: We have drawn on theories of integration and context specific journals related to integration and pain management between 1966 and 2006 to identify evidence of patient centrality within integrated chronic pain management services. DISCUSSIONS: Despite policy rhetoric and guidelines which promote 'patient centrality' within multidisciplinary services, we argue that evaluations of these services are scant. Many papers have focussed on the assessment of pain in multidisciplinary services as opposed to the patients' experience of these services. CONCLUSIONS: A latent measure of the reality of its magnitude needs to be captured through analysis of the patient's perspectives. Capturing patients' thoughts about integrated services will promote patient centrality and support the reality rather than endorse the rhetoric. PMID- 17786175 TI - A potential role for epigenetic modulatory drugs in the enhancement of cancer/germ-line antigen vaccine efficacy. AB - The discovery of epigenetic silencing as a key mechanism of tumor suppressor gene inactivation in human cancer has led to great interest in utilizing epigenetic modulatory drugs as cancer therapeutics. It is less appreciated that medically important tumor-associated antigens, particularly the Cancer Testis or Cancer/Germ-line family of antigens (CG antigens), which are being actively tested as cancer vaccine targets, are epigenetically activated in many human cancers. However, a major limitation to the therapeutic value of CG antigen directed vaccines is the limited and heterogeneous expression of CG antigens in tumors. Recent work has begun to dissect the specific epigenetic mechanisms controlling differential expression of CG antigen genes in human cancers. From a clinical perspective, convincing data indicate that epigenetic modulatory agents, including DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, robustly promote the expression of CG antigens, as well as class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC I) and other immune costimulatory molecules, in tumors. Importantly, the effects of these agents on CG antigen gene expression often show marked specificity for tumor cells as compared to normal cells. Taken together, these data encourage clinical evaluation of combination therapies involving epigenetic modulatory drugs and CG antigen-directed tumor vaccines for the treatment of human malignancies. PMID- 17786177 TI - A literature review on integrated perinatal care. AB - CONTEXT: The perinatal period is one during which health care services are in high demand. Like other health care sub-sectors, perinatal health care delivery has undergone significant changes in recent years, such as the integrative wave that has swept through the health care industry since the early 1990s. PURPOSE: The present study aims at reviewing scholarly work on integrated perinatal care to provide support for policy decision-making. RESULTS: Researchers interested in integrated perinatal care have, by assessing the effectiveness of individual clinical practices and intervention programs, mainly addressed issues of continuity of care and clinical and professional integration. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in perinatal health care delivery appear related not to structurally integrated health care delivery systems, but to organizing modalities that aim to support woman-centred care and cooperative clinical practice. PMID- 17786178 TI - The effects of integrated home care and discharge practice on functional ability and health-related quality of life: a cluster-randomised trial among home care patients. AB - OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the effects of integrated home care and discharge practice on the functional ability (FA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of home care patients. METHODS: A cluster randomised trial (CRT) with Finnish municipalities (n=22) as the units of randomisation. At baseline the sample included 669 patients aged 65 years or over. Data consisted of interviews (at discharge, and at 3-week and 6-month follow-up), medical records and care registers. The intervention was a generic prototype of care/case management practice (IHCaD-practice) that was tailored to municipalities needs. The aim of the intervention was to standardize practices and make written agreements between hospitals and home care administrations, and also within home care and to name a care/case manager pair for each home care patient. The main outcomes were HRQoL as measured by a combination of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the EQ-5D instrument for measuring health status-and also Activities of Daily Living (ADL). All analyses were based on intention-to-treat. RESULTS: At baseline over half of the patient population perceived their FA and HRQoL as poor. At the 6-month follow-up there were no improvements in FA or in EQ-5D scores, and no differences between groups. In energy, sleep, and pain the NHP improved significantly in both groups at the 3-week and at 6-month follow-up with no differences between groups. In the 3-week follow-up, physical mobility was higher in the trial group. CONCLUSIONS: Although the effects of the new practice did not improve the patients' FA and HRQoL, except for physical mobility at the 3-week follow-up, the workers thought that the intervention worked in practice. The intervention standardised practices and helped to integrate services. The intervention was focused on staff activities and through the changed activities also had an effect on patients. It takes many years to achieve permanent changes in every worker's individual practice and it is also likely that changes in working practices would be visible before effects on patients. The use of other outcome measures, such as the use of services, may be clearer in showing a positive impact of the intervention rather than FA or HRQoL. PMID- 17786179 TI - Development and implementation of the Ontario Stroke System: the use of evidence. AB - INTRODUCTION: The Ontario Stroke System was developed to enhance the quality and continuity of stroke care provided across the care continuum. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: To identify the role evidence played in the development and implementation of the Ontario Stroke System. METHODS: This study employed a qualitative case study design. In-depth interviews were conducted with six members of the Ontario Stroke System provincial steering committee. Nine focus groups were conducted with: Regional Program Managers, Regional Education Coordinators, and seven acute care teams. To supplement these findings interviews were conducted with eight individuals knowledgeable about national and international models of integrated service delivery. RESULTS: Our analyses identified six themes. The first four themes highlight the use of evidence to support the process of system development and implementation including: 1) informing system development; 2) mobilizing governmental support; 3) getting the system up and running; and 4) integrating services across the continuum of care. The final two themes describe the foundation required to support this process: 1) human capacity and 2) mechanisms to share evidence. CONCLUSION: This study provides guidance to support the development and implementation of evidence-based models of integrated service delivery. PMID- 17786180 TI - Effects and side-effects of integrating care: the case of mental health care in the Netherlands. AB - PURPOSE: Description and analysis of the effects and side-effects of integrated mental health care in the Netherlands. CONTEXT OF CASE: Due to a number of large scale mergers, Dutch mental health care has become an illustration of integration and coherence of care services. This process of integration, however, has not only brought a better organisation of care but apparently has also resulted in a number of serious side-effects. This has raised the question whether integration is still the best way of reorganising mental health care. DATA SOURCES: Literature, data books, patients and professionals, the advice of the Dutch Commission for Mental Health Care, and policy papers. CASE DESCRIPTION: Despite its organisational and patient-centred integration, the problems in the Dutch mental health care system have not diminished: long waiting lists, insufficient fine tuning of care, public order problems with chronic psychiatric patients, etc. These problems are related to a sharp rise in the number of mental health care registrations in contrast with a decrease of registered patients in first level services. This indicates that care for people with mental health problems has become solely a task for the mental health care services (monopolisation). At the same time, integrated institutions have developed in the direction of specialised medical care (homogenisation). Monopolisation and homogenisation together have put the integrated institutions into an impossible divided position. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION: Integration of care within the institutions in the Netherlands has resulted in withdrawal of other care providers. These side effects lead to a new discussion on the real nature and benefits of an integrated mental health care system. Integration requires also a broadly shared vision on good care for the various target groups. This would require a radicalisation of the distinction between care providers as well as a recognition of the different goals of mental health care. PMID- 17786181 TI - A novel alkylating agent, glufosfamide, enhances the activity of gemcitabine in vitro and in vivo. AB - Glufosfamide is an alkylating agent consisting of iphosphoramide mustard conjugated to glucose that is currently included in clinical studies of pancreatic cancer. We studied the effects of glufosfamide, in combination with gemcitabine, on in vitro and in vivo models of pancreatic cancer. In proliferation assays, glufosfamide and gemcitabine inhibited the growth of MiaPaCa-2, H766t, and PANC-1 cells, but the combination of the two agents provided greater effects. Apoptosis of MiaPaCa-2 cells, measured by fluorescence activated cell sorting, was enhanced by the combination of the two drugs, compared to single-agent treatment. Glufosfamide alone inhibited the growth of red fluorescent protein-expressing MiaPaCa-2 tumors in an orthotopic nude mouse model in a dose-dependent manner. Combining glufosfamide (30 mg/kg) with gemcitabine resulted in enhanced inhibition of tumor growth and significantly prolonged survival. Immunohistochemistry of excised tumors revealed that both glufosfamide and gemcitabine increased levels of apoptosis (measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling staining) and reduced proliferation (measured by proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining). No effects on microvessel density were observed. These results support the use of the alkylating agent glufosfamide and the DNA synthesis inhibitor gemcitabine, rather than the use of either agent alone, to provide greater benefits and demonstrate that this combination treatment should be useful in the clinical treatment of pancreatic carcinoma. PMID- 17786182 TI - Upregulation of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase by radiation potentiates the effect of bioreductive beta-lapachone on cancer cells. AB - We found that beta-lapachone (beta-lap), a novel bioreductive drug, caused rapid apoptosis and clonogenic cell death in A549 human lung epithelial cancer cells in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The clonogenic cell death caused by beta-lap could be significantly inhibited by dicoumarol, an inhibitor of NAD(P)H:quinone oxido-reductase (NQO1), and also by siRNA for NQO1, demonstrating that NQO1 induced bioreduction of beta-lap is an essential step in beta-lap-induced cell death. Irradiation of A549 cells with 4 Gy caused a long-lasting upregulation of NQO1, thereby increasing NQO1-mediated beta-lap-induced cell deaths. Although the direct cause of beta-lap-induced apoptosis is not yet clear, beta-lap treatment reduced the expression of p53 and NF-kappaB, whereas it increased cytochrome C release, caspase-3 activity, and gammaH2AX foci formation. Importantly, beta-lap treatment immediately after irradiation enhanced radiation-induced cell death, indicating that beta-lap sensitizes cancer cells to radiation, in addition to directly killing some of the cells. The growth of A549 tumors induced in immunocompromised mice could be markedly suppressed by local radiation therapy when followed by beta-lap treatment. This is the first study to demonstrate that combined radiotherapy and beta-lap treatment can have a significant effect on human tumor xenografts. PMID- 17786183 TI - Expression and function of the human androgen-responsive gene ADI1 in prostate cancer. AB - We have previously identified an androgen-responsive gene in rat prostate that shares homology with the aci-reductone dioxygenase (ARD/ARD') family of metal binding enzymes involved in methionine salvage. We found that the gene, aci reductone dioxygenase 1 (ADI1), was downregulated in prostate cancer cells, whereas enforced expression of rat Adi1 in these cells caused apoptosis. Here we report the characterization of human ADI1 in prostate cancer. Androgens induced ADI1 expression in human prostate cancer LNCaP cells, which was not blocked by cycloheximide, indicating that ADI1 is a primary androgen-responsive gene. In human benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens, epithelial cells expressed ADI1. Immunohistochemistry of prostate tumor tissue microarrays showed that benign regions expressed more ADI1 than tumors, suggesting a suppressive role for ADI1 in prostate cancer. Bacterial lysates containing recombinant ADI1 produced a five fold increase in aci-reductone decay over controls, demonstrating that ADI1 has ARD activity. We generated point mutations at key residues in the metal-binding site of ADI1 to disrupt ARD function, and we found that these mutations did not affect intracellular localization, apoptosis, or colony formation suppression in human prostate cancer cells. Collectively, these observations argue that ADI1 may check prostate cancer progression through apoptosis and that this activity does not require metal binding. PMID- 17786184 TI - Optical imaging of tumor cells in hollow fibers: evaluation of the antitumor activities of anticancer drugs and target validation. AB - The in vivo hollow fiber assay, in which semipermeable hollow fibers filled with tumor cells, are implanted into animals, was originally developed to screen for anticancer compounds before assessment in more complex tumor models. To enhance screening and evaluation of anticancer drugs, we have applied optical imaging technology to this assay. To demonstrate that tumor cells inside hollow fibers can communicate with the host mice, we have used fluorescence imaging in vivo and CD31 immunostaining ex vivo to show that angiogenesis occurs around cell-filled hollow fibers by 2 weeks after subcutaneous implantation. Bioluminescence imaging has been used to follow the number of luciferase-expressing tumor cells within implanted hollow fibers; proliferation of those cells was found to be significantly inhibited by docetaxel or irinotecan. We also used bioluminescence imaging of hollow fibers to monitor the nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) pathway in vivo; NFkappaB activation by lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor alpha was evaluated in tumor cell lines genetically engineered to express luciferase controlled by an NFkappaB-responsive element. These results demonstrate that optical imaging of hollow fibers containing reporter tumor cells can be used for the rapid and accurate evaluation of antitumor activities of anticancer drugs and for measurement of molecular pathways. PMID- 17786186 TI - MMP-13 and p53 in the progression of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. AB - Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are sarcomas with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Factors contributing to tumor progression are largely unknown. We therefore examined MPNST from 22 neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients, 14 non-NF1 patients, and 14 neurofibroma patients for matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) expression. Because wild-type and mutant p53 were shown to differentially regulate MMP-13 expression, TP53 status and protein levels were also determined. MMP-13 expression was detected in 58% of MPNST and was significantly associated with recurrent MPNST (P = .019). p53 was observed in 78% of MPNST and was found to be strongly associated with MMP-13 expression (P = .005). In contrast, 14 neurofibromas lacked MMP-13 and p53 expressions. TP53 mutations were found in only 11% of MPNST and were associated with high tumor grades (P = .029). No significant association between mutant TP53 and MMP-13 was observed, indicating that other factors drive MMP-13 expression in MPNST. The presence of metastasis was linked to p53Pro(72) polymorphism (P = .041) and shorter survival. In summary, our data suggest that MMP-13 expression in nerve sheath tumors is coupled with malignant progression. Therefore, MMP-13 may serve as a marker for progression and as a therapeutic target. PMID- 17786185 TI - Galectin-3 as a potential therapeutic target in tumors arising from malignant endothelia. AB - Angiosarcoma (ASA) in humans and hemangiosarcoma (HSA) in dogs are deadly neoplastic diseases characterized by an aggressive growth of malignant cells with endothelial phenotype, widespread metastasis, and poor response to chemotherapy. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a beta-galactoside-binding lectin implicated in tumor progression and metastasis, endothelial cell biology and angiogenesis, and regulation of apoptosis and neoplastic cell response to cytotoxic drugs, has not been studied before in tumors arising from malignant endothelia. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Gal-3 could be widely expressed in human ASA and canine HSA and could play an important role in malignant endothelial cell biology. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that 100% of the human ASA (10 of 10) and canine HSA (17 of 17) samples analyzed expressed Gal-3. Two carbohydrate based Gal-3 inhibitors, modified citrus pectin (MCP) and lactulosyl-l-leucine (LL), caused a dose-dependent reduction of SVR murine ASA cell clonogenic survival through the inhibition of Gal-3 antiapoptotic function. Furthermore, both MCP and LL sensitized SVR cells to the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin to a degree sufficient to reduce the in vitro IC(50) of doxorubicin by 10.7-fold and 3.6-fold, respectively. These results highlight the important role of Gal-3 in the biology of ASA and identify Gal-3 as a potential therapeutic target in tumors arising from malignant endothelial cells. PMID- 17786187 TI - Involvement of MET/TWIST/APC combination or the potential role of ossification factors in pediatric high-grade osteosarcoma oncogenesis. AB - Dysregulated cell growth or differentiation due to misexpression of developmental critical factors seems to be a decisive event in oncogenesis. As osteosarcomas are histologically defined by malignant osteoblasts producing an osteoid component, we prospected in pediatric osteosarcomas treated with OS94 protocol the genomic status of several genes implied in ossification processes. In 91 osteosarcoma cases, we focused on the analysis of the fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) TWIST, APC, and MET by allelotyping, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, gene sequencing, and protein polymorphism study. Our study supports the frequent role of TWIST, APC, and MET as osteosarcoma markers (50%, 62%, and 50%, respectively). TWIST and MET were mainly found to be deleted, and no additional APC mutation was identified. Surprisingly, FGFRs are abnormal in only < 30%. Most of these factors and their abnormalities seem to be linked more or less to one clinical subgroup, but the most significant correlation is the link of MET, TWIST, and APC abnormalities to a worse outcome and their combination within abnormal tumors. A wider cohort is mandatory to define more robust molecular conclusions, but these results are to be considered as the beginning of a more accurate basis for diagnosis, in search of targeted therapies, and to further characterize prognostic markers. PMID- 17786188 TI - Glioblastoma: looking at the currently marketed sigma-1 agonists and antagonists. PMID- 17786189 TI - Sp1 expression is disrupted in schizophrenia; a possible mechanism for the abnormal expression of mitochondrial complex I genes, NDUFV1 and NDUFV2. AB - BACKGROUND: The prevailing hypothesis regards schizophrenia as a polygenic disease, in which multiple genes combine with each other and with environmental stimuli to produce the variance of its clinical symptoms. We investigated whether the ubiquitous transcription factor Sp1 is abnormally expressed in schizophrenia, and consequently can affect the expression of genes implicated in this disorder. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: mRNA of Sp1 and of mitochondrial complex I subunits (NDUFV1, NDUFV2) was analyzed in three postmortem brain regions obtained from the Stanley Foundation Brain Collection, and in lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients and controls. Sp1 role in the transcription of these genes was studied as well. Sp1 was abnormally expressed in schizophrenia in both brain and periphery. Its mRNA alteration pattern paralleled that of NDUFV1 and NDUFV2, decreasing in the prefrontal cortex and the striatum, while increasing in the parieto-occipital cortex and in lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients as compared with controls. Moreover, a high and significant correlation between these genes existed in normal subjects, but was distorted in patients. Sp1 role in the regulation of complex I subunits, was demonstrated by the ability of the Sp1/DNA binding inhibitor, mithramycin, to inhibit the transcription of NDUFV1 and NDUFV2, in neuroblastoma cells. In addition, Sp1 activated NDUFV2 promoter by binding to its three GC-boxes. Both activation and binding were inhibited by mithramycin. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that abnormality in Sp1, which can be the main activator/repressor or act in combination with additional transcription factors and is subjected to environmental stimuli, can contribute to the polygenic and clinically heterogeneous nature of schizophrenia. PMID- 17786190 TI - CD100 on NK cells enhance IFNgamma secretion and killing of target cells expressing CD72. AB - BACKGROUND: NK cells are able to kill tumor and virus-infected cells without the need of prior antigen stimulation. The killing of these target cells is regulated by inhibitory, lysis and co-stimulatory receptors that are expressed on the surface of NK cells. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: CD100 (Semaphorin 4D), a 150kD transmembrane protein, is expressed on the surface of activated NK cells as a homodimer, mediates the killing of target cells by binding to CD72. CD100 is not involved directly in the killing process but is rather increases NK cytotoxicity by enhancing the adhesion between NK cells and their targets. This increased adhesion leads to a more efficient killing and enhanced IFNgamma secretion. SIGNIFICANCE: Since CD72 is expressed on antigen presenting cells (APC) and the CD100-CD72 interaction lead to the shading of CD100, we suggest that NK interacting with APC cells could be the early source of soluble CD100 which is crucial for the formation of antigen specific immune response. CD100-CD72 interaction can be the mechanism by which NK cell communicate with B cells. PMID- 17786191 TI - rs1004819 is the main disease-associated IL23R variant in German Crohn's disease patients: combined analysis of IL23R, CARD15, and OCTN1/2 variants. AB - BACKGROUND: The IL23R gene has been identified as a susceptibility gene for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the North American population. The aim of our study was to test this association in a large German IBD cohort and to elucidate potential interactions with other IBD genes as well as phenotypic consequences of IL23R variants. METHODS: Genomic DNA from 2670 Caucasian individuals including 833 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 456 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 1381 healthy unrelated controls was analyzed for 10 IL23R SNPs. Genotyping included the NOD2 variants p.Arg702Trp, p.Gly908Arg, and p.Leu1007fsX1008 and polymorphisms in SLC22A4/OCTN1 (1672 C-->T) and SLC22A5/OCTN2 (-207 G-->C). RESULTS: All IL23R gene variants analyzed displayed highly significant associations with CD. The strongest association was found for the SNP rs1004819 [P = 1.92x10(-11); OR 1.56; 95 % CI (1.37-1.78)]. 93.2% of the rs1004819 TT homozygous carriers as compared to 78% of CC wildtype carriers had ileal involvement [P = 0.004; OR 4.24; CI (1.46-12.34)]. The coding SNP rs11209026 (p.Arg381Gln) was protective for CD [P = 8.04x10(-8); OR 0.43; CI (0.31-0.59)]. Similar, but weaker associations were found in UC. There was no evidence for epistasis between the IL23R gene and the CD susceptibility genes CARD15 and SLC22A4/5. CONCLUSION: IL23R is an IBD susceptibility gene, but has no epistatic interaction with CARD15 and SLC22A4/5. rs1004819 is the major IL23R variant associated with CD in the German population, while the p.Arg381Gln IL23R variant is a protective marker for CD and UC. PMID- 17786192 TI - Preference of small molecules for local minimum conformations when binding to proteins. AB - It is well known that small molecules (ligands) do not necessarily adopt their lowest potential energy conformations when binding to proteins. Analyses of protein-bound ligand crystal structures have reportedly shown that many of them do not even adopt the conformations at local minima of their potential energy surfaces (local minimum conformations). The results of these analyses raise a concern regarding the validity of virtual screening methods that use ligands in local minimum conformations. Here we report a normal-mode-analysis (NMA) study of 100 crystal structures of protein-bound ligands. Our data show that the energy minimization of a ligand alone does not automatically stop at a local minimum conformation if the minimum of the potential energy surface is shallow, thus leading to the folding of the ligand. Furthermore, our data show that all 100 ligand conformations in their protein-bound ligand crystal structures are nearly identical to their local minimum conformations obtained from NMA-monitored energy minimization, suggesting that ligands prefer to adopt local minimum conformations when binding to proteins. These results both support virtual screening methods that use ligands in local minimum conformations and caution about possible adverse effect of excessive energy minimization when generating a database of ligand conformations for virtual screening. PMID- 17786193 TI - Rapid maturation of effector T cells in tumors, but not lymphoid organs, during tumor regression. AB - Increasing the efficacy of adoptively transferred, tumor antigen specific T cells is a major goal of immunotherapy. Clearly, a more thorough understanding of the effector phase of T cell responses, within the tumor site itself, would be beneficial. To examine this issue, we adoptively transferred tumor antigen specific effector T cells into tumor-bearing mice, then performed kinetic evaluations of their phenotype, function, and survival in tumors, draining lymph nodes (dLNs), and spleens during regression of murine fibrosarcomas. Effector function in tumors was quantitated through the use of a novel intratumoral cytolytic assay. This approach revealed dynamic changes in the phenotype, cytolytic capacity, and viability of tumor infiltrating effector T cells during the course of tumor regression. Over a period of days, T cells within tumors rapidly transitioned from a CD25(hi)/CD27(hi) to a CD25(low)/CD27(low) phenotype and displayed an increase in cytolytic capacity, indicative of effector maturation. Simultaneously, however, the viability of maturing T cells within tumors diminished. In contrast, transferred T cells trafficking through lymphoid organs were much more static, as they maintained a stable phenotype, robust cytolytic activity, and high viability. Therefore, there exists a marked phenotypic and functional divergence between tumor-infiltrating effector T cells and their counterparts in lymphoid organs. Our results indicate that the population of tumor-infiltrating T cells is unique in experiencing rapid effector maturation post-transfer, and suggest that strategies aimed at prolonging the survival of CD25(low)/CD27(low) full effectors, which displayed the highest levels of intratumoral cytolytic activity, should enhance the efficacy of T cell based tumor immunotherapies. PMID- 17786194 TI - An outbreak of severe infections with community-acquired MRSA carrying the Panton Valentine leukocidin following vaccination. AB - BACKGROUND: Infections with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) are emerging worldwide. We investigated an outbreak of severe CA-MRSA infections in children following out-patient vaccination. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We carried out a field investigation after adverse events following immunization (AEFI) were reported. We reviewed the clinical data from all cases. S. aureus recovered from skin infections and from nasal and throat swabs were analyzed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis, multi locus sequence typing, PCR and microarray. In May 2006, nine children presented with AEFI, ranging from fatal toxic shock syndrome, necrotizing soft tissue infection, purulent abscesses, to fever with rash. All had received a vaccination injection in different health centres in one District of Ho Chi Minh City. Eight children had been vaccinated by the same health care worker (HCW). Deficiencies in vaccine quality, storage practices, or preparation and delivery were not found. Infection control practices were insufficient. CA-MRSA was cultured in four children and from nasal and throat swabs from the HCW. Strains from children and HCW were indistinguishable. All carried the Panton-Valentine leukocidine (PVL), the staphylococcal enterotoxin B gene, the gene complex for staphylococcal cassette-chromosome mec type V, and were sequence type 59. Strain HCM3A is epidemiologically unrelated to a strain of ST59 prevalent in the USA, although they belong to the same lineage. CONCLUSIONS: We describe an outbreak of infections with CA-MRSA in children, transmitted by an asymptomatic colonized HCW during immunization injection. Consistent adherence to injection practice guidelines is needed to prevent CA-MRSA transmission in both in- and outpatient settings. PMID- 17786195 TI - Recognition of HIV-1 peptides by host CTL is related to HIV-1 similarity to human proteins. AB - BACKGROUND: While human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes preferentially target specific regions of the viral proteome, HIV-1 features that contribute to immune recognition are not well understood. One hypothesis is that similarities between HIV and human proteins influence the host immune response, i.e., resemblance between viral and host peptides could preclude reactivity against certain HIV epitopes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed the extent of similarity between HIV-1 and the human proteome. Proteins from the HIV-1 B consensus sequence from 2001 were dissected into overlapping k mers, which were then probed against a non-redundant database of the human proteome in order to identify segments of high similarity. We tested the relationship between HIV-1 similarity to host encoded peptides and immune recognition in HIV-infected individuals, and found that HIV immunogenicity could be partially modulated by the sequence similarity to the host proteome. ELISpot responses to peptides spanning the entire viral proteome evaluated in 314 individuals showed a trend indicating an inverse relationship between the similarity to the host proteome and the frequency of recognition. In addition, analysis of responses by a group of 30 HIV-infected individuals against 944 overlapping peptides representing a broad range of individual HIV-1B Nef variants, affirmed that the degree of similarity to the host was significantly lower for peptides with reactive epitopes than for those that were not recognized. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that antigenic motifs that are scarcely represented in human proteins might represent more immunogenic CTL targets not selected against in the host. This observation could provide guidance in the design of more effective HIV immunogens, as sequences devoid of host-like features might afford superior immune reactivity. PMID- 17786197 TI - A genetic basis of susceptibility to acute pyelonephritis. AB - BACKGROUND: For unknown reasons, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are clustered in certain individuals. Here we propose a novel, genetically determined cause of susceptibility to acute pyelonephritis, which is the most severe form of UTI. The IL-8 receptor, CXCR1, was identified as a candidate gene when mIL-8Rh mutant mice developed acute pyelonephritis (APN) with severe tissue damage. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We have obtained CXCR1 sequences from two, highly selected APN prone patient groups, and detected three unique mutations and two known polymorphisms with a genotype frequency of 23% and 25% compared to 7% in controls (p<0.001 and p<0.0001, respectively). When reflux was excluded, 54% of the patients had CXCR1 sequence variants. The UTI prone children expressed less CXCR1 protein than the pediatric controls (p<0.0001) and two sequence variants were shown to impair transcription. CONCLUSIONS: The results identify a genetic innate immune deficiency, with a strong link to APN and renal scarring. PMID- 17786196 TI - Malaria in Africa: vector species' niche models and relative risk maps. AB - A central theoretical goal of epidemiology is the construction of spatial models of disease prevalence and risk, including maps for the potential spread of infectious disease. We provide three continent-wide maps representing the relative risk of malaria in Africa based on ecological niche models of vector species and risk analysis at a spatial resolution of 1 arc-minute (9 185 275 cells of approximately 4 sq km). Using a maximum entropy method we construct niche models for 10 malaria vector species based on species occurrence records since 1980, 19 climatic variables, altitude, and land cover data (in 14 classes). For seven vectors (Anopheles coustani, A. funestus, A. melas, A. merus, A. moucheti, A. nili, and A. paludis) these are the first published niche models. We predict that Central Africa has poor habitat for both A. arabiensis and A. gambiae, and that A. quadriannulatus and A. arabiensis have restricted habitats in Southern Africa as claimed by field experts in criticism of previous models. The results of the niche models are incorporated into three relative risk models which assume different ecological interactions between vector species. The "additive" model assumes no interaction; the "minimax" model assumes maximum relative risk due to any vector in a cell; and the "competitive exclusion" model assumes the relative risk that arises from the most suitable vector for a cell. All models include variable anthrophilicity of vectors and spatial variation in human population density. Relative risk maps are produced from these models. All models predict that human population density is the critical factor determining malaria risk. Our method of constructing relative risk maps is equally general. We discuss the limits of the relative risk maps reported here, and the additional data that are required for their improvement. The protocol developed here can be used for any other vector-borne disease. PMID- 17786198 TI - Impact of antiretroviral therapy on the incidence of tuberculosis: the Brazilian experience, 1995-2001. AB - BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) fuels tuberculosis (TB) epidemics. In controlled clinical trials, antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces TB incidence in HIV-infected patients. In this study we determine if, under programmatic conditions, Brazil's policy of universal ART access has impacted TB incidence among HIV-infected patients. METHODS: We abstracted clinical information from records of HIV-infected patients managed in the public sector in 11 Brazilian states between 1/1/1995 and 12/31/2001. Case ascertainment (TB and HIV) utilized guidelines (with added stringency) published by Brazil's Ministry of Health. We determined TB incidence and hazards ratio (HR) for ART-naive and ART-treated [including highly active ART (HAART)] patients employing Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: Information from 463 HIV-infected patients met study criteria. The median age of the study population was 34 years, 70% were male, and mean follow-up to primary endpoints--TB, death, and last clinic visit--was 330, 1059, and 1125 days, respectively. Of the 463 patients, 76 (16%) remained ART-naive. Of the patients who never received HAART (n = 157) 81 were treated with ART non-HAART. Of the patients who received any ART (n = 387), 306 were treated with HAART (includes those patients who later switched from ART non-HAART to HAART). Tuberculosis developed in 39/463 (8%) patients. Compared to HAART- and ART non-HAART-treated patient groups, TB incidence was 10- (p<0.001) and 2.5-fold (p = 0.03) higher in ART-naive patients, respectively. The median baseline absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte count for patients who developed TB was not significantly different from that of patients who remained TB free. In multivariate analysis, the incidence of TB was statistically significantly lower in HAART-treated [HR 0.2; 95% (CI 0.1, 0.6); p<0.01] compared to ART naive patients. A baseline CD4+ T-lymphocyte count <200 cells/mm(3) [HR 2.5; (95% CI 1.2, 5.4); p<0.01], prior hospitalization [HR 4.2; (95% CI 2.0, 8.8); p<0.001], prior incarceration [HR 4.1; 95% CI 1.6, 10.3); p<0.01], and a positive tuberculin skin test [HR 3.1; (95% CI 1.1, 9.0); p = 0.04] were independently and positively associated with incident TB. CONCLUSION: In this population-based study we demonstrate an 80% reduction in incident TB, under programmatic conditions, in HAART-treated HIV-infected patients compared to ART-naive patients. PMID- 17786199 TI - Arterial response to shear stress critically depends on endothelial TRPV4 expression. AB - BACKGROUND: In blood vessels, the endothelium is a crucial signal transduction interface in control of vascular tone and blood pressure to ensure energy and oxygen supply according to the organs' needs. In response to vasoactive factors and to shear stress elicited by blood flow, the endothelium secretes vasodilating or vasocontracting autacoids, which adjust the contractile state of the smooth muscle. In endothelial sensing of shear stress, the osmo- and mechanosensitive Ca(2+)-permeable TRPV4 channel has been proposed to be candidate mechanosensor. Using TRPV4(-/-) mice, we now investigated whether the absence of endothelial TRPV4 alters shear-stress-induced arterial vasodilation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In TRPV4(-/-) mice, loss of the TRPV4 protein was confirmed by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and by in situ-patch-clamp techniques in carotid artery endothelial cells (CAEC). Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was determined by pressure myography in carotid arteries (CA) from TRPV4(-/-) mice and wild-type littermates (WT). In WT CAEC, TRPV4 currents could be elicited by TRPV4 activators 4alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (4alphaPDD), arachidonic acid (AA), and by hypotonic cell swelling (HTS). In striking contrast, in TRPV4(-/-) mice, 4alphaPDD did not produce currents and currents elicited by AA and HTS were significantly reduced. 4alphaPDD caused a robust and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in WT mice, again conspicuously absent in TRPV4(-/-) mice. Shear stress-induced vasodilation could readily be evoked in WT, but was completely eliminated in TRPV4(-/-) mice. In addition, flow/reperfusion-induced vasodilation was significantly reduced in TRPV4(-/-) vs. WT mice. Vasodilation in response to acetylcholine, vasoconstriction in response to phenylephrine, and passive mechanical compliance did not differ between genotypes, greatly underscoring the specificity of the above trpv4-dependent phenotype for physiologically relevant shear stress. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Genetically encoded loss-of-function of trpv4 results in a loss of shear stress-induced vasodilation, a response pattern critically dependent on endothelial TRPV4 expression. Thus, Ca(2+)-influx through endothelial TRPV4 channels is a molecular mechanism contributing significantly to endothelial mechanotransduction. PMID- 17786200 TI - Regulation of retention of FosB intron 4 by PTB. AB - One effect of stressors such as chronic drug administration is that sequence within the terminal exon of the transcription factor FosB is recognized as intronic and removed by alternative splicing. This results in an open-reading frame shift that produces a translation stop codon and ultimately a truncated protein, termed DeltaFosB. In vitro splicing assays with control and mutated transcripts generated from a fosB mini-gene construct indicated a CU-rich sequence at the 3' end of intron 4 (I4) plays an important role in regulating fosB pre-mRNA splicing due to its binding of polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB). PTB binding to this sequence is dependent upon phosphorylation by protein kinase A and is blocked if the CU-rich sequence is mutated to a U-rich region. When this mutated fosB minigene is expressed in HeLa cells, the splicing efficiency of its product is increased compared to wild type. Moreover, transient transfection of PTB-1 in HeLa cells decreased the splicing efficiency of a wild type fosB minigene transcript. Depletion of PTB from nuclear extracts facilitated U2AF65 binding to wild type sequence in vitro, suggesting these proteins function in a dynamic equilibrium to modulate fosB pre-mRNA alternative splicing. These results demonstrate for the first time that phosphorylated PTB promotes intron retention and thereby silences the splicing of fosB I4. PMID- 17786201 TI - Beringian standstill and spread of Native American founders. AB - Native Americans derive from a small number of Asian founders who likely arrived to the Americas via Beringia. However, additional details about the initial colonization of the Americas remain unclear. To investigate the pioneering phase in the Americas we analyzed a total of 623 complete mtDNAs from the Americas and Asia, including 20 new complete mtDNAs from the Americas and seven from Asia. This sequence data was used to direct high-resolution genotyping from 20 American and 26 Asian populations. Here we describe more genetic diversity within the founder population than was previously reported. The newly resolved phylogenetic structure suggests that ancestors of Native Americans paused when they reached Beringia, during which time New World founder lineages differentiated from their Asian sister-clades. This pause in movement was followed by a swift migration southward that distributed the founder types all the way to South America. The data also suggest more recent bi-directional gene flow between Siberia and the North American Arctic. PMID- 17786202 TI - Divide and conquer: enriching environmental sequencing data. AB - BACKGROUND: In environmental sequencing projects, a mix of DNA from a whole microbial community is fragmented and sequenced, with one of the possible goals being to reconstruct partial or complete genomes of members of the community. In communities with high diversity of species, a significant proportion of the sequences do not overlap any other fragment in the sample. This problem will arise not only in situations with a relatively even distribution of many species, but also when the community in a particular environment is routinely dominated by the same few species. In the former case, no genomes may be assembled at all, while in the latter case a few dominant species in an environment will always be sequenced at high coverage to the detriment of coverage of the greater number of sparse species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here we show that, with the same global sequencing effort, separating the species into two or more sub-communities prior to sequencing can yield a much higher proportion of sequences that can be assembled. We first use the Lander-Waterman model to show that, if the expected percentage of singleton sequences is higher than 25%, then, under the uniform distribution hypothesis, splitting the community is always a wise choice. We then construct simulated microbial communities to show that the results hold for highly non-uniform distributions. We also show that, for the distributions considered in the experiments, it is possible to estimate quite accurately the relative diversity of the two sub-communities. CONCLUSION: Given the fact that several methods exist to split microbial communities based on physical properties such as size, density, surface biochemistry, or optical properties, we strongly suggest that groups involved in environmental sequencing, and expecting high diversity, consider splitting their communities in order to maximize the information content of their sequencing effort. PMID- 17786203 TI - Studying seabird diet through genetic analysis of faeces: a case study on macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus). AB - BACKGROUND: Determination of seabird diet usually relies on the analysis of stomach-content remains obtained through stomach flushing; this technique is both invasive and logistically difficult. We evaluate the usefulness of DNA-based faecal analysis in a dietary study on chick-rearing macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) at Heard Island. Conventional stomach-content data was also collected, allowing comparison of the approaches. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Prey-specific PCR tests were used to detect dietary DNA in faecal samples and amplified prey DNA was cloned and sequenced. Of the 88 faecal samples collected, 39 contained detectable DNA from one or more of the prey groups targeted with PCR tests. Euphausiid DNA was most commonly detected in the early (guard) stage of chick-rearing, and detection of DNA from the myctophid fish Krefftichthys anderssoni and amphipods became more common in samples collected in the later (creche) stage. These trends followed those observed in the penguins' stomach contents. In euphausiid-specific clone libraries the proportion of sequences from the two dominant euphausiid prey species (Euphausia vallentini and Thysanoessa macrura) changed over the sampling period; again, this reflected the trend in the stomach content data. Analysis of prey sequences in universal clone libraries revealed a higher diversity of fish prey than identified in the stomachs, but non fish prey were not well represented. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study is one of the first to examine the full breadth of a predator's diet using DNA based faecal analysis. We discuss methodological difficulties encountered and suggest possible refinements. Overall, the ability of the DNA-based approach to detect temporal variation in the diet of macaroni penguins indicates this non invasive method will be generally useful for monitoring population-level dietary trends in seabirds. PMID- 17786204 TI - Polymorphisms within novel risk loci for type 2 diabetes determine beta-cell function. AB - BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes arises when insulin resistance-induced compensatory insulin secretion exhausts. Insulin resistance and/or beta-cell dysfunction result from the interaction of environmental factors (high-caloric diet and reduced physical activity) with a predisposing polygenic background. Very recently, genetic variations within four novel genetic loci (SLC30A8, HHEX, EXT2, and LOC387761) were reported to be more frequent in subjects with type 2 diabetes than in healthy controls. However, associations of these variations with insulin resistance and/or beta-cell dysfunction were not assessed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By genotyping of 921 metabolically characterized German subjects for the reported candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we show that the major alleles of the SLC30A8 SNP rs13266634 and the HHEX SNP rs7923837 associate with reduced insulin secretion stimulated by orally or intravenously administered glucose, but not with insulin resistance. In contrast, the other reported type 2 diabetes candidate SNPs within the EXT2 and LOC387761 loci did not associate with insulin resistance or beta-cell dysfunction, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The HHEX and SLC30A8 genes encode for proteins that were shown to be required for organogenesis of the ventral pancreas and for insulin maturation/storage, respectively. Therefore, the major alleles of type 2 diabetes candidate SNPs within these genetic loci represent crucial alleles for beta-cell dysfunction and, thus, might confer increased susceptibility of beta cells towards adverse environmental factors. PMID- 17786205 TI - Differential requirements for MCM proteins in DNA replication in Drosophila S2 cells. AB - BACKGROUND: The MCM2-7 proteins are crucial components of the pre replication complex (preRC) in eukaryotes. Since they are significantly more abundant than other preRC components, we were interested in determining whether the entire cellular content was necessary for DNA replication in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: We performed a systematic depletion of the MCM proteins in Drosophila S2 cells using dsRNA-interference. Reducing MCM2-6 levels by >95-99% had no significant effect on cell cycle distribution or viability. Depletion of MCM7 however caused an S-phase arrest. MCM2-7 depletion produced no change in the number of replication forks as measured by PCNA loading. We also depleted MCM8. This caused a 30% reduction in fork number, but no significant effect on cell cycle distribution or viability. No additive effects were observed by co depleting MCM8 and MCM5. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These studies suggest that, in agreement with what has previously been observed for Xenopus in vitro, not all of the cellular content of MCM2-6 proteins is needed for normal cell cycling. They also reveal an unexpected unique role for MCM7. Finally they suggest that MCM8 has a role in DNA replication in S2 cells. PMID- 17786206 TI - Three-dimensional imaging of Drosophila melanogaster. AB - BACKGROUND: The major hindrance to imaging the intact adult Drosophila is that the dark exoskeleton makes it impossible to image through the cuticle. We have overcome this obstacle and describe a method whereby the internal organs of adult Drosophila can be imaged in 3D by bleaching and clearing the adult and then imaging using a technique called optical projection tomography (OPT). The data is displayed as 2D optical sections and also in 3D to provide detail on the shape and structure of the adult anatomy. METHODOLOGY: We have used OPT to visualize in 2D and 3D the detailed internal anatomy of the intact adult Drosophila. In addition this clearing method used for OPT was tested for imaging with confocal microscopy. Using OPT we have visualized the size and shape of neurodegenerative vacuoles from within the head capsule of flies that suffer from age-related neurodegeneration due to a lack of ADAR mediated RNA-editing. In addition we have visualized tau-lacZ expression in 2D and 3D. This shows that the wholemount adult can be stained without any manipulation and that this stain penetrates well as we have mapped the localization pattern with respect to the internal anatomy. CONCLUSION: We show for the first time that the intact adult Drosophila can be imaged in 3D using OPT, also we show that this method of clearing is also suitable for confocal microscopy to image the brain from within the intact head. The major advantage of this is that organs can be represented in 3D in their natural surroundings. Furthermore optical sections are generated in each of the three planes and are not prone to the technical limitations that are associated with manual sectioning. OPT can be used to dissect mutant phenotypes and to globally map gene expression in both 2D and 3D. PMID- 17786207 TI - Disruption of retinoic acid receptor alpha reveals the growth promoter face of retinoic acid. AB - BACKGROUND: Retinoic acid (RA), the bioactive derivative of Vitamin A, by epigenetically controlling transcription through the RA-receptors (RARs), exerts a potent antiproliferative effect on human cells. However, a number of studies show that RA can also promote cell survival and growth. In the course of one of our studies we observed that disruption of RA-receptor alpha, RARalpha, abrogates the RA-mediated growth-inhibitory effects and unmasks the growth-promoting face of RA (Ren et al., Mol. Cell. Biol., 2005, 25:10591). The objective of this study was to investigate whether RA can differentially govern cell growth, in the presence and absence of RARalpha, through differential regulation of the "rheostat" comprising ceramide (CER), the sphingolipid with growth-inhibitory activity, and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), the sphingolipid with prosurvival activity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that functional inhibition of endogenous RARalpha in breast cancer cells by using either RARalpha specific antagonists or a dominant negative RARalpha mutant hampers on one hand the RA induced upregulation of neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase)-mediated CER synthesis, and on the other hand the RA-induced downregulation of sphingosine kinase 1, SK1, pivotal for S1P synthesis. In association with RA inability to regulate the sphingolipid rheostat, cells not only survive, but also grow more in response to RA both in vitro and in vivo. By combining genetic, pharmacological and biochemical approaches, we mechanistically demonstrated that RA-induced growth is, at least in part, due to non-RAR-mediated activation of the SK1-S1P signaling. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In the presence of functional RARalpha, RA inhibits cell growth by concertedly, and inversely, modulating the CER and S1P synthetic pathways. In the absence of a functional RARalpha, RA-in a non-RAR mediated fashion-promotes cell growth by activating the prosurvival S1P signaling. These two distinct, yet integrated processes apparently concur to the growth-promoter effects of RA. PMID- 17786208 TI - GSK-3beta controls osteogenesis through regulating Runx2 activity. AB - Despite accumulated knowledge of various signalings regulating bone formation, the molecular network has not been clarified sufficiently to lead to clinical application. Here we show that heterozygous glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK 3beta)-deficient mice displayed an increased bone formation due to an enhanced transcriptional activity of Runx2 by suppressing the inhibitory phosphorylation at a specific site. The cleidocranial dysplasia in heterozygous Runx2-deficient mice was significantly rescued by the genetic insufficiency of GSK-3beta or the oral administration of lithium chloride, a selective inhibitor of GSK-3beta. These results establish GSK-3beta as a key attenuator of Runx2 activity in bone formation and as a potential molecular target for clinical treatment of bone catabolic disorders like cleidocranial dysplasia. PMID- 17786209 TI - CCR5 haplotypes and mother-to-child HIV transmission in Malawi. AB - BACKGROUND: CCR5 and CCR2 gene polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with protection against HIV transmission in adults and with delayed progression to AIDS. The CCR5 Delta32 deletion and SNP -2459G are associated with reduced expression of the CCR5 protein. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the association between infant CCR2/CCR5 diplotype and HIV mother to child transmission (MTCT) in Malawi. Blood samples from infants (n = 552) of HIV positive women who received nevirapine were genotyped using a post-PCR multiplex ligase detection reaction and haplotypes were identified based on 8 CCR2/CCR5 SNPs and the open reading frame 32 base pair deletion. Following verification of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, log linear regression was performed to examine the association between mutations and MTCT. Overall, protection against MTCT was weakly associated with two CCR5 SNPs, -2459G (Risk ratio [RR], 0.78; confidence interval [CI], 0.54-1.12), and the linked CCR5 -2135T (RR, 0.78; CI, 0.54-1.13). No child carried the CCR5 Delta32 SNP. Maternal Viral Load (MVL) was found to be an effect measure modifier. Among mothers with low MVL, statistically significant protection against MTCT was observed for -2459G (RR, 0.50; CI, 0.27-0.91), and 2135T (RR, 0.51; CI, 0.28-0.92). Statistically significant protection was not found at high MVL. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Results from this study suggest that CCR5 SNPs -2459G and -2135T associated with reduced receptor expression protect against MTCT of HIV at low MVLs, whereas high MVLs may over-ride differences in coreceptor availability. PMID- 17786210 TI - Blindness caused by deficiency in AE3 chloride/bicarbonate exchanger. AB - BACKGROUND: Vision is initiated by phototransduction in the outer retina by photoreceptors, whose high metabolic rate generates large CO2 loads. Inner retina cells then process the visual signal and CO2. The anion exchanger 3 gene (AE3/Slc4a3) encodes full-length AE3 (AE3fl) and cardiac AE3 (AE3c) isoforms, catalyzing plasma membrane Cl-/HCO3- exchange in Muller (AE3fl) and horizontal (AE3c) cells. AE3 thus maintains acid-balance by removing photoreceptor-generated CO2 waste. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report that Slc4a3-/- null mice have inner retina defects (electroretinogram b-wave reduction, optic nerve and retinal vessel anomalies). These pathologic features are common to most human vitreoretinal degenerations. Immunobloting analysis revealed that Na+/HCO3- co transporter (NBC1), and carbonic anhydrase II and CAXIV, protein expression were elevated in Slc4a3-/- mouse retinas, suggesting compensation for loss of AE3. TUNEL staining showed increased numbers of apoptotic nuclei from 4-6 months of age, in Slc4a3-/- mice, indicating late onset photoreceptor death. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Identification of Slc4a3 as underlying a previously unrecognized cause of blindness suggests this gene as a new candidate for a subset of hereditary vitreoretinal retinal degeneration. PMID- 17786212 TI - Heterogeneity in meta-analyses of genome-wide association investigations. AB - BACKGROUND: Meta-analysis is the systematic and quantitative synthesis of effect sizes and the exploration of their diversity across different studies. Meta analyses are increasingly applied to synthesize data from genome-wide association (GWA) studies and from other teams that try to replicate the genetic variants that emerge from such investigations. Between-study heterogeneity is important to document and may point to interesting leads. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To exemplify these issues, we used data from three GWA studies on type 2 diabetes and their replication efforts where meta-analyses of all data using fixed effects methods (not incorporating between-study heterogeneity) have already been published. We considered 11 polymorphisms that at least one of the three teams has suggested as susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes. The I2 inconsistency metric (measuring the amount of heterogeneity not due to chance) was different from 0 (no detectable heterogeneity) for 6 of the 11 genetic variants; inconsistency was moderate to very large (I2 = 32-77%) for 5 of them. For these 5 polymorphisms, random effects calculations incorporating between-study heterogeneity revealed more conservative p-values for the summary effects compared with the fixed effects calculations. These 5 associations were perused in detail to highlight potential explanations for between-study heterogeneity. These include identification of a marker for a correlated phenotype (e.g. FTO rs8050136 being associated with type 2 diabetes through its effect on obesity); differential linkage disequilibrium across studies of the identified genetic markers with the respective culprit polymorphisms (e.g., possibly the case for CDKAL1 polymorphisms or for rs9300039 and markers in linkage disequilibrium, as shown by additional studies); and potential bias. Results were largely similar, when we treated the discovery and replication data from each GWA investigation as separate studies. SIGNIFICANCE: Between-study heterogeneity is useful to document in the synthesis of data from GWA investigations and can offer valuable insights for further clarification of gene-disease associations. PMID- 17786211 TI - The tell-tale heart: population-based surveillance reveals an association of rofecoxib and celecoxib with myocardial infarction. AB - BACKGROUND: COX-2 selective inhibitors are associated with myocardial infarction (MI). We sought to determine whether population health monitoring would have revealed the effect of COX-2 inhibitors on population-level patterns of MI. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a retrospective study of inpatients at two Boston hospitals, from January 1997 to March 2006. There was a population level rise in the rate of MI that reached 52.0 MI-related hospitalizations per 100,000 (a two standard deviation exceedence) in January of 2000, eight months after the introduction of rofecoxib and one year after celecoxib. The exceedence vanished within one month of the withdrawal of rofecoxib. Trends in inpatient stay due to MI were tightly coupled to the rise and fall of prescriptions of COX 2 inhibitors, with an 18.5% increase in inpatient stays for MI when both rofecoxib and celecoxib were on the market (P<0.001). For every million prescriptions of rofecoxib and celecoxib, there was a 0.5% increase in MI (95%CI 0.1 to 0.9) explaining 50.3% of the deviance in yearly variation of MI-related hospitalizations. There was a negative association between mean age at MI and volume of prescriptions for celecoxib and rofecoxib (Spearman correlation, -0.67, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The strong relationship between prescribing and outcome time series supports a population-level impact of COX-2 inhibitors on MI incidence. Further, mean age at MI appears to have been lowered by use of these medications. Use of a population monitoring approach as an adjunct to pharmacovigilence methods might have helped confirm the suspected association, providing earlier support for the market withdrawal of rofecoxib. PMID- 17786213 TI - Identification of a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Arf3, the yeast orthologue of mammalian Arf6. AB - Small G proteins of the Arf and Rab families are fundamental to the organisation and activity of intracellular membranes. One of the most well characterised of these G proteins is mammalian Arf6, a protein that participates in many cellular processes including endocytosis, actin remodelling and cell adhesion. Exchange of GDP for GTP on Arf6 is performed by a variety of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), principally of the cytohesin (PSCD) and EFA6 (PSD) families. In this paper we describe the characterisation of a GEF for the yeast orthologue of Arf6, Arf3, which we have named Yel1 (yeast EFA6-like-1) using yeast genetics, fluorescence microscopy and in vitro nucleotide exchange assays. Yel1 appears structurally related to the EFA6 family of GEFs, having an N-terminal Sec7 domain and C-terminal PH and coiled-coil domains. We find that Yel1 is constitutively targeted to regions of polarised growth in yeast, where it co-localises with Arf3. Moreover the Sec7 domain of Yel1 is required for its membrane targeting and for that of Arf3. Finally we show that the isolated Yel1 Sec7 domain strongly stimulates nucleotide exchange activity specifically on Arf3 in vitro. PMID- 17786214 TI - Enhanced astrocytic nitric oxide production and neuronal modifications in the neocortex of a NOS2 mutant mouse. AB - BACKGROUND: It has been well accepted that glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) produce nitric oxide (NO) through the induction of a nitric oxide synthase isoform (NOS2) only in response to various insults. Recently we described rapid astroglial, NOS2-dependent, NO production in the neocortex of healthy mice on a time scale relevant to neuronal activity. To explore a possible role for astroglial NOS2 in normal brain function we investigated a NOS2 knockout mouse (B6;129P2-Nos2(tm1Lau)/J, Jackson Laboratory). Previous studies of this mouse strain revealed mainly altered immune responses, but no compensatory pathways and no CNS abnormalities have been reported. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To our surprise, using NO imaging in brain slices in combination with biochemical methods we uncovered robust NO production by neocortical astrocytes of the NOS2 mutant. These findings indicate the existence of an alternative pathway that increases basal NOS activity. In addition, the astroglial mutation instigated modifications of neuronal attributes, shown by changes in the membrane properties of pyramidal neurons, and revealed in distinct behavioral abnormalities characterized by an increase in stress-related parameters. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results strongly indicate the involvement of astrocytic-derived NO in modifying the activity of neuronal networks. In addition, the findings corroborate data linking NO signaling with stress-related behavior, and highlight the potential use of this genetic model for studies of stress-susceptibility. Lastly, our results beg re-examination of previous studies that used this mouse strain to examine the pathophysiology of brain insults, assuming lack of astrocytic nitrosative reaction. PMID- 17786215 TI - The N-Myc down regulated Gene1 (NDRG1) Is a Rab4a effector involved in vesicular recycling of E-cadherin. AB - Cell to cell adhesion is mediated by adhesion molecules present on the cell surface. Downregulation of molecules that form the adhesion complex is a characteristic of metastatic cancer cells. Downregulation of the N-myc down regulated gene1 (NDRG1) increases prostate and breast metastasis. The exact function of NDRG1 is not known. Here by using live cell confocal microscopy and in vitro reconstitution, we report that NDRG1 is involved in recycling the adhesion molecule E-cadherin thereby stabilizing it. Evidence is provided that NDRG1 recruits on recycling endosomes in the Trans Golgi network by binding to phosphotidylinositol 4-phosphate and interacts with membrane bound Rab4aGTPase. NDRG1 specifically interacts with constitutively active Rab4aQ67L mutant protein and not with GDP-bound Rab4aS22N mutant proving NDRG1 as a novel Rab4a effector. Transferrin recycling experiments reveals NDRG1 colocalizes with transferrin during the recycling phase. NDRG1 alters the kinetics of transferrin recycling in cells. NDRG1 knockdown cells show a delay in recycling transferrin, conversely NDRG1 overexpressing cells reveal an increase in rate of transferrin recycling. This novel finding of NDRG1 as a recycling protein involved with recycling of E cadherin will aid in understanding NDRG1 role as a metastasis suppressor protein. PMID- 17786217 TI - Host-plant selectivity of rhizobacteria in a crop/weed model system. AB - Belowground microorganisms are known to influence plants' performance by altering the soil environment. Plant pathogens such as cyanide-producing strains of the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas may show strong host-plant selectivity. We analyzed interactions between different host plants and Pseudomonas strains and tested if these can be linked to the cyanide sensitivity of host plants, the cyanide production of bacterial strains or the plant identity from which strains had been isolated. Eight strains (four cyanide producing) were isolated from roots of four weed species and then re-inoculated on the four weed and two additional crop species. Bacterial strain composition varied strongly among the four weed species. Although all six plant species showed different reductions in root growth when cyanide was artificially applied to seedlings, they were generally not negatively affected by inoculation with cyanide-producing bacterial strains. We found a highly significant plant species x bacterial strain interaction. Partitioning this interaction into contrasts showed that it was entirely due to a strongly negative effect of a bacterial strain (Pseudomonas kilonensis/brassicacearum, isolated from Galium mollugo) on Echinochloa crus galli. This exotic weed may not have become adapted to the bacterial strain isolated from a native weed. Our findings suggest that host-specific rhizobacteria hold some promise as biological weed-control agents. PMID- 17786216 TI - The H19 non-coding RNA is essential for human tumor growth. AB - BACKGROUND: Mutations and epigenetic aberrant signaling of growth factors pathways contribute to carcinogenesis. Recent studies reveal that non-coding RNAs are controllers of gene expression. H19 is an imprinted gene that demonstrates maternal monoallelic expression without a protein product; although its expression is shut off in most tissues postnatally, it is re-activated during adult tissue regeneration and tumorigenesis. Moreover, H19 is highly expressed in liver metastasis derived from a range of carcinomas. The objective of this study is to explore the role of H19 in carcinogenesis, and to determine its identification as an anti-tumor target. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: By controlling oxygen pressure during tumor cell growth and H19 expression levels, we investigated the role of H19 expression in vitro and in vivo in hepatocellular (HCC) and bladder carcinoma. Hypoxia upregulates the level of H19 RNA. Ablations of tumorigenicity of HCC and bladder carcinomas in vivo are seen by H19 knockdown which also significantly abrogates anchorage-independent growth after hypoxia recovery, while ectopic H19 expression enhances tumorigenic potential of carcinoma cells in vivo. Knocking-down H19 message in hypoxic stress severely diminishes p57(kip2) induction. We identified a number of potential downstream targets of H19 RNA, including angiogenin and FGF18. CONCLUSIONS: H19 RNA harbors pro-tumorigenic properties, thus the H19 gene behaves as an oncogene and may serve as a potential new target for anti-tumor therapy. PMID- 17786218 TI - Large scale comparative codon-pair context analysis unveils general rules that fine-tune evolution of mRNA primary structure. AB - BACKGROUND: Codon usage and codon-pair context are important gene primary structure features that influence mRNA decoding fidelity. In order to identify general rules that shape codon-pair context and minimize mRNA decoding error, we have carried out a large scale comparative codon-pair context analysis of 119 fully sequenced genomes. METHODOLOGIES/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have developed mathematical and software tools for large scale comparative codon-pair context analysis. These methodologies unveiled general and species specific codon-pair context rules that govern evolution of mRNAs in the 3 domains of life. We show that evolution of bacterial and archeal mRNA primary structure is mainly dependent on constraints imposed by the translational machinery, while in eukaryotes DNA methylation and tri-nucleotide repeats impose strong biases on codon-pair context. CONCLUSIONS: The data highlight fundamental differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic mRNA decoding rules, which are partially independent of codon usage. PMID- 17786220 TI - Segmental duplication implicated in the genesis of inversion 2Rj of Anopheles gambiae. AB - The malaria vector Anopheles gambiae maintains high levels of inversion polymorphism that facilitate its exploitation of diverse ecological settings across tropical Africa. Molecular characterization of inversion breakpoints is a first step toward understanding the processes that generate and maintain inversions. Here we focused on inversion 2Rj because of its association with the assortatively mating Bamako chromosomal form of An. gambiae, whose distinctive breeding sites are rock pools beside the Niger River in Mali and Guinea. Sequence and computational analysis of 2Rj revealed the same 14.6 kb insertion between both breakpoints, which occurred near but not within predicted genes. Each insertion consists of 5.3 kb terminal inverted repeat arms separated by a 4 kb spacer. The insertions lack coding capacity, and are comprised of degraded remnants of repetitive sequences including class I and II transposable elements. Because of their large size and patchwork composition, and as no other instances of these insertions were identified in the An. gambiae genome, they do not appear to be transposable elements. The 14.6 kb modules inserted at both 2Rj breakpoint junctions represent low copy repeats (LCRs, also called segmental duplications) that are strongly implicated in the recent (approximately 0.4N(e) generations) origin of 2Rj. The LCRs contribute to further genome instability, as demonstrated by an imprecise excision event at the proximal breakpoint of 2Rj in field isolates. PMID- 17786221 TI - Human immunity and the design of multi-component, single target vaccines. AB - BACKGROUND: Inclusion of multiple immunogens to target a single organism is a strategy being pursued for many experimental vaccines, especially where it is difficult to generate a strongly protective response from a single immunogen. Although there are many human vaccines that contain multiple defined immunogens, in almost every case each component targets a different pathogen. As a consequence, there is little practical experience for deciding where the increased complexity of vaccines with multiple defined immunogens vaccines targeting single pathogens will be justifiable. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A mathematical model, with immunogenicity parameters derived from a database of human responses to established vaccines, was used to predict the increase in the efficacy and the proportion of the population protected resulting from addition of further immunogens. The gains depended on the relative protection and the range of responses in the population to each immunogen and also to the correlation of the responses between immunogens. In most scenarios modeled, the gain in overall efficacy obtained by adding more immunogens was comparable to gains obtained from a single immunogen through the use of better formulations or adjuvants. Multi-component single target vaccines were more effective at decreasing the proportion of poor responders than increasing the overall efficacy of the vaccine in a population. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Inclusion of limited number of antigens in a vaccine aimed at targeting a single organism will increase efficacy, but the gains are relatively modest and for a practical vaccine there are constraints that are likely to limit multi-component single target vaccines to a small number of key antigens. The model predicts that this type of vaccine will be most useful where the critical issue is the reduction in proportion of poor responders. PMID- 17786219 TI - Parallel driving and modulatory pathways link the prefrontal cortex and thalamus. AB - Pathways linking the thalamus and cortex mediate our daily shifts from states of attention to quiet rest, or sleep, yet little is known about their architecture in high-order neural systems associated with cognition, emotion and action. We provide novel evidence for neurochemical and synaptic specificity of two complementary circuits linking one such system, the prefrontal cortex with the ventral anterior thalamic nucleus in primates. One circuit originated from the neurochemical group of parvalbumin-positive thalamic neurons and projected focally through large terminals to the middle cortical layers, resembling 'drivers' in sensory pathways. Parvalbumin thalamic neurons, in turn, were innervated by small 'modulatory' type cortical terminals, forming asymmetric (presumed excitatory) synapses at thalamic sites enriched with the specialized metabotropic glutamate receptors. A second circuit had a complementary organization: it originated from the neurochemical group of calbindin-positive thalamic neurons and terminated through small 'modulatory' terminals over long distances in the superficial prefrontal layers. Calbindin thalamic neurons, in turn, were innervated by prefrontal axons through small and large terminals that formed asymmetric synapses preferentially at sites with ionotropic glutamate receptors, consistent with a driving pathway. The largely parallel thalamo cortical pathways terminated among distinct and laminar-specific neurochemical classes of inhibitory neurons that differ markedly in inhibitory control. The balance of activation of these parallel circuits that link a high-order association cortex with the thalamus may allow shifts to different states of consciousness, in processes that are disrupted in psychiatric diseases. PMID- 17786222 TI - Late endosomal cholesterol accumulation leads to impaired intra-endosomal trafficking. AB - BACKGROUND: Pathological accumulation of cholesterol in late endosomes is observed in lysosomal storage diseases such as Niemann-Pick type C. We here analyzed the effects of cholesterol accumulation in NPC cells, or as phenocopied by the drug U18666A, on late endosomes membrane organization and dynamics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Cholesterol accumulation did not lead to an increase in the raft to non-raft membrane ratio as anticipated. Strikingly, we observed a 2-3 fold increase in the size of the compartment. Most importantly, properties and dynamics of late endosomal intralumenal vesicles were altered as revealed by reduced late endosomal vacuolation induced by the mutant pore-forming toxin ASSP, reduced intoxication by the anthrax lethal toxin and inhibition of infection by the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that back fusion of intralumenal vesicles with the limiting membrane of late endosomes is dramatically perturbed upon cholesterol accumulation. PMID- 17786223 TI - Plants attract parasitic wasps to defend themselves against insect pests by releasing hexenol. AB - BACKGROUND: Plant volatiles play an important role in defending plants against insect attacks by attracting their natural enemies. For example, green leaf volatiles (GLVs) and terpenoids emitted from herbivore-damaged plants were found to be important in the host location of parasitic wasps. However, evidence of the functional roles and mechanisms of these semio-chemicals from a system of multiple plants in prey location by the parasitoid is limited. Little is known about the potential evolutionary trends between herbivore-induced host plant volatiles and the host location of their parasitoids. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The present study includes hierarchical cluster analyses of plant volatile profiles from seven families of host and non-host plants of pea leafminer, Liriomyza huidobrensis, and behavioral responses of a naive parasitic wasp, Opius dissitus, to some principal volatile compounds. Here we show that plants can effectively pull wasps, O. dissitus, towards them by releasing a universally induced compound, (Z)-3-hexenol, and potentially keep these plants safe from parasitic assaults by leafminer pests, L. huidobrensis. Specifically, we found that volatile profiles from healthy plants revealed a partly phylogenetic signal, while the inducible compounds of the infested-plants did not result from the fact that the induced plant volatiles dominate most of the volatile blends of the host and non-host plants of the leafminer pests. We further show that the parasitoids are capable of distinguishing the damaged host plant from the non-host plant of the leafminers. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that, as the most passive scenario of plant involvement, leafminers and mechanical damages evoke similar semio-chemicals. Using ubiquitous compounds, such as hexenol, for host location by general parasitoids could be an adaptation of the most conservative evolution of tritrophic interaction. Although for this, other compounds may be used to improve the precision of the host location by the parasitoids. PMID- 17786224 TI - Targeted deletion of HIF-1alpha gene in T cells prevents their inhibition in hypoxic inflamed tissues and improves septic mice survival. AB - BACKGROUND: Sepsis patients may die either from an overwhelming systemic immune response and/or from an immunoparalysis-associated lack of anti-bacterial immune defence. We hypothesized that bacterial superantigen-activated T cells may be prevented from contribution into anti-bacterial response due to the inhibition of their effector functions by the hypoxia inducible transcription factor (HIF 1alpha) in inflamed and hypoxic areas. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Cre-lox-P-system we generated mice with a T-cell targeted deletion of the HIF 1alpha gene and analysed them in an in vivo model of bacterial sepsis. We show that deletion of the HIF-1alpha gene leads to higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, stronger anti-bacterial effects and much better survival of mice. These effects can be at least partially explained by significantly increased NF kappaB activation in TCR activated HIF-1 alpha deficient T cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: T cells can be recruited to powerfully contribute to anti-bacterial response if they are relieved from inhibition by HIF-1alpha in inflamed and hypoxic areas. Our experiments uncovered the before unappreciated reserve of anti-bacterial capacity of T cells and suggest novel therapeutic anti pathogen strategies based on targeted deletion or inhibition of HIF-1 alpha in T cells. PMID- 17786226 TI - Is transcriptional regulation of metabolic pathways an optimal strategy for fitness? AB - BACKGROUND: Transcriptional regulation of the genes in metabolic pathways is a highly successful strategy, which is virtually universal in microorganisms. The lac operon of E. coli is but one example of how enzyme and transporter production can be made conditional on the presence of a nutrient to catabolize. METHODOLOGY: With a minimalist model of metabolism, cell growth and transcriptional regulation in a microorganism, we explore how the interaction between environmental conditions and gene regulation set the growth rate of cells in the phase of exponential growth. This in silico model, which is based on biochemical rate equations, does not describe a specific organism, but the magnitudes of its parameters are chosen to match realistic values. Optimizing the parameters of the regulatory system allows us to quantify the fitness benefit of regulation. When a second nutrient and its metabolic pathway are introduced, the system must further decide whether and how to activate both pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Even the crudest transcriptional network is shown to substantially increase the fitness of the organism, and this effect persists even when the range of nutrient levels is kept very narrow. We show that maximal growth is achieved when pathway activation is a more or less steeply graded function of the nutrient concentration. Furthermore, we predict that bistability of the system is a rare phenomenon in this context, but outline a situation where it may be selected for. PMID- 17786225 TI - Deletion of the N-terminus of SF2/ASF permits RS-domain-independent pre-mRNA splicing. AB - Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are essential splicing factors with one or two RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs) and a C-terminal arginine- and serine-rich (RS) domain. SR proteins bind to exonic splicing enhancers via their RRM(s), and from this position are thought to promote splicing by antagonizing splicing silencers, recruiting other components of the splicing machinery through RS-RS domain interactions, and/or promoting RNA base-pairing through their RS domains. An RS domain tethered at an exonic splicing enhancer can function as a splicing activator, and RS domains play prominent roles in current models of SR protein functions. However, we previously reported that the RS domain of the SR protein SF2/ASF is dispensable for in vitro splicing of some pre-mRNAs. We have now extended these findings via the identification of a short inhibitory domain at the SF2/ASF N-terminus; deletion of this segment permits splicing in the absence of this SR protein's RS domain of an IgM pre-mRNA substrate previously classified as RS-domain-dependent. Deletion of the N-terminal inhibitory domain increases the splicing activity of SF2/ASF lacking its RS domain, and enhances its ability to bind pre-mRNA. Splicing of the IgM pre-mRNA in S100 complementation with SF2/ASF lacking its RS domain still requires an exonic splicing enhancer, suggesting that an SR protein RS domain is not always required for ESE-dependent splicing activation. Our data provide additional evidence that the SF2/ASF RS domain is not strictly required for constitutive splicing in vitro, contrary to prevailing models for how the domains of SR proteins function to promote splicing. PMID- 17786227 TI - Winning or losing: where are we in the fight against HIV and AIDS? PMID- 17786228 TI - The evolving biology and treatment of prostate cancer. AB - Since the effectiveness of androgen deprivation for treatment of advanced prostate cancer was first demonstrated, prevention strategies and medical therapies for prostate cancer have been based on understanding the biologic underpinnings of the disease. Prostate cancer treatment is one of the best examples of a systematic therapeutic approach to target not only the cancer cells themselves, but the microenvironment in which they are proliferating. As the population ages and prostate cancer prevalence increases, challenges remain in the diagnosis of clinically relevant prostate cancer as well as the management of the metastatic and androgen-independent metastatic disease states. PMID- 17786231 TI - Low-molecular-weight S-nitrosothiols and blood vessel injury. AB - S-nitrosothiol signaling reactions are argued to play key modulatory roles in mediating the actions of NOS in health and disease. A report by Palmer et al. in this issue of the JCI provides new insight into the in vivo biology of S nitrosothiols (see the related article beginning on page 2592). The authors examine the chronic effects of exogenous nitrosothiol therapy and demonstrate that the commonly used antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) induces pulmonary arterial hypertension in mice. Importantly, the authors argue that the vascular pathology they observe in the lungs of these animals is functionally and morphologically equivalent to that observed in chronic hypoxia. These findings raise the concern that chronic NAC therapy may induce similar vascular pathology in patients. PMID- 17786229 TI - Angiogenesis modulates adipogenesis and obesity. AB - Substantial evidence shows that neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissue growth is dependent on angiogenesis. Neovascularization and adipogenesis are temporally and spatially coupled processes during prenatal life and they continue to reciprocally interact via paracrine signaling systems throughout adult life. Activated adipocytes produce multiple angiogenic factors including leptin, angiopoietins, HGF, GM-CSF, VEGF, FGF-2, and TGF-beta, which either alone or collectively stimulate neovascularization during fat mass expansion. Thus antiangiogenic agents provide a novel therapeutic option for prevention and treatment of human obesity and its related disorders. PMID- 17786230 TI - MicroRNAs: powerful new regulators of heart disease and provocative therapeutic targets. AB - MicroRNAs act as negative regulators of gene expression by inhibiting the translation or promoting the degradation of target mRNAs. Recent studies have revealed key roles of microRNAs as regulators of the growth, development, function, and stress responsiveness of the heart, providing glimpses of undiscovered regulatory mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of heart disease. PMID- 17786232 TI - Beta cell transplantation and immunosuppression: can't live with it, can't live without it. AB - Since the first diabetic was treated with insulin in 1922, millions of patients have relied on frequent insulin injections and glucose monitoring to combat the disease and its complications. Improved immunosuppressive regimens in islet transplantation developed in the Edmonton protocol raised the hopes of diabetics worldwide for a complete cure and insulin independence. However, transplant success has proven to be short-lived and accompanied by significant side effects. Using a clever genetic model for conditional ablation of pancreatic beta cells in vivo, Nir and colleagues show in this issue of the JCI that the immunosuppressant drugs clinically inhibit beta cell proliferation in the diabetic setting (see the related article beginning on page 2553). They also demonstrate that beta cells have a remarkable regenerative capacity and that normal beta cell mass can recover even in the setting of hyperglycemia. Their new mouse model should aid in the development of improved immunoregulatory strategies and in the elucidation of the molecular pathways that govern beta cell regeneration. PMID- 17786233 TI - Deepening our understanding of immune sentinels in the skin. AB - Advances in our understanding of the skin immune system have a major impact on studies of skin autoimmunity, graft-versus-host disease, inflammation, and cancer as well as on the development of novel vaccines and immunotherapy approaches. In this issue of the JCI, Zaba et al. carefully dissected the complex network of DCs and macrophages residing in normal human skin and defined novel phenotypic markers for these immunocytes (see the related article beginning on page 2517). These studies provide the basis for better insight into the role of important immune sentinels contributing to the maintenance of skin tissue homeostasis and lay the foundation for future studies of the skin immune system. PMID- 17786234 TI - Taking aim at translation for tumor therapy. AB - Increased cap-dependent mRNA translation rates are frequently observed in human cancers. Mechanistically, many human tumors often overexpress the cap binding protein eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), leading to enhanced translation of numerous tumor-promoting genes. In this issue of the JCI, Graff and colleagues describe potent antitumor effects using second-generation antisense oligonucleotides for eIF4E (see the related article beginning on page 2638). If their results are recapitulated in a clinical setting, this strategy will provide a promising antitumor therapy with broad-reaching applications. PMID- 17786235 TI - Two tales concerning skeletal muscle. AB - It was previously appreciated that the determination of skeletal muscle fiber type (fast or slow) could be regulated by class II histone deacetylases (HDACs), which function by inhibiting the transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2). In a report by Potthoff et al. in this issue of the JCI, it is further shown that HDACs are degraded via the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, opening up a search for the putative E3 ligase that mediates the proteolysis of the responsible HDACs (see the related article beginning on page 2459). In a second report, by Suzuki et al., a new convergence between the biology of muscular dystrophy and muscle atrophy is elucidated (see the related study beginning on page 2468). It had previously been known that NO signaling is dysregulated during muscular dystrophy due to the disruption of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC), which anchors neuronal NOS (nNOS). Here it is shown that nNOS is similarly perturbed in a setting of skeletal muscle atrophy. Both of these studies suggest new avenues for the treatment of skeletal muscle disease. PMID- 17786236 TI - Rheostat regulation of integrin-mediated leukocyte adhesion. AB - The homing of activated T lymphocytes to the gut in inflammatory bowel diseases is dependent on their coordinated, integrin-mediated adhesion and de-adhesion to substrates and blood vessel walls. In this issue of the JCI, Park and colleagues reveal a key modulatory role of a binding site within beta integrins, known as the ADMIDAS domain, in controlling integrin de-adhesion in mice (see the related article beginning on page 2526). These observations add to our growing understanding of how integrin adhesiveness is regulated and raise the notion of the existence of a biological rheostat for lymphocyte homing. Disturbed migratory rheostat tone could account for variations in interindividual immune responses observed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease or other lymphocyte-mediated inflammatory disorders. These findings will inform future strategies to design small molecules for the treatment of a spectrum of chronic inflammatory conditions. PMID- 17786237 TI - Alternative signaling: cardiomyocyte beta1-adrenergic receptors signal through EGFRs. AB - Acute stimulation of cardiac beta1-adrenergic receptors (beta1ARs) by norepinephrine represents the strongest endogenous mechanism for increasing cardiac function, but long-term stimulation induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis and contributes to cardiac disease. These effects have been attributed to coupling of the beta1AR to the stimulatory G protein (Gs) and classical cAMP-mediated signaling. In this issue of the JCI, Noma and colleagues report that cardiomyocyte beta1ARs may in addition deliver an antiapoptotic signal through transactivation of EGFRs (see the related article beginning on page 2445). Their findings provide a perspective for a novel class of receptor ligands that may direct beta1AR signaling toward alternative signaling pathways. PMID- 17786238 TI - Beta-arrestin-mediated beta1-adrenergic receptor transactivation of the EGFR confers cardioprotection. AB - Deleterious effects on the heart from chronic stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors (betaARs), members of the 7 transmembrane receptor family, have classically been shown to result from Gs-dependent adenylyl cyclase activation. Here, we identify a new signaling mechanism using both in vitro and in vivo systems whereby beta-arrestins mediate beta1AR signaling to the EGFR. This beta arrestin-dependent transactivation of the EGFR, which is independent of G protein activation, requires the G protein-coupled receptor kinases 5 and 6. In mice undergoing chronic sympathetic stimulation, this novel signaling pathway is shown to promote activation of cardioprotective pathways that counteract the effects of catecholamine toxicity. These findings suggest that drugs that act as classical antagonists for G protein signaling, but also stimulate signaling via beta arrestin-mediated cytoprotective pathways, would represent a novel class of agents that could be developed for multiple members of the 7 transmembrane receptor family. PMID- 17786239 TI - Histone deacetylase degradation and MEF2 activation promote the formation of slow twitch myofibers. AB - Skeletal muscle is composed of heterogeneous myofibers with distinctive rates of contraction, metabolic properties, and susceptibility to fatigue. We show that class II histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins, which function as transcriptional repressors of the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factor, fail to accumulate in the soleus, a slow muscle, compared with fast muscles (e.g., white vastus lateralis). Accordingly, pharmacological blockade of proteasome function specifically increases expression of class II HDAC proteins in the soleus in vivo. Using gain- and loss-of-function approaches in mice, we discovered that class II HDAC proteins suppress the formation of slow twitch, oxidative myofibers through the repression of MEF2 activity. Conversely, expression of a hyperactive form of MEF2 in skeletal muscle of transgenic mice promotes the formation of slow fibers and enhances running endurance, enabling mice to run almost twice the distance of WT littermates. Thus, the selective degradation of class II HDACs in slow skeletal muscle provides a mechanism for enhancing physical performance and resistance to fatigue by augmenting the transcriptional activity of MEF2. These findings provide what we believe are new insights into the molecular basis of skeletal muscle function and have important implications for possible therapeutic interventions into muscular diseases. PMID- 17786240 TI - NO production results in suspension-induced muscle atrophy through dislocation of neuronal NOS. AB - Forkhead box O (Foxo) transcription factors induce muscle atrophy by upregulating the muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligases MuRF-1 and atrogin-1/MAFbx, but other than Akt, the upstream regulators of Foxos during muscle atrophy are largely unknown. To examine the involvement of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) in regulation of Foxo activities and muscle atrophy, we analyzed the expression of DGC members during tail suspension, a model of unloading-induced muscle atrophy. Among several DGC members, only neuronal NOS (nNOS) quickly dislocated from the sarcolemma to the cytoplasm during tail suspension. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry revealed production of NO in atrophying muscle. nNOS-null mice showed much milder muscle atrophy after tail suspension than did wild-type mice. Importantly, nuclear accumulation of dephosphorylated Foxo3a was not evident in nNOS-null muscle, and neither MuRF-1 nor atrogin 1/MAFbx were upregulated during tail suspension. Furthermore, an nNOS-specific inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole, significantly prevented suspension-induced muscle atrophy. The NF-kappaB pathway was activated in both wild-type and nNOS-null muscle during tail suspension. We also show that nNOS was involved in the mechanism of denervation-induced atrophy. We conclude that nNOS/NO mediates muscle atrophy via regulation of Foxo transcription factors and is a new therapeutic target for disuse-induced muscle atrophy. PMID- 17786241 TI - Myosin accumulation and striated muscle myopathy result from the loss of muscle RING finger 1 and 3. AB - Maintenance of skeletal and cardiac muscle structure and function requires precise control of the synthesis, assembly, and turnover of contractile proteins of the sarcomere. Abnormalities in accumulation of sarcomere proteins are responsible for a variety of myopathies. However, the mechanisms that mediate turnover of these long-lived proteins remain poorly defined. We show that muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) and MuRF3 act as E3 ubiquitin ligases that cooperate with the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes UbcH5a, -b, and -c to mediate the degradation of beta/slow myosin heavy chain (beta/slow MHC) and MHCIIa via the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) in vivo and in vitro. Accordingly, mice deficient for MuRF1 and MuRF3 develop a skeletal muscle myopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy characterized by subsarcolemmal MHC accumulation, myofiber fragmentation, and diminished muscle performance. These findings identify MuRF1 and MuRF3 as key E3 ubiquitin ligases for the UPS-dependent turnover of sarcomeric proteins and reveal a potential basis for myosin storage myopathies. PMID- 17786242 TI - Normal human dermis contains distinct populations of CD11c+BDCA-1+ dendritic cells and CD163+FXIIIA+ macrophages. AB - We used a panel of monoclonal antibodies to characterize DCs in the dermis of normal human skin. Staining for the CD11c integrin, which is abundant on many kinds of DCs, revealed cells in the upper dermis. These cells were positive for blood DC antigen-1 (BDCA-1; also known as CD1c), HLA-DR, and CD45, markers that are also expressed by circulating myeloid DCs. A small subset of CD11c+ dermal cells expressed DEC-205/CD205 and DC-lysosomal-associated membrane glycoprotein/CD208 (DC-LAMP/CD208), suggesting some differentiation or maturation. When BDCA-1+ cells were selected from collagenase digests of normal dermis, they proved to be strong stimulators for T cells in a mixed leukocyte reaction. A second major population of cells located throughout the dermis was positive for factor XIIIA (FXIIIA), but lacked CD11c and BDCA-1. They expressed the macrophage scavenger receptor CD163 and stained weakly for HLA-DR and CD45. Isolated CD163+ dermal cells were inactive in stimulating T cell proliferation, but in biopsies of tattoos, these cells were selectively laden with granular pigments. Plasmacytoid DCs were also present in the dermis, marked by CD123 and BDCA-2. In summary, the normal dermis contains typical immunostimulatory myeloid DCs identified by CD11c and BDCA-1, as well as an additional population of poorly stimulatory macrophages marked by CD163 and FXIIIA. PMID- 17786243 TI - Aberrant activation of integrin alpha4beta7 suppresses lymphocyte migration to the gut. AB - Integrin adhesion molecules mediate lymphocyte migration and homing to normal and inflamed tissues. While the ligand-binding activity of integrins is known to be modulated by conformational changes, little is known about how the appropriate balance of integrin adhesiveness is maintained in order to optimize the migratory capacity of lymphocytes in vivo. In this study we examined the regulation of the gut homing receptor alpha4beta7 integrin by manipulating at the germline level an integrin regulatory domain known as adjacent to metal ion-dependent adhesion site (ADMIDAS). ADMIDAS normally serves to raise the activation threshold of alpha4beta7, thereby stabilizing it in the default nonadhesive state. Lymphocytes from knockin beta7 (D146A) mice, which harbor a disrupted ADMIDAS, not only expressed an alpha4beta7 integrin that persistently adhered to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), but also exhibited perturbed cell migration along MAdCAM-1 substrates resulting from improper de-adhesion of the lymphocyte trailing edge. In vivo, aberrantly activated alpha4beta7 enhanced adhesion to Peyer's patch venules, but suppressed lymphocyte homing to the gut, diminishing the capacity of T cells to induce colitis. Our results underscore the importance of a proper balance in the adhesion and de-adhesion of the alpha4beta7 integrin, both for lymphocyte trafficking to the gut and for colitis progression. PMID- 17786244 TI - Recovery from diabetes in mice by beta cell regeneration. AB - The mechanisms that regulate pancreatic beta cell mass are poorly understood. While autoimmune and pharmacological destruction of insulin-producing beta cells is often irreversible, adult beta cell mass does fluctuate in response to physiological cues including pregnancy and insulin resistance. This plasticity points to the possibility of harnessing the regenerative capacity of the beta cell to treat diabetes. We developed a transgenic mouse model to study the dynamics of beta cell regeneration from a diabetic state. Following doxycycline administration, transgenic mice expressed diphtheria toxin in beta cells, resulting in apoptosis of 70%-80% of beta cells, destruction of islet architecture, and diabetes. Withdrawal of doxycycline resulted in a spontaneous normalization of blood glucose levels and islet architecture and a significant regeneration of beta cell mass with no apparent toxicity of transient hyperglycemia. Lineage tracing analysis indicated that enhanced proliferation of surviving beta cells played the major role in regeneration. Surprisingly, treatment with Sirolimus and Tacrolimus, immunosuppressants used in the Edmonton protocol for human islet transplantation, inhibited beta cell regeneration and prevented the normalization of glucose homeostasis. These results suggest that regenerative therapy for type 1 diabetes may be achieved if autoimmunity is halted using regeneration-compatible drugs. PMID- 17786245 TI - S-nitrosothiols signal hypoxia-mimetic vascular pathology. AB - NO transfer reactions between protein and peptide cysteines have been proposed to represent regulated signaling processes. We used the pharmaceutical antioxidant N acetylcysteine (NAC) as a bait reactant to measure NO transfer reactions in blood and to study the vascular effects of these reactions in vivo. NAC was converted to S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNOAC), decreasing erythrocytic S-nitrosothiol content, both during whole-blood deoxygenation ex vivo and during a 3-week protocol in which mice received high-dose NAC in vivo. Strikingly, the NAC treated mice developed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that mimicked the effects of chronic hypoxia. Moreover, systemic SNOAC administration recapitulated effects of both NAC and hypoxia. eNOS-deficient mice were protected from the effects of NAC but not SNOAC, suggesting that conversion of NAC to SNOAC was necessary for the development of PAH. These data reveal an unanticipated adverse effect of chronic NAC administration and introduce a new animal model of PAH. Moreover, evidence that conversion of NAC to SNOAC during blood deoxygenation is necessary for the development of PAH in this model challenges conventional views of oxygen sensing and of NO signaling. PMID- 17786246 TI - Therapeutic suppression of translation initiation factor eIF4E expression reduces tumor growth without toxicity. AB - Expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is commonly elevated in human and experimental cancers, promoting angiogenesis and tumor growth. Elevated eIF4E levels selectively increase translation of growth factors important in malignancy (e.g., VEGF, cyclin D1) and is thereby an attractive anticancer therapeutic target. Yet to date, no eIF4E-specific therapy has been developed. Herein we report development of eIF4E-specific antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) designed to have the necessary tissue stability and nuclease resistance required for systemic anticancer therapy. In mammalian cultured cells, these ASOs specifically targeted the eIF4E mRNA for destruction, repressing expression of eIF4E-regulated proteins (e.g., VEGF, cyclin D1, survivin, c-myc, Bcl-2), inducing apoptosis, and preventing endothelial cells from forming vessel-like structures. Most importantly, intravenous ASO administration selectively and significantly reduced eIF4E expression in human tumor xenografts, significantly suppressing tumor growth. Because these ASOs also target murine eIF4E, we assessed the impact of eIF4E reduction in normal tissues. Despite reducing eIF4E levels by 80% in mouse liver, eIF4E-specific ASO administration did not affect body weight, organ weight, or liver transaminase levels, thereby providing the first in vivo evidence that cancers may be more susceptible to eIF4E inhibition than normal tissues. These data have prompted eIF4E-specific ASO clinical trials for the treatment of human cancers. PMID- 17786247 TI - The iron chelator deferasirox protects mice from mucormycosis through iron starvation. AB - Mucormycosis causes mortality in at least 50% of cases despite current first-line therapies. Clinical and animal data indicate that the presence of elevated available serum iron predisposes the host to mucormycosis. Here we demonstrate that deferasirox, an iron chelator recently approved for use in humans by the US FDA, is a highly effective treatment for mucormycosis. Deferasirox effectively chelated iron from Rhizopus oryzae and demonstrated cidal activity in vitro against 28 of 29 clinical isolates of Mucorales at concentrations well below clinically achievable serum levels. When administered to diabetic ketoacidotic or neutropenic mice with mucormycosis, deferasirox significantly improved survival and decreased tissue fungal burden, with an efficacy similar to that of liposomal amphotericin B. Deferasirox treatment also enhanced the host inflammatory response to mucormycosis. Most importantly, deferasirox synergistically improved survival and reduced tissue fungal burden when combined with liposomal amphotericin B. These data support clinical investigation of adjunctive deferasirox therapy to improve the poor outcomes of mucormycosis with current therapy. As iron availability is integral to the pathogenesis of other infections (e.g., tuberculosis, malaria), broader investigation of deferasirox as an antiinfective treatment is warranted. PMID- 17786249 TI - Development of a multidimensional scale to measure work satisfaction among pharmacy faculty members. AB - OBJECTIVES: To develop a multidimensional scale to measure work satisfaction among pharmacy faculty members and determine its reliability and validity. METHODS: A literature review was used to assist in the generation of 36 statements that putatively comprise the satisfaction construct. The 25 items meeting a priori criteria in a modified Delphi procedure were included in a questionnaire sent by e-mail to 4,228 pharmacy faculty members. Principal axis factoring and scale purification procedures were used to identify a plausible factor structure. RESULTS: Using responses acquired from 885 pharmacy faculty members, 6 domains of work satisfaction were identified: resources for scholarship, institutional support and reward, requirements for tenure and promotion, availability of a graduate program, collegiality, and teaching environment. The overall measure demonstrated construct validity, while each domain subscale exhibited relatively high internal consistency reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The overall work satisfaction measure and each subscale derived from composite domains can be used to identify sources of discontent and/or track interventions designed to improve work satisfaction. PMID- 17786250 TI - Job turnover intentions among pharmacy faculty. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine the primary reasons why pharmacy faculty intend to remain or leave their current institution and why they left their most recent academic institution, and the relative contribution of various organizational and individual characteristics toward explaining variance in turnover intentions. METHODS: A survey instrument was e-mailed to pharmacy faculty members asking respondents to indicate up to 5 reasons for their intentions and up to 5 reasons why they left a previous institution. The survey also elicited perceptions on quality of work life in addition to demographic and institutional data, upon which turnover intentions were regressed using a forward-conditional procedure. Organizational commitment as a moderator of turnover intentions was regressed over the remaining variables not acting directly on employer intentions. RESULTS: Just over 1 in 5 respondents indicated intentions to leave their current academic institution. Excessive workload, seeking a new challenge, poor salary, and poor relationships with college or school administrators were frequently cited as reasons for leaving. Turnover intentions are influenced directly by department chair support and organizational commitment, which moderates various support and satisfaction variables. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy faculty members' decision to remain or leave an institution is dependent upon developing a sense of commitment toward the institution. Commitment is facilitated by support from the institution and department chair, in addition to a sense of satisfaction with the teaching environment. PMID- 17786251 TI - A rubric to assess critical literature evaluation skills. AB - OBJECTIVE: To develop and describe the use of a rubric for reinforcing critical literature evaluation skills and assessing journal article critiques presented by pharmacy students during journal club exercises. DESIGN: A rubric was developed, tested, and revised as needed to guide students in presenting a published study critique during the second through fourth years of a first-professional doctor of pharmacy degree curriculum and to help faculty members assess student performance and provide formative feedback. Through each rubric iteration, the ease of use and clarity for both evaluators and students were determined with modifications made as indicated. Student feedback was obtained after using the rubric for journal article exercises, and interrater reliability of the rubric was determined. ASSESSMENT: Student feedback regarding rubric use for preparing a clinical study critique was positive across years. Intraclass correlation coefficients were high for each rubric section. The rubric was modified a total of 5 times based upon student feedback and faculty discussions. CONCLUSION: A properly designed and tested rubric can be a useful tool for evaluating student performance during a journal article presentation; however, a rubric can take considerable time to develop. A rubric can also be a valuable student learning aid for applying literature evaluation concepts to the critique of a published study. PMID- 17786248 TI - Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase regulates ribonucleotide reductase and mitochondrial homeostasis. AB - Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase orchestrates nuclear DNA damage responses but is proposed to be involved in other important and clinically relevant functions. Here, we provide evidence for what we believe are 2 novel and intertwined roles for ATM: the regulation of ribonucleotide reductase (RR), the rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo synthesis of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, and control of mitochondrial homeostasis. Ataxia-telangiectasia (A T) patient fibroblasts, wild-type fibroblasts treated with the ATM inhibitor KU 55933, and cells in which RR is inhibited pharmacologically or by RNA interference (RNAi) each lead to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion under normal growth conditions. Disruption of ATM signaling in primary A-T fibroblasts also leads to global dysregulation of the R1, R2, and p53R2 subunits of RR, abrogation of RR-dependent upregulation of mtDNA in response to ionizing radiation, high mitochondrial transcription factor A (mtTFA)/mtDNA ratios, and increased resistance to inhibitors of mitochondrial respiration and translation. Finally, there are reduced expression of the R1 subunit of RR and tissue-specific alterations of mtDNA copy number in ATM null mouse tissues, the latter being recapitulated in tissues from human A-T patients. Based on these results, we propose that disruption of RR and mitochondrial homeostasis contributes to the complex pathology of A-T and that RR genes are candidate disease loci in mtDNA depletion syndromes. PMID- 17786252 TI - Teaching patient assessment skills to doctor of pharmacy students: the TOPAS study. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine the content and extent, design, and relative importance of patient assessment courses in the professional pharmacy curriculum. METHODS: A 20-item questionnaire was developed to gather information pertaining to patient assessment. Pharmacy practice department chairs were mailed a letter with an Internet link to an online survey instrument. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent of the programs indicated that patient assessment skills were taught. Forty-five percent of respondents indicated their course was a standalone course. The most common topics covered in assessment courses were pulmonary examination, vital signs, and cardiovascular assessment. CONCLUSION: There is significant variability in the topics covered, depth of content, types of instruction, and evaluation methods used in patient assessment courses in US colleges of pharmacy. This survey was an initial assessment of what is being done regarding education of student pharmacists on patient assessment. PMID- 17786253 TI - Elective course in nutrition taught by a pharmacy student. AB - OBJECTIVES: Create, implement, and evaluate an elective nutrition course to increase students' awareness and knowledge of nutrition in pharmacy practice. DESIGN: A doctor of pharmacy student, who was also a registered dietitian, designed and taught a 2-credit-hour elective nutrition course with the assistance and oversight of 2 faculty members. ASSESSMENT: Students who completed the final course evaluation (45% of the total) felt that the course would be useful to them in their pharmacy practice and highly recommended that other PharmD students take the course. Mean scores on the first and second knowledge-based examinations were 83% and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This project reflects an innovative approach to developing and delivering a course in an important area of the pharmacy curriculum and provided a pharmacy student the opportunity to explore an academic career in pharmacy. PMID- 17786254 TI - Pharmacists' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to lifelong learning. AB - OBJECTIVES: To reevaluate facilitators of and barriers to pharmacists' participation in lifelong learning previously examined in a 1990 study. METHODS: A survey instrument was mailed to 274 pharmacists who volunteered to participate based on a prior random sample survey. Data based on perceptions of facilitators and barriers to lifelong learning, as well as self-perception as a lifelong learner, were analyzed and compared to a similar 1990 survey. RESULTS: The response rate for the survey was 88%. The top 3 facilitators and barriers to lifelong learning from the 2003 and the 1990 samples were: (1) personal desire to learn; (2) requirement to maintain professional licensure; and (3) enjoyment/relaxation provided by learning as change of pace from the "routine." The top 3 barriers were: (1) job constraints; (2) scheduling (location, distance, time) of group learning activities; and (3) family constraints (eg, spouse, children, personal). Respondents' broad self-perception as lifelong learners continued to be highly positive overall, but remained less positive relative to more specific lifelong learning skills such as the ability to identify learning objectives as well as to evaluate learning outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Little has changed in the last decade relative to how pharmacists view themselves as lifelong learners, as well as what they perceive as facilitators and barriers to lifelong learning. To address factors identified as facilitators and barriers, continuing education (CE) providers should focus on pharmacists' time constraints, whether due to employment, family responsibilities, or time invested in the educational activity itself, and pharmacists' internal motivations to learn (personal desire, enjoyment), as well as external forces such as mandatory CE for relicensure. PMID- 17786255 TI - Gifts and corporate influence in doctor of pharmacy education. AB - OBJECTIVES: To explore the nature of corporate gifts directed at PharmD programs and pharmacy student activities and the perceptions of administrators about the potential influences of such gifts. METHODS: A verbally administered survey of administrative officials at 11 US colleges and schools of pharmacy was conducted and responses were analyzed. RESULTS: All respondents indicated accepting corporate gifts or sponsorships for student-related activities in the form of money, grants, scholarships, meals, trinkets, and support for special events, and cited many advantages to corporate partner relationships. Approximately half of the respondents believed that real or potential problems could occur from accepting corporate gifts. Forty-four percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that corporate contributions could influence college or school administration. Sixty-one percent agreed or strongly agreed that donations were likely to influence students. CONCLUSIONS: Corporate gifts do influence college and school of administration and students. Policies should be in place to manage this influence appropriately. PMID- 17786256 TI - Prepharmacy years in college and academic performance in a professional program. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether there was a significant difference in the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of individual students at the end of their first 3 professional years in the doctor of pharmacy curriculum as a function of previous years in college. METHODS: The cumulative GPA for the first- through third-professional years was calculated for the 2004-2007 graduating classes. Previous college education was classified as 2 years, 3 or more years without a bachelor's degree, and bachelor's degree or higher. Students with 2 years of prepharmacy education were classified as early assurance (EA) versus non early assurance. Specifically, non-early assurance students were those who transferred in after 2 years but did not participate in the early assurance program. Statistical differences in the cumulative GPA were calculated using MANOVA with repeated measures followed by a LSD Post-Hoc test. RESULTS: Students with a bachelor's degree performed better academically, especially in the first professional year of the program compared to those with other levels of education including those who entered through our EA program. There was a consistent decrease in cumulative GPA during the second-professional year, but no additional change in the third-professional year. CONCLUSIONS: Students who obtain a bachelor's degree perform better academically presumably because of previous college experiences. PMID- 17786257 TI - Relevance of physics to the pharmacy major. AB - OBJECTIVE: To offer a physics course that is relevant to pharmacy students, yet still contains many of the fundamental principles of physics. DESIGN: The course was modified over a period of several years to include activities and examples that were related to other courses in the curriculum. ASSESSMENT: Course evaluations were given to assess student attitudes about the importance of physics in the pharmacy curriculum. CONCLUSION: Students' attitudes have changed over time to appreciate the role that physics plays in their studies. Students gained confidence in their ability to learn in other courses. PMID- 17786259 TI - The next big challenge for pharmacy academia. PMID- 17786258 TI - Making residency training an expectation for pharmacists in direct patient care roles. PMID- 17786260 TI - Documentation: a value proposition for pharmacy education and the pharmacy profession. PMID- 17786261 TI - What pharmacy can learn from other professions. PMID- 17786262 TI - Pharmacy: no longer a "second choice" career. PMID- 17786263 TI - Good outcome development is good science. PMID- 17786265 TI - Preparing PharmD students to participate in Medicare Part D education and enrollment. AB - OBJECTIVE: To create and implement a teaching module that prepares students to assist Medicare beneficiaries in evaluating and enrolling in Medicare Part D plans. DESIGN: A 6-hour module entitled "Medicare 2006: This Year, It's Different!"1 was developed and first presented to students in February 2006. Material describing provisions of Medicare Part D was included as well as instructions on using the plan selection tools available on the Medicare web site. Learning activities developed included listing the top 10 things a Medicare beneficiary should know about Medicare Part D, participating in a mock patient counseling activity, selecting an appropriate Medicare prescription drug plan for a given list of drugs, and writing a paper explaining features of the plan they selected and justifying their selection. ASSESSMENT: Assessment of the 64 students who completed the module was based on completion of individual Top 10 lists, participation in mock counseling sessions, and appropriate drug plan recommendations in plan selection assignments. Overall student response to the series was overwhelmingly positive. CONCLUSION: Given opportunities to apply Medicare Part D knowledge in the classroom setting, PharmD students were able to empathize with the plight of elderly patients and took the initiative to participate in Part D education and enrollment efforts in their communities. PMID- 17786266 TI - Physiology of the autonomic nervous system. AB - This manuscript discusses the physiology of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The following topics are presented: regulation of activity; efferent pathways; sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions; neurotransmitters, their receptors and the termination of their activity; functions of the ANS; and the adrenal medullae. In addition, the application of this material to the practice of pharmacy is of special interest. Two case studies regarding insecticide poisoning and pheochromocytoma are included. The ANS and the accompanying case studies are discussed over 5 lectures and 2 recitation sections during a 2-semester course in Human Physiology. The students are in the first-professional year of the doctor of pharmacy program. PMID- 17786267 TI - A bingo game motivates students to interact with course material. AB - OBJECTIVES: To create a bingo game that would increase student interaction with course material and provide students with options for demonstrating learning and earning extra credit. DESIGN: A bingo game was created in which each of the 25 squares contained an activity (eg, video, crossword puzzle, poem, quiz) that encouraged interaction with course material and appealed to multiple learning styles. Students who achieved bingo earned a 5-point (5%) grade bonus. ASSESSMENT: All students enrolled in the Introduction to Clinical Pharmacy Skills course participated in the bingo game. The majority of students (74.6% in the fall and 81.9% in the spring) achieved bingo. Students who achieved bingo had an average course grade 7 points (fall semester) and 10 points (spring semester) higher than the average course grade from the prior 6 semesters. CONCLUSION: The bingo game increased student interaction with course material throughout the semester and provided students with options for demonstrating learning. PMID- 17786268 TI - Pharmacoepidemiology education in US colleges and schools of pharmacy. AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the type and extent of pharmacoepidemiology education offered by US colleges and schools of pharmacy. METHODS: An electronic Web-survey was sent to all 89 US colleges and schools of pharmacy between October 2005 and January 2006 to examine the type and extent of pharmacoepidemiology education offered to professional (PharmD) and graduate (MS/PhD) students. RESULTS: The response rate was 100%. Of the 89 schools surveyed, 69 (78%) provided pharmacoepidemiology education to their professional students. A mean of 119 (+/ 60) PharmD students per college/school per year received some pharmacoepidemiology education (range 1-60 classroom hours; median 10 hours). Thirty-five schools (39%) provided education to a mean of 6 (+/-5) graduate students (range 2-135 classroom hours; median 15 hours). CONCLUSIONS: A majority of US colleges and schools of pharmacy offer some pharmacoepidemiology education in their curriculum. However, the topics offered by each school and number of classroom hours varied at both the professional and graduate level. PMID- 17786269 TI - Applying transactional analysis and personality assessment to improve patient counseling and communication skills. AB - OBJECTIVE: To teach pharmacy students how to apply transactional analysis and personality assessment to patient counseling to improve communication. DESIGN: A lecture series for a required pharmacy communications class was developed to teach pharmacy students how to apply transactional analysis and personality assessment to patient counseling. Students were asked to apply these techniques and to report their experiences. A personality self-assessment was also conducted. ASSESSMENT: After attending the lecture series, students were able to apply the techniques and demonstrated an understanding of the psychological factors that may affect patient communication, an appreciation for the diversity created by different personality types, the ability to engage patients based on adult-to-adult interaction cues, and the ability to adapt the interactive patient counseling model to different personality traits. CONCLUSION: Students gained a greater awareness of transactional analysis and personality assessment by applying these concepts. This understanding will help students communicate more effectively with patients. PMID- 17786270 TI - In vitro evidence of the role of hemoglobin during vasospasm on the modifications of the expression of PKCalpha and zeta. AB - The cellular events leading to cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are poorly understood, although the family of protein kinase C (PKC) is already known to play crucial roles in this pathology. Hemoglobin (Hb) is one of the major causes of the cerebral vasospasm that follows SAH. In the present study we investigated whether Hb can in vitro regulate PKC expression in endothelial as opposed to smooth-muscle cells. The levels of expression of PKCalpha and PKCzeta were quantitatively determined by means of computer-assisted fluorescence microscopy in the A7r5 smooth-muscle rat cells and human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs). Hb significantly modified both calcium-dependent PKCalpha and calcium-independent PKCzeta expression in HUVECs and A7r5 smooth-muscle rat cells. Our data showed that, in vitro, Hb promptly and markedly modified the levels of expression of both calcium-dependent PKCalpha and calcium-independent PKCzeta. We are currently investigating the effects of specific PKC antagonists associated or not with calcium channel blockers on the expression of PKC and the in vivo severity of SAH-induced vasospasm. Our results encourage the prophylactic use of specific PKC isoform antagonists associated with calcium channel blockers early after SAH to prevent cerebral vasospasm. PMID- 17786271 TI - Effect of hypericin-mediated photodynamic therapy on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma. AB - Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is currently being used as an alternative treatment modality for various types of cancers. PDT involves the selective uptake and retention of a photosensitizer in the tumor followed by light irradiation of an appropriate wavelength to cause the destruction of tumor cells by the formation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. The photosensitizer, hypericin, has shown great potential due to its light-dependent tumor destructive properties. However, as hypericin-mediated PDT primarily targets tumor vasculature, it induces certain pro-angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumor tissue as a result of hypoxia. This study examines the role of hypericin mediated photodynamic therapy in stimulating the expression of key angiogenesis growth factor VEGF in order to elucidate the process of tumor angiogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma xenografts. We also investigated the effect of angiogenesis inhibitor celebrex on human VEGF levels when combined with hypericin PDT. These studies were conducted on an in vivo human nasopharyngeal xenograft model. VEGF was measured in the control and hypericin-PDT treated tumors. VEGF levels were found to be higher when the tumors were treated at a 1-h drug-light interval compared to a 6-h interval, due to extensive vascular damage. At 72 h post hypericin-PDT, VEGF levels were upregulated indicating the initiation of regrowth in tumors. The use of angiogenesis inhibitor, celebrex, along with hypericin-PDT downregulated the human VEGF levels suggesting that angiogenesis inhibitors can be used to improve the outcome of hypericin-PDT in nasopharyngeal carcinomas. PMID- 17786272 TI - Marked transfection enhancement by the DPL (DNA/peptide/lipid) complex. AB - A short peptide, corresponding to the nuclear localization signal of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 Tat protein, Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-Gln-Arg-Arg-Arg, was modified by adding a cysteine residue at the COOH terminus. The peptide was mixed with a reporter plasmid, and then with cationic lipids, to form a tripartite complex, DNA/peptide/lipid (DPL). Various cell lines were treated with the DPL complex and compared for transfection efficiency with those of the conventional DNA/lipid (DL) complex. With the simple inclusion of the peptide, the DPL complex showed much enhanced transfection. Meanwhile, the plasmid DNA mixed only with the peptide exhibited some improvement but with much lower transfection than the DPL complex. When the DPL complex was formed with various cationic lipids, the DOSPA/DOPE exhibited superior transfection efficiency than the other cationic lipids tested at the optimal ratio of 1:3:5 (w:w:w) in many cell types. At the optimal ratio of the DPL components, transfection efficiency was routinely shown to be approximately 10-fold higher for reporter gene expression than that of the conventional DL complex. Furthermore, when subcutaneous tumors of a colon cancer cell line (SW480) were treated intratumorally with antisense oligos, k-ras-RiAS, delivered as a DPL complex, tumor growth was markedly suppressed. This study shows that the DPL complex, which is easy to formulate by ordered mixing, can be employed for a much enhanced cellular uptake of a transgene both in vitro and in vivo. PMID- 17786274 TI - Novel membrane cell projection defects in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome B cells. AB - Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked immunodeficiency characterized by microthrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections, autoimmune disorders and an increased incidence of malignancies. This complex phenotype results from mutations in the WASP gene. WASP is a key member of a protein family that links signaling pathways to actin cytoskeleton reorganization by activating Arp2/3 mediated actin polymerization. Actin polymerization defects have been extensively defined in WAS T cells and also in dendritic cells and macrophages, but few reports have concentrated on WAS B cells. In the present study, we investigated cytoskeleton abnormalities in WAS B cell lines. For the first time we report alterations in the capacity of these cells to extend filopodia in response to bradykinin stimuli and an impairment in the formation of long pseudopodia under basal conditions. Such alterations most probably result from a WASP dysfunction, given that a retroviral gene transfer of a corrected form of the WASP gene was able to rescue the abnormal phenotypes. PMID- 17786273 TI - Novel embryonic stem cells expressing tdKaede protein photoconvertible from green to red fluorescence. AB - Kaede protein is a photoconvertible tracer that emits green fluorescence after synthesis, which changes to stable red fluorescence upon irradiation with violet or UV illumination. This color-change characteristic is a very effective means of optically marking living cells of interest. We established novel embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, B6KED-1 and -2, from C57BL/6J transgenic mouse blastocysts ubiquitously expressing tandem dimeric Kaede (tdKaede) protein. Undifferentiated B6KED-1 and -2 cells showed bright green fluorescence and mRNAs of pluripotent marker genes. Photoconversion of tdKaede protein in undifferentiated and differentiated B6KED cells in vitro occurred upon short-term UV irradiation. B6KED cells completely generated ES cell-derived females on transfer into tetraploid blastomeres. All organs showed strong green emission in the females derived completely from B6KED cells. These novel ES cell lines ubiquitously expressing photoconvertible Kaede protein, B6KED-1 and -2, are useful for basic research in developmental biology and regenerative medicine. PMID- 17786275 TI - Inhibition of human rheumatoid arthritis synovial cell survival by hecogenin and tigogenin is associated with increased apoptosis, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2. AB - We conducted our study to assess the antiproliferative and proapoptotic potential of hecogenin and tigogenin, two saponins which are structurally similar to diosgenin. We particularly focused our attention on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in relation to apoptosis but also with the COX-2 expression and activity. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synoviocytes were isolated from fresh synovial biopsies obtained from five RA patients undergoing hip arthroplasty. Measurement of cell proliferation was determined using the MTT assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by studying caspase-8, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities but also by quantification of DNA fragmentation. Quantification of human phospho-MAPKs was realized by ELISA. COX-2 expression was demonstrated by Western blot analysis and COX-2 activity by assay of endogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. Tigogenin was more effective than hecogenin in inducing apoptosis in human RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) which was caspase dependent but poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase independent and characterized by DNA fragmentation. Our results demonstrated hecogenin- and tigogenin-induced apoptosis through activation of p38 without affecting the JNK and ERK pathways. Indeed, pretreatment with a p38 inhibitor decreased saponin-induced apoptosis with a significant decrease in DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, the rate of apoptosis induced by hecogenin or tigogenin was associated with overexpression of COX-2 correlated with overproduction of endogenous PGE2. These new results provide strong evidence that a family of structurally similar plant steroids is capable of inducing apoptosis in human RA FLS with different rates and different signalling pathways. This study also confirms the discussed appearance of the downregulation or upregulation of COX-2 in cell apoptosis as a function of cell type. PMID- 17786276 TI - Molecular basis of aggressive disease in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with 11q deletion and trisomy 12 chromosomal abnormalities. AB - In B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Rai stage, immunoglobulin gene mutational status, chromosomal abnormalities, CD38 and ZAP-70 expression were used as prognostic markers. In this study, to understand the molecular basis of chromosomal abnormalities leading to tumor progression, 90 CLL patients were grouped into poor prognosis (with 11q deletion and trisomy 12) and good prognosis (with normal karyotype and 13q deletion) and their clinical outcome was assessed. Gene expression profiles of 35 CLL samples with poor outcome (11q deletion, n=9; trisomy 12, n=5) and good outcome (13q deletion, n=13; normal karyotype, n=8) were analyzed using oligonucleotide microarray. Significance analysis of microarray (SAM) identified 27 differentially expressed genes between these two subgroups with significant overexpression of ATF5 and underexpression of CDC16, PCDH8, SLAM, MNDA and ATF2 in CLL patients with poor outcome. ATF5 gene expression in CLL was further studied because of its role in the regulation of cell cycle progression/differentiation and apoptosis. The overexpression of ATF5 was confirmed by real-time PCR using 39 CLL samples from the poor and good outcome groups. ATF5 was significantly (p<0.001) overexpressed in the poor outcome group. Furthermore, ATF5 expression was significantly higher in the 11q deletion as well as trisomy 12 group alone compared to the 13q deletion and normal karyotype groups. ATF5 overexpression was also associated with significantly (p=0.04) shorter time to treatment. Similarly, expression of five underexpressed genes also correlated with longer time to treatment. Thus, this report demonstrates that ATF5 may be one of the key genes involved in increased proliferation and survival in 11q deletion or trisomy 12, whereas CD16, CD86, SLAM, MNDA and ATF2 may be involved in the decreased proliferation of CLL cells with 13q deletion or normal karyotype. PMID- 17786277 TI - Inflammatory status in patients with chronic renal failure: the role of PTX3 and pro-inflammatory cytokines. AB - Increased plasma levels of several acute phase proteins, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), have been documented among different patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The aim of the present study was to determine whether pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is a reliable marker of inflammation in CRF. Plasma samples and monocytes were taken from 43 patients before and after undergoing haemodialysis (HD), from 45 uraemic patients (UR) without HD treatment and from 25 healthy controls. Plasma and monocyte samples were analyzed by ELISA for levels of PTX3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6); all of these protein levels were higher in CRF patients with respect to the controls. After HD, plasma PTX3 and cytokine levels increased. Inter- and intra-individual variations in CRP were observed in HD patients, while PTX3 plasma levels were stable. Release of PTX3, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 by unstimulated monocytes from patients, before and after HD, was higher with respect to UR patients and controls. After lipopolysaccharide stimulation, all values were higher in patients before HD than those in UR patients, but lower when compared to those in the controls. In contrast, no changes were observed after HD. A significant correlation among plasma PTX3 versus fibrinogen, TNF alpha and IL-1beta was observed in HD and UR patients. Collectively, these data suggest that PTX3 protein may represent an additional and stable marker of inflammation in CRF. PMID- 17786278 TI - Inhibition of alanyl-aminopeptidase on CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cells enhances expression of FoxP3 and TGF-beta1 and ameliorates acute colitis in mice. AB - Inhibitors of alanyl-aminopeptidase e.g. phebestin increase the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 in mononuclear cells. We investigated whether phebestin also produced this effect in CD4+CD25+ T-cells and whether phebestin-treated CD4+CD25+ T-cells were capable of ameliorating acute colitis in mice. The suppressive activity of mouse CD4+CD25+ T-cells was assessed in vitro by co-culture with splenocytes. mRNA expression associated with the suppressive phenotype was determined in vitro and in vivo. The in vivo role of phebestin exposed CD4+CD25+ T-cells was studied in sodium dextran sulfate-induced acute colitis in mice. The proliferation of activated effector T-cells or splenocytes in vitro was inversely correlated with the number of CD4+CD25+ T-cells. Phebestin pre-treatment substantially enhanced the suppressive activity of these cells and increased expression levels of TGF-beta1 and FoxP3. Furthermore, transfer of CD4+CD25+ T-cells exposed to phebestin for a short time ex vivo significantly reduced the mouse colitis disease activity index. We conclude that aminopeptidase inhibitors support the suppressive activity as well as TGF-beta1 and FoxP3 expression of natural regulatory T-cells. PMID- 17786279 TI - Head and neck cancer triggers the internalization of TLR3 in natural killer cells. AB - Natural killer (NK) cells play a dominant role in the network of innate immunity. Via Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), NK cells can be efficiently stimulated by double stranded (ds)RNA. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), NK cells seem to be strongly impaired, but the true mechanisms of immune escape are not sufficiently known to date. It is obvious that the microenvironment of head and neck cancer results in strongly affected immune functions. NK cells play a major role in the local immune response of HNSCC. In this study we showed that TLR3 is predominantly expressed on the cell surface of native NK cells and becomes rapidly internalized in response to the HNSCC microenvironment. These findings represent a novel potential immune escape mechanism of head and neck cancer. The internalization of TLR3 in response to HNSCC was also observed in fibroblasts expressing heterologous TLR3 protein. Specific stimulation of NK cell TLR3 with its ligand polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) impairs the internalization of this Toll-like receptor and leads to activated NK cells within the HNSCC microenvironment. PMID- 17786280 TI - In silico-initiated cloning and molecular characterization of cortexin 3, a novel human gene specifically expressed in the kidney and brain, and well conserved in vertebrates. AB - We report on the in silico-initiated cloning and molecular characterization of CTXN3 (cortexin 3), a new human gene that was specifically expressed in the kidney and brain due to tissue-specific alternative exon 1 usage, on chromosome 5q23.2 using digital gene expression displayer (DGED) and a novel in silico cloning approach based on both expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and genomic sequence. The gene CTXN3 included 3 exons and spanned an approximate 9.6-kb region of human chromosome 5q23. Two alternative transcript variants (GenBank accession nos. AB219764 and AB219832) were 1660 and 1458 bp long, respectively, encoding for an 81-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 8933.4 Da. The predicted human CTXN3 protein had 43% identity with function-unknown protein cortexin, which showed brain-specific expression. Further analysis of the encoded protein using PSORT II, TMpred, and PSIPRED programs demonstrated a putative single membrane-spanning domain in the middle of the CTXN3 amino acid sequence, indicating that it might be an integral membrane protein which may mediate extracellular or intracellular signaling of the kidney or brain. Analysis of the predicted CTXN3 orthologs from different species showed that these proteins are highly conserved in vertebrates. In conclusion, a combination of bioinformatics and molecular approaches is useful in the identification of genes expressed in specific tissues. Selective expression of CTXN3 in the kidney and brain, the amino acid identity to cortexin, and its high conservation among different species indicate that CTXN3 may be involved in a process specifically restricted to kidney and brain tissue function. PMID- 17786281 TI - Src regulates phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-activated PKC-induced migration via Cas/Crk/Rac1 signaling pathway in glioblastoma cells. AB - In this study, we demonstrate that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) activated protein kinase C (PKC) induced migration in A172 glioblastoma cells via Src. PMA treatment induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Crk-associated substrate (Cas) and formation of a complex with Crk, followed by Rac1 activation, a downstream effector of Cas/Crk complex. These effects were blocked by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (PP2) or Src small interfering RNA (siRNA), indicating that Src was involved in the PMA-induced activation of Cas/Crk/Rac1 signaling pathway. An immunohistochemical study showed that after PMA treatment, Cas, Crk and Rac1 translocated into lamellipodia. Tyrosine phosphorylated Cas was also detected at the periphery of the cells, where focal complexes were prominent. These results indicated that signaling of Cas, Crk and Rac1 might be involved in PMA-induced cytoskeletal reorganization. Translocation of Rac1 to the cell membrane is known to be dependent on phosphorylation of tyrosine-221 residue of Crk. We demonstrated that PMA induced phosphorylation of Crk, and this phosphorylation was blocked by PP2 or Src siRNA. These results indicated that Src might regulate the subcellular localization of Rac1 through phosphorylation of Crk. We propose that PMA-induced migration was dependent on activation of PKC/Src/Cas/Crk/Rac1 signaling pathway via modulating cytoskeletal reorganization during glioblastoma cell migration. PMID- 17786282 TI - Stable expression of the oxc and frc genes from Oxalobacter formigenes in human embryo kidney 293 cells: implications for gene therapy of hyperoxaluria. AB - Hyperoxaluria can lead to multiple pathologic conditions such as recurrent urolithiasis, oxalosis, nephrocalcinosis and even renal failure, but there is no known oxalate-degrading pathway in the human body, and current therapeutic options for patients with hyperoxaluria are limited. Oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase and formyl-CoA transferase are the key enzymes in the oxalate catabolism of Oxalobacter formigenes which dwell in the intestine of vertebrates and have an important symbiotic relationship with their hosts. The aim of this study was to insert the oxalate-degrading enzyme genes into human embryo kidney (HEK) 293 cells and to evaluate if the oxalate-degrading enzymes could be expressed in these cells and keep their enzyme activity. We present here the cloning of the two genes from O. formigenes and their subsequent expression in HEK293 cells. The results showed that the expression of oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase and formyl-CoA transferase was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blotting, and the proteins were located in the cytoplasm of transfected cells. Furthermore, the transfected cells were capable to a certain degree of degrading oxalate. These findings suggest that the transfer of oxalate-degrading enzyme genes into human cells is possibly a potential candidate for the gene therapy of hyperoxaluria. PMID- 17786283 TI - Effect of scopoletin on lipoprotein lipase activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. AB - Hypertriglyceridemia is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. It is caused by the imbalance between hepatic triglyceride production and peripheral removal. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) plays a central role in the removal of plasma triglyceride. During the screening of possible anti-dyslipidemic drugs, we observed that scopoletin (6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin) significantly increased LPL activity in adipocytes. Scopoletin increased LPL activity in culture medium of 3T3-L1 adipocytes in dose- and time-dependent manners. It did not release LPL from the adipocyte membrane and, instead, increased the LPL mRNA level, suggesting transcriptional control. Scopoletin also partially reversed tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced suppression of LPL activity. These results suggest the possible action of scopoletin as a facilitator of plasma triglyceride clearance. PMID- 17786284 TI - Identification of a polymorphism of UCP3 associated with recurrent in-stent restenosis of coronary arteries. AB - The purpose of the present study was to identify gene polymorphisms that confer susceptibility to recurrent restenosis after bare-metal stenting of coronary arteries, and thereby to assess the genetic risk for this condition. The study population comprised 527 unrelated Japanese individuals, including 28 subjects who developed in-stent restenosis two or more times and 499 subjects without restenosis. The genotypes for 142 polymorphisms of 121 candidate genes were determined with a method that combines the polymerase chain reaction and sequence specific oligonucleotide probes with suspension array technology. Eleven polymorphisms were related (P<0.05) to the prevalence of recurrent in-stent restenosis as determined by the Chi-square test. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and the prevalence of smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia revealed that the -55Cright curved arrow T polymorphism of the uncoupling protein 3 gene (UCP3) was significantly (P=0.0006 in a recessive model) associated with the prevalence of recurrent in-stent restenosis, with the T allele representing a risk factor for this condition. A stepwise forward selection procedure showed that the UCP3 genotype significantly (P=0.0014, recessive model) affected the prevalence of recurrent in-stent restenosis. Determination of the genotype for UCP3 may thus contribute to assessment of the genetic risk for recurrent in-stent restenosis. PMID- 17786285 TI - Functional polymorphisms in the promoter region of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and chronic gastritis. AB - Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a key proinflammatory mediator, which plays a pivotal role in inflammatory and immune diseases. We attempted to clarify associations of the functional polymorphisms of the MIF gene promoter with the development of chronic gastritis. The study was performed with 290 stocked DNAs from subjects with no evidence of gastric malignancy. We employed the PCR-SSCP method to detect gene polymorphisms. The severity of histological chronic gastritis in antral biopsy specimens was classified according to the updated Sydney system. Both the 7/7-CATT repeat at position -794 and the -173 C/C genotypes were significantly associated with a risk of developing severe gastric mucosal atrophy (OR, 9.69; 95% CI, 1.29-72.5; and OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.05-20.2, respectively). In subjects younger than 60 years old, the number of 7-CATT alleles was significantly correlated with both the activity and inflammation scores (p=0.0079 and 0.0080, respectively). Our results suggested that functional promoter polymorphisms of the MIF gene might be associated with the severity of gastric mucosal inflammation in younger subjects and with the subsequent development of mucosal atrophy. PMID- 17786286 TI - A new mutation in the human pres gene and its effect on prestin function. AB - The electromotility of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) is a major factor in cochlear amplification that enhances the sensitivity of hearing in humans. Prestin is associated with presumed conformational changes in an integral membrane protein. Prestin knockout (-/-) mice display loss of OHC electromotility and a 40- to 60-dB reduction in cochlear sensitivity in vivo. In the present study we described the results of a direct sequencing mutation in the pres gene that was found in genetic screening performed in 47 patients characterized by non syndromic, mild-to-moderate hearing impairment (30-70 dB) and in 50 control subjects from Hungary, after exclusion of GJB (GJB2, GJB6) mutations in the background. Only one patient and his normal-hearing father showed a heterozygous missense mutation (R150Q/WT) in the 6th coding exon of the pres gene. None of the 50 control subjects with normal hearing carried this mutation. Electrophysiological studies on the R150Q (homozygous and heterozygous) prestin mutant transiently transfected into reporting cells demonstrated nonlinear capacitance functions (NLC) as a signature of OHC electromotility. The capacitance function in human kidney cell line TSA 201 was similar for wild-type prestin and the mutant. However, for the mutant the voltage where the maximal charge displacement occurred (V1/2) significantly shifted in the hyperpolarizing direction ( approximately 15 mV). This is the first genetic and electrophysiological analysis of a human mutation in a coding exon of the pres gene by 47 patients with non-syndromic, sensorineural, mild-to-moderate hearing impairment; although the pathogenic role of the R150Q mutation is not unambiguous. PMID- 17786287 TI - Up-regulation of adrenomedullin gene expression in the regenerating rat adrenal cortex. AB - Adrenomedullin (AM) is an endogenous regulatory peptide that exerts growth promoting action in several normal and neoplastic tissues, and we investigated whether its gene expression changes during rat adrenal regeneration after enucleation and contra-lateral adrenalectomy. Regenerating adrenals were collected at day 0 (just after enucleation; control rats), 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 after surgery. The immunocytochemical assay of PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) index confirmed that the early stages of regeneration can be divided into an initial differentiation period (from day 0 to day 3) and a subsequent high proliferative period (days 5 and 7) followed by a decrease in the proliferation activity. Real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated that AM mRNA expression underwent a marked rise at day 1 of regeneration, attained a maximum level at days 3 and 5, and then declined from day 7, returning to the control value at days 14 and 28. Western blotting showed that AM protein expression was moderately elevated at day 1, was maximal between days 3 and 7, and then decreased at days 14 and 28, although remaining significant over the control value. Taken together, our findings indicate that the increase in the AM gene transcription and translation may be considered one of the early events in the enucleation-induced activation of local adrenocortical stem cells, conceivably favoring both the differentiation and proliferation stages of regeneration. The mechanism underlying this adrenocortical stem cell response does not seem to involve ACTH, because real time-PCR demonstrated that it also occurred in animals whose contralateral adrenal glands were spared, and consequently the level of circulating ACTH was in the normal range. It remains to be investigated whether the enucleation-induced relative hypoxia, ensuing from disruption of the vascular bed, and the local release of inflammatory cytokines may be involved in the up-regulation of AM gene expression in regenerating adrenal glands. PMID- 17786288 TI - High frequency of promoter methylation of the 14-3-3 sigma and CAGE-1 genes, but lack of hypermethylation of the caveolin-1 gene, in primary adenocarcinomas and signet ring cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder. AB - The molecular mechanisms underlying the histogenesis of nonurothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder are not yet clearly understood. There is a growing body of evidence that, generally, epigenetic regulation mediated by methylation of normally unmethylated CpG islands at the 5' promoter regions of genes is involved in the modification of tumorigenesis. This prompted the current study to explore the methylation status of a broad panel of various genes implicated in cell differentiation and tumor suppression in 10 adenocarcinomas and 6 signet ring cell carcinomas of the bladder. Using methylation-specific PCR, we were able to detect a high frequency of promoter methylation of the 14-3-3 sigma (100%) and CAGE-1 (80%) genes in adenocarcinomas, and in nearly all signet ring cell carcinomas. The SYK and hDAB2IP genes proved to be hypermethylated in only single cases, whereas the caveolin-1 gene failed to be hypermethylated in all cases. The present data suggest that promoter methylation of the 14-3-3 sigma and CAGE-1 genes plays a crucial role during the phenotypical morphogenesis of vesical adenocarcinomas including signet ring cell carcinomas by an epigenetic mechanism. PMID- 17786289 TI - Overexpression of RGPR-p117 suppresses apoptotic cell death and its related gene expression in cloned normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial NRK52E cells. AB - The novel protein RGPR-p117 was discovered as a regucalcin gene promoter region related protein that binds to the TTGGC motif using a yeast one-hybrid system. The role of RGPR-p117 in cell function has not been fully clarified. This study was undertaken to determine whether overexpression of RGPR-p117 regulates various types of signaling factor-induced apoptotic cell death in the cloned normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial NRK52E cells. NRK52E cells (wild-type) or stable RGPR-p117/phCMV2-transfected cells (transfectant) were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 5% bovine serum (BS). NRK52E cells with subconfluent monolayers were cultured for 24-72 h in a medium without BS. The presence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha; 1.0 or 10 ng/ml of medium), lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.1 or 1.0 microg/ml), Bay K 8644 (10(-6) or 10(-5) M), or thapsigargin (10(-8) or 10(-7) M) caused a significant decrease in the number of NRK52E wild-type cells or phCMV2-transfected (mock-type) cells. The effect of TNF-alpha, LPS, Bay K 8644, or thapsigargin in decreasing cell number was significantly suppressed in the presence of the caspase-3 inhibitor (10(-8) M) in wild-type cells cultured for 48 h. The effect of TNF-alpha, LPS, or Bay K 8644 in decreasing cell number was significantly inhibited in the transfectants, while the effect of thapsigargin on cell death was not inhibited in the transfectants. Culture with TNF-alpha or LPS caused DNA fragmentation in wild type cells. These effects were significantly suppressed in the transfectants. The result of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis using specific primers for the genes of apoptotic cell death-related proteins showed that IAP-1, FADD, caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 mRNA levels were significantly decreased in the transfectants, while Akt-1, Bid, Apaf-1, and glyceroaldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA levels were not significantly altered in the transfectants. Culture with TNF-alpha, LPS, Bay K 8644, or thapsigargin caused a significant increase in Apaf-1 or caspase-3 mRNA levels. Such an effect was not seen in the transfectants. This study demonstrates that overexpression of RGPR p117 has a suppressive effect on cell death and apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha, LPS, or Bay K 8644 whose actions are mediated through intracellular signaling pathways. This study also demonstrates that RGPR-p117 regulates the gene expression of apoptosis-related proteins. PMID- 17786290 TI - (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic analysis of mammary tumors from lean and obese Zucker rats exposed to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. AB - Obesity increases mammary tumor development in Zucker rats following a single administration of the procarcinogen 7,12-dimenthylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). Fifty day-old obese and lean female Zucker rats were orally gavaged with 65 mg/kg DMBA and sacrificed 139 days post DMBA treatment. At the end of the experiment, mammary tumors were detected in 68% of the obese rats compared to 32% of the lean group (P<0.001). 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectra obtained for hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts from excised tumors illustrated fundamental differences in metabolic profiles between the two groups. Differences were observed for key choline compounds, namely phosphocholine and glycerophosphocholine, both markers of malignancy and apoptosis. In addition, levels of lactate, creatine, myo-inositol, alpha-glucose, alanine, leucine, glutamate, glutamine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and NADH varied between the lean and obese groups. Principal component analysis indicated class separation between tumors from lean and obese rats based on their metabolic profiles, illustrating the potential for using 1H-NMR metabolomic methods for identifying altered metabolic pathways. Our results suggest that obesity enhances the risk for DMBA induced mammary tumor development in rats. However, the mechanism for this increase in risk is currently unknown and will require further studies for elucidation. PMID- 17786291 TI - Association of gene polymorphisms with myocardial infarction in individuals with different lipid profiles. AB - Hyperlipidemia or dyslipidemia is one of the most important risk factors for coronary heart disease. The purpose of the present study was to identify gene polymorphisms for assessment of the genetic risk for myocardial infarction (MI) in individuals with low or high serum concentrations of high- density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, or triglyceride (TG), thereby contributing to the personalized prevention of MI in such individuals. The study population comprised 2682 unrelated Japanese individuals (1796 men, 886 women), including 1113 subjects (869 men, 244 women) with MI and 1569 controls (927 men, 642 women). The genotypes for 164 polymorphisms of 137 candidate genes were determined by a method that combines the polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes with suspension array technology. Multivariable logistic regression analyses and stepwise forward selection procedures revealed that seven different polymorphisms were significantly (P<0.005) associated with MI in individuals with low or high serum concentrations of HDL- or LDL-cholesterol or of TG: the 190T --> C (Trp64Arg) polymorphism of ADRB3 in individuals with low HDL-cholesterol; the 1018C --> T (Thr145Met) polymorphism of GP1BA, the A --> G (Ile646Val) polymorphism of AKAP10, and the -55C --> T polymorphism of UCP3 in individuals with high HDL cholesterol; the -603A --> G polymorphism of F3 and the -11377C --> G polymorphism of ADIPOQ in individuals with low LDL-cholesterol; the 1018C --> T polymorphism of GP1BA in individuals with low TG; and the 4G --> 5G polymorphism of PAI1 in individuals with high TG. No polymorphism was associated with MI in individuals with high LDL-cholesterol. These results suggest that polymorphisms associated with MI may differ among individuals with different lipid profiles. Stratification of subjects according to lipid profiles may thus be important for personalized prevention of MI based on genetic information. PMID- 17786292 TI - Procaspase-3 activation by a metalloprotease secreted from Vibrio vulnificus. AB - Vibrio vulnificus is a marine bacterium and a human pathogen capable of causing wound infection and septicemia. We previously showed that the metalloprotease vEP secreted by V. vulnificus activates prothrombin in vitro. To further investigate the ability of vEP to activate other zymogens, we used a mutant form of procaspase-3 which lacks the native cleavage sites as a zymogen. The mutant zymogen was activated by vEP to yield a mature enzyme with a maximum increase in caspase-3 activity of approximately 14-fold in a time-dependent manner. However, the increase started to decline with prolonged incubation and with higher protease concentration as a result of further cleavage of the mature enzyme. Western blot analysis revealed a band of approximately 17 kDa for the cleavage product, which corresponded with the change in caspase-3 activity. The activated procaspase-3 by vEP was also able to cleave poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in a cell free system, and was inhibited by Ac-DEVD-CHO, a potent caspase-3 inhibitor. The results presented are the first to demonstrate the in vitro activation of one of the crucial enzymes involved in cell death by a bacterial extracellular metalloprotease. PMID- 17786293 TI - Norepinephrine and vasopressin counteract anti-inflammatory effects of isoflurane in endotoxemic rats. AB - Volatile anesthetics such as isoflurane have been shown to offer anti inflammatory effects during experimental endotoxemia whereas the alpha-adrenergic vasopressor norepinephrine exhibits proinflammatory properties on systemic cytokine release under the same conditions. However, during major surgery and in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis both agents are frequently administered concurrently. We therefore aimed to investigate the influence of preexisting i.v. administration of noradrenaline or vasopressin on the anti-inflammatory effects of isoflurane during experimental endotoxemia. Anesthetized, ventilated Sprague-Dawley rats (n=7 per group) were randomly treated. In the LPS-only group, animals received lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg, i.v.) with no further specific treatment. In the LPS-isoflurane group, isoflurane inhalation at 1 MAC was initiated simultaneously with induction of endotoxemia (LPS 5 mg/kg, i.v.). Animals in the LPS-isoflurane-norepinephrine group received norepinephrine infusion at 50 microg/kg/h 10 min prior to injection of LPS and inhalation of isoflurane. In the LPS-isoflurane-vasopressin group, vasopressin was administered at 0.5 IE/kg/h 10 min prior to LPS and isoflurane. In the LPS-norepinephrine and the LPS-vasopressin groups the infusion of each vasopressor was started prior to LPS injection without any application of isoflurane. A Sham group served as the control. After 4 h of endotoxemia, plasma levels of TNFalpha, IL-1beta and IL-10 were measured. Alveolar macrophages (AM) were cultured ex vivo for nitrite assay. Induction of endotoxemia resulted in a significant rise in measured plasma cytokines and nitrite production from cultured AM. Inhalation of isoflurane significantly attenuated plasma levels of TNFalpha (-65%) and IL-1beta (-53%) compared to the LPS-only group whereas it had no effect on nitrite production from cultured AM. Preexisting infusions of norepinephrine or vasopressin abolished the anti-inflammatory effects of isoflurane. The data demonstrate that the administration of norepinephrine or vasopressin both counteracted the anti-inflammatory effects of inhaled isoflurane on proinflammatory cytokine release during experimental endotoxemia in rats. PMID- 17786294 TI - The expression of the von Hippel-Lindau gene product and its impact on invasiveness of human breast cancer cells. AB - The von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 3, the mutations of which lead to the development of von Hippel-Lindau disease. The VHL gene is a putative tumour suppressor gene in VHL and a few other conditions, possibly by negative regulation of hypoxia- inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and the stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) receptor, CXCR4, via which the VHL protein negates angiogenesis and tumour cell migration. The current study investigated the expression of VHL at the mRNA and protein levels in clinical breast tumours and evaluated the impact of VHL on the invasion of human breast cancer cells in vitro. Primary breast cancer samples (n=124), adjacent non-cancerous breast tissues obtained from patients in cohort (n=33) and a panel of human breast cancer cells (n=12) were used. Tissue distribution of VHL protein in human breast cancer tissues was assessed using immunohistochemical analysis, and VHL transcript was determined using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 was transfected with a human VHL expression construct (pCR3-GFP/VHL) to allow forced overexpression of VHL in the cells. Invasiveness and migration of cancer cells were assessed using the Matrigel invasion and Cytodex-2 migration assays. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test. Our results showed that breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and ZR 75-1 expressed very high levels of VHL transcripts, but the highly aggressive MDA MB-231, MDA-MB-435 and MDA-MB-453 expressed either no VHL or a low level. The levels of VHL transcripts were significantly lower in grade 2 and grade 3 tumours (mean +/- SD, 1.36+/-0.55 and 0.9+/-0.37), compared with grade 1 tumours (12.3+/ 7.6, p<0.002). Node-positive tumours had lower levels of VHL than node-negative tumours. Although tumours from patients with metastasis and from those who died of breast cancer had low levels of VHL, the most significant reduction in VHL was seen in tumours which developed local recurrence (p=0.03). The staining of VHL protein was most abundant in mammary epithelial cells and moderate in endothelial cells. Tumour cells in breast tissues had low to moderate VHL staining. pCR3 GFP/VHL-transfected MDA-MB-231 (MDA-MB-231VHL+) exhibited a reduced spontaneous in vitro invasiveness (14.8+/-2.7) compared with the control cells (18.4+/-1.4). MDA-MB-231VHL+ cells also lost their invasion response to HGF/SF, an invasion inducing cytokine. The MDA-MB-231VHL+ cells had substantially reduced motility compared with that of the controls (14.8+/-0.7 for MDA-MB-231VHL+ and 20.7+/-1.2 for the control; p<0.001). Thus, VHL exerts inhibitory effects on the invasive and migratory capacity of breast cancer cells in vitro. Low levels of VHL occur in most aggressive breast tumours. Taken together, VHL is a powerful putative tumour suppressor gene in human breast cancer. PMID- 17786295 TI - Suppression of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1 leads to a more aggressive phenotype of prostate cancer cells in vitro. AB - The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) pathway has been well documented as playing a vital role in the progression and development of many different types of human cancers; as such this pathway is usually tightly regulated. In cancer cells, the regulation of this pathway has been shown to be disrupted, allowing an increase in activation of pro-HGF to active HGF. There are a number of molecules capable of activating pro-HGF, such as matriptase-1, a type II transmembrane serine protease, or hepatocyte growth factor activator, and in turn, these are also subject to regulation. In the current study we examined the importance of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor-1 (HAI-1) which is known to inhibit a number of HGF-activating molecules. We reduced the expression of this molecule in both PC-3 and DU-145 cell lines using hammerhead ribozyme technology, and we examined various important characteristics associated with cancer progression and development in vitro. Prostate cancer cells, after loss of HAI-1, had a significantly increased in vitro invasiveness together with an increase in cellular motility. Notably, loss of HAI-1 resulted in a slower rate of cell growth over a prolonged period (5 days). This in vitro evidence collectively suggests that the suppression of HAI-1 expression gives rise to a more aggressive cancer cell phenotype. This implies that therapies inducing the overexpression of HAI-1 or delivering an exogenous source of HAI-1 protein may hold potential as a treatment to slow the progression of prostate cancer. PMID- 17786296 TI - Quantitative expression of the homeobox and integrin genes in human gastric carcinoma. AB - The homeobox (HOX) genes are a large family of regulator genes involved in the control of developmental processes and cell differentiation. The HOX genes encode transcription factors, and an increasing number of studies have shown that these genes may be implicated in the growth and the progression of many types of tumours. The present study investigated the expression of the HOX and integrin genes and their relationships in gastric carcinoma. We analyzed the RNA expression of 13 HOX genes from HOXA, C and D clusters and alphaV, alpha5 and alpha8 integrin genes in 24 gastric cancer samples by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the HOXA2 gene and the alpha8 integrin gene had a lower expression in tumour samples than in normal gastric mucosas. The comparison between the HOX and integrin genes showed that HOXA2 and alphaV integrin expression presented the same trend in 83% of the samples. Moreover, in cancer samples that expressed the HOXD11 gene, the expression of alphaV integrin was lower with respect to normal mucosas. The different roles of HOX and integrin genes in gastric carcinoma remain to be fully elucidated. These findings suggest that the HOX genes may play a critical role in the genesis, maintenance and diffusion of gastric carcinoma. PMID- 17786297 TI - Effective microorganism fermentation extract (EM-X) attenuates airway hyperreactivity and inflammation through selective inhibition of the TH2 response independently of antioxidant activity. AB - The effective microorganism fermentation extract (EM-X) is an antioxidant cocktail derived from the fermentation of plant material with effective microorganisms, and its clinical application is being increasingly scrutinized. In the current study, the antiasthmatic effect of EM-X was investigated using a mouse model. Inhalation of EM-X during OVA challenge resulted in a significant reduction in airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and airway recruitment of leukocytes including eosinophils. However, the level of 8-isoprostane in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), a marker of oxidative stress in asthmatic patients, was unaltered by EM-X inhalation. Instead, ELISA data showed that levels of IL-4, IL 5 and IL-13 in BALF or lung tissues were significantly lower in EM-X-inhaling mice than in the control mice, but not the IFN-gamma level. A considerably lower amount of Ag-specific IgE and IgG1 was detected in the serum of EM-X-inhaling mice than in the serum of the controls, whereas their IgG2a secretion was similar. In addition, Ag-specific ex vivo IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 production of draining lymph node cells was markedly diminished by EM-X inhalation, but not IFN gamma. These data clearly show that inhaled EM-X suppresses type 2 helper T (TH2), but not type 1 helper T (TH1), response. In conclusion, inhalation of EM-X attenuates AHR and airway inflammation which results from selective inhibition of the TH2 response to allergen, but independently of antioxidant activity. Our data also suggest that EM-X may be effectively applied for control of allergic asthma. PMID- 17786298 TI - The NO TRAIL to YES TRAIL in cancer therapy (review). AB - Treatment of cancer patients with conventional therapies (chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy and radiation) respond initially well and experience prolonged tumor-free survival. However, in many patients tumor recurrences and relapses occur and such tumors exhibit the resistant phenotype i.e. cross resistance to various cytotoxic and apoptotic agents. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are currently being explored and are based on a better understanding of the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms of tumor cell resistance. Hence, novel sensitizing agents that can modify the tumor dysregulated apoptotic gene products can reverse resistance when used in combination with subtoxic doses of cytotoxic reagents. Targeted anti-tumor therapies are the current choice in the treatment of resistant tumors. One such targeted therapy is the application of TRAIL or TRAIL agonist monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (anti-DR4 and anti-DR5) because, unlike Fas ligand and TNF-alpha, they are not cytotoxic to normal tissues. TRAIL as monotherapy will only be effective against TRAIL sensitive tumors, however, most tumors are resistant to TRAIL and their sensitization can restore their sensitivity to TRAIL apoptosis. We present, herein, one potential novel sensitizing agent, namely, nitric oxide (NO) that has been shown to sensitize TRAIL-resistant tumor cells to TRAIL apoptosis via its inhibitory effect on the transcription factors NF-kappaB and Yin Yang 1 (YY1), concomitantly with upregulation of DR5. We propose the therapeutic application of NO donors as sensitizing agents used in combination with TRAIL/DR4 or DR5 mAbs in the treatment of TRAIL-resistant tumors. PMID- 17786300 TI - Epigallocatechin-3 gallate induces growth inhibition and apoptosis in human breast cancer cells through survivin suppression. AB - Recent investigations have demonstrated that polyphenolic catechins inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. However, how the major active component of tea catechins, epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG), mediates anticancerous effects has not been extensively examined. We have investigated the cell growth inhibitory effects of EGCG on cell growth of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, and the mechanism of its action with emphasis on the regulation of tumor cell survival. A significant EGCG dose-dependent growth inhibition was observed coordinated with EGCG-induced apoptosis. Analysis of survivin expression after addition of EGCG showed that both survivin mRNA and protein were decreased. The survivin-promoter luciferase activity in EGCG-treated cells was significantly inhibited by 91+/-2.0% (P<0.001), compared with the control. Interestingly, EGCG strongly inhibited the basal activation of phospho-AKT and AKT kinase activity as early as 30 min after treatment. Furthermore, inhibition of AKT kinase activity by EGCG preceded the suppression of survivin (1 h post treatment), followed by increased caspase-9 activity (6 h post treatment). A dominant negative AKT or the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, also strongly inhibited survivin promoter activity, providing further evidence to support the hypothesis that the inhibitory effect of EGCG on survivin is mediated via the AKT pathway. Therefore, EGCG is a potent proapoptotic agent in MCF-7 breast cancer cells that targets survivin expression via suppression of the AKT pathway. PMID- 17786299 TI - Expression of connective tissue growth factor in pancreatic cancer cell lines. AB - Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is thought to play a role in normal wound repair and bone remodeling, but also promotes fibrosis in several disease processes including diabetic nephropathy, sclerodoma and pancreatitis. A contribution to desmoplasia associated with pancreatic cancer progression has also been proposed. CTGF is induced by TGFbeta in diverse cell types, but TGFbeta receptor mediated signaling is impaired in pancreatic cancers and cell lines, usually due to DPC4/Smad4 mutations which arise during the later stages of intraepithelial neoplastic progression. Therefore, in order to define signaling pathways that mediate basal and TGFbeta-induced CTGF expression in normal and transformed cells, we compared CTGF gene regulation in pancreatic cancer cells and fibroblasts by measuring the effects of small molecule inhibitors and dominant negative mutants of signaling proteins on CTGF promoter reporter activity, message, and protein expression. We determined that the previously identified TEF-1 cis element is essential for CTGF promoter reporter activity in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Whereas p38 mediated CTGF induction by TGFbeta in fibroblasts, MEK/ERK signaling mediated TGFbeta-induced CTGF expression in pancreatic cancer cells and was also responsible for basal CTGF expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines with defective Smad signaling. Since activating Ras mutations occur in the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer, CTGF may be induced independent of Smad4 in pancreatic cancer cells. PMID- 17786301 TI - Epigenetic inactivation of the CHFR gene in cervical cancer contributes to sensitivity to taxanes. AB - A relationship between inactivation of mitotic checkpoint genes and sensitivity of cancer cells to anticancer agents has been reported. We investigated the effect of epigenetic inactivation by aberrant hypermethylation of the mitotic checkpoint gene CHFR (checkpoint with forkhead and ring finger) on the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to taxanes. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) of cervical smears showed aberrant methylation of CHFR in 12.3% (2/14) of adenocarcinoma specimens. In contrast, aberrant DNA methylation was not detected in normal cervical cells or squamous cell carcinoma cells. Aberrant methylation of CHFR was also analyzed in 6 human cervical carcinoma-derived cell lines and was observed in SKG-IIIb and HeLa cells. These cell lines showed high sensitivity to taxanes, but became taxane-resistant upon treatment with 5-azacytidine. Furthermore, suppression of CHFR expression in siRNA-transfected SKG-IIIa cells caused increased sensitivity to taxanes. In conclusion, aberrant methylation of the CHFR gene may be useful as a molecular marker for selection of therapy for patients with cervical adenocarcinoma with a poor prognosis, and may also suggest a new therapeutic strategy of targeting CHFR in cervical cancer. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine epigenetic inactivation by aberrant hypermethylation of CHFR in cervical cancer. PMID- 17786302 TI - Expression and roles of keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor in esophageal cancer cells. AB - The keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR), also known as FGFR2 IIIb, is mainly localized in epithelial cells and is activated by the keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) that is predominantly synthesized by mesenchymal cells. In this study, we examined the roles of KGFR and KGF in human esophageal cancer (EC). In noncancerous esophageal tissues, KGFR was localized in epithelial cells from the basal region of the epithelium to the lower one-third of the epithelium, and KGF was weakly localized in the basal to parabasal epithelial cells. On the other hand, Ki-67 was localized in the parabasal cells. In EC tissues, KGFR and KGF were expressed in cancer cells in 22 and 37 of 54 patients, respectively. The coexpression of KGFR and KGF in cancer cells was detected in 14 of 54 (26%) patients. Clinicopathologically, KGFR expression correlated with the well differentiated cell type of EC (p<0.001), and KGF expression correlated with lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis (p=0.004 and 0.021, respectively). The coexpression of KGFR and KGF in cancer cells correlated with the well differentiated cell type of EC (p=0.001). KGFR-positive, KGF-positive and KGFR/KGF coexpression patients tended to have shorter survival rates, but the survival rates were not statistically significantly different (p=0.44, 0.059 and 0.112, respectively). In human EC cell lines (TE-1, TE-8 and TE-11), KGFR mRNA was expressed but no KGF mRNA was detected. The KGFR mRNA level was highest in TE 1 cells, derived from well-differentiated SCC and lowest in TE-8 cells. KGFR was detected in the cancer cell lines by Western blot analysis. Recombinant human KGF significantly stimulated the growth of TE-8 and -11 cells, derived from moderately differentiated SCC, but had no effect on TE-1 cell growth. These results suggest that KGFR expression correlates with the differentiation of a normal esophageal epithelium and the well-differentiated cell type of EC. On the other hand, KGF may induce the growth of some EC cells in a paracrine manner and closely correlates with lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis. PMID- 17786303 TI - Characteristics of dimeric (bis) bidentate selective high affinity ligands as HLA DR10 beta antibody mimics targeting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. AB - Despite their large size, antibodies have proven to be suitable radioisotope carriers to deliver systemic radiotherapy, often molecular image-based, for lymphoma and leukemia. To mimic antibody (Ab) targeting behavior while decreasing size by 50-100x, a combination of computational and experimental methods were used to generate molecules that bind to unique sites within the HLA-DR epitopic region of Lym-1, an Ab shown effective in patients. Lym-1 Ab mimics (synthetic high afinity ligands; SHALs) were generated and studied in vitro, using live cell binding assays, and/or pharmacokinetic studies over 24 h in xenografted mice given 1 or 20 microg SHAL doses i.v. Multimilligram amounts of each of the dimeric (bis) SHALs were synthesized at high purity, and labeled with indium-111 at high specific activity and purity. These SHALs were selective for HLA-DR and HLA-DR expressing malignant cells and had functional affinities that ranged from 10(-9) M (nanomolar) to 10(-10) M. Blood clearances ranged from 3.6 to 9.5 h and body clearances ranged from 15.2 to 43.0 h for the 6 bis DOTA-SHALs studied in a mouse model for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). While localization was shown in Raji NHL xenografts, biodistribution was influenced by 'sinks' for individual ligands of the SHALs. Highly pure, dimeric mimics for HLA-DR Ab were synthesized, biotinylated and radiolabeled, and showed selectivity in vitro. Pharmacokinetic behavior in mice was influenced by the ligands and by the linker length of the dimeric SHALs. Nanomolar or better functional affinity was observed when a suitably long linker was used to connect the two bidentate SHALs. The concept and methodology are of interest because applicable for targeting most proteins; the SHAL synthetic platform is highly efficient and adaptive. PMID- 17786304 TI - Identification of a key molecular regulator of liver metastasis in human pancreatic carcinoma using a novel quantitative model of metastasis in NOD/SCID/gammacnull (NOG) mice. AB - We developed a reliable new model system for assaying liver metastasis using NOD/SCID/gamma(c)(null) (NOG) mice. Seven human pancreatic cancer cell lines were examined for their ability to form diverse metastatic foci in the livers of NOD/SCID and NOG mice. Capan-2 and PL45 showed no metastasis when seeded at up to 10(5) cells in both strains, and no BxPC-3 metastasis was observed in NOD/SCID mice. The NOD/SCID mouse model detected liver metastasis only in the AsPC-1 cell line when inoculated with >10(3) cells. In contrast, when inoculated with only 10(2) MIA PaCa-2, AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells, liver metastasis was evident in 71.4% (5/7), 57.1% (4/7) and 37.5% (3/8) of the NOG mice, respectively. Capan-1 and BxPC-3 cells metastasized when seeded at 10(3) cells in 50% (5/10) and in 12.5% (1/8) of the mice, respectively. Using the NOG mouse model system, we established a highly metastatic cell line, liver metastasized-BxPC-3 (LM-BxPC-3), from liver metastatic foci formed by the relatively poorly metastatic parental BxPC-3 cell line. The gene expression profiles of parental and LM-BxPC-3 cells were compared, and we identified forty-five genes that were either upregulated or downregulated >4-fold in the LM-BxPC-3 cell line. We validated 9 candidate protein-coding sequences, and examined the correlation between their expression pattern and the in vivo liver metastatic potential of all 7 pancreatic cancer cell lines. Only S100A4 expression correlated with the ability to form liver metastases, as evaluated in our quantitative model of metastasis in NOG mice. These results suggested that S100A4 is a key regulator of liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer, and demonstrated the feasibility of using the quantitative metastasis model to search for and develop new anti-cancer therapies and novel drugs against this and other key molecules. PMID- 17786305 TI - Akt inhibitor shows anticancer and radiosensitizing effects in malignant glioma cells by inducing autophagy. AB - Autophagy, or programmed cell death type II, is one of the responses of cancer cells to various therapies, including ionizing radiation. Recently, we have shown that radiation induces autophagy, but not apoptosis, in various malignant glioma cell lines. Autophagy is mainly regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. The Akt/mTOR pathway also mediates oncogenesis and radioresistance. Thus, we hypothesized that inhibiting this pathway has both an anticancer and radiosensitizing effect by activating autophagy. The purpose of our study was therefore to determine whether and by which mechanisms an Akt inhibitor, 1L-6-hydroxymethyl-chiro-inositol 2(R)-2-O-methyl-3-O octadecylcarbonate, had anticancer and radiosensitizing effects on malignant glioma U87-MG and radioresistant U87-MG cells with a consistitutively active form of epidermal growth factor receptor (U87-MGDeltaEGFR). Treatment with the Akt inhibitor successfully inhibited Akt activity and reduced cell viability in both cell lines. In terms of the mechanism, the Akt inhibitor decreased phosphorylated p70S6 kinase, a downstream target of Akt, and induced autophagy, but not apoptosis. Furthermore, the Akt inhibitor radiosensitized both U87-MG and U87 MGDeltaEGFR cells by enhancing autophagy. Specific inhibition of Akt using the dominant-negative Akt plasmid also resulted in enhanced radiation-induced autophagy. In conclusion, an Akt inhibitor showed anticancer and radiosensitizing effect on U87-MG and U87-MGDeltaEGFR cells by inducing autophagy. Thus, Akt inhibitors may represent a promising new therapy as a single treatment or used in combination with radiation for malignant gliomas, including radioresistant ones that express DeltaEGFR. PMID- 17786307 TI - Pharmacological blockade of fatty acid synthase (FASN) reverses acquired autoresistance to trastuzumab (Herceptin by transcriptionally inhibiting 'HER2 super-expression' occurring in high-dose trastuzumab-conditioned SKBR3/Tzb100 breast cancer cells. AB - Elucidating the mechanisms underlying resistance to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted antibody trastuzumab (Tzb; Herceptin) is a major challenge that is beginning to be addressed. This dilemma is becoming increasingly important as recent studies strongly support a role for Tzb in the adjuvant setting for HER2-overexpressing early-stage breast cancers. We previously reported that pharmacological and RNA interference-induced inhibition of tumor-associated fatty acid synthase (FASN; Oncogenic antigen-519), a key metabolic enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of long-chain saturated fatty acids, drastically down-regulates HER2 expression in human breast cancer cells bearing HER2 gene amplification. Given that FASN blockade was found to suppress HER2 overexpression by attenuating the promoter activity of the HER2 gene, we here envisioned that this mechanism of action may represent a valuable strategy in breast cancers that have progressed while under Tzb. We created a preclinical model of Tzb resistance by continuously growing HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells in the presence of clinically relevant concentrations of Tzb (20-185 microg/ml Tzb). This pool of Tzb-conditioned SKBR3 cells, which optimally grows now in the presence of 100 microg/ml trastuzumab (SKBR3/Tzb100 cells), exhibited HER2 levels notably higher (approximately 2-fold) than those found in SKBR3 parental cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction studies showed that up regulation of HER2 mRNA levels closely correlated with HER2 protein up-regulation in SKBR3/Tzb100 cells, thus suggesting that 'HER2 super-expression' upon acquisition of autoresistance to Tzb resulted, at least in part, from up regulatory effects in the transcriptional rate of the HER2 gene. SKBR3/Tzb100 cells did not exhibit cross-resistance to C75, a small-compound specifically inhibiting FASN activity. On the contrary, SKBR3/Tzb100 cells showed a remarkably increased sensitivity (approximately 3-fold) to the cytotoxic effects occurring upon C75-induced inhibition of FASN enzymatic activity. Both HER2 mRNA and HER2 protein 'super-expression', which have not been reported in earlier Tzb-resistant breast cancer models, were entirely suppressed following pharmacological blockade of FASN activity. Moreover, while Tzb was still able to reduce HER2 protein expression by approximately 20% in SKBR/Tzb100 cells, C75 and Tzb co-exposure synergistically down-regulated HER2 protein levels by >85%. The nature of the interaction between Tzb and C75 in Tzb-resistant SKBR3/Tzb100 cells was also found to be strongly synergistic when analyzing the extent of apoptotic cell death using ELISA-based detection of histone-associated DNA fragments. In summary, a) the molecular mechanism(s) contributing to Tzb resistance in our SKBR3/Tzb100 model appear to be clearly different to those previously reported as we found important transcriptional up-regulatory transcriptional changes in HER2 gene expression levels relative to parental cells; b) since FASN inhibition acts on HER2 gene expression via reduction of its transcription rate, Tzb-conditioned HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells not only retain but further gain sensitivity to FASN inhibition; and c) transcriptional suppression of HER2 expression using FASN blockers may represent a new molecular strategy in the management of Tzb-resistant breast cancer disease. PMID- 17786306 TI - Cepharanthin-enhanced radiosensitivity through the inhibition of radiation induced nuclear factor-kappaB activity in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. AB - We have already demonstrated that human head and neck cancer cells have significantly enhanced levels of transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activity compared to their normal counterparts, suggesting that NF-kappaB plays an important role in the development of head and neck cancer. However, it has been reported that chemotherapeutic agents and radiation activate NF-kappaB activity in cancer cells, thus making the cells radioresistant and chemoresistant. In addition, we have shown that the suppression of NF-kappaB activity enhanced apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. In this study, we examined whether cepharanthin-induced inhibition of NF-kappaB activity enhances radiosensitivity in human oral carcinoma cells. Cepharanthin is a biscoclaurine alkaloid extracted from the roots of Stephania cepharantha hayata, and is widely used in Japan for the treatment of patients with leucopenia, nasal allergy, and venomous snakebites. gamma-irradiation (IR) induces NF-kappaB activity in oral carcinoma cells through the activation of upstream molecules, including Akt and IkappaB kinase. However, a luciferase assay revealed that cepharanthin suppresses IR-induced NF-kappaB activity in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells, thereby enhancing the radio-sensitivity. Western blot analysis showed an enhanced cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein in carcinoma cells by both cepharanthin treatment and IR exposure compared to IR or cepharanthin alone. In an in vivo study, B88 cells were s.c. inoculated into the backs of nude mice. Tumor-bearing nude mice received either cepharanthin, IR alone, or a combination of cepharanthin and IR. The combined treatment suppressed tumor growth significantly more than either cepharanthin or IR alone. Cepharanthin inhibited the production of IR-induced IL-6 and IL-8, which are downstream targets of NF-kappaB. In quantitative real-time RT-PCR, IR also induced the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins [cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein (cIAP)-1 and -2] in carcinoma cells. Treatment of cancer cells with cepharanthin combined with exposure to IR decreased cIAP-1 and -2 mRNA expression. These findings suggested that the combination of radiotherapy and cepharanthin could enhance radiosensitivity in the treatment of human oral cancer. PMID- 17786308 TI - Re-activation of the p53 pathway inhibits in vivo and in vitro growth of hormone dependent human breast cancer cells. AB - Mutations in wild-type p53 (wtp53) protein lead to loss of its tumor suppressor function in breast cancer cells, facilitating uncontrolled tumor growth. Consequently, procedures to repair defective p53 functions in tumor cells are being actively pursued. We sought to determine whether expression of wtp53 protein, or conversion of endogenous mutant p53 (mtp53) into a functional p53 protein with small molecule PRIMA-1, can override the tumor-promoting effects of naturally occurring mtp53 protein in hormone-responsive T47-D human breast cancer cells. We show that transfection of wtp53 gene into T47-D cells suppresses their proliferation in regular media, and inhibits estrogen-dependent cell proliferation in media containing dextran-coated charcoal treated serum. Growth inhibition was not due to the absence of estrogen receptor-alpha or estrogen receptor-beta though receptor levels for estrogen receptor-alpha were drastically reduced in wtp53 expressing cells. Focused microarray analysis of wtp53 expressing cells revealed suppression of PCNA cell-cycle regulatory mRNA and protein. Wild-type p53 transfected T47-D cells also failed to grow in vivo in estrogen supplemented nude mice. Furthermore, xenografts obtained with parental T47-D cells expressing mtp53 grew poorly in nude mice treated with PRIMA-1. PRIMA 1 treated tumors exhibited a low proliferation index, even though mice were estrogen-supplemented. PRIMA-1 treatment of tumor cells suppressed VEGF and induced expression of estrogen receptor-beta though expression of estrogen receptor-alpha and progesterone receptors was unaffected. These data indicate that alteration of the p53 signal transduction pathway by re-expression of wtp53 protein in T47-D cells, or treatment of parental cells with PRIMA-1, can prevent in vivo and in vitro proliferation of T47-D breast cancer cells. PMID- 17786309 TI - Expression and enzymatic activity of dipeptidyl peptidase-IV in human astrocytic tumours are associated with tumour grade. AB - Alterations in dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) enzymatic activity are characteristic of malignant transformation. Through its well-characterized functionality in regulating the activity of bioactive peptides by removal of the N-terminal dipeptide, DPP-IV activity may have profound effects upon metastatic potential and cell growth. Although DPP-IV/CD26 (EC 3.4.14.5) is the canonical representative of the group, a number of other proteins including DPP-7, 8, 9, and seprase/fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP-alpha) have been shown to have similar enzymatic activity. This study was set up to address the relative representation and enzymatic activity of plasma membrane localized DPP-IV/CD26 and FAP-alpha in human brain and astrocytic tumours. In parallel, expression of CXCR4, receptor for glioma cell growth stimulator chemokine SDF-1alpha known to be a DPP-IV substrate, was investigated. This is the first report showing that non-malignant brain tissue contains a DPP-IV-like enzymatic activity attributable mostly to DPP-8/9, while the substantial part of the activity in glioma is due to increased DPP-IV/CD26, localized in both the vascular and parenchymal compartments. DPP-IV enzymatic activity increased dramatically with tumour grade severity. A grade-related increase in CXCR4 receptor paralleled the rise in DPP IV expression and activity. These data might support a role for DPP-IV regulation of the CXCR4-SDF-1alpha axis in glioma development. PMID- 17786310 TI - Low level STK15 amplification in histologically benign urothelium of patients with bladder cancer adversely predicts patient outcome following cystectomy. AB - The aim of this study was to investigate STK15 amplification in histologically benign urothelium and invasive tumor tissue of urothelial bladder cancer patients in relation to clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics, and to analyze a hypothesized association between the STK15 single nucleotide polymorphism at site T91A (Phe31Ile) and STK15 gene amplification. A tissue microarray (TMA) was constructed and contained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue and matching histologically benign urothelium of 44 patients who underwent cystectomy for invasive urothelial carcinoma. Expression of TP53, CK20 and MIB1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. UroVysion and STK15 fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was performed for sensitive detection of polysomy, relative p16 deletion and STK15 amplification, respectively. Genotypes of STK15 at the T91A (Phe31Ile) site were analyzed by PCR-RFLP assay. Low level STK15 amplification was found in 2 of 36 analyzable histologically benign urothelium specimens (5.6%) and in 64% (28/44) of urothelial bladder cancers, whereas 36% (16/44) of cancer lesions showed high level of STK15 amplification. In histologically benign urothelium of bladder cancer patients, low level STK15 amplification was associated with shorter recurrence-free and tumor-specific survival. There was no correlation between allelic variants and high/low level of STK15 gene amplification. Applying STK15 FISH to benign urothelium of bladder cancer patients may help to identify patients at increased risk for adverse clinical outcome. A large randomized prospective study comparing early versus delayed cystectomy in patients with pT1 bladder cancer is currently conducted to validate our findings. PMID- 17786311 TI - The mechanism of cross-resistance to proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and overcoming resistance in Ewing's family tumor cells. AB - EWS-Fli1 plays important roles in oncogenesis of Ewing's family tumors (EFTs). We have reported that EWS-Fli1 inhibits p21(waf1/cip1) and p27(kip1) expressions, which are degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Bortezomib efficiently up regulated p21(waf1/cip1) and p27(kip1) expression, and induced apoptosis accompanied by the expression of cleaved-PARP, DR4 and activated caspase-8 in EFT cells. Since most EFTs deaths result from the tumor being resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs, the effects of novel anti-tumor reagents on drug resistant tumors were next investigated. The results demonstrated that the drug resistant EFT clones were cross-resistant to bortezomib probably due to the over expression of the efflux pumps, P-glycoprotein and MRP1. We further investigated whether the efflux pump inhibitors would modulate the effects of bortezomib. The combination of P-gp-specific or MRP1-specific inhibitors could enhance the anti tumor effects of bortezomib on the drug-resistant clones. These data suggest that bortezomib might be a substrate of P-gp and MRP1. Although bortezomib would be effective on the primary EFTs, it is necessary to pay attention to the resistance to bortezomib in clinical trials for the advanced cases. The combination of bortezomib and the efflux pump inhibitors might be a promising method as a novel molecular target therapy for advanced EFTs. PMID- 17786312 TI - Experimental treatment of ovarian cancers by adenovirus vectors combining receptor targeting and selective expression of tumor necrosis factor. AB - Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women and existing treatment is not routinely curative. One new strategy for cancer therapy is the selective delivery of TNFalpha to tumors via adenovirus vectors. We have tested the combination of two modifications to adenovirus vectors designed to limit delivery to tumors, capsid modification and expression control. To target alpha(v)beta(3/5) integrin receptors that are highly expressed in tumor and sparsely expressed in the epithelial layer of peritoneum, we modified the capsid fiber and penton base to remove native receptor binding and incorporated an RGD 4C motif in the fiber knob (Ad.PB*F*RGD). This vector exhibits effective gene transfer in all of the alpha(v)beta(3/5)-positive ovarian cancer cells tested in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, the Ad.PB*F*RGD vector is able to transduce ovarian tumor nodules and avoid infecting the normal mesothelial cells that line the intraperitoneal space following intraperitoneal administration. To further increase selectivity, different promoters were incorporated into the capsid modified vector to confer the expression of the hTNFalpha therapeutic gene. We analyzed both constitutive (CMV or RSV) and potentially tumor selective promoters (MUC-1, E2F or hTERT) in terms of efficacy, selectivity and safety. TNF expressing Ad.PB*F*RGD vectors containing the MUC-1 promoter showed anti-tumor activity in two ovarian cancer xenograft models (Caov3 and Igr-ov1) with little evidence of toxicity or systemic TNF. The data indicate that combination of capsid modification and transcriptional regulation of expression is a promising strategy for development of a new ovarian cancer treatment. PMID- 17786313 TI - Epithelial mesenchymal transition during the neoplastic transformation of human breast epithelial cells by estrogen. AB - Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in epithelial cells has been indicated as an important component of neoplastic transformation although, the genetic mechanism involved in this process has not been defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of different genes related to EMT such as E cadherin, TGFbeta1, TGFbeta2, h-RAS, TWIST1, SNAIL2, SMAD5, FN1, CEACAM1 and JAG1 using the in vitro-in vivo model of the estrogen induced cell transformation developed in our laboratory. The E2-transformed MCF-10F (E2 70) cells and the tumorigenic cell line C5-A8-T8 (C5-T8) exhibit progressive loss of ductulogenesis as demonstrated by growth in collagen matrix. MCF-10F cells form ductal structures while E2 70 cells form solid spherical masses that in histological sections exhibit a pattern of growth resembling ductal hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ. The tumorigenic cells C5-T8 did not form structures on collagen acquiring an invasive pattern with spindle like features. We have observed a reduction in E-cadherin expression in E2 70 cells and a complete loss in C5-T8 cells. TGFbeta1, TGFbeta2, CEACAM1 and JAG1 were down-regulated in E2 70 and C5 T8 cells. SMAD5 and h-RAS were up-regulated in the tumorigenic C5-T8 cells whereas FN1, Twist1 and Snail2 were up-regulated in C5-T8 and down-regulated in E2 70. We conclude that the loss of expression of TGFbeta1, TGFbeta2, CEACAM1 and JAG1 are related to ductulogenesis and branching and the overexpression of h-RAS with loss of E-cadherin expression and up-modulation of TWIST1, SNAIL2 and SMAD5 expressions are involved in the EMT modulation. PMID- 17786314 TI - MM-1 facilitates degradation of c-Myc by recruiting proteasome and a novel ubiquitin E3 ligase. AB - We have reported that a novel c-Myc-binding protein, MM-1, repressed the E-box dependent transcription activity of c-Myc by recruiting the HDAC1 complex via TIF1beta/KAP1, a transcriptional corepressor. We have also reported that a mutation of A157R in MM-1, which is often observed in patients with leukemia or lymphoma, abrogated all of the repressive activities of MM-1 toward c-Myc, indicating that MM-1 is a novel tumor suppressor. In this study, we found that MM 1 was bound to a component of proteasome and stimulated degradation of c-Myc in human cells. Knockdown of endogenous MM-1 in human HeLa cells by introduction of siRNA against MM-1 stabilized the endogenous c-Myc. To identify proteins that participate in c-Myc degradation by MM-1, in vivo and in vitro binding assays were carried out. The results showed that MM-1 directly bound to Rpt3, a subunit of 26S proteasome, and that c-Myc directly bound to Skp2, which recruited ElonginC, ElonginB and Cullin2, thereby forming a novel ubiquitin E3 ligase. Knockdown of endogenous Cullin2 stabilized the endogenous c-Myc. Thus, MM-1 is a factor that connects c-Myc to the ubiquitin E3 ligase and the proteasome. PMID- 17786315 TI - Strain-specific homeostatic responses during early stages of Azoxymethane-induced colon tumorigenesis in mice. AB - Identifying molecular changes that predict the risk for developing colon cancer is critical for designing effective prevention strategies. In the present study, we determined early-stage molecular alterations within the colonic epithelium of A/J and AKR/J mice that are sensitive and resistant to Azoxymethane (AOM) initiated tumor development, respectively. Six week-old male mice were injected intraperitoneally with AOM (10 mg/kg body weight) once a week for six weeks. One week after the last injection, distal colons from both strains were analyzed for cell proliferation using a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) assay. Unlike AKR/J, a significant increase (2.5-fold, p<0.05) in the number of PCNA positive cells within the upper third of the crypt compartment was observed in the A/J colons. This proliferative response was associated with a sizeable increase in the levels of c-myc mRNA, quantified by RNase protection assay. cDNA sequencing, protein expression and localization of beta-catenin, an upstream activator of c-myc, however, showed no aberrant changes within AOM-exposed A/J colons. Interestingly, TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay revealed a significant increase (4-fold) in the number of apoptotic colonocytes in A/J mice following AOM treatment. Consistent with this finding, a modest increase in the expression of pro-apoptotic Bak was limited to the sensitive A/J colons. In summary, the current study suggests that a significant alteration in the rate of cell turnover in the normal appearing colonic mucosa, as observed in susceptible A/J mice, may be one of the earliest events predisposing the colon to neoplastic growth. PMID- 17786316 TI - Reciprocal co-expression of Fas and Fas ligand in human cholangiocarcinoma. AB - We have previously characterized the role of Fas in tumorigenesis using two cholangiocarcinoma cell lines expressing high (Fas(H)) and low (Fas(L)) levels of Fas. Here we further characterize Fas ligand (FasL) expression and function in these two cell lines. The Fas(L) cells expressed a high level of FasL, whereas the Fas(H) cells expressed a low level of FasL showing reciprocal expression of Fas and FasL in tumor cells. FasL released from the Fas(L) cells is capable of inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes, which is blocked by neutralizing Fas antibody. To study the underlying mechanism for the reciprocal expression of Fas and FasL, we examined the activities of both the Fas and FasL promoters. The activity of the Fas promoter is suppressed and the activity of the FasL promoter is stimulated in the Fas(L) cells compared to the Fas(H) cells. The inverse activities of Fas and FasL promoter in tumor cells are regulated by NF-kappaB, which inhibits Fas expression and increases FasL expression through binding to their respective promoters. The inverse expression of Fas and FasL in tumor cells is partially reversed by an NF-kappaB inhibitor. In conclusion, human cholangiocarcinoma cells reciprocally co-express functional Fas and FasL, which are the result of the activities of the Fas and FasL promoters being regulated by NF-kappaB. These findings provide a potential unifying molecular mechanism for modulating tumorigenesis via Fas/FasL expression. PMID- 17786317 TI - Ebp1-mediated inhibition of cell growth requires serine 363 phosphorylation. AB - Ebp1 is an ErbB3 binding phosphoprotein with pleiotropic effects. Overexpression of Ebp1 represses transcription of E2F1 responsive cell cycle regulated genes and inhibits cell growth. However, the effect of phosphorylation on Ebp1-mediated transcriptional repression and cell growth inhibition is currently unknown. In this study, we show that serine 363 (S363) of Ebp1 is phosphorylated in vivo. Although total Ebp1 is located in the nucleus, organelles and the cytoplasm, Ebp1 phosphorylated at S363 (Ebp1 pS363) is localized exclusively to the nucleus. Mutation of S363 to alanine did not change the subcellular localization of Ebp1. However, the S363A mutation significantly decreased the ability of Ebp1 to repress transcription and abrogated its ability to inhibit cell growth. We have previously shown that Ebp1 can bind the E2F1 promoter in vitro and in vivo as part of a protein complex and that Ebp1-transcriptional repression is mediated via its interaction with the co-repressors HDAC2 and mSin3a present in this complex. Although Ebp1 S363A interacted with an E2F1 promoter element, it did not bind HDAC2 and mSin3a. These results indicate the importance of S363 phosphorylation in the function of Ebp1. PMID- 17786318 TI - Altered expression of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) during gastric carcinogenesis and its clinical implications on gastric cancer. AB - DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) is a 465-kDa catalytic subunit of DNA-PK, a DNA repair apparatus. DNA-PKcs has been reported to be a tumor suppressor, but details of its expression in human cancer are controversial. To determine the protein expression and clinical implications of DNA-PKcs in gastric carcinogenesis and cancer progression, we evaluated its expression status by immunohistochemistry in 122 non-neoplastic gastric mucosa samples, and in 115 gastric adenomas and 564 consecutive gastric cancers. In addition, we evaluated the clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric cancers showing altered DNA-PKcs expression, and performed microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis at BAT-26 and frameshift mutation analysis of DNA-PKcs. DNA-PKcs expression was negative in foveolar epithelium of normal gastric mucosal tissues, but was positive in most Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and gastric adenoma tissues. In gastric cancers, negative expression of DNA-PKcs was found in 114 of the 564 (20.2%) cancers and was significantly associated with intratumoral neutrophils, MSI-high (H) phenotype, tumor progression, and poor patient survival (p<0.05). Frameshift mutations of (A)10 mononucleotide repeats in DNA-PKcs were found in 24.3% of MSI-H gastric cancers and these were associated with negative expression of DNA-PKcs. Although patients with MSI-H gastric cancers were found to have a lower risk of lymph node metastasis, gastric cancers harboring the (A)10 mutation of DNA-PKcs were found to have a higher risk of lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, the expression of DNA-PKcs was found to be altered during gastric carcinogenesis and negative DNA PKcs expression was associated with gastric cancer progression. The (A)10 frameshift mutation of DNA-PKcs in gastric cancers was a target of defective mismatch repair, and was associated with lymph node metastasis. PMID- 17786319 TI - Bcl-2 overexpression sensitizes MCF-7 cells to genistein by multiple mechanisms. AB - Genistein is a soy isoflavone with anti-tumor properties. Genistein-induced apoptosis involves Bcl-2 downregulation. However, overexpression of Bcl-2 in breast cancer has been associated with better prognosis and response to hormonal therapy. To examine genistein's effect on breast cancer cells with different Bcl 2 levels, we established control (MCF-7/PV) and Bcl-2 overexpressing MCF-7 (MCF 7/Bcl-2) cell lines and characterized genistein regulated apoptosis and cell cycle progression in these cells. Our results demonstrate that overexpression of Bcl-2 rendered MCF-7 cells more sensitive, rather than resistant, to genistein. We found that genistein induces enhanced cytochrome c release and mitochondrial membrane depolarization in MCF-7/Bcl-2 cells, as compared to control. We also found that genistein increases Bcl-2 levels and Bcl-2/Bax ratio in the mitochondrial fractions of MCF-7/Bcl-2 cells, suggesting that disturbed Bcl-2/Bax distribution may cause cytochrome c release and apoptosis in these cells. Cell cycle analysis indicated that genistein induces G0/G1 arrest in MCF-7/PV cells but increases in G2/M arrest in MCF-7/Bcl-2 cells. This was accompanied by modified responses of several cell cycle regulators, such as p21 and cyclin B1. Taken together, our results indicate that genistein-Bcl-2 interaction switches Bcl-2 from an anti-apoptotic protein into a proapoptotic protein, which involves disturbed Bcl-2/Bax distribution in mitochondria, increased cytochrome c release and modified cell cycle regulation. PMID- 17786320 TI - Upregulation of IGF-2 and IGF-1 receptor expression in oral cancer cell lines. AB - The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are a family of mitogenic proteins involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. The presence and role of the IGF system in oral mucosal epithelium is not clear but could influence our understanding of the pathogenesis of oral cancer. We characterised the expression and function of IGF-1, IGF-2 and IGF receptor in human oral squamous carcinoma cell lines and normal oral epithelial cells as well as normal oral and squamous cell carcinoma tissues. Using reverse transcription followed by PCR, IGF-1 mRNA was only detected in normal cells, whereas IGF-2 and IGF-1R mRNA transcripts were highly expressed in tumour cell lines and tissues. Similar observations were seen by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Exogenous IGF-2, but not IGF-1, caused significant increases in DNA synthesis in the cell lines. IGF-2 also increased cell proliferation which was significantly attenuated in the presence of an IGF-2 neutralizing antibody or one which blocked IGF-1R. Taken together, these studies suggest that autocrine production of IGF-2, together with over-expression of IGF-1R, may be important components controlling the proliferation of oral carcinoma cells. PMID- 17786321 TI - Study of the phenotypic relationship in the IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cell line by sedimentation field flow fractionation. AB - Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common childhood solid tumor. Although spontaneous regression can occur in patients <1-year old, 70% of patients over the age of 1 year have a high-risk and difficult-to-treat NB. Cell type heterogeneity is observed either in the morphological appearance of NB tumors or in cell lines isolated from tumor specimens. NB consists of two principal neoplastic cell types: i) neuroblastic or N-type (undifferentiated cells); and ii) stromal or S type (differentiated cells). As NB cells seem to have the capacity to differentiate spontaneously in vivo and in vitro, their heterogeneity could affect treatment outcome, in particular the response to apoptosis induced by chemotherapy. Therefore, it is important to understand the underlying process governing changes in differentiation in order to improve treatment response and NB patient outcome and the neoplastic population in IMR-32 represented a good model for such a study. Results showed that this cell line was extremely heterogeneous and highly variable in its stage of differentiation and we demonstrated that sedimentation field flow fractionation (SdFFF) permitted the isolation of 2 N-phenotypes and contributed to the understanding of the IMR-32 cell population dynamics. The first N-phenotype forms a pool of quiescent undifferentiated cells while the second one was able to proliferate (incorporation of BrdU) and also give rise to adherent S-type cells (PSA-N-CAM+ and N-CAM+). The results could also suggest a close interaction between these different cellular phenotypes to create the IMR-32 cell lineage. PMID- 17786322 TI - The receptor tyrosine kinase Tie1 is expressed and activated in epithelial tumour cell lines. AB - The receptor tyrosine kinase Tie1 is expressed primarily in vascular endothelial cells. The receptor has also been detected in epithelial tumours in breast, thyroid and gastric cancers and in tumour cell lines where it appears as a 45 kDa truncated receptor fragment. In this study, we show that in addition to truncated Tie1, breast and colon tumour cell lines express a full-length Tie1 holoreceptor. In contrast to the situation in endothelial cells, Tie1 truncation is not activated by phorbol esters and generation of truncated Tie1 does not occur via a metalloprotease-inhibitor sensitive mechanism. Examination of the phosphorylation status of Tie1 revealed both the holoreceptor and truncated receptor to be constitutively activated in MCF-7 cells. These data indicate that Tie1 expressed in epithelial tumour cell lines is present in holoreceptor and truncated forms, and in MCF-7 cells both forms are constitutively phosphorylated and competent to signal. Our findings suggest therefore that anti-angiogenic strategies targeting the angiopoietin/Tie system in tumour microvasculature could also have additional direct effects on the tumour epithelial cells within those tumours in which there is also extravascular expression of the Tie1 receptor tyrosine kinase. PMID- 17786323 TI - Predictive implications of nucleoside metabolizing enzymes in premenopausal women with node-positive primary breast cancer who were randomly assigned to receive tamoxifen alone or tamoxifen plus tegafur-uracil as adjuvant therapy. AB - Recent studies have demonstrated that tegafur-uracil (UFT) is useful for the adjuvant treatment of various types of cancers. To determine whether nucleoside metabolizing enzymes could be used to predict the response to UFT treatment in women with primary breast cancer, we retrospectively analyzed archived tumor tissue samples obtained from the 3rd Adjuvant Chemo-Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer (ACETBC) study, in which adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen (TAM) plus UFT for 2 years was compared with TAM alone for 2 years. Samples of tumor tissue were obtained from 192 premenopausal women with node-positive invasive breast cancer. The tissue samples were examined immunohistochemically to study the expression of thymidylate synthase (TS), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), as well as the expression of Her2 and p53. In patients with TS-positive tumors, the risk of relapse was significantly lower in the tamoxifen plus UFT group than in the tamoxifen alone group. After 2 years, however, there was a trend towards a decrease in the relative predictive value (RPV) of TS with time. No relationship to outcome was detected for TP or DPD. Expression of Her2 or p53 was a significant prognostic indicator in the tamoxifen alone group. TS, but not TP or DPD, may be a useful predictor of response to UFT therapy. After 2 years, the RPV of TS decreased with time, suggesting that 2 years of treatment with oral fluorouracil derivatives may be inadequate. Further studies are required to investigate this possibility. PMID- 17786324 TI - Comparative evaluation of C1311 cytotoxic activity and interference with cell cycle progression in a panel of human solid tumour and leukaemia cell lines. AB - The cytotoxic activity of the imidazoacridinone C1311 was related to its effect on cell cycle progression in 16 human cell lines from different solid tumour types and leukaemias. A 72-h exposure to C1311 induced a wide range of growth inhibition (IC50 values ranging from 0.0094 to 0.8 microM; median, 0.279 microM), with the highest activity in the 2 gastric cancer cell lines (IC50, 0.0094 and 0.0098 microM). No significant association was found between in vitro sensitivtity to C1311 and doxorubicin or taxol. Moreover, the activity of C1311 was independent of the p53 gene status of the cell line. Twenty-four-hour exposure to C1311 led to a marked increase in the number of cells in the G2M phase in the majority of cell lines, although the extent of such accumulation was independent of the level of drug cytotoxic activity. C1311 did not generally affect the expression level of cyclin B1 or Cdk1 (p34cdc2) proteins. Conversely, when normalised on the basis of the number of cells arrested in the G2M compartment, Cdk1 kinase activity appeared lower than that of untreated cells in the 4 cell lines showing the most pronounced accumulation in G2M. Overall, such data show that C1311 is active against a variety of human tumour cell lines and strongly support further evaluation of the drug in clinical trials. PMID- 17786325 TI - The plant alkaloid cryptolepine induces p21WAF1/CIP1 and cell cycle arrest in a human osteosarcoma cell line. AB - We previously established a bioassay method to screen for compounds that activate the promoter activity of p21(WAF1/CIP1), a potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases, in a p53-independent manner. As an activator of p21(WAF1/CIP1) promoter activity, we isolated cryptolepine (CLP: 5-methyl indolo (2,3b)-quiniine), an indoloquinoline alkaloid, from the traditional Ayurvedic medicinal plant Sida cordifolia. We show here that CLP induces the expression of p21(WAF1/CIP1) with growth arrest in p53-mutated human osteosarcoma MG63 cells. Four micromolar of CLP completely inhibited the growth of MG63 cells and caused G2/M-phase arrest. CLP up-regulated the expression of p21(WAF1/CIP1) at both mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. Using several mutant p21(WAF1/CIP1) promoter constructs, we found that the CLP-responsive element is an Sp1 site at -82 relative to the transcription start site of the p21(WAF1/CIP1) promoter. These findings suggest that CLP arrests the growth of MG63 cells by activating the p21(WAF1/CIP1) promoter through the specific Sp1 site in a p53-independent manner. In addition, CLP-mediated cell cycle arrest was reduced by the knockout of the p21(WAF1/CIP1) gene in human colon cancer HCT116 cells, suggesting that the cell cycle arrest by CLP was at least partially mediated through the induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression. Although we need further study of chemotherapeutic effect in vivo, these results raise the possibility that CLP might be a suitable chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of osteosarcoma. PMID- 17786326 TI - Cobalt chloride induces apoptosis and zinc chloride suppresses cobalt-induced apoptosis by Bcl-2 expression in human submandibular gland HSG cells. AB - To determine the effects of cobalt chloride on human submandibular gland cells, HSG cells were exposed to various concentrations of cobalt chloride. Cobalt chloride induced cytotoxicity and cell death in HSG cells as determined by phase contrast microscopy and WST-1 cell viability assay. By using the Hoechst 33342 staining, marked nuclear condensation and fragmentation of chromatin were observed in cobalt chloride-treated cells. Cobalt chloride induced DNA ladder formation in HSG cells in both dose- and time-dependent manner with maximal effect at a concentration of 0.5 mM and 48 h, respectively. Cobalt chloride inhibited the expression of both Bcl-2 protein and mRNA in dose- and time dependent manner. Zinc chloride recovered the cobalt-suppressed Bcl-2 expression and protected against cobalt-induced apoptosis in HSG cells. Our results show that the pathway of the apoptosis in HSG cells is regulated by cobalt chloride and zinc chloride. Our results also indicate that cobalt-induced apoptotic steps in HSG cells are related to the production of Bcl-2 protein. PMID- 17786327 TI - Benefits of gene transduction of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in cancer vaccine using genetically modified dendritic cells. AB - Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a key cytokine for the generation and stimulation of dendritic cells (DCs), and it may also play a pivotal role in promoting the survival of DCs. In this study, the feasibility of creating a cancer vaccine using DCs adenovirally transduced with the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene and the GM-CSF gene was examined. In addition, the effect of the co-transduction of GM-CSF gene on the lifespan of these genetically modified DCs was determined. A cytotoxic assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-derived cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) was performed in a 4-h 51Cr release assay. The apoptosis of DCs was examined by TdT mediated dUTP-FITC nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. CEA-specific CTLs were generated from PBMCs stimulated with genetically modified DCs expressing CEA. The cytotoxicity of these CTLs was augmented by co-transduction of DCs with the GM CSF gene. Co-transduction of the GM-CSF gene into DCs inhibited apoptosis of these DCs themselves via up-regulation of Bcl-x(L) expression, leading to the extension of the lifespan of these DCs. Furthermore, the transduction of the GM CSF gene into DCs also suppressed the incidence of apoptosis of DCs induced by transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta-1). Immunotherapy using these genetically modified DCs may therefore be useful with several advantages as follows: i) adenoviral toxicity to DCs can be reduced; ii) the lifespan of vaccinated DCs can be prolonged; and iii) GM-CSF may protect DCs from apoptosis induced by tumor-derived TGFbeta-1 in the regional lymph nodes. PMID- 17786328 TI - Differential expression of acidic proteins with progression in the MCF10 model of human breast disease. AB - A proteomic characterization of one premalignant (MCF10AT1) and two malignant (MCF10CA1a and MCF10 CA1d) human breast cancer cell lines has been performed using a combination of two-dimensional liquid separations and mass spectrometry. Chromatofocusing (CF) and NPS-RP-HPLC are combined with ESI-TOF-MS to resolve and detect intact proteins. Simultaneously, fractions are collected and digested for protein identification using MALDI-MS peptide mass fingerprinting. Following protein identification a small database was compiled for use in comparison between IDs and measured masses taking into account variables such as pI, hydrophobicity and potential modifications. Out of 239 mass bands detected between pH 4.6 and 6.0, 133 have been definitively associated with identified proteins and 67 show consistent up/down regulation in two malignant breast cancer cell lines relative to the precursor premalignant cell line. Of these, 8 are also altered in the premalignant MCF10AT1 cell line by treatment with estradiol. Differentially expressed proteins indicate significant changes to the cytoskeleton, cellular metabolism, and adaptation to environmental stressors in malignant cell lines. PMID- 17786329 TI - Design, construction, and in vitro analysis of A33scFv::CDy, a recombinant fusion protein for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy in colon cancer. AB - Antibody-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (ADEPT) aims at improving the specificity of conventional chemotherapy by employing artificial antibody-enzyme constructs to convert a non-toxic prodrug into a cytotoxic agent specifically localized to the tumor site. The gpA33 antigen is a promising target for ADEPT in colon cancer, as it is expressed by >95% of human colon cancers, but is absent in all non-gastrointestinal tissues. We designed a recombinant fusion construct of a phage display-generated anti-gpA33 single chain fragment, A33scFv, with cytosine deaminase from yeast (CDy), which converts 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into 5 fluorouracil (5-FU). The resulting construct, A33scFv::CDy, was overexpressed in Pichia pastoris and secreted into culture supernatant. The fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography on protein L. Silver-staining after SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed molecular mass and purity. Antibody binding and specificity were quantified by flow cytometry. The complete ADEPT system was applied in vitro on gpA33-positive LIM1215 cells, assessing cell survival by a fluorescein diacetate assay. Cytotoxicity of the prodrug 5-FC after A33scFv::CDy binding was equimolar to that of 5-FU, and this effect depended specifically on both antibody and enzyme function. These results demonstrate bifunctional activity of the heterogeneous Pichia-produced A33scFv::CDy fusion protein and proof of principle for the ADEPT system proposed herein. PMID- 17786330 TI - Androgen receptor-dependent and -independent mechanisms mediate Ganoderma lucidum activities in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. AB - Ganoderma lucidum (Curt.:Fr.) P. Karst, a medicinal fungus, has been widely used in Asian countries for centuries to prevent or treat a variety of diseases, including cancer. However, the mechanisms responsible for the effects of G. lucidum on cancer cells remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown that ethyl acetate extract of G. lucidum inhibits LNCaP prostate cancer cell viability and proliferation. We also demonstrated that G. lucidum extract decreased androgen receptor transcriptional activity, suppressed levels of secreted prostate-specific antigen, and suppressed androgen receptor protein level. In this study we investigated the mechanisms that underlie the activities of G. lucidum crude extract and its active fraction GLF4 in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Our data demonstrate that G. lucidum inhibits cell viability by induction of apoptosis through the extrinsic pathway that include activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 and inhibits cell proliferation by the down-regulation of cyclin D1 expression. Furthermore, G. lucidum crude extract and fraction GLF4 interfere with androgen receptor function via competition with the natural ligand dihydrotestosterone and suppression of androgen receptor/androgen response element complex formation. These results indicate that G. lucidum extracts have profound activity against LNCaP cells that merits further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of prostate cancer. PMID- 17786331 TI - Inhibition of lymphocyte function associated antigen 1 by LFA878 induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells and is associated with downregulation of the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt pathway. AB - Multiple myeloma (MM) is still an incurable disease and adhesion of MM cells to bone marrow stromal cells is one of the hallmarks of the disease. Lymphocyte function associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) is an adhesion molecule that mediates lymphocyte adhesion, but its role in MM is only poorly understood. The aim of the presented study was to improve knowledge on LFA-1 and associated pathways in MM for the development of molecular targeted therapies. We demonstrate that LFA-1 is expressed in U266, RPMI-8226, OPM-2, and NCI-H929 MM cell lines and in primary cells of eight tested patients. The LFA-1 inhibitor LFA878 induces apoptosis in all four cell lines as revealed by annexin V staining and caspase 3 cleavage. Apoptosis is not hampered by adhesion to stromal cells. Additionally, the soluble ligand, intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), which is increased in the serum of MM patients, does not protect from melphalan-induced apoptosis. Western blots demonstrate downregulation of FAK, PI3-K, and Akt upon LFA878 treatment. Additionally, sequential inhibition of the pathway by simultaneous application of Src family kinase or PI3-K inhibitors significantly increases LFA878 induced apoptosis. We conclude that LFA-1/FAK/PI3-K/Akt is a survival pathway in MM and that targeted inhibition may provide new therapeutic options. PMID- 17786332 TI - Early development of histiocytic sarcomas in p53 knockout mice treated with N bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine. AB - p53 knockout mice have been utilized for the functional analysis of p53 in carcinogenic processes and for the evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of chemicals. In this study, we established that p53 knockout mice have an elevated susceptibility to the induction of histiocytic sarcoma (HS) by N-bis(2-hydroxy propyl)nitrosamine (BHP). p53 heterozygous (+/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice were treated with 20 or 200 ppm BHP in their drinking water for 15 weeks or with 20 ppm BHP for 40 weeks. An additional group of p53 nullizygous (-/-) mice were treated with 20 ppm BHP for 15 weeks. In a 15-week experiment, hepatic HSs were unexpectedly observed in BHP-treated p53 (-/-) mice (30.8%) but not in p53 (+/-) and (+/+) mice and untreated (-/-) mice, indicating that a complete loss of p53 dramatically accelerates the genesis of HS. In a 40-week experiment, HSs were significantly increased in female p53 (+/-) mice (37.5%) as compared with female (+/+) mice (5.0%). Additionally, PCR-SSCP and sequencing analysis revealed a high frequency of p53 gene mutations in HSs, demonstrating the involvement of p53 gene mutations in HS development. Our data add to the understanding of the carcinogenic susceptibility of p53 knockout mice, and may help to elucidate the pathogenesis of HS development. PMID- 17786333 TI - Chemotherapy in metastatic malignant triton tumor: report on two cases. AB - Malignant triton tumor (MTT) is a rare, highly malignant nerve sheath tumor with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Initial debulking surgery followed by adjuvant therapy is the current treatment of choice, but has very limited efficacy when optimal cytoreduction is not achieved by surgical procedure. Neoadjuvant therapy for MTT, to potentially facilitate subsequent surgery, eradicate micrometastatic lesions and, therefore, improve the therapeutical outcome, has never before been presented in literature. Here, we report on the multimodal management of two cases of advanced and metastatic MTT. Treatment modalities involved neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy, surgical resection, and radiation. In both cases, integrated Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) emerged as an important diagnostic tool for the reliable assessment of MTT response and metabolic remission. PMID- 17786334 TI - Expression profile of class I histone deacetylases in human cancer tissues. AB - Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity is one of the widely used and well established mechanisms for regulation of various genes in cancer. To identify which subtype of class I HDACs are overexpressed in cancers, we analyzed the expression of class I HDAC isotypes composed of HDAC1, 2, 3 and 8 in several cell lines and human cancer tissues, including cancer of the stomach, esophagus, colon, prostate, breast, ovary, lung, pancreas and thyroid. The results showed that >75% of human cancer tissues and their corresponding non-cancerous epithelium showed high expression of these class I HDACs. However, the immunoreactivity of HDAC8 in both prostatic cancer tissue and non-cancerous prostate glands was lower than that in other cancer tissues. Furthermore, 5-40% of cancer tissues overexpressed class I HDACs, when compared with normal epithelium. The results suggest the potential usefulness of HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of a wide variety of human cancers. PMID- 17786335 TI - Enhancement of capecitabine efficacy by oxaliplatin in human colorectal and gastric cancer xenografts. AB - We have evaluated the antitumor activity of XELOX (a combination therapy of capecitabine (Xeloda) and oxaliplatin) in human colorectal and gastric cancer xenograft models. In human colorectal cancer model CXF280, antitumor activity of the combination at two-thirds of the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was superior to that of each monotherapy at MTD. Furthermore, in human colorectal cancer model COL-05-JCK and human gastric cancer xenograft model GXF 97, the combination also showed at least additive antitumor activity. In addition, toxicity was not augmented with the combination therapy in these three models. As demonstrated using ELISA or immunohistochemistry, oxaliplatin in xenograft model tumors up regulated the level of thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase), a key enzyme for the metabolism of capecitabine to 5-fluorouracil. These results suggest that oxaliplatin might potentiate the antitumor activity of capecitabine by up regulating the tumor level of dThdPase. Based on these results, clinical trials of XELOX against colorectal and gastric cancers are warranted. PMID- 17786336 TI - Rapid genetic diagnosis with transcription-reverse transcription concerted reaction system for peritoneal recurrence and survival in colorectal cancer patients. AB - The prediction of peritoneal recurrence in colorectal cancer patients is required for improvement of prognosis. In this study, we focused on establishing a novel rapid RNA direct amplification system with transcription-reverse transcription concerted reaction (TRC) to detect carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA in peritoneal washings, and its usefulness as a prophylactic tool for peritoneal recurrence and survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Peritoneal washes were obtained from 161 patients with colorectal cancer during laparotomy. CEA mRNA and porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) mRNA levels of peritoneal washes were detected using the TRC method. Genetic detection in the CEA mRNA of peritoneal washes by TRC showed a significant correlation to the depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis, peritoneal dissemination and stage. The overall survival and peritoneal recurrence-free survival rates of CEA mRNA-positive patients were significantly poorer than those of marker gene-negative patients. CEA mRNA levels in peritoneal washes were a significant independent prognostic factor for overall survival and peritoneal recurrence-free survival. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the detection of CEA mRNA in peritoneal washings by TRC is a useful, rapid genetic diagnosis for the prediction of peritoneal recurrence and survival in patients with colorectal cancer. PMID- 17786337 TI - Inhibition of tumor growth through suppression of angiogenesis by brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 gene transfer in murine renal cell carcinoma. AB - This study was designed to elucidate the therapeutic effect of transfering the brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) gene to a mouse renal cell carcinoma cell line (Renca). Female BALB/c mice were inoculated subcutaneously with wild-type Renca (Renca/Wild) cells or Renca cells transfected with the BAI-1 (Renca/BAI-1) or LacZ (Renca/LacZ) gene. Tumor growth was observed every other day from 3 to 35 days after implantation. Moreover, the intratumoral injection of the adenovirus vector containing the gene encoding BAI1 was conducted at two-day intervals from 11 to 31 days after implantation of the Renca/Wild or Renca/BAI1 tumor. Tumor blood flow was measured by colorimetric angiogenesis assay (CAA). The concentration of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the cell culture supernatants was determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The size of the Renca/BAI1 tumor was significantly (p<0.01) suppressed compared to the Renca/Wild and Renca/LacZ tumors 21 days after tumor implantation. The injection of the BAI1 viral vector at 2-day intervals significantly inhibited the growth of both the Renca/Wild and Renca/BAI1 tumors. The blood volume measured by CAA and microvessel density was significantly lower in the Renca/BAI1 than in the Renca/Wild and Renca/LacZ tumors (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). A significant (p<0.01) reduction in VEGF concentration in the supernatant was demonstrated in the Renca/BAI1 compared with the Renca/Wild and Renca/LacZ cell cultures. These observations suggest that the transfer of the BAI1 gene to Renca can suppress the tumor growth via the inhibition of angiogenesis. The down-regulation of VEGF production in tumor cells contributes to this anti-tumor effect. PMID- 17786338 TI - Prognostic value of differential expression of Laminin-5 gamma2 in oral squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with survival. AB - In oral squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, Laminin-5 gamma2 has been associated with tissue invasion, lymph node metastasis and histopathological grading. In the present study, we compared the expression of the subunit gamma2 of Laminin-5 under normal, dysplastic and invading epithelia in 65 biopsies previously diagnosed for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The number of gamma2 positive cells were analyzed in relation to patients' survival, tumor grading, size of the lesion, TNM stage, histopathological pattern of invasion and inflammatory reaction. Biopsies of oral squamous cell carcinomas were deparaffinised, processed for antigen unmasking procedures and stained with antibody anti-Laminin-5 gamma2. By light microscopy, 4 optical fields of x200 were selected in three different areas including normal, dysplastic and invading epithelia. Positive cells were counted and divided into three categories, which included <20 cells, between 21 and 50 cells and >50 stained cells. Patient survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Mayer curves. gamma2-positive cells were found in the basal layer of dysplastic epithelium, within inflammatory infiltrate, at the margins of differentiated invading islands and at the forefront of undifferentiated invading nests. Observations showed that an increased number of gamma2-positive cells correlated significantly with a shorter life expectancy under invading epithelia (log-rank test p<0.05), not when a count was performed under normal or dysplastic epithelia of the same patient. The number of gamma2 positive cells also correlated with the histopathological pattern of invasion. Our results show that gamma2 may be a reliable prognostic tool for oral squamous cell carcinomas. PMID- 17786339 TI - Combination therapy of interferon-alpha and 5-fluorouracil inhibits tumor angiogenesis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietins. AB - We recently reported that interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combination therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) achieved excellent clinical results. However, the mechanism underlying this combination therapy remains to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the anti-tumor effects of IFN-alpha and 5-FU combination therapy in vivo and aimed to reveal its anti angiogenic effects by investigating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietins (Ang-1 and Ang-2). Human HCC cells, HuH7, were subcutaneously injected in nude mice. Ten days later, groups of mice received treatment with IFN-alpha alone, 5-FU alone, or with a combination of IFN-alpha and 5-FU for four weeks. Immunohistochemical examinations of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cell differentiation antigen 34 (CD34), Ang-1, -2 and VEGF, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay and quantification of VEGF, Ang-1 and-2 mRNA using real-time RT-PCR were performed. Results showed that IFN-alpha and 5-FU combination therapy significantly inhibited the growth of human HCC cells compared with the control group or single agent treatment. The combination therapy decreased PCNA-positive cells as well as microvessel density (MVD) and induced apoptosis of (TUNEL positive cells) more than other treatment groups. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the combination therapy significantly decreased the expression of VEGF and Ang-2 and increased that of Ang-1. The ANG2/ANG1 mRNA expression ratio was significantly lower in the combination therapy group. In conclusion, our results suggested that IFN-alpha and 5-FU combination therapy has anti proliferative and anti-angiogenic effects and can induce apoptosis in vivo. The synergistic and anti-angiogenic effects may in part be attributable to the regulation of Ang-1, -2 and VEGF. PMID- 17786340 TI - Ascorbate (vitamin C) induces cell death through the apoptosis-inducing factor in human breast cancer cells. AB - Although ascorbate (Vitamin C) has been shown to inhibit cell growth and induce cell death in variety of cancer cells, results reported in other studies are inconsistent with this conclusion. It was previously reported that ascorbate induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanism for this is not clear. In this study, we demonstrate that ascorbate induces cell death through the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in the human breast cancer cell lines, SK-BR3 and Hs578T, but not in a normal breast cell line, Hs578. Ascorbate treatment caused the nuclear translocation of AIF, which is retained in the mitochondria in healthy cells, but caspase cleavage is not induced. Moreover, MG132, an inhibitor of AIF release from mitochondria, blocked the induction of cell death. Furthermore, cells that had been treated with human AIF-specific siRNA resisted cell death induced by ascorbate, implying that the translocation of AIF from mitochondria to the nucleus is responsible for ascorbate-mediated cell death. Therefore, these results suggest that ascorbate activates a caspase independent and AIF-mediated cell death pathway in human breast cancer cells, SK BR3, and Hs578T. PMID- 17786341 TI - Methylation and intratumoural heterogeneity of 14-3-3 sigma in oral cancer. AB - 14-3-3 sigma has been a major G2/M checkpoint control gene and has demonstrated that its inactivation in various cancers occurs mostly by epigenetic hypermethylation, not by genetic change. This study investigated the methylation status and expression of the 14-3-3 sigma gene in 46 oral squamous cell carcinomas by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Exons of the p53 gene were examined for mutations by sequencing analysis and CyclinD1 by immunohistochemistry. Methylation of the 14-3 3 sigma gene was detected in 13% (6/46) of the oral tumours, but not in corresponding adjacent non-malignant and normal gingival tissues. Intratumoural heterogeneity was found in the tumour tissues including three 14-3-3 sigma methylated samples. Methylation of 14-3-3 sigma was detected in 3 SCC with p53 mutations and 3 with wild-type p53. Our major findings are: (a) methylation of 14 3-3 gene promoter is a rare event in oral cancer; (b) it is not always associated with 14-3-3 protein levels and there is no clear relationship between its methylation and p53 mutation; (c) loss of 14-3-3 sigma expression is associated with reduced CyclinD1 gene expression. PMID- 17786342 TI - A peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma antagonist induces vimentin cleavage and inhibits invasion in high-grade hepatocellular carcinoma. AB - Increased expression of vimentin in carcinomas correlates with parameters of malignant potential such as tumor grade and tumor metastasis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) has been intensively evaluated as a potential target for the inhibition of cell growth and metastasis in cancer cells. In the present study, we examined whether PPARgamma is a possible target molecule for the prevention of cell growth and invasion by treatment with agonists (troglitazone, rosiglitazone) and antagonists (T0070907, GW9662) in four different hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. We also evaluated the effects of the PPARgamma agonists and antagonists on tumor cell migration and invasion. The expression level of PPARgamma protein was higher in the sarcomatoid SH-J1 and poorly differentiated HLE cell lines than that in the well differentiated HCC cell lines (HepG2 and Huh-7). Expression of vimentin was high in the SH-J1 HCC cell line and minimally detected in the HLE cell line. Treatment with low doses of the PPARgamma antagonists inhibited cell growth and colony formation of all four of the HCC cell lines. Vimentin in the high-grade HCC cells was cleaved by the treatment with the PPARgamma antagonists. Furthermore, treatment with the PPARgamma antagonists also strongly inhibited migration and invasion of the SH-J1 and HLE cells. However, treatment with low doses of the agonists had no effect on vimentin expression, migration, and invasion of the high-grade HCC cells but cell growth was inhibited by treatment with high concentrations of the agonists. Our results indicate that treatment with a PPARgamma antagonist may prevent cell growth and invasion of high-grade HCC cells. Our findings also suggest that PPARgamma antagonists inhibit cell growth and invasion through vimentin disarrangement in high-grade HCC. PMID- 17786343 TI - Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and gamma ligands inhibit the growth of human ovarian cancer. AB - In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of clofibric acid (CA), a ligand for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)alpha, and pioglitazone, a ligand for PPARgamma, on ovarian cancer in in vivo experiments using human ovarian cancer cell lines, and we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of their anticancer effect. The antitumor effects of CA (3,000 ppm in the daily diet), pioglitazone (240 ppm in the daily diet) or the combination were studied in female nu/nu mice, xenografted with subcutaneous OVCAR-3 tumors or with intraperitoneal DISS tumors. The tumor tissues were quantified for expression levels of AP-1, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) using Western blot analysis or immunohistochemistry. CD-31 stained microvessel density (MVD) was measured in the tumors. The induction of apoptosis was quantified by the TUNEL method. Treatment with CA or pioglitazone significantly suppressed the growth of subcutaneously xenotransplanted OVCAR-3 tumors and prolonged the survival of mice with malignant ascites derived from DISS cells as compared to the control. Combination of both agents enhanced the anticancer effect. Increase of apoptosis and necrosis as well as decrease of VEGF expression and MVD were found in solid OVCAR-3 tumors treated with CA, pioglitazone or the combination. The combination significantly induced apoptotic cells, compared to CA or pioglitazone alone. The combination significantly reduced expression of AP-1, which is a transcriptional regulator of COX-2, and also significantly decreased COX-2 expression in OVCAR-3 tumors compared to the control, CA or pioglitazone alone, although CA or pioglitazone alone decreased them with a marginal significance compared to the control. These findings indicate that the combination of CA and pioglitazone produces a potent antitumor effect on ovarian cancer through reduction of AP-1 expression. PMID- 17786344 TI - Expression of Myc target gene mina53 in subtypes of human lymphoma. AB - Mina53 (mina) was identified as a gene, which is directly induced by the oncogene c-myc. Elevated expression of Mina53 protein was found in >80% of colon cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients with high expression of Mina53 had shorter survival, suggesting the prognostic usefulness of Mina53. We studied Mina53 expression in lymphoma subtypes to examine its diagnostic significance and its possible role in lymphoma-genesis. Surgical cases of 28 lymphoma and 4 non-neoplastic tissues were stained immunochemically using anti Mina53 monoclonal antibody. Mina53 expression correlated well with c-Myc expression in lymphoma, suggesting that c-Myc is a controlling factor for mina53 expression also in lymphomas. Although the expression of Mina53 as well as c-Myc was less frequent in lymphoma compared with those of colon and ESCC, increased expression of Mina53 was found in Burkitt-like lymphoma (1/1), Hodgkin's lymphoma (3/5), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (5/13), lymphomas with a transition from follicular to DLBCL (1/2), with none in follicular (0/4) and T cell lymphoma (0/3). Analyses of the data suggested that Mina53 was frequently expressed in aggressive types of B cell lymphoma. To get more information about the expression of Mina53 in DLBCL, which most frequently occurs among lymphomas, we analyzed the expression of Mina53 in another 21 DLBCL specimens, which were in more advanced stages than those described above. The expression level of Mina53 correlated to the international prognostic index (IPI) values with statistical significance (r=0.477, P=0.0275). Notably, in this group, Mina53 expression did not correlate with c-Myc expression, suggesting that other factor(s) besides c-Myc largely affect the expression of Mina53 in advanced DLBCL. These results suggest that although Mina53 expression is not prominent in lymphoma in general, it may be related to tumor progression of B cell lymphoma. PMID- 17786345 TI - Anti-tumor activity of Gastrodia elata Blume is closely associated with a GTP-Ras dependent pathway. AB - Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB) is an important medicinal plant in Korea. In order to confirm the anti-tumor activities of GEB extracts, we carried out various in vitro anti-tumor assays, including a wound assay and an invasion assay using an ethyl ether extract of GEB. The results showed that the GEB extract exhibits potent anti-tumor activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of CD44, cdc42, Timp-2 or RhoA mRNA did not change by GEB treatment, compared to that of the control. GTP-Ras, an active form of a G-coupled protein family, however, is associated with the anti-tumor activity of GEB extracts. We examined various molecular markers related to metastasis by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with the extract of GEB-treated B16 cells. There was an increase in GTP-Ras expression by the Gastrodia elata Blume extract. Together, these results suggest that the Gastrodia elata Blume extract could have potential in alleviating tumorigenesis, by a GTP-Ras-dependent pathway; although the precise molecular mechanisms are still being examined. PMID- 17786346 TI - Expression of metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors in squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma. AB - The hallmark of cancer invasion is the degradation of extracellular matrix components. Matrix metalloproteinases are the major enzymes participating in this event and their activity is regulated extracellularly by their presence as proenzymes and the concomitant presence of the specific tissue inhibitors. The present study describes the immunohistochemical localization of gelatinases, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and -2 in human laryngeal carcinoma and their expression with respect to tumor classification and compared with the respective healthy subjects. MMP-2 was immunolocalized in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells and in the loose connective tissue, whereas MMP-9 was also observed in basement membrane and chondrocytes. Both were also found in tumor cells, but staining was decreased with increasing stage of cancer. TIMP-1 was present exclusively in stroma and totally absent from tumor cells and it was overexpressed in normal cells surrounding the tumor. TIMP-2 was identified in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells, in stroma and sometimes in chondrocytes. In addition, it was present in tumor cells of only stage IV samples. The expression level of both gelatinases and TIMPs increased as the stage of cancer increased, suggesting the possible post-transcriptional removal of their mRNA. These observations, performed in a given head and neck site, suggest that the behavior of head and neck tumors seems to depend on the site and additional studies should be performed to obtain a general understanding of the disease and ascertain the role of the constituents examined. PMID- 17786347 TI - Boron neuron capture therapy using epithermal neutrons for recurrent cancer in the oral cavity and cervical lymph node metastasis. AB - The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the utility of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) using epithermal neutrons for cases of recurrent cancer in the oral cavity, which are not indicated for a conventional treatment modality. We enrolled four patients with local recurrence or metastasis to the regional lymph nodes after completion of initial treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Before receiving BNCT, patients underwent 18F-p bononophenylalanine (BPA) positron emission tomography (PET) examinations to assess the BPA accumulation ratios in tumors and normal tissues. All patients showed at least a tentative partial response, while a marked improvement in quality of life was seen in one patient. Before BNCT, that patient could not be discharged from the hospital because of eating difficulties and malaise; after treatment, he was comfortably discharged. Mild malaise, oral mucositis and alopecia were seen as mild adverse effects; however, no life-threatening systemic symptoms were observed in any of the cases. Our results suggested that BNCT is a useful treatment modality for recurrent or regionally metastasized oral cancer. PMID- 17786348 TI - Tumor suppressor Prdx1 is a prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. AB - Peroxiredoxins (Prdxs) are a family of antioxidant enzymes that are also known as scavengers of peroxide in mammalian cells. Some reports have shown that the overexpression of Prdx1, which is one of the peroxiredoxins that is a ubiquitously expressed protein, was related to a poor prognosis in several types of human cancers. In this study, we investigated the expression levels of Prdx1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between the Prdx1 expression and the clinical status was elucidated. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in 114 samples which were collected from surgical esophageal cancer specimens. Cytoplasmic staining of Prdx1 was evaluated based on the following scoring criteria: Grade I, negative or weak staining; Grade II, moderate staining; and Grade III, strong staining. The percentage of patients with a Grade I expression of Prx1 was 20% (23 of 114), 44% had Grade II (50 of 114), and 36% had Grade III (41 of 114). The Prdx1 immunoreactivity showed an inverse significant correlation with T-category (P<0.0001), lymph node metastasis (P=0.048), and stage (P=0.001). In addition, the patients with tumors exhibiting a reduced Prdx1 expression had shorter overall survival (P=0.022) in comparison to the patients with tumors which had a higher Prdx1 expression. Currently, Prdx1 has been shown to act as a tumor suppressor. Our results provide strong evidence that the reduced Prdx1 expression is an important factor in esophageal squamous cancer progression and could serve as a useful prognostic marker. PMID- 17786349 TI - Association of DNA-PK activity and radiation-induced NBS1 foci formation in lymphocytes with clinical malignancy in breast cancer patients. AB - DNA double-strand break (DSB) is one of the most deleterious lesions induced by DNA damaging agents. DSB repair pathway is implicated in maintaining genomic integrity via suppression of genetic instability and neoplastic transformation. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) has a pivotal role in DNA DSB repair. The Nijmegen breakage syndrome protein (NBS1), essential for DSB repair, re-localizes into subnuclear structures upon induction of DNA damage by ionizing radiation, forming so-called ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF), which is visualized by immunostaining. We measured DNA-PK activity and the number of persistent NBS1 IRIF per nucleus 24 h after irradiation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with sporadic breast cancer. Chromosomal aberrations were examined by cytogenetic methods. We examined the relationship between these measurements and clinical characteristics of patients such as tumor size, lymph node metastasis and nuclear grade of cancer cells. A higher number of NBS1 IRIF or lower DNA-PK activity correlated with higher chromosome instability. Patients whose PBL had lower DNA-PK or higher NBS1 IRIF had aggressive cancer phenotypes such as a larger tumor, higher nuclear grade and positive axillary lymph node metastasis. The combination of DNA-PK activity and NBS1 IRIF were useful for predicting lymph node metastasis. The ability of DSB repair in PBL is related to aggressive breast cancer phenotypes. Axillary lymph node dissection can be avoided by examining DNA-PK activity and NBS1 IRIF of PBL, which can contribute to improving the quality of life of breast cancer patients. PMID- 17786350 TI - Expression of retinoid X receptor alpha is decreased in 3'-methyl-4 dimethylaminoazobenzene-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. AB - The identification of the specific molecular targets, which underlie liver carcinogenesis is essential for the establishment of an effective strategy for the prevention and/or treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). We previously found that a malfunction of RXRalpha due to its aberrant phosphorylation was associated with the development of HCCs. However, it has remained unclear whether the abnormalities in the expression of RXRalpha or the other retinoid receptors play a role in the early stage of liver carcinogenesis. The present study was designed to determine whether alterations in the expression of RXRalpha and the other retinoid receptors RARalpha and RARbeta are involved in hepatocarcinogenesis using a 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-MeDAB) induced rat liver carcinogenesis model. We found that immunohistochemical expression of RXRalpha was decreased in liver cell tumors (HCCs and adenoma) and glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive foci, which is a precancerous lesion of HCC, when compared with the non-cancerous tissues. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed a progressive decrease in the expression levels of RXRalpha, RARalpha, and RARbeta proteins and their mRNAs in 3'-MeDAB-induced HCCs and their surrounding tissues, when compared with the normal liver tissues from the control group. Moreover, the expression level of beta-catenin, the heterodimeric partner for both RXRalpha and RARalpha, was immunohistochemically observed in the cytoplasm and, in some cases, in the nucleus of HCC cells. The nuclear expression of cyclin D1, the downstream target molecule of beta-catenin, was also increased in HCC cells when compared with their adjacent normal appearing tissues. Our findings suggest that loss of retinoid receptors, especially RXRalpha, plays a critical role in the chemically-induced rat liver carcinogenesis and this might be associated with the activation of beta-catenin related signaling pathway. PMID- 17786351 TI - Reduced expression of TANGO in colon and hepatocellular carcinomas. AB - The TANGO gene was originally identified as a new family member of the MIA gene family. The gene codes for a 14-kDa protein of so far unknown function. Recently, we identified TANGO as a tumor suppressor in malignant melanoma. In this study we evaluated TANGO transcription in different colon and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and tissue samples, to analyze whether loss of TANGO expression is a more general process in tumor development. TANGO was down-regulated or lost in all hepatocellular and colon cell lines compared to primary human hepatocytes or normal colon epithelial cells, respectively, and in most of the tumor samples compared to non-tumorous tissue. These results were confirmed in situ by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded sections of colon and hepatocellular tumors. Functional assays with exogenous TANGO treatment of colon and hepatoma cell lines revealed reduced motility and invasion capacity. Our studies present for the first time the down-regulation of TANGO in colon and hepatocellular carcinoma and provide the first indications for a tumor suppressor role of the TANGO gene in human colon and hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, functional relevant loss of TANGO expression may contribute to general tumor development and progression, and may provide a new target for therapeutic strategies. PMID- 17786352 TI - The activity of Selol in multidrug-resistant and sensitive human leukemia cells. AB - Selol is a mixture of selenitetriglycerides synthesized from sunflower oil. As it contains the element selenium in its structure, it is suspected to exhibit chemopreventive and anticancer activity. In this study, the ability of Selol to inhibit cell proliferation and to induce apoptosis was investigated. Three cell lines were used: leukemia HL-60 cell line and multidrug-resistant HL-60/Dox (resistant to doxorubicin) and HL-60/Vinc (resistant to vincristine). Selol was shown to reduce the cell number as a result of treatment with increasing concentrations. For selected concentrations the evidence of apoptosis (changes in mitochondrial potential and caspase activity) was investigated, as well as changes in lysosome distribution. The study has shown that Selol overcame the cell resistance, as doxorubicin-resistant cells were more sensitive towards Selol than sensitive cells. PMID- 17786353 TI - Perfusion CT can predict the response to chemoradiation therapy and survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: initial clinical results. AB - The ability to predict the response to chemoradiation therapy (CRT) by contrast enhanced CT would be valuable for managing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of Perfusion CT to predict the response to CRT in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Thirty-one consecutive patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent Perfusion CT before CRT. We retrospectively investigated the correlations between Perfusion parameters and the response to CRT. Clinicopathological markers and blood flow were compared in terms of survival. There were 21 clinical responders and 10 non-responders. Clinical responders showed significantly higher pre-CRT blood flow (P=0.0004), significantly higher pre-CRT blood volume (P=0.03) and a significantly shorter pre-CRT mean transit time (P=0.002) than non-responders. For pre-CRT blood flow, accuracy was 90.3% for detection of clinical responders when the cut-off point was set at 50 ml/100 g/min. Patients with high blood flow tumors survived significantly longer than those with low blood flow tumors (P=0.006). Multivariate analysis identified blood flow as a significant independent prognostic factor (P=0.01). Therefore, Perfusion CT may help to identify patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who will benefit from CRT. PMID- 17786354 TI - Osteopontin stimulates melanoma growth and lung metastasis through NIK/MEKK1 dependent MMP-9 activation pathways. AB - We examined the role of osteopontin (OPN) in NIK- and MEKK1-dependent MMP-9 activation, melanoma growth and lung metastasis and its clinical significance in malignant melanoma. Here we report that OPN induces alphavbeta3 integrin-mediated MEKK1-dependent JNK1 phosphorylation. OPN stimulates NIK- or JNK1-dependent c-Jun expression. In contrast, OPN induces MEKK1-dependent JNK1 activation that leads to downregulation of ERK1/2 activation. OPN triggers NIK- and MEKK1-dependent AP 1 activation whereas NIK-dependent AP-1 activation is independent of JNK1 that leads to pro-MMP-9 activation. In vivo studies indicate that the levels of pNIK and MMP-9 are significantly higher in the OPN-induced primary tumor and metastasized lung compared to control. Clinical data revealed that the enhanced level of OPN and pNIK expression in the skin biopsies correlates with Clark's level and Breslow thickness. Altogether, OPN regulates negative cross-talk between NIK/ERK and MEKK1/JNK1 pathways that controls melanoma progression. PMID- 17786355 TI - Comparative genomic hybridization, BRAF, RAS, RET, and oligo-array analysis in aneuploid papillary thyroid carcinomas. AB - Aneuploidy in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) is considered a marker of worse prognosis. Multiple genetic surveys have been performed in PTCs, however, we are not aware of any such studies in aneuploid PTCs. In order to contribute to a better comprehension of the genetic basis of this neoplasm's more aggressive behaviour in 17 aneuploid PTCs we performed a comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis, studied the BRAF and RAS mutational status, searched for RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3 rearrangements and determined their expression profile. Array results were validated by TaqMan and immunohistochemistry. CGH revealed multiple non-random chromosomal abnormalities. BRAFV600E and RAS mutations were found in 41.2% and 33% of the carcinomas respectively. None of the studied cases presented RET/PTC1 or RET/PTC3 rearrangement. When comparing array data with the chromosomal, mutational and clinical data we found that: a) loss of control of cellular transcription was of major relevance in this group of neoplasms, HMGA2 being one of the most overexpressed genes; b) gene expression correlated with the mutational status of PTCs, as in BRAF+ cases cMET and FN1 were concomitantly overexpressed; and c) death from disease and distant metastasis was associated to the overexpression of DDR2 and to the down-regulation of genes involved in immune, inflammatory response, signal transduction and cell adhesion processes. In conclusion we have identified in aneuploid PTCs a group of significantly altered molecules that may represent preferential targets for the development of new more efficient therapies in this type of cancer. PMID- 17786356 TI - The relationship between the down-regulation of DNA-PKcs or Ku70 and the chemosensitization in human cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa. AB - The aim of this study was to clarify the function of non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance, and to explore the potential of DNA PK as a target of reversal of chemoresistance and enhancing the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Plasmid vectors pSIREN-Ku70shRNA and pSIREN-DNA PKcssh-RNA, which coded small interfering RNA of Ku70 and DNA-PKcs, were constructed and transfected into human cervical cancer cell line HeLa. The relationship between the down-regulation of Ku70 or DNA-PKcs and tumor cell proliferation and the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapeutic agents were analyzed. Down-regulation of Ku70 and DNA-PKcs expression inhibited cell proliferation, and increased cell apoptosis in DDP-treated HeLa cells. DNA-PK might play an important role in drug resistance, and inhibition of the DNA-PK expression suppressed the growth of tumor cells and enhanced the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapeutic agents. PMID- 17786357 TI - Evaluation of anti-VEGFR-3 specific scFv antibodies as potential therapeutic and diagnostic tools for tumor lymph-angiogenesis. AB - Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) plays a major role in lymph-angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastatic tumor cell dissemination. The receptor is over-expressed on lymphatic vessels in the vicinity of tumors and on the tumor vasculature and therefore may be an excellent target for an effective cancer intervention. We generated and characterized single chain antibody fragments (scFv) recognizing VEGFR-3 by phage display technology and expression in P. pastoris and analyzed selected antibodies in vitro and in vivo. The scFvs were functionalized by the introduction of cysteines at the C-terminal end of the proteins. The scFvs are species cross-specific and bind to recombinant human and mouse VEGFR-3. ScFv AFC5 showed specific tumor accumulation in an hVEGFR-3 expressing F9 terato-carcinoma mouse model, which was also used for tumor visualization by combined single proton emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and immunohistochemical analysis. This antibody also inhibited binding of hVEGF-C to its receptor and reduced proliferation of human lymphatic endothelial cells. Thus, the generated VEGFR-3 specific scFv antibodies represent a valuable tool for novel cancer therapies and diagnostic applications. PMID- 17786358 TI - Identification of differential expression of genes in hepatocellular carcinoma by suppression subtractive hybridization combined cDNA microarray. AB - The genetic background of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has yet to be completely understood. Here, we describe the application of suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) coupled with cDNA microarray analysis for the isolation and identification of differential expression of genes in HCC. Twenty-six known genes were validated as up-regulated and 19 known genes as down-regulated in HCC. The known genes identified were found to have diverse functions. In addition to the overexpression of AFP, these genes (increased in the presence of HCC) are involved in many processes, such as transcription and protein biosynthesis (HNRPDL, PABPC1, POLR2K, SRP9, SNRPA, and six ribosomal protein genes including RPL8, RPL14, RPL41, RPS5, RPS17, RPS24), the metabolism of lipids and proteins (FADS1, ApoA-II, ApoM, FTL), cell proliferation (Syndecan-2, and Annexin A2), and signal transduction (LRRC28 and FMR1). Additionally, a glutathione-binding protein involved in the detoxification of methylglyoxal known as GLO1 and an enzyme which increases the formation of prostaglandin E(2) known as PLA2G10 were up-regulated in HCC. Among the underexpressed genes discovered in HCC, most were responsible for liver-synthesized proteins (fibrinogen, complement species, amyloid, albumin, haptoglobin, hemopexin and orosomucoid). The enzyme implicated in the biotransformation of CYP family members (LOC644587) was decreased. The genes coding enzymes ADH1C, ALDH6A1, ALDOB, Arginase and CES1 were also found. Additionally, we isolated a zinc transporter (Zip14) and a function-unknown gene named ZBTB11 (Zinc finger and BTB domain containing 11) which were underexpressed, and seven expression sequence tags deregulated in HCC without significant homology reported in the public database. Essentially, by using SSH combined with a cDNA microarray we have identified a number of genes associated with HCC, most of which have not been previously reported. Further characterization of these differentially expressed genes will provide information useful in understanding the genes responsible for the development of HCC. PMID- 17786359 TI - Expression of transcription factor CREB1 in human breast cancer and its correlation with prognosis. AB - It has been suggested that the cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB) may act as a transcription regulator of aromatase in breast cancer cells. However, there is little knowledge on the expression of CREB1 in human breast cancer and its clinical significance. The current study investigated the expression pattern of CREB1 in human breast cancer at the mRNA and protein level and correlated it with the clinical outcome. CREB1 staining was primarily seen in the nucleus of both normal and tumour cells. At the mRNA level, we found a significantly higher level of CREB1 in breast tumour tissues (n=120) as compared to non-neoplastic mammary tissues (n=33, p=0.0092). When compared between different histological types CREB1 expression was significantly higher in ductal carcinoma as compared to lobular and other breast carcinoma. Patients with a poor prognosis and with metastasis had a markedly raised level of CREB1 compared to patients who were disease free. In addition, node-positive tumours had higher levels of CREB1 than node-negative tumours (p=0.0018). Finally, patients with high levels of CREB1 had a significantly shorter disease-free survival [95.3 (68.4-122.3, 95% CI) months] compared with those with lower levels [133.9 (123.5-144.2) months, p=0.0193]. This study demonstrates that the level of CREB1 in breast cancer patients is elevated and is significantly raised in patients with a poor prognosis, metastatic disease and nodal involvement. We conclude that the level of CREB1 expression is aberrant in human breast cancer and is associated with disease progression in breast cancer patients. PMID- 17786360 TI - Artificial intelligence for predicting recurrence-free probability of non invasive high-grade urothelial bladder cell carcinoma. AB - The objective of our study was to define a neural network for predicting recurrence and progression-free probability in patients affected by recurrent pTaG3 urothelial bladder cancer to use in everyday clinical practice. Among all patients who had undergone transurethral resection for bladder tumors, 143 were finally selected and enrolled. Four follow-ups for recurrence, progression or survival were performed at 6, 9, 12 and 108 months. The data were analyzed by using the commercially available software program NeuralWorks Predict. These data were compared with univariate and multivariate analysis results. The use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in recurrent pTaG3 patients showed a sensitivity of 81.67% and specificity of 95.87% in predicting recurrence-free status after transurethral resection of bladder tumor at 12 months follow-up. Statistical and ANN analyses allowed selection of the number of lesions (multiple, HR=3.31, p=0.008) and the previous recurrence rate (>or=2/year, HR=3.14, p=0.003) as the most influential variables affecting the output decision in predicting the natural history of recurrent pTaG3 urothelial bladder cancer. ANN applications also included selection of the previous adjuvant therapy. We demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of ANN applications in everyday clinical practice, reporting a good recurrence predicting performance. The study identified a single subgroup of pTaG3 patients with multiple lesions, >or=2/year recurrence rate and without any response to previous Bacille Calmette-Guerin adjuvant therapy, that seem to be at high risk of recurrence. PMID- 17786361 TI - Impact of therapeutically induced reactive oxygen species and radical scavenging by alpha-tocopherol on tumor cell adhesion. AB - Many tumor treatment modalities such as ionizing radiation or some chemotherapy induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in therapeutic cell damage. The aim of this study was to analyze whether such ROS induction may affect the mechanical stability of solid tumor tissue by degradation of the extracellular matrix proteins or by a loss of cell adhesion molecules. Additionally, the protective impact of alpha-tocopherol treatment on these processes was studied. Experimental DS-sarcomas in rats were treated with a combination of localized 44 degrees C hyperthermia, inspiratory hyperoxia and xanthine oxidase in order to induce pronounced oxidative stress. A second group of animals were pretreated with alpha-tocopherol. The in vivo expression of E- and N-cadherin, alpha catenin, integrins alphav, beta3 and beta5 as well as the expression of the integrin dimer alphavbeta3 were assessed by flow cytometry. The activity of the matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and -9 and the activity of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) were determined by zymography. The expression of E cadherin, the alphav-, beta3-integrin and the alphavbeta3-integrin dimer was significantly reduced by ROS induction, an effect which was at least partially reversible by alpha-tocopherol. N-cadherin, alpha-catenin and the beta5-integrin expression was not affected by ROS. In addition, MMP-2, MMP-9 and uPA activities were markedly reduced immediately after hyperthermia. Whereas 24 h later the effects on MMP-2 and -9 were no longer evident, for uPA the impact of oxidative stress became even more pronounced at this time. These results show that several processes responsible for the structural stability of the tumor tissue are affected by therapeutic ROS generation. Changes in some of the markers assessed suggested a decrease in tissue stability upon ROS induction, whereas others indicated changes which could lead to a more stable tumor cell cluster. Depending on the individual tumor entity ROS may therefore influence the mechanical stability of solid tumors and by this affect metastatic behavior. PMID- 17786362 TI - Inhibition of Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) synergistically enhances the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil in breast carcinoma cells. AB - The lipogenic enzyme fatty acid synthase (FASN) is differentially overexpressed and hyperactivated in a biologically aggressive subset of breast carcinomas and minimally in most normal adult tissues, rendering it an interesting target for anti-neoplastic therapy development. We previously reported that the FASN blockade can induce a synergistic chemosensitization of breast cancer cells to microtubule interfering agents (MIAs) such as docetaxel, paclitaxel and vinorelbine. Upon pharmacological inhibition of FASN activity using the natural antibiotic cerulenin [(2S,3R)-2,3-epoxy-4-oxo-7E,10E-dodecadienamide], we evaluated the role of FASN-catalyzed endogenous fatty acid biogenesis on the sensitivity of SK-Br3, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines to the anti metabolite 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Cells were exposed simultaneously to cerulenin and 5-FU, sequentially to 5-FU followed by cerulenin or cerulenin followed by 5 FU. Cell viability was determined by MTT assays and the increase in 5-FU-induced cell growth inhibition was measured by dividing 5-FU IC30 and IC50 values (i.e., 30% and 50% inhibitory concentrations, respectively) that were obtained in the absence of cerulenin by those in its presence. Co-exposure to cerulenin enhanced 5-FU efficacy up to 20-, 81-, and 58-times in SK-Br3, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. Pre-treatment with cerulenin followed by the addition of 5-FU increased 5-FU efficacy up to 31-, 87-, and 126-times in SK-Br3, MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cells, respectively. Pre-treatment with 5-FU followed by the addition of cerulenin augmented 5-FU efficacy up to 107-, 20-, and 18-times in SK-Br3, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. When isobologram transformations of multiple dose-response analyses were performed to detect in vitro synergy, we concluded that the nature of the interaction between cerulenin and 5-FU in individual breast cancer cells lines generally exhibited sequence-dependency. Thus, while synergism was mainly observed when breast cancer cells were exposed to 5-FU prior to cerulenin, moderate synergism or additive interactions was obtained either when the chemical FASN blocker preceded 5-FU or when both drugs were concurrently administered. Of note, no antagonist interactions occurred upon any schedule of combined treatment with cerulenin and 5-FU. Our current findings revealing a schedule-dependent synergistic interaction between 5-FU and cerulenin represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence that FASN-catalyzed de novo FA biogenesis plays a key role in regulating breast cancer cell response to antimetabolite-based therapies. PMID- 17786363 TI - Expression of ECRG4 is an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. AB - In this study, we examined the expression of esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) mRNA and evaluated its clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). ECRG4 mRNA expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR in 63 ESCC and corresponding normal esophageal mucosal samples. ECRG4 mRNA expression levels were significantly lower in ESCC tissues compared with corresponding normal esophageal mucosa (P<0.0001), in patients with locally invasive T2-4 tumors compared with less invasive T1 tumors (P=0.0229) and in stage 4 tumors compared with stage 0-3 tumors (P=0.0120). Furthermore, low ECRG4 mRNA expression levels were associated with significantly shorter survival after surgery compared with high ECRG4 mRNA expression levels (P=0.0150) in ESCC patients. On the basis of multivariate analysis, we conclude that ECRG4 mRNA expression level could be a candidate for an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients. PMID- 17786364 TI - Copper efflux transporter (ATP7B) contributes to the acquisition of cisplatin resistance in human oral squamous cell lines. AB - Acquired resistance to cisplatin (CDDP) is an issue in cancer chemotherapy. This resistance has been reported to be correlated with the expression of the Cu influx copper transporter 1 (CTR1) and two copper efflux transporters (ATP7A, ATP7B). We investigated the correlation between the expression of these transporters and the sensitivity to CDDP using three pairs of parent cell lines and resistant cell lines derived from various types of invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Using multiple steps, each of the CDDP-resistant cell lines, HSC-4-R, OSC-19-R, HOC313-R, was selected from HSC-4 cells derived from a cancer with medium invasiveness, OSC-19 cells derived from a cancer with high invasiveness and HOC313 cells derived from a cancer with the highest invasiveness. Resistant cell lines had a stronger expression of ATP7B in conjunction with the acquisition of CDDP-resistance than parent cell lines. Furthermore, OSC-19-R cells transfected with the ATP7B siRNA had a 10.6-fold higher sensitivity to CDDP compared to OSC-19-R cells transfected with a nonsense siRNA. These results suggest that each of the resistant cell lines had acquired resistance to CDDP due to the overexpression of ATP7B. On the other hand, the expression of CTR1 was the same between sensitive cell lines and resistant cell lines and ATP7A mRNA expression was barely noted. We conclude that ATP7B is correlated with the acquisition of CDDP resistance more closely than either CTR1 or ATP7A. ATP7B may be a key determinant in the acquired resistance to CDDP in OSCC. PMID- 17786365 TI - Analysis of hepatitis C virus-specific CD8+ T-cells with HLA-A*24 tetramers during phlebotomy and interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C. AB - Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific, HLA class I-restricted, CD8-positive (CD8+) T lymphocytes are thought to contribute to viral clearance as well as liver disease in chronic hepatitis C. For the patients who do not respond to interferon (IFN) therapy, phlebotomy can be used as a tool to reduce inflammation and lower transaminase levels; however, the immunological aspects have not been clearly defined. In this study, we evaluated the HCV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses during phlebotomy and IFN therapy using HLA-A*24 tetramers in 6 Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C. During phlebotomy, 4 of the 6 cases achieved a biochemical response, but there was no clear correlation between its efficacy and HCV viral loads or changes in frequencies or activation status of tetramer positive T-cells. In contrast, the frequencies of tetramer-positive cells and the proportions of T-cells expressing activation marker HLA-DR were higher in sustained viral responders than in transient responders to IFN therapy. Furthermore, expression of the activation marker was enhanced in the initial period of IFN therapy. The results suggest that the immunological aspects of phlebotomy obviously differ from those of IFN therapy and these differences may provide clues as to a therapeutic strategy of their combination for patients who do not respond to IFN monotherapy. PMID- 17786366 TI - Effects of the CDK-inhibitor CYC202 on p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and c-Myc activities in papillomavirus type 16 E6- and E7-transformed human keratinocytes. AB - In the present study, we have investigated the effect of the chemical CDK inhibitor CYC202 on E6 and E7-transformed keratinocytes, in which the function of the cellular cell cycle inhibitor p21Cip1 is abrogated by the viral genes. The cyto-toxicity and the inhibition of the cell growth were analysed by MTT assay and analysis of DNA synthesis respectively. The effect on some signalling molecules was tested by Western blot analysis. CYC202 effectively inhibited the proliferation of E6 and E7 keratinocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with CYC202 strongly increased the activity of p38 MAP kinase. Furthermore, it inhibited ERK1/2 at the highest concentration used and had no effect on the activity of JNK1/2. CYC202 also increased the phosphorylation of HSP27 and decreased the phosphorylation and DNA-binding activity of the transcriptional regulator c-Myc, in correlation with the corresponding upstream kinases p38 MAPK and ERK1/2. Our results provide additional data for the anti-proliferative actions and potency of the chemical CDK-inhibitor CYC202. PMID- 17786367 TI - Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 10q23 and mutation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 tumor suppressor gene in Korean hepatocellular carcinoma patients. AB - Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the 10q23 chromosomal region was analyzed in 18 tissue samples from Korean hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. LOH at the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN) region (D10S215, AFMa086wg9 and D10S541) was found in 8 of the 18 (44.4%) HCCs. LOH (20%) and microsatellite instability (26.7%) were also frequently found at the D10S2177 locus, which is located on the telomere side of the PTEN region. LOH was found in other loci, such as AFM280we1 and D10S2281. The presence of LOH in regions other than the PTEN region on chromosome 10q23 suggested the presence of additional tumor suppressor gene(s). PTEN mutation was found in only a subset of HCCs: A single base insertion at the end of the 5'-end splice signal (AG-GUAAGUU) in intron 5 and a silent mutation in exon 6 (codon 188, CTG-Val to CTA). Our data collectively suggest that the genetic alterations of chromosome 10q23, including the PTEN gene, could be important in hepatocarcinogenesis in the Korean population. PMID- 17786368 TI - Inhibitory effects of retinoic acid and IIF on growth, migration and invasiveness in the U87MG human glioblastoma cell line. AB - Glioblastomas, the most malignant and prevalent brain tumors which remain incurable, are characterized by both extensive proliferation and invasive growth. We previously reported a remarkable antitumoral effect of the retinoid 6-OH-11-O hydroxyphenantrene (IIF) on neuroblastoma, leukemia and colon carcinoma cells. In this study we examined the effect of IIF on proliferation, apoptosis and cell invasion in the human glioblastoma cell line U87MG, in comparison with all-trans retinoic acid (RA). Our results showed that both retinoids induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We also demonstrated that the invasive ability of glioblastoma cells decreased after treatment with IIF or RA. Since cell invasion involves a complex system of tightly regulated proteases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their specific inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), we analysed the effect of IIF on MMP and TIMP expression in comparison with RA. Treatment with both retinoids resulted in a marked decrease of MMP2 and MMP9 expression and of lytic activity of MMP2. In addition, exposure to IIF led to enhanced expression of TIMP2. Collectively, our results demonstrated the effectiveness of both IIF and RA in inhibiting proliferation, cell migration, and the invasive potential of glioblastoma U87MG cells. Notably, the anticancer activity of IIF, on the whole, was more pronounced than that of RA. Therefore, these findings, besides providing further evidence that IIF may be a powerful tool in the development of cancer treatments, suggest that IIF may have therapeutic potential against the invasiveness of brain tumors. PMID- 17786369 TI - Prognosis of small bowel adenocarcinoma treated with Mayo or Xelox regimen: a matched case-control study from a database of 581 patients with colorectal cancer. AB - The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of chemotherapy on the prognosis for patients with adenocarcinoma of the small bowel (SBC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). A case-control study was conducted, comprised of 13 SBC cases treated palliatively (n=7) following surgery with capecitabine monotherapy (Xeloda) combined with oxaliplatin (Xelox), or with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy (Mayo) (n=6). The control group was selected from a database of 581 patients with CRC, with each SBC case being matched to 5 CRC controls. In the palliative group, response rates (RR) for SBC patients were 14%, compared to 35% for CRC patients (p=0.08). Median progression-free survival (PFS) times were 4 and 6 months (p=0.8) and median overall survival (OS) times were 8.4 and 16.4 months (p=0.9) for SBC and CRC patients, respectively. In the adjuvant group, the recurrence-free survival rates were 66 and 89% (p=0.6) after 1 year and 66 and 71% (p=0.7) after 3 years. Three-year overall survival rates were 80 and 80% (p=0.3) in the palliative group, and 80 and 66% (p=0.4) in the adjuvant group. Standard chemotherapy regimes seemed less effective on SBC than on CRC patients, and had a less favorable prognosis. However, reliable conclusions cannot be drawn from a small patient population, and multicentre studies are needed. PMID- 17786370 TI - Interferon-alpha-induced apoptosis via tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-dependent and -independent manner. AB - IFN-alpha regulates tumor cell growth at least through induction of apoptosis. We have recently demonstrated that IFN-alpha causes apoptosis through upregulation of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in Daudi B lymphoma and U266 myeloma cells. However, other cell lines such as Ramos and RPMI 8226 underwent apoptosis without any apparent involvement of TRAIL following IFN-alpha stimulation. In this study, we examined whether the IFN-alpha-induced upregulation of TRAIL is essential for the induction of apoptosis. IFN-alpha induced early phase (48 h) of loss of DeltaPsim was substantially prevented in Daudi B lymphoma cells overexpressing the dominant-negative form of Fas associated death domain (dnFADD) compared with vector control, whereas a late phase (72 h) of DeltaPsim was comparable to the control. The IFN-alpha-induced early phase of apoptosis was also reduced in the dnFADD-expressing cells, while the late phase of apoptosis was unaffected. IFN-alpha-induced upregulation of TRAIL protein in the dnFADD-expressing Daudi or U266 cells was comparable to their control cells, suggesting that FADD is not involved in the IFN-alpha induced upregulation of TRAIL. Moreover, the early phase of mitochondrial depolarization was severely prevented by the presence of fusion protein of TRAIL receptor 1 and Fc portion of immunoglobulin (TRAIL-R1:Fc) and TRAIL-R2:Fc. Together, IFN-alpha induces apoptosis in a TRAIL-dependent or -independent manner, depending on the course of the apoptotic process. PMID- 17786371 TI - IFN-alpha competes with TNF-alpha for STAT-1alpha; molecular basis for immune escape of human colon adenocarcinoma COLO 205 cells. AB - The resistance of transformed colon epithelial cells to immune system-mediated extrinsic apoptosis allows the development of fast growing colon cancer. Several tactics have been shown to clarify how colon adenocarcinomas avoid cell deletion and remain viable. Regardless of the presence of active membrane receptors, colorectal cancer cells resist interferon-mediated cell death. Similarly, they are refractory to TNF-alpha-dependent apoptosis. In our studies, we assumed that IFN-R and TNF-R1 receptors compete for STAT-1alpha kinase. Western blot and immunoprecipitation analyses were used to evaluate the protein to protein interactions. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. We observed that STAT 1alpha kinase is bound to TRADD protein in TNF-R1 signalosome irrespective of the TNF-R1 bound ligand. The amount of STAT-1alpha kinase associated with TRADD was diminished after pretreatment with IFNs. IFN-alpha stimulated the survival of COLO 205 cells rather than promoted cell death. The latter was accompanied by NF kappaB activation, a fact known to promote anti-apoptosis. STAT-1alpha renders colon adenocarcinoma COLO 205 cells less susceptible to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis but IFN-alpha further extends the immune escape. PMID- 17786372 TI - Bladder calculi presenting as complete procidentia. AB - Multiple large bladder stones resulting in complete procidentia present unique operative challenges. A 71-year-old postmenopausal multipara was admitted to the intensive care unit for urosepsis. A firm irreducible 15 x 10 x 10 cm procidentia was noted on exam with surface erythema, erosions, and edema. A computed tomography scan of the pelvis reported a staghorn calculus in the right renal pelvis and a large calcified fibroid uterus which had prolapsed completely out of the pelvis. After resolution of her urosepsis, the patient was taken to the operating room for a vaginal hysterectomy and surgical correction of her prolapse. A small uterus weighing 67 g was identified with a large bladder mass. Cystotomy revealed multiple bladder calculi, the largest measuring 8.1 x 6.8 x 4.6 cm. Cystolithiasis should be considered when evaluating patients with large calcified prolapse. PMID- 17786373 TI - Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in sediment and mussel samples from Kentucky Lake, USA. AB - Sediment and mussel tissues from the Kentucky Dam Tailwater (KDTW) and Ledbetter Embayment (LE) of Kentucky Lake, Kentucky, USA, were analyzed to examine the presence of 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and non-, mono-, and di-ortho-chlorine substituted polychlorinated biphenyls. Concentrations of target compounds varied with locations and sample matrices. In general, KDTW sediment samples contained slightly higher amounts of PCDD/DFs (average: 1100, range: 120-2400) than the LE sediments (average: 920, range: 580-1300) on a pg/g dry wt (dw) basis. Dioxin like PCBs in KDTW were (average: 550, range: 70-2,000) higher than in LE (average: 320, range: 44-1000) on a ng/g dw basis. In contrast, mussel tissues had greater concentrations of PCDD/DFs in LE (average: 6500, range: 2200-13,000) than in KDTW (average: 3500, range: 2500-4800). Dioxin-like PCBs were slightly higher in KDTW (average: 76, range: 18-100) than in LE (average: 49, range: 24 96) on a ng/g fat wt basis. Biota sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) were calculated using tissue concentrations and sediment concentrations based on dry weight. PCDD/DFs BSAF was in the range of 0.21-25 in LE and 0.093-13 in KDTW. 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDF in LE and 2,3,7,8-TCDF in KDTW had a greater BSAF, while BSAF for dioxin-like PCBs ranged from 0.84 to 13 in LE and from 2.3 to 12 in KDTW in which PCB-169 had the greatest BSAF in LE and PCB-167 in KDTW. Toxic equivalency (TEQ) was greatest in mussel from LE (mean: 193 pgTEQ/g fat wt) followed by mussel from KDTW (32 pgTEQ/g fat wt), sediment in KDTW (13 pgTEQ/g dry wt), and sediment in LE (7.6 pgTEQ/g dry wt). In general, PCDD/DF had a greater contribution to toxicity in mussels, while dioxin-like PCBs had a greater contribution to toxicity in sediment at both locations. PMID- 17786374 TI - The malignant course of acute rheumatic Fever in the modern era: implications for early surgical intervention in cases of bivalvular insufficiency with impaired ventricular function. AB - In recent years, the incidence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) has drastically decreased in the United States while remaining common in developing nations. However, immigration to the United States from developing nations has resulted in the continued prevalence of ARF. Patients with ARF face the potential development of significant valvular insufficiency and rheumatic carditis, which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Potentially adverse outcomes may be avoided with advanced interventions such as aortic and/or mitral valve replacement or repair, the use of inotropic agents, and ventricular assist devices for mechanical circulatory support. This report describes a series of three ARF carditis cases. This series serves not only to emphasize proper ARF prevention, but also to demonstrate the need for timely surgical intervention once medical therapy has failed. PMID- 17786375 TI - Prehospital discharge car safety seat testing of infants after congenital heart surgery. AB - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to expand the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) car safety seat testing recommendation to include high-risk infants after cardiac surgery. METHODS: Car safety seat testing (< or =4 days before discharge), performed according to AAP guidelines, was retrospectively reviewed for 66 postoperative infants. Failure was defined as apnea, bradycardia, or oxygen desaturation. RESULTS: The average birth weight of the study infants was 3.1 +/- 0.5 kg. Two patients were born at less than 37 weeks gestation. Surgical procedures included modified Blalock-Taussig shunt technique (n = 15), arterial switch operation (n = 12), Norwood Sano modification (n = 11), coarctation repair (n = 8), repair of tetralogy of Fallot (n = 6), repair of truncus arteriosus (n = 4), repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous return (n = 3), pacemaker placement (n = 2), repair of interrupted aortic arch and ventriculoseptal defect (VSD) (n = 1), repair of coarctation and VSD (n = 1), orthotopic heart transplant (n = 1), repair of VSD (n = 1), and patent ductus arteriosus ligation (n = 1). The average age at discharge was 28 +/- 21 days. Four patients (6%) failed car safety seat testing because of a fall in oxygen saturation. One of the four patients passed on retesting after parental education, whereas three of the four (75%) were discharged home in a supine car safety seat. There was no relationship between the type of surgery and car safety seat test failure. CONCLUSION: It may be beneficial to extend the AAP recommendations for car safety seat testing to include high-risk infants after cardiac surgery. PMID- 17786376 TI - Congenital muscular ventricular septal aneurysm: report of four cases and review of the literature. AB - We describe a rare association between congenital muscular ventricular septal aneurysm (MuVSA) and right heart lesions, with emphasis on echocardiographic diagnosis, clinical presentation, and outcome. Our four cases of MuVSA occurred in combination with either pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS; three patients) or absent pulmonary valve syndrome with severe tricuspid stenosis (one patient). MuVSA and right heart lesions were detected in utero in three patients. The three patients with PAIVS and MuVSA survived with no significant morbidity from the septal aneurysm at 3- to 5-year follow-up. The presence of MuVSA did not negatively affect the outcome of our patients. PMID- 17786377 TI - Abnormal left ventricular longitudinal wall motion in rheumatic mitral stenosis before and after balloon valvuloplasty: a strain rate imaging study. AB - Rheumatic mitral stenosis may be associated with left ventricular dysfunction. We report improvements of abnormal longitudinal wall motion and strain rate post balloon valvuloplasty of severe mitral stenosis in a girl with normal ejection fraction. PMID- 17786378 TI - Longitudinal changes in heart rate-corrected measures of exercise performance in children. AB - Interpretation of change in exercise performance over time in children with repaired congenital heart disease is often hampered by poor effort that limits the maximum heart rate; this is often difficult to distinguish from chronotropic impairment, a common finding in these children. In an attempt to address this limitation, we sought to examine measures of exercise performance that are corrected for heart rate in healthy children and to determine if these change with somatic growth. We studied two serial graded exercise tests in 24 healthy children at an interval of >3 years. Paired comparisons revealed that maximum oxygen pulse (O(2) pulse), O(2) pulse at ventilatory anaerobic threshold, O(2) pulse at a heart rate of 140 beats per minute, and slope of the VO(2)-heart rate relationship all increased with age. However, when indexed to somatic growth, there was no change in the mean values of these parameters over time. We conclude that O(2 )pulse and slope of the VO(2)-heart rate relationship during exercise increase in proportion to somatic growth in children so that optimal oxygen delivery to the exercising muscles is ensured. This study provides the "normative" response of exercise parameters to growth, against which responses of children with repaired congenital heart disease may be compared. PMID- 17786379 TI - Sinus bradycardia, Wolff Parkinson White, and left ventricular noncompaction: an embryologic connection? AB - Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is an uncommon disorder that has recently been recognized as a distinct cardiomyopathy. LVNC is thought to result from an arrest in the normal process of myocardial compaction. The association of Wolff Parkinson-White with noncompaction of the left ventricle is well recognized. Sinus bradycardia has also been associated with LVNC, although less frequently than that of Wolff-Parkinson-White. We report an infant with LVNC, Wolff Parkinson-White, and progressive sinus bradycardia who had a myocardial vascular abnormality in the region of the sinus node evident on autopsy. We propose that the progressive nature of the conduction system abnormality was as a result of abnormal angiogenesis. PMID- 17786380 TI - Paradoxical relationship between B-type natriuretic peptide and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with ventricular septal defect and concomitant severe pulmonary hypertension. AB - B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) reflects volume overload on left ventricle and pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD). Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) has been reported to correlate positively with BNP in VSD patients with various degrees of PH. We aimed to investigate the relationship between PVR and BNP in VSD patients with severe PH. We examined 24 subjects with VSD concomitant severe PH aged from 2 months to 17 years (median: 4 months). The ratio of pulmonary to systemic pressure (Pp/Ps), the ratio of pulmonary to systemic flow (Qp/Qs), the ratio of pulmonary to systemic resistance (Rp/Rs), and PVR were determined by cardiac catheterization. PVR and Rp/Rs ranged from 1.6 to 15.5 (mean: 5.7 +/- 3.9) Wood unit . m(2) and 0.1 to 0.8 (mean: 0.4 +/- 0.2), respectively. BNP ranged from 5.5 to 69 (mean: 31 +/- 19) pg/ml. Negative correlations were observed between BNP and PVR (r = -0.56, p = 0.004) and BNP and Rp/Rs (r = -0.51, p = 0.01). BNP was significantly lower (<10 pg/ml) in VSD patients with Eisenmenger physiology as compared with the others (p = 0.003). We should draw attention to evaluate BNP values in VSD patients with severe PH. PMID- 17786381 TI - Echocardiographic diagnosis of an extremely rare case with double-outlet left ventricle, tricuspid atresia, and two balanced ventricles. PMID- 17786382 TI - Occurrence of diabetes mellitus in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. AB - The role of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the etiopathogenesis of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) is controversial. The aim was to assess the role of DM in our SICH patients. In a hospital-based cross-section study, the occurrence of DM prior to a hemorrhagic stroke was observed in 80 SICH patients (44 males, aged 36-87 years, mean 67.1 +/- 11.9 years; 36 females, aged 56-86 years, mean 71.1 +/- 8.3 years), and in a control group (CG) of 80 age- and sex matched patients with low back pain. All patients were treated at the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Two sample t test and Pearson's homogeneity chi(2) test were applied when assessing statistical significance. DM was found in 37.5% of SICH patients versus 22.5% of CG subjects (P < 0.05). DM occurs significantly more frequently in SICH patients in the Olomouc region of the Czech Republic when compared to the general population. PMID- 17786383 TI - Clinical significance of HbA1c as a marker of circulating lipids in male and female type 2 diabetic patients. AB - Diabetic patients with accompanied (but often unnoticed) dyslipidemia are soft targets of cardiovascular deaths. An early intervention to normalize circulating lipids has been shown to reduce cardiovascular complications and mortality. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) is a routinely used marker for long-term glycemic control. This investigation is an attempt to evaluate the diagnostic value of HbA(1c) in predicting diabetic dyslipidemia. Venous blood samples were collected from 2,220 type 2 diabetic patients (ages, 35-91 years; male/female ratio, 1.07). The sera were analyzed for HbA(1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). The levels of HbA(1c) did not differ significantly between males (8.33 +/- 0.06%) and females (8.47 +/- 0.07%), whereas female patients had significantly higher FBG (10.01 +/- 0.13 mmol/l) than males (9.31 +/- 0.11 mmol/l). HbA(1c) showed direct and significant correlations with cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL and inverse correlation with HDL. Female diabetic patients had significantly higher levels of serum cholesterol (5.42 +/- 0.03 vs. 5.18 +/- 0.03 mmol/l) and HDL (1.32 +/- 0.01 vs. 1.12 +/- 0.01 mmol/l) as compared to males. There was no significant difference in triglycerides and LDL between the two genders. Older patients (>70 years) had significantly lower FBG, cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL. There was a linear and significant increase in triglycerides in the patients of both genders with impaired glycemic control. Both male and female patients with worse glycemic control (HbA(1c) > 9%) had significantly high cholesterol and LDL levels. Serum HDL showed a significant and inverse relationship with uncontrolled hyperglycemia in females but not in males. These findings clearly suggest that HbA(1c) can provide valuable supplementary information about the extent of circulating lipids besides its primary role in monitoring long-term glycemic control. Further studies are warranted to reinforce the potential of HbA(1c) as a biomarker for screening of high-risk diabetic patients. PMID- 17786384 TI - Analysis of ENG and ACVRL1 genes in 137 HHT Italian families identifies 76 different mutations (24 novel). Comparison with other European studies. AB - Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder causing vascular dysplasias. About 70-80% of HHT patients carries mutations in ENG or ACVRL1 genes, which code for a TGFbeta receptor type III and I respectively. Molecular data on a large cohort of Italian HHT patients are presented, discussing the significance of missense and splice site mutations. Mutation analysis in ENG and ACVRL1 genes was performed using single strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCP), denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and subsequent direct sequencing. Overall, 101 mutations were found, with ACVRL1 involved in 71% of cases. The highest number of mutations (28/101 subjects, 14/76 different mutations referring to both genes) was in ACVRL1, exon 3. Mutation analysis was then extended to a total of 356 family members, and 162 proven to carry the mutation. New polymorphisms were identified in both genes, and evidence that ENG P131L change is not a disease-causing mutation was also provided. An in silico analysis was performed in order to characterize splice-site mutations. These results were compared to other European national studies and data from Italy, France and Spain were consistent for an higher incidence of ACVRL1 mutations. PMID- 17786385 TI - High-resolution SNP and haplotype maps of the human gamma-glutamyl carboxylase gene (GGCX) and association study between polymorphisms in GGCX and the warfarin maintenance dose requirement of the Japanese population. AB - Gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) plays an important role in blood coagulation through post-translational carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent blood-clotting proteins. This carboxylation process is impaired in the presence of warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist. Recent studies on GGCX have provided insights into association of polymorphisms in this gene, with inter-individual differences in the required warfarin maintenance dose. In order to provide a useful resource for further elucidating this association, we here report a high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and haplotype maps of an 18-kb genomic region corresponding to the GGCX locus in the Japanese population. Among 41 SNPs, seven insertion/deletion polymorphisms, and a microsatellite polymorphism that we detected by direct sequencing of the DNAs of 96 Japanese individuals who were treated with warfarin, 32 genetic variations have not been reported. Using genotype information from 12 SNPs and the EM algorithm, we estimated haplotypes for this genomic region. Subsequently, we investigated associations of each of these polymorphisms with the warfarin maintenance-dose requirements of 828 Japanese patients, including the 96 patients that were used for DNA sequencing. We found no significant association between the polymorphisms in GGCX and the dose requirement. PMID- 17786386 TI - Volociximab, a chimeric integrin alpha5beta1 antibody, inhibits the growth of VX2 tumors in rabbits. AB - Angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels form from existing vasculature, is critical for tumor growth and invasion. Growth factors, such as VEGF, initiate signaling cascades resulting in the proliferation of resting endothelial cells. Blockade of growth factor pathways has proven effective in inhibiting angiogenesis and tumor growth in vivo. Integrins, including the integrin alpha5beta1, are also important mediators of angiogenesis and these adhesion molecules also regulate cancer cell growth and migration in vitro. Volociximab is a high affinity, function-blocking antibody against integrin alpha5beta1 that is currently in multiple Phase II oncology clinical trials. Volociximab displays potent anti-angiogenic activity in a monkey model of choroidal neovascularization. In this study, we explored the consequences of integrin alpha5beta1 blockade on tumorigenesis. Because volociximab does not cross-react with rodent alpha5beta1, the syngeneic rabbit VX2 carcinoma model was utilized as an alternative to standard mouse xenograft models for the assessment of anti-tumor activity of volociximab. Volociximab administered intravenously to rabbits bearing VX2 tumors is detectable on tumor cells and vasculature 45 min post-administration. Volociximab was found to significantly inhibit the growth of tumors growing subcutaneously or intramuscularly, despite a 20-fold lower affinity for rabbit integrin, relative to human. This effect was found to correlate with decreased blood vessel density within these tumors. These results support the use of volociximab in the intervention of malignant disease. PMID- 17786387 TI - Intravenous ATP infusions can be safely administered in the home setting: a study in pre-terminal cancer patients. AB - The aim of the study was to investigate the safety of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) administration at home in pre-terminal cancer patients. Included were patients with cancer for whom medical treatment options were restricted to supportive care, who had a life expectancy of less than 6 months, a World Health Organization performance status 1 or 2, and suffered from at least one of the following complaints: fatigue, anorexia or weight loss >5% over the previous 6 months. Side effects were registered systematically on a standard form according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Toxicity Criteria. Fifty-one patients received a total of 266 intravenous ATP infusions. Of these, 11 infusions (4%) were given at the lowest dose of 20 microg kg(-1) min(-1), 85 infusions (32%) at 25-40 microg kg(-1) min(-1), and 170 (64%) at the highest dose of 45-50 microg kg(-1) min(-1) ATP. The majority of ATP infusions (63%) were without side effects. Dyspnea was the most common side effect (14% of infusions), followed by chest discomfort (12%) and the urge to take a deep breath (11%). No symptoms of cardiac ischemia occurred in any of the infusions. All side effects were transient and resolved within minutes after lowering the ATP infusion rate. Side effects were most frequent in the presence of cardiac disorders. We conclude that ATP at a maximum dose of 50 microg kg(-1) min(-1) can be safely administered in the home setting in patients with pre-terminal cancer. PMID- 17786388 TI - Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy related to sinusitis? AB - The association of sinusitis with ocular motility disorders is a seductive theory due to their close anatomical vicinity. Typically, sinusitis can influence ocular motility by affecting single muscles or a combination of muscles and/or cranial nerves due to a local inflammatory tissue reaction. Although rare, sinusitis has been suggested at least as a cause for superior-branch oculomotor palsy. We report a case of progressive, isolated, third-cranial-nerve palsy caused by an aneurysm of the posterior-communicating artery that initially was thought to be related to pansinusitis. PMID- 17786389 TI - Spontaneous separation of idiopathic epiretinal membrane in a young patient. PMID- 17786392 TI - [39th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology. October 6-9, 2007. Neu-Ulm, Germany. Abstracts]. PMID- 17786391 TI - Complications of Neuroform stent in endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms. AB - BACKGROUND: The Neuroform stent can help in the treatment of difficult, wide necked intracranial aneurysms. The objective of our study is to report some of the challenges associated with the Neuroform stent in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: From January 2003 to August 2006, consecutive patients treated with Neuroform stent for intracranial aneurysms were prospectively enrolled. Information on patient demographics, cerebrovascular risk factors, aneurysm size and location were collected. Technical and clinical complications as well as clinical outcomes were measured. Data were analyzed retrospectively using SPSS software version 11.5. RESULTS: Successful deployment of the stent, in the target artery, was achieved in 65/67 (97%) patients. Stent deployment failed in two cases and the migration of stent developed in one during coiling. Postoperative thromboembolic events developed in three patients. These three patients possessed hyperactive platelets, and were treated with intravenous eptifibatide. Intraoperative rupture of aneurysm developed in one patient, which was secured by subsequent coiling. Majority of the patients had good outcomes GOS (Glasgow Outcome Score) 1 or NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) 0 in 63/67 (94%), GOS 2 or NIHSS 2 in one patient and GOS 3 or NIHSS 4 was observed in three cases. CONCLUSION: Despite a low rate of intraoperative complications, post-procedural thromboembolic events were common in Neuroform stent-treated patients, which might be associated with hyperactive platelets. Further studies are warranted to identify any potential relationship between post-stent hyperactive platelets and thromboembolism. PMID- 17786393 TI - [Clinical possibilities for controlling body temperature]. AB - The constancy of body temperature (CBT) is a cornerstone of homeostatic, homothermic organisms and is essential for a regulated course of biochemical and biophysical reactions. Severe deviations from normothermia (36.8+/-0.4 degrees C) are life threatening and even a moderate perioperative reduction of the CBT is coupled with an increased morbidity and mortality especially in high-risk patients. The relevant factors are coagulation disturbances, increased infection rate and increased cardiac risk. Normothermia should be achieved by the consistent use of warmth-conserving measures. On the other hand, a deliberate reduction in temperature or induced hypothermia is a neuroprotective procedure, which offers a therapeutic option to minimize neuronal secondary damage after primary hypoxic-ischemic events as well as extending the neuronal tolerance to ischemia. Management includes the practice of cooling down to a defined temperature, rewarming as well as a differentiated control of various parameters. Furthermore, side-effects which increase in severity with decreasing temperature must be taken into consideration. PMID- 17786390 TI - Graft failure: II. Ocular surface complications. AB - Risk factors for corneal transplantation failure include both immunologic factors, such as graft rejection, corneal neovascularization, and peripheral anterior synechiae, as well as non-immunologic factors, such as ocular surface disorders (OSD) and glaucoma. This review highlights the necessity of having healthy ocular surface epithelia, tears, and eyelids. It presents different types of OSD, their underlying pathology, and their impact on native cornea and corneal grafts. In addition, a range of proposed donor and surgical factors influencing surface integrity following corneal transplant are addressed. Current medical and surgical research, both pre- and post-operative that promise to further improve the outcome of corneal grafts in the context of OSD are discussed. PMID- 17786394 TI - [Plastic surgical reconstruction of extensive thoracic wall defects after oncologic resection]. AB - In defect reconstruction following radical oncologic resection of malignant chest wall tumors, adequate soft-tissue reconstruction must be achieved along with function, stability, integrity, and aesthetics of the chest wall. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the oncoplastic concept following radical resection of malignant chest wall infiltration with an interdisciplinary approach. Between 1999 and 2005, 36 consecutive patients (nine males, 27 females, mean age 55 years, range 20-78) were treated with resection for malignant tumors of the chest wall. Indications were locally recurrent breast carcinoma (patient n=22), thymoma (n=1), and desmoid tumor (n=1). Primary lesions of the chest wall were spinalioma (n=1), sarcoma (n=7), and non-small-cell lung cancer (n=2). There were distant metastases of colon and cervical cancer in one patient each. Soft tissue reconstruction was carried out using primary closure (n=1), external oblique flap (n=1), pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (n=3), latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap (n=18), vertical or transversal rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap (n=9), free tensor fascia lata- flap (n=6), trapezius flap (n=1), serratus flap (n=1), and one filet flap. In 15 reconstructive procedures microvascular techniques were used. An average of 3.4 ribs were resected. Stability of the chest wall was obtained with synthetic meshes. The latissimus dorsi flap is considered the flap of choice in chest wall reconstruction. However, alternatives such as pectoralis major flap, VRAM/TRAM flap, free TFL flap, and serratus flap must also be considered. Low mortality and morbidity rates allow tumor resection and chest wall reconstruction even in a palliative setting. PMID- 17786395 TI - [Pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis]. AB - Systemic sclerosis is a complex multi-systemic disease with a mostly unresolved pathogenesis. Following an inflammatory reaction, overproduction of collagen and other extra-cellular matrix components leads to a characteristic fibrosis. It remains unclear why this overproduction by fibroblasts and myofibroblasts occurs. Micro-vascular disturbances and endothelial cells, as well as immunomodulation and inflammation are central factors. Besides intrinsic influences, such as genetic polymorphisms, multiple mediators with fibrotic effects such as Platelet Derived Growth Factor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta and Connective Tissue Growth Factor have been characterized. These have become targets for innovative therapeutic strategies that might lead to specific treatments for systemic sclerosis. PMID- 17786396 TI - [Dysphagia and cervical space-occupying lesion]. PMID- 17786398 TI - [Tenodesis of the distal joint of the pollex with the split flexor pollicis longus tendon]. PMID- 17786397 TI - [Tendon transposition to restore muscle function in the hand]. AB - Nerve injuries in the upper extremity can result in severe disability. In the last three decades, progress in microsurgical techniques has improved the outcome for nerve injuries and if the prognosis is reasonably good, nerve repair should usually be performed prior to tendon transfer procedures. However, above all proximal lesions of peripheral nerves such as high radial nerve palsy still often yield unsatisfactory results, despite a technically well-executed nerve repair. Prognosis further depends on the time interval since the injury and also on the age of the patient, as the regenerative process is delayed in older patients. The indication for tendon transfers strongly depends on the personal and professional profiles of the individual patient. Tendon transfer procedures alleviate the suffering from functional hand impairment providing a superior alternative to permanent external splints. Tendon transfers are usually secondary procedures for replacing function after evaluation of the functional motor loss. Numerous transfer procedures have been described for every nerve trunk of the upper extremity, their prognosis depending mainly on the extent and pattern of nerve loss, local effects of the trauma (e.g. involvement of soft tissues, joints), and the physiological characteristics of the transferred muscle. Even if the results of the tendon transfers may finally be less satisfactory in cases of complex nerve damage than in isolated motor nerve lesions, they offer a valuable functional benefit, often being the only possibility to restore hand function. Although regrettably underused, tendon transfer improve upper extremity function in more than 70% of patients with cervical spinal cord injury. Reconstruction of key elements such as wrist extension, key grip between the thumb and the index finger, or digital flexion and extension leads to highly improved use of the tetraplegic hand and thus provides new mobility and independence from the help of others. This article presents an overview of the most common procedures to restore hand function in peripheral nerve injuries and tetraplegia in order to provide a systematic approach for decision making. PMID- 17786399 TI - [Treatment management of a multiply injured patient with HIV infection]. AB - In orthopaedic surgery and emergency medicine, patients of the age groups with a HIV risk represent the largest part of the entire population. As necessary steps have to be taken immediately at the scene of an accident and in the emergency room, contact with HIV-positive blood is often unavoidable, so that there is an increased risk of transmission for doctors and personnel. Due to the immunological state, the HIV patient is exposed to considerable post-operative complications such as wound infection, pneumonia and even sepsis. With the case of a 35-year-old HIV-positive patient who was multiply injured in a traffic accident, we want to present an interesting example of the problems that occur in the treatment of this patient group. PMID- 17786400 TI - [Postoperative pyoderma gangrenosum of Cullen]. AB - The clinical picture in pyoderma gangrenosum varies but a typical medical history with resistance to antimicrobial treatment and worsening or first manifestation of disease because of surgical procedures are indications of this diagnosis. We describe the course of a woman patient who had a pyoderma gangrenosum for more than 1.5 years. After confirming the diagnosis an immunomodulating therapy was initiated until complete remission of the ulcers. Differential diagnosis and different clinicopathologic forms of pyoderma gangrenosum are discussed and an overview of the association with internal diseases is provided. PMID- 17786401 TI - [Diagnostic radiology of liver tumors. Part 1: General disease aspects and radiological procedures]. AB - Besides malignant disease, focal liver lesions can also represent benign changes. Among the malignant lesions, in addition to hepatocellular carcinoma, liver metastases should be mentioned. In contrast, benign lesions such as focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma are rarely encountered. Various radiological procedures are employed for the (differential) diagnosis. The transabdominal ultrasound examination is supplemented by color Doppler procedures, contrast-enhanced or intraoperative ultrasound. Computed tomography (CT) should be performed with native images as well as after using modern nonionic, iodine-containing water-soluble contrast agents; multidetector spiral CT is today's standard. If comparable optimal technology is available on-site, (contrast-enhanced) MRI is preferable. Intra-arterial selective angiography has become less important for detecting and characterizing focal liver changes with the advent of tomographic procedures. The question of whether sonography- or CT guided biopsy of the liver is needed for further diagnostic work-up, whether a wait-and-see approach is justified, or whether surgery is required to clarify the diagnosis should always be answered on a case-by-case basis. PMID- 17786402 TI - [Retroperitoneal extravasation as the primary symptom of a pancreatic carcinoma]. AB - Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas has a low 5-year survival rate of approximately 5%. Early diagnostics of pancreatic carcinoma during early tumor stages is made difficult by the lack of symptoms. In particular, individuals suffering from carcinomas located within the pancreatic tail are at high risk of a missed diagnosis. The early symptoms are usually nonspecific (e.g., nonspecific upper abdominal complaints, decrease in weight, loss of appetite, and impaired performance) and are characteristic only in carcinomas of the pancreatic head with painless icterus. If the patient complains of low back pain, a severe infiltration with no chance of a complete surgical resection is found in most cases. An adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic tail was diagnosed in this case report based on a large retroperitoneal extravasation missing further symptoms. The extravasation found represented a primary infiltration of the left ureter which was not diagnosed in primary computed tomography. PMID- 17786403 TI - [The physician caught between two chairs. Comments on the difficulty in dealing with off-label use]. PMID- 17786404 TI - The polycompartment syndrome: towards an understanding of the interactions between different compartments! PMID- 17786405 TI - Function of lanI in regulation of landomycin A biosynthesis in Streptomyces cyanogenus S136 and cross-complementation studies with Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins encoding genes. AB - The transcriptional regulator of landomycin A biosynthesis encoded by lanI gene has been inactivated within the chromosome of Streptomyces cyanogenus S136. The obtained mutant strain did not produce landomycin A and its known intermediates. Loss of landomycin A production caused significant changes in morphology of the lanI deficient strain. RT-PCR analysis confirmed complete cessation of transcription of certain lan genes, including lanJ (encoding putative proton dependent transporter) and lanK (presumably involved in lanJ expression regulation). Introduction of either lanI or lndI [lanI homologue controlling landomycin E biosynthesis in Streptomyces globisporus 1912, both encoding Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins (SARPs)] restored landomycin A production in the mutant strain. Chimeric constructs ladI and ladR were generated by exchanging the DNA sequences corresponding to N- and C-terminal parts of LndI and LanI. None of these genes were able to activate the production of landomycins in regulatory mutants of S. cyanogenus and S. globisporus. Nevertheless, the production of novel unidentified compound was observed in the case of S. cyanogenus harboring ladI gene. Various genes encoding SARPs have been expressed in S. globisporus and S. cyanogenus regulatory mutants and the results of these complementation experiments are discussed. PMID- 17786407 TI - Bad blood in the laboratory-conflicts and how to avoid or resolve them. PMID- 17786408 TI - Progress in direct solid sampling analysis using line source and high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. AB - The literature about direct solid sample analysis of the past 10-15 years using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry has been reviewed. It was found that in the vast majority of publications aqueous standards were reported as having been used for calibration after careful program optimization. This means the frequently expressed claim that certified reference materials with a matrix composition and analyte content close to that of the sample have to be used for calibration in solid sample analysis is not confirmed in the more recent literature. There are obviously limitations, and there are examples in the literature where even calibration with certified reference materials did not lead to accurate results. In these cases the problem is typically associated with spectral interferences that cannot be corrected properly by the systems available for conventional line source atomic absorption spectrometry, including Zeeman effect background correction. Using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry, spectral interferences become visible owing to the display of the spectral environment at both sides of the analytical line at high resolution, which makes program optimization straightforward. Any spectrally continuous background absorption is eliminated automatically, and even rapidly changing background absorption does not cause any artifacts, as measurement and correction of background absorption are truly simultaneous. Any kind of fine structured background can be eliminated by "subtracting" reference spectra using a least-squares algorithm. Aqueous standards are used for calibration in all published applications of high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry to direct solid sample analysis. PMID- 17786406 TI - Differential profile of typical, atypical and third generation antipsychotics at human 5-HT7a receptors coupled to adenylyl cyclase: detection of agonist and inverse agonist properties. AB - 5-HT(7) receptors are present in thalamus and limbic structures, and a possible role of these receptors in the pathology of schizophrenia has been evoked. In this study, we examined binding affinity and agonist/antagonist/inverse agonist properties at these receptors of a large series of antipsychotics, i.e., typical, atypical, and third generation compounds preferentially targeting D(2) and 5 HT(1A) sites. Adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity was measured in HEK293 cells stably expressing the human (h) 5-HT(7a) receptor isoform. 5-HT and 5-CT increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate level by about 20-fold whereas (+)-8-OH-DPAT, the antidyskinetic agent sarizotan, and the novel antipsychotic compound bifeprunox exhibited partial agonist properties at h5-HT(7a) receptors stimulating AC. Other compounds antagonized 5-HT-induced AC activity with pK (B) values which correlated with their pK (i) as determined by competition binding vs [(3)H]5-CT. The selective 5-HT(7) receptor ligand, SB269970, was the most potent antagonist. For antipsychotic compounds, the following rank order of antagonism potency (pK (B)) was ziprasidone > tiospirone > SSR181507 > or = clozapine > or = olanzapine > SLV-314 > SLV-313 > or = aripiprazole > or = chlorpromazine > nemonapride > haloperidol. Interestingly, pretreatment of HEK293-h5-HT(7a) cells with forskolin enhanced basal AC activity and revealed inverse agonist properties for both typical and atypical antipsychotics as well as for aripiprazole. In contrast, other novel antipsychotics exhibited diverse 5-HT(7a) properties; SLV-313 and SLV 314 behaved as quasi-neutral antagonists, SSR181507 acted as an inverse agonist, and bifeprunox as a partial agonist, as mentioned above. In conclusion, the differential properties of third generation antipsychotics at 5-HT(7) receptors may influence their antipsychotic profile. PMID- 17786409 TI - A method for identification of diastereomers of 2-decarboxy-betacyanins and 2,17 bidecarboxy-betacyanins in reversed-phase HPLC. AB - A method was developed for identification of diastereomers of 2-decarboxy betacyanins and 2,17-bidecarboxy-betacyanins chromatographed in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as pairs of unknown elution order. The method was based on alkaline hydrolysis of selected betacyanin and decarboxylated betacyanin mixtures and subsequent cross-recondensation of the hydrolysates. The arising intermediate derivatives of decarboxylated betalamic acid and cyclo-dopa were stable enough for subsequent recondensation. Generated diagnostic pigments as the recondensation products were monitored by HPLC-diode array detection-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. The isoforms (15R) of 2-decarboxy-betacyanins and 2,17-bidecarboxy-betacyanins were eluted earlier than the 15S forms, in contrast to betacyanins and 17-decarboxy-betacyanins, but in accordance with betaxanthins. 2,17-Bidecarboxy-betanin/2,17-bidecarboxy isobetanin, being not resolved in reversed-phase HPLC, were partially separated by ion-pair chromatography and under these conditions their order of elution was the same as that of acylated 2,17-bidecarboxy-betacyanins. The method allows complete identification of all the decarboxylated groups of betanin, phyllocactin and hylocerenin as well as other betacyanins in biological or pharmaceutical material. PMID- 17786410 TI - Optimisation of the on-fibre derivatisation of volatile fatty acids in the simultaneous determination together with phenols and indoles in cow slurries. AB - The on-fibre derivatisation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) using N-(tert butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) was optimised in the simultaneous determination of VFAs together with phenols and indoles by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Firstly, the nature of the SPME fibre was optimised and four different fibres were studied (100 microm polydimethylsiloxane, 85 microm Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane, 5/30 microm divinylbenzene/Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane and 85 microm polyacrylate). The optimum fibre (50/30 microm divinylbenzene/Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane) was used to study the exposure time of the fibre to the derivatisation agent and the desorption time and temperature. Firstly, a factorial design was built but since the three variables had a significant effect, a central composite design was used to build the response surfaces. The best signals were obtained after the exposure of the fibre in the headspace of the MTBSTFA derivatisation reagent for 1 h and desorption at 300 degrees C for 9 min. The determination of underivatised phenols and indoles was not affected by the presence of the derivatisation reagent in the fibre. PMID- 17786411 TI - Imaging with spectroscopic micro-analysis using synchrotron radiation. AB - Recent developments of element-specific microscopy techniques using synchrotron radiation are opening new opportunities for the analytical investigation of various heterogeneous materials. This article provides a general description of the operational principles of different microscopes allowing chemical and structural imaging combined with micro-spot spectroscopic analysis. Several selected examples are used to illustrate the potential of the synchrotron-based methods in terms of imaging and chemical sensitivity for identification of spatial variations in the composition of morphologically complex and nano structured inorganic and organic materials, including biological samples. PMID- 17786412 TI - In situ synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers on glass microspheres in a column. AB - A facile method to fabricate molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) on glass microspheres in a column was developed. The column was prepacked with glass microspheres, and then the prepolymerization mixture was injected into the interstitial volume of the column. The polymerization took place in situ and the column could be directly used for high-performance liquid chromatography after the template had been removed. The template consumption was reduced greatly because the prepolymerization mixture just filled the interstitial volume between the glass microspheres in the column. The MIPs obtained exhibited better kinetic properties, higher efficiency, and low back pressure of the column. Emodin imprinted polymers were prepared by this method and were used for solid-phase extraction. PMID- 17786413 TI - Structural and analytical studies of silica accumulations in Equisetum hyemale. AB - Horsetail (Equisetum spp.) is known as one of the strongest accumulators of silicon among higher terrestrial plants. We use the combination of position resolved analytical techniques, namely microtomography, energy-dispersive X-Ray elemental mapping, Raman microscopy, as well as small-angle and wide-angle scattering of X-rays, to study the type, distribution and nanostructure of silica in the internodes of Equisetum hyemale. The predominant silicification pattern is a thin continuous layer on the entire outer epidermis with the highest density in particular knob regions of the long epidermal cells. The knob tips contain up to 33 wt% silicon in the form of pure hydrated amorphous silica, while the silica content is lower in the inner part of the knobs and on the continuous layer. In contrast to the knob tips, the silica in these regions lacks silanol groups and is proposed to be in close association with polysaccharides. No mentionable amount of crystalline silica is detected by wide-angle X-ray scattering. The small-angle X-ray scattering data are consistent with the presence of colloidal, sheet-like silica agglomerates with a thickness of about 2 nm. From these results we conclude that there are at least two distinct forms of silica in E. hyemale which may have different functions. The close association of silica with cell wall polymers suggests that they may act as a polymeric template that controls the shape and size of the colloidal silica particles similar to many other biominerals and mineralised tissues. We propose that owing to its specific distribution in E. hyemale, a protective role and possibly also an important biomechanical role are among the most likely functions of silica in these plants. PMID- 17786414 TI - Towards a practical Fourier transform infrared chemical imaging protocol for cancer histopathology. AB - Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) chemical imaging is a strongly emerging technology that is being increasingly applied to examine tissues in a high throughput manner. The resulting data quality and quantity have permitted several groups to provide evidence for applicability to cancer pathology. It is critical to understand, however, that an integrated approach with optimal data acquisition, classification, and validation is necessary to realize practical protocols that can be translated to the clinic. Here, we first review the development of technology relevant to clinical translation of FTIR imaging for cancer pathology. The role of each component in this approach is discussed separately by quantitative analysis of the effects of changing parameters on the classification results. We focus on the histology of prostate tissue to illustrate factors in developing a practical protocol for automated histopathology. Next, we demonstrate how these protocols can be used to analyze the effect of experimental parameters on prediction accuracy by analyzing the effects of varying spatial resolution, spectral resolution, and signal to noise ratio. Classification accuracy is shown to depend on the signal to noise ratio of recorded data, while depending only weakly on spectral resolution. PMID- 17786415 TI - Application of FT-ICR-MS for the study of proton-transfer reactions involving biomolecules. AB - Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, combined with modern ionization (fast atom bombardment , electrospray ionization, matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization), fragmentation (collision-induced dissociation, surface-induced dissociation, one-photon ultraviolet photodissociation, infrared multiphoton dissociation, blackbody infrared radiative dissociation, electron capture dissociation), and separation (high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis) techniques is now becoming one of the most attractive and frequently used instrumental platforms for gas-phase studies of biomolecules such as amino acids, bioamines, peptides, polypeptides, proteins, nucleobases, nucleosides, nucleotides, polynucleotides, nucleic acids, saccharides, polysaccharides, etc. Since it gives the possibilities to trap the ions from a few seconds up to thousands of seconds, it is often applied to study ion/molecule reactions in the gas phase, particularly proton-transfer reactions which provide important information on acid-base properties. These properties determine in part the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules, most of their intramolecular and intermolecular interactions, and consequently their biological activity. They also indicate the form (unionized, zwitterionic, protonated, or deprotonated) which the biomolecule may take in a nonpolar environment. PMID- 17786416 TI - Detection and prevention of prescriptions with excessive doses in electronic prescribing systems. AB - INTRODUCTION: Dose dependent adverse drug reactions are often caused by prescribing errors ignoring upper dose limits. Thus, computerised physician order entry incorporating maximum recommended therapeutic doses (MRTDs) might reduce prescriptions of excessive doses. We evaluated the suitability of MRTD information as published in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) (MRTD(SPC)) or by the US Food and Drug Administration (MRTD(FDA)) and the value of Defined Daily Doses (DDD, World Health Organisation) as knowledge bases for an alerting system. METHODS: In a large set of critical-dose drugs (N = 140) we compared MRTD(FDA) and DDD values with the corresponding German MRTD(SPC). We then retrospectively assessed a set of 633 electronically prescribed drugs (EPDs) issued at a university hospital and calculated prescription rates of excessive doses. RESULTS: MRTD(FDA) was similar to MRTD(SPC) in 37% (N = 140), higher in 32%, and lower in 31% of drugs. On average, available DDD values (N = 129) were 1.6 times lower than MRTD(SPC), with 64% being lower, 33% similar, and 3% larger than MRTD(SPC). Prescription rates of excessive doses according to MRTD(FDA) were 2.5-fold higher (6.1%) than according to MRTD(SPC) (2.5%) (p < 0.01). However, only one in four EPDs categorised as overdosed according to MRTD(FDA) exceeded MRTD(SPC), and MRTD(FDA) values were available only for 67% of all assessed EPDs. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed a remarkable number of prescriptions with doses exceeding approved limits. Their prevention appears feasible but the choice of an appropriate database for MRTDs is essential, and differences between available information sources are large. PMID- 17786417 TI - Impact of the CYP3A5 genotype on midazolam pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics during intensive care sedation. AB - OBJECTIVE: Information is lacking on whether the CYP3A5 genotype affects the disposition and effects of midazolam during the long-term intensive care sedation of patients. This study was undertaken to estimate whether the CYP3A5 genotype can explain a relevant portion of pharmacokinetic interindividual variability. METHODS: We determined the CYP3A5 genotype in 71 Caucasian patients who underwent long-term sedation during intensive care treatment. We then assessed the relation between the genotype and both the plasma concentrations of midazolam and 1'-OH midazolam in 645 plasma samples and the simultaneously estimated Ramsay sedation score, both of which were recorded during routine midazolam drug monitoring. RESULTS: Eight patients had the CYP3A5*1/*3 genotype and 63 patients the CYP3A5*3/*3 genotype. The concentration-dose ratio [C/D; plasma concentration of midazolam (ng/ml) divided by the rate of infusion (mg/h); expressed as the mean (95% confidence interval)] was 87.4 (70.8, 108.9) for the *3/*3 patients and 79.0 (48.9, 129.0) for *1/*3 patients. The corresponding data for infusion rate (IR; in mg/h), Ramsay score (RS) and the ratio 1'-OH-midazolam concentration/midazolam concentration (ROH) for *3/*3 and *1/*3 patients were IR 7.4 (6.2, 8.6) vs. 11.4 (4.9, 17.9), RS 5.4 (5.2, 5.6) vs. 5.3 (4.2, 6.0) and ROH 0.11 (0.09, 0.13) vs. 0.17 (0.11, 0.26), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The CYP3A5*1/*3 genotype did not lead to an apparently lower midazolam concentration/dose ratio or Ramsay score values. As the present sedation procedure during intensive care therapy may be described as a physician closed-loop titration towards Ramsay scores of 4 +/- 1, our data do not indicate that prior determination of the genotype will result in better care or economic savings. PMID- 17786418 TI - Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of the miotic effects of dihydrocodeine in humans. AB - AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic interrelations of pupillary effects of dihydrocodeine by two different analytic approaches. METHODS: Dihydrocodeine plasma concentrations and miotic effects were available from a previous study with 24-h measurements after administration of 60 mg dihydrocodeine to nine healthy young men. Plasma concentration versus time course was described either by a one-compartment model or by linear splines using NONMEM. Dihydrocodeine concentrations at the effect site were obtained by convolution of a first-order transfer function with the function describing the plasma concentration versus time courses, and miotic effects were related to effect-site concentrations by a sigmoidal pharmacodynamic model. RESULTS: Bayesian individual fits of miotic effects were only slightly better with the spline approach than with the compartmental approach (median individual absolute weighted residuals 0.046 versus 0.058, respectively, Wilcoxon test p = 0.008; residual errors of an additive error model 0.0979 versus 0.184, respectively). Both approaches provided similar pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic population parameter values. The transfer half-life between plasma and effect site was 21.1 min (95% CI 11.1-34.7 min) and 19.8 min (95% CI 11.9-34 min) with spline and compartmental approaches, respectively, and miosis occurred with EC50 of 207 or 230 ng/ml, respectively. CONCLUSION: Two modeling approaches to the miotic effects of dihydrocodeine provided similar transfer half-lives between plasma and effect site, which also agreed with previous independently estimated values obtained from analgesic effects, suggesting that pupil size is a valid biomarker to estimate the value of ke0 for opioid central nervous system (CNS) effects. PMID- 17786419 TI - Pre- and perioperative predictors of short-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy. AB - Percutaneous nephrolitholapaxy (PCNL) with modern stone disintegration technologies is the treatment of choice for patients with extensive stone burden or stones refractory to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. However, little is known about factors predicting unfavourable outcome in terms of perioperative complications, residual stone burden or prolonged hospitalization. The aim of this study was to evaluate preoperative, patient- and stone-related parameters that might influence the perioperative course and short-term clinical outcomes. In a prospective study, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), bidimensional size, side, pre-existent urinary tract infection, pre-existent hydronephrosis and previous kidney surgery were used as independent variables in both univariate and multiple regression models in 109 PCNL patients in order to predict the partition of patients rendered stone free at hospital discharge, duration of surgery, length of inpatient hospital stay and the occurrence of major complications. Univariate and multiple regression analysis revealed that stone size was the only factor influencing duration of surgery (P < 0.001) and hospitalization (P = 0.02), but had no predictive potential for major complications. Univariate analysis showed a trend towards longer inpatient hospital stay and clinically relevant residuals in patients with lower BMI (P = 0.05 and 0.06); however, after controlling for the other confounding variables, this was only reproducible for residual stone burden. The other patient- and stone-related factors did not adversely affect the outcome measures. In our patient sample treated with PCNL by LithoClast Master/Ultra we found evidence that large stone burden is a prognostic factor predicting longer surgery and prolonged hospitalization. In addition, patients with lower BMIs might be at higher risk of not being stone free at hospital discharge accompanied by prolonged inpatient treatment. PMID- 17786420 TI - Clinical and biochemical profile of patients with "pure" uric acid nephrolithiasis compared with "pure" calcium oxalate stone formers. AB - The purpose of the present study was to compare the clinical characteristics of "pure" uric acid (UA) stone formers with that of "pure" calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone formers and to determine whether renal handling of UA, urinary pH, and urinary excretion of promoters and inhibitors of stone formation were different between the two groups. Study subjects comprised 59 patients identified by records of stone analysis: 30 of them had "pure" UA stones and 29 had "pure" CaOx nephrolithiasis. Both groups underwent full outpatient evaluation of stone risk analysis that included renal handling of UA and urinary pH. Compared to CaOx stone formers, UA stone formers were older (53.3 +/- 11.8 years vs. 44.5 +/- 10.0 years; P = 0.003); they had higher mean weight (88.6 +/- 12.5 kg vs. 78.0 +/- 11.0 kg; P = 0.001) and body mass index (29.5 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2) vs. 26.3 +/- 3.5 kg/m(2); P = 0.002) with a greater proportion of obese subjects (43.3% vs. 16.1%; P = 0.01). Patients with "pure" UA lithiasis had significantly lower UA clearance, UA fractional excretion, and UA/creatinine ratio, with significantly higher serum UA. The mean urinary pH was significantly lower in UA stone formers compared to CaOx stone formers (5.17 +/- 0.20 vs. 5.93 +/- 0.42; P < 0.0001). Patients with CaOx stones were a decade younger, having higher 24-h urinary calcium excretion (218.5 +/- 56.3 mg/24 h vs. 181.3 +/- 57.1 mg/24 h; P = 0.01) and a higher activity product index for CaOx [AP (CaOx) index]. Overweight/obesity and older age associated with low urine pH were the principal characteristic of "pure" UA stone formers. Impairment in urate excretion associated with increased serum UA was also another characteristic of UA stone formers that resembles patients with primary gout. Patients with pure CaOx stones were younger; they had a low proportion of obese subjects, a higher urinary calcium excretion, and a higher AP index for CaOx. PMID- 17786421 TI - Fetus in fetu. PMID- 17786423 TI - Paediatric dose measurement in a full-body digital radiography unit. AB - BACKGROUND: Ionizing radiation has a detrimental effect on the human body, particularly in children. Thus it is important to minimize the dose. Linear slit scanning X-ray units offer the possibility of dose reductions. In order to further develop linear slit-scanning radiography, the dose needs to be accurately calculated for various examinations. OBJECTIVE: To measure the entrance dose (free-in-air) and calculate the effective doses for various radiological examinations in children on Lodox Statscan and Shimadzu radiography units. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Entrance doses (free-in-air) were measured using a dose meter and ionization chamber on the Statscan and Shimadzu units at two South African hospitals. The entrance doses were measured for a number of common examinations and were used to compute the effective dose using a Monte Carlo program. RESULTS: The standard deviation of the entrance doses was in the range 0 0.6%. The effective dose from the Statscan unit was well below that from the Shimadzu unit as well as that found in other radiological studies from around the world in children. The one exception was chest examination where the dose was similar to that in other studies worldwide due to the use of Chest AP projection compared to Chest PA used in the comparative studies. CONCLUSION: Linear slit scanning systems help reduce the dose in radiological examinations in children. PMID- 17786425 TI - Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of a subtilisin-like serine protease from a deep-sea bacterium, Alkalimonas collagenimarina AC40(T). AB - The acpI gene encoding an alkaline protease (AcpI) from a deep-sea bacterium, Alkalimonas collagenimarina AC40(T), was shotgun-cloned and sequenced. It had a 1,617-bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 538 amino acids. Based on analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence, AcpI is a subtilisin-like serine protease belonging to subtilase family A. It consists of a prepropeptide, a catalytic domain, and a prepeptidase C-terminal domain like other serine proteases from the genera Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Alteromonas, and Xanthomonas. Heterologous expression of the acpI gene in Escherichia coli cells yielded a 28 kDa recombinant AcpI (rAcpI), suggesting that both the prepropeptide and prepeptidase C-terminal domains were cleaved off to give the mature form. Analysis of N-terminal and C-terminal amino acid sequences of purified rAcpI showed that the mature enzyme would be composed of 273 amino acids. The optimal pH and temperature for the caseinolytic activity of the purified rAcpI were 9.0 9.5 and 45 degrees C in 100 mM glycine-NaOH buffer. Calcium ions slightly enhanced the enzyme activity and stability. The enzyme favorably hydrolyzed gelatin, collagen, and casein. AcpI from A. collagenimarina AC40(T) was also purified from culture broth, and its molecular mass was around 28 kDa, indicating that the cleavage manner of the enzyme is similar to that in E. coli cells. PMID- 17786424 TI - Membrane property abnormalities in simulated cases of mild systematic and severe focal demyelinating neuropathies. AB - The investigation of multiple nerve membrane properties by mathematical models has become a new tool to study peripheral neuropathies. In demyelinating neuropathies, the membrane properties such as potentials (intracellular, extracellular, electrotonic) and indices of axonal excitability (strength duration time constants, rheobases and recovery cycles) can now be measured at the peripheral nerves. This study provides numerical simulations of the membrane properties of human motor nerve fibre in cases of internodal, paranodal and simultaneously of paranodal internodal demyelinations, each of them mild systematic or severe focal. The computations use our previous multi-layered model of the fibre. The results show that the abnormally greater increase of the hyperpolarizing electrotonus, shorter strength-duration time constants and greater axonal superexcitability in the recovery cycles are the characteristic features of the mildly systematically demyelinated cases. The small decrease of the polarizing electrotonic responses in the demyelinated zone in turn leads to a compensatory small increase of these responses outside the demyelinated zone of all severely focally demyelinated cases. The paper summarizes the insights gained from these modeling studies on the membrane property abnormalities underlying the variation in clinical symptoms of demyelination in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome and multifocal motor neuropathy. The model used provides an objective study of the mechanisms of these diseases which up till now have not been sufficiently well understood, because quite different assumptions have been given in the literature for the interpretation of the membrane property abnormalities obtained in hereditary, chronic and acquired demyelinating neuropathies. PMID- 17786426 TI - Comparison of anode bacterial communities and performance in microbial fuel cells with different electron donors. AB - Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) harness the electrochemical activity of certain microbes for the production of electricity from reduced compounds. Characterizations of MFC anode biofilms have collectively shown very diverse microbial communities, raising ecological questions about competition and community succession within these anode-reducing communities. Three sets of triplicate, two-chamber MFCs inoculated with anaerobic sludge and differing in energy sources (acetate, lactate, and glucose) were operated to explore these questions. Based on 16S rDNA-targeted denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), all anode communities contained sequences closely affiliated with Geobacter sulfurreducens (>99% similarity) and an uncultured bacterium clone in the Bacteroidetes class (99% similarity). Various other Geobacter-like sequences were also enriched in most of the anode biofilms. While the anode communities in replicate reactors for each substrate generally converged to a reproducible community, there were some variations in the relative distribution of these putative anode-reducing Geobacter-like strains. Firmicutes were found only in glucose-fed MFCs, presumably serving the roles of converting complex carbon into simple molecules and scavenging oxygen. The maximum current density in these systems was negatively correlated with internal resistance variations among replicate reactors and, likely, was only minimally affected by anode community differences in these two-chamber MFCs with high internal resistance. PMID- 17786428 TI - An efficient plasmid vector for expression cloning of large numbers of PCR fragments in Escherichia coli. AB - The described plasmid pEamTA was designed for parallel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cloning of open reading frames (ORFs) in Escherichia coli. It relies on the well-known TA-cloning principle, and the "T-vector" can be generated from a plasmid preparation by digestion with the restriction enzyme Eam1105I. The single 3'-T-overhangs of the vector fragment are positioned in a way that A-tailed PCR products beginning with the start-ATG of an ORF end up in optimal position for expression from a strong tac-promoter when ligated in correct orientation. The orientation of the insert can be checked via a reconstituted NdeI site (catATG) present in correct clones. The protocol works regardless of internal restriction sites of the PCR fragment, a major advantage when cloning a number of fragments in parallel. It also does not require 5'-primer extensions and finally delivers an expression clone for the preparation of untagged protein in less than a week. PMID- 17786427 TI - Formation of cyclotides and variations in cyclotide expression in Oldenlandia affinis suspension cultures. AB - Cyclotides, a family of disulfide-rich mini-proteins, show a wide range of biological activities, making them interesting targets for pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications, but little is known about their natural function and the events that trigger their expression. An investigation of nutritional variations and irradiation during a batch process involving plant cell cultures has been performed, using the native African medical herb, Oldenlandia affinis, as a model plant. The results demonstrated the biosynthesis of kalata B1, the main cyclotide in O. affinis, in a combined growth/nongrowth-associated pattern. The highest concentration, 0.37 mg g(-1) dry weight, was accumulated in irradiated cells at 35 mumol m(-2) s(-1). Furthermore, 12 novel cyclotides were identified and the expression of various cyclotides compared in irradiated vs non irradiated cultures. The results indicate that cyclotide expression varies greatly depending on physiological conditions and environmental stress. Kalata B1 is the most abundant cyclotide in plant suspension cultures, which underlies its importance as a natural defense molecule. The identification of novel cyclotides in suspension cultures, compared to whole plants, indicates that there may be more novel cyclotides to be discovered and that the genetic network regulating cyclotide expression is a very sensitive system, ready to adapt to the current environmental growth condition. PMID- 17786429 TI - Heterotrophic high-cell-density fed-batch and continuous-flow cultures of Galdieria sulphuraria and production of phycocyanin. AB - Production of biomass and phycocyanin (PC) were investigated in highly pigmented variants of the unicellular rhodophyte Galdieria sulphuraria, which maintained high specific pigment concentrations when grown heterotrophically in darkness. The parental culture, G. sulphuraria 074G was grown on solidified growth media, and intensely coloured colonies were isolated and grown in high-cell-density fed batch and continuous-flow cultures. These cultures contained 80-110 g L(-1) biomass and 1.4-2.9 g L(-1) PC. The volumetric PC production rates were 0.5-0.9 g L(-1) day(-1). The PC production rates were 11-21 times higher than previously reported for heterotrophic G. sulphuraria 074G grown on glucose and 20-287 times higher than found in phototrophic cultures of Spirulina platensis, the organism presently used for commercial production of PC. PMID- 17786430 TI - CYP201A2, a cytochrome P450 from Rhodopseudomonas palustris, plays a key role in the biodegradation of tributyl phosphate. AB - Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is a toxic organophosphorous compound widely used in nuclear fuel processing and chemical industries. Rhodopseudomonas palustris, one of the most metabolically versatile photosynthetic bacteria, is shown here to degrade TBP efficiently under photosynthetic conditions. This study shows that this O(2)- and NADPH/FMNH(2)-dependent process was also catalyzed when TBP was incubated with membrane-associated proteins extracted from this strain. The effects of several regulators of cytochrome P450 activity on the TBP consumption suggest a key role for a cytochrome P450 in this process. Disruption of the rpa0241 gene encoding a putative cytochrome P450 led to a 60% decrease of the TBP catabolism, whereas reintroducing the gene in the mutant restored the wild-type phenotype. The rpa0241 gene was expressed and purified in Escherichia coli. Characterization by UV-visible spectroscopy of the purified recombinant membrane bound protein (CYP201A2) encoded by the rpa0241 gene revealed typical spectral characteristics of cytochrome P450 with a large spin state change of the heme iron associated with binding of TBP (K (d) approximately 65 microM). It is proposed that CYP201A2 catalyzes the initial step of the biodegradation process of TBP. PMID- 17786432 TI - A fluorescent method for assessing the antimicrobial efficacy of disinfectant against Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 biofilm. AB - In this study, a versatile method was developed to assess biocide efficacy against Escherichia coli biofilm growth on carriers made of five different materials. The glucuronidase activity of live E. coli on a fluorogenic substrate (4-methylumbellyferyl-beta-D-glucuronide, MUG) was used as a viability test. Fluorescence emissions from cellular suspensions of E. coli in the test range displayed a linear response with a MUG concentration of 10 microg ml(-1). A glucuronidase activity curve with cellular suspensions of E. coli calculated as colony-forming units per milliliter showed a good correlation (0.9487 and 0.917 for 1 and 18 h of incubation, respectively), with counts obtained from biofilm containing this organism; E. coli cultures in suspension were used as standard. Three agents commonly used as disinfectants, sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and ethanol, were tested at use concentrations and at one-half and decimal dilutions. At decimal dilutions, ethanol at 70% proved to be the least active disinfectant on E. coli biofilm. Unlike other methods, our method permits the testing of disinfectant efficacy against biofilm growth on different materials. In preliminary assays, glass, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polycarbonate, and silicon were tested. Because they gave the lowest E. coli counts after 24 and 48 h, glass and polypropylene were the two materials to which biofilm adhered least strongly. PMID- 17786431 TI - The effect of calcium ion on the biodegradation of octylphenol polyethoxylates, and the antiandrogenic activity of their biodegradates. AB - Because limes have been used as important fertilizers to neutralize acidified farmland in Japan, our interest in this study was focused on the effect of calcium ion on the biodegradation of octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEOn) by a pure culture of Pseudomonas putida S5 isolated from a rice paddy field in Japan. In the presence of calcium ion, P. putida S5 accelerated the formation of octylphenol oligoethoxy carboxylates (OPECn) rather than that of octylphenol oligoethoxylates under an aerobic condition, indicating that more soluble biodegradates with terminal carboxyl group may liquate out easily to surface and ground water rather than more hydrophobic biodegradates with shorter ethylene oxide residues. Therefore, the androgen receptor (AR) activity of their degradation products was characterized using an in vitro reporter gene assay. As ethylene oxide chain length decreased, the biodegradates, OPEOn (n < 3), increased their AR antagonist activity. However, OPECn (n < 3) were unable to determine their AR activity because of their cytotoxicity in our reporter gene assay system. PMID- 17786433 TI - Purification and characterization of two cold-adapted extracellular tannin acyl hydrolases from an Antarctic strain Verticillium sp. P9. AB - Two extracellular tannin acyl hydrolases (TAH I and TAH II) produced by an Antarctic filamentous fungus Verticillium sp. P9 were purified to homogeneity (7.9- and 10.5-fold with a yield of 1.6 and 0.9%, respectively) and characterized. TAH I and TAH II are multimeric (each consisting of approximately 40 and 46 kDa sub-units) glycoproteins containing 11 and 26% carbohydrates, respectively, and their molecular mass is approximately 155 kDa. TAH I and TAH II are optimally active at pH of 5.5 and 25 and 20 degrees C, respectively. Both the enzymes were activated by Mg(2+)and Br(-) ions and 0.5-2.0 M urea and inhibited by other metal ions (Zn(2+), Cu(2+), K(+), Cd(2+), Ag(+), Fe(3+), Mn(2+), Co(2+), Hg(2+), Pb(2+) and Sn(2+)),[Formula: see text] anions, Tween 20, Tween 60, Tween 80, Triton X-100, sodium dodecyl sulphate, beta-mercaptoethanol, alpha glutathione and 4-chloromercuribenzoate. Both tannases more efficiently hydrolyzed tannic acid than methyl gallate. E (a) of these reactions and temperature dependence (at 0-30 degrees C) of k (cat), k (cat)/K (m), DeltaG*, DeltaH* and DeltaS* for both the enzymes and substrates were determined. The k (cat) and k (cat)/K (m) values (for both the substrates) were considerably higher for the combined preparation of TAH I and TAH II. PMID- 17786434 TI - Optimization of b value in diffusion-weighted MRI for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant vertebral fractures. AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective was to explore the optimal b value in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of MRI for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant vertebral fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive patients with vertebral compression fractures underwent sagittal diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with different b values. The group included 14 patients with 18 benign vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis and/or trauma and 20 patients with 27 malignant vertebral fractures due to malignancy. The quality of the images was analyzed qualitatively on a three-point scale and quantitatively by measurement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were also calculated. RESULTS: Smaller b values correlated with better DW image quality. We found significant differences in the qualitative points values among the DW images with different b values (F=302.18, p<0.001). The mean SNR of the images ranged from 21.75+/-3.64 at a b value of 0 s/mm2 to 5.31+/-3.17 at a b value of 800 s/mm2. The SNR of DWI with a b value of 300 s/mm2 (18.62+/-2.47) was significantly different from that with other b values (p<0.01). The mean combined ADC values of malignant fractures were significantly lower than those of benign ones on DWI with a b value of 300 s/mm2 (t=9.097, p<0.01). Four cases of benign vertebral fractures were misdiagnosed as being malignant when b values of 0 s/mm2 and 100 s/mm2 were used. CONCLUSIONS: When DWI with multiple b values is used to differentiate benign from malignant vertebral compression fractures, b values within the range of around 300 s/mm2 are recommended, taking into account both SNR and diffusion weighting of water molecules. PMID- 17786435 TI - The many roads to infection imaging. PMID- 17786436 TI - The new EANM paediatric dosage card--does it conform to ALARA for PET/CT? PMID- 17786437 TI - High and typical 18F-FDG bowel uptake in patients treated with metformin. AB - PURPOSE: This prospective and bi-centric study was conducted in order to determine the impact of antidiabetic treatments (AD) on (18)F-FDG bowel uptake in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with previously diagnosed and treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (group 1) were divided in two subgroups: AD treatment including metformin (n=32; group 1a) and AD treatment excluding metformin (n=23; group 1b). The 95 patients without diabetes mellitus made up controls (group 2). (18)F-FDG uptake in small intestine and colon was visually graded and semi-quantitatively measured using the maximum standardized uptake value. RESULTS: (18)F-FDG bowel uptake was significantly increased in AD patients (group 1) as compared to controls (group 2) (p<0.001). Bowel uptake was significantly higher in AD patients including metformin (group 1a) as compared to AD patients excluding metformin (group 1b) (p<0.01), whose bowel uptake was not significantly different from controls (group 2). A metformin treatment was predictive of an increased bowel uptake in the small intestine (odds ratio OR=16.9, p<0.0001) and in the colon (OR=95.3, p<0.0001), independently of the other factors considered in the multivariate analysis. Bowel uptake pattern in the patients treated with metformin was typically intense, diffuse and continuous along the bowel, strongly predominant in the colon, in both the digestive wall and lumen. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes that metformin significantly increases (18)F-FDG uptake in colon and, to a lesser extent, in small intestine. It raises the question of stopping metformin treatment before an (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan is performed for intra-abdominal neoplasic lesion assessment. PMID- 17786438 TI - Tumor hypoxia imaging in orthotopic liver tumors and peritoneal metastasis: a comparative study featuring dynamic 18F-MISO and 124I-IAZG PET in the same study cohort. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to compare the uptake of two clinically promising positron emission tomography (PET) hypoxia targeting agents, (124)I iodoazomycin galactopyranoside ((124)I-IAZG) and (18)F-fluoromisonidazole ((18)F FMISO), by dynamic microPET imaging, in the same rats bearing liver tumors and peritoneal metastasis. METHODS: Morris hepatoma (RH7777) fragments were surgically implanted into the livers of four nude rats. Tumors formed in the liver and disseminated into the peritoneal cavity. Each rat had a total of two to three liver tumors and peritoneal metastasis measuring 10-15 mm in size. Animals were injected with (18)F-FMISO, followed on the next day (upon complete (18)F decay) by (124)I-IAZG. The animals were imaged in list mode on the microPET system from the time of injection of each tracer for 3 h and then again at 6 h and 24 h for the long-lived (124)I-IAZG tracer (4.2-day half-life). Micro computed tomography (CT) scans of each rat were performed for co-registration with the microPET scans acquired with a liver contrast agent, allowing tumor identification. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn over the heart, liver, muscle, and the hottest areas of the tumors. Time-activity curves (TACs) were drawn for each tissue ROI. RESULTS: The (18)F-FMISO signal increased in tumors over the 3-h time course of observation. In contrast, after the initial injection, the (124)I-IAZG signal slowly and continuously declined in the tumors. Nevertheless, the tumor-to-normal-tissue ratios of (124)I-IAZG increased, but more slowly than those of (18)F-FMISO and as a result of the differentially faster clearance from the surrounding normal tissues. These pharmacokinetic patterns were seen in all 11 tumors of the four animals. CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-FMISO localizes in the same intra-tumor regions as (124)I-IAZG. The contrast ratios (tumor/background) reach similar values for the two hypoxia tracers, but at later times for (124)I-IAZG than for (18)F-FMISO and, therefore, with poorer count statistics. As a consequence, the (18)F-FMISO images are of superior diagnostic image quality to the (124)I-IAZG images in the Morris hepatoma McA-R-7777 tumor model. PMID- 17786439 TI - Characterization of membrane potential-dependent uptake of the novel PET tracer 18F-fluorobenzyl triphenylphosphonium cation. AB - PURPOSE: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been attributed a critical role in the etiology and pathogenesis of numerous diseases, and is manifested by alterations of the organelle's membrane potential (Deltapsi(m)). This suggests that Deltapsi(m) measurement can be highly useful for diagnostic purposes. In the current study, we characterized the capability of the novel PET agent (18)F fluorobenzyl triphenylphosphonium ((18)F-FBnTP) to assess Deltapsi(m), compared with the well-established voltage sensor (3)H-tetraphenylphosphonium ((3)H-TPP). METHODS: (18)F-FBnTP and (3)H-TPP uptake under conditions known to alter Deltapsi(m) and plasma membrane potential (Deltapsi(p)) was assayed in the H345 lung carcinoma cell line. (18)F-FBnTP biodistribution was assessed in CD1 mice using dynamic PET and ex vivo gamma well counting. RESULTS: (18)F-FBnTP and (3)H TPP demonstrated similar uptake kinetics and plateau concentrations in H345 cells. Stepwise membrane depolarization resulted in a linear decrease in (18)F FBnTP cellular uptake, with a slope (-0.58+/-0.06) and correlation coefficient (0.94+/-0.07) similar (p>0.17) to those measured for (3)H-TPP (-0.63+/-0.06 and 0.96+/-0.05, respectively). Selective collapse of Deltapsi(m) caused a substantial decrease in cellular uptake for (18)F-FBnTP (81.6+/-8.1%) and (3)H TPP (85.4+/-6.7%), compared with control. Exposure to the proapoptotic staurosporine, known to collapse Deltapsi(m), resulted in a decrease of 68.7+/ 10.1% and 71.5+/-8.4% in (18)F-FBnTP and (3)H-TPP cellular uptake, respectively. (18)F-FBnTP accumulated mainly in kidney, heart and liver. CONCLUSION: (18)F FBnTP is a mitochondria-targeting PET radiopharmaceutical responsive to alterations in membrane potential with voltage-dependent performance similar to that of (3)H-TPP. (18)F-FBnTP is a promising new voltage sensor for detection of physiological and pathological processes associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, such as apoptosis, using PET. PMID- 17786440 TI - An immunotherapy approach with dendritic cells genetically modified to express the tumor-associated antigen, HER2. AB - Dendritic cells (DC), genetically modified to express ovalbumin by the retroviral vector GCDNsap, can elicit stronger anti-tumor immunity than those loaded with the peptides. To assess the clinical feasibility of the strategy, such DC were prepared by differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells transduced with the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). When inoculated in mice, the DC primed both HER2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and type 1 T helper lymphocytes, resulting in production of HER2-specific antibody. Of importance is that the antibody mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and opsonization. The potent anti-tumor effects were also confirmed by results of experiments using HER2-transgenic mice. Inoculation of HER2-transduced DC resulted in longer disease-free survival of treated mice that showed significant reduction of primary and metastatic tumors. Interestingly, footpad inoculation resulted in stronger anti-tumor effects compared to subcutaneous administration and induced higher levels of the HER2-specific antibody, suggesting that an important role of humoral immunity in anti-tumor effects for malignancies with membrane-type tumor-associated antigens (TAA). Taken together, vaccination of the TAA-transduced DC may represent a promising form of therapy for breast cancers expressing HER2. PMID- 17786441 TI - The fibronectin attachment protein of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) mediates antitumor activity. AB - PURPOSE: The receptor responsible for the attachment of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) to fibronectin, fibronectin attachment protein (FAP), has been cloned. Studies targeting FAP as an inducer of immunity in mycobacterial infections suggest that FAP is a highly immunogenic protein. In light of these findings and the need to find effective alternatives to BCG treatment for bladder cancer, we tested the ability of FAP to induce antitumor activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ability of FAP to bind to bladder tumor cells and the bladder wall was established using (125)I-FAP. For testing antitumor activity in vivo, mice were catheterized and 5 x 10(4) MB-49 bladder tumor cells were implanted orthotopically on day 0. Test groups were treated with PBS only, FAP, or BCG on day 1 and day 8. A subset of mice was preimmunized with FAP prior to treatment. RESULTS: FAP was observed to bind to bladder tumor cells in a fibronectin dependent manner. Attachment of FAP within the bladder followed the pattern established for BCG binding. Antitumor studies showed a significant reduction in tumor growth in FAP-treated mice that had been preimmunized with FAP. Tumor growth was not inhibited in naive mice treated with FAP. Dose-response studies showed that FAP-induced antitumor activity is dose dependent, and experiments comparing BCG with FAP showed equivalent antitumor effects. In vitro experiments showed antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation and a cytokine profile indicative of Th-1 polarization of the FAP-induced immune response. CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells were found to be required for the FAP-induced antitumor response. CONCLUSIONS: FAP is an effective antitumor agent that inhibits tumor growth at a level equivalent to that observed for BCG. This protein may thus provide an alternative to BCG for treatment of superficial bladder cancer. PMID- 17786442 TI - CXCR5 may be involved in the attraction of human metastatic neuroblastoma cells to the bone marrow. AB - INTRODUCTION: Up-regulation of some chemokine receptors on tumor cells is associated with increased metastatic potential. In this respect, limited information is available on chemokine receptor in human neuroblastoma (NB). OBJECTS: Purpose of the study was to identify chemokines/chemokine receptors involved in bone marrow (BM) localization of metastatic NB cells in view of the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. CD45- metastatic NB cells were isolated from the BM of six patients by immunomagnetic bead manipulation. Some experiments were carried out using a panel of human neuroblastoma cell lines (GI ME-N, GI-LI-N, LAN-5, HTLA-230, SH-SY-5Y and IMR-32). Immunophenotypic analyses were performed by flow cytometry. Cell migration assays were carried out using transwell systems. Calcium ion mobilization, chemokine receptor internalization and cell proliferation were investigated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: In all BM samples, CXCR5 was expressed by the majority of primary neuroblasts and mediated their chemotaxis in response to CXCL13. Primary metastatic NB cells from all BM samples expressed CXCR6, but were not attracted by soluble CXCL16. Studies performed with two CXCR6+ NB cell lines showed that the mechanism whereby neuroblasts did not migrate to CXCL16 was likely related to defective calcium ion mobilization. CONCLUSIONS: CXCR5 is the first chemokine receptor so far identified able to attract in vitro primary metastatic NB cells. CXCR6 may be involved in retention of metastatic neuroblasts in the BM through interaction with CXCL16 expressing stromal cells in the absence of signal transduction. PMID- 17786443 TI - A Legumain-based minigene vaccine targets the tumor stroma and suppresses breast cancer growth and angiogenesis. AB - Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are well known to play a very important role in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. The suppression of TAMs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) provides a novel strategy to inhibit tumor growth and dissemination by remodeling the tumor's stroma. Here, we tested our hypothesis that suppression of TAMs can be achieved in syngeneic BALB/c mice with oral minigene vaccines against murine MHC class I antigen epitopes of Legumain, an asparaginyl endopeptidase and a member of the C13 family of cystine proteases which is overexpressed on TAMs in the tumor stroma. Vaccine vectors were constructed and transformed into attenuated Salmonella typhimurium (Dam ( - ) , AroA ( - )) for oral delivery. Groups of mice received either the expression vectors encoding the Legumain H-2D or 2K epitopes or the control empty vector by gavage. The efficacy of the minigene vaccines was determined by their ability to protect mice from lethal tumor cell challenges, the induction of a specific CTL response as well as IFN-gamma release, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. We demonstrated that the Legumain minigene vaccine provided effective protection against tumor cell challenge by inducing a specific CD8+ T-cell response against Legumain+ TAMs in our breast tumor model. The protection, induced by this T-cell response, mediated by the Legumain Kd minigene, is also responsible for lysing D2F2 breast carcinoma cells in syngeneic BALB/c mice and for suppressing tumor angiogenesis. Importantly, in a prophylactic setting, the minigene vaccine proved to be of similar anti-tumor efficacy as a vaccine encoding the entire Legumain gene. Together, our findings establish proof of concept that a Legumain minigene vaccine provides a more flexible alternative to the whole gene vaccine, which may facilitate the future design and clinical applications of such a vaccine for cancer prevention. PMID- 17786444 TI - The role of plating in the operative treatment of severe open tibial fractures: a systematic review. AB - Open fractures of the tibial diaphysis are the result of high-energy trauma. They are usually associated with extensive soft tissue loss and represent serious clinical problems. Surgical treatment of these injuries has been associated with substantial complications such as osteomyelitis, delayed bone healing, poor functional outcome, soft-tissue failure, or even amputations. More recently a staged treatment, with initial application of spanning external fixators followed by definitive fixation at secondary phase, has been advocated. Plating of these fractures in the acute setting remains a topic of heated discussion. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in order to investigate the existing evidence concerning the efficacy and safety of this method of osteosynthesis. Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria, accumulating 492 open tibial fractures treated with plating. The overall union rate ranged from 62-95% across all studies, with time to union ranging from 13-42 weeks. The reoperation rate ranged from 8-69% and a pooled estimate of deep infection rate was calculated at 11%. Plate fixation for the treatment of open tibial fractures can be considered under specific conditions which need to be elicited and clarified with future well designed and conducted clinical trials. PMID- 17786445 TI - Third-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: The past years' therapy for colorectal cancer has evolved rapidly with the introduction of novel cytotoxic agents such as irinotecan, capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Further advances have been achieved with the integration of targeted agents such as bevacizumab, cetuximab and recently, panitumumab. As a result, third-line treatment is now a necessary step in the optimal treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a literature review of English language publications on third-line therapy for MCRC from January 2000 to April 2007. Data on median overall survival (mOS), median time to progression (mTTP) and response rate were recorded. RESULTS: We found 27 articles and 22 abstracts to fulfil the criteria. Patients who received regimens containing oxaliplatin and infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) demonstrated mTTP up to 7 months and a mOS of 16 months. With irinotecan and 5 FU, mOS around 8 months were reported and with cetuximab combined with irinotecan, the highest mOS was 9.8 months. CONCLUSION: Third-line therapy in advanced colorectal cancer may improve mOS for patients with MCRC. Therefore, randomized studies should be conducted in the future. PMID- 17786446 TI - A bidomain threshold model of propagating calcium waves. AB - We present a bidomain fire-diffuse-fire model that facilitates mathematical analysis of propagating waves of elevated intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) in living cells. Modeling Ca(2+) release as a threshold process allows the explicit construction of traveling wave solutions to probe the dependence of Ca(2+) wave speed on physiologically important parameters such as the threshold for Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol, the rate of Ca(2+) resequestration from the cytosol to the ER, and the total [Ca(2+)] (cytosolic plus ER). Interestingly, linear stability analysis of the bidomain fire-diffuse fire model predicts the onset of dynamic wave instabilities leading to the emergence of Ca(2+) waves that propagate in a back-and-forth manner. Numerical simulations are used to confirm the presence of these so-called 'tango waves' and the dependence of Ca(2+) wave speed on the total [Ca(2+)]. PMID- 17786448 TI - Osmic acid synovectomy in the era of biologics. PMID- 17786449 TI - Prevalence and factors associated with dyslipoproteinemias in Brazilian systemic lupus erythematosus patients. AB - To determine the prevalence of dyslipoproteinemias and their related factors in a Brazilian systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) population, fasting lipids were measured in 185 female SLE outpatients. Age, BMI, smoking, post-menopausal status, presence of diabetes and hypertension, SLE duration, number of ARA criteria, drug treatment and disease activity (by SLEDAI) were registered. Statistics included uni and multivariate logistic regression. Eighty-nine patients (48.1%) had hypercholesterolemia, 55 (29.7%) had hypertriglyceridemia and 109 (58.9%) had either. On multivariate analysis, 24-h proteinuria (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.11-3.88), BMI (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.16) and post-menopausal status (OR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.25-4.92) were associated with hypercholesterolemia. Disease activity was related to low HDL-cholesterol (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.20 5.58) and, in pre-menopausal patients, also to hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03-1.30). Antimalarial use was protective for hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.22-0.90). In conclusion, the increased prevalence of dyslipoproteinemias is due to proteinuria, obesity and SLE activity. Antimalarials have beneficial effect on lipid profile that may be due to reduction in disease activity. PMID- 17786447 TI - Computational methods in noncoding RNA research. AB - Non protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a research hotspot in bioinformatics. Recent discoveries have revealed new ncRNA families performing a variety of roles, from gene expression regulation to catalytic activities. It is also believed that other families are still to be unveiled. Computational methods developed for protein coding genes often fail when searching for ncRNAs. Noncoding RNAs functionality is often heavily dependent on their secondary structure, which makes gene discovery very different from protein coding RNA genes. This motivated the development of specific methods for ncRNA research. This article reviews the main approaches used to identify ncRNAs and predict secondary structure. PMID- 17786450 TI - Localized endocytosis in tobacco pollen tubes: visualisation and dynamics of membrane retrieval by a fluorescent phospholipid. AB - Two modes of endocytosis are known to occur in eucaryotic cells: fluid phase and receptor-mediated endocytosis. Fluid-phase endocytosis in plant cells resembles the retrieval of excess plasma membrane material previously incorporated by exocytosis. Pollen tubes need to carry out strong membrane retrieval due to their fast polar tip growth. Plasma membrane labelling of pollen tubes, grown in suspension, was achieved by the incorporation of a fluorescently modified phospholipid, 1,2-bis-(4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene-3 undecanoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (20 microM) and measured with a confocal laser-scanning microscope. Time course experiments revealed a highly localised and relatively fast plasma membrane retrieval below the tip within the first 5 min after phospholipid application. The retrieved fluorescent plasma membrane was quickly re-integrated into parts of the endomembrane pool and then redistributed to the pollen tube base and very tip of the apex, with the exception of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the mitochondria even after 1-h incubation period. Low temperature (10 degrees C) and the actin filament depolymerizing cytochalasin D (2 microM) completely abolished plasma membrane retrieval, whereas the microtubule destabilizing herbicide oryzalin (1 microM) had no effect. Our results provide strong support for a highly localised endocytotic pathway in tobacco pollen tubes. Passive uptake of bis-Bodipy FL C(11)-phosphocholine by mere penetration can be excluded. It is a valuable alternative to the styryl dyes often used in endocytotic studies, and may also be used to follow lipid turnover because membrane flow of labelled membranes occurs apparently not in a default manner as ascertained by its fast distribution. PMID- 17786451 TI - Identification and characterization of COI1-dependent transcription factor genes involved in JA-mediated response to wounding in Arabidopsis plants. AB - The phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) is an important signaling molecular involved in many developmental and physiological processes, especially in the response of plants to wounding. In this study, we adopted a new strategy, taking into consideration the microarray data of the CHX treatment, to identify 15 COI1 dependent JA-inducible transcription factors (JCTFs) that have distinct expression patterns in response to wounding. After the analysis on the JCTFs over expressor plants, we identified four JCTFs, i.e., WRKY18, At1g74930 and At3g53600 in addition to AtMYC2, as the positive regulators in the JA-mediated signaling pathway in response to Arabidopsis wounding. PMID- 17786452 TI - Renal transplant rejection markers. AB - Acute rejection is one of the key factors which determine long-term graft function and survival in renal transplant patients. Timely detection and treatment of rejection is therefore, an important goal in the post-transplant surveillance. The standard care with serum creatinine measurements and biopsy upon allograft dysfunction implies that acute rejection is detected in an advanced stage. Therefore, non-invasive monitoring for acute rejection by markers in blood and urine has been tried over the past decades. This review describes the requirements that should be met by non-invasive markers. The experience with single biomarkers and with newer approaches--mRNA expression analysis, metabolomics, and proteomics--will be discussed, including future directions of necessary research. PMID- 17786453 TI - Oncologic outcome of 132 cases of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with intact specimen removal for T1-2N0M0 renal cell carcinoma. AB - We present the short and long-term oncologic outcome of 132 patients with pathologically confirmed T1-T2, N0M0 renal cell carcinoma (RCC), who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy with intact specimen removal at our institution. Beginning January 1998, we prospectively collected data of 132 patients undergoing laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, whose final pathologic stage was T1 or T2, N0M0, RCC. The clinical data of three groups categorized as group (pT1a)- 36 patients, group (pT1b)--51 patients and group (pT2)--45 patients were analyzed statistically to assess oncological outcome. The specimens were removed intact without morcellation in all patients in a homemade plastic bag. The total median follow-up was 56 months (range 3-80 months) and there were no local or port-site recurrences or hernia. Patients with pT2 tumors had significantly greater operating time, blood loss and analgesic requirements than pT1a/pT1b tumor patients. The distant metastases were found in 1, 4 and 5 patients in group pT1a, pT1b and pT2, respectively. The 5-year cancer-specific survival was 97.2, 86.3 and 82.2%, respectively, in pT1a, pT1b and pT2 tumor patients (significantly lower in pT2 than pT1a, P = 0.008). The 5-year recurrence-free survival was 97.2, 84.3 and 82.2%, respectively, in pT1a, pT1b and pT2 tumor patients (significantly lower in pT2 than pT1a, P = 0.02). Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (retroperitoneal and transperitoneal route) with intact specimen removal for localized renal cell carcinoma (T1-2N0M0) provides satisfactory short and long term oncologic efficacy. PMID- 17786454 TI - [Intracameral application of corticosteroids for treating severe endothelial rejection after penetrating keratoplasty]. AB - Immune reaction is the main cause for graft failure following penetrating keratoplasty. Endothelial immune reaction is the most frequent and most dangerous subtype of rejection because destruction of the graft endothelium can lead to graft failure. "Acute" endothelial rejection is treated by administration of topical and systemic steroids. Intracameral application of corticosteroids by means of an anterior chamber flush is an adjunctive measure that can stop the immune reaction immediately. This measure is thus recommended in all intermediate and severe endothelial rejections. PMID- 17786455 TI - Craniopharyngiomas in children: recurrence, reoperation and outcome. AB - INTRODUCTION: Craniopharyngioma bears a high rate of recurrence and morbidity in childhood. Although the outcome after recurrence and reoperation is an important parameter for the long-term evaluation of craniopharyngioma, it is poorly documented in literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied children reoperated for recurrent craniopharyngioma in our institution since the advent of computed tomography (CT) scanner. Reoperation for tumor resection was decided whenever the recurrence was solid, with the aim total resection if possible and reasonable. Stereotactic techniques were used in case of cystic recurrence, and external irradiation was used only in case of recurrent tumor not amenable to surgery. RESULTS: From September 1981 to January 2007, we performed one or more reoperations in 20 children presenting with recurrent craniopharyngiomas. The total number of reoperations was 29: resection was total in 12 cases, near-total in 8 cases, partial in 8 cases, and undocumented in 1. In addition, stereotactic procedures were performed in 11 cases, and 5 patients underwent external irradiation. DISCUSSION: No patient died after surgery or because of tumor progression; one patient died abruptly of an undiagnosed cause during external irradiation. The event-free survival after reoperation was 49.9% at 5 years and 40.0% at 10 years. At last control, after a mean follow-up of 70.4 months after the last surgery, nine patients were tumor-free and ten had stable disease. CONCLUSION: Reoperation for recurrent craniopharyngioma is an efficient method for tumor control and should be proposed whenever the recurrent tumor is solid. Morbidity results above all from tumor aggressiveness, rather than from surgical damage. PMID- 17786456 TI - Tauopathy models and human neuropathology: similarities and differences. AB - Much of our current understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms in human neurodegenerative disorders has been derived from animal studies. As such, transgenic mouse models have significantly contributed to the development of novel pathogenic concepts underlying human tauopathies, a group of diseases comprising various forms of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration, argyrophilic grain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Pick's disease as well as hereditary fronto-temporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Here, we will review in vivo models of human tauopathies with particular preference to transgenic mouse models. Strengths and limitations of these models in recapitulating the complex pathogenesis of tauopathies will be discussed. PMID- 17786457 TI - CAG repeat disorder models and human neuropathology: similarities and differences. AB - CAG repeat diseases are hereditary neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion of a polyglutamine tract in each respective disease protein. They include at least nine disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD), dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and the spinocerebellar ataxias SCA1, SCA2, SCA3 (also known as Machado Joseph disease), SCA6, SCA7, and SCA17. It is thought that a gain of toxic function resulting from the protein mutation plays important and common roles in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Recent studies have disclosed that, in addition to the presence of clinical phenotypes and conventional neuropathology in each disease, human brains affected by CAG repeat diseases share several polyglutamine-related changes in their neuronal nuclei and cytoplasm including the formation of intranuclear inclusions. Although these novel pathologic changes also show a distribution pattern characteristic to each disease, they are generally present beyond the lesion distribution of neuronal loss, suggesting that neurons are affected much more widely than has been recognized previously. Various mouse models of CAG repeat diseases have revealed that CAG repeat lengths, which are responsible for polyglutamine diseases in humans, are not sufficient for creating the conditions characteristic of each disease in mice. Although high expression of mutant proteins in mice results in the successful generation of polyglutamine-related changes in the brain, there are still some differences from human pathology in the lesion distribution or cell types that are affected. In addition, no model has yet successfully reproduced the specific neuronal loss observed in humans. Although there are no models that fully represent the neuropathologic changes present in humans, the data obtained have provided evidence that clinical onset is not clearly associated with neuronal cell death, but depends on intranuclear accumulation of mutant proteins in neurons. PMID- 17786459 TI - A novel congenital ichthyosiform syndrome with associated panhypopituitarism, corneal opacities and mental retardation. AB - A 15-year-old male presented with ichthyosis since infancy with panhypopituitarism, short stature and knock-knees, delayed puberty, high scrotal retractile testes, mental retardation and corneal opacities. He developed recurrent tinea capitis and tinea corporis. The clinical symptomatology indicates that this case cannot be considered as a subtype of inherited ichthyosis group, but suggests a new syndrome as a separate nosologic entity. Two previously reported cases with possibly the same syndrome also had ichthyosis associated with variable endocrinopathy. Thorough endocrinological evaluation and appropriate intervention in patients of ichthyosis with short stature may reduce the morbidity associated with retarded skeletal growth and gonadal maturation. PMID- 17786458 TI - TDP-43-immunoreactive neuronal and glial inclusions in the neostriatum in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with and without dementia. AB - TDP-43 is a major component of ubiquitin-positive, tau-negative inclusions in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. We immunohistochemically examined the neostriatum from 14 cases of classic ALS (cALS), six cases of ALS with dementia (ALS-D), and 20 control subjects. TDP-43 positive, crescent or circular inclusions were found in neostriatal small neurons in 19 of 20 cases of ALS, but not in controls. Two types of inclusions were found in the large neurons: ubiquitin-positive, TDP-43-negative rod-like inclusions, and ubiquitin- and TDP-43-positive pleomorphic inclusions. The latter were specific to ALS; they were found in seven cases of cALS and in all of ALS-D. TDP 43-positive glial inclusions were also found in 12 cases of cALS and in all of ALS-D. These TDP-43-positive neuronal and glial inclusions were more numerous in ALS-D than cALS. In ALS-D, neuronal loss in the substantia nigra was found in all the cases, whereas mild gliosis without obvious neuronal loss was noted in the neostriaum in only two cases. These findings suggest that the neostriatum is also involved in the disease process of ALS with and without dementia. PMID- 17786460 TI - Case report: renal cell carcinoma presenting as hypertension in pregnancy. AB - Renal cell carcinoma is a rare, potentially fatal tumor that occasionally occurs during pregnancy. The probability of cure is directly related to the stage or degree of tumor dissemination. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment of this disease. A case of patient who was diagnosed with a renal mass in the second trimester of pregnancy is reported. She underwent left radical nephrectomy at 17 weeks' gestation. PMID- 17786461 TI - Placental morphometrical and histopathology changes in the different clinical presentations of hypertensive syndromes in pregnancy. AB - OBJECTIVE: Even though there are clinical studies emphasizing the diagnosis and the perinatal intercurrent diseases of the Hypertensive Syndromes in Pregnancy, few of these studies establish the clinical forms of the specific hypertensive syndromes with the associated morphological placental alterations. The lack of studies on placental morphology and the etiopathogenesis of the different clinical standards for HSP, together with the need to objectively characterize these morphological placental lesions justify this study. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was carried out with 91 placentas examined throughout the period from 2000 to 2003. All placentas from patients presenting HSP in this period were included in the study. These were classified according to features well established by the literature such as laboratory and clinical criteria into: gestational hypertension (GH), chronic hypertension (CH), pre-eclampsia (PE) and pre-eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension (PSCH). RESULTS: The number of knots presented a positive correlation with the length of time and severity of the hypertension during gestation (Spearman correlation: 0.253; P = 0.0158). The fibrin deposit was greater in all HSP groups but the pattern of distribution changes in the most severe cases from perivillous to intravillous as in the PSCH group (P = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in the area of the stem vessel walls among the groups. The cases with PE and CH presented a larger number of terminal villi vessels (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This report suggests, that although they could be different types of hypertension or an evaluation of the same disease, the final pathway that leads to microscopic lesions in the placenta is the same, with only different intensity due to the severity of the disease. PMID- 17786463 TI - Loading time of the centromeric histone H3 variant differs between plants and animals. PMID- 17786462 TI - Management of allergic fungal sinusitis with intracranial spread. AB - Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is a form of paranasal nasal disease if not managed early often involves bone destruction and extension into the orbit and anterior skull base. We present our study of patients with AFS with intracranial, exdradural extension. This study includes our experience of 26 patients with the histological and immunological diagnosis of AFS based on findings of branching septate fungi interspersed with eosinophilic mucin and Charcot-Leyden crystals without fungal invasion of soft tissue, with intracranial extension. All had erosion of bone, which was observed on computerized tomography (CT) scans, extending intracranially and eight had disease that additionally involved the lamina papyracea. The average age of patients in this study was 25 years (range 9 46). There were 20 male and 6 female patients. All patients were immunocompetent. Skin test against aspergillin showed all patients had Type 1 hypersensitivity. All patients underwent transnasal and/or transmaxillary endoscopic approaches for debridement and eight underwent orbital decompression. No patient underwent craniotomy for removal of intracranial extradural disease. No patient had a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Postoperatively, all 26 were treated with a course of corticosteroids. The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 5 years. We conclude AFS is a unique form of fungal disease that might mimic anterior skull base and paranasal sinus tumors. Most cases can be successfully managed with transnasal and/or transmaxillary endoscopic techniques. PMID- 17786464 TI - Sudden death due to subarachnoid bleeding from ecchordosis physaliphora. AB - Ecchordosis physaliphora (EP) is a rare intracranial mass derived from ectopic notochordal tissue. It is usually a fortuitous finding at autopsy or by computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Very few authors have described an EP associated symptomatology. In this study, we report a case of the sudden and unexpected death of a 48-year-old woman. At autopsy, the cause of death was subarachnoid bleeding, the origin of which was identified as a gelatinous mass stemming from the dura mater and occupying the prepontine space. Further histological and immunohistochemical investigations allowed the diagnosis of EP. PMID- 17786465 TI - The effect of thalidomide on vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury. AB - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effects of thalidomide treatment on the temporal course of TNF-alpha, VEGF production and the histopathological changes in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injured guinea pigs retina. METHODS: Control, ischemia, and thalidomide/ischemia groups including seven animals each were formed. Retinal ischemia was induced in male guinea pigs by cannulating anterior chambers and lifting the bottle to a height of 205 cm for 90 min in the ischemia and thalidomide/ischemia groups. The thalidomide/ischemia group received thalidomide (300 mg/kg/day) via nasogastric tube 24 h before ischemia and during 7 days of reperfusion. Guinea pigs were sacrificed for histopathological examination to evaluate the mean thickness of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) infiltration, and biochemical analysis of retinal VEGF and TNF-alpha levels by ELISA. RESULTS: The mean retinal VEGF and TNF-alpha levels of the control, ischemia, and thalidomide/ischemia groups were 10.22 +/- 2.58 and 270.41 +/- 69.77 pg/ml; 35.80 +/- 5.97 and 629.93 +/- 146.41 pg/ml; 19.01 +/- 3.01 and 340.93 +/- 158.26 pg/ml, respectively. The retinal VEGF levels were significantly higher in I/R injured groups. The thalidomide/ischemia group retinal VEGF level was significantly lower versus the ischemia group. The retinal TNF-alpha levels were significantly elevated in the ischemia group, but no difference was observed between the thalidomide/ischemia and control groups. Also, the retinal TNF-alpha level was significantly lower in the thalidomide/ischemia group versus the ischemia group. The mean thickness of IPL and PMNL infiltration showed no difference between the control and thalidomide/ischemia groups. However, there was a significant difference between the control and ischemia groups. CONCLUSION: Thalidomide treatment decreases PMNL infiltration, retinal edema, VEGF, and TNF-alpha synthesis following I/R injury to the guinea pig retina. PMID- 17786466 TI - Intravitreal bevacizumab as initial treatment for choroidal neovascularization associated with presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome. AB - PURPOSE: To report a case of juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization in a patient with presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS) who was treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) as initial treatment. METHODS: A 23-year-old woman with POHS presented with sudden dimness of vision and metamorphopsia in the right eye. The patient was examined with ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: Fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and OCT of the right eye revealed a juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization. Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab was performed with a postoperative improvement of visual acuity and resolution of the distortion. CONCLUSIONS: This case report describes a case of juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization associated with POHS that responded remarkably well to intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. PMID- 17786467 TI - Occupational toxicant inhalation injury: the World Trade Center (WTC) experience. AB - OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: Clinical descriptive data is presented on a group of 554 former workers and volunteers (with more than 90 different occupations) at the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site. A subsample of 168 workers (30% of the group) was selected to examine lower airway disease risk in relation to smoking and WTC exposure variables. RESULTS: Five diagnostic categories clearly predominate: upper airway disease (78.5%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (57.6%), lower airway disease (48.9%), psychological (41.9%) and chronic musculoskeletal illnesses (17.8%). The most frequent pattern of presentation was a combination of the first three of those categories (29.8%). Associations were found between arrival at the WTC site within the first 48 h of the terrorist attack and lower airway and gastroesophageal reflux disease, and between past or present cigarette smoking and lower airway disease. CONCLUSION: Occupational exposures at the WTC remain consistently associated with a disease profile, which includes five major diagnostic categories. These conditions often coexist in different combinations, which (as expected) mutually enhances their clinical expression, complicates medical management, and slows recovery. Cigarette smoking and early arrival at the WTC site appear to be risk factors for lower airway disease diagnosis. PMID- 17786469 TI - Flat DIN 1 (flat epithelial atypia) on core needle biopsy: 63 cases identified retrospectively among 1,751 core biopsies performed over an 8-year period (1992 1999). AB - Uniform management of flat DIN 1 (flat epithelial atypia) on core needle biopsy (CNB) concerning surgical excision or clinical follow-up are lacking. In a retrospective review of 1,751 CNB over an 8-year period, we found 63 cases with flat DIN 1 as the most advanced lesion; follow-up was available in 55 cases. Of the 63 patients, 24 had a subsequent biopsy for 15 days to 10 years after the initial CNB, an infiltrating carcinoma was found in nine (14.3%) patients, seven (11.1%) in the ipsilateral, and two (3.2%) in the contralateral breast. Five underwent an excisional biopsy of the ipsilateral breast within less than 3 months of the initial CNB; none had either an invasive or intraepithelial carcinoma. Based on our findings, we consider flat DIN 1 a marker of slightly increased risk for subsequent development of invasive breast carcinoma. When flat DIN 1 is found on CNB as the most advanced lesion after mammographic correlation, an excisional biopsy is not mandatory; however, close follow-up is advised with repeat mammograms for early detection of any clinically occult carcinoma in the vicinity of flat DIN 1 that may have been missed by the CNB. PMID- 17786468 TI - Cold responsive EARLI1 type HyPRPs improve freezing survival of yeast cells and form higher order complexes in plants. AB - Plants have large families of proteins sharing a conserved eight-cysteine-motif (8CM) domain. The biological functions of these proteins are largely unknown. EARLI1 is a cold responsive Arabidopsis gene that encodes a hybrid proline-rich protein (HyPRP) with a three-domain architecture: a putative signal peptide at the N-terminus, a proline-rich domain (PRD) in the middle, and an 8CM domain at the C-terminus. We report here that yeast cells expressing different EARLI1 genes had significantly higher rates of freezing survival than empty-vector transformed controls. Arabidopsis plants with knocked down EARLI1 genes had an increased tendency for freezing-induced cellular damage. EARLI1-GFP fluorescence in transgenic plants and immunoblot analyses using protoplasts suggested cell wall localization for EARLI1 proteins. Immunoblot analyses showed that EARLI1 proteins form higher order complexes in plants, and that the PRD is a soluble and the 8CM an insoluble protein domain. We propose that EARLI1 proteins have a bimodular architecture in which the PRD may interact with the cell wall and the 8CM domain with the plasma membrane to protect the cells during freezing stress. PMID- 17786471 TI - Hemorrhagic pulmonary oxalosis secondary to a noninvasive Aspergillus niger fungus ball. AB - We report a case of hemorrhagic pulmonary oxalosis secondary to a noninvasive Aspergillus niger fungus ball. A patient with cavitary lung disease and hemoptysis developed progressive lung infiltrates and intractable metabolic acidosis leading to death. At autopsy, aspergillomas were identified in both the right upper and middle lobes surrounded by a large rim of necrotic and hemorrhagic parenchyma. Microscopic examination showed extensive crystal deposition and vascular thrombosis. Fungal growth was limited to the intraluminal mycelia, and no tissue or blood vessel invasion was present. Remote crystal deposits were also localized in the absence of fungal organisms to the contralateral lung and to the tubules of both kidneys. The crystals were birefringent in polarized light and stained with colloidal iron. X-ray powder diffractometry and electron impact ionization mass spectrometry identified the crystals as calcium oxalate monohydrate. Furthermore, non-necrotizing granulomatous lesions were identified in the lungs, liver, and spleen, consistent with sarcoidosis, and may have predisposed this patient to developing pulmonary aspergillomas. PMID- 17786470 TI - Expression and distribution of MUC18 in human uveal melanoma. AB - The immunoglobulin superfamily protein MUC18 is involved in transendothelial migration and signal transduction, and is expressed in malignancies including cutaneous melanoma. Recent in vitro studies showed evidence of increased MUC18 protein in some uveal melanoma cell lines with an increased potential for invasion. We assessed seven uveal and three metastasis-derived melanoma cell lines for the expression of MUC18 mRNA and protein by RT-PCR, and immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry, respectively. We also examined the expression and distribution of MUC18 in paraffin sections of primary uveal melanomas (n = 23; 5/23 spindle; 18/23 mixed and epithelioid) and normal eyes (n = 3) using a polyclonal goat anti-human antibody to MUC18 visualized with peroxidase and Vector NovaRED. Distribution and intensity of immunostaining was graded semi quantitatively (grade 0 to 3) by 2 independent observers. All cell lines expressed MUC18 mRNA and protein ( approximately 130 kDa), and showed punctate cell membrane MUC18 immunostaining. Primary melanomas displayed heterogeneous cell membrane and cytoplasmic MUC18, with moderate to strong immunolabelling (> or =grade 2) in approximately 70% of tumours. Vasculature in tumours and in retina and choroid of all melanoma-affected and normal eyes showed intense MUC18 immunostaining. These observations further suggest a role for MUC18 in uveal melanoma growth; moreover, interactions between MUC18-positive melanoma cells and vasculature may be important for the hematogenous spread of cells during metastases. PMID- 17786473 TI - Tubulocystic carcinoma of the kidney: a new entity among renal tumors. AB - Tubulocystic carcinoma is a tumor entity, which is not yet included in the WHO classification of renal tumors. We report a series of 11 cases of this tumor, 6 of which were examined in by immunohistochemistry using a panel of five antibodies (CK7, CK34betaE12, CK19, CD10 and P504S). All patients were men. Each had renal tumor stage of pT1N0M0, with a diameter of 1.7 to 7 cm (mean, 3.3 cm). None of the patients presented with recurrence or metastases. Grossly, tumors were microcystic masses with a bubble-wrap appearance. Histological features included cysts and small tubules, separated by delicate septa and lined by flat to columnar or hobnail cells. The cyst and tubule epithelium showed immunohistochemical characteristics of both proximal and distal tubules. Tubulocystic carcinoma is a distinctive kidney tumor, with noteworthy macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, which can be distinguished from other cystic kidney tumors, including cystic nephroma, multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma and some solid tumors with extensive cystic changes. More cases are needed to ascertain its prognosis. Tubulocystic carcinoma should be considered as a new subtype of renal cell carcinoma in the next revision of the WHO classification. PMID- 17786472 TI - Supplemental utility of nested PCR for the pathological diagnosis of disseminated trichosporonosis. AB - Disseminated trichosporonosis is known to be a severe opportunistic mycosis and has a high mortality rate. In autopsy cases, it is often difficult to diagnose as trichosporonosis because the causative Trichosporon species are pathologically similar to other fungi, especially the Candida species. Immunohistochemical analysis is essential for the differential diagnosis, but an antibody to Trichosporon is not available commercially. In the present study, we investigated the supplemental utility of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the pathological diagnosis of trichosporonosis from formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissues. Total DNA was purified from 30 major organs in three autopsy cases, and Trichosporon DNA was specifically amplified by nested PCR using three sets of primers. Of 22 organs in which Grocott's stain was positive for fungal infection, 170- and 259-bp PCR products were detected in 20 (91%) and 12 (55%) organs, respectively. In short-term fixation (about 1 day), these bands were highly detected in ten (100%) and nine (90%) organs, whereas the detection efficiency tended to decrease after long-term fixation and decalcification. No PCR product of 412 bp was detected in any organs. These findings suggest that nested PCR from short-term-fixed tissues is useful for supportive pathological diagnosis of disseminated trichosporonosis. PMID- 17786474 TI - Ezrin and alpha-smooth muscle actin are immunohistochemical prognostic markers in conventional osteosarcomas. AB - Ezrin is a cytoskeleton linker protein that is actively involved in the metastatic process of cancer cells. We have searched for a prognostic value of ezrin and some of its partners: alpha-smooth muscle actin and CD44H in 37 patients with an osteosarcoma. Automate immunohistochemistry (IHC) with anti ezrin, alpha-smooth muscle actin and CD44H antibodies was performed in 66 specimens: 37 biopsies before chemotherapy, 16 resected tumours of "poor" responders and 13 metastases. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of ezrin of 13 frozen biopsies and 4 metastases were evaluated by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All results were correlated to the following clinical data. Ezrin expression by IHC was found in 62% of 37 biopsies in the different histological subtypes. A good correlation was found between positive or negative samples by IHC and mRNA levels. Ezrin expression was recorded in 84.5% of metastastic samples. The mean expression of ezrin was higher in metastases than biopsies (p = 0.024). In multivariate analysis, ezrin was an independent prognostic marker for event-free survival and overall survival (OS) with p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively, and alpha-smooth muscle actin for OS only (p = 0.024). Our findings suggest that ezrin and alpha-smooth muscle actin are predictive IHC prognostic markers for patients with an osteosarcoma. PMID- 17786475 TI - Acute epididymitis in Greek children: a 3-year retrospective study. AB - The aim of the study was to compare historical features, physical examination findings, and testicular color Doppler ultrasound in pediatric patients with epididymitis compared to testicular torsion and torsion of the appendix testes. A retrospective review of the medical records of 66 boys presenting with clinical aspects of acute scrotum over a 3-year period was performed. Sixty-six patients were included in the study (29 with epididymitis, 8 with testicular torsion and 12 with torsion of the appendix testis, 4 with scrotal abscesses, 5 with scrotal swelling, and 1 with inflamed epididymal cyst). The duration of symptoms ranged from 6 h to 4 days with a peak on the second day. Urine cultures and viral testes were negative in all patients. Color Doppler ultrasound was diagnostic for epididymitis in 28 patients (96.6%). Systemic intravenous antibiotics were given in all 29 patients with epididymitis. No patient showed signs of testicular atrophy in the follow-up. The increasing incidence of epididymitis should question the policy of routine exploration of the acute scrotum in children. The history and physical examination cannot reliably identify those boys who can be managed conservatively. Color Doppler ultrasound is a useful adjunct in the evaluation of the acute scrotum when physical findings are equivocal but it can also be misleading. PMID- 17786476 TI - Cytokeratin 17 mRNA expression has potential for diagnostic marker of oral squamous cell carcinoma. AB - PURPOSE: Determination of marker for identification of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is important for early diagnosis and individual therapy. Cytokeratins (CKs) like CK 19 and CK 20 are known to be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for solid tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of further CKs for diagnosis of OSCC. MATERIALS: In 10 OSCC and 5 normal mucosal samples, the expression patterns of 31 CK genes were examined by cDNA microarray in order to identify CKs with most pronounced over-expression. The results were verified for CK 17, CK 19, and CK 20 in addition to 46 OSCC samples by relative quantification (RQ) using SYBR green real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT qPCR). A correlation of the CK expressions with the tumor classification was carried out. RESULTS: cDNA microarray analyses showed that out of all CKs, CK 17 was up-regulated strongest in OSCC compared to normal samples, and over-expression was most significantly associated with diagnosis (P = 0.002). Expression rates of CK 19 and CK 20 were not significantly different between OSCC samples and normal samples. In 56 samples analyzed by real-time RT qPCR, CK 17 was over-expressed in 53 (94.6%), CK 19 in 18 (32.1%), and CK 20 in 7 (12.5%). The over-expression of CK 17 was significantly associated with metastases of neck lymph nodes (P < 0.05). CK 19 was significantly over-expressed in T3 and T4 OSCC, in stage III and IV patients (P < 0.05), and in poorly differentiated OSCC (P < 0.03). The over-expression of CK 20 was significantly associated with metastases of neck lymph nodes (P < 0.03). Determined by RQ, the mean value of CK 17 over-expression was significantly higher than that of the other CKs (P < 0.01), and was significantly associated with T1 and T2 OSCC (P < 0.03) and with stage I and II patients (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CK 19 might be linked to the clinical progression and differentiation of OSCC, and CK 20 could be associated with metastases of neck lymph nodes in OSCC. Due to the significant up-regulation and the strong over expression, CK 17 might be the most suitable marker for diagnosis of OSCC out of the CK-family. PMID- 17786477 TI - Identifying altered gene expression in neuroblastoma cells preceding apoptosis. AB - PURPOSE: Concomitant differentiation and partial inhibition of proteasome trigger cell death in a neuroblastoma cell line (NBP2). Neither induction of differentiation nor partial inhibition of proteasome alone affects the viability of NBP2 cells. We wanted to identify genes whose expression alters under concomitant conditions and may account for cell death. METHODS: We used gel electrophoresis to analyze total genomic DNA for the detection of DNA fragmentation. Affymetrix Murine Genome U74A version 2 microarray was used to screen for approximately 6,000 functionally characterized genes and approximately 6,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Real time PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to provide an accurate assessment of changes in gene expression. RESULTS: Concomitant differentiation and partial inhibition of proteasome trigger apoptosis, characterized by genomic DNA fragmentation in NBP2 cells. We found that the expression of 41 genes changed 2.5-fold or more primarily under concomitant conditions midway through apoptosis. Based on real time PCR, the expression of galectin-3, glycosylated 96, a leucine zipper protein (LRG-21), and endothelial cell activated protein C receptor (EPCR) increased between 50-500 fold, whereas the expression of Polo serine/threonine kinase, N-myc, and Histone H2A.1 decreased ranging from 8 to 37 fold. Altered expression of galectin-3, EPCR, and LRG-21 was detected as early as 2-8 h post simultaneous conditions. CONCLUSION: We identified new genes that might be involved in apoptotic events in neuroblastoma cells. PMID- 17786478 TI - Surface fine topography and PCR-based determination of metacercaria of Paragonimus sp. from edible crabs in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. AB - In several mountainous regions of Northeastern India, foci of Paragonimus infection reportedly involving species that are known to prevail in China have been identified. The present study was undertaken to demonstrate the surface fine topography and sequence analysis of the ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA; second internal transcribed spacer, ITS2) of the metacercarial stages of the lung fluke collected from a mountain stream of the area (Miao, Changlang District in Arunachal Pradesh). The encysted metacercariae were oval in shape and had a smooth surface. The newly excysted metacercaria had a ventral sucker larger than the oral; the body surface was covered with numerous single-pointed and thorn like tegumentary spines, of which those on the anterior part of the body were bigger in size and showed a gradual reduction in length and number towards the posterior end; dome-shaped papillae in variable numbers were seen around the rim of the oral sucker and were sparsely distributed all over the body surface. The polymerase chain reaction-amplified rDNA ITS2 sequences of the metacercariae were aligned with known sequences for the various species of Paragonimus, and the expectation value was found to be most significant with P. westermani, revealing an absolute match. The surface topography including the number and distribution of papillae and spination patterns and the ITS2 sequences of the metacercariae strongly suggest that the Paragonimus species, prevalent in the region of India, is in fact P. westermani. PMID- 17786479 TI - Distribution dynamics of the Tnt1 retrotransposon in tobacco. AB - Retrotransposons contribute significantly to the size, organization and genetic diversity of plant genomes. Although many retrotransposon families have been reported in plants, to this day, the tobacco Tnt1 retrotransposon remains one of the few elements for which active transposition has been shown. Demonstration that Tnt1 activation can be induced by stress has lent support to the hypothesis that, under adverse conditions, transposition can be an important source of genetic variability. Here, we compared the insertion site preference of a collection of newly transposed and pre-existing Tnt1 copies identified in plants regenerated from protoplasts or tissue culture. We find that newly transposed Tnt1 copies are targeted within or close to host gene coding sequences and that the distribution of pre-existing insertions does not vary significantly from this trend. Therefore, in spite of their potential to disrupt neighboring genes, insertions within or near CDS are not preferentially removed with age. Elimination of Tnt1 insertions within or near coding sequences may be relaxed due to the polyploid nature of the tobacco genome. Tnt1 insertions within or near CDS are thus better tolerated and can putatively contribute to the diversification of tobacco gene function. PMID- 17786480 TI - Radiation effects on neural precursor cells in the dentate gyrus. AB - Ionizing irradiation is an effective treatment for intracranial tumors but is limited by the potential adverse effects induced in surrounding normal brain. These effects can include cognitive impairments, and whereas the pathogenesis of such injury has not yet been definitively established, it may involve injury to the neurogenic cell population that exists in the dentate subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus. Understanding the issues surrounding this topic could have a major impact in the management of specific sequelae associated with cranial irradiation. Although radiation is now becoming a useful tool in investigations into the biology of neurogenesis, the perspective of this review is directed more toward the potential relevance of studying radiation and the stem/precursor cell response. PMID- 17786481 TI - Tight junction formation in early Xenopus laevis embryos: identification and ultrastructural characterization of junctional crests and junctional vesicles. AB - How tight junctions (TJ) form during early amphibian embryogenesis is still an open question. We used time-lapse video microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TEM and freeze-fracture to gain new insight into TJ biogenesis in early clevages of Xenopus laevis. Video analysis suggests three phases in junction formation between blastomeres. A first "waiting" phase, where new unpigmented lateral membranes are generated. A second "mixing" phase, where the unpigmented lateral membrane is separated from the pigmented apical membrane by an area showing a limited degree of intermingling of cortical pigment. And a third "sealing" phase, characterized by the formation of cingulin-containing boundaries between membrane domains, and their rapid directional adhesion in a zipper-like fashion. By SEM, we characterized these boundaries ("junctional crests", JC) as arrays of villiform protrusions at the border between old and new membranes. In the 2-cell embryo, JC are deeply located, and thus not visible at the surface, but they become increasingly more superficial as cleavages progress. After adjacent blastomeres have adhered to each other, fractured JC display linear arrays of junctional vesicles (JV) of 1-3 mum diameter. TEM analysis shows that JV are symmetrically located near the apposed membranes of adjacent blastomeres, and that the membranes near the JV display focal sites of intimate contact, typical of TJ. Freeze-fracture analysis confirms that intramembrane fibrils, typical of TJ, are present at adhesion sites. We conclude that TJ are formed following the sealing of JC, through the recruitment, sorting and assembly of membrane and cytoplasmic proteins at or near JV. PMID- 17786482 TI - Putative circadian pacemaker cells in the antenna of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. AB - Antennal sensory neurons in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster express circadian rhythms in the clock gene PERIOD (PER) and appear to be sufficient and necessary for circadian rhythms in olfactory responses. Given recent evidence for daily rhythms of pheromone responses in the antenna of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta, we examined whether a peripheral PER-based circadian clock might be present in this species. Several different cell types in the moth antenna were recognized by monoclonal antibodies against Manduca sexta PER. In addition to PER like staining of pheromone-sensitive olfactory receptor neurons and supporting cells, immunoreactivity was detected in beaded branches contacting the pheromone sensitive sensilla. The nuclei of apparently all sensory receptor neurons, of sensilla supporting cells, of epithelial cells, and of antennal nerve glial cells were PER-immunoreactive. Expression of per mRNA in antennae was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction, which showed stronger expression at Zeitgeber-time 15 compared with Zeitgeber-time 3. This evidence for the expression of per gene products suggests that the antenna of the hawkmoth contains endogenous circadian clocks. PMID- 17786483 TI - Cells in the astroglial lineage are neural stem cells. AB - A common assumption of classical neuroscience was that neurons and glial cells were derived from separate pools of progenitor cells and that, once development was completed, no new neurons were produced. The subsequent disproving of the "no new neuron" dogma suggested that ongoing adult neurogenesis was supported by a population of multipotent neural stem cells. Two germinal regions within the adult mammalian brain were shown to contain neural progenitor cells: the subventricular zone (SVZ) along the walls of the lateral ventricles, and the subgranular zone (SGZ) within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Surprisingly, when the primary progenitors (stem cells) of the new neurons in these regions were identified, they exhibited structural and biological markers of astrocytes. The architecture of these germinal regions and the pattern of division of neural stem cells have raised fundamental questions about the mechanism of adult neurogenesis. This review describes studies on the origin of adult neural stem cells, the features distinguishing them from astrocytes in non-germinal regions, and the control mechanisms of the proliferation and differentiation of these cells. Astrocytic adult neural stem cells are part of a developmental lineage extending from the neuroepithelium to radial glia to germinal astrocytes. Adult neural stem cells appear to be strongly influenced by their local microenvironment, while also contributing significantly to the architecture of these germinal zones. However, environment alone does not seem to be sufficient to induce non-germinal astrocytes to behave as neural stem cells. Although emerging evidence suggests that significant heterogeneity exists within populations of germinal zone astrocytes, the way that these differences are encoded remains unclear. The further characterization of these cells should eventually provide a body of knowledge central to the understanding of brain development and disease. PMID- 17786484 TI - Intraspecific variation in group size in the blackbuck antelope: the roles of habitat structure and forage at different spatial scales. AB - The main ecological factors that are hypothesized to explain the striking variation in the size of social groups among large herbivores are habitat structure, predation, and forage abundance and distribution; however, their relative roles in wild populations are not well understood. I combined analyses of ecological correlates of spatial variation in group size with analyses of individual behaviour in groups of different sizes to investigate factors maintaining variation in group size in an Indian antelope, the blackbuck Antilope cervicapra. I measured group size, habitat structure, forage, and the occurrence of predators in ten blackbuck populations, and, at a smaller spatial scale, within an intensively studied population. To examine the processes by which these ecological factors influence group size, I used behavioural observations and an experiment to estimate the shape of the relationship between group size and potential costs and benefits to individuals. Group size varied extensively both among and within populations. Analyses of spatial variation in group size suggested that both forage and habitat structure influence group size: large scale, among-population variation in group size was primarily related to habitat structure, while small-scale, within-population variation was most closely related to forage abundance. Analyses of individual behaviour suggested that larger groups incur greater travel costs while foraging. However, individuals in larger groups appeared to experience greater benefits, namely the earlier detection of a "predator", a reduction in vigilance, and an increase in the time spent feeding. Overall, these findings suggest that individuals in groups experience a trade-off between predation-related benefits and costs arising from feeding competition. Habitat structure and forage likely influence the nature of this trade-off; thus, variation in these ecological factors may maintain variation in group size. The role of predation pressure and other factors in explaining the remaining variation needs further exploration. PMID- 17786485 TI - Water salinity effects on performance and rumen parameters of lactating grazing Holstein cows. AB - Eighteen multiparous lactating grazing Holstein cows, 9 ruminally cannulated, average 136.1 +/- 14.6 days in milk, were randomly assigned to three treatments consisting of water containing different levels of total dissolved solids (TDS; mg/l): Treatment 1 = 1,000; Treatment 2 = 5,000 and Treatment 3 = 10,000, at the Experimental Dairy Unit at Rafaela Experimental Station (31 degrees 11'S latitude) during summer 2005. Animals were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three 28-day experimental periods, with 3 weeks for water adaptation and 1 week for measurements. Feed and water intake, milk production and composition, body weight and condition score and rumen parameters were evaluated. No treatment effects were observed in any of the variables evaluated, with the exception of water intake, which was higher for animals receiving 10,000 mg/l TDS in the drinking water (189 l/day vs. 106 and 122 l/day for cows receiving water with 1,000 and 5,000 mg/l TDS, respectively). Water intake was significantly higher for animals in treatment 10,000 (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the rumen presents a surprising buffer capacity and that consideration of TDS alone is insufficient to characterize drinking water quality. PMID- 17786486 TI - Kinematic and temporal interactions of the lumbar spine and hip during trunk extension in healthy male subjects. AB - Kinematic properties of trunk extension are considered sensitive differentiators of movement between asymptomatic and low back pain subjects. The aim of this study was to quantify the continuous interaction of the hip and lumbar spine kinematics and temporal characteristics as a function of direction during the task of trunk bending backwards and returning to the upright position in healthy young subjects. The sagittal hip and lumbar spine kinematics during the extension task were examined in 18 healthy male subjects. Five trials of trunk extension were recorded for each subject and paired t-tests were then used to determine significant differences (P < 0.05) between the mean lumbar and the hip time normalized kinematic and temporal variables. The data from the full cycle of trunk extension was analyzed with respect to movement initiation, time to reach peak velocity and peak angular displacement during the full cycle of trunk extension. Three distinct phases of movements were identified based on the continuous movement trajectories of velocity and angular displacement in the lumbar spine and hip; that of extension, return and, a terminal overcorrection phase. There were significant differences identified in the respective mean peak angular velocities of the lumbar spine (21.7 +/- 8.6, 37.0 +/- 14.7, 8.3 +/- 5.0 deg/s) when compared with those of hip (14.6 +/- 6.1, 21.7 +/- 8.5, 5.4 +/- 3.5 deg/s) in each of these three phases. The lumbar spine initiated the movement of trunk extension when bending backwards and returning to the upright position significantly early than that of the hip. These results highlight that in normal healthy adults there is the tendency for the lumbar spine to dominate over the hip during the task of backward trunk bending in terms of the amount and velocity of movement. At the end of extension the kinematics of the lumbar spine and hip kinematic are characterized by a terminal overcorrection phase marking the completion of the movement. PMID- 17786487 TI - A phenotypic comparison of intervertebral disc and articular cartilage cells in the rat. AB - The basic molecular characteristics of intervertebral disc cells are still poorly defined. This study compared the phenotypes of nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF) and articular cartilage (AC) cells using rat coccygeal discs and AC from both young and aged animals and a combination of microarray, real-time RT PCR and immunohistochemistry. Microarray analysis identified 63 genes with at least a fivefold difference in fluorescence intensity between the NP and AF cells and 41 genes with a fivefold or greater difference comparing NP cells and articular chondrocytes. In young rats, the relative mRNA levels, assessed by real time RT-PCR, of annexin A3, glypican 3 (gpc3), keratin 19 (k19) and pleiotrophin (ptn) were significantly higher in NP compared to AF and AC samples. Furthermore, vimentin (vim) mRNA was higher in NP versus AC, and expression levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (comp) and matrix gla protein (mgp) were lower in NP versus AC. Higher NP levels of comp and mgp mRNA and higher AF levels of gpc3, k19, mgp and ptn mRNA were found in aged compared to young tissue. However, the large differences between NP and AC expression of gpc3 and k19 were obvious even in the aged animals. Furthermore, the differences in expression levels of gpc3 and k19 were also evident at the protein level, with intense immunostaining for both proteins in NP and non-existent immunoreaction in AF and AC. Future studies using different species are required to evaluate whether the expression of these molecules can be used to characterize NP cells and distinguish them from other chondrocyte-like cells. PMID- 17786489 TI - Molecular dynamics studies on HIV-1 protease: a comparison of the flap motions between wild type protease and the M46I/G51D double mutant. AB - The emergence of drug-resistant mutants of HIV-1 is a tragic effect associated with conventional long-treatment therapies against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These mutations frequently involve the aspartic protease encoded by the virus; knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the conformational changes of HIV-1 protease mutants may be useful in developing more effective and longer lasting treatment regimes. The flap regions of the protease are the target of a particular type of mutations occurring far from the active site. These mutations modify the affinity for both substrate and ligands, thus conferring resistance. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on a native wild type HIV-1 protease and on the drug-resistant M46I/G51D double mutant. The simulation was carried out for a time of 3.5 ns using the GROMOS96 force field, with implementation of the SPC216 explicit solvation model. The results show that the flaps may exist in an ensemble of conformations between a "closed" and an "open" conformation. The behaviour of the flap tips during simulations is different between the native enzyme and the mutant. The mutation pattern leads to stabilization of the flaps in a semi-open configuration. PMID- 17786488 TI - End-stacking of copper cationic porphyrins on parallel-stranded guanine quadruplexes. AB - Nucleic acids that contain multiple sequential guanines assemble into guanine quadruplexes (G-quadruplexes). Drugs that induce or stabilize G-quadruplexes are of interest because of their potential use as therapeutics. Previously, we reported on the interaction of the Cu(2+) derivative of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1 methyl-4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (CuTMpyP4), with the parallel-stranded G quadruplexes formed by d(T(4)G( n )T(4)) (n = 4 or 8) (Keating and Szalai in Biochemistry 43:15891-15900, 2004). Here we present further characterization of this system using a series of guanine-rich oligonucleotides: d(T(4)G( n )T(4)) (n = 5-10). Absorption titrations of CuTMpyP4 with all d(T(4)G( n )G(4)) quadruplexes produce approximately the same bathochromicity (8.3 +/- 2 nm) and hypochromicity (46.2-48.6%) of the porphyrin Soret band. Induced emission spectra of CuTMpyP4 with d(T(4)G( n )T(4))(4) quadruplexes indicate that the porphyrin is protected from solvent. Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry revealed a maximum porphyrin to quadruplex stoichiometry of 2:1 for the shortest (n = 4) and longest (n = 10) quadruplexes. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy shows that bound CuTMpyP4 occupies magnetically noninteracting sites on the quadruplexes. Consistent with our previous model for d(T(4)G(4)T(4)), we propose that two CuTMpyP4 molecules are externally stacked at each end of the run of guanines in all d(T(4)G( n )T(4)) (n = 4-10) quadruplexes. PMID- 17786490 TI - [Evaluation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treatment of patients with osteomyelitis of the mandible]. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic osteomyelitis of the jaw is a relapsing disease with multiple treatment strategies described in the literature. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of them. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in these patients. METHOD: All patients with a chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible who received in our department hyperbaric oxygen therapy between 2000 and 2004 were included in this study. The clinical outcome (lack of symptoms e.g. pain, swelling, etc.) was the pivotal evaluation parameter. All patients were divided in three groups according to their medical history. Group 1: All patients with osteomyelitis of the mandible, who received no treatment before. Group 2: All patients with one local relapse, who received only antimicrobial treatment. Group 3: Patients with at least one local relapse after antimicrobial and surgical treatment. RESULTS: 27 patients were evaluated in this study. Seven out of 13 patients in group 1 were relapse free after performing 40 hyperbaric oxygen therapies. However, only 4 of 9 patients in group 3 were relapse free after treatment. In group 2 the hyperbaric oxygen therapy was successful particularly in the younger patients (3 of 4). CONCLUSION: Adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy was successful in the treatment of patients with chronic recurrent osteomyelitis of the mandible. Therefore, it is an treatment option which can avoid ablative surgery in some cases. PMID- 17786492 TI - Vitamin K deficiency bleeding with intracranial hemorrhage: focus on secondary form. AB - Non-accidental trauma is the leading cause of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in infancy. In contrast, ICH as a part of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) secondary to hepatobiliary disease is rare, but encountered even in the era of vitamin K (VK) prophylaxis. During 43 months, six cases with ICH were diagnosed as an initial presentation of VKDB. Clinical features and imaging findings of them were retrospectively reviewed. All cases were breastfed and received oral VK prophylaxis. Liver dysfunction was found in five. Brain CT showed hemorrhage in subdural and subarachnoid space in six, parenchyma in three, and ventricle in one. Abdominal ultrasound was positive in four with final diagnoses of biliary atresia in two, neonatal hepatitis in one, and milk allergy in one. Two cases with negative ultrasound were diagnosed as idiopathic VKDB. In conclusion, ICH with secondary VKDB is rare, but important in infancy in the era of VK prophylaxis. PMID- 17786491 TI - Piperacillin-tazobactam in pediatric cancer patients younger than 25 months: a retrospective multicenter survey. AB - Piperacillin-Tazobactam (Pip-Taz) is an evidence-based empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia in adolescents and adults. No data are available in pediatric cancer patients <25 months of age. In this retrospective, multicenter data survey, the analysis focuses on safety, tolerance, and efficacy. The daily dose administered was 240 mg/kg given in three equally divided doses. Data on 156 Pip Taz treatment courses in 69 children <25 months from five pediatric cancer treatment centers (2001-2005) were analyzed. The median duration of treatment with Pip-Taz was 5 days (range, 1-23 days; 1-12 Pip-Taz courses per patient). Pip Taz was started on the first day of fever in 90% of all courses, in 6% in the first 72 h, and in 4% as second- or third-line agent. Forty-five percent of all patients were neutropenic. In all patients, the outcome was favorable independent whether Pip-Taz was given as monotherapy (42 courses; 27%) or in combination. Overall, Pip-Taz was well tolerated and discontinued due to adverse events in only two patients who experienced non-life-threatening allergic reactions (skin rash and wheezing). The results of this study are preliminary due to the methodological limitations of a retrospective survey. Taking this bias into consideration, Pip-Taz appears to be a safe, and feasible alternative in pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia <25 months of age suggesting that the inclusion of children of all age groups in future prospective controlled studies evaluating Pip-Taz is justified. PMID- 17786493 TI - Growth and remodeling in a thick-walled artery model: effects of spatial variations in wall constituents. AB - A mathematical model is presented for growth and remodeling of arteries. The model is a thick-walled tube composed of a constrained mixture of smooth muscle cells, elastin and collagen. Material properties and radial and axial distributions of each constituent are prescribed according to previously published data. The analysis includes stress-dependent growth and contractility of the muscle and turnover of collagen fibers. Simulations were conducted for homeostatic conditions and for the temporal response following sudden hypertension. Numerical pressure-radius relations and opening angles (residual stress) show reasonable agreement with published experimental results. In particular, for realistic material and structural properties, the model predicts measured variations in opening angles along the length of the aorta with reasonable accuracy. These results provide a better understanding of the determinants of residual stress in arteries and could lend insight into the importance of constituent distributions in both natural and tissue-engineered blood vessels. PMID- 17786494 TI - Test bolus measurement: effects of the respiratory position on bolus arrival time and signal-intensity-time curve quality. AB - OBJECT: The aim of our study is to determine if the respiratory position (free breathing, end expiration) influences bolus arrival time (BAT) or the quality of the SI-time curve in the test bolus measurement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 150 consecutive patients in free breathing and end expiration with 1 mL contrast media (CM) and a flow of 3 mL/s with MRI. The BAT in the aorta and the quality of the SI-time curve were determined. RESULTS: In 13/300 measurements BAT could not be determined because of poor quality of the SI-time curve (two free breathing, 11 end expiration). Mean BAT was 21 s in both respiratory positions. In 13/137 (9%) there was a difference in BAT in end expiration and free breathing of more than 5 s without a tendency towards elongation or shortening of BAT due to the respiratory command (RC). Quality of the SI-time curve was significantly better in the second of both measurements independently of the respiratory position and in free breathing compared to end expiration. CONCLUSION: Test bolus examinations may differ in an individual patient of more than 5 s without a tendency towards elongation or shortening due to the RC. SI-time curve quality is negatively influenced by the RC. PMID- 17786495 TI - A study on a non-contacting respiration signal monitoring system using Doppler ultrasound. AB - We proposed non-contacting respiration signal monitoring system for sleep apnea syndrome. Experiments were conducted by emitting 40 kHz ultrasound beam, which is set tone burst mode by 1 ms period to a subject chest. Normal respiration condition and a simulated sleep apnea syndrome condition were measured while subjects were holding breath. To obtain the actual respiration signal from the raw signal, ultrasound attenuation characteristics were considered. The Doppler ultrasound signal was detectable once the received signal obtained by demodulation circuits passed through a low pass filter (LPF). The signal's ripples were eliminated by moving average method and the signal's peaks were detected by phase portrait reconstruction method to measure the respiration rate. PMID- 17786498 TI - Phrenic nerve palsy in a patient of Churg Strauss syndrome and mononeuritis multiplex. AB - Neurological manifestations like mononeuritis multiplex are seen commonly in patients with Churg Strauss syndrome. Cranial nerve involvement and central nervous system involvement are also reported, although infrequently. Phrenic nerve involvement has not been reported so far. We report a patient with Churg Strauss syndrome who presented with mononeuritis multiplex and developed left sided phrenic nerve palsy subsequently. PMID- 17786499 TI - Effects of low-level He-Ne laser irradiation on the gene expression of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, TGF-beta, bFGF, and PDGF in rat's gingiva. AB - Biostimulatory effects of laser irradiation on cell proliferation and wound healing has been reported. However, little is known about the molecular basis of the mechanism. Interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF alpha), and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) play an important role in inflammation, while platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) and blood-derived fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are the most important growth factors of periodontal tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-level He-Ne laser on the gene expression of these mediators in rats' gingiva and mucosal tissues. Twenty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups (A(24), A(48), B(24), B(48)) in which A(24) and A(48) were cases and B(24), B(48) were controls. An incision was made on gingiva and mucosa of the labial surface of the rats' mandibular incisors. Group A(24) was irradiated twice with 24 hours interval, while the inflamed tissues of group A(48) was irradiated three times with continuous He-Ne laser (632.8 nm) at a dose of 7.5 J/cm2 for 300 s. An energy of 5.1 J was given to the 68 mm(2) irradiation zone. Rats were killed 30 min after the last irradiation of case and control groups, then excisional biopsy was performed. Gene expression of the cytokines was measured using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Results were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The gene expression of IL-1beta and IFN-gamma was significantly inhibited in the test groups (P < 0.05), while the gene expression of PDGF and TGF-beta were significantly increased (P < 0.05). The case and control groups did not have a significant difference in the gene expression of TNF-alpha and bFGF (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that low-level He-Ne laser irradiation decreases the amount of inflammation and accelerates the wound healing process by changing the expression of genes responsible for the production of inflammatory cytokines. PMID- 17786500 TI - Investigation of in vitro dental erosion by optical techniques. AB - Nitrogen laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and tungsten halogen lamp excited diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded in 350- to 700-nm range on a miniature fiber-optic spectrometer from in vitro premolar tooth during various stages of artificial erosion with 36% phosphoric acid. Both the LIF spectral intensity and the diffuse reflectance intensity gradually increased during tooth erosion. The LIF spectra were analyzed by curve fitting using Gaussian spectral functions to determine the true contribution of different bands in the spectra during erosion. Thus, the broad bands at 440 and 490 nm in the LIF spectra of sound enamel were resolved into four peaks centered at 409.1, 438.1, 492.4 and 523.1 nm and of sound dentin into peaks at 412.0, 440.1, 487.8 and 523.4 nm. The F410/F525 ratios derived from curve-fitted Gaussian peak amplitudes and curve areas were found to be more sensitive to erosion as compared to the diffuse reflectance ratio R500/R700 or the raw LIF spectral ratio F440/F490. PMID- 17786501 TI - Disulfiram-induced transient optic and peripheral neuropathy: a case report. AB - AIM: To report a case of optic and peripheral neuropathy after chronic use of disulfiram for alcohol dependence management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case report. RESULTS: A 57-year-old male presented with gradual loss of vision in both eyes with intermittent headaches for 2 months. He also complained of paraesthesia with numbness in both feet. His vision was 6/15 and 2/60 in the right and left eyes, respectively. Fundoscopy revealed bilaterally swollen optic nerve heads. Visual field testing confirmed bilateral central-caecal scotomata. He had been taking disulfiram for alcohol dependence for the preceding 3 years. Disulfiram discontinuation lead to an immediate symptomatic improvement. CONCLUSION: Physicians initiating long-term disulfiram therapy should be aware of these adverse effects. They should recommend annual ophthalmic reviews with visual field testing. Patients should be reassured with respect to the reversibility of these adverse effects. PMID- 17786502 TI - Rare cerebellar metastases from oesophageal carcinoma. AB - BACKGROUND: Metastatic oesophageal carcinoma to the brain is an uncommon diagnosis that may cause abnormal neurological findings. AIMS: The case of a 56 year-old man who presented with brain secondaries as an initial manifestation of carcinoma of oesophagus is presented and the unique characteristics highlighted. RESULTS: Patient survival was for 12 months after initial presentation and treatment. CONCLUSION: Oesophageal carcinoma is a recognised cause of intracerebral metastatic tumours, though this is an uncommon occurrence. PMID- 17786503 TI - Is digital rectal examination still necessary in the early detection of prostate cancer? AB - BACKGROUND: PSA measurement is important in prostate cancer detection. However, applying cut-off values of >4 ng/ml as indication for biopsy misses 20-30% of tumours. AIMS: To determine the number of patients with prostate cancer and normal age-related PSA, referred for TRUS biopsy due to abnormal DRE alone. METHODS: We reviewed patients referred for biopsy over 12 months. Indication for biopsy included abnormal PSA, abnormal DRE, or both. RESULTS: Four-hundred and sixty-five (465) TRUS biopsies were performed, 209 were positive. Of the 183 (183/209) positive on whom complete data were available, 4 (2.2%) had a normal age-related PSA but an abnormal DRE. CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic prostate cancer remains incurable. Therefore detection of organ-confined and potentially curable disease, is crucial. Though PSA has led to earlier detection, this study emphasises the importance of clinical examination, illustrating a normal PSA cannot eliminate the possibility of cancer. DRE and PSA should be interpreted as being collaborative, not competitive. PMID- 17786504 TI - PLFA profiling of microbial community structure and seasonal shifts in soils of a Douglas-fir chronosequence. AB - The impact and frequency of forest harvesting could significantly affect soil microbial community (SMC) structure and functioning. The ability of soil microorganisms to perform biogeochemical processes is critical for sustaining forest productivity and has a direct impact on decomposition dynamics and carbon storage potential. The Wind River Canopy Crane Research Forest in SW, WA, provided a unique opportunity to study a forest chronosequence and the residual effects of harvesting on the SMC in comparison to old-growth forests. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of clear-cutting and stand age on temporal dynamics of SMC and physiological stress markers using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling. Soil microbial PLFA profiles were determined seven times over 22 months (Nov. 02 to Sep. 04) in old-growth coniferous forest stands (300-500 years) and 8 (CC8)- or 25 (CC25)-year-old replanted clear-cuts. PLFA patterns of the SMC shifted because of clear-cutting, but seasonal temporal changes had greater shifts than differences among stand age. The microbial biomass (total PLFA) and bacterial, fungal, and selected other PLFAs were significantly reduced in CC8 but not in CC25 sites relative to the old growth sites. An increase in stress indicators [PLFA ratios of saturated/monsaturated and (cy17:0 + cy19:0)/(16:1omega7 + 18:1omega7)] in late summer was related to water stress. Although the canopy and litter input are quite different for a 25-year clear-cut compared to virgin old-growth forest, we conclude that the composition of the microbial communities, 25 years after clear cutting, has recovered sufficiently to be much more similar to old-growth forests than a recent clear-cut at this Pacific Northwest forest site. The study shows the potential of PLFA analysis for profiling microbial communities and their stress status under field conditions, but wide temporal shifts emphasize the need for sampling over seasons to fully interpret ecosystem management impacts on microbial populations. PMID- 17786506 TI - Urinary calculus: IVU vs. CT renal stone? A critically appraised topic. AB - BACKGROUND: We wondered whether noncontrast CT performs better than the intravenous urogram (IVU) in the detection of urinary calculi. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the literature was undertaken in order to answer the above question. Both primary and secondary sources of evidence were searched. The retrieved evidence was then appraised. RESULTS: The strongest evidence was in a meta-analysis by Worster and colleagues (level 1a evidence according to the Oxford/CEBM levels of evidence). This was an analysis of four studies with a total of 296 patients who underwent intravenous urogram and noncontrast CT. This study shows that CT has better diagnostic performance than IVU for the detection of urinary stones. CONCLUSIONS: The literature suggests that CT should be utilized in preference to IVU for patients with suspected urolithiasis. PMID- 17786507 TI - Hepatocellular cancer response to radiofrequency tumor ablation: contrast enhanced ultrasound. AB - Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is increasingly being used as percutaneous treatment of choice for patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An accurate assessment of the RFA therapeutic response is of crucial importance, considering that a complete tumor ablation significantly increases patient survival, whereas residual unablated tumor calls for additional treatment. Imaging modalities play a pivotal role in accomplishing this task, but ultrasound (US) is not considered a reliable modality for the evaluation of the real extent of necrosis, even when color/power Doppler techniques are used. Recently, newer microbubble-based US contrast agents used in combination with grey-scale US techniques, which are very sensitive to non-linear behavior of microbubbles, have been introduced. These features have opened new prospects in liver ultrasound and may have a great impact on daily practice, including cost-effective assessment of therapeutic response of percutaneous ablative therapies. Technical evolution of CEUS focusing on findings after RFA are illustrated. These latter are detailed, cross-referenced with the literature and discussed on the basis of our personal experience. Timing of CEUS posttreatment assessment among with advantages and limitations of CEUS are also described with a perspective on further technologic refinement. PMID- 17786508 TI - Lacrimal fistula 10 years after closed cosmetic rhinoplasty: case report. AB - Lateral osteotomies performed during cosmetic rhinoplasty can be associated with several complications. Due to the proximity of the lacrimal drainage system to the site of lateral osteotomies, the lacrimal system may be injured during this procedure. This type of injury is very rare, with few reports in the literature. The authors describe a 31-year-old woman who underwent a cosmetic rhinoplasty and experienced postoperative recurrent conjunctivitis with purulent discharge and epiphora. A lacrimal fistula developed 10 years after the procedure. PMID- 17786509 TI - Bilateral areoleor depigmentation after augmentation mammoplasty: a case report and literature search. AB - Breast augmentation is by far one of the most common aesthetic procedures performed by plastic surgeons, and silicone implants are the most common prostheses used. Complications arising from the procedure are broadly categorized as either surgery or prosthesis related. Most of the complications are well known and have been documented, but areolar depigmentation after silicone gel prosthesis has not been reported to date. PMID- 17786505 TI - Quantifying expression of a dissimilatory (bi)sulfite reductase gene in petroleum contaminated marine harbor sediments. AB - The possibility of quantifying in situ levels of transcripts for dissimilatory (bi)sulfite reductase (dsr) genes to track the activity of sulfate-reducing microorganisms in petroleum-contaminated marine harbor sediments was evaluated. Phylogenetic analysis of the cDNA generated from mRNA for a ca. 1.4 kbp portion of the contiguous dsrA and dsrB genes suggested that Desulfosarcina species, closely related to cultures known to anaerobically oxidize aromatic hydrocarbons, were active sulfate reducers in the sediments. The levels of dsrA transcripts (per mug total mRNA) were quantified in sediments incubated anaerobically at the in situ temperature as well as in sediments incubated at higher temperatures and/or with added acetate to increase the rate of sulfate reduction. Levels of dsrA transcripts were low when there was no sulfate reduction because the sediments were depleted of sulfate or if sulfate reduction was inhibited with added molybdate. There was a direct correlation between dsrA transcript levels and rates of sulfate reduction when sulfate was at ca. 10 mM in the various sediment treatments, but it was also apparent that within a given sediment, dsrA levels increased over time as long as sulfate was available, even when sulfate reduction rates did not increase. These results suggest that phylogenetic analysis of dsr transcript sequences may provide insight into the active sulfate reducers in marine sediments and that quantifying levels of dsrA transcripts can indicate whether sulfate reducers are active in particular sediment. Furthermore, it may only be possible to use dsrA transcript levels to compare the relative rates of sulfate reduction in sediments when sulfate concentrations, and possibly other environmental conditions, are comparable. PMID- 17786510 TI - Efficacy of vegetated buffers in preventing transport of fecal coliform bacteria from pasturelands. AB - An experimental study was conducted in Tillamook, Oregon, USA, to quantify the effectiveness of edge-of-field vegetated buffers for reducing transport of fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) from agricultural fields amended with dairy cow manure. Installation of vegetated buffers on loamy soils dramatically reduced the bacterial contamination of runoff water from manure-treated pasturelands, but the size of the vegetated buffer was not an important determinant of bacterial removal efficiency. Only 10% of the runoff samples collected from treatment cells having vegetated buffers exhibited FCB concentrations >200 colony forming units (cfu)/100 mL (a common water quality standard value), and the median concentration for all cells containing vegetated buffers was only 6 cfu/100 mL. The presence of a vegetated buffer of any size, from 1 to 25 m, generally reduced the median FCB concentration in runoff by more than 99%. Results for FCB load calculations were similar. Our results suggest that where substantial FCB contamination of runoff occurs from manure-treated pasturelands, it might be disproportionately associated with specific field or management conditions, such as the presence of soils that exhibit low water infiltration and generate larger volumes of runoff or the absence of a vegetated buffer. Buffer size regulations that do not consider such differences might not be efficient or effective in reducing bacterial contamination of runoff. PMID- 17786511 TI - Assessment of the water quality and ecosystem health of the Great Barrier Reef (Australia): conceptual models. AB - Run-off containing increased concentrations of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides from land-based anthropogenic activities is a significant influence on water quality and the ecologic conditions of nearshore areas of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Australia. The potential and actual impacts of increased pollutant concentrations range from bioaccumulation of contaminants and decreased photosynthetic capacity to major shifts in community structure and health of mangrove, coral reef, and seagrass ecosystems. A detailed conceptual model underpins and illustrates the links between the main anthropogenic pressures or threats (dry-land cattle grazing and intensive sugar cane cropping) and the production of key contaminants or stressors of Great Barrier Reef water quality. The conceptual model also includes longer-term threats to Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem health, such as global climate change, that will potentially confound direct model interrelationships. The model recognises that system-specific attributes, such as monsoonal wind direction, rainfall intensity, and flood plume residence times, will act as system filters to modify the effects of any water-quality system stressor. The model also summarises key ecosystem responses in ecosystem health that can be monitored through indicators at catchment, riverine, and marine scales. Selected indicators include riverine and marine water quality, inshore coral reef and seagrass status, and biota pollutant burdens. These indicators have been adopted as components of a long-term monitoring program to enable assessment of the effectiveness of change in catchment-management practices in improving Great Barrier Reef (and adjacent catchment) water quality under the Queensland and Australian Governments' Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. PMID- 17786512 TI - Scenarios of future climate and land-management effects on carbon stocks in northern Patagonian shrublands. AB - We analyzed the possible effects of grazing management and future climate change on carbon (C) stocks in soils of northern Patagonian shrublands. To this aim, we coupled the outputs of three (HadCM3, CSIRO Mk2, and CCSR/NIES) global climate models to the CENTURY (v5.3) model of terrestrial C balance. The CENTURY model was initialized with long-term field data on local biome physiognomy, seasonal phenologic trends, and prevailing land-management systems and was validated with recent sequences of 1-km Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (MODIS-Terra) images and soil C data. In the tested scenarios, the predicted climate changes would result in increased total C in soil organic matter (SOMTC). Maximum SOMTC under changed climate forcing would not differ significantly from that expected under baseline conditions (8 kg m(-2)). A decrease in grazing intensity would result in SOMTC increases of 11% to 12% even if climate changes did not occur. Climate change would account for SOMTC increases of 5% to 6%. PMID- 17786513 TI - Crossing ureteric strictures: microcatheters to the rescue when conventional methods fail. AB - Tight distal ureteric strictures can be most challenging to traverse both from above, by interventional radiologists, and below, by urologists. Despite the advent of numerous guidewires, manufactured from different materials, often ureteric strictures are too tight to allow conventional guidewires to pass through. We describe an alternative approach to cross tight ureteric strictures, using a microguidewire and microcatheter combination. PMID- 17786514 TI - Transhepatic preoperative portal vein embolization using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug: report of four cases. AB - The Amplatzer Vascular Plug (AVP) is a device originally intended for arterial and venous embolization in peripheral vessels. From December 2004 to March 2007 we implanted a total of 8 AVPs in the portal venous system in our institution for preoperative portal vein embolization in 4 patients (55-71 years) prior to right hemihepatectomy. AVP implantation was successful in all patients. Total occlusion of the embolized portal vein branches was achieved in all patients. There were no major complications associated with the embolization. PMID- 17786515 TI - Complete endoscopic closure of gastrotomy after natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery using the NDO Plicator. AB - BACKGROUND: The NDO Plicator is a device developed for endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by approximation of tissues together with a double-pledgeted U-stitch. It was theorized that this device may facilitate transgastric natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) because closure of the transgastric defect remains a key component for advancement of this new technology. METHODS: A standardized 12-mm gastrotomy was created endoscopically in four pigs using a combination of needle-knife cautery and balloon dilation. As the endoscope was removed, a Savary soft-tipped wire was introduced into the stomach, and the NDO Plicator was subsequently advanced over the wire. Each defect was identified, and the device was positioned. If necessary, the Plicator's tissue grasper was used to hold the superior aspect of the gastrotomy and bring the opposed borders of the defect within the jaws of the device. The device was fired three times, leaving three pledgeted suture bundles to close the gastric defect. After closure, each animal was explored, and the integrity of the closure was assessed. The animals underwent in vivo contrast fluoroscopy and ex vivo burst pressure testing studies for assessment of leakage at the closure site. RESULTS: The first animal was used to test feasibility, refine techniques, and develop a standard procedure. All of the next three animals studied showed complete sealing of the gastrotomy site without evidence of contrast extravasation on multiplanar fluoroscopic imaging. Each stomach was excised, submerged in water, and subjected to a pressurized air leak test. No leaks were noted until pressures exceeded 55 mmHg. CONCLUSION: This study supports the use of the NDO Plicator for closure of standardized gastric defects in a porcine model. In addition to closing NOTES gastrotomies, the NDO Plicator may be a particularly useful tool for obtaining complete closure of gastric perforations and anastomotic leaks, and for performing stomal reduction after gastric bypass procedures. The mechanical properties of a closure are not the only factor determining whether a leak will develop. Tissue opposition, ischemia, and tension are important factors that are not easily or reliably measured. The physiologic relevance of gastric bursting pressure is not known. Therefore, corollary animal studies with longer-term evaluation are necessary before research proceeds to clinical trials. PMID- 17786517 TI - CAVASS: a computer-assisted visualization and analysis software system. AB - The Medical Image Processing Group at the University of Pennsylvania has been developing (and distributing with source code) medical image analysis and visualization software systems for a long period of time. Our most recent system, 3DVIEWNIX, was first released in 1993. Since that time, a number of significant advancements have taken place with regard to computer platforms and operating systems, networking capability, the rise of parallel processing standards, and the development of open-source toolkits. The development of CAVASS by our group is the next generation of 3DVIEWNIX. CAVASS will be freely available and open source, and it is integrated with toolkits such as Insight Toolkit and Visualization Toolkit. CAVASS runs on Windows, Unix, Linux, and Mac but shares a single code base. Rather than requiring expensive multiprocessor systems, it seamlessly provides for parallel processing via inexpensive clusters of work stations for more time-consuming algorithms. Most importantly, CAVASS is directed at the visualization, processing, and analysis of 3-dimensional and higher dimensional medical imagery, so support for digital imaging and communication in medicine data and the efficient implementation of algorithms is given paramount importance. PMID- 17786518 TI - Amino acid fluctuations in young and old orange trees and their influence on glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) population densities. AB - The glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) is an invasive insect pest in California that proliferated in citrus while incorporating many other plant species in its host range. Field studies were conducted from September 2002 to September 2003 in adjacent young and old orange groves to determine the influence of amino acid concentrations in the xylem fluid on relative densities of the xylophagous GWSS. Beginning in early September 2002, higher densities of adult GWSS were observed on young compared to old trees. This difference became increasingly pronounced through late October in conjunction with increasing concentrations of essential amino acids in xylem fluid of the young trees. Greater densities of adult GWSS remained on young trees through early February 2003. Thereafter, the population crashed unexpectedly, leaving only negligible numbers of GWSS on either young or old trees. Mean concentrations of the essential amino acids for insect growth and development were higher in young compared to old trees. Besides these essential amino acids, asparagine, serine, glutamine, and tyrosine were also significantly higher in young trees during the September-February period when GWSS was present. The pattern of elevated amino acid concentrations in young trees continued through the entire year irrespective of the presence or absence of GWSS. Principal component analysis followed by factor analysis revealed three factors for young or old orange trees that accounted for 81.6 and 78.9% of the total variation in the young and old tree analyses, respectively. Various groups of amino acids in different factors displayed peak or elevated levels in young trees corresponding to the increased densities of GWSS. The potential roles of these amino acids in GWSS host selection are discussed. PMID- 17786519 TI - Essential compounds in herbivore-induced plant volatiles that attract the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi. AB - Carnivorous arthropods use volatile infochemicals emitted from prey-infested plants in their foraging behavior. Although several volatile components are common among plant species, the compositions differ among prey-plant complexes. Studies showed that the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi is attracted only to previously experienced plant volatiles. In this study, we identified the attractant components in prey-induced plant volatiles of two prey-plant complexes. N. womersleyi reared on Tetranychus kanzawai-infested tea leaves showed significant preference for a mixture of three synthetic compounds [mimics of the T. kanzawai-induced tea leaves volatiles: (E)-beta-ocimene, (E)-4,8 dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), and (E,E)-alpha-farnesene] at a level comparable to that for T. kanzawai-induced tea plant volatiles. However, mixtures lacking any of these compounds did not attract the predatory mites. Likewise, N. womersleyi reared on T. urticae-infested kidney bean plants showed a significant preference for a mixture of four synthetic compounds [mimics of the T. urticae induced kidney bean volatiles: DMNT, methyl salicylate (MeSA), beta caryophyllene, and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene] at a level comparable to that for T. urticae-induced kidney bean volatiles. The absence of any of the four compounds resulted in no attraction. These results indicate that N. womersleyi can use at least four volatile components to identify prey-infested plants. PMID- 17786520 TI - Prescribing patterns of surgical oncologists: are we surgeons, oncologists, or both? Results of a society of surgical oncology survey. PMID- 17786521 TI - Limited health literacy is a barrier to medication reconciliation in ambulatory care. AB - BACKGROUND: Limited health literacy may influence patients' ability to identify medications taken; a serious concern for ambulatory safety and quality. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between health literacy, patient recall of antihypertensive medications, and reconciliation between patient self-report and the medical record. DESIGN: In-person interviews, literacy assessment, medical records abstraction. PARTICIPANTS: Adults with hypertension at three community health centers. MEASUREMENT: We measured health literacy using the short-form Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. Patients were asked about the medications they took for blood pressure. Their responses were compared with the medical record. RESULTS: Of 119 participants, 37 (31%) had inadequate health literacy. Patients with inadequate health literacy were less able to name any of their antihypertensive medications compared to those with adequate health literacy (40.5% vs 68.3%, p = 0.005). After adjusting for age and income, this difference remained (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.3-6.7). Agreement between patient reported medications and the medical record was low: 64.9% of patients with inadequate and 37.8% with adequate literacy had no medications common to both lists. CONCLUSIONS: Limited health literacy was associated with a greater number of unreconciled medications. Future studies should investigate how this may impact safety and hypertension control. PMID- 17786522 TI - Caring attitudes in medical education: perceptions of deans and curriculum leaders. AB - BACKGROUND: Systems of undergraduate medical education and patient care can create barriers to fostering caring attitudes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to survey associate deans and curriculum leaders about teaching and assessment of caring attitudes in their medical schools. PARTICIPANTS: The participants of this study include 134 leaders of medical education in the USA and Canada. METHODS: We developed a survey with 26 quantitative questions and 1 open-ended question. In September to October 2005, the Association of American Medical Colleges distributed it electronically to curricular leaders. We used descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data, and the constant comparison technique for qualitative analysis. RESULTS: We received 73 responses from 134 medical schools. Most respondents believed that their schools strongly emphasized caring attitudes. At the same time, 35% thought caring attitudes were emphasized less than scientific knowledge. Frequently used methods to teach caring attitudes included small-group discussion and didactics in the preclinical years, role modeling and mentoring in the clinical years, and skills training with feedback throughout all years. Barriers to fostering caring attitudes included time and productivity pressures and lack of faculty development. Respondents with supportive learning environments were more likely to screen applicants' caring attitudes, encourage collaborative learning, give humanism awards to faculty, and provide faculty development that emphasized teaching of caring attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of educational leaders value caring attitudes, but overall, educational systems inconsistently foster them. Schools may facilitate caring learning environments by providing faculty development and support, by assessing students and applicants for caring attitudes, and by encouraging collaboration. PMID- 17786523 TI - Tracking reflective practice-based learning by medical students during an ambulatory clerkship. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the use of web and palm digital assistant (PDA)-based patient logs to facilitate reflective learning in an ambulatory medicine clerkship. DESIGN: Thematic analysis of convenience sample of three successive rotations of medical students' patient log entries. SETTING: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. PARTICIPANTS: MS3 and MS4 students rotating through a required block ambulatory medicine clerkship. INTERVENTIONS: Students are required to enter patient encounters into a web-based log system during the clerkship. Patient-linked entries included an open text field entitled, "Learning Need." Students were encouraged to use this field to enter goals for future study or teaching points related to the encounter. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: The logs of 59 students were examined. These students entered 3,051 patient encounters, and 51 students entered 1,347 learning need entries (44.1% of encounters). The use of the "Learning Need" field was not correlated with MS year, gender or end-of-clerkship knowledge test performance. There were strong correlations between the use of diagnostic thinking comments and observations of therapeutic relationships (Pearson's r=.42, p<0.001), and between diagnostic thinking and primary interpretation skills (Pearson's r=.60, p<0.001), but not between diagnostic thinking and factual knowledge (Pearson's r =.10, p=.46). CONCLUSIONS: We found that when clerkship students were cued to reflect on each patient encounter with the electronic log system, student entries grouped into categories that suggested different levels of reflective thinking. Future efforts should explore the use of such entries to encourage and track habits of reflective practice in the clinical curriculum. PMID- 17786524 TI - Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation for patients with locally unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: feasibility, efficacy, and survival. AB - BACKGROUND: We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation for patients with locally unresectable pancreatic cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 2000 to August 2006, 245 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma underwent surgical exploration at our institution. Of these, 78 patients (32%) had undergone neoadjuvant therapy for initially unresectable disease, whereas the remaining patients (serving as the control group) were explored at presentation (n=167). All neoadjuvant patients received gemcitabine based chemotherapy, often in conjunction with docetaxal and capecitabine in a regimen called GTX (81%). Seventy-five percent of neoadjuvant patients also received preoperative abdominal radiation (5,040 rad). RESULTS: Neoadjuvant patients were younger than control-group patients (60.8 vs 66.2 years, respectively, p<0.002). Seventy-six percent of neoadjuvant patients were resected as compared to 83% of control patients (NS). Concomitant vascular resection was required in 76% of neoadjuvant patients but only 20% of NS (p<0.01). Complications were more frequent in the neoadjuvant group (44.1 vs 30.9%, p<0.05), and mortality was higher (10.2 vs 2.9%, p<0.03). Among the neoadjuvant patients, all but one of the deaths were in patients that underwent arterial reconstruction. Mortality for patients undergoing a standard pancreatectomy without vascular resection was 0.8% in this series. Of patients resected, negative margins were achieved in 84.7% of neoadjuvant patients and 72.7% of NS. Within the cohort of neoadjuvant patients, radiation significantly increased the complication rate (13.3 vs 54.6%, p<0.006), but did not affect median survival (512 vs 729 days, NS). Median survival for patients who received neoadjuvant therapy (503 days) was longer than NS that were found to be unresectable at surgery (192 days, p<0.001) and equivalent to NS that were resected (498 days). CONCLUSIONS: Resection rate, margin status, and median survivals were equivalent when neoadjuvant patients were compared to patients considered resectable by traditional criteria, demonstrating equal efficacy. Surgical resection with venous reconstruction following neoadjuvant therapy for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. This approach extended the boundaries of surgical resection and greatly increased median survival for the "inoperable" patient with advanced pancreatic cancer. PMID- 17786525 TI - Return of esophageal function after treatment for achalasia as determined by impedance-manometry. AB - BACKGROUND: Treatment for achalasia is aimed at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), although little is known about the effect, if any, of these treatments on esophageal body function (peristalsis and clearance). We sought to measure the effect of various treatments using combined manometry (peristalsis) with Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance (MII) (esophageal clearance). METHODS: We enrolled 56 patients with Achalasia referred to the University of Washington Swallowing Center between January 2003 and January 2006. Each was grouped according to prior treatment: 38 were untreated (untreated achalasia), 10 had undergone botox injection or balloon dilation (endoscopic treatment), and 16 a laparoscopic Heller myotomy. The preoperative studies for 8 of the myotomy patients were included in the untreated achalasia group. Each patient completed a dysphagia severity questionnaire (scale 0-10). Peristalsis was analyzed by manometry and esophageal clearance of liquid and viscous material by MII. RESULTS: Mean dysphagia severity scores were significantly better in patients after Heller Myotomy than in either of the other groups (2.0 vs. 5.3 in the endoscopic group and 6.5 in untreated achalasia, p < 0.05). Peristaltic contractions were observed in 63% of patients in the Heller myotomy group, compared with 40% in the endoscopic group and 8% in untreated achalasia (p < 0.05 for both treatment groups vs. untreated achalasia). Liquid clearance rates were significantly better in both treatment groups: 28% in Heller myotomy and 16% in endoscopic treatment compared to only 5% in untreated achalasia (p < 0.05). Similarly, viscous clearance rates were 19% in Heller myotomy and 11% in endoscopic treatment, vs. 2% in untreated achalasia (p < 0.05). In the subset of patients who underwent manometry/MII both pre- and postoperatively, peristalsis was observed more frequently postoperatively than in preop studies (63% of patients exhibiting peristalsis vs. 12%), as was complete clearance of liquid (35% of swallows vs. 14%) and viscous boluses (22% of swallows vs. 14%). These differences were not significant, however. In the patients who had a myotomy the return of peristalsis correlates with effective esophageal clearance (liquid bolus: r = 0.46, p = 0.09 and viscous bolus: r = 0.63, p < 0.05). There is no correlation between peristalsis and bolus clearance in the endoscopic treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: With treatment Achalasia patients exhibit some restoration in peristalsis as well as improved bolus clearance. After Heller Myotomy, the return of peristalsis correlates with esophageal clearance, which may partly explain its superior relief of dysphagia. PMID- 17786526 TI - Peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate is not a prognostic factor in distal rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. AB - BACKGROUND: Peritumoral inflammatory response has been considered a good prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. However, this has not been evaluated in patients submitted to neoadjuvant therapy for distal rectal cancer. For this reason, we decided to study the effect of the presence of this pathological finding on disease recurrence and survival. METHODS: The peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate from recovered pathological specimens of patients operated after neoadjuvant therapy for distal rectal cancer was graded (positive or negative). Patients were compared according to the presence of peritumoral inflammatory response. RESULTS: Of the 168 patients, 63 (37%) patients had a peritumoral inflammatory response. The lack of peritumoral inflammatory response was significantly associated with the presence of mucinous component (13 vs 3%; p = 0.02). Five-year overall survival (91 vs 81%) and disease-free survival (57 vs 48%) were not significantly different between patients with and without peritumoral inflammatory response (p = 0.5 and 0.3, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Peritumoral inflammatory response is not a favorable prognostic factor in patients with distal rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Possibly, the immunosuppressive action of chemoradiation therapy may lead to a loss of function of the immunological response, which may represent a disadvantage of the neoadjuvant approach for the management of distal rectal cancer. PMID- 17786527 TI - Solitary lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer. AB - The feasibility and diagnostic reliability of sentinel node (SN) biopsy for gastric cancer are still controversial. We studied the clinicopathological features and localization of solitary lymph node metastasis (SLM) in gastric cancer to provide useful information for use of the SN concept in gastric cancer. From 2000 to 2004, 3,267 patients with gastric cancer underwent D2 radical gastrectomy. The clinicopathological features of 195 patients with histologically proven SLM and the distribution of metastasized nodes were assessed. The incidence of SLM was 6.0% in all cases. Compared with the node-negative patients, significant differences were observed in age, tumor size, depth of invasion, and surgical type. The cumulative 5-year survival rate of patients with SLM was 80.5%, which was significantly lower than 90.2% for node-negative patients (P<0.001). Of patients with SLM, 82.6% had it in the perigastric node area (N1), and the other 17.4% patients had skip metastasis in the N2-N3 nodes. Perigastric nodes were the most common first sites of drainage from the tumor, making them the main targets of the operative SN mapping procedure. Due to the higher than expected incidence of skip metastasis in gastric cancer, D2 lymphadenectomy should be performed until the reliability of SN navigation surgery is validated in multicenter prospective clinical trials. PMID- 17786528 TI - Laparoscopic surgery for patients with Crohn's colitis: a case-matched study. AB - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to compare short and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic colectomy with open colectomy in patients with Crohn's disease confined to the colon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed all patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy for Crohn's disease at our institution between 1994 and 2005. Laparoscopic colectomies were matched to open colectomies by patient age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, type, and year of surgery. We excluded patients with concomitant small bowel disease. RESULTS: Twenty-seven laparoscopic cases were matched with 27 open cases. There were seven conversions (26%). There was no mortality. Median operative times were significantly longer after laparoscopic colectomy (240 vs 150 min, P < 0.01), and estimated blood loss was comparable (325 vs 350 ml, P = 0.4). Postoperative complications were similar. Laparoscopic colectomies had shorter median length of stay (5 vs 6 days, P = 0.07) and median time to first bowel movement (3 vs 4 days, P = 0.4). When overall length of stay included 30-day readmissions, the difference in favor of laparoscopy became statistically significant (P = 0.02). Recurrent disease requiring surgery was decreased after laparoscopy, although median follow-up was significantly shorter. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colectomy is a safe and acceptable option for patients with Crohn's colitis. Longer follow-up is needed to accurately establish recurrence rates. PMID- 17786530 TI - Pancreatojejunal leakage after pancreas head resection: anatomic and surgeon related factors. AB - Leakage of pancreatojejunostomies after pancreatic resections remains a challenge even at high volume centers. We here utilized a simple pancreas anatomy classification to study the effect of pancreatic anatomy on the development of pancreatic fistula after pancreas resection and pancreatojejunostomies. Also, the effect of surgical experience on the development of pancreatic fistulas was studied. Three hundred ninety-one patients undergoing pancreatic resections and reconstruction with a pancreatojejunostomy were studied. Closed suction drain was placed behind the anastomosis, and drainage fluid was collected postoperatively. A twofold increase over the serum amylase level was considered a fistula and was classified as described by the International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula Definition. In 67 patients, the structural quality of the pancreatic parenchyma and the diameter of the pancreatic duct were classified as being <2 mm (2 points), between 2 and 5 mm (1 point), or >5 mm (0 points). The pancreatic parenchyma was assessed as being soft (2 points), intermediate (1 point), or hard (0 points). Pancreatic leakage as a function of surgeons' experience was also studied. Leakage was found in 25.1%, 8.9% being of type A, 10.2% being of type B, and 5.9% of type C. Pancreatic fistulas were only observed in patients with a score of 2 points or more. Age over 70 years, operations >6 h, and extended lymphadenectomy or surgeons experience were not associated with a higher leakage rate. In this study, leakage after pancreatojejunostomy was only associated with pancreatic anatomy, classified with a simple score. That score might improve comparability of studies on pancreatic leakage. Furthermore, drainage of pancreatic anastomosis might safely be omitted in patients with a low risk score for leakage. PMID- 17786529 TI - Comparison of laparoscopic vs open sigmoid colectomy for benign and malignant disease at academic medical centers. AB - Few studies have examined outcomes of laparoscopic and open sigmoid colectomy performed at US academic centers. Using ICD-9 diagnosis and procedural codes, data was obtained from the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Clinical Database of 10,603 patients who underwent laparoscopic or open sigmoid colectomy for benign and malignant disease between 2003-2006. A total of 1,092 patients (10.3%) underwent laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy. Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was associated with a significantly shorter length of stay (5.4 vs 7.4 days), lower overall complication rate (19.7 vs 26.0%), lower 30-day readmission rate (3.4 vs 4.6), and a lower hospital cost ($13,814 vs $15,626). When a subset analysis of malignant and benign groups was performed, a significantly shorter length of stay in both the malignant laparoscopic group (6.4 +/- 6.4 vs 7.8 +/- 6.6 days) and in the benign laparoscopic groups (5.1 +/- 3.5 vs 7.2 +/- 7.6) exists. A lower wound complication rate (2.1 vs 5.5%, malignant and 4.0 vs 6.1, benign) is also evident. Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was associated with a shorter length of stay, less complications, and a lower 30-day readmission rate. The shorter length of stay and wound infection rate maintain significance when comparing laparoscopic vs open sigmoid resections for malignant and benign disease. PMID- 17786531 TI - Prognostic significance of pathologic nodal status in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of pathologic nodal assessment and extent of nodal metastases on patient outcome in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospectively maintained pancreatic cancer database was reviewed, and 696 consecutive patients were identified who underwent resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 1995 and 2005. Overall survival was compared to lymph node (LN) status, absolute number of pathologically assessed LN, and LN ratio expressed as the number of positive LN to the total LN assessed. RESULTS: Of the 696 patients, 598 (86%) had pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), and 96 (14%) had distal pancreatectomy (DP). For all patients, median follow-up was 13 months (range, 0-122 months), and estimated 5-year survival was 16%. A total of 243 (35%) patients were LN-negative (N0) and had a median survival of 27 months. When assessed as a continuous variable, the number of pathologically assessed LN did not correlate with survival for N0 patients undergoing either PD or DP. The median survival for the 453 patients with node-positive (N1) disease was 16 months. When analyzed as a continuous variable, the absolute number of positive LNs was a significant predictor of survival for N1 patients with a linear relationship up to eight positive LNs. LN ratio, as a continuous variable, also predicted survival with a linear relationship up to a ratio of 0.35. A ratio of 0.18 was associated with a 19 month median survival and served as the best cutoff, p < 0.01. CONCLUSIONS: The absolute number of positive LNs and LN ratio are strong predictors of survival for patients with node-positive pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Inadequate surgical lymphadenectomy or pathologic LN assessment understages node-negative patients. PMID- 17786532 TI - A novel in vitro three-dimensional skeletal muscle model. AB - A novel three-dimensional (3D) skeletal muscle model composed of C2C12 mouse myoblasts is described. This model was generated by cultivating myoblasts in suspension using the rotary cell culture system (RCCS), a unique culture environment. Single-cell suspensions of myoblasts were seeded at 5 x 10(5)/ml in growth medium without exogenous support structures or substrates. Cell aggregation occurred in both RCCS and suspension control (SC) conditions within 12 h but occurred more rapidly in the SC at all time intervals examined. RCCS cultured myoblasts fused and differentiated into a 3D construct without serum deprivation or alterations. Syncitia were quantified at 3 and 6+ d in stained thin sections. A significantly greater number of syncitia was found at 6+ d in the RCCS cultures compared to the SC. The majority of syncitia were localized to the periphery of the cell constructs for all treatments. The expression of sarcomeric myosin heavy chain (MHC) was localized at or near the periphery of the 3D construct. The majority of MHC was associated with the large cells (syncitia) of the 6+-d aggregates. These results show, for the first time, that myoblasts form syncitia and express MHC in the presence of growth factors and without the use of exogenous supports or substrates. This model test system is useful for investigating initial cell binding, myoblast fusion and syncitia formation, and differentiation processes. PMID- 17786534 TI - Correlation between von Willebrand factor antigen, von Willebrand factor ristocetin cofactor activity and factor VIII activity in plasma. AB - BACKGROUND: The laboratory diagnosis of von Willebrand Factor (VWF) deficiencies includes qualitative and quantitative measurements of VWF and clotting factor VIII (FVIII). Since the FVIII activity is frequently normal in patients with mild type 1 or 2 von Willebrand disease (VWD), there is controversy whether FVIII testing should accompany VWF Antigen (VWF:Ag) assay. METHODS: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between VWF:Ag, VWF ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:RCo) and FVIII in 213 consecutive patients undergoing screening for VWD. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were identified with VWF:Ag levels lower than the diagnostic threshold (54 IU/dl). A significant correlation was observed between VWF:Ag and VWF:RCo (r = 0.892; p < 0.001), VWF:Ag and FVIII (r = 0.834; p < 0.001), VWF:RCo and FVIII (r = 0.758; p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the VWF:Ag assay revealed an area under the curve of 0.978 and 0.957 for detecting life-threatening values of FVIII (<30 IU/dl) and VWF:RCo (<40 IU/dl), respectively. The negative and positive predictive values at the VWF:Ag threshold value of 54 IU/dl were 100% and 33% for detecting life-threatening FVIII deficiencies, 94% and 80% for identifying abnormal values of VWF:RCo. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the excellent correlation between VWF:Ag and FVIII and to the diagnostic efficiency of VWF:Ag for identifying abnormal FVIII levels in patients with VWF deficiency, routine measurement of FVIII may not be necessary in the initial screening of patients with suspected VWD. However, the limited negative predictive value of VWF:Ag for identifying type 2 VWD does not allow to eliminate VWF:RCo or VWF:FVIIIB assays from the diagnostic workout. PMID- 17786533 TI - Brain lymphoma: usefulness of the magnetic resonance spectroscopy. AB - The diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) should always be considered as an emergency because of the therapeutic consequences it implies. In immunocompetent patients, it relies on stereotactic biopsy. Unfortunately, clinical and radiological features may be misleading and delay the diagnostic procedure. The case we report here illustrates the contribution of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the diagnostic approach of a very atypical PCNSL. PMID- 17786535 TI - Metastasis: the seed and soil theory gains identity. AB - The metastatic spread of tumor cells to distant sites represents the major cause of cancer-related deaths. Cancer metastasis involves a series of complex interactions between tumor cells and microenvironment that influence its biological effectiveness and facilitate tumor cell arrest to distant organs. More than a century since Paget developed the theory of seed and soil, the enigma of tissue specificity observed in metastatic colonization of tumor cells begins to unfold itself. The advent of new technologies has led to the discovery of novel molecules and pathways that confer metastasis-associated properties to the cancer cells, mediating organ specificity and unique genetic signatures have been developed using microarray studies. Future clinical studies and new antimetastatic compounds aiming to improve survival of patients with metastasis will most probably be based on these signatures. This review summarizes the plethora of old and new molecules that are strongly correlated with organ specific metastases and which provide now an identity to the theory of seed and soil. PMID- 17786536 TI - Molecular pathogenesis and its therapeutic modalities of lung cancer metastasis to bone. AB - Bone metastasis is a critical problem of lung cancer patients. Reproducible animal models of lung cancer bone metastasis, like NK-cell depleted SCID mouse model with SCB-5 cells, are useful to explore the molecular mechanism and search of molecular targets. SBC-5 cells overexpressed PTHrP and that treatment with anti-PTHrP neutralizing antibody inhibited the production of bone metastases of SBC-5 cells in the NK-cell depleted SCID mouse model, indicating the critical role of PTHrP in bone metastasis in this model. In addition, we demonstrated that several compounds, including bisphosphonates and reveromycin A, potentially suppress osteoclast-activity were beneficial for the treatments of bone metastasis. Multi-modality therapy may be necessary for further augmenting the therapeutic efficacy against lung cancer bone metastasis. PMID- 17786537 TI - Integrin trafficking and its role in cancer metastasis. AB - Enhanced levels of expression of certain integrins, and a consequent increase in specific integrin signals, have been linked to cancer cell progression. Dysfunctional integrin signaling is thought to be involved, at least in part, in mediating the detachment of tumor cells from neighboring cells while providing enhanced survival and proliferative capabilities which allow such disseminating tumor cells to grow in new, foreign, microenvironments. Cell biologists have known for some time that integrin heterodimers are endocytosed from the plasma membrane in to the cytoplasm with some of this receptor later being exocytosed back to the cell surface; a cellular mechanism referred to as 'trafficking'. Although extensive research within the integrin field has elucidated key signal transduction pathways as being involved in integrin-mediated cellular behavior, both in normal and transformed cells, it is only relatively recently that the importance of integrin trafficking in modulating cellular function has been demonstrated. This review aims to identify the major trafficking molecules found to play a functional role in cancer cell behavior with special emphasis on the importance of integrin trafficking during neoplastic cell migration and invasion; vital components of the metastatic process. PMID- 17786538 TI - VEGF signaling inhibitors: more pro-apoptotic than anti-angiogenic. AB - The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of polypeptide growth factors regulates a family of VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinases with pleiotropic downstream effects. Angiogenesis is the best known of these effects, but additional VEGF-dependent actions include increased vascular permeability, paracrine/autocrine growth factor release, enhancement of cell motility, and inhibition of apoptosis. In theory, therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis should reduce tumor perfusion and thus increase tumor hypoxia and chemoresistance, but in clinical practice the VEGF antibody bevacizumab acts as a broad-spectrum chemosensitizer. Since VEGFR expression occurs in many tumor types, such chemosensitization is more readily explained by direct inhibition of tumor cell survival signals than by indirect stromal/vascular effects. The emerging model of anti-VEGF drug action being mediated primarily by tumoral (as distinct from endothelial) VEGFRs has clinically important implications for optimizing the anti metastatic efficacy of this expanding drug class. PMID- 17786539 TI - Functional significance of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors on gastrointestinal cancer cells. AB - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to be the major mediator of physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis. VEGF was initially thought to be an endothelial cell specific ligand, but recently, VEGF has been shown to mediate tumor cell function via activation of receptors on tumor cells themselves. Here, we review the expression patterns and binding profiles of the VEGF receptors and their ligands on gastrointestinal tumor cells. Furthermore, we describe the current knowledge in regards to the function of these receptors on tumor cells. Elucidating the function of VEGF receptors on tumor cells should help us to better understand the potential mechanisms of action of anti-VEGF therapies. PMID- 17786540 TI - SMAD3 inhibits SF-1-dependent activation of the CYP17 promoter in H295R cells. AB - Cytochrome P450c17, encoded by the CYP17 gene, is a component of 17alpha hydroxylase/17,20 lyase which catalyses 17alpha-hydroxylation of pregnenolone or progesterone, required for glucocorticosteroid and androgen synthesis. It has been reported that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) decreases both basal and cAMP-stimulated levels of CYP17 mRNA, but the mechanism of TGF-beta action on CYP17 expression remains unknown. We investigated an inhibitory effect of TGF-beta on CYP17 expression in H295R cells using constructs containing the CYP17 promoter region fused with the luciferase gene. In the H295R cells, TGF beta decreased endogenous SF-1 level and inhibited activity of the 300 bp fragment of CYP17 promoter, which was stimulated by coexpression of SF-1. Overexpression of SMAD3 caused an inhibition of SF-1-stimulated CYP17 promoter activity, whereas overexpression of SMAD7 was ineffective. In conclusion, our results suggest that the inhibitory action of TGF-beta on CYP17 transcription involve at least two mechanisms: SMAD3 dependent inactivation of CYP17 promoter activity and repression of SF-1 expression. PMID- 17786541 TI - Regulation of catalytic activity of S6 kinase 2 during cell cycle. AB - Ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (S6K2) is one of the kinases regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Although it has been identified as a kinase homologous to S6K1, evidence suggests that the two kinases have non overlapping functions, and the biological function of S6K2 still remains unknown. In order to identify the cell cycle stage(s) during which S6K2 plays a role, we assessed changes in the catalytic activity of S6K2 throughout the cell cycle. Our data show that S6K2 is active throughout the cell cycle with higher activity in G2 and M phases. We also show that S6K1 activity peaks sharply during M phase. Our data suggest that S6K1 and S6K2 likely play yet-unknown roles in G2 and M phases. PMID- 17786542 TI - Macrophage migration inhibitory factor does not modulate co-activation of androgen receptor by Jab1/CSN5. AB - Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory immune modulator that plays an important role in the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. MIF signaling involves CD74/CD44 membrane receptor complexes, the chemokine receptors CXCR2 and 4 as well as uptake by non-receptor mediated endocytosis. Endocytosed or endogenous MIF interacts with Jun activation domain binding protein 1 (Jab1), originally described as transcriptional co-activator for the transcription factor AP-1, that is also known as subunit 5 of the COP9 signalosome (CSN5). Since Jab1/CSN5 also functions as a co-activator for a number of steroid hormone receptors (SHRs), it had been speculated that MIF could modulate Jab1/CSN5-SHR interactions. Here we show (i) that fluorescently labeled MIF is internalized by NIH 3T3 cells within minutes, (ii) compromises the induction of phospho-c-Jun levels by TNFalpha and PMA and, hence, is biologically active, but (iii) is not able to interfere with co-activation by Jab1/CSN5 of the androgen receptor. PMID- 17786543 TI - Biochemical characterization of ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (E-NPP, E.C. 3.1.4.1) from rat heart left ventricle. AB - In the present study we investigate the biochemical properties of the members of NPP family in synaptosomes prepared from rat heart left ventricles. Using p nitrophenyl-5'-thymidine monophosphate (p-Nph-5'-TMP) as substrate for E-NPPs in rat cardiac synaptosomes, we observed an alkaline pH dependence, divalent cation dependence and the K ( M ) value corresponded to 91.42 +/- 13.97 microM and the maximal velocity (V ( max )) value calculated was 63.79 +/- 3.59 nmol p nitrophenol released/min/mg of protein (mean +/- SD, n = 4). Levamisole (1 mM), was ineffective as inhibitor of p-Nph-5'-TMP hydrolysis in pH 8.9 (optimum pH for the enzyme characterized). Suramin (0.25 mM) strongly reduced the hydrolysis of p Nph-5'-TMP by about 46%. Sodium azide (10 and 20 mM) and gadolinium chloride (0.3 and 0.5 mM), E-NTPases inhibitors, had no effects on p-Nph-5'-TMP hydrolysis. RT PCR analysis of left ventricle demonstrated the expression of NPP2 and NPP3 enzymes, but excluded the presence of NPP1 member. By quantitative real-time PCR we identified the NPP3 as the enzyme with the highest expression in rat left ventricle. The demonstration of the presence of the E-NPP family in cardiac system, suggest that these enzymes could contribute with the fine-tuning control of the nucleotide levels at the nerve terminal endings of left ventricles that are involved in several cardiac pathologies. PMID- 17786545 TI - Different structural behaviors evidenced in thaumatin-like proteins: a spectroscopic study. AB - Three proteins belonging to the thaumatin-like proteins family were compared in this study from a structural point of view: zeamatin, a new recently isolated PR 5 from Cassia didymobotrya and the commercial sweet-thaumatin. The former two proteins possess antifungal activities while commercial thaumatin is well known to be a natural sweetener. Intrinsic fluorescence studies have evidenced that the three proteins behave differently in unfolding experiments showing different structural rigidity. All the three proteins are more stable at slight acidic buffers, but sweet-thaumatin has a major tendency to destructurate itself. Similar observations were made from circular dichroism studies where a structural dependence relationship from the pH and the solvent used confirmed a hierarchic scale of stability for the three proteins. These structural differences should be considered to be significant for a functional role. PMID- 17786544 TI - AICAR induces phosphorylation of AMPK in an ATM-dependent, LKB1-independent manner. AB - AMPK is an AMP-activated protein kinase that plays an important role in regulating cellular energy homeostasis. Metabolic stress, such as heat shock and glucose starvation, causes an energy deficiency in the cell and leads to elevated levels of intracellular AMP. This results in the phosphorylation and activation of AMPK. LKB1, a tumor suppressor, has been identified as an upstream kinase of AMPK. We found that in response to treatment with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta-4-ribofuranoside (AICAR), the LKB1 deficient cancer cell line, HeLa, exhibited AMPK-alpha phosphorylation. This indicates the existence of an LKB1 independent AMPK-alpha phosphorylation pathway. ATM is a protein that is deficient in the disease ataxia telangiectasia (A-T). We measured the activation of AMPK by AICAR in the normal mouse embryo fibroblast cell line, A29, and the mouse cell line lacking the ATM protein, A38. In A38 cells, the level of AICAR induced AMPK-alpha phosphorylation was significantly lower than that found in A29 cells. Furthermore, phosphorylation of AMPK in HeLa and A29 cells was inhibited by an ATM specific inhibitor, KU-55933. Our results demonstrate that AICAR treatment could lead to phosphorylation of AMPK in an ATM-dependent and LKB1 independent manner. Thus, ATM may function as a potential AMPK kinase in response to AICAR treatment. PMID- 17786546 TI - Equimolar mixture of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol and 4-chloro-1-butanol is a stronger inducer of molten globule state: isothermal titration calorimetric and spectroscopic studies. AB - A mixture of 4-chloro-1-butanol and 2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol (TFE) has been used to generate Molten globule (MG) state of structurally homologous but functionally different proteins bovine alpha-lactalbumin and hen egg-white lysozyme. The thermal denaturation was done using UV-Visible spectroscopy. From UV-Visible profile, thermal transition was not observed beyond a particular concentration. There was an indication of molten globule state in case of alpha-lactalbumin from circular dichroism experiments. By intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, acrylamide and potassium iodide quenching, 8-anilino-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS) binding and energy transfer studies the presence of molten globule state was confirmed. Quantitative characterization of MG state and determining the binding thermodynamics of ANS to the MG state was done using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC). Results show that alpha-lactalbumin exists in MG state at a particular concentration but lysozyme does not show features of MG state. PMID- 17786547 TI - The power of drug co-administration: smaller doses better outcomes. PMID- 17786548 TI - Trajectories of delinquency and parenting styles. AB - We investigated trajectories of adolescent delinquent development using data from the Pittsburgh Youth Study and examined the extent to which these different trajectories are differentially predicted by childhood parenting styles. Based on self-reported and official delinquency seriousness, covering ages 10-19, we identified five distinct delinquency trajectories differing in both level and change in seriousness over time: a nondelinquent, minor persisting, moderate desisting, serious persisting, and serious desisting trajectory. More serious delinquents tended to more frequently engage in delinquency, and to report a higher proportion of theft. Proportionally, serious persistent delinquents were the most violent of all trajectory groups. Using cluster analysis we identified three parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian (moderately supportive), and neglectful (punishing). Controlling for demographic characteristics and childhood delinquency, neglectful parenting was more frequent in moderate desisters, serious persisters, and serious desisters, suggesting that parenting styles differentiate non- or minor delinquents from more serious delinquents. PMID- 17786549 TI - Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses of LGI3 in monkey brain: LGI3 accumulates in aged monkey brains. AB - Leucine-rich glioma inactivated (LGI) 3 encodes a leucine-rich repeat protein. The precise function of LGI3, however, remains unknown. We have previously shown that amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) upregulates LGI3 and that Abeta and LGI3 colocalize on plasma membranes of cultured rat astrocytes. In the present study, we performed immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses of LGI3 using various aged monkey brains. Immunohistochemistry showed that LGI3 was present in almost all neural cells and mainly localized at plasma membranes and nuclei. In aged monkey brains, we found that LGI3 accumulated on or near the plasma membranes of neurons, and colocalized with endocytosis-associated proteins and lipid raft markers. Double immunohistochemistry also showed that LGI3 colocalized with Abeta in astrocytes of aged brains. Moreover, Western blot analyses revealed that LGI3 may be cleaved in brain. Additionally, in aged monkeys LGI3 accumulated in microsomal and nuclear brain fractions. PMID- 17786550 TI - Pharmacodynamic study of FS-0311: a novel highly potent, selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. AB - (1) This study was to evaluate the anti-cholinesterase (ChE), cognition enhancing and neuroprotective effects of FS-0311, a bis-huperzine B derivative. (2) ChE activity was evaluated using a spectrophotometric method. Cognitive deficits in mice were induced by scopolamine or transient brain ischemia and reperfusion. Water maze was used to detect the cognitive performance. PC12 cell injury was induced by beta-amyloid 25-35 (Abeta(25-35)), oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), or staurosporine treatment. (3) FS-0311 was a potent, highly specific inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). FS-0311 bound to AChE in a reversible manner, causing linear mixed-type inhibition. FS-0311 had a high oral bioavailability and a long duration of AChE inhibitory action in vivo. FS-0311 was found to antagonize cognitive deficits induced by scopolamine or transient brain ischemia and reperfusion in a water maze task. FS-0311 possessed the ability to protect PC12 cells against Abeta(25-35) peptide toxicity, OGD insult and staurosporine induced apoptosis. The neuroprotective effects of FS-0311 appeared to reflect an attenuation of oxidative stress. (4) With the profile of anti-ChE and neuroprotective activities, FS-0311 might be a promising candidate in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Vascular dementia. PMID- 17786551 TI - Age and brain structural related effects of glutaric and 3-hydroxyglutaric acids on glutamate binding to plasma membranes during rat brain development. AB - (1) In the present study we determined the effects of glutaric (GA, 0.01-1 mM) and 3-hydroxyglutaric (3-OHGA, 1.0-100 microM) acids, the major metabolites accumulating in glutaric acidemia type I (GA I), on Na(+)-independent and Na(+) dependent [(3)H]glutamate binding to synaptic plasma membranes from cerebral cortex and striatum of rats aged 7, 15 and 60 days. (2) GA selectively inhibited Na(+)-independent [(3)H]glutamate binding (binding to receptors) in cerebral cortex and striatum of rats aged 7 and 15 days, but not aged 60 days. In contrast, GA did not alter Na(+)-dependent glutamate binding (binding to transporters) to synaptic membranes from brain structures of rats at all studied ages. Furthermore, experiments using the glutamatergic antagonist CNQX indicated that GA probably binds to non-NMDA receptors. In addition, GA markedly inhibited [(3)H]kainate binding to synaptic plasma membranes in cerebral cortex of 15-day old rats, indicating that this effect was probably directed towards kainate receptors. On the other hand, experiments performed with 3-OHGA revealed that this organic acid did not change Na(+)-independent [(3)H]glutamate binding to synaptic membranes from cerebral cortex and striatum of rats from all ages, but inhibited Na(+)-dependent [(3)H]glutamate binding to membranes in striatum of 7 day-old rats, but not in striatum of 15- and 60-day-old rats and in cerebral cortex of rats from all studied ages. We also provided some evidence that 3-OHGA competes with the glutamate transporter inhibitor L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4 dicarboxylate, suggesting a possible interaction of 3-OHGA with glutamate transporters on synaptic membranes. (3) These results indicate that glutamate binding to receptors and transporters can be inhibited by GA and 3-OHGA in cerebral cortex and striatum in a developmentally regulated manner. It is postulated that a disturbance of glutamatergic neurotransmission caused by the major metabolites accumulating in GA I at early development may possibly explain, at least in part, the window of vulnerability of striatum and cerebral cortex to injury in patients affected by this disorder. PMID- 17786552 TI - Somatic complaints in children with anxiety disorders and their unique prediction of poorer academic performance. AB - The present study aimed to examine somatic complaints in children with anxiety disorders compared to non-anxious control children and whether somatic complaints predict poorer academic performance. The sample consisted of 108 children and adolescents (aged 8-14 years) assessed by a structured diagnostic interview: 69 with a principal (i.e., most severe and/or interfering) anxiety disorder diagnosis and 39 non-anxious community controls. Established child and parent report measure of somatic complaints, anxiety, and internalizing symptoms were completed. The participants' primary teacher was used to assess academic performance. Findings indicated that children with anxiety disorders reported more somatic complaints than the non-anxious community controls. Furthermore, a greater frequency of somatic complaints uniquely predicted poorer academic performance beyond that accounted for by anxiety and internalizing symptoms based on both child and parent report measures. Knowledge about somatic complaints in children with anxiety disorders and their relation to academic functioning may allow for early identification and prevent academic problems. PMID- 17786553 TI - Alpha 2A-adrenoceptor-specific stimulation of [35S]GTP gamma S binding to membrane preparations of rat frontal cortex. AB - Functional activation of alpha 2A adrenergic receptors in the crude membranes from rat frontal cortex was studied by a [35S]-guanosine 5'-O-(gamma thiotriphosphate) ([35S]GTP gamma S) binding assay. alpha 2A agonists UK14304 and guanfacine decreased the ability of GDP to compete with [35S]GTP gamma S binding to the membranes and 0.1 mM GDP was found to be optimal for the following functional experiments. However, even after careful optimization of experimental conditions the specificity of ligands for rat alpha 2 adrenoceptors were not sufficient, as agonists as well as antagonists became activators of other signal transduction systems before achieving their maximal effect in the alpha 2A adrenergic system. Only using compromising concentration of agonist (up to 1 microM UK14304) and antagonist (up to 1 microM RS79948) to inhibit agonist's effect, allowed us to filtrate out alpha 2A specific effect for characterization of signal transduction in rat frontal cortex membranes for the comparison efficacies of this system for different animals from behavioral experiments. PMID- 17786554 TI - Variable selection strategies in survival models with multiple imputations. AB - In this paper, the variable selection strategies (criteria) are thoroughly discussed and their use in various survival models is investigated. The asymptotic efficiency property, in the sense of Shibata Ann Stat 8: 147-164, 1980, of a class of variable selection strategies which includes the AIC and all criteria equivalent to it, is established for a general class of survival models, such as parametric frailty or transformation models and accelerated failure time models, under minimum conditions. Furthermore, a multiple imputations method is proposed which is found to successfully handle censored observations and constitutes a competitor to existing methods in the literature. A number of real and simulated data are used for illustrative purposes. PMID- 17786555 TI - Controlled release in transdermal pressure sensitive adhesives using organosilicate nanocomposites. AB - Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) based pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) incorporating organo-clays at different loadings were fabricated via solution casting. Partially exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained for the hydroxyl terminated PDMS in ethyl acetate solvent as determined by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Drug release studies showed that the initial burst release was substantially reduced and the drug release could be controlled by the addition of organo-clay. Shear strength and shear adhesion failure temperature (SAFT) measurements indicated substantial improvement in adhesive properties of the PSA nanocomposite adhesives. Shear strength showed more than 200% improvement at the lower clay loadings and the SAFT increased by about 21% due to the reinforcement provided by the nano-dispersed clay platelets. It was found that by optimizing the level of the organosilicate additive to the polymer matrix, superior control over drug release kinetics and simultaneous improvements in adhesive properties could be attained for a transdermal PSA formulation. PMID- 17786556 TI - Lung injury after ischemia-reperfusion of small intestine in rats involves apoptosis of type II alveolar epithelial cells mediated by TNF-alpha and activation of Bid pathway. AB - Although ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) of small intestine is known to induce lung cell apoptosis, there is little information on intracellular and extracellular molecular mechanisms. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of apoptosis including the expression of Fas, Fas ligand (FasL), Bid, Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, and activated caspase-3 in the rat lung at various time-points (0-24 h) of reperfusion after 1-h ischemia of small intestine. As assessed by TUNEL, the number of apoptotic epithelial cells, which were subsequently identified as type II alveolar epithelial cells by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical double-staining, increased at 3 h of reperfusion in the lung. However, intravenous injections of anti-TNF-alpha antibody decreased the number of TUNEL positive cells, indicating involvement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the induction of lung cell apoptosis. Western blotting and/or immunohistochemistry revealed a marked up-regulation of Fas, FasL, Bid, Bax, cytochrome c and activated caspase-3 and down-regulation of Bcl-2 in lung epithelial and stromal cells at 3 h of reperfusion. Our results indicate that I/R of small intestine results in apoptosis of rat alveolar type II cells through a series of events including systemic TNF-alpha, activation of two apoptotic signaling pathways and mitochondrial translocation of Bid. PMID- 17786557 TI - 15-Deoxy-delta 12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ 2) sensitizes human leukemic HL-60 cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis through Akt downregulation. AB - While tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising new agent for the treatment of cancer, resistance to TRAIL remains a therapeutic challenge. Identifying agents to use in combination with TRAIL to enhance apoptosis in leukemia cells would increase the potential utility of this agent as a therapy for leukemia. Here, we show that 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14) prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), a natural ligand for peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), can sensitize TRAIL-resistant leukemic HL 60 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by 15d-PGJ2 was not blocked by a PPARgamma inhibitor (GW9662), suggesting a PPARgamma-independent mechanism. This process was accompanied by activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 and was concomitant with Bid and PARP cleavage. We observed significant decreases in XIAP, Bcl-2, and c-FLIP after cotreatment with 15d-PGJ2 and TRAIL. We also observed the inhibition of Akt expression and phosphorylation by cotreatment with 15d-PGJ2 and TRAIL. Furthermore, inactivation of Akt by Akt inhibitor IV sensitized human leukemic HL 60 cells to TRAIL, indicating a key role for Akt inhibition in these events. Taken together, these findings indicate that 15d-PGJ2 may augment TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells by down-regulating the expression and phosphorylation of Akt. PMID- 17786558 TI - Involvement of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and nitric oxide-mediated mitochondria dependent intrinsic pathway signaling in cardiotoxin-induced muscle cell death: role of testosterone. AB - To test the hypothesis that c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and nitric oxide (NO) mediated signaling plays an important role in muscle cell apoptosis, we examined the contribution of these molecules in muscle cell apoptosis during cardiotoxin (ctx)-induced muscle injury in mice. Compared to controls, where no apoptosis was detected, the percent of muscle cell apoptosis rose significantly (P < 0.05) at 4 h (27%) after ctx-treatment and increased further progressively up to 16 h posttreatment (80%), before it fell again at 24 h posttreatment (38%). Initiation of apoptosis was preceded by JNK activation and elevated levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) in the mitochondrial fractions (BAX levels remained unaffected). Ctx treatment also resulted in the inactivation of BCL-2 through phosphorylation at serine 70, thereby perturbing the BAX/BCL-2 rheostat, and the subsequent activation of the cytochrome c-mediated death pathway. Concomitant administration of SP600125, a selective JNK inhibitor, or aminoguanidine (AG), a selected inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, effectively diminished BCL-2 phosphorylation, suppressed cytochrome c release from mitochondria and caspase activation, and significantly prevented ctx-induced muscle cell apoptosis. In additional studies, we examined the role of testosterone in preventing such ctx-induced muscle cell apoptosis. Collectively, the present study emphasizes the role of a new signal transduction pathway involving JNK and iNOS that promotes ctx-induced myocyte apoptosis by provoking BCL-2 phosphorylation, leading to its inactivation, and subsequent activation of the intrinsic pathway signaling. Testosterone therapy has no protective effect in acute muscle injury associated with increased muscle cell death after ctx treatment. PMID- 17786560 TI - Pituitary tuberculosis mimicking idiopathic granulomatous hypophysitis. AB - An unusual case of tubercular granulomatous hypophysitis is reported. A sellar mass diagnosed as pituitary adenoma in MRI, showed non-caseating granulomas, glandular destruction and fibrosis in histology. Stain for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) were negative and the case was misdiagnosed as Idiopathic Granulomatous hypophysitis. The patient came back 2 weeks after trans-sphenoidal endoscopic resection with meningitis. CSF showed mixed pleocytosis. PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was positive. The case is reported to highlight the need to maintain a high degree of suspicion for tuberculosis in any form of granulomatous hypophysitis, with or without caseous necrosis, in regions endemic for tuberculosis to prevent subsequent complications. PMID- 17786561 TI - Experiences of social stigma and implications for healthcare among a diverse population of HIV positive adults. AB - Stigma profoundly affects the lives of people with HIV/AIDS. Fear of being identified as having HIV or AIDS may discourage a person from getting tested, from accessing medical services and medications, and from disclosing their HIV status to family and friends. In the present study, we use focus groups to identify the most salient domains of stigma and the coping strategies that may be common to a group of diverse, low-income women and men living with HIV in Los Angeles, CA (n = 48). We also explore the impact of stigma on health and healthcare among HIV positive persons in our sample. Results indicate that the most salient domains of stigma include: blame and stereotypes of HIV, fear of contagion, disclosure of a stigmatized role, and renegotiating social contracts. We use the analysis to develop a framework where stigma is viewed as a social process composed of the struggle for both internal change (self-acceptance) and reintegration into the community. We discuss implications of HIV-related stigma for the mental and physical health of HIV-positive women and men and suggestions for possible interventions to address stigma in the healthcare setting. PMID- 17786559 TI - The elusive nature of executive functions: a review of our current understanding. AB - Executive functions include abilities of goal formation, planning, carrying out goal-directed plans, and effective performance. This article aims at reviewing some of the current knowledge surrounding executive functioning and presenting the contrasting views regarding this concept. The neural substrates of the executive system are examined as well as the evolution of executive functioning, from development to decline. There is clear evidence of the vulnerability of executive functions to the effects of age over lifespan. The first executive function to emerge in children is the ability to inhibit overlearned behavior and the last to appear is verbal fluency. Inhibition of irrelevant information seems to decline earlier than set shifting and verbal fluency during senescence. The sequential progression and decline of these functions has been paralleled with the anatomical changes of the frontal lobe and its connections with other brain areas. Generalization of the results presented here are limited due to methodological differences across studies. Analysis of these differences is presented and suggestions for future research are offered. PMID- 17786562 TI - The role of the novel adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate reductase in regulation of sulfate assimilation of Physcomitrella patens. AB - Sulfate assimilation provides reduced sulfur for the synthesis of the amino acids cysteine and methionine and for a range of other metabolites. The key step in control of plant sulfate assimilation is the reduction of adenosine 5' phosphosulfate to sulfite. The enzyme catalyzing this reaction, adenosine 5'phosphosulfate reductase (APR), is found as an iron sulfur protein in plants, algae, and many bacteria. In the moss Physcomitrella patens, however, a novel isoform of the enzyme, APR-B, has recently been discovered lacking the co-factor. To assess the function of the novel APR-B we used homologous recombination to disrupt the corresponding gene in P. patens. The knock-out plants were able to grow on sulfate as a sole sulfur source and the content of low molecular weight thiols was not different from wild type plants or plants where APR was disrupted. However, when treated with low concentrations of cadmium the APR-B knockout plants were more sensitive than both wild type and APR knockouts. In wild type P. patens, the two APR isoforms were not affected by treatments that strongly regulate this enzyme in flowering plants. The data thus suggest that in P. patens APS reduction is not the major control step of sulfate assimilation. PMID- 17786563 TI - Transcript profiling of the hypomethylated hog1 mutant of Arabidopsis. AB - Transcript profiling was used to look for genes that differ in expression between the SAH hydrolase deficient and hypomethylated hog1-1 mutant and the parental (HOG1) line. This analysis identified a subset of gene transcripts that were up regulated in hog1-1 plants. The majority of these transcripts were from genes located in the pericentromeric heterochromatin. About a third of the genes are annotated as transposons or having transposon homology. Subsequent experiments using Northern blots, RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR confirmed the up-regulation of 19 of the genes and identified a set of molecular probes for genes that are up regulated in the hog1-1 background. Six (of six genes tested) of the hog1-1 up regulated genes are also up-regulated in the hypomethylated ddm1 mutant, three in the hypomethylated met1 mutant and three in the dcl3 mutant. The results suggest that the hypomethylation in the mutant lines may have a causal role in the up regulation of these transcripts. PMID- 17786564 TI - An integrated genetic and cytogenetic map for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, based on microsatellite and morphological markers. AB - A genetic map based on microsatellite polymorphisms and visible mutations of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata is presented. Genotyping was performed on single flies from several backcross families. The map is composed of 67 microsatellites and 16 visible markers distributed over four linkage groups. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of selected microsatellite markers on salivary gland polytene chromosomes allowed the alignment of these groups to the second, fourth, fifth and sixth chromosome. None of the markers tested showed segregation either with the X or the third chromosome. However, this map constitutes a substantial starting point for a detailed genetic map of C. capitata. The construction of an integrated map covering the whole genome should greatly facilitate genetic studies and future genome sequence projects of the species. PMID- 17786566 TI - End-users' knowledge, attitude, and behavior towards safe use of pesticides: a case study in the Guanting Reservoir area, China. AB - Pesticides are widely used in China for crop protection. However, the use of some highly toxic and accumulative pesticides has led to serious pollution to the environment. The knowledge that end-users of pesticides have about hazards is important for the prevention of acute poisoning. Moreover, farmers, especially those who purchase and use pesticides, often make important and long-standing impacts on the local ecosystem and environment. In this study, a specially designed questionnaire was used to collect information on their knowledge, attitude, and behavior related to pesticides in the Guanting Reservoir area, north of China. Most pesticide end-users reported that they took incomplete preventive measures for lack of extensive pesticide knowledge and information. Pesticide information, instruction, and training among farmers should be promoted, and governmental intervention is needed to ensure proper management regarding public health risks and environmental hazards. PMID- 17786567 TI - Seasonal and spatial character of PCBs in a chemical industrial zone of Shanghai, China. AB - As one of China's great metropolises, Shanghai is suffering from the impact of manufacture and the use of chemical industrial products, and it faces serious pollution from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Therefore, in this study, in order to assess the seasonal and spatial character of contamination from chemical industrial zones, the concentrations of PCBs have been measured in various environmental media, including soil, leaves, and atmospheric particulate samples collected in a chemical industrial zone of Shanghai and compared with samples from presumably unpolluted sites of rural areas. In soils, the PCB concentrations ranged from 0.5 ng g(-1) (unpolluted site) to 586.85 ng g(-1) (chlor-alkali industry site). The concentrations of PCBs in evergreen leaves ranged from 0.3 ng g(-1) to 32.46 ng g(-1), and more chlorinated biphenyls congeners, such as penta biphenyls and hexa-biphenyls, were the dominant contributors in winter and spring. Seasonal differences and the constitution patterns of congeners might be affected by the temperature and industrial activities. The PCB concentrations in the leaves of deciduous trees increase over time as the leaves grow. The PCB concentration in atmospheric particulates was in the range of 9.22-14.15 x 10(3)pg m(-3), which might be the result of influence from climate and industrial activities. The relativity of PCB contents among the environmental media was discussed. The results in this paper provide an important profile of the current contamination status of a key chemical industrial zone in China. PMID- 17786568 TI - Organochlorine pesticides in soils around Guanting Reservoir, China. AB - Fifty-six representative samples of topsoil were collected around Guanting Reservoir, which is an important water source for Beijing. Concentrations of the insecticides HCH, DDT, and their metabolites were quantified by use of gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD). Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are still present in surface soils in the Guanting area. DDT accounts for about 93% of the total OCP content. Concentrations of alpha/gamma, beta/gamma, and DDT/DDE are the result not only of historical use, but also of more recent depositions. Statistical analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA), revealed associations between concentrations of OCPs and major soil characteristics. Geographical information system (GIS) technology was used to develop maps of the distributions of OCP concentrations. The areas of greatest contamination were primarily in the central part of the study area and were correlated with greater population density, heavier traffic, and more industrial activity. PMID- 17786569 TI - Bioaccessible lead in soils, slag, and mine wastes from an abandoned mining district in Brazil. AB - We determined the amount of bioaccessible lead in samples of contaminated soils and in mining and refining wastes collected in the surroundings of a former smelter in a rural area in southeastern Brazil. Previous studies showed that some resident children and adults had blood Pb levels above recommended limits, but the contamination route was not established. The incidental ingestion of contaminated soils and dusts is considered to be a major route of lead uptake by humans. Bioavailability of heavy metals like Pb depends on solubility during digestion. We used in vitro tests that simulate human gastrointestinal (GI) media to measure the amount of soluble Pb under such conditions. Pb in soil and solid waste samples ranged from 0.03 to 4.1% and 1.2 to 15%, respectively. On average, 70% of the lead content was soluble in three different simulated gastric solutions (pH 1.5 and 1.7). For the same samples, lead solubility decreased to 2 22% when the pH was raised to pH 7 to approximate conditions found in the small intestine. These results indicate that if soils and dusts of the area are ingested, most of the lead will dissolve in the stomach, and part of it will remain soluble in the duodenum, i.e., would be potentially available for absorption. These findings may explain the high blood Pb levels previously reported. PMID- 17786570 TI - The spatio-temporal expression pattern of cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mRNA during mouse embryogenesis. AB - The cytoplasmic Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) represents along with catalase and glutathione peroxidase at the first defense line against reactive oxygen species in all aerobic organisms, but little is known about its distribution in developing embryos. In this study, the expression patterns of SOD1 mRNA in mouse embryos were investigated using real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization analyses. Expression of SOD1 mRNA was detected in all embryos with embryonic days (EDs) 7.5-18.5. The signal showed the weakest level at ED 12.5, but the highest level at ED 15.5. SOD1 mRNA was expressed in chorion, allantois, amnion, and neural folds at ED 7.5 and in neural folds, notochord, neuromeres, gut, and primitive streak at ED 8.5. In central nervous system, SOD1 mRNA was expressed greatly in embryos of EDs 9.5-11.5, but weakly in embryos of ED 12.5. At EDs 9.5 12.5, the expression of SOD1 mRNA was high in sensory organs such as tongue, olfactory organ (nasal prominence) and eye (optic vesicle), while it was decreased in ear (otic vesicle) after ED 10.5. In developing limbs, SOD1 mRNA was greatly expressed in forelimbs at EDs 9.5-11.5 and in hindlimbs at EDs 10.5-11.5. The signal increased in liver, heart and genital tubercle after ED 11.5. In the sections of embryos after ED 13.5, SOD1 mRNA was expressed in various tissues and especially high in mucosa and metabolically active sites such as lung, kidney, stomach, and intestines and epithelial cells of skin, whisker follicles, and ear and nasal cavities. These results suggest that SOD1 may be related to organogenesis of embryos as an antioxidant enzyme. PMID- 17786571 TI - Sonic hedgehog signaling is critical for cytodifferentiation and cusp formation in developing mouse molars. AB - The present study was designed to investigate the direct role of Shh molecule on cytodifferentiation and cusp formation. Affi-gel blue beads soaked in exogenous Shh-N, Shh antibody or BSA control protein were implanted between the epithelium and mesenchyme of isolated molar germs at the cap stage. The recombinants were grafted for culture under the kidney capsules respectively. In compared to the control, additional Shh-N protein could not enhance the ameloblasts and odontoblasts differentiation of the explanted tooth germs. While, application of Shh antibody retarded these events. After 4 weeks of subrenal culture, the teeth dissected from the explants treated with Shh-N were multicuspid. Most of the teeth harvested from the Shh antibody group were small and single irregularly shaped cusp was visible. The main cusp height in this group was reduced. The results indicated Shh signaling pathway is critical for odontoblast and ameloblast differentiation and patterns cusp formation. PMID- 17786572 TI - Expression of placental glutathione S-transferase in rat tongue mucosa exposed to cigarette smoke. AB - Glutatione S-transferases (GSTs) are a family of enzymes involved in detoxification of xenobiotics. Placental GST, known as GST-P, has been detected in tissues following exposure to carcinogenic agents being regarded a reliable biomarker of exposure and susceptibility in early phases of carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expressivity of GST-P positive foci in the rat tongue mucosa exposed to cigarette smoke by means of immunohistochemistry. A total of twelve male Wistar rats were distributed into two groups: negative control and experimental group exposed to cigarette smoke during 75 days. After experimental period, no histopathological changes in the tongue mucosa were evidenced in the negative control and the experimental group. However, a total of five GST-P positive foci were detected in two out of six animals exposed to cigarrette smoke. None control animals were noticed GST-P positive foci. These data indicate that expression of GST-P may reflect the carcinogenic effect of cigarette smoke as well as the genetic susceptibility of animals in relation to continuous carcinogens exposure. PMID- 17786574 TI - Aortic rings stimulate inflammatory angiogenesis in a subcutaneous implant in vivo model. AB - Rat or mouse aortic rings produce angiogenic outgrowths in vitro through endogenous production of growth factors and inflammatory cytokines. To further investigate this process in vivo, collagen-Gelfoam constructs containing aortic rings were implanted subcutaneously in syngeneic animals. Aortic rings stimulated a prominent angiogenic response characterized by peri- and intra-aortic accumulation of florid granulation tissue. Conversely, implants without rings elicited a non-specific inflammatory reaction without significant angiogenesis. The angiogenic response to the rings peaked at day 14 and was followed by regression of neovessels, which were mostly reabsorbed by day 28. Gene expression studies showed upregulated expression of angiogenic growth factors and cytokines in implants with rings. Tracking experiments with LacZ expressing ROSA26 transgenic mice demonstrated that both the aorta and the host contributed to the angiogenic response. These studies show that the angiogenic properties of the rodent aorta can be studied in the live animal under conditions that can be monitored and quantified. This in vivo assay can be used to study the molecular mechanisms by which the arterial wall and its proangiogenic cytokines regulate formation of granulation tissue during wound healing. PMID- 17786573 TI - In vitro wounding: effects of hypoxia and transforming growth factor beta1 on proliferation, migration and myofibroblastic differentiation in an endothelial cell-fibroblast co-culture model. AB - The adequate reconstitution of human soft tissue wounds requires the coordinated interaction of endothelial cells and fibroblasts during the proliferation phase of healing. Endothelial cells assure neoangiogenesis, fibroblasts fill the defect and provide extracellular matrix proteins, and myofibroblasts are believed to support the reconstitution of microvessels. In the present study, we combined in vitro-wound size measurement and multicolour immunocytochemical staining of co cultured human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and normal human dermal fibroblasts, recently introduced as co-culture scratch-wound migration assay. Applying antibodies for alpha-smooth-muscle actin, von Willebrand factor, extra domain A fibronectin and endothelin-1, we were able to monitor proliferation, migration and the differentiation process from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts as a response to hypoxia. Furthermore, we verified, whether transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and endothelin-1 are able to mediate this response. We show, that proliferation and migration of endothelial cells and fibroblasts decreased under hypoxia. The additional administration of TGFbeta1 did not significantly attenuate this decrease. Solely the myofibroblast population in co-culture adapted well to hypoxia, when cultures were supplemented with TGFbeta1. Considerating the data concerning TGFbeta1 and endothelin-1, we propose a model explaining the cellular interaction during early and late proliferation phase of human wound healing. PMID- 17786575 TI - Determination of landscape beauties through visual quality assessment method: a case study for Kemaliye (Erzincan/Turkey). AB - Kemaliye (Erzincan/Turkey) is the member of European Association of Historic Towns and Regions. The aim of this study was to reveal the visual richness of the town; to identify the relationship between landscape spatial pattern and visual quality of the landscape and to offer some suggestions for the future planning in regarding to these visual beauties. The visual quality assessment method was used in this study. The results of the study revealed three landscape types that have the highest visual quality. Among those, the highest one is urban scenery 3 (US3; VQP = 5.9400), the second is geological structure scenery 5 (GSS 5; VQP = 5.9200) and the third natural scenery 3 (NS3; VQP = 5.9133). Visual quality assessment showed that urban pattern, geological structure and natural resources of the region also have visual value. The relationships between landscape spatial pattern and visual quality of landscape indicated that certain characteristics of landscape affected the quality. For instance, as the texture level decreased in natural landscapes and as the green areas increased in geological structure, visual preferences ratio increased. Some suggestions were also made regarding the visual resources use in the region. PMID- 17786576 TI - Atmospheric concentrations of nitric acid, sulfur dioxide, particulate nitrate and particulate sulfate, and estimation of their dry deposition on the urban- and mountain-facing sides of Mt. Gokurakuji, Western Japan. AB - Atmospheric concentrations of nitric acid (HNO3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate nitrate (NO3-) and particulate sulfate (SO4(2-)) on the urban- and mountain-facing sides of Mt. Gokurakuji were measured from November 2002 to October 2003, in order to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic activity on air quality and dry deposited nitrate and sulfate on the surfaces of pine foliage. The results showed that HNO3, SO2 and NO3(-) concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) on the urban-facing side (1.54, 2.48 and 0.65 microg m(-3), respectively) than the mountain-facing side (0.67, 1.19 and 0.37 microg m(-3), respectively), while SO4(2-) concentrations did not differ significantly between the two sides (urban-facing: 2.80 microg m(-3); mountain-facing: 2.05 microg m( 3)). Indirect estimates of dry deposition rates of nitrate and sulfate to the surfaces of pine foliage based on the measured concentrations approximately agreed with the measured values determined by the foliar rinsing technique in a previous study. It was found that HNO3 was the major source (approximately 80%) of dry deposited nitrate on pine foliage, while the contribution from SO4(2-) was about equal to that from SO2. In conclusion, HNO3 and SO2 appear to be dominant species reflecting higher dry deposition rates of nitrate and sulfate on the urban-facing side compared to the mountain-facing side of Mt. Gokurakuji. PMID- 17786577 TI - Assessing the effects of land use changes on soil sensitivity to erosion in a highland ecosystem of semi-arid Turkey. AB - There has been increasing concern in highlands of semiarid Turkey that conversion of these systems results in excessive soil erosion, ecosystem degradation, and loss of sustainable resources. An increasing rate of land use/cover changes especially in semiarid mountainous areas has resulted in important effects on physical and ecological processes, causing many regions to undergo accelerated environmental degradation in terms of soil erosion, mass movement and reservoir sedimentation. This paper, therefore, explores the impact of land use changes on land degradation in a linkage to the soil erodibility, RUSLE-K, in Cankiri-Indagi Mountain Pass, Turkey. The characterization of soil erodibility in this ecosystem is important from the standpoint of conserving fragile ecosystems and planning management practices. Five adjacent land uses (cropland, grassland, woodland, plantation, and recreational land) were selected for this research. Analysis of variance showed that soil properties and RUSLE-K statistically changed with land use changes and soils of the recreational land and cropland were more sensitive to water erosion than those of the woodland, grassland, and plantation. This was mainly due to the significant decreases in soil organic matter (SOM) and hydraulic conductivity (HC) in those lands. Additionally, soil samples randomly collected from the depths of 0-10 cm (D1) and 10-20 cm (D2) with irregular intervals in an area of 1,200 by 4,200 m sufficiently characterized not only the spatial distribution of soil organic matter (SOM), hydraulic conductivity (HC), clay (C), silt (Si), sand (S) and silt plus very fine sand (Si + VFS) but also the spatial distribution of RUSLE-K as an algebraically estimate of these parameters together with field assessment of soil structure to assess the dynamic relationships between soil properties and land use types. In this study, in order to perform the spatial analyses, the mean sampling intervals were 43, 50, 64, 78, 85 m for woodland, plantation, grassland, recreation, and cropland with the sample numbers of 56, 79, 72, 13, and 69, respectively, resulting in an average interval of 64 m for whole study area. Although nugget effect and nugget effect sill ratio gave an idea about the sampling design adequacy, the better results are undoubtedly likely by both equi-probable spatial sampling and random sampling representative of all land uses. PMID- 17786578 TI - Is analytic information processing a feature of expertise in medicine? AB - Diagnosing begins by generating an initial diagnostic hypothesis by automatic information processing. Information processing may stop here if the hypothesis is accepted, or analytical processing may be used to refine the hypothesis. This description portrays analytic processing as an optional extra in information processing, leading us to questions if it actually contributes to diagnostic performance, and whether it heralds expertise or a lack of expertise. When we encourage students to solve problems using analytic processing -- as is our teaching tradition -- are we helping or hindering diagnostic performance and the evolution of expertise? The relationship between information processing, expertise and diagnostic performance is complex. At least four additional variables affect this relationship: context; task difficulty; clinical domain; and experimental conditions. Therefore, we cannot make a generic statement about the relationship between processing, expertise and performance -- we can only say that when given a problem containing certain information, of certain difficulty, in a certain clinical domain and under certain experimental conditions, analytic processing appears to improve diagnostic performance and be a feature of expertise. No single processing strategy is a panacea. Training students in both automatic and analytic processing offers flexibility in information processing and better prepares them for the wide variety of problems that they may encounter. PMID- 17786579 TI - Hepatitis G virus exposure in dialysis patients. AB - BACKGROUND: Hepatitis G virus (HGV) is a blood-borne virus. The predominant route of its transmission is parenteral. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of HGV exposure in haemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients in Iran. METHODS: This study was performed in a major dialysis centre in Tehran, Iran. The study cohort consisted of 77 patients on HD and 13 patients on CAPD. The presence of anti-HGV envelope protein E2 (anti-E2) in the blood serum, as determined by means of an ELISA assay, indicated HGV exposure. All patients were also screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV). In patients who tested positive for anti-E2, HGV RNA was detected by RT-PCR using primers derived from the NS5A region of the viral genome. RESULTS: In total, 3.89% of the HD patients and none of the CAPD patients tested positive for anti-E2. None of the patients tested positive for HGV RNA. The mean age of the anti-E2-positive patients was 53.3 +/- 26.5 years, with 66.66% having previously received blood transfusion. The mean duration of dialysis of the anti E2-positive patients was 68 +/- 64 months. Co-infection with HCV or HBV was not observed in the anti-E2 positive patients. CONCLUSION: The rate of exposure to HGV was low among the dialysis patients in our study. The appearance of anti-E2 was accompanied by clearance of serum HGV-RNA. No relationship was noted between HGV exposure and age, sex, history of blood transfusion, time on dialysis and HCV or HBV markers. PMID- 17786580 TI - The senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM-P8) as a model for the study of vascular functional alterations during aging. AB - We studied vascular function in quiescent aortas from senescence-accelerated resistant (SAM-R1) and prone (SAM-P8) mice. Myographical studies of thoracic aorta segments from 6-7 month-old mice showed that the contractility of SAM-P8 aortas was markedly higher than that of SAM-R1 after KCl depolarization or phenylephrine addition. Acetylcholine dose-response relaxation curves revealed that SAM-R1 vessels were slightly more sensitive than those of SAM-P8. In the presence of the NO synthase inhibitor, L-NAME, all vessels displayed contractions to acetylcholine, but these were more distinct in the SAM-R1. Phenylephrine plus L-NAME displayed stronger contractions in both animal strains, but were markedly more pronounced in SAM-R1. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin did not change the vessel responses to acetylcholine or phenylephrine. These data indicate that NO synthase, not cyclooxygenase, was responsible for the differences in contractility. Standard histology and immunohistochemistry of endothelial NO synthase revealed no differences in the expression of this protein. In contrast, increased levels of malondialdehyde were found in SAM-P8 vessels. We conclude that SAM-P8 vessels exhibit higher contractility than those of SAM-R1. Furthermore, our results suggest that the endothelium of SAM-P8 vessels is dysfunctional and lacks normal capability to counteract smooth muscle contraction. Therefore, our findings support SAM-P8 as a suitable model for the study of vascular physiological changes during aging. PMID- 17786582 TI - Comparison of strain doppler echocardiography and radiologic left ventriculography for quantitative assessment of regional myocardial function. AB - OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the comparison of strain and strain rate parameters with conventional left ventriculography derived regional function. METHOD: Forty patients were included in the study. The study group was selected from patients who had undergone left ventriculography and coronary angiography for clinical indications. Regional myocardial function was assessed using the centerline method via ACOM PC Quantcor LVA measurement system. Patients were also evaluated with echocardiography. Strain and strain rate Doppler echocardiographic measurements were compared with conventional left ventriculography at anterobasal, anterolateral, inferior and posterobasal segments. RESULTS: Radiological left ventricular radial shortening was found to correlate with longitudinal strain shortening in all ventriculographic segments examined (anterobasal, r = 0.771, P < 0.0001; anterolateral, r = 0.790, P < 0.0001; posterobasal, r = 0.861, P < 0.0001; inferior, r = 0.815, P < 0.0001). Correlation was persistent both in patients with or without coronary artery disease. The sensitivity of a peak systolic longitudinal strain >12.5% for prediction of patients with radial shortening >or=20% was 75%, with a specificity of 100%. However, no relationship could be demonstrated between radiological left ventricular radial shortening and strain rate measurements. CONCLUSIONS: In our study it was shown that regional wall motion can be measured quantitatively via strain Doppler echocardiography with the left ventriculography as reference. PMID- 17786581 TI - Trapping of the quenched conformation associated with non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence at low temperature. AB - The kinetics of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence was studied in pea leaves at different temperatures between 5 and 25 degrees C and during rapid jumps of the leaf temperature. At 5 degrees C, NPQ relaxed very slowly in the dark and was sustained for up to 30 min. This was independent of the temperature at which quenching was induced. Upon raising the temperature to 25 degrees C, the quenched state relaxed within 1 min, characteristic for qE, the energy-dependent component of NPQ. Measurements of the membrane permeability (delta A515) in dark-adapted and preilluminated leaves and NPQ in the presence of dithiothreitol strongly suggest that the effect of low temperature on NPQ was not because of limitation by the lumenal pH or the de-epoxidation state of the xanthophylls. These data are consistent with the notion that the transition from the quenched to the unquenched state and vice versa involves a structural reorganization in the photosynthetic apparatus. An eight-state reaction scheme for NPQ is proposed, extending the model of Horton and co-workers (FEBS Lett 579:4201-4206, 2005), and a hypothesis is put forward concerning the nature of conformational changes associated with qE. PMID- 17786583 TI - Myocardial perfusion defects and coronary risk factors in symptomatic and asymptomatic elderly women. AB - BACKGROUND: We investigated the relation between risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial ischemia detected by (201)Tl SPECT in elderly women. METHODS: 306 women aged >or=75 yr (79.1 +/- 3.6 yr) who underwent pharmacologic (201)Tl SPECT for suspected CAD based on symptoms or CAD risk factors were included. Coronary risk factors were evaluated by medical records, and included diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking, greater age (>or=80 yr), and obesity. Summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS), and summed difference score (SDS) were calculated based on stress and redistribution SPECT images for semi-quantification. RESULTS: The symptomatic group (n = 110) had a 34.5% perfusion defect rate. The asymptomatic group (n = 196) had a significantly lower perfusion defect rate of 16.8%. However, this significantly increased to 29.4% and 22.0% in the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension, respectively. In addition, the summed stress score of asymptomatic patients (12.4 +/- 6.0) was not lower but comparable to that of symptomatic patients (10.0 +/- 6.0). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly women suspected of CAD, pharmacologic perfusion imaging can be used to identify myocardial ischemia in patients with angina as well as asymptomatic subjects with concurrent DM or hypertension. PMID- 17786584 TI - Characterization of a putative pollen-specific arabinogalactan protein gene, BcMF8, from Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis. AB - The BcMF8 (Brassica campestris male fertility 8) gene, possessing the features of 'classical' arabinogalactan protein (AGP) was isolated from Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis, Makino syn. B. rapa L. ssp. chinensis. This gene was highly abundant in the fertile flower buds but silenced in the sterile ones of genic male sterile A/B line ('ZUBajh97-01A/B') in B. campestris. Expression patterns analysis suggested BcMF8 was a pollen-specific gene, whose transcript started to be expressed at the uninucleate stage and maintained throughout to the pollen at pollination stage. BcMF8 is highly homologous to the known pollen-specific AGP genes Sta 39-4 and Sta 39-3 from B. napus. Isolation and multiple alignment of the homologs of BcMF8 gene in the family Cruciferae indicated that BcMF8 was highly conserved in this family, which reflect the conservation in biological function and importance of this putative AGP gene in plant development. Similarity analysis also demonstrated Sta 39-4 and Sta 39-3 may originate from different genomes. PMID- 17786585 TI - Regulation of zinc transporters by dietary flaxseed lignan in human breast cancer xenografts. AB - Zinc is essential for cell growth. Previous studies have shown that zinc concentration in breast cancer tissues is higher than that in normal breast tissues. Zinc cannot passively diffuse across cell membranes and specific zinc transporter proteins are required. Two gene families have been identified involved in zinc homeostasis. ZnT transporters reduce intracellular zinc while ZIP transporters increase intracellular zinc. In this study, three human zinc transporter members: ZnT-1, ZIP2 and LIV-1 were chosen. We aimed to determine the effect of flaxseed lignan on the growth of ER-negative breast cancer cells in a nude mice model and observe the effect of flaxseed lignan on the regulation of the three zinc transporter in mRNA level. Nude mice were xenografted with human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and 6 weeks later were fed either the basal diet (BD) or BD supplemented with 10% FS and SDG for 5 weeks. The SDG levels were equivalent to the amounts in the 10% FS. RT-PCR was performed. Compared with the BD group, the tumor growth rate was significantly lower (P < 0. 05) in the FS and SDG group. ZnT-1 mRNA level in mammary tumor was increased in SDG group and decreased in FS group, but no significant difference was found. Extremely low amplification of ZIP2 from mRNA was detected, with no difference between the treatment groups. LIV-1 mRNA expression of SDG group increases compared with BD group. In FS group, it significantly increases nearly 9 times than that in BD group (P < 0. 005). PMID- 17786586 TI - Overproduction of mouse estrogen receptor alpha-ligand binding domain decreases bacterial growth. AB - Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most widely used prokaryotic host system for the synthesis of recombinant proteins. The overproduction of recombinant proteins is sometimes lethal to the host cells. In the present study, we expressed the ligand binding domain (LBD) of mouse estrogen receptor alpha (mouse ERalpha) using an expression vector (pIVEX) in E. coli BL21(DE3) and examined the effect of production of this protein on bacterial growth. The expressed protein was immunologically detected as a 30 kD histidine-tagged protein in the soluble part of the bacterial lysate. The overproduction of mouse ERalpha-LBD, as reflected by total protein content and expression pattern, resulted in the decrease of bacterial growth. PMID- 17786589 TI - Maternal longevity and the sex of offspring in pre-industrial Sweden. AB - BACKGROUND: Helle et al. (2000. Sons reduced maternal longevity in preindustrial humans. Science, 296, 1085) argued that giving birth to sons reduced maternal longevity in pre-industrial societies due to higher physiological costs of bearing sons and the elevated testosterone levels observed in mothers carrying male foetuses. AIM: The present study examined this hypothesis using a more comprehensive dataset and evaluated the merits of the statistical approach used in previous studies to identify the cost of giving birth to sons in terms of maternal old-age longevity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The analysis in Helle et al. (2002. Sons reduced maternal longevity in preindustrial humans. Science 296, 1085) was extended by using a considerably larger dataset of pre-industrial Swedish women, and with careful consideration paid to methodological problems of sample selection and omitted variable bias. We argue that the previous literature has underestimated the difficulties in quantifying the trade-off between parity and longevity due to unobserved heterogeneity in health. However, under less restrictive assumptions, one can estimate the marginal impact of a son for a fixed family size. RESULTS: No evidence was found of a negative relative impact of sons. Neither was any evidence found in favour of the male-biased intra household resource competition hypothesis proposed elsewhere in the literature, despite the poverty of the study population. These results are robust to a wide range of specifications tested. CONCLUSION: The failure to reproduce earlier findings and the fact that studies in this area of research seem to continue to yield conflicting results warrant much caution in discussing and evaluating results. It is likely that the negative effect of sons, if it existed, only manifested itself under conditions that are not yet fully understood. We also argue that the previous literature on this topic has not fully acknowledged the inference problems associated with omitted variable bias and sample selection. PMID- 17786588 TI - Spirometric reference values for children and adolescents from Kazakhstan. AB - BACKGROUND: Spirometric parameters are influenced by several factors and many reference data are available in the literature. However, no spirometric data are available for children and adolescents from Central Asia. AIM: The study aimed to calculate spirometric reference curves on the basis of anthropometry, ethnicity (Kazakh vs. Russian) and living environment (urban vs. rural). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Spirometry (FEV1, FVC and FEF25-75%) was performed and anthropometric measurements taken for 1926 male and 1967 female Kazakh children aged 7-18 years. RESULTS: Height explained almost all the variance of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) for both sexes, while age and inspiratory circumference contributed slightly to the prediction. Moreover, FVC and FEV1 were greater in Russians than in Kazakhs and ethnicity did enter the prediction model for these parameters. The living environment had a marginal effect on spirometry. In fact, forced expiratory flow 25-75% (FEF25-75%) was slightly higher in urban than in rural females, FVC was slightly higher in rural than in urban males, while FEV1 was not affected. Finally, among several spirometric equations available in the literature, those performing better in our children were obtained in developed countries. CONCLUSION: Anthropometry was the most important predictor of spirometry. Age and ethnicity were also predictors, while the contribution of the living environment was more limited. PMID- 17786590 TI - Effects of nutrition on timing of mineralization in teeth in a Peruvian sample by the Cameriere and Demirjian methods. AB - BACKGROUND: Few studies have been conducted among children to investigate the effects of malnutrition and race on the timing of tooth formation. AIM: The study investigated whether there is a significant association between nutritional status, gender, and the process of tooth mineralization. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Orthopantomograms of 287 Peruvian schoolchildren, aged 9.5-16.5 years, were evaluated. For each individual, we considered the number of the seven right permanent mandibular teeth, with completely closed apical ends of roots (N0), sum of normalized open apices (S), and the Demirjian score (Ds). We also estimated individual age by the Cameriere and Demirjian methods, and assessed their accuracy. RESULTS: For each age class, the distributions of N0, S and Ds in the two sub-populations of Peruvian children, undernourished and well nourished, were not statistically significant. The mean error (ME) in age estimation was 0.75 and 1.31 years for the Cameriere and Demirjian methods, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition did not seem to affect the process of tooth growth. As regards the accuracy of age estimation, the Cameriere method yielded more accurate estimates than the Demirjian method. PMID- 17786587 TI - Structures of proteins of biomedical interest from the Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics. AB - The Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics (CESG) produces and solves the structures of proteins from eukaryotes. We have developed and operate a pipeline to both solve structures and to test new methodologies. Both NMR and X-ray crystallography methods are used for structure solution. CESG chooses targets based on sequence dissimilarity to known structures, medical relevance, and nominations from members of the scientific community. Many times proteins qualify in more than one of these categories. Here we review some of the structures that have connections to human health and disease. PMID- 17786591 TI - Australian Aboriginal population genetics at the D1S80 VNTR locus. AB - The Aboriginal Australian population have continuously inhabited the vast Australian continent for in excess of 50,000 years, making them one of the most distinctive modern human population groups. At the time of European colonisation, it was estimated there were as many as 500 tribes with defined territorial lands and distinct linguistic and cultural traits. Unfortunately, the contribution of genetic data from Aboriginal Australia to studies of modern human global migration has been limited. Likewise, there are limited data from tribal populations from across Australia, and therefore a limited understanding of the genetic differentiation among tribal groups. This research is the first to analyse population data from Aboriginal Australians using the polymorphic minisatellite locus D1S80. Considerable differentiation was observed among the tribal groups that are represented in this Northern Australian dataset. The most genetically distinct tribal groups identified in this study (East Arnhem Land and Tiwi Island) are groups which have been previously noted in anthropological studies as having distinct cultural and/or linguistic characteristics. PMID- 17786593 TI - Y-chromosome polymorphisms define the origin of the Mang, an isolated population in China. AB - The Mang is an isolated population living at the border of Vietnam and China characterized by small stature and a primordial lifestyle. However, the origin of this population remains unclear. To clarify the origin of the Mang and its genetic relationship with other populations, 20 Y-chromosome markers were analyzed, including 12 biallelic markers and eight short tandem repeats (STR) in this population, and the data compared with published data from other populations in eastern Asia. Only three Y-chromosome haplogroups, O2a*-M95, O3d-M7 and O3e M134, were identified in Mang. Among them, the southern haplogroups O2a*-M95 were most prevalent, with a frequency of 97%. Principal component analysis (PCA) plots showed that Mang clustered with southern populations but not with northern populations. In conclusion, the present study provided evidence for the first time that the Mang population is of southern origin. PMID- 17786592 TI - Association and linkage studies of the 20q11.2 region (GRD-2 locus) with Graves' disease in the Tunisian population. AB - OBJECTIVE: A genome-wide screen has shown linkage to the GRD-2 locus in Graves' disease (GD). Furthermore, a positional candidate gene maps to this locus; the CD40 gene has been reported to be associated and may predispose to the disease. The aim of this study was to replicate/reject the GRD-2 and to determine if the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the CD40 (CD40 C/T-1) confers susceptibility to GD. METHODS: The present study examined a dataset of 11 families with GD using 10 microsatellite markers and a case-control study consisting of 76 sporadic GD patients and 66 healthy subjects to determine the implication of the GRD-2. Both non-parametric linkage and association tests were performed. Genotyping of the CD40 C/T-1 was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: The intrafamilial association and the case-control study showed no association between CD40 C/T-1 and GD. In addition, a high percentage of the C allele (96.9%) of CD40 SNP among control data was observed. The linkage analyses showed that the highest non-parametric LOD score was 1.67 at the D20S119 marker and the maximum attainable LOD score was 1.66. This result provides interesting evidence for linkage between GRD-2 and GD. CONCLUSION: The CD40 gene seems to be not associated with GD in the Tunisian population, whereas the GRD-2 locus could harbour other candidate gene(s) to the genetic susceptibility of GD. PMID- 17786594 TI - YAP insertion signature in South Asia. AB - A total of 2169 samples from 21 tribal populations from different regions of India were scanned for the Y-chromosome Alu polymorphism. This study reports, for the first time, high frequencies (8-65%) of Y Alu polymorphic (YAP) insertion in northeast Indian tribes. All seven Jarawa samples from the Andaman and Nicobar islands had the YAP insertion, in conformity with an earlier study of Andaman Islanders. One isolated case with haplotype E* was found in Dungri Bhill, a western Indian population, while YAP insertion in northeast India and Andaman tribes was found in association with haplotype D* (M168, M174). YAP insertion frequencies reported in the mainland Indian populations are negligible, according to previous studies. Genetic drift may be the causative factor for the variable frequency of the YAP insertion in the mainland populations, while the founder effect may have resulted in the highest incidence of haplotype D among the Andaman Islanders. The results of YAP insertion and the evidence of previous mtDNA studies indicate an early out of Africa migration to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The findings of YAP insertion in northeast Indian tribes are very significant for understanding the evolutionary history of the region. PMID- 17786595 TI - Intraoperative cone-beam CT for image-guided tibial plateau fracture reduction. AB - OBJECTIVES: A mobile isocentric C-arm was modified in our laboratory in collaboration with Siemens Medical Solutions to include a large-area flat-panel detector providing multi-mode fluoroscopy and cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging. This technology is an important advance over existing intraoperative imaging (e.g., Iso-C(3D)), offering superior image quality, increased field of view, higher spatial resolution, and soft-tissue visibility. The aim of this study was to assess the system's performance and image quality in tibial plateau (TP) fracture reconstruction. METHODS: Three TP fractures were simulated in fresh-frozen cadaveric knees through combined axial loading and lateral impact. The fractures were reduced through a lateral approach and assessed by fluoroscopy. The reconstruction was then assessed using CBCT. If necessary, further reduction and localization of remaining displaced bone fragments was performed using CBCT images for guidance. CBCT image quality was assessed with respect to projection speed, dose and filtering technique. RESULTS: CBCT imaging provided exquisite visualization of articular details, subtle fragment detection and localization, and confirmation of reduction and implant placement. After fluoroscopic images indicated successful initial reduction, CBCT imaging revealed areas of malalignment and displaced fragments. CBCT facilitated fragment localization and improved anatomic reduction. CBCT image noise increased gradually with reduced dose, but little difference in images resulted from increased projections. High resolution reconstruction provided better delineation of plateau depressions. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a clear advantage of intraoperative CBCT over 2D fluoroscopy and Iso-C(3D) in TP fracture fixation. CBCT imaging provided benefits in fracture type diagnosis, localization of fracture fragments, and intraoperative 3D confirmation of anatomic reduction. PMID- 17786596 TI - A comparison of registration techniques for computer- and image-assisted elbow surgery. AB - Optimal function following elbow replacement surgery is dependent on the accurate replication of the elbow's flexion-extension axis. Currently, position and orientation of the axis are estimated from visual landmarks. In order to develop computer-assisted techniques to more accurately define this axis, a surface-based registration technique employing a hand-held laser scanner was evaluated against a conventional paired-point registration method to determine whether it produced improved alignment of the flexion-extension axis of the elbow. Registration error was 0.8 +/- 0.3 mm for surface-based registration, compared with 1.9 +/- 1.0 mm for the conventional registration method. These results suggest that the implementation of a surface-based registration technique may lead to a more accurate axis determination and improved clinical outcomes following elbow replacement surgery. PMID- 17786598 TI - Computer assisted pelvic tumor resection and reconstruction with a custom-made prosthesis using an innovative adaptation and its validation. AB - Computer aided musculoskeletal tumor surgery is a novel concept. Ideally, computer navigation enables the integration of preoperative information concerning tumor extent and regional anatomy to facilitate execution of a surgical resection. Accurate resection helps oncological clearance and facilitates precise fitting of a custom prosthesis. We adapted a commercially available computer navigation platform for spine, and used it to plan and execute pelvic bone resection and custom pelvic prosthetic reconstruction in a patient with a metastatic tumor affecting the acetabulum. The surgery was simulated and validated using a plaster bone model based on the patient's preoperative CT data, before performing the procedure on the patient. PMID- 17786597 TI - Evaluation of a computerized measurement technique for joint alignment before and during periacetabular osteotomy. AB - Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is intended to treat a painful dysplastic hip. Manual radiological angle measurements are used to diagnose dysplasia and to define regions of insufficient femoral head coverage for planning PAO. No method has yet been described that recalculates radiological angles as the acetabular bone fragment is reoriented. In this study, we propose a technique for computationally measuring the radiological angles from a joint contact surface model segmented from CT-scan data. Using oblique image slices, we selected the lateral and medial edge of the acetabulum lunate to form a closed, continuous, 3D curve. The joint surface is generated by interpolating the curve, and the radiological angles are measured directly using the 3D surface. This technique was evaluated using CT data for both normal and dysplastic hips. Manual measurements made by three independent observers showed minor discrepancies between the manual observations and the computerized technique. Inter-observer error (mean difference +/- standard deviation) was 0.04 +/- 3.53 degrees for Observer 1; -0.46 +/- 3.13 degrees for Observer 2; and 0.42 +/- 2.73 degrees for Observer 3. The measurement error for the proposed computer method was -1.30 +/- 3.30 degrees . The computerized technique demonstrates sufficient accuracy compared to manual techniques, making it suitable for planning and intraoperative evaluation of radiological metrics for periacetabular osteotomy. PMID- 17786599 TI - A CT-free, intra-operative planning and navigation system for minimally invasive anterior spinal surgery - an accuracy study. AB - OBJECTIVE: A comprehensive study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of a newly developed CT-free, intra-operative planning and navigation system for anterior spine surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Instruments and an image intensifier were tracked using the SurgiGATE navigation system. A laboratory study was performed on 27 plastic vertebrae. Fiducial markers were implanted in the vertebrae for accuracy evaluation purposes, and a dynamic reference base was placed on the vertebrae to establish a patient coordinate system (P-COS). Two fluoroscopic images were used for intra-operative planning. The graft bed plan was recorded in P-COS, followed by surgical formation of the graft bed, which was visualized. To evaluate the accuracy, the vertebrae were scanned with CT, and the markers were used to calculate an accurate paired-point registered transformation between the CT coordinate system and P-COS. RESULTS: Using the new SPO module, accurate planning and navigation of a resection of the vertebral body is possible using two fluoroscopic images. The overall mean error between the planned resection volume and the actual resection was 0.98 mm. In addition, the module can serve as an educational tool for training spine surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: The new fluoroscopy-based system can be used safely for accurate performance of anterior resection during spondylodesis. New methods for safe and accurate registration during anterior spine surgery need to be developed. PMID- 17786600 TI - Transepicondylar distal femoral pin placement in computer assisted surgical navigation. AB - The use of optical tracking systems in computer assisted surgical navigation requires the rigid fixation of a dynamic reference base to the target bone to be navigated. This report presents the results of a new approach to optical tracker fixation in the distal femur. Four embalmed cadavers were evaluated for pin placement. It was found that placement of pins from medial to lateral parallel to the transepicondylar axis placed the pins well posterior to the center of the intramedullary canal and away from neurovascular structures. Eighty-six consecutive patients underwent total knee arthroplasty using this new technique. All procedures were successful for performing a navigation-assisted total knee replacement. Obesity was not a factor, nor was there any loosening of the pin array during the procedure. There were no wound-healing problems in any patient. At one year follow-up, no patient could identify subjective symptoms related to either the medial epicondylar area or the stab wound portals. No direct neurovascular injuries were noted and no patient developed a fracture of the femur related to the pin sites. CONCLUSION: A new technique is described that facilitates pin placement for minimally invasive approaches while eliminating complications. Sagittal plane optical array orientation simplifies the surgical technique. PMID- 17786601 TI - A technical innovation for improving identification of the trackers by the LED cameras in navigation-assisted total knee arthroplasty. AB - OBJECTIVE: To reduce the operating time in computer-assisted navigated total knee replacement (TKR), by improving communication between the infrared camera and the trackers placed on the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The innovation involves placing a routinely used laser pointer on top of the camera, so that the infrared cameras focus precisely on the trackers located on the knee to be operated on. A prospective randomized study was performed involving 40 patients divided into two groups, A and B. Both groups underwent navigated TKR, but for group B patients a laser pointer was used to improve the targeting capabilities of the cameras. RESULTS: Without the laser pointer, the camera had to move a mean 9.2 times in order to identify the trackers. With the introduction of the laser pointer, this was reduced to 0.9 times. Accordingly, the additional mean time required without the laser pointer was 11.6 minutes. CONCLUSION: Time delays are a major problem in computer-assisted surgery, and our technical suggestion can contribute towards reducing the delays associated with this particular application. PMID- 17786603 TI - Human mesenchymal stromal cells ameliorate the phenotype of SOD1-G93A ALS mice. AB - BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, lethal, neurodegenerative disease, currently without any effective therapy. Multiple advantages make mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) a good candidate for cellular therapy in many intractable diseases such as stroke and brain injury. Until now, no irrefutable evidence exists regarding the outcome of MSC transplantation in the mouse model of ALS. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of human MSC (hMSC) in the mouse model of ALS (SOD1-G93A mice). METHODS: hMSC were isolated from iliac crest aspirates from healthy donors and kept in cell cultures. hMSC of the fifth passage were delivered intravenously into irradiated pre-symptomatic SOD1-G93A mice. Therapeutic effects were analyzed by survival analysis, rotarod test, motor neuron count in spinal cord and electrophysiology. The engraftment and in vivo differentiation of hMSC were examined in the brain and spinal cord of hMSC-transplanted mice. RESULTS: After intravenous injection into irradiated pre-symptomatic SOD1-G93A mice, hMSC survived more than 20 weeks in recipient mice, migrated into the parenchyma of brain and spinal cord and showed neuroglia differentiation. Moreover, hMSC transplanted mice showed significantly delayed disease onset (14 days), increased lifespan (18 days) and delayed disease progression compared with untreated mice. DISCUSSION: Our data document the positive effects of hMSC transplantation in the mouse model of ALS. It may signify the potential use of hMSC in treatment of ALS. PMID- 17786604 TI - GMP-grade preparation of biomimetic scaffolds with osteo-differentiated autologous mesenchymal stromal cells for the treatment of alveolar bone resorption in periodontal disease. AB - BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease is a degenerative illness that leads to resorption of the alveolar bone. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) represent a novel tool for the production of biologic constructs for the treatment of degenerative bone diseases. The preparation of MSC differentiated into osteogenic lineage for clinical use requires the fulfillment of strict good manufacturing practice (GMP) procedures. METHODS: MSC were isolated from BM samples and then cultured under GMP conditions. MSC were characterized phenotypically and for their differentiative potential. Cells were seeded onto collagen scaffolds (Gingistat) and induced to differentiate into osteogenic lineages using clinical grade drugs compared with standard osteogenic supplements. Alizarin Red S stain was used to test the deposition of the mineral matrix. Standard microbiologic analysis was performed to verify the product sterility. RESULTS: The resulting MSC were negative for CD33, CD34 and HLA-DR but showed high expression of CD90, CD105 and HLA-ABC (average expressions of 94.3%, 75.8% and 94.2%, respectively). Chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential was demonstrated. The MSC retained their ability to differentiate into osteogenic lineage when seeded onto collagen scaffolds after exposure to a clinical grade medium. Cell numbers and cell viability were adequate for clinical use, and microbiologic assays demonstrated the absence of any contamination. DISCUSSION: In the specific context of a degenerative bone disease with limited involvement of skeletal tissue, the combined use of MSC, exposed to an osteogenic clinical grade medium, and biomimetic biodegradable scaffolds offers the possibility of producing adequate numbers of biologic tissue-engineered cell-based constructs for use in clinical trials. PMID- 17786605 TI - BM cells giving rise to MSC in culture have a heterogeneous CD34 and CD45 phenotype. AB - BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated from adult human BM are characterized by their fibroblast-like morphology, adherent growth and capacity to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, chondrocytes, cardiomyocytes and neuroprogenitors. After culturing these cells in vitro, they express the cell surface molecules CD44, CD90, SH2 and SH3, and are negative for CD34 and the hematopoietic marker CD45. The aim of this study was to characterize the in vivo phenotype of MSC relative to the expression of CD34 and CD45. METHODS: BM mononuclear cells were stained with Ab against both molecules and separated into the CD34(+), CD34(-), CD45(+) CD34(+), CD45(high+) CD34(-), CD45(med,low+) CD34( ) and CD45(-) CD34(-) subpopulations, which were then cultured under the same conditions and analyzed for growth of MSC. RESULTS: A small population of MSC arose from the CD45(+) CD34(+) fraction, although the majority was obtained from the CD45(-) CD34(-) subpopulation. MSC from all fractions could be differentiated into adipocytes and osteocytes. In addition, MSC from the CD34(+) and CD34(-) fractions were shown to differentiate into chondrocytes. After in vitro culture, MSC from both fractions possessed the same phenotype, which was negative for CD34 and CD45. DISCUSSION: MSC from the CD45(+) CD34(+) fraction change their phenotype under in vitro conditions. PMID- 17786606 TI - MSC-DC interactions: MSC inhibit maturation and migration of BM-derived DC. AB - BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) comprise one of the BM stromal cells that are known to support hematopoiesis. It has also been suggested recently that MSC display immunosuppressive capacities through inhibiting the differentiation of monocyte-derived DC. DC travel to the lymph nodes (LN) to present Ag to T cells, and CCL21 is the chemokine that plays an important role in DC migration into the T-cell area of LN. We addressed the effect of MSC on this chemotactic activity of DC, one of the typical characteristics upon maturation. METHODS: BM cells were isolated and then cultured for generation of myeloid DC in the presence of GM-CSF and/or lipopolysaccharide with or without MSC. MSC were identified by flow cytometry of the immunologic markers and by performing colony forming unit fibroblast assay. Migration of DC was observed with a newly developed time-lapse video microscopic technique. RESULTS: MSC co-culture inhibited the initial differentiation of DC, as well as their maturation. The matured DC actively migrated directionally in response to CCL21, a powerful DC attracting chemokine, whereas the MSC co-cultured DC did not. DISCUSSION: Collectively, the findings of these experiments raise the possibility that MSC suppress the migratory function of DC and so they may serve immunoregulatory activities through the modulation of the Ag-presenting function of DC. PMID- 17786607 TI - Differences in stem and progenitor cell yield in different subcutaneous adipose tissue depots. AB - BACKGROUND: Human adipose tissue has been shown to contain multipotent cells with properties similar to mesenchymal stromal cells. While there have been many studies of the biology of these cells, no study has yet evaluated issues associated with tissue harvest. METHODS: Adipose tissue was obtained from the subcutaneous space of the abdomen and hips of 10 donors using both syringe and pump-assisted liposuction. Tissue was digested with collagenase and then assayed for the presence of different stem and progenitor cell types using clonogenic culture assays, including fibroblast colony-forming unit (CFU-F) and alkaline phosphatase-positive colony-forming unit (CFU-AP). Paired analysis of samples obtained from the same individual was used to compare harvest method and site. RESULTS: Syringe suction provided significantly greater recovery of adipocytes and a non-significant trend towards improved recovery of cells in the adipocyte depleted fraction. There was considerable donor-to-donor variation in stem cell recovery. However, paired analysis of tissue obtained from different subcutaneous sites in the same donor showed that tissue harvested from the hip yielded 2.3 fold more CFU-F/unit volume and a 7-fold higher frequency of CFU-AP than that obtained from the abdomen. These differences were statistically significant. DISCUSSION: Harvest site influences the stem and progenitor cell content of subcutaneous adipose tissue. PMID- 17786608 TI - Cryopreserved human adipogenic-differentiated pre-adipocytes: a potential new source for adipose tissue regeneration. AB - BACKGROUND: Previously, we have shown that in vitro adipogenic differentiation of pre-adipocytes before implantation can enhance in vivo adipose tissue formation. For large-scale adipose tissue engineering or repeat procedures, cryopreservation of fat grafts has been commonly used in recent years. However, the feasibility of cryopreservation of adipogenic differentiated pre-adipocytes has not been investigated. METHODS: To examine the impact of cryopreservation on the adipogenic functions of adipogenic-differentiated pre-adipocytes, freeze-thawed adipocytes were compared with fresh differentiated adipocytes in vitro and in vivo. Adipogenic function was assessed by Oil red O staining, ELISA analysis of leptin secretion and RT-PCR of adipogenic-related genes. After transplantation, adipose tissue formation was assessed by histomorphologic and volumetric analysis. RESULTS: Freeze-thawed adipocytes constantly showed typical adipogenic functions in terms of lipid content, leptin secretion and adipogenic gene expression, as well as good viability. Importantly, implants derived from freeze thawed adipocytes were successfully developed to adipose tissue and newly formed adipose tissues were similar to those developed from fresh differentiated adipocytes, based on histomorphologic and volumetric analysis. In addition, CD34 positive endothelial cells were detected in implants. These results demonstrate that the specific characters of adipogenic-differentiated pre-adipocytes are successfully conserved after cryopreservation without any significant alteration. DISCUSSION: Cryopreservation of adipogenic-differentiated pre-adipocytes is a feasible method and extends their clinical use in adipose tissue-engineering applications and transplantation. PMID- 17786609 TI - Direct delivery of syngeneic and allogeneic large-scale expanded multipotent adult progenitor cells improves cardiac function after myocardial infarct. AB - BACKGROUND: Multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPC) comprise interesting candidates for myocardial regeneration because of a broad differentiation ability and immune privilege. We aimed to compare the improvement of cardiac function by syngeneic and allogeneic MAPC produced on a large scale using a platform optimized from MAPC research protocols. METHODS: Myocardial infarction was induced in Lewis rats by direct left anterior descending ligation followed immediately by direct injection into the infarct border zone of either Sprague Dawley or Lewis MAPC from large-scale expansions. Echocardiography was performed to evaluate improvement in cardiac function, and immunohistochemistry was performed to identify MAPC within the infarct zone. RESULTS: Significant increases were observed in functional performance in animals transplanted with expanded MAPC compared with saline controls, with no significant differences between the syngeneic and allogeneic groups. Immunostaining demonstrated significant engraftment of expanded MAPC at 1 day after acute myocardial infarction, with <10% of either syngeneic or allogeneic cells remaining at 6 weeks. At this point there was no evidence of myocardial regeneration. However, a significant increase in vascular density within the infarct zone in MAPC transplanted animals was observed, and MAPC were found to produce high levels of VEGF in culture. DISCUSSION: These findings support a model in which delivery of expanded MAPC following acute myocardial infarction results in improvement in cardiac function because of paracrine effects resulting in vascular density increases, as well as potentially other trophic effects, supporting newly injured cardiac myocytes. Thus transplantation with MAPC may represent a promising therapeutic strategy with application in the stimulation of neovascularization in ischemic heart disease. PMID- 17786610 TI - Development of standardized cell culture conditions for tumor cells with potential clinical application. AB - BACKGROUND: Tumor cell lines have enormous value for the study of different aspects of cancer biology and have also recently gained great importance in autologous cell-based anti-tumor therapies. However, the use of these cells is still limited because in vitro growth is hampered by suboptimal culture conditions and current media contain fetal bovine serum (FBS), which poses serious safety concerns regarding clinical application. METHODS: To address this drawback, we aimed to develop a strategy for optimization of the culture medium for human medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cell lines as a model system. We combined the general cell screening system (GCSS), which continuously measured the growth behavior of cells in a 96-well plate format, with statistically based experimental designs. RESULTS: The results obtained clearly demonstrated that, just by changing the composition of the basal medium, a significantly enhanced growth rate could be observed, and by subsequent addition of several substances a serum-free cell culture medium could be developed. This medium allowed the propagation of two MTC cell lines comparable with conventionally used serum supplemented medium. DISCUSSION: We present a fast and easy way to screen for substances that are essential for tumor cell growth in vitro. Furthermore, these tumor cells can be adapted to culture conditions that allow the use of the cells in safe cell-based therapies. This is of utmost importance because of increasing regulatory requirements. PMID- 17786611 TI - GMP production of anti-tumor cytotoxic T-cell lines for adoptive T-cell therapy in patients with solid neoplasia. AB - BACKGROUND: The adoptive transfer of ex vivo-induced tumor-specific T-cell lines provides a promising approach for cancer immunotherapy. We have demonstrated previously the feasibility of inducing in vitro long-term anti-tumor cytotoxic T cell (CTL) lines directed against different types of solid tumors derived from both autologous and allogeneic PBMC. We have now investigated the possibility of producing large amounts of autologous anti-tumor CTL, in compliance with good manufacturing practices, for in vivo use. METHODS: Four patients with advanced solid tumors (two sarcoma, one renal cell cancer and one ovarian cancer), who had received several lines of anticancer therapy, were enrolled. For anti-tumor CTL induction, patient-derived CD8-enriched PBMC were stimulated with DC pulsed with apoptotic autologous tumor cells (TC) as the source of tumor Ag. CTL were then restimulated in the presence of TC and expanded in an Ag-independent way. RESULTS: Large amounts of anti-tumor CTL (range 14-20 x 10(9)), which displayed high levels of cytotoxic activity against autologous TC, were obtained in all patients by means of two-three rounds of tumor-specific stimulation and two rounds of Ag-independent expansion, even when a very low number of viable TC was available. More than 90% of effector cells were CD3(+) CD8(+) T cells, while CD4(+) T lymphocytes and/or NK cells were less than 10%. DISCUSSION: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining large quantities of anti-tumor specific CTL suitable for adoptive immunotherapy approaches. PMID- 17786612 TI - Microbial contamination of BM products before and after processing: a report of incidence and immediate adverse events in 257 grafts. AB - BACKGROUND: The incidence and potential clinical consequences of bacterial contamination of autologous and allogeneic BM products remains open to question. We report our experience of bacterial contamination of BM grafts and adverse events that occurred after transplantation. METHODS: From January 2003 to February 2006, 257 BM harvests were processed and infused at our institution. Analysis of microbial contamination incidence before and after processing, sensitivity spectra of isolated bacteria and adverse events after graft infusion were analyzed. RESULTS: Nineteen of 257 BM (7.4%) were contaminated. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus (n=9) and Propionibacterium acnes (n=6) were the most frequently isolated microorganisms. Two of nine coagulase-negative staphylococci were found to be resistant to erythromycin and two of six P. acnes to fosfomycin and gentamycin. The frequency and severity of immediate adverse events reported in patients receiving a contaminated graft were similar to those observed in patients receiving a non-contaminated product. No major adverse sequelae occurred after infusion of contaminated grafts. Finally, none of the patients transplanted with a contaminated graft developed bacteriemia that could have been related to the isolated microorganism. DISCUSSION: Microbial contamination of BM progenitor cell grafts does not induce severe clinical complications or infectious diseases after infusion. The vast majority of isolated pathogens were skin contaminants. PMID- 17786615 TI - Travels and science with Ron Estabrook. PMID- 17786616 TI - Forty-three years ago in Philadelphia. PMID- 17786617 TI - Ron Estabrook--a catalyst of scientific interactions between East and West. PMID- 17786618 TI - Ronald W. Estabrook, Ph.D., M.D. (Hon.): boss, mentor, colleague, and friend. PMID- 17786619 TI - Relevance of cytochrome P450s in plants: also one of Ron Estabrook's research interests. AB - I worked with Dr. Ronald Estabrook for nearly 10 years at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. In Ron's lab, when I joined I was initially involved in the isolation, purification, and characterization of cytochrome P450s and NADPH-P450(c) reductase(s) from plants, which was his new exploratory project at the time. We developed methods for the isolation, solubilization, and purification of P450s and NADPH-P450(c) reductase from plant tissue microsomes. We carried out number of in vitro experiments to study the involvement P450s and NADPH-P450(c) reductase in the biosynthesis of number of phytoalexins. We successfully isolated, purified, and cloned NADPH-P450(c) reductase from etiolated mung bean (Vigna radiate) seedlings. In addition, a series of studies were undertaken to show that purified mung bean NADPH-P450(c) reductase was able to catalyze P450-supported reactions for mammalian and bacterial P450s. My stay in Ron's lab was very educational and productive. He provided the necessary support and led the way through the maze in different research projects in the lab, which allowed me to understand the roles of P450s in humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms. He liked to teach and discover new things everyday in the lab. He is a great scientist, as well as loving and caring mentor. PMID- 17786620 TI - Ronald Estabrook's early guidance of a postdoctoral fellow concerning the intricacies of steroid metabolism by cytochromes P450. AB - Ronald Estabrook made his initial impact studying cytochrome P450 by demonstrating the oxidative metabolism function of this unique class of enzymes, which had an unusual spectral peak at 450 nm when reduced and in the presence of carbon monoxide. Utilizing a photochemical action spectrum, he demonstrated that a cytochrome P450 was responsible for steroid 21 hydroxylation catalyzed by microsomes prepared from adrenal cortex tissue. As a young postdoctoral student, I was given the unique opportunity to learn from a true pioneer in this field. Ron had a surprisingly small laboratory at that time that allowed me to closely interact with a great scientist to learn about the important role cytochrome P450 proteins play in a wide variety of different organisms catalyzing oxidative metabolism reactions essential to life and to provide organisms, with the means to defend against xenobiotics. PMID- 17786621 TI - From lab bench to Venture Capital. PMID- 17786622 TI - Comparison of the 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase activities of porcine, guinea pig and bovine P450c17 using purified recombinant fusion proteins containing P450c17 linked to NADPH-P450 reductase. AB - The cDNAs for cytochrome P450c17 (P450c17) of three species, pig, guinea pig, and cow, representing three families of mammals (suidae, procaviidae, and bovidae, respectively) were each engineered into an expression plasmid (pCWori+). The P450c17 domain of the coding sequence was connected to a truncated form of rat NADPH-P450 reductase by a linker sequence encoding two amino acids (SerThr). These fusion proteins were expressed in E. coli and purified for use in enzymatic assays to determine similarities and differences in 17 alpha-hydroxylase and lyase activities. The fusion proteins were found to catalyze both the 17 alpha hydroxylation of progesterone (P4) and pregnenolone (P5) to 17 alpha-hydroxylated P4 and P5 (17 alpha-OH P4 and 17 alpha-OH P5) followed by the C17,20-lyase reaction for the conversion of these C(21)-17 alpha-hydroxylated steroids to C(19)-steroids (the C17,20-lyase reaction). These in vitro studies show that (a) porcine P450c17 possesses cytochrome b(5) (b(5))-stimulated C17,20-lyase activity that converts 17 alpha OH-P4 to androstenedione (AD) but also converts 17 alpha OHP5 to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA); (b) guinea pig P450c17 possesses a b(5) stimulated C17,20-lyase activity that converts 17 alpha-OH P4 to AD but does not convert 17 alpha-OH P5 to DHEA., and (c) bovine P450c17 possesses a b(5) stimulated C17,20-lyase activity that converts 17 alpha-OH P5 to DHEA but does not convert 17 alpha-OH P4 to AD. Thus, the P450c17 of each species differs in its ability to catalyze in vitro the conversion of C(21)-steroids to C(19) steroids. In addition, each P450c17 is capable of catalyzing additional hydroxylation reactions leading to low levels of 2 alpha-, 6 beta-, 16- and 21 hydroxy-metabolites. Porcine P450c17 also catalyzes the b(5)-dependent synthesis of andien-beta (androsta-5,16-dien-3beta-ol) from P5. When the amino acid sequences of the three P450c17s were aligned there was an approximate 50% variation in the alignment identity (227 differences in the sequences of 509 amino acids). Alignment did not permit the assignment of specific amino acids or domains to the observed differences in enzymatic activities. PMID- 17786623 TI - Comparative 1-substituted imidazole inhibition of cytochrome p450 isozyme selective activities in human and mouse hepatic microsomes. AB - Inhibition of cytochrome P450(CYP)-selective reactions in a single human and a single mouse hepatic microsome preparation by fourteen 1-substituted imidazoles provides a simultaneous ranking of reaction susceptibility to a specific imidazole and the relative inhibitory potency of the imidazoles for a given reaction. CYP3A4/5 activity was inhibited (IC(50) <5 microM) by the greatest number of imidazoles, followed closely by CYP2C9. Seven imidazoles exhibited IC(50) values for CYP3A4/5 <0.3 microM (none for CYP2C9) and were exclusively above 300 MW. Nafimidone (MW, 236) exhibited an IC(50) value <0.3 microM towards CYP2D6 and CYP1A2 reactions. CYP2E1 and CYP2A6 were exclusively inhibited (IC(50) <5 microM) by imidazoles with MWs below approximately 200. In general, mouse activities exhibited lower IC(50) values than in human microsomes. PMID- 17786624 TI - Recalling P446. P4501A1 (CYP1A1) opting for clinical application. AB - This review goes back to spectral studies [see Hildebrandt et al., 1968]. The findings of apparent absolute spectra of two interconvertible forms of microsomal mixed function oxidases are looked back on to recall whether their impact sustained scrutiny or are rather remembered as of sentimental value only. The second part summarizes studies on the clinical relevance of CYP1A1 with special reference to our investigations. The impact of genetic variability of CYP1A1 on cancer susceptibility, differential effects of polyphenols and hyperforin on toxification and detoxification pathways of benzo[a]pyrene, and differential metabolite patterns of 17 beta-estradiol, estrone, and eicosapentaenoic acid are presented. PMID- 17786625 TI - Novel properties of P450s in Streptomyces coelicolor. AB - In the process of investigating the function of the 18 P450s that make up the CYPome in the soil bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor, we have discovered new and novel biochemical features of some of these monooxygenases. This article which is dedicated to Ron Estabrook summarizes these discoveries with emphasis on their novelty. It is concluded from this work that there are many interesting features of P450 enzymes waiting to be discovered. Since there are more than 6500 P450 gene sequences known today, we can expect that many new biochemical aspects of P450s will be discovered as these individual monooxygenases are investigated. PMID- 17786626 TI - The steroidogenic acute regulatory protein as a target of endocrine disruption in male reproduction. AB - Development of the adult male reproductive tract requires proper spatial-temporal expression of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen during fetal developmental stages and at puberty. Exogenous agents that disrupt the production and/or actions of the testosterone and estrogen and cause aberrant reproductive tract development can be thought of as endocrine disruptors (ED). This review will focus on the impact of ED on testosterone production by Leydig cells during fetal development and in the adult. In particular, the genes encoding the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P450 17 alpha hydroxylase/17,20 lyase (CYP17A1) within the steroid hormone biosynthetic pathway are highlighted as ED targets. We begin with an overview of steroidogenesis and regulation of StAR then summarize the published literature on the effects of diethylstibesterol, phthalate esters, and arsenite on male reproduction with a focus on the expression and function of StAR. PMID- 17786627 TI - Transcriptional regulation of adrenocortical steroidogenic gene expression. AB - By serving as ligands for nuclear and plasma membrane receptors, steroid hormones are key regulators of a diverse array of physiological processes. These hormones are synthesized from cholesterol in tissues such as the adrenal cortex, ovaries, testes, and placenta. Because steroid hormones control the expression of numerous genes, steroidogenic cells utilize multiple mechanisms that ensure tight control of the synthesis of these molecules. This review will give an overview of the molecular mechanisms by which the expression of steroidogenic genes is regulated in the human adrenal cortex. PMID- 17786628 TI - Functional genomics approaches to studies of the cytochrome p450 superfamily. AB - Functional genomics approaches are widely implemented in current research and have found application in many areas of biology. This review will present research fields, novel findings and new tools developed in the cytochrome P450 field using the functional genomics techniques. The most widely used method is microarray technology, which has already greatly contributed to the understanding of the cytochromes P450 function and expression. Several focused CYP microarrays have been developed for genotyping, toxicogenomics and studies of CYP function of many different organisms. Our contribution to the CYP field by development of Steroltalk microarrays to study the cross-talk of cholesterol homeostasis and drug metabolism is also presented. PMID- 17786629 TI - Regulation of the rat glutathione S-transferase A2 gene by glucocorticoids: crosstalk through C/EBPs. AB - Regulation of the rat glutathione S-transferase A2 (GSTA2) gene by glucocorticoids is biphasic in its concentration dependence to glucocorticoids, with concentrations of 10-100 nM repressing gene activity (GR-dependent), and concentrations above 1 microM increasing transactivation (PXR-dependent) in adult rat hepatocytes or transient transfection assays. Over-expression of either C/EBP alpha or beta negatively regulates basal and inducible expression of a 1.65 Kb GSTA2 luciferase reporter, and synergizes the response to glucocorticoids (GC). C/EBP responsive elements have been identified in the GSTA2 5'-flanking sequence, associated with the palindrominic Glucocorticoid Responsive Element (GRE), the Ah receptor response elements, and the antioxidant response element. In reporters lacking the palindromic GRE, negative regulation by GC is observed only when C/EBP alpha is co-expressed. Co-transfection of C/EBP alpha/beta induced gene expression of the GSTA2 XRE reporter, but negatively regulated the GSTA2 ARE reporter. In contrast, the ARE from the rat NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase gene was induced by co-transfection of C/EBPs, but was still negatively regulated by GC. PXR-induction of the GSTA2 reporter was partially ablated by co-transfection of C/EBP alpha and enhanced by co-transfection of C/EBPbeta. We conclude that C/EBP alpha and beta are involved in GC-dependent repression of GSTA2 gene expression and ARE sequences that bind C/EBPs appears to be critical for these responses. PMID- 17786630 TI - Mechanisms regulating human FMO3 transcription. AB - Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are important oxidative drug metabolizing enzymes. FMO3 is the primary human adult liver FMO enzyme, but is developmentally regulated. FMO3 promoter characterization using in vitro DNA binding assays with HepG2 cell and fetal and adult liver nuclear protein, as well as FMO3/reporter construct transient expression in HepG2 cells, provided evidence for specific mechanisms contributing to both developmental and constitutive adult regulation. NFY, USF1, an unidentified GC box binding protein, and YY1 appear to play major roles regulating constitutive FMO3 transcription, while Pbx(2) as a heterodimer with an unidentified Hox isoform also may contribute to FMO3 developmental expression. PMID- 17786631 TI - Reactive oxygen species in mitochondria-mediated cell death. AB - In addition to the well-established role of the mitochondria in energy metabolism, regulation of cell death has recently emerged as a second major function of these organelles. This, in turn, seems to be intimately linked to their role as the major intracellular source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are mainly, generated at Complex I and III of the respiratory chain. Excessive ROS production can lead to oxidation of macromolecules and has been implicated in mtDNA mutations, ageing, and cell death. Although mitochondrial dysfunction can cause ATP depletion and necrosis, these organelles are also involved in the regulation of apoptotic cell death by mechanisms, which have been conserved through evolution. Thus, many lethal agents target the mitochondria and cause release of cytochrome c and other pro-apoptotic proteins, which can trigger caspase activation and apoptosis. Taken together, these findings have placed the mitochondria in the focus of current cell death research. PMID- 17786632 TI - The presence of arachidonic acid-activated K+ channel, TREK-1, in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts. AB - Human periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts expressed following two-pore-domain K(+) channels, TWIK-2 > TREK-1 > TWIK-1 >> TASK-1 > TRAAK > TASK-2. TREK-2 message was not detectable. We found the presence of arachidonic acid-activated and mechanical stress-sensitive K(+) channel, TREK-1, in the PDL fibroblasts by patch-clamp technique. It was also found the significant increase of intracellular concentration of arachidonic acid upon the application of cyclic stretch. Therefore, we suppose that the mechanical stretch due to the mastication activates phospholipase A(2) to release arachidonic acid (AA) from membrane, then, the released AA activates TREK-1. Thus, TREK-1 K(+) channels may play a protective role to maintain the negative membrane potential of PDL fibroblasts against the environmental stimuli. PMID- 17786633 TI - The identification of two CYP17 alleles in the South African Angora goat. AB - South African Angora goats (Capra hircus) are susceptible to cold stress, due to the inability of the adrenal cortex to produce sufficient levels of cortisol. Two CYP17 isoforms were identified, cloned and characterized in this study. Sequence analysis revealed three amino acid differences between the two CYP17 isoforms, which resulted in a significant difference in 17,20 lyase activity of the expressed enzymes in both the presence and absence of cytochrome b(5). Furthermore, cotransfections with 3 beta HSD revealed that one CYP17 isoform strongly favours the Delta(5) steroid pathway. Our data implicates CYP17 as the primary cause of the observed hypoadrenocorticoidism in the South African Angora goat. PMID- 17786634 TI - Inhibition of cytochromes p450: existing and new promising therapeutic targets. AB - Mammalian cytochromes P450 have been shown to play highly important roles in the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics as well as in the biosynthesis of a variety of endogenous compounds, many of them displaying hormonal function. The role of P450s as therapeutic targets is still inadequately recognized although several P450 inhibitors became efficient drugs that even reached blockbuster status. Here, we try to give a comprehensive overview on cytochromes P450s, which are already well-established targets - particularly focussing on the treatment of infectious diseases, metabolic disorders and cancer - and on those, which have a high potential to become successful targets. In addition, the design of inhibitors of cytochromes P450 will be discussed. PMID- 17786635 TI - About oxygen, cytochrome p450 and titanium: learning from Ron Estabrook. AB - We learned from Ron Estabrook to consider the complexity of the cytochrome P450 system and to appreciate insights coming from other fields. Two issues from different fields are comparatively discussed which both have formally in common to reflect the response of the human body on foreign compounds and materials. The former ones are environmental pollutants and drugs, while the latter are solid materials such as titanium, used for orthopedic implants. It will be reviewed that both show rich oxygen chemistry as catalysts and are involved in complex biochemical responses at different regulatory levels in foreign body reactions. PMID- 17786636 TI - Human cytochrome p450 family 4 enzymes: function, genetic variation and regulation. AB - The microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) family 4 monooxygenases are the major fatty acid omega-hydroxylases. These enzymes remove excess free fatty acids to prevent lipotoxicity, catabolize leukotrienes and prostanoids, and also produce bioactive metabolites from arachidonic acid omega-hydroxylation. In addition to endogenous substrates, recent evidence indicates that CYP4 monooxygenases can also metabolize xenobiotics, including therapeutic drugs. This review focuses on human CYP4 enzymes and updates current knowledge concerning catalytic activity profiles, genetic variation and regulation of expression. Comparative differences between the human and rodent CYP4 enzymes regarding catalytic function and conditional expression are also discussed. PMID- 17786637 TI - Thermodynamics of ligand binding to P450 2B4 and P450eryF studied by isothermal titration calorimetry. AB - Structural plasticity and cooperativity in ligand recognition are two key aspects of the catalytic diversity of cytochrome P450 enzymes. As more mammalian P450 crystal structures have emerged, computational modeling has become a major tool to predict drug metabolism and interactions. There is a need for real solution thermodynamic data to support modeling and crystallographic observations. Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) we successfully evaluated the conformational flexibility of P450 2B4 in binding imidazole inhibitors of different size and chemistry and dissected the stoichiometry and energetics of ligand binding allostery in P450eryF. Thermodynamic signatures obtained by ITC nicely correlated with structural and modeling results. Thus, ITC is a powerful tool to study structure-function relationships in P450s. PMID- 17786638 TI - Structural biology of p450-oxy complexes. PMID- 17786639 TI - Understanding cooperativity in human p450 mediated drug-drug interactions. AB - Multiple drugs can interact, often leading to adverse side effects. One well documented site for these interactions includes the group of cytochrome P450 monoxygenases. Several human hepatic systems are known to bind more than a single substrate molecule which can give rise to the terms "homotropic and heterotopic cooperativity" to define the resultant thermodynamic and kinetic properties observed in drug metabolism investigations. We provide a means for understanding and quantitating these drug-drug interactions by documenting the functional properties of the various states of the enzyme and show that, even in the absence of true binding cooperativity, significant non-Michaelis metabolic profiles are possible. PMID- 17786640 TI - LC-MS-based metabolomics in drug metabolism. AB - Xenobiotic metabolism, a ubiquitous natural response to foreign compounds, elicits initiating signals for many pathophysiological events. Currently, most widely used techniques for identifying xenobiotic metabolites and metabolic pathways are empirical and largely based on in vitro incubation assays and in vivo radiotracing experiments. Recent work in our lab has shown that LC-MS-based metabolomic techniques are useful tools for xenobiotic metabolism research since multivariate data analysis in metabolomics can significantly rationalize the processes of xenobiotic metabolite identification and metabolic pathway analysis. In this review, the technological elements of LC-MS-based metabolomics for constructing high-quality datasets and conducting comprehensive data analysis are examined. Four novel approaches of using LC-MS-based metabolomic techniques in xenobiotic metabolism research are proposed and illustrated by case studies and proof-of-concept experiments, and the perspective on their application is further discussed. PMID- 17786641 TI - Analysis of the interactions of cytochrome b5 with flavocytochrome P450 BM3 and its domains. AB - Interactions between a soluble form of microsomal cytochrome b(5) (b(5)) from Musca domestica (housefly) and Bacillus megaterium flavocytochrome P450 BM3 and its component reductase (CPR), heme (P450) and FAD/NADPH-binding (FAD) domains were analyzed by a combination of steady-state and stopped-flow kinetics methods, and optical spectroscopy techniques. The high affinity binding of b(5) to P450 BM3 induced a low-spin to high-spin transition in the P450 heme iron (K(d) for b(5) binding = 0.44 microM and 0.72 microM for the heme domain and intact flavocytochrome, respectively). The b(5) had modest inhibitory effects on steady state turnover of P450 BM3 with fatty acids, and the ferrous-carbon monoxy P450 complex was substantially stabilized on binding b(5). Single turnover reduction of b(5) by BM3 using stopped-flow absorption spectroscopy (k(lim) = 116 s(-1)) was substantially faster than steady-state reduction of b(5) by P450 BM3 (or its CPR and FAD domains), indicating rate-limiting step(s) other than BM3 flavin-to b(5) heme electron transfer in the steady-state reaction. Steady-state b(5) reduction by P450 BM3 was considerably accelerated at high ionic strength. Pre reduction of P450 BM3 by NADPH decreased the k(lim) for b(5) reduction approximately 10-fold, and also resulted in a lag phase in steady-state b(5) reduction that was likely due to BM3 conformational perturbations sensitive to the reduction state of the flavocytochrome. Ferrous b(5) could not reduce the ferric P450 BM3 heme domain under anaerobic conditions, consistent with heme iron reduction potentials of the two proteins. However, rapid oxidation of both hemoproteins occurred on aeration of the ferrous protein mixture (and despite the much slower autoxidation rate of b(5) in isolation), consistent with electron transfer occurring from b(5) to the oxyferrous P450 BM3 in the complex. The results demonstrate that strong interactions occur between a eukaryotic b(5) and a model prokaryotic P450. Binding of b(5) perturbs BM3 heme iron spin-state equilibrium, as is seen in many physiologically relevant b(5) interactions with eukaryotic P450s. These results are consistent with the conservation of structure of P450s (particularly at the heme proximal face) between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and may point to as yet undiscovered roles for b(5)-like proteins in the control of activities of certain prokaryotic P450s. PMID- 17786642 TI - Serum iron increases with acute induction of hepatic heme oxygenase-1 in mice. AB - Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 is induced by oxidative stress and protects against oxidant injury. We examined the effect of rapid induction of hepatic HO-1 on serum iron level. Serum iron was approximately doubled within 6 h when HO-1 was induced by phenobarbital treatment of selenium-deficient mice. Blocking heme synthesis with diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate (DDC) prevented the induction of HO-1 and the rise in serum iron. DDC did not block HO-1 induction by hemin. Inhibition of HO activity by tin protoporphyrin prevented a rise in serum iron that occurred following phorone treatment. These results indicate that heme synthesis or an exogenous source of heme is needed to allow induction of HO-1. Further, they link HO-1 induction with a rise in serum iron, suggesting that the iron resulting from catabolism of heme by HO-1 is released by the liver. PMID- 17786643 TI - Characterization of orphan human cytochromes P450. AB - Of the 57 human cytochromes P450 (P450) and 58 pseudogenes discovered to date, (http://drnelson.utmem.edu/CytochromeP450.html ), 1/4 still remain "orphans" in the sense that their function, expression sites, and regulation are still largely not elucidated. The post-human genome-sequencing project era has presented the research community with novel challenges. Despite many insights gathered about gene location and genetic variations in our human genome, we still lack important knowledge about these novel P450 enzymes and their functions in endogenous and exogenous metabolism, as well as their possible roles in the metabolism of toxicants and carcinogens. Our own list of such orphans currently consists of 13 members: P450 2A7, 2S1, 2U1, 2W1, 3A43, 4A22, 4F11, 4F22, 4V2, 4X1, 4Z1, 20A1, and 27C1. Some of the orphans, e.g. P450s 2W1 and 2U1, already have putative assigned functions in arachidonic acid metabolism and may activate carcinogens. However, at this point, for the majority of them more knowledge is available about their genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms than of their biological functions. It is noteworthy that most P450 orphans express high interspecies sequence conservation and have orthologs in rodents (e.g. CYP4X1/Cyp4x1, CYP4V2/Cyp4v3). This review summarizes recent knowledge about the P450 orphans and questions remaining about their specific roles in human metabolism. PMID- 17786644 TI - Endo-xenobiotic crosstalk and the regulation of cytochromes P450. AB - Evolution has provided organisms with an elaborate defense system against foreign compounds and against the accumulation of potentially toxic endogenous molecules, e.g. bile acids. Cytochromes P450 represent an important group of enzymes in this system. This article describes experiments started in the 1970's in Dallas on the coordination of heme and cytochrome P450 synthesis and how these studies evolved over the years into a concept of molecular links between xenobiotic metabolism and endogenous pathways of sterol, lipid, bile acid and energy homeostasis. PMID- 17786647 TI - Anonymity and openness and the recruitment of gamete donors. Part I: semen donors. AB - Since 1 April 2005, gamete donors in the United Kingdom (UK) have to be willing, in the future, to be identified to offspring should the offspring want this. This change in law has lead to considerable anxiety about the future availability of donors. This paper presents an overview of the research evidence concerning semen donors' views on anonymity and openness, as it appears in referred journals since 1995. Research evidence that is available, but not yet been published in referred journals, is also reviewed. The nature of this evidence is analysed and criticized. Research on the views of potential semen donors is also reviewed, as is the evidence that is available from jurisdictions that have changed the law and required donor openness. The evidence shows that it is possible to recruit semen donors who are required to be identifiable in the future. The evidence, while not conclusive, points to an open system attracting different kinds of men than an anonymous system, and this has clear implications for future recruitment policies. The evidence-based approach to recruitment of gamete donors challenges some of the beliefs, attitudes and fears that have been associated with this law change in the UK, and in other countries where similar changes have taken place. PMID- 17786646 TI - Looking at infertility through the lens of religion and spirituality: a review of the literature. AB - In spite of the growing body of literature that has focused on medical, psychological, social, and cultural consequences of infertility, issues such as religious and spiritual dimensions of infertility have received little attention. Considering that infertility is a multifaceted problem and results in multiple losses, we argue that health professionals need to consider all aspects of holistic care when caring for women with fertility problems. Holistic care considers not only the psychological, social and cultural needs of individuals, but also their religious and spiritual needs. Women may use their religious/spiritual beliefs to cope with crisis, and to find meaning and hope in their suffering. This article reviews the literature on religion/spirituality and infertility using Medline, CINAHL, PBSC, IBSS and ISI Web of Knowledge from 1985 to the present. It focuses on religious and spiritual care as one aspect of holistic care of women with fertility problems, and draws attention to the religious perspectives of infertility and reproductive technologies. It highlights the spiritual dimension of the infertility experience in previous research, and concludes with a discussion on the gaps in the literature and the implications of including religious and spiritual issues in infertile women's care. PMID- 17786648 TI - The use of pornographic materials by adolescent male cancer patients when banking sperm in the UK: legal and ethical dilemmas. AB - Increased awareness of the importance of fertility concerns to teenage cancer survivors is leading to growing numbers of male teenagers being offered sperm banking at the time of diagnosis. This is now extending to males diagnosed with other conditions where gonadotoxic agents are used in treatment. The storage of sperm in these circumstances is a challenging aspect of health care, given the complex issues and timescale involved. UK law has been enacted to protect legal minors from the potentially harmful effects of exposure to pornographic materials, yet there is reason to suppose that their use in this context could have therapeutic benefit in aiding successful masturbation. This paper uses material gained through consultation with the eleven largest UK sperm banks and 94 male teenage cancer survivors, to discuss the associated legal and ethical dilemmas, including those around the role of parents/carers. Findings suggest that there is variable practice in sperm banks, that almost a quarter of teenage males wanted access to soft porn when banking sperm, and half wanted to bring in their own materials. It concludes that there is an urgent need for any legal barriers to the therapeutic use of pornographic materials to be understood and examined. PMID- 17786649 TI - Complexities in reproductive choice: medical professionals' attitudes to and experiences of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. AB - Studies have been made on attitudes to and experiences of women and men who have undergone pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), or who are regarded as potential users of this diagnostic method. Few studies have been conducted regarding the attitudes to and experiences of medical professionals as regards PGD. This paper reports on findings from such a qualitative study in which 18 semi-structured interviews were performed with geneticists and gynaecologists in Italy, Sweden and the UK. Interviewees emphasized, among other things, the importance of choice provision. Interviewees also told stories that indicated the many ways through which choice was feared to be hampered - or was hampered. A similar emphasis on the importance of PGD as one more alternative to choose between, for 'high-risk' couples, is not found in studies on the experiences, attitudes and views of potential, or actual, users of PGD. PMID- 17786650 TI - Odds of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) - time for reassessment. AB - BACKGROUND: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a potentially life threatening complication of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment. The objective of this study was to assess the odds of OHSS hospital admission in relation to oestradiol levels on day of hCG administration and number of oocytes collected. METHODS: We performed a 24 months retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients receiving ART treatment in a University teaching hospital including all patients requiring admission due to OHSS. Main outcome measures were oestradiol levels, number of oocytes collected and incidence of admission with OHSS. RESULTS: OHSS requiring admission to hospital occurred in 1.8% of cases. While no patients with an oestradiol level at hCG /=15,000 pmol/L had different risks of admission according to the number of oocytes collected: those with >30 oocytes were 6.7 times more likely to be admitted that those with <20 oocytes. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies an oestradiol level (>/=15,000 pmol/L) and number of oocytes (>/=20) above which the odds of being admitted with OHSS increases significantly. Although OHSS cannot always be prevented, these measurable parameters should be used to allow appropriate counselling and subsequent safe management of ART patients. PMID- 17786651 TI - Estimating the risks of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): implications for egg donation for research. AB - This study aims to provide an estimate of women's risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) when undergoing superovulation to donate eggs for research. This is an essential prerequisite for appropriate informed consent. In the absence of sufficiently large numbers of egg donors to assess the risk, comparative data was obtained from women undergoing the same superovulation protocol for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. In this prospective study 339 women, who developed >/=20 follicles after superovulation in their first treatment cycle (total number of treatment cycles during the same period - 2417), were intensively monitored on five occasions, between human chorionic gonadotrophin and pregnancy test, according to our routine clinical protocol. Hospital admission was needed for 49 (14.5%) women, 13 (3.8%) needed intravenous fluids and 9 (2.7%) needed paracentesis. The admission rates were similar in pregnant and non-pregnant women (13.5% vs. 15%); the need for intravenous fluids and paracentesis were 3.2% vs. 2.3% and 6.3% vs. 2.3%, respectively. The peak increase in haematocrit occurred on Day 4 after hCG, and the mean day of hospital admission was Day 5. If an egg donor develops <20 follicles, she can be reassured that the risk of OHSS is very small (<0.1%). If >/=20 follicles develop, her risk of hospital admission due to OHSS is <15%. The absence of pregnancy in egg donors does not eliminate the risk of OHSS. Given the timescale of development of the haematological and biochemical abnormalities, egg donors who develop >/=20 follicles should be actively monitored for the first week after egg collection. PMID- 17786654 TI - Statement of retraction. PMID- 17786655 TI - In memoriam: Frederick J. Evans, 1937-2006. PMID- 17786657 TI - The neural trance: a new look at hypnosis. AB - Hypnosis has had a gradual conceptual emergence from an alleged mystical experience, to sleep, to a psychological shift in concentration that activates a preexisting neuro-physiological circuitry. Data are presented to support the thesis that hypnotizability exists on a spectrum that has biological as well as psychosocial components. When there is synchrony between the bio-psychosocial components of hypnotizability as measured by the Hypnotic Induction Profile (an intact flow), psychotherapy is the primary treatment strategy, with medication secondary or not at all. When measurement reveals a lack of synchrony between biological factors as measured by the Eye-Roll sign and psychosocial responsivity (a nonintact flow), medication will be primary, with different degrees of psychosocial support. PMID- 17786658 TI - A review of the effects of hypnosis on the immune system in breast cancer patients: a brief communication. AB - In order to make a recommendation about the use of hypnosis as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of breast cancer, 2 studies assessing the immunological effects of hypnosis in patients with early stage breast cancer were evaluated: (a) an experiment that taught hypnotic guided-imagery therapy to patients and (b) one that provided participants with home visits and autogenic training. Both investigations demonstrated improvement in depression and increased natural killer (NK) cell counts after 2 months of hypnosis treatment. However, neither study determined the clinical significance of hypnosis in the setting of cancer, and therefore future experiments are needed to relate the immune-mediated effects of hypnosis to hard clinical outcomes like survival rates. PMID- 17786659 TI - Taking the feeling out of emotional memories - a study of hypnotic emotional numbing: a brief communication. AB - This study investigated the influence of hypnotic emotional inhibition on emotional response to and recall of emotional features of autobiographical memories. Twenty-nine high hypnotizable participants were administered a hypnotic induction and either emotional suppression or control instructions and then were asked to recall a personal distressing or neutral autobiographical memory. Dependent variables included self-reported emotion, EMG corrugator muscle activity, and use of affective descriptors in autobiographical memories. Participants in the suppression condition displayed less emotional responsivity on self-report and EMG corrugator muscle activity than other participants during recall of the distressing memory. In contrast, emotional suppression did not influence the use of affective descriptors in the content of personal memories. These findings point to the capacity for hypnotic emotional inhibition to differentially influence affective and semantic components of the emotional response. PMID- 17786660 TI - Hypnotic abreaction releases chaotic patterns of electrodermal activity during dissociation. AB - Chaotic transitions emerge in a wide variety of cognitive phenomena and may possibly be linked to specific changes during development of mental disorders. There are several hypotheses that link the dissociation to critical chaotic shifts with the resulting self-organization of behavioral patterns during critical periods. In 2 patients, hypnotic revivification of dissociated trauma along with measurement of bilateral electrodermal activity (EDA) for therapeutic and research purposes was performed. Nonlinear data analysis of EDA records shows a difference between degree of chaos in hypnotic relaxed state before revivification of the trauma and dissociated state after reliving the traumatic memory. Results suggest that the dissociated state after revivification of the trauma is significantly more chaotic than the state during the hypnotic relaxation before the event. Findings of this study suggest a possible role of neural chaos in the processing of the dissociated traumatic memory during hypnotic revivification. PMID- 17786661 TI - Feasibility and acceptability of gut-directed hypnosis on inflammatory bowel disease: a brief communication. AB - Hypnotically assisted treatments have been used to reduce stress, improve gastrointestinal motility, strengthen immune function, and potentially reduce inflammation. Such treatments may also help reduce disease flares and improve quality of life in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The authors report the results of a case series of 8 white female patients with inactive IBD. All participants initiated and completed treatment, supporting the general acceptability of hypnotically assisted treatment among IBD patients. There was a significant improvement in IBD-quality of life scores for the group posttreatment, t(7) = -3.38, p = .01, with a mean improvement in quality of life of 29 points with significant changes in all 4 subscales. No negative effects of treatment were found. PMID- 17786662 TI - Hypnotic enhancement of creative drawing. AB - A hypnotically based intervention to enhance creativity in drawing was evaluated in a controlled study. Participants were randomly assigned to either a hypnotic treatment or a nonhypnotic (task-motivational) control treatment. Subjects drew a standard still-life tableau twice. The first drawing involved no special instructions and provided a baseline measure of creativity in drawing. The second drawing was completed after the creativity-enhancement procedure. The drawings were rated blindly on several dimensions of artistic creativity. Hypnotizability, absorption, and debriefing measures were also administered. Results indicated that the hypnotic procedure had significantly greater effects on creativity in drawing. However, there were no significant main effects or interactions involving hypnotizability or absorption. Hypnotic and task-motivational groups did not differ on debriefing measures regarding their experience. PMID- 17786663 TI - Restoring literary wholeness to the fragmented account of Antoine Despine's magnetic cure of Estelle L'Hardy's dissociative disorder. AB - Dr. Charles-Humbert Antoine Despine's (1777-1852) De L'Emploi du magnetisme animal et des eaux minerales dans le traitement des maladies nerveuses, suivi d'une observation tres curieuse de guerison de nevropathie [A Study of the uses of animal magnetism in the treatment of disorders of the nervous system followed by a case of a highly unusual cure of neuropathy] (Paris: Germer, Bailliere, 1840) is one of the earliest published, complete accounts of a successful cure with animal magnetism of a dissociative disorder. Despine's methodical and gentle treatment of more than 20 patients with multiple personalities repeatedly brought fusion to separation. His writing style displays a lack of order and unity that resembles the dissociative symptoms of his patients, but the monograph's sloppiness belies Despine's methodical approach to his work and his thoughtful handling of his patients. This paper explores these inconsistencies and how translators of the monograph act as literary therapists for his confused and fragmented account. PMID- 17786664 TI - An interpretive comment on McKeown's restoration of wholeness to Despine's magnetic cure. PMID- 17786665 TI - Chemical and strontium isotope characterization of rainwater in France: influence of sources and hydrogeochemical implications. AB - Strontium isotope ratios and Ca2+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO4(2-), NO3- and Sr2+ concentrations were measured in rainwater samples collected in four stations in France (Brest, Dax, Orleans and Clermont-Ferrand) over a period of 1 year. Each sample represented a monthly series of rain events. The chemical composition and the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the rainwater samples varied considerably. Using Na concentrations as an indicator of marine origin, the proportion of marine and crustal elements was estimated from elemental ratios. Strontium isotopes were used to characterize the different sources using data from the four stations and the literature. Such sources include sea salts, crustal sources (carbonates, silicates and volcanic rocks) and anthropogenic sources (fertilizers, automobile exhausts, incinerators and urban heating). PMID- 17786666 TI - Diet variability of Mediterranean insular populations of Rattus rattus studied by stable isotope analysis. AB - The black rat Rattus rattus is a successful colonizer that threatens native species on numerous islands. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to quantify the rat diet on islands off the southern French coast. Samples of rat hair and faeces and their potential food were collected on each island. The nitrogen isotopic values of invertebrates and vegetation on Riou (near Marseille) differed from the other two islands (Hyeres archipelago). This was attributed to a large colony of gulls on Riou, of which rats take great advantage. A part of the observed variability was due to methodological skews: two kinds of hair gave different results and there was an effect of the season and year of sampling but inter-island differences were noticeable. In certain cases, the food source value from plants and invertebrates could supply the total food needs of rats as there was no evidence of consumption of eggs, chicks or birds. PMID- 17786667 TI - Combination of radon and stable isotope analysis as a tool for decision support concerning the remediation of NAPL-contaminated sites. AB - The non-aqueous phase-liquid (NAPL)-contaminated aquifer at a major refinery site in Mexico was investigated. Owing to the depth of the contaminated aquifer section (NAPL source zone) of over 100 m below the surface, the actual aquifer material was not accessible for sampling. Information on the residual NAPL contamination of the aquifer could only be obtained indirectly by analysing groundwater samples from a few wells available at the site. To tackle the problem, an approach alternative to conventional groundwater analysis for dissolved NAPL was chosen. For evaluating the recent contamination and estimating its probable future development, the radioisotope radon-222 and the stable isotopes 13C, 34S and 18O were used as naturally occurring contamination tracers and process indicators. Radon was used as partitioning tracer for the approximate localization and semi-quantitative assessment of the NAPL source zone. The stable isotopes were used as indicators for naturally occurring biodegradation processes, which might potentially be implemented into future remediation schemes. PMID- 17786668 TI - Automated and rapid online determination of 15N abundance and concentration of ammonium, nitrite, or nitrate in aqueous samples by the SPINMAS technique. AB - On the basis of the principle of reaction continuous-flow quadrupole mass spectrometry, an automated sample preparation unit for inorganic nitrogen (SPIN) species was developed and coupled to a quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (MAS). The SPINMAS technique was designed for an automated, sensitive, and rapid determination of 15N abundance and concentration of a wide variety of N-species involved in nitrogen cycling (e.g. NH4+, NO3-, NH2OH etc.). In this paper, the SPINMAS technique is evaluated with regard to the determination of 15N abundance and concentration of the most fundamental inorganic nitrogen compounds in ecosystems such as NH4+, NO2-, and NO3-. The presented paper describes the newly developed system in detail and demonstrates the general applicability of the system. For a precise determination of 15N abundance and concentration, a minimum total N-amount of 10 microg NH4+ - N, 0.03 microg NO2- - N, or 0.3 microg NO3- - N has to be supplied. Currently, the SPINMAS technique represents the most rapid and only fully automated all-round method for a simultaneous determination of 15N abundance and total N-amount of NH4+, NO2-, or NO3- in aqueous samples. PMID- 17786669 TI - Fertilizer nitrogen isotope signatures. AB - There has been considerable recent interest in the potential application of nitrogen isotope analysis in discriminating between organically and conventionally grown crops. A prerequisite of this approach is that there is a difference in the nitrogen isotope compositions of the fertilizers used in organic and conventional agriculture. We report new measurements of delta15N values for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and present a compilation of the new data with existing literature nitrogen isotope data. Nitrogen isotope values for fertilizers that may be permitted in organic cultivation systems are also reported (manures, composts, bloodmeal, bonemeal, hoof and horn, fishmeal and seaweed based fertilizers). The delta15N values of the synthetic fertilizers in the compiled dataset fall within a narrow range close to 0 per thousand with 80% of samples lying between-2 and 2 per thousand and 98.5% of the data having delta15N values of less than 4 per thousand (mean=0.2 per thousand n=153). The fertilizers that may be permitted in organic systems have a higher mean delta15N value of 8.5 per thousand and exhibit a broader range in delta15N values from 0.6 to 36.7 per thousand (n=83). The possible application of the nitrogen isotope approach in discriminating between organically and conventionally grown crops is discussed in light of the fertilizer data presented here and with regard to other factors that are also important in determining crop nitrogen isotope values. PMID- 17786670 TI - Radioactivity levels in some wild edible mushroom species in Turkey. AB - Eleven different wild-growing edible mushroom species collected from various regions of Turkey were analysed for their content of 137Cs, 40K, 226Ra and 232Th using a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Specific activities of 226Ra and 232Th were generally below detection limits. The specific activities of 137Cs and 40K ranged from 2.4+/-0.3 to 109.0+/-7.3 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 28.4+/-27.2 Bq kg 1 (dry matter) and 715.5+/-50.1 to 1779.0+/-163.7 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 1150.8+/ 315.2 Bq kg-1 (dry matter), respectively. The mean annual effective dose of 137Cs and 40K through mushrooms were estimated to be (7.0+/-6.0)x10(-3) microSv and 0.13+/-0.03 microSv, respectively. The overall intake of 137Cs is quite low and no significant contamination was found in collected mushroom species. The highest contents of 137Cs and 40K among the analysed mushrooms were in Morchella esculenta and Stropharia coronilla, respectively. PMID- 17786671 TI - GC-R-CF-MS method to determine the 13C abundance of gaseous combustion products in cigarette smoke. AB - To determine the 13C abundance of combustion and break down products formed in cigarette smoke, especially CO and CO2, a simple and fast analytical method is needed. Taking into account the knowledge about the determination of the natural 13C abundance in air, an online method - based on gas chromatography-reaction continuous flow mass spectrometry (GC-R-CF-MS) - has been developed, which enables the determination of the 13C abundance of CO and CO2 in the vapour phase of cigarette smoke with a relative standard deviation of< or =0.5% in one analytical run. Additionally, in a second step, the 13C abundance of total volatile carbon can be determined. PMID- 17786674 TI - Revisiting mental health issues in young immigrants: a lesson learned from the Virginia Tech massacre. PMID- 17786675 TI - Conceptualizing family members of violent mentally ill individuals as a vulnerable population. AB - A review of literature concerning familial violence and mental illness using the Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Model (VPCM) as an organizing framework is presented. Since family members are most likely to be targets if a person who is mentally ill becomes violent, this review emphasizes the VPCM concepts of resource availability (including capital, stigma, and access to healthcare), risk, and health status of those family members. The population-based VPCM was used in an attempt to move the examination of this phenomenon from a focus on the individual to a conceptualization of it as family violence occurring within a broader, social context. PMID- 17786676 TI - 'Tapping a tie': successful partnerships in managing addictions with methadone. AB - The Fredericton Community Health Clinic (FCHC) was established to provide comprehensive, accessible, and acceptable services to an underserved population who were downtown, poor, homeless, and living with addictions. A research team conducted a descriptive study to investigate how nurses' roles evolved in this setting and to understand these roles through stakeholders' eyes. We describe the perceptions of client stakeholders who first accessed the FCHC for help with opioid addictions. Findings include what drew clients in, their decision to access addiction treatment, their perceptions of nurses' roles, and the influence on their lives. PMID- 17786677 TI - Dissociative symptom disorders in advanced nursing practice: background, treatment, and instrumentation to assess symptoms. AB - Less well-known among the psychiatric disorders, dissociation is one of the most common underlying symptoms of individuals seeking mental health care (Maldonado, 2001). Closely associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociation characteristics may include inconsistent consciousness, autobiographical forgetfulness, difficulties in self-regulation, regressions, alternate identities, disorganization in the development of a cohesive sense of self, depersonalization, and derealization (Trickett, Noll, Reiffman & Putnam, 2001). The major constructs and dimensions of the dissociative symptom disorders in adults are introduced. Several of the most prominent psychometric instruments that nurses and other mental health clinicians may use as adjuncts to diagnosis and treatment are described. PMID- 17786678 TI - Chronic pain and the family: theory-driven treatment approaches. AB - The chronic pain experience is the product of a complex interaction of many factors including biological, social, psychological, environmental, and familial. The presence of chronic pain can impact the family system with significant, negative consequences; the family may also be responsible, in part, for maintaining and perpetuating pain problems. The need to examine the family dimension of the chronic pain experience and offer family/couple therapy, should it be indicated, is vital to comprehensive pain management. Operant behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and structural family therapy approaches are advocated for such families, along with a clear need for controlled evaluations of these approaches. PMID- 17786679 TI - Batterer intervention program: the victim's hope in ending the abuse and maintaining the relationship. AB - In this existential-phenomenological investigation, women whose partners were mandated to attend a batterers' intervention program (BIP) were interviewed about their experiences before their partner attended his first class. The goal of this study was to gain an understanding of the woman's expectations of the BIP in the aftermath of her experience of abuse and her reasons for maintaining the relationship. Women described their experience as one of living in a dangerous environment that keeps them nervous, confused, fearful, and feeling bad about themselves, but yet hopeful that the abuse will stop now that their partner is being sent to treatment. BIP was, in fact, the "last hope," an optimism unsupported by current research data. PMID- 17786680 TI - Expanded practice roles for community mental health nurses: what do consumers and carers have to say? AB - Community-based mental health as the primary focus of treatment has influenced more autonomous roles for mental health nurses. A limited literature suggests that this has resulted in the expansion of community mental health nursing into territory usually the exclusive domain of the medical profession. Consumers and carers are the two groups most affected by changes to service delivery; however, their views regarding the changing role of community mental health nurses have not been sought. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study involving indepth interviews with Australian consumers (n = 4) and carers (n = 6) designed to explore their views and opinions about the expanded practice roles of community mental health nurses. Four main themes were identified: accessibility and convenience; relationship with clinicians; beneficiaries of expanded nursing practice; and, are nurses up to it? The findings suggest expanded practice roles are perceived positively by consumers and carers and therefore worthy of further investigation. PMID- 17786681 TI - Cultural dissonance: therapist and client. PMID- 17786682 TI - The components of the female athlete triad do not identify all physically active females at risk. AB - The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of the triad components (amenorrhoea, disordered eating, and osteoporosis) in identifying physically active women at risk of long-term health problems. Eighty-two females (mean age 31.1 years, s = 6.7; body mass 58.4 kg, s = 6.6; stature 1.65 m, s = 0.06) completed training, menstrual, and dietary questionnaires. Bone mineral density and size-adjusted bone mineral density were assessed at the femoral neck and lumbar spine using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Seventy-eight percent of participants were eumenorrhoeic, 20% were oligomenorrhoeic, and 2% were amenorrhoeic. Thirty-six percent and 55% reported disordered eating practices in the present and past respectively. Eighty-one percent, 17%, and 2% were classified as normal, osteopaenic, and osteoporotic at the femoral neck respectively; 92% were normal, 7% osteopaenic, and 1% osteoporotic at the lumbar spine. No significant differences in femoral neck size-adjusted bone mineral density were observed between eumenorrhoeic and oligo/amenorrhoeic participants (F(2,80) = 0.119, P = 0.73); eumenorrhoeic participants had significantly greater lumbar spine size-adjusted bone mineral density (F(2,80) = 9.79, P = 0.003). Disordered eating participants had significantly lower femoral neck size-adjusted bone mineral density than those reporting no disordered eating (F(2,80) = 13.816, P = 0.000). Twenty-two percent of participants fulfilled triad criteria, while 55% were "at risk" of long-term health problems. An accumulation of conditions resulted in lower lumbar spine size-adjusted bone mineral density (F(1,80) = 6.074, P = 0.004). The current triad components do not identify all women "at risk" and more appropriate criteria such as exercise-related menstrual alterations, disordered eating, and osteopaenia are suggested. PMID- 17786683 TI - Cycling power output produced during flat and mountain stages in the Giro d'Italia: a case study. AB - Until recently, the physiological demands of cycling competitions were mostly reflected by the measurement of heart rate and the indirect estimation of exercise intensity. The purpose of this case study was to illustrate the varying power output of a professional cyclist during flat and mountain stages of a Grand Tour (Giro d'Italia). Nine stage recordings of a cyclist of the 2005 Giro d'Italia were monitored using a mobile power measurement device (SRM Trainingssystem, Julich, Germany), which recorded direct power output and heart rate. Stages were categorized into flat (n = 5) and mountain stages (n = 4). Data were processed electronically, and the overall mean power in flat and mountain stages and maximal mean power for various durations were calculated. Mean power output was 132 W +/- 26 (2.0 W x kg(-1) +/- 0.4) for the flat and 235 W +/- 10 (3.5 W x kg(-1) +/- 0.1) for the mountain stages. Mountain stages showed higher maximal mean power (367 W) for longer durations (1800 s) than flat stages (239 W). Flat stages are characterized by a large variability of power output with short bursts of high power and long periods with reduced intensity of exercise, whereas mountain stages mostly require submaximal, constant power output over longer periods. PMID- 17786684 TI - The performance environment of the England youth soccer teams. AB - In the present study, we examined the performance environment of the England youth soccer teams. Using a semi-structured protocol with a prospective sample, national coaches (n = 6), sport scientists (n = 3), and players (n = 4) were interviewed directly following international tournaments about the factors that positively and negatively influenced performance. Qualitative content analysis revealed the following factors as major positive influences on performance: adhering to a consistent tournament strategy, player understanding, strong team cohesion, organized entertainment activities, detailed knowledge of opposition, an effective physical rest/recovery strategy, and previous tournament experience. Major factors perceived to have negatively influenced performance included: over coaching, player boredom, player anxiety, physical superiority of the opposition, physical fatigue over the tournament, problems sleeping, and lack of information on the opposition. Eight overall dimensions emerged to describe the performance environment: planning and organization, physical environment, tactical factors, development and performance philosophy, psychological factors, physical factors, social factors, and coaching. The findings support recent work that suggests the performance environment is multifaceted, with performance being contingent upon a broad range of interacting factors that go beyond the traditional psychosocial and physical domains. PMID- 17786685 TI - Effect of stage duration on physiological variables commonly used to determine maximum aerobic performance during cycle ergometry. AB - In this study, we examined the effect of stage duration on physiological variables commonly used to determine maximum aerobic performance during cycle ergometry. Ten recreationally trained males (mean age 27.8 +/- 7.1 years; BMI 24.3 +/- 2.5 kg x m(-2); VO2max 52.5 +/- 5.9 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) performed three different stage duration protocols on two separate occasions. Each short stage (SS; 1-min stages), long stage (LS; 3-min stages), and constant load + short stage (CL + SS; 4-min constant load followed by 1-min stages) protocol started at 50 W with increments of 30 W. The physiological variables measured included: time to maximum, maximum workload, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), maximum heart rate, maximum rating of perceived exertion, maximum blood lactate concentration, and maximum respiratory exchange ratio. The ventilatory threshold was calculated for every trial of the three protocols. There was no difference in VO2max, but maximum heart rate was higher in the LS protocol (P<0.05). Maximum respiratory exchange ratio varied between the protocols (P<0.05), while maximum workload differed between the SS and LS protocols, and the LS and CL + SS protocols (P<0.0001). The physiological variables were comparable between trials for the SS and CL + SS protocols, but maximum workload and VO2max differed for the LS protocol (P<0.05). Workload at the ventilatory threshold was lower for the LS protocol (P<0.05). Heart rate at the ventilatory threshold was different between the LS and CL + SS protocols (P<0.05). Performing a test involving 1- or 3-min stage durations on a single occasion was appropriate for the determination of VO2max and the ventilatory threshold. However, the disparity in heart rate and workload could result in differences in mechanical and physiological work being undertaken. Consistent use of a protocol may alleviate errors during exercise prescription. PMID- 17786686 TI - The use of physiological, anthropometric, and skill data to predict selection in a talent-identified junior volleyball squad. AB - The aim of this study was to determine whether physiological, anthropometric, and skill test results could discriminate between junior volleyball players of varying ability. Twenty-eight junior volleyball players competed for selection in a talent-identification volleyball programme. Participants underwent measurements of stature, standing reach stature, body mass, skinfold thickness, overhead medicine ball throw, vertical jump, spike jump, 5-m and 10-m speed, "T" test agility, maximal aerobic power, and passing, setting, serving, and spiking technique and accuracy. A discriminant analysis was conducted on the selected and non-selected groups to obtain a regression equation that could be used to predict selection in junior volleyball squads based on the dependent variables. Passing and serving technique were the only significant variables included in the discriminant analysis. Cross-validation results showed that 17 of 19 selected players (89.5%) and 5 of 9 non-selected players (55.6%) were correctly classified into selected and non-selected groups, respectively, providing an overall predictive accuracy of 78.6%. The results of this study demonstrate that selected skill test results (i.e. subjective coach evaluations of passing technique and serving technique), but not physiological and anthropometric data, discriminate between successful and unsuccessful talent-identified junior volleyball players. These results demonstrate the importance of developing passing and serving technique in talent-identified junior volleyball players. PMID- 17786687 TI - Situation-orientated recognition of tactical patterns in volleyball. AB - One important factor for effective operations in team sports is the team tactical behaviour. Many suggestions about appropriate players' positions in different attack or defence situations have been made. The aims of this study were to develop a classification of offensive and defensive behaviours and to identify team-specific tactical patterns in international women's volleyball. Both the classification and identification of tactical patterns is done by means of a hierarchical cluster analysis. Clusters are formed on the basis of similarities in the players' positions on the court. Time continuous data of the movements, including the start and end points during a pass from the setter, are analysed. Results show team-specific patterns of defensive moves with assessment rates of up to 80%. Furthermore, the recognition of match situations illustrates a clear classification of attack and defence situations and even within different defence conditions (approximately 100%). Thus, this approach to team tactical analysis yields classifications of selected offensive and defensive strategies as well as an identification of tactical patterns of different national teams in standardized situations. The results lead us to question training concepts that assume a team-independent optimal strategy with respect to the players' positions in team sports. PMID- 17786688 TI - Is vertical jump height a body size-independent measure of muscle power? AB - We tested the hypothesis that the performance of rapid movements represents body size-independent indices of muscle power. Physical education students (n = 159) were tested on various vertical jump (jump height and average power calculated from the ground reaction force) and muscle strength tests. When non-normalized data were used, a principal components analysis revealed a complex and inconsistent structure where jump height and muscle power loaded different components, while muscle strength and power partially overlapped. When the indices of muscle strength and power were properly normalized for body size, a simple and consistent structure of principal components supported the hypothesis. Specifically, the recorded height and muscle power calculated from the same jumps loaded the same components, separately for the jumps predominantly based on concentric actions and jumps based on a rapid stretch--shortening cycle of the leg extensors. The finding that the performance of rapid movements assesses the same physical ability as properly normalized tests of muscle power could be important for designing and interpreting the results of batteries of physical performance tests, as well as for understanding some basic principles of human movement performance. PMID- 17786689 TI - Anthropometric dimensions of male powerlifters of varying body mass. AB - In this study, we examined the anthropometric dimensions of powerlifters across various body mass (competitive bodyweight) categories. Fifty-four male Oceania competitive powerlifters (9 lightweight, 30 middleweight, and 15 heavyweight) were recruited from one international and two national powerlifting competitions held in New Zealand. Powerlifters were assessed for 37 anthropometric dimensions by ISAK (International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry) level II and III accredited anthropometrists. The powerlifters were highly mesomorphic and had large girths and bony breadths, both in absolute units and when expressed as Z(p)-scores compared through the Phantom (Ross & Wilson, 1974). These anthropometric characteristics were more pronounced in heavyweights, who were significantly heavier, had greater muscle and fat mass, were more endo mesomorphic, and had larger girths and bony breadths than the lighter lifters. Although middleweight and heavyweight lifters typically had longer segment lengths than the lightweights, all three groups had similar Zp-scores for the segment lengths, indicating similar segment length proportions. While population comparisons would be required to identify any connection between specific anthropometric dimensions that confer a competitive advantage to the expression of maximal strength, anthropometric profiling may prove useful for talent identification and for the assessment of training progression in powerlifting. PMID- 17786690 TI - Examining relative age effects on performance achievement and participation rates in Masters athletes. AB - Although the relative age effect has been widely observed in youth sports (Musch & Grondin, 2001), it is unclear whether it generalizes across the lifespan. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative age effect among a population of Masters athletes using archived data. Two successive studies examined the frequency of record-setting achievements (Study 1) and the frequency of participation entries (Study 2) at the US Masters track-and-field and swimming championships as a function of an individual's constituent year within any 5-year age category. Results of Study 1 indicated that the probability of setting a record increased if Masters athletes were in the first year, and decreased if they were in the third, fourth or fifth year, of an age category. Results of Study 2 indicated that the likelihood of participating in the National championships increased if Masters athletes were in the first or second year, and decreased if they were in the fourth or fifth year, of an age category. We highlight and discuss potential advantages afforded to Masters athletes who are relatively younger than their peers in the same 5-year age category. PMID- 17786691 TI - Effect of a carbohydrate mouthwash on running time-trial performance. AB - The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a carbohydrate mouthwash on running time-trial performance. On two separate occasions, seven recreationally active males (VO2max 57.8 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1), s = 3.7) completed a preloaded (15 min at 65%VO2max) time-trial of 45 min in duration on a motorized treadmill. At 6-min intervals during the preload and time-trial, participants were given either a 6% maltodextrin, 3% lemon juice solution (carbohydrate trial) or a 3% lemon juice placebo mouthwash (placebo trial) in a double-blind, randomized crossover design. Heart rate, oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during the preload, and blood glucose and lactate were measured before and after the preload and time-trial. There were no significant differences in distance covered between trials (carbohydrate: 9333 m, s = 988; placebo: 9309 m, s = 993). Furthermore, there were no significant between-trial differences in heart rate and running speed during the time-trial, or VO2, RER or RPE during the preload. Blood lactate and glucose increased as a result of the exercise protocol, with no between-trial differences. In conclusion, there was no positive effect of a carbohydrate mouthwash on running performance of approximately 1 h duration. PMID- 17786692 TI - Delayed preconditioning-mimetic actions of exercise or nitroglycerin do not affect haemodynamics and exercise performance in trained or sedentary individuals. AB - Nitroglycerin induces the so-called second window of protection (SWOP), which alleviates myocardial damage and stunning after ischaemia/reperfusion. To determine whether myocardial performance during exercise is improved in the second window of protection, we studied the haemodynamic responses of 12 trained and 11 sedentary individuals during a sequence of maximal tests on a cycle ergometer. A baseline test (basal test) was followed by a second effort performed during the second window of protection (exercise-SWOP test). Haemodynamics was also evaluated after pharmacologically induced SWOP 48 h after transdermal administration of 10 mg of nitroglycerin (pharmacologically induced SWOP test). The exercise-SWOP and pharmacologically induced SWOP tests were separated by a 1 week washout period. Endothelial-dependent vasodilatation after nitroglycerin pre treatment was also assessed in five sedentary individuals to determine whether nitrate donors could affect vascular function. We found that nitroglycerin pre treatment did not induce any improvement in haemodynamics in either trained or sedentary individuals, since maximum values of workload, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, myocardial contractility, and double product were similar between the exercise-SWOP and pharmacologically induced SWOP tests in both groups. Furthermore, nitroglycerin pre-treatment did not alter flow-mediated dilation during pharmacologically induced SWOP. Although nitroglycerin pre treatment alleviates post-ischaemic myocardial stunning, our results suggest that it does not affect the myocardial performance of healthy individuals during exercise performed in the second window of protection, independently of the training status of the individuals. Moreover, nitroglycerin pre-treatment does not ameliorate endothelial function. PMID- 17786693 TI - Software for calculating blood lactate endurance markers. AB - Blood lactate markers are used as summary measures of the underlying model of an athlete's blood lactate response to increasing work rate. Exercise physiologists use these endurance markers, typically corresponding to a work rate in the region of high curvature in the lactate curve, to predict and compare endurance ability. A short theoretical background of the commonly used markers is given and algorithms provided for their calculation. To date, no free software exists that allows the sports scientist to calculate these markers. In this paper, software is introduced for precisely this purpose that will calculate a variety of lactate markers for an individual athlete, an athlete at different instants (e.g. across a season), and simultaneously for a squad. PMID- 17786694 TI - Biomechanics of aggressive inline skating: landing and balancing on a grind rail. AB - Currently, only epidemiological injury data have been reported for the new extreme sport of aggressive inline skating, or trick skating. No studies have examined the biomechanics of this sport, which involves repetitive jumping and landing from railings, ramps, and ledges, often over 1 m in height. We present results of a pilot study that examined the effect of skater experience and lower extremity biomechanics on energy absorption ability, and observed balance strategies used during two basic tricks. In these tricks, the skater jumps onto an elevated rail and maintains balance while standing in a single position (stall) or sliding along the rail (grind). Lower extremity joint kinematics, impact force characteristics, and general movement behaviours were examined during landing and balance phases. Ten male skaters performed ten stalls and ten frontside grinds on an instrumented grind rail, capable of measuring vertical force. Vertical impact force was found to decrease with increasing skater experience in stalls (r = -0.84, P = 0.002) and grinds (r = -0.84, P = 0.009). This might imply that less-experienced skaters are (subconsciously) more concerned about maintaining balance than refining technique to minimize impact force. Similar to drop landing experiments, peak impact force decreased with increasing knee flexion during stalls (r = -0.65, P = 0.04). During stalls, skaters demonstrated classic balance maintenance strategies (ankle, hip, or multi joint) depending on trick length. During grinds, skater centre of mass never passed over the rail base of support, suggesting the use of momentum produced from obliquely approaching the rail. PMID- 17786695 TI - The effects of non-specific and specific concepts on tactical creativity in team ball sports. AB - The main aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of various training approaches in team ball sports for the development of tactical creativity. Altogether, 135 children aged about 7 years took part in a 15-month field-based study. They participated either in non-specific treatment groups, a specific handball, soccer or field hockey group, or a control group. General and game oriented tactical creativity were chosen as outcome measures. Our analysis of treatment-related effects showed that the non-specific groups displayed improvements in general creativity, whereas the specific groups showed improvements in the game-oriented creativity in which they were trained. Furthermore, clear transfer-related effects were observed. The analysis of group related effects indicated no differences between the approaches. Only the soccer specific group performed better in nearly all creative values. In conclusion, a non-specific concept appears to be a promising alternative to traditional specific treatments. This is further substantiated by several pedagogical, psychological, and medical arguments. PMID- 17786698 TI - CLLU1 expression: the latest risk predictor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. PMID- 17786696 TI - Physiological determinants of climbing-specific finger endurance and sport rock climbing performance. AB - The aim of the study was to examine several physiological responses to a climbing specific task to identify determinants of endurance in sport rock climbing. Finger strength and endurance of intermediate rock climbers (n = 11) and non climbers (n = 9) were compared using climbing-specific apparatus. After maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) trials, two isometric endurance tests were performed at 40% (s = 2.5%) MVC until volitional exhaustion (continuous contractions and intermittent contractions of 10 s, with 3 s rest between contractions). Changes in muscle blood oxygenation and muscle blood volume were recorded in the flexor digitorum superficialis using near infra-red spectroscopy. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Climbers had a higher mean MVC (climbers: 485 N, s = 65; non-climbers 375 N, s = 91) (P = 0.009). The group mean endurance test times were similar. The force-time integral, used as a measure of climbing specific endurance, was greater for climbers in the intermittent test (climbers: 51,769 N x s, s = 12,229; non-climbers: 35,325 N x s, s = 9724) but not in the continuous test (climbers: 21,043 N x s, s = 4474; non-climbers: 15,816 N x s, s = 6263). Recovery of forearm oxygenation during rest phases (intermittent test) explained 41.1% of the variability in the force-time integral. Change in total haemoglobin was significantly greater in non-climbers (continuous test) than climbers (P = 0.023--40% test timepoint, P = 0.014--60% test timepoint). Pressor responses were similar between groups and not related to the force-time integral for either test. We conclude that muscle re-oxygenation during rest phases is a predictor of endurance performance. PMID- 17786699 TI - Omitting radiotherapy after attaining FDG PET-negative status following chemotherapy alone for Hodgkin lymphoma: a randomized study caveat. PMID- 17786700 TI - T-cell/histiocyte-rich B-cell lymphoma and the paradox of the host immune response. PMID- 17786701 TI - Toward optimal use of intrathecal liposomal cytarabine. PMID- 17786702 TI - FISHing deeper for relevant disease subsets in mantle cell lymphoma. PMID- 17786703 TI - The use of hypomethylating agents in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. AB - Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, are abnormal in cancer cells, and the use of the hypomethylating agents 5-azacitidine and decitabine are important additions to our arsenal of active cancer drugs, especially for the treatment of the myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia. Most effective are repeated cycles of the drugs given at doses much lower than originally tested. Typical overall response rates (complete responses + partial responses + hematologic improvement) for both drugs are in the range of 40 - 50%. These agents are generally very well tolerated, with myelosuppression being the major side effect. Postulated to work through hypomethylation of DNA causing induction of gene expression, the precise mechanism of action of these agents is not yet clear. Future studies are likely to combine these agents with other drugs like the histone deacetylase inhibitors that act in related pathways. PMID- 17786704 TI - Dendritic cells and acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. AB - The wider use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is still limited by the immunologic recognition and destruction of host tissues, termed graft versus-host disease (GVHD). The role of inflammatory cytokines and their impact on immune effectors (mainly CD4+ and CD8+ T) cells has been extensively studied in the context of GVHD occurring after standard myeloablative allo-SCT. However, recent data suggested that GVHD pathophysiology is likely to involve more complex interactions where antigen-presenting cells, especially dendritic cells (DCs), may play a major role at time of initiation of acute GVHD. In addition, the wider use of reduced intensity and less toxic conditioning (RIC) regimens prior to allo SCT would allow better visualization of the fine functions of immune effectors, thereby offering a window of opportunities to better decipher the intimate pathophysiological mechanisms underlying GVHD. The aim of this concise review is to synthesize the available research evidence on the role of DCs as in vivo regulators of GVHD, and their interactions with other immune effectors. PMID- 17786705 TI - Hyperammonemia encephalopathy: an important cause of neurological deterioration following chemotherapy. AB - Idiopathic hyperammonemic encephalopathy is an uncommon but frequently fatal complication of chemotherapy. It is characterised by abrupt alteration in mental status with markedly elevated plasma ammonia levels in the absence of obvious liver disease or any other identifiable cause, and frequently results in intractable coma and death. It usually occurs in patients with haematologic malignancies during the period of neutropenia following cytoreductive therapy or bone marrow transplantation, and in solid organ malignancies treated with 5 fluorouracil. Although the aetiology of this syndrome is yet to be determined, it appears to be multi-factorial in nature. Optimal management remains to be formally established, and the critical step is increased awareness of the syndrome by measurement of plasma ammonium levels in patients with neurological symptoms, leading to early diagnosis and the prompt implementation of therapy. PMID- 17786706 TI - Potential of chemo-immunotherapy and radioimmunotherapy in relapsed primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. AB - Five patients with relapsed PCNSL were given chemo-immunotherapy (rituximab followed by carboplatin and methotrexate) with osmotic blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening. Four patients achieved CR and one patient had stable disease. Two patients (2/5) had durable responses (survival: 230+, 122+, 82, 42, 38 weeks). One patient later received Indium-111-ibritumomab tiuxetan and Yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan intravenous, without BBB opening. There was good uptake of Indium-111 ibritumomab tiuxetan in tumor on SPECT scan after 48 h. Estimated radiation doses to brain around and distant from tumor were within safe limits. After Ytrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan there was CR in enhancing tumor where the BBB was leaky, but lesions occurred in other brain regions, where the BBB was intact during Yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan infusion. Imaging and dosimetry with Indium-111 ibritumomab tiuxetan and efficacy with Yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan suggest the need for future enhanced CNS delivery when using monoclonal or radiolabeled antibodies, as intravenous delivery alone may provide modest clinical benefit due to limited BBB permeability. PMID- 17786707 TI - Randomized comparison of consolidation radiation versus observation in bulky Hodgkin's lymphoma with post-chemotherapy negative positron emission tomography scans. AB - This study aimed at evaluating the role of consolidation radiation in a setting of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients, using event-free survival (EFS) as end point. Among 260 patients treated with induction chemotherapy for bulky HL, 160 patients achieved negative residual masses at 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scans. They were randomly divided into two well-matched groups to receive either 32 Gy radiotherapy to bulky area or no further therapy. At a median follow-up of 40 months, histology showed a malignancy in 14% of patients in the chemotherapy-only group (HL, 11 patients) and in 4% of patients in the chemotherapy + radiotherapy group (HL, 2 patients; carcinoma in previously irradiated area, 1 patient) (P = 0.03). All the relapses in the chemotherapy-only group involved the bulky site and the contiguous nodal regions. Thus, the overall diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET to exclude future relapses in the patients nonprotected by radiotherapy was 86% with a false negative rate of 14%. Our study suggests that the addition of irradiation helps improve EFS in HL patients with post-chemotherapy FDG-PET-negative residual masses. PMID- 17786708 TI - High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: prognostic features and outcomes. AB - Between January 1990 and April 2001, 115 patients received high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). With a median follow-up of 58 months (range, 1 175 months), 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 46% and 58%, respectively. Twelve patients with primary refractory disease had a 5-year PFS of 41% and OS of 58%, not significantly different from those of the remaining cohort. Early and overall regimen related mortality were 7% and 16%, respectively. Male gender (P = 0.04) and a time to relapse (TTR) < 12 months (P = 0.03) were associated with decreased OS by univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, TTR < 12 months remained statistically significant (P = 0.04). We have confirmed that HDT and ASCT result in long-term survival for a proportion of patients with relapsed or refractory HL. All patients, including those with primary refractory disease, benefited from HDT and ASCT. PMID- 17786709 TI - Retreatment with yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan in patients with B-cell non Hodgkin's lymphoma. AB - There is no data on safety and efficacy of a second course of ibritumomab tiuxetan. In this work, data on patients with B-cell NHL who were treated with two courses of ibritumomab tiuxetan were analyzed. Eighteen such patients were analyzed (age: 58 years, 48 - 91), with a median of four prior regimens (1 - 7), stem cell transplantation (n = 5), and radiation therapy (n = 6). After the first course, G3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia was 35% and 41%; overall response rate (ORR) was 89%; time between courses was 16.6 months (6.0 - 42.7). After the second course, the incidence of G3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia was 28% and 44%; and ORR 77%. There were no infectious or bleeding complications, secondary myelodysplastic syndromes, or leukemias. Retreatment with the ibritumomab tiuxetan regimen was well tolerated, with a safety profile similar to that of the first course. To conclude, patients who benefited from the first course of ibritumomab tiuxetan can benefit from retreatment. PMID- 17786710 TI - Is there a difference in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma? AB - To distinguish the similarities or differences between T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL), we retrospectively analyzed the clinical, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular characteristics in 37 children diagnosed between December 1990 and December 2003. Comparative Expressed Sequence Hybridisation (CESH) was used to determine gene expressing profile in both diseases. Twenty two patients suffered from T-ALL and 15 patients were diagnosed as T-LBL. Immunophenotyping demonstrated a more immature phenotype in T-ALL and a more mature phenotype in T-LBL. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic aberrations were found in 82% of T-ALL compared with 73% of T LBL. By CESH gene expression profiling, the investigated cases were segregated into two groups that largely corresponded with T-ALL and T-LBL. The clinical presentation and cytogenetic characteristics are largely similar for T-ALL and T LBL supporting the concept that both represent a spectrum of one single disease. The differences that were found between both neoplasms, in particular in their phenotype and in their expression profile may suggest that most T-ALL derive from a T-cell progenitor of the bone marrow, while thymocytes represent the normal counterpart of T-LBL. PMID- 17786711 TI - A phase I/IIa clinical trial of CLAOP21 and CLAOP14 in patients with high grade non-Hodgkins lymphoma. AB - This study was performed to investigate hematotoxicity and occurrence of PPE in patients with high-grade non-Hodgkins lymphoma treated with a modified CHOP regimen (CLAOP), where doxorubicin had been substituted by a noncardiotoxic pegliposomal doxorubicin. An open-label phase I/IIa study was performed evaluating CLAOP21/20 with 20 mg/m(2) of pegliposomal doxorubicin every 21 days (12 patients), and a dose-dense filgrastim supported CLAOP14 regimen every 14 days with escalating doses of pegliposomal doxorubicin (24 patients) in elderly high-grade lymphoma patients or patients with comorbidity interfering with cardiac function. CLAOP21/20 was well tolerated. Hematotoxicity was similar to that reported with regular CHOP. In the CLAOP14 cohort, a pegliposomal doxorubicin dose of 25 mg/m(2) was associated with dose-limiting hematotoxicity, febrile episodes, and PPE. Both regimens were active with an overall response rate of 60% and 77%, respectively. The recommended dose of pegliposomal doxorubicin in the biweekly regimen for Phase II/III testing is 20 mg/m(2). PMID- 17786712 TI - T-cell/histiocyte-rich B-cell lymphoma: Clinical presentation, management and prognostic factors: report on 61 patients and review of literature. AB - T-cell/histiocyte-rich B-cell lymphoma (TC/HRBCL) is a rare subtype of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (DLBCL) with characteristic morphologic and immunophenotypic features, often misdiagnosed as Hodgkin's lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Few and conflicting clinical data are available in the literature addressing optimal treatment, prognosis and outcome. We retrospectively reviewed all patients diagnosed and managed at our institution between 1995 and 2004 diagnosed with T-cell-rich-B-cell lymphoma by WHO criteria. Sixty-one patients were identified. Initial pathology was incorrect in 82% of referred cases. The median age was 30 years. Seventy-one patients were males. Stage distribution was I - II in 21 patients, and III - IV in 40. Fifty-two percent of patients (32) had splenic involvement and thirty-seven patients (61%) presented with extranodal disease (22 >or= 2 sites). The International Prognostic Index (IPI) score was >or=2 in 62% of patients. All 59 newly diagnosed TC/HRBCL patients were treated with CHOP or R-CHOP combination chemotherapy +/- radiation therapy. The overall response rate was 85% and nine patients progressed on therapy. Fourteen patients relapsed with a median time of relapse of 6 months (range, 2 - 28). At a median follow-up of 22 months (range 1 - 132); 32 patients (52%) are alive with no evidence of disease. The 5-year overall survival and event free survival rates were 46% and 39% respectively. To conclude, TC/HRBCL is difficult to recognize without immunohistochemistry. It has an aggressive course and poor outcome; with most of patients presenting with advanced disease stage together with high IPI score. Treatment outcome seems to be similar to IPI matched DLBCL counterpart. PMID- 17786713 TI - CD40 expression identifies a prognostically favourable subgroup of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. AB - In order to confirm our earlier findings of the prognostic effects of CD23 and CD40 expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), possibly due to association with the germinal center (GC) phenotype and/or an increased autologous tumour response, tumour specimens from 125 patients with de novo DLBCL were investigated for immunohistochemical expression of CD23, CD40, BCL6, CD10, MUM1, CD4 and CD8. CD40 was positive in 64% and was associated with improved overall survival (p = 0.03). A GC phenotype was present in 47%, and was also associated with a better overall survival (p = 0.006) but did not correlate with CD40-expression. There was no correlation between amount of tumour infiltrating T cells and CD40-positivity. CD23 was positive in 10% and expression did not correlate with prognosis. In conclusion, the prognostic effect of CD40 expression was confirmed, but did not correlate with GC-phenotype or T-cell infiltration. PMID- 17786714 TI - An overview of the pathogenesis and natural history of post-transplant T-cell lymphoma (corrected and republished article originally printed in Leukemia & Lymphoma, June 2007; 48(6): 1237 - 1241). AB - Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are well recognized complications of solid organ transplantation. The vast majority of early PTLDs are B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. PTLDs of T-cell origin occur much less frequently and account for only a minority of cases. T-cell PTLDs have been reported to occur primarily at extranodal sites, commonly affecting bone marrow or splenic tissues. The small bowel is an uncommon site of origin of these tumors with only seven cases of primary intestinal post-transplant T-cell lymphomas reported in the literature. We hereby report a new case of primary intestinal post-transplant T-cell lymphoma, arising 18 years following renal transplantation, along with a literature review of all published cases. PMID- 17786715 TI - The prognostic evaluation of CLLU1 expression levels in 50 Chinese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. AB - Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the relentless accumulation of monoclonal B cells with the appearance of small mature lymphocytes and a characteristic CD5 and CD19 co-expression immunophenotype. The incidence of CLL is lower in Asian countries than in Western countries, where CLL is the most common leukemia. To investigate CLLU1 expression in CLL and explore the relationship between CLLU1 expression and alternative prognostic markers, we measured CLLU1 expression levels by semiquantitative RT-PCR in a cohort of 50 Chinese patients with CLL. Analyses of IgVH somatic mutational status, ZAP-70 expression, CD38 expression, and chromosomal aberrations were also performed. The expression of CLLU1 mRNA was determined in 26 of the 50 cases (52%), among which 7 at Binet A (7/21, 33.33%) and 19 at Binet B + C (19/29, 65.52%). The expression levels of CLLU1 were significantly increased in B + C CLL patients at Binet stage compared with those at Binet stage A (P = 0.005). Data for the IgVH somatic mutational status were available for 20 patients with known CLLU1 expression. Five (25%) patients, all expressed CLLU1 mRNA, displayed unmutated IgVH gene usage. While in 15 patients (15/20, 75%) with mutated IgVH gene, only 6 were CLLU1 positive. Patients with unmutated IgVH genes expressed higher levels of CLLU1 than did those with IgVH mutations (P < 0.05). Among 24 CD38(+)-CLL cases, 17 (70.83%) were CLLU1 positive, whereas only 9 (34.62%) positive cases were identified in 26 CD38(-)-CLL patients. Thus, the expression of CLLU1 in CD38(+) CLL was significantly higher than that in CD38(-)-CLL. However, no significant difference of CLLU1 expression was found between ZAP-70(+) (14/22, 63.64%) and ZAP-70(-) (12/28, 42.86%) patients (P > 0.05). We conclude that CLLU1 expression was significantly associated with clinical stages, IgVH somatic mutational status and CD38 expression, and might be an important prognostic factor in CLL patients. PMID- 17786716 TI - Primary salivary gland lymphoma among Japanese: A clinicopathological study of 30 cases. AB - To clarify the clinicopathological findings of primary salivary gland lymphoma as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, 30 Japanese patients with this disease were studied. The male to female ratio was 1:1.7 and median patient age was 57 years. The parotid gland (n = 22) was involved most frequently, followed by the submandibular gland (n = 5) and minor salivary gland (n = 3). Twenty-four (80%) cases demonstrated Stage IE, whereas only six (20%) had Stage IIE-1. None of the 30 cases had "B" symptoms or a poor performance status. The 5-year overall survival of 31 cases was 96% and 5-year failure-free survival was 77%. Histologically, 15 cases were mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, seven were follicular lymphoma (FL), and six were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) + MALT lymphoma and only two were DLBCL without a MALT lymphoma component. MALT lymphoma is the most frequent type of primary salivary gland lymphoma. However, FL comprised 20% of primary salivary gland lymphoma. The majority of the primary salivary gland DLBCL appear to arise from MALT type lymphoma. When appropriate therapy for histologic subtype is used, outcome of the primary salivary gland B-cell lymphoma appears excellent whether histologically indolent or aggressive. PMID- 17786718 TI - A limited number of IgH-primers binding to framework region 1 is sufficient to detect the majority of mature small B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue by PCR. AB - IGH gene rearrangement analysis by PCR is the widely accepted tool to determine clonality of B-cell lymphoid proliferations on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, but the results are often unsatisfying in terms of sensitivity. This is mainly due to poor quality DNA because of degradation and hence difficulties to amplify products of the needed length. Therefore, most previous attempts to determine clonality have depended on primers binding to framework region 3 thus producing amplification products of relatively short length. In order to improve clonality analyses, we have developed a sensitive monoplex PCR-protocol using primers binding to framework region 1 with extended cycling (42 cycles) and subsequent heteroduplex analysis. For comparison, multiplex reactions with alternative primers binding to framework region 1 according to the BIOMED-2 protocol were analyzed. By the two methods combined, we were able to detect clonality of 94% (16/17) of mature small B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The results suggest that PCR with primers binding to frame work region 1 may be the method of choice when assessing clonality of mature small B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas on formalin-fixed tissue. PMID- 17786717 TI - Successful allogeneic transplantation of patients with suspected prior invasive mold infection. AB - Prior invasive fungal infection (IFI) has historically limited the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with hematologic malignancies. Transplantation of such patients frequently resulted in recurrent infection and high mortality rates. Several new antifungal agents have been introduced over the past 5 years with broader spectra of activity against molds such as Aspergillus and a favorable toxicity profile. In this study, we present a series of 16 consecutive patients with hematologic malignancy and prior invasive fungal infection who underwent allogeneic transplantation. Of these patients, the majority of whom were treated with voriconazole and/or caspofungin, only four experienced recurrent fungal infection and recurrent fungal infection was the primary cause of death in only one patient. The estimated 45% 2-year survival in this series is similar to that for other patients with high risk hematologic malignancy undergoing stem cell transplantation. We conclude that suspected prior invasive fungal infection should not preclude the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. PMID- 17786719 TI - Guanosine acts intracellularly to initiate apoptosis in NB4 cells: A role for nucleoside transport. AB - Guanosine initiated apoptosis in NB4 cells in a transport-dependent manner. Apoptosis was partially attributed to an imbalance in nucleosides with some protection upon the addition of pyrimidines. The effect of guanosine on cell proliferation and viability was biphasic whereby cells were able to recover from an initial cell cycle arrest and re-enter the cell cycle upon removal of guanosine in a time-dependent fashion. However, exposure to guanosine beyond 24 h prevented recovery and ultimately led to death. Death occurred with a decrease in bcl-2 protein expression, thus suggesting that the pathway to apoptosis involved change(s) in the intracellular environment that were ultimately sensed by the mitochondria. Expression of the unique guanosine-specific nucleoside transporter csg in NB4 cells may provide an opportunity to harness guanosine-mediated cell death in the treatment of APL and related malignancies while sparing normal cells. PMID- 17786720 TI - Detection of simian virus 40 DNA sequences in Egyptian patients with different hematological malignancies. AB - SV40 DNA sequences have been detected in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients. A link between SV40 and NHL is biologically plausible since SV40 causes hematological malignancies in laboratory rodents. We investigated 266 Egyptian cases of hematological malignancies (158 NHL, 54 HD, 26 ALL, 13 AML, 8 CLL, 7 CML) and 34 subjects as a control for detection of SV40 DNA using nested PCR. SV40 DNA sequences were found in (53.8%) of NHL, (29.6%) of HD and in (40.7%) of different types of leukemia cases. Frequency of SV40 DNA sequences was higher in NHL patients compared with those with the other tumors and control group (p < 0.05). The highest frequency was in Burkitt's lymphoma followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The present study suggests that SV40 is significantly associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and most probably acts as a cofactor in the pathogenesis of these tumors. This could lead to new diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive approaches. PMID- 17786721 TI - Hodgkin-lymphoma-derived cells show high sensitivity to dactinomycin and paclitaxel. AB - Depending on stage and risk factors, up to 30% of patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) progress or relapse. Patients with pleural effusions have a particularly poor prognosis and this stage of HL is regularly resistant to chemotherapy. All currently available HL cell lines are derived from late stage HL patients. In the present study we measured the sensitivity of these HL lines against the 26 most frequently used cytostatic drugs. We used a novel fluorescent short-term survival assay where the cell was incubated with the drugs for 4 days. The precise number of differentially stained live and dead cells was determined using a custom-built automated laser confocal fluorescent microscope. We found that HL cells, independently of their origin, showed very similar sensitivity patterns for several of the drugs. All HL cell lines were highly sensitive to dactinomycin, paclitaxel and etoposide. Our data suggest that the inclusion of dactinomycin and paclitaxel into chemotherapy protocols against late stage Hodgkin lymphoma with pleural effusion may be justified. PMID- 17786722 TI - Case 37: Neutropenia and macrocytosis in a middle-aged man. AB - A myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was suspected in a middle-aged man who presented with neutropenia and macrocytosis. The correct non-neoplastic diagnosis was not made for 5 years. It is of crucial importance to exclude treatable causes of cytopenia and dysplasia when MDS is suspected. PMID- 17786723 TI - Intrathecal liposomal cytarabine for prevention of meningeal disease in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia and high-grade lymphoma. PMID- 17786724 TI - Patients with bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw have unmodified levels of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1. PMID- 17786725 TI - Physiological doses of cannabinoids do not adversely affect MCL viability. PMID- 17786727 TI - Hepatitis B virus reactivation induced by Yttrium-90-ibritumomab-tiuxetan. PMID- 17786726 TI - Simultaneous regression of Philadelphia chromosome and multiple nonrecurrent clonal chromosomal abnormalities with imatinib mesylate in a patient autografted 22 years before for chronic myelogenous leukemia. AB - A 31-year-old patient developed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in November, 1983. In November 1984, following a diagnosis of acceleration, he received an autologous hemopoietic transplant after conditioning with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation. The autologous marrow was purged with mafosfamide. Over 20 years, the patient remained in chronic phase of CML. Multiple nonrecurrent clonal chromosomal abnormalities appeared leading to a very complex karyotype, including among others involvement of chromosomes 1, 7, 9, 13, 19, and X. Fluorescent in situ hybridization showed that the two chromosomes 9 were involved. Acute myeloid crisis was diagnosed in February, 2004. Treatment with imatinib mesylate resulted within 6 months in a total disappearance of all chromosomal abnormalities with a complete cytogenetic and molecular response, which persists 3 years later. We question whether the ex vivo purging procedure with mafosfamide has favored the occurrence of these particular cytogenetic abnormalities (with no independent oncogenic potential) within the original leukemic stem cell pool. It remains unclear whether the autologous transplantation has indeed resulted into some prolongation of the duration of the chronic phase, which lasted for 20 years. At time of acute crisis, the dramatic response to imatinib mesylate leading to a complete cytogenetic and molecular response is noteworthy. PMID- 17786728 TI - Elevated serum BLyS levels in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. PMID- 17786729 TI - An indolent subtype of "intravascular lymphoma": A case with a 3-year history of LDH elevation. PMID- 17786730 TI - Infusion of rituximab over 90 minutes on an out-patient basis is safe and improves resource utilization. PMID- 17786731 TI - Hodgkin disease subsequent to follicular lymphoma on maintenance rituximab. PMID- 17786732 TI - Multicentric Castleman disease: Use of HHV8 viral load monitoring and positron emission tomography during follow-up. PMID- 17786734 TI - Teaching students behavior change skills: description and assessment of a new Motivational interviewing curriculum. AB - BACKGROUND: One of the US government health goals outlined in the Healthy People 2010 document (2000) is to increase the number of physicians who counsel their patients regarding unhealthy behaviors. Studies have shown a low rate of physicians provide smoking cessation counseling. We introduced a motivational interviewing curriculum into our medical school for first and third year students and then evaluated the effect of this curriculum on third year students counseling skills. METHODS: The motivational interviewing curriculum was comprised of a lecture series and small group teaching with practice in role plays. The effectiveness of the curriculum was evaluated by student performance in a videotaped interview with a standardized patient who portrayed a smoker. The interview was rated using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity scoring tool (MITI). The MITI assesses 6 criteria: empathy, MI spirit (autonomy, evocation and collaboration), MI adherence (asking permission, affirmation, emphasis of control and support), MI non adherence (advise, confront and direct), the types of questions (open or closed) and the number of reflections. Secondary outcomes included a knowledge exam related to motivational interviewing and students' evaluations of the effectiveness of the motivational interviewing curriculum. RESULTS: Analysis of the MITI scores showed that students reached a proficiency level on the rate of reflections, were just below proficiency in assessment of empathy and motivational interviewing spirit and substantially below proficiency in the percent of open ended questions. These proficiency scores were for professional counselors but nevertheless provided us with information on the effectiveness of the new curriculum and where the focus of our teaching should be. On the optional evaluation of the first-year MI curriculum by 112 students, 83% felt that the MI curriculum had helped them be more comfortable in discussing behavior change with patients and 98% felt it was an important skill for physicians to have. PMID- 17786735 TI - Identification of best evidence in medical education. Case study. AB - AIM: Compare how different researchers performed in screening for informative evidence about medical education. METHOD: Six researchers with three different levels of involvement in a systematic literature review screened articles by title and (where available) abstract, and then by reading articles they had selected in full text. The reference standard was a consensus decision to include or exclude the article in the final analysis, whose results are published elsewhere. RESULTS: The single screener most involved in the literature search, who was also the most junior member of the topic review group, achieved a sensitivity approaching 100% and a specificity of 98-100% for informative articles. She far outperformed the other researchers, all of whom had as much or more topic knowledge and greater research experience. CONCLUSION: It was not possible to improve on the performance of the single motivated and capable primary screener and trying to do so increased the number of uninformative articles retrieved. One interpretation is that the primary searcher was more practiced and focused on the task than her more senior colleagues, yet they tended to become worse rather than better with practice. The fact that a well informed but relatively naive person consistently outperformed her more "expert" colleagues might suggest an alternative explanation: Given the patchy standard and qualitative nature of the evidence, perhaps experts found it harder than a novice to make reliable choices, in which case their unreliable performance reflects the nature of present day education evidence. This case study illustrates the value of quality assuring the article selection process. Given the amount of disagreement uncovered by the study, we suggest that consensus between reviewers is an important reference standard against which the performance of any single primary screener should be checked. PMID- 17786736 TI - Student reflections on learning cross-cultural skills through a 'cultural competence' OSCE. AB - BACKGROUND: Medical schools use OSCEs (objective structured clinical examinations) to assess students' clinical knowledge and skills, but the use of OSCEs in the teaching and assessment of cross-cultural care has not been well described. OBJECTIVES: To examine medical students' reflections on a cultural competence OSCE station as an educational experience. DESIGN AND SETTING: Students at Harvard Medical School in Boston completed a 'cultural competence' OSCE station (about a patient with uncontrolled hypertension and medication non adherence). Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of twenty-two second year medical students, which were recorded, transcribed, and analysed. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Students' reflections on what they learned as the essence of the case encompassed three categories: (1) eliciting the patient's perspective on their illness; (2) examining how and why patients take their medications and inquiring about alternative therapies; and (3) exploring the range of social and cultural factors associated with medication non-adherence. CONCLUSIONS: A cultural competence OSCE station that focuses on eliciting patients' perspectives and exploring medication non-adherence can serve as a unique and valuable teaching tool. The cultural competence OSCE station may be one pedagogic method for incorporating cross cultural care into medical school curricula. PMID- 17786737 TI - Impact of Master of Family Medicine degree by distance learning on general practitioners' career options. AB - INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the impact of a Master of Family Medicine degree (via distance education) on GPs' career options, and in particular, whether they were more likely to adopt university positions after the course. A secondary aim was to examine whether those who undertook a research project as part of their Masters took up different career options than Masters graduates who undertook a more clinically orientated course. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was posted to all 192 graduates of the Master of Family Medicine degree. Approximately one fifth of these resided overseas, with the majority in Hong Kong. RESULTS: The response rate was 68%. Graduates stated that they benefited from the course, particularly in the areas of clinical knowledge and improvement in 'academic' skills. Changes in careers, with increases in non-clinical appointments, did occur after the course for both the Research and Clinical Masters graduates. DISCUSSION: Responses to the survey indicated that graduates benefited in completing the course and changes in their career direction following graduation. However, whether the Masters course provided new skills to enable career change, or the GPs were in the process of change anyway, cannot be determined with certainty. Further studies, including interviews, are required to establish the impact of a distance education higher degree. CONCLUSION: The research output of general practice remains behind that of its specialist colleagues. Higher degrees for GPs might encourage them to undertake more academic pursuits, but the precise relationship still remains uncertain. PMID- 17786738 TI - Training of the gynaecological examination in The Netherlands. AB - BACKGROUND: Competent performance of the gynaecological examination requires good technical and interpersonal skills, which are best mastered in an educationally sound atmosphere. Research has shown that effective teaching sessions of the gynaecological examination require the presence of gynaecological educated professional patients. But to what extent is this methodology currently used at Medical Schools? Currently there is no overview of how this type of training is provided by the eight Dutch medical schools. OBJECTIVES: To describe design, content and problems encountered in relation to gynaecological examination training in medical education in The Netherlands. DESIGN: Descriptive pilot study with a written questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: The coordinators of gynaecological skills teaching of all eight Dutch Medical schools. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The questions addressed aim, preparation, format, content, organization and evaluation of training. RESULTS: After a reminder all eight coordinators returned the survey. Objectives varied between schools. Some schools focus on technical skills whereas other schools place emphasis on overcoming students' shyness towards this intimate examination. Some schools pay special attention to students' attitudes towards women. Training formats differ also. In most schools three-hour training sessions involve two gynaecological educated professional patients and three students. A common problem is the recruitment of gynaecological educated professional patients. Schools do not have formal contacts. CONCLUSIONS: It would be interesting to compare the outcomes of different teaching formats used by the different medical schools, including comparing the differences in the teaching programmes in detail. It is ineffective that there is so little collaboration between the coordinators of the medical schools. PMID- 17786739 TI - Perils of the hidden curriculum revisited. AB - Medical schools are beginning to better define, teach, and assess professionalism for students. While there are many positive aspects of medical school training some students encounter poor modeling, unresolved ethical dilemmas, unnecessary and debilitating academic stresses, and emotional and physical harassment. This may undermine current trend to create programs that develop professionalism in students. PMID- 17786740 TI - Twelve tips for peer observation of teaching. AB - This paper outlines twelve tips for undertaking peer observation of teaching in medical education, using the peer review model and the experiences of the authors. An accurate understanding of teaching effectiveness is required by individuals, medical schools, and universities to evaluate the learning environment and to substantiate academic and institutional performance. Peer Observation of Teaching is one tool that provides rich, qualitative evidence for teachers, quite different from closed-ended student evaluations. When Peer Observation of Teaching is incorporated into university practice and culture, and is conducted in a mutually respectful and supportive way, it has the potential to facilitate reflective change and growth for teachers. PMID- 17786741 TI - Twelve tips for preparing residents as teachers. AB - BACKGROUND: Residents are frequently identified by medical students as their most frequent and memorable teachers; residents also teach their peers, junior and senior colleagues, other health professionals, and their patients. Many will teach in their future practice. Developing the skills to become a teacher is an important part of postgraduate education, and warrants a systematic, planned approach that may include many complementary learning opportunities. AIMS: Our purpose is to describe one such approach: a 4-week elective experience in medical education offered to postgraduate learners. METHOD: The paper describes the background and goals for the elective, and the various steps in planning, implementing, and evaluating such a course, drawing on the literature and mining our own experience for examples. Specifically, we address the following: needs assessment; the determination and selection of content, sequence, and teaching and learning methods; the experiential learning opportunities offered; and the emphasis on the participants' developing self-awareness of themselves as teachers, and as part of a community of teachers. RESULTS: The program implementation, program evaluation, and response to feedback received are described. CONCLUSION: A 4-week elective experience in medical education was positively received by participants. PMID- 17786742 TI - New horizons for e-learning in medical education: ecological and Web 2.0 perspectives. AB - An ecological and a Web 2.0 perspective of e-learning provides new ways of thinking about how people learn with technology and also how new learning opportunities are offered by new technology. These perspectives highlight the importance of developing connections between a wide variety of learning resources, containing both codified and tacit knowledge. New adaptive technology has the potential to create personalized, yet collective, learning. The future implications for e-learning in medical education is considered. PMID- 17786743 TI - Development of a web-based, specialty specific portfolio. AB - BACKGROUND: This article illustrates the creation of a specialty specific portfolio that can be used by several different residency programs to document resident competence during a given rotation. METHODS: Three different disciplines (anesthesiology, surgery and medicine) worked together to create a critical care medicine portfolio. We began by reviewing the curriculum requirements for critical care medicine and organized these requirements into the six ACGME core competencies. We then developed learner led exercises in each core competency that were specific to critical care. Each exercise includes assessment of resident knowledge and application, an evaluation of the exercise, a learner self assessment of skill, and a review of performance by a faculty member. Portfolio entries are highlighted in a multi-disciplinary weekly conference and posted on a critical care web site at our University. CONCLUSIONS: Creation of specialty specific portfolio reduces redundancy between disciplines, allows for increased time to be spent on the development of exercises specific to rotation objectives, and aids program directors in the collection of portfolio entries for each resident over the course of a residency. PMID- 17786744 TI - Explicitly linking teaching and assessment of communication skills. AB - BACKGROUND: Communication skills teaching is known to be effective, but students feel there are discrepancies between how communication skills are taught and how they are assessed. AIMS: This study examined the effect of using standard assessment criteria during communication skills teaching on students' performance in an end-of-year summative OSCE. METHOD: Students attending their year 3 communication skills teaching were randomised to one of the following three conditions: the assessment criteria were available for reference on the medical school website; or students received the assessment criteria for use in the discussion and feedback; or each student's performance was graded by him- or her self, his or her peers, the tutor and the actor using the standard assessment criteria. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the end-of-year OSCE performance of students who received the three different conditions. Actively using standard assessment criteria during teaching did not therefore improve OSCE performance. There were low but significant correlations between the tutors' assessment and the students' self-assessment and between the tutors' assessment and the peer group's assessment. CONCLUSION: The congruence between observers in the assessments of role-played consultations using the standard assessment criteria indicates that the criteria may be helpful for summarizing feedback to students. PMID- 17786745 TI - Student perceptions of the one minute preceptor and traditional preceptor models. AB - BACKGROUND: The one-minute preceptor (OMP) model was developed to effectively and efficiently teach learners while simultaneously addressing patient needs. This study was conducted to determine if third- and fourth-year medical students prefer the OMP model over the traditional precepting model and what teaching points they needed from the clinical encounters. METHODS: Third- and fourth-year students (N = 164) at two medical schools completed a questionnaire and prompts on teaching points in response to viewing two videotaped precepting encounters. Differences between OMP and traditional precepting scores were computed using a factorial repeated measures analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA). Teaching points were coded and counted. RESULTS: Students preferred the OMP precepting model to the traditional teaching model (p = 0.001). While the desired teaching points changed as the case presentation/discussion progressed, students were most interested in learning about the clinical presentation or natural progression of the disease regardless of teaching model used. CONCLUSIONS: Students rate the OMP as a more effective model of teaching than the traditional model. The teaching points desired by students change as the case presentation/discussion unfolds. Work carried out at: University of California, San Francisco, Office of Medical Education and University of California, Irvine, Department of Family Medicine. PMID- 17786746 TI - Training Tomorrow's Teachers Today: a national medical student teaching and leadership retreat. AB - INTRODUCTION: Challenges to American academic medical centers have diverted attention and resources away from the core missions of teacher and leader development. To train the next generation of medical education leaders, substantial and institutionalized new programs are necessary. METHODS: The American Medical Student Association, with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, designed the Training Tomorrow's Teachers Today national medical student retreat. The week-long course endeavors to enhance participants' clinical teaching and academic leadership skills. The program also trains students to execute a required medical education project. At the end of the course, attendees evaluated their baseline and post-course teaching and leadership effectiveness. Long-term follow-up was also completed. RESULTS: Attendees (n = 23) self-reported statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvement in teaching and leadership. The greatest improvements in teaching scores were in the area of communicating goals. The largest leadership score improvements were: defining goals; defining constituents, allies, and opponents; and delineating organization strengths/weaknesses. 13 participants engaged in medical education projects. CONCLUSION: This program helps fill a gap in medical education training. Program data suggest enhancement of students' teaching and leadership skills. A competitive application process demonstrates interest in such training. These results suggest that medical schools should offer and/or fund undergraduate teaching and leadership training. PMID- 17786747 TI - Use of interactive theater for faculty development in multicultural medical education. AB - BACKGROUND: The development of critical consciousness, anchored in principles of social justice, is an essential component of medical education. AIM: In order to assist faculty instructors in facilitating small-group discussions on potentially contentious issues involving race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class, a faculty development workshop was created. METHODS: The workshop used 'Forum Theater' techniques in which the audience was directly involved in determining the course of a simulated classroom discussion and conflict. We assessed the workshop's impact on the instructors' attitudes regarding facilitation of small-group discussions through two surveys: one to gauge immediate impressions, and another, 9-15 months later, to assess impact over time. RESULTS: Immediately after the workshop, participants reported that the topics covered in the sketch and in the discussion were highly relevant. In the follow-up survey, the instructors agreed that the workshop had raised their awareness of the classroom experiences of minorities and women and had offered strategies for addressing destructive classroom dynamics. 72% reported that the workshop led to changes in their behavior as facilitators. Differences in responses according to gender were observed. CONCLUSIONS: A workshop using interactive theater was effective in training faculty to facilitate small-group discussions about multicultural issues. This approach emphasizes and models the need to foster critical consciousness in medical education. PMID- 17786748 TI - Design, implementation and evaluation of a medical education programme using the ambulatory diagnostic and treatment centre. AB - BACKGROUND: In the UK a central government initiative is seeking to transfer aspects of specialist NHS care to community settings using ambulatory diagnostic and treatment centres (ADTCs). AIMS: Following the redevelopment of a district general hospital as an ADTC, we were interested in the feasibility of using this new facility to deliver a structured programme for undergraduate medical students. METHOD: Twenty self-selected fifth year medical students at the University of Dundee, together with teaching and administration staff in the ADTC, took part in the study during the academic year 2005-2006. RESULTS: One hundred percent of students and 73% of staff responded to a questionnaire pitched at the level of reaction to the course. The key findings were that the students found the teaching venues useful, the general environment conducive to learning, and the content appropriate to their needs. Staff felt that patients were not unhappy or disturbed by having students present and did not think the presence of students inhibited their clinical work. They appreciated the new opportunity to teach. CONCLUSIONS: An ADTC is a viable setting for structured teaching of undergraduate medical students. It provides a context for medical student leaning away from the main teaching hospital. PMID- 17786749 TI - Teaching clinical research methodology to the academic medical community: a fifteen-year retrospective of a comprehensive curriculum. AB - BACKGROUND: Due to inadequate preparation, many medical professionals are unable to critically evaluate published research articles or properly design, execute and present their own research. AIMS: To increase exposure among physicians, medical students, and allied health professionals to diverse methodological issues involved in performing research. METHOD: A comprehensive course on research methodology was newly designed for physicians and other members of an academic medical community, and has been successfully implemented beginning 1991. The role of the study hypothesis is highlighted; interactive pedagogical techniques are employed to promote audience engagement. Participants complete an annual evaluation to assess course quality and perceived outcomes. Outcomes also are assessed qualitatively by faculty. RESULTS: More than 500 physicians/other professionals have participated. Ratings have been consistently high. Topics deemed most valuable are investigational planning, hypothesis construction and study designs. An enhancement of capacity to define hypotheses and apply methodological concepts in the criticism of scientific papers and development of protocols/manuscripts has been observed. Participants and faculty believe the course improves critical appraisal skills and ability to conduct research. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience shows it is feasible to accomplish these objectives, with a high level of satisfaction, through a didactic program targeted to the general academic community. PMID- 17786750 TI - The new and improved learning community at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine resembles that at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. AB - BACKGROUND: In July 2005, a learning community was created at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) to foster camaraderie, networking, advising, mentoring, professionalism, clinical skills, and scholarship--The Colleges. The cultural and structural changes that emerged with the creation of this program have resulted in JHUSOM bearing a resemblance to J. K. Rowling's fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. AIMS: This manuscript will describe the similarities between these two revered schools, and highlight the innovations and improvements made to JHUSOM's learning environment. DESCRIPTION: The intense, stressful, and lengthy professional training required to achieve competency in the practice of medicine and in the practice of witchcraft (albeit fictional) have meaningful parallels. CONCLUSION: The supportive learning environment at these two schools should afford the next generation of graduates to have an even more enriching experience than those who have come before them. PMID- 17786751 TI - Third and fourth year medical students' attitudes about and experiences with callousness: the good, the bad and the ambiguous. AB - BACKGROUND: This study solicits third and fourth year medical students' attitudes about and experiences with callousness. METHODS: Medical students were asked to respond to an on-line survey assessing demographic information, their experiences with seeing callousness modeled by mentors and their attitudes about callousness. Participants included 74 students roughly split on gender and year in school. RESULTS: A 2 x 2 between-subjects MANOVA was conducted (dependent variables- attitudes about and experiences with callousness; independent variables--gender and year in school). Significant results were found for gender; follow-up analyses revealed that women hold more unfavorable attitudes about callousness than men. Although students generally regarded callousness as undesirable, they reported seeing callousness modeled by their mentors 20% of the time across a variety of situations. CONCLUSIONS: Students' attitudes about callousness are negative; women's attitudes are more negative than men's. Despite this, students (regardless of their demographic variations) regularly see it modeled by their mentors. Some students' narrative responses suggest they think being callous toward patients and colleagues can serve them well in some situations. The authors offer several questions to motivate further empirical and ethical inquiry into callousness and urge medical educators to consider its influence on students' conceptions of professionalism. PMID- 17786752 TI - Revisiting the journal club. AB - BACKGROUND: Recent descriptions of journal clubs identify their purpose as reading current medical literature, critically appraising it for validity and applicability to the readers' patient population, and distilling the best available clinical evidence. A clinical problem or question from practice within a discipline is identified, and relevant literature is selected and critically appraised. The process addresses the first tenet of evidence-based medicine; that is, gathering the best evidence from research data, but there is little information about when and how the second and third tenets (namely, incorporating individual clinician's expertise and individual patient's perspective) are addressed. AIMS: The study aim was to explore the value, for physician-learners, of reading physician-authored books within the context of an ongoing conversation group. This paper draws on the results of a year-long study with a group of medical students, residents, and novice physicians who read physician-authored books about their practice areas and subsequently met in a conversation group. DESCRIPTION: The study process facilitated learning around two neglected tenets of evidence-based medicine: the integration of clinical expertise, and incorporating patients' perspectives into clinical decision-making. It also fulfilled an earlier purpose of journal clubs, namely the fostering of collegiality and the development of professional identity in physicians. CONCLUSION: This study shows the value of reading a type of medical literature that is different, but complementary, to the kind read in contemporary journal clubs. PMID- 17786753 TI - Teaching beliefs of medical educators: perspectives on clinical teaching in pediatrics. AB - BACKGROUND: Most who teach in clinical settings see themselves primarily as clinicians or physicians responsible for patient care and only secondarily as educators. The education literature suggests that teaching predominantly operates at a tacit level, where teachers rely on core beliefs to guide their practice, and actually spend little time in reflective practice. Given the lack of research on how medical educators in clinical settings view their teaching, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the teaching beliefs of faculty in a pediatrics department in a college of medicine. METHODS: Using a Teaching Perspectives Inventory, observations and in-depth interviews, a complex picture was revealed about teaching beliefs of medical educators. RESULTS: Due to contextual constraints of the clinical setting (e.g., time, competing stakeholders) that requires primary attention to patient care, they describe 'teaching on the fly'. There is a strong emphasis on: delivering content; encouraging thinking among students; providing questioning and engaging learning experiences; and respecting students as learners. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of these beliefs are significant and indicate that faculty can benefit from opportunities that make their beliefs about teaching more conscious, particularly in determining how best to prepare future physicians to teach in clinical settings. PMID- 17786754 TI - Prospective comparison of student-generated learning issues and resources accessed in a problem-based learning course. AB - BACKGROUND: Multiple factors can contribute to variability in content coverage and student study activities between problem-based learning (PBL) groups. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to analyse the student learning issues to answer three questions: 1. How do the student-generated learning issues compare to faculty-developed 'key feature' objectives for each case? 2. Is there stability in choice of student learning issues over a four-year period? 3. What resources do the students access and has this changed over a four-year period? METHODS: Student-generated learning issues were collected during a course that follows a PBL design using standardized patient cases. Between 2002 and 2005, 407 students in 74 groups completed the course. The student-generated learning issues were compared with faculty-developed learning objectives to identify content covered. Students also recorded resources accessed and time spent researching the learning issues. RESULTS: Learning issues regarding medical content had moderate correspondence to faculty objectives. However, 'key feature' objectives that included other content such as communication challenges, ethics issues, psychosocial stressors, etc. were identified less frequently in student learning issues. Student study time was constant across cases, groups and years. A trend toward increased use of electronic resources over time was identified, and student choice of resource material did not necessarily match the references listed in the case materials. CONCLUSION: Despite similarity in student study time between groups, significant variability in content of learning issues and resources accessed was apparent. PMID- 17786755 TI - Non-EEA doctors in EEA countries: doctors or cleaners? AB - BACKGROUND: Migration of non-EEA doctors to EEA-countries has become a common phenomenon. As coordination within the EEA has not yet been established, every EEA-country is re-inventing the wheel of assessment of foreign medical degrees and developing additional programmes for non-EEA doctors. There is hardly any knowledge about assessment procedures in other EEA-countries. AIM: To examine how 10 European Economic Area (EEA) countries deal with non-EEA doctors. Both national and university policies regarding non-EEA doctors were examined. METHODS: This was a qualitative study based on two structured questionnaires. One was used for staff members of national health departments and the other was used for staff members of university medical faculties. Staff members from the health departments of mid-European and north European countries, and staff members from universities in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, UK, Spain, and The Netherlands participated in the study. RESULTS: There is no EEA directive concerning non-EEA doctors. Each EEA country, therefore, has devised its own policy towards non-EEA doctors. To enable non-EEA doctors to obtain a full license, thereby preventing them from ending up as unskilled labourers, the health departments in the Nordic countries and the UK have developed a 'fast track' process for non-EEA doctors. In Austria, Belgium, and The Netherlands, however, non-EEA doctors are more dependent on programmes offered by university medical faculties. The situation in Germany is between these two extremes. As a rule, the programmes for non-EEA doctors in Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands are two to three times longer than in the Nordic countries (18-36 months vs. 12 18 months, respectively). Financial aid is not available in most countries. CONCLUSION: As the influx of non-EEA doctors is increasing, harmonisation within the EEA is strongly advisable. As long as there is no EEA directive about non-EEA doctors, the assessment procedures (diploma evaluation, medical-knowledge tests, language requirements, length of additional programmes, etc.) need to be coordinated. PMID- 17786756 TI - A patient's journey. PMID- 17786757 TI - A preclinical training model for chronic care education. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic illnesses are not only major health threats for half of the world's population, but these diseases are also increasing rapidly. Medical training, however, has not kept pace with this increase in chronic illness. METHODS: I describe two instructional modules whose goals were to teach preclinical medical students to (1) screen for diabetic neuropathies and provide counseling for improved diabetic foot care, and (2) screen for tobacco use and provide counseling for smoking cessation. All educational activities took place during an orientation to the modules or during ambulatory patient encounters. Preclinical students (n = 280), who were supervised by 157 family physicians, screened and counseled a total of 3,640 patients. Program outcomes were assessed by analyzing student's responses to attitudinal questionnaires, student's documentation of the diabetic foot and tobacco use screenings, and postcards on which patients wrote their reactions to screening and counseling. In addition, the physician supervisors evaluated the impact of the modules on their practices. RESULTS: Analysis of data indicated that medical students, supervising physicians and patients benefited from the screening and counseling activities. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that these successful educational modules offer a training model for teaching medical students to intervene in chronic illnesses. PMID- 17786758 TI - Introduction of the multiple mini interview into the admissions process at the University of Calgary: acceptability and feasibility. AB - The MMI was introduced into the medical admissions process at the University of Calgary (UofC) in 2006. This report outlines the steps which were involved in its development and our evaluation of the process. The MMI allowed us to interview applicants in one weekend, with fewer interviewers and less time required per interviewer compared to our previous interview process. Most importantly, more than 90% of both the applicants and interviewers found the process to be very acceptable. This process allowed us to ensure that the interview process focused on the non-cognitive traits we are looking for in the students we admit to the UofC. PMID- 17786759 TI - Learning core clinical skills--a survey at 3 time points during medical education. AB - BACKGROUND: It is generally unknown which clinical skills students acquire during medical education and which factors influence their levels of competence. METHODS: We asked German medical students how competent they felt in performing individual clinical skills. RESULTS: Third year students evaluated their competence in clinical skills, on average, not better than 4.7 on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (= 'excellent') to 6 (= 'insufficient'). The average score for fifth year students was 4.1, for final-year students 3.3. Deficits in all groups of students were most prominent in communication skills and diagnostic skills. CONCLUSIONS: These results are a plea for a structured curriculum including training courses to practice clinical skills. PMID- 17786760 TI - Use of traditional versus electronic medical-information resources by residents and interns. AB - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the information-seeking behaviour of junior doctors, with regard to their use of traditional versus electronic sources of information. AIMS: To evaluate the amount of time junior doctors spent using various medical-information resources and how useful they perceived these resources to be. METHODS: A questionnaire study of all residents and interns in a tertiary teaching hospital in July and August 2004. RESULTS: In total, 134 doctors returned the completed questionnaires (response rate 79.8%). They spent the most time using traditional resources like teaching sessions and print textbooks, rating them as most useful. However, electronic resources like MEDLINE, UpToDate, and online review articles also ranked highly. Original research articles were less popular. CONCLUSION: Residents and interns prefer traditional sources of medical information. Meanwhile, though some electronic resources are rated highly, more work is required to remove the barriers to evidence-based medicine. PMID- 17786761 TI - Facilitators' perceptions of delivering interprofessional education: a qualitative study. AB - BACKGROUND: The literature on facilitation of interprofessional learning (IPL) tends to discuss its importance rather than providing empirical accounts focused on understanding its nature and the factors that might make it effective. AIM: This study aims to provide an initial insight into facilitators' experiences of facilitation, and begin to identify some of the key elements that contribute to successful facilitation of IPL. METHODS: 2 focus group interviews were held with facilitators of IPL (n = 5; n = 8) within a higher education setting. Follow-up telephone interviews were undertaken with 6 facilitators. Thematic analysis was undertaken on the data. All facilitators were invited to a presentation of findings in order to help validate the authors' interpretation of the data. RESULTS: Results indicated that facilitators valued both their induction and their weekly debriefing meetings in preparing and developing them for their role. To be effective, facilitators felt they needed to display a range of attributes including enthusiasm, humour and empathy. Despite enjoying their work, facilitators reported that their role in IPL was challenging, more so than problem based learning (PBL) with uni-professional groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that the facilitation of IPL is a complex and demanding activity. It also indicated that the use of a facilitator induction and regular de-briefing sessions were key to supporting the facilitators work and fostering interprofessional collegiality. PMID- 17786762 TI - Evaluation of the usefulness of simulated clinical examination in family-medicine residency program. AB - BACKGROUND: This study reports on an evaluation of the usefulness of the Simulated Clinical Examination (SCE) method as a means of assessing the clinical skill competencies of entering Postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) family-medicine residents. METHODS: PGY1 family-medicine residents participated in a SCE encompassing clinical encounters with standardized patients. Residents were asked to complete pre-evaluation and post-evaluation surveys, and faculty and residents participated in separate focus groups. RESULTS: The SCE was perceived as a useful method during the early phases of postgraduate training for assessing clinical skill competencies, providing constructive feedback to residents, enhancing self awareness, and enhancing confidence. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study suggests that the SCE, as an assessment method, can have beneficial effects on learning and the fostering of clinical-skill competencies during postgraduate training. PMID- 17786763 TI - Attitudes of medical students to a physicians' strike. PMID- 17786764 TI - Local career guidance programs on the web. PMID- 17786765 TI - Morning report emails: a unique model to improve the current format of an internal medicine training tradition. PMID- 17786766 TI - Humanistic qualities of physicians: a view of Japanese residents. PMID- 17786769 TI - Patterns of educational technology adoption and use. PMID- 17786771 TI - Implicit learning of sequential regularities and spatial contexts in corticobasal syndrome. AB - The present study investigated two forms of implicit learning in patients with corticobasal syndrome (CBS): contextual cueing and sequence learning. The former primarily implicates the medial temporal lobe system, and the latter, fronto striatal-cerebellar circuits. Results revealed relatively preserved contextual cueing in patients with CBS. By contrast, sequence learning showed impairments, which seemed to reflect inability to execute correct responses in the presence of intact learning of the sequence. These findings provide the first characterization of implicit learning systems in CBS, and show that the two systems are differentially affected in patients with CBS. PMID- 17786772 TI - Selective category and modality effects in deep dyslexia. AB - We report a patient (FBI) in whom a category specific deep dyslexia was demonstrated. The patient was globally dysphasic with dyslexia and dysgraphia, and his dyslexic syndrome was characterised by a dramatic loss of phonological processing together with a partial loss of whole word reading. In the context of an overall poor level of reading accuracy, concrete words were read better than abstract words. Within this concrete word vocabulary, living items were read more accurately that non-living items. Perhaps most strikingly, he also had a remarkably preserved written proper noun vocabulary. A series of experiments explored the relationship between FBI's comprehension of the spoken and written word, and in each a significant category-by-modality interaction was demonstrated. His comprehension of the written word was impaired significantly more than his comprehension of the spoken word, but only for the impaired semantic category. This pattern of performance is interpreted as evidence for a degree of autonomy for the semantic processing of written words. PMID- 17786773 TI - Effect of the cold pressor test on memory and cognitive flexibility. AB - Cognitive flexibility is affected by stress. The cold pressor test is a known adrenergic stressor that impairs memory, but the effect on cognitive flexibility is unknown. Sixteen subjects were given cognitive flexibility and memory tasks with and without one hand immersed in cold water. Memory was impaired in the cold pressor condition but there was no effect on cognitive flexibility. The lack of a cold pressor effect on cognitive flexibility may result from an isolated effect on the peripheral noradrenergic system, whereas indirect effects due to nociception on memory may occur. PMID- 17786774 TI - The crossed response inhibition task in Parkinson's disease: disinhibition hyperkinesia. AB - Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have dysfunction in frontal-basal ganglia networks. Many of these patients have difficulties with mental processing speed, response inhibition, and shifting between different conceptual sets, suggesting frontal-executive dysfunction. Since frontal lobe dysfunction is associated with disengagement deficits such as perseveration and echopraxia we wanted to learn if patients with PD demonstrated defective response inhibition. Using a brief clinical test called the crossed response inhibition (CRI) task we assessed patients with PD (n = 17), and a group of age matched controls (n = 30). In addition to the CRI, subjects were asked to perform two tests of frontal lobe function: verbal word fluency, anti-saccade test. In the CRI task, patients are instructed to lift the hand opposite to the one the examiner touches. An error is scored whenever the patient makes any movement of the touched (ipsilateral) extremity after stimulation (from shoulder to fingers). The task is performed with the patient's eyes closed. Whereas no differences were found between PD and control subjects on the verbal fluency or anti-saccade tasks, PD patients made significantly more errors on the CRI than did controls. Subsequent analyses found no difference in performance associated with the laterality (asymmetry) of PD symptoms or signs. In addition, there was no difference between PD patients' CRI performance when they were "on" their dopaminergic medications versus when they were "off" these medicines. Based on these findings, it appears that PD is associated with a disengagement-inhibition defect that is not induced by a dopaminergic deficit. In addition, the CRI task might be a brief sensitive bedside task for evaluating frontal dysfunction in PD. PMID- 17786775 TI - Dysfunctional facial emotional expression and comprehension in a patient with corticobasal degeneration. AB - Patients with corticobasal degeneration (CBD) frequently develop orofacial apraxia but little is known about CBD's influence on emotional facial processing. We describe a patient who developed a facial apraxia including an impaired ability to voluntarily generate facial expressions with relative sparing of spontaneous emotional faces. Her ability to interpret the facial expressions of others was also severely impaired. Despite these deficits, the patient had normal affect and normal speech, including expressive and receptive emotional prosody. As patients with corticobasal degeneration are known to manifest both orofacial apraxia and visuospatial dysfunction this patient's expressive and receptive deficits may be independent manifestations of the same underlying disease process. Alternatively, these functions may share a common neuroanatomic substrate that degenerates with CBD. PMID- 17786776 TI - Changes in language-specific brain activation after therapy for aphasia using magnetoencephalography: a case study. AB - A patient with chronic aphasia underwent functional imaging during a language comprehension task using magnetoencephalography (MEG) before and after constraint induced language therapy (CILT). In the pre- and immediate post-treatment (TX) scans MEG activity sources were observed within right hemisphere only, and were located in areas homotopic to left hemisphere language areas. There was a significant increase in activation in these areas between the two sessions. This change was not observed in an age-matched patient with chronic aphasia who underwent sequential language testing and MEG scanning across a similar time period without being administered therapy. In the 3-month post-TX scan bilateral activation was observed, including significant activation within the left temporal lobe. The changes in the spatial parameters of the maps of receptive language function after therapy were accompanied by improvement in language function. Results provide support, in the same individual, for a role for both hemispheres in recovery of language function after therapy for chronic aphasia. PMID- 17786777 TI - Pure topographical disorientation following a right forceps major of the splenium lesion: a case study. AB - A 72-year-old man with pure topographical disorientation following a focal hemorrhage in the right forceps major of splenium was assessed at 2 weeks and 3 months after the onset. Initially, he could identify familiar buildings and landmarks, but noted topographical disorientation, dysfunction in sense of quarters, and in visuo-spatial function. The improvement of topographical disorientation was attained in 3 months, while the inability of the sense of quarters and manipulating visuo-spatial information remained unchanged. These results suggested the heading disorientation was accompanied with impaired sense of quarters, although disabled sense of quarters continued beyond the recovery of heading disorientation. PMID- 17786778 TI - Rapid relief of thalamic pain syndrome induced by vestibular caloric stimulation. AB - Central post-stroke pain syndrome develops in a minority of patients following a stroke. The most usual causative lesion involves the lateral thalamus. The classic presentation is of severe, unrelenting pain that involves the entire contralateral half of the body. It is largely refractory to current treatments. We found that in two patients with this condition their pain was substantially improved by vestibular caloric stimulation, whereas placebo procedures had no effect. We proposed that this is because vestibular stimulation activates the posterior insula, which in turn inhibits the generation of pain in the anterior cingulate. PMID- 17786779 TI - The "steroid dementia syndrome": a possible model of human glucocorticoid neurotoxicity. AB - Glucocorticoid medications cause neurotoxicity in animals under certain circumstances, but it is not known if this occurs in humans. We present the case of a 10-year-old boy with no prior psychiatric history and no prior exposure to glucocorticoid medication who received a single 5-week course of glucocorticoids for an acute asthma flare. Beginning during steroid treatment, and persisting for over 3 years after stopping treatment, he showed a significant decline from his pre-morbid academic performance and estimated IQ, verified by longitudinally administered testing and school records. Neuropsychological tests that are sensitive to glucocorticoid-induced cognitive impairments revealed global cognitive deficits consistent with primary hippocampal and prefrontal cortical dysfunction. The patient has a fraternal twin brother, who had previously achieved academic milestones in parallel with him; the patient began falling behind his twin in academic, developmental and social areas shortly after the steroid treatment. In the 3 years since stopping steroid medication, the patient has shown gradual but possibly incomplete resolution of his cognitive deficits. Quantitative brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed 38 months after steroid exposure revealed no gross abnormalities, but the patient's hippocampal volume was 19.5% smaller than that of his twin, despite the patient having a larger overall intracranial volume. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, performed at the same time, suggested subtly decreased activity in the left posterior frontal and left parietal lobes. This case, along with others reported in the literature, suggests that certain individuals develop a "steroid dementia syndrome" after glucocorticoid treatment. Although this syndrome is uncommon, it is consistent with evolving theories of the neurotoxic or neuroendangering potential of glucocorticoids in some situations. PMID- 17786781 TI - Paradoxical switching to a barely-mastered second language by an aphasic patient. AB - Polyglot speakers who become aphasics are not necessarily affected to the same extent in each language. In some cases there is a mixing of the different languages or a switching between languages and in very rare cases the switch is to the language seldom if ever used in everyday live. We report a French-speaking aphasic, who switched paradoxically from his mother tongue (French) to a second language (German) which he had learned at school but barely mastered and hardly ever spoke, and kept using German most of the time. We tried to understand the mechanism responsible for that phenomenon by reviewing the actual hypothesis of multi-language organization. We concluded, in line with previous reports, that our case used his metalinguistic knowledge to compensate for his inability to access his linguistic skills. PMID- 17786780 TI - Alexithymia-like disorder in right anterior cingulate infarction. AB - The frontal midline structures have been demonstrated by functional neuroimaging to be involved in the affective control of human behavior. However, due to the rareness of diseases affecting this part of the brain little is known about behavioral abnormalities following damage to these brain areas. We present a patient with a right anterior cingulate infarct who presented with an alexithymia like disorder. Event-related potentials revealed an abnormality of emotional face perception in the right cerebral hemisphere. We suggest that the anterior cingulate lesion induced a deficit of emotion processing including emotional face perception probably due to an interference in a critical node of a large-scale network subserving affective control of behavior. PMID- 17786782 TI - Decitabine and sickle cell disease: molecular therapy for a molecular disease. PMID- 17786783 TI - Bone mineral density in Iranian adolescents and young adults with beta thalassemia major. AB - The authors investigated the prevalence of low bone mass in patients from Tehran, Iran, with beta-thalassemia major (n = 203), aged 10-20 years, and the potential risk factors for osteoporosis in this patient population. Prevalence of osteoporosis was 50.7% in lumbar spine, 10.8% in femur, and 7.9% in both regions with no significant difference between the two genders. The following factors were associated with low BMD: height for age and weight for age below 3rd percentile, delayed puberty or hypogonadism, age when Desferal (for iron chelation) was started, duration of Desferal therapy, and serum zinc. Low serum copper and 25(OH)D were not associated with low BMD. PMID- 17786784 TI - Markers of bone metabolism in eugonadal female patients with beta-thalassemia major. AB - Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) have been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of various types of osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate bone turnover in eugonadal female patients with this disease and characterize the possible role of the OPG/RANKL system in thalassemia-related bone loss. Markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured in 16 eugonadal young females with beta thalassemia major and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Bone turnover was significantly increased in thalassemic patients compared to controls but OPG was significantly higher in healthy subjects. BMD values negatively correlated with urine markers of bone resorption but not with OPG/sRANKL system. PMID- 17786785 TI - Nasopharyngeal cancer of childhood and adolescence: a single institution experience. AB - Nasopharyngeal cancer is rare in childhood and results with radiotherapy are far from encouraging. A total of 52 patients with stage I to IVB nasopharygeal cancer and age <18, received radiotherapy to 60-66 Gy in 2-Gy fractions to the nasopharynx and cervical nodes, while 22 of these patients also received chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5 FU. Three-year disease-free survival with concurrent chemotherapy was 82% compared to 40% for patients who had radiotherapy alone (p = .001; HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.25-0.74). The 3-year overall survival in the patients who received radiotherapy was 72% and that in the patients who received concurrent chemotherapy was 77% (p = .38). A statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival was observed with concurrent chemoradiation in nonmetastatic nasopharyngeal cancer in young patients. PMID- 17786786 TI - Consensus on a core curriculum in American training programs in pediatric hematology-oncology: a report from the ASPHO Training Committee. AB - The Training Committee (TC) of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology created a foundation of common goals and objectives that could provide a structure for fellowship programs. The TC conducted a survey of program directors for input into the structure of their programs and training methods and the results are presented here. Additionally, a suggested core program is outlined, taking into account the new common requirements as stipulated by the ACGME and ABP, and additional suggestions from the program directors. This paper highlights the suggested training objectives and educational opportunities that should be afforded all fellows in this sub specialty. The goal of this consensus statement is to provide a model curriculum to improve quality and consistency of training and achieve compliance with new requirements while simultaneously recognizing the importance of alternative approaches that emphasize each program's unique strengths and character. PMID- 17786787 TI - Clinical improvement of diffuse lymphangiomatosis with pegylated interferon alfa 2b therapy: case report and review of the literature. AB - Diffuse lymphangiomatosis is a very rare congenital disease, characterized by diffuse or multifocal lymphangioma in the skeletal tissue, spleen, liver, mediastinum, and/or lung. The prognosis is usually poor, especially for children with thoracic lesion, and treatments for the disease are controversial. The authors report a 9-year-old boy with diffuse lymphangiomatosis involving the thorax with pleural effusions, the spleen, and systemic bone. The patient was treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2b, and achieved good clinical and radiological improvement. PMID- 17786788 TI - Griscelli syndrome: a case report. AB - A 10-year-old boy presented with partial albinism and typical clinical features of a macrophage activation syndrome (hepatosplenomegaly, fever, and pancytopenia), suggesting the diagnosis of Griscelli syndrome. The diagnosis was confirmed by light microscopic evaluation of hair that showed characteristic large aggregates of pigment granules irregularly distributed along the hair shaft. Immunosuppressive therapy controlled his macrophage activation syndrome successfully. Since early diagnosis is life saving and simple methods confirm the diagnosis, finding of partial albinism in children should alert clinicians to consider Griscelli syndrome. PMID- 17786789 TI - Hodgkin lymphoma in a child with sickle cell anemia. AB - There are reports of patients with sickle cell disease who developed hematological malignancies but the relationship between these malignancies and sickle cell disease (SCD) is not yet defined. The co-existence of a hematological malignancy with SCD poses certain challenges for the management of each condition. We describe a 7-year-old boy with sickle cell anemia who developed Hodgkin's lymphoma and the challenges of management. He presented with a 4-year history of bilateral neck swelling and a 2-month history of weight loss and high grade fever. Histology of a lymph node biopsy was consistent with mixed cellularity Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was treated with five cycles of Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Procarbazine and Prednisolone (COPP) and had complete clinical response. Chemotherapy was associated with an increase in frequency of painful crises and complicated by septicaemia. Blood transfusion needs were minimal; apart from the transfusion preceding the first cycle of chemotherapy, there was no need for further transfusion. Myelosuppression was not a problem in the patient; he responded well to antibiotics during the two episodes of septicemia without the use of hemopoetic growth factor. Patients with sickle cell anaemia who develop Hodgkin's lymphoma can be successfully treated with chemotherapy along with supportive management for crises and infections. PMID- 17786790 TI - Primary spinal epidural extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma mimicking a spinal abscess. AB - Ewing's sarcoma is one of the most common malignant tumors of the skeletal system in children and young adults. It most frequently stems from the long bones of the extremities. However, though uncommon, extraosseous localization can be seen. Epidural extraosseous presentations are extremely rare. In this case, the authors report on the long-term follow-up of a patient with this well-demonstrated, but uncommon localization, and the initial unique presentation of the patient, which clinically and radiologically mimicked a cervical abscess. PMID- 17786791 TI - Radical surgery and IVA-chemotherapeutic regimen to treat embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the urachus: case report. AB - Although rhabdomyosarcoma is the most frequent soft tissue tumor in children, there are extremely few reports of this tumor arising from the urachus. The authors describe another case in a 6-year-old female associated with constipation and a painless suprapubic mass. The specimen had the pathological criteria used to define urachal sarcoma (cytological, histological, and immunohistochemical findings) and urachal remnants were not observed. After complete resection of the primary tumor the patient was treated with chemotherapy (ifosfamide, vincristine, and dactinomycin) and remains alive at 4 years' follow-up with no signs of recurrence. Nowadays the management of children with urachal rhabdomyosarcoma usually includes surgery and chemotherapy. Multimodal therapy and surgery are constantly evolving and have significantly improved overall survival of these patients especially in R0 resected patients. PMID- 17786792 TI - Transient thrombocytopenia with large platelets in Kawasaki disease. AB - Kawasaki disease (KD) is a multisystem disorder of unknown origin and usually associated with thrombocytosis. The authors describe a case of KD exhibiting thrombocytopenia with markedly large platelets. Among the 173 KD cases, 3 cases exhibited thrombocytopenia. One of these showed cardiac involvement with giant aneurysm of the coronary artery (33%), while only 1 of the remaining 170 cases exhibited cardiac involvement without thrombocytopenia (0.6%). The authors believe that it is important for clinicians to be aware that thrombocytopenia may occur during the course of KD and that this may be a more active condition when compared with thrombocytosis. PMID- 17786793 TI - Pleural effusion in Wilms tumor after tru-cut biopsy. PMID- 17786794 TI - Thrombocytopenia after bacille Calmette-Guerin immunization--possibly on an immune basis. PMID- 17786795 TI - Foundations of Europe: making globalization work for health. PMID- 17786796 TI - Mortality in relation to disability pension: findings from a 12-year prospective population-based cohort study in Sweden. AB - AIMS: Knowledge is limited regarding the association between disability pension (DP) and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the relative risk (RR) of mortality associated with DP among women and men of different ages over a 12 year period, for DP in general, and for full-time DP, part-time DP, and DP for labour-market reasons, respectively. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed covering the total population of the Swedish county of Ostergotland aged 16-64 years in December 1984 (n = 245,704) followed up from 1985 to 1996. The RR of mortality was analysed in relation to DP, age, and gender using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The RR of mortality was higher for DP recipients than for individuals without DP, and this was true for both women (RR 2.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.63 to 2.96) and men (RR 2.97, CI 2.83 to 3.11), and for all age groups. The RR of mortality was highest among the youngest DP recipients. The RR of mortality was especially high the first year of DP and remained elevated over the whole follow-up period. The RR of mortality among part time DP recipients was lower than among full-time DP recipients and was significantly higher than seen for non-DP recipients. Individuals granted DP for labour-market reasons exhibited much lower RR of mortality than all other DP recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to investigate which factors explain the very high RR of mortality among disability pensioners. PMID- 17786797 TI - Trends in socioeconomic differences in sickness absence among Finnish municipal employees 1990-99. AB - AIMS: This study examined the associations of key dimensions of socioeconomic status and long sickness absence spells as well as their changes over time from 1990 to 1999. METHODS: Municipal employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, aged 25-59 were studied. The number of participants varied yearly from 24,029 women and 6,523 men to 27,861 women and 7,521 men. Socioeconomic status was assessed by education, occupational class, and individual income. The outcome was the number of over three days' sickness absence spells/100 person years, for which the employer requires medical certification. RESULTS: Low education, occupational class, and individual income were consistently associated with a 2-3 times higher sickness absence rates among both men and women. The age-adjusted sickness absence rates were relatively stable from 1990 to 1994 but increased from 1994 to 1999 among men and women. Socioeconomic differences in sickness absence rates tended to increase. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in the level of socioeconomic differences in sickness absence took place during a period of declining unemployment and staff increases at the City of Helsinki, which indicates that labour market conditions play a role in sickness absence. PMID- 17786798 TI - Psychotropic drug use among persons with mental distress symptoms: a population based study in Norway. AB - AIMS: To explore psychotropic drug use in the general population and in particular among non-institutionalized persons with mental distress symptoms. METHODS: A total of 14,139 women and 11,665 men participating in the Oslo Health Study or the Oppland/Hedmark Study 2000-2001 submitted a self-administered questionnaire on health status and drug use, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors. Respondents using antidepressants, hypnotics, and/or anxiolytics during the last four weeks were defined as users. A high Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-10 score indicated mental distress. The 15% with the highest score in each gender and age group (adults: 30/40/45 years; elderly: 60 years) were studied. RESULTS: The prevalence of antidepressant use among those with mental distress was, for women: adults 21%; elderly 30%; and for men, adults 15%; elderly 15%. These figures were nearly four times higher than in the general population. Not participating in the labour market was the main factor associated with use of antidepressants for subjects with mental distress: adult women (odds ratio (OR) 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5-5.0); elderly women (OR 5.2; CI 2.7-10.2); adult men (OR 4.7; CI 3.0-7.3); and elderly men (OR 2.9; CI 1.4-6.0). Use of analgesics was the main factor associated with use of anxiolytics/hypnotics: adult women (OR 2.4; CI 1.7-3.4); elderly women (OR 2.3; CI 1.4-3.8); adult men (OR 2.1; CI 1.3-3.3); and elderly men (OR 3.4; CI 1.9-6.0). CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals with mental distress, not participating in the labour market and regular use of analgesics were the main factors associated with use of psychotropics in both genders regardless of age. PMID- 17786799 TI - Preventive health screenings and health consultations in primary care increase life expectancy without increasing costs. AB - AIMS: The intention was to investigate whether preventive health checks and health discussions are cost effective. METHODS: In a randomized trial the authors compared two intervention groups (A and B) and one control group. In 1991 2,000 30- to 49-year-old persons were invited and those who accepted were randomized. Both intervention groups were offered a broad (multiphasic) screening including cardiovascular risk and a personal letter including screening results and advice on healthy living. Individuals in group A could contact their family physician for a normal consultation whereas group B were given fixed appointments for health consultations. The follow-up period was six years. Analysis was carried out on the "intention to treat" principle. Outcome parameters were life years gained, and direct and total health costs (including productivity costs), discounted by 3% annually. Costs were based on register data. Univariate sensitivity analysis was carried out. RESULTS: Both intervention groups have significantly better life expectancy than the control group (no intervention). Group B and (A) significantly gain 0.14 (0.08) life years more than the control group. There were no differences in average direct (3,255 euro (3,703 euro) versus 4,186 euro) and total costs (10,409 euro (9,399 euro) versus 10,667 euro). The effect in group B is, however, better than in group A with no significant differences in costs. The results are insensitive to a range of assumptions regarding costs, effects, and discount rates. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive health screening and consultation in primary care in 30- to 49-year-olds produce significantly better life expectancy without extra direct and total costs over a six-year follow-up period. PMID- 17786800 TI - Smoking habits before and after the introduction of a minimum-age law for tobacco purchase: analysis of data on adolescents from three regions of Sweden. AB - AIMS: The purpose of this study was to analyse changes in smoking habits among adolescents in three regions of Sweden following the introduction in 1997 of a law prohibiting sales of tobacco to persons under 18 years: the minimum-age law. METHODS: The analysis is based on data collected among adolescents in compulsory school years 7 and 9 (about 13-14 and 15-16 years respectively), in 1996, 2000, and 2005, in three regions of Sweden. The samples comprise 43,857 students who completed a self-administered questionnaire anonymously in the classroom. The data were subjected to contingency-table analysis and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The rates of smoking among students in year 9 were significantly lower in 2005 than in 1996 in two regions and unchanged in one region. This pattern held even after control for sex, parents' smoking habits, and academic orientation. In year 7 there were no changes over time (boys) or any clear pattern (girls). CONCLUSIONS: Based on outcomes from test purchases of tobacco products that were carried out in parallel to the collection of the questionnaire data, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the regional differences described may at least in part be due to differences in the availability of cigarettes. In 2005 it was significantly easier for adolescents to purchase tobacco products at retailers in the city of Malmo than at those in the counties of Varmland and Vasternorrland. PMID- 17786801 TI - Cardiovascular risk amongst migrant and non-migrant Greenland Inuit in a gender perspective. AB - AIMS: The effects of migration on cardiovascular risk factors are often gender specific. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the association of migration from Greenland to Denmark with cardiovascular risk factors in a gender specific perspective. METHODS: Cross-sectional population surveys among adult Inuit in Greenland and Inuit migrants in Denmark (n = 1542). General Linear Models adjusted for age, smoking, diet (seal, fish, and fruit), and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Blood pressure was significantly higher among Inuit migrants of either sex than among the Inuit in Greenland. Among women, HDL cholesterol concentrations were 1.59 mmol/l in Greenland and 1.83 among migrants (p<0.001), while obesity and HbA(1c) were significantly lower among the migrants. Blood lipids, HbA(1c), and obesity did not differ between men in Greenland and migrants. Smoking, diet, and alcohol consumption differed significantly among migrants and non-migrants. Adjusted for the consumption of seal meat and alcohol, the difference in HDL cholesterol for men (1.44 and 1.66 mmol/l; p = 0.002) was of a similar magnitude to that of women. CONCLUSIONS: Migration was associated with cardiovascular risk factors in different ways among men and women. Some of the gender difference could be explained by dietary differences among male and female migrants and non-migrants, or in the case of HDL cholesterol by a different association with the consumption of seal meat for men and women, but a large unexplained residual remained. Overall cardiovascular risk was higher among migrant than non-migrant males, while for women some risk factors were better and some worse among the migrants. PMID- 17786802 TI - Socioeconomic differences in suicide mortality by sex in Finland in 1971-2000: a register-based study of trends, levels, and life expectancy differences. AB - AIM: Suicide is a common cause of death in many Western countries and it has been predicted to become even more common worldwide. The authors analysed socioeconomic differences and trends in Finnish suicide mortality, and assessed the relevance to public health by calculating socioeconomic differences in years of life expectancy lost attributable to suicide. DATA AND METHODS: Census records were used, linked with the death records of men and women aged 25 years and over in 1971-2000 in Finland. RESULTS: Suicide among male and female manual workers was 2.3 and 1.3 times higher respectively than among upper non-manual workers. The differences were largest among those in their thirties. Because of the decline in suicide among upper non-manual workers and a slower decrease or even an increase among other socioeconomic groups, the relative mortality differences increased somewhat during 1970-90, then decreased in the 1990s but remained higher than in the 1970s. In 1991-2000 the suicide-related life expectancy gap between the upper non-manual and manual male workers was 0.6 years, and this difference contributed 10% to the total difference in years of life expectancy lost between these socioeconomic groups. CONCLUSION: Large and persistent socioeconomic differences were found in suicide mortality and suicide was an important component of the socioeconomic difference in total mortality. Reducing these differences could significantly improve equity in health and reduce the burden of excess mortality. PMID- 17786803 TI - Access to tuberculosis care: what did chronic cough patients experience in the way of healthcare-seeking? AB - AIMS: The directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS) has been adopted in China's modern tuberculosis (TB) control programme since 1992. However, the case detection rate of TB is far below the global 70% target. The aims of this study are to analyse the healthcare-seeking experiences and economic burden of potential TB patients with more than two weeks of cough in counties with and without a DOTS project and to explore the barriers to access for potential TB patients in rural China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using questionnaire interviews was conducted in a DOTS project county (Jianhu) and a non-DOTS county (Funing) in Jiangsu Province. A total of 1,204 chronic cough hospital patients were interviewed about their care-seeking experiences. RESULT: The mean patient delays were 34 and 29 days respectively in Jianhu and Funing (p = 0.070). A shorter patient delay was associated with the availability of medical insurance (RR = 1.36, p<0.01). More than 97% of patients sought care in the general health system, rather than in the special TB dispensary. Only 1.8% (Jianhu) and 5.0% (Funing) of the subjects had been sputum smear tested (p<0.001). The average patient's expenditure was CNY346 in Jianhu and CNY256 in Funing (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Potential TB patients' access to TB care needs improving under DOTS. The expenses for treatment of cough are a heavy burden for the poor. Since the low-income patients first seek care at village health stations or township hospitals for cough, it is vital to involve the general health system in the DOTS project. PMID- 17786804 TI - Perceived exertion of physical activity: negative association with self-rated fitness. AB - INTRODUCTION: In epidemiological studies information on physical activity is often obtained by self-report questionnaires, assessing the type of activities performed, the absolute metabolic demand (metabolic equivalents), and the duration and frequency of the activities. As health benefits from physical activity are coupled to the relative intensity of the physical effort, we wanted to relate perceived exertion to self-reported fitness. AIM: To use a questionnaire for obtaining information on perceived exertion of physical activity in a population sample and to evaluate whether perceived exertion is associated with self-reported fitness. METHODS: A total of 42 specific physical activities were included in a perceived exertion questionnaire that was sent by mail to 2,543 randomly selected men and women between 19 and 60 years of age. The participants were asked to rate activities by degree of perceived exertion on an 11-point box-scale. General linear regression analyses were undertaken with perceived exertion of the specific physical activities as outcome variables and age and self-rated fitness as determinants. RESULTS: The response rate was 61.7% (n = 1,568) and 54.3% of the respondents were women. In men and women both, the perceived exertion of 40 out of 42 specific physical activities of low, moderate, and high absolute intensity was negatively associated with self-rated fitness level. CONCLUSION: Perceived exertion is significantly associated with self-rated fitness level in both genders after adjustment for age. Self-rated fitness level seems to determine perception of exertion in leisure time, occupation, household, and transportation activities, whether of low, moderate, or high absolute intensity. PMID- 17786805 TI - Randomized intervention trial on preventive home visits to older people: baseline and follow-up characteristics of participants and non-participants. AB - AIMS: In controlled intervention studies, a selective non-response or refusal to participate at baseline may bias measurable effects of the intervention. The aim of this study was to compare mortality and nursing home admission among older persons who accepted (participants) and older person who declined (non participants) to join a controlled feasibility trial, and to describe and evaluate defined subgroups of non-participants. METHODS: Prospective controlled three-year intervention study (1999-2001) in 34 Danish municipalities with five year follow-up. Randomization and intervention (education of municipality employees) was done at municipality level. In total 5,788 home-dwelling 75- and 80-year-olds living in these municipalities were invited to participate in the study. Written consent was obtained from 4,060 persons (participation rate 71%). RESULTS: During five-year follow-up non-participants had a higher mortality rate (survival analysis risk ratio RR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3-1.7, p<0.0001) and a higher rate of nursing home admissions (RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.3-2.1, p<0.0001) compared with participants. Subgroups of non-participants describing themselves as "too ill" and persons "not reached" had a significantly higher mortality rate and risk of admission to nursing home than participants, whereas the subgroups of non participants describing themselves as "too healthy" and having "another reason for refusal" did not differ from the participants. There was no difference in mortality rates between non-participants living in intervention municipalities compared with non-participants living in control municipalities. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality and nursing home admissions were higher among non-participants. Selection participation bias was of no clinical importance since subgroups of non participants eligible for the intervention did not differ from the participants. PMID- 17786806 TI - Nature and risk factors of injury hospitalization in young adults: a follow-up of 135,987 military conscripts. AB - AIMS: This study attempted to investigate the nature and risk factors of injury hospitalization among Finnish conscripts in 1998-2002. METHODS: Altogether 135,987 military conscripts, including 2,044 (1.5%) women, were followed during their 6- to 12-month service in 1998-2002. Data on injury hospitalizations were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Register. Outcome variables were injury hospitalization, multiple injury hospitalization, and hospitalization due to lower limb injury. Background variables consisted of conscripts' service and physical fitness data. RESULTS: Injury hospitalization occurred among 6,059 (4.5%) conscripts, in 530 (0.4%) of them more than once. The total number of hospitalizations was 7,187, of which 50% were due to lower limb injuries. Most injuries (57%) were dislocations and sprains of joints and ligaments. The strongest risk factors for injury hospitalization in the multivariate logistic regression models were female sex (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.9-2.7), and overweight (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7). These odds ratios increased when multiple injuries were investigated separately. Excellent aerobic fitness was a specific risk factor for lower limb injury (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.5). CONCLUSIONS: Women were markedly more likely than men to be hospitalized for injury. Moreover, overweight predicted an increased injury risk. Generalizable to the young adult population, the findings should be considered when identifying targets for injury prevention measures. PMID- 17786807 TI - Estimating disease prevalence using a population-based administrative healthcare database. AB - AIMS: In Ostergotland County, Sweden, all data on hospital care and primary healthcare (PHC) have been entered in a diagnosis-related administrative database since 1999. This database was used to estimate the prevalence of four chronic diseases and to examine the capture of data in PHC, outpatient hospital care, and inpatient hospital care, considered in different time frames. METHODS: A case finding algorithm identified patients with at least one healthcare contact involving a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 1999-2003. Prevalence rates were calculated as the ratio of the number of identified patients alive to the total number of inhabitants on 31 December 2003 (n approximately 415,000). RESULTS: Prevalence rates were 4.4% for diabetes, 10.3% for hypertension, 4.5% for asthma, and 1.2% for COPD. For all four diagnoses, the proportions of patients identified on only one healthcare level were greatest for PHC, reaching rates of 23%, 68%, 53%, and 48%, respectively. The cases identified solely in PHC comprised larger proportions of women and patients over the age of 65 years. Considering the proportion of patients identified in 2003 in relation to the total five-year period gave values of 71%, 50%, 38%, and 58%, respectively, for the four diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The administrative healthcare databases in Sweden today can be important tools in epidemiological research. However, data on several consecutive years and both PHC and hospital data are needed to achieve valid prevalence estimates. PMID- 17786808 TI - Study design, exposure variables, and socioeconomic determinants of participation in Diet, Cancer and Health: a population-based prospective cohort study of 57,053 men and women in Denmark. AB - AIMS: Diet is considered an important aspect of lifestyle related to cancer development. To contribute further knowledge within this field a Danish prospective cohort study "Diet, Cancer and Health" has been initiated. The aims of this paper are to give a description of the study design, measurement procedures, and differences between participants and non-participants with special reference to socioeconomic characteristics. METHODS: A total of 160,725 individuals 50-64 years of age living in Copenhagen or Aarhus were invited to participate. Information concerning diet and other lifestyle factors was obtained from 57,053 participants using questionnaires and interviews. Anthropometric measurements were taken and biological material collected. In addition, detailed (selected) socioeconomic information on all invited persons including 103,671 non participants was obtained from statistical registers in Statistics Denmark. RESULTS: Differences were seen between participants and non-participants on a number of socioeconomic factors. The highest participation in relation to education was found among participants with higher education, with a significant tendency to be highest in the second highest level of higher education (3-4 years). Married people were more likely to participate than persons living alone or cohabiting. CONCLUSION: Results from the prospective cohort study "Diet, Cancer and Health" support the general assumption that lower socioeconomic groups are underrepresented in epidemiological studies. PMID- 17786809 TI - Will forensic use of medical biobanks decrease public trust in healthcare services? Some empirical observations. AB - AIM: The authors tested the prevalent hypothesis that forensic use of medical biobanks has a negative impact on public trust in healthcare services. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent to 1,184 inhabitant in the age group 20-80 years in Stockholm County, Sweden, in November 2005. RESULTS: With a response rate of 68.4%, the results showed that a majority (88.1%) of the respondents thought that it would be acceptable for the police to gain access to genetic samples stored in relation to healthcare; 5.6% said no and 6.3% were uncertain. In the case of police access to medical biobanks, a minority (6.3%) indicated that this would have a negative impact on their trust, a larger proportion (37.8%) that it would influence their trust in the healthcare services positively, and 56% stated that it would not affect their trust at all. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis tested appears to be unfounded. This should cause us to reconsider prevalent assumptions and current policies on the interface of medical and forensic genetics. PMID- 17786810 TI - Cerebellar contributions to cognitive functions: a progress report after two decades of research. AB - Accumulating evidence from both human lesion and functional neuroimaging studies appears to support the hypothesis that the cerebellum contributes to non-motor functions. Along similar lines, cognitive, affective and behavioural changes in psychiatric disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia and dyslexia, have been linked to structural cerebellar abnormalities. The aim of this special issue was to evaluate the current knowledge base after more than 20 years of controversial discussion. The contributions of the special issue cover the most important cognitive domains, i.e., attention, memory and learning, executive control, language and visuospatial function. The available empirical evidence suggests that cognitive changes in patients with cerebellar dysfunction are mild and clearly less severe than the impairments observed after lesions to neocortical areas to which the cerebellum is closely connected via different cerebro cerebellar loops. Frequently cited early findings, e.g., with respect to a specific cerebellar involvement in attention, have not been replicated or might be confounded by motor or working memory demands of the respective attention task. On the other hand, there is now convincing evidence for a cerebellar involvement in the mediation of a range of cognitive domains, most notably verbal working memory. Verbal working memory problems may partly underlie the compromised performance of cerebellar lesion patients on at least some complex cognitive tasks. Although investigations have moved from anecdotical case reports to hypothesis-driven controlled clinical group studies based on sound methods which are complemented by state-of-the-art functional neuroimaging studies, the empirical evidence available so far does not yet allow a convincing theory of the mechanisms of a cerebellar involvement in cognitive function. Future studies are clearly needed to further elucidate the nature of the processes linked to cerebellar mediation of cognitive processes and their possible link to motor theories of cerebellar function, e.g., its role in prediction and/or timing. PMID- 17786811 TI - On the mechanism of cerebellar contributions to cognition. AB - The cerebellum is highly stereotyped in its cellular circuitry. Output neurons in the nuclei with one exception excite their downstream targets in other parts of the nervous system. Yet the much more voluminous cerebellar cortex inhibits these output neurons. This has suggested that the desired output activity pattern is achieved by removing all unwanted activity patterns ('sculpting'). Lesions of the lateral cerebellum impair cognitive functions including speech. These lateral portions are active during imagined as well as overt movements. Imagined movements could be used to time task performances in the absence of an external clock. The intrinsic circuitry suggests that the cerebellar cortex links together and combines nuclear output activities. A linkage mechanism is consistent with the motor deficits in coordination after midline vermal section in humans and Purkinje cell recording in trained animals. The lateral cerebellum, which projects to frontal and parietal 'association' cortex, may link together cerebral 'cognitive units' as a substrate for coordinated thought. PMID- 17786812 TI - The cerebellum: Comparative and animal studies. AB - The cerebellum has a uniform cellular structure and microcircuitry, but the size of its subdivisions varies greatly among vertebrates. This variability is a challenge to anatomists to attempt to relate size differences to differences in characteristic behaviour. Here we review the early work of Lodewijk Bolk on the mammalian cerebellum and relate his observations to unfolded maps of the rodent cerebella. We further take insights from the comparative anatomy of the bird cerebella and find that cerebellar enlargement in large brains is not a passive consequence of overall brain enlargement, but is related to specific behaviour. We speculate that for some rodents (e.g., squirrels), primates and some large brained birds (crows, parrots and woodpeckers), specifically enlarged cerebella are associated with either the elaboration of forelimb control (squirrels and primates) or in the case of the birds with beak control. The elaboration of such motor behaviour combined with increased visual control could have helped to furnish manipulative skills in these animals. Finally, we review the connections of the mammalian cerebellum and show that several pieces of experimental evidence point to an important function of the cerebellum in sensory control of movement reflex adjustment, and motor learning. PMID- 17786813 TI - The attentive cerebellum - myth or reality? AB - Based on the discovery of significant cerebellar projections into associative cortices and the observation of cerebellar abnormalities in autistic children, the concept has been put forward that the cerebellum might contribute to cognitive functions including attention. Specifically, a deficit analogous to motor dysmetria has been envisaged as a consequence of cerebellar damage - the 'dysmetria of attention'. This paper provides a review of patient studies and imaging studies which have been performed so far in order to test this concept. Although several studies report on attention deficits of patients with cerebellar damage, a closer look at the specific paradigms used reveals that disturbances have only been observed consistently for tasks involving significant oculomotor, motor, and/or working memory demands. Likewise, cerebellar activations in imaging studies on attention seem to reflect oculomotor or other motor behavior rather than true involvement in attention. Both attempts have failed so far to consistently reveal cerebellar involvement in attention when confounding influences were controlled. We, therefore, conclude that the concept of attentional dysmetria as a consequence of cerebellar damage is not adequately supported. PMID- 17786814 TI - Cerebellar involvement in executive control. AB - The cerebellum has long been considered to be mainly involved in motor function. In the last 20 years, evidence from neuroimaging studies and from investigations of patients with cerebellar lesions has shown that the cerebellum plays a role in a range of cognitive functions. While cerebellar contributions have been shown for learning and memory, the cerebellum has also been linked to higher order cognitive control processes frequently referred to as executive functions. Although it is widely accepted that the cerebellum contributes to cognitive processing, the nature of cerebellar involvement is not well understood. The present paper focuses on the role of the cerebellum in executive processing, reviewing findings derived from neuroimaging studies or from studies investigating deficits related to cerebellar dysfunction. As executive functions cannot be considered as a unitary concept, special emphasis is put on cerebellar contributions to different aspects of executive control such as working memory, multitasking or inhibition. Referring to models derived from motor control, possible mechanisms of cerebellar involvement in executive processing are discussed. Finally, methodological problems in assessing executive deficits in general and in assessing the cerebellar contribution to executive processing in particular are addressed. PMID- 17786815 TI - Cerebellar contributions to verbal working memory: beyond cognitive theory. AB - Neuropsychological findings together with recent advances in neuroanatomical and neuroimaging techniques have spurred the investigation of cerebellar contributions to cognition. One cognitive process that has been the focus of much research is working memory, in particular its verbal component. Influenced by Baddeley's cognitive theory of working memory, cerebellar activation during verbal working memory tasks has been predominantly attributed to the cerebellum's involvement in an articulatory rehearsal network. Recent neuroimaging and neuropsychological findings are inconsistent with a simple motor view of the cerebellum's function in verbal working memory. The present article examines these findings and their implications for an articulatory rehearsal proposal of cerebellar function. Moving beyond cognitive theory, we propose two alternative explanations for cerebellar involvement in verbal working memory: Error-driven adjustment and internal timing. These general theories of cerebellar function have been successfully adapted from the motor literature to explain cognitive functions of the cerebellum. We argue that these theories may also provide a useful framework to understand the non-motor contributions of the cerebellum to verbal working memory. PMID- 17786816 TI - The contribution of the cerebellum to speech production and speech perception: clinical and functional imaging data. AB - A classical tenet of clinical neurology proposes that cerebellar disorders may give rise to speech motor disorders (ataxic dysarthria), but spare perceptual and cognitive aspects of verbal communication. During the past two decades, however, a variety of higher-order deficits of speech production, e.g., more or less exclusive agrammatism, amnesic or transcortical motor aphasia, have been noted in patients with vascular cerebellar lesions, and transient mutism following resection of posterior fossa tumors in children may develop into similar constellations. Perfusion studies provided evidence for cerebello-cerebral diaschisis as a possible pathomechanism in these instances. Tight functional connectivity between the language-dominant frontal lobe and the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere represents a prerequisite of such long-distance effects. Recent functional imaging data point at a contribution of the right cerebellar hemisphere, concomitant with language-dominant dorsolateral and medial frontal areas, to the temporal organization of a prearticulatory verbal code ('inner speech'), in terms of the sequencing of syllable strings at a speaker's habitual speech rate. Besides motor control, this network also appears to be engaged in executive functions, e.g., subvocal rehearsal mechanisms of verbal working memory, and seems to be recruited during distinct speech perception tasks. Taken together, thus, a prearticulatory verbal code bound to reciprocal right cerebellar/left frontal interactions might represent a common platform for a variety of cerebellar engagements in cognitive functions. The distinct computational operation provided by cerebellar structures within this framework appears to be the concatenation of syllable strings into coarticulated sequences. PMID- 17786817 TI - Cerebellar information processing and visuospatial functions. AB - Although there are consistent reports of altered visuospatial abilities in subjects with cerebellar pathologies, and although experimental evidence indicates the importance of this part of the brain in spatial processing, the role of the cerebellum in this area remains elusive. In the present essay, experimental and clinical studies from our group, focussing relations between cerebellum and visuospatial functions are reviewed. Explorative behaviour, visuospatial abilities and sequential spatial processing functions are analyzed to focus cerebellar involvement in spatial data processing. Reviewed evidence enlightens the importance of the cerebellum for scanning sensory data to extract relevant spatial information and for the acquisition of spatial-related procedures. This hypothesis is discussed within the general framework of cerebellar involvement in cognition. PMID- 17786818 TI - Timing of rhythmic movements in patients with cerebellar degeneration. AB - A distinction in temporal performance has been identified between two classes of rhythmic movements: those requiring explicit timing of salient events marking successive cycles, i.e., event timing, and continuous movements in which timing is hypothesized to be emergent. Converging evidence in support of this distinction is reviewed, including neuropsychological studies showing that individuals with cerebellar damage are selectively impaired on tasks requiring event timing (e.g., tapping). Recent behavioral evidence in neurologically healthy individuals suggests that for continuous movements (e.g., circle drawing), the initial cycle is marked by a transformation from event to emergent timing, allowing the participant to match their movement rate to an externally defined cycle duration. We report a new experiment in which individuals with cerebellar ataxia produced rhythmic tapping or circle drawing movements. Participants were either paced by a metronome or unpaced. Ataxics showed a disproportionate increase in temporal variability during tapping compared to circle drawing, although they were more variable than controls on both tasks. However, two predictions of the transformation hypothesis were not confirmed. First, the ataxics did not show a selective impairment on circle drawing during the initial cycles, a phase when we hypothesized event timing would be required to establish the movement rate. Second, the metronome did not increase variability of the performance of the ataxics. Taken together, these results provide further evidence that the integrity of the cerebellum is especially important for event timing, although our attempt to specify the relationship between event and emergent timing was not successful. PMID- 17786820 TI - The cerebellum in cognitive processes: supporting studies in children. AB - Over the last decade, increasing evidence of cognitive functions of the cerebellum during development and learning processes could be ascertained. Posterior fossa malformations such as cerebellar hypoplasia or Joubert syndrome are known to be related to developmental problems in a marked to moderate extent. More detailed analyses reveal special deficits in attention, processing speed, visuospatial functions and language. A study about Dandy Walker syndrome states a relationship of abnormalities in vermis lobulation with developmental problems. Further lobulation or volume abnormalities of the cerebellum and/or vermis can be detected in disorders as fragile X syndrome, Downs's syndrome or William's syndrome. Neuropsychological studies reveal a relation of dyslexia and attention deficit disorder with cerebellar functions. These functional studies are supported by structural abnormalities in neuroimaging in these disorders. Acquired cerebellar or vermis atrophy was found in groups of children with developmental problems such as prenatal alcohol exposure or extreme prematurity. Also focal lesions during childhood or adolescence such as cerebellar tumour or stroke are related with neuropsychological abnormalities, which are most pronounced in visuo-spatial, language and memory functions. In addition, cerebellar atrophy was shown to be a bad prognostic factor considering cognitive outcome in children after brain trauma and leukaemia. In ataxia teleangiectasia, a neurodegenerative disorder affecting primarily the cerebellar cortex, a reduced verbal IQ and problems of judgment of duration are a hint of the importance of the cerebellum in cognition. In conclusion, the cerebellum seems to play an important role in many higher cognitive functions especially in learning. There is a suggestion that the earlier the incorrect influence the more pronounced the problems. PMID- 17786819 TI - 'Motor cognition' - what is it and is the cerebellum involved? AB - Motor cognition encompasses how we understand our own movement, and how movement helps us to understand the world. Here, the role of the cerebellum is discussed in two processes that could be considered aspects of motor cognition: predicting movement outcomes and understanding the meaning of movements. Recent behavioral, anatomical, and neurophysiological findings related to these processes are discussed. There are data to support a cerebellar role in predicting movement outcomes, which could be used both for motor control and for distinguishing sensory inputs due to our own movements from external influences. The data for a cerebellar role in understanding the meaning of movement are mixed, although anatomical findings suggest that it probably has some influence that bears further study. PMID- 17786821 TI - Cerebellar lesion studies of cognitive function in children and adolescents - limitations and negative findings. AB - An increasing number of human lesion and functional brain imaging studies appear to support the hypothesis that the cerebellum contributes to a wide range of non motor functions, including attention, language and visuospatial functions. Various abnormalities have been reported in standard neuropsychological tests in children and adolescents who have been treated for cerebellar tumors. This review focuses on limitations of lesion studies and negative findings in children and adolescents with focal cerebellar lesions. Frequently cited early findings have not been replicated in later studies or have been explained by motor components of the tasks. Such discrepancies may relate to a number of methodological problems. In addition to impaired motor function, it is unclear to what extent deficits in neuropsychological tests are caused by unspecific effects such as increased intracranial pressure and depression. Effects of extracerebellar lesions are frequently not considered. Although a role of the cerebellum in specific aspects of non-motor functions seems obvious it is still an open question which cognitive functions are involved, why and to what extent. It is a matter of ongoing discussion whether or not cognitive dysfunction belongs to the symptoms of cerebellar disease. Overall, disorders appear to be mild and far less frequent than disorders observed following lesions of cerebral areas. The aim of the review is to demonstrate that many findings frequently cited to support cerebellar involvement in cognition are insufficient to prove the hypothesis. There is ongoing need of well-controlled lesion studies, which show that disorders are due to cerebellar lesions independent of motor dysfunction and other confounding factors. PMID- 17786822 TI - The neuropsychiatry of the cerebellum - insights from the clinic. AB - A central aspect of the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome is the dysregulation of affect that occurs when lesions involve the 'limbic cerebellum' (vermis and fastigial nucleus). In this case series we describe neuropsychiatric disturbances in adults and children with congenital lesions including cerebellar agenesis, dysplasia, and hypoplasia, and acquired conditions including cerebellar stroke, tumor, cerebellitis, trauma, and neurodegenerative disorders. The behaviors that we witnessed and that were described by patients and families included distractibility and hyperactivity, impulsiveness, disinhibition, anxiety, ritualistic and stereotypical behaviors, illogical thought and lack of empathy, as well as aggression and irritability. Ruminative and obsessive behaviors, dysphoria and depression, tactile defensiveness and sensory overload, apathy, childlike behavior, and inability to appreciate social boundaries and assign ulterior motives were also evident. We grouped these disparate neurobehavioral profiles into five major domains, characterized broadly as disorders of attentional control, emotional control, and social skill set as well as autism spectrum disorders, and psychosis spectrum disorders. Drawing on our dysmetria of thought hypothesis, we conceptualized the symptom complexes within each putative domain as reflecting either exaggeration (overshoot, hypermetria) or diminution (hypotonia, or hypometria) of responses to the internal or external environment. Some patients fluctuated between these two states. We consider the implications of these neurobehavioral observations for the care of patients with ataxia, discuss the broader role of the cerebellum in the pathogenesis of these neuropsychiatric symptoms, and revisit the possibility of using cerebellar stimulation to treat psychiatric disorders by enhancing cerebellar modulation of cognition and emotion. PMID- 17786825 TI - Perivascular elastic fibers: a diagnostic feature of ependymoma. AB - To assess the diagnostic potential of perivascular elastic fiber detection as an indicator of ependymoma, the authors performed ultrastructural studies on a large series of pediatric brain tumors. Elastic fibers were demonstrated by electron microscopy in 38 of 50 (76%) ependymomas, 2 of 25 (8%) choroid plexus tumors, 0 of 100 (0%) medulloblastomas, and 0 of 100 (0%) astrocytomas. In some poorly differentiated examples, elastic fibers were initially the sole indicator of ependymal differentiation. The authors conclude that the sensitivity and specificity of this feature is sufficient to render demonstration of perivascular elastic fibers a useful diagnostic indicator of ependymoma. PMID- 17786824 TI - Cognition in hereditary ataxia. AB - Apart from motor control the cerebellum has been implicated in higher cortical functions such as memory, fronto-executive functions, visuoconstructive skills and emotion. Clinical descriptions of hereditary ataxias mention cognitive impairment to a variable extent. Systematic neuropsychological studies are limited. Regarding the neuropathological pattern in different SCA types, cognitive deficits in hereditary ataxias are not likely to be contingent upon cerebellar degeneration but to result from disruption of cerebrocerebellar circuitries at various levels in the CNS. PMID- 17786827 TI - Surface topography and ultrastructural changes of mucinous carcinoma breast cells. AB - Mucinous carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is histologically classified into 2 groups: (1) pure MCB and (2) mixed MCB. Pure MCB carries a better diagnosis than mixed MCB. This research relates to the cell surface topography and ultrastructure of the cells in the above cases and aims to find the differences between them, by means of two methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For the SEM examination, it was necessary to initially culture the MCB tissues and then proceed with the usual SEM method. In contrast, for the TEM technique, MCB tissues were initially fixed followed by the classic TEM method. The authors found the topography of pure MCB cases to be without nodes. The cell membrane was smooth, with numerous pores and small ruffles that covered the entire cell. The ultrastructural appearance of the same cases was with a normal cell membrane containing abundant collagen fibers. They also had many small vesicles containing mucin as well as secretory droplets. In contrast the mixed MCB had a number of lymph nodes and their cell surface topography showed stronger changes such as microvilli, numerous blebs, ruffles and many long projections. Their ultrastructure showed very long microvilli with large cytoplasmic inclusions and extracellular mucin collections, electron-dense material vacuoles, and many important cytoplasmic organelles. An important fact is that mixed MCB also contains areas of infiltrating ductal carcinoma. These cells of the cytoplasmic organelles are clearly responsible for the synthesis, storage, and secretion of the characteristic mucin of this tumor type. Evidently, this abnormal mucin production and the abundance of secretory granules along with the long projections observed in the topographical structure might be responsible for transferring tumor cells to neighboring organs, thus being responsible for metastatic disease. PMID- 17786826 TI - Healthy early preantral follicle can be obtained in a culture of frozen-thawed human ovarian tissue of 32 weeks. AB - The objective of this study was to report morphological and functional evidence of a well-preserved preantral follicle recovered from human frozen-thawed ovarian tissue in a long-term culture. The tissue was originally obtained from a 26-year old woman with breast cancer. The ovarian cortex was collected by laparoscopy and frozen/thawed and cultured for 32 weeks in minimum essential medium alpha-MEM, supplemented with insulin transferrine selenite (ITS), human serum (HS), antibiotics, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Thawed tissue samples were examined by light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and real-time RT-PCR. LM examination of cortical pieces after 32 weeks of culture showed a healthy early preantral follicle; TEM and real-time PCR confirmed its good state of preservation. The synergy in action of NAC and FSH plays an important role in follicle growth of ovarian tissue cultures. For the first time a well-preserved preantral follicle was found in a culture of frozen-thawed human ovarian tissue. PMID- 17786823 TI - The cerebellum and motor dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. AB - The cerebellum is densely interconnected with sensory-motor areas of the cerebral cortex, and in man, the great expansion of the association areas of cerebral cortex is also paralleled by an expansion of the lateral cerebellar hemispheres. It is therefore likely that these circuits contribute to non-motor cognitive functions, but this is still a controversial issue. One approach is to examine evidence from neuropsychiatric disorders of cerebellar involvement. In this review, we narrow this search to test whether there is evidence of motor dysfunction associated with neuropsychiatric disorders consistent with disruption of cerebellar motor function. While we do find such evidence, especially in autism, schizophrenia and dyslexia, we caution that the restricted set of motor symptoms does not suggest global cerebellar dysfunction. Moreover, these symptoms may also reflect involvement of other, extra-cerebellar circuits and detailed examination of specific sub groups of individuals within each disorder may help to relate such motor symptoms to cerebellar morphology. PMID- 17786828 TI - A scanning electron microscopic study of the dysplastic epithelia adjacent to oral squamous cell carcinoma. AB - By light microscopy, the dysplastic oral epithelia due to the neoplastic processes are similar to epithelial changes due to the inflammatory processes. Scanning electron microscopy may elucidate the different surface changes between the two. The aim of this study was to examine the surface appearances of the dysplastic oral epithelia adjacent to oral squamous cell carcinoma to see if there are any surface changes. A total of 2 specimens, one specimen from each patient with oral squamous cell carcinoma, were used for this study. Each specimen was divided in two. One half was prepared for light microscopy and the other half was prepared for scanning electron microscopy. Light microscopically, the epithelia showed mild dysplasia. By scanning electron microscopy, the keratinized cells showed irregular microridges surrounding pits, which were variable and irregular in size and shape, and the nonkeratinized cells showed parallel microridges with irregularly widened intervals between each microridge. Irregular, broad, and partly swollen microridges and irregular short, stubby surface projections were also seen. The oral epithelia adjacent to oral squamous cell carcinoma showed mild dysplasia light microscopically but appeared abnormal by scanning electron microscopy. The abnormal epithelial cells showed pleomorphism, irregular and disoriented microridges, and abnormal surface microstructures. PMID- 17786829 TI - A comparative study of the surfaces of normal oral epithelia and inflammatory hyperplasias by scanning electron microscopy. AB - The oral epithelia may show epithelial changes induced by the inflammation of the underlying lamina propria. Light microscopically, the epithelial changes are similar to epithelial dysplasia seen in a premalignant lesion. A scanning electron microscope permits a resolution higher than that of a light microscope. Therefore, it may elucidate the changes observed light microscopically. The purpose of this study was to examine the surface changes of the epithelia of parulides (gum boils) compared with those of normal oral epithelia to see if there were any surface changes due to the underlying inflammatory processes. A total of 3 specimens (1 buccal mucosa, 1 gingiva, and 1 hard palate) taken from 3 patients, one specimen from each patient, were used as controls. A total of 2 parulides from 2 patients, 1 specimen from each patient, were used as experimentals. Each specimen was cut in two. One half was prepared for light microscopy and the other half was prepared for scanning electron microscopy. Light microscopically, it was confirmed that the buccal mucosa was nonkeratinized, the gingiva was parakeratinized, and the hard palate was orthokeratinized. The epithelium of the parulis was nonkeratinized to parakeratinized with increased intercellular spaces and distinct epithelial changes similar to epithelial dysplasia. By scanning electron microscopy, the nonkeratinized mucosa (buccal mucosa) showed that most of the ridges ran parallel to each other and the parakeratinized mucosa (gingiva) and the orthokeratinized mucosa (hard palate) exhibited ridges surrounding uniform pits. The surface of the parulis of the first patient showed relatively smooth areas with residual pits, reminiscent of that of keratinized mucosa, and the surface of the parulis of the second patient showed relatively smooth areas with residual parallel ridges, reminiscent of that of nonkeratinized mucosa. Light microscopically, the oral epithelia overlying the intensely inflamed lamina propria showed distinct epithelial changes similar to epithelial dysplasia seen in a precancerous lesion but appeared normal except for markedly decreased numbers of microridges by scanning electron microscopy. PMID- 17786830 TI - Chondrosarcoma with myxoid change: a study using a quick-freezing and deep etching method. AB - A middle-aged Japanese woman visited the Orthopedics Department of Nihon University Nerima Hikarigaoka Hospital complaining of pain in the left hip joint that had started approximately 8 months earlier. Following several examinations, including imaging diagnoses, an incisional biopsy demonstrated a malignant acetabular bone tumor, which was removed and examined by a quick-freezing and deep-etching (QF-DE) method, conventional electron microscopy, and light microscopy. Histologically, the tumor was a chondrosarcoma with marked myxoid changes. An interesting extracellular matrix was observed by the QF-DE method. The myxoid area consisted of a fine meshwork of proteoglycans (PG) without obvious aggrecans, which resembled that of PG usually present in the pericellular matrix of normal cartilage. Thin collagen fibrils with pleated surface structures of regular periodicity were also seen, which were sparsely distributed in wide areas except for the pericellular matrix. These collagen fibrils were of the type that are mainly located in the pericellular side of the territorial matrix in normal cartilage. A myxoid matrix consisting of thin collagen fibrils on the background of pericellular type PG suggested that the myxoid matrix in the chondrosarcoma resembled those of the pericellular and pericellular sides of the territorial matrices in normal cartilage. PMID- 17786831 TI - Immunoelectron study of pancreatic carcinomas using antibodies to gastrointestinal hormones. AB - The aim of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural appearance of pancreatic adenocarcinoma combined with glucagon and gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK) expression. The authors investigated the ultrastructure and the immunocytochemistry of 12 human pancreatic cancer specimens and used 3 chronic pancreatitis samples and 6 adjacent histological normal pancreatic tissues (away from the tumor) as controls. The ultrastructural study revealed that chronic pancreatitis tissues were characterized by alterations of the secretory cells. The enzymic and secretory changes were confirmed by electron immunogold results. Glucagon appeared to be located not only in islet alpha cells but also in intermediate alpha acinar cells. The changes were more significant in adenocarcinoma cases. Abnormality in the immunoreaction of the peptides was indicated not only in the tumor area but also in the islets near the cancer. Cells immunoreactive with antibodies were found in all 12 adenocarcinoma cases. Abnormal co-location of both hormones in the same type of endocrine cell was also found. Moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas were poorly granulated compared with differentiated tumors. Increased and ectopic gastrin/CCK expression was correlated with pancreatic adenocarcinomas exhibiting poor histological grade and neoplastic endocrine cells, providing a potential marker for pancreatic adenocarcinomas with aggressive behavior. PMID- 17786832 TI - Primary small cell malignant melanoma of the rectum: case report of a very rare tumor. AB - Rectal/anorectal malignant melanomas are highly aggressive tumors with a poor prognosis and low 5-year survival rate. They are also very rare. Of the well known histological variants of malignant melanoma, the small cell subtype is also very uncommon; consequently, small cell anorectal malignant melanoma is an exceedingly rare occurrence. In this article, the authors provide a detailed clinicopathological description of small cell malignant melanoma of the rectum, documenting clinical, histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features, to add to the sparse references on this tumor in the literature. The patient was a 53-year-old woman with a mass 2 cm from the anus, which was surgically removed. In histological sections, the tumor was a small cell malignant melanoma, with a tumor cell diameter of 7.6+/-1.0 microm, and a range of 5.5-10.7 microm (N = 100). Tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein and HMB 45 and contained sparse but unambiguous type II melanosomes. This article is one of the few detailed clinicopathological documentations of a small cell malignant melanoma of the rectum (anorectum) and the first to have the diagnosis confirmed ultrastructurally by the identification of melanosomes. The present case adds to the 3 mainly or entirely small cell anorectal malignant melanomas described in the literature. There are also at least 12 other cases with less well-defined numbers of small tumor cells or with small cells admixed with other cell morphologies. Documentation of these unusual morphological variants is important for identifying any distinctive outcome they might exhibit compared with conventional malignant melanoma. PMID- 17786834 TI - Inflammation 2007 - Eighth World Congress. PMID- 17786833 TI - Scanning electron microscopy of the apical structure of human teeth. AB - The objective of this research was to evaluate, by scanning electron microscopy, the apical structure of extracted human permanent teeth with different degrees of pulp and periapical pathology. A total of 25 teeth were extracted: 5 teeth with vital pulp (group I); 10 teeth with pulp necrosis without radiographically visible periapical lesion (group II); 10 teeth with pulp necrosis with radiographically visible periapical lesion (group III). The root apex was sectioned and processed for scanning electron microscopy. In groups I and II, fibers covered the root cementum and there was no cementum resorption or microorganisms. There were areas of cementum resorption in group III with microorganisms on the root apex surface (biofilm) and no fibers. The authors conclude that the presence of chronic periapical lesions causes severe changes in the apical structure with a destruction of fibers and different degrees of cementum resorption forming lacunae in which bacterial biofilm persisted. PMID- 17786835 TI - Inflammation 2007 - Eighth World Congress: new data on potential therapeutics. PMID- 17786836 TI - Inflammation 2007 - Eighth World Congress: preclinical research in inflammation. PMID- 17786837 TI - American Diabetes Association - 67th scientific sessions. PMID- 17786838 TI - American Diabetes Association - 67th Scientific Sessions: new data on promising therapeutics. PMID- 17786839 TI - American Diabetes Association - 67th Scientific Sessions: pros and cons of GLP-1 agonists and DPP-IV inhibitors. PMID- 17786840 TI - AIMECS 07 - Sixth AFMC International Medicinal Chemistry Symposium. PMID- 17786841 TI - AIMECS 07 - Sixth AFMC International Medicinal Chemistry Symposium: recent approaches in anticancer therapy. PMID- 17786842 TI - AIMECS 07 - Sixth AFMC International Medicinal Chemistry Symposium: new therapeutic agents and drug development strategies. PMID- 17786843 TI - American Peptide Society - 20th Symposium: peptide vaccine and drug development. PMID- 17786844 TI - Plant-Based Vaccines & Antibodies 2007 - Second International Conference. PMID- 17786845 TI - A translational worldwide perspective for liver cancer - First International Meeting. PMID- 17786846 TI - Key factors in evaluating potential clinical biomarkers. AB - Clinical biomarkers have important differences from exploratory or experimental biomarkers. The introduction of biomarkers into a true clinical situation requires unique considerations of the potential utility of the markers. In contrast to experimental situations in which various parameters can be tightly controlled, the world of patient care can be characterized as the 'Wild West' - an unknown frontier in which every possible variable may be introduced at some stage. Because a clinical biomarker or pattern of biomarkers arises from a single individual without the benefit of a control group to detect inconsistent sample handling, the biomarker must be, above all else, robust. A biomarker for which even slightly different handling in the clinic results in highly different assay results will have minimal utility, and may even create a dangerous situation for patients. The samples and assays used, the clinical situation and the format of data output are also important considerations in the development of clinical biomarkers. PMID- 17786848 TI - Biopharmaceuticals and the future of the pharmaceutical industry. PMID- 17786847 TI - Indantadol, a novel NMDA antagonist and nonselective MAO inhibitor for the potential treatment of neuropathic pain. AB - Indantadol is an oral and nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibitor and NMDA antagonist that is being developed by Vernalis plc, under license from Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, for the potential treatment of neuropathic pain. In preclinical studies, indantadol exhibited neuroprotective effects after kainite-induced seizures, and displayed anticonvulsant and antihyperalgesic activity. Indantadol also caused a dose-dependent decrease in exploratory motility. In a human heat capsaicin-induced pain model, indantadol at a dose of 500 mg effectively reduced the area of secondary hyperalgesia to 67%. Indantadol undergoes extensive liver metabolism, withthe formation of two major metabolites - CHF-3567 and 2 aminoindane. The drug is excreted in urine partially as the parent compound, but mostly as CHF-3567. The tolerability profile of indantadol at single doses up to 600 mg and twice-daily doses up to 400 mg in clinical trials was significantly more favorable than for other NMDA antagonists. Most side effects have been observed to be mild, and include dizziness and asthenia. Indantadol is currently in phase II clinical trials in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. Given the results available to date, indantadol may have a role in the treatment of neuropathic pain if the favorable pharmacokinetic profile and efficacy of the drug are maintained in more extensive clinical trials. PMID- 17786849 TI - Immunobiological aspects of therapeutic antibodies and related characterization approaches. AB - Antibody therapy is one of the fastest growing areas within the biopharmaceutical field. Immunological properties and biological activity are two of the most critical elements of a therapeutic antibody. The development and validation of analytical approaches provide an appropriate means for antibody immunological characterization, while the emergence of new technologies and advanced biological research and discovery help attain a better understanding of the mechanism of action of antibodies, and therefore facilitate the development of new therapeutic antibodies. This review describes the characteristics of therapeutic antibodies from both immunological and biological perspectives. Recent developments and current implementation of related technologies are discussed. PMID- 17786850 TI - Naturally occurring nucleoside modifications suppress the immunostimulatory activity of RNA: implication for therapeutic RNA development. AB - DNA and RNA stimulate the mammalian innate immune system by triggering a variety of sensors, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TLR9 signals upon exposure to DNA, while TLR3, TLR7 and TLR8 respond to RNA. Most DNA and RNA from natural sources contain modified nucleosides. Methylation of CpG motifs in DNA blocks TLR9 signaling. The question of whether an analogous effect can be attributed to nucleoside modifications in RNA has only recently been addressed. This review characterizes a few naturally occurring nucleoside modifications of RNA and their influence on the capacity of RNA to activate immune cells and TLRs. RNAs containing modified nucleosides, and thus lacking immune-activating properties, have potential importance in clinical applications. PMID- 17786851 TI - Peptide inhibitors of beta-amyloid aggregation. AB - The aggregation of the beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) into toxic oligomers is probably the key pathogenic event in the onset of Alzheimer's disease, and is therefore a target for the treatment of the disease. A plethora of organic molecules have been shown to inhibit Abeta aggregation and toxicity. Many inhibitors are peptides or peptidomimetics, typically based on the amino acids 16 to 20 of Abeta (KLVFF), which binds to Abeta in isolation. Peptides have been modified by adding bulky groups, charged sequences or polyethylene glycol to their termini, or by N-methylation, replacing a backbone amide by an ester, and by replacing a residue with proline. PMID- 17786852 TI - Review of centrifugal liquid-liquid chromatography using aqueous two-phase solvent systems: its scale-up and prospects for the future production of high value biologicals. AB - Future challenges in the field of bioprocessing include developing new downstream processes for the purification and manufacture of protein-based medicines to relieve the predicted bottleneck that may occur as a result of increasingly high titers obtained from fermentation processes. This review considers recent developments in centrifugal liquid-liquid partition chromatography using aqueous two-phase solvent systems, a gentle host medium for biologicals, and the prospect for scale-up and eventual manufacture of high-value pharmaceutical products. PMID- 17786853 TI - Do prodrugs deliver? AB - This review examines the prodrug concept in the context of conventional prodrugs, which seek to increase systemic concentrations of a drug, and targeted prodrugs, which are designed to increase therapeutic ratio. In general, conventional prodrugs are designed to enhance oral absorption. With both types of prodrug, a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model must be created to understand the steps required and the barriers that need to be overcome to achieve success. This review highlights the role of polar surface area in identifying drugs that are suitable for oral absorption, and which have the required potency and retention at the intended site of pharmacology. PMID- 17786854 TI - Proximal signaling molecules as potential targets for anti-inflammatory therapy. AB - As a consequence of the limited efficacy and significant toxicity of current anti inflammatory therapies, there is widespread interest in the development of novel drugs for this application. Progress in our understanding of inflammatory signaling pathways has identified novel targets, notably in pathways involving mitogen-activated protein kinases and T-cell receptor signaling. Recent observations have provided molecular insight into the mechanism of action of well established anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, such as glucocorticoids and azathioprine, and the anti-inflammatory small molecule semapimod (Cytokine PharmaSciences Inc). Data from these studies indicate that therapeutic agents which specifically target proximal signaling molecules might represent a powerful strategy for combating inflammatory diseases. PMID- 17786855 TI - Pharmacological regulation of ion channels by auxiliary subunits. AB - Ion channels link environmental stimuli to intracellular signaling pathways. Channel proteins often occur in macromolecular complexes in association with auxiliary subunits that control channel trafficking, gating and pharmacology. A large number of drugs exert their therapeutic effects by regulating ion channel activity and downstream signaling. These drugs can target either the principle ion channel or the associated auxiliary subunits. Sulfonylurea-type antidiabetics and gabapentin-type anticonvulsants exemplify important therapeutics that bind to ion channel auxiliary subunits. The recent molecular characterization of neuronal glutamate receptor ion channel complexes identified auxiliary subunits and associated proteins that may provide new targets for treating psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. PMID- 17786856 TI - A-kinase anchoring proteins: trafficking in G-protein-coupled receptors and the proteins that regulate receptor biology. AB - Scaffold proteins, such as members of the A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP) family, constitute molecular 'tool boxes' that assist in modulating the amplitude, integration and transduction of information along signaling pathways. As AKAPs are multivalent and often display trafficking in response to the activation of a signaling pathway, each represents a scaffold with multiple, high value targets for new drug discovery. Recent efforts at the molecular description of a subset of AKAPs that dynamically interact with members of the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors and ion channels provide an ideal starting point for drug discovery and development, one that has already produced a lead-like compound. Each of the docking sites for receptors/channels, protein kinases, phosphoprotein phosphatases and adaptor molecules may prove to be a suitable candidate for molecular description and for the identification of small molecules that can interfere with and/or modulate the activity of the overall signaling pathway, providing benefits to health or in treating disease states. PMID- 17786857 TI - G-protein-coupled receptor heterodimerization: assay technologies to clinical significance. AB - The concept of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) oligomerization has existed for many years, but has only recently received scrutiny from the pharmaceutical industry. The new interest in this theory has arisen not only because technologies to exploit GPCR oligomers are now available, but also because GPCR oligomerization has the potential to explain previously anomalous pharmacology and to provide an array of new therapeutic targets. The emergence of higher order GPCR organization adds a layer of complexity in the context of cellular control, and indeed drug discovery. This review outlines the current knowledge surrounding the oligomerization of GPCRs and describes effective assays for exploiting oligomerization in drug discovery. The clinical significance of oligomerization and the most promising strategies for therapeutically targeting GPCR oligomers are discussed. PMID- 17786858 TI - Vascular rho kinases and their potential therapeutic applications. AB - Over the last decade, numerous advances have been made in characterizing the various roles of rho kinase in vascular function. In light of extensive evidence for the involvement of rho kinase in the development of several cardiovascular disorders, including hypertension and arterial spasm, this protein is now considered to be an important therapeutic target. Several rho kinase inhibitors are already in experimental use, and further novel and structurally diverse inhibitors have been described. This review focuses on recent developments in our understanding of how rho kinase contributes to vascular dysfunction, and thus the potential of rho kinase inhibitors as therapeutic agents for vascular diseases. PMID- 17786860 TI - Neurokinin 1 receptor antagonists--current prospects. AB - The isolation of substance P (SP) in 1931, and the later discovery of its preferred neurokinin (NK)1 receptor, led to an intense research effort aimed at elucidating the biological role of SP, particularly within the central nervous system. There is now a large body of evidence to support the hypothesis that SP is one of the most important neurotransmitters and neuromodulators present in the brain. Its pharmacology has been intimately linked to the pathophysiology of several relevant neurological and psychiatric disorders, namely nociception, migraine, asthma, nausea, inflammatory bowel syndrome, urinary incontinence, anxiety and depression. This wide therapeutic potential triggered an unprecedented research effort, both preclinically and clinically, to identify appropriate NK1 receptor antagonists and transform them into effective drugs. To date, despite huge investments made by some of the largest pharmaceutical groups worldwide, aprepitant (MK-869, an anti-emetic agent) remains the only NK1 receptor antagonist on the market. Nevertheless, the 'NK1 receptor antagonist race' is not over, as witnessed by the significant number of patents and scientific publications claiming the discovery of new NK1 receptor antagonists issued in recent years. This review describes the most relevant results obtained in this field in the period 2005 to 2006. PMID- 17786859 TI - EP1 antagonists for the treatment of inflammatory pain. AB - This review summarizes the publication and patent literature reporting on prostaglandin E(2) receptor 1 (EP(1)) antagonists from 2006 to the present. Pertinent references from 2005 are also included. New chemical entities disclosed as EP(1) antagonists are highlighted with particular focus on their potential to treat inflammatory pain. In the time period covered by this review there has been a significant increase in the number of publications describing EP(1) antagonists. Several papers detail in vivo efficacy in preclinical models of inflammatory pain and overactive bladder. It is evident that at least one molecule, if not more, has been selected as a development candidate. In addition to acidic antagonists, several research groups have detailed their efforts to identify non-acidic EP(1) antagonists. Progress in this challenging area is evident from the excellent in vitro activity that has been described to date. PMID- 17786862 TI - [Management of a nuclear, biological and chemical mass casualties event]. AB - The management of a nuclear, biological or chemical mass casualties event (MCE) is a great challenge for emergency medical services and the hospitals of the region. Planing, exactly prepared protocols, adequate resources, instructions and extended training are the most important elements for successfull management of the MCE. This review presents a concept of managing a MCE including recognizing the threat, personal protection, evacuation, lifesaving procedures, decontamination, treatment, transport, hospital management, as well as procedures to avoid further contamination and panic. PMID- 17786863 TI - [Nutrition of the critical ill]. AB - Adequate nutrition of the critically ill patient is a cornerstone of intensive care medicine. While the enteral route should be used whenever possible, parenteral supplementation of insufficient enteral nutrition has been shown to be beneficial and is not considered to be lethal anymore. The daily energy supply should not exceed 20-30 kcal/kgBW in the acute phase of the illness. Vitamins and trace elements should be supplied daily to avoid any deficiency. PMID- 17786864 TI - [Case report: obstacles in pain therapy--is pain relief always achievable?]. AB - No patient needs to have pain? Providing the best possible pain relief is as challenging for the anaesthesiologist as it is necessary for the patient's quality of life. The WHO algorithm allows sufficient and satisfactory treatment of 90 % of all cancer patients. This case report describes alternatives to the WHO algorithm for the remaining 10 % of cases. The alternatives concern opioid rotation, intravenous administration, and neuroaxial application. Indications for these alternative strategies are either opiod-insensitive incidental pain or neuropathic pain. Procedure and complications are discussed with the reader. PMID- 17786865 TI - [Atypical neuroleptics in the treatment of atypical facial neuralgia. Two case reports]. AB - The criteria for the diagnosis of the atypical facial neuralgia make it is possible to classify under this neurological diagnosis also psychiatric disorders as conasthetic depression. In two case reports it is told about patients with both diagnosis. Due to this they were treated with an atypical neurolepticum (Olanzapine) to reach three targets: Therapy of the depression, pain i.e. atypical facial neuralgia and mood stabilizing. Within the last four years there were no side-effects as EPMS to observe. PMID- 17786866 TI - [Small patients, big challenges]. PMID- 17786867 TI - [Regional anesthesia in preterm, newborns and small infants]. AB - Regional anesthesia has many advantages as intraoperative and more important as postoperative analgesia in pediatric anesthesia. There are special requirements for a sufficient acute pain management in preterms, newborns and small infants. This review focuses these special features regarding to local anesthetics and supplements, caudal and spinal anesthesia, and peripheral blockades. PMID- 17786868 TI - [Rapid Sequence Induction in pediatric anesthesia]. AB - The induction of anesthesia in patients who are at risk for pulmonal aspiration is a challenge for the anesthetist. The anesthesiological management of adult patients includes strategies to avoid pulmonal aspiration in addition to a rapid, competent protection of the airway without the danger of hypoxia. The well established Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI) in adults cannot be transmitted to children for some reasons. Furthermore many anesthetists are confronted with the problem, that children are infrequent patients in their clinical everyday life, with the lack of routine bustle and nervousness find their way in these situations, which can lead to further complications. Consistent recommendations concerning the anesthesiological management of children at risk for pulmonal aspiration do not yet exist. The "Wissenschaftlicher Arbeitskreis Kinderanasthesie" of the "Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Anasthesiologie und Intensivmedizin" has elaborated recommendations based on scientific investigations, systemic literature review and clinical experience of experts. According to these recommendations, the anesthesiological management of children at risk for pulmonal aspiration will be reviewed in the following, in order to simplify the implementation of individual institutional algorithms. PMID- 17786869 TI - [Perioperative fluid guideline in preterms, newborns, toddlers and infants]. AB - The purposes of perioperative fluid therapy are to balance deficits that have occurred preoperatively, to realize the continuous infusion of maintenance requirements referred to body weight an to effect a correction of the intraoperative losses of water, electrolytes and blood components. Premature and new-born infants as well as children at risk for hypoglycaemia should additionally receive glucose in order to stabilise the glucose concentration and metabolism. Full electrolyte solutions containing 1 % glucose are sufficient. In cases with larger volume requirements, the circulatory system can be stabilized by the additional infusion of a glucose-free full electrolyte solution. Also in the cases of small children, artificial colloids may also be administered additionally. The efficacy of fluid and volume therapy should be controlled by an appropriately adapted circulation monitoring and regular blood gas analyses, especially for major interventions. PMID- 17786870 TI - [Monitoring of perioperative fluid management in children]. AB - Invasive monitoring is rarely used in children undergoing routine anaesthesia. Therefore the management of fluid therapy and its maintenance depends often on the experience of the anaesthetist. In situations of high volume uptake and during critical surgical procedures haemodynamic state can easily be underestimated and hypovolaemic episodes remain undetected. This article summarises recent developments of less invasive and continuous monitoring techniques available for paediatric use which probably represent a useful addition in optimising the perioperative haemodynamic performance. PMID- 17786871 TI - [Marketing for hospitals--an issue?]. AB - Since economization of medicine continues, marketing is becoming more and more important. To shape marketing activities in correspondence with their professional ethics, physicians need some basic knowledge about marketing. The process of marketing consists of SWOT-analysis, market segmentation, market differentiation, positioning and the marketing-mix with ist most important component, the marketing communication. Specific aspects in the marketing of medical services derive from their nature as a service and the determinants of perceived service quality. PMID- 17786872 TI - [Virtual hepatic surgery - computer-assisted operation planning on the 3 dimensional reconstructed liver]. AB - Recent developments in image-based computer assistance provide an improved visualisation of the intrahepatic vascular branching system in a virtual three dimensional model of the liver, allowing a quantitative assessment of any vascular territory. The advantages of computer-assisted resection planning refer to a better preoperative assessment of functional resectability in areas at risk for either devascularisation or impaired drainage. In selected cases, this information may have a considerable influence on operative planning, especially with regard to the extent of resection or the need for vascular reconstruction. Due to the great anatomical variability of the intrahepatic branching patterns of the right liver lobe, this seems to be particularly important in extended left hepatectomies or in repeat hepatectomy when intrahepatic vascular anatomy may be altered. The development of navigation techniques to ensure the accurate application of the preoperative planned resection line is under investigation but not available yet. PMID- 17786875 TI - [The depressive self, neurobiology and destiny: considerations regarding the theatre work "4.48 psychosis" by Sarah Kane]. AB - Depression contains a time-related philosophical background which can be characterized by the "impact of the past into the present" (M. Theunissen), an influence, which determines a psychic reality in melancholia and despontaneouses the presence. Thus depressive patients are trapped in a position of acknowledgement of the past. The neurobiological basis of this is explored using electrophysiological methods. A representation of the subjective position in depression is performed within the theatre work "4.48 Psychosis" by Sarah Kane. PMID- 17786876 TI - [Endemic disease depression: appraisal and outlook]. AB - Depressive disease is of increasing relevance in high income countries. This article summarises the current available specific knowledge about epidemiology, health-economic consequences and service provision for depression in Germany. Approaches for interventions to reduce the burden of depressive disease are presented and their potential discussed. PMID- 17786877 TI - [Disability caused by affective disorders--what do the Federal German Health report data teach us?]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To bring the data from the Federal German Health report about work disability and pensioning into context with current knowledge about the course and etiology of depression. METHODS: The report data about first-time recipients of a disability pension were analysed by year, illness and gender. Resulting data were interpreted and were compared with international publications. RESULTS: The percentage of applications for disability pensions due to psychiatric illnesses have been rising steadily for two decades. Among these, depression (31%) and neurotic disorders (23%) are most frequently responsible, while most other causes of disability have been declining. Current treatment of depressive disorders does not seem to have had any effect in terms of reducing the number of disabled persons per year. CONCLUSIONS: Although the risk factors associated with developing a depressive disorder have been extensively studied, data explaining the progression into disability is scarce but essential. More research in the psychodynamics of depression and work participation might be helpful. PMID- 17786878 TI - [Work-related depression]. AB - Since the 1990's there is a change at many workplaces in industrialized countries. Work related depression emerges as a major cause of long-term sickness. The relationship between work and depression is bidirectional: work gives acceptance and self-confidence to the individual but stress at the workplace may precede depression. The relationship between work-related stress and depressive disorders is shortly reviewed. The underestimated costs of lost productivity by depression are so impressive that better preventional and interventional strategies are necessary to reduce early disability payments and to improve rehabilitation at the workplace. PMID- 17786879 TI - [From the Nuremberg Alliance Against Depression to a European network (EAAD)- extending community-based awareness-campaigns on national and European level]. AB - With the aim to improve the care of depressed patients and to reduce suicidality, the Nuremberg Alliance Against Depression was initiated 2001 in the framework of the German Research Network on Depression and Suicidality (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research). The Alliance's concept is based on an intervention on four levels: Co-operation with GPs, an information- and awareness campaign for the broad public, educational training for multipliers such as teachers, priests or geriatric care-givers as well as the support and initiative of self-help-activities. After two years of intervention the number of suicidal acts, the study's main outcome criteria, was significantly reduced by 24 percent compared to the baseline and to a representative control region. Since 2002 the successful four-level-intervention, its concepts and materials have been adapted by other regions within Germany. Nearly 40 community-based local campaigns are forming the German Alliance Against Depression (GAD) and many more regions are interested. On international level the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD) was established 2004. Funded by the European Commission the four-level programme is implemented in 17 European countries. PMID- 17786880 TI - [Treatment of depressive patients in private practice--empirical results, health political and social conditions and recommendations]. AB - Although depression and symptoms of depression belong to the most common disorders in private practice, affected patients are not always diagnosed as early as possible in Germany and often not sufficiently treated. In order to improve the care for persons with depression it is necessary that family doctors are prepared to guide these patients with empathy, treat them adequately pharmacologically both in respect to the depression and to all other somatic aspects and to refer them in time to specialists for psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine or psychotherapy. Political and social conditions that have pathogenic effects should be changed and the shortage of psychotherapy needs to be overcome. In future, the integrated care in ambulant and clinical settings will probably be successful, first trials and test setups have shown good results. PMID- 17786881 TI - [Depressive disorders in the context of biographical and historical changes- experiences within a psychiatric outpatient service]. AB - OBJECTIVE: Conditions of human life, the personal and professional biographies of our patients and the medical development are subjected to continuous change. These transformations imply significant influences on the modalities of psychiatric treatment. METHODS: Two cases of depressed patients born in 1905 and 1941, who were treated as inpatients for the first time in 1985 and 2004 and afterwards in the psychiatric outpatient department, are discussed against the background of their individual historical experience. RESULTS: Biographical knowledge about the changing conditions of patients' life facilitates an understanding of their individual concerns and therefore enhances their compliance. The fast change in medical frameworks implies the danger of neglect in the impact and meaning of biographical aspects for psychiatric therapy. PMID- 17786882 TI - [Day hospital treatment of depressive patients]. AB - OBJECTIVE: Day hospital treatment offers diverse therapeutical options for depressive patients. Which are those and which depressive clientele visits a general psychiatric day hospital? METHODS: In order to find answers to this question the literature was searched, a 7-year-evaluation of the clientele of the day hospital of the Hannover Medical School and two vignettes are presented. RESULTS: The effectiveness of day hospital treatment for depressive patients is proved by the literature, especially for the elderly. Advantages and limitations of day hospital treatment in depressive patients are discussed including results of an own study. CONCLUSIONS: An individually adapted day hospital treatment can be an effective treatment for depressive patients. PMID- 17786883 TI - [Situation of treatment for depressed in-patients in Germany]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To show the treatment situation for severely depressed in-patients in German clinics for psychiatry and psychotherapy. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all German "depression units" including questions about number of beds and admission, treatment strategies and diagnostic profile in the year 2005. RESULTS: 65 of 71 clinics which are members of the "Working Group Depression Units" responded 52 reports could be used for the study. Treatment included antidepressants, psychotherapy, group therapies, psychoeducation, occupational and sport therapies, social work, cooperation with self help group for depressives and including relatives. CONCLUSION: German specialized depression units represent a high level of depression treatment. PMID- 17786884 TI - [Modern antidepressant treatment]. AB - OBJECTIVE: A systematic review on empirical results of current guidelines and recommendations with focus on efficacy and tolerability of antidepressant pharmacological treatment options. METHODS: A critical, systematic evaluation of peer reviewed surveys, meta-analyses and guidelines is provided with the focus on evidence based consequences for the psychiatric clinical practice in the treatment of major depressive episodes. RESULTS: Most of modern and classic antidepressants have not proved differences in studies regarding comparative effectiveness. In contrast clinical decisions are increasingly guided by differences of tolerability, which are clearly documented in the current literature. Many algorithm based treatment options exist to face the common problem of treatment resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The multitude of effective antidepressant options provides an individual and patient orientated treatment. To achieve an optimal utilization of these options, an orientation on multi-step treatment plans is useful. PMID- 17786885 TI - [Cortico-limbic mechanisms of affect regulation in the therapy of depression]. AB - Complex functional mechanisms underlie the etiopathogenesis of affective disorders. However, therapeutic implications of new insights are still limited. From the neuropsychological perspective therapy focuses on limbic-cortical (bottom-up) processes whereas cortical-limbic regulatory systems (top-down) were rarely mentioned, although first evidence of their relevance was given in the 80ties, e.g. the use of GABAergic anticonvulsants in affective disorders. Meanwhile modern brain imaging studies support a pronounced role of cortical limbic top-down mechanisms in the regulation of mood and the therapy of depression, e.g. the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy. The article briefly reviews relevant literature focusing on the neuropsychological hypothesis and the therapeutic implications of these and pharmacologic data. Psychotherapy as well as anticonvulsants appear to mainly affect cortico-limbic mechanisms compared to antidepressants which influence mostly limbic-cortical processes. The combination of both regulatory systems, e.g. the combination of antidepressants and anticonvulsants, appear to have synergistic effects. Such combinations may also be effective in low doses of each compound which does, furthermore, reduce the amount of unwanted side-effects. Studies combining classical antidepressants and mood-stabilizing medication (anticonvulsants and newer neuroleptics) should be performed to substantiate these findings. PMID- 17786886 TI - [Pharmacological suicide prevention under special consideration of lithium salts]. AB - OBJECTIVE: This minireview summarizes the existing evidence from large, international observational studies and RCTs on the suicide preventive effects of lithium as compared to other mood stabilizers and antidepressants. METHODS: Unsystematic literature review. RESULTS: There is increasing and robust evidence from a relatively large number of studies and metaanalyses that lithium long-term treatment reduces the suicide risk and overall mortality in patients with all kinds of depressive disorders (unipolar, bipolar, schizoaffective). Comparable evidence does not exist with regard to other mood stabilizers including atypical neuroleptics, or antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: The existing evidence on the suicide preventive effect of lithium should be integrated in therapeutic guidelines and routine psychiatric care. PMID- 17786887 TI - [Pharmacotherapy of ADHD in adults with comorbid depression]. AB - OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder with a high prevalence of 2-6% in adults. The often distinctive clinical symptomatology has a great practical relevance and the diagnostic demarcation of other psychiatric illnesses can be difficult which underlines the necessity of a differential and careful diagnosis. ADHD is a risk factor for comorbid disorders like anxiety, personality disorders and addiction. Comorbid depression is also frequent and has an important meaning in the differential diagnostic process. METHODS: A review was made about diagnostics and pharmacotherapy of ADHD with comorbid depression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: For the combination treatment of ADHD with comorbid depression there are good pharmacological procedures of treatment. Here in particular modern antidepressants with noradrenergic or noradrenergic-serotonergic active principles play an important role. Very important is an exact diagnosis and differentiated treatment of ADHD, i.e. a "multimodal therapy" using pharmacological and psychotherapeutic concepts. PMID- 17786888 TI - [Physical training in the treatment of depressive disorders]. AB - Therapeutic exercise programs have become an obligatory component in the modern treatment of many internal and orthopaedic conditions. In the field of psychiatry, the interaction of physical fitness and mental well-being has been increasingly recognized. In the meanwhile, solid evidence has emerged that regular exercise is associated with therapeutic effects in psychiatric patients suffering from depressive and possibly other psychiatric disorders. The present article reviews the relevant literature and summarizes neurobiological effects of exercise which might play a role in the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise. For instance, there is experimental evidence, that regular exercise induces a downregulation of central 5-HT(2C) receptors which play an important role in the pathogenesis of anxiety and depression. The production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)is stimulated in several brain regions. In conclusion, practical aspects and motivational factors have to be regarded in order to successfully establish exercise programs in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. PMID- 17786889 TI - [The efficacy of Slow Stroke Massage in depression]. AB - Depression afflicts the whole organism, body as well as experience and behaviour. Therefore, therapeutic touch, i.e. a direct body-to-body approach might be helpful in depression, as it has been known and practiced in medicine centuries ago. We investigated the antidepressive effects of an one hour lasting, relaxing, very sensitive soft treatment (Slow Stroke Massage) in a double controlled study comparing massage with a control condition and also comparing effects in depressed patients vs. healthy subjects. The treatment was repeated 5 times within intervals of 2-3 days. Data of 32 acutely depressed in-patients was analyzed. The pre-post-differences in various dimensions were significantly greater during massage than during the control condition. They were also more marked in patients as compared to healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Slow Stroke Massage can be used effectively and safely as a complimentary therapeutic strategy in depressed patients. PMID- 17786890 TI - [Pain perception is not influenced by altered autonomic function in major depression]. AB - OBJECTIVE: Depression is a common comorbidity of chronic pain and chronic pain represents a common additional symptom of depressed patients. The physiological basis is unknown. METHODS: We investigated the possible interrelation between autonomic dysfunction and altered pain perception in unmedicated patients (U1), after introduction of antidepressive therapy (U2) and after clinical remission. RESULTS: In accordance with previous reports we found increased thermal pain thresholds in our unmedicated patients. Cardiac autonomic dysfunction was not evitable in unmedicated, depressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that autonomic dysfunction is unlikely to be involved in the pathophysiology of altered pain perception in depression. PMID- 17786891 TI - [Depression and sexual dysfunction: aspects of a multi-faceted relationship]. AB - For the psychiatrist the association between depression and sexual dysfunction is of major importance since both affective and sexual disorders are highly prevalent and exhibit a marked co-morbidity. A high percentage of men and women suffering from depression reports sexual problems. In women, sexual desire is predominantly affected while in men both desire and erectile function tend to be impaired. However, the relationship between depressive mood and sexual dysfunction is bidirectional and further complicated by the sexual side effects of antidepressants which most often affect sexual arousal and orgasmic function. As a consequence, the sexual sphere should be adequately and routinely addressed in the assessment and treatment of all depressive patients. PMID- 17786892 TI - [Internet dependency as a symptom of depressive mood disorders]. AB - OBJECTIVE: In psychiatric contexts, the quick distribution of virtual techniques in private and professional everyday life gives rise to the question, if these can evoke a psychological addiction. Yet, the diagnostic assessment of internet or computer game dependency remains problematic. METHODS: Within a study with 23 internet-dependent patients with significant psychological strain, 18 (77.8%) were diagnosed with a depressive mood disorder by thorough clinical examination and structured interviews. The presented work compares psychometric test results of the depressed subpopulation with healthy controls matched for age, sex and school education. RESULTS: In the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale patients with internet dependency scored significantly higher than the control group (p < or = 0.05), while there was no significant correlation to the Internet Addiction Scale. Becks Depression Inventory and the Symptom-Checklist subscale for depression revealed significantly higher scores within the patient group as compared to controls (p < or = 0.001). And in the Dissociative Experience Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale and the Inventory for Interpersonal Problems the internet dependent subjects showed significantly more pathological scores than the healthy subjects (p < or = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Since internet dependency can be understood as a novel psychopathology of well known psychiatric conditions, every psychiatrist should be able to detect and treat it adequately, as long as there is a willingness to deal with the contents and impacts of cyberspace. Especially with depressed patients, it seems to be crucial to include questions about media usage in psychiatric examination taking. PMID- 17786893 TI - [Forms of urinary diversion--methods and imaging findings]. AB - After cystectomy two principal types of urinary diversion are used for the surgical reconstruction of the urinary tract: incontinent and continent. In the continent type of urinary diversion, a differentiation must be made between those with and without catheterization for voiding. Besides urothelial cancer other reasons for urinary diversion include neurogenic bladder palsy (connatal or acquired) due to meningomyelocele or connatal diseases like bladder exstrophy. The main objective of the clinical urologist when selecting urinary diversion are to achieve continence and to preserve upper urinary tract function. Knowledge of the different forms of urinary diversion is critical for the exact interpretation of the images. This review presents the typical imaging techniques after a description of the basic surgical features of urinary diversion. CT urography and MR urography are becoming increasingly important as further imaging tools for controlling urinary diversions. PMID- 17786894 TI - [Treatment of carotid artery aneurysms with covered stents]. AB - PURPOSE: Evaluation of the use of covered stents in treating pseudoaneurysms of the cervical and intracranial/extradural carotid artery and determination of the periprocedural and short- to mid-term complication rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 8 patients with 9 spontaneous dissecting aneurysms of the cervical carotid artery- 5 of which were symptomatic--plus one patient with ofthalmoplegia due to an aneurysm of the cavernous carotid artery were studied. While the latter was treated with a PTFE-covered balloon-mounted stainless steel stent (Jostent/Graftmaster), a self-expanding PTFE-covered Nitonol Stent (Symbiot) was used in all other cases. Intervention was performed with local anesthesia. Aspirin and Clopidogrel were both used as antiplatelet drugs. Clinical signs and symptoms and vascular imaging with DS, MR, CT angiography and ultrasound were recorded during patient follow-up, with a mean follow-up period of 14.6 months (4 - 30). RESULTS: We were able to treat 8 out of 10 aneurysms (80%) using covered stents. The aneurysms were immediately occluded and the associated stenoses of the parent vessel were eliminated. No clinically relevant complications occurred during the procedure or in the follow-up interval. In two cases, elongation of the carotid artery prevented the stent from being positioned over the aneurysm neck. These cases were shown to be stable with the use of antiplatelet drugs. CONCLUSION: Covered stents can be used in the treatment of pseudoaneurysms of the carotid artery as an alternative to long-term antithrombotic medication or surgery. In our study treatment was effective (80%) and free of complications in the short- and mid-term follow-up. Possible indications, technique and the use of imaging modalities for patient follow-up are discussed. PMID- 17786895 TI - [Oral administration of intravenous contrast media: a tasty alternative to conventional oral contrast media in computed tomography]. AB - PURPOSE: Many patients dislike oral contrast media due to their bad taste. The aim of the present study was to identify a solution that tastes better while providing the same opacification in order to offer oncological patients an alternative to the routinely used bad tasting oral contrast media. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a single blinded, prospective clinical study, the orally administered intravenous contrast media iohexol (Omnipaque), iopromide (Ultravist), and iotrolan (Isovist) as well as the oral contrast media sodium amidotrizoate (Gastrografin) and ioxithalamate (Telebrix) were each compared to the oral contrast medium lysine amidotrizoate as the reference standard at a constant dilution. The density values of all contrast media with the same dilutions were first measured in a phantom study. The patient study included 160 patients who had undergone a prior abdominal CT scan with lysine amidotrizoate within 6 months. The patients rated their subjective taste impression on a scale of 0 (very bad) to 10 (excellent). In addition, adverse events and opacification were recorded and prices were compared. RESULTS: The phantom study revealed identical density values. Patients assigned much higher taste impression scores of 8 and 7 to iohexol and iotrolan, respectively, as compared to a score of 3 for the conventional lysine amidotrizoate (p< 0.05). Iopromide and sodium amidotrizoate did not differ significantly from lysine amidotrizoate. The opacification of all contrast media and experienced adverse events did not differ significantly. Iotrolan (ca. 120 euro/100 ml), Iohexol and Iopromide (ca. 70 euro/100 ml) are more expensive than the conventional oral contrast media (ca. 10 - 20 euro/100 ml). CONCLUSION: Orally administered solutions of non-ionic contrast media improve patient comfort due to the better taste and provide the same opacification in comparison to conventional oral contrast media. At present, their use should be limited to individual cases due to the higher costs. PMID- 17786896 TI - Fabrication of hexagonal lattice Co/Pd multilayer nanodot arrays using colloidal lithography. PMID- 17786897 TI - The electronic properties of DNA bases. PMID- 17786899 TI - Hybridization kinetics and thermodynamics of DNA adsorbed to individually dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes. AB - Hybridization of DNA adsorbed to single-walled carbon nanotubes in solution has much slower kinetics than free solution DNA, and can be detected through a blue shift in the near-infrared nanotube fluorescence. Adsorption of the receptor DNA strand to the nanotube surface is consistent with models of polyelectrolyte adsorption on charged surfaces, introducing both entropic (46.8 cal mol(-1) K( 1)) and activation energy (20.4 kcal mol(-1)) barriers to the hybridization, which are greater than free solution values (31.9 cal mol(-1) K(-1) and 12.9 kcal mol(-1)) at 25 degrees C. The increased hybridization barriers on the nanotube result in exceedingly slow kinetics for hybridization with t(1/2)=3.4 h, compared to the free solution value of t(1/2)=4 min. These results have significant implications for nanotube and nanowire biosensors. PMID- 17786898 TI - Novel biocatalysts based on S-layer self-assembly of Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a: a nanobiotechnological approach. AB - The crystalline cell-surface (S) layer sgsE of Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a represents a natural protein self-assembly system with nanometer-scale periodicity that is evaluated as a combined carrier/patterning element for the conception of novel types of biocatalyst aiming at the controllable display of biocatalytic epitopes, storage stability, and reuse. The glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase RmlA is used as a model enzyme and chimeric proteins are constructed by translational fusion of rmlA to the C-terminus of truncated forms of sgsE (rSgsE (131-903), rSgsE(331-903)) and used for the construction of three principal types of biocatalysts: soluble (monomeric), self-assembled in aqueous solution, and recrystallized on negatively charged liposomes. Enzyme activity of the biocatalysts reaches up to 100 % compared to sole RmlA cloned from the same bacterium. The S-layer portion of the biocatalysts confers significantly improved shelf life to the fused enzyme without loss of activity over more than three months, and also enables biocatalyst recycling. These nanopatterned composites may open up new functional concepts for biocatalytic applications in nanobiotechnology. PMID- 17786900 TI - Large-scale synthesis of organophilic zirconia nanoparticles and their application in organic-inorganic nanocomposites for efficient volume holography. AB - We present a multigram scale, one-step nonaqueous synthesis route to monodisperse, highly crystalline ZrO(2) nanoparticles. The nanoparticles can be stabilized in nonpolar solvents via a simple functionalization procedure using only minute amounts of organic stabilizers. Their great potential in materials applications is demonstrated by the fabrication of organic-inorganic nanocomposites that can be selectively photopolymerized to inscribe extremely effective and volume holographic gratings with the highest refractive index contrast (n(1) of up to 0.024) achieved so far. PMID- 17786902 TI - Indium-catalyzed retro-claisen condensation. PMID- 17786904 TI - Alkyl radical generation in water under ambient conditions - a new look at the Guareschi reaction of 1897. PMID- 17786903 TI - Reductive elimination of ether from T-shaped, monomeric arylpalladium alkoxides. PMID- 17786905 TI - Synthesis and conformation of multi-vicinal fluoroalkane diastereoisomers. PMID- 17786906 TI - Neutral desorption sampling of living objects for rapid analysis by extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. PMID- 17786907 TI - Location of the hole and acid proton in neutral nonprotonated and protonated mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium double-decker complexes: density functional theory calculations. AB - The location of the hole and acid proton in neutral nonprotonated and protonated mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium double-decker complexes, respectively, is studied on the basis of density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the molecular structures, molecular orbitals, atomic charges, and electronic absorption and infrared spectra of the neutral, reduced, and two possible protonated species of a mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium compound: [(Pc)Y(Por)], [(Pc)Y(Por)]-, [(HPc)Y(Por)], and [(Pc)Y(HPor)], respectively. When the neutral [(Pc)Y(Por)] is reduced to [(Pc)Y(Por)]-, the calculated results on the molecular structure, atomic charge, and electronic absorption and infrared spectra show that the added electron has more influence on the Pc ring than on its Por counterpart, suggesting that the location of the hole is on the Pc ring in neutral [(Pc)Y(Por)]. Nevertheless, comparison of the calculation results on the structure, orbital composition, charge distribution, and electronic absorption and infrared spectra between [(HPc)Y(Por)] and [(Pc)Y(HPor)] leads to the conclusion that the acid proton in the protonated mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium compound should be localized on the Por ring rather than the Pc ring, despite the localization of the hole on the Pc ring in [(Pc)Y(Por)]. This result is in line with the trend revealed by comparative studies of the X-ray single-crystal molecular structures between [MIII{Pc(alpha-OC5H11)4}(TClPP)] and [M(III)H{Pc(alpha-OC5H11)4}(TClPP)] (H2TClPP=5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)porphyrin; M=Sm, Eu). The present work not only represents the first systemic DFT study on the structures and properties of mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium double-decker complexes, but more importantly sheds further light on the nature of protonated bis(tetrapyrrole) rare-earth complexes. PMID- 17786908 TI - The giant-hexagon cylinder network--a liquid-crystalline organization formed by a T-shaped quaternary amphiphile. PMID- 17786909 TI - Emission detected circular dichroism from long-lived excited states: application to chiral Eu(III) systems. AB - The measurement of the difference in intensity of luminescence following excitation with left and right circularly polarized light for racemic terdentate Eu(III) complexes with 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acids perturbed by the addition of (+)-dimethyltartrate and for tris chiral complexes of Eu(III) with (R,R)-N,N' bis(1-phenylethyl)-2,6-pyridine-dicarboxamide are presented. The experimental technique used for these measurements is identical in design to fluorescence detected circular dichroism spectroscopy, but is referred to in this manuscript as emission detected circular dichroism (EDCD) because of the long lifetime of the Eu(III) excited state requiring specialized instrumentation. These measurements required relatively slow modulation of the incident circular polarization, which was accomplished with a liquid crystal polarizer. The results are compared with conventional CD measurements, and additional characteristics and potential applications of EDCD are presented. PMID- 17786910 TI - Demonstration of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in asymmetric Mannich and Aldol reactions. AB - Spontaneous symmetry breaking in reactive systems, known as a rare physical phenomenon and for the Soai autocatalytic irreversible reaction, might in principle also occur in other, more common asymmetric reactions when the chiral product is capable to promote its formation and an element of "nonlinearity" is involved in the reaction scheme. Such phenomena are long sought after in chemistry as a possible explanation for the biological homochirality of biomolecules. We have investigated homogeneous organic stereoselective Mannich and Aldol reactions, in which the product is capable to form H-bridged complexes with the prochiral educt, and found by applying NMR spectroscopy, HPLC analysis, and optical rotation measurements 0.3-50.8% of random product enantiomeric excess under essentially achiral reaction conditions. These findings imply a hitherto overlooked mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking and, hence, a novel approach to the problem of absolute asymmetric synthesis and could have also potential significance for the conundrum of homochirality. PMID- 17786911 TI - Numerical characterization of the conformation of cyclic peptides and its application. AB - Many classes of functional cyclic peptide molecules are determined by experimental techniques, but few similarities of cyclic peptides are detectable. We propose three numerical characterizations of conformations of cyclic peptides. By incorporating the information on atomic coordinates of cyclic peptides, the coordinates are transformed into a characteristic sequence. Then we calculate its center of gravity, the eigenvalues of its Euclidean and L/L matrices, and regard them as descriptors to numerically characterize the conformations of cyclic peptides. Finally, the method is tested by analyzing the similarities of cyclic peptides presented in Table 1. PMID- 17786912 TI - Ab initio direct dynamics studies on the reactions of chlorine atom with CH3 nFnCH2OH (n = 1-3). AB - The hydrogen abstraction reactions of Cl atom with a series of fluorinated alcohols, i.e., CH(3-n)F(n)CH(2)OH + Cl (n = 1-3) (R1-R3) have been studied systematically by ab initio direct dynamics method and the canonical variational transition state theory (CVT). The potential energy surface information is calculated at the MP2/6-311G(d,p) level. Energies along the minimum energy paths are improved by a series of single-point calculations at the higher modified GAUSSIAN-2 (G2M) level of theory. Theoretical analysis shows that three kinds of hydrogen atoms can be abstracted from the reactants CH(2)FCH(2)OH and CHF(2)CH(2)OH, and for CF(3)CH(2)OH, two possible pathways are found. The rate constants for each reaction channel are evaluated by CVT with the small-curvature tunneling correction (SCT) over a wide range of temperature from 200 to 2000 K. The calculated CVT/SCT rate constants are in good agreement with the available experimental values for the reactions CHF(2)CH(2)OH + Cl and CF(3)CH(2)OH + Cl. However, for the reaction CH(2)FCH(2)OH + Cl, there is negative temperature dependence below 500 K, which is different from the experimental fitted. It is shown that in the low temperature ranges, the three reactions all proceed predominantly via H-abstraction from the methylene positions, and with the increase of the temperature the H-abstraction channels from the fluorinated methyl positions should be taken into account, while the H-abstraction channels from the hydroxyl groups are negligible over the whole temperature ranges. Also, the reactivity decreases substantially with fluorine substitution at the methyl position of alcohol. PMID- 17786913 TI - Empirical bond-order potential for hydrocarbons: adaptive treatment of van der Waals interactions. AB - Bond-order potentials provide a powerful class of models for simulating chemically reactive systems with classical potentials. In these models, the covalent bonding interactions adapt to the environment, allowing bond strength to change in response to local chemical changes. However, the non-bonded interactions should also adapt in response to chemical changes, an effect which is neglected in current bond-order potentials. Here the AIREBO potential is extended to include adaptive Lennard-Jones terms, allowing the van der Waals interactions to vary adaptively with the chemical environment. The resulting potential energy surface and its gradient remain continuous, allowing it to be used for dynamics simulations. This new potential is parameterized for hydrocarbons, and is fit to the energetics and densities of a variety of condensed phase molecular hydrocarbons. The resulting model is more accurate for modeling aromatic and other unsaturated hydrocarbon species, for which the original AIREBO potential had some deficiencies. Testing on compounds not used in the fitting procedure shows that the new model performs substantially better in predicting heats of vaporization and pressures (or densities) of condensed-phase molecular hydrocarbons. PMID- 17786914 TI - Chiral recyclable dimeric and polymeric Cr(III) salen complexes catalyzed aminolytic kinetic resolution of trans-aromatic epoxides under microwave irradiation. AB - Aminolytic kinetic resolution (AKR) of trans-stilbene oxide and trans-beta-methyl styrene oxide proceeded smoothly under microwave irradiation using chiral dimeric and polymeric Cr(III) salen complexes as efficient catalysts, giving regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective anti-beta-amino alcohols in high yields (49%) and chiral purity (ee up to 94%) in case of 4-methylaniline within 2 min. The kinetic resolution system is approximately five times faster than traditional oil bath heating at 70 degrees C and 420 times faster than the reaction conducted at room temperature with concomitant recovery of respective chirally enriched epoxides (ee, 92%) in excellent yields (up to 48%). The catalyst 1 worked well in terms of enantioselectivity than the catalyst 2, but both the catalysts were easily recovered and reused five times with the retention of its efficiency. PMID- 17786916 TI - Direct low-temperature synthesis of rutile nanostructures in ionic liquids. AB - The direct synthesis of crystalline titania nanorods by sol-gel chemistry in a special ionic liquid is reported. Unexpectedly, the high-temperature modification, rutile, is obtained directly under ambient conditions. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements support the highly crystalline and structural quality of the sample. The phase directing property of the ionic liquids is attributable to the imide group in the counter ion, which exhibits strong interaction with specific rutile faces. Lithium insertion experiments were performed and revealed high and reversible loading capacities of up to 200 mAh g(-1). PMID- 17786917 TI - Organic-inorganic mesoporous nanocarriers integrated with biogenic ligands. PMID- 17786918 TI - Controlled trapping and release of quantum dots in a DNA-switchable hydrogel. PMID- 17786919 TI - Prenatal 3-dimensional sonographic and MRI findings in omphalocele-exstrophy imperforate anus-spinal defects complex. AB - We describe the second-trimester 3D sonographic and MRI findings of omphalocele exstrophy-imperforate anus-spinal defects (OEIS) complex. We suggest that fetal 3 dimensional sonography with tomographic ultrasound imaging and MRI are useful adjuncts to conventional 2-dimensional sonography in the prenatal diagnosis of OEIS complex. PMID- 17786920 TI - Sperm binding glycoprotein (SBG) produces calcium and bicarbonate dependent alteration of acrosome morphology and protein tyrosine phosphorylation on boar sperm. AB - The oviduct is a dynamic organ which modulates gamete physiology. Two subpopulations of sperm have been described in the oviduct of sows, a majority with normal appearance in the deep furrows and a minority, centrally located, and showing damaged membranes. Sperm-oviduct interaction provides the formation of a sperm storage and allows the selection of sperm with certain qualities. Pig (Sus scrofa) oviductal sperm binding glycoprotein (SBG) binds to sperm and exposes Gal beta1-3GalNAc. This disaccharide may be recognized by boar spermadhesin AQN1, which seems to be involved in sperm interaction with the oviduct. SBG is present at the apical surface of the epithelial cells that surround the lumen of the oviduct rather than at the bottom of the crypts. These characteristics imply it could be involved in sperm interaction with this organ. In this study, we evaluate the effect of SBG over boar sperm. We show that the presence of SBG produces alterations of the acrosome morphology of sperm only when they are incubated in capacitating conditions. SBG binds to the periacrosomal region of sperm undergoing capacitation. Its presence induces an increase on the tyrosine phosphorylation of a polypeptide of apparent molecular mass 97 kDa, as occurs with a 95 kDa protein in other mammalian sperm upon acrosomic reaction. Altogether, these results suggest that SBG might be involved in sperm selection by alteration of the acrosome of sperm that have already begun the capacitation process when they arrive to the oviduct. PMID- 17786921 TI - Progress in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. AB - Significant progress in understanding the mechanisms leading to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has led to the identification of numerous molecular abnormalities that may be responsible for leukemogenesis. Over the same period, large trials have established standard regimens combining cytotoxic agents for the treatment of patients with AML. Current research is attempting to better stratify patients by identifying risk factors responsible for resistance, and to discern ways for incorporating newer agents with specific and targeted activity into our standard regimens, Herein the recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of AML are reviewed. PMID- 17786922 TI - Water diffusivity in human nail plate. AB - The diffusivity of water in human nail at 32 degrees C was determined for cadaveric, human finger nails having water contents ranging from 0.536 g H(2)O/g dry nail to 0.035 g H(2)O/g dry nail by measuring the desorption of tritiated water from nails suspended in water or in the vapor phase above salt solutions yielding a range of relative humidities (RH). Diffusivity increased with increasing RH from (7.7 +/- 1.3) x 10(-10) cm(2) s(-1) at 15% RH to (3.2 +/- 1.1) x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1) in the liquid phase study at 100% RH, a more than 400-fold increase. The diffusivity values, which may be understood in terms of the equilibrium water content of the nail and a free volume theory for diffusion in hydrophilic polymers, were consistent with water diffusivities measured in other keratinized tissues including wool, horn and the corneocyte phase of stratum corneum. Analysis of the tritium desorption data was complicated by a tritium exchange process between (3)H(2)O and nail keratin, the kinetics of which are presented in part. The combination of the concentration-dependent water diffusivity with the natural water activity gradient in nail in vivo leads to the prediction of a nonlinear steady-state water concentration profile in human nail in vivo which, in turn, has implications for ungual drug delivery. PMID- 17786923 TI - Sampling in research on interpersonal aggression. AB - The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of convenience samples in research on interpersonal aggression among adults. It was hypothesised that convenience sampled targets of aggression differs from targets in general with regards to both demographic characteristics and degree of aggression exposed to. A convenience sample comprising support-seeking targets of workplace bullying was compared with a representative sample of Norwegian targets of bullying. The results showed that the two samples differed significantly on all demographic variables investigated, except gender. A far higher percentage of the convenience sample had blown the whistle on illegal, immoral or illegitimate practice at their workplace, whereas they also reported significantly more frequent and more intense exposure to aggression. The findings confirm that convenience samples have low external validity when generalising to the general population. Such samples should therefore mainly be used to investigate tendencies in, and the phenomenology of, interpersonal aggression, in studies where generalisability is not the principal objective. PMID- 17786925 TI - The effect of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on the alpha rhythm of human electroencephalogram. AB - Mobile phones (MP) emit low-level electromagnetic fields that have been reported to affect neural function in humans; however, demonstrations of such effects have not been conclusive. The purpose of the present study was to test one of the strongest findings in the literature; that of increased "alpha" power in response to MP-type radiation. Healthy participants (N = 120) were tested using a double blind counterbalanced crossover design, with each receiving a 30-min Active and a 30-min Sham Exposure 1 week apart, while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded. Resting alpha power (8-12 Hz) was then derived as a function of time, for periods both during and following exposure. Non-parametric analyses were employed as data could not be normalized. Previous reports of an overall alpha power enhancement during the MP exposure were confirmed (relative to Sham), with this effect larger at ipsilateral than contralateral sites over posterior regions. No overall change to alpha power was observed following exposure cessation; however, there was less alpha power contralateral to the exposure source during this period (relative to ipsilateral). Employing a strong methodology, the current findings support previous research that has reported an effect of MP exposure on EEG alpha power. PMID- 17786924 TI - Regulation of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) promoter by butyrate in human intestinal epithelial cells: involvement of NF-kappaB pathway. AB - Butyrate, a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced by bacterial fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the colon, constitutes the major fuel for colonocytes. We have earlier shown the role of apically localized monocarboxylate transporter isoform 1 (MCT1) in transport of butyrate into human colonic Caco-2 cells. In an effort to study the regulation of MCT1 gene, we and others have cloned the promoter region of the MCT1 gene and identified cis elements for key transcription factors. A previous study has shown up-regulation of MCT1 expression, and activity by butyrate in AA/C1 human colonic epithelial cells, however, the detailed mechanisms of this up-regulation are not known. In this study, we demonstrate that butyrate, a substrate for MCT1, stimulates MCT1 promoter activity in Caco-2 cells. This effect was dose dependent and specific to butyrate as other predominant SCFAs, acetate, and propionate, were ineffective. Utilizing progressive deletion constructs of the MCT1 promoter, we showed that the putative butyrate responsive elements are in the -229/+91 region of the promoter. Butyrate stimulation of the MCT1 promoter was found to be independent of PKC, PKA, and tyrosine kinases. However, specific inhibitors of the NF-kappaB pathway, lactacystein (LC), and caffeic acid phenyl ester (CAPE) significantly reduced the MCT1 promoter stimulation by butyrate. Also, butyrate directly stimulated NF-kappaB-dependent luciferase reporter activity. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) also stimulated MCT1 promoter activity, however, unlike butyrate, this stimulation was unaltered by the NF-kappaB inhibitors. Further, the combined effect of butyrate, and TSA on MCT1 promoter activity was additive, indicating that their mechanisms of action were independent. Our results demonstrate the involvement of NF-kappaB pathway in the regulation of MCT1 promoter activity by butyrate. PMID- 17786926 TI - ELF-magnetic flux densities measured in a city environment in summer and winter. AB - Epidemiological studies have indicated a connection between extremely low frequency magnetic flux densities above 0.4 microT (time weighted average) and childhood leukemia risks. This conclusion is based mainly on indoor exposure measurements. We therefore regarded it important to map outdoor magnetic flux densities in public areas in Trondheim, Norway. Because of seasonal power consumption variations, the fields were measured during both summer and winter. Magnetic flux density was mapped 1.0 m above the ground along 17 km of pavements in downtown Trondheim. The spectrum was measured at some spots and the magnetic flux density emanated mainly from the power frequency of 50 Hz. In summer less than 4% of the streets showed values exceeding 0.4 microT, increasing to 29% and 34% on cold and on snowy winter days, respectively. The average levels were 0.13 microT (summer), 0.85 microT (winter, cold), and 0.90 microT (winter, snow), with the highest recorded value of 37 microT. High spot measurements were usually encountered above underground transformer substations. In winter electric heating of pavements also gave rise to relatively high flux densities. There was no indication that the ICNIRP basic restriction was exceeded. It would be of interest to map the flux density situation in other cities and towns with a cold climate. PMID- 17786928 TI - Biochemical analysis of the interaction of calcium with toposome: a major protein component of the sea urchin egg and embryo. AB - We have investigated the biochemical and functional properties of toposome, a major protein component of sea urchin eggs and embryos. Atomic force microscopy was utilized to demonstrate that a Ca(2+)-driven change in secondary structure facilitated toposome binding to a lipid bilayer. Thermal denaturation studies showed that toposome was dependent upon calcium in a manner paralleling the effect of this cation on secondary and tertiary structure. The calcium-induced, secondary, and tertiary structural changes had no effect on the chymotryptic cleavage pattern. However, the digestion pattern of toposome bound to phosphatidyl serine liposomes did vary as a function of calcium concentration. We also investigated the interaction of this protein with various metal ions. Calcium, Mg(2+), Ba(2+), Cd(2+), Mn(2+), and Fe(3+) all bound to toposome. In addition, Cd(2+) and Mn(2+) displaced Ca(2+), prebound to toposome, while Mg(2+), Ba(2+), and Fe(3+) had no effect. Collectively, these results further enhance our understanding of the role of Ca(2+) in modulating the biological activity of toposome. PMID- 17786929 TI - Integrated activation of MAP3Ks balances cell fate in response to stress. AB - In vivo, tissues and organs are exposed to numerous stressors that require cells to respond appropriately for viability and homeostasis. Cells respond to these stressors, which range from UV irradiation, heat shock, chemicals, and changes in osmolality, to oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, by activating pathways that protect cells from damage. If the stress is too great, cells commit to undergo apoptosis. Such cell fate decisions involve the stress-mediated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) networks, ultimately under the control of MAPK kinase kinases, or MAP3Ks. It is the MAP3Ks that coordinate the localization, duration and magnitude of MAPK activation in response to cell stress. A single stressor may activate several MAP3Ks, each of which impacts the balance between survival and apoptotic signaling. In this prospect article, we review the specific MAP3Ks that integrate the physiological response to cell stressors. The interrelationships among different stressors are discussed, with an emphasis on how the balance of signaling through MAP3Ks controls the MAPK response to determine cell fate. PMID- 17786930 TI - Estrogen and prostate cancer: an eclipsed truth in an androgen-dominated scenario. AB - Prostate cancer is the commonest non-skin cancer in men. Incidence and mortality rates of this tumor vary strikingly throughout the world. Although several factors have been implicated to explain this remarkable variation, lifestyle and dietary factors may play a dominant role, with sex hormones behaving as intermediaries between exogenous factors and molecular targets in development and progression of prostate cancer. Human prostate cancer is generally considered a paradigm of androgen-dependent tumor; however, estrogen role in both normal and malignant prostate appears to be equally important. The association between plasma androgens and prostate cancer remains contradictory and mostly not compatible with the androgen hypothesis. Similar evidence apply to estrogens, although the ratio of androgen to estrogen in plasma declines with age. Apart from methodological problems, a major issue is to what extent circulating hormones can be considered representative of their intraprostatic levels. Both nontumoral and malignant human prostate tissues and cells are endowed with key enzymes of steroid metabolism, including 17betahydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17betaHSD), 5beta-reductase, 3alpha/3betaHSD, and aromatase. A divergent expression and/or activity of these enzymes may eventually lead to a differential prostate accumulation of steroid derivatives having distinct biological activities, as it occurs for hydroxylated estrogens in the human breast. Locally produced or metabolically transformed estrogens may differently affect proliferative activity of prostate cancer cells. Aberrant aromatase expression and activity has been reported in prostate tumor tissues and cells, implying that androgen aromatization to estrogens may play a role in prostate carcinogenesis or tumor progression. Interestingly, many genes encoding for steroid enzymes are polymorphic, although only a few studies have supported their relation with risk of prostate cancer. In animal model systems estrogens, combined with androgens, appear to be required for the malignant transformation of prostate epithelial cells. Although the mechanisms underlying the hormonal induction of prostate cancer in experimental animals remain uncertain, there is however evidence to support the assumption that long term administration of androgens and estrogens results in an estrogenic milieu in rat prostates and in the ensuing development of dysplasia and cancer. Both androgen and estrogen have been reported to stimulate proliferation of cultured prostate cancer cells, primarily through receptor-mediated effects. As for estrogens, the two major receptor types, ERalpha and ERbeta, are expressed in both normal and diseased human prostate, though with a different cellular localization. Since these two receptors are different in terms of ligand binding, heterodimerization, transactivation, and estrogen response element activity, it is likely that an imbalance of their expression may be critical to determine the ultimate estrogen effects on prostate cancer cells. In prostate cancer, ERbeta activation appears to limit cell proliferation directly or through ERalpha inhibition, and loss of ERbeta has been consistently associated with tumor progression. Several splicing variants of both ERalpha and ERbeta exist. Little is known about their expression and function in the human prostate, although reciprocal regulation and interaction with gene promoter both warrant further investigation. In summary, although multiple consistent evidence suggests that estrogens are critical players in human prostate cancer, their role has been only recently reconsidered, being eclipsed for years by an androgen-dominated interest. PMID- 17786932 TI - Characterization of anti-osteopontin monoclonal antibodies: Binding sensitivity to post-translational modifications. AB - Osteopontin (OPN) is primarily a secreted phosphoglycoprotein found in a variety of tissues and body fluids. It has a wide range of reported functions, many of which are affected by the degree of post-translational modification (PTM) of the protein. These PTMs include phosphorylation, glycosylation, and cross-linking by transglutaminase. Here we describe the generation of unique monoclonal antibodies raised against recombinant OPN utilizing the OPN knockout mouse. The antibodies exhibit differential binding to OPN produced by different cell lines from the same species, as well to the multiple OPN forms in human urine. Most of the antibodies generated are able to recognize OPN produced by ras-transformed mouse fibroblasts, however only one antibody recognizes the more phosphorylated protein produced by the differentiating pre-osteoblast murine cell line MC3T3E1. Using a novel biopanning procedure combining T7 phage gene fragment display and protein G precipitation, we have epitope-mapped these antibodies. Several of the antibodies bind to regions of the OPN molecule that are phosphorylated, and one binds the region of OPN that is glycosylated. Using phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated peptides, we show that the binding of two antibodies to the C-terminal end of OPN is inhibited by phosphorylation of this region. In addition, these two antibodies are able to inhibit cell adhesion to recombinant and weakly modified OPN. The antibodies described herein may prove useful in determining the presence of modifications at specific sites and for identifying structural forms of OPN. Also, the sensitivity of these antibodies to PTMs suggests that caution must be taken when choosing anti-OPN monoclonal antibodies to detect this highly modified protein. PMID- 17786933 TI - Cloning and characterisation of Ifi206: a new murine HIN-200 family member. AB - HIN-200 proteins are interferon-inducible proteins capable of regulating cell growth, senescence, differentiation and death. Using a combination of in silico analysis of NCBI EST databases and screening of murine C57BL/6 cDNA libraries we isolated novel murine HIN-200 cDNAs designated Ifi206S and Ifi206L encoding two putative mRNA splice variants. The p206S and p206L protein isoforms have a modular domain structure consisting of an N-terminal PAAD/DAPIN/Pyrin domain, a region rich in serine, threonine and proline residues and a C-terminal 200 B domain characteristic of other HIN-200 proteins. Ifi206 mRNA was detected only in the spleen and lung of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and expression was up-regulated by both types I and II IFN subtypes. p206 protein was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm and addition of LMB, a CRM1 dependent nuclear export inhibitor, caused p206 to accumulate in the nucleus. Unlike other human and mouse HIN-200 proteins that contain only a single 200 amino acid domain, overexpression of p206 impaired the clonogenic growth of tumour cell lines. Thus, p206 represents the newest HIN 200 family member discovered. It has distinct and restricted pattern of expression however maintains many of the hallmarks of HIN-200 proteins including the presence of a characteristic 200 X domain, induction by interferon and an ability to suppress tumour cell growth. PMID- 17786934 TI - NHERFs, NEP, MAGUKs, and more: interactions that regulate PTEN. AB - This year marks the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the PTEN/MMAC1/TEP1 tumor suppressor gene (hereafter referred to as PTEN), one of the most commonly mutated genes in cancer. PTEN encodes a lipid phosphatase that dephosphorylates phosphoinositide-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP(3)), thereby counteracting mitogenic signaling pathways driven by phosphoinositol-3-kinases (PI3K). By opposing PI3K signaling, PTEN inhibits the activation of the critical PI3K effector proteins Akt1-3 (also known as protein kinase B or PKB). Given its central role in antagonizing PI3K signaling, one might expect that like PI3K, the activity of the PTEN protein would be highly regulated by numerous protein/protein interactions. However, surprisingly little is known about such interactions. This fact, combined with the generally accepted notion that phosphatases are less exquisitely regulated than kinases, has led to the idea that PTEN may function in a relatively unregulated fashion. Here we review the identities and proposed functions of known PTEN-interacting proteins, and point out avenues of investigation that we hope may be fruitful in identifying important new mechanisms of PTEN regulation in mammalian cells. PMID- 17786935 TI - Hypermethylation, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and survival in 235 patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers. AB - BACKGROUND: It has been established that promoter hypermethylation occurs in several genes during the pathogenesis of head and neck cancer. The authors investigated the role played by the hypermethylation of 4 cancer-related genes in the survival of patients who had laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer and in the occurrence of second primary tumors. METHODS: Archival paraffin-embedded tissue (PET) samples were available from patients who were enrolled in a multicentric European case-control study that was performed between 1979 and 1982 and was followed up to 2000. Genomic DNA extracted from 235 PET samples were analyzed for promoter methylation status of the p16, O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), death-associated protein kinase (DAP-K), and E-cadherin genes by using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: Hypermethylation was present in 44% of samples for p16, in 27% of samples for MGMT, in 42% of samples for DAP-K, and in 43% of samples for E-cadherin. Hypermethylation of either individual genes or their combination was not associated with mortality from all causes, mortality from upper aerodigestive tract cancer, or the occurrence of second primary tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of a large series of patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer suggested that hypermethylation is a frequent event in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer, but it is not a predictor of mortality or second primary cancer. PMID- 17786936 TI - Nuclear architecture: Is it important for genome function and can we prove it? AB - Gene regulation in higher eukaryotes has been shown to involve regulatory sites, such as promoters and enhancers which act at the level of individual genes, and mechanisms which control the functional state of gene clusters. A fundamental question is whether additional levels of genome control exist. Nuclear organization and large-scale chromatin structure may constitute such a level and play an important role in the cell-type specific orchestration of the expression of thousands of genes in eukaryotic cells. Numerous observations indicate a tight correlation between genome activity and nuclear and large-scale chromatin structure. However, causal relationships are rare. Here we explore how these might be uncovered. PMID- 17786931 TI - Secretion without Golgi. AB - A growing number of proteins devoid of signal peptides have been demonstrated to be released through the non-classical pathways independent of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi. Among them are two potent proangiogenic cytokines FGF1 and IL1alpha. Stress-induced transmembrane translocation of these proteins requires the assembly of copper-dependent multiprotein release complexes. It involves the interaction of exported proteins with the acidic phospholipids of the inner leaflet of the cell membrane and membrane destabilization. Not only stress, but also thrombin treatment and inhibition of Notch signaling stimulate the export of FGF1. Non-classical release of FGF1 and IL1alpha presents a promising target for treatment of cardiovascular, oncologic, and inflammatory disorders. PMID- 17786937 TI - Effective gelation of water by an amphiphilic drug. AB - We report the formation of aqueous gels at low concentrations (less than 1 wt%) of an amphiphilic drug, a derivative of a chromane-2-carboxylic acid, at pH values 6.2-6.4. Formation of gels in the vicinity of the apparent pK(a) of the drug suggests that on the molecular level, the gels are composed of the aggregates of the ionized and protonated forms of the drug, which are stabilized by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. In contrast, its identical analog, which differs by one methylene group, did not form gels or viscous solutions. We believe that additional steric hindrance, brought by the presence of the bulkier ethyl group (as compared to methyl group), prevents efficient interaction between the carboxylic acid groups thus hindering the gelation process. PMID- 17786938 TI - Trends in childhood leukemia mortality in Brazil and correlation with social inequalities. AB - BACKGROUND: Mortality from childhood leukemia has declined substantially in developed countries but less markedly in the developing world. This study was designed to describe mortality trends in childhood leukemia and the impact of social inequalities on these trends in Brazil from 1980 to 2002. METHODS: Cancer mortality data by cause and estimates of resident population stratified by age and sex were obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) for the years 1980 to 2002. Age-standardized (ages 0-19 years) mortality rates were calculated by the direct method using the 1960 world standard population. Trends were modeled using linear regression with 3-year moving average rates as the dependent variable and with the midpoint of the calendar year interval (1991) as the independent variable. The Index of Social Exclusion was used to classify the 27 Brazilian states. Pearson correlation was used to describe the correlation between social exclusion and variations in mortality in each state. RESULTS: Age standardized mortality rates for boys decreased from 2.05 per 100,000 habitants in 1984 to 1.44 100,000 habitants in 1995, whereas the observed corresponding decline among girls was from 1.60 per 100,000 habitants in 1986 to 1.14 per 100,000 habitants in 1995. Statistically significant declining trends in mortality rates were observed for boys (adjusted correlation coefficient [r(2)] = 0.68; P < .001) and girls (adjusted r(2) = 0.62; P < .001). Significant negative correlations between social inequality and changes in mortality were noted for boys (r = -0.66; P = .001) and for girls (r = -0.78; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A consistent decrease in mortality rates from childhood leukemia was noted in Brazil. Higher decreases in mortality were observed in more developed states, possibly reflecting better health care. PMID- 17786939 TI - Cyberknife radiosurgery for breast cancer spine metastases: a matched-pair analysis. AB - BACKGROUND: There are few options for breast cancer patients with spinal metastases recurrent within a previous radiation treatment field. CyberKnife radiosurgery has been used in our institution to treat such patients. To evaluate their outcomes, as there are no comparable radiation treatment options, the outcomes were compared between 18 patients with spinal metastases from breast cancer treated with CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery, 17 of which had prior radiotherapy to the involved spinal region and were progressing, and 18 matched patients who received conventional external beam radiotherapy (CRT) up-front for spinal metastases. METHODS: Radiosurgery was delivered in 3 to 5 fractions to doses ranging from 2100 to 2800 cGy. Women were matched to patients in a CRT group with respect to time from original diagnosis to diagnosis of metastases, estrogen receptor / progesterone receptor (ER/PR) status, presence or absence of visceral metastases, prior radiotherapy, and prior chemotherapy. Survival and complications were compared between treatment groups. Surviving patients were followed out to 24 months. RESULTS: The CyberKnife and CRT groups were comparable along all matching dimensions and in performance status before treatment. Outcomes of treatment were similar for patients in both groups; ambulation, performance status, and pain worsened similarly across groups posttreatment. Survival and the number of complications appeared to favor the CyberKnife group, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The statistical comparability of the CyberKnife and CRT groups reflects the small sample size and stringent requirements for significance of the matched-pair analysis. Nevertheless, comparability in these difficult cases shows that salvage CyberKnife treatment is as efficacious as initial CRT without added toxicity. PMID- 17786940 TI - The pharmacology of radiolabeled cationic antimicrobial peptides. AB - Cationic antimicrobial peptides are good candidates for new diagnostics and antimicrobial agents. They can rapidly kill a broad range of microbes and have additional activities that have impact on the quality and effectiveness of innate responses and inflammation. Furthermore, the challenge of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics and the unique mode of action of antimicrobial peptides have made such peptides promising candidates for the development of a new class of antibiotics. This review focuses on antimicrobial peptides as a topic for molecular imaging, infection detection, treatment monitoring and additionally, displaying microbicidal activities. A scintigraphic approach to studying the pharmacokinetics of antimicrobial peptides in laboratory animals has been developed. The peptides were labeled with technetium-99m and, after intravenous injection into laboratory animals, scintigraphy allowed real-time, whole body imaging and quantitative biodistribution studies of delivery of the peptides to the various body compartments. Antimicrobial peptides rapidly accumulated at sites of infection but not at sites of sterile inflammation, indicating that radiolabeled cationic antimicrobial peptides could be used for the detection of infected sites. As the number of viable micro-organisms determines the rate of accumulation of these peptides, radiolabeled antimicrobial peptides enabled to determine the efficacy of antibacterial therapy in animals to be monitored as well to quantify the delivery of antimicrobial peptides to the site of infection. The scintigraphic approach provides to be a reliable method for investigating the pharmacokinetics of small cationic antimicrobial peptides in animals and offers perspective for diagnosis of infections, monitoring antimicrobial therapy, and most important, alternative antimicrobial treatment infections with multi-drug resistant micro-organisms in humans. PMID- 17786941 TI - Paving the road to war with group membership, appraisal antecedents, and anger. AB - This study uses appraisal theory, functionalist approach to emotions, and recent theory on group emotions as a basic framework to model the genesis of supporting military action. During the year after the events of 9/11, 588 college students participated in a series of four studies that assessed religious affiliation, appraisal antecedents, anger response to viewing photographs of the 9/11 attack, and support for military action. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the relation between support for the war and attitudes toward terrorism and relevance could be explained adequately by a model in which anger mediated the effects of attitudes and relevance on support. Attitudes toward terrorism were further identified as mediators that could explain the group effect by Christians. The result was not only generalizable across the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also in terms of how consent for war manifests itself- outright calls for bloodshed versus more subtle, politically loaded, posturing (e.g. entreaties to "support our troops"). PMID- 17786942 TI - The Helicobacter pylori's protein VacA has direct effects on the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells. AB - In this study, we have evaluated the effects on cell cycle regulation of VacA alone and in combination with other two Helicobacter pylori proteins, cytotoxin associated protein (CagA) and HspB, using the human gastric epithelial cells (AGS). Our results indicate that VacA alone was able to inhibit the G1 to S progression of the cell cycle. The VacA capacity of inhibiting cell progression from G1 to S phase was also observed when cells were co-transfected with CagA or HspB. Moreover, VacA over-expression caused apoptosis in AGS cells through activation of caspase 8 and even more of caspase 9, thus indicating an involvement of both the receptor-mediated and the mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis. Indeed, the two pathways probably can co-operate to execute cell death with a prevalence of the mitochondrial pathways. Our data taken together provide additional information to further enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanism by which H. pylori proteins alter the growth status of human gastric epithelial cells. PMID- 17786943 TI - Importance of Ezh2 polycomb protein in tumorigenesis process interfering with the pathway of growth suppressive key elements. AB - An understanding of the mechanisms that uncover the dynamic changes in the distribution of the chromatin modifying enzymes and regulatory proteins on their target loci could provide further insight into the phenomenon of malignant transformation. Based on the current available data, it seems more and more clear that an abnormal expression of Ezh2, a member of the Polycomb group (PcG) protein, may be involved in the tumorigenesis process, in addition, different studies identify Ezh2 as a potential marker that distinguish aggressive prostate and breast cancer from indolent one. Recent investigation show that ectopic expression of Ezh2 provides proliferative advantage to primary cells through interaction with the pathways of key elements that control cell growth arrest and differentiation, like members of the retinoblastoma (Rb) family. Here, we outline how these pathways converge and we review the recent advances on the molecular mechanisms that promote cell cycle progression through deregulation of Ezh2 protein level, providing novel links between cancer progression and chromatin remodeling machineries. PMID- 17786944 TI - Potential conversion of adult clavicle-derived chondrocytes into neural lineage cells in vitro. AB - Neural stem cells (NSC) can be isolated from a variety of adult tissues and become a valuable cell source for the repair of peripheral and central nervous diseases. However, their origin and identity remain controversial because of possible de-differentiation/trans-differentiation or contaminations by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We hypothesize that the commonly used NSC culture medium can induce committed cartilage chondrocytes to de-differentiate and/or trans-differentiate into neural cell lineages. Using a biological isolation and purification method with explants culture, we here show that adult rat clavicle cartilage chondrocytes migrate out from tissue blocks, form sphere-like structures, possess the capability of self renewal, express nestin and p75NTR, markers for neural crest progenitors, and differentiate into neurons, glia, and smooth muscle cells. Comparing with adult cartilage, the spherical-forming neural crest cell-like cells downregulate the chondrocytic marker genes, including collagen II, collagen X, and sox9, as well as neural-lineage repressors/silencers REST and coREST, but upregulate a set of well-defined genes related to neural crest cells and pro-neural potential. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and glial growth factor (GGF) increase glial and neuronal differentiation, respectively. These results suggest that chondrocytes derived from adult clavicle cartilage can become neural crest stem-like cells and acquire neuronal phenotypes in vitro. The possible de-differentiation/trans differentiation mechanisms underlying the conversion were discussed. PMID- 17786945 TI - Paxillin's LD4 motif interacts with bcl-2. AB - Bcl-2 is the founding member of a family of proteins which influences cell survival in response to a variety of stimuli including those from growth factor receptors and integrins. However, how these activities are coordinated through bcl-2 requires further investigation. bcl-2 interacts with paxillin, potentially linking cell survival and cell adhesive pathways. Paxillin is an adapter protein implicated in growth factor and integrin-mediated signal transduction pathways. Previous work in this laboratory demonstrated that loss of bcl-2 affects cell adhesion and migration characteristics of renal epithelial cells, perhaps through disruption of its interaction with paxillin. Here studies were performed to determine the bcl-2 binding motif in paxillin. The amino-terminal portion of paxillin, specifically its LD4 motif, was found to associate with bcl-2. However, the amino-terminal portion of paxillin with the LD4 domain deleted did not associate with bcl-2. The corresponding LD motif in other paxillin family members, Hic-5 and leupaxin, did not associate with bcl-2. Mutations in paxillin's LD4 motif made to mimic Hic-5 and leupaxin LD4-like motifs (E(268) --> R or S(272) --> H) abolished its association with bcl-2. Incubation of embryonic kidneys with paxillin's LD4 motif disrupted ureteric bud branching and morphogenesis, while incubation with the comparable Hic-5 LD motif did not significantly affect morphogenesis. These data suggest that paxillin's association with bcl-2 plays a unique role during kidney development that other paxillin family members may not be able to fulfill. PMID- 17786946 TI - The osmotic sensitivity of rat growth plate chondrocytes in situ; clarifying the mechanisms of hypertrophy. AB - Bone elongation is predominantly driven by the volume expansion of growth plate chondrocytes. This mechanism was initially believed to be "hypertrophy", describing a proportional increase of cell water and organelles. However, morphometrical analysis subsequently assumed the increase to be "swelling", resulting in a disproportionate increase of cell water (osmotically active fraction). Histological approaches were performed on fixed tissue, and for the "swelling" assumption to be valid, the osmotic sensitivity of living cells before and during volume increase should differ. To test this, analysis of images acquired by 2-photon laser scanning microscopy (2PLSM) were used to determine the osmotic sensitivity, and osmotically active/inactive proportions of in situ chondrocytes from 15 living rat growth plates exposed to varying media osmolarities ( approximately 0-580 mOsm). The dimensions of cell volume swelling in hypotonic media were different to the preferential lengthening seen in vivo, confirming the complexity of directional cell volume increase. Boyle-van't Hoff analysis of cell volume over the range of media osmolarity indicated no significant difference (Student's t-test) in the osmotically inactive fraction, 39.5 +/- 2.9% and 47.0 +/- 4.3% (n = 13) for proliferative and hypertrophic zones, respectively, or the sensitivity of volume to changes in media osmolarity (proliferative 15.5 +/- 0.8 and hypertrophic zone 15.5 +/- 1.2%volume . Osm). The osmotic fractions did not change as chondrocytes progress from proliferative to hypertrophic regions of the growth plate. Our data suggest cell volume increase by hypertrophy may play a greater role in cell enlargement than swelling, and should be re-evaluated as a mechanism responsible for growth plate chondrocyte volume increase and hence bone elongation. PMID- 17786947 TI - The standardized uptake value for F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose is a sensitive predictive biomarker for cervical cancer treatment response and survival. AB - BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate cervical tumor uptake of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) measured as the maximal standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) by positron emission tomography (PET) and its association with treatment response and prognosis in patients with cervical cancer. METHODS: The study population consisted of 287 patients with stage IA2 through IVB cervical cancer who underwent pretreatment FDG-PET studies. SUV(max), tumor volume, and sites of lymph node metastasis were recorded. Therapy included surgery, chemoradiation, or palliation. RESULTS: The mean SUV(max) was 11.4 (range, 1 50.4). The mean tumor volume by stage was 42.1 cm(3) for stage I tumors (using International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] staging criteria), 63.7 cm(3) for stage II tumors, 129.2 cm(3) for stage III tumors, and 166.2 cm(3) for stage IV tumors. There was no correlation between tumor volume and SUV(max) (correlation coefficient [R(2)] = 0.01). No significant difference in SUV(max) was observed between squamous histology (n = 247 patients) and nonsquamous histology (n = 40 patients; P = .089). Higher SUV(max) was associated with an increased risk of lymph node metastasis at diagnosis (P = .0009). A Cox proportional-hazards model for death from cervical cancer was used to evaluate tumor histology, lymph node metastasis, tumor volume, and SUV(max). The results indicated that SUV(max) was the only significant independent factor (P = .0027). Three prognostic groups were established using SUV(max). The overall survival rates at 5 years were 95% for an SUV(max) 5.2 and 13.3 (P < .0001). Increasing SUV(max) was associated with persistent abnormal FDG uptake in the cervix on 3-month FDG-PET studies in 238 patients who received curative chemoradiation (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: The SUV(max) of the cervical tumor at diagnosis was a sensitive biomarker of treatment response and prognosis for patients with cervical cancer. PMID- 17786948 TI - Polymeric micellar delivery reduces kidney distribution and nephrotoxic effects of Cyclosporine A after multiple dosing. AB - The aim of this study was to test the ability of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) micelles to reduce the renal uptake and nephrotoxicity of Cyclosporine A (CyA) after multiple dose administration. Sprague-Dawley rats received CyA i.v. at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day delivered as the commercial formulation (Sandimmune) or polymeric micellar formulation (PM-CyA). Cremophor EL (the solubilizing agent in Sandimmune), unloaded PEO-b-PCL micelles, or normal saline were also administered i.v. to control rats. After 7 days, kidney function was assessed through measurement of creatinine (CLcr) and urea clearances, as well as electrolyte concentrations in plasma. Blood and kidney were collected and assayed for CyA. Sandimmune administration led to decreased CLcr, and increased urea and potassium levels in plasma. In contrast, functional nephrotoxicity with the PM-CyA was not apparent, as the CLcr did not change significantly. The rate of increase in body weight in control rats was 3.1-3.4% per day. Weight gains (1.8% per day) were also noted in the rats given PM-CyA, although the body weight of animals receiving Sandimmune remained constant. Compared to Sandimmune, polymeric micelles reduced kidney uptake of CyA by 2.6 fold, and increased CyA levels in blood by 2.1-fold. The results show a potential for PEO-b-PCL micelles in restricting the nephrotoxicity of CyA. PMID- 17786949 TI - Stabilization of a hydrophobic recombinant cytokine by human serum albumin. AB - The objective was to evaluate the impact of pH and NaCl content on aggregation, particle formation, and solubility of a hydrophobic recombinant human cytokine in formulations with human serum albumin (HSA) as stabilizing excipient. While cytokine-HSA formulations were stable at physiological pH, a tremendous increase in turbidity at pH 5.0, close to the isoelectric point of HSA was caused by a partially irreversible precipitation. By dynamic light scattering (DLS), disc centrifugation, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and light obscuration it could be shown that the turbidity was mainly caused by particles larger than 120 nm. SDS PAGE provided evidence that the precipitation at pH 5.0 was mainly caused by the cytokine. The HSA-stabilizers Na-octanoate and Na-N-acetyltryptophante were less effective in preventing the turbidity increase of unstabilized-HSA compared to NaCl. The interactions between HSA and cytokine were weakened by NaCl, as determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The positive effect of NaCl on the formulation could be attributed to a direct stabilization of HSA and weaker interactions between HSA and the cytokine, which in consequence provided an overall stabilization of the cytokine. PMID- 17786950 TI - Ajulemic acid, a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid acid, suppresses osteoclastogenesis in mononuclear precursor cells and induces apoptosis in mature osteoclast-like cells. AB - Oral administration of ajulemic acid (AjA), a cannabinoid acid devoid of psychoactivity, prevents joint tissue injury in rats with adjuvant induced arthritis. Because activation of osteoclasts is central to the pathogenesis of bone erosion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we investigated the influence of AjA on osteoclast differentiation and survival. Osteoclast cultures were established by stimulation of RAW264.7 cells and primary mouse bone marrow cultures with receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL). Simultaneous addition of AjA (15 and 30 microM) and RANKL to both culture systems significantly suppressed development of multinucleated osteoclasts (osteoclastogenesis) in a dose dependent manner, as determined by quantification of multinuclear, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells. AjA impaired growth of RAW264.7 monocytes and prevented further osteoclast formation in cultures in which osteoclastogenesis had already begun. Reduction by AjA of both monocyte growth and osteoclast formation was associated with apoptosis, assayed by annexin V and propidium iodide staining, and caspase activity. The anti-osteoclastogenic effects of AjA did not require the continuous presence of AjA in the cell cultures. Based on these findings, we propose that AjA or other nonpsychoactive synthetic analogs of Cannabis constituents may be useful therapy for diseases such as RA and osteoporosis in which bone resorption is a central feature. PMID- 17786951 TI - In vitro activated human T lymphocytes very efficiently attach to allogenic multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells and transmigrate under them. AB - The regulatory effect of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) on allogenic T lymphocytes is extremely powerful and of important clinical relevance, but the mechanisms underlying this process are not fully elucidated. We report here that T lymphocytes activated with a sub-mitogenic stimulus such as phytohemaglutinin alone (PHA), or with mitogenic stimuli such as PHA + interleukin-2 (P-IL2), or immobilized anti-CD3 + anti-CD28 mAb (a3-28), tightly bound allogenic MSC and transmigrated within 4 h under them, where they remained for approximately 60 h. Allogenic MSC induced T cell proliferation in cultures containing sub-mitogenic PHA concentrations, and inhibited the mitogenic effect of P-IL2 or a3-28. Anti-gamma-IFN mAb or L-tryptophan complementation partially restored proliferation in P-IL2 and a3-28 cultures, whereby gamma-IFN synthesizing CD3+ cells were detectable. MSC-lymphocyte contact hindrance using transwells abrogated proliferation in PHA cultures, restored it integrally in P IL2 cultures, and partially in a3-28 cultures. These data suggest that MSC induced T lymphocyte regulation results from the combination of various processes. Allogenic cell-cell contact, as demonstrated by the PHA co-cultures is per se stimulatory, whereas gamma-IFN synthesized by activated T lymphocytes, which activates indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase in MSC, and L-tryptophan depletion, which is induced by this enzyme, are inhibitory. Transmigration is nevertheless pivotal for the establishment of the inhibition by these mediators because it targets lymphocytes under the stroma in small extracellular spaces surrounded by MSC, where L-tryptophan is efficiently destroyed, leading to T lymphocyte proliferation arrest. In conclusion lymphocyte transmigration under allogenic MSC potentiates the inhibitory effect of soluble mediators generated by these cells. PMID- 17786952 TI - Sugar sensing by enterocytes combines polarity, membrane bound detectors and sugar metabolism. AB - Sugar consumption and subsequent sugar metabolism are known to regulate the expression of genes involved in intestinal sugar absorption and delivery. Here we investigate the hypothesis that sugar-sensing detectors in membranes facing the intestinal lumen or the bloodstream can also modulate intestinal sugar absorption. We used wild-type and GLUT2-null mice, to show that dietary sugars stimulate the expression of sucrase-isomaltase (SI) and L-pyruvate kinase (L-PK) by GLUT2-dependent mechanisms, whereas the expression of GLUT5 and SGLT1, did not rely on the presence of GLUT2. By providing sugar metabolites, sugar transporters, including GLUT2, fuelled a sensing pathway. In Caco2/TC7 enterocytes, we could disconnect the sensing triggered by detector from that produced by metabolism, and found that GLUT2 generated a metabolism-independent pathway to stimulate the expression of SI and L-PK. In cultured enterocytes, both apical and basolateral fructose could increase the expression of GLUT5, conversely, basolateral sugar administration could stimulate the expression of GLUT2. Finally, we located the sweet-taste receptors T1R3 and T1R2 in plasma membranes, and we measured their cognate G alpha Gustducin mRNA levels. Furthermore, we showed that a T1R3 inhibitor altered the fructose-induced expression of SGLT1, GLUT5, and L-PK. Intestinal gene expression is thus controlled by a combination of at least three sugar-signaling pathways triggered by sugar metabolites and membrane sugar receptors that, according to membrane location, determine sugar-sensing polarity. This provides a rationale for how intestine adapts sugar delivery to blood and dietary sugar provision. PMID- 17786953 TI - Mitogenic signaling pathways induced by G protein-coupled receptors. AB - G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists, including neurotransmitters, hormones, chemokines, and bioactive lipids, act as potent cellular growth factors and have been implicated in a variety of normal and abnormal processes, including development, inflammation, and malignant transformation. Typically, the binding of an agonistic ligand to its cognate GPCR triggers the activation of multiple signal transduction pathways that act in a synergistic and combinatorial fashion to relay the mitogenic signal to the nucleus and promote cell proliferation. A rapid increase in the activity of phospholipases C, D, and A2 leading to the synthesis of lipid-derived second messengers, Ca2+ fluxes and subsequent activation of protein phosphorylation cascades, including PKC/PKD, Raf/MEK/ERK, and Akt/mTOR/p70S6K is an important early response to mitogenic GPCR agonists. The EGF receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase has emerged as a transducer in the signaling by GPCRs, a process termed transactivation. GPCR signal transduction also induces striking morphological changes and rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple cellular proteins, including the non-receptor tyrosine kinases Src, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and the adaptor proteins CAS and paxillin. The pathways stimulated by GPCRs are extensively interconnected by synergistic and antagonistic crosstalks that play a critical role in signal transmission, integration, and dissemination. The purpose of this article is to review recent advances in defining the pathways that play a role in transducing mitogenic responses induced by GPCR agonists. PMID- 17786955 TI - A laser imaging and neutron reflection investigation into the monolayer behaviour of fatty acids used for taste masking microspheres. AB - Fatty acid microspheres have been used for taste masking purposes whereby the drug is preferentially released in the lower gastrointestinal tract, although the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. In this study, we use a combination of surface pressure measurements, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) and neutron reflectivity measurements to study the phase miscibility and escaping tendency from mixed stearic and palmitic acid films with a view to relating this to drug dissolution behaviour. It was noted that mixed systems showed considerably greater film interaction and instability than those composed of the pure lipid, especially in alkaline media. BAM studies were able to identify a range of phase separated structures for both the pure and mixed systems. Neutron reflectivity studies indicated a marked selective dissolution of palmitic acid into the subphase as a function of time and allowed quantification of the rate of dissolution of this species. It is concluded that the fatty acids are interacting within the monolayer and in addition the palmitic acid is escaping the mixed monolayers and dissolving into the alkali subphase. These findings have strong relevance for understanding the mechanism of drug release from the associated microspheres. PMID- 17786954 TI - Treatment outcomes of small cell carcinoma of the prostate: a single-center study. AB - BACKGROUND: The current study was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics and prognostic features associated with prostatic small cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: Between January 1985 and May 2005, 83 patients with SCC of the prostate were identified. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to assess the prognostic significance of the clinical parameters associated with disease-specific outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients had no evidence of distant metastasis at the time of the diagnosis of SCC, with the remaining patients demonstrating radiologic or biopsy-proven evidence of metastatic disease. Compared with patients with metastases, patients without metastases at the time of diagnosis were older (P = .001) and had a lower serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level at the time of diagnosis (P = .002). On multivariate analysis, an elevated serum LDH level and low serum albumin at the time of SCC diagnosis was found to be predictive of inferior progression-free survival (P = .02 and P = .008, respectively) and inferior disease-specific survival (DSS) (P = .02 and P = .01, respectively). At the time of last follow up, 72 patients (87%) had died of disease, with a median DSS duration of 13.1 months (range, 10.7-17.1 months). There was a statistically significant difference noted with regard to the median DSS of patients with nonmetastatic versus those with metastatic SCC (17.7 months [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 12.1-39.2 months] vs 12.5 months [95% CI, 8.1-16.1 months], respectively; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: SCC of the prostate is a highly aggressive tumor, with serum LDH and albumin levels at the time of diagnosis believed to be predictive of disease-related outcomes. Although palliative, current systemic therapy does not result in cure and does not provide long-term survival for patients with metastases. For patients with nonmetastatic disease, a strategy utilizing systemic and local therapies should be evaluated further. PMID- 17786956 TI - Old disease, new culprit: tumor stem cells in cancer. AB - Eloquent studies from hematopoietic systems have provided proof that cancer arises from a tumor stem cell that possesses self-renewing properties. Until recently, it was believed that this tumor stem cell was unique to leukemic disorders; evidence now suggests that solid tumors also harbor cancer stem cells that are capable of initiating tumor growth in immunodeficient animals with as few as 10 cells. Consequently, the term "tumor-initiating cell" is now gaining favor within the field. Here, we conceptually discuss the current theories regarding tumor-initiating cells and their involvement in the development and progression of human malignancies. Special attention is given to laboratory techniques and strategies currently exploited to isolate tumor-initiating cells from larger populations, including their inherent strengths and weaknesses. The biological relevance of a tumor-initiating subpopulation is also pondered and arguments regarding their origin are presented. The therapeutic promise of targeting tumor-initiating cells is certainly eminent and we weigh the advantages of targeting this subpopulation. Lastly, the field of cancer stem cells appears to be well-placed to make significant strides over the next decade and we discuss potential obstacles that must be negotiated to achieve those objectives. The realization of these goals will undoubtedly further our understanding of this complex disease and should eventually lead to improved therapies in the not-so distant future. PMID- 17786957 TI - Focal adhesion targeting of v-Crk is essential for FAK phosphorylation and cell migration in mouse embryo fibroblasts deficient src family kinases or p130CAS. AB - We examined the consequences of v-Crk expression in mouse embryo fibroblasts deficient Src family kinases or p130CAS. We found that Src kinases are essential for p130CAS/v-Crk signaling leading to FAK phosphorylation and cell migration in which Src is likely to mediate the focal adhesion targeting of v-Crk. SYF cells showed only low levels of FAK phosphorylation and cell migration, even in the presence of v-Crk. Expression of v-Crk restored migration of p130CAS-deficient cells to the level of wild-type cells, most likely through the targeting of v-Crk to focal adhesions by cSrc. In addition, we identified a new v-Crk-interacting protein that mediates v-Crk signaling in p130CAS-deficient cells. Using RT-PCR and caspase cleavage assays, we confirmed that this protein is not p130CAS and is responsible for maintaining v-Crk/Src signaling and migration in these. These findings suggest that focal adhesion targeting of v-Crk is essential in v-Crk mediated cellular signaling and that v-Crk must form a complex with p130CAS or a p130CAS substitute to transduce signaling from the extracellular matrix. PMID- 17786958 TI - HMGB1 is a bone-active cytokine. AB - High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin protein that acts as an immunomodulatory cytokine upon active release from myeloid cells. HMGB1 is also an alarmin, an endogenous molecule released by dying cells that acts to initiate tissue repair. We have previously reported that osteoclasts and osteoblasts release HMGB1 and release by the latter is regulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH), an agent of bone remodeling. A recent study suggests that HMGB1 acts as a chemotactic agent to osteoclasts and osteoblasts during endochondral ossification. To explore the potential impact of HMGB1 in the bone microenvironment and its mechanism of release by osseous cells, we characterized the effects of recombinant protein (rHMGB1) on multiple murine bone cell preparations that together exhibit the various cell phenotypes present in bone. We also inquired whether apoptotic bone cells release HMGB1. rHMGB1 enhanced the RANKL/OPG steady state mRNA ratio and dramatically augmented the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin-6 (IL6) in osteoblastogenic bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) cultures but not in the calvarial-derived MC3T3-E1 cells. Interestingly, rHMGB1 promoted GSK-3beta phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells but not in BMSCs. Apoptotic bone cells released HMGB1, including MLO-Y4 osteocyte like cells. MLO-Y4 release of HMGB1 was coincident with caspase-3 cleavage. Furthermore, the anti-apoptotic action of PTH on MC3T3-E1 cells correlated with the observed decrease in HMGB1 release. Our data suggest that apoptotic bone cells release HMGB1, that within the marrow HMGB1 is a bone resorption signal, and that intramembraneous and endochondral osteoblasts exhibit differential responses to this cytokine. PMID- 17786959 TI - Endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF) expression in colorectal cancer. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known as an important factor in the growth and metastasis of cancer cells. In 2001, a novel angiogenesis factor, endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF), was cloned. In this study, we investigated the expression of EG VEGF in colorectal cancer, the relationship between its expression and clinicopathological factors, and the in vitro activity of EG-VEGF transfectants. METHODS: We determined expression levels of EG-VEGF in 113 advanced colorectal cancers resected in our hospital by quantitative PCR, and compared the expression levels and clinicopathological findings by multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The expression of EG-VEGF mRNA was positive in 31 cancers and negative in 82 cancers. We found that compared with the negative expression of the EG-VEGF gene, its positive expression was more frequently associated with hematogenous metastasis, and was associated with a poorer survival rate. In addition, EG-VEGF transfectants showed a higher degree of in vitro tubular formation than control cells. CONCLUSIONS: We speculate that, in colorectal cancers, the EG-VEGF gene functions as an important factor in angiogenesis in primary and metastatic lesions, and consider that it is useful as a novel prognostic factor. EG-VEGF molecule-targeted therapy has the potential for improving survival rates. PMID- 17786960 TI - Saphenous vein graft conduits for insertion of hepatic arterial infusion pumps in patients with abnormal hepatic arterial anatomy. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy offers improved hepatic control for liver metastases from colon cancer. Optimal catheter insertion requires an adequate gastroduodenal artery (GDA). Limited data exists on using saphenous vein grafts (SVG) as conduits when native vasculature is inadequate. METHODS: All HAI pump insertions from 7/99 to 7/03 requiring SVG conduits (N = 10) were analyzed for arterial anatomy, operative conduct, and outcome. RESULTS: From 1988 through 2005, 124 HAI pumps were placed of which 10 received SVG conduits to optimize placement. Mean operative time was 251 +/- 50 min and mean blood loss was 230 +/- 30 cm(3). All were placed with palliative intent. Three patients (30%) had type 1 anatomy with inadequate GDA. Five (50%) had type 3 anatomy with replaced right hepatic artery, one (10%) had a small GDA originating off the right hepatic artery, and one patient (10%) had a trifurcation. Two (20%) pump-related complications were identified, and only one (10%) was related to vasculature (catheter thrombosis as a result of hepatic arterial stenosis distal to the SVG insertion site). CONCLUSIONS: Complication rates related to SVG conduits for hepatic arterial infusion pump placement are low. Saphenous vein grafts are acceptable conduits for patients with abnormal hepatic arterial anatomy. PMID- 17786961 TI - Left-Sided microsatellite unstable colorectal cancers show less frequent methylation of hMLH1 and CpG island methylator phenotype than right-sided ones. AB - CONDENSED ABSTRACT: We compared the methylation status of several loci between right-sided and left-sided colorectal cancers (CRCs). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first to report that left-sided CRCs show significantly less frequent methylation at several loci and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) than right-sided ones. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: MSI CRC occurs in 10-20% of unselected series of patients with CRC. Somatic hMLH1 promoter methylation is reported to cause MSI in sporadic cases. Many researchers report that MSI CRCs are more frequently located in the right-side colon than MSS CRCs. Though the number is very small, some MSI CRCs are located in the left-side colorectum. We focused on the existence of left-sided MSI CRCs and investigated whether they arise through hMLH1 methylation as they do in right-sided ones. METHODS: Thirty eight sporadic MSI CRCs were included in the study. The methylation status of the promoter of hMLH1, p16, MINT1, 2 and 31 were examined and the proportions of methylated samples for each locus were compared. RESULTS: The left-sided group showed significantly less frequent methylation in hMLH1, p16, MINT1, 2 and 31. The frequency of CIMP+ samples in the left-sided group was significantly lower than the right-sided group. CONCLUSIONS: Left-sided MSI CRCs show significantly less frequent methylation of hMLH1. They also showed significantly less frequent occurrence of CIMP+ than right-sided ones. It is possible that left-sided MSI CRCs differ from the right-sided ones in the way of acquiring MSI. PMID- 17786962 TI - Tissue preserving hepatectomy by a vessel sealing device. AB - BACKGROUND: The intraoperative blood loss and the biliary leak constitute the major causes of postoperative morbidity following liver resection. We describe a new technique for liver parenchyma transection using the Atlas modification of the ligasure vessel sealing system. The gradual closure of the instrument may cause crushing of the hepatic tissue and heat sealing of the vessels and bile ducts at the same time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten cirrhotic patients (group A) underwent minor liver resections due to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In four of these patients a bisegmentectomy was carried out, whereas in the remaining six the resection involved one segment. In addition, twelve patients with localized metastatic liver disease (group B) underwent tissue preserving hepatectomy also. Six of these patients underwent a bisegmentectomy and six had a local resection involving one segment. RESULTS: The blood loss in the first group varied from 120 to 350 ml, whereas in the second group varied from 80 to 280 ml. No postoperative biliary leakage was mentioned. CONCLUSION: This alternative technique of dividing the hepatic parenchyma seems to be simple and efficacious in preventing significant blood loss and bile leak in minor liver resections. PMID- 17786963 TI - Differential signaling mechanisms of HNP-induced IL-8 production in human lung epithelial cells and monocytes. AB - Human neutrophil peptides (HNP) kill microorganisms but also modulate immune responses through upregulation of the chemokine IL-8 by activation of the nucleotide P2Y(6) receptor. However, the intracellular signaling mechanisms remain yet to be determined. Human lung epithelial cells (A549) and monocytes (U937) were stimulated with HNP in the absence and presence of the specific kinase inhibitors for Src, extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Jun-N-terminal kinases (JNK), and Akt. HNP induced a rapid phosphorylation of the kinases in both cell types associated with a dose-dependent, selective production of IL-8 among 10 cytokines assayed. The HNP-induced IL-8 production was blocked by the Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor PP2, MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126, and the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002, but not by the JNK inhibitor SP600125 in both cell types. Treatment with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 attenuated the HNP-induced IL-8 production only in monocytes. Blockade of Src kinase blunted HNP-induced phosphorylation of the ERK1/2 and Akt but not p38 in monocytes. In contrast, Src inhibition had no effect on phosphorylation of the other kinases in the lung epithelial cells. We conclude that the activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt pathways is required for HNP-induced IL-8 release which occurs in a Src-independent manner in lung epithelial cells, while is Src dependent in monocytes. PMID- 17786964 TI - 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3-enhanced expression of the osteocalcin gene involves increased promoter occupancy of basal transcription regulators and gradual recruitment of the 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 receptor-SRC-1 coactivator complex. AB - Binding of 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D(3) to the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD) of its receptor (VDR) induces a conformational change that enables interaction of VDR with transcriptional coactivators such as members of the p160/SRC family or the DRIP (vitamin D receptor-interacting complex)/Mediator complex. These interactions are critical for VDR-mediated transcriptional enhancement of target genes. The p160/SRC members contain intrinsic histone acetyl transferase (HAT) activities that remodel chromatin at promoter regulatory regions, and the DRIP/Mediator complex may establish a molecular bridge between the VDR complex and the basal transcription machinery. Here, we have analyzed the rate of recruitment of these coactivators to the bone-specific osteocalcin (OC) gene in response to short and long exposures to 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3. We report that in intact osteoblastic cells VDR, in association with SRC-1, rapidly binds to the OC promoter in response to the ligand. The recruitment of SRC-1 correlates with maximal transcriptional enhancement of the OC gene at 4 h and with increased histone acetylation at the OC promoter. In contrast to other 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3-enhanced genes, binding of the DRIP205 subunit, which anchors the DRIP/Mediator complex to the VDR, is detected at the OC promoter only after several hours of incubation with 1alpha,25-dihydroxy vitamin D(3), concomitant with the release of SRC-1. Together, our results support a model where VDR preferentially recruits SRC-1 to enhance bone-specific OC gene transcription. PMID- 17786965 TI - Osteoarthritis. AB - Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage, limited intraarticular inflammation with synovitis, and changes in peri-articular and subchondral bone. Multiple factors are involved in the pathogenesis of OA, including mechanical influences, the effects of aging on cartilage matrix composition and structure, and genetic factors. Since the initial stages of OA involve increased cell proliferation and synthesis of matrix proteins, proteinases, growth factors, cytokines, and other inflammatory mediators by chondrocytes, research has focused on the chondrocyte as the cellular mediator of OA pathogenesis. The other cells and tissues of the joint, including the synovium and subchondral bone, also contribute to pathogenesis. The adult articular chondrocyte, which normally maintains the cartilage with a low turnover of matrix constituents, has limited capacity to regenerate the original cartilage matrix architecture. It may attempt to recapitulate phenotypes of early stages of cartilage development, but the precise zonal variations of the original cartilage cannot be replicated. Current pharmacological interventions that address chronic pain are insufficient, and no proven structure-modifying therapy is available. Cartilage tissue engineering with or without gene therapy is the subject of intense investigation. There are multiple animal models of OA, but there is no single model that faithfully replicates the human disease. This review will focus on questions currently under study that may lead to better understanding of mechanisms of OA pathogenesis and elucidation of effective strategies for therapy, with emphasis on mechanisms that affect the function of chondrocytes and interactions with surrounding tissues. PMID- 17786966 TI - E-cadherin expression in early gastric carcinoma and correlation with lymph node metastasis. AB - OBJECTIVE: Abnormal expression of E-cadherin plays an important role in the differentiation and progression of gastric carcinoma. However, the relationship between molecular changes in E-cadherin and metastasis in early gastric carcinoma (EGC) is poorly understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty cases of EGC with or without lymph node metastasis (30 node-positive cases and 30 node-negative cases) were investigated to evaluate hypermethylation status using bisulfate-MSP and immunohistochemistry using antibody against E-cadherin. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (45.0%) of 60 primary EGCs exhibited methylation in the CpG island of E-cadherin. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin was significantly correlated with patient age, tumor size, Lauren classification, differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, two factors were independent, statistically significant parameters associated with lymph node metastasis: abnormal expression of E-cadherin (risk ratio, 2.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.917-7.457; P < 0.05) and lymphatic invasion (risk ratio, 8.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.612-40.766; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that methylation of E-cadherin is a frequent, early event in gastric carcinoma progression, and is correlated significantly with downregulated E-cadherin expression. Inactivation of E-cadherin might be involved in metastasis in EGC and play an important role in microscopic differentiation. PMID- 17786967 TI - Estimation of cholesterol solubilization by a mixed micelle binding model in aqueous tauroursodeoxycholate:lecithin:cholesterol solutions. AB - In order to interpret the clinical efficacy of conjugated ursodeoxycholate (UDC) in cholesterol (Ch) gallstone patients, the Ch solubilization in mixed micelles in 40:40:32 mM tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDC):taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDC):lecithin (L) and 80:32 mM TUDC:L systems was estimated by using a model of Ch binding to mixed micelles. The Ch solubilization limit in mixed TUDC:L micelles was found to be higher than that in mixed TUDC:TCDC:L micelles. In the 80:32 mM TUDC:L system, the dissolution of the Ch pellet decreased after vesicles (liposomes) formed on the surface of the Ch pellet whereas the dissolution of microcrystalline Ch was rapid before and after vesicle formation in the solution, indicating that the total surface area of solid Ch exposed to the solution may be another important factor in inducing the dissolution of Ch gallstones. These phenomena suggest that although vesicles, occasionally formed in the bile of patients under the therapy of conjugated UDC, make a contribution to the solubilization of Ch gallstones, the model of Ch binding to mixed TUDC:L micelles can be used to estimate Ch solubility in TUDC:L system. PMID- 17786968 TI - Fear reactivity and effortful control in overt and relational bullying: a six month longitudinal study. AB - This study examined the roles of fear reactivity and emotional regulatory abilities in overt and relational bullying behaviors. Survey data were collected from 124 middle school students (mean age=10.3 years, 47% males, 61% Caucasian) and their teachers in the fall and spring of a school year. Surveys included teacher- and self-rated measures of students' overt and relational bullying along with self-reported fear reactivity and effortful control. Findings show that low levels of fear reactivity and effortful control predict higher future levels of overt bullying, but not relational bullying. These results suggest that despite high correlations between overt and relational bullying, these two forms of aggression develop through different processes. The findings from this investigation are discussed with respect to their implications for theory on the development of aggression as well as prevention and intervention programming for youth aggression. PMID- 17786969 TI - Microscopic anatomy of pycnogonida: II. Digestive system. III. Excretory system. AB - The digestive system of several species of sea spiders (Pycnogonida, Arthropoda) was studied by electron microscopy. It is composed of the foregut inside a long proboscis, a midgut and a hindgut. Lips near the three jaws at the tip of the proboscis receive several hundred ductules originating from salivary glands. These previously undetected glands open on the lips, a fluted, projecting ridge at the external hinge line of the jaws, i.e., to the outside of the mouth. This disposition suggests affinities to the chelicerate line. The trigonal esophagus within the proboscis contains a complex, setose filter device, operated by dedicated muscles, that serves to reduce ingested food to subcellular dimensions. The midgut has diverticula into the bases of all legs. Its cells differentiate from the basal layer and contain a bewildering array of secretion droplets, lysosomes and phagosomes. In the absence of a hepatopancreas, the midgut serves both digestive and absorptive functions. The cuticle-lined hindgut lies in the highly reduced, peg-like abdomen. Traditionally, pycnogonids have been claimed to have no excretory organ at all. Such a structure, however, has been located in at least one ammotheid, Nymphopsis spinosissima, in which a simple, but standard, excretory gland has been found in the scape of the chelifore. It consists of an end sac, a straight proximal tubule, a short distal tubule, and a raised nephropore. The end sac is a thin-walled and polygonal chamber, about 150 microm in cross section, suspended in the hemocoel of the appendage, its edges radially tethered to the cuticle at more than half a dozen locations. This wall consists of a filtration basement membrane, 1-4 microm thick, facing the hemocoel, and internally of a continuous carpet of podocytes and their pedicels. The podocytes, measuring maximally 10 by 15 microm, have complex contents, of which a labyrinthine system of connected intracellular channels stands out. These coated cisternae open into a central vacuole that often rivals the nucleus in size. The design of the organ closely approximates that of the primitive crustacean Hutchinsoniella macracantha. PMID- 17786970 TI - Overexpression of hERG1 in resected esophageal squamous cell carcinomas: a marker for poor prognosis. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic roles of human ether a go-go related gene (hERG1) potassium channels in resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Expression of hERG1 protein and mRNA was detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription PCR in resected esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) and non cancerous matched tissues, and the correlation was examined between expression of hERG1 protein and clinicopathological factors and prognosis of ESCC patients. RESULTS: Frequency of positive expression of hERG1 protein was 77.9% (53/68), mRNA was 81.8% (9/11). hERG1 protein and mRNA were negatively expressed in all non-cancerous matched tissues. There was no significant correlation between hERG1 protein expression and lymph node metastases, depth of penetration, stage, and other clinicopathological factors. Completeness was 92.5% for hERG1-positive group and 92.0% for hERG1-negative group. ESCC patients with positive expression of hERG1 protein had a significantly shorter postoperative survival time than those with negative expression (median, 30 vs. 56 months). Survival rates at each time-point for hERG1-positive group were lower than that for hERG1-negative group, and hERG1 was identified as an independent prognostic factor of long-term survival by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In ESCC, hERG1 was aberrantly expressed and correlated with poor prognosis after surgery. PMID- 17786971 TI - Compartment syndrome of the leg associated with lithotomy position for cytoreductive surgery. AB - BACKGROUND: Compartment syndrome is seen in patients who have ischemic damage to muscle that is contained within a fascial compartment. A pathologic cycle is initiated when tissue injury produces swelling and compromises muscle perfusion. Patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery combined with intraperitoneal chemotherapy are required to be in the lithotomy position for many hours. Compartment syndrome can develop necessitating fasciotomy. METHODS: In a study of 473 operative procedures to perform cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy, eight patients required fasciotomy on an emergency basis to treat compartment syndrome and were recorded in a prospective database over a 4-year time period. RESULTS: During the hospitalization five of the eight patients developed venous thrombotic complications. In order to prevent movement of the patient on the operating table during steep Trendelenburg position, shoulder braces were used in the subsequent 250 patients and no episodes of compartment syndrome occurred. CONCLUSION: Compartment syndrome in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery may be related to changes in position on the operating table induced by steep Trendelenburg position. Minimizing this change in position has reduced the likelihood of developing Compartment syndrome. PMID- 17786972 TI - Loss of Smad4 protein expression and 18qLOH as molecular markers indicating lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer--a study matched for tumor depth and pathology. AB - PURPOSE: Chromosome 18q21 deletion and Smad4 protein inactivation have been reported as molecular markers predicting unfavorable outcome in colorectal cancers and, in a previous report, we recently revealed that these molecules are closely associated with distant metastasis, which is one of the clinical factors affecting postoperative survival. However, there has been no discussion as to how these molecules influence another clinical factor, namely, lymph node metastasis. In this report, we studied the significance of chromosome 18q deletion and loss of Smad4 protein expression in association with lymph node metastasis. METHOD: Forty pairs of colorectal cancer specimens were studied; one group was positive for lymph node metastasis while the other was negative. We examined Smad4 protein expression level and chromosome 18q deletion in the two groups. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining revealed that more cases showed a weaker stain for Smad4 protein in the lymph node positive group compared with the negative group (P = 0.00075). Furthermore, a higher ratio of 18q21 deletion was observed in the lymph node positive group (P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: We revealed that chromosome 18q deletion and Smad4 protein inactivation are the essential molecular events in the process of lymph node metastasis. PMID- 17786973 TI - Estrogen-mediated activation of non-genomic pathway improves macrophages cytokine production following trauma-hemorrhage. AB - Although 17beta-estradiol (E2) attenuates the alterations in Kupffer cells and splenic macrophages (MPhi) cytokine production following trauma-hemorrhage, the mechanism by which this occurs remains unknown. Utilizing a cell-impermeable E2 conjugated with BSA (E2-BSA), we examined the non-genomic effects of E2 on the above two cell population cytokine production, MAPK and transcription factors activation following trauma-hemorrhage. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent trauma hemorrhage (mean BP 40 mmHg for 90 min, then resuscitation). E2, E2-BSA (1 mg/kg E2) with or without an estrogen receptor antagonist (ICI 182,780), or vehicle was administrated during resuscitation. Two hrs thereafter, Kupffer cells and SMPhi production of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10, activation of MAPK (p38, ERK-1/2, and JNK), and transcription factors (NF-kappaB and AP-1) were determined. IL-6, TNF alpha, and IL-10 productive capacity, MAPK, and transcription factors activation increased in Kupffer cells while they decreased in SMPhi following trauma hemorrhage. However, E2 administration normalized all of these alterations. Although E2-BSA also attenuated the alterations in cytokine production/transcription factors, the values were higher in Kupffer cells and lower in SMPhi compared to shams. In contrast, E2-BSA prevented trauma-hemorrhage mediated changes in MAPK activation to the same extent as E2. Co-administration of ICI 182,780 abolished E2-BSA effects. Although some MAPK inhibitors suppressed cytokine production, the inhibitor effectiveness was dependent on cytokine, cell type and animal condition (trauma-hemorrhage or sham). Thus, E2 effects on Kupffer cells and SMPhi cytokine production and transcription factors activation following trauma-hemorrhage are mediated at least in part via non-genomic pathway and these non-genomic effects are likely mediated via MAPK pathways. PMID- 17786974 TI - Folinic acid attenuates methotrexate chemotherapy-induced damages on bone growth mechanisms and pools of bone marrow stromal cells. AB - Chemotherapy often induces bone growth defects in pediatric cancer patients; yet the underlying cellular mechanisms remain unclear and currently no preventative treatments are available. Using an acute chemotherapy model in young rats with the commonly used antimetabolite methotrexate (MTX), this study investigated damaging effects of five once-daily MTX injections and potential protective effects of supplementary treatment with antidote folinic acid (FA) on cellular activities in the tibial growth plate, metaphysis, and bone marrow. MTX suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis of chondrocytes, and reduced collagen-II expression and growth plate thickness. It reduced production of primary spongiosa bone, volume of secondary spongiosa bone, and proliferation of metaphyseal osteoblasts, preosteoblasts and bone marrow stromal cells, with the cellular activities being most severely damaged on day 9 and returning to or towards near normal levels by day 14. On the other hand, proliferation of marrow pericytes was increased early after MTX treatment and during repair. FA supplementation significantly suppressed chondrocyte apoptosis, preserved chondrocyte proliferation and expression of collagen-II, and attenuated damaging effects on production of calcified cartilage and primary bone. The supplementation also significantly reduced MTX effects on proliferation of metaphyseal osteoblastic cells and of bone marrow stromal cells, and enhanced pericyte proliferation. These observations suggest that FA supplementation effectively attenuates MTX damage on cellular activities in producing calcified cartilage and primary trabecular bone and on pools of osteoblastic cells and marrow stromal cells, and that it enhances proliferation of mesenchymal progenitor cells during bone/bone marrow recovery. PMID- 17786976 TI - Some effects of a buried electricity transmission cable on bulk soil. AB - A case study in NW Italy investigating an underground electric line (1 m depth triple cable at operative voltages 220-380 kV) measured electric fields in the surrounding soil virtually close to zero but magnetic fields (microTs) 20 times the background level. After 6 months, the influence radius around the cable on microbial activity (estimated by soil ATP), organic carbon, and total nitrogen follows exactly the inverse trend of the MF, shifting the biological activity with a lag distance of 5 m from the 220 kV cable. PMID- 17786975 TI - Experimental manipulation of ovary activation and gene expression in honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens and workers: testing hypotheses of reproductive regulation. AB - A fundamental issue in sociobiology is to understand how social insect females regulate their individual reproduction to maximize colony and personal fitness. Although the social cues mediating reproductive output within castes of the honey bees (Apis mellifera) are understood at a basic level, the underlying gene regulatory networks are not. In this study, we investigate the expression of 25 genes whose function suggests a role in the gene networks that regulate ovary activation--a functional determinant of reproductive skew. To this end, we used CO2 narcosis to manipulate ovary activation in queens and workers, and then quantified concomitant changes in gene expression using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Of the 25 genes studied, ten were differentially expressed between treated and control groups in at least one caste. Two of these genes, a ribosomal protein and a tyramine receptor, were differentially expressed between treatments and controls in both castes. We use the expression pattern of all differentially expressed genes to test hypotheses for the caste-specific regulation of ovary activation in honey bees. PMID- 17786977 TI - Direct current electrical fields induce apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells by NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species. AB - The presence of more than one dental alloy in the oral cavity often causes pathological galvanic currents and voltage resulting in superficial erosions of the oral mucosa and eventually in the emergence of oral cancer. In the present study the mechanisms of apoptosis of oral mucosa cancer cells in response to electromagnetic fields was investigated. Direct current (DC) electrical fields with field strengths between 2 and 16 V/m, applied for 24 h to UM-SCC-14-C oral mucosa cancer cells, dose-dependently resulted in decreased cell proliferation as evaluated by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry and upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21(cip1/waf1) and p27(kip1), which are associated with cell cycle arrest. Electrical field treatment (4 V/m, 24 h) increased apoptosis as evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of cleaved caspase-3 and poly-(ADP ribose)-polymerase-1 (PARP-1). Furthermore, robust reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, increased expression of NADPH oxidase subunits as well as Hsp70 was observed. Electrical field treatment (4 V/m, 24 h) resulted in increased expression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and decreased intracellular concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH), whereas the expression of catalase remained unchanged. Pre-treatment with the free radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and the superoxide dismutase mimetic EUK-8 abolished caspase-3 and PARP-1 induction, suggesting that apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells is initated by ROS generation in response to DC electrical field treatment. PMID- 17786978 TI - Assessment of magnetic fields surrounding electronic article surveillance systems in Sweden. AB - Magnetic fields surrounding 11 EAS systems in Swedish shops and libraries were measured, in real-life conditions, according to the CENELEC standard. For each system, the arithmetic mean of 45 measurement points was compared to ICNIRP's reference level. Six of eleven measured systems exceeded the reference levels. PMID- 17786980 TI - Insights into nuclear localization and dynamic association of CD38 in Raji and K562 cells. AB - CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein found mainly on the plasma membrane involved in the metabolism of cADPR and NAADP, two nucleotides with calcium mobilizing activity independent of inositol trisphosphate. Recent data report the presence of CD38 in different cellular compartments raising new questions about its effective role in cellular metabolism. In rat hepatocyte nuclei, CD38 has been proposed as a responsive to cADPR integral inner membrane protein suggesting that the nuclear envelope may also be an important source of Ca2+ stores. Further reports indicating that CD38 is localized in nuclear compartments in a variety of cell types and tissues including brain, liver, eye, spleen, and bone raise the condition of resolving the question concerning the effective presence of CD38 within the nucleus. Here we report data supporting the presence of CD38 at nuclear level independently of expression of surface CD38. We utilized two different human leukemia cell lines expressing or not expressing CD38 molecule on their cell surface. The morphological and biochemical results including enzymatic activity and proteomic determinations explain the effective nuclear localization of CD38 in human Raji and K562 cells. Since cell nucleus is a complex and highly dynamic environment with many functionally specialized regions, the nuclear localization of specific proteins represents an important mechanism in signal transduction. The presence of CD38 at the interchromatin region whether linked to nuclear scaffold or stored in nuclear structures as micronuclei and Cajal bodies co-localizing with coilin, suggests its involvement in nuclear processes including transcription, replication, repairing and splicing. PMID- 17786981 TI - HDLs activate ADAM17-dependent shedding. AB - The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) converting enzyme (ADAM17) is a metalloprotease that cleaves several transmembrane proteins, including TNF and its receptors (TNFR1 and TNFR2). We recently showed that the shedding activity of ADAM17 is sequestered in lipid rafts and that cholesterol depletion increased the shedding of ADAM17 substrates. These data suggested that ADAM17 activity could be regulated by cholesterol movements in the cell membrane. We investigated if the membrane cholesterol efflux induced by high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) was able to modify the shedding of ADAM17 substrates. HDLs added to different cell types, increased the ectodomain shedding of TNFR2, TNFR1, and TNF, an effect reduced by inhibitors active on ADAM17. The HDLs-stimulated TNF release occurred also on cell-free isolated plasma membranes. Purified apoA1 increased the shedding of TNF in an ABCA1-dependent manner, suggesting a role for the cholesterol efflux in this phenomenon. HDLs reduced the cholesterol and proteins (including ADAM17) content of lipid rafts and triggered the ADAM17-dependent cleavage of TNF in the non-raft region of the membrane. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that HDLs alter the lipid raft structure, which in turn activates the ADAM17-dependent processing of transmembrane substrates. PMID- 17786982 TI - Real-Time assessment of granule and tablet properties using in-line data from a high-shear granulation process. AB - A method for real-time assessment of granule and tablet properties was investigated. A mixture of microcrystalline cellulose:mannitol:povidone (78.5:18.5:3) was used in the study and granulated with five different water amounts and two impeller speeds. This represents a full-factorial design with two factors, thus giving a causal structure to the variation between the experiments. Process data (power consumption, temperature and in-line near-infrared spectra) were collected during the granulations. In addition to the in-line process data, critical granule and tablet quality properties (such as particle size, porosity and tablet hardness) were measured in order to achieve in-depth process understanding. Neither power consumption nor temperature gave information that could be directly attributable to tablet properties, and these techniques were also heavily dependent on the speed of the impeller. In contrast, when using the first NIR overtone band for water (1460 nm), in-line real-time assessment of dry granule and tablet properties could be achieved. PMID- 17786983 TI - Impaired human hippocampal neurogenesis after treatment for central nervous system malignancies. AB - The effects of cancer treatments such as cranial radiation and chemotherapy on human hippocampal neurogenesis remain unknown. In this study, we examine neuropathological markers of neurogenesis and inflammation in the human hippocampus after treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia or medulloblastoma. We demonstrate a persistent radiation-induced microglial inflammation that is accompanied by nearly complete inhibition of neurogenesis after cancer treatment. These findings are consistent with preclinical animal studies and suggest potential therapeutic strategies. PMID- 17786984 TI - Prediction of pharmaceutical solubility Via NRTL-SAC and COSMO-SAC. AB - Solid phase solubility is a fundamental parameter in the design of crystallization processes. The development and optimization of crystallization processes requires screening of numerous solvent systems for which the solubility of the compound of interest has to be measured as a function of temperature and solvent composition. Tools that quickly estimate the solubility in different solvents can be very useful in the initial phases of the solvent system selection process. In this paper, we report our experience applying two thermodynamic models in the solubility estimation of pharmaceutical compounds: the NRTL-SAC method (Chen and Song, 2004, Ind Eng Chem Res 43: 8354) which provides a correlative and predictive model from limited solubility measurements, and the COSMO-SAC (Lin and Sandler, 2002, Ind Eng Chem Res 41: 899) method which predicts solubility from ab initio calculations. These theoretical methods, coupled with rapid experimental measurement for verification, provide a powerful solubility screening protocol for the development of crystallization processes. PMID- 17786985 TI - Imaging cerebral microvascular amyloid. PMID- 17786986 TI - Dopamine D1 receptor imaging in the rodent and primate brain using the isoquinoline +-[11C]A-69024 and positron emission tomography. AB - In vivo pharmacokinetic and brain binding characteristics of (+)-[(11)C]A-69024, a high-affinity-D1-selective dopamine receptor antagonist, were assessed with micro-PET and beta-microprobes in the rat and PET in the baboon. The biodistribution of (+)-[(11)C]A-69024 in rats and baboons showed a rapid brain uptake (reaching a maximal value at 5 and 15 min postinjection in rats and baboons, respectively), followed by a slow wash out. The region/cerebellum concentration ratio was characterized by a fourfold higher uptake in striatum and a twofold higher uptake in cortical regions, consistent with in vivo specific binding of the radiotracer in these cerebral regions. Furthermore, this specific (+)-[(11)C]A-69024 binding significantly correlated with the reported in vitro distribution of dopamine D1-receptors. Finally, the specific uptake of the tracer in the striatum and cortical regions was completely prevented by either a pretreatment with large doses of nonradioactive (+/-)A-69024 or of the D1 selective antagonist SCH23390, resulting in a similar uptake in the reference region (cerebellum) and in other brain regions. Thus, (+)-[(11)C]A-69024 appears to be a specific and enantioselective radioligand to visualize and quantify brain dopamine D1 receptors in vivo using positron emission tomography. PMID- 17786987 TI - Facile and sensitive determination of selenium (IV) in pharmaceutical formulations by flow injection spectrophotometry. AB - An automated flow injection spectrophotometric method has been developed for the rapid, simple, selective, and sensitive determination of selenium (IV) from various pharmaceutical multivitamin and mineral formulations. The method was based on the oxidation of 4-aminoantipyrine (4-amino-l,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-2 phenyl-3H-pyrazole-3-one; 4-AAP) by selenium in presence of acidic medium and the coupling with N-(naphthalen-l-yl)ethane-1,2-diamine dihydrochloride (NEDA) to give a violet color derivative. Gilson P2 mini pulse peristaltic pump has been used for introducing the selenium (IV), dilute HCl, 4-AAP and NEDA solutions into reaction coil by an automatic system. The absorbance of the 4-AAP-NEDA color derivative was measured at 563 nm after a reaction time of 3 min in stop flow of 4-AAP-NEDA. Beer's law was obeyed for selenium in the concentration range 0.05 5.0 microg mL(-1) and Sandell's sensitivity was found to be 0.00286 microg cm2. The performance of the present method was compared with the official method in terms of Student's F- and t-tests, and no significant difference was observed. This method was found to be suitable for estimating the selenium (IV) concentration in various pharmaceutical multivitamin and mineral formulations such as tablets and capsules. PMID- 17786988 TI - Removal of cysteinylation from an unpaired sulfhydryl in the variable region of a recombinant monoclonal IgG1 antibody improves homogeneity, stability, and biological activity. AB - The antibody MAB007 was recently shown to be cysteinylated on an unpaired cysteine residue in the CDR3 variable region. Cysteinylation at this position was not complete and resulted in heterogeneous lots of MAB007 with respect to this posttranslational modification. In this report, a mild redox step was used that effectively removed cysteinylation while keeping native inter and intra-molecular disulfide bonds intact. Biophysical methods were employed to determine what consequences cysteinylation of the variable region had by directly comparing cysteinylated and de-cysteinylated MAB007 antibodies. No differences were detected in secondary structure; however, several pieces of evidence indicated that cysteinylation may result in tertiary or quaternary structural perturbations. These included differences in the cation-exchange chromatography and fluorescence-emission spectra of the cysteinylated and de-cysteinylated antibodies as well as differences in the solvent accessibility of the unpaired cysteine residue determined by labeling experiments. Such structural changes induced by cysteinylation were shown to increase the rate of MAB007 aggregation and to decrease the melting temperature of the Fab region by as much as 6 degrees C. The bioactivity of MAB007 was also shown to be adversely affected by cysteinylation and a direct correlation was made between the percent cysteinylation and biological activity. PMID- 17786989 TI - Machine learning approaches for predicting compounds that interact with therapeutic and ADMET related proteins. AB - Computational methods for predicting compounds of specific pharmacodynamic and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) property are useful for facilitating drug discovery and evaluation. Recently, machine learning methods such as neural networks and support vector machines have been explored for predicting inhibitors, antagonists, blockers, agonists, activators and substrates of proteins related to specific therapeutic and ADMET property. These methods are particularly useful for compounds of diverse structures to complement QSAR methods, and for cases of unavailable receptor 3D structure to complement structure-based methods. A number of studies have demonstrated the potential of these methods for predicting such compounds as substrates of P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P450 CYP isoenzymes, inhibitors of protein kinases and CYP isoenzymes, and agonists of serotonin receptor and estrogen receptor. This article is intended to review the strategies, current progresses and underlying difficulties in using machine learning methods for predicting these protein binders and as potential virtual screening tools. Algorithms for proper representation of the structural and physicochemical properties of compounds are also evaluated. PMID- 17786990 TI - Moderate anxiety, whether acute or chronic, is not associated with ovarian suppression in healthy, well-nourished, Western women. AB - The relationship between psychological stress and reduced fecundity has been a matter of speculation and investigation for decades. Most previous studies have been compromised, however, by a number of problems including ambiguous direction of causation, poorly operationalized variables, and the confounding of psychological with energetic stress. We present a two-part study of the relationship between moderate anxiety, both acute and chronic, and daily measures of ovarian steroid and corticosteroid levels in saliva. Anxiety, as a particular form of psychosocial stress, was measured by the Spielberger Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory as well as by a self-reported daily stress score. In the first part, 23 college juniors taking the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) were studied the month before and the month after the test, and again several months later, and compared at the same time points with 27 controls. In the second part, chronic anxiety levels were assessed in 95 women between 27 and 41 years of age and analyzed in relation to daily levels of salivary ovarian and corticosteroids over one menstrual cycle. The sample sizes are sufficient to allow for confidence in negative results. No statistically significant differences in ovarian or corticosteroid levels were observed whether between the MCAT and control subjects in part one, between the MCAT subjects before and after the MCAT test in part one, or between high and low anxiety subjects in part two. The results indicate that moderate levels of anxiety, whether acute or chronic, are not associated with suppressed ovarian function in healthy women. PMID- 17786991 TI - Influence of heat and moisture exchanger respiratory load on transcutaneous oxygenation in laryngectomized individuals: a randomized crossover study. AB - BACKGROUND: High-resistance heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) have been reported to increase transcutaneous oxygenation (tcpO(2)) values in laryngectomized individuals and to negatively influence patient compliance. The goal of the present study was to validate earlier published results on short-term transcutaneous oxygenation changes by high-resistance HMEs. METHODS: We conducted a randomized crossover study, monitoring the influence of an HME on tcpO(2) over a 2-hour time interval in 20 subjects. RESULTS: No evidence of an immediate HME effect (95% CI: -14.9-13.3 mm Hg, p = .91), or a time-dependent HME effect (95% CI: -.121 - .172 mm Hg/minute, p = .74), on tcpO(2) was found. After fitting the statistical model without time dependency, again no evidence of HME presence was seen (95% CI: -.5 mm Hg - 3.6 mm Hg, p = .15). CONCLUSION: In contrast to earlier suggestions, there is no evidence of increased tcpO(2) levels by high-resistance HMEs in laryngectomized individuals. Thus, using such HMEs has no added clinical value in this respect. PMID- 17786992 TI - Swallowing disorders in the first year after radiation and chemoradiation. AB - BACKGROUND: Radiation alone or concurrent chemoradiation can result in severe swallowing disorders. This manuscript defines the swallowing disorders occurring at pretreatment and 3 and 12 months after completion of radiation or chemoradiation. METHODS: Forty-eight patients (10 women and 38 men) participated in this study involving videofluorographic evaluation of oropharyngeal swallow at the 3 time points. RESULTS: At baseline, patients had some swallow disorders, probably related to presence of their tumor. At 3 months posttreatment, frequency of reduced tongue base retraction, slow or delayed laryngeal vestibule closure, and reduced laryngeal elevation increased from baseline. Some disorders continued at 12 months posttreatment. Functional swallow decreased over time in patients treated with chemoradiation, but not those treated with radiation alone. DISCUSSION: Chemoradiation results in fewer functional swallowers than radiation alone at 12 months posttreatment completion. PMID- 17786993 TI - Craniofacial variation and population continuity during the South African Holocene. AB - We assess craniometric variation in 153 individually dated human crania from South Africa with the aim of investigating genetic continuity/discontinuity during the Holocene. Evidence from the archaeological record is used to pinpoint likely episodes of genetic discontinuity. Craniometric data are then used to assess the likelihood of genetic change having occurred. Two periods of possible genetic discontinuity are identified: i) c. 4,000 BP, when an increase in overall population size, shifts in site organization and diet, and reduced mobility, were accompanied by reductions in stature; ii) c. 2,000 BP, when the herding of domesticates and the use of pottery vessels were introduced into the region. Results indicate that there was a decrease in cranial size and concomitant size related changes in craniofacial shape between c.4,000 BP and 3,000 BP. This was followed almost immediately by a recovery in craniofacial size and a return to pre-4,000 BP craniofacial shape at c. 3,000 BP. This recovery continued gradually, extending into the herder period without any major shifts in morphology at 2,000 BP. It is suggested that the fluctuations in craniofacial size/shape were related to changes in environmental factors. Results obtained are consistent with long term continuity in South African Later Stone Age populations during the Holocene. PMID- 17786994 TI - Gait parameter adjustments of cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus, Callitrichidae) to locomotion on inclined arboreal substrates. AB - The influence of different substrate inclinations on gaits and metric gait parameters (relative forelimb and hind limb protraction, relative forelimb, and hind limb retraction, stride length, stance, and swing phase duration) of cotton top tamarin locomotion was studied using high-speed video films and evaluated by descriptive and analytical statistical methods. As previously shown, lateral sequence gaits predominantly occurred on descending arboreal substrates (branchlike pole with a smaller diameter than the animal's body). Gait sequence patterns display significant dependency on substrate inclination. Cotton-top tamarins utilize lower diagonality values the more the substrate declines. This tendency leads to a greater use of lateral sequence gaits on steeply declined substrates. Conversely, these primates display the tendency to utilize higher diagonality values the more the substrate inclines leading to the predominant occurrence of diagonal sequence (DS) gaits. Duty factor index, extent of relative protraction, and relative retraction of both limb pairs as well as the relation of forelimb stance phase duration to hind limb stance phase duration is also correlated to the inclination of the substrate. Stride length and swing phase duration display no significant dependence on inclination, but are determined by the speed of the moving animal. The relevant duty factor is approximately constant at all inclinations. Integrating our results with results of other authors we propose a hypothesis for the functional relevance of a utilization of lateral sequence gaits in downward locomotion and DS gaits in upward locomotion. Our data support the notion of a wide ranging behavioral plasticity as a general primate locomotor characteristic. PMID- 17786995 TI - Brief communication: new reconstruction of the Taung endocast. AB - Earlier reconstructions of the Taung endocast, from the juvenile type specimen for Australopithecus africanus, were achieved without benefit of the advanced computer technology that is available today and before morphological differences were identified that distinguish endocasts of Paranthropus from those of A. africanus. Here, we reconstruct and measure a relatively complete virtual endocast of Taung and provide a new cranial capacity estimate of 382 cm(3) and a projected adult capacity of 406 cm(3), which are smaller than previous estimates. Linear measurements and ratios were also obtained from an endocast of Sts 5 and five Paranthropus endocasts and compared with those of Taung. A number of previously unrecognized foramina, processes, and canals are identified in the bony material that adheres to the base of the Taung endocast. The newly reconstructed virtual endocast of Taung displays a number of shape features that sort it more closely with gracile than robust australopithecines, including squared-off frontal lobes in dorsal view, and the shape of the tips of its temporal poles. The Taung endocast also shares some features with Paranthropus endocasts, while other characteristics such as small temporal lobes may be due to its juvenile status. Just how much of Taung's unique morphology is due to its juvenile status may eventually be clarified by comparing its endocast with those from other juvenile australopithecines such as the 3.3-million-year-old juvenile from Dikika, Ethiopia. PMID- 17786997 TI - Dental indicators of health and stress in early Egyptian and Nubian agriculturalists: a difficult transition and gradual recovery. AB - Although agriculture is now the globally predominant mode of food production, studies of the skeletal remains of early agriculturalists have indicated high levels of physiological stress and poor health relative to hunter-gatherers in similar environments. Previous studies identifying this trend in different regions prompt further research of the causes and effects of subsistence transitions in human societies. Here, 242 dentitions from five ancient Egyptian and Nubian populations are examined: 38 individuals from Jebel Sahaba (Upper Paleolithic), 56 from Badari (Predynastic), 54 from Naqada (Predynastic), 47 from Tarkhan (Dynastic), and 47 from Kerma (Dynastic). These populations span the early period of agricultural intensification along the Nile valley. Skeletal remains were scored for the presence of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) of the dentition, an established indicator of physiological stress and growth interruption. The prevalence of LEH was highest in the "proto-agricultural" (pastoralist) Badari population, with a gradual decline throughout the late Predynastic and early Dynastic periods of state formation. This suggests that the period surrounding the emergence of early agriculture in the Nile valley was associated with high stress and poor health, but that the health of agriculturalists improved substantially with the increasing urbanization and trade that accompanied the formation of the Egyptian state. This evidence for poor health among proto- and early agriculturalists in the Nile valley supports theories that agricultural intensification occurred as a response to ecological or demographic pressure rather than simply as an innovation over an existing stable subsistence strategy. PMID- 17786996 TI - Oral and physiological paleohealth in cold adapted peoples: Northeast Asia, Hokkaido. AB - This paper examines variables useful in reconstructing oral (caries, antemortem tooth loss, alveolar defects) and physiological (cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia) well-being in two bioarchaeological assemblages from Hokkaido, Japan: Okhotsk (n = 37 individuals) and Jomon (n = 60). Findings are compared and contrasted with each other, with published series from Honshu Japan, and samples from climatically near-equivalent Alaska. It was found that more meaningful comparisons of Hokkaido paleohealth could be made with Alaskan material, rather than the more southerly Jomon. Results were ambiguous with respect to physiological well-being. Low levels of LEH in the cold-adapted samples suggest operating in arctic and subarctic environments with marine-based subsistence regimes is not physiologically expensive. However, the relatively high levels of cribra orbitalia in Hokkaido, relative to Alaska, suggest the picture is not straightforward: the reasons for elevated cribra orbitalia in Hokkaido are unclear. The subarctic and arctic samples formed three broadly similar groupings in terms of oral health profiles: (1) Aleuts and Eskimo; (2) Ipiutak and Tigara; (3) Hokkaido Jomon, Okhotsk, and Kodiak Island. Differences between these groupings could be explained with a combination of sample demographics and subsistence orientations. The extremely high frequency of caries in one sample, caribou hunting Ipiutak, may have been influenced by factors such as low levels of dietary magnesium and potentially cariogenic foodstuffs, such as preparations of caribou stomach contents. It was concluded that oral health profiles are potentially sensitive to differences in subsistence strategies among cold-adapted hunter-gatherers, although they lack predictive value. PMID- 17786998 TI - Trophy heads from Nawinpukio, Peru: physical and chemical analysis of Huarpa-era modified human remains. AB - Rescue excavations at the site of Nawinpukio in Peru's Ayacucho Valley exposed a cache of fragmented skulls dating to the Huarpa-era, about AD 400-700. Physical analysis of these remains revealed that they belonged to individuals of both sexes and a range of ages (MNI = 8), and that four crania had been modified through drilling, cutting, and scraping. The occipital and parietal bones of one cranium had been modified to form a shallow basin. Carbon stable isotope analysis of these remains revealed that five individuals had isotopic signatures consistent with maize consumption and one individual exhibited a carbon isotope value indicative of a C(3) plant based diet. Such a nonmaize diet distinguishes this individual from all other prehistoric humans analyzed from the Ayacucho Valley and is consistent with an origin a different ecozone of the valley. On the basis of their physical properties it is argued that these remains represent trophies obtained during raiding. Drawing on the formal properties of the specimens as well as ethnographic and archaeological analogies, it is suggested that the cranial basin served as a vessel for liquid. PMID- 17786999 TI - Morphological variation in adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of the Tai National Park, Cote d'Ivoire. AB - Twenty five adult chimpanzee skeletons (Pan troglodytes verus) of known age and sex (15 females, 10 males) from a long-term study site in Tai National Park, Cote d'Ivoire present new data on variation. These skeletons provide a rare opportunity to measure the cranium and postcranium from the same individuals. We compare measurements and indices of the Tai sample with those of relatively complete Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii skeletons from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Measurements of Pan paniscus are included as an outside comparison. The Tai and Gombe samples are analyzed by sex; combined sex samples are compared between the two groups, and the two sexes to each other. Tai females and males do not differ in most long bone lengths or in pelvic dimensions, but do differ significantly in cranial capacity, facial measurements, clavicle length, scapular breadth, and femur length. Gombe females and males differ significantly in some facial measurements and in scapular breadth. In combined sex samples, Tai individuals have lower cranial capacity, longer palate and mandible, and greater dimensions in the trunk and limb lengths. Tai females account for most of the variation; males differ from each other only in greater length of humerus and femur. The Tai skeletons provide new data for assessing individual variation and sexual dimorphism within and between populations and species. The combination of cranial and postcranial data provides a clearer picture of chimpanzee intraspecific and interspecific variation than can be gained from either data set alone. PMID- 17787000 TI - Knuckle walking signal in the manual digits of Pan and Gorilla. AB - This article examines the curvature of the manual proximal and middle phalanges of species belonging to Pan, Gorilla, Ateles, Macaca, Pongo, Hylobates, and Cebus to determine whether middle phalangeal curvature, when considered in conjunction with proximal phalangeal curvature, yields a locomotor signal. Prior studies have demonstrated the discriminatory power of proximal phalanges for separating suspensory species (including knuckle walkers) from pronograde quadrupedal species, but less emphasis has been placed on the distinguishing phalangeal characteristics of taxa within the suspensory category. This study demonstrates, first, that middle phalanges discriminate suspensory from nonsuspensory species, although not as cleanly as proximal phalanges. Finer discrimination of locomotor signals, including subtle differences among animals employing different modes of suspension, is possible through a comparison of the curvatures of the proximal phalanges and corresponding middle phalanges. Their relative curvature differs in quadrupeds, brachiators, and knuckle walkers. Knuckle walkers (Pan and Gorilla) have relatively little curvature of the middle phalanges coupled with marked curvature of the proximal phalanges, whereas brachiators (Ateles and Hylobates) display marked curvature of both proximal and middle phalanges, and pronograde quadrupeds (Cebus and Macaca) have relatively straight proximal and moderately curved middle phalanges. Quadrumanous climbers (Pongo) have a unique combination of traits, whereby curvature is high in both proximal and middle phalanges, but less so in the latter than the former. These differences, predictable on the basis of the biomechanical forces to which digits are subjected, may open a new venue for future research on the locomotor repertoire of prebipedal ancestors of hominins. PMID- 17787001 TI - Prey foraging of red titi monkeys, Callicebus cupreus, in comparison to sympatric tamarins, Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis. AB - We compared the prey capture strategies of red titi monkeys, Callicebus cupreus, with those of sympatric mustached, Saguinus mystax, and saddleback tamarins, Saguinus fuscicollis, to examine whether animal prey is important in niche differentiation between these Neotropical primates. We collected data on strata and substrate use during foraging, on prey searching and capturing, and on prey type of two C. cupreus groups and one group each of S. mystax and S. fuscicollis during a 5-month field study in northeastern Peruvian Amazonia. Our results showed that C. cupreus differed both from S. mystax and S. fuscicollis in prey capture strategies: (1) C. cupreus used lower forest strata for prey search and capture than S. mystax and higher forest strata than S. fuscicollis. (2) C. cupreus captured prey on a higher variety of substrates than S. mystax and more often on open microhabitats compared to S. fuscicollis. (3) C. cupreus captured prey more often directly than S. mystax and rarely by manual search, in contrast to S. fuscicollis. (4) C. cupreus fed exclusively on arthropods and focused on Hymenoptera, in contrast to both tamarin species that focused on Orthoptera and included vertebrates in their diet. These findings indicate that animal prey plays a role in niche differentiation between C. cupreus and S. fuscicollis/S. mystax and might facilitate the coexistence of these three sympatric species. PMID- 17787002 TI - Increased binding potential of [(11)C]raclopride during unilateral continuous microinjection of nicotine in rat striatum observed by positron emission tomography. AB - Nicotine injections and nicotine skin patches significantly improve attention, memory, and learning in Alzheimer's disease. In animal studies, nicotine improves the performance of various memory-related tasks, an effect that is thought to be mediated by the neuronal dopaminergic system as systemic administration of nicotine decreased [(11)C]raclopride binding in the anesthetized state. Since high doses of systemically administered nicotine are harmful, we administrated it directly into the rat striatum via microdialysis. We then examined the acute effects of continuous central administration of high doses of nicotine on striatal dopamine concentrations by measuring [(11)C]raclopride binding by positron emission tomography. The concentration of dopamine in the dialysates was significantly increased from basal levels when microdialysis with 100 mM nicotine was initiated. However, contrary to expectations, the binding potential (BP) of [(11)C]raclopride in the nicotine-perfused striatum was significantly higher than that in control striatum. Preinjection of mecamylamine (3 mg/kg), a nicotinic antagonist, had no effect on either extracellular dopamine levels or on the BP of [(11)C]raclopride. These findings suggest that the high dose of local nicotine administration induced mecamylamine-insensitive local increases in extracellular dopamine, but might have decreased the total amount of extracellular dopamine in the striatum. PMID- 17787003 TI - Synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation of 3-[(18)F]fluoro-5-(2 pyridinylethynyl)benzonitrile as a PET radiotracer for imaging metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5. AB - The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) has been reported to be implicated in various neurological disorders in the central nervous system. To investigate physiological and pathological functions of mGluR5, noninvasive imaging in a living body with PET technology and an mGluR5-specific radiotracer is urgently needed. Here, we report the synthesis of 3-[(18)F]fluoro-5-(2 pyridinylethynyl)benzonitrile ([(18)F]FPEB) through a convenient thermal reaction as a highly specific PET radiotracer for mGluR5. The precursor and standard compounds were prepared by a coupling reaction catalyzed by palladium. Radiosynthesis of [(18)F]FPEB was performed using nitro as a leaving group replaced by [(18)F]fluoride under conventional heating condition. Biodistribution, metabolite, and microPET studies were performed using Sprague Dawley rats. Upto 30 mCi of [(18)F]FPEB was obtained with a radiochemical yield of 5% and a specific activity of 1900 +/- 200 mCi/mumol at the end of syntheses. Biodistribution showed rapid clearance from the blood pool and fast and steady accumulation of radioactivity into the brain. Metabolite studies indicated that only 22% of [(18)F]FPEB remained in the blood system 10 min after administration, and that a metabolite existed which was much more polar than the parent tracer. MicroPET studies demonstrated that [(18)F]FPEB accumulated specifically in mGluR5 rich regions of the brain such as striatum and hippocampus, and that blockade with 2-methyl-6-(2-phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP) and 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4 yl)ethynyl]pyridine (MTEP) substantially reduced the activity uptake in these regions. Selectivity was investigated by blockage with 6-amino-N-cyclohexyl-N,3 dimethylthiazolo[3,2-a]benzimidazole-2-caroxamide (YM-298198), a specific antagonist for mGluR1. [(18)F]FPEB was prepared conveniently and showed high specificity and selectivity toward mGluR5. It possesses the potential to be used in human studies to evaluate mGluR5 functions in various neurological disorders. PMID- 17787004 TI - Ex vivo and in vivo evaluation of (2R,3R)-5-[(18)F]-fluoroethoxy- and fluoropropoxy-benzovesamicol, as PET radioligands for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter. AB - Molecular imaging of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) using positron emission tomography (PET) may provide insights into early diagnosis and better understanding of Alzheimer's disease. We further characterized the VAChT ligand (2R,3R)-5-FEOBV (1) and developed new fluoropropoxy analogues. Ex vivo studies of the new nonradiolabeled analogues (2R,3R)-5-FPOBV (2) (k(D) = 0.7 nM) and (2S,3S)-5-FPOBV (3) (k(D) = 8.8 nM) were performed in rat brain and showed an enantioselective inhibition of (-)-5-[(125)I]-IBVM uptake in striatum, cortex, and hippocampus (e.g., 74% for 2 and only 54% for 3 in the cortex). Radiochemical procedures were developed to produce [(18)F]1 and [(18)F]2 as potential imaging agent for the VAChT. The radiochemistry was carried out in a one step procedure, with radiolabeling yields of 17 and 2.6% (range: 1-5.4), respectively, nondecay corrected with good specific activity: 124-338 GBq/micromol. The radiochemical purity was greater than 98%. The biological (ex vivo and in vivo) properties of these radioligands were evaluated in rats and showed a low (less then 0.1% of the injected dose) and homogeneous brain uptake. The in vivo PET study of [(18)F]2 performed in baboon also revealed rapid defluorination as the main problem. Therefore [(18)F]1 and [(18)F]2 appear to be unsuitable for in vivo imaging of the VAChT using PET. PMID- 17787005 TI - Purification of an acidic recombinant protein from transgenic tobacco. AB - Tobacco has proven to be a promising alternative for the production of recombinant therapeutic proteins and offers numerous advantages over other plants as a host system. However, the recovery and purification steps needed to obtain a protein at high recovery and purity have not been well investigated. In this study, a process was developed to purify a model acidic protein, recombinant beta glucuronidase (rGUS) from transgenic tobacco leaf tissue, in three main steps after extraction: polyelectrolyte precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), and hydroxyapatite chromatography (HAC). Using this three step process, up to 40% of the initial rGUS activity could be recovered to near homogeneity as judged by SDS-PAGE. This work demonstrates that acidic recombinant proteins expressed in tobacco may be purified to high yield with high purity in a minimal amount of steps that are suitable for scale-up. Furthermore, the general steps used in this process may suggest that a wide variety of acidic recombinant proteins may be purified in a similar manner from transgenic tobacco or other leafy crops. PMID- 17787006 TI - Electrooptical measurements for monitoring metabolite fluxes in acetone-butanol ethanol fermentations. AB - Anisotropy of electrical polarizability in Clostridium acetobutylicum cells during pH 5 controlled acetone butanol ethanol fermentations was observed. Cell length was determined from the electrooptical data. Mean length was determined as being 2.5 microm in the growth phase and 3.5 microm in the early stationary phase. Based on the obtained frequency dispersion of polarizability anisotropy (FDPA) in the range of 190 to 2,100 kHz, the switch from the acidogenic to the solventogenic phase could be monitored. The slope of polarizability versus the frequency made it possible to differentiate between phases of dominating acid and solvent production. Metabolite fluxes determined from concentration measurements correlated well to the polarizability. A partial least-squares (PLS) model was established and validated by applying data from several fermentations. The root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) was 0.09 for the acid fluxes and 0.11 for the solvent fluxes. The root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) was 0.20 for acid fluxes and 0.24 for solvent fluxes. The ratio of polarizability at high and low frequencies correlated to the ongoing sporulation process. At ratios below 0.25, spore formation in the cells became visible under the microscope. The advantage of using electrooptical measurements is the ability to observe metabolite fluxes rather than concentrations, which provides useful information on productivity during a bioprocess. PMID- 17787007 TI - Optimization of oxygen mass transfer in a multiphase bioreactor with perfluorodecalin as a second liquid phase. AB - Oxygenation is an important parameter involved in the design and operation of mixing-sparging bioreactors and it can be analyzed by means of the oxygen mass transfer coefficient (k(L)a). The operational conditions of a stirred, submerged aerated 2-L bioreactor have been optimized by studying the influence of a second liquid phase with higher oxygen affinity (perfluorodecalin or olive oil) in the k(L)a. Using k(L)a measurements, the influence of the following parameters on the oxygen transfer rate was evaluated: the volume of working medium, the type of impellers and their position, the organic phase concentration, the aqueous phase composition, and the concentration of inactive biomass. This study shows that the best experimental conditions were achieved with a perfluorodecalin volume fraction of 0.20, mixing using two Rushton turbines with six vertical blades and in the presence of YPD medium as the aqueous phase, with a k(L)a value of 64.6 h( 1). The addition of 20% of perfluorodecalin in these conditions provided a k(L)a enhancement of 25% when pure water was the aqueous phase and a 230% enhancement when YPD medium was used in comparison to their respective controls (no perfluorodecalin). Furthermore it is shown that the presence of olive oil as a second liquid phase is not beneficial to the oxygen transfer rate enhancement, leading to a decrease in the k(L)a values for all the concentrations studied. It was also observed that the magnitude of the enhancement of the k(L)a values by perfluorodecalin depends on the biomass concentration present. PMID- 17787008 TI - Engineering poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer composition in E. coli. AB - A strain of Escherichia coli was metabolically engineered to produce poly(3 hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) of specified composition between 5% and 18% HV. A gene encoding propionyl-CoA synthetase (prpE from S. enterica) was placed under the control of the IPTG-inducible tac promoter (P(taclacUV5)) while the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis operon (phaBCA) from R. eutropha was expressed constitutively. A strain of E. coli harboring both plasmids was grown in defined medium and PHBV was produced with specified hydroxyvalerate (HV) molar content between 5% and 18%. The molecular weight of the copolymer was approximately 700,000 across various HV contents, and average polydispersity was approximately 1.3. The majority of the PHBV production occurred during the late exponential/stationary phase. The HV content of the copolymer generally peaked early in the incubation before falling to its final value. We found that the time profiles of PrpE activity, propionyl-CoA, and acetyl-CoA were well correlated to the HV content time profile. Despite an abundance of propionyl-CoA, incorporation of HV into the copolymer was inefficient. Therefore, both the PHA operon and conditions affecting the availability of propionyl-CoA must be chosen carefully to achieve the desired HV content. The ability to engineer copolymer composition control into an E. coli strain would be useful in cases where the feedstock composition is not adjustable. PMID- 17787009 TI - Characterization of the distribution of glucose oxidase in Penicillium sp. CBS 120262 and Aspergillus niger NRRL-3 cultures and its effect on integrated product recovery. AB - Glucose oxidase (GO) is an important industrial enzyme typically purified from Penicillium and Aspergillus sp. As GO distribution within the cultures influences process design for maximal product recovery, distribution of GO activity in Penicillium sp. CBS 120262 and Aspergillus niger NRRL-3, during mid-exponential and stationary phases, is compared. On progression from mid-exponential to stationary phase, the percentage GO activity in the cytoplasm decreased 1.6- and 1.3-fold in Penicillium sp. and A. niger respectively. In Penicillium sp., a concomitant 1.8- and 1.9-fold decrease in the percentage GO activity in the cell envelope and slime mucilage respectively, translated into a 2.0-fold increase in the extracellular fluid. In A. niger, decreasing cytoplasmic GO activity was accompanied by 1.3-fold increases in the cell envelope and slime mucilage, with a 1.3-fold decrease in the extracellular fluid. Similar trends were observed in specific GO activities. As final GO activity recovered is governed by the purification program, recovery from the extracellular fluid plus cell extract or from the extracellular fluid only were compared through simulating processes of varying complexity. A critical yield for each purification stage was identified above which recovery from the extracellular fluid plus cell extract exceeded that from extracellular fluid alone. These results highlight the influence of microorganism, harvest time and efficiency of downstream process on GO activity delivered. In the systems studied, Penicillium sp. is the organism of choice and should be harvested during stationary phase. The purification process chosen should be informed by both enzyme distribution and individual purification stages yields. PMID- 17787010 TI - Modeling bone morphogenetic protein and bisphosphonate combination therapy in wild-type and Nf1 haploinsufficient mice. AB - Recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) show promise in treating the orthopedic complications associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), such as congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia. Minimal scientific information regarding the effects of BMP in the context of NF1 is available. As abnormalities in both bone formation and resorption have been documented in Nf1-deficient mice, we hypothesized that inadequate BMP-induced bone formation could be augmented by cotreatment with the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid (ZA). First, primary osteoblasts isolated from wild type (Nf1(+/+)) and Nf1-deficient (Nf1(+/-)) mice were cultured in the presence and absence of BMP-2. While Nf1(+/-) cells exhibited less osteogenic potential than Nf1(+/+) cells, alkaline phosphatase expression and matrix mineralization for both genotypes were enhanced by BMP-2 treatment. To model this response in vivo, 20 microg BMP-2 was implanted intramuscularly into the quadriceps of mice to induce heterotopic bone. Radiographs revealed significantly less net bone formation in Nf1(+/-) mice compared to Nf1(+/+) controls. To test the effect of an antiresorptive agent, mice were cotreated twice weekly from postoperative day 3 with 0.02 mg/kg ZA or with saline. ZA treatment led to a synergistic increase in the amount of heterotopic bone in both Nf1(+/+) and Nf1(+/-) mice compared with saline controls, as measured by DEXA and histomorphometry. Thus, the anabolic deficiency noted in Nf1(+/-) mice is amenable to stimulation by BMP-2, but mineralized tissue formation remains below that of Nf1(+/+) controls. Bisphosphonate combination therapy is superior to BMP therapy alone in terms of net bone production in vivo in both wild-type and Nf1-deficient mice. PMID- 17787011 TI - Protein engineering of nitrilase for chemoenzymatic production of glycolic acid. AB - A key step in a chemoenzymatic process for the production of high-purity glycolic acid (GLA) is the enzymatic conversion of glycolonitrile (GLN) to ammonium glycolate using a nitrilase derived from Acidovorax facilis 72W. Protein engineering and over-expression of this nitrilase, combined with optimized fermentation of an E. coli transformant were used to increase the enzyme-specific activity up to 15-fold and the biocatalyst-specific activity up to 125-fold. These improvements enabled achievement of the desired volumetric productivity and biocatalyst productivity for the conversion of GLN to ammonium glycolate. PMID- 17787012 TI - Increased hepatic cytochrome P4503A activity decreases the risk of developing steroid-induced osteonecrosis in a rabbit model. AB - Low hepatic cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A) activities might play an important role for inducing osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) by corticosteroids. However, the relationship between hepatic CYP3A activity and steroid-induced ONFH is unknown. We have examined the relationship between hepatic CYP3A activity and the inducibility of ONFH in a rabbit model. Sixty rabbits were divided into three groups. Hepatic CYP3A inducer (phenobarbital, group P; n = 15), inhibitor (itraconazole, group I; n = 15), or saline (group C, n = 30) was administrated for 3 weeks before intramuscular methylprednisolone. In groups P and I, hepatic CYP3A levels were measured by midazolam clearance before treatment (baseline) and before methylprednisolone injection. All animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after methylprednisolone injection and both femurs were harvested and examined histologically for osteonecrosis. Midazolam clearance was significantly increased and decreased, compared with baseline in groups P and I respectively (p < 0.0005, p < 0.002). The incidence of osteonecrosis in group P (33%) was significantly lower than in group I (100%) and group C (83%; p < 0.001 for both). The percentage necrotic area to whole bone marrow area on cross sections in group P (8.2 +/- 5.9%) was significantly lower than in group I (69.8 +/- 20.8%) and group C (51.5 +/- 30.7%; p < 0.005 for both). Hepatic CYP3A activity inversely correlated with the incidence of osteonecrosis and extent of the necrotic area caused by the same dose of corticosteroids, suggesting possible prevention of the steroid-induced osteonecrosis by reducing steroid dose in poor corticosteroid metabolizers. PMID- 17787013 TI - An elementary metabolite unit (EMU) based method of isotopically nonstationary flux analysis. AB - Nonstationary metabolic flux analysis (NMFA) is at present a very computationally intensive exercise, especially for large reaction networks. We applied elementary metabolite unit (EMU) theory to NMFA, dramatically reducing computational difficulty. We also introduced block decoupling, a new method that systematically and comprehensively divides EMU systems of equations into smaller subproblems to further reduce computational difficulty. These improvements led to a 5000-fold reduction in simulation times, enabling an entirely new and more complicated set of problems to be analyzed with NMFA. We simulated a series of nonstationary and stationary GC/MS measurements for a large E. coli network that was then used to estimate parameters and their associated confidence intervals. We found that fluxes could be successfully estimated using only nonstationary labeling data and external flux measurements. Addition of near-stationary and stationary time points increased the precision of most parameters. Contrary to prior reports, the precision of nonstationary estimates proved to be comparable to the precision of estimates based solely on stationary data. Finally, we applied EMU-based NMFA to experimental nonstationary measurements taken from brown adipocytes and successfully estimated fluxes and some metabolite concentrations. By using NFMA instead of traditional MFA, the experiment required only 6 h instead of 50 (the time necessary for most metabolite labeling to reach 99% of isotopic steady state). PMID- 17787014 TI - Identification of age-structured models: cell cycle phase transitions. AB - A methodology is developed that determines age-specific transition rates between cell cycle phases during balanced growth by utilizing age-structured population balance equations. Age-distributed models are the simplest way to account for varied behavior of individual cells. However, this simplicity is offset by difficulties in making observations of age distributions, so age-distributed models are difficult to fit to experimental data. Herein, the proposed methodology is implemented to identify an age-structured model for human leukemia cells (Jurkat) based only on measurements of the total number density after the addition of bromodeoxyuridine partitions the total cell population into two subpopulations. Each of the subpopulations will temporarily undergo a period of unbalanced growth, which provides sufficient information to extract age-dependent transition rates, while the total cell population remains in balanced growth. The stipulation of initial balanced growth permits the derivation of age densities based on only age-dependent transition rates. In fitting the experimental data, a flexible transition rate representation, utilizing a series of cubic spline nodes, finds a bimodal G(0)/G(1) transition age probability distribution best fits the experimental data. This resolution may be unnecessary as convex combinations of more restricted transition rates derived from normalized Gaussian, lognormal, or skewed lognormal transition-age probability distributions corroborate the spline predictions, but require fewer parameters. The fit of data with a single log normal distribution is somewhat inferior suggesting the bimodal result as more likely. Regardless of the choice of basis functions, this methodology can identify age distributions, age-specific transition rates, and transition-age distributions during balanced growth conditions. PMID- 17787015 TI - Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of steam-pretreated bagasse using Saccharomyces cerevisiae TMB3400 and Pichia stipitis CBS6054. AB - Sugarcane bagasse--a residue from sugar and ethanol production from sugar cane- is a potential raw material for lignocellulosic ethanol production. This material is high in xylan content. A prerequisite for bioethanol production from bagasse is therefore that xylose is efficiently fermented to ethanol. In the current study, ethanolic fermentation of steam-pretreated sugarcane bagasse was assessed in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) set-up using either Saccharomyces cerevisiae TMB3400, a recombinant xylose utilizing yeast strain, or Pichia stipitis CBS6054, a naturally xylose utilizing yeast strain. Commercial cellulolytic enzymes were used and the content of water insoluble solids (WIS) was 5% or 7.5%. S. cerevisiae TMB3400 consumed all glucose and large fraction of the xylose in SSF. Almost complete xylose conversion could be achieved at 5% WIS and 32 degrees C. Fermentation did not occur with P. stipitis CBS6054 at pH 5.0. However, at pH 6.0, complete glucose conversion and high xylose conversion (>70%) was obtained. Microaeration was required for P. stipitis CBS6054. This was not necessary for S. cerevisiae TMB3400. PMID- 17787016 TI - Progressive degeneration of dopamine neurons in 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson's disease does not involve activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. AB - 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a neurotoxin that causes the death of dopamine (DA) neurons, is commonly used to produce experimental models of Parkinson's disease (PD) in rodents. In the rat model of PD first described by Sauer and Oertel, DA neurons progressively die over several weeks following a striatal injection of 6 OHDA. It is generally assumed that DA neurons die through apoptosis after exposure to 6-OHDA, but data supporting activation of a caspase enzymatic cascade are lacking. In this study, we sought to determine if caspases involved in the intrinsic apoptotic cascade play a role in the initial stages of 6-OHDA-induced death of DA neurons in the progressively lesioned rat model of PD. We found that injection of 6-OHDA into adult rat striatum did not activate caspase-9 or caspase 3 or increase levels of caspase-dependent cleavage products in the substantia nigra at various survival times up to 7 days after the lesion, even though this paradigm produced DA neuronal loss. These data suggest that in the adult rat brain DA neurons whose terminals are challenged with 6-OHDA do not die through a classical caspase-dependent apoptotic mechanism. PMID- 17787017 TI - Transsynaptic modulation of the synaptic vesicle cycle by cell-adhesion molecules. AB - Delicate control of the synaptic vesicle cycle is required to meet the demands imposed on synaptic transmission by the brain's complex information processing. In addition to intensively analyzed intrinsic regulation, extrinsic modulation of the vesicle cycle by the postsynaptic target neuron has become evident. Recent studies have demonstrated that several families of synaptic cell-adhesion molecules play a significant role in transsynaptic retrograde signaling. Different adhesion systems appear to specifically target distinct steps of the synaptic vesicle cycle. Signaling via classical cadherins regulates the recruitment of synaptic vesicles to the active zone. The neurexin/neuroligin system has been shown to modulate presynaptic release probability. In addition, reverse signaling via the EphB/ephrinB system plays an important role in the activity-dependent induction of long-term potentiation of presynaptic transmitter release. Moreover, the first hints of involvement of cell-adhesion molecules in vesicle endocytosis have been published. A general hypothesis is that specific adhesion systems might use different but parallel transsynaptic signaling pathways able to selectively modulate each step of the synaptic vesicle cycle in a tightly coordinated manner. PMID- 17787018 TI - New implications for the QUAKING RNA binding protein in human disease. AB - The use of spontaneously occurring mouse models has proved to be a valuable tool throughout the years to delineate the signals required for nervous system development. This is especially true in the field of myelin biology, with a large number of different models available. The quaking viable mouse models dysmyelination in the nervous system and links the QUAKING RNA binding proteins to myelination and cell fate decisions. In this Mini-Review, we highlight the biological functions attributed to this KH-type RNA binding protein and the recent achievements linking it to human disorders. PMID- 17787019 TI - Effects of antipsychotic medication on muscarinic M1 receptor mRNA expression in the rat brain. AB - Alterations in muscarinic M1 receptor protein and mRNA expression have been revealed in post-mortem brains of schizophrenia patients. Most patients had been treated with antipsychotics, so medication effects cannot be excluded as a possible explanation for these results. With in situ hybridization, this study investigated M1 receptor mRNA expression in rats treated with the typical antipsychotic haloperidol (0.3 mg/kg/day) and the atypical antipsychotics olanzapine (1.5 mg/kg/day) and aripiprazole (2.25 mg/kg/day) for 1 or 12 weeks. Compared with the control group, haloperidol significantly increased (approximately 13-21%, P < 0.05) M1 mRNA expression in the CA1, CA2, and CA3 regions of the hippocampus after both 1 and 12 weeks of treatment, and it also increased (approximately 17%, P < 0.01) M1 mRNA expression in the substantia nigra compacta after 1 week of treatment. Olanzapine significantly increased (14 22%, P < 0.05) M1 mRNA expression in the hippocampus (CA1, CA2, and CA3) and substantia nigra compacta after 12 weeks of treatment, but not after 1 week. Aripiprazole significantly increased (17%, P < 0.01) M1 mRNA expression in the hippocampus (CA1) after both 1 and 12 week treatments and increased (12%, P < 0.05) M1 mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens after 1 week of treatment. Despite their different affinities for muscarinic M1 receptors, all three antipsychotic medications induced a similar trend of change in M1 mRNA expression in selected brain regions. These data suggest that the decreased M1 receptor protein and mRNA expression observed in schizophrenia patients is unlikely to be a consequence of drug treatments and implicates muscarinic M1 receptors in the pharmacotherapy of the disease. PMID- 17787020 TI - Characterization of the inhibition of enveloped virus infectivity by the cationic acrylate polymer eudragit E100. AB - The antiviral effects of the cationic acrylate polymer E100 on a panel of lipid enveloped viruses and the interactions involved are studied. The treatment of several common viruses with E100 induced a dose-dependent inhibition of the infectivity of viruses below the detection limit of the assays employed. Similarly, the treatment of human sera infected with HIV or HCV reduced virus RNA plasma levels to undetectable values. This implies that Eudragit E100 can interact with enveloped viruses, even in the presence of proteins, through a mechanism that is not reversed by titration of the positively charged groups of the polymer, opening the possibility to remove viral particles with the polymer as it is eliminated. PMID- 17787021 TI - Design and synthesis of cellulose derivatives with antioxidant activity. AB - In this study we report the synthesis and characterisation of cellulose ferulate, lipoate and alpha-tocopherulate, and their ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation in rat-liver microsomal membranes, induced in vitro by two different sources of free radicals: tert-butyl hydroperoxide and 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane). We also compared the antioxidant efficiency of the ferulate derivatives obtained through two different synthetic runs, and of a tocopherulate derivative prepared from 6-carboxycellulose. This study showed that the designed systems, preserving the antioxidant activity of the free substrates, are more effective in protecting from tert-butyl hydroperoxide than from 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane). Moreover, the cellulose ferulate with the higher degree of substitution acted as the best antioxidant. PMID- 17787022 TI - Loop propensity of the sequence YKGQP from staphylococcal nuclease: implications for the folding of nuclease. AB - Recently we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the folding of the hairpin peptide DTVKLMYKGQPMTFR from staphylococcal nuclease in explicit water. We found that the peptide folds into a hairpin conformation with native and nonnative hydrogen-bonding patterns. In all the folding events observed in the folding of the hairpin peptide, loop formation involving the region YKGQP was an important event. In order to trace the origins of the loop propensity of the sequence YKGQP, we performed MD simulations on the sequence starting from extended, polyproline II and native type I' turn conformations for a total simulation length of 300 ns, using the GROMOS96 force field under constant volume and temperature (NVT) conditions. The free-energy landscape of the peptide YKGQP shows minima corresponding to loop conformation with Tyr and Pro side-chain association, turn and extended conformational forms, with modest free-energy barriers separating the minima. To elucidate the role of Gly in facilitating loop formation, we also performed MD simulations of the mutated peptide YKAQP (Gly --> Ala mutation) under similar conditions starting from polyproline II conformation for 100 ns. Two minima corresponding to bend/turn and extended conformations were observed in the free-energy landscape for the peptide YKAQP. The free-energy barrier between the minima in the free-energy landscape of the peptide YKAQP was also modest. Loop conformation is largely sampled by the YKGQP peptide, while extended conformation is largely sampled by the YKAQP peptide. We also explain why the YKGQP sequence samples type II turn conformation in these simulations, whereas the sequence as part of the hairpin peptide DTVKLMYKGQPMTFR samples type I' turn conformation both in the X-ray crystal structure and in our earlier simulations on the folding of the hairpin peptide. We discuss the implications of our results to the folding of the staphylococcal nuclease. PMID- 17787023 TI - Parapagus dicephalus dibrachius tripus: an unusual case of conjoined twins. PMID- 17787024 TI - Giant fibroepithelial stromal polyp of the vulva: extended field-of-view ultrasound and computed tomographic findings. PMID- 17787025 TI - Prenatally diagnosed fetal lung lesions with associated conotruncal heart defects: is there a genetic association? AB - Congenital lung malformation can easily be diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound. Associated extrapulmonary malformations such as heart defects and chromosomal aberrations are rare. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the natural history, outcome and other associated malformations in fetuses with lung lesions and an associated heart defect. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 4 cases of prenatally diagnosed fetal CCAMs and hybrid lesions with an associated heart defect and review of 8 cases in the literature. RESULTS: At a single referral center 1.9% of the fetuses with Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) were diagnosed with an associated heart defect. Seven of the total 12 cases (58%) reviewed had a conotruncal heart abnormality. Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 5 (42%) of the cases. CONCLUSION: This retrospective review shows that karyotyping in fetal lung lesions with an associated heart defect or isolated large lung lesions is indicated. It also suggests that there is a subpopulation of fetuses with CCAMs who have conotruncal heart defects. This finding may suggest a common genetic background. PMID- 17787026 TI - Synthesis and antitumor activity of peptide-paclitaxel conjugates. AB - Paclitaxel (Pac) is the most important anticancer drug used mainly in treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancer and is being investigated for use as a single agent for treatment of lung cancer, advanced head and neck cancers, and adenocarcinomas of the upper gastrointestinal tract. In this work, we present the synthesis of five 2'-paclitaxel-substituted analogs in which paclitaxel was covalently bound to peptides or as multiple copies to synthetic carriers. Ac Cys(CH(2)CO-2'-Pac)-Arg-Gly-Asp-Arg-NH(2), Folyl-Cys(CH(2)CO-2'-Pac)-Arg-Gly-Asp Ser-NH(2), Ac-[Lys-Aib-Cys(CH(2)CO-2'-Pac)](2)-NH(2), Ac-[Lys-Aib-Cys(CH(2)CO-2' Pac)](3)-NH(2) and Ac-[Lys-Aib-Cys(CH(2)CO-2'-Pac)](4)-NH(2) were synthesized using 2'-halogeno-acetylated paclitaxel derivatives. Paclitaxel conjugates showed greater solubility in water than paclitaxel and inhibited the proliferation of human breast, prostate, and cervical cancer cell lines. Although all synthesized compounds had an antiproliferative activity, the Ac-[Lys-Aib-Cys(CH(2)CO-2' Pac)](4)-NH(2) derivative showed improved biological activity in comparison with paclitaxel in cervical and prostate human cancer cells. PMID- 17787027 TI - On future non-medical costs in economic evaluations. AB - Economic evaluation in health care is still an evolving discipline. One of the current controversies in cost-effectiveness analysis regards the inclusion or exclusion of future non-medical costs (i.e. consumption net of production) due to increased survival. This paper examines the implications of a symmetry rule stating that there should be consistency between costs included in the numerator and utility aspects included in the denominator. While the observation that no quality-adjusted life year (QALY) instruments explicitly include consumption and leisure seems to give support to the notion that future non-medical costs should be excluded when QALYs are used as the outcome measure, a better understanding of what respondents actually consider when reporting QALY weights is required. However, the more fundamental question is whether QALYs can be interpreted as utilities. Or more precisely, what are the assumptions needed for a general utility model also including consumption and leisure to be consistent with QALYs? Once those assumptions are identified, they need to be experimentally tested to see whether they are at least approximately valid. Until we have answers to these areas for future research, it seems premature to include future non-medical costs. PMID- 17787028 TI - Prenatal rupture of right ventricular diverticulum: a case report and review of the literature. PMID- 17787029 TI - Anterior sacral meningocele: management in gynecological practice. AB - We describe the case of a young woman with anterior sacral meningocele (ASM), initially identified during a routine ultrasound examination and subsequently diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ASM is a rare disorder characterized by uni- or multilocular extensions of the meninges from the sacral spinal canal to the retroperitoneal presacral space. Common symptoms include lower back and pelvic pain, constipation, difficulties in defecation, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia, and urinary incontinence, retention or urgency. Perineal and lower-extremity paresthesias may present when nerve roots are affected. Despite its more posterior location, ASM can mimic an ovarian cyst or other adnexal cystic mass, and in the obstetric patient can present a mechanical obstacle to delivery with a risk of rupture and infection during labor and delivery. Although it is a rare condition, we feel that awareness of the etiology, presentation and imaging characteristics of ASM is of importance and have therefore carried out a review of the literature, taking into account case findings and the obstetric and gynecological management of this disorder. PMID- 17787030 TI - A comparison of methods for determining HIV viral set point. AB - During a course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection, the viral load usually increases sharply to a peak following infection and then drops rapidly to a steady state, where it remains until progression to AIDS. This steady state is often referred to as the viral set point. It is believed that the HIV viral set point results from an equilibrium between the HIV virus and immune response and is an important indicator of AIDS disease progression. In this paper, we analyze a real data set of viral loads measured before antiretroviral therapy is initiated, and propose two-phase regression models to utilize all available data to estimate the viral set point. The advantages of the proposed methods are illustrated by comparing them with two empirical methods, and the reason behind the improvement is also studied. Our results illustrate that for our data set, the viral load data are highly correlated and it is cost effective to estimate the viral set point based on one or two measurements obtained between 5 and 12 months after HIV infection. The utility and limitations of this recommendation will be discussed. PMID- 17787031 TI - Prenatal ultrasound detection of talipes equinovarus in a non-selected population of 49 314 deliveries in Norway. AB - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate prenatal ultrasound detection of talipes equinovarus (TEV) in a large non-selected population and to study trends in detection rates over time, as well as the prevalence and outcome of isolated TEV and TEV with associated anomalies. METHODS: All cases of pre- or postnatally diagnosed TEV between 1987 and 2004 within a non-selected population of 49 314 deliveries were investigated. The study period was divided into three 6-year periods to shed light on changes in detection rates and other aspects of the anomaly over time. RESULTS: A total of 113 cases of TEV were registered during the 18-year period, of which 49% had isolated TEV and 51% had associated anomalies. During the three 6-year periods, there was a significant improvement (P = 0.006) in the overall detection of TEV from 43% to 67% and 77%, respectively. The detection rate for isolated TEV increased over time. Isolated bilateral TEV cases were detected more than twice as often as isolated unilateral TEV. The three largest groups of associated anomalies were syndromes/sequences (26%), chromosome aberrations (26%), and musculoskeletal disorders (24%). Pregnancies were terminated in 23% of the cases, all with severe additional anomalies. Treatment of TEV included surgery in 86% of the cases. CONCLUSION: The overall detection rate of TEV improved significantly over time. Prenatal detection was higher when TEV was bilateral and when other associated anomalies were present. Parents should be informed that, in suspected isolated TEV, associated anomalies might remain undetected prenatally. PMID- 17787032 TI - Global proteomic profiling of native outer membrane vesicles derived from Escherichia coli. AB - Gram-negative bacteria constitutively secrete native outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) into the extracellular milieu. Although recent progress in this area has revealed that OMVs are essential for bacterial survival and pathogenesis, the mechanism of vesicle formation and the biological roles of OMVs have not been clearly defined. Using a proteomics approach, we identified 141 protein components of Escherichia coli-derived native OMVs with high confidence; two separate analyses yielded identifications of 104 and 117 proteins, respectively, with 80 proteins overlapping between the two trials. In the group of identified proteins, the outer membrane proteins were highly enriched, whereas inner membrane proteins were lacking, suggesting that a specific sorting mechanism for vesicular proteins exists. We also identified proteins involved in vesicle formation, the removal of toxic compounds and attacking phage, and the elimination of competing organisms, as well as those involved in facilitating the transfer of genetic material and protein to other bacteria, targeting host cells, and modulating host immune responses. This study provides a global view of native bacterial OMVs. This information will help us not only to elucidate the biogenesis and functions of OMV from nonpathogenic and pathogenic bacteria but also to develop vaccines and antibiotics effective against pathogenic strains. PMID- 17787036 TI - Design of recombinant antibody microarrays for complex proteome analysis: choice of sample labeling-tag and solid support. AB - Antibody-based microarray is a novel technology with great potential within high throughput proteomics. The process of designing high-performing antibody (protein) microarrays has, however, turned out to be a challenging process. In this study, we have developed further our human recombinant single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody microarray methodology by addressing two crucial technological issues, choice of sample labeling-tag and solid support. We examined the performance of a range of dyes in a one- or two-color approach on a selection of solid supports providing different surface and coupling chemistries, and surface structures. The set-ups were evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and selectivity. The results showed that a one-color approach, based on NHS-biotin (or ULS-biotin) labeling, on black polymer Maxisorb slides (or Nexterion slide H) was the superior approach for targeting low-abundant (pg/mL) analytes in nonfractionated, complex proteomes, such as human serum or crude cell supernatants. Notably, microarrays displaying adequate spot morphologies, high S/Ns, minimized nonspecific binding, and most importantly a high selectivity, specificity, and sensitivity (>or=fM range) were obtained. Taken together, we have designed the first generation of a high-performing recombinant scFv antibody microarray technology platform on black polymer Maxisorb slides for sensitive profiling of low-abundant analytes in nonfractionated biotinylated complex proteomes. PMID- 17787037 TI - A general goodness-of-fit test for Markov and hidden Markov models. AB - Markov models are a convenient and useful method of estimating transition rates between levels of a categorical response variable, such as a disease stage, which changes over time. In medical applications the response variable is typically observed at irregular intervals. A Pearson-type goodness-of-fit test for such models was proposed by Aguirre-Hernandez and Farewell (Statist. Med. 2002; 21:1899-1911), but this test is not applicable in the common situation where the process includes an absorbing state, such as death, for which the time of entry is known precisely nor when the data include censored state observations. This paper presents a modification to the Pearson-type test to allow for these cases. An extension of the method, to allow for the class of hidden Markov models where the response variable is subject to misclassification error, is given. The method is applied to data on cardiac allograft vasculopathy in post-heart-transplant patients. PMID- 17787038 TI - Abatacept binds to the Fc receptor CD64 but does not mediate complement-dependent cytotoxicity or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of abatacept to mediate complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of antigen presenting cells, and to characterize the binding of abatacept to the 3 Fc receptor classes. METHODS: CDC was measured in vitro using rabbit, baby rabbit, guinea pig, or human complement with human B cell line PM-LCL as the target. ADCC was also measured with PM-LCL target cells, but with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 healthy blood donors as effectors. Fc receptor binding was analyzed in vitro by flow cytometry and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). RESULTS: In contrast to unmodified CTLA4-Ig, abatacept did not mediate CDC or ADCC of target B cells. While abatacept was found to bind its target receptor, CD80/86, it did not appreciably bind the low-affinity Fc receptors CD16 and CD32 as measured by flow cytometry and SPR. Abatacept was found to minimally bind the high-affinity Fc receptor CD69 as measured by flow cytometry and SPR with a Kd of 3 X 10-7 M as measured by SPR. CONCLUSION: Abatacept does not mediate CDC or ADCC of target B cells in vitro and has limited Fc receptor binding. These data support the concept that abatacept therapeutic activity is primarily due to the binding to CD80/86 through the CTLA4 extracellular domain and not through activities mediated by the modified Fc domain. PMID- 17787039 TI - S100 proteins calprotectin and S100A12 are related to radiographic changes rather than disease activity in psoriatic arthritis with low disease activity. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum levels of calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9) and S100A12 as markers of disease activity or distinct clinical or radiographic features in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Serum levels of calprotectin and S100A12, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined in 119 patients with PsA. Correlations to clinical variables were calculated, and subgroups of patients were compared. RESULTS: The correlations to clinical disease activity measures were stronger for CRP than for ESR and calprotectin. In the regression analysis, calprotectin was identified as an independently associated factor for presence of peripheral radiographic features of arthritis (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.01-1.76). S100A12 levels were also elevated in those with peripheral radiographic features (p = 0.036), but did not correlate with clinical variables of disease activity. CONCLUSION: Calprotectin and S100A12 do not perform better than traditional biomarkers of disease activity in PsA, but were associated with presence of peripheral radiographic features in this cross-sectional study. The patients' low level of disease activity may have led to underestimation of the associations between any biomarker and disease measures. PMID- 17787040 TI - Serological implications of germinal center-like structures in primary Sjogren's syndrome. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine serological implications of germinal center (GC)-like structures in primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Retrospectively, minor salivary gland biopsies (n = 269) with focal lymphoid aggregates corresponding to focus score > 1 were evaluated for the presence of GC-like morphology. Relevant clinical information was obtained from medical records. RESULTS: Of 269 patients, 169 fulfilled the American-European criteria for pSS. GC-like features were observed in 47/169 (28%) biopsies. In the majority of cases, GC-like lesions were confirmed by CD21-positive follicular dendritic cell networks. Mean inflammatory focus score was significantly higher in GC-positive compared to GC-negative samples (p < 0.001). GC-positive patients had lower mean salivary secretion (p < 0.001) and a higher frequency of patients with unstimulated salivary secretion < or = 1.5 ml/15 min (p < 0.01). In addition, elevated titers of rheumatoid factor, serum anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB (p < 0.05), and IgG levels > or = 15.3 g/l (p < 0.05) were more common in GC-positive compared to GC-negative. Enlarged salivary glands were observed in 46/163 (28%) patients, but could not be linked to either presence or absence of GC-like features. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory infiltrates with GC-like morphology were observed in 28% of the investigated patients with pSS, and was particularly noted in patients with higher focus score. The observed serological aberrations in patients with ectopic GC-like structures in the minor salivary glands warrant further prospective studies. PMID- 17787041 TI - Self-reported fractures and associated factors in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of fractures and associated factors in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Women with SLE (n = 304) completed this cross-sectional study conducted from 1996 to 2002. Self-reported fractures occurring after the diagnosis of SLE were evaluated. Hip and/or lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and the results were expressed as BMD Z-scores. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with fractures. RESULTS: Of the 304 women with SLE, 12.5% experienced fractures. Those with fractures had significantly lower BMD Z-scores at the hip (Fracture group -0.55 vs No Fracture group -0.14, group difference 0.41; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.78), but not at the lumbar spine (Fracture group -0.25 vs No Fracture group -0.18, group difference 0.07; 95% CI -0.43 to 0.57). Among women with fractures, 60.5% and 63.2% had normal BMD Z-scores (BMD Z-score > -1.0) at the hip and lumbar spine, respectively, and 50.0% had normal BMD Z-scores at both anatomical sites. In multiple logistic regression analysis, each year of disease duration (adjusted OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.17) and use of osteoporosis medications (adjusted OR 4.75; 95% CI 1.62 to 13.94) were significantly associated with fractures. CONCLUSION: . Longer duration of SLE and use of osteoporosis medications were significantly associated with fractures. Although women with fractures had significantly lower BMD Z-scores at the hip, an unexpectedly high proportion of women with SLE having normal BMD Z-score experienced fractures following SLE diagnosis. PMID- 17787042 TI - Predictors of lipid abnormalities in children with new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. AB - OBJECTIVE: Lipid abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are common and likely are one of the causes of premature atherosclerosis in these patients. Our aims were to determine the frequency and pattern of dyslipoproteinemia at presentation of pediatric SLE; and to determine the association between dyslipoproteinemia and markers of disease activity and inflammatory markers at presentation of pediatric SLE. METHODS: Serum lipid measurements were obtained at diagnosis before corticosteroid treatment for an inception cohort of 54 patients. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C, and HDL C levels were regressed on measures of inflammation, disease activity, and disease symptoms. RESULTS: At least one lipid abnormality was present in the majority of patients (63%), an elevated triglyceride level being the most common lipid abnormality (62%). Triglycerides were best predicted by fibrinogen, nephritis, and pleuritis (model R2 = 0.6). Albumin, C4, and white blood cell count were found to predict HDL-C (model R2 = 0.6). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, central nervous system involvement, nasal ulcers, and nephritis were found as predictors for LDL-C:HDL-C (model R2 = 0.5). No significant predictors were found for total cholesterol or LDL-C. The European Consensus Lupus Activity Measure disease activity score best predicted abnormal triglyceride and HDL-C levels (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.3). CONCLUSION: Children with newly diagnosed SLE exhibited the distinct pattern of dyslipoprotein of increased triglycerides and depressed HDL-C that was twice as common in the presence of kidney disease. This lipid profile puts them at risk for premature atherosclerosis. Good disease control and individualized use of lipid-lowering agents based on the observed pattern of lipid abnormalities may lower the risk of premature atherosclerosis in these patients. PMID- 17787043 TI - The prevalence and incidence of work disability in rheumatoid arthritis, and the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor on work disability. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and incidence rates of work disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to determine the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy on work disability. METHODS: Participants with RA who were employed when RA was diagnosed (N = 8082) were evaluated for up to 5.5 years. Work disability incidence rates were determined in a subset (N = 4155) of those who stated they were currently employed, and the effect of anti-TNF therapy was determined by conditional logistic regression, after adjustment for covariates. RESULTS: At a median of 12.8 years after RA onset, 56.2% were still employed and 43.8% were not working. Of those not working, 22.7% considered themselves disabled. In addition, 30.5% had stopped work over their lifetimes for health reasons and 20.6% were currently receiving Social Security disability benefits. The annualized incidence rate for self-reported disability was 2.5% and for Social Security disability 1.9%. The incidence rate for persons who stopped working and did not resume employment was 4.0%. Anti-TNF therapy was not associated with Social Security disability, but was associated with an increased risk of self-reported disability (odds ratio 1.6) after adjustment for covariates. CONCLUSION: Rates of self-reported disability were lower than noted in previous studies, perhaps reflecting overall improvement in RA therapy. We could not discern a positive effect of anti-TNF therapy on the risk of work disability. PMID- 17787044 TI - Myocardial dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled tissue-Doppler echocardiography study. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity and accuracy of tissue-Doppler echocardiography (TDE) to assess myocardial contractility. Heart failure is one of the determinants of the excess in mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Consecutive RA patients with normal clinical cardiac examination were prospectively included and compared to 27 controls. All underwent conventional echocardiography, and systolic and diastolic strain rate (SR) were determined by TDE. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with RA were included (mean age 50 +/- 10 yrs, disease duration 8 +/-6 yrs). Mean disease activity score was 4.3 +/- 1.6, C-reactive protein 23 +/- 32 mg/l. When compared to controls (50 +/- 9 yrs), patients with RA had increased left ventricular mass (99 +/- 24 vs 80 +/- 25 g/m2, p = 0.009), and there was a trend for left atrial enlargement (31 +/- 3 vs 29 +/- 6 mm, p = 0.06). Fractional shortening and systolic SR did not differ between groups. Diastolic function, as estimated by the E/A Doppler velocity ratio was similar in both groups (p = 0.18). However, diastolic SR was strikingly reduced in patients with RA versus controls (3.7 +/- 1.3 vs 5.5 +/- 1.1s-1, p < 0.001) with 18/27 patients with RA having marked reduced diastolic SR (SR < 4s-1). None of the RA characteristics was associated with significant differences in TDE measurements. CONCLUSION: TDE identifies impaired diastolic function in patients with RA that may not be detected by conventional measurements. PMID- 17787046 TI - Glucosamine therapy for osteoarthritis: an update. PMID- 17787045 TI - Infliximab but not methotrexate induces extra-high levels of VLDL-triglyceride in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. AB - OBJECTIVE: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), a pivotal inflammatory cytokine, is known to induce proatherogenic changes in the lipid profile and may increase the cardiovascular risk of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined the effects of anti-TNF-alpha antibody (infliximab, IFX) compared with methotrexate (MTX) on lipid profiles in patients with RA. METHODS: We selected retrospectively all patients with refractory RA (n = 32) who achieved a successful outcome (DAS 28 score < 2.6) in 6 months with IFX treatment, and control groups of age- and sex-matched patients with active RA treated with MTX and healthy participants. We traced fasting serum levels of total cholesterol (TCHO) and triglyceride (TG) for 6 months and used an online dual enzymatic method for simultaneous quantification of cholesterol (CHO) and TG by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Mean C-reactive protein levels (baseline 4.5) fell to below 1 in 6 months. MTX treatment elevated and normalized TCHO and TG levels. IFX treatment, however, preferentially induced extra-high TG levels. HPLC analyses identified similar CHO profiles between patients treated with IFX or MTX, but IFX selectively induced a huge VLDL-TG peak. Statins successfully controlled these extra-high TG levels. CONCLUSION: In patients successfully treated with IFX or MTX, CHO levels were elevated and normalized, but IFX treatment preferentially induced extra-high levels of VLDL-TG. Thus, there is differential regulation of the lipid profile between IFX and MTX, necessitating careful attention to TG levels with IFX treatment. PMID- 17787047 TI - Prevention of rheumatic disease. PMID- 17787048 TI - Microangiopathic antiphospholipid-associated syndromes revisited new concepts relating to antiphospholipid antibodies and syndromes. PMID- 17787049 TI - Frontal plane knee alignment: a call for standardized measurement. PMID- 17787050 TI - Functional Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and Psychological HAQ Are Associated with and Predicted by Different Factors in Rheumatoid Arthritis. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between clinical, demographic, and psychological factors and the functional Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and psychological HAQ (PSHAQ) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: After a mean followup time of 7 years after diagnosis, 112 patients with RA were asked to fill out the HAQ and the PSHAQ. Several clinical variables [erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), visual analog scale (VAS) pain, VAS general well-being, Thompson joint score, and morning stiffness] had been assessed at diagnosis and at followup. In addition, the Impact of Rheumatic diseases on General health and Lifestyle questionnaire, comprising different domains of psychological distress, was assessed at diagnosis. Spearman correlations were calculated to determine associations between functional HAQ and clinical and psychological variables at baseline and to determine the associations between clinical variables and the HAQ and PSHAQ score at followup. Univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify possible predictors at diagnosis for a worse HAQ score and PSHAQ score (score > 1) at followup. RESULTS: At followup the functional HAQ score was associated with all clinical variables, whereas the PSHAQ was only associated with more subjective patient related variables (VAS pain, VAS general well-being, and morning stiffness). The final model of the multivariate regression analyses to predict a worse HAQ score at followup only included worse functional ability [odds ratio (OR) 2.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-5.32, p = 0.007]. Anxiety (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24, p = 0.007) and a lower ESR value (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-1.00, p = 0.05) assessed at diagnosis were included into the final model as predictors for a high PSHAQ score. CONCLUSION: Overall, the HAQ score, reflecting limitations of daily functioning, is a good representation of disease activity at diagnosis and after a mean disease duration of 7 years, whereas PSHAQ is not. PMID- 17787051 TI - Variation in the initial treatment of knee monoarthritis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a survey of pediatric rheumatologists in the United States and Canada. AB - OBJECTIVE: To characterize variations in initial treatment for knee monoarthritis in the oligoarthritis subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (OJIA) by pediatric rheumatologists and to identify patient, physician, and practice specific characteristics that are associated with treatment decisions. METHODS: We mailed a 32-item questionnaire to pediatric rheumatologists in the United States and Canada (n = 201). This questionnaire contained clinical vignettes describing recent-onset chronic monoarthritis of the knee and assessed physicians' treatment preferences, perceptions of the effectiveness and disadvantages of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) and intraarticular corticosteroid injections (IACI), proficiency with IACI, and demographic and office characteristics. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-nine (64%) questionnaires were completed and returned. Eighty-three percent of respondents were board certified pediatric rheumatologists. Respondents' treatment strategies for uncomplicated knee monoarthritis were broadly categorized: initial IACI at presentation (27%), initial NSAID with contingent IACI (63%), and initial NSAID with contingent methotrexate or sulfasalazine (without IACI) (10%). Significant independent predictors for initial IACI were believing that IACI is more effective than NSAID, having performed > 10 IACI in a single patient at one time, and initiating methotrexate via the subcutaneous route for OJIA. Predictors for not recommending initial or contingent IACI were believing that the infection risk of IACI is significant and lacking comfort with performing IACI. CONCLUSION: There is considerable variation in pediatric rheumatologists' initial treatment strategies for knee monoarthritis in OJIA. This variation is primarily associated with perceptions of medication effectiveness and proficiency with IACI. Further studies are warranted to clarify the optimal treatment of OJIA. PMID- 17787052 TI - Mikulicz's syndrome: old disease and new view. PMID- 17787054 TI - Not steroids again. PMID- 17787055 TI - Antiperinuclear factor test is more useful than anti-Sa assay when used with anti cyclic citrullinated peptide test in diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. PMID- 17787056 TI - Granulomatous nephritis associated with R334Q mutation in NOD2. PMID- 17787057 TI - Duration of treatment after eye involvement in giant cell arteritis. PMID- 17787059 TI - Protein complex prediction using an integrative bioinformatics approach. AB - Since protein complexes play a crucial role in biological cells, one of the major goals in bioinformatics is the elucidation of protein complexes. A general approach is to build a prediction rule based on multiple data sources, e.g. gene expression data and protein interaction data, to assess the likelihood of two proteins having complex association. We critically revisit the step of predictor construction, i.e. the determination of a proper training set, an optimal classifier, and, most importantly, an optimal feature set. We use an exhaustive set of features, which includes the 2hop-feature as introduced by Wong et al. for predicting synthetic sick or lethal interactions. Post-processing of the likelihoods of protein interaction is then required to extract protein complexes. We propose a new protocol for combining these likelihood estimates. The protocol interprets the probabilities of complex association as output by the prediction rule as distances and employs hierarchical clustering to find groups of interacting proteins. In contrast to the computationally expensive search-and score approach of Sharan et al., this protocol is very fast and can be applied to fully connected graphs. The protocol identifies trusted protein complexes with high confidence. We show that the 2hop-feature is relevant for predicting protein complexes. Furthermore, several interesting hypotheses about new protein complexes have been generated. For example, our approach linked the protein FYV4 to the mitochondrial ribosomal subunit. Interestingly, it is known that this protein is located in the mitochondrion, but its biological role is unknown. Vid22 and YGR071C were also linked, which corresponds to the new TAP data of Krogan et al. PMID- 17787058 TI - Prediction of cis-regulatory elements: from high-information content analysis to motif identification. AB - One popular approach to prediction of binding motifs of transcription factors is to model the problem as to search for a group of l-mers (motifs), for some l > 0, one from each of the provided promoter regions of a group of co-expressed genes, that exhibit high information content when aligned without gaps. In our current work, we assume that these desired l-mers have evolved from a common ancestor, each of which has mutations in at most k-positions from the common ancestor, where k is substantially smaller than l. This implies that these l-mers should belong to the k-neighborhood of their common ancestor, measured in terms of Hamming distance. If the ancestor is given, then the problem for finding these l mers becomes trivial. Unfortunately, the problem of identifying the unknown ancestor is probably as hard as the problem of predicting the motifs themselves. Our goal is to identify a set of l-mers that slightly violate the k-neighborhood of a putative ancestor, but capture all the desired motifs, which will lead to an efficient way for identification of the desired motifs. The main contributions of this paper are in four aspects: (a) we have derived nontrivial lower and upper bounds of information content for a set of l-mers that differ from an unknown ancestor in no more than k positions; (b) we have defined a new distance between two sequences and a k-pseudo-neighborhood, based on the new distance, that contains the k-neighborhood, defined by Hamming distance, of the to-be-defined ancestor; (c) we have developed an algorithm to minimize the sum of all the distances between a predicted ancestor motif and a group of l-mers from the provided promoter regions, using the new distance; and (d) we have tested PROMOCO and compared its prediction results performance with two other prediction programs. The algorithm, implemented as a computer software program PROMOCO, has been used to find all conserved motifs in a set of provided promoter sequences. Our preliminary application of PROMOCO shows that it achieves better or comparable prediction results, when compared to popular programs for identification of cis regulatory binding motifs. A limitation of the algorithm is that it does not work well when the size of the set of provided promoter sequences is too small or when desired motifs appear in only small portion of the given sequences. PMID- 17787060 TI - Spot intensity ratio statistics in two-channel microarray experiments. AB - In two-channel microarray experiments, the image analysis extracts red and green fluorescence intensities. The ratio of the two fluorescence intensities represents the relative abundance of the corresponding DNA sequence. The subsequent analysis is performed by taking a log-transformation of this ratio. Therefore, the statistical analyses depend on accuracy of the ratios calculated from the image analysis. However, not many studies have been proposed for developing more reliable ratio statistics. In this paper, we consider a new type of log-transformed ratio statistic. We compare the new ratio statistic with the conventional ratio statistic commonly used in two-channel microarray experiments. First, under the specific log-normal distributional assumption, we compare analytically the new statistics with the conventional ratio statistic. Second, we compare those ratio statistics using a two-channel microarray data obtained by hybridizing a mixture of mouse RNA and yeast in vitro transcript (IVT). Both comparisons show that the proposed ratio statistic performs better than the conventional one. PMID- 17787061 TI - A practical question based on cross-platform microarray data normalization: are BOEC more like large vessel or microvascular endothelial cells or neither of them? AB - Since the available microarray data of BOEC (human blood outgrowth endothelial cells), large vessel, and microvascular endothelial cells were from two different platforms, a working cross-platform normalization method was needed to make these data comparable. With six HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) samples hybridized on two-channel cDNA arrays and six HUVEC samples on Affymetrix arrays, 64 possible combinations of a three-step normalization procedure were investigated to search for the best normalization method, which was selected, based on two criteria measuring the extent to which expression profiles of biological samples of the same cell type arrayed on two platforms were indistinguishable. Next, three discriminative gene lists between the large vessel and the microvascular endothelial cells were achieved by SAM (significant analysis of microarrays), PAM (prediction analysis for microarrays), and a combination of SAM and PAM lists. The final discriminative gene list was selected by SVM (support vector machine). Based on this discriminative gene list, SVM classification analysis with best tuning parameters and 10,000 times of validations showed that BOEC were far from large vessel cells, they either formed their own class, or fell into the microvascular class. Based on all the common genes between the two platforms, SVM analysis further confirmed this conclusion. PMID- 17787062 TI - Evaluation of normalization and pre-clustering issues in a novel clustering approach: global optimum search with enhanced positioning. AB - We study the effects on clustering quality by different normalization and pre clustering techniques for a novel mixed-integer nonlinear optimization-based clustering algorithm, the Global Optimum Search with Enhanced Positioning (EP_GOS_Clust). These are important issues to be addressed. DNA microarray experiments are informative tools to elucidate gene regulatory networks. But in order for gene expression levels to be comparable across microarrays, normalization procedures have to be properly undertaken. The aim of pre clustering is to use an adequate amount of discriminatory characteristics to form rough information profiles, so that data with similar features can be pre-grouped together and outliers deemed insignificant to the clustering process can be removed. Using experimental DNA microarray data from the yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, we study the merits of pre-clustering genes based on distance/correlation comparisons and symbolic representations such as {+, o, -}. As a performance metric, we look at the intra- and inter-cluster error sums, two generic but intuitive measures of clustering quality. We also use publicly available Gene Ontology resources to assess the clusters' level of biological coherence. Our analysis indicates a significant effect by normalization and pre clustering methods on the clustering results. Hence, the outcome of this study has significance in fine-tuning the EP_GOS_Clust clustering approach. PMID- 17787063 TI - On the computation of molecular surface correlations for protein docking using fourier techniques. AB - The computation of surface correlations using a variety of molecular models has been applied to the unbound protein docking problem. Because of the computational complexity involved in examining all possible molecular orientations, the fast Fourier transform (FFT) (a fast numerical implementation of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT)) is generally applied to minimize the number of calculations. This approach is rooted in the convolution theorem which allows one to inverse transform the product of two DFTs in order to perform the correlation calculation. However, such a DFT calculation results in a cyclic or "circular" correlation which, in general, does not lead to the same result as the linear correlation desired for the docking problem. In this work, we provide computational bounds for constructing molecular models used in the molecular surface correlation problem. The derived bounds are then shown to be consistent with various intuitive guidelines previously reported in the protein docking literature. Finally, these bounds are applied to different molecular models in order to investigate their effect on the correlation calculation. PMID- 17787064 TI - Algorithmic approaches to selecting control clones in DNA array hybridization experiments. AB - We study the problem of selecting control clones in DNA array hybridization experiments. The problem arises in the OFRG method for analyzing microbial communities. The OFRG method performs classification of rRNA gene clones using binary fingerprints created from a series of hybridization experiments, where each experiment consists of hybridizing a collection of arrayed clones with a single oligonucleotide probe. This experiment produces analog signals, one for each clone, which then need to be classified, that is, converted into binary values 1 and 0 that represent hybridization and non-hybridization events. In addition to the sample rRNA gene clones, the array contains a number of control clones needed to calibrate the classification procedure of the hybridization signals. These control clones must be selected with care to optimize the classification process. We formulate this as a combinatorial optimization problem called Balanced Covering. We prove that the problem is NP-hard, and we show some results on hardness of approximation. We propose approximation algorithms based on randomized rounding, and we show that, with high probability, our algorithms approximate well the optimum solution. The experimental results confirm that the algorithms find high quality control clones. The algorithms have been implemented and are publicly available as part of the software package called CloneTools. PMID- 17787065 TI - Comments on probabilistic models behind the concept of false discovery rate. AB - This commentary is concerned with a formula for the false discovery rate (FDR) which frequently serves as a basis for its estimation. This formula is valid under some quite special conditions, motivating us to further discuss probabilistic models behind the commonly accepted FDR concept with a special focus on problems arising in microarray data analysis. We also present a simulation study designed to assess the effects of inter-gene correlations on some theoretical results based on such models. PMID- 17787067 TI - Some comments on false discovery rate. PMID- 17787066 TI - Modeling cancer: integration of "omics" information in dynamic systems. AB - The last 10 years have seen the rise of many technologies that produce an unprecedented amount of genome-scale data from many organisms. Although the research community has been successful in exploring these data, many challenges still persist. One of them is the effective integration of such data sets directly into approaches based on mathematical modeling of biological systems. Applications in cancer are a good example. The bridge between information and modeling in cancer can be achieved by two major types of complementary strategies. First, there is a bottom-up approach, in which data generates information about structure and relationship between components of a given system. In addition, there is a top-down approach, where cybernetic and systems theoretical knowledge are used to create models that describe mechanisms and dynamics of the system. These approaches can also be linked to yield multi-scale models combining detailed mechanism and wide biological scope. Here we give an overall picture of this field and discuss possible strategies to approach the major challenges ahead. PMID- 17787069 TI - Long-sentence obscurantism? PMID- 17787068 TI - The smithsonian: fact and hearsay. PMID- 17787070 TI - ASM on Recombinant DNA. PMID- 17787072 TI - Energy conservation is not enough. PMID- 17787071 TI - Malaria vaccines. PMID- 17787073 TI - The discovery of the j particle: a personal recollection. PMID- 17787074 TI - Saccharin: a chemical in search of an identity. PMID- 17787075 TI - Bishops keep tabs on science. PMID- 17787076 TI - Arms control impact statements again have little impact. PMID- 17787077 TI - Eschewing Understatement, United Kingdom's Science Attache Declares Tosca Non Grata. PMID- 17787078 TI - The state of academic science: concern about the vital signs. PMID- 17787079 TI - Missile Accuracies: Overlooked Program Could Undermine SALT. PMID- 17787080 TI - Overlapping genes: more than anomalies? PMID- 17787081 TI - Guayule and jojoba: agriculture in semiarid regions. PMID- 17787082 TI - Evolutionary Genetics: Wright's Treatise Continued. PMID- 17787084 TI - Neuroendocrine systems. PMID- 17787083 TI - Dealing with retardation. PMID- 17787085 TI - Dust concentration in the atmosphere of the equatorial north atlantic: possible relationship to the sahelian drought. AB - The concentration of insoluble mineral aerosol in the lower troposphere of the western equatorial North Atlantic Ocean has increased by a factor of 3 over the last decade. This increase may be related to the drought in the Sahelian zone of North Africa. PMID- 17787086 TI - Phyllotaxis in xanthium shoots altered by gibberellic Acid. AB - Gibberellic acid treatment of vegetative Xanthium shoots induced a change in phyllotaxis and almost doubled the rate of leaf production. Phyllotaxis in control plants displayed a 2,3 contact parastichy pattern; that of the treated plants could be approximated with a 3,5 pattern. Thus, the Xanthium apex switched to a new mode of growth and a higher order of phyllotactic leaf arrangement not seen in untreated plants. It may be inferred from these experiments that gibberellic acid plays a role in determining the site of leaf initiation. PMID- 17787087 TI - Nucleation on photoexcited molecules. AB - On irradiation with light of suitable wavelength and intensity, certain organic compounds, even at very low concentrations, cause very efficient nucleation of supersaturated vapors. A mechanism is suggested to account for this phenomenon. Nuclei containing only a few photoexcited molecules are responsible for the nucleation. PMID- 17787088 TI - Polyelectrolytes: potential chloroform precursors. AB - Chloroform residues in potable water are generally thought to be derived only from the organic matter in the raw water upon chlorination. However, formation of chloroform at concentrations of a few micrograms per liter from widely used polyelectrolyte coagulants and coagulant aids has now been observed. Most of the ten commercial polyelectrolyte formulations tested reacted with chlorine to form chloroform under thermal conditions. This reaction was found to be strongly activated by ultraviolet irradiation. Since the chemical composition of polyelectrolytes and their impurities are little known, further studies are required before a full assessment of their benefits and potential harm can be made. PMID- 17787089 TI - Antarctic marine flora: uniquely devoid of kelps. AB - The discovery of embryonic stages of the common large Antarctic brown seaweed Himantothallus has led to the conclusion that this plant, hitherto assigned equivocally to the Laminariales (kelps), is a member of the Desmarestiales. Moreover, field study of a large sample of Himantothallus and two other enigmatic brown algae, Phyllogigas and Phaeoglossum, has led to the merger of these three genera with the recognition of a single species, Himantothallus grandifolius. The correct placement of these kelp-like algae underscores the uniqueness of the Antarctic marine flora as the only cold-water flora without kelps. PMID- 17787090 TI - North atlantic ice-rafting: a major change at 75,000 years before the present. AB - During the last interglacial-to-glacial climatic cycle [127,000 to 10,000 years before the present (B.P.)], the fundamental geographic shift in the main axis of ice-rafting deposition occurred at 75,000 years B.P. An earlier meridional depositional maximum along the Greenland-Newfoundland coasts was superseded by a nearly zonal and much stronger axis some 1500 kilometers to the south along 40 degrees N to 50 degrees N. Both depositional patterns are best explained by cyclonic flow in the subpolor gyre, with the depositional shift related to the retreat of warm, ice-melting North Atlantic drift water from the northwestern half of the gyre. Similar shifts must have characterized preceding interglacial glacial cycles. PMID- 17787091 TI - On explosive cenozoic volcanism and climatic implications. PMID- 17787092 TI - Use of correlation statistics with rubidium-strontium systematics. PMID- 17787093 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17787094 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17787095 TI - GENERAL REPORTS OF THE SECOND NASHVILLE MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17787096 TI - THE COUNCIL ROLL AT NASHVILLE. PMID- 17787098 TI - THE ROLL OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT NASHVILLE. PMID- 17787097 TI - LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE PROCEEDINGS AT NASHVILLE. PMID- 17787100 TI - THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF SECTION AND SOCIETY SECRETARIES. PMID- 17787099 TI - REPORT OF THE TREASURER FOR 1926-27. PMID- 17787101 TI - RESOLUTIONS BEARING ON THE PUBLIC WELFARE ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL AT NASHVILLE, DECEMBER 28, 1927. PMID- 17787102 TI - FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1926-27. PMID- 17787103 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PLACE OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION. PMID- 17787105 TI - GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR 1928. PMID- 17787104 TI - GRANTS FOR RESEARCH, FOR 1928. PMID- 17787106 TI - FUTURE ANNUAL MEETINGS. PMID- 17787108 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17787107 TI - SPECIAL NOTES. PMID- 17787109 TI - LAWS RELATING TO MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS. PMID- 17787110 TI - OVARIAN SECRETION AND TUMOR INCIDENCE. PMID- 17787111 TI - SOIL SCIENCE PUBLICATION IN RUSSIA. PMID- 17787112 TI - A CONVENIENT DEVICE FOR PLANT SOLUTION-CULTURE WORK. PMID- 17787113 TI - REFLECTION OF LIGHT FROM THE SURFACES OF LEAVES. PMID- 17787114 TI - A METHOD FOR CUTTING GLASS TUBING. PMID- 17787116 TI - AERIAL OBSERVATION OF EARTHQUAKE RIFTS. PMID- 17787115 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787117 TI - THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF WHEAT. PMID- 17787118 TI - INTERNATIONAL EXPLORATION OF THE UPPER AIR. PMID- 17787119 TI - AN ENGLISH VIEW OF AMERICAN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17787121 TI - LEAF STRIPE DISEASE OF SUGAR CANE IN THE PHILIPPINES. PMID- 17787120 TI - THE RETIREMENT OF DR. W. H. JORDAN. PMID- 17787122 TI - DISCOVERY OF SAUROPOD DINOSAUR REMAINS IN THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17787123 TI - GREGOR MENDEL AND THE SUPPORT OF SCIENTIFIC WORK AT BRUNN. PMID- 17787124 TI - ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION FOR THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17787125 TI - ON THE ELIMINATION OF THE X-CHROMOSOME FROM THE EGG OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER BY X-RAYS. PMID- 17787126 TI - EPIDEMIC PNEUMONIA IN REPTILES. PMID- 17787127 TI - THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787128 TI - CATEGORIES OF SPECIES NAMES IN ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17787129 TI - HORACE CLARK RICHARDS. PMID- 17787131 TI - THE BRITISH IRON AND STEEL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17787130 TI - A PERMANENT STANDARDS ORGANIZATION. PMID- 17787133 TI - THE MOENKOPI FORMATION OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. PMID- 17787132 TI - NEWS FROM ABROAD. PMID- 17787134 TI - REVERSIBLE PARALYSIS OF MOTOR FUNCTION IN RATS FROM THE CHRONIC ADMINISTRATION OF DITHIOBIURET. PMID- 17787135 TI - ERRATUM. AB - Page 148, 2d column, article by Dr. Gregory Shwartzman; the thirteenth line down on the right-hand column reads: "experiments which were all carried out in meat inferior broth." This should have been "mneat infusion broth." PMID- 17787136 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF ANTI-PENICILLINASE IMMUNE SERA. AB - It has been found that an anti-penicillinase immune serum can be produced, in rabbits by the use of purified penicillinase as the antigen. Anti-penicillinase serum is suggested as protection for penicillin from inactivation by penicillinase. PMID- 17787137 TI - THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ALLOXAN ON BLOOD SUGAR. PMID- 17787138 TI - BLOOD LEVELS AND URINARY EXCRETION IN PEANUT OIL, BEESWAX AND PENICILLIN MIXTURE. PMID- 17787139 TI - IMMUNIZATION AGAINST MALARIA: VACCINATION OF DUCKS WITH KILLED PARASITES INCORPORATED WITH ADJUVANTS. AB - When ducks are injected with formalin-inactivated P. lophurae in combination with a lanolin-like substance, paraffin oil and killed tubercle bacilli, they develop considerable resistance to subsequent infection with P. lophurae. PMID- 17787140 TI - IMMUNIZATION OF RHESUS MONKEYS AGAINST MALARIAL INFECTION (P. KNOWLESI) WITH KILLED PARASITES AND ADJUVANTS. PMID- 17787141 TI - METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF INDOLE. AB - A simple and sensitive method for the detection of indole in cultures, urine, sewage, etc., is presented. The indole is extracted with chloroform and is then treated with a modified Ehrlich reagent. The possibility of use for the detection of water pollution is indicated. PMID- 17787143 TI - THE PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF COLOR VISION. PMID- 17787142 TI - AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE RAPID MIXING OF FLUIDS IN SMALL TUBES. PMID- 17787144 TI - A NEW COLORIMETRIC REAGENT FOR TITANIUM. PMID- 17787146 TI - A REACTION OF ASCORBIC ACID WITH agr-AMINO ACIDS. PMID- 17787145 TI - PROPOSED UNIT FOR HIGH VACUUM. PMID- 17787147 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF DEGENERATIVE CHANGES IN LIVING ORGANISMS. PMID- 17787148 TI - THE OXIDATION OF BILIRUBIN BY PEROXIDASE. PMID- 17787149 TI - HOMING, MIGRATION AND INSTINCT. PMID- 17787150 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17787152 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17787153 TI - Hunger strike at kamchatka institute. PMID- 17787151 TI - Conservation of hybrid plants. PMID- 17787154 TI - Yohkoh captures a solar flare. PMID- 17787155 TI - Synchrotron light: the third generation. PMID- 17787156 TI - New canadian medical head. PMID- 17787157 TI - Gloomy words from soviet physicist. PMID- 17787158 TI - Biotech rollercoaster. PMID- 17787160 TI - Toxic waste program lacks science base. PMID- 17787159 TI - Minorities need more nurture. PMID- 17787161 TI - Relief for cat persons? PMID- 17787162 TI - Eccentric science. PMID- 17787163 TI - Autoimmunity explored in AIDS pathology. PMID- 17787165 TI - Ancient rocks, rhythms in mud, a tipsy venus: ocean mud pins down a million years of time. PMID- 17787164 TI - When diamonds met buckyballs. PMID- 17787166 TI - Ancient rocks, rhythms in mud, a tipsy venus: pushing plate tectonics back a billion years. PMID- 17787167 TI - Ancient rocks, rhythms in mud, a tipsy venus: magellan finds a flock of venusian volcanoes. PMID- 17787168 TI - Saving seeds for future generations. PMID- 17787169 TI - Myths and realities of u.s. Competitiveness. AB - Most discussion of U.S. competitiveness misstates the problem, focusing on the trade deficit and on fears that an economy whose productivity lags that of its rivals will face economic disaster. In fact, strong automatic forces ensure that the U.S. economy will remain in business and indeed roughly balance its trade even if its productivity performance is dismal. The real issue is the effect of international competition on the mix of goods that the U.S. economy produces. In some industries high productivity is an effect as well as a cause of international competitiveness. There is an intellectually respectable but politically problematic case for government action to create or preserve advantage in such industries. PMID- 17787170 TI - Superconductivity at 45 k in rb/tl codoped c60 and c60/c70 mixtures. AB - The appearance of superconductivity at relatively high temperatures in alkali metal-doped C(60) fullerene provides the challenge to both understand the nature and origin of the superconductivity and to determine the upper limit of the superconducting transition temperature (T(c)). Towards the latter goal, it is shown that doping with potassium-thallium and rubidium-thallium alloys in the 400 to 430 degrees C temperature range increases the T(c) of C(60)/C(70) mixtures to 25.6 K and above 45 K, respectively. Similar increases in T(c) were also observed upon analogous doping of pure C(60). Partial substitution of potassium with thallium in interstitial sites between C(60) molecules is suggested by larger observed unit cell parameters than for the K(3)C(60) and K(4)C(60) phases. Contrary to previous results for C(60) doped with different alkali metals, such expansion does not alone account for the changes in critical temperature. PMID- 17787171 TI - Liquids at large negative pressures: water at the homogeneous nucleation limit. AB - An isochoric cooling method for obtaining unprecedented tensions on liquids was used to determine the homogeneous nucleation limit for stretching of water at a variety of water densities. At densities in the range 0.55 to 0.68 gram per milliliter (g/ml), the data agree with the homogeneous nucleation temperatures measured by Skripov for superheated water at positive pressures. At densities between 0.68 and 0.93 g/ml, cavitation occurred only at negative pressures (that is, under tension). The cavitation tensions measured were in excellent agreement with those predicted by Fisher's 1948 vapor nucleation theory. A maximum tension of 140 megapascals (=1400 bars) was reached at 42 degrees C, which lies on an extrapolation of the line of isobaric density maxima. At higher densities, cavitation of droplets that survived heterogeneous nucleation failed to occur at all unless provoked, at much lower temperatures, by freezing. This observation confirms the existence of a density maximum at 42 degrees C and -140 megapascals and hence greatly strengthens the basis for Speedy's conjecture of a reentrant spinodal for water. PMID- 17787172 TI - Ice flexure forced by internal wave packets in the arctic ocean. AB - Tiltmeters on the Arctic Ocean were used to measure flexure of the ice forced by an energetic packet of internal waves riding the crest of diurnal internal bores emanating from the Yermak Plateau, north of the Svalbard Archipelago. The waves forced an oscillatory excursion of 36 microradians in tilt of the ice, corresponding to an excursion of 16 micrometers per second in vertical velocity at the surface and of 3.5 millimeters in surface displacement. Strainmeters embedded in the ice measured an excursion of 3 x 10(-7) in strain, consistent with ice flexure rather than compression. The measured tilt is consistent with direct measurements of excursions in horizontal current near the surface (12 centimeters per second) and in vertical displacement (36 meters) of the pycnocline 100 meters below the surface. PMID- 17787173 TI - Structural control of flank volcanism in continental rifts. AB - Many volcanoes emerge from the flank (footwall) of normal faults in continental rift zones. Because such locations are commonly topographically high and exhibit minor compressional structures, the association is enigmatic. A simple flexing plate model shows that deformation of a flexurally supported upper crust during normal faulting generates a dilational strain field in the footwall at the base of the crust. This strain field allows cracking and tapping of preexisting melt. PMID- 17787174 TI - Theoretical Fermi-Surface Properties and Superconducting Parameters for K3C60. AB - Quantitative theories of superconductivity in alkali-doped C(60) require an accurate and detailed description of the Fermi surface. First-principles calculations of Fermi-surface properties and electronic parameters for K(3)C(60), the prototype fulleride-superconductor, are reported. The Fermi surface has two sheets; the first is free-electron-like, and the second is multiply-connected, forming two interlocked symmetry-equivalent pieces that never touch. The calculated (clean limit) London penetration depth is Lambda = 1600 A. Comparing the Fermi velocity with the experimental coherence length leads to a superconducting pairing strength lambda approximately 5, indicating very strong coupling. Partial nesting in the second Fermi-surface sheet may favor coupling to short-wavelength q,0,0 optic modes. PMID- 17787175 TI - Voices from the fringe. PMID- 17787176 TI - Hardship conditions. PMID- 17787177 TI - The ways of coprophiles. PMID- 17787178 TI - Hierarchy and heterochrony. PMID- 17787179 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17787180 TI - PRACTICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17787181 TI - BOTANY IN ITS RELATIONS TO AGRICULTURAL ADVANCEMENT. PMID- 17787182 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17787183 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17787184 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17787185 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17787186 TI - PALEOGEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICA. PMID- 17787187 TI - WEBBER'S "BROWN FUNGUS" OF THE CITRUS WHITEFLY (AeGERITA WEBBERI N. SP.). PMID- 17787188 TI - A CORRECTED CLASSIFICATION OF THE EDENTATES. PMID- 17787189 TI - THE NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787190 TI - COLD STORAGE METHODS IN CANADA. PMID- 17787191 TI - IDENTICAL TWINS. PMID- 17787192 TI - SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE "MAUD". PMID- 17787193 TI - POLLEN ANALYSIS AND HAY FEVER. PMID- 17787194 TI - THE EFFECTS OF LOSS OF SLEEP. PMID- 17787195 TI - A NEW COMET. PMID- 17787196 TI - CHANDLER: THE TEACHER AND THE CHEMIST. PMID- 17787197 TI - CHANDLER AND THE COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF MINES. PMID- 17787198 TI - A NEW UNITED STATES WEED: HYMENOPHYSA PUBESCENS. PMID- 17787199 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17787200 TI - ILLITERACY IN THE COLLEGES. PMID- 17787201 TI - THE PRIMARY FOODPLANT OF THE MELON APHID. PMID- 17787202 TI - THE PURPURIN METHOD OF LOCALIZING CALCIUM. PMID- 17787203 TI - A RAPID METHOD FOR DEMONSTRATING THE EFFECTS OF PLANTS ON A CULTURE SOLUTION. PMID- 17787204 TI - NOTE ON MAGNETIC DECLINATION. PMID- 17787205 TI - ARCA PATRICIA SOWERBY, A MIOCENE FOSSIL FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. PMID- 17787206 TI - The Mitochondrial System. PMID- 17787207 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17787208 TI - The Use of an Ion Exchange Resin for the Hydrolysis of Casein and Coffee Proteins. PMID- 17787209 TI - Teacher Training. PMID- 17787210 TI - Selective Application of Selective Herbicides in the Study of Vegetation Development. PMID- 17787212 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17787211 TI - Age of Folsom Man. PMID- 17787213 TI - SUMMARY STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, 1936-1937. PMID- 17787214 TI - LOUIS PASTEUR'S PATENTS. PMID- 17787215 TI - DRIFT BOTTLES RELEASED OFF COAST OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17787216 TI - HEAD MOVEMENTS IN BIRDS. PMID- 17787217 TI - CHONDRODYSTROPHY IN THE CHICK EMBRYO PRODUCED BY A MINERAL DEFICIENCY IN THE DIET OF THE HEN. PMID- 17787218 TI - DIGITALIS AND CALCIUM SYNERGISM. PMID- 17787219 TI - THE pH STABILITY RANGE OF THE ELEMENTARY BODIES OF VACCINIA. PMID- 17787220 TI - REDUCTION OF THE METHYL ESTER OF 2:3:4-TRIMETHYL agr-METHYL-d-GALACTURONIDE TO 2:3:4-TRIMETHYL agr-METHYL-d-GALACTOSIDE. PMID- 17787221 TI - THE PRESERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS BY MEANS OF TRANSPARENT PLASTICS. PMID- 17787222 TI - A HYDRO-AGITATOR FOR SOLUTIONS. PMID- 17787223 TI - SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION: Push to Revive Pluto Mission May Mean Competition for JPL. AB - An unusual coalition of scientists, activists, and politicians is pressuring NASA to rethink a September decision to put a 2004 mission to Pluto on hold because of budget constraints. The growing clamor is shaking up the planetary science community, which is also preparing for a mission at mid-decade to Europa, a moon of Jupiter. The biggest impact may be felt at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which could face serious competition for the first time in decades on contracts to build planetary missions. PMID- 17787224 TI - PARTICLE PHYSICS: The Final Tally Leaves LEP a Probable Loser. AB - Physicists at CERN, the European particle physics laboratory near Geneva, are making a last-ditch appeal to postpone demolition of the lab's Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider. Scheduled to be scrapped in September to make room for a new device, the Large Hadron Collider, LEP was granted a 1-month stay of execution so physicists could continue experiments hinting at evidence for the Higgs boson--a theoretical particle that physicists have coveted for decades. On 8 November, CERN's director-general turned down a further extension, but the executive committee of the lab's staff association blasted the decision, saying that the case against LEP had not been made clearly enough. PMID- 17787225 TI - GEOPHYSICS: Core Takes a Page From the Sea Floor. AB - On page 1338, a group of geophysicists suggests that the mysterious boundary between Earth's molten iron core and its rocky mantle most resembles an inverted sea floor, with liquid-iron-laced sediments collecting on the roof of the core. They argue that a slow, inverted rain of precipitates rising to the core-mantle boundary and settling into a kilometers-thick layer might explain a variety of observations, from a subtle nodding of Earth's axis to seismic speed zones at the boundary. Their story will be difficult to verify, however, because painting a portrait of the core-mantle boundary depends on very indirect geophysical evidence. PMID- 17787226 TI - ELECTION 2000: Uncertainty Wins by a Landslide. AB - Scientists seeking order from the chaos of the U.S. election results may have a long wait. With the closest presidential election in a generation still undecided as Science went to press and the winners in several closely watched Senate and House races also unknown, it may be months before researchers and science lobbyists know who will fill influential posts in Congress and the new Administration for shaping science policies and budgets. PMID- 17787227 TI - ASTROPHYSICS: Astronomers Spot Their First Carbon Bomb. AB - Carbon on the surface of an ultradense star detonated in a 3-hour thermonuclear explosion, according to a report at a meeting here last week of the American Astronomical Society's High Energy Astrophysics Division. If confirmed, the burst would be the first known cosmic explosion fueled solely by carbon rather than hydrogen or helium and could verify or revise models of carbon combustion. PMID- 17787228 TI - EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY: New Science Chief Must Juggle Missions and Politics. AB - With calls to tie the European Space Agency (ESA) more closely to the business and security sectors (see sidebar), space scientists hope David Southwood, who will take over next May as ESA's science director, can nurture the agency's research with the skill he showed transforming its earth sciences division. Experts say he's up to the task. PMID- 17787229 TI - EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY: Getting More Out of Space. AB - Space is too important to Europe to be left to scientists alone, according to a report on the future of the European Space Agency (ESA) released last week. The report (available at www.esa.int) concludes that better coordination between ESA and the business and defense sectors is essential to Europe's development. PMID- 17787230 TI - Is it warm? Is it real? Or just low spatial frequency? PMID- 17787231 TI - Animal Welfare Act's Changes Deserve Praise, Not Panic. PMID- 17787232 TI - SCIENCE PRIORITIES: An Opportunities-Based Science Budget. AB - Newt Gingrich introduces the concept of an "opportunities-based budget", as an approach to federal research and development funding. Policy-makers should not frame the debate on science funding in terms of percentage of increase. Rather, a systematic analysis of the promise of opportunities should be conducted and the funds allotted accordingly. This article is a call to rethink how lawmakers are funding the discoveries upon which future generations will rely. PMID- 17787233 TI - PHASE TRANSITIONS: Y's and Ends. AB - The mechanism by which colloidal suspensions containing particles with magnetic or electric dipole moments phase separate has long remained obscure. Pincus highlights the report by Tlusty and Safran, who have found that a mechanism derived from polymer physics is applicable to this problem because the suspended colloidal particles form polymerlike chains. A wide range of seemingly different systems, from biopolymers to inorganic ceramic networks, may ultimately be described within a general model. PMID- 17787234 TI - MATERIALS SCIENCE: Putting a New Spin on Carbon Nanotubes. AB - Nanotube fibers are expected to have a wide range of applications from energy storage to high-strength mechanical devices. But as Baughman explains in his Perspective, methods for making such fibers have been of limited success. In contrast, the process reported by Vigolo et al. shows great promise. Together with a recently reported, more economically viable nanotube production process, this method may open the door to large-scale devices and materials based on carbon nanotubes. PMID- 17787235 TI - CLIMATE CHANGE: Variable Carbon Sinks. AB - Over half of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is partially absorbed by carbon sinks. As Fung explains in this Perspective, determining the location and magnitude of these sinks remains a major challenge. Bousquet et al. find that regional and global terrestrial carbon sinks are much more variable than their oceanic counterparts and that the tropical land masses may play a major role. Given that the land sink is so variable, it is uncertain how it will repond to climate change. PMID- 17787237 TI - A tax on sin: the six-cylinder car. PMID- 17787236 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17787238 TI - Dues increase announced. PMID- 17787239 TI - Chemical Arms Ban Still Uncertain: Despite promises made at last week's meeting in Paris, growing Third World interest in chemical weapons suggests that the prospects for a worldwide ban remain cloudy. PMID- 17787240 TI - A plea for scientific help. PMID- 17787241 TI - Fusion Chief Reassigned as Program Is Refocused: John F. Clarke, long-time head of the Department of Energy's magnetic confinement fusion program has been shifted to the climate program; fusion researchers react nervously. PMID- 17787242 TI - How to handle misconduct allegations. PMID- 17787243 TI - Bomb factories of the 21st century. PMID- 17787244 TI - A risk worth worrying about? PMID- 17787245 TI - Watkins named energy secretary. PMID- 17787246 TI - Ecologists Flirt with Chaos: The jury is still out on whether biological populations exhibit chaos, but the search for this unusual type of order is leading to new ways of thinking about ecology. PMID- 17787247 TI - A simple Model of Chaos. PMID- 17787248 TI - More math means more money. PMID- 17787249 TI - Another snow job. PMID- 17787250 TI - Pravda heads for the stars. PMID- 17787251 TI - Danger on the job. PMID- 17787252 TI - Levitation in physics. AB - Several physical effects allow free floatation of solid and even liquid matter. Materials may be levitated by a jet of gas, by intense sound waves, or by beams of laser light. In addition, conductors levitate in strong radio-frequency fields, charged particles in alternating electric fields, and magnets above superconductors or vice versa. Although levitation by means of ferromagnets is unstable, supper-conductors may be suspended both above and below a magnet as a result of flux pinning. Levitation is used for containerless processing and investigation of materials, for frictionless bearings and high-speed ground transportation, for spectroscopy of single atoms and microparticles, and for demonstrating superconductivity in the new oxide superconductors. PMID- 17787253 TI - Composition of the Earth. AB - New estimates of solar composition, compared to earlier measurements, are enriched in Fe and Ca relative to Mg, Al, and Si. The Fe/Si and Ca/Al atomic ratios are 30 to 40 percent higher than chondritic values. These changes necessitate a revision in the cosmic abundances and in the composition of the nebula from which the planets accreted (which have been based on chondritic values). These new values imply that the mantle could contain about 15 weight percent FeO and more CaMgSi(2)O(6) than has been supposed. Geophysical data are consistent with a dense, FeO-rich lower mantle and a CaMgSi(2)O(6) (diopside) rich transition region. FeO contents of 13 to 18 weight percent appear to be typical of the mantles of bodies in the inner solar system. The oldest komatiites (high-temperature MgO-rich magmas) have a similar chemistry to the derived mantle. These results favor a chemically zoned mantle. PMID- 17787254 TI - Germplasm as property: first the seed. PMID- 17787255 TI - The nuclear freeze campaign: from protest to policy. PMID- 17787256 TI - Social science in law: reforming the law. PMID- 17787257 TI - Ideals of psychologists: the rise of experimentation in american psychology. PMID- 17787258 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17787259 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17787260 TI - Purism in Science. PMID- 17787261 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17787262 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17787263 TI - Fuel for Indian Reactors. PMID- 17787265 TI - The Use of Animals in Research and Teaching. PMID- 17787264 TI - Birth Control Institute. PMID- 17787266 TI - Optical Communications. PMID- 17787267 TI - Acoustical Thermometer. PMID- 17787268 TI - Research in Music with Electronics. PMID- 17787269 TI - Status of the National Standards for Physical Measurement. PMID- 17787270 TI - The Rubidium Magnetometer in Archeological Exploration. PMID- 17787272 TI - Mohole: Last-Minute Opposition Turned Aside. PMID- 17787271 TI - Strip Mining (II): TVA in Middle in Reclamation Controversy. PMID- 17787273 TI - Water Pollution: Federal Role Is Strengthened by Law Authorizing New Agency and Quality Standards. PMID- 17787274 TI - Structure of Ice VI. AB - Ice VI, a high-pressure form of density 1.31 g cm-(3), has a tetragonal cell of dimensions a = 6.27 A, c = 5.79 A, space group P4(2)/nmc, each cell containing ten water molecules. The structure is built up of hydrogen-bonded chdins of water molecules that are analogs of the tectosilicate chains out of which the fibrous zeolites are constructed. The chains in ice VI are linked laterally to one another to form an open, zeolite-like framework. The cavities in this framework are filled with a second framework identical with the first. The two frameworks interpenetrate but do not interconnect, and the complete structure can thus be considered a "self-clathrate." This structural feature is a natural way to achieve high density in tetrahedrally linked framework structures. PMID- 17787275 TI - Nonuniform Cooling of the Eclipsed Moon: A Listing of Thirty Prominent Anomalies. AB - Infrared scanning during a total eclipse has revealed hundreds of hot spots, many identified with craters smaller than the detector resolution. Areal corrections show that some of these features may have the thermal properties of bare rock. Correlation of thermal response with albedo and radar reflectivity shows discrepancies. There is a concentration of hot spots in Mare Tranquillitatis. PMID- 17787276 TI - Anomalous Dispersion Method: Its Power for Protein Structure Analysis. AB - The phases of x-ray reflection of a crystal can be measured, except for an ambiguity, if the crystal contains heavy atoms which scatter x-rays anomalously. Theoretical studies show that the method of resolving this ambiguity by choosing the phases closer to those of the heavy atoms has a good potentiality for solving complicated structures, in which the average heavy atom contribution to the intensity is as low as 10 percent. PMID- 17787277 TI - Transfer of Learned Response by RNA Injection. PMID- 17787278 TI - Critical-Point Phenomena. PMID- 17787279 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17787280 TI - SHELLS USED AS CURRENCY. PMID- 17787282 TI - RACE MIXTURE. PMID- 17787281 TI - EVIDENCES OF EARLY MAN IN AMERICA. PMID- 17787283 TI - THE RED WOLF OF TEXAS. PMID- 17787284 TI - THE EUROPEAN BISON. PMID- 17787285 TI - LISTER AS PHYSIOLOGIST. PMID- 17787286 TI - CHANNELS, VALLEYS AND INTERMONT DETRITAL PLAINS. PMID- 17787287 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17787288 TI - HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. PMID- 17787289 TI - ICARUS AND MELTING WAX. PMID- 17787290 TI - AN ECHO FROM MORRISON CHAPEL, TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17787291 TI - THE ANTI-COAGULATING ACTION OF THE SECRETION OF THE BUCCAL GLANDS OF THE LAMPREYS (PETROMYZON, LAMPETRA AND ENTOSPHENUS). PMID- 17787292 TI - EQUATION OF ELECTRONIC CONDUCTION IN UNI-POLAR NON-METALLIC FILMS. PMID- 17787294 TI - CMI: No Closer than the Moon. PMID- 17787293 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17787295 TI - Tektite I: who can use it? PMID- 17787297 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17787296 TI - Chicago boycott defended. PMID- 17787298 TI - Regrets to reprint requests. PMID- 17787299 TI - Inexorable pollution. PMID- 17787300 TI - Carbon monoxide controls. PMID- 17787301 TI - The university and student dissent. PMID- 17787302 TI - Stellar abundances and the origin of the elements. PMID- 17787303 TI - Support of scientific research and education in our universities. PMID- 17787304 TI - Support of scientific research and education in our universities. PMID- 17787305 TI - Spectra, Variability, Size, and Polarization of H2O Microwave Emission Sources in the Galaxy. AB - Radio spectral line radiation of water molecules at a wavelength of 1.35 centimeters has been measured from eight sources in the galaxy. The sources are less than I arc minute in diameter, have extremely high brightness temperatures, and show many spectral features. Some spectral features are slightly polarized and some have changed greatly in intensity in a few weeks time. PMID- 17787306 TI - Spectral reflectivity of Mars. AB - Analysis of data on the spectral reflectivity curves for both bright and dark areas of Mars disclosed several features not considered in previous models of the martian surface. The shape of the mean spectral geometric albedo curve between 0.3 and about 1.3 microns for Mars is defined to within a few percent. Spectral reflectivity curves based on relative reflectivity data were calculated for both a bright and a dark region between 0.4 and 1.1 microns. The curve for the dark region shows a broad, deep ( approximately 13 percent) absorption feature centered near 1 micron. The curve for the dark area crosses that of the bright area between 0.4 and 0.5 micron during some martian seasons. PMID- 17787307 TI - Magnetospheric wind. AB - An experiment designed to detect the bulk flow of cool plasma within the magnetosphere has been flown on the ATS-1 (Applications Technology Satellite) synchronous satellite. This experiment has yielded evidence for gusts of streaming positive ions in the magnetospheric equatorial plane. This directed ion flow is interpreted as the result of large-scale electric fields of the order of several millivolts per meter. PMID- 17787308 TI - Gordon research conferences: program for 1969. PMID- 17787309 TI - Natiotal meetings. PMID- 17787310 TI - International and foreign meetings. PMID- 17787311 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17787312 TI - THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COUNT RUMFORD AND MICHAEL FARADAY TO THE MODERN MUSEUM OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787314 TI - A NEW METHOD OF DEEP SEA OBSERVATION AT FIRST HAND. PMID- 17787313 TI - BIOCHEMICAL RELATIVITY. PMID- 17787315 TI - SEA-LEVEL CHANGE NEAR NEW YORK. PMID- 17787316 TI - ON GENUS AND SPECIES MAKING. PMID- 17787317 TI - EGYPTIAN MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17787318 TI - NOTES FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CANADA. PMID- 17787319 TI - CHOMATOLOGY, SOIL SCIENCE. PMID- 17787320 TI - THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE SOCIETY MEETING IN DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA. PMID- 17787322 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON THE GROWTH OF CHILDREN. PMID- 17787321 TI - A MICROSCOPE-CENTRIFUGE. PMID- 17787323 TI - Admission Charges. PMID- 17787325 TI - Test Ban: Illusion of Progress Had Arisen from Rush of Proposals but Basic Issue Remained Untouched. PMID- 17787324 TI - Protecting the Science of Radio Astronomy: New uses of space may harm radio astronomy unless there is effective international protection. PMID- 17787326 TI - Foundations of Geometry and Trigonometry. Howard Levi. Prentice- Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., ed. 2, 1960. xiv + 347 pp. Illus. Trade ed., $10.60; text ed., $7.95. PMID- 17787327 TI - Analytic Geometry: A Vector Approach. Charles Wexler. Addison- Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1962. x + 291 pp. Illus. $6. PMID- 17787328 TI - Elementary and Advanced Trigonometry. Kenneth S. Miller and John B. Walsh. Harper, New York, 1962. xi + 350 pp. Illus. $5.75. PMID- 17787329 TI - Introductory College Mathematics. Chester George Jaeger and Harold Maile Bacon. Harper, New York, ed. 2, 1962. xvii + 423 pp. Illus. $6.50. PMID- 17787330 TI - Frontiers in Physics. A lecture and reprint series. David Pines, Ed. Problems in Quantum Theory of Many Particle Systems, L. van Hove, N. M. Hugenholtz, and L. P. Howland (259 pp.); The Many-Body Problem, David Pines, Ed. (469 pp.); S-Matrix Theory of Strong Interactions, Geoffrey F. Chew (192 pp.); The Theory of Fundamental Processes, R. P. Feynmann and H. T. Yura (182 pp.); Quantum Electrodynamics, R. P. Feynmann. Notes corrected by E. R. Huggins and Y. T. Yara (208 pp.); Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation, N. Bloembergen (187 pp.); The Mossbauer Effect, Hans Frauenfelder (350 pp.). Benjamin, New York, 1962. Paper, $3.95 each. PMID- 17787331 TI - Atomic-Absorption Spectrophotometry. W. T. Elwell and J. A. F. Gidley. Macmillan, New York, 1962. vii + 102 pp. illus. $5. PMID- 17787332 TI - Physics of the Solar Chromosphere. Richard N. Thomas and R. Grant Athay. Interscience (Wiley), New York, 1961. x + 422 pp. Illus. $15.50. PMID- 17787333 TI - Physics of the Nucleus. M. A. Preston. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 1962. x + 661 pp. Illus. $15. PMID- 17787334 TI - Statistics. PMID- 17787336 TI - Ultrastructure in Biological Systems. vol. 1, Tumors Induced by Viruses: Ultrastructural Studies. Albert J. Dalton and Francoise Haguenau, Eds. Academic Press, New York, 1962. xi + 229 pp. Illus. $9.50. PMID- 17787335 TI - Macromolecular Specificity and Biological Memory. Francis O. Schmitt, Ed. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, Cambridge, 1962. viii + 119 pp. $3. PMID- 17787337 TI - Unit-Cell Dimensions of Natural and Synthetic Scapolites. AB - In natural scapolites the cell dimension a shows a regular increase from marialite to meionite composition, while c remains constant. Both a and c of synthetic meionite are larger than the corresponding dimensions of synthetic marialite. The cell volume of both natural and synthetic scapolites is a nearly linear function of composition. Variations in cell dimensions of scapolites may be caused by differences in structural state similar to those in plagioclase feldspars. PMID- 17787338 TI - Revision of Aleutian Prehistory. AB - Mongoloid skeletons of the Eskimo-Aleut stock, bone, stone and ivory artifacts, together with sea mammal, fish, bird, and invertebrate remains date to 1788 +/- 180 B.C. at Chaluka, Umnak Island. Faunal composition and physical type of the human population present no appreciable changes for over 3000 years. Styles of artifacts change, but none indicate that ecological adaptation was affected. PMID- 17787339 TI - On the Decay Retardant Properties of Some Tropolones. AB - The heartwoods of tree species containing tropolone compounds in their extractive components are classed among the more durable woods. Two new tropolones, namely, alpha-thujaplicinol and pygmaein from the heartwood of Cupressus pygmaea, were also found to exhibit strong fungitoxic properties active against a number of wood-destroying fungi. The hydroxyl group appears to be the functional grouping which is largely responsible for the fungicidal action exhibited by this type of compound. PMID- 17787340 TI - Gas Spitting by Alarmed Fish Disturbs Their Hydrostatic Equilibrium. AB - Besides maintaining hydrostatic equilibrium, the physostomatous gas bladder of fish has the broader function of adapting the density of the fish to momentary needs. PMID- 17787341 TI - Neutron Activation Analysis for Phosphorus in a Study of Development in a Beetle Wing. AB - Neutron activation analysis was used to measure phosphorus in individual beetle wings during pupal and early adult stages. By counting neutroninduced P(32) radioactivity it was possible to measure 0.005 +/- 0.001, microg of phosphorus. The phosphorus content of the wings rises to maximum at eclosion and subsequently decreases with loss of cells. PMID- 17787343 TI - Meeting Notes. PMID- 17787342 TI - Ellobiopsidae from the Pacific. AB - The parasite Amallocystis capillosus has appeared on the shrimp Pasiphaea pacifica. This is the first report of this group of parasites from the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The parasite causes a morphological modification of the rostrum of the host. PMID- 17787344 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17787346 TI - Biological Research Center. PMID- 17787345 TI - On the Moon Illusion. PMID- 17787347 TI - Battle Not Won. PMID- 17787348 TI - Adjusting Data. PMID- 17787349 TI - Fact and Fashion in Scientific Nomenclature. PMID- 17787350 TI - Genetic Composition and Cultural Structure. PMID- 17787351 TI - Conversion of Pyruvate to Lactate in Tumors. PMID- 17787352 TI - Probability Learning. PMID- 17787353 TI - Tobacco and Health. PMID- 17787354 TI - Martian Antifreeze. PMID- 17787355 TI - Questions and Answers. PMID- 17787356 TI - Programmed Instruction and the Arts. PMID- 17787357 TI - CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNITY AND PERSONAL HYGIENE. PMID- 17787358 TI - THE RESEARCH LABORATORY OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17787359 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17787360 TI - WEISMANNISM, A CRITICISM OF DIE SELEKTIONS-THEORIE. PMID- 17787361 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17787362 TI - NOTE ON THE MARKING SYSTEM IN THE ASTRONOMICAL COURSE AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE, 1909 10. PMID- 17787363 TI - THE DEFINITION OF FORCE. PMID- 17787364 TI - PREDICTION OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SOME PARASITIC FUNGI. PMID- 17787365 TI - THE MIOCENE HORIZONS AT PORTERS LANDING, GEORGIA. PMID- 17787367 TI - SOME NEW ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. PMID- 17787368 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17787366 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS CENTRAL BRANCH. PMID- 17787369 TI - BOOKS FROM CIRCULATING LIBRARIES. PMID- 17787370 TI - THE MICROBE OF MALARIA. PMID- 17787371 TI - BOSTON MILK-SUPPLY. PMID- 17787372 TI - BALDNESS. PMID- 17787373 TI - AIR AND WATER ANALYSES. PMID- 17787374 TI - SWINE OR MAN. PMID- 17787375 TI - Overcoats. PMID- 17787376 TI - THE LOCO-WEED. PMID- 17787377 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17787378 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17787379 TI - COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17787380 TI - SCIENCE IN THE SCHOOLS. PMID- 17787381 TI - THE COAL QUESTION IN ENGLAND. PMID- 17787382 TI - MINING INDUSTRIES IN SIAM. PMID- 17787383 TI - A New Departure in Effigy Mounds. PMID- 17787384 TI - The Soaring of Birds. PMID- 17787385 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17787386 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17787387 TI - THE UNITED STATES ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT AND ITS RELATION TO PUBLIC HEALTH. PMID- 17787388 TI - CONCERNING AN INCREASE IN THE POTENCY OF MOSAIC VIRUS IN VITRO. PMID- 17787390 TI - THE CAUSATIVE ORGANISM OF A PAPULAR TYPE OF APPLE MEASLES. PMID- 17787389 TI - GEOMORPHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF A CLIMATIC BOUNDARY. PMID- 17787391 TI - CHLORATES AS HERBICIDES. PMID- 17787392 TI - BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS--A DISCUSSION. PMID- 17787393 TI - AN ADAPTATION OF THE BOX CAMERA TO PHOTOMICROGRAPHY. PMID- 17787394 TI - A METHOD FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OLD MANUSCRIPTS. PMID- 17787396 TI - A CHART OF RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS INDICATING THEIR STRUCTURE. PMID- 17787395 TI - THE USE OF LIVE NEMAS (METONCHOLAIMUS PRISTIURUS) IN ZOOLOGICAL COURSES IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. PMID- 17787397 TI - THE SUGAR TOLERANCE OF YEASTS EXPRESSED IN ATMOSPHERES. PMID- 17787398 TI - MORE DATA ON THE LUNG FLUKE, PARAGONIMUS, IN NORTH AMERICA. PMID- 17787399 TI - THE PREVALENT DISEASES IN THE PHILIPPINES. PMID- 17787400 TI - A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF SOME NEW FIELDS OF THOUGHT IN MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17787401 TI - THE MECHANICS OF SLOW MOTIONS. PMID- 17787402 TI - MARYLAND'S HIGHWAY REPORT. PMID- 17787403 TI - WORK AND EXPENDITURES OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1899. PMID- 17787404 TI - ELECTRICAL UNITS AND THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17787405 TI - LAMPREYS IN CAPTIVITY. PMID- 17787406 TI - NECTURUS MACULOSUS RAFINESQUE IN THE LOWER DELAWARE RIVER. PMID- 17787408 TI - PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND MEDICINE. PMID- 17787407 TI - RESEARCH AND THE INDIVIDUAL. PMID- 17787409 TI - LEON HATCHIG LEONIAN 1888-1945. PMID- 17787411 TI - THE ISOTOPE RESEARCH COMMITTEE. PMID- 17787410 TI - THE GERARD SWOPE FOUNDATION OF THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. PMID- 17787412 TI - THE CANAL ZONE BIOLOGICAL AREA. PMID- 17787413 TI - THE ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17787414 TI - PROMOTIONS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY. PMID- 17787415 TI - A FILTER-PASSING AGENT PRODUCING INTERSTITIAL MYOCARDITIS IN ANTHROPOID APES AND SMALL ANIMALS. PMID- 17787416 TI - VITAMIN-SYNTHESIZING DEFICIENCIES IN YEASTS SUPPLIED BY HYBRIDIZATION. PMID- 17787417 TI - STREPTOMYCES ANTIBIOTICS. I. CRYSTALLINE SALTS OF STREPTOMYCIN AND STREPTOTHRICIN. PMID- 17787418 TI - THE MICROBIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF AN OXYGEN ANALOG OF BIOTIN. PMID- 17787419 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECT OF PREFLIGHT MEALS UPON ALTITUDE TOLERANCE. PMID- 17787420 TI - STUDIES IN MECHANISMS OF PENICILLIN ACTION. I. PENICILLIN EFFECTS ON BLOOD COAGULATION. PMID- 17787421 TI - STANDARDIZATION OF STREPTOMYCIN. PMID- 17787422 TI - DARKFIELD ILLUMINATORS IN MICROSCOPY. PMID- 17787423 TI - AN APPROACH TO THE NUTRITION PROBLEMS OF OTHER NATIONS. PMID- 17787425 TI - NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES. PMID- 17787424 TI - NON-PERMEABILITY OF THE LACTATING BOVINE MAMMARY GLAND TO PENICILLIN. PMID- 17787426 TI - ROTATION OF ELECTROLYTE BETWEEN INSULATED POLES OF MAGNET. PMID- 17787427 TI - WHY THE HALO AND THE CORONA DO NOT APPEAR IN THE SAME CLOUD. PMID- 17787428 TI - IONS IN GASES. PMID- 17787430 TI - THE RESEARCH SECTION OF THE ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787429 TI - BOTANICAL RESEARCH BY UNFASHIONABLE TECHNICS. PMID- 17787431 TI - SYMPOSIA AT THE ST. LOUIS MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17787432 TI - CONFERENCE OF RADIO ENGINEERS AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17787433 TI - APPOINTMENT OF DR. JAMES BRYANT CONANT AS HEAD OF SCIENTIFIC MISSION. PMID- 17787434 TI - NOMINATIONS OF OFFICERS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17787435 TI - SYMPOSIUM AT UNION COLLEGE. PMID- 17787436 TI - AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN EVOLUTION. PMID- 17787437 TI - THE SOYBEAN IN CHINA. PMID- 17787438 TI - LINNAeUS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MAN. PMID- 17787439 TI - THE PRESENTATION OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. PMID- 17787440 TI - OUR SCIENCE MEETINGS AGAIN. PMID- 17787441 TI - ON LUBIMENKO EXTRACTS OF CHLOROPHYLL-PROTEIN. PMID- 17787442 TI - THE H-ION CONCENTRATION AND THE ORIGIN OF THE HEART BEAT. AB - The rate of the frog or guinea pig heart preparation was not significantly influenced by the H-ion concentration when this was kept within limits which allowed the heart to continue beating. The theory that the H-ion concentration is intimately concerned with the origination of the heart beat is not supported by the results of this investigation. PMID- 17787443 TI - SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISEASE IN RELATION TO PLANT NUTRITION. PMID- 17787445 TI - THE STAINING OF ACID-FAST TUBERCLE BACTERIA. PMID- 17787444 TI - HISTOLOGICAL SECTIONING OF HARD TISSUES BY A NEW TECHNIQUE. PMID- 17787446 TI - ENGINEERING IN AN AMERICAN PROGRAM FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS. PMID- 17787447 TI - FOSSIL CYCAD NATIONAL MONUMENT. PMID- 17787448 TI - BUILT-UP FILMS OF PROTEINS AND THEIR PROPERTIES. PMID- 17787449 TI - THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE UPON THE RESPONSES OF PLANTS TO PHOTOPERIOD. PMID- 17787450 TI - A REAGENT FOR VITAMIN B. PMID- 17787451 TI - STUDIES ON THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODIES IN VITRO. PMID- 17787452 TI - PREPARATION OF AN ACTIVE AGENT FROM INACTIVE TUMOR EXTRACTS. PMID- 17787453 TI - THE FEEDING OF HOLLOW-SPEAR NEMATODES ON OTHER NEMATODES. PMID- 17787454 TI - A CIRCULATION PUMP. PMID- 17787455 TI - THE EAR-OSSICLES IN CRANIA. PMID- 17787457 TI - A COMMON-SENSE CALENDAR. PMID- 17787456 TI - A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR THE STUDY OF DROSOPHILA EGGS AND LARVAE. PMID- 17787458 TI - CHEMICAL LITERATURE AND ITS USE. PMID- 17787459 TI - RESEARCH WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION DURING THE SUMMER OF 1917. PMID- 17787460 TI - THE EXISTENCE OF LECITHIN. PMID- 17787461 TI - DESMOGNATHUS FUSCUS [SIC]. PMID- 17787463 TI - THE YELLOW CLOTHES MOTH. PMID- 17787462 TI - A MOLLUSCAN GARDEN PEST. PMID- 17787464 TI - THE AURORA OF MARCH 7. PMID- 17787465 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR INVESTIGATION OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, MUSCLES AND GLANDS. PMID- 17787466 TI - APPLICATION OF THE METHOD TO THE DISSECTION OF PIG EMBRYOS. PMID- 17787467 TI - Salt ii. PMID- 17787468 TI - Coal science: basic research opportunities. AB - More fundamental knowledge of coal (knowledge of its structure and its behavior during conversion processes) is essential before we can generate new technologies necessary for the efficient use of coal in the future. Herein are suggested specific basic research opportunities in the areas of coal characterization, gasification, combustion, and liquefaction, along with an assessment of the impact such research programs could have. Critical characterization needs include qualitative and quantitative determination of the chemical forms of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur and reliable methods for the measurement of surface area, pore volume, and weight-average molecular weights. Mechanistic studies aimed at increasing understanding of the thermal breakdown of the functionalities in coal, the behavior of coal in the presence of molecular and donor hydrogen environments, and carbon gasification and hydrocarbon synthesis reactions starting from carbon monoxide and hydrogen will lay the scientific foundation for the development of new processes for converting coal into clean usable fuels and chemicals. PMID- 17787470 TI - Flash not missed by vela still veiled in mist. PMID- 17787469 TI - Ecology and acculturation among native peoples of central Brazil. AB - Simple exposure to Western goods may not be a sufficient explanation of why isolated village communities increase their participation in external market economies. The degree of market participation by four native villages in central Brazil is related to the difficulty of making a living from slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture as measured by the ratio of labor input to food output. PMID- 17787471 TI - House gives a nod to solar power satellite. PMID- 17787472 TI - Waiting for the oil bug. PMID- 17787473 TI - Macht durch Weisheit. PMID- 17787474 TI - Specimen bank set up. PMID- 17787475 TI - Centenarians and representatives. PMID- 17787476 TI - Annual meeting san francisco. PMID- 17787477 TI - The rise of experimental physics. PMID- 17787478 TI - A memoir of computing. PMID- 17787479 TI - Looking for insights. PMID- 17787480 TI - Alpine plants. PMID- 17787481 TI - Deep methane maxima in the northwest Caribbean sea: possible seepage along the Jamaica ridge. AB - Methane concentrations as great as 30,000 nanoliters per liter were measured on two cruises in the northwest Caribbean Sea. Such concentrations are three orders of magnitude higher than Bunsen solubilities would predict. Although shallow maxima may result from in situ microbial activity, the deeper maxima appear to result from massive seepage (estimated at 1 x 10(8) to 10 x 10(8) liters per day) along the Jamaica Ridge. PMID- 17787482 TI - Electrical origin of the outbursts on io. AB - The outbursts seen on Jupiter's satellite Io have been described as volcanic eruptions. They may instead be the result of large electric currents flowing through hot spots on Io and causing evaporation of surface materials. A strictly periodic behavior would then be expected. PMID- 17787483 TI - Melting of helium at room temperature and high pressure. AB - Helium has been solidified at room temperature. The melting pressure at 24 degrees C is 115 kilobars, in complete agreement with the Simon equation. An original apparatus was developed for this experiment, which allows loading of the cell at room temperature. Applications to various areas of research are suggested. PMID- 17787484 TI - Interplanetary dust: trace element analysis of individual particles by neutron activation. AB - Although micrometeorites of cometary origin are thought to be the dominant component of interplanetary dust, it has never been possible to positively identify such micrometer-sized particles. Two such particles have been identified as definitely micrometeorites since their abundances of volatile and nonvolatile trace elements closely match those of primitive solar system material. PMID- 17787485 TI - Genetic component of bee odor in kin recognition. AB - The primitively social sweat bee, Lasioglossum zephyrum, blocks the entry into its nest of most conspecifics from other colonies. Laboratory inbreeding of these bees produced lines which showed a positive linear relationship between the coefficient of relationship of bees tested and how often they permitted non nestmates to pass them. The most probable mechanism is a genetically determined odor coupled with a learned component by which guard bees discriminate between odors of close kin and other bees. PMID- 17787486 TI - Relatedness and inbreeding avoidance: counterploys in the communally nesting acorn woodpecker. AB - Acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) live in family groups within which more than one female may lay eggs communally in a single nest. Communally nesting females are usually closely related and share evenly in nesting activities. Although birds of either sex may breed in their natal territory, reproductive inhibition of offspring by the presence of their parent of the opposite sex and dispersal by unisexual sibling units ensure that inbreeding between close relatives is rare. PMID- 17787487 TI - Fluorine Is a Major Constituent of the Marine Sponge Halichondria moorei. AB - Fluorine constitutes about 10 percent of the dry weight of the marine sponge Halichondria moorei. The fluorine occurs as potassium fluorosilicate, which is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. A closely related sponge living in the same habitat does not contain any fluorine. The habitat was found to be free of fluorine except for the small amount naturally present in seawater. PMID- 17787488 TI - Semantic Choice and Personality Structure. PMID- 17787489 TI - The Production of Ice Crystals in a Cloud of Supercooled Water Droplets. PMID- 17787490 TI - Ergosterol From the Mycelium of Penicillium notatum (Submerged Culture). PMID- 17787491 TI - The Effect on the Chick Embryo of the Simultaneous Inoculation of Stool, Streptomycin, and Penicillin. PMID- 17787493 TI - Minimal Electroencephalographic Response to Metrazol as a Method for Measuring the Convulsive Threshold for Use in Human Beings. PMID- 17787492 TI - Prothrombin and Fibrinolysin. PMID- 17787494 TI - Utility of Sulfa Drugs for the Inhibition of Mold Respiration in Grain. PMID- 17787496 TI - Reprint Filing--Perennial Problem. PMID- 17787495 TI - Progressive Evolution. PMID- 17787498 TI - A Note on "Radioactive Hydrocarbons". PMID- 17787497 TI - A Designation for Micronutrients. PMID- 17787499 TI - THE DEDICATION OF THE LABORATORIES AT PRINCETON, N. J. PMID- 17787500 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN WAR AND PEACE. PMID- 17787501 TI - THE ROLE OF RESEARCH IN MODERN INDUSTRY. PMID- 17787502 TI - FERNAND HOLWECK 1889-1941. PMID- 17787503 TI - EMERGENCY BASE HOSPITALS. PMID- 17787504 TI - THE OFFICE OF TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17787505 TI - THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF RARE CHEMICALS. PMID- 17787506 TI - NATIONAL LECTURERS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE SIGMA XI. PMID- 17787507 TI - THE DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17787508 TI - LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR WAR SERVICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. PMID- 17787509 TI - CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN MAMMALS AND MAN. PMID- 17787510 TI - THE ERADICATION OF NUT GRASS. PMID- 17787512 TI - THE DUTY OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. PMID- 17787511 TI - LONGEVITY OF FOWL SPERMATOZOA IN FROZEN CONDITION. PMID- 17787513 TI - THE JUNE SPECTROSCOPY CONFERENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. PMID- 17787515 TI - THE EFFECT OF 11-DESOXY-17-HYDROXYCORTICOSTERONE ON RENAL EXCRETION OF ELECTROLYTES. PMID- 17787514 TI - GROWTH OF CANCER TISSUE IN THE YOLK SAC OF THE CHICK EMBRYO. PMID- 17787516 TI - CHILDREN'S SPEECH. PMID- 17787517 TI - HYPO-PROTHROMBINEMIA PRODUCED BY 3,3-METHYLENEBIS (4-HYDROXYCOUMARIN) AND ITS USE IN THE TREATMENT OF THROMBOSIS. PMID- 17787518 TI - THE MINERAL PATTERN OF STEMS FROM VEGETATIVE AND FLOWERING PLANTS AS DETERMINED BY MICROINCINERATION. PMID- 17787519 TI - BACTERIOLOGY IN GENERAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17787521 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17787520 TI - THE PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. PMID- 17787522 TI - THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE COLLEGE MEN. PMID- 17787523 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17787524 TI - BOTANICAL EVIDENCE OF COASTAL SUBSIDENCE. PMID- 17787526 TI - COMMERCIALISM IN EDUCATION. PMID- 17787525 TI - MIASTOR AND EMBRYOLOGY. PMID- 17787527 TI - TREMATODES OF THE DRY TORTUGAS. PMID- 17787528 TI - TRIPHENYLMETHYL. PMID- 17787529 TI - SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE CULTURE OF BUTTERFLIES. PMID- 17787531 TI - Computer "therapy". PMID- 17787530 TI - VARIEGATION OF EUROPEAN ALFALFAS. PMID- 17787532 TI - Computer "therapy". PMID- 17787533 TI - Sulfuric Acid emissions from cars. PMID- 17787534 TI - Sulfuric Acid emissions from cars. PMID- 17787535 TI - Amorphous semiconductors. PMID- 17787536 TI - Will xerox kill gutenberg? PMID- 17787537 TI - High-level and long-lived radioactive waste disposal. AB - No uniform international approach for handling the problem of high-level radioactive waste disposal exists. All the while, the volume of these wastes continues to grow. The only viable solution to the disposal problem is a geologic one. Burial of these wastes in solid form for long periods of time in mined cavities in salt or Precambrian crystalline rock formations is technically possible. Several steps in the burial process have already been demonstrated in Germany. The problem becomes more serious as the number of countries committed to the use of nuclear energy grows. If one considers the problems of seismic stability and worldwide distribution of salt deposits, the overwhelming need for an international solution to the waste disposal problem seems obvious. PMID- 17787538 TI - The natural resources program at the United nations university. PMID- 17787539 TI - Occupational cancer: government challenged in beryllium proceeding. PMID- 17787540 TI - Carter reducing plan adds pounds. PMID- 17787541 TI - National Laboratories: Focused Goals and Field Work Hinted Under DOE. PMID- 17787542 TI - Battle Heats Up over Sugared Cereals. PMID- 17787543 TI - Humanists on the move. PMID- 17787544 TI - Russell Peterson Says Yes--He Will Head OTA. PMID- 17787545 TI - A new attempt to help the deinstitutionalized. PMID- 17787546 TI - Stress role in hypertension debated. PMID- 17787547 TI - Obesity a growing problem. PMID- 17787548 TI - Unified gauge theories: an atomic-fly in the ointment. PMID- 17787549 TI - Annual meeting washington. PMID- 17787550 TI - Amendments to the AAAS Constitution and Bylaws: 1977 Election Results. PMID- 17787551 TI - Women researchers analyze education, job barriers. PMID- 17787552 TI - Science fellows choose hill slots. PMID- 17787553 TI - AAAS Mass Media Intern Program Accepting Applications. PMID- 17787554 TI - Proceedings available. PMID- 17787555 TI - Annual meeting notes. PMID- 17787556 TI - People and their work. PMID- 17787557 TI - A memory theory. PMID- 17787558 TI - Rain-forest prosimians. PMID- 17787559 TI - Forams. PMID- 17787560 TI - Airborne short-lived radionuclides of unknown origin in sweden in 1976. AB - On five occasions during the first half of 1976 traces of neptunium-239 and molybdenum-99 were detected in southern Sweden. These activities were accompanied by small amounts of fission products such as iodine-131 and barium-140. One of the events was coincident in time with large peaks in the atmospheric tritium gas concentration. PMID- 17787561 TI - Primordial noble gases in chondrites: the abundance pattern was established in the solar nebula. AB - Ordinary chondrites, like carbonaceous chondrites, contain primordial noble gases mainly in a minor phase comprising /= 2000), and the high ratios of xenon-129 to xenon-132 (>/= 2.0) of the trapped gas more closely resemble Viking data for the martian atmosphere than data for noble gas components typically found in meteorites. These findings support earlier suggestions, made on the basis of geochemical evidence, that shergottites and related rare meteorites may have originated from the planet Mars. PMID- 17787735 TI - Sequence of the 16S Ribosomal RNA from Halobacterium volcanii, an Archaebacterium. AB - The sequence of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from the archaebacterium Halobacterium volcanii has been determined by DNA sequencing methods. The archaebacterial rRNA is similar to its eubacterial counterpart in secondary structure. Although it is closer in sequence to the eubacterial 16S rRNA than to the eukaryotic 16S-like rRNA, the H. volcanii sequence also shows certain points of specific similarity to its eukaryotic counterpart. Since the H. volcanii sequence is closer to both the eubacterial and the eukaryotic sequences than these two are to one another, it follows that the archaebacterial sequence resembles their common ancestral sequence more closely than does either of the other two versions. PMID- 17787736 TI - Lignin-Degrading Enzyme from the Hymenomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burds. AB - The extracellular fluid of ligninolytic cultures of the wood-decomposing basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burds. contains an enzyme that degrades lignin substructure model compounds as well as spruce and birch lignins. It has a molecular size of 42,000 daltons and requires hydrogen peroxide for activity. PMID- 17787737 TI - Low nitrogen to phosphorus ratios favor dominance by blue-green algae in lake phytoplankton. AB - An analysis of growing season data from 17 lakes throughout the world suggests that the relative proportion of blue-green algae (Cyanophyta) in the epilimnetic phytoplankton is dependent on the epilimnetic ratio of total nitrogen to total phosphorus. Blue-green algae tended to be rare when this ratio exceeded 29 to 1 by weight, suggesting that modification of this ratio by control of nutrient additions may provide a means by which lake water quality can be managed. PMID- 17787738 TI - EARTH STRUCTURE AND EARTH ORIGIN. PMID- 17787739 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17787740 TI - UNDERTOW. PMID- 17787741 TI - SURVIVAL OF THE TROPICAL RAT FLEA IN UNITED STATES. PMID- 17787742 TI - REDISCOVERY OF THE RHIZOCEPHALAN PELTOGASTER PAGURI ON THE NORTH AMERICAN COAST. PMID- 17787743 TI - NOMENCLATURE OF GONAD-STIMULATING HORMONES OF PLACENTAL ORIGIN. PMID- 17787744 TI - AN ESTIMATE OF THE MAXIMUM VALUE FOR THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF THE TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PROTEIN. PMID- 17787745 TI - RELATION BETWEEN THE INCREASE IN OPACITY OF YEAST SUSPENSIONS DURING GLUCOSE METABOLISM AND ASSIMILATION. PMID- 17787746 TI - ISOLATION OF CRYSTALLINE HETEROTRYPSIN FROM BEEF PANCREAS. PMID- 17787747 TI - THE USE OF PURIFIED THROMBIN AS AN HEMOSTATIC AGENT. PMID- 17787748 TI - A NEW APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRAINING THE RAT IN AUDITORY DISCRIMINATION PROBLEMS. PMID- 17787749 TI - METHOD FOR "FIXING ICE CRYSTAL PATTERNS" IN FROZEN PRODUCTS. PMID- 17787750 TI - SOME OBLIGATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF SCIENTISTS IN THE UPBUILDING OF PEACE. PMID- 17787751 TI - USES OF PLANTS BY THE INDIANS. PMID- 17787752 TI - GENERA AND SUPERGENERA. PMID- 17787753 TI - THE SITUATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEN IN RUSSIA. PMID- 17787754 TI - CONCERNING OUR RELATIONS WITH TEUTONIC SCIENTISTS. PMID- 17787755 TI - THE EFFERENT PATH OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM REGARDED AS A STEP-UP TRANSFORMER OF ENERGY. PMID- 17787757 TI - THE PACIFIC DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787756 TI - ON SPIRAL NEBULAe. PMID- 17787758 TI - The Stowe Conferences on Science and World Affairs. PMID- 17787759 TI - Lifetimes of Orbiting Dipoles: Sunlight pressure should limit the average orbit lifetime of West Ford dipoles to about 7 years. PMID- 17787760 TI - Conferences on Science and World Affairs: Statements by participants at the seventh and eighth conferences, which met at Stowe, Vermont, in September. PMID- 17787761 TI - U.S. Disarmament Plan: It Puts Inspection in First, Rather than Third, Stage. PMID- 17787763 TI - U.N. Specialized Agencies: With Few Exceptions, They Are Unaffected by International Political Storms. PMID- 17787762 TI - General Electric, with Prospects Dimmed by FCC, Drops Bid for Communication Satellite. PMID- 17787764 TI - Alkaline Phosphatase in Human Sera and Placentae: Starch gel electrophoresis reveals many phosphatase components including a polymorphism in placentae. PMID- 17787765 TI - Relative Effectiveness of Document Titles and Abstracts for Determining Relevance of Documents. AB - Individuals who received documents through a selective dissemination of information system were asked to determine the relevance of documents to their work interests on the basis of titles and of abstracts. The results indicate that there was no significant difference between the usefulness of titles and of abstracts for this purpose. PMID- 17787766 TI - Cytogenic Behavior of a Knobbed Chromosome 10 in Maize. AB - Unlike maize plants heterozygous the abnormal chromosome 10 (K10) and the normal chromosome 10 (k10), those heterozygous for a knobbed chromosome 10 (K(T)10/k10) do not undergo preferential segregation or "meiotic drive." Ting's chromosome 10, however, does show neocentric activity, although the extent of this is not as pronounced as is the case in K10 homozygotes. The K(T)10 chromosome is considerably shorter than and is cytologically distinguishable from the K10 and the k10 chromosomes. PMID- 17787767 TI - Preliminary Method for Estimating Stability in Plankton. AB - The stability of plankton in the York River, Virginia, during the summer of 1960 is computed by a derived empirical stability measure. The communities were indicated to have considerable homeostasis, being over five times more stable than the physical biotope. PMID- 17787768 TI - Bow Wave Riding of Dolphins. AB - Dolphins riding bow waves were observed through underwater viewing ports. The postures assumed by the dolphins show that they present their bodies rather than the ventral surfaces of their flukes to the propellant forces of the bow wave. PMID- 17787769 TI - Limnology and Oceanography. PMID- 17787770 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17787771 TI - Modern Biology. PMID- 17787772 TI - Coconut Water. PMID- 17787773 TI - Daedalus and Minos. PMID- 17787774 TI - CHIASMATYPY OR THE DOCTRINE OF DELAYED ACTION FERTILIZATION. PMID- 17787775 TI - TROPICAL DISEASES AND GEOPATHOLOGY. PMID- 17787777 TI - THE WAR REPRINT SERVICE OF THE JOSIAH MACY JR. FOUNDATION. PMID- 17787776 TI - HENRY BALDWIN WARD. PMID- 17787778 TI - FEDERAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17787780 TI - GRANTS OF THE NUTRITION FOUNDATION. PMID- 17787779 TI - GRANTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH FUND. PMID- 17787781 TI - NEWS FROM ABROAD. PMID- 17787782 TI - THE PERMANENT SCIENCE FUND OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17787783 TI - ORAL PENICILLIN--A COMPARISON OF VARIOUS MODES OF ADMINISTRATION. AB - A comparison of penicillin excretion when equivalent quantities of the drug are given orally or parenterally indicates that approximately 60 per cent. urinary excretion occurs after parenteral administration, whereas 14 per cent. urinary excretion occurs following oral ingestion. That destruction by gastric acidity is not primarily responsible for this difference is indicated by the fact that administration of penicillin directly into the duodenum does not greatly alter the amount of penicillin excretion. Evidence indicating that the majority of orally administered penicillin is destroyed by the body proper is discussed. PMID- 17787784 TI - IMPAIRMENT OF REPRODUCTION IN RATS BY INGESTION OF LEAD. PMID- 17787785 TI - THE USE OF A PLANIMETER IN VOLUME STUDIES OF EARLY EMBRYOS. PMID- 17787786 TI - ANTAGONISM BETWEEN HEPARIN AND PLASMA TRYPSIN. PMID- 17787787 TI - THE USE OF CHARCOAL TREATED PEPTONE IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSAYS. PMID- 17787788 TI - REVERSAL IN THE WINTER FLOUNDER, PSEUDO-PLEURONECTES AMERICANUS: THE THREE KNOWN CASES. PMID- 17787789 TI - A PROPOSAL FOR THE FORMATION OF A WORLD ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICISTS OR NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS. PMID- 17787790 TI - AID FOR WAR-DAMAGED SCIENTIFIC LIBRARIES. PMID- 17787791 TI - OSTEOPATHY AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS. PMID- 17787794 TI - Human rights. PMID- 17787793 TI - Soviet civil defense. PMID- 17787792 TI - TVA's Record. PMID- 17787796 TI - Burt's IQ Data. PMID- 17787795 TI - Burt's IQ Data. PMID- 17787797 TI - Science in the ford years: last things. PMID- 17787798 TI - Evolution of phosphorus limitation in lakes. PMID- 17787799 TI - The biosphere reserve program in the United States. AB - The objective of the biosphere reserve program is to identify and protect representative and unique segments of the world's biotic provinces as major centers for biotic and genetic preservation, ecological and environmental research, education, and demonstration. It is intended to be more than simply another program of preservation layered onto existing parks and reserves. The success of the program will depend in large measure on the overall significance of the selected reserves and the degree to which they are active sites for scientific research and monitoring. PMID- 17787800 TI - Teton Dam Verdict: A Foul-up by the Engineers. PMID- 17787801 TI - The rockefeller university: no time for philosophers. PMID- 17787802 TI - Critical TVA Scholarship Hard to Come By. PMID- 17787803 TI - Astrophysics: discovery and the ubiquity of black holes. PMID- 17787804 TI - Meaning and cultural symbols: analytic approaches. PMID- 17787805 TI - Arthropod biology. PMID- 17787806 TI - Mollusk biology. PMID- 17787808 TI - Work on relativity. PMID- 17787807 TI - Algal genetics. PMID- 17787810 TI - New Rules for AAAS-Newcomb Cleveland Prize. PMID- 17787809 TI - Azaarenes in recent marine sediments. AB - Chemical fractionation and mass spectral probe distillation reveal the presence in recent marine sediments of a complex assemblage of nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds. These azaarenes range from three- to eight-membered rings, with homologs containing up to eight alkyl carbons. In their composition, and presumably in their origin in natural fires, they resemble the aromatic hydrocarbons found in the same sediments. The analytical, geochemical, and environmental implications of these findings are discussed. PMID- 17787811 TI - Biological consequences of the 1975 el nino. AB - The weak El Nino event of 1975 had a clearly defined effect on the biological productivity of the southeastern tropical Pacific. During February and March 1975, warm (27 degrees C) water of low salinity (33.5 parts per thousand) and low nutrient content extended south across the equator east of the Galapagos Islands, replacing the nutrient-rich water normally supplied by equatorial upwelling. Equatorial primary production was less than 0.2 gram of carbon per square meter per day, one-fifth of the normal value. At the maximum development of the 1975 event, the coastal region of Peru continued to have strong nearshore upwelling with primary production values greater than 2.5 grams of carbon per square meter per day, although the zone of high production was confined to a 250-kilometer wide band, one-half its normal width. The biological effects of the 1975 event were short-lived; in April and May 1975 the equatorial region had begun to reestablish its normal levels of primary production. PMID- 17787812 TI - Energetic radiation belt electron precipitation: a natural depletion mechanism for stratospheric ozone. AB - During geomagnetically disturbed periods the precipitational loss of energetic electrons from the outer radiation belt of the earth can readily provide the major ionization source for the mesosphere and upper stratosphere. One particularly intense manifestation of this interaction between the radiation belts and the lower atmosphere is the relativistic electron precipitation (REP) event which occurs at subauroral latitudes during magnetospheric substorm activity. At relativistic energies the precipitating electrons produce copious fluxes of energetic bremsstrahlung x-rays, the major portion of which penetrate deep into the stratosphere before undergoing excitation and ionization collisions with the neutral atmosphere. If such REP events occur more than a few percent of the time, they can, on an annual basis, provide a local source of upper stratospheric nitric oxide molecules (via the dissociation of molecular nitrogen) comparable to that from either galactic cosmic rays or energetic solar proton events. Since nitric oxide plays a major role in the removal of stratospheric ozone, it appears that the influence of REP events must also be considered in future photochemical modeling of the terrestrial ozone layer. PMID- 17787813 TI - Leucine 2,3-aminomutase: a cobalamin-dependent enzyme present in bean seedlings. AB - Leucine 2,3-aminomutase has been demonstrated in extracts of bean seedlings. The activity of this enzyme is stimulated by coenzyme B(12) and is inhibited by intrinsic factor. The inhibition is removed by the addition of coenzyme B(12). This evidence is consistent with the presence of a cobalamin-dependent enzyme in higher Plants. PMID- 17787814 TI - SOME TRENDS IN HIGHER EDUCATION. PMID- 17787815 TI - OCCURRENCE OF THE KILLER WHALE (ORCINUS ORCA) ON THE NEW JERSEY COAST. PMID- 17787816 TI - FAMILY RECORDS. PMID- 17787817 TI - JOHANNSEN'S DETERMINATION OF ROCK-FORMING MINERALS. PMID- 17787818 TI - THE PTARMIGAN AND THE SONNET. PMID- 17787819 TI - THE EPIDERMIS OF AN IGUANODONT DINOSAUR. PMID- 17787820 TI - SHORT NOTES. PMID- 17787822 TI - A FOSSIL GAR-PIKE FROM UTAH. PMID- 17787821 TI - THE NUCLEATION OF A CLOSE LECTURE ROOM. PMID- 17787823 TI - THE NEED OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAINING. PMID- 17787824 TI - BACTERIA IN DRINKING WATER. PMID- 17787825 TI - THE VESICLES OF SAVI. PMID- 17787826 TI - THE CHINOOK JARGON. PMID- 17787827 TI - MOTION AND HEAT. PMID- 17787828 TI - A Question in Physics. PMID- 17787829 TI - The Balloon Problem. PMID- 17787830 TI - The Aboriginal North American Tea. PMID- 17787831 TI - The Loup Rivers in Nebraska. PMID- 17787832 TI - The National Academy of Sciences: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the 1949 Autumn Meeting, Rochester, New York. PMID- 17787833 TI - General Method for Paper Chromatographic Analysis of Reducing and Nonreducing Carbohydrates and Derivatives. PMID- 17787834 TI - Paper Chromatography of Proteins and Enzymes. PMID- 17787835 TI - Tetrazolium Chloride as a Test for Damage in Artificially Cured Peanuts. PMID- 17787836 TI - Radioiodine and Paper Chromatography Technique in the Study of Thyroid Metabolism. PMID- 17787837 TI - The Effects of Antagonists on the Multiplication of Vaccinia Virus in Vitro. PMID- 17787838 TI - THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. PMID- 17787840 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17787839 TI - PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS AND THE LENGTH OF THE COLLEGE COURSE. PMID- 17787841 TI - ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE NUCLEUS. PMID- 17787842 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17787843 TI - THE CHARACTERIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF BACTERIAL TYPES. PMID- 17787845 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17787844 TI - ACADEMIC STUDENT ELECTIONS. PMID- 17787846 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17787848 TI - THE CULTIVATION OF TISSUES FROM THE FROG. PMID- 17787849 TI - NOTE ON THE ABSORPTION OF CALCIUM DURING THE MOLTING OF THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS. PMID- 17787847 TI - ON THE IDENTITY OF VERRUGA AND CARRION'S FEVER. PMID- 17787851 TI - Equilibrium Diagrams and Single Crystal Growth. PMID- 17787850 TI - The National Committee. PMID- 17787852 TI - Oceanography, Fisheries, and Atomic Radiation. PMID- 17787853 TI - Louis C. Karpinski, Historian of Mathematics. PMID- 17787854 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17787856 TI - Biosynthesis of Pelargonidin-3-glucoside-C14. PMID- 17787855 TI - Colchicine-Induced Polyploidy in Chlamydomonas. PMID- 17787858 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17787859 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17787860 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17787861 TI - Communism, capitalism, and dissent. PMID- 17787862 TI - The superconductivity party. PMID- 17787863 TI - Statistical morality. PMID- 17787864 TI - Statistical morality. PMID- 17787865 TI - The superconductivity party. PMID- 17787866 TI - Case highlights sensitive issues. PMID- 17787867 TI - Dahlem conferences face ax. PMID- 17787869 TI - New support for women scientists. PMID- 17787868 TI - Cosmetics firms drop draize test. PMID- 17787870 TI - Volcanoes Can Muddle the Greenhouse: Cleaning up climate records reveals that the largest volcanic eruptions cool the climate for a few years, complicating identification of the greenhouse warming; climate disasters loom too. PMID- 17787871 TI - Titan: continents in a hydrocarbon sea. PMID- 17787872 TI - High-energy summer for astrophysics. PMID- 17787873 TI - Origin and evolution of outer solar system atmospheres. AB - The atmospheres of bodies in the outer solar system are distinct in composition from those of the inner planets and provide a complementary set of clues to the origin of the solar system. This article reviews current understanding of the origin and evolution of these atmospheres on the basis of abundances of key molecular species. The systematic enrichment of methane and deuterated species from Jupiter to Neptune is consistent with formation models in which significant infall of icy and rocky planetesimals accompanies the formation of giant planets. The atmosphere of the Saturnian satellite Titan has been strongly modified by photochemistry and interaction with the surface over 4.5 billion years; the combined knowledge of this moon's bulk density and estimates of the composition of the surface and atmosphere provide some constraints on this body's formation. Neptune's satellite Triton is a poorly known object for which it is hoped that substantial information will be gleaned from the Voyager 2 encounter in August 1989. The mean density of the Pluto-Charon system is well known and suggests an origin in the rather water-poor solar nebula. The recent occultation of a star by Pluto provides evidence that carbon monoxide, in addition to methane, may be present in its atmosphere. PMID- 17787874 TI - Spectral reflectance properties of hydrocarbons: remote-sensing implications. AB - The spectral reflectance properties of bituminous tar sands were examined in the wavelength range from 0.35 to 2.6 micrometers. Unique absorption features due to all the major phases, except quartz, appear in the spectra. The intensities of the absorption features correlate with the abundances of the various phases. The results of this study have applications to the remote sensing of many terrestrial and extraterrestrial targets because of potential similarities between tar sand and other hydrocarbon occurrences. For example, it is found that highly polymerized hydrocarbons are a plausible constituent of the dark material on one of Saturn's satellites, Iapetus. PMID- 17787875 TI - Temperature measurements in carbonatite lava lakes and flows from oldoinyo lengai, Tanzania. AB - The petrogenesis of carbonatites has important implications for mantle processes and for the magmatic evolution of mantle melts rich in carbon dioxide. Oldoinyo Lengai, Tanzania, is the only active carbonatite volcano on Earth. Its highly alkalic, sodium-rich lava, although different in composition from the more common calcium-rich carbonatites, provides the opportunity for observations of the physical characteristics of carbonatite melts. Temperature measurements on active carbonatitic lava flows and from carbonatitic lava lakes were carried out during a period of effusive activity in June 1988. Temperatures ranged from 491 degrees to 519 degrees C. The highest temperature, measured from a carbonatitic lava lake, was 544 degrees C. These temperatures are several hundred degrees lower than measurements from any silicate lava. At the observed temperatures, the carbonatite melt had lower viscosities than the most fluid basaltic lavas. The unusually low magmatic temperatures were confirmed with 1-atmosphere melting experiments on natural samples. PMID- 17787876 TI - Magnification of secondary production by kelp detritus in coastal marine ecosystems. AB - Kelps are highly productive seaweeds found along most temperate latitude coastlines, but the fate and importance of kelp production to nearshore ecosystems are largely unknown. The trophic role of kelp-derived carbon in a wide range of marine organisms was assessed by a natural experiment. Growth rates of benthic suspension feeders were greatly increased in the presence of organic detritus (particulate and dissolved) originating from large benthic seaweeds (kelps). Stable carbon isotope analysis confirmed that kelp-derived carbon is found throughout the nearshore food web. PMID- 17787877 TI - A 48-million-year-old aphid--host plant association and complex life cycle: biogeographic evidence. AB - Biogeographical and paleobotanical evidence suggests that the aphid subtribe Melaphidina has been associated with its sumac host plant since the early Eocene when these plants were continuously distributed across the Bering land bridge. Transfer experiments indicate that the American species, Melaphis rhois, shows an unusual complex life cycle, similar to that known in Chinese melaphidines, with some generations feeding on mosses as alternate host plants. As with the association with sumac, this complex life cycle may have been established in the melaphidine lineage before the southward retreat of sumac from Alaska 48 million years ago. This example suggests that the interactions and life histories shown by modern populations may be determined, in large part, by evolutionary commitments made in the distant past. PMID- 17787878 TI - Ultraviolet levels under sea ice during the antarctic spring. PMID- 17787879 TI - Ice volcanism on ariel. PMID- 17787880 TI - Response:ultraviolet levels under sea ice during the antarctic spring. PMID- 17787881 TI - Response:ice volcanism on ariel. PMID- 17787883 TI - Aquatic studies: breaking new waters. PMID- 17787882 TI - Upbringing and advantage: family size and achievement. PMID- 17787884 TI - Anoxic life: biology of anaerobic microorganisms. PMID- 17787886 TI - Some other books of interest: a history of psychology in autobiography. PMID- 17787885 TI - Biotechnology and the research enterprise. PMID- 17787887 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17787888 TI - ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE MAMMALS. PMID- 17787889 TI - FORMER EXTENSION OF CORNELL GLACIER NEAR THE SOUTHERN END OF MELVILLE BAY. PMID- 17787890 TI - SUGGESTIONS FOR A NEW METHOD OF DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES. PMID- 17787891 TI - ON THE VARIATION OF LATITUDE. PMID- 17787892 TI - NOTES OF EXPERIMENTS UPON THE RONTGEN RAYS. PMID- 17787894 TI - CONGRESS OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS. PMID- 17787893 TI - THE VARIATION OF LATITUDE AT NEW YORK, AND A DETERMINATION OF THE CONSTANT OF ABERRATION FROM OBSERVATIONS AT THE OBSERVATORY OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17787895 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17787897 TI - LEGISLATION ON THE FOREST RESERVATIONS. PMID- 17787896 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17787899 TI - THE BEQUESTS OF THE LATE PROFESSOR COPE. PMID- 17787898 TI - ASTROPHYSICAL NOTES. PMID- 17787900 TI - THE LOESS FORMATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI REGION. PMID- 17787901 TI - ON SUPPOSED EFFECTS OF STRAIN IN TELESCOPIC OBJECTIVES. PMID- 17787902 TI - FIRST GET THE FACTS. PMID- 17787904 TI - THE PACIFIC COAST MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17787903 TI - MINERAL PRODUCTION IN 1915. PMID- 17787905 TI - APPOINTMENTS AT THE ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17787907 TI - A SERIOUS NEW WHEAT RUST IN THIS COUNTRY. PMID- 17787906 TI - ELEMENTARY MECHANICS. PMID- 17787908 TI - PRE-WISCONSIN GLACIAL DRIFT IN THE BOSTON BASIN. PMID- 17787909 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (NUMBER 6). PMID- 17787910 TI - NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17787911 TI - A CULTURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PIMA AND PAPAGO INDIANS. PMID- 17787913 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17787912 TI - NEW ORLEANS MEETING--AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY--II. PMID- 17787914 TI - Plus ca Change, Plus c'est Ia Meme Chose. PMID- 17787916 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - In Ivan Amato's 17 April article "The ascent of odorless chemistry" (Research News, p. 306), Roald Hoffmann's name (p. 308) was incorrectly spelled. PMID- 17787915 TI - Consolidation at yale. PMID- 17787917 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17787918 TI - SLAC Sees Writing on the Wall. PMID- 17787919 TI - SLAC's Greatest Hits. PMID- 17787920 TI - Another panel rejects nevada disaster theory. PMID- 17787921 TI - A European plan gathers support. PMID- 17787922 TI - A Japanese claim generates new heat. PMID- 17787924 TI - Chemists storm san francisco. PMID- 17787923 TI - Computerized drug design: still promising, not yet here. PMID- 17787925 TI - Model of Computing's Future? PMID- 17787926 TI - Science in europe. PMID- 17787927 TI - Yeast genome project:300,000 and counting. PMID- 17787928 TI - Gene mapping the industrial way. PMID- 17787930 TI - New telescopes bring europe closer to the United States. PMID- 17787929 TI - An institute without bosses. PMID- 17787931 TI - Exchanging one tunnel for another? PMID- 17787933 TI - Now for the hard ones.. PMID- 17787932 TI - Europeans confident in the battle of the big machines. PMID- 17787935 TI - Patterns of diversity. PMID- 17787934 TI - Europe's Rising Stars, Viewed From America. PMID- 17787936 TI - Britain's Slow Decline, Through American Eyes. PMID- 17787937 TI - Science apres le deluge: struggling to stay afloat. PMID- 17787938 TI - Central europe at a glance. PMID- 17787939 TI - Politicians try tuning up the swiss research machine. PMID- 17787940 TI - Scientific superpower status remains elusive. PMID- 17787941 TI - Higher education in europe: the French example. PMID- 17787942 TI - Can Europe Keep up the Pace in Condensed Matter Physics? PMID- 17787943 TI - The European strategy in particle physics. PMID- 17787944 TI - European astronomy. PMID- 17787945 TI - Genes to greens: embryonic pattern formation in plants. PMID- 17787946 TI - Soft matter. PMID- 17787947 TI - Fractals and cosmological large-scale structure. AB - Observations of galaxy-galaxy and cluster-cluster correlations as well as other large-scale structure can be fit with a "limited" fractal with dimension D approximately 1.2. This is not a "pure" fractal out to the horizon: the distribution shifts from power law to random behavior at some large scale. If the observed patterns and structures are formed through an aggregation growth process, the fractal dimension D can serve as an interesting constraint on the properties of the stochastic motion responsible for limiting the fractal structure. In particular, it is found that the observed fractal should have grown from two-dimensional sheetlike objects such as pancakes, domain walls, or string wakes. This result is generic and does not depend on the details of the growth process. PMID- 17787948 TI - Metallo-Carbohedrenes [M8C12+ (M = V, Zr, Hf, and Ti)]: A Class of Stable Molecular Cluster Ions. AB - Findings of magic peaks corresponding to M(8)C(12)(+) (M = V, Zr, and Hf) formed from reactions of the respective metals with various small hydrocarbons, in conjunction with recent findings for the titanium system, establish metallo carbohedrenes as a stable general class of molecular cluster ions. A dodecahedral structure of T(h) point symmetry accounts for the stability of these ionic clusters. PMID- 17787949 TI - Mantle plumes and entrainment: isotopic evidence. AB - Many oceanic island basalts show sublinear subparallel arrays in Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic space. The depleted upper mantle is rarely a mixing end-member of these arrays, as would be expected if mantle plumes originated at a 670-kilometer boundary layer and entrained upper mantle during ascent. Instead, the arrays are fan-shaped and appear to converge on a volume in isotopic space characterized by low (87)Sr/(86)Sr and high (143)Nd/(144)Nd, (206)Pb/(204)Pb, and (3)He/(4)He ratios. This new isotopic component may be the lower mantle, entrained into plumes originating from the core-mantle boundary layer. PMID- 17787950 TI - Polyhydroxybutyrate, a biodegradable thermoplastic, produced in transgenic plants. AB - Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a high molecular weight polyester, is accumulated as a storage carbon in many species of bacteria and is a biodegradable thermoplastic. To produce PHB by genetic engineering in plants, genes from the bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus that encoded the two enzymes required to convert acetoacetyl-coenzyme A to PHB were placed under transcriptional control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana. Transgenic plant lines that contained both genes accumulated PHB as electron lucent granules in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and vacuole; the size and appearance of these granules were similar to the PHB granules that accumulate in bacteria. PMID- 17787951 TI - Observational Learning in Octopus vulgaris. AB - Untrained Octopus vulgaris (observers) were allowed to watch conditioned Octopus(demonstrators) perform the task of selecting one of two objects that were presented simultaneously and differed only in color. After being placed in isolation, the observers, in a similar test, consistently selected the same object as did the demonstrators. This learning by observation occurred irrespective of the object chosen by the demonstrators as the positive choice and was more rapid than the learning that occurred during the conditioning of animals. The task was performed correctly without significant errors and further conditioning for 5 days. These results show that observational learning can occur in invertebrates. PMID- 17787952 TI - AAAS Organizes More Meetings of the Mind. PMID- 17787953 TI - An americanization. PMID- 17787954 TI - Vignette: a missing pilgrim. PMID- 17787956 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17787955 TI - Global transformations. PMID- 17787957 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17787958 TI - The need for mandatory retirement for tenured faculty. PMID- 17787959 TI - Population diversity and the future of ecosystems. PMID- 17787961 TI - Pauling institute foundering. PMID- 17787960 TI - Space Station, NSF Funds Approved. PMID- 17787962 TI - Sugar sours future for gum arabic. PMID- 17787964 TI - NAS Forms Environment Panel. PMID- 17787963 TI - Resurrected lead. PMID- 17787965 TI - Fusion panel lowers its sights. PMID- 17787966 TI - Name Games at DOE. PMID- 17787967 TI - Achievement levels of students in the 1990 NAEP Math Assessment. PMID- 17787968 TI - Draper Awards for WWII Foes. PMID- 17787969 TI - The SSC: Radical Therapy for Physics. PMID- 17787970 TI - CERN's Horserace With the SSC. PMID- 17787971 TI - What makes the san andreas tick? PMID- 17787972 TI - On the social science contribution to governmental decision-making. AB - It is often said that a major impediment to effective government is the lack of research knowledge underlying the development, implementation, and assessment of federal policies and programs. An examination is made here of the causes of (i) some continuing failures in integrating research information with decision-making and (ii) some notable successes of the past two decades in matching research capabilities with policy needs. Six recommendations are made to facilitate and further the progress that has recently been achieved. PMID- 17787973 TI - Reactivity of organic compounds in hot water: geochemical and technological implications. AB - Understanding of the reactivity of organic molecules in hot water is developing from studies aimed at explaining how organic matter (kerogen) forms in natural environments and then breaks down into energy source materials. In natural systems where kerogens are depolymerized, hot water is ubiquitous and usually contains salt and minerals. Reactions such as ionic condensation, cleavage, and hydrolysis are facilitated by changes in the chemical and physical properties of water as temperature increases. These changes make the solvent properties of water at high temperature similar to those of polar organic solvents at room temperature, thus facilitating reactions with organic compounds. An understanding of aqueous organic chemistry may lead to potential applications in areas as diverse as the recycling of plastics, the synthesis of chemicals, and coal liquefaction. PMID- 17787974 TI - A mantle plume initiation model for the wrangellia flood basalt and other oceanic plateaus. AB - The vast Wrangellia terrane of Alaska and British Columbia is an accreted oceanic plateau with Triassic strata that contain a 3- to 6-kilometers thick flood basalt, bounded above and below by marine sedimentary rocks. This enormous outpouring of basalt was preceded by rapid uplift and was followed by gradual subsidence of the plateau. The uplift and basalt eruptions occurred in less than approximately 5 million years, and were not accompanied by significant extension or rifting of the lithosphere. This sequence of events is predicted by a mantle plume initiation, or plume head, model that has recently been developed to explain continental flood volcanism. Evidence suggests that other large oceanic basalt plateaus, such as the Ontong-Java, Kerguelen, and Caribbean, were formed as the initial outbursts of the Louisville Ridge, Kerguelen, and Galapagos hot spots, respectively. Such events may play an important role in the creation and development of both oceanic and continental crust. PMID- 17787976 TI - Voices heard in museums. PMID- 17787975 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17787977 TI - Uniquely human. PMID- 17787978 TI - Physics in Canada. PMID- 17787979 TI - The landsat case. PMID- 17787981 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17787980 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17787982 TI - The third generation of the space age. PMID- 17787983 TI - Ethics by the book. PMID- 17787984 TI - Art imitates chaos. PMID- 17787985 TI - Everywhere You Look, Everything Is chaotic. PMID- 17787987 TI - Counting heads. PMID- 17787986 TI - Brown dwarf candidates abound. PMID- 17787988 TI - Cold fusion couture. PMID- 17787989 TI - What are you worth? PMID- 17787990 TI - Explosive molecular ionic crystals. AB - In ionic crystals of the form M(+)X(-), certain covalently bonded anion groups X( ) are particularly associated with instability. The heavier metal cations M(+) enhance this. Very sensitive explosives occur within the extended azide family, where X(-) = CNO(-), N(3)(-), NCO(-), or NCS(-) (an isoelectronic set of unsaturated linear triatomic anions). Another such family are the globular oxyanions X(-) = ClO(2)(-), ClO(3)(-), ClO(4)(-), NO(3)(-), and MnO(4)(-). Mishandling of NH(4)NO(3) or NH(4)ClO(4) has caused major disasters. An irreversible cyclic mechanism is proposed for such decomposition, involving mechanoelectronic band-gap excitation and coalescence of X with X(-). From an intracrystalline ion-molecule collision complex, the singly charged dianion X(2)( ), exothermic reactions proceed with high yield. PMID- 17787992 TI - Computer programs for mineral exploration. PMID- 17787991 TI - Smectic liquid crystal monolayers on graphite observed by scanning tunneling microscopy. AB - By means of scanning tunneling microscopy, it is observed that molecules of the form n-alkylcyanobiphenyl, where n = 8 to 12, form two-dimensional crystalline domains when adsorbed onto graphite. The layer spacings measured by tunneling microscopy are 20% larger than those measured previously on bulk material by x ray diffraction. The structure of the adsorbed molecules is quite different from that of the bulk. PMID- 17787993 TI - An unusual planet: mercury. PMID- 17787994 TI - The optical revolution: the rise of the wave theory of light. PMID- 17787995 TI - Monitoring volcanism: volcanic hazards. PMID- 17787996 TI - Genetic mobility: mobile DNA. PMID- 17787998 TI - Edmund Ware Sinnott: President of AAAS, 1948. PMID- 17787997 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17787999 TI - Science and the National Welfare. PMID- 17788000 TI - Correction. AB - The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature desires to draw attention to an error in the material it recently issued with respect to proposals submitted to the Commission for the suspension of the Regles Internationales (Science, November 21, 1947, pp. 487-488). On page 488 (item 11), it was erroneously stated that one of the proposals was for the validation of the name Raphistoma Rafinesque, 1815 (Pisces). The application in question was, in fact, that the Commission should suppress the above name and validate the name Raphistoma Hall, 1847 (Gastropoda). The Commission greatly regrets any inconvenience which may have been caused by the erroneous entry referred to above. (FRANCIS HEMMING, secretary to the Commission.). PMID- 17788002 TI - Control of Hemorrhagic Syndrome and Reduction in X-Irradiation Mortality With a Flavanone. PMID- 17788001 TI - Pathogenicity and Isosterism. PMID- 17788003 TI - A Rapid Chemical Test for Some Plant Virus Diseases. PMID- 17788004 TI - Inhibition of Gastric Ulceration in the Rat by o-Hydroxybenzoic (Salicylic) Acid. PMID- 17788006 TI - Glass Trough for Filter Paper Partition Chromatography. PMID- 17788005 TI - Constitution of Gymnosperm Lignin. PMID- 17788007 TI - A Method for Making Lantern Slides. PMID- 17788008 TI - A Simple Micromethod for Rapid Extraction of Lipids. PMID- 17788009 TI - Use of the Freezing-Drying Technique for Study of Vasomotor Activity. PMID- 17788011 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17788010 TI - International Union for the Protection of Nature. PMID- 17788012 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17788014 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17788013 TI - Rejoinders to W. C. Boyd and A. E. Mourant. PMID- 17788015 TI - Psychological Experiments without Subjects' Consent. PMID- 17788016 TI - Same old yardstick. PMID- 17788017 TI - Soviet genetics. PMID- 17788018 TI - NIH Traineeships. PMID- 17788019 TI - Tough old boys at m.I.T. PMID- 17788020 TI - Why scientists speak out. PMID- 17788021 TI - Student exchange. PMID- 17788022 TI - Chromosomal variation and evolution. PMID- 17788023 TI - High-temperature aqueous solutions. PMID- 17788024 TI - Money for science: the community is beginning to hurt. PMID- 17788025 TI - Goddard at FDA: New Rules for the Game. PMID- 17788026 TI - Oceanography: congress wants cabinet council and study. PMID- 17788027 TI - Editorial board of science meets. PMID- 17788028 TI - X-ray spectra from three cosmic sources. AB - Three cosmic x-ray sources have been observed from a water-launched rocket carrying two x-ray detectors to an altitude of 200 kilometers. The x-ray spectra, measured in the photon energy range between I and 40 kiloelectron volts, are all different. The sources in order of hardness of spectra are Cyg XR-1, Tau XR-1, and Sco XR-1. The intensity of Sco XR-J decreased at low photon energies. The differences in spectra might source mechanisms. PMID- 17788029 TI - Copper artifacts: correlation with source types of copper ores. AB - Six out of eight minor chemical elements, determined by spectroscopic and neutron activation techniques, were found to be critical in computing a probability that a given copper artifact was derived from one of three types of copper ore: native metal, oxidized ore, reduced ore. Two elements, gold and tin, were apparently alloyed deliberately in many artifacts from both the Old World and the New World. PMID- 17788030 TI - Correlation of archeological and palynological data. AB - Analysis of a series of pollen samples and artifact materials, taken from the same excavation units in prehistoric sites in the Middle Pecos River, valley of central eastern New Mexico, shows meaningful correlations between some major pollen groups and categories of artifacts. The correlations suggest the use of relative quantities of artifact materials to correct the distortion, resulting from cultural activity, in pollen sanmples from archeological sites. PMID- 17788031 TI - Ultracentrifuge schlieren photographs: automatic analysis. AB - Schlieren photographs can be digitized and stored in a computer's memory. A computer program then interprets and measures the Schlieren curve and calculates molecular properties. PMID- 17788032 TI - Sex attractant of the pink bollworm moth: isolation, identification, and synthesis. AB - The sex attractant produced in extremely small amount by the virgin female pink bollworm moth has been isolated in pure form and identified as 10-propyl-trans- 5, 9-tridecadienyl acetate. Successful synthesis of this molecule confirms the structure and makes possible its practical use to help control this destructive pest of cotton. The attractant, for which the common name "propylure" is suggested, may be the first naturally occurring compound with propyl branching to be reported. PMID- 17788033 TI - Cutaneous water loss in reptiles. PMID- 17788035 TI - Swine in biomedical research. PMID- 17788034 TI - Cancer research: u. S.-Japan cooperative science program. PMID- 17788036 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17788037 TI - LABORATORY ORGANIZATION. PMID- 17788038 TI - THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION NOT A CHARITY BUT AN EDUCATIONAL AGENCY. PMID- 17788039 TI - SClENTIFIO JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17788040 TI - THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE LOWER ORGANISMS. PMID- 17788041 TI - INTERPRETATION OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE MINERAL BENITOITE. PMID- 17788043 TI - THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS OF THE MATHEMATICAL AND THE NATURAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17788042 TI - SOME PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS. PMID- 17788044 TI - NEW ENGLAND FEDERATION OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. PMID- 17788046 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL FIELD STUDY IN ITALY AND THE ALPS. PMID- 17788045 TI - SCIENTIFIC POSITIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES. PMID- 17788047 TI - Manned Lunar Landing. PMID- 17788049 TI - Cambridge's Revenge: Dons Say Hailsham Threatens U.S. Support, Block Honorary Degree for Him. PMID- 17788048 TI - Birth Control: National Academy Issues Report Calling for Major Effort in Population Planning. PMID- 17788050 TI - Civil Defense: Congress Refuses Funds To Complete Shelter Survey and Stocking Program This Year. PMID- 17788051 TI - Moscow Embassy: Officer Named To Fill Science Liaison Post. PMID- 17788052 TI - Faculty Pay: Salary-Charging Practices on Federal Grants Is Subject of A.C.E. Panel's Advice. PMID- 17788053 TI - In vitro Culture of the Flagellate Protozoan Hexamita salmonis. AB - Trophozoites of Hexamita salmonis, asserted pathogen of juvenile salmonid fishes, were isolated from two species of Pacific salmon hosts and cultured repeatedly in an organic medium saturated with nitrogen. Primary isolates and serial subcultures usually exhibited five- to tenfold population increases per passage. PMID- 17788054 TI - Pattern Vision in Newborn Infants. AB - Human infants under 5 days of age consistently looked more at black-and-white patterns than at plain colored surfaces, which indicates the innate ability to perceive form. PMID- 17788055 TI - Scavenger Probe Sampling: A Method for Studying Gaseous Free Radicals. AB - Scavenger probe sampling for determining the concentration of certain gaseous free radicals and atoms has been used to study flames and electric discharges. Combining microprobe sampling and chemical scavenging with mass spectral analysis, this technique offers high spatial resolution, absolute concentration determination, and high temperature applicability. The reactions of hydrogen atoms with chlorinated hydrocarbons and oxygen atoms with nitrogen dioxide were used for scavenging. The results were reproducible and proportional to concentration. In an electric discharge oxygen atom concentrations agreed with gas phase titration determinations. The gas phase titration measures atom flux rather than concentration, and differences as high as 20 percent were observed. A method for deriving concentration from flux measurements is discussed. PMID- 17788056 TI - OIL-BURNING STEAM-ENGINES. PMID- 17788057 TI - WATER FILTRATION AND AERATION. PMID- 17788058 TI - THE CULTIVATION AND UTILIZATION OF RAMIE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PMID- 17788059 TI - AN AIR-SHIP. PMID- 17788061 TI - A SOURTHERN ELECTRIC RAILWAY STARTED. PMID- 17788060 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17788062 TI - WEST END ELECTRIC ROAD AT BOSTON. PMID- 17788063 TI - ANOTHER ELECTRIC ROAD AT ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. PMID- 17788064 TI - THE WESTINGHOUSE AND UNITED STATES COMPANIES. PMID- 17788065 TI - A NEW SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17788066 TI - SOMETHING ABOUT TORNADOES. PMID- 17788067 TI - THE SITUATION IN SAMOA. PMID- 17788068 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17788069 TI - TO INVESTIGATE DISEASES OF SWINE. PMID- 17788070 TI - IS THE RACE DEGENERATING? PMID- 17788071 TI - THE PASTEUR INSTITUTE. PMID- 17788072 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17788073 TI - ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17788074 TI - NAVAJO INDUSTRIES. PMID- 17788075 TI - The Permian Rocks of Texas. PMID- 17788076 TI - The Characteristic Curves of Composition. PMID- 17788077 TI - Indian Relics from North Carolina. PMID- 17788078 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SECTION OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788079 TI - PLANT PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17788080 TI - AS TO HOLOTHURIA. PMID- 17788081 TI - ERRORS IN TOWER'S "AN INVESTIGATION OF EVOLUTION IN CHRYSOMOLID BEETLES OF THE GENUS LEPTINOTARSA". PMID- 17788082 TI - PLANKTON FISHING OFF THE ISLE OF MAN. PMID- 17788084 TI - A SIMPLE ELECTRIC THERMOREGULATOR. PMID- 17788083 TI - EVEN PERFECT MEASURING IMPOTENT. PMID- 17788085 TI - SEISMOGRAPHS IN UTAH. PMID- 17788087 TI - MASS AND ENERGY. PMID- 17788086 TI - NOTES ON ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17788088 TI - DIET AND ENDURANCE AT BRUSSELS. PMID- 17788089 TI - A NEW NATIONAL BUFFALO HERD. PMID- 17788090 TI - THE WISCONSIN GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. PMID- 17788091 TI - Jensen's Election as a AAAS Fellow. PMID- 17788092 TI - Chemicals: the "strawman list". PMID- 17788093 TI - Intercountry energy comparison. PMID- 17788094 TI - An interim look at energy. PMID- 17788095 TI - Process innovation and changes in industrial energy use. AB - American industry in the 19th century switched from wood to coal as its primary energy resource. The history of this switch is reviewed, along with the history of preceding similar trends in Europe and later trends in the switch from coal to oil and gas. Important conceptual advances in the technology of such basic processes as glassmaking, cementmaking, and steelmaking emerged as the switch from wood to coal proceeded in the United States. These advances may have been more important than the relative prices of wood and coal in motivating the conversion of American industry to the use of coal. The historical role of process advances in determining the choice of energy resources suggests that the physics and chemistry of industrial processes may be as important an area of energy research as the various technologies of energy conversion. PMID- 17788096 TI - Industrial energy in transition: a petrochemical perspective. AB - The future growth of the petrochemical industry depends in part on the industry's ability to improve efficiency in the use of oil and gas feedstocks and to develop promising alternatives. Technological innovation is proving to be the key to the long-term viability of the industry. The next 6 to 7 years will be characterized by the commercialization of new technologies designed to improve the efficiency of petroleum as a feedstock. Union Carbide's advanced cracking reactor, now nearing the demonstration stage, exemplifies this type of effort. The increasing price of oil and gas will make coal-based synthesis gas more attractive as a feedstock, particularly for oxygenated petrochemical products. A further development involves the conversion of biomass, through fermentation, to useful chemical products and the gasification of municipal wastes to raise steam for electricity generation and as a possible, supplemental feedstock. By the year 2000, it is predicted that feedstocks from all sources other than oil and gas may constitute 10 to 14 percent of the total new material requirement for the petrochemical industry. PMID- 17788097 TI - Liquid fuels from coal: from R & d to an industry. AB - On the basis of current U.S. oil imports, room now exists for a U.S. coal liquids industry. Unfortunately, technology is not available which can produce coal liquids at a price competitive with imported oil. Direct liquefaction technology is under development, but the prospects are that the technology will not be economic at the time the pioneer commercial plant should be constructed to provide the foundation for a possible coal liquids industry in the 1990's. Government support of coal liquefaction R & D has created the conditions that make possible the development of the technology, and probably government incentives for pioneer plants will be needed. With the proper incentives pioneer plants will lead to lower costs, and this, plus rising prices, will create the conditions necessary to develop a multiplant industry. PMID- 17788098 TI - Energy and water. AB - The geographic and temporal variability of freshwater supply in the United States constrains the choice and level of use of future energy sources. Ecological criteria for acceptable freshwater consumption, together with hydrological data on stream flow, provide a framework for estimating these constraints. The water consumption requirements for a variety of energy options are presented, and comparative judgments drawn. Attention is focused on problems resulting from synthetic, gaseous, and liquid fuel production. Scenarios describing possible future levels of coal and electricity use are analyzed. They point to the importance of water supply constraints in both the eastern and western United States. PMID- 17788099 TI - Photovoltaic power systems: a tour through the alternatives. PMID- 17788100 TI - Fuels from biomass: integration with food and materials systems. AB - The development of fuels from biomass can lead naturally to dispersed facilities that incorporate food or materials production (or both) with fuel production, forming adaptive systems that can be modified to meet evolving needs and constraints. The technology that is appropriate to each system needs to be worked out, taking into account associated food and materials opportunities in order to decrease the ultimate cost of energy delivered to the consumer. I analyze possible systems based on sugarcane, corn, and guayule. PMID- 17788101 TI - Solar energy for village development. AB - The National Academy of Sciences held a joint workshop with the Government of Tanzania last August on the potential of solar energy for the villages of that country. Costs of five solar technologies (mini-hydroelectric generators, wind, methane generation from organic wastes, photovoltaic cells, and flat-plate solar collectors) were compared with costs of diesel-generated electricity and with electricity from the national grid. Each of the five technologies is either now competitive with diesel or will be in a few years. Although the figures presented are not conclusive since they are derived from calculations rather than an actual test, the results are encouraging enough to warrant serious testing in Third World villages. PMID- 17788102 TI - The CANDU Reactor System: An Appropriate Technology. AB - CANDU power reactors are characterized by the combination of heavy water as moderator and pressure tubes to contain the fuel and coolant. Their excellent neutron economy provides the simplicity and low costs of once-through natural uranium fueling. Future benefits include the prospect of a near-breeder thorium fuel cycle to provide security of fuel supply without the need to develop a new reactor such as the fast breeder. These and other features make the CANDU system an appropriate technology for countries, like Canada, of intermediate economic and industrial capacity. PMID- 17788103 TI - Patuxent: controversial prison clings to belief in rehabilitation. PMID- 17788104 TI - [Not Available]. PMID- 17788105 TI - Virginia refinery battle: another dilemma in energy facility siting. PMID- 17788106 TI - Xylitol: another sweetener turns sour. PMID- 17788107 TI - Weather 5, government 0--so far. PMID- 17788108 TI - Seismic reflection profiling: a new look at the deep crust. PMID- 17788109 TI - Neutron scattering: a new national facility at oak ridge. PMID- 17788110 TI - AAAS-Newcomb Cleveland Prize. PMID- 17788111 TI - Plant ecology: matters of numbers. PMID- 17788113 TI - Atomic scattering. PMID- 17788112 TI - Demographics and subsistence. PMID- 17788114 TI - Isotopes in chemistry. PMID- 17788115 TI - Hydromechanics of swimming. PMID- 17788116 TI - Changing atmospheric fallout of magnetic particles recorded in recent ombrotrophic peat sections. AB - Magnetic measurements of ombrotrophic peat allow a reconstruction of changes in the past fallout of magnetic particles through the atmosphere. In recent peat profiles from three sites in Britain and Northern Ireland, a marked increase in saturated isothermal remanent magnetization of the peat is recorded in levels which can be shown to postdate the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Furthermore the spatial variation in contemporary isothermal remanent magnetization values is consistent with a recent industrial and urban origin for the bulk of the magnetic minerals present. Pre-Industrial Revolution values are between two and three orders of magnitude lower, suggesting that the natural cosmic and terrestrial sources previously cited for such material have been dominated in recent times by the products of human activity. Magnetic measurements provide a simple, rapid, and nondestructive method of monitoring and differentiating various types of particulate atmospheric fallout for both recent and preindustrial times. PMID- 17788117 TI - Aluminum in seawater: control by biological activity. AB - The distribution and concentration of dissolved aluminum in a vertical hydrographic profile in the Mediterranean Sea near Corsica are controlled by biological activity. The concentrations of dissolved silica and aluminum covary in the profile and exhibit minima coincident with the seasonal thermocline, a nitrate minimum, and an oxygen maximum. These observations support the hypothesis that the silicon and aluminum cycles in the oceans are linked through the activity of diatoms. PMID- 17788118 TI - 1400-million-year-old shale-facies microbiota from the lower belt supergroup, montana. AB - Carbonaceous shales of the Middle Proterozoic Newland Limestone, Belt Supergroup, Little Belt Mountains, Montana, contain abundant and well-preserved filamentous and spheroidal microfossils. The filamentous forms, ranging from less than 1 to 12 micrometers in width, are interpreted as representing the preserved sheaths of at least four species of nostocalean cyanophytes. The spheroidal forms, ranging from 15 to 108 micrometers in size, are evidently planktonic forms and are tentatively interpreted as representing the encystment stage of eukaryotic algae. The Newland microbiota is adaptable to petrographic thin-section work, and useful for evaluating the potential of such microfossils for intercontinental biostratigraphic correlation. It is the oldest shale-facies microbiota presently known from North America. PMID- 17788120 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17788119 TI - Motion of enclosed particles around a central mass point: errors in the "apples in a spacecraft" model. PMID- 17788121 TI - A NEW SYSTEM OF FIRE-PROOF FLOOR-CONSTRUCTION. PMID- 17788123 TI - WAR-BALLOONS. PMID- 17788122 TI - HEAT AND VENTILATION. PMID- 17788124 TI - THE ELECTRIC-LIGHT CONVENTION. PMID- 17788125 TI - AN ELECTRICAL DIAMOND-DRILL. PMID- 17788126 TI - THE FISHERIES OF NEW ZEALAND. PMID- 17788127 TI - RECENT STUDIES IN HYPNOTISM. PMID- 17788128 TI - Physical Fields. PMID- 17788129 TI - The Fiske Range-Finder. PMID- 17788130 TI - Supposed Aboriginal Fish-Weirs in Naamran's Creek, near Claymont, Del. PMID- 17788131 TI - Soils and Alkali. PMID- 17788132 TI - Photography done Quickly. PMID- 17788133 TI - A Big Road goes in for Electricity. PMID- 17788134 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17788135 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788136 TI - THE STIMULUS-NEURAL CONTROL OF BEHAVIOR DURING AND AFTER LEARNING. PMID- 17788137 TI - THE BIOLOGY OF HEAVY WATER. PMID- 17788138 TI - NAMING HYDROGEN ISOTOPES. PMID- 17788139 TI - THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF ANESTHESIA. PMID- 17788140 TI - THE STIMULATIVE ACTION OF YEAST EXTRACT IN THE RESPIRATION OF RHIZOBIUM. PMID- 17788141 TI - OXYGEN AS AN ACCELERATOR IN THE GROWTH OF EMPUSA ON FLIES. PMID- 17788142 TI - THE NEUTRON. PMID- 17788143 TI - INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS OF 1934. PMID- 17788145 TI - THE ABSORPTION OF METHYLENE BLUE BY THE NEPHRIDIUM OF THE EARTHWORM. PMID- 17788144 TI - THE DEMONSTRATION OF INTACT MAMMALIAN AND AMPHIBIAN NERVOUS SYSTEMS BY MACERATION OF WHOLE ANIMALS. PMID- 17788146 TI - ALTERNATING CURRENT CONDUCTANCE AND DIRECT CURRENT EXCITATION OF NERVE. PMID- 17788148 TI - ON THE UNTECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY OF THE SEX-RELATION IN PLANTS. PMID- 17788147 TI - THE EFFECTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING UPON THE BLOOD SUGAR. PMID- 17788149 TI - ON THE DIFFUSION OF METALS. PMID- 17788150 TI - OCCURRENCE OF UINTAITE IN UTAH. PMID- 17788151 TI - ON THE DETECTION OF GLACIAL STRIAe IN REFLECTED LIGHT. PMID- 17788152 TI - RUINS OF QUIRIGUA. PMID- 17788153 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17788155 TI - THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17788154 TI - THE RONTGEN RAYS. PMID- 17788156 TI - CRATER LAKE. PMID- 17788158 TI - 'PROGRESS IN AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, 1886-95.'. PMID- 17788157 TI - THE STORAGE OF WATER. PMID- 17788159 TI - 'THE POLAR HARES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA.'--AN ANSWER TO DR. C. H. MERRIAM'S CRITICISMS. PMID- 17788160 TI - THE SUBJECT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. PMID- 17788161 TI - AMERICAN POLAR HARES: A REPLY TO MR. RHOADS. PMID- 17788162 TI - EARTH-CRUST MOVEMENTS AND THEIR CAUSES. PMID- 17788164 TI - THE SAND-PLAINS OF TRURO, WELLFLEET, AND EASTHAM. PMID- 17788163 TI - NOTES ON CERTAIN BELIEFS CONCERNING WILL POWER AMONG THE SIOUAN TRIBES. PMID- 17788165 TI - A NEW METHOD OF DRIVING AN INDUCTION COIL. PMID- 17788166 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17788167 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17788168 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17788170 TI - COMPLIMENT OR PLAGIARISM. PMID- 17788169 TI - 'THE ARGENTAURUM PAPERS.'. PMID- 17788171 TI - FORMER EXTENSION OF GREENLAND GLACIERS. PMID- 17788172 TI - THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY: A SUGGESTION. PMID- 17788173 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788175 TI - CHARLES HENRY GILBERT. PMID- 17788174 TI - THE PAST TWENTY YEARS OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17788176 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17788177 TI - ANOTHER WILD LIFE PRESERVE NEAR ITHACA. PMID- 17788178 TI - AN OLD EXPERIMENT ON COLLISIONS OF THE SECOND KIND. PMID- 17788179 TI - THE HOST OF THE BROAD TAPEWORM. PMID- 17788181 TI - ANGSTROM IN ENGLISH. PMID- 17788180 TI - EMBRYOLESS SEEDS IN CEREALS. PMID- 17788182 TI - AN EFFICIENT DEHYDRATING APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE. PMID- 17788183 TI - A BURETTE CLEANER. PMID- 17788184 TI - IMMOBILIZATION OF PARAMECIUM. PMID- 17788185 TI - THE PHOTO-MECHANICAL CHANGES IN THE RETINA OF MAMMALS. PMID- 17788187 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788186 TI - EGG LAYING OF IXODIPHAGUS CAUCURTEI DU BUYSSON IN LARVAL TICKS. PMID- 17788188 TI - AN ENGINEER'S OUTLOOK. PMID- 17788189 TI - THE NEW HYDROBIOLOGICAL LABORATORY ON THE CHESAPEAKE. PMID- 17788190 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17788191 TI - PALEOZOIC GLACIATION IN ALASKA. PMID- 17788192 TI - IS AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE TOXIC TO COTTON PLANTS? PMID- 17788193 TI - A POSSIBLE HORMONE-SECRETING REGION IN THE GRASS COLEOPTILE. PMID- 17788194 TI - HASSTILESIA TRICOLOR STILES AND HASSALL, 1894--A NEW REPORT. PMID- 17788195 TI - THE "MOLECULAR STILL" AS A TOOL OF BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17788196 TI - THE FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NINE RACES OF FIBROBLASTS. PMID- 17788197 TI - AN INEXPENSIVE REDUCING LENS. PMID- 17788198 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788199 TI - Fashion and Competition in Science. PMID- 17788200 TI - Aid for the University of Skopje. PMID- 17788201 TI - A Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden. PMID- 17788202 TI - Recognizing the Emergence of Man: Specific courses of action are necessary for identifying the traces of early man. AB - Recognition of early human industries takes on significance with the realization that commitment to tools is the novel adaptive design accounting for the emergence of man. The most abundant evidence for the emergence of man consists of the stones that he refashioned. But recognizing these objects is a problem, as they are both rare and similar to the stones of the environments in which they occur. Because the validity of a procedural, or course-of-action, approach to the problem of recognition can be demonstrated, such an approach is preferable to the intuitive and heuristic approaches that have dominated attempts to deal with the possible traces of early man. PMID- 17788203 TI - Dominance and Diversity in Land Plant Communities: Numerical relations of species express the importance of competition in community function and evolution. AB - Most plant communities consist of several or many species which compete for light, water, and nutrients. Species in a given community may be ranked by their relative success in competition; productivity seems to be the best measure of their success or importance in the community. Curves of decreasing productivity connect the few most important species (the dominants) with a larger number of species of intermediate importance (whose number primarily determines the community's diversity or richness in species) and a smaller number of rare species. These curves are of varied forms and are believed to express different patterns of competition and niche differentiation in communities. It is probably true of plants, as of animals, that no two species in a stable community occupy the same niche. Evolution of niche differentiation makes possible the occurrence together of many plant species which are partial, rather than direct, competitors. Species tend to evolve also toward habitat differentiation, toward scattering of their centers of maximum population density in relation to environmental gradients, so that few species are competing with one another in their population centers. Evolution of both niche and habitat differentiation permits many species to exist together in communities as partial competitors, with distributions broadly and continuously overlapping, forming the landscape's many intergrading communities. PMID- 17788205 TI - Humanities: Proposals To Set Up National Foundation Are Gathering Support in the House and Senate. PMID- 17788204 TI - Macromolecular Chemistry: From the Stereospecific Polymerization to the Asymmetric Autocatalytic Synthesis of Macromolecules. PMID- 17788206 TI - Weather Modification: NAS Panel Report and New Program Approved by Congress Reveal Split on Policy. PMID- 17788207 TI - Environmental Health Center: North Carolina Victorious in 4-Year Battle for PHS Facility. PMID- 17788208 TI - Time of Trial for European Research Cooperation. PMID- 17788209 TI - Hexanedione from Hydrocarbon Polymer Oxidation. AB - The diketone 2,5-hexanedione has been isolated as a product of the thermal oxidation of cis-1,4-polysioprene and of copolymers of ethylene and propylene. This is confirmatory evidence for the formation of acetonyl radicals during oxidation of these polymers and their reaction with each other in the presence of oxygen as postulated earlier. PMID- 17788210 TI - Particle Size Fractionation of Airborne Gamma-Emitting Radionuclides by Graded Filters. AB - Three filters in series were employed to separate into groups, according to size, the nuclear debris suspended in air at ground level. The concentrations of airborne Ce(144)-Pr(144), Sb(125), Cs(137), Zr(95)-Nb(95), Mn(54), and Ru(106) Rh(106) in each size group were determined by gamma spectral analysis. Particles having diameters of less than 1.75 microns contained a minimum of 88 percent of the total activity. PMID- 17788211 TI - Quartz: Anomalous Weakness of Synthetic Crystals. AB - The strength of a synthetic quartz crystal drops rapidly at 400 degrees C, and at 600 degrees C is a hundredfold lower than at 300 degrees C. Large plastic deformations can be produced without fracture. The predominant mechanism of deformation is translation gliding. The preferred explanation for this anomalous weakness is that this synthetic quartz contains water which has hydrolyzed the silicon-oxygen bonds. The silanol groups so formed are presumed to be rendered sufficiently mobile by elevating the temperature to 400 degrees C so that they align themselves in dislocation lines and move through the crystal with the dislocation under the small applied shear stress. PMID- 17788212 TI - Permeability of Insect Cuticle to Water and Lipids. AB - Insect cuticle presents a paradox: permeability to water may vary at different times, while lipids penetrate readily. Electron microscopy shows that the epicuticle is penetrated by filaments of wax 60 to 130 A in diameter. These are believed to be lipid-water liquid crystals in the middle phase. The variable permeability to water, and other properties of the cuticle, may be due to phase changes. PMID- 17788213 TI - Immune Reactivity in Mice Thymectomized Soon after Birth: Normal Response after Pregnancy. AB - Female CBA mice that had been thymectomized soon after birth were mated with normal male T6 mice. After delivery of at least one litter, the parous females exhibited normal immune reactions to sheep erythrocytes and skin homografts. The transplacental passage of a humoral substance from the thymus glands of the developing fetuses is suggested as the mechanism responsible for the restoration of immunological responsiveness in neonatally thymectomized parous female mice. PMID- 17788214 TI - Vocal Mimicry in Tursiops: Ability to Match Numbers and Durations of Human Vocal Bursts. AB - In addition to its normal underwater sonic communication path, the dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) can be trained to emit sounds from the blow-hole opened in air. By proper rewarding (positive reinforcement) and evocative techniques, such vocal emissions can be changed from the natural patterns. One such group of new sounds is said to resemble the human voice ("vocal mimicry"). Apects of these sounds which are physically determinable, specifiable, and demonstrable are the similarities in numbers of bursts of sound emitted by man and dolphin and in durations of successive emissions. In 92 percent of the exchanges the number of bursts emitted by Tursiops equalled, +/-1, the number just previously emitted by a man in sequences of one to ten bursts. PMID- 17788215 TI - Imprinting: A Reassessment. AB - Chicks exposed to a moving model during their critical period for imprinting will subsequently demonstrate a preference for that model if it is stationary. In preference tests with moving models, other preferences appear to over-ride the effects of the imprinting experience. PMID- 17788216 TI - Single-Unit Activity in the Cat's Visual Cortex: Modification After an Intense Light Flash. AB - In response to a brief, intense light flash at the retina, the cells of the visual cortex in the cerveau isole preparation of the cat show prolonged excitation of a type not normally produced by physiological stimulation. PMID- 17788217 TI - Choice Behavior in Rhesus Monkeys: Effect of Stimulation during the First Month of Life. AB - Monkeys reared from birth away from other monkeys and handled by humans during the first month of life preferred humans to monkeys when tested at the age of 2 to 3 years. Animals having both early human handling and physical contact with other monkeys, or physical contact with other monkeys and no human handling, preferred monkeys. Subjects reared in complete isolation from humans and monkeys spent less time with either choice stimulus, but also preferred monkeys to humans. PMID- 17788218 TI - Feminine Behavior in Neonatally Castrated and Estrogen-Treated Male Rats. AB - Male rats castrated within 4 days after birth are behaviorally feminized. On the other hand, intact or castrated males given estrogen neonatally show little estrous behavior in adulthood. Thus, feminization is induced by lack of neonatal androgen rather than by the presence of estrogen. Estrogen administered to newborn rats suppresses feminization. PMID- 17788219 TI - Albinism and Water Escape Performance in Mice. PMID- 17788220 TI - Ultrasonics. PMID- 17788221 TI - Biological Nitrogen Fixation. PMID- 17788223 TI - Bioastronautics and Space. PMID- 17788222 TI - Calorimetry. PMID- 17788224 TI - Lactic Acids: Chemistry and Metabolism. PMID- 17788225 TI - Forestry expedition in the andes. PMID- 17788226 TI - Congressional invitation. PMID- 17788227 TI - Letters. PMID- 17788228 TI - Symbolic eskimo mask. PMID- 17788229 TI - Letters. PMID- 17788230 TI - Precession of the Earth as the Cause of Geomagnetism: Experiments lend support to the proposal that precessional torques drive the earth's dynamo. AB - I have proposed that the precessional torques acting on the earth can sustain a turbulent hydromagnetic flow in the molten core. A gross balance of the Coriolis force, the Lorentz force, and the precessional force in the core fluid provided estimates of the fluid velocity and the interior magnetic field characteristic of such flow. Then these numbers and a balance of the processes responsible for the decay and regeneration of the magnetic field provided an estimate of the magnetic field external to the core. This external field is in keeping with the observations, but its value is dependent upon the speculative value for the electrical conductivity of core material. The proposal that turbulent flow due to precession can occur in the core was tested in a study of nonmagnetic laboratory flows induced by the steady precession of fluid-filled rotating spheroids. It was found that these flows exhibit both small wavelike instabilities and violent finite-amplitude instability to turbulent motion above critical values of the precession rate. The observed critical parameters indicate that a laminar flow in the core, due to the earth's precession, would have weak hydrodynamic instabilities at most, but that finite-amplitude hydromagnetic instability could lead to fully turbulent flow. PMID- 17788232 TI - Vitrification temperature of water. AB - The vitrification temperature (T(g)) of water is an elusive quantity because of the great difficulty in supercooling water sufficiently without initiating its crystallization. Water depresses the vitrification temperature of glycerol (184 degrees K) monotonously, and this property has been used for derivation of an estimate of its T(g). The result, 127 degrees +/- 4 degrees K (-146 degrees +/- 4 degrees C), is the temperature below which water presumably exists as a brittle, glassy substance. PMID- 17788233 TI - Mass of vesta. AB - The asteroid 197 (Arete) approaches asteroid 4 (Vesta) within 0.04 astronomical unit once every 18 years. It may therefore be possible to determine the mass of Vesta from observations of Arete. From 72 observations a value of (1.20 +/- 0.08) x 10(-10) solar mass was derived, the indicated uncertainty being a probable error. PMID- 17788234 TI - Proton radiography. AB - Energetic protons from an accelerator may be used to produce radiographs showing unusually high contrast but relatively poor spatial resolution. PMID- 17788235 TI - Electrically supported column of liquid. AB - Applicctiont of an electric field normal to the interface of certain liquids causes a liquid column of uniform diameter to be formed parallel to the electric field. A column of amyl alcohol supported in aim by a high voltage was investigated experimentally; the diameter of the column varied aS the voltage raised to the 3.5 power. PMID- 17788236 TI - Problem of sieve-tube slime. AB - It is proposed that sieve tubes contain a stationary, living, filamentous reticulum that persists throughout their functioning life. The filaments are about 100 to 150 angstroms in diameter and often striated. By swelling they block the pores of old sieve plates after slime has been lost from the elements. In Cucurbita, slime may be loosely bound to the filaments; in many species it is hydrolyzed, swept out by the assimilate stream, and eventually metabolized. PMID- 17788238 TI - THE CULTIVATION OF THE SUGAR-BEET IN OHIO. PMID- 17788237 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN SOLAR PHYSICS AS BEARING UPON THE CAUSE OF THE ICE AGE. PMID- 17788239 TI - TORNADOES: A STORY OF A LONG INHERITANCE. PMID- 17788241 TI - Flying-Machines. PMID- 17788240 TI - Protection from Lightning. PMID- 17788243 TI - CHEMISTRY OF PENICILLIN. PMID- 17788242 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17788244 TI - SCIENCE AND THE GOVERNMENT. PMID- 17788245 TI - LEONARD SALOMON ORNSTEIN. PMID- 17788246 TI - SELECTIVE SERVICE. PMID- 17788247 TI - NEWS FROM ABROAD. PMID- 17788248 TI - STAFF CHANGES OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17788249 TI - LIFE INSURANCE MEDICAL RESEARCH FUND. PMID- 17788250 TI - FURTHER STUDIES ON THE MONKEY ANTI-ANEMIA FACTOR. AB - Fresh liver was found to he a more potent source of the monkey anti-anemia factor than whole liver powder. Beef and pork livers had equal potency. Lyophilized liver retained all the active principle of fresh liver. PMID- 17788252 TI - TRANSMISSION OF THE TOXICITY OF DDT THROUGH THE MILK OF WHITE RATS AND GOATS. PMID- 17788251 TI - DEMONSTRATION OF INFLUENZA VIRUS, TYPE B, IN A RECENT OUTBREAK OF UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION. PMID- 17788253 TI - NOMENCLATURE OF PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES. PMID- 17788254 TI - ACETONE CO2 BATHS. PMID- 17788256 TI - SCIENCE LEGISLATION. PMID- 17788255 TI - A "FOG" OR AEROSOL APPLICATOR FOR DDT. PMID- 17788257 TI - SOVIET BIOLOGY. PMID- 17788258 TI - Methadone treatment. PMID- 17788259 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17788260 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17788262 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17788261 TI - Herbicides in Vietnam. PMID- 17788263 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17788264 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17788265 TI - Enclaves of pluralism: the private universities. PMID- 17788266 TI - Propagation of Environmental Noise: More theoretical and experimental work could permit the prediction and subsequent control of environmental noise. AB - Although the basic processes associated with the propagation of environmental noise, such as reflection, scattering, and spreading are well known, numerous theoretical problems remain. The propagation processes that are significant in different situations have yet to be identified, and criteria for evaluating their relative importance in each situation must be developed. In evaluating the noise of aircraft, for example, attenuation caused by the spreading of energy may exceed 60 dB, with atmospheric attenuation accounting for another 10 dB or so. In the propagation of highway noise, on the other hand, spreading may account for only 10 dB of attenuation, air absorption for 1 dB, and absorption by ground may account for 10 to 15 dB of attenuation. If those problems are approached systematically, we should be able to predict accurately the effects of noise sources and barriers and thus control the distribution of noise levels in cities and suburban areas. PMID- 17788267 TI - Diprionid Sawflies: Polymorphism and Speciation: Changes in diapause and choice of food plants led to new evolutionary units. PMID- 17788268 TI - Symbols in african ritual. PMID- 17788270 TI - Endangered species: moving toward a cease-fire. PMID- 17788269 TI - Technology Incentives: NSF Gropes for Relevance. PMID- 17788271 TI - "Free speech" figure wins compensation. PMID- 17788272 TI - X-ray Astronomy (III): Searching for a Black Hole. PMID- 17788273 TI - Physics at a turning point?--interview with freeman dyson. PMID- 17788274 TI - Solar energy: proposal for a major research program. PMID- 17788275 TI - Lunar pemafrost: dielectric identification. AB - A simulator of lunar permafrost at 100 degrees K exhibits a dielectric relaxation centered at approximately 300 hertz. If permafrost exists in the moon between 100 degrees and 213 degrees K it should present a relaxation peak at approximately 300 hertz. For temperatures up to 263 degrees K it may go up to 20 kilohertz. PMID- 17788276 TI - Strychnine- and pentylenetetrazol-induced changes of excitability in aplysia neurons. AB - In Aplysia neurons isolated from their synaptic input strychnine induces doublet discharges associated in voltage clamp with a decrease in the threshold for the inward current and a reduction and delayed onset of the outward current. Pentylenetetrazol causes oscillations and bursting behavior in normally silent cells together with an increased inactivation of the delayed outward current and induced or enhanced anomalous rectification. PMID- 17788278 TI - Archaeoastronomy in pre-columbian america. PMID- 17788277 TI - Fragile ecosystems. PMID- 17788279 TI - Earthquakes and earthquake engineering. PMID- 17788280 TI - Volcanism in Mexico and central america. PMID- 17788281 TI - Geodynamics. PMID- 17788282 TI - Unnecessary Research Institutes. PMID- 17788283 TI - Permissible Exposure to Ionizing Radiation: Many factors, some imponderable, contribute to the estimation of a maximum permissible dose. PMID- 17788284 TI - Varieties of Oceanographic Experience: The ocean can be investigated as a hydrodynamical phenomenon as well as explored geographically. PMID- 17788285 TI - Civilian Technology: Concern Over Pace of Growth Inspires Program for Research and Development Effort. PMID- 17788286 TI - Mental Health: Kennedy Message Calls for Expanded Role for Government. PMID- 17788288 TI - Antarctica: Colonization Ends Era of Exploration, Emphasis Shifts To Organized Polar Science Program. PMID- 17788287 TI - Congress and Research. PMID- 17788289 TI - Mitosis and Differentiation in Roots Treated with Actinomycin. AB - In the presence of actinomycin D (90 microg/ml), mitosis in root meristem of Allium cepa L. ceases after a delay of 36 hours. The block occurs at interphase. Differentiation of prevascular tissue is suppressed, and the evidence suggests it begins to fail before mitosis stops. Autoradiograms of roots treated with tritiated uracil show that synthesis of ribonucleic acid is blocked after mitosis fails. The effects of the antibiotic are reversible. PMID- 17788290 TI - Eye Fixation Aspect of Attention to Visual Stimuli in Infant Chimpanzees. AB - Infant chimpanzees look at a visual stimulus for a regularly decreasing proportion of the time after presentation of the stimulus. Individual differences and presentation of a novel object affect the general level of fixation but do not significantly influence the slope of the curve showing the decline of fixation with time. PMID- 17788291 TI - N-Methylmetanephrine: Excretion by Juvenile Psychotics. AB - Three out of 18 psychotic children excreted N-methylmetanephrine, a metabolite of N-methylepinephrine. It is not clear whether this tertiary amine plays a part in causing some forms of psychosis or is merely a secondary result of mental dysfunction. Urinary excretion of bufotenin and of 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, each of which has been reported elevated in some adult schizophrenics, was not unusual in these children. PMID- 17788292 TI - Auxin in Coleus Stems: Limitation of Transport at Higher Concentrations. AB - Previous indirect evidence that the endogenous concentration of plant hormones of the auxin type is controlled by a limitation of transport over the physiological range of concentration was confirmed by measuring directly the transport of the native auxin, indoleacetic acid, through segments of Coleus stems. PMID- 17788293 TI - Perception of Ultrasound. AB - Ultrasonic vibrations can be perceived as audible sounds when a piezoelectric transducer is pressed against certain areas of the human body. In the range of frequencies investigated (20 to 108 kcy/sec), the threshold of perception seemed to lie near the threshold of feeling (about 10(-4) watt/cm(2)), and the perceived audible sound appeared to be between 8 and 9 kcy/sec, as judged by six test subjects. The threshold of perception and the perceived frequency appear to be dependent upon the hearing characteristics of the individual. PMID- 17788294 TI - Pattern of Uplifted Islands in the Main Ocean Basins. AB - Most uplifted islands lie in one of three types of tectonic location: on mid ocean ridges; between 200 and 750 km on the convex side of island arcs; and along a great circle across the southern Pacific, which may be a fault. Since the usual habit of islands is to subside, these islands may owe their uplift to their special tectonic positions. The regularity of this pattern of uplift supports the view that in the earth an elastic surface layer rests upon a plastic or viscous substratum. PMID- 17788295 TI - Zirconium and Hafnium in Stone Meteorites. AB - The abundances of zirconium and hafnium in stone meteorites, were determined by neutron activation analysis. Specific radiochemical separations were used to obtain individual zirconium and hafnium samples of high radiochemical purity. The average abundance of zirconium in chondrites for six analyses was 35 parts per million; of hafnium, 0.19 ppm. The hafnium abundances are in good general agreement with the predictions of current theories of nucleosynthesis. PMID- 17788296 TI - Cytochemical Assay of Interferon Produced by Duck Hepatitis Virus. AB - A microscopic, cytochemical technique for assay of interferon is described in which psittacosis virus is the indicator agent. Interferon, produced in tissue culture cells in response to duck hepatitis virus, is used to illustrate the procedure. PMID- 17788297 TI - Binasal Hemianopia as an Early Stage in Binocular Color Rivalry. AB - Fifty years ago Kollner reported that the initial fleeting sensation in binocular color rivalry is a bipartite color field such that the color presented to the left eye appears to the left of the color presented to the right eye. A method is described for maintaining such quasi hemianopia for long periods of time. PMID- 17788298 TI - Vascular Smooth Muscle: Dual Effect of Calcium. AB - The first part of the contractile response of rabbit aorta to epinephrine is depressed by elevation of calcium concentration; the second is potentiated. These observations suggest that the rate-limiting factor for the former is membrane excitability (depressed by increased calcium), while that for the latter is the role that calcium plays in coupling membrane excitation with the development of tension by the contractile protein (a function that is augmented by increased calcium). PMID- 17788299 TI - Beading Phenomena of Mammalian Myelinated Nerve Fibers. AB - Fresh mammalian nerve, when subjected to a small stretch, shows a beading phenomenon. The larger fibers appear as a series of dilations and constrictions at intervals of 40 to 75 micro. Upon relaxation this beading is gone within a minute. The beading is not produced by the special technique of freeze substitution used to show the phenomenon. PMID- 17788300 TI - Lactate Dehydrogenases in Human Testes. AB - A unique form of lactate dehydrogenase was observed in the starch-gel electrophoretic patterns of adult human testes. It was present in sperm, but absent in prepubertal testes. Its electrophoretic mobility, heat stability, kinetic behavior with pyridine nucleotide analogs, and chromatographic characteristics on diethylaminoethyl cellulose were intermediate to those observed for lactate dehydrogenase isozymes 3 and 4. PMID- 17788301 TI - Lactic and Malic Dehydrogenases in Human Spermatozoa. AB - Human spermatozoa, representing a homogeneous population of postmitotic cells, contain five electrophoretically distinct lactic dehydrogenases and two malic dehydrogenases. This indicates that molecular heterogeneity of enzymes is characteristic of the individual cell and is not a reflection of heterogeneity of cell types within a tissue. PMID- 17788302 TI - Ripple Marks Show That Countercurrent Exists in Florida Straits. AB - About 60 percent of the area shown in photographs taken at the axis of Florida Straits exhibits well-defined current ripple marks. These ripples indicate a flow of water of at least 0.2 to 0.6 knots from the north. This current is in the opposite direction from the surface currents of 2 to 4 or more knots. PMID- 17788303 TI - Cerebral White Matter: Selective Spread of Pneumococcal Polysaccharides. AB - Pneumococcal polysaccharides were implanted in rat brain and their distribution was studied by immunofluorescence. The polysaccharides spread selectively in white matter, and frequently extended from anterior to posterior poles. The results suggest that selective localization of experimental and natural leukoencephalopathies may be related to an innate property of white matter that permits or facilitates spread of noxious agents. PMID- 17788304 TI - Amoeba proteus: Studying the Contractile Vacuole by Micropuncture. AB - Direct measurements of the freezing point depression of the protoplasm and of the fluid from the contractile vacuole of fresh-water amoebae showed that the fluid in the vacuole is distinctly hypoosmotic to the protoplasm. Fourteen samples of protoplasm from amoebae, placed in a medium with a milliosmolality of 7, had an average osmolality of 101 milliosmoles with a range of 73 to 116. Eleven samples of vacuolar fluid had an average osmolality of 32 milliosmoles, with a range of 24 to 38. It is suggested that the fluid may be isoosmotic to the protoplasm when secreted and that salt is subsequently reabsorbed, leaving the vacuolar fluid hypoosmotic to the protoplasm. PMID- 17788305 TI - Polygonal Fracture and Fold Systems in the Salt Crust, Great Salt Lake Desert, Utah. AB - Small folds and fractures (thrusts) up to 50 feet apart that have produced polygonal patterns in the Bonneville salt crust, western Utah, are believed to be caused by the annual expansion of the salt crust due to the growth of salt crystals within the salt layer plus the effect of increased summer temperature. It is suggested that these strain systems are caused by positive (compressional) isotropic planar stresses developed within the salt layers of the salt crust. PMID- 17788306 TI - Hypothalamic Temperature in the Cat during Feeding and Sleep. AB - Anterior hypothalamic temperature is reported for the unanesthetized cat resting at an air temperature of 22 degrees to 25 degrees C during the ingestion of cold or warm liquids, and during sleep. Drinking cold (5 degrees C) milk resulted in an immediate depression of hypothalamic temperature and a period of peripheral vasodilation in the ear and forepaw foot and toe pads, followed by a drop in rectal temperature. Drinking warm (body temperature) milk did not bring about these changes. Hypothalamic temperature during sleep is lower by approximately 0.5 degrees C and is characterized by widely varying, slow-frequency oscillations, compared to the higher, more precisely controlled temperature seen when the animal is awake. PMID- 17788307 TI - Alteration in Learning Ability Caused by Changes in Cerebral Serotonin and Catechol Amines. AB - Excess of cerebral serotonin decreased maze-learning ability of adult mice; deficiency of serotonin and catechol amines increased it slightly. PMID- 17788308 TI - Laurence McKinley Gould, President-Elect. PMID- 17788309 TI - Eighth Philadelphia Meeting. PMID- 17788310 TI - Public Information Service. PMID- 17788311 TI - Mathematics (A). PMID- 17788312 TI - Physics (B). PMID- 17788313 TI - American Rocket Society (B3). PMID- 17788314 TI - American Meteorological Society (B2). PMID- 17788316 TI - Astronomy (D). PMID- 17788315 TI - American Astronautical Society (B1). PMID- 17788317 TI - Chemistry (C). PMID- 17788318 TI - Geology and Geography (E). PMID- 17788319 TI - Atmospheric Dynamics--Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter. PMID- 17788320 TI - Zoological Sciences (F). PMID- 17788322 TI - Association of American Geographers (E1). PMID- 17788321 TI - National Speleological Society (E4). PMID- 17788323 TI - Botanical Sciences (G). PMID- 17788324 TI - Ecological Society of America (FG4). PMID- 17788325 TI - Society of Systematic Zoology (F3). PMID- 17788326 TI - Dating Man and the Pleistocene. PMID- 17788327 TI - Anthropology (H). PMID- 17788328 TI - Psychology (I). PMID- 17788329 TI - Social and Economic Sciences (K). PMID- 17788330 TI - American Society of Criminology (K3). PMID- 17788331 TI - American Political Science Association (K2). PMID- 17788332 TI - History and Philosophy of Science (L). PMID- 17788334 TI - Medical Sciences (N). PMID- 17788333 TI - Engineering (M). PMID- 17788335 TI - Pharmaceutical Sciences (Np). PMID- 17788336 TI - Agriculture (O). PMID- 17788337 TI - Industrial Science (P). PMID- 17788338 TI - Education (Q). PMID- 17788339 TI - National Science Teachers Association (Q5). PMID- 17788340 TI - Council for Exceptional Children (Q3). PMID- 17788341 TI - Statistics (U). PMID- 17788342 TI - Information and Communication (T). PMID- 17788344 TI - Biometric Society (U2). PMID- 17788343 TI - Science in General (X). PMID- 17788345 TI - Conference on Scientific Manpower (X4). PMID- 17788347 TI - Laputans and Lemurians. PMID- 17788348 TI - Can One Predict Success in Science? PMID- 17788350 TI - Physical Contact between Mother and Young. PMID- 17788349 TI - The Possibility of Compound Formation by Helium. PMID- 17788351 TI - Civil Defense. PMID- 17788352 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788353 TI - "Fire Department" of Science. PMID- 17788354 TI - Science for the Humanist. PMID- 17788356 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788355 TI - Messier 1. PMID- 17788357 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788358 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788359 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788360 TI - Effects of Penicillin on Bacteria. PMID- 17788361 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788362 TI - Therapeutic Dosage in Small and Large Mammals. PMID- 17788364 TI - FACTORS OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17788363 TI - LEAF STRUCTURE AND WOUND RESPONSE. PMID- 17788365 TI - FRENCH INSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH IN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17788366 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17788367 TI - KINETIC ACTIVITY, ORIENTED ADSORPTION AND MOLECULAR DEFORMATION AS FACTORS IN CATALYSIS. PMID- 17788368 TI - MERCURY AND AMMONIA VAPOR AN EXPLOSION HAZARD. PMID- 17788370 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON SCORPIONS. PMID- 17788369 TI - A CONFUSION OF TERMS. PMID- 17788371 TI - THE EDWARD CURTIS FRANKLIN FELLOWSHIP. PMID- 17788372 TI - AN IMPROVED CLOSING BOTTLE FOR SUBSURFACE SAMPLING OF FLUIDS. PMID- 17788373 TI - THE WIDTH OF THE BASILAR MEMBRANE. PMID- 17788374 TI - EXCYSTATION IN IODAMOEBA WILLIAMSI IN VIVO AND IN VITRO. PMID- 17788375 TI - THE PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE INFRA-RED SPECTRUM OF MERCURY. PMID- 17788376 TI - Shelters: Pro and Kahn. PMID- 17788377 TI - Nuclear Clues to the Early History of the Solar System: Light nuclei were synthesized before planetary material had entirely separated from hydrogen. AB - Space research seeks to ascertain, among other things, the history of the origin of the solar system. There already exist certain nuclear clues to this history, and additional evidence will be forthcoming from exploration of the moon and the planets. PMID- 17788378 TI - Arms Control and Disarmament: Notes on the Situation at Geneva. PMID- 17788379 TI - East-West Exchange: Signing of Pact Renews Program for Another 2 Years. PMID- 17788380 TI - "Institute of Arts and Letters": Swiss Government Appears Dubious. PMID- 17788381 TI - Overhead Costs: House Bill Would Cut Down the Bookkeeping. PMID- 17788382 TI - Inhibitors of Deuterophoma tracheiphila in Citrus Varieties Resistant to "Mal Secco". AB - Growth of colonies of the fungus Deuterophoma tracheiphila, the causal agent of the "mal secco" disease of lemons, is inhibited by two substances, C(1) and CS(2), which are found in resistant mandarin varieties but not in susceptible lemons and related species. Some properties of these substances are reported. CS(2) may be naringenin, but the stronger inhibitor, C(1), has not yet been identified. PMID- 17788383 TI - Strontium-90 and Cesium-137 Absorbed by Rice Plants in Japan, 1960. AB - About 60 percent of strontium-90 contained in polished rice in 1960 is due to root absorption from soil. The amount of cesium-137 absorbed by rice plants directly from fallout during the period between ear-shooting and harvest is assumed to be about 20 percent of total cesium-137 in the plant. PMID- 17788384 TI - Allowance for Overhead. PMID- 17788385 TI - Deferring to a Minority. PMID- 17788386 TI - The Rise of Sap. PMID- 17788387 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17788388 TI - Microbiology in Latin America. PMID- 17788390 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788389 TI - Objectivity and Responsibility. PMID- 17788391 TI - THE FORGOTTEN PHYSICIAN. PMID- 17788392 TI - A RESEARCH DELUSION. PMID- 17788393 TI - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN QUANTUM MECHANICS. PMID- 17788394 TI - "CENTERS OF RESEARCH," A REPLY. PMID- 17788395 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17788396 TI - BLOOD PRESSURE DEPRESSION BY LIGHT IRRADIATION. PMID- 17788397 TI - HALIBUT FISHING. PMID- 17788398 TI - A MORPHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR THE FAILURE OF NECTURUS TO METAMORPHOSE. PMID- 17788399 TI - THE FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17788400 TI - THE FUNCTION OF THE LATERAL LINE ORGANS. PMID- 17788401 TI - VITAMIN B TERMINOLOGY. PMID- 17788402 TI - ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR THE ACCURATE GENERATION AND MEASUREMENT OF NOISE AND TONE. PMID- 17788403 TI - MUTATION, CHROMOSOME NON-DISJUNCTION AND THE GENE. PMID- 17788405 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17788404 TI - REGULATING THE STORAGE OF VITAMIN A IN ANIMALS THAT ARE TO BE USED FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THIS VITAMIN. PMID- 17788406 TI - Science advice to the president. PMID- 17788407 TI - CO2 Reduction and Reforestation. PMID- 17788408 TI - CO2 Reduction and Reforestation. PMID- 17788409 TI - CO2 Reduction and Reforestation. PMID- 17788410 TI - Factoring and cryptography. PMID- 17788411 TI - Erratum. AB - The proportion of dogs among animals used in research was incorrectly reported in Constance Holden's article "Billion dollar price tag for new animal rules" (News & Comment, 4 Nov., p. 662). Dogs make up about 1% of research animals, according to the Office of Technology Assessment. Primates make up about 0.05%. PMID- 17788412 TI - CO2 Reduction and Reforestation. PMID- 17788414 TI - DOE's Guide to Weapons Plant Spills. PMID- 17788413 TI - CO2 Reduction and Reforestation. PMID- 17788415 TI - UCSF Wins Round in Fight over Lab. PMID- 17788416 TI - Computer Search Solves an old Math Problem: A math problem with roots that reach back 200 years has been solved by means of a massive computer search. PMID- 17788417 TI - Extinction imminent for native plants. PMID- 17788418 TI - New active faults in L.a. PMID- 17788419 TI - Chemistry of high-temperature superconductors. AB - Spectacular advances in superconductors have taken place in the past two years. The upper temperature for superconductivity has risen from 23 K to 122 K, and there is reason to believe that the ascent is still ongoing. The materials causing this excitement are oxides. Those oxides that superconduct at the highest temperatures contain copper-oxygen sheets; however, other elements such as bismuth and thallium play a key role in this new class of superconductors. These superconductors are attracting attention because of the possibility of a wide range of applications and because the science is fascinating. A material that passes an electrical current with virtually no loss is more remarkable when this occurs at 120 K instead of 20 K. PMID- 17788420 TI - The isotopic composition of methane in polar ice cores. AB - Air bubbles in polar ice cores indicate that about 300 years ago the atmospheric mixing ratio of methane began to increase rapidly. Today the mixing ratio is about 1.7 parts per million by volume, and, having doubled once in the past several hundred years, it will double again in the next 60 years if current rates continue. Carbon isotope ratios in methane up to 350 years in age have been measured with as little as 25 kilograms of polar ice recovered in 4-meter-long ice-core segments. The data show that (i) in situ microbiology or chemistry has not altered the ice-core methane concentrations, and (ii) that the carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratio of atmospheric CH(4) in ice from 100 years and 300 years ago was about 2 per mil lower than at present. Atmospheric methane has a rich spectrum of isotopic sources: the ice-core data indicate that anthropogenic burning of the earth's biomass is the principal cause of the recent (13)CH(4) enrichment, although other factors may also contribute. PMID- 17788421 TI - Dynamics of a Second-Order Phase Transition: P macr; to I1 Phase Transition in Anorthite, CaAl2Si2O8. AB - Electron microscopic study of the reversible P1 to I1 phase transition in anorthite (transition temperature T(c) = 516 Kelvin) shows that the antiphase boundaries (APBs) with the displacement vector R = 1/2[111] become unstable at T(c), and numerous small APB loops are formed. These interfaces are highly mobile, and their vibration frequency increases strongly with temperature. These observations suggest that close to T(c), breathing-motion-type lattice vibrations of the framework cause the two different configurations around the calcium atoms, which are related by a translation of R approximately 1/2[111], to interchange dynamically through an intermediate I1 configuration. The high-temperature I1 structure is interpreted as a statistical-dynamic average of highly mobile antiphase domains of primitive anorthite. PMID- 17788422 TI - The Cold Light of Dawn. A History of Canadian Astronomy. Richard A. Jarrell. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1988. xii, 251 pp. + plates. $35. PMID- 17788423 TI - Sexual Selection. Testing the Altematives. J. W. Bradbury and M. B. Andersson, Eds. Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1987. xii, 308 pp., illus. $81.95. Dahlem Workshop Life Science Research Reports, vol. 39. From a workshop, Berlin, F.R.G., Aug. 1986. PMID- 17788424 TI - Superstrings. A Theory of Everything? P. C. W. Davies and Julian Brown, Eds. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1988. viii, 234 pp., illus. $39.50; paper, $10.95. Based on a BBC radio broadcast. PMID- 17788425 TI - Neodymium Isotope Geochemistry. An Introduction. Donald J. DePaolo. Springer Verlag, New York, 1988. xii, 187 pp., illus. $49.50. Minerals and Rocks, vol. 20. PMID- 17788426 TI - Crystals in Gels and Liesegang Rings. In Vitro Veritas. Heinz K. Henisch. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1988. xiv, 197 pp., illus. $54.50. PMID- 17788427 TI - Plant-Animal Interactions. Warren G. Abrahamson, Ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1988. xviii, 480 pp., illus. $47.95. PMID- 17788428 TI - Appraising the Ring. Statements in Support of the Superconducting Super Collider. Leon M. Lederman and Chris Quigg, compilers. Universities Research Association, Washington, DC, 1988. xxviii, 171 pp. Paper. PMID- 17788429 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17788430 TI - EXPANDING CONSCIOUSNESS AND DEMOCRACY. PMID- 17788432 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17788431 TI - "HOW SOON WILL THE 'MANUAL' BE DONE?": A PLEA FOR SOME UNDISTURBED MOMENTS. PMID- 17788433 TI - DISEASE, DAMAGE AND POLLINATION TYPES IN "GRAINS". PMID- 17788434 TI - ARTIFACTS IN CANADIAN RIVER TERRACES. PMID- 17788435 TI - A NEW OUTLINE MAP OF NORTH AMERICA FOR PHYTOGEOGRAPHERS. PMID- 17788436 TI - MECHANICS OF INDEXING. PMID- 17788437 TI - PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE RESEARCH AT MELLON INSTITUTE. PMID- 17788438 TI - DISINTEGRATION OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS IN UREA SOLUTIONS. PMID- 17788439 TI - SYNTHETIC VITAMIN B6. PMID- 17788440 TI - XENIA IN THE CHESTNUT. PMID- 17788441 TI - CHLORAZOL FAST PINK BKS AS AN ANTI-COAGULANT. PMID- 17788442 TI - EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF CULTURE MITES BY MECHANICAL EXCLUSION. PMID- 17788443 TI - THE AIRPLANE IN SURVEYING AND MAPPING. PMID- 17788444 TI - TRAINING IN SUGAR TECHNOLOGY IN HAWAII. PMID- 17788445 TI - THE VALLEY OF TEN THOUSAND SMOKES. PMID- 17788446 TI - THE REASON MEAT INCREASES OXIDATION IN THE BODY MORE THAN FAT OR SUGAR. PMID- 17788447 TI - THE BUFFALO MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. II. PMID- 17788448 TI - ASA GRAY. PMID- 17788449 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17788450 TI - Jacobson's 'Higher Ground.'. PMID- 17788452 TI - Weather-Predictions. PMID- 17788451 TI - A New Meteorite from Texas. PMID- 17788453 TI - Color-Blindness. PMID- 17788455 TI - The Flight of Birds. PMID- 17788454 TI - Hybrid Diseases. PMID- 17788456 TI - Binocular Combinations upon Disparate Retinal Points. PMID- 17788457 TI - Bacteriology as a Study in Schools. PMID- 17788458 TI - Answers. PMID- 17788459 TI - Queries. PMID- 17788460 TI - Small business research. PMID- 17788461 TI - Small business research. PMID- 17788462 TI - Government-university relationships. PMID- 17788464 TI - Small business research. PMID- 17788463 TI - Social sciences in chile. PMID- 17788465 TI - Long-term economic rx: research. PMID- 17788466 TI - Coal gasification for electric power generation. AB - The electric utility industry is being severely affected by rapidly escalating gas and oil prices, restrictive environmental and licensing regulations, and an extremely tight money market. Integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants have the potential to be economically competitive with present commercial coal-fired power plants while satisfying stringent emission control requirements. The current status of gasification technology is discussed and the critical importance of the 100-megawatt Cool Water IGCC demonstration program is emphasized. PMID- 17788467 TI - Presidential secrecy order gets no defense. PMID- 17788468 TI - Spotlight on pest reflects on pesticide. PMID- 17788469 TI - EDB Causes a Regulatory Ripple Effect. PMID- 17788471 TI - NAE Elects New Members. PMID- 17788470 TI - Nonproliferation post vacant. PMID- 17788472 TI - NRC Reviews Brittle Reactor Hazard. PMID- 17788474 TI - House committees choke on small business bills. PMID- 17788473 TI - Researchers Predict Fewer NIH Grants. PMID- 17788475 TI - Science policy wordsmith responds to bell. PMID- 17788477 TI - Preventive research office suggested. PMID- 17788476 TI - Alaska stakes a claim for arctic research. PMID- 17788478 TI - Imaging the Earth (I): the troubled first decade of landsat. PMID- 17788480 TI - Auditory physiology. PMID- 17788479 TI - Honoring hans krebs. PMID- 17788481 TI - A process in cell regulation. PMID- 17788482 TI - The solar outer atmosphere. PMID- 17788483 TI - Life of a giant lizard. PMID- 17788484 TI - Atmospheric deposition of metals to forest vegetation. AB - Atmospheric deposition during the growing season contributes one-third or more of the estimated total flux of lead, zinc, and cadium from the forest canopy to soils beneath an oak stand in the Tennessee Valley but less than 10 percent of the flux of manganese. The ratio of the wet to dry deposition flux to the vegetation during this period ranges from 0.1 for manganese to 0.8 for lead to approximately 3 to 4 for cadmium and zinc. Interactions between metal particles deposited on dry leaf surfaces and subsequent acid precipitation can result in metal concentrations on leaves that are considerably higher than those in rain alone. PMID- 17788485 TI - Global sea level trend in the past century. AB - Data derived from tide-gauge stations throughout the world indicate that the mean sea level rose by about 12 centimeters in the past century. The sea level change has a high correlation with the trend of global surface air temperature. A large part of the sea level rise can be accounted for in terms of the thermal expansion of the upper layers of the ocean. The results also represent weak indirect evidence for a net melting of the continental ice sheets. PMID- 17788486 TI - Escape of hydrogen from venus. AB - Recombination of O(2)(+) represents a source of fast oxygen atoms in Venus' exosphere, and subsequent collisions of oxygen atoms with hydrogen atoms lead to escape of about 10(7) hydrogen atoms per square centimeter per second. Escape of deuterium atoms is negligible, and the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen should increase with time. It is suggested that the mass-2 ion observed by Pioneer Venus is D(+), which implies a ratio of deuterium to hydrogen in the contemporary atmosphere of about 10(-2), an initial ratio of 5 x 10(-5) and an original H(2)O abundance not less than 800 grams per square centimeter. PMID- 17788487 TI - Growth rates of phosphate nodules from the continental margin off peru. AB - Modern sea-floor phosphorite nodules sampled from off the coast of Peru are shown to grow at rates of millimeters per thousand years in spite of the fact that the measured accumulation rates of the underlying sediment are two to four orders of magnitude faster. Phosphate nodules grow downward into soft sediment, and the rates of phosphorus accumulation into nodules are approximately equal to the upward diffusive flux of dissolved phosphate inferred from pore water profiles. These results demonstrate that phosphorus in nodules originates from regeneration in sediments rather than as a result of direct precipitation from bottom waters. PMID- 17788488 TI - Coral gas: oxygen production in millepora on the great barrier reef. AB - Large volumes of a gas consisting of 69 percent molecular oxygen and 31 percent molecular nitrogen with trace amounts of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane have been found trapped inside skeletons of the common hydrozoan Millepora. Volumes were low in the morning and reached a maximum by late afternoon. The oxygen was probably produced by the endolithic (boring) algae, with which the Millepora skeletons are very heavily infested. Oxygen production by endolithic algae in Millepora and in other substrates could influence estimates of reef productivity based on measurements of dissolved gases. PMID- 17788489 TI - Lower devonian gametophytes: relation to the phylogeny of land plants. AB - Three gametophytic plants now known from the Lower Devonian of Scotland and Germany show common features in their fertile parts. The morphological and anatomical structures indicate affinities to bryophytic gametophytes, although there is no evidence for a parasitic sporogonium-like sporophyte as in the Bryophyta. Several of the vascular plant sporophytes from the Rhynie Chert also have a few characteristics reminiscent of bryophytes. But these ancient gametophytes, if related to the sporophytes, indicate a closer relation of Bryophyta to Tracheophyta than would the study of sporophytes alone. PMID- 17788490 TI - Cyanobacterial blooms: carbon and nitrogen limitation have opposite effects on the buoyancy of oscillatoria. AB - Gas vacuolation in Oscillatoria rubescens decreased with increased nitrogen limitation and increased with transitions from nitrogen to inorganic carbon limitation. Gas vacuoles consist of protein vesicles that can accumulate in carbon- limited but not in unenriched nitrogen-limited cells. Nitrogen limitation is a factor in the formation of deep population maxima; carbon limitation can promote surface blooms. PMID- 17788491 TI - Fast-growing rhizobia isolated from root nodules of soybean. AB - Fast-growing rhizobia have been isolated from soybean root nodules collected in China. These new isolates are physiologically distinct from slow-growing soybean rhizobia. They formed effective nitrogen-fixing associations with wild soybean and an unbred soybean cultivar from China, but were largely ineffective as nitrogen-fixing symbionts with common commercial cultivars of soybeans. PMID- 17788492 TI - Prairie dogs avoid extreme inbreeding. AB - Black-tailed prairie dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Cynomys ludovicianus) live in colonies composed of contiguous but separate family groups called coteries. During the 6 years that individuals in a colony were observed, they almost nevermated with close genetic relatives. Inbreeding is avoided in four ways: (i) a young male usually leaves his natal coterie before breeding, but his female relatives remain; (ii) an adult male usually leaves his breeding coterie before his daughters mature; (iii) a young female is less likely to come into estrus if her father is in her coterie; and (iv) an estrous female behaviorally avoids mating with a father, son, or brother in her coterie. PMID- 17788494 TI - SOME EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. PMID- 17788493 TI - ANCIENT FAUNA OF MONGOLIA DISCOVERED BY THE THIRD ASIATIC EXPEDITION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17788495 TI - THE MASKELL COLLECTION OF COCCIDAe. PMID- 17788496 TI - THE PREPARATION IF FIVE KILOGRAMS OF DESICCATED EUGLENA. PMID- 17788497 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17788499 TI - SRPHID LARVAE AS PESTS. PMID- 17788498 TI - ON THE VITALITY OF COTTON SEED. PMID- 17788500 TI - MISUSE OF THE WORD "CREATION" BY NATURALISTS. PMID- 17788501 TI - STANDARDIZED NOMENCLATURE OF BIOLOGICAL STAINS. PMID- 17788502 TI - REVERSE MUTATION OF THE BAR GENE CORRELATED WITH CROSSING OVER. PMID- 17788503 TI - THE ABSOLUTE VALUES OF THE ELECTRICAL MOMENTS OF ATOMS AND MOLECULES. PMID- 17788504 TI - SIMPLE MILK FORMULAE. PMID- 17788505 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17788506 TI - CONCERNING THE VITAMIN B CONTENT OF THE VELVET BEAN. PMID- 17788507 TI - THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION AND ITS SECTIONS. PMID- 17788508 TI - DIGITALIS AND SOME OF ITS DERIVATIVES. PMID- 17788509 TI - FOOD AND NUTRITION AS RELATED TO THE WAR. PMID- 17788511 TI - THE INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17788510 TI - MAX HARRISON DEMOREST. PMID- 17788512 TI - THE DETROIT MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17788513 TI - DU PONT FELLOWSHIPS IN CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17788514 TI - WARTIME TRAINING IN SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS. PMID- 17788515 TI - THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. PMID- 17788516 TI - THE HARDY-WEINBERG LAW. PMID- 17788517 TI - THE WATER HYACINTH IN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17788518 TI - THE SHOT-PUT AND THE EARTH'S ROTATION. PMID- 17788519 TI - SCIENCE, WAR AND FOOTBALL. PMID- 17788520 TI - REORGANIZATION OF CONSERVATION WORK IN MARYLAND. PMID- 17788522 TI - PREVENTING THE BACTERIAL OXIDATION OF RUBBER. PMID- 17788521 TI - THE LETHAL EFFECT OF TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL VAPOR ON AIR-BORNE BACTERIA AND INFLUENZA VIRUS. PMID- 17788523 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR CONVERTING A LINE-RECORD INTO A SHADOWGRAM. PMID- 17788524 TI - A METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF INVERTEBRATE BLOOD IN VITRO. PMID- 17788525 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE OTTAWA MEETING. PMID- 17788526 TI - A COLONY OF ALBINO RATS EXISTING UNDER FERAL CONDITIONS. PMID- 17788527 TI - CENTRIPETAL DRIFT: A FALLACY IN THE EVALUATION OF THERAPEUTIC RESULTS. PMID- 17788528 TI - THE CONCEPT OF ATAVISM. PMID- 17788529 TI - BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS HAS GONE TO PRESS. PMID- 17788530 TI - CONCENTRATION AND PURIFICATION OF CHICKEN TUMOR I AGENT. PMID- 17788532 TI - THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND SHAPE OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PROTEIN. PMID- 17788531 TI - AN ESTIMATE OF THE RELATIVE DIMENSIONS AND DIFFUSION CONSTANT OF THE TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PROTEIN. PMID- 17788533 TI - THE PRESENCE OF RARE EARTHS IN HICKORY LEAVES. PMID- 17788534 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788535 TI - GENETICS AND ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17788536 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17788537 TI - SYMBOLS AND NAMES FOR THE HYDROGEN ISOTOPES. PMID- 17788538 TI - TALUS SLOPES OF THE GASPE PENINSULA. PMID- 17788539 TI - FURTHER EVIDENCE ON THE AMAZING LONGEVITY OF BACTERIA. PMID- 17788541 TI - A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF OLD AGE. PMID- 17788540 TI - REPORTS. PMID- 17788542 TI - A MICRO-MANIPULATOR FOR PURE CULTURE AND MICROCHEMICAL WORK. PMID- 17788544 TI - THE PORTAL OF ENTRY AND TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS OF POLIOMYELITIS. PMID- 17788543 TI - ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF RADIO-ACTIVE SUBSTANCES. PMID- 17788545 TI - SIMON NEWCOMB. PMID- 17788546 TI - THE BIOLOGY OF THE MALAYAN ISLANDS. PMID- 17788547 TI - THE PRESENTATION OF THE JOHN FRITZ MEDAL TO ELIHU THOMSON. PMID- 17788548 TI - THE CONVOCATION-WEEK MEETINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17788549 TI - MEETINGS OF SECTIONS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17788550 TI - PSYCHOLOGY AND MEDICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17788552 TI - CLOUDS. PMID- 17788551 TI - THE RETENTION OF OIL BY CLAY AT WATERVILLE, MAINE. PMID- 17788553 TI - THE RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT. PMID- 17788555 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17788554 TI - THE CAUSE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CUMARIN, VANILLIN, PYRIDINE AND QUINOLINE IN THE SOIL. PMID- 17788556 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE STAR OBSERVERS. PMID- 17788557 TI - Chromosome Structure Under the Electron Microscope. PMID- 17788559 TI - Wilhelm Caspari, 1872-1944. PMID- 17788558 TI - The First Pan-African Congress on Prehistory. PMID- 17788560 TI - Willis Linn Jepson, 1867-1946. PMID- 17788561 TI - COMMENTS by Readers. PMID- 17788562 TI - Development of Streptomycin-resistant Variants of Meningococcus. PMID- 17788563 TI - dl-agr-Amino-egr-Hydroxy Caproic Acid in the Rat. PMID- 17788564 TI - Irritating Effects of 9,9-Dibromofluorene. PMID- 17788565 TI - Absence of a Macrocytic Anemia in Dogs Fed Choline or Choline Plus Fat. PMID- 17788566 TI - Mechanism of Renin Tachyphylaxis--Restoration of Responsiveness by Tetraethyl Ammonium Ion. PMID- 17788567 TI - A Low-Temperature Continuous Extractor. PMID- 17788568 TI - An Automatic Recording Siphon. PMID- 17788569 TI - An Alternate Method of Cleaning Mercury. PMID- 17788570 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788571 TI - INTUITION, REASON AND FAITH IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17788572 TI - EVIDENCE OF THE AUSTRALOPITHECINE MAN-APES ON THE ORIGIN OF MAN. PMID- 17788574 TI - OHIO PRO-GLACIAL LAKES. PMID- 17788573 TI - SOME NOTES ON THE NEW ENGLAND HURRICANE OF 1938, MADE AT WORCESTER, MASS. PMID- 17788575 TI - SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, 1937-1938. PMID- 17788576 TI - ANTI-CATALASE AND THE MECHANISM OF SULFANILAMIDE ACTION. PMID- 17788577 TI - THE EFFECT OF AMMONOLYZED FOODS ON THE GROWTH OF ALBINO RATS. PMID- 17788578 TI - VITAMIN B1 AND THE GERMINATION OF POLLEN. PMID- 17788579 TI - MELODY AND THE ORIGIN OF THE MUSICAL SCALE. PMID- 17788580 TI - THE RELATION OF INSTINCT TO INTELLIGENCE IN BIRDS. PMID- 17788581 TI - THE GERMAN ANATOMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17788582 TI - A NOTE ON THE PROPORTION OF INJURED INDIVIDUALS IN A NATURAL GROUP OF BUFO. PMID- 17788583 TI - DATES OF EARLY SANTORIN AND ISCHIAN ERUPTIONS. PMID- 17788584 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17788586 TI - CONFERENCE ON CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. PMID- 17788585 TI - THE ADMINISTRATION OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17788587 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17788588 TI - Engineering's Silent Crisis. PMID- 17788589 TI - Rockefeller braces for Baltimore. AB - In the article "Rockefeller braces for Baltimore" by Barbara J. Culliton (News & Comment, 12 Jan., p. 148), the pictures of David Baltimore and Joshua Lederberg were incorrectly credited. The credit for the Baltimore picture should have read, "M. Lampert, Boton." The credit for the Lederberg picture should have read, "Rockefeller University." PMID- 17788590 TI - Methanol-powered cars. PMID- 17788591 TI - In Reply: NIH Budget Crisis. PMID- 17788592 TI - In Reply: NIH Budget Crisis. PMID- 17788593 TI - In Reply: NIH Budget Crisis. PMID- 17788594 TI - Science committees: change at the top. PMID- 17788595 TI - Spotlight on education. PMID- 17788596 TI - Monkey saga continues. PMID- 17788597 TI - NSF supports the earth. PMID- 17788598 TI - Clearing Brush in Academe's Groves. PMID- 17788599 TI - Ph.d. Squeeze. PMID- 17788600 TI - Data too cheap to meter. PMID- 17788601 TI - Environmentalist shakeup at state. PMID- 17788602 TI - Animal rightists threaten researcher. PMID- 17788603 TI - Mit pushes minority education. PMID- 17788604 TI - Can nerve growth be detrimental? PMID- 17788605 TI - COBE Confronts Cosmic Conundrums: Now measuring the microwave background, the new satellite ultimately could help us understand how the galaxies formed. PMID- 17788606 TI - Looking forward to hubble. PMID- 17788607 TI - Understanding the simplest reaction. PMID- 17788608 TI - Chemical bond-making, bond-breaking, and electron transfer in solution. AB - A method is described for determining heats of heterolysis, DeltaH(het), from the heats of reaction of resonancestabilized carbenium ions with carbanions in solution. These results can be converted into heats of homolysis, DeltaH(homo), for the same bonds by combining DeltaH(het) values with electron transfer energies, deltaG(ET) (deltaG(ET) approximately deltaH(ET)), obtained from redox potentials of the reacting ions. The results provide a comprehensive tabulation of DeltaH(het), DeltaH(homo), and DeltaG(ET) values for an extended series of organic compounds and are examined in terms of their interrelationships and a number of related properties of the ions and radicals. PMID- 17788609 TI - Molecular dynamics in ordered structures: computer simulation and experimental results for nylon 66 crystals. AB - A detailed comparison between molecular dynamics computer simulations and the experimental characterization of molecular motion through deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods has been carried out for the crystalline phase of nylon 66 (polyhexamethyleneadipamide) at room temperature and just below the melting point. The computer simulations agree quantitatively with the experimental results at room temperature and qualitatively near the crystalline melting point. Both methods demonstrate that individual methylene groups within the crystals exhibit librational motion, which becomes very large in amplitude near the melting point, rather than undergoing discrete conformational jumps; furthermore, the hydrogen-bonded amides are relatively immobile at all temperatures below 230 degrees Celsius. The simulations are shown to be particularly useful for exaning the cooperativity of motion and for providing insight into structural-dynamical correlations. These aspects of the simulations are exemplified by the observation of concerted counterrotation of odd-numbered bonds within the methylene segments and the entropic stabilization of the crystal structure. PMID- 17788610 TI - Electrodeposited ceramic superlattices. AB - Ceramic superlattices have been produced by electrodeposition with modulation wavelengths in the range from 5 to 10 nanometers. The TlaPbbOc/TldPbeOf superlattices were deposited from a single aqueous solution at room temperature, and the layer thicknesses were galvanostatically controlled. The films showed strong preferred orientation and distinct first-order satellites around the Bragg reflections in the x-ray diffraction pattem. The modulation wavelengths calculated from the satellite spacings were in agreement with those calculated from Faraday's law. Because the modulation wavelengths are of electron mean free path dimensions, this dass of degenerate semiconductor metal-oxide superlattices may exhibit thickness-dependent quantum optical, electronic, or optoelectronic effects. PMID- 17788611 TI - Stratospheric hydroperoxyl measurements. AB - The hydroperoxyl radical (HO(2)) plays a key role in stratospheric chemistry through the HOx catalytic cycle of ozone destruction. Earlier measurements of stratospheric HO(2) have given mixed results; some measured mixing ratios greatly exceed theoretical predictions. Measurements of HO(2) have now been made with a balloon-borne farinfrared spectrometer. The measured daytime profile is in excellent agreement with theory up to 40 kilometers; above this level the measurements exceed theory by 30 percent, perhaps because of underprediction of ozone at these altitudes. The nighttime HO(2) profile is strongly depressed with respect to the daytime profile, in general agreement with theory. PMID- 17788612 TI - A regulatory gene as a novel visible marker for maize transformation. AB - The temporal and spatial patterns of anthocyanin pigmentation in the maize plant are determined by the presence or absence of the R protein product, a presumed transcriptional activator. At least 50 unique patterns of pigmentation, conditioned by members of the R gene family, have been described. In this study, microprojectiles were used to introduce into maize cells a vector containing the transcription unit from one of these genes (Lc) fused to a constitutive promoter. This chimeric gene induces cell autonomous pigmentation in tissues that are not normally pigmented by the Lc gene. As a reporter for gene expression studies in maize, R is unique because it can be quantified in living tissue simply by counting the number of pigmented cells following bombardment. R may also be useful as a visible marker for selecting stably transformed cell lineages that can give rise to transgenic plants. PMID- 17788613 TI - Control Through Communication. The Rise of System in American Management. JoAnne Yates. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1989. xxii, 339 pp., illus. $29.50. Studies in Industry and Society. PMID- 17788615 TI - Mass Extinctions. Processes and Evidence. Stephen K. Donovan, Ed. Columbia University Press, New York, 1989. xiv, 266 pp., illus. $45. PMID- 17788614 TI - Death by Migration. Europe's Encounter with the Tropical World in the Nineteenth Century. PHILIP D. CURTIN. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1989. xx, 252 pp., illus. $39.50; paper, $11.95. PMID- 17788616 TI - Plant Cell Wall Polymers. Biogenesis and Biodegradation. Norman G. Lewis and Michael G. Paice, Eds. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1989. xii, 676 pp., illus. $119.95. ACS Symposium Series, vol. 399. From a symposium, Toronto, ON, June 1988. PMID- 17788618 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17788619 TI - THE GROWTH OF CHILDREN.--II. PMID- 17788620 TI - PREPARATION FOR THE STUDY OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17788621 TI - THE BROOKLYN INRSTITUTE AND POLITICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17788622 TI - CURRLENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.--VI. PMID- 17788623 TI - NOTES ON LOCAL JASSIDAe. PMID- 17788624 TI - Readjustments of the Loup Rivers: Examples of Abstraction Due to Unequal Declivities. PMID- 17788625 TI - "Scientific" Genealogy-Rejoinder, No. 2. PMID- 17788627 TI - AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY. PMID- 17788626 TI - Sistrurus and Croalophorus. PMID- 17788628 TI - THE NOMENCLATURE OF FAMILIES AND SUBFAMILIES IN ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17788629 TI - FURTHER RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF LIGHT DEFLECTIONS OBSERVED DURING SOLAR ECLIPSE OF MAY 29, I919. PMID- 17788630 TI - THE EXPLORATION OF VENEZUELA. PMID- 17788631 TI - TRANSVERSE VIBRATIONS OF RODS. PMID- 17788633 TI - LINKED GENES IN RABBITS. PMID- 17788632 TI - MATHEMATISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT. PMID- 17788634 TI - THE FAT-SOLUBLE A VITAMINE AND XEROPHTHALMIA. PMID- 17788635 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17788636 TI - SECTION H. ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17788637 TI - SECTION I, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCE. PMID- 17788638 TI - THE SAINT PETERSBURG CONFERENCE ON THE EXPLORATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. PMID- 17788639 TI - BLUNDERS IN THE SCIENTIFIC RECORDS. PMID- 17788640 TI - ELLIPTICAL HUMAN ERYTHROCYTES. (A SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENT.). PMID- 17788641 TI - A REQUEST FOR MATERIAL. PMID- 17788642 TI - THE METRIC FALLACY. PMID- 17788643 TI - THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE. PMID- 17788644 TI - THE GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF SAO PAULO. PMID- 17788645 TI - STUDENTS OF THE GERMAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17788646 TI - The Future of Science. PMID- 17788647 TI - A National Science Foundation? PMID- 17788648 TI - The Role of the Liver in Guanidoacetic Acid Metabolism in Man. PMID- 17788649 TI - An "Invisible" Chromosome. PMID- 17788650 TI - Erratum. AB - The correct price for The Grant Swinger Papers (News and Comment, 26 Feb., p. 1081) is $4.95 including postage and handling. PMID- 17788651 TI - Successful conference. PMID- 17788652 TI - Nonsexist mnemonics. PMID- 17788654 TI - Engineering: lessons from medical schools. PMID- 17788653 TI - Haig's Image. PMID- 17788655 TI - The columbia river basalts. AB - Between 17 million and 6 million years ago, 200,000 square kilometers of the American Northwest were flooded by basaltic lava that erupted through fissures in the crust up to 150 kilometers long. Larger individual eruptions covered over a third of the Columbia Plateau in a few days. The lavas represent partial melts of the earth's mantle that were only slightly modified by near-surface, upper crustal processes. The abundant chemical and mineralogical data now available offer an opportunity to study mantle composition and the processes involved in the evolution of the earth's crust. PMID- 17788656 TI - U.s. Readies for confrontation on sea law. PMID- 17788657 TI - Clinch river hits new snag. PMID- 17788658 TI - NOAA Buffeted by Budget Storms. PMID- 17788659 TI - Radwaste Dump WIPPs Up a Controversy. PMID- 17788661 TI - NSA Asks to Review Papers Before Publication. PMID- 17788660 TI - A plan to give an apple to every u.s. School. PMID- 17788662 TI - Potassium iodide and nuclear accidents. PMID- 17788663 TI - News and comment wins polk prize. PMID- 17788664 TI - Water buffalo: neglected, misunderstood. PMID- 17788665 TI - Chemical Analysis Traces the Sea's Past. PMID- 17788666 TI - New Ocean Eddies Found off California. PMID- 17788667 TI - African lakes as alternative oceans. PMID- 17788668 TI - Literacy, schooling, and cognitive skills. PMID- 17788669 TI - Seismology. PMID- 17788670 TI - Antibiosis. PMID- 17788671 TI - Proopiomelanocortin peptides. PMID- 17788672 TI - Bacterial adherence. PMID- 17788673 TI - Influence of Land-Surface Evapotranspiration on the Earth's Climate. AB - Calculations with a numerical model of the atmosphere show that the global fields of rainfall, temperature, and motion strongly depend on the land- surface evapotranspiration. This confirms the long-held idea that the surface vegetation, which produces the evapotransporation, is an important factor in the earth's climate. PMID- 17788674 TI - Mass extinctions in the marine fossil record. AB - A new compilation of fossil data on invertebrate and vertebrate families indicates that four mass extinctions in the marine realm are statistically distinct from background extinction levels. These four occurred late in the Ordovician, Permian, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods. A fifth extinction event in the Devonian stands out from the background but is not statistically significant in these data. Background extinction rates appear to have declined since Cambrian time, which is consistent with the prediction that optimization of fitness should increase through evolutionary time. PMID- 17788675 TI - Lumber spill in central california waters: implications for oil spills and sea otters. AB - A large quantity of lumber was spilled in the ocean off central California during the winter of 1978, and it spread through most of the range of the threatened California sea otter population within 4 weeks. The movement rates of lumber were similar to those of oil slicks observed elsewhere. These observations indicate that a major oil spill could expose significant numbers of California sea otters to oil contamination. PMID- 17788676 TI - Methylation of tin by estuarine microorganisms. AB - Mixed inoculums of microorganisms from Chesapeake Bay sediments transformed inorganic tin (SnCl(4) . 5H(2)O) to organotin compounds. Dimethyltin and trimethyltin species were identified as products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methylated tin species were not observed in sterile controls or in poisoned controls. Thus, estuarine microorganisms have the potential for transforming tin to toxic organotins and for mobilizing tin in the ecosystem. PMID- 17788677 TI - Convergent and alternative designs in the digital adhesive pads of scincid lizards. AB - Prasinohaema virens, an arboreal scincid lizard, differs from its closest relatives in that it exhibits subdigital adhesive setae resembling those of anoles in shape and those of geckos in some aspects of size. The other scincid species in this genus as well as those in a presumed ancestral genus exhibit pad scales with surface folds and ruffles but no setae; at least one of these species uses an adhesive grip similar to that of anoles and geckos. Thus, there appear to be two strikingly different epidermal specializations for adhesive grip within this small radiation. PMID- 17788678 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17788679 TI - Technology and environment. PMID- 17788680 TI - Reportig biological structures. PMID- 17788681 TI - Reading the Future in Loma Prieta: October's earthquake was disastrous enough, but its successful forecast and the lessons of history suggest worse is in store, perhaps within the next decade. PMID- 17788682 TI - "We have built our houses on sand". PMID- 17788683 TI - Bad vibes at stanford. PMID- 17788684 TI - Mud-Slinging Over Sewage Technology: Scientists in Boston and San Diego have recommended a money-saving technology for treating waste water, but EPA is opposed. PMID- 17788685 TI - Synthesizing Oils Is a Slippery Job: The coming generation of high-temperature automotive engines will bake today's best lubricants into carbon residue, so researchers are looking for new synthetic oils that can take the heat. PMID- 17788686 TI - Getting a grip on rubbing bodies. PMID- 17788687 TI - An Unsung Legacy of the First Lunar Landing: A small laser reflector left behind on the moon's surface by the Apollo 11 astronauts has provided 20 years of precise data that have spawned some interesting findings. PMID- 17788688 TI - Teller, chu "boost" cold fusion. PMID- 17788689 TI - New surgeon general. PMID- 17788690 TI - Baltimore says "i do". PMID- 17788691 TI - Private sector to do british sex survey. PMID- 17788692 TI - NSF to Terminate Princeton Center. PMID- 17788693 TI - Ford launches kids' math project. PMID- 17788694 TI - Soviets back in world psychiatric body. PMID- 17788695 TI - The unending deposit insurance mess. AB - The thrift institution deposit insurance mess is rooted in defects in political and bureaucratic accountability. Under existing incentives, covering up evidence of poor regulatory performance and relaxing binding capital requirements are rational governmental responses to widespread industry insolvency. Similarly, aggressive industry risk taking is a rational response by thrift managers to regulatory forbearances. Far from acknowledging these incentive defects, the Bush plan for cleaning up the mess adopts theories that spotlight other causes: specifically, poor thrift management and the deregulation of thrift institution activities and of deposit interest rates. To end the mess, politicians and regulators must jettison these comfortable theories and surrender discretion that permits them to finesse the need to budget for governmental financial commitments. PMID- 17788696 TI - Natural and artificially initiated lightning. AB - Recent research on lightning has been motivated, in part, by the desire to prevent spectacular accidents, such as occurred in 1969 during the launch of Apollo 12 and in 1987 during the launch of Atlas-Centaur 67, and by the need to protect advanced ground-based and airborne systems that utilize low voltage, solid-state electronics. The present understanding of both natural and artificially initiated (triggered) lightning is reviewed, and suggestions are given for future research that can improve our understanding both of the physics of lightning and the parameters that are important for protection. PMID- 17788697 TI - Holocene--late pleistocene climatic ice core records from qinghai-tibetan plateau. AB - Three ice cores to bedrock from the Dunde ice cap on the north-central Qinghai Tibetan Plateau of China provide a detailed record of Holocene and Wisconsin-Wurm late glacial stage (LGS) climate changes in the subtropics. The records reveal that LGS conditions were apparently colder, wetter, and dustier than Holocene conditions. The LGS part of the cores is characterized by more negative delta(18)O ratios, increased dust content, decreased soluble aerosol concentrations, and reduced ice crystal sizes than the Holocene part. These changes occurred rapidly approximately 10,000 years ago. In addition, the last 60 years were apparently one of the warmest periods in the entire record, equalling levels of the Holocene maximum between 6000 and 8000 years ago. PMID- 17788698 TI - Carbon Dioxide Transport by Ocean Currents at 25{degrees}N Latitude in the Atlantic Ocean. AB - Measured concentrations of CO(2), O(2), and related chemical species in a section across the Florida Straits and in the open Atlantic Ocean at approximately 25 degrees N, have been combined with estimates of oceanic mass transport to estimate both the gross transport of CO(2) by the ocean at this latitude and the net CO(2) flux from exchange with the atmosphere. The northward flux was 63.9 x 10(6) moles per second(mol/s); the southward flux was 64.6 x 10(6) mol/s. These values yield a net CO(2) flux of 0.7 x 10(6) mol/s (0.26 +/- 0.03 gigaton of C per year) southward. The North Atlantic Ocean has been considered to be a strong sink for atmospheric CO(2), yet these results show that the net flux in 1988 across 25 degrees N was small. For O(2) the equivalent signal is 4.89 x 10(6) mol/s northward and 6.97 x 10(6) mol/s southward, and the net transport is 2.08 x 10(6) mol/s or three times the net CO(2) flux. These data suggest that the North Atlantic Ocean is today a relatively small sink for atmospheric CO(2), in spite of its large heat loss, but a larger sink for O(2) because of the additive effects of chemical and thermal pumping on the CO(2) cycle but their near equal and opposite effects on the CO(2) cycle. PMID- 17788699 TI - A devonian spinneret: early evidence of spiders and silk use. AB - A nearly complete spider spinneret was found in Middle Devonian rocks (about 385 to 380 million years old) near Gilboa, New York. This is the earliest evidence yet discovered for silk production from opisthosomal spigots, and therefore for spiders. Two previously known Devonian fossils described as spiders lack any apomorphies of the order Araneae and are probably not spiders. The spigots of the Devonian spinneret resemble those of members of the living suborder Mesothelae, but the number of spigots and their distribution are like those of members of the suborder Opisthothelae, infraorder Mygalomorphae. The Devonian spider belonged to a clade that may be the sister group of all other spiders, of Mesothelae, or of Opisthothelae. PMID- 17788700 TI - The nature of the near-infrared features on the venus night side. AB - Near-infrared images of the Venus night side show bright contrast features that move from east to west, in the direction of the cloud-top atmospheric superrotation. Recently acquired images of the Venus night side along with earlier spectroscopic observations allow identification of the mechanisms that produce these features, their level of formation, and the wind velocities at those levels. The features are detectable only at wavelengths near 1.74 and 2.3 micrometers, in narrow atmospheric windows between the CO(2) and H(2)O bands. The brightest features have brightness temperatures near 480 Kelvin, whereas the darkest features are more than 50 Kelvin cooler. Several factors suggest that this radiation is emitted by hot gases at altitudes below 35 kilometers in the Venus atmosphere. The feature contrasts are produced as this thermal radiation passes through a higher, cooler, atmospheric layer that has horizontal variations in transparency. The 6.5-day east-west rotation period of the features indicates that equatorial wind speeds are near 70 meters per second in this upper layer. Similar wind speeds have been measured by entry probes and balloons at altitudes between 50 and 55 kilometers in the middle cloud layer. The bright features indicate that there are partial clearings in this cloud deck. The presence of these clearings could decrease the efficiency of the atmospheric greenhouse that maintains the high surface temperatures on Venus. PMID- 17788701 TI - Claims on the land: we are here. PMID- 17788702 TI - Plant biochemistry: second messengers in plant growth and development. PMID- 17788703 TI - Dying stars: white dwarfs. PMID- 17788705 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17788704 TI - Some other books of interest. PMID- 17788706 TI - PREVENTION OF FLOODS IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. PMID- 17788707 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17788708 TI - THE THIRTY-SEVENTH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788710 TI - MOTIONS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. PMID- 17788709 TI - The Plastering of Wine. PMID- 17788712 TI - ON THE INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS, AND OUR PART IN IT AS AMERICAN GEOLOGISTS. PMID- 17788711 TI - SOME PHASES IN THE PROGRESS OF CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17788713 TI - ALTRUISM CONSIDERED ECONOMICALLY. PMID- 17788714 TI - Queries. PMID- 17788715 TI - Our Native Birds. PMID- 17788716 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788717 TI - SOME CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF LIFE. PMID- 17788718 TI - OUR COMMON NUMERALS. PMID- 17788719 TI - UNITS OF PLANT SOCIOLOGY. PMID- 17788720 TI - ON CONCEPTS IN PHYTOSOCIOLOGY. PMID- 17788721 TI - OBSERVATIONS OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR. PMID- 17788722 TI - REPORTS. PMID- 17788724 TI - AN IMPROVEMENT OF THE CHAMBERS MICROMANIPULATOR. PMID- 17788723 TI - A DEVICE FOR MEASURING INTENSITY OF ILLUMINATION. PMID- 17788725 TI - INSECT TRANSMISSION EXPERIMENTS WITH HERPESENCEPHALITIS VIRUS. PMID- 17788726 TI - IDEALS OF THE TELEPHONE SERVICE. PMID- 17788728 TI - THE WORK OF U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17788727 TI - THE AGGLUTINATION OF BACTERIA. PMID- 17788730 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17788729 TI - RESEARCH IN MARINE BIOLOGY. PMID- 17788731 TI - THE DEPRECIATION OF THE POUND. PMID- 17788732 TI - THE MOVEMENT OF THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC RIDGE. PMID- 17788733 TI - CORRECTION. PMID- 17788734 TI - THE LOCATION OF ENERGY. PMID- 17788735 TI - SECTION C--CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17788736 TI - ASPECTS OF EDUCATION. PMID- 17788737 TI - PUBLIC INSTRUCTION IN NEW YORK STATE IN 1886. PMID- 17788738 TI - THE TRAINING OF THE FACULTIES OF JUDGMENT AND REASONING. -- II. PMID- 17788739 TI - MODERN BIOLOGY AS A BRANCH OF EDUCATION. PMID- 17788740 TI - THE FRENCH LYCEE. PMID- 17788741 TI - WHEN SHOULD THE STUDY OF GREEK BE BEGUN? PMID- 17788742 TI - THE GREEK ELEMENT IN ENGLISH. PMID- 17788743 TI - ROSENKRANZ'S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION. PMID- 17788744 TI - THE PHYSICS TEACHER'S PROBLEM. PMID- 17788746 TI - BANQUET IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR BESSEY. PMID- 17788745 TI - ALBERT B. PORTER. PMID- 17788747 TI - THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING AND THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17788748 TI - BRITISH ASSOCIATION TRIP TO ALASKA. PMID- 17788749 TI - MINIMAL QUANTITIES OF FOOD PRESERVATIVES. PMID- 17788750 TI - THE CHALK FORMATIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS. PMID- 17788751 TI - LIBRARY BOOK-STACKS WITHOUT DAYLIGHT. PMID- 17788752 TI - THE DAYLIGHT SAVING BILL. PMID- 17788754 TI - THE DORSAL SPINES OF CHAMELEO CRISTATUS, STUCH. PMID- 17788753 TI - ON THE CHEMISTRY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOLK PLATELETS IN THE EGG OF THE FROG (RANA PIPIENS). PMID- 17788755 TI - THE STRUCTURE OF LILY PISTILS. PMID- 17788756 TI - THE ALLEGHENY OBSERVATORY IN ITS RELATION TO ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17788757 TI - THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN OBSERVATORY STAFF. PMID- 17788758 TI - M. HENRI POINCARE. PMID- 17788759 TI - DRIESCH'S VITALISM AND EXPERIMENTAL INDETERMINISM. PMID- 17788760 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17788761 TI - THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEGMENTED STRUCTURE OF STRIATED MUSCLE. PMID- 17788762 TI - CHANGES IN THE GERMAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17788763 TI - ANOTHER VIEW OF SEX-LIMITED INHERITANCE. PMID- 17788764 TI - FURTHER NOTE ON THE RESULTS OF OVARIOTOMY ON DUCKS. PMID- 17788765 TI - THE DUNDEE MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788766 TI - NOTE ON A METHOD OF MIMICKING AMOEligBOID MOTION AND PROTOPLASMIC STREAMING IN THE SAME MODEL. PMID- 17788767 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17788768 TI - Science and technology policy. PMID- 17788769 TI - Teaching engineers and scientists. PMID- 17788770 TI - Teaching engineers and scientists. PMID- 17788771 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - The photograph on page 1415 accompanying the book review of Luna B. Leopold's A View of the River by Vic Baker (25 Nov., p. 1414) showed meanders of the East Fork River near Boulder, Wyoming, not the Popo Agie River. PMID- 17788772 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17788773 TI - Quake builds case for strong codes. PMID- 17788775 TI - Report to stress research over close ties to industry. PMID- 17788774 TI - An unnerving preview of a northern california quake? PMID- 17788776 TI - Joint Japanese-german mission misfires. PMID- 17788777 TI - Darker clouds promise brighter future for climate models. PMID- 17788779 TI - Dendrimers: dream molecules approach real applications. PMID- 17788778 TI - Quasars and a dwarf star break the rules in tucson. AB - Earlier this month, more than 2000 astronomers convened in Tucson, Arizona, for the American Astronomical Society's largest meeting ever. Even the war drums beaten by a few local Apaches and their supporters, protesting a University of Arizona telescope project, could not drown out lecture-hall and corridor discussions of topics such as naked quasars, flaring stars, and planetary searches. PMID- 17788780 TI - Domain shapes and patterns: the phenomenology of modulated phases. AB - A wide variety of two- and three-dimensional physical-chemical systems display domain patterns in equilibrium. The phenomenology of these patterns, and of the shapes of their constituent domains, is reviewed here from a point of view that interprets these patterns as a manifestation of modulated phases. These phases are stabilized by competing interactions and are characterized by periodic spatial variations of the pertinent order parameter, the corresponding modulation period generally displaying a dependence on temperature and other external fields. This simple picture provides a unifying framework to account for striking and substantial similarities revealed in the prevalent "stripe" and "bubble" morphologies as well as in commonly observed, characteristic domain-shape instabilities. Several areas of particular current interest are discussed. PMID- 17788781 TI - Arcs and Clumps in the Uranian lgr Ring. AB - Careful reprocessing of the Voyager images reveals that the Uranian lambda ring has marked longitudinal variations in brightness comparable in magnitude to those in Saturn's F ring and Neptune's Adams ring. The ring's variations show a dominant five-cycle (72-degree) periodicity, although additional structure down to scales of about 0.5 degree is also present. The ring's shape is defined by a small overall eccentricity plus a six-cycle (60-degree) sinusoidal variation of radial amplitude around 4 kilometers. Both of these properties can be explained by the resonant perturbations of a moon at a semimajor axis of 56,479 kilometers, but no known moon orbits at this location. Unfortunately, the mass required suggests that such a body should have been imaged by Voyager. PMID- 17788782 TI - Energy dependence of abstractive versus dissociative chemisorption of fluorine molecules on the silicon (111)-(7x7) surface. AB - Scanning tunneling microscopy and monoenergetic molecular beams have been used to obtain real-space atomic images of the competition between abstractive and dissociative chemisorption. The size distribution of Si-F adsorbates on the Si(111)-(7x7) surface was examined as a function of the incident translational energy of the F(2) molecules. For F(2) molecules with 0.03 electron volt of incident energy, the dominant adsorbate sites were isolated Si-F species. As an F(2) molecule with low translational energy collides with the surface, abstraction occurs and only one of the F atoms chemisorbs; the other is ejected into the gas phase. For F(2) molecules with 0.27 electron volt of incident energy, many adjacent Si-F adsorbates (dimer sites) were observed because F(2) molecules with high translational energy collide with the surface and chemisorb dissociatively so that both F atoms react to form adjacent Si-F adsorbates. For halogens with very high incident energy (0.5-electron volt Br(2)), dissociative chemisorption is the dominant adsorption mechanism and dimer sites account for nearly all adsorbates. PMID- 17788784 TI - Warm pool heat budget and shortwave cloud forcing: a missing physics? AB - Ship observations and ocean models indicate that heat export from the mixed layer of the western Pacific warm pool is small (<20 watts per square meter). This value was used to deduce the effect of clouds on the net solar radiation at the sea surface. The inferred magnitude of this shortwave cloud forcing was large ( approximately - 100 watts per square meter) and exceeded its observed value at the top of the atmosphere by a factor of about 1.5. This result implies that clouds (at least over the warm pool) reduce net solar radiation at the sea surface not only by reflecting a significant amount back to space, but also by trapping a large amount in the cloudy atmosphere, an inference that is at variance with most model results. The excess cloud absorption, if confirmed, has many climatic implications, including a significant reduction in the required tropics to extrattropics heat transport in the oceans. PMID- 17788783 TI - Absorption of solar radiation by clouds: observations versus models. AB - There has been a long history of unexplained anomalous absorption of solar radiation by clouds. Collocated satellite and surface measurements of solar radiation at five geographically diverse locations showed significant solar absorption by clouds, resulting in about 25 watts per square meter more global mean absorption by the cloudy atmosphere than predicted by theoretical models. It has often been suggested that tropospheric aerosols could increase cloud absorption. But these aerosols are temporally and spatially heterogeneous, whereas the observed cloud absorption is remarkably invariant with respect to season and location. Although its physical cause is unknown, enhanced cloud absorption substantially alters our understanding of the atmosphere's energy budget. PMID- 17788785 TI - Clustering and periodic recurrence of microearthquakes on the san andreas fault at parkfield, california. AB - The San Andreas fault at Parkfield, California, apparently late in an interval between repeating magnitude 6 earthquakes, is yielding to tectonic loading partly by seismic slip concentrated in a relatively sparse distribution of small clusters (<20-meter radius) of microearthquakes. Within these clusters, which account for 63% of the earthquakes in a 1987-92 study interval, virtually identical small earthquakes occurred with a regularity that can be described by the statistical model used previously in forecasting large characteristic earthquakes. Sympathetic occurrence of microearthquakes in nearby clusters was observed within a range of about 200 meters at communication speeds of 10 to 100 centimeters per second. The rate of earthquake occurrence, particularly at depth, increased significantly during the study period, but the fraction of earthquakes that were cluster members decreased. PMID- 17788786 TI - Mechanisms of magma generation beneath hawaii and mid-ocean ridges: uranium/thorium and samarium/neodymium isotopic evidence. AB - Measurements of uranium/thorium and samarium/neodymium isotopes and concentrations in a suite of Hawaiian basalts show that uranium/thorium fractionation varies systematically with samarium/neodymium fractionation and major-element composition; these correlations can be understood in terms of simple batch melting models with a garnet-bearing peridotite magma source and melt fractions of 0.25 to 6.5 percent. Midocean ridge basalts shows a systematic but much different relation between uranium/thorium fractionation and samarium/neodymium fractionation, which, although broadly consistent with melting of a garnet-bearing peridotite source, requires a more complex melting model. PMID- 17788787 TI - Response. PMID- 17788788 TI - Paleotopography of glacial-age ice sheets. PMID- 17788789 TI - Response. PMID- 17788790 TI - Avian advantage. PMID- 17788791 TI - Inevitable companions. PMID- 17788792 TI - Vignette: stellar physiology. PMID- 17788793 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17788794 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17788795 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17788796 TI - Growth of the university. PMID- 17788797 TI - Organic gardening. PMID- 17788798 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17788799 TI - Women physicists. PMID- 17788800 TI - Earth sciences and the quality of life. PMID- 17788801 TI - Coherent social groups in scientific change. PMID- 17788802 TI - Paradoxes of science administration. PMID- 17788803 TI - Nuclear Safety (III): Critics Charge Conflicts of Interest. PMID- 17788805 TI - Solzhenitsyn on scientists. PMID- 17788804 TI - Saccharin: future uncertain. PMID- 17788806 TI - Education Research: HEW Auditing Two SRI Contracts. PMID- 17788807 TI - Bill Boosting NSF Moves to House. PMID- 17788808 TI - Geothermal energy: an emerging major resource. PMID- 17788809 TI - Stability of the martian atmosphere. AB - A detailed chemical dynamic model is presented for a moist martian atmosphere. Recombination of carbon dioxide is catalyzed by trace amounts of water. The abundances of carbon monoxide and molecular oxygen should vary in response to changes in atmospheric water and atmospheric mixing. PMID- 17788810 TI - Detection of molecular oxygen on Mars. AB - Molecular oxygen was detected in martian spectra near 7635 angstroms and its abundance measured both during and after the 1971 dust storm. Its column abundance in the clear martian atmosphere is about 10.4 +/- 1.0 centimeters amagat, giving a mixing ratio of molecular oxygen to carbon dioxide of 1.3 x 10 (3). The mixing ratio of molecular oxygen to carbon monoxide (1.4 +/- 0.3) is quite different from the value of 0.5 that would result from the photolysis of a pure carbon dioxide atmosphere, which indicates that there is or was a net source of oxygen relative to carbon (probably water) in the martian atmosphere. PMID- 17788811 TI - The oceans: growth and oxygen isotope evolution. AB - A study of the evolution of the oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratio of the oceans suggests that this ratio is unlikely to have remained constant with time. Our models suiggest that early formation of the oceans is more likely than linear growth. PMID- 17788812 TI - Lanthanide complexes as nuclear magnetic resonance structural probes: paramagnetic anisotropy of shift reagent adducts. AB - Magnetic anisotropy measurements on single crystals of a series of paramagnetic 8 coordinate lanthanide shift reagent adducts of the type Ln[(CH(3))(3)CCOCHCOC(CH(3))(3)(4-CH(3)C(5)H(1)N)(2) have been made for the following lanthanides: praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, and ytterbium. The susceptibility tensors are highly anisotropic and nonaxial. Dipolar nuclear magnetic resonance shifts evaluated from the solid-state date are in satisfactory agreement with the solution results. PMID- 17788813 TI - Genetic meaning of zooecial chamber shapes in fossil bryozoans: fourier analysis. AB - Fourier harmonic amplitudes quantitatively characterize chamber shapes of fossil tubular bryozoans. The odd-numbered harmonics, particularly the seventh, carry evolutionary information. The phenotypically plastic second and sixth harmonics measure zooecial orientation and packing, respectively. As a measure of crowding, the sixth harmonic reflects mechanistic growth response to paleoenvironmental conditions. PMID- 17788814 TI - Social control of sex reversal in a coral-reef fish. AB - Males of Labroides dimidiatus control the process of sex reversal within social groups. Each group consists of a male with a harem of females, among which larger individuals dominate smaller ones. The male in each harem suppresses the tendency of the females to change sex by actively dominating them. Death of the male releases this suppression and the dominant female of the harem changes sex immediately. Possible genetic advantages of the system are considered. PMID- 17788815 TI - Conditioned Approach and Contact Behavior toward Signals for Food or Brain Stimulation Reinforcement. AB - When presentation of a retractable lever always preceded food delivery, rats licked or gnawed the lever. They also approached but seldom orally contacted a lever signaling brain-stimulation reinforcement; instead, subjects sniffed, pawed, or "explored" the lever. Therefore, a Pavlovian conditioned stimulus evoked directed skeletal responses whose specific form depended on the forthcoming unconditioned stimulus. PMID- 17788817 TI - QUANTITY AND QUALITY. PMID- 17788816 TI - CONSERVATION AND THE VETERINARIAN. PMID- 17788818 TI - FREDERIC WARD PUTNAM. PMID- 17788820 TI - THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17788819 TI - PAUL EHRLICH. PMID- 17788821 TI - MASS AS QUANTITY OF MATTER. PMID- 17788822 TI - IS SIVAPITHECUS PILGRIM AN ANCESTOR OF MAN? PMID- 17788823 TI - CASTLE AND WRIGHT ON CROSSING OVER IN RATS. PMID- 17788824 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17788826 TI - TRAINS OF BEATING LIGHT WAVES. PMID- 17788827 TI - SOCIETY OF AMERICAN BACTERIOLOGISTS. PMID- 17788825 TI - PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON INTRACELLULAR DIGESTION AND ASSIMILATION IN AMPHIBIAN EMBRYOS. PMID- 17788828 TI - SOME ADVANCES MADE IN ASTRONOMICAL SCIENCE DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. PMID- 17788829 TI - SOME UNSCIENTIFIC REFLECTIONS UPON SCIENCE. PMID- 17788830 TI - TRUMAN HENRY SAFFORD. PMID- 17788831 TI - EBBINGHAUS'S THEORY OF COLOR-VISION. PMID- 17788832 TI - LIME AND MAGNESIA IN PLANT PRODUCTION. PMID- 17788833 TI - NOVA PERSEI, No. 2. PMID- 17788834 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17788835 TI - THE JUBILEE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW. PMID- 17788837 TI - THE HARVARD CHEMICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17788836 TI - BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE GREAT LAKES BY THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. PMID- 17788838 TI - FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING. PMID- 17788840 TI - THE BRITISH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17788839 TI - FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS IN THE ENGINEERING COLLEGE. PMID- 17788841 TI - LECTURES IN CONNECTION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF TUBERCULOSIS. PMID- 17788842 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES CONGRESS. PMID- 17788843 TI - THE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL. PMID- 17788844 TI - SORES ON COLTS. PMID- 17788845 TI - CONCERNING TWO DEFECTIVES. PMID- 17788846 TI - SOME CONDITIONS AFFECTING VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. PMID- 17788847 TI - THE LOCATION OF EMBRYO-FORMING REGIONS IN THE EGG. PMID- 17788848 TI - TVA and The Valley So Wild. PMID- 17788849 TI - Clever lawyers. PMID- 17788850 TI - Learning about energy the hard way. PMID- 17788851 TI - Rainfall results, 1970-1975: Florida area cumulus experiment. AB - The latest rainfall results of the Florida Area Cumulus Experiment (FACE) are discussed after a review of the background, design, and early results of this experiment. Analysis without the benefit of data stratification and appropriate covariates of the 48 random experimentation days obtained through 1975 provided no evidence that dynamic seeding appreciably altered the rainfall over the fixed target area (1.3 x 10(4) square kilometers). Partitioning of the experimentation days according to whether the convective echoes moved across the Florida peninsula or developed in situ was more informative. Use of this echo motion covariate with five meaningful predictor models of natural rainfall in a stepwise regression program produced persuasive evidence for an effect of seeding in both echo motion categories. For days with moving echoes, there is evidence for a positive, statistically significant treatment effect on the rainfall from the subject clouds (the floating target) and in the overall target area. The results for days with stationary echoes, although considerably more tentative, suggest that seeding produces more rainfall in the floating target but with no net change of the precipitation in the overall target area. The ramifications of this result and a possible explanation are discussed. Corroborative statistical analyses and discussion are presented, including a discussion of the physical bases and history of the echo motion covariate and the meteorological predictors, analysis that is supportive of the rain-gage-adjusted radar measurements of precipitation in FACE and results of relevant cloud physics measurements in Florida. PMID- 17788852 TI - Harvard and monsanto: the $23-million alliance. PMID- 17788853 TI - Senate tunes up committee system. PMID- 17788854 TI - DNA: Laws, Patents, and a Proselyte. PMID- 17788855 TI - Frank press, long-shot candidate, may become science adviser. PMID- 17788856 TI - Failure seen for big-scale, high-technology energy plans. PMID- 17788857 TI - Structure in large sets: two proofs where there were none. PMID- 17788858 TI - Multiple sclerosis: two or more viruses may be involved. PMID- 17788859 TI - Social anthropologists learn to be scientific. PMID- 17788860 TI - The transactional approach in social anthropology. PMID- 17788861 TI - An adversary view of sociobiology. PMID- 17788862 TI - The anatomy of speech. PMID- 17788863 TI - Richard courant. PMID- 17788864 TI - Caves. PMID- 17788865 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17788866 TI - Higher Education. PMID- 17788867 TI - Scientific Research in the Soviet Union. PMID- 17788868 TI - AAAS Meeting, New York. PMID- 17788869 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17788870 TI - How shall we pay for research and education? AB - In the article "How shall we pay for research and education?" by Paul E. Klopsteg [Science 124, 965 (16 Nov. 1956)], the first sentence under the subhead "Income taxes and individual giving" on page 966 should read: "Notwithstanding the apparent unqualified approval by government of the taxpayer's charitable inclinations, expressed by its permission to him to deduct up to 30 percent of his adjusted gross income for legal charities, he failed in 1954 by about $20 billion to take advantage of this exemption." The printed version "$20 million" was a typographical error. PMID- 17788871 TI - News of Science. AB - Two corrections should be made in the item "Blood groups and disease" [Science 124, 674 (12 Oct. 1956)] which reports a paper on associations between blood groups and disease read to the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The three diseases for which the evidence is overwhelming are (i) duodenal ulcer, (ii) gastric ulcer, (iii) cancer of the stomach. As is stated, the ulcers are commoner in persons of group O, and cancer of the stomach in persons of group A. There is fairly strong evidence in connection with diabetes mellitus and pernicious anemia; but the incidence is raised in group A, not groups O and B. It should perhaps be added that practically all the data so far come from Western Europe and North America, and the associations might be different or absent in other peoples. PMID- 17788872 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17788874 TI - Terminology. PMID- 17788875 TI - Research and Freedom. PMID- 17788877 TI - Australia Free from Rabies. PMID- 17788876 TI - Quality and Quantity. PMID- 17788878 TI - Hidden History of a Dictionary. PMID- 17788880 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17788879 TI - Training of High-School Teachers. PMID- 17788881 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17788882 TI - SCIENCE AND SOCIETY. PMID- 17788883 TI - FALLING CHIMNEYS. PMID- 17788885 TI - PILOT FITNESS AND AIRPLANE CRASHES. PMID- 17788884 TI - CRASPEDACUSTA NEAR ALBANY, NEW YORK. PMID- 17788886 TI - POST-GLACIAL CONSEQUENT STREAMS IN MAINE. PMID- 17788888 TI - ON THE SPIROCHETICIDAL ACTION OF THE ARSPHENAMINES ON SPIROCHETA PALLIDA IN VITRO. PMID- 17788887 TI - VISUAL PURPLE AND ROD VISION. PMID- 17788889 TI - A RELATION BETWEEN THE AVERAGE MASS OF THE FIXED STARS AND THE COSMIC CONSTANTS. PMID- 17788891 TI - AN APPROACH TO THE SYNTHESIS OF FICHTELITE. PMID- 17788890 TI - A BATH FOR SMOOTH MUSCLE. PMID- 17788892 TI - THE MEASUREMENT OF pH IN CIRCULATING BLOOD. PMID- 17788894 TI - THE HARVARD TERCENTENARY CONFERENCE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17788893 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788895 TI - A STRATIGRAPHIC VIEW OF GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17788896 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON THE CULTIVATION OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS. PMID- 17788897 TI - THE VITAMIN C CONTENT OF APPLES AND ITS RELATION TO HUMAN WELFARE. PMID- 17788898 TI - VERTEBRATE LOCALITIES IN SOUTH PARK, COLORADO. PMID- 17788899 TI - DETERMINATION OF THE CHLOROPLAST PIGMENTS OF PLANTS. PMID- 17788900 TI - OCCURRENCE OF THE MALONE AND TORCER FAUNAS AT THE BASE OF THE ARIZONA COMANCHEAN. PMID- 17788901 TI - THE ABILITY OF RATS TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN DIETS OF VARYING DEGREES OF TOXICITY. PMID- 17788902 TI - AWARDS OF THE ELLA SACHS PLOTZ FOUNDATION. PMID- 17788904 TI - MEASUREMENT OF THE AREA OF ATTACHED AND DETACHED LEAVES. PMID- 17788903 TI - SUBMERGED VALLEYS ON CONTINENTAL SLOPES AND CHANGES OF SEA LEVEL. PMID- 17788905 TI - A SIMPLE QUARTZ MERCURY ARC. PMID- 17788906 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788907 TI - NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY, THE NEUTRON AND ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVITY. PMID- 17788908 TI - IS GEOLOGY A SCIENCE? PMID- 17788910 TI - NOTICE OF POSSIBLE SUSPENSION OF RULES OF NOMENCLATURE IN CERTAIN CASES. PMID- 17788909 TI - A PLEA TO PUBLISHERS OF SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. PMID- 17788911 TI - THE MINNESOTA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788913 TI - REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA. PMID- 17788912 TI - THE SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788914 TI - THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788915 TI - POTASSIUM: A BASAL FACTOR IN THE SYNDROME OF CORTICOADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY. PMID- 17788916 TI - SYNTHESIS OF SUBSTANCES OF POSSIBLE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY. PMID- 17788917 TI - DIETARY PRODUCTION AND PREVENTION OF ANEMIA IN LARVAL AMBLYSTOMA. PMID- 17788919 TI - A CONVENIENT RESISTANCE FOR DETERMINATION OF REDOX POTENTIALS IN BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS. PMID- 17788918 TI - DIFFERENTIAL STAINING OF THICK SECTIONS OF TISSUES. PMID- 17788920 TI - MODERN EVIDENCES FOR DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT OF CERTAIN POINTS ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE. PMID- 17788922 TI - EDUCATION AND RESEARCH IN AVIATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17788921 TI - WILLIAM TITUS HORNE. PMID- 17788923 TI - THE UNIVERSAL DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION FOR LIBRARIES. PMID- 17788924 TI - SYMPOSIA OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17788925 TI - THE COMMITTEE ON PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH OF THE AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17788926 TI - THE NATURE OF RH AGGLUTINATION REACTIONS. PMID- 17788927 TI - USE OF TERMS RELATING TO VEGETATION. PMID- 17788928 TI - NOTES ON "A FLOWMETER FOR USE IN AIR SAMPLING PROCEDURES". PMID- 17788929 TI - CONTROL OF GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS BY STREPTOMYCIN. PMID- 17788930 TI - IN VITRO FERTILIZATION AND CLEAVAGE OF HUMAN OVARIAN EGGS. PMID- 17788931 TI - THE PROLONGATION OF PENICILLIN RETENTION IN THE BODY BY MEANS OF PARA AMINOHIPPURIC ACID. PMID- 17788933 TI - OPSONINS AND OTHER ANTIBODIES. PMID- 17788932 TI - A METHOD OF OBTAINING RENAL VENOUS BLOOD IN UNANESTHETIZED PERSONS WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE EXTRACTION OF OXYGEN AND SODIUM PARA-AMINOHIPPURATE. AB - Catheterization of the renal vein offers a safe and relatively simple method of obtaining blood as it leaves the kidney in the resting unanesthetized human subject. In preliminary observation on 8 subjects the renal arteriovenous oxygen difference varied from 1.9 to 2.8 volumes per cent., averaging 2.3 volumes per cent. Sodium para-amino hippurate, at low plasma levels, was 88 per cent. extracted during a single circulation through the kidney. PMID- 17788934 TI - THE FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE GOVERNORS IN NEW ENGLAND. PMID- 17788936 TI - DR. GIUSEPPE NOBILI. PMID- 17788935 TI - DARWIN ANNIVERSARY ADDRESSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. PMID- 17788937 TI - EDUCATION AND THE TRADES. PMID- 17788938 TI - THE SIMPLE VS. THE COMPLEX IN SCIENTIFIC THEORIES. PMID- 17788939 TI - NOTES ON THE FIRST GENERATION HYBRID OF OEligENOTHERA LATA female X O. GIGAS male. PMID- 17788940 TI - THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17788941 TI - MUCOR CULTURES. PMID- 17788942 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS. PMID- 17788944 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17788943 TI - THE SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17788945 TI - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PROFESSOR THOMSON'S WORK IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. PMID- 17788947 TI - THE CRISIS IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND THE WAY OUT. PMID- 17788946 TI - IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR ELIHU THOMSON. PMID- 17788948 TI - COOPERATION AMONG AMERICAN ZOOLOGISTS TOWARD A COMPENDIUM OF CULTURE METHODS FOR INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS. PMID- 17788949 TI - THE ADRENAL GLANDS IN AN EDITOR'S OFFICE. PMID- 17788950 TI - REVERSAL OF THE PINHOLE IMAGE. PMID- 17788951 TI - A NEW FORM OF CENTRIFUGE-MICROSCOPE FOR SIMULTANEOUS OBSERVATION OF CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL MATERIAL. PMID- 17788952 TI - THE ATOMIC WEIGHT OF LEAD FROM KATANGA PITCHBLENDE. PMID- 17788953 TI - THE AGITATION OF MATERIAL IN AERATED WATER. PMID- 17788954 TI - METHOD OF EXTRACTION OF SUPRARENAL CORTICAL HORMONE-LIKE SUBSTANCE FROM URINE. PMID- 17788955 TI - FREE POSITIVE ELECTRONS RESULTING FROM THE IMPACT UPON ATOMIC NUCLEI OF THE PHOTONS FROM TH C". PMID- 17788957 TI - THE BROADER ASPECTS OF RESEARCH IN TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. PMID- 17788956 TI - PRELIMINARY REPORT ON REDUCING TRANSPIRATION OF TRANSPLANTED EVERGREENS. PMID- 17788958 TI - CHARLES OTIS WHITMAN. PMID- 17788959 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17788960 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17788961 TI - INORGANIC NOMIENCLATURE. PMID- 17788962 TI - CALENDAR REFORM. PMID- 17788963 TI - COASTAL SUBSIDENCE IN MASSACHUSETTS. PMID- 17788965 TI - VISUAL SENSATIONS FROM THE ALTERNATING MAGNETIC FIELD. PMID- 17788964 TI - INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES. PMID- 17788966 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17788968 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE THE MINNEAPOLIS MEETING. PMID- 17788967 TI - THE GERM CELL DETERMINANTS IN THE EGGS OF CHRYSOMELID BEETLES. PMID- 17788969 TI - SECTION A-MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17788970 TI - REMINISCENCES OF BUNSEN AND THE HEIDELBERG LABORATORY, 1863-1865. PMID- 17788971 TI - A SKELETON OF DIPLODOCUS, RECENTLY MOUNTED IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. PMID- 17788972 TI - THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE NEW YORK SERIES OF GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS. PMID- 17788973 TI - FISH FAUNA OF THE WOODS HOLE REGION. PMID- 17788974 TI - ZOOLOGY AT THE COLUMIBUS MEETING OF THE AMIERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17788975 TI - AN ALIEN CLEMATIS IN NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17788976 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17788977 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17788978 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Growth inhibitor from BSC-1 cells closely related to platelet type beta transforming growth factor" by Ronald F. Tucker et al. (9 Nov., p. 705), figures 1 and 2 on page 706 were incorrectly interchanged. The figure captions are correct. PMID- 17788980 TI - Dating the COHMAP Project. PMID- 17788979 TI - Law, science, and technology. PMID- 17788981 TI - The elegance of choosing. PMID- 17788982 TI - Space research in the era of the space station. AB - With the continuing flights and increasing capabilities of the space shuttle, and with the design and development of a space station, there will be a 0 significant increase in our space research capabilities during the 1990's. Ways in which the nation's space science program may evolve in response to these developments are described. PMID- 17788983 TI - Daniel e. Koshland, jr., new editor of science. PMID- 17788984 TI - A New Push for a Federal Science Department: A presidential commission will soon recommend that most R&D agencies be merged into one department; the plan faces an uphill battle. PMID- 17788985 TI - The Knives Are Out for OSTP: Senior White House officials are pushing for its elimination, but science adviser Keyworth says he has Reagan's support. PMID- 17788987 TI - NRC Panel Envisions Potential Nuclear Winter. PMID- 17788986 TI - Fine-tuning peer review. PMID- 17788988 TI - Biowarfare lab approved without restrictions. PMID- 17788989 TI - Chilean academics seized. PMID- 17788990 TI - Britain drops plan on research funding. PMID- 17788991 TI - The sociology of the danwei: the chinese hospital. PMID- 17788992 TI - Allometry: scaling. PMID- 17788993 TI - History of mathematics: number theory. PMID- 17788994 TI - An expedition to pakistan: the international karakoram project. PMID- 17788995 TI - Contribution of small glaciers to global sea level. AB - Observed long-term changes in glacier volume and hydrometeorological mass balance models yield data on the transfer of water from glaciers, excluding those in Greenland and Antarctica, to the oceans. The average observed volume change for the period 1900 to 1961 is scaled to a global average by use of the seasonal amplitude of the mass balance. These data are used to calibrate the models to estimate the changing contribution of glaciers to sea level for the period 1884 to 1975. Although the error band is large, these glaciers appear to account for a third to half of observed rise in sea level, approximately that fraction not explained by thermal expansion of the ocean. PMID- 17788996 TI - A circumstellar disk around Beta pictoris. AB - A circumstellar disk has been observed optically around the fourth-magnitude star beta Pictoris. First detected in the infrared by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite last year, the disk is seen to extend to more than 400 astronomical units from the star, or more than twice the distance measured in the infrared by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite. The beta Pictoris disk is presented to Earth almost edgeon and is composed of solid particles in nearly coplanar orbits. The observed change in surface brightness with distance from the star implies that the mass density of the disk falls off with approximately the third power of the radius. Because the circumstellar material is in the form of a highly flattened disk rather than a spherical shell, it is presumed to be associated with planet formation. It seems likely that the system is relatively young and that planet formation either is occurring now around beta Pictoris or has recently been completed. PMID- 17788997 TI - Relativistic projectile fragment interactions: anomalons. AB - Interaction mean free paths are calculated for projectile fragments from relativistic heavy-ion interactions in emulsions and plastic. There are important discrepancies between emulsion results and those from other techniques. "Anomalous" secondaries (anomalons) may prove to be interpretable by conventional nuclear physics: short mean free paths may be due to convoys of collinear light fragments from peripheral interactions (for example, with neutrons) or from low excitation particle-unbound fragments that decay in flight. PMID- 17788998 TI - Geological rhythms and cometary impacts. AB - Time-series analysis reveals two dominant, stable long-term periodicities approximately equal to 33 +/- 3 and 260 +/- 25 million years in the known series of geological and biological upheavals during the Phanerozoic Eon. Because the cycles of these episodes agree in period and phase with the cycles of impact cratering on Earth, these results suggest that periodic comet impacts strongly influence global tectonism and biological evolution. These two periodicities could arise from interactions of the solar system with interstellar clouds as the solar system moves cyclically through the Galaxy. PMID- 17788999 TI - Discovery of nucler tracks in interplanetary dust. AB - Nuclear tracks have been identified in interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) collected from the stratosphere. The presence of tracks unambiguously confirms the extraterrestrial nature of IDP's, and the high track densities (10(10) to 10(11) per square centimeter) suggest an exposure age of approximately 10(4) years within the inner solar system. Tracks also provide an upper temperature limit for the heating of IDP's during atmospheric entry, thereby making it possible to distinguish between pristine and thermally modified micrometeorites. PMID- 17789000 TI - Aldehyde Pheromones in Lepidoptera: Evidence for an Acetate Ester Precursor in Choristoneura fumiferana. AB - Labeling studies of the eastern spruce budworm in vivo indicate that trans-11 tetradecenyl acetate is synthesized specifically in the pheromone-producing gland and is degraded in concert with pheromone release; hence it may be a precursor to the trans-11-tetradecenal pheromone. Radioactivity from exogenously added labeled fatty acids did not appear to be directly incorporated into the ester, suggesting that de novo biosynthesis from acetate is the major route of ester biosynthesis. Conversion of the acetate ester to alcohol and aldehyde functional groups may be the principal method of regulating pheromone specificity between species of Choristoneura. PMID- 17789001 TI - Different Red Light Requirements for Phytochrome-Induced Accumulation of cab RNA and rbcS RNA. AB - For several species of plants the abundance of those transcripts encoding the chlorophyll a/b binding protein (cab RNA) and the small subunit of ribulose-1,5 biphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (rbcS RNA) has been established as being under the control of phytochrome. However, this conclusion does not take into account the various types of phytochrome control based on both the fluence of red light necessary to induce the response and the ability of far red light either to induce or to reverse the response. The fluence of red light necessary to induce the accumulation of rbcS RNA was found to be 10,000 times greater than that necessary to induce the accumulation of cab RNA. Furthermore, far red light alone was capable of inducing the accumulation of cab RNA. It is possible, therefore, that developing pea buds accumulate cab RNA before rbcS and that cab RNA is not subject to the normal end-of-day signals affecting many phytochrome responses. PMID- 17789002 TI - Larval development and dispersal at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. AB - Deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities exhibit an array of reproductive strategies. Although a few vent species undergo planktotrophic, high-dispersal modes of development, most exhibit relatively low dispersal, but probably free swimming nonplanktotrophic development. This predominance of nonplanktotrophy may be largely a reflection of phylogenetic constraints on the vent colonizing taxa; intervent dispersal among these forms may be facilitated by reduced developmental rates in the cold abyssal waters away from the vents. It is proposed that for those vent species with nonplanktotrophic development, larval dispersal is a stepwise process with oceanic ridge axes serving as discrete dispersal corridors. PMID- 17789003 TI - A GRADUATE SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17789004 TI - THE RESEARCHES OF ALFRED GOLDSBOROUGH MAYOR. PMID- 17789005 TI - A SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO THE ISLANDS OFF THE WEST COAST OF LOWER CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17789006 TI - CONCERNING THE BOTULINUS TOXIN. PMID- 17789007 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17789008 TI - SOME SIDELIGHTS ON THE LIFE OF RUSSIAN PROFESSORS. PMID- 17789009 TI - THE PERIODICAL CICADA. PMID- 17789010 TI - THE EMERGENCY FUNCTION OF THE ADRENAL. PMID- 17789011 TI - THE NORTH CAROLINA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789012 TI - SEALING QUARTZ TO GLASS WITH SILVER CHLORIDE. PMID- 17789013 TI - In defense of elitism. PMID- 17789014 TI - Climate impact of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. AB - The global temperature rose by 0.2 degrees C between the middle 1960's and 1980, yielding a warming of 0.4 degrees C in the past century. This temperature increase is consistent with the calculated greenhouse effect due to measured increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Variations of volcanic aerosols and possibly solar luminosity appear to be primary causes of observed fluctuations about the mean trend of increasing temperature. It is shown that the anthropogenic carbon dioxide warming should emerge from the noise level of natural climate variability by the end of the century, and there is a high probability of warming in the 1980's. Potential effects on climate in the 21st century include the creation of drought-prone regions in North America and central Asia as part of a shifting of climatic zones, erosion of the West Antarctic ice sheet with a consequent worldwide rise in sea level, and opening of the fabled Northwest Passage. PMID- 17789015 TI - Is a new evolutionary synthesis necessary? AB - The current (synthetic) theory of evolution has been criticized on the grounds that it implies that macroevolutionary processes (speciation and morphological diversification) are gradual. The extent to which macroevolution is gradual or punctuational remains to be ascertained. Macroevolutionary processes are underlain by microevolutionary phenomena and are compatible with the synthetic theory of evolution. But microevolutionary principles are compatible with both gradualism and punctualism; therefore, logically they entail neither. Thus, macroevolution and microevolution are decoupled in the important sense that macroevolutionary patterns cannot be deduced from microevolutionary principles. PMID- 17789017 TI - Quick march on nuclear licensing. PMID- 17789016 TI - Universities and the new national effort. AB - In reassessing the role of government, many Americans have agreed that public expenditures should be curtailed. Although our universities must bear their full share of the sacrifices, some of the Administration's recent proposals would be to the detriment of the country. Drastic cuts in student aid, for example, will not encourage young people to seek the best possible education and training; reductions in federal funds for scientific instruments and facilities will mean that our laboratories will deteriorate, our accomplishments will be fewer. The success of American science has depended heavily on the talent that came from Europe at the time of World War II. Today that source has largely disappeared, and if we cannot replace it with exceptional young investigators of our own, the quality of our universities and the vitality of our science will diminish. PMID- 17789018 TI - Governors urge national radwaste policy. PMID- 17789019 TI - Report doubts value of broadened export controls. PMID- 17789020 TI - Watt withdraws california oil tracts. PMID- 17789021 TI - New NIE Director an Unknown Quantity. PMID- 17789023 TI - The summer of the gypsy moth. PMID- 17789022 TI - AT&T Tries to Put Antitrust Suit on Hold. PMID- 17789024 TI - A new light on photosynthesis. PMID- 17789025 TI - Starship capricorn. PMID- 17789026 TI - Isaac newton. PMID- 17789028 TI - Particle physics. PMID- 17789027 TI - Developmental biology. PMID- 17789029 TI - Rodents and evolution. PMID- 17789030 TI - Uranium series dating of human skeletal remains from the del mar and sunnyvale sites, california. AB - Uranium series analyses of human bone samples from the Del Mar and Sunnyvale sites indicate ages of 11,000 and 8,300 years, respectively. The dates are supported by internal concordancy between thorium-230 and protactinium-231 decay systems. These ages are significantly younger than the estimates of 48,000 and 70,000 years based on amino acid racemization, and indicate that the individuals could derive from the population waves that came across the Bering Strait during the last sea-level low. PMID- 17789031 TI - Trace water content of salt in louisiana salt domes. AB - The trace water content of salt in six Louisiana salt domes has been determined and has been found to be the lowest of any terrestrial rock type. The average water content of normal domal salt is on the order of 0.003 percent by weight, but anomalous zones within salt stocks can have more than ten times this amount. From the average value, the minimum amount of water in liters, W, available to collect around a radioactive waste repository is given as W = 0.28 r(3), where r is the radius in meters of the sphere in which water may be thermally activated to migrate completely to the repository. PMID- 17789032 TI - Clear air turbulence: an airborne alert system. AB - An infrared radiometer system has been developed that can alert a pilot of an aircraft 2 to 9 minutes in advance of an encounter with clear air turbulence. The time between the warning and the clear air turbulence event varies with the flight altitude of the aircraft. In turbulence-free areas, the incidence of false alarms is found to be less than one in 3.4 hours of flight time compared to less than one per 10 hours of flight time in areas with turbulence. PMID- 17789033 TI - Photochemical oxidants potentiate yield losses in snap beans attributable to sulfur dioxide. AB - Field-grown snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were given recurring midday exposures to sulfur dioxide in open-top field chambers containing ambient photochemical oxidants. There was a linear correlation (correlation coefficient = -.99) between increasing concentrations of sulfur dioxide and the yields of snap beans. Synergism was indicated for the mixtures of ambient ozone plus sulfur dioxide, leading to threefold greater yield losses in nonfiltered air than in charcoal filtered air (to remove the ozone). Even the lowest sulfur dioxide dose in nonfiltered air reduced the yields of Astro, a cultivar that exhibited no visible pollutant-induced foliar injury. PMID- 17789034 TI - Group living, competition, and the evolution of cooperation in a sessile invertebrate. AB - Competition and cooperation are thought to represent the opposite extremes of organism interactions. I here show that the formation of aggregations in a sessile organism requires cooperation between individuals and that the gregarious pattern of habitat selection generating these aggregations is a response to a density dependence in the outcome of interference competition. PMID- 17789035 TI - Demineralization of porous solids. AB - When a porous ionic solid is placed in acid, the acid will dissolve surface material. When this dissolved material and the acid diffuse into the solid's pores, they can precipitate more solid. If the acid is buffered, the diffusing species can bring about precipitation in some regions and dissolution in others. When the porous solid contains several chemical species, the diffusion can precipitate one species and dissolve another. The results have implications for the demineralization of teeth. PMID- 17789036 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17789037 TI - NEW FRONTIERS. PMID- 17789038 TI - AWARD OF THE PITTSBURGH SECTION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789039 TI - WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN MISSOURI. PMID- 17789040 TI - PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17789041 TI - MEDALS OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE. PMID- 17789042 TI - THE DEMOGRAPHIC DILEMMA. PMID- 17789043 TI - ON DIRECT VISION CHARACTERISTICS OF SPOTS PRODUCING TERRESTRIAL MAGNETIC PHENOMENA. PMID- 17789044 TI - ESTERASOPENIC AND ESTERASOPLENIC PERIPHERAL NERVE TERMINATIONS. PMID- 17789045 TI - A TERTIARY RIVER. PMID- 17789046 TI - ELECTRONICS AS A POSSIBLE AID IN THE STUDY OF BIRD FLIGHT AND MIGRATION. PMID- 17789047 TI - PROGRAM OF THE INSTITUTE OF RADIO ENGINEERS. PMID- 17789048 TI - THE PRECIPITATION OF PURIFIED CONCENTRATED INFLUENZA VIRUS AND VACCINE ON CALCIUM PHOSPHATE. PMID- 17789049 TI - RECORDING OF SOUNDS PRODUCED BY CERTAIN DISEASE-CARRYING MOSQUITOES. PMID- 17789050 TI - THE EFFECT OF PENICILLIN AND CERTAIN SULFA DRUGS ON THE INTRACELLULAR BACTEROIDS OF THE COCKROACH. PMID- 17789051 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF NORMAL SERUM GAMMA-GLOBULIN IN HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES. PMID- 17789052 TI - RETENTION OF THIAMINE, RIBOFLAVIN AND NIACIN IN DEEP FAT COOKING. PMID- 17789053 TI - EFFECT OF REDUCED ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE ON HATCHABILITY OF THE HEN'S EGG. PMID- 17789055 TI - THE FORTHCOMING SITUATION IN AGRICULTURAL WORK. PMID- 17789054 TI - THE USE OF IONIC EXCHANGE RESINS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF PENICILLIN AND HYPERTENSIN. PMID- 17789056 TI - MICROBIAL ASSOCIATIONS. PMID- 17789057 TI - DR. A. F. A. KING ON MOSQUITOES AND MALARIA. PMID- 17789058 TI - THE COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789059 TI - GOSSYPOL--A TOXIC SUBSTANCE IN COTTONSEED. A PRELIMINARY NOTE. PMID- 17789060 TI - EFFECT OF CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM ON TREES. PMID- 17789061 TI - THE IDENTITY OF HELIOTROPISM IN ANIMALS AND PLANTS. SECOND NOTE. PMID- 17789062 TI - SECTION M, AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17789063 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789064 TI - Minorities in science. PMID- 17789065 TI - New observations. PMID- 17789067 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17789066 TI - Yucatan meteor: the real impact. PMID- 17789068 TI - They backed the winning team. PMID- 17789069 TI - Science jobs: who will get lost in transition? PMID- 17789071 TI - Aluminum hypothesis shot down. PMID- 17789070 TI - Earth scientists assemble atop an ancient rift. PMID- 17789072 TI - Depo-provera opposed by nader group. PMID- 17789073 TI - Stamp honors black chemist. PMID- 17789074 TI - Scientists defend Russian whistleblower. PMID- 17789075 TI - Correction. AB - "Dodging the Needle in Health Care" (2 October, p. 34) stated that 2% of HIV contaminated needle-sticks are expected to lead to infection with the virus. The correct figure is between 0.25 and 0.4%. PMID- 17789076 TI - Coyote research facility trashed. PMID- 17789078 TI - Minorities in medicine. PMID- 17789077 TI - Getting an earful of climate. PMID- 17789079 TI - A fifty-year plan for biodiversity surveys. PMID- 17789080 TI - Chaotic stirring in a tidal system. AB - An analysis of a two-dimensional tidal model of the Wadden Sea reveals Lagrangian chaos in the trajectories of water parcels. The associated chaotic stirring results from the transverse intersection of the stable and unstable curves of hyperbolic fixed points in the Lagrangian residual displacement field (the tidal Poincare map). This tidal dispersion mechanism produces rapid water exchange along the channel axis and could be representative of many shallow tidal seas. PMID- 17789081 TI - Observation of metastable structural excitations and concerted atomic motions on a crystal surface. AB - The addition of a small number of lead atoms to a germanium(111) surface reduces the energy barrier for activated processes, and with a tunneling microscope it is possible to observe concerted atomic motions and metastable structures on this surface near room temperature. The formation and annihilation of these metastable structural surface excitations is associated with the shift in position of large numbers of germanium surface atoms along a specific row direction like beads on an abacus. The effect provides a mechanism for understanding the transport of atoms on a semiconductor surface. PMID- 17789082 TI - Complete wetting from polymer mixtures. AB - Coexisting polymer phases are characterized by very small interfacial energies, even well below their critical solution temperature. This situation should readily lead to the exclusion of one of the phases from any interface that favors the other. Such complete wetting behavior from a binary mixture of statistical olefinic copolymers is reported. By means of a self-regulating geometry, it is found that the thickness of a wetting layer of one of the phases at the polymer air interface, growing from the other coexisting phase, attains macroscopic dimensions, increasing logarithmically with time. These results indicate that binary polymer mixtures could be attractive models for the study of wetting phenomena. PMID- 17789083 TI - Electron photodetachment cross sections of small carbon clusters: evidence for nonlinear isomers. AB - Absolute cross sections for photodetachment of negative carbon clusters are reported for Cn (n = 3, ..., 8). The results indicate that various neutral isomers exist, some with electron affinities as low as 1 electron volt. The method of production plays an important role in the characteristics of carbon clusters. PMID- 17789084 TI - A liquid-solution-phase synthesis of crystalline silicon. AB - A liquid-solution-phase technique for preparing submicrometer-sized silicon single crystals is presented. The synthesis is based on the reduction of SiCl(4) and RSiCl(3) (R = H, octyl) by sodium metal in a nonpolar organic solvent at high temperatures (385 degrees C) and high pressures (> 100 atmospheres). For R = H, the synthesis produces hexagonal-shaped silicon single crystals ranging from 5 to 3000 nanometers in size. For R = octyl, the synthesis also produces hexagonal shaped silicon single crystals; however, the size range is controlled to 5.5 +/- 2.5 nanometers. PMID- 17789085 TI - Micropaleontological evidence for increased meridional heat transport in the north atlantic ocean during the pliocene. AB - The Middle Pliocene ( approximately 3 million years ago) has been identified as the last time the Earth was significantly warmer than it was during the Last Interglacial and Holocene. A quantitative micropaleontological paleotemperature transect from equator to high latitudes in the North Atlantic indicates that Middle Pliocene warmth involved increased meridional oceanic heat transport. PMID- 17789086 TI - The complete skull and skeleton of an early dinosaur. AB - The unearthing of a complete skull and skeleton of the early dinosaur Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis sheds light on the early evolution of dinosaurs. Discovered in the Upper Triassic Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina, the fossils show that Herrerasaurus, a primitive theropod, was an agile, bipedal predator with a short forelimb specialized for grasping and raking. The fossils clarify anatomical features of the common ancestor of all dinosaurs. Herrerasaurus and younger dinosaurs from Upper Triassic beds in Argentina suggest that the dinosaurian radiation was well under way before dinosaurs dominated terrestrial vertebrate communities in taxonomic diversity and abundance. PMID- 17789087 TI - Response. PMID- 17789088 TI - Silica-carbonate isotopic temperature calibration. PMID- 17789090 TI - Arsenals of democracy. PMID- 17789089 TI - Response. PMID- 17789091 TI - Minorities in science: bibliographic highlights. PMID- 17789093 TI - Vignettes: real powers. PMID- 17789092 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17789094 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17789095 TI - Minorities in science: the pipeline problem. PMID- 17789096 TI - A success story amid decades of disappointment. PMID- 17789097 TI - Data points I: school. PMID- 17789098 TI - Minority programs that get high marks. PMID- 17789100 TI - Math education: multiplying the meager numbers. PMID- 17789099 TI - Data Points II: Workplace. PMID- 17789101 TI - Minority survivors tell their tales. PMID- 17789102 TI - Scientists of the future: jumping high hurdles. PMID- 17789103 TI - Black colleges cultivate scientists. PMID- 17789104 TI - Bridging tribal, technological worlds. PMID- 17789105 TI - From inner-city L.a. To yale engineering. PMID- 17789106 TI - Selected resources. PMID- 17789107 TI - Science would like to know your responses to the special section on "Minorities in Science". PMID- 17789109 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17789108 TI - The American Association for the Advancement of Science. PMID- 17789110 TI - National Science Foundation Estimates for Scientific Research and Development. PMID- 17789111 TI - Recent Changes in Sea Level Along the New England Coast: New Archaeological Evidence. PMID- 17789112 TI - THE CARNEGIE TECHNICAL SCHOOL. PMID- 17789113 TI - SECTION A (MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY) OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17789114 TI - ON THE STABILITY OF VIBRATIONS. PMID- 17789115 TI - THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17789116 TI - A NEW FIELD FOR KITES IN METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17789117 TI - GRADUATE COURSES IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17789118 TI - PRIZE-SUBJECTS IN APPLIED SCIENCE. PMID- 17789119 TI - CONSERVING OUR HARVESTS. PMID- 17789120 TI - UNVEILING OF THE BUST OF HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17789121 TI - UNVEILING OF THE BUST OF HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17789123 TI - STANDARDS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS. PMID- 17789122 TI - RAYMOND DODGE. PMID- 17789124 TI - THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. PMID- 17789125 TI - THE NASHVILLE MEETING OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789126 TI - GIFTS AND BEQUESTS TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY FOR 1941. PMID- 17789127 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17789128 TI - THE METHOD OF CONGRESSIONAL APPORTIONMENT UNDER THE LAW OF 1941. PMID- 17789129 TI - SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE FEEDING HABITS OF THE OCTOPUS. PMID- 17789130 TI - INFECTIVITY OF EXTRACTED, UNPRESERVED TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS RETAINED 28 YEARS. PMID- 17789131 TI - STATEMENT OF CONDITIONS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789132 TI - SOME PRECOCIOUS DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES PRODUCED BY ADRENAL CORTICAL HORMONES. PMID- 17789134 TI - EFFECTS OF Ca AND OTHER DIVALENT IONS ON THE ACCUMULATION OF MONOVALENT IONS BY BARLEY ROOT CELLS. PMID- 17789133 TI - LACTATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND BODY WEIGHT. PMID- 17789135 TI - USE OF COMPLETE FERTILIZERS IN CULTIVATION OF MICROORGANISMS. PMID- 17789137 TI - Indian corn cultivation. PMID- 17789136 TI - AN INEXPENSIVE, QUANTITATIVE PUMP. PMID- 17789138 TI - Nuclear proliferation. PMID- 17789139 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789140 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789141 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789142 TI - Defending the defenders. PMID- 17789145 TI - Meeting on unity of the sciences: reflections on the rev. Moon. PMID- 17789144 TI - Electron-Hole Condensation in Semiconductors: Electrons and holes condense into freely moving liquid metallic droplets, a plasma phase with novel properties. AB - In Ge and Si, and also in Ge-Si alloys (74), there is extensive evidence for the stable binding of electrons and holes into a cold plasma of constant density, which undergoes a phase separation. Liquid metallic drops 1 to 300 microm in size are formed, with lifetimes ranging from 0.1 to 600 microsec. For Ge a surprising amount is known: the phase diagram, the surface energy, the work function, the decay kinetics. Much less is known for Si. There is good agreement between theoretical and experimental values of the liquid density, the critical density, the critical temperature, and the binding energy. The stability of the liquid phase is strikingly dependent on band structure. The multivalley structure and mass anisotropy of Si, Ge, and Ge-Si, together with their indirect band gap, are no doubt responsible for the observed stability in these crystals. In the similar semiconductor gallium phosphide, drops have not yet been observed, most likely because the high impurity content traps the excitons. In gallium arsenide the existence of drops is controversial (75). Undoubtedly drops will be found to exist in other semiconductors, perhaps at even higher temperatures. This is an exciting field for the experimentalist; new phenomena are being rapidly discovered, usually before they are predicted. For the theorist, the electron hole drop is of high intrinsic interest. It represents the first example of a quantum liquid of constant density in a periodic crystal lattice. A number of challenging experimental and theoretical problems remain. PMID- 17789143 TI - Freedom of inquiry. PMID- 17789146 TI - Johnson health policy fellows: joining the scientific and political. PMID- 17789147 TI - Kissinger promises third world technological help. PMID- 17789148 TI - Psychologists sit still for jensen. PMID- 17789149 TI - ERDA R & D Plan Aired. PMID- 17789150 TI - Scientists say astrology is not true. PMID- 17789151 TI - Biology in Europe: The Wrangling Is Over, EMBO Has a Lab. PMID- 17789152 TI - Interior: President's Nominee for Secretary Has His Problems. PMID- 17789153 TI - Cascading bifurcations: the mathematics of chaos. PMID- 17789154 TI - Paleontology: facing a choice between fossils and trash. PMID- 17789155 TI - Estimating evaporation: a technique adaptable to remote sensing. AB - A procedure is presented for calculating 24-hour totals of evaporation from wet and drying soils. Its application requires a knowledge of the daily solar radiation and the maximum and minimum air temperatures (standard Weather Service measurements), moist surface albedo (readily estimated or obtainable from a one time measurement), and maximum and minimum surface temperatures (obtainable from surface or airborne sensors). Tests of the technique on a bare field of Avondale loam at Phoenix, Arizona, have shown it to be independent of season. PMID- 17789156 TI - Biological uptake of dissolved silica in the Amazon river estuary. AB - Approximately 25 percent of the dissolved silica carried by the Amazon River is depleted through diatom production in the inner estuary. Annual production of opaline frustules is estimated to be 15 million tons. However, few diatoms accumulate in modern shelf sediments and chemical recycling appears to be slight. Instead, many frustules apparently are transported landward into the river system, where they deposit in dunes and layers on and within mud and sand bars. PMID- 17789157 TI - Skeletal low-magnesium calcite in living scleractinian corals. AB - The skeletons of living specimens of the scleractinian coral Porites lobata have been found to contain up to 46 +/- 5 percent low-magnesium calcite even though free of gross detrital inclusions and boring or encrusting organisms. The calcite crystals occur in the interior of skeletal structures, have dimensions of 20 micrometers or less, and are surrounded by typical aragonite needles. Biogenic deposition seems to be the most likely source of the calcite, although the evidence does not rule out diagenesis of metastable. PMID- 17789158 TI - Surface albedo and desertification. PMID- 17789159 TI - Fuel savings by lowering thermostats. PMID- 17789161 TI - Fluorogenic reagent. PMID- 17789160 TI - Literature. PMID- 17789163 TI - Conductivity meter. PMID- 17789162 TI - Fraction collectors. PMID- 17789165 TI - Uric Acid determination. PMID- 17789164 TI - Thin-layer chromatography plate. PMID- 17789166 TI - Liquid chromatograph. PMID- 17789168 TI - HEADSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF CLINICAL DEPARTMENTS OF FIRST-CLASS MEDICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17789167 TI - MULTIPLICITY OF CROPS AS A MEANS OF INCREASING THE FUTURE FOOD SUPPLY. PMID- 17789169 TI - RESEARCH AND TEACHING IN THE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17789171 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17789170 TI - SECTION OF ZOOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17789172 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17789173 TI - EVOLUTION BY SELECTION OF MUTATIONS. PMID- 17789174 TI - POTASSIUM CYANIDE AS AN INSECTICIDE. PMID- 17789175 TI - STANDARDIZATION OF COURSES AND GRADES. PMID- 17789177 TI - THE CRENATION AND FLAGELLATION OF HUMAN ERYTHROCYTES. PMID- 17789176 TI - CORRELATION BETWEEN THE TERTIARY OF THE GREAT BASIN AND THAT OF THE MARGINAL MARINE PROVINCE IN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17789178 TI - The opportunity connection. PMID- 17789179 TI - Response. PMID- 17789180 TI - Response. PMID- 17789181 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17789182 TI - Goldin hopes to trim centers to stave off program cuts. PMID- 17789183 TI - Erosion study finds high price for forgotten menace. PMID- 17789184 TI - U.s. Oil and gas fields double in size. PMID- 17789185 TI - Vertical Lasers Take Aim at New--and Colorful--Targets. PMID- 17789186 TI - Kaiko takes the plunge once more. PMID- 17789187 TI - New head for london clinical center. PMID- 17789188 TI - Uneven progress. PMID- 17789189 TI - The end of physics? PMID- 17789190 TI - The defense initiative of the 1990s. PMID- 17789191 TI - Post--cold war nuclear dangers: proliferation and terrorism. PMID- 17789192 TI - Punctuated evolution of embryos. PMID- 17789193 TI - Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. AB - Soil erosion is a major environmental threat to the sustainability and productive capacity of agriculture. During the last 40 years, nearly one-third of the world's arable land has been lost by erosion and continues to be lost at a rate of more than 10 million hectares per year. With the addition of a quarter of a million people each day, the world population's food demand is increasing at a time when per capita food productivity is beginning to decline. PMID- 17789194 TI - Prehistoric extinctions of pacific island birds: biodiversity meets zooarchaeology. AB - On tropical Pacific islands, a human-caused "biodiversity crisis" began thousands of years ago and has nearly run its course. Bones identified from archaeological sites show that most species of land birds and populations of seabirds on those islands were exterminated by prehistoric human activities. The loss of birdlife in the tropical Pacific may exceed 2000 species (a majority of which were species of flightless rails) and thus represents a 20 percent worldwide reduction in the number of species of birds. The current global extinction crisis therefore has historic precedent. PMID- 17789195 TI - Near--Atomic Resolution Imaging of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Molecules on Graphite by STM. AB - Near-atomic resolution images of a two-dimensional heteroepitaxial crystal composed of the relatively "functionally rich" chiral liquid crystal mesogen MDW 74 on graphite have been obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This work is aimed at developing an improved understanding of the commercially crucial phenomenon of liquid crystal alignment by studying well-characterized surfaces. Herein is reported molecular-level characterization of the surface underlying a ferroelectric liquid crystal in situ, a requisite starting point for understanding the liquid crystal-solid interface at the molecular level. The results are also important in the context of developing a model for the molecular. origins of the contrast observed in STM images of organic monolayers on conductor surfaces. The data and analysis provide strong evidence that neither frontier orbital alone (highest occupied or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) is sufficient to describe the observed tunneling efficiency. PMID- 17789196 TI - Optical properties of the South pole ice at depths between 0.8 and 1 kilometer. AB - The optical properties of the ice at the geographical South Pole have been investigated at depths between 0.8 and 1 kilometer. The absorption and scattering lengths of visible light ( approximately 515 nanometers) have been measured in situ with the use of the laser calibration setup of the Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array (AMANDA) neutrino detector. The ice is intrinsically extremely transparent. The measured absorption length is 59 +/- 3 meters, comparable with the quality of the ultrapure water used in the Irvine-Michigan Brookhaven and Kamiokande proton-decay and neutrino experiments and more than twice as long as the best value reported for laboratory ice. Because of a residual density of air bubbles at these depths, the trajectories of photons in the medium are randomized. If the bubbles are assumed to be smooth and spherical, the average distance between collisions at a depth of 1 kilometer is about 25 centimeters. The measured inverse scattering length on bubbles decreases linearly with increasing depth in the volume of ice investigated. PMID- 17789197 TI - Viscous dissipation in three-dimensional convection with temperature-dependent viscosity. AB - Numerical simulations of three-dimensional convection with temperature-dependent viscosity and viscous heating at realistic Rayleigh numbers for Earth's mantle reveal that, in the strongly time-dependent regime, very intense localized heating takes place along the top portion of descending cold sheets and also at locations where the ascending plume heads impinge at the surface. For a viscosity contrast of 100, these localized heat sources exceed the internal heating due to the radioactive decay of chondritic materials by more than an order of magnitude. The horizontally averaged viscous dissipation is concentrated in the top of the convecting layer and has a magnitude comparable with that of radioactive heating. PMID- 17789198 TI - Astronomical venture. PMID- 17789199 TI - Small bodies in space. PMID- 17789201 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17789200 TI - Vignette: a community of scholars. PMID- 17789203 TI - OMB Approach to Management. PMID- 17789202 TI - Operations research. PMID- 17789204 TI - Drug education conference. PMID- 17789206 TI - Exchanges with china. PMID- 17789205 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789207 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789210 TI - The Confusion over Bacteriophage [unknown]X-74. PMID- 17789209 TI - Humidifiers and energy conservation. PMID- 17789208 TI - Pathologic evaluation and the blind technique. PMID- 17789211 TI - Global science policy. PMID- 17789213 TI - Optimization in Ecology: Natural selection produces optimal results unless constrained by history or by competing goals. PMID- 17789212 TI - Long journey into tunneling. AB - I am, of course, deeply aware of important contributions made by many colleagues and my friends throughout this long journey. The subject of the second section was carried out when I was in Japan and all the rest (35) has been performed in the United States of America. Since my journey into tunneling is still continuing, I do not come to any conclusions in this talk. However, I would like to point out that many high barriers exist in this world: barriers between nations, races, and creeds. Unfortunately, some barriers are thick and strong. But I hope, with determination, we will find a way to tunnel through these barriers easily and freely, to bring the world together so that everyone can share in the legacy of Alfred Nobel. PMID- 17789214 TI - Should the History of Science Be Rated X?: The way scientists behave (according to historians) might not be a good model for students. AB - I suggest that the teacher who wants to indoctrinate his students in the traditional role of the scientist as a neutral fact finder should not use historical materials of the kind now being prepared by historians of science: they will not serve his purposes. He may wish to follow the advice of philosopher J. C. C. Smart, who recently suggested that it is legitimate to use fictionalized history of science to illustrate one's pronouncements on scientific method (56). On the other hand, those teachers who want to counteract the dogmatism of the textbooks and convey some understanding of science as an activity that cannot be divorced from metaphysical or esthetic considerations may find some stimulation in the new history of science. As historian D. S. L. Cardwell has argued (57, p. 120): . . . [I]f the history of science is to be used as an educational discipline, to inculcate an enlightened and critical mind, then the Whig view . . . cannot do this. For it must emphasize the continuities, the smooth and successive developments from one great achievement to the next and so on; and in doing so it must automatically endow the present state of science with all the immense authority of history. He suggests that the critical mind might be inhibited by seeing the present as the inevitable, triumphant product of the past. The history of science could aid the teaching of science by showing that "such puzzling concepts as force, energy, etc., are man-made and were evolved in an understandable sequence in response to acutely felt and very real problems. They were not handed down by some celestial textbook writer to whom they were immediately self-evident" (57, p. 120). The past may give some hints on how to survive the most recent recurrence of public hostility to science. Rather than blaming historians such as Kuhn for encouraging antiscientific attitudes, as one physicist did in a public address in 1972 (58), one might consider this criticism of the older style of science history, published in 1940 by W. James Lyons (59, p. 381): The historians of science are responsible, it would appear, for the unpopularity of science among those most acutely affected by the depression. In their clamor to enhance the scientific tradition, and hoard for science all credit for the remarkable and unprecedented material advances which studded the century and a quarter preceding 1930, these historians have been more enthusiastic than accurate . . . science emerged [in the popular mind] as the most prominent force responsible for making this modern world so startlingly different from all preceding ages. Thus when, for many people, the modern world, in spite of all its resources, began to slip from its role of "best of all imaginable worlds," science came in for a proportionate share of blame. Had a more accurate picture of the part science has played been presented, science would not now be the object of so much suspicion and resentment. In more recent times, hostility to science has been intensified by the image of the "objective," robot-like scientist lacking emotions and moral values. If the new approach to the history of science really does give a more realistic picture of the behavior of scientists, perhaps it has a "redeeming social significance." Then, rather than limiting the conception of science to the strict pattern allowed by traditional local standards, one might try to change those standards in such a way as to reflect the freedom that the boldest natural philosophers have always exercised. PMID- 17789215 TI - Uranium enrichment: rumors of israeli progress with lasers. PMID- 17789216 TI - U.s.-U.s.s.R. Detente: bumpy progress on the agricultural front. PMID- 17789217 TI - Land use: rules panel and nixon leave house bill in limbo. PMID- 17789218 TI - Herbicides: academy finds damage in Vietnam after a fight of its own. PMID- 17789219 TI - Herbicide study assesses effects on health and safety. PMID- 17789220 TI - Lunar surface: identification of the dark mantling material in the apollo 17 soil samples. AB - Evidence indicates that Apollo 17 sample 74001, a soil consisting of very dark spheres, is composed almost entirely of the dark mantling material that covers a large region of the southeastern boundary of Mare Serenitatis. Other Apollo 17 samples contain only a component of this material. The underlying basalt in the Taurus-Littrow valley appears to be an extension of material forming the low albedo ring around part of Mare Serenitatis and much of the surface of Mare Tranquillitatis. The surface of this basalt region is spectrally distinct from areas with dark mantling material. These results are derived fromn telescopic and laboratory measurements of the optical properties of lunar soil. Digital vidicon color images are used to map the extent of these material units in the Taurus Littrow region. PMID- 17789221 TI - Polarized magnetic field fluctuations at the apollo 15 site: possible regional influence on lunar induction. AB - High-frequency (5 to 40 millihertz) induced lunar magnetic fields, observed at the Apollo 15 site near the southeastern boundary of Mare Imbrium and the southwestern boundary of Mare Serenitatis, show a strong tendency toward linear polarization in a direction radial to the Imbrium basin and circumferential to the Serenitatis basin, a property that could be indicative of a possible regional influence on the induction. PMID- 17789222 TI - Mercury: does its atmosphere contain water? AB - The atmosphere of Mercury, like that of the moon, is maintained in an extremely tenuous minimum state by weak solar wind accretion and radioactive decay processes, and depleted by strong removal mechanisms. Unlike the moon, it has a high daytime surface temperature that promotes the production of water vapor, which may be the dominant atmospheric constituent derived from solar wind protons. PMID- 17789223 TI - Carbon fixation and isotope discrimination by a crassulacean plant: dependence on the photoperiod. AB - Variations of more than 1 percent are observed in the carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratio of extracts of leaves of the succulent Kalanchoe blossfeldiana when the photoperiod is changed from long to short days. This indicates that the mechanism of carbon fixation switches from the Calvin (C(3)) pathway to the Hatch-Slack (C(4)) pathway of primary enzymic operation. The variations observed in the isotope compositions are tentatively explained by a model. PMID- 17789224 TI - Redirection of filial attachments in rhesus monkeys: dogs as mother surrogates. AB - Rhesus infants raised from birth with their mothers, age-mates, or cloth surrogates for periods varying fronm 1 to 10 months were separated from these objects and placed with dogs. Contrary to previous suggestions that were consistent with the notions of a critical period for attachment formation and irreversibility of filial bonds, the monkeys formed strong and specific attachments to their canine surrogates. PMID- 17789225 TI - "Very high alumina basalt": a mixture and not a magma type. PMID- 17789226 TI - NOVA: Program Summaries of New Science TV Series. AB - A new science television series now broadcast over the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) will be of special interest to members of AAAS. The series, called NOVA, is produced by WGBH-TV, Boston, for PBS. The series has been created and produced with the advice and cooperation of AAAS, especially its Committee on the Public Understanding of Science and the Office of Communications Programs, as a major new effort at expanding the public's understanding of science and scientific processes. The series is financed by grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Science Foundation, and Polaroid. A list of program descriptions in the current series with network air dates follows. Consult your local listings for local times. PMID- 17789227 TI - Biotransformations and fermentations. PMID- 17789228 TI - Genetic recombination: genetic, physical, and biochemical aspects. PMID- 17789229 TI - Pharmacology and toxicology applied to the treatment of patients. PMID- 17789230 TI - Literature. PMID- 17789231 TI - Colony counter. PMID- 17789232 TI - Flow direction adaptor for laser Doppler anemometer. PMID- 17789233 TI - Molecular emission cavity analysis. PMID- 17789234 TI - Electrobalance. PMID- 17789235 TI - THE NORTHEAST COAST OF BRAZIL IN ANCIENT CARTOGRAPHY. PMID- 17789236 TI - THE TITLES OF PAPERS. PMID- 17789237 TI - MARGINAL AND RIDGE SCALES IN CEPHALASPIS AND DREPANASPIS. PMID- 17789239 TI - SEX DIFFERENCES IN THE SENSE OF TIME. PMID- 17789238 TI - ON THE FEASIBILITY OF MEASURING TIDES AND CURRENTS AT SEA. PMID- 17789240 TI - THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17789242 TI - Plastic trees. PMID- 17789241 TI - THE BERMUDA BIOLOGICAL STATION FOR RESEARCH. PMID- 17789243 TI - Vietnam resolutions. PMID- 17789244 TI - A long tale. PMID- 17789245 TI - Field ion microscopy. PMID- 17789246 TI - Warburg theory of carcinogenesis. PMID- 17789247 TI - Observing and predicting earthquakes. PMID- 17789248 TI - Large vineyard discovered in ancient pompeii. PMID- 17789249 TI - Stone Reportedly New NIH Head. PMID- 17789250 TI - Peer Review: OMB May Dismantle NIH Study Sections. PMID- 17789251 TI - Rio blanco: stimulating gas and conflict in colorado. PMID- 17789252 TI - Technological Innovation: New Study Sponsored by NSF Takes Socioeconomic, Managerial Factors into Account. PMID- 17789253 TI - Ocean technology: race to seabed wealth disturbs more than fish. PMID- 17789254 TI - Earthquake predictions: breakthrough in theoretical insight? PMID- 17789255 TI - Volatile elements in apollo 16 samples: possible evidence for outgassing of the moon. AB - Several Apollo 16 breccias, including one containing goethite, are strikingly enriched in volatile elements such as bromine, cadmium, germanium, antimony, thallium, and zinc. Similar but smaller enrichments are found in all highland soils. It appears that volcanic processes took place in the lunar highlands, involving the release of volatiles including water. The lunar thallium/uranium ratio is 2 x 10-(4) of the cosmic ratio, which suggests that the moon's original water content could not have exceeded the equivalent of a layer 22 meters deep. The cataclastic anorthosites at the Apollo 16 site may represent deep ejecta from the Nectaris basin. PMID- 17789256 TI - Lonar lake, India: an impact crater in basalt. AB - Discovery of shock-metamorphosed material establishes the impact origin of Lonar Crater. Coarse breccia with shatter coning and microbreccia with moderately shocked fragments containing maskelynite were found in drill holes through the crater floor. Trenches on the rim yield strongly shocked fragments in which plagioclase has melted and vesiculated, and bombs and spherules of homogeneous rock melt. As the only known terrestrial impact crater in basalt, Lonar Crater provides unique opportunities for comparison with lunar craters. In particular, microbreccias and glass spherules from Lonar Crater have close analogs among the Apollo specimens. PMID- 17789257 TI - Fordilla troyensis Barrande: The Oldest Known Pelecypod. AB - Specimens of the small bivalved animal Fordilla troyensis Barrande from New York State show that this fossil is the oldest known pelecypod mollusk and not a conchostracan arthropod. This finding extends the range of the class Pelecypoda backward in time from the Early Ordovician (about 495 million years ago) to the Early Cambrian (about 540 to 570 million years ago). The morphology of Fordilla troyensis suggests that it lived infaunally and that it was ancestral to the pelecypod subclasses Heteroconchia and Isofilibranchia. PMID- 17789258 TI - The last international congress of zoology? PMID- 17789259 TI - Graphic display of data. PMID- 17789260 TI - Quantitative cytotoxic assay. PMID- 17789261 TI - Glaucoma diagnosis. PMID- 17789262 TI - Speech prosthesis. PMID- 17789264 TI - Literature. PMID- 17789263 TI - Spectral interpretation materials. PMID- 17789265 TI - Politics of psychiatry. AB - In the letter "Politics of psychiatry" (23 Mar., p. 1184), the first signature should have been Paul L. Watson, not Peter L. Watson. PMID- 17789267 TI - CHARLES ABIATHAR WHITE. PMID- 17789266 TI - THE TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY PHYSICS. PMID- 17789268 TI - MEETINGS OF THE ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA AND OF THE SOLAR UNION. PMID- 17789269 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17789270 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17789272 TI - REFORM OF THE CALENDAR. PMID- 17789271 TI - THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION. PMID- 17789273 TI - A STUDY OF THE METHODS OF DETERMINING FAME. PMID- 17789274 TI - LIME AND LEGUME INOCULATION. PMID- 17789275 TI - The language problem. PMID- 17789276 TI - Economic recovery and scientific research. PMID- 17789277 TI - The NSF programs. PMID- 17789278 TI - Transition at the EPA. PMID- 17789279 TI - Solar chemistry of metal complexes. AB - Electronic excited states of certain transition metal complexes undergo oxidation reduction reactions that store chemical energy. Such reactions have been extensively explored for mononuclear complexes. Two classes of polynuclear species exhibit similar properties, and these complexes are now being studied as possible homogeneous sensitizer-catalysts for hydrogen production from aqueous solutions. PMID- 17789280 TI - OTA Predicts Growing Soviet Energy Trade. PMID- 17789281 TI - Medfly continues to bug california. PMID- 17789282 TI - U.S. Announces Pullout from IIASA in Vienna. PMID- 17789283 TI - Aliens on the campus. PMID- 17789285 TI - New creationism bill already drafted. PMID- 17789284 TI - Engineers flee academia. PMID- 17789286 TI - Cephalosporins are not the only answer. PMID- 17789287 TI - AAAS Exhibit 1982. PMID- 17789288 TI - Hermann j. Muller. PMID- 17789289 TI - Genetics. PMID- 17789290 TI - Biological gerontology. PMID- 17789291 TI - Interferon popularized. PMID- 17789292 TI - Politicization examined. PMID- 17789294 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17789293 TI - Paleognathous carinate birds from the early tertiary of north america. AB - Fossils newly discovered in the Paleocene and early Eocene of western North America document some of the oldest birds known from nearly complete skeletons. These were medium-sized carinates with powers of sustained flight but which had a paleognathous palate like that of the flightless ostrich-like birds and the tinamous. The fossils provide additional evidence that the paleognathous palate is probably primitive and therefore should not be cited as a derived character state to define the ostrich-like birds as a monophyletic group. PMID- 17789295 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17789296 TI - RELATIONSHIP OF VETERINARY SCIENCE TO ANIMAL BREEDING AND PUBLIC HEALTH--LEGAL PROTECTION OF THE PRACTISE OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. PMID- 17789297 TI - CREST AND HERNIA IN FOWLS DUE TO A SINGLE GENE WITHOUT DOMINANCE. PMID- 17789298 TI - OVERWINTERING OF APLANOBACTER STEWARTI. PMID- 17789300 TI - INTERNAL PRESSURE IN LATEX SYSTEM. PMID- 17789299 TI - THE NEWFOUNDLAND SEAL FISHERY. PMID- 17789301 TI - RAPID STAINING METHODS. PMID- 17789302 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF CO2 CONTENT OF AN ATMOSPHERE IN A CLOSED SYSTEM. PMID- 17789303 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LESIONS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. PMID- 17789304 TI - THE MUCOID PHASE OF STREPTOCOCCUS HEMOLYTICUS. PMID- 17789306 TI - THE MONEY OF THE INDIANS OF THE ATLANTIC STATES. PMID- 17789305 TI - AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSE OF POPULATION FLUCTUATIONS. PMID- 17789307 TI - ARTIFICIAL LIGHTNING. PMID- 17789308 TI - THE TREATMENT OF SORE FINGERS. PMID- 17789309 TI - THE CONTROL OF ASTER YELLOWS. PMID- 17789310 TI - AIRPLANES IN ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17789311 TI - HEALTH IN CHINA. PMID- 17789312 TI - THE OUTLOOK FOR PSYCHOLOGY. PMID- 17789314 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17789313 TI - FREDERICK CHEEVER SHATTUCK. PMID- 17789315 TI - NOTE ON THE GEOLOGIC AGE OF PITHECANTHROPUS AND EOANTHROPUS. PMID- 17789316 TI - THE MOVEMENT OF SAP IN PLANTS. PMID- 17789317 TI - GROUP THEORY AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17789318 TI - STOMATA WHICH SHOW FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT FOR A CENTURY. PMID- 17789319 TI - PRESS SERVICE. PMID- 17789320 TI - THE PRINCETON-BUFFALO EXPEDITION TO THE WEST INDIES. PMID- 17789322 TI - CINEMATOGRAPHS OF LIVING DEVELOPING RABBIT-EGGS. PMID- 17789321 TI - ILLUMINATION OF ANATOMICAL PREPARATIONS. PMID- 17789323 TI - CONTROLLING DAMPING-OFF WITH ELECTRIC LAMPS. PMID- 17789324 TI - DETECTION OF THE ISOTOPES OF LEAD BY THE BAND SPECTRUM METHOD. PMID- 17789325 TI - Feedback. PMID- 17789326 TI - F. W. Hodge, Anthropologist and Editor. PMID- 17789327 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17789328 TI - Glucose Oxidase with Iodide-Iodate-Starch or o-Tolidine as a Specific Spray for Glucose. PMID- 17789329 TI - Gravity Shields. PMID- 17789330 TI - Analysis of Standard Granite and Standard Diabase for Trace Elements. PMID- 17789332 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17789331 TI - Primary Quantum Conversion Process in Photosynthesis: Electron Spin Resonance. PMID- 17789333 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17789334 TI - A SAGE IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17789335 TI - THE INDIANS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17789337 TI - ARCHAeOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE AMOOR RIVER. PMID- 17789336 TI - ARCHAeOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST OF AMERICA. PMID- 17789338 TI - SCINTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17789339 TI - 'THE EVOLUTION OF MODESTY.'. PMID- 17789340 TI - OSMOTIC SOLUTIONS. PMID- 17789341 TI - TRANSMITTED CHARACTERISTICS IN A WHITE ANGORA CAT. PMID- 17789342 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17789343 TI - THE BRAIN OF HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ. PMID- 17789344 TI - THE ST. LOUIS MEETINGS. PMID- 17789345 TI - THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. PMID- 17789346 TI - SECTION H, ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17789347 TI - THE WASHINGTON MEETING OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, DECEMBER 30, 31, 1902, JANUARY 1 AND 2, 1903. PMID- 17789348 TI - ESTEVAN ANTONIO FUERTES. PMID- 17789349 TI - THE GREAT AUK. PMID- 17789350 TI - THE DESTRUCTION OF FROGS. PMID- 17789351 TI - SMITHSON'S REMAINS. PMID- 17789352 TI - AN UPPER PLIOCENE CAVE. PMID- 17789353 TI - RESEARCH FUNDS OF THE SCIENTIFIC ALLIANCE OF NEW YORK. PMID- 17789354 TI - FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17789355 TI - AN IMPROVED STEAM-DRIVEN FAN. PMID- 17789356 TI - CLARK UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17789357 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17789358 TI - What Dr. Flint has to Say about the Nicaragua Footprints. PMID- 17789359 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17789360 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17789361 TI - WELLESLEY COLLEGE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTANICAL EDUCATION IN AMERICA. PMID- 17789362 TI - NEUROLOGY AND THE TEACHING OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17789364 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17789363 TI - THE CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENARY OF MARCELIN BERTHELOT. PMID- 17789365 TI - APPLIED GEOPHYSICS. PMID- 17789366 TI - THE MULTIPLE ORIGIN OF TUMORS. PMID- 17789367 TI - THE CUTICULA OF NEMATODES. PMID- 17789369 TI - AN UNUSUAL ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON. PMID- 17789368 TI - PSYCHO-ENDOCRINOLOGY. PMID- 17789370 TI - RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL GEODETIC AND GEOPHYSICAL UNION. PMID- 17789372 TI - THE ANATOMY OF THE CORIUM. PMID- 17789371 TI - INFILTRATING PIG EMBRYOS WITH PARAFFIN. PMID- 17789373 TI - THE DIALYSIS OF PITUITARY EXTRACTS. PMID- 17789375 TI - JACQUES LOEB. PMID- 17789376 TI - THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF A COURSE IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17789374 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17789378 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17789377 TI - THE HARVARD BOTANICAL GARDEN IN CUBA. PMID- 17789379 TI - THE LEARNING CURVE FOR A SNAIL. PMID- 17789381 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17789380 TI - MAGNETIZATION CURVE, NAMES FOR ITS PARTS. PMID- 17789383 TI - PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17789382 TI - TRICHIN.E IN PORK. PMID- 17789384 TI - A SKETCH OF THE GEOLOGY OF HUDSON COUNTY, N. J. PMID- 17789385 TI - THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17789386 TI - THE SOULS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. PMID- 17789387 TI - SIR W. THOMSON'S NEW DEPTH GAUGE. PMID- 17789388 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17789389 TI - ASTRONOMICAL MEMORANDA. PMID- 17789390 TI - MICROSCOPY. PMID- 17789391 TI - CHEMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17789393 TI - A GREETING TO THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789392 TI - THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17789394 TI - DESTRUCTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ENERGIES OF OUR GOVERNMENT COMPARED. PMID- 17789395 TI - A HALF-CENTURY OF EVOLUTION, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EFFECTS OF GEOLOGICAL CHANGES ON ANIMAL LIFE (II.). PMID- 17789396 TI - EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17789397 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17789399 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17789398 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17789401 TI - CHRISTMAS ISLAND. PMID- 17789400 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17789402 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17789403 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17789404 TI - NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE TROAD. PMID- 17789405 TI - SONNET. PMID- 17789407 TI - THE IGLOO OF THE INNUIT.--III. PMID- 17789406 TI - OCCURRENCE OF MOUND-BUILDERS' PIPES IN NEW JERSEY. PMID- 17789409 TI - Prehensile feet of the crows. PMID- 17789408 TI - MINNESOTA WEATHER. PMID- 17789410 TI - The right whale of the North Atlantic. PMID- 17789411 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17789412 TI - An interesting sun-spot. PMID- 17789413 TI - THE SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17789414 TI - Kalmia or rhododendron. PMID- 17789415 TI - Achenial hairs of Senecio. PMID- 17789416 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17789417 TI - GEOLOGY OF PHILADELPHIA. PMID- 17789418 TI - THE IROQUOIS BOOK OF RITES. PMID- 17789419 TI - STATE RESPONSIBILITY IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. PMID- 17789420 TI - SCIENIIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17789421 TI - METAGENESIS IN INSECTS. PMID- 17789422 TI - LODGE'S ETHER AND HUYGHENS'S GRAVITATION. PMID- 17789423 TI - THE PROBABLE ORIGIN AND PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF OUR SIDEREAL AND SOLAR SYSTEMS. PMID- 17789424 TI - A NOISELESS ROOM FOR SOUND EXPERIMENTS. PMID- 17789425 TI - SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL CONGRESS--SECTION OF PALEOZOOLOGY. PMID- 17789426 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTS. SECTION K--PHYSIOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE--AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. BIOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789427 TI - ORGANIZATION OF AN AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY. PMID- 17789428 TI - SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE LAMARCK MEMORIAL. PMID- 17789429 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789430 TI - Helpful fossil hunters. PMID- 17789432 TI - Land for Florida's Fauna. PMID- 17789431 TI - Helpful fossil hunters. PMID- 17789433 TI - The cost of downsizing. PMID- 17789435 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17789434 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - In the editorial "Punctuated equilibrium in scientific publishing" by Ellis Rubinstein (9 June, p. 1415), the first name of Gerard Piel was spelled incorrectly, and his year of retirement, and that of Dennis Flanagan, should have been given as 1984, not 1986. PMID- 17789436 TI - Scientific dispute at center of legal battle over salmon catch. PMID- 17789437 TI - Congress split on best way to reshape network of labs. PMID- 17789438 TI - A theory of everything takes shape. PMID- 17789440 TI - Scientific immigration. PMID- 17789439 TI - Does Magnetic Twist Crank Up the Sun's Outbursts? PMID- 17789441 TI - Plastic chips. PMID- 17789442 TI - Protest spreads against French nukes. PMID- 17789443 TI - The changing ecology of United States science. PMID- 17789444 TI - Interhemispheric correlation of late pleistocene glacial events. AB - A radiocarbon chronology shows that piedmont glacier lobes in the Chilean Andes achieved maxima during the last glaciation at 13,900 to 14,890, 21,000, 23,060, 26,940, 29,600, and >/=33,500 carbon-14 years before present ((14)C yr B.P.) in a cold and wet Subantarctic Parkland environment. The last glaciation ended with massive collapse of ice lobes close to 14,000(14)C yr B.P., accompanied by an influx of North Patagonian Rain Forest species. In the Southern Alps of New Zealand, additional glacial maxima are registered at 17,720(14)C yr B.P., and at the beginning of the Younger Dryas at 11,050 (14)C yr B. P. These glacial maxima in mid-latitude mountains rimming the South Pacific were coeval with ice-rafting pulses in the North Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, the last termination began suddenly and simultaneously in both polar hemispheres before the resumption of the modern mode of deep-water production in the Nordic Seas. Such interhemispheric coupling implies a global atmospheric signal rather than regional climatic changes caused by North Atlantic thermohaline switches or Laurentide ice surges. PMID- 17789445 TI - Unraveling nanotubes: field emission from an atomic wire. AB - Field emission of electrons from individually mounted carbon nanotubes has been found to be dramatically enhanced when the nanotube tips are opened by laser evaporation or oxidative etching. Emission currents of 0.1 to 1 microampere were readily obtained at room temperature with bias voltages of less than 80 volts. The emitting structures are concluded to be linear chains of carbon atoms, Cn, (n = 10 to 100), pulled out from the open edges of the graphene wall layers of the nanotube by the force of the electric field, in a process that resembles unraveling the sleeve of a sweater. PMID- 17789446 TI - Isolation of the Heterofullerene C59N as Its Dimer (C59N)2. AB - The heterofullerene ion C(59)N(+) is formed efficiently in the gas phase during fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy of a cluster-opened N-MEM (N methoxyethoxy methyl) ketolactam. This transformation is shown to occur also in solution in the presence of strong acid, affording biazafullerenyl (C(59)N)(2) in good yield. It is proposed that the azafullerene dimer is formed upon in situ reduction of the highly reactive azafulleronium ion. The isolation and characterization of biazafullerenyl opens a viable route for the preparation of other heterofullerenes in solution. PMID- 17789447 TI - A stable high-index surface of silicon: si(5 5 12). AB - A stable high-index surface of silicon, Si(5 5 12), is described. This surface forms a 2 x 1 reconstruction with one of the largest unit cells ever observed, 7.7 angstroms by 53.5 angstroms. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals that the 68 surface atoms per 2 x 1 unit cell are reconstructed only on a local scale. A complete structural model for the surface is proposed, incorporating a variety of features known to exist on other stable silicon surfaces. Simulated STM images based on this model have been computed by first-principles electronic-structure methods and show excellent agreement with experiment. PMID- 17789448 TI - Organic heterostructure field-effect transistors. AB - Organic field-effect transistors have been developed that function as either n channel or p-channel devices, depending on the gate bias. The two active materials are alpha-hexathienylene (alpha-6T) and C(60). The characteristics of these devices depend mainly on the molecular orbital energy levels and transport properties of alpha-6T and C(60). The observed effects are not unique to the two materials chosen and can be quite universal provided certain conditions are met. The device can be used as a building block to form low-cost, low-power complementary integrated circuits. PMID- 17789449 TI - Observation and origin of self-organized textures in agates. AB - One of the most impressive manifestations of spontaneous pattern generation in natural materials is iris agate, which contains submicrometer concentric striations that may cycle several thousand times within an individual specimen. Analysis by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy identified the iris texture as alternating layers of fine-grained, highly defective chalcedony and coarse-grained low-defect quartz. This oscillatory zonation in defect concentration may be ascribed to Ostwald-Liesegang crystallization cycles from silica-rich fluids that are variably polymeric and monomeric. Periodic changes in defect concentration and grain size also are observed with wavelengths of hundreds of micrometers and of centimeters, so that agates reveal textural self-similarity over three length scales. PMID- 17789450 TI - Late glacial climate record of midwestern United States from the hydrogen isotope ratio of lake organic matter. AB - A hydrogen isotope time series obtained from an analysis of organic matter extracted from a lake core in Kalamazoo, southwestern Michigan, reveals four distinct isotope stages within the last 12,000 years that can be interpreted in terms of oscillations between cold and warm, dry climates. The most dramatic are a cold phase between 12,000 and 9000 years before present (B.P.), a warm, dry period between 8500 and 2000 years B.P., a cold period between 2000 and 1000 years B.P., and a warming trend since 1000 years B.P. The warming trend of the last 1000 years is comparable in magnitude to the mid-Holocene warm phase. PMID- 17789451 TI - Response. PMID- 17789453 TI - Vignettes: physics from the bottom up. PMID- 17789452 TI - America's Pursuit of Precision Bombing,1910-1945. PMID- 17789454 TI - Hidden scholars. PMID- 17789455 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17789456 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789457 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789458 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789459 TI - North vietnamese science. PMID- 17789460 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789461 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789462 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789464 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789463 TI - Des residues. PMID- 17789465 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789466 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789467 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17789468 TI - The quest for environmental indices. PMID- 17789469 TI - Between Laws of Thermodynamics and Coding of Information: There is nothing wrong with Carnot's cycle, but contemporary thermodynamics may be more useful. PMID- 17789470 TI - Needs and trends in congressional decision-making. PMID- 17789471 TI - Sickle cell anemia: the route from obscurity to prominence. PMID- 17789472 TI - Geologists rebuild after flood. PMID- 17789473 TI - The new federalism in science: more fingers in the pie. PMID- 17789474 TI - Nader's Congress Project: Political Scientists Intrigued but Fretful. PMID- 17789475 TI - East-west think tank born. PMID- 17789476 TI - Weather watch. PMID- 17789477 TI - U.k. Environment minister deplores rule by decree. PMID- 17789478 TI - COPEP to Rock RANN's Boat. PMID- 17789479 TI - Fission: The Pro's and Con's of Nuclear Power. PMID- 17789480 TI - The remanent magnetization of lunar soils. AB - The magnetic material in the lunar soils makes them potentially strong carriers of remanence and magnetically viscous. The soils therefore block remanence in the temperature range of the lunar diurnal cycle. This remanence is stable against alternating-field demagnetization. A mechanism whereby such hard natural remanent magnetization may be acquired by material buried in the regolith is proposed. PMID- 17789481 TI - North atlantic ocean: preliminary description of normal modes. AB - The three lowest gravitational modes of free oscillation of the North Atlantic Ocean are estimated by numerical integration of Laplace's tidal equations. These modes have periods of approximately 21, 14, and 11 hours, and structures, respectively, of one, two, and three positive amphidromic systems. The phase distribution of the first mode resembles cotidal charts of the diurnal tide, and the period of the second mode is consistent with that inferred by Wunsch from tidal data in Bermuda and the Azores. PMID- 17789482 TI - Cracks and pores: a closer look. AB - Most pores and some cracks in several rocks, as directly viewed with a new technique, have a shape that suggests an origin early in the history of these rocks. Thus, behavior in the laboratory may be a reliable indication of behavior in the earth's crust, for electrical resistivity, permeability, or other properties that depend on microporosity. PMID- 17789483 TI - Wing movements of calling katydids: fiddling finesse. AB - Stridulating Uhler's katydids produce the most complex song known for insects. Series of four types of sounds are made in stereotyped sequence. Sound synchronized high-speed photography reveals that each type of sound is produced by a distinctively different wing-movement cycle. The most complex of these cycles includes a two-step closure and a nearly silent close-open movement. PMID- 17789484 TI - Social experimentation and public policy. PMID- 17789485 TI - Institutional patterns and societal r&d. PMID- 17789487 TI - Supporting and managing technological development. PMID- 17789486 TI - Space Technology: EROS, ERTS, and the Space Shuttle. PMID- 17789488 TI - When will the present interglacial end? PMID- 17789490 TI - WILFRED THOMAS DAWSON. PMID- 17789489 TI - PROGRESS IN PETROLEUM. PMID- 17789491 TI - THE SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17789492 TI - A SYMPOSIUM ON HYDROBIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. PMID- 17789493 TI - THE BICENTENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. PMID- 17789494 TI - THE EIGHTH SUMMER CONFERENCE ON APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17789495 TI - CALCIUM CARBONATE DEPOSITS MARGINAL TO GLACIERS. PMID- 17789496 TI - A MAJOR CYCLE IN INSECT FLIGHTS. PMID- 17789498 TI - LEONARDO DA VINCI ON ISOSTASY. PMID- 17789497 TI - COMPOUND WORDS IN SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17789499 TI - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17789500 TI - JOSEPH LOUIS LAGRANGE. PMID- 17789501 TI - THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789503 TI - THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789502 TI - THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789504 TI - THE REPORT ON BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS FOR 1939. PMID- 17789505 TI - THE SYNTHESIS OF GLYCOCYAMINE IN RAT KIDNEY AND A MECHANISM OF CREATINE SYNTHESIS IN VIVO. PMID- 17789507 TI - EFFECT OF ESTROGENS AND ANDROGENS ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN ON THE OVARY OF THE HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED RAT. PMID- 17789506 TI - NUTRITION AS A FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO INVOLVEMENT OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM BY CERTAIN VIRUSES. PMID- 17789508 TI - MICROFILM WITH THE 35-MILLIMETER CANDID CAMERA. PMID- 17789509 TI - Origin of yellow rain. PMID- 17789510 TI - Erratum. AB - In R. Jeffrey Smith's News and Comment article "Antisatellite weapon sets dangerous course" (14 Oct., p. 140), a remark on page 141 (column 3) by Richard Garwin about the usefulness of rockets, balloons, and aircraft to supplant U.S. photoreconnaissance and meterological satellites was inadvertently attributed to Robert Buchheim. And a characterization on page 141 (column 2) of the Soviet antisatellite weapon, or ASAT, was actually made by General Lewis Allen, the former Air Force chief of staff, not by General David Jones, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Finally, a footnote on page 142 should have identified the Patriot as an air-to-air missile, not an air-to-ground missile. PMID- 17789511 TI - Adjectives, nouns, and hyphens. PMID- 17789512 TI - Engineering education. PMID- 17789513 TI - Coal in the United States: a status report. AB - Historical trends in U.S. coal production, transportation and utilization and their causes are analyzed. The changing structure of the coal industry and its possible future direction, as it is driven by the effects of the oil embargo and world oil prices, are examined. National policies in the United States to increase coal use from indigenous sources in order to diversify and increase reliability of supply raise questions as to availability of coal supply and potential markets. Possible constraints on U.S. coal production, transportation, and utilization are appraised and it is concluded that increased coal consumption is "demand constrained." The causes and potential means of removal of these limitations are examined. PMID- 17789514 TI - Administration Resists Demands for ASAT Ban: Arguments for a ban on antisatellite weapons gain an increasingly sympathetic hearing in Congress, but Reagan's appointees show little enthusiasm. PMID- 17789515 TI - Need a new lab? Just ask your senator. PMID- 17789516 TI - Britain Debates Science Education Reforms: School curricula are criticized for being excessively academic; all agree changes are needed, but reforms may prove elusive. PMID- 17789518 TI - A new plan for space physics. PMID- 17789517 TI - Congress sidetracks science education. PMID- 17789519 TI - EPA, OSHA Act to Curb Pesticide EDB. PMID- 17789520 TI - Nestle Complying with WHO Code for Infant Formulas. PMID- 17789521 TI - Ruckelshaus disappoints canadians on Acid rain. PMID- 17789522 TI - Supreme court to review pesticide data release. PMID- 17789524 TI - Carbon may break octet rule. PMID- 17789523 TI - Institute to aid congress on environment policy. PMID- 17789525 TI - Spacelab: Science on the Shuttle: A new era of space science dawns with the first flight of Spacelab; but how useful will the shuttle really be for science? PMID- 17789526 TI - A parade of firsts. PMID- 17789527 TI - Interactions in evolution: coevolution. PMID- 17789528 TI - Microfossils: neogene planktonic foraminifera. PMID- 17789529 TI - Fertilization: mechanism and control of animal fertilization. PMID- 17789530 TI - Historic volcanism, European dry fogs, and greenland Acid precipitation, 1500 B.C. To a.d. 1500. AB - Historic dry fogs in Europe, acid precipitation in Greenland, and major explosive volcanic eruptions correlate well with each other between 1500 B.C. and A.D. 1500. European (Mediterranean and Icelandic) volcanic eruptions appear to be the source of at least five of the nine largest acidity signals found in Greenland ice for this period. Between 152 B.C. and A.D. 43, eruptions of sulfur-rich Mount Etna probably supplied about 15 percent of the smaller acidity signals. PMID- 17789531 TI - Rates of hydrothermal reactions. AB - The rates of reactions of silicates and aqueous fluids follow zero-order kinetics controlled by the reacting surface area with the rate constant given by the equation: log k[unknown] -2900/T -6.85, where T is temperature and where k has the unit's gram-atoms of oxygen per square centimeter per second. This expression appears to hold for all silicates and for reactions involving dissolution, fluid production, or solid-solid transformations in the presence of a fluid of moderate to high pH. PMID- 17789532 TI - Electron Density Distribution in the Organic Superconductor (TMTSF)2AsF6. AB - Excellent crystals of (TMTSF)(2)AsF(6) (TMTSF, tetramethyltetraselenafulvalene) were employed to obtain x-ray diffraction data for a determination of the electron density distribution in this organic superconductor. Electron density was observed between molecules in a stack of donors of an organic metal and between certain interstack selenium atoms of these donors. PMID- 17789533 TI - Male Esterase 6 Catalyzes the Synthesis of a Sex Pheromone in Drosophila melanogaster Females. AB - Esterase 6, a component of the seminal fluid of Drosophila melanogaster males, hydrolyzes cis-vaccenyl acetate, a lipid made only by males, to cis-vaccenyl alcohol. This reaction occurs in the female reproductive tract and is virtually complete within 6 hours after copulation. Both the alcohol and the acetate decrease the number of matings among pairs of virgin flies in which the female is treated topically with these substances. Although females tested 10 minutes after copulation elicit less courtship than virgin females, females tested 6 hours after copulation stimulate even less courtship if they received active esterase 6 in the seminal fluid of their respective mates. Either the alcohol or a derivative appears to be an antiaphrodisiac that decreases courtship elicited by inseminated females and thus reduces the probability of further mating. Thus the activity of the pheromone depends on a final reaction which occurs in the female, using both substrate and enzyme provided by the male. PMID- 17789534 TI - AN HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE SCIENCE OF MECHANICS. PMID- 17789535 TI - THE FIVE BOOKS OF HISTORY. PMID- 17789536 TI - UNITY OF NOMENCLATURE IN ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. PMID- 17789537 TI - The Rise and Development of Organic Chemistry, by CARL SCHORLEMMER, LL. D., F. R. S., revised and edited by ARTHUR SMITHELLS, B. Sc., Prof. Chemistry in Yorkshire College, Leeds, Victoria Univ. Macmillan & Co., New York. Pp. 280. Price $1.60. PMID- 17789538 TI - IMMUNITY FROM LEPROSY OF THE FIFTH GENERATION. PMID- 17789539 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF THE MOON ON RAINFALL--A SYMPOSIUM. PMID- 17789540 TI - RECENT BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS IN IDAHO. PMID- 17789541 TI - BIRDS THAT SING IN THE NIGHT. PMID- 17789542 TI - ON THE USE OF THE COMPOUND EYES OF INSECTS. PMID- 17789544 TI - NOTES UPON THE ACTION OF DRUGS AND AGENCIES UPON THE RESPIRATORY MOVEMENTS. PMID- 17789543 TI - STATISTICS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. PMID- 17789545 TI - TURKISH TIME-PIECES. PMID- 17789547 TI - Electrical Phenomena on the Mountains of Colorado. PMID- 17789546 TI - Man and the Glacial Period. PMID- 17789548 TI - Sense of Direction. PMID- 17789549 TI - The Humming-Bird's Food. PMID- 17789550 TI - Pseudaurora Borealis; or, What was It? PMID- 17789551 TI - Grand-Gulf Formation. PMID- 17789552 TI - The Gi'a Monster. PMID- 17789553 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC TEACHING OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789554 TI - LEVULOSE SIRUP. PMID- 17789555 TI - RESOLUTIONS OF THE PAN-PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE. PMID- 17789556 TI - SAMUEL SHELDON. PMID- 17789557 TI - AN INSTITUTION FOR TROPICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17789558 TI - MILLS AND FISHWAYS. PMID- 17789559 TI - THE HELIUM ARC AS A GENERATOR OF HIGH FREQUENCY OSCILLATIONS. PMID- 17789560 TI - EFFICIENCY IN THERMAL PHENOMENA. PMID- 17789562 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789561 TI - THE TAKE-ALL DISEASE OF WHEAT IN NEW YORK STATE. PMID- 17789564 TI - THE MAKING OF A TELESCOPE MIRROR. PMID- 17789563 TI - SUN-SPOTS AND RADIO. PMID- 17789565 TI - SEX HORMONES. PMID- 17789566 TI - HEART-BEAT STARTED BY RADIOACTIVE POTASSIUM. PMID- 17789567 TI - ELECTROSURGERY IN TREATING CANCER. PMID- 17789569 TI - SYMPATHETIC MAGIC IN MODERN GUISES. PMID- 17789568 TI - ANATOMY AS A SCIENCE. PMID- 17789570 TI - LIFE MEMBERSHIP. PMID- 17789572 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17789571 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17789573 TI - RECENT DISCUSSIONS OF THE REDUCTION DIVISION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. PMID- 17789574 TI - THE DECOMPOSITION OF OZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF NITROGEN PENTOXIDE. PMID- 17789575 TI - PETRIFIED WOOD IN THE NEW ALBANY SHALE. PMID- 17789576 TI - AN AUTOMATIC MICROSPIROMETER. PMID- 17789577 TI - COW'S MILK AS A SOURCE OF VITAMIN B FOR LACTATION. PMID- 17789578 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. II. PMID- 17789579 TI - THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF MASS PRODUCTION. PMID- 17789580 TI - PREVENTION OF POLIOMYELITIS. PMID- 17789581 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17789582 TI - THE USE OF VITAMIN D FROM COD-LIVER OIL IN MILK AND BREAD. PMID- 17789583 TI - CONCENTRATION OF MICROFILARIAE BY THE SALIVARY SECRETIONS OF BLOODSUCKING INSECTS. PMID- 17789584 TI - TWO CRITICISMS. PMID- 17789586 TI - BULBS FROM HOLLAND. PMID- 17789587 TI - THE USE OF PHENOSAFRANIN FOR STAINING FUNGI ON CULTURE MEDIA OR IN HOST TISSUE. PMID- 17789585 TI - THE "ROTETTE" OR AN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SMALL QUANTITIES OF LIQUIDS WITH RAPIDITY AND PRECISION. PMID- 17789588 TI - MIRROR DEMONSTRATION APPARATUS. PMID- 17789589 TI - PROTEIN FRACTIONS OF THE H 37 (HUMAN) STRAIN OF TUBERCLE BACILLUS. PMID- 17789590 TI - INDUCTION OF EXPERIMENTAL GRANULAR CONJUNCTIVITIS BY DIRECT INOCULATION OF TRACHOMATOUS TISSUE. PMID- 17789591 TI - ROD-SHAPED PARTICLES IN TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS DEMONSTRATED BY STREAM DOUBLE REFRACTION. PMID- 17789593 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789592 TI - PHOTOCHEMICAL NITRIFICATION IN SEA WATER. PMID- 17789595 TI - ADA Gene Therapy Enters the Competition. PMID- 17789594 TI - Accreditation and diversity in engineering education. PMID- 17789596 TI - A violent venus seen from a troubled magellan. PMID- 17789597 TI - Bottom-up revolution in science teaching. PMID- 17789598 TI - Turning teachers on to science. PMID- 17789599 TI - Congress cites agent orange coverup. PMID- 17789600 TI - Recombinant vaccine finally gets a chance. PMID- 17789601 TI - From crackhouse to freakhouse. PMID- 17789602 TI - Four mathematicians win field medals. PMID- 17789603 TI - A new fight over fetal tissue? PMID- 17789605 TI - A Round of Applause (Sort of) for EOS. PMID- 17789604 TI - A fishy kind of pollution detector. PMID- 17789606 TI - The nematode as a guide to human brain disease. PMID- 17789607 TI - Astronomers Try to Put Mauna Kea "into Space": The rapidly improving technology of adaptive optics may soon bring space-like clarity to many telescopes on the ground. PMID- 17789608 TI - In situ interfacial mass detection with piezoelectric transducers. AB - The converse piezoelectric effect, in which an electric field applied across a piezoelectric material induces a stress in that material, has spurred many recent developments in mass measurement techniques. These methods commonly rely on the changes in the vibrational resonant frequency of piezoelectric quartz oscillators that result from changes in mass on the surface of the oscillator. The dependence of frequency on mass has been exploited extensively for mass measurements in vacuum or gas phase, for example, thickness monitors for thin-film preparation and sensors for chemical agents. Advances in piezoelectric methodology in the last decade now allow dynamic measurements of minute mass changes (< 10(-9) grams per square centimeter) at surfaces, thin films, and electrode interfaces in liquid media as well. Mass measurements associated with a diverse collection of interfacial processes can be readily performed, including chemical and biological sensors, reactions catalyzed by enzymes immobilized on surfaces, electron transfer at and ion exchange in thin polymer films, and doping reactions of conducting polymers. PMID- 17789609 TI - Fire-southern oscillation relations in the southwestern United States. AB - Fire scar and tree growth chronologies (1700 to 1905) and fire statistics (since 1905) from Arizona and New Mexico show that small areas burn after wet springs associated with the low phase of the Southern Oscillation (SO), whereas large areas burn after dry springs associated with the high phase of the SO. Through its synergistic influence on spring weather and fuel conditions, climatic variability in the tropical Pacific significantly influences vegetation dynamics in the southwestern United States. Synchrony of fire-free and severe fire years across diverse southwestern forests implies that climate forces fire regimes on a subcontinental scale; it also underscores the importance of exogenous factors in ecosystem dynamics. PMID- 17789610 TI - Triassic vertebrates of gondwanan aspect from the richmond basin of virginia. AB - A new locality of early Late Triassic age in the Richmond basin of east-central Virginia has yielded abundant remains of a diversified assemblage of small to medium-sized tetrapods that closely resembles Southern Hemisphere (Gondwanan) assemblages in the predominance of certain synapsids. Associated palynomorphs indicate an early middle Carnian age for the fossiliferous strata. The discovery suggests that previously recognized differences between tetrapod assemblages of early Late Triassic age from Gondwana and Laurasia at least in part reflect differences in stratigraphic age, rather than geographic separation. PMID- 17789611 TI - Sexual role reversal in mate-finding strategies of the cabbage looper moth. AB - The mate-finding behavior of the cabbage looper moth Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) includes both female- and male-produced sex pheromones used in distinct mate-finding strategies. Both sexes release multicomponent pheromones attractive to the opposite sex. Male pheromone is comprised of d linalool, m-cresol, and p-cresol released from abdominal hair pencils. Males exposed to host plant odor or to the female sex pheromone (Z)-7-dodecen-1-ol acetate are more attractive to females, suggesting stimulation of male pheromone release. PMID- 17789612 TI - Bad Year Economics. Cultural Responses to Risk and Uncertainty. Paul Halstead and John O'Shea, Eds. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1989. x, 145 pp., illus. $49.50. New Directions in Archaeology. PMID- 17789613 TI - Organic Superconductors. T. Ishiguro and K. Yamaji. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990. x, 288 pp., illus. $59.50. Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences 88. PMID- 17789615 TI - Perspectives on Plant Competition. James B. Grace and David Tilman, Eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990. xiv, 484 pp., illus. $79.95. PMID- 17789614 TI - Asteroids II. Richard P. Binzel, Tom Gehrels, and Mildred Shapley Matthews, Eds. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1989. xii, 1258 pp., illus. $50. Space Science Series. Based on a conference, Tucson, AZ, March 1988. PMID- 17789617 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17789616 TI - SOME OF THE PRESENT-DAY PROBLEMS OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17789618 TI - THE NEW EDUCATION IN CHINA. PMID- 17789620 TI - THE FAUNA OF RUSSIAN RIVER, CALIFORNIA, AND ITS RELATION TO THAT OF THE SACRAMENTO. PMID- 17789619 TI - THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SUN. PMID- 17789621 TI - PINK KATYDIDS. PMID- 17789623 TI - RIGHT-HANDEDNESS AND PERIPHERAL VISION. PMID- 17789622 TI - THE MOTH-PROOFING OF WOOLENS. PMID- 17789624 TI - TERTIARY DEPOSITS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO. PMID- 17789626 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789625 TI - ANOPHEL. BREEDING IN SEA WATER. PMID- 17789627 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17789629 TI - Reading the bones for modern human origins. PMID- 17789628 TI - Chemistry curricula edge toward a new world. PMID- 17789630 TI - Huge impact tied to mass extinction. PMID- 17789631 TI - Microgravity materials science strives to stay in orbit. PMID- 17789632 TI - A vote for man in space. PMID- 17789633 TI - Intermolecular interactions. PMID- 17789634 TI - The nature of the metal-metal bond in bimetallic surfaces. AB - The formation of a surface metal-metal bond can produce large perturbations in the electronic, chemical, and catalytic properties of a metal. Recent studies indicate that charge transfer is an important component in surface metal-metal bonds that involve dissimilar elements. The larger the charge transfer, the stronger the cohesive energy of the bimetallic bond. On a surface, the formation of a heteronuclear metal-metal bond induces a flow of electron density toward the element with the larger fraction of empty states in its valence band. This behavior is completely contrary to that observed in bulk alloys, indicating that the nature of a heteronuclear metal-metal bond depends strongly on the structural geometry of the bimetallic system. PMID- 17789635 TI - A Lunar Occultation of the Dust-Scattering Halo Around GX 5-1 Observed with ROSAT. AB - The x-ray source GX 5-1 in the galactic bulge has been observed with the position sensitive proportional counter onboard the Rontgen satellite (ROSAT) during and after a lunar occultation. Extended emission around the source was unambiguously discovered while the central source was behind the lunar rim. This emission is interpreted as a dust-scattering halo around GX 5-1 that has a fractional intensity of 28 percent, implying a grain column density between GX 5-1 and Earth of approximately 3 x 10(10) per square centimeter. The halo derived from imaging during the ROSAT all-sky survey is identical to that obtained from the lunar occultation, thus demonstrating that the ROSAT x-ray mirror scattering has not changed as compared with the mirror properties as measured in preflight calibrations. PMID- 17789636 TI - High-velocity pulsars in the galactic halo. AB - It is proposed that high-velocity pulsars are produced in extended galactic halos, and possibly in extragalactic space, from primordial (population III) stars. Such a population of neutron stars could provide an explanation for the gamma-ray bursters and would then accommodate the possibility that most bursters are not in the visible parts of galaxies. PMID- 17789637 TI - Benzene forms hydrogen bonds with water. AB - Fully rotationally resolved spectra of three isotopic species of 1:1 clusters of benzene with water (H(2)O, D(2)O, and HDO) were fit to yield moments of inertia that demonstrate unambiguously that water is positioned above the benzene plane in nearly free internal rotation with both hydrogen atoms pointing toward the pi cloud. Ab initio calculations (MP2 level of electron correlation and 6-31 G(**) basis set with basis set superposition error corrections) predict a binding energy D(e) greater, similar 1.78 kilocalories per mole. In both the experimental and theoretical structures, water is situated nearly 1 angstrom within the van der Waals contacts of the monomers, a clear manifestation of hydrogen bond formation in this simple model of aqueous-pi electron interactions. PMID- 17789638 TI - Synthesis of fluoropolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide. AB - Fluoropolymers are used in many technologically demanding applications because of their balance of high-performance properties. A significant impediment to the synthesis of variants of commercially available amorphous fluoropolymers is their general insolubility in most solvents except chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The environmental concerns about CFCs can be circumvented by preparing these technologically important materials in supercritical fluids. The homogeneous solution polymerization of highly fluorinated acrylic monomers can be achieved in supercritical carbon dioxide by using free radical methods. In addition, detailed decomposition rates and efficiency factors were measured for azobisisobutyronitrile in supercritical carbon dioxide and were compared to those obtained with conventional liquid solvents. PMID- 17789639 TI - The reversal and splitting of waves in an excitable medium caused by an electrical field. AB - The reversal and splitting of traveling concentration waves was observed in a one dimensional Belousov-Zhabotinski reaction medium under the influence of low intensity electric field gradients ( approximately 10 V per centimeter). The wave reversal and splitting were strongly correlated with a characteristic transformation of the shape of both the wave front and the refractory tail of a wave in the local field gradient. The secondary role of generated hydrodynamic flow on wave transformation was also investigated. PMID- 17789640 TI - Coeval 40Ar/39Ar Ages of 65.0 Million Years Ago from Chicxulub Crater Melt Rock and Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Tektites. AB - (40)Ar/(39)Ar dating of drill core samples of a glassy melt rock recovered from beneath a massive impact breccia contained within the 180-kilometer subsurface Chicxulub crater in Yucatan, Mexico, has yielded well-behaved incremental heating spectra with a mean plateau age of 64.98 +/- 0.05 million years ago (Ma). The glassy melt rock of andesitic composition was obtained from core 9 (1390 to 1393 meters) in the Chicxulub 1 well. The age of the melt rock is virtually indistinguishable from (40)Ar/(39)Ar ages obtained on tektite glass from Beloc, Haiti, and Arroyo el Mimbral, northeastern Mexico, of 65.01 +/- 0.08 Ma (mean plateau age for Beloc) and 65.07 +/- 0.10 Ma (mean total fusion age for both sites). The (40)Ar/(39)Ar ages, in conjunction with geochemical and petrological similarities, strengthen the recent suggestion that the Chicxulub structure is the source for the Haitian and Mexican tektites and is a viable candidate for the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary impact site. PMID- 17789641 TI - Fervors, fears, and manageable realities. PMID- 17789642 TI - Cognition and context. PMID- 17789643 TI - Vignettes: tales of invention. PMID- 17789644 TI - Cordilleran magmatism. PMID- 17789646 TI - BAUXITE MINING. PMID- 17789645 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17789647 TI - A SOUTH AMERICAN LAMPREY. PMID- 17789648 TI - NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE GOLD FIELD OF CRIPPLE CREEK, COLORADO. PMID- 17789649 TI - THE SYNTHETICAL POWERS OF MICROORGANISMS--I. PMID- 17789651 TI - CONTINENTAL PHENOMENA ILLUSTRATED BY RIPPLE MARKS. PMID- 17789650 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON CHEMISTRY.--V. PMID- 17789652 TI - NOTES ON WATER LILIES, ETC. PMID- 17789653 TI - SECRET LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN. PMID- 17789654 TI - ANOTHER ROPE OF MAGGOTS. PMID- 17789655 TI - THE CONCEPT OF INTERNATIONALISM. PMID- 17789657 TI - THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17789656 TI - THE WHITE DWARFS. PMID- 17789658 TI - GRANTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17789659 TI - THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMON-WEALTH FUND. PMID- 17789660 TI - THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. PMID- 17789661 TI - GRANTS OF THE ELLA SACHS PLOTZ FOUNDATION. PMID- 17789662 TI - THE PEACH MOSAIC DISEASE. PMID- 17789663 TI - THE AGE OF THE PUNJAB SALT SERIES. PMID- 17789664 TI - ANAEROBIC RESPIRATION. PMID- 17789665 TI - BASIS FOR SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY AND CLASSIFICATION. PMID- 17789666 TI - THE DEFECT IN UTILIZATION OF TOCOPHEROL IN PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. PMID- 17789667 TI - MITOSIS IN REGENERATING LIVER. PMID- 17789668 TI - SURVIVAL OF THE MAMMARY TUMOR MILK AGENTS OF MICE. AB - The mammary tumor milk agent has been recovered from a transplanted mammary carcinoma that was carried for 10 passages in mice that did not themselves originally have the agent. It is possible that the agent, carried in the transplanted mammary tumor cells, may be responsible for the genetic mutations which have been detected in transplantable tumors. Preliminary results show that the agent can be recovered from the yolk sac of chick embryos 12 days after the injection into eggs of either tumor suspensions or cell-free filtrates of tissues containing the active agent. PMID- 17789669 TI - SIMULATION OF PHOTOPERIODICITY BY THERMOPERIODICITY. PMID- 17789670 TI - LOCATION OF THIAMIN AND RIBOFLAVIN IN WHEAT GRAINS. PMID- 17789671 TI - A CYLINDER GUIDE FOR USE IN PLATE ASSAY OF PENICILLIN. AB - A guide or template is described which facilitates placing the cylinders on the agar surface in the plate assay of penicillin. The general plan of conducting the assay is discussed and several advantages of the use of the guide are noted. We wish to thank Mr. Albert G. Sterling, instrument maker, for fabricating the guide and the aluminum cylinders. PMID- 17789672 TI - ELECTRIC FISH: The Marchioness Clara Lanza. PMID- 17789673 TI - THE ROCHESTER MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789674 TI - THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17789675 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON ICE AND ICEBERGS IN THE POLAR REGIONS. PMID- 17789676 TI - ON HEAT CONDUCTION IN HIGHLY RAREFIED AIR. PMID- 17789677 TI - PROFESSOR HUXLEY ON EVOLUTION. PMID- 17789679 TI - ECLIPSE OF THE SUN. PMID- 17789678 TI - RECENT DISCOVERIES RELATING TO THE DOUBLE STARS OF THE DORPAT CATALOUGE. PMID- 17789680 TI - ASTRONOMY: SWIFT'S COMET. PMID- 17789681 TI - SOVIET BIOLOGY. PMID- 17789682 TI - RUSSIAN EXPLORATIONS. PMID- 17789684 TI - L. CHARLES RAIFORD. PMID- 17789683 TI - SOME MODERN CONCEPTIONS OF AMEBIASIS II. PMID- 17789686 TI - LEVIN BOWLAND BROUGHTON. PMID- 17789685 TI - GIFT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD FOR PLASTIC SURGERY. PMID- 17789687 TI - THE CLEVELAND MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17789688 TI - AFFILIATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ORGANIZATIONS. PMID- 17789689 TI - THE GIBSON ISLAND RESEARCH CONFERENCES. PMID- 17789690 TI - AWARDS OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE AERONAUTICAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17789692 TI - MERCURY IN DRAIN PIPES. PMID- 17789691 TI - THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM IN WARTIME AND INTRODUCTORY COURSES IN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17789693 TI - A POISONOUS PEA CONTAMINATE. PMID- 17789695 TI - A SPRING-PRESSURE-CONTACT ELECTRODE FOR USE IN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC RECORDING. PMID- 17789694 TI - MAMMARY CANCER AND MAMMARY STRUCTURE IN INBRED STOCKS OF MICE AND THEIR HYBRIDS. PMID- 17789696 TI - AEROSOL, A NEW METHOD OF APPLYING GROWTH REGULATORS TO PLANTS. PMID- 17789697 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. ON SOME POST-EOCENE AND OTHER FORMATIONS OF THE GULF REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17789698 TI - ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, 1905. PMID- 17789699 TI - A CASE OF ISOLATION WITHOUT 'BAIRIERS'. PMID- 17789700 TI - FACTORS OF SPECIES-FORMATION. PMID- 17789701 TI - POSSIBILITY OF PSYSICAL FACTORS IN ILLUSIONS OF REVERSED MOTION. PMID- 17789702 TI - A NOTE ON MID-CRETACEOUS GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17789704 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17789703 TI - AGE OF PETROLEUM DEPOSITS, SARATOGA, TEXAS. PMID- 17789705 TI - ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17789706 TI - ROBERT OGDEN DOREMUS. PMID- 17789707 TI - A STANDARD AGRICULTURAL COURSE. PMID- 17789708 TI - THE METRIC SYSTEM BEFORE CONGRESS. PMID- 17789709 TI - THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17789710 TI - THE JUBILEE OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF ST. LOUIS. PMID- 17789712 TI - The electronics revolution. PMID- 17789711 TI - Electronics revolution. PMID- 17789713 TI - Electronics: past, present, and future. PMID- 17789714 TI - Evolution of computers and computing. PMID- 17789715 TI - Large-scale integration: what is yet to come? AB - The rapid development of large-scale integrated circuits in the last two decades has revolutionized information handling. Higher levels of integration have been achieved principally by making the individual circuit elements smaller, but reduction of random defects and innovations in circuit design have also been important factors. Practical limits to the size of integrated circuits, such as those imposed by the use of photolithography to define the circuits, can be avoided by using other methods, such as solid-state diffusion or electron beams. The prospects are that dimensions and defect densities will continue to be reduced while speed increases. Redundancy in circuits will lead to lower costs and higher levels of integration. As logic becomes more complex and applications narrower, the increased number of unique circuit designs needed tends to increase costs. The microprocessor was developed to answer this problem and will have a radical influence on future computing systems. PMID- 17789717 TI - Computers in banking and marketing. PMID- 17789716 TI - Intellectual and economic fuel for the electronics revolution. PMID- 17789719 TI - Satellite communications. PMID- 17789718 TI - The impact of integrated electronics in medicine. AB - There are two salient points which convey the essence of the impact of integrated electronics in medicine. First, the quality and availability of health care are becoming increasingly dependent on radically new diagnostic, monitoring, and prosthetic instruments provided by electronics. Second, many of these new instruments, such as ultrasonic imaging systems, blood flowmeters, and artificial inner ears, impose very stringent performance requirements, which can be met only through innovative application of integrated electronics. In summary, the initial impact of integrated electronics on health care is now visible, and consequently it is apparent that we are beginning a new era of revolutionary advances in medical instrumentation. Health care may indeed present the most promising opportunity to improve the quality of life in our society through electronics. PMID- 17789720 TI - Computers and research. PMID- 17789721 TI - Tutored videotape instruction: a new use of electronics media in education. PMID- 17789723 TI - Electronics and national defense: a case study. PMID- 17789722 TI - Impact of the electronics revolution on industrial process control. PMID- 17789724 TI - Some recent and future automotive electronic developments. AB - The automotive industry continues to examine new electronic technologies for their applicability to the automobile. Today, 16 electronic systems can be found on the automobile, and future engine and emission control systems will soon be added. Truck systems of interest include wheel-lock control, vehicle weighing systems, and tire pressure warning devices. Digital electronic displays and multiplex wiring systems are expected to be near-term developments and, on a longer-range basis, it is expected that automatic radar brakes and intoxicated driver interlocks will receive considerable attention. PMID- 17789725 TI - Electronic mail. PMID- 17789727 TI - The information economy and public policy. PMID- 17789726 TI - The convergence of computing and telecommunications systems. AB - Since we do not know of any completely workable solutions to the problems we have considered, we shall settle for a few general observations: 1) The public availability of socially useful computer communications services is and has been held back by legal battles that are now under way between the potential suppliers. 2) No simple resolution of these issues in the near future seems likely in view of the past conceptual separation of computers and communications doctrines. 3) The current policy is to determine whether the nation shall or shall not have certain computer communications services, by the adversary process. In this process, often only the voices of the loudest adversary suppliers are heard. 4) Although there can be no certainty that better alternatives cannot be devised, we believe that such a possibility assumes a higher probability if the key actors come from the technical community sectors more representative of the future consumers. 5) If we are to have the new services that are possible, we need an approach that makes better use of the technologists' dreams and goals rather than have future prospects excessively bound by lawyers paid to preserve the interests of their clients, irrespective of any secondary consequences. 6) We cannot be sanguine about this possibility, as technological statesmanship is too easily corrupted by the same forces that have placed us in this predicament. Furthermore, even if not corrupted, beneficial cooperation can too readily be regarded as simply collusion. 7) Although we do not have any clear answer, we do know that present approaches are not taking us where we want to go very rapidly and that alternative approaches should at least be considered. PMID- 17789728 TI - International trade in electronics: u.s.-Japan competition. PMID- 17789729 TI - Impact of electronics on employment: productivity and displacement effects. PMID- 17789730 TI - What computers mean for man and society. AB - From an economic standpoint, the modern computer is simply the most recent of a long line of new technologies that increase productivity and cause a gradual shift from manufacturing to service employment. The empirical evidence provides no support for the claim sometimes made that the computer "mechanizes" and "dehumanizes" work. Perhaps the greatest significance of the computer lies in its impact on Man's view of himself. No longer accepting the geocentric view of the universe, he now begins to learn that mind, too, is a phenomenon of nature, explainable in terms of simple mechanisms. Thus the computer aids him to obey, for the first time, the ancient injunction, "Know thyself." PMID- 17789731 TI - Trends in computers and computing: the information utility. AB - Demands for more effective information management, coupled with advances in computer hardware and software technology, have resulted in the emergence of the information utility concept, whereby computers specialized for information storage and processing serve as information nodes. The information nodes, which may be interconnected, can provide information management services to both conventional and personal computers. In this article the key hardware and software components of classical information systems are described to provide background on the requirements for an information utility. Four approaches to the development of specialized information nodes, drawing on various advances in technology, are presented: (i) firmware enhancement, (ii) intelligent controllers, (iii) minicomputer back-end processors, and (iv) highly modular database machines. The benefits of these advances will be systems that are more efficient, reliable, and easy to use. PMID- 17789732 TI - Software engineering. PMID- 17789733 TI - Photons in fibers for telecommunication. PMID- 17789734 TI - New technologies for signal processing. PMID- 17789735 TI - New memory technologies. AB - Computers today use a hierarchy of large-capacity, relatively slow mechanically accessed memories in conjunction with fast electronically accessed memories of relatively small capacity. While the gap between these is spanned by ingenious organizations and programming, it would be highly desirable to fill it instead by some device of sufficient capacity and speed. Candidates for gap-filling memories include metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) random-access memories (RAM's) made by large-scale integration (LSI); charge-coupled devices; magnetic bubble devices based on cylindrical domains of magnetization; electron beam-addressed memories; and optical memories based on lasers, holography, and electrooptical effects. At present, the MOS RAM is the prime contender. Its natural evolution and the evolution of magnetic-recording techniques on which mass storage is based are likely to continue to shape the future as they have for more than a decade. On the other hand, radically new technologies, still at an early laboratory stage, are aimed at a more ideal solution than today's hierarchy. PMID- 17789736 TI - Physical limits in semiconductor electronics. AB - Although the limitations of the methods of lithography in use at a particular time are easily recognized and attract substantial attention, experience shows that technological ingenuity keeps pushing them to ever-smaller dimensions. There seems to be no fundamental reason to expect that lithographic limits will not continue to recede. The limits to the advance of miniaturization are to be found in the ability of materials to withstand high electric fields and in the ability of packaging technology to remove heat from active components and provide for power distribution, signal interconnection, and flexible mechanical assembly. PMID- 17789738 TI - THE HISTORY OF ICHTHYOLOGY. PMID- 17789737 TI - Solid-state electronics: scientific basis for future advances. PMID- 17789739 TI - JOINT MEETINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, SECTION E, AND THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. PMID- 17789740 TI - DR. J. G. COOPER. PMID- 17789741 TI - SIX NEW SPECIES. PMID- 17789742 TI - GEOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS IN THE PITTSBURGH COAL REGION. PMID- 17789743 TI - Seven Days a Week. PMID- 17789744 TI - The Planet Venus: Recent observations shed light on the atmosphere, surface, and possible biology of the nearest planet. PMID- 17789745 TI - Scientists and American Science Policy: Who speaks for science? The future offers more dilemmas than unequivocal answers in science policy. PMID- 17789746 TI - Harry H. Goode System Engineer. PMID- 17789748 TI - Phylogeny of Priapulida. AB - The systematic position of the small invertebrate group, Priapulida, is uncertain. In more recent publications they are classified usually as pseudocoelomates in the division Aschelminthes. A histological investigation of Priapulus caudatus, a widely distributed species, reveals the body cavity to be a coelom, its lining a peritoneum. These features, and others, indicate the priapulids to be. coelomates rather than pseudocoelomates. Unique morphology perhaps qualifies the group for the status of phylum. PMID- 17789747 TI - Problems in Political Tactics: Tax Proposals for Education; Congress and Science Policy. PMID- 17789749 TI - Ion Uptake by Living Plant Roots. AB - By taking daily autoradiographs of a uniformly labeled soil in which plants are growing, patterns of actual ion uptake from the soil can be established. This technique can be used to study such influences on ion uptake as that of plant species ion diffusion, moisture and temperature stresses, and different physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. PMID- 17789750 TI - Coesite from Wabar Crater, near Al Hadida, Arabia. AB - The third natural occurrence of coesite, the high pressure polymorph of silica, is found at the Wabar meteorite crater, Arabia. The Wabar crater is about 300 feet in diameter and about 40 feet deep. It is the smallest of three craters where coesite has been found. PMID- 17789751 TI - Preliminary Geologic Report on the 1960 U.S. Expedition to Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica. AB - Thurston Peninsula, although largely snow covered, exposes massive to foliated dioritic rock and schist exhibiting northeast-trending structures. One basalt pebble was found. The adjacent continental shelf is cut by submarine valleys. Peter I Island, a dissected basaltic volcano 250 miles to the northeast, was visited. PMID- 17789752 TI - Program of the Gordon Research Conferences. PMID- 17789753 TI - Humid Tropics Vegetation. PMID- 17789754 TI - Forthcominig Events. PMID- 17789755 TI - Letters. PMID- 17789756 TI - Imprinting. PMID- 17789757 TI - Handling Scientific Information. PMID- 17789758 TI - Doomsday. PMID- 17789760 TI - Food Additives. PMID- 17789759 TI - History of the Microscope. PMID- 17789761 TI - Goals of Secondary School Teachers. PMID- 17789762 TI - Radiation Exposure. PMID- 17789763 TI - Sustained Swimming in Dolphins. PMID- 17789764 TI - Comets. PMID- 17789765 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789767 TI - Penguins oiled in Argentina. PMID- 17789766 TI - R&D expenditures in the petroleum industry. PMID- 17789768 TI - Correction. AB - In Deborah M. Barnes' article "AIDS commission bills proliferate" (News & Comment, 6 Mar., p. 1136), the AIDS commission proposals introduced by Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA) were incorrectly identified as being "along the lines of [those] recommended by the Institute of Medicine in its report ("Confronting AIDS") last fall." Instead, the IOM recommended the "establishment of a presidential or joint presidential and congressional commission that is independent and able to provide an ongoing critical assessment of needs-involving basic and clinical research, health care, public health, and other societal issues-as the AIDS epidemic develops," according to Roy Widdus, director of the IOM Division of International Health. The congressional advisory panel on AIDS, described in a bill introduced by Senator Pete Wilson (R-CA), incorrectly identified its potential membership. It would be open to IOM members, not exclude them, as the article indicates. PMID- 17789769 TI - Erratum. AB - In Colin Norman's article "The dark side of SDI" (News & Comment, 27 Feb., p. 962), the affiliation of Caroline Herzenberg was incorrectly given as Brookhaven National Laboratory. She is a member of the staff of Argonne National Laboratory. The paper she presented at the AAAS symposium in Chicago on 15 February was based on research conducted independently, and not with laboratory funding. PMID- 17789771 TI - Locust travel. PMID- 17789770 TI - International archaeological congresses. PMID- 17789772 TI - After DIVAD, an $11-Billion Plan: The cancellation of the Army's infamous Sgt. York air defense gun has left frontline troops without defense against helicopters; the Army hopes a combination of new and old weapons will meet the growing air threat. PMID- 17789773 TI - A missile that sees over hills. PMID- 17789774 TI - Will NTIS Go Private? PMID- 17789775 TI - France Expels Soviets for Spying on Ariane: Six diplomats were expelled after seven people were arrested for allegedly spying on high-tech industry in northern France. PMID- 17789776 TI - Reagan Endorses a Two-Phase Space Station: Stretching out construction of the space station will help with NASA's budget problem, but the result could be serious gap in flight opportunities for space science. PMID- 17789778 TI - Tracking the Wandering Poles of Ancient Earth: New analyses support the contention that Earth's poles have wandered across the globe, at times as fast as continental drift. PMID- 17789777 TI - Taking the Pulse of Parkfield: After their second significant alert on the San Andreas fault, researchers are encouraged that they are in touch with the source of the next Parkfield earthquake. PMID- 17789779 TI - Probing interfaces involving liquids. AB - Last month in Washington, D.C., the National Academy of Sciences held the first of what it hopes will be a series of seminars in forefront fields of science, technology, and medicine. The idea is to bring the academy closer to the frontlines of research and to help spread the word to federal science policy makers. The subject of the 23 and 24 March seminar was interfaces and thin films, and the talks, though tutorial in nature, contained a pleasantly large number of still unpublished results. Interfaces, such as the surface of a solid exposed to a liquid or gas, and thin films, whose properties are heavily influenced by interfaces, have long been of considerable technological importance and have always been so in biological processes, but researchers are now getting access to the experimental and theoretical tools needed to explore these complex physical systems that are neither ideally two-dimensional nor fully three-dimensional. The briefings that follow give a peek at three ways to probe interfaces involving liquids. PMID- 17789780 TI - Earthquake hazards on the cascadia subduction zone. AB - Large subduction earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone pose a potential seismic hazard. Very young oceanic lithosphere (10 million years old) is being subducted beneath North America at a rate of approximately 4 centimeters per year. The Cascadia subduction zone shares many characteristics with subduction zones in southern Chile, southwestern Japan, and Colombia, where comparably young oceanic lithosphere is also subducting. Very large subduction earthquakes, ranging in energy magnitude (M(w)) between 8 and 9.5, have occurred along these other subduction zones. If the Cascadia subduction zone is also storing elastic energy, a sequence of several great earthquakes (M(w) 8) or a giant earthquake (M(w) 9) would be necessary to fill this 1200-kilometer gap. The nature of strong ground motions recorded during subduction earthquakes of M(w) less than 8.2 is discussed. Strong ground motions from even larger earthquakes (M(w) up to 9.5) are estimated by simple simulations. If large subduction earthquakes occur in the Pacific Northwest, relatively strong shaking can be expected over a large region. Such earthquakes may also be accompanied by large local tsunamis. PMID- 17789781 TI - The 1986 lake nyos gas disaster in cameroon, west Africa. AB - The sudden, catastrophic release of gas from Lake Nyos on 21 August 1986 caused the deaths of at least 1700 people in the northwest area of Cameroon, West Africa. Chemical, isotopic, geologic, and medical evidence support the hypotheses that (i) the bulk of gas released was carbon dioxide that had been stored in the lake's hypolimnion, (ii) the victims exposed to the gas cloud died of carbon dioxide asphyxiation, (iii) the carbon dioxide was derived from magmatic sources, and (iv) there was no significant, direct volcanic activity involved. The limnological nature of the gas release suggests that hazardous lakes may be identified and monitored and that the danger of future incidents can be reduced. PMID- 17789782 TI - The Melting Curve of Iron to 250 Gigapascals: A Constraint on the Temperature at Earth's Center. AB - The melting curve of iron, the primary constituent of Earth's core, has been measured to pressures of 250 gigapascals with a combination of static and dynamic techniques. The melting temperature of iron at the pressure of the core-mantle boundary (136 gigapascals) is 4800 +/- 200 K. whereas at the inner core-outer core boundary (330 gigapascals), it is 7600 +/- 500 K. Corrected for melting point depression resulting from the presence of impurities, a melting temperature for iron-rich alloy of 6600 K at the inner core-outer core boundary and a maximum temperature of 6900 K at Earth's center are inferred. This latter value is the first experimental upper bound on the temperature at Earth's center, and these results imply that the temperature of the lower mantle is significantly less than that of the outer core. PMID- 17789784 TI - Vocational potential: advantage and disadvantage. PMID- 17789783 TI - First record of giant anteater (xenarthra, myrmecophagidae) in north america. AB - A right metacarpal III represents the first North American record of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Recovered in northwestern Sonora, Mexico, with a rich vertebrate fauna of early Pleistocene (Irvingtonian) age, it belongs to a cohort of large mammals that dispersed from South America to North America along a savanna corridor. Presumably habitat and climatic changes have subsequently driven this mammalian family more than 3000 kilometers back into Central America from its former expansion into temperate North America. PMID- 17789785 TI - The child in Japanese culture: child development and education in Japan. PMID- 17789786 TI - Structure in ecology: a hierarchical concept of ecosystems. PMID- 17789787 TI - Continental geophysics: the continental crust. PMID- 17789788 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17789790 TI - INTERPRETATION OF A WATER EXAMINATION. PMID- 17789789 TI - LIFE AND CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17789791 TI - ALTERNATION OF GENERATIONS IN ANIMALS. PMID- 17789793 TI - A NEW FORM OF STEREOSCOPE. PMID- 17789792 TI - SCIENCE AND THE NEWSPAPERS. PMID- 17789794 TI - A MODEST STUDENT OF ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY. PMID- 17789795 TI - A REVISION OF THE COCCACEAe. PMID- 17789796 TI - A CONNECTION BY PRECISE LEVELING BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS. PMID- 17789797 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17789798 TI - NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17789799 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789800 TI - Results and discussion in an election year. PMID- 17789801 TI - Savannah River Blues: DOE's new safety team runs into bureaucratic obstacles and an assumption among operators that "reactors are safe unless demonstrated otherwise". PMID- 17789802 TI - Security at weapons labs. PMID- 17789803 TI - NSF Pauses to Assess Engineering Centers. PMID- 17789804 TI - Let 100 million trees bloom. PMID- 17789806 TI - Discovery Gets a Clean Bill of Health: NASA has made hundreds of fixes to the shuttle; the evidence from Discovery is that virtually everything worked. PMID- 17789805 TI - Mathematicians Reach Factoring Milestone: The international fraternity of mathematicians chips in to achieve a notable first: factoring the first 100-digit number. PMID- 17789807 TI - Does Earth Fill Its Own Magnetosphere with Ions?: The ionosphere went from being an insignificant to a major source of magnetospheric ions; could it be the dominant source? PMID- 17789808 TI - Shroud of turin is medieval. PMID- 17789809 TI - Microscopic Motor Is a First Step: Using the same technology that allows the fabrication of thousands of transistors on one tiny computer chip, researchers are building ultra-miniature machines. PMID- 17789810 TI - Significance of "tethyan" fossils in the american cordillera. AB - Equatorial faunas of the ancient Tethyan seaway, which extended from western Europe to southeastern Asia, comprise some of the most diverse marine taxa in the fossil record. Comparable or identical "Tethyan" species that occur far from the Tethyan seaway in Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks of the North and South American Cordillera have long been considered as a major biogeographic anomaly. Two leading theories to account for the occurrence of these anomalous "Tethyan" faunas in the Cordillera are that they were transported long distances to the east on tectonic blocks(suspect terranes that originated near the Tethys) or that they migrated westward via undiscovered marine corridors through continental areas of Pangea. An alternative model is that these "Tethyan" fauna were pantropic species that extended with attenuated diversities into the eastern proto-Pacific Ocean. This pantropic model can better account for the distribution patterns of many Paleozoic and early Mesozoic "Tethyan" species in the American Cordillera and provides a steady state hypothesis against which the other models can be tested. The distribution of pre-Cretaceous "Tethyan" faunas is similar to the known pantropic distribution of many Cretaceous and Cenozoic tropical biotas. During the Cenozoic, taxa were most diverse in the Tethys and Indo-West Pacific regions but extended with attenuated diversity to many parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, including the west coasts of North and South America. The eastern Pacific occurrence of many Indo-West Pacific species provides a modern analog for the occurrence of many anomalous "Tethyan" fossils in the American Cordillera. PMID- 17789811 TI - Energy loss mechanisms of superconductors used in alternating-current power transmission systems. AB - The intrinsic hysteretic loss of superconductors carrying alternating current has been derived from simple models and verified experimentally. In practical cable designs the losses are increased by surface roughness, conductor configuration, and added metallic components. When possible applications by electric utility companies are being considered, such losses are only one of many factors that must be adjusted in an optimization that produces the lowest cost(including both capital and operating expenses) during the lifetime of the system. PMID- 17789812 TI - Rapid growth of magnesium-carbonate weathering products in a stony meteorite from antarctica. AB - Nesquehonite, a hydrous magnesium carbonate, occurs as a weathering product on the surface of the Antarctic meteorite LEW 85320(H5 chondrite). Antarctic meteorites have resided on the earth for periods of 10(4) to 10(6) years, but the time needed for weathering products to form has been uncertain. Isotopic measurements of delta(13)C and delta(18)O indicate that the nesquehonite formed at near freezing temperatures by reaction of meteoritic minerals with terrestrial water and carbon dioxide. Results from carbon-14 dating suggest that, although the meteorite has been in Antarctica for at least 3.2 x 10(4) to 3.3 x 10(4) years, the nesquehonite formed after A.D.1950. PMID- 17789813 TI - Herbicide resistance in transgenic plants expressing a bacterial detoxification gene. AB - The herbicide bromoxynil (3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile) is a photosynthetic (photosystem II) inhibitor in plants. A gene, bxn, encoding a specific nitrilase that converts bromoxynil to its primary metabolite 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, was cloned from the natural soil bacterium Klebsiella ozaenae. For expression in plants, the bxn gene was placed under control of a light-regulated tissue-specific promoter, the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit. Transfer of this chimeric gene and expression of a bromoxynil-specific nitrilase in leaves of transgenic tobacco plants conferred resistance to high levels of a commercial formulation of bromoxynil. The results presented indicate a successful approach to obtain herbicide resistance by introducing a novel catabolic detoxification gene in plants. PMID- 17789814 TI - Earthquake-caused coastal uplift and its effects on rocky intertidal kelp communities. AB - The coastal uplift(approximately 40 to 60 centimeters) associated with the Chilean earthquake of 3 March 1985 caused extensive mortality of intertidal organisms at the Estacion Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, Las Cruces. The kelp belt of the laminarian Lessonia nigrescens was particularly affected. Most of the primary space liberated at the upper border of this belt was invaded by species of barnacles, which showed an opportunistic colonization strategy. Drastic modifications in the environment such as coastal uplift, subsidence, or the effects of the El Nino phenomenon are characteristic of the southern Pacific. Modifications in the marine ecosystem that generate catastrophic and widespread mortalities of intertidal organisms can affect species composition, diversity, or local biogeography. PMID- 17789815 TI - Sociopolitical enumerations: the american census. PMID- 17789816 TI - Marginalized positions: uneasy careers and intimate lives. PMID- 17789817 TI - Playful Conceptions: The Child's Construction of Economics. PMID- 17789819 TI - Some other books of interest: portraits of viruses. PMID- 17789818 TI - Some other books of interest: recent advances in thin-layer chromatography. PMID- 17789820 TI - Some other books of interest: the reality club. PMID- 17789821 TI - Products materials. PMID- 17789822 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789823 TI - The politics of science. PMID- 17789825 TI - Succeeding generations. PMID- 17789824 TI - Succeeding generations. PMID- 17789826 TI - Succeeding generations. PMID- 17789827 TI - Science and political reality. PMID- 17789828 TI - Response. PMID- 17789829 TI - Response. PMID- 17789830 TI - New light on free electron lasers. PMID- 17789831 TI - Response. PMID- 17789832 TI - Correction. AB - In the report "Motor neuron degeneration in mice that express a human Cu, Zn super-oxide dismutase mutation" by M. E. Gurney et al. (17 June 1994, p. 1772)(1), a systematic, 10-fold error was made in calculating the dilutions of brain extract used for determinations of total brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity shown in column 6 of table 1 (p. 1774). Each value reported should have been reduced by that factor, for example, the total SOD activity reported for the G1 line should have been 4.26 +/- 0.2 SOD (U)/total protein (microg), not 42.6 +/ 2.1 U/microg, and so forth. PMID- 17789833 TI - Applied research in South Africa. PMID- 17789834 TI - Physicists create new state of matter. PMID- 17789835 TI - Go Back to Basics, Says NRC Panel. PMID- 17789836 TI - Hughes tosses lifeline to 90 eastern European scientists. PMID- 17789838 TI - Marine center is lightning rod in dispute over restoration. PMID- 17789837 TI - House panel targets centers, cassini. PMID- 17789839 TI - Taking the pulse of the sun in records of the solar wind. PMID- 17789840 TI - Bomb theory exploded. PMID- 17789841 TI - Physics in the infosphere. PMID- 17789842 TI - Periodic confusion. PMID- 17789843 TI - New Roles for AZT? PMID- 17789844 TI - An intimate gathering of bosons. PMID- 17789845 TI - Methyl chloroform and the atmosphere. PMID- 17789846 TI - Atmospheric Trends and Lifetime of CH3CCI3 and Global OH Concentrations. AB - Determination of the atmospheric concentrations and lifetime of trichloroethane (CH(3)CCI(3)) is very important in the context of global change. This halocarbon is involved in depletion of ozone, and the hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations determined from its lifetime provide estimates of the lifetimes of most other hydrogen-containing gases involved in the ozone layer and climate. Global measurements of trichloroethane indicate rising concentrations before and declining concentrations after late 1991. The lifetime of CH(3)CCI(3) in the total atmosphere is 4.8 +/- 0.3 years, which is substantially lower than previously estimated. The deduced hydroxyl radical concentration, which measures the atmosphere's oxidizing capability, shows little change from 1978 to 1994. PMID- 17789847 TI - Observation of bose-einstein condensation in a dilute atomic vapor. AB - A Bose-Einstein condensate was produced in a vapor of rubidium-87 atoms that was confined by magnetic fields and evaporatively cooled. The condensate fraction first appeared near a temperature of 170 nanokelvin and a number density of 2.5 x 10(12) per cubic centimeter and could be preserved for more than 15 seconds. Three primary signatures of Bose-Einstein condensation were seen. (i) On top of a broad thermal velocity distribution, a narrow peak appeared that was centered at zero velocity. (ii) The fraction of the atoms that were in this low-velocity peak increased abruptly as the sample temperature was lowered. (iii) The peak exhibited a nonthermal, anisotropic velocity distribution expected of the minimum energy quantum state of the magnetic trap in contrast to the isotropic, thermal velocity distribution observed in the broad uncondensed fraction. PMID- 17789849 TI - Climate records covering the last deglaciation. AB - The oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratio of molecular oxygen trapped in ice cores provides a time-stratigraphic marker for transferring the absolute chronology for the Greenland Ice Sheet Project (GISP) II ice core to the Vostok and Byrd ice cores in Antarctica. Comparison of the climate records from these cores suggests that, near the beginning of the last deglaciation, warming in Antarctica began approximately 3000 years before the onset of the warm Bolling period in Greenland. Atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane concentrations began to rise 2000 to 3000 years before the warming began in Greenland and must have contributed to deglaciation and warming of temperate and boreal regions in the Northern Hemisphere. PMID- 17789848 TI - Experimental Studies and Theoretical Predictions for the H + D2 rarr > HD + D Reaction. AB - The H + H(2) exchange reaction constitutes an excellent benchmark with which to test dynamical theories against experiments. The H + D(2) (vibrational quantum number v = 0, rotational quantum number j = 0) reaction has been studied in crossed molecular beams at a collision energy of 1.28 electron volts, with the use of the technique of Rydberg atom time-of-flight spectroscopy. The experimental resolution achieved permits the determination of fully rovibrational state-resolved differential cross sections. The high-resolution data allow a detailed assessment of the applicability and quality of quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) and quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with the QM results and in slightly worse agreement with the QCT results. This theoretical reproduction of the experimental data was achieved without explicit consideration of geometric phase effects. PMID- 17789850 TI - Diurnal changes in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in coral reef water. AB - Coral reefs are considered to be a source of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of their high calcium carbonate production and low net primary production. This was tested by direct measurement of diurnal changes in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco(co2)) in reef waters during two 3-day periods, one in March 1993 and one in March 1994, on Shiraho reef of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Although the Pco(co2) values in reef waters exhibited large diurnal changes ranging from 160 to 520 microatmospheres, they indicate that the reef flat area is a net sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. This suggests that the net organic production rate of the reef community exceeded its calcium carbonate production rate during the observation periods. PMID- 17789851 TI - Flotation of diamond in mantle melt at high pressure. AB - Experiments show that diamond floats in a primitive mantle melt at around 20 gigapascals and 2360 degrees C and in a melt formed by partial melting of the transition zone at about 16 gigapascals and 2270 degrees C. These observations constrain magma densities at high pressure. Diamond precipitated or trapped in a silicate melt at the base of the transition zone or the lower mantle floats and has been accumulating in the transition zone since early in Earth's history. Thus, the transition zone could be a reservoir of diamond. PMID- 17789853 TI - Seasonal precipitation timing and ice core records. PMID- 17789854 TI - Vignettes: boltzmann in berkeley. PMID- 17789852 TI - High concentrations of toxaphene in fishes from a subarctic lake. AB - Concentrations of toxaphene and other organochlorine compounds are high in fishes from subarctic Lake Laberge, Yukon Territory, Canada. Nitrogen isotope analyses of food chains and contaminant analyses of biota, water, and dated lake sediments show that the high concentrations of toxaphene in fishes from Laberge resulted entirely from the biomagnification of atmospheric inputs. A combination of low inputs of toxaphene from the atmosphere and transfer through an exceptionally long food chain has resulted in concentrations of toxaphene in fishes that are considered hazardous to human health. PMID- 17789855 TI - Products & materialas. PMID- 17789856 TI - THE FUNCTION OF RESEARCH IN THE REGULATION OF NATURAL MONOPOLIES. PMID- 17789858 TI - THE TARE MEMORIAL WINDOW. PMID- 17789857 TI - THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ZOOLOGY AT MONACO. PMID- 17789859 TI - ON METHODS OF TEACHING MODERN LANGUAGES. PMID- 17789860 TI - ACADEMIC FREEDOM. PMID- 17789861 TI - THE HISTORY OF LOST RIVER. PMID- 17789862 TI - A NEW WALNUT. PMID- 17789864 TI - THE CONSTITUTION OF PROTOPLASM. PMID- 17789863 TI - AN ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS CONCERNED INT THE HEREDITY OF COLOR IN TUMBLER PIGEONS. PMID- 17789865 TI - THE UTILIZATION OF AQUATIC FOOD RESOURCES. PMID- 17789867 TI - NEW FELLOWS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. PMID- 17789866 TI - WILLIAM ALBERT SETCHELL. PMID- 17789868 TI - THE FUTURE OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17789870 TI - THE FOUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF COPERNICUS. PMID- 17789869 TI - THE DEPARTMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. PMID- 17789871 TI - THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17789872 TI - THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY AND THE KILGORE BILL. PMID- 17789873 TI - "MOCK DOMINANCE". PMID- 17789874 TI - CLASS DISTINCTION AMONG AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17789875 TI - SULFAGUANIDINE OR SULFA-AMIDINE? PMID- 17789876 TI - A NEW GROWTH FACTOR FOR STREPTOCOCCUS LACTIS. PMID- 17789877 TI - CURARE ALKALOIDS FROM CHONDODENDRON TOMENTOSUM. AB - Crystalline d-tubocurarine has been isolated in good yield from curare prepared from a single plant species, namely, Chondodendron tomentosum. This result establishes with certainty the botanical origin of this compound and substantiates the supposition that it is this species which furnishes the active constituent in certain types of curare. The extract from this plant furthermore yielded two new tertiary alkaloids which could be converted into physiologically active quaternary bases. Methylation of the phenolic hydroxyl groups in the quaternary bases resulted in a 3-9-fold increase in physiological potency. PMID- 17789878 TI - THE IN VITRO EFFECT OF INSULIN IN PIGEON BREAST MUSCLE. PMID- 17789880 TI - Systematic Botany. PMID- 17789879 TI - ISOLATION OF AN ACTIVE SUBSTANCE FROM CALONYCTION ACULEATUM CAPABLE OF COAGULATING CASTILLA LATEX. PMID- 17789881 TI - Crystalline Fradicin. PMID- 17789883 TI - Stress Indicators. PMID- 17789882 TI - Life Behind the Iron Curtain. PMID- 17789884 TI - Scientifc Book Register. PMID- 17789885 TI - PRE-CAMBRIAN SEDIMENTS IN THE ADIRONDACKS. PMID- 17789886 TI - 0N KATHODE RAYS AND SOME RELATED PHENOMENA. PMID- 17789887 TI - MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17789889 TI - THE CALLOSITIES UPON HORSES' LEGS. PMID- 17789888 TI - PHYSICS AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17789890 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. PMID- 17789891 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17789892 TI - TRANSMISSIBILITY OF ACQUIRED CHARACTERS. PMID- 17789893 TI - THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17789894 TI - A NEW STAR IN AQUILA. PMID- 17789895 TI - Mobilization against Influenza. PMID- 17789896 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17789897 TI - Surface Ionization of Silver; Silver in Meteorites. PMID- 17789898 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17789900 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17789899 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17789901 TI - Science in Asia. PMID- 17789903 TI - The cost of energy efficiency. PMID- 17789902 TI - Response. PMID- 17789904 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - In the article " Evidence found for a possible ' aggression gene' " by Virginia Morell (Research News, 18 June, p. 1722), the collaborative teams of Peter Seeburg at the University of Heidelberg, Germany; Jean Shih at the University of Southern California; and Creed W. Abell at the University of Texas, Austin, should also have been credited with cloning the human monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B genes. Seeburg and his colleagues published their research in the July 1988 issue of the Proceedigs of the Nationl Acaderny of Sciences. Xandra Breakefield and her colleagues reported their cloning of the MAO A gene in the October 1988 issue of the Joumal of Neurochemistry. Although Breakefield's group also cloned the MAO B gene, they did not publish this research. PMID- 17789905 TI - NIDR Report. PMID- 17789906 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17789907 TI - Harrison case: no calm after storm. PMID- 17789908 TI - Reviewing Harrison's Latest Work. PMID- 17789909 TI - Superphenix set to rise again. PMID- 17789910 TI - How stanford beat cornell and won the B factory. PMID- 17789911 TI - NSF's Construction Program Grows Up. PMID- 17789912 TI - Upgrade of storm warnings paying off. PMID- 17789913 TI - So many promises to keep. PMID- 17789915 TI - Report backs bigger biological survey. PMID- 17789914 TI - Long-Term NSF Network Urged to Broaden Scope. PMID- 17789916 TI - Element to be baptized after 19 years. PMID- 17789917 TI - The brain behind that happy face. PMID- 17789918 TI - Public TV to Air Series On Women Scientists. PMID- 17789919 TI - Hubble goof gets priced at $25 million. PMID- 17789920 TI - Radon regs shot down for now. PMID- 17789921 TI - Curbing harmful exotica. PMID- 17789922 TI - Veggie cure for plant fungus. PMID- 17789923 TI - The scientific geography of East Asia. PMID- 17789925 TI - Datapoints: money and manpower. PMID- 17789924 TI - Counting on science to compete. PMID- 17789926 TI - Japanese universities become magnets for asian students. PMID- 17789927 TI - Japan holds on tight to cutting edge technology. PMID- 17789928 TI - A Science Odyssey PROFILE. PMID- 17789929 TI - National project aimed at making it the leading tiger. PMID- 17789931 TI - Home-grown talent. PMID- 17789930 TI - What ails seoul national university? PMID- 17789932 TI - Past success provides no sure guide to the future. PMID- 17789934 TI - Jockeying for position in the world after 1997. PMID- 17789933 TI - Wanted: a few good leaders for academia sinica. PMID- 17789936 TI - Scientists pushed into deep end of market economics. PMID- 17789935 TI - Song Jian: Pushing Hard PROFILE. PMID- 17789937 TI - Will profits override political protests? PMID- 17789939 TI - Intellectual property: a tenuous concept. PMID- 17789938 TI - Capitalism, military style. PMID- 17789940 TI - Building United States--Asia scientific exchange. PMID- 17789941 TI - The Present and Future of China's Particle Physics Research. PMID- 17789942 TI - High-pressure mineral physics: an inside view of the Earth. PMID- 17789943 TI - Double resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics. PMID- 17789944 TI - Plant biotechnology in china. PMID- 17789945 TI - Disintegration phenomena expected during collision of comet shoemaker-levy 9 with jupiter. PMID- 17789946 TI - Closely Approaching the Silylium Ion (R3Si+). AB - The crystal structure of the tri-isopropyl silyl species, i-Pr(3)Si(Br(6) CB(11)H(6)), where the brominated carborane Br(6)-CB(11) H(6)(-) is perhaps the least nucleophilic anion presently known, has revealed the highest degree of silylium cation character (R(3)Si(+)) yet observed. The average C-Si-C angle is 117 degrees , only 3 degrees short of the planarity expected of a pure silylium ion(120 degrees ). This value compares to 114 degrees recently reported for a toluene-solvated silyl cation, [Et(3)Si(toluene)](+) by Lambert and co-workers. The greater silylium ion character of i-Pr(3)Si(Br(6)-CB(11)H(6)) versus [i Pr(3)Si(toluene)](+) is also reflected in the larger downfield shift of the silicon-29 nuclear magnetic resonance, 109.8 versus Cl(2) + HNO(3) on particles of polar stratospheric clouds establishes the chlorine partitioning, which, contrary to earlier notions, begins with an excess of ClONO(2), not HCl. PMID- 17790345 TI - The seasonal evolution of reactive chlorine in the northern hemisphere stratosphere. AB - In situ measurements of chlorine monoxide (ClO) at mid- and high northern latitudes are reported for the period October 1991 to February 1992. As early as mid-December and throughout the winter, significant enhancements of this ozone destroying radical were observed within the polar vortex shortly after temperatures dropped below 195 k. Decreases in ClO observed in February were consistent with the rapid formation of chlorine nitrate (ClONO(2)) by recombination of ClO with nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) released photochemically from nitric acid (HNO(3)). Outside the vortex, ClO abundances were higher than in previous years as a result of NOx suppression by heterogeneous reactions on sulfate aerosols enhanced by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. PMID- 17790346 TI - Heterogeneous reaction probabilities, solubilities, and the physical state of cold volcanic aerosols. AB - On 19 January 1992, heterogeneous loss of HNO(3), ClNO(3), and HCl was observed in part of the Mount Pinatubo volcanic cloud that had cooled as a result of forced ascent. Portions of the volcanic cloud froze near 191 kelvin. The reaction probability of ClNO(3) and the solubility of HNO(3) were close to laboratory measurements on liquid sulfuric acid. The magnitude of the observed loss of HCl suggests that it underwent a heterogeneous reaction. Such reactions could lead to substantial loss of HCl on background sulfuric acid particles and so be important for polar ozone loss. PMID- 17790347 TI - In situ observations of aerosol and chlorine monoxide after the 1991 eruption of mount pinatubo: effect of reactions on sulfate aerosol. AB - Highly resolved aerosol size distributions measured from high-altitude aircraft can be used to describe the effect of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo on the stratospheric aerosol. In some air masses, aerosol mass mixing ratios increased by factors exceeding 100 and aerosol surface area concentrations increased by factors of 30 or more. Increases in aerosol surface area concentration were accompanied by increases in chlorine monoxide at mid-latitudes when confounding factors were controlled. This observation supports the assertion that reactions occurring on the aerosol can increase the fraction of stratospheric chlorine that occurs in ozone-destroying forms. PMID- 17790348 TI - Stratospheric meteorological conditions in the arctic polar vortex, 1991 to 1992. AB - Stratospheric meteorological conditions during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition II (AASE II) presented excellent observational opportunities from Bangor, Maine, because the polar vortex was located over southeastern Canada for significant periods during the 1991-1992 winter. Temperature analyses showed that nitric acid trihydrates (NAT temperatures below 195 k) should have formed over small regions in early December. The temperatures in the polar vortex warmed beyond NAT temperatures by late January (earlier than normal). Perturbed chemistry was found to be associated with these cold temperatures. PMID- 17790350 TI - Ozone loss inside the northern polar vortex during the 1991-1992 winter. AB - Measurements made in the outer ring of the northern polar vortex from October 1991 through March 1992 reveal an altitude-dependent change in ozone, with a decrease at the bottom of the vortex and a substantial increase at the highest altitudes accessible to measurement. The increase is the result of ozone-rich air entering the vortex, and the decrease reflects ozone loss accumulated after the descent of the air through high concentrations of reactive chlorine. The depleted air that is released out of the bottom of the vortex is sufficient to significantly reduce column ozone at mid-latitudes. PMID- 17790349 TI - Chemical loss of ozone in the arctic polar vortex in the winter of 1991-1992. AB - In situ measurements of chlorine monoxide, bromine monoxide, and ozone are extrapolated globally, with the use of meteorological tracers, to infer the loss rates for ozone in the Arctic lower stratosphere during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition II (AASE II) in the winter of 1991-1992. The analysis indicates removal of 15 to 20 percent of ambient ozone because of elevated concentrations of chlorine monoxide and bromine monoxide. Observations during AASE II define rates of removal of chlorine monoxide attributable to reaction with nitrogen dioxide (produced by photolysis of nitric acid) and to production of hydrochloric acid. Ozone loss ceased in March as concentrations of chlorine monoxide declined. Ozone losses could approach 50 percent if regeneration of nitrogen dioxide were inhibited by irreversible removal of nitrogen oxides (denitrification), as presently observed in the Antarctic, or without denitrification if inorganic chlorine concentrations were to double. PMID- 17790351 TI - Ozone and aerosol changes during the 1991-1992 airborne arctic stratospheric expedition. AB - Stratospheric ozone and aerosol distributions were measured across the wintertime Arctic vortex from January to March 1992 with an airborne lidar system as part of the 1992 Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (AASE II). Aerosols from the Mount Pinatubo eruption were found outside and inside the vortex with distinctly different distributions that clearly identified the dynamics of the vortex. Changes in aerosols inside the vortex indicated advection of air from outside to inside the vortex below 16 kilometers. No polar stratospheric clouds were observed and no evidence was found for frozen volcanic aerosols inside the vortex. Between January and March, ozone depletion was observed inside the vortex from 14 to 20 kilometers with a maximum average loss of about 23 percent near 18 kilometers. PMID- 17790352 TI - Seismic determination of elastic anisotropy and mantle flow. AB - When deformed, many rocks develop anisotropic elastic properties. On many seismic records, a long-period (100 to 250 seconds), "quasi-Love" wave with elliptical polarization arrives slightly after the Love wave but before the Rayleigh wave. Mantle anisotropy is sufficient to explain these observations qualitatively as long as the "fast" axis of symmetry is approximately horizontal. Quasi-Love observations for several propagation paths near Pacific Ocean subduction zones are consistent with either flow variations in the mantle within or beneath subducting plates or variations in the direction of fossil spreading in older parts of the Pacific plate. PMID- 17790355 TI - Biological interplays. PMID- 17790353 TI - Grand hopes. PMID- 17790354 TI - Vignettes: rebuttals. PMID- 17790356 TI - Fluorination methods. PMID- 17790357 TI - Climatic fluctuations. PMID- 17790358 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17790360 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790359 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790362 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790361 TI - Approach to societal problems. PMID- 17790363 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790364 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790365 TI - Pseudoscience. PMID- 17790366 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790367 TI - Of skunks and tomato juice. PMID- 17790368 TI - The wages of inflation. PMID- 17790369 TI - Landscape development, forest fires, and wilderness management. AB - Both the landforms and the vegetation of the earth develop to states that are maintained in dynamic equilibrium. Short-term equilibrium of a hillslope or river valley results from intersection between erosional and depositional tendencies, controlled by gravitational force and the efficiency of the transporting medium. Long-term equilibrium of major landforms depends on crustal uplift and the resistance of the rock to weathering. In most parts of the world landscape evolves toward a peneplain, but the reduction rate approaches zero as the cycle progresses, and the counteracting force of crustal uplift intercedes before the end form is reached. Davis described this theoretical model in elegant terms. Leopold and Hack have provided a new and quantitative understanding of short range geomorphic interactions that tend to discredit the Davisian model in the eyes of many. However, the substitute models of quasi-equilibrium or dynamic equilibrium merely describe short-range situations in which this or that Davisian stage is maintained despite uplift or downwasting. Given crustal stability and an unchanging climate, landforms would presumably still evolve through Davisian stages. However, the Davis model cannot be tested, for despite tremendous inventions in geochronology and impressive advances in stratigraphic knowledge, we cannot yet establish the rates or even the fact of crustal uplift in most areas. We are left with an unresolvable problem, for the sedimentary records of erosional history are largely inaccessible, undatable, and indecipherable, at least in the detail necessary to describe long-term evolution of the landscape. We know more about the evolution and maintenance of vegetation assemblages than about landform evolution, for even long-term vegetation sequences are within the scope of radiocarbon dating, and the biostratigraphic record is detailed. Even here, however, distinctions between short-term and long-term situations must be made, so that Clements' grand scheme of vegetational climax-created soon after Davis's model of landform development-can be evaluated in terms of modern knowledge. Disillusion with the climax model paralleled disillusion with Davis's model in the 1950's, but the climax model can be tested, because the record of vegetational history is accessible, datable, and decipherable. In the short term of a few decades, successional vegetation stages occur in variety of situations, as confirmed by observation or by techniques such as tree-ring analysis. The successional vegetation stages are reactions to nutrients, weather, competition, and consumption. Such succession implies long-term disequilibrium, or at least unidirectional development. The long-term controlling factor in Clements' model of vegetation development is climate. With climatic stability the succession will proceed to a climax. In the Appalachian Mountains, geomorphic, microclimatic, and edaphic conditions limit climax development, producing a polyclimax, which is generally sustained by the dominance of these factors. Death and regeneration of single forest trees is controlled mostly by windstorms. The distributional pattern may be locally transected by lightning fires, major windstorms, or washouts. However, the long-term stability of Appalachian forests is demonstrated by pollen stratigraphy. Although we can infer the long-term stability of Appalachian forests, the trends and mechanics of short-term vegetational succession are not fully understood, because lack of sizable areas of virgin forest limits investigations of natural conditions. In this respect, the eastern United States is already much like western Europe, where climatic and disturbance factors in vegetational history cannot be disentangled. In the Great Lakes region, a large area of virgin forest exists in the BWCA of northeastern Minnesota. Here short- and long-term studies show that for at least 9000 years the principal stabilizing factor has been the frequent occurrence of fire. Major fires occur so often that the vegetation pattern is a record of fire history. All elements in the forest mosaic are in various stages of postfire succession, with only a few approaching climax. Fire interrupts the successful sequence toward climax. Geomorphic and edaphic factors in vegetational distribution are largely submerged by the fire regime, except for bog and other lowland vegetation. Fire recycles nutrients and renews succession. Nevertheless, despite the fire regime, the resulting long-term equilibrium of the forest mosaic, characterized by severe and irregular fluctuations of individual elements, reflects regional climate. In the BWCA and the western mountains, large virgin forests can be preserved for study and wilderness recreation. These wilderness areas must be managed to return them to the natural equilibrium which has been disturbed by 50 to 70 years of fire suppression. The goal should be to maintain virgin forests as primeval wilderness. This can be done by management that permits fire and other natural processes to determine the forest mosaic. Mechanized tree-felling and other human disturbances should be kept to an absolute minimum. Natural landforms also should be preserved for study and for certain nondestructive recreational activities. It is somewhat late for the Colorado River and other rivers of the West, because natural balances are upset by drainagebasin disturbances. Modification of plant cover on hillslopes changes infiltration and erosion rates and thus the stream discharge and sediment load, so the stream balance is altered from primeval conditions. Scenic Rivers legislation should thus be used to restore certain river systems and their drainage basins. Mountain meadows, badlands, desert plains, and patterned permafrost terrain are extremely fragile and sensitive. Intricate stream and weathering processes leave patterns easily obliterated by mechanized vehicles. Tire tracks can last for decades or centuries. The mineral patina or lichen cover on desert or alpine rocks are records of long stability, and slight differences in their development record the relative ages of landforms, to the year in the case of lichens. Delicate color differences in a talus slope or desert fan show long-term effects just as does the arboreal vegetation mosaic in another climatic setting. Preservation of virgin wilderness for study is viewed by some as a selfish goal of scientists, to be achieved at the expense of commercial and recreational development. However, scientific study and nonmechanized recreational uses are compatible in wilderness areas. Furthermore, the public does appreciate intellectual stimulation from natural history, as witnessed by massive support for conservation, the Wilderness Act, and a dozen magazines like National Geographic. Finally, no knowledgeable American today is unaware that ecological insights are necessary to preserve the national heritage. Western dust bowls, deforested slopes, gullied fields, silted rivers, strip mine waste-lands, and the like might have been avoided had long term problems been balanced against short-term profits. Many economic questions cannot be answered intelligently without detailed knowledge of extensive virgin ecosystems. Long-term values are enhanced by those uses of natural resources that are compatible with the preservation of natural ecosystems. Esthetically, virgin wilderness produced by nature is comparable to an original work of art produced by man. One deserves preservation as much as the other, and a copy of nature has as little value to the scientist or discerning layman as a reproduction of a painting has to an art scholar or an art collector. Nature deserves its own display, not just in tiny refuges but in major landscapes. Man is only one of literally countless species on the earth. Man developed for a million years in a world ecosystem that he is now in danger of destroying for short-term benefits. For his long-term survival and as an expression of his rationality and morality, he should nurture natural ecosystems. Some people believe that human love of nature is self-protective. For many it is the basis of natural religion. The opposition of many Americans to the Alaska pipeline is a manifestation of almost religious feeling; most never expect to see the Alaskan wilderness, but they are heartened to realize that it exists and is protected. The same can be said of those who contribute to save the redwoods in California. Here cost analysis fails to account for the enormous value people place on nature and on the idea of nature as contrasted to the private gain of a few developers. Americans admire European preservation of works of art. Europeans admire American foresight in setting aside national parks. However, the distribution of protected natural areas in America is uneven and inadequate, and vast areas continue to be developed or badly managed despite widespread new knowledge about long-term human interest in wilderness preservation. Darwin turned nature study into the study of natural history. He could observe natural features in vast undisturbed areas with no thought that human interference had been a factor in their development. Today such natural landscapes have practically vanished. Those that remain should be preserved as extensively as possible, and managed with scientific knowledge of the natural processes that brought them to being. At the present accelerating rate of exploitation, massive disturbance, and unscientific management, soon no natural areas will be left for research or wilderness recreation. Some say that scientific curiosity and the ability for recreation define man. This is reason enough for wilderness preservation. However, a more ominous conclusion that the survival of man may depend on what can be learned from the study of extensive natural ecosystems. PMID- 17790370 TI - From Mars with love. AB - 1) Sample return missions from Mars are feasible in the 1980's. 2) The least expensive missions (direct sample return without sterilization) may be criticizable because of the possibility of back-contamination, although upgrading the handling and containment facilities could make unsterile return acceptable. 3) Sample sterilization decreases the total scientific value appreciably, depending on the measurements to be made. Geology is least affected and biology and organic chemistry are most affected. 4) Quarantine in earth orbit, in the same sense as for the lunar samples, would not be feasible without very large increases in cost. Orbital quarantine facilities, either automated or manned, would be very expensive, risky, and of limited use because of size limitations. 5) Orbital quarantine may be feasible if the sample is split, part of it sterilized and returned to the earth for study, and the remainder studied for pathogenicity in the automated mode as best we can in the limited space available in orbit. Ground studies of sterilized material plus "live" studies in orbit may convince us of the safety of returning the remaining sample to the earth under carefully prescribed conditions. 6) Additional unmanned, Vikingtype missions to Mars can add considerably to our knowledge about a martian biota, or its absence, and thus increase the likelihood of being able to return an unaltered sample safely to the earth. PMID- 17790371 TI - Are scientists obsolete? PMID- 17790372 TI - Marine archeology: troubled search for spanish treasure ship. PMID- 17790373 TI - Energy: cannibalism in the bureaucracy. PMID- 17790374 TI - TIAA-CREF: for Richer, for Poorer, Married to the Market. PMID- 17790376 TI - The 1974 nobel prize for physiology or medicine. PMID- 17790375 TI - Changes in energy high command. PMID- 17790377 TI - Laser fusion secrecy lifted: microballoons are the trick. PMID- 17790378 TI - Analysis of algorithms: coping with hard problems. PMID- 17790379 TI - Science and human environment. PMID- 17790380 TI - Science and the metropolis. PMID- 17790381 TI - Manganese and biotic debris associations in some deep-sea sediments. AB - Incipient manganese concretions occur in microcavities of planktonic skeletal debris (especially diatom frustules) in some Pacific Basin deep-sea sediments. These concretions contain over 50 percent manganese and very little iron (< 1 percent). There is a continuum of growth stages in the concretions having a diameter between 0 and approximately 2 millimeters, and a genetic relationship is suggested between the very small and the centimeter sized concretions. PMID- 17790382 TI - Baring high-albedo soils by overgrazing: a hypothesized desertification mechanism. AB - Observations are reported of high-albedo soils denuded by overgrazing which appear bright, in high contrast to regions covered by natural vegetation. Measurements and modeling show that the denuded surfaces are cooler, when compared under sunlit conditions. This observed "thermal depression" eflect should, on theoretical grounds, result in a decreased lifting of air necessary for cloud formation and precipitation, and thus lead to regional climatic desertification. PMID- 17790383 TI - Antarctic glacial history from analyses of ice-rafted deposits in marine sediments: new model and initial tests. AB - Contrasts between the latitudinal distributions of ice-rafted debris deposited in deep-sea sediments during Pleistocene glacial and interglacial periods are predicted by a new model. The model requires the existence of a restricted zone where rates of deposition of ice-rafted debris are essentially independent of glacial-interglacial cycles. Initial tests and published results show that the concept is valid in the Southern Ocean and that it provides a new means of diagnosing major migrations of climatic zones. PMID- 17790384 TI - Community structure of coral reefs on opposite sides of the isthmus of panama. AB - Competition for space amon reef corals includes interspecific destruction by extracoelenteric digestion., rapid growth. and Overtopping. No Caribbean species excela in all strategies, and on western Caribbean coral reefs there is a positive correlation between coral abudance and diversity. On eastern Pacific coral reefs, however. Pocillopora damicornis excludes other corals, and on these reefs there is an inverse relation between coral abundance and diversity, except in areas where distrubances, such as Acanthaster predation offset space monopolization. PMID- 17790386 TI - THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AT THE PEKING UNION MEDICAL COLLEGE. PMID- 17790385 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17790387 TI - A FIRST COURSE IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17790388 TI - THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL MECHANISM OF MUTATION AND EVOLUTION. PMID- 17790389 TI - TINGITIDAe OR TINGIDAe. PMID- 17790390 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17790391 TI - THE GLACIATION OF THE CORDILLERAN REGION. PMID- 17790392 TI - A SUGGESTION TO ZOOGEOGRAPHERS. PMID- 17790393 TI - CLINKERTILL, A NEW METAMORPHIC ROCK. PMID- 17790394 TI - THE HOMING OF A DOG. PMID- 17790395 TI - SAND DROWN, A CHLOROSIS OF TOBACCO AND OTHER PLANTS RESULTING FROM MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY. PMID- 17790396 TI - TRANSFERENCE OF THE BEAN MOSAIC VIRUS BY MACROSIPHUM SOLANIFOLII. PMID- 17790397 TI - THE EXTENSION OF THE X-RAY INTO THE ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM. PMID- 17790398 TI - Women and the professions. PMID- 17790400 TI - Obsolete technology. PMID- 17790399 TI - Biologics control. PMID- 17790401 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17790402 TI - For a u. S. Energy agency. PMID- 17790403 TI - The decision to seed hurricanes. PMID- 17790404 TI - States of consciousness and state-specific sciences. PMID- 17790405 TI - Paleolndian settlement technology in new Mexico. PMID- 17790406 TI - Rainmaking: rumored use over laos alarms arms experts, scientists. PMID- 17790407 TI - New prizes to honor technology. PMID- 17790408 TI - Space-science chairman defeated. PMID- 17790409 TI - Accelerators: Big Physics Moves toward Consolidation. PMID- 17790410 TI - Science Committees: NRC Report Asks Better Mix in Advisory Groups. PMID- 17790411 TI - David visits Japan, far East. PMID- 17790412 TI - Hepatitis: a new understanding emerges. PMID- 17790413 TI - Mercury emissions from coal combustion. AB - Mercury liberated during coal combustion can be either discharged as vapor in the flue as or retained in the furnace ash. About 90 percent (by weight) of the mercury released from a furnace fired with pulverized coal appears to be in the vapor phase, and 10 percent remains with the furnace residual ash. For a 700 megawatt unit, approximately 2.5 kilograms of mercury per day are released. PMID- 17790415 TI - Lead and mercury burden of urban woody plants. AB - For six New Havent woody plant species, the mean lead concentrations for tissue produced in the preceding growing season exceeded most lead concentrations determined for trees in areas with geologic lead deposits or adjacent to primary highways. Preliminary estimates indicate that some New Haven plants have slightly higher than natural amounts of mercury. The burden of lead and the difficulty in removing it by washing suggest a potential for pathological significance. PMID- 17790416 TI - Free-floating mucus webs: a novel feeding adaptation for the open ocean. AB - Observations by means of conventional scuba techniques have revealed that highly modified planktonic gastropods, in the order Thecosomata, utilize a free and unsupported mucus web for collecting food particles. Their delicate bodies, quick reactions, and apparent abundance suggest that traditional plankton-sampling methods may be inadequate to assess their importance in the blue-water plankton communities. PMID- 17790414 TI - Oceanic electric fields: perception by american eels? AB - American eels, long-distance migrating fish, consistently exhibited conditioned cardiac deceleration responses to electric fields as small as 0.167 x 10(-2) microampere per square centimeter in water of resistivity 4000 ohm centimeters (6.7 microvolts per centimeter) and 400 ohm centimeters (0.67 microvolt per centimeter). Fewer responses were shown at this current density (0.167 x 10(-2) microampere per square centimeter) in more saline water (40 ohm centimeters, 0.067 microvolt per centimeter) and at a lower current density (0.167 x 10(-3) microampere per square centimeter) in fresh water. Thus, eels have sufficient sensitivity to utilize geoelectric information for orientation. PMID- 17790417 TI - Submarine seeps: are they a major source of open ocean oil pollution? PMID- 17790418 TI - Tidal triggering of moonquakes. PMID- 17790419 TI - Obsidian hydration dating applied to basaltic volcanic activity. PMID- 17790420 TI - Animal rights in the laboratory. PMID- 17790421 TI - Cuban health care. PMID- 17790422 TI - Human rights: visiting the soviet union. PMID- 17790423 TI - Human rights: visiting the soviet union. PMID- 17790424 TI - The federal government and innovation. PMID- 17790425 TI - Surface science. AB - During the past 15 years, surfaces have been increasingly studied on the atomic scale. As a result, their atomic structure and composition and the dynamics of gas-surface interactions are much better understood. Modern surface science is beginning to have an impact on many technologies. Techniques are readily available to study solid-vacuum and solid-gas interfaces. Studies of solid-liquid and solid-solid interfaces are difficult and appear to be challenging frontier areas of research. Surface science is at the heart of most research and development problems in energy conversion and storage. PMID- 17790426 TI - Human issues in human rights. AB - The National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Human Rights and its 350 correspondent academy members seeks to ease the plight of individual scientists, engineers, and medical personnel suffering severe repression. It has engaged in a program of private inquiry, public remonstrance, and moral support in behalf of individuals from 11 countries. In developing this activity, members of the committee had to engage in a series of troubling issues related to the nature of human rights, the choice of cases, and the format of protest. But most troubling of all are the issues raised by the profound distortions of humanness, nationhood, and science that follow in the wake of repression. PMID- 17790427 TI - Andrus in alaska: a tour of the wild estate. PMID- 17790428 TI - Managing a park for people and bears, not automobiles. PMID- 17790429 TI - In vitro Infant Raises Tempest in Test Tube. PMID- 17790431 TI - Tank can run, shoot, and vanish in a puff of smoke. PMID- 17790430 TI - The Canceled Computer: Were Carter's Facts Right? PMID- 17790432 TI - China's "Four Modernizations" Lead to Closer Sino--U.S. Science Ties. PMID- 17790434 TI - New moons: encounters of the serendipitous kind. PMID- 17790433 TI - Encounters with the third world seen in allocating frequencies. PMID- 17790435 TI - The eradication of smallpox: a revisionist view. PMID- 17790436 TI - Gold and its compounds. PMID- 17790437 TI - Microbial ecology. PMID- 17790438 TI - Seismology. PMID- 17790439 TI - Interstellar cloud material: contribution to planetary atmospheres. AB - A statistical analysis of the properties of dense interstellar clouds indicates that the solar system has encountered at least a dozen clouds of sufficient density to cause planets to accumulate nonnegligible amounts of some isotopes. The effect is most pronounced for neon. This mechanism could be responsible for much of the neon in Earth's atmosphere. For Mars, the predicted amount of neon added by cloud encounters greatly exceeds the present abundance. PMID- 17790440 TI - Toxicity of a furanocoumarin to armyworms: a case of biosynthetic escape from insect herbivores. AB - When the linear furanocoumarin xanthotoxin, found in many plants of the families Rutaceae and Umbelliferae, was administered to larvae of Spodoptera eridania, a generalist insect herbivore, it displayed toxic properties lacking in its biosynthetic precursor umbelliferone. Reduced toxicity observed in the absence of ultraviolet light is consistent with the known mechanism of photoinactivation of DNA by furanocoumarins through ultraviolet-catalyzed cross-linkage of strands. Thus, the ability of a plant to convert umbelliferone to linear furanocoumarins appears to confer broader protection against insect herbivores. PMID- 17790442 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17790441 TI - Proctodeal Feeding by Termitophilous Staphylinidae Associated with Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks). AB - Trichopsenius depressus Le Conte, Xenistusa hexagonalis Seevers, and Philotermes howardi Kistner and Gut solicit and receive proctodeal and stomodeal fluids from their host, as well as engage in allogrooming with them. No other trophic behaviors were observed, suggesting that the beetles are completely integrated into the termite's trophic system. PMID- 17790443 TI - Emissions standards. PMID- 17790444 TI - Plutonium production. PMID- 17790445 TI - Propranolol study. PMID- 17790446 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report entitled "Autoimmune encephalomyelitis: Simultaneous identification of T and B cells in the target organ" by U. Traugott et al. (11 Dec., p. 1251), the name of the fourth author should have been S. H. Stone. PMID- 17790447 TI - Space shuttle: remote manipulator arm. PMID- 17790448 TI - Luck, merit, and peer review. PMID- 17790449 TI - Size distribution of fine particles from coal combustion. AB - Measurements of the particle size distribution at the outlets of six coal-fired utility boilers showed a peak at a particle diameter near 0.1 micrometer. This submicrometer mode appears to be a general feature of coal combustion that results from a volatilization-condensation process in the boiler. At the boilers tested, the submicrometer mode contained 0.2 to 2.2 percent of the total fly ash mass. The importance of this mode is greater than its small quantity suggests because particles in the submicrometer size range are often much more difficult to collect with conventional particulate control devices than larger particles. Thus, the submicrometer mode may significantly influence the design and selection of future power plant emission controls. The particle mass in the submicrometer mode was correlated with the nitric oxide concentration in the flue gas. This correlation suggests that control of nitric oxide by modification of the combustion conditions may reduce the generation and emission of submicrometer particles. PMID- 17790450 TI - Neotropical anachronisms: the fruits the gomphotheres ate. AB - Frugivory by extinct horses, gomphotheres, ground sloths, and other Pleistocene megafauna offers a key to understanding certain plant reproductive traits in Central American lowland forests. When over 15 genera of Central American large herbivores became extinct roughly 10,000 years ago, seed dispersal and subsequent distributions of many plant species were altered. Introduction of horses and cattle may have in part restored the local ranges of such trees as jicaro (Crescentia alata) and guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) that had large mammals as dispersal agents. Plant distributions in neotropical forest and grassland mixes that are moderately and patchily browsed by free-ranging livestock may be more like those before megafaunal extinction than were those present at the time of Spanish conquest. PMID- 17790452 TI - Creationism on the defensive in arkansas. PMID- 17790451 TI - Reporting of faculty time: an accounting perspective. AB - Controversial federal regulations requiring universities to report 100 percent of the activities performed by faculty members encounter severe theoretical difficulties of allocation that pervade accounting and that at present are insoluble. Yet it is only natural for universities and government agencies to desire that such allocations be made. Accounting practitioners have faced such reporting dilemmas for generations; their experiences suggest ways of palliating the federal requirements. PMID- 17790453 TI - Small business R & d bill approved 90 to 0. PMID- 17790455 TI - A reprieve for planetary science. PMID- 17790454 TI - Keyworth says cuts may be good for science. PMID- 17790456 TI - New superconductors for a supercomputer. PMID- 17790457 TI - A computer is more than chips. PMID- 17790458 TI - Science and engineering graduates offered record high salaries. PMID- 17790459 TI - Obituaries. PMID- 17790461 TI - Live radio broadcast at annual meeting: "genetic engineering: who decides?". PMID- 17790460 TI - SWARM Annual Meeting Slated for El Paso. PMID- 17790462 TI - Report of human rights workshop completed. PMID- 17790463 TI - The cladistic perspective. PMID- 17790464 TI - Transposons. PMID- 17790465 TI - Geomorphology in Japan. PMID- 17790466 TI - Cosmology and relativity. PMID- 17790467 TI - The 18th century reconsidered. PMID- 17790469 TI - Copernicus crater central peak: lunar mountain of unique composition. AB - Olivine is identified as the major mafic mineral in a central peak of Copernicus crater. Information on the mineral assemblages of such unsampled lunar surface material is provided by near infrared reflectance spectra (0.7 to 2.5 micrometers) obtained with Earth-based telescopes. The composition of the deep seated material comprising the Copernicus central peak is unique among measured areas. Other lunar terra areas and the wall of Copernicus exhibit spectral characteristics of mineral assemblages comparable to the feldspathic breccias returned by the Apollo missions, with low-calcium orthopyroxene being the major mafic mineral. PMID- 17790468 TI - Transient climate response to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. AB - The ocean's role in the delayed response of climate to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide has been studied by means of a detailed three-dimensional climate model. A near-equilibrium state is perturbed by a fourfold, stepfunction increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. The rise in the sea surface temperature was initially much more rapid in the tropics than at high latitudes. However, the fractional response, as normalized on the basis of the total difference between the high carbon dioxide and normal carbon dioxide climates, becomes almost uniform at all latitudes after 25 years. Because of the influence of a more rapid response over continents, the normalized response of the zonally averaged surface air temperature is faster and becomes nearly uniform with respect to latitude after only 10 years. PMID- 17790470 TI - High-Resolution X-ray Observations of the Orion Nebula. AB - Observations of the Trapezium region in the Orion Nebula obtained with the high resolution x-ray imaging instrument on board the Einstein Observatory reveal at least 58 sources of x-ray emission. All but two of the sources can be identified with visible stars. The strongest x-ray source is the star Theta(1)C, which excites the emission nebula. Its x-ray luminosity is 6 x 10(32) ergs per second. The rest of the x-ray sources may be identified with stars of all spectral types. Strong x-ray emission is not observed from members of the infrared cluster embedded within the Orion molecular cloud. PMID- 17790471 TI - Pulmonary blood plasma filtration in reptiles: a "wet" vertebrate lung? AB - The net loss of plasma from blood into tissues within the ventilated reptile lung is 10 to 20 times greater than that in mammalian lungs. When blood flow is reduced during breathholding by reptiles, the plasma loss stops, and a net reabsorption of fluid from the tissues occurs. Fluid movement dynamics and the relative "dryness" of the lung of reptiles and mammals thus differ in several important respects and reflect the more variable cardiovascular performance of reptiles. PMID- 17790472 TI - Spray aiming in bombardier beetles: jet deflection by the coanda effect. AB - Bombardier beetles of the carabid subfamily Paussinae have a pair of flanges, diagnostic for the group, that project outward from the sides of the body. Behind each flange is a gland opening, from which the beetles discharge a hot, quinone containing secretion when disturbed. The flanges are curved and grooved and serve as launching guides for anteriorly aimed ejections of secretion. Jets of fluid, on emergence from the gland openings, follow the curvature of the flanges and are thereby bent sharply in their trajectory and directed forward. The phenomenon is illustrative of the Coanda effect, widely applicable in engineering and responsible for the familiar tendency of liquids to curve around spouts and down the front of containers when being poured. PMID- 17790473 TI - Play behavior: persistence, decrease, and energetic compensation during food shortage in deer fawns. AB - White-tailed deer fawns continued to play despite an experimentally induced 33 percent milk shortage. They reduced play by 35 percent and general activity by 9 percent but increased grazing by 62 percent, resulting in virtually complete energetic compensation. This demonstrates the importance of play behavior in a mammal's activity budget. PMID- 17790474 TI - THE SUPPRESSION OF CONSUMPTION. PMID- 17790476 TI - The Sensations of Movement. PMID- 17790475 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17790477 TI - The Psychrometer. PMID- 17790478 TI - TENDENCIES OF MODERN ELECTRICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17790479 TI - THE BERNE PHYSIOLOGICAL CONGRESS (II.). PMID- 17790480 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (XXI). PMID- 17790481 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (XVIl.). PMID- 17790482 TI - HARVARD COLLEGE OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17790483 TI - 'TIMBER.'. PMID- 17790484 TI - SWEDISH MARINE ZOOLOGICAL STATION. PMID- 17790485 TI - THE MEASUREMENT OF COLORS. PMID- 17790486 TI - AN EASY METHOD OF MAKING LINE DRAWINGS. PMID- 17790487 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD AND THE AMERICAN CONTINENT. PMID- 17790489 TI - APPLICATIONS OF X-RAYS. PMID- 17790488 TI - SCIENCE IN 1924. PMID- 17790491 TI - THE SOURCE OF MUSCULAR ENERGY. PMID- 17790490 TI - PLANT FOSSILS. PMID- 17790493 TI - SOME ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. PMID- 17790492 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17790494 TI - THE MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17790496 TI - HOW THE WORKS OF PROFESSOR WILLARD GIBBS WERE PUBLISHED. PMID- 17790495 TI - THE FOUNDATION OF THE THEORY OF ALGEBRAIC NUMBERS. PMID- 17790497 TI - SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF THE ECLIPSE OF JANUARY, 1925. PMID- 17790499 TI - AN EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION AT HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17790498 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17790500 TI - A NEW FORMATIONAL NAME. PMID- 17790501 TI - ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT AND SCURVY. AB - Three experiments with different scorbutie diets showed that ultraviolet radiation is entirely ineffectual in preventing or postponing scurvy. With diets in which other factors, besides the scorbutic vitamin, were lacking, ultraviolet light hastened loss of weight and death from scurvy somewhat and prevented recovery after orange and cabbage were added to the diet. This, however, was not true when a diet lacking only in the antiscorbutic vitamin was used. PMID- 17790503 TI - BIOLOGICAL MEETING AT RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17790502 TI - EFFECTIVE DUST TREATMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF SMUT OF OATS. PMID- 17790504 TI - THE GEORGIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17790505 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17790506 TI - PROFESSORS' SALARIES: ARE EQUITABLE SALARIES PAID TO PROFESSORS? PMID- 17790508 TI - DISCUSSION. PMID- 17790507 TI - ADEQUATE SALARIES FOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY TEACHERS. PMID- 17790509 TI - COSMICAL MATTER AND STELLAR EVOLUTION. PMID- 17790511 TI - ARTIFICIAL BACILLI. PMID- 17790510 TI - PSITTACOSIS EPIDEMICS AND PLEOMORPHIC PROTOPLASM. PMID- 17790512 TI - THE MONTANA TICK PARASITE EXPEDITION TO AFRICA. PMID- 17790514 TI - HEAT TRANSMISSION THROUGH BLANKETS. PMID- 17790513 TI - ACTION OF BACTERIA AND ENZYMES ON CARBOHYDRATES AND THEIR BEARING ON PLANT SYNTHESIS. PMID- 17790515 TI - THE EFFECT OF COLLOIDAL SILICA ON THE ABSORPTION OF PHOSPHORIC ACID BY PLANTS. PMID- 17790517 TI - Views on evolution, theory, and science. PMID- 17790516 TI - SEGREGATION (?) IN PHOMA TERRESTRIS. PMID- 17790518 TI - Views on evolution, theory, and science. PMID- 17790519 TI - University Research and DOD. PMID- 17790520 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article "New A-bomb studies alter radiation estimates" (News and Comment, 22 May, p. 902), the reference to C. P. Knowles' research should have read: "power of the Little Boy bomb," not "Fat Man bomb." PMID- 17790521 TI - Applied social science. PMID- 17790522 TI - Charting a course for science. PMID- 17790523 TI - Radioactive waste disposal in thick unsaturated zones. AB - Portions of the Great Basin are undergoing crustal extension and have unsaturated zones as much as 600 meters thick. These areas contain multiple natural barriers capable of isolating solidified toxic wastes from the biosphere for tens of thousands to perhaps hundreds of thousands of years. An example of the potential utilization of such arid zone environments for toxic waste isolatic is the burial of transuranic radioactive wastes at relatively shallow depths (15 to 100 meters) in Sedan Crater, Yucca Flat, Nevada. The volume of this man-made crater is several times that of the projected volume of such wastes to the year 2000. Disposal in Sedan Crater could be accomplished at a savings on the order of $0.5 billion, in comparison with current schemes for burial of such wastes in mined repositories at depths of 600 to 900 meters, and with an apparently equal likelihood of waste isolation from the biosphere. PMID- 17790524 TI - Chemicals from biomass: petrochemical substitution options. AB - As a source of chemicals, biomass has several intrnsic advantages over fossil mass: it is renewable, flexible through crop switching, and adaptable through genetic manipulation. Inflexibility of the fossil mass resource is compensated for by highly effective technology for production of olefins and aromatics, economies of scale, and a highly developed system of conversion products with large markets. Direct and indirect strategies to substitute for petrochemicals are based on ecological succession concepts. A proliferation of lignocellulosic fractionation processes is arising from the need for inexpensive, homogeneous, chemically useful biomass feedstocks. PMID- 17790526 TI - Renewable power sparks financial interest. PMID- 17790525 TI - Photovoltaics. AB - The federal government has sponsored a program of research and development on terrestrial photovoltaic systems that is designed to reduce the costs of such systems through technological advances. There are many potential paths to lower system costs, and successful developments have led to increased private investment in photovoltaics. The prices for photovoltaic collectors and systems that appear to be achievable within this decade offer hope that the systems will soon be attractive in utility applications within the United States. Most of the advances achieved will also be directly applicable to the remote markets in which photovoltaic systems are now commercially successful. PMID- 17790527 TI - PURPA Forces Utilities to Buy Power. PMID- 17790529 TI - UCLA reactor license challenged in hearings. PMID- 17790528 TI - Dallas Peck to Head USGS. PMID- 17790530 TI - Galleon yields gold, silver, and archeology. PMID- 17790532 TI - DORIS Gets a Facelift. PMID- 17790531 TI - International Competition Drives DESY. PMID- 17790533 TI - Bones of mammals' ancestors fleshed out. PMID- 17790535 TI - Data from a satellite. PMID- 17790536 TI - Native peoples of Florida. PMID- 17790534 TI - The significance of play. PMID- 17790537 TI - Two mathematicians. PMID- 17790538 TI - Central object of the 30 doradus nebula, a supermassive star. AB - R136 (HD 38268) is the central object of the 30 Doradus Nebula, a giant region of ionized hydrogen in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Observations of R136 at low and high spectral resolution with the International Ultraviolet Explorer reveal a peculiar hot object with a massive stellar wind. An outflow speed of 3500 kilometers per second and a temperature of approximately 60,000 K are indicated by the spectra. The bulk of the observed ultraviolet radiation must come from R136a, the brightest and bluest component of R136. Its absolute visual magnitude and observed temperature imply a luminosity about 10(8) times that of the sun. Most of the ionizations produced in 30 Doradus are provided by this peculiar object. If RI36a is a dense cluster of very hot stars, about 30 stars of classes O3 and WN3 exist in a region estimated to have a diameter of less than 0.1 parsec. This is inconsistent with the ultraviolet line spectrum and the evidence for optical variability. An alternative interpretation of the observations is that the radiation from R136a is dominated by a single superluminous object with the following approximate properties: luminosity and temperature as given above, a radius 100 times that of the sun, a mass 2500 times that of the sun, and a loss rate of 10(-3.5) solar masses per year. Model interior calculations for hydrogen burning stars are consistent with these parameters. Such stars, however, are expected to be unstable, and this may account for the massive stellar wind. PMID- 17790539 TI - Solar flare acceleration of solar wind: influence of active region magnetic field. AB - The direction of the photospheric magnetic field at the site of a solar flare is a good predictor of whether the flare will accelerate solar wind plasma. If the field has a southward component, high-speed solar wind plasma is usually observed near the earth about 4 days later. If the field has a northward component, such high-speed solar wind is almost never observed. Southward-field flares may then be expected to have much larger terrestrial effects than northward flares. PMID- 17790540 TI - Eastern Indian 3800-million-year-old crust and early mantle differentiation. AB - Samarium-neodymium data for nine granitic and tonalite gneisses occurring as remnants within the Singhbhum granite batholith in eastern India define an isochron of age 3775 +/- 89 x 10(6) years with an initial (143)Nd/(144)Nd ratio of 0.50798 +/- 0.00007. This age contrasts with the rubidium-strontium age of 3200 x 10(6) years for the same suite of rocks. On the basis of the new samarium neodynium data, field data, and petrologic data, a scheme of evolution is proposed for the Archean crust in eastern India. The isotopic data provide evidence that parts of the earth's mantle were already differentiated with respect to the chondritic samarium-neodymium ratio 3800 x l0(6) years ago. PMID- 17790541 TI - Characterization of plutonium in maxey flats radioactive trench leachates. AB - Plutonium in trench leachates at the Maxey Flats radioactive waste disposal site exists as dissolved species, primarily complexes of the tetravalent ion with strong organic ligands such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The complexes are not sorbed well by sediment and are only partly precipitated by ferric hydroxide. These results indicate the importance of isolating radioactive waste from organic matter. PMID- 17790542 TI - The in vitro Classical Conditioning of the Gill Withdrawal Reflex of Aplysia californica. AB - Associative learning has been demonstrated in a reduced siphon, mantle, gill, and abdominal ganglion preparation of Aplysia. The preparations learned to respond to a previously neutral stimulus as a consequence of training in a classical conditioning paradigm. Backward conditioning, presentation of the conditioned stimulus alone, or presentation of the unconditioned stimulus at some random interval after presentation of the conditioned stimulus failed to produce conditioning. This model system can be used to study the neural mechanisms underlying associative learning. PMID- 17790543 TI - Peptidal Sex Hormones Inducing Conjugation Tube Formation in Compatible Mating Type Cells of Tremella mesenterica. AB - The pair of peptidal sex hormones (tremerogen A-10 and tremerogen a-13) that induce conjugation tube formation in compatible type cells (A and a types) of Tremella mesenterica were isolated. Tremerogen A-10 is a dodecapeptide and tremerogen a-13, a tridecapeptide. In both peptides, the sulfiydryl group of the cysteines at the carboxyl terminus was blocked by farnesyl moieties. PMID- 17790544 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17790545 TI - Science for the Misses. PMID- 17790546 TI - Radar Echoes from Venus: Advances in several arts made possible this experiment in radio astronomy performed during the IGY. PMID- 17790547 TI - Organization of Scientific Activities in Canada: The system avoids the dangers of changing political views and insures a high level of competence. PMID- 17790548 TI - Organization of Science Here and Abroad: Varying national patterns for support of science result from basic constitutional differences. PMID- 17790549 TI - News of Science: Power Projects for Atomic Energy Industry Examined in Annual Review by Congressional Joint Committee. PMID- 17790550 TI - Flower Induction in Japanese Chrysanthemums with Gibberellic Acid. AB - Gibberellic acid, when applied in lanolin to apices of three Japanese varieties of Chrysanthemum morifolium, induced bolting and flowering. These varieties are not sensitive to photoperiod but require a cold treatment in order to flower. On the other hand, the varieties of Chrysanthemum which belong to the short-day group are not induced to flower by gibberellic acid. PMID- 17790551 TI - Requirements for Floral Initiation of Los Angeles Xanthium. AB - Cocklebur from the Los Angeles area was found to require more extensive short-day treatment for floral initiation than plants of the same species from the Chicago region. Data obtained by grafting the two regional types of cocklebur indicate that the leaves of the Los Angeles Xanthium produce a comparatively low amount of the flowering stimulus. PMID- 17790552 TI - Education of Science Teachers. PMID- 17790554 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17790555 TI - The Maximum Efficiency of Photosynthesis: A Rediscovery. PMID- 17790557 TI - Qualitative Differences of Malignant Tissue. PMID- 17790556 TI - Scientific and Industrial Research in Britain. PMID- 17790558 TI - A One- and Two-dimensional Paper-Partition Chromatographic Apparatus. PMID- 17790559 TI - Note on an Index of Conformity. PMID- 17790560 TI - Histological Effects of Treatments with Growth-regulating Substances of the 2,4-D Group. PMID- 17790561 TI - Dispersion Staining with Phase Contrast Microscope Accessories. The Microscopic Identification of Quartz. PMID- 17790562 TI - Increased Permeability of the Hemoencephalic Barrier Produced by Physostigmine and Acetylcholine. PMID- 17790563 TI - Scientifc Book Register. PMID- 17790564 TI - Correction. AB - It was erroneously stated in the August 26 issue of Science (p. 220) that the December 29 AAAS symposium on Botany in the Service of Mankind would be held at the Hotel Statler. The session will be held in the Winter Garden of the Hotel McAlpin. PMID- 17790565 TI - Easing nuclear tensions. PMID- 17790566 TI - Argonne: hope for revitalization. PMID- 17790567 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Maternal ethanol exposure induces transient impairment of umbilical circulation, and fetal hypoxia in monkeys" by A. B. Mukherjee and G. D. Hodgen (12 Nov., p. 700), the ordinates for parts A and B of figure 2 (p. 701) were reversed. Correctly labeled parts A and B are printed below. PMID- 17790568 TI - Cotton dust research. PMID- 17790569 TI - Cotton dust research. PMID- 17790570 TI - Environmental stress on plants. PMID- 17790571 TI - Excessive zeal to publish. PMID- 17790572 TI - Chemical reactions of anions in the gas phase. AB - Anions of many types, both organic and inorganic, farmiliar and exotic, can be generated in the gas phase by rational chemical synthesis in a flowing afterglow apparatus. Once formed, the rates, products, and mechanisms of their reactions with neutral species of all kinds can be studied, not only at room temperature but at higher energies in a drift field. These completely unsolvated ions undergo a large number of reactions that are analogous to those they undergo in solution, as well as some that are less familiar. New types of ions, for which there are no counterparts in solution, can be produced and their chemical reactions explored. PMID- 17790573 TI - Biotechnology research and third world agriculture. PMID- 17790574 TI - Relaxed energy outlook masks continuing uncertainties. AB - The U.S. energy situation has significantly improved since energy first became a national problem 9 years ago. But easing is not to be confused with solving. Many problems remain and in time might even get worse. The assumptions underlying the prognosis of a carefree energy future merit careful continuing scrutiny. Some do not hold up well. Moreover, in part, greater ease in energy is the mirror image of depressed economic conditions. It is reasonable to relax a little but not to relapse. PMID- 17790575 TI - The Odds on Cancer: EPA's Recent Bets. PMID- 17790576 TI - Computer expert signs off from world center. PMID- 17790577 TI - Computer expert signs off from world center. PMID- 17790579 TI - How engineering faculty members rate each other. PMID- 17790578 TI - Recollections of the nuclear dawning. PMID- 17790580 TI - U.s. Softens toxic chemicals accord. PMID- 17790581 TI - A new view: first u.s. Magnetic anomaly map. PMID- 17790582 TI - Tasmanian ice age sites threatened by dam. PMID- 17790583 TI - Einstein. PMID- 17790584 TI - Algology. PMID- 17790585 TI - A theory of vision. PMID- 17790586 TI - Stellar explosions. PMID- 17790587 TI - Use of the space shuttle for remote sensing research: recent results and future prospects. AB - Routine access to low earth orbit provided by the space shuttle holds great potential for global studies of the earth's resources and its environment. A successful test flight of the Columbia orbiter in November 1981 demonstrated the utility and versatility of the shuttle for earth-related research. A series of remote sensing experiments is currently planned for the mid-1980's that will more fully exploit the shuttle's earth observation capabilities. PMID- 17790588 TI - Shuttle imaging radar experiment. AB - The shuttle imaging radar (SIR-A) acquired images of a variety of the earth's geologic areas covering about 10 million square kilometers. Structural and geomorphic features such as faults, folds, outcrops, and dunes are clearly visible in both tropical and arid regions. The combination of SIR-A and Seasat images provides additional information about the surface physical properties: topography and roughness. Ocean features were also observed, including large internal waves in the Andaman Sea. PMID- 17790590 TI - Mineral identification from orbit: initial results from the shuttle multispectral infrared radiometer. AB - A shuttle-borne radiometer containing ten channels in the reflective infrared has demonstrated that direct identification of carbonates and hydroxyl-bearing minerals is possible by remote measurement from Earth orbit. PMID- 17790589 TI - Subsurface valleys and geoarcheology of the eastern sahara revealed by shuttle radar. AB - The shuttle imaging radar (SIR-A) carried on the space shuttle Columbia in November 1981 penetrated the extremely dry Selima Sand Sheet, dunes, and drift sand of the eastern Sahara, revealing previously unknown buried valleys, geologic structures, and possible Stone Age occupation sites. Radar responses from bedrock and gravel surfaces beneath windblown sand several centimeters to possibly meters thick delineate sand- and alluvium-filled valleys, some nearly as wide as the Nile Valley and perhaps as old as middle Tertiary. The now-vanished major river systems that carved these large valleys probably accomplished most of the erosional stripping of this extraordinarily flat, hyperarid region. Underfit and incised dry wadis, many superimposed on the large valleys, represent erosion by intermittent running water, probably during Quaternary pluvials. Stone Age artifacts associated with soils in the alluvium suggest that areas near the wadis may have been sites of early human occupation. The presence of old drainage networks beneath the sand sheet provides a geologic explanation for the locations of many playas and present-day oases which have been centers of episodic human habitation. Radar penetration of dry sand and soils varies with the wavelength of the incident signals (24 centimeters for the SIR-A system), incidence angle, and the electrical properties of the materials, which are largely determined by moisture content. The calculated depth of radar penetration of dry sand and granules, based on laboratory measurements of the electrical properties of samples from the Selima Sand Sheet, is at least 5 meters. Recent (September 1982) field studies in Egypt verified SIR-A signal penetration depths of at least 1 meter in the Selima Sand Sheet and in drift sand and 2 or more meters in sand dunes. PMID- 17790592 TI - Initial Analysis of OSTA-1 Ocean Color Experiment Imagery. AB - Ocean images were obtained at three widely separated locations on the earth as part of NASA's ocean color experiment. Digital computer enhancement and band ratioing techniques were applied to radiometrically corrected spectral data to emphasize patterns of chlorophyll distribution and, in one case, of bottom topography. The chlorophyll pattern in the Yellow Sea between China and Korea was evident in a scene produced from shuttle orbit 24. The effects of the discharge from the Yangtze and other rivers were also observed. Two scenes from orbits 30 and 32 revealed the movement of patches of plankton in the Gulf of Cadiz. Geometric corrections of these images permitted ocean current velocities in the vicinity to be deduced. The variability in water depth over the Grand Bahama Bank was estimated by using the blue-green channel of the instrument. The very clear water conditions in the area caused bottom-reflected sunlight to produce a sensor signal that was inversely related to the depth of the water. PMID- 17790591 TI - Carbon monoxide measurements in the troposphere. AB - During the second flight of the space shuttle, the measurement of air pollution from satellites (MAPS) experiment in the OSTA-1 payload acquired approximately 35 hours of radiometric measurements of the carbon monoxide mixing ratio in the middle troposphere, upper troposphere, and lower stratosphere. A gas filter radiometer operating in the 4.67-micrometer band was used to acquire the data over the region from 38 degrees N to 38 degrees S during both daytime and nighttime. The performance of the measurement system was excellent. The data reduced to date indicate the presence of significant gradients in the middle tropospheric carbon monoxide mixing ratio with both latitude and longitude over the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Middle East. On the basis of comparisons with directly measured values, the accuracy of the measurements is approximately 15 percent. Comparisons of data taken on successive orbits over the same geographic region indicate that the repeatability of the measurements is approximately 5 percent. PMID- 17790593 TI - Feature identification and location experiment. AB - The feature identification and location experiment (FILE) senses radiation from the earth in spectral bands centered at 0.65 and 0.85 micrometers and compares ratios of the reflected solar radiation in the two wavelengths to make real-time classification decisions about four primary features: water, vegetation, bare land, and a cloud-snow-ice class. The radiance ratio classification algorithm successfully made automatic data-selection decisions. The classification image obtained on the mission is providing information needed to evaluate the FILE algorithm and system performance. PMID- 17790595 TI - Loyalty Clearance Procedures in Research Laboratories. PMID- 17790594 TI - Low Temperature and Some of Its Effects Upon the Behavior of Matter. PMID- 17790596 TI - Clark Wissler, 1870-1947. PMID- 17790597 TI - Correction. AB - It has been called to our attention that the item on National Institute of Health Fellowships for training research personnel in tissue culture (Science, February 20, p. 185) should be clarified with respect to the following two points: (1) Eligibility for these fellowships is not limited to individuals connected with the Tissue Culture Commission but may apply to any properly qualified research worker. (2) Tissue culture research in the field of cancer is especially welcome, but the projects offered need not be limited to this area. PMID- 17790598 TI - Should There Be a Living Metasequoia? PMID- 17790599 TI - Fluorescence of Solid Streptomycin Salts. PMID- 17790600 TI - Brown, Mature-Fruit Color in Pepper (Capsicum frutescens). PMID- 17790602 TI - Experiments on Bird Navigation. PMID- 17790601 TI - Crystalline Synthetic Vitamin A and Neovitamin A. PMID- 17790604 TI - A Mechanism of Concussion: A Theory. PMID- 17790603 TI - Effect of Cooking on the DDT Content of Beef. PMID- 17790605 TI - Methods for Labeling Thyroxine With Radioactive Iodine. PMID- 17790606 TI - A Convenient Plant Pollinating Kit. PMID- 17790607 TI - Copyright decision. PMID- 17790608 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17790609 TI - Gasoline substitutes. PMID- 17790610 TI - Genetic heterogeneity. PMID- 17790611 TI - On citations. PMID- 17790612 TI - Keynesian theory. PMID- 17790613 TI - Voluntary or not? PMID- 17790616 TI - Increased Surface Albedo in the Northern Hemisphere: Did satellites warn of the weather troubles of 1972 and 1973? AB - Routine mapping of snow and ice fields in the northern hemisphere was started by NOAA in 1967. Large year-to-year variations of the snow and pack-ice covers were observed. The annual mean coverage increased by 12 percent during 1971 and has remained high. The index R, which shows the approximate amount of energy reflected from the surface by snow and ice under the mean cloudiness, increased correspondingly. Thus, if the cloud cover over the snow fields did not increase substantially, the anomalous weather patterns of 1972 and 1973 could have been connected with the deficit in surface heat exchange which originated in the northern hemisphere the year before. During the past 7 years the largest changes occurred in the fall and in the continental interiors of Asia and America (8). Two synoptic parameters which could readily provide information on the development of snow and ice cover in the northern hemisphere are (i) the total area momentarily covered and (ii) the running annual mean of snow and ice coverage for the preceding 1-year period. By 20 September 1973 the annual mean coverage was 37.3 x 10(6) km(2), 11 to 12 percent higher than at the same time during 1968 through 1970. Snow cover-fall, the season when 15 x 10(6) to 55 x 10(6) km(2) of the northern hemisphere is covered with snow and ice, started on 20 September 1973, compared to 17 September 1972 and 5 or 10 October during 1967 through 1970. The links between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the land surfaces must be better understood before the role of snow and ice can be thoroughly explained and exploited for long-range weather forecasting. But it is clear that snow, hitherto almost overlooked in synoptic meteorological reports, must be important in the mechanism of weather changes. PMID- 17790615 TI - Out of the energy crunch by 1976. PMID- 17790614 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17790618 TI - Congress: a big agenda-can they cope with it all? PMID- 17790619 TI - Reporters vs. Reporters: Who Should Sit in the Gallery Is the Question in an Odd Congressional Fight. PMID- 17790617 TI - Science and management techniques. PMID- 17790620 TI - Financing postsecondary education. PMID- 17790621 TI - Watergate tapes: critics question main conclusion of expert panel. PMID- 17790622 TI - Appointment. PMID- 17790623 TI - Geodynamics report: exploiting the Earth sciences revolution. PMID- 17790624 TI - Frontiers of research in atmospheric and marine science. PMID- 17790625 TI - Recommendations for geodynamics. PMID- 17790626 TI - Biological Responses of Atta texana to Its Alarm Pheromone and the Enantiomer of the Pheromone. AB - S-(+)-4-Methyl-3-heptanone is the principal alarm pheromone of Atta texana. The dextrorotatory form of the ketone has also been identified from Atta cephalotes. Both enantiomers have been synthesized in high optical purity; Atta texana is more responsive to the (+) enantiomer than to the (-) form. These results implicate a chiral receptor system. PMID- 17790628 TI - Martian climate: an empirical test of possible gross variations. PMID- 17790627 TI - Temporal pattern shifts to avoid acoustic interference in singing birds. AB - Two species of forest birds, the least flycatcher and the red-eyed vireo, when breeding in the same season in the same habitat, adjust their temporal pattern of singing to avoid the overlapping of songs. The avoidance of acoustic interference is more marked in the flycatcher, which has a briefer song than the vireo. PMID- 17790629 TI - Skylab experiments: first report. PMID- 17790631 TI - Premier Showing of AAAS Science Television Project. PMID- 17790630 TI - Preview of new television health series. PMID- 17790632 TI - OTA Staffs Up. AB - In the issue of 25 January, p. 291, Science reported that Representative Charles A. Mosher (R-Ohio), vice chairman of the Technology Assessment Board, would become chairman of the board in January 1975. However, by law, any House member of the board may become the chairman. It is likely that a member of the majority party, in this case a Democrat, will be chosen. Edward Wenk, Jr., is chairman of the Committee on Public Engineering Policy of the National Academy of Engineering. PMID- 17790633 TI - Hemagglutination-inhibition test for methadone. PMID- 17790634 TI - Radioimmunoassay absorption columns. PMID- 17790636 TI - Specific ion meter. PMID- 17790635 TI - Controls for urine and serum. PMID- 17790637 TI - Cytofluorograph. PMID- 17790638 TI - Small package temperature control. PMID- 17790639 TI - Literature. PMID- 17790640 TI - Thin-layer scanner. PMID- 17790641 TI - Pocket calculator. PMID- 17790643 TI - Dissolved oxygen meter. PMID- 17790642 TI - Gamma spectrometer. PMID- 17790644 TI - Mass spectrometer handling accessory. PMID- 17790645 TI - Coated slides for serological testing. PMID- 17790646 TI - Solar Astronomy Neglected. PMID- 17790647 TI - Desalination and Agriculture. PMID- 17790648 TI - The Bias toward Research. PMID- 17790649 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17790650 TI - Fields of Scholarship. PMID- 17790651 TI - Atmospheric Research: A Powerful Concept Emerges: U.S. universities, aided by a new research center, now stress rigor, breadth, joint efforts. PMID- 17790652 TI - Quaternary Correlations across Bering Strait: Recent Soviet and American studies cast new light on the history of the Bering land bridge. PMID- 17790653 TI - Desalination: Emphasis Is on Dual-Purpose Nuclear Power and Desalting Plants. PMID- 17790655 TI - Israel Worries about Its Applied Research. PMID- 17790654 TI - Quackery: Senate Investigators Concerned with Billion-Dollar Business Preying on Elderly. PMID- 17790656 TI - I. Specific Nature of Triggering Events. AB - The flash of Noctiluca miliaris occurs only in response to a characteristic all or-none action potential, the polarity of which is opposite to that of metazoan action potentials, whether recorded internally or externally. Mechanical stimulation evokes a slow, generator-like graded potential which can give rise to the flash-triggering action potential. The flash is all-or-none; it facilitates, summates, and exhibits fatigue, each independently of changes in the amplitude of the action potential. PMID- 17790657 TI - II. Asynchronous Flash Initiation by a Propagated Triggering Potential. AB - The action potential of Noctiluca miliaris is conducted over the cell, triggering luminescent cytoplasmic organelles as it propagates away from the stimulus site. Local light emission follows local active current with a latency of 1 to 3 milliseconds. Whereas bioluminescence normally occurs over this cell with an advancing front of emission, it can be initiated synchronously by electrical stimulation of the entire cell. PMID- 17790658 TI - Phytadienes in Zooplankton. AB - Four isomeric phytadienes have been isolated from mixed zooplankton of the Gulf of Maine. The chemical structures suggest that the mixture is derived by dehydration of phytol (presumably by acid catlysis), which is present in the diet of the zooplankton. PMID- 17790659 TI - Bacteria on Leaf Surfaces and in Intercellular Leaf Spaces. AB - Ultraviolet irradiation kills bacteria on the leaf surface but not those in the intercellular leaf spaces. PMID- 17790661 TI - Primate Research and Systematics. PMID- 17790662 TI - Mammary Tumor Virus in Mice. PMID- 17790660 TI - Sedimentation Velocity Experiments: Position and Motion of Schlieren Peaks. AB - There are four possible cases for single solute peaks in ultracentrifuge sedimentation velocity experiments. The peak can be either above or below the baseline and can move toward or away from the cell bottom. With appropriate solvents these cases are demonstrated for a single polymeric solute. PMID- 17790664 TI - Education in Chemistry: United States and Japan. PMID- 17790663 TI - Paleopathology. PMID- 17790665 TI - Sensory Research Discussion: "Sonar" and Electronic Reading for the Blind. PMID- 17790667 TI - ANTHROPOLOGY PAST AND PRESENT. PMID- 17790666 TI - Medicine in the Year 2000. PMID- 17790668 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17790669 TI - ELECTRO-HORTICULTURE. PMID- 17790670 TI - How Children Learn to Talk.-A Study in the Development of Language.-Children's Vocabularies. PMID- 17790671 TI - The Convection Theory of Storms. PMID- 17790672 TI - THE MAKING OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES. PMID- 17790673 TI - HERBERT W. CONN. PMID- 17790674 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GRANTS FOR RESEARCH. PMID- 17790675 TI - THE VARIETAL RELATIONS OF CROWN GALL. PMID- 17790676 TI - WHEN A FORCE IS A FORCE. PMID- 17790677 TI - A NOTE ON THE EFFECT OF ASPHYXIA AND AFFERENT STIMULATION ON ADRENAL SECRETION. PMID- 17790678 TI - Massivity in Financing Research. PMID- 17790679 TI - Testing: The Phrenological Approach. PMID- 17790681 TI - Extraterrestrial "Geology": Finding the Right Words. PMID- 17790680 TI - American Research Vessel. PMID- 17790682 TI - A Calculus for Journal Publishers. PMID- 17790683 TI - Water for North America. PMID- 17790684 TI - Observational Neutrino Astronomy: This branch of astronomy will provide information that cannot be obtained by conventional observations. PMID- 17790685 TI - Dynamics of Epidemics of Plant Disease: Population bursts of fungi, bacteria, or viruses in field and forest make an interesting dynamical study. AB - In the context of this discussion an epidemic is defined as an increase of disease in a field, forest, or other population of host plants. The susceptibility of the host plants, the virulence of the fungus or other pathogen, and the weather and other environmental conditions all affect the relative rate of increase. They do so by affecting the time it takes newly infected tissue to become infectious, the time tissue remains infectious, the infectiousness of infectious tissue, and the susceptibility of healthy tissue to infection. These factors operate throughout the epidemic. Two other factors become increasingly important as the epidemic proceeds: the proportion of healthy susceptible tissue remaining available for infection, and the degree of uniformity of the population of host plants and of their environment. PMID- 17790686 TI - Herbert Hoover, Engineer: Hoover's active interest in applied science brought about many advances in research and technology. PMID- 17790687 TI - Callanish, a Scottish Stonehenge: A group of standing stones was used by Stone Age man to mark the seasons and perhaps to predict eclipse seasons. AB - On the basis of the stone record it appears that the Callanish people were as precise as the Stonehengers in setting up their megalithic structure, but not as scientifically advanced. Callanish is, however, a structure that could have been used much as Stonehenge was. It would be interesting to obtain a date, by the radiocarbon method, for the peat in the area of Callanish, to determine how much older, or more recent, than Stonehenge this structure is. Perhaps the knowledge gained at Callanish was later used in the design of Stonehenge. PMID- 17790688 TI - Elliott Committee: Final Reports Issued as 15-Month Investigation of Federal Research Comes to End. PMID- 17790689 TI - Food: NAS-NRC Report Cites Microbiological Hazards in New Types of Processing. PMID- 17790690 TI - Patents: Industry, Universities Renew Debate on Who Gets Rights to U.S.-Sponsored Medical Research. PMID- 17790691 TI - Stishovite: Synthesis by Shock Wave. AB - Small amounts of stishovite were separated from specimens of explosively shocked sandstones, novaculite, and single-crystal quartz. Estimated peak pressures for the syntheses ranged from 150 to 280 kilobars, and shock temperatures were from 150 degrees to 900 degrees C. No coesite was detected in any sample. It is suggested that quartz can invert during shock to a short-range-order phase, with sixfold coordination. A small portion of this phase may develop the long-range order of stishovite, and, during the more protracted decrease of the pressure pulse through the stability field of coesite accompanying meteorite crater formation, a portion may invert to coesite. PMID- 17790692 TI - Precipitous Continental Slopes and Considerations on the Transitional Crust. AB - The continental slope bordering the Bahamian Platform to the east descends precipitously from a shallow edge to oceanic depths. Sustained slopes of at least 40 degrees have been found east of San Salvador. Considerations based on isostatic equilibrium suggest that in this area the oceanic crust may approach the edge of the shelf within a distance as short as 8.5 km. If so, it may be possible to drill and sample a substantial portion of the transitional crust by means of directional drilling techniques from a rig located at the edge of the shelf. It may even be possible, at some future time, to cross the entire crust, pierce the Mohorovicic discontinuity, and penetrate the mantle. PMID- 17790693 TI - Tritiated Water as a Tool for Ecological Field Studies. AB - Tritium was used to investigate the withdrawal by small trees of water from soil at three depths. Within 4 hours of placement at each depth, tritium was detected in the transpired water from nearby trees. On the 3rd day after application, 38 times more tritium (per unit volume) was present in transpired water drawn from soil at a depth of 0 to 30.5 centimeters than in water drawn from the 61- to 91.5 centimeter level. PMID- 17790694 TI - Cyanamide Formation under Primitive Earth Conditions. AB - The dimer of cyanamide, dicyandiamide, is formed upon ultraviolet irradiation of dilute cyanide solutions, and by the electron irradiation of a mixture of methane, ammonia, and water. Thus cyanamide may have had an important role in chemical evolution. PMID- 17790695 TI - Transpiration and Stomatal Opening with Changes in Carbon Dioxide Content of the Air. AB - Increasing the carbon dioxide content of air reduces the transpiration rate of corn and sorghum plants and, to a lesser extent, of cotton, soybean, and tomato plants by causing the stomata to close. Closure of corn and sorghum stomata occurred when the concentrations of carbon dioxide were 2000 and 3000 parts per million, respectively. Cotton, soybean, and tomato stomata did not close completely at concentrations of carbon dioxide up to 4000 parts per million. PMID- 17790696 TI - Crown Gall and Tomatine. PMID- 17790697 TI - Cell Synchrony. PMID- 17790698 TI - Correlations of Particles Emitted in Nuclear Reactions. PMID- 17790699 TI - The Water Molecule in Biological Systems. PMID- 17790700 TI - Communications in Unusual Media. PMID- 17790701 TI - Radiochemical Methods of Analysis. PMID- 17790702 TI - Oceanography of the Western South Atlantic. PMID- 17790703 TI - Minimum Ecological Systems for Man. PMID- 17790704 TI - Biophysics. PMID- 17790705 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17790706 TI - REALITY IN PHYSICS. PMID- 17790707 TI - THE CHANGING BACTERIA. PMID- 17790708 TI - "STRATH" AS A GEOMORPHIC TERM. PMID- 17790709 TI - RELATIVE TO THE EXPRESSION "LINE CONTOUR". PMID- 17790710 TI - OESTRUS. PMID- 17790711 TI - TWISTED TREES. PMID- 17790712 TI - BOUGHS, BUTTS AND BEAVER DAMS. PMID- 17790713 TI - FORMAL OPENING OF THE NEW BERMUDA BIOLOGICAL STATION FOR RESEARCH. PMID- 17790715 TI - A CONVENIENT PREPARATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF HAIR. PMID- 17790714 TI - "RICKETTSIA" AND "SYMBIONTS". PMID- 17790716 TI - AIR CONTROL OF MANOMETER WRITING POINTS. PMID- 17790717 TI - PRE-CARBONIFEROUS FORAMINIFERA. PMID- 17790718 TI - TREATMENT OF COTTON ROOT-ROT WITH AMMONIA. PMID- 17790719 TI - PREVENTION OF BLOOD COAGULATION BY CYSTEINE. PMID- 17790720 TI - Difficult Decisions. PMID- 17790721 TI - New Developments in Hail Research. PMID- 17790722 TI - Modern Blastillg Agents. PMID- 17790723 TI - A Computer Program for Classifying Plants. PMID- 17790725 TI - Integration of Circtuit Functions intO Solids. PMID- 17790724 TI - Photoelectric Photometry in Astronomical Studies. PMID- 17790726 TI - Photographic Tracking of Elementary Particles. PMID- 17790727 TI - Disarmament: American Position Is Awkward: Neutralists Skeptical of United States Intentions. PMID- 17790728 TI - Senate Studies Salvaging of Data from $2.1 Billion in Cancelled Defense Research. PMID- 17790729 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17790730 TI - DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISED PRODUCTS. PMID- 17790731 TI - THE TIME-SCALE OF THE UNIVERSE. PMID- 17790732 TI - THE VIRGINIA JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17790733 TI - THE NEW CHEMICAL LABORATORY BUILDING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. PMID- 17790734 TI - THE BROWN UNIVERSITY ECLIPSE EXPEDITION. PMID- 17790735 TI - SUMMER WORK IN BOTANY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. PMID- 17790736 TI - THE DETROIT MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17790737 TI - THE NON-SPECIFICITY OF AMINO ACID CONFIGURATION IN MALIGNANT TISSUE HYDROLYSATES. PMID- 17790739 TI - THE KIT FOX. PMID- 17790738 TI - DIOXYMALEIC ACID OXIDASE. PMID- 17790740 TI - THE IDENTITY OF THE TREE "ANNEDDA". PMID- 17790742 TI - THE CELEBRATION OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17790741 TI - THE EFFECT OF GROWTH SUBSTANCES ON THE ROOTING OF BLUEBERRY CUTTINGS. PMID- 17790743 TI - THE ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17790744 TI - DIMINISHING RESPONSE OF THE SKIN TO FREQUENTLY REPEATED REINFECTION WITH INVASIVE BACTERIA. PMID- 17790746 TI - ACCURACY IN ANATOMICAL DRAWING. PMID- 17790745 TI - INDUCED FORMATION OF beta-GENTIOBIOSIDES IN GLADIOLUS CORMS AND TOMATO PLANTS TREATED WITH CHEMICALS. PMID- 17790747 TI - CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF THE LIPID FRACTION OF ROYAL JELLY. PMID- 17790748 TI - ISOBUTYL METHACRYLATE AS A MOUNTING MEDIUM FOR HISTOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS. PMID- 17790749 TI - A SIMPLE ARTERY CLIP. PMID- 17790751 TI - Asbestos pollution. PMID- 17790750 TI - Asbestos pollution. PMID- 17790752 TI - Computer security and the bell system. PMID- 17790753 TI - Infrared studies of star formation. PMID- 17790754 TI - Agriculture and behavioral science: emerging orientations. AB - New research orientations are emerging in behavioral science approaches to agricultural development. These new orientations are the product of both experience gained during the era that followed the Green Revolution and a response to changing goals in agricultural development that now place a greater emphasis on considerations of participation and equity. They also reflect a more general concern with the relation of technology and society growing out of efforts to understand energy and environmental problems. These orientations are characterized by a shift away from a conceptual perspective emphasizing communication to one in which technology and social organization are deemed essential in understanding and promoting agricultural development. This changing conceptual perspective is being manifested in the research process from which technology develops. Use of ecological systems approaches to the study of farming systems is increasing. The importance of understanding traditional agriculture is becoming evident and technology development methodologies are beginning to simulate farm conditions at the research center and to conduct experimental research on the farm. The appreciation of technology as a variable is leading to the development of alternative technologies adapted to different socionatural situations. As these emerging orientations become elaborated, they enhance the contributions which behavioral scientists can make to agricultural development. PMID- 17790755 TI - Arthur Canfield Upton: New Director of the NCI. PMID- 17790756 TI - China after mao: science seeks to be both red and expert. PMID- 17790757 TI - The race for veep. PMID- 17790758 TI - IEEE: A Policy Challenge for Big Engineering Society. PMID- 17790759 TI - Professors, politics, and palaver. PMID- 17790760 TI - Curbs on strippers celebrated. PMID- 17790761 TI - Court rules against woman biochemist. PMID- 17790763 TI - Cryptography: on the brink of a revolution? PMID- 17790762 TI - Photosynthetic solar energy: rediscovering biomass fuels. PMID- 17790764 TI - Celebrations. PMID- 17790765 TI - The early universe. PMID- 17790766 TI - Chinese artifacts. PMID- 17790767 TI - Solid state: a new exposition. PMID- 17790769 TI - Deadline for Nominations: 15 September 1977 AAAS-Newcomb Cleveland Prize: Contest Year Is Nearly Over. PMID- 17790768 TI - Detection of Lyman agr Emission from the Saturnian Disk and from the Ring System. AB - A rocket-borne spectrograph detected H I Lyman alpha emission from the disk of Saturn and from the vicinity of the planet. The signal is consistent with an emission brightness of 700 rayleighs for the disk and 200 rayleighs for the vicinity of Saturn. The emission from the vicinity of the planet may be due to a hydrogen atmosphere associated with the saturnian ring system. PMID- 17790770 TI - Bacteria--plant cell surface interactions: active immobilization of saprophytic bacteria in plant leaves. AB - Fibrillar structures, originating from the plant cell wall in the intercellular spaces of leaves of ;Red Kidney' bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., engulfed a saprophytic bacterium, Pseudomonas putida, after its initial attachment to the host walls. Phytopathogenic bacteria, Pseudomonas phaseolicola and Pseudomonas tomato, did not adhere to the plant cell wall nor were they encapsulated. Bean lectins may be involved in the attachment and encapsulation processes. PMID- 17790771 TI - Flavonoid and other chemical constituents of fossil miocene celtis and ulmus (succor creek flora). AB - Organic solvent extractions of green-colored fossil Celtis sp. and Ulmus sp. leaves (36 to 25 x 10(6) years old) indicate the preservation of quercetin-3-O glycosides, apigenin and luteolin carbon glycosides, methyl pheophorbide a, and a consortium of other organic constituents. Comparisons between referable fossil and extant taxa indicate a high level of phytochemical fidelity. The preservation of O-glycosides indicates a mild postdepositional environment during fossilization. PMID- 17790772 TI - Geochemistry and thermolysis of flavonoids. AB - The thermal and pH stability of selected flavonoids has been determined under simulated geologic conditions. Thermolytic rates and products for various regimes, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, indicate the potential usefulness of flavonoids as thermometric indicators in sediments. The parametric factors affecting flavonoid stability are used to geochemically characterize angiosperm "green leaves" (36 to 25 x 10(6) years old) from Succor Creek and indicate that these sediments have not experienced temperatures higher than 80 degrees C or extreme pH shifts (beyond the range 6.3 to 7.2) during postdepositional maturation. PMID- 17790773 TI - Sociobiology of Rape in Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos): Responses of the Mated Male. AB - Male mallards respond to rapes of their mate by intervening aggressively against the rapist or rapists, by attempting to force a copulation with the rape victim, or both. Aggressive intervention is more likely against a solitary male than against a group, and forced copulations are more likely immediately after a rape and especially when the rape appears to have been successful. This behavior pattern reflects, strategies consistent with maximizing individual male fitness. PMID- 17790775 TI - HISTORY OF THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17790774 TI - Identification of the female Japanese beetle sex pheromone: inhibition of male response by an enantiomer. AB - (Z)-5-(1-Decenyl)dihydro-2(3H)-furanone, isolated from virgin female Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) attracted males of the species infield bioassays. However, the synthesized racemic mixture of this compound did not attract male Japanese beetles. The Z and E isomers and the saturated analog of both enantiomers of this compound were synthesized stereospecifically. Pure synthetic (R,Z)-5-(1-decenyl)dihydro-2(3H)-furanone was competitive with live females and with the pheromone isolated from live females in attracting males. Male response was strongly inhibited by small amounts of the S,Z isomer. Although the E isomer and the saturated analog of the pheromone are present in the material obtained from females, the role of these compounds in mediating the insect's behavior is unclear. PMID- 17790777 TI - THE RUBY-MINES OF BURMAH. PMID- 17790776 TI - A CRITICISM OF PASTEUR. PMID- 17790778 TI - BRITISH CENTENARIANS. PMID- 17790780 TI - GEORGE BROWN GOODE. PMID- 17790779 TI - THE MELANESIAN RACES AND LANGUAGES. PMID- 17790781 TI - ADDRESS TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SECTION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECTION. PMID- 17790783 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17790782 TI - PLANS FOR THE PROPOSED ZOOLOGICAL PARK IN NEW YORK. PMID- 17790784 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17790786 TI - A BUILDING FOR THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES OF NEW YORK. PMID- 17790785 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17790787 TI - SPECIALISM AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17790788 TI - A REPREHENSIBLE METHOD OF DETERMINING PRIORITY OF PUBLICATION. PMID- 17790789 TI - Drugs and FDA: Review Procedures. PMID- 17790791 TI - Molecular and Classical Biology. PMID- 17790790 TI - Mine Disaster. PMID- 17790792 TI - Ohio Universities. PMID- 17790793 TI - Science and the 1964 Election. PMID- 17790794 TI - The Hydrated Electron: Properties and reactions of this most reactive and elementary of aqueous negative ions are discussed. PMID- 17790795 TI - Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory: Studies of the upper atmosphere and planets are made with the aid of a huge reflector in Puerto Rico. PMID- 17790796 TI - Radiation Chemistry of the Fixation of Nitrogen. PMID- 17790797 TI - Academic Organization in Physical Science: Universities should organize a unified approach to all pure and applied physical science. PMID- 17790798 TI - Alaska: First Phase of Post-Quake Reconstruction Ending; Long-Term Scientific Program Is Under Way. PMID- 17790799 TI - Science in the Suburbs: Private Research Unit Discovers Flaws in Dependence on the Local Community. PMID- 17790800 TI - Revival of Oceanography in Germany. PMID- 17790801 TI - Growth of Oxalic Acid Single Crystals from Solution: Solvent Effects on Crystal Habit. AB - Single crystals of oxalic acid dihydrate are difficult to grow from pure water solution, but good single crystals of the material may be obtained by growth from mixtures of acetone and water. The solvent markedly affects the crystal habit. Crystals grown in mixtures of acetone and water develop the prismatic habit, while those grown in water alone develop the tabular or equant habit. The forms {001}, {110}, and {101} predominate in all cases. Single crystals of anhydrous oxalic acid may also be grown from solution in glacial acetic acid, although specimens more than 2 centimeters in length are difficult to produce. PMID- 17790802 TI - Clay- and Carbonate-Accumulation Rates in Three South Atlantic Deep-Sea Cores. AB - Three South Atlantic deep sea cores have been dated by the carbon-14 technique, and rates of accumulation of clay and calcium carbonate have been determined. The highest eupelagic clay rates for the Atlantic found to date are in the Argentine Basin, and the lowest are on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. PMID- 17790803 TI - Electrolytic Conductance of Sea Water: Effect of Calcium Carbonate Dissolution. AB - Calcium carbonate dissolution in the presence of excess carbon dioxide increased the specific conductance of sea water by approximately 6 x 10(-5) ohm(-1)cm(-1) per millimole of carbonate dissolved. The observed conductance increase can be explained by the partial equivalent conductance of calcium bicarbonate and by the hindrance effect of uncharged carbon dioxide dissolved in sea water. PMID- 17790804 TI - Guinea Fracture Zone in the Equatorial Atlantic. AB - The east-west Guinea fracture zone is situated off Sierra Leone, West Africa. The estimated topographic left lateral displacement is about 230 kilometers. This fracture zone is the eastern analog of the Vema fracture zone, with its associated troughs, and of the Barracuda Fault. The Guinea fracture zone marks the northern boundary on the African coast of a wide zone of left lateral shear in the equatorial Atlantic. PMID- 17790805 TI - Hampered Vinyl Polymerization by Embedding Biological Objects. AB - Inhibition of vinyl polymerization by the embedding of biological specimens is due to the presence of biogenic amines. This inhibition is eliminated by acylation of the embedded objects with acid anhydrides. PMID- 17790806 TI - Photosensitization in Solids. PMID- 17790807 TI - Mass Spectrometry. PMID- 17790808 TI - Plant Physiology. PMID- 17790809 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17790810 TI - Desalination Research in California. PMID- 17790811 TI - Needless Pains Caused by Heedless Editors. PMID- 17790812 TI - Supply of Telescopes. PMID- 17790813 TI - No Quarter for Humanities. PMID- 17790814 TI - Natural Beauty and Conservation. PMID- 17790815 TI - The Ecology of Early Food Production in Mesopotamia: Prehistoric farmers and herders exploited a series of adjacent but contrasting climatic zones. PMID- 17790816 TI - Crystallization and Molecular Folding: The properties of high polymers are very sensitive to the way molecules fold during crystallization. AB - The long-chain nature of the polymer molecule, together with the usual broad distribution of molecular lengths, makes it kinetically very unlikely that the molecule will achieve, on crystallization, its thermodynamically most stable form. Under most crystallization conditions a large portion of the polymer molecules crystallize into folded-chain crystals. Only a small fraction of the molecules of lower molecular weight, initially rejected from the growing folded chain crystals, succeed in achieving the stable, fractionated, extended-chain crystalline form. The physical properties of the resulting polycrystalline structure are very strongly dependent upon the amount and kind of molecular folding which has occurred. In general, folded-chain crystals are tough and ductile and tend to produce low modulus and high elongation, whereas extended chain crystals are brittle and tend to have higher modulus. PMID- 17790817 TI - Meteorites and the Moon: Cosmic-ray ages and contaminants provide evidence that meteorites may come from the moon. AB - Considerable evidence of diverse kinds has accumulated during the last 6 years indicating that some or possibly most of the stone meteorites come from the moon. Included in these may well be the carbonaceous chondrites of the Orgueil type and this indicates that contamination of the moon with terrestrial water has occurred. This statement does not depend on the carbonaceous matter being of biotic origin. Models for the origin of the moon are consistent with the hypothesis that some contamination of this kind occurred. This conclusion is possible regardless of whether the meteorites come from the moon or not. PMID- 17790818 TI - Smithsonian: Under New Secretary It Is Seeking To Regain Place as Center for Scientific Research. PMID- 17790819 TI - Space: A White House Endorsement and a NASA View on the Attitudes of Scientists toward the Program. PMID- 17790820 TI - Progress in Seismic Recording and Analysis. PMID- 17790821 TI - Siderite (FeCO3): Thermal Decomposition in Equilibrium with Graphite. AB - The thermal stability of siderite (FeCO(3)) was studied by two independent methods in which the oxygen fugacity of the gas phase was controlled by equilibration with graphite. Both series of experiments indicate that siderite decomposes stably to magnetite + graphite between 455 degrees and 465 degrees C at 500 to 2000 bars PCO2 + P(CO). PMID- 17790822 TI - Fallout from the Nuclear Explosion of 16 October 1964. AB - Measurements of the concentrations of 20 fission products in a sample of rain collected at Fayetteville, Arkansas, on 26 October 1964, yielded two "mass-yield" curves; one for fresh debris from the Chinese nuclear explosion, and another for older debris. The former curve resembled the mass-yield curve for neutron-induced fission of uranium-235. PMID- 17790823 TI - Mars: The Origin of the 3.58- and 3.69-Micron Minima in the Infrared Spectra. AB - The 3- to 4-micron spectra of Mars, recorded with the 200-inch telescope in 1958, were reexamined in order to ascertain whether the minima at 3.58 and 3.69 microns are due to telluric HDO molecules. Solar spectra obtained at Denver and water vapor abundances derived from radiosonde flights during the observing period were used. There seems to be a correlation between the intensities of the 3.58- and 3.69-micron features and the amount of telluric water vapor in the optical path. An important corollary is that there is no evidence for attributing these spectral features to Mars. PMID- 17790824 TI - Mazama and Glacier Peak Volcanic Ash Layers: Relative Ages. AB - Physiographic and stratigraphic evidence supports the regional correlation of two volcanic ash layers with extinct Mount Mazama at Crater Lake, Oregon, and Glacier Peak in the northern Cascade Range of Washington. A radiocarbon age of 12,000 +/- 310 years confirms geological evidence that ash derived from the Glacier Peak eruption is substantially older than ash from the Mazama eruption of 6600 years ago. PMID- 17790825 TI - Suspended Matter in Deep Ocean Water. AB - A nepheloid layer has been observed by optical means in the lower part of the water column on the continental slope and rise. By sampling it has been found to be a suspension of lutite, apparently in sufficient quantity to induce downslope flow. Sediment transported in the nepheloid layer may be a major component of deep-sea sediment bodies. PMID- 17790827 TI - Dislocation Networks in Folded-Chain Polyethylene Crystals. AB - Interaction between the fold surfaces of polymer crystals can be strong enough to concentrate any mismatch in orientation into a network of dislocations. Direct observation of these networks by diffraction contrast electron microscopy yields strong evidence in favor of polymer crystallization by a regular chain-folding mechanism. PMID- 17790826 TI - Theoretical Morphology of the Coiled Shell. AB - In studying the functional significance of the coiled shell, it is important to be able to analyze the types that do not occur in nature as well as those represented by actual species. Both digital and analog computers are useful in constructing accurate pictures of the types that do not occur. PMID- 17790828 TI - Dolomitization of the Mid-Pacific Atolls. AB - The origin of the dolomite which occurs beneath the atolls of Funafuti, Kita daito-jima, and Eniwetok in the Pacific Ocean can be explained by the reaction of hypersaline brines with transported or buried reef skeletal material. Dolomitization could have taken place at the sediment surface in shallow restricted back-reef lagoons and tidal flats or below the surface by reflux action. Measurements of oxygen isotopes in samples of dolomite can be interpreted as indicating an origin from evaporated, isotopically-heavy sea water. PMID- 17790829 TI - Plant Parasitic Nematodes: A New Mechanism for Injury of Hosts. AB - Pathological effects of Ditylenchus dipsaci and Meloidogyne hapla are related to the disturbance of the auxin balance in the host by the nematode. The parasites produce an auxin inactivator, apparently enzymatic, that enables Ditylenchus dipsaci to stunt host stem apices and Meloidogyne hapla to reduce its galling potential. PMID- 17790830 TI - Gordon Research Conferences: Program for 1965. PMID- 17790831 TI - Preparation of Graphs for Science. PMID- 17790832 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17790833 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17790835 TI - Nutrition and E. V. McCollum. PMID- 17790834 TI - Scientists and the McCarran Act. PMID- 17790837 TI - A Warning on Synfuels, CO2, and the Weather. PMID- 17790836 TI - Senate Skeptical on SALT Verification. PMID- 17790838 TI - Oh, Sweet CONAES, Where Art Thou? PMID- 17790840 TI - Snapshots of cAMP david. PMID- 17790839 TI - What can government do for innovation? PMID- 17790841 TI - New instrument decodes astronomical signals. PMID- 17790842 TI - SO2 Pollution May Be Good for Plants. PMID- 17790843 TI - Life of a biochemist. PMID- 17790844 TI - Issues of production and consumption. PMID- 17790845 TI - Eyewitness reliability. PMID- 17790846 TI - Elasmobranchs. PMID- 17790847 TI - Algal fossils from a late precambrian, hypersaline lagoon. AB - Organically preserved algal microfossils from the Ringwood evaporite deposit in the Gillen Member of the Bitter Springs Formation (late Precambrian of central Australia) are of small size, low diversity, and probable prokaryotic affinities. These rather primitive characteristics appear to reflect the stressful conditions that prevailed in a periodically stagnant, hypersaline lagoon. This assemblage (especially in comparison with the much more diverse assemblages preserved in the Loves Creek Member of the same formation) illustrates the potential utility of Proterozoic microbiotas for basin analysis and local stratigraphic correlation and demonstrates the need to base evolutionary considerations and Precambrian intercontinental biostratigraphy on biotas that inhabited less restricted environments. PMID- 17790848 TI - Isotope selectivity of infrared laser-driven unimolecular dissociation of a volatile uranyl compound. AB - Isotope-selective photodissociation of the volatile complex uranyl hexafluoroacetylacetonate . tetrahydrofuran [UO(2)(hfacac)(2) . THF] has been achieved with both a continuous-wave and a pulsed carbon dioxide laser. The photodissociation was carried out in a low-density molecular beam under collisionless conditions. Transitions of the laser are in resonance with the asymmetric O-U-O stretch of the uranyl moiety, a vibrational mode whose frequency is sensitive to the masses of the uranium and oxygen isotopes. Unimolecular dissociation is observed mass spectrometrically at an extremely low energy fluence, with no evidence of an energy fluence or intensity threshold. The dissociation yield increases nearly linearly with increasing energy fluence. At constant fluence the dissociation yield is independent of contact time between the radiation field and the molecule, indicating that the decomposition is driven by laser energy fluence and not laser intensity. The oxygen and uranium isotope selectivities measured in these experiments are nearly those predicted by the ratio of the linear absorption cross sections for the respective isotopes. Thus, essentially complete selectivity is observed for oxygen isotopes, while a selectivity of only about 1.25 is measured for the uranium isotopes. A model presented to describe these results is based on rapid intramolecular vibrational energy flow from the pumped mode into a limited number of closely coupled modes. PMID- 17790849 TI - Magnetite in CI Carbonaceous Meteorites: Origin by Aqueous Activity on a Planetesimal Surface. AB - The composition and morphology of magnetite in CI carbonaceous meteorites appear incompatible with a nebular origin. Mineralization on the meteorite parent body is a more plausible mode of formation. The iodine-xenon age of this material therefore dates an episode of secondary mineralization on a planetesimal rather than the epoch of condensation in the primitive solar nebula. PMID- 17790851 TI - Samarium-neodymium systematics in kimberlites and in the minerals of garnet lherzolite inclusions. AB - The initial ratios of neodymium-143 to neodymium-144 in kimberlites ranging in age between 90 x 10(6) to 1300 x 10(6) years from South Africa, India, and the United States are different from the corresponding ratios in the minerals of peridotite inclusions in the kimberlites but are identical to the ratios in the basaltic achondrite Juvinas at the times of emplacement of the respective kimberlite pipes. This correlation between the kimberlites and Juvinas, which represents the bulk chondritic earth in rare-earth elements, strongly indicates that the kimberlite's source in the mantle is chondritic in rare-earth elements and relatively primeval in composition. PMID- 17790850 TI - Sulfur volcanoes on io. AB - Widespread volcanism on Jupiter's satellite Io, if it occurred over the age of the solar system, would quickly reduce the inventory of most common volatiles needed to drive such volcanism. One exception is the volatile element sulfur. It is therefore postulated that sulfur is the driving volatile for Ionian volcanism. Its presence is consistent with a carbonaceous-chondrite-like bulk composition for the original material that formed Io 4.5 billion years ago. The ubiquity of sulfur on Io today demonstrates the importance of this element in the processes that formed its surface. PMID- 17790852 TI - Flash X-ray Microscopy. AB - Soft x-ray contact microscopy, utilizing single-shot exposures of approximately 60 nanoseconds duration in polymethyl methacrylate, has been realized with a resolution of 300 angstroms. The radiation spectrum is intense in the "window" between 23 and 44 angstroms where water is transparent compared to biological materials, and therefore permits viewing of wet samples. PMID- 17790853 TI - Rainfall changes in summer caused by st. Louis. AB - Precipitation in and around St. Louis was investigated to study urban influences on summer precipitation conditions. Prerain winds were used to define the "downwind area" where influences would be greatest, and wind-sorted rains were combined into monthly and summer totals. Seventy-five percent of the 16 rain patterns revealed a rainfall maximization downwind of the city, and the rainfall in the downwind area was 22.7 percent more than the rainfall upwind of St. Louis where no urban influences existed. Various statistical tests of the summer rainfall distribution reveal the downwind rainfall to be significantly greater than elsewhere and supportive of other findings that St. Louis increases rainfall. PMID- 17790854 TI - Adaptive female-mimicking behavior in a scorpionfly. AB - This study provides a clear example of female-mimicking behavior by males in insects and evaluates quantitatively the adaptive significance of this behavior, which is poorly understood in many other organisms. Males of Hylobittacus apicalis provide females with a prey arthropod during copulation. Some males mimic female behavior when interacting with males that have captured nuptial prey, resulting in males stealing prey which they will use for copulation. Males that pirate prey copulate more frequently and probably incur fewer predation related risks. PMID- 17790855 TI - Dual mechanism mediating opiate effects? PMID- 17790857 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17790856 TI - Dual mechanism mediating opiate effects? PMID- 17790858 TI - THE VENOPRESSOR MECHANISM. PMID- 17790860 TI - C. HART MERRIAM. PMID- 17790859 TI - MILITARY GEOLOGY FROM THE AIR. PMID- 17790861 TI - THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN. PMID- 17790863 TI - THE POLISH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17790862 TI - THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17790865 TI - THE NUTRITION FOUNDATION. PMID- 17790864 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17790866 TI - AWARD OF THE PRIZE IN PURE CHEMISTRY OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17790868 TI - A GROUND SLOTH IN ALASKA. PMID- 17790867 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. PMID- 17790869 TI - IMMUNITY AND RESISTANCE. PMID- 17790871 TI - VITAMIN A FOR COLOR-BLINDNESS. PMID- 17790870 TI - A VESTIGE OF BABYLONIAN INFLUENCE IN THERMOMETRY. PMID- 17790872 TI - THE SECOND LAS CRUCES MEETING OF THE SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION. PMID- 17790873 TI - THE RELATION BETWEEN NUCLEIC ACID AND GROWTH. PMID- 17790874 TI - THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17790875 TI - ISOLATION OF A FILTERABLE VIRUS FROM CHICKENS AFFECTED WITH "BLUE COMB" DISEASE. PMID- 17790877 TI - Whose Responsibility? PMID- 17790876 TI - A SIMPLE ULTRACENTRIFUGE WITH PLASTIC ROTOR. PMID- 17790878 TI - The Nature of Mathematics: Both constructive intuition and the study of abstract structures characterize the growth of mathematics. PMID- 17790879 TI - Water Waves and Hydrons: The term "hydron" is proposed for fictitious particles that travel with the group velocity of waves. PMID- 17790880 TI - French Nuclear Arms: Program Calls for Atomic Force by mid-1964 and Hydrogen Capacity at End of Decade. PMID- 17790881 TI - Chemical Stratification in Lake Fryxell, Victoria Land, Antarctica. AB - A landlocked lake of sodium-mixed-anion type in lower Taylor Valley has a salinity ranging from 1/35 to 1/5 that of sea water. The lake seems to be chemically stratified into three distinct layers. Several possible sources are postulated for the dissolved salts. The chemical zonation may have been initiated by past climatic variation; however, a thermal or magmatic origin for some of the waters is also indicated. No single origin for the lake waters or the stratification seems likely. PMID- 17790882 TI - Unique Incompatibility System in a Hybrid Species. AB - All males of the weevil Pissodes terminalis Hopp. are heterozygous for an autosomal fusion (cc --> C); all females are homozygous (CC). A mechanism is operative whereby union of like gametes gives rise to females and of unlike gametes gives rise to males, and union of half-alike gametes is totally excluded. The perpetuation of this sexual dimorphism of karyotypes following crossing implicates P. yosemite Hopk. in the hybrid origin of P. terminalis.. PMID- 17790883 TI - Heart Autotransplantation: Effect on Myocardial Catecholamine and Histamine. AB - Complete excision and reimplantation of the canine heart is followed by a fall in myocardial norepinephrine to negligible levels. These decreases are at- tributable to the sympathetic denervation which necessarily accompanies the operative procedure. Myocardial histamine levels in survivors of this operation were not significantly different from those of normal dogs. PMID- 17790884 TI - Tritium and Helium-3 in Solar Flares and Loss of Helium from the Earth's Atmosphere. AB - Analysis of the data gathered by the Discoverer XVII satellite on the constituents of solar flares leads to results that have broad implications in geophysics and solar physics. PMID- 17790885 TI - Moving Earth and Rock with a Nuclear Device. AB - A test in Nevada increases confidence that nuclear explosions can be used for large excavation projects. PMID- 17790886 TI - Artificial Radiation Belt Discussed in Symposium at Goddard Space Center. PMID- 17790887 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17790888 TI - Antitumor drug interactions: additional data. PMID- 17790890 TI - Antitumor drug interactions: additional data. PMID- 17790889 TI - Antitumor drug interactions: additional data. PMID- 17790891 TI - Mailing labels: hot air, patience, and other suggestions. PMID- 17790892 TI - Social science in the white house. PMID- 17790893 TI - Variations in the Earth's Orbit: Pacemaker of the Ice Ages. AB - 1) Three indices of global climate have been monitored in the record of the past 450,000 years in Southern Hemisphere ocean-floor sediments. 2) Over the frequency range 10(-4) to 10(-5) cycle per year, climatic variance of these records is concentrated in three discrete spectral peaks at periods of 23,000, 42,000, and approximately 100,000 years. These peaks correspond to the dominant periods of the earth's solar orbit, and contain respectively about 10, 25, and 50 percent of the climatic variance. 3) The 42,000-year climatic component has the same period as variations in the obliquity of the earth's axis and retains a constant phase relationship with it. 4) The 23,000-year portion of the variance displays the same periods (about 23,000 and 19,000 years) as the quasi-periodic precession index. 5) The dominant, 100,000-year climatic [See table in the PDF file] component has an average period close to, and is in phase with, orbital eccentricity. Unlike the correlations between climate and the higher-frequency orbital variations (which can be explained on the assumption that the climate system responds linearly to orbital forcing), an explanation of the correlation between climate and eccentricity probably requires an assumption of nonlinearity. 6) It is concluded that changes in the earth's orbital geometry are the fundamental cause of the succession of Quaternary ice ages. 7) A model of future climate based on the observed orbital-climate relationships, but ignoring anthropogenic effects, predicts that the long-term trend over the next sevem thousand years is toward extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation. PMID- 17790894 TI - Carter transition scramble: see-saw for energy policy specialists. PMID- 17790895 TI - Soviet Civil Defense: Insiders Argue Whether Strategic Balance is Shaken. PMID- 17790896 TI - Glomar explorer said successful after all. PMID- 17790897 TI - Inequality the main cause of world hunger. PMID- 17790899 TI - Senate Class of '76: For Ph.D.'s, A Vintage Year at the Polls. PMID- 17790898 TI - Kistiakowsky Diary as Eisenhower's Science Adviser Out. PMID- 17790900 TI - After the heart attack: limiting the damage. PMID- 17790902 TI - Homogeneous catalysis and the real world. PMID- 17790901 TI - Homogeneous catalysis (I): transition metal clusters. PMID- 17790903 TI - Close views of islands. PMID- 17790904 TI - Cellular neurobiology. PMID- 17790905 TI - Metastatic mechanisms. PMID- 17790906 TI - Laser spectroscopy. PMID- 17790907 TI - Intermediate-energy physics. PMID- 17790909 TI - New Rules for AAAS-Newcomb Cleveland Prize. PMID- 17790908 TI - Black magnetic spherule fallout in the eastern gulf of Mexico. AB - Large numbers of black metallic spherules ranging in diameter from a few micrometers to over 800 micrometers are raining into the eastern Gulf of Mexico and adjacent areas of western Florida. The composition of the flux, its association with glass spherules and coky particles, and its magnitude point to industrial pollution, probably coal- and coke-burning facilities around the perimeter of the gulf, as the source. Since metallic particles represent only a small fraction of most fly ash, such an influx of large numbers of black magnetic spherules must be symptomatic of a much higher rate of sedimentation of fly ash. The internal microstructures and the general appearance of spherules derived from industrial processes are similar to those of particles derived from cosmic sources. Because of the high potential for contamination in micrometeorite studies, a complete compositional verification of each "cosmic" particle may be necessary. PMID- 17790910 TI - Electron Plasma Oscillations Associated with Type III Radio Bursts. AB - Plasma wave electric field measurements with the solar orbiting Helios spacecraft have shown that intense (approximately 10 millivolts per meter) electron plasma oscillations occur in association with type III solar radio bursts. These observations confirm the basic mechanism, proposed in 1958, that type III radio emissions are produced by intense electron plasma oscillations excited in the solor corona by electrons ejected from a solar flare. PMID- 17790911 TI - PROFESSOR LEIDY'S "FRESH WATER RHIZOPODS OF NORTH AMERICA". PMID- 17790913 TI - THE MAGNET IN MEDICINE. PMID- 17790912 TI - THE FOURTH STATE OF MATTER: A REFUTATION. PMID- 17790914 TI - BIRD FURNITURE. PMID- 17790915 TI - COMPETITION BETWEEN THE ANILINE AND MADDER DYES. PMID- 17790916 TI - DEGENERATION. PMID- 17790918 TI - A NEW GENUS OF RHINOCERONTIDAe. PMID- 17790917 TI - PHYSIOLOGY OF THE FRESH WATER MEDUSA. PMID- 17790919 TI - THE IMPORTAVCE AND THE PROMIISE IN THE STUDY OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS. PMID- 17790920 TI - THE PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17790921 TI - SECTION A--ASTRONOMY AND MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17790922 TI - ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS, COLUMBUS, OHIO, AUGUTST 18 AND 19, 1899. PMID- 17790923 TI - DARK LIGHTNING. PMID- 17790924 TI - A REPLY. PMID- 17790925 TI - FOEHN WINDS. PMID- 17790926 TI - UNTIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17790927 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17790928 TI - ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT COOLIDGE IN HONOR OF MR. EDISON. PMID- 17790929 TI - THE HISTORY OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS IN THE PLIMPTON LIBRARY. PMID- 17790930 TI - ANDREW HENRY PATTERSON 1870-1928. PMID- 17790931 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17790933 TI - WINTER ROOT GROWTH OF PLANTS. PMID- 17790932 TI - THE CONSERVATION OF INTELLECT. PMID- 17790935 TI - THE MEASUREMENT OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS. PMID- 17790934 TI - CONE-IN-CONE ON CONCRETIONS FROM THE DEVONIAN OF NEW YORK. PMID- 17790936 TI - AN UNEXPLAINED VISUAL PHENOMENON. PMID- 17790937 TI - A SIMPLE FIXING, WASHING AND DEHYDRATING DEVICE. PMID- 17790938 TI - A GAUGE FOR RAPID DIAMETER MEASUREMENTS. PMID- 17790939 TI - THE LIFE CYCLE OF SPIROCERCA SANGUINOLENTA--A NATURAL NEMATODE PARASITE OF THE DOG. PMID- 17790941 TI - MANGANESE AS A FACTOR IN HEMOGLOBIN BUILDING. PMID- 17790940 TI - VISCOSITY CHANGES DURING EARLY CLEAVAGE STAGES OF FUNDULUS EGGS. PMID- 17790942 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17790943 TI - EROSION AS A FACTOR IN SOIL DETERMINATION. PMID- 17790944 TI - OBSERVATIONS UPON THE USE OF THE DIVINING ROD IN GERMANY. PMID- 17790945 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF NATURAL AND ACQUIRED IMMUNITY TO INFECTIOUS MYXOMATOSIS OF RABBITS. PMID- 17790946 TI - WHEAT MOSAIC IN EGYPT. PMID- 17790947 TI - NOTE ON THE CORN COMPONENT OF A RACHITOGENIC DIET. PMID- 17790948 TI - THE FATAL BELGIAN FOG. PMID- 17790949 TI - COMMITTEE ON DRUG ADDICTION OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17790950 TI - AMERICAN SCHOOL OF PREHISTORIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17790951 TI - TWO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TECHNIQUE OF KYMOGRAPH RECORDING. PMID- 17790952 TI - USE OF ETHYLENE OXIDE FOR THE ERADICATION OF PESTS. PMID- 17790953 TI - THE BIOLOGY OF THE PETROLEUM FLY. PMID- 17790954 TI - THE MORPHOLOGICAL BASIS FOR CERTAIN TISSUE RESISTANCE. PMID- 17790955 TI - A NEW FACTOR IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE SEDIMENTS. PMID- 17790956 TI - THE VEGETATION OF THE HOT SPRINGS OF YELLOWSTONE PARK. PMID- 17790957 TI - RAREFIED AND CONDENSED AIR. PMID- 17790958 TI - NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE WILMINGTON REGION. PMID- 17790959 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17790960 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17790961 TI - AMPHIBIA OR BATRACHIA. PMID- 17790962 TI - CORRECTION CONCERNING MR. RHOADS' USE OF THE NAME BASSARISCUS RAPTOR (BAIRD). PMID- 17790963 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17790964 TI - Regulatory costs. PMID- 17790965 TI - The future of agricultural research. PMID- 17790966 TI - The future of agricultural research. PMID- 17790967 TI - Enigmatic arctic cloud plumes. PMID- 17790968 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17790969 TI - A cloud with a strange dark lining. PMID- 17790971 TI - How do particles put on weight? PMID- 17790970 TI - Clinton picks his science adviser. PMID- 17790972 TI - A gauntlet of tests for the theory. PMID- 17790973 TI - Ancient and modern, rock and fluid meet in san francisco. AB - With 6000 attendees and 4700 presentations, the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco last month was the biggest yet. And that made room for even more diversity than usual. Only the AGU could accommodate news of asteroid impacts and extinctions one-third of a billion years ago and a progress report on the first direct measurements of centimeter-scale ocean mixing, an ongoing study in the Atlantic. PMID- 17790974 TI - Magnetic ripple hints gaspra is metallic. PMID- 17790975 TI - Astronomers turn new eyes on the cosmic ray sky. PMID- 17790976 TI - How nature might build a cosmic ray accelerator. PMID- 17790977 TI - Transgenic escargots. PMID- 17790978 TI - Celestial science in mauritius. PMID- 17790979 TI - Koprowski sues rock mag. PMID- 17790980 TI - New accord between u.s., Russian academies. PMID- 17790981 TI - Secrets From Tibet's Icy Peaks. PMID- 17790982 TI - Taxol gains quick FDA approval. PMID- 17790983 TI - Atmospheric lifetimes of long-lived halogenated species. AB - The atmospheric lifetimes of the fluorinated gases CF(4), C(2)F(6), c-C(4)F(8), (CF(3))(2)c-C(4)F(6), C(5)F(12), C(6)F(14), C(2)F(5)Cl, C(2)F(4)C(12), CF(3)Cl, and SF(6) are of concern because of the effects that these long-lived compounds acting as greenhouse gases can have on global climate. The possible atmospheric loss processes of these gases were assessed by determining the rate coefficients for the reactions of these gases with O((1)D), H, and OH and the absorption cross sections at 121.6 nanometers in the laboratory and using these data as input to a two-dimensional atmospheric model. The lifetimes of all the studied perfluoro compounds are >2000 years, and those of CF(3)Cl, CF(3)CF(2)Cl, and CF(2)ClCF(2)Cl are >300 years. If released into the atmosphere, these molecules will accumulate and their effects will persist for centuries or millennia. PMID- 17790984 TI - A 100-year average recurrence interval for the san andreas fault at wrightwood, california. AB - Evidence for five large earthquakes during the past five centuries along the San Andreas fault zone 70 kilometers northeast of Los Angeles, California, indicates that the average recurrence interval and the temporal variability are significantly smaller than previously thought. Rapid sedimentation during the past 5000 years in a 150-meter-wide structural depression has produced a greater than 21-meter-thick sequence of debris flow and stream deposits interbedded with more than 50 datable peat layers. Fault scarps, colluvial wedges, fissure infills, upward termination of ruptures, and tilted and folded deposits above listric faults provide evidence for large earthquakes that occurred in A.D. 1857, 1812, and about 1700, 1610, and 1470. PMID- 17790985 TI - Verification of the onsager reciprocal relations in a molten silicate solution. AB - A key hypothesis in the generalized theory of nonequilibrium thermodynamics is the principle of microscopic time invariance as enunciated by Onsager in the 1930s. At the macroscopic level, Onsager's hypothesis is represented by a set of relations known as the Onsager reciprocal relations, which, when applied to isothermal, multicomponent diffusion, demand the symmetry of the phenomenological matrix that connects mass fluxes to chemical potential gradients. On the basis of experimentally determined diffusion coefficients and thermochemical data for the molten system CaO-Al(2)O(3)-SiO(2), the Onsager phenomenological coefficients have been computed, including an analysis of error. Within experimental uncertainty, the Onsager matrix is indeed symmetric. PMID- 17790986 TI - Comparative Compressibilities of Silicate Spinels: Anomalous Behavior of (Mg,Fe)2SiO4. AB - Compressibilities of five silicate spinels, including gamma-Mg(2)SiO(4), gamma Fe(2)SiO(4), Ni(2)SiO(4) and two ferromagnesian compositions, were determined on crystals positioned in the same high-pressure mount. Subjection of all crystals simultaneously to the same pressure revealed differences in compressibility that resulted from compositional differences. Ferromagnesian silicate spinels showed an anomalous 13 percent increase in bulk modulus with increasing iron content, from Mg(2)SiO(4) (184 gigapascals) to Fe(2)SiO(4) (207 gigapascals). This result suggests that ferrous iron and magnesium, which behave similarly under crustal conditions, are chemically more distinct at high pressures characteristic of the transition zone and lower mantle. PMID- 17790987 TI - Mechanism diversity of the loma prieta aftershocks and the mechanics of mainshock aftershock interaction. AB - The diverse aftershock sequence of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake is inconsistent with conventional models of mainshock-aftershock interaction because the aftershocks do not accommodate mainshock-induced stress changes. Instead, the sense of slip of the aftershocks is consistent with failure in response to a nearly uniaxial stress field in which the maximum principal stress acts almost normal to the mainshock fault plane. This orientation implies that (i) stress drop in the mainshock was nearly complete, (ii) mainshock-induced decreases of fault strength helped were important in controlling the occurrence of after shocks, and (iii) mainshock rupture was limited to those sections of the fault with preexisting shear stress available to drive fault slip. PMID- 17790989 TI - Terrestrial soft-bodied protists and other microorganisms in triassic amber. AB - Protozoa, cyanobacteria, sheathed algae, sheathed fungi, germinating pollen or spores, and fungal spores have been found in amber 220 to 230 million years old. Many of these microorganisms can be assigned to present-day groups. This discovery of terrestrial, soft-bodied protists that can be referred to modern groups indicates that morphological evolution is very gradual in many protists and that both structural and probably functional stasis extend back at least to the Upper Triassic period. PMID- 17790988 TI - Domain structures in langmuir-blodgett films investigated by atomic force microscopy. AB - Investigations of phase-separated Langmuir-Blodgett films by atomic force microscopy reveal that on a scale of 30 to 200 micrometers, these images resemble those observed by fluorescence microscopy. Fine structures (less than 1 micrometer) within the stearic acid domains were observed, which cannot be seen by conventional optical microscopic techniques. By applying the force modulation technique, it was found that the elastic properties of the domains in the liquid condensed phase and grains observed within the liquid expanded phase were comparable. Small soft residues in the domains could also be detected. The influence of trace amounts of a fluorescence dye on the micromorphology of monolayers could be detected on transferred films. PMID- 17790990 TI - Asking and answering. PMID- 17790992 TI - Earth's Early Life. PMID- 17790991 TI - Opinions on geology. PMID- 17790993 TI - Vignettes: human genetics. PMID- 17790994 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17790995 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17790996 TI - LONGEVITY OF PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17790997 TI - THE SCHOOLMASTERS' CONVENTION AT PHILADELPHIA. PMID- 17790999 TI - THE TRAINING OF THE MEMORY. PMID- 17790998 TI - PHYSICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17791000 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NEWS. PMID- 17791001 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17791002 TI - Liberty's torch. PMID- 17791003 TI - Pleuro-pneumonia. PMID- 17791004 TI - Preliminary description of a new pocket gopher from California. PMID- 17791005 TI - A new bat from Puget Sound. PMID- 17791006 TI - The Americanists. PMID- 17791007 TI - The relations of our colleges and preparatory schools. PMID- 17791008 TI - THE FRANKLIN BI-CENTENARY. PMID- 17791010 TI - CORPUSCULAR RADIATION FROM COSMICAL SOURCES. PMID- 17791009 TI - FACTS AND THEORIES IN EVOLUTION. PMID- 17791011 TI - RECENT MUSEUM PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17791013 TI - THE ITHACA MEETING. PMID- 17791012 TI - THE PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES. PMID- 17791014 TI - THE SHALER MEMORIAL FUND. PMID- 17791016 TI - Undergraduates in research. PMID- 17791015 TI - THE REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON THE WALTER REED MONUMENT. PMID- 17791017 TI - Oil spills--an old story. PMID- 17791019 TI - A neutral stance is impossible. PMID- 17791018 TI - XYY Chromosome: Legal Hazards. PMID- 17791020 TI - Potomac valley test facility. PMID- 17791022 TI - Vegetational change along altitudinal gradients. PMID- 17791021 TI - The cave environment. PMID- 17791023 TI - Post-Apollo: NASA Seeks a Mars Flight Plan. PMID- 17791026 TI - Technology Assessment: NAS Panel Asks New Federal Mechanisms. PMID- 17791025 TI - Hurricane seeding: a quest for data. PMID- 17791028 TI - Jadeite: shock-induced formation from oligoclase, ries crater, Germany. AB - Jadeite (high-pressure sodium aluminum pyroxene) has been identified in a shock phase assemblage of oligoclase. The shock assemblage consists of minute particles with high refractive indices that contain at least two phases: one (identified by x-ray) is a jadeite that is nearly pure NaAlSi(2)O(6); the other has the chemical composition of oligoclase minus jadeite and appears to be largely amorphous. PMID- 17791027 TI - Mariner 6: ultraviolet spectrum of Mars upper atmosphere. AB - Emission features from ionized carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide were measured in the 1900- to 4300-angstrom spectral region. The Lyman alpha 1216-angstrom line of atomic hydrogen and the 1304-, 1356-, and 2972-angstrom lines of atomic oxygen were observed. PMID- 17791029 TI - Algal stromatolites: deepwater forms in the devonian of Western australia. AB - A diverse assemblage of algal stromatolites occurs in Devonian reef complexes of the Canning Basin, Western Australia. Some forms grew on fore-reef depositional slopes down to at least 45 meters below sea level and are believed to be products of deepwater nonskeletal algae. It is concluded that algal stromatolites in the stratigraphic record are not to be regarded as diagnostic evidence for deposition in very shallow water. PMID- 17791030 TI - Moon: electrical properties of the uppermost layers. AB - Presently available data on the electrical conductivity of the uppermost lunar surface layers are in accord with the presence of dry, powdered rocks in which the dielectric loss tangent is frequency-independent over several decades of frequency. These powders have typical direct-current conductivity values of about 10(-13) to 10(-16) mhos per meter and dielectric constants of about 3.0, depending on the packing. Thus the surface layers of the moon are likely to have an extremely low electrical conductivity. At high frequencies normal dielectric losses lead to much higher apparent conductivities that are frequency-dependent. PMID- 17791031 TI - Adirondack conference on electrostatics. PMID- 17791033 TI - COOPERATION IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17791032 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17791034 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND CONTROL OF SEX. PMID- 17791035 TI - FAKES AND THE PRESS. PMID- 17791036 TI - RECONNOISANCE OF A RECENTLY DISCOVERED QUATERNARY CAVE DEPOSIT NEAR AUBURN, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17791037 TI - GASTROLITHS. PMID- 17791039 TI - CHANGES OF LEVEL IN YAKUTAT BAY. PMID- 17791038 TI - THE TIAN SHAN PLATEAU. PMID- 17791040 TI - MERZBACHER'S TIAN SHAN EXPEDITION. PMID- 17791042 TI - THE GENERAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, APRIL 23-25, 1908. PMID- 17791041 TI - THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF MOUNTAINS. PMID- 17791043 TI - THE APPLICATIONS OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY TO ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17791045 TI - VERY HIGH CUMULUS CLOUDS. PMID- 17791044 TI - CLOUDS OVER A FIRE. PMID- 17791046 TI - THE INFALLIBILITY OF NEWTON'S LAW OF RADIATION AT KNOWN TEMPERATURES. PMID- 17791047 TI - THE HEREDITY OF SEX. PMID- 17791048 TI - PRE-CAMBRIAN ROOKS IN SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING. PMID- 17791049 TI - A STATISTICAL STUDY OF BROWN SCALE PARASITISM. PMID- 17791050 TI - EXPERIMENTS ON EARTH CURVATURE. PMID- 17791051 TI - A SIMPLE CONTINUOUS ELECTRIC CALORIMETER FOR STUDENT'S USE. PMID- 17791052 TI - EVOLUTION IN RHYME. PMID- 17791053 TI - A CORAL ISLAND MODEL. PMID- 17791054 TI - WORK OF THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. PMID- 17791055 TI - CONFERENCE ON THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. PMID- 17791056 TI - BERMUDA BIOLOGICAL STATION FOR RESEARCH. PMID- 17791057 TI - THE GOLDEN AGE OF BOTANY. PMID- 17791058 TI - EVOLUTION AND KNOWLEDGE. PMID- 17791059 TI - ORIN F. STAFFORD. PMID- 17791060 TI - ALEXANDER LOWY 1889-1941. PMID- 17791061 TI - WAR WORK OF THE CANADIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17791062 TI - THE NUTRITION FOUNDATION, INC. PMID- 17791063 TI - THE ELLA SACHS PLOTZ FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. PMID- 17791064 TI - PRESENTATION TO WILFRED HUDSON OSGOOD. PMID- 17791066 TI - AWARD OF THE DAVY MEDAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY TO DR. DAKIN. PMID- 17791065 TI - THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS. PMID- 17791067 TI - CONTINENTAL DRIFT AND PLANT DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17791068 TI - PHYSICS IN NAZI GERMANY. PMID- 17791069 TI - SCLEROTIUM BATATICOLA, A CAUSE OF DAMPING-OFF IN SEEDLING CONIFERS. PMID- 17791070 TI - A SCIENTIST AT PEACE AND AT WAR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO. PMID- 17791072 TI - THE ENDOSPERM AS A BARRIER TO INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION IN FLOWERING PLANTS. PMID- 17791071 TI - SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17791073 TI - ON THE LOCALIZATION OF ENZYMES IN NERVE FIBERS. PMID- 17791074 TI - A COLOR REACTION FOR DEHYDROASCORBIC ACID USEFUL IN THE DETERMINATION OF VITAMIN C. PMID- 17791075 TI - BINDING OF SULFONAMIDES BY PLASMA PROTEINS. PMID- 17791076 TI - Infrared Spectroscopy. PMID- 17791077 TI - Meetings and Conferences. PMID- 17791078 TI - Organic Origin of Some Calcareous Sediments from the Red Sea. PMID- 17791079 TI - THE SCIENCE OF BIOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF MAN. PMID- 17791081 TI - THE CEYLON ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17791080 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS. PMID- 17791082 TI - WARREN L. BEUSCHLEIN. PMID- 17791084 TI - THE MINNESOTA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17791085 TI - "GENERA ET SPECIES PLANTARUM ARGENTINARUM". PMID- 17791083 TI - RAYMOND ROYCE WILLOUGHBY. PMID- 17791086 TI - THE PRESIDENCY OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17791087 TI - MEETINGS OF MATHEMATICIANS. PMID- 17791088 TI - THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17791089 TI - POST-WAR BIOLOGY REHABILITATION. PMID- 17791090 TI - THE CONFLICT BETWEEN SCIENCE AND BIOLOGICAL INDUSTRY. PMID- 17791091 TI - IMPROBABILITY AND IMPOSSIBILITY. PMID- 17791092 TI - BIOLOGICAL FIELD WORK IN BOLIVIA. PMID- 17791093 TI - ON THE Rh AND OTHER BLOOD FACTORS IN JAPANESE. PMID- 17791094 TI - ON THE SPECIFICITY OF CHOLINE ESTERASE IN NERVOUS TISSUE. PMID- 17791095 TI - BRAIN-WEIGHT AND BODY-WEIGHT IN THE RED SPIDER MONKEY. PMID- 17791096 TI - ANTI-RETICULAR IMMUNE SERUM: ITS ACTION DEMONSTRATED BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUE. PMID- 17791097 TI - THE EMBRYOLOGICAL BASIS OF PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17791099 TI - NOTE ON THE NUMBER OF PARTICLES IN THE SATURATED PHOSPHORUS EMANATION. PMID- 17791098 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF THE TYPE IN COMPOSITE GENERA OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS. PMID- 17791100 TI - CHIASMODON IN THE INDIAN OCEAN. PMID- 17791102 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17791101 TI - THE SAN JOSE SCALE PROBLEM AS COMPARED WITH THE ORANGE SCALE PROBLEM. PMID- 17791103 TI - YELLOW FEVER. PMID- 17791104 TI - THE NEW STAR IN PERSEUS. PMID- 17791105 TI - Impossible Choices. PMID- 17791106 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17791107 TI - Radiocarbon Dates of Mankato Drift in Minnesota. PMID- 17791108 TI - Radiocarbon Dates of Mankato Drift in Minnesota. PMID- 17791110 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17791109 TI - Reaction of 8-Quinolinol and 2-Methyl-8-Quinolinol with Rare-Earth Elements. PMID- 17791111 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17791113 TI - LSD: Requiescat in Pace! PMID- 17791112 TI - Mathematical illusions. PMID- 17791114 TI - Basic science in underdeveloped countries. PMID- 17791116 TI - Experimentation on humans. PMID- 17791115 TI - A protest of innocence. PMID- 17791117 TI - Information exchange group no. 5. PMID- 17791118 TI - Cowardly patient. PMID- 17791119 TI - For a cleaner lake tahoe. PMID- 17791120 TI - Help for small colleges. PMID- 17791122 TI - Bell labs: computers loom large in both research and operations. PMID- 17791121 TI - The development of the space-time view of quantum electrodynamics. PMID- 17791123 TI - Information services: a guide to federal offerings. PMID- 17791126 TI - Oceanography in britain: significant new support. PMID- 17791125 TI - Kapitsa's Visit to England. PMID- 17791127 TI - Isotopic Evidence on the Early Life History of Nautilus pompilius (Linne). AB - The ratios of oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 and of carbon-13 to carbon-12 in the early shell and septa of two Nautilus specimens are interpreted for the early ontogeny of the animals. Changes in the carbon isotope content are tentatively correlated with the end of the embryonic period and with environmental changes. Variations in the oxygen isotope content are in part ascribed to migrations from warm to cooler water after a certain stage of development. The size of the body chamber of the young animals can be determined by comparison of the isotope contents in outer shell and septa. PMID- 17791128 TI - Cage structures for polyborate ions. AB - Conventional concepts of chemical bonding appear inadequate to explain the structures of the anhydrous polyborates. A cage-type structure with occluded oxide ion is proposed for the octaborate, hexaborate, and tetraborate ions. The proposed structure is discussed in terms of the composition, x-ray diffraction patterns, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the sodium polyborates. PMID- 17791129 TI - Mars: new absorption bands in the spectrum. AB - New absorption bands have been found in the near-infrared spectrum of Mars by Fourier spectroscopy. They are tentatively identified in part as due to reduced gases in the Martian atmosphere. PMID- 17791130 TI - Potassium:rubidium ratio in ultramafic rocks: differentiation history of the upper mantle. AB - The increase in K:Rb ratio with decrease in potassium content found in basaltic rocks does not seem to apply to ultramafic rocks. The ratios in a series of alpine ultramafic rocks and ultramafic inclusions in basals and kimberlite pipes are about 200 to 500-significantly lower than those in oceanic tholeiites. This characteristic of ultramafic rocks appears to be consistent with a simplified model in which early differentiation of the primitive mantle led to formation of an upper mantle region enriched in alkali elements and having a low K:Rb ratio. Alpine ultramafic rocks may be residuals from such an upper mantle region. PMID- 17791131 TI - Mechanism for intercalation of kaolinite by alkali acetates. AB - The relative strengths of the hydrogen bonds in kaolinite-alkali salt-water systems control kaolinite-salt interactions. A new technique for intercalation results in formation of a kaolinite-salt complex free of excess salt. PMID- 17791132 TI - Anomalous carbon-isotope ratios in nonvolatile organic material. AB - Organic mats are associated with sulfur deposits in Upper Pleistocene sand ridges of the coastal plain of southern Israel; black, brittle, and non-volatile, they show parallel layering but no other apparent cellular structure. Two independent carbon-14 determinations yielded ages of 27,750+/-500 and 31,370+/-1400 years. Four carbon-13:carbon-12 determinations fell within the range deltaC(13) =-82.5 to -89.3 per mille relative to the PDB standard; these appear to be the lowest values yet reported for naturally occurring high-molecular-weight organic material. The origin of the carbon is probably complex; it must have passed through at least one biologic cycle before final deposition. PMID- 17791134 TI - Movement directions in late paleozoic glacial rocks of the horlick and pensacola mountains, antarctica. AB - Striae and associated structures beneath and within the Buckeye Tillite in the Ohio Range of the Horlick Mountains show that Permian(?) glaciers moved toward the west-southwest. Striae in the Wisconsin Range of the Horlicks display similar orientation, but the sense of movement could not be determined. Paleoglaciers in the Neptune Range and the Cordiner Peaks of the Pensacola Mountains moved toward the south-southwest with some dispersion. Paleocurrents flowed parallel to ice motion in the Ohio Range and in the Pensacolas, but they also flowed toward the north-northeast in the Pensacolas. PMID- 17791133 TI - Radio sources: angular size from scintillation studies. AB - The frequency spectrum of fluctuations caused by interplanetary scintillations may give a sensitive estimate of the diameter of a radio source. Observations of 3C 138, 3C 245, 3C 267, and 3C 273 give diameters of 0.1, 50% at a pressure of 2.2 gigapascals. Silicate liquids plausibly undergo similar coordination changes at depth in the Earth. Such structural changes may generate decreases in the fusion slopes of silicates at high pressures as well as neutrally buoyant magmas within the transition zone of the Earth's mantle. PMID- 17791611 TI - Small earthquakes, tectonic forces. AB - Earthquake scaling and frequency-of-occurrence relations require that small earthquakes be just as important as larger ones in redistributing the forces that drive relative displacements across active faults of any dimension, including plate boundaries. PMID- 17791612 TI - Effects of aerosol from biomass burning on the global radiation budget. AB - An analysis is made of the likely contribution of smoke particles from biomass burning to the global radiation balance. These particles act to reflect solar radiation directly; they also can act as cloud condensation nuclei, increasing the reflectivity of clouds. Together these effects, although uncertain, may add up globally to a cooling effect as large as 2 watts per square meter, comparable to the estimated contribution of sulfate aerosols. Anthropogenic increases of smoke emission thus may have helped weaken the net greenhouse warming from anthropogenic trace gases. PMID- 17791613 TI - Oxygen isotopes in biogenic silica: global changes in ocean temperature and isotopic composition. AB - A record of oxygen isotopes in biogenic silica from a deep-sea sediment core from the Southern Ocean reveals that marine diatoms retain their primary isotopic composition after burial. As a result, the marine diatom record can be combined with data on coexisting planktonic foraminifera to monitor past surface temperature and isotopic composition of seawater. The coupling of these two records allows the solution of two paleotemperature equations for each core interval. Data from a South Atlantic core show that the average delta(18)O during the glacial period at this site was higher by about 1.3 per mil than average Holocene values, and that average glacial-age temperatures were not significantly different from average Holocene values. PMID- 17791614 TI - Some other books of interest. PMID- 17791616 TI - Vignettes: popular images. PMID- 17791615 TI - Science in Brazil. PMID- 17791617 TI - Some other books of interest. PMID- 17791619 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17791618 TI - Some other books of interest. PMID- 17791621 TI - The Lysenkoists. PMID- 17791620 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17791622 TI - Fertility Experiment Recalled. PMID- 17791623 TI - Financing Key Ideas. PMID- 17791624 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17791625 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17791627 TI - Genetics and Soviet Science. PMID- 17791626 TI - Lissajous Figures by Analog Computer. PMID- 17791628 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17791629 TI - More on Metrics: Clocks, Compasses, Music, and Milk Bottles. PMID- 17791630 TI - Making the Scene. PMID- 17791631 TI - The Freshman Class. PMID- 17791633 TI - The Kinetics and Analysis of Very Fast Chemical Reactions. PMID- 17791632 TI - Organic Compounds in Carbonaceous Chondrites. PMID- 17791634 TI - LBJ Directive: He Says Spread the Research Money. PMID- 17791635 TI - Technical Services Act: Industry To Benefit from New State Programs Paraileling Farm Extension Service. PMID- 17791636 TI - India's Nascent Space Program. PMID- 17791637 TI - Age of Craters on Mars. AB - The rate of crater formation on Mars is calculated to be about 25 times higher than that on the Moon. The crater density observed by Mariner IV points to an age only one-sixth that of the lunar maria, or 300 to 800 million years. Hence no conclusions can presently be drawn from these photographs concerning the early Martian environment. PMID- 17791638 TI - Mars: Age of Its Craters. AB - If the craters on Mars were formed by asteroidal particles having spatial distributions independent of asteroid size, and if both spatial distributions and total numbers are independent of time, the average age of the craters may be less than 300 million years. PMID- 17791639 TI - Mars: An Estimate of the Age of Its Surface. AB - Intercomparisons of crater counts on Mars and the Moon suggest that the age of the visible Martian surface is approximately 340 to 680 million years. PMID- 17791640 TI - Terrestrial Heat Flow: Measurement in Lake Bottoms. AB - The feasibility of measuring terrestrial heat flow in lakes has been investigated in Lake Superior. The temperature gradient and thermal conductivity of the sediment were measured at each of four stations in water depths exceeding 250 meters. Consideration of the effects of climatic variations suggests that they may not seriously affect the values for heat flow obtained by this method. The values measured are in reasonable agreement with other continental values in the shield areas. PMID- 17791641 TI - Chert: Modern Inorganic Deposition in a Carbonate-Precipitating Locality. AB - Chert is precipitating as gelatinous opal-cristobalite in lakes associated with the Coorong Lagoon of South Australia. Dolomite, magnesite, and magnesian calcite are also being deposited. High pH (9.5 to 10.2) causes dissolution of detrital silicates; lowering of pH (7.0 to 6.5) and drying of the lakes cause precipitation of chert. time. PMID- 17791642 TI - Uncrossed Visual Pathways of Hooded and Albino Rats. AB - The uncrossed visual pathways to the principal primary optic centers of hooded rats are substantially larger than those of albino rats. This provides an anatomical basis for the results of a recent study on behavior which showed differences in interocular transfer in the two varieties. PMID- 17791644 TI - Stone Migration by Freezing of Soil. PMID- 17791643 TI - Algal Cultures: Ability To Reduce Turbulent Friction in Flow. AB - Liquid cultures of several freshwater and marine algae required less pressure to flow through a pipe at a given rate than the pure liquid medium before algal growth. This increased ease of flow can be attributed to long-chain polysaccharides produced in the medium during growth. Measurements of friction were used to estimate the molecular weight of an algal polysaccharide and to show the effect of bacterial action on the polymer. PMID- 17791645 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17791647 TI - THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATJORY. PMID- 17791646 TI - American Association of Physical Anthropologists. PMID- 17791648 TI - HOW CHEMISTRY IS BEST TAUGHT. PMID- 17791650 TI - PROBLEMS OF ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17791649 TI - NOTES ON THE WOOD OR FALLOW ANT OF SOUTHIEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS. PMID- 17791651 TI - SPACE RELATION OF NUMBERS. PMID- 17791652 TI - RED BIRDS AND A GROSBEAK. PMID- 17791653 TI - MYOLOGY OF THE CAT; OR THE M. FLEXOR ACCESSORIUS OF THE HUMAN AND FELINE FOOT. PMID- 17791654 TI - COLOR VISION. PMID- 17791655 TI - PALENQUE HIEROGLYPHICS. PMID- 17791656 TI - COLUMBIAN CONGRESSES ON SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY. PMID- 17791657 TI - ON SOME NESTING HABITS OF THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. PMID- 17791658 TI - DAMAGE TO COTTON BY LIGHTNING. PMID- 17791659 TI - GREAT HORNED OWLS IN CONFINEMENT. PMID- 17791661 TI - DOCTORATES CONFERRED BY AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17791660 TI - PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY AT THE COLUMBIAN CONGRESS. PMID- 17791662 TI - THE ADVANCE OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAUSATION AND METHODS OF PREVENTION OF STOCK DISEASES IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS. PMID- 17791663 TI - SUMMER MEETING OF SECTION C. GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17791664 TI - LATIN AS THE LANGUAGE OF BOTANICAL DIAGNOSIS. PMID- 17791665 TI - FLEAS AND DISEASE. PMID- 17791666 TI - A NOTE ON THE HABITS OF RISSOLA MARGINATA. PMID- 17791667 TI - NOTE ON THE HABITS OF AN OPHIDIID (CUSKEEL). PMID- 17791668 TI - INTERNAL INFECTION OF THE WHEAT GRAIN BY RUST--A NEW OBSERVATION. PMID- 17791670 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17791669 TI - APPARATUS TABLES FOR ELECTRICAL LABORATORIES. PMID- 17791671 TI - RECENT MUSEUM REPORTS. PMID- 17791672 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17791673 TI - THE MECHANISM OF ENZYME ACTIONS. PMID- 17791674 TI - FOREIGN GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. PMID- 17791675 TI - SHALL SMOKY CITIES GO TREELESS? PMID- 17791676 TI - FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO GROW CHILOMONAS PARAMECIUM IN INORGANIC MEDIA. PMID- 17791678 TI - THE GANESH PRASAD PRIZE. PMID- 17791677 TI - MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING. PMID- 17791679 TI - THE ALABAMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17791680 TI - THE PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17791681 TI - THE MINNESOTA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17791682 TI - THE TENNESSEE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17791683 TI - A SIMPLE RELIABLE TIME CLOCK. PMID- 17791684 TI - ON AN ARRANGEMENT FOR STUDYING THE CONDITIONS WITHIN DIFFUSION LAYERS. PMID- 17791685 TI - MUTATION RATE FROM OLD DATURA SEEDS. PMID- 17791686 TI - THE RELATION OF WATER AND ELECTROLYTES TO METABOLISM. PMID- 17791688 TI - Japanese Mining and Petroleum Industries: Programs under the Occupation. PMID- 17791687 TI - CALCIFYING FACTORS IN THE DIET OF SALAMANDER LARVAE. PMID- 17791689 TI - Speed of Salt Increase in the Waters of Lake Tacarigua, Venezuela. PMID- 17791691 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17791690 TI - Evidence for the Entry into the Upper Atmosphere of High-speed Protons during Auroral Activity. PMID- 17791693 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "The reservoir for HIV-1 in human peripheral blood is a T cell that maintains expression of CD4" by S. M. Schnittman et al. (21 July, p. 305), reference 10 on page 308 should have read, "K. Clouse et al., J. Immunol. 142, 431 (1989)." PMID- 17791692 TI - Reliability of electric service. PMID- 17791694 TI - Response: mirror, mirror .. PMID- 17791695 TI - Mirror, mirror .. PMID- 17791696 TI - Mirror, mirror .. PMID- 17791697 TI - Concern in washington. PMID- 17791698 TI - Berkeley's Changing Student Populaton: Academic successes by a growing Asian population are exerting pressure on current admissions policies, as well as creating a new kind of racial tension on campus. PMID- 17791699 TI - Strange Bedfellows: It is hard to think of a more unlikely collaboration than one between physicists and economists, but this is exactly what is going on at a former convent in Santa Fe, New Mexico. PMID- 17791700 TI - Esoteric borrowing from physics. PMID- 17791701 TI - Exxon bets on bugs in alaska cleanup. PMID- 17791703 TI - CEQ Gets Director. PMID- 17791702 TI - Another california seismic hot spot. PMID- 17791704 TI - Utah keeps the faith. PMID- 17791706 TI - Statistics to Star on TV? PMID- 17791705 TI - Congress caps grant overhead charge. PMID- 17791707 TI - Cambridge profs piqued at merit pay. PMID- 17791708 TI - Byrd reins in "pork barrel lobbyists". PMID- 17791709 TI - Airline deregulation and public policy. AB - An assessment of the effects of airline deregulation on travelers and carriers indicates that deregulation has provided travelers and carriers with $14.9 billion of annual benefits (1988 dollars). Airport congestion, airline safety, airline bankruptcy, and mergers are also analyzed and found in most cases to have reduced benefits. But, these costs should not be attributed to deregulation per se, but to failures by the government to pursue appropriate policies in these areas. Pursuit of policies that promote airline competition and efficient use of airport capacity would significantly increase the benefits from deregulation and would provide valuable guidance for other industries undergoing the transition to deregulation. PMID- 17791710 TI - Magnetic flux transport on the sun. AB - Although most of the magnetic flux observed on the sun originates in the low latitude sunspot belts, this flux is gradually dispersed over a much wider range of latitudes by supergranular convective motions and meridional circulation. Numerical simulations show how these transport processes interact over the 11 year sunspot cycle to produce a strong "topknot" polar field, whose existence near sunspot minimum is suggested by the observed strength of the interplanetary magnetic field and by the observed areal extent of polar coronal holes. The required rates of diffusion and flow are consistent with the decay rates of active regions and with the rotational properties of the large-scale solar magnetic field. PMID- 17791712 TI - Origins and movement of fluids during deformation and metamorphism in the canadian cordillera. AB - Stable isotope data from quartz veins in the Canadian Cordillera indicate that crustal fluids were heterogeneous in terms of sources and flow paths during Mesozoic-Cenozoic metamorphism and deformation. In regions of strike-slip and extensional faulting, the fluid regime to depths of at least 15 kilometers was dominated by convected, chemically evolved meteoric water. In contrast, in thrust faulted regions, the fluid regime was dominated by fluids derived from metamorphic devolatilization reactions. Deep convection of meteoric water implies that fluid pressures are hydrostatic in such systems not lithostatic, as had been commonly assumed. The occurrence of significantly lower fluid pressures would necessitate reevaluation of the manner in which metamorphic phase equilibria and stress relations in the crust are modeled. In addition, this study indicates that mesothermal gold deposits in the Canadian Cordillera are a product of the meteoric water convection process. PMID- 17791711 TI - Superconducting gap in bi-sr-ca-cu-o by high-resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. AB - Detailed studies indicate a superconducting gap in the high-temperature superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8). Photoemission measurements with high energy and angle resolution isolate the behavior of a single band as it crosses the Fermi level in both the normal and superconducting states, giving support to the Fermi liquid picture. The magnitude of the gap is 24 millielectron volts. PMID- 17791713 TI - A Rotationally Resolved Fluorescence Excitation Spectrum of all-trans-1,4 Diphenyl-1,3-butadiene. AB - Band 1 in the jet-cooled one-photon S(1) <-- S(0) fluorescence excitation spectrum of all-trans-1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene has been rotationally resolved with a molecular beam laser spectrometer. Both the orientation of the optical transition moment and the rotational constants of the two vibronic levels have been measured. The molecule shows no evidence of being significantly distorted from a C(24) geometry when it is low in the vibrational manifolds of either of the two electronic states. PMID- 17791714 TI - Impacts of petroleum development in the arctic. PMID- 17791715 TI - Response: impacts of petroleum development in the arctic. PMID- 17791716 TI - Antiferromagnetic exchange energies in planar cuprates. PMID- 17791719 TI - The lcy Meson: Pions and Nuclei. PMID- 17791718 TI - Something new under the tsars: darwin in Russian thought. PMID- 17791717 TI - The real edison: the papers of Thomas a. Edison. PMID- 17791721 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17791720 TI - Solar physics: the physics of solar fiares. PMID- 17791722 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17791723 TI - THE MODERN MUSEUM. PMID- 17791725 TI - THE HEALTH OF NEW YORK DURING AUGUST. PMID- 17791724 TI - ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17791726 TI - ARTIFICIAL RUBIES. PMID- 17791727 TI - A DULL BOOK. PMID- 17791728 TI - The source of the Mississippi. PMID- 17791729 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17791730 TI - Barometer exposure. PMID- 17791731 TI - Glaciers and glacialists. PMID- 17791733 TI - The excessive voracity of the female Mantis. PMID- 17791732 TI - A mummified frog. PMID- 17791734 TI - Constitution of the earth. PMID- 17791735 TI - Earthquakes in North America. PMID- 17791736 TI - Ray Lyman Wilbur: 1875-1949. PMID- 17791737 TI - Preliminary Note on the Occurrence of a New Protistan Parasite, Dermocystidium marinum n. sp. in Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). PMID- 17791738 TI - Action of Penicillin on Bacterial Utilization of Amino Acids and Peptides. PMID- 17791739 TI - Effect of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid on Ripening of Apples and Peaches. PMID- 17791741 TI - Effect of Neoplastic Tissue on the Turnover of Desoxypentose Nucleic Acid. PMID- 17791740 TI - Partogrid, Proportional Divider for Use in Paper Chromatography (Partography). PMID- 17791742 TI - Presence of a Phosphatase in the Human Aortic Wall. PMID- 17791743 TI - The Origin of Petroleum: Effects of Low Temperature Pyrolysis on the Organic Extract of a Recent Marine Sediment. PMID- 17791745 TI - The Mechanism of Ionization in Solution. PMID- 17791744 TI - Comparison of Peripheral Blood with Heart Blood in Guinea Pigs. PMID- 17791746 TI - A Simple Microfilm Reader and the Microfilm Process. PMID- 17791747 TI - A TENTATIVE THEORY OF THERMO-ELECTRIC ACTION. PMID- 17791748 TI - THE ALAMOGORDO DESERT. PMID- 17791749 TI - FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17791750 TI - AN EXAMPLE IN NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17791751 TI - UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION STATISTICS. PMID- 17791752 TI - DELUC'S 'GEOLOGICAL LETTERS.'. PMID- 17791754 TI - SCHOOLS OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17791753 TI - PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC CONFERENCE TO ADOPT A UNIVERSAL ALPHABET. PMID- 17791755 TI - AWARDS TO THE COLLECTIVE EXHIBIT OF THE LAND-GRANT COLLEGES AND THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PMID- 17791757 TI - The "Polished Rocks" of Cornudas Mountain, New Mexico. PMID- 17791756 TI - The Administration of Federal Research. PMID- 17791758 TI - Method for Changing Units. PMID- 17791759 TI - Mustard, Its Preparation and Use. PMID- 17791760 TI - Factors Influencing the Mutation Rate in Neurospora. PMID- 17791761 TI - The Chemical Nature and Origin of Phaseolus Virus 2 Crystalline Inclusions. PMID- 17791762 TI - Effect of Cholinesterase-containing Globulin Fraction of Human Plasma in Macrocytic Anemia. PMID- 17791763 TI - Weed Control in the Tropics. PMID- 17791764 TI - Sulfaquinoxaline in the Control of Eimeria tenella and Eimeria necatrix in Chickens on a Commercial Broiler Farm. PMID- 17791765 TI - Chromosome Breakage in Plants Induced by Radioactive Phosphorus (P32). PMID- 17791766 TI - The Male Frog, Rana pipiens, as a New Test Animal for Early Pregnancy. PMID- 17791767 TI - The Electric Charge of Red Blood Cells in Malaria. PMID- 17791768 TI - The Ecchymosis Test for Capillary Hemorrhagic Diathesis. PMID- 17791769 TI - Method for Making Cartesian Divers. PMID- 17791770 TI - The Excystment of Colpoda duodenaria. PMID- 17791772 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17791771 TI - Laboratory Preparation and Decontamination of Mustard. PMID- 17791773 TI - Energy and economic activity. PMID- 17791774 TI - Energy and economic activity. PMID- 17791775 TI - In reply: retirement age for chinese scientists. PMID- 17791776 TI - Retirement age for chinese scientists. PMID- 17791777 TI - Erratum. AB - In the briefing "Plants can be patented now" by Marjorie Sun (News and Comment, 18 Oct., p. 303), it was incorrectly reported that the American Type Culture Collection does not have the facilities to accept plant genetic material. The depository did not have that capability when Molecular Genetics Research and Development Limited Partnership filed its patent application for a genetically engineered corn plant, but it has the facilities now. PMID- 17791778 TI - Language. PMID- 17791779 TI - In reply: energy and economic activity. PMID- 17791780 TI - In pursuit of the renewable frontier. PMID- 17791781 TI - GAO Battles Pentagon on Chemical Weapons: A recommendation against binary weapons production by congressional auditors again proves persuasive in the House of Representatives. PMID- 17791782 TI - Congress Questions SSC Cost. PMID- 17791783 TI - Americans scarce in math grad schools. PMID- 17791784 TI - Spy trade might free two soviet scientists. PMID- 17791785 TI - BNL Security Fix Stalls Restart of Beam Reactor. PMID- 17791786 TI - Sub-sahara needs quick help to avert disaster. PMID- 17791787 TI - Small Eddies Are Mixing the Oceans: Long-lived small eddies are crisscrossing the oceans carrying the effects of local mixing hundreds and even thousands of kilometers. PMID- 17791788 TI - Dental humans, infant apes. PMID- 17791789 TI - Laser Extremes Probe Atoms and Molecules: Atomic and molecular physicists find that many frontiers of their field are defined by the advancing state of the art of laser technology. PMID- 17791790 TI - 1986 AAAS ANNUAL MEETING Philadelphia, 25-30 May. PMID- 17791791 TI - The history of ecology: the background of ecology. PMID- 17791792 TI - The stress response: changes in eukaryotic gene expression in response to environmental stress. PMID- 17791794 TI - The environment of East Asia: the evolution of the East asian environment. PMID- 17791793 TI - Trends of chemistry: chemistry in america, 1876-1976. Historical indicators. PMID- 17791795 TI - Electrokinetic separation of chiral compounds. AB - Femtomole amounts of racemic mixtures of derivatized amino acids were resolved and analyzed rapidly in about 10 minutes by means of high-voltage zone electrophoresis with laser-fluorescence detection. The electrophoresis was performed in capillary columns containing a chiral support electrolyte. A number of dansyl amino acids were resolved by the diastereomeric interaction between the DL-amino acid and the copper(II) complex of L-histidine present in the support electrolyte. A combination of electro-osmotic and electrophoretic action caused all species, positively charged, neutral, and negatively charged, to pass through the 0.5- nanoliter detection volume where they were subjected to laser excitation. PMID- 17791796 TI - Novel Role for Phycoerythrin in a Marine Cyanobacterium, Synechococcus Strain DC2. AB - Cyanobacterial picoplankton contribute substantially to oceanic primary productivity. The colored protein phycoerythrin is the major component of their light-harvesting apparatus. It was found that in Synechococcus strain DC2 a variable proportion of the light energy absorbed by phycoerythrin is lost as autofluorescence and therefore is not passed to a photoreaction center. Phycoerythrin may serve two functionally distinct roles in this organism: as a nitrogen reserve and as a collector of quanta for photosynthesis. PMID- 17791797 TI - Alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment unlocks energy in agricultural by-products. AB - Lignocellulosic residues (wheat straw, corncobs, and cornstalks) were treated with a dilute alkaline solution of hydrogen peroxide and suspended in cattle rumen in situ to measure microbial degradation. The rate and extent of dry matter disappearance were markedly increased as a result of the treatment. Results in vivo indicate that this treatment increases the fermentability of wheat straw structural carbohydrates such that this agricultural by-product may be considered an acceptable energy source for the ruminant animal. Treatment of wheat straw allowed more complete bacterial colonization and more rapid degradation of the cell wall. PMID- 17791798 TI - Synthesis of Fibrils in Vitro by a Solubilized Cellulose Synthase from Acetobacter xylinum. AB - A digitonin-solubilized cellulose synthase was prepared from Acetobacter xylinum. When this enzyme was incubated under conditions known to lead to active synthesis of 1,4-beta-D-glucan polymer (cellulose), electron microscopy revealed that clusters of fibrils were assembled within minutes. Individual fibrils are 17 +/- 2 angstroms in diameter. Evidence that the fibrils were freshly synthesized and cellulosic in nature was their incorporation of the tritium from UDP [(3)H]glucose (UDP, uridine 5'-diphosphate), their binding of gold-labeled cellobiohydrolase, and an electron diffraction pattern with 004, 200, and 012 reflections (characteristic of cellulose synthesized in vivo) but missing 110 and 110 reflections. The small size of the fibrils is atypical of native A. xylinum cellulose microfibrils. The fibrils synthesized in vitro resemble, in morphology and size, the fibrillar cellulose produced when A. xylinum is cultured in the presence of agents that interfere with the normal process of crystallization of the microfibrils. The solubilized enzyme unit may therefore be producing a basic fibrillar structure that, in vivo, interacts laterally with other fibrils to produce native cellulose microfibrils. PMID- 17791799 TI - Cell-assisted growth of a fastidious spiroplasma. AB - The Colorado potato beetle spiroplasma, which is not cultivable in conventional cell-free media, grew in tissue culture media in the presence of several coleopteran and lepidopteran insect cell lines. The cultured organisms attained titers of 1.2 x 10(9) spiroplasmas per milliliter of culture at the 100th passage and retained infectivity and a high capacity for translational motility at the 15th passage. Cell culture systems may facilitate the isolation of other presently uncultivable microorganisms and may be useful in the study of the role of microbial physiology and behavior in pathogenicity. PMID- 17791800 TI - Biology of Cancer. PMID- 17791801 TI - Recent Changes in Sedimentation in the Gulf of Mexico. PMID- 17791802 TI - Charles Atwood Kofoid 1865-1947. PMID- 17791803 TI - Erratum. AB - In "Effect of Rutin on Anaphylactic and Histamine Shock" by R. J. Raiman, E. R. Later, and H. Necheles (Science, October 17, p. 368), the first sentence of the last paragraph should read as follows: "Another explanation for the protective effect of rutin may be that it prevents the liberation of endogenous histamine, perhaps by unknown factors other than those which decrease capillary permeability." PMID- 17791804 TI - The Nature of the Iron Compounds in Red and Yellow Sandstone. PMID- 17791805 TI - Cytochrome Oxidase. PMID- 17791806 TI - Differential Rate of Death for Large and Small Fishes Caused by Hard Cold Waves. PMID- 17791807 TI - Hemophilia: The Mechanism of Development and Action of an Anticoagulant Found in Two Cases. PMID- 17791808 TI - A Homogeneous Emulsion of Fat, Protein, and Glucose for Intravenous Administration. PMID- 17791809 TI - The Importance of Controlling Cooling Temperatures During Embedding in Paraffin. PMID- 17791810 TI - The Demonstration of Naturally-occurring Streptomycin-resistant Variants in the Human Strain of Tubercle Bacillus H-37RV. PMID- 17791812 TI - The Abuse of Words. PMID- 17791811 TI - Scientists Indulged. PMID- 17791813 TI - Darwin-Bates Letters. PMID- 17791814 TI - Economics: Public Policy and Theory. PMID- 17791815 TI - Copyright Revisions. PMID- 17791816 TI - Earth and Moon: Past and Future: Astronomical observations and dynamical arguments place new limits on theories of the origin of the moon. PMID- 17791818 TI - Battelle: New Contractor's Role at AEC Lab Means Diversification for Hanford, Growth for Institute. PMID- 17791817 TI - Congress and Science: Daddario Study Casts Doubts on Proposals To Establish Advisory Service. PMID- 17791819 TI - Consumer Motivation: Handy Handbook Reveals Discovery--"Mystery Surrounds the Cheese". PMID- 17791820 TI - Quasi-Stellar Diameters and Intensity Fluctuations It is shown that there are relativistic limits on the fluctuations in brightness which may be observed for a large spherical source, and also for more general sources, so that quasi-stellar objects are probably no more than light-days in size. There is thus a possibility that they may be close to our galaxy. PMID- 17791821 TI - Pulse Radiolysis of Potassium Bromide Solutions. AB - After application of a 2-microsecond pulse of an electron beam to aqueous, aerated, acid solutions of KBr, transient spectra of Br2- and Br3- were observed. The kinetic analysis of the reactions as well as the measured values of G(H(2)O(2)), G(Br(2)), and G(Br(3)(-)) revealed a reaction mechanism differing from the one which is accepted for radiolysis at low intensity. PMID- 17791822 TI - Molecular Structure of the Synthetic Molecular Oxygen Carrier O2IrCl(CO)(P[C6H5]3)2. AB - The synthetic molecular oxygen carrier O(2)lrCl(CO)(P[C(6)H(5)](3))(2), discovered by Vaska, has been characterized in a complete molecular structure determination. The structure surmised by Vaska from spectroscopic data has been confirmed and, in addition, definitive details on the attachment of molecular oxygen to iridium in this 1 : 1 reversible oxygen carrier have been obtained. The two oxygen atoms are equidistant from the metal atom, as in Griffith's model of the oxygen atoms in oxyhemoglobin. The O-O bond length of 1.30 +/- 0.03 A is intermediate between those characteristic of O(2) (1.20 A) and O(2)(-2) (1.48 A), and corresponds closely to O(2)(-)(1.28 A). PMID- 17791823 TI - Location of an Aircraft Impact from Gravity Waves. AB - The energy released upon impact of an airliner that crashed into Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, on 25 February 1964 caused changes in water levels of sufficient duration and amplitude to be recorded by tide gages situated within the lake. Analysis of the recorded arrival times made it possible to locate the point of impact within an irregular area approximately 1500 feet (500 meters) in radius. PMID- 17791824 TI - Particle Accretion Rates: Variation with Latitude. AB - Reported accretion rates for cosmic spherules ranging in diameter from 1 to 400 micro appear to increase with increasing latitude. The apparent variation is most closely related to geomagnetic latitude. Preliminary culations suggest that electromagnetic interactions could cause only charged particles less than about 10-(2) micro in diameter to impinge preferentially at high latitudes. PMID- 17791825 TI - Protactinium Fluorides, the New Class, MPaF6. AB - Complex fluorides of protactinium having a Pa/M ratio of one (where M = K, Rb, or NH(4)) have been prepared from concentrated solutions of HF. These MPaF(6) compounds are isostructural with the corresponding compounds of pentavalent uranium but not with the tantalum analogs. The size of protactinium (V) is but slightly larger than that of uranium (V). PMID- 17791827 TI - Surface Phenomena. PMID- 17791826 TI - Symbiotic Behavior among Fishes from Temperate Ocean Waters. AB - Symbiotic cleaning among Atlantic coastal fishes has been observed under laboratory conditions. The cleaning phenomenon may be commonplace in the natural environment along the Atlantic seaboard. The black sea bass, Centropristes striatus (Linn.), parasitized by the copepod, Lernaeenicus radiatus (Le Sueur), was cleaned by a topminnow, Fundulus heteroclitus (Linn.). The behavior was recorded by cinematography and analyzed. PMID- 17791828 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17791829 TI - THE INTERFERENCES OBSERVED ON VIEWING ONE COARSE GRATING THROUGH ANOTHER, AND ON THE PROJECTION OF ONE PIECE OF WIRE GAUZE BY A PARALLEL PIECE. PMID- 17791830 TI - THE CROSSLEY REFLECTOR OF THE LICK OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17791831 TI - THE MODERN SYSTEM OF TEACHING PRACTICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17791833 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17791832 TI - ARITHMETICAL NOTE. PMID- 17791834 TI - CAMPHOR SECRETED BY AN ANIMAL. PMID- 17791835 TI - NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17791836 TI - Computers as chess partners. PMID- 17791837 TI - Science: attack and defense. PMID- 17791838 TI - The Structure of Ordinary Water: New data and interpretations are yielding new insights into this fascinating substance. AB - The train of thought pursued in this article has led to the conclusion that the structure of cold water seems likely to consist, for the most part, of hydrogen bonded, four-coordinated, framework regions, with interstitial monomers occupying some fraction of the cavities the framework encloses. The precise geometry of the framework has not been specified, but some evidence suggests that it is rather regular at low temperatures and becomes more random as the water gets warmer. These conclusions, meager as they are in comparison with what we shall eventually need to know about water, are still "subject to change without notice." Such a change would, for instance, be made necessary by the discrediting either of the data or of the interpretations on which the model is based. The discovery of new facts, or of new meanings in old facts, which were clearly in conflict with the model, would also make it necessary to modify, if not to abandon, it. Even this would be progress, however, for it would be another product of the method of drawing upon data from diverse sources and would be a further step toward the progressively more comprehensive model to which this method will lead and the progressively greater confidence we will be able to place in our conclusions. PMID- 17791839 TI - Aboriginal Drained-Field Cultivation in the Americas: Pre-Columbian reclamation of wet lands was widespread in the savannas and highlands of Latin America. AB - The three main types of land reclamation in aboriginal America were irrigation, terracing, and drainage. Of these, drainage techniques have received the least attention, probably because they are no longer important and because the remnants are not conspicuous. Nevertheless, drained-field cultivation was widespread and was practiced in varied environments, including high-land basins, tropical savannas, and temperate flood plains. Sites ranged from seasonally waterlogged or flooded areas to permanent lakes. Ridging, mounding, and ditching were emphasized, rather than diking. Tools were simple, crops varied, and fertilization was accomplished mainly by mulching. PMID- 17791840 TI - After fire, scholar faces painful reprocessing of data. PMID- 17791841 TI - Academic finance: british system smoothly functions in 50th year. PMID- 17791843 TI - Giant radioactive halos: indicators of unknown radioactivity? AB - A new group of giant radioactive halos has been found with radii in excess of anything previously discovered. Since alternate explanations for these giant halos are inconclusive at present, the possibility is considered that they originate with unknown alpha radioactivity, either from isomers of known elements or from superheavy elements. PMID- 17791844 TI - Sterols in recent marine sediments. AB - Sterolic fractions have been isolated from Recent marine sediments representing two different environments. The fractions were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and thin-layer chromatography. The major sterols in the fractions were identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The demonstrated survival of these common plant and animal sterols for several thousand years suggests that these molecules will be useful geochemical indicators. PMID- 17791845 TI - Oil spills: method for measuring their extent on the sea surface. AB - It is difficult to estimate the area affected by an oil spill at sea, the degree of coverage by oil pollutants within the affected area, and the quantity of pollutants involved. Estimates of volumes and flow rates are based on estimated changes in areal extent of the spill. Uncertainties in measurement of area degrade the accuracy of estimating other parameters. To resolve this problem, available stock components have now been assembled into a system that yields repeatable, economical measurement of the areal extent of oil spills at acceptable levels of accuracy. The system comprises overflights with a thermal infrared imaging system, densitometric color enhancement of the infrared images, and automatic digital planimetry of the areas of specified image densities. PMID- 17791846 TI - Microwave detection of thioformaldehyde. AB - Thioformaldehyde (H(2)CS) has been detected and characterized from its microwave spectrum. Preliminary analysis of rotational transitions for the sulfur-32 containing form of H(2)CS shows this new species to have C(2v) symmetry with rotational constants (in megahertz) of A = 292,729, B = 17,698, and C = 16,652. The possibility of detection of thioformaldehyde in the interstellar medium is discussed, and a table of transitions expected to be of importance for that detection is presented. PMID- 17791848 TI - Formaldehyde absorption coefficients in the vacuum ultraviolet (650 to 1850 angstroms). AB - The absorption spectrum of formaldehyde has been measured photo-electrically from 650 to 1850 angstroms. A broad continuum observed at wavelengths shorter than 1570 angstroms will be the major spectral feature contributing to the formaldehyde lifetime in the interstellar radiation field. PMID- 17791847 TI - A Search for the 110 larr 111 Transition of Interstellar Thioformaldehyde. AB - A search has been made for the 1(10) <-- 1(11) transition of thioformaldehyde in interstellar clouds where formaldehyde is known to exist. Failure to detect this transition indicates that the ratio of thioformaldehyde abundance to that of formaldehyde is probably less than the abundance ratio of sulfur to oxygen. PMID- 17791849 TI - THE GENERAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17791850 TI - CONCERNING THE NATURAL MOUNDS. PMID- 17791851 TI - THE BASALT MOUNDS OF THE COLUMBIA LAVA. PMID- 17791852 TI - LEVELING WITHOUT BASELEVELING. PMID- 17791853 TI - NOMENCLATORIAL TYPE SPECIMENS OF PLANT SPECIES. PMID- 17791854 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17791855 TI - NOTES ON ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17791856 TI - MEN OF AFFAIRS IN EDUCATION. PMID- 17791857 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL ANATOMICAL CONGRESS AT GENEVA. PMID- 17791858 TI - THE INCREASED ENDOWMENT OF HARVARD COLLEGE. PMID- 17791859 TI - THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION. PMID- 17791860 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17791861 TI - Man in the stone age. PMID- 17791862 TI - Coal in the Chico group of California. PMID- 17791863 TI - THE PROSPECTS OF THE NEW PSYCHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17791864 TI - The earthquake of Jan. 2. PMID- 17791865 TI - American pearls. PMID- 17791867 TI - RECENT ADVANCES IN ELECTRICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17791866 TI - The use of slips in scientific correspondence. PMID- 17791868 TI - CO-ORDINATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC BUREAUS OF THE GOVERNMENT. PMID- 17791870 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17791869 TI - THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. PMID- 17791872 TI - REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE U. S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17791871 TI - SOME RECENT EXPERIMENTS WITH OIL IN STOPPING BREAKERS. PMID- 17791874 TI - THE ARGENTINE ZONE CATALOGUE. PMID- 17791873 TI - BANDELIER'S ARCHEOLOGICAL TOUR IN MEXICO. PMID- 17791875 TI - THE DIVISION OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17791876 TI - THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN. PMID- 17791877 TI - DOLOMIEU. PMID- 17791878 TI - THE ATTAINMENT OF HIGH LEVELS IN THE ATMOSPHERE. PMID- 17791879 TI - CONCERNING BALLISTICS. PMID- 17791880 TI - TECHNIQUE OF OPERATING ON CHICK EMBRYOS. PMID- 17791881 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. VIII. PMID- 17791882 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17791883 TI - THE ROLE OF ANALYSIS IN SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. PMID- 17791884 TI - THE PROBLEM OF TWISTED TREES. PMID- 17791885 TI - THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORMAL CURVE. PMID- 17791886 TI - CHLORPICRIN INJURIOUS TO GREEN-HOUSE PLANTS. PMID- 17791887 TI - PUBLIC SERVICE AS AN ELEMENT IN THE LIFE OF THE AMERICAN SCIENTIST. PMID- 17791888 TI - QUESTIONS. PMID- 17791889 TI - A LOW-COST LABORATORY UNIT FOR LIGHTING AND APPLIANCES. PMID- 17791890 TI - A SIMPLE SUBSURFACE THERMOMETER. PMID- 17791891 TI - THE ABSOLUTE MOTION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND THE ORBITAL MOTION OF THE EARTH DETERMINED BY THE ETHER-DRIFT EXPERIMENT. PMID- 17791892 TI - A SPECIMEN MOUNT FOR INSECTS AND OTHER OBJECTS OF NATURAL HISTORY, ETC. PMID- 17791893 TI - THE PHOSPHORESCENCE OF SOLID NITROGEN AND ITS RELATION TO CRYSTAL STRUCTURE. PMID- 17791895 TI - COUPLED REACTIONS IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS. PMID- 17791894 TI - SOME ASPECTS OF INTERMEDIARY PROTEIN METABOLISM. PMID- 17791896 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17791898 TI - Science and politics. PMID- 17791897 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17791899 TI - Pregnant baboons. PMID- 17791900 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17791901 TI - Coal workers' pneumoconiosis. PMID- 17791902 TI - Newton and the mint. PMID- 17791904 TI - A blind spot in biology. PMID- 17791903 TI - Ki'lo{middle dot}me'ter. PMID- 17791905 TI - Microbiology of the dry valleys of antarctica. PMID- 17791906 TI - The American Chemical Society: PEPing Up Its Rescue Efforts. PMID- 17791907 TI - New cancer chief in the wings. PMID- 17791908 TI - Dow Redefines Word It Doesn't Like. PMID- 17791910 TI - France: mass higher education produces diplomas but not jobs. PMID- 17791909 TI - Agnew Reprimands AAAS. PMID- 17791911 TI - Photocopying habit in jeopardy. PMID- 17791912 TI - UNISIST and SIE: Promise and Fulfillment in Informatics. PMID- 17791913 TI - Physical oceanography: planning for a major experiment. PMID- 17791914 TI - Mars: the lineament systems. AB - Analysis of the Mariner 4, Mariner 6, and Mariner 7 photographs shows that Mars has at least two distinct types of lineament systems. The most prominent is a well-developed global-type system. The second consists of radial and concentric lineaments associated with the Hellas and south polar basins. PMID- 17791915 TI - River delta morphology: wave climate and the role of the subaqueous proffile. AB - Application of a comprehensive wave climate program to seven major deltas indicates that deltaic configurations and coastal landform combinations depend to a considerable degree on the wave power adjacent to the shore and on the river discharge relative to wave forces. Nearshore wave power is not correlative with deepwater wave power but, owing to frictional attenuation, is a function of the subaqueous slope. The subaqueous slope, in turn, depends partially on the slope and width of the continental shelf but primarily on the rate at which the river can supply sediments to the nearshore zone. River-dominated configurations result only when the river is able to build flat offshore profiles, which reduce nearshore wave power; where the subaqueous slope is steep, waves reach the shore comparatively undiminished and wave-built forms prevail. PMID- 17791916 TI - Pressure measurement made by the utilization of ruby sharp-line luminescence. AB - A rapid, convenient technique for precision pressure measurement in the diamond anvil high-pressure cell, which makes use of the sharp-line (R-line) luminescence of ruby, has been developed. The observed shift is -0.77 +/-0.03 reciprocal centimeters per kilobar for R(1) and -0.84+/- 0.03 reciprocal centimeters per kilobar for R(2) to lower energy and is approximately linear in the range studied (to 22 kilobars). Line-broadening has been observed in some instances and has been tentatively identified with nonhydrostatic conditions surrounding the ruby sample. PMID- 17791917 TI - Barrier Dune System along the Outer Banks of North Carolina: A Reappraisal. AB - Barrier dune development has been encouraged by man along the Outer Banks of North Carolina to stabilize the barrier islands. This modification of a delicately balanced natural system is leading to severe adjustments in both geological and ecological processes. PMID- 17791918 TI - Leaf infections: siderochromes (natural polyhydroamates) mimic the "green island" effect. AB - Topical application of as little as 5x10(-12) moles of pure siderochromes (polyhydroxamate iron-transport compounds from bacteria and fungi) onto detached bean leaves causes spots of chlorophyll retention that are surrounded by chlorotic halos. These spots appear similar to "green islands" that are caused by certain fungal infections on leaves and are somewhat similar to zones where senescence is delayed by cytokinin. PMID- 17791919 TI - Sea star platastenras: ossicle morphology and taxonomic position. AB - The modern sea star Platasterias latiradiata, on the basis of ossicle morphology, is removed from the fossil subclass Somasteroidea and assigned to the genus Luidia of the living subclass Asteroidea. A somasteroid assignment of this species should not be used in inferences concerning evolution and morphology of primitive echinoderms. PMID- 17791920 TI - Does the striate cortex begin reconstruction of the visual world? PMID- 17791922 TI - Cost of the space shuttle. PMID- 17791921 TI - AAAS Meeting. PMID- 17791923 TI - Defense research. PMID- 17791925 TI - Social responsibility. PMID- 17791924 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17791926 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17791927 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17791929 TI - Office of technology assessment: congress smiles, scientists wince. PMID- 17791928 TI - Information for a changing society. PMID- 17791930 TI - Lawmakers lack a crystal ball. PMID- 17791931 TI - Exinct superheavy element in meteorites: attempted characterization. AB - If the unexplained fission xenon component in meteorites is due to a volatile superheavy element, this element must have had a heat of vaporization of 54 +/- 3 kilocalories per mole and a normal boiling point of 2500 degrees +/- 400 degrees K. The prime candidates are elements 111 and 115, followed by 113, 114, 112, and 116. Elements 105 to 110 are not volatile enough and can therefore be excluded. PMID- 17791933 TI - Rock-type discrimination from ratioed infrared scanner images of pisgah crater, california. AB - The radiances in two thermal infrared channels of an airborne scanner system were ratioed to produce images that recorded compositionally diagnostic emittance variations for several silicate rock types near Pisgah Crater, California. PMID- 17791932 TI - Infrared spectral emittance in geological mapping: airborne spectrometer data from pisgah crater, california. AB - Measurements of spectral emittance in the infrared region from 6.8 to 13.3 micrometers were made with an airborne spectrometer at a rate of six spectra per second, on flights 650 meters above the olivine basalt flows at Pisgah Crater in the southern Californian desert. The spectra show chemical and mineralogical differences that can be related to differences in the terrain below the aircraft. PMID- 17791934 TI - RESISTANCE OF INSECTS TO POISON GAS. PMID- 17791935 TI - CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17791936 TI - THE TEMPERATURE OF SINGLE CELLS. PMID- 17791937 TI - THE GROWTH OF SERUM. PMID- 17791938 TI - THE PROTECTION OF CHAMOIS AND IBEX IN THE ALPS. PMID- 17791940 TI - DIAGNOSIS OF HEART DISEASE. PMID- 17791939 TI - CANCER RESEARCH. PMID- 17791941 TI - THE APPLICATION OF TRANSMITTANCY MEASUREMENTS TO BIOCHEMISTRY. AB - In a very brief way I have tried to show how absorption spectra have been intimately related to the development of our knowledge of chlorophyll. One hundred years ago Stokes discovered several laws that are very applicable to-day. For apparatus he used a boarded-up window, a slit in a plank, a lens and a prism. Instead of thinking how much we have accomplished with highly refined instruments we biochemists should rather humble ourselves by thinking how little use we have made of the instruments which you have so nobly perfected. PMID- 17791942 TI - CHARLES DEPERET. PMID- 17791943 TI - CAREY V. HODGSON. PMID- 17791944 TI - FRANZ KEIBEL. PMID- 17791945 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17791946 TI - A CASE OF ACCIDENTAL PARASITISM. PMID- 17791947 TI - GIFT TO DOWN HOUSE OF THE ORIGINAL LETTERS OF CHARLES DARWIN TO FRITZ MULLER. PMID- 17791948 TI - CEPHENOMYIA SP. KILLING DEER. PMID- 17791949 TI - SOLAR ECLIPSES. PMID- 17791950 TI - APPARATUS FOR THE DETECTION OF SUBSTRATUM COMMUNICATION AMONG TERMITES. PMID- 17791951 TI - AN ACCURATE DROP RECORDER. AB - An improved form of drop recorder is described which has an accuracy of 600 drops per cc. PMID- 17791952 TI - A STUDY OF IODINE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. PMID- 17791953 TI - A NEW DISEASE OF DOUGLAS FIR. PMID- 17791954 TI - The Invisible Word, or No Thresholds Barred. PMID- 17791955 TI - B. M. Duggar, Pioneer in Precise Plant Research. PMID- 17791956 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17791957 TI - Effect of Gibberellic Acid and Indoleacetic Acid on Growth of Excised Fruit Tissue. PMID- 17791958 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17791959 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17791960 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17791961 TI - Science advice to the government. PMID- 17791962 TI - Foreign graduate students. PMID- 17791963 TI - Foreign graduate students. PMID- 17791964 TI - Erratum. AB - In Roger Lewin's Research News article "Recount on Amazon trees" (5 Feb., p. 563), two errors occurred. At the end of the third paragraph, the quote from Alwyn Gentry should have ended, ". . . with 63% of species represented by single individuals and only 15% of species represented by more than two individuals." The last word of the article should have been "importance." PMID- 17791965 TI - Plastic wrappers. PMID- 17791966 TI - Plastic wrappers. PMID- 17791967 TI - Science Advice: Back to the Future?: As the change of Administration approaches, many scientists are eager to see science advice raised to a higher level; is PSAC a model or a relic of a bygone era? PMID- 17791968 TI - What Perestroika Means for American Business: Soviets seem eager for expanded trade, business dealings with the West; joint ventures now allowed. PMID- 17791969 TI - Superconductor funds flat. PMID- 17791970 TI - Manufacturing innovation and american industrial competitiveness. AB - An erosion of manufacturing capacities has contributed substantially to America's trade problems. The difficulty lies not in U.S. machines and technology, but in U.S. strategies for automation and the goals American firms seek to achieve through production innovation. Mass production and administrative hierarchies created the basis for American industrial preeminence in the years after World War II. There is substantial evidence that American firms have been unable to adopt or adapt to the production innovations emerging abroad. A sustained weakness in manufacturing capabilities could endanger the technology base of the country. PMID- 17791971 TI - Free-electron lasers. AB - Free-electron lasers are tunable, potentially powerful sources of coherent radiation over a broad range of wavelengths from the far-infrared to the far ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. These unique capabilities make them suitable for a broad variety of applications from medicine to strategic defense. PMID- 17791972 TI - Continuing worldwide increase in tropospheric methane, 1978 to 1987. AB - The average worldwide tropospheric mixing ratio of methane has increased by 11% from 1.52 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in January 1978 to 1.684 ppmv in September 1987, for an increment of 0.016 +/- 0.001 ppmv per year. Within the limits of our measurements, the global tropospheric mixing ratio for methane over the past decade is consistent either with a linear growth rate of 0.016 +/- 0.001 ppmv per year or with a slight lessening of the rate of growth over the past 5 years. No indications were found of an effect of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation El Chichon events of 1982-83 on total global methane, although severe reductions were reported in the Pacific Northwest during that time period. The growth in tropospheric methane may have increased the water concentration in the stratosphere by as much as 28% since the 1940s and 45% over the past two centuries and thus could have increased the mass of precipitable water available for formation of polar stratospheric clouds. PMID- 17791973 TI - Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Measurements of Single-Crystal Hydrogen to 26.5 Gigapascals. AB - The crystal structure and equation of state of solid hydrogen have been determined directly to 26.5 gigapascals at room temperature by new synchrotron x ray diffraction techniques. Solid hydrogen remains in the hexagonal close-packed structure under these pressure-temperature conditions and exhibits increasing structural anisotropy with pressure. The pressure-volume curve determined from the x-ray data represents the most accurate experimental measurement of the equation of state to date in this pressure range. The results remove the discrepancy between earlier indirect determinations and provide a new experimental constraint on the molecular-to-atomic transition predicted at higher pressures. PMID- 17791974 TI - R&D in FY 1989: Looking Ahead in an Election Year: Thirteen Annual AAAS Colloquium on R&D Policy. PMID- 17791975 TI - Awards presented at annual meeting. PMID- 17791976 TI - More museum benefits for members. PMID- 17791977 TI - SWARM Meets in Wichita Late This Month. PMID- 17791978 TI - Pacific division holds r&d conference. PMID- 17791979 TI - SB&F Reviews High School Texts. PMID- 17791981 TI - New issues for phylogenetics: molecules and morphology in evolution. PMID- 17791980 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17791982 TI - Lighthearted nomenclature: organic chemistry: the name game. PMID- 17791984 TI - Crustal extension: continental extensional tectonics. PMID- 17791983 TI - A model microorganism: phycomyces. PMID- 17791985 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17791986 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ARTS AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17791987 TI - THE THIRTIETH GENERAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17791989 TI - SCIENTIIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17791988 TI - MATERIAL VERSUS INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17791990 TI - A REPLY TO CERTAIN CRITICISMS OF PROFESSOR GIARD RESPECTING THE BOPYRIDS. PMID- 17791992 TI - AN ACCOUNT OF THE PRELIMINARY EXCAVATIONS IN A RECENTLY EXPLORED QUATERNARY CAVE IN SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17791991 TI - GEO-BIOLOGICAL TERMS. PMID- 17791993 TI - VITALITY OF PSEUDOMONAS CAMPESTRIS (PAM.) SMITH ON CABBAGE SEED. PMID- 17791994 TI - A NOTABLE PALEOBOTANICAL DISCOVERY. PMID- 17791995 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17791996 TI - WILLIAM HENRY PETTEE. PMID- 17791997 TI - EXCAVATIONS IN TURKESTAN. PMID- 17791998 TI - THE GOLDEN TROUT OF MT. WHITNEY. PMID- 17791999 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17792000 TI - PRESENT PROBLEMS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17792001 TI - Madreporaria. PMID- 17792003 TI - THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17792002 TI - IN MATTER TO BE ABOLISHED? PMID- 17792004 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17792005 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17792007 TI - Mystery cloud: additional observations. PMID- 17792006 TI - Spanking, reason, and the environment. PMID- 17792009 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article by Jane Menken et al. "Age and infertility" (26 Sept., p. 1389), the first sentence under the sidehead "Diagnosus of infertility by failure to conceive within a year" (p. 1390, column two, paragraph two) should have read: "The historical evidence indicates that the proportion of women who were sterile increased rather slowly and almost linearly from the 20's until the early 40's. PMID- 17792010 TI - French R&D: a la Reagan With Dash of De Gaulle: New budget figures show boost in military and basic research, cuts in civilian R&D; but some central control of research is maintained. PMID- 17792008 TI - Hazardous waste disposal. PMID- 17792011 TI - Science agencies fare well in budget battles. PMID- 17792012 TI - Hanford plant closed over safety violation. PMID- 17792013 TI - Education secretary uses harvard podium to take host to task. PMID- 17792014 TI - An Optical Measurement of Berry's Phase: Overlooked for 60 years, a phase factor that can creep into quantum mechanical wave functions has implications in areas ranging from molecular physics to unified field theories. PMID- 17792015 TI - Shaping New Tools for Paleoceanographers: Paleoceanographers are exploring new methods for reading the geologic record and using marine ecology to improve old ones. PMID- 17792016 TI - Crustal Structure of Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, from Seismic Refraction Profiles. AB - Seismic refraction, profiles in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, define the crustal structure in an area of active tectonics on the southern end of the Himalaya-Burma arc. The crustal thickness ranges from 38 to 46 kilometers, and the relatively low mean crustal velocity indicates a crustal composition compatible with normal continental crust and consisting mainly of meta sedimentary and silicic intrusive rocks, with little mafic or ultramafic component. This composition suggests a crustal evolution involving sedimentary processes on the flank of the Yangtze platform rather than the accretion of oceanic island arcs, as has been proposed. An anomalously low upper-mantle velocity observed on one profile but not on another at right angles to it may indicate active tectonic processes in the mantle or seismic anisotropy. PMID- 17792017 TI - What has happened to productivity growth? AB - The collapse of U.S. productivity growth is the most severe and persistent of recent economic problems. Unless there is an increase in growth, American living standards will remain stagnant and problems such as the budget deficit will plaque policy-makers. Why has this happened? Among the important reasons are a failure to innovate, changing demographics, and disruptions to the economy, including oil price increases and inflation. PMID- 17792018 TI - Interannual variability of global dust storms on Mars. AB - Global dust storms on Mars occur in some years but not in others. If the four Mars years of Viking data are representative, some distinguishing characteristics can be inferred. In years with global dust storms, dust is raised in the southern hemisphere and spread over much of the planet by an intensified Hadley circulation. In years without global dust storms, dust is raised in the northern hemisphere by relatively active mid-latitude storm systems but does not spread globally. In both cases the dusty season is winter in the north. Assuming that the cross-equatorial Hadley circulation plays a key role in the onset of global dust storms, it is shown from numerical simulations that a northen hemisphere dust haze weakens its intensity and, hence, its contribution to the surface stress in the southern hemisphere. This, in turn, reduces the possibility of global dust storm development. The interannual variability is therefore the result either of a competition between circulations in opposite hemispheres, in which case the variability has a random component, or it is the result of the cycling of dust between hemispheres, in which case the variability is related to the characteristics of global dust storms themselves. PMID- 17792020 TI - Science and security: the future of arms control. PMID- 17792019 TI - Transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. AB - Transformed Arabidopsis thaliana plants have been produced by a modified leaf disk transformation-regeneration method. Leaf pieces from sterilely grown plants were precultured for 2 days and inoculated with an Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain containing an avirulent Ti (tumor-inducing) plasmid with a chimeric gene encoding hygromycin resistance. After cocultivation for 2 days, the leaf pieces were placed on a medium that selects for hygromycin resistance. Shoots regenerated within 3 months and were excised, rooted, and transferred to soil. Transformation was confirmed by opine production, hygromycin resistance, and DNA blot hybridization of both primary transformants and progeny. This process for producing transgenic Arabidopsis plants should enhance the usefulness of the species for experimental biology. PMID- 17792021 TI - Proposals for economic growth: the positive sum strategy. PMID- 17792022 TI - Biological oxygenation: circulation, respiration, and metabolism. PMID- 17792023 TI - Cell biology: cell motility. PMID- 17792024 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17792025 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792026 TI - CURRENT PROGRESS IN X-RAY PHYSICS. PMID- 17792027 TI - A SUGGESTION REGARDING THE CHEMICAL FORMULAE OF COMPOUNDS CONTAINING HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN ISOTOPES. PMID- 17792028 TI - GOVERNMENT RESEARCH. PMID- 17792029 TI - PARA-ORTHO CONVERSION OF DEUTERIUM. PMID- 17792030 TI - THE LAW OF MULTIPLE PROPORTIONS. PMID- 17792031 TI - MEMORANDUM ON THE ALL-UNION INSTITUTE OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE. PMID- 17792032 TI - THE UNITED STATES BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17792033 TI - THE WESTERN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17792034 TI - A RAPID METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF DELAFIELD'S HAEMATOXYLIN. PMID- 17792035 TI - THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE MOVEMENT IN WASHINGTON, D. C. PMID- 17792037 TI - FIXING THE PRINT OF CARBON COPIES. PMID- 17792036 TI - DEUTERIUM OXIDE AND ASPERGILLUS. PMID- 17792038 TI - SOAP AS A MOSQUITO LARVICIDE. PMID- 17792040 TI - FROGS AND OPALINIDAE. PMID- 17792039 TI - THE EFFECT OF FERRIC CHLORIDE INJECTIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL TUBERCULOSIS. PMID- 17792041 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17792042 TI - Hark to the elder institutions! PMID- 17792043 TI - Consultants and hatch act. PMID- 17792044 TI - Parnassus revisited. PMID- 17792045 TI - Save enough redwoods! PMID- 17792046 TI - Rare birds identified. PMID- 17792047 TI - The moral sense of the scientists. PMID- 17792048 TI - Davy's Biographers: Notes on Scientific Biography. PMID- 17792049 TI - Chemical and Biological Warfare (II): The Weapons and the Policies. PMID- 17792050 TI - CBW, Vietnam Evoke Scientist's Concern. PMID- 17792051 TI - Reflecting Satellite: NASA Study Causes Concern among Astronomers. PMID- 17792053 TI - Oceanography: Will LBJ's New Study Panel Make Its Mark? PMID- 17792055 TI - Mars: influence of topography on formation of temporary bright patches. AB - The Mountains of Mitchel and other temporary bright patches observed on the Martian disk may be carbon-dioxide condensations in depressions rather than a water-ice mixture on mountains as previously thought. This interpretation supports the hypothesis that the Martian deserts, that is, the light areas, are lower than their surroundings. PMID- 17792056 TI - Frost phenomena on Mars. AB - The hypothesis that the Martian wave of darkening might be a frostheaving phenomenon has been examined. Consideration of the water-vapor sorption characteristics of a silicate mineral surface at temperatures below freezing leads to the conclusion that, without strongly deliquescent salts to attract and retain liquid water in the Martian soil, frost-heaving phenomena are not to be expected on Mars. On the other hand frost-heaving phenomena involving the freezing and thawing of ammonia may be common in the soils of Jupiter. PMID- 17792057 TI - Composition measurements of the topside ionosphere. AB - Data from a magnetic mass spectrometer flown on the Explorer 31 satellite show that the ionosphere above 1000 kilometers usually consists of hydrogen ions as the predominant species. Between this altitude and perigee (500 kilometers) the dominant ion species shifts to atomic oxygen, with a significant amount of atomic nitrogen ions also present. Helium ions are present in small quantities at all altitudes. Other minor ions observed are those of 2, 7, 8, 15, 18, and 20 atomic mass units. PMID- 17792058 TI - Deuterium isotope effect on carbon isotope fractionation in photosynthesis. AB - Plants grown in D(2)O show a decreased tendency to fractionate carbon-13 during photosynthetic incorporation of carbon dioxide. The isotopic ratio C(13)/C(12) of the tissues of deuterated plants appears to be proportional to the deuterium content of the tissue. This effect was found in specimens of the partially deuterated vascular plant Nicotiana tabacum as well as in cultures of the fully deuterated alga Chlorella vulgaris. PMID- 17792059 TI - Fractionation of potassium/rubidium by amphiboles: implications regarding mantle composition. AB - We show that the rubidium in amphiboles is generally depleted with respect to potassium. The K:Rb ratios of 50 analyzed amphiboles range from 100 to 5000, averaging 1120. This fractionation effect holds for potassium concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 1.5 percent. The K:Rb ratios of abyssal tholeiites do not place unambiguous limits on the K:Rb ratio of the upper mantle, since partial melting of a mantle material such as amphibole peridotite would produce a liquid with a K:Rb ratio higher than that in the initial material. Large-scale mineralogic control of distributions of trace elements in the mantle could produce trends with depth that are the reverse of trends normally attributed to differentiation processes. PMID- 17792060 TI - Phenotypic Variations among Chloroplasts of a Single Cell. AB - Some normal-looking chloroplasts of a Nitella cell do not incorporate carbon dioxide into substances insoluble in cold acid. The distribution of such chloroplasts among the rows of normal organelles indicates that the defect is not due to a genetic mutation but probably represents a physiological stage in the development of the organelles. PMID- 17792061 TI - Glucans of oomycete cell walls. AB - The cell walls of selected oomycetous fungi are composed primarily of glucans, and cellulose constitutes a relatively small proportion of the total glucan. The noncellulosic constituents consist of acid-soluble glucan or glucans and insoluble glucan or glucans. These noncellulosic glucan fractions contain beta-(1 ->3) glucosidic linkages and apparently beta-(1-->6) linkages also. PMID- 17792062 TI - Interpopulation Variations in Calcium Metabolism in the Stream Limpet, Ferrissia rivularis (Say). AB - Significant differences between populations occur in calcium uptake during growth within one species of freshwater limpet. These are not related to environmental differences and may involve genetically determined physiological races. Such variation is significant in relation to aspects of evolution in freshwater animals and is important in assessing radionuclide contamination. PMID- 17792063 TI - Fungal Morphogenesis: Ring Formation and Closure by Arthrobotrys dactyloides. AB - The formation and the closure of constricting rings by a nematode-trapping fungus were recorded by means of time-lapse cinephotomicrography. Analysis of the film revealed that hyphal rings resulted from a sequence of morphological events not previouisly described. Cell inflation and ring constriction were induced by touch, increased temperature, and electrical stimutlation. The inflation process was not particularly sensitive to metabolic inhibitors and appears to operate without an expenditutre of energy on the part of the cell. PMID- 17792064 TI - Amphibian orientation: an unexpected observation. AB - The study of homing movements of displaced newts (Taricha rivularis) revealed unexpected features of the migratory behavior of amphibians. Newts leaving the breeding stream in the spring move not directly uphill but at an angle carrying them upstream. When they emerge after summer estivation this tendency is not evident in captures made during the autumn and winter. During the latter period, however, newly metamorphosed frogs (Rana boylii) show the same pronounced upstream migration that characterizes T. rivularis in the spring. PMID- 17792065 TI - Fundamental phenomena in the materials sciences. PMID- 17792067 TI - Population growth and energy use. PMID- 17792066 TI - Miscellaneous publications. PMID- 17792068 TI - Population growth and energy use. PMID- 17792069 TI - Evolutionary studies. PMID- 17792070 TI - Population growth and energy use. PMID- 17792071 TI - Innovation in science teaching. PMID- 17792072 TI - Taking Science out of Social Science. PMID- 17792073 TI - New academic positions: the outlook in europe and north america. AB - During the 1960's, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States all experienced periods of rapid growth of research expenditures and of university enrollments followed by declines in growth rates. This sequence has generated the current severe shortages of new academic positions, with a resulting long-range threat to the vitality of academic science. Declines in the 18-year-old cohort in the United States, and especially in Canada, aggravate the problem. The United States is the only one of these countries that has not adopted a modest program to deal with the problems by creating fellowships or new positions. PMID- 17792074 TI - Getting serious about strategic minerals. PMID- 17792075 TI - Critical minerals. PMID- 17792076 TI - High-cost lemons in the u.s. Arsenal. PMID- 17792077 TI - FDA, NHTSA Appointments. PMID- 17792078 TI - Identifying the dangerous individual. PMID- 17792079 TI - Exxon scraps motor device. PMID- 17792080 TI - Yale adopts plan to handle charges of fraud. PMID- 17792081 TI - Space science in the year of the shuttle. PMID- 17792082 TI - Red star in orbit. PMID- 17792083 TI - An 18th-century figure. PMID- 17792085 TI - Population genetics. PMID- 17792084 TI - An enterprise in science. PMID- 17792086 TI - Neuroendocrinology. PMID- 17792087 TI - Evidence of sea spray produced by bursting bubbles. AB - Measurements of air bubbles and sea spray are compared, showing that bubble bursting is the major mechanism for producing spray. PMID- 17792088 TI - Threads in the hagfish slime gland thread cells: organization, biochemical features, and length. AB - Scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with cell isolation procedures revealed details of the packing of threads in hagfish slime gland thread cells. Biochemical studies indicate that the thread is largely composed of a protein subunit with a molecular weight of 63,500. Mathematical calculations suggest that the thread may attain lengths of 60 centimeters or more. PMID- 17792089 TI - Energetics of running cockroaches. AB - Male cockroaches Gromphadorhina portentosa were made to run at 0.03, 0.07, and 0.12 kilometer per hour on a miniature treadmill within a small respirometer. Oxygen consumption was directly related to running velocity. The half-time necessary for oxygen consumption to reach a steady state during exercise was about 1 minute and the half-time for recovery was 4 to 6 minutes. The energetic cost of transport was comparable to that for bipedal and quadrupedal vertebrates. PMID- 17792090 TI - Encystment discovered in a marine copepod. AB - It has been believed that marine crustacea do not encyst as adults. The benthic copepod Heteropsyllus nunni has been found to encyst in intertidal sands in the summer; free-living forms are abundant in the winter. A unique platelike structure on the cephalothorax is thought to be the site of cyst formation. PMID- 17792091 TI - Hinged teeth in snakes: an adaptation for swallowing hard-bodied prey. AB - Six genera of snakes, representing at least three lineages, possess teeth that fold backward against the jaws rather than being firmly ankylosed. This condition, effected by a connective tissue hinge at the base of each tooth, is associated with suites of cephalic modifications that enable the snakes to grasp and to swallow hard-bodied prey. PMID- 17792092 TI - Genetic evidence that protein synthesis is required for the circadia clock of neurospora. AB - Small doses of cycloheximide given at intervals (pulses) cause phase shifts of the circadian clock of Neurospora. The effects of this drug on the clock are mediated through its inhibition of protein synthesis, since two cycloheximide resistant mutants whose 80S ribosomes are resistant to cycloheximide showed no phase shift after exposure to the durg. PMID- 17792093 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF CHEMISTRY ON CIVILIZATION. PMID- 17792094 TI - A PROBLEM IN LABORATORY ADMINISTRATION--ITS SOLUTION. PMID- 17792096 TI - A NEW NAME FOR A NEW SCIENCE. PMID- 17792095 TI - EDUCATIONAL AIMS IN THE TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY GEOMETRY, HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED. PMID- 17792097 TI - THE COMBINED COURSE LEADING TO THE DEGREES OF A.B. OR B.S., AND OF M.D. PMID- 17792098 TI - SCHOLASTIC COMPETITION. PMID- 17792099 TI - HISTORICAL GRAPHICS. PMID- 17792100 TI - THE ZIA MESA AND RUINS. PMID- 17792101 TI - THE BERKELEY ASTRONOMICAL DEPARTMENT. PMID- 17792102 TI - MAP OF MASSACHUSETTS WANTED. PMID- 17792103 TI - ON THE PLANT GEOGRAPHY OF THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS. PMID- 17792105 TI - DIKES IN THE HAMILTON SHALE NEAR CLINTONVILLE, ONONDAGA COUNTY, NEW YORK. PMID- 17792104 TI - GUINEA PIG GRAFT-HYBRIDS. PMID- 17792106 TI - ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OP AMERICA. PMID- 17792107 TI - Fast breeder reactors. PMID- 17792108 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17792109 TI - The natural way. PMID- 17792110 TI - Technology assessment. PMID- 17792111 TI - The election, politics, and higher education. PMID- 17792112 TI - Is the moon hot or cold? PMID- 17792113 TI - National Parks in Savannah Africa: Ecological requirements of parks must be balanced against socioeconomic constraints in their environs. AB - A national park is as integral to its regional environment as it is to the nation. Whether one wants to manage it that way or not, a park is dependent on the resources-human and physiobiological-of the environs, just as the environs are modified by the park's existence. This view may not jibe with the spirit of those who strive to protect a patch of old-time Africa as a refuge of serenity and stability in a world of tumult and change. But the park has its own ecology, just as does any creature within it, although the park's, being more abstract, is more difficult to discern. Planned or not, a park's future is even more enmeshed with the region's future than with the nation's. The ramifications of this relationship, especially the socioeconomic ones, are not always recognized, with the result that the enmeshing process sometimes sounds like a crunching of the gears. The worlds on both sides of the park boundary would get along better if there were a clear indication of what each can do for the other. By contrast, if they spend their energy resisting one another, there is little doubt as to which must be the ultimate "winner." PMID- 17792114 TI - Lessons from the history of american broadcasting. PMID- 17792115 TI - The aftermath of apollo: science on the shelf? PMID- 17792116 TI - Health Hierarchy: Marston Fired and He's Not the Only One. PMID- 17792117 TI - NSF: Engineers' Policy Group Urges More Software for RANN. PMID- 17792118 TI - Whatever are the presidential prizes? PMID- 17792119 TI - Fuel cells: dispersed generation of electricity. PMID- 17792120 TI - Fusion: princeton tokamak proves a principle. PMID- 17792121 TI - Fossilization of bermuda patch reefs. AB - Living corals on Bermuda patch reefs build a primary framework which, in places, is so destroyed by boring organisms that the reef surface subsides. Organisms that encrust the reef cavities are preferentially preserved as the framework is bored. Burial by loose sediment stops framework growth, encrustation, and boring. Finally, cementation completes fossilization. PMID- 17792122 TI - Direct phase determination from neutron diffraction data of the structure of melampodin. AB - The structure of a large complex molecule, C(21)H(24)O(9), has been solved directly from neutron diffraction data by using sigma-2 and tangent refinement methods. As a consequence, the neutron diffraction technique must be reevaluated as a possible primary tool for crystal structure determination. PMID- 17792124 TI - THE PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND. PMID- 17792123 TI - Crystal Structure of Krypton Difluoride at -80{degrees}C. AB - Krypton difluoride is tetragonal, space group P4(2)/ mnm, with two linear molecules per unit cell aligned in planes perpendicular to the tetrad axes. The alignment alternates by 90 degrees between successive planes. The kryptonfluorine bond distance is 1.89 +/- 0.02 angstroms. PMID- 17792126 TI - THE MENTAL FACULTIES AND SOCIAL INSTINCTS OF APES. PMID- 17792125 TI - DISTRIBUTION OF POWER BY COMPRESSED AIR. PMID- 17792127 TI - THE STUDY OF THE SENSES. PMID- 17792129 TI - A MANUAL OF NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLIES. PMID- 17792128 TI - ANTHROPOMETRICAL TESTS. PMID- 17792130 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17792131 TI - Survival politics: science and the budget dilemma. PMID- 17792132 TI - Erratum. AB - In the abstract of the report "L-Isoleucine and L-leucine: Tumor promoters of bladder cancer in rats" by Y. Nishio et al. (21 Feb., p. 843), the third sentence should have read, "Results of 40- to 60-week carcinogenesis experiments in which N-butyl-N-(4- hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine was used as an initiator demonstrate that L-isoleucine and L-leucine promote bladder cancer in rats." PMID- 17792133 TI - Benefits of animals in research described in new publication. PMID- 17792135 TI - Europeans Wary of U.S. Offer on Military R&D: A $200-million item in the U.S. defense authorization bill seeks to rationalize military R&D within NATO. PMID- 17792134 TI - Uranium Enrichment's $7-Billion Uncertainty: The federal government's enrichment program is getting back into the black, but disputes loom over the amount owed to the Treasury and the future of a major R&D program. PMID- 17792136 TI - NAS Signs New Pact with Soviet Academy. PMID- 17792138 TI - Genetic screening issues studied. PMID- 17792137 TI - David Packard Tackles OMB on Indirect Costs. PMID- 17792139 TI - Catching a Volatile Halley Before It's Gone: Although a disappointing sight to many, those with a good view are finding Comet Halley to be bubbling with activity and new insights. PMID- 17792140 TI - Comet dust closer to home? PMID- 17792141 TI - Two-dimensional rare gas solids. AB - Monolayers of rare gas atoms adsorbed onto the basal planes of graphite play the same prototype role in two dimensions that rare gas liquids and solids do in three dimensions. In recent experiments such novel phenomena as continuous melting, the lack of true crystallinity in two dimensions, orientationally ordered fluid phases, and melting from a solid to a reentrant fluid with decreasing temperature have been observed. Because the forces in these rare gas monolayers are simple and well understood, by studying them the investigator can examine a direct interface between experiment and first principles. In order to understand the phases and phase transitions that occur in such materials, it is necessary to consider the geometrical matching of the rare gas overlayer to the graphite substrate. It turns out that in two dimensions both the local and the long-distance behavior are important. These two-dimensional rare gas solids may be effectively probed with synchrotron x-ray techniques, and the results of a series of synchrotron x-ray scattering studies of these solids are presented. PMID- 17792142 TI - Safeguardsing our military space systems. AB - The vulnerability military space systems depends on their orbits, functions, and other characteristics. The high-altitude satellites needed for warning and communications in particular could be vulnerable to prompt destruction by certain space-based systems and, in the future, possibly by ground-based high power lasers. A combination of passive countermeasures and arms control agreements could give these satellites some protection against such attack. Deployment of strategic defensive systems with the capability to reach far into space would invalidate this approach. PMID- 17792143 TI - The international cometary explorer mission to comet giacobini-zinner. AB - The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) became the first spacecraft ever to encounter a comet when it passed through the tail of comet Giacobini-Zinner. An overview of this encounter is presented, including highlights of the results. PMID- 17792144 TI - Comet giacobini-zinner: plasma description. AB - A strong interaction between the solar wind and comet Giacobini-Zinner was observed oh 11 September 1985 with the Los Alamos plasma electron experiment on the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft. As ICE approached an intercept point 7800 kilometers behind the nucleus from the south and receded to the north, upstream phenomena due to the comet were observed. Periods of enhanced electron heat flux from the comet as well as almost continuous electron density fluctuations were measured. These effects are related to the strong electron heating observed in the cometary interaction region and to cometary ion pickup by the solar wind, respectively. No evidence for a conventional bow shock was found as ICE entered and exited the regions of strongest interaction of the solar wind with the cometary environment. The outer extent of this strong interaction zone was a transition region in which the solar wind plasma was heated, compressed, and slowed. Inside the inner boundary of the transition region was a sheath that enclosed a cold intermediate coma. In the transition region and sheath, small scale enhancements in density were observed. These density spikes may be due to an instability associated with cometary ion pickup or to the passage of ICE through cometary ray structures. In the center of the cold intermediate coma a narrow, high-density core of plasma, presumably the developing plasma tail was found. In some ways this tail can be compared to the plasma sheet in Earth's magnetotail and to the current sheet in the tail at Venus. This type of configuration is expected in the double-lobe magnetic topology detected at the comet, possibly caused by the theoretically expected draping of the interplanetary magnetic field around its ionosphere. PMID- 17792145 TI - Observations of energetic ions from comet giacobini-zinner. AB - During the encounter with comet Giacobini-Zinner, the energetic particle anisotropy spectrometer on the International Cometary Explorer spacecraft observed large fluxes of energetic ions, believed to result principally from ionization of the cometary atmosphere followed by pickup and acceleration by the ambient flow of the solar wind. These heavy cometary ions were observed from approximately 1 day before closest approach to about 2(1/2) days afterward. Three regimes of differing ion characteristics have been identified. An outer region with a scale of approximately 10(6) kilometers contains variable fluxes of antisolar-streaming pick-up ions in the undisturbed solar wind. In the middle region, of approximately 10(5) kilometers, fluxes have less large-scale variability and broader angular and energy distributions. This region is separated from the outer zone by a sharp transition. The inner region has a scale of approximately 10(4) kilometers and is characterized by reduced fluxes and complex angular distributions. PMID- 17792146 TI - Comet giacobini-zinner: in situ observations of energetic heavy ions. AB - Conclusive evidence is presented for the existence of energetic ( approximately 535,0000 to 150,000 electron volts), heavy (>-12 atomic mass units), singly charged cometary ions within approximately 1.5 x 10(6) kilometers of comet Giacobini-Zinner. The observations were made with the University of Maryland/Max Planck-Institut ultralow-energy charge analyzer on, the International Cometary Explorer spacecraft. The most direct evidence for establishing the mass of these ions was obtained from an analysis of the energy signals in one of the solid state detectors; it is significant at the three-sigma level. Maximum fluxes were recorded approximately 1 hour before and approximately 1 hour after closest approach to the cometary nucleus. Transformation of the particle angular distributions observed at approximately 50,000 kilometers radial distance from the comet during the inbound pass into a rest frame in which the distributions are nearly isotropic requires a transformation velocity that is consistent with the local solar wind velocity if one assumes that these particles are primarily singly ionized with a mass of 18 +/- 6 atomic mass units. The existence of a frame of reference in which these water-group ions were isotropic implies that they underwent strong pitch angle scattering after their ionization. Particle energies in the rest frame extend to substantially higher values than would be expected if these ions were locally ionized and then picked up by the solar wind, implying that the ions were accelerated or heated. The derived ion density, approximately 0.1 per cubic centimeter, is consistent with a crude model for the production and transport of pickup ions. PMID- 17792147 TI - Plasma diagnosis from thermal noise and limits on dust flux or mass in comet giacobini-zinner. AB - Thermal noise spectroscopy was used to measure the density and temperature of the main (cold) electron plasma population during 2 hours (1.5x10(5) kilometers perpendicular to the tail axis) around the point of closest approach of the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) to Comet Giacobini-Zinner. The time resolution was 18 seconds (370 kilometers) in the plasma tail and 54 seconds (1100 kilometers) elsewhere. Near the tail axis, the maximum plasma density was 670 per cubic centimeter and the temperature slightly above 1 electron volt. Away from the axis, the plasma density dropped to 100 per cubic centimeter (temperature, 2x 10(4) K) over 2000 kilometers, then decreased to 10 (1.5x 10(5)K) over 15,000 kilometers; outside that region (plasma tail), the density fluctuated between 10 and 30 per cubic centimeter and the temperature between 1x 10(5) and 4 x10(5) K. The relative density of the hot population rarely exceeded a few percent. The tail was highly asymmetrical and showed much structure. On the other antenna, shot noise was recorded from the plasma particle impacts on the spacecraft body. No evidence was found of grain impacts on the antennas or spacecraft in the plasma tail. This yields an upper limit for the dust flux or particle mass, indicating either fluxes or masses in the tail smaller than implied by the models or an anomalous grain structure. This seems to support earlier suggestions that these grains are featherlike. Outside the tail, and particularly near 10(5) kilometers from its axis, impulsive noises indicating plasma turbulence were observed. PMID- 17792148 TI - Ion composition results during the international cometary explorer encounter with giacobini-zinner. AB - The International Cometary Explorer spacecraft passed through the coma of comet Giacobini-Zinner about 7800 kilometers antisunward of the nucleus on 11 September 1985. The ion composition instrument was sensitive to ambient ions with mass-to charge ratios in the ranges 1.4 to 3 atomic mass units per electron charge (amu e(-1)) and 14 to 33 amu e(-1). Initial interpretation of the measurements indicates the presence of H(2)O(+), H(3)O(+), probably CO(+) and HCO(+), and ions in the mass range 23 to 24; possible candidates are Na(+) and Mg(+). In addition to these heavy ions, measured over the velocity range 80 to 223 kilometers per second, the instrument measured He(2+) of solar wind origin over the range 237 to 463 kilometers per second. The heavy ions have a velocity distribution which indicates that they have been picked up by the motional electric field, whereas the light ions are steadily decelerated as the comet tail axis is approached. These results are in agreement with the picture of a comet primarily consisting of water ice, together with other material, that sublimes, streams away from the nucleus, becomes ionized, and interacts with the solar wind. K. W. Ogilvie, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 692, Greenbelt, MD 20771. PMID- 17792149 TI - Plasma wave observations at comet giacobini-zinner. AB - The plasma wave instrument on the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) detected bursts of strong ion acoustic waves almost continuously when the spacecraft was within 2 million kilometers of the nucleus of comet Giacobini-Zinner. Electromagnetic whistlers and low-level electron plasma oscillations were also observed in this vast region that appears to be associated with heavy ion pickup. As ICE came closer to the anticipated location of the bow shock, the electromagnetic and electrostatic wave levels increased significantly, but even in the midst of this turbulence the wave instrument detected structures with familiar bow shock characteristics that were well correlated with observations of localized electron heating phenomena. Just beyond the visible coma, broadband waves with amplitudes as high as any ever detected by the ICE plasma wave instrument were recorded. These waves may account for the significant electron heating observed in this region by the ICE plasma probe, and these observations of strong wave-particle interactions may provide answers to longstanding questions concerning ionization processes in the vicinity of the coma. Near closest approach, the plasma wave instrument detected broadband electrostatic noise and a changing pattern of weak electron plasma oscillations that yielded a density profile for the outer layers of the cold plasma tail. Near the tail axis the plasma wave instrument also detected a nonuniform flux of dust impacts, and a preliminary profile of the Giacobini-Zinner dust distribution for micrometer sized particles is presented. PMID- 17792150 TI - International cometary explorer encounter with giacobini-zinner: magnetic field observations. AB - The vector helium magnetometer on the International Cometary Explorer observed the magnetic fields induced by the interaction of comet Giacobini-Zinner with the solar wind. A magnetic tail was penetrated approximately 7800 kilometers downstream from the comet and was found to be 10(4) kilometers wide. It consisted of two lobes, containing oppositely directed fields with strengths up to 60 nanoteslas, separated by a plasma sheet approximately 10(3)kilometers thick containing a thin current sheet. The magnetotail was enclosed in an extended ionosheath characterized by intense hydromagnetic turbulene and interplanetary fields draped around the comet. A distant bow wave, which may or may not have been a bow shock, was observed at both edges of the ionosheath. Weak turbulence was observed well upstream of the bow wave. PMID- 17792151 TI - A survey of scholarship: historical writing on american science. PMID- 17792152 TI - Evidence about Evolution: Evolutionary Case Histories from the Fossil Record. PMID- 17792153 TI - Hopes and Fears: By the Bomb's Early Light. PMID- 17792154 TI - Seismology in Japan: earthquake prediction. PMID- 17792156 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17792155 TI - Heavy-ion collisions: frontiers in nuclear dynamics. PMID- 17792157 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17792159 TI - Response. PMID- 17792160 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17792158 TI - Degrees of uncertainty. PMID- 17792162 TI - U.k. Tries to set priorities with the benefit of foresight. PMID- 17792161 TI - O'Leary takes swipe at bureaucracy. PMID- 17792163 TI - Russian arctic battles pipeline leak. PMID- 17792164 TI - Battle is joined over gamma bursts. PMID- 17792165 TI - Study unveils climate cooling caused by pollutant haze. PMID- 17792166 TI - Keeping the kilo from gaining weight. PMID- 17792168 TI - Long voyage for loggerheads. PMID- 17792167 TI - Dueling over dinos. PMID- 17792169 TI - Sex and the granular layer. PMID- 17792170 TI - The mosquito and the marigold. PMID- 17792171 TI - Major undersea volcano chain sighted. PMID- 17792172 TI - Paleoclimate workers honored by crafoord. PMID- 17792173 TI - EMF Suit Runs Out of Power. PMID- 17792174 TI - The World's Forests: Need For a Policy Appraisal. PMID- 17792175 TI - A fixation with fixation. PMID- 17792176 TI - From microwave anisotropies to cosmology. AB - Fluctuations in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background have now been detected over a wide range of angular scales, and a consistent picture seems to be emerging. This article describes some of the implications for cosmology. Analysis of all of the published detections suggests the existence of a peak on degree scales with a height 2.4 to 10 (90 percent confidence level) times the amplitude of the power spectrum at large angular scales. This result confirms an early prediction, implies that the universe did in fact recombine, and limits theories of structure formation. Illustrative examples show how comparison of the microwave background data and the large-scale structure data will be a potentially powerful means of answering fundamental questions about the universe. PMID- 17792177 TI - Aligned carbon nanotube films: production and optical and electronic properties. AB - Carbon nanotube material can now be produced in macroscopic quantities. However, the raw material has a disordered structure, which restricts investigations of both the properties and applications of the nanotubes. A method has been developed to produce thin films of aligned carbon nanotubes. The tubes can be aligned either parallel or perpendicular to the surface, as verified by scanning electron microscopy. The parallel aligned surfaces are birefringent, reflecting differences in the dielectric function along and normal to the tubes. The electrical resistivities are anisotropic as well, being smaller along the tubes than perpendicular to them, because of corresponding differences in the electronic transport properties. PMID- 17792178 TI - Phonons localized at step edges: a route to understanding forces at extended surface defects. AB - Inelastic helium atom scattering has been used to measure the phonons on a stepped metallic crystalline surface, Ni(977). When the scattering plane is oriented parallel to the step edges and perpendicular to the terraces, two branches of step-induced phonons are observed. These branches are identified as transversely polarized, step-localized modes that propagate along the step edge. Analysis reveals significant anisotropy in the force field near the step edge, with all forces near the step edge being substantially smaller than in the bulk. Such measurements provide valuable information on metallic bonding and interface stability near extended surface defects. PMID- 17792179 TI - Seismic evidence for an earthquake nucleation phase. AB - Near-source observations show that earthquakes initiate with a distinctive seismic nucleation phase that is characterized by a low rate of moment release relative to the rest of the event. This phase was observed for the 30 earthquakes having moment magnitudes 2.6 to 8.1, and the size and duration of this phase scale with the eventual size of the earthquake. During the nucleation phase, moment release was irregular and appears to have been confined to a limited region of the fault. It was characteristically followed by quadratic growth in the moment rate as rupture began to propagate away from the nucleation zone. These observations suggest that the nucleation process exerts a strong influence on the size of the eventual earthquake. PMID- 17792180 TI - Late triassic turtles from South america. AB - The discovery of Triassic (Norian) turtles from the northwest part of Argentina extends the South American record of turtles by 60 million years. Two skeletons, one almost complete, represent a new genus and species of a basal turtle, Palaeochersis talampayensis. This turtle is a member of the family Australochelidae that was recently erected for Australochelys africanus from the Lower Jurassic of South Africa. Here, it is proposed that Australochelidae is the sister group of Proterochersis plus Casichelydia, that turtles were diverse by the Late Triassic, and that Casichelydia probably originated during the Jurassic. PMID- 17792181 TI - Serpentine stability to mantle depths and subduction-related magmatism. AB - Results of high-pressure experiments on samples of hydrated mantle rocks show that the serpentine mineral antigorite is stable to approximately 720 degrees C at 2 gigapascals, to approximately 690 degrees C at 3 gigapascals, and to approximately 620 degrees C at 5 gigapascals. The breakdown of antigorite to forsterite plus enstatite under these conditions produces 13 percent H(2)O by weight to depths of 150 to 200 kilometers in subduction zones. This H(2)O is in an ideal position for ascent into the hotter, overlying mantle where it can cause partial melting in the source region for calc-alkaline magmas at a depth of 100 to 130 kilometers and a temperature of approximately 1300 degrees C. The breakdown of antigorite in hydrated mantle produces an order of magnitude more H(2)O than does the dehydration of altered oceanic crust. PMID- 17792183 TI - Response. PMID- 17792182 TI - Dinitrogen Cleavage by a Three-Coordinate Molybdenum(III) Complex. AB - Cleavage of the relatively inert dinitrogen (N(2)) molecule, with its extremely strong N identical withN triple bond, has represented a major challenge to the development of N(2) chemistry. This report describes the reductive cleavage of N(2) to two nitrido (N(3-)) ligands in its reaction with Mo(NRAr)(3), where R is C(CD(3))(2)CH(3) and Ar is 3,5-C(6)H(3)(CH(3))(2'), a synthetic three-coordinate molybdenum(III) complex of known structure. The formation of an intermediate complex was observed spectroscopically, and its conversion (with N identical withN bond cleavage) to the nitrido molybdenum(VI) product N identical withMo(NRAr)(3) followed first-order kinetics at 30 degrees C. It is proposed that the cleavage reaction proceeds by way of an intermediate complex in which N(2) bridges two molybdenum centers. PMID- 17792184 TI - Evaluating turnover in tropical forests. PMID- 17792185 TI - Vignettes: sportstech. PMID- 17792186 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17792188 TI - PHOTOPERIODISM, THE RESPONSE OF THE PLANT TO RELATIVE LENGTH OF DAY AND NIGHT. PMID- 17792187 TI - CONTEMPORARY DETERRENTS TO THE PROCESS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE. PMID- 17792189 TI - FISH PARASITISM IN ITS RELATION TO BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF THE NORTHWEST. PMID- 17792191 TI - THE WRITING OF POPULAR SCIENCE. PMID- 17792190 TI - THE THIRD ASIATIC EXPEDITION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17792192 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17792193 TI - THE UNIVERSITY OF GRAZ. PMID- 17792194 TI - ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION. PMID- 17792195 TI - REQUEST FOR PAPERS ON GEOLOGIC DIFFUSION. PMID- 17792196 TI - STUDIES OF THE POLLEN TUBES AND ABORTIVE OVULES OF THE GLOBE MUTANT OF DATURA. PMID- 17792197 TI - THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. PMID- 17792198 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792199 TI - THE CHIEF MOUNTAIN LAKES. PMID- 17792200 TI - HOT WEATHER IN MARS. PMID- 17792201 TI - BIRDS BREEDING AT HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. PMID- 17792202 TI - "FLATHEAD" DEER. PMID- 17792203 TI - SOME ANALOGIES BETWEEN MOLECULES AND CRYSTALS. PMID- 17792204 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.--XII. PMID- 17792205 TI - MEDICAL BOTANY. PMID- 17792206 TI - The Elm-Leaf Beetle. Galeruca xanthomelaena Schr. PMID- 17792207 TI - ON THE PRESENT TENDENCY TOWARDS HIGHER STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17792209 TI - The Ancient Libyan Alphabet. PMID- 17792208 TI - Wheat Rust and Smut. PMID- 17792210 TI - Teaching evolution. PMID- 17792211 TI - Charges of anti-semitism. PMID- 17792212 TI - Tobacco Research: One Researcher's Experience. PMID- 17792214 TI - Focus on women. PMID- 17792213 TI - Chernobyl analysis. PMID- 17792215 TI - Focus on women. PMID- 17792216 TI - Response: Evolution of Insect Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis--Transformed Plants. PMID- 17792217 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792218 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17792220 TI - THE METHOD OF PROBITS--A CORRECTION. PMID- 17792219 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BERKELEY MEETING. PMID- 17792221 TI - GRAVITY STATIONS ON THE NILE DELTA. PMID- 17792222 TI - WHO PAYS REPARATIONS? PMID- 17792223 TI - "WHEN THE SKY RAINS STONE". PMID- 17792224 TI - WHO'S WHO IN THE BERI-BERI VITAMIN FIELD. PMID- 17792225 TI - AWARDS OF THE GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION. PMID- 17792226 TI - STROBOPHOTOGRAPHY IN BIRD SINGING. PMID- 17792227 TI - THE PURE CULTURE OF PARAMECIUM. PMID- 17792228 TI - A HOLDER FOR SMALL ANIMALS. PMID- 17792229 TI - THE VIRUCIDAL ACTION OF HIGH FREQUENCY SOUND RADIATION. PMID- 17792230 TI - THE ETIOLOGY OF A RESPIRATORY DISEASE OF CHICKENS. PMID- 17792231 TI - THE TREATMENT OF DECIDUOUS FRUIT TREES AND NUT TREES INFECTED BY PHYMATOTRICHUM OMNIVORUM WITH AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17792232 TI - A GENETIC STUDY OF CEREBRAL ACTION CURRENTS. PMID- 17792233 TI - GIANT EARLY MAN FROM JAVA AND SOUTH CHINA. PMID- 17792234 TI - ON NATURALLY OCCURRING PORPHYRINS IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. PMID- 17792235 TI - THOMAS SCOTT FISKE. PMID- 17792236 TI - THE HAWAIIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792237 TI - THE GUTHRIE LECTURE. PMID- 17792238 TI - THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17792239 TI - HONORS IN THE SCIENCES AWARDED BY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17792240 TI - A NOTE ON EQUATIONS OF GROWTH. PMID- 17792241 TI - TRANSLITERATION OF RUSSIAN NAMES AND WORDS. PMID- 17792243 TI - EDITORIAL CHANGES OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. PMID- 17792242 TI - PROPOSAL FOR ACCELERATED DISSEMINATION OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE. PMID- 17792244 TI - ABNORMAL ALPHA KETOSTEROID EXCRETION IN PATIENTS WITH NEOPLASTIC DISEASE. PMID- 17792245 TI - THE NATURE OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS. PMID- 17792247 TI - AN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE TORSION ANGLE IN LONG BONES. PMID- 17792246 TI - ANTITYPHOID ACTIVITY OF Vi ANTIGEN FROM EXTRA-GENERIC SOURCES. PMID- 17792248 TI - Scientific manpower survey. PMID- 17792249 TI - Ultrasonic holographic instrument. PMID- 17792250 TI - Agricultural development. PMID- 17792251 TI - Emission standards: costs and benefits. PMID- 17792252 TI - Speaking plainly. PMID- 17792253 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17792254 TI - Troublesome portents for scientific journals. PMID- 17792256 TI - Detente: travel curbs hinder u.s.-U.s.s.R. Exchanges. PMID- 17792255 TI - Department of defense R & d in the university. AB - The DOD carefully evaluates its technical needs and executes programs of sponsored research and development to fulfill them. Thus, while individual projects proceed in accordance with established scientific principles of objectivity, the overall system of DOD funding allows the military to influence the development of science technology. Many have argued that this system of contracts and grants has well served science and the universities. One cannot deny that the influx of money led to rapid progress in selected scientific fields and increased scientific institutions' affluence. With this fact we have no quarrel. However, these same people often continue to argue that the systems of federal funding for science, specifically DOD funding of science, follows merely on the work's scientific merit, not on how it fits any larger scheme. They continue, that, since DOD supports good science for its own sake, the combination of military money and universities strongly encouraging faculty to seek that money encourages healthy competition for faster scientific progress. The DOD's approval process is seen to follow from the scientist up, with the military deciding which proposals for research have the most intrinsic (scientific) merit, then after the fact, thinking up a military justification for congressional budget requests. It is this latter belief with which we take issue. The DOD considers the scientific worth of the proposals for research it receives, but only after it has determined that the proposal fulfills a specific military need. This fact and its implications for the university as an institution charged with protecting the process by which man discovers new knowledge have been ignored in the debates over DOD sponsored research and development in universities. In addition, the Nixon Administration's efforts to tighten management controls over civilian research, especially in the biomedical and energy areas, promises to further undermine the university's role as an institution charged with fostering a search for truth free from bias in both methodology and subject selection. PMID- 17792257 TI - Science Advising . . . Cont'd. PMID- 17792259 TI - Energy "Blueprint" Sees Little R & D Impact before 1985. PMID- 17792258 TI - Congress: A Seismic Shift toward the Young and Liberal. PMID- 17792260 TI - Grave-Robbing: The Charge against Four from Boston City Hospital. AB - In an article about Boston City Hospital (1 Nov. 1974), Ernest Lowe was incorrectly identified as chief resident in obstetrics and gynecology at BCH. Lowe is professor and chairman of the department. PMID- 17792262 TI - Early Ideas about the Solar System and the Planets. PMID- 17792261 TI - Exploring the solar system (I): an emerging new perspective. PMID- 17792263 TI - The 1974 nobel prize for chemistry. PMID- 17792264 TI - Science and the problematique. PMID- 17792265 TI - Trace Gas Analysis of Power Plant Plumes Via Aircraft Measurement: O3, NOx, and SO2 Chemistry. AB - The gaseouis plume from an isolated 1000-megawatt power plant was systematically examined from a single engine aircraft to determine the extent to which NO(x) and SO(2), chemistry occurs as a function of distance. The concentrations of ambient ozone, water vapor, and hydroxyl free radicals are indicated to be of major importance in defining the chemistry of power plant plumes during summertime conditions. PMID- 17792266 TI - Counterclockwise circulation in the pacific subantarctic sector of the southern ocean. AB - The distribution of isohalines in the upper 500 meters of Pacific subantarctic waters can be interpreted as evidence for an endemic counterclockwise circulation, the westward component of which is at 40 to 45 degrees south latitude. The distributions of a number of lanternfish species (family Myctophidae) lend support to such an interpretation. PMID- 17792268 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17792269 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792267 TI - 5-methyltetrahydrofolic Acid as a mediator in the formation of pyridoindoles. AB - Enzymes from chick and rat tissues catalyze the reaction of N-methyl tryptamine with 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid to form 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-2-methyl-1H pyrido[3,4b] indole. N,N-Dimethyltryptamine was not formed. With tryptamine as substrate the product is 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4b] indole and not N methyltryptamine. These pyridoindoles were not formed when S-adenosylmethionine was cosubstrare. PMID- 17792270 TI - THE ART OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17792271 TI - BILATERAL GYNANDROMORPHISM AND LATERAL HEMIHYPERTROPHY IN BIRDS. PMID- 17792272 TI - ANGUILLULA ACETI--A DESIRABLE NEMA FOR TYPE STUDY. PMID- 17792273 TI - SOME LABORATORY USES FOR CROWN SEALED MILK BOTTLES. PMID- 17792274 TI - A DILATOMETER FOR MEASURING THE SWELLING OF SEEDS. PMID- 17792275 TI - LAND TYPES OF THE TRINITY BEDS. PMID- 17792277 TI - INDUCED AUTOTOMY IN THYONE. PMID- 17792278 TI - THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17792276 TI - EFFECT OF H-ION CONCENTRATION ON THE DIVISION RATE OF PARAMECIUM AURELIA. PMID- 17792280 TI - THE PROBLEMS OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17792279 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY AND THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17792282 TI - INBREEDING IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL CORPS OF AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17792281 TI - THE RELATION BETWEEN COLLEGE STUDIES AND SUCCESS IN LIFE. PMID- 17792283 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17792284 TI - THE TENTH INTERCOLLEGIATE NEW ENGLAND GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION. PMID- 17792285 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17792286 TI - ERUPTIONS OF KILAUEA. PMID- 17792287 TI - THE PROBLEM OF ELEMENTAL LIFE. PMID- 17792288 TI - THE SUPPOSED RECENT SUBSIDENCE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AND NEW JERSEY COASTS. PMID- 17792289 TI - A NEW LABYRINTHODONT FROM KANSAS. PMID- 17792291 TI - A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF COON BUTTE. PMID- 17792290 TI - THE GLACIAL ORIGIN OF THE ROXBURY CONGLOMERATE. PMID- 17792292 TI - BLACK LEG OR PHOMA WILT OF CABBAGE: A NEW TROUBLE TO THE UNITED STATES CAUSED BY PHOMA OLERACEA SACC. PMID- 17792293 TI - Superconductivity researchers. PMID- 17792294 TI - A prediction of the bose-einstein condensate. PMID- 17792295 TI - Air quality in Mexico city. PMID- 17792296 TI - Response: air quality in Mexico city. PMID- 17792298 TI - HIV Viral Load Assay. PMID- 17792297 TI - Climate change consensus. PMID- 17792300 TI - Response: how much solar radiation do clouds absorb? PMID- 17792299 TI - Response: HIV Viral Load Assay. PMID- 17792301 TI - Response: how much solar radiation do clouds absorb? PMID- 17792302 TI - Response: how much solar radiation do clouds absorb? PMID- 17792303 TI - Radiophysics in Australia. PMID- 17792304 TI - Scientific Conferences and Papers. PMID- 17792305 TI - Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17792306 TI - Shadow-Casting Meteors. PMID- 17792307 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17792308 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17792309 TI - Systematic Analysis of Factors Determining Accuracy in Visual Tracking. PMID- 17792310 TI - Rapid Serial Recording of Concentrations in the Blood Circulation and in Perfusion Systems: The Effluogram. PMID- 17792311 TI - Effect of Peripheral Shielding on Lymphoid Tissue Response to Irradiation in C 57 Black Mice. PMID- 17792312 TI - An Investigation of Antimony Oxide as an Opacifier for Porcelain Enamels and Glass. PMID- 17792313 TI - Some Patterns of the Respiratory Pigments of Ascites Tumors of Mice. PMID- 17792314 TI - The State of Catalase in the Respiring Bacterial Cell. PMID- 17792315 TI - Schwarzschild-Villiger Effect in Microspectrophotometry. PMID- 17792316 TI - Study of Irritants Related to Piperine. PMID- 17792317 TI - Astronomy in the Manner of 1984. PMID- 17792318 TI - Soxhlet Extraction at Reduced Temperature. PMID- 17792319 TI - Mercury as a Casting and a Contrast Medium. PMID- 17792320 TI - Microsporum gypseum and Histoplasma capsulatum Spores in Soil and Water. PMID- 17792321 TI - CROSS-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS BY BIRDS. PMID- 17792322 TI - PROFESSOR HUGHES ON SELF-INDUCTION. PMID- 17792323 TI - ORIGIN OF FAT IN ANIMALS. PMID- 17792324 TI - A DARING ECONOMIST. PMID- 17792325 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17792326 TI - Chicago: R. I. P. PMID- 17792327 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17792328 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17792329 TI - Economics of reprints. PMID- 17792331 TI - Public challenge of government action. PMID- 17792330 TI - ERS: Can the Cost Be Measured? PMID- 17792332 TI - Infrared astrophysics. PMID- 17792334 TI - NSF Director: Nixon Admits He Was Wrong. PMID- 17792333 TI - Offshore oil: channel blowout points up information gap. PMID- 17792335 TI - Confrontation at stanford: exit classified research. PMID- 17792336 TI - Paleocene hyracothere from polecat bench formation, wyoming. AB - A lower jaw of an eohippus (Hyracotherium cf. H. angustidens) from late Paleocene strata in Wyoming has extended the geological record of fossil horses into pre Eocene time and suggests that the order Perissodactyla had an origin earlier than that heretofore conjectured. This specimen, together with equid teeth also possibly of late Paleocene age from Baja California, indicates that early perissodactyls were widespread on the North American continent before the Eocene epoch. Late Paleocene and early Eocene deposits of northwestern Wyoming have yielded many vertebrate rarities and "first or earliest occurrences" which require reappraisals of inter-and intracontinental dispersal patterns of the vertebrate grolups involved. PMID- 17792337 TI - Silicate spherules from tunguska impact area: electron microprobe analysis. AB - The major oxide composition of four silicate spherules from the area of forest devastated by the explosion of the Tunguska meteorite has been determined by electron microprobe analysis. In general, the spherules have compositions similar to that of igneous glass except for the low iron and the high calcium oxide content of the three spherules that have a low content of silicon dioxide. None of the spherules seem to have compositions similar to the silicate portiof any major meteorite group. PMID- 17792338 TI - Portland cement: pseudomorphs of original cement grains observed in hardened pastes. AB - Scanning electron micrographs show that a hydration product forms inside the anhydrous cement grains and forms a pseudomorph of the original cement grain. The originally water-filled space between the grains is partially filled with calcium hydroxide crystals that appear to be responsible for the strength of the cement paste. PMID- 17792339 TI - Aluminum-rich apatite. AB - More than 25 atomic percent of aluminum can susbtitute for other cations in the structure of apatite [A(10)(XO(4)) (6)Z(2)]. Such a synthetic product was obtained by expelling volatile constituents (H(2)O and F) from morinite during thermal treatment. Infrared absorption spectra, chemical analysis, and x-ray powder diffraction demonstrate that the aluminum has two coordination numbers, and more than twice as much aluminum substitutes for calcium (A position) as for phosphorus (X position). PMID- 17792340 TI - Translocation in Perennial Monocotyledons Tradescantia plants are still functional. AB - Gross autoradiography, historadiography, and electron microscopy provide evidence that enucleate sieve elements in basal internodes of relatively old Tradescantia plants are still functional. PMID- 17792341 TI - DDT Residues Absorbed from Organic Detritus by Fiddler Crabs. AB - DDT and its metabolites accumulate in organic plant detritus estuaries and may persist there for many years. The residues appear to be most abundantly associated with particulates having diameters from 250 to 1000 microns. Detritus particles of this size are ingested by many organisms, sociated DDT residues may enter diverse food chains. Fiddler crabs Uca were fed natural detritus containing DDT residues (10 parts per million) an 11-day experiment and showed grossly modified behavior associated threefold increase in concentration of DDT residues in the muscle of the large claw. PMID- 17792343 TI - Behavior of water in vacuum: implications for "lunar rivers". PMID- 17792342 TI - Sound velocity in carbon suboxide. PMID- 17792344 TI - Coastal engineering. PMID- 17792345 TI - Letters. PMID- 17792346 TI - Can the ends justify the means? PMID- 17792347 TI - Farming success in India. PMID- 17792348 TI - The only Earth we have. PMID- 17792349 TI - Preservation of Coast Redwood on Alluvial Flats: Because man has altered the environment, active management is now required. PMID- 17792351 TI - Budgeting for research: british study the cost of "sophistication". PMID- 17792353 TI - CERN II: Still Not Past the Starting Line. PMID- 17792352 TI - New AAAS Committee To Study Chemical Defoliants. PMID- 17792354 TI - Mammoth-bone shaft wrench from murray springs, Arizona. AB - Archeological excavations at Murray Springs, Cochise County, Arizona, in July 1967 uncovered a unique bone tool in the Clovis occupation level and in association with bones of a mammoth. The tool may be a wrench for straightening shafts of spears; if so, shaft diameters ranging from 14 to 17 millimeters were most likely used in hafting Clovis projectile points. PMID- 17792355 TI - Glaciation in taylor valley, antarctica, older than 2.7 million years. AB - Potassium-argon dates for three samples of basaltic scoria from Taylor Valley, on the west side of McMurdo Sound, indicate that the basalt, which antedates and postdates major glaciations, is at least 2.7 million years old. PMID- 17792356 TI - Cosmic ray-produced radionuclides as tracers of atmospheric precipitation processes. AB - Through recent developments in instrumental analysis it is now possible to measure with good precision the rainwater concentrations of five short-lived radionuclides which are produced by cosmic ray spallation of atmospheric argon. These measurements provide a method for studying the in-cloud nucleation times and aerosol scavenging efficiencies, and promise to provide information onshort term processes which occur in rain and snow formation. PMID- 17792357 TI - Pyrite Group: An Unusual Member: Cu0.60Ni0.14Co0.03Fe0.23S2. AB - An investigation of villamaninite from the type locality indicates that former analyses were of aggregates rather than of individual minerals. A redefinition embraces a larger range of solid solution, the end-member of which has the highest content of copper so far attributed to a member of the pyrite family. PMID- 17792359 TI - Job application. PMID- 17792358 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17792360 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17792362 TI - Asian gypsy moth jumps ship to United States. PMID- 17792361 TI - No place for nonconformists. PMID- 17792363 TI - Solar observatory gets lost in the shuffle. PMID- 17792365 TI - NIH's Slimmed-Down Strategy. PMID- 17792364 TI - Space scientists heed call to set priorities. PMID- 17792367 TI - The hubble telescope stars in atlanta: new strategy in the hunt for black holes. PMID- 17792366 TI - Acoustic fridge takes to space. PMID- 17792368 TI - The hubble telescope stars in atlanta: are globular clusters born in galactic collisions? PMID- 17792370 TI - Another stanford resignation. PMID- 17792369 TI - CBN Ball, Anyone? PMID- 17792371 TI - MIT High Tech Goes After America's Cup. PMID- 17792372 TI - Alcoholism: modest role seen for genes. PMID- 17792373 TI - SOS From Russian Scientists. PMID- 17792375 TI - Homosexuality and cognition. PMID- 17792374 TI - Shock therapy helps kill cancer tumors. PMID- 17792376 TI - Rat and mouse care. PMID- 17792377 TI - Stability of the Astronomical Frequencies Over the Earth's History for Paleoclimate Studies. AB - The expected changes over the past 500 million years in the principal astronomical frequencies influencing the Earth's climate may be strong enough to be detectable in the geological records, and such effects have been inferred in several cases. Calculations suggest that the shortening of the Earth-moon distance and of the length of the day back in time induced a shortening of the fundamental periods for the obliquity and climatic precession, from 54 to 35, 41 to 29, 23 to 19, and 19 to 16 thousand years over the last half-billion years. At the same time, the precessional constant increased from 50 to 61 arc seconds per year. The changes in the frequencies of the planetary system due to its chaotic motion are much smaller; their influence on the changes of the periods of climatic precession, obliquity, and eccentricity of the Earth's orbit around the sun can be neglected. Eccentricity periods used for Quaternary climate studies may therefore be considered to have been more or less constant for pre-Quaternary times. PMID- 17792378 TI - In what sense is turbulence an unsolved problem? AB - Turbulence can be narrowly defined as a property of incompressible fluid flow at very high Reynolds number, and thus an attempt can be made to specify what is and what is not understood about it. The applicability of the Navier-Stokes equations of hydrodynamics to real turbulent flows and the successes and limitations of direct numerical simulation are considered. A discussion is presented of universality, and mention is made of the remarkable success of Kolmogorov's 1941 scaling ideas despite uncertainties about basic underlying assumptions such as local isotropy. Extensions of this scaling to the multifractal picture of dissipation fluctuations are discussed, but this picture remains phenomenological. Turbulence as defined above remains "unsolved" in the sense that a clear physical understanding of the observed phenomena does not exist. PMID- 17792379 TI - Lunar impact basins and crustal heterogeneity: new Western limb and far side data from galileo. AB - Multispectral images of the lunar western limb and far side obtained from Galileo reveal the compositional nature of several prominent lunar features and provide new information on lunar evolution. The data reveal that the ejecta from the Orientale impact basin (900 kilometers in diameter) lying outside the Cordillera Mountains was excavated from the crust, not the mantle, and covers pre-Orientale terrain that consisted of both highland materials and relatively large expanses of ancient mare basalts. The inside of the far side South Pole-Aitken basin (>2000 kilometers in diameter) has low albedo, red color, and a relatively high abundance of iron- and magnesium-rich materials. These features suggest that the impact may have penetrated into the deep crust or lunar mantle or that the basin contains ancient mare basalts that were later covered by highlands ejecta. PMID- 17792381 TI - Topographic and magnetic-sensitive scanning tunneling microscope study of magnetite. AB - The topographic and magnetic surface structure of a natural single crystal of magnetite (Fe(3)0(4)), a common mineral, has been studied from the submicrometer scale down to the atomic scale with a scanning tunneling microscope having nonmagnetic tungsten as well as ferromagnetic iron probe tips. Several different (001) crystal planes were imaged to atomic resolution with both kinds of tips. A selective imaging of the octahedrally coordinated Fe B-sites in the Fe-O planes, and even a selective imaging of the different magnetic ions Fe(2+) and Fe(3+), has been achieved, demonstrating for the first time that magnetic imaging can be realized at the atomic level. PMID- 17792380 TI - Natural vegetation as a source or sink for atmospheric ammonia: a case study. AB - Measurements of gaseous ammonia above a montane-subalpine forest in the Colorado mountains show that the role of the forest as a source or sink depends on the atmospheric concentrations. The canopy appeared to be an ammonia source when exposed to air containing low concentrations, but a sink when exposed to air enriched by nearby agricultural sources. The forest-averaged compensation point was 0.8 part per billion by volume at 20 degrees C. The net burden of ammonia and other nitrogen species of anthropogenic origin at this site was much less than at forest sites in the eastern United States and Europe and may provide a valuable resource for this nitrogen-limited ecosystem. PMID- 17792383 TI - Chemical signals from host plant and sexual behavior in a moth. AB - In the phytophagous corn earworm, Helicoverpa (Heliothis) zea, females delay their reproductive behaviors until they find a suitable host on which to deposit their eggs. Perception of volatile chemical signals from corn silk triggers the production of sex pheromone followed by its release, which leads to mating. Several natural corn silk volatiles, including the plant hormone ethylene, induced pheromone production in H. zea females. Because H. zea larvae feed on the fruiting parts of a wide variety of hosts, ethylene, which is associated with fruit ripening, could act as a common cue. PMID- 17792382 TI - Effects of high temperature on silicate liquid structure: a multinuclear NMR study. AB - The structure of a silicate liquid changes with temperature, and this substantially affects its thermodynamic and transport properties. Models used by geochemists, geophysicists, and glass scientists need to include such effects. In situ, high-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on (23)Na, (27)A1, and (29)Si was used to help determine the time-averaged structure of a series of alkali aluminosilicate liquids at temperatures to 1320 degrees C. Isotropic chemical shifts for (29)Si increase (to higher frequencies) with increasing temperature, probably in response to intermediate-range structural changes such as the expansion of bonds between nonbridging oxygens and alkali cations. In contrast, isotropic chemical shifts for (27)Al decrease with increasing temperature, indicating that more significant short-range structural changes take place for aluminum, such as an increase in mean coordination number. The spectrum of a sodium aluminosilicate glass clearly indicates that at least a few percent of six-coordinated aluminum was present in the liquid at high temperature. PMID- 17792384 TI - Beleaguering the cancer establishment. PMID- 17792385 TI - Life in the abyss. PMID- 17792386 TI - Vignettes: AIDS elsewhere. PMID- 17792388 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792387 TI - A southerly fauna. PMID- 17792389 TI - THE NEW ANTHROPOGENY: TWENTY-FIVE STAGES OF VERTEBRATE EVOLUTION, FROM SILURIAN CHORDATE TO MAN. PMID- 17792390 TI - A FORGOTTEN EVOLUTIONIST. PMID- 17792391 TI - A VICIOUS CIRCLE IN CYTOLOGY. PMID- 17792392 TI - TWISTED TREES AND THE SPIRAL HABIT. PMID- 17792393 TI - THE EXTINCT LAKE SAN AUGUSTIN, NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17792394 TI - THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792395 TI - AN APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE ABSORPTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY LEAVES UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS. PMID- 17792396 TI - THE OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792397 TI - THE FUNCTION OF THE ADRENAL CORTICAL HORMONE AND THE CAUSE OF DEATH FROM ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY. PMID- 17792398 TI - Loyalty and Security Problems of Scientists: A Summary of Current Clearance Procedures. PMID- 17792399 TI - Biological Synthesis of Radioactive Silk. PMID- 17792400 TI - The Conversion of beta-Erythroidine to Derivatives of the Desmethoxy Series and Some Pharmacological Properties of Apo-beta-Erythroidine. PMID- 17792401 TI - Surface Action in 2,4-D Sprays. PMID- 17792402 TI - Hemolytic Disease in Newborn Dogs Following Isoimmunization of the Dam by Transfusions. PMID- 17792403 TI - The Antithyroid Factor of Yellow Turnip. PMID- 17792404 TI - Properties of Barium Titanate in Connection with Its Crystal Structure. PMID- 17792405 TI - A Note on Inexpensive One-Way Vision Material. PMID- 17792406 TI - Late Pleistocene Dates Derived from Radiocarbon Assays. PMID- 17792407 TI - THE INTERMARRIAGE OF THE DEAF, AND THEIR EDUCATION. PMID- 17792408 TI - WORK AT THE NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. PMID- 17792410 TI - Annular Phase of Venus. PMID- 17792409 TI - Right-handedness and Effort. PMID- 17792411 TI - Mount St. Elias. PMID- 17792412 TI - A Problem in Physics. PMID- 17792413 TI - Children as Teachers. PMID- 17792414 TI - THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE GENETICS PROBLEM. PMID- 17792415 TI - THE PERUVIAN EXPEDITION OF 1912. PMID- 17792416 TI - SAMUEL BUTLER AND BIOLOGICAL MEMORY. PMID- 17792417 TI - THE DEATH OF NETTIE MARIA STEVENS. PMID- 17792418 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF STIBNITE AT STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, NEVADA. PMID- 17792419 TI - POPULARIZING SCIENCES. PMID- 17792420 TI - CERIUM. PMID- 17792422 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF A SEX-LIMITED CHARACTER IN CATS. PMID- 17792421 TI - THE PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT. PMID- 17792423 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792425 TI - Drug shortages. PMID- 17792424 TI - Big university. PMID- 17792426 TI - Aleut life expectancy. PMID- 17792428 TI - Human vaginal odors. PMID- 17792427 TI - Human vaginal odors. PMID- 17792429 TI - Scientific quests and governmental principles. PMID- 17792430 TI - Net energy analysis: an economic assessment. PMID- 17792431 TI - Photochemistry of the polluted troposphere. PMID- 17792432 TI - Nuclear power debate: signing up the pros and cons. PMID- 17792433 TI - President Ford's Technology Message. PMID- 17792434 TI - Science Information: SIPI Expands, Puts New Emphasis on the Economy. PMID- 17792435 TI - NIH to Open Budget Sessions to Public. PMID- 17792437 TI - Chemotherapy: antiviral agents come of age. PMID- 17792436 TI - Hayflick's Tragedy: The Rise and Fall of a Human Cell Line. PMID- 17792438 TI - Amantadine: an alternative for prevention of influenza. PMID- 17792439 TI - Magnetospheric science. PMID- 17792440 TI - Units of matter. PMID- 17792441 TI - Infrared spectroscopy. PMID- 17792443 TI - Organoboron compounds. PMID- 17792442 TI - Solution chemistry. PMID- 17792444 TI - Anisotropic origin of transform faults. AB - Transform faults appear in the process of stretching during freezing of the surface films on liquid wax. These films are composed of a warp yarn of wax fibers with optical anisotropy. This fabric is absent in materials that fail to produce transform faults. The mechanical anisotropy of these wax films (with high tensile strength and low shear strength in the direction of spreading) is responsible for the initiation of the transform faults. It is suggested that the anisotropy of the ocean upper mantle recorded seismically may likewise be responsible for the creation of the ridge-ridge transform faults in the oceans. PMID- 17792445 TI - Surface oxidation: a major sink for water on Mars. AB - Surface oxidation irreversibly removes both oxygen and hydrogen from the martian atmosphere at a rate of 10(8) to 10(11) per square centimeter per second. This rate corresponds to a net loss of 10(25) to 10(28) per square centimeter (10(2) to 10(5) grams per square centimeter) of H(2)O, if it is assumed that the loss rate is uniform over geologic time. Heretofore, exospheric escape was considered to be the principal irreversible sink for H(2)O, but the loss rate was estimated to be only 10(8) per square centimeter per second. It is possible that surface oxidation may have had a minor effect on the supply of H(2)O in the regolith and polar caps. PMID- 17792446 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17792447 TI - ACADEMIC EFFICIENCY. PMID- 17792448 TI - THE PROBLEM OF ORGANIZATION. PMID- 17792449 TI - THE BEQUESTS OF THE LATE MORRIS LOEB. PMID- 17792450 TI - ON ORTMANN'S "NOTES UPON THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OF THE NAJADES". PMID- 17792451 TI - SOME REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES REGARDING A COMMON HOUSEHOLD INSECT. PMID- 17792453 TI - THE VALUE OF THE CILIATE, DIDINIUM, IN THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY. PMID- 17792452 TI - CONDITION OF THE EARTH'S CRUST. PMID- 17792454 TI - THE NUMBERS OF INSECTS DESTROYED BY WESTERN MEDDOWLARKS (STURNELLA NEGLECTA). PMID- 17792456 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETING OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17792455 TI - THE MOSAIC DISEASE OF TOBACCO. PMID- 17792457 TI - Letters. PMID- 17792458 TI - Early days at woods hole. PMID- 17792459 TI - Parkinsonia rampant. PMID- 17792460 TI - Ionospheric Composition and Reactions: Our present knowledge of what ions are in the ionosphere, and why, is summarized. AB - Recent measurements of ion densities in the ionosphere seem to be more or less compatible with current data for ion-molecule reaction rates in some parts of the ionosphere under conditions in which a steady state prevails. There is no such agreement for the upper ionosphere, where the densities of He(+) and H(+) are difficult to understand in terms of present concepts concerning the relevant production and loss processes. Sources of ionizing radiation are needed to explain night- time observations in the E region and perhaps also in the F region. The D region remains a poorly understood laboratory of negative-ion and positiveion chemistry, where neither observation nor theory is as yet adequate. PMID- 17792461 TI - Public Health Asks of Sociology. . : Can the health sciences resolve society's problems in the absence of a science of human values and goals? PMID- 17792463 TI - Budget cuts: study finds effects yet to be felt. PMID- 17792462 TI - LBJ's New Budget: Another Tight Year for Research and Development. PMID- 17792465 TI - Parametric Pumping: Separation of Mixture of Toluene and n-Heptane. AB - Parametric pumping, a dynamic separation technique, comprises alternating axial displacement of a fluid mixture in a column of adsorptive particles upon which a synchronous cycling temperature is imposed. With direct coupling, separations of 10(5):1 between column ends have been obtained, with indications of great potential for further separation. A mathematical model and its solution describe the behavior of the system. PMID- 17792466 TI - Kornerupine: its crystal structure. AB - Three-dimensional analysis of the crystal structure of kornerupine reveals the crystallochemical formula Mg(VI)(2)Mg(VI)AlVI(6)[Si(2)O(7)] [(Al,Si)(2) SiO(10)]O(4)(OH), with four formula units in the structure cell of a = 16.100 (2) A, b = 13.767(2) A, c = 6.735(2) A; space group, Cmcm. The unusual crystal structure includes walls of Al-O edge and corner-sharing octahedra, and chains of alternating Mg-O and Al-O octahedra fused to the walls by further edge-sharing to form dense slabs. These slabs are held together by [Si(2)O(7)] corner-sharing tetrahedral pairs and [(Al,Si)(2)SiO(10)] corner-sharing tetrahedral triplets. PMID- 17792467 TI - Superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in boron-rich lattices. AB - Ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, or superconductivity has been discovered in most hexa- and dodecaborides. PMID- 17792468 TI - Phenol oxidases of a lozenge mutant of Drosophila. AB - Monophenol oxidase (or tyrosinase-A(1)) activity appears to be absent from extracts from pupae of homozygous lozenge-glossy (lz(g)/lz(g)) females and (lz(g)/male symbol) males of Drosophila melanogaster. Diphenol oxidase (tyrosinase-A(2)) activity is less in the mutant extracts than in extracts of wild-type Oregon-R pupae of the same age and sex. PMID- 17792469 TI - Modulation of elicited behavior. PMID- 17792470 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792471 TI - JOSEPH LEIDY, FOUNDER OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17792472 TI - A GENETIC VIEW OF SEX EXPRESSION IN THE FLOWERING PLANTS. PMID- 17792474 TI - SAMUEL PHILIP SADTLER. PMID- 17792475 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17792473 TI - REORGANIZATION OF THE NAPLES ZOOLOGICAL STATION. PMID- 17792477 TI - ELECTRICITY AND CHEMISTRY STUDENTS. PMID- 17792476 TI - CHEMICAL SPELLING MATCH NO. 2. PMID- 17792478 TI - A CASTIGATION AND AN APPEAL. PMID- 17792480 TI - AIR-EARTH CURRENTS AND OTHERS. PMID- 17792479 TI - AN EFFECTIVE ABSORPTION APPARATUS. PMID- 17792481 TI - THE NATURE, MANNER OF CONVEYANCE AND MEANS OF PREVENTION OF INFANTILE PARALYSIS. PMID- 17792482 TI - THE BASIS OF INDIVIDUALITY IN ORGANISMS. A DEFENSE OF VITALISM. PMID- 17792483 TI - THE RURAL ROADSIDES IN NEW YORK STATE. PMID- 17792485 TI - THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792484 TI - GUSTAV SCHWALBE. PMID- 17792486 TI - BEES AND MENDELISM. PMID- 17792488 TI - NOTE ON A MORAINE IN NORTHWESTERN NEW ENGLAND. PMID- 17792487 TI - NEPTUNIUM. PMID- 17792489 TI - A SIMPLE AND RAPID METHOD OF STUDYING RESPIRATION BY THE DETECTION OF EXCEEDINGLY MINUTE QUANTITIES OF CARBON DIOXIDE. PMID- 17792490 TI - THE CLASSIFICATION OF NERVOUS REACTIONS. PMID- 17792491 TI - THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW BUILDING OF THE MELLON INSTITUTE. PMID- 17792492 TI - CHARLES EDWIN BESSEY. PMID- 17792493 TI - THE FUNDAMENTAL EQUATION OF MECHANICS. PMID- 17792494 TI - A COURSE IN AGRICULTURE FOR NON-TECHNICAL COLLEGES. PMID- 17792495 TI - CORRELATION BETWEEN EGG-LAYING ACTIVITY AND YELLOW PIGMENT IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL. PMID- 17792497 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792496 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS HELD IN PHILADELPHIA 1914. PMID- 17792498 TI - THE PATHOLOGY OF CERTAIN VIRUS DISEASES. PMID- 17792499 TI - ANALOGIES BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS AND THE RHYTHMICAL REACTIONS IN INORGANIC SYSTEMS. PMID- 17792500 TI - JOSEPH NELSON ROSE. PMID- 17792501 TI - OVARIAN SECRETION AND TUMOR INCIDENCE. PMID- 17792502 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17792503 TI - "NUTRILITES". PMID- 17792505 TI - HORIZONTAL VERSUS VERTICAL FORCES IN CRUSTAL MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17792504 TI - THE RING METHOD IN CHANGING SURFACE TENSION. PMID- 17792506 TI - LOW HUMIDITY AND HIGH TACITURNITY. PMID- 17792508 TI - AN ANCIENT WALRUS SKULL. PMID- 17792507 TI - THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. PMID- 17792509 TI - THE USE OF THE X-RAY IN BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS. PMID- 17792511 TI - THE EFFECT OF A SECONDARY SOUND UPON HEARING. PMID- 17792510 TI - A CONVENIENT METHOD OF DETERMINING THE RATE OF CLEAVAGE. PMID- 17792512 TI - REMARKABLE MUSICAL TECHNIQUE OF THE LARGER ANGULAR-WINGED KATYDID. PMID- 17792514 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17792513 TI - Control of Unclassified Information. PMID- 17792515 TI - Need for Public Understanding of Science. PMID- 17792516 TI - Liberty Hyde Bailey. PMID- 17792518 TI - Preliminary Report on the Effect of Ultrasonic Waves on the Crystallization of Honey. PMID- 17792519 TI - Recorded Calls of Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) as Repellents and Attractants. PMID- 17792520 TI - Moral responsibility. PMID- 17792522 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17792521 TI - Conserving nonhuman primates. PMID- 17792523 TI - Computers: active or passive? PMID- 17792524 TI - Intermediate technology. PMID- 17792525 TI - One-armed scientists? PMID- 17792526 TI - The 1973 Flood and Man's Constriction of the Mississippi River. AB - The progressive constriction of the Mississippi for navigation since 1837 has caused bottom erosion in some stretches. In others the bottom oscillates up and down with time. The high stages rise much more rapidly. Constriction of the river channel causes flooding and makes floods higher; thus navigation works degrade the protection afforded by levees. The combination of navigation works and levees causes significant rises in the stages of floods. Additional channel constriction and levee building will cause further problems. The 1973 flood's record was man made. PMID- 17792528 TI - What's Wrong with This Picture? PMID- 17792527 TI - New Jers ey Higher Education: Accountability Versus Autonomy. PMID- 17792529 TI - An obscure front-runner for interior. PMID- 17792531 TI - Erratum. AB - The ordinate of Fig. 1A in the report by R. Berezny and D. S. Coffey (25 July, page 292) should read "103 count/min per 100 microg of DNA" rather than "per microg of DNA" PMID- 17792530 TI - Science in Vietnam: the postwar north seeks american assistance. PMID- 17792532 TI - Double Radio Sources: energetic Evidence That Galaxies Remember. AB - In the cover legend of the 27 June issue, the telescope at the Max Planck Institute for Radio-astronomie, Bonn, Germany, should be described as a 100-meter telescope. PMID- 17792533 TI - Letter to the editor. AB - Morris Muskat (Letters, 6 June, p. 973) refers to "the only certain new net [oil] supplies we can count on by 1985 ... when the Alaskan pipeline is operating." The amount cited should have been "1 to 2 million barrels per day." PMID- 17792535 TI - Opiate receptors: implications and applications. PMID- 17792534 TI - Science in Vietnam: the postwar north seeks american assistance. PMID- 17792536 TI - It's Not Mars, But It's Still a Big Drop. PMID- 17792537 TI - Thermochemical decomposition of water based on reactions of chromium and barium compounds. AB - A potentially useful thermochemical cycle developed for the production of hydrogen and oxygen from water consists of three chemical reactions that take place in the temperature range from 400 degrees to 1200 degrees K. The oxidation and reduction of chromium compounds by barium hydroxide and the hydrolytic disproportionation of barium chromate(IV) and barium chromate(V), the reactions which constitute the proposed cycle, have been demonstrated. PMID- 17792538 TI - The terrestrial magnetosphere: a half-wave rectifier of the interplanetary electric field. AB - A study of geomagnetic disturbances during 1967 and 1968, for which in situ solar wind observations are available, reveals that the magnetosphere acts as a half wave rectifier of the interplanetary electric field. The rate of injection of energy into the magnetosphere, as inferred from the strength of the disturbance, is approximately linearly proportional to the component of the electric field from dawn to dusk but is effectively zero if the electricfield has a component from dusk to dawn. PMID- 17792539 TI - Lepidopteran leaf mine from the early eocene wind river formation of northwestern wyoming. AB - A lepidopteran mine, probably of Phyllocnistis, on a leaflet impression of Cedrela (Meliaceae) discovered in late early Eocene strata near Dubois, Wyoming, is the earliest record of leaf mining and of the Phyllocnistidae. Considerable prior evolution of the mining habit, antiquity of the Cedrela-Phyllocnistis relationship, and subtropical climatic conditions are indicated. PMID- 17792540 TI - Jupiter: its infrared spectrum from 16 to 40 micrometers. AB - Spectral measurements of the thermal radiation from Jupiter in the band from 16 to 40 micrometers are analyzed under the assumption that pressure-broadened molecular hydrogen transitions are responsible for the bulk of the infrared opacity over most of this spectral interval. Both the vertical pressure temperature profile and the molecular hydrogen mixing ratio are determined. The derived value ofthe molecular hydrogen mixing ratio, 0.89 +/- 0.11, is consistent with the solar value of 0.86. PMID- 17792541 TI - Cyclic octatomic sulfur: a possible infrared and visible chromophore in the clouds of jupiter. AB - A brown polymeric material, produced under simulated Jovian conditions, is composed primarily of cyclic octatomic sulfur, although a range of complex organic compounds is also present. The polymeric sulfur, produced from the ultraviolet photolysis of hydrogen sulfide, exhibits its strongest band at 465 reciprocal centimeters, in fair agreement with the frequency of the unidentified Jovian absorber recently announced by Houck et al. Polymeric octatomic sulfur may be an important constituent of the Jovian clouds. PMID- 17792542 TI - Sun-tracking solar furnaces in high arctic flowers: significance for pollination and insects. AB - Heliotropic flowers (Dryas integrifolia, Papaver radicatum) act, in sunshine, as solar reflectors, their corollas focusing heat on the sporophylls. Considerable intrafloral temperatures are generated. Winds above 3.8 meters per second and cloud abolish the effect. Insects that bask in the flowers also gain heat. The phenomena areimportant in maximizing the small heat budget. PMID- 17792543 TI - Gasoline. PMID- 17792544 TI - Low-cost, abundant energy: paradise lost? PMID- 17792545 TI - The social system and the energy crisis. PMID- 17792546 TI - Evolution of public response to the energy crisis. AB - There is a wide range of technical measures to improve the efficiency of fuel use in industry. The economic justification for adopting these measures can, as a rule, be readily established. If one can resolve the nontechnoeconomic constraints which affect the adoption of these measures, one can look forward to substantial reductions in the fuel required to operate many important industrial processes. PMID- 17792547 TI - Conservation in industry. PMID- 17792549 TI - What can the academic community do? PMID- 17792548 TI - Energy conservation at an industrial research center. PMID- 17792550 TI - Energy outlook for the universities: large increases in basic research and a new role in advanced development. PMID- 17792552 TI - Multiple failures of public and private institutions. PMID- 17792551 TI - Individual self-sufficiency in energy. PMID- 17792553 TI - The executive: william e. Simon. PMID- 17792554 TI - The congress: sen. Henry m. Jackson. PMID- 17792555 TI - An integrated national energy research and development program. PMID- 17792556 TI - Florida: an energy policy emerges in a growth state. PMID- 17792557 TI - Economic strategy for import-export controls on energy materials. AB - Five policy elements should be combined in assuring adequate energy supplies at acceptable costs: moving toward a more balanced distribution power between producing and consoming countries; developing a technological readiness for national energy independence; establishing desirable stocks and reserve productive capacity; relying on a flexible tariff system for linking domestic and world energy markets; and adopting an export strategy that supports the basic objective. Two conditions are sine qua non's to any import-export strategy regarding energy materials. Policies must be clearly laid out and pursued with a steady hand in order that investors can afford to commit the vast sums necessary and expect recovery and adequate returns, typically spread over long periods of times. The policy package must be internally consistent, avoiding the conflicts and contradictions that so often have marred U.S. energy policy in the past. PMID- 17792558 TI - Oil money and world money: conflict or confluence? PMID- 17792559 TI - Applications of input-output analysis to energy problems. PMID- 17792560 TI - Prognosis for expanded u.s. Production of crude oil. PMID- 17792561 TI - Problems of expanding coal production. PMID- 17792562 TI - Clean fuels from coal gasification. AB - The quickest way to establish a visible new margin against energy demand is the historic producer serving small industry and gasifying Pennsylvania anthracite. In 2 years many producers could be in operation. The quickest way to obtain significant supplies of "new" gas or oil is to retrofit existing electricity and industrial boilers for power or industrial gas. Important results could be achieved in 6 years. Table 3 identifies development activities deserving high priority to speed the capture of gas and oil now burned in boilers, and to speed realization the advantages of combined-cycle equipment running on coal (8). Obviously, these activities are not enough. Many exciting and worthwhile concepts at various stages of development can furnish improved techniques for converting coal to pipeline gas and liquid fuels for the long run. Reviews of these concepts are available (6, 32, 35). I have neglected them in this article not to deny their importance but to stress the earlier opportunities from technology that is ready now, or nearly ready. The oil and gas industries might well consider the historical progression from Wells Fargo to Western Union to American Telephone and Telegraph to Radio Corporation of America. These industries will miss the boat if they regard themselves simply as purveyors of their historical fuels and not as purveyors of clean energy. The gas industry especially will be in trouble if it lets its major industrial customers, such as steel and electricity, provide their own supplies of power and industrial gas. PMID- 17792563 TI - High-sulfur coal for generating electricity. PMID- 17792564 TI - Nuclear eclectic power. AB - The uranium and thorium resources, the technology, and the social impacts all seem to presage an even sharper increase in nuclear power for electric generation than had hitherto been predicted. There are more future consequences. The "hydrogen economy." Nuclear power plants operate best at constant power and full load. Thus, a largely nuclear electric economy has the problem of utilizing substantial off-peak capacity; the additional energy generation can typically be half the normal daily demand. Thus, the option of generating hydrogen as a nonpolluting fuel receives two boosts: excess nuclear capacity to produce it, plus much higher future costs for oil and natural gas. However, the so-called "hydrogen economy" must await the excess capacity, which will not occur until the end of the century. Nonelectric uses. By analyses similar to those performed here, raw nuclear heat can be shown to be cheaper than heat from many other fuel sources, especially nonpolluting ones. This will be particularly true as domestic natural gas supplies become more scarce. Nuclear heat becomes attractive for industrial purposes, and even for urban district heating, provided (i) the temperature is high enough (this is no problem for district heating, but could be for industry; the HTGR's and breeders, with 600 degrees C or more available, have the advantage); (ii) there is a market for large quantities (a heat rate of 3800 Mw thermal, the reactor size permitted today, will heat Boston, with some to spare); and (iii) the social costs become more definitely resolved in favor of nuclear power. Capital requirements. Nuclear-electric installations are very capital-intensive. One trillion dollars for the plants, backup industry, and so forth is only 2 percent of the total gross national product (GNP) between 1974 and 2000, at a growth rate of 4 percent per year. But capital accumulation tends to run at about 10 percent of the GNP, so the nuclear requirements make a sizable perturbation. Also increasing the electric share of energy provision means increasing electric power utilization, which has a high technological content and demands yet more capital. Thus, provision of capital is a major problem ahead, especially for electric utilities. The need for people. The supply of available trained technologists, environmental engineers, and so on, especially in the architect-engineer profession, is insufficient for the task ahead, especially since the same categories of people will be in demand to build up a synthetic fuels industry and do other new things. Beyond these specific items and beyond the technological discussion, one can feel deeper currents running in this debate. Issues that started out seeming technological ended up being mainly societal: prevention of clandestine use, either by vigilance or by public spirit; a determination to maintain quality and to safeguard wastes that transcends narrow interests; a perception of social benefits and damage much more holistic than before; the need to manage programs more openly and better than before. Questions and doubts become more acute, answers and methods less sure. Here is a final question. We have never before been given a virtually infinite resource of something we craved. So far, increasingly large amounts of energy have been used to turn resources into junk, from which activity we derive ephemeral benefit and pleasure; the track record is not too good. What will we do now? PMID- 17792565 TI - Energy choices that europe faces: a European view of energy. AB - In conclusion, I feel that the energy challenge, tough as it is, does not pose unsurmountable technological problems, even in Europe. At least in principle, the necessary technology is already there. This article is meant to make that statement plausible. It is not the intention to insist on certain ideas. It is important, however, to have a consistent approach, and this means to obey the timing of the problem. Therefore the most important aspect during the transition phase probably is the buildup of a modern secondary energy system. In the long run it will ibe energy embedding and not the production of energy which will be the principal driving force for the development, because in principle at least there is more than one option to provide almost unlimited amounts of energy. In order to meet the demand for an appropriate embedding of energy, the concept of primary energy parks in the open sea seems to be most promising. PMID- 17792566 TI - A timetable for expanded energy availability. PMID- 17792567 TI - Geothermal electricity production. PMID- 17792568 TI - Solar energy by photosynthesis. PMID- 17792570 TI - Science bibliography of energy. PMID- 17792569 TI - Solar energy utilization by physical methods. AB - On the basis of the estimated contributions of these differing methods of the utilization of solar energy, their total energy delivery impact on the projected U.S. energy economy (9) can be evaluated (Fig. 5). Despite this late energy impact, the actual sales of solar energy utilization equipment will be significant at an early date. Potential sales in photovoltaic arrays alone could exceed $400 million by 1980, in order to meet the projected capacity buildup (10). Ultimately, the total energy utilization equipment industry should attain an annual sales volume of several tens of billion dollars in the United States, comparable to that of several other energy related industries. Varying amounts of technology development are required to assure the technical and economic feasibility of the different solar energy utilization methods. Several of these developments are far enough along that the paths can be analyzed from the present time to the time of demonstration of technical and economic feasibility, and from there to production and marketing readiness. After that point, a period of market introduction will follow, which will differ in duration according to the type of market addressed. It may be noted that the present rush to find relief from the current energy problem, or to be an early leader in entering a new market, can entail shortcuts in sound engineering practice, particularly in the areas of design for durability and easy maintenance, or of proper application engineering. The result can be loss of customer acceptance, as has been experienced in the past with various products, including solar water heaters. Since this could cause considerable delay in achieving the expected total energy impact, it will be important to spend adequate time at this stage for thorough development. Two other aspects are worth mentioning. The first is concerned with the economic impacts. Upon reflection on this point, one will observe that largescale solar energy utilization will not cause a greater impact than other new energy sources, based on the reasoning that a self-consistent set of conditions will have to be fulfilled in order to achieve such large-scale use. Without cost competitiveness, other energy resources would fill the requirements, or, if their resource and cost structure also would create severe problems, the economic forecasts simply cannot be fulfilled. We also should not think of a "solar-only" energy future. First, there is still enough coal to last for several hundred years. Second, there should be enough fissionable fuel available to operate breeder reactors for a similar time span, and geothermal energy could satisfy some requirements for a long time. And finally, there may be fusion. It would be unlikely that any one of the available options should play a really dominant role. Rather, we should expect to be using an energy mix, just as we do now, with each energy source supplying the requirements which it can satisfy in the most suitable way, and solar energy should play an important role in this long-range future. PMID- 17792571 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792572 TI - THE PLACE OF RESEARCH IN THE COLLEGE. PMID- 17792573 TI - EARLY PSYCHOLOGICAL LABORATORIES. PMID- 17792574 TI - WILLIAM BARNUM. PMID- 17792575 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17792576 TI - REPRODUCTION RATE IN WILD RATS. PMID- 17792578 TI - WHAT IS OSMOSIS? PMID- 17792577 TI - ARCHIMEDES AND TRIGONOMETRY. PMID- 17792580 TI - A NOTE ON THE PREPARATION OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS BY FILTRATION OF PARAFFIN. PMID- 17792579 TI - VITAMIN B. PMID- 17792581 TI - THE WESTERN COOPERATIVE OIL-SPRAY PROJECT. PMID- 17792582 TI - AN INEFFECTUAL ATTEMPT TO DEMONSTRATE THE VACUOME OF CERTAIN PLANT CELLS. PMID- 17792583 TI - A METHOD FOR CUTTING GLASS TUBING. PMID- 17792584 TI - THE EFFECT OF X-RAYS IN PRODUCING RETURN GENE MUTATIONS. PMID- 17792585 TI - A SPONTANEOUS MODIFICATION OF THE VISCOSITY OF FRESH BLOOD SERUM. PMID- 17792586 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17792587 TI - Space science: past and future. PMID- 17792588 TI - Military funding of biological research. PMID- 17792589 TI - Viviparity and testability. PMID- 17792590 TI - Response:science "gender-blind"? PMID- 17792591 TI - Is science "gender-blind"? PMID- 17792592 TI - Dolphin research. PMID- 17792593 TI - Math education: a mixed picture. PMID- 17792594 TI - Germany boosts research funds. PMID- 17792595 TI - B-1 bombs on capitol hill. PMID- 17792596 TI - Reagan awards science, technology medals. PMID- 17792598 TI - California's Quakes Forecasted: The first official earthquake forecast for California emphasizes the broad extent of the hazard and the uncertainties involved in predicting the next quakes. PMID- 17792597 TI - There's (Plastc) Gold in Them Thar Landfills: Vanishing landfill space will drive localities to recycle more. The market for used plastic, however, could be stifled by demands that degradable materials be used for packaging. PMID- 17792599 TI - The prediction record so far. PMID- 17792600 TI - Drug reward in the brain. PMID- 17792601 TI - Seeing All There Is to See in the Universe: Deep in the night sky is a veil of objects that are very faint and very blue; they may be galaxies just coming into existence. PMID- 17792602 TI - Fiddling around the lab. PMID- 17792603 TI - Love story. PMID- 17792604 TI - Science by committee. PMID- 17792605 TI - Building black holes: supercomputer cinema. AB - A new computer code can solve Einstein's equations of general relativity for the dynamical evolution of a relativistic star cluster. The cluster may contain a large number of stars that move in a strong gravitational field at speeds approaching the speed of light. Unstable star clusters undergo catastrophic collapse to black holes. The collapse of an unstable cluster to a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy may explain the origin of quasars and active galactic nuclei. By means of a supercomputer simulation and color graphics, the whole process can be viewed in real time on a movie screen. PMID- 17792606 TI - Numerical evidence that the motion of pluto is chaotic. AB - The Digital Orrery has been used to perform an integration of the motion of the outer planets for 845 million years. This integration indicates that the long term motion of the planet Pluto is chaotic. Nearby trajectories diverge exponentially with an e-folding time of only about 20 million years. PMID- 17792607 TI - Ultraviolet radiation levels during the antarctic spring. AB - The decrease in atmospheric ozone over Antarctica during spring implies enhanced levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation received at the earth's surface. Model calculations show that UV irradiances encountered during the occurrence of an Antarctic "ozone hole" remain less than those typical of a summer solstice at low to middle latitudes. However, the low ozone amounts observed in October 1987 imply biologically effective irradiances for McMurdo Station, Antarctica, that are comparable to or greater than those for the same location at December solstice. Life indigenous to Antarctica thereby experiences a greatly extended period of summerlike UV radiation levels. PMID- 17792608 TI - The position of the gulf stream during quaternary glaciations. AB - Ocean general circulation theories predict that the position of the boundary between subtropical and subpolar gyres (and therefore the position of the Gulf Stream-North Atlantic Current system and the subpolar-subtropical front) is set by the line of zero "Ekman pumping," where there is no convergence or divergence of water in the directly wind-forced surface layer of the ocean. In the present day North Atlantic Ocean this line runs southwest to northeast, from off the Carolinas to off Ireland. However, during the last ice age (18,000 years ago) the subpolar-subtropical boundary ran more zonally, directly toward Gibraltar. A numerical atmospheric general circulation model indicates that the field of Ekman pumping 18,000 years ago was modified by the presence of a continental ice cap more than 3 kilometers thick such that the line of zero Ekman pumping overlaid the paleogyre boundary. These results demonstrate that the presence of a thick continental ice sheet could have caused changes in sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic during Quaternary glaciations by altering wind patterns. PMID- 17792609 TI - Direct measurement of o2-depleted microzones in marine oscillatoria: relation to n2 fixation. AB - Among the nitrogen (N(2))-fixing Cyanobacteria, the filamentous, nonheterocystous marine Oscillatoria spp. (Trichodesmium) appears enigmatic; it exhibits N(2) fixation in the presence of oxygenic photosynthesis without structural protection of the N(2-)fixing apparatus (nitrogenase) from potential inhibition by molecular oxygen (O(2)). Characteristically, N(2) fixation is largely confined to aggregates (bundles) of filaments. Previous work has suggested that spatial partitioning of photosynthesis and of N(2) fixation occurs in the bundles as a means of allowing both processes to occur contemporaneously. The probing of freshly sampled bundles with O(2) microelectrodes directly confirmed such partitioning by showing the presence of O(2-)depleted (reduced) microzones in photosynthetically active, N(2-)fixing bundles. Bundle size was directly related to both the development of internal reduced microzones and cellular N(2) fixation rates. By enhancing microzone formation, bundles optimize N(2) fixation as a means of supporting Oscillatoria spp. blooms in surficial, nitrogen-depleted tropical and subtropical waters. PMID- 17792610 TI - RH 5849, a Nonsteroidal Ecdysone Agonist: Effects on Larval Lepidoptera. AB - The ecdysone agonist RH 5849 (1,2-dibenzoyl-1-tert-butylhydrazine) causes the premature initiation of molting at all stages of larval development of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. This phenomenon occurs without an increase in the endogenous ecdysone (20-hydroxyecdysone) titers. RH 5849 likewise provokes the initiation of molting in larval abdomens in the absence of a source of endogenous hormone. Although substantially less active than 20-hydroxyecdysone in vitro, RH 5849 was 30 to >670 times as active as the authentic molting hormone in bioassays with isolated larval abdomens or intact hornworms. This reversal in potency can be attributed to the superior transport properties and metabolic stability of RH 5849 relative to 20-hydroxyecdysone. Thus RH 5849 and its analogs are relatively persistent ecdysone agonists that halt feeding in larval lepidoptera by forcing an ultimately lethal, developmentally premature molt. PMID- 17792611 TI - Physics at the AAAS Annual Meeting 14-19 January 1989. PMID- 17792613 TI - The nursing profession: ordered to care. PMID- 17792614 TI - Issues of evolution: genetics, paleontology, and macroevolution. PMID- 17792612 TI - Response:Model of Huntington's disease. PMID- 17792617 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17792615 TI - Quaternary adjustments: north america and adjacent oceans during the last deglaciation. PMID- 17792616 TI - Intrapopulation differences: population ecology of individuals. PMID- 17792619 TI - Canavan gene therapy protocol. PMID- 17792618 TI - Focus on basic plasma science. PMID- 17792620 TI - Response: canavan gene therapy protocol. PMID- 17792621 TI - Clotting dispute. PMID- 17792622 TI - Wrong hookworm. PMID- 17792623 TI - Importance of teaching. PMID- 17792624 TI - International openness. PMID- 17792625 TI - International openness. PMID- 17792626 TI - International openness. PMID- 17792627 TI - Scanning SQUID Microscopy. PMID- 17792628 TI - HERG sequence correction. PMID- 17792629 TI - X chromosome dosage compensation in Drosophila. PMID- 17792631 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792630 TI - Response: x chromosome dosage compensation in Drosophila. PMID- 17792632 TI - THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792633 TI - RADIOACTIVITY IN BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS. PMID- 17792634 TI - AN EXPERIMENT ON RETINAL AFTER-IMAGE AND JUDGMENT OF SIZE. PMID- 17792635 TI - PSEUDOMETHEMOGLOBIN AND ITS REACTION WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AFTER REDUCTION. PMID- 17792636 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF THE TWO RARE GENERA, PROTOHYDRA AND PROTODRILUS, ON THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. PMID- 17792637 TI - A DEFECT IN THE METABOLISM OF AROMATIC AMINO ACIDS IN PREMATURE INFANTS: THE ROLE OF VITAMIN C. PMID- 17792638 TI - REACTION OF VARIOLA VACCINE VIRUS TO ROENTGEN RAYS. PMID- 17792639 TI - ELECTROPHORETIC STUDY OF PITUITARY LACTOGENIC HORMONE. PMID- 17792640 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF CAROTENE. PMID- 17792641 TI - MARKING ROCKS, MINERALS AND FOSSILS. PMID- 17792642 TI - PROTECTION OF HERBARIUM SPECIMENS. PMID- 17792644 TI - THE WORK OF COLONEL GORGAS. PMID- 17792643 TI - CHANCE AND THE PREPARED MIND. PMID- 17792645 TI - THE DOME THEORY OF THE COASTAL PLAIN. PMID- 17792646 TI - LETTERS FROM YALE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17792647 TI - THE HINDU-ARABIC NUMERALS. PMID- 17792649 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17792648 TI - THE SOURCE OF THE CURRENT OF INJURY. PMID- 17792651 TI - THE HARVARD TERCENTENARY. PMID- 17792650 TI - PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT. PMID- 17792652 TI - THE DODGE, NEBRASKA, "FIREBALL". PMID- 17792653 TI - SOIL TEMPERATURES AT BOZEMAN, MONTANA, DURING SUB-ZERO WEATHER. PMID- 17792654 TI - FEDERAL RELIEF LABOR AND PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17792655 TI - TERMITE DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17792656 TI - THE ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792657 TI - THE CULTIVATION OF LARGE QUANTITIES OF ADULT TISSUE IN FLUID MEDIA. PMID- 17792658 TI - THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792659 TI - THE SOUTH CAROLINA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792660 TI - PULSATING BLOOD VESSELS IN THE OYSTER. PMID- 17792661 TI - RAISING THE PRAYING MANTIS FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES. PMID- 17792662 TI - THE COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF TWO IRON SALTS ON PARASITIC ANEMIAS IN PUERTO RICO. PMID- 17792663 TI - DECALCIFICATION AS A METHOD OF PREPARATION OF GROSS ANATOMICAL MATERIAL. PMID- 17792664 TI - GENERAL FEATURES. PMID- 17792665 TI - MEETING PLACES AND FACILITIES. PMID- 17792666 TI - ATTENDANCE, SESSIONS AND PAPERS. PMID- 17792667 TI - THE LOCAL COMMITTEE. PMID- 17792668 TI - THE GENERAL PROGRAM. PMID- 17792669 TI - THE ANNUAL SCIENCE EXHIBITIONS. PMID- 17792670 TI - REDUCED RAILWAY RATES AND REGISTRATION FEES. PMID- 17792671 TI - THE SIXTH AWARD OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION PRIZE. PMID- 17792672 TI - THE NEWS SERVICE AT NEW YORK. PMID- 17792673 TI - THE GENERAL SESSIONS AT NEW YORK. PMID- 17792674 TI - ENTERTAINMENT AND SUNDAY FEATURES. PMID- 17792675 TI - THE COUNCIL AT NEW YORK. PMID- 17792676 TI - BUSINESS PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT NEW YORK. PMID- 17792678 TI - FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1928. PMID- 17792677 TI - REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION TREASURER FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1927-28. PMID- 17792680 TI - THE ANNUAL SESSION OF THE SECRETARIES' CONFERENCE. PMID- 17792679 TI - GRANTS FOR RESEARCH FOR 1929. PMID- 17792681 TI - THE PRESIDENT ELECT. PMID- 17792682 TI - THE NEW YORK SESSION OF THE ACADEMY CONFERENCE. PMID- 17792683 TI - GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR 1929. PMID- 17792684 TI - SPECIAL NOTES. PMID- 17792685 TI - FUTURE ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17792687 TI - Diabetes therapy. PMID- 17792686 TI - Aerodynamics of the long pterosaur wing. PMID- 17792688 TI - Aerodynamics of the long pterosaur wing. PMID- 17792690 TI - Towards a human science. PMID- 17792689 TI - A global rush toward nuclear energy. PMID- 17792691 TI - The capsian escargotieres. PMID- 17792692 TI - Rocky Speaks at AAAS Meeting. PMID- 17792694 TI - Basic Research Funding: ERDA De-energizes Nuclear Science. PMID- 17792693 TI - Oil drilling in the beaufort sea: leaving it to luck and technology. PMID- 17792695 TI - Hail Suppression up in the Air. PMID- 17792697 TI - 1975 AAAS Awards Presented in Boston. PMID- 17792696 TI - Metallurgy: extraordinary alloys that remember their past. PMID- 17792698 TI - Nominations Invited for 1976 AAAS Awards and Fellows. PMID- 17792699 TI - Quantitative sociobiology. PMID- 17792700 TI - Observers' report. PMID- 17792702 TI - Geology and oil. PMID- 17792701 TI - Non-newtonian fluids. PMID- 17792703 TI - Triassic pollen date moroccan high atlas and the incipient rifting of pangea as middle carnian. AB - Palynomorphs from the High Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech define the Minutosaccus-Patinasporites Concurrent Range Zone, which is time stratigraphically equivalent to the Swiss and English middle Keuper, type Carnian of Austria, and North American Triassic beds in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, thus dating an early episode of continental rifting between Africa and North America. PMID- 17792704 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17792706 TI - TESTS FOR INTOXICATION. PMID- 17792705 TI - Pure Quadrupole Spectra in Solids. PMID- 17792708 TI - CROP SURVEYING FROM AIRPLANES. PMID- 17792707 TI - DETECTION OF DEFECTS IN STEEL BY MAGNETIC TESTS. PMID- 17792709 TI - ANCESTRY OF THE REPTILES. PMID- 17792710 TI - ORIGIN OF THE BANANA. PMID- 17792711 TI - A HEAT-OPERATED ICEBOX. PMID- 17792712 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE MOON. PMID- 17792713 TI - SOME NEWER ASPECTS OF CANCER RESEARCH. PMID- 17792714 TI - DINOSAUR FEED. PMID- 17792715 TI - THE LABORATORY METHOD IN THE TEACHING OF BOTANY. PMID- 17792716 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17792717 TI - WEATHER CONDITIONS AT SUMATRA. PMID- 17792718 TI - THE METHOD OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792719 TI - THE GILBOA FOSSIL FOREST. PMID- 17792720 TI - CALENDAR REFORM. PMID- 17792721 TI - ON THE X-RAY DIFFRACTION EFFECTS FROM SOLID FATTY ACIDS. AB - Powder reflections, as well as single face reflections of large spacing, have been obtained from palmitic and other fatty acids. Single specimens with all the optical properties of a crystal and giving the same large spacing X-ray reflections as solidified films on glass have been grown from solution of palmitic acid in acetone. This acid, at least, therefore appears to be truly crystalline under these conditions and not in a "smectic" or other sub crystalline state. Since the X-ray data from this acid are strictly analogous to those from other typical "smectic" substances, it seems necessary further to conclude that no definite X-ray evidence yet exists for this "smectic" state. The symmetry of palmitic acid is either monoclinic or triclinic and the long carbon chains are not normal to the face producing the large spacing reflections. Such spacings are therefore not direct measures of the lengths of these chains. By growing single plates of the acid from solution more intense reflections from the long spacings have been obtained than from films made by solidifying the acid on glass or mica. Such single crystals may prove especially useful as gratings in long wave length X-ray spectrography. PMID- 17792723 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS. PMID- 17792722 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792724 TI - CONFERENCE OF APPARATUS MAKERS AND USERS. PMID- 17792725 TI - Sensors Aloft. PMID- 17792726 TI - News of Science: Antarctic Research Program at U.S. Stations Resumes after Polar Winter. PMID- 17792728 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17792729 TI - Food, energy, and population. PMID- 17792730 TI - Ion beam analysis. PMID- 17792731 TI - Ion beam analysis. PMID- 17792732 TI - Earthquake light. PMID- 17792733 TI - Food, energy, and population. PMID- 17792734 TI - Food, energy, and population. PMID- 17792735 TI - Federal R & d and the economy. PMID- 17792736 TI - Ancient lithosphere: its role in young continental volcanism. PMID- 17792737 TI - NIH Budget: Senate Committee Holds History's Quietest Inquiry. PMID- 17792738 TI - R & d and economic growth: renewed interest in federal role. PMID- 17792739 TI - Environmental research: EPA plan termed myopic. PMID- 17792740 TI - Junk Charge Dropped Against VIMS Director. PMID- 17792741 TI - Rerefined Oil: An Option that Saves Oil, Minimizes Pollution. PMID- 17792742 TI - Computers and cultural imperatives. PMID- 17792743 TI - Issues in population genetics. PMID- 17792744 TI - A great fluvial system. PMID- 17792745 TI - A biological method. PMID- 17792746 TI - Barely known species. PMID- 17792747 TI - Solar neutrinos: proposal for a new test. AB - The predicted flux on the earth of solar neutrinos has eluded detection, confounding current ideas of solar energy production by nuclear fusion. The dominant low-energy component of that flux can be detected by mass-spectrometric assay of the induced tiny concentration of 1.6 x 10(7) year lead-205 in old thallium minerals. Comments are solicited from those in all relevant disciplines. PMID- 17792748 TI - Aluminum-26 in deep-sea sediment. AB - The activity of (26)A1 in a North Pacific core was found to be 0.081 +/- 0.046 disintegration per minute per kilogram of dry sediment, which corresponds to a (26)A1/(10)Be ratio of 0.018 +/- 0.011 (or 0.019 +/- 0.012 when this ratio is corrected for decay). This ratio is in good agreement with that measured in Greenland ice, 0.017 +/- 0.008. These ratios are also in agreement with the calculated values for the production of these isotopes by cosmic rays in the atmosphere: 0.013 +/- 0.006. The contribution of cosmic dust bearing (26)Al seems small in comparison with the production of this nuclide in the atmosphere. PMID- 17792749 TI - Density maxima in high-pressure supercooled water and liquid silicon dioxide. AB - With glass capillary pressure vessels it has been possible to study the effect of pressure on the temperature of maximum density (TMD) and on the "sharpness" of the density maximum in liquid H(2)O and D(2)O in the important but little-studied supercooled regime. A pressure of 1200 bars produces a 33 degrees C depression of the TMD in these liquids and a considerable reduction in sharpness. Comparison with the rather flat density maximum for liquid SiO(2) supports the notion that the presence or absence of density anomalies in "tetrahedral" liquids depends on the average bridge-bond angle, which is evidently unusually large in water at normal pressure. PMID- 17792750 TI - New radar image of venus. AB - A new radar image of Venus covering the latitude range 46 degrees to 75 degrees and the approximate longitude range 290 degrees to 10 degrees is shown. The resolution is approximately 20 kilometers. PMID- 17792751 TI - Uptake and continued metabolic activity of azotobacter within fungal protoplasts. AB - Uptake of vegetative cells of Azotobacter vinelandii into protoplasts of the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizopogon sp. can be induced by treatment with polyethylene glycol (molecular weight, 6000). An L-form of the bacteria has been selected for within the differentiated fungal mycelium which is capable of acetylene reduction and nitrogen fixation, as confirmed by nitrogen-15 assays; this allows the fungus to grow on media lacking any combined nitrogen. The fungus grows and reduces acetylene on concentrations of antibiotics that prevent the growth and activity of free-living Azotobacter. Electron microscopy has revealed modified mitochondrial forms or included bacterial L-forms surrounded by an extra fungal membrane within the hyphae of the modified strains. Poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid, a storage product of Azotobacter cysts, has also been identified in the hyphae. This would appear to be the first report of the transgenosis for acetylene reduction activity and nitrogen fixation into a eukaryote cell. PMID- 17792752 TI - Role of Erythronium americanum Ker. in Energy Flow and Nutrient Dynamics of a Northern Hardwood Forest Ecosystem. AB - The aboveground activity of the spring herb, Erythronium americanum, is restricted to the period between snowmelt and forest canopy development. Its phenology and production capacity closely adapt the species to this temporal niche in northern deciduous forests. While E. americanum has a minor effect on energy flow, it may reduce losses of potassium and nitrogen from the ecosystem during the period of maximum removal by incorporating these elements in accumulating biomass. Later, during the summer, these nutrients are made available when the above-ground, nonperennating tissues decay. PMID- 17792753 TI - Dinoflagellates: fossil motile-stage tests from the upper cretaceous of the northern new jersey coastal plain. AB - Fossil dinoflagellate tests have been considered to represent encysted, nonmotile stages. The discovery of flagellar porelike structures and probable trichocyst pores in the Upper Cretaceous genus Dinogymnium suggests that motile stage tests are also preserved as acid-resistant, organic-walled microfossils. PMID- 17792755 TI - Need for a better solar radiation data base. PMID- 17792754 TI - Drag reduction by formation movement in spiny lobsters. AB - Movements of spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) in formation reduce drag during locomotion; such movement is of particular significance during mass migration. Queues (single-file lines) of spiny lobsters sustain less drag per individual than do individual lobsters moving at the same speed. It is proposed that queuing behavior conserves energy and is a consequence of the evolutionary role of migration in this particular species. PMID- 17792757 TI - Ecological Taxonomy. PMID- 17792756 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17792758 TI - NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the Annual Meeting April 28-30, 1952, Washington, D. C. PMID- 17792759 TI - William de Berniere MacNider: 1881-1951. PMID- 17792760 TI - Ultraviolet Absorption Spectra as a Tool for Diagnosing Plant Virus Diseases. PMID- 17792761 TI - The Separation of Porphobilinogen and an Ehrlich Negative Precursor of Uroporphyrin. PMID- 17792762 TI - The Influence of Skin Temperature upon the Pain Threshold as Evoked by Thermal Radiation-A Confirmation. PMID- 17792763 TI - Formation of 2,3-Butylene Glycol in Bacterial Fermentation of D-Glucosamine. PMID- 17792764 TI - Time Distortion in Hypnosis and Nonmotor Learning. PMID- 17792765 TI - The Peyote Cult. PMID- 17792766 TI - Use of Nembutal as an Anesthetic for Large Wild Mammals. PMID- 17792767 TI - Measuring Rate of Growth of Leucocytes. PMID- 17792768 TI - A "vendetta"? PMID- 17792770 TI - Fish meal: food of the ancients. PMID- 17792769 TI - Ph.D.'s and the Mother Tongue. PMID- 17792771 TI - L'Accademia nazioniale dei lincei. PMID- 17792772 TI - Sluggish process of purification. PMID- 17792773 TI - Readers' judgment. PMID- 17792774 TI - Pi electron systems at high pressure. PMID- 17792775 TI - The ocean as a chemical system. AB - This discussion may have given the feeling that the present composition of ocean water does not result just from blind chance. The composition may in the main be given by well-defined equilibria, and the deviations from equilibrium may be explainable by welldefined processes. However, much remains to be discovered by laboratory work and studies of the natural systems. For any discussion of equilibria between sediments and sea water to become really fruitful and decisive, one must achieve a much better separation of the various sediment phases than has been obtained hitherto. Equilibrium data for various silicate systems are highly desirable. Studies of various elements indicate that there are serious gaps in our knowledge of soluble species and of equilibrium constants for known species; equilibrium measurements in the ionic medium, sea water, are scarce and not too reliable. Obviously, better understanding of the system ocean plus air plus sediments and of its history will require close cooperation between geologists, biologists, and chemists of various specialties. PMID- 17792778 TI - Molecular biology: European laboratory still in limbo. PMID- 17792776 TI - Michigan: Ruckus over Race Has Relevance to Other Universities. PMID- 17792779 TI - Beryllium-10 in a manganese nodule. AB - Analyses of beryllium-10 activity in two sections of a manganese nodule indicate an accumulation rate that compares well with such rates measured by other methods on different nodules. The observed specific activity of beryllium-10 in the nodule is in accord with the calculations based on the production of beryllium-10 by cosmic rays in the atmosphere and with the geochnemistry of beryllium in the ocean. PMID- 17792780 TI - Efflux time of soap bubbles and liquid spheres. AB - The efflux time, T, of gas from soap bubbles of radius, R, through their blow tube of length, 1, and radius, p, is given by the equation see pdf for equation where eta is the viscosity of the gas and omicron the surface tension of the bubble solution, all in centimeter-gram-second units. Similar relations between time and diameter were established for the flow from one bubble to another or from one bubble within another. The same relations hold for the flow of liquid spheres, suspended in another liquid of equal density, following Plateau's classic method. They have been extended to the flow of spheres to cylinders and catenoids of rotation. In all these cases the driving force is the surface or interfacial tension, creating an excess pressure as defined by Laplace's equation. PMID- 17792781 TI - Farmington meteorite: cristobalite xenoliths and blackening. AB - The Farmington chondrite contains two small xenoliths of granular cristobalite, each surrounded by a thin reaction rim of diopsidic clinopyroxene. Similarities between the blackened structure and drusy cavities, characteristic of this meteorite, and those of an experimentally heat-treated chondrite suggest that Farmington was reheated rather than shocked, but neither the exact stage in the history of this stone at which reaction rims developed around the xenoliths nor the source of the calcium necessary to form rim diopside have been established with certainty. PMID- 17792782 TI - Surface tension and surface structure of water. AB - The surface tension-temperature relationship for water is smooth and linear when account is taken of the expansion of the surface with temperature. This plot permits the calculation of thermodynamic properties for 1 square centimeter of surface. Molar surface quantities are derived by assuming a hexagonal water surface structure. PMID- 17792783 TI - Oxygen-18 composition of oceanic sulfate. AB - Comparison of experimental data with analyses of oceanic sulfate indicates that oceanic sulfate is not in oxygen isotope equilibrium with ocean water. Preliminary experiments suggest that the turnover of sulfate in the sulfur cycle is too rapid to allow equilibrium to be established. If this is so, the sulfur cycle must exert a significant influence on the oxygen balance of the oceanatmosphere system. PMID- 17792785 TI - Job safety. PMID- 17792784 TI - Ranking materials departments. PMID- 17792786 TI - ERDA Research Programs. PMID- 17792787 TI - Federal R & d management. PMID- 17792788 TI - Federal regulations: make the punishment fit the crime. PMID- 17792789 TI - Boom towns may hinder energy resource development. PMID- 17792791 TI - Pathology institute faces possible shakeup. PMID- 17792790 TI - Control of toxic substances: an idea whose time has nearly come. PMID- 17792792 TI - Handler defends academy elitism. PMID- 17792793 TI - Large space telescope: astronomers go into orbit. PMID- 17792794 TI - Commoner defies damoclean sword. PMID- 17792795 TI - The case for conservation. PMID- 17792797 TI - Blackbird bill stirs flap. PMID- 17792796 TI - Energy policy: independence by 1985 my be unreachable without btu tax. PMID- 17792798 TI - White house fellow program charged with bias. PMID- 17792799 TI - Natural Gas: United States Has It if the Price Is Right. PMID- 17792800 TI - European Breeders (III): Fuels and Cycle Are Keys to Economy. PMID- 17792801 TI - Historical inventory. PMID- 17792802 TI - Newton's Letters Continued. PMID- 17792803 TI - Tropical reptiles. PMID- 17792804 TI - The X-ray Revival. PMID- 17792805 TI - Electric power from differences in salinity: the dialytic battery. AB - An array of alternating anion and cation exchange membranes can be used to generate electric power from the free energy of mixing of river and sea waters. A simple mathematical model, which predicts experimental results well, is useful in exploring conditions for optimization of the process. Major, but not impossible, improvements in technology would be required to bring the cost of power from the dialytic battery into line with foreseeable energy prices. PMID- 17792807 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17792806 TI - Photoproduction of molecular hydrogen by a plant-algal symbiotic system. AB - The rapidly growing water fern Azolla, which contains a nitrogen-fixing blue green algal symbiont, has been studied as a possible system for photoproduction of molecular hydrogen. When this plant is grown on a combined nitrogen supply, photochemically generated hydrogen can be diverted through the algal nitrogenase system, which serves as a source of molecular hydrogen generated from water. This symbiosis has several advantages as a possible biological energy conversion system. PMID- 17792808 TI - Vague identities exasperate. PMID- 17792809 TI - Relevance of Science during Times of Social Stress. PMID- 17792810 TI - CB Weapons: Powder Keg or Deterrent? PMID- 17792811 TI - Early vision of public education. PMID- 17792812 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17792813 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17792814 TI - Tactful editors and bad authors. PMID- 17792815 TI - Air force: reconstructed history. PMID- 17792816 TI - Discretionary funds. PMID- 17792817 TI - Radio Observations of Interstellar Hydroxyl Radicals: Have we discovered a gigantic maser, or could we be detecting interstellar communications? AB - The discovery of the radio frequency lines of OH gave the first positive evidence of the existence of OH in the interstellar medium. In the 3(1/2) years that have intervened, many observations have revealed totally unexpected anomalies in the radio-spectral properties of interstellar OH. As a result, no reliable astrophysical information has been derived from the OH observations, but a large body of information is waiting to be unraveled. The interpretations of the data which have been made, such as the values derived for OH/H abundance ratios or for the kinetic temperatures of interstellar gas clouds, must be viewed with caution. They may turn out to be drastically in error, once the origin of the OH emission and absorption is fully understood. PMID- 17792818 TI - Efficiency of feed conversion. AB - Under optimum conditions, young healthy individuals of each livestock species may convert about one-third of the digestible protein in its feed into tissue protein in its body. Of this tissue protein, we use about half as food. PMID- 17792820 TI - Scientist and citizen: st. Louis group broadens educational role. PMID- 17792819 TI - Southeast Asia and the West: Prehistoric and early historic relations between these areas are evident but not yet specific. AB - Traditional reconstructions of the prehistory and early history of Southeast Asia contain two periods of contact between Southeast Asia and the West, these being the beginnings of the so-called Dongson Culture and the first historic state of Funan. There has been controversy as to whether the Western contacts which gave rise to the "Dongson Culture" came directly to north Vietnam around 800 B.C. or whether they were filtered through Chou China and reached north Vietnam about 300 B.C. In either case, primarily decorative patterns, ultimately from the European Bronze and Early Iron Age, and bronze-working came in together. The "Dongson" patterns spread over much of Southeast Asia and are still being used today in some areas. Research by historians and geographers indicated that the Kingdom of Funan existed somewhere in coastal Mainland Southeast Asia. From this work it was apparent that Funan was in some way connected with the trade between China and the West during the first millennium A.D. up until the end of Funan around 600 A.D. In both of these models of contact Southeast Asians were the passive recipients of whatever came from the West. PMID- 17792822 TI - Water resources: congress favors taking a new look. PMID- 17792823 TI - Radio astronomy: dicke panel reaches its conclusions. PMID- 17792824 TI - Henry papers: works of joseph Henry to be collected. PMID- 17792825 TI - Top federal science posts filled. PMID- 17792826 TI - Optical environment in gemini space flights. AB - The optical environment of spacecraft is discussed in terms of sky luminance, spacecraft corona, spacecraft scattered light, and glare sources. Rocket data show that sky luminance is not normally a significant factor; that spacecraft corona may be important at times; and that scattering from spacecraft protrusions and glare sources may be very significant. The range of effects for the scattered light sources is very broad and will depend on spacecraft geometry. An alternative approach in terms of primary sources is used to emphasize the overriding importance of sunlight scattered directly or indirectly. PMID- 17792827 TI - Magnetic Anomalies over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 27{degrees}N. AB - Ten magnetic profiles across the mid-Atlantic ridge near 27 degrees N show trends that are parallel to the ridge axis and symmetrical about the ridge axis. The configuration of magnetic bodies that could account for the pattern supports the Vine and Matthews hypothesis for the origin of magnetic anomalies over oceanic ridges. A polarity-reversal time scale inferred from models for sea-floor spreading in the Pacific-Antarctic ridge and radiometrically dated reversals of the geomagnetic field indicates a spreading rate of 1.25 centimeters per year during the last 6 million years and a rate of 1.65 centimeters per year between 6 and 10 million years ago. A similar analysis of more limited data over the mid Atlantic ridge near 22 degrees N also indicates a change in the spreading rate. Here a rate of 1.4 centimeters per year appears to have been in effect during the last 5 million years; between 5 and 9 million years ago, an increased rate of 1.7 centimeters per year is indicated. The time of occurrence and relative magnitude of these changes in the spreading rate, about 5 to 6 million years ago and 18 to 27 percent, respectively, accords with the spreading rate change implied for the Juan de Fuca ridge in the northeast Pacific. PMID- 17792828 TI - Sea floor spreading, topography, and the second layer. AB - Local sea floor topography and also the thickness of the second layer of the oceanic rise-ridge system appear related to the spreading rate in the region. Slow spreading, away from the ridge center at 1 to 2 centimeters per year, is associated with a thick second layer, a central rift, and adjacent rift mountains. Fast spreading, 3 to 4.5 centimeters per year, is associated with a thin second layer and subdued topography lacking any central rift. The volume of lava discharged in this layer per unit time and per unit length along the crest of the whole active system is relatively constant regardless of the spreading rate. Total second layer discharge of the system has been about 5 to 6 cubic kilometers per year during the last several million years. PMID- 17792829 TI - Persistence of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in soils. AB - The percentages of technical aldrin, chlordane, endrin, heptachlor, Dilan, isodrin, BHC, and toxaphene remaining in Congaree sandy loam soil after 14, years were 40, 40, 41, 16, 23, 15, 10, and 45, respectively; those of purified aldrin and technical dieldrin after 15 years were 28 and 31, respectively; and the percentage of technical DDT in three soils after 17 years was 39. Treatments and maintenance of the soils were such that leaching, volatilization, photodecomposition, mechanical removal, and probably biological decomposition were at a minimum. These values may approach an upper limit of persistence of insecticides in soil. PMID- 17792830 TI - Vertical diurnal migration and endogenous rhythmicity. AB - Experimental studies of mixed populations of marine zooplankton have demonstrated that internal rhythms, synchronized by a light-dark cycle, are of dominant importance for the vertical migration of several species of crustaceans. For certain other organisms, the vertical migrations observed in the experiments can be accounted for as direct responses to light intensity only. Performances intermediate between these extremes were also observed, as well as behavior based on biological timing mechanisms that are not rhythms in the usual sense. PMID- 17792831 TI - Training and maintenance of keypecking in the pigeon by negative reinforcement. AB - Pigeons were trained to peck a key to escape a pulsing shock of linearly increasing intensity. As the rate of increase was varied from 0.0374 milliamperes per minute to 37.4 milliamperes per minute, the intensity at which most pecking occurred varied from 2.2 to 5.0 milliamperes. PMID- 17792832 TI - Pteridinium and the precambrian-cambrian boundary. PMID- 17792833 TI - Lunar transient phenomena. PMID- 17792834 TI - Solar models. PMID- 17792835 TI - Calcified tissues. PMID- 17792837 TI - Archival project in physics. PMID- 17792836 TI - Indian ocean. PMID- 17792838 TI - Oily wastes at sea. PMID- 17792839 TI - Will society be prepared? PMID- 17792841 TI - Space: 1971 mariner mission knifed by budget-cutters. PMID- 17792840 TI - Infrared Stars: The interaction between stars and interstellar clouds produces "infrared stars" of two different kinds. AB - Our searches for very cool stars have revealed three kinds of objects: very cool Mira stars, perhaps cooler than any of this type previously known; extremely dense interstellar clouds, more dense than any known heretofore; and, probably, cool circumstellar clouds that may be planetary systems in an early stage of formation. PMID- 17792843 TI - Social sciences: progress slow on house and senate bills. PMID- 17792844 TI - Toward the excellent: health science advancement awards. PMID- 17792845 TI - Riots: the more there are, the less we understand. PMID- 17792846 TI - British fusion research: cuts may reveal a pattern. PMID- 17792847 TI - Ionosphere after IQSY: London Meetings Review Findings. PMID- 17792848 TI - Spectral line interferometry with independent time standards at stations separated by 845 kilometers. AB - An upper limit of 0.02 second of arc has been determined for a hydroxyl radical (OH) emission region associated with the radio source W3, with the use of a Michelson interferometer consisting of two radio telescopes 845 kilometers apart. Timing was provided at the stations by independent atomic frequency standards. The 1665-megahertz radiation was translated to video frequency and recorded digitally on magnetic tapes which were later processed by computer, yielding fringe phase and amplitude as a function of frequency over the received bandwidth. PMID- 17792849 TI - Bermuda's Southern Aeolianite Reef Tract. AB - The outer reef on the explored southeast margin of the Bermuda platform is a submerged dune ridge thinly veneered with encrusting organisms. Aeolianites were deposited on what appears to be an older truncated surface, the reef-front terrace, now submerged to a depth of about 18 meters. Underwater examination reveals relict features of probable solutional origin that honeycomb the aeolinite and that have undergone only minor modification by erosion since the last eustatic rise of the sea. Submarine planation, even in this marginal area of reef growth, is a relatively slow process. PMID- 17792850 TI - Surveyor I: location and indentification. AB - Surveyor I landed on the lunar surface on 2 June 1966 and obtained more than 11,000 pictures of the environment with its television camera. The same region was photographed by the 24-inch (61-centimeter) camera of Orbiter III on 22 February 1967. Surveyor I has been located in these Orbiter photographs; its image was found and all search and identification criteria were satisfied by the site. PMID- 17792851 TI - Sea levels 7,000 to 20,000 years ago. AB - Relative sea levels for early post-Pleistocene time are best known from radiocarbon dates of sediments on the continental shelves off Texas and off northeastern United States. Differences in indicated rates of the rise of relative sea level and in depths of the shelf-breaks reveal differential vertical movement of the two shelves during this time, with the result that the Atlantic shelf has sunk with respect to the Texas shelf. PMID- 17792852 TI - Postglacial change in sea level in the Western north atlantic ocean. AB - Radioactive carbon determinations of the age of peat indicate that at Bermuda, southern Florida, North Carolina, and Louisiana the relative sea level has risen at approximately the same rate, 2.5 x 10(-3) foot per year (0.76 x 10(-3) meter per year), during the past 4000 years. It is proposed tentatively that this is the rate of eustatic change in sea level. The rise in sea level along the northeastern coast of the United States has been at a rate much greater than this, indicating local subsidence of the land. Between Cape Cod and northern Virginia, coastal subsidence of 13 feet appears to have occurred between 4000 and 2000 years ago and has continued at a rate of about 1 x 10(-3) foot per year since then. On the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, subsidence of 6 feet occurred between 4000 and 3000 years ago; since then sea level has risen at about the eustatic rate. Between 12,000 and 4000 years ago, sea level rose at an average of about 11 x 10(-3) foot per year. The part played by local subsidence or temporary departures from the average rate during this period is uncertain. PMID- 17792853 TI - Isotopic paleotemperatures: discussion. PMID- 17792854 TI - Radioactive dating and low-level counting. PMID- 17792855 TI - Plant physiology: translocation in plants. PMID- 17792856 TI - EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY COMMONLY OCCURRING SUBSTANCES. PMID- 17792858 TI - STALACTITES OF SAND. PMID- 17792857 TI - AMERICAN MORPHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792860 TI - ONONDAGA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792859 TI - WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE SO CALLED TOBACCO FERMENTATION? PMID- 17792861 TI - SECTION OF PSYCHOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17792863 TI - ENZYMES AS REMEDIES IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES. PMID- 17792862 TI - THE ANAeSTHETIC EFFECTS OF A SINUSOIDAL CURRENT OF HIGH FREQUENCY. PMID- 17792864 TI - THE NATURE OF MAN. PMID- 17792865 TI - MENDELIAN OR NON-MENDELIAN? PMID- 17792866 TI - THE USE OF AGAR IN FACILITATING THE REMOVAL OF A SWALLOWED FOREIGN OBJECT. PMID- 17792867 TI - THE CHERT PITS AT COXSACKIE, N. Y. PMID- 17792869 TI - THE CURVE OF DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17792868 TI - AN INCONSISTENCY IN TAXONOMY. PMID- 17792871 TI - THE SECOND-YEAR RECORD OF BIRDS WHICH DID AND WHICH DID NOT LAY DURING INDIVIDUAL MONTHS OF THE PULLET YEAR. PMID- 17792872 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792870 TI - AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ESTIMATING THE NUMBER OF GENETIC FACTORS CONCERNED IN CASES OF BLENDING INHERITANCE. PMID- 17792873 TI - THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. PMID- 17792875 TI - ROBERT THOMAS HILL 1858-1941. PMID- 17792874 TI - SOME SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD. PMID- 17792876 TI - THE OFFICE OF DEFENSE HEALTH AND WELFARE SERVICES. PMID- 17792878 TI - AWARD OF THE BALY MEDAL OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. PMID- 17792877 TI - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17792879 TI - CELEBRATION AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17792880 TI - THE WESTINGHOUSE TIME CAPSULE. PMID- 17792881 TI - AWARDS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792882 TI - REORGANIZATION AT THE LOS ANGELES MUSEUM. PMID- 17792883 TI - BLOOD GROUP SPECIFIC SUBSTANCES AND BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS. PMID- 17792885 TI - CHEMISTRY AND CANCER. PMID- 17792884 TI - CLINICAL ACHROMOTRICHIA. PMID- 17792886 TI - A STUDY OF HORMONAL FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE PRODUCTION OF INSULIN. AB - 1. Insulinotropic effects were obtained with a protein fraction of the anterior pituitary, with estradiol and with stilbestrol. 2. Varying diabetogenic effects were obtained with highly purified prolactin preparations, with progesterone, with testosterone and with a fraction, probably also protein, from the anterior pituitary. PMID- 17792887 TI - CURE OF EGG-WHITE INJURY IN RATS BY THE "TOXIC" FRACTION (AVIDIN) OF EGG WHITE GIVEN PARENTERALLY. PMID- 17792888 TI - BIOTIN AND THE GROWTH OF NEUROSPORA. PMID- 17792889 TI - A PRECISION FINE ADUSTMENT FOR STANDARD MICROSCOPES. PMID- 17792890 TI - DRAINAGE IN THE LITTLE-WELLS APPARATUS FOR GAS ANALYSIS. PMID- 17792891 TI - CARRIAGE FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS DURING PARAFFIN INFILTRATION. PMID- 17792893 TI - Inspiration. PMID- 17792892 TI - Hazards of chemical carcinogens and mutagens. PMID- 17792894 TI - Methadone treatment and drug experimentation. PMID- 17792895 TI - A notable anniversary. PMID- 17792896 TI - Evaluating federal water projects: a critique of proposed standards. PMID- 17792897 TI - Radiation spill at hanford: the anatomy of an accident. PMID- 17792898 TI - Military r&d and the congress: a "cakewalk" for the pentagon. PMID- 17792900 TI - Medvedev Can't Go Home Again. PMID- 17792899 TI - Auto pollution: research group charged with conflict of interest. PMID- 17792901 TI - Air Force Won't Sell Agent Orange. PMID- 17792902 TI - America burning: congress eyes a national fire program. PMID- 17792903 TI - Insect control (I): use of pheromones. PMID- 17792904 TI - New journals received. PMID- 17792905 TI - Detection of charged particles by polymer grafting. AB - Tracks of fission fragments from a californium-252 source have been revealed by graft copolymerization. A 15 percent solution of propenoic (acrylic) acid monomer was reacted with irradiated cellulose triacetate for 24 hours at 55 degrees C. Copolymer forms preferentially at the track sites and it can be dyed with rhodamine B because of its acid and hydrophylic properties. After the dyeing, the tracks were seen by using fluorescence microscopy. PMID- 17792906 TI - Late glacial and postglacial productivity changes in a new England pond. AB - During the late glacial and postglacial the productivity of Berry Pond in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, underwent a number of significant oscillations. This is suggested by data on sedimentary chlorophyll degradation products, diatoms, and Cladocera. The productivity changes were. apparently controlled by changes in weathering, terrestrial vegetation in the watershed, litter production, and runoff. There are associated changes in cladoceran community structure. PMID- 17792907 TI - Precision Selenodesy via Differential Interferometry. PMID- 17792909 TI - Waste paper used for the cleanup of oil spills. PMID- 17792908 TI - Short-range order and crystallinity? PMID- 17792910 TI - Electron beam evaporator. PMID- 17792911 TI - Automatic gamma counter. PMID- 17792912 TI - Programmable calculators. PMID- 17792913 TI - Animal activity monitor. PMID- 17792914 TI - Aquatic activity monitor. PMID- 17792915 TI - Portable field thermometer. PMID- 17792916 TI - Whole-body cryomicrotome. PMID- 17792918 TI - Carbon dioxide incubator. PMID- 17792917 TI - Literature. PMID- 17792919 TI - Calcium analyzer. PMID- 17792920 TI - Single grating monochromator. PMID- 17792921 TI - Babel Resolved. PMID- 17792922 TI - Communication in le Scientia. PMID- 17792924 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17792923 TI - J. W. Kennedy, Scientist, Teacher, Leader. PMID- 17792925 TI - Radiocarbon Dates from La Venta, Tabasco. PMID- 17792927 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17792926 TI - Boron in Morphogenesis of Plant Cell Walls. PMID- 17792929 TI - Calculus of risk. PMID- 17792928 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17792930 TI - Letters. PMID- 17792931 TI - Snake eggs. PMID- 17792932 TI - Drug abuse? PMID- 17792933 TI - Controlled nuclear fusion: status and outlook. PMID- 17792934 TI - Job prospects: science graduates face worst year in two decades. PMID- 17792935 TI - Chesapeake bay. PMID- 17792936 TI - NSF Prods Scientists to Coordinate Bay Research, but Academic Rivalries Snag Badly Needed Studies. PMID- 17792938 TI - Thinking big. PMID- 17792937 TI - NSF Makes Headway. PMID- 17792939 TI - It could be verse. PMID- 17792940 TI - Plutonium-244: confirmation as an extinct radioactivity. AB - The mass spectrum of xenon from spontaneous fission in a laboratory sample of plutonium-244 is precisely what meteoriticists predicted it would be; this discovery completes a web of proof that this nuclide is a bona fide extinct radioactivity of galactic origin, that r-process nucleosynthesis was ongoing in the galaxy at the time of the birth of the sun, and that the early meteoritic abundances of plutonium-244, heretofore tentative, can be utilized with confidence in models for the chronology of galactic nucleosynthesis. The search for an explanation for anomalous fission-like xenon in carbonaceous chondrites can now be narrowed. PMID- 17792941 TI - Paleomagnetic Study of a Reversal of the Earth's Magnetic Field. AB - A detailed record of a field reversal has been obtained from the natural remanent magnetization of the Tatoosh intrusion in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. The reversal took place at 14.7 +/- 1 million years and is interpreted to be from reverse to normal. A decrease in the intensity of the field of about an order of magnitude occurs immediately before the reversal, while its orientation remains substantially unchanged. The onset of the reversal is marked by abrupt swinging of the virtual geomagnetic pole along an arc of a great circle. During the reversal the pole traces a path across the Pacific. In the last stage of the process recorded in the sections, the succession of virtual geomagnetic poles is very similar to those generated by secular variation in the recent past. Although the cooling rate of the intrusion is not sufficiently well known to permit a useful calculation of the duration of the reversal process, an estimate based on the length of the supposed secular variation cycles gives 1 to 4 x 103 years for the reversal of field direction and approximately 1 x 104 years for the time scale of the intensity changes. PMID- 17792942 TI - Recent volcanism and the stratosphere. AB - In the quiet years after the 1956 eruption of the Bezymianny volcano in central Kamchatka, it is doubtful that any volcano vented into the stratosphere until the 1963 eruptions of Agung (Bali), Trident (Alaska), and Surtsey (Iceland). From 1963 to the Hekla (Iceland) event in May 1970, two latitudinal belts of volcanoes have ejected ash and gases into the stratosphere. One belt is equatorial and the other is just below the Arctic Circle. The latter, where the tropopause is considerably lower, may have been the principal source of replenishment of volcanic dust and gases to the stratosphere. Submarine and phreatic volcanic eruptions may have been the sources of reported increase of water vapor in the stratosphere. PMID- 17792943 TI - GA32: A Polar Gibberellin with High Biological Potency. AB - A new gibberellin, GA(32), purified from Prunus seed, has three interesting properties: (i) it is the most polar of the 34 gibberellins presently known, (ii) it is the most potent of all gibberellins tested in the barley endosperm bioassay, and (iii) it is very active in promoting the growth of unpollinated apricot ovaries with a normal ratio of length to diameter. PMID- 17792944 TI - Temperature tolerances of some closely related tropical atlantic and pacific fish species. AB - Species of Pacific shallow-water fish are more tolerant of low temperatures than Atlantic species are. At high temperatures Atlantic species are more tolerant than Pacific species. For species pairs of Bathygobius differences in the tolerance of low temperatures are small and can be removed by acclimation to 23 degrees C. Differences in the tolerance to low temperature in transisthmian species of Apogon, however, are large and persist after acclimation to 23 degrees C. Some Pacific species adapt to the cooler temperatures of their habitat through increasing their rates of oxygen consumption at ambient temperatures or decreasing the dependence of oxygen uptake rate on temperature, or both. PMID- 17792945 TI - Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters of Rhizopus arrhizus. AB - Gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses on selected lipid fractions revealed for the first time the presence of ethyl esters of long-chain fatty acids as biological products. Ethyl esters of oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids were detected in relative concentrations of 21.2, 2.4, and 1.5 percent, respectively, of the total methyl and ethyl ester fraction. Both saturated and unsaturated ethyl esters contain pronounced mass spectral fragments at a mass-to charge ratio of 88. PMID- 17792946 TI - Mechanisms controlling world water chemistry: evaporation-crystallization process. PMID- 17792947 TI - Nutrients and eutrophication. PMID- 17792949 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792948 TI - SECTION A--MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17792950 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792952 TI - BAPTANODON NOT A "TOOTHLESS" ICHTHYOSAUR. PMID- 17792951 TI - WILLIAM SMITH CLARK: HIS PLACE AS A SCIENTIST AND HIS RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17792953 TI - INHERITANCE OF FLUCTUATING VARIATIONS. PMID- 17792955 TI - THE CHROMOSOMES OF OEligNOTHERA. PMID- 17792954 TI - "TROTTING AND PACING, DOMINANT AND RECESSIVE?". PMID- 17792956 TI - AGGREGATE MUTATION OF GOSSYPIUM. PMID- 17792957 TI - THE IOWA LABORATORIES OF ANIMAL BIOLOGY. PMID- 17792958 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17792959 TI - THE LOS ANGELES MEETING OF THE PACIFIC DIVISION. PMID- 17792960 TI - THE CIRCULATION OF HUDSON BAY WATER AS INDICATED BY DRIFT BOTTLES. PMID- 17792961 TI - THE ANTIGENIC PROPERTIES OF PLANT VIRUSES. PMID- 17792963 TI - CLEAVAGE WITHOUT NUCLEI. PMID- 17792962 TI - THE HATCHING OF EGGS OF THE SOUTHERN BUFFALO GNAT. PMID- 17792964 TI - BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF AN INSECT PEST BY A TOAD. PMID- 17792966 TI - STERILIZATION OF TRIBOLIUM BY HIGH TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17792965 TI - VIABILITY OF B. COLI EXPOSED TO ULTRA-VIOLET RADIATION IN AIR. PMID- 17792967 TI - THE OSTRACODERM ORDER OSTEOSTRACI. PMID- 17792968 TI - THE ULTRA SONIC VIBRATIONS OF SMALL PLATES. PMID- 17792969 TI - A METHOD OF PASSING AIR, GAS OR VAPOR OVER OR THROUGH MICRO-ORGANISMAL GROWTHS. PMID- 17792972 TI - SECTION A--MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17792971 TI - GEOLOGICAL MYTHS. PMID- 17792970 TI - THE ARTISTIC ELEMENT IN ENGINEERING. PMID- 17792973 TI - SECTION B--PHYSICS. PMID- 17792974 TI - THE PHYSIOLOGY OF COLOR IN PLANTS. PMID- 17792975 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17792976 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. PMID- 17792977 TI - REPORTS ON ENGINE-TRIALS OF 1896. PMID- 17792978 TI - THE GERMAN ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17792980 TI - COMMERCIAL MICA IN NORTH CAROLINA: THE STORY OF ITS DISCOVERY. PMID- 17792979 TI - THE LICK REVIEW OF 'MARS.'. PMID- 17792981 TI - INTRODUCTION. PMID- 17792983 TI - GENERAL SESSIONS. PMID- 17792982 TI - MINNESOTA STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17792984 TI - SPECIAL FEATURES. PMID- 17792985 TI - BUSINESS SESSIONS. PMID- 17792986 TI - ENTERTAINMENT. PMID- 17792987 TI - EXHIBITS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. PMID- 17792988 TI - SECTION ON PHYSICS (B) AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17792990 TI - SECTION ON ASTRONOMY (D) AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17792989 TI - SECTION ON MATHEMATICS (A). PMID- 17792992 TI - SECTION ON ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCES (F). PMID- 17792991 TI - SECTION ON CHEMISTRY (C). PMID- 17792994 TI - SECTION ON ANTHROPOLOGY (H). PMID- 17792993 TI - SECTION ON BOTANICAL SCIENCES (G) AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17792995 TI - SECTION ON PSYCHOLOGY (I). PMID- 17792997 TI - SECTION OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (N) AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17792996 TI - SECTION ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES (K). PMID- 17792998 TI - SECTION ON AGRICULTURE (O) AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17792999 TI - SECTION ON EDUCATION (Q). PMID- 17793000 TI - A NEW SOCIETY. PMID- 17793001 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17793002 TI - International journal of health services. PMID- 17793003 TI - In reply: magnetic fusion. PMID- 17793004 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Birth of projection neurons in adult avian brain may be related to perceptual or motor learning" by Arturo Alvarez-Buylla et al. (21 Sept., p. 1444), parts B and C in figure 1 were transposed. The legend is correct. PMID- 17793005 TI - International congress of entomology. PMID- 17793006 TI - The Space Station Is Losing Friends: Even ardent space enthusiasts are low on patience: the ungainly structure NASA wants to build seems too big, too bureaucratic, and too risky. Is it time to start over? PMID- 17793007 TI - Engineers stymied by chaos. PMID- 17793008 TI - Peer Review: Software for Hard Choices: Some agencies in the U.K. are experimenting with an electronic system that helps make funding decisions. PMID- 17793009 TI - Another deep antarctic ozone hole. PMID- 17793010 TI - Superconductor Race Shifts to a New Arena: Materials research and a fair bit of ingenuity have made possible a new--albeit limited--range of applications. PMID- 17793011 TI - HTS Theory: Where's the Beef? PMID- 17793012 TI - Geysers or dust devils on triton? PMID- 17793013 TI - Voyager at triton. PMID- 17793014 TI - Nuclear decay techniques in ion chemistry. AB - The spontaneous decay of chemically bound radioactive atoms affords a route to ions of well-defined structure and charge location, free of counterions. The nuclear nature of the ionization process makes it insensitive to environmental effects, so that exactly the same charged species can be generated, and its reactivity investigated, in widely varying media, from low-pressure gases to liquids and solids. Techniques based on nuclear decay are used in studies of the production of otherwise inaccessible species, the structural characterization of free ions, and the comparative evaluation of their reactivity in different environments, in particular, gas phase and solution. PMID- 17793015 TI - AAAS--Newcomb Cleveland Prize. PMID- 17793016 TI - Triton's Geyser-Like Plumes: Discovery and Basic Characterization. AB - At least four active geyser-like eruptions were discovered in Voyager 2 images of Triton, Neptune's large satellite. The two best documented eruptions occur as columns of dark material rising to an altitude of about 8 kilometers where dark clouds of material are left suspended to drift downwind over 100 kilometers. The radii of the rising columns appear to be in the range of several tens of meters to a kilometer. One model for the mechanism to drive the plumes involves heating of nitrogen ice in a subsurface greenhouse environment; nitrogen gas pressurized by the solar heating explosively vents to the surface carrying clouds of ice and dark partides into the atmosphere. A temperature increase of less than 4 kelvins above the ambient surface value of 38 +/- 3 kelvins is more than adequate to drive the plumes to an 8-kilometer altitude. The mass flux in the trailing clouds is estimated to consist of up to 10 kilograms of fine dark particles per second or twice as much nitrogen ice and perhaps several hundred or more kilograms of nitrogen gas per second. Each eruption may last a year or more, during which on the order of a tenth of a cubic kilometer of ice is sublimed. PMID- 17793017 TI - Voyager disk-integrated photometry of triton. AB - Hapke's photometric model has been combined with a plane-parallel thin atmospheric haze model to describe Voyager whole-disk observations of Triton, in the violet (0.41 microm), blue (0.48 microm), and green (0.56 microm) wavelength bands, in order to obtain estimates of Triton's geometric albedo, phase integral, and Bond albedo. Phase angle coverage in these filters ranging from approximately 12 degrees to 159 degrees was obtained by combining narrow- and wide-angle camera images. An upturn in the data at the highest phase angles observed can be explained by including scattering in a thin atmospheric haze layer with optical depths systematically decreasing with wavelength from approximately 0.06 in the violet to 0.03 for the green filter data. The geometric albedo, phase integral, and spherical albedo of Triton in each filter corresponding to our best fit Hapke parameters yield an estimated Bond albedo of 0.82 +/- 0.05. If the 14-microbar N(2) atmosphere detected by Voyager is in vapor equilibrium with the surface (therefore implying a surface temperature of 37.5 K), our Bond albedo implies a surface emissivity of 0.59 +/- 0.16. PMID- 17793018 TI - Surface and airborne evidence for plumes and winds on triton. AB - Aeolian features on Triton that were imaged during the Voyager Mission have been grouped. The term "aeolian feature" is broadly defined as features produced by or blown by the wind, including surface and airborne materials. Observations of the latitudinal distributions of the features probably associated with current activity (known plumes, crescent streaks, fixed terminator clouds, and limb haze with overshoot) all occur from latitude -37 degrees to latitude -62 degrees . Likely indicators of previous activity (dark surface streaks) occur from latitude -5 degrees to -70 degrees , but are most abundant from -15 degrees to -45 degrees , generally north of currently active features. Those indicators which give information on wind direction and speed have been measured. Wind direction is a function of altitude. The predominant direction of the surface wind streaks is found to be between 40 degrees and 80 degrees measured clockwise from north. The average orientation of streaks in the northeast quadrant is 59 degrees . Winds at 1- to 3- kilometer altitude are eastward, while those at &8 kilometers blow west. PMID- 17793019 TI - Subsurface energy storage and transport for solar-powered geysers on triton. AB - The location of active geyser-like eruptions and related features close to the current subsolar latitude on Triton suggests a solar energy source for these phenomena. Solidstate greenhouse calculations have shown that sunlight can generate substantially elevated subsurface temperatures. A variety of models for the storage of solar energy in a sub-greenhouse layer and for the supply of gas and energy to a geyser are examined. "Leaky greenhouse" models with only vertical gas transport are inconsistent with the observed upper limit on geyser radius of approximately 1.5 kilometers. However, lateral transport of energy by gas flow in a porous N(2) layer with a block size on the order of a meter can supply the required amount of gas to a source region approximately 1 kilometer in radius. The decline of gas output to steady state may occur over a period comparable with the inferred active geyser lifetime of five Earth years. The required subsurface permeability may be maintained by thermal fracturing of the residual N2 polar cap. A lower limit on geyser source radius of approximately 50 to 100 meters predicted by a theory of negatively buoyant jets is not readily attained. PMID- 17793020 TI - Temperature and Thermal Emissivity of the Surface of Neptune's Satellite Triton. AB - Analysis of the preliminary results from the Voyager mission to the Neptune system has provided the scientific community with several methods by which the temperature of Neptune's satellite Triton may be determined. If the 37.5 K surface temperature reported by several Voyager investigations is correct, then the photometry reported by the imaging experiment on Voyager requires that Triton's surface have a remarkably low emissivity. Such a low emissivity is not required in order to explain the photometry from the photopolarimeter experiment on Voyager. A low emissivity would be inconsistent with Triton having a rough surface at the approximately 100-microm scale as might be expected given the active renewal processes which appear to dominate Triton's surface. PMID- 17793021 TI - Energy Sources for Triton's Geyser-Like Plumes. AB - Four geyser-like plumes were discovered near Triton's south pole in areas now in permanent sunlight. Because Triton's southern hemisphere is nearing a maximum summer solstice, insolation as a driver or a trigger for Triton's geyser-like plumes is an attractive hypothesis. Trapping of solar radiation in a translucent, low-conductivity surface layer (in a solid-state greenhouse), which is subsequently released in the form of latent heat of sublimation, could provide the required energy. Both the classical solid-state greenhouse consisting of exponentially absorbed insolation in a gray, translucent layer of solid nitrogen, and the "super" greenhouse consisting of a relatively transparent solid-nitrogen layer over an opaque, absorbing layer are plausible candidates. Geothermal heat may also play a part if assisted by the added energy input of seasonal cycles of insolation. PMID- 17793022 TI - Triton's Plumes: The Dust Devil Hypothesis. AB - Triton's plumes are narrow columns 10 kilometers in height, with tails extending horizontally for distances over 100 kilometers. This structure suggests that the plumes are an atmospheric rather than a surface phenomenon. The closest terrestrial analogs may be dust devils, which are atmospheric vortices originating in the unstable layer close to the ground. Since Triton has such a low surface pressure, extremely unstable layers could develop during the day. Patches of unfrosted ground near the subsolar point could act as sites for dust devil formation because they heat up relative to the surrounding nitrogen frost. The resulting convection would warm the atmosphere to temperatures of 48 kelvin or higher, as observed by the Voyager radio science team. Assuming that velocity scales as the square root of temperature difference times the height of the mixed layer, a velocity of 20 meters per second is derived for the strongest dust devils on Triton. Winds of this speed could raise particles provided they are a factor of 103 to 104 less cohesive than those on Earth. PMID- 17793024 TI - Scatterers in Triton's Atmosphere: Implications for the Seasonal Volatile Cycle. AB - Nitrogen and methane ices on the surface of Triton, Neptune's largest satellite, are exchanged between the summer and winter hemispheres on a seasonal time scale. Images of the satellite's sky obtained by the Voyager 2 spacecraft show the presence of several types of scattering materials that provide insights into this seasonal cycle of volatiles. Discrete clouds, probably composed of N(2) ice particles, arise in regions of active sublimation. They are found chiefly poleward of 30 degrees S in the southern, summer hemisphere. Haze particles, probably made of hydrocarbon ices, are present above most, but not all places. Recent snowfall may have occurred at low southern latitudes in places where they are absent. The latent heat released in the formation of the discrete clouds may have a major impact on the thermal balance of the lower atmosphere. Triton may have been less red at the time of the Voyager flyby than 12 years earlier due to recent N(2) snowfall at a wide range of latitudes. PMID- 17793023 TI - The impact cratering record on triton. AB - Impact craters on Triton are scarce owing to the relatively recent resurfacing by icy melts. The most heavily cratered surface has a crater density about the same as the lunar maria. The transition diameter from simple to complex craters occurs at a diameter of about 11 kilometers, and the depth-diameter relationship is similar to that of other icy satellites when gravity is taken into account. The crater size-frequency distribution has a differential -3 slope (cumulative -2 slope) and is the same as that for the fresh crater population on Miranda. The most heavily cratered region is on the leading hemisphere in Triton's orbit. Triton may have a leading-trailing asymmetry in its crater population. Based primarily on the similarity of size distributions on Triton and Miranda and the relatively young surface on Triton, the source of Triton's craters is probably comets. The very peculiar size distribution of sharp craters on the "cantaloupe" terrain and other evidence suggests they are volcanic explosion craters. PMID- 17793025 TI - Advance Registration Form - AAAS*91. PMID- 17793028 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17793027 TI - Climate Change and U.S. Water Resources. Paul E. Waggoner, Ed. Wiley Interscience, New York, 1990. xvi, 496 pp., illus. $69. Wiley Series in Climate and the Biosphere. PMID- 17793029 TI - A COMPARISON OF UNIVERSITY AND INDUSTRIAL DISCIPLINE AND METHODS. PMID- 17793031 TI - A DEFINITION OF FLUID. PMID- 17793030 TI - THE ENGINEER AS A CITIZEN. PMID- 17793032 TI - WHY DO HERRING GULLS KILL THEIR YOUNG? PMID- 17793034 TI - A CORRECTION. PMID- 17793033 TI - A NEW ARTEMIA AND ITS LIFE CONDITIONS. PMID- 17793035 TI - AN UNUSUAL METEOR. PMID- 17793037 TI - 'BOTANY IN ENGLAND.'. PMID- 17793036 TI - SOME UNUSUAL NEW JERSEY FISHES. PMID- 17793038 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17793039 TI - PAPERS ON FUNGI. PMID- 17793040 TI - DEGREES CONFERRED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. PMID- 17793042 TI - THE FRANCO-AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO EXPLORE THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE TROPICS. PMID- 17793041 TI - SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17793043 TI - Heritability of IQ. PMID- 17793045 TI - The science court experiment. PMID- 17793044 TI - Wald and the cambridge city council. PMID- 17793046 TI - The science court experiment. PMID- 17793047 TI - Heritability of IQ. PMID- 17793048 TI - Heritability of IQ. PMID- 17793049 TI - Heritability of IQ. PMID- 17793051 TI - Heritability of IQ. PMID- 17793050 TI - Heritability of IQ. PMID- 17793053 TI - A new window on our planet. PMID- 17793052 TI - "Pregnancy prevention". PMID- 17793054 TI - Lead time for assessing land use: a case study. PMID- 17793056 TI - NCI Director Resigns Because Congress Blocked Pay Raise. PMID- 17793055 TI - Arms control: impact statements called a "farce" and a "mockery". PMID- 17793057 TI - Argonne accelerator nearing the end. PMID- 17793059 TI - Of space ships and tall ships. PMID- 17793058 TI - Science board meetings open to sunshine. PMID- 17793060 TI - Toxic substances: five-year struggle for landmark bill may soon be over. PMID- 17793061 TI - Vaccine cells found mostly contaminated. PMID- 17793062 TI - Biological curriculum study group: a $1.2-million misunderstanding. PMID- 17793063 TI - Infrared Photochemistry (II): Multiphoton Isotope Separation. PMID- 17793065 TI - Membership nomination drive set for '76. PMID- 17793064 TI - The petroleum plant: perhaps we can grow gasoline. PMID- 17793066 TI - Death and dying policy: a bold exchange. PMID- 17793068 TI - French Association Urges Interaction with AAAS. PMID- 17793067 TI - Congressional science fellows: do they make a difference? PMID- 17793070 TI - Nuclear waste management seminar set. PMID- 17793069 TI - Mass media intern program accepting applications. PMID- 17793071 TI - New Rules for AAAS--Newcomb Cleveland Prize. PMID- 17793072 TI - The sense of well-being: developing measures. PMID- 17793073 TI - Visual behavior. PMID- 17793074 TI - Interfaces. PMID- 17793076 TI - Laser technology. PMID- 17793075 TI - Seed anatomy. PMID- 17793077 TI - Status of the viking missions. PMID- 17793078 TI - Mission operations strategy for viking. PMID- 17793079 TI - Search for the viking 2 landing site. AB - The search for the landing site of Viking 2 was more extensive than the search for the Viking 1 site. Seven times as much area (4.5 million square kilometers) was examined as for Viking 1. Cydonia (B1) and Capri (C1) sites were examined with the Viking 1 orbiter. The B latitude band (40 degrees to 50 degrees N) was selected before the final midcourse maneuver of Viking 2 because of its high scientific interest (that is, high atmospheric water content, surface temperature, possible near-surface permafrost, and a different geological domain). The Viking 1 orbiter continued photographing the Cydonia (B1) site to search for an area large and smooth enough on which to land (three-sigma ellipse; 100 by 260 kilometers); such an area was not found. The second spacecraft photographed and made infrared measurements in large areas in Arcadia (B2) and Utopia Planitia (B3). Both areas are highly textured, mottled cratered plains with abundant impact craters like Cydonia (B1), but smaller sectors in each area are partially mantled by wind-formed deposits. The thermal inertia, from which the grain size of surface material can be computed, and atmospheric water content were determined from the infrared observations. A region in Utopia Planitia, west of the crater Mie, was selected: the landing took place successfully on 3 September 1976 at 3:58:20 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, earth received time. PMID- 17793080 TI - Isotopic composition of the martian atmosphere. AB - Results from the neutral mass spectrometer carried on the aeroshell of Viking 1 show evidence for NO in the upper atmosphere of Mars and indicate that the isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen is similar to that of Earth. Mars is enriched in (15)N relative to Earth by about 75 percent, a consequence of escape that implies an initial abundance of nitrogen equivalent to a partial pressure of at least 2 millibars. The initial abundance of oxygen present either as CO(2) or H(2)O must be equivalent to an exchangeable atmospheric pressure of at least 2 bars in order to inhibit escape-related enrichment of (18)O. PMID- 17793081 TI - Isotopic composition of nitrogen: implications for the past history of mars' atmosphere. AB - Models are presented for the past history of nitrogen on Mars based on Viking measurements showing that the atmosphere is enriched in (15)N. The enrichment is attributed to selective escape, with fast atoms formed in the exosphere by electron impact dissociation of N(2) and by dissociative recombination of N(2)(+). The initial partial pressure of N(2) should have been at least as large as several millibars and could have been as large as 30 millibars if surface processes were to represent an important sink for atmospheric HNO(2) and HNO(3). PMID- 17793082 TI - Search for organic and volatile inorganic compounds in two surface samples from the chryse planitia region of Mars. AB - Two surface samples collected from the Chryse Planitia region of Mars were heated to temperatures up to 500 degrees C, and the volatiles that they evolved were analyzed with a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Only water and carbon dioxide were detected. This implies that organic compounds have not accumulated to the extent that individual components could be detected at levels of a few parts in 10(9) by weight in our samples. Proposed mechanisms for the accumulation and destruction of organic compounds are discussed in the light of this limit. PMID- 17793083 TI - The Atmosphere of Mars near the Surface: Isotope Ratios and Upper Limits on Noble Gases. AB - Several new analyses of the martian atmosphere have been carried out with the mass spectrometer in the molecular analysis experiment. The ratios of abundant isotopes of carbon and oxygen are within 10 percent of terrestrial values, whereas nitrogen-15 is considerably enriched on Mars. We have detected argon-38 and set new limits on abundances of krypton and xenon. The limit on krypton is sufficiently low to suggest that the inventories of volatile substances on Mars and on Earth may be distinctly different. PMID- 17793084 TI - Mars climatology from viking 1 after 20 sols. AB - The results from the meteorology instruments on the Viking 1 lander are presented for the first 20 sols of operation. The daily patterns of temperature, wind, and pressure have been highly consistent during the period. Hence, these have been assembled into 20-sol composites and analyzed harmonically. Maximum temperature was 241.8 degrees K and minimum 187.2 degrees K. The composite wind vector has a mean diurnal magnitude of 2.4 meters per second with prevailing wind from the south and counterclockwise diurnal rotation. Pressure exhibits diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations. The diurnal is ascribed to a combination of effects, and the semidiurnal appears to be the solar semidiurnal tide. Similarities to Earth are discussed. A major finding is a continual secular decrease in diurnal mean pressure. This is ascribed to carbon dioxide deposition at the south polar cap. PMID- 17793085 TI - Preliminary Results from the Viking X-ray Fluorescence Experiment: The First Sample from Chryse Planitia, Mars. AB - Iron, calcium, aluminum, silicon, and sulfur are major elements in the first surface sample of Mars that has been analyzed by the Viking x-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Titanium is present in minor quantities. This is consistent with the sample being a mixture of fine silicate and oxide mineral grains, with a significant proportion of sulfates, possibly hydrated. Ferric oxide is regarded as the red pigmenting agent on the martian surface, but if it coats silicate grains, the coatings must be very thin ( 1 bar) with growth rates > 0.3 millimeter per second; their tensile strength (3 gigapascals) approaches that of commercial intermediate modulus carbon fibers made by conventional process routes. With the process described here, carbon fibers can be produced with superior chemical purity and structural uniformity. They may become the material of choice in currently emerging premium end uses, including carbon fiber infrared detection elements. PMID- 17793534 TI - A photoinduced persistent structural transformation of the special pair of a bacterial reaction center. AB - Structural modification of photosynthetic reaction centers is an important approach for understanding their charge-separation processes. An unprecedented persistent structural transformation of the special pair (dimer) of bacteriochlorophyll molecules can be produced by light absorption alone. The nonphotochemical hole-burned spectra for the reaction center of Rhodopseudomonas viridis show that the phototransformation leads to a red shift of 150 wave numbers for the special pair's lowest energy absorption band, P960, and a comparable blue shift for a state at 850 nanometers, which can now be definitively assigned as being most closely associated with the upper dimer component. Additional insights on excited-state electronic structure include the identification of a new state. PMID- 17793535 TI - Evidence for Photochemical Formation of H2O2 and Oxidation of SO2 in Authentic Fog Water. AB - When samples of rain and fog water were exposed to ultraviolet and visible light, reactive transients such as hydrogen peroxide were formed and dissolved organic matter and sulfur dioxide were depleted. These results, in conjunction with those from previous studies, imply that dissolved organic compounds and transition metals such as iron ions are involved in the photochemical formation of hydrogen peroxide and other photooxidants in atmospheric waters. PMID- 17793536 TI - Genetic conversion of a fungal plant pathogen to a nonpathogenic, endophytic mutualist. AB - The filamentous fungal ascomycete Colletotrichum magna causes anthracnose in cucurbit plants. Isolation of a nonpathogenic mutant of this species (path-1) resulted in maintained wild-type levels of in vitro sporulation, spore adhesion, appressorial formation, and infection. Path-1 grew throughout host tissues as an endophyte and retained the wild-type host range, which indicates that the genetics involved in pathogenicity and host specificity are distinct. Prior infection with path-1 protected plants from disease caused by Colletotrichum and Fusarium.Genetic analysis of a cross between path-1 and wild-type strains indicated mutation of a single locus. PMID- 17793538 TI - Progress in the infrared. PMID- 17793537 TI - Future-oriented physics. PMID- 17793539 TI - Life of an evolutionist. PMID- 17793541 TI - "PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION" IN THE TEACHING OF PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17793540 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17793542 TI - A NOVEL MAGNETO-OPTICAL EFFECT. PMID- 17793544 TI - AN EXCEPTION TO DOLLO'S LAW OF THE IRREVERSIBILITY OF EVOLUTION. PMID- 17793543 TI - A LIVING GALVANOMETER. PMID- 17793545 TI - ON A METHOD OF ESTIMATING THE NUMBER OF GENETIC FACTORS CONCERNED IN CASES OF BLENDING INHERITANCE. PMID- 17793547 TI - SECTION H--ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17793546 TI - THE UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17793548 TI - Science Self-Generated. PMID- 17793549 TI - The Poor Are Getting Richer. PMID- 17793550 TI - Molecular Mimicry in Biological Adaptation. PMID- 17793551 TI - The Stumptail Macaque as a Laboratory Subject. PMID- 17793552 TI - Information Exchange. PMID- 17793553 TI - School Laboratory Supplies. PMID- 17793554 TI - Chemical Background of Silicones: The siloxane linkage as a structure-building device gives variety and versatility to the silicones. AB - The silicones are in most cases relatively complex mixtures rather than pure molecular species. Their structures and chemical properties can be controlled, however, with sufficient reproducibility to give compositions with unique characteristics. The organic groups serve not only as a device for controlling the siloxane structures, but offer an important means of modifying the physical and chemical properties. Studies of the inductive effects in the organosilicon compounds enhance our understanding of the nature of chemical bonds. In each field of application an extensive technology has developed for the adaptation of silicones to special needs. The possibility of new compositions to serve science and technology seems to be unlimited. PMID- 17793555 TI - Atoms for Peace: Concern Growing That Program Is Spreading Means for More Nations To Build Weapons. PMID- 17793556 TI - Academic Degrees: Universities Ask Strict Control on Federal Agencies' Power to Grant Them. PMID- 17793557 TI - Congress and Drugs: Political Interest in Drug Problems Is at Lowest Point in Five Years. PMID- 17793558 TI - Terrestrial Ratio of Potassium to Rubidium and the Composition of Earth's Mantle. AB - The ratios of potassium to rubidium determined for a series of oceanic volcanic rocks suggest that the K/Rb ratio of the upper mantle exceeds 1500. The similarity between this inferred K/Rb ratio for the mantle and that found in some achondritic meteorites suggests a similar overall composition for these materials. PMID- 17793559 TI - High-Pressure Transitions of Germanium and a New High-Pressure Form of Germanium. AB - Some transitions in germanium and other semiconductor systems have been detected after very long exposure to high pressures followed by various quenching techniques. In the case of Ge, a new high-pressure polymorph, Ge-IV, has been synthesized above 110 kilobars with a body-centered-cubic structure. The pressure for the Ge-I right harpoon-up Ge-III (body-centered-tetragonal structure) transition has been revised from about 120 to 25 kilobars at 30 degrees C. The transition from the Ge-I (diamond structure) to the Ge-II (white tin structure) is metastable up to 140 kilobars. Thus some phase diagrams based on discontinuities observed in essentially dynamic systems may be inaccurate. PMID- 17793560 TI - Stratosphere and Troposphere: Transport of Material between Them. AB - Data from two almost simultaneous balloon soundings show that ozone and dust in combination are transported from their stratospheric reservoirs into the troposphere by way of thin laminae measuring about 1 kilometer vertically by at least 480 kilometers horizontally. Transport in this layer occurs across the top of the jet stream in a region of very great vertical wind shear. Stratospheric aerosol may be an important instrument for the destruction of ozone within the stratosphere. PMID- 17793561 TI - Entrainment of a Tidal Rhythm. AB - The endogenous tidal rhythm of locomotor activity of the sandbeach isopod, Excirolana chiltoni, has been entrained in the laboratory by a device designed to simulate wave action on a beach. The essential component of the treatment appears to be mechanical stimulation by a water current. PMID- 17793562 TI - Alaskan Earthquake, 27 March 1964: Vertical Extent of Faulting and Elastic Strain Energy Release. AB - The residual displacement field indicates that the primary fault responsible for the great Alaskan earthquake extended to depths of 100 to 200 kilometers and came to within 15 kilometers of the surface. The vertical extent is an order of magnitude greater than reported for all other earthquakes. Approximately 10(25) ergs of elastic strain energy was released. About 12,000 aftershocks (M(L) >/= 3.5) probably occurred in a 69-day period after the main shock. One-half the strain rebound occurred the first day with the main shock contributing one-fourth of the total. PMID- 17793563 TI - Paraffinic Hydrocarbons in Pasture Plants. AB - The gas chromatographicmass spectrometric technique recently developed by Ryhage has been applied to the analysis of paraffins extracted from pasture plants, specifically, whole plant and leaves of spotted bur clover (Medicago arabica). Normal alkanes from C(18) to C(35) have been found. The C(29), C(31), and C(33) normal saturated hydrocarbons predominate and n-C(31) is the major component. In the range from C(24) to C(34) the ratio of alkanes with an even number of carbon atoms to those with an odd number is approximately 8 for the whole plant and 5 for the leaves. The distribution of paraffins is similar to that reported for cattle manure and also resembles that of some soils and sediments. PMID- 17793564 TI - Duplication of Evoked Potential Waveform by Curve of Probability of Firing of a Single Cell. AB - Computer compilation of the probability of firing of a single cell in cat cortex following a physiological sensory stimulus (somatic or light flash) indicates that the frequency distribution of the firing of a single cell closely corresponds to the average waveform of the evoked potential recorded from the same microelectrode. This high correlation holds for both positive and negative and early and late components of the evoked response. PMID- 17793565 TI - Duplexity Theory of Taste. PMID- 17793566 TI - Hydrogen Bonding. PMID- 17793567 TI - Cytoplasmic Units of Inheritance. PMID- 17793568 TI - Vertebrate Color Receptors. PMID- 17793569 TI - Cognitive Processes and Psychopathology. PMID- 17793570 TI - Pest Control: Chemical, Biological, Genetic, and Physical Means. PMID- 17793571 TI - Symposium on Medical Geology and Geography. PMID- 17793572 TI - Possible Meteoric or Lunar Influences on Meteorological Phenomena. PMID- 17793573 TI - Canadian Association of Physicists (B4). PMID- 17793574 TI - Physics Section (B). PMID- 17793575 TI - Mathematics (A). PMID- 17793576 TI - Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (B3). PMID- 17793577 TI - American Meteorological Society (B2). PMID- 17793579 TI - Geology and Geography (E). PMID- 17793578 TI - American Astronautical Society (B1). PMID- 17793580 TI - Chemistry (C). PMID- 17793582 TI - Psychology (I). PMID- 17793581 TI - Ecological Society of America (FG4). PMID- 17793583 TI - Anthropology (H). PMID- 17793584 TI - American Political Science Association (K2). PMID- 17793585 TI - Bilingualism. PMID- 17793586 TI - Activation. PMID- 17793587 TI - National Institute of Social and Behavioral Science (K5). PMID- 17793588 TI - Society for General Systems Research (L2). PMID- 17793589 TI - History of Science Society (L1). PMID- 17793590 TI - Medicine (N). PMID- 17793591 TI - Engineering (M). PMID- 17793592 TI - American Society for Microbiology (N6). PMID- 17793593 TI - Alpha Epsilon Delta (N2). PMID- 17793594 TI - Academy of Psychoanalysis (N1). PMID- 17793596 TI - Dentistry (Nd). PMID- 17793595 TI - Pharmaceutical Sciences (Np). PMID- 17793597 TI - Education (Q). PMID- 17793599 TI - American Nature Study Society (Q3). PMID- 17793598 TI - Agriculture (O). PMID- 17793600 TI - National Association of Biology Teachers (Q7). PMID- 17793601 TI - National Science Teachers Association (Q8). PMID- 17793602 TI - Information and Communication (T). PMID- 17793603 TI - Effective Science Communication in Today's Research Environment. PMID- 17793604 TI - Statistics (U). PMID- 17793605 TI - Science Courses for Baccalaureate Education Project (X4). PMID- 17793606 TI - Sigma Delta Epsilon (X5). PMID- 17793609 TI - THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY MUTATION. PMID- 17793607 TI - Animal Behavior Society: New Society Formed at Annual Meeting. PMID- 17793610 TI - SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW YORK STATE SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17793612 TI - EARTH SCIENCE SECTION. PMID- 17793611 TI - SECTION OF PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17793613 TI - SECTION OF BIOLOGY. PMID- 17793614 TI - NATURE STUDY SECTION. PMID- 17793615 TI - THE FUTURE OF VEGETABLE PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17793616 TI - SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY. PMID- 17793617 TI - THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, NOT OF AN OLIGARCHY. PMID- 17793618 TI - BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17793619 TI - TEMPERANCE PHYSIOLOGY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. PMID- 17793620 TI - PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON A SUBDERMAL MITE OCCURRING AMONG THE BIRDS IN THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. PMID- 17793621 TI - NOTE ON DISCORBINA RUGOSA D'ORBIGNY, FROM PROVINCETOWN, CAPE COD. PMID- 17793622 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17793624 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17793623 TI - THE PROPER NAME OF THE ATLANTIC BOTTLENOSE WHALE. PMID- 17793625 TI - Science in europe. PMID- 17793626 TI - Sorry, doctor. PMID- 17793627 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - The figure accompanying the 28 May Perspective "Apoptosis in AIDS" by M.-L. Gougeon and L. Montagnier (p. 1269) contained some errors. A corrected figure appears below. [See figure in the PDF file]. PMID- 17793629 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17793628 TI - Drug development: serious questions. PMID- 17793630 TI - Space telescope institute: inside the black box. PMID- 17793631 TI - A new director promises to focus on service. PMID- 17793632 TI - No big m in the sky (for now). PMID- 17793633 TI - Fighting smoking with child power. PMID- 17793634 TI - Dutch magnetic resonance. PMID- 17793635 TI - A new way to rev up a fast pulsar. PMID- 17793636 TI - Recognizing handwriting in context. PMID- 17793637 TI - Controversies hot and cold at Baltimore geophysics meeting. PMID- 17793638 TI - Science in europe '93. PMID- 17793639 TI - A new breeze blows through brussels. PMID- 17793640 TI - A mixed report card for critical technology projects. PMID- 17793641 TI - HDTV: A Cautionary Tale. PMID- 17793643 TI - Europe's Genomes Come Home to Roost. PMID- 17793642 TI - European elites envy american cohesion. PMID- 17793644 TI - ERS-1 Gives Europeans New Views of the Oceans. PMID- 17793646 TI - The west copes...For now. PMID- 17793645 TI - Reunification: scientists in the East count the costs. PMID- 17793647 TI - Solidarity pays off for the elites of polish science. PMID- 17793649 TI - Science reunification in Germany: a crash program. PMID- 17793648 TI - More elitism, encouraged with a shot of hard cash. PMID- 17793650 TI - Research on volcanic hazards in europe. PMID- 17793652 TI - The greenland ice core project. PMID- 17793651 TI - Evolving in a dynamic world. PMID- 17793653 TI - ROSAT--A New Look at the X-ray Sky. PMID- 17793654 TI - Observations of Time Variation in the Sun's Rotation. AB - Observations of solar p-mode frequency splittings obtained at Big Bear Solar Observatory in 1986 and during 1988-90 reveal small ( approximately 1 percent) changes in the sun's subsurface angular velocity with solar cycle. An asymptotic inversion of the splitting data yields the latitude dependence of the rotation rate and shows that the largest changes in the angular velocity, approximately 4 nanohertz, occurred between 1986 and the later years, at high ( approximately 60 degrees ) solar latitudes. Earlier helioseismic observations suggest that solar cycle changes in the ratio of magnetic to turbulent pressure in the solar convection zone are large enough to account for the magnitude of the observed angular velocity variations but a detailed model of the phenomenon does not exist. PMID- 17793655 TI - Influence of solid friction on polymer relaxation in gel electrophoresis. AB - Solid friction between a charged polymer and fixed gel points can dramatically affect polymer mobility in gel electrophoresis. The effect is present when a polymer chain is entangled over many gel points along a portion of its length, leading to significantly different behavior than predicted by conventional theory: the mobility of the chain decreases and exhibits a stronger length dependence, which separates long linear charged polymers of different molecular weights. PMID- 17793656 TI - A bimetallic hydroformylation catalyst: high regioselectivity and reactivity through homobimetallic cooperativity. AB - The racemic and meso diastereomers of an electron-rich binucleating tetraphosphine ligand have been used to prepare homobimetallic rhodium norbornadiene complexes. The racemic bimetallic Rh complex is an excellent hydroformylation catalyst for 1-alkenes, giving both a high rate of reaction and high regioselectivity for linear aldehydes, whereas the meso complex is considerably slower and less selective. A mechanism involving bimetallic cooperativity between the two rhodium centers in the form of an intramolecular hydride transfer is proposed. Mono- and bimetallic model complexes in which the possibility for bimetallic cooperativity has been reduced or eliminated are very poor catalysts. PMID- 17793657 TI - Paleoatmospheric signatures in neogene fossil leaves. AB - An increase in the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentration results in a decrease in the number of leaf stomata. This relation is known both from historical observations of vegetation over the past 200 years and from experimental manipulations of microenvironments. Evidence from stomatal frequencies of fossil Quercus petraea leaves indicates that this relation can be applied as a bioindicator for changes in paleoatmospheric CO(2) concentrations during the last 10 million years. The data suggest that late Neogene CO(2) concentrations fluctuated between about 280 and 370 parts per million by volume. PMID- 17793658 TI - Recent variability in the southern oscillation: isotopic results from a tarawa atoll coral. AB - In the western tropical Pacific, the interannual migration of the Indonesian Low convective system causes changes in rainfall that dominate the regional signature of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system. A 96-year oxygen isotope record from a Tarawa Atoll coral (1 degrees N, 172 degrees E) reflects regional convective activity through rainfall-induced salinity changes. This monthly resolution record spans twice the length of the local climatological record and provides a history of ENSO variability comparable in quality with those derived from instrumental climate data. Comparison of this coral record with a historical chronology of EI Nino events indicates that climate anomalies in coastal South America are occasionally decoupled from Pacific-wide ENSO extremes. Spectral analysis suggests that the distribution of variance in this record has shifted among annual to interannual periods during the present century, concurrent with observed changes in the strength of the Southern Oscillation. PMID- 17793659 TI - Catastrophic volcanic collapse: relation to hydrothermal processes. AB - Catastrophic volcanic collapse, without precursory magmatic activity, is characteristic of many volcanic disasters. The extent and locations of hydrothermal discharges at Nevado del Ruiz volcano, Colombia, suggest that at many volcanoes collapse may result from the interactions between hydrothermal fluids and the volcanic edifice. Rock dissolution and hydrothermal mineral alteration, combined with physical triggers such as earth-quakes, can produce volcanic collapse. Hot spring water compositions, residence times, and flow paths through faults were used to model potential collapse at Ruiz. Caldera dimensions, deposits, and alteration mineral volumes are consistent with parameters observed at other volcanoes. PMID- 17793661 TI - Efforts at internationalism. PMID- 17793660 TI - Biology and broader agendas. PMID- 17793662 TI - Vignettes: design and intervention. PMID- 17793663 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17793664 TI - THE ST. LOUIS MEETING. PMID- 17793665 TI - SCIENCE AND MEDICINE IN THE MODERN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17793667 TI - SOME INSECT REFLEXES. PMID- 17793666 TI - THE NEW AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17793669 TI - NOTES ON THE VEGETATION OF THE TRANSVAAL. PMID- 17793668 TI - THE MEXICAN COTTON BOLL WEEVIL. PMID- 17793670 TI - RECENT ZOOPALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17793672 TI - UNVIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17793671 TI - BRAIN-WEIGHTS OF BROTHERS. PMID- 17793673 TI - Computers and society. PMID- 17793674 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17793675 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17793676 TI - Misrepresented by "Women's Lib". PMID- 17793677 TI - Reflections on Campus Pessimism: Grounds for pessimism about universities are well known; there are also grounds for cautious optimism. PMID- 17793678 TI - Cooley's Anemia: Special Treatment for Another Ethnic Disease. PMID- 17793679 TI - Environmental legislation: last word from congress. PMID- 17793680 TI - Maine: Finding the Promised Land (without Losing the Wilderness). PMID- 17793681 TI - Gofman Honored; AEC Mum. PMID- 17793682 TI - Fuel from wastes: a minor energy source. PMID- 17793683 TI - The decline of the hubble constant: a new age for the universe. PMID- 17793684 TI - Astronomical applications of differential interferometry. AB - Intercomparison of radio signals received simultaneously at several sites from several sources with small mutual angular separation provides a powerful astrometric tool. Applications include tracking the Lunar Rover relative to the Lunar Module, determining the moon's libration, measuring winds in Venus's lower atmosphere, mapping Mars radiometrically, and locating the planetary system in an inertial frame. PMID- 17793686 TI - Origin of the martian chaotic terrains. PMID- 17793685 TI - Superheated ice: true compression fractures and fast internal melting. AB - Internal melt figures can be nucleated in ice without the presence of a vapor bubble. Their form and growth are fracture-like, different from the normal Tyndall stars, which do contain vapor bubbles. Normal Tyndall figures that grow rapidly are not oriented in the basal plane, and very rapid internal melting gives a peculiar, systematic growth of clouds of Tyndall figures. PMID- 17793687 TI - Programs in education. PMID- 17793689 TI - When in Moscow. PMID- 17793688 TI - Gordon research conferences: winter program, 1973. PMID- 17793690 TI - Salt and Silt in Ancient Mesopotamian Agriculture: Progressive changes in soil salinity and sedimentation contributed to the breakup of past civilizations. PMID- 17793692 TI - Science Teaching Improvement Program: Changes in interest in science education point to gains, if regional effort can be increased. PMID- 17793691 TI - Mr. Keynes and the "Day of judgment": How useful is the great economist's gloomy model in the light of today's thought and experience? PMID- 17793693 TI - News of Science: Evolution of the Organization of the Federal Government for Scientific Activities: the Beginning to 1947. PMID- 17793694 TI - Cholinesterase in a Receptor. AB - Cholinesterase is found at the sites for mechanoelectric conversion of Pacinian corpuscles; its acetylcholinesplitting activity is of the same order of magnitude as that of the cholinesterase at neuromuscular junctions. The enzyme is not a typical acetylcholinesterase. PMID- 17793696 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17793697 TI - Names for Binary Numbers. PMID- 17793698 TI - Names for Binary Numbers. PMID- 17793699 TI - Survival. PMID- 17793700 TI - Hazards from Isotopic Tracers. PMID- 17793701 TI - ON THE ABSORPTION OF CONDENSATION-PRODUCING ATMOSPHERIC DUST BY SOLID NUCLEI AND SURFACES, AND ON THE DIFFUSION VELOCITY OF SUPPOSEDLY NON-IONIZED DUST PARTICLES. PMID- 17793702 TI - RECENT OUTLOOKS UPON MUSIC. PMID- 17793703 TI - THE EFFECT OF THE MEXICAN EARTHQUAKE OF JANUARY 19, AT MOUNT HAMILTON, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17793704 TI - THE CHICAGO SECTION OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17793705 TI - CORDILLERAN SECTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17793706 TI - PROFESSOR HENRY ALLEN HAZEN. PMID- 17793707 TI - SCIEIVTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17793708 TI - FALSE BIBLIOGRAPHIC INDICATIONS. PMID- 17793709 TI - FOSSIL-HUNTING IN WYOMING. PMID- 17793710 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17793711 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17793712 TI - WAGNER FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17793713 TI - Beryllium: carcinogenicity studies. PMID- 17793714 TI - Irked by the IRS. PMID- 17793715 TI - Telecommunications satellites and development. PMID- 17793717 TI - Local moments and localized States. PMID- 17793716 TI - The importance of marine affairs. PMID- 17793719 TI - British Scientist Sues over Clone Book. PMID- 17793718 TI - The environment today. AB - While considerable progress has been made in dealing with air and water pollution, the earth's natural systems seem in difficulty. Scientific knowledge of environmental matters remains inadequate. A massive effort to promote solar energy and a national commitment to energy conservation are needed. The Clean Air Act has important implications for economic growth, and the Environmental Protection Agency should emphasize flexibility of administration, decentralization, and close cooperation with state and local governments. Expanded use of coal presents major uncertainties in human health and atmospheric effects. Increasing emphasis on chemical pollutants requires better societal perception of risks and benefits. New efforts to avoid confrontation on environmental issues are promising. Finally, the protection of life in all its diversity is today's urgent environmental challenge. PMID- 17793721 TI - DuPont Finally Relinquishes Drug Institute Post. PMID- 17793720 TI - Federal court affirms pro-laetrile ruling. PMID- 17793722 TI - Want the Men to Pass ERA? Grab Them by Their Genes. PMID- 17793723 TI - Dole tries to bar science exchanges with soviets. PMID- 17793724 TI - Laser annealing: processing semiconductors without a furnace. PMID- 17793725 TI - The state of low temperature physics. PMID- 17793727 TI - Ecology of ants and termites. PMID- 17793726 TI - Mathematical ethology. PMID- 17793728 TI - Obsidian hydration profiles measured by sputter-induced optical emission. AB - The variation of concentrations of hydrogen, sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, and aluminum as a function of depth in the hydration layer of obsidian artifacts has been determined by sputter-induced optical emission. The surface hydration is accompanied by dealkalization, and there is a buildup of alkaline earths, calcium and magnesium in the outermost layers. These results have clarified the phenomena underlying the obsidian hydration dating technique. PMID- 17793729 TI - Deuterated methane observed on saturn. AB - Absorptions for the V(2) band of deuterated methane (CH(3)D) have been observed in the 5-micron spectrum of Saturn, obtained with a Fourier transform spectrometer. Analysis of the band yields a CH(3)D abundance of 2.6 +/- 0.8 centimeter-amagat and a temperature of 175 +/- 30 K for the mean level of spectroscopic line formation. This temperature indicates that a substantial portion of Saturn's flux at 5 microns is due to thermal radiation, and that we are therefore looking fairly deep into its atmosphere, as is the case for the Jupiter 5-micron window. This CH(3)D abundance leads to a deuteriumlhydrogen ratio of about 2 x 10(-5) in Saturn's atmosphere. This ratio is much lower than the terrestrial value but comparable to that determined for Jupiter and may be taken as representative of the deuteriumlhydrogen ratio in the solar system at the time of its formation. PMID- 17793730 TI - Radiocarbon dating with electrostatic accelerators: dating of milligram samples. AB - The recently developed direct counting technique for radiocarbon atoms has been used to measure the relative numbers of such atoms in various geological samples which had earlier been dated by the beta-ray counting method. Sample weights ranged from 3.5 to 15 milligrams. The dates determined by the two methods are consistent with each other. Further experience with the new method is also reported. PMID- 17793731 TI - Radioisotope dating with an accelerator: a blind measurement. AB - The age of a sample of carbon dioxide has been determined by accelerating the carbon with a cyclotron and detecting the carbon-14 ions in the beam. Nitrogen-14 was eliminated as a background through the use of a range-separation technique. To avoid all possibility of experimenter bias, the measurement was conducted in a blind fashion. PMID- 17793732 TI - Devonian brachiopods from the sillimanite zone, mount moosilauke, new hampshire. AB - Devonian brachiopods, identifiable at the generic level, have been recovered from calc-silicate rocks more intensely metamorphosed and metasomatized than any other known fossil occurrence. The fossils are a key stratigraphic link between granulite facies rocks of central New Hampshire and fossiliferous rocks of western New Hampshire and Maine. PMID- 17793733 TI - Agglutination of plant protoplasts by fungal cell wall glucans. AB - Glucans, called elicitors, isolated from cell walls of Phytophthora infestans, caused rapid agglutination and death of protoplasts isolated from potato leaf tissue. Cells incubated with high concentrations of elicitor were rapidly killed, but did not agglutinate. Agglutination and cell death did not occur with any of several commercial polysaccharides including laminarin, but laminarin did inhibit elicitor-mediated agglutination. The results are consistent with the existence of specific elicitor receptor sites on the outer surface of potato leaf plasma membranes. PMID- 17793734 TI - The compleat angler: aggressive mimicry in an antennariid anglerfish. AB - A case of aggressive mimicry is described in which an anglerfish of the genus Antennarius (order Lophiiformes) utilizes a lure that mimics a small fish. The lure provides not only a highly attractive visual cue but presumably also a low frequency pressure stimulus for potential prey with a minimum of energy expenditure. PMID- 17793735 TI - Marine snow: microplankton habitat and source of small-scale patchiness in pelagic populations. AB - In near-surface waters of the neritic zone, the fragile aggregate material called "marine snow" is enriched by a variety of planktonic organisms and detrital products of plankton. Here marine snow is a source of patchiness and taxonomic diversity for microplankton populations and is a likely food resource and recycling agent for fecal particles. PMID- 17793736 TI - Atmospheric dust: climatological consequences. PMID- 17793737 TI - Atmospheric dust: climatological consequences. PMID- 17793738 TI - Subfornical Organ: A Dipsogenic Site of Action of Angiotension II. PMID- 17793739 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17793740 TI - THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY. PMID- 17793741 TI - THE ST. ELIAS BEAR. PMID- 17793742 TI - THE CAUSES OF THE GULF STREAM. PMID- 17793743 TI - PHYSIOLOGY IN 1894. PMID- 17793744 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (XIII.). PMID- 17793745 TI - PSYCHOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17793746 TI - THE PARALLAX OF ETA CASSIOPEIAe DEDUCED FROM THE RUTHERFURD PHOTOGRAPHIC MEASURES. PMID- 17793747 TI - THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17793748 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17793750 TI - THE POPULATION OF FRANCE. PMID- 17793749 TI - KARL LUDWIG'S LIBRARY. PMID- 17793751 TI - THE GENERIC NAME ANISONYX PREOCCUPIED. PMID- 17793752 TI - Cosmic billboards? PMID- 17793753 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17793754 TI - In reply: preventing famine. PMID- 17793755 TI - Preventing famine. PMID- 17793756 TI - Magnetochemistry of Ions in the 4A2 Electronic State. AB - Each of the following ions with spin S = 3/2, octahedral chromium(III), five coordinate iron(III), and tetrahedral cobalt(II), possesses a (4)A(2) ground state. The theory describing their paramagnetic properties is therefore the same, though some of the parameters change appreciably from ion to ion. This theory is described along with examples of experimental data. The implications of the paramagnetic properties for the magnetic ordering phenomena exhibited by complexes of these ions are also described. PMID- 17793757 TI - Hollywood takes on genetic engineering. PMID- 17793758 TI - Keyworth attacks the press. PMID- 17793760 TI - French education: back to basics. PMID- 17793759 TI - DOD Says "Nuclear Winter" Bolsters Its Plans: Congress is disappointed by a report on the impact of soot on nuclear strategy. PMID- 17793761 TI - A Model Synchrotron Light Source in Berlin: Users want photons on a reliable schedule; Berlin's electron storage ring (BESSY) provides 2400 hours of bright ultraviolet light yearly. PMID- 17793762 TI - Paleoclimates in Southern Africa: The Antarctic ice sheet has probably been an important driving force of African climate and biotic evolution; this idea begins to be tested. PMID- 17793763 TI - The influence of malthus: malthus past and present. PMID- 17793764 TI - Genetics under stalin: the vavilov affair. PMID- 17793765 TI - Behavioral neurology: cerebral dominance. PMID- 17793766 TI - Neolithic advances: the neolithic transition and the genetics of populations in europe. PMID- 17793767 TI - Tidal Currents and Eddy Statistics From Iceberg Trajectories off Labrador. AB - Extensive data on the trajectories of icebergs located off the coast of Labrador has yielded information on tidal currents, the effect of wind on iceberg motion, and the properties of the low-frequency eddies. Statistical properties of the data were shown to be related to theoretical ideas on two-dimensional turbulence and to the connection between Eulerian and Lagrangian velocity statistics. The results have led to an estimate of the cross-shelf mixing rate and a statistical prediction scheme for iceberg trajectories. PMID- 17793768 TI - Rheology of glacier ice. AB - A new method for calculating the stress field in bounded ice shelves is used to compare strain rate and deviatoric stress on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The analysis shows that strain rate (per second) increases as the third power of deviatoric stress (in newtons per square meter), with a constant of proportionality equal to 2.3 x 10(-25). PMID- 17793769 TI - Bacterial 5-nucleotidase in aquatic ecosystems: a novel mechanism of phosphorus regeneration. AB - Zooplankton excretion and algal alkaline phosphatase are presumed to be responsible for phosphorus recycling in aquatic ecosystems; the role of bacteria has been unclear. High levels of bacterial cell-surface 5-nucleotidase were discovered in samples of picoplankton from California coastal waters. 5 Nucleotidase rapidly generated orthophosphate from 5-nucleotide added in nanomolar amounts and could supply half the orthophosphate required by plankton. Unlike alkaline phosphatase, 5-nucleotidase was not inhibited by orthophosphate at any concentration found in aquatic environments. Initial results indicate even greater 5-nucleotidase activity in fresh water (Lake Hodges, California) and brackish water (Baltic). Release and uptake of orthophosphate were tightly coupled. PMID- 17793770 TI - Interspecific morphogens regulating prey-predator relationships in protozoa. AB - The ciliate Euplotes octocarinatus and some close relatives of it are triggered by predator-released substances to undergo morphogenetic changes that inhibit their engulfment. The changes occur within a few hours and do not require cell division. They are perpetuated during reproduction so long as the concentration of the morphogen is maintained. The ability of Euplotes to respond to predator produced signals by a defensive change in cell architecture probably provides an effective mechanism for damping population oscillations ofboth prey and predators andfosters coexistence. The signal-induced cell transformation merits study for its own sake because of its developmental implications. PMID- 17793771 TI - Multiple stable isotopes used to trace the flow of organic matter in estuarine food webs. AB - The use of a combination of the stable isotopes of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen allows the flow of organic matter and trophic relations in salt marshes and estuaries to be traced while eliminating many ambiguities that accompany the use of a single isotopic tracer. Salt-marsh grasses take up the isotopically light sulfides formed during sulfate reduction, and the transfer of this light sulfur through the marsh food web is illustrated with data on the ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) from various locations in a New England marsh. The multiple isotope approach shows that this filter feeder consumes both marsh grass ( Spartina) detritus and plankton, with the relative proportions of each determined by the location of the mussels in the marsh. PMID- 17793772 TI - Mutual Restraint in Tree Swallows: A Test of the TIT FOR TAT Model of Reciprocity. AB - The TIT FOR TAT model of reciprocity, which is based on a successful program for the game known as the Prisoner's Dilemma, was experimentally tested on a population oftree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Parent and nonbreeding tree swallows have conflicts of interests that resemble those in the Prisoner's Dilemma. TIT FOR TAT predicts restraint of conflict before a competitor's act of defection, retaliation after defection, and a resumption of restraint following retaliation. After a simulated act of defection by nonbreeders, parents behaved as predicted by the model. PMID- 17793773 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17793774 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17793775 TI - EUTOPOTROPISM:--SENSE TO FIND THE FIT PLACE. PMID- 17793776 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17793777 TI - THE FIFTH FLORIDA WHALE SHARK--1932. PMID- 17793779 TI - THE WHALE SHARK ON THE COAST OF BORNEO. PMID- 17793778 TI - DETERMINISM AND THE WEATHER. PMID- 17793780 TI - ON "ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN ITALY". PMID- 17793781 TI - A METHOD FOR WASHING CORPUSCLES IN SUSPENSION. PMID- 17793782 TI - ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN SPAIN. PMID- 17793783 TI - A MODIFICATION OF THE BUCHNER METHOD OF CULTIVATING ANAEROBIC BACTERIA. PMID- 17793785 TI - A METHOD OF IMMUNIZATION WITH CARBOHYDRATE HAPTENS ADSORBED ON COLLODION PARTICLES. PMID- 17793784 TI - PHOSPHATE, NITRATE AND NITRITE IN THE SEA-WATER OF REGIONS ADJACENT TO CAPE COD. PMID- 17793786 TI - THE FOUNDING OF THE WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS. PMID- 17793787 TI - ORTHOGENESIS AMONG FISHES. PMID- 17793788 TI - EINSTEIN'S THEORY AND SHIFT OF SPECTRUM LINES. PMID- 17793789 TI - ANOPHELES LARVAe IN SALT WATER. PMID- 17793790 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR TITRATING ELECTROMETRICALLY TO A DESIRED END POINT IN ACID ALKALINE REACTIONS. PMID- 17793791 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS. PMID- 17793792 TI - Passive Voice. PMID- 17793794 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17793793 TI - C. A. Chant, Father of Canadian Astronomy. PMID- 17793795 TI - Erratum. AB - In reference 5 of "Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus isolated from three species of Diptera from Georgia," by L. H. Karstad et al. [Science 125, 396 (1 Mar. 1957)], the name of J. E. McCroan is incorrectly spelled as Croan. PMID- 17793797 TI - Tungsten Microelectrode for Recording from Single Units. PMID- 17793796 TI - Effect of Hyperconjugation on Strength of Lewis Bases. PMID- 17793799 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17793798 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17793800 TI - THE LESSONS OF THE PANDEMIC. PMID- 17793801 TI - THE FREAS SYSTEM. PMID- 17793802 TI - ORGANIZATION MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SECTION OF THE PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION. PMID- 17793803 TI - QUANTITATIVE CHARACTER-MEASUREMENTS IN COLOR CROSSES. PMID- 17793804 TI - INFORMATION SERVICE FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGISTS. PMID- 17793805 TI - SURPLUS BISON FOR MUSEUMS. PMID- 17793806 TI - THE ECOLOGY OF NORTH AMERICAN LYMNEIDE. PMID- 17793808 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17793807 TI - SOUND AND FLASH RANGING. PMID- 17793809 TI - ADDRESS AT THE DEDICATION OF THE ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY BUILDING OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. PMID- 17793810 TI - THE STATUS OF MODERN METEOROLOGY INTRODUCTION. PMID- 17793811 TI - A ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, B. W. I. PMID- 17793812 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF RADIOLOGY AND ELECTRICITY, BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 13 15, 1910. PMID- 17793813 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17793814 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17793815 TI - ROMANTIC NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17793816 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17793817 TI - A COMMON SUMACH GALL PRODUCED BY A MITE. PMID- 17793818 TI - CORRESPONDENCE IN REGARD TO THE LENGTH OF SERVICE PENSIONS OF THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION. PMID- 17793820 TI - MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17793819 TI - SEX-LIMITED INHERITANCE. PMID- 17793821 TI - EDUCATION A NATIONAL FUNCTION. PMID- 17793822 TI - OCCURRENCE OF THE AeCIDIAL STAGES OF WILLOW AND POPLAR RUSTS IN NATURE. PMID- 17793823 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17793825 TI - THE EXISTENCE OF A MAGNETIC SENSE. PMID- 17793824 TI - THE ECONOMIC DISCUSSION IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17793826 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17793827 TI - The flight of the flying-fish. PMID- 17793828 TI - An Indian snake-dance. PMID- 17793830 TI - Barometer exposure. PMID- 17793829 TI - Prehensile-tailed salamanders. PMID- 17793831 TI - Association of official agricultural chemists. PMID- 17793832 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17793833 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17793834 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17793835 TI - Information services. PMID- 17793837 TI - Federal statistics. PMID- 17793836 TI - Equal Opportunity at NIH. PMID- 17793838 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17793839 TI - One part per million. PMID- 17793840 TI - Flood damage. PMID- 17793842 TI - The new physics report. PMID- 17793841 TI - Statement on termination of pregnancy. PMID- 17793843 TI - Surface composition determined by analysis of impact radiation. PMID- 17793844 TI - The response of graduate enrollment to placement opportunities. PMID- 17793845 TI - FDA general counsel hutt: a man trying to serve two masters. PMID- 17793846 TI - Senate Bans Use of Weather, Fire as Weapons by DOD. PMID- 17793847 TI - Russians Reserve Doubts: Is Fort Detrick Really De-tricked? PMID- 17793848 TI - An october summit for science. PMID- 17793849 TI - FDA Invents More Tales about DES. PMID- 17793850 TI - McGovern: Conversion Plans Spell Upheavals for Scientists. PMID- 17793851 TI - Gravity waves: are they real and what do they mean? PMID- 17793852 TI - World dynamics: a note. AB - The results of Forrester's world model are shown to be very sensitive to changes in assumptions. PMID- 17793853 TI - Double moldavites in southern bohemia. AB - Two noteworthy finds of moldavites were made in southern Bohemia. In both cases two moldavites are thrust into each other. The collision evidently took place during the flight of an inhomogeneous swarm of moldavites, still plastic but already displaying almost definite aerodynamic shapes. It is the first time such moldavites have been encountered, and the authors propose to designate them as double moldavites. PMID- 17793854 TI - Reflection spectra of lunar dust grains with amorphous coatings. PMID- 17793856 TI - Progress in luminescence dosimetry. PMID- 17793855 TI - Mercury and lead in the greenland ice sheet: a reexamination of the data. PMID- 17793857 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17793858 TI - HUXLEY AND HIS WORK. PMID- 17793859 TI - CERTITUDES AND ILLUSIONS. PMID- 17793860 TI - NOTES ON THE DENSITY AND TEMPERATURE OF THE WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND GULF STREAM. PMID- 17793862 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17793861 TI - AN OPTICAL ILLUSION. PMID- 17793863 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17793864 TI - HARVARD COLLEGE OBSERVATORY, CIRCULAR NO. 5. PMID- 17793865 TI - AMERICAN JUDGMENTS OF AMERICAN ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17793866 TI - PSYCHOLOGY OF NUMBER. PMID- 17793867 TI - THE PERTURBATIONS OF 70 OPHIUCHI. PMID- 17793868 TI - DOES THE PRIVATE COLLECTOR MAKE THE BEST MUSEUM ADMINISTRATOR? PMID- 17793869 TI - There Ought To Be a Science! PMID- 17793871 TI - Consultants and Conflicts: The Problems of Scientific Advisers Are Attracting Some Attention. PMID- 17793870 TI - Optical Masers in Science and Technology: Advances in the control of light waves give promise of important applications in science and technology. PMID- 17793872 TI - Medical Care: Changes in the Political Terrain. PMID- 17793873 TI - Metallic Spherules in Tektites from Isabela, Philippine Islands. AB - Iron-nickel spherules, as much as 0.5 mm in diameter, have been found completely embedded in some philippinites. The spherules consist mainly of kamacite with unidentified pink inclusions. The meteoritic origin of these spherules seems reasonable, suggesting that the tektites containing them were formed by asteroidal or meteoritic impact. PMID- 17793874 TI - Quantum Efficiency of Cytochrome Oxidation in a Photosynthetic Bacterium. AB - Illumination of Chromatium with light absorbed by bacteriochlorophyll causes the oxidation of intracellular cytochrome. The quantum efficiency of this reaction approaches one electron per photon at 589 millimicrons and at wavelengths between 862 and 908 millimicrons. The efficiency of converting excitation energy to chemical energy is estimated to be about 30 percent. PMID- 17793875 TI - Composition of the Milk from Zalophus californianus, the California Sea Lion. AB - The milk of Zalophus californianus is similar to that of other marine mammals. The chief protein of the milk is casein, which has a lower phosphorus content than bovine casein. There appears to be a complete absence of lactose, and it is believed that this is the first unequivocal demonstration of the absence of lactose from the milk of any mammal. PMID- 17793876 TI - Evidence for Oceanic Frontogenesis off Oregon. AB - Bathythermograms recorded off Newport, Oregon, show marked positive gradients during the period of cessation of summer upwelling. It is suggested that these are related to the formation of a shear zone or "front" between oceanic water and shelf water that has been exposed to the surface and modified. PMID- 17793877 TI - Protozoology. PMID- 17793878 TI - ROBERT HENRY THURSTON. PMID- 17793879 TI - SIMULTANEOUS SOLAR AND TERRESTRIAL CHANGES. PMID- 17793880 TI - THE GERMAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17793881 TI - ANTEDATED PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17793882 TI - THE 27-DAY PERIOD IN AURORAS AND ITS CONNECTION WITH SUNSPOTS. PMID- 17793883 TI - MONT PELE FROM MAY TO OCTOBER, 1903. PMID- 17793884 TI - THE HUXLEY MEMORIAL LECTURE. PMID- 17793885 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17793886 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17793888 TI - Oceanic quest. PMID- 17793887 TI - Democracy: haven for dissent. PMID- 17793889 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17793890 TI - No wrangle. PMID- 17793891 TI - Fact-crazy, theory-shy? PMID- 17793892 TI - AAAS Won't Absorb Science Service. PMID- 17793894 TI - Tenure controversy: rejected san jose engineer is wed to a red. PMID- 17793893 TI - Cyclamates: House Report Charges Administrative Alchemy at HEW. PMID- 17793895 TI - Ion implantation. PMID- 17793896 TI - Heating of basalts with a carbon dioxide laser. AB - Basalts heated strongly with focused infrared laser radiation vaporized and splattered. Electron microprobe analyses of condensate, ejecta, and residue show strong vapor fractionation trends which, for some elements, are different from what would be expected theoretically and from previously reported data on more siliceous materials. It appears that solution effects can account for these differences. Heating of materials by a powerful focused laser beam for the purpose of study of vapor fractionation is a convenient technique that is more versatile than previous methods such as heating in solar or arc image furnaces. PMID- 17793897 TI - Where was the moon formed? AB - Volatile substances have a low abundance in lunar surface rocks as compared to terrestrial rocks. If this depletion is explained in terms of a late accretion of volatile materials from a solar nebula with falling temperature, then the conclusion can be drawn that the moon accumulated not in earth orbit but as a separate planet, and that it was later captured by the earth. PMID- 17793898 TI - Tours AAAS Annual Meeting 26-31 December 1970 Chicago. PMID- 17793899 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17793900 TI - THE SOUTH'S CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE. PMID- 17793901 TI - COURSES ON THE HISTORY OF PHYSICS IN AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17793902 TI - THE GALL BLADDERS OF CHICKS IN A VITAMIN D DEFICIENT CONDITION. PMID- 17793903 TI - A NEW ELM DISEASE. PMID- 17793904 TI - GRAVITATIONAL AND ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS. PMID- 17793905 TI - HYBRID WORDS. PMID- 17793906 TI - A TREMATODE FROM THE CLOACA OF THE GULL. PMID- 17793907 TI - PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR MINERAL AND ROCK SPECIMENS. PMID- 17793908 TI - FURTHER EXPERIMENTS ON CORTICOADRENAL EXTRACT: ITS EFFICACY BY MOUTH. AB - Increase of the blood sugar which invariably follows administration of cortico adrenal extract to adrenalectomized cats with symptoms of insufficiency is a reliable index of potency and affords a means of bio-assay of the material. PMID- 17793909 TI - A SHORT METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF ANIMAL TISSUES FOR STAINING. PMID- 17793911 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17793910 TI - VARVED CLAY IN HOLMES COUNTY, OHIO. PMID- 17793912 TI - The First Circuit for an Electrical Logic-Machine. PMID- 17793913 TI - Improvement in Frost Resistance of Parsnip Tops Sprayed with Chemical Growth Substances. PMID- 17793914 TI - Terminology of Atmospheric Shells. PMID- 17793915 TI - RESEARCH INSTITUTES AND THEIR VALUE. PMID- 17793916 TI - THE EFFECT OF THE NATURE OF THE DIET ON THE DIGESTIBILITY OF BUTTER. PMID- 17793917 TI - ARE SCIENTISTS ENCOURAGING POPULAR IGNORANCE? PMID- 17793918 TI - AMERICAN COMMITTEE TO AIDRUSSIAN SCIENTISTS WITH SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. PMID- 17793919 TI - OBSERVATIONS OF FALLING METEORITES. PMID- 17793920 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17793921 TI - ORIGIN OF SOIL COLLOIDS. PMID- 17793923 TI - NOTE ON THE RELATION BETWEEN THE PHOTIC STIMULUS AND THE RATE OF LOCOMOTION IN DROSOPHILA. PMID- 17793922 TI - A CRAYFISH TRAP. PMID- 17793924 TI - THE STRUCTURE OF BENZENE. PMID- 17793926 TI - PERMANENT SECRETARY'S REPORT FOR THE HALF-YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1922. PMID- 17793925 TI - MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL. PMID- 17793927 TI - SECTION M--ENGINEERING AND ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES. PMID- 17793928 TI - PETROLEUM, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. PMID- 17793929 TI - BARBARA STODDARD BURKS. PMID- 17793931 TI - THE HOOKER SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY. PMID- 17793930 TI - FREDERICK JOSEPH TAUSSIG. PMID- 17793932 TI - BRITISH VITAL STATISTICS. PMID- 17793933 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17793934 TI - THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE SOCIETY. PMID- 17793936 TI - DECLARATION OF CITIZENS OF ARGENTINA. PMID- 17793935 TI - THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. PMID- 17793937 TI - MENTAL MALADJUSTMENT AND COLOR VISION. PMID- 17793938 TI - THE SCIENCE MOBILIZATION BILL. PMID- 17793939 TI - MORE ON "STARRING". PMID- 17793940 TI - DATES OF PUBLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. PMID- 17793941 TI - MORE ON "STARRING". PMID- 17793943 TI - A FURTHER INTERFERENCE IN EXPERIMENTAL POLIOMYELITIS. PMID- 17793942 TI - A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF POPULATION AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC MAPS FOR THE STATE OF MISSOURI. AB - In addition to the two wall maps and the accompanynig isopleth map of population distribution the project calls for a detailed analysis of the distribution of the population of the state in terms of the physiography. The two maps on the same scale may be published as twin wall maps in order to portray the geographic distribution of population. In a state with such variety in land forms it is hoped that a close relationship between population distribution and physiography can be brought out with great emphasis. It is hoped that this brief report will record the good intentions of the author to provide new maps useful in the field of geographic teaching and research. PMID- 17793944 TI - THE TRYPTOPHANE CONTENT OF a+a+ and aa EPHESTIA KUHNIELLA Z. PMID- 17793945 TI - A SIMPLE ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PROPYLENE AND TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL. PMID- 17793946 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR PREPARING AQUEOUS SUSPENSIONS OF URINARY SEX HORMONE RESIDUES. PMID- 17793947 TI - AMERICAN VETERINARY EDUCATION AND ITS PROBLEMS. PMID- 17793948 TI - THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE ADDRESS TO THE BOTANICAL SECTION. PMID- 17793950 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL EUGENICS CONGRESS. PMID- 17793949 TI - WORK AT THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION OF SAN DIEGO DURING THE SUMMER OF 1911. PMID- 17793951 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17793952 TI - PROFESSOR JOHANNSEN'S COLUMBIA LECTURES. PMID- 17793953 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17793954 TI - THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT AND HIS PROFESSORS. PMID- 17793955 TI - VECTORIAL TREATMENT OF SECONDARY MAXIMA IN GRATING SPECTRA. PMID- 17793956 TI - THE COTTON WORM IN MASSACHUSETTS. PMID- 17793957 TI - CONTAGIOUS ABORTION IN CATTLE. PMID- 17793958 TI - A COUNTING METHOD FOR THE MECHANICAL, ANALYSIS OF SOILS. PMID- 17793959 TI - ON A POSTERIOR COMMUNICATION OF THE AIR-BLADDER WITH THE EXTERIOR IN FISHES. PMID- 17793960 TI - MEANS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICS TEACHERS. PMID- 17793961 TI - BANDED STRUCTURES OF THE ADIRONDACK SYENITE-GRANITE SERIES. PMID- 17793962 TI - PROCEEDINGS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE THIRD RESUSCITATION COMMISSION. PMID- 17793963 TI - CONCERTED FLASHING OF FIREFLIES. PMID- 17793964 TI - USONO. PMID- 17793965 TI - DEMONSTRATIONS OF VISUAL PHENOMENA. PMID- 17793966 TI - ALLEGED REDISCOVERY OF THE PASSENGER PIGEON. PMID- 17793967 TI - A GREEK TRACT ON INDIVISIBLE LINES. PMID- 17793968 TI - SPECIAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17793969 TI - On the Theory of Odors. PMID- 17793970 TI - Dimenhydrinate vs. Diphenhydramine. PMID- 17793971 TI - Errata. AB - In the article "The Availability of Various Manganese Oxides to Plants," by G. W. Leeper (Science, 1950, 111, 463), two lines should be inserted after the word "failed" (col. 2, par. 2): "to distinguish between them. However, a solution of quinol in water with no added electrolyte gave quite a . . ." PMID- 17793972 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN ASTRONOMY (I.). PMID- 17793973 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17793975 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17793974 TI - THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY, VIENNA, 1898. PMID- 17793976 TI - BOSTON MEETING OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. PMID- 17793977 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17793978 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17793979 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17793980 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17793981 TI - A CURIOUS OPTICAL ILLUSION CONNECTED WITH AN ELECTRIC FAN. PMID- 17793983 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. PMID- 17793982 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17793984 TI - Clinical lab standards. PMID- 17793985 TI - Circadian rhythms. PMID- 17793986 TI - Circadian rhythms. PMID- 17793987 TI - Supporting society journals. PMID- 17793988 TI - Reactions of oriented molecules. AB - Beams of oriented molecules have been used to directly study geometrical requirements in chemical reactions. These studies have shown that reactivity is much greater in some orientations than others and demonstrated the existence of steric effects. For some reactions portions of the orientation results are in good accord with traditional views of steric hindrance, but for others it is clear that our chemical intuition needs recalibrating. Indeed, the information gained from simultaneously orienting the reactants and observing the scattering angle of the products may lead to new insights about the detailed mechanism of certain reactions. Further work must be done to extend the scope and detail of the studies described here. More detailed information is needed on the CH(3)I reaction and the CF(3)I reaction. The effects of alkyl groups of various sizes and alkali metals of various sizes are of interest. In addition, reactions where a long-lived complex is formed should be studied to see if orientation is important. Finally, it would be of interest to apply the technique to the sort of reactions that led to our interest in the first place: the S(N)2 displacements in alkyl halides where the fascinating Walden inversion occurs. PMID- 17793989 TI - Plant defense guilds. AB - Optimal plant defense should incorporate any mechanisms that influence the feeding behavior of potential pests. From a diverse collection of examples suggesting that the defense of a plant may be improved in the company of specific neighbors, we discuss a framework of operational mechanisms that begin to clarify some aspects of the recognized influence of species diversity on herbivory. Neighbors serve as insectary plants for herbivore predators and parasites, and influence herbivore feeding behavior by repelling, masking, attracting, and decoying. Insectary plants lower the numerical response of herbivores by increasing the efficiency of their predators and parasites. Repellent plants primarily lower functional response by causing the predator to fail to locate or reject its normal prey. Attractant-decoy plants dilute herbivore impact by drawing off herbivores, either increasing or decreasing their numerical and functional response (or either). The concept of gene conservation guilds adds diversionary and delaying tactics to the adaptation-counteradaptation view of plant-herbivore coevolution. The useful life of a given gene for resistance may best be extended by mechanisms that disrupt genetic tracking (specialization) by herbivores. Some plants may remain inedible not because their chemistry or morphology represents an evolutionary impasse, but because they live in an environment that provides acceptable options of variable quality. Feeding environments that provide little or no choice promote specialization by forcing physiological adaptation. Conversely, the evolutionary momentum of specializing herbivores may be lowered by enhancing their susceptibility, either by selection against virulent individuals, or by decreasing the exposure frequency of susceptible genotypes. The latter mechanism of conserving susceptible individuals takes advantage of herbivore behavioral sensitivity to variable plant quality. Direct selection against virulent genotypes requires temporal cycling of the herbivore population between resistant and nonresistant hosts. Both events may occur within defense guilds that provide acceptable feeding options of similar but distinctive quality. PMID- 17793990 TI - Teton dam collapse: was it a predictable disaster? PMID- 17793991 TI - Kennedy hearings: year-long probe of biomedical research begins. PMID- 17793992 TI - More jobs and economic growth seen in R & d spending. PMID- 17793993 TI - Science Adviser: Four GOP Senators Seek to Block Nomination of Stever. PMID- 17793994 TI - Law enforcement assistance administration: anticrime agency faces criticism, lowered budget. PMID- 17793995 TI - Fusion Research (II): Detailed Reactor Studies Identify More Problems. PMID- 17793997 TI - West african science association conference. PMID- 17793996 TI - AAAS Selects 1976 Mass Media Interns. PMID- 17793998 TI - Reminder. PMID- 17793999 TI - Do you need information on salaries for scientists, engineers, and technicians? PMID- 17794000 TI - Polymer chemistry. PMID- 17794001 TI - Toward a unification of nuclear physics. PMID- 17794002 TI - Haploid transcription. PMID- 17794003 TI - Dinosaur biology. PMID- 17794004 TI - Plant nutrition. PMID- 17794005 TI - How old are the eukaryotes? AB - Evidence from Precambrian sediments appears to indicate that nucleated (eukaryotic) organisms had become well established and relatively diverse about 850 +/- 100 million years ago and that eukaryotes were probably extant, and may have first appeared, as early as 1400 +/- 100 million years ago. PMID- 17794006 TI - Valid climatological data from historical sources by content analysis. AB - Content analysis is used to derive dates of freeze-up and break-up from historical descriptions of river estuaries on Hudson Bay between 1714 and 1871. Validity testing of these dates indicates that they are comparable with modern data. It is thus proposed that the method affords potential for the systematic retrieval of a broad array of environmental data from the historical past. PMID- 17794007 TI - Barium in southern california coastal waters: a potential indicator of marine drilling contamination. AB - The present barium content of Southern California coastal waters was determined to be 11 to 22 micrograms per kilogram of seawater. These values may be used as base-line concentrations to monitor marine contamination during future off-shore oil and gas explorations. PMID- 17794008 TI - New publications. PMID- 17794009 TI - Notes from other offices. PMID- 17794010 TI - THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17794012 TI - JULIUS SACHS. PMID- 17794011 TI - THE FUNCTION OF LARGE TELESCOPES. PMID- 17794013 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17794014 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON BOTANY. PMID- 17794015 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17794016 TI - THE BENEKE PRIZES. PMID- 17794017 TI - THE STATISTICIAN OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. PMID- 17794018 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17794019 TI - COLOR VISION. PMID- 17794020 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17794021 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF ALABAMA. PMID- 17794022 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. PMID- 17794023 TI - More Than Hypochondria. PMID- 17794024 TI - Exchange of Postdoctoral Students with Japan. PMID- 17794025 TI - News and Comment in Our Journal. PMID- 17794026 TI - Department Heads and Other Problems. PMID- 17794027 TI - The Chinese A-Bomb. PMID- 17794029 TI - University Organization for Geophysics Education: University of Miami evolves new pattern for graduate education in earth and planetary sciences. PMID- 17794028 TI - High-Field Galvanomagnetic Properties of Metals: The effect a magnetic field has on the electrical resistance helps define the Fermi surfaces of metals. PMID- 17794030 TI - Basement Science: What Happens When a Do-It-Yourself Scientist Looks to Washington for Support. PMID- 17794031 TI - Federal R&D: Congress Continues To Boost Budget, but Increases Are on Last Year's Reduced Scale. PMID- 17794032 TI - Comsat: U.S. Satellite Company Leads New International Venture; System To Be Ready around 1966. PMID- 17794033 TI - Triennial Review of Astronomy. PMID- 17794034 TI - Origin of High-Alumina Basalt, Andesite, and Dacite Magmas. AB - The typical volcanic rocks of most island arcs and eugeosynclines, and of some continental environments, are basalt, andesite, and dacite, of high alumina content. The high-alumina basalt differs from tholeiitic basalt primarily in having a greater content of the components of calcic plagioclase. Laboratory data indicate that in the upper mantle, below the level at which the basaltic component of mantle rock is transformed by pressure to eclogite or pyroxenite, the entire basaltic portion probably is melted within a narrow temperature range, but that above the level of that transformation plagioclase is melted selectively before pyroxene over a wide temperature range. The broad spectrum of high-alumina magmas may represent widely varying degrees of partial melting above the transformation level, whereas narrow-spectrum tholeiite magma may represent more complete melting beneath it. PMID- 17794035 TI - Sea Water: Saturation with Apatites and Carbonates. AB - Pacific Ocean water, on the average, appears to be slightly supersaturated at all temperatures with hydroxyapatite and carbonate fluorapatite. Water above 14 degrees C is saturated with calcite, whereas water above 20 degrees C is saturated with aragonite. PMID- 17794036 TI - Prehistoric Archeological Surveys and Excavations in Afghanistan: 1959-1960 and 1961-1963. AB - Afghanistan has long been considered an important transmitter of culture in the historic periods. Buddhism, for example, reached the Far East from Gandhara (the classical name for southern Afghanistan and parts of north-western West Pakistan). Recent research indicates that the foothills of northern Afghanistan may have been one of the early centers of incipient agriculture, transitional between the food gathering of the Paleolithic and the food production of the Neolithic. In addition, Upper and possibly Middle ("Mousterian") Paleolithic industries have been identified. PMID- 17794038 TI - Systematic Error in Leaf Water Potential Measurements with a Thermocouple Psychrometer. AB - To allow for the error in measurement of water potentials in leaves, introduced by the presence of a water droplet in the chamber of the psychrometer, a correction must be made for the permeability of the leaf. PMID- 17794037 TI - Lunar Surface Features: Mid-Infrared Spectral Observations. AB - The moon has been observed and spectrally scanned at midinfrared wavelengths, in particular through the 16- to 24-micron atmospheric window. The data indicate that there are differences in mineral composition among several features of the lunar surface. PMID- 17794039 TI - Ash Content: Its Effect on Combustion of Corn Plants. AB - Two corn plant samples, one cut in the fall while green, the other after weathering over the winter, exhibited strikingly different combustion properties. The increased susceptibility to flaming combustion of the spring-harvested sample is attributable to its decreased ash content, and not directly to its moisture content. PMID- 17794040 TI - Endogenous Circadian Rhythm in Cytoplasm of Acetabularia: Influence of the Nucleus. AB - It was shown by three different methods that in the unicellular and uninuclear green alga Acetabularia the nucleus is capable of determining the phase of the circadian rhythm of the oxygen balance in the cytoplasm. PMID- 17794041 TI - Pest Control Symposium: 131st AAAS Annual Meeting Montreal, 26-31 December. PMID- 17794043 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17794042 TI - Vitamin B6. PMID- 17794045 TI - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE STUDY OF PACIFIC PROBLEMS. PMID- 17794044 TI - PAPERS READ BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17794046 TI - THE TEMPERATURE IN NORTHEASTERN SIBERIA. PMID- 17794048 TI - THE SECOND BERKELEY MEETING OF THE PACIFIC DIVISION. II. PMID- 17794047 TI - THE CHRONAXIC SWITCHING IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. PMID- 17794049 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17794050 TI - NEED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL REPOSITORY FOR ORIGINAL RESEARCH DATA. PMID- 17794051 TI - NEW FOSSILS FROM MAINE. PMID- 17794052 TI - INSECT NUTRITION. PMID- 17794053 TI - PRESERVATION OF NATURAL AREAS. PMID- 17794054 TI - THE FIELD TRIP OF THE OHIO-KENTUCKY ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE AND THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KENTUCKY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17794055 TI - NEW FORMS OF DRY AND WET BULB THERMOMETERS. PMID- 17794056 TI - IS OSSIFICATION INFLUENCED SOLELY BY ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT? PMID- 17794057 TI - A COMPARISON OF THE COPPER CONTENT OF OKLAHOMA WHEAT WITH THOSE OF OTHER STATES. PMID- 17794059 TI - Quantum uncertainty principle: no loopholes. PMID- 17794058 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794060 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - Table 2 (p. 1127) of the report "Rules for alpha-helix termination by glycine" by R. Aurora et al. (20 May, p. 1126) was incorrectly printed. The corrected table appears below. In the same report, the second sentence of reference 36 should not have appeared. [See table in the PDF file]. PMID- 17794061 TI - History lesson. PMID- 17794062 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794063 TI - NSF Eyes New South Pole Station. PMID- 17794064 TI - A design for life in the freezer. PMID- 17794065 TI - Crane experiment finally perches in washington state. PMID- 17794066 TI - The inner sanctum of the proton. PMID- 17794068 TI - NIH Funding. PMID- 17794067 TI - A dark matter recipe is tested--and found wanting. PMID- 17794070 TI - Hubble finds planetary cradles. PMID- 17794069 TI - Money for whistleblower. PMID- 17794071 TI - Rosenberg regains funds. PMID- 17794072 TI - Mutiny on the joke journal. PMID- 17794073 TI - Darkness receptor cloned. PMID- 17794074 TI - Flemish biotech plans draw fire. PMID- 17794075 TI - Asymmetric phase effects and mantle convection patterns. AB - Recent high-pressure experiments and thermodynamic calculations have shown that the Clapeyron slope of the spinel-perovskite phase transition at a depth of 660 kilometers in the Earth's mantle changes from negative to positive at temperatures above 1700 degrees to 2000 degrees C. In numerical experiments that account for this phase behavior, cold downwelling flows were impeded at the phase boundary, but hot plumes ascended to the upper mantle with ease. The resultant mantle convection was partially layered and strongly time-dependent. Mantle layering was weaker when the mantle was hotter and when the Rayleigh number was larger. PMID- 17794076 TI - MCM-22: A Molecular Sieve with Two Independent Multidimensional Channel Systems. AB - The molecular sieve MCM-22 contains structural features previously unobserved in this class of materials. Its framework topology, derived from high-resolution electron micrographs and refined with synchrotron x-ray diffraction powder data, contains two independent pore systems, both of which are accessed through rings composed of ten tetrahedral (T) atoms (such as Si, Al, and B). One of these pore systems is defined by two-dimensional, sinusoidal channels. The other consists of large supercages whose inner free diameter, 7.1 angstroms, is defined by 12 T-O species (12-rings) and whose inner height is 18.2 angstroms. These coexisting pore systems may provide opportunities for a wide variety of catalytic applications in the petrochemical and refining industries. Another structural feature is an unusual -T-O-T- chain that passes through the center of a modified dodecasil-1H [4(3)5(6)6(3)] cage. PMID- 17794077 TI - Time-resolved imaging of translucent droplets in highly scattering turbid media. AB - The spatial distribution of small translucent droplets inside a 50-millimeter thick Intralipid solution was imaged with a picosecond time and spatial-gated Kerr-Fourier imaging system at a signal level of about 10(-10) of the incident illumination intensity. PMID- 17794078 TI - The X-ray Surface Forces Apparatus: Structure of a Thin Smectic Liquid Crystal Film Under Confinement. AB - An x-ray surface forces apparatus for simultaneously measuring forces and structures of confined complex fluids under static and flow conditions is described. This apparatus, combined with an intense synchrotron x-ray source, allows investigation of molecular orientations within a thin liquid crystal film confined between two shearing mica surfaces 3900 angstroms apart. The layer forming smectic liquid crystal 8CB (4-cyano-4'-octylbiphenyl) adopted a series of distinct planar layer orientations, including the bulk flow-forbidden b orientation. PMID- 17794079 TI - sim2.71828. PMID- 17794080 TI - A view of the particle world. PMID- 17794081 TI - Mammalian evolution. PMID- 17794082 TI - How RNA makes DNA. PMID- 17794083 TI - Vignettes: floridiana. PMID- 17794084 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794085 TI - Science and Statecraft. PMID- 17794086 TI - Effects of an Antibiotic From Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius on Tumor Cells in Vitro, and Its Possible Identity With Gliotoxin. PMID- 17794088 TI - COMMENTS by Readers. PMID- 17794087 TI - Electron Configurations of "Rare-Earth" Elements. PMID- 17794089 TI - Properties of Adsorbed Chlorophyll. PMID- 17794090 TI - Daily Nitrogen Urinary Excretion in People of the Working Class of Caracas. PMID- 17794091 TI - Inhibition of Heating and Lipolysis in Seeds. PMID- 17794092 TI - Heterologous Transplantation of Human Tumors. PMID- 17794093 TI - Hydrolysis by Carbitolic Caustic. PMID- 17794094 TI - Changes in Urinary Steroid Excretion and Correlated Metabolic Effects During Prolonged Administration of Adrenocorticotropic Hormone in Man. PMID- 17794096 TI - A Method for Measuring the Speed of Centrifuges. PMID- 17794095 TI - A Biologically Absorbable Surgical Glove Powder. PMID- 17794097 TI - Synergistic Insecticides. PMID- 17794098 TI - A Method of Drying Partial Protein Hydrolysates and Other Hygroscopic Materials for Nutritional Studies. PMID- 17794099 TI - Specific Surfaces of Bone, Apatite, Enamel, and Dentine. PMID- 17794100 TI - Increasing the Spreading Coefficient of Mustard Gas. PMID- 17794101 TI - Rushing into Print. PMID- 17794102 TI - Mach Rings Verified by Numerical Differentiation. PMID- 17794103 TI - Alfred F. Huettner, Scientist and Teacher. PMID- 17794104 TI - Yale Natural Radiocarbon Measurements II. PMID- 17794105 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17794106 TI - Isotopic Composition of Common Lead from Southern Africa. PMID- 17794108 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17794109 TI - Data evaluation: a critical activity. PMID- 17794110 TI - Homeokinetics: a physical science for complex systems. AB - A physical basis for reductionism is put forth in the form of five propositions that bridge levels of organization in natural phenomena. The outlook is that complex systems and processes all have to be traced back to physical law, which applies the only general scientific constraint on reality, but that out of physical law a hierarchy of organization emerges. The basic extension of normal physics in this homeokinetic field form is to complex systems. In such systems the repetitive units of concern are internally complex and exhibit elaborate internal time-delayed processes, for example, memory. PMID- 17794111 TI - Economics of nuclear power. AB - With 12 percent of U.S. electricity now being supplied by nuclear power, Commonwealth Edison has found nuclear plants to be good investments relative to other base load energy sources. The country's largest user of nuclear power, Commonwealth Edison, estimates that its commitment to nuclear saved its customers about 10 percent on their electric bills in 1977, compared to the cost with the next best alternative, coal. This advantage is seen as continuing, contrary to criticisms of the economics and reliability of nuclear power and claims that it has hidden subsidies. It is concluded that there is a need for both nuclear and coal and that government policy precluding or restricting either would be unwise. PMID- 17794112 TI - Pipeline problems exacerbate west coast oil surplus. PMID- 17794113 TI - Leaning over Backwards on a No-Politics Rule. PMID- 17794114 TI - Environmental assessment sought for federal actions abroad. PMID- 17794115 TI - Panel throws doubt on vitrification. PMID- 17794116 TI - Superconducting electronics: toward an ultrafast computer. PMID- 17794117 TI - A maya site. PMID- 17794118 TI - A Russian view of desertology. PMID- 17794119 TI - Biomechanics. PMID- 17794120 TI - Military uses of uranium: keeping the u.s. Energy accounts. AB - Present accounts of U.S. energy consumption are incomplete in two ways: they include neither the direct military uses of nuclear energy nor the mostly military, nonfuel uses of uranium. Preliminary estimates indicate that significant distortions are created in the data on U.S. nuclear energy consumption patterns as a result of these omissions. PMID- 17794121 TI - Evolution of a nitrogen atmosphere on titan. AB - Photochemical calculations indicate that if NH(3) outgassed from Titan it should have been converted to a dense N(2) atmosphere during the lifetime of the satellite. A crucial step in the process involves a gas phase reaction of N(2)H(4) with H. The most favorable conditions for this step would be the intermediate production of a CH(4)-H(2) greenhouse capable of raising the gas temperature to 150 degrees K. Subsequently about 20 bars of N(2) could have evolved. The pressure-induced opacity of 20 bars of N(2) should suffice to explain the recently measured 200 degrees K surface temperature. Unlike the situation on Jupiter, NH(3) is not recycled on Titan by reactions involving N(2) or N(2)H(4). This may explain the failure of recent attempts to detect NH(3) in the upper atmosphere of Titan. PMID- 17794122 TI - Temperatures of desert plants: another perspective on the adaptability of leaf size. AB - Surface temperatures of perennial plants in the Sonoran Desert of California ranged from 20 degrees C above air temperature to over 18 degrees C below air temperature during rapid growth periods following rain. Desert cactus with large photosynthetic stem surfaces had the highest temperatures and lowest transpiration rates. Perennial plants with relatively small leaves had moderate transpiration rates and leaf temperatures close to air temperature. Desert perennials with relatively large leaves had leaf temperatures well below air temperature along with the greatest accompanying transpiration rates of over 20 micrograms per square centimeter per second, but also had correspondingly low temperatures for maximum photosynthesis. The low leaf temperatures measured for these large-leafed species are an exception to the more common pattern for desert plants whereby a smaller leaf size prevents overheating and leads to reductions in transpiration and increased water-use efficiency. The contribution of a larger leaf size to a lower leaf temperature, and thus higher rate of photosynthesis for these large-leafed species, may represent an adaptive pattern previously unrecognized for desert plants. PMID- 17794123 TI - Experiments with controlled langmuir circulations. AB - Laboratory experiments in which wind was blown gently over a regular crossed-wave pattern have clearly shown the existence of regular, steady, and reproducible Langmuir circulations. The circulations were present only when both the wind and the wave patterns existed at the same time. With circulations having an across wind wavelength of 44 centimeters, the descending vertical motions carried turbulent surface water downward 39 centimeters to the bottom of the wind and wave tank. The observations are in general agreement with the mathematical model of Craik and Leibovich, although further experiments will be required to definitively test the analytical model. PMID- 17794124 TI - Tentaculites: evidence for a brachiopod affinity? AB - Transmission electron microscope studies of fractured surfaces reveal that the shells of Tentaculites are constructed of calcite with a ridge and groove structure and cross-bladed fabric heretofore unique to some articulate brachiopods. A possible affinity with brachiopods or phoronids is suggested for Tentaculites. PMID- 17794125 TI - Isopod and insect root borers may benefit Florida mangroves. AB - Far from threatening the persistence and geographic extent of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) in Florida, wood-boring marine isopods may aid the plant to survive wave action by initiating branching of aerial prop roots. Evidence for a recent, sudden increase in density or range of one such isopod, Sphaeroma terebrans, is anecdotal and weak. Insect damage to mangrove aerial roots even before they descend to the water is at least as great as that wrought by isopods and also causes root branching. Aerial and submarine damage combine to stimulate root initiation so that, for every root produced aerially by the tree, at least 1.4 roots reach the substrate. Similar responses to herbivory, which have been reported for other plants, suggest that herbivores may both benefit and harm plants, and that their impact may be more difficult to assess in specific instances than has been realized. PMID- 17794126 TI - Directionality and auditory slit function: a theory of hearing in bushcrickets. AB - Female bushcrickets locate their mates by sound. Auditory acuity is mediated by the complex anatomy of the tympanal slits, associated trachea, and spiracle. By manipulating the acoustic properties of this system and measuring the neural output, a bilobed, highly directional mechanism associated with the slits is observed, confirming Autrum's original hypothesis. PMID- 17794127 TI - THE WORLD'S MEAT CONSUMPTION, PRODUCTION, AND TRADE. PMID- 17794128 TI - MODEL ELECTRIC ELEVATOR INSTALLATION. PMID- 17794129 TI - STANLEY'S EXPLORATIONS. PMID- 17794130 TI - PHONETICS. PMID- 17794131 TI - INFLUENZA. PMID- 17794132 TI - MEMORY FOLLOWING CRANIAL INJURY. PMID- 17794133 TI - THE BACILLUS OF WARTS. PMID- 17794134 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17794135 TI - AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794136 TI - The Influence of Baking-Powder Residues on Digestion. PMID- 17794138 TI - A Remarkable Bowlder of Nephrite or Jade. PMID- 17794137 TI - Unconscious Bias in Walking. PMID- 17794139 TI - Resemblance of People. PMID- 17794140 TI - UNIVERSITY IDEALS AND THEIR LIMITATIONS. PMID- 17794141 TI - ON THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN IN AMERICA. PMID- 17794142 TI - NOTE ON SUDAN III. PMID- 17794143 TI - NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17794144 TI - CONCERNING SELECTIVE PERMEABILITY. PMID- 17794145 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17794146 TI - Military Psychology in War and Peace. PMID- 17794147 TI - Sir Joseph Barcroft 1872-1947. PMID- 17794148 TI - COMMENTS by Readers. PMID- 17794149 TI - Adenosinetriphosphatase Activity of Human Serum. PMID- 17794150 TI - Effect of Age of Infection Upon the Oxidative Metabolism of Trypanosoma lewisi. PMID- 17794151 TI - The Mode of Action of 7-Methyl Folic Acid. PMID- 17794152 TI - Fluorescence of Red Blood Cells. PMID- 17794154 TI - Sea Water Systems at Marine Laboratories. PMID- 17794153 TI - Improved and Improvised Sterilizing Containers for Bacteriological Petri Dishes and Pipettes. PMID- 17794155 TI - A Method for Determining Sensitivity to Penicillin and Streptomycin. PMID- 17794156 TI - The History of Oxygen. PMID- 17794157 TI - On the Origin of the Chemical Elements. PMID- 17794158 TI - The Influence of Thyroid and Thiouracil on Mice Exposed to Roentgen Radiation. PMID- 17794159 TI - A Method for Studying Growth in Different Groups of Arthropods. PMID- 17794160 TI - Cultivation of the Lansing Strain of Poliomyelitis Virus in Cultures of Various Human Embryonic Tissues. PMID- 17794161 TI - Insect Vectors of Phony Peach Disease. PMID- 17794162 TI - Inhibition of the Adenosinetriphosphatase Activity of Preparations of Myosin. PMID- 17794164 TI - Requesting Reprints from Abroad. PMID- 17794163 TI - In Support of Michurin's Biological Theory in Higher Institutions of Learning. PMID- 17794165 TI - Instruments for Recording Blood Pressure. PMID- 17794166 TI - Robert Tracy Jackson, 1861-1948. PMID- 17794167 TI - Robert G. Green, 1895-1947. PMID- 17794168 TI - COSTA RICA AT THE EXPOSITION. PMID- 17794169 TI - ENGINEERING LABORATORIES. PMID- 17794170 TI - ANIMAL BIOLOGY IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. PMID- 17794171 TI - FAITH IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM. PMID- 17794172 TI - THE SILVER QUESTION AND BIMETALISM. PMID- 17794173 TI - OVERHEAD SOUNDS IN THE VICINITY OF YEL LOWSTONE LAKE. PMID- 17794174 TI - CITY BIRDS OF DENVER, COLORADO. PMID- 17794175 TI - THE PLACE OF MUSEUMS IN EDUCATION. PMID- 17794176 TI - MINNESOTA MOUNDS. PMID- 17794177 TI - THE DESTRUCTION OF WILD PLANTS. PMID- 17794178 TI - FEIGNED DEATH IN SNAKES. PMID- 17794180 TI - A GROOVED AXE IN A STRANGE PLACE. PMID- 17794179 TI - THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE DIPTERA. PMID- 17794181 TI - SLATE BLACK-BOARDS. PMID- 17794183 TI - Objectives of cancer research. PMID- 17794182 TI - Objectives of cancer research. PMID- 17794184 TI - Mercury residues. PMID- 17794186 TI - Fusion by 1990? PMID- 17794185 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17794188 TI - "Necessity or chance". PMID- 17794187 TI - Captive audience. PMID- 17794189 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17794190 TI - Limits to growth. PMID- 17794191 TI - Gosses bluff impact structure, australia. PMID- 17794192 TI - Classic to postclassic in highland central Mexico. AB - The data and argument we have presented converge on three points. 1) With the decline and abandonment of Teotihuacan by the end of the Metepec phase (Teotihuacan IV), the valleys of Mexico and of Puebla-Tlax-cala witnessed the development of a ceramic culture that was represented, on the one hand, by obvious Teotihuacan derivations in presumably ritual ware and possible Teotihuacan derivations in simpler pottery of red-on-buff, and, on the other hand, by elements that seem to represent a resurgence of Preclassic characteristics. Whether the development is explained through a measure of outside influence or as a local phenomenon, the direct derivation of a substantial portion of the complex from Classic Teotihuacan is unmistakable. This transitional horizon predated the arrival of plumbate tradeware in highland central Mexico. 2) The transitional horizon coincided with (and no doubt was an integral part of) an alteration of Classic settlement patterns so drastic that it must bespeak political disruption. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that the Postclassic center of Tula represented a significant force in the highlands at that time. There is no evidence that the center of Cholula, which may even have been substantially abandoned during the previous period, was able to exert any force at this juncture; it appears more likely that Cholula was largely reoccupied after the abandonment of Teotihuacan. There is no direct evidence of domination by Xochicalco or any other known major foreign center, although some ceramic traits suggest that relatively minor influences may have emanated from Xochicalco; unfortunately, the state of research at that center does not permit a determination at this time. Thus the most reasonable view on the basis of present evidence is that the abandonment of Teotihuacan was not the direct result of the strength of another centralized power, although some outside populations may have been involved in a minor way. Whatever the proximate cause, however, it is now clear that the abandonment of Teotihuacan led to a period of Balkanization in which no single center, or pair of centers, were dominant in the highlands. 3) The transitional horizon saw the immediate development of a cultural distinction between the Valley of Mexico and the Valley of Puebla-Tlaxcala, a distinction in which differential degrees of outside cultural influence may have played a part. This distinction was magnified in the early Postclassic, with the rising power of Tula on the west and of Cholula on the east, and Balkanization ended with the growth of empire. PMID- 17794194 TI - Academic freedom at stanford: lessons of the franklin case. PMID- 17794193 TI - Costs, benefits, effectiveness: challenge to educational technology. PMID- 17794195 TI - Division of biologics standards: the boat that never rocked. PMID- 17794196 TI - An alliance for hearts. PMID- 17794197 TI - Cancer radiation therapy: potential for high energy particles. PMID- 17794198 TI - Archeological excavations in jalisco, Mexico. AB - Recent archeological work in northeastern West Mexico has provided information about a previously unknown area and some evidence regarding its relationship with other parts of Mexico. An occupation as early as A.D. 100 is suggested. PMID- 17794199 TI - Matanchen complex: new radiocarbon dates on early coastal adaptation in west Mexico. AB - Samples of marine shell from archeological context on the coast of Nayarit, Mexico, have given radiocarbon determinations of 1810 +/- 80 B.C., 2000 +/- 100 B.C., and 2100 +/- 100 B.C. Even with maximum correction for upwelling these are the earliest dates for coastal occupation in West Mexico north of Acapulco, Guerrero. Analysis of the midden contents has provided new insights regarding early coastal adaptation. PMID- 17794200 TI - Apollo 14 active seismic experiment. AB - Explosion seismic refraction data indicate that the lunar near-surface rocks at the Apollo 14 site consist of a regolith 8.5 meters thick and characterized by a compressional wave velocity of 104 meters per second. The regolith is underlain by a layer with a compressional wave velocity of 299 meters per second. The thickness of this layer, which we interpret to be the Fra Mauro Formation, is between 16 and 76 meters. The layer immediately beneath this has a velocity greater than 370 meters per second. We found no evidence of permafrost. PMID- 17794201 TI - Carbon isotopic studies of organic matter in precambrian rocks. AB - Reduced carbon in early Precambrian cherts of the Fig Tree and upper and middle Onverwacht groups of South Africa is isotopically similar (the average value of delta(13)C(PDB) is -28.7 per mil) to photosynthetically produced organic matter of younger geological age. Reduced carbon in lower Onverwacht cherts (Theespruit formation) is anomalously heavy (the average value of delta(13)C(PDB) is -16.5 per mil). This discontinuity may reflect a major event in biological evolution. PMID- 17794202 TI - An eocene hystricognathous rodent from Texas: its significance in interpretations of continental drift. AB - The earliest known representative of the fundamentally South American and African hystricognathous rodents has recently been found in the middle or late Eocene of southwestern Texas; this discovery supports the postulate of a northern and independent origin for the two southern groups and increases the evidence against mid-Tertiary trans-Atlantic migration of these rodents at a time when the South Atlantic was narrower than it is at present. The fossil seems to be related to the North American Eocene family Sciuravidae. PMID- 17794203 TI - Electron microscopic evidence for plasmodesmata in dicotyledonous guard cells. AB - In Nicotianna tobaccum and Vicia faba leaves, plasmodesmata were observed by electron microscopy in walls between sister guard cells and walls between guard and epidermal cells. The latter were found primarily in pit fields of anticlinal walls and showed considerable complexity as evidenced by branching. Cytologically, the plasmodesmata appear functional in operative guard cells and should be considered in the mechanism of stomatal movements. PMID- 17794204 TI - Prostaglandins in fertility control. PMID- 17794205 TI - In reply: criminality and adoption. PMID- 17794206 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Antibodies to peptides detect new hepatitis B antigen: Serological correlation with hepatocellular carcinoma" by A. M. Moriarty, H. Alexander, G. B. Thornton, and R. A. Lerner (25 Jan., p. 429), the legend of table 1 should have begun, "Reactivity of human serum samples with peptide 99 and peptide 142," not "Reactivity of human liver samples...." PMID- 17794207 TI - Jumping frog genes. PMID- 17794208 TI - Science policy and tight budgets. PMID- 17794209 TI - Exotic nuclei and their decay. AB - Recent advances in nuclear accelerators and experimental techniques have led to an increased ability to synthesize new isotopes. As isotopes are produced with more and more extreme combinations of neutrons and protons in their nuclei, new phenomena are observed, and the versatility of the nucleus is increased as a laboratory for studying fundamental forces. Among the newly discovered decay modes are (i) proton radioactivity, (ii) triton, two-proton, two-neutron, and three-neutron decays that are beta-delayed, as well as (iii)(14)C emission in radioactive decay. Precise tests of the properties of the weak force have also been achieved. PMID- 17794210 TI - Key problems in science and technology in Thailand. AB - Science and technology can make substantial contributions to socio-economic development in Thailand. In order to promote such contributions, problem areas and specific problems of high priority need to be defined, and possible solutions outlined. Important criteria for selecting priority areas and key problems include relevance to development, the availability of human resources and the possibility of their development, the cutting-edge advantage to be gained by development, the possibility of international collaboration, and the possibility of integration with culture and environment. These criteria suggest in Thailand a focus on the development of bioscience and biotechnology, materials science, electronics, and information science. PMID- 17794212 TI - College curricula in disarray, study says. PMID- 17794211 TI - A closer look at the legislation. PMID- 17794213 TI - Comings and goings. PMID- 17794214 TI - Scientists Object to Loss of NSF Ethics Program. PMID- 17794215 TI - Scientists at the white house. PMID- 17794216 TI - Commission proposes science department. PMID- 17794218 TI - Fish to bacterium gene transfer. PMID- 17794217 TI - Is bioenergy stalled? PMID- 17794219 TI - First Neutrons from Rutherford Lab's SNS: Although it will take 2 years of commissioning to reach full intensity, the Spallation Neutron Source will be the world's most powerful. PMID- 17794221 TI - Concerned scientists in britain: scientists, society, and state. PMID- 17794220 TI - Cosmic cube goes commercial. PMID- 17794222 TI - Magnetic oscillations: magnetic oscillations in metals. PMID- 17794224 TI - Interstellar grains: proceedings of the workshop on laboratory and observational infrared spectra of interstellar dust. PMID- 17794223 TI - Researches in the kaiserreich: paul ehrlich. PMID- 17794225 TI - Human paleoecology: hominid evolution and community ecology. PMID- 17794226 TI - Indian-atlantic transfer of thermocline water at the agulhas retroflection. AB - During November and December 1983, two anticyclonic eddies were observed west of the Agulhas Retroflection, apparently spawned at the retroflection. The western eddy, centered 300 kilometers southwest of Cape Town, has a winter cooled core encircled by warm Indian Ocean water. Between Cape Town and the "Cape Town Eddy" is a net geostrophic transport of Indian Ocean thermocline water (14 x 10(6) cubic meters per second) into the South Atlantic Ocean. This circulation configuration, similar to that observed by earlier researchers, suggests that Indian-Atlantic thermocline exchange is a common occurrence. Such a warmwater link between the Atlantic and Indian oceans would strongly influence global climate patterns. The Indian Ocean water is warmer than the adjacent South Atlantic water and thus represents a heat input of 2.3 x 10(13) to 47 x 10(13) watts into the Atlantic. The large uncertainty arises from the unknown partition between two possible routes for the return flow from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean: cooler South Atlantic thermocline water or much colder North Atlantic Deep Water. In either case, interocean mass and heat exchange of thermocline water at the Agulhas Retroflection is a distinct likelihood. PMID- 17794227 TI - Volatile halogenated organic compounds released to seawater from temperate marine macroalgae. AB - Volatile halogenated organic compounds synthesized by various industrial processes are troublesome pollutants because they are persistent in terrestrial ecosystems and because they may be present in sufficient quantities to alter the natural atmospheric cycles of the halogens. Certain of these compounds, including polybromomethanes and several previously unobserved alkyl monohalides and dihalides, appear to be natural products of the marine environment. A variety of temperate marine macroalgae (the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosis, the green algae Enteromorpha linza and Ulva lacta, and the red alga Gigartina stellata) not only contain volatile halogenated organic compounds but also release them to seawater at rates of nanograms to micrograms of each compound per gram of dry algae per day. The macroalgae may be an important source of bromine-containing material released to the atmosphere. PMID- 17794228 TI - Ecological Character Displacement in Darwin's Finches. AB - Character displacement resulting from interspecific competition has been extremely difficult to demonstrate. The problem was addressed with a study of Darwin's ground finches (Geospiza). Beak sizes of populations of G. fortis and G. fuliginosa in sympatry and allopatry were compared by a procedure that controls for any possible effects on morphology of variation among locations in food supply. The results provide strong evidence for character displacement. Measurement of natural selection in a population of G. fortis on an island (Daphne) lacking a resident population of G. fuliginosa shows how exploitation of G. fuliginosa foods affects the differential survival of G. fortis phenotypes. PMID- 17794230 TI - Visual flow and direction of locomotion. PMID- 17794229 TI - Genetic consequences of mate choice: a quantitative genetic method for testing sexual selection theory. AB - To investigate whether female mate choice could be directed at male genetic quality, male chemical signals and progeny fitness were studied in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum). Differences among males in the attractiveness of their pheromone to females were statistically significant. Developmental time of progeny was significantly heritable, indicating that some males have "good genes" for this trait. There was no statistically significant correlation between progeny fitness and male attractiveness. These results do not support the hypothesis that in this species the evolution of female preferences for male pheromone is adaptive. PMID- 17794231 TI - Visual flow and direction of locomotion. PMID- 17794232 TI - In Reply: On the mathematical structure of the visuotopic mapping of macaque striate cortex. PMID- 17794233 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17794234 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17794236 TI - PARIS LETTER. PMID- 17794237 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17794235 TI - CRUELTY OF OLD CUSTOMS. PMID- 17794238 TI - On certain electrical phenomena. PMID- 17794239 TI - Barometer exposure. PMID- 17794240 TI - A question for economists in regard to value. PMID- 17794241 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17794242 TI - A sensitive wind-vane. PMID- 17794243 TI - The destructive caterpillars of the squares of New York. PMID- 17794244 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17794245 TI - Fossils from Kicking Horse Pass. PMID- 17794246 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17794247 TI - RECENT PSYCHICAL RESEARCHES. PMID- 17794248 TI - THE AMERICAN ENGINEERS' MEETING. PMID- 17794249 TI - WORTHLESS BAYONETS. PMID- 17794250 TI - ACCESSIONS TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. PMID- 17794251 TI - FARTHEST NORTH. PMID- 17794252 TI - EXPLORATIONS IN ALASKA BY THE BROTHERS KRAUSE. PMID- 17794253 TI - THURSTON'S MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION. PMID- 17794254 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17794255 TI - The festoon cloud. PMID- 17794256 TI - Oil on troubled waters. PMID- 17794257 TI - Cost of scientific books. PMID- 17794258 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17794259 TI - Sea-level and ocean-currents. PMID- 17794260 TI - Nectar-secreting plant-lice. PMID- 17794261 TI - The collapse of the theosophists. PMID- 17794262 TI - SCIENCE FIVE THOUSAND YEARS HENCE. PMID- 17794263 TI - THE VALUE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCES IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ANESTHESIOLOGY. PMID- 17794265 TI - EXTENSION COURSES IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17794264 TI - PHOEBUS AARON THEODOR LEVENE 1869-1940. PMID- 17794266 TI - ENGINEERING EDUCATION AT THE RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE. PMID- 17794267 TI - THE MIDWEST WILDLIFE CONFERENCE. PMID- 17794268 TI - FELLOWSHIPS IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17794269 TI - AWARD OF THE WILLIAM H. NICHOLS MEDAL OF THE NEW YORK SECTION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794270 TI - MULTISENSUAL MATHEMATICAL TERMS. PMID- 17794271 TI - ONCOMING REVERSAL OF THE HUMAN GROWTH TIDE. PMID- 17794272 TI - HOLLY DEFOLIATION PREVENTED BY a-NAPHTHALENEACETIC ACID. PMID- 17794274 TI - WIDER USE FOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE PUBLICATIONS THROUGH IMPROVED DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17794273 TI - THE TUCSON MEETING OF THE SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17794275 TI - A NEW TYPE OF VIRUS FROM EPIDEMIC INFLUENZA. PMID- 17794276 TI - THE VIBRATION OF CIRCULAR PLATES. PMID- 17794277 TI - A METHOD FOR MEASURING AND RECORDING CONTINUOUSLY THE pH OF THE CIRCULATING BLOOD. PMID- 17794278 TI - A SIMPLE INEXPENSIVE DEVICE FOR ACCURATE DELIVERY OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF FLUID. PMID- 17794280 TI - TENDENCIES IN THE LOGIC OF MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17794279 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17794281 TI - NAMING THE GRAND CANYON. PMID- 17794282 TI - LACTOBACILLI IN FROZEN PACK PEAS. PMID- 17794283 TI - THE REACTION OF INDIVIDUAL BACTERIA TO IRRADIATION WITH ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT. PMID- 17794284 TI - A RARE PUBLICATION. PMID- 17794286 TI - VITAMIN A IN THE PIMIENTO PEPPER. PMID- 17794285 TI - EARTHQUAKES IN THE HOLY LAND: A CORRECTION. PMID- 17794287 TI - DOUBLE STAINING BY THE CAJALBROZEK METHOD. PMID- 17794289 TI - A NEW PARAFFIN EMBEDDING MIXTURE. PMID- 17794288 TI - PHOTOPERIODISM AS A CAUSE OF THE REST PERIOD IN STRAWBERRIES. PMID- 17794290 TI - A "SCURVY-LIKE" DISEASE IN CHICKS. PMID- 17794291 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794292 TI - Computer music. PMID- 17794293 TI - Humane "weapons". PMID- 17794295 TI - The deteriorating energy position. PMID- 17794294 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794296 TI - Thermochemical hydrogen generation. AB - The basic concepts for thermochemical hydrogen generation processes have been summarized in this article. A useful set of criteria has been described for the screening and selection of potentially viable, multistep, closedcycle thermochemical processes for hydrogen generation. Three illustrative, new closed cycle processes have been discussed, indicating potential, overall thermal efficiencies ranging from approximately 40 to 60 percent. Combined thermochemical electrolytic schemes also warrant further consideration. Principal technical problems in the development of such thermochemical closed-cycle and mixed-cycle processes are expected to include primarily materials compatibility, reaction kinetics, separation techniques, and heat-exchanger systems. As natural gas supplies decline and prices rise, new open-cycle thermochemical processes based on water and other fossil fuel feedstocks will be the first important new technology in supplying the growing hydrogen needs of industry for at least the next two decades. Conventional electrolysis technology does not appear to be a competitor for large-scale supplies in this century unless very low off-peak electrical power rates become available, although electrolysis will be the best technique for some small-scale uses. Further analysis will be required to determine if closed-cycle thermochemical or mixed-cycle methods will displace electrolysis or other methods as the principal technology for the production of hydrogen on a large scale for the longer term. PMID- 17794297 TI - Socioeconomic achievements of u.s. Men, 1962 to 1972. PMID- 17794298 TI - Advising the White House: NSF Says the New System Works. PMID- 17794299 TI - Law of the sea: fisheries plight poses dilemma for United States. PMID- 17794300 TI - Bisplinghoff to resign. PMID- 17794301 TI - Plate tectonics: do the hot spots really stand still? PMID- 17794302 TI - Watergate: 1972 campaigners tried to use R & d agencies. AB - In the 12 July issue, page 126, described George C. Guenther, former assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, as the "former boss" of Marcus M. Key, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH in fact is part of the Department of Health, Education. and Welfare. PMID- 17794303 TI - Water and carbon in rusty lunar rock 66095. AB - Lunar rock 66095 contains a hydrated iron oxide and has an unusual amount of water for a lunar rock (140 to 750 parts per million), 90 percent of which is released below 690 degrees C. The deltaof water released at these low temperatures varies from -75 to -140 per mil relative to standard mean ocean water (SMOW). The small amount of water released between 690 degrees and 1300 degrees C has a delta of about -175 +/-25 per mil SMOW. These delta values are not unusual for terrestrial water. The delta(18)O of water extracted from 110 degrees to 400 degrees C has a value of +5+/- I per mil SMOW, similar to the value for lunar silicates from rock 66095 and different from the value of -4 to 22 per mil found for samples of terrestrial rust including samples of rusted meteoritic iron. The amount of carbon varies from 11 to 59 parts per million with a delta(13)C from -20 to -30 per mil relative to Pee Dee belemnite. Only very small amounts of reduced species (such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane) were found, in contrast to the analyses of other lunar rocks. Although it is possible that most of the water in the iron oxide (goethite) may be terrestrial in origin or may have exchanged with terrestrial water during sample return and handling, evidence presented herein suggests that this did not happen and that some lunar water may have a deltaD that is indistinguishable from that of terrestrial water. PMID- 17794304 TI - Scatological origin of microvertebrate fossil accumulations. AB - Small-mammal bone found in Recent carnivore droppings (scat) is identical in appearance with that in many Mesozoic and Tertiary microvertebrate fossil collections. Such fossil specimens passed into or through the digestive tracts of carnivores before being left as scat that was later reworked into sedimentary rocks. The term "coprocoenosis" is proposed for such an assemblage. Caution is urged in drawing conclusions about the composition of paleocommunities because carnivores can catch prey representing several different communities and leave a mixed assemblage in a particular depositional environment. PMID- 17794305 TI - Stellar motion survey by automation. AB - The proper motion survey on plates taken with the 48-inch Schmidt telescope at Mount Palomar Observatory has now progressed to the point where some 250,000 new motions for faint stars have been measured, and 5,000 new white dwarfs and degenerate stars and 3,000 stars of low luminosity have been added. PMID- 17794306 TI - Biological suppression of weeds: evidence for allelopathy in accessions of cucumber. AB - Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) accessions from 41 nations were grown with two indicator species in a search for superior competitors. Of the plant introductions tested, one inhibited indicator plant growth by 87 percent and 25 inhibited growth by 50 percent or more. The toxicity of leachates from pots containing inhibitory cucumbers to indicator plants germinated in separate containers suggested allelopathy. Incorporation of an allelopathic character into a crop cultivar could provide the plant with a means of gaining a competitive advantage over certain weeds. PMID- 17794307 TI - A chondrule: evidence of energetic impact unlikely. PMID- 17794308 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17794309 TI - Prominent noses. PMID- 17794310 TI - Weightlessness in space. PMID- 17794311 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17794312 TI - Writers: fancies and foibles. PMID- 17794313 TI - Privacy. PMID- 17794316 TI - Points of view. PMID- 17794317 TI - Atoms for peace: Russian declines award. PMID- 17794314 TI - Superconducting Magnets in High-Energy Physics: Large-scale magnets that dissipate no electrical power are under construction for high-energy physics research. AB - The promise of superconductivity making possible large magnets that dissipate no power is now being realized. Most of the early difficulties have been overcome; hence it is now a straight-forward engineering problem to design and build a large stable supermagnet. The application of such magnets to research in high energy physics can be expected to grow rapidly in the next few years. PMID- 17794319 TI - Enthalpy of transformation of a high-pressure polymorph of titanium dioxide to the rutile modification. AB - The enthalpy of transformation of a high-pressure form of titanium dioxide, which has the alpha lead dioxide structure, to the rutile modification was measured by the method of "transposed temperature-drop calorimetry." For the reaction, titanium dioxide (alpha lead dioxide form) transforming to rutile, the change in the heat content is -0.76 +/- 0.17 kilocalorie per mole. From this value and the volume change (+ 2.8 percent) associated with the transformation, we estimate the equilibrium pressure at 294 degrees K to be 60 +/- 20 kilobars. PMID- 17794318 TI - Geological exploration in an East coast submarine canyon from a research submersible. AB - Large talus blocks litter the flat floor of Oceanographer Canyon at a depth of 1460 meters; they indicate down-axis mass transport of floor sediment at an unknown time and rate. From 1460 to 1310 meters the sidewall is covered by unconsolidated sediment lying at 35 degrees to 40 degrees from the horizontal. An outcrop of Pleistocene or younger sediment at 1460 meters is probably a remnant of a former fill. PMID- 17794320 TI - Venus: tectonic activity. PMID- 17794321 TI - Placement service. PMID- 17794322 TI - A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17794323 TI - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WORK IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17794324 TI - RADIOTELEGRAPHIC ACHIEVEMENTS BY THE POULSEN SYSTEM. PMID- 17794325 TI - PICTURES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS. PMID- 17794326 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17794328 TI - BOTANICAL EVIDENCE OF THE AGE OF CERTAIN OX-BOW LAKES. PMID- 17794327 TI - THE ANALYSIS OF NATURAL SELECTION. PMID- 17794329 TI - ON COMPARING AMMONIFYING COEFFICIENTS OF DIFFERENT SOILS. PMID- 17794330 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794331 TI - Uranium enrichment. PMID- 17794332 TI - Corporations On Campus: University-industry ties continue to grow, with mutual benefit and lingering questions about the consequences to academic openness and the influence on students. PMID- 17794333 TI - Foreign investors outstrip u.s. PMID- 17794334 TI - Some refuseniks see no glasnost. PMID- 17794336 TI - "Greens" challenge French gene research. PMID- 17794335 TI - France to boost research spending. PMID- 17794337 TI - SSC Deadline Extended. PMID- 17794338 TI - A Younger Universe Is Seen the Stars: A tricky observation of radioactive thorium in nearby stars leads to a surprisingly young age for the galaxy and for the universe; many astronomers are skeptical--but some are enthusiastic. PMID- 17794339 TI - Off-design performance of power plants: an integrated gasification combined-cycle example. AB - Fossil-fueled power plants typically operate below their design capacities for a large fraction of their service life. In the United States, increased fuel and capital costs attributable to this off-design operation are considerable. This article describes the reasons for off-design operation and its importance in designing and selecting new power plants. Recent studies of coal gasification combined-cycle power plants show how computer simulations of off-design performance can aid in the design process, and they suggest that such simulations can be useful in reducing the cost of building and operating new power plants. PMID- 17794340 TI - The shapes of random walks. AB - A theoretical description of the shape of a random object is presented that is analytically simple in application but quantitatively accurate. The asymmetry of the object is characterized in terms of the invariants of a tensor, analogous to the moment-of-inertia tensor, whose eigenvalues are the squares of the principal radii of gyration. The complications accompanying ensemble averaging because of random processes are greatly reduced when the object is embedded in a space of high dimensionality, d. Exact analytical expressions are presented in the case of infinite spatial dimensions, and a procedure for developing an expansion in powers of l/d is discussed for linear chain and ring-type random walks. The first two terms in such an expansion lead to results for various shape parameters that agree remarkably well with those calculated by computer simulation. The method can be extended to yield an approximate, but extremely accurate, expression for the probability distribution function directly. The theoretical approach discussed here can, in principle, be used to describe the shape of other random fractal objects as well. PMID- 17794341 TI - The 30-kilodalton gene product of tobacco mosaic virus potentiates virus movement. AB - The proposed role of the 30-kilodalton(kD) protein of tobacco mosaic virus is to facilitate cell-to-cell spread of the virus-during infection. To directly define the function of the protein, a chimeric gene containing a cloned complementary DNA of the 30-kD protein gene was introduced into tobacco cells via a Ti plasmid mediated transformation system of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transgenic plants regenerated from transformed tobacco cells expressed the 30-kD protein messenger RNA and accumulated 30-kD protein. Seedlings expressing the 30-kD protein gene complemented the Lsl mutant of TMV, a mutant that is temperature-sensitive in cell-to-cell movement. In addition, enhanced movement of the Lsl virus at the permissive temperature was detected in seedlings that express the 30-kD protein gene. These results conclusively demonstrate that the 30-kD protein of tobacco mosaic virus potentiates the movement of the virus from cell to cell. PMID- 17794342 TI - Phylogeny and coevolution: coevolution and systematics. PMID- 17794343 TI - Ancient soils: paleosols. PMID- 17794344 TI - High energy cosmic photons: gamma-ray astronomy. PMID- 17794345 TI - Ion transport: proteins of excitable membranes. PMID- 17794346 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794347 TI - Prospect and Retrospect. PMID- 17794348 TI - International Geophysical Year: The second part of a two-part summary of IGY activities covers heat and water, the earth, and data exchange. PMID- 17794349 TI - Engineering Information--All Is Not Lost: Literature is being effectively used despite current lack of efficient mechanical retrieval systems. PMID- 17794350 TI - Bergen Davis, Experimental Physicist. PMID- 17794351 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17794352 TI - On Evaporation from Wind-Swept Surfaces. AB - Evaporation is analyzed in terms of resistances and driving forces for the coupled flows of vapor and heat. The conditions and assumptions under which all resistances can be determined independently are discussed, and preliminary experiments are reported. The effect of a monomolecular layer upon the transport of vapor is thus measured on a wind-swept surface, and its effect upon heat transport in the water is indicated. PMID- 17794353 TI - Ecological Significance of Red Light Sensitivity in Germination of Tobacco Seed. AB - The light transmission of different soil materials was measured in a Beckman spectrophotometer. The relative energy transmission was greatest at the red end of the spectrum. A seed sensitive to red light will have the capacity to germinate at nearly the maximum depth of penetration by visible light, where the risk of early desiccation is diminished. PMID- 17794355 TI - Research in Italy. PMID- 17794354 TI - State of the Physical Sciences. PMID- 17794356 TI - State of the Physical Sciences. PMID- 17794359 TI - Footnote to History. PMID- 17794357 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17794358 TI - Government of Portugal. PMID- 17794361 TI - Government of Portugal. PMID- 17794360 TI - Acetylcholine Metabolism and Behavior of Rats. PMID- 17794362 TI - Acetylcholine Metabolism and Behavior of Rats. PMID- 17794364 TI - Get-rich-quick science. PMID- 17794363 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794365 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794367 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794366 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794368 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794369 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794370 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794371 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794372 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794374 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794373 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794375 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794377 TI - Minorities in science: the dialogue. PMID- 17794376 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - In the special section "Minorities in science: The pipeline problem" (13 Nov., p. 1175), the graph on page 1199 showing the field distribution of employed scientists and engineers by ethnicity should have been labeled "Percentage" along the x axis. Also, the designation "Engineers" should have read, "Engineers, total." Labeled correctly, the graph would indicate, for example, that among all employed white scientists and engineers in 1988, about 50% were scientists and 50% were engineers. Of employed black scientists and engineers, about 70% were scientists and only about 30% were engineers. Among Hispanics, the breakdown was about 45% scientists and 55% engineers. PMID- 17794378 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794379 TI - Jack gibbons: plugging into the power structure. PMID- 17794380 TI - A worldly approach to a new accelerator. PMID- 17794381 TI - The invasion of Mars. PMID- 17794382 TI - Long live the lefties. PMID- 17794384 TI - Education reformer forced out. PMID- 17794383 TI - The Blight o' the Irish. PMID- 17794385 TI - Third Time's a Charm For Roving Heart. PMID- 17794387 TI - Russians admit reactor dumping. PMID- 17794386 TI - Twisted fish sex scare. PMID- 17794388 TI - Short-term prediction takes its knocks, too. PMID- 17794389 TI - Parkfield quakes skip a beat. PMID- 17794390 TI - Shiny molecules gain new luster. PMID- 17794391 TI - Probing the unsolved mysteries of the deep. PMID- 17794393 TI - Live iron-60 in the early solar system. AB - Isotopic analyses of nickel in samples from the differentiated meteorite Chervony Kut revealed the presence of relative excesses of (60)Ni ranging from 2.4 up to 50 parts per 10(4). These isotopic excesses are from the decay of the now extinct short-lived nuclide (60)Fe and provide clear evidence for the existence of (60)Fe over large scales in the early solar system. Not only was (60)Fe present at the time of melting and differentiation (that is, Fe-Ni fractionation) of the parent body of Chervony Kut but also later at the time when basaltic magma solidified at or near the surface of the planetesimal. The inferred abundance of (60)Fe suggests that its decay alone could have provided sufficient heat to melt small (diameters of several hundred kilometers) planetary bodies shortly after their accretion. PMID- 17794392 TI - Glowing avalanches: new research on volcanic density currents. PMID- 17794394 TI - Specific heat and thermal conductivity of solid fullerenes. AB - Evidence is presented that the lattice vibrations of compacted C(60)/C(70) fullerite microcrystals consist predominantly of localized modes. Vibrational motions of the rigid molecules ("buckyballs") have been identified as well as their internal vibrations. Debye waves play only a relatively minor role, except below approximately 4 kelvin. By comparison with other crystalline materials, for these materials the Einstein model of the specific heat and thermal conductivity of solids, which is based on the assumption of atoms (in this case, buckyballs) vibrating with random phases, is in much better agreement with the measurements than the Debye model, which is based on collective excitations. PMID- 17794395 TI - Mid-depth circulation of the subpolar north atlantic during the last glacial maximum. AB - Holocene and glacial carbon isotope data of benthic foraminifera from shallow to mid-depth cores from the northeastern subpolar Atlantic show that this region was strongly stratified, with carbon-13-enriched glacial North Atlantic intermediate water (GNAIW) overlying carbon-13-depleted Southern Ocean water (SOW). The data suggest that GNAIW originated north of the polar front and define GNAIW end member carbon isotope values for studies of water-mass mixing in the open Atlantic. Identical carbon isotope values in the core of GNAIW and below the subtropical thermocline are consistent with rapid cycling of GNAIW through the northern Atlantic. The high carbon isotope values below the thermocline indicate that enhanced nutrient leakage in response to increased ventilation may have extended into intermediate waters. Geochemical box models show that the atmospheric carbon dioxide response to nutrient leakage that results from an increase in ventilation rate may be greater than the response to nutrient redistribution by conversion of North Atlantic deep water into GNAIW. These results underscore the potential rule of Atlantic Ocean circulation changes in influencing past atmospheric carbon dioxide values. PMID- 17794396 TI - Order-disorder transition in polycrystalline c60 films. AB - High-resolution Raman spectroscopy of polycrystalline films of C(60) deposited under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions show that the spectrum below 244 +/- 3 kelvin consists of a superposition of two components whose relative contributions are temperature-dependent. The spectrum of the more intense of the two components is similar to that obtained for air- or oxygen-exposed samples of C(60) at room temperature, whereas the spectrum above 244 +/- 3 kelvin corresponds to one previously reported for oxygen-free samples of C(60). The results may indicate an order-disorder phase transition involving the percolation of a cluster of C(60) molecules engaged in coherent Raman scattering. PMID- 17794397 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17794399 TI - Vignettes: anthropobotany. PMID- 17794398 TI - McClintock Myths. PMID- 17794400 TI - Progress in physiology. PMID- 17794401 TI - Insects recaptured. PMID- 17794402 TI - Spectra at a distance. PMID- 17794404 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17794405 TI - Cretaceous phosphates in Alabama. PMID- 17794403 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794406 TI - Swarming insects. PMID- 17794407 TI - THE ORGANIZATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17794408 TI - THE IMPLEMENTS OF THE IGLOO. PMID- 17794409 TI - COUES'S KEY TO NORTH-AMERICAN BIRDS. PMID- 17794410 TI - WIEDEMANN'S ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17794411 TI - MEDICINE AND THE PUBLIC. PMID- 17794412 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF SCIENCE TEACHING. PMID- 17794413 TI - SECTION L OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17794414 TI - FOSSILS--ARE THEY MERELY "PREHISTORIC," OR MUST THEY ALSO BE "GEOLOGIC"? PMID- 17794415 TI - AMERICAN PUBLICATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE. PMID- 17794416 TI - THRICE TOLD TALES. PMID- 17794417 TI - AMOEligBOID MOVEMENT, TISSUE FORMATION AND CONSISTENCY OF PROTOPLASM. PMID- 17794419 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794418 TI - THE RELATIVE NUMBERS OF TWINS AND TRIPLETS. PMID- 17794422 TI - GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA: NINTH ANNUAL MEETING, WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 29-31, 1896. PMID- 17794420 TI - ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS. PMID- 17794421 TI - A NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17794424 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17794425 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17794423 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794427 TI - ON CERTAIN PROBLEMS OF VERTEBRATE EMBRYLOGY. PMID- 17794426 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17794428 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL SECTION OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17794429 TI - PROFESSOR HUGO KRONECKER. PMID- 17794431 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17794430 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17794432 TI - RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENTS AND THE UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17794433 TI - CHONTAL, SERI AND YUMAN. PMID- 17794434 TI - A NEW NATURE BOOK. PMID- 17794435 TI - THE ALLEGED DANGERS TO THE EYE FROM ULTRA-VIOLET RADIATION. PMID- 17794436 TI - Atomic Power. PMID- 17794437 TI - Communication by Insects: Physiology of Dancing. PMID- 17794438 TI - Useful Application of Bronsted Catalysis Law. PMID- 17794439 TI - E. L. DeGolyer, Father of Applied Geophysics. PMID- 17794440 TI - E. P. Adams, Princeton Physicist. PMID- 17794441 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17794442 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17794443 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17794445 TI - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17794444 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17794446 TI - THE NUTRITIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AMINO ACIDS AND CERTAIN RELATED COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17794447 TI - ANAPHYLAXIS. PMID- 17794448 TI - PROTOZOAN ECOLOGY. PMID- 17794449 TI - THE STATEMENT OF THE RUSSIAN PROFESSORS. PMID- 17794451 TI - LEMNACEAE IN FLOWER. PMID- 17794450 TI - GROWTH IN THE ADULT. PMID- 17794452 TI - SUMMER BOTANICAL MEETINGS. PMID- 17794453 TI - OVOVERDIN, A PIGMENT CHEMICALLY RELATED TO VISUAL PURPLE. PMID- 17794454 TI - THE SEDIMENTATION CONSTANT OF OVOVERDIN. PMID- 17794455 TI - THE LIFE CYCLE OF MONIEZIA EXPANSA. PMID- 17794456 TI - A BIO-ELECTRIC RECORD OF HUMAN OVULATION. PMID- 17794457 TI - "AIR CONDITIONING" FOR MICROTOMES. PMID- 17794458 TI - CARBOHYDRATE ACCUMULATION IN RELATION TO VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF THE LITCHI. PMID- 17794460 TI - THE VALUE OF THE MUSEUM. PMID- 17794459 TI - A METHOD FOR STUDYING ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICES OF LABORATORY ANIMALS. PMID- 17794462 TI - PREFERENCE ORDER FOR REAGENT CHEMICALS. PMID- 17794461 TI - RECENT ANTHROPOLOGY. II. PMID- 17794463 TI - GRANT TO THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL FROM THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON RESEARCH FOUNDATION. PMID- 17794464 TI - THE GUGGENHEIM LATIN AMERICAN FELLOWSHIPS. PMID- 17794465 TI - AMERICAN STANDARD LETTER SYMBOLS FOR HEAT AND THERMODYNAMICS. PMID- 17794466 TI - TRANSLITERATION OF ENGLISH NAMES INTO RUSSIAN. PMID- 17794467 TI - A TEXAS SKELETON. PMID- 17794468 TI - A PROTECTIVE ANTISERUM AGAINST MOUSE PNEUMONITIS VIRUS. PMID- 17794469 TI - ATTEMPTS TO PROTECT AGAINST INFLUENZA VIRUS WITH VARIOUS SULFONAMIDES, ACRIDINES AND ANTIBIOTICS. PMID- 17794471 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17794470 TI - DIASONE. A NEW AND ACTIVE CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENT. PMID- 17794472 TI - HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17794473 TI - CRYPTOZOON: PLANT NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17794475 TI - CHEMICAL CLUES TO THE ORIGIN OF THE SARATOGA MINERAL WATERS. PMID- 17794474 TI - DIFFERENT VIEWS HELD ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SARATOGA MINERAL WATERS. PMID- 17794477 TI - THE PROGRESSIVE CONFUSIONAL SYNDROME FOLLOWING INJURIES TO THE CERVICAL PORTION OF THE SPINAL CORD. PMID- 17794476 TI - CRYSTALLIZED VITAMIN C AND HEXURONIC ACID. PMID- 17794478 TI - NON-TRANSMISSIBILITY OF TRICHINELLIASIS IN PIG. PMID- 17794479 TI - "IDEST". PMID- 17794480 TI - DETECTION OF CRYSTALLINE SILICA IN LUNG TISSUE BY X-RAY DIFFRACTION ANALYSIS. PMID- 17794481 TI - PROLONGED SURVIVAL OF ADRENAL-ECTOMIZED RATS TREATED WITH SERA FROM CUSHING'S DISEASE. PMID- 17794482 TI - THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF SOIL BENEATH A STRAW MULCH. PMID- 17794483 TI - AN INTERVAL COMPUTER. PMID- 17794484 TI - GIEMSA PREPARATION FOR STAINING BLOOD FILMS. PMID- 17794486 TI - MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17794487 TI - THE BOTANY OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17794485 TI - THE GROUNDWORK OF DYNAMICS. PMID- 17794488 TI - MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17794489 TI - A NEW LABORATORY DISH. PMID- 17794490 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17794491 TI - MEETING OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17794492 TI - THE CONFERENCE ON THE SEAL FISHERIES. PMID- 17794493 TI - THE JOHNS HOPKINS BIOLOGICAL STATION IN JAMAICA. PMID- 17794494 TI - TYPES IN NATURAL HISTORY AND NOMENCLATURE OF RODENTS. PMID- 17794495 TI - MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE IN ARABIA. PMID- 17794496 TI - The Butter-Margarine Controversy. PMID- 17794497 TI - Developing Food Acceptance Research. PMID- 17794498 TI - James Bryant Conant. PMID- 17794499 TI - Compromise Bill for a National Science Foundation. PMID- 17794500 TI - The Ratio of Carotene to Carotenoid Pigments in Sweet-potato Varieties. AB - The fleshy roots of the sweet potato are shown to contain appreciable amounts of yellow pigments other than beta-carotene. The carotene/total-pigment ratio varies among different varieties and within varieties. In the varieties tested, the carotene/total-pigment ratio increased with increase in intensity of yellow color. Triumph, a very light-colored variety, contained a small amount of carotene shortly after harvest, but this soon disappeared in storage. PMID- 17794501 TI - Amino Acid and Protein Deficiencies as Causes of Corneal Vascularization: A Preliminary Report. PMID- 17794503 TI - Buckwheat as a Source of Rutin. PMID- 17794504 TI - Thiamine Depletion of Human Subjects on a Diet Rich in Thiamine. PMID- 17794502 TI - Dehydroascorbic Acid in Cabbage. PMID- 17794506 TI - Inhibition of Oxidation of Ascorbic Acid by Certain Vegetable Extracts. PMID- 17794505 TI - Effect of Methionine Supplements on Hepatic Injury Produced by Carbon Tetrachloride. AB - At the present time the experimental evidence demonstrates that supplements of methionine will decrease the degree of liver damage produced by toxic agents in protein-depleted animals. In animals receiving a normal protein intake of 20-per cent or 41-per cent casein, methionine supplements did not decrease the degree of hepatic damage produced by carbon tetrachloride as judged by serum phosphatase values or bromsulphalein retention. PMID- 17794508 TI - Glutamine From Rye Grass. PMID- 17794509 TI - The Abstracting of Biological Films. PMID- 17794510 TI - One World, Yet Different Biologies? PMID- 17794507 TI - The Use of 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine for the Determination of Ascorbic Acid. PMID- 17794511 TI - Federal Scientific Research. PMID- 17794512 TI - Absorption of Phenol Vapors by Plants. PMID- 17794513 TI - Pancreatic Enzymes and Liver Fat. PMID- 17794514 TI - Captain Jenkins' Views. PMID- 17794516 TI - Catalogue Corner. PMID- 17794515 TI - Captain Jenkins' Views. PMID- 17794517 TI - ATOMIC THEORIES OF RADIATION. PMID- 17794518 TI - EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSIS. PMID- 17794519 TI - W. G. WRIGHT. PMID- 17794520 TI - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WORK IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17794521 TI - A PROPOSAL FOR THE CONTROL OF CERTAIN MOSQUITOES. PMID- 17794522 TI - MINERALOGY IN JAPAN. PMID- 17794523 TI - THE DOCOPHORI OF THE OWLS. PMID- 17794525 TI - INHERITANCE OF THE RUSSET SKIN IN THE PEAR. PMID- 17794524 TI - OEligNOTHERA AND CLIMATE. PMID- 17794526 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17794528 TI - ADDRESS AT THE LUNCHEON. PMID- 17794527 TI - ADDRESSES AT THE DINNER IN HIS HONOR. PMID- 17794529 TI - THE REASON AND THE RESULTS OF DR. EINSTEIN'S VISIT TO THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17794530 TI - A UNIFORM SCHEME FOR CITATIONS. PMID- 17794531 TI - REGARDING TWIST IN CONIFERS. PMID- 17794532 TI - A CASE OF A BOY POSSESSING AN AUTOMATIC DIRECTIONAL ORIENTATION. PMID- 17794534 TI - THE REMOVAL OF TRACES OF OXYGEN FROM NITROGEN. PMID- 17794533 TI - THE GROWTH OF STALACTITES. PMID- 17794535 TI - MENDELIAN DIFFERENCES. PMID- 17794537 TI - POLLEN-STATISTICS: A NEW RESEARCH METHOD IN PALEO-ECOLOGY. PMID- 17794536 TI - THE CHEMICAL CHANGES THAT OCCUR DURING THE CURING OF TOBACCO LEAVES. PMID- 17794538 TI - STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL VARIATIONS OF FIBROBLASTS IN PURE CULTURES. PMID- 17794539 TI - BIOLOGY AND PREPAREDNESS. PMID- 17794540 TI - THE ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SOIL AERATION. PMID- 17794541 TI - THE FOUNDATIONS OF DYNAMICS AND DADOURIAN'S ANALYTICAL MECHANICS. PMID- 17794543 TI - THE SYNCHRONIC BEHAVIOR OF PHALANGIDAe. PMID- 17794542 TI - THE LIMIT OF THE SPECTRUM IN THE ULTRAVIOLET. PMID- 17794544 TI - MORE COMPLETE TITLES. PMID- 17794545 TI - IS SPECIES-SPECIFICITY A MENDELIAN CHARACTER? PMID- 17794546 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794547 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794548 TI - Microbiological resource centers. PMID- 17794549 TI - Star wars software. PMID- 17794550 TI - Star wars software. PMID- 17794551 TI - Erratum. AB - In Constance Holden's News & Comment article "Giving mental illness its research due" (30 May, p. 1084), a study by Otto Wahl mentioned at the bottom of column 1 on page 1085 is to be published in the Journal of Community Psycholgy, not the Journal of community Psychiatry, as stated. PMID- 17794552 TI - Sheep, goats, and the history of psychology. PMID- 17794553 TI - Indirect costs and starter grants. PMID- 17794555 TI - Response: star wars software. PMID- 17794554 TI - Today's Biotechnology. PMID- 17794556 TI - Research Budgets' Fate in Doubt: Uncertainty about the 1987 deficit casts a shadow over R&D programs; cutbacks could be imposed at NSF, NIH, DOE, and other research agencies. PMID- 17794557 TI - Pentagon Plans New Antisatellite Tests: The political outlook for the program has improved, although a new report by the General Accounting Office is beginning to stir up trouble. PMID- 17794558 TI - Redesign of Ariane Is Under Way: Failure of the European launcher last May could slow development of newer vehicles for putting satellites in orbit. PMID- 17794559 TI - Small Colleges Strong in Science: But there is concern that the ability to produce talented students for science graduate schools may be diminished in the future. PMID- 17794560 TI - Scientific american sale to german publisher okayed. PMID- 17794561 TI - DOD's New Research Fund: 963 Seek and 86 Receive. PMID- 17794562 TI - MIT's Faustian Bargain: Signs of Malaise. PMID- 17794563 TI - Decision Time for the Supercollider: The research potential is undisputed, but the price tag is $4 billion; with budgets growing tighter, the supercollider has become a lightning rod for scientists' fears and resentments. PMID- 17794565 TI - Mitochondrial DNA tracks eels' life histories. PMID- 17794564 TI - Why Go to 20 TeV? PMID- 17794566 TI - Percolation and galaxies. AB - A theory is presented in which much of the structure of spiral galaxies arises from a percolation phase transition that underlies the phenomenon of propagating star formation. According to this view, the appearance of spiral arms is a consequence of the differential rotation of the galaxy and the characteristic divergence of correlation lengths for continuous phase transitions. Other structural properties of spiral galaxies, such as the distribution of the gaseous components and the luminosity, arise directly from a feedback mechanism that pins the star formation rate close to the critical point of the phase transition. The approach taken in this article differs from traditional dynamical views. The argument is presented that, at least for some galaxies, morphological and other features are already fixed by general properties of phase transitions, irrespective of detailed dynamic or other considerations. PMID- 17794567 TI - Cannibalism in the neolithic. AB - Cannibalism is a provocative interpretation put forth repeatedly for practices at various prehistoric sites, yet it has been so poorly supported by objective evidence that later, more critical reviews almost invariably reject the proposal. The basic data essential to a rigorous assessment of a cannibalism hypothesis include precise contextual information, analysis of postcranial and cranial remains of humans and animals, and detailed bone modification studies. Such data are available from the Neolithic levels of the Fontbregoua Cave (southeastern France) where several clusters of human and animal bones have been excavated. The analysis of these bones strongly suggests that humans were butchered, processed, and probably eaten in a manner that closely parallels the treatment of wild and domestic animals at Fontbrbegoua. PMID- 17794568 TI - A budget for continental growth and denudation. AB - Oceanic crustal material on a global scale is re-created every 110 million years. From the data presented it is inferred that potential sialic material is formed at a rate of about 1.35 cubic kilometers per year, including hemipelagic volcanic sediments that accumulate at a rate of about 0.05 cubic kilometer per year. It is estimated that the influx of 1.65 cubic kilometers per year of terrigenous and biogenic sediment is deposited on the deep ocean, and this represents continental denudation. Because all this material is brought into a subduction zone, continental accretion rates, which could include all this material, may be as high as 3.0 cubic kilometers per year with a potential net growth for continents of 1.35 cubic kilometers per year. PMID- 17794569 TI - The 1985 central chile earthquake: a repeat of previous great earthquakes in the region? AB - A great earthquake (surface-wave magnitude, 7.8) occurred along the coast of central Chile on 3 March 1985, causing heavy damage to coastal towns. Intense foreshock activity near the epicenter of the main shock occurred for 11 days before the earthquake. The aftershocks of the 1985 earthquake define a rupture area of 170 by 110 square kilometers. The earthquake was forecast on the basis of the nearly constant repeat time (83 +/- 9 years) of great earthquakes in this region. An analysis of previous earthquakes suggests that the rupture lengths of great shocks in the region vary by a factor of about 3. The nearly constant repeat time and variable rupture lengths cannot be reconciled with time- or slip predictable models of earthquake recurrence. The great earthquakes in the region seem to involve a variable rupture mode and yet, for unknown reasons, remain periodic. Historical data suggest that the region south of the 1985 rupture zone should now be considered a gap of high seismic potential that may rupture in a great earthquake in the next few tens of years. PMID- 17794570 TI - A wind-forced ekman spiral as a good statistical fit to low-frequency currents in a coastal strait. AB - Ekman's classical analysis of wind-driven currents is a fundamental component of the modern circulation theory of the oceans, but there have been few good observations of the predicted Ekman spiral, where the velocity vector rotates clockwise in direction (in the Northern Hemisphere) and decays exponentially in magnitude with increasing depth. An analysis of recent cyclesonde velocity measurements based on the use of empirical orthogonal functions, however, suggests that a classical Ekman spiral was a good statistical fit to a significant portion of the low-frequency current fluctuations in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, for fluctuation periods of about 5 to 10 days. PMID- 17794571 TI - Engineering herbicide tolerance in transgenic plants. AB - The herbicide glyphosate is a potent inhibitor of the enzyme 5 enolpyruvylshikimate- 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase in higher plants. A complementary DNA (cDNA) clone encoding EPSP synthase was isolated from a complementary DNA library of a glyphosate-tolerant Petunia hybrida cell line (MP4 G) that overproduces the enzyme. This cell line was shown to overproduce EPSP synthase messenger RNA as a result of a 20-fold amplification of the gene. A chimeric EPSP synthase gene was constructed with the use of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter to attain high level expression of EPSP synthase and introduced into petunia cells. Transformed petunia cells as well as regenerated transgenic plants were tolerant to glyphosate. PMID- 17794572 TI - Extracellular connections: gap junctions. PMID- 17794573 TI - A paleohydrology project: handbook of holocene palaeoecology and palaeohydrology. PMID- 17794574 TI - The sun: physics of the sun. PMID- 17794575 TI - Cosmic rays: cosmic rays in interplanetary magnetic fields. PMID- 17794576 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794577 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794578 TI - Biomimesis: an apology. PMID- 17794579 TI - Bioremediation review. PMID- 17794580 TI - Top quark search: more clarification. PMID- 17794581 TI - Old words from the wise. PMID- 17794582 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794583 TI - NSF: Being Blown Off Course? PMID- 17794584 TI - The view from the community. PMID- 17794585 TI - Researchers turn to charity and gambling. PMID- 17794586 TI - Satellite Images Display the Galaxy's New Colors. PMID- 17794587 TI - What kind of a galaxy is this, anyway? PMID- 17794588 TI - Neem chemical: the pieces fall in place. PMID- 17794589 TI - Chaos games yield DNA portraiture. PMID- 17794591 TI - Things are tough all over. PMID- 17794590 TI - Biotech by the bay. PMID- 17794592 TI - Silicon Isotopic Composition in Large Meteoritic SiC Particles and 22Na Origin of 22Ne. AB - Large silicon carbide (SiC) particles extracted from acid-insoluble residues of carbonaceous chondrites are isotopically anomalous in both silicon and carbon and contain isotopically extreme noble gases. These particles are thought to have originated in mass outflows from red giant stars and to have existed in the interstellar medium at the time the solar system formed from an interstellar cloud. Calculations show that the silicon isotope correlations in those large SiC particles can be generated only in the most massive carbon stars. Consequently, the almost pure neon-22 ((22)Ne) in those particles must be interpreted as the condensation of radioactive sodium-22 ((22)Na) in the particles as they flowed away from the stars. The (22)Na is produced through proton capture by (21)Ne at the base of the surface convection zone. Neon-22 does not exist abundantly in helium shells hot enough to burn magnesium, which is necessary to establish the measured silicon isotopic composition. PMID- 17794593 TI - The age of parana flood volcanism, rifting of gondwanaland, and the jurassic cretaceous boundary. AB - The Parana-Etendeka flood volcanic event produced approximately 1.5 x 10(6) cubic kilometers of volcanic rocks, ranging from basalts to rhyolites, before the separation of South America and Africa during the Cretaceous period. New (40)Ar/(39)Ar data combined with earlier paleomagnetic results indicate that Parana flood volcanism in southern Brazil began at 133 +/- 1 million years ago and lasted less than 1 million years. The implied mean eruption rate on the order of 1.5 cubic kilometers per year is consistent with a mantle plume origin for the event and is comparable to eruption rates determined for other well-documented continental flood volcanic events. Parana flood volcanism occurred before the initiation of sea floor spreading in the South Atlantic and was probably precipitated by uplift and weakening of the lithosphere by the Tristan da Cunha plume. The Parana event postdates most current estimates for the age of the faunal mass extinction associated with the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. PMID- 17794594 TI - A prediction of Mars seismicity from surface faulting. AB - The shallow seismicity of Mars has been estimated by measurement of the total slip on faults visible on the surface of the planet throughout geologic time. Seismicity was calibrated with estimates based on surface structures on the moon and measured lunar seismicity that includes the entire seismogenic lithosphere. Results indicate that Mars is seismically active today, with a sufficient number of detectable marsquakes to allow seismic investigations of its interior. PMID- 17794595 TI - Relation between long-term trends of oxygen-18 isotope composition of precipitation and climate. AB - Stable isotope ratios of oxygen ((18)O/(16)O) and hydrogen (D/H) in water have long been considered powerful indicators of paleoclimate. However, quantitative interpretation of isotope variations in terms of climate changes is hampered by a limited understanding of physical processes controlling the global isotope behavior. Analysis was conducted of time series of (18)O content (delta (18)O) of monthly precipitation and surface air temperature available through the International Atomic Energy Agency-World Meteorological Organization global network, "Isotopes in Precipitation." This study indicates that long-term changes of isotopic composition of precipitation over mid-and high-latitude regions during the past three decades closely followed long-term changes of surface air temperature with the average 8180-temperature coefficient around 0.6 per mil per degree Celsius. PMID- 17794597 TI - Vignettes: styles of mentation. PMID- 17794596 TI - Calling all stars. PMID- 17794598 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17794600 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17794599 TI - High-pressure physics. PMID- 17794601 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794602 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHIROPOLOGY. NO. XLI. PMID- 17794603 TI - WHAT IS ARCHAeAN? PMID- 17794604 TI - THE PROGRESS OF ASTRONOMY IN 1893. PMID- 17794605 TI - SUNSPOTS AND METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17794606 TI - AUTUMN COLORING OF LEAVES. PMID- 17794608 TI - The Native Calendar of Central America and Mexico. PMID- 17794607 TI - THE SPOKEN LANGUAGE OF BOTANY. PMID- 17794609 TI - The Ling on the Pacific Slope. PMID- 17794610 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. PMID- 17794611 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE PRE-COLUMBIAN CIVILIZATION OF AMERICA. PMID- 17794612 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF TUNGSTEN. PMID- 17794614 TI - GOITER AMONG THE INDIANS ALONG THE MISSOURI. PMID- 17794613 TI - MOSQUITOES AND MAN. PMID- 17794615 TI - COMPULSORY MATHEMATICS--AN EXPLANATION. PMID- 17794616 TI - THE SOUTHERN BULLFROG, RANA GRYLIO STEJNEGER. PMID- 17794617 TI - THE MECHANISM OF LIGHT PRODUCTION IN ANIMALS. PMID- 17794618 TI - ON THE ASSOCIATION AND POSSIBLE IDENTITY OF ROOT-FORMING AND GEOTROPIC SUBSTANCES OR HORMONES IN BRYOPHYLLUM CALYCINUM. PMID- 17794619 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794620 TI - LOCAL ANESTHETICS. PMID- 17794621 TI - PHENOMENA IN THE ULTRA-VIOLET SPECTRUM, INCLUDING X-RAYS. PMID- 17794623 TI - SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY. PMID- 17794622 TI - FORMULAe GIVING THE DAY OF THE WEEK OF ANY DATE. PMID- 17794624 TI - ORIGIN OF THE SUPPOSED HUMAN FOOTPRINTS OF CARSON CITY, NEVADA. PMID- 17794626 TI - FOOT-ROT OF WHEAT. PMID- 17794625 TI - A NEW STATISTICAL JOURNAL. PMID- 17794628 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794627 TI - SECTION E--GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17794629 TI - THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. PMID- 17794631 TI - LIST OF TWENTY-THREE NEW DOUBLE STARS, DISCOVERED AT CAROLINE ISLAND, SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN, BETWEEN APRIL 27 AND MAY 7, 1883, BY E. S. HOLDEN AND C. S. HASTINGS. PMID- 17794630 TI - THE UNITED STATES FISH-COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS.--II. PMID- 17794632 TI - SUN-SPOT OBSERVATIONS. PMID- 17794634 TI - KINETIC CONSIDERATIONS AS TO THE NATURE OF THE ATOMIC MOTIONS WHICH PROBABLY ORIGINATE RADIATIONS.--I. PMID- 17794633 TI - FIFTEENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.--I. PMID- 17794635 TI - GALTON'S HUMAN FACULTY. PMID- 17794636 TI - OYSTER-CULTURE IN HOLLAND. PMID- 17794637 TI - STOWELL'S MICROSCOPICAL DIAGNOSIS. PMID- 17794638 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17794639 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE THE EVOLUTION OF A BOTANICAL PROBLEM. PMID- 17794641 TI - THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS, LONDON, 1915. PMID- 17794640 TI - DR. J. J. RIVERS. PMID- 17794642 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17794643 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17794645 TI - THE CAUSE OF THE PECULIAR SOUND MADE BY NIGHTHAWKS WHEN VOLPLANING. PMID- 17794644 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17794646 TI - GRADUATE WORK IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17794647 TI - SMALL'S MANUALS. PMID- 17794648 TI - MITOCHONDRIA IN TISSUE CULTURE. PMID- 17794649 TI - ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17794650 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17794651 TI - Stored Foodstuffs and Fallout. PMID- 17794652 TI - The Newtonian Universe. PMID- 17794653 TI - Imprinting. PMID- 17794654 TI - Tax Exempt. PMID- 17794655 TI - Development of a Science Police. PMID- 17794656 TI - How Our Air Force Supports Basic Research in Europe. PMID- 17794657 TI - Louis N. Ridenour Physicist and Administrator. PMID- 17794659 TI - Suspension of Test Ban Talks in Geneva Leaves Many Problems Unresolved. PMID- 17794658 TI - Next Few Years Said To Promise Solution of Antarctic Research Program's Recruiting Problems. PMID- 17794660 TI - World Forestry Congress Being Organized by United States. PMID- 17794661 TI - Velocity of Light and Measurement of Interplanetary Distances. AB - The combined availability of atomic clocks and of instrumented planetoids traveling in their own solar orbits will offer the possibility of determining their distance from us, and hence interplanetary distances, in terms of the wavelength of the radiation of atomic frequency standards. It can be anticipated that the accuracy of these measurements will be very high and will not depend upon our less accurate knowledge of the velocity of light in terms of the standard meter, the sidereal second, and so on. PMID- 17794662 TI - High-Resolution Density Gradient Sedimentation Analysis. AB - The principle of stability for a sample layered in a density-gradient liquid column is discussed, and a method for separating ribonucleoprotein particles by means of sedimentation in the ultracentrifuge is described. PMID- 17794663 TI - Chemically Induced Phenocopy of a Tomato Mutant. AB - Lanceolate, a spontaneous leaf-shape mutant which fails to produce cotyledons and plumule in the homozygous condition, shows development if supplied with either adenine or a diffusate obtained from normal seeds. Similar development occurs in a different genetic background. PMID- 17794664 TI - Chemical Thermodynamics Discussed at Symposium Held near Innsbruck, Austria. PMID- 17794665 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17794666 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17794667 TI - Heroines and role models. PMID- 17794669 TI - Species hybridization and protection of endangered animals. PMID- 17794668 TI - Species hybridization and protection of endangered animals. PMID- 17794670 TI - Response. PMID- 17794671 TI - Erratum. AB - In the Special Report ;;Science careers'' edited by Constance Holden (24 May), Michigan State University should have been given as the institution that granted a Ph.D. to Christopher Uhl (p. 1123) and the University of Illinois as the institution that granted an M.S. and a Ph.D. to Alfred Cho (p. 1124). PMID- 17794672 TI - Response. PMID- 17794673 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794675 TI - NASA Squeezed, NSF Expands--for Now. PMID- 17794674 TI - Tilting at the space station. PMID- 17794676 TI - Greenhouse role in reef stress unproven. PMID- 17794677 TI - Geographic fission on fusion. PMID- 17794678 TI - Communist academics refuse to fade away. PMID- 17794680 TI - The Growing Anti-HIV Armamentarium. PMID- 17794679 TI - Tilting toward megaprojects. PMID- 17794681 TI - SSC Fundraiser Resigns. PMID- 17794682 TI - Who are the animal rightsers? PMID- 17794683 TI - UK OKs RU-486. PMID- 17794684 TI - Brain food in computer games. PMID- 17794685 TI - Keeping up? PMID- 17794686 TI - Superchicken. PMID- 17794688 TI - Coming of age for mental health. PMID- 17794687 TI - Skullduggery. PMID- 17794690 TI - A speedier way to decompose polygons. PMID- 17794689 TI - Radio Astronomy's Crumbling Showpiece. PMID- 17794691 TI - Dancing with death at unzen volcano. PMID- 17794692 TI - A tentative vote for supersymmetry. PMID- 17794693 TI - Fallout of pyroclastic debris from submarine volcanic eruptions. AB - Volcanic fallout deposits on land, being widespread and accessible for study, have received much attention and have revealed a great deal about subaerial eruption mechanisms. In contrast, virtually nothing is known about equivalent deposits produced by submarine volcanoes, despite the probable abundance of such material in today's oceans and in accreted volcanic arc terrains. Many submarine deposits may form by the fallout of debris to the sea floor downcurrent from the umbrella region of submarine eruption columns. Experiments on water-saturated pumice and pieces of rock (lithics) show that particles settling to the sea floor at terminal velocities of 10 to 50 centimeters per second will display conspicuous bimodality of particle diameters: pieces of pumice may be five to ten times as large as codeposited lithic fragments. Similar material, erupted into the air and deposited on land, displays less well-developed bimodality; pumice diameters are generally two to three times as large as associated lithics. Submarine fallout deposits are therefore distinctive and may be used to indicate a subaqueous origin for some of the great thicknesses of nonfossiliferous volcanic debris contained in ancient volcanic terrains worldwide whose environment of deposition has been uncertain. PMID- 17794694 TI - Nonlinear optical materials. AB - The current state of materials development in nonlinear optics is summarized, and the promise of these materials is critically evaluated. Properties and important materials constants of current commercial materials and of new, promising, inorganic and organic molecular and polymeric materials with potential in second- and third-order nonlinear optical applications are presented. PMID- 17794695 TI - Expansion and contraction of the sahara desert from 1980 to 1990. AB - Data from polar-orbiting meteorological satellites have been used to determine the extent of the Sahara Desert and to document its interannual variation from 1980 to 1990. The Sahara Desert ranged from 8,633,000 square kilometers in 1980 to 9,982,000 square kilometers in 1984. The greatest annual north-south latitudinal movement of the southern Saharan boundary was 110 kilometers from 1984 to 1985 and resulted in a decrease in desert area of 724,000 square kilometers. PMID- 17794696 TI - Organic molecular soft ferromagnetism in a fullerene c60. AB - The properties of an organic molecular ferromagnet [C(60)TDAE(0.86); TDAE is tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene] with a Curie temperature ;T(c) = 16.1 kelvin are described. The ferromagnetic state shows no remanence, and the temperature dependence of the magnetization below ;T(c) does not follow the behavior expected of a conventional ferromagnet. These results are interpreted as a reflection of a three-dimensional system leading to a soft ferromagnet. PMID- 17794697 TI - Early differentiation of the Earth and the problem of mantle siderophile elements: a new approach. AB - The long-standing problem of the excess abundances of siderophile elements in the mantle can be resolved by considering an equilibrium core-mantle differentiation in the earth at 3000 to 3500 kelvin. This high-temperature differentiation results in mantle siderophile element abundances that closely match the observed values. Some lithophile (light) elements could enter the core in this process as is necessary to account for its low density. The abundances of siderophile elements in the mantle are consistent with the conclusion derived from the recent physical models that the earth was molten during accretion. PMID- 17794698 TI - Hybridization between European and africanized honey bees in the neotropical yucatan peninsula. AB - A population genetic analysis of honey bees of the Mexican neotropical Yucatan peninsula shows that the range expansion of Africanized bees there has involved extensive introgressive hybridization with European bees. Yucatan honey bee populations now include many colonies with intermediate morphologies. Genotypes of mitochondria have disassociated from historically correlated Africanized or European morphology, producing diverse phenotypic associations. This suggests that the size of resident European populations may be important in explaining previously reported asymmetrical hybridization. Evidence of natural hybridization is encouraging for the use of genetic management to mitigate the effects of Africanized bees in the United States. PMID- 17794701 TI - A gendered life. PMID- 17794700 TI - A singular genius. PMID- 17794699 TI - Buckminsterfullerane: the inside story. AB - The stereoisomers of fully reduced buckminsterfullerene C(60)H(60) have been investigated with the molecular mechanics program MM3. Although it might be expected that chemical reduction would deliver all of the hydrogens to the outside, the symmetric structure produced in this way is predicted to be highly strained. Moving just one hydrogen to the inside is predicted to decrease the energy by 53 kilocalories (kcal) per mole. Putting additional hydrogens on the inside further lowers the predicted energy (depending on the steric relations between them). The miniimum energy isomer is predicted to have ten hydrogens inside with C(1) symmetry and to have an energy 400 kcal/mol less than that of the all-outside isomer. These results suggest that a process which could achieve isomerization would produce a mixture of isomers, most of which with ten hydrogens on the inside. PMID- 17794703 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794702 TI - Some other books of interest. PMID- 17794704 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794705 TI - Reorientation of research objectives. PMID- 17794706 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794708 TI - Scientists return to the elementary-school classroom. PMID- 17794707 TI - NAS Elects New Members. PMID- 17794709 TI - Stabilizing slippery silicon. PMID- 17794710 TI - Vatican on-line. PMID- 17794711 TI - Acupuncture: stuck on the fringe. PMID- 17794713 TI - Song of the top quark. PMID- 17794712 TI - Cold Fusion Reproduced--on Paper. PMID- 17794714 TI - The continental divide and death delayed. PMID- 17794715 TI - Small army of code-breakers conquers a 129-digit giant. PMID- 17794716 TI - Physicists find a double dose of magic. PMID- 17794718 TI - Between prison and probation: intermediate sanctions. PMID- 17794717 TI - Microbial mining boosts the environment, bottom line. PMID- 17794719 TI - Advanced inorganic materials: an open horizon. PMID- 17794720 TI - Global variations in the geoid/topography admittance of venus. AB - Global representations of geoid height and topography are used to map variations in the geoid/topography ratio (admittance) of Venus. The admittance values are permissive of two mutually exclusive models for convection-driven topography. In the first, compressive highland plateaus are expressions of present mantle downwelling, broad volcanic rises are expressions of mantle upwelling, and lowlands overlie regions with no substantial vertical motion in the mantle. In the second, compressive highland plateaus are remnants of an earlier regime of high crustal strain, and most other long-wavelength topographic variations arise from normal convective tractions at the base of the lithosphere. PMID- 17794721 TI - Earthquakes with non--double-couple mechanisms. AB - Seismological observations confirm that the pattern of seismic waves from some earthquakes cannot be produced by slip along a planar fault surface. More than one physical mechanism is required to explain the observed varieties of these non double-couple earthquakes. The simplest explanation is that some earthquakes are complex, with stress released on two or more suitably oriented, nonparallel fault surfaces. However, some shallow earthquakes in volcanic and geothermal areas require other explanations. Current research focuses on whether fault complexity explains most observed non-double-couple earthquakes and to what extent ordinary earthquakes have non-double-couple components. PMID- 17794722 TI - Dielectric asymmetry in the photosynthetic reaction center. AB - Although the three-dimensional structure of the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center (RC) reveals a high level of structural symmetry, with two nearly equivalent potential electron transfer pathways, the RC is functionally asymmetric: Electron transfer occurs along only one of the two possible pathways. In order to determine the origins of this symmetry breaking, the internal electric field present in the RC when charge is separated onto structurally characterized sites was probed by using absorption band shifts of the chromophores within the RC. The sensitivity of each probe chromophore to an electric field was calibrated by measuring the Stark effect spectrum, the change in absorption due to an externally applied electric field. A quantitative comparison of the observed absorption band shifts and those predicted from vacuum electrostatics gives information on the effective dielectric constant of the protein complex. These results reveal a significant asymmetry in the effective dielectric strength of the protein complex along the two potential electron transfer pathways, with a substantially higher dielectric strength along the functional pathway. This dielectric asymmetry could be a dominant factor in determining the functional asymmetry of electron transfer in the RC. PMID- 17794723 TI - Surface vibrational spectroscopic studies of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobicity. AB - Surface vibrational spectroscopy by sum-frequency generation was used to study hydrophobicity at the molecular level at various interfaces: water-surfactant coated quartz, water-hexane, and water-air. In all cases, hydrophobicity was characterized by the appearance of dangling hydroxyl bonds on 25 percent of the surface water molecules. At the water-quartz interface, packing restrictions force the water surface layer to have a more ordered, ice-like structure. A partly wettable water-quartz interface was also studied. PMID- 17794724 TI - A crested theropod dinosaur from antarctica. AB - Jurassic fossil vertebrates collected from the Falla Formation in the Central Transantarctic Mountains included a partial skull and postcranial elements of a crested theropod, Cryolophosaurus ellioti gen. nov. sp. nov. The theropod bears some resemblance to the large tetanurans of the Middle to Late Jurassic but also has primitive ceratosaurian features. Elements from a prosauropod, teeth from scavenging theropods, a pterosaur humerus, and a tritylodont molar were also recovered. The presence of this fauna suggests that a mild climate existed at high paleolatitude in this area of Gondwana during the Early Jurassic. PMID- 17794725 TI - Diurnal and Semidiurnal Variations in the Earth's Rotation Rate Induced by Oceanic Tides. AB - Recent space-geodetic observations have revealed daily and subdaily variations in the Earth's rotation rate. Although spectral analysis suggests that the variations are primarily of tidal origin, comparisons to previous theoretical predictions based on various ocean models have been less than satisfactory. This disagreement is partly caused by deficiencies in physical modeling. Rotation predictions based on a reliable tidal-height model, with corresponding tidal currents inferred from a modified form of Laplace's momentum equations, yield predictions of tidal variations in Universal Time that agree with very long baseline interferometer observations to 2 microseconds. This agreement resolves a major discrepancy between theory and observation and establishes the dominant role of oceanic tides for inducing variation in the Earth's rotation at these frequencies. PMID- 17794726 TI - Pulsar processes. PMID- 17794727 TI - Genome informatics. PMID- 17794728 TI - Vignettes: funding and non-funding. PMID- 17794729 TI - Aerial technology. PMID- 17794730 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794731 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794732 TI - The h.R. 776 energy legislation. PMID- 17794733 TI - Response. PMID- 17794734 TI - Estimating biomass. PMID- 17794736 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794735 TI - Realistic mitigation options for global warming. PMID- 17794737 TI - Big studies set on AIDS immunity. PMID- 17794738 TI - Ominous pattern looms in california earthquakes. PMID- 17794739 TI - CERN Reacts Cautiously to SSC's Woes. PMID- 17794740 TI - Brand ;z' Less Hazardous to Health? PMID- 17794742 TI - A brush with a comet for giotto. PMID- 17794741 TI - High-tech fish signatures. PMID- 17794744 TI - Cracking secrets in greenland ice. PMID- 17794743 TI - New Research Chief at NIH. PMID- 17794745 TI - A boost for cosmic mapmakers. PMID- 17794746 TI - Twin studies go back to the womb. PMID- 17794747 TI - A first sighting of buckyballs in the wild. PMID- 17794748 TI - The seeds of cosmic structure. PMID- 17794749 TI - Near-field optics: microscopy, spectroscopy, and surface modification beyond the diffraction limit. AB - The near-field optical interaction between a sharp probe and a sample of interest can be exploited to image, spectroscopically probe, or modify surfaces at a resolution (down to approximately 12 nm) inaccessible by traditional far-field techniques. Many of the attractive features of conventional optics are retained, including noninvasiveness, reliability, and low cost. In addition, most optical contrast mechanisms can be extended to the near-field regime, resulting in a technique of considerable versatility. This versatility is demonstrated by several examples, such as the imaging of nanometric-scale features in mammalian tissue sections and the creation of ultrasmall, magneto-optic domains having implications for highdensity data storage. Although the technique may find uses in many diverse fields, two of the most exciting possibilities are localized optical spectroscopy of semiconductors and the fluorescence imaging of living cells. PMID- 17794750 TI - Subaqueous explosive eruption and welding of pyroclastic deposits. AB - Silicic tuffs infilling an ancient submarine caldera, at Mineral King in California, show microscopic fabrics indicative of welding of glass shards and pumice at temperatures >500 degrees C. The occurrence indicates that subaqueous explosive eruption and emplacement of pyroclastic materials can occur without substantial admixture of the ambient water, which would cause chilling. Intracaldera progressive aggradation of pumice and ash from a thick, fast-moving pyroclastic flow occurred during a short-lived explosive eruption of approximately 26 cubic kilometers of magma in water >/=150 meters deep. The thickness, high velocity, and abundant fine material of the erupted gas-solids mixture prevented substantial incorporation of ambient water into the flow. Stripping of pyroclasts from upper surfaces of subaqueous pyroclastic flows in general, both above the vent and along any flow path, may be the main process giving rise to buoyant-convective subaqueous eruption columns and attendant fallout deposits. PMID- 17794751 TI - Fullerenes from the geological environment. AB - By means of high-resoluton transmission electron microscopy, both C(60) and C(70) fullerenes have been found in a, carbon-rich Precambrian rock from Russia The fullerenes were confirmed by Fourier transform mass spectrometry with both laser desorption and thermal desorption/electron-capture methods to verify that the fullerenes were indeed present in the geological sample and were not generated by the laser ionization event. The mass spectra were measured under conditions sufficient to resolve the (13)C/(12)C isotopic ratios for C(60) and C(70) and indicate that these ratios correspond to the normal range of isotopic values. PMID- 17794752 TI - Matrix-Mediated Synthesis of Nanocrystalline ggr-Fe2O3: A New Optically Transparent Magnetic Material. AB - A new magnetic material with appreciable optical transmission in the visible region at room temperature has been isolated as a gamma-Fe(2)O(3)/polymer nanocomposite. The synthesis is carried out in an ion-exchange resin at 60 degrees C. Magnetization and susceptibility data demonstrate loading-dependent saturation moments as high as 46 electromagnetic units per gram and superparamagnetism for lower loadings where particle sizes are less than 100 angstroms. Optical absorption studies show that the small-particle form of gamma Fe(2)O(3) is considerably more transparent to visible light than the single crystal form. The difference in absorption ranges from nearly an order of magnitude in the "red" spectral region to a factor of 3 at 5400 angstroms. The magnetization of the nanocomposite is greater by more than an order of magnitude than those of the strongest room-temperature transparent magnets, FeBO(3) and FeF(3). PMID- 17794753 TI - The Chemistry of Bulk Hydrogen: Reaction of Hydrogen Embedded in Nickel with Adsorbed CH3. AB - Studies in heterogeneous catalysis have long speculated on or have provided indirect evidence for the role of hydrogen embedded in the catalyst bulk as a primary reactant. This report describes experiments carried out under single collision conditions that document the distinctive reactivity of hydrogen embedded in the bulk of the metal catalyst. Specifically, the bulk H atom is shown to be the reactive species in the hydrogenation of CH(3) adsorbed on Ni(111) to form CH(4), while the H atoms bound to the surface were unreactive. These results unambiguously demonstrate the importance of bulk species to heterogeneous catalytic chemistry. PMID- 17794754 TI - Phototaxis of spiral waves. AB - The drift of spiral waves toward regions of higher light intensity was observed experimentally in the ruthenium-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. A light gradient can thus be used to manipulate optical information in new computational systems based on photochemical media. The drift of a gradient that is rotationally invariant in space is three to four times as fast as that of a translationally invariant gradient. Simulations based on the use of a cellular automaton, which is made isotropic by a semirandom distribution of cells, are in agreement with the experimental results. PMID- 17794755 TI - Kinetics of the OH Reaction with Methyl Chloroform and Its Atmospheric Implications. AB - The rate coefficients for the reaction of hydroxyl (OH) radicals with methyl chloroform (CH(3)CCI(3)) were measured between 243 and 379 kelvin with the pulsed photolysis-laserinduced fluorescence method. The measured rate coefficients at 298 and 277 kelvin were approximately 20 and approximately 15%, respectively, lower than earlier values. These results will increase the tropospheric OH concentrations derived from the CH(3)CCI(3) budget analysis by approximately 15%. The predicted atmospheric lifetimes of species whose main loss process is the reaction with OH in the troposphere will be lowered by 15% with consequent changes in their budgets, global warming potentials, and ozone depletion potentials. PMID- 17794756 TI - Microaggregations of oceanic plankton observed by towed video microscopy. AB - Oceanic plankton have been hypothesized to occur in micropatches (<10 meters) that can have a large impact on marine ecosystem dynamics. Towed video microscopy was used to unobtrusively determine distributions of oceanic plankton over a continuum of scales from microns to hundreds of meters. Distinct, taxa-specific aggregations measuring less than 20 centimeters were found for copepods but not for nonmotile (cyanobacterial colonies) or asexual (doliolid phorozooids) forms, which suggests that these small patches are related to mating. Significant patchiness was also found on larger scales and was correlated among taxa, indicating physical control. These video observations provide new insights into basic plankton ecology by allowing quantitative assessment of individual plankton in their natural, undisturbed state. PMID- 17794757 TI - Response. PMID- 17794758 TI - Carbon and the antarctic marine food web. PMID- 17794759 TI - Ion channels in the cardiovascular system. PMID- 17794760 TI - Avian targets. PMID- 17794761 TI - Physics under the bolsheviks. PMID- 17794763 TI - Glutamate panorama. PMID- 17794762 TI - Sensory studies. PMID- 17794764 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794765 TI - RELATIONS OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. PMID- 17794766 TI - THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. PMID- 17794767 TI - SCIENCE AND THE LONDON UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17794768 TI - GEOLOGY OF CHINA. PMID- 17794769 TI - PREDETERMINED ROOT-HAIR CELLS IN AZOLLA AND OTHER PLANTS. PMID- 17794770 TI - 'THE LARYNX AS AN INSTRUMENT OF MUSIC.'. PMID- 17794771 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17794772 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17794773 TI - COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BIOLOGICAL LECTURES. PMID- 17794774 TI - THE BRITISH NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17794775 TI - THE NEW METHOD OF PROTECTING BUILDINGS FROM LIGHTNING. PMID- 17794776 TI - TOX-ALBUMIN DIPHTHERIA. PMID- 17794777 TI - THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF THE DEAF. PMID- 17794779 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.--III. PMID- 17794778 TI - DESCRIPTION OF A SUPPOSED NEW SPECIES OF STORERIA FROM FLORIDA, STORERIA VICTA. PMID- 17794780 TI - OSTEOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17794781 TI - ATTEMPTED EXTERMINATION OF THE POCKET GOPHER, GEOMYS BURSARIUS. PMID- 17794782 TI - RUSSIAN SUNFLOWER INDUSTRY. PMID- 17794783 TI - WIND-STORMS AND TREES. PMID- 17794784 TI - FLEXIBLE TUBING. PMID- 17794785 TI - The Question of the Celts. PMID- 17794786 TI - Zoology in the Public Schools of Washington, D.C. PMID- 17794787 TI - THE PRESENT STATUS AND THE FUTURE OF HYGIENE OR PUBLIC HEALTH IN AMERICA. PMID- 17794788 TI - MEASUREMENTS OF THE DISTANCES OF THE STARS. PMID- 17794789 TI - EDITORIAL SUPERVISION FOR EXPERIMENT STATION PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17794790 TI - A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR THE BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF SHELL EGGS. PMID- 17794791 TI - THE DISMISSAL OF PROFESSOR NEARING. PMID- 17794792 TI - A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF FISHES TO BE PUBLISHED. PMID- 17794793 TI - THE ACTION OF POTASSIUM CYANIDE WHEN INTRODUCED INTO TISSUES OF A PLANT. PMID- 17794794 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION B, PHYSICS. PMID- 17794796 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794795 TI - THE NEW ORLEANS MEETING--AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17794797 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794799 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794798 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794800 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794801 TI - Do grades make the student? PMID- 17794802 TI - Eternity of print. PMID- 17794803 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17794804 TI - A pretty kettle of fish. PMID- 17794805 TI - First AIBS National Biological Congress. PMID- 17794806 TI - Einstein memorabilia. PMID- 17794807 TI - The Administration of NASA. PMID- 17794808 TI - Mechanism of sublimation. PMID- 17794809 TI - Granites: Relation of Properties in situ to Laboratory Measurements. AB - The velocity of compressional waves and electrical resistivity in granite in situ measured in two 3-kilometer boreholes exhibits very little variation with depth, in contrast with the variation predicted from laboratory measurements on dry samples. These observations can be explained either by the absence of small open cracks in the rocks in situ or by the effects of complete saturation with water. The seismic velocities of many granites at shallow depths in the earth's crust may be significantly larger than was previously believed. Other properties are also affected; correction for the effect of cracks on thermal conductivity raises the average heat flow in shield areas by as much as 20 percent. PMID- 17794810 TI - Paleontological Evidence of Varitions in Length of Synodic Month since Late Cambrian. AB - The values of length of synodic month, obtained from tidally controlled periodical growth patterns in mollusks and stromatolites for several geologic periods, indicate that the deceleration rate of the earth's rotation has not been constant. Two breaks in slope, in the Pennsylvanian and Cretaceous, may be related to changes in distribution of continents, oceans, and adjacent shallow seas. PMID- 17794811 TI - Pollen grains in lake sediments: redeposition caused by seasonal water circulation. AB - Annual pollen deposition per unit area measured in sediment traps is two to four times greater than deposition measured in surface sediment cores. The difference is due to repeated redeposition of pollen from the sediment surface during seasons of water circulation. This process reduces variations in the percentages of different pollen types in sediment, but causes differences in the total amount of pollen accumulated in various parts of the lake basin. PMID- 17794812 TI - Wedge dislocation as the elastic counterpart of a crystal deformation twin. AB - A crystal deformation twin may be visualized to form and grow the movement of partial dislocations only if the twinning dislocations especially distributed to give an invariant shear. One consequence of this requirement is that, if a critical resolved twinning stress exists in the same sense twinning as for slip, this stress depends on the reciprocal thickness of the twin. This type of model for twinning may be developed through the use of relatively unknown disclinations, in particular, the wedge dislocation. PMID- 17794813 TI - Mass of pluto. AB - Analysis of the observations of Neptune indicates a reciprocal mass of Pluto of 1,812,000 (0.18 Earth masses). If the density is the same as that of Earth, the diameter would be 7200 kilometers. If 6400 kilometers is accepted (from other sources) as the upper limit of the diameter, then Pluto must be at least 1.4 times as dense as Earth. PMID- 17794814 TI - Chemical accelerators. PMID- 17794815 TI - Erratum. AB - In an article titled "How safe is Bendectin?" (News and Comment, 31 Oct. 1980, p. 518), it was reported that Richard W. Smithells conducted a Bendectin study of 2000 women and 11,000 controls. The correct number of women in the control population is 1100. PMID- 17794816 TI - Wine ranking. PMID- 17794817 TI - Wine ranking. PMID- 17794819 TI - Human life. PMID- 17794818 TI - Information management. PMID- 17794820 TI - Scientists' responsibility for public information. PMID- 17794821 TI - Biomass as a source of chemical feedstocks: an economic evaluation. AB - It is suggested that the raw materials and technology exist for basing a major fraction of the U.S. chemical industry on four fermentation products, used in the proper portions: ethanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, and 2,3-butanediol. The primary route for introduction of these materials is dehydration of the alcohols and diols to olefins, which would cause little disruption of the existing industry downstream from the olefins. The proposed substitution has the advantages that it would provide a smooth transition toward renewable feedstocks, while decreasing dependence on fossil sources of organic material and use of toxic materials. However, to make these materials attractive as feedstocks or intermediates in chemical production, their current prices must be substantially reduced. Even with the optimum mix, their largeseale utilization will only occur at about 20 to 40 percent of their estimated chemical prices. PMID- 17794822 TI - Keyworth to review space program. PMID- 17794824 TI - Brain of einstein continues peregrinations. PMID- 17794825 TI - Reagan outlines nonproliferation policy. PMID- 17794823 TI - Reagan energy plan reluctantly unveiled. PMID- 17794826 TI - For sale: a billion acres of outer continental shelf. PMID- 17794827 TI - Iraq to rebuild reactor. PMID- 17794828 TI - Science board cautiously supports social research. PMID- 17794829 TI - Chilean physicians released. PMID- 17794830 TI - UC Regents Extend Weapons Lab Agreement. PMID- 17794831 TI - Earthquake prediction retracted. PMID- 17794833 TI - DESY Looks to an International Future. PMID- 17794832 TI - CERN Council Defers LEP Approval. PMID- 17794834 TI - A 17th-century scientific community. PMID- 17794835 TI - Subsistence in the tropics. PMID- 17794836 TI - Physiological adaptations. PMID- 17794837 TI - Atmospheric motions. PMID- 17794838 TI - Tropical storms. PMID- 17794839 TI - Initial effects of ashfall from mount st. Helens on vegetation in eastern washington and adjacent idaho. AB - Extensive plant damage from the 18 May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was largely restricted to acaulescent andprostrate dicot species in the ashfall area east of the Cascade Range (more than 150 kilometersfrom the vent). Veratrum californicum, a large monocot, displayed widespread stem death through mechanical overloading of the plant's clasping leaves. The ash surface in this area presents new opportunities for both seeds and seed predators. PMID- 17794840 TI - Mount st. Helens eruption of 18 may 1980: air waves and explosive yield. AB - Strong atmospheric acoustic-gravity waves were recorded by sensitive microbarographs and seismographs at large distances from the Mount St. Helens eruption of 18 May 1980. Wave signatures were similar to those of waves from large nuclear explosions. Independent theoretical and empirical analyses indicate that the explosive yield of the eruption was approximately 35 megatons. PMID- 17794841 TI - Diketopiperazine formation during investigations of amino Acid racemization in dipeptides. AB - The formation of diketopiperazines from the dipeptides isoleucylglycine and glycylisoleucine was investigated at 132 degrees C over the pH range approximately 2 to 10. At pH 6.2, approximately 50 percent of the original dipeptides were converted to the diketopiperazines during the heating experiments. Hydrolysis of the diketopiperazines can yield either the original dipetide or an inverted dipeptide product. The isoleucine in the diketopiperazines was the most highly epimerized component in the system. Previous racemization and epimerization studies with dipeptides have not taken into account the formation of diketopiperazines and, as a result, the cortclusions about the mechanism and geochemical implications of amino acid racemization in dipeptides will require revision. PMID- 17794842 TI - Nullisomic tetrahymena: eliminating germinal chromosomes. AB - Germinal and somatic functions in Tetrahymena are performed separately by the micro- and macronuclei, respectively. Cells with haploid micronuclei were mated with diploids to yield monosomic progeny. These were induced to undergo a form of self-fertilization, generating cells lacking both copies of one or more of the five chromosomes in the micronucleus while still possessing a complete macronuclear genome. PMID- 17794844 TI - Role of Golgi Apparatus in Sorogenesis by the Cellular Slime Mold Fonticula alba. AB - Aggregating cells of the cellular slime mold Fonticula alba form a volcano-shaped fruiting structure which at maturity bears its spores apically in a globose mucous mass. Numerous dictyosomes forming in the sorogenic cells are involved in the accumulation and deposition of stalk material. PMID- 17794843 TI - Female feathering in sebright cocks is due to conversion of testosterone to estradiol in skin. AB - Sebright cocks develop a female feathering pattern but revert to normal male feathering after castration. Administration of testosterone to castrated cocks causes male comb development and reappearance of female feathering. Dihydrotes tosterone treatment supports development of a male comb but does not induce female feathering. Since testosterone but not dihydrotestosterone is converted to estradiol in the skin of the Sebright, the female feathering appears to be the result of increased conversion of testosterone to estradiol. PMID- 17794845 TI - Environmental sex determination: interaction of temperature and genotype in a fish. AB - Sex determination in an atherinid fish, the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia), is under the control of both genotype and temperature during a specific period of larval development. The sex ratios of the progeny of different females are variable and differ in their responsiveness to temperature. This demonstrates that sex ratio in fishes that normally have separate sexes can be influenced by the environment. PMID- 17794846 TI - FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE. PMID- 17794847 TI - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. II. PMID- 17794848 TI - THE PUBLICATION OF REJECTED NAMES. PMID- 17794849 TI - THE ACTIVITY OF MONT PELEE. PMID- 17794850 TI - ORIGIN OF THE WORD 'BAROMETER'. PMID- 17794851 TI - A RARE SCIENTIFIC BOOK. PMID- 17794852 TI - THE RESPONSE OF THE HEARTS OF CERTAIN MOLLUSCS, DECAPODS AND TUNICATES TO ELECTRICAL STIMULATION. (PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION.). PMID- 17794853 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17794854 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17794855 TI - SCIENTIFIC POSITIONS UNDER THE GOVERNMENT. PMID- 17794856 TI - THE NEW ALGOL VARIABLE. PMID- 17794857 TI - THE BRAIN OF SILJESTROM. PMID- 17794859 TI - THE APPROPRIATION FOR THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17794858 TI - THE DESERT BOTANICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17794860 TI - THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. PMID- 17794861 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794862 TI - The career of scientific exploration. PMID- 17794864 TI - How much wilderness? PMID- 17794863 TI - How much wilderness? PMID- 17794865 TI - "Millisecond" pulsars. PMID- 17794866 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17794867 TI - Clinton moves to manage science. PMID- 17794868 TI - Is the third time a charm for a superconducting computer? PMID- 17794869 TI - In Sink-or-Swim Environment, Physicists Retrain to Survive. PMID- 17794870 TI - Breaking Up (a Bomb) Is Hard to Do. PMID- 17794871 TI - The greening of global climate models. PMID- 17794872 TI - Diamond-a Gear's Best Friend. PMID- 17794873 TI - Plenty of blame for all in quake panic. PMID- 17794874 TI - Study sections: does a superb system need a tune-up? PMID- 17794875 TI - Unusual radar echoes from the greenland ice sheet. AB - Airborne radar images of part of the Greenland ice sheet reveal icy terrain whose radar properties are unique among radar-studied terrestrial surfaces but resemble those of Jupiter's icy Galilean satellites. The 5.6- and 24-centimeter-wavelength echoes from the Greenland percolation zone, like the 3.5- and 13-centimeter wavelength echoes from the icy satellites, are extremely intense and have anomalous circular and linear polarization ratios. However, the detailed subsurface configurations of the Galilean satellite regoliths, where heterogeneities are the product of prolonged meteoroid bombardment, are unlikely to resemble that within the Greenland percolation zone, where heterogeneities are the product of seasonal melting and refreezing. PMID- 17794876 TI - Evidence for a low surface temperature on pluto from millimeter-wave thermal emission measurements. AB - Thermal continuum emission from the Pluto-Charon system has been detected at wavelents of 800 and 1300 micrometers, and significant upper limits have been obtained at 450 and 1100 micrometers. After the subtraction of emission from Charon, the deduced surface temperature of much of Pluto is between 30 and 44 kein, probably near 35 to 37 kelvin. This range is significantly cooler than what radiative equilibrium models have suged and cooler than the surface temperature derived by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite. The low temperature indicates that methane cannot be present at the microbar pressure levels indicated by the 1988 stellar occultation measurements and that the methane features in Pluto's spectrum are from solid, not gas-phase, absorptions. This result is evidence that Pluto's atmosphere is dominated by nitrogen or carbon monoxide rather than methane. PMID- 17794877 TI - The origin of the turtle body plan: bridging a famous morphological gap. AB - A restudy of pareiasaurs reveals that these primitive reptiles are the nearest relatives of turtles. The two groups share numerous derived characters, such as a reduced presacral count, an acromion process, and a trochanter major, which are absent in other basal amniotes. Many traits long thought specific to chelonians also occur in pareiasaurs and must have evolved before the distinctive turtle shell appeared. Evidence uniting captorhinid or procolophonoids with turtles is shown to be weak. The phylogeny proposed here also suggests that certain features of the earliest turtle (Proganochelys) that have been interpreted as specializations, such as the large supratemporal and robust metacarpals, are primitive for turtles. In pareiasaurs, the osteoderms represent the precursors of the chelonian shell and the morphology of the anterior region is consistent with the idea that the shoulder girdle in turtles has migrated posteriorly into the rib cage. PMID- 17794878 TI - Laser 40Ar/39Ar Evaluation of Slow Cooling and Episodic Loss of 40Ar from a Sample of Polymetamorphic Muscovite. AB - Volume diffusion models predict that crystals with large diffusion dimensions can record a wide range of thermal conditions in the Earth's crust. Direct measurements of the zoning of radiogenic argon-40 in single muscovite porphyroblasts, from a complex terrain in the Vermont Appalachians, record multiple crustal events that span 150 million years. The crystal radius was the effective dimension for argon diffusion (approximately 1000 micrometers). Late deformation features inside the crystals locally decreased the diffusion dimension and promoted loss of argon-40. Zoning patterns of radiogenic isotopes, as observed in this study, are an increasingly important diagnostic tool for studying the thermal record of tectonic processes. PMID- 17794879 TI - Activation of floral homeotic genes in Arabidopsis. AB - The identity of floral organs in Arabidopsis thaliana is determined by homeotic genes, which are expressed in specific regions of the developing flower. The initial activation of homeotic genes is accomplished at least in part by the products of two earlier acting genes with overlapping functions. These are the floral meristem-identity genes LEAFY and APETALA1. The requirements of LEAFY and APETALA1 activity vary for different homeotic genes. PMID- 17794880 TI - The study of individuals. PMID- 17794881 TI - Ape ethnography. PMID- 17794882 TI - The unified brain. PMID- 17794883 TI - Vignette: mid-career angst. PMID- 17794884 TI - Vorticity. PMID- 17794885 TI - Understanding the universe. PMID- 17794886 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794887 TI - Foreign nationals change the face of u.s. Science. PMID- 17794888 TI - Researching the Japanese job market. PMID- 17794889 TI - Surprisel foreigners can get jobs in Japan. PMID- 17794890 TI - Opportunities in europe: away from the u.s. Rat race. PMID- 17794891 TI - CERN: A Mecca for U.S. Physicists. PMID- 17794892 TI - How much money is your ph.d. Worth? PMID- 17794893 TI - Science Fairs. PMID- 17794894 TI - Genetics and the Human Race: Definition of race on the basis of gene frequencies supplements definition from morphological characters. PMID- 17794895 TI - Decision Theory in Law, Science, and Technology. PMID- 17794896 TI - NIH and Fountain: Part of Problem Is that an Atmosphere of Suspicion Has Enveloped the Relationship. PMID- 17794897 TI - Civil Defense: New Program in Race with Growing Apathy and Apathy Is Pulling Ahead. PMID- 17794898 TI - Space Controversy: Senate Committee To Hear Scientists on Moon Program. PMID- 17794899 TI - Changes in Intensity of Punishment: Effect on Running Behavior of Rats. AB - Changing the strength of punishment produced only minor changes in rats' speed of running to food and shock at the goal of an alley. The persistence of running behavior after increased or decreased shock intensity is attributed to a stereotyped withdrawal response conditioned at the goal during initial punishment training. PMID- 17794900 TI - Dynamic Reflectance Spectroscopy: A New Thermal Technique. AB - Dynamic reflectance spectroscopy, a new thermal technique, measures the change in reflectance of a sample at a fixed wavelength as the temperature of the sample is increased. The technique is illustrated by the thermal dissociation of CoBr(2).6H(2)O. PMID- 17794901 TI - Night Airglow Observations from Orbiting Spacecraft Compared with Measurements from Rockets. AB - A luminous band around the night-time horizon, observed from orbiting capsules by J. H. Glenn and M. S. Carpenter, and identified as the horizon enhancement of the night airglow, is detected regularly in rocket-borne studies of night airglow. Values of luminance and dip angle of this band derived from Carpenter's observations agree remarkably well with values obtained from rocket data. The rocket results, however, do not support Carpenter's observation that the emission which he saw was largely the atomic oxygen line at 5577 A, but assign the principal luminosity to the green continuum. PMID- 17794902 TI - Photosynthetic Mutants Separate Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Signals of Scenedesmus. AB - Current schemes for the mechanism of the photosynthesis reaction imply a two-part cycle; one part produces a strong photoreductant, the other functions to release molecular oxygen. Wild-type Scenedesmus exhibits the two light-induced electron paramagnetic resonances typical of green algae and chloroplasts of higher plants. These resonances indicate the presence of unpaired electrons in at least two sites. By means of mutants which are blocked in one or the other part of the dual cycle, the narrow, rapidly decaying signal can be correlated with the photoreductant part, and the broad, slowly decaying signal can be correlated with the part releasing molecular oxygen. PMID- 17794903 TI - Organized Element: Possible Indentification in Orgueil Meteorite. AB - Ragweed pollen stained by the Gridley method becomes distorted so that it resembles Claus and Nagy's Type 5 organized element, a particle found in a Gridley-stained preparation of the Orgueil carbonaceous chondrite. PMID- 17794904 TI - Muscle-Equivalent Environmental Radiation Meter of Extreme Sensitivity. AB - A 16.5 liter spherical ion chamber was constructed of conducting muscle equivalent plastic and filled to 760 mm-Hg with a muscle-equivalent gas. The use of the chamber for measurements of natural environmental backgrounds was made quite feasible with the aid of the recently developed Shonka vibrating quartz fiber electrometer. This instrument is routinely operable at the extremely high sensitivity of better than 5000 divisions per volt. This system, therefore, has made possible reproducible measurements of absorbed dose-rates of fractions of a micro-rad per hour without any need for the usual corrections for wall-effect, stopping power, and so forth. PMID- 17794905 TI - Cytology. PMID- 17794906 TI - Drugs and Behavior. PMID- 17794907 TI - Manpower Problems: Training of Mathematics. PMID- 17794908 TI - International Congress of Zoology, 20-27 August 1963. PMID- 17794909 TI - On Planarian Behavior. PMID- 17794910 TI - The Florida Torreya: Efforts To Preserve It. PMID- 17794911 TI - Social Science Research. PMID- 17794912 TI - Plans for Science. PMID- 17794913 TI - The Problem of Weather Modification: What went wrong with the rain-making program? Is there any hope? PMID- 17794914 TI - Structural and Rheological Properties of Glass: Both thermal and technological factors are believed to influence the "past history" of glass. PMID- 17794915 TI - Science and Congress: Machinery Is Out of Date for Handling $12 Billion in Research Programs. PMID- 17794916 TI - Two Meteorites of Unusually Short Cosmic-Ray Exposure Age. AB - The chondrites Cold Bokkeveld and Farmington seem to have reached the earth less than 200,000 years after they left their parent body. Either these meteorites came from the moon, or, more probably, the collision life times of interplanetary objects are occasionally much shorter than has been assumed heretofore. PMID- 17794917 TI - Fission Product Radioactivity in the North Polar Stratosphere. AB - Balloon-borne gamma-ray detection equipment flown from Thule, Greenland, during April 1962, indicated that there was considerable radioactivity above 70,000 feet. Gamma-ray spectra obtained indicated the source of much of the activity to be the Soviet nuclear tests in late 1961. PMID- 17794918 TI - Chloroplasts and Mitochondria in Living Plant Cells: Cinephotomicrographic Studies. AB - Chloroplasts in situ are surrounded by jackets of a material which does not contain chlorophyll. The chlorophyll-bearing inner structure lacks motion while the jackets constantly change shape. Long protuberances may extend from the jackets into the cytoplasm and may segment into particles that cannot be distinguished from mitochondria. Segmentation and other dynamic characteristics of living plant cells have been recorded on cine film. PMID- 17794919 TI - Pollen Tube Growth in vivo as a Measure of Pollen Viability. AB - Observation by fluorescence of tomato pollen tubes in fixed styles clearly showed that all pollen samples grew regardless of age and fruit or seed setting potential. Methods commonly used to evaluate pollen viability, such as staining and germination, may predict growth in the style but do not always predict seed setting ability. PMID- 17794921 TI - Australites and Antarctica. AB - A meteorite crater in the Wilkes Land region of Antarctica has been postulated as an explanation of the origin of australites. Geophysical data suggest that such a feature may have been located. PMID- 17794920 TI - Visual Velocity Discrimination: Effects of Spatial and Temporal Cues. AB - Weber ratios were obtained for visual velocity discrimination under three topographic conditions with the same subjects and psychophysical procedures. The conditions differed regarding the presence of either temporal or spatial cues, these being correlated in magnitude with stimulus velocity. Systematic effects of the cues upon the level of velocity discrimination were noted. PMID- 17794922 TI - Pachytene and Diakinesis Behavior of the Isochromosomes 6 of Maize. AB - Complementary isochromosomes which shared homologies only for the centromere region and one or two adjacent chromomeres were rarely found associated at pachytene. It is therefore questioned whether the centromere plays an important specific role in the initiation of synapsis. It is also questioned whether centromere repulsion is a cause of diplotene separation and terminalization since the isochromosome univalent foldbacks assumed shapes typical of bivalents with chiasmata at diplotene and diakinesis. PMID- 17794923 TI - Communication with Queen Honey Bees by Substrate Sound. AB - A caged queen honey bee, installed in an observation hive which already contained a virgin queen, piped in response to artificial piping which was played to it through the substrate. The experiments which followed this observation provide the first direct quantitative evidence that sound, at least in the range of 600 to 2000 cycles per second, is perceived by honey bees and that information is transmitted through sound from one bee to another. PMID- 17794924 TI - Virus Neutralization Test in a Capillary Tube. AB - A simple and accurate virus titration method which requires extremely low numbers of cells per test vessel is described. Inhibition of metabolism was the criterion for 50 percent end point analysis when capillary tubing was used as the cell culture container. Virus neutralization titers were obtained within 24 hours. PMID- 17794926 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17794925 TI - Neurophysiology: Evaluating the Comparative Approach. PMID- 17794927 TI - Feedback and Nonfeedback. PMID- 17794928 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17794929 TI - AN APPRECIATION OF MR. EDISON BASED ON PERSONAL ACQUAINTANCE. PMID- 17794930 TI - EDISON'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. PMID- 17794932 TI - EDISON'S LABORATORY IN WAR TIME. PMID- 17794931 TI - EDISON AS A SCIENTIST. PMID- 17794933 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17794935 TI - THE NEED FOR A NEW EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH IN IMMUNOLOGY. PMID- 17794934 TI - A POSSIBLE MEANS OF CUTTING DOWN THE MOSQUITO POPULATION. PMID- 17794936 TI - RUMBLING CLOUDS AND LUMINOUS CLOUDS. PMID- 17794937 TI - THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17794938 TI - THE PREVENTION OF CONVULSIONS. PMID- 17794939 TI - ENTOPTIC COLORS. PMID- 17794940 TI - A SIMPLE SUSPENDED MIRROR SEISMOGRAPH. PMID- 17794941 TI - APPARATUS FOR TAKING WATER SAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT LEVELS. PMID- 17794942 TI - REGENERATION IN BRYOPHYLLUM. PMID- 17794943 TI - A NEW PLANT SOURCE OF VITAMIN A ACTIVITY. PMID- 17794944 TI - A NOTE ON THE EFFECT OF ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT ON THE VITAMIN A OF BUTTER. PMID- 17794945 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794946 TI - Women in biomedicine. PMID- 17794947 TI - Elimination of scholarships. PMID- 17794948 TI - Elimination of scholarships. PMID- 17794949 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - Note 21 on page 1178 of the report "Mice lacking TdT: Mature animals with an immature lymphocyte repertoire" by S. Gilfillan et al. (27 Aug., p. 1175) should have included the information that the cDNA sequence of mouse TdT was initially obtained by the authors from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (accession number X04123), given in a 1986 paper by O. Koiwai, T. Yokota, T. Kageyama, T. Hirose, S. Yoshida, and K. Arai [Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 5777 (1986)]. PMID- 17794950 TI - Language and math. PMID- 17794951 TI - Will tritium give magnetic fusion a shot in the arm? PMID- 17794952 TI - The quest for the youngest galaxies. PMID- 17794953 TI - The whole world had a case of the ice age shivers. PMID- 17794954 TI - Wiring for a very small world. PMID- 17794955 TI - A closer look at the dinosaur-bird link. PMID- 17794956 TI - ;Intelligent design' at san francisco state. PMID- 17794957 TI - Amateurs gather avian data. PMID- 17794959 TI - No excess cancer seen from bomb tests. PMID- 17794958 TI - All Rosy for Japan's Women in Science? PMID- 17794960 TI - Return to sender. PMID- 17794961 TI - Tax victory for science agencies. PMID- 17794962 TI - Long-distance math learning. PMID- 17794963 TI - Japan prize goes to american and swede. PMID- 17794964 TI - A simple kinetic model of polymer adsorption and desorption. AB - A model of the desorption and adsorption of a polymer layer at a planar surface indicates a transition from exponential kinetics at high temperatures to nonexponential kinetics (stretched exponential with index one-half) at lower temperatures where these processes are diffusion-limited. Measurements of polystyrene desorption through polyisoprene overlayers show this predicted transition. Corroborative results are obtained for polystyrene desorption through polymethylmethacrylate overlayers. This identification of two distinct kinetic regimes suggests a unifying perspective from which to analyze polymer and biopolymer mobility at surfaces. PMID- 17794965 TI - Molecular light emission induced by inelastic electron tunneling. AB - Light emission from molecular layers has been induced by inelastically tunneling electrons in a tunneling junction. The fast quenching of molecular emission on metal surfaces was suppressed by use of the "transparent conductor" indium-tin oxide for the junction electrodes. The emission measurements have been made in squeezable tunneling junctions as small as 10(-9) square centimeters, coated with 9-10 dichloro-anthracene layers. At a bias of 2.5 to 3.5 volts, yields of 5000 photons per microcoulomb were observed. Evidence for the molecular origin of the emission is given. This method shows good prospects for use in the imaging of chromophores on surfaces with atomic resolution. PMID- 17794966 TI - Fabrication of conducting polymer interconnects. AB - A nonmechanical approach to the construction of complex three-dimensional interconnect arrays has been developed with the use of conducting polymer dendrites. Electrically independent connections between pairs of wires in an array were successfully grown through alternating-current electrochemical polymerization of poly(3-methylthiophene), without mechanical or optical masking steps. The electrically active links were insulated by subsequent electropolymerization of 4-vinylpyridine or 2-methylthiophene or by the dip coating of the connections in a polystyrene solution. PMID- 17794967 TI - Stable isotope enrichment in paleowaters of the southeast atlantic coastal plain, United States. AB - Paleowaters from the Floridan aquifer system in the southeastern Atlantic coastal plain have higher D/H and (18)O/(16)O ratios than local Holocene ground water. Maximum delta(18)O enrichments in ground water having adjusted radiocarbon ages of 20,000 to 26,000 years are 0.7 to 2.3 per mil. The trend in isotopic enrichment in paleowaters is the reverse of that normally observed in continental glacial age ground water. Dissolved nitrogen and argon concentrations indicate, however, that the average recharge temperature was 5.3 degrees C cooler than that today. The data indicate cool conditions in the southeast Atlantic coastal plain during the last glacial maximum, with recharge limited primarily to late summer tropical cyclones and hurricanes. PMID- 17794968 TI - Evidence of the growth plate and the growth of long bones in juvenile dinosaurs. AB - Histological and ultrastructural evaluation of the ends of long bones of juvenile dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana revealed the preservation of growth plates. Growth plates are discs of cartilage present near the ends of growing long bones that generate bone elongation. Comparison of the fossils with modern taxa demonstrated homology of the growth plate in birds and dinosaurs. The presence of an avian-type growth plate in dinosaurs adds a shared derived anatomical character corroborating inclusion of birds within the Dinosauria. Additionally, possession of a growth plate, which in birds is capable of producing rapid determinate long bone growth, implies that an avian developmental pattern may have been present in these dinosaurs. PMID- 17794969 TI - Mantle plume helium in submarine basalts from the galapagos platform. AB - Helium-3/helium-4 ratios in submarine basalt glasses from the Galapagos Archipelago range up to 23 times the atmospheric ratio in the west and southwest. These results indicate the presence of a relatively undegassed mantle plume at the Galapagos hot spot and place Galapagos alongside Hawaii, Iceland, and Samoa as the only localities known to have such high helium-3/helium-4 ratios. Lower ratios across the rest of the Galapagos Archipelago reflect systematic variations in the degree of dilution of the plume by entrainment of depleted material from the asthenosphere. These spatial variations reveal the dynamics of the underlying mantle plume and its interaction with the nearby Galapagos Spreading Center. PMID- 17794970 TI - Response. PMID- 17794971 TI - The decline of abstinence. PMID- 17794973 TI - Horbigerism. PMID- 17794972 TI - The age of our species. PMID- 17794974 TI - Galactic enthusiast. PMID- 17794976 TI - Vignettes: public opinion. PMID- 17794975 TI - Nuclear magic. PMID- 17794978 TI - Vignettes: around the campuses. PMID- 17794977 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17794979 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17794980 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17794981 TI - A major generation gap. PMID- 17794982 TI - Antarctic environmental concerns. PMID- 17794983 TI - Superconducting transition temperature of doped c60: retraction. PMID- 17794984 TI - Antarctic environmental concerns. PMID- 17794985 TI - Correction. AB - In the 24 April "Inside AAAS" article "AAAS organizes more meetings of the mind" (p. 548), it is stated incorrectly that Paul Berg of Stanford University will be giving the keynote address and that Helen Donis-Keller of Washington University will be presenting a paper at the Science Innovation '92 meeting in San Francisco (21 to 25 July 1992). The Science Innovation '92 program was tentative at the time the article was written. Joseph Martin of the University of California, San Francisco, will deliver the keynote address on one of the major themes of the meeting, "Mapping the Human Brain." Helen Donis-Keller and Paul Berg were invited to speak but will not be on the program this year. PMID- 17794986 TI - What Should It Take to Join Science's Most Exclusive Club? PMID- 17794987 TI - New academy members. PMID- 17794988 TI - The sound of light. PMID- 17794989 TI - Does it take real intelligence to run a city? PMID- 17794991 TI - Public's Research Priorities. PMID- 17794990 TI - Settlement at u. Of delaware. PMID- 17794992 TI - Scientist featured in mountaineering flick. PMID- 17794993 TI - Controlling your personal environment. PMID- 17794994 TI - Government smiles on one-handed drugs. PMID- 17794995 TI - Hot rumors, blue light, and modern art shake up frisco. PMID- 17794996 TI - ;Transparent' proofs help solve opaque problems. PMID- 17794997 TI - Sightseeing at a black hole gets easier. PMID- 17794998 TI - Giant magnetoresistance in magnetic layered and granular materials. PMID- 17794999 TI - Vibrational modes and the dynamic solvent effect in electron and proton transfer. AB - This article primarily reviews recent work on ultrafast experiments on excited state intramolecular electron and proton transfer, with an emphasis on experiments on chemical systems that have been analyzed theoretically. In particular, those systems that have been quantitatively characterized by static spectroscopy, which provides detailed information about the reaction potential energy surface and about other parameters that are necessary to make a direct comparison to theoretical predictions, are described. PMID- 17795000 TI - Energy sources: a realistic outlook. AB - Projections to the middle of the next century indicate that unabated historical global energy trends would lead to an annual global energy demand about four times present levels, primarily due to population and economic growth. But extensive global conservation and energy-efficient systems might reduce this value by half. The cumulative effect of the coming half century's use may strain the world's low-cost resources, particularly oil. The future fuel mix is further complicated by the environmental thrust to reduce the global use of carbon-based fuels. The interaction of the principal factors influencing future energy resource and technology options are projected. PMID- 17795001 TI - Airborne studies of the smoke from the kuwait oil fires. AB - Airborne studies of smoke from the Kuwait oil fires were carried out in the spring of 1991 when approximately 4.6 million barrels of oil were burning per day. Emissions of sulfur dioxide were approximately 57% of that from electric utilities in the United States; emissions of carbon dioxide were approximately 2% of global emissions; emissions of soot were approximately 3400 metric tons per day. The smoke absorbed approximately 75 to 80% of the sun's radiation in regions of the Persian Gulf. However, the smoke probably had insignificant global effects because (i) particle emissions were less than expected, (ii) the smoke was not as black as expected, (iii) the smoke was not carried high in the atmosphere, and (iv) the smoke had a short atmospheric residence time. PMID- 17795002 TI - Paleotemperatures in the southwestern United States derived from noble gases in ground water. AB - A paleotemperature record based on measurements of atmospheric noble gases dissolved in ground water of the Carrizo aquifer (Texas) shows that the annual mean temperature in the southwestern United States during the last glacial maximum was about 5 degrees C lower than the present-day value. In combination with evidence for fluctuations in mountain snow lines, this cooling indicates that the glacial lapse rate was approximately the same as it is today. In contrast, measurements on deep-sea sediments indicate that surface temperatures in the ocean basins adjacent to our study area decreased by only about 2 degrees C. This difference between continental and oceanic records poses questions concerning our current understanding of paleoclimate and climate-controlling processes. PMID- 17795003 TI - Geothermal evidence from Canada for a cold period before recent climatic warming. AB - Three deep boreholes in a small area in Quebec, each having two high-accuracy temperature logs separated by 22 years, allow reliable determination of the ground surface temperature history during the past few centuries. The temperature logs show that the recent climatic warming was preceded by a cold period near the end of the 19th century in this area. The presence of such a cold period is also suggested by borehole temperature data from other areas in Canada. PMID- 17795004 TI - Stress diffusion along the san andreas fault at parkfield, california. AB - Beginning in January 1990, the epicenters of microearthquakes associated with a 12-month increase in seismicity near Parkfield, California, moved northwest to southeast along the San Andreas fault. During this sequence of events, the locally variable rate of cumulative seismic moment increased. This increase implies a local increase in fault slip. These data suggest that a southeastwardly diffusing stress front propagated along the San Andreas fault at a speed of 30 to 50 kilometers per year. Evidently, this front did not load the Parkfield asperities fast enough to produce a moderate earthquake; however, a future front might do so. PMID- 17795005 TI - Electron-tunneling pathways in cytochrome C. AB - Distant Fe(2+)-Ru(3+) electronic couplings have been extracted from intramolecular electrontransfer rates in Ru(histidine(x)) (where X = 33, 39, 62, and 72) derivatives of cytochrome c. The couplings increase according to 62 (0.0060) < 72 (0.057) < 33 (0.097) < 39 (0.11 per wave numbers); however, this order is out of line with the histidine to heme edge-edge distances [62 (14.8) > 39 (12.3) > 33 (11.1) > 72 (8.4 angstroms)]. The rates (and the couplings) correlate with the lengths of sigma-tunneling pathways comprised of covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, and through-space jumps from the histidines to the heme group. Space jumps greatly decrease couplings: One from Pro(71) to Met(80) extends the sigma-tunneling length of the His(72) pathway by roughly 10 covalent bond units. PMID- 17795006 TI - High-Resolution Imaging by Fourier Transform X-ray Holography. AB - Fourier transform x-ray holography has been used to image gold test objects with submicrometer structure, resolving features as small as 60 nanometers. The hologram-recording instrument uses coherent 3.4-nanometer radiation from the soft x-ray undulator beamline X1A at the National Synchrotron Light Source. The specimen to be imaged is placed near the first-order focal spot produced by a Fresnel zone plate; the other orders, chiefly the zeroth, illuminate the specimen. The wave scattered by the specimen interferes with the spherical reference wave from the focal spot, forming a hologram with fringes of low spatial frequency. The hologram is recorded in digital form by a charge-coupled device camera, and the specimen image is obtained by numerical reconstruction. PMID- 17795007 TI - Order and Low Dimensionality in the Organic Superconductor (BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2 Revealed by STM. AB - Single-crystal samples of [(BEDT-TTF)(2)]+[Cu(NCS)(2)]-were synthesized and studied with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Real-space images of the anion and cation surfaces with molecular resolution were obtained. The images show no evidence of structural disorder or stacking faults previously suggested. The presence of an additional modulation commensurate with the lattice provides evidence of a lattice distortion. The cause of this modulation is unknown. The presence of a charge density wave in the material would have implications on the dimensionality of the material that may explain the peculiar temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity. This interpretation is consistent with the calculated Fermi surface, which allows nesting of the wave vector. PMID- 17795008 TI - Rangings of the mind. PMID- 17795009 TI - Technocultures. PMID- 17795010 TI - Everyday objects. PMID- 17795011 TI - Genteel enterprises. PMID- 17795012 TI - Hallmarks of civilization. PMID- 17795013 TI - Nobelists and company. PMID- 17795014 TI - The widener-wichita divide. PMID- 17795015 TI - Absences from the white house. PMID- 17795016 TI - Missile defender. PMID- 17795018 TI - So-called quasicrystals. PMID- 17795017 TI - Lives of a chemist. PMID- 17795019 TI - Planetary reconnoiter. PMID- 17795020 TI - Immunological reformulations. PMID- 17795021 TI - Buckyballs. PMID- 17795022 TI - Pioneers of embryology. PMID- 17795023 TI - Drosophila unfolded. PMID- 17795024 TI - Reversal of fate. PMID- 17795025 TI - Priorities for plants. PMID- 17795026 TI - Big questions in ecology. PMID- 17795027 TI - Vertebrate transitions. PMID- 17795028 TI - Themes in ethology. PMID- 17795029 TI - Faraday at home and abroad. PMID- 17795030 TI - Facets of huxley. PMID- 17795032 TI - Uses of sport. PMID- 17795031 TI - Telling about the Maya. PMID- 17795033 TI - A craft in antiquity. PMID- 17795035 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17795034 TI - An ethnography completed. PMID- 17795036 TI - Standard Measures and the Economical Production of Graphs and Figures. PMID- 17795037 TI - NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRANCE AND GRADUATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. PMID- 17795038 TI - THE MAN OF SCIENCE AND HIS DUTIES. PMID- 17795039 TI - BRITISH VITAL STATISTICS. PMID- 17795040 TI - APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17795041 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17795042 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17795043 TI - THE APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND REMOVAL OF OFFICERS OF INSTRUCTION. PMID- 17795044 TI - CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17795045 TI - PRIMITIVE COPPER HARDENING. PMID- 17795046 TI - THE ZOOLOGICAL RECORD. PMID- 17795047 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17795048 TI - PRE-COLUMBIAN REFERENCES TO MAIZE IN PERSIAN LITERATURE. PMID- 17795049 TI - REDISCOVERY OF SOME CONRAD FORMS. PMID- 17795050 TI - TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. PMID- 17795052 TI - AN INTERESTING OLD WEAVING TECHNIC. PMID- 17795051 TI - BACTERIOLOGICAL METHODS FOR THE ESTIMATION OF SOIL ACIDITY. PMID- 17795053 TI - THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17795054 TI - A breath of new york. PMID- 17795055 TI - AAAS Meetings: Complex and Diffuse. PMID- 17795056 TI - Cold north winds. PMID- 17795057 TI - The naivete of science. PMID- 17795058 TI - After new york--what next? PMID- 17795059 TI - Quantum electronics, and surprise in development of technology: the problem of research planning. PMID- 17795060 TI - Teaching Science in High School-- What Is Wrong?: Scientists have not brought the methods of science to bear on the improvement of instruction. PMID- 17795061 TI - The Experimental City: With components designed as an experimental system, new cities in open land will open up land in old cities. PMID- 17795062 TI - NIH: Heightened Concern about Choosing Shannon's Successor. PMID- 17795064 TI - Geneva: molecular biology research comes of age. PMID- 17795065 TI - Scientist to head new york post. PMID- 17795066 TI - Draft delinquents: professors face possible induction. PMID- 17795067 TI - Block faulting on the gorda rise. AB - A study made of Gorda Rise near 41 degrees 15'N with a novel instrument shows that the rift-valley walls have a tilted steplike profile, often with perched, planar sediments. Topography indicates that the steps were formed by block faulting. Distribution of the steps and the character of their tops suggest that they originated in the central 2 or 3 kilometers of the valley floor and were subsequently moved outward, uplifted, and tilted along with their underlying blocks as the sea floor spread. Gorda Rise is considered a slowly spreading part of the oceanic-rise system. Studies of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge report features that may be similar uplifted blocks. PMID- 17795068 TI - Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD): No Teratogenicity in Rats. AB - Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in doses of 1.5 to 300 micrograms was given to 55 pregnant rats during periods of organogenesis and on the 4th or 5th day of pregnancy to 34 rats. Examination of the resultant 887 young for congenital defects showed no greater frequency than in controls. These experimtents failed to prove that LSD is teratogenic in rats. PMID- 17795069 TI - Carbon-14 milk constituents from cows fed carbamate labeled with carbon-14 on the carbonyl. AB - Oral administration to a dairy cow of Furadan insecticide (2,2-dimethyl-2,3 dihydro-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate) labeled with carbon-14 on the carbonyl produced in the milk certain radioactive materials which were not Furadan metabolites. The data suggest that these products were natural milk constituents containing only the carbon-14 atom from the Furadan molecule. Carbon-14-labeled carbon dioxide formed by the hydrolysis of the carbamate insecticide is the apparent precursor of these radiolabeled constituents of the milk. PMID- 17795070 TI - Myoglobin subfractions: abnormality in duchenne type of progressive muscular dystrophy. AB - Human metmyoglobin was separated electrophoretically into four subfractions: Mb(1), Mb(2), Mb(3), and Mb(4), which divide into at least two biochemically independent groups: Mb(1) and Mb(2), and Mb(3), and Mb(4). In normal subjects, Mb(1) constituted the predominant component; Mb(2), Mb(3), and Mb(4) were the minor components in this descending order. In the Duchenne type of progressive muscular dystrophy, on the contrary, a remarkable decrease in Mb(1) and a concomitant increase in Mb(3) were observed. This unique abnormality in the relative distribution of myoglobin subfractions was recognized only in the Duchenne type and not in other types of progressive muscular dystrophy or in other myopathies. PMID- 17795071 TI - Structure of membranes: reaction of red blood cell membranes with phospholipase C. AB - Treatment of human red blood cell membranes with phospholipase C releases 68 to 74 percent of the total membrane phosphorus into solution, through hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids to diglycerides and water-soluble phosphorylated amines. In spite of this drastic change, the membrane remains intact in phase microscopy, and the average protein conformation in the membranes, as determined by circular dichroism measurements in the ultraviolet, is unaffected. These results are readily explained by a model of membrane structure that is stabilized by hydrophobic interactions and in which the polar and ionic heads of lipids are on the outer surfaces of the membrane, in contact with the bulk aqueous phase and accessible to the action of phospholipase C. PMID- 17795072 TI - Feeding schedule alteration of daily rhythm in tyrosine alpha-ketoglutarate transaminase of rat liver. AB - Liver tyrosine alpha-ketoglutarate transaminase has a daily rhythm such that in rats fed on an unrestricted basis the activity is highest at approximately 11:00 p.m. In contrast, rats fed only from 8:00 a.m. to noon show a markedly different rhythm in the enzyme, with maximum activity at 11:00 a.m. Controlling the time of food intake seems to be a useful means of studying the mechanism of the daily changes in this enzyme. PMID- 17795073 TI - Genetic selection for voluntary alcohol consumption in the albino rat. AB - By outbreeding Wistar rats and selecting for breeding animals that differ in their alcohol consumption, we have raised two genetically different lines. Marked differences between the sexes and the strains were evident by the eighth generation. Selection is reflected in the regression coefficient .754, which accounts for 65.9 percent of the variance. The heritabilities differ significantly in the two sexes, h2 for the males being .263, and for the females .371; this difference seems mainly ascribable to sex-linkage of some of the genetic factors controlling voluntary consumption of alcohol. PMID- 17795074 TI - Hemoglobin Rainier (beta145 Tyrosine rarr Histidine): Alkali-Resistant Hemoglobin with Increased Oxygen Affinity. AB - Hemoglobin Rainier, a new hemoglobin variant associated with erythrocytosis, was found in six members of a Caucasiant family. Structurally, it represents substitution of histidine for the invariant residute H23 tyrosine in the beta hemoglobin polypeptide chain (beta(145) tyrosine --> histidine). Hemoglobin Rainier is the first example of a single amino acid substitution in adult human hemoglobin, causing increased resistance to alkali denaturation. PMID- 17795075 TI - Myotatic reflex: its input-output relation. AB - The dynamic properties of the myotatic reflex and of its components were determined by a systems-analysis approach. The gain and phase relations between an applied stretch, whiclh initiates the reflex, and the output of the primary mulscle spindles, which impinge upon (alpha)-motoneurons, are not further changed by the properties of the motoneurons. The dynamic relation between motoneuron activity and the resultant muscle tension balances these changes in gain and phase; the result is a flat gain and nearly zero phase difference between stretch and tension produced by the myotatic reflex. Moreover, the distribution of activity in multiple channels extends the range in which the overall reflex is linear. PMID- 17795077 TI - X-rays from Source 3C 273. PMID- 17795076 TI - Paradoxical sleep: effect of low partial pressures of atmospheric oxygen. AB - When cats are subjected to an atmosphere of 100 percent oxygen at a sufficiently low pressure, their sleeping patterns are changed: paradoxical sleep disappears and drowsiness increases. This change appears when the pressure decreases to a level close to that at which the hemoglobin begins to dissociate. Return of a cat to a normal atmosphere produces a rebound: the cat spends more time in paradoxical sleep than it did during the base-line period. This finding suggests that a mechanism, closely related to the metabolism of oxygen in the brain, must play an important role in the production of paradoxical sleep. Yet the increase in paradoxical sleep after decompression indicates that still other mechanisms must merge to produce paradoxical sleep. PMID- 17795078 TI - Chromosome Damage Not Found in Leukocytes of Children Treated with LSD-25. PMID- 17795079 TI - The 1967 Meeting of the AAAS: A Retrospect. PMID- 17795080 TI - Remarks on the History of the Exclusion Principle. PMID- 17795081 TI - Introductory Remarks. PMID- 17795082 TI - Encomium. PMID- 17795083 TI - Motherless Males From Irradiated Eggs. PMID- 17795084 TI - The High Ascorbic Acid Content of the West Indian Cherry. PMID- 17795086 TI - Sex Hormonal Action and Chemical Constitution. PMID- 17795085 TI - Diabetes Produced by Feeding Alloxan to Cats. PMID- 17795087 TI - Effect of Altitude Anoxia in Provoking Relapse in Malaria. PMID- 17795089 TI - Text of the New Kilgore-Magnuson Bill. PMID- 17795088 TI - The Transmission of Litomosoides Carinii, Filariid Parasite of the Cotton Rat, by the Tropical Rat Mite, Liponyssus bacoti. PMID- 17795090 TI - Housing Arrangements in St. Louis. PMID- 17795092 TI - The Age of Lake Cahuilla. PMID- 17795091 TI - A Critique of the "Exact" Natural Sciences. PMID- 17795093 TI - CO2 Baths. PMID- 17795095 TI - NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17795094 TI - Pandora's Box. PMID- 17795096 TI - NOTES ON THE ANATOMY OF THE ENCEPHALON, NOTABLY OF THE GREAT GANGLIA. PMID- 17795098 TI - THE HAMMOND PRIZE. PMID- 17795097 TI - HUNGER THE PRIMITIVE DESIRE. PMID- 17795099 TI - HYPNOTISM. PMID- 17795100 TI - THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHIGTON. PMID- 17795101 TI - EFFECT OF PRESSURE ON THE FUSION POINT. PMID- 17795102 TI - CHESAPEAKE ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17795103 TI - THE MATERIALISTIC ORIGIN OF THE SEXES. PMID- 17795104 TI - THE MECHANICS OF BIRD-FLIGHT. PMID- 17795106 TI - COLOR RELATIONS OF METALS. PMID- 17795105 TI - DETECTION OF STARCH-SUGAR MECHANICALLY MIXED WITH COMMERCIAL CANESUGAR. PMID- 17795108 TI - The Report. PMID- 17795107 TI - THE OBSERVATORIES OF THE UNITEDSTATES. PMID- 17795109 TI - To the Editor of "Science". PMID- 17795111 TI - ON THE LIMIT OF PLANETARY, STABILITY. PMID- 17795110 TI - THE LATE PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, AND PENNULE'S COMET. PMID- 17795112 TI - CHEMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17795113 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17795114 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17795115 TI - The undesirability principle. PMID- 17795117 TI - "Star Wars" Tests and the ABM Treaty: Arguing that planned tests of components of a missile defense system will violate the ABM treaty, critics are trying to cut the program's budget. PMID- 17795116 TI - Opportunities in magnetic materials. AB - Recent discoveries of new magnetic materials may greatly improve the performance of devices containing such materials and may lead to entirely new applications. For example, boron-based temary compounds for permanent magnets make new compact motor designs practical; amorphous transformer materials show greatly reduced losses at high frequencies; and thin magnetic alloy films offer increased data storage densities. The major technical issues associated with the new magnetic materials are identified. PMID- 17795118 TI - Soviets Play Tit-for-Tat. PMID- 17795119 TI - A $9.5-billion plan for facilities. PMID- 17795120 TI - Global Cooperation in Big Science: The need is growing but too many obstacles stand in the way; NSF is urged to play a stronger role. PMID- 17795121 TI - DOE Faces Suit Over Enrichment Decision. PMID- 17795122 TI - Comings and goings. PMID- 17795124 TI - NRC Stands by Its Rule on University Reactors. PMID- 17795123 TI - Europe agrees on joint defense research program. PMID- 17795126 TI - Questions about Primate Diet: Food Acquisition and Processing in Primates. PMID- 17795125 TI - Sodium Atoms Stopped and Confined: Particles in a fast-moving atomic beam can be stopped in their tracks by laser light and subsequently confined in space for a second or so. PMID- 17795127 TI - Elsie Clews Parsons: A Woman's Quest for Science. PMID- 17795129 TI - Mathematical physics: renormalization. PMID- 17795128 TI - Coral reefs: perspectives on coral reefs. PMID- 17795130 TI - Measurements of the large-scale direct-current Earth potential and possible implications for the geomagnetic dynamo. AB - The magnitude of the large-scale direct-current earth potential was measured on a section of a recently laid transatlantic telecommunications cable. Analysis of the data acquired on the 4476-kilometer cable yielded a mean direct-current potential drop of less than about 0.072 +/- 0.050 millivolts per kilometer. Interpreted in terms of a generation of the potential by the earth's geodynamo, such a small value of the mean potential implies that the toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields of the dynamo are approximately equal at the core-mantle boundary. PMID- 17795131 TI - A unique symbiosis in the gut of tropical herbivorous surgeonfish (acanthuridae: teleostei) from the red sea. AB - Herbivorous surgeonfish (Acanthurus species) in the Red Sea harbor gut symbionts that include bacteria, trichomonadid flagellates, and a peculiar putative protist that attains densities of 20,000 to 100,000 cells per milliliter of gut contents. The structure, mode of reproduction, and within-gut distribution of the latter are described. This may be the first report of an organism of this type and the first evidence of a consistent endosymbiosis in the gut of a herbivorous marine fish. PMID- 17795133 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17795132 TI - On the Astin Dismissal. PMID- 17795134 TI - Can Wind Move Rocks on Racetrack Playa? PMID- 17795135 TI - How Much? PMID- 17795136 TI - S-Acetyl Pantetheine (Acetyl LBF). PMID- 17795137 TI - Pleistocene Corals at Lake Worth, Florida. PMID- 17795138 TI - A MECHANISTIC VIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY. PMID- 17795139 TI - THE CHESTNUT-BLIGHT PARASITE (ENDOTHIA PARASITICA) FROM CHINA. PMID- 17795140 TI - THE DISCOVERY OF THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE IN CHINA. PMID- 17795142 TI - EXCUSING CLASS ABSENCES IN COLLEGE. PMID- 17795141 TI - COLOR CORRELATION IN COWPEAS. PMID- 17795143 TI - VARIATIONS IN THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD. PMID- 17795144 TI - NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17795145 TI - THE REDISCOVERY OF PERIDERMIUM PYRIFORME PECK. PMID- 17795146 TI - A WINE-RED SUNFLOWER. PMID- 17795148 TI - THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME SUBSTANCES USED IN THE PBESERVATION OF FOOD. PMID- 17795147 TI - THE REGULATION OF NEUTRALITY IN THE ANIMAL BODY. PMID- 17795149 TI - THE THOMAS PENNANT COLLECTION. PMID- 17795151 TI - RELATIVITY IN ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION. PMID- 17795150 TI - THE POPULATION OF NEW YORK STATE. PMID- 17795152 TI - SCIENTIFIC METHOD. PMID- 17795153 TI - "MORE LITTLE BEASTS". PMID- 17795154 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17795155 TI - THE AGE OF PICANTHROPUS ERECTUS. PMID- 17795156 TI - SOME RELATIONS BETWEEN ROOT CHARACTERS, GROUND WATER AND SPECIES DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17795157 TI - INORGANIC COLLOIDS AND PROTOPLASM. PMID- 17795158 TI - Donna. PMID- 17795159 TI - How Volcanoes Grow. PMID- 17795160 TI - Dues and Membership in Scientific Societies. PMID- 17795161 TI - Atoms for Peace: An American Victory of Uncertain Value Is Won at the Vienna IAEA Conference. PMID- 17795162 TI - Patent Medicines: A Modest Drive Is Underway to Educate the Public. PMID- 17795163 TI - Pugwash Conferences Not Eaton's, American Scientists Explain; Name Change To Be Proposed. PMID- 17795164 TI - Blood Typing of Aged Material. PMID- 17795165 TI - The Incorrect Use of "Base". PMID- 17795166 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17795168 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17795167 TI - Not Cooking with Gas. PMID- 17795169 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17795170 TI - EFFICIENT SURGICAL SERVICE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. PMID- 17795171 TI - SOME HIGH LIGHTS OF ASTRONOMY DURING THE PAST YEAR. PMID- 17795172 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17795173 TI - GEOLOGY AND ARCHEOLOGY AS BORDER SCIENCES. PMID- 17795174 TI - PERFORATED FIBER-TRACHEIDS IN THE PASSION FLOWERS. PMID- 17795175 TI - THE CHEMICAL TRANSMISSION OF NERVE IMPULSES. PMID- 17795176 TI - A POSSIBLE RELATION OF VITAMIN E TO UNRESTRICTED CELL DIVISION. PMID- 17795177 TI - THE NEW ENGLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION. PMID- 17795179 TI - TRANSMISSION OF INFLUENZA BY A FILTERABLE VIRUS. PMID- 17795178 TI - AN ELECTRICALLY-HEATED SLIDE-RINGING DEVICE. PMID- 17795180 TI - PRESERVATION OF SMALL AMPHIBIA IN GELATIN. PMID- 17795181 TI - GLUTAMINE IN THE TOMATO PLANT. PMID- 17795182 TI - OVULATION IN THE DOMESTIC HEN. PMID- 17795183 TI - THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17795185 TI - A HEARING OF BIRDS' EARS.--I. PMID- 17795184 TI - THE NATIONAL RAILWAY EXPOSITION --V. PMID- 17795186 TI - ON THE KINETIC THEORY OF THE SPECIFIC HEAT OF SOLIDS. PMID- 17795188 TI - HISTOLOGY OF INSECTS. PMID- 17795187 TI - CLIMATE IN THE CURE OF CONSUMPTION. --I. PMID- 17795189 TI - EXPERIMENTS TO DETERMINE THE GERMICIDE VALUE OF CERTAIN THERAPEUTIC AGENTS. PMID- 17795190 TI - The practical value of soil-analysis. PMID- 17795191 TI - The 'stony girdle' of the earth. PMID- 17795193 TI - Erratic pebbles in the Licking valley. PMID- 17795192 TI - Depth of ice during the glacial age. PMID- 17795194 TI - Wright's ice-dam at Cincinnati. PMID- 17795195 TI - Do humming-birds fly backwards? PMID- 17795196 TI - Evidences of glacial man. PMID- 17795197 TI - Mr. Morse's papers at Minneapolis. PMID- 17795199 TI - THE CHESAPEAKE OYSTER-BEDS. PMID- 17795198 TI - THE ALPHABET. PMID- 17795201 TI - THE PEBBLES OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN. PMID- 17795200 TI - THE FOSSIL FLORA OF GREENLAND. PMID- 17795202 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17795203 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17795204 TI - Failure at the Earth summit. PMID- 17795206 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17795205 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17795207 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17795209 TI - Greenhouse uncertainties: adjusting the heat. PMID- 17795208 TI - State officials slow research on the effects of the spill. PMID- 17795210 TI - The drug industry goes green. PMID- 17795211 TI - There's a New Offering on Campus: Global Change 101. PMID- 17795212 TI - Stalking the elusive atmospheric hydroxyl radical. PMID- 17795213 TI - The schumann resonance: a global tropical thermometer. AB - The Schumann resonance, a global electromagnetic phenomenon, is shown to be a sensitive measure of temperature fluctuations in the tropical atmosphere. The link between Schumann resonance and temperature is lightning flash rate, which increases nonlinearly with temperature in the interaction between deep convection and ice microphysics. PMID- 17795214 TI - An Intercomparison of Tropospheric OH Measurements at Fritz Peak Observatory, Colorado. AB - The hydroxyl radical (OH) controls the lifetimes and therefore the concentrations of many important chemical species in Earth's lower atmosphere including several greenhouse and ozone-depleting species. Two completely different measurement techniques were used in an informal intercomparison to determine tropospheric OH concentrations at Fritz Peak concentrations by chemical analysis; the other used spectroscopic absorption on a long path. The intercomparison showed that ambient OH concentrations can now be measured with sufficient sensitivity to provide a test for photochemical models, with the derived OH concentrations agreeing well under both polluted and clean atmospheric conditions. Concentrations of OH on all days were significantly lower than model predictions, perhaps indicating the presence of an unknown scavenger. The change in OH concentration from early morning to noon on a clear day was found to be only a factor of 2. PMID- 17795215 TI - Synthesis and Electronic Transport of Single Crystal K3C60. AB - Sizable single crystals of C(6O) have been synthesized and doped with potassium. Above the superconducting transition temperature T(c), the electrical resistivity p(T) displays a classic metal-like temperature dependence. The transition to the superconducting state at T(c) = 19.8 K is extremely sharp, with a transition width DeltaT < 200 mK. In contrast to transport behavior of doped polycrystalline and granular thin films, no anomalous fluctuations are observed near T(c) in single crystal specimens. PMID- 17795217 TI - Unidentified Seismic Events. PMID- 17795216 TI - Scandium clusters in fullerene cages. AB - The production and spectroscopic characterization of fullerene-encapsulated metal atom clusters is reported. In particular, both solution and solid-state electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of Sc(3)C(82) have been obtained. ScC(82) also gives an EPR spectrum, but Sc2Cn species-the most abundant metallofullerenes in the mass spectrum-are EPR-silent even though Sc(2) is EPR-active in a rare-gas matrix at 4.2 K. The results suggest that the three scandium atoms in Sc(3)C(82) form an equilateral triangle-as was previously suggested for Sc(3) molecules isolated in a cryogenic rare-gas matrix. The spectrum of ScC(82) has features similar to those found earlier for LaC(82) and YC(82), suggesting that it can also be described as a +3 metal cation within a -3 fullerene radical anion. An implication of this work is that production of macroscopic quantities of clustercontaining fullerenes may make possible the fabrication of exotic new structures with regular arrays of metal-atom clusters isolated in fullerene molecules, resulting in a new type of host/guest nanostructured material. PMID- 17795218 TI - Charles F. Kettering, Prophet of Progress. PMID- 17795219 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17795220 TI - A Case of Ovotestes in the Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus. AB - A hermaphroditic sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, with three ovotestes and two testes is described. Neither cleaving eggs nor embryos were found in corpore. Fertilization inter se gave normal larvae. The specimen was collected from Palos Verdes, Calif., a region which has yielded an unusually large number of hermaphroditic S. purpuratus. PMID- 17795222 TI - Names for Binary Numbers. PMID- 17795223 TI - Names for Binary Numbers. PMID- 17795224 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17795226 TI - Article. PMID- 17795225 TI - Article. PMID- 17795227 TI - Article. PMID- 17795228 TI - Article. PMID- 17795229 TI - Accountability in science. PMID- 17795230 TI - XYY Chromosome Study. PMID- 17795231 TI - Laser fusion research. PMID- 17795232 TI - Immigration policy. PMID- 17795233 TI - Obvious question. PMID- 17795234 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17795235 TI - The ford budget: new signals for science? PMID- 17795237 TI - Graduate admission variables and future success. PMID- 17795236 TI - Technology utilization: incentives and solar energy. AB - If the federal government is not going to be the major market for the application of federally funded R & D results, then the responsibility for bringing about technology utilization cannot be borne alone by the federal agency funding the R & D. That this problem is now being recognized is shown by the number of bills that were introduced in Congress in 1974, culminating in the Solar Heating and Cooling Act of 1974 (7). An examination of the incentives for technology utilization in the conceptual framework of TDS (as shown in Fig. 4) reveals the following: 1) Incentives must be applied to each component of the TDS. 2) Different components in the TDS require different incentives. 3) Although information exists concerning a wide variety of incentives that are currently being used by various federal agencies to stimulate technology utilization, most of this information is in the form of raw data compiled by the respective agencies and a substantial effort will be required to collect, compile, and evaluate them. 4) All the components of a TDS must be activated if technology utilization is to occur on a self-sustaining basis. This makes experimental verification of a particular incentive on a particular component difficult. 5) A federal agency concerned with technology utilization can and should assume the responsibility for identifying all the components of the required TDS, devising incentives for each component and testing them to ensure their effectiveness. Where a TDS does not exist, the federal agency may have to assume the responsibility of creating one. The scope of this effort in many cases may transcend the present authority of the agency, and congressional action may be required to remedy this shortcoming. PMID- 17795238 TI - Oil and Gas Resources: Academy Calls USGS Math "Misleading%". PMID- 17795239 TI - Energy facility siting: the white house plays it tough. PMID- 17795240 TI - Handler Reelected NAS President. PMID- 17795241 TI - New alchemy institute: search for an alternative agriculture. PMID- 17795242 TI - Computers in medicine: hospitals cope with costs, quality review. PMID- 17795243 TI - Air pollution: effects on plants. PMID- 17795244 TI - Communicating mathematics: is it possible? PMID- 17795245 TI - Pioneer 10 jovian encounter: radiation dose and implications for biological lethality. AB - In its recent Jupiter flyby Pioneer 10 passed through a belt of intense particulate radiation. The radiation dose on the outer surface of the spacecraft was at least 4.9 x 10(5) rads from electrons plus 2.9 x 10(6) rads from protons, sufficient to cause significant microbial decontamination. The radiation dose inside Pioneer 10, approximately 2.8 x 10(5) rads, was less likely to cause microbial decontamination but would be lethal to man and to most multicellular biological organisms. PMID- 17795247 TI - Early signs of language in child and chimpanzee. AB - In a sequel to Project Washoe, chimpanzees are being taught American Sign Language from birth by humans who are fluent in the language, including persons who are themselves deaf or whose parents were deaf. The first two subjects began to use signs when they were 3 months old, and these early results indicate that the new conditions are significantly superior to the conditions of Project Washoe. More valid comparisons can now be made between the acquisition of language by children and by chimpanzees. PMID- 17795246 TI - Dates for the middle stone age of East Africa. AB - Three potassium-argon age determinations on sanidine from crystalrich pantellerite and volcanic ash in the Main Rift Valley of central Ethiopia indicate that the Middle Stone Age of East Africa began prior to 180,000 years ago. This suggests that the technological developments which characterize the Middle Stone Age have a far greater antiquity than previously estimated. PMID- 17795248 TI - Primate predation: interim report on the development of a tradition in a troop of olive baboons. AB - A troop of olive baboons, Papio anubis, has developed systematic predation, which includes hunting and sharing of meat. Although meat-eating among nonhuman primates-baboons and chimpanzees especially-had been discovered in earlier field studies, systematic predation had been reported for chimpanzees and humans only. Starting as an adult male activity in the olive baboon troop, this tradition rapidly expanded to include capture and consumption of prey by adult females and juveniles of all ages and both sexes. Infants eat but have not been observed to capture prey. PMID- 17795249 TI - Innate recognition of coral snake pattern by a possible avian predator. AB - Inexperienced hand-reared motmots avoided a pattern of red and yellow rings but readily attacked a pattern of green and blue rings and also one of red and yellow stripes. The motmots' avoidance of the "coral snake%" pattern indicates that mimic snake species can derive protection from some potential predators. PMID- 17795250 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17795251 TI - An Industrial View of Research Trends. PMID- 17795252 TI - Study of Experimentally Deformed Rocks. PMID- 17795253 TI - A National Science Foundation: Will It Be a Practical Reality or a Perpetual Controversy? PMID- 17795254 TI - Work for Section K. PMID- 17795255 TI - Protein Apoferritin and Ferritin in Iron Feeding and Absorption. PMID- 17795256 TI - The Use of Synthetic L. Casei Factor in the Treatment of Sprue. PMID- 17795257 TI - A Culture Method for Certain Marine Algae. PMID- 17795258 TI - A Superior Pith for Free-hand Sections. PMID- 17795259 TI - A Slide Rule for the Addition of Squares. PMID- 17795261 TI - A Method of Growing Dense Cultures of Paramecium. PMID- 17795260 TI - An Impurity in Some Commercial Penicillin Preparations Which Interferes With the Diazo Reaction in Determining Blood Phenols. PMID- 17795262 TI - The Genus Aspergillus. PMID- 17795264 TI - Reply to Dr. Visscher. PMID- 17795263 TI - Convulsive Effects of Antibiotic Agents on the Cerebral Cortex. PMID- 17795265 TI - Transposition. PMID- 17795267 TI - Reply to Dr. Visscher. PMID- 17795266 TI - Reply to Dr. Visscher. PMID- 17795268 TI - Catalogue Corner. PMID- 17795269 TI - THE MANUFACTURE OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17795270 TI - SHALL WE EAT WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD? PMID- 17795271 TI - NOTE ON THE GEOMETRICAL MEAN AS A B.COLI INDEX. PMID- 17795272 TI - SOME DEFECTS IN OUR AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION. PMID- 17795273 TI - PROFESSIONAL COURTESY. PMID- 17795274 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17795276 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795275 TI - RESULTS OF CORN DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS. PMID- 17795277 TI - Exporting Universities. PMID- 17795278 TI - National Science Academy Bill. PMID- 17795279 TI - Terror and Talks. PMID- 17795280 TI - Reef Building: The growth of living breakwaters has kept pace with subsidence and wave erosion for fifty million years. PMID- 17795282 TI - As Interpreter of Soviet Moves, Khrushchev Remains the Best Kremlinologist. PMID- 17795281 TI - Public Education for Science and Technology: What is the role that the universities should play in dispelling popular myths about science? PMID- 17795283 TI - Wilderness Protection. PMID- 17795284 TI - Color Induction and Hue Discrimination. AB - A very close relationship has been found between hue discrimination thresholds and the differences in wavelength necessary to produce "full color" from two monochromatic light sources. This finding suggests a need for certain research in the area of color induction. PMID- 17795285 TI - Phototropism in Conidiobolus, Some Preliminary Observations. AB - The action spectrum for phototropism of Conidiobolus conidiophores was determined crudely with glass filters and by projecting a spectrum on cultures of the fungus. The active wavelengths (about 400 to 650 mmicro) corresponded in general with those absorbed by extracts containing a pigment with an absorption spectrum characteristic of a porphyrin. PMID- 17795286 TI - Development of Needle Blight Symptoms on Rooted Cuttings from Diseased White Pine Trees. AB - A method of rooting cuttings from white pine trees is described. Approximately equal numbers of cuttings from diseased and healthy trees were rooted by this method. After the rooted cuttings were planted in the field, they were closely watched for root growth and the development of foliar injuries. PMID- 17795287 TI - Plumage in Lal Munia (Amandava amandava). AB - An Indian ploceid finch, Amandava amandava, develops brilliant nuptial plumage in males during the breeding season. The females and males outside of the breeding season have modest brown hen plumages. The fact that castrates, whether originally of male or of female sex, assume nuptial plumages during the breeding season of the species indicates that plumage character is under the control of hypophyseal hormones and that hypophyses are passing through an activity cycle which is independent of presence or absence of gonads. PMID- 17795288 TI - Puromycin-Induced Changes in Uredospores of Puccinia sorghi Schw. AB - Puromycin stimulates substrate consumption and initiates an accumulation of amino acids in uredospores of the corn rust fungus. The results indicate that under suitable conditions uredospores should be able to synthesize appreciable quantities of amino acids, but must be stimulated to do so. PMID- 17795289 TI - Diurnal Periodicity of Luminescence in Three Basidiomycetes. AB - Evidence is presented showing that intensity of light emission in dikaryotic cultures of Panus stipticus, Armillaria mellea, and Mycena polygramma follows a diurnal pattern. The lowest values appear between 6 and 9 A.M. and the peak intensities occur between 6 and 9 P.M. This pattern is consistent regardless of whether the cultures are grown in total darkness, under constant illumination, or exposed to a normal day-night cycle. PMID- 17795290 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17795291 TI - THE IONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. PMID- 17795292 TI - THE RETIREMENT OF PRESIDENT ELIOT. PMID- 17795293 TI - THE ELIZABETH THOMPSON SCIENCE FUND. PMID- 17795294 TI - THE WINNIPEG MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17795295 TI - ON THE TEACHING OF THE ELEMENTS OF EMBRYOLOGY. PMID- 17795296 TI - GENERA WITHOUT SPECIES. PMID- 17795297 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE MOON. PMID- 17795298 TI - NOTICE OF TWO NEW HORIZONS FOR MARINE FOSSILS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. PMID- 17795299 TI - NEW FACTS ABOUT BACTERIA OF CALIFORNIA SOILS. PMID- 17795300 TI - A SCHEME TO REPRESENT TYPE HEREDITY IN MAN. PMID- 17795301 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS. PMID- 17795303 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17795302 TI - A NEW EDIBLE SPECIES OF AMANITA. PMID- 17795304 TI - THE SIXTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS. PMID- 17795305 TI - THE STRUCTURE OF THE PACIFIC BASIN AS INDICATED BY EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17795306 TI - THE ALLOWED DIRECTIONS OF COSMIC RAYS AS AN EXISTENCE PROBLEM OF MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS. PMID- 17795308 TI - POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS OF REPTILIAN THERMAL TOLERANCE. PMID- 17795307 TI - REVISION OF DENTAL SYMBOLS. PMID- 17795309 TI - WORK OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17795310 TI - EFFECT OF ULTRA-SHORT RADIO WAVES ON PLANT GROWTH. PMID- 17795311 TI - BIO-ELECTRIC POTENTIALS OF THE HEN'S EGG. PMID- 17795312 TI - IMPLANTS OF EMBRYONIC TISSUE INHIBIT PARTURITION IN THE RAT. PMID- 17795313 TI - AN ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR THE ISOLATION OF MONOCHROMATIC LIGHT OF HIGH INTENSITY AT lgr, 254 m{micro}1. PMID- 17795314 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17795315 TI - BIRTH SELECTION versus BIRTH CONTROL. PMID- 17795316 TI - SCIENCE SERVICE CONFERENCE. II. PMID- 17795317 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17795318 TI - OBSERVATIONS WITH THE RIFE MICROSCOPE OF FILTER-PASSING FORMS OF MICROORGANISMS. PMID- 17795319 TI - ON THE TAXONOMIC POSITION OF ECHINORHYNCHUS SAGITTIFER LINTON. PMID- 17795320 TI - THE UNDERGROUND WATER LEVEL AND ITS RELATION TO THE DROUGHT OF 1930. PMID- 17795321 TI - DERMATITIS PRODUCED BY PHACELIA (HYDROPHYLLACEAE). PMID- 17795322 TI - A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR THE PREPARATION OF VITAMIN A-FREE CASEIN. PMID- 17795324 TI - PRODUCTION OF DOMINANT LETHAL GENETIC EFFECTS BY X-RADIATION OF SPERM IN HABROBRACON. PMID- 17795323 TI - AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR VACUUM APPARATUS. PMID- 17795325 TI - A NOTE ON ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL AND THE PHYSIOLOGICAL GRADIENT. PMID- 17795327 TI - Chimpanzee colony. PMID- 17795326 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Mississippi deltaic wetland survival: sedimentation versus coastal submergence" by R. H. Baumann et al. (8 June 1984, p. 1093), the coordinates for Barataria Bay and for Fourleague Bay were incorrect. They should have been, respectively, 29 degrees 30'N, 90 degrees W, and 29 degrees 20'N, 91 degrees 10'W. PMID- 17795328 TI - Benefits of a science department. PMID- 17795329 TI - Chemical science and technology. PMID- 17795330 TI - Patents. PMID- 17795331 TI - High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance of inorganic solids. AB - Recent improvements in instrumentation and technique now permit the observation of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of many nuclei in inorganic solids. The application of nuclear magnetic resonance to the study of the structures of materials of interest in chemistry, earth science, and materials science are discussed together with a prognosis for future work. PMID- 17795332 TI - Three-dimensional flow in the upper ocean. AB - Measurements made from the Research Platform FLIP provide some of the first direct observations of three-dimensional flow within the surface mixed layer of the ocean. Relatively narrow regions of downwelling flow were found within the mixed layer, in coincidence with bands of convergent surface flow. At mid-depth in the mixed layer, the downwelling flow had magnitudes of up to 0.2 meter per second and was accompanied by a downwind, horizontal jet of comparable magnitude. There is some evidence that these motions transport heat and phytoplankton within the mixed layer. PMID- 17795333 TI - A Forceful New Hand on the Reins at NSF: Former IBM executive Erich Bloch wants the United States to be Number One in all areas of science and engineering. PMID- 17795334 TI - NIE's Director Ousted, Its Survival in Doubt. PMID- 17795335 TI - Newman's Motor: Does It Work or Doesn't It? PMID- 17795336 TI - Britain's Ivory Tower Goes High Tech: Cambridge University's scientific talent and relaxed attitude toward off-campus work is attracting high-technology development. PMID- 17795337 TI - The 1985 pittsburgh conference: a special instrumentation report. AB - For the first time in its 36 years of operation, the Pittsburgh Conference and Exposition on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy had a sharp drop in attendance-down 16 percent to 20,731. That loss was attributed to the fact that the meeting was held in New Orleans for the first time, and most of the lost attendees were students and young professionals who had previously come for only 1 day. The number of exhibitors and the number of booths, however, were both up about 15 percent, to 730 and 1856, respectively. A large proportion of that increase was contributed by foreign companies exhibiting for the first time, but there were also some well-known names, such as General Electric and Xerox, making first forays into analytical chemistry. There was also a sharp increase in the number and type of instruments displayed. "The key skill now in analytical chemistry," says Perkin-Elmer president Horace McDonell, Jr., "may be simply finding the right tool to obtain the answers you need." The predominant theme of the show, as it has been for the past few years, was automation of both laboratories and instruments. That trend is having major effects in chemical laboratories, but it is also affecting the instrument companies themselves. At large companies such as Varian, Beckman, and Perkin-Elmer, as much as 50 percent of the research and development budget is now going toward development of software-a much higher percentage than it was even 5 years ago. Another trend in automation also seemed clear at the show. As recently as 2 or 3 years ago, much of the available software for chemistry was designed for Apple and similar computers. Now, the laboratory standard is the IBM PC. As a representative of another company that manufactures computers noted with only slight exaggeration, "There's probably not a booth on the floor that doesn't have one." PMID- 17795338 TI - New spectrometer for remote sensing. PMID- 17795339 TI - 252Cf Plasma Desorption Mass Spectrometer. PMID- 17795340 TI - An Inexpensive FT-UV/Vis Spectrophotometer for HPLC. PMID- 17795341 TI - Automated motion analysis system. PMID- 17795342 TI - A New Trend: Training on "the Tube". PMID- 17795344 TI - Ion beams for compositional analysis. PMID- 17795345 TI - Cooperation in birds: the Florida scrub jay. PMID- 17795343 TI - A new dimension in gas chromatography. PMID- 17795346 TI - Soviet psychology: psychology in utopia. PMID- 17795347 TI - Geomagnetism: The Earth's Magnetic Field. PMID- 17795348 TI - Ground water as a silica source for diatom production in a precipitation dominated lake. AB - The short-term, seasonal input of ground water to a small, precipitation dominated oligotrophic lake in northern Wisconsin amounts to less than 10 percent of the annual water budget of the lake but accounts for nearly all the external silica loading. Silica is a necessary nutrient for diatoms. A large spring diatom bloom occurs coincident with high silica inputs from ground water when other possible silica sources are low. The mass budgets of ground water and silica in the lake system demonstrate the importance of ground-water solute inputs to the lake. PMID- 17795349 TI - Geologic youth of galapagos islands confirmed by marine stratigraphy and paleontology. AB - Six distinctive types of fossiliferous marine deposits occur on the Galadpagos Islands that provide evidence for the age of emergence of the islands above sea level and hence a maximum age for the islands' terrestrial biota. These subtidal to supratidal deposits include (i) volcanic tuffs with fossils, (ii) limestones and sandstones interbedded with basalt, (iii) terrace deposits, (iv) beach rock, (v) supratidal talus deposits, and (vi) recently uplifted tidal and subtidal rocks and sand. With the exception of (vi), the deposits were previously assigned ages varying from Miocene to Pleistocene, but all are less than about 2 million years old. This age, together with independently determined geologic ages, indicate that the islands emerged from the sea relatively recently and that all evolution of the islands' unique terrestrial biota occurred within the past 3 to 4 million years. PMID- 17795350 TI - Separation techniques based on the opposition of two counteracting forces to produce a dynamic equilibrium. AB - Useful compounds, whether produced by chemical synthesis or biological synthesis, often need to be purified from complex mixtures. Biochemists and chemists thus recognize the need for efficient new preparative purification techniques for product recovery. Such fractionation techniques must have high capacity and high resolution. In a novel group of separation methods suited to the preparative fractionation of proteins, antibiotics, and other classes of compounds, the chromatographic flow of a solute down the column is opposed by solute electrophoresis in the opposite direction. Useful separation is achieved when these two counteracting forces drive the solute to a unique equilibrium position within the separation chamber. The properties of chromatographic matrices, for example, gel-permeation matrices of various porosities, provide a means of establishing the unique equilibrium points. Extraordinary resolution and capacity are attainable by these methods. PMID- 17795351 TI - Diploid-Triploid Mosaicism: An Unusual Phenomenon in Side-Necked Turtles (Platemys platycephala). AB - Diploid and diploid-triploid mosaic individuals of Platemys platycephala were found in natural populations. In mosaic specimens, the blood, spleen, liver, and testis contained both diploid and triploid cells. The ratio of triploid to diploid cells was more variable among individuals than among somatic tissues within an individual. Only diploid cells underwent meiosis in males; haploid gametes were produced. There appears to be geographic variation for mosaicism in that only diploids were found in Bolivia, whereas diploids and diploid-triploid mosaics occured in Surinam. PMID- 17795352 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17795353 TI - Materials science. PMID- 17795354 TI - The odds of retirement. PMID- 17795355 TI - Memories of uranium. PMID- 17795357 TI - Quality of EPA research. PMID- 17795356 TI - Quality of EPA research. PMID- 17795358 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - The photo credit for the cover of the Women in Science 1994 cover (11 Mar., p. 1351) was incorrect. It should have read, "Tom Van Sant/Geosphere Project, Santa Monica, CA/Photo Researchers." PMID- 17795359 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17795360 TI - Defense conversion comes to campus. PMID- 17795361 TI - DOE, Extends a Virtual Hand to Computer Industry. PMID- 17795362 TI - Two new graduate schools break the Japanese mold. PMID- 17795363 TI - A new problem: too much money. PMID- 17795364 TI - Microwave mappers sweat details. PMID- 17795365 TI - Putting questions to the cosmic background. PMID- 17795366 TI - Cosmic structures fill southern sky. PMID- 17795368 TI - Democracy bad for scientific literacy? PMID- 17795367 TI - NAE Elects New Members. PMID- 17795369 TI - Breaking the glass ceiling for $900,000. PMID- 17795370 TI - Natural history in new york. PMID- 17795371 TI - Teen sex survey back on track. PMID- 17795373 TI - Switching on plastic transistors. PMID- 17795372 TI - After years in the dark, electric plastic finally shines. PMID- 17795374 TI - Building bridges to the nanoworld. PMID- 17795376 TI - Nonlinear optical polymers: discovery to market in 10 years? PMID- 17795375 TI - Computer simulations of fracture at the atomic level. PMID- 17795377 TI - Metallic corrosion. PMID- 17795378 TI - Adhesion: molecules and mechanics. AB - There is a difference between adhesion at the molecular level and adhesion in engineering. There is no doubt that molecules of solid materials stick together and can be separated mechanically. The problem is explaining the connection between molecular attractions and mechanical measurements. False ideas such as keying and gluing require critical assessment because they confuse molecules and mechanics. Mechanisms such as adhesive hysteresis, stringing, and clustering deserve evaluation. A rational theory of these phenomena should be based on the theoretical concept of reversible work of adhesion and on the measured quantity of adhesive energy, which includes the extra energy required to restructure the interface as surfaces move. PMID- 17795379 TI - Following ion diffusion in solution. AB - An x-ray projection microscope equipped with a charge-coupled device camera allows direct observation of zinc (Zn(2+)) ions diffusing in aqueous hydrochloric acid solution during the corrosion of zinc foil and pellets. Time series of microradiographic images with a lateral resolution on the order of 10 micrometers allow observation of the time and spatial evolution of the colorless Zn(2+) ions in solution without any previous treatment. The concentration distribution of the ions can be quantified from these images. This technique should find applications in the biology, chemistry, and electrochemistry of aqueous solutions, allowing direct observation of the behavior and concentration fluctuations of medium or heavy ions moving in a weakly absorbing medium. PMID- 17795380 TI - From static to kinetic friction in confined liquid films. AB - The transition from rest to sliding contact of atomically smooth solids separated by molecularly thin liquid films was studied. The films could be deformed nearly reversibly to a large fraction of the film thickness. The modulus of elasticity and yield stress were low, considerably less than for a molecular crystal or glass in the bulk. The transition to dissipative sliding was typically (but not always) discontinuous. The dissipative stress was then nearly velocity independent. The similar response of monolayers strongly attached to the solid surfaces, presenting a well-defined interface for sliding, suggests that the physical mechanism of sliding may involve wall slip. PMID- 17795381 TI - Defects in carbon nanostructures. AB - Previous high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) observations of the carbon nanotubes have led to a "Russian doll" structural model that is based on hollow concentric cylinders capped at both ends. The structures of the carbon nanotubes and particles were characterized here by bulk physical and chemical property measurements. The individual nanostructure is as compressible as graphite in the c axis, and such nanostructures can be intercalated with potassium and rubidium, leading to a saturation composition of "MC(8)." These results are counter to expectations that are based on a Russian doll structure. HREM after intercalation with potassium and deintercalation indicates that individual nanoparticles are a "paper-mache" of smaller graphite layers. Direct current magnetization and electron spin resonance measurements indicate that the electronic properties of the nanostructures are distinctly different from those of graphite. Although the nanostructures have distinct morphologies and electronic properties, they are highly defective and have a local structure similar to turbostratic graphite. PMID- 17795382 TI - Changes in Atmospheric Circulation and Ocean Ice Cover over the North Atlantic During the Last 41,000 Years. AB - High-resolution, continuous multivariate chemical records from a central Greenland ice core provide a sensitive measure of climate change and chemical composition of the atmosphere over the last 41,000 years. These chemical series reveal a record of change in the relative size and intensity of the circulation system that transported air masses to Greenland [defined here as the polar circulation index (PCI)] and in the extent of ocean ice cover. Massive iceberg discharge events previously defined from the marine record are correlated with notable expansions of ocean ice cover and increases in PCI. During stadials without discharge events, ocean ice cover appears to reach some common maximum level. The massive aerosol loadings and dramatic variations in ocean ice cover documented in ice cores should be included in climate modeling. PMID- 17795383 TI - Gallium arsenide transistors: realization through a molecularly designed insulator. AB - A GaAs-based transistor, analogous to commercial silicon devices, has been fabricated with vapor-deposited cubic GaS as the insulator material. The n channel, depletion mode, GaAs field-effect transistor shows, in addition to classical transistor characteristics, a channel mobility of 4665.6 square centimeters per volt per second, an interfacial trap density of 10(11) per electron volt per square centimeter, and a transconductance of 7 millisiemens for a 5-micrometer gate length at a gate voltage of 8 volts. Furthermore, the GaAs transistor shows an on-to-off resistance ratio comparable to that of commercial devices. PMID- 17795384 TI - Diamond coating of titanium alloys. AB - A titanium alloy was coated with a thin layer of synthetic diamond by chemical vapor deposition methods, achieving exceptional adhesion. Scientific and technological opportunities exist for the development of diamond-coated metal alloys and for a better understanding of adhesion mechanisms of hard, brittle coatings. An indentation method of wide applicability for measuring the adhesion of such coatings is discussed. PMID- 17795386 TI - Vignettes: identity crises. PMID- 17795385 TI - Craniology: getting a head. PMID- 17795387 TI - Visual recognition. PMID- 17795388 TI - Autonomous systems. PMID- 17795389 TI - Quantitative cell biology. PMID- 17795390 TI - Correction. AB - The name of Lewis P. Lipsitt, winner of a 1993 AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement, was misspelled in last month's "Inside AAAS." We regret the error. Ed. PMID- 17795392 TI - Sex discrimination. PMID- 17795391 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17795394 TI - Science and technology. PMID- 17795393 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17795395 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17795396 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17795397 TI - Admission policies. PMID- 17795398 TI - Controlling the Earth's Temperatures. PMID- 17795399 TI - Herzberg in Canada. PMID- 17795401 TI - The pressure variable in materials research. PMID- 17795400 TI - Can stockholm succeed? PMID- 17795403 TI - Professional societies: identity crisis threatens on bread and butter issues. PMID- 17795404 TI - Turks meeting on boardwalk: debate on role in political arena. PMID- 17795402 TI - Plant pests and diseases: assessment of crop losses. PMID- 17795406 TI - FAS Group en Route to China. PMID- 17795405 TI - Israel: pollution problems rife, but other issues take priority. PMID- 17795407 TI - Deuterium content of snow as an index to winter climate in the sierra nevada area. AB - The winter of 1968-69 produced two to three times the amount of precipitation in the Sierra Nevada area, California and Nevada, as the winter of 1969-70. The deuterium content in snow cores collected at the end of each winter at the same sites, which represents the total snowfall of each interval, shows a depletion in 1968-69 of approximately 20 per mil. The higher snowfall in 1968-69 and the depletion of deuterium can be explained by an uncommonly strong westward flow of cold air over and down the western slopes of the Sierras, which interacted with an eastward flow of moist Pacific air that overrode and mixed with the cold air; this resulted in precipitation that occurred in greater than normal amounts and at a lower than normal temperature. Pluvial periods of the Pleistocene may have had the same shift in air-mass trajectory as the wet 1968-69 year. Snow cores collected in the norrmal 1970-71 winter have deuterium concentrations that resemble those of the normal 1969-70 winter. Small and nonsystematic differences in samples from these two normal winters are due to variations in climatic character as well as to factors inherent in the sampling sites. PMID- 17795408 TI - Terrestrial atmospheric composition from stellar occultations. AB - Stellar ultraviolet light transmitted through the earth's upper atmosphere is strongly absorbed by ozone and molecular oxygen. The stellar ultraviolet photometers aboard the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO-2) satellite have measured the intensity changes of several stars during occultation of the star by the earth's atmosphere. From the occultation data the nighttime vertical number density profiles of molecular oxygen at altitudes from 120 to 200 kilometers and of ozone at altitudes from 60 to 100 kilometers have been obtained. PMID- 17795410 TI - Engineering foundation conferences. PMID- 17795409 TI - Reversible inhibition of chloroplast movement by cytochalasin B in the green alga mougeofia. AB - Light-oriented chloroplast movement is reversibly inhibited by cytochalasin B. The photoperception is not influenced by this inhibitor. These results support the assumption that contractile protein fibrils are essential for this intracellular movement. PMID- 17795411 TI - The bar harbor course in medical genetics. PMID- 17795413 TI - Bryozoology II. PMID- 17795414 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17795412 TI - Order in an anarchic field. PMID- 17795415 TI - THE CAUSE OF VOLCANOES. PMID- 17795416 TI - MOTION OF THE EARTH THROUGH THE ETHER. PMID- 17795417 TI - THE CLASSIFICATION OF RACES BY BLOOD TESTS. PMID- 17795418 TI - A NEW SOUNDING DEVICE. PMID- 17795419 TI - NIEPCE'S INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. PMID- 17795420 TI - THE MENTAL ABILITY OF CRIMINALS. PMID- 17795421 TI - THE OPPORTUNITY OF ANATOMY. PMID- 17795423 TI - JOHN VAN DENBURGH 1872-1924. PMID- 17795422 TI - RESTORATION OF THE OLDEST KNOWN FOREST. PMID- 17795424 TI - THE ETHER DRIFT. PMID- 17795425 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17795426 TI - THE CLASSIFIED CONTINUATION CARD CATALOGUE OF THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF FISHES. PMID- 17795427 TI - THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HELIUM IN GEISSLER TUBES. PMID- 17795428 TI - THE LIFE OF METASTABLE HELIUM AND MERCURY. PMID- 17795429 TI - THE SUCCESSIVE STIMULATION OF THE ARC LINES OF HELIUM BELOW THE IONIZATION POTENTIAL. PMID- 17795430 TI - IDEALS OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795432 TI - THE RESEARCH LABORATORY OF THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. PMID- 17795431 TI - THE STATE SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17795433 TI - RAYMOND PEARL. PMID- 17795435 TI - THE SCIENCE CARAVANS OF THE GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. PMID- 17795434 TI - DAMAGE FROM BOMBS TO THE ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS AT KEW. PMID- 17795436 TI - ENGINEERING DEFENSE TRAINING. PMID- 17795437 TI - THE NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH COMMITTEE. PMID- 17795439 TI - COMMITTEE ON FOOD AND NUTRITION OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17795438 TI - THE FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESEARCH LABORATORY OF THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. PMID- 17795440 TI - PERCEPTUAL DISORIENTATION DURING LANDING OF AIRPLANE. PMID- 17795441 TI - THE HEAT OF SEROLOGICAL REACTIONS. PMID- 17795442 TI - SPATIAL DISORIENTATION DURING LANDING FROM AIRPLANE. PMID- 17795443 TI - RESIGNATION OR EQUANIMITY? PMID- 17795444 TI - LINNAEUS ON MAN'S NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17795445 TI - DEFERMENT FROM MILITARY SERVICE OF SCIENTIFIC MEN. PMID- 17795446 TI - THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795447 TI - A FURTHER NOTE ON THE IDENTITY OF VITAMIN H WITH BIOTIN. PMID- 17795448 TI - AN IRRADIATED NON-VIRULENT ANTIRABIES VACCINE. PMID- 17795449 TI - AN INEXPENSIVE APPARATUS FOR DRYING FROM THE FROZEN STATE. PMID- 17795450 TI - AN ELECTRONIC RELAY FOR HEAT CONTROL. PMID- 17795451 TI - CONVENIENT HEAT FILTER FOR TISSUE ILLUMINATOR. PMID- 17795452 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17795453 TI - PROBLEMS OF HUMAN VARIABILITY. PMID- 17795454 TI - JOHN MAXSON STILLMAN, 1852-1923. PMID- 17795456 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17795455 TI - ON CONCENTRATION OF VITAMIN B. PMID- 17795457 TI - ACQUIRED CHARACTERS. PMID- 17795458 TI - THE NAME OF THE SPOTTED FEVER TICK. PMID- 17795459 TI - THE PROBLEM OF THE MONKEY AND THE WEIGHT. PMID- 17795460 TI - THE LABORATORY AND DEMONSTRATION PROBLEM OF MODERN PHYSICS. PMID- 17795461 TI - ENDO AGAR AS AFFECTED BY PEPTONE. PMID- 17795462 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17795463 TI - Soil Erosion by Rainstorms. PMID- 17795464 TI - Edward Lee Thorndike: 1874-1949. PMID- 17795465 TI - A Light Polarization Analyzer in the Compound Eye of Limulus. PMID- 17795466 TI - The Combined Action of Penicillin with Streptomycin or Chloromycetin on Enterococci in Vitro. PMID- 17795467 TI - Cytologic Demonstration of Nucleic Acids in Tissue Culture. PMID- 17795469 TI - Sterile Pieces of Chick Embryo as a Medium for the Indefinite Axenic Cultivation of Rhabditis briggsae Dougherty and Nigon, 1949 (Nematoda: Rhabditidae). PMID- 17795468 TI - Synthesis of 1-C14-l-Ascorbic Acid. PMID- 17795470 TI - Mechanism of the Base-catalyzed Conversion of Acylamino Acids to Acylamido Ketones. PMID- 17795472 TI - Catching Fishes with the Hand in India. PMID- 17795471 TI - The Pleistocene History of the Mississippi River. PMID- 17795473 TI - Research Publication: An Addendum. PMID- 17795474 TI - Research Publication: An Addendum. PMID- 17795475 TI - Relation Between Time of Treatment and Sprouting of Poisoned Trees. PMID- 17795476 TI - When Is Development Not Development? PMID- 17795477 TI - Research Leading to Point-Contact Transistor. PMID- 17795478 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17795479 TI - Erratum. AB - The first part of reference 7 of "Prevention of oviposition in the housefly through tarsal contact agents," by K. R. S. Ascher [Science 125, 938 (10 May 1957)] should read "CDC Summary of investigations, January-June 1955" (U.S. Public Health Service Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga.), No. 8, p. 43." PMID- 17795481 TI - Lung Volume of Amphibian Tadpoles. PMID- 17795480 TI - Leaching of Carbohydrates from Plant Foliage as Related to Light Intensity. PMID- 17795482 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17795483 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17795484 TI - Reducing educational pressures. PMID- 17795485 TI - Worthiness of wit. PMID- 17795487 TI - Conflict in medical ethics? PMID- 17795486 TI - Tenacious jargon. PMID- 17795488 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17795489 TI - Faculty recruitment. PMID- 17795491 TI - The SST and the Government: Critics Shout into a Vacuum. PMID- 17795490 TI - Polarized Protons as Nuclear Probes: Spin-dependence of nuclear reactions offers new approach to study of nuclei and nucleon-nucleus processes. AB - Experiments based on the use of polarized protons led to (i) delineation of the spin-orbit part of the optical-model potential and (ii) an improved unified description of the nucleon-nucleus interaction within the framework of the optical model. Data obtained by means of a six-parameter potential are correlated for essentially all complex nuclei and over an energy region ranging from several hundred thousand to several tens of millions of electron volts for the following observables: polarization produced by elastic scattering, differential cross sections for elastic scattering, and reaction and total cross sections. None of the parameters varies with nuclear species, and only one varies with energy. PMID- 17795493 TI - Soviet Genetics: First Russian Visit Since 1930's Offers a Glimpse. PMID- 17795494 TI - Oceanography: woods hole and mit pool their resources. PMID- 17795495 TI - NSF: Senate Cuts Appropriations. PMID- 17795496 TI - Phase changes in the upper mantle. AB - The C-region of the upper mantle has two transition regions 75 to 90 kilometers thick. In western North America these start at depths of 365 kilometers and 620 kilometers and involve velocity increases of about 9 to 10 percent. The locations of these transition regions, their general shape, and their thicknesses are consistent with, first, the transformation of magnesium-rich olivine to a spinel structure and, then, a further collapse of a material having approximately the properties of the component oxides. The velocity increases associated with each transition region are slightly less than predicted for the appropriate phase change. This can be interpreted in terms of an increasing fayalite content with depth. The location of the transition regions and the seismic velocities in their vicinity supply new information regarding the composition and temperature of the upper mantle. The depths of the transition regions are consistent with temperatures near 1500 degrees C at 365 kilometers and 1900 degrees C at 620 kilometers. PMID- 17795497 TI - Abundance of Type II Diamonds. AB - More than 1300 natural microdiamonds, mostly averaging 0.0015 carat, were studied for transparency to ultraviolet radiation, lambda2537. Of most of them, of this size, 16 percent were completely transparent (presumably type II); 27 percent, completely absorbent (presumably type I). The remainder transmitted partially. The number of type-II diamonds is unexpectedly very high; a considerable proportion of microdiamonds may begin life as type II, later incorporating absorbent type-I material. PMID- 17795498 TI - Evaporation of Ice in Space: Saturn's Rings. AB - The photosputtering erosion velocity of ice in space is estimated to be 400 centimeters per billion years at 1 astronomical unit. PMID- 17795499 TI - Hydrous sodium silicates from lake magadi, kenya: precursors of bedded chert. AB - Two new hydrous sodium silicates, NaSi(7)O(13)(OH)(3).3H(2)O (magadiite) and NaSi(11)O(20.5)(OH)(4).3H(2)O (kenyaite), were found in lake beds at Lake Magadi, Kenya. Both are well-crystallized layered silicates with large basal spacings. Concretions within the magadiite bed consist of kenyaite or quartz (chert) in the center, surrounded by kenyaite. In dilute acids magadiite and kenyaite are converted to 6SiO(2).H(2)O (SH), the first known crystalline hydrate of silica. The magadiite bed probably represents a chemical precipitate from alkaline brines. Percolating waters convert magadiite to kenyaite and eventually to chert. Thus a mechanism has been outlined for the formation of bedded chert deposits through inorganic precipitation. Alternations between silica-rich and iron-rich bands of iron formations may be due to concentration cycles in alkaline lakes. PMID- 17795500 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17795502 TI - Atmospheric waves from Krakatoa. PMID- 17795501 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17795503 TI - Caulinites and Zamiostrobus. PMID- 17795504 TI - Osteology of the large-mouthed black bass (Micropterus salmoides). PMID- 17795505 TI - The Greely search. PMID- 17795506 TI - STYLE IN SCIENTIFIC WRITING. PMID- 17795507 TI - ICEBERGS AND ICE-FLOES. PMID- 17795508 TI - NOTES ON HIBERNATING MAMMALS. PMID- 17795509 TI - ANOTHER ANCIENT HUMAN SKELETON FROM MENTONE, FRANCE. PMID- 17795510 TI - NEW JURASSIC DINOSAURS. PMID- 17795511 TI - THE ASTRONOMICAL LABORS OF MR. COMMON. PMID- 17795512 TI - INSECTS AND FERMENTATION. PMID- 17795513 TI - LOUIS PASTEUR. PMID- 17795514 TI - THE VARIATIONT OF TEMPERATURE IN GERMANY. PMID- 17795515 TI - PLANTE'S RESEARCHES. PMID- 17795516 TI - THE IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE. PMID- 17795517 TI - THE CHILIAN LANGUAGES. PMID- 17795519 TI - NOTE ON THE AGE OF BASIL VALENTINE. PMID- 17795518 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17795520 TI - STUDIES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17795522 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17795521 TI - RAISED SHORE-LINES ON CAPE MAYSI, CUBA. PMID- 17795523 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17795524 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17795525 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17795527 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. PMID- 17795526 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17795528 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17795530 TI - Change in the color of the eye. PMID- 17795529 TI - The eggs of Ornithorhynchus. PMID- 17795531 TI - The numerical measure of the success of predictions. PMID- 17795532 TI - Sun-spots. PMID- 17795533 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEMISTRY IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE. PMID- 17795534 TI - Measurement of the speed of photographic drop-shutters. PMID- 17795535 TI - THE NAVIGATION OF THE NILE. PMID- 17795536 TI - A MUSSULMAN PROPAGANDA. PMID- 17795538 TI - TWO LARGE SUN-SPOTS. PMID- 17795537 TI - THE RUBY-HILL MINES, EUREKA, NEV. PMID- 17795539 TI - NEW VOLUME OF THE TENTH CENSUS. PMID- 17795540 TI - College mission statements. PMID- 17795541 TI - Plasma and the controlled thermonuclear reaction. PMID- 17795542 TI - Demographic consequences of incest tabus: a microsimulation analysis. AB - Theories of incest tabus usually stress the psychosocial advantages of marriage regulation. But marriage regulation may produce delays in mating and thus loss of fertility to a population. Computer microsimulation experiments measure the amount of fertility that must be achieved outside a normatively specified marriage system in order to keep population constant. This amount varies directly with scope of tabu and inversely with population size. For populations of hundreds it is negligible, but for populations of dozens it can be very great. In the latter, flexibility of marital arrangements may permit maintenance of fertility without repeated revision of rules of marriage. PMID- 17795543 TI - Synfuels crash program viewed as risky. PMID- 17795544 TI - Emigre paints grim picture of soviet science. PMID- 17795545 TI - Scientologists Obtain Potent Hallucinogen, QNB. PMID- 17795546 TI - NAS Begins Study of Antibiotics in Feeds. PMID- 17795547 TI - President's Commission Reprimands NRC Staff. PMID- 17795548 TI - Energy needs of southeast discussed in raleigh. PMID- 17795549 TI - AAAS Affiliates Discuss Professional Ethics Activities. PMID- 17795550 TI - Science writers to visit china. PMID- 17795551 TI - Education and careers of handicapped women scientists studied. PMID- 17795552 TI - CSFR Meeting Set. PMID- 17795553 TI - Proposals and resolutions invited for 1980 council meeting. PMID- 17795554 TI - Science: our common heritage. PMID- 17795555 TI - Recently discovered pathogens. PMID- 17795556 TI - Methylation reactions. PMID- 17795557 TI - Porifera. PMID- 17795558 TI - Density and human behavior. PMID- 17795559 TI - Mesonic nuclear physics. PMID- 17795560 TI - Earthquake-caused landslides: a major disturbance to tropical forests. AB - Earthquakes occasionally denude large areas of tropical forest: for example, 54 square kilometers in Panama in 1976 and 130 square kilometers in New Guinea in 1935. Earthquake rates in New Guinea, but not in Panama, are sufficiently high so that substantial areas of disturbed, nonclimax forest may accumulate. In New Guinea, earthquake-caused landslides are as important as tree falls in the disturbance regime. PMID- 17795561 TI - Observation of a subsurface oil-rich layer in the open ocean. AB - A layer of water at a depth of 200 meters containing 3 to 12 milligrams per liter of oil was found during February and March 1978 over a distance of 800 nautical miles in the southwest North Atlantic and the eastern Caribbean. The geochemistry and carbon-14 activity of the oil shows it to be a weathered crude, probably from a submarine seep. Although the dimensions of the oily layer were not determined, conservative estimates indicate that more than I megaton could have been present. PMID- 17795562 TI - Oxidant effects on californian coastal sage scrub. AB - Causes for the reduced cover of native species of coastal sage scrub in certain southern Californian sites wvere sought among 43 habitat variables. The mean annual concentration of oxidants (which averaged 18 parts per 100 million on the 11 most polluted sites) is statistically indicated as the most likely causal factor. Sites of high oxidant levels in the region are also characterized by declining species richness and equitability. PMID- 17795563 TI - Tidal vertical migration: an endogenous rhythm in estuarine crab larvae. AB - Field-caught larvae of the estuarine crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii have a tidal rhythm of vertical migration when maintained in constant conditions. Laboratory reared larvae do not show this rhythm. Endogenous tidal vertical migrations aid the retention of these planktonic larvae in estuaries near the parent populations. PMID- 17795564 TI - Repeated copulation and sperm precedence: paternity assurance for a male brooding water bug. AB - Male giant water bugs (Abedus herberti Hidalgo) brood eggs attached to their backs by their mates. Brooders risk being "cuckolded" because females store sperm from previous matings. Males always copulate with females prior to receiving their eggs and mate repeatedly during oviposition. Experiments with a genetic marker reveal almost complete sperm precedence for the last male to mate with a female. The male's behavior therefore assures his paternity of the eggs he broods. PMID- 17795565 TI - Protein and nucleic Acid sequence data and phylogeny. PMID- 17795566 TI - Cardiopulmonary changes in kittens during sleep. PMID- 17795567 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17795568 TI - William d. Carey. PMID- 17795569 TI - Why recycle plutonium? PMID- 17795570 TI - NIH Fraud Guidelines. PMID- 17795572 TI - SSC and SDI. PMID- 17795571 TI - Response: NIH Fraud Guidelines. PMID- 17795573 TI - Late cretaceous atmospheric oxygen. PMID- 17795574 TI - Nucleic Acid database management. PMID- 17795575 TI - Saturated fat avoidance. PMID- 17795576 TI - Correction. AB - In Bernard D. Davis' article "Bacterial domestication: Underlying assumptions" (Policy Forum, 13 Mar., p. 1329), the word "no" was erroneously omitted from the last sentence of the first full paragraph in column two on page 1334. The sentence should have read, "But this view builds on a parallel between genetic engineering and the physical technologies, rather than on a much closer model, with very different predictions: the domestication of wild organisms, resulting in enormous benefits and no catastrophes." PMID- 17795577 TI - Erratum. AB - The opening sentence of Igor B. Dawid's review (6 Feb., p. 695) of Gene Activity in Early Development by Eric H. Davidson was incorrectly printed. The first paragraph of the review should have read as follows. "As in the two earlier editions of Davidson's standard work, much of this new book is devoted to discussion of quantitative work on RNA accumulation and distribution during development. Davidson also discusses in detail spatial regulation of gene expression in the embryo and its relationship to lineage determination, providing a strongly comparative point of view and generating broad and well-balanced interpretations of large bodies of connected facts. The result is an excellent book that represents the field from a personal yet broadly convincing vantage point." PMID- 17795578 TI - How Safe Savannah River Reactors?: Concerns about a core melt accident cannot be resolved with existing data, warns a panel of the National Academy of Sciences. PMID- 17795580 TI - CERN Panel Backs New Accelerator. PMID- 17795579 TI - Shake-up Announced For Soviet Academy: Retirement at age 65 is planned for laboratory directors; more autonomy will be given to the academy's departments. PMID- 17795581 TI - A $2.5-billion Acid rain plan. PMID- 17795582 TI - Company Offers To Buy NASA A Rocket. PMID- 17795583 TI - U.s., soviets renew an exchange. PMID- 17795585 TI - NAE Elects New Members. PMID- 17795584 TI - Tax relief sought for oil industry. PMID- 17795586 TI - Frank Press Reelected President of NAS. PMID- 17795587 TI - FDA Approves AZT. PMID- 17795589 TI - Chapter 11 for USA, inc. PMID- 17795588 TI - Technology study gets under way. PMID- 17795591 TI - Soviet patents. PMID- 17795590 TI - Science wins olive branch. PMID- 17795592 TI - A Superconductivity Happening: Amid a rock concert atmosphere, a late-night session at the March American Physical Society meeting draws a huge crowd to hear the latest on the new superconductors. PMID- 17795593 TI - Progress on Fermat's Famous Math Problem: One of the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics is now placed firmly in the mainstream of modern math. PMID- 17795594 TI - Uncertainties in building a strategic defense. AB - Building a strategic defense against nuclear ballistic missiles involves complex and uncertain functional, spatial, and temporal relations. Such a defensive system would evolve and grow over decades. It is too complex, dynamic, and interactive to be fully understood initially by design, analysis, and experiments. Uncertainties exist in the formulation of requirements and in the research and design of a defense architecture that can be implemented incrementally and be fully tested to operate reliably. The analysis and measurement of system survivability, performance, and cost-effectiveness are critical to this process. Similar complexities exist for an adversary's system that would suppress or use countermeasures against a missile defense. Problems and opportunities posed by these relations are described, with emphasis on the unique characteristics and vulnerabilities of space-based systems. PMID- 17795595 TI - Water-Quality Trends in the Nation's Rivers. AB - Water-quality records from two nationwide sampling networks now permit nationally consistent analysis of long-term water-quality trends at more than 300 locations on major U.S. rivers. Observed trends in 24 measures of water quality for the period from 1974 to 1981 provide new insight into changes in stream quality that occurred during a time of major changes in both terrestrial and atmospheric influences on surface waters. Particularly noteworthy are widespread decreases in fecal bacteria and lead concentrations and widespread increases in nitrate, chloride, arsenic, and cadmium concentrations. Recorded increases in municipal waste treatment, use of salt on highways, and nitrogen fertilizer application, along with decreases in leaded gasoline consumption and regionally variable trends in coal production and combustion during the period appear to be reflected in water-quality changes. PMID- 17795596 TI - Edge surfaces in lithographically textured molybdenum disulfide. AB - Lithographic techniques were used to expose edge surfaces in layered molybdenum disulfide single crystals. This microstructuring produced ideal samples for the study of the surface morphology and electronic structure of this catalytically important material. The optical absorption that was measured at mid-gap increased by two orders of magnitude after texturing. This increase resulted from reduced molybdenum at surface defects that are located on edge planes, as shown by photoemission spectroscopy. This information cannot easily be obtained on conventional crystals with predominantly basal plane surfaces. PMID- 17795597 TI - Solar Irradiance Change and Special Longitudes Due to r-Modes. AB - Sluggish global oscillations, having a periodicity of months and trapped in the sun's convection zone, modulate the amount of energy reaching Earth and seem to impose some large-scale order on the distribution of solar surface features. These recently recognized oscillations (r-modes) increase the predictability of solar changes and may improve understanding of rotation and variability in other stars. Most of the 13 periodicities ranging from 13 to 85 days that are caused by r-modes can be detected in Nimbus 7 observations of solar irradiance during 3 years at solar maximum. These modes may also bear on the classical question of persistent longitudes of high solar activity. PMID- 17795598 TI - Correlation of volcanic activity with sulfur oxyanion speciation in a crater lake. AB - The Yugama crater lake at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, Japan, contains nearly 2200 tons (2800 parts per million) of polythionate ions (Sn O(6)(2-), where n = 4 to 9). Analytical data on lake water sampled before and during eruptions in 1982 showed that the concentrations of polythionates decreased and sulfate increased in response to the preeruption activities of the subaqueous fumaroles. These changes were observed 2 months before the first phreatic explosion on 26 October 1982. The monitoring of polythionates and sulfate in crater lake water is a promising means of anticipating potential volcanic eruption hazards. PMID- 17795599 TI - Signaling for growth orientation and cell differentiation by surface topography in uromyces. AB - The dimensions of the topographical signals for growth orientation and infection structure formation, a cell differentiation event that includes nuclear division, were determined for the stomatal penetrating rust fungus Uromyces appendiculatus. The differentiation signal was found to be a simple ridge on the substrate surface that had a markedly optimum height of 0.5 micrometer. Such ridges were microfabricated on silicon wafers by using electron-beam lithography. A similar ridge, in the form of a stomatal lip, was found associated with the stomatal guard cells of the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) leaf. Ridge elevations greater than 1.0 micrometer or less than 0.25 micrometer did not serve as effective signals. Germ tubes of the fungus were highly oriented by ridge spacings of 0.5 to 6.7 micrometers. The data indicate that the fungus is able to distinguish uniquely minute differences in leaf surface topography in order to infect the host plant. PMID- 17795600 TI - Ideas about meteorites: cosmic debris. PMID- 17795601 TI - A brain structure: the hippocampus. PMID- 17795602 TI - Troublesome insects: fire ants and leaf-cutting ants. PMID- 17795603 TI - Population scenarios: prehistory in the pacific islands. PMID- 17795604 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17795606 TI - INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND NATIONAL WELFARE. PMID- 17795605 TI - THE PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF BREAD MAKING. PMID- 17795607 TI - GEORGE SCHRADER MATHERS. PMID- 17795608 TI - ARTEMAS MARTIN. PMID- 17795609 TI - BOTANY AFTER THE WAR. PMID- 17795611 TI - THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. PMID- 17795610 TI - A POSSIBLE NEW FUNGICIDE FOR WHEAT AND BARLEY SMUT. PMID- 17795612 TI - SPECIAL ARTICLES. PMID- 17795613 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17795614 TI - "Earthquake-resistant" buildings. PMID- 17795615 TI - Nuclear Safety: The SL-1 Accident. PMID- 17795616 TI - Understanding iran. PMID- 17795617 TI - Understanding iran. PMID- 17795618 TI - Synthetic chemicals from coal. PMID- 17795619 TI - Environmental applications of magnetic measurements. AB - A wide range of examples of the application of magnetic measurements to environmental studies illustrate the advantages of magnetic techniques over conventional methods. Magnetic measurements, in both the field and the laboratory, are particularly useful for reconnaissance work because of their spee and flexibility, Quantification as well as simple diagnosis of the transformation and movement of magnetic minerals within and between the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere is practical. Techniques of investigating intrinsic and mineral magnetic properties, in addition to paleomagnetic remanence, are described in subjects as diverse as meteorology, hydrology, sedimentology, geophysics, and ecology. PMID- 17795620 TI - R & d employment in the u.s.s.R. PMID- 17795621 TI - Scientists fail to solve vela mystery. PMID- 17795622 TI - The business of science. PMID- 17795623 TI - Nader Assails ETS. PMID- 17795625 TI - Science exchanges chilled by soviet invasion of afghanistan. PMID- 17795624 TI - China gets a satellite station. PMID- 17795626 TI - Three-spacecraft team probes the magnetosphere. PMID- 17795628 TI - 1979 AAAS Awards Presented in San Francisco. PMID- 17795627 TI - Professional ethics discussed at workshop. PMID- 17795629 TI - Implementation of solar energy subject of seminar. PMID- 17795630 TI - Reviewers sought. PMID- 17795631 TI - Elvin charles stakman 1885-1979. PMID- 17795633 TI - Pacific division to meet at davis 22-27 june. PMID- 17795632 TI - 50-year members acknowledged. PMID- 17795635 TI - Physicists and historians. PMID- 17795634 TI - Scroll of honor presented to teague. PMID- 17795636 TI - Island study. PMID- 17795637 TI - Gravitational waves. PMID- 17795638 TI - Darwin's Theology. PMID- 17795639 TI - The mollusca. PMID- 17795640 TI - Symbolic Communication Between Two Pigeons, (Columba livia domestica). AB - Through the use of learned symbols, a pigeon accurately communicated information about hidden colors to another pigeon. Each verbal exchange was initiated with a spontaneous request for information. The two pigeons engaged in a sustained and natural conversation without human intervention. PMID- 17795642 TI - IMMUNITY IN VIRUS INFECTIONS. PMID- 17795641 TI - Sun compensation by bees. AB - In both their navigation and dance communication, bees are able to compensate for the sun's movement. When foragers are prevented from seeing the sun for 2 hours, they compensate by extrapolation, using the sun's rate of movement when last observed. These and other data suggest a time-averaging processing strategy in honey bee orientation. PMID- 17795643 TI - NORMS OF GROWTH. PMID- 17795645 TI - GRANTS OF THE NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17795644 TI - WILLIAM REES BREBNER ROBERTSON 1881-1941. PMID- 17795646 TI - THE FOURTH EXPEDITION TO GUATEMALA OF FIELD MUSEUM. PMID- 17795647 TI - IN HONOR OF DR. LIBERTY HYDE BAILEY. PMID- 17795648 TI - THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS. PMID- 17795650 TI - SEX-DETERMINATION IN MELANDRIUM AND LYMANTRIA. PMID- 17795649 TI - THE MEMPHIS MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17795651 TI - MAN'S BIOLOGICAL FUTURE. PMID- 17795652 TI - A SYSTEM FOR THE FILING OF REPRINTS. PMID- 17795653 TI - DEMONSTRATION OF LABYRINTHULA PARASITE IN EEL-GRASS FROM THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17795654 TI - THE BRITISH GRAHAM LAND EXPEDITION, 1934-37. PMID- 17795655 TI - PER CENT. PMID- 17795656 TI - THE OUTLOOK FOR EDUCATION. PMID- 17795657 TI - PYRIDOXINE AS A GROWTH FACTOR FOR GRAPHIUM. PMID- 17795659 TI - EFFECTS OF OXYGEN ON RESPIRATION, FERMENTATION AND GROWTH IN WHEAT AND RICE. PMID- 17795660 TI - AN APPARATUS TO DELIVER A MEASURED AMOUNT OF CO2 FOR BLOOD CULTURES. PMID- 17795658 TI - ELECTROPHORESIS OF THE CHLOROPHYLL-PROTEIN COMPLEX. PMID- 17795662 TI - Science and the Public. PMID- 17795661 TI - TRAPPING SNAILS OF THE GENUS CAMPELOMA. PMID- 17795663 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17795664 TI - George James Peirce, Pioneer American Plant Physiologist. PMID- 17795665 TI - INDIAN WHEAT. PMID- 17795666 TI - SNOW HALL OF NATURAL HISTORY AT LAWRENCE, KAN. PMID- 17795667 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17795668 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17795669 TI - The Mechanism of the Flight of Birds. PMID- 17795670 TI - Weather-Predictions. PMID- 17795672 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17795671 TI - Eskimo and Indian. PMID- 17795673 TI - Tornado Force. PMID- 17795675 TI - GLOBULAR LIGHTNING. PMID- 17795674 TI - The Chinese Wall. PMID- 17795676 TI - STAR OF BETHLEHEM. PMID- 17795677 TI - The Study of Languages. PMID- 17795678 TI - MEDICINE AND SOCIOLOGY. PMID- 17795680 TI - LECTURES ON SOLAR AND TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS. PMID- 17795679 TI - DR. CHRISTIAN ARCHIBALD HERTER. PMID- 17795681 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17795683 TI - COUPLING vs. RANDOM SEGREGATION. PMID- 17795682 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17795684 TI - HIBERNATION. PMID- 17795686 TI - "WASHINGTON SCIENCE". PMID- 17795685 TI - CHANGES IN THE PERSONNEL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMESCLATURE. PMID- 17795688 TI - A LABORATORY FOR EUGENICS. PMID- 17795687 TI - DRAFTS AND COLDS. PMID- 17795689 TI - THE ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17795690 TI - A Rapid Method for Obtaining Clear Soil Extracts. PMID- 17795691 TI - Location of the Syncline in Island Arc Structure. PMID- 17795692 TI - More on Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17795694 TI - More on Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17795693 TI - More on Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17795695 TI - More on Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17795696 TI - More on Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17795697 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17795698 TI - THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE TO MEDICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17795700 TI - THE HISTORY OF CHINESE MEDICINE. PMID- 17795699 TI - SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION. PMID- 17795701 TI - THE AUTOMOBILE AS A DESTROYER OF WILD LIFE. PMID- 17795702 TI - ECOLOGY OF THE PRAIRIE. PMID- 17795703 TI - IT HAPPENED IN ARGENTINA. PMID- 17795704 TI - TERMINOLOGY OF ISOTOPES. PMID- 17795705 TI - THE TENNESSEE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795706 TI - THE ALABAMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795707 TI - CORRECTION OF AN ERRONEOUS STATEMENT. PMID- 17795708 TI - "USE OF SODIUM DIETHYLDITHIOCARBAMATE IN THE DETERMINATION OF MINUTE AMOUNTS OF COPPER". PMID- 17795709 TI - FISHING COLONIES FROM A GELATIN FILM CULTURE. PMID- 17795710 TI - THE THIRD MAJOR MECHANICAL FACTOR IN THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. PMID- 17795711 TI - A SPECIES AND GENUS OF FRESH-WATER BRYOZOON NEW TO NORTH AMERICA. PMID- 17795713 TI - THE NAPLES ZOOLOGICAL STATION. PMID- 17795712 TI - ADAPTATION IN PATHOLOGICAL PROCESSES. PMID- 17795715 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17795714 TI - ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. PMID- 17795716 TI - ASTROPHYSICAL NOTES. PMID- 17795717 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17795718 TI - A POSTSCRIPT ON THE TERMINOLOGY OF TYPES. PMID- 17795719 TI - DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE MAMMALS. PMID- 17795720 TI - 'ORGANIC SELECTION.'. PMID- 17795721 TI - EUPROCTIS CHRYSORRHOEligA IN MASSACHUSETTS. PMID- 17795722 TI - THE NAPLES ZOOLOGICAL STATION. PMID- 17795723 TI - RESOLUTIONS OF THE PAN-PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE. PMID- 17795724 TI - BIOPHYSICS. PMID- 17795726 TI - EXPLORATIONS IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS. PMID- 17795725 TI - THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN IN SHROPSHIRE AND FRANCE. PMID- 17795727 TI - THE MEASUREMENT OF POSTGLACIAL TIME. PMID- 17795728 TI - PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF RIBES AS A CONTROLLING FACTOR IN THE SPREAD OF WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST. PMID- 17795729 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17795730 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17795731 TI - TECHNICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17795732 TI - PARIS LETTER. PMID- 17795733 TI - ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW ENGLAND METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17795734 TI - Ely's Labor movement in America. PMID- 17795735 TI - On the figures illustrating zoological literature. PMID- 17795737 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17795736 TI - The Charleston earthquake. PMID- 17795738 TI - Sea-level and ocean-currents. PMID- 17795739 TI - The genesis of the diamond. PMID- 17795740 TI - FOOD VALUES. PMID- 17795741 TI - GRAVITY AND ISOSTASY. PMID- 17795742 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17795743 TI - DECORATIVE AND PICTORIAL ART. PMID- 17795744 TI - THE SONG OF THE GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (AMMODRAMUS SAVANNARUM AUSTRALIS MAYNARD). PMID- 17795745 TI - THE EFFECT OF FINENESS OF DIVISION OF PULVERIZED LIMESTONE ON THE YIELD OF CRIMSON CLOVER AND LIME REQUIREMENT OF SOILS. PMID- 17795746 TI - THE PRESERVATION OF RECORDS. PMID- 17795747 TI - ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795748 TI - Radiation and Public Health. PMID- 17795749 TI - Recent Advances in Rational Mechanics: The search for underlying concepts and strict mathematical proof deepens our understanding of mechanics. PMID- 17795751 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17795750 TI - Economics of Nuclear Power: An analysis of when the falling costs of nuclear power will meet the rising costs of conventional power. PMID- 17795752 TI - Multilingual Reporting of Scientific Data. PMID- 17795753 TI - Permafrost Research. PMID- 17795754 TI - Permafrost Research. PMID- 17795755 TI - "Psychozoa". PMID- 17795756 TI - Worms, Dogs, and Paramecia. PMID- 17795757 TI - "Psychozoa". PMID- 17795759 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17795760 TI - The Well-Rounded Man. PMID- 17795761 TI - The Optical Spectrum of Lightning: A revival of the spectrographic study of lightning may help solve some outstanding puzzles in could physics. PMID- 17795762 TI - Federal Support of Research Careers: Government joins universities to increase the number of career appointments in research. PMID- 17795764 TI - Food Packaging: Industry, Consumer Spokesmen Differ on Rationality in the Supermarket. PMID- 17795763 TI - U.N. Debate on Nuclear Tests: It Is Taking a Good Deal of Time and Leaving Nobody Very Happy. PMID- 17795765 TI - Use of Fat-Soluble Fluorescent Brighteners on Microorganisms. AB - We have applied a fat-soluble fluorescent aid to certain microorganisms. The aid, a stilbyl triazole compound, fluoresced more in the presence of certain strains of flocculating brewing yeasts than in the presence of nonflocculating types. The work suggested the possibility that flocculating yeasts may possess more surface lipids than the nonflocculating organisms. The performance of the compound on rapidly growing cell centers and bacterial spores is described, and the possible application of the technique to other areas of microbiology is outlined. PMID- 17795766 TI - Recent Change in the Pattern of Tree Growth in Northern Arizona. AB - A significant change in growth pattern among the ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) of the Flagstaff region, northern Arizona, occurred in 1947-1948. This is the first such change since 1904-1905. Evidence appears to verify the existence of a tension zone which fluctuates in altitude as a result of changes in the distribution and quantity of the rainfall as recorded through soil moisture. PMID- 17795767 TI - Interocular Transfer of Pattern Discrimination without Prior Binocular Experience. AB - Interocular transfer of a learned, differential pattern discrimination, as measured by an avoidance response, occurs in the goldfish. Since the stimuli, both during training and testing, were always presented in the lateral or caudal visual field, the parts of a retina involved could not have participated in prior, binocular experience. PMID- 17795768 TI - Radar Observation of Venus. AB - Radar observations of Venus during the last close approach have resulted in a value of solar parallax of 8.79460 seconds of arc, corresponding to a value for the astronomical unit of 149,596,000 km. This is in satisfactory agreement with the determinations made, during the same close approach of Venus, at the Millstone Hill Radar Observatory and at Jodrell Bank, which are 149,597,700 km and 149,601,000 km, respectively. The size of the astronomical unit heretofore generally accepted as most authoritative is based upon a 1950 determination by Rabe, and is 149,532,200 km. PMID- 17795769 TI - An Overview of Sleep as an Experimental Variable (1940-1959). AB - Less than one half of 1 percent of the psychological literature relates to sleep. Although there has been a relative decline in such research, the central nervous system and pathological aspects have recently received increased attention. The United States is producing less than 17 percent of the research on sleep. PMID- 17795770 TI - On the Site of Action of Amethopterin. AB - In the liver of the intact mouse, the conversion of exogenous folic acid to compounds with citrovorum-factor activity is inhibited completely by an amount of amethopterin similar to that bound to the enzyme folic acid reductase in vitro. Because this amount of amethopterin is several thousand times smaller than the LD(50), the toxic effects produced by the larger doses must be mediated via some additional mechanism. PMID- 17795771 TI - Miniature Subcutaneous Frequency-Modulated Transmitter for Brain Potentials. AB - A device for broadcasting electrical signals from the brain of an animal is described. It is small enough to be implanted under the animal's skin. That signals are broadcast without distortion is shown by the comparison of a broadcast recording of an electrocorticogram of a cat with a simultaneous recording made directly with wire leads. PMID- 17795772 TI - Passage of Saccharides from Cerebrospinal Fluid to Blood. AB - Saccharides with a molecular weight ranging from 182 to 50,000, which enter the cerebrospinal fluid at extremely slow rates when administered intravenously, all pass readily at similar rates from cerebrospinal fluid to blood after injection into a lateral cerebral ventricle. The mechanism of transfer appears to be a filtration of cerebrospinal fluid across a sieve-like boundary possibly located at the arachnoid villi. PMID- 17795773 TI - National Academy of Sciences: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the Autumn Meeting, 29 October, La Jolla, California, 30 October-1 November 1961, Los Angeles. PMID- 17795774 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17795775 TI - LINNAeUS AS A ZOOLOGIST. PMID- 17795776 TI - THE FIRST SPECIES RULE: AN OBJECTION. PMID- 17795777 TI - THE GREAT INFERIOR TUSKED MASTODON OF THE LOUP FORK MIOCENE. PMID- 17795778 TI - ON SUN SPOTS. PMID- 17795780 TI - DOES THE MAMMALIAN HEART OBEY THE LAW FOR CHEMICAL REACTION VELOCITIES AS INFLUENCED BY TEMPERATURE? PMID- 17795779 TI - CONCERNING STENO. PMID- 17795781 TI - THE FLANKING DETRITAL SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS OF THE SOUTHWEST. PMID- 17795783 TI - ACADEMIC SALARIES. PMID- 17795782 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17795784 TI - THE AUGUST STORMS. PMID- 17795785 TI - PETROGRAPHS AT LAKE PEND D'OREILLE, IDAHO. PMID- 17795786 TI - CORN CANE. PMID- 17795787 TI - NATURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF NEW YORK INDIAN RELICS. PMID- 17795788 TI - SARCOLOGY: A NEW MEDICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17795789 TI - HISTORY OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. PMID- 17795790 TI - BRITISH STONE CIRCLES.--IV. SOMERSETSHIRE AND DORSETSHIRE CIRCLES. PMID- 17795791 TI - SHARKS IN FRESH WATER. PMID- 17795792 TI - TEMPERATURE IN STORMS AND HIGH AREAS. PMID- 17795793 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORK IN AMERICA. PMID- 17795794 TI - SHARKS IN LAKE NICARAGUA. PMID- 17795795 TI - Fluorides and dental caries. PMID- 17795796 TI - Fluorides and dental caries. PMID- 17795798 TI - Fluorides and dental caries. PMID- 17795797 TI - Erratum. AB - In the announcement of the Gordon Research Conferences by A. M. Cruickshank (4 Mar., p. 1095), under the heading "Fertilization and the Activation of Development" (p. 1108), four listings under the topic "Gamete recognition and binding II" on 2 August were incorrectly printed. They should have read, "Michael G. O'Rand, (subject to be announced); Bayard Storey, ;Reactions between sperm and zona pallucida leading to fertilization in the mouse'; Bonnie S. Dunbar, (subject to be announced); Paul Wasserman, ;Egg surface glycoproteins that regulate mammalian fertilization.' " Under the heading "Hormone Action" (p. 1112), two listings under the topic "Prolactin" on 9 August were incorrectly printed, and one was omitted. They should have read, "Henry Friesen, ;Prolactin receptors'; Paul Kelly, ;Second messenger for prolactin'; Jeffrey Rosen, ;Prolactin regulation of casein genes.' " PMID- 17795799 TI - Scientific instruments and analytical techniques. PMID- 17795800 TI - The process of formation of ocean crust. AB - Ocean crust is the outermost layer of earth under the oceans. It is separated from the underlying mantle by a seismic transition zone called the Moho. A widely held view is that the Moho represents a petrologic change from basaltic-type rocks to a mantle composed mostly of olivine and pyroxene. According to this view, crust is formed by a steady segregation of basaltic melt, derived from partial melting of the mantle, into a crustal magma chamber wherein cooling and crystallization bring about steady-state accretion to the continuously spreading plates. There is sufficient disagreement between the predictions of this hypothesis and marine geophysical data to cause one to doubt the validity of this formation process. At least two other processes are more compatible with the geophysical data. In one, the crust is formed from the episodic injection of basaltic dikes from a mantle reservoir and the Moho is a primary petrologic boundary. In the other, the crust is treated as a mechanical boundary layer in which thermal contraction results in cracking; by comparison, in the mantle thermal contraction is accommodated by flow. The upper part of the crust is formed from episodic extrusion and intrusion of basaltic melt. The lower crust is formed by rapid hydrothermal alteration of mantle that may be continuously or episodically injected by viscous flow at temperatures below the melting temperature. PMID- 17795801 TI - Molecular biological mechanisms of speciation. AB - Growing recognition that much of the evolutionary history of eukaryotic genomes reflects the operation of turnover processes involving repetitive DNA sequences has led to the recent formulation of models describing speciation as a consequence of such turnover. These models are of three general kinds: those attributing hybrid infertility to the process of transposition, those attributing hybrid infertility to mispairing between chromosomes of divergent repetitive DNA composition, and those assuming that change in repetitive DNA's can reset coordinated gene regulation. These models are discussed with respect to the kinds of evidence needed for their corroboration and to their significance for questions related to macroevolutionary punctuated equilibria and genetic revolutions. PMID- 17795802 TI - Crop germplasm conservation and developing countries. AB - Loss of the genetic diversity of some of the world's crops has accelerated in recent decades, with many crops becoming increasingly susceptible to diseases, pests, and environmental stresses. A global network of gene banks has therefore been established to provide plant breeders with the genetic resources necessary for developing more resistant crops that will enable farmers to maintain high yields. Most of these gene banks now store the germplasm of only the major crops such as cereals, potatoes, and grain legumes. Cultivated varieties of these crops are conserved as well as wild species that might otherwise become extinct. Tropical cash crops such as bananas and coconuts are also important food crops in many Third World countries, and more effort needs to be made to conserve the germplasm of these crops as well as of other important plants such as plantation crops, medicinal herbs, and fruit and timber trees. PMID- 17795803 TI - Reagan Plans New ABM Effort. PMID- 17795804 TI - Space telescope in trouble. PMID- 17795805 TI - Democrats boost R & d. PMID- 17795806 TI - More fallout at EPA. PMID- 17795807 TI - German science minister kept on by government. PMID- 17795808 TI - Metrically, the U.S. Doesn't Measure Up. PMID- 17795809 TI - Robert m. White to head academy of engineering. PMID- 17795810 TI - Congress Questions NBS Budget Cuts. PMID- 17795811 TI - Research chief quits French cabinet. PMID- 17795812 TI - The 1983 pittsburgh conference: a special instrumentation report: quadrupoles appears in new instruments. PMID- 17795813 TI - LIMS Is Next Step in Laboratory Automation. PMID- 17795814 TI - A New Way to Correct Background in AA. PMID- 17795815 TI - Microfabrication is not only for electronics. PMID- 17795816 TI - A boom for supercritical fluids. PMID- 17795817 TI - Artificial intelligence comes to atlantic city. PMID- 17795818 TI - Optical fibers make it into instruments. PMID- 17795819 TI - Programs provide a history lesson--blacks and women in science. PMID- 17795820 TI - 1983 exemplar service award. PMID- 17795821 TI - 70th Indian science congress held in tirupati. PMID- 17795822 TI - Cross-Cultural Comparison of "Self" Wins AAAS Prize. PMID- 17795823 TI - The situation of sociobiology. PMID- 17795824 TI - Cognitive aspects of aging. PMID- 17795825 TI - Epithelia. PMID- 17795826 TI - The Sun's Magnetic Field. PMID- 17795827 TI - Strontium isotope fractionation in the kiglapait intrusion. AB - The initial ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 rises systematically from 0.70395 to 0.70662 over the upper 10 percent of the Kiglapait layered intrusion. This ratio is strongly correlated with potassium and rubidium. Contamination, exchange, and magma mixing fail to account for the increase, which is ascribed to the imperfect retention of radiogenic strontium-87 in feldspar-like structural units of the melt inherited from the magma source. These accidents in chemical discrimination persist most readily in anhydrous melts. PMID- 17795828 TI - Asian dust: seasonal transport to the hawaiian islands. AB - Analyses of atmospheric particles collected at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii from February 1979 through September 1982 reveal strong influxes of Asian dust in the spring of each year. Concentrations of a typical crustal element, aluminum, are more than an order of magnitude greater between February and June than during the remainder of the year (71 +/- 51 versus 6.7 +/- 2.3 nanograms per cubic meter). The mass of crustal material transported during the relatively short dust episodes accounts for an average of 80 percent of the total yearly mass of atmospheric particles at 3400 meters on Mauna Loa. PMID- 17795829 TI - Argonne intense pulsed neutron source used to solve the molecular structure of a novel organometallic complex. AB - The single-crystal structure of Mn(CO)(3)(C(7)H(11)) is the first to be solved by direct methods based on time-of-flight neutron diffraction data obtained at the Argonne Intense Pulsed Neutron Source. The molecule contains an unusual three center, two-electron manganese-hydrogen-carbon interaction. PMID- 17795830 TI - Carbon dioxide exchange between air and seawater: no evidence for rate catalysis. AB - It has been suggested that enzymatic catalysis plays a major role in regulating the mass transport of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the oceans. Evidence for this mechanism was not found in a series of gas exchange experiments in which the gas transfer rate coefficients for samples obtained from various natural seawaters, with and without the addition of carbonic anhydrase, were compared with those from artificial seawater. Wind-induced turbulence appears to be the major factor controlling the ocean's response to anthropogenic increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. PMID- 17795831 TI - Bacteria-free sea urchin larvae: selective uptake of neutral amino acids from seawater. AB - Bacteria-free suspensions of larvae of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson) were prepared without the use of antibiotics. Net rates of removal of 18 amino acids, each supplied at 125 nanomoles per liter, and the appearance of ammonia were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Taurine and acidic and basic amino acids were not taken up. Removal of neutral amino acids from the medium occurred at rates adequate to contribute to the carbon and nitrogen balance of the larvae at ecologically relevant substrate concentrations. PMID- 17795832 TI - Mycoplasma-like organisms: occurrence with the larvae and adults of a marine bryozoan. AB - Larvae and adults of the marine bryozoan Watersipora cucullata invariably possess numerous extracellular mycoplasma-like, organisms. Mesodermally encapsulated groups of these atypical bacteria occur in the visceral coeloms of all colony members. In contrast, thousands of the symbionts are externally attached to each larva along a unique superficial groove; the microorganisms are internalized during the complex metamorphosis, thus inoculating the incipient colony. The consequences to the bryozoan of this association are not known. PMID- 17795834 TI - Diffusion barrier in the small intestine. PMID- 17795833 TI - Taste-aversion conditioning of crows to control predation on eggs. AB - Free-ranging crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) that ate chicken eggs that were painted green and contained a nonlethal toxin subsequently avoided green eggs at various locations, whether or not they contained toxin. The crows also continued to eat unpainted and nontoxic chicken eggs. Illness-induced aversions among predators in nature may be a powerful determiner of the evolution of Batesian mimicry and, in human hands, serve as a practical tool for wildlife ecologists. PMID- 17795835 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17795837 TI - A NEW ELECTRIC PILE DEVISED BY M. REYNIER. PMID- 17795836 TI - AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL WORK. PMID- 17795838 TI - DR. PAUL BROCA. PMID- 17795839 TI - INSTANTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY IN A BALLON. PMID- 17795840 TI - THE WINGED PHYLLOXERA. PMID- 17795841 TI - MR. BRAMWELL ON THE PERKINS SYSTEM. PMID- 17795842 TI - PHYSICAL NOTES. PMID- 17795844 TI - ETHNOLOGY: FRAGMENTARY NOTES ON THE ESKIMO OF CUMBERLAND SOUDND. PMID- 17795843 TI - COAL. PMID- 17795845 TI - A Spark From Menlo Park. PMID- 17795846 TI - Energy from Fossil Fuels. PMID- 17795847 TI - Analysis of Microcomposition of Biological Tissue by Means of Induced Radioactivity. PMID- 17795848 TI - Creation of a "sgr" Meson by a Highly Ionizing Nucleus in the Cosmic Radiations. PMID- 17795849 TI - Analysis of Insect Food Habits by Crop Examination. PMID- 17795850 TI - Evidence That Two Different Plant Viruses Can Multiply Simultaneously in the Same Cell. PMID- 17795851 TI - Catheterization of the Coronary Sinus, Right Heart, and Other Viscera With A Modified Venous Catheter. PMID- 17795852 TI - A Modified Photoelectric Apparatus for Permeability Studies. PMID- 17795853 TI - Blood Changes Due to Ammonia Inhalation? PMID- 17795854 TI - Nazi Persecution of Scientists. PMID- 17795855 TI - On New Nicotinolytic Compounds. PMID- 17795856 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17795857 TI - Preview of the 120th Meeting, AAAS, Boston December 26-31, 1953. PMID- 17795858 TI - THE ACTION Of RADIUM, ROENTGEN RAYS AND ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT ON MINERALS, AND GEMS. PMID- 17795859 TI - AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. PMID- 17795860 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795861 TI - RIGHT-HANDEDNESS: A PRIMITIVE AUSTRALIAN THEORY. PMID- 17795862 TI - THE ST. LOUIS CONGRESS OF ARTS AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17795863 TI - PELe OBELISK. PMID- 17795864 TI - METEOROLOGICAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES. PMID- 17795866 TI - THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. PMID- 17795865 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17795868 TI - THE NEW HARVARD ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS. PMID- 17795867 TI - HENRY CARRINGTON BOLTON. PMID- 17795869 TI - THE BOLYAI PRIZE. II. PMID- 17795871 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17795870 TI - THE WILLARD GIBBS MEDAL. PMID- 17795873 TI - THE LAW THAT INHERES IN NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17795872 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17795874 TI - ON EVIDENCE OF SOMA INFLUENCE ON OFFSPRING FROM ENGRAFTED OVARIAN TISSUE. PMID- 17795876 TI - THE TIME GIVEN BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO STUDY AND RECITATION. PMID- 17795875 TI - PSYCHOLOGY IN RUSSIA. PMID- 17795877 TI - BIOLOGICAL CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE STUDY OF THE TITANOTHERES. PMID- 17795878 TI - UNDERGROUND TEMPERATURES. PMID- 17795879 TI - THE SCALES OF THE DIPNOAN FISHES. PMID- 17795880 TI - The Biological Section of the New York Academy of Sciences. PMID- 17795881 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17795882 TI - Princeton's Intellectual Trust. PMID- 17795883 TI - Waste management. PMID- 17795885 TI - Lawrence Bogorad: President-Elect of the AAAS. PMID- 17795884 TI - Chemicals from waste dumps. PMID- 17795886 TI - Problems Plague ASAT Program. PMID- 17795887 TI - New Doubts About Star Wars Feasibility: Some critics charge that a comprehensive missile defense is doomed to failure because the computing requirements cannot be met. PMID- 17795888 TI - Creationists lose again. PMID- 17795889 TI - U.s. Wants to keep eye on biotech exports. PMID- 17795891 TI - A Comet's Heart May Be Big but Black: Astronomers straining to catch a glimpse of the "dirty snowball" of Comet Halley are finding that it may be bigger and dirtier than thought. PMID- 17795892 TI - The chemical senses: taste, olfaction, and the central nervous system. PMID- 17795890 TI - The Great Crystal Caper: Chemists debate whether it makes scientific sense to try to grow macromolecular crystals in space. PMID- 17795894 TI - Fluvial geomorphology: the colorado river. PMID- 17795893 TI - Three-manifold topology: the smith conjecture. PMID- 17795895 TI - Wave dynamics: ocean wave modeling. PMID- 17795896 TI - Paleoseismic Evidence for Recurrence of Earthquakes near Charleston, South Carolina. AB - A destructive earthquake that occurred in 1886 near Charleston, South Carolina, was associated with widespread liquefaction of shallow sand structures and their extravasation to the surface. Several seismically induced paleoliquefaction structures preserved within the shallow sediments in the meizoseismal area of the 1886 event were identified. Field evidence and radiocarbon dates suggest that at least two earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 6.2 preceded the 1886 event in the past 3000 to 3700 years. The evidence yielded an initial estimate of about 1500 to 1800 years for the maximum recurrence of destructive, intraplate earthquakes in the Charleston region. PMID- 17795897 TI - Periodicity in tree rings from the corn belt. AB - Previous tree-ring studies indicated that the total area affected by drought in the western United States has rhythmically expanded and contracted over the past 300 years, with a period near the 18.6-year lunar nodal and 22-year double sunspot cycles. Recently collected tree-ring data from the U.S. Corn Belt for the years 1680 to 1980 were examined for evidence of either of these cycles on a regional scale. Spectral analysis indicated no periodicity in the eastern part of the Corn Belt, but a significant 18.33-year period in the western part. The period length changed from 17.60 to 20.95 years between the first 150 years and the last 151. High-resolution frequency analysis showed that the structure of the 18.33-year spectral peak was complex, with contributions from several frequencies near both the lunar nodal and double-sunspot periods. A t-test of difference of means in reconstructed annual precipitation weakly corroborated a previous finding of an association between drought area and the phase of the double sunspot cycle. Both the high-resolution frequency analysis and the t-test results indicate that the periodic component of drought near 20 years is too weak and irregular to be of use in drought forecasting for the Corn Belt. PMID- 17795898 TI - Competition for phosphorus: differential uptake from dual-isotope--labeled soil interspaces between shrub and grass. AB - Two species of Agropyron grass differed strikingly in their capacity to compete for phosphate in soil interspaces shared with a common competitor, the sagebrush Artemisia tridentata. Of the total phosphorus-32 and -33 absorbed by Artemisia, 86 percent was from the interspace shared with Agropyron spicatum and only 14 percent from that shared with Agropyron desertorum. Actively absorbing mycorrhizal roots of Agropyron and Artemisia were present in both interspaces, where competition for the labeled phosphate occurred. The results have important implications about the way in which plants compete for resources below ground in both natural plant communities and agricultural intercropping systems. PMID- 17795899 TI - The crystallization of ultralong normal paraffins: the onset of chain folding. AB - The nature of chain folding in polymers and the determination of the chain length at which folding occurs have been central questions in polymer science. The study of the formation of lamellar polymer crystals through chain folding has received a new impetus as a result of the recent synthesis of normal alkanes of strictly uniform chain lengths up to C(390) H(782). Chain folding is found in all such paraffins starting with C(150)H(302). As with polyethylenes obtained by conventional polymerization, the fold length in the normal alkanes varies with crystallization temperature, but it is always an integral reciprocal of the full chain length. This behavior indicates that the methyl end groups are located at the lamellar surface and that the fold itself must be sharp and adjacently reentrant. PMID- 17795900 TI - Conservation genetics of endangered fish populations in Arizona. AB - Genetic diversity in remnant populations of the Sonoran topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis (Pisces: Poeciliidae) from Arizona, where the species is endangered, is compared with that in populations from Sonora, Mexico, where the fish is widespread and abundant. Geographically peripheral Arizona populations contain substantially lower levels of genetic variation than do Mexican populations near the center of the species' range. Allelic differences among three genetically and geographically distinct groups are responsible for 53 percent of the total genetic diversity in this species, 26 percent is due to differences among local populations within the groups, and 21 percent is due to heterozygosity within local populations. Recommendations for conservation and restocking efforts in Arizona are based on these genetic findings. PMID- 17795901 TI - Reciprocal inhibition and postinhibitory rebound produce reverberation in a locomotor pattern generator. AB - The central pattern generator for swimming in the pteropod mollusk Clione limacina consists of at least four pedal interneurons, two each controlling parapodial upstroke and downstroke. The two sets of antagonistic interneurons are linked by reciprocal monosynaptic inhibitory synapses, and all exhibit apparently strong postinhibitory rebound. This simple neuronal network produces reverberating alternate cyclic activity in the absence of tonic drive or apparent feedback modulation. PMID- 17795902 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17795903 TI - CONCERNING THE FIGURE AND THE DIMENSIONS OF THE UNIVERSE OF SPACE. PMID- 17795904 TI - CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT. PMID- 17795905 TI - PENSIONS IN THE ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE. PMID- 17795906 TI - UNIVEBSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17795907 TI - THE CONSTITUENCY OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION. PMID- 17795909 TI - A RULING THAT IS AGAINST THE RULES. PMID- 17795908 TI - DOES A LOW-PROTEIN DIET PRODUCE RACAL INFERIORITY? PMID- 17795910 TI - The Omaha Tribe. PMID- 17795911 TI - NOTES ON RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. PMID- 17795912 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE RELATIVE PREVALENCE OF PYCNOSPORES AND ASCOSPORES OF THE CHESTNUT-BLIGHT FUNGUS DURING THE WINTER. PMID- 17795913 TI - A STRIKING CORRELATION IN THE PEACH. PMID- 17795915 TI - THE EVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND OF THE CORTEX. PMID- 17795914 TI - MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795916 TI - BIOLOGY IN OUR COLLEGES: A PLEA FOR A BROADER AND MORE LIBERAL BIOLOGY. PMID- 17795917 TI - SOME CURRENT NOTES UPON METEORITES. PMID- 17795918 TI - NOTES ON PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLK-MEDICINE. PMID- 17795919 TI - CONGRESS OF CHEMISTS AT CHICAGO. PMID- 17795920 TI - ELECTRICAL NOTES. PMID- 17795921 TI - THE EFFECT OF FOOD UPON THE COMPOSITION OF BUTTER. PMID- 17795922 TI - The Tucumcari Fossils. PMID- 17795923 TI - Peculiar Nesting of a King-Bird. PMID- 17795924 TI - Correction. PMID- 17795925 TI - Age of Guano Deposits. PMID- 17795926 TI - Sound and Color. PMID- 17795927 TI - Natural and Artificial Cements in Canada. PMID- 17795928 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17795929 TI - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE STUDY OF DENTAL CARIES. PMID- 17795930 TI - THE ENGINEERING FOUNDATION. PMID- 17795931 TI - "EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION" OF CHROMATOPHORES. PMID- 17795932 TI - Age of Fitchburg Granite. PMID- 17795933 TI - SLICKENSIDES. PMID- 17795934 TI - MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. PMID- 17795935 TI - AN ANATOMICAL EXPLANATION OF THE NORTHWEST CONIFEROUS CLIMAX FORESTS. PMID- 17795936 TI - PHYSIOLOGICALLY BALANCED CULTURE SOLUTIONS WITH STABLE HYDROGEN-ION CONCENTRATION. PMID- 17795937 TI - THE EVOLUTION OF CEREBRAL LOCALIZATION PATTERNS. PMID- 17795938 TI - BIOCHEMICAL FOSSILS. PMID- 17795939 TI - MODERN EVIDENCES FOR DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT OF CERTAIN POINTS ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE. II. PMID- 17795941 TI - THE KRESGE-HOOKER SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY. PMID- 17795940 TI - RONALD FRASER MACLENNAN. PMID- 17795942 TI - A HARVEY W. WILEY MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM. PMID- 17795943 TI - THE NATIONAL ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE. PMID- 17795944 TI - AWARD TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17795945 TI - HONORARY DEGREES TO BE CONFERRED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALGIERS. PMID- 17795946 TI - G. J. ROMANES ON THE EXCITABILITY OF MUSCLE. PMID- 17795947 TI - THE HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE PITUITARY CAUSED BY ESTROGEN. PMID- 17795948 TI - A SURVEY OF FOOD PRICES. PMID- 17795949 TI - THE GENERIC NAME OF THE SAND FLY. PMID- 17795950 TI - AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE: SCIENTIFIC MEN RECEIVING STARS IN THE SEVENTH EDITION. PMID- 17795951 TI - ANTIBIOTINS. PMID- 17795952 TI - GERMINATION OF LETTUCE SEED AT HIGH TEMPERATURE STIMULATED BY THIOUREA. PMID- 17795953 TI - THE EXCRETION OF PENICILLIN IN THE SPINAL FLUID IN MENINGITIS. PMID- 17795954 TI - THE GOLDEN HAMSTER (CRICETUS AURATUS) AS A TEST ANIMAL FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS. AB - There is evidence that the golden hamster (Cricetus auratus) is the animal of choice for the isolation of leptospirae, especially of the Leptospira canicola type since young guinea pigs and mice are resistant to infection and rats are entirely refractory. Both the classical strain, L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. canicola on isolation have been found to produce a fatal infection in hamsters. The present report deals with the isolation of L. canicola in two instances by the injection intraperitoneally into hamsters of urine obtained from dogs ill with suspected leptospirosis. Each of the dogs was apparently the source of infection for a human case of Canicola leptospirosis. The classical strain L. icterohaemorrhagiae was isolated from the dog for the first time in the United States. In this instance the organism was isolated by injecting both whole blood and urine from the patient intraperitoneally into young hamsters. The injection into hamsters of suitable material from patients infected with L. canicola and L. icterohaemorrhagiae is followed by a fatal leptospirosis in the test animal. PMID- 17795955 TI - SCIENCE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL, AND THE BASIS OF COOPERATION. PMID- 17795957 TI - THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, LONDON. PMID- 17795956 TI - ENERGY AT THE THRESHOLD OF VISION. PMID- 17795958 TI - THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLEGE OF LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND THE ARTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. PMID- 17795959 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS MAKERS OF AMERICA. PMID- 17795960 TI - NATURE PROTECTION AND WILDLIFE PRESERVATION. PMID- 17795961 TI - HONORARY DEGREES RECENTLY CONFERRED ON SCIENTIFIC MEN. PMID- 17795962 TI - CELEBRATION AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17795963 TI - THE MANCHESTER LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17795965 TI - THE "MEANING" OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17795964 TI - THE AGE OF SAUROPOD DINOSAURS. PMID- 17795966 TI - WESTWARD SPREAD OF EASTERN TYPE EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS. PMID- 17795967 TI - THIRTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN. PMID- 17795968 TI - THE PREVENTION BY CHOLINE OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS IN RATS ON HIGH FAT, LOW PROTEIN DIETS. PMID- 17795970 TI - A DESIGN FOR A SATURATED CALOMEL ELECTRODE. PMID- 17795969 TI - THE METABOLISM OF beta-NAPHTHYLAMINE BY RATS, RABBITS AND MONKEYS. PMID- 17795971 TI - BACTERIAEMIA IN LAND-LOCKED SALMON (SALMO SEBAGO) IN MAINE. PMID- 17795972 TI - HOW TO REMOVE THE PLUNGERS OF "FROZEN" GLASS SYRINGES. PMID- 17795973 TI - A CONVENIENT METHOD OF LABELING BOTTLES. PMID- 17795975 TI - NEW ARCHEOLOGICAL LIGHTS ON THE ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION IN EUROPE. II. PMID- 17795974 TI - THE PRESENT POSITION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17795976 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO THE INDUSTRIES. PMID- 17795977 TI - THE SONG OF FOWLER'S TOAD. PMID- 17795978 TI - BETTER COORDINATION OF UNDERGRADUATE COURSES. PMID- 17795980 TI - CONCERNING THE SPECIES AMOEligBA PROTEUS. PMID- 17795979 TI - SYLVESTER AND CAYLEY. PMID- 17795981 TI - ZUNI INOCULATIVE MAGIC. PMID- 17795982 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF LATERAL VISION IN ITS RELATION TO ORIENTATION. PMID- 17795984 TI - Social science: ethics of research. PMID- 17795983 TI - SECTION B, PHYSICS. PMID- 17795985 TI - Is the paranormal "normal"? PMID- 17795986 TI - Social science: ethics of research. PMID- 17795987 TI - Power-line radiation. PMID- 17795988 TI - Power-line radiation. PMID- 17795989 TI - General sarnoff and generic research. PMID- 17795990 TI - Electricity generation choices for the near term. AB - Electricity demand is expected to increase during the next few decades, especially if it is accepted that the primary goal of energy conservation is to reduce oil consumption. Although the renewable resources in principle have unlimited potential, it is not clear that they can make a major contribution to electricity expansion within the 20th century. Coal and nuclear power are the practical alternatives. The adverse effects of nuclear power probably remain less than those of coal, despite the impact of the Three Mile Island accident. It is important to explore and exploit all options, especially the endangered nuclear option. PMID- 17795991 TI - Melanesian prehistory: some recent advances. AB - Human occupation of New Guinea had begun 50,000 years ago, but islands further east were settled only in Recent times. In part of the New Guinea highlands, wet and dry horticultural systems began by 9000 years ago. Local intensification is evident until the present, but only the most recent major crop (sweet potato, which has been grown in the region for less than 300 years) is documented. On the south coast, exchange systems and economies locally diversify over the last two millennia. In the Melanesian islands, exotic materials were moved 3000 kilometers 3000 years ago, but whether traders or colonists were involved is not yet clear. The prehistory of the area is proving more complex than was believed even a decade ago. PMID- 17795992 TI - Injuries from the wichita falls tornado: implications for prevention. AB - We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. We also assessed the protective measures taken by a representative sample of community residents who suffered no major injury in order to estimate the relative risk of injury to people directly in the tornado's path. Twenty-six (60 percent) of the 43 traumatic deaths and 30 (51 percent) of the 59 serious injuries occurred in people who, despite ample warning, went to their cars to drive out of the storm's path. These people had a risk of serious or fatal injury of 23 per 1000. People who remained indoors and in stationary homes were at relatively low risk (3 per 1000) if they took simple precautions; people in mobile homes were at greatest risk (85 per 1000). Current safety recommendations and housing codes for single family homes and mobile homes need to be amended to decrease the impact of future tornadoes on human health. PMID- 17795993 TI - Wind power excites utility interest. PMID- 17795994 TI - Tumult at the archives. PMID- 17795995 TI - At last there is a way to take it with you. PMID- 17795997 TI - Professor huxley on evolution. PMID- 17795996 TI - Concern rising about the next big quake. PMID- 17795998 TI - A plea for pure science. PMID- 17795999 TI - Progress in utilization of solar heat. PMID- 17796000 TI - The utilization of the sun's rays for warming and ventilating apartments. PMID- 17796001 TI - The scholarly enterprise in america. PMID- 17796002 TI - Reproductive adaptations. PMID- 17796003 TI - Magnetic effects. PMID- 17796005 TI - Theories of memory. PMID- 17796004 TI - Gene regulation. PMID- 17796006 TI - Early miocene subglacial basalts, the East antarctic ice sheet, and uplift of the transantarctic mountains. AB - Subglacially erupted volcanic rocks from Mount Early and Sheridan Bluff, Antarctica, yield whole-rock potassium-argon dates and argon-40/argon-39 release spectra of Early Miocene age. Field associations suggest the existence of the East Antarctic ice sheet and significant uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains by that time. PMID- 17796007 TI - Migrations of california gray whales tracked by oxygen-18 variations in their epizoic barnacles. AB - Barnacles attached to the California gray whale have oxygen isotope compositions that serve as a record of changing ocean temperatures as the whale migrates between arctic and subtropical waters. The isotopic values for the barnacles can be used to track whale migrations and to reconstruct the recent movements of beached whales. The method may be useful for tracing the movements of other animals, living or fossil, and for reconstructing the voyages of ancient ships. PMID- 17796008 TI - Polar coronal holes and cosmic-ray modulation. AB - A comparison of the size of polar coronal holes with the cosmic-ray intensity observed during the most recent sunspot cycle shows close correspondence. This lends support to recent suggestions that the well-known sunspot-cycle modulation of cosmic rays is a three-dimensional effect, probably related to the global character of the interplanetary magnetic field. PMID- 17796009 TI - Racemization of Amino Acids in Dipeptides Shows COOH > NH2 for Non-Sterically Hindered Residues. AB - The relative rates of racemization for amino acid residues at the NH(2) and COOH ends of 37 different dipeptides were determined. In nine dipeptides containing alanine, leucine, phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methionine, the amino acid residue racemized faster at the COOH-terminal position than at the NH(2)-terminal position (COOH > NH(2)). The sterically hindered amino acids isoleucine and valine showed NH(2) > COOH. Six proline dipeptides showed NH(2) > COOH. Intramolecular effects have been invoked to explain these surprising results. PMID- 17796010 TI - Camouflage by integumentary wetting in bark bugs. AB - Unlike most insect integuments, the body surfaces of certain bark-inhabiting bugs are wettable. A thin film of water reduces the reflectivity of the insect, resulting in a close match with the wettable bark upon which it rests. Wettability probably aids in concealing the insects from predators. PMID- 17796011 TI - Cellulose in the cell walls of the bangiophyceae (rhodophyta). AB - Mechanically isolated cell walls of the conchocelis phase of Bangia fuscopurpurea yield cellulose II (regenerated cellulose) upon treatment with Schweitzer's reagent. X-ray powder analysis and thin-layer chromatography of partial hydrolyzates confirm the presence of cellulose in this extract. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of wall hydrolyzates indicates that xylose, mannose, galactose, and glucose are major wall constituents. The presence of cellulose in the conchocelis provides evidence that this bangiophycean life cycle phase represents a transitional form or link between the two classes of red algae, Bangiophyceae and Florideophyceae. This suggests a close affinity of the two classes of the Rhodophyta and supports the hypothesis that bangiophycean algae were precursors of the Florideophyceae. PMID- 17796012 TI - DR. FRANKLIN P. MALL: AN APPRECIATION. PMID- 17796013 TI - FRANKLIN PAINE MALL: A REVIEW OF HIS SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT. PMID- 17796014 TI - THE NOMENCLATURE OF THERMOMETRIC SCALES. PMID- 17796015 TI - THE DOMESTICATION OF THE LLAMA. PMID- 17796016 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE CUSTOM OF TEA DRINKING IN CHINA. PMID- 17796017 TI - NOTE ON THREE DEVICES FOR USE IN ELECTROMETRY. PMID- 17796018 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE. PMID- 17796020 TI - STANDARD METHODS OF WATER ANALYSIS. PMID- 17796019 TI - ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR 1900. PMID- 17796021 TI - SUNSPOTS AND RAINFALL. PMID- 17796022 TI - THE ULKE COLLECTION OF COLEOPTERA. PMID- 17796023 TI - VON IHERING'S ARCHIPLATA-ARCHELEMIS THEORY. PMID- 17796024 TI - 'THE CRIMINAL, HIS PERSONNEL AND ENVIRONMENT.'. PMID- 17796025 TI - THE LONGEST AERIAL VOYAGE. PMID- 17796026 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796028 TI - DROWNING SUPERSTITIONS. PMID- 17796027 TI - JESSE WILLIAM LAZEAR. PMID- 17796030 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF BUTTER. PMID- 17796029 TI - THE HABIT OF WASHING. PMID- 17796032 TI - SAVAGE RELIGION. PMID- 17796031 TI - TEOHNICAL EDUCATION AT ST. ETIENNE. PMID- 17796033 TI - AGRICULTURAL LOSSES FROM INSECTS. PMID- 17796034 TI - VIRCHOW, THE MAN AND THE STUDENT. PMID- 17796036 TI - Legislators accept fast-paced fusion program. PMID- 17796035 TI - Electronics and scientific communication. PMID- 17796037 TI - Charges of piracy follow alsabti. PMID- 17796038 TI - Poland: A Visitor's Snapshot. PMID- 17796039 TI - Computer chess: belle sweeps the board. PMID- 17796040 TI - Prizes that predict nobel winners. PMID- 17796041 TI - Disease center will fund love canal research. PMID- 17796042 TI - Westinghouse feels impact of declining demand. PMID- 17796043 TI - Drug-making topples eminent anthropologist. PMID- 17796044 TI - Annual meeting toronto 3-8 january 1981. PMID- 17796045 TI - American languages. PMID- 17796046 TI - Paleobotany: lives and works. PMID- 17796047 TI - Molecular genetics. PMID- 17796048 TI - Hybridoma technology. PMID- 17796049 TI - Carbon budget of the southeastern u.s. Biota: analysis of historical change in trend from source to sink. AB - Documentation of settlement patterns and deforestation in the southeastern United States allows evaluation of regional carbon dynamics since A.D. 1750. From 1750 to 1950, the Southeast was a net source for carbon at an average rate of 0.13 gigaton per year. Only in the past 20 to 30 years has increased productivity of commercial forests resulted in a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide of 0.07 gigaton per year. PMID- 17796050 TI - Episodic ice-free arctic ocean in pliocene and pleistocene time: calcareous nannofossil evidence. AB - Today's ice cover (2 to 4 meters thick) over the Arctic Ocean provides a shadow that prevents coccolithophorids (photosynthetic, planktonic algae) from living there. Sparse, low-diversity, but indigenous coccolith assemblages in late Pliocene to mid-Pleistocene (but not Holocene) sediments imply deep penetrating warm currents or an ice-free Arctic Ocean, or both, as those layers were being deposited. PMID- 17796051 TI - Late wisconsin climate of northern Florida and the origin of species-rich deciduous forest. AB - Species-rich mesic forest covered northern Florida as early as 14,000 radiocarbon years before present. It probably originated in deciduous tree populations already present locally in conifer forest between 24,000 and 18,600 years before present. The cold, dry Late Wisconsin climate ended before 14,600 years before present. A transitional warm, dry phase preceded a precipitation increase at 14,000 years before present. PMID- 17796053 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17796052 TI - JH Zero: New Naturally Occurring Insect Juvenile Hormone from Developing Embryos of the Tobacco Hornworm. AB - A new insect juvenile hormone was isolated from developing embryos of the tobacco hornworm moth, Manduca sexta. The new hormone was found with juvenile hormone I and is a 1-carbon homolog of this substance. The assigned structure is methyl (2E,6E,10-cis)-10,11-epoxy-3,7-diethyl-11-methyl-2,6-tridecadienoate, which constitutes a trishomosesquiterpenoid skeleton. This is the first chemical idetification of any juvenile hormone from insect eggs. PMID- 17796054 TI - THE AUGUST PERSEIDS, 1880. PMID- 17796055 TI - PROBLEMS IN WATSON'S CO-ORDINATES. PMID- 17796056 TI - NOTES ON JAPANESE PULMONIFERA. PMID- 17796057 TI - THE LAW OF LAND-FORMING ON OUR GLOBE. PMID- 17796058 TI - FRICTION OF LUBRICATING OILS. PMID- 17796059 TI - TYPES OF POTTERY. PMID- 17796060 TI - AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VIBRATIONS OF PLATES VIBRATED AT THE CENTRE. PMID- 17796061 TI - MOUNT HAMILTON, CAL. PMID- 17796062 TI - MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MICROSCOPISTS AT DETROIT. PMID- 17796063 TI - CAVES IN JAPAN. PMID- 17796064 TI - PRESERVATION OF FOSSIL INSECTS AND PLANTS ON MAZON CREEK. PMID- 17796065 TI - PHYSICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796066 TI - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17796067 TI - THE IRON ORES OF THE BRANDON PERIOD. PMID- 17796068 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF ASTROPHYSICAL RESEARCH AND THE RELATION OF ASTROPHYSICS TO OTHER PHYSICAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17796069 TI - MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17796070 TI - SINGULAR STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONS OF INDIA RUBBER. PMID- 17796071 TI - FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDEXING CHEMICAL LITERATURE. PMID- 17796072 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17796073 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796074 TI - DETERMINATE VARIATION AND ORGANIC SELECTION. PMID- 17796075 TI - AMPHIBIA VS. BATRACHIA. PMID- 17796077 TI - Ecology. PMID- 17796076 TI - THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS. PMID- 17796079 TI - Use of energy. PMID- 17796078 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796080 TI - Linear algebra problem. PMID- 17796081 TI - Mass transfer and urban problems. PMID- 17796082 TI - Liquid hydrogen as a fuel for the future. AB - The use of liquid hydrogen as a long-term replacement for hydrocarbon fuel for land and air transportation seems technically feasible. It is an ideal fuel from the standpoint of a completely cyclic system, serving as a "working substance" in a closed chemical and thermodynamic cycle. The energy-per-unit-weight advantage (a factor of 3) over gasoline or any other hydrocarbon fuel makes liquid hydrogen particularly advantageous for air craft and long-range land transport. As a pollution-free fuel, it must be seriously considered as the logical replacement for hydrocarbons in the 21st century. PMID- 17796083 TI - The Sun's Work in a Cornfield. AB - After extensive field experiments, we developed SPAM, a comprehensive mathematical model that simulates energy and material exchange in the plantair layer at the earth's interface. The model is based upon the conservation of energy, where the sun is the driving force. Our understanding and deficiencies were gauged initially by testing model predictions against actual experience with a relatively simple system-a cornfield. Climatic predictions are physically and biologically good enough for many applications, but they reveal inadequacies in our understanding of the fluid dynamics of airflow within the plant stand. Our present inability to measure or predict the degree of wetness of the soil surface hampers correct prediction of evaporation. Probably the most difficult problem to resolve is that of predicting how stomates open and close under drought stress, thus affecting both evaporation and photosynthesis in leaves. Along with resolution of these problems, the basic framework of the model can be adapted to more complex systems in nature, where variability is much greater than in an agricultural crop. The model in its present form can be used, with caution, as a powerful tool to help man order his priorities of plant community traits for whatever outcome he desires, be it food production, nature and water conservation, climate modification, or esthetic enjoyment. PMID- 17796084 TI - Education and science in north Vietnam. PMID- 17796085 TI - Magruder in White House: SST Man Plans New Technology Take-Off. PMID- 17796086 TI - Germ war lab salvaged. PMID- 17796087 TI - Cancer Legislation: Pro-NIH Bill Advances in House. PMID- 17796088 TI - Human environment conference: the rush for influence. PMID- 17796089 TI - The 1971 nobel prize for physiology or medicine. PMID- 17796090 TI - Global Meteorology (II): Numerical Models of the Atmosphere. PMID- 17796091 TI - A model for plate tectonic evolution of mantle layers. AB - In plate tectonic theory, lithosphere that descends into the mantle has a largely derivative composition, because it is produced as a refractory residue by partial melting, and cannot be resorbed readily by the parent mantle. We suggest that lithosphere sinks through the asthenosphere, or outer mantle, and accumulates progressively beneath to form an accretionary mesosphere, or inner mantle. According to this model, there is an irreversible physicochemical evolution of the mantle and its layers. We make the key assumption that the rate at which mass has been transferred from the lithosphere to the mesosphere is proportional to the rate of radiogenic heat production. Calculations of mass transfer with time demonstrate that the entire mass of the present mesosphere could have been produced in geologically reasonable times (3 x 10(9) to 4.5 x 10(9) years). The model is consistent with the generation of the continental crust during the last 3 x 1O(9) years and predicts an end to plate tectonic behavior within the next 10(9) years. PMID- 17796092 TI - Hyperfine zeeman effect atomic absorption spectrometer for mercury. AB - A new type of atomic absorption spectrometer-one that detects trace mercury in host material, based on hyperfine structure lines in a magnetic field-was developed and tested on various substances. This device can detect trace mercury to about 0.04 part per million (40 parts per billion) in about 1 minute. No chemical separation from the host material is necessary. PMID- 17796093 TI - Redwoods: a population model debunked. PMID- 17796095 TI - Application of science in the management of national parks. PMID- 17796094 TI - 27-28 december indicators of environmental quality. PMID- 17796096 TI - 28-29 december mineral elements in the food chain. PMID- 17796098 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17796097 TI - Research and Freedom. PMID- 17796099 TI - Marine Borer Attack on Lead Cable Sheath. PMID- 17796101 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17796100 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17796102 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17796103 TI - PRESENTATION OF THE NOBEL PRIZE TO PROFESSOR ERNEST O. LAWRENCE. PMID- 17796104 TI - RESPONSE. PMID- 17796106 TI - THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND. PMID- 17796105 TI - FERDINAND ELLERMAN. PMID- 17796107 TI - THE LEDYARD FELLOWSHIP AWARDS OF THE NEW YORK HOSPITAL. PMID- 17796108 TI - THE CATSKILL MEETING OF THE NEW YORK STATE GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17796109 TI - GIFTS AND BEQUESTS TO AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17796110 TI - MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17796111 TI - THE TWELFTH ANNUAL SCIENCE FAIR OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. PMID- 17796112 TI - LABORATORY CHIMPANZEES. PMID- 17796113 TI - THE RELATIONS OF SOILS AND SURFACE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT. PMID- 17796114 TI - RECEIPT OF EUROPEAN JOURNALS DURING THE WAR. PMID- 17796115 TI - BORON DEFICIENCIES IN CONNECTICUT. PMID- 17796116 TI - PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17796117 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR STUDYING THE PROPERTIES OF LUBRICATING OILS BASED ON THE USE OF A NEW INSTRUMENT. PMID- 17796119 TI - AUTOPHAGIA IN RATS TRAUMATIZED DURING INANITION. PMID- 17796118 TI - BISULFITE BINDING SUBSTANCES (B.B.S.) AND THIAMIN DEFICIENCY. PMID- 17796120 TI - SOME USES OF VACUUM IN MICROLOGY. PMID- 17796122 TI - ALASKA AS IT WAS AND IS, 1865-1895. PMID- 17796123 TI - A SIMPLEX SPECTROSCOPE. PMID- 17796121 TI - A METHOD FOR PRESERVING TRYPANOSOMA EQUIPERDUM. PMID- 17796125 TI - AMERICAN MORPHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796124 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17796126 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17796127 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17796128 TI - ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. PMID- 17796129 TI - ASTRONOMICAL. PMID- 17796130 TI - THE THEORY OF PROBABILITIES. PMID- 17796131 TI - LINE DRAWINGS OF BLUE PRINT. PMID- 17796132 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMBRYO OF PTERIS. PMID- 17796133 TI - Molecules and the Molecular Theory of Matter, by A. D. RISTEEN, S. B. Ginn & Co. Octavo, pp. 213. PMID- 17796134 TI - Environmental impact statements. PMID- 17796135 TI - The Impact Statement--Part II. PMID- 17796136 TI - Meteorological consequences of atmospheric krypton-85. PMID- 17796137 TI - An expanded approach to the problem of disappearing species. AB - Assistance for disappearing species is at present too localized and dispersed to make much impact on the problem with its growing dimensions. Species are threatened primarily because of their status as common property. Institutional deficiencies, notably those of free markets and property rights, promote depletion of species. Conversely, present institutional mechanisms offer little scope for society to express its preferences for goods without price or to establish responsibility for common-heritage resources. The situation postulates corrective measures on the part of collective authority at the international level. These measures would require a joint commitment by the developed and developing worlds, on a scale to reflect the increasingly interdependent needs and opportunities of the community at large. Whether the community perceives itself as a community or not, it functions as such in many of its ecological relationships and economic interactions. The community will sooner or later be obliged to respond to the problem of vanishing species: either sooner, through protective measures of sufficient scope, or later, when it finds that the disappearance of large numbers of species represents a loss through which it is indivisibly impoverished. PMID- 17796138 TI - Rotational motion in nuclei. PMID- 17796139 TI - Howard hughes medical institute: in the reclusive tradition. PMID- 17796140 TI - Office of technology assessment: bad marks on its first report cards. PMID- 17796141 TI - Staff gets high pay, so-so rating. PMID- 17796142 TI - Toxic pollutants: court approves agreement. PMID- 17796143 TI - Coastal zone: $1.2-billion energy impact fund approved. PMID- 17796144 TI - Nuclear Proliferation (II): Will Fallout Kill Domestic Recycle? PMID- 17796145 TI - Nuclear Science: X-ray Evidence for Superheavy Elements. PMID- 17796147 TI - Ichnology. PMID- 17796146 TI - Hormone receptors: new clues to the cause of diabetes. PMID- 17796148 TI - Chemists in america. PMID- 17796149 TI - Bioenergetics. PMID- 17796150 TI - Vertebrate vision. PMID- 17796151 TI - Regulating nervous activity. PMID- 17796152 TI - Intensity Dependence of the Fluorescence Lifetime of in vivo Chlorophyll Excited by a Picosecond Light Pulse. AB - New data on intensity-dependent lifetimes indicate that all previous in vivo fluorescence studies of chlorophyll by picosecond techniquies must be reinterpreted. Anomalously short lifetimes result from high-intensity effects due to exciton-excition annihilation processes. Measurements in Chlorella pyrenoidosa with single-pulse, low-intensity excitation indicate a longer "true" lifetime of 650 +/- 150 picoseconds. PMID- 17796153 TI - Effect of infrared transparency on the heat transfer through windows: a clarification of the greenhouse effect. AB - The various radiative, convective, and conductive components of the net heat transfer are calculated and illustrated for various infrared transparencies of covers such as would be used in architectural, greenhouse, or solar collector windows. It is shown that in the limiting cases of infrared opacity and infrared transparency the relative contributions of the three modes of heat transfer are altered, but all contribute significantly. The radiation shielding arguments pertain to the analogous green-house effect in the atmosphere. PMID- 17796154 TI - Total synthesis benzene and its derivatives as major gasoline extenders. AB - Synthesized benzene and simple alkylated derivatives are proposed as nonpetrochemical gasoline components. Feasible raw materials include coal, coke, charcoal, and carbonaceous wastes. The basic synthesis consists of the formation of lithium carbide by reaction of the metal with carbon, hydrolysis of the carbide to acetylene, cyclization of acetylene to benzene, and regeneration of lithium metal. Total synthesis benzene is substantially different from other synthetic hydrocarbon fuels in that its hydrogen content is obtained from water so that hydrogen gas is not needed as a major reactant. PMID- 17796155 TI - Gibbons and their territorial songs. AB - Discovery of the great call of the Javan gibbon and finding an enclave of the agile gibbon in Kalimantan permit for the first time a comparison of vocalizations among all major taxa of Hylobates. The songs are stereotyped, constant throughout the interrupted areas of distribution of each taxon, and are sexually divocal. PMID- 17796156 TI - Herbicide (2,4-d) increases insect and pathogen pests on corn. AB - Corn leaf aphids, European corn borers, and southern corn leaf blight were more abundant on corn exposed to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide than they were on unexposed corn. Protein levels were higher in corn plants that were exposed to several dosages of 2,4-D, and this may have favored the growth of pests. PMID- 17796157 TI - Development of Natural Resources: The Coming Technological Revolution on the Land. PMID- 17796158 TI - Do Certain Drinking Waters Favor Dental Caries? PMID- 17796159 TI - Tumors in Intrasplenic Ovarian Transplants in Castrated Mice. PMID- 17796160 TI - Vaginal Absorption of Penicillin. AB - Except during the last two months of pregnancy, penicillin is easily absorbed from cocoa butter suppositories in the vagina, ordinarily to give therapeutic blood levels for from 4 to 6 hours. Penicillin in the dosage used seems to have a good effect on vaginal infections. In nonpregnant women, during the ovulation phase, considered as including days 14 +/- 2 in the ordinary menstrual cycle of about 28 days, absorption seemed to be somewhat diminished. Higher levels were found in patients who were near the end of their menstrual cycles and in two patients who were menopausal. Patients who were very near term absorbed little or no penicillin, whereas patients 10 days post partum showed excellent absorption. PMID- 17796161 TI - Human Amino Acid Requirements. PMID- 17796162 TI - Sex Produced in the Protozoa of Cryptocercus by Molting. PMID- 17796163 TI - Hexosediphosphoric Acid in Living Yeast. PMID- 17796164 TI - Inactivation of Penicillins G and K by Liver and Kidney. AB - The inactivation of penicillin K is more rapid in the renal-ligated rabbit than in the renal-ligated, eviscerate preparation. Inactivation of penicillin K occurs in the presence of surviving liver and kidney slices. Small amounts of penicillin G were inactivated by liver slices; larger amounts disappeared in the presence of kidney slices. The inactivation of penicillin K in the presence of rabbit liver and kidney slices is demonstrable anaerobically as well as aerobically. PMID- 17796165 TI - Measurements of Underwater Noise Produced by Marine Life. PMID- 17796166 TI - Portable Glycol Vaporizers for Air Disinfection. PMID- 17796167 TI - An American Bridge To World Science. PMID- 17796168 TI - A New Class of Antifilarial Compounds. PMID- 17796169 TI - Nomenclature of Parenteral Proteases. PMID- 17796170 TI - Harris Perley Gould 1871-1946. PMID- 17796171 TI - William Perry Hay 1871-1947. PMID- 17796172 TI - Hereditary Obesity and Efficient Food Utilization in Mice. PMID- 17796173 TI - Chemotherapeutic Investigations of Cyanine Dyes. PMID- 17796174 TI - A Serological Study of Influenzal Antibodies. PMID- 17796175 TI - A Bacterial Disease of the Lobster (Homarus americanus). PMID- 17796176 TI - Improved Electrophoresis Cell and Cell Holder. PMID- 17796177 TI - Administration of Micronized Therapeutic Agents by Inhalation or Topical Application. PMID- 17796178 TI - A Simple Device to Increase Background Contrast in Photomicrography. PMID- 17796180 TI - THE LOOMIS ELECTRIC-LIGHT SYSTEM. PMID- 17796179 TI - Crystalline Dihydrate of Calcium Ascorbate. PMID- 17796181 TI - AYRTON AND PERRY'S IMPROVED AND NEW AMMETERS AND VOLTMETERS. PMID- 17796182 TI - AN ELECTRIC DOOR-OPENER. PMID- 17796183 TI - EXPLORATION IN MEXICO. PMID- 17796184 TI - TEXAS ASPHALTUM. PMID- 17796185 TI - BUILDING-STONES OF EAST TEXAS. PMID- 17796187 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17796186 TI - QUARANTINE CONFERENCE. PMID- 17796188 TI - THE DETROIT SECONDARY BATTERY. PMID- 17796189 TI - TREATMENT OF OBESITY. PMID- 17796190 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17796192 TI - A CHALLENGE TO THE WESTINGHOUSE COMPANY. PMID- 17796191 TI - THE CONDUCTIVITY OF MICA AT HIGH TEMPERATURES. PMID- 17796193 TI - THE MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF NICKEL. PMID- 17796194 TI - THE STUDY OF THE DEAF. PMID- 17796195 TI - THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17796196 TI - REPORT OF THE HEALTH-OFFICER OF THE PORT OF NEW YORK. PMID- 17796197 TI - Surveys, their Kinds and Purposes. PMID- 17796198 TI - The Robinson Anemometer. PMID- 17796199 TI - English Examinations. PMID- 17796200 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF ECOLOGY IN RELATION TO DISEASE. PMID- 17796201 TI - "YELLOW WATER" IN LA JOLLA BAY IN 1935. PMID- 17796202 TI - CONSERVATION OF THE PREHISTORIC REMAINS OF NEBRASKA. PMID- 17796203 TI - A NEW VARIETY OF BLACK LOCUST. PMID- 17796205 TI - GERMAN BOOKS AND PERIODICALS. PMID- 17796204 TI - GROWTH PROMOTING EFFECT OF FLAVINE ON THE CHICK. PMID- 17796206 TI - EFFECT OF RADIUM RAYS ON LIVING CELLS. PMID- 17796207 TI - THE SEVENTH AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. PMID- 17796209 TI - TRAVERTINE DEPOSITING WATERS NEAR LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA. PMID- 17796208 TI - EXPERIMENTAL DISSOCIATION OF THE EFFECTS OF ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLANDS OF VARIOUS SPECIES ON THYROID AND OVARY. PMID- 17796210 TI - A METHOD FOR IMBEDDING PLANT TISSUES WITHOUT DEHYDRATION. PMID- 17796212 TI - AUTOMATIC FLOW-METER FOR DRIP SOLUTIONS IN PLANT NUTRITIONAL STUDIES. PMID- 17796213 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17796211 TI - A ZIPPER TUBE FOR HOLDING SMALL LIVE ANIMALS. PMID- 17796214 TI - CHEMISTRY AND EDUCATION. PMID- 17796215 TI - THE FOURTH CLEVELAND MEETING. PMID- 17796216 TI - SOME CRITICISMS OF "RACE CROSSING IN JAMAICA". PMID- 17796218 TI - MUSICAL PITCH AND PHYSICAL PITCH. PMID- 17796217 TI - INDUCED PARTHENOGENESIS AND HOMOZYGOSIS. PMID- 17796219 TI - THE TWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE GEOLOGIC EXCURSION. PMID- 17796220 TI - EUSYNTHETOLOGY OR EURHETICS. PMID- 17796221 TI - A SIMPLE APPARATUS FOR MEASURING CATALASE ACTIVITY IN PLANT AND ANIMAL TISSUES. PMID- 17796222 TI - THE RELATIONSHIP IN THE HEN BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OVA, BLOOD CALCIUM AND THE ANTIRA-CHITIC FACTOR. PMID- 17796223 TI - MEASURING SLIDE FOR CLASS USE. PMID- 17796224 TI - THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF BACTERIOPHAGE. PMID- 17796225 TI - THE MECHANISM OF ENHANCEMENT OF INFECTIONS BY TESTICLE EXTRACT. PMID- 17796227 TI - THE GLASGOW MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17796226 TI - THE RELATIONS OF YALE UNIVERSITY TO LETTERS AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17796228 TI - PATAGONIAN PERSONALITIES. PMID- 17796230 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796229 TI - SOME REMARKS ON PRESIDENT D. S. JORDAN'S ARTICLE ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF FISHES. PMID- 17796231 TI - EFFECT OF DIMINISHED AIR-PRESSURE ON THE PULSE. PMID- 17796233 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17796232 TI - CENTROID OF A QUADRANGLE. PMID- 17796234 TI - RECENT ZOO-PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17796235 TI - THE BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION OF YALE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17796236 TI - SOME BIOCHEMICAL PROBLEMS IN BACTERIOLOGY. PMID- 17796237 TI - THE TEACHING OF MICROBIOLOGY IN COLLEGES OF UNITED STATES AND CANADA. PMID- 17796238 TI - A BOTANICAL-ZOOLOGICAL LABORATORY IN PORTO RICO. PMID- 17796239 TI - UNIVEBSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17796240 TI - REPLY TO HOLMES'S CRITICISM OF "LIGHT AND THE BEHAVIOR OF ORGANISMS". PMID- 17796241 TI - SOME EARLY PHYSIOGRAPHIC INFERENCES. PMID- 17796242 TI - HORNS IN SHEEP AS A TYPICAL SEX-LIMITED CHARACTER. PMID- 17796243 TI - THE "STOMACH STONES" OF REPTILES. PMID- 17796244 TI - THE WASHINGTON MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796245 TI - Canard Corrected. PMID- 17796246 TI - Chemical Kinetics in the Past Few Decades. PMID- 17796247 TI - Scientific Work of J. von Neumann. PMID- 17796248 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17796250 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17796249 TI - Occurrence of Pteridines in a Blue-Green Alga. PMID- 17796251 TI - GAME-PRESERVATION IN GERMANY. PMID- 17796252 TI - UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. - HISTORY OF THE PHILADELPHIA LOCAL MOVEMENT. PMID- 17796253 TI - THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WAVE THEORY. PMID- 17796254 TI - PORCELAIN INDUSTRY IN FRANCE. PMID- 17796255 TI - MICHIGAN STATE SANIFATION. PMID- 17796256 TI - The Pollination of Zea Mays. PMID- 17796257 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17796258 TI - Mexican archaeology. PMID- 17796260 TI - Iroquoian Etymologies. PMID- 17796259 TI - Homoeligopathy in Relation to the Koch Controversy. PMID- 17796261 TI - SECTION F-IS IT WORTH WHILE? PMID- 17796262 TI - THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17796263 TI - THE TRANSCONTINENTAL EXCURSION OF THE AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796264 TI - CONN'S "BIOLOGY". PMID- 17796265 TI - THE REFORM OF THE CALENDAR. PMID- 17796266 TI - RELATIONSHIP OF THE INDIAN LANGUAGES OF CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17796267 TI - NOTE REGARDING THE RELATION OF AGE TO FECUNDITY. PMID- 17796268 TI - CRITICAL CRITERIA ON BASIN-RANGE STRUCTURE. PMID- 17796269 TI - THE INDUCTION OF NONASTRINGENCY IN PERSIMMONS AT SUPRANORMAL PRESSURES OF CARBON DIOXIDE. PMID- 17796270 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796272 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS. PMID- 17796271 TI - THE CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17796273 TI - Radiation and Public Knowledge. PMID- 17796274 TI - Detection of the Free Neutrino: a Confirmation. PMID- 17796275 TI - Meteorological Aspects of Atomic Radiation. PMID- 17796276 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17796278 TI - Encoding Nonintegers in a General p-adic Number System. PMID- 17796277 TI - Accumulation of Reduced Pyridine Nucleotides by Illuminated Grana. PMID- 17796279 TI - On the Space Group and Molecular Orientation of Azulene. PMID- 17796280 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17796281 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17796282 TI - THE STATUS AND FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN AGRONOMIST. PMID- 17796283 TI - THE INTRODUCTION OF PHYSICAL CHEMICAL CONCEPTIONS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TEACHING OF CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796284 TI - IS SCIENCE REALLY UNPOPULAR IN HIGH SCHOOLS? PMID- 17796285 TI - THE SMITHSONIAN BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE. PMID- 17796287 TI - HOW A FALLING CAT TURNS OVER. PMID- 17796286 TI - THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE WEEKS ACT. PMID- 17796289 TI - SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CLEVELAND MEETING. PMID- 17796288 TI - CHROMOSOMES IN WHEAT AND RYE. PMID- 17796290 TI - A LETTER OF LAMARCK. PMID- 17796291 TI - THE APPARENT ANTAGONISM BETWEEN ELECTROLYTES AND NONCONDUCTORS. PMID- 17796292 TI - THE PERMEABILITY OF PROTOPLASM TO IONS AND THE THEORY OF ANTAGONISM. PMID- 17796293 TI - NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SOUTHEASTERN SALAMANDERS (GEOMYS TUZA AND ALLIES). PMID- 17796295 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. PMID- 17796294 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796296 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17796297 TI - Hormonal activity. PMID- 17796298 TI - Biological determinism. PMID- 17796299 TI - Biological determinism. PMID- 17796300 TI - Low-angle faults. PMID- 17796302 TI - The science doctorate. PMID- 17796301 TI - The science doctorate. PMID- 17796303 TI - The science doctorate. PMID- 17796304 TI - The science doctorate. PMID- 17796305 TI - The science doctorate. PMID- 17796307 TI - On hierarchies:: response to hilgetag et Al. PMID- 17796306 TI - The science doctorate. PMID- 17796308 TI - On hierarchies:. PMID- 17796309 TI - A "learning society"? PMID- 17796310 TI - A "learning society"? PMID- 17796311 TI - Whistleblower protection. PMID- 17796312 TI - Too soon to dance? PMID- 17796313 TI - Too soon to dance? PMID- 17796314 TI - Too soon to dance? PMID- 17796315 TI - Too soon to dance? PMID- 17796316 TI - Confident females? PMID- 17796317 TI - Ph.D.'s as K-12 Teachers. PMID- 17796318 TI - An "ordinary" scientist? PMID- 17796319 TI - Hydrogen-based microbial ecosystems in the Earth. PMID- 17796320 TI - Hydrogen-based microbial ecosystems in the Earth. PMID- 17796322 TI - Erratum. AB - In the letter from Martin M. Barnes (3 Dec. 1976, p. 998), the first citation in reference 1 should have been J. Swarz, "Poisoning farmworkers," Environment 17 (No. 4), 26 (1975). PMID- 17796321 TI - Hydrogen-based microbial ecosystems in the Earth. PMID- 17796323 TI - Reducing photochemical smog. PMID- 17796325 TI - TVA's Energy Policy. PMID- 17796324 TI - Genetics and IQ. PMID- 17796326 TI - TVA's Energy Policy. PMID- 17796328 TI - Shoreline inheritance in coastal histories. PMID- 17796327 TI - Letters to science. PMID- 17796329 TI - Nuclear waste disposal: two social criteria. PMID- 17796330 TI - Search for a science adviser: the names on the list. PMID- 17796331 TI - Paris and bonn alter nuclear stand. PMID- 17796332 TI - Science in europe: british ponder reprocessing plans. PMID- 17796334 TI - Edelin conviction overturned. PMID- 17796333 TI - The new york academy of sciences: a bid for greater influence. PMID- 17796335 TI - FCCSET Fixes It. PMID- 17796336 TI - Carter OK Needed for NCI Job. PMID- 17796337 TI - Synfuels: data gap imperils "coalcon" demonstration. PMID- 17796339 TI - Science and change: hopes and dilemmas. PMID- 17796338 TI - Sudden death: strategies for prevention. PMID- 17796340 TI - Native americans project finds some barriers breaking down. PMID- 17796341 TI - Fellow program under way on capitol hill. PMID- 17796342 TI - Amendment to AAAS Constitution. PMID- 17796343 TI - AAAS Section News. PMID- 17796344 TI - New publications. PMID- 17796345 TI - Courses on Ethics and Values in Science to be Surveyed. PMID- 17796346 TI - A procedural approach to word meaning. PMID- 17796347 TI - Neglected subjects. PMID- 17796348 TI - Theoretical chemistry. PMID- 17796349 TI - Brain chemistry. PMID- 17796350 TI - Orbital symmetry. PMID- 17796351 TI - Chronology of hawaiian glaciations. AB - Both potassium/argon and carbon-14 ages of lava flows and tephra layers interstratified with glacial deposits on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, indicate that four episodes of ice cap glaciation culminated about 20,000, 55,000, 135,000, and 250,000 years ago. These episodes are correlated with marine isotope stages 2, 4, 6, and 8, marking times of high global ice volume. PMID- 17796352 TI - Galilean satellites: anomalous temperatures disputed. PMID- 17796353 TI - Sea straits and glacial periods in the red sea. PMID- 17796354 TI - Sea straits and glacial periods in the red sea. PMID- 17796355 TI - Galilean satellites: anomalous temperatures disputed. PMID- 17796356 TI - Galilean satellites: anomalous temperatures disputed. PMID- 17796357 TI - Division notes. PMID- 17796358 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17796359 TI - THE MEANING OF THE CRYSTAL. PMID- 17796360 TI - A MOMENTOUS HOUR AT PANAMA. PMID- 17796361 TI - THE PROBLEM OF SALINE DRINKING WATERS. PMID- 17796362 TI - THE "GIBBS PHENOMENON"--A MISNOMER. PMID- 17796363 TI - A SURVEY OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON AT ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA. PMID- 17796364 TI - RESEARCH AT THE MELLON INSTITUTE DURING 1929-30. PMID- 17796365 TI - THE VITALITY OF BURIED SEEDS. PMID- 17796366 TI - AN IMPROVED DESIGN FOR A SIMPLE LABORATORY PLANT-DRIER. PMID- 17796367 TI - ASSOCIATION AND CONSTITUTION. PMID- 17796368 TI - DIRECT TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN TRACHOMA TO THE MONKEY. PMID- 17796369 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. III. PMID- 17796370 TI - THE ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17796371 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796372 TI - THE RELATION OF BIOLOGY TO PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17796373 TI - ON THE EVIDENCE OF THE UNIONIDAe REGARDING THE FORBER COURSES OF THE TENNESSEE AND OTHER SOUTHERN RIVERS. PMID- 17796374 TI - EDUCATION AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION. PMID- 17796375 TI - EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDEXING CHEMICAL LITERATURE. PMID- 17796376 TI - EPITROPISM, APOTROPISM AND THE TROPAXIS. PMID- 17796377 TI - RAPID CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE CORONA. PMID- 17796378 TI - INITIATION OF NEW ELEMENTS IN FOSSIL FAUNAS. PMID- 17796379 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796380 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796381 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796382 TI - ACTIVITY IN MAGNETIC WORK. PMID- 17796383 TI - JENNER INSTITUTE OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. PMID- 17796384 TI - THE BRITISH NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17796385 TI - PROTECTION AND IMPORTATION OF BIRDS. PMID- 17796386 TI - MONUMENT TO PROFESSOR BAIRD. PMID- 17796387 TI - Biological aging research. PMID- 17796388 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796389 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796390 TI - Vietnam. PMID- 17796391 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796392 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796393 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796394 TI - Are dental x-rays dangerous? PMID- 17796395 TI - Student Skeptics Study UFO's. PMID- 17796397 TI - Symbols and symbolic codes. PMID- 17796396 TI - Reactions from reed. PMID- 17796398 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796399 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796400 TI - Are we to abandon the planets to the soviet union? PMID- 17796401 TI - Sierra Nevada Batholith: The batholith was generated within a synclinorium. AB - The Sierra Nevada batholith is localized in the axial region of a complex faulted synclinorium that coincides with a downfold in the Mohorovicic discontinuity and in P-wave velocity boundaries within the crust. Observed P-wave velocities are compatible with downward increase in the proportion of diorite, quartz diorite, and calcic granodiorite relative to quartz monzonite and granite in the upper crust, with amphibolite or gabbro-basalt in the lower crust, and with periodotite in the upper mantle. The synclinorium was formed in Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata during early and middle Mesozoic time in a geosyncline marginal to the continent. Granitic magmas are believed to have formed in the lower half of the crust at depths of 25 to 45 kilometers or more, primarily as a result of high radiogenic heat production in the thickened prism of crustal rocks. Magma was generated at different times in different places as the locus of down-folding shifted. It rose into the upper crust because it was less dense than rock of the same composition or residual refractory rocks. Refractory rocks and crystals that were not melted and early crystallized mafic minerals that settled from the rising magma thickened the lower crust. Wall and roof rocks settled around, and perhaps through, the rising magma and provided space for its continued rise. Erosion followed each magmatic episode, and 10 to 12 kilometers of rock may have been eroded away since the Jurassic and 7 to 10 kilometers since the early Late Cretaceous. PMID- 17796402 TI - Nitrogen-Fixing Plants: The role of biological agents as providers of combined nitrogen is discussed. PMID- 17796403 TI - Housing: defense department starts new research program. PMID- 17796405 TI - Draft statements stir controversy. PMID- 17796406 TI - International programs: frankel resigns from state. PMID- 17796407 TI - Flux density of cassiopeia-a at 3.0 megacycles per second. AB - The flux density of Cassiopeia-A was measured at 3.0 megacycles per second by an interferometer alternately responding to the power in the ordinary and extraordinary modes. The flux indicates attenuation in the path between the source and the solar system by the ionized hydrogen clouds. PMID- 17796408 TI - Isoprenoid acids in recent sediments. AB - Phytanic acid, pristanic acid, and 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acid have been isolated from three recent marine sediments. The ratio of palmitic to pristanic acid is similar to that encountered in typical marine lipids. This suggests a biochemical origin of these sedimentary acids; phytol is their presumed biochemical precursor. Other isoprenoid acids between C(11) and C(22) which are common in ancient sediments have not been found. They are probably geochemical products formed slowly and at a greater depth. PMID- 17796409 TI - Radio Reflection by Free Radicals in Earth's Atmosphere. PMID- 17796410 TI - Boyce thompson institute for plant research, inc. PMID- 17796411 TI - AAAS Section Programs. PMID- 17796412 TI - AAAS-Westinghouse Science Writing Awards. PMID- 17796413 TI - Psychochemical research strategies in man. PMID- 17796414 TI - Ribonucleoproteins. PMID- 17796415 TI - Dosimetry: high-energy radiation therapy. PMID- 17796416 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17796417 TI - Emotionality and Fear. PMID- 17796418 TI - Chronology of the Last Glaciation. PMID- 17796420 TI - Tiros Reveals Cloud Formations. PMID- 17796419 TI - Meanwhile, Down in the Valley. PMID- 17796421 TI - Hessel de Vries, Physicist and Biophysicist. PMID- 17796423 TI - New Policy on Grants to Colleges. PMID- 17796422 TI - Radiation Standards: Testimony at Congressional Hearings Tends To Be Reassuring. PMID- 17796424 TI - Food Additives Law Nears Passage. PMID- 17796425 TI - Residence Time of Dissolved Phosphate in Natural Waters. AB - Residence time varies from approximately 0.05 to 200 hours. Short residence times are indictative of depleted phosphate, active metabolic activity, or both. The turnover rate of phosphate is between 0.1 and 1.0 mg of phosphorus per cubic meter, per hour, regardless of phosphate concentration, except in biologically active systems where it is 1.0 to 20. The turnover rate of phosphate may be more important than the phosphate concentration in maintaining highly productive systems. PMID- 17796427 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17796426 TI - Finite Radiocarbon Dates of the Port Talbot Interstadial Deposits in Southern Ontario. AB - Three new finite radiocarbon dates Suggest that (i) the thermnal maximum of the Port Talbot interstadial ocurred prior to 47,000 years before the present and (ii) the interstadial deposits were overridden by a glacial advance approximatels 44,000 years before the present. To facilitate correlaltions with other areas, new rock-stratigraphic names are proposed for the Port Talbot type section. PMID- 17796428 TI - Small Colleges and Small Minds. PMID- 17796430 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17796431 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17796429 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17796432 TI - Obesity and Steroid Hormones. PMID- 17796434 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17796433 TI - Pacific Division, AAAS. PMID- 17796435 TI - THE SEA-SIDE LABORATORY. PMID- 17796436 TI - ON SOME PHENOMENA PRESENTED BY VORTEX-RINGS. PMID- 17796437 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796438 TI - THE CO-EFFICIENT OF SAFETY IN NAVIGATION. PMID- 17796439 TI - ON THE ACTION OF BACTERIA ON VARIOUS GASES. PMID- 17796441 TI - NOTES ON CHICKEN CHOLERA. PMID- 17796440 TI - A NEW CORTICAL CENTRE. PMID- 17796442 TI - THE UNITY OF NATURE. PMID- 17796443 TI - ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17796444 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17796445 TI - How TO OBTAIN THE BRAIN OF THE CAT. AB - How to obtain the Brain of the Cat, (Wilder).-Correction: Page 158, second column, line 7, "grains," should be "grams;" page 159, near middle of 2nd column, "successily," should be "successively;" page 161, the number of Flower's paper is 3. PMID- 17796447 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17796446 TI - CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17796448 TI - PROBLEMS AND PROGRESS ON THE GEOLOGICO-SEISMOLOGICAL FRONTIER. PMID- 17796450 TI - NOTE ON THE PRESENT SUN-SPOT CYCLE. PMID- 17796449 TI - THE CONSERVATION OF PUBLIC LANDS. PMID- 17796451 TI - THE NEW ERGOT ALKALOID. PMID- 17796453 TI - THE THIRD ANNUAL TRI-STATES (ILLINOIS WISCONSIN, IOWA) GEOLOGICAL FIELD CONFERENCE. PMID- 17796452 TI - DEEP-FOCUS EARTHQUAKES AND ISOSTASY. PMID- 17796454 TI - THE BAR "GENE" A DUPLICATION. PMID- 17796456 TI - GLASS ELECTRODE WITH GALVANOMETER READING. PMID- 17796455 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR TESTING THE SENSE OF SMELL AND FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OLFACTORY VALUES OF ODOROUS SUBSTANCES. PMID- 17796457 TI - A SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE FOR THE VOLUMETRIC MEASUREMENT OF SERIALLY SECTIONED STRUCTURES. PMID- 17796458 TI - GENERAL ASPECTS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN EXPERIMENTAL HUMAN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17796460 TI - THE PROPOSED BRITISH AERONAUTICAL COLLEGE. PMID- 17796459 TI - I. HUANG. PMID- 17796462 TI - FELLOWSHIPS OF THE TEXTILE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17796461 TI - THE FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF CYCLES. PMID- 17796464 TI - AWARDS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17796463 TI - THE JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF WISCONSIN. PMID- 17796465 TI - THE HARVARD APPARATUS COMPANY, THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY AND DR. W. T. PORTER. PMID- 17796466 TI - THE THREAT TO PURE SCIENCE. PMID- 17796468 TI - THE THREAT TO PURE SCIENCE. PMID- 17796467 TI - ENTOMOLOGY IN WAR-TORN CHINA. PMID- 17796469 TI - RELATION OF THE STREPTOCOCCUS LACTIS R FACTOR TO "FOLIC ACID". PMID- 17796470 TI - THE EFFECT OF ATROPINE SULFATE ON THE COURSE OF INFLUENZA VIRUS INFECTION. AB - It has been shown in mice that the administration of atropine sulfate intraperitoneally before the intranasal instillation of influenza A virus decreased the incidence and extent of infection of these animals. PMID- 17796471 TI - GROWTH OF CORALLORHIZA MACULATA. PMID- 17796472 TI - GUANIDINO ARSENICALS. PMID- 17796473 TI - A STANDARD PENICILLINASE PREPARATION. AB - (1) Standardization of penicillinase has been made possible by the method for its assay. (2) A purified, dried and sterile penicillinase has been found to be a penicillin-inactivator superior to Clarase for the penicillin sterility test. (3) Preliminary studies show this penicillinase preparation may be used for inactivating penicillin in exudates of body fluids. PMID- 17796474 TI - PENICILLIN TREATMENT OF CROWN GALL. PMID- 17796475 TI - SOAP AS A GERMICIDE. PMID- 17796476 TI - LOCAL IMMUNITY. PMID- 17796477 TI - THE CONCENTRATION OF VITAMINS OF COD-LIVER OIL. PMID- 17796478 TI - AN ANCIENT VIKING STRONGHOLD. PMID- 17796480 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC LIGHTING OF THEATERS. PMID- 17796479 TI - THE SIMILARITY OF CHINESE AND INDIAN LANGUAGES. PMID- 17796481 TI - EVIDENCE FOR A LAND BARRIER ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. PMID- 17796482 TI - THE PLACE OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN A UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17796483 TI - DATE OF CHANNEL TRENCHING (ARROYO CUTTING) IN THE ARID SOUTHWEST. AB - Of the writers known to have considered the problem, Hough alone has attempted to give a date for the whole area. He says that the process began with the active occupancy of the region by white men thirty years before the date of his address, or in 1875. However, the foregoing review of the existing evidence as to the date when trenching began in southwestern United States indicates that these changes were initiated at slightly different times in each stream and occupied a considerable period in their accomplishment. The change from aggradation and the building of flood plains to dissection and the formation of arroyos in many streams of southern Arizona can be confidently placed in the decade 1880 to 1890, although many tributary streams were not affected until the 90's and some are still undissected. The date in southern Utah, northern Arizona and southern Colorado is apparently earlier, and cutting probably began at some time after 1860. The evidence as to the Rio Puerco in north-central New Mexico is conflicting and needs review. The statements of the early explorers indicate that the arroyos were already well formed at the time of the American conquest in 1846 and 47. PMID- 17796484 TI - FRANCIS HENRY PARSONS. PMID- 17796485 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17796486 TI - TRYPARSAMIDE. PMID- 17796487 TI - A COMBINED CULTURE MEDIUM AND INDICATOR FOR PARAMOECIUM. PMID- 17796488 TI - IMMUNITY TO TUBERCULOSIS BY THE INJECTION OF EXTRACT OF HEART MUSCLE. PMID- 17796489 TI - AN UNUSUAL METEOR. PMID- 17796490 TI - VARIATION IN GROWTH OF NURSERY GRAFTS. PMID- 17796491 TI - ON THE CONFIGURATIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN beta-OXYBUTYRIC AND LACTIC ACID. PMID- 17796492 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC ALLIANCE. PMID- 17796493 TI - ACTINISM. PMID- 17796494 TI - THE PSYCHOLOGICAL LABORATORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO. PMID- 17796495 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.--I. PMID- 17796496 TI - MOTION AND HEAT. PMID- 17796497 TI - Further Notes on the Loup and Platte Rivers. PMID- 17796498 TI - Estimates of Distance. PMID- 17796499 TI - Work and its Relation to Gaseous Compression and Expansion. PMID- 17796500 TI - Pyrite Incrustations of the Cretaceous Formations of Middle-sex County, N.J. PMID- 17796501 TI - THE SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN BACTERIOLOGISTS. PMID- 17796502 TI - THE SOCIETY FOR PLANT MORPHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17796503 TI - LITERARY PRODUCTION ABOVE FORTY. PMID- 17796504 TI - NATURAL MOUNDS OR 'HOG-WALLOWS.'. PMID- 17796505 TI - MONT PELEE? PMID- 17796506 TI - PRODUCTION AND THE MODERN USE OF CARBONIC ACID. PMID- 17796507 TI - SOME THOUGHTS ON MODERN MATHEMATICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17796508 TI - SCIENTIFIC DISTRIBUTION OF GRADES AT REED COLLEGE. PMID- 17796510 TI - LETTERS FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17796509 TI - THE HEATING IN THE CULERRA CUT. PMID- 17796511 TI - THE CROCKER LAND EXPEDITION. PMID- 17796513 TI - ORGANIC COLOR. PMID- 17796512 TI - TERTIARY DEPOSITS OF EASTERN MEXICO. PMID- 17796514 TI - MINOR PHONETIC ELEMENTS OF MAYA HIEROGLYPHS. PMID- 17796515 TI - NOTE UPON THE ABSORPTION OF SULPHUR BY CHARCOAL. PMID- 17796516 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLACENAMES IN THE NORTHIERN HIGHELANDS OF SCOTLAND. PMID- 17796517 TI - A VALUABLE FLORIDA DEPOSIT. PMID- 17796518 TI - THE EARTH AS AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR. PMID- 17796519 TI - REPORT ON THE MEMORIAL PRESENTED TO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION REGARDING AN AMERICAN TABLE AT THE NAPLES ZOoLOGICAL STATION. PMID- 17796520 TI - ASSOCIATION OF COLORS WITH SOUNDS. PMID- 17796521 TI - THE GULL LAKE BIOLOGICAL STATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. PMID- 17796523 TI - Total Heat Received by a Planet. PMID- 17796522 TI - A Peculiar Occurrence of Beeswax. PMID- 17796525 TI - Note on a Supposed New Endogenous Tree from the Carboniferous. PMID- 17796524 TI - NOTES ON THE POLLINATION OF PLUMS. PMID- 17796526 TI - Worms in the Brain of a Bird. PMID- 17796527 TI - Estimated Distance of Phantoms. PMID- 17796528 TI - Iron and Aluminium in Bone Black. PMID- 17796529 TI - Mean Values. PMID- 17796531 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796530 TI - A Rain of Fishes. PMID- 17796532 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796533 TI - Controversial uses of herbicides. PMID- 17796534 TI - Botanical congress. PMID- 17796535 TI - Less materialism--more tradition. PMID- 17796536 TI - Astronaut's Resignation. PMID- 17796537 TI - Amchitka and international regulation. PMID- 17796538 TI - Mass spectrometry and carbon-13 labeling. PMID- 17796539 TI - DuBridge: Nixon's Science Aide Takes a Swing through Europe. PMID- 17796540 TI - Lunar samples: why france got none. PMID- 17796541 TI - Opposition to war put on record. PMID- 17796544 TI - Women and professional advancement. PMID- 17796542 TI - University of Alaska: Academe's Outpost in the Subarctic. PMID- 17796545 TI - HEW Blacklisting Issue Ignites Again. PMID- 17796546 TI - Fusion power: optimism and a tokamak gap at dubna. PMID- 17796547 TI - Alpha-particle emissivity of the moon: an observed upper limit. AB - Measurements made by the moon-orbiting spacecraft Explorer 35 during 1967-1968 show that it is unlikely that the alpha-particle emissivity of the moon is greater than 0.064 per square centimeter per second per steradian and exceedingly unlikely that it is greater than 0.128, these values being respectively 0.1 and 0.2 of the provisional estimates made by Kraner et al. in 1966. This result implies that the abundance of uranium-238 in the outer crust (approximately a few meters thick) of the moon is much less than that typical of the earth's lithosphere, though it is consistent with the abundance of uranium-238 in terrestrial basalt or in chondritic meteorites. PMID- 17796548 TI - Thermal stratification in the arctic ocean. AB - Fine scale measurements of the vertical temperature profile in an Arctic water column show the presence of several cascaded isothermal layers. Layers between the depths of 300 anid 350 meters range from 2 to 10 meters in thickness, while the temperature change between adjacent layers is approximately 0.026 degrees C. The individual layers are isothermal to within +/- 0.001 degrees C. PMID- 17796549 TI - Tropical reef corals: tolerance of low temperatures on the north carolin. AB - Individual heads of two species of reef or herinatypic coral, Solenastrea hyades (Dana) and Siderastrea siderea (Ellis and Solander), occur on rock outcrops on the inner continental shelf off North Carolina in waters where winter bottom temperatures are as low as 10.6 degrees C. These temperatures are significantly lower than previously assumed minimum temperatures for the survival of tropical reef corals in their natural environment. PMID- 17796550 TI - One thousand centuries of climatic record from cAMP century on the greenland ice sheet. AB - A correlation of time with depth has been evaluated for the Camp Century, Greenland, 1390 meter deep ice core. Oxygen isotopes in approximately 1600 samples throughout the core have been analyzed. Long-term variations in the isotopic composition of the ice reflect the climatic changes during the past nearly 100,000 years. Climatic oscillations with periods of 120, 940, and 13,000 years are observed. PMID- 17796551 TI - Alpha-recoil tracks in mica: registration efficiency. AB - Recoils from alpha-particle decay of naturally occurring radioactive nuclides have energies between 70 and 169 kiloelectron volts. It is shown that these alpha recoils register tracks in mica, observable as etch pits, with an efficiency of about 80 percent. When the recoil energy is degraded to 40 kiloelectron volts the efficiency drops to 50 percent. But, since the decay of each thorium or uranium impurity atom in natural mica is followed by a cascade of six or eight alpha particles, the overall registration efficiency must be very nearly 100 percent. PMID- 17796552 TI - Gravity: first measurement on the lunar surface. AB - The gravity at the landing site of the first lunar-landing mission has been determined to be 162,821.680 milligals from data telemetered to earth by the lunar module on the lunar surface. The gravity was measured with a pulsed integrating pendulous accelerometer. These measurements were used to compute the gravity anomaly and radius at the landing site. PMID- 17796553 TI - Fungi associated with stalactite growth. AB - A fungus, Cephalosporium lamellaecola, was found to be regularly associated with the active tip of stalactites; crystallization of CaCO(3) occurred on hyphae suspended from the stalactite wall in the terminal drop. PMID- 17796554 TI - Green blood pigment in lizards. AB - Three species of arboreal scincid lizards from the southwest Pacific have a green blood pigment which is evident in the whole blood plasma, muscles, and bones. PMID- 17796555 TI - Salt toleration by plants: enhancement with calcium. AB - Bean plants subjected to a sodium chloride concentratioz about onetenth that of seawater for 1 week suffered no damage if the calcium concentration of the nutrient solution was 1 millimole per liter or higher, but at lower calcium concentrations damage was severe and apparently due to a massive breakthrough of sodium into the leaves. PMID- 17796556 TI - Pyroxene gabbro (anorthosite association): similarity to surveyor v lunar analysis. PMID- 17796557 TI - Planetary formation and lunar material. PMID- 17796558 TI - Ecological succession. PMID- 17796559 TI - Evaporation retardation by monolayers. PMID- 17796560 TI - Caribbean cores p6304-8 and p6304-9: new analysis of absolute chronology. PMID- 17796561 TI - Quantitative studies of urban problems. PMID- 17796562 TI - Our food supply. PMID- 17796563 TI - Carbon dioxide: chemical, biological, and physiological aspects. PMID- 17796564 TI - Courses. PMID- 17796565 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17796566 TI - Sulfur dioxide pollution. PMID- 17796567 TI - Stomach trouble. PMID- 17796568 TI - Plethora of phycology journals. PMID- 17796569 TI - Climate change. PMID- 17796570 TI - Alas. PMID- 17796571 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796572 TI - The Topsy-turvy World of Health-Care Delivery. PMID- 17796574 TI - Maximum principles in analytical economics. PMID- 17796573 TI - Radiation-induced swelling of stainless steel. AB - Significant swelling (1 to 10 percent due to small voids have been found in stainless steel when it is exposed to fast neutron doses less than expected in commercial fast breeder reactors. The main features of this new effect are: (i) the voids are formed by the precipitation of a small fraction of the radiation produced vacancies; (ii) the voids form primarily in the temperature range 400 degrees to 600 degrees C (750 degrees to 1100 degrees F); and (iii) the volume increases with dose (fluence) at a rate between linear and parabolic. The limited temperature range of void formation can be explained, but the effects of fluence, microstructure, and composition are determined by a competition between several kinetic processes that are not well understood. This swelling does not affect the feasibility or safety of the breeder reactor,but will have a significant impact on the core design and economics of the breeder.Preliminary results indicate that one cannot eliminate the effect,but cold-working,heat treatment, or small changes in composition can reduce the swelling by a factor of 2 or more. Testing is hampered by the fact that several years in EBR-II are required to accumulate the fluence expected in demonstration plants. Heavyion accelerators,which allow damage rates corresponding to much higher fluxes than those found in EBR-II,hold great promise for short-term tests that will indicate the relative effect of the important variables. PMID- 17796575 TI - The community of science and the search for peace. PMID- 17796576 TI - Nuclear power in the u.s.s.R.: american visitors find surprises. PMID- 17796577 TI - Crunch on cannikin decision near. PMID- 17796578 TI - The berkeley scene,1971: patching up the ivory tower. PMID- 17796580 TI - Rocky mountain laboratory: a monument to the tick. PMID- 17796579 TI - White house adjusts patent policy. PMID- 17796581 TI - Neutrino Astronomy: Probing the Sun's Interior. PMID- 17796582 TI - Light to Hide by: Ventral Luminescence to Camouflage the Silhouette. AB - The so-called pony fish of the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific region can emit light from a broad area of its ventral surface. An experimental analysis of this luminescent system supports the hypothesis that it functions by emitting light during the daytime, which matches the background light and thereby obscures the silhouette of the animal. PMID- 17796583 TI - Lunar gravity analysis from long-term effects. AB - The global lunar gravity field was determined from a weighted least squares analysis of the averaged classical element of the five Lunar Orbiters.The observed-minus-computed residuals have been reduced by a factor of 10 from a previously derived gravity field.The values of the second-degree zonal and sectorial harmonics are compatible with those derived from libration data. PMID- 17796584 TI - Clustering of Sulfur Dioxide and Water Vapor about Oxonium and Nitric Oxide Ions. AB - The mobilities of ions produced in electrical discharges in the presence of trace quantities of water vapor and sulfur dioxide are generally lower than those expected for simple ions. Mass spectrometric identification reveals that species composed of water vapor and sulfur dioxide molecules clustering about common atmospheric ions are formed under these conditions. The identification of these clusters provides an explanation for the effect of trace gases on the mobilities of ions. PMID- 17796586 TI - SOME RECENT APPLICATIONS OF FUNCTION THEORY TO PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. PMID- 17796585 TI - Free radicals in the liquid phase: structure and reactivity. PMID- 17796587 TI - SECTION A, MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17796588 TI - SECTION G, BOTANY. PMID- 17796589 TI - ASSIGNMENTS OF GEOLOGIC AND PALEONTOLOGIC PARTIES. PMID- 17796591 TI - RANGE OF THE FOX SNAKE. PMID- 17796590 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17796592 TI - RECENT MUSEUM REPORTS. PMID- 17796594 TI - NOTES ON ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17796593 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON A NEW ORGANISM PRODUCING ROT IN CAULIFLOWER AND ALLIED PLANTS. PMID- 17796595 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796596 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796597 TI - Campus riots: punitive and proper laws. PMID- 17796598 TI - Earth resources satellite: before and after. PMID- 17796599 TI - Alcoholic decisions are old stuff. PMID- 17796600 TI - Federal information policies. PMID- 17796601 TI - Involuntary birth control. PMID- 17796602 TI - Exasperation in the lab. PMID- 17796603 TI - Science as an instrument of service. PMID- 17796604 TI - Nuclear spin thermodynamics in the rotating frame. PMID- 17796605 TI - Defense research: pressure on social sciences. PMID- 17796606 TI - University Contractors Cut Ties with CRESS, HumRRO, Army's Two Main Centers of Social, Behavioral Research. PMID- 17796607 TI - Technical Cooperation: Big Boost from De Gaulle's Resignation. PMID- 17796608 TI - A. D. Sakharov: soviet physicist believed to have been punished. PMID- 17796609 TI - Precambrian columnar stromatolites in australia: morphological and stratigraphic analysis. AB - The stratigraphic distribution in Australian Precambrian rocks of columnar stromatolites, organosedimentary structures formed by blue-green algae, has been investigated. Their morphology is being studied according to methods developed in Russia. The discovery of successive different assemblages supports not only regional but also intercontinental stratigraphic correlations which are in agreement with available isotopic datings. PMID- 17796610 TI - Venus: an isothermal lower atmosphere? AB - Use of Earth-based microwave data in extrapolating the atmospheric profile of Venus below the region probed by Mariner V and Venera 4 reveals an isothermal layer at 670 degrees +/- 20 degrees K that extends to an altitude of 7 +/- 2 kilometers. This model gives a value of 6054.8 kilometers for the radius of Venus, and agreement with brightness spectrum, radar cross sections, and results of microwave interferometry. PMID- 17796611 TI - Cyclic and geographic trends in seawater temperature and abundance of american lobster. AB - In Maine, fluctuations in the abundance of American lobster (Homarus americanus) and in seawater temperature have correlated well during the years since the first temperature measurements were made in 1905. Recent record catches in chronological sequence from the northern limit of range in Newfoundland to New York, while temperatures measured in Maine declined from higher to lower than optimum, suggest that at the present rate optimum conditions should reach the southern limit of the lobster's range by the mid-1970's. PMID- 17796612 TI - Basic ferric phosphates: a crystallochemical principle. AB - A polyatomic complex of iron-oxygen octahedral face-sharing triplets corner linked to four other octahedra occurs in the atomic arrangements of the basic iron phosphates dufrenite, rockbridgeite, beraunite, and laubmannite. This complex is further knit together by the phosphate tetrahedra. The family of basic ferric phosphates arises from the variety of ways in which the complexes can be linked along a third "variable" crystallographic axis. PMID- 17796613 TI - Maser amplification of 9.5-gigahertz elastic waves in sapphire doped with divalent nickel impurity ions. AB - The three spin energy levels of divalent nickel impurity ions in sapphire interact strongly with ultrasonic waves whose frequency corresponds to certain allowed transitions between the levels. Under population inversion of the levels it is possible to achieve significant amplification of very high frequency ultrasonic waves by stimulated emission from the spin system. PMID- 17796614 TI - Water on the moon. PMID- 17796615 TI - Pacific shores. PMID- 17796616 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796617 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796619 TI - Student-teacher interaction. PMID- 17796618 TI - The uses of knowledge. PMID- 17796620 TI - Organic chemists and odors. PMID- 17796621 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796622 TI - Understanding of science. PMID- 17796623 TI - More is different. PMID- 17796624 TI - Natural areas. PMID- 17796625 TI - NAS: A Face-lifting for the Proceedings. PMID- 17796626 TI - Academy turns down a pauling paper. PMID- 17796627 TI - Science in britain: research councils lose some autonomy. PMID- 17796628 TI - Science officials bow to military on weather modification. PMID- 17796629 TI - Advisory meetings: confidentiality dropped, public is invited. PMID- 17796630 TI - Nader on mental health centers: a movement that got bogged down. PMID- 17796631 TI - Gell-mann protested in paris. PMID- 17796632 TI - Relaxation of delaney clause considered. PMID- 17796633 TI - Acceleration of argon ions to 1.17x1010 electron volts. AB - Argon ions were accelerated to 1.17x10(10) electron volts in the Princeton Particle Accelerator. The synchrotron was tuned by use of a neon beam with a charge-to-mass ratio equal to that of the argon ions. The fully accelerated argon ions were detected by the observation of etched tracks in cellulose nitrate sheets and also by the use of scintillation counters. Predictions of the range and of the characteristics of argon tracks in plastics were confirmed. PMID- 17796635 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17796634 TI - Open channels in sea ice (leads) as ion sources. AB - Open channels in sea ice may be acting as sources of atmospheric ions. PMID- 17796636 TI - CRUDE PETROLEUM AS A FUEL. PMID- 17796637 TI - THE ELECTRIC COAL-DIGGER. PMID- 17796638 TI - A COTTON FABRIC. PMID- 17796639 TI - A UNIQUE ELECTRIC POWER STATION. PMID- 17796640 TI - A NEW FORM OF SELF INDUCTION AND REGULATING COIL. PMID- 17796641 TI - THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY IN ST. JOSEPH, MO. PMID- 17796642 TI - WEST INDIAN HURRICANES. PMID- 17796643 TI - COLONIZATION OF LOWER CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17796644 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17796645 TI - Diphtheria. PMID- 17796646 TI - RHEUMATISM. PMID- 17796647 TI - AUSTRALIAN RABBIT-PEST. PMID- 17796648 TI - LIME-BURNERS FREE FROM CONSUMPTION. PMID- 17796649 TI - ANATOMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEMORANDA. PMID- 17796650 TI - NORMAL MICROBES IN THE HUMAN STOMACH. PMID- 17796651 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17796652 TI - THE PRICE OF COPPER. PMID- 17796654 TI - ALUMINIUM AND ITS MANUFACTURE BY THE DEVILLE-CASTNER PROCESS. PMID- 17796653 TI - A NEW ALLOY. PMID- 17796655 TI - An Earthquake in Pennsylvania. PMID- 17796656 TI - The Robinson Anemometer. PMID- 17796657 TI - Curves of Literary Style. PMID- 17796658 TI - Shall We Teach Geology? PMID- 17796660 TI - Computer therapy: the "love letter analogy". PMID- 17796659 TI - Teenage pregnancies. PMID- 17796662 TI - Back to structure. PMID- 17796661 TI - Plant science: research orientation. PMID- 17796664 TI - Engineering limitations of fusion power plants. PMID- 17796663 TI - The tokamak: model T fusion reactor. AB - During the past several years there have been significant scientific and technological advances related to the tokamak magnetic confinement scheme. These are summarized in the context of a recent tokamak reactor design study which emphasizes reduced size, higher power density, and enhanced plant reliability and maintainability relative to earlier tokamak reactor design studies. The direct plant cost of the proposed reactor is estimated to be in the range $1000 to $1500 per electrical kilowatt. A three-phase strategy for demonstrating tokamak fusion power generation at a committed site is outlined. It is estimated that implementation of the three-phase program would require about 20 years and a total escalated expenditure $10 billion to $15 billion. The tokamak power plant described here is not viewed as definitive but rather as a point of departure in the development of a plan to demonstrate tokamak power generation. PMID- 17796665 TI - East coast mystery booms: a scientific suspense tale. PMID- 17796667 TI - Britons are nobeler, americans nobelest. PMID- 17796666 TI - Livermore and Los Alamos: Another Look at the UC Link. PMID- 17796668 TI - New review of nuclear waste disposal calls for early test in new Mexico. PMID- 17796670 TI - Lamarck in his milieu. PMID- 17796669 TI - Warm-blooded dinosaurs: evidence pro and con. PMID- 17796671 TI - Phylogenetic reconstruction. PMID- 17796672 TI - Emanations from the sun. PMID- 17796674 TI - Theoretical chemistry. PMID- 17796673 TI - Geochronology. PMID- 17796675 TI - Recent biogenic phosphorite: concretions in mollusk kidneys. AB - Phosphorite concretions have been detected in the kidneys of two widespread species of mollusks, Mercenaria mercenaria and Argopecten irradians, which have relatively high population densities. These concretions are the first documentation of the direct biogenic formation of phosphorite grains. The concretions are principally amorphous calcium phosphate, which upon being heated yields an x-ray diffraction pattern which is essentially that of chlorapatite. These concretions appear to be a normal formation of the excretory process of mollusks under reproductive, environmental, or pollutant-induced stress. Biogenic production of phosphorite concretions over long periods of time and diagenetic change from amorphous to crystalline structure, coupled with secondary enrichment, may account for the formation of some marine phosphorite desposits which are not easily explained by the chemical precipitation-replacement hypothesis. PMID- 17796676 TI - Imbrian-age highland volcanism on the moon: the gruithuisen and mairan domes. AB - The Gruithuisen and Mairan domes on the moon represent morphologically and spectrally distinct nonmare extrusive volcanic features of Imbrian age. The composition, morphology, and age relationships of the domes indicate that nonmare extrusive volcanism in the northern Procellarum region of the moon continued until about 3.3 x 10(9) to 3.6 x 10(9) years ago and was partially contemporaneous with the emplacement of the main sequence of mare deposits. PMID- 17796677 TI - Salt domes: is there more energy available from their salt than from their oil? AB - Calculations indicate that a typical oil-bearing salt dome along the Gulf Coast of the United States contains more energy in its salt than is present in its oil. The magnitude of the potential salinity gradient energy is even greater when all of the salt domes are considered. PMID- 17796678 TI - Peyote alkaloids: identification in a prehistoric specimen of lophophora from coahuila, Mexico. AB - Mescaline, anhalonine, lophophorine, pellotine, and anhalonidine have been identified in alkaloid extracts of a prehistoric specimen of Lophophora from a burial cave in west central Coahuila, Mexico. The specimen is associated with radiocarbon dates of A.D. 810 to 1070 and is one of the oldest materials ever submitted to alkaloid analysis. PMID- 17796679 TI - Cellulose Digestion in the Midgut of the Fungus-Growing Termite Macrotermes natalensis: The Role of Acquired Digestive Enzymes. AB - The midguts of adult workers of the higher termite species Macrotermes natalensis contain the entire set of digestive enzymes required for the digestion of native cellulose. The C(x)-cellulases and the beta-glucosidases are produced, at least in part, by the termite's own midgut epithelium and salivary glands. The C(1) cellulases, on the other hand, are acquired by the termites when they feed on a fungus that grows in their nests. We propose that the involvement of acquired digestive enzymes could serve as the basis for a general strategy of resource utilization and further suggest that the acquisition of digestive enzymes may be a widespread phenomenon among mycophagous invertebrates. PMID- 17796680 TI - Intraspecific defense: advantage of social cooperation among paper wasp foundresses. AB - Foundress associations and high frequencies of conspecific nest usurpation are most common where densities of Polistes metricus are high. Here nest usurpation occurs primarily in single-foundress colonies resulting in multiple-foundress colonies having significantly greater productivities than single-foundress colonies. This is not true at low densities. Conspecific pressures and not predation or parasitism provide an advantage to cooperating wasp foundresses in P. metricus. PMID- 17796681 TI - Handedness in duckweed: double flowering fronds produce right- and left-handed lineages. AB - Frond lineages of Lemna perpusilla Torr. (strain 6746) show handedness with respect to frond emergence sequence and flowering that is related to the pocket of origin on a double flowering mother frond. Flower position is a fundamental manifestation of frond asymmetry. PMID- 17796682 TI - Human rights: effective measures. PMID- 17796683 TI - Planning for nuclear accidents. PMID- 17796684 TI - Stimulating research. PMID- 17796685 TI - Platinum metals magmatic sulfide ores. AB - Platinum-group elements (PGE) are mined predominantly from deposits that have formed by the segregation of molten iron-nickel-copper sulfides from silicate magmas. The absolute concentrations of PGE in sulfides from different deposits vary over a range of five orders of magnitude, whereas those of other chalcophile elements vary by factors of only 2 to 100. However, the relative proportions of the different PGE in a given deposit are systematically related to the nature of the parent magma. The absolute and relative concentrations of PGE in magmatic sulfides are explained in terms of the degree of partial melting of mantle peridotite required to produce the parent magma and the processes of batch equilibration and fractional segregation of sulfides. The Republic of South Africa and the U.S.S.R. together possess more than 97 percent of the world PGE reserves, but significant undeveloped resources occur in North America. The Stillwater complex in Montana is perhaps the most important example. PMID- 17796686 TI - Would-be academician pirates papers. PMID- 17796687 TI - Fierce bees get fat and happy. PMID- 17796688 TI - Pope issues warning to scientists. PMID- 17796689 TI - New horse may lead interferon race. PMID- 17796691 TI - Mount st. Helens: an unpredictable foe. PMID- 17796690 TI - Prior restraints on cryptography considered. PMID- 17796692 TI - Techniques for rational planning. PMID- 17796693 TI - An ecosystem surveyed. PMID- 17796694 TI - Waterpower. PMID- 17796695 TI - Life of an anatomist. PMID- 17796696 TI - Probing the component structure of a maize gene with transposable elements. AB - Three instances of R gene instability were found in maize stocks carrying the controlling elements Dissociation (Ds) and Modulator (Mp). In each, Ds or a Ds like element had transposed to R, inhibiting kernel pigmentation irregularly. When Mp was removed from the genome, R expression stabilized at lowt to intermediate levels. Strong pigmenting action was restored through recombination in heterozygotes of the three new forms with an R allele that specifies only plant pigmentation. The sites of Ds insertion mapped distal to the region that specifies seed versus plant expression. The evidence suggests that an R functional unit consists of one component that both governs tissue-specific expression and another that is common to alleles of different tissue-specific activities. PMID- 17796698 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17796697 TI - Loss of division potential in culture: aging or differentiation? PMID- 17796699 TI - THE WAY FORWARD IN CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796700 TI - ZOOLOGY AND THE MOVING PICTURES. PMID- 17796701 TI - GOITER PROPHYLAXIS WITH IODIZED SALT. PMID- 17796702 TI - THE FIRST SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796703 TI - A NEW OCCURRENCE OF THE FLYING REPTILE, PTERANODON. PMID- 17796704 TI - THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION. PMID- 17796705 TI - A CURVE OF EXPERIMENTAL EXTINCTION IN THE WHITE RAT. PMID- 17796706 TI - THE NATURE OF THE BARBITURATE-PICROTOXIN ANTAGONISM. PMID- 17796707 TI - DISSOCIATION OF THE PYRAMIDAL AND EXTRAPYRAMIDAL FUNCTIONS OF THE FRONTAL LOBE. PMID- 17796708 TI - A METHOD FOR IRRIGATING FUNGUS CULTURES. PMID- 17796709 TI - PHYSIOLOGICAL STROBOSCOPE. PMID- 17796711 TI - Preventing famine. PMID- 17796710 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Peroxisomal defects in neonatal-onset and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophies" by S. Goldfischer et al. (4 Jan., p. 67), the first sentence of the abstract should have read: "Accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in X-linked and neonatal forms of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) appears to be a consequence of deficient oxidation of very long chain fatty acids, a function that has been attributed to peroxisomes." PMID- 17796712 TI - Laser-induced chemistry for microelectronics. AB - Laser-controlled chemical reactions are being explored for use in all phases of the processing of semiconductor devices. Laser-induced chemical processing can produce submicrometer features without the aid of photolithography. Research is also providing new information on light-excited and light-enhanced interface reactions. PMID- 17796713 TI - Geologic approach to the long-term history of atmospheric circulation. AB - Eolian dust preserved in deep-sea pelagic sediments can be used as a proxy indicator of paleoclimate. Analyses of the particle size, composition, and mass accumulation rate of dust grains provide independent evidence of the intensity of atmospheric circulation and the availability of material in the eolian source region. These data provide information on atmospheric circulation and on the climate of the source area at time scales ranging from 103 to 108 years and have the potential to test computer-generated global circulation models. PMID- 17796714 TI - The Science Budget: A Dose of Austerity: Military R&D would get huge increases; the physical sciences would fare relatively well; belt-tightening is in store elsewhere. PMID- 17796716 TI - National science board seeks new role. PMID- 17796715 TI - Health Effects Institute Links Adversaries: Automobile companies and EPA are joint sponsors of research to sort out health effects of air pollution. PMID- 17796717 TI - OTA Says African Aid Focuses on Wrong People. PMID- 17796718 TI - Europeans Agree to Join in NASA's Space Station. PMID- 17796719 TI - A guide to biology texts. PMID- 17796720 TI - What's Going on at Neptune? PMID- 17796721 TI - Tunable Far IR Molecular Lasers Developed: Stimulated Raman scattering associated with a series of closely spaced rotational states is the key to wavelength tunability. PMID- 17796723 TI - R&D in FY 1986: Outlook for the Next Four Years: Tenth Annual AAAS Colloquium on R&D Policy. PMID- 17796722 TI - Kinetics at the Critical Point of Fluids: Changes in solvent properties near the critical point may influence reaction rates, but a key experiment is shown to be wrong. PMID- 17796724 TI - Violence against young: infanticide. PMID- 17796725 TI - De revolutionibus Analyzed: Mathematical Astronomy in Copernicus's De Revolutionibus. PMID- 17796726 TI - Paleoclimatology: milankovitch and climate. PMID- 17796727 TI - Earth history: patterns of change in Earth evolution. PMID- 17796728 TI - A mutant of Arabidopsis lacking a chloroplast-specific lipid. AB - In order to investigate the functional significance of membrane lipid unsaturation, we have isolated a series of mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana which are deficient in particular membrane fatty acids. The first of these mutants completely lacks Delta3-trans-hexadecenoate, an acyl group that until now has been thought to play an important role in the structure or function of thylakoid membranes in photosynthetic eukaryotes. The apparent absence of any marked physiological effect of the mutation illustrates the potential of this approach to the analysis of membrane structure and function. PMID- 17796729 TI - Courtship disruption modifies mate choice in a lek-breeding bird. AB - The aggregation of displaying males in lek-breeding birds is often associated with disruption of courtship and mating but effects of this disruption on mate choice have not been shown. In a 4-year study of Rupicola rupicola in Suriname, interference among territorial adult males disrupted 31 percent of all female courtship visits and terminated 32 percent of all matings at a lek where there were an average of 55 territorial males. Disruption in this rain forest species caused females to modify their courtship and mating patterns, and males that used intense and persistent disruption received a disproportionate share of this redirected mate choice. PMID- 17796730 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17796731 TI - Academic-industrial interactions. PMID- 17796732 TI - Test ban test back on track. PMID- 17796734 TI - Superconductivity: The FAX Factor: The pace of discoveries of superconductor research continues, and theorists are also beginning to develop models of mechanisms for the new age. PMID- 17796733 TI - Editorial Changes for Einstein Papers: After more than a decade that included a long bout of litigation, the first volume of the papers is out and the original editor has decided to pass the baton. PMID- 17796735 TI - Hypercube Breaks a Programming Barrier: A deceptively simple approach allows a massively parallel computer to approach the maximum theoretical speedup. PMID- 17796736 TI - Adaptability of the u.s. Industrial relations system. AB - An industrial relations system describes the basic values, laws, institutions, and organizational practices that govern employment relationships. To be effective, an industrial relations system must be well matched to its economic and social environment and able to meet the strategic needs of employers, the workforce, and the larger society. The current state of American industrial relations is assessed against these criteria. The general proposition advanced is that the U.S. system of industrial relations that grew out of the New Deal labor legislation of the 1930s performed effectively from the 1940s through the 1960s. Pressures for change on the system began to build through the 1970s because of changes in the economic and technological environment and in the strategic behavior and needs of the parties. These pressures erupted in the early 1980s to produce a period of experimentation and fundamental change in union-management relations. The critical question in industrial relations today is whether the process of adaptation will be sustained and expanded to cover a broader range of employment relationships. PMID- 17796737 TI - The greenhouse theory of climate change: a test by an inadvertent global experiment. AB - Since the dawn of the industrial era, the atmospheric concentrations of several radiatively active gases have been increasing as a result of human activities. The radiative heating from this inadvertent experiment has driven the climate system out of equilibrium with the incoming solar energy. According to the greenhouse theory of climate change, the climate system will be restored to equilibrium by a warming of the surfacetroposphere system and a cooling of the stratosphere. The predicted changes, during the next few decades, could far exceed natural climate variations in historical times. Hence, the greenhouse theory of climate change has reached the crucial stage of verification. Surface warming as large as that predicted by models would be unprecedented during an interglacial period such as the present. The theory, its scope for verification, and the emerging complexities of the climate feedback mechanisms are discussed. PMID- 17796739 TI - The Militarization of Physics: Historical Studies in the Physical Sciences, Vol. 8, part 1. PMID- 17796738 TI - Tryptophan-Requiring Mutants of the Plant Arabidopsis thaliana. AB - Although amino acid auxotrophs are among the most frequently isolated mutations in microorganisms, no mutants that require amino acids have been isolated at the whole plant level. Tryptophan-requiring mutants of the cruciferous plant Arabidopsis thaliana have now been isolated by selecting for resistance to 5 methylanthranilic acid. The tryptophan requirement of one mutant, trpl-1, results from a defect in the second step of the tryptophan pathway catalyzed by anthranilate phosphoribosyl transferase. Mutant trpl-1 plants are highly fluorescent and aromatic because they accumulate anthranilic acid and anthranilate beta-glucoside. Plants homozygous for the trpl-1 mutation exhibit a syndrome of morphological defects suggestive of a defect in the biosynthesis, metabolism, or localization of a tryptophan derivative such as auxin. All of these morphological phenotypes cosegregate with the tryptophan requirement as a simple Mendelian recessive trait. PMID- 17796740 TI - Early precambrian terrains: evolution of the lewisian and comparable precambrian high grade terrains. PMID- 17796741 TI - Limts on adaptation: genetic constraints on adaptive evolution. PMID- 17796742 TI - Model landforms: experimental fluvial geomorphology. PMID- 17796743 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17796744 TI - THE PROSPECT OF HUMAN PROGRESS. PMID- 17796745 TI - DEFINITENESS OF APPOINTMENT AND TENURE. PMID- 17796746 TI - THE PORTO RICO SURVEY. PMID- 17796747 TI - THE RUSSELL SAGE INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17796748 TI - THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17796749 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17796750 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17796751 TI - SOVEREIGNS AND THE SUPPOSED INFLUENCE OF OPPORTUNITY. PMID- 17796752 TI - OCCURRENCE OF BACTERIAL BLIGHT OF ALFALFA IN THE SALT LAKE VALLEY, UTAH. PMID- 17796753 TI - DICKERSON ON CALIFORNIA EOCENE. PMID- 17796754 TI - A FACTOR FOR THE FOURTH CHROMOSOME OF DROSOPHILA. PMID- 17796755 TI - FURTHER NOTES ON TAMARISK. PMID- 17796756 TI - NAVIGATION WITHOUT LOGARITHMS. PMID- 17796757 TI - WHAT DOES THE MEDINA SANDSTONE OF THE NIAGARA SECTION INCLUDE? PMID- 17796758 TI - NOTES ON A SHEEP THYREOID EXPERIMENT WITH FROG TADPOLES. PMID- 17796759 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796760 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796762 TI - The landscape: economic abandonment. PMID- 17796761 TI - Science: philosophical problems. PMID- 17796763 TI - Beam storage in the cambridge electron accelerator. PMID- 17796764 TI - Von neumann: help sought with film. PMID- 17796765 TI - New Russian journal in genetics. PMID- 17796767 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796766 TI - Prohyphen. PMID- 17796768 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796769 TI - Erratum: training stipends for foreign biologists. PMID- 17796770 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17796771 TI - Academic administrators: new breed. PMID- 17796772 TI - A comparison of u.s. And soviet efforts to explore Mars. PMID- 17796773 TI - The 1965 eruption of taal volcano. PMID- 17796774 TI - Molecular orbital densities: pictorial studies. PMID- 17796776 TI - Campus Computers: NAS Panel Calls for More Federal Aid. PMID- 17796775 TI - New York's New Mayor Enlists a Panel of Scientific Advisers. PMID- 17796777 TI - How quickly will europe close the science spending gap? PMID- 17796778 TI - Superconductivity of Beta-uranium. PMID- 17796779 TI - Direct evidence for the cathodic depolarization theory of bacterial corrosion. AB - Cathodic depolarization of mild steel by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was demonstrated with benzyl viologen used as an electron acceptor. Direct measurement of the cathodic depolarization current indicated a maximum current density of 1 microampere per square centimeter. Aluminum alloys were also cathodically depolarized by the organism. PMID- 17796780 TI - Oxidation of graphitic carbon in certain soils. AB - Artificial graphitic carbon-14 was oxidized to carbon-14 dioxide in the presence of certain nonsterile soils. Treatment of these soils for the inhibition of biologic activity, by several methods including 5 megarads of electron-beam irradiation, yielded much-less-reactive systems in the oxidation of carbon. Intervention of a biologic agent in some of these oxidative processes is suggested. PMID- 17796781 TI - Culture of a Planktonic Calanoid Copepod through Multiple Generations. AB - Acartia tonsa has been propagated through 12 filial generations during 1 year in small laboratory cultures. The mean generation time was 25 days at 17 degrees C on a slightly suboptimum, mixed algal diet. Body size, reproductive capacity, and generation time were unchanged during the culture period. PMID- 17796783 TI - Atmospheric noble gases from extraterrestrial dust. PMID- 17796782 TI - Quenchable high-pressure polymorph of zinc selenate. AB - A new quenchable high-pressure form of zinc selenate (ZnSeO(4)) was produced by subjecting the low-pressure modification to 40 kilobars at 400 degrees C for 30 minutes. The new form is orthorhombic, space group D(2h),(17)-Cmcm. The cell constants at 29 degrees C are: a, 5.511 angstroms; b, 8.110 angstroms; and c, 6.585 angstroms. The calculated density is 4.70 grams per cubic centimeter in comparison with 4.61 grams per cubic centimeter for the low-pressure modification. This implies a volume change of 2 percent at the transition. PMID- 17796784 TI - Drugs affecting lipid metabolism. PMID- 17796786 TI - FACTS LIMITING THE THEORY OF HEREDITY. PMID- 17796785 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17796787 TI - SOME OBSERVATIONS ON MUSEUM ADMINISTRATION. PMID- 17796789 TI - A SUGGESTION FOR A NEW UNIT OF ENERGY. PMID- 17796788 TI - THE PUBLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17796790 TI - HOLOTHURIAN NAMES. PMID- 17796792 TI - ABSTRACTS FOR EVOLUTIONISTS. PMID- 17796791 TI - THE FLYING MACHINE. PMID- 17796793 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796794 TI - APPOINTMENTS AT TULANE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17796795 TI - BRITISH MUSEUM MODEL OF EURYPTERUS. PMID- 17796796 TI - ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK IN ARIZONA. PMID- 17796797 TI - THE CHICAGO MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17796798 TI - THE RESEARCH LABORATORY OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17796799 TI - Latinization of Greek Words in Biological Taxonomy. PMID- 17796800 TI - Tie and Anti-tie. PMID- 17796801 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17796803 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17796802 TI - Water Conduits and Collectors. PMID- 17796804 TI - Say, Comrade. PMID- 17796805 TI - The Moon Illusion, I: Explanation of this phenomenon was sought through the use of artificial moons seen on the sky. PMID- 17796806 TI - Nature and Development of Lactic Dehydrogenases: The two major types of this enzyme form molecular hybrids which change in makeup during development. PMID- 17796807 TI - PHS Radiation Report: Administration Finds That Delay in Publication Can Lead to All Sorts of Conclusions. PMID- 17796808 TI - Notes: Science and Technology Office; Tobacco Advisory Committee. PMID- 17796809 TI - Relationship Between Temperature and the Metabolism of Experimental Ecosystems. AB - Short-term temperature variations of approximately 7 degrees C above and below the normal maintenance temperature of balanced laboratory aquaria demonstrated that the metabolism of the ecosystem is practically independent of temperature. It is postulated that the closer a living system approaches the integration of a balanced ecosystem, the less it is affected by temperature. PMID- 17796810 TI - Effects of Increments and Decrements of Light on Neural Discharge Rate. AB - Neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the monkey discharge impulses periodically under conditions of both dark and light adaptation. Brief intensity changes in one direction produce decreases in firing rate roughly proportional to the logarithm of the intensity; intensity changes in the other direction produce corresponding increases in firing in the same neuron. PMID- 17796811 TI - Vacuum Filtration of Large Volumes in the Laboratory. AB - Laboratory vacuum filtration of large volumes of liquids may be safely, easily, and economically accomplished without the use of pumps and without the necessity for placing receivers under vacuum. In the method described the lowered pressure is generated by the filtrate as it falls down a vertical tube. PMID- 17796812 TI - THE OUTLOOK FOR SCIENCE. PMID- 17796813 TI - THE PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY: VITALISM VERSUS MECHANISM. PMID- 17796815 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17796814 TI - THE COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17796816 TI - THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING. PMID- 17796817 TI - A PECULIAR BEHAVIOR OF CUMULUS CLOUDS OVER THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY. PMID- 17796818 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17796820 TI - RESEARCH AND TEACHING. PMID- 17796819 TI - CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM IN TREES. PMID- 17796821 TI - A STUDY OF A DESERT BASIN. PMID- 17796822 TI - THE ELECTRIC MOTOR NERVE CENTERS IN THE SKATES (RAJIDAe). PMID- 17796823 TI - THE EFFECT OF STORAGE IN RIVER WATER (STERILIZED) ON THE PRODUCTION OF ACID IN CARBOHYDRATE SOLUTIONS BY THE BACILLUS COLI GROUP. PMID- 17796825 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETING OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17796824 TI - THE WASHINGTON MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS. PMID- 17796826 TI - THE LATEST DISCOVERIES IN CHALDAeA. PMID- 17796827 TI - AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS FOR LITERARY CRITICISM. PMID- 17796829 TI - DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION. PMID- 17796828 TI - IN REGARD TO COLOR-BLINDNESS AMONG INDIANS. PMID- 17796830 TI - THE VERTICAL SCRIPT. PMID- 17796831 TI - IRON AND ALUMINIUM IN BONE BLACK: THEIR QUANTITATlVE DETERMINATION. PMID- 17796832 TI - OSTEOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796833 TI - The Mean Distance of the Earth. PMID- 17796834 TI - A Fall of Colored Snow. PMID- 17796835 TI - A Beautiful Spectacle. PMID- 17796836 TI - Worms in the Brain of a Bird. PMID- 17796837 TI - The Aurora. PMID- 17796838 TI - Animal Effigies. PMID- 17796839 TI - The Winter of 17.9. PMID- 17796840 TI - Epidemic Forms of Mental or Nervous Diseases or Disorders. PMID- 17796841 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17796842 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ROCHESTER MEETING. PMID- 17796843 TI - A SOLAR ERUPTION AND SIMULTANEOUS DISTURBANCES AT HUANCAYO MAGNETIC OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17796844 TI - THE OVULE AND SEED OF COFFEA ARABICA L. PMID- 17796845 TI - IODINE THERAPY FOR GOITER. PMID- 17796846 TI - ON THE REACTION OF ANTHOCYANINS WITH THE SULFITES. PMID- 17796847 TI - THE EASTERN BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17796848 TI - THE CARCINOGENIC EFFECT OF A VIRUS UPON TARRED SKIN. PMID- 17796849 TI - ISOLATION OF CRYSTALLINE PEPSINOGEN FROM SWINE GASTRIC MUCOSAE AND ITS AUTOCATALYTIC CONVERSION INTO PEPSIN. PMID- 17796850 TI - SELENIUM AND DUCK SICKNESS. PMID- 17796851 TI - OPTICAL DESIGNS FOR OBSERVING OBJECTS IN CENTRIFUGAL FIELDS OF FORCE. PMID- 17796852 TI - A PIEZOELECTRIC ULTRAMICROMETER. PMID- 17796853 TI - Conflict of Interest. PMID- 17796854 TI - Primary Quantum Conversion in Photosynthesis: Low-temperature photoparamagnetism bespeaks electron transfer and migration as the earliest event. PMID- 17796856 TI - NIH Foreign Grants: Reappraisal Seeks To Develop Policies for Supporting Research Abroad. PMID- 17796855 TI - The Man-Computer Relationship: The potential contributions of computers crucially depend upon their use by very human human beings. PMID- 17796857 TI - Fish Flour: National Academy Study Disputes the Food and Drug Administration's " Filthy" Label. PMID- 17796858 TI - Fatty Acids in Pollen of Some Coniferous Species. AB - Fatty acids in pollen of five coniferous species were isolated and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. It was found that 0.76 to 0.89 percent of the dry weight of pollen was fatty acid in three species of Pseudotsuga and 1.25 to 1.33 percent in two species of Pinus. Major components in Pseudotsuga were oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids, whereas in Pinus they were linolenic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. PMID- 17796859 TI - Temperature-Independent Morning Emergence in Lizards of the Genus Phrynosoma. AB - An investigation of the relationship of morning emergence and body temperature in Phrynosoma demonstrated a rhythmic anticipation of conditions favorable for normal activity. Such a rhythm offers a mechanism by which ectothermic reptiles can use safe nocturnal shelters without loss of activity time in the morning. PMID- 17796860 TI - Binding of Inert Gas Halogenide Molecules. AB - An electronic explanation of the existence of noble gas halides and predictions of the properties to be expected of these compounds is presented. PMID- 17796861 TI - A Drowned Miocene Terrace in the Hawaiian Islands. AB - A highly fossiliferous sample dredged in September 1961 from a submerged terrace at a depth of 500 to 520 meters off Honolulu contains a reef fauna suggesting deposition at depths of 10 meters or less. The corals and pelagic foraminifers indicate a probable Miocene age. The Hawaiian rise was in existence prior to that time, and the submarine terrace and associated reef were subsequently submerged to their present position. PMID- 17796862 TI - Diffusion of Carbon Monoxide through Thin Layers of Hemoglobin Solution. AB - The facilitation of carbon monoxide flux through a thin layer of hemoglobin solution is increased in the presence of oxygen. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the facilitation results from diffusion of carbon monoxide- hemoglobin as well as carbon monoxide, but that the overall process is partially limited by the reaction rates of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin. PMID- 17796863 TI - Extrathyroidal Iodide Pump in Tadpoles (Rana grylio). AB - Large amounts of iodide are accumulated in the gastrointestinal tract of tadpoles despite the presence of ligatures on the bile duct or esophagus or on both structures. These ligatures exclude the possibility that the iodine-131 tracer reaches the gastrointestinal tract by way of the bile or esophagus. The iodide in the gastrointestinal tract localizes largely in the stomach. The stomach therefore acts as an iodide pump and may be responsible for the maintenance of the iodide levels that are needed in metamorphosis. PMID- 17796864 TI - Sensory Deprivation: Its Effects on Human Learning. AB - The rote learning ability of human subjects under conditions of sensory deprivation for 48 hours was compared with results for a control group. The performance of the two groups was essentially the same. No significant facilitation or decrement in performance was noted, and in no instance were hallucinations, delusions, or other unusual phenomena reported. PMID- 17796865 TI - Carbon-Isotope Composition and the Origin of Calcareous Coal Balls. AB - The C(13):C(12) ratios of the carbonate comprising "normal," "faunal," and "mixed" coal balls are consistent with the hypothesis that calcareous coal balls contain varying proportions of two kinds of carbonate: (i) precipitated carbonate formed in the coal swamp and characteristically deficient in C(13), and (ii) extraneous detrital material, mainly fossil fragments relatively enriched in C(13). PMID- 17796866 TI - Postvernalization Seed Treatment with Vitamins in Vigna catjang. AB - Thermoinduction for 1 week, followed by 48 hours of vitamin treatment of seeds, resulted in complete annihilation of the cold effect, the plants from the treated seeds having shown a significant increase in elongation of the root and shoot and an increase in the fresh weight as well as in the dry matter over vernalized and unvernalized controls. An increase in vegetative vigor was also noted after treatment with vitamins at lower concentrations in the unvernalized series. Cold treatment not combined with vitamin treatment resulted in a decrease in vegetative vigor. PMID- 17796867 TI - Interactions of Pectin and Protein in the Heat Coagulation of Proteins. AB - Pectin decreases the heat coagulation of many proteins, including the soluble proteins of pea stems, ovalbumin, and bovine serum albumin. This observation probably explains the decrease in heat coagulation of proteins from pea stems following in vivo auxin administration, since auxin causes a great increase in the soluble pectin content of treated cells. PMID- 17796868 TI - Early Postglacial Beavers in Southeastern New England. AB - Wood cut by Castor canadensis(?) has been found at or near the base of five peat deposits studied in open exposure. Beavers apparently entered the region about 12,000 years ago and rapidly occupied most low-lying places. Many existing bogs may be the result of early dams. The disturbance of pond sediments by beavers probably affects pollen stratigraphy. Charred wood in early beaver structures indicates forest fires and the possibility that the climate was drier than it is today. PMID- 17796869 TI - High-Energy Sound Associated with Fright in the Dolphin. AB - A sound produced by the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) under conditions of fright is described and illustrated. It is suggested that a similar sound may be the basis of the long-distance alarm signal reported in other cetaceans. PMID- 17796870 TI - Neurosecretion in the Ophiuroid Ophiopholis aculeata. AB - Neurocrine activity has been demonstrated for the first time in the Ophiuroidea and for only the second time in the phylum Echinodermata. Three types of neurosecretory cells have been shown, by means of histological staining techniques, to occur in the principal motor ganglia. The secretory products are carried away from the cell bodies by axon transport but cannot be traced to special terminal reservoirs. It is possible that the neurosecretory products diffuse into adjacent coelomic spaces for further transport. It is suggested that in the echinoderms neurocrine secretions may be associated with control functions which in other phyla are regulated by. endocrine products. PMID- 17796872 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17796871 TI - Informational Macromolecules. PMID- 17796873 TI - Misinterpretations of project themis. PMID- 17796874 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17796875 TI - A Trained Eye on UFO's. PMID- 17796876 TI - Optical astronomy in perspective. PMID- 17796877 TI - Michael faraday and the physics of 100 years ago. PMID- 17796878 TI - Engineering, civilization, and society. PMID- 17796880 TI - Lloyd berkner dies at 62. PMID- 17796881 TI - Nuclear energy: new study assails british program. PMID- 17796882 TI - Route to the top: government to campus. PMID- 17796883 TI - Oxygen isotopes: experimental vapor fractionation and variations in tektites. AB - High-temperature (about 2800 degrees C) vapor fractionation of a silicate glass that originally contained 82 percent by weight of SiO(2) resulted in a decrease of the silica content to 45 percent. Oxygen isotope analyses show that the O(18)/O(16) ratio increased from 13.80 per mil in the starting material to 14.47 and 15.03 per mil in the residuum. This suggests that bediasites, which also exhibit an increase in this ratio with decreasing content of silica, have been subjected to a process of vapor fractionation. PMID- 17796884 TI - Fresnoite: unusal titanium coordination. AB - The crystal structure of fresnoite, Ba(2)(TiO)[Si(2)O(7)], consists of [Si(2)O(7)](6-) double groups and titanium-centered square pyramids linked to form flat sheets. Intercalated between these sheets are Ba(2+) ions in highly distorted pentagonal antiprisms. The structure of fresnoite is related to that of melilite, (Ca,Na)(2)(Mg,Al[Si(2)(7)]. PMID- 17796885 TI - Permanence of retrograde amnesia produced by electroconvulsive shock. PMID- 17796887 TI - THE COST OF COAL. PMID- 17796888 TI - JOSIAH ROYCE. PMID- 17796886 TI - Type of sodium bond in Mammalian hair. PMID- 17796889 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC EXHIBIT OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17796890 TI - THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17796891 TI - SYNCHRONISM IN THE RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES OF ANIMALS. PMID- 17796892 TI - IS CUCUMBER MOSAIC CARRIED BY SEED? PMID- 17796893 TI - THE CULTURE OF PRE-COLUMBIAN AMERICA. PMID- 17796894 TI - MOSQUITOES AND MAN AGAIN. PMID- 17796895 TI - THE SONG OF FOWLER'S TOAD (BUFO FOWLERI PUTNAM). PMID- 17796896 TI - THE OVULATION PERIOD IN RATS. PMID- 17796897 TI - OVULATION IN MICE. PMID- 17796899 TI - THE MCAULEY PROCESS OF BURNING PULVERIZED FUEL. PMID- 17796898 TI - AGAR AGAR FOR BACTERIOLOGICAL USE. PMID- 17796900 TI - PROFILES OF THE NICARAGUA AND PANAMA CANALS. PMID- 17796901 TI - THE SPRAGUE ELECTRIC ROAD AT BOSTON. PMID- 17796902 TI - MOHAMMEDANISM AND SLAVE-TRADE IN AFRICA. PMID- 17796904 TI - THE ADVANCES IN ELECTRICITY IN 1888. PMID- 17796903 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17796906 TI - Teton Folk-Lore. PMID- 17796905 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17796907 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17796908 TI - STANLEY AND EMIN PACHA. PMID- 17796909 TI - Attendance upon Colleges and Scientific Schools. PMID- 17796911 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17796910 TI - Interesting University Statistics. PMID- 17796913 TI - PLASTERING WINES. PMID- 17796912 TI - ORGANIC POISONS. PMID- 17796914 TI - Two-career job hunting. PMID- 17796916 TI - Erratum. AB - A News and Comment briefing, "Carcinogens in Scotch" (24 Aug., p. 769), incorrectly reported that carrot and beet juice contain relatively high levels of nitrosamines. So far as is known, they do not. They do contain nitrates and nitrites, the precursors of nitrosamines. PMID- 17796915 TI - Max born: another impression. PMID- 17796917 TI - New magazine: opportunity for the membership. PMID- 17796918 TI - The 46{degrees} Halo and Its Arcs. AB - Ice crystals in the form of right hexagonal prisms have faces that form 90 degrees prisms. Light rays were traced through these prism faces by computer calculation, and the light patterns that would be produced in the sky for a particular distribution of crystal orientations were simulated. Crystals with random orientations produce a 46 degrees halo. Hexagonal plate crystals with nearly horizontal end faces produce circumzenithal and circumhorizontal arcs. Hexagonal column crystals with horizontal axes produce supralateral and infralateral arcs. Plate crystals spinning about a horizontal axis that is a face diagonal of the crystal produce a series of arcs touching the 46 degrees halo. Each of these effects was simulated for several elevations of the sun. PMID- 17796919 TI - Coal conversion technologies: some health and environmental effects. AB - Several technologies to convert coal to liquid and gaseous fuels are being developed in the United States, some with support from the Department of Energy. Substitution of these technologies for those currently being used will produce different health and environmental hazards. In this article, selected health and environmental effects of four coal conversion and four existing technologies are compared. For each technology, the emission estimates for complete fuel cycles, including all steps in fuel use from extraction to the end use of space and water heating by electricity or direct combustion, were prepared by means of the Brookhaven Energy System Network Simulator model. Quantitative occupational health and safety estimates are presented for the extraction, transportation, distribution, processing, and conversion activities associated with each technology; also included are some public health damage estimates arising from fuel transportation and air pollution impacts. Qualitative estimates of health damage due to polycyclic organic matter and reduced sulfur are discussed. In general, energy inefficiencies, environmental residuals, and hence implied environmental effects and health damage increase in the order: (i) direct combustion of natural gas and oil, (ii) direct combustion of synthetic gas and oil, (iii) central-station electric power produced from synthetic gas, (iv) central-station electric power produced from coal, and (v) central-station electric power produced by the combustion of synthetic liquid fuels. The compliance and conflict of these technologies with the amendments of the Clean Air Act and other legislation are discussed. PMID- 17796921 TI - RFF Back on Its Feet. PMID- 17796920 TI - Nevada closes low-level radioactive waste dump. PMID- 17796922 TI - Harvard medicine takes a lesson from dalai lama. PMID- 17796923 TI - Helms and Colby Clash on Sharing CIA Data. PMID- 17796924 TI - Is a diamond really forever? PMID- 17796925 TI - What is unified in unified field theories. PMID- 17796926 TI - Careers in science and politics. PMID- 17796927 TI - Recollections and visions. PMID- 17796929 TI - Health hazards of asbestos. PMID- 17796928 TI - Dynamical astronomy. PMID- 17796930 TI - Sedimentary geology. PMID- 17796931 TI - Solar Availability for Winter Space Heating: An Analysis of SOLMET Data, 1953 to 1975. AB - Solar availability for space heating on coldest-weather days has been determined from an analysis of SOLMET data tapes. The tapes contain hourly readings of insolation and ambient temperature over the period from 1953 through 1975. Scatter diagrams of insolation versus heating degree-days, compiled on a daily basis, indicate a wide variation in the insolation level, even during coldest weather periods. For all but one of the eight sites studied, the peak-day backup energy requirement of the solar system was in excess of 85 percent of the peak day energy requirement of the conventional (nonsolar) heating system. PMID- 17796932 TI - Experimental coarsening of antiphase domains in a silicate mineral. AB - Combined annealing experiments and observations by transmission electron microscopy show that in natural pigeonite crystals antiphase domains coarsen approximately according to a rate law in which the tenth power of the average domain size is proportional to time. This result suggests that certain cations (possibly Ca(2+)) were segregated preferentially onto the antiphase boundaries. The domain size in samples quenched from above the high-low transformation temperature is large and apparently independent of annealing time and temperature. It appears that large domains can be generated either by very fast or by very slow cooling; thus the estimation of geological cooling rates from the sizes of antiphase domains in natural samples becomes rather difficult. PMID- 17796933 TI - Carbon-14 dating of small samples by proportional counting. AB - Conventional carbon-14 dating by means of gas proportional counters has been extended to samples containing as little as 10 milligrams of carbon. The accuracy of the dating procedure has been checked by dating sequoia tree-ring samples of the 1st century A.D. and B.C. and an oak tree-ring sample of the 19th century A.D. PMID- 17796934 TI - Fossil counterparts of giant penguins from the north pacific. AB - New fossils of giant, flightless penguinlike birds have been found in late Oligocene and early Miocene rocks in Japan and in the state of Washington. These birds belong to the order Pelecaniformes, in the extinct family Plotopteridae, previously known by a single fragment of bone from California. Hindlimb and pelvic morphology is most similar to that of Recent anhingas, but the wing is paddlelike and remarkably convergent toward penguins and flightless auks. Both the Plotopteridae and the giant penguins became extinct by the middle Miocene, possibly because of competition from seals and porpoises. PMID- 17796935 TI - A new mineralized layer in the hinge of the oyster. AB - A discrete, calcareous layer that binds the foliated calcite of the oyster's shell to the organic ligament in the hinge is reported, apparently for the first time. This layer is ultrastructurally, and generally mineralogically, different from the underlying foliated calcite, and is named the ligostracum. PMID- 17796936 TI - Lectin-Induced Mucus Release in the Urn Cell Complex of the Marine Invertebrate Sipunculus nudus (Linnaeus). AB - The mucociliary urn cell complex of the marine coelomate Sipunculus nudus secretes mucus 4 to 5 minutes after being exposed to Lotus tetragonolobus and Ricinus communis I agglutinins. Surface binding of both lectins is confined to the secretory area of the urn cell complex and, like the release of mucus, is inhibited by the specific saccharides L-fucose and D-galactose or by incubation in L-fucosidase and D-galactosidase. Mucus secretion may therefore be initiated by the interaction of mucus-releasing stimuli with fucosyl or galactosyl residues of specific membrane receptors. PMID- 17796938 TI - ALFRED MARSHALL MAYER. PMID- 17796937 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17796939 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17796941 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17796940 TI - AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE: FORTY-SIXTH MEETING, DETROIT, AUGUST 7-13, 1897. PMID- 17796942 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17796944 TI - AMPHIBIA OR BATRACHIA. PMID- 17796943 TI - THE ANTECEDENT COLORADO. PMID- 17796945 TI - THE CENTURY'S PROGRESS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17796946 TI - THE POSITION THAT UNIVERSITIES SHOULD TAKE IN REGARD TO INVESTIGATION. PMID- 17796947 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796948 TI - OBSERVATIONS WITH THE MERIDIAN CIRCLE. PMID- 17796950 TI - NOTE ON THE FOREGOING LETTER BY PROFESSOR HILL. PMID- 17796949 TI - DARK LIGHTNING. PMID- 17796951 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17796952 TI - 'NEWSPAPER SCIENCE.'. PMID- 17796953 TI - SCIENCE IN THE DAILY PRESS. PMID- 17796954 TI - THE CONFERRING OF UNIVERSITY DEGREES BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. PMID- 17796955 TI - THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. PMID- 17796956 TI - RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. PMID- 17796958 TI - FIELD EXPLORATIONS OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM DURING THE YEAR 1922. PMID- 17796957 TI - ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS OF MUSEUM HISTORY. PMID- 17796959 TI - THE EDWARD K. DUNHAM LECTURESHIP FOR THE PROMOTION OF MEDICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17796960 TI - THE PENNSYLVANIAN OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. PMID- 17796961 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17796962 TI - NICOTINE AS A POULTRY VERMIFUGE. PMID- 17796964 TI - AMEBOID BODIES ASSOCIATED WITH HIPPEASTRUM MOSAIC. PMID- 17796963 TI - THE STATUS OF TEREDO BEACHI AND TEREDO NAVALIS. PMID- 17796965 TI - TO DEMONSTRATE PROTEIN GRAINS. PMID- 17796966 TI - PHASE REVERSAL IN PROTOPLASM AND EMULSIONS. PMID- 17796967 TI - ACTIVE HYDROGEN BY THE ACTION OF AN ACID ON A METAL. PMID- 17796968 TI - SLIDE HOLDERS FOR OVERCOMING A DEFECT IN ATTACHABLE MECHANICAL STAGES. PMID- 17796970 TI - AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17796969 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17796971 TI - THE SURFACE-TEMPERATURES OF THE OCEANS. PMID- 17796972 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17796973 TI - SCARLET-FEVER REPORT.--I. PMID- 17796974 TI - Conspiracy of Silence. PMID- 17796975 TI - The Flight of Birds. PMID- 17796976 TI - The 'Act of God' and 'Fuerza Mayor.'. PMID- 17796977 TI - The Sioux. PMID- 17796978 TI - Iroquois and Eskimos. PMID- 17796980 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17796979 TI - The Origin of the Tritubercular Type of Mammalian Dentition. PMID- 17796981 TI - ALLEGED EARLY CHINESE VOYAGES TO AMERICA. PMID- 17796982 TI - AN ARCHEOLOGICAL FRAUD. PMID- 17796983 TI - A PETROLEUM STEAMER. PMID- 17796984 TI - THE GUADALAJARA POTTERY. PMID- 17796985 TI - THE AMERICAN ORIENTAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17796986 TI - The deepest fresh-water lake in America. PMID- 17796987 TI - Ely's Labor movement in America. PMID- 17796988 TI - Zinc in Moresnet. PMID- 17796989 TI - Air from a cave for house-cooling. PMID- 17796990 TI - Coloring geological maps. PMID- 17796991 TI - The abuse of dispensaries. PMID- 17796992 TI - A manual of lithology. PMID- 17796994 TI - ON OYSTERS AND TYPHOID. PMID- 17796993 TI - THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF 1895, AND LIEUTENANT PEARY'S WORK. PMID- 17796995 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT, SIR DOUGLAS GALTON, BEFORE THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (II.). PMID- 17796997 TI - A NEW METHOD OF DETERMINING THE MOTION OF STARS IN THE LINE OF SIGHT. PMID- 17796996 TI - SOME NOTES ON DARLINGTON (S. C.), 'BAYS.'. PMID- 17796998 TI - SECTION OF ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17797000 TI - ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. PMID- 17796999 TI - THE INDEXING OF CHEMICAL LITERATURE. PMID- 17797001 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF SPRAY AND RAIN ON THE FORMS OF LEAVES. PMID- 17797002 TI - THE ABSORPTION OF TERRESTRIAL RADIATION BY THE ATMOSPHERE. PMID- 17797003 TI - THE INVERTED IMAGE ON THE RETINA. PMID- 17797004 TI - SHELLS AS IMPLEMENTS. PMID- 17797005 TI - Towards Regulating Cosmic Traffic. PMID- 17797006 TI - Phenomena of the Solar Atmosphere. PMID- 17797007 TI - Radiocarbon from Nuclear Tests, II. PMID- 17797008 TI - Nixon on Science: Policy Paper Emphasizes Basic Research; Calls for Special Institutes. PMID- 17797009 TI - Radiation Limits Reduced to One-Third Present Levels by Atomic Energy Commission. PMID- 17797010 TI - Interocular Transfer of Brightness Discrimination in "Split-Brain" Cats. AB - "Split-brain" cats with midsagittal section of the optic chiasm and the corpus callosum are able to transfer interocularly a simple brightness discrimination although they are unable to transfer a pattern discrimination. This strongly suggests that the interocular transfer of a simple brightness discrimination is mediated subcallosally. PMID- 17797011 TI - Spiral Cloud Band Associated with a Tornado. AB - The radarscope photographic sequence, by far the best example on record, reveals a spirally banded structure about 10 miles in diameter which is similar to spiral bands of hurricanes ranging as far as 250 miles and to the banded cloud structure of well-developed storms of 1000 miles as photographed by Tiros I. PMID- 17797012 TI - Factors in Phoretic Association of a Mite and Fly. AB - Combined rearing of the mite Myianoetus muscarum (L.), and the fly Muscina stabulans (Fall.) has revealed adaptations of the hypopus to a series of fly factors. These adaptations favor the mite's dispersal. Hypopi are attracted to the pupa by a volatile substance and cluster on the anterior end, from which the fly emerges. PMID- 17797013 TI - Some Moral and Technical Consequences of Automation--A Refutation. AB - The machine is not a threat to mankind, as some people think. The machine does not possess a will, and its so-called "conclusions" are only the logical consequences of its input, as revealed by the mechanistic functioning of an inanimate assemblage of mechanical and electrical parts. PMID- 17797014 TI - Spring Peak of Strontium-90 Fallout. AB - An increasing trend of Sr(90) concentration in rain observed at Fayetteville, Ark., after November 1959, indicates that the seasonal and global movements of stratospheric air masses, such as described by Brewer (I) and Dobson (2), play an important role in causing the spring peaks of the Sr(90) fallout. PMID- 17797015 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17797016 TI - THE RELATION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS TO OTHER SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17797018 TI - THE U. S. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. PMID- 17797017 TI - THE ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17797019 TI - WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. PMID- 17797020 TI - THE DISCOVERY OF TORREJON MAMMALS IN MONTANA. PMID- 17797021 TI - ENGINEERING NOTES. PMID- 17797023 TI - ELIZABETH THOMPSON SCIENCE FUND. PMID- 17797022 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17797024 TI - THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17797025 TI - PLANT MORPHOLOGY. PMID- 17797026 TI - THE SWALLOWING OF STONES BY SEALS. PMID- 17797027 TI - VARAeLE AUCTORITATIS. PMID- 17797029 TI - ANIMALS AT ROME IN ANCIENT TIMES. PMID- 17797028 TI - ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. PMID- 17797030 TI - HEIGHT MEASUREMENTS OF THE AFRICAN PYGMIES. PMID- 17797031 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17797032 TI - Fourth International Cancer Research Congress: St. Louis, September 2-7, 1947. PMID- 17797033 TI - S. F. Light 1886-1947. PMID- 17797034 TI - COMMENTS by Readers. PMID- 17797035 TI - Effect of Tetraethyl Pyrophosphate on Sympathetic Ganglionic Activity. PMID- 17797036 TI - The Influence of Heredity on the Carotene Content of Corn. PMID- 17797037 TI - Enhancement of Penicillin Blood Levels Following Oral Administration of Caronamide. PMID- 17797038 TI - Experimental Determination of the Gyrofrequency. PMID- 17797039 TI - Conversion of Isotopically Enriched CO2 to CO. PMID- 17797040 TI - A Kinesimeter for Studying the Spontaneous Activity of Small Animals. PMID- 17797041 TI - LOUIS PASTEUR. PMID- 17797043 TI - DETERMINATION OF THE CONSTANTS OF THE DIURNAL NUTATION. PMID- 17797042 TI - PASTEUR AS ILLUSTRATION OF MODERN SCIENCE. PMID- 17797044 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (XVII.). PMID- 17797046 TI - THE 'INSTITUT PASTEUR'. PMID- 17797045 TI - FIELD WORK OF U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17797047 TI - THE PHENOMENA OF FRICTION. PMID- 17797049 TI - THE RADIOLARIAN EARTHS OF CUBA. PMID- 17797048 TI - EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17797050 TI - ERECT VISION AND SINGLE VISION. PMID- 17797051 TI - THE ADVANCING PENDULUM OF BIOLOGICAL THOUGHT. PMID- 17797052 TI - ON THE NATURAL CHARGES OF METALS. PMID- 17797053 TI - THE FIRE AND THE MUSEUM AT OTTAWA. PMID- 17797055 TI - THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AND THE GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. PMID- 17797054 TI - ROBERT JAMES DAVIDSON. PMID- 17797056 TI - CENTENNIAL OF THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. PMID- 17797057 TI - MESOZOIC PATHOLOGY AND BACTERIOLOGY. PMID- 17797058 TI - EFFICIENT SUMMER VACATIONS. PMID- 17797059 TI - GERMAN GEOLOGISTS AND THE WAR. PMID- 17797060 TI - THE BOTANICAL IDENTITY OF LIGNUM NEPHRITICUM. PMID- 17797061 TI - PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON HEATED SOILS. PMID- 17797062 TI - NOTE ON THE INTERFERENCES OF PARALLEL AND CROSSED RAYS. PMID- 17797063 TI - Utility accounting and energy policy. PMID- 17797064 TI - A bank of Mammalian DNA fragments. PMID- 17797066 TI - A question of checks and balances. PMID- 17797065 TI - Networks of amateurs for science. PMID- 17797067 TI - Mathematics and computer science: coping with finiteness. AB - By presenting these examples, I have tried to illustrate four main points. 1) Finite numbers can be really enormous, and the known universe is very small. Therefore the distinction between finite and infinite is not as relevant as the distinction between realistic and unrealistic. 2) In many cases there are subtle ways to solve very large problems quickly, in spite of the fact that they appear at first to require examination of too many possibilities. 3) There are also cases where we can prove that a fairly natural problem is intrinsically hard, far beyond our conceivable capabilities. 4) It takes a good deal of skill to decide whether a given problem is in the easy or hard class; but even if a problem does turn out to be hard there are useful and interesting ways to change it into one that can be done satisfactorily. PMID- 17797068 TI - Residential energy use alternatives: 1976 to 2000. PMID- 17797070 TI - Moon's Annual Science Meeting Is Becoming a Tradition. PMID- 17797069 TI - Cancer from chemicals: du pont and congressman in numbers slugfest. PMID- 17797071 TI - Solar politics: lame-duck officials initiate a major new study. PMID- 17797072 TI - Carter will inherit ford appointees on science committee. PMID- 17797073 TI - Nuclear power economics: report heats up debate. PMID- 17797074 TI - Biologists asked to shun u.s.s.R. PMID- 17797076 TI - Coronary bypass surgery: debate over its benefits. PMID- 17797075 TI - Homogeneous Catalysis (II): Anchored Metal Complexes. PMID- 17797077 TI - Annual meeting denver. PMID- 17797079 TI - Adventure and telescopy. PMID- 17797078 TI - The anthropology of warfare. PMID- 17797080 TI - Statistical induction. PMID- 17797081 TI - Tumors and embryogenesis. PMID- 17797082 TI - Scientific results of the viking missions. AB - The two Viking missions to Mars have been extraordinarily successful. Thirteen scientific investigations yielded information about the atmosphere and surface. Two orbiters and landers operating for several months photographed the surface extensively from 1500 kilometers and directly on the surface. Measurements were made of the atmospheric composition, the surface elemental abundance, the atmospheric water vapor, temperature of the surface, and meteorological conditions; direct tests were made for organic material and living organisms. The question of life on Mars remains unanswered. The Viking spacecraft are designed to continue the investigations for at least one Mars year. PMID- 17797083 TI - The surface of Mars: the view from the viking 2 lander. AB - Viking 2 lander began imaging the surface of Mars at Utopia Planitia on 3 September 1976. The surface is a boulder-strewn reddish desert cut by troughs that probably form a polygonal network. A plateau can be seen to the east of the spacecraft, which for the most probable lander location is approximately the direction of a tongue of ejecta from the crater Mie. Boulders at the lander 2 site are generally more vesicular than those near lander i. Fines at both lander sites appear to be very fine-grained and to be bound in a duricrust. The pinkish color of the sky, similar to that observed at the lander I site, indicates suspension of surface material. However, the atmospheric optical depth is less than that at the lander I site. After dissipation of a cloud of dust stirred during landing, no changes other than those stemming from sampling activities have been detected in the landscape. No signs of large organisms are apparent at either landing site. PMID- 17797084 TI - Inorganic analyses of martian surface samples at the viking landing sites. AB - Elemental analyses of fines in the Martian regolith at two widely separated landing sites, Chryse Planitia and Utopia Planitia, produced remarkably similar results. At both sites, the uppermost regolith contains abundant Si and Fe, with significant concentrations of Mg, Al, S, Ca, and Ti. The S concentration is one to two orders of magnitude higher, and K(<0.25 percent by weight) is at least 5 times lower than the average for the earth's crust. The trace elements Sr, Y, and possibly Zr, have been detected at concentrations near or below 100 parts per million. Pebblesized fragments sampled at Chryse contain more S than the bulk fines, and are thought to be pieces of a sulfate-cemented duricrust. PMID- 17797085 TI - Mineralogic and petrologic implications of viking geochemical results from Mars: interim report. AB - Chemical results from four samples of martian fines delivered to Viking landers 1 and 2 are remarkably similar in that they all have high iron; moderate magnesium, calcium, and sulfur; low aluminum; and apparently very low alkalies and trace elements. This composition is best interpreted as representing the weathering products of mafic igneous rocks. A mineralogic model, derived from computer mixing studies and laboratory analog preparations, suggests that Mars fines could be an intimate mixture of about 80 percent iron-rich clay, about 10 percent magnesium sulfate (kieserite?), about 5 percent carbonate (calcite), and about 5 percent iron oxides (hematite, magnetite, maghemite, goethite?). The mafic nature of the present fines (distributed globally) and their probable source rocks seems to preclude large-scale planetary differentiation of a terrestrial nature. PMID- 17797086 TI - The atmosphere of Mars: detection of krypton and xenon. AB - Krypton and xenon have been discovered in the martian atmosphere with the mass spectrometer on the second Viking lander. Krypton is more abundant than xenon. The relative abundances of the krypton isotopes appear normal, but the ratio of xenon-129 to xenon-132 is enhanced on Mars relative to the terrestrial value for this ratio. Some possible implications of these findings are discussed. PMID- 17797087 TI - Composition and structure of the martian upper atmosphere: analysis of results from viking. AB - Densities for carbon dioxide measured by the upper atmospheric mass spectrometers on Viking 1 and Viking 2 are analyzed to yield height profiles for the temperature of the martian atmosphere between 120 and 200 kilometers. Densities for nitrogen and argon are used to derive vertical profiles for the eddy diffusion coefficient over the same height range. The upper atmosphere of Mars is surprisingly cold with average temperatures for both Viking 1 and Viking 2 of less than 200 degrees K, and there is significant vertical structure. Model calculations are presented and shown to be in good agreement with measured concentrations of carbon monoxide, oxygen, and nitric oxide. PMID- 17797088 TI - Structure of the neutral upper atmosphere of Mars: results from viking 1 and viking 2. AB - Neutral mass spectrometers carried on the aeroshells of Viking 1 and Viking 2 indicate that carbon dioxide is the major constituent of the martian atmosphere over the height range 120 to 200 kilometers. The atmosphere contains detectable concentrations of nitrogen, argon, carbon monoxide, molecular oxygen, atomic oxygen, and nitric oxide. The upper atmosphere exhibits a complex and variable thermal structure and is well mixed to heights in excess of 120 kilometers. PMID- 17797089 TI - Structure of Mars' Atmosphere up to 100 Kilometers from the Entry Measurements of Viking 2. AB - The Viking 2 entry science data on the structure of Mars' atmosphere up to 100 kilometers define a morning atmosphere with an isothermal region near the surface; a surface pressure 10 percent greater than that recorded simultaneously at the Viking 1 site, which implies a landing site elevation lower by 2.7 kilometers than the reference ellipsoid; and a thermal structure to 100 kilometers at least qualitatively consistent with pre-Viking modeling of thermal tides. The temperature profile exhibits waves whose amplitude grows with altitude, to approximately 25 degrees K at 90 kilometers. These waves are believed to be a consequence of layered vertical oscillations and associated heating and cooling by compression and expansion, excited by the daily thermal cycling of the planet surface. As is necessary for gravity wave propagation, the atmosphere is stable against convection, except possibly in some very local regions. Temperature is everywhere appreciably above the carbon dioxide condensation boundary at both landing sites, precluding the occurrence of carbon dioxide hazes in northern summer at latitudes to at least 50 degrees N. Thus, ground level mists seen in these latitudes would appear to be condensed water vapor. PMID- 17797090 TI - Viking magnetic properties investigation: further results. AB - The amounts of magnetic particles held on the reference test chart and backhoe magnets on lander 2 and lander 1 are comparable, indicating the presence of an estimated 3 to 7 percent by weight of relatively pure, strongly magnetic particles in the soil at the lander 2 sampling site. Preliminary spectrophotometric analysis of the material held on the backhoe magnets on lander 1 indicates that its reflectance characteristics are indistinguishable from material within a sampling trench with which it has been compared. The material on the RTC magnet shows a different spectrum, but it is suspected that the difference is the result of a reflectance contribution from the magnesium metal covering on the magnet. It is argued that the results indicate the presence, now or originally, of magnetite, which may be titaniferous. PMID- 17797091 TI - The environs of viking 2 lander. AB - Forty-six days after Viking 1 landed, Viking 2 landed in Utopia Planitia, about 6500 kilometers away from the landing site of Viking 1. Images show that in the immediate vicinity of the Viking 2 landing site the surface is covered with rocks, some of which are partially buried, and fine-grained materials. The surface sampler, the lander cameras, engineering sensors, and some data from the other lander experiments were used to investigate the properties of the surface. Lander 2 has a more homogeneous surface, more coarse-grained material, an extensive crust, small rocks or clods which seem to be difficult to collect, and more extensive erosion by the retro-engine exhaust gases than lander 1. A report on the physical properties of the martian surface based on data obtained through sol 58 on Viking 2 and a brief description of activities on Viking 1 after sol 36 are given. PMID- 17797092 TI - The viking seismic experiment. AB - A three-axis short-period seismometer is now operating on Mars in the Utopia Planitia region. The noise background correlates well with wind gusts. Although no quakes have been detected in the first 60 days of observation, it is premature to draw any conclusions about the seismicity of Mars. The instrument is expected to return data for at least 2 years. PMID- 17797093 TI - The viking carbon assimilation experiments: interim report. AB - A synthesis of organic matter from atmospheric carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, or both, appears to take place in the surface material of Mars at a low rate. The synthesis appears to be thermolabile and to be inhibited by moisture. PMID- 17797094 TI - Viking labeled release biology experiment: interim results. AB - This report summarizes all results of the labeled release life detection experiment conducted on Mars prior to conjunction. Tests at both landing sites provide remarkably similar evolution of radioactive gas upon addition of a radioactive nutrient to the Mars sample. The "active" agent in the Mars sample is stable to 18 degrees C, but is substantially inactivated by heat treatment for 3 hours at 50 degrees C and completely inactivated at 160 degrees C, as would be anticipated if the active response were caused by microorganisms. Results from test and heat-sterilized control Mars samples are compared to those obtained from terrestrial soils and from a lunar sample. Possible nonbiological explanations of the Mars data are reviewed along with plans for resolution of the Mars data. Although such explanations of the labeled release data depend on ultraviolet irradiation, the labeled release response does not appear to depend on recent direct ultraviolet activation of surface material. Available facts do not yet permit a conclusion regarding the existence of life on Mars. Plans for conclusion of the experiment are discussed. PMID- 17797095 TI - North polar region of Mars: imaging results from viking 2. AB - During October 1976, the Viking 2 orbiter acquired approximately 700 high resolution images of the north polar region of Mars. These images confirm the existence at the north pole of extensive layered deposits largely covered over with deposits of perennial ice. An unconformity within the layered deposits suggests a complex history of climate change during their time of deposition. A pole-girdling accumulation of dunes composed of very dark materials is revealed for the first time by the Viking cameras. The entire region is devoid of fresh impact craters. Rapid rates of erosion or deposition are implied. A scenario for polar geological evolution, involving two types of climate change, is proposed. PMID- 17797096 TI - Mars: northern summer ice cap--water vapor observations from viking 2. AB - Observations of the latitude dependence of water vapor made from the Viking 2 orbiter show peak abundances in the latitude band 70 degrees to 80 degrees north in the northern midsummer season (planetocentric longitude approximately 108 degrees ). Total column abundances in the polar regions require near-surface atmospheric temperatures in excess of 200 degrees K, and are incompatible with the survival of a frozen carbon dioxide cap at martian pressures. The remnant (or residual) north polar cap, and the outlying patches of ice at lower latitudes, are thus predominantly water ice, whose thickness can be estimated to be between 1 meter and 1 kilometer. PMID- 17797097 TI - Martian north pole summer temperatures: dirty water ice. AB - Broadband thermal and reflectance observations of the martian north polar region in late summer yield temperatures for the residual polar cap near 205 K with albedos near 43 percent. The residual cap and several outlying smaller deposits are water ice with included dirt; there is no evidence for any permanent carbon dioxide polar cap. PMID- 17797098 TI - Soil and surface temperatures at the viking landing sites. AB - The annual temperature range for the martian surface at the Viking lander sites is computed on the basis of thermal parameters derived from observations made with the infrared thermal mappers. The Viking lander 1 (VL1) site has small annual variations in temperature, whereas the Viking lander 2 (VL2) site has large annual changes. With the Viking lander images used to estimate the rock component of the thermal emission, the daily temperature behavior of the soil alone is computed over the range of depths accessible to the lander; when the VL1 and VL2 sites were sampled, the daily temperature ranges at the top of the soil were 183 to 263 K and 183 to 268 K, respectively. The diurnal variation decreases with depth with an exponential scale of about 5 centimeters. The maximum temperature of the soil sampled from beneath rocks at the VL2 site is calculated to be 230 K. These temperature calculations should provide a reference for study of the active chemistry reported for the martian soil. PMID- 17797099 TI - Temperatures of the martian surface and atmosphere: viking observation of diurnal and geometric variations. AB - Selected observations made with the Viking infrared thermal mapper after the first landing are reported. Atmospheric temperatures measured at the latitude of the Viking 2 landing site (48 degrees N) over most of a martian day reveal a diurnal variation of at least 15 K, with peak temperatures occurring near 2.2 hours after noon, implying significant absorption of sunlight in the lower 30 km of the atmosphere by entrained dust. The summit temperature of Arsia Mons varies by a factor of nearly two each day; large diurnal temperature variation is characteristic of the south Tharsis upland and implies the presence of low thermal inertia material. The thermal inertia of material on the floors of several typical large craters is found to be higher than for the surrounding terrain; this suggests that craters are somehow effective in sorting aeolian material. Brightness temperatures of the Viking 1 landing area decrease at large emission angles; the intensity of reflected sunlight shows a more complex dependence on geometry than expected, implying atmospheric as well as surface scattering. PMID- 17797100 TI - Early meteorological results from the viking 2 lander. AB - Early results from the meteorological instruments on the Viking 2 lander are presented. As on lander 1, the daily patterns of temperature, wind, and pressure have been highly repetitive during the early summer period. The average daily maximum temperature was 241 degrees K and the diurnal minimum was 191 degrees K. The wind has a vector mean of 0.7 meter per second from the southeast with a diurnal amplitude of 3 meters per second. Pressure exhibits both diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations, although of substantially smaller amplitude than those of lander 1. Departures from the repetitive diurnal patterns begin to appear on sol 37. PMID- 17797101 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17797103 TI - THE PROBLEM OF THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE. PMID- 17797102 TI - PHYSIOLOGY AND HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO AIR EMBOLISM AND THE EFFECTS OF ACCELERATION. PMID- 17797104 TI - SOMA WEISS. PMID- 17797105 TI - DEDICATION OF THE HORACE H. RACKHAM EDUCATIONAL MEMORIAL. PMID- 17797106 TI - EXPEDITIONS OF FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17797107 TI - THE RESEARCH COUNCIL ON PROBLEMS OF ALCOHOL. PMID- 17797108 TI - ADVANCED INSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH IN MECHANICS AT BROWN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797109 TI - THE FIRST WESTERN MEETING OF BIOMETRICIANS. PMID- 17797110 TI - GRANTS-IN-AID OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17797111 TI - A YEAR IN AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797112 TI - A PURE NITROGEN NATURAL GAS WELL. PMID- 17797113 TI - GALENA IN CONCRETIONS OF POTTSVILLE AGE. PMID- 17797114 TI - NEON LIGHTS. PMID- 17797115 TI - ADVERTISEMENTS IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17797116 TI - ADVERTISEMENTS IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17797117 TI - REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797118 TI - A FACTOR IN DOMESTIC RABBIT PAPILLOMA TISSUE HYDROLYZING THE PAPILLOMA VIRUS PROTEIN. PMID- 17797119 TI - THE RESPIRATION OF ELODEA. PMID- 17797120 TI - ON THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PROTEIN PARTICLE. PMID- 17797121 TI - CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF MIXTURES OF AMINO ACIDS. PMID- 17797122 TI - CEREAL CELLULOSE, A ROUGHAGE MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL DIETS. PMID- 17797123 TI - THE CONTRIBUTION OF ZOOLOGY TO HUMAN WELFARE. PMID- 17797124 TI - THE STATUS OF PHYSIOLOGY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17797125 TI - DRAWINGS ON LANTERN SLIDES. PMID- 17797126 TI - EVIDENCE FROM ALASKA OF THE UNITY OF THE PLEISTOCENE GLACIAL PERIOD. PMID- 17797127 TI - A NATIONAL FLORAL EMBLEM. PMID- 17797129 TI - TRANSLATIONS MADE ACCESSIBLE. PMID- 17797128 TI - A SUGGESTION FOR MAKING THIN SECTIONS FOR BRYOZOAN SLIDES. PMID- 17797130 TI - A REVIEW OF SOME PAPERS ON FOSSIL MAN AT VERO, FLORIDA. PMID- 17797131 TI - THE ANIMAL CENSUS OF TWO CITY LOTS. PMID- 17797132 TI - Social Science and the Established Order. PMID- 17797133 TI - Simon Flexner and Medical Discovery. PMID- 17797134 TI - The Centennial Celebration Washington, D. C. SEPTEMBER 13-17, 1948. PMID- 17797135 TI - Influence of Butyl Alcohol on Shape of Snow Crystals Formed in the Laboratory. PMID- 17797136 TI - Radioactive Needles Containing Cobalt 60. PMID- 17797137 TI - Measurement of Diffusion Coefficients in Liquids by Radioactive Tracers. PMID- 17797138 TI - The Berlin Botanic Garden. PMID- 17797139 TI - Amino Acid Impairment in Casein Heated With Glucose. PMID- 17797140 TI - Newly Discovered Outcrops of the Cannonball Formation in North Dakota. PMID- 17797141 TI - The Effects of X-Rays on the Mitotic Activity of Mouse Epidermis. PMID- 17797142 TI - A Report on the Ridgway Color Standards. PMID- 17797143 TI - Flowering of the Jersey Type Sweet Potato. PMID- 17797144 TI - Rearing Houseflies and Blowflies on Dog Biscuit. PMID- 17797145 TI - Use of Papergrams in the Study of the Urinary Excretion of Radioactive Sulfur Compounds. PMID- 17797146 TI - A Simple Attachment to Increase Depth of Focus of Microscope Objectives for Photomicrography. PMID- 17797147 TI - Science Changes. PMID- 17797148 TI - A. P. Colburn, Humanitarian and Chemical Engineer. PMID- 17797149 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17797150 TI - Orientation of Single-Crystal Silver Halides by Epitaxy. PMID- 17797151 TI - Doverite, a New Yttrium Mineral. PMID- 17797153 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17797154 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17797155 TI - EINSTEIN'S LAW OF GRAVITATION. PMID- 17797156 TI - LEARNED SOCIETIES, OLD AND NEW. PMID- 17797157 TI - A BUST OF THE LATE PROFESSOR E. D. COPE. PMID- 17797158 TI - AN ODD PROBLEM IN MECHANICS. PMID- 17797159 TI - THE ANTISCORBUTIC PROPERTY OF DEHYDRATED MEAT. PMID- 17797160 TI - THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797161 TI - THE CHEMIST IN THREE WARS-II. PMID- 17797163 TI - CANCELLATION OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. PMID- 17797162 TI - NORRIS JONES. PMID- 17797164 TI - THE EFFECTIVE USE OF SCIENTIFIC ABILITY. PMID- 17797165 TI - CLINICAL CONGRESS OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. PMID- 17797166 TI - THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. PMID- 17797167 TI - THE GRADUATE FORTNIGHT OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17797168 TI - THE BACTERIAL OXIDATION OF RUBBER. PMID- 17797169 TI - WHAT PRICE GLORY? PMID- 17797170 TI - STATE BOARD STATISTICS AS A BASIS FOR COMPARISON OF MEDICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17797171 TI - THE ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD. PMID- 17797172 TI - CORRECTION. AB - THE 1942 U.S.D.A. Yearbook, "Keeping Livestock Healthy," page 1096, fails to give proper credit to the research workers responsible for the experimental production of goiter in poultry. This was first accomplished in 1938 by A. R. Patton, H. S. Wilgus, Jr., and G. S. Harshfield (SCIENCE, 89: 162, 1939). PMID- 17797173 TI - LOCATION OF NEW AND RARE INSTRUMENTS. PMID- 17797175 TI - THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17797174 TI - VITAMIN C IN THE WAR. PMID- 17797176 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797177 TI - NATURAL AND SYNTHEIC INHIBITORS OF CHOLINE ESTERASE. PMID- 17797178 TI - A MICROSCALPEL FOR USE IN EXPERIMENTAL EMBRYOLOGY. PMID- 17797179 TI - BACTERIAL GROWTH FACTORS IN SOIL. PMID- 17797180 TI - THE INSECTICIDAL ACTION OF PHENOTHIAZINE. PMID- 17797181 TI - Elementary Theory of the Chain-reacting Pile. PMID- 17797182 TI - Work With Residual DDT Spray in Puerto Rico: A Report of the First Year's Work. PMID- 17797184 TI - Leo Ccaronernosvitov 1902-1945. PMID- 17797183 TI - Research or Available Knowledge: A Matter of Classification. PMID- 17797185 TI - Streptomycin as an Aid in Isolating Influenza Virus. PMID- 17797187 TI - Meteorite Impact Suggested by the Orientation of Shatter-Cones at the Kentland, Indiana, Disturbance. PMID- 17797186 TI - Hypervolemia in Mice Bearing Transplantable Granulosa Cell Tumors. PMID- 17797188 TI - Evidence That the Hemolytic Anemia Caused by Fat and Choline Is Not Due to Lipotropic Action. PMID- 17797189 TI - A Nonrespiratory Variant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PMID- 17797190 TI - The Deposition of C14 in Bone. PMID- 17797191 TI - Antigenic Carbohydrate-Lipid Isolated From Paraffin-Oil Extract of Dead Tubercle Bacilli. PMID- 17797192 TI - Apparatus for Studying Crystal Formation. PMID- 17797193 TI - A Technique for Obtaining Quickly Permanent Mounts of Nonembedded Botanical Material. PMID- 17797194 TI - Fluorophotometric Determination of Rutin and Other Flavones. PMID- 17797195 TI - Sharp Interfacial Precipitin Reactions in Capillary Pipettes. PMID- 17797196 TI - Metabolism Cages. PMID- 17797197 TI - Warm Safranine for Plant Tissues. PMID- 17797198 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17797199 TI - Careers in science. PMID- 17797200 TI - Superconductivity: the real dichotomy. PMID- 17797202 TI - Recession of tropical glaciers. PMID- 17797201 TI - AAS Position on the Space Station. PMID- 17797203 TI - Strategies for research. PMID- 17797204 TI - UNESCO's Role. PMID- 17797205 TI - Response. PMID- 17797206 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17797208 TI - It's Official: Quake Danger in Northwest Rivals California's. PMID- 17797207 TI - In Budget Crunch, FUSE Gets Trimmed. PMID- 17797209 TI - Cuban crisis threatens joint research. PMID- 17797210 TI - Memory metal unwinds scoliosis. PMID- 17797211 TI - MSU Affair Resolved. PMID- 17797212 TI - 22nd-dynasty toothache. PMID- 17797213 TI - Quicker ozone recovery forecast. PMID- 17797214 TI - Another comet crackup. PMID- 17797215 TI - Exaggerations of ancient medicine. PMID- 17797216 TI - 2 firms, 4 engineers win technology medals. PMID- 17797218 TI - Odors, oscillations, and waves: does it all compute? PMID- 17797217 TI - Energetic molecular oxygen in the atmosphere. PMID- 17797219 TI - Negative absolute temperatures: "hot" spins in spontaneous magnetic order. AB - Depending on the sign of the spin temperature in the picokelvin range, antiferromagnetic nuclear and ferromagnetic nuclear orders in silver are caused by the same interactions. In rhodium, the antiferromagnetic state is preferred both at temperatures greater than and temperatures less than zero. The lowest and "highest" temperatures ever produced on this scale and measured, 280 and -750 picokelvin, respectively, have been reached in the course of these experiments. The results on silver, in particular, show that negative temperatures are real, not fictitious, quantities. PMID- 17797220 TI - The "Ozone Deficit" Problem: O2(X, v ge 26) + O(3P) from 226-nm Ozone Photodissociation. AB - Highly vibrationally excited O(2)(X(3)sigmag(-), v >/= 26) has been observed from the photodissociation of ozone (O(3)), and the quantum yield for this reaction has been determined for excitation at 226 nanometers. This observation may help to address the "ozone deficit" problem, or why the previously predicted stratospheric O(3) concentration is less than that observed. Recent kinetic studies have suggested that O(2)(X(3)sigmag(-), v >/= 26) can react rapidly with O(2) to form O(3) + O and have led to speculation that, if produced in the photodissociation of O(3), this species might be involved in resolving the discrepancy. The sequence O(3) + hv --> O(2)(X(3)sigmag(-), v >/= 26) + O; O(2)(X(3)sigmag(-), v >/= 26) + O(2) --> O(3) + O (where hv is a photon) would be an autocatalytic mechanism for production of odd oxygen. A two-dimensional atmospheric model has been used to evaluate the importance of this new mechanism. The new mechanism can completely account for the tropical O(3) deficit at an altitude of 43 kilometers, but it does not completely account for the deficit at higher altitudes. The mechanism also provides for isotopic fractionation and may contribute to an explanation for the anomalously high concentration of heavy O(3) in the stratosphere. PMID- 17797221 TI - Vertical aluminophosphate molecular sieve crystals grown at inorganic-organic interfaces. AB - Tubular aluminophosphate molecular sieve crystals were grown at an organic interface with their channels (7 angstroms in cross section) vertical to the substrate. To induce surface nucleation and oriented growth of AIPO(4)-5 crystals, organophosphonate layers cross-linked with Zr(IV) were assembled on a gold substrate and the modified substrate was immersed in a hydrothermal bath containing reagents for the synthesis of the molecular sieve. Reflection absorption infrared studies demonstrated the stability of the phosphonate layers under these conditions. Drastic changes in the morphology of the surface-grown crystals from spherical agglomerates to vertical needles to thin tilted needles could be achieved by adjusting the water content of the synthesis bath. Nitrogen sorption in these structures on a piezoelectric device confirmed the presence of zeolitic microporosity. PMID- 17797222 TI - Greenland ice evidence of hemispheric lead pollution two millennia ago by greek and roman civilizations. AB - Analysis of the Greenland ice core covering the period from 3000 to 500 years ago the Greek, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance times-shows that lead is present at concentrations four times as great as natural values from about 2500 to 1700 years ago (500 B.C. to 300 A.D.). These results show that Greek and Roman lead and silver mining and smelting activities polluted the middle troposphere of the Northern Hemisphere on a hemispheric scale two millennia ago, long before the Industrial Revolution. Cumulative lead fallout to the Greenland Ice Sheet during these eight centuries was as high as 15 percent of that caused by the massive use of lead alkyl additives in gasoline since the 1930s. Pronounced lead pollution is also observed during Medieval and Renaissance times. PMID- 17797223 TI - Nitrogen uptake, dissolved organic nitrogen release, and new production. AB - In oceanic, coastal, and estuarine environments, an average of 25 to 41 percent of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NH(4) (+) and NO(3) (-)) taken up by phytoplankton is released as dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Release rates for DON in oceanic systems range from 4 to 26 nanogram-atoms of nitrogen per liter per hour. Failure to account for the production of DON during nitrogen-15 uptake experiments results in an underestimate of gross nitrogen uptake rates and thus an underestimate of new and regenerated production. In these studies, traditional nitrogen-15 techniques were found to underestimate new and regenerated production by up to 74 and 50 percent, respectively. Total DON turnover times, estimated from DON release resulting from both NH(4) (+) and NO(3) (-) uptake, were 10 +/- 1, 18 +/- 14, and 4 days for oceanic, coastal, and estuarine sites, respectively. PMID- 17797224 TI - Origin and metamorphic redistribution of silicon, chromium, and phosphorus in the metal of chondrites. AB - Chromium, silicon, and phosphorus concentrations of 0.1 to 1 percent by weight are common in metal grains in the least metamorphosed ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. These concentrations are fairly uniform within single chondrules (but different from chondrule to chondrule) and are inversely correlated with the fayalite concentrations of the chondrule olivines. This relation shows that these chromium, silicon, and phosphorus concentrations could not have been established by condensation or equilibration in the solar nebula but are the result of metal silicate equilibration within chondrules. Two generations of inclusions made by the exsolution of those elements have been identified: One formed during chondrule cooling and the other formed during metamorphism. The distribution and composition of the latter in type 3 to type 5 chondrites are consistent with increasing metamorphism relative to type 2 and type 3.0 material. PMID- 17797225 TI - Capillarity and wetting of carbon nanotubes. AB - The wetting and capillarity of carbon nanotubes were studied in detail here. Nanotubes are not "super-straws," although they can be wet and filled by substances having low surface tension, such as sulfur, selenium, and cesium, with an upper limit to this tension less than 200 millinewtons per meter. This limit implies that typical pure metals will not be drawn into the inner cavity of nanotubes through capillarity, whereas water and organic solvents will. These results have important implications for the further use of carbon nanotubes in experiments on a nanometer scale. PMID- 17797227 TI - Retention of helium in subducted interplanetary dust particles. PMID- 17797226 TI - Encoding of olfactory information with oscillating neural assemblies. AB - In the brain, fast oscillations of local field potentials, which are thought to arise from the coherent and rhythmic activity of large numbers of neurons, were observed first in the olfactory system and have since been described in many neocortical areas. The importance of these oscillations in information coding, however, is controversial. Here, local field potential and intracellular recordings were obtained from the antennal lobe and mushroom body of the locust Schistocerca americana. Different odors evoked coherent oscillations in different, but usually overlapping, ensembles of neurons. The phase of firing of individual neurons relative to the population was not dependent on the odor. The components of a coherently oscillating ensemble of neurons changed over the duration of a single exposure to an odor. It is thus proposed that odors are encoded by specific but dynamic assemblies of coherently oscillating neurons. Such distributed and temporal representation of complex sensory signals may facilitate combinatorial coding and associative learning in these, and possibly other, sensory networks. PMID- 17797228 TI - Response. PMID- 17797229 TI - Career beginnings. PMID- 17797230 TI - Virtually a-life. PMID- 17797231 TI - Seismic uncertainties. PMID- 17797232 TI - Vignettes: shifts in biology. PMID- 17797233 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17797235 TI - Climbing the industry career ladder. PMID- 17797234 TI - The modern postdoc: prepping for the job market. PMID- 17797236 TI - Taking roads less traveled by researchers. PMID- 17797237 TI - Signing up for contract research and development. PMID- 17797238 TI - Grant limits irk young scientists. PMID- 17797239 TI - Grantsmanship: what makes proposals work? PMID- 17797241 TI - Job-hopping to greater career heights. PMID- 17797240 TI - Tenure, under fire once again, still holds strong. PMID- 17797242 TI - Venturing off: the world of the entrepreneur. PMID- 17797244 TI - A quick guide to job-hunting. PMID- 17797243 TI - Unemployment blues: a report from the field. PMID- 17797245 TI - Making the grade as a scientific manager. PMID- 17797246 TI - Retirement: when to go and what to do. PMID- 17797247 TI - Biosynthesis of Penicillins: The Editorial Board of the Monograph on the Chemistry of Penicillin. PMID- 17797248 TI - The National Academy of Sciences: Abstracts of Papers Presented at 1947 Autumn Meeting. PMID- 17797249 TI - Chemical Structure and the Definition of Sympathin E. PMID- 17797250 TI - Microbial Utilization of Carcinogenic Hydrocarbons. PMID- 17797251 TI - Effect of Indole on the Determination of N'-Methylnicotinamide. PMID- 17797252 TI - Production of Starch-like Material From Glucose-1-phosphate by Diphtheria Bacilli. PMID- 17797253 TI - Vitamin Requirements of Microbacterium lacticum Orla-Jensen. PMID- 17797254 TI - A Rapid Method for Estimation of Use-Dilution Concentrations of Quaternary Ammonium Germicides. PMID- 17797255 TI - A Simple Device for Macroscopic Sectioning of the Brain. PMID- 17797257 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17797256 TI - The Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters: A New Affiliated Academy of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. PMID- 17797258 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17797260 TI - A Plea for More Fundamental Research Effort. PMID- 17797259 TI - Science for Its Own Sake: Presidential Address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science. PMID- 17797261 TI - Steric Considerations on the Chemical Structure and Physiological Activity of Methadone and Related Compounds. PMID- 17797262 TI - Nonspecificity of the Triple Response for Ethylene. PMID- 17797263 TI - Circular Paper Chromatography II. Isatin as a Color Reagent for Amino Acids. PMID- 17797264 TI - Successful Transplantation of an Apparently Benign Neoplasm. PMID- 17797265 TI - Distemper Immunization of Ferrets by Nebulization with Egg Adapted Virus. PMID- 17797266 TI - Influence of Water-Soluble Vitamin E on Survival Time in Irradiated Mice. PMID- 17797267 TI - Root Production in Plants Following Localized Stem Irradiation. PMID- 17797268 TI - Antithyroid Action of Antibiotics. PMID- 17797269 TI - Production of Triuret from Uric Acid by Ultraviolet Irradiation. PMID- 17797270 TI - Zoological Nomenclature: Decisions Taken by the Fourteenth International Congress of Zoology, Copenhagen, August, 1953. PMID- 17797271 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17797272 TI - Emotions and facial expression. PMID- 17797273 TI - Emotions and facial expression. PMID- 17797274 TI - Emotions and facial expression. PMID- 17797275 TI - Air pollution and Acid rain. PMID- 17797276 TI - Energy extraction and use in a nomadic pastoral ecosystem. AB - An analysis of annual energy flows in an arid tropical ecosystem inhabited by nomadic pastoralists provides insight into a subsistence life-style that has persisted in droughted environments for hundreds to thousands of years. Although a large fraction of the total energy consumed by the Ngisonyoka of Kenya followed a single pathway from plant to animal to human, they also harvested solar energy from a relatively diverse assemblage of energy flow channels. Energy utilization and conversion efficiencies were generally low, as the system is maintenance rather than production-oriented. Energy flow to maintenance must be relatively high to support biotic responses that enable tolerance of abiotic variability and to stabilize energy flow under the stress of severe droughts. Energy utilization by the Ngisonyoka is therefore consistent with ecological patterns that promote rather than diminish ecological stability under stress. PMID- 17797277 TI - Conservation tillage. AB - Conservation production systems combine tillage and planting practices to reduce soil erosion and loss of water from farmland. Successful conservation tillage practices depend on the ability of farm managers to integrate sound crop production practices with effective pest management systems. More scientific information is needed to determine the relations between tillage practices and physical, chemical, and biological soil factors that affect plant and pest ecology. There is a need to devise improved pest management strategies for conservation tillage and to better understand the impact of conservation tillage on water-quality, especially as it is related to use of agricultural chemicals. While savings in fuel, labor, and soil have induced many farmers to adopt conservation tillage, improved methods and equipment should increase adoption even more. PMID- 17797278 TI - What's in a Name? PMID- 17797279 TI - Rumors of china-iran trade clouds nuke pact. PMID- 17797280 TI - Reagan Reinterprets the ABM Treaty. PMID- 17797281 TI - A plan to save tropical forests. PMID- 17797283 TI - Experts Cast Doubts on X-ray Laser: The jewel of the "Star Wars" missile defense program fails to glitter. PMID- 17797282 TI - Surveillance laws need overhaul. PMID- 17797284 TI - New Mysteries at the Galactic Center: In addition to a massive black hole, the center of the Milky Way exhibits bizarre magnetic structures, "threads," and possibly a jet. PMID- 17797285 TI - Predictable quake damage. PMID- 17797286 TI - The nonproliferation regime: non-proliferation. PMID- 17797287 TI - A schema of science: the intellectual and social organization of the sciences. PMID- 17797288 TI - Land-dwelling crustaceans: the biology of terrestrial isopods. PMID- 17797289 TI - Solar astronomy: solar maximum analysis. PMID- 17797290 TI - The structure of the core of the spiral wave in the belousov-zhabotinskii reaction. AB - The quantitative structure of the core of the spiral-shaped traveling wave of chemical activity appearing in a thin excitable layer of the Belousov Zhabotinskii reaction, in which the oxidation and decarboxylation of malonic acid by bromate ions is catalyzed by ferroin, was analyzed experimentally. Light absorption by ferroin as the reduced reaction catalyst and indicator was measured by means of a video-and computer-based two-dimensional spectrophotometer with 10 micrometer spatial, 2-second temporal, and 256-digital units intensity resolution. The spiral core is a singular site (diameter, 30 micrometers or less) at which intensity modulations due to ferroin-ferriin distributions are at least ten times smaller than in the surrounding area of spiral propagation. Archimedian spirals were fitted to isoconcentration lines. PMID- 17797292 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17797291 TI - Phytochelatins: the principal heavy-metal complexing peptides of higher plants. AB - A set of novel heavy-metal complexing peptides was isolated from plant cell suspension cultures; the structure of the peptides was established as (gamma glutamic acid-cysteine)n-glycine (n = 3 to 7). These peptides appear upon induction of plant cells with heavy metals and represent the principal metal binding activities in the cells. The name phytochelatin is proposed for this new class of natural products. PMID- 17797293 TI - Erratum. AB - The "turritid gastropod" referred to on page 713 (column 2, line 22) of the article "Hydrothermal vent animals: Distribution and biology" by J. Frederick Grassle (23 Aug.) should have been a "turrid gastropod." The first reference 26 on page 716 (column 2, line 14) should have been to R. A. Lutz and D. C. Rhoads, Eos 64, 1017 (1983). The statement at the end of page 716 that vent animals have metabolic rates that are orders of magnitude higher than relatives in other parts of the deep sea cannot be substantiated because, although many deep-sea organisms have low metabolic rates, benthic decapod crustacea and echinoderms from areas away from hydrothermal vents in the deep sea have metabolic rates similar to those of vent species when measured at the same temperature. This is further discussed in a forthcoming issue of the Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington. PMID- 17797295 TI - The rational approach to the irrational. PMID- 17797294 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17797296 TI - In reply: venus phenomena. PMID- 17797297 TI - Science curriculum reform. PMID- 17797298 TI - Roddier wavefront sensor. PMID- 17797299 TI - "High risk" anthropology. PMID- 17797301 TI - Demolishing the layer cake. PMID- 17797300 TI - International doubts about a kenyan cure. PMID- 17797302 TI - Unraveling rembrandt. PMID- 17797303 TI - Skepticism urged on soviet psychiatry. PMID- 17797304 TI - Astrophysics in the Abyss: Hovering quietly nearly 5 kilometers under the sea, DUMAND will watch and waif for ghostly particles coming from the most violent regions of the universe. PMID- 17797306 TI - Warm waters, bleached corals. PMID- 17797305 TI - All worked up about buckyballs. PMID- 17797307 TI - Transient particle acceleration associated with solar flares. AB - Understanding how individual charged particles can be accelerated to extreme energies (10(20) electron volts), remains a foremost problem in astrophysics. Within our solar system, the active sun is capable of producing, on a short time scale, ions with energies higher than 25 gigaelectron volts. Satellite and ground based observation over the past 30 years have greatly increased our knowledge of the properties of transient bursts of energetic particles emitted from the sun in association with solar flares, but a real understanding of the solar flare particle acceleration process requires greatly refined experimental data. On the practical side, it is also imperative that this problem be solved if man is to venture, for long periods of time, beyond the protective umbrella of Earth's magnetic field, which excludes much of the biologically damaging solar energetic particles. It is only through an understanding of the basic acceleration problem that we can expect to be able to predict the occurrence of a solar flare with lethal solar radiations. For our knowledge of these effects to advance, a new space mission dedicated to studying the high-energy aspects of solar flares at high spatial and energy resolution will be required. PMID- 17797308 TI - Chaotic motion of europa and ganymede and the ganymede-callisto dichotomy. AB - Europa and Ganymede may have undergone an episode of chaotic motion before the establishment of the current Laplace resonance involving the three inner Galilean satellites. During this episode, the orbital eccentricities of both satellites may have increased dramatically. As a result, the mechanical stresses due to tidal deformation of the satellites' icy lithospheres may have been large enough to result in extensive fracturing, and tidal heating may have melted water ice in the mantles of both satellites, triggering the geological activity that has modified their surfaces since the heavy cratering period. The tidal effects on Ganymede during this episode provide an explanation of the dichotomy between it and Callisto, which have similar bulk properties but very different geological histories. PMID- 17797309 TI - Reversible root tip rotation in Arabidopsis seedlings induced by obstacle touching stimulus. AB - In soil, downwardly growing plant roots frequently alter their growth direction to escape obstacles that lie in their paths. This response has been analyzed with a simple system that provides a constant obstacle-touching stimulus to root tips of young seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana. On the surface of agar plates, which were set at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical, the roots exhibit a wavy growth pattern that is caused by periodic reversion of rotation of the root tip. A set of mutants with abnormal wavy growth was used to demonstrate that at least six genes are involved in this stimulus-response interaction. PMID- 17797310 TI - Proyecto futuro. PMID- 17797311 TI - Large marine ecosystems. PMID- 17797312 TI - AAAS VISA (R) Gold Member Benefit. PMID- 17797313 TI - Mesoamerican forests. PMID- 17797314 TI - Carey graduate student award. PMID- 17797315 TI - Larus competition in Caribbean. PMID- 17797316 TI - Art and science. PMID- 17797317 TI - Council deadline. PMID- 17797318 TI - The Triune Brain in Evolution. Role in Paleocerebral Functions. Paul D. MacLean. Plenum, New York, 1990. xxiv, 672 pp., illus. $75. PMID- 17797320 TI - Ecological Concepts. The Contribution of Ecology to an Understanding of the Natural World. J. M. Cherrett et al., Eds. Blackwell Scientific, Boston, 1989. viii, 385 pp., illus. $92.95; paper, $43.95. British Ecological Society Symposium 29. From a symposium, London, April 1988; Toward a More Exact Ecology. Peter J. Grubb and John B. Whittaker, Eds. Blackwell Scientific, Boston, 1990. x, 468 pp., illus. $92.95; paper, $43.95. British Ecological Society Symposium 30. From a symposium, Oxford, U. K., Sept. 1988. PMID- 17797321 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17797322 TI - THE TEMPERATURE INTERVAL IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE ALGAe. PMID- 17797323 TI - A THIRD CAPTURE ON THE FLORIDA COAST OF THE WHALE SHARK, RHINEODON TYPUS. PMID- 17797324 TI - METHODS USED IN THE STUDY OF SOIL ALKALI. PMID- 17797325 TI - THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN DIGESTION. PMID- 17797326 TI - A SIDEWALK MIRAGE. PMID- 17797327 TI - DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BY ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND ITS BEARING ON THE CATALASE REACTION. PMID- 17797328 TI - THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797329 TI - A SIMPLE DEVICE FOR SHOWING BY A HYDRAULIC ANALOGUE THE EFFECT PRODUCED ON THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TERMINALS OF AN ELECTRIC CELL WHEN THE CIRCUIT IS CLOSED. PMID- 17797331 TI - REFLECTIONS SUGGESTED BY THE NEW THEORY OF MATTER. PMID- 17797330 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. III. PMID- 17797332 TI - SCIENCE AND THE PEOPLE. PMID- 17797333 TI - DEFLECTION OF THE MISSISSIPPI. PMID- 17797334 TI - PALEOZOIC SEED PLANTS. PMID- 17797335 TI - THE SOUFRIERE OF ST. VINCENT IN JULY, 1904. PMID- 17797336 TI - THE INHERITANCE OF SONG IN PASSERINE BIRDS. PMID- 17797337 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17797338 TI - A STATION FOR THE STUDY OF BIRD LIFE. PMID- 17797339 TI - THE ACADEMIC CAREER AS AFFECTED BY ADMINISTRATION. PMID- 17797340 TI - METEORITE SHOWER AT MODOC, KANSAS. PMID- 17797341 TI - ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SMALL MOUNDS OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND TEXAS. PMID- 17797342 TI - CAPTURE OF THE WEST INDIAN SEAL (MONACHUS TROPICALIS) AT KEY WEST, FLORIDA. PMID- 17797343 TI - THE FISH GENUS ALARES OR CHEILOBRANCHUS. PMID- 17797344 TI - THE FUNCTIONS OF THE FINS OF FISHES. PMID- 17797345 TI - COLUMBIA FIELD WORK IN 1905 INTERCOLLEGIATE FIELD COURSES IN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17797346 TI - LOWER PALEOZOIC FORMATIONS IN NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17797347 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE EMBRYOGENY OF SYMPLOCARPUS FOEligTIDUS SALISB. PMID- 17797349 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17797348 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR THE HOMOPLASTIC TRANSPLANTATION OF THE OVARY. PMID- 17797350 TI - CARBON SUBOXIDE. PMID- 17797351 TI - AWARDS OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797352 TI - ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF THE TWELFTH CENSUS. PMID- 17797353 TI - THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17797354 TI - THE INSTALLATION OF PRESIDENT HOUSTON. PMID- 17797355 TI - THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797356 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797357 TI - Social Science. PMID- 17797359 TI - Tercentenary of the Royal Society. PMID- 17797358 TI - Scientific Progress and the Federal Government. PMID- 17797360 TI - Sherburne To Head New AAAS Program To Improve Public Understanding. PMID- 17797361 TI - Ubell and Morrison To Receive AAAS-Westinghouse Awards. PMID- 17797362 TI - Crystal Structure Refinement of Reedmergnerite, the Boron Analog of Albite. AB - Ordering of boron in a feldspar crystallographic site T1(0) has been found in reedmergnerite, which has silicon-oxygen and sodium-oxygen distances comparable to those in isostructural low albite. If a simple ionic model is assumed, calculated bond strengths yield a considerable charge imbalance in reedmergnerite, an indication of the inadequacy of the model with respect to these complex structures and of the speculative nature of conclusions based on such a model. PMID- 17797363 TI - Detection of Boundary Films. AB - Results, obtained with a photoelectric refractometer and sucrose solutions, indicate that a concentrated surface layer rapidly builds up when sucrose solutions are allowed to stand under conditions where evaporation can occur from the surface. The phenomenon is similar to the formation of a cool boundary film which has recently been shown to occur on the surface of the ocean. PMID- 17797364 TI - In vitro Organization of Single Beating Rat Heart Cells into Beating Fibers. AB - Single, separate rat-heart cells in culture beat at different rates. When they grow into physical contact the beating becomes synchronous. Increase in cell number leads to the formation of beating, fiber-like masses. It appears that direct physical contact is necessary for attainment of synchronous contractions. PMID- 17797365 TI - Frequency of Mutations Induced by Radiations in Hexaploid Species of Triticum. AB - The frequency of visible mutations induced by x-rays, phosphorus-32, and sulfur 35 was calculated in six hexaploid Triticum species. The species with spelted ears and winter habit showed a much lower mutation rate than the freethreshing, spring wheats. PMID- 17797367 TI - American Geophysical Union Program on the Impact of Space Research on the Sciences. PMID- 17797366 TI - Topical Summary of Symposia To Be Held at the New York Meeting. PMID- 17797368 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17797369 TI - TIAA-CREF Response. PMID- 17797370 TI - Special virus cancer program. PMID- 17797371 TI - Ph.D.'s with Husbands. PMID- 17797373 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17797372 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17797374 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17797376 TI - Open admissions. PMID- 17797375 TI - Accelerator at argonne. PMID- 17797377 TI - CACTAL: Cooperation for Progress. PMID- 17797378 TI - Radiocarbon dating of East african lake levels. AB - The fluctuations of the key East African lakes discussed are summarized in Fig. 4 which also includes the available evidence from Lake Rukwa (42) and Lake Chad (43) Exceot for Lake Victoria, all of these now lack surface outlets and are situated in much drier climates than the major lakes of the Western Rift Valley, which remain filled to their overflow levels. The apparent differendes among the fluctuations of the lakes are partly due to differendes in the nature of the evidence or the intensity of research or both, although there must also have been important local differences in the histories of the lakes Yet the consistencies are far more striking, most notably the coincidence of early Holocene high stands. Between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago, it seems that lakes in many parts of tropical Africa were greatly enlarged. Where evidence for the previous span of time is well resolved, it appears that transgressions leading to this high stand began about 12,000 years ago, and evidende from three basins (Victoria, Nakuru, and Chad) indicates a pause or minor recession just at or before 10,000 years ago. Wherever information is available for the period preceding 12,000 years ago, it can consistentlybe shown that lakes were much small-er . Several basins (Rudolf, Nakuru, and Chad) also show traces of much earlier phases of lake expansion. which are not yet well dated but which all occurred more then 20,000 years ago. The Holocene record subsequent to the maximum of 10,00 to 8,000 years ago is more complex. Three basins (Rudolf, Nakuru, and Chad) show an apparently concordant, positive oscillation at some point between 6000 and 4000 years ago, but it is uncertain how widely this episode is represented. Although many of these lakes that are now closed filled to overflowing at least once during the late Quaternary, it is evident from Fig. 4 that the periods of expansion were short-lived compared with phases of contraction to levels near those of today. This pattern may be in accord with fragmentary evidence from lower and middle Pleistocene formations, such as those of Olduvai(44)and Paninj (45), within which some relatively short-term lake expansions can be documented, but which lack evidence for any marked long-term departure from a balance of evaporation and precipitation similar to the present one Further, this pattern of brief moist pulsations, with a duration of perhaps 2000 to 5000 years, is also suggested by other late Pleistocene and Holocene sequences (based primarily on geomorphological and palynological evidence) from the Saharan area, Angola, and South Africa (46). In default of radiometric dating, such complex successions of relatively brief moist intervals provide few stratigraphic markers of broad applicability. This, together with the fact that vegetation, weathering processes, montane glaciers, lake size, lake salinity, and so forth are all likely to reflect the diverse aspects of Climatic change differently, underscores the strictures of Cooke (2) and Flint (3) against the use of pluvials and intrlvasas a basis for subdividing Quaternary time in Africa. Positive correlations between high-latitude glacial advances or maxima and intervals of high lake levels have been demonstrated or suggested for many areas of mid latitude North America and Eurasia (47), and similar patterns have often been regarded as probable for tropical Africa as well. However, the evidence summarized above shows a notable lack of such correlations for the tropical lakes considered here. If glaciation and tropical lake levels were connected at all, then a far more complex-delayed, multiplefactor, or inverse-relationship must be sought for the late Quaternary (48). This renders the introduction of new climato stratigraphic terms such as hypothermal and interstadial (49) of questionable value in East Africa. Further, whereas the so-called pluvial lakes of higher latitudes were probably due primarily to reduced evaporation (50), our computations for the early Holocene lakes Nakuru and Naivasha, as well as for the oscillations of Lake Rudolf and Lake Victoria in recent decades, suggest that many or most of the high tropical lake levels where associated with a modest but significant increase in precipitation. PMID- 17797379 TI - University affiliation and recognition: national academy of sciences. PMID- 17797380 TI - Legal remedies for pollution abatement. PMID- 17797381 TI - The limits to growth: hard sell for a computer view of doomsday. PMID- 17797382 TI - DBS: Officials Confused over Powers. PMID- 17797383 TI - Women's Lib and NIH Advisory Committees-Progress? PMID- 17797384 TI - Decline in funding detailed. PMID- 17797386 TI - Nuclear explosion seismology: improvements in detection. PMID- 17797385 TI - Robert wood johnson foundation: planning for a metamorphosis. PMID- 17797387 TI - Uplifted trench sediments: southwestern alaska-bering shelf edge. AB - Cretaceous turbidites are discontinuously exposed for 1700 kilometers along the continental margin of southwestern Alaska and the Bering shelf edge. Paleocurrent flow parallel to exposure patterns and the abundance of primary andesitic volcanic detritus suggest deposition in an oceanic trench. This Cretaceous trench bordering the continent was superseded by the Aleutian arc-trench in the earliest Tertiary. PMID- 17797388 TI - 3C279: Evidence for a Non-Superrelativistic Model. AB - Measurements of the variation of the total flux density of the quasistellar radio source 3C279 provide evidence for an alternate model to explain the recently reported apparent source expansion rate of ten times the speed of light. PMID- 17797389 TI - Preceramic sequences in the el abra rock-shelters, Colombia. AB - A series of crude stone artifacts, characterized by a trimming mainly of the working edge of a single face of a chert flake or a fragment of a nodule, was excavated in the El Abra rock-shelters, north of Bogota, Colombia. The tools indicate a cultural complex distinct from others that have been described for the Paleo-Indian of South America. PMID- 17797390 TI - Frequencies of occultations of stars by planets, satellites, and asteroids. AB - Calculations show that several occultations of stars by the large satellites of the outer planets, Pluto, and the large asteroids could be observed each decade with existing equipment at Earth-based telescopes. A systematic program of occultation predictions and observations is urged in order to improve our knowledge about the atmospheres, sizes, shapes, topography, and positions of these poorly understood bodies, in support of forthcoming spacecraft missions to the outer solar system. PMID- 17797391 TI - Raman scattering from flames. AB - Laser Raman scattering data for nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor have been obtained from hydrogen-air and hydrogen-oxygen flames. The resulting ground-state and upper-state vibrational bands exhibit strong asymmetrical broadening. Experimental spectral profiles have been fitted theoretically to give a new measurement technique for the determination of rotational and vibrational excitation temperatures. PMID- 17797392 TI - Chalcocite Oxidation and Coupled Carbon Dioxide Fixation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. AB - The reaction of cell suspensions of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans with pulverized chalcocite (Cu(2)S) in a Warburg manometric apparatus resulted in oxygen uptake accompanied by increased solubilization of copper and fixation of carbon dioxide. Since the only detectable oxidized products were cupric ions and the more oxidized form of the sulfide mineral, that is, digenite or covellite, the apparent source of energy for the carbon dioxide fixation was provided by the oxidation of the cuprous copper of the chalcocite. PMID- 17797393 TI - No Desynchronization among Four Circadian Rhythms in the Unicellular Alga, Gonyaulax polyedra. AB - The phase relationships among several circadian rhythms in the unicellular alga Gonyaulax polyedra remained unchanged during several weeks under constant conditions. A 6-hour exposure to darkness shifted the phase of all rhythms similarly. The Q(10) for the frequency of three of these rhythms had been shown previously to be approximately the same and furthermore less than 1. These facts may mean that all these rhythms are the outputs of a single "master oscillator." PMID- 17797394 TI - Release of mercury from contaminated freshwater sediments by the runoff of road deicing salt. PMID- 17797396 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17797395 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17797397 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE COLUMBUS, OHIO, MEETING. PMID- 17797398 TI - A DOZEN MATHEMATICAL ERRORS IN THE "ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA". PMID- 17797399 TI - A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE OF POLAR MIRAGE. PMID- 17797400 TI - AVAILABLE LECTURERS IN GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17797401 TI - INDEX TO SCHOOLCRAFT'S "INDIAN TRIBES". PMID- 17797402 TI - SPERM AGGLUTINATION IN THE KEYHOLE LIMPET AND THE SEA-URCHIN. PMID- 17797403 TI - THE CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTAL ALCAPTONURIA BY MEANS OF VITAMIN C. PMID- 17797405 TI - SOME CRYSTALLINE CONSTITUENTS OF THE NON-SAPONIFIABLE FRACTION OF BONE MARROW. PMID- 17797404 TI - LATEX EMULSIONS IN HUMAN VASCULAR PREPARATIONS. PMID- 17797406 TI - LIQUID LATEX AS AN INJECTION MASS FOR BLOOD-VESSELS. PMID- 17797407 TI - IDENTIFICATION OF PRECIOUS STONES BY SPECTROSCOPE. PMID- 17797408 TI - RECORDING CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17797410 TI - SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF THE NORTH PACIFIC. PMID- 17797409 TI - VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN HAWAII. PMID- 17797411 TI - TUNGSTEN CARBIDE. PMID- 17797412 TI - CHLOROPHYLL AND PLANT GROWTH. PMID- 17797413 TI - MILK AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR LIVER. PMID- 17797415 TI - AFRICA AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17797414 TI - NATIONAL PARKS IN SOVIET RUSSIA. PMID- 17797416 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17797417 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17797418 TI - SOYBEAN CHEESE. PMID- 17797420 TI - MANGANESE TOXICITY IN TOBACCO. PMID- 17797419 TI - LARGE NUMBERS USED BEFORE THE CHRISTIAN ERA. PMID- 17797421 TI - THE CAPTURE OF YOUNG WHITEFISH IN THE BAY OF QUINTE. PMID- 17797422 TI - EVIDENCES OF AQUATIC LIFE FROM THE GLENWOOD STAGE OF LAKE CHICAGO. PMID- 17797424 TI - A METHOD FOR OBTAINING A BREEDING STOCK OF RATS FREE FROM INTESTINAL PROTOZOA. PMID- 17797423 TI - THE COMMITTEE ON AWARDS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC EXHIBIT OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17797425 TI - ACCUMULATION OF GAS IN CLOSED COLLODISON SACS IMMERSED IN FLOWING TAP WATER. PMID- 17797426 TI - DOES REGENERATION FOLLOW COMPLETE OVARIOTOMY IN THE ALBINO RAT? AB - These two experiments seem to show that in the rat it is easily possible to be certain of getting out the entire ovary in young rats (under forty days old) and that upon complete removal no regeneration occurs. PMID- 17797427 TI - Is civil defense provocatory? PMID- 17797428 TI - The grant system. PMID- 17797429 TI - The exclusive "graduate" course in advanced-degree programs. PMID- 17797430 TI - Factors favoring nuclear power. PMID- 17797431 TI - Reactivity of organic crystals. PMID- 17797432 TI - Chromosome variability and geographic distribution in insects. PMID- 17797433 TI - Plant hormones and regulators. PMID- 17797434 TI - Food: population trends move u.s. To tie aid to self help. PMID- 17797435 TI - Nonprofits: Air Force Says We Can't Do Without Them. PMID- 17797436 TI - Water Pollution: New Agency Moving from HEW to Interior. PMID- 17797437 TI - Fish flour: FDA approval likely on improved product. PMID- 17797438 TI - Bolder policies for british technology? PMID- 17797439 TI - Kapitsa to visit England. PMID- 17797440 TI - Snow returns to writing. PMID- 17797441 TI - Lower cretaceous sediments from the northwest pacific. AB - The first occurrence of deep-sea Lower Cretaceous (Albian) sediments in the Pacific Ocean is reported from the Shatsky Rise at 31 degrees 51'N, 157 degrees 20'E. Seismic-profile records indicate that the core was taken between the extensive seismic reflectors A and B. Two hundred meters of unconsolidated sediment lies between the core site and basement (B) and suiggests that the sediment just above basement may be at least as old as Middle Jurassic. PMID- 17797442 TI - Superconductivity of alpha-uranium and the role of 5f electrons. AB - A much sharper and lower superconducting transition has been found for alpha uranium than any reported previously. A model that explains the unusual volume dependence of alpha-uranium below 43 degrees K and the unusual pressure dependence of its superconducting transition temperature is presented. PMID- 17797443 TI - Contact photomicrography in the ultraviolet on high-resolution plates. AB - Ultraviolet photographs of cells can be made without quartz optics by placing the cells on high-resolution plates capable of resolving more than 2000 lines per millimeter and by passing monochromatic radiation of the desired wavelength through them to the emulsion. Prints can be made by enlarging the resulting negative with a microscope to the magnification desired. PMID- 17797444 TI - Microorganisms three billion years old from the precambrian of South Africa. AB - A minute, bacterium-like, rod-shaped organism, Eobacterium isolatum, has been found organically and structurally preserved in black chert from the Fig Tree Series (3.1 x 10(9) years old) of South Africa. Filamentous organic structures of probable biological origin, and complex alkanes, which apparently contain small amounts of the isoprenoid hydrocarbons pristane and phytane, are also indigenous to this Early Precambrian sediment. These organic remnants comprise the oldest known evidence of biological organization in the geologic record. PMID- 17797445 TI - Upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars. AB - It is argued that the single-layer ionosphere at 125 kilometers discovered in the Mariner IV occultation experiment is an Fl region coinciding with the ultraviolet photoionization peak. The CO(2) density there must be of the order of 10(11) molecules per cubic centimeter. Such a density is consistent with the properties of the lower atmosphere by Mariner IV anid the temperature model of Chamberlain and McElroy if the atmosphere is mainly CO(2) below 70 kilometers. The absence of an F2 region can be explained even if the density ratio of O to CO(2) is 100 at 230 kilometers on the basis of the rapid conversion of O(+) to O(2) by CO(2). Thus a model with an exospheric temperature of 400 degrees K, a modest degree of CO(2) dissociation, and diffusive separation above 70 kilometers is possible. PMID- 17797446 TI - Radiocarbon chronology of late pleistocene deposits in northwest washington. AB - Fourteen radiocarbon dates of shells and wood from late Pleistocene sediments in northwest Washington provide evidence for correlation of the Everson interstadial with the Two Creeks interval of the midcontinent and suggest possible correlations between the Sumas and Valders stadials and between the Vashon stadial and part of the Tazewell-Cary advances. PMID- 17797447 TI - Trace element partition coefficient in ionic crystals. AB - Partition coefficient monovalent trace ions between liquids and either solid NaNO(2) or KCl were determined. The isotropic elastic model of ionic crystals was used for calculating the energy change caused by the ionic substitutions. The observed values of partition coefficients in KCl good agreement with calculate values. PMID- 17797448 TI - Reversible combination of carbon monoxide with a synthetic oxygen carrier complex. AB - Chlorocarbonyl-bis(triphenylphosphine)iridium(I), in solution, reacts reversibly with carbon monoxide under normal conditions, one molecule per metal atom. Formation of a 1 : 1 metal complex-CO adduct is verified by CO absorption measurements and the infrared spectrum of the adduct measured in situ. The spectrum suggests that the metal-C-O bonding is of the type found in conventional metal carbonyl. PMID- 17797449 TI - Osmotic pressure influence in germination tests for antibiosis. AB - A common test for the presence of toxic organic substances in plant tissues, and therefore of the potential role of antibiosis (specifically allelopathy) in native plant cozmmunities, has been to apply a water extract of the tissues in germination tests of cultivated annuals. The observed osmotic pressure of the extracts can be high, and sucrose solutions of similar osmotic pressure result in a depression of germnination and early development. Thus in the aforementioned type of test, extracts must be diluted to an osmotic pressure no greater than 0.5 atmopheres. PMID- 17797450 TI - Immunochemical characterization of polyribonucleotides. AB - The degree of organization of polyribonucleotides determines their modalities of reaction with antibodies (NG-I) which are present in serums of animals hyperimmunized with ribosomes. The immunochemical behavior of the highly helical two-stranded complex of polyadenylic acid and polyuridylic acid and the corresponding three-stranded complex of one molecule of polyadenylic acid and two molecules of polyuridylic acid can be determined from examination of the associatinge and nonassociating mixtures of polyadenylic and polyuridylic acids. The immunochemical characteristics of various forms of polyinosinic acid in solution are described. PMID- 17797451 TI - Beta-glucuronidase activity in serum increased by coronary-artery atherosclerosis. AB - Increase in activity of beta-glucuronidase in serum has been demonstrated in patients having clinically evident coronary-artery atherosclerosis. This fact, yielded by the new, more specific method of Fishman, could not be elicited by the treditional method. PMID- 17797452 TI - Homocystinuria: excretion of a new sulfur-containing amino Acid in urine. AB - An unusual homocysteine-containing compound, 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide-5'-S homocysteinylriboside, was isolated from the urine of a child with homocystinuria and detected in the urines of six homocystinurics. Its metabolic origin is not clear, and the data suggest the existence in man of now unknown alternate pathways for the metabolism of methionine and of purines. PMID- 17797453 TI - Retention of potential to differentiate in long-term cultures of tooth germs. AB - When tooth germs derived from 14-day mouse embryos were cultured on gelatin sponges in vitro for 37 days, they lost their characteristic morphology, appearing as a layer of undifferentiated epithelium on the sponge surface, with the mesenchymal cells scattered throughout the interstices. These cultures were then transplanted subcutaneously into isologous, newborn recipients and, over a period of 56 days, developed into incisor teeth that were almost perfect in shape and structure. PMID- 17797454 TI - Immunochemical studies of submicrosomal membranes from liver of normal and phenobarbital-treated rats. AB - Rabbit antiserums were prepared against three submicrosomal fractions from liver of normal or phenobarbital-treated rats. The two membrane fractions originating from the rough- and smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum were characterized by the same soluble antigens, with the exception of a highly basic coinponent present only in extracts of rough membranes. The third fraction, whose subcellular origin is unknown, was different. It contained at least two typical marker antigens not present in the other fractions. Of eight tissue antigens common for the endoplasmic reticulum, five displayed nonspecific esterase activity. Some of these esterases were also found in other organs, but none was seen in rat serum. Phenobarbital treatment of the rats led to a rise in activity and characteristic changes in the esterase patterns of all these submicrosomal liver fractions. PMID- 17797455 TI - Steroids and serum complement in mice: influence of hydrocortisone, diethylstilbestrol, and testosterone. AB - Hydrocortisone depresses hemnolytic complement in male and female mice. Testosterone causes increase of serum complement in female mice, and diethylstilbestrol causes decrease of serum complement in male mice, in each instance to activities approximating those found normally in the opposite sex. Male and female sex hormones have no effect, in the doses used, on the serum complement of male and female mice respectively. PMID- 17797456 TI - Mouse complement: influence of sex hormones on its activity. AB - Sex hormones influence the hemolytic of one or more of the late-acting components of complement measured in the presence of trisodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate. The titers of the serums of male mice, normally tenfold higher than those of females, fell after castration, becoming about the same as those of females. The titers of the serums from females rose after these mice were castrated, but castration did not affect the activities of the first, second, and fourth components of complement. Serums of normal and castrated mice of both sexes treated with testosterone showed increased late-acting component activity, whereas the estrogen caused decreased activity. Treatment in vitro of mouse serum with these hormones had no effect on the activity of late-acting components. PMID- 17797457 TI - Antigenic differences in the surfaces of hyphae and rhizoids in allomyces. AB - Immunofluorescent techniques have demonstrated a difference in surface components of hyphae and rhizoids of Allomyces macrogynus. An antigenic component detected on the rhizoidal surface may be present, but masked, in the hyphal-wall matrix material. The system also allows visualization of the hyphal wall during aging, when changes from a smooth to a fissured surface are noted, and differences in adsorptive properties occur. PMID- 17797458 TI - Regeneration in spinal neurons: proteosynthesis following nerve growth factor administration. AB - Incorporation of H(3)-leucine into dorsal root ganglion cells in rats was markedly increased over that of controls following section of sciatic and femoral nerves. Crush lesion of dorsal roots did not increase the H(3)-leucine uptake of these cells except in animals which had received nerve growth factor after the operation. PMID- 17797459 TI - Growth in microculture of single tobacco cells infected with tobacco mosaic virus. AB - Single tobacco callus cells with or without tobacco mosaic virus inclusion bodies from systemically infected Nicotiana tabacum plants were grown in microcultures. The culture medium consisted of mineral salts and sucrose; it also contained coconut milk. Out of 100 inclusion-bearing cells and 150 inclusion-free cells, 10 and 70 cultured cells divided; eventually 5 and 65 cells, respectively, formed single cell clones. The 5 clones derived from inclusion-bearing cells, and all but 3 of 40 clones from inclusion-free cells, showed virus inclusions in somne cells. The virus could not be detected in three inclusion-free clones by local lesion assay. The results suggest single-cell culture methods for differentiating virus-free plants from cells of pathogen-infected plants. PMID- 17797460 TI - Vitamin d3-induced calcium-binding protein in chick intestinal mucosa. AB - The administration of vita-min D(3) to rachitic chicks induces in intestinal mucosal tissue the formation or elaboration of a calcium-binding factor which is found in the supernatant of the mucosal homogenate. The enhanced binding of Ca by the "vitanmin D" supernatant (in contrast to "rachitic" supernatant) was indicated by a slower rate of diffusion of Ca(45) across a cellophane dialyzing membrane and by a lesser amount of Ca(45) being bound to an ion-exchange resin (Chelex-100) in the presence of vitamiiin D(3) supernatant. The binding activity was only associated with the protein fraction from a Sephadex G-25 column and was destroyed by trypsin digestion. This and other evidence suggest that the soluble factor is a protein. The vitamin D(3)-enhanced duodenal absorption of Ca(47) in rachitic chicks occurred almost simultaneously with the appearance of the vitamin D(3)-induced factor, and there was good correlation between the concentration of binding factor and the rate of absorption of Ca(47). PMID- 17797462 TI - Estrous cycle in the rat: effects on self-stimulation behavior. AB - The performance of female rats, in pressing a bar for electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus, changes during the estrous cycle. Highest barpressing rates accompany the appearance of vaginal cornification. This increase is not an artifact of increased spontaneous activity at estrus, although the factors underlying these changes in activity may also mediate the changes in self stimulation behavior. PMID- 17797461 TI - Tropomyosin paracrystals formed by divalent cations. AB - Rabbit tropomyosin exhibits a polymorphism dependent on divalent cations and pH. Above a critical divalent cation concentration fibers with a period of about 400 angstroms are formed. Below this concentration, and near the isoelectric point, lattices are formed. Implications for the morphology and function of striated and smooth muscle are discussed. PMID- 17797464 TI - A piston extractor for the hughes press. PMID- 17797463 TI - Unit responses from commissural fibers of optic lobes of fish. AB - The paired optic lobes of teleost fish are connected by two commissures. One of these, the tectal commissure, was studied with metal microelectrodes. Fibers are rhythmically active for prolonged periods in the dark and respond to light by a decrease in the rate of discharge. There is a rebound acceleration when the light is turned of. Each fiber is influenced by light in one eye only, and there is no response when light is projected into the opposite eye. This behavior resembles the "off" response recorded from the optic lobes and the optic nerve of fish. Unlike most units from the visual pathways of lower animals, single commissural fibers do not seem to give any recognizable response to patterned input such as small light or dark objects or small light sources stationary or moving anywhere in the visual field, nor do they respond to a vertical black bar moved over a white background. PMID- 17797465 TI - Active transport of 5,5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione. PMID- 17797466 TI - Sky-hook. PMID- 17797468 TI - Cerebrovascular disease. PMID- 17797467 TI - United States-Japan committee on scientific cooperation: neurochemistry conference. PMID- 17797469 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17797471 TI - Cryptography, NSF, and NSA. PMID- 17797470 TI - Cryptography, NSF, and NSA. PMID- 17797472 TI - Erratum. AB - The correct surname of the first editor of The Universe at Large Redshifts, reviewed in the issue of 14 November, p. 781, is Kalckar. PMID- 17797474 TI - Science and engineering education. PMID- 17797473 TI - Participatory management. PMID- 17797475 TI - The next step in fusion: what it is and how it is being taken. PMID- 17797476 TI - Science and the university. AB - The federal government-university relationship in scientific research has been eroded by excessive, unthinking regulations for the purposes of accountability. The Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-21 continues to jeopardize the quality of government-sponsored research in universities by demanding wasteful, meaningless work-load documentation. These regulatory demands must be revised to reflect the realistic obligations of accountability by a leadership capable of transcending special interests. Mutual respect between government and universities must be restored to achieve a partnership that helps better the national life while also protecting the integrity of the scientific faculty and its mission. PMID- 17797477 TI - The reagan years: environmentalists tremble. PMID- 17797478 TI - Oil companies suppress german synfuels formula, says hollywood. PMID- 17797479 TI - The reagan years: regrouping on education. PMID- 17797480 TI - Classified research. PMID- 17797481 TI - OSHA backs away from strict lab rules. PMID- 17797483 TI - Passive solar homes endorsed. PMID- 17797482 TI - Buettner-janusch is sentenced. PMID- 17797484 TI - Police science and psychics. PMID- 17797486 TI - Illegitimacy. PMID- 17797485 TI - Annual meeting toronto 3-8 january 1981. PMID- 17797487 TI - Learned Men's Home Lives. PMID- 17797488 TI - Observational cosmology. PMID- 17797489 TI - Atomic collisions. PMID- 17797490 TI - Sequence of pumiceous tephra layers and the late quaternary environmental record near mount st. Helens. AB - Tephra in lake beds within 40 kilometers of Mount St. Helens was deposited an average of once every 2,700 years over the past 35,000 years, for a total of 13 layers. Times of deposition span the period of the Fraser Glaciation and intervals before and after it, and include the series of climates prevailing when vegetation west of the Cascade Range shifted between a park-tundra type and the modern western hemlock forest. PMID- 17797491 TI - Calcite-impregnated defluidization structures in littoral sands of mono lake, california. AB - Associated locally with well-known tufa mounds and towers of Mono Lake, California, are subvertical, concretionary sand structures through which fresh calcium-containing artesian waters moved up to sites of calcium carbonate precipitation beneath and adjacent to the lake. The structures include closely spaced calcite-impregnated columns, tubes, and other configurations with subcylindrical to bizarre cross sections and predominantly vertical orientation in coarse, barely coherent pumice sands along the south shore of the lake. Many structures terminate upward in extensive calcareous layers of caliche and tufa. Locally they enter the bases of tufa mounds and towers. A common form superficially resembles root casts and animal burrows except that branching is mostly up instead of down. Similar defluidization structures in ancient sedimentary rocks have been mistakenly interpreted as fossil burrows. PMID- 17797492 TI - The works of living social insects as pseudofossils and the age of the oldest known metazoa. AB - Living organisms are known to create structures in ancient rocks that are indigenous but not primary and that have been mistaken for fossils. Examination of burrows recently reported as fossils from 10(9)-year-old sedimentary rocks indicates that they are not the same age as the rocks but were probably made by termites working down after water. The burrows are partially filled with material from a modern lateritic surface from which they descend into steeply dipping, decomposed silt-stones of the Zambian Copperbelt. In fact, no authentic record of Metazoa that are demonstrably coeval with rocks older than 680 million years is known. PMID- 17797493 TI - Io: ground-based observations of hot spots. AB - Observations of Io in eclipse demonstrate conclusively that Io emits substantial amounts of radiation at 4.8 and 3.8 micrometers and a measurable amount at 2.2 micrometers. Color temperatures derived from the observations fit blackbody emission at 560 K. The required source area to yield the observed 4.8-micrometer flux is approximately 5 x 10(-5) of the disk of Io and is most likely comprised of small hot spots in the vicinity of the volcanoes. PMID- 17797494 TI - Internal winds in water lilies: an adaptation for life in anaerobic sediments. AB - The network of internal gas spaces in the yellow water lily constitutes a pressurized flow-through system which forces oxygen to the roots and rhizome buried in the anaerobic sediment. By the purely physical processes of thermal transpiration and hygrometric pressure, several liters of air per day enter the young, newly emerged leaves of Nuphar luteum against a small pressure gradient. This air moves en masse down the petioles of the young leaves (at rates up to 50 centimeters per minute) to the rhizome, forcing a simultaneous flow of gas (rich in carbon dioxide) from the rhizome up the petioles of the older emergent leaves to the atmosphere. The ventilation system has important physiological and ecological consequences. PMID- 17797495 TI - Optimal behavior: can foragers balance two conflicting demands? AB - According to much current theory, organisms should be able to balance the conflicting demands of the need to feed efficiently and the need to avoid preadtors while feeding. In an experimental conflict situation, it was possible to evaluate the relative fitnesses associated with the available choices and to compare the observed behaviors with predictions derived from fitness considerations. A backswimmer, Notonecta hoffmanni, was capable of balancing these two conflicting factors adaptively. PMID- 17797497 TI - Effect of urban sources on Acid precipitation in the Western United States. PMID- 17797496 TI - Effect of urban sources on Acid precipitation in the Western United States. PMID- 17797498 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17797499 TI - Natural Radiocarbon Measurements by Acetylene Counting. PMID- 17797500 TI - Trends in Supply of Scientists and Engineers in the United States. PMID- 17797501 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17797502 TI - Attitudes of College Seniors toward Federal and Industrial Employment. PMID- 17797503 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17797504 TI - Effect of Elemental Sulfur in the Diet on Load-Extension Hysteresis in Single Wool Fibers. PMID- 17797505 TI - YUKON EXPEDITION, 1887. PMID- 17797506 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE YUKON EXPEDITION, 1887. PMID- 17797507 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17797508 TI - ELECTRICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17797510 TI - Queries. PMID- 17797509 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17797511 TI - Scarlet-Fever. PMID- 17797513 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17797512 TI - Is the Rainfall increasing on the Plains? PMID- 17797515 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17797514 TI - Transgenic plants: effect on the third world. PMID- 17797516 TI - Blowup at yucca mountain. PMID- 17797517 TI - Downsizing Squeezes Basic Research at the USGS. PMID- 17797518 TI - Funding reform fights on against researchers' apathy. PMID- 17797519 TI - R&D increase targets industry. PMID- 17797520 TI - Science law advances despite criticism. PMID- 17797521 TI - Getting a Reaction in Close-up. PMID- 17797522 TI - A gentle scheme for unleashing chaos. PMID- 17797523 TI - Astronomers paint the big picture and fill in the blanks. AB - Pittsburgh-Most everything in astronomy is big. But the truly outsized features of the universe-vast filaments of galaxies and its great dark voids-were highlighted when 772 researchers gathered here on 11-15 June for the 186th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Talks included a new explanation for the large-scale "tapestry" of the universe and a new glimpse of what may fill its voids. PMID- 17797525 TI - Merge and purge at wellcome. PMID- 17797524 TI - Reason under fire. PMID- 17797526 TI - Nailing down cave paintings. PMID- 17797527 TI - A helical polymer with a cooperative response to chiral information. AB - Polyisocyanates, long studied as theoretical models for wormlike chains in dilute solution and liquid crystals, differ from their biological helical analogs in the absence of a pre-determined helical sense. These polymers have an unusual sensitivity to chiral effects that arises from a structure in which alternating right- and left-handed long helical blocks are separated by infrequent and mobile helical reversals. Statistical thermodynamic methods yield an exact description of the polymer and the cooperative nature of its chiral properties. Minute energies that favor one of the helical senses drive easily measurable conformational changes, even though such energies may be extremely difficult to calculate from structural theory. In addition, the chiral nature of the polymer can be used to test theoretical ideas concerned with cholesteric liquid crystals, one of which solves the problem of assigning the helical sense. PMID- 17797528 TI - Optical switching and image storage by means of azobenzene liquid-crystal films. AB - Liquid crystals are promising materials for optical switching and image storage because of their high resolution and sensitivity. Azobenzene liquid crystals (LCs) have been developed, in which azobenzene moieties play roles as both mesogens and photosensitive chromophores. Azobenzene LC films showed a nematic phase in trans isomers and no LC phase in cis isomers. Trans-cis photoisomerization of azobenzene with a laser pulse resulted in a nematic-to isotropic phase transition with a rapid optical response of 200 microseconds. PMID- 17797529 TI - Observation of shoemaker-levy impacts by the galileo photopolarimeter radiometer. AB - The Galileo Photopolarimeter Radiometer experiment made direct photometric observations at 678 and 945 nanometers of several comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragments impacting with Jupiter. Initial flashes occurred at (fragment G) 18 July 1994 07:33:32, (H) 18 July 19:31:58, (L) 19 July 22:16:48, and (Q1) 20 July 20:13:52 [equivalent universal time coordinated (UTC) observed at Earth], with relative peak 945-nanometer brightnesses of 0.87, 0.67, 1.00, and 0.42, respectively. The light curves show a 2-second rise to maximum, a 10-second plateau, and an accelerating falloff. The Q1 event, observed at both wavelengths, yielded a color temperature of more than 10,000 kelvin at its peak. PMID- 17797530 TI - Observation of individual chemical reactions in solution. AB - Discrete chemical reaction events occurring in solution have been observed by single photon detection of a bimolecular, chemiluminescent reaction. The reactants were generated from 9,10-diphenylanthracene in acetonitrile with potential pulses applied to an ultramicroelectrode. Electrogenerated radical ions of opposite sign react to yield the excited singlet state of the parent compound. The chemical reactions were restricted to a 20-femtoliter volume adjacent to the electrode by the use of rapid potential pulses. Individual chemical reaction events were stochastic and followed the Poisson distribution, and the interarrival time between successive reaction events was exponentially distributed. PMID- 17797531 TI - A scattered-wave image of subduction beneath the transverse ranges. AB - Over 5600 short-period recordings of teleseismic events were used to create deterministic maps of P-wave scatterers in the upper mantle beneath Southern California. Between depths of 50 and 200 kilometers, the southern flank of the slab subducting beneath the Transverse Ranges is marked by strong scattering. The marked scattering indicates that the edge of the slab is a sharp thermal boundary. Such a boundary could be produced by slab shearing or small-scale convection in the surrounding mantle. The northern limb of the slab is not a strong scatterer, consistent with thicker lithosphere north of the Transverse Ranges. PMID- 17797532 TI - Structure and Density of FeS at High Pressure and High Temperature and the Internal Structure of Mars. AB - In situ x-ray diffraction measurements revealed that FeS, a possible core material for the terrestrial planets, transforms to a hexagonal NiAs superstructure with axial ratio (c/a) close to the ideal close-packing value of 1.63 at high pressure and high temperature. The high-pressure-temperature phase has shorter Fe-Fe distances than the low-pressure phase. Significant shortening of the Fe-Fe distance would lead to metallization of FeS, resulting in fundamental changes in physical properties of FeS at high pressure and temperature. Calculations using the density of the high-pressure-temperature FeS phase indicate that the martian core-mantle boundary occurs within the silicate perovskite stability field. PMID- 17797533 TI - Managing the evolution of insect resistance to transgenic plants. AB - The evolution of resistance in pests such as the European corn borer will imperil transgenic maize varieties that express insecticidal crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis. Patchworks of treated and untreated fields can delay the evolution of pesticide resistance, but the untreated refuge fields are likely to sustain heavy damage. A strategy that exploits corn borer preferences and movements can eliminate this problem. Computer simulation indicates that this approach can delay the evolution of resistance and reduce insect damage in the untreated fields of a patchwork planting regime. PMID- 17797534 TI - Evidence for mate fidelity in the gray seal. AB - Colonially breeding gray seals are polygynous. Males are larger than females, compete with each other for position among aggregated females, and contribute no parental care. Genetic analysis of pups born on the island of North Rona, Scotland, reveals large numbers of full siblings, although dominant males father disproportionately few of these. This result cannot be explained by mating patterns based solely on male dominance and the spatio-temporal organization of the breeding colony. Instead, many full siblings must result from choices favoring previous parental combinations. Thus, polygyny and partner fidelity appear to operate simultaneously in this breeding colony. PMID- 17797536 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17797535 TI - Response. PMID- 17797537 TI - Vignettes: mathematical works. PMID- 17797538 TI - Products & materialas. PMID- 17797539 TI - INFANT PSYCHOLOGY. PMID- 17797541 TI - Deaf-Mutes. PMID- 17797540 TI - THE INTERMARRIAGE OF THE DEAF, AND THEIR EDUCATION. PMID- 17797542 TI - The Geology of Quebec City. PMID- 17797544 TI - Study of the Surface-Markings of the Planets in 1890. PMID- 17797543 TI - Snake Hill, N.J, as a Locality for Minerals. PMID- 17797545 TI - The Cause of Rain. PMID- 17797547 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECTION OF BOTANY AT THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17797546 TI - Color-Changes in Toads. PMID- 17797548 TI - THE FAITH OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17797549 TI - ADDRESS OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ASTRONOMY OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17797550 TI - THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PSYCHOLOGY. PMID- 17797551 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17797552 TI - IS AN INTERNATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE PRACTICABLE? PMID- 17797553 TI - ERRONEOUS CITATIONS AND TITLES OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS. PMID- 17797554 TI - A FURTHER COMMENT ON THE "PUMPING" HABIT OF PLANT LICE. PMID- 17797555 TI - THE USE OF THE DIVINING ROD IN GOLD PROSPECTING IN ALASKA. PMID- 17797556 TI - THE DIVINING ROD. PMID- 17797557 TI - A BANKED RACE-TRACK ILLUSION. PMID- 17797558 TI - A METHOD OF MAKING TOPOGRAPHIC MODELS. PMID- 17797559 TI - AN OSCILLATOR AND SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR FOR OBTAINING EXACT VARIABLE SPEEDS. PMID- 17797560 TI - A FLOWERING CYCADEOID FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT. PMID- 17797561 TI - THE NEURO-MUSCULAR MECHANISM CONTROLLING FLASHING IN THE LAMPYRID FIREFLIES. PMID- 17797562 TI - SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE CORTICO-ADRENAL HORMONE. PMID- 17797563 TI - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: AS PRINTER AND PHILOSOPHER. PMID- 17797564 TI - AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. PMID- 17797565 TI - Methods of Organic Analysis. PMID- 17797566 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE SMALL SAND MOUNDS IN THE GULF COAST COUNTRY. PMID- 17797567 TI - PARAPHYSES IN THE GENUS GLOMERELLA. PMID- 17797568 TI - RECENT EARTHIQUAKES RECORDED AT ALBANY, N. Y. PMID- 17797569 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17797571 TI - ROYAL SOCIETY CONVERSAZIONE. PMID- 17797570 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17797572 TI - THE MIKKELSEN EXPEDITION TO THE BEAUFORT SEA. PMID- 17797573 TI - MOSQUITO EXTERMINATION. PMID- 17797574 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS. PMID- 17797575 TI - THE ITHACA MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17797576 TI - THE RELATION OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY TO PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17797577 TI - THE PROBLEM OF RENAL FUNCTION. PMID- 17797579 TI - HONORARY DEGREES. PMID- 17797578 TI - THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIES THROUGH CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. PMID- 17797580 TI - THE ORIGIN OF BLACK SHEEP IN THE FLOCK. PMID- 17797581 TI - PHOTOTROPISM IN THE LARVAL AND EARLY ADOLESCENT STAGES OF HOMARUS AMERICANUS. PMID- 17797582 TI - AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE USE OF THE WIREBASKET METHOD FOR SOIL TESTING. PMID- 17797584 TI - THE ROYAL SOCIETY'S MEDALS. PMID- 17797583 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON COLOR PERCEPTION AMONG THE VISAYANS OF LEYTE ISLAND, P. I. PMID- 17797585 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17797586 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17797587 TI - MEETING OF TRUSTEES OF THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION. PMID- 17797588 TI - A Scientific Smorgasbord. PMID- 17797590 TI - Teleology in Science Teaching: Professors and textbooks alike make uncritical use of teleological and anthropomorphic language. PMID- 17797589 TI - The Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron: Construction of a massive nuclear research machine requires ideas, men, and methods from many fields. PMID- 17797591 TI - AAAS Washington Meeting. PMID- 17797592 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17797595 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17797593 TI - Increasing the Hatching of Eggs of Cyst and Rootknot Nematodes with Nabam. AB - Nabam in water solution retards hatching of Meloidogyne eggs. In soil nabam increases egg hatching of Meloidogyne and Heterodera tabacum, indicating that a decomposition product in soil is a hatching factor. Because of this attribute, combining nabam with a nematocide increases control of Meloidogyne by exposing more larvae to the nematocide while it is at maximum efficiency. PMID- 17797597 TI - International Language. PMID- 17797596 TI - International Language. PMID- 17797598 TI - Acknowledgments in Scientific Papers. PMID- 17797599 TI - Electroconvection. PMID- 17797600 TI - Pavlov's Beliefs. PMID- 17797601 TI - Human Rights and Society. PMID- 17797602 TI - SLEEP AND SOMNAMBULISNM. PMID- 17797603 TI - THE PHYSICAL BASIS OF GRAVIC FORCE AND LIGHT. PMID- 17797605 TI - ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17797604 TI - To the Editor of Science. PMID- 17797606 TI - ROYAL SOCIETY (EDINBURGH). PMID- 17797607 TI - The following. PMID- 17797608 TI - THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF VERMONT. PMID- 17797609 TI - WHAT KINDS OF BOTANY DOES THE WORLD NEED NOW? PMID- 17797610 TI - DAVID ERNEST LANTZ. PMID- 17797611 TI - PROFESSOR LUDVIG SYLOW. PMID- 17797612 TI - EUCALYPTUS NEVER PRESENT IN NORTH AMERICA. PMID- 17797614 TI - PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN AVIATION. PMID- 17797613 TI - THE RICHARDTON METEORITE. PMID- 17797615 TI - THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. PMID- 17797616 TI - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17797617 TI - TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF BACTERIOLOGY: A FRAGMENT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17797618 TI - MEDALS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797619 TI - THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17797620 TI - AN APPEAL FOR PUBLICATIONS FOR CZECHOSLOVAKIA. PMID- 17797622 TI - A POSSIBLE RELATION BETWEEN MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL QUANTITIES. PMID- 17797621 TI - REQUEST FOR SEPARATES. PMID- 17797623 TI - HIGH TEMPERATURES AND EMISSION FROM GASES. PMID- 17797624 TI - NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17797625 TI - THE COLLECTION OF RADIUM EMANATION FOR THERAPEUTIC USE. PMID- 17797626 TI - A QUANTITATIVE SURVEY OF THE FLORA OF LAKE MENDOTA. PMID- 17797627 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797628 TI - NSB: A Difficult Birth. PMID- 17797629 TI - Centrifugation of oil slicks. PMID- 17797631 TI - Long-term drug dangers. PMID- 17797630 TI - Ph.d. Language requirements: california survey results. PMID- 17797632 TI - Long-term drug dangers. PMID- 17797633 TI - Research in parasites. PMID- 17797634 TI - Applied science. PMID- 17797635 TI - Ultrashort light pulses. AB - Experimental techniques are now available for the generation of repetitive and single coherent optical pulses of extremely short time duration and high peak power. These pulses should find extensive application in basic and applied research. Additional shortening of optical pulse durations can be obtained by means of the stimulated Raman effect, second-harmonic generation, or amplification with nonlinear laser amplifiers. PMID- 17797636 TI - Crime control: task force urges use of science and technology. PMID- 17797637 TI - Russian hail-suppression experiments. PMID- 17797639 TI - Foreign Research: CIA Plus Camelot Equals Troubles for U.S. Scholars. PMID- 17797640 TI - Sediment distribution on the mid-ocean ridges with respect to spreading of the sea floor. AB - An abrupt change in sediment thickness between the crests and flanks of the mid ocean ridges can be interpreted as a major discontinuity in the rates either of spreading of the sea floor or of accumulation of sediment. The preferable interpretation of the data is that the process of spreadig of the sea floor is intermittent and that the present cycle of spreading commenced around 10 million years ago. following a long period Of quiescence during which most of the observed sediments were deposited. PMID- 17797641 TI - Long base line interferometry: a new technique. AB - The technique of using magnetic-tape recorders and atomic frequency standards to operate two widely separated radio telescopes as a phase-coherent interferometer when the stations have no radio-frequency connecting link has been successfully tested at the National Research Council of Canada's Algonquin Radio Observatory. PMID- 17797642 TI - Irradiation Effects in Glasses: Suppression by Synthesis under High-Pressure Hydrogen. AB - Glasses synthesized under high pressure of hydrogen showed resistance to certain effects of irradiation. Paramagnetic and light-absorption effects associated with irradiated glasses were diminished by a factor as large as 20 in some glasses. Irradiation increases the concentration of hydroxyl ions, as evidenced by increased absorption in the 2.7-micron (3700 cm(-1)) infrared region for hydrogen silica glasses. PMID- 17797644 TI - Miscellaneous publications. PMID- 17797643 TI - Mitotic reactivation of the terminal bud and cambium of white ash. AB - The first appearance of mitotic figures in reactivatinig buds of 1-year-old ash seedlings is in leaf primordia. The occurrence of mitotic figures then progresses sequentially to the procambial cells and finally to the cambium at the base of the bud. Milotic reactivation of the cambium in progressively more proximal regions of the stem is slow, proceeding at a maximal rate of 6 centimeters per day. PMID- 17797646 TI - NAS Exchange Agreement. PMID- 17797645 TI - This week in Science. PMID- 17797647 TI - Arms negotiations. PMID- 17797648 TI - Erratum. AB - In M. Mitchell Waldrop's briefing "Reagan names space commission" (News and Comment, 12 Apr., p. 160), Charles M. Herzfeld's name was spelled incorrectly. PMID- 17797649 TI - In reply: arms negotiations. PMID- 17797650 TI - A good word for delusions. PMID- 17797651 TI - Torsional oscillations of the sun. AB - The sun's differential rotation has a cyclic pattern of change that is tightly correlated with the sunspot, or magnetic activity, cycle. This pattern can be described as a torsional oscillation, in which the solar rotation is periodically sped up or slowed down in certain zones of latitude while elsewhere the rotation remains essentially steady. The zones of anomalous rotation move on the sun in wavelike fashion, keeping pace with and flanking the zones of magnetic activity. It is uncertain whether this torsional oscillation is a globally coherent ringing of the sun or whether it is a local pattern caused by and causing local changes in the magnetic fields. In either case, it may be an important link in the connection between the rotation and the cycle that is widely believed to exist but is not yet understood. PMID- 17797652 TI - European Physicists Push Alternative to SSC: They claim that adding to CERN's facilities could do much of the physics of the proposed supercollider but at a fraction of the cost. PMID- 17797654 TI - International primate campaign launched. PMID- 17797653 TI - Negotiators Report No Progress at Arms Talks: Recent accounts of round 1 in Geneva indicate that the superpowers are even further apart than expected. PMID- 17797655 TI - Engineering "crisis" abating, study says. PMID- 17797657 TI - Why Do Galaxies Exist?: Theorists can answer that question in remarkable detail if they postulate a universe filled with "cold" dark matter. PMID- 17797656 TI - Interior slashes offshore oil estimates. PMID- 17797658 TI - Pan paniscus: The Pygmy Chimpanzee. PMID- 17797659 TI - Issues of drug development: orphan drugs. PMID- 17797660 TI - Form in the mineral kingdom: the scientific reinterpretation of form. PMID- 17797661 TI - Role of fault bends in the initiation and termination of earthquake rupture. AB - Rupture in individual earthquakes apparently is limited to regions between bends in faults. This is illustrated for eight events that have occurred since 1966. A model based on geometric concepts describes why this is so and clarifies earlier ideas of "asperities" and "barriers" used to explain earthquake initiation and termination processes. Because of their importance in the rupture process, bend zones should be monitored for precursory effects. PMID- 17797662 TI - A model for a seismic computerized alert network. AB - In large earthquakes, damaging ground motions may occur at large epicentral distances. Because of the relatively slow speed of seismic waves, it is possible to construct a system to provide short-term warning (as much as several tens of seconds) of imminent strong ground motions from major earthquakes. Automated safety responses could be triggered by users after receiving estimates of the arrival time and strength of shaking expected at an individual site. Although warning times are likely to be short for areas greatly damaged by relatively numerous earthquakes of moderate size, large areas that experience very strong shaking during great earthquakes would receive longer warning times. PMID- 17797663 TI - Selection for increased safety factors of biological structures as environmental unpredictability increases. AB - Theory predicts that selection should increase the ratio of the performance of a biological structure or system to the requirements placed upon it (that is, its safety factor) as conditions become increasingly unpredictable. Although conventional safety factors are rarely measurable, an alternative, truncation safety factor (the ratio of mean strength to maximum possible load), can be measured quantitatively for certain load-bearing structures. For intertidal limpet shells subject to prying forces, truncation safety factor was found to increase with increased variability in shell strength, thus providing direct support for the theory. PMID- 17797664 TI - Floral Mimicry Induced by Mummy-Berry Fungus Exploits Host's Pollinators as Vectors. AB - Leaves and shoots of blueberries(Vaccinium spp.) and huckleberries (Gaylussacia sp.) when infected by ascospores of Monilinia spp. become ultraviolet-reflective and fragrant and secrete sugars at their lesions. Insects that normally pollinate these hosts are attracted to the discolored leaves, ingest the sugars, and transmit conidia to their flowers, resulting in sclerotia (mummy-berry) formation. PMID- 17797665 TI - Durability of the accretion disk of millisecond pulsars. AB - Pulsars with pulsation periods in the millisecond range are thought to be neutron stars that have acquired an extraordinarily short spin period through the accretion of stellar material spiraling down onto the neutron star from a nearby companion. Nearly all the angular momentum and most of the mass of the companion star is transferred to the neutron star. During this process, wherein the neutron star consumes its companion, it is required that a disk of stellar material be formed around the neutron star. In conventional models it is supposed that the disk is somehow lost when the accretion phase is finished, so that only the rapidly spinning neutron star remains. However, it is possible that, after the accretion phase, a residual disk remains in stable orbit around the neutron star. The end result of such an accretion process is an object that looks much like a miniature (about 100 kilometers), heavy version of Saturn: a central object (the neutron star) surrounded by a durable disk. PMID- 17797666 TI - Gravity, drag, and feeding currents of small zooplankton. PMID- 17797668 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17797667 TI - Gravity, drag, and feeding currents of small zooplankton. PMID- 17797669 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17797671 TI - CRITERIA AND METHODS IN THE INVESTIGATION OF AVIAN COCCIDIOSIS. PMID- 17797670 TI - THE ROLE OF HYPOTHESIS IN ECONOMIC THEORY. PMID- 17797672 TI - POSSIBILITIES OF NATURAL RADIATIONS FROM THE GREAT BEAR LAKE PITCHBLENDE DEPOSITS ON GENE MUTATIONS. PMID- 17797674 TI - DISCOVERY OF CONODONTS IN THE PHOSPHORIA PERMIAN OF WYOMING. PMID- 17797673 TI - POSSIBILITIES OF SECONDARY POISONING OF BIRDS AND MAMMALS. PMID- 17797675 TI - SPREAD OF BROAD FISH TAPEWORM OF MAN. PMID- 17797677 TI - A MODIFICATION OF THE OSBORNEMENDEL SALT MIXTURE CONTAINING ONLY INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS. PMID- 17797676 TI - ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN ITALY. PMID- 17797678 TI - A NEW KAHN ANTIGEN MIXER. PMID- 17797679 TI - INSECTS AS VECTORS OF YELLOW DWARF OF ONIONS. PMID- 17797681 TI - THE PRE-OLIGOCENE STRATIGRAPHY OF PORTO RICO. PMID- 17797680 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF LIVING FRESH-WATER SPONGES. PMID- 17797682 TI - THE DEPENDENCE OF PHYSICS ON THE MATHEMATICAL PREPARATION. PMID- 17797683 TI - Is There a Science of Instrumentation? PMID- 17797685 TI - The Fourth Annual Conference and Exhibit of the Instrument Society of America. PMID- 17797684 TI - Operational Aspects of Instrument Design. PMID- 17797686 TI - Fourth Conference on Low Temperature Calorimetry. PMID- 17797687 TI - Symposia on Conformal Mapping and the Monte Carlo Method. PMID- 17797688 TI - International Conference on Instruments and Measurements. PMID- 17797689 TI - A Mass Spectrometer for Isotope Ratio Determinations. PMID- 17797690 TI - The Photographic Plate as an Instrument in Nuclear Research Autoradiography and Radiation Monitoring. PMID- 17797691 TI - Industrial Radar for Hurricane Tracking. PMID- 17797692 TI - Cosmic Ray Instrumentation. PMID- 17797693 TI - Dynamic Accuracy in Temperature Measurement. PMID- 17797695 TI - Light Rays Can Be Tools. PMID- 17797694 TI - Velocity and Flow Measurements with an Improved Thermal Instrument. PMID- 17797696 TI - The Differential Transformer as Applied to Instrumentation. PMID- 17797697 TI - X-Ray Powder Diffraction Analysis Film and Geiger Counter Techniques. PMID- 17797698 TI - Two Radioactive Methods for Studying Certain Gas-Metal Reactions. PMID- 17797699 TI - Instrumental Methods of Studying Some Properties of Aerosols. PMID- 17797700 TI - A Contact Modulated Amplifier and Some of Its Laboratory Uses. PMID- 17797701 TI - Radiation Survey of X-Ray Output of an Electron Microscope from Personnel Hazard Viewpoint. PMID- 17797702 TI - Airborne Magnetometer for Measuring the Earth's Magnetic Vector. PMID- 17797704 TI - Sensitivity of Gamma-Ray Counters. PMID- 17797703 TI - Avoiding Trial-and-Error in Inframicroscopic Photography. PMID- 17797705 TI - Improvements in the Making of Special Photographic Emulsions for Nuclear Physics. PMID- 17797707 TI - THE MONTANA INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR INDIANS. PMID- 17797706 TI - Adapter For Visual Monitoring with Portable Geiger-Muller Equipment. PMID- 17797709 TI - THE NEW JERSEY TEACHERS' READING-CIRCLE. PMID- 17797708 TI - EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL. PMID- 17797710 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17797711 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17797712 TI - Audubon's Grave. PMID- 17797713 TI - Temperance-Teaching. PMID- 17797714 TI - Four Large South African Diamonds. PMID- 17797715 TI - Pars Propatagialis musculi cucullaris. PMID- 17797716 TI - Cause of Consumption. PMID- 17797717 TI - LAKE ITASCA. PMID- 17797718 TI - ROBIN'S NEST. PMID- 17797719 TI - ELECTRICITY AND THE EARTH. PMID- 17797720 TI - MOSQUITOES. PMID- 17797721 TI - Distillery-Swill as a Food for Milch-Cows. PMID- 17797723 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF LEARNED INSTITUTIONS UPON THE PROGRESS OF MODERN SOCIETY. PMID- 17797722 TI - Technical Education. PMID- 17797724 TI - AN IMPROVED TRUCK FOR ELECTRIC CARS. PMID- 17797725 TI - CLIMATOLOGICAL TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17797726 TI - SHOULD FARMERS RAISE THEIR OWN VEGETABLE-SEEDS? PMID- 17797728 TI - Lake and River Temperatures. PMID- 17797727 TI - KILIMA NJARO. PMID- 17797729 TI - Solar Halos. PMID- 17797730 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17797731 TI - IRREVERSIBLE DIFFERENTIATION AND ORTHOGENESIS. PMID- 17797733 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL. PMID- 17797732 TI - EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTED IN THE MELLON INSTITUTE. PMID- 17797734 TI - THE USE OF THE TERM FOSSIL. PMID- 17797735 TI - THE FIXATION OF ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN. PMID- 17797736 TI - CURRENT RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. PMID- 17797737 TI - TRANSFERENCE OF NEMATODES (MONONCHS) FROM PLACE TO PLACE FOR ECONOMIC PURPOSES. PMID- 17797739 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. IV. PMID- 17797738 TI - THE INTERACTION OF ETHYLENE AND SULPHURYL CHLORIDE. PMID- 17797740 TI - THE CHICAGO MEETING. PMID- 17797741 TI - HISTORY OF THE FORMER STATE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17797742 TI - MEDALS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797743 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURANALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17797744 TI - BADGES AND EXPENSES OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17797745 TI - A SALAMANDER-SNAKE FIGHT. PMID- 17797747 TI - TROTTING AND PACING: DOMINANT AND RECESSIVE? PMID- 17797746 TI - QUARTZ AFTER PROCHLORITE AT CRANSTON AND WORCESTER AND COAL PLANTS AT WORCESTER. PMID- 17797748 TI - POPULAR SCIENCE. PMID- 17797749 TI - THE PLANET MARS. PMID- 17797750 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17797751 TI - FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17797752 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17797753 TI - NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797755 TI - LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CHICAGO MEETING. PMID- 17797754 TI - THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. PMID- 17797757 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17797756 TI - Spurious Publication Dates. PMID- 17797758 TI - Revised Symbols for the New Unstable Particles. PMID- 17797759 TI - Word Saving, Good and Bad. PMID- 17797760 TI - Note on a Displaced Dogfish. PMID- 17797761 TI - The Explosion of a Planet. PMID- 17797763 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17797762 TI - Some Comments on a New University. PMID- 17797764 TI - THE ORIGINS OF ENGINEERING. PMID- 17797766 TI - BRACHYCEPHALY AND GLANDULAR BALANCE. PMID- 17797765 TI - NAMES FOR THE HYDROGEN ISOTOPES. PMID- 17797767 TI - LIGHTNING PROTECTION FOR TREES. PMID- 17797768 TI - SUGGESTED NOMENCLATURE FOR HEAVY HYDROGEN AND ITS COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17797770 TI - A SIMPLE PNEUMATIC PULSATOR. PMID- 17797769 TI - THE WORK OF THE WEATHER BUREAU. II. PMID- 17797771 TI - EXPERIMENTAL TRICHINOSIS IN CHICKS. PMID- 17797772 TI - CONTROL OF DOWNY MILDEW DISEASE OF TOBACCO THROUGH TEMPERATURE REGULATION. PMID- 17797773 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE CONCERNING THE APPEARANCE OF EXPERIMENTAL DERMATITS (PELLAGRA) IN RATS. PMID- 17797774 TI - THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND ITS AFFILIATED BUREAUS. PMID- 17797775 TI - THE HUXLEY LECTURE ON RECENT STUDIES OF IMMUNITY, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR BEARING ON PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17797776 TI - THE LENGTH OF THE COLLEGE YEAR AND COURSE. PMID- 17797777 TI - THE BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17797778 TI - A CORRECTION OF PROFESSOR OSBORN'S NOTE ENTITLED 'NEW VERTEBRATES OF THE MIDCRETACEOUS'. PMID- 17797779 TI - A CASE OF MIMICRY OUTMIMICKED? CONCERNING KALLIMA BUTTERFLIES IN MUSEUMS. PMID- 17797780 TI - 'ROOT-PRESSURE' IN BEGONIA (FLETCHER'S SEEDLING). PMID- 17797782 TI - THE JOHN FRITZ MEDAL. PMID- 17797781 TI - THE GRAND GULF FORMATION. PMID- 17797783 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17797784 TI - ANOTHER HODGKINS GOLD MEDAL AWARDED. PMID- 17797785 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17797786 TI - Cholinesterase Inhibitors. PMID- 17797787 TI - "Thinking Claws". PMID- 17797788 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17797789 TI - Small Colleges and Small Minds. PMID- 17797790 TI - New World Prehistory. PMID- 17797791 TI - The Great Fireball of 26 July 1938. PMID- 17797793 TI - Defense Education Act Aids Study of Foreign Languages. PMID- 17797792 TI - Annual Awards for Outstanding Research Presented at AAAS Meeting in Chicago. PMID- 17797794 TI - History of Science Prize Offered. PMID- 17797795 TI - On Pleistocene Surface Temperatures of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. AB - Two additional interpretations are given for the important data of D. B. Ericson on the correlation of coiling directions of Globigerina pachyderma in late Pleistocene North Atlantic sediments with ocean surface temperatures. One interpretation relates the distribution of this species to the distribution and circulation of ocean water masses. On the basis of our ice-age theory, our second interpretation uses the data and correlations of Ericson to establish temperature limits of a thermal node, a line on which glacial and interglacial temperatures were equal, for the North Atlantic Ocean. This line crosses the strait between Greenland and Scandinavia. Further, Ericson's interpretation of the 7.2 degrees C isotherm implies that the glacial-stage surface waters of the Arctic Ocean were between 0 degrees and 3.5 degrees C. PMID- 17797796 TI - Genetic and Environmental Control of Flowering in Trifolium repens in the Tropics. AB - Trifolium repens at low elevations expressed wide genetic variation in tendency to flower. Clones classified as flowering or nonflowering were subjected to temperatures associated with high elevations. Flowering in "nonflowering" clones was induced under warm-day-cool-night treatments. It is proposed that in the tropics, low temperatures associated with high elevations are an important factor in determining flowering, and therefore ability to persist, in plants which are long-day and temperature sensitive. PMID- 17797797 TI - Characterization of Endogenous Ethanol in the Mammal. AB - Ethanol has been isolated from the tissues of several animal species in amounts ranging from 23 to 145 micromole/100 gm of tissue. Intestinal bacterial flora appear to be excluded as a source of this ethanol. Radioactivity from pyruvate-2 C(14) appeared in ethanol after incubation with liver slices; this finding indicates an endogenous synthesis. PMID- 17797798 TI - Orientation of Migratory Restlessness in the White-Crowned Sparrow. AB - Individuals of two migratory races of white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) caged under an open sky showed a pronounced orientation in their night restlessness during normal periods of migration for the species. In August and September 1958 most birds showed a southerly orientation at night; daytime activity was random to somewhat northerly. In April and May 1959 most birds showed a strong northerly orientation at night; daytime activity was random to somewhat southerly (1). PMID- 17797800 TI - Plant Growth Regulation. PMID- 17797799 TI - Mosses as Possible Sources of Antibiotics. AB - An examination of 12 species of mosses has indicated that three produce substances capable of inhibiting the growth of various bacteria and other fungi. The method of extraction included several solvents. The extracts were not consistent in their antagonistic activity against the various species of microorganisms, nor were those that displayed antibiotic action always effective against the same organisms. Results indicate unstable products as well as physiological variation in the mosses. PMID- 17797801 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17797803 TI - Science and Human Survival: Unlimited war is self-defeating and an alternative must be found by a new science of human survival. PMID- 17797802 TI - The Twelve-Pound Book. PMID- 17797804 TI - Howard Percy Robertson, Physicist. PMID- 17797805 TI - The Constitution and Religion: How High the Wall of Separation? PMID- 17797806 TI - AD-X2: The Case of the Mysterious Battery Additive Comes to an End. PMID- 17797807 TI - On the Mechanism of Diamond Formation: Diamonds form by the shock-conversion of graphite, but not by decomposition of metal carbides. PMID- 17797808 TI - Sources and Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric Sulfur. AB - In nonindustrial areas the prime source of SO(--)(4) in rain and snow is atmospherically oxidized H(2)S that is produced predominately along coastal belts by anaerobic bacteria. The delta S(34) analyses of atmospheric SO(--)(4) vary from +3.2 to +15.6 per mil in contrast to +20.7 per mil for sea water SO(--)(4). Contrary to previous studies based on Cl(-)/SO(--)(4) ratios, sea spray SO(--)(4) is a minor source. PMID- 17797809 TI - New Source of the j2 Gene Governing Jointless Pedicel in Tomato. AB - A multiple-flowered, jointless pedicel, single plant appeared in the tomato variety 146 in 1958. The gene governing the jointless pedicel character was found to be identical with the j2 gene found in a tomato strain from the Galapagos Islands. The character is considered to be a mutant and of potential value in the development of mechanically harvestable tomatoes. PMID- 17797811 TI - The Nature of the Real. PMID- 17797810 TI - Photoperiodic Response of Female Fringe-Toed Lizards. AB - Uma notata females were held over the winter under 24 hours of light per day. These animals laid from two to four clutches of eggs, with 4 to 7 weeks between clutches. Clutches contained two to four eggs. Additional light is believed to be more important than heat in causing this response. PMID- 17797812 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17797813 TI - OUR UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH. PMID- 17797814 TI - THE SHEFFIELD MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17797815 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17797816 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17797817 TI - SCHMIEDEKNECHT ON THE PARASITIC HYMENOPTERA OF THE FAMILY CHALCIDIDAe. PMID- 17797818 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17797819 TI - THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17797820 TI - SALARIES OF PROFESSORS. PMID- 17797821 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17797822 TI - A NOTE ON TRAUBE'S THEORY OF OSMOSIS AND "ATTRACTION-PRESSURE". PMID- 17797823 TI - THE LUMINOSITY OF COMETS. PMID- 17797824 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE MAMMALS. PMID- 17797825 TI - THE RELATION OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY TO OTHER SCIENCE SUBJECTS. PMID- 17797826 TI - PROFESSOR FRAAS ON THE AQUEOUS VS. AeOLIAN DEPOSITION OF THE WHITE RIVER OLIGOCENE OF S. DAKOTA. PMID- 17797827 TI - CHARLES ANTHONY SCHOTT. PMID- 17797828 TI - GEORGE K. LAWTON. PMID- 17797829 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17797830 TI - THE INJURY OF FUNGICIDES TO PEACH FOLIAGE. PMID- 17797831 TI - ADAPTATION IN VISION. PMID- 17797832 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17797833 TI - THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17797835 TI - MR. CHAMBERLAIN ON THE FUNCTIONS OF A UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797834 TI - JESSE WILLIAM LAZEAR MEMORIAL. PMID- 17797836 TI - PROFESSOR STARR'S RECENT WORK IN MEXICO. PMID- 17797837 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17797838 TI - THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17797839 TI - A PROGRAM OF MEDICAL CARE FOR THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17797841 TI - ENERGY OF UREA SYNTHESIS. PMID- 17797840 TI - HETEROSIS: SPECIFIC NOT GENERAL IN NATURE. PMID- 17797842 TI - ETHER STRUCTURE. PMID- 17797843 TI - MOSQUITOES KILL LIVE STOCK. PMID- 17797844 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF NUTRITIONAL ANEMIA IN WHITE RATS. PMID- 17797845 TI - A LARGE RESPIROMETER. PMID- 17797847 TI - NEW FIXING FLUIDS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES. PMID- 17797846 TI - AN ILLUMINATOR TO FACILITATE THE TRACING OF X-RAYS. PMID- 17797848 TI - VARIATIONS IN VISIBLE SOLAR LIGHT DURING SUBMARINE MEASUREMENTS. PMID- 17797850 TI - A CONTRIBUTION TO VOWEL THEORY. PMID- 17797849 TI - BORRELIOTOSES: FOWL-POX, MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM, VARIOLA-VACCINIA. PMID- 17797851 TI - THE PROBLEM OF THE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR. II. PMID- 17797852 TI - THE ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF GEOLOGISTS, STOCKHOLM, 1910. PMID- 17797853 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17797854 TI - THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN. PMID- 17797855 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17797856 TI - A QUEER FISH. PMID- 17797858 TI - HALLEY ON THE AGE OF THE OCEAN. PMID- 17797857 TI - THE DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN MUSEUMS. PMID- 17797859 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17797860 TI - THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY: THE COMPLETION OF THE CATALOGUE OF THE WASHINGTON ZONES OF 1846-52. PMID- 17797861 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS EASTERN BRANCH. PMID- 17797863 TI - THE TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY. PMID- 17797862 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL SEED ANALYSTS. PMID- 17797864 TI - THE ST. LOUIS TORNADO. PMID- 17797865 TI - THE QUADRUPED METHOD OF LOCOMOTION. PMID- 17797866 TI - STONE AGE SKULLS FROM AFRICA. PMID- 17797867 TI - OVERPRODUCTION OF GRAPES IN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17797868 TI - THE PSYCHO-GALVANIC REFLEX. PMID- 17797869 TI - CHEMISTRY IN RELATION TO BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO INSULIN AND OTHER HORMONES. PMID- 17797871 TI - ALBERT WILLIAM SMITH. PMID- 17797870 TI - GRANTS IN AID OF RESEARCH, FOR 1928. PMID- 17797872 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17797873 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF ADRENAL EXTRACTS ON THE SURVIVAL PERIOD OF ADRENALECTOMIZED DOGS. PMID- 17797874 TI - USE AND DISUSE IN THE CHROMOSOMES. PMID- 17797875 TI - AN INQUIRY INTO THE MOTION OF DROPLETS OF JUICE EJECTED FROM AN ORANGE. PMID- 17797876 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE PRAIRIE. PMID- 17797877 TI - TYPE CULTURES. PMID- 17797878 TI - THE PREPARATION OF COPPER HYDROSOL AND ITS USE IN ELECTROPLATING OF GLASSWARE. PMID- 17797879 TI - ON THE APPARENT LARGE DIAMETERS OF MOLECULES FOR DEACTIVATION BY COLLISION. PMID- 17797880 TI - POLLEN STERILITY IN PEACHES. PMID- 17797881 TI - GOVERNMENT TIMBER TESTS. PMID- 17797882 TI - FIRE-RESISTING MATERIALS. PMID- 17797883 TI - PROFESSOR WILLIAM FERREL. PMID- 17797884 TI - PROFESSOR JOSEPH LEIDY: HIS LABORS IN THE FIELD OF VERTEBRATE ANATOMY. PMID- 17797885 TI - Work and Energy. PMID- 17797886 TI - DOCTORATES CONFERRED BY AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17797887 TI - SOME ASPECTS OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17797888 TI - NATHAN SMITH DAVIS. PMID- 17797890 TI - JORDAN ON FOSSIL LABROID AND CHAeTODONT FISHES. PMID- 17797889 TI - AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES SUITABLE FOR BEET CULTURE. PMID- 17797891 TI - THE EFFECT OF RADIUM RAYS ON THE COLON BACILLUS, THE DIPHTHERIA BACILLUS AND YEAST. PMID- 17797893 TI - THE ASCENT OF WATER. PMID- 17797892 TI - ANALYSIS OF A COMPLEX MUSICAL TONE. PMID- 17797894 TI - A WHEAT-RYE HYBRID. PMID- 17797896 TI - OPPORTUNITIES IN ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. PMID- 17797895 TI - SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCE. PMID- 17797914 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ARTS AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17797915 TI - THE ENDOWMENT OF ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17797916 TI - THE CHANGING ATTITUDE OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES TOWARD PSYCHOLOGY. PMID- 17797917 TI - THE USE OF ROMAN NUMERALS. PMID- 17797918 TI - PUPATION OF THE KELEP ANT. PMID- 17797919 TI - IMPORTANCE OF ISOLATED REARINGS FROM CULICID LARVAe. PMID- 17797920 TI - COOPERATION IN SOLAR RESEARCH. PMID- 17797921 TI - INVITATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ARTS AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17797922 TI - MEASUREMENTS OF THE VELOCITY OF LIGHT. PMID- 17797923 TI - FUTURE SOLAR ECLIPSES. PMID- 17797924 TI - THE ECLIPSE OF MAY 9. PMID- 17797926 TI - STATIC MEASUREMENTS FOR WARNINGS OF STORMS. PMID- 17797925 TI - COLOR IN THE MOVIES. PMID- 17797927 TI - RADIUM EFFECTS AND COSMIC RAYS. PMID- 17797928 TI - SOME PHYSICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17797929 TI - THE MECHANISM OF SPARK DISCHARGE IN AIR AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. PMID- 17797930 TI - RESEARCH AT MELLON INSTITUTE DURING 1928-29. PMID- 17797931 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17797932 TI - AMBITIOUS AGRONOMY. PMID- 17797933 TI - THE EUROPEAN STARLING IN ILLINOIS. PMID- 17797935 TI - VIBRATIONS AND PARTICLES. PMID- 17797934 TI - DISPERSED STAGES OF THE STIGMA IN EUGLENA. PMID- 17797936 TI - AN APPARATUS FOR THE STUDY OF MATFORMING FUNGI IN CULTURE SOLUTIONS. PMID- 17797937 TI - HETERO-FERTILIZATION IN MAIZE. PMID- 17797938 TI - STRAINS OF THE DOG HOOKWORM, ANCYLOSTOMA CANINUM, SPECIFIC TO THE DOG AND TO THE CAT. PMID- 17797939 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. II. PMID- 17797941 TI - THE RECENT ACTIVITY OF KILAUEA AND MAUNA LOA, HAWAII. PMID- 17797940 TI - EXPERIMENTAL AND CHEMICAL STUDIES OF THE BLOOD WITH AN APPEAL FOR MORE EXTENDED CHEMICAL TRAINING FOR THE BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL INVESTIGATOR. PMID- 17797942 TI - INVENTION COMMITTEES IN ENGLAND AND IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17797943 TI - INTERSTATE CEREAL CONFERENCE. PMID- 17797944 TI - THE FUNDAMENTAL EQUATION OF MECHANICS. PMID- 17797945 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17797946 TI - MEGNETIZATION BY ROTATION. PMID- 17797947 TI - THE POND-LILY APHID AS A PLUM PEST. PMID- 17797948 TI - Drinking water: sources and treatment. PMID- 17797950 TI - Drinking water: sources and treatment. PMID- 17797949 TI - Canadian saccharin study. PMID- 17797951 TI - Energy and inspiration. PMID- 17797952 TI - Energy and inspiration. PMID- 17797953 TI - Last resorts. PMID- 17797954 TI - Biological nitrogen fixation for food and fiber production. PMID- 17797955 TI - An Economic Appraisal of President Carter's Energy Program. AB - An analysis of 11 major federal energy policies of the last half-century indicated a record of conflicting and counter-productive government policies. These policies contributed heavily to the energy crisis. The essence of the President's energy plan is more government interference and less reliance on the price system. Crude oil price controls are to become permanent, and natural gas price controls are to be extended. This requires that government decide who gets the low-priced energy, who pays high prices, and who increasingly goes without. Government energy policies have historically reflected dominant organized pressures. PMID- 17797956 TI - U.s. Foreign medical students: after the "guadalajara clause". PMID- 17797957 TI - Soviets turn deaf ear to pleas for levich. PMID- 17797958 TI - Engineer's Memo Stirs Doubts on Clinch River Breeder. PMID- 17797959 TI - Solar thermal electricity: power tower dominates research. PMID- 17797960 TI - Electron probe microanalysis: new uses in physiology. PMID- 17797961 TI - Early man in South Africa. PMID- 17797962 TI - Megalithic monuments. PMID- 17797963 TI - Dendroclimatology. PMID- 17797964 TI - Plasma physics. PMID- 17797965 TI - Mining the apollo and amor asteroids. AB - Earth-approaching asteroids could provide raw materials for space manufacturing. For certain asteroids the total energy per unit mass for the transfer of asteroidal resources to a manufacturing site in high Earth orbit is comparable to that for lunar materials. For logistical reasons the cost may be many times less. Optical studies suggest that these asteroids have compositions corresponding to those of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites, with some containing large quantities of iron and nickel; others are thought to contain carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, elements that appear to be lacking on the moon. The prospect that several new candidate asteroids will be discovered over the next few years increases the likelihood that a variety of asteroidal resource materials can be retrieved on low-energy missions. PMID- 17797966 TI - Deadline for Nominations: 15 September 1977 AAAS-Newcomb Cleveland Prize: Contest Year Is Nearly Over. PMID- 17797967 TI - Overlapping platelets: a diffusion barrier in a teleost swimbladder. AB - Overlapping platelets are layered within the connective tissue of the wall of a closed (physoclistous) swimbladder. The close, staggered arrangement of the platelets is viewed as a physical barrier that can interfere with the diffusion pathway of gas molecules. The result is a more efficient retention of gas pressures within the swimbladder. PMID- 17797968 TI - Fright Posture of the Plesiopid Fish Calloplesiops altivelis: An Example of Batesian Mimicry. AB - When frightened by a predator, the plesiopid fish, Calloplesiops altivelis, adopts a posture and appearance that mimics the head of a noxious moray eel, Gymnothorax meleagris. Tests indicate that the mimicry is Batesian and not Mullerian. Unlike the strategy of other reef-fish prey species, which hide when threatened, the Calloplesiops's strategy is one of intimidation. PMID- 17797969 TI - Relative Fecundity and Parental Effort in Communally Nesting Anis, Crotophaga sulcirostris. AB - The contribution of eggs to the communal clutch by females of the group and the genetic contribution by males of the group are significantly skewed. The amount of parental care performed by each bird is correlated with relative egg ownership for both sexes. PMID- 17797970 TI - OPPORTUNITIES IN BOTANY. PMID- 17797971 TI - OPENINGS FOR CHEMISTS. PMID- 17797972 TI - OUTLOOK FOR YOUNG MEN IN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17797973 TI - OUTLOOK FOR YOUNG MEN IN PHYSICS. PMID- 17797974 TI - OUTLOOK FOR YOUNG MEN IN ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17797975 TI - THE CHEMICAL EDUCATION OF THE ENGINEER. PMID- 17797976 TI - "AMETHYSTINE BLUE.". PMID- 17797977 TI - GEOLOGICAL CLIMATES. PMID- 17797978 TI - THE ITALIAN ARCHIVES OF BIOLOGY. PMID- 17797979 TI - AN INTERPRETATION OF ELEMENTARY SPECIES. PMID- 17797980 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17797981 TI - LETTERS CONCERNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17797982 TI - DARWIN CELEBRATION. PMID- 17797983 TI - THE ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17797984 TI - FORTY YEARS OF HELPING THE FARMER WITH KNOWLEDGE. PMID- 17797986 TI - 1941 STALIN PRIZE-WINNERS IN THE U.S.S.R. PMID- 17797985 TI - FRANK COLLINS BAKER. PMID- 17797987 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE SCHOOL EXCHANGE. PMID- 17797988 TI - ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED PROVINCES OF INDIA. PMID- 17797989 TI - THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. PMID- 17797990 TI - WESTINGHOUSE RESEARCH FELLOWS. PMID- 17797991 TI - IN DEFENSE OF THE KALLIKAK STUDY. PMID- 17797993 TI - THE GRAYING OF HAIR. PMID- 17797992 TI - SOME FACTORS AFFECTING APPLE SCALD DISEASE. PMID- 17797994 TI - A GRASSHOPPER PROBLEM IN MECHANICS. PMID- 17797996 TI - THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FUND. PMID- 17797995 TI - THE EIGHTH ANNUAL WASHINGTON CONFERENCE OF THEORETICAL PHYSICS. PMID- 17797997 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF PERMANENT HYPER-GLYCEMIA AND GLYCOSURIA BY THE PROLONGED ADMINISTRATION OF INSULIN. PMID- 17797998 TI - ON CATARACT AND CERTAIN OTHER MANIFESTATIONS OF TRYPTOPHANE DEFICIENCY IN RATS. PMID- 17797999 TI - A VIRUS INACTIVATOR FROM YEAST. PMID- 17798000 TI - CONTRIBUTION TO THE STEREOCHEMISTRY OF DIPHENYLPOLYENES. PMID- 17798001 TI - A NEW PETRI DISH COVER AND TECHNIQUE FOR USE IN THE CULTIVATION OF ANAEROBES AND MICROAEROPHILES. PMID- 17798003 TI - The Cooperative Committee for the Teaching of Science: A Report to the AAAS Council, December, 1949. PMID- 17798002 TI - A SIMPLE MEANS OF RETAINING OIL BETWEEN SLIDE AND CONDENSER. PMID- 17798004 TI - Chlorophyll Formation in Potato Tubers as Affected by Temperature and Time. PMID- 17798006 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17798005 TI - The International Geophysical Year, 1957-58. PMID- 17798007 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17798008 TI - Atoms and Ions in the Sun. PMID- 17798009 TI - The Saturation Curves of Cinnabar and Metacinnabar in the System HgS-Na2S-H2O at 25{degrees} C. PMID- 17798010 TI - Preparation of Isotopic Lithium Metal by Thermochemical Reduction. PMID- 17798011 TI - Sex Ratio and Parental Age. PMID- 17798013 TI - On "Audiogenic Seizure and the Adrenal Cortex". PMID- 17798014 TI - Landslide Investigations along the Columbia Valley in Northeastern Washington. PMID- 17798012 TI - Geologic Controls of Lead and Zinc Deposits in the Goodsprings (Yellow Pine) District, Nevada. PMID- 17798016 TI - Structural and Igneous Geology of the La Sal Mountains, Utah. PMID- 17798015 TI - A Correction and Additional Observations. PMID- 17798017 TI - Zoological Nomenclature. PMID- 17798019 TI - Germanium Oxide-Titanium Phosphate Glass. PMID- 17798018 TI - Water Resources of the Louisville Area, Kentucky and Indiana. PMID- 17798020 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17798022 TI - Koch's 'comma bacillus.'. PMID- 17798021 TI - Carnivorous habits of the muskrat. PMID- 17798023 TI - The decadence of science about Boston. PMID- 17798024 TI - The use of slips in scientific correspondence. PMID- 17798025 TI - Chopping-stones. PMID- 17798026 TI - The incandescent light on steamers. PMID- 17798027 TI - JOHN GWYN JEFFREYS. PMID- 17798028 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17798030 TI - THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT. PMID- 17798029 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17798031 TI - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT FOR LIGHT-HOUSES AND SEARCH-LIGHTS. PMID- 17798033 TI - THE KILIMANJARO EXPEDITION. PMID- 17798032 TI - RECENT DETERMINATIONS OF LONGITUDE ON THE WEST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA. PMID- 17798034 TI - THE DOINGS OF ASTRONOMERS. PMID- 17798035 TI - PROPOSED EXPLORATIONS IN ALASKA. PMID- 17798036 TI - ROGERS'S HISTORY OF ENGLISH LABOR. PMID- 17798037 TI - A NEW GEOLOGICAL MAP OF CANADA, WITH AN OUTLINE SKETCH. PMID- 17798038 TI - GOODALE'S VEGETABLE HISTOLOGY. PMID- 17798040 TI - BILLINGS'S VENTILATION AND HEATING. PMID- 17798039 TI - DISEASE-GERMS. PMID- 17798041 TI - THE NICARAGUA CANAL ROUTE. PMID- 17798042 TI - TRANSPARENCY AND OPACITY. PMID- 17798043 TI - DISTRIBUTION OF THE KEEWATIN IN MINNESOTA. PMID- 17798044 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PMID- 17798046 TI - ABOUT A REFORM IN NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17798045 TI - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HYBRIDIZATION. PMID- 17798047 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17798048 TI - NATURAL HISTORY OF THE TRES MARIA ISLANDS, MEXICO. PMID- 17798049 TI - TIDES AND CURRENTS IN CANADIAN WATERS. PMID- 17798050 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN THE EXAMINATION OF FOODS AND DRUGS. PMID- 17798051 TI - POSITION OF WOMEN IN BABYLONIA. PMID- 17798052 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798053 TI - Art for Science's Sake. PMID- 17798054 TI - Acoustic Techniques in Magnetic Resonance: Acoustic coupling to nuclear and electron spins is a measure of relaxation in paramagnetic systems. AB - In conclusion, I believe it fair to say that the marriage of ultrasonics and magnetic resonance holds promise of being a productive one. In the application of these disciplines to nuclear spins, little more has been done than to demonstrate the acoustic techniques and to apply them to a particular problem of quadrupolar coupling in the heavy alkali halides. Particularly promising is the extension of acoustic NMR techniques to bulk metals, to ferromagnetic crystals, and to the study of spin-lattice relaxation as a function of temperature. In the technique of phonon coupling to electron spins in paramagnetic materials, also, the reports to date have all been of a preliminary nature. Used in combination with the powerful new hypersonic technique of generating microwave acoustic waves, electron spin-phonon interaction measurements may help to resolve some of the present confusion regarding the mechanisms of spin-lattice relaxation in paramagnetic solids (29). PMID- 17798055 TI - Nuclear Testing: The Rival Series Are Not Likely To Go On and On. PMID- 17798056 TI - Fallout Shelters: Administration's Program Is Facing Difficulty On Capitol Hill. PMID- 17798057 TI - Space Cooperation: The Past Week Was a Busy and Fruitful One. PMID- 17798058 TI - Dispersal Patterns of Pleistocene Sands on the North Atlantic Deep-Sea Floor. AB - Glauconitic, quartzose sands previously modified on the continental shelf from feldspathic glacial detritus were transported through submarine canyons onto the Hudson deep-sea fan, the Hatteras abyssal plain, and the western and central Sohm abyssal plain. These feldspar-poor, quartzose sands contrast with highly feldspathic sands derived directly from a glacial source and probably transported through the Newfoundland abyssal gap onto the eastern and southern Sohm abyssal plain. PMID- 17798059 TI - Separation of Aluminum Phosphate from Iron Phosphate in Soils. AB - Aluminum phosphate in the soil can be more discretely separated from iron phosphate by extracting 1 gram of soil with 50 milliliters of neutral 0.5N ammonium fluoride solution for 1 hour than by extracting with alkaline solution for a longer period of time. PMID- 17798061 TI - Petrofabric Study of Deformed Salt. AB - Petrofabric examination of salt crystals in Grand Saline salt dome reveals a preferred orientation that may bear significantly on other physical properties and on the genesis of salt domes. The symmetry of the orientation patterns indicates that translation gliding in halite may occur predominantly on cubic glide planes. PMID- 17798060 TI - Mating Competitiveness of Chemosterilized and Normal Male House Flies. AB - Male house flies sterilized by feeding on a diet containing 1 percent of apholate (2,2,4,4,6,6-hexa(1-aziridinyl)-2,4,6-triphospha-1,3,5-triazine) were as successful as normal males in competition for mates. The percentage of sterile eggs laid by females in cages containing normal and chemosterilized males was as high as, or higher than, would be expected from the ratio of sterile males present. PMID- 17798062 TI - Retardation of Plant Growth by a New Group of Chemicals. AB - Sprays of N-dimethylaminomaleamic acid were found to retard the growth of a variety of plants, including legumes, vine crops, potatoes, and ornamentals. It was readily translocated, had a long residual action, was relatively nonphytotoxic, and did not appear to affect adversely root, vegetative, or reproductive development. PMID- 17798063 TI - Entomology. PMID- 17798064 TI - OBSERVATION VERSUS EXPERIMENTATION. PMID- 17798065 TI - GENERAL FEATURES OF THE TORONTO MEETING. PMID- 17798066 TI - CAROLINE BURLING THOMPSON 1869-1921. PMID- 17798068 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17798067 TI - COMMITTEE FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION. PMID- 17798069 TI - A LONG-LIVED WOODBORER. PMID- 17798071 TI - THE PASTEUR CENTENARY. PMID- 17798070 TI - POISONOUS SPIDERS. PMID- 17798072 TI - PERCIVAL LOWEL. PMID- 17798074 TI - LABORATORY DETERMINATIONS OF DIP AND STRIKE. PMID- 17798073 TI - RESEARCH FUNDS IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17798075 TI - EMISSION BANDS OF ERBIUM OXIDE: A CONFIRMATION. PMID- 17798077 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798076 TI - ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF TIPBURN. PMID- 17798078 TI - PROSPECTS AND RETROSPECTS. PMID- 17798079 TI - THE NEEDS OF PUBLICATION IN TROPICAL MEDICINE. PMID- 17798080 TI - MUSICAL ECHOES. PMID- 17798082 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17798081 TI - RECENT CHANGES IN THE PLATEAU REGION. PMID- 17798083 TI - PLANT CLASSIFICATION IN ELEMENTARY BOTANICAL TEXTS. PMID- 17798084 TI - CHESTNUT TREES SURVIVING BLIGHT. PMID- 17798085 TI - BALL LIGHTNING. PMID- 17798086 TI - THE SCIENTIST AND AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE. PMID- 17798087 TI - SWARMING OF DESERT MILLIPEDS. PMID- 17798088 TI - THE EXPERIMENTAL REVERSAL OF POLARITY IN PLANARIA. PMID- 17798089 TI - NEW MEASUREMENTS OF PLANETARY RADIATION. PMID- 17798090 TI - THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT TO WHEAT GROWTH DUE TO DEPLETION OF AVAILABLE PHOSPHORUS IN THE CULTURE MEDIA. PMID- 17798091 TI - THE EFFECT OF DRYING UPON THE ACIDITY OF SOIL SAMPLES. PMID- 17798092 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17798093 TI - A multipurpose national laboratory. PMID- 17798094 TI - Biology at caltech. PMID- 17798095 TI - B factory proposals. PMID- 17798096 TI - Response. PMID- 17798097 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - Reference 4 in the article "Demic expansions and human evolution" by L. L. Cavalli-Sforza et al. (29 Jan., p. 639) was incorrect. It should have read as follows: "F. Weidenreich, Evolution 1, 221 (1947); C. Coon, The Living Races of Man (Knopf, New York, 1965); M. H. Wolpoff, in (2), pp. 62-108." PMID- 17798098 TI - Response. PMID- 17798099 TI - Science scope. PMID- 17798100 TI - Senate Turns Up the Heat on NSF. PMID- 17798101 TI - White house plans new science council. PMID- 17798102 TI - Radon risks up in the air. PMID- 17798103 TI - A New Study Finds There's Life Left in the Green Revolution. PMID- 17798104 TI - A bigger death knell for the dinosaurs? PMID- 17798105 TI - How lethal was the k-T impact? PMID- 17798106 TI - Holding the lines in high- temperature superconductors. PMID- 17798107 TI - PARC Builds a World Saturated With Computation. PMID- 17798108 TI - French get a head in the fossil hunt. PMID- 17798109 TI - Spinal trial gets stopped. PMID- 17798110 TI - Toxicologists watch as the worm turns. PMID- 17798111 TI - Moondust in your eyes. PMID- 17798112 TI - Chemistry of the fullerenes: the manifestation of strain in a class of continuous aromatic molecules. AB - Within the wr-orbital axis vector theory, the total rehybridization required for closure of the fullerenes is approximately conserved. This result allows the development of a structure-based index of strain in the fullerenes, and it is estimated that about 80 percent of the heat of formation of the carbon atoms in C60 may be attributed to a combination of v strain and steric inhibition of resonance. Application of this analysis to the geometries of structurally characterized organometallic derivatives of C60 and C70 shows that the reactivity exhibited by the fullerenes may be attributed to the relief of a combination of local and global strain energy. C60 is of ambiguous aromatic character with anomalous magnetic properties but with the reactivity of a continuous aromatic molecule, moderated only by the tremendous strain inherent in the spheroidal structure. PMID- 17798113 TI - Mechanism and dynamics of ion transfer across a liquid-liquid interface. AB - A detailed molecular model for ion transfer across the interface between water and 1,2-dichloroethane provides insight into the mechanism of the transfer across the interface between two immiscible liquids. Extensive molecular dynamics computer simulations underscore the roles of surface roughness and capillary distortions in this process, demonstrate that ion transfer is an activated rather than a simple diffusive process, and provide a test for the applicability of theoretical models. PMID- 17798114 TI - Cross-shelf sediment transport by an anticyclonic eddy off northern california. AB - A combination of satellite imagery, shipboard profiles, drifter tracks, and moored current observations reveals that an anticyclonic eddy off the coast of northern California transported plumes of suspended sediments from the continental shelf into the deep ocean. The horizontal scale of the eddy was about 90 kilometers, and the eddy remained over the continental shelf and slope for about 2 months during the summer of 1988. The total mass of sediments transported by the eddy was of order 105 metric tons. Mesoscale eddies are recurrent features in this region and occur frequently in eastern boundary currents. These results provide direct evidence that eddies export sediments from continental shelves. PMID- 17798115 TI - Chicxulub multiring impact basin: size and other characteristics derived from gravity analysis. AB - The buried Chicxulub impact structure in Mexico, which is linked to the Cretaceous- Tertiary (K-T) boundary layer, may be significantly larger than previously suspected. Reprocessed gravity data over Northern Yucatan reveal three major rings and parts of a fourth ring, spaced similarly to those observed at multiring impact basins on other planets. The outer ring, probably corresponding to the basin's topographic rim, is almost 300 kilometers in diameter, indicating that Chicxulub may be one of the largest impact structures produced in the inner solar system since the period of early bombardment ended nearly 4 billion years ago. PMID- 17798116 TI - Chemical modification of the photoluminescence quenching of porous silicon. AB - The photoluminescence of porous silicon can be quenched by adsorbates, and the degree of quenching can be tuned by chemical derivatization of the porous silicon surface. Thus, as-prepared porous silicon has a hydrophobic, hydrogen-terminated surface, and the photoluminescence is strongly quenched by ethanol and weakly quenched by water. Mild chemical oxidation (iodine followed by hydrolysis) produces a hydrophilic porous silicon surface. Photoluminescence from this hydrophilic material is quenched to a lesser extent by ethanol and to a greater extent by water, relative to the original surface. This demonstrates that the visible luminescence from porous silicon is highly surface-sensitive, and the surface interactions can be tuned by specific chemical transformations. PMID- 17798117 TI - A potentially realizable quantum computer. AB - Arrays of weakly coupled quantum systems might compute if subjected to a sequence of electromagnetic pulses of well-defined frequency and length. Such pulsed arrays are true quantum computers: Bits can be placed in superpositionsof 0 and 1, logical operations take place coherently, and dissipation is required only for error correction. Operated with frequent error correction, such a system functions as a parallel digital computer. Operated in a quantum-mechanically coherent manner, such a device functions as a generalpurpose quantum-mechanical micromanipulator, capable of both creating any desired quantum state of the array and transforming that state in any desired way. PMID- 17798118 TI - The culture of zoocide. PMID- 17798119 TI - The origins of plagues. PMID- 17798120 TI - Extracellular organizers. PMID- 17798122 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17798121 TI - Vignettes: arthropods of britain. PMID- 17798123 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798124 TI - PRESENTATION OF THE DANIEL GIRAUD ELLIOT MEDAL AND HONORARIUM TO RICHARD SWANN LULL. PMID- 17798125 TI - PRESENTATION OF THE AGASSIZ MEDAL TO HARALD ULRIK SVERDRUP. PMID- 17798126 TI - RESPONSE BY THE MEDALIST. PMID- 17798128 TI - THE CHANGING OUTLOOK OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE. PMID- 17798127 TI - RESPONSE BY THE MEDALIST. PMID- 17798129 TI - THE LUMINESCENCE OF SUGAR WAFERS. PMID- 17798130 TI - BORON AS A FERTILIZER FOR WESTERN OREGON SOILS. PMID- 17798131 TI - HEPARIN AND THE INHIBITION OF BLOOD-CLOTTING. PMID- 17798132 TI - A SYMPOSIUM ON METRIC GEOMETRY. PMID- 17798133 TI - THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798134 TI - TRYPARSAMIDE IN THE CONTROL OF AFRICAN SLEEPING SICKNESS. PMID- 17798135 TI - GROWTH OF SOME HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI ON A CHEMICALLY DEFINED MEDIUM. PMID- 17798137 TI - THE PSEUDO-AMNION, PSEUDO-CHORION, PSEUDO-PLACENTA AND OTHER FOETAL STRUCTURES IN VIVIPAROUS CYPRINODONT FISHES. PMID- 17798136 TI - EFFECT OF INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS. PMID- 17798138 TI - A THORACIC WINDOW FOR OBSERVATION OF THE LUNG IN A LIVING ANIMAL. PMID- 17798139 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798140 TI - ON POISONS AND DISEASE AND SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH THE TOXIN OF THE BACILLUS TETANI. PMID- 17798141 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17798142 TI - SOME ERRONEOUS AGE RECORDS OF PALEOZOIC PLANT GENERA. PMID- 17798143 TI - A STARCHLESS POTATO INDUCED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF FOREIGN ENZYMES. PMID- 17798144 TI - WHERE DID THIS REALLY HAPPEN? PMID- 17798145 TI - A PROMISING CONTROL FOR PSYLLID YELLOWS OF POTATOES. PMID- 17798146 TI - TRI-STATE GEOLOGICAL FIELD CONFERENCE OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. PMID- 17798147 TI - A CHANGE OF NAMES. PMID- 17798149 TI - A NEW METHOD OF ILLUSTRATION. PMID- 17798148 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR MEASURING SMALL TIME INTERVALS. PMID- 17798150 TI - CONTRASTING PROPERTIES OF IONS, ZWITTERIONS AND UNCHARGED MOLECULES. PMID- 17798151 TI - "EXERGIC" AND "ENDERGIC" REACTIONS. PMID- 17798152 TI - Genetic patents. PMID- 17798153 TI - Explaining "linguistic features" of noncoding DNA. PMID- 17798154 TI - Coral bleaching. PMID- 17798155 TI - Rare trees. PMID- 17798156 TI - Italian academic turnover. PMID- 17798157 TI - Useful antisense. PMID- 17798158 TI - Analog computational power. PMID- 17798159 TI - Analog computational power. PMID- 17798160 TI - Our Critics. PMID- 17798162 TI - Systematization of Journal Practices. PMID- 17798161 TI - Intracellular Symbiosis in Cockroaches: II. Mitotic Division of Mycetocytes. PMID- 17798164 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17798165 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17798166 TI - SOME FACTORS IN THE INSTITUTE'S SUCCESS. PMID- 17798167 TI - HENRY PICKERING BOWDITCH. PMID- 17798168 TI - SAMUEL FRANKLIN EMMONS. PMID- 17798169 TI - THE CONGRESS ON TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17798170 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17798171 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17798173 TI - PRODUCTIVITY OF SOILS. PMID- 17798172 TI - THE MEANING OF VITALISM. PMID- 17798174 TI - A KINETIC THEORY OF GRAVITATION. PMID- 17798176 TI - NOTES ON ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17798175 TI - WHAT IS THE GENOTYPE OF X-US JONES, 1900, BASED UPON A SPECIES ERRONEOUSLY DETERMINED AS ALBUS SMITH, 1890? PMID- 17798177 TI - PROTECTIVE ENZYMES. PMID- 17798179 TI - THE BACTERIOLOGY OF "TATTE MELK". PMID- 17798178 TI - THE RELATION OF PERMEABILITY CHANGE TO CLEAVAGE, IN THE FROG'S EGG. PMID- 17798180 TI - PERMIAN REPTILES. PMID- 17798181 TI - The Philosophical Society of Washington. PMID- 17798182 TI - Aid to the U.S. PMID- 17798183 TI - Metamorphosis-Activating System of the Frog: Thyroid hormone feedback matures the neurosecretory mechanism, coordinates the phases of metamorphosis. PMID- 17798184 TI - AIBS: Happy Ending in Prospect, But Case Adds to Congressional Skepticism on Support for Science. PMID- 17798185 TI - Manpower: Activist Administration Finds Congress Hard To Convince on Bigger Investment in People. PMID- 17798186 TI - Congress and Science: Senate Seeks Review of Government's Program in Fields of Science and Technology. PMID- 17798187 TI - Fellowships: White House Prods Federal Agencies to Increase, and Harmonize Graduate Support. PMID- 17798188 TI - Continuous Extraction during Treatment with Ultrasound. AB - A variety of constituents from plants can be extracted in an apparatus of simple design in which the plant material and fresh supplies of solvent are exposed together in an ultrasonic tank. PMID- 17798189 TI - Stratigraphy of Beds I through IV, Olduvai Gorge, Tanganyika. AB - Bed I at Olduvai Gorge is a conformable sequence of lava flows and varied sedimentary deposits that extend upward from a welded tuff overlying the Precambrian basement to the top of a widespread marker bed. Bed II is a sequence of lacustrine clays and laterally equivalent fluvial, eolian, and pyroclastic deposits. Bed III is made up of alluvial deposits and a laterally equivalent assemblage of fluvial, lacustrine, and eolian beds. Bed IV can be subdivided into a lower unit of fluvial clays, sandstones, and conglomerates, and an upper unit of eolian tuffs. The climate was relatively dry throughout much of the time that these beds were deposited, and semidesert or desert conditions may have prevailed at least twice. Tectonic movement seems to have taken place between the deposition of Beds III and IV. PMID- 17798190 TI - Intrauterine Foreign Body: Effect on Pregnancy in the Rat. AB - A silk suture placed in the lumen of one uterine horn of rats before mating prevented pregnancy in that horn although normal implantation occurred in the unoperated horn. The suture did not interfere with fertilization or the tubal transport of ova, nor did it induce a decidual reaction; it appeared to prevent pregnancy by causing failure of implantation. PMID- 17798191 TI - Molecular Weight: Measurements with Gravity Cells. AB - A gravity cell can be used to determine the weights of particles greater than 10(8) molecular weight units. The solution is maintained at a temperature which is constant to +/- 0.001 degrees C until equilibrium between sedimentation produced by gravity is balanced by back diffusion. The weight-average molecular (particle) weight of tipula iridescent virus was (1.05 +/- 0.02) x 10(9). PMID- 17798192 TI - Potency of Conditioned Reinforcers Based on Food and on Food and Punishment. AB - Pigeons peck more frequently on the left key of two keys when food is presented more frequently during the stimulus that reinforces pecks on that key than during the stimulus that reinforces pecks on the right key. This preference can be annulled and reversed by punishing each peck on the left key during the stimulus that reinforces pecks on the left key. PMID- 17798193 TI - Xenon Difluoride and the Nature of the Xenon-Fluorine Bond. AB - Xenon reacts with fluorine to form XeF(2) which can be isolated before it reacts with fluorine to form XeF(4). The linear configuration of XeF(2) with the 2.00-A bond length and the vibrational force constants support the assignment of 10 electrons to the valence shell of xenon. Similar arguments support the assignment of 12 and 14 valence electrons respectively to xenon in XeF(4) and XeF(6). PMID- 17798194 TI - Antigens in Insulin Determinants of Specificity of Porcine Insulin in Man. AB - Porcine insulin, which is distinguished from human insulin only in the amino acid at the C terminal of the B chain, is antigenic in man. Even if the last amino acid or the last eight amino acids are removed from the C terminus of the B chain of insulin, the altered insulin still reacts with human antibodies to porcine insulin; thus, the antigenic determinant of porcine insulin is located in a part of the molecule where the amino acid sequence is the same as it is in the corresponding part of the human insulin molecule. PMID- 17798196 TI - Rhodopsin: An Enzyme. PMID- 17798195 TI - Crystal Structures at High Pressures of Metallic Modifications of Compounds of Indium, Gallium, and Aluminum. AB - X-ray diffraction shows that the high-pressure modifications (at 22 to 130 kilobars) of the antimonides of indium, gallium, and aluminum are analogous to white tin. The arsenide and phosphide of indium transform to NaCl type. The transformation of these semiconductors to their metallic states is empirically related to their energy gap under normal conditions. PMID- 17798197 TI - Destruction of Hard Tissue by Biological Organisms. PMID- 17798198 TI - Evolution of Behavior. PMID- 17798199 TI - SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION: NASA Blasted for Rising Costs, Cancellations. AB - When NASA cancelled a project last month that would have sent a tiny rover crawling over an asteroid, the community of planetary scientists issued a public tongue lashing of the agency. Its letter warned of larger problems in the U.S. program caused by spiraling costs and recommended a sweeping reexamination of the outer solar system effort. PMID- 17798200 TI - NUCLEAR SCIENCE: DOE Drops Plan to Restart Reactor. AB - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has abandoned the idea of restarting a controversial nuclear reactor at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state. Some biomedical researchers are applauding the decision to pull the plug on the Fast Flux Test Facility, which they feared would drain scarce resources from other DOE research programs. PMID- 17798201 TI - NEUROSCIENCE: Where the Brain Monitors the Body. AB - Researchers haven't known exactly where in the brain all the signals that allow an animal to keep track of its limbs are located, but now a team may have located some of the neurons that first make these multisensory connections. On page 1782, researchers report evidence that a small region of the parietal cortex of the monkey brain known as area 5 may enable the monkey to integrate many sources of information about its body and thereby update its mental model of what the body is doing. The researchers based this conclusion on their finding that some area 5 neurons fire at their fastest rates when the visual feedback from a monkey's arm matches the sensory feedback, an indication that the neurons are sensitive to both streams of information. PMID- 17798202 TI - INDIA: Disease Data Stolen in Lab Break-In. AB - The hard drives of nine computers, containing epidemiological data gathered from around India, have been stolen from the Indian Council of Medical Research. The missing data, stored on personal computers in the council's Epidemiological and Communicable Diseases unit, include published and unpublished information collected by 16 regional centers on the incidence of AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other killers. Health officials say they have no idea who stole the drives, or for what purpose. PMID- 17798203 TI - MAD COW DISEASE: New Recruits for French Prion Research. AB - As panic over "mad cow disease" engulfs France and threatens to spread to other countries in Western Europe, French research minister Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg last week unveiled detailed plans for spending $27 million the government has earmarked for prion disease research in 2001. Next year's budget for studying prions--infectious, abnormal proteins linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy and its human form, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease--will triple France's current prion research spending. PMID- 17798204 TI - GENOMICS: Sanger Will Sequence Zebrafish Genome. AB - As the international human genome project nears completion, the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, U.K., has settled on a new effort to keep its sequencing machines humming: the genome of the zebrafish, a model organism much loved by developmental geneticists. After nearly 4 years of lobbying biomedical funding agencies, scientists who study the 4-centimeter Danio rerio are delighted. PMID- 17798205 TI - PLANETARY SCIENCE: Beating Up on a Young Earth, and Possibly Life. AB - Lunar meteorite analyses reported on page 1754 of this issue reveal a burst of impacts on the moon 3.9 billion years ago and nothing before that; the cosmochemists conclude that the moon and Earth endured a storm of impacts 100 times heavier than anything immediately before or after. Such a lunar cataclysm would have scarred the moon with the great basins that now shape the man in the moon. On Earth, the same bombardment would have intervened in the evolution of life, perhaps forcing it to start all over again. PMID- 17798206 TI - Further scrutiny of scientific whaling. PMID- 17798207 TI - Publication rights for sequence data producers. PMID- 17798208 TI - ESSAYS ON SCIENCE AND SOCIETY: Privatizing the University--the New Tragedy of the Commons. AB - Teaching and research at universities is increasingly funded from private sources. In this essay, Brown highlights the problems associated with this approach and calls for a return to largely public funding. He argues that the public, rather than corporations or individual scientists or even secretive governments, should own the results. PMID- 17798210 TI - A PLEA FOR CLOSER INTERRELATIONS IN OUR WORK. PMID- 17798209 TI - APPLIED PHYSICS: Smaller, Faster Midinfrared Lasers. AB - Semiconductor lasers are small, efficient devices that are used widely as optical sources in telecommunication systems and CD-ROM and DVD optical memory drives. In his Perspective, Faist highlights the work by Paiella et al., who expand the range of operation of these devices substantially by demonstrating midinfrared lasers that emit picosecond pulses. Faist particularly stresses the innovative technique used by the authors, which may also allow new frequencies, for example in the terahertz frequency range, to be generated. PMID- 17798211 TI - REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17798212 TI - APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17798213 TI - SOME FACTS CONCERNING MENDELISM. PMID- 17798214 TI - A GOOD SOIL TUBE. PMID- 17798215 TI - THE FOOD OF PLANTS. PMID- 17798216 TI - THE LEONHARD EULER SOCIETY. PMID- 17798217 TI - LEE'S "INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY". PMID- 17798218 TI - ACCESSORY CHROMOSOMES IN THE PIG. PMID- 17798219 TI - BOTANISTS OF THE CENTRAL STATES. PMID- 17798220 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION G--BOTANY. PMID- 17798221 TI - THE EFFECT OF EXTERNAL STIMULI UPON THE CELL. PMID- 17798222 TI - CULTIVATION OF RICKETTSIAE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER, TYPHUS AND Q FEVER GROUPS IN THE EMBRYONIC TISSUES OF DEVELOPING CHICKS. PMID- 17798223 TI - RAFINESQUE'S INTERESTS--A CENTURY LATER: MEDICINAL PLANTS. PMID- 17798224 TI - AUGUST H. WITTENBORG. PMID- 17798225 TI - THE PAN AMERICAN CONGRESS OF MINING ENGINEERING AND GEOLOGY. PMID- 17798226 TI - THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17798227 TI - DAMAGE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AND ITS HOSPITALS. PMID- 17798229 TI - GREETINGS OF SOVIET MATHEMATICIANS TO AMERICAN MATHEMATICIANS. PMID- 17798228 TI - PRIORITY RATING GIVEN TO RESEARCH LABORATORIES. PMID- 17798230 TI - THE ATTACK ON THE CITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF NEW YORK CITY. PMID- 17798231 TI - AURORAL DISPLAY AND GEOMAGNETIC STORM OF SEPTEMBER 18-19, 1941. PMID- 17798232 TI - STONE MAN CAVE, SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17798233 TI - MOSSES IN THE VIRGINIA CAVERNS. PMID- 17798234 TI - SCIENCE AND WORLD ORDER. PMID- 17798235 TI - LEONHARD STEJNEGER. PMID- 17798237 TI - STATEMENT BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798236 TI - REPRINT SIZE. PMID- 17798238 TI - P-AMINOBENZOIC ACID PREVENTS THE GROWTH-INHIBITORY ACTION OF SULFANILAMIDE. PMID- 17798239 TI - THE INHIBITION OF BRAIN OXIDATIONS BY A CONVULSANT BARBITURATE. PMID- 17798240 TI - INDICATIONS OF AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF C-ATOMS IN ACIDS AND NUMBER OF ACIDS IN SEED FATS WITH ADVANCE IN EVOLUTIONARY POSITION. PMID- 17798242 TI - A SAFETY SWITCH FOR WATER-COOLED X-RAY TUBES. PMID- 17798241 TI - AN APPARATUS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE SOLUBILITIES OF GASES AT HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HIGH PRESSURES. PMID- 17798244 TI - PRINCIPLES WHICH GOVERN THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN ITS RELATIONS WITH OTHER GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND WORKING GEOLOGISTS. PMID- 17798243 TI - THE PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17798245 TI - A NEW VARIETY OF HONORARY PH.D. PMID- 17798246 TI - 'THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPH AND AURORA.'. PMID- 17798247 TI - AN INTERMITTENT FLOWING WELL. PMID- 17798248 TI - VARIATION IN PARTHENOGENETIC INSECTS. PMID- 17798250 TI - A STATISTICAL STUDY OF AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE II. THE MEASUREMENT OF SCIENTIFIC MERIT. PMID- 17798249 TI - THE GLACIAL EPOCH. PMID- 17798251 TI - NOTES ON ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17798252 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17798253 TI - High-technology jobs. PMID- 17798254 TI - Selectivity: a key to synthetic efficiency. AB - The efficient synthesis of organic compounds requires the development of processes with enhanced selectivity. Selectivity is categorized according to chemical reactivity (chemoselectivity), orientation (regioselectivity), and spatial arrangement (diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity). Recent developments in reduction-oxidation methods and C-C bond forming reactions illustrate some solutions to problems of selectivity. The design of selectivity inducing groups and the increased role of main group and transition metals in enhancing selectivity are especially noted. PMID- 17798255 TI - Academic freedom and the classified information system. AB - Executive Order 12356, signed by President Reagan on 2 April 1982, prescribes a system for classifying information on the basis of national security concerns. The order gives unprecedented authority to government officials to intrude at will in controlling academic research that depends on federal support. As such, it poses a serious threat to academic freedom and hence to scientific advances and the national security. PMID- 17798256 TI - Japanese industrial development and policies for science and technology. AB - Two important factors that contributed to Japan's economic success were government investment in industrial development and the early recognition that a good educational system is a prerequisite to technological progress. Government policies promoted the importation of technologies from Europe and North America and encouraged the education of students abroad. This facilitated the rapid development of Japanese industry and the adaptation of foreign technologies to local conditions. Many of the methods used to develop industry in Japan could be used to advantage in developing countries today. PMID- 17798257 TI - Ultrasafe reactors, anyone? PMID- 17798258 TI - New u.s. (Japanese) reactors. PMID- 17798259 TI - Who's Who in Biology. PMID- 17798260 TI - Potential Conflicts of Interest Detailed at UC. PMID- 17798262 TI - Forecast on plus side for R & d funding in 1983. PMID- 17798261 TI - Genentech tries novel way to fund clinical trials. PMID- 17798263 TI - Reagan reluctantly approves fallout study. PMID- 17798264 TI - Judge orders regulation of ethylene oxide. PMID- 17798265 TI - Health officials seek ways to halt AIDS. PMID- 17798266 TI - Orbital variation--ice age link strengthened. PMID- 17798268 TI - R & d, high technology, and economic recovery. PMID- 17798267 TI - GaAs Readied for High-Speed Microcircuits. PMID- 17798269 TI - Geological thought from hutton to suess. PMID- 17798270 TI - A bird family. PMID- 17798271 TI - Behavioral patterns. PMID- 17798273 TI - The Buildup of CO2. PMID- 17798272 TI - Stellar evolution. PMID- 17798274 TI - Topography, albedo-temperature feedback, and climate sensitivity. AB - Numerical experiments with an energy balance model of the earth's climate suggest an enhancement of albedo-temperature feedback caused by the presence of a high middle-latitude plateau in the zonally averaged Northern Hemisphere topography. The increased climate sensitivity arises from the increased rate of change of snow cover produced by the advance or retreat of the winter snow line over the north slope of this topographic feature. PMID- 17798275 TI - Removal of Uranium(VI) from Solution by Fungal Biomass and Fungal Wall-Related Biopolymers. AB - Penicillium digitatum mycelium can accumulate uranium from aqueous solutions of uranyl chloride. Azide present during the uptake tests does not inhibit the process. Killing the fungal biomass in boiling water or by treatment with alcohols, dimethyl sulfoxide, or potassium hydroxide increases the uptake capability to about 10,000 parts per million (dry weight). Formaldehyde killing does not enhance the uranium uptake. The inference that wall-binding sites were involved led to the testing of uranium uptake by chitin, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives in microcolumns. All were active, especially chitin. PMID- 17798276 TI - Environmental effects of an impact-generated dust cloud: implications for the cretaceous-tertiary extinctions. AB - A model of the evolution and radiative effects of a debris cloud from a hypothesized impact event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary suggests that the cloud could have reduced the amount of light at the earth's surface below that required for photosynthesis for several months and, for a somewhat shorter interval, even below that needed for many animals to see. For 6 months to 1 year, the surface would cool; the oceans would cool only a few degrees Celsius at most, but the continents might cool a maximum of 40 Kelvin. Extinctions in the ocean may have been caused primarily by the temporary cessation of photosynthesis, but those on land may have been primarily induced by a combination of lowered temperatures and reduced light. PMID- 17798277 TI - The use of strontium-87/strontium-86 ratios to measure atmospheric transport into forested watersheds. AB - Strontium-87/strontium-86 ratios indicate the sources of strontium in samples of natural waters, vegetation, and soil material taken from watersheds in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. More than 75 percent of the strontium in the vegetation is ultimately derived from atmospheric transport and less than 25 percent from the weathering of the underlying rock. Much of the airborne strontium enters the watersheds by impacting on coniferous foliage, but deciduous foliage apparently traps little, if any, strontium-bearing aerosol. The strontium and presumably other nutrients are continuously recycled in a nearly closed system consisting of upper soil horizons, forest litter, and the standing crop of vegetation. PMID- 17798278 TI - Autotrophic picoplankton in the tropical ocean. AB - In phytoplankton of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean from 25 to 90 percent of the biomass (measured as chlorophyll a) and 20 to 80 percent of the inorganic carbon fixation were attributable to particles that could pass a screen with a 1 micrometer pore diameter. Evidence is presented that these are indeed autotrophic cells and not cell fragments. PMID- 17798279 TI - Sulfide Binding by the Blood of the Hydrothermal Vent Tube Worm Riftia pachyptila. AB - The blood of the deep-sea hydrothermal vent tube worm Riftia pachyptila Jones contains a sulfide-binding protein that appears to concentrate sulfide from the environment and may function for sulfide transport to the internal endosymbiotic bacteria contained within the coelomic organ, the trophosome. PMID- 17798280 TI - Blood Components Prevent Sulfide Poisoning of Respiration of the Hydrothermal Vent Tube Worm Riftia pachyptila. AB - Respiration of plume tissue of the hydrothermal vent tube worm Riftia pachyptila is insensitive to sulfide poisoning in contrast to tissues of animals that do not inhabit vents. Permeability barriers may not be responsible for this insensitivity since plume homogenates are also resistant to sulfide poisoning. Cytochrome c oxidase of plume, however, is strongly inhibited by sulfide at concentrations less than 10 microM. Factors present in blood, but not in cytosol, prevent sulfide from inhibiting cytochrome c oxidase. Avoidance of sulfide poisoning of respiration in Riftia pachyptila thus appears to involve a blood borne factor having a higher sulfide affinity than that of cytochrome c oxidase, with the result that appreciable amounts of free sulfide are prevented from accumulating in the blood and entering the intracellular compartment. PMID- 17798281 TI - Prorocentrin: An Extracellular Siderophore Produced by the Marine Dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. AB - Prorocentrin, a putative iron transport compound, has been extracted from the filtrates of Prorocentrum minimum cultures by XAD-2 resin. Production of prorocentrin can be stimulated by culturing Prorocentrum minimum under conditions of iron deficiency. The iron(III) complex of prorocentrin has an ultraviolet visible absorption spectrum typical of hydroxamate siderophores. PMID- 17798282 TI - Regulation of queen number by workers in colonies of social insects. AB - Experiments with fire ants suggest that queen pheromones act quantitatively in the regulation of queen number in colonies of social insects. Specific mechanisms probably include recognition by workers of unique quantitative blends of pheromones produced by queens, and quantitative effects of pheromones acting at the level of the colony on workers and at the level of the individual on queens. Several aspects of this quantitative hypothesis of pheromone action were tested. PMID- 17798283 TI - An unusual lepidopteran sex pheromone system in the bagworm moth. AB - The female sex pheromone of the bagworm moth is (R)-1-methylbutyl decanoate. The antipode is biologically inactive and it neither enhances nor detracts from the potency of the R enantiomer. Unlike other moths for which female pheromones have been identified, the female secretes the pheromone from glands on her thorax and it is disseminated from hair that is shed from her body. PMID- 17798284 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798285 TI - Limits to understanding? PMID- 17798286 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798287 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798288 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798289 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798290 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798291 TI - Aleuts: Ecosystem, Holocene Historys, and Siberian Origin: Soviet and U.S. scientists join in a study of the origins of the first Americans. AB - An original objective of these multidisciplinary studies was to determine the position of the Aleuts in the Aleutian ecosystem with time depth. This has been done in a variety of ways (7, 14, 20, 21). One of the most useful approaches is the construction of life expectancy tables. The greater longevity of Aleuts compared with Eskimos represents an effective biological and cultural human adaptation within this ecosystem. The Aleuts defined their ecosystem by expanding to the limits of the area they could effectively exploit with their complex technology, population structure, and population deployment system. Their intellectual achievements played a tangible role in their longevity in the pre Russian period, and their sophisticated knowledge of human anatomy is both a causal and a consequential correlate of their longevity. From the Aleut point of view, the food resources were diverse, abundant, and accessible, and they also provided fabricational materials necessary for their complex material culture. The Aleuts successfully hunted the world's largest range of sea mammals, from the sea otter to the whales. At the same time, extensive use of invertebrates easily available on the ice-free strandflats enabled disadvantaged sectors of the population to make important contributions to their own food supply and thus improve life expectancy. The rich food and fabricational materials antedate the Holocene history of Nikolski Bay and the arrival of the ancestral Aleuts. The natural resources of this area are fundamentally related to the former peninsular extension of Beringia and the permanent upwelling system in Samalga Pass (22). Sea otters, seals, and sea lions were present when the first Aleuts came to the area. Nikolski Bay has been an ideal place to obtain samples representing the entire Holocene Epoch. The earliest Asiatic migrants came from Siberia and traversed the southern coastline of Beringia. They established a large and permanent village on the northern arm of Nikolski Bay and remained there while expanding to the far ends of the Aleutian domain in the sixth millennium of their residence. The record of cultural change spans a lithic revolution. It begins with a conservative unifacial core and blade industry that preserves several Asiatic traits but includes stone lamps, dishes, an image of the deity, and the use of red ochre. Between 7000 and 6000 years ago bifacially flaked and stemmed points appear, with some continuing elements of the old unifacial industry. This transition culture continues to about 4500 years ago, when the standard sequence seen in the old midden of Chaluka takes form. This culture continues, adding and subtracting various elements but always maintaining a distinctive configuration through time, to the present Aleuts, whose connection with the first Anangula settlement includes having remembered an older Aleut designation, "the place of the blades," and collecting eggs on its flanks. The dating of events inside Nikolski Bay and the identification of the Asiatic elements do throw light on human migration from Siberia into Alaska. The Aleuts and Eskimos may well have been a part of a single population system of Bering Sea Mongoloids who expanded along the Siberian coasts and across the southern Beringian coasts. The population that reached Nikolski Bay became Aleuts. Those closer to the old mouth of the Kuskokwim River and further north became Eskimos. The rise of sea level presented no problems to marine-adapted people. Instead it presented more opportunities in the form of more coastline to exploit. The ancestors of the American Indians migrated earlier through the interior of Beringia. The double thumb hypothesis of Hrdlicka (23) is useful now for interpreting human migration into the New World. He suggested that if the Eskimos were physically related to the Indians as the thumb of one hand is to the fingers, then a second thumb is necessary to represent the Aleuts, who are also distinctive. The Bering Sea Mongoloids as a group (Aleuts, Eskimos, Chukchi, Koryaks, and probably Kamchadals) are distinguished from the Indians by both genetic traits such as the presence of blood group B, which is absent in the Indians, and morphological configurations such as the unusually broad, low ascending portions of the mandible. This magnitude of difference fits very well with a geographic difference in point of origin, separate route of entry into the New World across Beringia, and the maintenance of separation by many geographic, economic, and cultural barriers. Earlier investigators in the Aleutians compiled invaluable bodies of information. The Russian W. J. Jochelson worked in the Aleutians and the American A. Hrdlicka in Siberia. The problems common to both sides of the Bering Sea have now been studied by Soviet and American scholars at the same time, in the same place, and with the same specimens. It has been pleasant and informative to work directly with the Siberian authorities on Siberia in the Aleutians. In summary, I submit the following eight conclusions: 1) Increased longevity, rather than rapid population turnover, served as a major form of population adaptation and resource management among the Aleuts. Because people lived longer, genetic and cultural wastage was minimized. 2) Cranial vault change, from narrow to broad, has been the result of evolution within the population. 3) The Aleuts have continuously occupied Nikolski Bay, Umnak Island, for 8700 years. During this time sea level has risen and the coastline configuration has changed. 4) Siberian characteristics of the Anangula core and blade industry have been identified, and a transition culture, which links the earliest Anangula tool tradition with the later Aleut culture of Chaluka, has been discovered. 5) Organic remains of human occupation have been used to precisely date geological events of the Holocene Epoch for 8700 of its 10,000 years. Major volcanic eruptions occurred, at exponentially increasing intervals, 10,000, 9000, 7000 and 3000 years ago. 6) The earliest Aleut culture has preserved its Asiatic template because of the coastal entry route from Siberia and subsequent isolation of the population. The abundant lithic remains indicate a complex and diverse material culture. 7) The known similarity of Aleuts to Asiatic populations plus our Holocene time scale suggest a slower rate of human evolution than was assumed when a later date of entry into the Aleutians was accepted. 8) In the broadest perspective, these findings are relevant to understanding the entry of man (Aleuts, Eskimos, and Indians) into the New World in that other migrant populations originating in Siberia may also have entered the New World with a sophisticated and complex culture. PMID- 17798292 TI - Distributive Computer Networking: Making It Work on a Regional Basis: Effective sharing through a network requires new management and resource distribution techniques. AB - After 4 years of operation the NERComP network is now a self-supporting success. Some of the reasons for its success are that (i) the network started small and built up utilization; (ii) the members, through monthly trustee meetings, practiced "participatory management" from the outset; (iii) unlike some networks, NERComP appealed to individual academic and research users who were terminal oriented and who controlled their own budgets; (iv) the compactness of the New England region made it an ideal laboratory for testing networking concepts; and (v) a dedicated staff was willing to work hard in the face of considerable uncertainty. While the major problems were "political, organizational and economic" (1) we have found that they can be solved if the network meets real needs. We have also found that it is difficult to proceed beyond a certain point without investing responsibility and authority in the networking organization. Conversely, there is a need to distribute some responsibilities such as marketing and user services back to the member institutions. By adopting a modest starting point and achieving limited goals the necessary trust and working relationships between institutions can be built. In our case the necessary planning has been facilitated by recognizing three distinct network functions: governance, user services, and technical operations. Separating out the three essential networing tasks and dealing with each individually through advisory committees, each with its own staff coordinator, has overcome a distracting tendency to address all issues at once. It has also provided an element of feedback between the end user and the supplier not usually present in networking activity. The success of NERComP demonstrates that a distributive-type network can work. Our experiences in New England-which, because of its numerous colleges and universities free from domination by any single institution, is a microcosm for academic computing in the United States-indicate that such networks are best structured in a hierarchical form. This suggests that national networking should be based in part on the more than 30 existing state and regional networks (15). With the groundwork now laid, we expect to see links among existing regional networks to complement development efforts now occurring at the national level. With Greenberger and others, we believe that one or more networking organizations devoted to the management issues discussed in this article will be required to facilitate resource sharing on a national scale. Because of their experience with these problems and their ability to provide service in many areas of the country through existing facilities, regional networks have a major role to play. PMID- 17798293 TI - White house science adviser: house committee rewrites its bill. PMID- 17798295 TI - A conversation with frank zarb. PMID- 17798294 TI - PSAC Lives! PMID- 17798297 TI - Navy Mississippi move approved. PMID- 17798296 TI - NSF: Defense of Closed Peer Review System Not Persuasive. PMID- 17798298 TI - Institute of medicine names new members. PMID- 17798299 TI - Solar Energy Reconsidered: ERDA Sees Bright Future. PMID- 17798300 TI - Microelectronics: lithographic technologies progress. PMID- 17798301 TI - Nitrogen dioxide in the stratosphere and troposphere measured by ground-based absorption spectroscopy. AB - The NO(2) abundance in the stratosphere has been determined from ground-based spectra of the rising and setting sun and moon and of the twilight sky near 4500 angstroms. The spectra were taken at the Fritz Peak Observatory, at an altitude of 3 kilometers in the Colorado mountains. Separation of the stratospheric contribution requires observations at a relatively unpolluted site; direct measurement of the tropospheric absorption in the Colorado mountains often yields an upper limit on the tropospheric mixing ratio of 0.1 part per billion. The stratospheric NO(2) abundance is two to three times greater at night than during the day and increases significantly during the course of a sunlit day; these changes are related to photolytic decomposition of NO(2) and N(2)O(5) in the daytime stratosphere. Absorption by NO(3) was sought but not found; the results set an upper limit of 2 percent on the nighttime abundance ratio of NO(3) to NO(2) in the stratosphere. PMID- 17798302 TI - Water wells as possible indicators of tectonic strain. AB - Coseismic water level changes associated with the Izu-Hanto-oki earthquake of 9 May 1974 were recorded in 59 among 95 observation wells located in the districts of Tokai and Kanto, Japan. The spatial distribution of wells in which the groundwater level rose or fell is rather systematic. The areas in which these wells are located closely coincide with the areas of contraction and dilatation expected by the faulting. This strongly suggests a possible correlation between the observed changes in groundwater level and the tectonic strain. The results may indicate that the water level of wells is able to monitor at least acute coseismic strain changes. PMID- 17798303 TI - Oxygen and carbon isotopes from calcareous nannofossils as paleoceanographic indicators. AB - Oxygen-18 and carbon-13 analyses of well-preserved calcareous nannofossils have been compared with those of foraminifera contained in Cenozoic cores collected in the Southern Ocean during the Deep Sea Drilling Project. The results indicate that calcareous nannofossils deposit calcium carbonate at or near equilibrium with oceanic surface waters and that they can be used as paleotemperature indicators. PMID- 17798305 TI - Sea anemone with zooxanthellae: simultaneous contraction and expansion in response to changing light intensity. AB - Under increasing intensity of light, the normal tentacles of Lebrunea contract whereas the pseudotentacles expand; in decreasing light the reverse is true. This behavior may be correlated with greater numbers of zooxanthellae in the pseudotentacles. Simultaneous but opposite response of parts suggests adaptations toward photosynthesis by day and predation by night. PMID- 17798304 TI - Photosynthate and nitrogen requirements for seed production by various crops. AB - Seed biochemical composition was the basis for segregating 24 crops into four distinct groups. Nitrogen requirements of pulses and soybeans were so great that sustained seed growth demanded continued nitrogen translocation from vegetative tissues. This translocation must eventually induce senescence in these tissues, restrict the duration of the seed-fill period, and limit seed yield. PMID- 17798306 TI - Suggestions for Contributors to Science. PMID- 17798307 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17798308 TI - Nuclear Emulsions for Electron Microscopy. PMID- 17798309 TI - Group Research. PMID- 17798311 TI - Preliminary Report on the Geology of the Aleutian Islands. PMID- 17798310 TI - Contribution to the Chemistry of Thorium and Morin. PMID- 17798312 TI - Ground Water in the High Plains of West-Central United States. PMID- 17798313 TI - The Smaller Foraminifera in Correlation and Paleoecology. PMID- 17798314 TI - SUGGESTION IN INFANCY. PMID- 17798315 TI - THE ZIMBABYE AND OTHER RUINS IN MASHONALAND. PMID- 17798316 TI - SUBMARINE GUNS. PMID- 17798317 TI - DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN MARINE ENGINEERING. PMID- 17798319 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17798318 TI - Can One see the Blood-Corpuscles in his own Eyes? PMID- 17798320 TI - Cold and Warm Waves. PMID- 17798321 TI - The Food of Moles. PMID- 17798322 TI - Classification of American Languages. PMID- 17798323 TI - The Instruction of the Deaf. PMID- 17798324 TI - FORTY YEARS OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY: SOME GENERAL IMPRESSIONS. PMID- 17798325 TI - A NEW BLOOD-CLOTTING THEORY. PMID- 17798326 TI - DR. SUSAN P. NICHOLS, 1873-1942. PMID- 17798327 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798328 TI - THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17798329 TI - GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIPS, 1943. PMID- 17798330 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CEREAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17798331 TI - VISIT OF LATIN-AMERICAN ENGINEERS TO THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17798332 TI - CAMEL, HORSE AND BISON ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN BURIALS AND ARTIFACTS NEAR FRESNO, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17798333 TI - PURE NATURAL NITROGEN GAS. PMID- 17798335 TI - "NATURE" AND THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. PMID- 17798334 TI - FRANZ BOAS, PSYCHOLOGIST. PMID- 17798336 TI - DOCTORATES IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17798337 TI - THE INTEGRATION OF GENETIC AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS IN RHEUMATIC FEVER. PMID- 17798338 TI - NON-VIRULENT FROZEN AND DRIED ANTIGENS FOR COMPLEMENT-FIXATION TESTS WITH CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM VIRUS INFECTIONS. PMID- 17798339 TI - THE EFFECT OF URINARY CORTIN-LIKE MATERIAL ON CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM. PMID- 17798340 TI - Erratum. AB - The publisher of Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind (abridged version) by Laurence M. Klauber, listed in the Books Received column of 30 April, should have been given as University of California Press, Berkeley. PMID- 17798341 TI - Space weapons and nuclear effects. PMID- 17798342 TI - Space weapons and nuclear effects. PMID- 17798343 TI - On-line Databases Vital for Scientific Research. PMID- 17798344 TI - The tabun cave and paleolithic man in the levant. AB - Recent excavations at the deeply stratified Late Pleistocene cave site of Tabun on Mount Carmel have, yielded a long sequence of Middle and Lower Paleolithic industries and associated geological and environmental evidence that has important implications for the understanding of man's cultural and biological development in that period. An analysis of these materials strongly supports a continuity in cultural development at this site from about 130,000 to 50,000 years ago and suggests that a continuous biological evolution from Neandeithal to anatomically modem Homo sapiens took place in the southern Levant. PMID- 17798345 TI - Disease-suppressive soil and root-colonizing bacteria. AB - Soils in many areas suppress certain plant diseases. Understanding the basis for this disease suppressiveness could lead to improved plant health in less favorable areas. Some forms of disease suppression may be caused by bacteria in the genus Pseudomonas which aggressively colonize root surfaces. Increased plant growth and yield are closely associated with the capacity of some of these bacteria to produce iron-binding compounds called siderophores. This article addresses the biological characteristics of these soil-bome root epiphytes, their contribution to plant health, and their potential use in biotechnology. PMID- 17798346 TI - Reagan changes course on nonproliferation. PMID- 17798347 TI - Survival of the fittest in the falklands. PMID- 17798348 TI - Society formed to study anomalies. PMID- 17798350 TI - New award to supplement nobels. PMID- 17798349 TI - Endangered species act reauthorized. PMID- 17798351 TI - Competition increasing for use of outer space. PMID- 17798352 TI - USDA Official Defends Loyalty Checks. PMID- 17798353 TI - Chess-playing computer seized by customs. PMID- 17798354 TI - A Battle over Bell Labs. PMID- 17798355 TI - Environmental policies attacked. PMID- 17798356 TI - Stanford pulls off a novel accelerator. PMID- 17798357 TI - A separation technique with potential. PMID- 17798358 TI - Ethnography of a disaster. PMID- 17798359 TI - The leguminosae. PMID- 17798360 TI - Inferences from artifacts. PMID- 17798361 TI - Cellular regulation. PMID- 17798362 TI - Compositional structure of the asteroid belt. AB - The distribution of compositional types among the asteroids is found to vary systematically with heliocentric distance. Seven distinct peaks in the relative proportion of the compositional types E, R, S, M, F, C, P, and D are found from 1.8 to 5.2 astronomical units. The inferred composition of the asteroids in each semimajor axis region is consistent with the theory that the asteroids accreted from the solar nebula at or near their present locations. PMID- 17798363 TI - Low-frequency eddy kinetic energy spectrum in the deep Western north pacific. AB - The frequency spectrum for the low-frequency eddy kinetic energy is estimated from a long-term current meter record obtained in a deep layer in the western North Pacific. The eddy field is characterized by three time scales: an "annual scale" with zonal dominance of eddy motions, a "temporal mesoscale" with meridional dominance, and a "monthly scale" with horizontal isotropy. About two thirds of the eddy kinetic energy is contained in the temporal mesoscale. PMID- 17798364 TI - Homeothermic response to reduced ambient temperature in a scarab beetle. AB - Elephant beetles (Megasoma elephas; Scarabaeidae) weighing from 10 to 35 grams, respond homeothermically when ambient temperature is reduced below about 20 degrees C in the laboratory. This metabolic response is not associated with locomotion or any other overt activity. Warming is initiated when the body temperature reaches an apparent set point of 20 degrees to 22 degrees C. Unlike the case for euthermic birds and mammals, energy metabolism and body temperature in these beetles are conspicuously oscillatory, with a given cycle in oxygen consumption peaking before the corresponding cycle in body temperature. PMID- 17798366 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17798365 TI - York river destratification: an estuary-subestuary interaction. AB - Destratification in the York River during high spring tides is the result of the interruption of normal two-layer estuarine flow by the advection of relatively fresh water into the river mouth from the Chesapeake Bay. This advection is due to the presence of a longitudinal salinity gradient in the bay and a difference in the tidal current phase between the river and the bay. Similar behavior is seen in other subestuaries of the Chesapeake Bay and may be common in subestuary estuary interactions. PMID- 17798368 TI - The granting system. PMID- 17798367 TI - The granting system. PMID- 17798369 TI - Biotechnology and the biosphere. PMID- 17798370 TI - Use of and research on pheromones. PMID- 17798372 TI - Americans and French Find the Titanic: New undersea robots pinpoint the wreck; discoverers want her to remain unmolested. PMID- 17798373 TI - The Rise and Decline of Temik: Once hailed as a miracle pest killer and still warmly regarded by farmers, it is being investigated, denounced, and threatened with federal controls. PMID- 17798371 TI - Multiphoton ionization of atoms. AB - Studies of multiphoton ionization of atoms have revealed several unexpected characteristics. The confluence of the experimental evidence leads to the hypothesis that the basic character of the atomic response involves highly organized, coherent motions of entire atomic shells. The important regime, for which the radiative field strength is greater than an atomic unit (e/a(2)(0)), can be viewed in approximate correspondence with the physics of fast (approximately 10 MeV per atomic mass unit) atom-atom scattering. This physical picture provides a basis for the expectation that stimulated emission in the x ray range can be produced by direct, highly nonlinear coupling of ultraviolet radiation to atoms. PMID- 17798374 TI - Congress urged to approve china nuclear agreement. PMID- 17798376 TI - Ignition error blamed for ariane failure. PMID- 17798375 TI - Avoiding nuclear war. PMID- 17798377 TI - Universities urged to enter the information age. PMID- 17798379 TI - Making Better Planetary Rings: Particles colliding in Saturn's rings appear to be ice balls, not snowballs, acting like molecules of a gas, a liquid, and perhaps even a solid. PMID- 17798378 TI - Fermilab Tests Its Antiproton Factory: Physics experiments with the world's highest energy proton antiproton collider will begin a year from now. PMID- 17798380 TI - Avoiding nuclear war: hawks, doves, and owls. PMID- 17798381 TI - Social Science in China: Sociology and Anthropology in the People's Republic of China. PMID- 17798382 TI - Plant cytology: plant membranes. PMID- 17798383 TI - Fractals: the geometry of fractal sets. PMID- 17798384 TI - Transformation of a tundra river from heterotrophy to autotrophy by addition of phosphorus. AB - Continuous enrichment of an arctic river with only 10 parts per billion phosphate phosphorus caused an immediate growth of attached algae for more than 10 kilometers downstream, showing that phosphorus alone limited photosynthesis. As a result of the increased photosynthesis, there was an increase in bacterial activity in films on rocks on the bottom of the stream. The major source of energy became the photosynthetic carbon fixed in the stream rather than the organic material entering from the surrounding tundra, and the overall metabolism of the stream shifted from heterotrophy to autotrophy. An increase in the size and developmental stage of some of the dominant aquatic insects illustrates the food limitation in this nutrient-poor habitat. PMID- 17798386 TI - Lunar sample 14425: corrected analysis. PMID- 17798385 TI - Increase of atmospheric methane recorded in antarctic ice core. AB - Air entrapped in bubbles of cold ice has essentially the same composition as that of the atmosphere at the time of bubble formation. Measurements of the methane concentration in air extracted by two different methods from ice samples from Siple Station in western Antarcitica allow the reconstruction of the history of the increase of the atmospheric methane during the past 200 years. PMID- 17798387 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17798388 TI - HISTORY AND ACTIVITIES OF THE U.S.S.R. ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DURING THE PAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS. PMID- 17798389 TI - CHARLES BENEDICT DAVENPORT. PMID- 17798390 TI - LEROY SHELDON PALMER 1887-1944. PMID- 17798391 TI - THE HALL OF MEXICAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17798392 TI - ELECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17798393 TI - THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE COLLEGE CHAPTER OF THE SOCIETY OF THE SIGMA XI. PMID- 17798394 TI - THE MUNSELL FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE COLOR STANDARDIZATION. PMID- 17798395 TI - STREAM DOUBLE REFRACTION STUDIES ON THE ORIENTATION OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PARTICLES. PMID- 17798396 TI - THE INCOMPLETENESS OF SOME ECOLOGICAL GRASSLAND STUDIES. PMID- 17798397 TI - PROPER CREDIT FOR DISCOVERY OF "A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DENTAL CARIES AND SALIVA". PMID- 17798398 TI - EXTRACTION OF A HIGHLY POTENT PENICILLIN INACTIVATOR FROM PENICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCI. AB - A highly potent penicillin inactivator has been extracted from 7 strains of Staph. aureus (coagulase positive), all of which were naturally penicillin resistant. No such inhibitor was present in extracts of 7 penicillin sensitive strains of Staph. aureus. PMID- 17798399 TI - ENHANCEMENT OF THE IMMUNIZING CAPACITY OF INFLUENZA VIRUS VACCINES WITH ADJUVANTS. PMID- 17798401 TI - A SIMPLIFIED LABORATORY CHECK VALVE AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANAEROBIC CULTURE TUBES. PMID- 17798400 TI - ASCORBIC ACID LOSSES IN MINCING FRESH VEGETABLES. PMID- 17798403 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798402 TI - A CANNULA WITH OBTURATOR FOR USE IN ARTERIAL PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS ON SMALL ANIMALS. PMID- 17798404 TI - ENVIRONMENTS. PMID- 17798406 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17798405 TI - LOCAL BRANCHES OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798407 TI - THE ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIUM IN SEA WATER. PMID- 17798409 TI - BOHEMIUM--AN OBITUARY. PMID- 17798408 TI - MISCONCEPTIONS RELATIVE TO THE MINERAL COMPOSITION OF PLANTS. PMID- 17798410 TI - HOST RESPONSES TO HAUSTORIAL INVASION OF CUSCUTA SPECIES. PMID- 17798412 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL VESSELS IN THE RAT FROM 11 TO 16frac12 DAYS. PMID- 17798411 TI - THE SECOND ANNUAL TRI-STATES GEOLOGICAL FIELD CONFERENCE OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. PMID- 17798413 TI - DISSECTION AS A METHOD OF EMBRYOLOGICAL STUDY. PMID- 17798414 TI - A PHYSIOLOGICAL STROBOSCOPE. PMID- 17798415 TI - RARE GASES NOT ESSENTIAL TO LIFE. PMID- 17798416 TI - THE REMOVAL OF FLUORIDES FROM WATER BY SAND FILTRATION. PMID- 17798417 TI - CHROMOSOME STRUCTURE IN THE SALIVARY GLANDS OF SCIARA. PMID- 17798418 TI - DEMONSTRATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF TWO FORMS OF VITAMIN D IN FISH LIVER OILS. PMID- 17798419 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798420 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798421 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798422 TI - Citation analysis. PMID- 17798423 TI - World population conference in perspective. PMID- 17798424 TI - Radio telescopes of large resolving power. PMID- 17798425 TI - Pulsars and high density physics. AB - In outlining the physics of neutron stars, and my good fortune in stumbling upon them, I hope that I have given some idea of the interest and rewards of extending physics beyond the confines of laboratories. These are good times in which to be an astrophysicist. I am also deeply aware of my debt to all my colleagues in the Cavendish Laboratory. Firstly to Sir Martin Ryle for his unique flair in creating so congenial and stimulating a team in which to work. Secondly to Jocelyn Bell for the care, diligence, and persistence that led to our discovery so early in the scintillation program, and finally to my friends who contributed so generously in many aspects of the work. PMID- 17798426 TI - Uranium enrichment: with help, South Africa is progressing. PMID- 17798427 TI - NIH Training Grants: The Uncertainty Factor. PMID- 17798428 TI - The brain bank of america: auditing the academy. PMID- 17798429 TI - Chromatin structure: the supercoil is superseded. PMID- 17798430 TI - Relativity: experiments increase confidence in einstein. PMID- 17798431 TI - Kinetics of the fe2+-mg, order-disorder reaction in anthophyllites: quantitative cooling rates. AB - The kinetics of the Fe(2+)-Mg, order-disorder phenomenon in a highly ordered natural anthophyllite have been determined over the temperature range from 400 degrees to 720 degrees C at a pressure of 2 kilobars. At temperatures of 600 degrees C and above, equilibrium is attained by disordering as well as ordering reactions. The intracrystalline exchange is defined by a standard Gibbs free energy of 4247 +/- 54 calories per formula unit. Rate studies at 550 degrees and 500 degrees C show that equilibrium is attained by ordering but not by disordering within the same time scale and that the exchange reaction is characterized by an activation energy of approximately 55 kilocalories per formula unit. An equilibration temperature for the natural anthophyllite of 270 degrees C is determined from the termination of the ordering process owing to excessively slow reaction kinetics after approximately 10(7) years. From the rate constants of the exchange process, for different crystallization temperatures, the apparent equilibration temperature of 270 degrees C defines a maximum linear cooling rate for the rock of 1 x 10(4) degrees C per year. PMID- 17798432 TI - Forest fire: effects on phosphorus movement to lakes. AB - After a wildfire in the virgin forest of a lake-watershed region in northeastern Minnesota, the phosphorus concentration in the runoff was elevated for 2 years and decreased in the third year. However, there was no increase in the phosphorus concentrations of a lake and its input stream. This indicates that, under similar circumstances, controlled burning will not damage streams or lakes by elevating phosphorus levels. PMID- 17798433 TI - Stratospheric Nitric Oxide: Measurements during Daytime and Sunset. AB - Measurements of the temporal variation in the stratospheric nitric oxide concentration covering a time period from 11:00 to 20:30 local time show the effect of solar ultraviolet sunset. The experimental results strongly support the theorized role of nitric oxide as a catalyst in the destruction of ozone and its importance in the stratospheric ozone balance. PMID- 17798434 TI - Photochemical smog systems: effect of dilution on ozone formation. AB - Dilution of a photochemical system containing hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen can lead to higher ozone concentrations than are observed in a static system. This effect was observed in an outdoor smog chamber with a hydrocarbon mix simulating urban systems. PMID- 17798435 TI - Floating glacial ice caps in the arctic ocean. AB - Two arguments are presented, one in favor of the existence of thicker ice in the Arctic Ocean during glacial time, and the other in favor of a full-fledged Arctic ice cap. The first is based on the Greenland air temperature record obtained from isotopic studies of the Camp Century ice core. The second is based on the oxygen isotope record of benthic foraminifera from a deep Pacific Ocean core. PMID- 17798436 TI - Manganese encrustation of zygospores of a chlamydomonas (chlorophyta: volvocales). AB - In media containing normal trace-element supplements, but not in manganese deficient media, zygospores of a new species of Chlamydomonas (isolated from soil) become encrusted with a dark brown mineral coating. Staining with benzidine indicates that the encrustation is rich in manganese. This has been confirmed by x-ray analysis in combination with a scanning electron microscope. PMID- 17798437 TI - The lower "petrologic geotherm%": a transitory state. PMID- 17798438 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17798439 TI - Animal rights: an old question. PMID- 17798440 TI - Marine environments: recovery after oil spills. PMID- 17798442 TI - First-hand observers? PMID- 17798441 TI - First-hand observers? PMID- 17798443 TI - Archiving remotely sensed data. PMID- 17798445 TI - SO2 Emissions Proposals Pose Growth Issue. PMID- 17798444 TI - There's Trouble in the Air over Transborder Data Flow. PMID- 17798446 TI - "Radwastes": leading policy role recommended for science adviser. PMID- 17798447 TI - Recycling, reuse, repairs. PMID- 17798448 TI - OTA Opens the Fall Season with List of Priorities. PMID- 17798449 TI - New group designed to draw scientists to animal cause. PMID- 17798451 TI - Estimating potency of carcinogens is an inexact science. PMID- 17798450 TI - Erratum. AB - Due to a printer's error, the word "nitrite" was altered to "nitrate" in two instances in the article, "Ever so cautiously, the FDA moves to-ward a ban on nitrites," (8 September, p. 887). The lead sentence should read," The hazard to animals and man of eating excessive amounts of nitrates and nitrites...." The first sentence in the fourth paragraph should read," These circumstances ... the existent but unquantified hazard of adding nitrites to food." Nitrites-not nitrates-are deliberately added to foods. PMID- 17798452 TI - How safe is "safe". PMID- 17798453 TI - INTERCIENCIA Marks Second Anniversary, Sets Symposia. PMID- 17798454 TI - OOS to Address Research Problems in Science and Technology for Physically Handicapped Individuals. PMID- 17798456 TI - Short courses for industrial scientists and engineers. PMID- 17798455 TI - ANZAAS Congress Set for 1979. PMID- 17798457 TI - Fire damages university of lisbon. PMID- 17798458 TI - AAAS Committee Seeks Individual Complaints. PMID- 17798459 TI - CSFR to Meet. PMID- 17798460 TI - Leo schubert, 1916-1978. PMID- 17798461 TI - Philosophers on technology. PMID- 17798462 TI - Models. PMID- 17798463 TI - Dentition. PMID- 17798464 TI - Fungal mitoses. PMID- 17798465 TI - Microstructure of agglomerated suspended sediments in northern chesapeake bay estuary. AB - Suspended sediments in the turbidity maximum of Chesapeake Bay include composite particles which contain platy mineral grains, arranged both in pellets (attributable to fecal pelletization) and in networks of angular configuration (attributable to electrochemical flocculation and coagulation). PMID- 17798466 TI - Larval bivalve shell morphometry: a new paleoclimatic tool? AB - The shells of the pelagic larvae of bivalve mollusks may be useful as paleoclimatic indicators. An inverse relationship between temperature and maximum size of larval shells within a particular population is reported for a number of Recent species. Changes in the dimensions of the prodissoconch-dissoconch boundary on juvenile specimens may reflect changes in the ambient temperature of marine environments. PMID- 17798467 TI - Grand banks and j-anomaly ridge. PMID- 17798469 TI - THE VALUE AND SERVICE OF ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17798468 TI - Grand banks and j-anomaly ridge. PMID- 17798470 TI - MEASURES FOR PROTECTING WHEAT-FLOUR SUBSTITUTES FROM INSECTS. PMID- 17798472 TI - EVOLUTION OF BACTERIA. PMID- 17798471 TI - DESMOGNATHUS FUSCUS AGAIN. PMID- 17798473 TI - ORGANIC CHEMICALS FOR RESEARCH, OR THE NEED OF A PHILANTHROPIST. PMID- 17798475 TI - THE CARE AND BREEDING OF ALBINO RATS. PMID- 17798474 TI - A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD FOR OBTAINING PECTIN FROM FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. PMID- 17798476 TI - THE COLLAPSE OF THE THEOSOPHISTS. PMID- 17798477 TI - GIANTS AND DWARFS. PMID- 17798478 TI - THE RACES OF BRITAIN. PMID- 17798479 TI - THE CAUSATION OF PULMONARY CONSUMPTION. PMID- 17798480 TI - Association of Geology Teachers. PMID- 17798481 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17798482 TI - Role of the Sciences in Education. PMID- 17798483 TI - Science in International Cooperation. PMID- 17798485 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17798486 TI - Charr or Char--History of a Common Name for Salvelinus. PMID- 17798487 TI - Entomogenous Fungi in Puerto Rico. PMID- 17798488 TI - Activity in 1953-54 of Mihara Yama, O Shima, Japan. PMID- 17798489 TI - THE RELATION OF YALE TO MEDICINE. PMID- 17798490 TI - VARIETAL MUTATION IN THE TOMATO. PMID- 17798491 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17798492 TI - THE UNEXPLAINED SOUTHERLY DEVIATION OF FALLING BODIES. PMID- 17798493 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17798494 TI - ASTIGMATIC IMAGES OF THE BOTTOM OF A POOL OF WATER. PMID- 17798495 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17798496 TI - THERMODYNAMICS OF THE GAS-ENGINE. PMID- 17798498 TI - THE U. S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17798497 TI - THE NEW STAR IN PERSEUS. PMID- 17798499 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798501 TI - Frequency scale for spectra. PMID- 17798500 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798502 TI - Attribution of error. PMID- 17798504 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798503 TI - Environment planning: the role of engineers. PMID- 17798505 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17798506 TI - How the spider got into the psalm. PMID- 17798507 TI - Toward innovation. PMID- 17798508 TI - Erratum: wrong man. AB - In my letter in the issue of 24 December ("Looking ahead," p. 1667), I erroneously made Klement Gottwald, instead of Walter Ulbricht, the protagonist of "a story popular in Germany (East and West) during the 1950's." I am indebted to Karoly Balogh for reminding me that Gottwald was Ulbricht's Czech counterpart. PMID- 17798509 TI - National science policy. PMID- 17798510 TI - Geology and the new conservation movement. PMID- 17798511 TI - Mariner IV: Developing the Scientific Experiment. PMID- 17798513 TI - Weather modification: panels want greater federal effort. PMID- 17798514 TI - LBJ and Hornig: Close Ties Exist as Science Adviser Starts Third Year. PMID- 17798512 TI - R & d funds show effects of a tough budget year. PMID- 17798515 TI - EMBO Gets a Modest Green Light. PMID- 17798516 TI - British oceanographer dies. PMID- 17798517 TI - Successor to brimble at nature: john maddox. PMID- 17798518 TI - Physicist named to academie francaise. PMID- 17798519 TI - Mercury: anomalous absence from the 3.4-millimeter radio emission of variation with phase. AB - Radio observations of Mercury at 3.4 millimeters from July to October 1965 showed, contrary to expectation, brightness temperatures of only about 200 degrees K, even when major fractions of Mercury's illuminated hemisphere were observed. There was no significant variation with phase. PMID- 17798520 TI - Atlantic deep-sea stratigraphy: extension of absolute chronology to 320,000 years. AB - Thorium-230 measurements on a core of globigerina ooze from the Caribbean Sea substantiate the prediction of Ericson et al. that the paleontological boundary U V (Sangamon-Illinoian boundary in their scheme) in the Atlantic sediments has an age of close to 320,000 years. As the ages derived by Ericson et al. were based on extrapolations of mean sedimentation rates established by carbon-14 and protactinium-231 dating of the upper sections of this and other cores, this result confirms the assumption that sedimentation rates in the Caribbean Sea have not changed significantly during the past several hundred thousand years. The uranium content of the ocean as indicated by the deposition rate of thorium-230 was no more than 30 percent higher during glacial than during interglacial periods. PMID- 17798521 TI - High-speed, time-resolved spectrum of a lightning stroke. AB - The first time-resolved spectrum of a return stroke between the cloud and ground has been obtained with a slitless spectrograph. The time for luminosity to rise from zero to its peak in a section of the channel is 10 micro-seconds or less, and the intense emission lines are attributed to singly ionized nitrogen atoms. Several faint lines persisting for approximately 150 microseconds are due to neutral nitrogen and oxygen atoms. PMID- 17798522 TI - Tabashir: an opal of plant origin. AB - A specimen of tabashir, a variety of opal found in bamboo, contained more water but smaller amounts of alkalis and alkaline earths than most opals. It consisted of particles of about 100 angstroms in diameter, linked together in clumps, which appeared in fractured surfaces as irregularities. The tabashir was amorphous, but its microstructure differed from that of silicagel and amorphous opal of inorganic origin. PMID- 17798524 TI - Enzyme regulation in Mammalian tissues. PMID- 17798523 TI - Auxin and kinetin interaction in apical dominance. AB - The effects of auxin on the inhibition of lateral buds in decapitated bean plants are enhanced if kinetin is applied together with auxin. The uptake of (14)C indoleacetic acid by the stumps of decapitated plants is increased in the presence of kinetin and leads to extensive transport of (14)C-indoleacetic acid in the stems. The increased bud inhibition resulting when auxin and kinetin are applied together may be due to greater amounts of auxin reaching the buds, but an alternative explanation is that metabolites are directed from the buds to the point of hormone application. PMID- 17798525 TI - Catecholamine symposium. PMID- 17798526 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17798527 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798528 TI - Linus pauling and vitamin C. PMID- 17798529 TI - Preserving scientific manpower. PMID- 17798530 TI - Cancer prevention. PMID- 17798531 TI - Science, technology, and diplomacy. PMID- 17798532 TI - Electricity Demand Growth and the Energy Crisis: An analysis of electricity demand growth projections suggests overestimates in the long run. PMID- 17798533 TI - Politicalization in science. PMID- 17798534 TI - Creationists and evolutionists: confrontation in california. PMID- 17798535 TI - Congress: in election turnover, changes at the bottom may be more important than changes at the top. PMID- 17798536 TI - Politics of the ocean: view from the inside. PMID- 17798537 TI - Photovoltaic cells: direct conversion of solar energy. PMID- 17798538 TI - "Viroids": a new kind of pathogen? PMID- 17798539 TI - Radio Tracking of Solar Energetic Particles through Interplanetary Space. AB - Energetic particles ejected from the sun generate radio waves as they travel out through the interplanetary medium. Satellite observations of this emission at long radio wavelengths provide a means of investigating properties of the interplanetary medium, including the gross magnetic field configuration over distances of 1 astronomical unit. Results of such observations are illustrated. PMID- 17798540 TI - Mercury: surface composition from the reflection spectrum. AB - The reflection spectrum for the integral disk of the planet Mercury was measured and was found to have a constant positive slope from 0.32 to 1.05 micrometers, except for absorption features in the infrared. The reflectivity curve matches closely the curve for the lunar upland and mare regions. Thus, the surface of Mercury is probably covered with a lunar-like soil rich in dark glasses of high iron and titanium content. Pyroxene is probably the dominant mafic mineral. PMID- 17798541 TI - Orbit-orbit resonance capture in the solar system. AB - A realistic model involving mutual gravitation and tidal dissipation for the first time provides a detailed explanation for satellite orbit-orbit resonance capture. Although applying directly only to Saturn's satellites Titan and Hyperion, the model reveals general principles of resonance capture, evolution, and stability which seem applicable to other orbit-orbit resonances in the solar system. PMID- 17798542 TI - Microtubules and microfilaments in division and development. PMID- 17798543 TI - Arene oxides: biochemistry and metabolism. PMID- 17798544 TI - La porte anomaly. PMID- 17798545 TI - Scientific development in Africa. PMID- 17798546 TI - Letters. PMID- 17798548 TI - Sensuous-intellectual complementarity in science. PMID- 17798547 TI - Plasma physics, space research, and the origin of the solar system. PMID- 17798549 TI - McNamara and the Pentagon: Limits of the "Management View". PMID- 17798550 TI - Scientist and public: chapter and verse from david. PMID- 17798551 TI - Variations in the rate of rotation of the Earth. AB - Variations observed in the length of the day can be divided into three types: seasonal, irregular, and long-term. The astronomical data examined here for the years 1956-1969 suggest that the seasonal terms hitherto assumed are slightly in error, that the irregular variations probably share the same source with the seasonal variations, and that the long-term variations may be linked to earthquake activity. PMID- 17798553 TI - Obsidian hydration dating applied to dating of basaltic volcanic activity. AB - Basalt flows and bombs that contain remelted rhyolite glass can be dated by obsidian hydration dating. PMID- 17798552 TI - Oxygen isotope ratios in eclogites from kimberlites. AB - The oxygen isotope compositions (delta(18)O) of eclogitic xenoliths from the Roberts Victor kimberlite range from 2 to 8 per mil relative to SMOW (standard mean ocean water). This surprising variation appears to be due to fractional crystallization: the eclogites rich in oxygen-18 represent early crystal accumulates; the eclogites poor in oxygen-18 represent residual liquids. Crystal melt partitioning probably exceeded 3 per mil and is interpreted to be pressure dependent. Anomalous enrichment of oxygen-18 in cumulate eclogites relative to ultramafic xenoliths suggests that crystal-melt partitioning increased after melt formation but prior to crystallization. PMID- 17798554 TI - Density gradients in a rotating stratified fluid: experimental evidence for a new instability. AB - Velocity gradients induced in a rapidly rotaiting, density-stratified saltwater solution by a slowly rotating disk produce sharp vertical gradients of density, which appear as regularly spaced, curved horizontal sheets when the ratio of angular velocities exceeds a critical value. The existence of the sheets is apparently a finite amplitude manifestationl of a recently proposed viscous instability. PMID- 17798555 TI - Students Reveal Negative Attitudes toward Technology. PMID- 17798556 TI - Highly polarizable singlet excited States of alkenes. PMID- 17798557 TI - SOME AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO TECHNICAL CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17798558 TI - THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE CENTRAL BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17798559 TI - THE GREENE EXPLORING EXPEDITION. PMID- 17798560 TI - MARINE ZOOLOGY IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. PMID- 17798561 TI - THE NOMENCLATURE OF TYPES IN NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17798563 TI - NEWSPAPER SCIENCE. PMID- 17798562 TI - A BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798564 TI - PRIZE FOR A METHOD OF SETTING DIAMONDS FOR CUTTING. PMID- 17798566 TI - THE FUTURE OF THE STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798565 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. SUMMER MEETING OF SECTION E. PMID- 17798567 TI - PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ANALYSIS OF LIGHT DEFLECTIONS OBSERVED DURING SOLAR ECLIPSE OF MAY 29, 1919. PMID- 17798569 TI - POPULAR SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. PMID- 17798568 TI - FOURTH YEAR OF THE NEOTROPICAL RESEARCH STATION. PMID- 17798570 TI - MODERN INTERPRETATION OF DIFFERENTIALS AGAIN. PMID- 17798572 TI - RULES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17798571 TI - ECHINODERMS IN BIRDS' STOMACHS. PMID- 17798573 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. II. PMID- 17798574 TI - BRANCHES OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR. PMID- 17798575 TI - IMAGINARY SUBMARINE CANYONS. PMID- 17798576 TI - ELIZABETH TOWAR PLATT. PMID- 17798577 TI - ALBRO D. MORRILL 1854-1943. PMID- 17798578 TI - THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. PMID- 17798580 TI - THE PITTSBURGH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798579 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PEIPING. PMID- 17798581 TI - VISUAL INSTRUCTION IN MICROBIOLOGY. PMID- 17798582 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CEREAL CHEMISTS AND THE KILGORE BILL. PMID- 17798583 TI - AWARDS OF SIGMA XI GRANTS-IN-AID OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17798584 TI - PREVENTION OF ORAL LESIONS IN B1 AVITAMINOTIC DOGS. PMID- 17798585 TI - THE GROWTH OF AN ICE SHEET: A REVIEW. PMID- 17798586 TI - CURTAILMENT OF MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY IN GERMANY. PMID- 17798588 TI - ARTHUR WILLIS GOODSPEED. PMID- 17798587 TI - POOLING RESEARCH. PMID- 17798589 TI - TRANSLITERATION OF ENGLISH NAMES IN RUSSIAN. PMID- 17798590 TI - THE EFFECT OF PROPAMIDINE ON BACTERIAL METABOLISM. AB - M/80,000 propamidine inhibits the oxidation of the nitrogeneous constituents of the medium in which the bacteria grow. A certain latent period occurs before the inhibition reaches a maximum and the drug is more effective at pH 7.8 than at pH 6.7. As is shown in the accompanying article by Dr. Kohn, this concentration is in the minimal effective range for the inhibition of growth. A latent period and a similar pH effect also are present when growth is inhibited. It is thus possible to conclude that propamidine, unlike sulfanilamide and its derivatives, directly affects the oxidative metabolism of these bacteria. PMID- 17798591 TI - THE NATURE OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS. PMID- 17798592 TI - THE EFFECT OF PROPAMIDINE ON BACTERIAL GROWTH. PMID- 17798593 TI - CORTICOTROPIN OBTAINED BY ULTRAFILTRATION OF PITUITARY EXTRACTS. PMID- 17798594 TI - College and University Teachers. PMID- 17798595 TI - Gordon Research Conferences. PMID- 17798596 TI - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Paleoanthropologist. PMID- 17798598 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17798597 TI - G. A. Hulett, Great Experimentalist. PMID- 17798599 TI - Gases in Icebergs. PMID- 17798601 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17798602 TI - Methanococcus genome. PMID- 17798603 TI - Response: methanococcus genome. PMID- 17798605 TI - Evolution teaching. PMID- 17798604 TI - Whose genes are they and how can we identify them? PMID- 17798606 TI - Evolution teaching. PMID- 17798608 TI - German universities. PMID- 17798607 TI - Evolution teaching. PMID- 17798609 TI - German universities. PMID- 17798610 TI - Response: HIV-1 Evolution and Disease Progression. PMID- 17798611 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798612 TI - Biology and the human condition. PMID- 17798614 TI - Science in non-Western cultures. PMID- 17798613 TI - Analysis of UFO Reports. PMID- 17798615 TI - Pollution and self-purification. PMID- 17798616 TI - Safe use of propylene oxide. PMID- 17798617 TI - Pressures at St. John's. PMID- 17798618 TI - Are there inoffensive weapons? PMID- 17798620 TI - Educational equality. PMID- 17798619 TI - Pesticides: overstated dangers. PMID- 17798621 TI - The kirchhoff-planck radiation law. PMID- 17798623 TI - Themis: DOD Plan to Spread the Wealth Raises Questions in Academe. PMID- 17798624 TI - White house science office: report urges expanded role. PMID- 17798625 TI - Rapid methods of determining cooling rates of iron and stony iron meteorites. AB - Two rapid and simple methods have been developed for determining the approximate cooling rates of iron and stony-iron meteorites in which kamacite formed by diffusion-controlled growth along planar fronts. The first method requires only measurements of the mean kamacite bandwidth and the bulk nickel content. The second method requires the determination of the nickel composition near the taenite-kamacite interface with an electron microprobe. PMID- 17798626 TI - Amphibole: first occurrence in a meteorite. AB - This is the first report of an amphibole mineral found in any meteorite. The amphibole richterite (soda tremolite), Na(2)Ca(Mg, Fe)(5)Si(8)O(22)(OH, F)(2), occurs as a primary (preterrestrial) mineral enclosed within graphite nodules in the iron meteorite from Wichita County, Texas. PMID- 17798627 TI - Radiocarbon dating of biogenetic opal. AB - Approximately 75 grams of biogenetic opal were isolated from 45 kilograms of soil by employing gross particle-size and sink-float specific gravity fractionation procedures. After pretreatment of the sample to remove extraneous organic and inorganic carbon contaminants, the carbon occluded within opal phytoliths was dated at 13,300 +/- 450 years before the present. Therefore, biogenetic opal is stable for relatively long periods. PMID- 17798628 TI - Apple fruit-set: evidence for a specific role of seeds. AB - An extract of immature Wealthy apple seeds, containing substances with gibberellin activity, was applied to unpollinated blossoms of the same variety, resulting in the production of mature seedless fruits. The implications with respect to the normal process of fruit-set are discussed. PMID- 17798630 TI - Endoplasmic reticulum: United States-Japan cooperative science program. PMID- 17798629 TI - Quasar 3C 446. PMID- 17798631 TI - Should johnson trust the intellectuals? PMID- 17798633 TI - Oil shale: conservation or development. PMID- 17798632 TI - China: a reviving power. PMID- 17798634 TI - Vietnam: a national catastrophe. PMID- 17798636 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798635 TI - Accelerator project problems. PMID- 17798637 TI - Precision Measurement of the Acceleration of Gravity: Measurements of g have always made maximum use of the available technology in measurement of length and time. PMID- 17798639 TI - Euratom: after 10 years, still seeking the way. PMID- 17798638 TI - Radio astronomy: a large antenna array. PMID- 17798640 TI - NSF Issues New Education Survey. PMID- 17798643 TI - News staff changes. PMID- 17798642 TI - Smale: NSF Shifts Position. PMID- 17798644 TI - Martian ionosphere: a component due to solar protons. AB - The small magnetic field strength observed near Mars by Mariner IV suggests that protons from the solar wind may enter the Martian atmosphere and produce ionization in addition to that produced by ultraviolet light and x-rays. It is found that solar protons produce a thin ionized layer at a rate of the order of 3 x 10(3) per cubic centimeter per second at a depth corresponding to the F(1) region in the terrestrial atmosphere. Unless the effective recombinative coefficient is very large (greater than 10(-5) centimeter cubed per second) or unless unusual diffusion effects are present, this layer should have been detected by Mariner IV, and therefore must be present in one of the observed ionized regions. Because of its very compact shape, the subsidiary maximum near 95 kilometers discovered in the Mariner-IV occultation experiment may be the proton ionization peak. If so, the major 120-kilometer maximum is an F(2) layer. Distinction between photon and proton ionization regions can be made by microwave occultation experiments aboard planetary orbiters. PMID- 17798645 TI - Lupinus arcticus Wats. Grown from Seeds of Pleistocene Age. AB - Seeds of the arctic tundra lupine (Lupinus arcticus) at least 10,000 years old were found in lemming burrows deeply buried in permanently frozen silt of Pleistocene age in unglaciated central Yukon. They readily germinated in the laboratory and have since grown into normal, healthy plants. PMID- 17798646 TI - Rotation of venus: continuing contradictions. AB - Optical observations of Venus have yielded various values of the rotation period extending from less than one to several hundred days. Radar observations give a retrograde rotation of the solid globe in 244 +/- 2 days. Recent ultraviolet photographs, however, show relatively rapid displacements of clouds in the high atmosphere of Venus which suggest a retrogrode rotation in only 5 days. The two rates seem to be physically incompatible. PMID- 17798647 TI - Local geomagnetic events associated with displacements on the san andreas fault. AB - The piezomagnetic properties of rock suggest that a change in subsurface stress will manifest itself as a change in the magnetic susceptibility and remanent magnetization and hence the local geomagnetic field. A differential array of magnetometers has been operating since late 1965 on the San Andreas fault in the search for piezomagnetic signals under conditions involving active fault stress. Local changes in the geomagnetic field have been observed near Hollister, California, some tens of hours preceding the onset of abrupt creep displacement on the San Andreas fault. PMID- 17798649 TI - THE UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17798648 TI - LOGARITHMS ON THE 'SPOILS SYSTEM'. PMID- 17798650 TI - CLIMATOLOGY AS DISTINGUISHED FROM METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17798651 TI - THE AGE OF THE ARTIFACT-BEARING SAND AT TRENTON. PMID- 17798652 TI - SOCIETY FOR PLANT MORPHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17798653 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. PMID- 17798655 TI - JOHN A. GANO. PMID- 17798654 TI - ELIZABETH THOMPSON SCIENCE FUND. PMID- 17798656 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17798658 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17798657 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17798659 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17798660 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17798661 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17798662 TI - CORRECTION. PMID- 17798663 TI - [Not Available]. PMID- 17798664 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. PMID- 17798665 TI - THE EQUILIBRIUM FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERNAL EAR. PMID- 17798666 TI - MEETING OF THE GENETICISTS INTERESTED IN AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17798667 TI - NATIONAL PARKS. PMID- 17798669 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17798668 TI - PALEOBOTANY AS VIEWED BY TWO GEOLOGISTS. PMID- 17798670 TI - HAVE BIRDS AN ACUTE SENSE OF SOUND LOCATION? PMID- 17798672 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT AND OXIDATION UPON THE NUTRITIVE AND ANTISCORBUTIC PROPERTIES OF COW'S MILK. PMID- 17798671 TI - THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF THE RESPIRATORY METALS. PMID- 17798673 TI - Of Tom-Toms and Telephones. PMID- 17798674 TI - Statistical Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. PMID- 17798675 TI - C. T. Brues, Zoologist. PMID- 17798676 TI - Agriculture in the Zone of Perpetual Frost. PMID- 17798677 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17798678 TI - Specimens from Sandia Cave and Their Possible Significance. PMID- 17798679 TI - Antiquity of the Sandia Culture: Carbon-14 Measurements. PMID- 17798680 TI - "Sunglasses" in Two Anoline Lizards from Cuba. PMID- 17798681 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17798683 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17798684 TI - College math for 11-year-olds. PMID- 17798685 TI - Why's of Weightlessness. PMID- 17798686 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17798687 TI - Congressional testimony. PMID- 17798688 TI - Measure of education. PMID- 17798689 TI - Mainland china: an emerging power. PMID- 17798690 TI - Intermolecular Forces and the Nature of the Liquid State: Liquids reflect in their bulk properties the attractions and repulsions of their constituent molecules. PMID- 17798691 TI - Quasars: Rapid Light Fluctuations: Observed light fluctuations may provide evidence for a recently discussed mechanism for quasars. PMID- 17798693 TI - Advisory unit drops war protestor. PMID- 17798695 TI - Neutrinos: Current Experiments at CERN. PMID- 17798694 TI - Redwood park: squabbling on details delays final agreement. PMID- 17798696 TI - Temperature measurements in noctilucent clouds. AB - Results of ten rocket soundings conducted from Kronogard, Sweden, and Barrow, Alaska, during the summers of 1963 through 1965 indicate that a temperature of 150 degrees K or less is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the existence of noctilucent clouds. Water vapor appears to be a critical ingredient in the occurrence of these clouds. PMID- 17798697 TI - Wake collapse in a stratified fluid. AB - A two-dimensional model is used to obtain quantitative data on characteristics of turbulently mixed wakes of bodies submerged in stratified fluids (more dense below than above). The time between turbulent mixing and maximum expansion of the wake before vertical collapse starts is 0.44 T, where T is the local Vaisala Brunt period. Time after mixing for maximum rate of horizontal spreading is about 2.0 T. The average Vaisala-Brunt period for the oceans and atmosphere is discussed. It is predicted that the wake collapse phenomenon is not unusual in these environments. The characteristic time for the most active phase of vertical wake collapse should be between a few minutes to several tens of minutes. Qualitative observations of aircraft vapor trails tend to confirm that the phenomenon does occur at full scale. PMID- 17798698 TI - Resonance rotation of venus. AB - Combination of two types of radar data shows the orbital plane and equator of Venus to be included by less than 2 degrees, and the sidereal rotation period to be 243.09 +/- 0.18 days (retrograde)-remarkably close to the 243.16-day period for which the spin would be in resonance with the relative orbital motions of Earth and Venus. In this resonance, Venus would make, on average, four axial rotations as seen by an Earth observer between successive close approaches of the two planets. Estimates of the instantaneous spin period, accurate within about 0.01 day, would provide important information on the difference of Venus's equatorial moments of inertia, on their orientation, and on the magnitude of the tidal torque exerted on Venus by the sun. PMID- 17798699 TI - Photography of the Earth's Cloud Satellites from an Aircraft. AB - Under astronomically favorable circumstances, photographs do not reveal excess light near the triangular libration points of the earth-moon system. We find that the visible surface brightness of anomalous dust populations, if these populations do exist, is less than 10(-9) candela per square centimeter. PMID- 17798700 TI - Diets for Rearing the Ambrosia Beetle Xyleborus ferrugineus (Fabricius) in vitro. AB - Female ambrosia beetles placed on media containing sucrose, yeast extract, casein, starch, wheat germ, cottonseed oil, salt mixture, agar, water and cacao sawdust or powdered cellulose excavated galleries, oviposited, and produced progeny that developed to maturity. Several generations have been raised in the laboratory on media inoculated with ambrosia fungi by the beetles. PMID- 17798701 TI - Manpower or Mind Power. PMID- 17798702 TI - Divergent Reactions to the Threat of War: A peace and a shelter group were studied to examine their different responses to the Berlin crisis. AB - While the extent of similarity between the two groups was surprising, this similarity may have been due to the particular community studied and should not obscure the real differences which were found, which apparently remained fairly stable. The two groups differed not only in their beliefs about shelters but in their attitudes toward war, United States foreign policy, the motives of the Soviet Union, political affiliation and activity, risk-taking behavior, their own descriptions of themselves and of the opposite group, and a number of general social issues. Finally, each group had misperceptions about the other, one group exaggerating, the other under-rating, the differences. PMID- 17798703 TI - Congress: Session Will Take Up Variety of Issues Affecting Science, Education. PMID- 17798704 TI - U.S.-Soviet Exchange: Basic Premise Is Close Assay on Golden Rule. PMID- 17798705 TI - U.N. Conference: 80 Nations Discuss Applying Science to Development. PMID- 17798706 TI - Utilization of Exogenous Proline by the Yeast Candida utilis. AB - Utilization of labeled proline by the yeast Candida utilis has been studied. Conversion of the labeled material to biochemically related compounds was observed in the metabolic pools in this organism. The kinetic flow of these molecules into protein was observed, and an explanation is proposed in terms of the absolute cellular concentrations and specific activities of the precursors. PMID- 17798707 TI - Xenon Tetrafluoride: Crystal Structure. AB - On the basis of a three-dimensional x-ray analysis, the xenon tetrafluoride molecule in the solid is planar; the approximate symmetry is D(4h). The average distance between the xenon and the fluorine is 1.92 +/- 0.03 A. PMID- 17798708 TI - Tertiary Lake Deposits in Western Coterminous United States. PMID- 17798709 TI - Ytterbium: Transition at High Pressure from Face-Centered Cubic to Body-Centered Cubic Structure. AB - Pressure of 40,000 atmospheres at 25 degrees C induces a phase transformation in ytterbium metal; the face-centered cubic structure changes to body-centered cubic. The radius of the atom changes from 1.82 to 1.75 A. At the same time the atom's volume decreases by 11 percent and the volume, observed macroscopically, decreases 3.2 percent. PMID- 17798710 TI - Paraplegic Dogs: Urinary Bladder Evacuation with Direct Electric Stimulation. AB - Stimulation of the detrusor muscle by means of two implanted wire electrodes increased intravesical pressure markedly in ten trials in normal dogs and in nine trials following transection of the dog's lumbar spinal cord. The urinary bladder could be completely emptied up to 2 or 3 weeks postoperatively. Later stimulation provoked an equally copious urinary flow but a residue persisted even when progressively higher voltage was applied. PMID- 17798712 TI - Access to data. PMID- 17798711 TI - Gordon Research Conference. PMID- 17798713 TI - National parks. PMID- 17798714 TI - Education in chemistry. PMID- 17798715 TI - A shift to the production of services. PMID- 17798717 TI - Environmental protection agency: chaos or "creative tension"? PMID- 17798716 TI - Preliminary examination of lunar samples from apollo 14. AB - The major findings of the preliminary examination of the lunar samples are as follows: 1) The samples from Fra Mauro base may be contrasted with those from Tranquillity base and the Ocean of Storms in that about half the Apollo 11 samples consist of basaltic rocks, and all but three Apollo 12 rocks are basaltic, whereas in the Apollo 14 samples only two rocks of the 33 rocks over 50 grams have basaltic textures. The samples from Fra Mauro base consist largely of fragmental rocks containing clasts of diverse lithologies and histories. Generally the rocks differ modally from earlier lunar samples in that they contain more plagioclase and contain orthopyroxene. 2) The Apollo 14 samples differ chemically from earlier lunar rocks and from their closest meteorite and terrestrial analogs. The lunar material closest in composition is the KREEP component (potassium, rare earth elements, phosphorus), "norite," "mottled gray fragments" (9) from the soil samples (in particular, sample 12033) from the Apollo 12 site, and the dark portion of rock 12013 (10). The Apollo 14 material is richer in titanium, iron, magnesium, and silicon than the Surveyor 7 material, the only lunar highlands material directly analyzed (11). The rocks also differ from the mare basalts, having much lower contents of iron, titanium, manganese, chromium, and scandium and higher contents of silicon, aluminum, zirconium, potassium, uranium, thorium, barium, rubidium, sodium, niobium, lithium, and lanthanum. The ratios of potassium to uranium are lower than those of terrestrial rocks and similar to those of earlier lunar samples. 3) The chemical composition of the soil closely resembles that of the fragmental rocks and the large basaltic rock (sample 14310) except that some elements (potassium, lanthanum, ytterbium, and barium) may be somewhat depleted in the soil with respect to the average rock composition. 4) Rocks display characteristic surface features of lunar material (impact microcraters, rounding) and shock effects similar to those observed in rocks and soil from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. The rocks show no evidence of exposure to water, and their content of metallic iron suggests that they, like the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 material, were formed and have remained in an environment with low oxygen activity. 5) The concentration of solar windimplanted material in the soil is large, as was the case for Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 soil. However, unlike previous fragmental rocks, Apollo 14 fragmental rocks possess solar wind contents ranging from approximately that of the soil to essentially zero, with most rocks investigated falling toward one extreme of this range. A positive correlation appears to exist between the solar wind components, carbon, and (20)Ne, of fragmental rocks and their friability (Fig. 12). 6) Carbon contents lie within the range of carbon contents for Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 samples. 7) Four fragmental rocks show surface exposure times (10 x 10(6) to 20 x 10(6) years) about an order of magnitude less than typical exposure times of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 rocks. 8) A much broader range of soil mechanics properties was encountered at the Apollo 14 site than has been observed at the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Surveyor landing sites. At different points along the traverses of the Apollo 14 mission, lesser cohesion, coarser grain size, and greater resistance to penetration was found than at the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 sites. These variations are indicative of a very complex, heterogeneous deposit. The soils are more poorly sorted, but the range of grain size is similar to those of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 soils. 9) No evidence of biological material has been found in the samples to date. PMID- 17798718 TI - The genesis of a new agency. PMID- 17798719 TI - Arms race: scientists question threat from soviet military r&d. PMID- 17798720 TI - Geologic setting of the apollo 14 samples. AB - The Apollo 14 lunar module landed in a region of the lunar highlands that is part of a widespread blanket of ejecta surrounding the mare Imbrium basin. Samples were collected from the regolith developed on a nearly level plain, a ridge 100 meters high, and a blocky ejecta deposit around a young crater. Large boulders in the vicinity of the landing site are coherent fragmental rocks as are some of the returned samples. PMID- 17798721 TI - Tectonic movement in the chile trench. AB - An acoustic reflection profile across the Chile Trench off Valparaiso shows the trench floor to have a substantial sediment accumulation that is far from flat lying. The morphology is transitional between the flat-lying sediment fill to the south (labeled a type I trench) and the bare V-notch character farther north (labeled type II). A sharp seaward slope break, downbowed reflectors, and a landward downthrown normal fault suggest that the oceanic lithosphere is failing in shear. This mode of failutre is more consistent with the observed features of trenches and Benioff zones than is the concept of bending and underthrusting. PMID- 17798722 TI - Radiohalos: some unique lead isotope ratios and unknown alpha radioactivity. AB - Previously unreported lead isotope ratios, that is, values for the lead-206/lead 207 ratio ranging from about 20 to 60, primarily radiogenic in origin but unsupported by uranium decay, have been determined in the inclusions of certain polonium halos by means of ion microprobe techniques. Evidence for radiogenic lead-208 unsupported by thorium decay may also be inferred from the existence of a composite polonium halo type with rings from the radioactive precursors of lead 208. Several new dwarf halo sizes, seem to indicate the existence of unknown, very low-energy alpha-emitters. Furthermore, the three-ring "X halo" also provides evidence for an unknown series of genetically related alpha-emitters with energies in the range from 3 to 7 million electron volts. PMID- 17798723 TI - Photodecomposition of Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins. AB - The toxic herbicide impurity 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and its homologs decomposed rapidly in alcohol solution under artificial light and natural sunlight, the rate of decomposition depending upon the degree of chlorination. However, photodecomposition was negligible in aqueous suspensions and on wet or dry soil. PMID- 17798724 TI - Immune complexes and disease. PMID- 17798725 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17798726 TI - The war? Program? Experiment? On drugs. PMID- 17798727 TI - Feasibility of the "flying wing". PMID- 17798728 TI - Favored organisms. PMID- 17798729 TI - Favored organisms. PMID- 17798730 TI - Favored organisms. PMID- 17798731 TI - Erratum. AB - In Joseph Palca's News & Comment article "New round in Dingell v. NIH" (28 July, p. 349), the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, was incorrectly referred to as "Baylor University." Baylor University is in Waco, Texas. PMID- 17798732 TI - Stopping the process of pregnancy. PMID- 17798733 TI - Hormone antagonist with broad potential. PMID- 17798734 TI - Can Galileo Take the Heat?: On its long, long road to Jupiter, the spacecraft will have to pass through sunlight so hot it could fry; will the fragile Galileo survive its hazardous journey? PMID- 17798736 TI - Oil and gas estimates plummet. PMID- 17798735 TI - "Stop the plutonium shuttle!". PMID- 17798737 TI - Japan: superconductor hopes drop. PMID- 17798738 TI - Space station design up in the air. PMID- 17798739 TI - Refuseniks in limbo. PMID- 17798740 TI - Faculty trends. PMID- 17798741 TI - An angry sun approaches its peak of activity. PMID- 17798742 TI - Mouse lab bailout urged. PMID- 17798743 TI - Neptune's Wind Speeds Obtained by Tracking Clouds in Voyager Images. AB - Images of Neptune obtained by the narrow-angle camera of the Voyager 2 spacecraft reveal large-scale cloud features that persist for several months or longer. The features' periods of rotation about the planetary axis range from 15.8 to 18.4 hours. The atmosphere equatorward of -53 degrees rotates with periods longer than the 16.05-hour period deduced from Voyager's planetary radio astronomy experiment (presumably the planet's internal rotation period). The wind speeds computed with respect to this radio period range from 20 meters per second eastward to 325 meters per second westward. Thus, the cloud-top wind speeds are roughly the same for all the planets ranging from Venus to Neptune, even though the solar energy inputs to the atmospheres vary by a factor of 1000. PMID- 17798744 TI - Negative differential resistance on the atomic scale: implications for atomic scale devices. AB - Negative differential resistance (NDR) is the essential property that allows fast switching in certain types of electronic devices. With scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, it is shown that the current-voltage characteristics of a diode configuration consisting of an STM tip over specific sites of a boron-exposed silicon(111) surface exhibit NDR. These NDR-active sites are of atomic dimensions ( approximately 1 nanometer). NDR in this case is the result of tunneling through localized, atomic-like states. Thus, desirable device characteristics can be obtained even on the atomic scale. PMID- 17798748 TI - Lasers, Molecules, and Methods. Joseph O. Hirschfelder, Robert E. Wyatt, and Rob D. Coalson, Eds. Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1989. xviii, 1022 pp., illus. $125. Advances in Chemical Physics, vol. 73. Based on a symposium, Los Alamos, NM, July 1986. PMID- 17798746 TI - Race to the Stratosphere. Manned Scientific Ballooning in America. David H. DeVorkin. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1989. xiv, 406 pp., illus. $39.50. PMID- 17798749 TI - Plasticity of the Neuromuscular System. David Evered and Julie Whelan, Eds. Wiley Interscience, New York, 1988. x, 273 pp., illus. $54.95. Ciba Foundation Symposium, vol. 138. From a symposium, London, U.K., Jan. 1988. PMID- 17798750 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17798751 TI - THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THE STUDY OF QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. PMID- 17798752 TI - THE YIELD OF WHEAT IN ENGLAND DURING SEVEN CENTURIES. PMID- 17798753 TI - THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF MEMBERSHIPS IN THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17798754 TI - FILING REPRINTS. PMID- 17798755 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17798756 TI - THE PROFESSOR AND HIS WAGES. PMID- 17798757 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SOIL ON THE RELATION OF ROOTS TO OXYGEN. PMID- 17798758 TI - DISPERSITY OF SILVER HALIDES IN RELATION TO THEIR PHOTOGRAPHIC BEHAVIOR. PMID- 17798759 TI - THE LOS ANGELES MEETING. PMID- 17798760 TI - JOINT MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC, AND SECTION D OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798761 TI - AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798762 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798763 TI - Cover story. PMID- 17798764 TI - Cover story. PMID- 17798766 TI - The nitrite debate. PMID- 17798765 TI - Cover story. PMID- 17798767 TI - Handicapped scientists. PMID- 17798768 TI - Harvard public health dean. PMID- 17798769 TI - The ph.d. "Glut". PMID- 17798770 TI - Gamma-ray astrophysic: a new look at the universe. AB - Progress in gamma-ray astronomy has been very encouraging in recent years. These observations provide the most direct means of studying the largest transfer of energy occurring in astrophysical processes: the dynamic effects of the energetic charged cosmic-ray particles, element synthesis, and particle acceleration. Gammaray astronomical observations also find important application in studies of the development of the planets from the primitive solar nebula and of the nature of high-energy processes in the sun's atmosphere and their relation to the basic problems of solar activity. PMID- 17798771 TI - Margaret mead 1901-1978. PMID- 17798772 TI - Election Results Worry NSF. PMID- 17798773 TI - Statue on the Mall to Hail Einstein's 100th. PMID- 17798774 TI - Governor jerry brown: reelection of a politician committed to change. PMID- 17798776 TI - Universities "battered" by federal regulators. PMID- 17798775 TI - Brown and the university. PMID- 17798777 TI - House Tells OTA to Put Itself in Order. PMID- 17798778 TI - Carter signs bill to control angel dust. PMID- 17798779 TI - Fertility Groups Feud over Awards to Steptoe. PMID- 17798780 TI - The 1978 nobel prize in physics. PMID- 17798782 TI - 1978 election results. PMID- 17798781 TI - The 1978 nobel prize in physics. PMID- 17798784 TI - Science cover calendar for 1979. PMID- 17798783 TI - A new magazine of science? PMID- 17798785 TI - Board of directors makes china trip. PMID- 17798786 TI - Amendments to the AAAS Constitution and Bylaws. PMID- 17798787 TI - Youth activities at houston meeting. PMID- 17798788 TI - Directory of puerto rican scientists compiled. PMID- 17798789 TI - CSFR Procedures for Individual Complaints. PMID- 17798791 TI - Cosmological theories. PMID- 17798790 TI - Origins of a prohibition. PMID- 17798792 TI - A history of scripps. PMID- 17798794 TI - Malaria. PMID- 17798793 TI - Small bodies in space. PMID- 17798795 TI - Gulf Stream Ring Coalescence with the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras. AB - A cyclonic ring, which had separated from the Gulf Stream 7 months earlier and traveled 500 kilometers westward, collided with the stream in September 1977. Within 3 days the ring and stream joined to form a sharp S-shaped meander. Shipboard expendable temperature probes and four bottom-moored inverted echo sounders were used to obtain synoptic descriptions of the rejoining process. PMID- 17798796 TI - Calcium-induced contraction of the rhizoplast of a quadriflagellate green alga. AB - The rhizoplast of Platymonas subcordiformis is a contractile organelle. Cyclic contraction and extension are induced by incubating the organism in solutions containing calcium and adenosine triphosphate. Rhizoplast contraction is functionally linked to flagellar activity. PMID- 17798797 TI - Homoeologous chromosome pairing: frequency differences in inbred and intraspecific hybrid polyploid ferns. AB - The homosporous fern Ceratopteris thalictroides (Parkeriaceae) has evolved a polyploid genetic system that serves to store and release genetic variability in spite of self-fertilization and Mendelian homozygosity. This is demonstrated by the segregation of a gametophyte mutant within two inbred tetraploid lines and in their intraspecific hybrid. The segregation behavior can be explained by a model involving a duplicated locus and regular homoeologous chromosome pairing. Homoeologous pairing occurs at low levels in the inbred lines and at a high level in the hybrid, indicating intraspecific differences in chromosome pairing affinities. PMID- 17798798 TI - Conservation of liquid and solid quantity by the chimpanzee. AB - Sarah, an adult "language"-trained chimpanzee, made accurate same-different judgments on quantities of liquid and solid matter and conserved both types of quantity despite a transformation in an irrelevant property (shape). Control tests showed that she judged on the basis of inference rather than perceptual evaluation of the quantities. She failed to make accurate same-different judgments on the basis of number, and she was not tested for conservation of this type of quantity. PMID- 17798799 TI - Ultradian cortisol rhythms in monkeys: synchronized or not synchronized? PMID- 17798801 TI - THE NEW MECHANICS. PMID- 17798800 TI - THE PREDICAMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP IN AMERICA AND ONE SOLUTION. PMID- 17798802 TI - GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE. PMID- 17798804 TI - PACIFIC ASSOCIATION OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17798803 TI - BIOLOGICAL STATION WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. PMID- 17798806 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17798805 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17798807 TI - PRIORITY OVERWORKED. PMID- 17798809 TI - SEX IN MULTIPLE BIRTHS. PMID- 17798808 TI - THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17798810 TI - SEVENTH LIST OF GENERIC NAMES (TUNICATES) UNDER CONSIDERATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFICIAL LIST OF ZOOLOGICAL NAMES. PMID- 17798811 TI - A RUST--NEW ON APPLES, PEARS AND OTHER POME FRUITS. PMID- 17798812 TI - A POSSIBLE MUTANT IN THE BELLWORT (OAKESIA SESSILIFOLIA) WHICH PREVENTS SEED FORMATION. PMID- 17798813 TI - Arms Control and Self Control. PMID- 17798814 TI - Patination of Cultural Flints: Flint artifacts can be dated by cortical changes in mineralogy and texture. AB - All flints containing unstable impurities are susceptible to patination. The rate of patination varies with many factors: (i) the texture and microstructure of the flint; (ii) its permeability; (iii) the kind, proportion and distribution of impurities; and (iv) environmental factors, such as temperature and soil chemistry. The thickness of the patina varies also with time. Two contrasting types of patina can develop: a chalky white patina and a ferruginous brown patina. Both types are observable primarily as a color change, and study of these types is facilitated by a clear understanding of the causes of color in flint. The color of most flints is the result of repeated refraction and reflection of light at numerous intergranular surfaces, whereby part of the light is internally absorbed and part is reflected back to the observer. The ratio of reflected to absorbed light governs the lightness of the color, or its value. The preferential absorption of certain wavelengths by natural pigments (such as iron oxide and hydrous iron oxide) disseminated through the flint determine the hue of the color. The color changes produced during patination relate to changes in texture and impurity content occasioned by the attack of weathering agents on impurities in the flint. The creation of voids by the dissolution and leaching of carbonates, the loosening of quartz crystallites, and the dispersal of clays all modify the reflectivity of the flint. Chemical changes involving the epigments, their dispersal along intergranular surfaces, or removal by leachig modify both reflectivity and capacity to preferentially absorb. Attempts to correlate patina thickness with age, and thus to use flint patinae chronometrically, have proven unsatisfactory because other factors, whose importance in some cases exceeds that of age, have not been taken into account. The texture and microstructure of flint, its permeability, and the kind, proportion, and distribution of impurities can be evaluated by regular petrographic techniques. Environmental factors can be assumed constant for artifacts from the same types of soil in a given climatic region. Only after allowances have been made for these additional variables does the age-dependence of flint patination become clear. PMID- 17798815 TI - Financing Scientific Research in Australia: Federal funds and research agencies play a dominant role in the national research effort. PMID- 17798816 TI - The School Bill: Notes on the Political Situation. PMID- 17798817 TI - L-Tyrosine Oxidase System in Tuber of Nutsedge. AB - In the nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus L., the oxidation of L-tyrosine follows steps similar to those reported for mammalian liver and Blattella conjuncta. The system is activated by alpha-keto-glutarate, L-ascorbic acid, glutathione, and pyridoxal phosphate. Folic acid markedly inhibits the reaction. PMID- 17798818 TI - Correlation of Nuclear Volume and DNA Content with Higher Plant Tolerance to Chronic Radiation. AB - The causes of extreme differences in radiosensitivities of different plant (or animal) species have long puzzled radiobiologists. Our investigations show that, for diploid species, the larger the nuclear volume, the more radiosensitive the organism. Correspondingly, species with large nuclei have more deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) per nucleus than those possessing small nuclei. Our data now make it possible to predict fairly accurately the tolerance of plant species to ionizing radiation on the basis of average nuclear volume and DNA content. The same correlations are expected to hold for some microorganisms and for animals and may explain differences in sensitivities of different cell types in many living organisms. PMID- 17798819 TI - Possible Mode of Antidepressive Action of Imipramine. AB - Imipramine augmented and prolonged methamphetamine-induced increases in the rate of responding of rats working for "rewarding" hypothalamic and midbrain stimulation. In contrast, chlorpromazine antagonized the effects of methamphetamine on self-stimulation. These opposite psychopharmacological effects are consistent with the different clinical effects of these drugs and suggest a mechanism for the antidepressive action of imipramine. PMID- 17798820 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17798821 TI - Marne Animal Sounds. PMID- 17798822 TI - How Much Research for a Dollar? PMID- 17798823 TI - Protecting Rainbow Bridge. PMID- 17798824 TI - Fraklin S. Harris, Agronomist, Educational Administrator. PMID- 17798825 TI - Use of Funds from Sales of Surplus Foods for Science and Education Is Not up to Expectations. PMID- 17798826 TI - Treaty Reducing Tariffs on Books, Art, and Scientific Instruments Takes Another Small Step Forward. PMID- 17798827 TI - Scientists Concerned over Fate of Congo Parks. PMID- 17798828 TI - Soviet Recovers Dogs from Orbit; U.S. Snares Capsule in Air. PMID- 17798829 TI - Water Permeability of Bacterial Spores and the Concept of a Contractile Cortex. AB - Assumption of a water-impermeable coat on bacterial spores is inconsistent with known permeabilities of organic materials. A low water content may arise through compressive contraction of the cortex during spore maturation. PMID- 17798830 TI - Transmissible Agent Associated with 26 Types of Experimental Mouse Neoplasms. AB - A transmissible agent or factor has been found to be associated with all transplanted and spontaneous experimental tumors examined. This observation was made possible by utilization of a biochemical response of normal animals when inoculated with plasma or organ extracts from tumor-bearing hosts. This transmissible enzymic "lesion" is expressed by a five- to tenfold increase in the plasma lactic dehydrogenase activity of the injected normal test animals. The factor is heat labile, passes through bacteria-retaining filters, but is nondialyzable. It is partially sedimented by centrifugation at 100,000g for 1 hour. PMID- 17798832 TI - Teacher Training. PMID- 17798831 TI - The Scientist's Image of Himself. PMID- 17798834 TI - Computers and Game-Playing. PMID- 17798835 TI - Science and Human Affairs. PMID- 17798833 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17798836 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17798837 TI - The Pancreas. PMID- 17798838 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17798839 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798840 TI - SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, 1938-39. PMID- 17798841 TI - AWARD OF THE MEDALS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798842 TI - NON-TECHNICAL BOOKS ON SCIENCE. PMID- 17798843 TI - THE LARGE MAMMALS OF THE GREAT PLAINS. PMID- 17798844 TI - SCIENTIFIC INVENTION AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS. PMID- 17798847 TI - THE MECHANISM OF THE BIOLOGICAL CITRIC ACID SYNTHESIS. PMID- 17798846 TI - INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798845 TI - ZOOLOGY FOR PRE-MEDICAL STUDENTS. PMID- 17798849 TI - LOSS OF BIOLOGICALLY FIXED NITROGEN FROM SOILS AND ITS BEARING ON CROP PRODUCTION. PMID- 17798848 TI - THE NEW ENGLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE FIELD GEOLOGISTS CONFERENCE. PMID- 17798850 TI - THE AVAILABILITY OF THE IRON IN DRIED PEAS AND BEANS. PMID- 17798852 TI - CULTURE TECHNIC FOR QUANTITATIVE GROWTH STUDIES WITH MYXOPHYCEAE. PMID- 17798851 TI - AN INEXPENSIVE SMALL AIR COMPRESSOR. PMID- 17798853 TI - A CONVENIENT METHOD FOR OBTAINING BLOOD SERUM. PMID- 17798854 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798855 TI - PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE. PMID- 17798856 TI - SCHAUDINN: A BIOGRAPHICAL APPRECIATION. PMID- 17798857 TI - OESTRUS. PMID- 17798858 TI - POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DECREASED SUSPENSION STABILITY OF THE BLOOD. PMID- 17798859 TI - FOSSILS FROM THE EASTERN FLANK OF THE SIERRA NEVADA, CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17798860 TI - A CURIOUS FISH STORY. PMID- 17798861 TI - NAMING DISORDERS OF SPEECH. PMID- 17798862 TI - NEW ORLEANS MEETING, DECEMBER 28, 1931-JANUARY 2, 1932. PMID- 17798863 TI - A METHOD OF SUPPLYING STUDENTS WITH NATURAL ENDAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA FROM CULTURES. PMID- 17798864 TI - ACCELERATED INFECTION IN EXPERIMENTAL POLIOMYELITIS. PMID- 17798865 TI - PHOTOGRAPHING ANIMALS. PMID- 17798866 TI - ALARIA MUSTELAE SP. NOV., A TREMATODE REQUIRING FOUR HOSTS. PMID- 17798867 TI - THE RING STRUCTURE OF ADENOSINE. PMID- 17798868 TI - THE RELATION BETWEEN IRON, HUMIC ACID AND ORGANIC MATTER IN THE NUTRITION AND STIMULATION OF PLANT GROWTH. PMID- 17798869 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article "the 0.001557806449023-Second Pulsar" by M. Mitchell Waldrop (Research News, 18 Feb., p. 831), the last sentence of the last full paragraph in the second column should have read: "Within a few weeks he was in Aricebo himself, and on 14 November he verified pulses at an astonishing 642 hertz, equivalent to a period of 1.558 milliseconds." PMID- 17798870 TI - Meeting attendance. PMID- 17798871 TI - Meeting attendance. PMID- 17798872 TI - Computerized psychological testing. PMID- 17798873 TI - Simon and Kahn versus Global 2000: New book will offer sharp contrast to the assumptions and methodology of the cheerless Carter-sponsored report. PMID- 17798874 TI - Bees and yellow rain. PMID- 17798875 TI - VDT's No Threat to Vision. PMID- 17798877 TI - NASA to Cooperate with ESA on Space Science. PMID- 17798876 TI - Physicists Nix ISABELLE, Endorse Super Machine. PMID- 17798878 TI - L-Reactor Start-up Delayed. PMID- 17798880 TI - Soviet--U.S. Exchanges Under Scrutiny: Decision on two science and technology programs goes into overtime; National Academy considers negotiating new terms for its exchanges. PMID- 17798879 TI - Impure mice draw legal complaint. PMID- 17798881 TI - Soviets take tougher line on human rights. PMID- 17798882 TI - Number Theory Problem Is Solved: Mathematicians are elated by a surprising proof of a famous and important conjecture. PMID- 17798883 TI - Fermilab Energy Saver Hits 500 GeV. PMID- 17798884 TI - Catalysts That Break Nature's Monopoly: Chiral complexes can approach the specificity of enzymes for synthesis of optically active compounds, and can act on a wider variety of substrates. PMID- 17798885 TI - Pastoralists: the keeping of animals. PMID- 17798886 TI - Relationships among children: peer relationships and social skills in childhood. PMID- 17798887 TI - The jovian system: satellites of jupiter. PMID- 17798888 TI - An episode of steep geomagnetic inclination 120,000 years ago. AB - The mean inclinations of three sections of 120,000-year-old fine-grained sediments from northern California range from 62 degrees to 66 degrees . These inclinations are significantly steeper than the inclination of the geocentric axial dipole at this site. Because these sediments have probably recorded an actual episode of steep inclination lasting several thousand years, they provide new insights into the significance of mean inclinations shallower than the geocentric axial dipole. Such inclinations are characteristic of fine-grained sediments younger than 35,000 years. The results raise questions about the time averaged geomagnetic field and about the determination of plate motions from paleomagnetic data. PMID- 17798889 TI - Entwined and parallel bundled orbits as alternative models for narrow planetary ringlets. AB - Particle orbits can be bundled in two different ways to produce narrow, Uranus type ringlets. The usual assumption is that they are packed in a parallel manner in a structure that is essentially only two-dimensional, but it is then difficult to explain the large numbers of particles per unit area of the ring plane that are inferred from the observations. The alternative of a bundle of entwined orbits produces a three-dimensional structure of potentially large projected areal density. A start has been made in identifying possible mechanisms for stabilizing these structures, but much remains to be done, particularly for the less-studied model of entwined orbits. The two models might be discriminated observationally by differences in the motion of the line of intersection of the orbital and equatorial planes, and by the predicted radial reversal (entwined) or nonreversal (parallel) of features in occultation signatures taken at certain longitudes. PMID- 17798890 TI - Miocene burrows of extinct bear dogs: indication of early denning behavior of large Mammalian carnivores. AB - Partial skeletons of four species of extinct carnivores have been found in their dens excavated in the floodplain of an early Miocene ephemeral braided stream at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska. Bear dogs (Carnivora: Amphicyonidae) were the principal occupants; their den dimensions and body size are similar to those of living wolves and hyenas. Discovery of this predator community extends the record of denning behavior of large mammalian carnivores to the early Miocene, 20 million years ago. PMID- 17798891 TI - Intracellular pH Regulates Transitions Between Dormancy and Development of Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina) Embryos. AB - The intracellular pH (pH(i))of encysted gastrula-stage embryos of the brine shrip, Artemia, as previously shown by in vivo phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, increases by more than 1 unit during arousal from cryptobiotic dormancy and decreases by the same amount during reinduction of dormancy. These changes in pH(i) are now shown to be a fundamental regulator of the transitions between dormancy and metabolism: acidification of activated embryo pH(i) by more than 1 unit with carbon dioxide induced a state comparable to natural dormancy, while alkalinization of dormant embryo pH(i) with the weak base ammonia terminated natural dormancy. This demonstration of pH(i)-mediated regulation of cryptobiotic dormancy extends the known scope for pH(i) as a regulator of development to include multicellular stages of the metazoan life cycle. PMID- 17798892 TI - An Altered aroA Gene Product Confers Resistance to the Herbicide Glyphosate. AB - The hypothesis that the herbicide glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine) acts on plants and microorganisms by inhibiting synthesis of 5-enolpyruvyl-3 phosphoshikimate, a precursor to aromatic amino acids, was tested. Salmonella typhimurium was treated with ethyl methanesulfonate, and mutants mapping at the aroA locus, which encodes 5-enolpyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimate synthetase, were isolated by selection for glyphosate resistance. One of the mutants results in the synthesis of a 5-enolpyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimate synthetase that is resistant to inhibition by glyphosate. The mutant aroA gene and the corresponding wild-type allele were cloned. The mutation confers high resistance to glyphosate when introduced in Escherichia coli in the presence or absence of the wild-type aroA allele. PMID- 17798893 TI - Metabolic detoxification: mechanism of insect resistance to plant psoralens. AB - Larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes Stoll, forage successfully on plants that contain high levels of photosensitizing psoralens. These insects rapidly detoxify psoralens, particularly in the midgut tissue prior to absorption, with the result that appreciable levels of unmetabolized phototoxin do not enter the body circulation where deleterious light-induced interactions with dermal or subdermal tissues would occur. PMID- 17798895 TI - Fusion prospects. PMID- 17798894 TI - Macroevolutionary trends: new perspectives on the roles of adaptation and incidental effect. AB - Trends, long-term directional tendencies in evolution, are traditionally interpreted as selected for and adaptive. Alternatively, trends may be unselected effects of characters and processes within species: the effect hypothesis. Thus adaptations of organisms, varying among species, were selected for immediate fitness, but they may also incidentally determine different speciation and extinction rates and trends. PMID- 17798896 TI - Fusion prospects. PMID- 17798898 TI - Response: comparing student test scores. PMID- 17798899 TI - HHMI Awards. PMID- 17798897 TI - Comparing student test scores. PMID- 17798901 TI - Probing primate morality. PMID- 17798902 TI - THE MESSAGE OF THE BIOLOGIST. PMID- 17798900 TI - Wanted: citizen-scientists. PMID- 17798904 TI - FRANK PERKINS WHITMAN. PMID- 17798903 TI - ON NIPHER'S "GRAVITATIONAL" EXPERIMENT AND THE ANOMALIES OF THE MOON'S MOTION. PMID- 17798905 TI - HORATIO C. WOOD. PMID- 17798906 TI - OFFICIAL FIELD CROP INSPECTION. PMID- 17798907 TI - SCIENCE AND POLITICS. PMID- 17798908 TI - DROUGHT AND THE ROOT-SYSTEM OF EUCALYPTUS. PMID- 17798909 TI - THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. PMID- 17798910 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17798911 TI - DEDICATION OF THE WILLIAM ALBERT NOYES LABORATORY OF CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17798912 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF UNFERTILIZED SEEDS IN TRILLIUM. PMID- 17798913 TI - PRESENT-DAY BOTANY IN ITALY. PMID- 17798914 TI - THE ROLE OF ARRHENOTOKY IN THE ADAPTATION OF INSECTS. PMID- 17798915 TI - MOTTLED ENAMEL IN RAT MOLARS. PMID- 17798916 TI - ASTRONOMICAL SYMPOSIUM ON GALACTIC AND EXTRAGALACTIC STRUCTURE. PMID- 17798917 TI - LINKAGE OF PEA COMB AND BLUE EGG IN THE FOWL. PMID- 17798918 TI - A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF MEANING BY A CONDITIONED SALIVARY TECHNIQUE (SEMANTIC CONDITIONING). PMID- 17798919 TI - ROLE OF VITAMIN E IN THE PREVENTION OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY IN GUINEA PIGS REARED ON SYNTHETIC RATIONS. PMID- 17798920 TI - THE GELATIN OF BROM PHENOL BLUE. PMID- 17798921 TI - A PRACTICAL METHOD OF OBTAINING BACTERIA-FREE CULTURES OF TRICHOMONAS HOMINIS. PMID- 17798922 TI - THE USE OF THE HORSLEY-CLARKE INSTRUMENT ON THE RAT. PMID- 17798923 TI - THE EARTH'S CRUST. PMID- 17798925 TI - THEODORE NICHOLAS GILL. PMID- 17798924 TI - FRATERNITIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17798926 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17798927 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17798928 TI - DR. BATESON'S PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. PMID- 17798929 TI - HEREDITY AND MENTAL TRAITS. PMID- 17798930 TI - QUANTITY AND RANK OF UNIVERSITY ATTENDANCE. PMID- 17798931 TI - THE FUR SEAL INQUIRY, THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE AND THE SCIENTIST. PMID- 17798933 TI - THE "MULTIPLE UNIT" SYSTEM AS A SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY FOR LABORATORIES. PMID- 17798932 TI - THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. PMID- 17798934 TI - Sources of Research Support. PMID- 17798936 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17798935 TI - Scientific Communications Should Be Improved. PMID- 17798937 TI - Reactions of Honey Bees in the Hive to Simple Sounds. PMID- 17798938 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17798939 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17798940 TI - THE SEA BOTTOM--ITS PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND ITS FAUNA. PMID- 17798941 TI - REMINISCENT REMARKS ON THE TOP. PMID- 17798942 TI - THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. PMID- 17798943 TI - SILAS W. HOLMAN. PMID- 17798944 TI - NOTE ON THE WESTERN TERTIARY. PMID- 17798945 TI - BIBLIOGRAPHY OF GEODESY. PMID- 17798946 TI - AN UNUSUAL TYPE OF AURIFEROUS DEPOSIT. PMID- 17798947 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17798948 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17798949 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL STATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA. PMID- 17798950 TI - AN ARCHEOLOGICAL MAP. PMID- 17798951 TI - SYNTONIC WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. PMID- 17798952 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17798953 TI - WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY IN THE NAVY. PMID- 17798955 TI - GEOLOGY OF NEW JERSEY. PMID- 17798954 TI - ORIGIN OF PUEBLO ARCHITECTURE. PMID- 17798956 TI - CHALLENGER REPORT. PMID- 17798957 TI - FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17798958 TI - THE ROTIFERA. PMID- 17798960 TI - The cause of consumption. PMID- 17798959 TI - Scandinavian studies in the United States. PMID- 17798961 TI - Thomson's electrostatic voltmeter. PMID- 17798963 TI - Geology from the Air. PMID- 17798962 TI - Ups and Downs in Research Support. PMID- 17798964 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17798965 TI - Isotope Effects in Gas-Liquid Chromatography. PMID- 17798966 TI - Rapid Symptoms in Seedling VII Sweetpotato of a Virus Always Associated with Internal Cork. PMID- 17798967 TI - Pink Discoloration in Eggs Caused by Sterculic Acid. PMID- 17798968 TI - Detection of Chromatographic Spots in Paper. PMID- 17798969 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17798970 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17798971 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17798972 TI - Pentagon boosts a small rocket. PMID- 17798973 TI - U.s.-Soviet science pact stalls. PMID- 17798975 TI - Mergers slow down research spending. PMID- 17798974 TI - Indirect Cost Surge Prompts New Worries: As indirect costs of research keep rising, two reports from Stanford spell out concern about remaining competitive with lower cost universities. PMID- 17798976 TI - In Search of Elusive Little Comets: The existence of mini-comets bombarding the solar system has reportedly been confirmed by two independent means; only their originator thinks the matter resolved. PMID- 17798978 TI - Chix in space. PMID- 17798977 TI - A message from alvarez. PMID- 17798979 TI - Purdue keeps popping. PMID- 17798980 TI - Getting the grants. PMID- 17798981 TI - Disruption of the nitrogen cycle in acidified lakes. AB - Experimental acidification of two small soft-water lakes caused nitrification to cease at pH values of 5.4 to 5.7. The resulting blockage of the nitrogen cycle caused a progressive accumulation of amnonium. When the epermental acidification of one of the lakes was ended and the pH was raised to 5.4, nitrification resumed after a time lag of 1 year. PMID- 17798984 TI - Science and Technology Advice to the President, Congress, and Judiciary. William T. Golden, Ed. Pergamon, Elmsford, NY, 1988. xvi, 523 pp. $49.95; paper, $24.95. PMID- 17798982 TI - North Carolina climate changes reconstructed from tree rings: a.d. 372 to 1985. AB - Millennium-old bald cypres trees (Taxodium distichum [(L.) Rich.] have ben used to develop a 1614-year reconstruction of the June Palmer drought severity index for North Carolina. This proxy paleoclimatic record indicates that the growing season climate of North Carolina has undergone many changes between significantly different regimes of drought and wetness that persist for approximately 30 years. Alternating wet and dry regimes were particularly well developed during the Medieval Warm Epoch (A.D. 1000 to 1300). The record June droughts in 1985 and 1986 and the preceding three decades of much wetter than average conditions both appear to have been rare climatic events, equaled only five times each since A.D. 372. PMID- 17798985 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17798987 TI - NEW MECHANICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING AT THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17798986 TI - HEMOGLOBIN, GLUCOSE, OXYGEN AND WATER IN THE ERYTHROCYTE: A Concept of Biological Magnitudes, Based upon Molecular Dimensions. AB - Calculations have been presented to illustrate the insight which may be gained from the development of concepts of biological magnitudes upon the basis of molecular dimensions. PMID- 17798989 TI - THE CORROSION RESEARCH LABORATORY OF THE ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. PMID- 17798988 TI - THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION. PMID- 17798990 TI - ELECTIONS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17798991 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17798992 TI - AMPLE EXERCISE AND A MINIMUM OF FOOD AS MEASURES FOR CANCER PREVENTION? PMID- 17798993 TI - FAT CONTENT OF GUINEA-PIG MILK. PMID- 17798994 TI - TRANSLITERATION OF RUSSIAN. PMID- 17798996 TI - CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. PMID- 17798995 TI - TEMPERATURE TOLERANCE OF MALE GERM-PLASM. PMID- 17798997 TI - IN VITRO EVIDENCE OF REGENERATION OF ACTIVE PENICILLIN FROM PENICILLIN ESTERS. AB - It has been found that methyl and ethyl esters of penicillin may be hydrolyzed in vitro to yield 26 and 16 per cent. respectively of the theoretical bacteriostatically active penicillin. PMID- 17798998 TI - THE EFFECT OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON CYSTS OF ENDAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA. PMID- 17798999 TI - INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF SOME ALKOXY ANALOGS OF DDT. PMID- 17799000 TI - CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF DDT [2,2-bis (p-CHLOROPHENYL) 1,1,1,-TRICHLOROETHANE]. PMID- 17799001 TI - OBSERVATION OF BACTERIOPHAGE THROUGH A LIGHT MICROSCOPE. PMID- 17799003 TI - EFFECT OF ALLOXAN DIABETES ON THE GROWING RAT. PMID- 17799002 TI - A SIMPLE, RAPID TECHNIC OF PREPARING WATER-IN-OIL EMULSIONS OF PENICILLIN, DRUGS AND BIOLOGICS. PMID- 17799005 TI - A MODIFICATION OF THE UREASE TEST FOR PROTEUS. PMID- 17799004 TI - INTRACARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION IN THE URODELE. PMID- 17799006 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799007 TI - THE CHOICE OF A PROFESSION--MEDICAL. PMID- 17799008 TI - AN OBJECTIVE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SHAPE OF CELLS IN MASSES. PMID- 17799009 TI - WILLIAM OTIS CROSBY. PMID- 17799010 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17799011 TI - AN OUTDOOR OPTICAL EXPERIMENT. PMID- 17799012 TI - SEISMIC WAVE VELOCITY AND DENSITIES OF CRUSTAL MATERIALS. PMID- 17799013 TI - FIELD TRIPS IN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17799014 TI - SPECIAL CHARACTERS FOR THE TYPEWRITER. PMID- 17799015 TI - RADIO INFORMATION. PMID- 17799017 TI - THE ISOLATION OF A CRYSTALLINE PROTEIN WITH TUBERCULIN ACTIVITY. PMID- 17799016 TI - A CATHODE RAY OSCILLOGRAPH FOR SEVERAL SIMULTANEOUS WAVES WITH STABILIZED LINEAR TIME AXIS. PMID- 17799018 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTES ON THE STRUCTURE OF PLANT PROTOPLASM. PMID- 17799019 TI - THE USE OF SUBSCRIPT AND SUPERSCRIPT EXPONENTS IN MATHEMATICS AND IN CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17799020 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17799022 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17799021 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURE OF NORTH-WEST AMERICA. PMID- 17799023 TI - COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17799024 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17799025 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17799026 TI - ELECTRICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17799027 TI - PUBLISHERS' FALL ANNOUNCEMENTS. PMID- 17799028 TI - Queries. PMID- 17799029 TI - Chest-Development. PMID- 17799030 TI - Ants transplanting the Scale-Bug. PMID- 17799031 TI - "Take Heed!". PMID- 17799032 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799033 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799034 TI - The sloan-kettering affair. PMID- 17799036 TI - Copyright laws. PMID- 17799035 TI - Imprisoned soviet mathematician. PMID- 17799037 TI - Leukemia and chromosomes. PMID- 17799038 TI - Unexplained or esoteric? PMID- 17799039 TI - Wine capital. PMID- 17799041 TI - Technology as a deterrent to dehumanization. PMID- 17799040 TI - Monitoring medical care. PMID- 17799042 TI - Convention for Preservation of Man's Cultural Heritage in the Oceans. PMID- 17799044 TI - Fermi national accelerator lab: progress on a grand design. PMID- 17799043 TI - President ford: main street to pennsylvania avenue. PMID- 17799045 TI - Complications indicated for the breeder. PMID- 17799046 TI - A media event for science. PMID- 17799047 TI - Hearing ordered for sacked scientists. PMID- 17799048 TI - 2000 scientists petition for soviet colleagues. PMID- 17799049 TI - New EEO Leadership at NASA. PMID- 17799050 TI - Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing: GE's Balky Plant Poses Shortage. PMID- 17799051 TI - Heterogeneous catalysis: can surface science contribute? PMID- 17799052 TI - Marihuana (II): Does It Damage the Brain? PMID- 17799053 TI - Eocene angiosperm flowers. AB - Collections of well-preserved angiosperm flowers from the Middle Eocene of southeastern North America include a variety of morphological types. The first of these specimens to be studied extensively, a catkin, has yielded a great deal of structural information. Floral morphology, pollen morphology, and the nature of the peltate scales suggest that this catkin is allied with extant genera of the Juglandaceae. This confirms the antiquity of some of the diagnostic floral and pollen features found in extant genera of the Juglandaceae and the importance of structural information available from fossil angiosperm flowers. PMID- 17799054 TI - Bryozoan monticules: excurrent water outlets? AB - Monticules, regularly arranged modified areas on Paleozoic Bryozoa, may represent regions from which water currents produced by lophophores of adjacent feeding zoids escaped. Such circulation Patterns have been observed Recent forms. PMID- 17799056 TI - THE VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGIST AND NATIONAL EFFICIENCY. PMID- 17799057 TI - THE STATUS OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE IN MEDICINE. PMID- 17799055 TI - Neighbor Recognition in Two "Solitary" Carnivores: The Raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the Red Fox (Vulpes fulva). AB - Male raccoons and red foxes were trapped alive and exposed to each other in captivity. Animals of each species trapped close to one another demonstrated a higher frequency of initial dominance-subordinance relationships and lower frequencies of more intense aggressive interactions than did animals trapped at greater distances from each other. This suggests the existence of neighbor recognition and thus a rudimentary social structure within these free-living "solitary" species. PMID- 17799058 TI - CLIMATIC INDEX OF BONNEVILLE LAKE BEDS. PMID- 17799059 TI - INTERNAL TELIA OF RUSTS. PMID- 17799060 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17799062 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY III. PMID- 17799061 TI - NOTE ON THE SWELLING OF GELATINE AND AGAR GELS IN SOLUTIONS OF SUCROSE AND DEXTROSE. PMID- 17799063 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799064 TI - THE UNIVERSE AS A WHOLE. PMID- 17799065 TI - THE TAU EFFECT--AN EXAMPLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RELATIVITY. PMID- 17799066 TI - FIREFLIES FLASHING IN UNISON. PMID- 17799067 TI - ON THE AGE OF THE NEW ALBANY SHALE. PMID- 17799068 TI - BARRO COLORADO ISLAND BIOLOGICAL STATION. PMID- 17799070 TI - PRESSURE IN A FLUID. PMID- 17799071 TI - AN ELECTRICAL RECORDING MANOMETER. PMID- 17799069 TI - LAWS OF ORBITAL MOTION. PMID- 17799073 TI - THE ISOLATION OF NITROSOMONAS AND NITROBACTER BY THE SINGLE CELL TECHNIQUE. PMID- 17799072 TI - PLANT JUICE CLARIFICATION FOR NITRATE NITROGEN DETERMINATIONS. PMID- 17799074 TI - THE BORON CONTENT OF ORANGES. PMID- 17799075 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. II. PMID- 17799076 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799077 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17799078 TI - SHELTERBELTS--FUTILE DREAM OR WORKABLE PLAN. PMID- 17799079 TI - NATURE OF THE LIGHT RAYS ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON. PMID- 17799080 TI - ORDOVICIAN BLACK SHALES OF NEW YORK. PMID- 17799081 TI - HIGHWAY MORTALITY AMONG MAMMALS. PMID- 17799082 TI - THE PAINT CREEK METEORITE. PMID- 17799083 TI - MILTON RESEARCH AWARDS AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17799085 TI - A SIMPLE DEVICE FOR THE RAPID OBSERVATION OF OBJECTS IN LATERAL AND VENTRAL VIEWS. PMID- 17799084 TI - A MICROTOME KNIFE HOLDER FOR SAFETY RAZOR BLADES. PMID- 17799086 TI - HEREDITARY BRACHYDACTYLIA AND ASSOCIATED ABNORMALITIES IN THE RABBIT. PMID- 17799087 TI - INEXPENSIVE GREEN FILTERS. PMID- 17799088 TI - THE REDUCING POWERS OF PHYSIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT CARBOHYDRATES. PMID- 17799089 TI - A NEW CANKER DISEASE OF RED PINE, CAUSED BY TYMPANIS PINASTRI. PMID- 17799090 TI - THE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND SCIENTIFIC VALUE OF BOTANIC GARDENS. PMID- 17799091 TI - THE IDEALS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BOTANIC GARDEN. PMID- 17799092 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. PMID- 17799093 TI - HERITAGE AND HABITUS. PMID- 17799094 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17799095 TI - SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS IN WAR TIMES. PMID- 17799097 TI - THE SHORTAGE OF PLATINUM. PMID- 17799096 TI - THE DECIMAL POINT. PMID- 17799099 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17799098 TI - IS THE HOUSE OF TCUHU THE MINOAN LABYRINTH? PMID- 17799100 TI - World supplies of natural gas. PMID- 17799101 TI - Tunable Coherent X-rays. AB - A modern 1- to 2-billion-electron-volt synchrotron radiation facility (based on high-brightness electron beams and magnetic undulators) would generate coherent (laser-like) soft x-rays of wavelengths as short as 10 angstroms. The radiation would also be broadly tunable and subject to full polarization control. Radiation with these properties could be used for phase- and element-sensitive microprobing of biological assemblies and material interfaces as well as reserch on the production of electronic microstructures with features smaller than 1000 angstroms. These short wavelength capabilities, which extend to the K-absorption edges of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, are neither available nor projected for laboratory XUV lasers. Higher energy storage rings (5 to 6 billion electron volts) would generate significantly less coherent radiation and would be further compromised by additional x-ray thermal loading of optical components. PMID- 17799102 TI - Tax Plan Would Have Mixed Impact on R&D: It would retain the R&D tax credit but remove some provisions that help draw venture capital into high-technology enterprises. PMID- 17799103 TI - Chemical Giants Push for Patents on Plants: Controversy has arisen in Europe over whether new plant varieties produced by genetic engineering methods can--or should--be patented. PMID- 17799104 TI - DOD Program Proves Attractive. PMID- 17799105 TI - Nuclear proliferation: trouble ahead. PMID- 17799106 TI - Scientific secrecy: an unhealthy trend. PMID- 17799107 TI - Biotechnology: focus on viruses. PMID- 17799108 TI - TV Scientists: More Good Than Bad. PMID- 17799109 TI - Future AAAS Meetings: Changes in the Wind. PMID- 17799110 TI - High Energy Physics: Hard Sell for SSC. PMID- 17799111 TI - Solving Linear Systems Faster: A new method that exploits parallel computations promises to have a real impact on practical problems. PMID- 17799112 TI - Something strange from cygnus x-3. PMID- 17799113 TI - Why Are Male Hawks So Small?: For birds that eat birds, life is tough; this might explain why, unlike much of the rest of the avian world, females are bigger than males. PMID- 17799114 TI - Lessons of a controversy: beyond velikovsky. PMID- 17799115 TI - An inside view of big science: the education of a college president. PMID- 17799116 TI - Ecogenetics: genetic variability in responses to chemical exposure. PMID- 17799117 TI - Paleoclimatology: late quaternary environments of the soviet union. PMID- 17799118 TI - Free radicals in the stratosphere: a new observational technique. AB - A new approach to in situ observations of trace reactive species in the stratosphere is described. A balloon-borne system, floating 40 kilometers above the earth's surface, successfully lowered and then retracted a cluster of instruments a distance of 12 kilometers on a filament of Kevlar. This instrument cluster is capable of detecting gas-phase free radicals at the part-per-trillion level. The suspended instrument array has excellent stability and has been used to measure atomic oxygen concentrations in the stratosphere. PMID- 17799119 TI - The fajada butte solar marker: a reevaluation. AB - Evaluation of the Fajada Butte solar marker in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, on the basis of its ethnographic context and usefulness for confirmatory and anticipatory solar observations indicates that the site does not function as an accurate solar calendar (accurate in the context of the historic Puebloan culture). The site most likely served as a sun shrine rather than as a calendrical observing station. The interpretation of the site as marking the northern declinations of the lunar 18.6-year cycle is not supported by the ethnographic evidence nor can the site be used to anticipate accurately the year of the standstill. PMID- 17799120 TI - Dragonfly flight: novel uses of unsteady separated flows. AB - Studies of insect flight have revealed novel mechanisms of production of aerodynamic lift. In the present study, large lift forces were measured during flight episodes elicited from dragonflies tethered to a force balance. Simultaneously, stroboscopic photographs provided stop-action views of wing motion and the flowfield structure surrounding the insect. Wing kinematics were correlated with both instantaneous lift generation and vortex-dominated flow fields. The large lift forces appear to be produced by unsteady flow-wing interactions. This successful utilization of unsteady separated flows by insects may signal the existence of a whole new class of fluid dynamic uses that remain to be explored. PMID- 17799122 TI - Products and materials. PMID- 17799121 TI - Coral community reproductive patterns: red sea versus the great barrier reef. AB - In contrast to many corals of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, which are synchronous multispecific spawners, the abundant coral species in the northern Red Sea, Israel, exhibit temporal reproductive isolation. Spawning dates of 12 of the 13 Red Sea species followed lunar periodicity and were consistent throughout 3 years of study. Spawning periods of all species occurred in different seasons, different months, or different lunar phases within the same month. The high abundance of the corals studied at Eilat may be due in part to the advantages gained through not having overlapping spawning periods and settlement times. PMID- 17799124 TI - Reception and prize honor abelson. PMID- 17799123 TI - Western scientists meet in montana. PMID- 17799125 TI - MEDICAL LABORATORIES: THEIR RELATIONS TO MEDICAL PRACTISE AND TO MEDICAL DISCOVERY. PMID- 17799126 TI - THE AMERICAY ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION B--PHYSICS. PMID- 17799127 TI - TOXICITY AS A FACTOR IN THE PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF SOILS. PMID- 17799128 TI - A NEW APPARATUS FOR MEASURING ELECTROLYTIC RESISTANCE. PMID- 17799129 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATIOA OF MUSEUMS. PMID- 17799130 TI - Freight train award. PMID- 17799131 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799132 TI - Migrating medics. PMID- 17799134 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799133 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799136 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799135 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799137 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799139 TI - Publishing without Review. PMID- 17799138 TI - Spreading the gospel. PMID- 17799140 TI - "Krow" units: a new evaluation. PMID- 17799141 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799142 TI - Cost-benefit competition. PMID- 17799143 TI - Synthetic electroorganic chemistry. PMID- 17799144 TI - World food supply: problems and prospects. PMID- 17799145 TI - Machine Translation: Committee Skeptical over Research Support. PMID- 17799147 TI - Tactoid formation in montmorillionite: effect on ion exchange kinetics. AB - Exchange between calcium from montmorillonite and hydrogen from resin is much slower than exchange between sodium from montmorillonite and hydrogen from resin. Film kinetics are prevailing in both cases, but the location of the rate determining step is shifted from the Nernst films of the resin particles in the sodium-hydrogen exchange to the Nernst films of the clay particles in the calcium hydrogen exchange. The increased particle size of the montmorillonite in the calcium state, caused by tactoid formation, appears to be the main reason for the shift. PMID- 17799148 TI - Extension of northeastern-pacific fracture zones. AB - The great fracture zones of the northeastern Pacific extend into the central Pacific. At a relatively constant distance of 4500 to 4900 kilometers west of the crest of the East Pacific Rise and of its projection through North America, the typically straight and simple fracture zones branch and become more complex. However, the Clipperton fracture zone, including one branch, follows a great circle for almost 10,000 kilometers, a quarter of Earth's circumference. PMID- 17799149 TI - Lunar orbiter ranging data: initial results. AB - Data from two Lunar Orbiter spacecraft have been used to test the significance of corrections to the lunar ephemeris. Range residuals of up to 1700 meters were reduced by an order of magnitude by application of the corrections, with most of the residuals reduced to less than 100 meters. Removal of gross errors in the ephemeris reveals residual patterns that may indicate errors in location of observing stations, as well as the expected effects of Lunar nonsphericity. PMID- 17799150 TI - Lunar ring dikes from orbiter I. AB - Orbiter photographs of the wall of a large circular formation on the moon show that the wall is a convex body resembling a flow of viscous lava. The slopes are less than the angle of repose of dry rock; hence an explanation in terms of mass wastage is hard to support. The viscosity is approximately 10(13) centimeter-gram second units, indicating an acid lava. PMID- 17799151 TI - Pressure-induced phase of sulfur-selenium. AB - Crystals of a fibrous phase of sulfur-selenium obtained at 20 kilobars and 280 degrees C are trigonal, the most probable space groups being P3(1) and P3(2,) with a = 7.85, c = 4.62 +/- 0.01 A. The unit cell contains nine atoms, and the measured density of 3.20 g/cm(3) implies five sulfur and four Se atoms. The structure contains mixed atom helices of 1.54 A pitch and 0.91 A average radius. PMID- 17799152 TI - Fungicidal phthalimidophosphonothionates. AB - The fungicidal activity, mammalian toxicity, and methods of synthesis of phthalimidophosphonothionates, a novel type of organophosphoramide compound, have been investigated. The findings led to development of the compound diethyl phthalimidophosphonothionate as a new bioproduct. This diester protects a variety of crops from certain plant diseases, such as powdery mildew, apple scab, leaf spot, brown rot, and black spot. PMID- 17799153 TI - D-Gluconic Acid: Isolation from the Defensive Secretion of the Cockroach Eurycotis decipiens. AB - The major water-soluble constituent of the defensive secretion of Eurycotis decipiens was identified as gluconic acid, isolated in the form of calcium D gluconate. The acid, in equilibrium with its lactones, is present in unusually high concentration. PMID- 17799154 TI - Phosphate uptake in an obligately marine fungus: a specific requirement for sodium. AB - Phosphate uptake in the obligately marine fungus Thraustochytrium roseum is maximally stimulated by sodium chloride in a range of concentrations (0.2 to 0.4 molar) similar to those commonly encountered in littoral habitats. The effectiveness of sodium chloride for phosphate transport extends beyond its osmotic function and can be attributed specifically to sodium. Increases in respiration in the presence of the salt can be ascribed primarily to an osmotic effect. PMID- 17799156 TI - Plant physiology in Canada. PMID- 17799155 TI - Cytoplasmic and environmental influences on nuclear behavior. PMID- 17799158 TI - Miscellaneous publications. PMID- 17799157 TI - Salivary secretion. PMID- 17799159 TI - RUDOLF VIRCHOW'S ANTHROPOLOGICAL WORK. PMID- 17799161 TI - ATTENUATION AND DISTORTION ON LONGDISTANCE TELEPHONE AND POWER TRANSMISSION LINES REGARDED AS HYDRODYNAMIC PHENOMENA. PMID- 17799160 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: THE ART OF REVELATION AND OF PROPHECY, II. PMID- 17799162 TI - THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. PMID- 17799163 TI - THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER STUDY OF VOLCANIC PHENOMENA. PMID- 17799164 TI - MR. BORCHGREVINK ON THE ERUPTION OF MT. PELEE. PMID- 17799165 TI - PATAGONIAN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17799166 TI - THE FORMATION OF DEWBOWS. PMID- 17799167 TI - VELOCITY OF LIGHT IN AN ELECTROSTATIC FIELD. PMID- 17799168 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17799169 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17799170 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17799171 TI - Climate and water. PMID- 17799172 TI - Response: evolution and family homicide. PMID- 17799173 TI - Accelerator Eyed for Warhead Tritium: National laboratory team reports feasibility of tritium production with a linear accelerator; undermines Energy Department plan to spend $6.8 billion on new reactors. PMID- 17799174 TI - If It's Tuesday, This Must Be ... Heraklion?: Greek-born, U.S.--trained scientists return home to Crete to carry on research in laser science, computers, math, and biology. PMID- 17799175 TI - Chauvinsm in nobel nominations. PMID- 17799177 TI - Space Cameras and Security Risks: Commercial satellites will be used for warlike purposes, attendees at a Carnegie Endowment meeting say, but the peaceful benefits outweigh the risks. PMID- 17799176 TI - Britain reveals astronomy plan. PMID- 17799178 TI - AAAS Meeting Draws a Crowd. AB - The annual meeting of the AAAS, held in San Francisco on 14 to 19 January, attracted the largest turnout for several years. More than 6000 are estimated to have attended. The meeting, which was held in conjunction with the winter meeting of the American Physical Society and the annual meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, was reminiscent in some respects of the big AAAS annual gatherings of the late 1960s and early 1970s-even down to the presence of demonstrators, this year from the animal rights movement. Some highlights of the more than 250 sessions: PMID- 17799179 TI - A world of megacities. PMID- 17799180 TI - "Oh, I thought you were a man.". PMID- 17799181 TI - Space reactors and arms control. PMID- 17799182 TI - Sources and Sinks Complicate Ecology: Landscapes are mosaics of habitats, some more equipped to support populations than others; the result is a less than immediately obvious interaction among the mosaic. PMID- 17799183 TI - Feeding the monster in the middle. PMID- 17799184 TI - Take your choice: ice ages, quakes, or impacts. AB - If you are looking for a coherent, tidily packaged program, do not bother with the meetings of the American Geophysics Union. Its name suggests at least certain constraints, but in practice there are almost none. This past December's meeting was typical: it included anything natural and nonliving within the gravitational influence of the sun. For good measure the marine biology of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography was thrown in as well. Here are some selections. PMID- 17799185 TI - Nonlinear mixing of electromagnetic waves in plasmas. AB - Recently, a strong research effort has been focused on applications of beat waves in plasma interactions. This research has important implications for various aspects of plasma physics and plasma technology. This article reviews the present status of the field and comments on plasma probing, heating of magnetically confined and laser plasmas, ionospheric plasma modification, beat-wave particle acceleration, beat-wave current drive in toroidal devices, beat wave-driven free electron lasers, and phase conjugation with beat waves. PMID- 17799186 TI - Evidence for sediment eruption on deep sea floor, gulf of Mexico. AB - A large crater has been discovered on the sea floor, Gulf of Mexico, in a water depth of 2176 meters. Deep-tow high-resolution imagery shows that the crater is cut into a low hill surrounded by near-surface concentric faults. Approximately 2 million cubic meters of ejected sediment forms a peripheral debris field. The low hill and faults may be related to mud diapirism or intrusion of gas hydrates into near-surface sediments. A recent eruption evacuated sediments from the crater, apparently because of release of overpressured petrogenic gas. PMID- 17799187 TI - Rhenium-osmium isotope systematics of carbonaceous chondrites. AB - Rhenium and osmium concentrations and Os isotopic compositions of eight carbonaceous chondrites, one LL3 ordinary chondrite, and two iron meteorites were determined by resonance ionization mass spectrometry. Iron meteorite (187)Re/(186)Os and (l87)Os/(l86)Os ratios plot on the previously determined iron meteorite isochron, but most chondrite data plot 1 to 2 percent above this meteorite isochron. This suggests either that irons have significantly younger Re Os closure ages than chondrites or that chondrites were formed from precursor materials with different chemical histories from the precursors of irons. Some samples of Semarkona (LL3) and Murray (C2M) meteorites plot 4 to 6 percent above the iron meteorite isochron, well above the field delineated by other chondrites. Murray may have lost Re by aqueous leaching during its preterrestrial history. Semarkona could have experienced a similar loss of Re, but only slight aqueous alteration is evident in the meteorite. Therefore, the isotopic composition of Semarkona could reflect assembly of isotopically heterogeneous components subsequent to 4.55 billion years ago or Os isotopic heterogeneities in the primordial solar nebula. PMID- 17799188 TI - Response: magnon-exchange pairing and superconductivity. PMID- 17799189 TI - Magnon-exchange pairing and superconductivity. PMID- 17799190 TI - Phylogeny and molecular data. PMID- 17799191 TI - Response: phylogeny and molecular data. PMID- 17799192 TI - Dangers to avert: america the vulnerable. PMID- 17799193 TI - Life in danger: biodiversity. PMID- 17799194 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17799196 TI - THE ROLE OF NUTRITION IN CANCER PREVENTION. PMID- 17799195 TI - BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH STRATEGY AND PUBLICATION POLICY. PMID- 17799198 TI - THE WAR AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION. PMID- 17799197 TI - ADDITIONAL GRANTS OF THE SUGAR RESEARCH FOUNDATION. PMID- 17799200 TI - AWARD OF THE ROEBLING MEDAL OF THE MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17799199 TI - THE TYPHUS COMMISSION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PMID- 17799201 TI - LATENT VIRUSES IN STONE FRUITS. PMID- 17799203 TI - A NEW QUARRY FOR JURASSIC DINOSAURS. PMID- 17799202 TI - PIGMENT AND BIOCHROME. PMID- 17799204 TI - PENICILLIN SODIUM TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL TRYPANOSOMIASIS OF MICE. PMID- 17799206 TI - AN ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCE ACTIVE AGAINST MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS. PMID- 17799205 TI - THE "SCIENCE" TALENT SEARCH. PMID- 17799207 TI - A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF THE FIBRINOLYSIN-ANTIFIBRINOLYSIN REACTION. AB - The results of a study of the streptococcal fibrinolysin reaction and its inhibition by sera containing specific antibody are presented. It was possible to devise a quantitative antifibrinolysin test by controlling the various factors influencing the reaction. In man, the antifibrinolysin response was found to vary according to the strain of streptococcus responsible for the infection. PMID- 17799208 TI - THE IMMUNIZING EFFECT OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE ADSORBED INFLUENZA VIRUS. PMID- 17799209 TI - PROLONGATION OF PENICILLIN ACTIVITY BY MEANS OF ADRENALIN. PMID- 17799210 TI - A CHIN-OPERATED FOCUS ADJUSTMENT FOR THE DISSECTING MICROSCOPE. PMID- 17799211 TI - AN EXPERIMENTAL MICRO-DRILL. PMID- 17799212 TI - Teaching: who is being rigid? PMID- 17799214 TI - Canadian Science Policy: Doubts Raised about Advisory Apparatus. PMID- 17799213 TI - Foreign associates. PMID- 17799215 TI - Italian universities: reform indefinitely delayed. PMID- 17799216 TI - Discrete Light Sources Observed by Satellite OSO-B. AB - A comparison is made between the intensities, as measured by satellite OSO-B, of various discrete light sources on the earth (lightning, city lights, flare gas from oil wells). PMID- 17799217 TI - Meteoroid Hazard near Moon. AB - The meteoroid experiments by five Lunar Orbiters have provided direct measurements in the near-lunar environment of the rate of penetration of 0.025 millimeter beryllium copper by meteoroids. Each experiment used 20 pressurized cell detectors having a total effective exposed area of 0.186 square meter. The spacecraft carrying the cells were in both equatorial and polar orbits; altitudes ranged between 30 and 6200 kilometers. Data collected continuously for 17 months indicate that the rate of penetration in the lunar environment is approximately half the rate in the near-Earth environment as measured by detectors of the same type aboard Explorers 16 and 23. PMID- 17799219 TI - Mohole. PMID- 17799218 TI - Sensors monitor tensions in transpiration streams of trees. AB - Resistance of implanted sensors fluctuated predictably with uptakes and loss of water by plants, and correlated positively with coincidental measurements of leaf water potential when transpiration was minimized. Preliminary results indicate that transmission of change in tension may be almost instantaneous, regardless of transpirational flow rates. Rates of relaxation of tension were very rapid after precipitation, but only after water had percolated to root surfaces. PMID- 17799220 TI - MURA: The Importance of Encouraging Scientific Enterprise. PMID- 17799221 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17799222 TI - How History Is Made. PMID- 17799223 TI - Unknowns in Entomology. PMID- 17799224 TI - Needs of the Humanities. PMID- 17799225 TI - Chronology of the Galaxy. PMID- 17799226 TI - Alpha-Chymotrypsin and the Nature of Enzyme Catalysis. PMID- 17799227 TI - Scientific Explanation. PMID- 17799228 TI - Federal Support of Science: A Formula for Cooperation. PMID- 17799229 TI - NAS Study: Public Policy Group Offers Prescription To Promote Science-Government Cooperation. PMID- 17799230 TI - Stanford: Boom in Electronics in the San Francisco Bay Area Was Ignited Down on "the Farm". PMID- 17799231 TI - Fermi Prize Money: Congressional Committee Takes Steps To Assume Control of Annual $50,000 Award. PMID- 17799232 TI - Presidential Medicine: Johnson Panel, Lay and Medical, To Study Heart Disease, Cancer, and Strokes. PMID- 17799233 TI - Anangula: A Geologic Interpretation of the Oldest Archeologic Site in the Aleutians. AB - Anangula preserves remains of a lamellar flake industry probably between 8000 and 12,000 years old because of a unique combination of geologic factors. The most important are the relation of land and sea in this region in the past, when the sea level was lower than at present, and the relatively slight erosion by the sea today. PMID- 17799234 TI - Xenon Tetroxide: Preparation and Some Properties. AB - Xenon tetroxide is a yellow solid at low temperature. It has a vapor pressure of about 25 mm-Hg at 0 degrees C. It is unstable at room temperature. The infrared spectrum of the vapor shows it to have tetrahedral symmetry. PMID- 17799235 TI - Hydrogen Energy Levels: Perturbation Caused by Proton Structure. AB - The shifts in the lowest electronic energy levels of the hydrogen atom caused by the extended charge distribution of the proton have been calculated and found to be of the order of the unexplained portion of the Lamb shift for these levels. PMID- 17799236 TI - Xenic Acid: Reduction at the Dropping-Mercury Electrode. AB - Xenic acid is reduced at the dropping-mercury electrode in a single step to xenon. The half-wave potential for the reduction of xenic acid changes from approximately -0.10 to -0.360 volt against a saturated Hg(2)SO(4)-Hg reference electrode in the pH range 4.60 to 8.00. The diffusion current varies linearly with concentration of xenic acid. PMID- 17799237 TI - Simultaneous Studies of Firing Patterns in Several Neurons. AB - A tungsten microelectrode with several small holes burnt in the vinyl insulation enables the action potentials from several adjacent neurons to be observed simultaneously. A digital computer is used to separate the contributions of each neuron by examining and classifying the waveforms of the action potentials. These methods allow studies to be made of interactions between neurons that lie close together. PMID- 17799238 TI - Conglutination: Specific Inhibition by Carbohydrates. AB - Conglutination of antigen-antibody-complement complexes is inhibited by a number of acetamido sugars, the most efficient being N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and closely related compounds. The effects of structural modification on activity of N-acetyl D-glucosamine are described. PMID- 17799239 TI - Melatonin Synthesis in the Pineal Gland: Effect of Light Mediated by the Sympathetic Nervous System. AB - Exposure to light reduces the ability of the rat pineal gland to synthesize melatonin and decreases the weight of the gland. When the sympathetic nerves to the pineal gland are cut, light no longer has an effect on melatonin synthesis or pineal weight. The response of the gland does not require that the gonads or the pituitary gland be present. PMID- 17799240 TI - Differences in the Amino Acid Composition of a Third Rabbit Antibody. AB - Antibody directed against a neutral hapten, p-amino-beta-phenyl lactoside, has been purified, and its amino acid composition has been determined. When the results were compared with the previous analyses of two rabbit antibodies, small but significant differences were found. The demonstration of a third unique antibody composition supports the hypothesis that the amino acid differences are related to specificity rather than to the heterogeneity of gamma-globulin. PMID- 17799241 TI - Nerve Fibers and Terminals: Electron Microscopy after Nauta Staining. AB - Sections of cat spinal cord and rat mammillary body in which degenerating nerve fibers were stained by the Nauta silver method have been examined with the electron microscope. Silver granules were present in the axoplasm of some myelinated fibers and in some of the axon terminals. PMID- 17799242 TI - Spontaneous Autoimmunity in Mice: Antibodies to Nucleoprotein in Strain A/J. AB - An antibody to nucleoprotein, which appears to be an autoantibody, occurs in the gamma-globulin fraction of serum from mice of the A/J strain. This antibody combines with nucleoprotein of several species but not with calf thymus DNA. The frequency of its occurrence increases with age and is greater in females. Serums that contain the antibody produce typical lupus erythematosus cells in vitro. PMID- 17799243 TI - Brucella-Agglutinating Antibodies: Relation of Mercaptoethanol Stability to Complement Fixation. AB - Brucella-agglutinating antibodies from selected bovine blood serums and milk samples did not fix complement, and after treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol they lost agglutinating power. After infection of calves with Brucella abortus, strain 19, agglutinins for Brucella that were inactivated by mercaptoethanol appeared earlier than those stable to mercaptoethanol. Under the conditions of these experiments, the appearance and development of complement-fixing capacity coincided closely with the mercaptoethanol stability of the agglutinins for Brucella. PMID- 17799244 TI - Olfactory Discrimination: Electrophysiological Spatiotemporal Basis. AB - Simultaneous recordings were taken from two widely separated branches of the olfactory nerve of the frog. Odors from a variety of chemical substances were blown into the nares, and each elicited a different response magnitude ratio between the two branches. In addition, the time lapse between the two nerve responses differed for different chemicals. This suggests a time-space encoding of the mucosal response to odors. PMID- 17799245 TI - Variation in the Monoterpenes of Pinus Ponderosa Laws. AB - Wide differences from tree to tree were found in the monoterpene composition of the wood oleoresin of ponderosa pines located in the same geographic area in California. Differences attributable to variation within the tree, to the season of sampling, to the year of sampling, and to methods of analysis by gas chromatography were only slight. There may be an inverse relation between the amounts of Delta(3)(-) carene and beta-pinene in a given tree. PMID- 17799246 TI - Dissociation of Olfactory Neural Response and Mucosal Potential. AB - The olfactory mucosal slow potential decreased remarkably or disappeared when part of the mucus on the olfactory epithelium was removed with absorbent paper. In contrast, the neural response was not changed much, while unitary spikes in response to odor also appeared in the epithelium. The paper reduced the thickness of the mucus by about half, but olfactory cilia were still present. This evidence suggests that the slow potential is not the generator potential. PMID- 17799247 TI - Persistence of Bacteria in "Protoplast" Form after Apparent Cure of Pyelonephritis in Rats. AB - Appropriate antibiotic treatment of experimental enterococcal pyelonephritis in the rat appears to effect the removal of the infecting organisms from the kidney, as judged by the culturing of kidney homogenates on standard bacteriological media. When the homogenates were cultured on media containing 0.3M sucrose, osmotically stabilized, it was demonstrated that bacteria were present in the "protoplast" form, and that this form persisted in the kidney for at least 13 weeks after therapy. PMID- 17799248 TI - Induction of Papillary Growths in the Heart. AB - Papillary growths appeared on the atrial endocardium of dogs at sites where adjacent surfaces presumably came into contact with a reciprocating motion. It is suggested that the resulting friction stimulates the growth of papillae which then act as pedunculated ballbearings, reducing the friction. PMID- 17799249 TI - Starch Formation Induced by a Plant Parasitic Nematode. AB - This is the first report that a nematode causes plant tissues to produce starch. The formation of starch granules in the syncytial cells of several plant species is induced by Nacobbus batatiformis. The starch, which is associated with the feeding of the nematode, appears within a few days after the animal has become situated in the plant roots and diminishes in amount during nematode reproduction. The starch granules show the usual optical properties. PMID- 17799250 TI - Thalidomide: Effects on Enzymes of Glutamic Acid Metabolism in Mice. AB - Thalidomide caused no significant alteration in the activity of glutamic decarboxylase in extracts of brain or of glutamic dehydrogenase or glutamic oxalacetic transaminase in extracts of brain or liver when added in vitro or injected into normal mice. Administered to pregnant mice, thalidomide had no effect on the activity of the latter enzymes in extracts of embryos with adhering uterus tissue. PMID- 17799251 TI - Experimental Reversal of Germ Cells in Ovaries of Fetal Mice. AB - When heterosexual pairs of gonads of fetal mice were homotransplanted in close contact with each other below the kidney capsule of castrated adult hosts, the testis developed normally for this environment, but the ovary became an ovotestis. The medulla of the ovotestis contained dilated seminiferous tubules in which spermatogenesis progressed to the point at which secondary spermatocytes were produced. Under these conditions, germ cells, genetically determined as ova, underwent differentiation toward spermatozoa. This is the second clear case of germ cell reversal by experimental means in a mammalian species. PMID- 17799252 TI - Respiratory Distress: Relation to Prematurity and Other Factors in Newborn Monkeys. AB - A respiratory distress syndrome resembling that seen in human infants was encountered in 4 out of 90 rhesus monkey infants after uncomplicated births. These were nonviable immature infants weighing less than 350 grams. A much higher incidence of respiratory distress was observed in those whose births were complicated by experimental procedures, mainly asphyxiation. Thirty-four out of 68 infants developed the syndrome, the incidence being greatest among the least mature. PMID- 17799253 TI - Dissociation and Recovery of a Response Learned under the Influence of Chlorpromazine or Saline. AB - Rats trained in an avoidance response while under the influence of chlorpromazine and then tested after receiving an injection of saline, or trained after receiving injections of saline and tested after an injection of chlorpromazine, showed greater dissociation and less recovery of the avoidance response than animals that received only injections of saline, or only injections of chlorpromazine during both training and testing sessions. PMID- 17799254 TI - Air Pollution. PMID- 17799255 TI - Early Man in the New World. PMID- 17799256 TI - Radiation Accidents and Emergencies. PMID- 17799257 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17799258 TI - IS THE OCEAN SURFACE DEPRESSED? PMID- 17799259 TI - BACTERIA AND DISEASE. PMID- 17799261 TI - PROPOSED NEW TRADE OUTLET ON THE BLACK SEA. PMID- 17799260 TI - ACCURATE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS. PMID- 17799263 TI - TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17799262 TI - THE COUNTRY BANKER. PMID- 17799264 TI - PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. PMID- 17799266 TI - Science puts its best foot forward. PMID- 17799265 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17799267 TI - Response. PMID- 17799268 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article " ;Nuclear winter' from Gulf war discounted," by Eliot Marshall (News & Comment, 25 Jan., p. 372), Tica Novakov's affiliation should have been given as the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, not the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The concentrations of airborne soot reported at various locations should have been given as follows: for greater Los Angeles (summer), a daily average of 5 micrograms per cubic meter; Beijing (winter), a monthly average of 50 micrograms per cubic meter; Yugoslavia (winter), a daily average of 60 micrograms; and London (1-day winter peak in 1952), 750 micrograms, now reduced to less than 15 micrograms. PMID- 17799269 TI - Buckyballs and double bonds. PMID- 17799270 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17799271 TI - Deciphering the science. PMID- 17799272 TI - Early detection nips math problems in the bud. PMID- 17799273 TI - Kuwait's Unjust Deserts: Damage to its Desert. PMID- 17799274 TI - The Florida panther verges on extinction. PMID- 17799275 TI - Costs of a clean environment. PMID- 17799276 TI - El ninio winners and losers declared. PMID- 17799277 TI - Bureaucratic mischief: recognizing endangered species and subspecies. PMID- 17799278 TI - The current situation in mexican immigration. AB - By 1988, the Mexican-origin population of the United States had grown to 12.1 million, largely from recent, sharp increases in immigration. The policy concerns raised by this phenomenon have been influenced by some perceptions that available research contradicts. Today most Mexican immigrants come to stay, about half are female, and they have increasingly less schooling compared to the native-born population and other immigrants. Nationally, they do not cause adverse economic effects for native-born workers and, across generations, their language and political assimilation is proceeding well. They put greater demands on education than on other public services. However, the Mexican-origin population affects the economy and public services more and differently in the areas where it is concentrated, primarily in the western United States and large urban areas. Further, the recent legalization of 2.3 million Mexican immigrants can be expected to increase the demand on public services, especially in those areas. PMID- 17799279 TI - The quark-hadron transition in cosmology and astrophysics. AB - A transition from normal hadronic matter (such as protons and neutrons) to quark gluon matter is expected at both high temperatures and densities. In physical situations, this transition may occur in heavy ion collisions, the early universe, and in the cores of neutron stars. Astrophysics and cosmology can be greatly affected by such a phase transition. With regard to the early universe, big bang nucleosynthesis, the theory describing the primordial origin of the light elements, can be affected by inhomogeneities produced during the transition. A transition to quark matter in the interior by neutron stars further enhances our uncertainties regarding the equation of state of dense nuclear matter and neutron star properties such as the maximum mass and rotation frequencies. PMID- 17799280 TI - Manipulation of adsorbed atoms and creation of new structures on room-temperature surfaces with a scanning tunneling microscope. AB - A general method of manipulating adsorbed atoms and molecules on room-temperature surfaces with the use of a scanning tunneling microscope is described. By applying an appropriate voltage pulse between the sample and probe tip, adsorbed atoms can be induced to diffuse into the region beneath the tip. The field induced diffusion occurs preferentially toward the tip during the voltage pulse because of the local potential energy gradient arising from the interaction of the adsorbate dipole moment with the electric field gradient at the surface. Depending upon the surface and pulse parameters, cesium (Cs) structures from one nanometer to a few tens of nanometers across have been created in this way on the (110) surfaces of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium antimonide (InSb), including structures that do not naturally occur. PMID- 17799281 TI - Auger electron angular distributions from surfaces: direct comparison with isoenergetic photoelectrons. AB - Angular distribution patterns of Auger electrons and of photoelectrons from a Cu (001) surface were measured at the same electron kinetic energy. These measurements reveal that the low kinetic energy angular distributions for Cu Auger electrons and Cu 3p(3/2) photoelectrons differ substantially. This direct comparison between the photoelectron and Auger electron angular distributions demonstrates that, in some circumstances, the Auger process produces a complicated source wave whose nature must be explored before Auger angular distributions can be used for surface structure analysis. PMID- 17799283 TI - Atomic energy: the view from france. PMID- 17799284 TI - Before and after phage. PMID- 17799282 TI - Evidence for an inter-organismic heme biosynthetic pathway in symbiotic soybean root nodules. AB - The successful symbiosis of soybean with Bradyrhizobium japonicum depends on their complex interactions, culminating in the development and maintenance of root nodules. A B. japonicum mutant defective in heme synthesis in culture was able to produce heme as a result of its symbiotic association with the soybean host. The bacterial mutant was incapable of synthesizing the committed heme precursor delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), but nodule plant cells formed ALA from glutamate. In addition, exogenous ALA was taken up by isolated nodule bacteria of the parent strain and of the mutant. It is proposed that bacterial heme found in nodules can be synthesized from plant ALA, hence segments of a single metabolic pathway are spatially separated into two organisms. PMID- 17799285 TI - The career of a methodology. PMID- 17799286 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17799287 TI - Weather watching. PMID- 17799289 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799288 TI - Our favorite polluting private vehicles. PMID- 17799290 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799291 TI - Misdirected attribution. PMID- 17799292 TI - Doctor of arts degree. PMID- 17799293 TI - 1. Swedish iconoclast recognized after many years of rejection and obscurity. PMID- 17799295 TI - Small arts colleges confront crisis in science funding. PMID- 17799294 TI - 2. French research leader receives award for accomplishments in solid state field. PMID- 17799296 TI - Mansfield amendment not yet dead. PMID- 17799297 TI - Academic-labor alliance formally established. PMID- 17799298 TI - Seismic data from man-made impacts on the moon. AB - Unusually long reverberations were recorded from two lunar impacts by a seismic station installed on the lunar surface by the Apollo 12 astronauts. Seismic data from these impacts suggest that the lunar mare in the region of the Apollo 12 landing site consists of material with very low seismic velocities near the surface, with velocity increasing with depth to 5 to 6 kilometers per second (for compressional waves) at a depth of 20 kilometers. Absorption of seismic waves in this structure is extremely low relative to typical continental crustal materials on earth. It is unlikely that a major boundary similar to the crustmantle interface on earth exists in the outer 20 kilometers of the moon. A combination of dispersion and scattering of surface waves probably explains the lunar seismic reverberation. Scattering of these waves implies the presence of heterogeneity within the outer zone of the mare on a scale of from several hundred meters (or less) to several kilometers. Seismic signals from 160 events of natural origin have been recorded during the first 7 months of operation of the Apollo 12 seismic station. At least 26 of the natural events are small moonquakes. Many of the natural events are thought to be meteoroid impacts. PMID- 17799299 TI - Thermochemical remanent magnetization and thermal remanent magnetization: comparison in a basalt. AB - Recent studies have shown that the remanent magnetization carried by an extrusive igneous rock may not be entirely thermal remanent magnetization (TRM). Some may be thermochemical remanent magnetization (TCRM) acquired by the rock at temperatures at least as low as 300 degrees C during oxidation of the contained titanomagnetite grains. Results from a study of a set of basaltic samples from one locality indicate that the intensity of TCRM acquired by a sample in a known magnetic field is equal to that of TRM subsequently produced in the same sample in the same field. On the assumption that the samples we studied are not magnetically unique, we tentatively conclude that paleointensity studies are valid in spite of the presence of TCRM, as long as the rock acquired the magnetization during the initial cooling. PMID- 17799300 TI - Convection in the antarctic ice sheet leading to a surge of the ice sheet and possibly to a new ice age. AB - The Antarctic surge theory of Pleistocene glaciation is reexamined in the context of thermal convection theory applied to the Antarctic ice sheet. The ice sheet surges when a water layer at the base of the ice sheet reaches the edge of the ice sheet over broad fronts and has a thickness sufficient to drown the projections from the bed that most strongly hinder basal ice flow. Frictional heat from convection flow promotes basal melting, and, as the ice sheet grows to the continental shelf of Antarctica, a surge of the ice sheet appears likely. PMID- 17799301 TI - Density of low temperature ice. PMID- 17799302 TI - World cities of the future. PMID- 17799303 TI - Industrial approaches to urban problems. PMID- 17799304 TI - THE MISSION OF THE LAND-GRANT COLLEGES IN PROMOTING OUR GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICIES AMONG THE LATIN AMERICAN REPUBLICS. PMID- 17799305 TI - HEAT-LABILE, AVIDIN-UNCOMBINABLE, SPECIES-SPECIFIC AND OTHER VITAMERS OF BIOTIN. PMID- 17799306 TI - FRANZ BOAS. PMID- 17799307 TI - ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND LECTURERS OF ALLIED COUNTRIES IN GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17799308 TI - INCOMES OF CHEMISTS. PMID- 17799309 TI - THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799310 TI - TESTIMONIAL VOLUME FOR DR. GEORGE L. STREETER. PMID- 17799311 TI - SPELLING OF THE ADJECTIVE "HYPOPHYSEAL". PMID- 17799312 TI - WHEN A COMMITTEE VOTES BY MAIL. PMID- 17799313 TI - THE UTILIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES. PMID- 17799314 TI - ODE ON NEWTON'S THEORY OF GRAVITATION BY EDMOND HALLEY. PMID- 17799316 TI - FINANCIAL REPORTS. PMID- 17799315 TI - d-TUBOCURARINE CHLORIDE AND CHOLINE ESTERASE. PMID- 17799317 TI - p-AMINOBENZOIC ACID DETOXICATION OF CARBARSONE (p-CARBAMINO PHENYL ARSONIC ACID) AND CERTAIN OTHER PENTAVALENT PHENYL ARSONATES ADMINISTERED IN MASSIVE DOSES TO RATS. PMID- 17799318 TI - ADSORPTIVE FORCES ACTIVE THROUGH GLASS. PMID- 17799319 TI - THE SEPARATION AND CONCENTRATION OF THE ISOHEMAGGLUTININS FROM HUMAN SERUMS. PMID- 17799321 TI - THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC LIGHT CONVENTION. PMID- 17799320 TI - A SIMPLE PROCEDURE FOR THE RECOVERY OF AGAR. PMID- 17799322 TI - WASHINGTON SCIENTIFIC NEWS. PMID- 17799323 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17799324 TI - Diamonds in Meteorites. PMID- 17799325 TI - A Critique of Psycho-Physic Methods. PMID- 17799326 TI - The Scientific Swindler Again. PMID- 17799327 TI - Monocular vs. Binocular Vision. PMID- 17799329 TI - American and Foreign Microscopes. PMID- 17799328 TI - A Pseudo-Meteorite. PMID- 17799330 TI - Answers. PMID- 17799332 TI - The generation gap. PMID- 17799331 TI - Notes on the Geology of the Cascade Range. PMID- 17799333 TI - Electronic materials and applications. PMID- 17799334 TI - Campus unrest: riots bring danger of punitive backlash. PMID- 17799335 TI - Bentonite debris flows in northern alaska. AB - Seasonal freezing and thawing and the extreme cold of the arctic lead to the development of a variety of characteristic geomorphic features. A new one, bentonite debris flow channels, has been identified near Umiat, Alaska. These flows form when bentonite-rich Cretaceous Shales are exposed to Surface water on slopes of 5 to 30 degrees. The characteristic landform developed is a U-shaped channel 1 to 2 meters deep and from 8 to 10 meters in width. The channel shows a fluted floor and walls and is commonly flanked by a levee. The flow material is appa rently derived from the entire surface of the head portions of associated gullies. When this surface layer hydrates during snowmelt and runoff or during prolonged rain, the bentonite imbibes water and swells to a point at which its viscosity is lowered sufficiently to initiate creep or viscous flow. PMID- 17799336 TI - Scanning electron microscopy of evaporating ice. AB - Direct observation of evaporating ice with a scanning electron microscope indicates that the surfaces of single-crystal and polycrystalline ice are markedly different. In specimens of single-crystal ice the crystal planes are revealed by evaporation, whereas polycrystalline ice develops a fibrous surface. PMID- 17799337 TI - Mars: correlation of optical and radar observations. AB - A comparsion of recent photographic and radar data on Mars indicates a good positive correlation between dark areas and radar reflection peaks and also between cloudy "desert" areas and radar minima. The data may be taken as evidence that dark areas are, in general, relatively smooth whereas deserts are relatively rough. PMID- 17799338 TI - Adsorption of alkyl trimethylammonium chlorides at a porous glass-potassium chloride solution interface. AB - The adsorption of dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, and octadecyl trimethylammonium chlorides at an interface between porous glass and potassium chloride solution has been characterized by measurements of membrane potentials. The specific potential Phi is 0.97 kT per methylene group (where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is the absolute temperature) or 580 calories per mole at 23 degrees C. PMID- 17799339 TI - Stratigraphic data and length of the synodic month. PMID- 17799340 TI - Bird feathers and radiation. PMID- 17799341 TI - International and foreign meetings. PMID- 17799342 TI - THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF VOLCANIC HEAT. PMID- 17799343 TI - THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE STUDENT BODY AT A NUMBER OF EASTERN AND WESTERN UNIVERSITIES AND EASTERN COLLEGES. PMID- 17799344 TI - The Analysis of Racial Descent in Animals. PMID- 17799345 TI - GLACIATION IN THE SONORAN PROVINCE. PMID- 17799346 TI - THE EARTHQUAKE AND PROFESSOR LARKIN. PMID- 17799347 TI - TIME VARIATION OF THE INITIAL NUCLEATION OF WET DUST-FREE AIR. PMID- 17799348 TI - USE OF THE TERM PERMIAN IN AMERICAN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17799349 TI - THE SYSTEM OF CASTOR. PMID- 17799351 TI - THE PURE FOOD BILL. PMID- 17799350 TI - RECENT VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17799352 TI - Scientific Information Please! PMID- 17799353 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17799354 TI - Some Factors Affecting Fluorescence Maxima. PMID- 17799355 TI - Formation of Gibbsite Aggregates in Latosols Developed on Volcanic Ash. PMID- 17799356 TI - Equilibria as Origin of Differences in Spectra of Chlorophyll in Different Solvents. PMID- 17799357 TI - Water Taste in Phormia. PMID- 17799358 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17799359 TI - Russian Translation. PMID- 17799360 TI - Russian Translation. PMID- 17799361 TI - Literature, Science, and Manpower. PMID- 17799362 TI - Literature, Science, and Manpower. PMID- 17799363 TI - Biological Clock. PMID- 17799365 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799364 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17799366 TI - CERTAIN ASPECTS OF HENRY'S EXPERIMENTS ON ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION. PMID- 17799367 TI - THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17799368 TI - DEFINITION OF A MATHEMATICAL GROUP. PMID- 17799369 TI - AUTHORS' ABSTRACTS. PMID- 17799370 TI - THE DISTRIBUTION OF STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES. PMID- 17799371 TI - THALLIUM POISONING AND SOIL FERTILITY. PMID- 17799372 TI - AUDITORY ACTION CURRENTS. PMID- 17799373 TI - ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS AND GOITER PRODUCING SUBSTANCES. PMID- 17799374 TI - PHOTOMICROGRAPHY WITH A VEST POCKET CAMERA. PMID- 17799375 TI - CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN ULMUS. PMID- 17799377 TI - ON THE VARIATION OF THE OXYGEN CONTENT OF CULTURAL SOLUTIONS. PMID- 17799376 TI - THE DISCOVERY OF THE OESTRUS CYCLE IN MAN AND OTHER MAMMALS. PMID- 17799378 TI - A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR OBTAINING OOSPORES OF THE HOP DOWNY MILDEW BY INOCULATING COTYLEDONS. PMID- 17799380 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF MUCIFICATION OF THE VAGINAL EPITHELIUM OF RODENTS BY THE OESTROUS HORMONE. PMID- 17799379 TI - A DIAPORTHE CANKER OF AMERICAN ELM. PMID- 17799381 TI - A NEW BACTERIAL DISEASE OF PEARS. PMID- 17799382 TI - PARTICLE PHYSICS: CERN Gives Higgs Hunters Extra Month to Collect Data. AB - After 11 years of banging electrons and positrons together at higher energies than any other machine in the world, CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics, had decided to shut down the Large Electron-Positron collider (LEP) and install a new machine, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in its 27-kilometer tunnel. In 2005, the LHC will start bashing protons together at even higher energies. But tantalizing hints of a long-sought fundamental particle have forced CERN managers to grant LEP a month's reprieve. PMID- 17799384 TI - SPACE SCIENCE: Europe Set to Work on Hubble's Replacement. AB - NASA scientists and engineers working on the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) got a boost from across the Atlantic last week. On 15 September in Paris, the European Space Agency's top science advisory committee recommended that the agency become a major partner in the project. The recommendation puts NGST--along with a handful of other missions the committee also endorsed last week--one short step away from officially becoming part of Europe's space program. PMID- 17799383 TI - U.S. SPACE SCIENCE: Earmarks, Rising Costs Threaten NASA Missions. AB - The House and Senate are working out a final 2001 budget plan that should leave NASA with a small increase over this year. But the increase will be more than swallowed up by projects costing hundreds of millions of dollars that politicians have added to satisfy their constituents. At the same time, rising mission costs in the wake of two recent Mars failures are forcing agency officials to steal money from lower priority efforts such as a trip to Pluto. The two trends, warn NASA and science community officials, could prove devastating to NASA's space science efforts. PMID- 17799385 TI - EUROPEAN SCIENCE: Research Behemoth Slated for Overhaul. AB - Disaffection with the European Union's (E.U.'s) flagship research effort has found a sympathetic ear in the program's upper echelons. Last week, the E.U.'s top two research officials said they are pushing for big changes in the successor to Europe's 5-year, $17 billion Framework 5, including stronger efforts to coordinate research across the continent and to support innovative projects. PMID- 17799386 TI - ARCHAELOGY: A Victim of the Black Sea Flood Found. AB - Archaeologists are mulling over tantalizing images of what appears to have been a house of wood and mud littered with human artifacts now 91 meters beneath the Black Sea. The find lends further credence to the claims of two oceanographers that a torrent equaling 200 Niagara Falls cascaded from the Mediterranean Sea 7500 years ago, driving Neolithic peoples living along the Black Sea coastline inland. But whether the catastrophe gave rise to the biblical account of Noah's Flood and spread farming into central Europe, as the researchers speculate, we can't yet say. PMID- 17799387 TI - BROOKHAVEN LAB: Forbes Loses in Fallout From Reactor Fight. AB - A New York congressman who sided with environmentalists to kill a nuclear research reactor at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, has been defeated in a stunning primary upset. Representative Michael Forbes lost last week by a narrow margin to Regina Seltzer, the 71-year-old widow of a Brookhaven chemist. The defeat is welcome news to many Brookhaven scientists. PMID- 17799388 TI - SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY: Satisfaction Sans Status. AB - When University of California, Irvine, developmental biologist Susan Bryant married David Gardiner, Gardiner took a soft-money position as a researcher at Irvine. Because Gardiner was flexible in his goals and committed to raising children, it seemed a better choice than trying to get two jobs somewhere else, he recalls. And 17 years and two children later, Gardiner says that decision was right for them as a couple--and that he has learned to endure the indignities that come with the territory. PMID- 17799389 TI - SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY: Geology Couple Plots a Path to Success. AB - In 1988, experimental geophysicists Quentin Williams and Elise Knittle were facing the "two-body problem": husband-and-wife job candidates in the same field needing jobs in the same geographical area. The offer that intrigued them most was from the department of earth sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz: a tenure-track position for Knittle and a soft-money slot for Williams at the department-affiliated Institute of Tectonics. They chose Santa Cruz in part, says Knittle, because UCSC offered a better setup package, which would enable them to get up and running faster. PMID- 17799390 TI - SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY: Look Before You Leap. AB - For those considering a soft-money position, either as a temporary or permanent career move, researchers and administrators advise going in with your eyes wide open and well informed about the specifics of your situation. Science offers some of their suggestions. PMID- 17799391 TI - DUTCH SCIENCE: On a Slippery Slope to Mediocrity? AB - If Nobel Prizes and journal citations are gold standards, Dutch science is on a high. But critics warn that the scientific community has already begun to lose its edge. During the past 2 decades, the Netherlands has stopped being a top science spender, scientific careers have gone out of fashion, and women's participation in science remains appallingly low--a situation that some experts predict will soon lead to a steep shortage of researchers. PMID- 17799392 TI - Acceptable evidence. PMID- 17799393 TI - Plutonium immobilization and radiation effects. PMID- 17799394 TI - MESOSCOPIC PHYSICS: Quantum Dots as Tunable Kondo Impurities. AB - Advances in mesoscopic physics are enabling fundamental properties of solids to be studied at an unprecedented level of detail. In his Perspective, von Delft highlights the study by van der Wiel et al., who have demonstrated almost complete screening of the local spin of a quantum dot. This behavior mirrors the well-known Kondo effect for magnetic impurities in metals. Because they are tunable, quantum dots allow detailed tests of models for the Kondo effect, but experiments are ahead of theory at this time. PMID- 17799395 TI - PLANETARY SCIENCE: Asteroids Come of Age. AB - Since the discovery of the first asteroid almost 200 years ago, these celestial bodies have advanced from nuisances hampering stellar studies to the focus of geological studies aimed at understanding the early solar system. Binzel describes the history of their study, which has now culminated in NASA's NEAR mission to the asteroid Eros. Four papers report first results from this first rendezvous mission with an asteroid. PMID- 17799396 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799397 TI - SPECIALIZATION IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17799398 TI - ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE TRANSITION FROM OLD FORESTS TO NEW. PMID- 17799399 TI - HISTORY OF SCIENCE SOURCE MATERIAL IN COLLEGE LIBRARIES. PMID- 17799400 TI - ANOTHER CAPTURE ON THE NEW JERSEY COAST OF THE BASKING SHARK, CETORHINUS MAXIMUS. PMID- 17799401 TI - ARE BATHOLITES UP-BULGES OF SIAL? PMID- 17799402 TI - COCOS AND VALENCY. PMID- 17799404 TI - AN INDIVIDUAL JACOBSEN GERMINATOR. PMID- 17799403 TI - OBSERVATIONS OF LIGHTNING. PMID- 17799405 TI - DETECTION OF FUNGUS MYCELIUM IN MILDEWED COTTON FABRICS. PMID- 17799407 TI - FRUIT-BUD FORMATION IN THE STRAWBERRY IN SPRING IN SOUTH-EASTERN STATES. PMID- 17799406 TI - CHANGING THE CHIRP-RATE OF THE SNOWY TREE CRICKET OECANTHUS NIVEUS WITH AIR CURRENTS. PMID- 17799408 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799409 TI - THE ALGEBRAIC NUMBERS AND DIVISION. PMID- 17799410 TI - CONVERSATIONS WITH EUROPEAN MYCOLOGISTS. PMID- 17799411 TI - HERBERT FRANKLIN DAVISON. PMID- 17799413 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17799412 TI - WHY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR DECREASES WITH INCREASE OF HEIGHT. PMID- 17799414 TI - CONCERNING AUTHORITY AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD. PMID- 17799415 TI - THE MASTER'S DEGREE AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17799416 TI - REQUEST FOR PUBLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17799417 TI - SAND FLOTATION. PMID- 17799418 TI - OIL-WATER MODELS ILLUSTRATING SURFACE FORCES AND FILMS IN BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA. PMID- 17799419 TI - ILLINIUM. PMID- 17799420 TI - A NEW TYPE OF ELECTRON SPECTROGRAPH. PMID- 17799422 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS. PMID- 17799421 TI - THE EFFECT OF AN ELECTRIC FIELD APPLIED TO A PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATE DURING EXPOSURE. PMID- 17799423 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PMID- 17799424 TI - INTERGLACIAL MAN FROM EHRINGSDORF NEAR WEIMAR. PMID- 17799425 TI - THE CHICAGO MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17799426 TI - THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17799427 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17799428 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17799429 TI - CAHOKIA MOUND. PMID- 17799430 TI - AN EXAMINATION OF BLOOD-EJECTING HORNED LIZARDS. PMID- 17799431 TI - THE COTTON WORM MOTH AGAIN. PMID- 17799433 TI - THE CULTURE OF DIDYMIUM XANTHOPUS (DITMAR) FR. PMID- 17799432 TI - THE EFFECTS OF SMALL REPEATED INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTIONS OF WITTE'S PEPTONE SOLUTIONS IN GUINEA-PIGS. PMID- 17799434 TI - THE EFFECT ON PLANT GROWTH OF SATURATING A SOIL WITH CARBON DIOXIDE. PMID- 17799436 TI - THE TORONTO MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17799435 TI - THE EFFICIENCY OF HALOGENS IN INDUCING METAMORPHOSIS IN FROG LARVAe. PMID- 17799437 TI - LONG RANGE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE VARIABLES IN PHYSICS. PMID- 17799438 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799439 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17799440 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17799442 TI - THE SEAL FISHERIES. PMID- 17799441 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17799444 TI - THE MISSOURI GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17799443 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17799445 TI - 'THE PRESENT EVOLUTION OF MAN.'. PMID- 17799448 TI - THE SOURCE OF METENCEPHALON AND OTHER LATIN NAMES FOR THE SEGMENTS OF THE BRAIN. PMID- 17799447 TI - ANDREE'S NORTH POLE BALLOON VOYAGE. PMID- 17799446 TI - AMPHIBIA OR BATRACHIA. PMID- 17799450 TI - JAMES ALEXANDER SHOHAT. PMID- 17799449 TI - EDGELESS STARS. PMID- 17799452 TI - THE PROPOSED MEDICAL-DENTAL CENTER AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17799451 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL STATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. PMID- 17799453 TI - THE AID OF SCIENCE IN INDIAN DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17799454 TI - AWARD OF THE NOBEL PRIZES IN PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE. PMID- 17799455 TI - DETERMINATIONS OF GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES IN GREENLAND. PMID- 17799456 TI - THE GENERIC AND SPECIFIC TRIVIAL NAMES OF THE TERTIAN AND QUARTAN MALARIA PARASITES. PMID- 17799457 TI - WHAT IS HEREDITY? PMID- 17799458 TI - ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC OXYGEN. PMID- 17799459 TI - NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS IN MICE FOLLOWING INTRACEREBRAL INOCULATION OF INFLUENZA VIRUSES. PMID- 17799460 TI - THE INHIBITING EFFECT OF SODIUM AZIDE ON MOLD GROWTH. PMID- 17799461 TI - PENICILLIN IN OIL SUSPENSION. BACTERIOSTATIC AND SPIROCHETICIDAL AGENT. PMID- 17799462 TI - A METHOD FOR THE COLORIMETRIC DETERMINATION OF PHOSPHORUS. AB - A method is described for the colorimetric determination of phosphorus, using ferrous sulfate as a reducing agent. I wish to express my gratitude to the Rockefeller Foundation for financial assistance. PMID- 17799463 TI - Cancer: Ether-Soluble Substance. PMID- 17799464 TI - Chaos in the Brickyard. PMID- 17799465 TI - Clipping and Conflict. PMID- 17799466 TI - Majority Opinion: Right or Wrong? PMID- 17799467 TI - Cultural Schism. PMID- 17799468 TI - Theory of Enzyme Action. PMID- 17799469 TI - Mannerisms. PMID- 17799470 TI - The Pacific Science Center. PMID- 17799471 TI - Upper Paleolithic Cultures in Western Europe. PMID- 17799472 TI - The Radiation Belts, Natural and Artificial. PMID- 17799473 TI - Science Goes to Washington. PMID- 17799474 TI - Congress and Science: NSF Hearings Provide Some Illuminating Insights on the Deteriorating Relationship. PMID- 17799475 TI - Foundations: Patman Plugs Away At Theme that Growth, Operations of Tax Exempts Call For Scrutiny. PMID- 17799476 TI - Science and Government: OECD Ministers for Science Compare Experiences on National Policies. PMID- 17799477 TI - Free Radicals and Reactive Molecules in Clathrate Cavities. AB - Reactive molecules and free radicals, when located in the cavities of the water clathrate lattice, can be prevented from recombining at temperatures almost up to the decomposition point of the lattice. The active species are produced by selective photochemical dissociation of the guest molecules in the clathrate compounds. Data taken from water clathrates of H(2)S, CH(3)SH, and C(2)H(5)SH suggest that S(2), CH(3)S and C(2)H(5)S can be preserved in this way. PMID- 17799479 TI - Radar Observations of Mercury. PMID- 17799478 TI - Coesite and Shocked Quartz from Holleford Crater, Ontario, Canada. AB - The Holleford Crater, a circular depression in southern Ontario, is filled with Paleozoic sediments and underlain by brecciated Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks. The presence of coesite in two core samples of this breccia has been established by petrographic and x-ray diflraction methods. Shattered quartz in the coesite-bearing samples exhibits planar fractures. The shocked quartz is the result of great shock pressures and the association of coesite with the shocked quartz strongly suggests that Holleford Crater originated from a hypervelocity impact. PMID- 17799480 TI - Geomagnetic Polarity Epochs: Sierra Nevada II. AB - Ten new determinations on volcanic extrusions in the Sierra Nevada with potassium argon ages of 3.1 million years or less indicate that the remanent magnetizations fall into two groups, a normal group in which the remanent magnetization is directed downward and to the north, and a reversed group magnetized up and to the south. Thermomagnetic experiments and mineralogic studies fail to provide an explanation of the opposing polarities in terms of mineralogic control, but rather suggest that the remanent magnetization reflects reversals of the main dipole field of the earth. All available radiometric ages are consistent with this field-reversal hypothesis and indicate that the present normal polarity epoch (N1) as well as the previous reversed epoch (R1) are 0.9 to 1.0 million years long, whereas the previous normal epoch (N2) was at least 25 percent longer. PMID- 17799481 TI - Stress Differences and the Reference Ellipsoid. PMID- 17799482 TI - Chromosome Number of Rose Clover, Trifolium hirtum. AB - The somatic chromosome number of the cultivated Trifolium hirtum All. (rose clover) is 10. Satellites occur on one pair of the chromosomes. Out of approximately 70 species of this genus for which the chromosome numbers are known, only one other has a chromosome number of 10. PMID- 17799483 TI - Simazine: Degradation by Soil Microorganisms. AB - A soil fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus Fres., is effective in the degradation of the herbicide 2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (simazine). The degradation of both ring-and chain-labeled (C(14)) simazine was observed in an unamended and an amended (sucrose) basal medium. A loss of C(14) occurred in all culture solutions containing either ring-or chain-labeled simazine, but the decrease in activity observed was greater with chain-labeled than with ring-labeled simazine. Chromatographic evidence indicates that A. fumigatus may possess a degradation mechanism unlike that which occurs in corn plants. PMID- 17799484 TI - Results of the IGY: Aeronomy, Glaciology, Meteorology, and Oceanography. PMID- 17799485 TI - GLACIOLOGY. PMID- 17799486 TI - METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17799488 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17799487 TI - OCEANOGRAPHY. PMID- 17799489 TI - A RATIONAL EXAMINATION OF STREAM POLLUTION ABATEMENT. PMID- 17799491 TI - PITTSBURGH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799490 TI - THOMAS FRANKLIN HOLGATE. PMID- 17799492 TI - THE BAUSCH AND LOMB OPTICAL LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. PMID- 17799493 TI - ACTIVITY OF PARICUTIN VOLCANO. PMID- 17799494 TI - AFFILIATION OF SIGMA ALPHA WITH ALPHA EPSILON DELTA. PMID- 17799495 TI - THE EFFECT OF NUTRITION ON THE COURSE OF TUBERCULOSIS. PMID- 17799496 TI - THE PULSATION THEORY OF STELLAR VARIATION. PMID- 17799497 TI - THE PRESENCE OF ALLOXAN IN NORMAL LIVERS. PMID- 17799498 TI - ACHIEVING FULL EMPLOYMENT AFTER THE WAR. PMID- 17799499 TI - GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP AWARDS. PMID- 17799500 TI - THE STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND INHIBITORY ACTION OF PORPHYRINS. PMID- 17799501 TI - A REACTION OF ASCORBIC ACID WITH agr-AMINO ACIDS. PMID- 17799502 TI - IN VITRO GROWTH AND MULTIPLICATION OF THE MALARIA PARASITE, PLASMODIUM KNOWLESI. PMID- 17799504 TI - ROOTING GREENWOOD CUTTINGS WITHOUT SUNLIGHT UNDER FLUORESCENT LAMPS. PMID- 17799503 TI - THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE OF SWINE TO VACCINATION WITH INACTIVATED SWINE INFLUENZA VIRUS. PMID- 17799505 TI - THE INACTIVATION OF "MARFANIL" [SULFAMYLON] BY TISSUE SLICES IN VITRO. PMID- 17799506 TI - A METHOD FOR QUANTITATING THE PRECIPITIN TEST. PMID- 17799507 TI - FILTRATION ADAPTER. PMID- 17799508 TI - Elvin Charles Stakman: President of AAAS, 1949. PMID- 17799509 TI - Research and the Development of Atomic Energy. PMID- 17799510 TI - Preliminary Investigations of Chromosomes and Genes With the Electron Microscope. PMID- 17799511 TI - Effect of Absorber Position on Counting Rate of Collimated and Uncollimated Beta and Gamma Radiation. PMID- 17799512 TI - Life Cycle of Postharmostomum laruei McIntosh 1934 (Trematoda: Brachylaemidae). PMID- 17799513 TI - Oxidation of Parenterally Administered C14-labeled Tripalmitin Emulsions. PMID- 17799514 TI - Distribution of Free Amino Acids in Mouse Epidermis in Various Phases of Growth as Determined by Paper Partition Chromatography. PMID- 17799515 TI - Blocking Action of Tetraethylammonium on Axon Reflexes in the Human Skin. PMID- 17799517 TI - Precedence of Modern Plant Names Over Names Based on Fossils? PMID- 17799516 TI - Further Consideration of a Suggested Simple Laboratory Test for Poliomyelitis Virus. PMID- 17799518 TI - Antigen Films and Long-Range Forces. PMID- 17799519 TI - A Note on "Why Vegetation on Watersheds?". PMID- 17799520 TI - The Human Engineering Seminar at New York University. PMID- 17799522 TI - Correction. AB - In "Radiocardiography: A New Method for Studying the Blood Flow Through the Chambers of the Heart in Human Beings," by Myron Prinzmetal, et al. (Science, September 24, p. 340), credit for the design and construction of apparatus should have been given Dr. Burton F. Miller instead of Dr. Robert Miller (footnote 2). PMID- 17799521 TI - Richard Chace Tolman, 1881-1948. PMID- 17799524 TI - VIRUSES AND THEIR PART IN DISEASE. PMID- 17799523 TI - MIXED CATALYSTS. PMID- 17799525 TI - ADRIAN JOHN PIETERS. PMID- 17799527 TI - NATIONAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17799526 TI - DR. ERKKI MIKKOLA. PMID- 17799528 TI - THE WASHINGTON HEIGHTS HEALTH AND TEACHING CENTER. PMID- 17799529 TI - HONORARY DEGREES CONFERRED BY HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17799530 TI - NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICERS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17799531 TI - THE RELATIONSHIP OF HISTAMINE TO ANAPHYLAXIS IN THE RABBIT. PMID- 17799533 TI - THE UTILIZATION OF IRON BY ANEMIC RATS. PMID- 17799532 TI - THE "BABOON BOY" OF SOUTH AFRICA. PMID- 17799534 TI - FREEZING OF HOT AND COLD WATER. PMID- 17799535 TI - FREEZING OF HOT AND COLD WATER. PMID- 17799536 TI - THE SIXTH WASHINGTON CONFERENCE ON THEORETICAL PHYSICS. PMID- 17799537 TI - BOVINE PSEUDORABIES OR "MAD ITCH" VIRUS. PMID- 17799538 TI - COENZYME I AND RIBOFLAVIN CONTENT OF LIVERS OF RATS FED BUTTER YELLOW. PMID- 17799539 TI - INHIBITION OF BACTERIAL METABOLISM BY SYNTHETIC DETERGENTS. PMID- 17799540 TI - ETHYL METHACRYLATE AS A MOUNTING MEDIUM FOR EMBRYOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. PMID- 17799541 TI - Unhappy Paradox. PMID- 17799542 TI - Volcanology: Volcanoes furnish some of our best clues to the nature of the earth's interior. PMID- 17799543 TI - High School Backgrounds of Science Doctorates: A survey reveals the influence of class size and region of origin, as well as ability, in Ph.D. production. PMID- 17799544 TI - Religion and Aid to Education; The Peace Corps; Making Room for Educational and Public Service TV. PMID- 17799545 TI - Territorial Behavior in Uganda Kob. AB - Territorial behavior of the Uganda kob, Adenota kob thomasi (P. L. Sclater), is largely the defense of small, fixed territories within a central area of concentrated territorial activity. This area is surrounded by a zone of more widely spaced territories. Females enter the territorial ground throughout the year for the purpose of breeding. PMID- 17799546 TI - Bioluminescence in Chesapeake Bay. AB - Bioluminescence measurements made by stimulation of the organisms in a jet of water directed at the face of a phototube have increased the sensitivity of data by a factor of 1000 over "spontaneous" luminescence measurements. In light baffled cells it has been possible to map the surface bioluminescence of large areas continuously in broad daylight. Measurements of intensity versus depth during both day and night do not show any appreciable diurnal variation in maximum intensity, although there does appear to be a vertical migration of intensity. PMID- 17799547 TI - High Incidences of Transmissible Kidney Tumors in Uminoculated Frogs Maintained in a Laboratory. AB - Various workers have shown that the Lucke carcinoma, a transmissible kidney tumor of the leopard frog, occurs spontaneously at low incidence (6.7 percent maximum). However, we have consistently observed much higher incidences (50 percent maximum), a finding of probable significance in the epidemiology and natural transmission of the tumor. Age, metabolic level, and cross infection are being investigated as possible factors in determining the tumor incidence. PMID- 17799548 TI - Fluorescence of Photosynthetic Organisms at Room and Liquid Nitrogen Temperatures. AB - Fluorescence spectra of algae and higher plants show two bands, ascribable to monomer and aggregate forms of chlorophyll. At low temperature, the long wavelength emission is greatly enhanced and often appears as a new band. Photosynthetic bacteria, on the other hand, show no new bands at low temperature, within the spectral coverage and sensitivity of these measurements. A green fluorescence is also found in algae, which we attribute to carotenoids. PMID- 17799549 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17799550 TI - Stebinger Memorial Symposium. PMID- 17799551 TI - Letters. PMID- 17799552 TI - The draft: tormenting uncertainty. PMID- 17799553 TI - Letters. PMID- 17799555 TI - Letters. PMID- 17799554 TI - Letters. PMID- 17799557 TI - Milankovitch hypothesis supported by precise dating of coral reefs and deep-sea sediments. AB - Barbados provides a possibly unique opportunity for reconstruction of the times and elevations of late-Pleistocene high stands of the sea. The island appears to be rising from the sea at a uniform rate that is fast enough to separate in elevation coral-reef tracts formed at successive high stands of the sea. Unaltered coral found in the lower terraces enables high-precision Th(230): U(234) and Pa(231): U(235) dating. Three distinct high stands of the sea are found about 122,000, 103,000, and 82,000 years ago. New Pa(231) and Th(230) dates from a deep-sea core also indicate that Ericson's W-X cold-to-warm climatic change occurred close to 126,000 years ago. These data show a parallelism over the last 150,000 years between changes in Earth's climate and changes in the summer insolation predicted from cycles in the tilt and precession of Earth's axis. PMID- 17799558 TI - Pallasitic meteorites: implications regarding the deep structure of asteroids. AB - Olivine compositions in pallasites exhibit a bimodal distribution and indicate a high degree of internal equilibrium. Cooling rates measured in the metal phases are uniform and consistently lower than those of most iron meteorites. These factors suggest that the pallasites were derived from few parent bodies, and that they crystallized in a highly insulated site-presumably the core of their parent body. Most iron meteorites were derived either from isolated areas closer to the surface or from other parent bodies. PMID- 17799560 TI - Venus: uniformity of clouds, and photography. AB - Photographs of Earth at a resolution of about 600 kilometers were compared to pictures of Venus taken from Earth at about the same resolution . Under these conditions Earth appear very heavily covered by clouds. Since details on the surface of Earth can be recorded from Earth orbit, it may be possible to phiotograph protions of the surface of Venus, through openings in the clouds, from an orbiting satellite. PMID- 17799559 TI - Utah jet: a vitrinite with aberrant properties. AB - The gem-grade jet found in Upper Cretaceous rocks of the Jet Basin, Wayne County, Utah, has been shown to be a vitrinitic, high-volatile B bituminous coal with aberrant chemical constitution. The residual structure is entirely that of taxodiaceous conifer wood. The abnormally high volatile content (62 percent) and low reflectance (0.25 percent) of Utah jet compared with other vitrinites of similar rank is produced by the unusual derivatives of cellulose and lignin of which the woody structure is composed. PMID- 17799561 TI - Mercury has two permanent thermal bulges. AB - If Mercury has been rotating with, a period exactly two-thirds of the period of orbital revolution for at least 60,000 years, there exist two permanent thermal bulges on opposite sides of Mercury's surface that alternately face Sun at every perihelion. The bulges increase the strength of the resonance lock and tend to prevent drifting out. PMID- 17799562 TI - Search for a Frequency Shift of the 21-Centimeter Line from Taurus A near Occultation by Sun. AB - The 21-centimeter absorption line from the direction of Taurus A was used for detection of a shift in frequiency when the source passed near Sun. A possible decrease in frequency of 150 cycles per second was detected, which cannot be caused by general relativity or by the plasma around Sun. PMID- 17799564 TI - Ranger VIII and Gravity Scaling of Lunar Craters. PMID- 17799563 TI - Synthesis of Graphite and Hydrocarbons by Reaction between Calcite and Hydrogen. AB - The reaction of calcite with hydrogen was investigated over a range of pressure, temperature, and time. The reaction initiates at about 500 degrees C. Its primarily temperature-dependent rateproceeds in a crystallographically anisotropic manner, and reaction products are CaO, Ca(OH)(2), H(2)O, CO, CH(4), C2H(6), and C (graphite), plus a black solid residue that may be hydrocarbon. PMID- 17799566 TI - THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PACIFIC DIVISION. PMID- 17799565 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799567 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17799568 TI - THE SHOVELNOSED STURGEON IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER. PMID- 17799569 TI - DERMATITIS PRODUCED BY ENCELIA CALIFORNICA NUTT. PMID- 17799570 TI - DETERMINATION OF THE RELATIVE VOLUMES OF TWO COMBINING STREAMS FROM THEIR TEMPERATURES. PMID- 17799571 TI - A UNIVERSAL PRECISION STIMULATOR. PMID- 17799572 TI - EXPERIMENTS UPON THE CAUSE OF WHOOPING COUGH. PMID- 17799573 TI - AN ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN THE CHICKEN. PMID- 17799574 TI - The Abundance of Several Relatively Rare Elements in Igneous Rocks of North America. PMID- 17799575 TI - SOME NEW ELECTRIC MOTORS. PMID- 17799576 TI - WATER-FILTRATION. PMID- 17799577 TI - THE USE OF SPIRIT AS AN AGENT IN PRIME MOVERS. PMID- 17799578 TI - WEST INDIAN HURRICANES. PMID- 17799580 TI - INHERENT DEFECTS OF LEAD SECONDARY BATTERIES. PMID- 17799579 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17799581 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17799582 TI - CANCER CONTAGION. PMID- 17799583 TI - ASPHYXIATION BY ILLUMINATING-GAS. PMID- 17799584 TI - FILTERS. PMID- 17799585 TI - RECENT DISCOVERIES IN CENTRAL AFRICA. PMID- 17799586 TI - THE SPIDER-BITE QUESTION. PMID- 17799587 TI - A SANDY SIMOOM IN THE NORTH-WEST. PMID- 17799588 TI - Pestalozzi: his Aim and Work. By BARON ROGER DE GUIMPS, Tr. by Margaret C. Crombie. Syracuse, C. W. Bardeen. 12Dagger. $1.50. PMID- 17799589 TI - First Book of Nature. By JAMES E. TALMAGE. Salt Lake City, Utah, Contributor Company. PMID- 17799590 TI - The Bacteria in Asiatic Cholera. By E. KLEIN, M.D. London and New York, Macmillan. 16Dagger. $1.25. PMID- 17799592 TI - The Electric Motor and its Applications. By MARTIN and WETZLER. New York, W. J. Johnston. 4Dagger. $3. PMID- 17799591 TI - Examination of Water for Sanitary and Technical Purposes. By HENRY LEFFMANN and WILLIAM BEAM. Philadelphia, Blakiston. $1.25. PMID- 17799593 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17799594 TI - Relative Frequency of Letters and Combinations. PMID- 17799595 TI - A New Chemical Experiment. PMID- 17799596 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17799597 TI - INTRODUCTION. PMID- 17799598 TI - RADIO PROGRAMS. PMID- 17799600 TI - GENERAL SESSIONS. PMID- 17799599 TI - SPECIAL EVENTS. PMID- 17799601 TI - REGISTRATION AT THE DENVER MEETING. PMID- 17799602 TI - BUSINESS SESSIONS. PMID- 17799603 TI - SECTION ON PHYSICS (B). PMID- 17799604 TI - SECTION ON MATHEMATICS (A). PMID- 17799605 TI - SECTION ON CHEMISTRY (C). PMID- 17799606 TI - SECTION ON ASTRONOMY (D). PMID- 17799607 TI - SECTION ON GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY (E). PMID- 17799609 TI - SECTION ON BOTANICAL SCIENCES (G). PMID- 17799608 TI - SECTION ON ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCES (F). PMID- 17799610 TI - PROGRAMS RELATED TO BOTH ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL SCIENCES (F AND G). PMID- 17799612 TI - SECTION ON PSYCHOLOGY (I). PMID- 17799611 TI - SECTION ON ANTHROPOLOGY (H). PMID- 17799613 TI - SECTION ON SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES (K). PMID- 17799614 TI - SECTION ON ENGINEERING (M). PMID- 17799616 TI - SECTION ON AGRICULTURE (O). PMID- 17799615 TI - SECTION ON MEDICAL SCIENCES (N). PMID- 17799617 TI - ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO THE ASSOCIATION AS A WHOLE. PMID- 17799619 TI - A LAWN MARVEL. PMID- 17799618 TI - SPORES OF CAMBRIAN PLANTS. PMID- 17799620 TI - THE DESIGNATION OF CLONAL GENERATIONS. PMID- 17799621 TI - AGE OF THE URANINITE FROM THE RUGGLES MINE, GRAFTON CENTER, N. H. PMID- 17799622 TI - THE NEEDS OF THE MIMETIC THEORY. PMID- 17799623 TI - APHIS RESISTANCE IN BREEDING MOSAIC-ESCAPING RED RASPBERRIES. PMID- 17799624 TI - THE SIMILARITY OF ACTION OF PURIFIED CORTICAL ADRENAL EXTRACTS TO CRYSTALLINE ANDROSTERONE AND TESTOSTERONE. PMID- 17799625 TI - PERMEABILITY OF THE BLOOD-C. N. S. BARRIER TO SODIUM BROMIDE IN EXPERIMENTAL POLIOMYELITIS. PMID- 17799626 TI - Biotechnology and profit. PMID- 17799627 TI - National science foundation hearings. PMID- 17799628 TI - New experimental data on atmospheric propagation. AB - An experiment has been performed to measure directly the effect of atmospheric turbulence on spherical wave propagation of light on a vertical path. The results permit determination of the magnitude of the effect at a variety of locations and under different conditions. Agreement is found with the functional form predicted by the inertial theory of turbulence. General agreement is found with scattering data obtained by a low-frequency radar and with predictions of some turbulence profile models. The results also demonstrate some reasons for poor agreement with time integrating sensors. PMID- 17799629 TI - Terminal cretaceous extinction scenario for a catastrophe. AB - All the biotic changes that occurred at the end of Cretaceous time, including the extinction of the dinosaurs, may be the result of a single terrestrial catastrophe. The Arctic spillover model, first proposed to explain the marine extinctions, would have caused a rapid and intense change in the earth's climate including a lowering of temperature and of precipitation. This change in climate may have triggered a series of ecological disasters that included the radical change in the distribution of vegetation on the earth as well as the extinction of the dinosaurs. PMID- 17799630 TI - Technological change in agriculture. PMID- 17799631 TI - Iran and america: the failure of understanding. PMID- 17799632 TI - No CAT Scans in Mexico for Shah? PMID- 17799634 TI - Carter Says No to WIPP, but DOE May Appeal. PMID- 17799633 TI - Uncertainties Mark Space Program of the 1980's. PMID- 17799635 TI - House panel reassured on nonproliferation policy. PMID- 17799637 TI - The 1979 nobel prize in physics. PMID- 17799636 TI - Planetary science on the brink again. PMID- 17799638 TI - Annual meeting san francisco. PMID- 17799640 TI - Geology and culture. PMID- 17799639 TI - Sociobiological hypotheses explored. PMID- 17799641 TI - Chemistry in china. PMID- 17799642 TI - Plate tectonics. PMID- 17799643 TI - Sex Discrimination in Gerris remigis: Role of a Surface Wave Signal. AB - Even when blinded with masks, adult male water striders (Gerris remigis) accurately ascertain the sex of other adult water striders in the laboratory. Freely moving females that were artificially made to play back computer-generated male surface wave and body-contact signals of about 90 waves per second were treated as males by the masked males and as females when no such playbacks were made. Thus, the males can use presence or absence of the male signal as the sole means for sex discrimination. PMID- 17799644 TI - SCIENCE AND ITS SERVICE TO MAN. PMID- 17799645 TI - H. FREEMAN STECKER. PMID- 17799646 TI - EDUCATIONAL AND UNIVERSITY NOTES. PMID- 17799647 TI - A CLASS EXPERIMENT TO SHOW THE BEHAVIOR OF HEMOGLOBIN TOWARD VARIOUS GASES. PMID- 17799648 TI - SODIRO HERBARIUM. PMID- 17799649 TI - THE TRANSMISSION OF NEMATODE RESISTANCE IN THE PEACH. PMID- 17799650 TI - EVIDENCE OF A SPARK LINE IN THE LITHIUM SPECTRUM. PMID- 17799651 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799653 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17799652 TI - ON THE DISPERSITY OF SILVER HALIDES IN RELATION TO THEIR PHOTOGRAPHIC BEHAVIOR. PMID- 17799654 TI - The challenge to u.s. Competitiveness. PMID- 17799655 TI - Foreign engineering students. PMID- 17799656 TI - Cancer control. PMID- 17799657 TI - Ozone Plan Splits Administration: The White House must decide whether to support a plan to cut back world production of chlorofluorocarbons or to backpedal and suggest a less aggressive approach. PMID- 17799658 TI - Ariane, shuttle delayed again. PMID- 17799659 TI - A warning on oil imports. PMID- 17799660 TI - IBM to Give Cornell a $20-Million Computer. PMID- 17799661 TI - An oxygen key to the new superconductors. AB - First it was the physicists, then the chemists, and most recently the materials scientists and ceramists who have hastily included in their annual meetings symposia on the new high-temperature, ceramic superconductors. Below are briefings from the 1987 Spring Meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS) that was held in Anaheim, California, from 21 to 24 April, 1 week before the American Ceramics Society's conclave in Pittsburgh. With the initial wave of euphoria now past, the atmosphere in Anaheim was decidedly more professional than that of the now fabled "Woodstock of Physics" that was part of the American Physical Society's March Meeting in New York City only 5 weeks before. Nonetheless, perhaps 1500 materials researchers listened to 69 scheduled papers and several late walk-ons that were crammed into a 2-day symposium. With a martial strictness, cochairs Michael Schluter of AT&T Bell Laboratories and Donald Gubser of the Naval Research Laboratory kept the talks to the allotted 10 minutes each. Except for an impassioned presentation by Juei-Teng Chen of Wayne State University, who sought to convince listeners that a group there had seen dear signs of superconductivity at 240 K, which is ambient temperature during a cold night on the northern plains, no significant indications of room-temperature superconductivity were reported. The most skeptical view was that of Theodore Geballe of Stanford University, who suggested that some of the unreproducible signs seen in several laboratories could be due to something other than superconductivity, as similar effects disappeared in Stanford samples with repeated cycling between room and liquid-nitrogen temperature. If there was one theme at the symposium, it was that oxygen is the key to the family of rare-earth based ceramic materials now in hand that remain superconducting up to about 100 K. PMID- 17799662 TI - Managing the soils of sub-saharan Africa. AB - Many constraints to intensive food-crop production in tropical Africa are related to tropical soils. Improved technologies are available for different ecological regions. Important technological innovations include manual land clearing, mulch farming, conservation tillage and tiedridges, agroforestry, cover crops, mixed- and relay-cropping, and early sowing for improved and sustained productivity. Irrigation, animal traction or draft animals, and the use of chemical fertilizers are also important. Much of the agrarian stagnation in Africa is caused by neglect and misuse of the most basic of all resources, the soil. In fact, the root cause of the perpetual famine can be traced to the misuse of soil and water resources and issues related to their misuse. Substantial increases in food production are possible if the proven technologies can be effectively transferred and implemented. Priorities lie in both short-term development projects and in initiating long-term research to understand soil and water resources and how to manage them. The agrarian research must address the issue of improving the welfare of resource-poor farmers. PMID- 17799663 TI - Freezing. AB - There is no first principles theory of freezing or melting, even for the simplest materials. The prediction of phase diagrams is an important first step in understanding the crystal-melt interface, crystallization near equilibrium, and nucleation. Recently, a new approximate theory for the freezing of classical liquids, known as the density functional theory, has been developed. The predictions of the theory are relatively accurate and its mathematical structure is simple enough to provide an attractive starting point for theories of more complex, dynamical phenomena. PMID- 17799664 TI - Observation of phase transitions in spreading activation networks. AB - Phase transitions, similar to those seen in physical systems, are observed in spreading activation networks. Such networks are used both in theories of cognition and in artificial intelligence applications. This result confirms a predicted abrupt behavioral change as either the topology of the network or the activation parameters are varied across phase boundaries. PMID- 17799666 TI - Phosphorite sedimentation: phosphate deposits of the world. PMID- 17799665 TI - Herbivory in rocks and the weathering of a desert. AB - Two species of snail, Euchondrus albulus and Euchondrus desertorum, eat endolithic lichens growing under the surface of limestone rocks in the Negev Desert, Israel. This unusual type of herbivory has the unexpected and major impact of weathering this rocky desert at a rate of 0.7 to 1.1 metric tons per hectare per year. The biotic weathering contributes to the process of soil formation at a rate that is similar to wind-borne dust deposition. These findings demonstrate that herbivores can have a significant regulatory impact on ecosystem processes, even in cases where the total amount of primary production consumed is small. PMID- 17799667 TI - Hominid evolution: a search for models: the evolution of human behavior. PMID- 17799669 TI - Icy estuaries: fjords. PMID- 17799668 TI - Wind processes: aeollan geomorphology. PMID- 17799670 TI - The ASYST Software for Scientific Computing. AB - The acceptance of ASYST by the scientific community could dramatically change the way scientific data are handled and reduce the need for extensive in-house software development for many applications. However, there is no substitute for a well-conceived use of any software. We feel that the full acceptance of the ideas and concepts pioneered by Adaptable Laboratory Software and other software houses will depend on the ability of the scientific community to fully test and verify the procedures used by such products. Only then can the results produced by these software packages be subjected to confirmation which is crucial to rigorous scientific endeavor. PMID- 17799671 TI - Feeding the World's Poor. PMID- 17799672 TI - Science and the law. PMID- 17799673 TI - Particle discoveries. PMID- 17799675 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799674 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799676 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799677 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799678 TI - Life Members of AAAS. PMID- 17799679 TI - Quantum organic chemistry. PMID- 17799680 TI - Pest management. AB - Although it has not yet been universally adopted, pest management figures prominently in current planning. For pest management to be effective, agricultural scientists must adopt an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems; this means considering not only complexes of pests including insects, pathogens, and weeds, but whole crop systems. The requisites for successful pest management programs include availability of current weather data, cooperation between research and Extension personnel, and feedback from individual growers. A pilot program for alfalfa pest control is in its third year of development at Purdue University. It involves the cooperation of entomologists, engineers, physiologists, economists, and agronomists, and research and implementation proceed simultaneously. Microcomputers are used for monitoring, integrating, storing, and transmitting meteorological information to a central location, where it is used in simulations of the alfalfa plant and the alfalfa weevil. The resulting advisories are produced at teletype terminals at four locations in the alfalfa growing region of Indiana. Our experience with this prototype system indicates that computer-based pest management programs will be dynamic and reliable systems capable of delivering alternative action strategies with virtually unlimited accessibility. PMID- 17799681 TI - Nuclear power: hard times and a questioning congress. PMID- 17799682 TI - Science policy: house committee wants in on the action. PMID- 17799683 TI - Pasteur institute: public funds for a private institution. PMID- 17799685 TI - Senate study predicts u.s. Oil "exhaustion%". PMID- 17799684 TI - Worldwatch in orbit. PMID- 17799686 TI - Superconducting accelerators: high energy is trailing low energy. PMID- 17799687 TI - Optical levitation of liquid drops by radiation pressure. AB - Charged and neutral liquid drops in the diameter range from 1 to 40 microns can be stably levitated and manipulated with laser beams. The levitation technique has been extended toward smaller particles (about 1 micron), lower laser power (less than 1 milliwatt), and deeper traps (greater than ten times the particle's weight). The techniques developed here have particular importance in cloud physics, aerosol science, fluid dynamics, and optics. The interactions of the drops with light, the electric field, the surrounding gas, and one another can be observed with high precision. PMID- 17799688 TI - Human skeletal muscle: properties of the "chemically skinned%" fiber. AB - A "skinning%" procedure is described for irreversibly disrupting the sarcolemmal membrane of human skeletal muscle and allowing calcium and other diffusible solutes (such as adenosine triphosphate) access to the myofilament space. Single skinned fibers give isometric tensions of about 1.5 kilograms per square centimeter when exposed to ionized calcium event after 1 to 2 weeks of storage at 5 degrees C. For up to 5 days the preparation will sequester and, under appropriate conditions (anion substitution, caffeine addition, or magnesium withdrawal), release calciumn. The regulation of intracellular calcium distribution and the calcium-induced activation of the contractile proteins are discussed and related to the morphology of humnan fibers and to similar processes occurring on other muscle preparations. PMID- 17799689 TI - Accelerated plate tectonics. AB - The concept of a stressed elastic lithospheric plate riding on a viscous asthenosphere is used to calculate the recurrence interval of great earthquakes at convergent plate boundaries, the separation of decoupling and lithospheric earthquakes, and the migration pattern of large earthquakes along an arc. It is proposed that plate motions accelerate after great decoupling earthquakes and that most of the observed plate motions occur during short periods of time, separated by periods of relative quiescence. PMID- 17799690 TI - Predation and aversive conditioning in coyotes. PMID- 17799691 TI - The scientist and the politician. PMID- 17799692 TI - Report from the retiring chairman. AB - In concluding this report, which omits a great deal, the retiring Chairman is probably entitled to a valedictory. (Margaret Mead referred to it as a benediction.) The Association faces two major challenges beyond those obvious ones of maintaining financial solvency and reversing a declining membership. First, there is the necessity to articulate goals for the future. This was started by a series of meetings under the heading of Arden House II, following the tradition of the meeting held in 1951 under the leadership of Warren Weaver. A proposed Committee on Goals can serve this purpose. Second, there is a need to maximize the coherence of all efforts supported by the Association to achieve the greatest effect with the funds available. The proposed Committee on Program and Planning can encourage this. I complete this assignment with the sense of having been very privileged to hold the office of President and Chairman of the Board. I pass on the gavel to Roger Revelle, and to Margaret Mead and Bill McElroy in turn, with great confidence and that certain knowledge that nobody can succeed like a successor. PMID- 17799694 TI - Emigration: a safety valve. PMID- 17799693 TI - Report to the association. PMID- 17799695 TI - Tissue culture. PMID- 17799696 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17799697 TI - Pollution by organic chemicals. PMID- 17799699 TI - The odd couple: strains in science, engineering academies. PMID- 17799698 TI - Structural aspects of interatomic charge-transfer bonding. PMID- 17799700 TI - Antiwar group raises $250,000. PMID- 17799702 TI - Point of view. PMID- 17799701 TI - Labor-campus link: union heads, academic leaders discuss alliance. PMID- 17799704 TI - Deep sea drilling: a giant step in geological research. PMID- 17799705 TI - Far-ultraviolet photography of orion: interstellar dust. AB - Wide-angle photography of Barnard's Loop Nebula suggests that the nebular emission is much less intense in the 1230- to 2100-angstrom spectral region than in the 2200- to 3200-angstrom near-ultraviolet region. This contrast may be due to differences in the absorption or scattering properties of the interstellar grains in these two wavelength regions. PMID- 17799706 TI - Carbon dioxide clathrate in the martian ice cap. AB - Measurements of the dissociation pressure of carbon dioxide hydrate show that this hydrate (CO(2) . 6H(2)O) is stable relative to solid CO(2) and water ice at temperatures above about 121 degrees K. Since this hydrate forms from finely divided ice and gaseous CO(2) in several hours at 150 degrees K, it is likely to be present in the martian ice cap. The ice cap can consist of water ice, water ice + CO(2) hydrate, or CO(2) hydrate + solid CO(2), but not water ice + solid CO(2). PMID- 17799707 TI - Apollo 12 lunar samples: trace element analysis of a core and the uniformity of the regolith. AB - Four core and soil samples from Apollo 12 are enriched in a number of trace elements of meteoritic origin to virtually the same degree as Apollo 11 soil. An average meteoritic influx rate of about 4 x 10(-9) gram per square centimeter per year thus seems to be valid for the entire moon. A sample from a light gray, coarse-grained layer in the core resembles lunar basalts in composition, but is enriched by factors of 10(4) to 10(5) in bismuth and cadmium. PMID- 17799708 TI - Mercury: the dark-side temperature. AB - The planet Mercury was observed before, during, and after the inferior conjunctions of 29 September 1969 and 9 May 1970 at wavelengths of 3.75, 4.75, 8.6, and 12 microns. The average dark-side temperature is 111 degrees +/- 3 degrees K. The thermal inertia of the surface required to fit this temperature is close to that for the moon and indicates that Mercury and the moon have very similar top surface layers. PMID- 17799709 TI - Archaeopteryx: notice of a "new" specimen. AB - A fourth specimen of Archaeopteryx (cf. lithographica), the oldest known fossil bird, was recently found in the collections of the Teyler Museum in the Netherlands. Unique preservation of the horny sheaths of the manus claws provides new evidence that may be relevant to the question of the origins of avian flight. Tentative interpretation suggests a cursorial rather than arboreal origin. PMID- 17799711 TI - THE DERIVATION OF ORBITS, THEORY AND PRACTISE. PMID- 17799710 TI - Pre-cretaceous flowering plants: further evidence from utah. AB - Palm roots discovered in place in the Jurassic Arapien Shale Formation are further evidence for pre-Cretaceous flowering plants. PMID- 17799712 TI - THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE LOWER AMAZON VALLEY AS EVIDENCE BEARING ON THE CORAL REEF PROBLEM. PMID- 17799714 TI - SEGMENTATION IN NEMATODES: OBSERVATIONS BEARING ON THE UNSETTLED QUESTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF NEMATODES TO OTHER BRANCHES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. PMID- 17799715 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17799713 TI - FACTORS IN THE GROWTH AND STERILITY OF THE MAMMALIAN OVARY. PMID- 17799717 TI - A 20% boost for soviet science. PMID- 17799716 TI - In Reply: Global Stratospheric Ozone and UVB Radiation. PMID- 17799718 TI - Space Reactors Hinder Gamma-Ray Astronomy: Soviet nuclear spy satellites are hurting gamma-ray astronomy; so why was that fact classified for 8 years? PMID- 17799719 TI - Collapse of a radio giant. PMID- 17799721 TI - Soviet-Based Global Foundation Takes Shape: Sakharov is a key player in a group that aims to fund a broad range of peace and environment projects. PMID- 17799720 TI - The Worm's Aftermath: Computer experts meeting at Fort Meade decide there are no hidden threats to Internet; officials weigh criminal charges against a brilliant hacker. PMID- 17799722 TI - Sunspot-Weather Link Holding Up: Last year's suggestion that the solar cycle modulates the weather has passed the first barrage of statistical tests; lingering doubts will require more observations. PMID- 17799723 TI - One more family of superconductors. PMID- 17799724 TI - NeXT Embraces a New Way of Programming: The object-oriented approach makes programming easier and faster; NeXT hopes to bring it to the masses. PMID- 17799725 TI - Linguists Search for the Mother Tongue: By using techniques of comparison some linguists believe it possible to reconstruct ancient languages. PMID- 17799727 TI - Authors, authors! PMID- 17799726 TI - Carlson's Oeuvre. PMID- 17799728 TI - Feeding the hungry. PMID- 17799729 TI - Self-organization, transformity, and information. AB - Ecosystems and other self-organizing systems develop system designs and mathematics that reinforce energy use, characteristically with alternate pulsing of production and consumption, increasingly recognized as the new paradigm. Insights from the energetics of ecological food chains suggest the need to redefine work, distinguishing kinds of energy with a new quantity, the transformity (energy of one type required per unit of another). Transformities may be used as an energy-scaling factor for the hierarchies of the universe including information. Solar transformities in the biosphere, expressed as solar emjoules per joule, range from one for solar insolation to trillions for categories of shared information. Resource contributions multiplied by their transformities provide a scientifically based value system for human service, environmental mitigation, foreign trade equity, public policy alternatives, and economic vitality. PMID- 17799730 TI - Space, stars, c60, and soot. AB - Although carbon has been subjected to far more study than all other elements put together, the buckminsterfullerene hollow-cage structure, recently proposed to account for the exceptional stability of the C(60) cluster, has shed a totally new and revealing light on several important aspects of carbon's chemical and physical properties that were quite unsuspected and others that were not previously well understood. Most significant is the discovery that C(60) appears to form spontaneously, and this has particularly important implications for particle formation in combustion and in space as well as for the chemistry of polyaromatic compounds. The intriguing revelation that 12 pentagonal "defects" convert a planar hexagonal array of any size into a quasi-icosahedral cage explains why some intrinsically planar materials form quasi-crystalline particles, as appears to occur in the case of soot. Although the novel structural proposal has still to be unequivocally confirmed, this article pays particular attention to the way in which it provides convincing explanations of puzzling observations in several fields, so lending credence to the structure proposed for C(60). PMID- 17799731 TI - Laser-selective demagnetization: a new technique in paleomagnetism and rock magnetism. AB - Laser-selective demagnetization (LSD) enables the determination of the magnetic moment associated with individual mineral grains in thin sections of rock. Small volumes can be demagnetize with laser pulses directed through the optics of a microscope, permitting resolution of remanence components in individual mineral grains. LSD of mafic granulite samples revealed two paleomagnetic directional components of opposite polarity: one resided in coarse magnetite, the other in ilmenohematite-hemoilmenite exsolution intergrowths and fine magnetite indusions in clinopyroxene. These directions are consistent with those inferred from bulk demagnetization techniques, but LSD permits direct identification of the remanence carriers. The ability to discriminate magnetization components in different generations of a single mineral and to define intergrain magnetic moment distributions are significant advantages of LSD. PMID- 17799732 TI - Genetic relatedness in colonies of tropical wasps with multiple queens. AB - The evolution of worker behavior in the social insects is usually explained by kin selection: although workers do not produce offspring, they do reproduce their genes by aiding the reproduction of relatives. The most difficult case for kin selection theory would be species in which workers are fully capable of reproducing but instead opt to rear brood of low relatedness. These conditions are perhaps best fulfilled by the swarm-founding wasps because they have little caste differentiation and their colonies usually have multiple queens, which should lower relatedness. Estimates of within-colony relatedness for three species in this group confirm that it is sometimes (but not always) very low. Inbreeding is negligible in these species, so the hypothesis that inbreeding may raise relatedness is not supported. The maintenance of worker behavior in such species is a significant challenge for kin selection theory. PMID- 17799733 TI - Nitrogen fixation by anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria. AB - Four strains of anaerobic nitrogen-fixing, cellulose-fermenting bacteria were isolated in pure culture from freshwater mud and soil. Nitrogenase activity was demonstrated in these strains and also in several previously described anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria isolated from various natural environments. These are the first anaerobic bacteria known to use cellulose as an energy source for nitrogen fixation. Because cellulose is a plant polysaccharide that abounds in nature, these results raise the possibility that nitrogen-fixing, cellulose-fermenting bacteria may be widespread and thus play a major role in carbon and nitrogen cycling. PMID- 17799737 TI - Oxidases and Related Redox Systems. Tsoo E. King, Howard S. Mason, and Martin Morrison, Eds. Liss, New York, 1988. xxvii, 789 pp., illus. $140. Progress in Clinical and Biological Research, vol. 274. From a symposium, Portland, OR, Oct. 1987. PMID- 17799738 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17799740 TI - THE LOCATION OF THE NICARAGUA SHIP-CANAL. PMID- 17799739 TI - A LESSON IN COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17799741 TI - THE BROOKLYN INSTITUTE. PMID- 17799742 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17799743 TI - THE AGASSIZ SEASIDE ASSEMBLY. PMID- 17799744 TI - The Influence of Light upon Tree-Growth. PMID- 17799745 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17799746 TI - ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17799747 TI - ELECTRICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17799748 TI - PUBLISHERS' FALL ANNOUNCEMENTS. PMID- 17799750 TI - Chalchiuitl: A Note on the Jadeite Discussion. PMID- 17799749 TI - Floods in the Lower Mississippi. PMID- 17799751 TI - The Financing of Medical Schools. PMID- 17799752 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17799753 TI - Edward Monroe Freeman, Pioneer Plant Pathologist. PMID- 17799754 TI - Suggested Extension of the Grenville Orogenic Belt and the Grenville Front. PMID- 17799755 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17799756 TI - Use of Three-Component Liquid Systems for Countercurrent Distribution. PMID- 17799757 TI - Exhaustive Chlorination of Hinokitiol(4-Isopropyltropolone). PMID- 17799759 TI - Toxicity of Sarin in Bullfrogs. PMID- 17799758 TI - Morphologic Variation and Mode of Growth of Devonian Trepostomatous Bryozoa. PMID- 17799760 TI - Why Equality? PMID- 17799761 TI - Astrometry Overlooked. PMID- 17799763 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17799762 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17799764 TI - Who Proved Galileo Right? PMID- 17799765 TI - Exams: The College Boards in Chemistry. PMID- 17799766 TI - Tempora Mutantur. PMID- 17799767 TI - Academic Organization of Science. PMID- 17799768 TI - The Waldemar Experience. PMID- 17799769 TI - Justifying Basic Research. PMID- 17799770 TI - The Changing Environment of Science: What are the effects of the so-called scientific revolution upon science? AB - Of course the consequence of all this may be the broadening out of a scientific career into one more closely integrated with society in general. This is natural enough, and surely after careful consideration most would agree that this result is desirable. My question today directly concerns the necessity for maintaining the strength and integrity of science in the face of varied opportunities, responsibilities, and distractions: How should this strength and integrity be safeguarded? If the involvement of scientists in social affairs brings with it questionable or dangerous consequences to society, then society will take steps to formulate regulations for their prevention, with possible grave effect upon science. Similarly, in science itself, if the course of science and the behavior of scientists appear to scientists themselves to be damaging to its strength and progress, then a normal reaction on their part would be the formulation of rules and regulations to prevent such abuses. PMID- 17799771 TI - 1965: Herewith, a Conversation with the Mythical Grant Swinger, Head of Breakthrough Institute. PMID- 17799772 TI - Education: Case for Federal Aid, Comprehensive Planning Discussed as Costs and Enrollment Rise. PMID- 17799773 TI - Johnson Cabinet: Drug Executive, Former Counsel to OSRD and ONR, Will Be Secretary of Commerce. PMID- 17799774 TI - The French Bomb: How Much Technical Fallout? PMID- 17799775 TI - Dislocations in Ice. AB - The dislocation structures of dendritic ice crystals have been directly observed by x-ray diffraction topography. Growth occurs without the intervention of dislocations and very low dislocation dencities may initially prevail. Straining expands dislocations having 11[unknown]20 direction Burgers vectors from sources at grown-in inclusions. Slip of these dislocations in the basal plane (0001) and on pyramidal planes, probably (1 101), with frequent occurrence of primatic punching, is observed. Dislocation reactions of the type (a(0)/ 3) [11 20] + (a(0)/ 3) [1 210] = (a(0)/ 3) [2 110] and a strong preference for pure screw orientation are characteristic. These dislocations generally account for the known anisotropy of plastic flow in ice. PMID- 17799776 TI - Reversibility of Reaction of Potassium with Liquid Ammonia. AB - Ammoniated electrons exist in solutions of potassium amide in liquid ammonia which have reached thermodynamic equilibrium with hydrogen gas. By determining electron concentrations by electron spin resonance, an equilibrium constant of 10(5) at room temperature has been obtained. PMID- 17799777 TI - Radiocarbon and Soil Evidence of Former Forest in the Southern Canadian Tundra. AB - Radiocarbon dating of charcoal on podzols along a transect reaching 280 kilometers north of the present tree line from Ennadai Lake indicates that former forests were burnt about 3500 years ago and again about 900 years ago. These forests probably were associated with periods of relatively mild climate. PMID- 17799778 TI - Sinton Bands: Evidence for Deuterated Water on Mars. AB - The infrared absorption bands observed by Sinton at 2710, 2793, and 2898 cm(-1), in the spectrum of Mars, may be due to gaseous D(2)O and HDO in the Martian atmosphere. The implication would be that the deuterium: hydrogen ratio exceeds that on Earth, presumably because of escape of the lighter gases from Mars, with accompanying gravitational fractionation of the hydrogen isotopes. PMID- 17799779 TI - Boron: Another Form. AB - A hitherto undescribed form of boron can be prepared by subjecting ordinary forms of boron to pressures exceeding about 100 kilobars and temperatures between about 1500 degrees to 2000 degrees C. The new form has a density of about 2.52 g/cm(3) and yields a characteristic DeBye-Scherrer pattern. No large crystals have been prepared. PMID- 17799780 TI - Ontogeny of a Salt Marsh Estuary. AB - The development of a typical New England salt marsh, and the growth of the sand spit which shelters it, during the past 4000 years has been reconstructed from soundings and borings of the peat. The results have been interpreted with the aid of observations on the structure of the marsh and estimates of the rate of its vertical accretion based on carbon-14 determinations. PMID- 17799781 TI - Inhibition of Flowering by Light in the Short-Day Plant Salvia occidentalis. AB - Long days (continuous light) have inhibitory effects on Salvia occidentalis by producing transmissible substances that suppress flowering. Only when the inhibition at the apex is removed can flowering proceed normally. PMID- 17799782 TI - Evolving Genes and Proteins. PMID- 17799784 TI - Magnetism: A Decade of Conferences. PMID- 17799783 TI - Military Problems in Cold Regions. PMID- 17799785 TI - Space Vehicles in an Ionized Medium. PMID- 17799786 TI - Radio Meteorology. PMID- 17799787 TI - Tritium from Russia. PMID- 17799788 TI - Misconduct annotations. PMID- 17799789 TI - Red alga terminology. PMID- 17799790 TI - HIV-1 in Oropharyngeal Lymphoid Tissues. PMID- 17799791 TI - Ancient tides and length of day: correction. PMID- 17799792 TI - Participants in HIV Study: Correction. PMID- 17799794 TI - Response: TECHNICAL COMMENTS. PMID- 17799793 TI - TECHNICAL COMMENTS: "Replay" of Hippocampal "Memories". PMID- 17799795 TI - Cancer Research. PMID- 17799796 TI - Optimum Location of a Photoelectric Observatory. PMID- 17799797 TI - Analcime in the Popo Agie Member of the Chugwater Formation. PMID- 17799798 TI - International Organization of Scientific Documentation Based on Legislation. PMID- 17799800 TI - Vitality of the Aged. PMID- 17799799 TI - Applications of Ecology and Economics to Fisheries. PMID- 17799801 TI - INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH IN SMALL ESTABLISHMENTS. PMID- 17799802 TI - THE NATURALIST'S PLACE IN HIS COMMUNITY. PMID- 17799803 TI - CHARLES CONRAD ABBOTT AND ERNEST VOLK. PMID- 17799804 TI - SUBSTITUTES FOR THE WORDS HOMOZYGOUS AND HETEROZYGOUS. PMID- 17799805 TI - THE RECOMPENSE OF SCIENTIFIC WORKERS. PMID- 17799806 TI - SOME PORT HUDSON OUTCROPS IN LOUISIANA. PMID- 17799807 TI - A METHOD OF ASSIGNING WEIGHTS TO ORIGINAL OBSERVATIONS. PMID- 17799808 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. III. PMID- 17799809 TI - THE PHYSICIAN OF THE FUTURE. PMID- 17799810 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE CENTRAL BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17799811 TI - THE HORIZONTAL PLANE OF THE SKULL AND THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF THE COMPARISON OF VARIABLE FORMS. PMID- 17799812 TI - CONNECTION BY PRECISE LEVELING BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS. PMID- 17799813 TI - XUALA AND GUAXULE. PMID- 17799814 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17799815 TI - THE HARVEY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK CITY. PMID- 17799816 TI - SOME BASIC CONSIDERATIONS IN PLANNING FOR RESEARCH IN SOUTHERN PROBLEMS. PMID- 17799818 TI - RETIREMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17799817 TI - COLLECTIVE FARMING IN RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE. II. PMID- 17799819 TI - AWARDS OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17799820 TI - THE YALE UNIT, U. S. MILITARY HOSPITAL. PMID- 17799821 TI - LABORATORY PSYCHOLOGY AND THE A.B. DEGREE. PMID- 17799822 TI - JOINTING IN THE COAL BEDS OF OHIO. PMID- 17799823 TI - BIOGRAPHY OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17799824 TI - NICOTINIC ACID. PMID- 17799826 TI - SOME SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OF THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS IN 1941. PMID- 17799825 TI - AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE AN INDETERMINATE PROBLEM. PMID- 17799828 TI - SECOND REPORT OF THE WAR POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS. PMID- 17799827 TI - FIELD MUSEUM PALEONTOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO HONDURAS. PMID- 17799829 TI - RELATIONSHIPS OF THE HIGHER ARSENIDES OF COBALT, NICKEL AND IRON OCCURRING IN NATURE. PMID- 17799830 TI - EFFECT OF MUCIN ON INFLUENZA VIRUS INFECTION IN HAMSTERS. PMID- 17799831 TI - THE PREPARATION OF SODIUM PYRUVATE. PMID- 17799832 TI - DRAWING LAMP FOR CAMERA LUCIDA. PMID- 17799833 TI - Devil's Advocates. PMID- 17799834 TI - Chemical Insect Attractants: Insects promote their own destruction in responding to traps baited with specific lures. AB - Many insects depend on odors to lead them to sources that supply their basic needs. Knowledge of these behavioral patterns helps to combat insects of economic importance. For example, attractants in traps offer a remarkably simple means of detecting insects and may even be useful in direct control. They are increasing the efficiency of insecticide applications because treatments need be applied only where insects are caught and only as long as they are caught. PMID- 17799835 TI - Carbamyl Phosphate: Many forms of life use this molecule to synthesize arginine, uracil, and adenosine triphosphate. PMID- 17799836 TI - Civilian Technology: Program To Boost Industrial Research Heavily Slashed in House. PMID- 17799837 TI - AMA: Convention Accents Positive by Announcing Research Institute, Reshaping Scientific Sections. PMID- 17799838 TI - Krebiozen: Nearly a Decade of Controversy Spent in Pursuit of "Fair", Government Sponsored Test. PMID- 17799839 TI - American Council on Education: Conference Designed to Illuminate The Ins and Outs of Grantsmanship. PMID- 17799840 TI - Recombination Events in the Bacterial Genus Nocardia. AB - Genetic recombination was demonstrated in the bacterial genus Nocardia. The compatibility mechanism governing recombination differs from that of Escherichia coli and the streptomycetes. Mutants of N. erythropolis or N. canicruria, of homologous origin, were incompatible, but mutants of heterologous origin were compatible. Such a compatibility system is suggestive of classic heterothallism which up to now has not been known among the bacteria. PMID- 17799841 TI - Calorific Values of Microcrustacea. AB - The heat content of copepods and other microcrustaceans and two species of algae in calories per gram varied from 4427 for immature crayfish to 5643 for the female Diaptomus siciloides. The algae, cladoceran, anostracan, conchostracan, and immature crayfish were all below 5000, whereas all the copepods were above 5300 (x 5467); thus copepods may contribute more energy to the food chain on a weight basis than other lower forms of crustacea. PMID- 17799842 TI - Electrocardiographic Studies of Free-Swimming Sharks. AB - Electrocardiograms were taken of young lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, as they swam freely in a circular concrete pool. Electrodes attached to the fin and torso yielded negligible or minute deflections, but direct leads yielded satisfactory recordings. PMID- 17799843 TI - Photoperiodism: An Effect of Darkness during the Light Period on Critical Night Length. AB - The critical night length of the short-day plant Lemna perpusilla, grown with sucrose, increases roughly 3 hours under cycles with "light periods" composed of darkness preceded and ended by brief exposures to light. Although plants so grown are white, the effect is due neither to the absence of photosynthesis nor to insufficient total energy. It is inconsistent with current ideas on photoperiodic timing but may be explained by a hypothesis based on reported properties of phytochrome. PMID- 17799844 TI - Rhodium-102 Fallout: Variations in Deposition and Concentrations in Precipitation. AB - Rhodium-102 was produced as a tracer for U.S. high-altitude detonations in August 1958 and has been detected and monitored in precipitation since October 1960. Between January and September 1961, when atmospheric tests were resumed, the contribution of this high-altitude debris in fallout increased. PMID- 17799845 TI - Aquitanian Planktonic Foraminifera from Erben Guyot. AB - Planktonic foraminifera occur in the limy sediment of a manganese-coated breccia from the top of Erben Guyot, a sunken island which is located about 800 miles west of San Diego, California. The fauna suggests an age of Early Miocene (Aquitanian Stage), which represents an absolute age of more than 25 million years. Bathyal foraminifera in the sample indicate considerable subsidence between the suggested time of truncation (Oligocene) of the seamount and the accumulation of the foraminiferal fauna. PMID- 17799846 TI - Antibody to Rat Kidney: In vivo Effects of Univalent and Divalent Fragments. AB - Whereas intact antibody to rat kidney (7S) produced immediate and sustained proteinuria in rats, univalent fragments (papain digests) of the antibody did not, and divalent fragments (pepsin digests) produced only transitory proteinuria. The antibody fragments differed from the intact antibody in fixing little, if any, complement in vivo which may explain why they did not cause serious renal damage. PMID- 17799847 TI - Haploids: High-Frequency Production from Single-Embryo Seeds in a Line of Pima Cotton. AB - Progenies of a doubled haploid from Pima S-1, a commercial variety of Gossypium barbadense L., contained a very high frequency of haploid plants. The haploid plants, in contrast with those previously reported in cotton, originated from single- rather than twin-embryo seeds. Apparently the haploid-producing ability of this line of cotton is inherited. PMID- 17799848 TI - Blood Group Studies with Turtles. AB - Groups and individuals of diverse species of turtles have been distinguished by selective agglutinations of their washed red blood cells when undiluted normal serums or plant extracts are used as agglutinins. During these studies, production of hemagglutinins and precipitins has been induced in turtles and certain other poikilotherms. PMID- 17799849 TI - Zeolite ZK-5: A New Molecular Sieve. AB - An aluminosilicate of novel crystal structure has been synthesized. It has molecular-sieve properties that permit separation of straight-chain from branched chain and cyclic hydrocarbons. This zeolite is unusually stable in solutions of low pH. PMID- 17799851 TI - Bionics. PMID- 17799850 TI - Poliomyelitis in Monkeys: Decreased Susceptibility after Avoidance Stress. AB - Eleven monkeys were subjected to avoidance stress for 24 hours followed immediately by intravenous inoculation with type I poliovirus. Twelve control monkeys not so stressed were similarly inoculated. Seven of 11 stressed animals survived the infection while only one of the controls lived and their average incubation period was significantly longer than the average for controls. The number of circulating lymphocytes decreased significantly in experimental animals during and immediately after exposure to stress. PMID- 17799852 TI - Protein Structure and Function during Differentiation. PMID- 17799853 TI - Resonant Particles in High-Energy Physics. PMID- 17799854 TI - THE ELECTRIC CURRENT IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17799855 TI - THE CONCEPTION OF SPECIES AS AFFECTED BY RECENT INVESTIGATIONS ON FUNGI. PMID- 17799856 TI - THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17799857 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17799859 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17799858 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17799860 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17799862 TI - COURSES IN HIGHER PURE MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17799861 TI - THE PURPOSE AND SPIRIT OF THE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17799863 TI - WILLIAMINA PATON FLEMING. PMID- 17799864 TI - SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION. PMID- 17799865 TI - INDIANAPOLIS MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799866 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17799867 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17799868 TI - THE DISEASES OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. PMID- 17799870 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF RADIUM. PMID- 17799869 TI - THE WORK OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION OF THE U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES, AT BEAUFORT, N. C., DURING THE YEAR 1910. PMID- 17799871 TI - ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF SAND GRAINS. PMID- 17799872 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF ASTRONOMY ON MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17799873 TI - STATISTICS OF GERMAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17799874 TI - MEMORIAL TO CHARLES OTIS WHITMAN. PMID- 17799875 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17799876 TI - THE USE OF NUMERALS FOR SPECIFIC NAMES IN SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17799877 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17799878 TI - THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17799879 TI - ON FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO A LOW SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTIVITY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17799881 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17799880 TI - BIOLOGICAL TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. PMID- 17799882 TI - A KINETIC THEORY OF GRAVITATION. PMID- 17799883 TI - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS EASTERN BRANCH. PMID- 17799884 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION D-MINNEAPOLIS MEETING. PMID- 17799885 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17799886 TI - Fax. PMID- 17799887 TI - Peary's North Pole Claim Reexamined: The National Geographic Society has commissioned a study of Peary's credibility in the wake of charges that the explorer faked data on his 1909 trip to the North Pole. PMID- 17799888 TI - Watkins Takes the Helm at DOE. PMID- 17799889 TI - Warfare Over Yanomamo Indians: Brazilian anthropologists say that descriptions of violence are contributing to the Yanomamos downfall; but "fierce" or not, greater forces are at work, as gold prospectors invade the forests. PMID- 17799890 TI - And now for a real crab nebula.. PMID- 17799892 TI - From Real Numbers to Strings of Zeros: Computing over the Reals. PMID- 17799891 TI - Information-based complexity. PMID- 17799893 TI - Zeta zero update. PMID- 17799894 TI - Progress in progressions. PMID- 17799895 TI - Macroecology: the division of food and space among species on continents. AB - Analyses of statistical distributions of body mass, population density, and size and shape of geographic range offer insights into the empirical patterns and causal mechanisms that characterize the allocation of food and space among the diverse species in continental biotas. These analyses also provide evidence of the processes that couple ecological phenomena that occur on disparate spatial and temporal scales-from the activities of individual organisms within local populations to the dynamics of continent-wide speciation, colonization, and extinction events. PMID- 17799896 TI - Dendrites, viscous fingers, and the theory of pattern formation. AB - There has emerged recently a new theoretical picture of the way in which patterns are formed in dendritic crystal growth and in the closely analogous phenomenon of viscous fingering in fluids. Some interesting questions that arise in connection with this theory include: How broad is its range of validity? How do we understand dynamic stability in systems of this kind? What is the origin of sidebranches? Can weak noise, or even microscopic thermal fluctuations, play a role in determining the macroscopic features of these systems? PMID- 17799897 TI - Earthquake hazard after a mainshock in california. AB - After a strong earthquake, the possibility of the occurrence of either significant aftershocks or an even stronger mainshock is a continuing hazard that threatens the resumption of critical services and reoccupation of essential but partially damaged structures. A stochastic parametric model allows determination of probabilities for aftershocks and larger mainshocks during intervals following the mainshock. The probabilities depend strongly on the model parameters, which are estimated with Bayesian statistics from both the ongoing aftershock sequence and from a suite of historic California aftershock sequences. Probabilities for damaging aftershocks and greater mainshocks are typically well-constrained after the first day of the sequence, with accuracy increasing with time. PMID- 17799898 TI - Time and spatial dependence of the concentration of less than 105 microelectrode generated molecules. AB - The time and spatial dependence of the concentration of as few as 40,000 electrogenerated, redox-active molecules has been determined. The distance between generator and detector microelectrodes in an array used in the study could be varied from 0.8 to 28 micrometers. Measurements of a sufficiently small ensemble of molecules allowed the experimental results to be compared with a quantitative simulation of the random movement of each member of the ensemble. The transit time of an electrogenerated species from the generator to a collector microelectrode was measured as a function of viscosity, diffusivity, and distance. PMID- 17799899 TI - Large-scale, low-amplitude bedforms (chevrons) in the selima sand sheet, egypt. AB - Landsat images of the Selima sand sheet in southwestern Egypt display alternating light and dark chevron-shaped patterns that occur downwind from low scarps and major dune fields. Images acquired between 1972 and 1988 indicate that these features move as discrete bedforms at a rate of up to 500 meters per year. Extremely long-wavelength (130 to 1200 meters), low-amplitude (10 to 30 centimeters) bedforms were measured in the field; the light chevrons seen in the orbital data may be thin accumulations of active sand sheet deposits in the lee of these bedforms. Dark chevrons contain an admixture of coarse-granule lag deposits that are continually winnowed by aeolian erosion on the windward sides of the large bedforms. Sediment transport budgets derived from orbital and field analyses suggest net movement of up to 83,000 cubic meters per year for a single light chevron; such measurements can be used as a check on similar calculations from dunes and other smaller scale features to determine sand transport budgets for large areas of the eastern Sahara. PMID- 17799900 TI - Stishovite at the cretaceous-tertiary boundary, raton, new Mexico. AB - Stishovite, a dense phase of silica, has become widely accepted as an indicator of terrestrial impact events. Stishovite occurs at several impact structures but has not been found at volcanic sites. Solid-state silicon-29 magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (silicon-29 MAS NMR) and X-ray diffraction of samples from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary layer at Raton, New Mexico, indicate that stishovite occurs in crystalline mineral grains. Stishovite was indicated by a single, sharp resonance with a chemical shift value of -191.3 ppm, characteristic of silicon in octahedral coordination, that disappeared after heating the sample at 850 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. An X-ray diffraction pattern of HF residuals from the unheated sample displayed more than 120 peaks, most of which correspond to quartz, zircon, rutile, and anatase. Eight unambiguous weak to moderate reflections could be ascribed to d-spacings characteristic of stishovite. PMID- 17799901 TI - The effects of enriched carbon dioxide atmospheres on plant--insect herbivore interactions. AB - Little is known about the effects of enriched CO(2) atmospheres, which may exist in the next century, on natural plant-insect herbivore interactions. Larvae of a specialist insect herbivore, Junonia coenia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), were reared on one of its host plants, Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae), grown in either current low (350 parts per million) or high (700 ppm) CO(2) environments. Those larvae raised on high-CO(2) foliage grew more slowly and experienced greater mortality, especially in early instars, than those raised on low-CO(2) foliage. Poor larval performance on high-CO(2) foliage was probably due to the reduced foliar water and nitrogen concentrations of those plants and not to changes in the concentration of the defensive compounds, iridoid glycosides. Adult pupal weight and female fecundity were not affected by the CO(2) environment of the host plant. These results indicate that interactions between plants and herbivorous insects will be modified under the predicted CO(2) conditions of the 21st century. PMID- 17799902 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17799903 TI - Halcyon days: what mad pursuit. PMID- 17799904 TI - Chromatin research surveyed: chromatin. PMID- 17799905 TI - An area of deformation: tectonic evolution of the himalayas and tibet. PMID- 17799906 TI - Lick observatory: eye on the sky. PMID- 17799908 TI - CONVOCATION WEEK. PMID- 17799907 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17799909 TI - SOME RECENT PHASES OF THE LABOR PROBLEM. PMID- 17799910 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PMID- 17799911 TI - MUTATION AND SELECTION. PMID- 17799912 TI - MORGAN ON EVOLUTION AND ADAPTATION. PMID- 17799914 TI - THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17799913 TI - WILBUR WRIGHT'S SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT IN A MOTOR-DRIVEN AEROPLANE. PMID- 17799916 TI - Erratum. AB - In two Research News articles by Arthur L. Robinson (24 Aug., p. 822; 14 Sept., p. 1137), the affiliations of three researchers were given incorrectly. Peter Smith and Thirumalai Venkatesan (24 Aug.) are with Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), not AT&T Bell Laboratories, as stated. David Hwang (14 Sept.) is also with Bellcore. PMID- 17799915 TI - Hypertension and calcium. PMID- 17799917 TI - Let them eat cake. PMID- 17799918 TI - Trapped ions, laser cooling, and better clocks. AB - Ions that are stored in electromagnetic "traps" provid the basis for extremely high resolution spectroscopy. By using lasers, the kinetic energy of the ions can be cooled to millikelvin temperatures, thereby suppressing Doppler frequency shifts. Potential accuracies of frequency standards and clocks based on such experiments are anticipated to be better than one part in 10(15). PMID- 17799920 TI - Ohio state offers to buy back its telescope. PMID- 17799919 TI - Universities prevail on secrecy. PMID- 17799921 TI - Big Boost for AID Population Budget. PMID- 17799923 TI - Leadership suffering on many college campuses. PMID- 17799922 TI - Comings and goings. PMID- 17799924 TI - Congress Approves Nuclear Weapons Buildup: Most of the Administration's proposals are financially unscathed, despite a prolonged debate and much public criticism. PMID- 17799926 TI - How fast is oil running out? PMID- 17799925 TI - New Clues to Developmental Timing: Genes that affect developmental timing have been identified; they may serve as raw material for evolutionary change. PMID- 17799927 TI - Cutmarked bones: look, no hands. PMID- 17799929 TI - Season of death indicates mastodon hunting. PMID- 17799928 TI - Reading old bones: the problems. PMID- 17799930 TI - Bone tools from olduvai gorge. PMID- 17799931 TI - Particle physics: concepts of particle physics. PMID- 17799932 TI - Nuclear reactions: direct nuclear reactions. PMID- 17799933 TI - Avogadro and his work: amedeo avogadro. PMID- 17799934 TI - Social psychology: social cognition. PMID- 17799935 TI - Energy conservation through more efficient lighting. AB - The efficiency of a mercury-rare gas electrical discharge, which forms the basis of a fluorescent lamp, can be increased about 5 percent simply by increasing the concentration of mercury-196 from 0.146 percent (natural) to about 3 percent. These findings can be implemented immediately without any significant change in the process of manufacturing of this widely used source of illumination, provided that mercury-196 can be obtained economically. The potential energy savings for the United States are estimated to be worth in excess of $200 million per year. PMID- 17799936 TI - Iridium anomaly in the upper devonian of the canning basin, Western australia. AB - A moderate iridium anomaly, about 20 times the local background, has been found in Upper Devonian rocks in the Canning Basin. It occurs at or near the Frasnian Famennian boundary, which is known to be associated with a major massextinction event of global extent. The anomaly occurs in an extremely condensed limestone sequence laid down under quiet deepwater conditions. Its occurrence suggests a causal link with some form of meteoroid impact. Moreover, carbon isotope data indicate that a large reduction in biomass could have occurred at this level. However, the anomaly coincides with a stromatolite bed containing the fossil cyanobacterium Frutexites; iridium, platinum, iron, manganese, cobalt, arsenic, antimony, and cerium are preferentially concentrated in filaments of this organism, with concentrations ranging from two to five times that of the matrix. It is possible that Frutexites extracted these elements directly from seawater, without the need for their derivation from an extraterrestrial source. PMID- 17799937 TI - A new basis for recognizing the paleocene/eocene boundary in Western interior north america. AB - Fossil pollen grains from Paleocene-Eocene rocks of the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming allow important sequences of terrestrial vertebrate fossils to be correlated with standard marine microfossil zonations. The Paleocene/Eocene boundary as based on pollen evidence falls within the Wasatchian land mammal age, much higher than the boundary used by some fossil mammal workers. This discrepancy partly results from multiple definitions of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary but may also indicate faulty mammal-based correlations to the type Sparnacian of France. PMID- 17799938 TI - Cretaceous-paleocene terrestrial faunas of India: lack of endemism during drifting of the Indian plate. AB - Recent paleontological investigations of six sections fringing the Deccan volcanic outcrops of the Indian peninsula indicate that terrestrial faunas during the Cretaceous-Paleocene transition lacked the endemism predicted by geophysical models of an oceanically isolated Indian subcontinent. At the generic and familial level there is a close correspondence between the Cretaceous vertebrates of peninsular India, Africa, and Madagascar. This suggests that a dispersal corridor, consisting of presently submerged aseismic elements (the Mascarene Plateau and the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge), existed between these landmasses about 80 million years ago as India drifted close to eastern Africa. PMID- 17799939 TI - Noninvasive three-dimensional computer imaging of matrix-filled fossil skulls by high-resolution computed tomography. AB - A noninvasive computer imaging technique allows three-dimensional images of fossil skulls to be generated from two-dimensional serial computerized tomographic scan data. The computer programs can "dissect" the skull in different planes by making portions of it and any obstructing matrix transparent in order to reveal intracranial morphology. The computer image is geometrically precise so that linear distances, angles, areas, volumes, and evaluations of symmetry can be determined. PMID- 17799941 TI - THE WORK OF DEAN H. L. RUSSELL. PMID- 17799940 TI - THE FUTURE OF THE SIGMA XI. PMID- 17799943 TI - THE COST OF ROAST PIG. PMID- 17799942 TI - THE PRIESTLEY MEMORIAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799944 TI - A NEW CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17799945 TI - BOTRYTIS AND SCLEROTINIA. PMID- 17799946 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17799947 TI - INTRA-VITAM COLOR REACTIONS. PMID- 17799948 TI - VALENCE. PMID- 17799949 TI - SOME RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PHYSICS OF THE AIR. II. PMID- 17799950 TI - A STANDARD SCIENTIFIC ALPHABET. PMID- 17799951 TI - NONSILVERABLE CONTAINERS FOR SILVERING MIRRORS. PMID- 17799952 TI - SYSTEMATIC PAPERS PUBLISHED IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE. PMID- 17799953 TI - BOTANICAL ABSTRACTS. PMID- 17799955 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17799956 TI - A BIO-CHEMICAL THEORY OF THE ORIGIN OF INDIANAITE. PMID- 17799954 TI - NON-SPECIFIC PROTEIN ANTIGENS PREPARED FROM SHATTERED HEMO-PROTEINS. PMID- 17799959 TI - NIH: Budget Hits $1-Billion Mark for First Time, But No One Seems To Be in a Mood for Celebration. PMID- 17799957 TI - Bigotry in Science. PMID- 17799958 TI - Superconductivity. PMID- 17799961 TI - Lie Detectors: Sleuthing by Polygraph Increasingly Popular; Claims of Accuracy Are Unproved. PMID- 17799960 TI - Education: PSAC Panel Draws On Experience of Curriculum Reform To Point Way to Wider Innovation. PMID- 17799962 TI - The Exploding Galaxy M82: Evidence for the Existence of a Large-Scale Magnetic Field. AB - Photographs of galaxy M82 obtained in blue light show the existence of a previously unknown system of large-scale filaments extending 4000 parsec (1.2 X 10(22) cm) above and below the fundamental plane of the galaxy along the minor axis. These filaments emit continuous radiation that is highly polarized, with the electric vector predominately perpendicular to the filamentary structure. A plausible interpretation is that the radiation is optical synchrotron emission caused by relativistic electrons spiraling in a large-scale magnetic field. To produce radiation in visual wavelengths, the electron energies must be in the range 10(3) to 10(4) Bev if the magnetic field is between 10(-5) and 10(-6) gauss. PMID- 17799963 TI - Fission Damage in Calcite and the Dating of Carbonates. AB - Fission damage induced in calcite is shown by etch pits developed with weak acid at the damage sites. The damage can be differentiated from dislocations by annealing. By this method we have observed fossil fission damage in natural samples. Thus, some etch pits previously attributed to dislocations actually result from such damage. Annealing studies indicate that the damage should persist for about 4 x 10(7) years at 50 degrees C, and direct evidence suggests that the fission damage has persisted for at least 10(4) years in one specimen. PMID- 17799965 TI - Electron Microscopy. PMID- 17799964 TI - Electrokinetic Behavior of Ion-Exchange Resin. AB - If a bed of ion-exchange beads immersed in water is subjected to a vertical electrical field of appropriate strength and polarity, vertical chains of the beads are formed at the surface of the bed. PMID- 17799967 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17799966 TI - Laser Flash Lamps. PMID- 17799969 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799968 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799970 TI - Auto-safety research. PMID- 17799972 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799971 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17799973 TI - Grants and copyrights. PMID- 17799974 TI - The need for leaders. PMID- 17799975 TI - Federal money and university research. PMID- 17799976 TI - Vegetation: identification of typal communities. PMID- 17799977 TI - Absolute dating and the astronomical theory of glaciation. PMID- 17799978 TI - Fund cuts, technical troubles slow surveyor, voyager programs. PMID- 17799979 TI - Congress: productive year is seen despite Vietnam. PMID- 17799980 TI - Earth's Viscosity. AB - Seismic methods are now being used to determine not only Earth's elastic properties, but also by how much it departs from a perfectlyelastic body. The seismic anelasticity (Q) varies by several orders of magnitude throughout the mantle, the main feature being an extremely dissipative zone in the upper mantle above 400 kilometers. Recent determinations of viscosity by McConnell show a similar trend. The two sets of data indicate that the ratio of viscosity to Q is roughly a constant, at least in the upper mantle of Earth. On the assumption that this relation is valid for the rest of Earth, viscosities are estimated in regions that are inaccessible for direct measurement. The implied presence of a low-viscosity zone in the upper mantle, overlying a more viscous, less deformable, lower mantle, reconciles viscosites calculated from the shape of Earth and from postglacial uplift. The mismatch of the deformational characteristics at various levels in Earth, coupled with the changing rate of rotation, may be pertinent to the rate of release of seismic energy as a function of depth. PMID- 17799981 TI - Manganese nodules: their evolution. AB - That manganese nodules and adjacent deep-sea sediments are accumulating manganese at almost the same rate has been established by thorium-230 dating of both sediments and nodules of known manganese content. The rate of manganese deposition is nearly constant over the world oceans. A relatively simple model of nodule evolution explains the distribution of manganese nodules between sediment column and sediment-water interface; the model appears to apply to other trace elements such as copper, nickel, and cobalt. PMID- 17799982 TI - Sponge: effect on the form of reef corals. AB - The sponge, Mycale laevis, when encrusting the lower surfaces of flattened reef corals, induces marked peripheral folding of the host colonies. This relationship, though facultative, has advantages for both associates. The sponge has a continually enlarging substrate that is free from competitive sessile forms. The coral may benefit from an increased feeding efficiency as a result of water currents produced by the sponge and it is protected from invasion by boring forms, notably clionid sponges. PMID- 17799983 TI - Spectral Sensitivity of the Scallop Pecten maximus. AB - The spectral sensitivity of the scallop Pecten maximus was determined behavorially; the shadow reflex was used as the index of sensitivity. The photopic visibility curve displays two prominent peaks, one at approximately 480 mmicro, and the other with wavelength maximum at approximately 540 mmicro. Reduction of background illumination results in a great increase in sensitivity at 480 mmicro relative to the 540-mmicro peak. This suggests that the scallop may possess photoreceptors that behave like rods in vertebrates. sensitivity of this animal. PMID- 17799984 TI - Congenital malformations and cancer: United States-Japan cooperative science program. PMID- 17799986 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17799985 TI - Seaweed. PMID- 17799987 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17799989 TI - A simple calendar reform. PMID- 17799988 TI - The north magnetic pole. PMID- 17799991 TI - A new method of arranging entomological collections. PMID- 17799990 TI - Total eclipse of the sun in August, 1886. PMID- 17799992 TI - Ingersoll's 'Country cousins.'. PMID- 17799993 TI - TOO MANY NAUTICAL ALMANACS. PMID- 17799994 TI - THE GEOGRAPHICAL WORK OF THE GREELY EXPEDITION. PMID- 17799995 TI - THE CONFIGURATION OF GRINNELL LAND AND ELLESMERE LAND. PMID- 17799997 TI - DO ANIMALS EXCRETE FREE NITROGEN? PMID- 17799996 TI - PALENQUE VISITED BY CORTEZ. PMID- 17799998 TI - CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. PMID- 17800000 TI - THE COAL QUESTION IN ENGLAND. PMID- 17799999 TI - THE BRITISH NAUTICAL ALMANAC. PMID- 17800001 TI - PREHISTORIC AMERICA. PMID- 17800002 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MICROSCOPISTS. PMID- 17800003 TI - A HANDBOOK OF HEALTHY AND DISEASED MEAT. PMID- 17800004 TI - THURSTON'S METALLIC ALLOYS. PMID- 17800005 TI - THE PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17800006 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17800007 TI - NATURE AND FATE OF THE METEOR CRATER BOLIDE. PMID- 17800008 TI - MICROPHONIC ACTION IN TELEPHONE TRANSMITTERS. PMID- 17800009 TI - DISCONTINUANCE OF THE LA JOLLA PEROMYSCUS PROGRAM. PMID- 17800010 TI - CIRCULAR SHADOWS FROM VORTICES. PMID- 17800011 TI - PHYSICOCHEMICAL PHENOMENA IN THE ANTARCTIC. PMID- 17800012 TI - PLANETARY SYSTEMS. PMID- 17800013 TI - AN OBJECTIVE METHOD OF EVALUATING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE. PMID- 17800014 TI - THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ADDISON'S DISEASE WITH THE "CORTICAL HORMONE" OF SWINGLE AND PFIFFNER. PMID- 17800015 TI - ON THE CHEMICAL ALTERATION OF PURIFIED ANTIBODY-PROTEINS. PMID- 17800016 TI - SAMUEL WILLIAM JOHNSON. PMID- 17800017 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SECTION. PMID- 17800019 TI - THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE RUSSIAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17800018 TI - VACCINE THERAPY AND IMMUNIZATION. PMID- 17800020 TI - THE COUNTRY BOY. PMID- 17800022 TI - DOCTORATES CONFERRED BY AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17800021 TI - THE NOMENCLATORIAL COURT. PMID- 17800023 TI - NITRIFYING BACTERIA IN NORTH CAROLINA SOILS. PMID- 17800024 TI - ON MAGNETIZATION BY ANGULAR ACCELERATION. PMID- 17800025 TI - SECOND ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE OF THE GEOLOGISTS OF THE NORTH-EASTERN UNITED STATES. PMID- 17800026 TI - Secondary-School Science and Mathematics. PMID- 17800027 TI - Traveling High-School Science Libraries. PMID- 17800028 TI - H. Devaux, Plant Physiologist, Pioneer of Surface Physics. PMID- 17800029 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17800031 TI - On the Presence of Free Sugars in Filtered Lake Water. PMID- 17800030 TI - Consistent Running Records. PMID- 17800032 TI - Survival of Amino Acids in Marine Sediments. PMID- 17800034 TI - Peralta Complex--a Sonoran Variant of the Cochise Culture. PMID- 17800033 TI - Method for Predicting Amount of Strontium-89 in Marine Fishes by External Monitoring. PMID- 17800036 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17800038 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17800037 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17800039 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17800041 TI - In reply: DNA fingerprinting. PMID- 17800040 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "The response of living cells to very weak electric fields: The thermal noise limit" by J. C. Weaver and R. D. Astumian (26 Jan., p. 459), figures 2 and 3 on page 461 were inadvertently interchanged. The captions were correct. PMID- 17800043 TI - Counting on new nukes. PMID- 17800042 TI - Quasicrystals: rules of the game. PMID- 17800044 TI - AAAS Rides Electronic Wave. PMID- 17800045 TI - Soviet reforms: promises, promises. PMID- 17800046 TI - U.s. Math: not asking much. PMID- 17800047 TI - Laser foundation suspends 1990 awards. PMID- 17800048 TI - Yeast researcher rises to top at whitehead. PMID- 17800049 TI - Sharp's Reversal Shocks MIT Campus. PMID- 17800050 TI - Monsanto renews ties to washington university. PMID- 17800052 TI - Where have all the froggies gone? PMID- 17800051 TI - Feud flares over thallium superconductor. PMID- 17800053 TI - Electricity by serendipity. PMID- 17800055 TI - Asian-american to lead berkeley. PMID- 17800054 TI - Packing Your n-Dimensional Marbles. PMID- 17800056 TI - Noli me tangere. PMID- 17800057 TI - Wyngaarden to NAS. PMID- 17800058 TI - Funds Flow to HUGO. PMID- 17800059 TI - GYRO Experiment Findings Nixed. PMID- 17800060 TI - Biological feedbacks in global desertification. AB - Studies of ecosystem processes on the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico suggest that longterm grazing of semiarid grasslands leads to an increase in the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of water, nitrogen, and other soil resources. Heterogeneity of soil resources promotes invasion by desert shrubs, which leads to a further localization of soil resources under shrub canopies. In the barren area between shrubs, soil fertility is lost by erosion and gaseous emissions. This positive feedback leads to the desertification of formerly productive land in southern New Mexico and in other regions, such as the Sahel. Future desertification is likely to be exacerbated by global climate warming and to cause significant changes in global biogeochemical cycles. PMID- 17800061 TI - Gamma rays and neutrinos as clues to the origin of high energy cosmic rays. AB - Compact regions in the Milky Way, such as accreting degenerate binary stars, may be sites of acceleration of particles with energies far greater than produced at any man-made accelerator, present or proposed. If so, they would emit characteristic neutral radiation of ultra-high energy, which might be strong enough to be detectable at Earth. The quest for these faint but energetic signals is the focus of more than 50 large, ground-based experiments that are looking for high energy photons or neutrinos from point sources in our galaxy and beyond. Several sources have been claimed, but the signals appear to have unexpected and puzzling features that must be clarified before the field can settle into a routine phase of systematic investigation. In the meantime, the potentially profound implications for particle physics, as well as astrophysics, make this field one of intense activity. PMID- 17800062 TI - Ceramic thin films: fabrication and applications. AB - Ceramics are a distinct class ofmaterials whose properties range from extreme hardness to unique electrical behavior. New methods of creating thin films of complex oxides and electronic ceramics allow the integration of these properties with semiconductor technology and raise the possibility of a new range of electronic devices. PMID- 17800063 TI - A Wave Dynamical Interpretation of Saturn's Polar Hexagon. AB - The hexagonal, pole-centered cloud feature in Saturn's northern atmosphere, as revealed in Voyager close-encounter imaging mosaics, may be interpreted as a stationary Rossby wave. The wave is embedded within a sharply peaked eastward jet (of 100 meters per second) and appears to be perturbed by at least one anticyclonic oval vortex immediately to the south. The effectively exact observational determination of the horizontal wave number and phase speed, applied to a simple model dispersion relation, suggests that the wave is vertically trapped and provides a diagnostic template for further modeling of the deep atmospheric stratification. PMID- 17800064 TI - The strange periodic comet machholz. AB - The recently discovered periodic comet Machholz 1986 VIII (1986e) travels closer to the sun than any known planet and any known comet with an orbital period of less than 150 years, thus providing astronomers with a unique object for studying cometary evolution. The comet is spiraling steadily closer to the sun, from perihelion distance q [unknown] 0.9 astronomical unit at about A.D. 700 to q [unknown] 0.13 at present (orbital period, 5.25 years), to an expected q [unknown] 0.03 by about 2450; should the comet survive such increasingly close perihelion passages, q will begin steadily to increase shortly thereafter. A review of observations made since discovery is presented, together with a discussion of numerical investigations of the comet's orbit over 4000 years and prospects for observing the upcoming return to perihelion in 1991. PMID- 17800065 TI - Gaussian free-energy dependence of electron-transfer rates in iridium complexes. AB - The kinetics of photoinduced electron-transfer (ET) reactions have been measured in a series of synthetic donor-acceptor complexes. The electron donors are singlet or triplet excited iridium(I) dimers (Ir(2)), and the acceptors are N alkylpyridinium groups covalently bound to phosphinite ligands on the Ir(2) core. Rate constants for excited-state ET range from 3.5 x 10(6) to 1.1 x 10(11) per second, and thermal back ET (pyridinium radical to Ir(2)(+)) rates vary from 2.0 x 10(10) to 6.7 x 10(7) per second. The variation of these rates with driving force is in remarkably good agreement with the Marcus theory prediction of a Gaussian free-energy dependence. PMID- 17800066 TI - Direct coupling of marine invertebrate spawning with phytoplankton blooms. AB - Spawning of green sea urchins and blue mussels may be triggered by a heat-stable metabolite released by various species of phytoplankton. Mussels require a higher phytoplankton density for a maximum response than urchins, perhaps because mussels are exposed to higher concentrations of phytoplankton as a result of their filtering activity. Phytoplankton as a spawning cue appears to integrate numerous physical and biotic factors indicating favorable conditions for larval growth and survival. Evolution of similar direct coupling of the larval phase with phytoplankton blooms may be common among marine invertebrates. PMID- 17800067 TI - Stable carbon isotopic evidence for carbon limitation in hydrothermal vent vestimentiferans. AB - Stable carbon isotope composition (delta(13)C values) can be used to evaluate an animal's source of nutritional carbon. Most animals with chemoautotrophic endosymbionts have quite negative tissue delta(13)C values due to discrimination against (13)C associated with chemoautotrophic assimilation of inorganic carbon. However, the delta(13)C values of hydrothermal vent (HTV) vestimentiferans are significantly higher than the values reported for non-HTV vestimentiferans or other invertebrates with chemoautotrophic endosymbionts. Tissue delta(13)C values of two species of HTV vestimentiferans increase with increasing size of the animals. This relation supports the hypothesis that the relatively high delta(13)C values are the result of inorganic carbon limitation during carbon fixation. A more favorable relation between gas exchange and carbon fixation in the smaller individuals is expected, due to differences in the geometric scaling of gas-exchange surfaces and trophosome volume. PMID- 17800068 TI - Crater lake: an ecosystem study. PMID- 17800069 TI - Awards at AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17800070 TI - African science symposium and journals project. PMID- 17800071 TI - West coast r&d conference. PMID- 17800072 TI - Arctic division meeting 11 to 13 october. PMID- 17800073 TI - Symposium Ideas: 1991 Meeting in Washington, DC. PMID- 17800074 TI - U.s.-Chilean research grants. PMID- 17800076 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17800075 TI - The art of science and technology. PMID- 17800081 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17800077 TI - The Sociolinguistics of the Deaf Community. Ceil Lucas, Ed. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1989. xiv, 307 pp., illus. $45. PMID- 17800082 TI - METHODS OF INVESTIGATION IN POLITICAL ECONOMY. PMID- 17800083 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17800084 TI - RAILROAD TO MERV, BOKHARA, AND SAMARKAND. PMID- 17800085 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17800086 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17800087 TI - WASHINGTON LETTER. PMID- 17800088 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17800089 TI - Eskimo building-snow. PMID- 17800090 TI - 'Chinook winds.'. PMID- 17800091 TI - Stepniak's 'Russia under the tzars.'. PMID- 17800092 TI - The claimed wheat and rye hybrid. PMID- 17800093 TI - The festoon cloud. PMID- 17800095 TI - The cherry tortrix. PMID- 17800094 TI - Ruminants of the Copper-River region, Alaska. PMID- 17800096 TI - Topographical models or relief-maps. PMID- 17800097 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17800098 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800099 TI - SOME PROBLEMS IN EVOLUTION. PMID- 17800100 TI - THE SPIRIT OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17800101 TI - THE CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN IONS IN THE SOIL. PMID- 17800102 TI - THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE CONCILIUM BIBLIOGRAPHICUM. PMID- 17800103 TI - FUR SEALS OFF THE FARALLONS. PMID- 17800104 TI - THE PHYSICAL MUSEUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. PMID- 17800105 TI - HOW TO DO RESEARCH. PMID- 17800106 TI - A SIMPLE MICRO-INJECTION APPARATUS MADE OF STEEL. PMID- 17800107 TI - ON THE EMISSION AND ABSORPTION OF OXYGEN AND AIR IN THE EXTREME ULTRA-VIOLET. PMID- 17800108 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800109 TI - Hybrid Seed Corn. PMID- 17800110 TI - Thomas Hunt Morgan 1866-1945. PMID- 17800112 TI - Occurrence of Mitotic Crossing-over Without Meiotic Crossing-over. PMID- 17800111 TI - Clarence Erwin McClung 1870-1946. PMID- 17800113 TI - Linkage and Crossing-over Between Black Pigmentation and Susceptibility to Induced Fibrosarcoma in Mice. PMID- 17800114 TI - Haploidy as a Factor in the Polymorphic Differentiation of the Hymenoptera. PMID- 17800116 TI - Statement Concerning S. 1850: Committee Supporting the Bush Report. PMID- 17800115 TI - Carcinogenic Substances From Pituitary Glands of Cattle. AB - Lipid extracts from the pituitary gland of cattle were prepared which, when injected into a pure strain of white mice, caused development of malignant tumors in 26.8 per cent of the 67 animals injected, which corresponds with the numerical results obtained by investigators working with human liver extracts. Evidently the carcinogenic power of these lipid extracts is low. The tumors developed chiefly in organs at a distance from the site of injection, exhibiting various histological types including carcinoma as well as sarcoma. The tumors developed at an earlier date after injection of extracts from the anterior lobe as compared with those developing after injection of the posterior lobe extracts, the average period of time necessary for their development being 9.3 months for the anterior lobe extracts and 14 months for posterior lobe extracts. PMID- 17800117 TI - Nucleosis of Skeletal Muscle: Its Value as a Biological Test. PMID- 17800119 TI - Chloride-free Filter Paper. PMID- 17800118 TI - On the Fluorometric Determination of Nicotinamide. PMID- 17800120 TI - Science and Mankind's Plight. PMID- 17800121 TI - Genetics and Biological Theory. PMID- 17800122 TI - Pathogenesis of Kernicterus. PMID- 17800123 TI - The Atomic Bomb and the Anthropologists. PMID- 17800124 TI - Are Scientists Irresponsibles? PMID- 17800125 TI - "Say It Ain't So!". PMID- 17800126 TI - The Next Budget: The President Is Saying a Few Things He Cannot Really Believe. PMID- 17800127 TI - Soviet-American Exchanges: For Different Reasons, Both Sides Find Them Advantageous. PMID- 17800128 TI - Longevity of Fusarium oxysporum in Soil Tube Culture. AB - In soil tube culture, representatives of three biologic forms of Fusarium oxysporum survived unchanged morphologically for 11 years or more. An isolate of the muskmelon wilt fungus remained viable after 17 years' storage in dry air at a temperature of from 3 degrees to 4 degrees C. The surviving unit was found to be the chlamydospore. PMID- 17800129 TI - Photoperiodic Response of an Albino Mutant of Einkorn Wheat in Aseptic Culture. AB - An albino mutant of einkorn wheat which lacks plastid pigments was cultured in a test tube on nutrient agar medium containing 8 percent sucrose, under long and short photoperiods. The plants showed typical photoperiodic responses to long and short days, suggesting the presence of a pigment system, other than plastid pigments, which is sensitive to dim radiation. PMID- 17800130 TI - 128th Annual Meating. PMID- 17800131 TI - Program Summary. PMID- 17800132 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17800134 TI - Drugs and the Kefauver Bill. PMID- 17800133 TI - U.S. Strategy. PMID- 17800135 TI - Rainfall Singularities. PMID- 17800136 TI - Complete Disarmament. PMID- 17800137 TI - Exporting Universities. PMID- 17800138 TI - Discovery and Obligation. PMID- 17800139 TI - Classroom Teaching and Research. PMID- 17800140 TI - Radioimmunoassay instrumentation. PMID- 17800141 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17800142 TI - XYY Genotype. PMID- 17800143 TI - Particle Discoveries at SLAC. PMID- 17800144 TI - Journal reviews. PMID- 17800145 TI - Bicentennial bells. PMID- 17800147 TI - Promising chimpanzee. PMID- 17800146 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17800148 TI - Social determinism and behavioral genetics. PMID- 17800150 TI - Technical Assistance and Foreign Policy: A different world environment has made it fashionable to throw S & T into the foreign policy breach. PMID- 17800149 TI - Energy Analysis and Public Policy: The energy unit measures environmental consequences, economic costs, material needs, and resource availability. PMID- 17800151 TI - Technology incentives program: success or a phony hard sell? PMID- 17800152 TI - Medicine without frills: a rural hospital in Colombia. PMID- 17800153 TI - Guerillas throw monkey wrench into chimp research. PMID- 17800154 TI - Science adviser bill moves forward in congress. PMID- 17800155 TI - Claim to spanish treasure ship disputed. PMID- 17800156 TI - Preventive medicine: legislation calls for health education. AB - It appears that therapeutic medicine, important as it is, may have reached a point of diminishing returns. The 12 to 15 percent increases that we are adding to our hundred billion dollar health care bill each year-even the portion that is not caused by inflation-apparently have only a marginal utility. PMID- 17800157 TI - Astronomy from Space: New Class of X-ray Sources Found. PMID- 17800158 TI - Antibody structure: now in three dimensions. PMID- 17800159 TI - Paleoclimatological analysis of late quaternary cores from the northeastern gulf of Mexico. AB - Oxygen isotopic, radiocarbon, and micropaleontological analysis of deep-sea cores from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico identify an episode of rapid ice melting and sea-level rise at about 9600 years B.C. This age coincides, within the limits of all errors, with the age of the Valders ice readvance and with the age assigned by Plato to the flood he describes. PMID- 17800160 TI - Spatial scales of current speed and phytoplankton biomass fluctuations in lake tahoe. AB - Spectral analysis of current speed and chlorophyll a measurements in Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, indicates that considerably more variance exists at longer length scales in chlorophyll than in the current speeds. Increasingly, above scales of approximately 100 meters, chlorophyll does not behave as a simple passive contaminant distributed by turbulence, which indicates that biological processes contribute significantly to the observed variance at these large length scales. PMID- 17800162 TI - Rotational viscometer. PMID- 17800161 TI - Hematocrit centrifuge. PMID- 17800163 TI - Liquid sample concentrator. PMID- 17800165 TI - Disposable culture tubes. PMID- 17800164 TI - Cell culturing station. PMID- 17800166 TI - Laboratory instrument programmer. PMID- 17800167 TI - Gonio-microreflectometer systems. PMID- 17800168 TI - Pyranometer sensor and integrator. PMID- 17800169 TI - Acoustic microscope. PMID- 17800170 TI - Literature. PMID- 17800171 TI - Centrifuge. PMID- 17800172 TI - Ionized calcium analyzer. PMID- 17800173 TI - Automated tape library. PMID- 17800174 TI - Particle counter. PMID- 17800175 TI - Lyman alpha optical filters. PMID- 17800177 TI - THE ETHER DRIFT. PMID- 17800176 TI - Lyman alpha radiation source. PMID- 17800178 TI - THE 200-INCH TELESCOPE OF THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE. PMID- 17800179 TI - TRACHOMA AND BLINDNESS. PMID- 17800181 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS. PMID- 17800180 TI - THE SUPERSONIC SUBMARINE FINDER. PMID- 17800182 TI - MR. HOOVER'S TRIBUTE TO MR. EDISON. PMID- 17800183 TI - DR. WILLIAM BEAUMONT, AN APPRECIATION. PMID- 17800184 TI - TEN YEARS OF STATISTICAL STUDIES OF MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON AT THE SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY. PMID- 17800185 TI - HOTELS FOR THE DES MOINES MEETING. PMID- 17800186 TI - THE NEW VOLUME OF SUMMARIZED PROCEEDINGS. PMID- 17800187 TI - IS THERE AN AGE DEAD-LINE IN THE SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING PROFESSIONS? PMID- 17800188 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17800189 TI - A STARFISH ATTEMPTS TO INGEST A MINNOW. PMID- 17800190 TI - DESCRIPTION OF AN ALLIGATOR NEST. PMID- 17800191 TI - PEOPLE ATTACKED BY AN OWL. PMID- 17800193 TI - NOTE ON PREPARATION OF COLLODION BAGS. PMID- 17800192 TI - ADAPTATION OF RICE TO FORTY CENTURIES OF AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17800194 TI - AN IDEAL MOUNTING MEDIUM FOR MYCOLOGISTS. PMID- 17800196 TI - DOCTORATES CONFERRED BY AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17800195 TI - THE MORPHOLOGY OF HAEMOPROTEUS LOPHORTYX SP. NOV. PMID- 17800198 TI - FORMATIVE MUSEUM PERIOD. PMID- 17800197 TI - A BASIS OF SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. PMID- 17800199 TI - THE LARYNX AS A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. PMID- 17800200 TI - THE ORIGIN OF TRAVERTINE FALLS AND REEFS. PMID- 17800201 TI - THE BOTANIST'S JOURNEY TO THE DENVER MEETING OF THE A. A. A. S. PMID- 17800202 TI - PSEUDOSCOPIC VISION WITHOUT A PSEUDOSCOPE. PMID- 17800203 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800204 TI - THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800206 TI - HUGH MCCORMICK SMITH. PMID- 17800205 TI - THE COSMICAL ABUNDANCE OF THE ELEMENTS. PMID- 17800207 TI - RESULTS OF THE ECLIPSE EXPEDITION OF 1940. PMID- 17800208 TI - THE "B-COMPLEX" AWARD OF MEAD JOHNSON AND COMPANY. PMID- 17800209 TI - THE ENGINEERS' DEFENSE BOARD. PMID- 17800211 TI - THE 1941 RUMFORD AWARD OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17800210 TI - DR. JESSUP SUCCEEDS DR. KEPPEL AS PRESIDENT OF THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION. PMID- 17800212 TI - COLLEGES AND THE CHANGING HIGH SCHOOLS. PMID- 17800214 TI - P-AMINOBENZOIC ACID, AN ESSENTIAL METABOLITE FOR AUTOTROPHIC ORGANISMS. PMID- 17800213 TI - CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS, A NEW VECTOR OF PLASMODIUM GALLINACEUM. PMID- 17800215 TI - POLISHED AREAS ON GRANITIC PORPHYRIES OF THE HUECO AND CORNUDAS MOUNTAINS OF TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO. PMID- 17800216 TI - MR. KEPPEL'S ACHIEVEMENT. PMID- 17800217 TI - THE SIZE OF STREPTOCOCCUS BACTERIO-PHAGES AS DETERMINED BY X-RAY INACTIVATION. PMID- 17800218 TI - THE DETECTION OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN FLIES. PMID- 17800219 TI - THE LOCALIZATION OF THE NICOTINE SYNTHETIC MECHANISM IN THE TOBACCO PLANT. PMID- 17800220 TI - A NEW TYPE OF MICRO-RESPIROMETER. PMID- 17800221 TI - A QUALITATIVE TEST FOR BILE IN THE URINE. PMID- 17800222 TI - A NEW ANESTHETIC. PMID- 17800224 TI - INVISIBLE LIGHT. PMID- 17800223 TI - RADIUM AND RADON. PMID- 17800225 TI - GOLD FROM MERCURY. PMID- 17800226 TI - FALLACIES ABOUT WOOD. PMID- 17800227 TI - RADIO MOVIES. PMID- 17800228 TI - THE CANADIAN WOOD BUFFALO. PMID- 17800229 TI - VITAMIN X. PMID- 17800231 TI - SOME SUGGESTIONS ON CLASSIFICATION. PMID- 17800230 TI - AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN RELATION TO THE COMMUNITY. PMID- 17800232 TI - GUADALUPE ISLAND: AN OBJECT LESSON IN MAN-CAUSED DEVASTATION. PMID- 17800233 TI - ROGER FREDERIC BRUNEL. PMID- 17800234 TI - THE EXTENSION OF THE YUCCA MOTH. PMID- 17800235 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17800236 TI - ANTI-CONSERVATION PROPAGANDA. PMID- 17800237 TI - THE DEATH OF ARCHIMEDES. PMID- 17800238 TI - NOISE AND HEARING. PMID- 17800239 TI - THE NEW SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AS A SUPPORTER OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17800240 TI - CANCER IN PLANTS AND IN MAN. PMID- 17800241 TI - NOTES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEA-CUCUMBER, THYONE BRIAREUS. PMID- 17800242 TI - HETEROPLASTIC GRAFTS OF THE ANTERIOR LIMB-LEVEL OF THE CORD IN AMBLYSTOMA EMBRYOS. PMID- 17800243 TI - CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN MAMMALS. PMID- 17800244 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800246 TI - ON DUTY-FREE IMPORTATION. PMID- 17800245 TI - DEMOCRATIC COORDINATION OF SCIENTIFIC EFFORTS. PMID- 17800247 TI - THE DIVISION OF ENGINEERING NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17800248 TI - THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800249 TI - THE NEEDS OF PALEOBOTANY. PMID- 17800250 TI - GRAVITATIONAL ATTRACTION AND URANIUM LEAD. PMID- 17800251 TI - WORKING UP IN A SWING. PMID- 17800252 TI - THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF CORONIUM IN HELIUM FROM NATURAL GAS. PMID- 17800253 TI - THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800254 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17800255 TI - Abert's squirrel. PMID- 17800256 TI - A tropical American turtle on Anticosti. PMID- 17800257 TI - The natural gas-wells of north-western Ohio. PMID- 17800258 TI - Professor Hastings's theory of the corona. PMID- 17800259 TI - The classification and paleontology of the U. S. tertiary deposits. PMID- 17800260 TI - The recent Chicago storm and the sun-glow. PMID- 17800261 TI - Premature appearance of the periodical cicada. PMID- 17800262 TI - VEGETABLE MORPHOLOGY A CENTURY AGO.--Linne and Wolff. PMID- 17800263 TI - VELOCITY AND SEDIMENT. PMID- 17800264 TI - AMERICAN CLIMATOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800265 TI - CURVED BACILLI IN AIR AND WATER. PMID- 17800266 TI - HYPODERMIC INJECTION OF CULTURES OF CURVED BACILLI. PMID- 17800268 TI - ELECTRIC LIGHTING ON SHIPBOARD. PMID- 17800267 TI - A RECENT JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE. PMID- 17800269 TI - THE RECENT CHOLERA CONFERENCE IN BERLIN. PMID- 17800270 TI - THE GLACIAL PERIOD IN AUSTRALIA. PMID- 17800271 TI - TEN KATE'S EXPLORATIONS IN WESTERN AMERICA. PMID- 17800273 TI - PROFESSOR MARSH ON THE DINOCERATA. PMID- 17800272 TI - ROLLESTON'S LIFE AND WORK. PMID- 17800274 TI - REPORT OF THE U. S. ENTOMOLOGIST FOR 1884. PMID- 17800275 TI - THE FOUNDERS OF GEOLOGY. PMID- 17800276 TI - CHARACTERS, CONGENITAL AND ACQUIRED II. PMID- 17800277 TI - SOME RECENT OBSERVATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE THYROID GLAND ON METABOLISM. PMID- 17800278 TI - THE ENZYMIC FERMENTS IN PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17800279 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17800281 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS AND AFFILIATED SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17800280 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800283 TI - A NEW DYNAMO AND PROJECTOR. PMID- 17800282 TI - THE AGONOID GENUS PERCIS OF SCOPOLI. PMID- 17800285 TI - NEW JERSEY SANITARY ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800284 TI - TWENTY YEARS. PMID- 17800286 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17800287 TI - BICARBONATE OF SODIUM IN MILK. PMID- 17800288 TI - CREMATION IN PARIS. PMID- 17800290 TI - THE ACIDS OF THE STOMACH. PMID- 17800289 TI - CHOLERA IN PERSIA. PMID- 17800291 TI - HIGH ALTITUDE TREATMENT OF PHTHISIS. PMID- 17800292 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17800293 TI - ANCIENT ARABIA. PMID- 17800294 TI - MR. MACKINDER ON GEOGRAPHY-TEACHING. PMID- 17800295 TI - SPEED OF RAILROAD TRAINS IN EUROPE. PMID- 17800296 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17800297 TI - Is Man Left-Legged? PMID- 17800298 TI - A Belated Dandelion. PMID- 17800300 TI - PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE DISCOVERY OF HUMAN REMAINS IN AN ASPHALT DEPOSIT AT RANCHO LA BREA. PMID- 17800299 TI - SOME ASPECTS OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17800301 TI - THE 72-INCH REFLECTING TELESCOPE FOR CANADA. PMID- 17800302 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17800303 TI - THE PROBLEM OF GRAVITY. PMID- 17800304 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17800305 TI - THE PROPOSED UNION OF SCIENTIFIC WORKERS. PMID- 17800306 TI - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR FILLING AN OSMOMETER. PMID- 17800308 TI - ON THE ANTAGONISTIC ACTION OF SALTS AND ANESTHETICS IN INCREASING PERMEABILITY OF FISH EGGS (PRELIMINARY NOTE). PMID- 17800307 TI - THE RELATION BETWEEN LIZARDS AND PHLEBOTOMUS VERRUCARUM AS INDICATING THE RESERVOIR OF VERRUGA. PMID- 17800309 TI - THE EFFECT OF SOIL CONDITIONS ON THE TASSELS OF MAIZE. PMID- 17800311 TI - THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS AND ITS RELATION TO SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL LABORATORIES. PMID- 17800310 TI - ASCARIS SUUM IN SHEEP. PMID- 17800312 TI - SECTION A, MATHEMATICS AND ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17800313 TI - ALBATROSS EXPEDITION TO THE EASTERN PACIFIC. PMID- 17800314 TI - A BIOLOGICAL STATION IN GREENLAND. PMID- 17800315 TI - THE DEXTER, KANSAS, NITROGEN GAS WELL. PMID- 17800316 TI - THE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. PMID- 17800317 TI - NEW METHODS OF KILLING PROTOZOA IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT. PMID- 17800318 TI - NEW STELLAR SYSTEMS. PMID- 17800319 TI - THE SUN AND THE WEATHER. PMID- 17800320 TI - THE USE OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN DETERMINING FERTILITY OF SOILS. PMID- 17800321 TI - A CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES. PMID- 17800322 TI - MEMORIAL OF THEODORE HOUGH. PMID- 17800323 TI - MEMORIAL OF JACQUES LOEB. PMID- 17800324 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17800325 TI - THE UNDERTOW MYTH. PMID- 17800326 TI - MOSELEYUM. PMID- 17800328 TI - MUSCLE SHOALS VS. MUSSEL SHOALS. PMID- 17800327 TI - TRIPLOIDY IN THE TOMATO. PMID- 17800329 TI - CHROMOSOMES AND SEX IN SCIARA. PMID- 17800331 TI - THE MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17800330 TI - THE EFFECT OF LIGHT ON THE PERMEABILITY OF LECITHIN. PMID- 17800333 TI - THE WESTERN MEETING OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800332 TI - MEETING OF THE UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17800334 TI - National Academy of Sciences: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the Autumn Meeting, October 9-12, 1950, General Electric Company Research Laboratory, Schenectady, New York. PMID- 17800335 TI - The Coloration of the Tail Tip of Young Fer-de-Lances: Sexual Dimorphism rather than Adaptive Coloration. PMID- 17800337 TI - Reactions with 9-Anthraldehyde. PMID- 17800336 TI - A Simple Apparatus for Producing Droplets of Uniform Size from Small Volumes of Liquids. PMID- 17800338 TI - Burt's Tables. PMID- 17800339 TI - Burt's Tables. PMID- 17800340 TI - Science policy in washington. PMID- 17800341 TI - Venice: sea-lagoon exchange in a modified tide regime. AB - Salinity and tide heights recorded for a month at P(0), a point in the northern section of the Venetian lagoon, are the basic experimental data used to construct a numerical model which describes the salinity variations at P(0) as a function of the tides measured at the Lido entrance. The time variation of the salinity pattern iss interpreted in terms of a lagoon system in which a freshwater source of constant intensity is in a quasi-steady equilibrium with a tide-modulated sink. The mean residence time of a contaminant in this simulated lagoon is predicted from the change in the salinity pattern due to a reduction in the entrance size. PMID- 17800343 TI - A preliminary report on three mile island. PMID- 17800342 TI - Calibration of the great american interchange. AB - From radioisotopic (potassium-argon) age determinations of tuffs and magnetostratigraphy of Late Tertiary mammal-bearing beds in Catamarca Province, northwest Argentina, refined estimates have been obtained for the durations and boundaries of beds of Chasicoan (Middle Miocene) through Chapadmalalan (Pliocene) age. An age of 9.0 million years is tentatively accepted for the Chasicoan Huayquerian boundary, 5.0 million years for the Huayquerian-Montehermosan boundary, and 3.0 million years for the Montehermosan-Chapadmalalan boundary. Procyonids (raccoons and their allies), a group of North American origin, are first recorded in South America in a level immediately below a unit dated at 6.0 million years. Cricetine rodents of the tribe Sigmodontini are first recorded in South America in beds of Montehermosan age in Argentina. Ground sloths, a group of South American origin, first appear in North America in Early Hemphillian time in beds dated between 9.5 and 9.0 million years. The Panamanian land bridge was established by 3.0 million years ago, and an interchange of the terrestrial faunas was well under way by Late Blancan time (around 2.5 million years before present) in North America and by Chapadmalalan time in South America. PMID- 17800344 TI - The radiation studies begin. PMID- 17800345 TI - Carter energy proposals are in trouble. PMID- 17800346 TI - New chips shed light on soviet electronics. PMID- 17800347 TI - Carter privacy bills cover research, medicine. PMID- 17800348 TI - Harvard misspending alleged. PMID- 17800349 TI - ... And federal officials learn of hazard in homes. PMID- 17800350 TI - State officials alerted to school asbestos hazard. PMID- 17800351 TI - "Unfaculty" a growing factor in research. PMID- 17800352 TI - Nuclear waste disposal: alternatives to solidification in glass proposed. PMID- 17800353 TI - It's Nothing to Cry About . . PMID- 17800354 TI - Memoirs of a second generation. PMID- 17800355 TI - Educational assessment. PMID- 17800356 TI - Paleolithic sequences in the thar. PMID- 17800357 TI - Gulf stream: velocity fluctuations during the late cenozoic. AB - Biostratigraphic analysis of seven piston cores from the southeastern Blake Plateau suggests that the upper Miocene to Recent sedimentary section at this location represents a history of deposition of calcareous ooze alternating with current-induced nondeposition or erosion. This record is primarily a result of long-term fluctuations in the velocity of the western boundary current or Gulf Stream, which sweeps the plateau. High-velocity phases of this current system, as signaled by hiatuses in the section, lie within the time limits 4.8 to 6.1, 3.9 to 4.4, 2.3 to 2.9, and 0 to 1.5 million years before present (B.P.). These time intervals are coeval with dated episodes of climatic decline and glaciation. The most intense acceleration of the Gulf Stream, as indicated by deep erosion of the Blake Plateau, occurred in the latest Miocene to earliest Pliocene (4.8 to 6.1 million years B.P.) in conjunction with a major expansion of the Antarctic ice cap. Subsequent accelerations of the Gulf Stream coincide with early Pliocene cooling in the Southern Hemisphere, worldwide expansion of high-altitude-high latitude glaciers in the late Pliocene, and the classical glaciations of the Pleistocene. An additional, protracted increase in the average velocity of the Gulf Stream, which began in the late Miocene and culminated in the mid-Pliocene (about 3.8 million years B.P.), can be attributed to the gradual emergence of the Central American isthmus. PMID- 17800358 TI - Dynamic chemical equilibrium in a polar desert pond: a sensitive index of meteorological cycles. AB - The dramatic variation in the composition of a brine pond in Antarctica is a seasonal phenomenon. The phase relations of salts in solution are such that hydrologic conditions and temperature determine composition during the austral summer. Temperature is the primary determinant of composition during the winter. PMID- 17800359 TI - Aluminum leaching response to Acid precipitation: effects on high-elevation watersheds in the northeast. AB - Atmospheric inputs of sulfuric acid and nitric acid to noncalcareous higher elevation watersheds in the White Mountain and Adirondack regions lead to comparatively high concentrations of dissolved aluminum in surface and ground waters. This phenomenon appears to result from modern increases in soil aluminum leaching. Transport of this aluminum to acidified lakes can lead to fish mortality. Combined results from areas of silicate bedrock in the United States and Europe suggest that aluminum represents an important biogeochemical linkage between terrestrial and aquatic environments exposed to acid precipitation. PMID- 17800360 TI - Genetic Self-Incompatibility in Oenothera subsect Euoenothera. AB - Although it has been postulated that genetic self-incompatibility was involved in the origin of complex heterozygotes in Oenothera subsect Euoenothera, it has not been detected in any species of this well-studied group. It is now reported for populations of Oenothera grandiflora from west central Alabama, and should be sought in other populations of this species, which has been in cultivation for nearly two centuries. PMID- 17800361 TI - A theory of diversity equilibrium and morphological evolution. AB - If the world can only support a finite amount of biomass, species might be added over time, with a decrease in population size of an average species. Population sizes of species will decrease to the extent that stochastic events eliminate species as fast as others appear, yielding an equilibrium. A resource diversity control of niche subdivision is therefore not needed to generate an equilibrium number of species. Morphological evolution may decelerate over time for similar reasons. PMID- 17800362 TI - NATO Science. PMID- 17800364 TI - Sorcerer's Apprentice in Academia. PMID- 17800363 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800365 TI - Responsible versus Irresponsible Dissent. PMID- 17800366 TI - Applications of electron spin resonance to gas-phase kinetics. PMID- 17800367 TI - Universities: industry links raise conflict of interest issue. PMID- 17800368 TI - Phase separation in pyrex glass. AB - The contrast between phases in pyrex glass was heightened for viewing in the electron microscope by exchanging silver ions for sodium ions in the glass. The scale of phase separation in pyrex was foud to be about 30 angstroms; sample of commercial soda-lime glass, prepared in the same way, showed no phase separtion. PMID- 17800369 TI - Lunar thermal anomalies: infrared observations. AB - The lunar craters Tycho, Copernicus, and Aristarchus have been observed during lunar night at wavelengths between 3 and 14 microns. After an initial fast decrease to a color temperature of 220 degrees K, the temperature remains nearly constant through the lunar night. The data suggest that these thermal anomalies (craters) contain hot and cold regions with the hot portions constituting 2 to 10 percent of the area and probably thermally connected to a subsurface temperatuer of about 200 degrees K. PMID- 17800370 TI - Olmec cave paintings: discovery from guerrero, Mexico. AB - A cave in Guerrero, Mexico, investigated in 1968, contained previously unreported Olmec paintings. These paintings, some of the oldest known in Mesoamerica, are stylistically similar to Olmec art from the site of LaVenta, on Mexico's Gulf Coast, but contain several important glyphic motifs never previously known to have existed at this time level. The iconography of the paintings confirms several important hypotheses concerning basic concepts of Olmec religion; the cave itself was probably a shrine to water and fertility. Several pre-Hispanic textile fragments found in the cave are probably from a later culture period. PMID- 17800371 TI - International and foreign meetings. PMID- 17800372 TI - THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE. PMID- 17800373 TI - THE PAN-PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS AND THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF HAWAII. PMID- 17800374 TI - THE RESCUED FUR SEAL INDUSTRY. PMID- 17800375 TI - SIDE-TO-SIDE VERSUS END-TO-END CONJUGATION OF CHROMOSOMES IN RELATION TO CROSSING OVER. PMID- 17800376 TI - THE JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY. PMID- 17800377 TI - DESTRUCTION OF ZOOSPORES OF PLANT DISEASE ORGANISMS BY NATURAL ENEMIES. PMID- 17800378 TI - A SIMPLIFIED NON-ABSORBING MOUNTING FOR POROUS PORCELAIN ATMOMETERS. PMID- 17800379 TI - THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800380 TI - Aging and cell division. PMID- 17800381 TI - Computer conferencing. PMID- 17800382 TI - Evolution in high school texts. PMID- 17800383 TI - Peer review: distribution of reviewers. PMID- 17800385 TI - Insect control. PMID- 17800384 TI - Cost of fuel. PMID- 17800386 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800387 TI - Weather modification: possible effects. PMID- 17800388 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800389 TI - Methanol-gasoline fuels. PMID- 17800390 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800391 TI - Preventive technology: a cure for scientific ills. PMID- 17800392 TI - Biomedical leadership: cooper, fredrickson ready to step in. PMID- 17800393 TI - Health education in california: the grand design in trouble. PMID- 17800394 TI - The challenger and the explorer. PMID- 17800395 TI - Rogers morton: the "good soldier%" leaves interior, a troubled agency. PMID- 17800397 TI - Focus on food. PMID- 17800396 TI - Reserve mining (cont.). PMID- 17800398 TI - NAE Elects-86 New Members. PMID- 17800399 TI - Suppressor T cells: role in immune regulation. PMID- 17800400 TI - Astronomers steer students away. PMID- 17800401 TI - Alaskan thermokarst terrain and possible martian analog. AB - A first-order analog to martian fretted terrain has been recognized on enhanced, ERTS-1 (Earth Resources Technology Satellite) imagery of Alaskan Arctic thermokarst terrain. The Alaskan analog displays flat-floored valleys and intervalley uplands characteristic of fretted terrain. The thermokarst terrain has formed in a manner similar to one of the processes postulated for the development of the martian fretted terrain. PMID- 17800402 TI - Nitrogen fixation in a coral reef community. AB - Algal reef flats at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, fix atmospheric nitrogen at rates comparable to those in managed agriculture. The dominant nitrogen fixer appears to be the blue-green alga Calothrix crustacea. Since this nutrient enrichment contributes to the high productivity of adjacent coral reefs and undoubtedly to atoll lagoons, it is recommended that the algal reef flats receive increased conservation priority. PMID- 17800403 TI - Arsenic Tolerance in a Population of the Grass Andropogon scoparius Michx. AB - Samples of Andropogon scoparius Michx. collected on an arsenic mine exhibited a wide range of tolerance to arsenic in solution, whereas plants of the same species growing in uncontaminated soil showed no tolerance. Arsenic tolerance must be an evolved character under genetic control. Furthermore, the degree of tolerance is related to the amount of arsenic in which the plant was growing. PMID- 17800404 TI - Big horn medicine wheel: why was it built? PMID- 17800405 TI - Irrigation increases rainfall? PMID- 17800406 TI - Mission to jupiter and satellites. PMID- 17800407 TI - Voyager telecommunications: the broadcast from jupiter. AB - Sweeping past Jupiter, the Voyager 1 spacecraft presages a new era in the exploration of the solar system. Not since the TV return from Apollo has a spacecraft returned information of such volume and pictures of such startling clarity. Yet this feat was accomplished from a distance 1770 times as great as that of the lunar adventure. The communication system responsible for this remarkable achievement is a oompilation of elements ranging from tiny integrated circuits to enormous ground antennas. This article seeks to describe the way in which data are returned from these fascinating, faraway bodies and to convey the excitement of the engineering work that supports our scientific endeavors. PMID- 17800408 TI - SALT Supporters of Two Minds on Treaty. PMID- 17800409 TI - What SALT II Provides. PMID- 17800410 TI - DNR Given Up as a Loser, Citizen Support Lacking. PMID- 17800411 TI - Teddy Roosevelt's Name Invoked in Alaska Vote. PMID- 17800412 TI - Creationists sue to ban museum evolution exhibits. PMID- 17800413 TI - UN Meeting in Vienna Unlikely to Be a Waltz. PMID- 17800414 TI - Oil pinch stirs dreams of moonshine travel. PMID- 17800415 TI - Brown down on weapons link. PMID- 17800416 TI - Hazardous wastes technology is available. PMID- 17800418 TI - R & d colloquium. PMID- 17800417 TI - Isadore singer and differential geometry. PMID- 17800419 TI - Energy seminar slated for raleigh. PMID- 17800420 TI - Science 80 to premier in fall. PMID- 17800421 TI - Women in science and math. PMID- 17800422 TI - Other june meetings. PMID- 17800423 TI - Progress in plastid research. PMID- 17800424 TI - Lacustrine deposits. PMID- 17800426 TI - The problem of patchiness. PMID- 17800425 TI - Surface phenomena. PMID- 17800427 TI - High-energy atomic physics. PMID- 17800428 TI - Voyager 1 encounter with the jovian system. AB - An overview of the Voyager 1 encounter with Jupiter is presented, including a brief discussion of the characteristics of the spacecraft and trajectory and highlights of the results which are described in the subsequent reports. PMID- 17800429 TI - Summary of historical data: interpretation of the pioneer and voyager cloud configurations in a time-dependent framework. AB - Ground-based imaging of Jupiter at visible and infrared wavelengths has been used to build up a time sequence of cloud feature variations. The global cloud configuration seen by Voyager 1 appears markedly different than that seen by Pioneer 10 and 11. In the context of historical data, these two different cloud distributions are not unique but part of a continuous spectrum of global variations. The most recent global changes occurred in a pattern which has been a characteristic trend observed many times before. PMID- 17800430 TI - The jupiter system through the eyes of voyager 1. AB - The cameras aboard Voyager 1 have provided a closeup view of the Jupiter system, revealing heretofore unknown characteristics and phenomena associated with the planet's atmosphere and the surfaces of its five major satellites. On Jupiter itself, atmospheric motions-the interaction of cloud systems-display complex vorticity. On its dark side, lightning and auroras are observed. A ring was discovered surrounding Jupiter. The satellite surfaces display dramatic differences including extensive active volcanismn on Io, complex tectonism on Ganymnede and possibly Europa, and flattened remnants of enormous impact features on Callisto. PMID- 17800431 TI - Infrared observations of the jovian system from voyager 1. AB - The infrared spectroscopy and radiometry investigation has obtained spectra of Jupiter and its satellites between approximately 180 and 2500 cm(-1) with a spectral resolution of 4.3 cm(-1). The Jupiter spectra show clear evidence of H(2), CH(4) C(2)H(2), C(2)H(6), CH(3)D, NH(3), PH(3), H(2)O, and GeH(4). A helium concentration of 0.11 +/- 0.03 by volume is obtained. Meridional temperature cross sections show considerable structure. At high latitudes, the stratosphere is warmer in the north than in the south. The upper troposphere and lower stratosphere are locally cold over the Great Red Spot. Amalthea is warmer than expected. Considerable thermal structure is observed on Io, including a relatively hot region in the vicinity of a volcanic feature. PMID- 17800432 TI - Discovery of currently active extraterrestrial volcanism. AB - Two volcanic plumes were discovered on an image of Io taken as part of the Voyager optical navigation effort. This is the first evidence of active volcanism on any body in the solar system other than Earth. PMID- 17800433 TI - Radio science with voyager 1 at jupiter: preliminary profiles of the atmosphere and ionosphere. AB - A preliminarv profile of the atmosphere of Jupiter in the South Equatorial Belt shows (i) the tropopause occurring at a pressure level of 100 millibars and temperature of about 113K, (ii) a higher warm inversion layer at about the 35 millibar level, and (iii) a lower-altitude constant lapse rate matching the adiabatic value of about 2 K per kilometer, with the temperatutre reaching 150 K at the 600-millibar level. Preliminary afternoon and predawn ionospheric profiles at 12 degrees south latitude and near the equator, respectively, have topside plasma scale heights of 590 kilometers changing to 960 kilometers above an altitucde of 3500 kilometers for the dayside, and about 960 kilomneters at all measured heights above the peak for the nightside. The higher value of scale height corresponds to a plasma temperature of 1100 K under the assumption of a plasma of protons and electrons in ambipolar diffusive equilibrium. The peak electron concentration in the upper ionosphere is approximately 2 x 10(5) per cubic centimeter for the dayside and about a factor of 10 less for the nightside. These peaks occur at altitudes of 1600 and 2300 kilometers, respectively. Continuing analyses are expected to extend and refine these results, and to be used to investigate other regions and phenomena. PMID- 17800434 TI - Extreme ultraviolet observations from voyager 1 encounter with jupiter. AB - Observations of the optical extreme ultraviolet spectrum of the Jupiter planetary system during the Voyager 1 encounter have revealed previously undetected physical processes of significant proportions. Bright emission lines of S III, S IV, and O III indicating an electron temperature of 10(5) K have been identified in preliminary analyses of the Io plasma torus spectrum. Strong auroral atomic and molecular hydrogen emissions have been observed in the polar regions of Jupiter near magnetic field lines that map the torus into the atmosphere of Jupiter. The observed resonance scattering of solar hydrogen Lyman alpha by the atmosphere of Jupiter and the solar occultation experiment suggest a hot thermosphere (>/= 1000 K) wvith a large atomic hydrogen abundance. A stellar occultation by Ganymede indicates that its atmosphere is at most an exosphere. PMID- 17800435 TI - Magnetic field studies at jupiter by voyager 1: preliminary results. AB - Results obtained by the Goddard Space Flight Center magnetometers on Voyager 1 are described. These results concern the large-scale configuration of the Jovian bow shock and magnetopause, and the magnetic field in both the inner and outer magnetosphere. There is evidence that a magnetic tail extending away from the planet on the nightside is formed by the solar wind-Jovian field interaction. This is much like Earth's magnetosphere but is a new configuration for Jupiter's magnetosphere not previously considered from earlier Pioneer data. We report on the analysis and interpretation of magnetic field perturbations associated with intense electrical currents (approximately 5 x 10(6) amperes) flowing near or in the magnetic flux tube linking Jupiter with the satellite Jo and induced by the relative motion between Io and the corotating Jovian magnetosphere. These currents may be an important source of heating the ionosphere and interior of Io through Joule dissipation. PMID- 17800436 TI - Plasma observations near jupiter: initial results from voyager 1. AB - Extensive measurements of low-energy positive ions and electrons were made throughout the Jupiter encounter of Voyager 1. The bow shock and magneto-pause were crossed several times at distances consistent with variations in the upstream solar wind pressure measured on Voyager 2. During the inbound pass, the number density increased by six orders of magnitude between the innermost magnetopause crossing at approximately 47 Jupiter radii and near closest approach at approximately 5 Jupiter radii; the plasma flow during this period was predominately in the direction of corotation. Marked increases in number density were observed twice per planetary rotation, near the magnetic equator. Jupiterward of the Io plasma torus, a cold, corotating plasma was observed and the energylcharge spectra show well-resolved, heavy-ion peaks at mass-to-charge ratios A/Z* = 8, 16, 32, and 64. PMID- 17800437 TI - Jupiter plasma wave observations: an initial voyager 1 overview. AB - The Voyager I plasma wave instrument detected low-frequency radio emissions, ion acoustic waves, and electron plasma oscillations for a period of months before encountering Jupiter's bow shock. In the outer magnetosphere, measurements of trapped radio waves were used to derive an electron density profile. Near and within the Io plasma torus the instrument detected high-frequency electrostatic waves, strong whistler mode turbulence, and discrete whistlers, apparently associated with lightning. Some strong emissions in the tail region and some impulsive signals have not yet been positively identified. PMID- 17800438 TI - Voyager 1 planetary radio astronomy observations near jupiter. AB - We report results from the first low-frequency radio receiver to be transported into the Jupiter magnetosphere. We obtained dramatic new information, both because Voyager was near or in Jupiter's radio emission sources and also because it was outside the relatively dense solar wind plasma of the inner solar system. Extensive radio spectral arcs, from above 30 to about 1 megahertz, occurred in patterns correlated with planetary longitude. A newly discovered kilometric wavelength radio source may relate to the plasma torus near Io's orbit. In situ wave resonances near closest approach define an electron density profile along the Voyager trajectory and form the basis for a map of the torus. Detailed studies are in progress and are out-lined briefly. PMID- 17800439 TI - Low-energy charged particle environment at jupiter: a first look. AB - The low-energy charged particle instrument on Voyager was designed to measure the hot plasma (electron and ion energies greater, similar 15 and greater, similar 30 kiloelectron volts, respectively) component of the Jovian magnetosphere. Protons, heavier ions, and electrons at these energies were detected nearly a third of an astronomical unit before encounter with the planet. The hot plasma near the magnetosphere boundary is predominantly composed of protons, oxygen, and sulfur in comparable proportions and a nonthermal power-law tail; its temperature is about 3 x 10(8) K, density about 5 x 10(-3) per cubic centimeter, and energy density comparable to that of the magnetic field. The plasma appears to be corotating throughout the magnetosphere; no hot plasma outflow, as suggested by planetary wind theories, is observed. The main constituents of the energetic particle population ( greater, similar200 kiloelectron volts per nucleon) are protons, helium, oxygen, sulfur, and some sodium observed throughout the outer magnetosphere; it is probable that the sulfur, sodium, and possibly oxygen originate at 1o. Fluxes in the outbound trajectory appear to be enhancedfrom approximately 90 degrees to approximately 130 degrees longitude (System III). Consistent low-energy particle flux periodicities were not observed on the inbound trajectory; both 5-and 10-hour periodicities were observed on the outbound trajectory. Partial absorption of > 10 million electron volts electrons is observed in the vicinity of the Io flux tube. PMID- 17800440 TI - Voyager 1: energetic ions and electrons in the jovian magnetosphere. AB - The observations of the cosmic-ray subsystem have added significantly to our knowledge of Jupiter's magnetosphere. The most surprising result is the existence of energetic sulfur, sodium, and oxygen nuclei with energies above 7 megaelectron volts per nucleon which were found inside of Io's orbit. Also, significant fluxes of similarly energetic ions reflecting solar cosmic-ray composition were observed throughout the magnetosphere beyond 11 times the radius of Jupiter. It was also found that energetic protons are enhanced by 30 to 70 percent in the active hemisphere. Finally, the first observations were made of the magnetospheric tail in the dawn direction out to 160 Jupiter radii. PMID- 17800441 TI - Infrared images of jupiter at 5-micrometer wavelength during the voyager 1 encounter. AB - A coordinated program to observe Jupiter at high spatial resolution in the 5 micrometer wavelength region was undertaken to support Voyager 1 imaging and infrared radiation experiment targeting. Jupiter was observed over a 5-month period from Palomar and Mauna Kea observatories. The frequency of observations allowed the selection of interesting areas for closer Voyager examination and also provided good short-term monitoring of variations in cloud morphology. Significant global changes in the 5-micrometer distribution are seen over this time period. PMID- 17800442 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17800443 TI - Ozone and Acid rain. PMID- 17800444 TI - Erratum. AB - In the issues of 21 August (p. 816), the volume number (237) was incorrectly given as 238 in the Table of Contents heading. PMID- 17800445 TI - Response: TMI and Chernobyl. PMID- 17800446 TI - Showdown Nears on ABM Treaty: Congress is trying to force the Administration to stick to the traditional interpretation; the dispute is already casting a shadow over a range of arms control and national security issues. PMID- 17800447 TI - The key provisions. PMID- 17800448 TI - Crafoord prize. PMID- 17800449 TI - Kondratiev rehabilitated. PMID- 17800451 TI - AIDS panel goes to congress. PMID- 17800450 TI - Census compromise reached. PMID- 17800452 TI - Howard Hughes Moves into Science Education: The giant philanthropy is extending its reach with $30 million to colleges; additional millions for postdoc fellowships, IOM, Cold Spring Harbor, and Jackson Laboratory. PMID- 17800453 TI - Fusion's $372-Million Mothball: Livermore wanted to be a contender in the race to design a commercial fusion reactor; but it lost without ever getting to turn on its big mirror machine. PMID- 17800454 TI - APS Panel Disowns Council Statement. PMID- 17800455 TI - Winds, Pollutants Drive Ozone Hole: Man-made chlorofluorocarbons are destroying ozone over Antarctica each spring, but the weather there allows it to happen and could be making it worse from year to year. PMID- 17800456 TI - The jupiter-io connection: an alfven engine in space. AB - Much has been learned about the electromagnetic interaction between Jupiter and its satellite Io from in situ observations. Io, in its motion through the Io plasma torus at Jupiter, continuously generates an Alfven wing that carries two billion kilowatts of power into the jovian ionosphere. Concurrently, Io is acted upon by a J x B force tending to propel it out of the jovian system. The energy source for these processes is the rotation of Jupiter. This unusual planet satellite coupling serves as an archetype for the interaction of a large moving conductor with a magnetized plasma, a problem of general space and astrophysical interest. PMID- 17800457 TI - High-temperature cubic boron nitride p-N junction diode made at high pressure. AB - A p-n junction diode of cubic boron nitride was made by growing an n-type crystal epitaxially on a p-type seed crystal at a pressure of 55 kilobars and a temperature of about 1700 degrees C. A temperature-difference solvent method was used for the crystal growth, and beryllium and silicon were doped as acceptors and donors, respectively. Formation of the p-n junction was clearly confirmed at 1 bar by rectification characteristics and by existence of a space charge layer of the junction as observed by electron beam induced current measurement. This diode operated at 530 degrees C. PMID- 17800458 TI - Organic matter on asteroid 130 elektra. AB - Infrared absorption spectra of a low-albedo water-rich asteroid appear to show a weak 3.4-micrometer carbon-hydrogen stretching mode band, which suggests the presence of hydrocarbons on asteroid 130 Elektra. The organic extract from the primitive carbonaceous chondritic Murchison meteorite shows similar spectral bands. PMID- 17800459 TI - Cloning and Detection of DNA from a Nonculturable Plant Pathogenic Mycoplasma like Organism. AB - The ability to detect, quantify, and differentiate nonculturable mycoplasma-like organisms (MLOs) would greatly facilitate epidemiological and taxonomical studies of this unique group of plant and insect pathogens. DNA isolated from extracts of insects infected with the Western X-disease MLO was cloned in Escherichia coli. X disease-specific clones, when labeled and used as probes, readily detected X disease MLOs in infected plants and insects but did not hybridize with DNA from healthy plants or insects, or from several other plant pathogenic MLOs or spiroplasmas. These methods provide both a sensitive diagnostic tool and a basis for genetically differentiating MLOs. PMID- 17800461 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17800462 TI - Pathogens and populations: diseases and plant population biology. PMID- 17800460 TI - An amylose antiparallel double helix at atomic resolution. AB - In the crystal structure of the polyiodide complex (p-nitrophenyl-alpha maltohexaose(2)) . Ba(I(3))(2) . 22H(2)O, the maltohexaose units form an antiparallel, left-handed double helix with O-2 ... O-3 and O-6 ... O-6 hydrogen bonding and a central cavity that encloses two triiodide units. This structure contrasts with the parallel, left-handed double helix with no central cavity proposed for the A-and B-starch helix and the left-handed single helix in V amylose and may be relevant for the stabilization of glycogen Structure. PMID- 17800464 TI - Oceangoing animals: seabirds. PMID- 17800463 TI - Large centers, small science: fifty years of neutron diffraction. PMID- 17800465 TI - Muscle contraction: calcium in muscle activation. PMID- 17800466 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17800467 TI - REMARKS ON A PATHOGENIC SCHIZOPHYTE. PMID- 17800468 TI - MOUNTAIN ELEVATION, AND CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE, IN GEOLOGY. PMID- 17800470 TI - THE UNITY OF NATURE: Duke of Argyll. PMID- 17800469 TI - THE KANSAS CITY ELECTRIC TIME BALL. PMID- 17800471 TI - ASTRONOMY: DISCOVERY OF A NEW COMET. PMID- 17800473 TI - SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. PMID- 17800472 TI - DOLBEAR ON THE NATURE AND CONSTITUTION OF MATTER. AB - Mr. Dopp desires to make the following correction in his paper in the last issue: "In my article on page 200 of "Science", the expression and should have been and being the velocity of light. PMID- 17800475 TI - EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL. PMID- 17800474 TI - THE IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR ENTRANCES. PMID- 17800476 TI - PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL REVERSION. PMID- 17800477 TI - Answers. PMID- 17800478 TI - Queries. PMID- 17800479 TI - The Expansion of Pine Wood through Absorption of Water. PMID- 17800481 TI - The Scientific Swindler Again. PMID- 17800480 TI - Psychics, or the 'New Psychology.'. PMID- 17800482 TI - SOME BIOPHYSICAL PROBLEMS OF VIRUSES. PMID- 17800483 TI - FREDERICK SLOCUM. PMID- 17800484 TI - THE UNITED STATES COMMITTEE FOR THE STUDY OF PARICUTIN VOLCANO. PMID- 17800485 TI - AWARDS OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE AERONAUTICAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17800486 TI - NOMINATION OF OFFICERS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17800487 TI - AWARD OF THE GOLD MEDAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTS. PMID- 17800488 TI - THE MEANING OF HYDROPONICS. PMID- 17800489 TI - VITAL RESEARCH OF AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17800490 TI - A STRANGE COINCIDENCE OF ERRORS. PMID- 17800491 TI - THE ACTION OF AMINO ACIDS ON COLOR CHANGE IN FUNDULUS. PMID- 17800493 TI - THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800492 TI - RECENT HIGH MORTALITY AMONG GEOLOGISTS. PMID- 17800494 TI - THE DEAMINATION OF "MARFANIL" AND RELATED COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17800495 TI - THE RELATIONSHIP OF LYSOZYME, BIOTIN AND AVIDIN. PMID- 17800496 TI - THE HEART RATE OF SMALL BIRDS. PMID- 17800498 TI - DESTRUCTION OF FOAM IN VOLUMETRIC FLASKS. PMID- 17800497 TI - APPLYING COLCHICINE TO PLANTS BY THE AEROSOL METHOD. PMID- 17800499 TI - THE DETECTION OF SPERM IN THE EGGS OF INSECTS. PMID- 17800500 TI - THE CULTURAL FACTOR IN THE DENTAL CURRICULUM. PMID- 17800501 TI - THE PROBLEM OF THE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR. III. PMID- 17800502 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17800504 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17800503 TI - FRACASTORIUS, ATHANASIUS KIRCHER AND THE GERM THEORY OF DISEASE. PMID- 17800505 TI - THE LENGTH OF SERVICE PENSIONS OF THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION. PMID- 17800507 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17800506 TI - THE LOWER TERTIARIES OF LOUISIANA. PMID- 17800508 TI - REFLECTIONS ON JOLY'S METHOD OF DETERMINING THE OCEAN'S AGE. PMID- 17800509 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17800510 TI - THE SEX-DETERMINING CHROMOSOMES IN ASCARIS. PMID- 17800512 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. PMID- 17800511 TI - THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF THE TEACHERS OF THE MATHEMATICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17800513 TI - THE CINCINNATI MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800514 TI - REPORT ON THE GEOLOGY AND RESOURCES OF THE BLACK HILLS OF DAKOTA. PMID- 17800515 TI - THE GREAT PRIMORDIAL FORCE. PMID- 17800516 TI - THE TIDAL EVOLUTION OF THE MOON. PMID- 17800517 TI - AN AFTERNOON ON PASSAIC RIVER. PMID- 17800518 TI - MR. DARWIN ON DR. HAHN'S DISCOVERY OF FOSSIL ORGANISMS IN METEORITES. PMID- 17800519 TI - SELENOGRAPHICAL. PMID- 17800520 TI - METEOROLOGICAL REPORT FOR NEW YORK CITY FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUG. 20, 1881. PMID- 17800521 TI - SUN SPOTS. PMID- 17800523 TI - GEOLOGIC ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17800522 TI - METEOROLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17800524 TI - AMERICAN FOSSIL BRACHIOPODA. PMID- 17800525 TI - ASTRO-PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17800526 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (XIII.). PMID- 17800527 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (XIX.). PMID- 17800528 TI - WINTER MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17800529 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17800531 TI - SNAKES IN OREGON. PMID- 17800530 TI - FIELD WORK IN GEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS. PMID- 17800532 TI - EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17800533 TI - QUATERNIONS. PMID- 17800534 TI - THE BREHM CUTS AGAIN. PMID- 17800535 TI - RESEARCH. PMID- 17800536 TI - CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY TO GEODESY. PMID- 17800537 TI - PITTSBURGH'S FIRST CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800538 TI - ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC. PMID- 17800539 TI - CORDILLERAN SECTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17800540 TI - PACIFIC SLOPE BRANCH, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. PMID- 17800541 TI - WESTERN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17800542 TI - SOME FUNDAMENTAL DIFFICULTIES OF MECHANICS. PMID- 17800543 TI - THE TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY DYNAMICS. PMID- 17800544 TI - GRAVITATION AND ELECTRICAL ACTION. PMID- 17800545 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF RADIUM. PMID- 17800546 TI - RETROGRESSION IN AMERICAN LONGEVITY AT ADVANCED AGES. PMID- 17800548 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17800547 TI - A METHOD OF PLOTTING THE INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. PMID- 17800549 TI - The omnipotence scandal. PMID- 17800550 TI - Response: what drives the aurora? PMID- 17800551 TI - What drives the aurora? PMID- 17800552 TI - Cost of geological congress. PMID- 17800553 TI - Erratum. AB - The dates of receipt and acceptance were inadvertently omitted at the end of the report "Unwinding of duplex DNA from the SV40 origin of replication by T antigen" by Mark Dodson et al. (13 Nov., p. 964). They should have been, "20 May 1987; accepted 11 August 1987." PMID- 17800554 TI - Computer technology. PMID- 17800556 TI - Mars mission. PMID- 17800555 TI - Gametophytes, not endosperms. PMID- 17800557 TI - Mars mission. PMID- 17800558 TI - Molecular spectra. PMID- 17800559 TI - Postmortem on Three Mile Island: After 8 years and $1 billion, the cleanup is coming to an end. A mass of data has been produced but one nagging question remains: Why wasn't there core on the floor? PMID- 17800560 TI - A Spy Satellite for the Press?: The U.S.-Soviet domination of space surveillance comes to an end as French, Chinese, and U.S. news organizations consider new satellites. PMID- 17800561 TI - Mit drops plan to buy Japanese supercomputer. PMID- 17800562 TI - The Giant Arcs Are Gravitational Mirages: The arcs appear to be highly magnified and highly distorted images of far-distant galaxies; as such they could offer new insight into galactic evolution and a unique probe of cosmic dark matter. PMID- 17800563 TI - Laboratory antarctica: research contributions to global problems. AB - Research in Antarctica is becoming increasingly important in the large interdisciplinary studies of connections within the earth's geosphere-biosphere system. Four examples of broad research areas are discussed. Upper atmosphere research explores the sun-earth interactions, which are most intense in the polar regions. The mass balance and dynamics of the large Antarctic ice sheet, and its paleoclimatic records recovered from deep ice cores, are important indicators of past and present global changes. Antarctica and sediment cores from the Southern Ocean contain the history of inception and growth of the ice masses and their subsequent fluctuations, and the long-term history of paleoclimate. The remarkable adaptations of Antarctic biota to extreme cold and drought may allow, through biotic monitoring, the detection of changes in the ocean and climate of Antarctica. PMID- 17800564 TI - Gas-phase polymerization: ultraslow chemistry. AB - The mechanism of formation of polymer molecules in the gas phase is difficult to study because the involatile polymers tend to condense out of that phase. However, new techniques, involving the use of cloud chambers, have enabled workers to use the nucleation of liquid drops in supersaturated monomer vapors to detect single polymer molecules and therefore to work with so few simultaneously growing polymers that aggregation and condensation are avoided. Chain polymerization in which the chain carriers are either radicals or ions can therefore be studied in the vapor. Furthermore, the ability to work with such small concentrations of growing polymeric radicals, for example, makes it possible to avoid encounters between them that lead to recombination and the formation of "dead" polymers that are incapable of further growth. Many aspects of gas-phase polymerization can be studied including, besides radical and ion chains, ring-opening polymerization, initiation, radiation-induced polymerization, and especially "ultraslow" chemistry. PMID- 17800565 TI - Evidence for divergent plate-boundary characteristics and crustal spreading on venus. AB - Detailed examination of the topography and morphology of western Aphrodite Terra reveals numerous features that are similar to terrestrial divergent plate boundary characteristics. Individual domains between fracturezone-like discontinuities contain a variety of bilaterally symmetrical topographic elements that suggest that topographic features have been created at rise crests, rifted and separated, and moved laterally to their present symmetrical positions. The topographic and morphologic similarities, together with strikingly similar mirror image map patterns on both sides of the rise axis, suggest that western Aphrodite Terra shares the characteristics of oceanic divergent plate boundaries, and is the site of crustal spreading on Venus. Topographic profiles are consistent with spreading rates of the order of several centimeters per year. PMID- 17800566 TI - Rotation and solvation of ammonium ion. AB - From nitrogen-15 spin-lattice relaxation times and nuclear Overhauser enhancements, the rotational correlation time (c) for (15)NH(4)(+) was determined in a series of solvents. Values of (c) range from 0.46 to 20 picoseconds. The solvent dependence of (c) cannot be explained in terms of solvent polarity, molecular dipole moment, solvent basicity, solvent dielectric relaxation, or solvent viscosity. The rapid rotation and the variation with solvent can be accounted for by a model that involves hydrogen bonding of an NH proton to more than one solvent molecule in a disordered solvation environment. PMID- 17800567 TI - Fluvial perturbance in the Western Amazon basin: regulation by long-term sub andean tectonics. AB - Haffer's refuge theory proposes that during the arid climatic phases of the late Pleistocene, tropical lowland forests of Amazonia were reduced to isolated patches contributing to the high species richness of the present-day forest. The theory was developed because no obvious historic or modern geomorphic isolation barriers were recorded in Amazonia. Analyses of radar images combined with stratigraphical data show that in the basinal forelands of the tectonically active Andes the geological setting causes long-term fluvial perturbance. This leads to a temporally structured highly complex mosaic of fossil and present floodplains. These dynamics have been present with varying activity and geographic range during the Tertiary and Quaternary, providing site-turnover that has not been recognized by the biogeographic tradition of the Amazon basin. PMID- 17800569 TI - Response: virus-induced increases in plasma corticosterone. PMID- 17800568 TI - A rapid cold-hardening process in insects. AB - Traditionally studies of cold tolerance in insects have focused on seasonal adaptations related to overwintering that are observed after weeks or months of exposure to low temperature. In contrast, an extremely rapid cold-hardening response was observed in nonoverwintering stages that confers protection against injury due to cold shock at temperatures above the supercooling point. This response was observed in nondiapausing larvae and pharate adults of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, nondiapausing adults of the elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola, and the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. The rapid hardening response is correlated with the accumulation of glycerol. PMID- 17800570 TI - Communications workshops. PMID- 17800571 TI - Grants for Foreign Graduate Students to Attend AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17800572 TI - Salaries of Scientists up Modestly. PMID- 17800573 TI - Request for AAAS Travelers in Australia. PMID- 17800574 TI - New exhibit features chemical painting. PMID- 17800575 TI - 1987 board election results. PMID- 17800576 TI - AAAS Annual Meeting: Preconvention Program. PMID- 17800577 TI - One path from the Manhattan district: making weapons, talking peace. PMID- 17800578 TI - Making space pay: space resources. PMID- 17800579 TI - Nuclear bravado: nuclear blackmail and nuclear balance. PMID- 17800580 TI - Advances in Neurochemistry: Monitoring Neurotransmitter Release during Behavior. PMID- 17800581 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17800582 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE CENTENARY OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. PMID- 17800583 TI - THE MISUSE OF LANTERN ILLUSTRATIONS BY MUSEUM LECTURERS. PMID- 17800585 TI - CHARLES ROBERT SANGER. PMID- 17800584 TI - RALPH STOCKMAN TARR. PMID- 17800586 TI - PRINCIPLES OF WATER-POWER DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17800587 TI - DR. RADOSAVLJEVICH'S "CRITIQUE" OF PROFESSOR BOAS. PMID- 17800588 TI - REPORT OF THE SEAL COMMISSION. PMID- 17800589 TI - OIL CONCENTRATION ABOUT SALT DOMES. PMID- 17800591 TI - SECTION D. PMID- 17800590 TI - NOTE ON THE UPPER EOCENE TITANOTHEROID TELMATHERIUM (?) INCISIVUM DOUGLASS FROM THE UINTA BASIN. PMID- 17800592 TI - A NOTABLE OFFICIAL REPORT. PMID- 17800593 TI - THE RECENT PROGRESS OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY IN AMERICA. PMID- 17800594 TI - BIOLOGY AS AN ELEMENT IN COLLEGE TRAINING. PMID- 17800596 TI - AN ARTIFICIAL REPRESENTATION OF A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. PMID- 17800595 TI - THE OPENING OF THE HALL OF NATURAL HISTORY, TRINITY COLLEGE. PMID- 17800597 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17800598 TI - AN APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE. PMID- 17800599 TI - UNAUTHORIZED NEWSPAPER REPORTS. PMID- 17800600 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. PMID- 17800601 TI - MODERN VIEWS ON MATTER: THE REALIZATION OF A DREAM. PMID- 17800602 TI - THE PROPOSED BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY AT THE TORTUGAS. PMID- 17800603 TI - ON THE LIMITS OF UNAIDED VISION. PMID- 17800604 TI - ;MOUNT PELEE'. PMID- 17800605 TI - A MODIFICATION IN MEASURING CRANIAL CAPACITY. PMID- 17800606 TI - NEW DEPARTURES IN THE CONCILIUM BIBLIOGRAPHICUM. PMID- 17800607 TI - REPORT OF THE ICHTHYOLOGICAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE. PMID- 17800608 TI - THE NEW YORK COLLEGE OF FORESTRY. PMID- 17800609 TI - OPPORTUNITY FOR GEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN HONDURAS. PMID- 17800611 TI - MEDICAL FELLOWSHIPS OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17800610 TI - THE RELATION OF MICROTECHNIQUE TO THE MORPHOLOGY OF SOME PROTOZOAN PARASITES. PMID- 17800613 TI - THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. PMID- 17800612 TI - CONFERENCE ON THE SUN AND SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL RELATIONSHIPS AT THE HARVARD OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17800615 TI - THE DEDICATION OF THE YALE MEDICAL LIBRARY. PMID- 17800614 TI - SUMMER CONFERENCES AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17800616 TI - NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS OF NATIONAL DEFENSE. PMID- 17800617 TI - BIOLOGICAL PUBLICATION IN AMERICA. PMID- 17800619 TI - THE WISTAR INSTITUTE--AMERICAN FILM CENTER MOTION PICTURE SURVEY. PMID- 17800618 TI - INDUSTRIAL SOLVENTS AS POSSIBLE ETIOLOGIC AGENTS IN MYELOID METAPLASIA. PMID- 17800620 TI - THE OPOSSUM, DIDELPHIS VIRGINIANA KERR, A NEW HOST FOR PARAGONIMUS IN TENNESSEE. PMID- 17800622 TI - PROPOSED REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION. PMID- 17800621 TI - A PROPOSED REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800623 TI - THE PRESENT CONSTITUTION. PMID- 17800625 TI - EXPERIMENTAL ANTI-PERNICIOUS ANEMIA FACTOR DEFICIENCY IN DOGS. PMID- 17800624 TI - FETAL ENCEPHALOMYELITIS: PRENATAL INCEPTION OF INFANTILE TOXOPLASMOSIS. PMID- 17800626 TI - DIFFERENTIAL INHIBITION OF PHOTOCHEMICAL AND DARK REACTIONS IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS BY INORGANIC COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17800627 TI - AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR THE CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT OF THE RATE OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION FOR HUMAN SUBJECTS. PMID- 17800628 TI - THE DRY-ROT OF OUR ACADEMIC BIOLOGY. PMID- 17800629 TI - TENDENCIES IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17800630 TI - FRITZ WILHELM WOLL. PMID- 17800631 TI - THE PROPOSED ROOSEVELT-SEQUOLA NATIONAL PARK AND THE BARBOUR BILL. PMID- 17800632 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17800634 TI - AN IMPROVEMENT IN MUSCLE CONTRACTION APPARATUS. PMID- 17800633 TI - THE PALEOPATHOLOGY OF THE FOSSIL INVERTEBRATES. PMID- 17800635 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17800636 TI - THE AIMS OF GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17800637 TI - AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17800638 TI - GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC WORK. PMID- 17800639 TI - An electric ball of fire. PMID- 17800640 TI - Stereoscopic vision. PMID- 17800642 TI - Popular science. PMID- 17800641 TI - The natural method of language-teaching. PMID- 17800644 TI - A German sentence. PMID- 17800643 TI - The genesis of the diamond. PMID- 17800645 TI - On hybrid dogs. PMID- 17800647 TI - Advertising for professors. PMID- 17800646 TI - The West Indian seal. PMID- 17800648 TI - Abbott's Greek reader. PMID- 17800650 TI - ON THE URGENCY OF RESEARCH ON THE GREAT PORTAL TO DISEASE IN THE BODY. PMID- 17800649 TI - H. Allyne Nicholson. PMID- 17800651 TI - BAIRD, THE MAN. PMID- 17800652 TI - THE FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF COPERNICUS. PMID- 17800653 TI - REACTION TIME AND FATIGUE. PMID- 17800654 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17800655 TI - PHYSIOLOGY OF STOMATA OF RUMEX PATIENTIA. PMID- 17800656 TI - A BOTANICAL SPELLING MATCH. PMID- 17800657 TI - SUGGESTIONS FOR A WORLD-CODE OF PLANT NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17800659 TI - REMARKS ON MR. SPRAGUE'S SUGGESTION. PMID- 17800658 TI - A COMPARISON OF THE MORTALITY OF CERTAIN LOWER ORGANISMS WITH THAT OF MAN. PMID- 17800660 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800661 TI - Poland: barriers and purges. PMID- 17800662 TI - Cosmology after Half a Century: Fifty years after Einstein's paper of 1917 cosmology is in a supremely interesting state. PMID- 17800663 TI - Flash photolysis and some of its applications. PMID- 17800664 TI - CBW: British Protests Grow about Porton Center. PMID- 17800665 TI - AEC Honors French Scientists. PMID- 17800666 TI - Senate aims blow at colleges that bar recruiters. PMID- 17800668 TI - Sea-grants: demand is high, but budget is low. PMID- 17800669 TI - Copyright Problems: Did Suit over Photocopying Kill Research Project? PMID- 17800670 TI - Martian craters: number density. AB - The incremental frequency distribution of Martian crater diameters larger than 20 to 30 kilometers follows an inverse-square law, with density equal to that of craters on the lunar continents. This finding accords with the prediction that lunar continents and the Martian surface carry an equilibrium density (saturation) of craters originating in meteoroidal impact. Therefore crater statistics alone cannot be used for estimation of the age of the Martian surface. PMID- 17800671 TI - Peralkaline silicic volcanic rocks in northwestern nevada. AB - Late Tertiary silicic ashflow tuffs and lavas peralkaline in chemical character (atomic Na + K greater than Al), mainly comendites, occur over wide areas in northwestern Nevada and appear to be widespread in southeastern Oregon. Such peralkaline rocks-which are not uncommon in the western United States-and other chemically unusual silicic rocks are found near the margins rather than toward the center of the Great Basin. PMID- 17800672 TI - Zinnwaldite: octahedral ordering in lithium-iron micas. AB - Ordering of the octahedral sheet of some lithium-iron micas is proposed on the basis of chemical compositions and crystallographic properties. The model of the ordered sheet has large and small sites in the ratio 2 : 1 and explains all observed properties- the small layer thickness, the "dioctahedral reflections," and the n(120 deg) motif in polytypism. PMID- 17800673 TI - Mode of Chemical-Degradation of s-Triazines by Montmorillonite. AB - Chemical hydrolysis of the s-triazines after interaction with less than 2-micron (equivalent spherical diameter) montmorillonite clay occurs as a result of protonation at the colloidal surface; protonation occurs even when the exchange sites are occupied by metallic cations. The adsorbed hydrolytic degradation product is not the hydroxy analog, but it is predominantly the keto form of the protonated hydroxy species. This cationic form is held tightly by the clay which may restrict vertical movement and entrance into groundwater. Protonation of the hydroxy analog occurs on the heterocyclic ring nitrogen. PMID- 17800674 TI - Mechanism for multiplication of atmospheric ice crystals: apparent charge distribution on laboratory crystals. AB - Replication of ice crystals with vapor of methyl 2-cyanoacrylate has produced evidence of whiskers on them; an additional mechanism for the necessary multiplication of ice crystals in the atmosphere is suggested. This replication technique also confirms crystal clustering in the atmosphere and appears to confirm the distribution of electrical charge on ice crystals. PMID- 17800675 TI - Aluminum-26 and beryllium-10 in marine sediment. AB - Activities of aluminum-26 and beryllium-10 in marine sediment were measured at 0.01 +/- 0.13 and 4.4 +/- 0.9 disintegrations per minute, per kilogram dry weight, respectively. Only an upper limit of 0.03 could be determined for the ratio of aluminum-26 to beryllium-10 in the sediment. The ratio is probably explained by production by cosmic rays in the atmosphere. PMID- 17800676 TI - FROM SUPERSTITION TO HUMBUG. PMID- 17800677 TI - WHIRLWINDS, CYCLONES, AND TORNADOES.--III. PMID- 17800678 TI - REMARKS UPON THE OSTEOLOGY OF PHALACROCORAX BICRISTATUS. PMID- 17800680 TI - THE AMERICAN EXPLORATIONS AT ASSOS. PMID- 17800679 TI - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ON THE U. S. FISH-COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS.--I. PMID- 17800681 TI - THE AMERICAN ORIENTAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800682 TI - Geology of Philadelphia. PMID- 17800683 TI - Bone fish-hooks. PMID- 17800684 TI - The specific distinctness of the American and European brine shrimps. PMID- 17800685 TI - Elliptic elements of comet Pons-Brooks. PMID- 17800686 TI - Supposed glacial phenomena in Boyd county, Ky. PMID- 17800687 TI - The mechanism of direction. PMID- 17800688 TI - Rapid geological changes in Alaska. PMID- 17800689 TI - INTERNATIONAL GEODETIC ASSOCIATION OF EUROPE. PMID- 17800691 TI - ADAMS'S LECTURE ON EVOLUTION. PMID- 17800690 TI - TRYON'S CONCHOLOGY. PMID- 17800692 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17800694 TI - Chemical weapons disposal. PMID- 17800693 TI - Agriculture and climate change. PMID- 17800696 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17800695 TI - Chemical weapons disposal. PMID- 17800697 TI - Healy's 'Billion Dollar Question'. PMID- 17800698 TI - Fusion explosion mystery solved. PMID- 17800699 TI - Ice capade for science. PMID- 17800700 TI - How the chinese do it. PMID- 17800701 TI - Whistleblower prize for o'toole. PMID- 17800702 TI - Superconducting super collider as panacea. PMID- 17800703 TI - Europe plans cosmic road show. PMID- 17800704 TI - COBE Sows Cosmological Confusion. PMID- 17800705 TI - Cosmic god squad comes under fire. PMID- 17800706 TI - From mercury to pluto, chaos pervades the solar system. PMID- 17800707 TI - The hubble constant takes the low road again. PMID- 17800708 TI - U.s.-Russian team solves arctic mystery. PMID- 17800709 TI - Chasing shadows on the sun. PMID- 17800710 TI - Chaotic evolution of the solar system. AB - The evolution of the entire planetary system has been numerically integrated for a time span of nearly 100 million years. This calculation confirms that the evolution of the solar system as a whole is chaotic, with a time scale of exponential divergence of about 4 million years. Additional numerical experiments indicate that the Jovian planet subsystem is chaotic, although some small variations in the model can yield quasiperiodic motion. The motion of Pluto is independently and robustly chaotic. PMID- 17800711 TI - Picosecond optical switching based on biphotonic excitation of an electron donor acceptor-donor molecule. AB - An electron donor-acceptor-donor molecule consisting of two porphyrin donors rigidly attached to the two-electron acceptor N,N'-diphenyl-3,4,9,10 perylenebis(dicarboximide) acts as a light intensity-dependent molecular switch on a picosecond time scale. Excitation of the porphyrins within this molecule with subpicosecond laser pulses results in single or double reduction of the acceptor depending on the light intensity. The singly and doubly reduced electron acceptors absorb light strongly at 713 and 546 nanometers, respectively. Because these absorption changes are produced solely by electron transfers, this molecular switch effectively has no moving parts and switches significantly faster than photochromic molecules that must undergo changes in molecular structure. PMID- 17800712 TI - A High-Pressure Test of Birch's Law. AB - The compressional wave velocities of polycrystalline NaCl and KCl have been measured to over 17 gigapascals, with the use of Brillouin scattering and the diamond anvil cell. This pressure corresponds to 40% compression for NaCl and 60% compression for KCl (including the volume change across the B1-B2 transition). The data obey Birch's Law, which predicts that the velocity of each material is linear with density, except across the B1-B2 phase transition in KCl. This deviation from Birch's Law can be rationalized in terms of an interatomic potential model wherein the vibrational frequencies of the nearest neighbor bonds decrease when going to the eight-coordinated B2 structure from the six coordinated B1 structure. PMID- 17800713 TI - Chemiluminescence of anodized and etched silicon: evidence for a luminescent siloxene-like layer on porous silicon. AB - Treatment of anodized or chemically etched silicon ("porous silicon") with dilute nitric acid or persulfate solution results in weak chemiluminescence in the visible region. Concentrated nitric acid reacts violently with porous Si produced by anodization with a bright flash of light. The fact that similar reactions occur with siloxene (Si(6)H(6)O(3)) prepared from CaSi(2) suggests that the visible emission seen with porous Si can be attributed to this substance. PMID- 17800715 TI - Escalations. PMID- 17800714 TI - Induction of pre-infection thread structures in the leguminous host plant by mitogenic lipo-oligosaccharides of Rhizobium. AB - Root nodules of leguminous plants are symbiotic organs in which Rhizobium bacteria fix nitrogen. Their formation requires the induction of a nodule meristem and the formation of a tubular structure, the infection thread, through which the rhizobia reach the nodule primordium. In the Rhizobium host plants pea and vetch, pre-infection thread structures always preceded the formation of infection threads. These structures consisted of cytoplasmic bridges traversing the central vacuole of outer cortical root cells, aligned in radial rows. In vetch, the site of the infection thread was determined by the plant rather than by the invading rhizobia. Like nodule primordia, pre-infection thread structures could be induced in the absence of rhizobia provided that mitogenic lipo oligosaccharides produced by Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae were added to the plant. In this case, cells in the two outer cortical cell layers containing cytoplasmic bridges may have formed root hairs. A common morphogenetic pathway may be shared in the formation of root hairs and infection threads. PMID- 17800716 TI - Conservation realities. PMID- 17800717 TI - Vignette: An Argument about Determinism. PMID- 17800718 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17800720 TI - THE SLIDES OF THE PANAMA CANAL. PMID- 17800719 TI - THE OUTLOOK FOR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17800721 TI - RACE HYGIENE IN NORWAY. PMID- 17800722 TI - A CENSUS OF THE PERIODICAL LITERATURE OF CHEMISTRY PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17800723 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS. PMID- 17800724 TI - THE FRUITS, PROSPECTS AND LESSONS OF RECENT BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17800725 TI - APPOINTMENTS AND DISMISSALS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. PMID- 17800726 TI - THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. PMID- 17800727 TI - THE PAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. PMID- 17800728 TI - A GALAPAGOS TORTOISE. PMID- 17800729 TI - ANOPHELES PSEUDOPUNCTIPENNIS. PMID- 17800730 TI - TWO PARTIAL-ALBINO BIRDS. PMID- 17800731 TI - ON THE RELATIVE NUMIBERS OF RHIZOPODS AND FLAGELLATES IN THE FAUNA OF SOILS. PMID- 17800732 TI - THE NATIVE HABITAT OF SPONGOSPORA SUBTERRANEA. PMID- 17800733 TI - COLOR EFFECTS OF POSITIVE AND OF CATHODE RAYS IN RESIDUAL AIR, HYDROGEN, HELIUM, ETC. PMID- 17800734 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800735 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17800737 TI - CHEVREUL'S CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL. PMID- 17800736 TI - THE CHARLESTON EARTHQUAKE: SOME FURTHER OBSERVATIONS. PMID- 17800738 TI - BURYING THE WIRES. PMID- 17800739 TI - THE STANDARD TYPOGRAPH. PMID- 17800740 TI - Barometer exposure. PMID- 17800742 TI - 'Communistic leanings.'. PMID- 17800741 TI - An electric log. PMID- 17800743 TI - The sea-serpent. PMID- 17800744 TI - An easy method of measuring the time of mental processes. PMID- 17800745 TI - Sea-water in the ears. PMID- 17800746 TI - Science for a livelihood. PMID- 17800747 TI - THE SPHERE OF BACTERIOLOGY. PMID- 17800748 TI - EVOLUTION OF WEEVIL-RESISTANCE IN COTTON. PMID- 17800749 TI - THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800750 TI - AN ARTIFICIAL ROOT FOR INDUCING CAPILLARY MOVEMENT OF SOIL MOISTURE. PMID- 17800751 TI - HYBRID WHEATS. PMID- 17800752 TI - GERMANY AND THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17800754 TI - VARIAe AUCTORITATIS. PMID- 17800753 TI - AN OVERLOOKED FORM OF STEREOSCOPE. PMID- 17800755 TI - THE NATURE OF THE ACTION OF DRUGS ON THE HEART (PRELIMINARY NOTE). PMID- 17800757 TI - INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION IN GERMANY. PMID- 17800756 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17800758 TI - THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800759 TI - THE JOHNSTON SCHOLARSHIPS OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17800760 TI - TRIMMED COPIES OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800761 TI - AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. SECTION C. PMID- 17800762 TI - ON THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL ON PHARMACY AND CHEMISTRY OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800763 TI - THE TWOFOLD FUNCTION OF THE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17800764 TI - A COMPARISON BETWEEN FRATERNITY AND NON-FRATERNITY EXPENSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17800765 TI - MR. CARNEGIE'S TRUST FUND FOR PROMOTING PEACE. PMID- 17800766 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17800767 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17800768 TI - CALENDAR REFORM. PMID- 17800770 TI - WOMEN AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. PMID- 17800769 TI - AMOEligBA MELEAGRIDIS. PMID- 17800771 TI - LOUIS AGGASIZ'S LATER VIEWS ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. PMID- 17800772 TI - NOTE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOME PENNSYLVANIA FISHES. PMID- 17800773 TI - THE SYNTHESIS OF FORMALDEHYDE BY LIGHT WITHOUT CHLOROPHYLL. PMID- 17800774 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17800775 TI - SENATORIAL INVESTIGATION OF FOOD ADULTERATION. PMID- 17800776 TI - AMERIND--A DESIGNATION FOR THE ABORIGINAL, TRIBES OF THE AMERICAN HEMISPHERE. PMID- 17800777 TI - EXPLORING EXPEDITION TO THE MIDPACIFIC OCEAN. PMID- 17800778 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF IRRIGATION. PMID- 17800779 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.--SECOND CONFERENCE. II. PMID- 17800780 TI - A DOUBLE INSTRUMENT AND A DOUBLE JIETIHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SOUND. PMID- 17800781 TI - NEW YORK STATE SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800782 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17800783 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17800784 TI - Future supplies of energy and minerals. PMID- 17800785 TI - Demography of china. PMID- 17800786 TI - The scientific method. PMID- 17800787 TI - Erratum. AB - The title of the News & Comment article by Marjorie Sun on page 445 of the issue of 31 January should have been "The global fight over plant genes." PMID- 17800788 TI - The Challenger Disaster: Assessing the Implications: The explosion has shaken the U.S. space program to its foundations; have we become too dependent on the space shuttle? PMID- 17800789 TI - The Shuttle Record: Risks, Achievements: There is nothing new about the shuttle having propulsion system failures; but this time the consequences were grave. PMID- 17800790 TI - Europe assesses its options. PMID- 17800791 TI - A Crimp in the Pentagon's Space Plans: By launching some payloads on expendable rockets, DOD may mitigate long-term impacts of the shuttle disaster. PMID- 17800792 TI - Demonstrating Single Photon Interference: Even a single photon can manifest both wave and particle natures according to quantum theory, but demonstrating this is not so straightforward. PMID- 17800793 TI - Punctuated Equilibrium Is Now Old Hat: The rapid changes seen in the fossil record can be accounted for by traditional explanations from population genetics, according to two recent mathematical models. PMID- 17800794 TI - A 6-GeV Storage Ring: An Advanced Photon Research Facility. AB - The high brightness of synchrotron radiation produced by storage rings has enhanced research capability by factors of 10(6) to 10(8), from the ultraviolet to the x-ray region. There has been a steady growth in synchrotron radiation research of interest in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and the other physical sciences and their associated technologies. A large number of university, government, and industrial research organizations are utilizing this new capability at existing facilities. In the process, new partnerships have been created among these communities that have enabled each to contribute its expertise and to obtain its needed capability. A 6-gigaelectron volt storage ring, designed for use with periodic magnetic insertion devices called wigglers and undulators, has been proposed; such a facility could provide further enhancements of 10(4) to 10(6) in capability and could double the synchrotron radiation research capacity in the United States. This enhanced capability and capacity will provide new opportunities for a broad range of scientific and technological interests. PMID- 17800795 TI - Transition between frictional slip and ductile flow for halite shear zones at room temperature. AB - A complete transition from frictional slip to ductile shearing flow upon decreasing velocity (or slip rate) or increasing confining pressure is documented for a thin layer of halite undergoing large shearing deformation. The results indicate that the logarithmic law for steady-state friction with a negative velocity dependence breaks down when friction becomes nearly equal to the shear resistance required for ductile flow and that the law changes into a flow law in shear upon further decrease in velocity. The frictionvelocity relation is crucial in stability analyses of fault motion, and the results are important for earthquake and state-of-stress problems, especially in the application of laboratory data to the slow average motion of natural faults and to the behavior of deep faults along which ductile deformation becomes increasingly predominant. PMID- 17800796 TI - Palynological and iridium anomalies at cretaceous-tertiary boundary, South central Saskatchewan. AB - The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in south-central Saskatchewan is marked by coincident anomalies in abundance of iridium and fern spores at the extinction level of a suite of Cretaceous pollen taxa. Evidence of disruption of the terrestrial flora includes the fern-spore abundance anomaly and local extinction of as much as 30 percent of angiosperm species. The reorganized earliest Tertiary flora is made up largely of surviving species that assumed new roles of dominance. Persistence of climatically sensitive taxa across the boundary indicates that if paleoclimate was altered by the terminal Cretaceous event, it returned quickly to the pre-event condition. PMID- 17800797 TI - Synthesis of todorokite. AB - Todorokite of chemical composition (Mg(0.77)Na(0.03))(Mg(0.18)Mn(2+)(0.60)Mn(4+)(5.22)22) O(12).3.07 H(2)O was synthesized by a two-step procedure. First, sodium birnessite was synthesized and magnesium was exchanged for sodium to form magnesium birnessite, which was autoclaved under a saturated steam pressure at 155 degrees C for 8 hours to form well-crystallized todorokite. Synthesized todorokite particles consisted of fibers extending from a central plate. The plate itself was made of twinned fibers forming a trilling pattern. The infrared spectra and x-ray diffraction patterns were similar to those of natural todorokite samples. Calcium birnessite and nickel birnessite, when autoclaved under conditions similar to those for magnesium birnessite, yielded a todorokite structure. However, the formation of todorokite from calcium and nickel birnessite was less extensive. PMID- 17800798 TI - Transfer of Agrobacterium DNA to Plants Requires a T-DNA Border But Not the virE Locus. AB - Agrobacterium tumefaciens induces tumors in plants by transferring and integrating oncogenes (T-DNA) into the chromosomes of host plant cells. Agrobacterium strains were used to transfer complementary DNA copies of a potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV) to plant cells at a wound site on tomato plant stems. Subsequently, infectious viroid RNA was found in the leaves of these plants, indicating systemic PSTV infection. This process utilized the T-DNA transfer mechanisms of Agrobacterium since PSTV infection required most virulence genes (vir) as well as one of the DNA sequences that flank either side of the Agrobacterium T-DNA. However, transfer still occurred from virE mutants of Agrobacterium, strains that fail to induce tumors even though a completely functional T-DNA is present. The virE gene seems to be directly involved in the integration of foreign DNA into plant chromosomes. PMID- 17800799 TI - AAAS Annual Meeting Philadelphia, 25-30 May 1986. PMID- 17800800 TI - Guiding values: habits of the heart. PMID- 17800801 TI - Science and the presidency: presidential management of science and technology. PMID- 17800802 TI - History of Technology Contextualized: Technology's Storytellers. PMID- 17800804 TI - Reprints of books previously reviewed. PMID- 17800803 TI - Crustal geochemistry: archaean geochemistry. PMID- 17800805 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17800807 TI - A MORE NEARLY RATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS. PMID- 17800806 TI - SOME FEATURES OF THE CHICAGO MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND OF THE ASSOCIATED SOCIETIES, DECEMBER 27, 1920, TO JANUARY I, I921. PMID- 17800808 TI - PALEONTOLOGY AND PRAGMATISM. PMID- 17800809 TI - RECEDENT LAKE SHORES OF THE CRETACEOUS. PMID- 17800810 TI - IS HONEY A LUXURY? PMID- 17800811 TI - THE FLIGHT OF FIREFLIES AND THE FLASHING IMPULSE. PMID- 17800812 TI - FUNGICIDAL DUSTS FOR CONTROL OF SMUT. PMID- 17800814 TI - ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS, IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800813 TI - THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17800815 TI - ECONOMY IN UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION. PMID- 17800816 TI - LECTURES ON THE SMOKE PROBLEM. PMID- 17800818 TI - THE MISUSE OF THE TERM "MELANIN". PMID- 17800817 TI - A SCIENCE LIBRARY FOR CHILDREN. PMID- 17800819 TI - "PRONOUNCED GEN". PMID- 17800820 TI - FORMATION OF SPURRED FLOWERS IN HYBRID CALCEOLARIAS. PMID- 17800821 TI - THE LAWS OF PHOTOELECTRIC ACTION AND THE UNITARY THEORY OF LIGHT (LICHTQUANTEN THEORIE). PMID- 17800822 TI - THE CAPE LOBSTER. PMID- 17800824 TI - A CONVENIENT 20{degrees} INCUBATOR. PMID- 17800823 TI - A PANUM INCUBATOR WITM IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS. PMID- 17800825 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS. PMID- 17800826 TI - Erratum. AB - Leo Kadanoff, a 1980 winner of the Wolf prize in physics (News and Comment, 17 Oct., p. 294), is on the faculty of the University of Chicago, not Brown University. PMID- 17800827 TI - Idea. PMID- 17800828 TI - Science advice. PMID- 17800829 TI - Science advice. PMID- 17800830 TI - Science policy: new directions? PMID- 17800831 TI - Is the proton stable. AB - For nearly 50 years there has been a strong belief that the proton is absolutely stable. The current experimental upper bound on its decay rate is less than one proton decay per 3 tons of matter per year, which corresponds to a mean lifetime of more than 10(30) years. Even more sensitive searches for proton decay are now in progress. These are partially motivated by the development of a class of models that combine the presently accepted theories of electromagnetic, weak, and strong inter-actions into an elegant unified form. Some of these theories predict a proton lifetime short enough for the decays to be detectable by the proposed experiments. If the proton is unstable, a plausible explanation can be given for the apparent excess of matter over antimatter in the universe. PMID- 17800832 TI - The national system of scientific measurement. AB - Mandated measurement methods are required by regulatory agencies and other government groups. These methods exist for measuring almost all physical, chemical, and biological phenomena. The methods have been culled from the literature, from the organizations that write voluntary standards, and some have been developed by the agencies. Few provide adequate estimates of precision, and fewer still provide any evaluation of interlaboratory bias. The societal costs of these poor measurements are large. Much needs to be done to meet the physical and statistical requirements for establishing and maintaining dependable measurements. Excepting those directly supported by the National Bureau of Standards, most of the nation's measurement systems are uncontrolled. PMID- 17800833 TI - Magnet failures imperil new accelerator. PMID- 17800834 TI - A new visibility for gifted children. PMID- 17800835 TI - Advising reagan on science policy. PMID- 17800836 TI - Congress begins the republican shuffle. PMID- 17800837 TI - Hunter-gatherers in Africa. PMID- 17800838 TI - Radiobiology. PMID- 17800839 TI - Social psychology. PMID- 17800840 TI - Carbon dioxide. PMID- 17800841 TI - Martian valleys: morphology, distribution, age, and origin. AB - Branching valley networks throughout the heavily cratered terrain of Mars exhibit no compelling evidence for formation by rainfall-fed erosion. The networks are diffuse and inefficient, with irregular tributary junction angles and large, undissected intervalley areas. Rather, the deeply entrenched canyons, with blunt amphitheater terminations, cliff-bench wall topography, lack of evidence of interior erosion by flow, and clear structural control, suggest headward extension by basal sapping. The size-frequency distributions of impact craters in these valleys and in the heavily cratered terrain that surrounds them are statistically indistinguishable, suggesting that valley formation has not occurred on Mars for billions of years. PMID- 17800842 TI - Solar neutrino production of long-lived isotopes and secular variations in the sun. AB - Long-lived isotopes produced in the earth's crust by solar neutrinos may provide a method of probing secular variations in the rate of energy production in the sun's core. Only one isotope, calcium-41, appears to be suitable from the dual stand-points of reliable nuclear physics and manageable backgrounds. The proposed measurement also may be interesting in view of recent evidence for neutrino oscillations. PMID- 17800843 TI - Resource concentration and herbivory in oak forests. AB - Larvae of the fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), a polyphagous defoliator of canopy trees, hatch at the time of budbreak of scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), about 10 days before budbreak of white oak (Quercus alba). Thus the Alsophila population was dense in a site dominated by scarlet oaks and defoliated the scattered white oaks when they came into leaf. In a site dominated by white oaks, the Alsophila population was sparse and chiefly attacked scattered scarlet oak. Thus in each stand, the rarer species of tree suffered greater herbivory, in contrast to the more commonly reported observation that herbivore attack on a plant species increases with density. PMID- 17800844 TI - Nutmeg dispersal by tropical birds. AB - Frugivorous birds preferentially remove fruits from Panamanian Virola trees where the ratio of edible aril to indigestible seed is high. A negative correlation between the proportion of the crop removed and mean seed size explains 59 percent of the variance in removal, suggesting that birds minimize ingestion of useless bulk. PMID- 17800845 TI - The Role of Zinc and Follicle Cells in Insulin-Initiated Meiotic Maturation of Xenopus laevis Oocytes. PMID- 17800846 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17800848 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17800847 TI - THEORIES OF LIGHT. PMID- 17800849 TI - REFORM IN THE SYSTEM OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION. PMID- 17800850 TI - BIOLOGICAL VARIATION vs. ERRORS IN MEASUREMENT. PMID- 17800851 TI - POLYEMBRYONY IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL. PMID- 17800852 TI - SWARMING BEETLES. PMID- 17800853 TI - SOME NEW RECORDS OF OCCURRENCE OF NORTH AMERICAN FRESH-WATER SPONGES. PMID- 17800854 TI - NEW TYPE RAZOR HOLDER FOR ROTARY MICROTOME. PMID- 17800855 TI - A LOW TEMPERATURE SEMI-MICRO STILL. PMID- 17800856 TI - A SIMPLE PUMP FOR INFLATING BALLOONS. PMID- 17800857 TI - MOSQUITO TRANSMISSION OF EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS. PMID- 17800858 TI - MECHANISMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACTIVE RESISTANCE TO THE EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCES STIMULATING THE THYROID GLAND IN THE GUINEA PIG. PMID- 17800859 TI - RETENTION OF CARBON DIOXIDE GAS IN THE INTERCELLULAR ATMOSPHERE OF PEARS AND APPLES. PMID- 17800860 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17800861 TI - RECOGNITION OF THE INDIVIDUAL. PMID- 17800863 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17800862 TI - SHADED TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS. PMID- 17800864 TI - AN UNPUBLISHED METRICAL EPIGRAM BY JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. PMID- 17800865 TI - LATIN AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE. PMID- 17800866 TI - AS STUDENTS UNDERSTAND IT. PMID- 17800867 TI - PALEOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC OBJECTS FROM EUROPE. PMID- 17800868 TI - CADAVERA WITH FLEXIBLE JOINTS. PMID- 17800869 TI - A CULTURE TUBE FOR USE WITH COLLODION SACS. PMID- 17800870 TI - THE SURFACE EQUILIBRIUM OF COLLOIDAL SOLUTIONS. II. PMID- 17800871 TI - BREEDING HABITS AND MUTATIONS IN THE MOTH-LIKE FLY (PSYCHODA). PMID- 17800872 TI - THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17800873 TI - Mechanism of the Invasiveness of Cancer. PMID- 17800874 TI - Artificial Radioactive Tracers: Applications to Chemistry and Medicine. PMID- 17800875 TI - COMMENTS by Readers. PMID- 17800876 TI - Cinephotomicroscopy of Normal Blood Circulation in the Cheek Pouch of the Hamster. PMID- 17800878 TI - Carbon and Hydrogen in Rubber Hydrocarbon. PMID- 17800877 TI - Vascular Changes in the Wings of Bats. PMID- 17800879 TI - Variation Among Lamb Carcasses in the B Vitamin Content of Meat. PMID- 17800880 TI - The Effects of Cytochrome C in Anoxia. PMID- 17800881 TI - Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Visual Thresholds. PMID- 17800882 TI - Determination of World Plant Formations From Simple Climatic Data. PMID- 17800883 TI - Detection of Hypoglycemic Reactions in the Mouse Assay for Insulin. PMID- 17800884 TI - Acetone-desiccated Adult Tissues as a Source of Cell Growth-promoting Extracts. PMID- 17800885 TI - Apparatus for Mustard Gas Treatment. PMID- 17800886 TI - Oral Administration of Small Doses of Liquids to Laboratory Animals. PMID- 17800887 TI - Cornerstone. PMID- 17800888 TI - The Architect Reviews His Files. PMID- 17800889 TI - University of Michigan Radiocarbon Dates I. PMID- 17800890 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17800891 TI - Intermittent Conditioned Reinforcement in Chimpanzees. PMID- 17800892 TI - Generality of Some Academic Reputations. PMID- 17800893 TI - Graft-Induced Transmission to Progeny of Cytoplasmic Male Sterility in Petunia. PMID- 17800894 TI - Teachers, Second Class? PMID- 17800895 TI - Geophysical Research Shaft. PMID- 17800896 TI - Second BS Degree for Teachers. PMID- 17800897 TI - Smugness and "Success". PMID- 17800898 TI - Science and the Department of State. PMID- 17800899 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17800900 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17800901 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17800903 TI - Retirement policy. PMID- 17800902 TI - The perfect money management system. PMID- 17800904 TI - Judicial impact statements. PMID- 17800906 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "DNA amplification for direction detection of HIV-1 in DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells " Chin-Yih Ou et al. (15 Jan., p. 295), the fourth sentence of reference 21 (p. 297) should have read, "The PCR reaction mixture contained 1 microg of PBMC DNA, 100 pmol each of primers (Table 2), 200 microM each of four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, 10 microM tris-HC1, pH 8.3, 50 mM KC1, 2.5 mM MgCl(2), 0.01% gelatin and 0.6 unit of thermoresistant DNA polymerase of Thermus aquaticus." PMID- 17800905 TI - Judicial impact statements. PMID- 17800907 TI - La difference? PMID- 17800908 TI - Stunned sex interviewers? PMID- 17800909 TI - The Scourge of Computer Viruses: Software bugs deliberately designed to replicate in computer systems have the potential to wreak havoc; protection urged for military data. Is a vaccine feasible? PMID- 17800910 TI - Mayor Seeks to Polish the "S" in Unesco: The U.N. agency's new director-general, Federico Mayor, says he wants to sharpen the focus of its science programs on two areas: "frontiers of science" and environmental problems. PMID- 17800911 TI - Severe Fire Devastates Soviet Science Library: Many rare volumes were destroyed in a blaze that swept through the library of the Soviet Academy of Sciences; experts say other Soviet libraries are in poor physical condition. PMID- 17800912 TI - Laser team leaves stanford for duke. PMID- 17800913 TI - A hypothesis that works. PMID- 17800914 TI - New Superconductors Answer Some Questions: "Triple-digit" materials raise critical temperatures for superconductivity, may also yield important clues to understanding it. PMID- 17800915 TI - Studies of synthetic polymers by nonradiative energy transfer. AB - Nonradiative energy transfer between fluorescent labels attached to polymers has been used to characterize polymer miscibility, the interpenetration of chain molecules in solution, micelle formation in graft copolymers, the unfolding of collapsed chain molecules in polymer melts, and the transfer of energy absorbed by a large number of donor labels to a small number of acceptors by an "antenna effect." The change in the emission spectrum after ionomer solutions with different fluorescent counterions were mixed provided rate constants for counterion interchange. The fluorescence behavior of dispersions of donor-labeled polymers stabilized by a graft copolymer with acceptor fluorophores in the solution phase led to inferences about the morphology of the dispersed particles. PMID- 17800916 TI - Dynamic properties of molecularly thin liquid films. AB - An experimental technique is described for simultaneously measuring the static and dynamic interactions of very thin liquid films between two surfaces as they are moved normally or laterally relative to each other. Film thickness can be measured and controlled to 1 angstrom. Initial results are presented of the transition in the physical properties of liquid films only one molecular layer thick to thicker films whose properties are practically indistinguishable from the bulk. In particular, the results show that two molecularly smooth surfaces, when close together in simple liquids, slide (shear) past each other while separated by a discrete number of molecular layers, and that the frictional force is "quantized" with the number of layers. PMID- 17800917 TI - Insecticidal activity and lectin homology of arcelin seed protein. AB - Arcelin, a major seed protein discovered in wild beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), has toxic effects on an important bean bruchid pest, Zabrotes subfasciatus. Transfer of the arcelin-1 allele to bean cultivars and addition of purified arcelin to artificial seeds results in high levels of insect resistance. The nucleotide and derived amino acid sequences of the arcelin-1 complementary DNA are very similar to those of genes encoding the bean seed lectin, phytohemagglutinin. The gene or genes encoding arcelin may have evolved from a phytohemagglutinin gene or genes resulting in an effective mechanism for resistance to bean bruchids. PMID- 17800918 TI - Evidence of lightning and volcanic activity on venus: pro and con. PMID- 17800920 TI - Particle physics: expanding protons. PMID- 17800919 TI - Response: evidence of lightning and volcanic activity on venus: pro and con. PMID- 17800921 TI - A past embattlement: elites in conflict. PMID- 17800922 TI - Control of development: developmental genetics of higher organisms. PMID- 17800923 TI - Water transport mechanisms: water movement through lipid bilayers, pores, and plasma membranes. PMID- 17800924 TI - Neural differentiation: from message to mind. PMID- 17800925 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17800926 TI - THE FUTURE OF THE LICK OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17800927 TI - An American Silurian scorpion. PMID- 17800929 TI - The geology of natural gas. PMID- 17800928 TI - A method for determining the unit of light. PMID- 17800930 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17800931 TI - Probable period of gestation in the 'horned toad.'. PMID- 17800932 TI - Annuaire geologique universel. PMID- 17800934 TI - Color and other associations. PMID- 17800933 TI - THE LICK OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17800935 TI - THE GROWTH OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY. 1635-1885. PMID- 17800937 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EYE. PMID- 17800936 TI - THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17800939 TI - CHEYNE'S OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHOLERA MICROBE. PMID- 17800938 TI - CIVILIZATION AND EYESIGHT. PMID- 17800940 TI - LAST YEAR'S MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17800941 TI - MOSQUITOES VS. TROUT. PMID- 17800942 TI - EXPERIMENTS IN MEMORY. PMID- 17800943 TI - THE UNIVERSITIES OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. PMID- 17800944 TI - SUMMER MEETING, SECTION E--GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17800945 TI - NOTE ON THE MAGNETIC FIELD DUE TO AN ELECTRIC CURRENT IN A STRAIGHT WIRE. PMID- 17800946 TI - ORIGIN OF SINK-HOLES. PMID- 17800947 TI - REFLEX PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR IN BUFO VARIABILIS. PMID- 17800948 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17800949 TI - MEDALS FOR RESEARCH IN TROPICAL MEDICINE. PMID- 17800950 TI - Luminescent Solids (Phosphors). PMID- 17800951 TI - The Nature of the Organizer. PMID- 17800952 TI - Thermal Separation of Radiomercury From Radiosodium. PMID- 17800953 TI - Aureomycin, a New Antibiotic. PMID- 17800954 TI - Apricots and Plums as Hosts of Western X-Disease. PMID- 17800955 TI - Experiments in Crossing Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti Linnaeus and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse. PMID- 17800956 TI - 2-Acetylamino-9-C14-Fluorene. PMID- 17800957 TI - Effectiveness of Vitamin P Compounds in Counteracting Anticoagulant Action of Dicoumarol. PMID- 17800958 TI - Effect of p-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid on the Vitamin C Content of Snap Beans Following Harvest. PMID- 17800959 TI - The Properties of the Enzyme-Substrate Compounds of Horse-Radish and Lacto Peroxidase. PMID- 17800960 TI - A Quantitative Hardness Tester for Food Products. PMID- 17800961 TI - On the Carcinogenesis of 2-Substituted Fluorenes. PMID- 17800962 TI - Pressure Patterns in Bird Migration. PMID- 17800963 TI - Biological Education in Secondary Schools. PMID- 17800965 TI - Wesley Clair Mitchell, 1874-1948. PMID- 17800964 TI - Oyster Mortality in Louisiana. PMID- 17800966 TI - Scientifc Book Register. PMID- 17800967 TI - Grantee Ethics. PMID- 17800968 TI - Zeno Payne Metcalf, Distinguished Entomologist. PMID- 17800970 TI - Shell Mineralogy in Paleozoic Invertebrates. PMID- 17800969 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17800971 TI - Cork Virus Leafspots on Triumph Sweetpotato Contain Separated Parenchyma Cells. PMID- 17800972 TI - Marine Fishes in Fresh Water. PMID- 17800973 TI - Loss of Nutrients from Plant Foliage by Leaching as Indicated by Radioisotopes. PMID- 17800974 TI - Paradamite, a New Zinc Arsenate from Mexico. PMID- 17800977 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17800975 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17800978 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17800979 TI - Chiropractic and osteopathy. PMID- 17800980 TI - "Art in science"? No! PMID- 17800981 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800982 TI - Scientists and social and political problems. PMID- 17800983 TI - Metric system: congressional study. PMID- 17800985 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800984 TI - Preservation of privacy in testing. PMID- 17800986 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17800987 TI - Social problems and social science. PMID- 17800988 TI - Microwave ultrasonics. PMID- 17800989 TI - The accademia dei lincei. PMID- 17800990 TI - Questions and answers with grant swinger. PMID- 17800991 TI - ESSA II: Satellite Launch Marks New Departure and New Management. PMID- 17800992 TI - Pollution abatement: president seeks river-basin approach. PMID- 17800993 TI - Peculiar galaxies and radio sources. AB - Pairs of radio sources which are separated by from 2 degrees to 6 degrees on the sky have been investigated. In a number of cases peculiar galaxies have been found approximately midway along a line joining the two radio sources. The central peculiar galaxies belong mainly to a certain class in the recently compiled Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. Among the radio sources so far associated with the peculiar galaxies are at least five known quasars. These quasars are indicated to be not at cosmological distances (that is, red shifts not caused by expansion of the universe) because the central peculiar galaxies are only at distances of 10 to 100 megaparsecs. The absolute magnitudes of these quasars are indicated to be in the range of brightness of normal galaxies and downward. Some of the radio sources which have been found to be associated with peculiar galaxies are galaxies themselves. It is therefore implied that ejection of material took place within or near the parent peculiar galaxies with speeds between 10(2) and 10(4) kilometers per second. After traveling for times of the order of 10(7) to 10(9) years, the luminous matter (galaxies) and radio sources (plasma) have reached their observed separations from the central peculiar galaxy. The large red shifts measured for the quasars would seem to be either (i) gravitational, (ii) collapse velocities of clouds of material falling toward the center of these compact galaxies, or (iii) some as yet unknown cause. PMID- 17800994 TI - Mars: upper atmosphere. AB - The thermal structure of the upper atmosphere of Mars has been theoretically investigated. The exospheric temperature, for a pure CO(2) model atmosphere, lies between 400 degrees and 700 degrees K. The origin of the Martian atmosphere is discussed in the light of these results. PMID- 17800995 TI - Middle devonian lunar month. AB - Simple dynamical calculations regarding the number of lunar months in the Middle Devonian year differ slightly from results obtained from periodicities found in the breeding of corals. PMID- 17800996 TI - Kyanite-Sillimanite Equilibrium at 750{degrees}C. AB - Reversal of the kyanite-sillimanite inversion has been accomplished hydrothermally at 750 degrees C. The inversion pressure at 750 degrees C is 8.1 +/- 0.4 kilobars. The calculated pressuretemperature slope at this point is 17.7+/- 1.0 bars per degree celsius. Geologically, this result seems more plausible than previous estimates of the location of the boundary. When combined with other work on the relative stability of andalusite, the data indicate that andalulsite cannot be stable at a pressure greater than 4.2 kilobars. PMID- 17800997 TI - Flavin mononucleotide control of glycolic Acid oxidase and photorespiration in corn leaves. AB - Enzyme preparations from young corn shoots lacked the coenzyme, flavin mononucleotide, that is required for glycolic acid oxidation. When the coenzyme was added to the shoots, the rate of carbon dioxide production during photosynthesis increased. Shoots of wheat or oats did not lack the coenzyme. PMID- 17800999 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17800998 TI - Gordon research conferences: program for 1966. PMID- 17801001 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN ASTRONOMY (II.). PMID- 17801000 TI - THE ORIGIN OF GYMNOSPERMS AND THE SEED HABIT. PMID- 17801002 TI - THE ZOOLOGICAL SECTION (F) OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17801003 TI - NOTES ON PHYSICS. PMID- 17801005 TI - BACTERIOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17801004 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17801006 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17801007 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17801008 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17801009 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17801010 TI - Distribution of Talent. PMID- 17801011 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17801013 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17801012 TI - News of Science. AB - The news item on the American Nuclear Society and its new journal, Nuclear Science and Engineering (Academic Press. Inc., New York) that appeared on page 1015 of the 25 Nov. issue should have ended with the second paragraph. The remainder of the item deals with another new journal, Nuclear Physics (North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam; distributed in U.S.A. by Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York). Science regrets the error. PMID- 17801016 TI - THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY COMMEMORATIVE ADDRESS. PMID- 17801015 TI - Scientific Meetings. PMID- 17801017 TI - INAUGURAL ADDRESS. PMID- 17801018 TI - PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR HONORARY DEGREES. PMID- 17801019 TI - THE CHICAGO MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17801020 TI - THE ENDOWMENT OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17801021 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN GLACIOLOGY. PMID- 17801022 TI - A RARE 'WHALE SHARK.'. PMID- 17801023 TI - RECENT ZOOPALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17801024 TI - THE BOTANICAL SECTION OF THE CONCILIUM BIBLIOGRAPHICUM IN ZURICH. PMID- 17801025 TI - THE PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN ITS BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS. PMID- 17801026 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN AMERICAN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. PMID- 17801027 TI - REPORT OF PROGRESS OF THE NEBRASKA STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND THE MORRILL GEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION OF 1901. PMID- 17801028 TI - ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE IN BOTANY. PMID- 17801029 TI - COILED BASKETRY. PMID- 17801030 TI - IRIDESCENT CLOUDS. PMID- 17801031 TI - ON A MATHOD IN HYGROMETRY. PMID- 17801032 TI - PHYSICS AND THE STUDY OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17801033 TI - THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17801035 TI - THE ELIZABETH THOMPSON SCIENCE FUND. PMID- 17801034 TI - SCLEROTINIA FRUCTIGENA. PMID- 17801036 TI - THE PITTSBURGH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17801038 TI - GEOLOGY AND THE WORLD AT LARGE. PMID- 17801037 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17801039 TI - PURPOSIVE ACTION. PMID- 17801041 TI - ON THE MECHANISM OF ORIENTATION OF ATOMS IN MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC FIELDS. PMID- 17801040 TI - THE COLLECTING OF FOLK SONGS BY PHONOPHOTOGRAPHY. PMID- 17801042 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17801043 TI - THE IDENTITY OF CLEAR CREEK SKULL. PMID- 17801044 TI - BIBLIOGRAPHY OF COLORIMETRY. PMID- 17801045 TI - CONSIDER THE USER OF BULLETINS. PMID- 17801046 TI - NO METEORITE. PMID- 17801047 TI - THE CORRELATION BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND SPEED IN CONDUCTION OF THE NERVE IMPULSE IN A REFLEX ARC. PMID- 17801048 TI - A COMPARISON OF GROWTH CURVES OF MAN AND OTHER ANIMALS. PMID- 17801050 TI - MICHEL EUGENE CHEVREUL. PMID- 17801049 TI - PROGENIES FROM X-RAYED SEX CELLS OF TOBACCO. PMID- 17801051 TI - THE SMITH ELECTRIC CONDUIT SYSTEM. PMID- 17801052 TI - THE EXTENSION OF THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17801053 TI - SNOW-BROOM FOR USE ON ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. PMID- 17801054 TI - THE LIGNITE INDUSTRY IN GERMANY. PMID- 17801055 TI - EXCAVATIONS FACILITATED BY FREEZING. PMID- 17801056 TI - THE CHINCH-BUG IN ILLINOIS. PMID- 17801057 TI - SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. PMID- 17801058 TI - DRIED POTATO. PMID- 17801059 TI - SULPHUR FUMIGATION. PMID- 17801061 TI - THE MORPHINE HABIT. PMID- 17801060 TI - SCHOOLROOM SPACE. PMID- 17801062 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17801064 TI - INFLUENCE OF LIGHT ON MAGNETISM. PMID- 17801063 TI - THE WAGNER REGULATOR. PMID- 17801065 TI - THE SUPPRESSION OF SMALL-POX. PMID- 17801066 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17801068 TI - THE PURIFICATION OF SEWAGE. PMID- 17801067 TI - SECONDARY BATTERIES. PMID- 17801069 TI - STANLEY'S LETTER. PMID- 17801070 TI - CALIFORNIA WINES. PMID- 17801071 TI - The Metric System and Professional Teaching. PMID- 17801072 TI - The Robinson Anemometer. PMID- 17801073 TI - Platinum in Place. PMID- 17801074 TI - The Age of the Denver Formation. PMID- 17801076 TI - THE APPROACHNG TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN. PMID- 17801075 TI - Platinum in British Columbia. PMID- 17801077 TI - THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIOSOPHY. PMID- 17801079 TI - ALUMINIUM-MAGNESIUM ALLOYS. PMID- 17801078 TI - THE SOCIOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE PHYSICIAN. PMID- 17801080 TI - NOTES ON PHYSICS. PMID- 17801082 TI - ANTIQUITIES OF ALABAMIA. PMID- 17801081 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHTY. PMID- 17801083 TI - A NEW PALEOLITHIC STATION. PMID- 17801084 TI - CERTAIN LAWS OF VARIATION. PMID- 17801085 TI - Types of Articles for Science. PMID- 17801087 TI - Books Reviewed in THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY. PMID- 17801086 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17801088 TI - Some Potassium-Argon Ages for Ontario. PMID- 17801089 TI - On the Legitimacy of Scientific Authorship. PMID- 17801090 TI - Hydrolyzed Fish Protein from the Flesh of Waste Fish. PMID- 17801091 TI - More on "A New University". PMID- 17801092 TI - Report on Wax from Several Species of Tillandsia and from Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. PMID- 17801093 TI - OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT. PMID- 17801094 TI - ON THE HOMOLOGIES AND PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE EMBRYO-SAC. PMID- 17801095 TI - NATURAL HISTORY WORK AT THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, WOOD'S HOLL. PMID- 17801096 TI - CHRISTIAN FREDERIK LUTKEN. PMID- 17801097 TI - THE DATE OF RAFINESQUE'S DEATH. PMID- 17801098 TI - THE LARGEST KNOWN DINOSAUR. PMID- 17801099 TI - LUNAR HALO. PMID- 17801100 TI - A RECENT FAULT-SLIP, OGDEN CANYON, UTAH. PMID- 17801101 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17801102 TI - CONTEMPORARY THERMODYNAMIC EFFICIENCIES. PMID- 17801103 TI - THE U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17801104 TI - Resumption of Testing. PMID- 17801105 TI - Wind Fluctuations in the Troposphere. PMID- 17801106 TI - The Prophetic Quality. PMID- 17801107 TI - On the Domestication of Cattle: Zoology and cultural history both illuminate the view that the original motive was religious, not economic. PMID- 17801108 TI - Space Program: Congress Passes It Unanimously, But NASA Wonders About Durability of Support. PMID- 17801109 TI - Civil Defense: Administration Says Poll Shows Heavy Public Support. PMID- 17801110 TI - Kerogen in the Chattanooga Shale: Study of its origin and composition suggests why these shales are not source beds for petroleum. AB - The Chattanooga shale contains insoluble organic matter (kerogen) derived from terrestrial (humic) and from marine (sapropelic) sources. Kerogen from sapropelic sources contains more hydrogen than kerogen from humic sources. Thus the hydrogen content of the sapropelic contribution, and of the kerogen, increases toward that part of a shale most likely to be a source bed for petroleum. Uranium in the shale is derived from the adjoining land mass. PMID- 17801111 TI - Chemical Control of Water Loss in Growing Plants. AB - Immersing the roots of growing strawberry plants in aqueous solutions of 8 hydroxyquinoline sulfate closes the stomata, reduces water loss, and increases the time before complete wilting under drought conditions. Under such drought conditions plant survival and vigor are increased. Prolonged closing of the stomata seems to be the principal mode of action of the chemical. PMID- 17801112 TI - Chloroplasts of Euglena gracilis Affected by Furadantin. AB - Treatment of Euglena gracilis with furadantin results in colorless cells which produce only white descendants. The treatment also prevents the greening of dark grown euglena-which are exposed to light. This finding suggests that furadantin acts upon some stage of chloroplast synthesis subsequent to that blocked by darkness. PMID- 17801113 TI - Gases in Tektite Bubbles. AB - Spectroscopic analysis of light produced by electrodeless discharge in a tektite bubble showed the main gases in the bubble to be neon, helium, and oxygen. The neon and helium have probably diffused in from the atmosphere, while the oxygen may be atmospheric gas incorporated in the tektite during its formation. PMID- 17801114 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17801115 TI - THE CASE OF PROFESSOR ROSS. PMID- 17801116 TI - THE SECOND MEETING OF NATURALISTS AT CHICAGO. PMID- 17801117 TI - ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17801118 TI - RECENT PROGRESS IN GEODESY. PMID- 17801119 TI - THE SAN JOSE SCALE IN JAPAN. PMID- 17801120 TI - STRATIGRAPHICAL NOTE. PMID- 17801121 TI - CROCODILIAN NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17801122 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17801124 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17801123 TI - INFLUENCE OF LIGHT ON THE LENGTH OF THE HYPOCOTYL IN INDIAN CORN. PMID- 17801125 TI - The Science of Politics. PMID- 17801126 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17801127 TI - Chromosomes, Mutations, and Cytoplasm in Maize. PMID- 17801128 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17801129 TI - A Technique for Making Multiple-Bore Microelectrodes. PMID- 17801130 TI - Helium policies. PMID- 17801131 TI - Helium policies. PMID- 17801132 TI - Campus planning. PMID- 17801133 TI - Bob ormes: an appreciation. PMID- 17801134 TI - Universities: the next iteration? PMID- 17801135 TI - The magnetic activity sunlike stars. AB - Sunspots, flares, and the myriad time-varying "events" observable in the Sun-the only star whose surface we can examine in detail-are testimony that the Sun is a magnetically variable or active star. Its magnetic field, carried into interplanetary space by the solar wind, produces observable changes in Earth's magnetosphere and variations in the flux of galactic cosmic-ray particles incident upon Earth's upper atmosphere. Centuries of observation have enabled solar scientists to recognize that the Sun's magnetism exists and varies in a globally organized pattern that is somehow coupled to the Sun's rotation. Within the past decade O. C. Wilson demonstrated that analogs of solar activity exist and can be studied in many other dwarf stars. From the continuing study, knowledge of the precise rates of rotation of the stars under investigation is being gained for the first time. The results are expected to increase our understanding of the origin of solar activity and stellar activity in general. PMID- 17801136 TI - Crop productivity and photoassimilate partitioning. AB - The photosynthetic basis for increasing the yield of major field crops is examined in terms of improving the interception of seasonal solar radiation by crop foliage, the efficiency of conversion of intercepted light to photosynthetic assimilates, and the partitioning of photoassimilates to organs of economic interest. It is concluded that, in practice, genetic and chemical manipulation of light interception over the season and of partitioning offer the most potential for achieving further increases in yield. During the history of improvement of genetic yield potential of crops, increase in the partitioning of photoassimilates to harvested organs has been of primary importance. PMID- 17801137 TI - Space Commerce: The Quest for Coherence: Space commerce is now a stormy adolescent; the Administration, like a first-time parent, wonders how to set the rules. PMID- 17801139 TI - NAS Study Casts Doubt on Existing EMP Protection. PMID- 17801138 TI - Shuttle gets caught in trade war. PMID- 17801140 TI - U.s.--poland exchanges slow to resume. PMID- 17801141 TI - Synfuels program gets the knife but not the ax. PMID- 17801142 TI - Comings and goings. PMID- 17801143 TI - Soviets tighten rules on contacts with foreigners. PMID- 17801145 TI - Multiple Quantum Wells for Optical Logic: Structures comprising alternating layers of gallium arsenide--based semiconductors are candidates for the optical analog of transistors. PMID- 17801144 TI - NIH Seeks Training Grant Increase. PMID- 17801146 TI - Mathematics as empirical: the nature of mathematical knowledge. PMID- 17801147 TI - An era at the cavendish: cambridge physics in the thirties. PMID- 17801148 TI - Invertebrate vision: photoreception and vision in invertebrates. PMID- 17801149 TI - The magellanic clouds: structure and evolution of the magellanic clouds. PMID- 17801150 TI - Species duration and evolution: benthic foraminifera on the atlantic continental margin of north america. AB - Average species durations were estimated for 131 commonly occurring modern species. The duration of species occurring at depths of less than 200 meters is 16 million years, while for those at greater than 200 meters and at all depths it is 25 to 26 million years. Species (less than 200 meters) distributed from Florida to Newfoundland and from Florida to Cape Hatteras have about the same durations (18 to 20 million years). The duration for species restricted to north of Cape Hatteras is only 7 million years. The data suggest that evolutionary rates are greater in shallower than in deeper depths and greatest in the shallower northern area. PMID- 17801151 TI - Ionospheric sporadic-e parameters: long-term trends. AB - The results of observations over 3(1/2) solar cycles of ionosonde parameters describing sporadic-E patches (E(s)) are given for two Southern Hemisphere stations. Analysis has revealed systematic changes in the occurrence probabilities of f(o)E(s) and f(b)E(s), changes that are independent of time of day or season. It is unlikely that observational effects can be entirely responsible for the trends, which suggest that major long-term changes may be occurring at E region heights. PMID- 17801152 TI - Favositid tabulates: evidence for poriferan affinity. AB - Calcitic pseudomorphs of desma-like siliceous spicules found in the calcareous skeleton of a Devonian thamnoporid support the proposal of poriferan origin of at least some favositid Tabulata. These favositids arose from a group of Ordovician lithistid demosponges that adapted to toxic calcium excess in shallow, tropical marine environments by developing calicoblasts within the pinacoderm, supplementing their primary siliceous spicular skeletons with basally secreted calcium carbonate. They are tentatively recognized as an order of the subclass Sclerospongiae (class Demospongiae). PMID- 17801153 TI - Stimulation of food species growth by limpet mucus. AB - The trails of mucus secreted by certain species of intertidal limpets serve as adhesive traps for the microalgae that are their primary food resource. In addition, the mucus trails of two solitary homing limpets, Lottia gigantea and Collisella scabra, stimulate growth of the microalgae that the limpets consume. In contrast, the trails of an aggregating limpet, Collisella digitalis, do not stimulate microalgal growth. These results and their possible ecological significance are interpreted in light of the differences in the behavioral repertoires of the three limpet species. PMID- 17801155 TI - THE FUR-SEAL INVESTIGATION OF 1897. PMID- 17801154 TI - PROFESSOR FLINDERS PETRIE'S SCHEME OF AN ETHNOLOGICAL STORE-HOUSE. PMID- 17801156 TI - A BOTANICAL EXCURSION TO MEXICO. PMID- 17801157 TI - BOTANY AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17801158 TI - ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE TORONTO MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17801159 TI - ORGANIC SELECTION. PMID- 17801160 TI - ASTROPHYSICAL NOTES. PMID- 17801161 TI - THE SPELLING OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. PMID- 17801162 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17801163 TI - THE 'KAISER WILHELM DER GROSSE.'. PMID- 17801164 TI - THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17801165 TI - THE EASTERNMOST VOLCANOES OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17801166 TI - LITERARY EMBRYOLOGY. PMID- 17801167 TI - THE 'ENCHANTED MESA.'. PMID- 17801168 TI - THE PLANT INDIVIDUAL IN THE LIGHT OF EVOLUTION. PMID- 17801169 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (III.). PMID- 17801170 TI - THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN ANATOMISTS. PMID- 17801172 TI - PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS. PMID- 17801171 TI - A CARD CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. PMID- 17801173 TI - THE PREVALENCE OF COMMON COLDS. PMID- 17801174 TI - INFLUENZA AND DOG DISTEMPER. PMID- 17801175 TI - A RELIC OF THE BRONZE AGE. PMID- 17801177 TI - TEST MACHINERY IN "PADDED CELL". PMID- 17801176 TI - THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATOR. PMID- 17801179 TI - THE STIMULATION OF RESEARCH IN PURE SCIENCE WHICH HAS RESULTED FROM THE NEEDS OF ENGINEERS AND OF INDUSTRY. PMID- 17801178 TI - THE NATURAL MONUMENTS OF JAPAN. PMID- 17801180 TI - PHYSIOLOGY AT THE NAPLES STATION. PMID- 17801182 TI - HELIUM. PMID- 17801181 TI - THE RELATION OF E. W. SCRIPPS TO SCIENCE. PMID- 17801183 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17801184 TI - INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17801185 TI - BALL DANCING ON WATER-JET. PMID- 17801186 TI - PROFESSOR BARUS AND COLLOID CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17801188 TI - A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE STUDY OF THE EMISSION SPECTRA AND SURFACE TENSION ALTERATIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL TUMORS. PMID- 17801187 TI - SYSTEMIC EFFECTS FOLLOWING THE STING OF A SPECIES OF EPYRIS. PMID- 17801189 TI - AN ATTEMPT TO CORRELATE THE JOULE MAGNETOSTRICTIVE EFFECT AND HYSTERESIS LOSS IN A SERIES OF NICKEL STRIPS. PMID- 17801190 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17801191 TI - Cold fusion: china lake results. PMID- 17801192 TI - Free-electron laser. PMID- 17801193 TI - Response. PMID- 17801194 TI - Science at EPA. PMID- 17801195 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17801196 TI - What's Left on the Table. PMID- 17801197 TI - NSF's No-Fuss Investigations. PMID- 17801198 TI - Fatal error: how patriot overlooked a scud. PMID- 17801199 TI - Wilson slashes spending for antismoking effort. PMID- 17801200 TI - Animal Rightists Trash MSU Lab. PMID- 17801201 TI - Technology initiative initiated. PMID- 17801202 TI - Kessler gives FDA a facelift. PMID- 17801203 TI - On the track of a second infectious agent. PMID- 17801205 TI - Proposing a flip side for crystallography. PMID- 17801204 TI - Building a silicon surface, atom by atom. PMID- 17801206 TI - Name your poison: toxicologists meet: mercurial debate. PMID- 17801207 TI - Name Your Poison: Toxicologists Meet: Czech-ing out Toxic Wastes. PMID- 17801208 TI - Name your poison: toxicologists meet: kuwait quits smoking. PMID- 17801209 TI - Big Red's Computer Virus Hatchery. PMID- 17801210 TI - Population alarm. PMID- 17801211 TI - Painting the brain. PMID- 17801212 TI - Review for army whistleblower. PMID- 17801213 TI - Databank on chernobyl disaster. PMID- 17801214 TI - Thwarting the FOIA. PMID- 17801215 TI - Dutch polluters' green plan. PMID- 17801216 TI - Orchid gene repository. PMID- 17801217 TI - Eggs-aggeration. PMID- 17801218 TI - Women in science. PMID- 17801219 TI - "Women in science" pieces of a puzzle. PMID- 17801220 TI - Profile of a Field: CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17801221 TI - Data points. PMID- 17801223 TI - Profile of a Field: MATHEMATICS. PMID- 17801222 TI - Key issue: two--career science marriage. PMID- 17801225 TI - Reader response. PMID- 17801224 TI - Key issue: tenure. PMID- 17801226 TI - Recognition of tRNA Precursors: A Role for the Intron. PMID- 17801227 TI - Water in Earth's Mantle: The Role of Nominally Anhydrous Minerals. AB - Most minerals of Earth's upper mantle contain small amounts of hydrogen, structurally bound as hydroxyl (OH). The OH concentration in each mineral species is variable, in some cases reflecting the geological environment of mineral formation. Of the major mantle minerals, pyroxenes are the most hydrous, typically containing approximately 200 to 500 parts per million H(2)O by weight, and probably dominate the water budget and hydrogen geochemistry of mantle rocks that do not contain a hydrous phase. Garnets and olivines commonly contain approximately 1 to 50 parts per million. Nominally anhydrous minerals constitute a significant reservoir for mantle hydrogen, possibly accommodating all water in the depleted mantle and providing a possible mechanism to recycle water from Earth's surface into the deep mantle. PMID- 17801228 TI - Direct observation of chemical bond dynamics on surfaces. AB - The dynamics of chemisorbed species as they swing to-and-fro on their adsorption sites may be directly observed with electron-stimulated desorption. The observation of the thermal disorder in adsorbate chemical bond directions, through studies of the thermal excitation of librational modes, allows one to visualize the potential energy surfaces controlling the structure and dynamics of adsorbates on single crystal metal and semiconductor surfaces. This information may be useful in understanding surface diffusion as well as the spatial aspects of surface chemical reactions. PMID- 17801229 TI - Ti8C12+-Metallo-Carbohedrenes: A New Class of Molecular Clusters? AB - During the course of studying the dehydrogenation reactions of hydrocarbons by titanium atoms, ions, and clusters, an exceptionally stable and abundant cluster which contains 8 titaniums and 12 carbons was discovered. "Titration" reactions with ND(3) reveal the uptake of eight molecules, pointing to the fact that the titanium atoms are at exposed positions of similar coordination. A dodecahedral structure of T(h) point group symmetry is proposed to account for the unusual stability of this molecular cluster. The Ti(8)C(12)(+) dodecahedron has 12 pentagonal rings and each of the rings is formed by two titanium and three carbon atoms, where each titanium is bound to three carbons. Based on the model, it is expected that neutral Ti(8)C(12) would be a stable metallo-carbododecahedral molecule and may comprise one member of a new class of molecules, namely metallo carbohedrenes. PMID- 17801230 TI - Extraction and STM Imaging of Spherical Giant Fullerenes. AB - High-temperature, high-pressure extracts of soot produced by the Kratschmer Huffman technique (KH carbon) were characterized by mass spectrometry and imaging with scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs). The mass spectra of these samples are similar to those of ambient-pressure, high-boiling-point solvent extractions, supporting the idea that solvent temperature and possibly pressure are key parameters in extraction of the giant fuilerenes. The STM images show that the giant fullerenes in these samples are roughly spherical in shape and range in diameter from approximately 1 to 2 nanometers, corresponding to fullerenes containing 60 to 330 atoms. No evidence of bucky tubes was found. PMID- 17801231 TI - Surface charge--induced ordering of the au(111) surface. AB - Synchrotron surface x-ray scattering (SXS) studies have been carried out at the Au(lll)/electrolyte interface to determine the influence of surface charge on the microscopic arrangement of gold surface atoms. At the electrochemical interface, the surface charge density can be continuously varied by controlling the applied potential. The top layer of gold atoms undergoes a reversible phase transition between the (1 x 1) bulk termination and a (23 x radical3) reconstructed phase on changing the electrode potential. In order to differentiate the respective roles of surface charge and adsorbates, studies were carried out in 0.1 M NaF, NaCl, and NaBr solutions. The phase transition occurs at an induced surface charge density of 0.07 +/- 0.02 electron per atom in all three solutions. PMID- 17801232 TI - A mass transfer explanation of metabolic scaling relations in some aquatic invertebrates and algae. AB - Chemical engineering theory can be used in accounting for the broad range of metabolic scaling exponents found in some aquatic invertebrates and algae. Delivery of metabolically important compounds to these organisms occurs by diffusion through a boundary layer. Dimensionless relations (Sherwood-Reynolds number functions) demonstrate the degree to which water motion and organism size affect mass transfer, and ultimately, metabolic rate. Derivation of mass exponents in the range 0.31 to 1.25 for simple geometries such as plates, spheres, and cylinders directly follows from knowledge of the Sherwood-Reynolds number relations. The range of exponents predicted is that found by allometric studies of metabolic rate in these organisms. PMID- 17801234 TI - Radicals and others. PMID- 17801233 TI - Age-associated inclusions in normal and transgenic mouse brain. PMID- 17801236 TI - Centuries of science. PMID- 17801235 TI - Women in science: a bibliography. PMID- 17801237 TI - An issue of distribution. PMID- 17801239 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17801238 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17801240 TI - THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHINA TO THE SCIENCE AND ART OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17801241 TI - THE NET ENERGY CONCEPTION. PMID- 17801242 TI - THE METRIC SYSTEM IN AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17801244 TI - SUCCESS OUT OF FAILURE. PMID- 17801243 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17801245 TI - BREADFRUIT IN THE MARQUESAS. PMID- 17801247 TI - CONDITIONS OF NATURAL SELECTION. PMID- 17801246 TI - WHAT IS A WEED? PMID- 17801248 TI - REMOVING JELLY FROM FROG OR TOAD EGGS. PMID- 17801249 TI - FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE APPEARANCE OF THE SEXES IN PLANT LICE. PMID- 17801250 TI - THE PANAMA CANAL. PMID- 17801251 TI - A PLEA FOR THE SENSE OF SMELL. PMID- 17801253 TI - VOLUNTARY AMPUTATION AMONG CRAYFISH. PMID- 17801252 TI - A RECENT CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION OF HYPNOTISM. PMID- 17801254 TI - ELLIOTT'S ALASKA AND THE SEAL ISLANDS. PMID- 17801255 TI - CHALLENGER REPORTS. PMID- 17801256 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17801257 TI - Pondering greenhouse policy. PMID- 17801258 TI - Pondering greenhouse policy. PMID- 17801259 TI - Pondering greenhouse policy. PMID- 17801260 TI - Response. PMID- 17801261 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - In the article "An optimal transition path for controlling greenhouse gases" by William D. Nordhaus (20 Nov., p. 1315), equation 5 was misprinted. It should have read c(t) = C(t)/P(t). PMID- 17801262 TI - Priority envy. PMID- 17801263 TI - Tropical deforestation: not just a problem in amazonia. PMID- 17801264 TI - A breath test for cancer? PMID- 17801265 TI - Hot field: neurotoxicology. PMID- 17801266 TI - Did venus hiccup or just run down? PMID- 17801267 TI - What might cause parasites to become more virulent. PMID- 17801268 TI - If You're Stumped, Try Something Harder. PMID- 17801269 TI - Extra! Latest misconduct news! PMID- 17801270 TI - Another round for noisy ocean temperature test. PMID- 17801272 TI - Sick rat scare at kyoto university. PMID- 17801271 TI - Press Wins Battle With PCAST Over Access. PMID- 17801273 TI - Radiative climate forcing by the mount pinatubo eruption. AB - Radiative flux anomalies derived from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spaceborne Earth Radiation Budget Experiment were used to determine the volcanic radiative forcing that followed the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991. They are the first unambiguous, direct measurements of large-scale volcanic forcing. The volcanic aerosols caused a strong cooling effect immediately; the amount of cooling increased through September 1991 as shortwave forcing increased relative to the longwave forcing. The primary effects of the aerosols were a direct increase in albedo over mostly clear areas and both direct and indirect increases in the albedo of cloudy areas. PMID- 17801274 TI - Crystal Structure and Optical Properties of Cd32S14(SC6H5)36. DMF4, a Cluster with a 15 Angstrom CdS Core. AB - Recrystallization of the solid Cd(10)S(4)(SC(6)H(5))(12) from a solution of pyridine and N, N-di-methylformamide (DMF) results in the formation of the cluster Cd(32)S(14)(SC(6)H(5))(36)-DMF(4) as pale yellow cubes. The structure consists of an 82-atom CdS core that is a roughly spherical piece of the cubic sphalerite lattice approximately 12 angstroms in diameter. The four corners of the lattice are capped by hexagonal wurtzite-like CdS units, which results in an overall tetrahedral cluster approximately 15 angstroms in diameter. This cluster dissolves intact in tetrahydrofuran where its absorption spectrum reveals a sharp peak at 358 nanometers at room temperature and its emission spectra show a strong broad band at 500 nanometers. PMID- 17801275 TI - Stable compounds of helium and neon: he@c60 and ne@c60. AB - It is demonstrated that fullerenes, prepared via the standard method (an arc between graphite electrodes in a partial pressure of helium), on heating to high temperatures release (4)He and (3)He. The amount corresponds to one (4)He for every 880,000 fullerene molecules. The (3)He/(4)He isotopic ratio is that of tank helium rather than that of atmospheric helium. These results convincingly show that the helium is inside and that there is no exchange with the atmosphere. The amount found corresponds with a prediction from a simple model based on the expected volume of the cavity. In addition, the temperature dependence for the release of helium implies a barrier about 80 kilocalories per mole. This is much lower than the barrier expected from theory for helium passing through one of the rings in the intact structure. Amechanism involving reversibly breaking one or more bonds to temporarily open a "window" in the cage is proposed. A predicted consequence of this mechanism is the incorporation of other gases while the "window" is open. This was demonstrated through the incorporation of (3)He and neon by heating fullerene in their presence. PMID- 17801276 TI - A 2000-year tree ring record of annual temperatures in the sierra nevada mountains. AB - Tree ring data have been used to reconstruct the mean late-season (June through January) temperature at a timberline site in the Sierra Nevada, California, for each of the past 2000 years. Long-term trends in the temperature reconstruction are indicative of a 125-year periodicity that may be linked to solar activity as reflected in radiocarbon and auroral records. The results indicate that both the warm intervals during the Medieval Warm Epoch ( approximately A.D. 800 to 1200) and the cold intervals during the Little Ice Age ( approximately A.D. 1200 to 1900) are closely associated with the 125-year period. Significant changes in the phase of the 125-year temperature variation occur at the onset and termination of the most recent radiocarbon triplet and may indicate chaotic solar behavior. PMID- 17801277 TI - Export of north american ozone pollution to the north atlantic ocean. AB - Measurement of the levels of ozone and carbon monoxide (a tracer of anthropogenic pollution) at three surface sites on the Atlantic coast of Canada allow the estimation of the amount of ozone photochemically produced from anthropogenic precursors over North America and transported to the lower troposphere over the temperate North Atlantic Ocean. This amount is greater than that injected from the stratosphere, the primary natural source of ozone. This conclusion supports the contention that ozone derived from anthropogenic pollution has a hemisphere wide effect at northern temperate latitudes. PMID- 17801278 TI - Fossilization of soft tissue in the laboratory. AB - Some of the most remarkable fossils preserve cellular details of soft tissues. In many of these, the tissues have been replaced by calcium phosphate. This process has been assumed to require elevated concentrations of phosphate in sediment pore waters. In decay experiments modern shrimps became partially mineralized in amorphous calcium phosphate, preserving cellular details of muscle tissue, particularly in a system closed to oxygen. The source for the formation of calcium phosphate was the shrimp itself. Mineralization, which was accompanied by a drop in pH, commenced within 2 weeks and increased in extent for at least 4 to 8 weeks. This mechanism halts the normal loss of detail of soft-tissue morphology before fossilization. Similar closed conditions would prevail where organisms are rapidly overgrown by microbial mats. PMID- 17801279 TI - Population structure and the evolution of virulence in nematode parasites of fig wasps. AB - It is often assumed that parasitic and disease-producing organisms tend to evolve benign relationships with their hosts over time. In contrast, theoretical arguments suggest that increased opportunities for parasite transmission will promote the evolution of increased virulence. The natural history of species specific nematodes that parasitize fig-pollinating wasps permits the testing of these predictions in natural populations. For 11 species of Panamanian fig wasps, those species characterized by population structures that result in increased opportunities for parasite transmission harbor more virulent species of nematodes. In addition, differences in population structure are also associated with differences in other intra- and interspecific phenomena, including sex ratios among the fig wasp species, the degree of tension in the wasp-fig mutualism, and lethal combat among the males of parasitic wasps. PMID- 17801280 TI - Response. PMID- 17801281 TI - The energy density of water and ice nucleation. PMID- 17801282 TI - Response. PMID- 17801284 TI - Vignettes: highs and lows. PMID- 17801283 TI - A transition examined. PMID- 17801286 TI - Questions for selectionists. PMID- 17801285 TI - A colonial-era science. PMID- 17801287 TI - Genetics by nation. PMID- 17801288 TI - PRODUCTS & MATERIALS. PMID- 17801289 TI - EDUCATIONAL VALUES. PMID- 17801290 TI - PICTURES PRODUCED ON PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES IN THE DARK. PMID- 17801292 TI - 'FLOATING SAND.' 'FLOATING STONES.'. PMID- 17801291 TI - DEGENERATION IN THE EYES OF THE COLDBLOODED VERTEBRATES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CAVES. PMID- 17801293 TI - SEA-BIRDS A SANITARY NECESSITY. PMID- 17801295 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17801294 TI - CURRENT NOTES PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17801297 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17801296 TI - Petroleum Chemistry. PMID- 17801298 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17801299 TI - Space, Field, and Ether in Contemporary Physics. PMID- 17801300 TI - Common Names for Subspecies. PMID- 17801301 TI - Age of the Denbigh Flint Complex. PMID- 17801303 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17801302 TI - Perfection and Ideality. PMID- 17801304 TI - Velocity and sediment. PMID- 17801306 TI - An indian paint-cup. PMID- 17801305 TI - Premature appearance of the periodical cicada. PMID- 17801307 TI - Korean curios. PMID- 17801308 TI - THE FORMATIVE FORCE OF ORGANISMS. PMID- 17801309 TI - The ginkgo-tree. PMID- 17801310 TI - Height of land in Connecticut. PMID- 17801311 TI - Periodical cicada in Massachusetts. PMID- 17801312 TI - UNDERGROUND WIRES. PMID- 17801313 TI - THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE IN BOSTON. PMID- 17801314 TI - MIMICRY AMONG MARINE MOLLUSCA. PMID- 17801315 TI - PROFESSOR HUXLEY ON DARWIN. PMID- 17801316 TI - ROUTES INTO THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN CHINA. PMID- 17801317 TI - AMERICAN ENGINEERS AT DEER PARK. PMID- 17801318 TI - THE GEOLOGY OF JAPAN. PMID- 17801319 TI - WORK OF THE CHALLENGER EXPEDITION.--I. GENERAL AND PHYSICAL. PMID- 17801320 TI - JAGNAUX'S TRAITE DE MINERALOGIE. PMID- 17801321 TI - GEOLOGY OF THE VIRGINIAS. PMID- 17801322 TI - RECENT LAND LEGISLATION IN ENGLAND. PMID- 17801323 TI - THE BLACKFOOT TRIBES. PMID- 17801324 TI - SOME REACTION-TIME STUDIES. PMID- 17801325 TI - BEN NEVIS METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17801326 TI - THE LAWS OF TEMPERATURE IN THE AUSTRIAN ALPS. PMID- 17801327 TI - THE ORIGIN OF MEDIAEVAL UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17801328 TI - THE WASHBURN OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17801329 TI - ARTIFICIAL WINDS. PMID- 17801331 TI - CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC LIGHT ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17801330 TI - THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IN FACTORIES. PMID- 17801333 TI - BELLITE. PMID- 17801332 TI - HARWOOD'S NITROUS-OXIDE BLOW-PIPE. PMID- 17801335 TI - The Los Angeles Base-Line. PMID- 17801334 TI - Deep-Sea Models. PMID- 17801336 TI - SCIENTIFIC NEWS IN WASHINGTON. PMID- 17801337 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17801338 TI - ETHNOLOGICAL COMPARISONS. PMID- 17801339 TI - DICULAFOY'S EXCAVATIONS AT SUSA. PMID- 17801340 TI - ETHNOLOGY. PMID- 17801341 TI - AN ELECTRIC DATE STAMP. PMID- 17801342 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17801343 TI - EDISON ILLUMINATING COMPANIES. PMID- 17801344 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS BY MECHANICAL ACTIONS. PMID- 17801345 TI - TO-DAY'S NEED AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17801346 TI - GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17801347 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17801348 TI - THE WEATHER SERVICE. PMID- 17801349 TI - ABNORMAL SENSE-ASSOCIATIONS. PMID- 17801350 TI - The Soaring of Birds. PMID- 17801351 TI - Color-Blindness a Product of Civilization. PMID- 17801352 TI - To keep Water-Mounts Moist. PMID- 17801353 TI - Note on the Wind-Pressure Constant. PMID- 17801354 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17801355 TI - THE AGE OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17801356 TI - THE ORIGIN OF SOUTH AFRICAN ALLUVIAL DIAMONDS. PMID- 17801358 TI - PHYSIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17801357 TI - SALINITY AND SIZE. PMID- 17801359 TI - A BITUMINOUS FOSSIL PLANT FROM THE TRIASSIC OF NORTH CAROLINA. PMID- 17801360 TI - MOLLUSCAN HOSTS IN NORTH AMERICA FOR HUMAN FLUKES. PMID- 17801361 TI - PROGRESS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17801362 TI - A CORRECTION. PMID- 17801363 TI - THE MEANING OF NATURAL SELECTION. PMID- 17801364 TI - A MODIFICATION IN LANTERN SLIDE PROJECTION TECHNIQUE. PMID- 17801365 TI - HOW TO MAKE HORIZONTAL DEMONSTRATIONS VISIBLE TO AN ENTIRE CLASS. PMID- 17801366 TI - TRIANGULAR NEPIONIC COILING IN CARBONIFEROUS AMMONOIDS. PMID- 17801367 TI - STIMULATORY EFFECTS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RADIATION UPON HIGHER PLANTS. PMID- 17801368 TI - HETEROTHALLISM IN PUCCINIA CORONATA. PMID- 17801369 TI - Endangered species legislation. PMID- 17801370 TI - Endangered species legislation. PMID- 17801371 TI - United States-soviet scientific relationships. PMID- 17801372 TI - The cyril burt question: new findings. AB - Cyril Burt presented data in his classic paper "Intelligence and social mobility" that were in perfect agreement with a genetic theory of IQ and social class. A detailed analysis of these data reveals, beyond reasonable doubt, that they were fabricated from a theoretical normal curve, from a genetic regression equation, and from figures published more than 30 years before Burt completed his surveys. PMID- 17801373 TI - Technology creep and the arms race: a world of absolute accuracy. PMID- 17801374 TI - Let rats move over: marsupials are on the move. PMID- 17801375 TI - Senate bill gives bright idea back to inventor. PMID- 17801376 TI - Second-Guessing the Swedes OMNI Style. PMID- 17801377 TI - NRC Panel Renders Mixed Verdict on Rasmussen Reactor Safety Study. PMID- 17801378 TI - Califano reviews new DNA rules. PMID- 17801379 TI - Who chooses chemicals for testing? PMID- 17801380 TI - Industry reacts to OSHA proposals. PMID- 17801382 TI - Science and technology: resources for our future. PMID- 17801381 TI - Science and technology: resources for our future. PMID- 17801383 TI - Meeting information. PMID- 17801384 TI - The semiconductor industry. PMID- 17801385 TI - Perceptual constancy. PMID- 17801386 TI - Magmatic provinces. PMID- 17801387 TI - Surface physics. PMID- 17801388 TI - Red - green opponent spectral sensitivity: disparity between cancellation and direct matching methods. AB - The spectral sensitivity at the opponent stage of the visual system is traditionally measured by a hue-cancellation procedure. Comparison with a direct hue-matching method shows that cancellation overestimates short-wavelength sensitivity by as much as a factor of 30. The observation implies that different mechanisms control the perception of short-wavelength and long-wavelength redness. PMID- 17801389 TI - Toxicity in Resting Cysts of the Red-Tide Dinoflagellate Gonyaulax excavata from Deeper Water Coastal Sediments. AB - For the first time, Gonyaulax excavata cysts have been shown to be toxic. Bottom sediments from a water depth of 90 meters off the Maine coast were extremely rich in cysts, which were approximately ten times more toxic than the corresponding motile stages. Cysts are probably ingested by shellfish, thereby causing shellfish toxicity in deeper waters offshore and contributing to shellfish toxicity in shallower coastal waters. A new approach to the problem of paralytic shellfish poisoning is therefore needed, one that takes into account benthic cysts and sedimentary factors affecting their distribution. The possible dangers of spreading poisoning through human activities must be considered. PMID- 17801390 TI - Gulf Stream Deflection by a Bottom Feature off Charleston, South Carolina. AB - A topographic feature on the continental slope off Charleston at 32 degrees N persistently deflects the Gulf Stream seaward, with the inshore surface thermal front deflected east or south of east in 27 of the 39 cases examined. Meanders often form downstream of the deflection, suggesting that the "Charleston bump" induces Gulf Stream fluctuations. PMID- 17801391 TI - Mitochondrial heredity: a determinant in the toxic response of maize to the insecticide methomyl. AB - Mitochondria isolated from etiolated Texas male-sterile (TMS) cytoplasm maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were adversely affected by methomyl (Lannate, 90 wettable powder), while those isolated from normal-fertile seedlings were not. In a manner analogous to that reported for Bipolaris (Helminthosporium) maydis (race T) toxin, experiments with TMS mitochondria showed that 1 to 3 millimolar methomyl inhibited the state 4 oxidation rate of combined malate and pyruvate while stimulating that of succinate or exogenous reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Similar concentrations of methomyl effected an inhibition of phosphorylation, an increase in the percentage of transmittance of light through mitochondrial suspensions, and a decrease in the density of the mitochondrial matrix. Methomyl (15 millimolar) had little effect on the physiological activity or ultrastructure of isolated normal-fertile mitochondria. These observations provide the opportunity to specifically assess the homogeneity, or lack of it, of a cytoplasmic heritable characteristic in a widely divergent group of higher plants. PMID- 17801392 TI - Tree ring evidence for chronic insect suppression of productivity in subalpine eucalyptus. AB - Experimental reduction of insect grazing pressures suggests that longterm, continuous feeding by phytophagous insects has severely depressed growth and productivity of subalpine Eucalyptus trees (measured by annual ring growth) for at least 25 years. PMID- 17801393 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801394 TI - Soviet practices in space. PMID- 17801395 TI - A collector on sagami bay. PMID- 17801396 TI - The fuzziness of "fuzz". PMID- 17801397 TI - Negroes at michigan. PMID- 17801398 TI - Tax exemption. PMID- 17801400 TI - Thermodynamics in Einstein's Thought: Thermodynamics played a special role in Einstein's early search for a unified foundation of physics. PMID- 17801399 TI - Test of Continental Drift by Comparison of Radiometric Ages: A pre-drift reconstruction shows matching geologic age provinces in West Africa and Northern Brazil. AB - 1) The distribution of age values obtained by potassium-argon determinations and whole-rock rubidium-strontium determinations appears to be almost identical for West African rocks of the pervasive Eburnean Orogenic Cycle and basement rocks at opposite locations in South America. 2) There is also a close correlation, with respect to potassium-argon age determinations on micas, rubidium-strontium determinations on total-rock samples, and the extent to which these two sets of values differ, between rocks of the Pan-African Orogenic Cycle and rocks of the Caririan Orogenic Cycle in Brazil, where these two groups of rocks lie opposite each other in the two continents. 3) When Africa and South America are "fitted together," the sharply defined boundary between the Eburnean and the Pan-African age provinces in West Africa strikes directly toward the corresponding age boundary in northeast Brazil. 4) The transition from the 550-million-year Pan African age province to the 2000-million-year age province in the Congo Craton in Cameroun-Gabon is matched in the rocks near the corresponding part of the east coast of Brazil. However the geological and age data are insufficient to do more than suggest the possibility of another age-boundary correlation here. 5) The evidence reported here supports the hypothesis of continental drift. PMID- 17801401 TI - Basic Research and Financial Crisis in the Universities: Lagging federal research support and spiralling costs jeopardize survival of U.S. private universities. PMID- 17801403 TI - Students' rights; they should have more, "establishment" agrees. PMID- 17801404 TI - Students' Records: ACE Calls for Confidentiality. PMID- 17801405 TI - Conservation: keeping watch on the road builders. PMID- 17801406 TI - Interior's Role Strengthened in Protecting Estuaries. PMID- 17801407 TI - Natural resources: u.s. And Japan work together. PMID- 17801409 TI - Radiolarian evidence consistent with spreading of the pacific floor. AB - In sediments west of the East Pacific Rise between the equator and 20 degrees N, Eocene microfossils are recorded no farther east than 134 degrees W; Oligocene, no farther east than 125 degrees W; while Miocene and Pliocene occurrences extend closer to the crest of the rise. This distribution may result from post-Eocene spreading of the sea floor here averaging about 8 centimeters per year. PMID- 17801408 TI - Tertiary sediment from the East pacific rise. AB - More than 50 cores ranging in age from Pliocene to Lower Miocene have been recovered from the East Pacific Rise. Near the crestal regions the sediment cover is thin or lacking, and only Pleistocene sediments were recovered. On the flanks, the sediment thickness increases and pre-Pleistocene sediments are encountered. This pattern of increasing age and increasing sediment thickness away from the axis of the rise is in agreement with that predicted for spreading of the ocean floor. PMID- 17801410 TI - Holocene changes in sea level: evidence in micronesia. AB - Investigation of 33 islands, scattered widely across the Caroline and Marshall Island groups in the Central Pacific revealed no emerged reefs in which corals had unquestionably formed in situ, or other direct evidence of postglacial high stands of sea level. Low unconsolidated rock terraces and ridges of reefflat islands, mostly lying between tide levels, were composed of rubble conglomerates; carbon-14 dating of 11 samples from the conglomerates so far may suggest a former slightly higher sea level (nine samples range between 1890 and 3450 and one approaches 4500 years ago). However, recent hurricanes have produced ridges of comparable height and material, and in the same areas relics from World War II have been found cemented in place. Thus these datings do not in themselves necessarily indicate formerly higher sea levels. Rubble tracts are produced by storms under present conditions without any change in datum, and there seems to be no compelling evidence that they were not so developed during various periods in the past. PMID- 17801411 TI - Emission-line variability and distance of quasars. AB - The radius of the line-emitting region in quasars is larger than 1 parsec for the cosmological hypothesis and smaller than 1 parsec for the local hypothesis. Variability in emission lines has been reported but not proved beyond doubt. Its time scale would be a direct observational indicator of this radius and would add an important element to the discussion of the origin of quasars. Objects that are variable in their optical continuum seem to be the most promising ones to look at for line variations, and they should be observed spectroscopically at regular intervals. PMID- 17801412 TI - Ranger VIII and Gravity Scaling of Lunar Craters. AB - The impact of Ranger VIII gives us the first chance to test the crater-forming process on the moon and to ascertain the existence of gravity scaling. PMID- 17801413 TI - Distortion of a splashing liquid drop. AB - The low-speed splash of a drop of liquid into a pool can result in a surprisingly complicated flow pattern, apparently not detected by previous experiments or theories. We examined the dynamics of this process by high-speed computer, obtaining a series of configuration plots at various stages of the splash. PMID- 17801414 TI - Chromatographic silica gel: surface area determined by adsorption. AB - The surface area of silicic acid, a form of silica gel, has been determined by adsorption of methanol from a benzene solvent. The method is straightforward, uses inexpensive apparatus, and should be applicable to other particulate adsorbents. PMID- 17801415 TI - Subcellular structure of endosperm protein in high-lysine and normal corn. AB - Optical microscopy shows that the protein network in endosperm cells of normal corn is composed of an amorphous matrix in which granules averaging about 2 microns in diameter are embedded. That these granules are rich in zein is demonstrated by their solubility in 80 percent ethanol. High-lysine corn, with submicroscopic granules clearly resolved only in the electron microscope, has a much lower content of zein than normal corn. The small size of subcellular protein granules in high-lysine maize as compared with normal corn correlates with the reported difference in zein content of the two types of corn. PMID- 17801417 TI - Stabilization of hydrated electrons in irradiated frozen sugar solutions. AB - Yields of free radicals in irradiated aqueous solutions of saccharides at 77 degrees K are larger and qualitatively different from those observed in the components alone. In addition, a blue color results only with the solution. The mechanism proposed to explain the observations is the stabilization of hydrated electrons by the solute. PMID- 17801416 TI - Negative Growth and Longevity in the Purple Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson). AB - Purple sea urchins were tagged, measured, and placed in a tidepool at Sunset Bay, Oregon. After 1 year, many animals had decreased in size. Accordingly, size is not necessarily a reliable index of age in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus; however, it is possible to conclude that these animals are relatively long-lived. PMID- 17801419 TI - Carbon replicas of siliceous sponge spicules. PMID- 17801418 TI - Archosaurian reptiles: a new hypothesis on their origins. AB - The characteristics of the first archosaurs, the proterosuchian thecodonts, show that neither of the supposed common ancestors of archosaurs and lepidosaurs could actually be an ancestor of archosaurs. Instead, the evidence seems to indicate that the archosaurian ancestors are probably in the ophiacodont-varanopsid group of the pelycosaurian synapsids. In particular, the Varanopsidae are strongly indicative of proterosuchian relationships, as they have evolved some characters which are elsewhere found only in archosaurs. Archosaurs and lepidosaurs apparently have different origins; the former come from the pelycosaurs, and the latter come from the captorhinomorph cotylosaurs through the Millerettiformes. PMID- 17801420 TI - Contamination of planets. PMID- 17801422 TI - Plant growth regulation. PMID- 17801421 TI - American association for the advancement of science and affiliated societies 1967 annual meeting, new york city, 26-31 december: preliminary program of principal invited lectures, panel discussions, and symposia. PMID- 17801423 TI - FIFTEENTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICANISTS. PMID- 17801425 TI - THE EDINBURGH MUSEUM. PMID- 17801424 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17801426 TI - ISRAEL COOK RUSSELL. PMID- 17801427 TI - AN IGNORED THEORY OF THE ICE AGE. PMID- 17801428 TI - STEPHENS'S CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. PMID- 17801429 TI - NON-EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY. PMID- 17801430 TI - INHERITANCE OF COLOR COAT IN SWINE. PMID- 17801431 TI - VAGARIES OF LIGHTNING. PMID- 17801433 TI - CEREBRAL LOCALIZATION OF MUSICAL TALENT. PMID- 17801432 TI - GRANTS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH BY THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17801434 TI - HONORARY DEGREES AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17801435 TI - THE SILLIMAN LECTURES AT YALE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17801436 TI - SOME PROBLEMS IN THE LIFE HISTORY OF PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS. PMID- 17801437 TI - AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. NEW YORK SECTION. PMID- 17801438 TI - CONVOCATION WEEK. PMID- 17801439 TI - A SUGGESTION LOOKING TOWARDS ULTRA-MICROSCOPY. PMID- 17801440 TI - 'THE PROBLEMIS OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY.'. PMID- 17801441 TI - EXTINCT PEDICULATE AND OTHER FISHES. PMID- 17801442 TI - THE RE-DISCOVERY OF DINOMYS. PMID- 17801444 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17801443 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17801445 TI - COLLEGE-ENTRANCE OPTION IN ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17801447 TI - THE JOHN BELL SCOTT MEMORIAL OF WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17801446 TI - THE GERMAN METEOROLOGICAL AND MAGNETIC OBSERVATORY IN THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. PMID- 17801448 TI - A MONUMENT TO J. W. POWELL. PMID- 17801450 TI - THE SOCIETY AND THE "FAD". PMID- 17801449 TI - THE MICRO-GRAPHOPHONE. PMID- 17801451 TI - Experiments with Cave-Air. PMID- 17801452 TI - Kiowa County, Kan., Meteorites. PMID- 17801453 TI - Gorse or Furze. PMID- 17801454 TI - Sunspots, Tornadoes, and Magnetic Storms. PMID- 17801455 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17801456 TI - The pleistocene vegetation of northern euras. PMID- 17801457 TI - University of hawaii: more storms lash the palmy groves of academe. PMID- 17801458 TI - Mascons: lunar mass concentrations. AB - Lunar Orbiter tracking data have been processed to supply a qualitatively consistent gravimetric map of the lunar nearside. While a simplified model was employed, the results indicate that there are large mass concentrations under the lunar ringed maria. These mass concentrations may have important implications for the various theories regarding lunar history. PMID- 17801459 TI - Potassium-feldspar phenocrysts in the surface of colomera, and iron meteorite. AB - Silicate aggregates, including large single crystals of potassium feldspar as long as 11 centimeters and sodium feldspar, are embeded in the surface of the medium octahedrite Colomera. Silicate nodules in the interior appear to be much smaller (about 0.3 centimeter). Glass nodules are abundant both on the external surface and in the interior. These observations are evidence that some iron meteorites formed as segregations within a silicate matrix and did not originate in a metallic core. PMID- 17801460 TI - Seismic and bathymetric evidence of a fracture zone on gorda ridge. AB - Swarms of seaquakes have been located hydroacoustically on Gorda Ridge near 41.5 degrees N, 127.6 degrees W, where detailed bathymetric charts indicate a slight dextral offset of the rift valley in the center of the ridge. It is suggested that a fracture zone may be nascent in the area. PMID- 17801461 TI - Crescentic Landforns along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. PMID- 17801462 TI - Environment of the primitive Earth. PMID- 17801463 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17801465 TI - Erratum. AB - In table 1 of the article "Changes in the distribution of American family incomes, 1947 to 1984" by Frank Levy (22 May, p. 923), the first quintile (%) for 1949 was inadvertently omitted. It should have been 4.5. PMID- 17801464 TI - Scientists: their rewards and humanity. PMID- 17801466 TI - Response: carcinogenicity of aflatoxins. PMID- 17801467 TI - The supercollider sweepstakes. PMID- 17801468 TI - A sharp competitive edge. PMID- 17801469 TI - Are We All in the Grip of a Great Attractor?: The Milky Way and all the other galaxies in the immediate universe may be under the sway of a mass to dwarf the superclusters. PMID- 17801470 TI - Ultrahigh-power semiconductor diode laser arrays. AB - The power available from transistor-sized semiconductor diode lasers has increased rapidly in recent years, more than doubling every year. Continuous outputs of several watts and pulsed powers in the kilowatt range with 50 percent overall efficiency are now possible with these compact devices. These developments may signal the start of a technological advancement in optics comparable to the solid-state revolution in electronics 20 years ago. PMID- 17801471 TI - Turbidity current activity in a british columbia fjord. AB - A year-long monitoring program within an elongated channel-fan system in Bute Inlet of British Columbia, Canada, detected active sand-transporting turbidity currents. Measurements of bottom velocities and sediment collected in traps, as well as damage to moorings and equipment, captured the signatures of frequent energetic events. Maximum calculated velocities achieved were 335 centimeters per second, with flow thicknesses of more than 30 meters. Coarse sand was transported at least 6 to 7.5 meters above the sea floor. Turbidity currents flowed a minimum distance of 25.9 kilometers, but possibly as far as 40 to 50 kilometers, over bottom slopes of generally less than 1 degrees. PMID- 17801472 TI - IRAS Serendipitous Survey Observations of Pluto and Charon. AB - On 16 August 1983 the Infrared Astronomical Satellite made two separate pointed observations of Pluto and its moon Charon. Because of the small angular displacement of the system between the times of measurement, the Pluto-Charon system was identified as a source in the Serendipitous Survey (SSC 14029+0518). Detections were made at 60 and 100 micrometers with color-corrected flux densities of 581 +/- 58 and 721 +/- 123 millijanskys, respectively. Pluto is best described as having a dark equatorial band, and brighter polar caps of methane ice extending to +/-45 degrees latitude, at most. An upper limit of approximately 9 meter-amagats is placed on the column abundance of a methane atmosphere on Pluto, which is comparable to recent upper limits based on independent ground based spectroscopy. PMID- 17801473 TI - Monitoring biosynthesis of wheat cell-wall phenylpropanoids in situ. AB - Lignins and suberins are complex plant cell-wall macromolecules that are composed mainly of phenylpropanoid residues derived from L-phenylalanine. Lignins and suberins are considered to be covalently linked to carbohydrates and to lipids, respectively. The bonding of these important structural materials within cell walls has never been established. By feeding specifically labeled [(13)C] ferulic acid over extended durations to seedlings of Triticum aestivum L. and by using solid-state carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, the major resonances due to specific carbons in the propanoid side chains of these cell-wall polymers have been identified in situ. The signals were found to differ significantly from those of synthetic lignins, which have usually been considered to be good approximations of natural lignin structure. PMID- 17801474 TI - The surface composition of charon: tentative identification of water ice. AB - The 3 March 1987 Charon occultation by Pluto was observed in the infrared at 1.5, 1.7, 2.0, and 2.35 micrometers. Subtraction of fluxes measured between second and third contacts from measurements made before and after the event has yielded individual spectral signatures for each body at these wavelengths. Charon's surface appears depleted in methane relative to Pluto. Constancy of flux at 2.0 micrometers throughout the event shows that Charon is effectively black at this wavelength, which is centered on a very strong water absorption band. Thus, the measurements suggest the existence of water ice on Pluto's moon. PMID- 17801475 TI - Choice and consequence in education: public and private high schools. PMID- 17801476 TI - The testing movement and its founders: psychological testing and american society, 1890-1930. PMID- 17801477 TI - Singularities: when time breaks down. PMID- 17801478 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17801479 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17801480 TI - MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. PMID- 17801481 TI - AGRICULTURAL PLANNING AS AN ASPECT OF STATE AND NATIONAL PLANNING. PMID- 17801482 TI - THE NATURE OF ENZYMES. PMID- 17801483 TI - THE DENSITY OF WATER IN RELATION TO ITS THERMAL HISTORY. PMID- 17801484 TI - PLOUGHING UNDER THE SCIENCE CROP. PMID- 17801485 TI - THE GEAR PUMP AND HOSE AS A COLLECTOR OF WATER SAMPLES FOR GAS ANALYSIS. PMID- 17801486 TI - METHIONINE AS AN IMPURITY IN NATURAL LEUCINE PREPARATIONS. PMID- 17801487 TI - ELECTRICAL POTENTIALS FROM THE INTACT HUMAN BRAIN. PMID- 17801488 TI - THE LONG WAVE-LENGTH LIMIT OF PHOTOLETHAL ACTION IN THE ULTRA-VIOLET. PMID- 17801489 TI - THE METAMORPHOSIS OF DRUG RESEARCH. PMID- 17801491 TI - EUGENE DAVENPORT. PMID- 17801490 TI - ASPECTS OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. II. PMID- 17801492 TI - AMERICA AND BRITISH SCIENCE. PMID- 17801493 TI - THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS. PMID- 17801494 TI - THE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY OF NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17801496 TI - POLIOMYELITIS IN A LABORATORY WORKER EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS. PMID- 17801495 TI - SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17801497 TI - THE HIGH WAX CONTENT OF GREEN LINT COTTON. PMID- 17801498 TI - THE PLACE OF MICROFILM COPYING IN LIBRARY ORGANIZATION. PMID- 17801499 TI - ANOPHELES (KERTESZIA) BELLATOR D. & K., FOUND NATURALLY INFECTED WITH PLASMODIUM. PMID- 17801500 TI - CHIMPANZEE HANDEDNESS. PMID- 17801502 TI - CHANGE FROM SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY TO SELF-COMPATIBILITY ACCOMPANYING CHANGE FROM DIPLOIDY TO TETRAPLOIDY. PMID- 17801501 TI - THE PHOTOCHEMICAL SPECTRUM OF CYTOCHROME OXIDASE IN HEART MUSCLE. PMID- 17801503 TI - THE EXAMINATION OF CONTAMINATED WATERS. PMID- 17801504 TI - CORRECTION. AB - IN Table 2 of the article "Prevention of Tumor Growth (Carcinoma 2163) by Intravenous Injections of Yeast and Vitamins" (SCIENCE, July 18, 1941) the per cent. figures for non-takes should read: Yeast+ Riboflavin 62%, Yeast 21%, Riboflavin 14%, Yeast+ Thiamin 18%, Thiamin 3%. PMID- 17801505 TI - PERMANENT MOUNTS OF VIRUS-INFECTED CHORIOALLANTOIC MEMBRANES. PMID- 17801506 TI - MEMORIAL ON THE FOUNDATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CHEMICAL INSTITUTE. PMID- 17801508 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF COAL IN 1913. PMID- 17801507 TI - THE MAN OF PILTDOWN. PMID- 17801509 TI - THE ROCKEFELLER INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17801510 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17801511 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17801512 TI - TIN DISEASE AND POLAR EXPLORATION. PMID- 17801513 TI - MOTIONS OF ATMOSPHERE. PMID- 17801514 TI - CUBIST SCIENCE. PMID- 17801515 TI - DESICCATION OF CERTAIN GREGARINE CYSTS. PMID- 17801516 TI - SEMI-PERMEABLE CAPSULES. PMID- 17801517 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17801518 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17801519 TI - USDA Holds Up Grants to Make a Political Point. PMID- 17801520 TI - Agreements set rules of the road for global collaboration. PMID- 17801521 TI - Ecologists draft plan to dig in the dirt. PMID- 17801523 TI - Climate Modeling's Fudge Factor Comes Under Fire. PMID- 17801522 TI - Astronomers gossip about the (cosmic) neighborhood. AB - The Hague, Netherlands, last month welcomed 2000 astronomers from around the world for the 22nd General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). From 15 to 27 August, they participated in symposia and discussions on topics ranging from the down-to-Earth issue of light and radio-frequency pollution to the creation of elements at the farthest reaches of time and space, in the big bang. Some of the most striking news, however, came in new findings from our galaxy and its immediate surroundings. PMID- 17801524 TI - Confluence of interest. PMID- 17801525 TI - Recycling elephants. PMID- 17801526 TI - Diet chemistry. PMID- 17801527 TI - Eight get medal of science. PMID- 17801528 TI - Which whales are hunted? A molecular genetic approach to monitoring whaling. PMID- 17801530 TI - Catastrophes, phase shifts, and large-scale degradation of a Caribbean coral reef. AB - Many coral reefs have been degraded over the past two to three decades through a combination of human and natural disturbances. In Jamaica, the effects of overfishing, hurricane damage, and disease have combined to destroy most corals, whose abundance has declined from more than 50 percent in the late 1970s to less than 5 percent today. A dramatic phase shift has occurred, producing a system dominated by fleshy macroalgae (more than 90 percent cover). Immediate implementation of management procedures is necessary to avoid further catastrophic damage. PMID- 17801529 TI - First images of asteroid 243 ida. AB - The first images of the asteroid 243 Ida from Galileo show an irregular object measuring 56-kilometers by 24 kilometers by 21 kilometers. Its surface is rich in geologic features, including systems of grooves, blocks, chutes, albedo features, crater chains, and a full range of crater morphologies. The largest blocks may be distributed nonuniformly across the surface; lineaments and dark-floored craters also have preferential locations. Ida is interpreted to have a substantial regolith. The high crater density and size-frequency distribution (-3 differential power-law index) indicate a surface in equilibrium with saturated cratering. A minimum model crater age for Ida-and therefore for the Koronis family to which Ida belongs-is estimated at 1 billion years, older than expected. PMID- 17801531 TI - Simultaneous Observation of Columnar Defects and Magnetic Flux Lines in High Temperature Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 Superconductors. AB - Columnar defects generated by heavy-ion irradiation are promising structures for pinning magnetic flux lines and enhancing critical currents in superconductors with high transition temperatures. An approach that combines chemical etching and magnetic decoration was used to highlight simultaneously the distributions of columnar defects and magnetic flux lines in Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8) superconductors. Analyses of images of the columnar defects and flux-line positions provide insight into flux-line pinning by elucidating (i) the occupancy of columnar defects by flux lines, (ii) the nature of topological defects in the flux-line lattice, and (iii) the translational and orientational order in this lattice. PMID- 17801532 TI - Reduction of permeability in granite at elevated temperatures. AB - The addition of hydrothermal fluids to heated, intact granite leads to permeability reductions in the temperature range of 300 degrees to 500 degrees C, with the rate of change generally increasing with increasing temperature. The addition of gouge enhances the rate of permeability reduction because of the greater reactivity of the fine material. Flow rate is initially high in a throughgoing fracture but eventually drops to the level of intact granite. These results support the fault-valve model for the development of mesothermal ore deposits, in which seals are formed at the base of the seismogenic zone of high angle thrust faults. The lower temperature results yield varying estimates of mineral-sealing rates at shallower depths in fault zones, although they generally support the hypothesis that such seals develop in less time than the recurrence interval for moderate to large earthquakes on the San Andreas fault. PMID- 17801533 TI - Grain size--dependent alteration and the magnetization of oceanic basalts. AB - Unblocking temperatures of natural remanent magnetization were found to extend well above the dominant Curie points in samples of oceanic basalts from the axis of the East Pacific Rise. This phenomenon is attributed to the natural presence in the basalts of three related magnetic phases: an abundant fine-grained and preferentially oxidized titanomagnetite that carries most of the natural remanent magnetism, a few coarser and less oxidized grains of titanomagnetite that account for most of the high-field magnetic properties, and a small contribution to both the natural remanent magnetism and high-field magnetic properties from magnetite that may be due to the disproportionation of the oxidized titanomagnetite under sea-floor conditions. This model is consistent with evidence from the Central Anomaly magnetic high that the original magnetization acquired by oceanic basalts upon cooling is rapidly altered and accounts for the lack of sensitivity of bulk rock magnetic parameters to the degree of alteration of the remanence carrier in oceanic basalts. PMID- 17801534 TI - Rapid emplacement of young oceanic lithosphere: argon geochronology of the oman ophiolite. AB - (40)Ar/(39)Ar dates of emplacement-related metamorphic rocks beneath the Samail ophiolite in Oman show that cooling to <525 degrees C occurred within approximately 1 million years of igneous crystallization of the ophiolite. This unexpectedly short time span and rapid cooling means that old, cold continental or oceanic lithosphere must have been adjacent to the ophiolite during spreading and then been thrust beneath the ophiolite almost immediately afterward. PMID- 17801535 TI - Milankovitch forcing of the last interglacial sea level. AB - During the last interglacial, sea level was as high as present, 4000 to 6000 years before peak Northern Hemisphere insolation receipt 126,000 years ago. The sea-level results are shown to be consistent with climate models, which simulate a 3 degrees to 4 degrees C July temperature increase from 140,000 to 130,000 years ago in high latitudes, with all Northern Hemisphere land areas being warmer than present by 130,000 years ago. The early warming occurs because obliquity peaked earlier than precession and because precession values were greater than present before peak precessional forcing occurred. These results indicate that a fuller understanding of the Milankovitch-climate connection requires consideration of fields other than just insolation forcing at 65 degrees N. PMID- 17801536 TI - Carbon dioxide supersaturation in the surface waters of lakes. AB - Data on the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) in the surface waters from a large number of lakes (1835) with a worldwide distribution show that only a small proportion of the 4665 samples analyzed (less than 10 percent) were within +/-20 percent of equilibrium with the atmosphere and that most samples (87 percent) were supersaturated. The mean partial pressure of CO(2) averaged 1036 microatmospheres, about three times the value in the overlying atmosphere, indicating that lakes are sources rather than sinks of atmospheric CO(2). On a global scale, the potential efflux of CO(2) from lakes (about 0.14 x 10(15) grams of carbon per year) is about half as large as riverine transport of organic plus inorganic carbon to the ocean. Lakes are a small but potentially important conduit for carbon from terrestrial sources to the atmospheric sink. PMID- 17801537 TI - Response. PMID- 17801539 TI - Vignettes: retrospective on washington. PMID- 17801538 TI - The Statistics of HIV. PMID- 17801540 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17801541 TI - Lowell's Venture. PMID- 17801542 TI - Updating and correction. AB - The current editions of two books edited by William T. Golden, Science Advice to the President and Science and Technology Advice to the President, Congress, and Judiciary, published this year by AAAS Press, are now being distributed by Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, at the prices $22.95 and $27.95 (paper), respectively, and are no longer available from AAAS. A related work, Golden's 1991 compilation Worldwide Science and Technology Advice to the Highest Levels of Government, originally published by Pergamon Press, is also being distributed by Transaction Publishers, at $25.95. For more information about the books see Science 1 July, p. 127. In the review of K. S. Thorne's Black Holes and Time Warps (13 May, p. 999-1000), the captions and illustrations on p. 1000 were mismatched. The correct order of the captions is (i) "A heavy rock..."; (ii) "Cosmic radio waves..."; and (iii) "The trajectories in space...." PMID- 17801543 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17801544 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17801545 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. PMID- 17801546 TI - THE FIRST EXPERIMENT IN PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. PMID- 17801547 TI - METHOD OF ENTRANCE OF CERTAIN FISH INTO AN ESTUARY. PMID- 17801548 TI - SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE TENTH SOKOL FESTIVAL. PMID- 17801549 TI - COMPOUND WORDS IN PRESENT-DAY ENGLISH. PMID- 17801550 TI - THE EFFECT OF SEX HORMONES ON THE NORMAL RESISTANCE OF RATS TO CYSTICERCUS CRASSICOLLIS. PMID- 17801552 TI - INDUCED PARTHENOCARPY OF WATERMELON, CUCUMBER AND PEPPER. PMID- 17801551 TI - THE ANTIDERMATOSIS VITAMIN REQUIRED FOR REPRODUCTION IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL. PMID- 17801553 TI - SHORTENING DAYLIGHT PERIODS BETWEEN MAY 15 AND SEPTEMBER 12 AND THE PELT CYCLE OF THE MINK. PMID- 17801554 TI - A GLASS AND RUBBER LABORATORY PUMP. PMID- 17801555 TI - AN INEXPENSIVE WARM STAGE. PMID- 17801556 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF SEX. PMID- 17801557 TI - THE USE OF GLANDULAR EXTRACT IN THE HEALING OF FRACTURES. PMID- 17801558 TI - THE REDUCTION OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. PMID- 17801559 TI - SAWDUST AS A FEED FOR DAIRY COWS. PMID- 17801560 TI - "WOOL" FABRIC MADE FROM WOOD. PMID- 17801561 TI - THE UTILIZATION OF SEWAGE GAS. PMID- 17801562 TI - RADIATOR CONTROL OF ENGINE OIL. PMID- 17801563 TI - THE ENGINEER AND CIVILIZATION. AB - To sum up the whole matter, the engineer, either as an individual or as a collective type, is simply a link in the chain of human progress-a chain the links of which, in one form or another, run back into a past removed from our own time by tens of thousands of years, to go to no higher figures. With the trend of human progress as it now is, he seems, moreover, to be a very necessary link. He has taken upon himself the peculiar function of developing and translating into use for the needs of civilization the constructive materials of the earth and the inorganic energies of nature, and in connection with the exercise of such function he has acquired peculiar and weighty duties and responsibilities. PMID- 17801564 TI - BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS. PMID- 17801566 TI - "THE SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES". PMID- 17801565 TI - HAROLD WILLIAM NICHOLS. PMID- 17801567 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17801568 TI - THE MACKEREL AND PLANKTONIC ORGANISMS. PMID- 17801570 TI - ABSTRACTING OLD BOTANICAL WORKS AND MANUSCRIPTS. PMID- 17801569 TI - THE PROPAGATION OF APPLE VARIETIES BY CUTTINGS. PMID- 17801571 TI - X-RAY DIFFRACTION PATTERNS FROM PLANT MATERIALS. PMID- 17801572 TI - SUCTION FORCE OF SOILS: A NOTE ON THE APPLICATION OF THIS PRINCIPLE IN THE STUDY OF THE SOIL-PLANT SYSTEM. PMID- 17801573 TI - AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17801574 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "Malaria parasites adopt host cell superoxide dismutase" by A. S. Fairchild et al. (19 Aug., p. 764), the caption for figure 2 on page 765 was incorrect and should read as follows: "Comparison of host and parasite SOD's (9) by (A) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (8) and (B) isoelecteric focusing (7). Gels were stained for SOD activity (10), and bovine erythrocyte SOD (Sigma, type 1) was used as a reference [pI = 4.95 (13)]. Lane 1, rat-derived P. berghei SOD; lane 2, rat erythrocyte SOD (pI = 5.1); lane 3, mouse-derived P. berghei SOD; lane 4, mouse erythrocyte SOD (pl = 5.7); lane 5, bovine erythrocyte SOD." The pI's of mouse and rat erythrocyte SOD's cited in the text should also be corrected to the values given above. PMID- 17801576 TI - Basic research and the public. PMID- 17801575 TI - Dissolution of kroc foundation. PMID- 17801577 TI - Biological backwaters? PMID- 17801578 TI - Technological cooperation with the Japanese. PMID- 17801580 TI - Balzan prize to ernst mayr. PMID- 17801579 TI - The most luminous stars. AB - Stars with individual luminosities more than a million times that of the sun are now being studied in a variety of contexts. Observational and theoretical ideas about the most luminous stars have changed greatly in the past few years. They can be observed spectroscopically even in nearby galaxies. They are not very stable; some have had violent outbursts in which large amounts of mass were lost. Because of their instabilities, these stars do not evolve to become red superglants as less luminous stars do. Theoretical scenarios for the evolution of these most massive stars depend on the effects of turbulence and mixing combined with high radition densities. PMID- 17801581 TI - High-Level Politics over Low-Level Waste: A federal law that could leave many states with nowhere to dump their nuclear trash after 1985 is prompting a search for new sites. PMID- 17801583 TI - The synthetic fuels end game. PMID- 17801582 TI - Delay likely in high-level program. PMID- 17801584 TI - Oil Prospectors Make a Strike in Paris: A scandal over a bizarre oil-prospecting technology, for which the state-owned oil company paid $100 million, has enlivened French politics. PMID- 17801585 TI - At EPA, Two Top Scientists Come on Board: They aim to improve the science at the agency and restore credibility. PMID- 17801586 TI - Carnegie plan promotes prevention of nuclear war. PMID- 17801587 TI - For Some, NSF May Mean Non-Sufficient Funds. PMID- 17801588 TI - One Billion Transistors on a Chip?: The annual rate of increase in numbers of transistors on a chip is slowing as theoretical limits are neared, but there may be a billion by the year 2000. PMID- 17801589 TI - Early education: as the twig is bent . . . PMID- 17801590 TI - Personal interactions: close relationships. PMID- 17801592 TI - Embryology: time, space, and pattern in embryonic development. PMID- 17801591 TI - Mississippi valley archeology: archaeology of the central Mississippi valley. PMID- 17801593 TI - Some other books of interest: observers observed. PMID- 17801594 TI - Some other books of interest: tree rings and telescopes. PMID- 17801595 TI - Some other books of interest: planning and analysis of observational studies. PMID- 17801596 TI - Some other books of interest: current ornithology. PMID- 17801597 TI - Late leonardian plants from west Texas: the youngest paleozoic plant megafossils in north america. AB - Abundant Permian plant megafossils were discovered in the Del Norte Mountains of Brewster County, Trans-Pecos Texas. The flora is dominated by a new and distinctive type of gigantopteroid leaves. Marine invertebrates are closely associated, and this admixture of continental and marine fossils indicates a deltaic depositional setting, probably on the southern margin of the Permian Basin. Conodonts indicate correlation with the uppermost Leonardian Road Canyon Formation in the Glass Mountains. These are the youngest Paleozoic plant megafossils known in North America; they add an important paleontological element to the classic Permian area of this Continent. PMID- 17801598 TI - The meteorite-asteroid connection: two olivine-rich asteroids. AB - Two asteroids have clear indications of olivine-rich surface petrology without any indication of pyroxene or plagioclase, suggesting that the olivine may be quite pure. They provide probable examples of mantles of differentiated parent asteroids exposed by fragmentation and are good candidates for the parent bodies of the unusual olivine meteorite Brachina or the olivine-iron alloy meteorites called pallasites. PMID- 17801599 TI - Native cellulose: a composite of two distinct crystalline forms. AB - Multiplicities in the resonances of chemically equivalent carbons, which appear in the solid-state carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of native celluloses, have been examined at high resolution. The patterns of variation are consistent with the existence of two distinct crystalline forms. One form is dominant in bacterial and algal celluloses, whereas the other is dominant in celluloses from higher plants. PMID- 17801600 TI - DISEASE CARRIERS. PMID- 17801601 TI - CONCERNING NOMINA CONSEBIWANDA,AND A BEFEBENDUM TO ALL ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17801603 TI - THE TWELFTH INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17801602 TI - THE RAINEY AFRICAN COLLECTION. PMID- 17801604 TI - PRIORITY VS. NOMINA CONSERVANDA. PMID- 17801605 TI - HERMAPHRODITE SHAD IN THE DELAWARE. PMID- 17801606 TI - LETTERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. PMID- 17801607 TI - ELM LEAF CURL AND WOOLLY APHID OF THE APPLE. PMID- 17801608 TI - A METHOD FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE TOXIC PROPERTIES FROM COTTONSEED MEAL A PRELIMINARY REPORT. PMID- 17801609 TI - ON SOME RESEMBLANCES OF CROWNGALL TO HUMAN CANCER. PMID- 17801610 TI - THE ROYAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE AT CHARLOTTENBURG-BERLIN. PMID- 17801611 TI - WILLIAM EMERSON DAMON. PMID- 17801612 TI - MEMORIAL TO MRS. ELLEN H. BICHARDS. PMID- 17801613 TI - "PHENOTYPE" and "CLONE". PMID- 17801614 TI - THE PRIBILOF FUR SEAL HERD. PMID- 17801615 TI - CHANGES IN CHEMICAL ENERGY DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS. PMID- 17801616 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION F. PMID- 17801617 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17801618 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17801619 TI - THE MEETINGS OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETIES AT WASHINGTON. PMID- 17801620 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17801621 TI - Science in europe. PMID- 17801622 TI - Science and Mutual Self-Interest: Scientific collaboration in Europe has a long and distinguished history, but political, economic, and cultural barriers remain. PMID- 17801623 TI - Toward an academia europaea? PMID- 17801624 TI - EEC: Uniting to Meet High-Tech's Challenge: The Commission of the EEC has made a shift in its research priorities toward efforts to improve European competitiveness. PMID- 17801625 TI - CERN: Adapting to Middle Age: Europe's premier particle physics laboratory, now 35 years old, is facing funding constraints, uncertainty. PMID- 17801626 TI - Networking: Better Than Creating New Centers?: Governments are focusing their efforts on linking researchers in existing laboratories rather than on creating major ones. PMID- 17801627 TI - America's Seductive Charms. PMID- 17801629 TI - Space: It Is Expensive in the Major Leagues: A meeting this fall will determine whether Europe believes playing a leading role in space is worth $30 billion. PMID- 17801628 TI - Defense Research: Promises, Promises: The pressures for cooperation on defense R&D are growing stronger, but so far competition has been the order of the day. PMID- 17801630 TI - JET: Uncertainty Follows Success: Europe is at the cutting edge of fusion research, but pressures to collaborate on a global program could cause delays. PMID- 17801631 TI - Euroscience lexicon. PMID- 17801632 TI - Unsung force in science exchanges. PMID- 17801633 TI - Europe Ends at the Iron Curtain: Most "European" cooperation is strictly West European. PMID- 17801634 TI - Neutrons Clarify Superconductors: Neutron scattering experiments reveal a two dimensional antiferromagnetic behavior that is consistent with an electron spin model of high-temperature superconductors. PMID- 17801635 TI - Awaiting the Next Mexico City Earthquake: All eyes are on the Guerrero seismic gap off Mexico where the next great earthquake to shake Mexico City may be building. PMID- 17801636 TI - Science and technology policies and priorities: a comparative analysis. AB - This article compares the science and technology strategies and priorities of France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. An analysis is given of similarities and differences, historical settings, research and development allocations, coordinating mechanisms, outputs, dissatisfactions, and recent changes. Also presented are data on performers and funding sources, the character and objectives of work, the industries involved, employment of scientists and engineers, and degrees by field. This comparison provides a way of understanding the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies and an opportunity for one country to learn from the others. PMID- 17801637 TI - The discovery of a class of high-temperature superconductors. AB - The exceptional interest in the new class of oxide superconductors and the importance of these materials are discussed together with the concepts that led to their discovery. The discovery itself and its early confirmation are summarized, including the work until the beginning of 1987. The observation of a superconductive glass state in percolative samples is also discussed. PMID- 17801638 TI - Magnetic field reversals, polar wander, and core-mantle coupling. AB - True polar wander, the shifting of the entire mantle relative to the earth's spin axis, has been reanalyzed. Over the last 200 million years, true polar wander has been fast (approximately 5 centimeters per year) most of the time, except for a remarkable standstill from 170 to 110 million years ago. This standstill correlates with a decrease in the reversal frequency of the geomagnetic field and episodes of continental breakup. Conversely, true polar wander is high when reversal frequency increases. It is proposed that intermittent convection modulates the thickness of a thermal boundary layer at the base of the mantle and consequently the core-to-mantle heat flux. Emission of hot thermals from the boundary layer leads to increases in mantle convection and true polar wander. In conjunction, cold thermals released from a boundary layer at the top of the liquid core eventually lead to reversals. Changes in the locations of subduction zones may also affect true polar wander. Exceptional volcanism and mass extinctions at the Cretaceous-Tertiary and Permo-Triassic boundaries may be related to thermals released after two unusually long periods with no magnetic reversals. These environmental catastrophes may therefore be a consequence of thermal and chemical couplings in the earth's multilayer heat engine rather than have an extraterrestrial cause. PMID- 17801639 TI - Picosecond holographic-grating spectroscopy. AB - Interfering light waves produce an optical interference pattern in any medium that interacts with light. This modulation of some physical parameter of the system acts as a classical holographic grating for optical radiation. When such a grating is produced through interaction of pulsed light waves with an optical transition, a transient grating is formed whose decay is a measure of the relaxation time of the excited state. Transient gratings can be formed in real space or in frequency space depending on the time ordering of the interfering light waves. The two gratings are related by a space-time transformation and contain complementary information on the optical dynamics of a system. The status of a grating can be probed by a delayed third pulse, which diffracts off this grating in a direction determined by the wave vector difference of the interfering light beams. This generalized concept of a transient grating can be used to interpret many picosecond-pulse optical experiments on condensed-phase systems. Examples of some low-temperature experiments will be presented. In principle, many of these experiments could also be performed by using stochastic broad-band excitation. In these nonlinear photon-interference experiments the time resolution is determined by the correlation time of the light source rather than its pulse width. PMID- 17801640 TI - Transgenic plants as tools to study the molecular organization of plant genes. AB - Transgenic plants are generated in nature by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a pathogen that produces disease through the transfer of some of its own DNA into susceptible plants. The genes are carried on a plasmid. Much has been learned about how the plasmid is transferred, how the plasmid-borne genes are organized, regulated, and expressed, and how the bacteria's pathogenic effects are produced. The A. tumefaciens plasmid has been manipulated for use as a general vector for the transfer of specific segments of foreign DNA of interest (from plants and other sources) into plants; the activities of various genes and their regulation by enhancer and silencer sequences have been assessed. Future uses of the vector (or others like it that have different host ranges) by the agriculture industry are expected to aid in moving into vulnerable plants specific genes that will protect them from such killers as nonselective herbicides, insects, and viruses. PMID- 17801641 TI - Migration and Western europe: the old world turning new. AB - The 1960s meant a historical turn of Western Europe, becoming an immigration area. Net immigration has been concentrated to some of the prosperous Western European countries and has been mainly determined by the demand of their particular national labor regimes. The size of alien employment has been very differently affected by the 1973 crisis, but a multiethnical society will remain a novel feature of most Western European countries. Political abdication from full employment and technological change makes a ghetto of un(der)employment a likely prospect of a large part of the second generation of recent immigrants into Western Europe. PMID- 17801642 TI - Biogenic sulfur and the acidity of rainfall in remote areas of Canada. AB - Sulfur released from any given natural or anthropogenic source carries an isotopic signature that can be used to trace its flow through the environment. Measurements of the concentration and isotopic composition of sulfur in weekly bulk precipitation samples collected over a 4-year period at a remote location in northern Ontario were recorded. The long-term isotopic data and the measurement on the production and release of dimethyl sulfide from boreal wetlands show that biogenic sources can account for up to 30 percent of the acidifying sulfur burden in the atmosphere in remote areas of Canada. The data suggest that significant biological reemission of anthropogenic sulfur is occurring. The role of this process in the continuing acidification of the environment for years to come must be a matter of concern. PMID- 17801643 TI - Lateral isotopic discontinuity in the lower crust: an example from antarctica. AB - The lower continental crust is one of the least known variables in the crust mantle evolutionary equation. In order to study the nature and compositional heterogeneity of the lower crust, more than 20 inclusions of lower crustal granulites in volcanic rocks from the McMurdo Sound region of Antarctica were analyzed for strontium and oxygen isotopes. These inclusions were erupted from volcanic centers covering an area of 12,000 square kilometers. Along with results from analyses of major and trace elements, the isotopic data reveal a profound discontinuity in the composition and probably the age of the lower crust that coincides with the boundary between the Transantarctic Mountains and the Ross Embayment. Although this topographic boundary between East and West Antarctica is largely a Cenozoic development, which apparently reflects a simple subvertical faulting relationship due to crustal rifting, the isotopic differences in the lower crust across the boundary suggest that the current faulting and rifting may coincide with an older crustal suture, the age of which is uncertain. PMID- 17801644 TI - Seismomagnetic observation during the 8 july 1986 magnitude 5.9 north palm springs earthquake. AB - A differentially connected array of 24 proton magnetometers has operated along the San Andreas fault since 1976. Seismomagnetic offsets of 1.2 and 0.3 nanotesla were observed at epicentral distances of 3 and 9 kilometers, respectively, after the 8 July 1986 magnitude 5.9 North Palm Springs earthquake. These seismomagnetic observation are the first obtained of this elusive but long-anticipated effect. The data are consistent with a seismomagnetic model of the earthquake for which right-lateral rupture of 20 centimeters is assumed on a 16-kilometer segment of the Banning fault between the depths of 3 and 10 kilometers in a region with average magnetization of 1 ampere per meter. Alternative explanations in terms of electrokinetic effects and earthquake-generated electrostatic charge redistribution seem unlikely because the changes are permanent and complete within a 20-minute period. PMID- 17801645 TI - An upper eocene frog from the dominican republic and its implication for Caribbean biogeography. AB - A frog of the leptodactylid genus Eleutherodactylus is reported from Eocene amber found in the Dominican Republic. It is the first described amphibian fossil in amber, and the oldest complete lissamphibian fossil from Mesoamerica (Central America and Mexico). Dating of the amber matrix indicates that by the end of the Eocene a diverse fauna was present in the Antilles, much earlier than has generally been proposed. The presence of this and other amber fossils from this same age suggests that Tertiary patterns of landmass movements were significant in determining the present distribution of species. PMID- 17801646 TI - Also, Special Museum Benefits to AAAS Members. PMID- 17801647 TI - Election ballots are in the mail. PMID- 17801648 TI - Science Museums and AAAS Members. PMID- 17801649 TI - Science and art program--an update. PMID- 17801650 TI - Symposium to address expected shortfall of scientists and engineers. PMID- 17801651 TI - New frontiers of science lecture series announced. PMID- 17801653 TI - Seasonal rhythms: monsoons. PMID- 17801652 TI - Progressive adaptation: evolution and escalation. PMID- 17801654 TI - Fishery biology: population genetics and fishery management. PMID- 17801656 TI - Some other books of interest: essays on the history of organic chemistry. PMID- 17801655 TI - Some other books of interest: an international history of mammalogy. PMID- 17801657 TI - Some other books of interest: advances in nuclear science and technology. PMID- 17801658 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17801659 TI - METHODS OF SECURING BETTER COOPERATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND LABORATORY ZOOLOGISTS IN THE SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS OF GENERAL OR NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. PMID- 17801660 TI - THE THREATENED EXTINCTION OF THE BOX HUCKLEBERRY, GAYLUSSACIA BRACHYCERA. PMID- 17801662 TI - THE DISCOVERY OF CALCULAS. PMID- 17801661 TI - VINAL N. EDWARDS. PMID- 17801663 TI - THE POOR DIENER. PMID- 17801664 TI - THE BUFFALO MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. V. PMID- 17801665 TI - THE BLACK CHAFF OF WHEAT. PMID- 17801666 TI - Middle Ground. PMID- 17801668 TI - Identifying Significant Research. PMID- 17801667 TI - Photoperiodism in Plants. PMID- 17801669 TI - W. J. Mead, Experimental Geologist. PMID- 17801670 TI - Political Scientists and the Working Politician: Notes on the Campaign and the Take-Over. PMID- 17801671 TI - Committees of Scholars Support Candidates: Scientists Joining. PMID- 17801672 TI - Distribution of Phage Groups of Staphylococcus aureus in the Years 1927 through 1947. AB - The phage typing patterns of 194 typable strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated in the years 1927 through 1947 and preserved as stock cultures revealed that 43 strains were of phage type 80/81. The occurrence of other typable strains in the broad phage groups I, II, and III corresponded closely to the frequency distribution of staphylococci reported in 1945 by Wilson and Atkinson. PMID- 17801673 TI - Nomenclature of Devices Which Simulate Biological Functions. AB - The suffix -mime is proposed to create generic names for the general class of man made devices which simulate biological functions. The suffix is used after the stem of the word that describes the organ or cell being simulated; for instance, artificial neurons are described as neuromimes. PMID- 17801674 TI - Relation of Jupiter's Radio Emission at Long Wavelengths to Solar Activity. AB - Since the spring of 1960 a strong positive correlation between Jupiter's decametric emission and solar decametric continuum emission observed at Boulder has been evident. The time delay of 1 to 2 days, with solar emission preceding Jupiter's emission, suggests that fast solar corpuscles, at velocities of the order of 0.1 c, are directly involved in the planet's atmosphere or magnetic field. PMID- 17801675 TI - Immunological Technique for Protein Isolation. AB - Carefully coagulated antibody or antigen-antibody complexes may be used as specific adsorbents for antigen, and the antigen may be released subsequently by increasing the acidity. No cross adsorption appears to take place. The procedure may prove useful for the isolation of tissue-specific proteins (including those in disease states), toxins, or viruses. PMID- 17801676 TI - Continuous Elemental Analysis of Organic Compounds in Gas-Chromatographic Effluents. AB - The compounds emerging from the gas-chromatographic column are quantitatively converted to a mixture of CO(2) and H(2). These gases are separated by means of an auxiliary column. The ratio of C and H atoms of each substance is deduced from the areas of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peaks. PMID- 17801678 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17801677 TI - Esters from Bacterial Oxidation of Olefins. AB - Identification of esters isolated from culture fluids of bacteria growing upon terminal olefins indicates that bacteria oxidize olefins at the saturated methyl group, leaving the double bond intact. The yeast Candida lipolytica produces alpha-glycols from olefins, presumably by attacking the double bond. PMID- 17801679 TI - Disarmament. PMID- 17801681 TI - Rainbow Bridge. PMID- 17801680 TI - Intramural Research. PMID- 17801682 TI - Polar Wandering and Continental Drift. PMID- 17801684 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17801683 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17801685 TI - BASIC PATENTS IN NATURE. PMID- 17801686 TI - THE SEPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE ISOTOPES OF HYDROGEN. PMID- 17801687 TI - BLOOD GROUPING BY MEANS OF PRESERVED MUSCLE. PMID- 17801688 TI - RAMAN SPECTRUM OF HEAVY WATER. PMID- 17801689 TI - LABORATORY FEES. PMID- 17801690 TI - CLEANING OF FRUIT CARRYING LEAD. PMID- 17801691 TI - THE EIGHTH GENERAL CONFERENCE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. PMID- 17801692 TI - EXPLORING AND COLLECTING EXPEDITIONS. PMID- 17801693 TI - THE SECRETARIES' CONFERENCE AND THE ACADEMY CONFERENCE. PMID- 17801694 TI - THE WORK OF THE WEATHER BUREAU. PMID- 17801695 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF CHROMOSOME REARRANGEMENTS AND THE PLOTTING OF CHROMOSOME MAPS. PMID- 17801696 TI - PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT FOR PLANKTON NETS. PMID- 17801697 TI - THE IMMUNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF EASTERN AND WESTERN STRAINS OF EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS. PMID- 17801699 TI - PLANS FOR A HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. PMID- 17801698 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF MUTATIONS BY ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT. PMID- 17801701 TI - DUAL QUEENS IN A COLONY OF HONEY BEES. PMID- 17801700 TI - THE BRITISH NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17801702 TI - PARAMECIA WITH EXTRA CONTRACTILE VACUOLES. PMID- 17801704 TI - UNLIKE REACTION OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS TO FRAGRANCE IN VERBENA FLOWERS. PMID- 17801703 TI - MATHEMATICAL INSTRUCTION AND THE WAR. PMID- 17801705 TI - THE WHITE-SPOT DISEASE OF ALFALFA. PMID- 17801707 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17801706 TI - THE POLYHEDRAL VIRUS OF INSECTS WITH A THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION OF FILTERABLE VIRUSES GENERALLY. PMID- 17801708 TI - Paleozoic high tides. PMID- 17801710 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17801709 TI - The use of the method of rates in mathematical teaching. PMID- 17801711 TI - Osteology of the cormorant. PMID- 17801713 TI - Transmission of long or inaudible sound-waves. PMID- 17801712 TI - Tornado in western North Carolina. PMID- 17801714 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17801716 TI - ANDREW ATKINSON HUMPHREYS. PMID- 17801715 TI - A singular optical phenomenon. PMID- 17801717 TI - THE U. S. METEOROLOGICAL STATION AT POINT BARROW. PMID- 17801718 TI - ON THE STATE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17801719 TI - INERTIA. PMID- 17801721 TI - THE WINTER OF 1879-80 IN EUROPE. PMID- 17801720 TI - LOCALIZATION IN THE BRAIN. PMID- 17801722 TI - OLIVINE ROCKS OF NORTH CAROLINA. PMID- 17801723 TI - ABOUT GREAT TELESCOPES. PMID- 17801724 TI - ENTOMOGRAPHY OF HIRMONEURA. PMID- 17801725 TI - THE BONE-CAVES OF POLAND. PMID- 17801727 TI - CARPENTER'S ENERGY IN NATURE. PMID- 17801726 TI - ILLINOIS COAL-PRODUCTION. PMID- 17801729 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17801728 TI - SOME STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT-STATIONS. PMID- 17801730 TI - BIRTH RATES IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. PMID- 17801731 TI - CARBON DIOXIDE FOR PLANTS. PMID- 17801732 TI - THE UNSEEN LIFE OF THE SOIL. PMID- 17801734 TI - AIRPLANE OBSERVATIONS OF THE ECLIPSE. PMID- 17801733 TI - PASSENGER AIR LINES. PMID- 17801735 TI - MAGNETIC STORMS AND SUN SPOTS. PMID- 17801736 TI - TWO VIEWS OF THE ORIGIN OF MAN. PMID- 17801737 TI - SUTHERLAND SIMPSON. PMID- 17801738 TI - SUMMER SCHOOLS FOR ENGINEERING TEACHERS. PMID- 17801739 TI - ELEMENT NO. 61. PMID- 17801740 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17801741 TI - THE CONTROL OF COTTON-WILT BY THE USE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. PMID- 17801742 TI - A NEW FIND OF THE WOOLLY ELEPHANT IN MICHIGAN. PMID- 17801743 TI - THE STORY OF THE BEAR IN THE FIRST PRINTING OF DARWIN'S "ORIGIN OF SPECIES". PMID- 17801744 TI - A MICRO BLOOD SUGAR METHOD AND THE BLOOD SUGARS OF INSECTS. PMID- 17801745 TI - EDITORIAL ETHICS IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS. PMID- 17801747 TI - THE HAWAIIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17801746 TI - THE STUDY OF AN ULTRAVIOLET TRANSMITTING MATERIAL. PMID- 17801748 TI - THE PRESENCE OF HEMOLYTIC, CYTOLYTIC AND COMPLEMENT-BINDING SUBSTANCES IN EXTRACTS OF ENDAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA. PMID- 17801749 TI - THE ISOLATION OF RENNET FROM BACTERIA CULTURES. PMID- 17801750 TI - IS THE SAO FRANCISCO DO SUL (SANTA CATHARINA) IRON A METEORITE? PMID- 17801751 TI - NEW TREATMENT FOR SNAKE-BITE AND OTHER POISONS. PMID- 17801752 TI - ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE EUROPEAN BARK-BEETLE-DESTROYER (CLERUS FORMICARIUS L.) TO AMERICA. PMID- 17801754 TI - THE ENERGY-FUNCTION OF THE MAGNETIC CIRCUIT. PMID- 17801753 TI - COLIAS EDUSA AND COLIAS HYALE. PMID- 17801756 TI - THE APPARENT GROWTH OF GOLD. PMID- 17801755 TI - WHY IS SEA-WATER SALT? PMID- 17801757 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.-XVIII. PMID- 17801758 TI - Reticulated Protoplasm of Pelomyxa. PMID- 17801759 TI - "Ancient Mexican Heraldry.". PMID- 17801760 TI - Is There a Sense of Direction? PMID- 17801761 TI - The Libyan Alphabet. PMID- 17801762 TI - The Fundamental Hypotheses of Abstract Dynamics. PMID- 17801763 TI - Solid Glycerine. PMID- 17801764 TI - On Biological Nomenclature. PMID- 17801765 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17801766 TI - Burt's Data: Dorfman's Analysis. PMID- 17801767 TI - The future of education. PMID- 17801768 TI - The future of education. PMID- 17801769 TI - Department of energy-university relationships. PMID- 17801770 TI - Solid-state photoelectron spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation. AB - Synchrotron radiation sources, providing intense, tunable, polarized, and stable beams of ultraviolet and x-ray photons, are having a great impact on biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, and other areas of research. Synchrotron radiation has revolutionized solid-state photoelectron spectroscopy by enhancing its capabilities for investigating the electronic behavior of solids and solid surfaces. Several fundamental photoemission techniques that rely on synchrotron radiation are discussed in this article. These techniques have an adjustable tunable surface sensitivity and provide the first direct mapping of the electronic band structure. Recent applications of photoelectron spectroscopy for studies of chemisorption geometries and surface structures are discussed. PMID- 17801771 TI - CHESS: The New Synchrotron Radiation Facility at Cornell. AB - A new synchrotron radiation laboratory, CHESS, will soon be completed at Cornell University. The facility will operate in a mode parasitic to high energy physics experiments on the new 8-billion-electron-volt electron-positron storage ring (CESR) at Cornell. Electron and positron beams have already been stored and the first photons have been extracted. When completed, the laboratory will be available to the scientific community nationally and will provide the most intense tunable source of high energy x-rays in the country. PMID- 17801772 TI - Inner-shell electron spectroscopy for microanalysis. AB - The transmission electron energy-loss spectrum shows characteristic "edges" corresponding to the excitation of inner-shell electrons of atoms in a thin sample. Analysis of these edges provides detailed chemical, structural, and electronic data from the radiated volume. By combining electron spectroscopy and electron microscopy, this microanalytical technique can be performed in conjunction with highresolution imaging of the sample. It is shown that this approach has advantages of sensitivity, spatial resolution, and convenience over other comparable techniques. PMID- 17801773 TI - Precision optical testing. AB - Increased performance requirements for modern optical systems have necessitated the development of more precise optical testing techniques. The need for accurate and rapid measurements is being met by the use of laser interferometers, microprocessors to gather test data, and computers to analyze the data and remove errors in the test equipment. PMID- 17801774 TI - Nondestructive evaluation. AB - Nondestructive evaluation is a technique for determining the presence, type, and size of flaws in mechanical structures without destroying them. A description of various types of nondestructive evaluation methods is given in this article. Particular attention is paid to acoustic wave probing techniques. Major advances have been made in the development of the theory of acoustic wave scattering from flaws and in the development of methods for determining the nature of a flaw from the variation of the scattered acoustic wave amplitude with frequency and angle. Several new types of acoustic imaging methods have been developed; prime examples are the acoustic microscope and electronically focused and scanned acoustic wave imaging systems. New acoustic measurement techniques for determining the fields in materials and predicting their breaking stress are discussed, as is the development of new types of eddy current techniques and electromagnetic transducers. PMID- 17801775 TI - Radar measurement of the upper atmosphere. AB - In the last two decades large radars have proved to be powerful instruments for the measurement of the properties of the upper atmosphere. These radars were used initially to measure properties of the ionosphere by the Thomson scattering technique at heights above 100 kilometers. Careful interpretation of the power and spectrum of radar echoes yielded data on electron and ion densities and temperatures as well as on bulk motion of the ionospheric plasma, all as functions of height and time. More recent developments have made it possible to measure wind speeds and the structure of turbulence in the stratosphere and mesosphere at altitudes below 100 kilometers. PMID- 17801777 TI - MX Missile to Roam 200 Racetracks. PMID- 17801776 TI - Magnesium isotopic composition of interplanetary dust particles. AB - The magnesium isotopic composition of some extraterrestrial dust particles has been measured. The particles are believed to be samples of interplanetary dust, a significant fraction of which originated from the disaggregation of comets and may contain preserved isotopic anomalies. Improvements in mass spectrometric and sample preparation techniques have made it possible to measure the magnesium isotopic composition of the dust particles, which are typically 10 micrometers in size and contain on the order of 10(-10) gram of magnesium. Of the 13 samples analyzed, nine have the terrestrial magnesium isotopic composition within 2 parts per thousand, and one shows isotopic mass fractionation of 1.1 percent per mass unit. A subset of the particles, described as chondritic aggregates, are very close to normal isotopic composition, but their normalized isotopic ratios appear to show nonlinear effects of 3 to 4 parts per thousand, which is near the present limit of detection for samples of this size. The isotopic composition of calcium was also determined in one particle and found to be normal within 2 percent. It is clear that the isotopic composition of interplanetary dust particles can be determined with good precision. Collection of dust particles during the earth's passage through a comet tail or an intense meteor stream may permit laboratory analysis of material from a known comet. PMID- 17801778 TI - Carter's Tellico Decision Offends Environmentalists. PMID- 17801779 TI - Agent 007. PMID- 17801780 TI - Running on empty. PMID- 17801781 TI - Cathleen morawetz: the mathematics of waves. PMID- 17801782 TI - Science and its context. PMID- 17801783 TI - Socioeconomic differentiators. PMID- 17801784 TI - Fisheries biology: early days. PMID- 17801785 TI - Birds of prey. PMID- 17801786 TI - Celestial mechanics. PMID- 17801787 TI - Continental breakup by a leaky transform: the gulf of elat (aqaba). AB - The floor of the Gulf of Elat consists of five distinct deeps. Its structure is controlled by faulting which has produced rhomb-shaped grabens. The gulf is a newly formed plate boundary between Arabia and Sinai. PMID- 17801788 TI - Size of the permo-triassic bottleneck and its evolutionary implications. AB - Rarefaction analysis of extinctions in the Late Permian indicates that as many as 96 percent of all marine species may have died out, thus forcing the marine biosphere to pass through a small bottleneck. With such severity of extinction, chance elimination of certain biologic groups would have been probable. Some of the changes in biologic composition observed at the Permo-Triassic boundary may be explained as an evolutionary founder effect that followed the bottleneck. PMID- 17801789 TI - Estuarine influences on a continental shelf plankton community. AB - On the southeastern U.S. continental shelf, phytoplankton primary production and the densities of zooplankton, fish eggs, and fish larvae peak simultaneously in late summer and early fall. Some community response to irregular storm events is observed. However, the gross plankton community dynamics on this shelf are dominated by couplings with the local estuaries and shallow nearshore zone. PMID- 17801790 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17801791 TI - THE TRAINING OF CHEMISTS. PMID- 17801792 TI - RESEARCH AS A NATIONAL DUTY. PMID- 17801793 TI - THE COMMITTEE ON POLICY OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17801794 TI - PUBLIC HEALTH WORK. PMID- 17801795 TI - THE CENTIGRADE THERMOMETER. PMID- 17801796 TI - THE PRESSURE OF SOUND WAVES. PMID- 17801797 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17801799 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17801798 TI - RUDIMENTARY MAMMAe IN SWINE A SEXLIMITED CHARACTER. PMID- 17801800 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SECOND NEW ORLEANS MEETING. PMID- 17801802 TI - IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR THOSE PLANNING TO ATTEND. PMID- 17801801 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION PRESS SERVICE. PMID- 17801804 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION PRIZE. PMID- 17801803 TI - SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS OF SECTIONS AND SOCIETIES. PMID- 17801805 TI - GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1931, INCLUDING THE SECOND NEW ORLEANS MEETING. PMID- 17801807 TI - WORK AND BODILY FATIGUE. PMID- 17801806 TI - IS THE EMBRYO SAC A MEGASPORE? PMID- 17801808 TI - EFFECTS OF BREED ON EMBRYO SIZE IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL AND THE RABBIT. PMID- 17801809 TI - AN ADDITION TO THE HERPETOLOGICAL FAUNA OF KANSAS. PMID- 17801810 TI - OESTRUS-PRODUCING HORMONES. PMID- 17801811 TI - A MOTOR FOUND IN NATURE. PMID- 17801812 TI - DO PEANUT OR ARACHIS NUT FED HOGS YIELD LARDS CONTAINING ARACHIDIC ACID. PMID- 17801813 TI - FILM LANTERN SLIDES. PMID- 17801814 TI - AN IMPROVED DROP RECORDER. PMID- 17801815 TI - VARIATIONS IN HOLOPEDIUM SPECIES. PMID- 17801816 TI - ON REFLEX-HYPERLIPAEMIA. PMID- 17801817 TI - MANGANESE AND THE GROWTH OF LEMNA MINOR. PMID- 17801818 TI - Public and private policies for R & d. PMID- 17801819 TI - Quantum mechanics: the key to understanding magnetism. PMID- 17801820 TI - NATO Builds a Better Battle Tank But May Still Lose the Battle. PMID- 17801822 TI - Costs of environmental regulation draw criticism, formal assessment. PMID- 17801821 TI - Seabrook Protesters Camp Out at NRC. PMID- 17801823 TI - DOD Vacillates on Wisconsin Cryptography Work. PMID- 17801824 TI - Mad at the soviets? Try the chinese. PMID- 17801825 TI - Social Security Computers Vulnerable, GAO says. PMID- 17801826 TI - Boland Committee Cuts NSF Research Funds. PMID- 17801827 TI - Climate control: how large a role for orbital variations? PMID- 17801828 TI - Metrology. PMID- 17801829 TI - Agricultural plant biology. PMID- 17801830 TI - Evolution of radio sources. PMID- 17801831 TI - Efficiency of convection and time variation of the solar constant. AB - Variations in the efficiency of convection resulting from its stochastic nature could be manifested as small ( less, similar1 percent) fluctuations in the solar constant. This could result in changes in the earth's climate with time scales of decades to centuries. PMID- 17801832 TI - Sex ratio and local resource competition in a prosimian primate. AB - Competition between female kin for local limiting resources may explain a male biased secondary sex ratio in the prosimian Galago crassicaudatus. Data demonstrating the skewed sex ratio, a brief summary of field observations on the species, and a simple mathematical statement of the hypothesis are presented. Local resource competition may influence sex ratio in other mammals. PMID- 17801833 TI - Avian pollination studies: a simple scanning electron microscopic technique. AB - Identifying ornithophilous plant species utilized by several different flower visiting birds is simplified by the scanning electron microscope. The technique involves comparing pollen samples taken from the birds' head feathers with pollen reference standards collected in the same area, which simplifies analysis of pollination patterns in a complex community. PMID- 17801835 TI - Central File of Figures of Insect Types. PMID- 17801834 TI - Evoked response correlate of symbol and significate. AB - Changing the source and intensity of the auditory signal to six trained cats responding to meaningful auditory stimuli permits exogenous and endogenous processes in the auditory evoked potential to be separated. For short-latency exogenous processes, latency and amplitude depend on the parameters of the physical stimulus. However, the amplitude and shape of longer-latency endogenous processes are essentially independent of the location and intensity of the signal source and seem to be invariant concomitants of the significance of the signal. PMID- 17801836 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17801838 TI - Edwin P. Hubble: 1889-1953. PMID- 17801837 TI - A Report on the Present Functions and Operations of the National Bureau of Standards: Their Evaluation in Relation to Present National Needs and Recommendations for the Improvement and Strengthening of the Bureau. AB - From the Committee's extensive study of the Bureau's functions, its programs for discharging these functions, the facilities of the Bureau and its professional personnel, as well as from discussions with many scientists and engineers, it has reached some general conclusions. The major ones are listed: 1. The Bureau of Standards is of vital importance to national strength. 2. It is an organization with a splendid record and tradition, internationally recognized and respected. 3. It is, in general, staffed with professional men of competence, integrity and loyalty to the Bureau's functions and objectives. 4. With the increasing range and depth of technology, the need for the services of the Bureau of Standards becomes even more important and its functions more complex. The accurate determination of physical constants, the properties of materials, standards and standards practices and testing and evaluation procedures are all essential serviees for our industrial society. 5. Since the close of the war the technology of the nation has shot rapidly forward. The Bureau's basic programs expanded until 1950 but at a rate beneath that justified by the needs. Since 1950 the decrease in basic programs must be considered as tragic. The ground lost since 1950 should be regained in the next two fiscal years and the programs then expanded as detailed studies by the Director and his advisory committees find necessary. 6. Scientific and technical services to other agencies of Government are important responsibilities of the Bureau. In general, the Bureau has discharged these responsibilities well. 7. The Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission have made broad and significant use of the Bureau. Their use of the Bureau in areas other than development of weapons is of value to the Bureau in its basic programs and should be encouraged. 8. The volume of weaponry development work has become large in comparison with all other activities of the Bureau. Its relative size and its effects on the other Bureau programs make its transfer from the Bureau desirable. 9. Other agencies of Government do not make as large use of the services of the Bureau as might well be expected. The Committee believes that an increase in the use of the Bureau by other agencies of Government should be encouraged. 10. If the recommendations of the Committee are followed, the Bureau should be in a positon to perform its authorized functions in balance at the minimum level for the nation's needs within a four-year period. PMID- 17801839 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801841 TI - Buffalo river endangered. PMID- 17801840 TI - UFO Consensus. PMID- 17801842 TI - Smoke-filled friendships. PMID- 17801843 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801844 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801845 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801846 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801847 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801848 TI - A Revolt against Time and Effort Reports. PMID- 17801849 TI - Selective service solution. PMID- 17801851 TI - Federal research funds: science gets caught in a budget squeeze. PMID- 17801850 TI - Ultraviolet Spectra of Stars: The ultraviolet spectra of stars are discussed from both theoretical and observational viewpoints. AB - According to theories of model stellar atmospheres only stars of spectral types from O to about B3 may be expected to be bright in the ultraviolet-wavelength region. Observations of the strong resonance lines between 911.6 and 1900 A will yield new information permitting construction of better models for the outermost layers of OB stars. However, an adequate theory of line-formation, including non l.t.e. effects, should be used if an accurate physical representation is to result. Already it has been demonstrated beyond doubt that O and B0 supergiants are surrounded by expanding atmospheres. PMID- 17801852 TI - War on campus: what happened when dow recruited at harvard. PMID- 17801854 TI - Waterman, First NSF Head, Dies at 75. PMID- 17801855 TI - Un-american activities: court rule AIDS stamler in contempt case. PMID- 17801856 TI - Freshwater peat on the continental shelf. AB - Freshwater peats from the continental shelf off northeastern United States contain the same general pollen sequence as peats from ponds that are above sea level and that are of comparable radiocarbon ages. These peats indicate that during glacial times of low sea level terrestrial vegetation covered the region that is now the continental shelf in an unbroken extension from the adjacent land areas to the north and west. PMID- 17801857 TI - Radium-226 and radon-222: concentration in atlantic and pacific oceans. AB - Measurements of radon-222 in seawater suggest the following. The radium-226 content of surface water in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is uniformly close to about 4 x 10(-14) gram per liter. The deep Pacific has a concentration of radium-226 that is four times higher and the deep Atlantic a concentration twice as high as that of the surface. These distribution profiles can be explained by the same particle-settling rate for radium-226 from surface to depth for the two oceans and by a threefold longer residence time of water in the deep Pacific than in the deep Atlantic. The vertical distribution of the deficiency of radon-222 in the surface water of the northwest Pacific Ocean suggests a coefficient of vertical eddy diffusion as high as 120 square centimeters per second and a gas-exchange rate for carbon dioxide in surface water between 14 and 60 moles per square meter per year. Vertical profiles of the excess of radon-222 in near-bottom water of the South Atlantic give coefficients of vertical eddy diffusion ranging from 1.5 to more than 50 square centimeters per second. PMID- 17801858 TI - Silica in alkaline brines. AB - Analysis of sodium carbonate-bicarbonate brines from closed basins in volcanic terranes of Oregon and Kenya reveals silica contents of up to 2700 parts per million at pH's higher than 10. These high concentrations of SiO(2) can be attributed to reaction of waters with silicates, and subsequent evaporative concentration accompanied by a rise in pH. Supersaturation with respect to amorphous silica may occur and persist for brines that are out of contact with silicate muds and undersaturated with respect to trona; correlation of SiO(2) with concentration of Na and total CO(2) support this interpretation. Addition of more-dilute waters to alkaline brines may lower the pH and cause inorganic precipitation of substantial amounts of silica. PMID- 17801860 TI - "The Intelligent Man's Guide" to the 1967 AAAS Meeting. PMID- 17801859 TI - Coccoliths as paleoclimatic indicators of pleistocene glaciation. AB - Selected species of Coccolithophoridae from recent sediments and mid-Wisconsin glacial sediments of the North Atlantic were examined in an attempt to determine cooling effects. All species showed a definite shift southward during the glacial period. The average shift in this planktonic population was 15 degrees of latitude, with the greatest change in the eastern Atlantic. A paleoisotherm map can be drawn on the basis of the temperature boundaries of coccolithophorids. The species boundaries indicate a possible shift in position of the subtropical gyral to a glacial position roughly parallel to the 33-degree line of latitude. PMID- 17801861 TI - Geology along the North Atlantic: Gander Conference. PMID- 17801862 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17801863 TI - THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS SCIENTIFIC BUREAUS. PMID- 17801864 TI - THE MEETING OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17801865 TI - METHODS OF TEACHING POLITICAL ECONOMY. PMID- 17801866 TI - WASHINGTON LETTER. PMID- 17801867 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17801868 TI - Newcomb's 'Political economy.'. PMID- 17801869 TI - Crystals in maple sirup. PMID- 17801870 TI - A national university. PMID- 17801871 TI - An unreliable treatise on disinfectants. PMID- 17801872 TI - Earthquake-shocks more violent on the surface than in mines. PMID- 17801873 TI - International geological congress at Berlin. PMID- 17801874 TI - The temperature of the moon. PMID- 17801875 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17801876 TI - The English sparrow. PMID- 17801877 TI - Aptitude test bias. PMID- 17801878 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801880 TI - Rediation protection. PMID- 17801879 TI - University organization. PMID- 17801881 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801882 TI - Letter to the editorn. PMID- 17801883 TI - Women with Ph.D's. PMID- 17801884 TI - Managed creativity. PMID- 17801886 TI - Career choices. PMID- 17801885 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17801887 TI - Special virus cancer program: travails of a biological moonshot. PMID- 17801888 TI - Chemists pick nixon. PMID- 17801889 TI - Chile: trying to cultivate small base of technical excellence. PMID- 17801891 TI - High energy astronomy: observations of gamma radiation. PMID- 17801890 TI - Renovating rocky flats. PMID- 17801892 TI - Water vapor: stratospheric injection by thunderstorms. AB - Infrared radiometric inference measurements of the mass of water vapor injected into the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere by a number of plains thunderstorms show an average threefold increase over the fair weather background mass of water vapor. These airborne measurements, made from the National Aeronautics and Space Admninistration Convair 990 jet laboratory, extended over a sample size much larger than that possible by balloon and other techniques. PMID- 17801893 TI - Martian craters and a scarp as seen by radar. AB - Radar observations of Mars with a surface resolution of 1.3 degrees in latitude and 0.8 degrees in longitude have been carried out during the opposition of 1971. With a precision in surface height measurement approaching 75 meters in regions of high reflectivity, it has been possible to measure the detailed characteristics of a number of craters. Many of these can be identified with craters shown in Mariner photographs of Mars. In addition, a scarp has been seen at 41 degrees west, 14 degrees south with an average slope of about 6 degrees extending over about 40 kilometers. PMID- 17801894 TI - Mars radar observations, a preliminary report. AB - Radar observations of a narrow belt of the surface of Mars, centered at 16 degrees south latitude, show a very rugged terrain, with elevation differences greater than 13 kilometers from peak to valley. For nearby points, the relative altitude is measured to 40 meters at best; the precision is worse for points at different latitudes, or widely separated in longitude, because of orbital uncertainties. Some of the larger craters have been resolved, and their depth and, in some cases, the height of the raised rim have been measured. Where high resolution photographs, are available, the correlation is excellent. PMID- 17801895 TI - Cave Development during a Catastrophic Storm in the Great Valley of Virginia. AB - Observations made before aind after a catastrophic storml support the conclutsion that caves receivinig storm recharge may be significantly developed in the vadose zone by the processes of niass transfer. These processes are greatly accelerated during times of major floods. Evidence indicates that in ancient times floods of similar magnitude have occurred. PMID- 17801896 TI - Nonspreading crustal blocks at the mid-atlantic ridge. AB - Transverse ridges consisting of protrusions into crustal fractures of ultramafic bodies derived from the upper mantle exist at the intersection of the Mid Atlantic Ridge with equatorial fracture zones. Shallow-water limestones containing detrital grains of quartz, microcline, and orthoclase 1 millimeter in diameter were found on the summit of one such transverse ultramafic body at the Vema Fracture Zone; these findings are explained on the assumption that the limestones were deposited within a narrow, shallow proto-Atlantic and were left behind during the further opening of the Atlantic. Transverse ultramafic bodies from the offset zones of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge behave as nonspreading blocks plastered between spreading crustal plates. PMID- 17801897 TI - The xenon record of extinct radioactivities in the Earth. AB - Analyses of xenon from well gas rich in carbon dioxide reveal a large excess of radiogenic xenon-129 from the decay of extinct iodine-129. Smaller excesses observed in the heavy xenon isotopes are from fission. These results place narrow limits on any age difference between the earth and the oldest meteorites. The occurrence of excess radiogenic xenon-129 in well gas also suggests that any quantitative degassing of existing solid materials to form the atmosphere must have been limited to a very early period of the earth's history, approximately the first 10(8) years. Alternatively, this observation is consistent with a model of the earth's continuous, but still incomplete, degassing since its time of formation. PMID- 17801898 TI - The Graduate School, USDA. PMID- 17801899 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17801900 TI - Determination of Specific Activities of Tritium-labeled Compounds with Liquid Scintillators. PMID- 17801901 TI - U.s. Chemists withdraw from soviet symposium. PMID- 17801902 TI - Hayflick's Reply. PMID- 17801903 TI - Hayflick's Reply. PMID- 17801904 TI - Laser spectroscopy of atoms and molecules. PMID- 17801905 TI - Stabilized lasers and precision measurements. AB - This article traces the development of stabilized lasers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology passive-stabilization experiments of the early 1960's up through the current epoch of highly stabilized helium-neon and carbon dioxide and continuous wave dye lasers. The utility, present performance, and limitations of stabilized lasers as standards of length or frequency for precision measurements are discussed. Examples considered of laser applications to physical measurements of outstanding scientific interest include determination of the speed of light, redefinition of the meter, resolution of the photon recoil-induced spectral doubling, use of optical "Ramsey" interference fringes from ultrahigh-resolution spectroscopy, and two improved tests of special relativity. PMID- 17801906 TI - Laser detection of pollution. AB - Spectroscopic analysis is a useful technique for identifying and quantitatively determining the presence of specific gaseous constituents. Development of high power tunable lasers has made the spectroscopic technique for detection of trace constituents in the atmosphere very attractive for practical applications. In this article three of the currently used modes for laser detection of pollution are reviewed: (i) long-path measurements, (ii) laser Raman (differential absorption) measurements, and (iii) optoacoustic detection. Progress in the field has been extremely rapid in the last few years and very useful and reliable data on air pollution can now be obtained routinely with the techniques described. PMID- 17801907 TI - Quantitative elemental analyses by plasma emission spectroscopy. AB - Argon-supported inductively coupled plasmas operated at atmospheric pressures are excellent vaporization-atomization-excitation-ionization sources for analytical atomic emission spectroscopy. When a polychromator is used for observing the emitted spectra, the metals and metalloids can be determined simultaneously at the ultratrace, trace, minor, and major concentration levels under one set of experimental parameters. Alternatively, programmable scanning spectrometers may be utilized for sequential determinations. The atomization-excitation process is remarkably free of interelement interactions, the powers of detection are in the part per billion range for most elements, and sample manipulation requirements prior to analyses are often minimal. The technique meets the requirements of an analytical system for the simultaneous or sequential determination of the elements at all concentration levels to an unusual high degree. PMID- 17801908 TI - DOE Appointment Prompts Environmental Heat. PMID- 17801909 TI - Nitrosamines Found in NIH-Approved Animal Feed. PMID- 17801910 TI - Moss announces retirement. PMID- 17801911 TI - Fermilab in transition: the Wilson era ends. PMID- 17801912 TI - 1971: steptoe promises to protect test-tube baby from publicity--1978 . . PMID- 17801913 TI - The psychology of infertility. PMID- 17801914 TI - Isotopic anomalies in meteorites: complications multiply. PMID- 17801915 TI - Orientations toward children. PMID- 17801916 TI - Communication between cells. PMID- 17801917 TI - Medical self-help. PMID- 17801918 TI - Methods in ethology. PMID- 17801919 TI - Beryllium-10 mass spectrometry with a cyclotron. AB - The Grenoble cyclotron has been used as a mass spectrometer to measure ratios of beryllium-10 to beryllium-9 of 10(-8), 10(-9), and 10(-10) in standardized beryllium oxide samples. Similar measurements can be used to determine cosmogenic beryllium-10 (half-life, 1.5 x 10(6) years) profiles in various geophysical reservoirs such as sea sediments and polar ice. This procedure can be used either to date such samples or to give information about geophysical and astrophysical phenomena that have influenced the beryllium-10 production rate in the past. PMID- 17801920 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17801921 TI - Marine Biology and a New Canal. PMID- 17801922 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17801923 TI - Experimental Phenylketonuria. PMID- 17801924 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17801925 TI - The Smithsonian. PMID- 17801926 TI - Gordon Research Conferences. PMID- 17801927 TI - Research within the Ionosphere: We have revised our understanding of this atmospheric region by using remotely controlled laboratories. PMID- 17801928 TI - Lignin: Its Constitution and Formation from p-Hydroxycinnamyl Alcohols: Lignin is duplicated by dehydrogenation of these alcohols; intermediates explain formation and structure. AB - The conversion of p-hydroxycinnamyl alcohols and their glucosides into lignin is illustrated in vitro and in vivo for spruce. PMID- 17801929 TI - Nucleation of Crystals from Solution: Mechanisms of precipitation are fundamental to analytical and physiological processes. PMID- 17801930 TI - Academy and Congress: NAS Panel Completes Its First Assignment in New Relationship with Congress. PMID- 17801931 TI - Congress: House Subcommittee To Concentrate on PHS, NIH, FDA in Study of Parent Department. PMID- 17801932 TI - Weather: New Report Sketches Anatomy of National Program and of Coordination Problem. PMID- 17801933 TI - Pollution Politics: LBJ Retreats on Opposition to Measure Curbing Pollution from Automobile Exhaust. PMID- 17801934 TI - Fossil Particle Tracks and Uranium Distributions in Minerals of the Vaca Muerta Meteorite. AB - Fossil tracks of charged particles have been observed in minerals separated from the Vaca Muerta mesosiderite. Irradiation of samples of the meteorite with thermal neutrons in a nuclear reactor, together with measurements of track-length distribution, indicate that some of the tracks result from the spontaneous fission of uranium impurities; others, however, are of different origin. Uranium concentrations, which ranged from about 4000 parts per million in a zircon grain to less than 10(-3) parts per million in hypersthene and anorthite, were also measured by irradiating samples with thermal neutrons. PMID- 17801935 TI - Glossopteris Discovered in West Antarctica. AB - Leaf impressions from the Polarstar Formation in the northern Ellsworth Mountains are the first Glossopteris and the oldest identifiable plant fossils reported from West Antarctica. Their occurrence in a thick, probably marine, geosynclinal sequence in close association with coals and probable glacial deposits increases the similarity between the late Paleozoic history of Antarctica and the other southern continents. PMID- 17801936 TI - Pulse Radiolysis of Dioxane Solutions. AB - Liquid dioxane gives transient absorptions owing to the production of free radicals and solvated electrons when subjected to a pulse of high-energy electrons (4 million electron volts) for a duration of 2 microseconds. Solutions of benzophenone give the ketyl radical and ketyl radical ions. Solutions of anthracene give anthracene in the triplet state and the anthracene anion. The formation of these species is largely prevented when hydrochloric acid is present. PMID- 17801938 TI - Composition of the Earth's Mantle and Core. PMID- 17801937 TI - Stars of Anomalous Chemical Composition. PMID- 17801939 TI - Quenching of Chloroplast Fluorescence by Photosynthetic Phosphorylation and Electron Transport. PMID- 17801940 TI - Further Analysis of Sensory Coding in Electroreceptors of Electric Fish. PMID- 17801941 TI - Microclimatic Contrasts within a Subalpine Valley. PMID- 17801942 TI - Surface of Escherichia coli. PMID- 17801943 TI - Fit of the Continents around the Atlantic. PMID- 17801944 TI - Possible Regulatory Sites in Aldolase. PMID- 17801945 TI - Electron Microscopy: Application of High-Field Superconducting Solenoid Lenses. PMID- 17801946 TI - Technique for Assessing Variability of Perceptual Span. PMID- 17801947 TI - Cellular Growth, Contact Inhibition, and Macromolecular Synthesis. PMID- 17801948 TI - Structural Relations among Proteolytic Enzymes. PMID- 17801949 TI - Total Social Isolation: Effects on Macaque Monkey Behavior. PMID- 17801950 TI - Comparative Studies of Phosphoglucomutase. PMID- 17801952 TI - Proposed Biological Exploration of Mars between 1969 and 1973. PMID- 17801951 TI - Research toward a High-Efficiency Voice Communication System. PMID- 17801953 TI - Reversible G2 Lag of X-irradiated Mammalian Cells. PMID- 17801954 TI - Hydrolysis of Gamma-Phenylpropyl Di- and Triphosphates. PMID- 17801955 TI - Seismic Source as Revealed by Static Fields of Displacement, Strain, and Tilt. PMID- 17801956 TI - Erratum. The Ionic Centrifuge and Fusion Nuclear Power. PMID- 17801958 TI - Mutations at the Incompatibility Loci in Schizophyllum. PMID- 17801957 TI - Pharmacological Support for Men on Long Space Flights. PMID- 17801959 TI - Reconstruction of a Sub-Mitochondrial Ion Translocating System. PMID- 17801960 TI - Synthesis and Flow of Neuroplasm: A Progress Report. PMID- 17801961 TI - Individuality in Nutrition: The Genetotrophic Principle. PMID- 17801962 TI - Secular Changes of Natural Radiocarbon and Their Interpretation. PMID- 17801963 TI - Geotropic Response in Starch-Free Coleoptiles. PMID- 17801965 TI - A Serotonin Synergist, Probably a Ganglioside, in Blood of Schizophrenics. PMID- 17801964 TI - DNA Synthesis and Hormonal Control of Insect Metamorphosis. PMID- 17801966 TI - Symmetry Principles at High Energy. PMID- 17801967 TI - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17801968 TI - HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17801969 TI - BERNARDINITE: ITS NATURE AND ORIGIN. PMID- 17801970 TI - ON THE EFFECTS PRODUCED BY MIXING WHITE WITH COLORED LIGHT. PMID- 17801971 TI - EDUCATION OF YOUNG ASTRONOMERS. PMID- 17801972 TI - SECULAR CHANGES IN THE EARTH'S FIGURE. PMID- 17801973 TI - ON A PHOTOGRAPH OF JUPITER'S SPECTRUM, SHOWING EVIDENCE OF INTRINSIC LIGHT FROM THAT PLANET. PMID- 17801974 TI - GENERAL NOTES. PMID- 17801975 TI - THE METRIC SYSTEM. PMID- 17801976 TI - A NEW ELECTRIC PILE. PMID- 17801977 TI - WATER JETS AS A SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17801978 TI - TRANSLATIONS. PMID- 17801979 TI - ETHNOLOGY: FRAGMENTARY NOTES ON THE ESKIMO OF CUMBERLAND SOUND. PMID- 17801980 TI - COAL. PMID- 17801981 TI - THE NOVEMBER MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17801983 TI - THE WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER. PMID- 17801982 TI - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ON THE U. S. FISH-COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS.--II. PMID- 17801984 TI - REPORT OF THE GERMAN CHOLERA COMMISSION. PMID- 17801985 TI - THE PHYSIOLOGICAL STATION OF PARIS.--I. PMID- 17801986 TI - SEPTEMBER REPORTS OF STATE WEATHER-SERVICES. PMID- 17801987 TI - Climate in the cure of consumption. PMID- 17801988 TI - Teaching language to brutes. PMID- 17801989 TI - The model of Architeuthis at the Pisheries exhibition. PMID- 17801990 TI - Prize-essays on the experimental method in science. PMID- 17801991 TI - On the possible connection of the Pons-Brooks comet with a meteor-stream. PMID- 17801992 TI - A strange sassafras-leaf. PMID- 17801993 TI - THE FISH-COMMISSION BULLETIN. PMID- 17801994 TI - Museum of the Indiana university. PMID- 17801995 TI - The thickness of the ice in New England in glacial times. PMID- 17801996 TI - BRIGGS'S STEAM-HEATING. PMID- 17801997 TI - NEW-YORK AGRICULTURAL STATION. PMID- 17801998 TI - HERRICK'S TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE. PMID- 17801999 TI - Montreal: Historical Note. PMID- 17802000 TI - Overkill. PMID- 17802001 TI - Training Grants. PMID- 17802002 TI - The Pharmacist as Drug Consultant. PMID- 17802003 TI - International Competition and Cooperation. PMID- 17802004 TI - Cosmic Electromagnetic Radiation: The sky shine covers an enormous spectrum of frequencies, revealing a cosmic picture in some detail. AB - Within a few decades astronomy has extended the compass of its observations from the visible spectrum downward to radio waves and upward to the highest energies known to science. The major new accomplishments are in the radio and x-ray bands, and in the associated study of cosmic ray electrons. Synchrotron radiation is known to be a mechanism for radio signals; discrete x-ray sources have been found; the intensity and the charge ratio of galactic electrons are under study. Experimental results at energies above the x-ray region are less firm. The sun surely emits gamma rays at energies of about 1 Mev during flare activity, and instruments in deep space have probably recorded the general galactic glow of similar photons. Upper limits for fluxes have been set at 100 Mev and beyond. To some extent the physical processes which give rise to the extraterrestrial radiation are familiar to workers in the terrestrial laboratory. Synchrotron radiation is an example; the bremsstrahlung of electrons, the production of neutral pions in p-p collisions, and the annihilation of electron and nucleon pairs are others. Some proposed mechanisms are, and perhaps always will be, purely speculative in the sense that they are not directly observable in the laboratory. The inverse Compton effect, possibly one of the sources of a metagalactic sky glow of hard photons, is in this class. There is little chance that spontaneous creation of matter, even if it occurs in nature, can be observed on a terrestrial scale. And the extreme physical conditions proposed for neutron stars are beyond our ability to reproduce. Only through interpretation of astronomical data can we test the validity of these ideas. The many pictures of the universe given by the vast electromagnetic spectrum are essential to the synthesis of our concepts. PMID- 17802005 TI - Our Heritage from Galileo Galilei: Galileo's refusal to rely on authority for scientific truth is a principle we may be in danger of forgetting. PMID- 17802006 TI - Savants, Sandwiches, and Space Suits: Universities engaged in research and development must find ways to protect their intellectual "property.". PMID- 17802008 TI - NIH: Moratorium on Career Awards for Researchers Called for Blend of Budgetary and Policy Reasons. PMID- 17802007 TI - Post-Sputnik: Relations between Science, Government Now Passing into More Settled, Mature Stage. PMID- 17802009 TI - Drug Safety: Industry-Sponsored Study Commission Recommends Expansion of Research Activities. PMID- 17802010 TI - Pollen Accumulation Rates: Estimates from Late-Glacial Sediment of Rogers Lake. AB - Absolute pollen deposition in a Connecticut lake over a 4000-year interval has been estimated from pollen frequencies in a core of late-glacial sediment dated by radiocarbon techniques. The rate of total sediment accumulation as measured after burial was statistically constant at 0.036 centimeter per year, but the rate of deposition of pollen grains onto the sediment increased from 600 to 900 grains 14,000 years ago to 9000 per square centimeter per year 10,000 years ago. A major increase in the deposition of tree pollen occurred about 11,500 years ago, at the beginning of the spruce pollen zone. Presentation of data in conventional (percentage) form masks the magnitude of this change and distorts many of the changes in accumulation rates for individual types of pollen; moreover it magnifies statistical variation in the herb zone where all pollen is scarce. PMID- 17802011 TI - Pentaborate Polyanion in the Crystal Structure of Ulexite, NaCaB5O6(OH)6{middle dot}5H2O. AB - Triclinic ulexite crystals contain isolated borate polyanions [B(5)O(6)(OH)(6)](3 ) related to the well known pentaborate polyanion [B(5)O(6)(OH)(4)](-) by addition of two hydroxyl groups to two opposite B-O triangles. The isolated ulexite polyanions form the [B(5)O(7)(OH)(4)](n)(3n-) chains previously found in crystals of the related mineral probertite, NaCaB(5)O(7)(OH)(4).3H(2)O. PMID- 17802012 TI - Kope Formation (Upper Ordovician): Ohio and Kentucky. AB - Eden-like strata near Maysville, Kentucky, may be correlated with the Eden and lower Fairview formations of Cincinnati. To avoid the name Eden, which has stadial connotation, these rocks are included in the Kope formation, defined as medium-bedded limy shales (mean clastic ratio, 2.5 to 3.8) resting conformably between shaly Point Pleasant limestones (mean clastic ratio, 1.0) and unnamed shaly limestones (mean clastic ratio, 0.5). PMID- 17802013 TI - Libration of Pluto-Neptune. AB - Numerical integration of the orbits of the five outer planets over 120,000 years reveals that the distance between Pluto and Neptune at the closest approaches oscillates within a narrow range. The distance is never much less than the aphelion distance of Pluto from the orbit of Neptune. The near commensurability in the periods of Pluto and Neptune and the eccentricity of Pluto's orbit are responsible for the libratory motion. PMID- 17802014 TI - Oxygen Isotope Fractionation between Coexisting Calcite and Dolomite. AB - The oxygen isotopic composition of calcite from carbonate rocks of the lower unit of the Flagstaff formation (Paleocene) exposed along the western margin of the Wasatch Plateau, Utah, is about 7 per mil lower than that of coexisting dolomite, suggesting that isotopic equilibration of these two minerals can occur at relatively low temperatures. Unlike recent isotopic evidence presented by Degens and Epstein, the data do not preclude a primary chemical origin for the dolomite. PMID- 17802016 TI - Hydrazine-Water System: The Water-Rich Eutectic. AB - The melting point and composition of the water-rich eutectic of hydrazine and water have been determined by differential thermal analysis as 193 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees K and 27 +/-1 mole percent hydrazine, respectively. PMID- 17802015 TI - Mononuclear and Polynuclear Chemistry of Rhenium (III): Its Pronounced Homophilicity. AB - Extensive chemical, spectrophotometric, and x-ray structural studies have shown that trivalent rhenium is strongly homophilic-that is, it tends to form bonds to other Re(111) atoms-and it forms at least three different series of [ReX(4)](n)(n ) complexes. The mononuclear, square complex, [ReBr(4)](-), adds two water molecules to give trans-[ReBr(4)(H(2)O)(2)](-). The binuclear complexes [Re(2)Cl(8)](2-) and [Re(2)Br(8)](2-) have strong Re-Re bonds, unsupported by halide bridges. The trinuclear species, [Re(3)X(12)](3-) or Re(3)X(9)L(3), contain the triangular Re(3)X(9) clusters. Use of ReCI(3) appears always to lead directly to products containing Re(3)Cl(9); this unit exists in ReCl(3) itself and does not appear to be kinetically labile. The [Re(2)X(8)](2-) ions are obtained by reduction of ReO(4)(-) in aqueous HCl or HBr. Salts of [ReBr(4)(H(2)O)(2)](-) can be obtained directly from solutions of ReBr(3) in HBr along with numerous other compounds, some containing trinuclear clusters. PMID- 17802017 TI - Light Scattering by Liquids at 6937 Angstroms. AB - We report Rayleigh ratios at 6937 angstroms for nine organic liquids. The Rayleigh ratios of benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and normal octane are exactly those predicted from published data for ratios at shorter wavelengths and from the inverse fourth power of wavelength dependence of scattering. PMID- 17802018 TI - Bone Mineral. PMID- 17802019 TI - Doppler Shifts of Quasars. PMID- 17802020 TI - Quantasome as a Photosynthetic Unit. PMID- 17802021 TI - Obese Degeneration of Scientific Congresses. AB - The experimental establishment by an International Society of a coordinated group of worldwide regional conferences on an annual basis for 4 years, succeeded in the 5th year by a giant congress which is of the nature of a review and which is honestly social, is suggested as an alternative scheme to the present situation, which may be summed up as follows: the rigidity of some national societies, the haphazard expansion of regional meetings, and the cynical extravagance of huge congresses-of which the success is measured only by size, and from which both science and friendship are being squeezed out. PMID- 17802022 TI - Skin Cancer and Sunlight. PMID- 17802024 TI - DANIEL CADY EATON. PMID- 17802023 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17802025 TI - THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. PMID- 17802026 TI - ALEUT BAIDARKAS IN KAMCHATKA. PMID- 17802027 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17802029 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (XI.). PMID- 17802028 TI - THE HISTORY OF NAVIGATION IN SPAIN. PMID- 17802030 TI - THE CONGRESS OF PHYSIOLOGISTS. PMID- 17802031 TI - THE YERKES OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17802032 TI - THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802033 TI - ANTHROPOLOGY IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17802034 TI - UNION COLLEGE. PMID- 17802035 TI - AN INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF BIBLIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17802036 TI - A CARD CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. PMID- 17802037 TI - VOLCANIC DUST. PMID- 17802039 TI - COLOR TELEVISION. PMID- 17802038 TI - ISOTOPES OF OXYGEN. PMID- 17802040 TI - UNCHARTED ISLES IN THE PACIFIC. PMID- 17802041 TI - IMMUNOLOGICAL PROPHECY FROM ANCIENT HIEROGLYPHICS. PMID- 17802042 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17802044 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17802043 TI - A MECHANICAL PARALLEL TO THE CONDITIONED REFLEX. PMID- 17802045 TI - AN INTERNATIONAL LIST OF GENERA OF VASCULAR PLANTS. PMID- 17802046 TI - CHANGES IN THE RATE OF RESPIRATION OF THE FRUITS OF THE CULTIVATED BLUEBERRY DURING RIPENING. PMID- 17802047 TI - ANOTHER SYNTHETIC RESIN USEFUL IN MICROSCOPY. PMID- 17802048 TI - GREGOR MENDEL. PMID- 17802049 TI - ON THE RELATION OF POTASSIUM TO IRON IN THE COMBUSTION OF CIGAR-LEAF TOBACCO. PMID- 17802050 TI - CARBON DISULFIDE EMULSION FOR THE CONTROL OF A NEMATODE. PMID- 17802051 TI - REPORT OF THE EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING. PMID- 17802052 TI - OUR CONTRIBUTION TO CIVILIZATION AND TO SCIENCE--PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BY DR. THOMAS DWIGHT, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL. PMID- 17802053 TI - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF ANATOMICAL MATERIAL. PMID- 17802054 TI - ANATOMICAL LAW OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, ENACTED JUNE 13, 1883. PMID- 17802055 TI - SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN FOLK-LORE SOCIETY. PMID- 17802056 TI - ALASKA AS IT WAS AND IS, 1865-1895. PMID- 17802057 TI - A GIGANTIC ORTHOCERATITE FROM THE AMERICAN CARBONIFEROUS. PMID- 17802059 TI - THE HUXLEY MEMORIAL. PMID- 17802058 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17802060 TI - PHYSICS. PMID- 17802061 TI - ASTRONOMICAL. PMID- 17802062 TI - CONCILIUM BIBLIOGRAPHICUM. PMID- 17802063 TI - QUATERNIONS. PMID- 17802064 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17802065 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17802066 TI - U.s. Water resources versus an announced but uncertain climate change. PMID- 17802067 TI - High-temperature superconductivity theory. PMID- 17802068 TI - High-temperature superconductivity theory. PMID- 17802070 TI - Cool policy. PMID- 17802069 TI - Explaining the avocado illusion. PMID- 17802071 TI - High-temperature superconductivity theory. PMID- 17802073 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17802072 TI - Erratum. AB - In Albert B. Sabin's letter "Viral etiology of AIDS and the Gallo probe" (3 Aug., p. 465), reference 1 on page 466 should have read, "F. Barre-Sinoussi et al., Science 220, 868 (1983)." PMID- 17802074 TI - Guidance from above in the gulf war. PMID- 17802076 TI - Europeans push computer plan. PMID- 17802075 TI - After the war: who will get accurate navstar data? PMID- 17802077 TI - Heart attacks more severe for women. PMID- 17802078 TI - Practicing what you preach at budget time. PMID- 17802079 TI - British brains continuing to drain. PMID- 17802080 TI - Indoor radon: a little less to worry about. PMID- 17802081 TI - Gene therapy: a new first? PMID- 17802082 TI - School science surveyed. PMID- 17802083 TI - How to regulate environmental releases. PMID- 17802084 TI - Surprise! U.s. Sometimes beats Japan in understanding science. PMID- 17802085 TI - Magellan paints a portrait of venus. PMID- 17802086 TI - Music of the spheres. PMID- 17802087 TI - Physics in strong magnetic fields near neutron stars. AB - Electromagnetic phenomena occurring in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars are currently of great interest in high-energy astrophysics. Observations of rotation rate changes and cyclotron lines in pulsars and gamma-ray bursts indicate that surface magnetic fields of neutron stars often exceed 10(12) gauss. In fields this strong, where electrons behave much as if they were in bound atomic states, familiar processes undergo profound changes, and exotic processes become important. Strong magnetic fields affect the physics in several fundamental ways: Energies perpendicular to the field are quantized, transverse momentum is not conserved, and electron-positron spin is important. Neutron stars therefore provide a unique laboratory for the study of physics in extremely high fields that cannot be generated on Earth. PMID- 17802088 TI - Reduction of deepwater formation in the greenland sea during the 1980s: evidence from tracer data. AB - Hydrographic observations and measurements of the concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have suggested that the formation of Greenland Sea Deep Water (GSDW) slowed down considerably during the 1980s. Such a decrease is related to weakened convection in the Greenland Sea and thus could have significant impact on the properties of the waters flowing over the Scotland Iceland-Greenland ridge system into the deep Atlantic. Study of the variability of GSDW formation is relevant for understanding the impact of the circulation in the European Polar seas on regional and global deep water characteristics. New long-term multitracer observations from the Greenland Sea show that GSDW formation indeed was greatly reduced during the 1980s. A box model of deepwater formation and exchange in the European Polar seas tuned by the tracer data indicates that the reduction rate of GSDW formation was about 80 percent and that the start date of the reduction was between 1978 and 1982. PMID- 17802089 TI - Evidence for a phytotoxic hydroxy-aluminum polymer in organic soil horizons. AB - The toxicity of A1 that has been mobilized in soil, streams, and lakes through acid deposition primarily has been attributed to mononuclear A1 species. Polynuclear A1 species are more toxic than mononuclear species, but they have not been considered to be significant in the environment. Aluminum-27 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of forested spodosol soil horizon samples show the presence of polynuclear A1O(4)A1(12)(OH)(24)(H(2)O)(12)(7+). The AlO(4)A1(12)(OH)(24)(H(2)O)(12)(7+) species accounted for 30 percent of the aqueous A1 observable by NMR, and this could make a significant contribution to the toxicity of the A1 in these soils. PMID- 17802090 TI - The greenhouse effect in central north america: if not now, when? AB - Climate models with enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations have projected temperature increases of 2 degrees to 4 degrees C, winter precipitation increases of up to 15 percent, and summer precipitation decreases of 5 to 10 percent in the central United States by the year 2030. An analysis of the climate record over the past 95 years for this region was undertaken in order to evaluate these projections. Results indicate that temperature has increased and precipitation decreased both during winter and summer, and that the ratio of winter-to-summer precipitation has decreased. The signs of some trends are consistent with the projections whereas others are not, but none of the changes is statistically significant except for maximum and minimum temperatures, which were not among the parameters predicted by the models. Statistical models indicate that the greenhouse winter and summer precipitation signal could have been masked by natural climate variability, whereas the increase in the ratio of winter-to summer precipitation and the higher rates of temperature change probably should have already been detected. If the models are correct it will likely take at least another 40 years before statistically significant precipitation changes are detected and another decade or two to detect the projected changes of temperature. PMID- 17802091 TI - Evidence of strong earthquake shaking in the lower wabash valley from prehistoric liquefaction features. AB - Earthquake-induced liquefaction features in Holocene sediments provide evidence of strong prehistoric shaking, magnitude m(b) 6.2 to 6.7, in the Wabash Valley bordering Indiana and Illinois. The source of the one or more earthquakes responsible was almost certainly in or near the Wabash Valley. The largest event is interpreted to have occurred between 7500 and 1500 years ago on the basis of archeological, pedological, and stratigraphic relations. PMID- 17802092 TI - New fossil evidence on the sister-group of mammals and early mesozoic faunal distributions. AB - Newly discovered remains of highly advanced mammal-like reptiles (Cynodontia: Tritheledontidae) from the Early Jurassic of Nova Scotia, Canada, have revealed that aspects of the characteristic mammalian occlusal pattern are primitive. Mammals and tritheledontids share an homologous pattern of occlusion that is not seen in other cynodonts. The new tritheledontids represent the first definite record of this family from North America. The extreme similarity of North American and African tritheledontids supports the hypothesis that the global distribution of terrestrial tetrapods was homogeneous in the Early Jurassic. This Early Jurassic cosmopolitanism represents the continuation of a trend toward increased global homogeneity among terrestrial tetrapod communities that began in the late Paleozoic. PMID- 17802093 TI - Salicornia bigelovii Torr.: An Oilseed Halophyte for Seawater Irrigation. AB - The terrestrial halophyte, Salicornia bigelovii Torr., was evaluated as an oilseed crop for direct seawater irrigation during 6 years of field trials in an extreme coastal desert environment. Yields of seed and biomass equated or exceeded freshwater oilseed crops such as soybean and sunflower. The seed contained 26 to 33 percent oil, 31 percent protein, and was low in fiber and ash (5 to 7 percent). The oil and meal were extracted by normal milling equipment, and the oil was high in linoleic acid (73 to 75 percent) and could replace soybean oil in chicken diets. The meal had antigrowth factors, attributed to saponins, but could replace soybean meal in chicken diets amended with the saponin antagonist, cholesterol. Salicornia bigelovii appears to be a potentially valuable new oilseed crop for subtropical coastal deserts. PMID- 17802094 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17802095 TI - Risk abatement. PMID- 17802096 TI - Embryogenesis. PMID- 17802097 TI - Quest for a particle. PMID- 17802099 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17802098 TI - Archeology in context. PMID- 17802100 TI - THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OBSERVATIONAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17802101 TI - SAMUEL HUBBARD SCUDDER. PMID- 17802102 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17802104 TI - M. COSSMANN ON THE PHYLOGENY OF CERITHIUM. PMID- 17802103 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17802106 TI - THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE. PMID- 17802105 TI - A NEW RACK FOR INDIVIDUAL TOWELS. PMID- 17802107 TI - SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. PMID- 17802108 TI - THE ORIGIN OF THE GREAT PLAINS. PMID- 17802109 TI - SECTION F, ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17802110 TI - THE GLASGOW MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17802111 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SECTION OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION, II. PMID- 17802112 TI - PROFESSOR PAWLOW'S RESEARCHES ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF SECRETION. PMID- 17802113 TI - A FINAL WORD ON DISCORD. PMID- 17802115 TI - THE BICENTENNIAL OF YALE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17802114 TI - DIFFERENTIATION OF SUBJECTS AND TITLES IN COLLEGES. PMID- 17802116 TI - THE CARNEGIE TECHNICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17802117 TI - RESOLUTIONS ON THE RESIGNATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17802118 TI - THE NEW YORK PATHOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. PMID- 17802120 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17802119 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802121 TI - Isotopes in Earth science. PMID- 17802122 TI - NSF Names First 11 Science Centers. PMID- 17802123 TI - A tiff over titles at stanford. PMID- 17802124 TI - Stealth bomber: evading flak over cost, mission. PMID- 17802125 TI - Europeans decide on a trip to saturn. PMID- 17802126 TI - Superconductor rumor. PMID- 17802128 TI - The killer impact is getting tamed. PMID- 17802127 TI - Galeev to head space research institute. PMID- 17802129 TI - The first killer crater looks like a wimp. PMID- 17802130 TI - How catastrophic were the k-T extinctions? PMID- 17802131 TI - If there was one killer impact, were there more? PMID- 17802132 TI - AMPTE Outfoxed by Magnetosphere. PMID- 17802133 TI - The further evolution of cooperation. AB - Axelrod's model of the evolution of cooperation was based on the iterated Prisoner's Dilemma. Empirical work following this approach has helped establish the prevalence of cooperation based on reciprocity. Theoretical work has led to a deeper understanding of the role of other factors in the evolution of cooperation: the number of players, the range of possible choices, variation in the payoff structure, noise, the shadow of the future, population dynamics, and population structure. PMID- 17802134 TI - Experimental constraints on theories of high-transition temperature superconductors. AB - Recent experiments have revealed several key features of the unique nature of the new, high-transition temperature cuprate superconductors. These results provide an easily understandable, physical picture of the structure and behavior of the charge carriers in these materials, and point to the mechanism responsible for their existence. These experiments are now placing strong constraints on possible theoretical models of the phenomenon. PMID- 17802135 TI - Evidence for low temperatures and biologic diversity in cretaceous high latitudes of australia. AB - A diverse terrestial biota inhabited polar latitudes during the Cretacous, 105 to 130 Ma (million years ago), along what is now the southeast coast of Australia This biota, from rocks in the Otway and Strzelecki groups, cnsisted of more than 150 taxa of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Oxygen isotope ratios in diagenetic calcite suggest that mean annual temperatures were most likely less than 5 degrees C, and rings present in the fossil araucarian-podocarp-ginko woods indicate saonality. Southeastern Austalia, thus, seems to have had a cool, seasonal, nontropical climate. Dinosaurs that have been recovered are up to five species and three genera of hypsilophodontids, all of which were endemic, and three species of theropods. The occurrence of Allosaurus sp. and labyrinthodont amphibians, which had become extinct elsewhere in the Jurassic, indicate that isolation may have allowed extended surival of these taxa in Australia. In that dinosaurs coped with high latitude for at least 65 million years [Valaginian to Albian time in Australia and Campanian to Maastrictian time (80 to 65 Ma) in Alaska] suggests that cold and darkness may not have been prime factors bringing about the extinction of dinosaurs and some other groups at the Cretaceous Tertiary boundary, unless they were prolonged. PMID- 17802136 TI - X-ray Scattering Studies of Aligned, Stacked Surfactant Membranes. AB - X-ray scattering studies were performed to understand the structure and correlations in the lamellar phases of thick, freely suspeded films of (i) the hydrated phospholipid dimyristoylphosphotidylcholine (DMPC) and (ii) the ternar system consisting of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cosurfactant (pentanol), and water. The films were drawn in a temperature- and humidity controlled environment, where the layers were oriented to within 0.1 degrees . In the DMPC system, this made it possible to directly observe the orientation of the P(beta') modulation and to identify phase L(beta') as three distinct phases distinguished by the direction of chain tilt with respect to the lattice. In the L(alpha) phase of the ternary system, power law behavior of the (0,0,L) structure factor arising from the algebraic decay of layer correlatios was observed in single crystals. PMID- 17802137 TI - Proceedings of the Second International Confererence on QUantitative Genetics. (Raleigh, NC, May-June 1987.) Bruce S. Weir, Eugene J. Eisen, Major M. Goodman, and Gene Namkoong, Eds. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, 1988. xii, 724 pp., illus. $60; paper, $38.50. PMID- 17802138 TI - Complex Interactions in Lake Communities. Stephen R. Carpenter, Ed. Springer Verlag, New York, 1988. xviii, 283 pp., illus. $64. From a workshop, Notre Dame, IN, March 1987. PMID- 17802141 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17802142 TI - THE PREVALENCE OF CANCER. PMID- 17802143 TI - IMMUNITY TO MEASLES. PMID- 17802144 TI - COLD LIGHT. PMID- 17802145 TI - ADVERTISING TO AID PARKS AND RECREATION. PMID- 17802146 TI - THE CONSERVATION OF GRASS. PMID- 17802147 TI - THE ANTI-EVOLUTION STATUTE OF TENNESSEE. PMID- 17802148 TI - RESEARCH AS A METHOD OF EDUCATION. PMID- 17802149 TI - THE BERMUDA BIOLOGICAL STATION FOR RESEARCH, INC. PMID- 17802150 TI - A COUNTERFEIT COLLECTION OF MEXICAN PLANTS FALSELY ATTRIBUTED TO BROTHER G. ARSENE. PMID- 17802152 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17802151 TI - "THE QUANTITATIVE THEORY OF SEX". PMID- 17802153 TI - SOME NOTES ON THE "ELDEN PUEBLO". PMID- 17802155 TI - PRESBYOPIC VISION AS AN INDEX OF LONGEVITY. PMID- 17802154 TI - SIMPLIFIED SPELLING. PMID- 17802156 TI - A MICRO METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE RELATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF GLUTATHIONE IN INSECTS. PMID- 17802157 TI - THE OILFISH, RUVETTUS PRETIOSUS, AT BERMUDA. PMID- 17802158 TI - THE NORTHWEST SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17802159 TI - Creativity in the Sciences. PMID- 17802160 TI - Can the Direction of Flow of Time Be Determined?: No method has been found, but properties of strange particles offer a new chance to explore the question. PMID- 17802161 TI - Scientists on Survival: Second Annual Meeting Quiet, Fruitful in Contrast to Earlier Affair. PMID- 17802162 TI - Population Planning: Missions Told That U.S. Is Now Receptive To Requests for Some Assistance. PMID- 17802163 TI - Education: Wiesner Asks Action on Pre-College Science Teaching, Offers Fairly Modest Proposals. PMID- 17802164 TI - Cox Resignation from AIBS Post Announced by Governing Board. PMID- 17802165 TI - Bill Providing Science Advisory Staffs for House and Senate May Be a Step in a New Direction. PMID- 17802166 TI - Krebiozen: A Dozen Years after Introduction, Controversy over Cancer Treatment Still Flares. PMID- 17802167 TI - Redundancy in Children's Texts. AB - The sequential constraints of pairs of letters were computed for a series of graded readers. Information in single letters is about the same for all texts. Redundancy decreases with increasing grade in a regular way, while mean word length increases. A third reader has about the same redundancy as simple adult text. The constraints in a first reader are considerable, whereas those in a fifth reader approach those in average adult text. PMID- 17802168 TI - Fields for Edge-Punched Filing Cards. AB - New fields have been devised, for a double-row edge-punched card, which require only three edge holes per field in place of the customary four. The new fields record every digit and no digit appears more than once. Any letter of the alphabet can be readily punched into a single field. Sorting of the new fields (compared to sorting of existing fields) requires fewer needle passes for both alphabetical and numerical searching, if a single search is made; this does not apply in arranging the cards in sequence. PMID- 17802169 TI - Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Pleistocene Sediments from the Indian Ocean. AB - Two deep-sea cores containing Cretaceous, Paleocene, and Pleistocene sediments from an oceanic rise approximately 500 miles southeast of Cape Town contained well-preserved fossil foraminiferal ooze made up of about 97 percent planktonic forms, including species of Guembelina and Hedbergella. High percentages of particles less than 53 micro in diameter in the Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments indicate a deep-water open-ocean depositional environment. These sediments are the oldest recovered so far from the Indian Ocean. PMID- 17802171 TI - Groundwater: Flow Toward an Effluent Stream. AB - Hydrodynamic, topographic, and geologic factors control flow of groundwater toward an effluent stream. Features of such flow are illustrated by a hydraulic model that simulates the stream and surrounding consolidated rocks. Colored ink in the flow system marks progress toward the stream. Visual analysis shows that groundwater moves into the effluent stream along curvilineal flow lines. The total head of groundwater beneath the stream increases with depth. PMID- 17802170 TI - Ozone Damage: Protection for Plants. AB - Tobacco plant leaves treated with dried particulate charcoal, diatomaceous earth, and powdered ferric oxide so that a covering formed on the leaves were relatively undamaged by comparison with untreated controls when exposed to as much as 0.9 part of ozone per million in the atmosphere. A theory is offered to explain the results. PMID- 17802172 TI - Malate Dehydrogenases in the Rusted Bean Leaf. AB - Rust growth in the bean leaf was accompanied by the appearance of one new malate dehydrogenase isozyme and continuation of one otherwise lost during the development of the healthy leaf. The new isozyme was contributed by the fungus, the other by the leaf. Both enzymes were cytoplasmic proteins. Rusting caused the loss of a mitochondrial isozyme. PMID- 17802173 TI - Basalts Dredged from the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. AB - Volcanic rocks dredged from seamounts, fault ridges, and other major geological features of the northeast Pacific Ocean include a wide variety of basalts. Most of these are vesicular, porphyritic types with near analogues in the Hawaiian and other oceanic islands. In addition, aluminous basalts and diabasic theoleiites impoverished in potassium also occur. There is no simple correlation of composition, degree of oxidation, vesiculation, or hydration of these basalts with texture, or depth of dredge site. Most samples appear to have been extruded at much shallower depths than those now pertaining at the dredge site. The distribution of these basalts suggests that the andesite line coincides with or lies on the continent side of the foot of the continental slope. PMID- 17802174 TI - Lactate Dehydrogenase Isozymes: Dissociation and Recombination of Subunits. AB - Lactate dehydrogenase from beef tissues may be resolved electrophoretically into five isozymes each of which is a tetramer. These tetramers can be dissociated into monomers by freezing in 1M sodium chloride. On thawing, reassociation into functional tetramers occurs. On the basis of charge and amino acid composition there are two kinds of monomers. Lactate dehydrogenase-1 contains one kind of monomer and lactate dehydrogenase-5 the other kind. A mixture of equal quantities of these two isozymes, after dissociation and reassociation, leads to the production of all five isozymes in the expected proportions of 1:4:6:4:1. PMID- 17802175 TI - Phase Transformation at High Temperatures in Hafnia and Zirconia. AB - Phase transformation curves for HfO(2) and ZrO(2) have been made. Transformation hysteresis is discussed. The transformation of monoclinic to tetragonal as temperature increases occurs over the range 1000 degrees to 1200 degrees C in ZrO(2), and 1500 degrees to 1600 degrees C in HfO(2). With decreasing temperature the transition back to monoclinic occurs from 970 degrees to 750 degrees C in ZrO(2) and 1550 degrees to 1450 degrees C in HfO(2). These transformations have been visually observed in ZrO(2), but not in HfO(2). PMID- 17802176 TI - Radiogeology and Population Exposure to Background Radiation in Northern New England. PMID- 17802177 TI - Microdetermination of Calcium by Aequorin Luminescence. AB - A bioluminescent protein, aequorin, isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea in dilute disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate solution, emits light on addition specifically of Ca(++) or Sr(++), thus providing the basis for a simple, quantitative micromethod for the determination of these cations, especially in biological fluids. PMID- 17802178 TI - Space Program and Earth-Based Astronomy. PMID- 17802179 TI - Need for Scientist-Administrators. PMID- 17802180 TI - NASA and Cancer Research. PMID- 17802182 TI - AAUP and Report on Race. PMID- 17802181 TI - Humanities Foundation. PMID- 17802183 TI - Man in the Sea. PMID- 17802185 TI - The Shell Model. PMID- 17802184 TI - Events, Laws of Nature, and Invariance Principles. PMID- 17802186 TI - How To Remain in the Laboratory Though Head of a Department: There are many tricks which help a department head to do his job and still have time for his laboratory. PMID- 17802187 TI - Tobacco: After Publicity Surge, Surgeon General's Report Seems To Have Little Enduring Effect. PMID- 17802188 TI - Water Resources: Congress Votes Research Centers for States; River Basin Planning Bill Advances. PMID- 17802189 TI - ACHEMA, World's Largest Chemical Engineering Congress, Shows Scientific Instruments of 23 Nations. PMID- 17802190 TI - Submarine Geology by Diving Saucer: Bottom currents and precipitous submarine canyon walls continue to a depth of at least 300 meters. PMID- 17802192 TI - Plutonium Dioxide: Preparation of Single Crystals. AB - Well-formed single crystals of plutonium dioxide were precipitated from a silicate glass and examined as an inclusion in a glass fiber drawn from the parent material. Excellent atomic scattering factors for Pu(+4) may be obtained with these specimens. PMID- 17802191 TI - Ranger Moon Pictures: Implications. PMID- 17802193 TI - Electron Microscopy of Meteoritic and Artificially Shocked Graphite. AB - Samples of graphite, partly converted to diamond by shock, and meteoritic graphite were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The shocked graphite remained in the form of single crystals and was mildly deformed while the diamond which had formed was anhedral and polycrystalline. The meteoritic graphite contained minor amounts of troilite (FeS) and elemental sulfur but no detectable carbon phase other than graphite. PMID- 17802194 TI - Solar Activity During the First Six Months of the International Years of the Quiet Sun. PMID- 17802195 TI - Atherosclerosis. PMID- 17802197 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17802196 TI - Strata Control and Rock Mechanics. PMID- 17802198 TI - Surface Contamination. PMID- 17802199 TI - Letters. PMID- 17802200 TI - Letters. PMID- 17802202 TI - Problem-oriented research. PMID- 17802201 TI - Male Bias and Women's Fate. PMID- 17802203 TI - Amen. PMID- 17802204 TI - Letters. PMID- 17802205 TI - Letters. PMID- 17802206 TI - Changing Attitudes toward Environmental Problems. PMID- 17802207 TI - Crystallography of the hexagonal ferrites. AB - The hexagonal ferrites form an unusual group of complex, ferrimagnetic oxides embodying some 60 known crystal structures. These include phases for which the structural unit cell is larger than that in any known inorganic materials. The various hexagonal ferrite modifications fall into two distinct structural series, each formed by the ordered interlayering (stacking) of two discrete building blocks; these blocks stack along the c crystallographic axis in varying ratios and varying permutations to form strictly coherent, reproducible crystal structures. This mixed-layering aspect of the hexagonal ferrites permits direct, visual observation of the sequence of their subunit-cell stacking elements, after etching, by means of electron microscopy. The sequence of stacked blocks in such structures constitutes the only information lacking for a complete, three dimensional structure determination. Direct access to this information provides an immediate, unique solution of the crystal structure problem in each case and thereby avoids the dilemmas of a classical diffraction approach to such large unit cells. Ferrite structures with hexagonal c dimensions of 1455 and 1577 angstroms have been uniquely solved by direct electron microscopic readout of surface etch features. One must exercise caution, however, in generalizing these findings to other materials. The method is successful in the case of the hexagonal ferrites because these are mixed-layer structures, wherein the building blocks react at different rates to a specific etchant. Mixed-layer systems are not uncommon in crystallography, and it is likely that similar techniques can be developed for other such materials. Regardless of the validity of this prognosis, however, it is quite evident that high-resolution replica electron microscopy is a most promising tool for the direct observation of surface structure on an ultramicro scale. During the studies reported here replica resolution capability was improved to about 10 angstroms; final resolution is limited by the particle size of the platinum shadowing material. Careful control of experimental conditions during replica preparation or an alternate choice of shadowing material, or both, might reasonably improve the resolution by a factor of 2. This resolution is within the range of most unit cell dimensions and approaches interatomic distances in solid-state materials. The potential of such an experimental capability needs no elaboration. PMID- 17802208 TI - The control of photosynthetic carbon metabolism. PMID- 17802209 TI - Social control of science and technology. PMID- 17802210 TI - National academy of sciences: awkward moments at the meeting. PMID- 17802211 TI - AAAS (II): What It Is and What It Tries to Do. PMID- 17802212 TI - Hippocrates' physic. PMID- 17802213 TI - To cure cancer. PMID- 17802214 TI - Weather modification: a technology coming of age. PMID- 17802215 TI - Glazed lunar rocks: origin by impact. AB - The glassy coating of lunar rock 12017 is enriched in 15 trace elements relative to the crystalline interior. It apparently consists chiefly of shock-melted rock, somewhat richer in rare earth elements and alkali metals than rock 12017 itself. The glass has been contaminated by about 0.5 percent carbonaceous-chondrite-like material or, alternatively, by a mixture of 0.06 to 0.3 percent fractionated meteoritic material and approximately 10 to 15 percent local soil. The glazing seems to represent molten material splashed from a nearby meteorite impact and not in situ melting by a sudden increase in solar luminosity. PMID- 17802216 TI - Acadian orogeny: an abrupt and brief event. AB - Rubidium-strontium dating indicates the Barre-type granites in eastern Vermont were emplaced at least 380 x 10(6) years ago. This result suggests the Acadian orogeny was more abrupt than previously suspected, and is consistent with the hypothesis that the orogeny involves a collision between two sialic plates. PMID- 17802217 TI - Land clearance in the irish neolithic: new evidence and interpretation. AB - Time scales are derived, from radiocarbon dating of pollen diagrams, for Neolithic land clearance at three Irish sites. Three stages are distinguished beginning in the 4th millennium B.C.: stage A, clearance and farming (possibly arable), 100 to 400 years; stage B, farming (possibly pastoral), 150 to 200 years; and stage C, forest regeneration, 50 to 100 years. PMID- 17802218 TI - Preparation of high-crystallinity polyethylene at low pressures. AB - The preparation of highly crystalline polyethylene at low pressures is reported. With careful control of the substrate, the melting and crystallization schedule, and the physical state of the specimen (film thickness), it is possible to prepare polyethylene having a density in excess of 0.999 gram per cubic centimeter, a melting temperature of approximately 140 degrees C, and a heat of fusion in excess of 70 calories per gram. The approach appears to be general and should be applicable to a wide variety of polymers. PMID- 17802219 TI - Multiple Genotypes in Individuals of Claytonia virginica. AB - Supernumerary chromosomes are common among plants of Claytonia virginica found in a weedy population near the southwestern edge of its distribution. Roots, stems, and microsporocytes vary in chromosome number within the same plant in 68 percent of the population studied. PMID- 17802220 TI - Unique type of angiosperm pollen from the family annonaceae. AB - The primitive antgiosperm family Annonaceae possesses a remarkable type of pollen that appears unique in its size (diameter up to 350 micrometers), lack of exine over nearly 50 percent of the grain surface at maturity, and proximalipolar aperture. This unique pollent is further distinguished by being in polyads which are compartmentalized individually within septate stamens. PMID- 17802221 TI - Quadratic elongation: a quantitative measure of distortion in coordination polyhedra. AB - Quadratic elongation and the variance of bond angles are linearly correlated for distorted octahedral and tetrachedral corrdination complexes, both of which show variations in bond length and bond angle. The quadratic elongation is dimensionless, giving a quantitative measure of polyhedral disortion which is independent of the effective size of the polyhedron. PMID- 17802222 TI - Mycorrhizal enhancement of water transport in soybean. AB - Mycorrhizae produced by Endogone mosseae decrease the resistance to water transport in soybean (Glycine max L.). The decrease was associated with an increase in the growth of shoots but not of roots. PMID- 17802223 TI - Butterfly-Plant Coevolution: Has Passiflora adenopoda Won the Selectional Race with Heliconiine Butterflies? AB - Hooklike trichomes of Passiflora adenopoda provide a specific, effectively absolute defense against heliconiine butterfly larvae, a major class of Passiflora herbivores. It is suggested that since mechanical defenses are usually more selective in their action against herbivores, they usually are evolved by a plant only after it has accumulated a series of chemical defenses. PMID- 17802225 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17802224 TI - Engineering foundation conferences. PMID- 17802226 TI - The confusion profusion. PMID- 17802227 TI - Erratum. AB - Table 3 of the report "Seroprevalence and epidemiological correlates of HTLV-I infection in U.S. blood donors" by Alan E. Williams et al. (29 Apr. 1988, p. 643) contained errors. The correct table is printed below. [See Table 3 in Source Pdf.]. PMID- 17802228 TI - HDTV: The Technology du Jour: Proposals are flying around Washington to boost development of a high-definition TV capability in the United States. Can a depleted industry take on the Japanese? PMID- 17802229 TI - Without Standards, U.S. HDTV Lacks Definition. PMID- 17802231 TI - Do Mathematicians Still Do Math?: Yes, but increasingly they are turning to computers to help them with some of their trickier proofs. PMID- 17802230 TI - A fast track for high-risk science. PMID- 17802232 TI - The Sorcerer's Apprentice. PMID- 17802233 TI - SLAC Feels the Thrill of the Chase: With Z particles now in regular production, Stanford's troubled "Z factory" finally seems to be on the right track. PMID- 17802234 TI - Can You Help the Mets by Watching on TV?: Physicist-philosopher-baseball fan David Mermin uses the Baseball Principle to make a point about the nature of reality. PMID- 17802235 TI - Cold fusion: bait and switch? PMID- 17802236 TI - Air Pollution and Forest Decline in a Spruce (Picea abies) Forest. AB - Symptoms of forest decline of spruce in Europe range from needle yellowing and loss to tree and stand mortality. In a study area in northeast Bavaria, West Germany, where forest decline was initially detected, exposure to high concentrations of gaseous pollutants, SO(2,) NO(x,) and ozone has had no long lasting direct effect on needles, and pathogens have only been secondary agents. Deposition of sulfur, nitrate, and ammonium, however, have significantly modified plant nutrition and soil chemistry. Spruce roots apparently take up ammonium rather than nitrate with an antagonistic effect on uptake of Mg. Nitrate left in the soil solution is leached together with sulfate to ground water, accelerating soil acidification and decreasing Ca/Al and Mg/Al ratios in the soil solution. Soil solution chemistry affects root development, and water and nutrient uptake. Had all nutrients become equally deficient, spruce trees probably could have adjusted by retarding their growth. However, canopy uptake of atmospheric nitrogen in addition to root uptake stimulated growth and caused a nitrogen to cation imbalance to develop; this imbalance resulted in the decline symptoms. PMID- 17802237 TI - Identification of a neuropeptide hormone that regulates sex pheromone production in female moths. AB - A pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) hormone that controls sex pheromone production in female moths was identified from the brain-subesophageal ganglion complexes of the adult corn earworm, Heliothis zea. PBAN has 33 amino acid residues and a molecular weight of 3900. Its amino acid sequence has no significant homology with any of the fully characterized peptide hormones. The synthetic peptide, at a dose of between 2 and 4 picomoles, induced production of a normal quantity of sex pheromone in ligated H. zea females. The peptide also induced pheromone production in six other species of moths, thus indicating that this or similar peptides may be responsible for the regulation of pheromone production in moths. PMID- 17802238 TI - Global sea level rise and the greenhouse effect: might they be connected? AB - Secular sea level trends extracted from tide gauge records of appropriately long duration demonstrate that global sea level may be rising at a rate in excess of 1 millimeter per year. However, because global coverage of the oceans by the tide gauge network is highly nonuniform and the tide gauge data reveal considerable spatial variability, there has been a well-founded reluctance to interpret the observed secular sea level rise as representing a signal of global scale that might be related to the greenhouse effect. When the tide gauge data are filtered so as to remove the contribution of ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment to the local sea level trend at each location, then the individual tide gauge records reveal sharply reduced geographic scatter and suggest that there is a globally coherent signal of strength 2.4 +/- 0.90 millimeters per year that is active in the system. This signal could constitute an indication of global climate warming. PMID- 17802239 TI - The myeloperoxidase gene in acute promyelocytic leukemia. PMID- 17802240 TI - Response: the myeloperoxidase gene in acute promyelocytic leukemia. PMID- 17802241 TI - Response: relation of the amyloid i8 protein precursor to heparan sulfate proteoglycans. PMID- 17802242 TI - The taming of invention: american genesis. PMID- 17802243 TI - Modes and agendas of patronage: the politics of philanthropy. PMID- 17802244 TI - A force advancing nationhood: inventing Canada. PMID- 17802245 TI - An environmentalist lineage: the rights of nature. PMID- 17802246 TI - Ethical dissent in a new mode: the whistleblowers. PMID- 17802247 TI - Getting by in a bureaucracy: moral mazes. PMID- 17802248 TI - Trends in the job arena: employment futures. PMID- 17802250 TI - Tools of persuasion: the conseguences of economic rhetoric. PMID- 17802249 TI - Pay eguity: an effort at implementation: wage justice. PMID- 17802251 TI - An industrial research program: science and corporate strategy. PMID- 17802252 TI - Ventures in metallurgy: from monopoly to competition. PMID- 17802253 TI - Science brought to mothering: mothers and medicine. PMID- 17802254 TI - The nestle affair: infant feeding. PMID- 17802255 TI - Adoption Studies Continued: Nature and Nurture during Infancy and Early Childhood. PMID- 17802256 TI - Igor Kurchatov: Vospominaniia ob Igore Vasil'eviche Kurchatove. PMID- 17802257 TI - Struggles and accomplishments in India: journey into light. PMID- 17802259 TI - A nearby star: astrophysics of the sun. PMID- 17802258 TI - The Solar System: Records from t ge 0: Meteorites and the Early Solar System. PMID- 17802260 TI - High-tech astronomy: observational astrophysics. PMID- 17802261 TI - A life in biochemistry: for the love of enzymes. PMID- 17802262 TI - Organelles observed: lysosomes. PMID- 17802263 TI - Conservation Needs Close to Home: Conservation Biology in Hawai'i. PMID- 17802264 TI - A cladisticization: phylogenetic relationships of the lizard families. PMID- 17802265 TI - Fossils demystified: the conodonta. PMID- 17802266 TI - A Broader Biophysics: Life's Devices. PMID- 17802268 TI - Ape Affinities: Orang-utan Biology. PMID- 17802267 TI - Misdeeds in anthropology: bones, bodies, behavior. PMID- 17802269 TI - A missing link: eugene dubois and the ape-man from java. PMID- 17802270 TI - Cercopithecus and company: a primate radiation. PMID- 17802271 TI - The archeology of capitalism: the recovery of meaning. PMID- 17802272 TI - Dwellings and power: household and community in the mesoamerican past. PMID- 17802274 TI - Northern connections: crossroads of continents. PMID- 17802273 TI - A pair of mayanists: a dream of maya. PMID- 17802275 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17802276 TI - EDUCATION IN GEOLOGY-HOW ADVANCE IT? PMID- 17802277 TI - THE EDITING OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17802278 TI - THE ELECTION OF DR. CHARLES FRANKLIN KETTERING AS PRESIDENT. PMID- 17802279 TI - OFFICERS FOR 1945. PMID- 17802280 TI - LYSTER HOXIE DEWEY. PMID- 17802281 TI - THE INSTITUTE OF NUTRITION OF THE MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE. PMID- 17802282 TI - THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF WORLD WAR II. PMID- 17802283 TI - COLE PRIZE OF THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802284 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802285 TI - PSYCHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES AS AMONG RACES. PMID- 17802287 TI - THE DISCOVERY OF COELOPLANA ON AMERICAN SHORES. PMID- 17802286 TI - IMPROBABILITY AND IMPOSSIBILITY. PMID- 17802288 TI - THE DEGRADATION OF CYSTINE PEPTIDES BY TISSUES. PMID- 17802290 TI - LYOPHILIZATION APPARATUS. PMID- 17802289 TI - THE DIFFUSION CONSTANT OF PENICILLIN. PMID- 17802291 TI - OBSTACLES TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS. PMID- 17802292 TI - HUNTER OR HUSBANDMAN. PMID- 17802293 TI - THE ROLE OF BOYLE'S LAW IN CLINICAL SPHYGMOMANOMETRY. A REPLY TO A. M. BLEILE. PMID- 17802294 TI - A RELIEF MAP OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17802296 TI - A PLANT MEMBRANE FOR DEMONSTRATING OSMOSIS. PMID- 17802295 TI - THE UNIT OF PRESSURE. PMID- 17802297 TI - SECTION D--ENGINEERING. PMID- 17802298 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF PARASITISM ON THE HOST. PMID- 17802299 TI - NORTON'S ELEMENTS OF GEOLOGY. PMID- 17802300 TI - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GRASPING ANTENNAe OF HARPACTICOID COPEPODS. PMID- 17802301 TI - BLOWING SPRINGS AND WELLS OF GEORGIA, WITH AN EXPLANATION OF THE PHENOMENA. PMID- 17802302 TI - GLACIATION OF THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS, WYOMING. PMID- 17802303 TI - GLACIAL EROSION IN THE HIMALAYAS. PMID- 17802304 TI - UPLIFTED PENEPLAINS IN THE HIMALAYAS. PMID- 17802305 TI - POSTGLACIAL AGGRADATION OF HIMALAYAN VALLEYS. PMID- 17802307 TI - THE COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED. PMID- 17802306 TI - A MATHEMATICAL EXHIBIT OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS. PMID- 17802308 TI - THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATIVE STUDIES OF THE BIOLOGY OF MAN. PMID- 17802309 TI - GEOSYNCLINES IN CONTINENTAL DEVELOPMENT. PMID- 17802310 TI - JESSE G. M. BULLOWA. PMID- 17802311 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17802312 TI - THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE. PMID- 17802313 TI - THE INSTRUMENT SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. PMID- 17802315 TI - NOTE ON STABILITY OF INCIDENCE OF THE "COMMON COLD". PMID- 17802314 TI - THE WARRINGTON YORKE MEMORIAL FUND. PMID- 17802316 TI - RESUSCITATION APPARATUS. PMID- 17802317 TI - RESUSCITATION APPARATUS. PMID- 17802318 TI - GENERAL BIOLOGY. PMID- 17802319 TI - A NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE HARVARD APPARATUS COMPANY, INC. PMID- 17802320 TI - PRESENT TEACHING ACTIVITIES OF THE SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE INSULAR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. PMID- 17802321 TI - AN EXPERIMENTAL METHOD FOR EVALUATING BLOOD SUBSTITUTES: REPORT ON SALINE, PLASMA, POLYVINYL ALCOHOL AND ISINGLASS. PMID- 17802322 TI - THE DESTRUCTION OF COENZYME I AND COCARBOXYLASE IN SKELETAL AND CARDIAC MUSCLE AFTER DEATH. PMID- 17802324 TI - THE CHEMICAL CONTROL OF BERMUDA GRASS AND OF CROWFOOT GRASS. PMID- 17802323 TI - ASSOCIATIVE DYNAMIC EFFECTS OF PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATE AND FAT. PMID- 17802325 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17802327 TI - A DINNER DEMONSTRATION OF THRESHOLD DIFFERENCES IN TASTE AND SMELL. PMID- 17802326 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MINNEAPOLIS MEETING. PMID- 17802328 TI - DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARITHMETIC AND ALGEBRA. PMID- 17802329 TI - PHYSICAL INDETERMINACY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOPHICAL DETERMINISM. PMID- 17802330 TI - GINKGO. PMID- 17802331 TI - IS THE KILLARNEY GRANITE DIFFERENT IN AGE FROM THE ALGOMAN? PMID- 17802332 TI - THE ARKANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS. PMID- 17802333 TI - THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17802334 TI - THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17802335 TI - A NEW MATERIAL FOR CORROSION PREPARATIONS. PMID- 17802336 TI - THE SOUTH DAKOTA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17802337 TI - ABSORPTION OF NITRATES BY CORN IN THE DARK. PMID- 17802339 TI - Hydrogen embrittlement. PMID- 17802338 TI - PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS COAL SERIES RELATED TO SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SPHERE GLACIATION. PMID- 17802340 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17802341 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17802342 TI - Esophageal cancer. PMID- 17802343 TI - Drug abuse. PMID- 17802344 TI - Departure of the President's Science Adviser. PMID- 17802345 TI - Earliest Radiocarbon Dates for Domesticated Animals: Europe is added to the Near East as another early center of domestication. AB - Our dates show that cattle and pigs were first domesticated in Europe. Sheep, which were thought to have become extinct in Europe during the terminal Pleistocene, also appear first in Europe. However, there remains little doubt that sheep were first domesticated in the Near East or Turkey, since no wild sheep appear to have existed in Europe at the beginning of the Holocene. Dogs were domesticated in both the Near East and Europe at virtually the same time. In the Near East, Asiab, at around 8000 B.C., qualifies as the first center of goat domestication. It is also the earliest center of domestication for all animals we have dated here. Horses were first domesticated in the steppes of the Ukraine, perhaps even earlier than our dates indicate, since all of the samples found at Polling are virtually contemporaneous (Fig. 1). Undoubtedly, future research will alter the details of our overall impressions, especially after bones at earlier sites such as Nea Nikomedeia have been dated directly. But, on balance, there can be no doubt that southeastern Europe was as much an early center of domestication as the Near East was. PMID- 17802346 TI - Training grants, peer review in peril? PMID- 17802347 TI - Back at NIH, Marston's Firing Prompts Mild Protest. PMID- 17802348 TI - Another "Populist" President-Elect for ACS. PMID- 17802349 TI - A. D. Little, inc., wants to grant degrees. PMID- 17802350 TI - Truman era: formative years for federal science. PMID- 17802351 TI - Area Studies under the Axe. PMID- 17802352 TI - Vitamin B12: after 25 years, the first synthesis. PMID- 17802353 TI - Lunar Shape via the Apollo Laser Altimeter. AB - Data from the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 laser altimeters reveal the first accurate elevation differences between distant features on both sides of the moon. The large far-side depression observed in the Apollo 15 data is not present in the Apollo 16 data. When the laser results are compared with elevations on maps from the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center, differences of 2 kilometers over a few hundred kilometers are detected in the Mare Nubium and Mare Tranquillitatis regions. The Apollo 16 data alone would put a 2-kilometer bulge toward the earth; however, the combined data are best fit by a sphere of radius 1737.7 kilometers. The offset of the center of gravity from the optical center is about 2 kilometers toward the earth and 1 kilometer eastward. The polar direction parameters are not well determined. PMID- 17802354 TI - Source parameters for stick-slip and for earthquakes. AB - Source parameters of stick-slip friction events measured in the laboratory show particle and rupture propagation velocities which are similar to those observed for earthquakes and inferred from seismic source theory. This dynamic similarity strongly supports the idea that stick-slip is the mechanism for shallow earthquakes. PMID- 17802355 TI - The hydroperoxyl radical in atmospheric chemical dynamics: reaction with carbon monoxide. AB - From measurements of the photochemical rate of production of CO(2)(16,18) and CO(2)(16,16), produced from the low intensity photolysis of mixtures of CO, H(2)O, Ar, and O(2)(18,18), the rate constant for the reaction HO(2) + CO --> CO(2) + OH has been determined at 300 degrees K to be less than or equal to 10( 20) cubic centimeter per molecule per second. These measurements indicate that the reaction of thermalized HO(2) is of negligible importance as a sink mechanism for converting CO to CO(2) in either the troposphere or the stratosphere. PMID- 17802356 TI - Deep-Sea Benthic Community Respiration: An in situ Study at 1850 Meters. AB - The in situ oxygen uptake of sediments at 1850 meters on the continental slope south of New England is two orders of magnitude less than the uptake of sediments from shallow shelf depths. After treatment of the sediments with Formalin there was no measurable chemical oxygen uptake, which shows that the total uptake is biological (community respiration). PMID- 17802358 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17802357 TI - Rickettsia-like Bacterium Associated with Pierce's Disease of Grapes. AB - A pleomorphic bacterium was observed by electron microscopy in grape plants infected with Pierce's disease. The organism was located in xylem tissue, and its occurrence was closely associated with symptoms of Pierce's disease. The bacterium resembled a rickettsia in morphology, in its failure to grow on cell free media, and in its sensitivity to tetracycline antibiotics. PMID- 17802359 TI - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PHOTOELECTRICITY. PMID- 17802360 TI - PSYCHOLOGY'S FAMILY RELATIONS AMONG THE SCIENCES. PMID- 17802361 TI - THE VAMPIRE BAT. PMID- 17802362 TI - CONCERNING EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF WHOOPING COUGH. PMID- 17802363 TI - THE ELLA SACHS PLOTZ FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION. PMID- 17802364 TI - THE EXCELSIOR GEYSER AGAIN. PMID- 17802365 TI - THE FINDING OF LARGE CENTIPEDES IN WYOMING AND WESTERN NEBRASKA. PMID- 17802366 TI - A CONVENIENT HYDROMETER FOR DETERMINING THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF HEAVY LIQUIDS. PMID- 17802367 TI - A SIPHON MOIST CHAMBER FOR MICROSCOPIC MOUNTS. PMID- 17802368 TI - REPAIR OF NON-CONDUCTIVE GALVANOMETER STRINGS. PMID- 17802369 TI - SOME PECULIARITIES IN THE THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF MONEL METAL. PMID- 17802370 TI - STROPHANTHIN. XIX. THE DEHYDROGENATION OF STROPHANTHIDIN AND GITOXIGENIN. PMID- 17802371 TI - THE FAUNA OF THE MIDDLE DEVONIAN BEAUVAIS SANDSTONE OF MISSOURI. PMID- 17802372 TI - RESPONSES OF SHEEP TO ZYGADENUS GRAMINEUS, "DEATH CAMAS". AB - An extract of Zygadenus gramineus, "death camas," from which most of the resins had been removed was given intravenously to sheep prepared for recording blood pressure and respiratory movements. Following the intravenous injection of this extract there occurred a respiratory inhibition which in the case of the injection of larger amounts of the extract was followed by asphyxia-like rises of blood-pressure. The graphic record of this asphyxial condition was practically duplicated by closing the tracheal cannula for a short time following the recovery of the animal from the effects of the plant extract. Although, from a field standpoint, no satisfactory antidote has been found, it has been demonstrated that caffein sodio-benzoate possesses marked powers of stimulation for the respiratory center affected by the depressive substances found in Zygadenus gramineus. PMID- 17802373 TI - ALASKAN EARTHQUAKES. PMID- 17802374 TI - DRAINAGE FOR TREE GROWTH. PMID- 17802375 TI - THE EFFECT OF LIGHT AND HEAT ON PLANT GROWTH. PMID- 17802376 TI - PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS FOR DESERTERS. PMID- 17802377 TI - MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES. PMID- 17802378 TI - BIRD LIFE OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. PMID- 17802379 TI - DANGERS OF SUNSTROKE. PMID- 17802380 TI - MEDICAL RESEARCH AND ITS ORGANIZATION. PMID- 17802381 TI - MISUSE OF THE NAME "LEUCOSCOPE". PMID- 17802382 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17802384 TI - A DAYLIGHT METEOR. PMID- 17802383 TI - TADPOLES AS A SOURCE OF PROTOZOA FOR CLASSROOM USE. PMID- 17802385 TI - FLORA OF BARRO COLORADO ISLAND, CANAL ZONE. PMID- 17802387 TI - ARTIFICIAL TRANSMUTATION OF THE GENE. PMID- 17802386 TI - THE EFFECT OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATIONS UPON SOY BEANS. PMID- 17802388 TI - AN INSTRUMENT FOR REPEATED DETERMINATIONS OF BLOOD VISCOSITY IN AN ANIMAL. PMID- 17802389 TI - BALANTIDIA FROM PIGS AND GUINEA-PIGS: THEIR VIABILITY, CYST PRODUCTION AND CULTIVATION. AB - It has been shown that trophozoites of balantidia from the pig are normal in appearance and reactions when the medium is cooled to room temperature. They may live at room temperature for ten days. Trophozoites that infect the pig may pass through the stomach of the guinea-pig and reach the cecum, where they are normal after eighteen hours. Trophozoites are frequently passed in feces by the pig but cyst production is irregular and determined by unknown factors as in monkeys, guinea-pigs and man. The fluid of pig feces from the cecum is slightly hypertonic to blood serum. The method of Barret and Yarbrough for the cultivation of Balantidium coli has been found practicable for Balantidium from the pig and guinea-pig. The addition of rice starch improves the medium and Ringer's solution without dextrose was found more suitable than 0.5 per cent. NaCl solution. Loeffler's beef blood serum may be substituted for human serum or horse serum. H(2)S appears non-toxic to Balantidium from the pig when passed into culture tubes. PMID- 17802390 TI - THE DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND THE MECHANISM OF LATENT PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE INTENSIFICATION. PMID- 17802391 TI - HYDRAZOIC ACID: A NEW FORM OF APPARATUS FOR ITS PREPARATION; ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. PMID- 17802392 TI - ON PROTOPTERUS ANNECTENS. PMID- 17802393 TI - NOTES ON THE COPEPODA OF WISONSIN. PMID- 17802394 TI - OBSERVATIONS ON A CYCLONE NEAR WILLIAMSTOWN, KANSAS. PMID- 17802395 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. --XXXI. PMID- 17802396 TI - THE HILLOCK AND MOUND FORMATIONS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17802397 TI - CONSUMPTION AMONG THE COLORED PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. PMID- 17802398 TI - NOTES ON THE FLORA OF LONG ISLAND. PMID- 17802400 TI - Two Queries. PMID- 17802399 TI - Variation and Evolution. PMID- 17802401 TI - Scientific Words in the Century Dictionary. PMID- 17802402 TI - The Aurora. PMID- 17802403 TI - Birds that Sing in the Night. PMID- 17802404 TI - Color Perception: A Correction. PMID- 17802405 TI - A Peculiar Occurrence of Beeswax. PMID- 17802406 TI - On the Evolution of the Habit of Incubation. PMID- 17802407 TI - The Earth as a Conductor. PMID- 17802408 TI - Do Nestlings Drink. PMID- 17802409 TI - Another Ancient Argillite Quarry Near Trenton. PMID- 17802410 TI - TWO-DIMENSIONAL GASES, LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS. PMID- 17802411 TI - NOTE ON SCIENTIFIC WRITING. PMID- 17802412 TI - PHLOEM DEVELOPMENT AND BLOSSOMING. PMID- 17802413 TI - THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER. PMID- 17802414 TI - THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ENGINEERING. PMID- 17802415 TI - THE HINGHAM RED FELSITE BOULDER TRAIN. PMID- 17802416 TI - PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF A CEREBRAL DISORDER OF YOUNG CHICKENS. AB - Chicks fed a diet in which corn was the principal ingredient, in contrast to other rations employed, were the only ones in which the typical nervous disorders were noted and typical brain lesions observed upon autopsy. The preliminary data at hand, although not of a definite nature, would seem to indicate that some factor or factors of the corn used were responsible or at least contributory to this disorder. PMID- 17802417 TI - VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN BRAZIL. PMID- 17802418 TI - THE INSECT VECTOR FOR THE NATURAL TRANSMISSION OF EPERYTHROZOON COCCOIDES IN MICE. PMID- 17802419 TI - THE DETERMINATION OF THE INTERNAL GASES OF PLANT TISSUES. PMID- 17802420 TI - PROTECTION OF EYEPIECES. PMID- 17802421 TI - MANGE IN GUINEA PIGS. PMID- 17802422 TI - EMBRYOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HYBRID VIGOR IN PINES. PMID- 17802423 TI - NEVIN M. FENNEMAN. PMID- 17802424 TI - THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF CHEMISTS. PMID- 17802425 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. PMID- 17802426 TI - THE RETIREMENT OF PROFESSOR GUYER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. PMID- 17802427 TI - LETTERS FROM SCIENTIFIC MEN ABROAD. PMID- 17802428 TI - CONCERTED ANTIBIOTIC EFFECT OF PENICILLIN, METHIONINE, THREONINE AND METHIONINE SULFOXIDE UPON BRUCELLA, EBERTHELLA, SALMONELLA, AND SHIGELLA. AB - Penicillin susceptibility of highly refractory Gramnegative organisms may be greatly enhanced upon addition of methionine, threonine and methionine sulfoxide. The action of amino acids appears to be synergistic rather than additive. Methionine is essential for the enhancement. Threonine and methionine sulfoxide facilitate the effect of methionine following a reciprocal quantitative relationship. PMID- 17802429 TI - THE BENZYL ESTER OF PENICILLIN. PMID- 17802430 TI - THE FUNCTIONAL PATHOLOGY OF FROSTBITE AND THE PREVENTION OF GANGRENE IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AND HUMANS. PMID- 17802432 TI - A SIMPLE WATER MANOMETER FOR RECORDING INTESTINAL ACTIVITY. PMID- 17802431 TI - ACTION SPECTRUM FOR THE PHOTOPERIODIC CONTROL OF FLORAL INITIATION IN BILOXI SOYBEAN. PMID- 17802433 TI - A NEW POLYSACCHARIDE FROM BLACK SPRUCE (PICEA MARIANA). PMID- 17802434 TI - USE OF A DOUBLE-NOZZLED SPRAY APPARATUS FOR THE APPLICATION OF DDT OR OILS. PMID- 17802435 TI - ANTIBACTERIAL ACTION OF QUINONES. PMID- 17802436 TI - MARKING ANOPHELES MOSQUITOES WITH FLUORESCENT COMPOUNDS. PMID- 17802438 TI - GREEN COLOR OF PLANT ASH DUE TO MANGANESE, NOT TO COBALT. PMID- 17802437 TI - THE COLOR REACTION OF VITAMIN A ON ACID EARTHS. PMID- 17802439 TI - HOW STENTOR ANCHORS ITSELF. PMID- 17802441 TI - THE MATHER COLLECTION OF PORTRAITS. PMID- 17802440 TI - CORRECTION ON "CHRONIC INTERMITTENT ANOXIA...". AB - The writer is embarrassed by his discovery that in revising a manuscript entitled "Chronic Intermittent Anoxia and Impairment of Peripheral Vision," an important paragraph was inadvertently omitted from the version which appeared in Science for June 15, 1945. In checking back it becomes evident that the omission arose in the author's final copy, and that the editors of Science are in no way responsible. The paragraph which should have been inserted between the two paragraphs of column 2, page 615, is as follows: Serial determinations of alveolar gas tensions for each visual test day were carried out on sixteen of the twenty subjects by Dr. Wright Adams, but no relationship could be established with the impairment of peripheral vision. Similarly, in a smaller number of subjects no clear relationship could be established between the visual effect and renal vascular changes (Dr. Alf S. Alving), cardio-vascular changes (Dr. Emmet B. Bay), blood chemistry (Dr. Guzman E. S. Barron), psychiatric changes (Dr. Hugh T. Carmichael), electroencephalograms (Dr. Theodore Case), peripheral blood flow (Dr. Milton Landowne), certain metabolic effects (Drs. Henry T. Ricketts and A. Hughes Bryan), and certain additional neuropsychological indicators. Through omission of the above paragraph, inadequate representation was given to the scope of the total war research project in which the psychological studies carried out by the writer constituted one aspect. In addition to their particular lines of investigation, each of the above men contributed generously of specialized knowledge and of time and energy to insure adequate clinical supervision of the experimental subjects and a valid interpretation of the impairment of peripheral vision as reported. PMID- 17802442 TI - THE THREAT OF ANTI-VIVISECTION. PMID- 17802444 TI - To the Editor of "Science.". PMID- 17802443 TI - THE HOUSSAY JOURNAL FUND. PMID- 17802445 TI - SENSIBILITY AND ITS DIVERSE FORMS. PMID- 17802446 TI - CONTRIBUTION TOWARD A NEW COSMIC HYPOTHESIS. PMID- 17802447 TI - AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802448 TI - MICROSCOPICAL NOTES. PMID- 17802449 TI - A NEW ROTIFER. PMID- 17802450 TI - ASTRONOMY. PMID- 17802452 TI - To the Editor of "Science:". PMID- 17802451 TI - To the Editor of Science. PMID- 17802453 TI - PRIMEVAL ROTATION AND COSMICAL RINGS. II. PMID- 17802454 TI - ACS Electioneering. PMID- 17802455 TI - Advances in picosecond spectroscopy. AB - Progress in the technology of picosecond spectroscopy in the past few years has made possible the generation of well-characterized pulses emitted by synchronously pumped tunable dye lasers. In addition, the development of sensitive emission and absorption detection methods and the advent of picosecond Raman and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy make possible the direct observaton of picosecond transient spectra and lifetimes. The information obtained allows the complete determination of mechanisms through the identification of transient states, radicals, and ions that evolve during the course of a chemical or biological reaction. PMID- 17802456 TI - Japanese supercomputer technology. AB - Under the auspices of the Ministry for International Trade and Industry the Japanese have launched a National Superspeed Computer Project intended to produce high-performance computers for scientific computation and a Fifth-Generation Computer Project intended to incorporate and exploit concepts of artificial intelligence. If these projects are successful, which appears likely, advanced economic and military research in the United States may become dependent on access to supercomputers of foreign manufacture. PMID- 17802457 TI - Max Born's Statistical Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. AB - In the summer of 1926, a statistical element was introduced for the first time in the fundamental laws of physics in two papers by Born. After a brief account of Born's earlier involvements with quantum physics, including his bringing the new mechanics to the United States, the motivation for and contents of Born's two papers are discussed. The reaction of his colleagues is described. PMID- 17802458 TI - Nuclear power for militarization of space. PMID- 17802459 TI - OMB Plans Level NIH Budget. PMID- 17802461 TI - Hammer, lasker give cancer prizes. PMID- 17802460 TI - Arms control agency on hold. PMID- 17802462 TI - Langenberg Resigns as Deputy Director of NSF. PMID- 17802463 TI - France--India fuel deal leaves some issues open. PMID- 17802464 TI - Red deer data illuminate sexual selection. PMID- 17802465 TI - Synchrotron radiation assessed. PMID- 17802466 TI - Extraordinary communal events. PMID- 17802467 TI - Biogeography. PMID- 17802468 TI - Ecology in simple settings. PMID- 17802469 TI - Observing molecular collisions. PMID- 17802470 TI - Observations of strain accumulation across the san andreas fault near palmdale, california, with a two-color geodimeter. AB - Two-color laser ranging measurements during a 15-month period over a geodetic network spanning the San Andreas fault near Palmdale, California, indicate that the crust expands and contracts aseismically in episodes as short as 2 weeks. Shear strain parallel to the fault has accumulated monotonically since November 1980, but at a variable rate. Improvements in measurement precision and temporal resolution over those of previous geodetic studies near Palmdale have resulted in the definition of a time history of crustal deformation that is much more complex than formerly realized. PMID- 17802472 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17802471 TI - Nature's Ballistic Missile. AB - The parasitic fungus Haptoglossa mirabilis infects its rotifer host by means of a gun-shaped attack cell. The anterior end of the cell is elongated to form a barrel; the wall at the mouth is invaginated deep into the cell to form a bore. A walled chamber at the base of the bore houses a complex, missile-like attack apparatus. The projectile is fired from the gun cell at high speed to accomplish initial penetration of the host. PMID- 17802473 TI - ASTRONOMY DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802475 TI - THE WARTIME SERVICE OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17802474 TI - ARTHUR NEWELL TALBOT 1857-1942. PMID- 17802477 TI - THE ACCELERATED PROGRAM OF MEDICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17802476 TI - SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN SWEDEN. PMID- 17802478 TI - THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. PMID- 17802479 TI - AN UNTRIED METHOD OF FEDERAL REAPPORTIONMENT. PMID- 17802480 TI - THE EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION OF SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. PMID- 17802481 TI - TICK PARASITES ON CAPE COD. PMID- 17802483 TI - FIRST REPORT OF THE WAR POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS. PMID- 17802482 TI - BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE IN THE WAR. PMID- 17802484 TI - THE BIOCHEMICAL SPECIFICITY OF SULFANILAMIDE AND OF OTHER ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS. PMID- 17802485 TI - THE EFFECT OF INSULIN SHOCK ON LEARNING IN THE WHITE RAT. PMID- 17802486 TI - TOXIN FORMATION BY CERATOSTOMELLA ULMI. PMID- 17802487 TI - A PHOTOELECTRIC MEMBRANE MANOMETER. PMID- 17802488 TI - Popularizatioin of Science. PMID- 17802489 TI - Earthquake Mechanisms. PMID- 17802491 TI - U.S. and U.S.S.R. Begin Exchange Visits of Nuclear Scientists: Polio Group Encounters Difficulties. PMID- 17802490 TI - Scientists in Government: Growing Concern Over Conflicts of Interest. PMID- 17802492 TI - U.S.S.R. Launches Experimental Space Ship. PMID- 17802493 TI - Use of Chemicals To Control Shellfish Predators. PMID- 17802494 TI - Sulfur Dioxide Sensitized Photochemical Oxidation of Hydrocarbons. AB - Near-ultraviolet sunlight is absorbed by sulfur dioxide to produce electronically excited molecules, which react with n-butane in the presence of wet or dry air to produce an aerosol and eventually a liquid precipitate. The product is a heavily oxidized, sulfur-containing, organic strong acid. The possible role of these reactions in photochemical air pollution is discussed. PMID- 17802495 TI - Connection between Archaeopteris and Callixylon. AB - Characters of two Upper Devonian genera, Archaeopteris, often considered to be a fern, and Callixylon, classified with the gymnosperms, have been recognized in a single specimen. PMID- 17802496 TI - Numerical Comparison of Geomorphic Samples. AB - The distribution of elevations representing a region can be shown as a cumulative frequency curve plotted on probability paper. Many elevation distributions are "zig-zag" curves which can be represented conveniently by measures of skewness and kurtosis. A plot of skewness versus kurtosis permits the recognition of six major, non-Gaussian forms, with countless gradations. PMID- 17802497 TI - Selection of Food by Size in the Chimpanzee, and Comparison with Human Judgments. AB - Adult chimpanzees, given access to an array of pieces of banana, select the pieces in order of size, larger pieces being taken first. Selection is mediated by perceived sizes, and the responses correspond closely to human visual judgment of size. PMID- 17802498 TI - Distortion of the Pyramid of Numbers in a Grassland Insect Community. PMID- 17802499 TI - Prehistoric Copper Objects from Western Mexico. PMID- 17802500 TI - Near Eastern Prehistory. PMID- 17802501 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17802502 TI - Small High Schools. PMID- 17802503 TI - Importance of Chinese for Scientific Communication. PMID- 17802504 TI - The Scientist and Moral Values. PMID- 17802506 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17802505 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17802507 TI - More about Nomenclature. PMID- 17802508 TI - Genetical Theory. PMID- 17802509 TI - REACTIONS PRODUCED BY NEUTRONS IN HEAVY ELEMENTS. PMID- 17802510 TI - MENTAL HEALTH. PMID- 17802511 TI - HANS ZINSSER. PMID- 17802512 TI - POLLUTION INVESTIGATIONS OF THE FISHERIES SERVICE. PMID- 17802513 TI - THE SEALING OF THE TIME CAPSULE. PMID- 17802514 TI - THE MEDICOFILM SERVICE OF THE ARMY MEDICAL LIBRARY. PMID- 17802516 TI - SCIENTIFIC LECTURES OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF PHILADELPHIA. PMID- 17802515 TI - THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL UNION. PMID- 17802517 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17802518 TI - RHESUS MONKEYS (MACACA MULATTA) FOR AMERICAN LABORATORIES. PMID- 17802519 TI - EVIDENCES OF PLEISTOCENE CURRENTS IN PENINSULAR FLORIDA. PMID- 17802520 TI - MUSCA DOMESTICA AND HIPPELATES FLIES--VECTORS OF BOVINE MASTITIS. PMID- 17802521 TI - THE USE OF THE TERMS POLYGAMY, POLYGYNY AND POLYANDRY. PMID- 17802522 TI - THE AUTONOMIC BASIS OF EMOTION. AB - (1) It is shown that hypothalamic stimulation in cats, with faradic currents eliciting the syndrome of sham rage, produces after the elimination of the sympathetico-adrenal system a hypoglycemia when the vagi are intact. After bilateral vagotomy the stimulation results in a slight and delayed rise in blood sugar. (2) If in cats in which, due to a sectioning of the spinal cord at the sixth cervical segment, the effect of central discharges on the sympathetico adrenal system is eliminated, a rage response is elicited by a barking dog it produces a fall in blood sugar. The sectioning of the vagi below the diaphragm abolishes this reaction. From these experiments it is concluded that the normal emotional process as well as the sham rage reaction is characterized by a simultaneous discharge over the vago-insulin and sympathetico-adrenal system. The latter predominates in the normal animal and masks the effects on the former. PMID- 17802524 TI - A DIFFERENTIAL METAL BELLOWS MANOMETER FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD FLOW. PMID- 17802523 TI - A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE EXTRACTION OF A CARCINOGENIC FACTOR FROM PRIMARY HUMAN MAMMARY CANCER. PMID- 17802525 TI - INSECT LIFE WITHOUT VITAMIN A. PMID- 17802527 TI - Social science budget cuts. PMID- 17802526 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article "Electron microscope center opens at Berkeley" (Research News, 27 Mar., p. 1407), reference is made to the 1.2-MeV (million electron volts) high voltage electron microscope at the State University of New York at Albany. That instrument is owned by the state of New York and operated and supported by the New York State Department of Health, not by the National Institutes of Health. PMID- 17802528 TI - Social science budget cuts. PMID- 17802529 TI - Problems of publishing. PMID- 17802530 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17802531 TI - Back into space with columbia. PMID- 17802532 TI - Congress told fraud issue "exaggerated". PMID- 17802533 TI - CC43.7, Sec. C-1 Is Answer, Schweiker Says. PMID- 17802534 TI - Public's Fear of Watt Is Environmentalists' Gain. PMID- 17802535 TI - Koop as surgeon general: to be or not to be? PMID- 17802536 TI - Congressional Confusion over "Conception". PMID- 17802537 TI - Afghan casualties: ancient artworks. PMID- 17802538 TI - Energy conservation: the debate begins. PMID- 17802539 TI - SERI's Low Energy Future. PMID- 17802540 TI - How much oil? It depends on whom you ask. PMID- 17802542 TI - The study of city life. PMID- 17802541 TI - A microbiologist once famous. PMID- 17802543 TI - Metal artifacts. PMID- 17802544 TI - Invertebrate biology. PMID- 17802545 TI - The ginsberg experiment: modern and prehistoric evidence of a bone-flaking technology. AB - The discovery of butchered and modified bones of extinct Pleistocene fauna from Old Crow Flats, Yukon Territory, and the Dutton and Selby sites, Colorado, provides some of the earliest evidence for man in the New World. However, the significance of these discoveries rests entirely on the ability to determine whether these remains were modified by man. The results of experiments of elephant butchering, bone fracturing, and bone tool manufacturing support the hypothesis that these modified bones can be used to identify the presence of cultural activities. PMID- 17802546 TI - First radioisotope (potassium-argon) age of marine neogene rionegro beds in northeastern patagonia, Argentina. AB - An average age of 9.41 million years was obtained from radioisotope (potassium argon) age determinations of three glass concentrates of a tuff from the upper part of the marine Rionegrense at Punta Cracker in Golfo Nuevo, Argentina. This age correlates with the Tortonian marine stage of Europe and the Chasicoan Land Mammal Age of South America. PMID- 17802548 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17802547 TI - Insects as selective agents on plant vegetative morphology: egg mimicry reduces egg laying by butterflies. AB - Experiments show that Heliconius butterflies are less likely to oviposit on host plants that possess eggs or egglike plant structures. These egg mimics are an unambiguous example of a plant trait evolved in response to a host-restricted group of insect herbivores. PMID- 17802549 TI - Tectonic hazards. PMID- 17802550 TI - A Major Helium-3 Source at 15{degrees}S on the East Pacific Rise. AB - An extensive plume of water enriched with helium-3 has been discovered in the deep Pacific Ocean at latitude 15 degrees S on the East Pacific Rise. In the core of the plume, at a depth of 2500 meters over the ridge crest, the helium-3/helium 4 ratio is 50 percent higher than the ratio in atmospheric helium, indicating a strong injection of mantle or primordial helium at the spreading center axis through local hydrothermal systems. The helium-3 plume is completely absent east of the rise, but it can be traced over 2000 kilometers to the west above a newly observed physical feature: a density discontinuity here caled the "ridge-crest front." The injected plume provides a unique deep-sea tracer with an asymmetric distribution which shows that the deep circulation across the rise is from east to west. The striking intensity and lateral extent of this helium-3 anomaly, compared to observations at known oceanic hydrohrmal sites, suggest that the largest hydrothermal fields in the ocean are yet to be discovered and that they will be found near 15 degrees S on the East Pacific Rise. PMID- 17802551 TI - Tunguska meteor fall of 1908: effects on stratospheric ozone. AB - In 1908, when the giant Tunguska meteor disintegrated in the earth's atmosphere over Siberia, it may have generated as much as 30 million metric tons of nitric oxide (NO) in the stratosphere and mesosphere. The photochemical aftereffects of the event have been simulated using a comprehensive model of atmospheric trace composition. Calculations indicate that up to 45 percent of the ozone in the Northern Hemisphere may have been depleted by Tunguska's nitric oxide cloud early in 1909 and large ozone reductions may have persisted until 1912. Measurements of atmospheric transparentiy by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for the years 1909 to 1911 show evidence of a steady ozone recovery from unusually low levels in early 1909, implying a total ozone deficit of 30 +/- 15 percent. The coincidence in time between the observed ozone recovery and the Tunguska meteor fall indicates that the event may provide a test of current ozone depletion theories. PMID- 17802552 TI - Japanese a-bomb data will be revised. PMID- 17802553 TI - Research without animals. PMID- 17802554 TI - Down to the wire with halley. PMID- 17802555 TI - Administration set to assist hazardous product exports. PMID- 17802557 TI - TV Debate on Creationism. PMID- 17802556 TI - Solar programs on the chopping block again. PMID- 17802558 TI - The life and times of an academic scientist. PMID- 17802559 TI - Nader group sues to have drugs reformulated. PMID- 17802560 TI - Administration views on Acid rain assailed. PMID- 17802561 TI - Annual meeting washington. PMID- 17802562 TI - Science 81 celebrates 2nd anniversary. PMID- 17802563 TI - AAAS to Work with Science/Technology Centers. PMID- 17802565 TI - Fellows come to town. PMID- 17802564 TI - OOS Facilitates Participation of Minorities in Science. PMID- 17802566 TI - Obituaries. PMID- 17802567 TI - Grants Offered to Foreign Graduate Students to Attend AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17802568 TI - The establishment of science in france. PMID- 17802569 TI - Influences on galileo. PMID- 17802570 TI - Galactic astronomy. PMID- 17802571 TI - Plastids. PMID- 17802572 TI - Cognitive science. PMID- 17802573 TI - Monsoon Climate of the Early Holocene: Climate Experiment with the Earth's Orbital Parameters for 9000 Years Ago. AB - Values for the precession and obliquity of the earth 9000 years ago indicate that the global average solar radiation for July 9000 years ago was 7 percent greater than at present. When the estimated solar radiation values are used in a low resulation climate model, the model simulates an intensified continent-scale monsoon circulation. This result agrees with paleoclimatic evidence from Africa, Arabia, and India that monsoon rains were stronger between 10,000 and 5000 years ago than they are today. PMID- 17802574 TI - Chlorine monoxide radical, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide: stratospheric measurements by microwave limb sounding. AB - Profiles of stratospheric ozone and chlorine monoxide radical (C1O) have been obtained from balloon measurements of atmospheric limb thermal emission at millimeter wavelengths. The C1O measurements, important for assessing the predicted depletion of stratospheric ozone by chlorine from industrial sources, are in close agreement with present theory, The predicted decrease of C1O at sunset was measured. A tentative value for the stratospheric abundance of hydrogen peroxide was also determined. PMID- 17802575 TI - Dated rock engravings from wonderwerk cave, South Africa. AB - Radiocarbon dates associated with engraved stones from sealed archeological deposits at Wonderwerk Cave in the northern Cape Province indicate that rock engraving in South Africa is at least 10,000 years old. PMID- 17802576 TI - Lower eocene and paleocene gentianaceae: floral and palynological evidence. AB - Lower Eocene flowers with Pistillipollenites macgregorii pollen represent the earliest megafossil evidence of the Gentianaceae. The Paleocene occurrence of P. macgregorii, the fossil's modern floral structure, and suggested trends in the evolution of pollen in the Gentianaceae indicate a considerably earlier origin for the family. Floral morphology typical of bee-pollinated flowers provides the earliest, albeit indirect, fossil evidence of bees. PMID- 17802577 TI - Intense Natural Selection in a Population of Darwin's Finches (Geospizinae) in the Galapagos. AB - Survival of Darwin's finches through a drought on Daphne Major Island was nonrandom. Large birds, especially males with large beaks, survived best because they were able to crack the large and hard seeds that predominated in the drought. Selection intensities, calculated by O'Donald's method, are the highest yet recorded for a vertebrate population. PMID- 17802579 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17802578 TI - Hydralazine reactions. PMID- 17802581 TI - NASA at the Edge of the Abyss. PMID- 17802580 TI - Anomalies in sociobiology. PMID- 17802582 TI - Space Council to NASA: Think Small. PMID- 17802583 TI - Warm reception for substitute coolant. PMID- 17802584 TI - The whitehead institute reaches toward adulthood. PMID- 17802585 TI - The whitehead: a model to avoid? PMID- 17802586 TI - Putting a cosmic illusion to work. PMID- 17802587 TI - Fugitive Carbon Dioxide: It's Not Hiding in the Ocean. PMID- 17802588 TI - The third branch of science debuts. PMID- 17802590 TI - Mathematicians join the computer revolution. PMID- 17802589 TI - Massively parallel machines usher in next level of computing power. PMID- 17802591 TI - Bringing the computer revolution down to a personal level. PMID- 17802592 TI - Ultracomputers: a teraflop before its time. PMID- 17802593 TI - Physics and device applications of optical microcavities. AB - Optical microcavities are resonators that have at least one dimension on the order of a single optical wavelength. These structures enable one to control the optical emission properties of materials placed inside them. They can, for example, modify the spatial distribution of radiation power, change the spectral width of the emitted light, and enhance or suppress the spontaneous emission rate. In addition to being attractive for studying the fundamental physics of the interaction between materials and vacuum field fluctuations, optical microcavities hold technological promise for constructing novel kinds of light emitting devices. One of their most dramatic potential features is thresholdless lasing. In this way and others, controlled spontaneous emission is expected to play a key role in a new generation of optical devices. PMID- 17802594 TI - Biomass and carbon budget of European forests, 1971 to 1990. AB - In severely polluted areas, such as locally in Montshegorsk in northwestern Russia, all trees have died. However, measurements from Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland show a general increase of forest resources. The fertilization effects of pollutants override the adverse effects at least for the time being. Biomass was built up in the 1970s and 1980s in European forests. If there has been similar development in other continents, biomass accumulation in nontropical forests can account for a large proportion of the estimated mismatch between sinks and sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide. PMID- 17802595 TI - Oceanic Uptake of Fossil Fuel CO2: Carbon-13 Evidence. AB - The delta(13)C value of the dissolved inorganic carbon in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean has decreased by about 0.4 per mil between 1970 and 1990. This decrease has resulted from the uptake of atmospheric CO(2) derived from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. The net amounts of CO(2) taken up by the oceans and released from the biosphere between 1970 and 1990 have been determined from the changes in three measured values: the concentration of atmospheric CO(2), the delta(13)C of atmospheric CO(2) and the delta(13)C value of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean. The calculated average net oceanic CO(2) uptake is 2.1 gigatons of carbon per year. This amount implies that the ocean is the dominant net sink for anthropogenically produced CO(2) and that there has been no significant net CO(2) released from the biosphere during the last 20 years. PMID- 17802596 TI - Diamond from the dabie shan metamorphic rocks and its implication for tectonic setting. AB - Diamond occurs in ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks from Dabie Shan, Anhui Province, eastern China. Diamond-bearing rocks include eclogite, gamet pyroxenite, and jadeitite. Diamond occurs in a mineral assemblage with coesite and jadeite. The diamonds and diamondiferous rocks of Dabie Shan are interpreted to be the products of ultrahigh pressure metamorphism in the underthrust basement of the Yangtze continental plate during the early Mesozoic, at greater than 4.0 gigapascals and 900 degrees C. This interpretation is based on the distribution of rock units, the stability field of diamond, and isotopic data indicating a crustal origin for the rocks. Most diamonds occur as euhedral inclusions in garnets and are 10 to 60 micrometers across, although some are up to 700 micrometers across. PMID- 17802597 TI - Variations in strength and slip rate along the san andreas fault system. AB - Convergence across the San Andreas fault (SAF) system is partitioned between strike-slip motion on the vertical SAF and oblique-slip motion on parallel dip slip faults, as illustrated by the recent magnitude M(s) = 6.0 Palm Springs, M(s) = 6.7 Coalinga, and M(s) = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquakes. If the partitioning of slip minimizes the work done against friction, the direction of slip during these recent earthquakes depends primarily on fault dip and indicates that the normal stress coefficient and frictional coefficient (micro) vary among the faults. Additionally, accounting for the active dip-slip faults reduces estimates of fault slip rates along the vertical trace of the SAF by about 50 percent in the Loma Prieta and 100 percent in the North Palm Springs segments. PMID- 17802598 TI - Response. PMID- 17802599 TI - Disabilities and definitions. PMID- 17802601 TI - Donorism. PMID- 17802600 TI - Vignettes: complexities and simplicities. PMID- 17802602 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17802603 TI - THE COLUMBUS MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17802604 TI - REPORT FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17802605 TI - THE DANGER OF INDISCRIMINATE ACCLIMATIZATION IN THE CASE OF MAMMALS AND BIRDS. PMID- 17802606 TI - THE MENTAL EFFCTS OF THE WEATHER. PMID- 17802607 TI - ANAGLYPHS AND STEREOSCOPIC PROJECTION. PMID- 17802608 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17802609 TI - POT-HOLE VS. REMOLINO. PMID- 17802610 TI - SPRUCE AND PINE FORESTS OF WEST VIRGINIA. PMID- 17802612 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17802611 TI - THE SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17802613 TI - College boards: what kind of relevance should be achieved? PMID- 17802614 TI - Antioch student protest. PMID- 17802615 TI - Chemical toolsfrom nuclear physics. PMID- 17802616 TI - Family and social pathology in the ghetto. PMID- 17802617 TI - "Bootstrap": a scientific idea? PMID- 17802618 TI - 300 gev: decision to drop out angers british science leaders. PMID- 17802619 TI - National parks: traffic jams turn attention to roads. PMID- 17802620 TI - Discovery of hydroxyl radio emission from infrared stars. AB - Radio spectral line emission from hydroxyl radicals has been detected from four infrared stars. The emission from the infrared star NML Cygni at 1612 megahertz is the strongest radio emission line yet detected. Sixteen other stars with infrared excesses showed no detectable hydroxyl radio emission. PMID- 17802621 TI - Iron-manganese nodules from nares abyssal plain: geochemistry and mineralogy. AB - Three nodules from a core taken north of Puerto Rico are composed chiefly of an x ray amorphous, hydrated, iron-manganese oxide, with secondary goethite, and minor detrital silicates incorporated during growth of the nodules. No primary manganese mineral is apparent. The nodules are enriched in iron and depleted in manganese relative to Atlantic Ocean averages. The formation of these nodules appears to have been contemporary with sedimentation and related to volcanic activity. PMID- 17802622 TI - Gulf of california: a result of ocean-floor spreading and transform faulting. AB - Ocean-floor spreading tore southern Baja California from mainland Mexico 4 million years ago and has subsequently rafted it 260 kilometers to the northwest along the Tamayo Fracture Zone. Magnetic-anomaly profiles indicate spreading at the mouth of the gulf at 3.0 centimeters per year and a rise-crest offset of 75 kilometers inside the gulf across the Tamayo Fracture Zone. PMID- 17802623 TI - Krinovite, NaMg2CrSi3O10: A New Meteorite Mineral. AB - An unusual new silicate, krinovite, has been discovered within graphite nodules in three iron meteorites. Its ratio of silicon to oxygen of 3 : 10 suggests a rare kind of silicate polymerization. The meteorite nodules in which it occurs exhibit a chemical fractionation that differs from that of both stone meteorites and terrestrial basalt. PMID- 17802624 TI - Sexuality in chodatella. AB - The unicellular green alga Chodatella longiseta Lemm. is described as reproducing solely by the production of autospores; however, it is also capable of oogamous sexual reproduction. Division of a single cell produces 8, 16, or 32 sperms which, upon release. attach to nonmotile cells. Fusion takes place, and a thick walled resistant zygospore develops. PMID- 17802625 TI - Oleomargarine territory. PMID- 17802626 TI - Language requirements for the ph.d. PMID- 17802627 TI - LSD: Tamed for Research. PMID- 17802628 TI - Calcium and fluoride. PMID- 17802630 TI - Industry and education. PMID- 17802629 TI - "Bootlegging" in research. PMID- 17802631 TI - The coast redwoods: struggle over national park proposals. PMID- 17802632 TI - Technology in the schools: educators are uneasy. PMID- 17802633 TI - Supernova remnant w-44: observations at 8350 megacycles per second. AB - The region of W-44 was mapped at 8350 megacycles per second. The degree of linear polarization of the most intense portion of W-44 integrated over the 10.8-minute of-arc beam was 11+/-2 percent at position angle 45 degrees +/-5 degrees . This high degree of polarization is further evidence that W-44 is a supernova remnant. The integrated flux density of (95+/-25) x 10(-26) watt per square meter per cycle per second for this source is consistent with measurements at lower frequencies extrapolated with the use of a spectral index of-0.44, obtained by other observers. In addition, the compact source 3 minutes of right ascension west of W-44 was unpolarized, within the error of measurement. The flux density of (23+/-6)x 10(-26) watt per square meter per cycle per second determined for it along with the results of other observers indicate that this source has a thermal spectrum. PMID- 17802634 TI - Calcium and bromide contents of natural waters. AB - The linear relation observed in a log Ca++ versus log Brplot for subsurface Cl- waters is attributed to ultrafiltration by shale of sea water and fresh water that have passed through sedimentary rocks since their formation. Reactions between these solutions and sedimentary minerals, particularly dolomitization, must have contributed additional Ca++ to solution. PMID- 17802635 TI - Polyteny: A Source of Cryptic Speciation among Copepods. AB - A large form of the copepod Pseudocalanus is found in two warm, semi-landlocked fiords in arctic Canada, together with a similar but smaller form attributable to the widespread P. minutus. The large form has the same chromosomne number as P. minutus, but has larger chromosomes and a higher nuclear DNA content. There are suggestions in the literature that other similar polytenic and cryptic species occur among copepods. PMID- 17802636 TI - Spermatophore web formation in a pseudoscorpion. AB - The male pseudoscorpion Serianus sp. n. deposits spermatophores without mating, but only when females are present. It marks a path to the spermatophore with silken threads produced in an endodermal gland, which is homologous to the rectal pocket in males and females of other species and in the female of the same species. PMID- 17802637 TI - Growth-inhibiting action of tris(1-aziridinyl)-phosphine oxide in grasses. AB - Tris(1-aziridinyl)-phosphine Oxide inhibits the growth of seedling grasses with concomitant accumulation of anthocyanins and exudation of sap. Treated plants are deficient in cell-wall materials. However, the percentage of Other metabolic products, such as protein and simple sugars, is increased. We suggest that this compound inhibits cellular expansion by cross-linking with cellulose in the plant cell wall. PMID- 17802638 TI - Gibrel: effect on decomposition of plant materials. AB - Gibrel, a potassium salt of gibberellic acid, was added to various crop residues and industrial wastes, in the presence of ample nutrients, at the rate of 50 parts per million; with and without Gibrel, samples were incubated for 45 days at 35 degrees C. Presence of Gibrel enhanced biologic decomposition of the materials; Gibrel can be used as an "activator" in composting. PMID- 17802639 TI - Gekkonid lizards: average ages derived from tail-loss data. AB - Information on the rate of tail loss by autotomy, obtained from mark and recapture data, was used to estimate the average ages of adult individuals of the geckos Gehyra variegata and Heteronota binoei; the ages calculated were 4.4 and 1.9 years, respectively. PMID- 17802641 TI - Retrograde melting in the system mg-fe-si-o. PMID- 17802640 TI - Stibnite (Sb2S3) Solubility in Sodium Sulfide Solutions. AB - The solubility of stibnite ( Sb(2)S(3)) was measured at 25 degrees C and 1 atmosphere in solutions ranging from 0.45 to 7.16 percent Na(2)S by weight. Sb(2)S(3): Na(2)S mole ratios of saturated solutions range from 0.238 to 0.403. Stibnite solubility increases at an increasing rate with rising Na(2)S concentration. The reaction that best fits the experimental data is 2Sb(2)S(3) + HS- + OH-= Sb(4)S(7)(2-) + H(2)O, for which an equilibrium constant was estimated to be about 5.0. PMID- 17802642 TI - De novo production of antigen-specific suppressor cells in vivo. AB - Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells (Treg) play an essential role in maintaining tolerance to self antigens and are generated under physiological conditions when developing T cells encounter antigens expressed by thymic epithelial cells. We have addressed the possibility that Treg can be exploited to prevent or even suppress ongoing immune responses to foreign antigens. To this end, one must develop methods that permit the de novo generation of Treg specific for foreign antigens in peripheral lymphoid tissue. This report describes the methodology of generating Treg by delivering minute doses of peptide contained in fusion Abs directed against the DEC-205 endocytic receptor on steady-state dendritic cells. The process, from cloning and production of fusion Abs to antigen-specific Treg induction in vivo, takes approximately 2 months. The results show that delivery of T-cell receptor agonist ligands under subimmunogenic conditions represents a suitable approach for converting naive T cells into Treg. PMID- 17802643 TI - Folate prevents stroke? PMID- 17802644 TI - Observation is an option for patients with sciatica >6 weeks. PMID- 17802645 TI - Bleeding risk with warfarin is high among elderly. PMID- 17802646 TI - Antibiotics in first year of life is associated with asthma, later. PMID- 17802647 TI - More controversy over breast cancer rates in the USA. PMID- 17802648 TI - Women's Health Initiative reverses its findings on coronary heart disease. PMID- 17802650 TI - Contribution to correspondence on 'analytic impasse and the third'. PMID- 17802651 TI - On: the case against neuropsychoanalysis. PMID- 17802652 TI - On: the case against neuropsychoanalysis. PMID- 17802653 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Methodology]. PMID- 17802654 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Methodology and epidemiologic study]. PMID- 17802655 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Review of the literature]. PMID- 17802656 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Classification of femoral fractures on a prosthetic hip]. PMID- 17802657 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Radiographic evaluation in periprosthetic fractures around the knee]. PMID- 17802658 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Periprosthetic femoral fractures: multicentric retrospective study of 580 cases]. PMID- 17802659 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Mortality, morbidity and prognostic factors of periprosthetic femoral fractures following hip arthroplasty: multicentric prospective assessment of 115 cases]. PMID- 17802660 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Periprosthetic fractures following total knee arthroplasty: a 6 months prospective study]. PMID- 17802661 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Fractures between total hip prostheses and total knee prostheses]. PMID- 17802662 TI - [Periprosthetic fractures around total hip and knee arthroplasty. Periprosthetic fractures: errors to avoid]. PMID- 17802663 TI - Hospital helps chronically ill prepare for disaster. PMID- 17802664 TI - [Structural features of hemodialysis unit. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802665 TI - [Human resources for outpatient hemodialysis centers. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802666 TI - [Recognizing the different hemodialysis modalities. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802667 TI - [Monitoring the patient on hemodialysis. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802668 TI - [Standardizing criteria for transient care of patients. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802669 TI - [Assessment and follow-up for inclusion into the renal transplantation. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802670 TI - [Relationship with peritoneal dialysis units. PD at extrahospital centers. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802671 TI - [Quality management in hemodialysis. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17802672 TI - Incentives: experts weigh the expense against the effect of improved participation. PMID- 17802673 TI - Family-based intervention produces solid outcomes in tackling childhood obesity. AB - A weight-management program that gets results in children. The program has been put to the test in a randomized controlled trial, and efforts are under way to duplicate the approach. PMID- 17802674 TI - New program quantifies risk in terms that get attention. AB - New tool provides an alternative approach to risk-prediction. Developers say it's more accurate than the typical HRA, and customers like the way it quantifies risk for individual users, but can it help health plans and employers control costs? DMA takes a look. PMID- 17802675 TI - Analysis sparks new debate about current HIV screening recommendations. AB - HIV screening policies are under new scrutiny. A new study questions whether an alternative approach to HIV screening might be more effective at diagnosing and preventing new cases than the approach recommended by the CDC. PMID- 17802676 TI - Texas Children's Hospital wins the second annual Health Devices Achievement Award. PMID- 17802677 TI - Defibrillator/monitor/pacemakers: our latest look at what's on the market. PMID- 17802678 TI - Hazard report. Antimicrobial dressings containing silver may cause pain and burns during MR scans. PMID- 17802679 TI - User experience network. Steris Amsco 3085 SP OR tables may rock during patient transfer. PMID- 17802681 TI - Solving the communication mystery. PMID- 17802680 TI - Pandemic influenza: how can dentists prepare? PMID- 17802682 TI - Complementary and alternative medicine techniques available for dentistry. AB - Complementary and alternative medicine in dentistry includes various treatment modalities. Many procedures are under scientific investigation to determine effectiveness. Dental patients request CAM therapy in an attempt to save money and to prevent invasive procedures. The Alternative Medical Systems are methods of alternative therapy different from Conventional/Western medicine. Mind-Body Interventions are methods of affecting body functions using prayer, meditation, mental imagery and creativity. Biologically-Based Therapy is the use of substances found in nature to promote healing and wellness. Manipulative and Body Based Methods are based on the manipulation and/or movement of the body to treat for pain and wellness. Energy Therapy is based on manipulating energy fields of body. CAM procedures may eventually become standard practice after scientific verification of efficacy. PMID- 17802683 TI - Diabetes and periodontitis. PMID- 17802684 TI - An 11-broom winter. PMID- 17802685 TI - Oral pyogenic granuloma. PMID- 17802686 TI - How sharp is your image? Methods to improve your radiographic skills. PMID- 17802687 TI - Communication, the foundation of success. PMID- 17802688 TI - Ethics, leadership, and the law. PMID- 17802689 TI - Office Designs. PMID- 17802690 TI - Do you know this woman? PMID- 17802691 TI - Greetings and salutations. PMID- 17802692 TI - Obesity not associated with medium-term prognosis among Japanese male survivors hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction. AB - BACKGROUND: Obesity is an established risk factor for coronary heart disease. However, data on the relationship between obesity and prognosis following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are still lacking in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, 1,458 AMI patients were enrolled in the AMI-Kyoto Multi-Center Risk Study between January 2000 and December 2003. Among survivors of hospitalized AMI, clinical characteristics and medium-term prognosis were retrospectively compared between 240 normal weight male patients [body mass index (BMI) 18.5-25.0 kg/m2, normal weight group], and 116 obese male patients (BMI > or = 25.0 kg/m2, obese group), who could be followed up after hospital discharge. The obese group were younger and had higher prevalence of smoking and hypercholesterolemia than the normal weight group. The two groups had similar angiographic findings and outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. During the follow-up period (mean 2.18 years for normal weight, 2.15 years for obese), overall mortality rate as well as event-free survival rate did not differ significantly between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed the presence of previous myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, and age were predictors of medium-term mortality, but BMI was not. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that obesity is not associated with increased medium-term mortality and cardiac morbidity in Japanese male survivors hospitalized for AMI. PMID- 17802693 TI - Plasma levels of soluble glycoprotein 130 in acute myocardial infarction. AB - OBJECTIVES: Soluble glycoprotein 130 (sgp130), a circulating form of receptor subunit for the interleukin (IL) -6 cytokine family, modulates the biological actions of its ligands as an inhibitory regulator. The role of sgpl30 in cardiovascular diseases such as acute coronary syndrome remains unknown. METHODS: Plasma levels of sgp130 were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 33 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI; mean age 67 +/- 2 years, 21 males and 12 females), who were admitted to our hospital within 24 hr of onset of AMI and survived for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Plasma sgp130 levels were significantly higher at admission (260.5 +/- 7.3 ng/ml), and were significantly lower from day 2 to day 5 (202.4 +/- 5.1 ng/ml at day 3) as compared with normal control subjects (n = 38, 227.1 +/- 5.6 ng/ml). The lowest sgp130 levels inversely correlated with white blood cell count at admission (r = -0.42, p < 0.05) and with peak C reactive protein levels (r = -0.43, p < 0.05). Additional in vitro study revealed that incubation of AMI plasma with exogenous IL-6 plus soluble IL-6 receptor resulted in a decrease in plasma sgp130 levels, suggesting the possible reason for reduced plasma sgp130 levels in AMI. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that plasma sgp130 levels were modulated during the time course of AMI and inversely associated with inflammation in AMI. PMID- 17802694 TI - [Frequency and characteristics of incomplete stent apposition during and after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation]. AB - OBJECTIVES: Incomplete stent apposition (ISA) is frequently observed after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation. This study investigated the incidence, morphological features, and possible mechanisms of this phenomenon. METHODS: Fifty-two lesions in 47 eligible patients were treated with SES and serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) assessment at the time of post intervention and 8-month follow-up. ISA was carefully identified from the IVUS images of these lesions. Specifically, quantitative two dimensional IVUS analysis was performed if the lesions demonstrated ISA, including routine IVUS parameters as well as other measurements related to ISA. RESULTS: Overall, ISA was observed in 13 lesions (25.0%) at follow-up. Persistent ISA (n = 6, 11.5%), defined as ISA consistently observed both at post-intervention and follow-up, and late-acquired ISA (n = 7, 13.5%)were systematically compared. Eighty-three percent of cases of persistent ISA were located around the stent edges, whereas all cases of late acquired ISA were in the stent body. In the persistent ISA group, no serial changes were observed in the lumen area or external elastic membrane area (EEMA) from post-intervention to follow-up. However, in the late-acquired ISA group, EEMA and lumen area significantly increased from post-intervention to follow-up (EEMA: 13.4 +/- 3.2 vs 17.6 +/- 3.3 mm2, respectively, p < 0.0001 ; lumen area: 6.7 +/- 1.4 vs 9.2 +/- 1.8 mm2, respectively, p = 0.004). No adverse clinical events were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: ISA was frequently observed during and after SES implantation in clinical practice. No clinical disadvantages were observed during 16 month clinical follow-up periods. Positive remodeling may potentially cause late-acquired ISA. PMID- 17802695 TI - [Prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy using cardiac catheterization combined with hydration, oral N-acetylcysteine, sodium bicarbonate and iso osmolar contrast agents]. AB - OBJECTIVES: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after coronary angiography is a serious complication with an unfavorable prognosis. If CIN is persistent in the chronic phase, the prognosis is much worsened. We evaluated the efficacy of a new clinical therapy consisting of cardiac catheterization combined with hydration, oral N-acetylcysteine, sodium bicarbonate and iso-osmolar contrast agents. METHODS: The clinical therapy was applied to patients with pre-existent chronic renal insufficiency who underwent elective coronary angiography between December 2005 and December 2006. The incidence of CIN (defined as an increase > or = 25% and/or > or = 0.5 mg/dl in serum creatinine) persisting in the chronic phase at 30-60 days was examined in therapy era patients and compared with non-therapy era patients treated between January 2004 and November 2005, as well as patients with creatinine clearance < 40 ml/min. RESULTS: The clinical therapy was applied to 31 of 517 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography. CIN persisting in the chronic phase at 30-60 days occurred in 28 of 808 consecutive non-therapy era patients and 8 of 517 consecutive therapy era patients (3.5% vs 1.8%, p < 0.05). Excluding emergent cases, it occurred in 23 of 752 non-therapy era patients and 5 of 466 therapy era patients (3.1% vs 1.1%, p < 0.05). The patients with pre existent chronic renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance < 40 ml/min) included 66 non-therapy era patients, and 21 of 31 therapy patients. Serum creatinine increased in the non-therapy era group (p < 0.01), but not in the therapy group. CIN persisting in the chronic phase at 30-60 days occurred in 21 non-therapy era group but in none of the therapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy for patients with renal failure consisting of cardiac catheterization combined with hydration, oral N-acetylcysteine, sodium bicarbonate and iso-osmolar contrast agents is effective to prevent CIN in the chronic phase. PMID- 17802696 TI - Survival after acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis complicating a massive left ventricular mural thrombus: a case report. AB - An 81-year-old man was referred to our hospital with exertional dyspnea following cold-like symptoms. Electrocardiography revealed ST elevation and positive T wave in leads I, II, aVL, aVF, and V2-V6. The diagnosis was acute myocarditis complicating heart failure. He was conservatively managed. On hospital day 8, brain infarction developed and echocardiography disclosed massive mural thrombus in the left ventricle. Left ventriculotomy was performed on hospital day 21 and histological examination showed inflammatory cell infiltration mainly composed of eosinophils and monocytes, degeneration of myocytes with replacement fibrosis, and fresh fibrin thrombus overlaying the endocardium. These findings were compatible with a diagnosis of acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis(ANEM). He recovered uneventfully without specific therapy. This case suggests that a subtype of ANEM might be self-limiting. PMID- 17802697 TI - Incessant monomorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with pneumococcal meningitis: a case report. AB - A 22-year-old man with incessant ventricular tachycardia (VT) associated with pneumococcal meningitis without obvious heart disease manifesting as febrile sensation and severe headache visited our emergency department. Initial electrocardiography showed ventricular premature couplets, but the rhythm grew more serious and developed into incessant monomorphic VT resulting in an electrical storm. After examining the cerebrospinal fluid, bacterial meningitis was suspected. The electrical storm ended 21 hr after he had received conservative treatment for meningitis. Streptococcus pneumonia was cultured from the cerebrospinal fluid. No VT was observed during the remainder of the hospital stay and could not be induced in the electrophysiological study. PMID- 17802698 TI - [Combined therapy with weight loss and amiodarone improved cardiac function in a patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy complicated with severe obesity: a case report]. AB - Obesity is associated with an increased risk of development of chronic heart failure, but recent epidemiological studies indicate that a higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with a better survival rate. This is described as the 'obesity paradox' or 'reverse epidemiology'. A 42-year-old male was admitted because of recurrent episodes of decompensated heart failure, and the diagnosis was idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy complicated with severe obesity (BMI 46.0), nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, and central type sleep apnea syndrome. Combined therapy with weight loss (BMI 46.0 to 30.8) and amiodarone (200 mg/day) was instituted in addition to the previous regimen including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, beta blocker, diuretics and pimobendan, improved cardiac function, exercise tolerance, and cardiac sympathetic nerve activity evaluated by cardiac 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy. Furthermore, we succeeded in uptitration of carvedilol(5 to 10mg/day). This case highlights the possible beneficial effect of weight loss in patients with chronic heart failure complicated with obesity, and the resultant improvement of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity suggests that weight loss may partially mimic beta blocker effects in patients with systolic heart failure. PMID- 17802699 TI - [Biventricular noncompaction detected by magnetic resonance imaging: a case report]. AB - We report a case of biventricular noncompaction in whom magnetic resonance imaging revealed prominent trabeculations in the right ventricle as in the left ventricle. A 58-year-old man was referred to our hospital complaining of appetite loss and leg edema. Chest radiography showed cardiomegaly without pulmonary congestion. The diagnosis was right ventricular heart failure with congestive liver causing elevated liver enzyme. Transthoracic echocardiography showed prominent trabeculations and deep recesses in the inferolateral wall and apex of the left ventricle with the end-diastolic dimension of 64mm and ejection fraction of 29%. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated right ventricular noncompaction which remained unclear on echocardiography. Prominent trabeculations in the dilated right ventricle were confirmed by right ventriculography. The ejection fraction was 23%. PMID- 17802700 TI - Echocardiographic findings of intracardiac mass. PMID- 17802702 TI - [Responsibilities of physicians, government, and enterprises for early diagnosis and prevention of iatrogenic nervous system diseases]. PMID- 17802703 TI - [Nervous system disorders induced by drug interactions]. PMID- 17802704 TI - [Central nervous system diseases induced by drug therapies]. PMID- 17802705 TI - [Etiological mechanism of peripheral nervous system diseases induced by drug therapy]. PMID- 17802706 TI - [Adverse effects of therapeutic drugs on peripheral nervous system]. PMID- 17802707 TI - [Adverse effects of therapeutic drugs on muscular system]. PMID- 17802708 TI - [Adverse effects of therapeutic drugs on neuromuscular junctions]. PMID- 17802709 TI - [Neuromuscular disorders caused by adverse effects of antiepileptics]. PMID- 17802710 TI - [Neuromuscular disorders due to adverse effects of antiparkinson agents]. PMID- 17802711 TI - [Drug induced dyskinesia]. PMID- 17802713 TI - [Medication-overuse headache]. PMID- 17802712 TI - [Drug-induced neuroleptic malignant syndrome]. PMID- 17802714 TI - [Drug-induced leukoencephalopathy]. PMID- 17802715 TI - [Rhabdomyolysis induced by statins]. PMID- 17802716 TI - [Central nervous system diseases due to drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome]. PMID- 17802717 TI - [Iatrogenic reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome]. PMID- 17802718 TI - [Progress on diagnosis of and therapy for drug-induced neuromuscular disorders (discussion)]. PMID- 17802719 TI - [Acute aortitis syndrome with abdominal pain and nausea caused by paralytic ileus]. PMID- 17802720 TI - [Tangier disease with severe coronary artery disease and arteriosclerosis obliterans]. PMID- 17802721 TI - [Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with adrenal failure]. PMID- 17802722 TI - [Acute myelitis in a patient with ulcerative colitis]. PMID- 17802723 TI - [Thyroid hormone resistance (Refetoff syndrome) incidentally found in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism]. PMID- 17802724 TI - [Successful treatment of a Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome patient with 3,4 diaminopyridine]. PMID- 17802725 TI - [Remarkable response to cladribine in the treatment for hairy B cell lymphoproliferative disorder]. PMID- 17802726 TI - [Pasteurella multocida meningitis: zoonosis by pets]. PMID- 17802727 TI - [Vascular endothelium dysfunction as the first phase of arteriosclerosis]. PMID- 17802728 TI - [Pathophysiology of and therapy for primary myelofibrosis]. PMID- 17802729 TI - [Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias]. PMID- 17802730 TI - [End of life care for patients without malignancy]. PMID- 17802731 TI - [Minimum knowledge for primary care physicians in treating patients with nonspecific upper respiratory tract infections--application of antibiotics]. PMID- 17802732 TI - [Infection control team]. PMID- 17802733 TI - [Care team for bed sores]. PMID- 17802734 TI - [Relief measure for health issues due to asbestos exposure]. PMID- 17802735 TI - [Induced by fibrogenic aerosols, functional peculiarities of external respiration and cardiovascular system]. AB - Problem of occupational dust pulmonary diseases is a cardiopulmonologic problem, as pulmonary diseases with bronchial obstruction present with early lung hypertension and subsequent heart failure. PMID- 17802736 TI - [State of broncho-pulmonary system in berylliosis patients on distant follow-up period]. AB - The article presents results concerning evaluation of bronchopulmonary system in berylliosis patients on distant follow-up period. In accordance with work conditions, the authors defined two forms of berylliosis: granulomatous and interstitial. Granulomatous one was characterized by progressive course at early stages, with complications resulting in cardio-pulmonary failure. Interstitial one was benign in nature. PMID- 17802737 TI - [On meeting sanitary legal requirements in technical regulation of medical equipment safety]. AB - The article covered observance of sanitary legal requirements in special technical regulations "On requirements to medical equipment and medical products safety". The authors discussed problems of applied terminology, classification of medical products, occupational risk, control over observance of safety requirements on all stages of medical products circulation--design, production, usage. PMID- 17802738 TI - [Health state of locomotive crew members in railway transport]. PMID- 17802739 TI - [Hygienic evaluation of work conditions for locomotive depot workers in North Central Kazakhstan]. PMID- 17802740 TI - [Mutagenesis and plant phylogenesis]. AB - There are two types of genetic mutations - nuclear and cytoplasmic. We consider genic, chromosomic and genomic nuclear mutations in several seed plant families characterized by different evolutionary age and life forms. "Atlas of chromosome numbers of flowering plants" published in our laboratory in 1969 and containing information about 35 000 species and periodical "Index to plant chromosome numbers" (USA) covering in all about 150 000 species were used for comparative study of chromosome numbers. Gymnosperms originated approximately 300 000 000 years ago and represented predominantly by arboreous and shrub forms are characterized by practically total lack of polyploidy and rare aneuploidy, thus the evolutionary progress in this group has been provided by genic mutations. The morphology of chromosomes in Gymnosperms is much more uniform as compared with Angiosperms - all 200 species of Conifers have 24 large meta- and submetacentric chromosomes Angiosperms. This group originated twice later includes 300 000 species with wide range of living forms - from initial arboreous to ephemeric ones. Therefore, the dominating type of mutations for some groups of Angiosperms as Fagaceae, Aceraceae, Aquifoliaceae, Caricaceae and Lauraceae is genic one. The major part of arboreous Angiosperms has clear polyploid series like 2n = 28, 56, 84 (Betula) and 2n = 38, 76, 114 (Magnolia). Polyploidy is the prevalent type of mutagenesis because of the advantage consisting in amplification of total number of genes against a background of preservation of the genome integrity. The chromosomic type of mutations prevalent in groups with asexual reproduction provides the flow of genes between genomes as a result of aneuploidy. Genomic mutations are observed mostly in herbaceous plants. In such groups as Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Ranunculaceae and Rosaceae we observe up to 90 % of polyploid species. Due to such ploidy restrictions like the size of karyon, and the size and the number of chromosomes numerous shorter polyploid series are observed in this group. Hence primitive mutations are prevalent in ancient Gymnosperms. Chromosomic and genomic mutations arose later providing gene flow without functional changes of source genomes. PMID- 17802741 TI - [The disturbance of the transduction of adenylyl cyclase inhibiting hormonal signal in myocardium and brain of rats with experimental type II diabetes]. AB - At present, the data obtained by us and other authors give evidence that disturbances in hormonal signaling systems are the main causes of development of pathological changes and complications under the diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms of these disturbances remain obscure, especially in the case of insulin-independent type II diabetes. Using neonatal streptozotocin model of 80- and 180-days type II diabetes the changes in functional activity of hormone regulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) signaling systems components in the myocardium and the brain striatum of diabetic rats in comparison with the control animals were found. The transduction of AC inhibitory hormonal signal meditated through Gi proteins was shown to by disturbed under diabetes. This was manifested in both the decrease of hormone inhibitory effect on AC activity and weakening of hormone stimulation of G-protein GTP-binding activity. In the case of noradrenaline (myocardium) the inhibitory pathway of AC regulation by the hormone was vanished and the stimulation pathway, in contrary, was protected. Prolongation of diabetes from 80 up to 180 days led to some weakening of Gi-protein-mediated hormonal signal transduction. Stimulating effect of biogenic amines and relaxin on the AC activity and GTP-binding in the myocardium and brain of diabetic rats were weakly changed in the case of both 80- and 180-days diabetes. To sum up, the experimental type II diabetes caused disturbances mainly in Gi-coupled signaling cascades participating in hormone inhibition of AC activity. PMID- 17802742 TI - [Reprogramming of nuclear proteasomes in K562 cells undergoing apoptosis. I. Effect of glutathione-depleting agent, diethylmaleate]. AB - Here we have studied changes in the subunit composition, phosphorylation state and enzymatic activities of 26S proteasomes in cells undergoing the programmed cell death. Apoptosis in proerythroleukemic K562 cells was induced by glutathione depleting agent, diethylmaleate (DEM). We have shown for the first time that proteasomes isolated from the nuclei of control and induces K562 cells differ in their subunit patterns, as well as in the phosphorylation state of subunits on threonine and tyrosine residues. We observed trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities on nuclear proteasomes and the specificity of proteasomal nucleolysis of several individual messenger RNAs (c-fos and c-myc) to be changed under effect of DEM on K562 cells. Treatment of K562 cells with DEM leads to modification of zeta/alpha5 and iota/alpha6 proteasomal subunits associated with RNAse activity of proteasomes. These findings confirm our hypothesis about so-called reprogramming of nuclear proteasome population in undergoing apoptosis K562 cells which is manifested by the changes in proteasomal composition, phosphorylation state, and enzymatic activities during the programmed cell death. PMID- 17802743 TI - [Cytoarchitectonic and neurochemical properties of spinal cord in teleost fishes]. AB - Traditional neuromorphological and NADPH-diaphorase methods were used to study the topography, morphology and neurochemical organization properties of spinal cord in teleosts fishes. The heterogeneous population of NO-producing motoneurons was revealed in the motor column of spinal cords from studied species. Dendrites of primary motoneurons formed rich plexus at the spinal segment periphery. This morphological pattern is determined by translational motion of the fishes in the water (trunk-tail movement), and has no connection with the origin of upper and lower extremities. The NO-producing capacity of spinal motoneurons shows their connection with premotor NO-ergic brain system, including over situated motor centers of reticular formation and descending projections of giant steam neurons (Mauthner and Muller cells). The NO-producing Rohon-Berd neurons were found in the dorso-medial part of spinal cord from studied fishes. These cells with the ascending propriospinal targets form spinal nociceptive system. Thus, the sense Rohon-Berd cells and most motor neurons of studied bony fishes are nitric oxide synthesizing ones. Spinal cord NO-synthesizing territories are situated in concordance with dorso-ventral histochemical gradient. Spinal cord interneurons of these fishes produce nitric oxide selectively. The quantity of NO-synthesizing reticular cells is determined by two main factors: the connection with the specialized neurochemical complexes, where NO is a specific neuromodulator, and individual properties of spinal cord structure directed by conditions of morphoadaptation. PMID- 17802744 TI - [Nitric oxide-ergic organization of medullar cranial nuclei in teleost fishes]. AB - Traditional neuromorphological and NADPH-diaphorase methods were used to study and compare the topography and localization of medullar nuclei NO-ergic neurons in four teleost species: Pholis nebelosis, Hexagramus octogrammus, Carassius carassius and Pholidapus dybowskii. The peculiarity of medullar nuclei organization in teleost fishes consists in the weak topological disconnection of sensor and motor components with pronounced heteromorphism in their structure and the presence of subpopulations in their composition. In the fishes studied, NADPH diaphorase was found in the trygeminal, octavo-lateral, facial, glossopharingeal and vagal nuclei. The number of NO-ergic neurons in the trygeminal nucleus was marginal and made up 9-14 % of the total cell number. About 40-60 % of NO-ergic cells were found in the octavo-lateral, facial, glossopharingeal and vagal nuclei. PMID- 17802745 TI - [Electromagnetic radiation of the terahertz range at the nitric oxide frequency in correction and prophylaxis of functional activity disorders in thrombocytes of white rats under long-term stress]. AB - The influence of electromagnetic waves of terahertz range at the frequencies of molecular spectrum o nitric oxide radiation and absorption on functional activity of thrombocytes in white rats under long-term stress has been studied. It has been shown that courses of THzF treatment applied during the stress can prevent and restore disorders in thrombocytes aggregative function. The stress factor does not induce characteristic of stress-reaction disturbances of microcirculation in animals treated with the preventive course of THzF. PMID- 17802746 TI - [Double strand DNA breaks in C57B1 and mdx mice cardiomyocytes after dynamical stress]. AB - The survival of cardiac myocytes under different physiological and pathological conditions presents pressing problem. mdx mice cardiac myocytes are a promising model of cell survival under condition of oxidative stress. Our early results have shown that some part of mdx mice cardiomyocytes is in early stage of apoptosis (Kazakov, Mikhailov, 2001). But the development of cell death with loss of apoptotical cardiac myocytes occurs only after dynamical stress (bathing during 5 min) (Mikhailov et al., 2001). DNA endonuclease activity in the myocardium and low level of cardiac myocytes death during usual being of mdx mice allowed us to suggest DNA repair to be involved in the survival of mdx mice cardiac myocytes (Mikhailov et al., 2003). To confirm the suggestion we have studied the dynamics of formation and elimination of double strand DNA breaks in mdx myocardium cells after 5 min bathing at 12 degrees C. To visualise double strand DNA breaks formation cell nuclei were stained by monoclonal antibodies to phosphorylated H2Ax histone and to mouse PAP. Double staining with monoclonal anti-H2Ax antibodies and monoclonal anti-a-actin antibodies were used to separate cardiac myocytes from other myocardial cell types. The results showed that during 40 min after stress the deal of H2Ax-positive nuclei in mdx myocardium cells grew up to 41.7 +/- 11.4 % as compared with the initial control level of 6.7 +/- 0.2 %. The number of H2Ax-positive nuclei in these cells decreased after 24 h to 5.7 +/- 0.2 %. The quantity of tagged myocardium cell nuclei in C57B1/6 mice after stress was negligible and did not go beyond 0.01%. Dynamical stress also induced the increase in the rate of 3H-Thymidine incorporation by mdx mice cardiac myocytes from 0.3 +/- 0.3 up to 2.9 +/- 0.5 %. There was not change in the rate of 3H-Thymidine incorporation by cardiac myocytes in C57B1/6 mice. The numbers of labelled nuclei before and after stress were 0.2 and 0.3 %, correspondingly. The number of 3H-Thymidine labelled mdx cardiac myocytes fell down up to 0.4 +/- 0.2 % within 24 h after stress; the level of labelled C57B1/6 cardiac myocytes did not change. We have concluded that 3H-Thymidine incorporation into cardiac myocytes nuclei and staining of these nuclei by monoclonal antiboies phosphorylated H2Ax histone after stress demonstrate rather DNA repair than cardiomyocytes entry into the cell cycle. PMID- 17802747 TI - [SC35 splicing factor and coilin are colocalized within the "endobodies" in oocytes of the spider Araneus diadematus]. AB - Oocytes of the spider Araneus diadematus are solitary developed. The oocyte nuclei are transcriptionally active, as revealed using microinjections of 5 bromouridine 5'-triphosphate into the ooplasm. The nucleus contains several extrachromosomal structures of perfectly spherical shape, the so-called endobodies. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed intense fluorescence of endobodies when an antibody against the splicing factor SC35, a major component of interchromatin granule clusters (IGCs), was applied. At the same time, colocalization of SC35 protein with coilin, a marker protein of Cajal bodies (CBs), was also observed within these structure. We suggest that endobodies of A. diadematus oocytes may have some features of both IGCs and CBs and represent a single nuclear domain. PMID- 17802748 TI - [Assembly of correct kinetochore architecture in Xenopus laevis egg extract requires transition of sperm DNA through interphase]. AB - Xenopus egg extracts provide a powerful tool for studying formation and function of chromosomes. Two alternative protocols are generally used to obtain mitotic chromosomes. The first one employs direct assembly of chromatin from sperm nuclei in CSF-arrested meiotic extracts, while the second is based on transition of sperm DNA through a replication step, followed by re-establishing of CSF arrest. In this study we show that general kinetochore structure is disrupted in chromosomes assembled directly in CSF egg extracts: the amounts of outer kinetochore proteins such as Bub1, BubR1 and Dynactin subunit p150glued are reduced and the components of the inner centromeric region (Aurora B kinase and Survivin) show compromised recruitment to centromeres. In contrast, kinetochores on chromosomes assembled according to the second protocol closely resemble those in somatic cells. Our results argue that transition of sperm nuclei through interphase is an essential step for proper kinetochore assembly. PMID- 17802749 TI - [Mitosis in the free-living flagellate Bodo saltans strain PS+ (Kinetoplastidea, Bodonida)]. AB - The mitosis in the free-living flagellate Bodo saltans Ps+ with prokaryotic cytobionts in perinuclear space has been studied. The nuclear division in B. saltans Ps+ occurs by closed mitosis type without condensation of chromosomes. Two spatially separated mitotic spindles begin to form consistently at the initial stages of nuclear division. The spindle including about 20 microtubules appears first and later the second spindle with half the number of microtubules comes at the angle of 30-40 degrees. Both spindles rest their ends against the inner nuclear membrane and form 4 distinct poles. The microtubules of the first spindle are associated with 4 pairs of kinetochores, the microtubules of the second one are associated with 2 pairs of kinetochores. The divergence of the kinetochores towards the poles occurs independently in each spindle. The equatorial phase is not revealed in B. saltans Ps+. The poles of both spindles unite in pairs at the elongation phase of mitosis and form the integrated bipolar structure. At this stage of the nuclear division, the kinetochores reach the poles of subspindles and become indistinguishable. Then the nucleus takes the shape of a dumbbell. The inner nuclear membranes of just formed nuclei have layers of condensed chromatin characteristic of the interphase nuclei of kinetoplastidea. The daughter nuclei separate at the phase of reorganization. There are 1-2 prokaryotic endocytobionts in the perinuclear space of the interphase nuclei in B. saltans Ps+. The symbionts multiply during mitosis and their number reaches more than 20 specimens par nucleus. PMID- 17802750 TI - [Fluorescent probes for examination of spermatozoa in cryoprotective mediums]. AB - By fluorescent spectroscopy and microscopy methods the possibility of fluorescent probes DSM, E-176, 3-DAB and FME application for study of cryoprotective agents' influence on the dog spermatozoa are investigated. It is established that FME and 3-DAD dyes are suitable for the posed problem solving, and the DSM and E-176 probes have restrictions owing to enough strong fluorescence from cryoprotectant solutions. It is shown that the fluorescent probes investigated influence the cells motility to different degree. The perspectives of investigated dyes application for study of cryoprotective agent' finfluence on spermatozoa are considered. PMID- 17802751 TI - [Surgical correction of presbyopia with multifocal diffractive intraocular lenses]. AB - The authors analyzed the results of binocular refractive lens exchange with a pseudoaccomodative AcrySof ReSTOR multifocal diffractive intraocular lens (IOL) in 24 patients (48 eyes) aged 40 to 61 years. Preoperative hyperopic refraction ranged from 1.0 to 6.0 diopters. One week postoperatively, a high percentage of the operated eyes had fine results of uncorrected distance and near visual acuity; the mean contrast sensitivity was found to be slightly reduced at high frequencies. 87.5% of the patients were completely satisfied with the results of binocular AcrySof ReSTOR implantation. Refractive lens exchange with an AcrySof ReSTOR multifocal IOL is a reasonable option for presbyopia in hyperopic patients and provides high functional results. A contrast sensitivity reduction on high frequencies on high frequencies can limit satisfactory results after AcrySof ReSTOR IOL implantation in case of some professions. PMID- 17802752 TI - [Results of modified one-stage operation for cataract and glaucoma]. AB - The paper analyzed the immediate and late results (the state of intraocular pressure and visual functions) of combined surgery for cataract and glaucoma, by using the developed instrument. Eighteen patients (19 eyes) aged 54 to 92 years who had open-angle glaucoma or phacotopic glaucoma (dislocation of the lens to the vitreous body) and cataract underwent combined surgery involving extraction of cataract, its phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation through the scleral tunnel, and sinus trabeculectomy (STE) performed with a perforator, the instrument developed by the authors. The findings confirm the efficiency of the combined surgery (STE) with cataract extraction through variously extended scleral tunnels in patients with open-angle glaucoma, normalizing intraocular pressure and improving visual functions by one-stage surgery. Combined surgery for cataract extraction with IOL implantation through the scleral tunnel and STE, which is performed with the instrument proposed by the authors, has been put into practice. PMID- 17802753 TI - [Role of pentoxifylline retard dosage forms in the correction of hemodynamic disorders in retinal venous occlusion and diabetic retinopathy]. AB - The investigation was undertaken to study the effect of the pentoxifylline retard dosage form Vasonit on ocular hemodynamics in patients with retinal vein occlusions and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR). Forty-two patients aged 45 to 75 years, including 20 patients (20 eyes) with retinal vein occlusion in the presence of hypertensive disease and atherosclerosis (Group 1) and 22 patients (44 years) with non-proliferative DR (Group 2), were examined. All the patients received the pentoxifylline retard dosage form Vasonit, 600 mg twice a day, for 2 months. After a course of pentoxifylline therapy, the patients were observed to have improved visual functions, positive clinical changes in the fundus of the eye as a reduction in the frequency and extent of retinal hemorrhages, in the degree of manifestations of macular edema, in the number of retinal microaneurysms and ischemic areas. The results of color Doppler mapping of ocular and orbital vessels are indicative of improved hemodynamics as an increase in the values of blood flow velocity and normalization of blood flow resistance and pulsation indices in the arteries supplying blood to the retina and optic nerve. PMID- 17802754 TI - [Study of the efficacy of cyclosporine used in patients at high risk of keratograft rejection. Communication 1. Results of clinical monitoring]. AB - The paper presents the results of a long-term (up to 2-year) clinical monitoring of 30 patients operated on for leukomas of various etiology, who were a high risk group and received the oral cyclosporine HEXAL postoperatively. Three types of the course of a postoperative period were identified. These included: an absolutely favorable course in 33.3% of cases (Group 1), a relatively favorable one in 30% (Group 2), and an absolutely unfavorable course in 36.7% (Group 3). The studies demonstrated that cyclosporine diminished the degree of an inflammatory reaction and promotes its rapid relief and better functional results in the late postoperative period. Transparent and semi-transparent engraftment could be achieved in 63.3% of cases. The causes of poor outcomes (in 36.7%) may be the inadequate doses of the cyclosporine and the time of its administration (unsteady-state blood cyclosporine concentrations (TO), the inadequate efficiency or initial inefficiency of immunosuppressive therapy. PMID- 17802755 TI - [Study of the efficacy of cyclosporine used in patients at high risk of keratograft rejection. Communication 2. Immunological treatment monitoring]. AB - The paper presents the results of a long-term (up to 2-year) clinical and immunological monitoring of 25 patients operated on for leukomas of various etiology, who were a high risk group. The objective of the study was to clarify the causes of the inefficiency of treatment with cyclosporine (Cs) and to develop specific indications for its usage. The autoimmune reactions against the cornea (a cellular response) were studied. The levels of cytokines (interferon (IFN) gamma, IFN-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, and IL-10) and the markers of herpesvirus activation (IgM antibodies) were defined. Retrospectively, the patients were divided into groups according to the pattern of a postoperative period and to the type of immunograms: moderately reactive (n = 6 (24%)), hyperreactive (n = 6 (24%)), and areactive (n = 13 (52%)). The findings suggest that the inefficiency of treatment using the Cs dosage regimens may be due to the wide variability and specific features of immunological responsiveness in particularly critically ill patients. In the authors' opinion, areactive patients (most of them were the post-burnt) need the most careful approach. Overall, the findings suggest that it is necessary to strictly select a Cs dosage regimen on an individual basis and to correct it during clinical and immunological monitoring. PMID- 17802756 TI - [Use of tear enzyme assay to predict recurrent herpetic keratitis in children]. AB - The purpose of the study was to develop a procedure for predicting a relapse of herpetic keratitis in children, by taking into account the results of tear biochemical analysis. The tears from 47 children with herpetic keratitis were examined for the levels of total protein, the concentration of acute-phase proteins, such as orosomucoid and C-reactive protein, the activities of transferases: gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, those of lysosomal glycosidases: alpha-mannosidase, beta-glycosidase, and beta-glucuronidase. Tear biochemical assay made it possible to evaluate the efficiency of treatment and to develop a procedure for predicting a recurrence of herpetic keratitis in children. Determination of the tear activity of the glycosidases may be used to predict recurrent herpetic keratitis in children. PMID- 17802757 TI - [The hemodynamics of the eye and the biochemical parameters in patients with hypertensive disease]. AB - Systemic, cerebral, and orbital hemodynamics and the levels of lipids, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) were studied in 324 patients with hypertensive disease (HD). Patients with grades 1 and 2 HD were found to present eye abnormalities as retinal angiopathy (87.3%), chronic optic neuropathy (8.3%), macular dystrophy (2.4%), and sequels of thrombosis of the central retinal vein or its branches (1.9%). The authors identified hypercholesterolemia, a 12% reduction in SOD, and a 7% increase in HbA(1c); in early-stage ophthalmopathology - in retinal angiopathy, as well as in macular dystrophy, the blood levels of cholesterol was 1.5 times greater that the normal values, SOD and HbA(1c) were decreased by 40 and 54%, respectively, along with reduced linear blood flow velocity in the central retinal artery. The decreased index of cerebrovascular vasomotor responsiveness by the ischemic and dyscirculatory type plays an important part in the development of optic neuropathy. PMID- 17802758 TI - [The specific features of delivery in women with gestosis and myopia]. AB - The treatment option for retinal degeneration, including peripheral vitreochorioretinal degenerations, was performed in 415 pregnant females (including 25 healthy pregnant females); it differed in patients with myopia and gestosis at labor and in the postpartum period in the fact that regularity was first revealed at labor: increases in cardiac output and cerebral circulation index and a decrease in uveal tract blood filling (rheographic quotient, Rq) from 1.78 to 0.5-0.7 per thousand. This results in retinal tissue hypoxia and dystrophy to give rise to free radical oxidation products. The treatment is that vasodilators increasing uveal tract blood filling by 0.9 per thousand are intravenously injected. Prolonged epidural anesthesia used during administrations of spasmolytics and vasodilators additionally shows a 0.9 per thousand increase in Rq in parturients with myopia and gestosis. Antioxidants that inhibit free radical oxidation products are used in the lipoprotein complexes of retinal cells and retinal degeneration are prevented and treated. PMID- 17802759 TI - [Impact of alternative eye photostimulation technique on visually evoked potentials in children with amblyopia]. AB - Before and after alternative eye photostimulation (AEPS), the pattern of visually evoked potentials (VEP) was studied in children with amblyopia. It can be said that there is a persistent abnormality in the binocular visual system as asymmetry of the latency and amplitude of peak P100 of VEP to the 7'-sized structured pattern. Pathogenetically oriented AEPS rearranged the functional state of the binocular system, by differently affecting monocular canals. Along with the increased visual acuity of the amblyopic eye, there is recovery of interocular symmetry of the parameters of the latency and amplitude of peak P100 to the 7'-sized pattern, with the delayed binocular latency to this pattern and the binocular system becomes more equilibrium. PMID- 17802760 TI - [Involutional changes in the human eye accommodative apparatus as evidenced by ultrasound biometry and biomicroscopy]. AB - The paper presents the results of studying involutional changes in the accommodative apparatus of the eye in presbyopia by ultrasound biometry and biomicroscopy. Persons aged 40-70 years who had presbyopia and emmetropic refraction and without concomitant eye disease were examined. In addition to routine studies, all the examinees underwent ultrasound biomicroscopy and ultrasound biometry. The age-related lenticular enlargement was established to be accompanied by a considerable reduction in the orbicular space of the posterior chamber of the eye to the extent of its transformation to a slotted space. The presbyopic patients were found to have a significantly diminished tone in the middle and posterior portions of the lenticular ligamentous apparatus to the extent of its sag, with the altered direction of their passage between the crystalline lenticular equator and the ciliary body crown, i. e. from meridional to radial. The revealed significant age-related topographic and anatomic changes in the orbicular portion of the posterior chamber of eye and in ligamentous tone, which are associated with the involutional increase in the size of the crystalline lens point to the great importance of decreasing the working accommodation distance in the development of presbyopia. PMID- 17802761 TI - [Electroretinography in the evaluation of vitreoretinal proliferative changes due to penetrating shell injury to the eye]. AB - The influence of vitreoretinal proliferative changes on retinal electrogenesis and glioneuronal relationships was studied in 41 patients with penetrating shell injury to the eye. The early data of studies indicated that there is a reduction in the hanz-feldt amplitude on an electroretinogram (ERG). According to the data of optic coherent tomography (OCT), this corresponds to an exudative reactive response and to the development of vitreoretinal tractional changes in the retina in the central zone and at the site of a foreign body. Retinal electrogenetic changes were most pronounced at months 1 to 6 of a follow-up. The integral glial index was decreased and the central index of Muller's cells was drastically increased in the injured eyes. In this period, there was a reduction in an exudative response to injury and an increase in vitreoretinal proliferative changes, as evidenced by OCT. In late posttraumatic period, the injured eyes were characterized by a slow increase in the amplitude of biopotentials that did not achieve the lower normal range just 1 year or more after injuring. Late posttraumatic inhibition is likely to be caused by vitreoretinal complications of mainly dystrophic nature in the central retinal zone and at the site of fragment bedding or removed foreign body. PMID- 17802762 TI - [Additional rationale for the open-angle glaucoma classification to be discussed, by using the concepts of the pathogenesis of its progression]. PMID- 17802763 TI - [Optic coherent biometry]. PMID- 17802764 TI - [Age-related cataract: etiopathogenesis and drug treatment]. PMID- 17802765 TI - [Local and systemic immunological disorders in proliferative vitreoretinopathy]. PMID- 17802766 TI - [Moderate and high myopia in pregnant females and delivery methods]. PMID- 17802767 TI - [Bioactive substance used for treatment and preventive maintenance of liver diseases]. AB - In the present article the review of bioactive substances rendering beneficial effect on an organism at diseases of a liver is resulted. Action of such classes of bioactive substances as amino acids and their derivatives, vitamins, macro- and microelements, herbal bioactive substances, cytamins is described. Bioactive substances can be used in manufacture food supplements or foodstuffs of a medical and prophylactic feed. PMID- 17802768 TI - [Dietary fiber: terms and definition]. AB - The article tells about principal of classification of Dietary Fiber (DF), DF is defined as nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intrinsic and intact in plants. The represent review reports on methods to determine content DF in foods. PMID- 17802769 TI - [Physical, chemical and biological properties of food modified starches]. AB - Aim of work was to compare the chemical and biological properties of starches modified by adipinic acid acetylation. Starches in question were: native maize starch "Novation 4600"; acetylated adipat di-starch of the cold swelling "Prejeflo CH 20"; acetylated adipat di-starch of the cold swelling "Prejeflo CH 40"; acetylated adipat di-starch of the hot swelling "Clearam CH 2020". The differences between starches were connected with number of cross-cut lacings in the structure, and with abilities to be gelatinized in the cold water. Rate of hydrolysis and water-retaining capacities were higher for cold swelling starches which contained the smaller number of resistance fractions. Acetyl value of cold swelling starches was higher under elevation of cross-cut lacing. PMID- 17802770 TI - [The state of ferment systems, participating in cholesterole metabolism: the influence of hepatotropic means under food hypercholesterolemia]. AB - The studies, conducted on mice and rats with experimentally obtained hypercholesterolemia. Revealed that hepatotropic means of animal and plant origin -hepathosan, entherosan, karsil and alcohol, rich in biologically active substances, make for acceleration of cholesteroles hydroxylation in liver and increase of Hmger genes expression level up to planned indices. It was determined that hepathosan has the strongest modulating effect among hepatotropic means. PMID- 17802771 TI - [The use of anthropometric investigations in medicine: some clinico-anthropologic parallels]. AB - In this article are observed useful for clinic medicine anthropometric methods. Some clinico-anthropometric parallels are indicated. They show the importance of individual constitutional diagnosis. PMID- 17802773 TI - [Mode of dieting and dyspepsia: a population-based study]. AB - The study included 1562 adults who has been questioned about gastrointestinal symptoms and mode of dieting habits. Hasty meals, eating just before sleep, daytime snacks, long period between meals, irregular meals were associated with symptoms of dyspepsia. Differences in mode of dieting and its influence on gastrointestinal symptoms between males and females were found. PMID- 17802772 TI - [Study of intestinal time in patients with chronic pancreatitis with the help of hydrogen breath test]. AB - With the help of hydrogen breath test (HRT) the state of small intestina micro flora was studied and the time of transiting chyme in it was defined in 72 patients with chronic biliary-dependent pancreatitis. It was determined that in small intestine of 40% of patients there took place an excessive bacterial growth and chime transiting time increased. After dietary (a standard high-protein diet) and enzyme (Mezim, Creon) therapies, the bacterial semination and HRT were in norm. The use of HRT in gastroetherology permits to evalu ate the efficacy of performed therapy, m particular in patients with body weight deficiency, the character of diarrhea, its possible link with exoennous function of pancreas and excessive bacterial growth in intestine. PMID- 17802774 TI - [Peculiarities of ferrorkinetis in adolescent girls with iron-deficiency anemia]. AB - On the basis of follow up of 462 adolescent girls of 14-19 years old, in 110 of them iron-deficiency anemia was revealed. With the help of general blood analysis and biochemistry studies there was detected a disturbance of iron metabolism, declaring itself in decreasing iron serum indices, serum ferritin saturation factor and increase of general iron combined ability levels, latent combined ability and levels of serum erythropoietin. PMID- 17802775 TI - [Enriched foodstuffs: the estimation of the maximal possible intake of vitamins, iron, calcium]. AB - In connection with an assortment extending in the consumer market of enriched with vitamins and mineral substances foodstuffs a maximal dose of vitamins, iron and calcium has been estimated on the basis of theoretical full replacement of usual products and dishes by their enriched analogues with the maximal micronutrient content. Calculation was made proceeding from the recommended daily average set of products of a sanatorium diet, and also from average daily actual consumption of the basic groups of foodstuffs. The total sizes of theoretically possible maximal receipt of vitamins A, E and B12 calculated on the basis of the first approach, can exceed recommended on 30-75%, of vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, niacin, pantothenic and folic acids--in 2-3 fold, vitamin D and biotin--in 4,5 5,4 fold, additional receipt of calcium makes approximately 83%, iron--about 100%. "Theoretical" intake of vitamins with a real diet amount to 45-220% from recommended norms of their consumption, and additional receipt of calcium and iron can reach 56-99%. Considering negligible probability owing to small volume of manufacture of simultaneous daily replacement of all foodstuffs on enriched analogues (at a level of enrichment up to 50% from recommended daily consumption), the risk of micronutrients overdose is possible to be recognized insignificant. PMID- 17802776 TI - [Approach to of the development of differenciated norms of vitamins consumption by athletes]. AB - The equation of calculation of the norms of consumption of vitamins by athletes of different specialization is suggested. Physiological norms of consumption of vitamins by athletes of different specializations depend on the training loads that determine the amount of protein in their nutrition ration. Daily demand of the athlete in a definite vitamin is equal to the physiological norm of the demand in this vitamin of an adult person (not an athlete), multiplied by the quotient of a protein quota of the athletes' ration and physiological demand of the adult person in proteins. Application of the suggested equation allows developing balanced vitamin complexes for ath letes of various specializations. PMID- 17802777 TI - [Phycotoxins of ASP, PSP and DSP groups in aquaris organisms]. AB - In this article the results of analysis of ASP, PSP and DSP phycotoxins content in aquatic organisms are presented. Methods of determination of toxins were ELISA and HPLS. PMID- 17802778 TI - [Levels of polychlorinated bifenilis and organochlorine in pesticides in chicken eggs from different Russian regions]. AB - Chicken eggs are recognized as a useful matrix for international comparison of accumulation levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in foodstuffs. The paper contains results of detection of 17 congeners of PCB, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexane, DDT and its metabolites in chicken eggs, collected near the former PCB-containing producing plant (Novomoskovsk), the plant earlier produced organochlorine pesticides and hexachlorobenzene (Chapaevsk) and from several areas of the Saratov region. Comparison of obtained results with data from IPEN international study has shown that PCBs levels in chicken eggs from the town of Novomoskovsk and from Chapaevsk local farms is significantly higher than for the most polluted territories in different countries of the world. Chicken eggs' pollution by DDT and HCCH is less expressed than by PCBs. Analysis of these matters' content in chicken egg samples, collected in five poultry farms in different regions of Russia has not revealed a remarkable level of chlorinated pesticide pollution. PMID- 17802779 TI - [Prevalence among Tajikistan women of reproductive age obesity]. AB - The article presents data on excess body weight and obesity prevalence among Tajikistan women of reproductive age. PMID- 17802780 TI - [Development of the educational and methodical materials for vocational hygienic training of food industry workers]. AB - In article the problem of creation of the professional hygienic training materials for food industry workers is considering. PMID- 17802781 TI - [Development of dietary service in Chief military clinical hospital named after N. Burdenko]. AB - The article to devoted to the history of development of dietary service in Burdenko's Chief military clinical hospital. A brief account is given of the main milestones of development of dietology in the hospital. PMID- 17802782 TI - [Hematological malignancies--a special field of blood system pathology]. PMID- 17802783 TI - [Treatment of patients with blood system diseases in day hospital]. PMID- 17802784 TI - [The results of a multicenter randomized trial on the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia of adults]. AB - AIM: Systematization of the results of 20-year multicenter randomized trial of the efficacy of treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) of adults; presentation of the design of the study of the strategy of consolidation and maintenance therapy after high-dose consolidation initiated in 2007. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Treatment outcomes on the protocol AML-01.01 are presented for 354 AML patients from 29 hematological centers located in 22 towns of Russia and 2 towns of Ukraine. The patients were randomized into 3 groups by variant of therapy: 124 patients (62 males and 62 females; age median 42 years) received 4 courses of 7+3+VP-16 and 5 courses of maintenance therapy (7+3 with thioguanin); 130 patients (65 males and 65 females, age median 41 year) received 2 courses of 7+3+VP-16, 2 courses 7+3, maintenance--5 courses 7+3 with thioguanin; 126 patients (57 males and 68 females, age median 40 years) were given 2 courses of 7+3+VP-16, 2 HAD courses, treatment discontinuation. RESULTS: A complete remission after the first course of 7+3+VP-16 was achieved in 55% patients, after the second course--in 30% after the course 7+3+VP-16 or 7+3 with mitoxantron, in 70%--after NAM. Overall and recurrence-free survival were 18 and 35%; 30 and 20%; 36 and 30%, respectively. There was no significant difference in efficacy of the treatment scheme. CONCLUSION: The multivariate analysis has shown that a leading factor having impact on treatment results was the number of randomized patients: the less patients were randomized, the worse were the results. PMID- 17802785 TI - [The results of a multicenter trial of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment on ALL-MB 91/ALL-BFM 90m in children: analysis of efficacy and toxicity]. AB - AIM: A comparative analysis of efficacy and toxicity of two chemotherapy regimens: standard German protocol ALL-BFM 90m and less intensive original test protocol ALL-MB 91 in a multicenter trial of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 1995-2002 a total of 834 patients with newly diagnosed ALL aged 0-18 years were admitted to 10 clinics of Russia. Of them, 713 were randomized in two groups: treatment program ALL-BFM 90m (n = 355) and ALL-MB 91 program (n = 358). RESULTS: In 7-year follow-up median, 10-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) did not differ significantly between the groups and was 67 +/- 3 and 68 +/- 3% (ALL-MB 91) and 74 +/- 2, 71 +/ 3% (ALL-BFM 90m), respectively. Though the rate of isolated recurrences in CNS in patients on the protocol ALL-MB 91 was 2.8%, they developed only in 0.8% patients of the standard risk group. Anemia, thrombocytopenia and agranulocytosis developed less frequently, hospital stay was significantly shorter on the test protocol vs the control one (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EFS and OS on the test (ALL MB 91) and control (ALL-BFM 90m) protocols were equivalent in lower toxicity and cost of therapy. PMID- 17802786 TI - [Long-term results of combined treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia in children and adolescents with gene therapy]. AB - AIM: To analyse the results of treatment of children and adolescents with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) including polychemotherapy and ATRA (protocols APL 93, 98 and 2003). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The course of the disease, modification of the treatment protocols with reduction of anthracyclines and ATRA doses, results of molecular monitoring of PML/RARalpha transcript have been analysed for 107 APL patients. RESULTS: For prognosis of the disease important are initial characteristics of the patient and the time of the tumor regress assessed by molecular methods--establishment of molecular remission and molecular recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: In APL it is necessary to conduct molecular monitoring especially in patients at high risk and with poor prognosis in a decrease of treatment intensity for toxicity relief. Detection of molecular recurrence is indication for treatment. To raise efficacy of APL recurrence therapy it is necessary to design a special updated protocol. PMID- 17802787 TI - [Transplantations of allogenic and autologous hemopoietic stem cells in acute leukemia (results of 20-year experience)]. AB - AIM: To analyse results of transplantation of allogenic and autologous hemopoietic stem cells (allo-THSC and auto-THSC) with myeloablation preconditioning in patients with acute leukemia (AL) performed in 1987-2006. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 71 allogenic and 45 autologous THSC were performed in 116 patients with different AL variants. Conditioning in all allo THSC included busulfan (16 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg). This regimen was used in 29 recipients of auto-HSC. Cyclophosphamide in a dose 120 mg/kg and total radiation of the body in a dose 12 Gy were given to 16 recipients. Overall, relapse-free and event-free survival of patients after THSC were analysed as well as early (first 100 days) and overall lethality. Auto-THSC in 15 patients was for the first time followed by immunomodulating therapy aimed at prevention of AL relapses: in acute myeloid leukemia ATRA in combination with alpha-interferon, in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)--ronkoleukin, interleukin-2 preparation. RESULTS: Overall survival of AL patients after allo-THSC for the observation period increased from 31 to 58%, early lethality fell from 44 to 4%. Results of allo-THSC conducted in the first complete remission were much better than in patients with other AL stages at the time of THSC. After auto-THSC 5-year survival rose from 22 to 60% while early lethality reduced from 33 to 4%. Administration of immunomodulating therapy after auto-THSC increases 5-year survival from 35 to 80%. CONCLUSION: Outcomes of THSC in AL has improved for the last 20 years. Outcomes of allo-THSC performed in the first complete remission are much higher. Immunomodulating therapy after auto-THSC promoted better results. PMID- 17802788 TI - [The experience in non-relative allogenic transplantation of stem hemopoietic cells in the Clinic of Bone Marrow Transplantation at I.P. Pavlov St-Petersburg Medical Academy]. AB - AIM: To evaluate efficacy of allogenic transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells (allo-THSC) from non-relative donor in patients with hematological diseases in the Clinic of Bone Marrow Transplantation at L.P. Pavlov St-Petersburg Medical Academy for the period 2000-2006. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 84 allo-THSC from non-relative donor to patients aged from 10 months to 65 years (median 18 months, 44 years) was carried out. RESULTS: Six-year overall survival (OS) in all the patients was 51.4%, in remission of AML--66.7%, ALL--33%, depending on the presence or absence of acute reaction graft versus host reaction (GVHR)--54 and 50.9%, chronic FVHR--75.6 and 58.2%, blood group compatibility or incompatibility in donor/recipient pairs--58.4 and 47.9%, by gender--61.4 and 40.6%, in use of HSC of the bone marrow--58.3%, peripheral blood--26.7%. OS in the dose of transplanted CD 34+ cells per 1 kg body mass < 5.0 x 10(6)/kg--173%, in the dose 5.0--8.0 x 10(6)/kg--38.8%, > 8.0 x 10(6)/kg--35.5%. Acute GVHR developed in 56% patients, chronic--in 20%, hemorrhagic cystitis--in 27.7%, bacterial, cytomegalovirus and fungal infection--in 10, 70 and 30%, respectively. The causes of death were acute GVHR (20%), infection 99%), polyorganic failure (4%), transplant rejection (5.3%), recurrence (18.7%). CONCLUSION: Bone marrow transplantation clinics in the Russian Federation must develop all kinds of allo THSC--relative, non-relative and haploidentical using bone marrow, peripheral blood, umbilical blood as the source of HSC. It is necessary to create a national register of non-relative donors. PMID- 17802789 TI - [Recovery of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with hematological diseases after allogenic non-relative transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells]. AB - AIM: To define impact of lymphopoiesis state on the results of transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells (THSC) by assessment of kinetics of lymphocyte count recovery in early posttransplantation period; to study correlation between THSC results and changes in composition of lymphocyte subpopulation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Recipients of 122 non-relative THSC entered the trial. The recipients were adults with various hematological malignancies. RESULTS: Allogenic non relative THSC leads to deep and long-lasting lymphopenia, low count of all lymphocyte subpopulations and, as a result, to marked impairment of antiinfectious and antitumor immune response. Kinetics of lymphopoiesis recovery depended on some clinical factors. Of most importance were duration of the disease before THSC, HLA donor and recipient compatibility, the source of stem cells, lymphocyte count in the transplant, administration of immunosuppressive drugs. Conduction of non-myeloablative regimens of conditioning did not reduce severity and duration of lymphopoiesis suppression. The time of lymphoid subpopulations count recovery had a significant influence on THSC results. Long term lymphopenia increased the risk of severe infectious complications and recurrence. Low (under 500 lymphocytes in 1 mcl) lymphocyte level in peripheral blood one month after the transplantation was a death risk factor for patients after THSC. CONCLUSION: Dynamics of the recovery of lymphocyte subpopulations can be used for formulating policy of adaptive immunotherapy in patients after THSC. PMID- 17802790 TI - [Allogenic transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells in low-intensity regimes in patients with hematological malignancies]. AB - AIM: To test feasibility of transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells (THSC) with conditioning in low-intensity regimen associated with minimal toxic complications and engraftment in patients with hematological malignancy (HM) from a high risk group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THSC was performed in 33 patients aged 18 to 65 years. Most of the patients suffered from acute leukemia and advanced forms of myelodysplastic syndrome. All the patients had severe complications excluding standard transplantation. Pretransplantation preparation was based on fludarabine and moderate doses of busulfane. Engraftment was achieved in 94% patients. Of complications, there were primarily infections, relapses, graft versus host reactions (45, 24, 57.5%, respectively). Overall survival was 53%, relapse-free- 67%, follow-up median 23.6 months. CONCLUSION: THSC after conditioning in the regime of low intensity is an effective method of HM treatment in patients with contraindications to standard transplantation. The main problem is a high risk to develop graft versus host reaction, especially a chronic form. PMID- 17802791 TI - [Umbilical blood is a source of hemopoietic stem cells for transplantation]. AB - AIM: To develop and introduce into practice scientifically validated methods of collection, testing and storage of hemopoietic stem cells of umbilical blood (UB) for non-relative transplantations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: UB and UB concentrate of 1004 mature newborns were studied with morphological, immunocytometric and cultural methods. RESULTS: The established reference values of the number of leukocytes and hemopoietic stem cells (HSC) are essential for examination whether UB is useable for production of the transplantation material. Obtained with the procedure of UB concentration based on sedimentation of erythrocytes due to hydroxyethylstarch, transplantation material has volume 20.0 ml, contains 39.0 +/ 0.48 x 10(6)/ml leucocytes and 1.37 +/- 0.029% CD34+cells and does not differ from umbilical blood by percentage of basic subpopulations of leucocytes and HSC. Assessment of efficacy of leucoconcentration procedure in different pregnancy courses, delivery and technological stages of UB collection gives grounds to consider the methods optimal for use in UB bank, while testing is thought adequate for examination of the material for transplantation fitness. CONCLUSION: Introduction of the study results into practice optimizes the work of stem cell banks and allows production of effective transplantation material. PMID- 17802792 TI - [Clinico-laboratory variants of the course and results of therapy of hepatitis associated aplastic anemias in children]. AB - AIM: To study clinical and laboratory characteristics of hepatitides and evaluate efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy and transplantation of the bone marrow in hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia (HAAA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of case histories of children with HAAA was made. For all the patients standard tests for detection of aquired aplastic anemia and hepatitis were conducted. Transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells (THSC) from HLA-identical donors was made in 4 patients, 25 patients were treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy (antithymocytic globulin--ATG plus cyclosporin A -CsA), one patients received monotherapy with CsA, two--prednisolone and a short course of CsA, one child was untreated. RESULTS: Of 260 children admitted to hospital from April 1989 to July 2005 for aquired aplastic anemia, 33 (12.7%) met diagnostic criteria of HAAA. Boys to girls ratio was 267. Hepatitides were severe: median of alaninaminotransferase concentration was 1215 IU/l, aspartataminotransferase--789 IU/l, bilirubin--152.5 mcmol/l. Median of the interval from hepatitis symptoms to documentation of pancytopenia was 66 days (0 204 days). All four patients after THSC are alive for 30-72 months. Probability of complete remission after the first course of ATG+CsA is 0.72 +/- 0.09, probability of survival 0.81 +/- 0.07, median of the interval to transfusion independence--50 days. CONCLUSION: HAAA prognosis is good only in administration of up-to-date therapy. After seronegative hepatitis it is necessary to control hemogram parameters and in the presence of minimal cytopenia patients should be directed to hematological hospital. PMID- 17802793 TI - [Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphosarcoma of the spleen]. AB - AIM: To investigate characteristics of the course and efficacy of treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphosarcoma (DLBL) with primary lesion of the spleen. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 1998 to 2006, primary splenic lesion was registered in 15 of 120 patients with DLBL and affected lymph nodes (LN), spleen and Waldeyer's ring. The diagnosis was made according to WHO criteria. Of them 14 patients had splenectomy as the first stage of therapy. The operation was followed with 6 to 8 courses of CHOP-21 (8 patients), 4 courses of R-CHOP-21 and radiotherapy (one patient). One patient received 7 courses of CHOP-21 followed by splenectomy. Because of the presence of several signs of unfavourable prognosis 5 patients under 60 years were given intensive therapy: 4-6 courses of the modified program NHL-BFM-90, 2 of 5 patients received radiotherapy. RESULTS: All the patients with primary DLBL of the spleen had two and more signs of unfavourable prognosis: elevated concentration of serum LDG, size of the tumor more than 10 cm, high proliferative activity of tumor cells, B-symptoms, severe condition. Seven patients had centroblastic, 8--anaplastic variants of DLBL. Tumor cells in primary DLBL of the spleen had no specific immunophenotype. Complete remission of the disease was achieved in 9 (90%) of 10 patients treated on programs CHOP-21, R CHOP-21, in 4 of 4 patients on the modified program NHL-BFM-90. Mean follow-up was 39.3 months (from 7 to 103 months). CONCLUSION: For primary DLBL of the spleen characteristic are long-term remissions on first line therapy according to CHOP-21 program irrespective of morphology and immunophenotype. PMID- 17802794 TI - [Prognostic significance of immunoglobulin variable region gene mutations in B CLL patients treated with combination therapy fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide]. AB - AIM: To study prognostic factors in previously untreated patients receiving FC regimen (fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of B-CLL patients observed in Hematology Research Center of Russia (Moscow) and Faculty Therapy Clinic of St. Petersburg State Medical University (St. Petersburg). All patients received FC regimen as a first line treatment (fludarabine 50 mg plus cyclophosphamide 250 mg/m2 for 3 days intravenously, repeated every 28 days). RESULTS: 54 patients were included into the study. The median age was 57.5 yrs (range 40-78 yrs). There were 38 males and 16 females. Before the treatment 22% patients had Binet stage A, 41%--stage B and 37%--stage C. 62% patients had unmutated subtype of B-CLL and 38% mutated subtype. 12 patients (22%) received less than 4 cycles of chemotherapy. In 8 patients (15%) there were significant delays between cycles (more than 2 months). In the whole cohort the median overall survival calculated from the time of treatment initiation was 57.4 months, the median progression free survival--24 months, and the median relapse free survival--27 moths. Mutational status of immunoglobulin variable region genes significantly influenced survival. In patients with unmutated subtype the median progression free survival was 23.6 months, while in patients with mutated subset it was not reached: 75% survival at 22.7 months (p = 0.027). Difference in progression free survival by stages (A versus B+C, A+B versus C) was not significant. CONCLUSION: Our data show that mutational status of immunoglobulin variable region genes remains a significant prognostic factor in patients receiving combined therapy with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine. PMID- 17802795 TI - [Velcade in multiple myeloma]. AB - AIM: To study efficacy of velcade therapy in patients with progressive or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April 2005 to November 2006 velcade was used in therapy of 18 patients (11 females and 7 males) with progressive or refractory to prior standard therapy MM course. The patients' age median was 55 years (36 to 76 years). Velcade was injected intravenously on the course days 1, 4, 8 and 11 with interval 10 days between the courses. A total of 77 courses were made (median 4.5). RESULTS: Overall efficacy was assessed according to EBMT criteria in 16 (68%) patients. Partial remission (PR) was achieved in 9 patients, complete remission (CR)--in 1, minimal response (MR)--in 1 patient. Five patients failed the treatment. In 5 of 11 patients with confirmed efficacy of velcade the drug was used in induction of remission before high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autotransplantation of hemopoietic stem cells (HSC), in 3- as monotherapy, in 1--in combination with high-dose dexamethasone, in--with high dose dexamethasone and doxorubicin. Four patients achieved PR, one--MR. HSC were obtained before velcade therapy in one patient, in 4--after its conduction. After HDC there were one CR and 4 PR. Recovery of hemopoiesis after HDC took the same time as after standard induction therapy. In 6 of 11 patients HDC was not performed. Velcade therapy is continued in 2 patients, in 1 case with CR the treatment was stopped. In 3 cases PR for 2 to 6 months was followed by the disease progression. CONCLUSION: Velcade as a new effective antitumor drug can be used for treatment of progressive and refractory forms of MM. PMID- 17802796 TI - [Genotyping of gram-negative bacteria isolated from blood in sepsis in patients with hematological diseases]. AB - AIM: Genotyping of hospital strains of gram-negative bacteria isolated from blood of patients with hematological diseases in the presence of sepsis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bacterial DNA were studied with pulse-electrophoresis with commercial kits Genepath Reagent Kits (BioRad, USA). Comparison and interpretation of the results were made with application of the computer analysis program Bionumerics, Applied Maths. RESULTS: DNA of bacteria of 152 hospital strains was studied. In genotyping of 26 strains of P. aeruginosa 21 clones was isolated, 15 strains of Enterobacter spp.--12 clones, 31 strains of K. pneumoniae--27 clones, 80 strains of E.coli--79 clones. The greatest number of clones of identical bacteria (19%) was detected in the strains of P. aeruginosa, 17%--Enterobacter spp., 11%--K. pneumoniae, minimal (1%) in the strains of E. coli (p < 0.001). Incidence of isolation of clonal-relative strains among P. aeruginosa isolates was 35% (n = 9), Enterobacter spp.--33% (n = 5), K. pneumoniae--23% (n = 7), E. coli--2% (n = 2). CONCLUSION: Polyclonality of the microorganisms was detected. Frequency of isolation of clones containing identical bacteria in the test bacteria was variable. In clinic there are endogenic and exogenic mechanisms of infection with prevalence of endogenic. PMID- 17802797 TI - [Detection of translocations diagnostic for Berkitt's lymphoma by fluorescent in situ hybridization on histological sections of paraffin blocks]. AB - AIM: To test feasibility of detection of translocations which are diagnostic for Berkitt's lymphoma with the method of fluorescence in situ hibridization (FISH) on histological sections of paraffin blocks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: FISH on histological sections for detection of t(8;14)(q24;q32) and variant t(2;8)(p12;q24) and t(8;22)(q24;q11) was performed on the material obtained from 53 patients with typical clinical, morphological and immunological picture. DNA probe LSI IgH/MYC, CEP 8 Tri-color, Dual Fusion Translocation Probe (Vysis, USA), for variant translocations DNA-probe LSI MYC, Dual color, Break Apart Rearrangement Probe (Vysis, USA) were used. RESULTS: Histological material from 31 patients contained translocations characteristic for LB: in 29 (93.5%)- t(8;14)(q24;q32), in 2--variant rearrangements of locus of gene c-myc. Translocation t(8;14)(q24;q32) and its variants were not detected in 22 patients, the diagnosis was changed for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). CONCLUSION: Typical for BL clinical, morphological and immunological picture may present in extra-nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with high proliferative activity. Differential diagnosis between BL and the latter lymphoma is possible only basing on detection of translocation t(8;14)(q24;q32) or its variants. If it is impossible to obtain native material, FISH on histological sections of parasffin blocks is the only possible method of differential diagnosis. PMID- 17802798 TI - [Granulocytic colony-stimulating factor: mechanisms of mobilization of hemopoietic stem cells of peripheral blood and systemic effects of use]. PMID- 17802799 TI - [Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and mechanisms of their action]. PMID- 17802800 TI - [The specific features of the structure, function of pools of the body's intercellular environment and their role in the pathogenesis of clinical forms of arterial hypertension]. PMID- 17802801 TI - [The levels of nitrites and medium molecular-weight molecules in the blood of neonatal infants with posthypoxic cardiopathy]. AB - A hundred and four neonatal infants underwent clinical and functional studies in early neonatality. The levels of nitrites and medium molecular-weight molecules were determined in cardiologically healthy neonatal infants and children with posthypoxic cardiopathy. The magnitude of increases in biochemical parameters was found to be associated with clinical type of cardiopathy: their level significantly elevates in transient myocardial ischemia, their values achieve the maximum level in neonatal pulmonary hypertension and in the presence of functioning fetal communications. PMID- 17802802 TI - [The content of amino acids in the breast milk of nursing women]. AB - Comparative quantitative and qualitative identification of free amino acids in the breast milk and plasma of puerperas (healthy individuals and those who had experienced gestosis during pregnancy) was made on a KNAUER-Aminosis A 200 amino acid analyzer on postpartum day 6. Clear direct correlations were found between the levels of essential amino acids in the breast milk and plasma; as well as the total content of all amino acids. When adequate sampled (on fasting) and processed (centrifugated and deproteinized), breast milk, a biological fluid, compares well with plasma samples in its diagnostic informative and biological value and it may be used as a subject for the noninvasive evaluation of the amino acid status of nursing mothers. PMID- 17802803 TI - [The level of pregnancy-associated alpha2-glycoprotein and the hormonal background during different options of hormonal replacement therapy in the menopausal syndrome]. AB - The authors studied the concentration of pregnancy-associated alpha2-glycoprotein (PA alpha2GP), a sensitive marker of estrogen-dependent tumors, and the association of its level with the serum content of a number of hormones: follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol (E-2), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DEAS-S), and testosterone in females receiving the groups of drugs containing: 1) estradiol valerate; 2) 17beta-estradiol, and 3) tibolone. The type of the active ingredient of a drug and the duration of its administration were shown to differently affect both the concentration of hypothalamopituitary hormones and steroid sex hormones and the level of PA alpha2GP). The latter increased significantly in Group 1 and insignificantly in Group 2 and did not differ from the normal values in Group 3, at the same time the concentration of E 2 elevated in Groups 1 and 2, rather than in Group 3; the level of DEAS-S increased in Groups 2 and 3 irrespective of the duration of use. Moreover, there were elevated levels of testosterone in Group 3 and those of DEAS-S in Group 1 only when the drugs were administered for 3-6 months. A number of correlations were found in the levels of PA alpha2GP with those of steroid hormones. The authors consider that individual monitoring of the level of PA alpha2GP in the females who need hormonal therapy in menopause provides a useful guide to choosing a drug, monitoring its use efficiency, and preventing malignant proliferation in proper time. PMID- 17802804 TI - [Improvement of chemiluminescent technique for studying the functional activity of phagocytes]. PMID- 17802805 TI - [Comparative efficiency of detection of the causative agent of urogenital chlamydiasis by immunofluorescence, polymerase chain reaction, and dot immunoassay]. AB - The diagnostic efficiency of three diagnostic kits--two commercial (for direct immunofluorescent test (DIFT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and one predeveloped experimental dot-ELISA--was compared. For this, specimens (cervical or urethral scrapes) from 225 patients with suspected or verified urogenital chlamydiasis were analyzed. Dot-ELISA was shown to have a higher sensitivity and a higher specificity than both commercial kits. The coincidence of positive and negative results of dot-ELISA with DIFT and PCR was 98.6 +/- 1.4 and 100%, respectively. In addition, dot-ELISA on the "Amersham" membrane could detect cases of the disease by 7 and 1.2 times, as compared with PCR and DIFT, respectively. The prospects of the dot-ELISA kit for the rapid, simple, and cheap diagnosis of urogenital chlamydiasis are discussed. PMID- 17802806 TI - [Procedure for creation the atmosphere for cultivation of anaerobic microorganisms]. PMID- 17802807 TI - [Development of a regional external quality assessment program of the diagnosis of syphilis in the Volga Federal District]. AB - In 2004, the authors first developed and implemented a regional external quality assessment program (REQAP) for the diagnosis of syphilis in the Volga Federal District (VFD). Its objective is to improve the quality of studies in the clinical laboratories of AIDS prevention and control centers (AIDS PCC) using a cardiolipin antigen precipitation microtest and/or enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the diagnosis of syphilis and to compare the reproducibility of results at the laboratories. The program includes a theoretical stage--the issues concerning different aspects of the diagnosis of syphilis and the variants of replies to them; a practical stage--to solve enciphered problems, to draw up protocols; and a final stage--to sum up the results of two former stages and to organize a seminar. Twenty laboratories (16 laboratories of VFD AIDS centers and 4 laboratories of other therapeutic-and-prophylactic institutions) implemented REQAP for the diagnosis of syphilis. This resulted in the creation of a normative base regulating the techniques of diagnostic studies and appropriate test systems; revealed the sources of errors in the interpretation of the results obtained by the Lewis test; showed the correct interpretation of the results of EIA; indicated shortcoming when working with guide materials. Intralaboratory monitoring could reveal the incomplete realization of the stated sensitivity of test systems in considerable numbers of laboratories of the district, and well as no skills in statistical data processing. It is concluded that the normative base of diagnostic studies should be additionally worked over, that the laboratories should obligatorily participate in the Federal external quality assessment system, and that intralaboratory monitoring should be done. Most participants of REQAP for the diagnosis of syphilis are ready to use a precipitation microtest and EIA. PMID- 17802808 TI - [Relationship between the level of serum rearrangement of vaccinated animals and the stress of immunity to experimental plague]. PMID- 17802809 TI - The scientific basis of tobacco product regulation. AB - This report presents the conclusions reached and recommendations made by the members of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation at its third meeting, during which it reviewed four background papers specially commissioned for the meeting and which dealt, respectively, with the following four themes. 1. The contents and design features of tobacco products: their relationship to dependence potential and consumer appeal. 2. Candy-flavoured tobacco products: research needs and regulatory recommendations. 3. Biomarkers of tobacco exposure and of tobacco smoke-induced health effects. 4. Setting maximum limits for toxic constituents in cigarette smoke. The Study Group's recommendations in relation to each theme are set out at the end of the section dealing with that theme; its overall recommendations are summarized in section 6. PMID- 17802810 TI - Using 10-essential-services training to revive, refocus, and strengthen your environmental health programs. AB - The 10 essential services of environmental health, which are based on the 10 essential public health services, can guide environmental health practitioners in systematically organizing and managing environmental public health programs and activities. The National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has used the 10 essential services of environmental health as a basis for its six goals for the revitalization of environmental health in the 21st century. Nevertheless, studies indicate that very few environmental health practitioners are aware of the 10 essential services. This article discusses how essential-services training has increased the awareness and knowledge of environmental health practitioners about the development, value, and use of the essential services. Examples of training outcomes are offered to illustrate how the use of the essential-services framework has improved environmental health performance and practice. PMID- 17802811 TI - Building capacity of environmental health services at the local and national levels with the 10-essential-services framework. AB - The authors present a case study on the use of the 10-essential-services framework to build capacity in a local environmental health agency. The framework can be applied to conduct an environmental health assessment, make organizational change, and expand environmental health capacity at the local level in a way that has a national impact. Examples of environmental health capacity-building efforts include vector surveillance, community education and outreach, workforce development, and research. The case study highlights the lessons learned from use of the 10-essential-services framework to improve environmental health services in Multnomah County, Oregon. PMID- 17802812 TI - The Boston Safe Shops Project--preliminary findings of a case study in applying the 10 essential services of public health to building environmental health capacity. AB - Boston's more than 500 automotive shops, located primarily in low-income communities of color, are a source both of well-paying jobs and of potential hazardous exposures to employees and residents. The Safe Shops Project works to reduce occupational and environmental health hazards without having to close these businesses. Combining inspections, in-shop trainings, outreach, and technical/financial assistance, it brings shops into compliance with laws and promotes use of safer practices and alternative products. After 18 months, 254 workers at 61 of 124 participating shops had received training. Surveys showed improved worker knowledge: Pre-training, 24.2 percent of the worker survey respondents stated that they knew what an MSDS was, and post-training, 75 percent stated that they knew. The surveys also found improvement in work practices: Pre training, 48 percent of workers indicated that they used safety goggles in their work, while post-training, 70 percent indicated proper use of safety goggles. The results also showed shops investing in capital improvements such as replacement of PCE-based brake cleaners with aqueous cleaners. The Safe Shops Project has a successfully modeled application of the 10-essential-services framework to the building of public health capacity and community collaboration, and this model can be adapted to other locations and industries. PMID- 17802813 TI - The use of the National Public Health Performance Standards to evaluate change in capacity to carry out the 10 essential services. AB - Nationally, environmental public health programs have been struggling to find ways to measure their capacity to carry out the 10 essential public health services. The ability to make this kind of measurement is crucial to showing the benefits of local, state, and federal funding of environmental public health programs, It is also crucial to the continuation of this funding. One local health department in Pennsylvania, the Allegheny County Health Department, implemented use of the National Public Health Performance Standards as a mechanism for measuring current performance in carrying out the 10 essential services as well as to set a benchmark for improving capacity in areas of environmental health practice. By using these standards as a tool for assessing current performance, the health department was able to focus on strengthening areas in which little or no capacity was reported. This process made it possible to set priorities and allocate resources to improve the delivery of environmental health services. The tool was re-used two years later to measure the impact this capacity-building activity had on improving the ability of the environmental health program to carry out the 10 essential services. PMID- 17802814 TI - Enhancing the Maryland environmental public health workforce: a collaborative approach. AB - The practice of environmental public health (EPH)-ensuring food, water, and sanitation protection-is the traditional cornerstone of public health. Demands on the EPH infrastructure have broadened, however, to involve issues such as chemical and physical hazards in the environment, the role of the built environment in health, and disaster preparedness. Maryland, with its varied geography and population densities, faces many of the EPH challenges that are present elsewhere throughout the nation. A strong and stable EPH workforce is an essential ingredient in addressing these challenges. Yet significant workforce obstacles exist, including recruitment shortfalls, inability to retain qualified staff, impending retirements, inadequate training opportunities, insufficient compensation, and the absence of a robust career advancement pathway. Recognizing the importance of EPH protection for Maryland's future, state and local agencies and academic institutions are working collaboratively to address EPH challenges. Much progress has been made: Communication and interaction between state and local agencies have been strengthened; practitioners and academic institutions have collaborated to improve EPH training opportunities; and workforce development efforts have been made to address recruitment and retention challenges. Although there have been significant accomplishments, much work remains. It is imperative that these efforts continue and that they be supported at all levels of government. Coordination and communication, as well as the training, recruitment, and retention of the workforce, are critical to a strong and responsive EPH infrastructure. PMID- 17802815 TI - Using the PACE EH model to mobilize communities to address local environmental health issues--a case study in Island County, Washington. AB - The Island County Environmental Health Initiative (ICEHI) is a demonstration project in the use of the Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health (PACE EH) to build capacity in the 10 essential services of environmental health. The PACE EH methodology systematically applies the 10 essential services of environmental health through the completion of 13 tasks derived from a community-based environmental health assessment process. The ICEHI has successfully engaged community members, identified environmental health issues important to the community, and led to the implementation of action plans aimed at reducing environmental health risks through use of community resources. This paper describes the methodology utilized by the ICEHI to address locally important environmental health issues so that other local and state environmental health agencies may replicate the process in their communities. PMID- 17802816 TI - The Great Lakes Center's health hazard evaluation program: promoting community environmental health through partnerships between academic and public health departments. AB - The Great Lakes Center of Excellence in Environmental Health (GLCEEH), an innovative capacity-building component of the University of Illinois, performs health hazard evaluations in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments. GLCEEH has provided state and local health departments with faculty, industrial-hygiene expertise, and research expertise to help them investigate a variety of environmental health issues. This article describes health hazard evaluations performed with support from the National Center for Environmental Health, lessons learned, and recommendations for successful collaboration between academic and public health departments. From the academic perspective, health hazard evaluations are beneficial because they provide faculty and students with the opportunity to engage in public health practice and encounter new issues that advance the science of environmental health through research. From the perspective of a public health department, health hazard evaluations are beneficial because they address priority environmental health concerns and build the capacity of department personnel to conduct health hazard evaluations with internal resources. A collaborative health hazard evaluation program increases public health capacity by developing new approaches to environmental health problems and by sharing limited resources. PMID- 17802817 TI - It takes more than science. PMID- 17802818 TI - Optimizing environmental health training outcomes: a case study of tribal and nontribal trainees. AB - Approximately 80 percent of the public health workforce lacks formal public health education, thus necessitating ongoing professional development training programs to ensure the delivery of essential environmental public health services. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of literature describing changes in workplace performance directly related to training program attendance. The purpose of the study reported here, which was conducted in the spirit of Essential Public Health Service 8 ("assure a competent workforce"), was to examine training style efficacy and changes in performance among Native Americans and non-Native Americans related to attendance at a two-day professional development course in March 2006. Pre- and post-training knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) surveys were administered to a subset of training program attendees. The pre-training survey mapped demographic information and assessed prior knowledge and practices associated with environmental health communications. The post-survey was administered three months after the program to measure changes in these key factors, as well as responses to workshop teaching styles. Data analysis suggests teaching styles did not have a significant impact on the transfer and retention of knowledge among Native Americans and non-Native Americans; however, Native Americans preferred a conversational approach, while non-Native Americans articulated a preference for visual, content-rich presentations. Non-native Americans reported using skills and techniques learned in the workshop more frequently than did their Native American counterparts. PMID- 17802819 TI - Association of Food Premises Inspection and Disclosure Program with retail acquired foodborne illness and operator noncompliance in Toronto. AB - In 2001, the city of Toronto was the only health unit in Canada to have implemented a multi-component disclosure system as part of its provincially mandated food safety program. To measure the impact on the ultimate goal of preventing foodborne illness, the authors of the study reported here assessed directly the association of Toronto Public Health's program with the specific incidence of retail-acquired foodborne illness by analyzing secondary data on reportable local enteric disease. In addition, the study indirectly measured prevention of retail-acquired foodborne illness by assessing existing data on regulatory compliance in Toronto food premises as an inherent performance indicator. Results of the statistical analysis show that although there has not been a significant difference in the overall incidence rate of retail foodborne illness (Chi-squared = 0.009, p = .93), certain key diseases, such as Campylobacter infection, have decreased significantly since the implementation of the disclosure program in Toronto. There has also been a significant trend in the reduction of operator noncompliance rates (Z = 32, p < .0001). Further analysis shows that the decrease in operator non-compliance is positively correlated with a decrease in retail foodborne illness (r = .73, p < .0001). These results suggest that the Food Premises Inspection and Disclosure Program is an effective intervention for reducing retail-acquired foodborne illness and decreasing operator noncompliance in the city of Toronto. Programs of this type may assist other local health units to achieve similar results. PMID- 17802820 TI - Helping environmental health practitioners develop strategic partnerships and engage public health policy makers on the value and benefits of environmental health services. PMID- 17802821 TI - [Expression and significance of TGF-beta1 and HSP70 in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of TGF-beta1 and HSP70 in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. METHOD: The expression levels of TGF-beta1 and HSP70 in 53 specimens of human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 48 specimens of para-carcinoma were detected by immuno- histochemistry and computer assisted image analysis. RESULT: The expression of TGF-beta1 was decreased in carcinoma tissues compared with para-carcinoma tissues ( P < 0.05), while the expression of HSP70 was increased ( P < 0.05). Both the expression of TGF-beta1 and HSP70 were significantly correlated with the differentiation of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). However, there was a negative correlation between TGF-beta1 and HSP70 (r = -0.87, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: TGF-beta1 and HSP70 play an important role in malignant behaviors of human laryngeal carcinoma. PMID- 17802822 TI - [The study of removal methods on special type tracheobronchial foreign bodies]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the available operation method of special type tracheobronchial foreign bodies removal. METHOD: Sixty one patients of special type tracheobronchial foreign bodies were extracted with some special instruments and methods depend on foreign body types. The features of operation on different kinds of foreign bodies were analyzed. RESULT: All patients were operated successfully by using foreign body hook (31 cases), pencil or writing screw brush extracted (11 cases), foreign body cage (13 cases), slender inverse claw esophagus foreign body clamp (3 cases) and so on. No complications and died cases were found. Only 5 patients were undertaken trachea incision before operation. CONCLUSION: Suitable instruments and technique chose for every individual cases is the key to successful operation. PMID- 17802823 TI - [Expression of DcR3 protein and its significance in laryngeal carcinoma]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of DcR3 in laryngeal carcinoma and analyze the relation between DcR3 and clinical factors. METHOD: The expression of DcR3 protein in 41 laryngeal carcinoma tissues and 41 para-carcinoma tissues (to cutting margin > 0.5 cm) were measured by Flow Cytometer(Epics-XL II), 15 normal laryngeal mucosa tissues were served as controls. RESULT: (1) The quantitative and qualitative expression of DcR3 protein in laryngeal carcinoma tissues was obviously higher than those in para-carcinoma and normal laryngeal mucosa tissues, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference for the DcR3 protein expression between para-carcinoma and normal laryngeal mucosa tissues. (2) In laryngeal carcinoma, the expression of DcR3 protein was not significantly related to clinical classification, tumor size, smoking history, patients' age and sex but related to metastasis, pathological grade and clinical stage. CONCLUSION: The high level of DcR3 expression may contribute to the carcinogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma. So it can be an important index for judging the differentiation, infiltration, metastasis and staging of laryngeal carcinoma. PMID- 17802824 TI - [Expression of RAD51 in carcinomas of cancer of larynx and its clinical significance]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of RAD51 in laryngocarcinoma. METHOD: The expression of RAD51 in laryngocarcinoma and polyp of vocal cord tissues were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The results were analyzed and compared with the clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and pathologic grade. RESULT: (1) The expression of RAD51 in laryngocarcinoma group was extremely stronger than that in polyp of vocal cord group (P < 0.01). (2) There was significant difference for RAD51 expression in cancer cells between earlier clinical stage group and advanced clinical stage group (P < 0.01). (3) There was significant difference for RAD51 expression in different pathologic grades (P < 0.05). (4) There was also significant difference for RAD51 expression between groups with and without lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: RAD51 may play a critical role in tumorigenesis of laryngocarcinoma. RAD51 may be a potential marker for clinical diagnosis and treatment of Laryngocarcinoma. It may be significant in predicting clinical stage, pathologic grade and metastasis. PMID- 17802825 TI - [Management of the sentinel lymph node of papillary thyroid carcinoma in surgery]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of sentinel lymph node of papillary thyroid carcinoma exploring and measuring in the metastasis of the cervical lymph node of thyroid carcinoma. METHOD: The sentinel lymph node were investigated by injecting the methylene blue around 25 cases of thyroid tumors. The lymph nodes dyed in blue and obtained from selective lymph node dissection were examined by pathology, respectively. The value of the sentinel lymph nod were evaluated. RESULT: The sentinel lymph nodes dyed in blue were identified in 22 cases which account for 88.0% of all the 25 cases. Nineteen cases of the sentinel lymph node were positive by pathology, of whom 13 cases were verified positive in other area. Six cases were negative. CONCLUSION: It is of great value that sentinel lymph node of thyroid carcinoma can indicate the metastasis of the cervical lymph node of thyroid carcinoma. PMID- 17802826 TI - [A clinical and pathological analysis on laryngeal contact granuloma among 18 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinicopathologic feature and diagnostic and therapeutic experience of laryngeal contact granuloma. METHOD: A retrospective study was carried out among 18 cases with this disease through careful analysis on their clinical and pathological data. RESULT: All of 18 cases were male, aged 34 to 78 years,The most common symptoms were hoarseness. In general the granuloma located on the posterior of the larynx unilaterally. The histological appearances of the lesions were typical inflammatory granuloma. Little allotype cell were found in one histologic sample. Fifteen cases received surgical excision and the recurrence rate was 60% after operation. Recidivist received operation again,4 cases among these cases received antireflux therapy after operation but 3 cases recurrences again. Among those follow-up cases(3 cases), 1 case was self-cure and other 2 cases appeared no marked change during observation period. CONCLUSION: Laryngeal contact granuloma predilected the middle-aged male. The localization and appearance of the granuloma is very characteristic. The correct diagnosis can be established by clinical examination alone, but the histological examination is necessary in order to avoid missed diagnosis. There is a high recurrence rate after operation and the effect of antireflux therapy need further research. PMID- 17802827 TI - [Epidemic parotitis being accompanied by acute pancreatitis and sensorineural hearing loss: case report and literature review]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To review and explore the clinical characteristics, acoustic features, early diagnosis and prognosis of epidemic parotitis being accompanied by acute pancreatitis and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). METHOD: Report and analysis the clinical data of a patient with epidemic parotitis being accompanied by acute pancreatitis and sensorineural hearing loss and review the relevant literatures. RESULT: Epidemic parotitis virus could produce lesion in more than one organ resulting in the corresponding complications. It was uncommon when a patient presented epidemic parotitis, acute pancreatitis and sensorineural hearing loss at the same time. Unilaterally total hearing loss was the most common type of the SNHL, and the prognosis was bad. CONCLUSION: Epidemic parotitis can be accompanied by one or more complication, including SNHL. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) is of great value in early diagnosis of SNHL in patients with epidemic parotitis. PMID- 17802828 TI - [Pediatric sulcus vocalis]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinic features of the sulcus vocalis in children. METHOD: From Jan 1995 to April 2005,56 cases of pediatric sulcus vocalis were found by video-laryngoscopy. All received an operation called sulcus vocalis microdissection and vocal cord plasty with four steps: an incision along the superolateral edge of the sulcus; freeing of the mucosa adhering to the vocal ligament; detachment of the ligamentous fibers; redraping of the mucosa. RESULT: The total effective rate was 96.4% after surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: There are 5% sulcus vocalis among children referred for voice disorders. The sulci are frequently found in association with other laryngeal abnormalities. Sulcus vocalis microdissection and vocal cord plasty might be a rational and effective surgical modality. PMID- 17802829 TI - [Research of 10-23 DNAZyme inhibit the expression of eIF4E genes]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the possibility of 10-23DNAzyme becoming a new gene therapy for laryngeal carcinoma treatment at the cell level. METHOD: Thiosthorothioate 10 23DNAzyme specific to eIF4E gene mRNA 1059 was designed and synthesized, and its inhibition effects on the expression of eIF4E gene in Hep-2 cells were observed. RESULT: The expression of eIF4E gene was remarkable depressed after Hep-2 cells was transfected by DNAzyme. The level of inhibiting eIF4E in hep-2 cells transfected by DNAzyme was lower than that by only lipofectamine 2000 transfected and Hep-2. CONCLUSION: The expression of eIF4E gene in Hep-2 cells 10-23DNAzyme can be highly blocked. It is a specific and effective gene therapeutic means. PMID- 17802830 TI - [In vitro experimental study of killing Hep-2 cells of laryngeal cancer with suicide fusion gene CDglyTK]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the killing effect of suicide gene CDglyTK combined with GCV or 5-FC on the human laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cell line in vitro. METHOD: Constructed plasmid pcDNA3.1 (-) CMV. CDglyTK was verified by enzyme digestion of Xho I /Hind III and automatic sequence analysis, then it was introduced into Hep 2 cells by electroporation to yield cells expressing CDglyTK stably after selecting with G418(400 ng/L) for 14 da. The expression of CDglyTK mRNA in transfected Hep-2 cells was tested by RT-PCR. Compared with Hep-2 cells transferred with pcDNA3.1(-), in vitro chemosensitivity of CDglyTK-expressing Hep 2 cells to 5-FC, GCV or 5-FC + GCV was detected by MTT assay. RESULT: The recombinant plasmid contained full-length coding region sequence of CD and TK gene. A anticipated 707 bp fragment was amplified from total RNA of CDglyTK expressing Hep-2 cells by RT-PCR and a fusion protein of 59 000 was detected in cell extract from transfected Hep-2 cells. In vitro study growth of CDglyTK positive Hep-2 cells were inhibited by 5-FC, GCV or 5-FC + GCV respectively, and the antitumour effect of 5-FC + GCV is superior to 5-FC or GCV. CONCLUSION: CDglyTK may be a candidate for treating human laryngeal cancer. PMID- 17802831 TI - The Constructed Wetland Association UK database of constructed wetland systems. AB - There are now more than 1,000 constructed wetland systems (CWs) in the UK. The first UK CW database was constructed by Water Research Centre (WRc) and Severn Trent Water Ltd to accompany a book on the design and performance of these systems. In that database, constructed by Gareth Job et al., only 154 beds were listed, most of which were tertiary sewage treatment sites in Severn Trent Water. The Constructed Wetland Association (CWA) was formed in 2000 as a UK water industry body in response to problems caused by unscrupulous constructors. A group of experienced, reputable designers and constructors formed the CWA to bring together best UK practice in order to counteract this problem. The group contains major water companies, designers, constructors, academics, plant growers and operators. They decided that one of the best ways of countering the problem was to assemble a database of design and performance from well-designed systems. After negotiation the CWA group took over responsibility for the database from WRc. The CWA has produced eight updates of the database which now contains information from more than 900 beds. It contains examples of the different variants of CWs in use in the UK. Most of these sites treat sewage/domestic wastewater but the database also includes examples of systems for the treatment of minewater, sludge, landfill leachate, industrial effluents, surface runoff and road runoff. Particular treatment applications are illustrated by case studies which are summary articles describing design, construction and performance. PMID- 17802832 TI - Damkohler number design method to avoid clogging of subsurface flow constructed wetlands by heterotrophic biofilms. AB - Clogging of subsurface flow (SSF) treatment wetlands from excess biofilm growth is a design problem for which only empirical guidelines exist. A method is proposed to systematically analyse this type of clogging as a design tool. In recognition of the physical reality that most SSF treatment wetland processes are a function of biofilm surface area, a Damkohler number (Da) definition based on aggregate specific surface area is used to investigate a method of predicting clogging induced by heterotrophic biofilms growing on treatment media. PMID- 17802833 TI - Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment options for small and decentralized communities. AB - Sustainability has strong implications on the practice of engineering. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an appropriate methodology for assessing the sustainability of a wastewater treatment plant design. The present study used a LCA approach for comparing alternative wastewater treatment processes for small and decentralised rural communities. The assessment was focused on two energy-saving systems (constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration) and a conventional one (activated sludge process). The low environmental impact of the energy-saving wastewater treatment plants was demonstrated, the most relevant being the global warming indicator. Options for reduction of life cycle impacts were assessed including materials used in construction and operational lifetime of the systems. A 10% extension of operation lifetime of constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration systems led to a 1% decrease in CO2 emissions, in both systems. The decrease in the abiotic depletion was 5 and 7%, respectively. Also, replacing steel with HDPE in the activated sludge tank resulted in a 1% reduction in CO2 emission and 1% in the abiotic depletion indicator. In the case of the Imhoff tank a 1% reduction in CO2 emissions and 5% in the abiotic depletion indicator were observed when concrete was replaced by HDPE. PMID- 17802834 TI - Effect of loading rate on performance of constructed wetlands treating an anaerobic supernatant. AB - The effect of organic loading, season and plant species on the treatment of fish farm effluent was tested using three-year old mesocosm wetland systems. During one year, nine 1 m2 mesocosms (horizontal subsurface flow), located in a controlled greenhouse environment, were fed with a reconstituted fish farm effluent containing a high fraction of soluble components (1,600 microS/cm and in mg/L: 230 +/- 80 COD, 179 +/- 60 sCOD, 100 +/- 40 TSS, 37 +/- 7 TKN, 14 +/- 2 TP). Combinations of three hydraulic loading rates (30, 60 and 90 L.m(-2) d(-1)) and two plant species (Phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia) and an unplanted control were tested for treatment performance and hydraulic behaviour. Loadings higher than 15 g COD m(-2) d(-1) resulted in a net decrease of hydraulic performances (generation of short circuiting) coupled with low TKN removal. Maximal TKN removal rates (summer: 1.2, winter: 0.6 g.m(-2) d(-1)) were reached in planted units. In all mesocosms, phosphorus was removed during summer (maximal removal rate: 0.3 g TP m(-2) d(-1)) and was released in winter (release rate = approximately half of summer removal rate). This study confirmed that constructed wetlands are susceptible to clogging when treating anaerobic storage tank supernatant rich in highly biodegradable compounds. Contributions of plants to hydraulic efficiency were mainly observed in summer, associated with high evapotranspiration rates. Both plant species gave a similar removal efficiency for all pollutants. PMID- 17802835 TI - Interaction of oxygen concentration and retention of pollutants in vertical flow constructed wetlands for CSO treatment. AB - The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) calls for a good quality of all water bodies. Retention soil filters (RSF) have been developed to treat discharges from combined sewers systems. RSF have proved over the past 15 years to be the most effective measure to meet the EU WFD standards, especially for small or particularly sensitive receiving waters, which require an enhanced reduction of emissions from combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The paper presents results from laboratory-scale experiments, in which the oxygen measurement in the filter plays a main role. The results show remarkable differences in oxygen concentrations in different filter depths. The highest oxygen consumption takes place in the upper part of the filter. In the lower part the re-aeration of sewage from the soil air dominates. This indicates that the biological activity is limited to the upper part of the filter. The availability of oxygen in the filter is a sign for degradation of wastewater compounds (ammonium, COD) under certain conditions and already takes place during the filter operation. The removal of ammonium especially cannot be strictly divided into phases of sorption during the loading and oxidation during the dry period any more. PMID- 17802836 TI - Tolerance to hydraulic and organic load fluctuations in constructed wetlands. AB - This paper describes a two-year performance evaluation of four different constructed wetland (CW) treatment systems designed by IRIDRA Srl, located in central Italy. All four CW systems were established to treat wastewater effluent from different tourist activities: (1) one single-stage CW for secondary treatment of domestic wastewater (30 p.e.) at a holiday farm site; (2) a hybrid compact system consisting of two stages, a horizontal flow (HF) system followed by a vertical flow (VF) system for the secondary treatment of effluent from a 140 p.e. tourist resort; (3) a single-stage vertical flow (VF) CW for a 100 p.e. mountain shelter; and (4) a pair of single-stage, HF CWs for the secondary treatment of segregated grey and black water produced by an 80 p.e. camping site. These tourism facilities are located in remote areas and share some common characteristics concerning their water management: they have high variability of water consumption and wastewater flow, depending on the season, weather and weekly regularities; they have no connection to a public sewer and most sites are located in a sensitive environment. Total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonium (N-NH4+), nitrate (N NOx), total nitrogen (Ntot), total phosphorus (Ptot), total coliform (TC), faecal coliform (FC), E. coli removal efficiencies for all four CW systems are presented. The results from this study demonstrate the potential of CWs as a suitable technology for treating wastewater from tourism facilities in remote areas. A very efficient COD reduction (83-95%) and pathogen elimination (3-5 logs) have been achieved. Furthermore, the CWs are easily maintained, robust (not sensitive to peak flows), constructed with local materials, and operate with relatively low cost. PMID- 17802837 TI - Evaluation of constructed wetlands by wastewater purification ability and greenhouse gas emissions. AB - Domestic wastewater is a significant source of nitrogen and phosphorus, which cause lake eutrophication. Among the wastewater treatment technologies, constructed wetlands are a promising low-cost means of treating point and diffuse sources of domestic wastewater in rural areas. However, the sustainable operation of constructed wetland treatment systems depends upon a high rate conversion of organic and nitrogenous loading into their metabolic gaseous end products, such as N2O and CH4. In this study, we examined and compared the performance of three typical types of constructed wetlands: Free Water Surface (FWS), Subsurface Flow (SF) and Vertical Flow (VF) wetlands. Pollutant removal efficiency and N2O and CH4 emissions were assessed as measures of performance. We found that the pollutant removal rates and gas emissions measured in the wetlands exhibited clear seasonal changes, and these changes were closely associated with plant growth. VF wetlands exhibited stable removal of organic pollutants and NH3-N throughout the experiment regardless of season and showed great potential for CH4 adsorption. SF wetlands showed preferable T-N removal performance and a lower risk of greenhouse gas emissions than FWS wetlands. Soil oxidation reduction potential (ORP) analysis revealed that water flow structure and plant growth influenced constructed wetland oxygen transfer, and these variations resulted in seasonal changes of ORP distribution inside wetlands that were accompanied by fluctuations in pollutant removal and greenhouse gas emissions. PMID- 17802838 TI - Biodegradation of chlorobenzene in a constructed wetland treating contaminated groundwater. AB - Monochlorobenzene (MCB) is an important groundwater contaminant world-wide. In this study, a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland with an integrated water compartment was fed with MCB contaminated groundwater originating from the local aquifer. Analysis of spatial concentration dynamics of MCB and oxygen was combined with isotope composition analysis of MCB for assessing in situ biodegradation. Removal of MCB was most effective in the upper layer of the soil filter, reaching up to 77.1%. Trace oxygen concentrations below 0.16 mg L(-1) were observed throughout the wetland transect, suggesting a considerable limitation of aerobic microbial MCB degradation. Enrichment of 13C in the residual MCB fraction at increasing distance from the inflow point indicated microbial MCB degradation in the wetland. The observed isotope shift was higher than expected for aerobic MCB degradation and thus pointed out a significant contribution of an anaerobic degradation pathway to the overall biodegradation. PMID- 17802839 TI - Twenty years experience with constructed wetland systems in Denmark--what did we learn? AB - Full scale constructed wetland systems for wastewater treatment have been in operation in Denmark since 1983, mainly for the treatment of domestic sewage from small villages. The systems are constructed as soil-based horizontal subsurface flow systems but, because of low soil hydraulic conductivity, surface runoff is evident in most of the systems. Two decades of experience show that soil-based systems are generally efficient in removing suspended solids and BOD, but the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus is lower (typically 30-50%) and the systems do not nitrify ammonium. Contrary to earlier claims, the reeds do not increase the hydraulic conductivity of cohesive soils as much as necessary to secure sub surface flow. Operation needs of soil-based reed beds are low and normally restricted to emptying of the sedimentation tank, cleaning of the distribution system and mowing of the grass around the system. The dead plant material and accumulated litter on the surface of the systems improve performance after the initial years. A significant number of systems have been shut down or extended with other technologies in order to meet new effluent standards, particularly demands for nitrification. New constructed wetland systems are either compact vertical flow systems which provide good nitrification, willow systems with no discharge or restored wetland systems for nitrate removal. If efficient removal of phosphorus is required, this is achieved by chemical precipitation in the sedimentation tank. PMID- 17802840 TI - Wastewater treatment in tsunami affected areas of Thailand by constructed wetlands. AB - The tsunami of December 2004 destroyed infrastructure in many coastal areas in South-East Asia. In January 2005, the Danish Government gave a tsunami relief grant to Thailand to re-establish the wastewater management services in some of the areas affected by the tsunami. This paper describes the systems which have been built at three locations: (a) Baan Pru Teau: A newly-built township for tsunami victims which was constructed with the contribution of the Thai Red Cross. Conventional septic tanks were installed for the treatment of blackwater from each household and its effluent and grey water (40 m3/day) are collected and treated at a 220 m2 subsurface flow constructed wetland. (b) Koh Phi Phi Don island: A wastewater collection system for the main business and hotel area of the island, a pumping station and a pressure pipe to the treatment facility, a multi-stage constructed wetland system and a system for reuse of treated wastewater. The constructed wetland system (capacity 400 m3/day) consists of vertical flow, horizontal subsurface flow, free water surface flow and pond units. Because the treatment plant is surrounded by resorts, restaurants and shops, the constructed wetland systems are designed with terrains as scenic landscaping. (c) Patong: A 5,000 m2 constructed wetland system has been established to treat polluted water from drainage canals which collect overflow from septic tanks and grey water from residential areas. It is envisaged that these three systems will serve as prototype demonstration systems for appropriate wastewater management in Thailand and other tropical countries. PMID- 17802841 TI - Removal efficiency of subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands for different organic loads. AB - Using subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands (SSVFCWs) with intermittent loading it is possible to fulfil the stringent Austrian effluent standards regarding nitrification. For small plants (less than 500 persons) standards for ammonia nitrogen concentration have to be met at water temperatures higher than 12 degrees C, effluent concentrations and treatment efficiencies for organic matter have to be met the whole year around. According to the Austrian design standards the required surface area for SSVFCWs treating wastewater was 5 m2 per person. Within the first part of an Austrian research project the goal was to optimise, i.e. minimise the surface area requirement of vertical flow beds. Therefore, three SSVFCWs with a surface area of 20 m2 each have been operated in parallel. The organic loads applied were 20, 27 and 40 g COD/m2/d, which corresponds to a specific surface area requirement of 4, 3 and 2 m2 per PE, respectively. The paper compares the effluent concentrations and elimination efficiencies of the three parallel operated beds. It could be shown that a specific area demand of 4 m2 per person is suitable to be included in the revision of the Austrian design standard. Additionally it could be shown that during the warmer seasons (May-October) when the temperature of the effluent is higher than 12 degrees C the specific surface area might be further reduced; even 2 m2 per person has been proven to be adequate. PMID- 17802842 TI - Energy-saving wastewater treatment systems: formulation of cost functions. AB - Natural interactions between water, soil, atmosphere, plants and microorganisms include physical, chemical and biological processes with decontaminating capacities. Natural or energy-saving wastewater treatment systems utilize these processes and thereby enable a sustainable management in the field of wastewater treatment, offering low investment and operation costs, little or no energy consumption, little and low-skill labor requirements, good landscape integration and excellent feasibility for small settlements, especially when remote from centralized sewer systems. The objective of this work is the development of cost functions for investment and operation of energy-saving wastewater treatment technologies. Cost functions are essential for making cost estimations based on a very reduced number of variables. The latter are easily identified and quantified and have a direct bearing on the costs in question. The formulated investment and operation cost functions follow a power law, and the costs decrease with the increase of the population served. The different energy-saving wastewater treatment systems serving small population settlements, between 50 p.e. and 250 p.e., present associated investment costs varying from 400 Euro/p.e. to 200 Euro/p.e. and annual operation costs in the range of 70 Euro/p.e. to 20 Euro/p.e., respectively. PMID- 17802843 TI - On fitting the k-C* first order model to batch loaded sub-surface treatment wetlands. AB - The k-C* first order model was fit to time-series COD data collected from batch loaded model wetlands. Four replicates of four plant species treatments; Carex utriculata (sedge), Schoenoplectus acutus (bulrush), Typha latifolia (cattail) and unplanted controls were compared. Temperature was varied by 4 degrees C from 24 degrees C to 4 degrees C to 24 degrees C over a year-long period. One mathematical fit was made for each wetland replicate at each temperature setting (192 fits). Temperature effects on both parameters were subsequently estimated by fitting the Arrhenius relationship to the estimated coefficients. Inherent interactions between k and C* make values dependent on sample timing and statistical technique for either time series (batch load) or distance profile (plug flow) data. Coefficients calibrated using the Levenberg-Marquardt method are compared to values previously reported using a nonlinear mixed effect regression technique. Overall conclusions are similar across approaches: (a) the magnitude of the coefficients varies strongly by species; (b) the rate constant k decreases with increasing temperature; and (c) temperature and species variation in the residual concentration C* is greater than the variation in k, such that variation in k alone is a poor predictor of performance. However, the magnitudes of the coefficients, especially the rate parameter k, vary between the statistical techniques, highlighting the need to better document the statistical routines used to calibrate the k-C* model. PMID- 17802844 TI - The effects of deep zones on wetland nitrogen processing. AB - Twelve research wetlands were operated under varying conditions at a site west of the city of Phoenix. These were constructed as a triplicated design, with zero, one, two and three internal deep zones, all containing an inlet distribution and an outlet collection deep zone, together comprising 12.5-35% of the wetland areas. The water supply was partially nitrified effluent from a city wastewater treatment plant. Total nitrogen was reduced by about 50%, from inflow concentrations between 6 and 8 mg/L. Speciation of the inflow was approximately 25% organic nitrogen, 25% ammonium nitrogen and 50% nitrate nitrogen. Typical outflow concentrations were about 1.2 mg/L organic, 0.5 mg/L ammonium and 0.0-2.5 mg/L nitrate. Rate constants for total nitrogen were 15-20 m/year at 20 degrees C, and 20-30 m/year for nitrate, which agree well with other project reports. Temperature factors averaged 1.100 for total nitrogen, and 1.184 for nitrate. There were no differences in the internal hydraulics with deep zone numbers. Deep zone numbers in the wetlands did not affect nitrogen treatment performance. No differences with deep zone numbers were found for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, or nitrogen removals or rate constants. In conjunction with other reported results, there appears to be no large treatment benefit or detriment of incorporating internal deep zones in free water surface wetlands. PMID- 17802845 TI - Slag columns for upgrading phosphorus removal from constructed wetland effluents. AB - The current best option to upgrade constructed wetlands (CWs) for phosphorus (P) retention, in terms of efficiency, cost and simplicity, consists in using media having a strong P affinity. The media can be used either in the planted beds or in a filtration system downstream of the beds. The use of slag filters was shown to be efficient for removing P from wastewater as it represented a slow release source of calcium and hydroxide, favouring the formation of hydroxyapatite. Our study aimed at maximising the P retention capacity of slag filters located at the outlet of CWs since electric arc furnace slag has been shown to inhibit the growth of macrophytes when used in the filtration matrix. Bench-scale columns (Vtot = 6.2 L) filled with various combinations of filter media (slag, granite, limestone) of different sizes (2-5, 5-10, 10-20 mm) were fed on-site during four months with a CW effluent (in mg/L: 30 COD, 30 TSS, 10 Pt). Results showed that the best media combination enabling the maximum o-PO4 retention (more than 80% removal without clogging) consisted in a series of a ternary mix column (slag 5 10 mm, granite 2-5 mm, limestone 5-10 mm) followed by a slag column (slag 5-10 mm). Pilot scale columns (Vtot = 300 L), filled with the best media combination, were installed at the outlet of a 28 m2 CW. These columns showed more than 75% removal efficiency during one year and were designed to be easily replaced each year. PMID- 17802846 TI - A mass balance study on nitrification and deammonification in vertical flow constructed wetlands treating landfill leachate. AB - A laboratory-scale, mass-balance study was carried out on the transformation of nitrogenous pollutants in four vertical flow wetland columns. Landfill leachate containing low organic matter, but a high concentration of ammoniacal-nitrogen, was treated under dissolved oxygen concentrations close to saturation. Influent total nitrogen (TN) comprised ammoniacal-nitrogen with less than 1% nitrate and nitrite, negligible organic nitrogen, and very low BOD. Nitrification occurred in three of the four columns. There was a substantial loss of total nitrogen (52%) in one column, whereas other columns exhibited zero to minor losses (< 12%). Nitrogen loss under study conditions was unexpected. Two hypotheses are proposed to account for it: (1) either the loss of TN is attributed to nitrogen transformation into a form (provisionally termed alpha-nitrogen) that is undetectable by the analytical methods used; or (2) the loss is caused by microbial denitrification or deammonification. By elimination and stoichiometric mass balance calculations, completely autotrophic nitrogen-removal over nitrite (CANON) deammonification is confirmed as responsible for nitrogen loss in one column. This result reveals that CANON can be native to aerobic engineered wetland systems treating high ammonia, low organic content wastewater. PMID- 17802847 TI - Nitrogen elimination from landfill leachates using an extra carbon source in subsurface flow constructed wetlands. AB - A three-stage constructed wetland for leachate treatment was monitored on a landfill at a pilot scale. The plant had been designed to achieve at least 75% nitrogen removal. NH4-N input concentration was 240 (median) up to 290 mgl(-1) and COD concentration was 455 to 511 mgl(-1), respectively. A 14 m2 vertical flow sand filter plus a 14 m2 horizontal flow sand filter followed by a 3.3 m2 vertical flow sand filter was chosen. Acetic acid was added to the horizontal flow system for denitrification. The results showed a very stable nitrification rate within the vertical flow system of 94% (median) at NH4-N loading rates of about 10 (median) up to 17 gm(-2)d(-1). Denitrification was mainly dependent on the dosing of acetic acid and could reach a maximum of 98%. One interesting effect was the production of nitrite in the horizontal flow sand filter. This could efficiently be eliminated by the subsequent vertical flow sand filter. The chosen concept proved to be very effective for nitrogen removal. In combination with a final activated carbon filter the COD effluent concentrations could be easily and safely controlled. The design of denitrification reed beds showed a further potential for optimization. PMID- 17802848 TI - Upgrading constructed wetlands phosphorus reduction from a dairy effluent using electric arc furnace steel slag filters. AB - In 2003, a subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSF-CW) system was built at the University of Vermont (UVM) Paul Miller Dairy Farm as an alternative nutrient management approach for treating barnyard runoff and milk parlour waste. Given the increasing problem of phosphorus (P) pollution in the Lake Champlain region, a slag based P-removal filter technology (PFT) was established (2004) at the CW with two objectives: (i) to test the filters' efficiency as an upgrade unit for improving P removal performance via SSF-CW (ii) to investigate the capacity of filters technology to remove P as a "stand alone" unit. Six individual filters (F1-F6) were filled with electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag, each containing 112.5 kg of material with a pore volume of 21 L. F1-F4, fed with CW treated water, received approximately 2.17 g DRP kg(-1) EAF steel slag (0.25 kg DRP total) during the 259 day feeding period. F1-F4 retained 1.7 g DRP kg(-1) EAF steel slag, resulting in an average P removal efficiency of 75%. The addition of filters improved CW DRP removal efficiency by 74%. F5 and F6, fed non-treated water, received 1.9 g DRP kg(-1) EAF steel slag (0.22 kg DRP in total) and retained 1.5 g DRP kg(-1) resulting in a P removal efficiency of 72%. The establishment of the EAF slag based PFT is the first in-field evaluation of this technology to reduce P from dairy farm effluent in Vermont. PMID- 17802849 TI - Model experiments on improving nitrogen removal in laboratory scale subsurface constructed wetlands by enhancing the anaerobic ammonia oxidation. AB - Anaerobic ammonia oxidation (Anammox) has been identified as a new general process-strategy for nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment. In order to evaluate the role and effects of the Anammox process in wetlands, laboratory scale model experiments were performed with planted fixed bed reactors. A reactor (planted with Juncus effusus) was fed with synthetic wastewater containing 150 200 mg L(-1) NH4+ and 75-480 mg L(-1) NO2(-). Under these operating conditions, the plants were affected by the high ammonia and nitrite concentrations and the nitrogen removal rate fell within the same range of 45-49 mg N d(-1) (equivalent to 0.64-0.70 g Nm(-2)d(-1)) as already reported by other authors. In order to stimulate the rate of nitrogen conversion, the planted reactor was inoculated with Anammox biomass. As a result, the rate of nitrogen removal was increased 4-5 fold and the toxic effects on the plants also disappeared. The results show that, in principle, subsurface flow wetlands can also function as an "Anammox bioreactor". However, the design of a complete process for the treatment of waters with a high ammonia load and, in particular, the realisation of simple technical solutions for partial nitrification have still to be developed. PMID- 17802850 TI - Nitrogen dynamics in a constructed wetland system treating landfill leachate. AB - A pilot scale treatment system was established in 2002 at the Lafleche Landfill in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The system consists of a series of treatment steps: a stabilisation basin (10,000 m3), a woodland peat trickling filter (5,200 m2), a subsurface flow constructed wetland planted in Phragmites sp. (2,600 m2), a surface flow constructed wetland planted in Typha sp. (3,600 m2) and a polishing pond (3,600 m2). The system operates from May to December with leachate being recycled within the landfill during the winter months. Hydraulic loading was increased three-fold over four operating seasons with nitrogen and organic mass loading increasing six-fold. Excellent removal efficiencies were observed with 93% BOD5, 90% TKN and 97% NH4-N removed under the highest loading conditions. Almost complete denitrification was observed throughout the treatment system with NO3-N concentrations never exceeding 5mg L(-1). The peat filter reached treatment capacity at a hydraulic loading of 4cm d(-1) and organic loading rate of 42 kg BOD ha(-1) d(-1), which is consistent with design criteria for vertical flow wetland systems and intermittent sand filters, The first order plug flow kinetic model was effective at describing TKN and ammonium removal in the SSF and FWS wetlands when background concentrations were taken into account. Ammonium removal k-values were consistent with the literature at 52.6 and 57.7 yr(-1) for the SSF and FWS wetlands, respectively, while TKN k-values at 6.9 and 7.7 yr(-1) were almost an order of magnitude lower than literature values, suggesting that leachate TKN could contain refractory organics not found in domestic wastewater. PMID- 17802851 TI - Potential nitrification and denitrification and the corresponding composition of the bacterial communities in a compact constructed wetland treating landfill leachates. AB - Constructed wetlands can be used to decrease the high ammonium concentrations in landfill leachates. We investigated nitrification/denitrification activity and the corresponding bacterial communities in landfill leachate that was treated in a compact constructed wetland, Tveta Recycling Facility, Sweden. Samples were collected at three depths in a filter bed and the sediment from a connected open pond in July, September and November 2004. Potential ammonia oxidation was measured by short-term incubation method and potential denitrification by the acetylene inhibition technique. The ammonia-oxidising and the denitrifying bacterial communities were investigated using group-specific PCR primers targeting 16S rRNA genes and the functional gene nosZ, respectively. PCR products were analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and nucleotide sequencing. The same degree of nitrification activity was observed in the pond sediment and at all levels in the filter bed, whereas the denitrification activity decreased with filter bed depth. Denitrification rates were higher in the open pond, even though the denitrifying bacterial community was more diverse in the filter bed. The ammonia-oxidising community was also more varied in the filter bed. In the filter bed and the open pond, there was no obvious relationship between the nitrification/denitrification activities and the composition of the corresponding bacterial communities. PMID- 17802852 TI - Nitrogen isotope fractionation as a tool for determining denitrification in constructed wetlands. AB - Constructed wetlands (CWs) treat municipal wastewater through the retention of nutrients and particles. The retention of nitrogen (N) was studied in the laboratory using columns and meso-scale trenches filled with shellsand and light weight aggregates (LWA). The objective was to examine whether measuring the natural abundance of delta15N in NO3(-) could be used to estimate the relative contribution of denitrification to the total NO3(-) removal in these treatment systems. In both the columns and the trenches it was seen that denitrification was more efficient in shellsand and LWA collected from on-site treatment systems compared to new LWA. This was due to the high pH value (about 10) of new LWA. The enrichment factors (epsilon) from the column study were in general lower than values found in laboratory tests of isotope discrimination in denitrification, but similar to epsilon values found for denitrification in groundwater systems. No enrichment factors could be found for the trench study due to simultaneous denitrification and nitrification and inhomogeneous N transformation patterns. When NH4+ was partially nitrified in the upper parts of the trench, this diluted the 15N enrichment of NO3(-) due to denitrification. Thus, in systems with high NH4+ concentrations and partial aerobic conditions, the method of natural abundance is not suitable for estimating the relative contribution of denitrification to the total NO3(-) removal. PMID- 17802853 TI - Helsinge sludge reed bed system: reduction of pathogenic microorganisms. AB - Reduction of pathogenic bacteria: Salmonella, enterococci and Escherichia coli was investigated using the sludge reed bed system. The system at Helsinge was established in 1996 and has a capacity of 630 tonnes dry solids per year and consists of 10 basins. Since 2000 the individual basins have been subjected to an average area-specific loading rate of 46-56 kg dry solids/m2/year. The total sludge residue height in April 2006 was approximately 1.40 m. The sludge (approximately 0.5-0.8% dry solids), with which the individual basins were loaded, contained a large number of bacteria. Salmonella, enterococci and E. coli were found in the sludge in the following quantities: 10-300/100 g (wet weight), 7,000-25,000 CFU/g (wet weight) and 800,000-10,000,000 CFU/100 g (wet weight), respectively. The analysis of the reduction in pathogens in the sludge residue through a period of 3-4 months after the last loading indicated that the pathogen content was reduced down to < 2/100 g (Salmonella), < 10 CFU/g (enterococci) and < 200 number/100 g (E. coli). For enterococci and E. coli the reduction was approximately log 5 and log 6-7, respectively. In the same period the sludge residue achieved a dry solids content of approximately 20-35%. PMID- 17802854 TI - Subsurface constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse in agriculture: five years of experiences in Sicily, Italy. AB - The paper reports the results of an investigation on a H-SSF constructed wetland for tertiary treatment in a small community located in eastern Sicily, Italy. The system is designed to reuse wastewater for the irrigation of olive orchards covering about 150 hectares. From March 2001 to September 2005, wastewater samples were collected and the following chemical-physical parameters were determined according to Standard Methods: temperature, pH, EC, DO, TSS (105degrees C), BOD5, COD, TN, TP. The following microbiological parameters were also evaluated: total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci, Salmonella, helminth eggs. Mean removal efficiencies ranged from 77 to 92% (TSS), 37 to 72% (BOD5), 51 to 79% (COD), 97 to 99.5% (E. coli). Removal efficiency of Salmonella and helminth eggs was always 100% in all samples; however, only 150% of total samples matched the limit of E. coli (< 50 CFU/100 mL) fixed by Italian legislation for wastewater reuse. PMID- 17802855 TI - Effects of sorption, sulphate reduction, and Phragmites australis on the removal of heavy metals in subsurface flow constructed wetland microcosms. AB - The removal of Co, Ni, Cu and Zn from synthetic industrial wastewater was studied in subsurface flow constructed wetland microcosms filled with gravel or a gravel/straw mixture. Half of the microcosms were planted with Phragmites australis and half were left unplanted. All microcosms received low-strength wastewater (1 mg L(-1) of Co, Ni, and Zn, 0.5 mg L(-1) Cu, 2,000mg L(-1) SO4) during seven 14-day incubation batches. The pore water was regularly monitored at two depths for heavy metals, sulphate, organic carbon and redox potential. Sorption properties of gravel and straw were assessed in a separate experiment. A second series of seven incubation batches with high-strength wastewater (10 mg L( 1) of each metal, 2,000 mg L(-1) SO4) was then applied to saturate the substrate. Glucose was added to the gravel microcosms together with the high-strength wastewater. Sorption processes were responsible for metal removal during start up, with the highest removal efficiencies in the gravel microcosms. The lower initial efficiencies in the gravel/straw microcosms were presumably caused by the decomposition of straw. However, after establishment of anaerobic conditions (Eh approximately -200 mV), precipitation as metal sulphides provided an additional removal pathway in the gravel/straw microcosms. The addition of glucose to gravel microcosms enhanced sulphate reduction and metal removal, although Phragmites australis negatively affected these processes in the top-layer of all microcosms. PMID- 17802856 TI - Effects of type of flow, plants and addition of organic carbon in the removal of zinc and chromium in small-scale model wetlands. AB - Constructed wetlands are used for the treatment of wastewater containing metals. In order to clarify the role of plants, flow and the impact of organic matter, an investigation of three factors, each at two different levels, was carried out in small-scale model wetlands. The evaluated factors and levels were: type of flow (subsurface and surface); presence of plants (planted with Typha latifolia and unplanted) and addition of organic matter (with and without). Eight different experimental units were run for a year. The units were fed with synthetic wastewater containing chromium (VI) (1.5 mg L(-1)), zinc (1.5 mg L(-1)), macro, micronutrients and organic matter (to those units in which this factor was being investigated). Subsurface flow wetlands showed a significantly higher rate of chromium removal in comparison with surface flow systems (97 and 60 mg m(-2) d( 1), respectively). Planted systems removed significantly more chromium compared to unplanted systems (85 and 76 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively), and the addition of organic matter increased the removal rate in a comparison with the units without it (88 and 69 mg m(-2) d(-1), respectively). Similar results were found for zinc; however, the addition of organic matter made no significant difference to zinc removal. PMID- 17802857 TI - The removal of pathogens in surface-flow constructed wetlands and its implications for water reuse. AB - Microbiological quality represents the biggest concern to the reuse of treated wastewater. This paper reports and discusses the results of an international survey on the removal of indicators of microbiological contamination in surface flow constructed wetlands. Constructed wetlands consistently provide a reduction of 90-99% (1-2 log-removal) in the concentration of indicators such as coliform bacteria and faecal streptococci. This removal is found in wetlands treating water from different types of pretreatment (primary sedimentation, activated sludge, trickling filter, maturation ponds). On the other hand, when the influent is of high microbiological quality, wetlands act as sources of pathogenic contamination. The final water quality, however, is still compatible with medium to no-contact recreational activities and other final water uses. High variability in the effluent quality and seasonality might limit the opportunities for reuse. The role of constructed wetlands in different treatment schemes and the remaining open questions concerning removal mechanisms and reference pathogens are discussed. PMID- 17802858 TI - Application of culture-independent methods to assess the bacteria removal efficiency of subsurface flow constructed wetlands. AB - The bacteriologic treatment efficiency of vertical and horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs) was analysed in two multistage wastewater treatment systems by culture dependent and independent methods. When assessed with standard cultivation procedures, bacteria removal efficiency of the vertical and horizontal SFCWs was similar. However, microscopic enumerations of the wastewater bacteria after DNA staining revealed a completely different removal pattern: bacteria removal efficiency of the horizontal SFCWs was in general low and erratic, whereas the vertical SFCWs displayed high bacteria removal rates. The discrepancies in the results obtained by bacteria enumeration and cultivation was due to a strong decrease in bacterial culturability after treatment by the horizontal SFCWs, leading to overestimation of the real bacterial concentrations in these effluents. Additionally, a PCR based approach for the detection of the enteropathogenic bacteria Campylobacter jejuni and Yersinia enterocolitica was tested in the wastewater samples. The methods were specific and reproducible in the analysed samples and could be carried out within 12 h, proving very adequate as an alternative to cultivation. This work recommends a review of the current standard methodology for wastewater quality surveillance, as well as of the design of SFCW. PMID- 17802859 TI - Macrophyte zonation in stormwater wetlands: getting it right! A case study from subtropical Australia. AB - In Australia stormwater wetlands are becoming an increasingly popular component of water sensitive urban design. However, they must be designed to cope with the dynamic nature of urban hydrology, in particular, fluctuations in water level. The concept of macrophyte zonation relies on a thorough understanding of the water regimes of different plant species. Water depth is crucial and the hydroperiod, i.e. duration and frequency of inundation, has a significant impact on the survival of wetland vegetation. The aim of this study was to investigate plant establishment in a newly constructed stormwater wetland in Brisbane, subtropical Australia. Changes in plant distribution and density have been monitored since 2001. Rainfall and water depth data enabled us to use a hydrologic model to predict the extent of inundation of the different macrophytes zones. The field survey showed macrophyte survival was poor with the complete loss of several species in marsh and ephemeral zones. The main reason for the lack of macrophyte establishment and survival was the extended periods of inundation (supported by the hydrologic model) and deeper water levels. Stormwater wetlands must be designed to ensure that ephemeral species are not permanently inundated or the preferred water depths in marsh zones are not exceeded for extended periods. PMID- 17802860 TI - Comparison of measured and simulated distribution of microbial biomass in subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands. AB - The multi-component reactive transport module CW2D has been developed to model transport and reactions of the main constituents of municipal wastewater in subsurface flow constructed wetlands and is able to describe the biochemical elimination and transformation processes for organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. It has been shown that simulation results match the measured data when the flow model can be calibrated well. However, there is a need to develop experimental techniques for the measurement of CW2D model parameters to increase the quality of the simulation results. Over the last years methods to characterise the microbial biocoenosis in vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands have been developed. The paper shows measured data for microbial biomass and their comparison with simulation results using different heterotrophic lysis rate constants. PMID- 17802861 TI - Diversity of ammonia oxidising bacteria in a vertical flow constructed wetland. AB - Vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) with intermittent loading are very suitable for nitrification. Ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB) are the limiting step of nitration. Therefore the AOB community of a full-scale VFCW, receiving municipal wastewater, was investigated within this study. The diversity of the functional gene encoding the alpha-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA), present only in AOB, was assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Only very few amoA sequence types dominated the wetland filter substrate; nevertheless a stable nitrification performance could be observed. During the cold season the nitrification was slightly reduced, but it has been shown that the same AOB could be identified. No spatial AOB pattern could be observed within the filter body of the VFCW. The most prominent bands were excised from DGGE gels and sequenced. Sequence analyses revealed two dominant AOB lineages: Nitrosomonas europaea/"Nitrosococcus mobilis" and Nitrosospira. Species of the Nitrosomonas lineage are commonly found in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In contrast, members of the Nitrosospira lineage are rarely present in WWTPs. Our observations indicate that the AOB community in this VFCW is similar to that found in horizontal flow constructed wetlands, but differs from common WWTPs regarding the presence of Nitrosospira. PMID- 17802862 TI - Influence of macrophyte species on microbial density and activity in constructed wetlands. AB - It is often assumed that planted wastewater treatment systems outperform unplanted ones, mainly because plants stimulate belowground microbial population. Yet, fundamental interactions between plants and associated microorganisms remain only partly understood. The aim of our project was to evaluate microbial density and activity associated to the rhizosphere of three plant species. Experimental set-up, in six replicates, consisted of four 1.8-L microcosms respectively planted in monoculture of Typha angustifolia, Phragmites australis, Phalaris arundinacea and unplanted control. Plants were grown for two months with 25 L m( 2) d(-1) of secondary effluent (in g m(-2) d(-1): 1.3 TSS, 7.5 COD, 1.0 TKN). Sampling of substrate, roots and interstitial water was made according to depth (0-10, 10-20 cm). Biofilm was extracted with 500 mL of a buffer solution. Microbial density was directly estimated by flow cytometry and indirectly by protein measurements. Biological activity was determined using respirometry assays, dehydrogenase and enzymatic activity measurements. Our results show that microbial density and activity are higher in the presence of plants, with significantly higher values associated with Phalaris arundinacea. Greater density of aerobic or facultative bacteria was present in planted microcosm, particularly on root surface, suggesting root oxygen release. Microbes were present on substrate and roots as an attached biofilm and abundance was correlated to root surface throughout depth. Plant species root morphology and development seem to be a key factor influencing microbial-plant interaction. PMID- 17802863 TI - Respirometric techniques for assessment of biological kinetics in constructed wetland. AB - The aim of this research was the development of a procedure to measure biological kinetics of organic matter oxidation and nitrification in constructed wetland, by using respirometric techniques. Columns simulating cores of vertical subsurface flow systems were investigated. The oxygen uptake rate (OUR) of the columns was calculated on the basis of the difference of DO concentrations measured continuously at the top and at the bottom of the column. From the respirogram, the following kinetic parameters have been evaluated: maximum rate of oxidation of readily biodegradable COD, maximum rate of nitrification, endogenous respiration of the biomass grown inside the bed. In order to improve the interpretation of the respirograms, additional respirometric tests were carried out on the wetland columns by using pure substrates, such as acetate (carbon source) and ammonium (substrate for nitrification). The kinetic parameters obtained from respirograms can be useful for control and design of constructed wetlands or for improving nutrient and carbon mass balances. PMID- 17802864 TI - Phragmites australis peroxidases role in the degradation of an azo dye. AB - Phragmites australis are commonly used in constructed wetlands either for domestic sewage or industrial effluents treatment. The aerobic mineralization mechanisms of Acid Orange 7, AO7, in a Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland (VFCW) planted with P. australis suggest that AO7 degradation pathway may involve enzymes like peroxidases (POD), known to degrade some recalcitrant pollutants. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of POD extracted from the VFCW P. australis leaves in the decolourization of AO7, which belongs to the very restricted group of bio-degradable azo dyes and is widely used in the textile industry. Leaves' crude extract (CE) was purified by protein fractioning with ammonium sulphate (20-80%). AO7 (0.14 mM) decolourization rate of each CE fraction was determined using hydrogen peroxide (0.2 mM) as a co-substrate. A maximum specific activity of 6.8 x 10(-3) micromol QNNM min(-1) mg protein(-1) was obtained for the 40-60% fraction. The results obtained suggest that P. australis may be a good candidate for the treatment of AO7 contaminated effluents in a VFCW, as very high removal efficiencies were achieved at pilot scale and in vitro studies leading to the decolourization of the dye, suggesting a positive and active role of P. australis in the removal mechanisms within the VFCW. Moreover, some questions were put forward regarding the participation of other important plant enzymes in the degradation process. PMID- 17802865 TI - The root surface as the definitive detail for microbial transformation processes in constructed wetlands--a biofilm characteristic. AB - It was the goal of the investigations to characterise the biofilm on the plant roots because of the demonstrable major role of these associated bacteria. The essential criteria for the research were to look at the structure of the microbial colonisation (pattern, density) and to determine properties of the rhizoplane biofilm such as thickness and structure. The root material from a hydroponic system, planted with Glyceria maxima and used for nitrogen removal, has been used for the investigations. Several properties of the bacteria became visible due to the application of specific dyes. The evaluation of the samples was performed by scanning confocal laser microscopy (CLSM). It was shown that the microbial colonisation of the root surface of Glyceria maxima was on an unexpected high level and seems to be related mainly to the permeability and therefore to the age of the plant roots. The thickness of the rhizoplane biofilm is remarkably thin; no inactive layers could be observed in contrast to biofilm growing on technical carrier material. Caused by the untypically two-sided supply with nutrients the whole biofilm is in interaction with the surroundings. This indicates the importance of the plant roots for the microbial transformation processes in wetlands and underlines the especialness of the root as carrier for microorganisms. PMID- 17802866 TI - [Chinese meteria medica resources and ecological modernization]. AB - Ecological modernization is a major content of state second modernization. This article mentioned ecological modernization and Chinese materia madica resources are close related relationship. Some appropriate measures should be implemented in order to guarantee both the Chinese materia medica resources supply and environment protection. PMID- 17802867 TI - [Advances in research on pharmacodynamics and chemical conversion of catalpol]. AB - Catalpol is a active component in Rehmannia Root, and its pharmacological effects are extensive. In this paper its effects and chemical changes were summarized. This will offer the reference for further research work catalpol. PMID- 17802868 TI - [Change of microbial community in rhizoma sphere of cultivated Atractylodes lancea]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To find the development rules of microbial community in rhizoma sphere of the cultivated Atractylodes lancea. METHOD: Total bacteria, fungi and actinomyces were counted by CFU x g(-1) though dilution plate method. And genomic DNA of microbes were extracted and amplified by primers of E. coli's 27f and 1492r to get the 16S rDNA, then the restriction endonuclease Hinf was used to digest the 16S rDNA. RESULT: Total bacteria, fungi and actinomyces in 2-year old soil were lower than in 1-year old soil, they decreased 46. 14%, 49. 25%, 31.88% respectively and made the ratio of themselves changed. At the same time, all the 8 soil samples got fine 16S rDNA bands, which were about 1500 bp. And the main bands of most of the samples were found at 1000 bp, but the weak bands of each were different although most bands in the same year samples were more similar than in different year ones. CONCLUSION: It is indicated that the change of soil microbial community may has some relation to the continous cropping barrier of A. lancea. PMID- 17802869 TI - [Effects of salicylic acid on growth of Pinellia ternata]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of salicylic acid of different concentration (SA) on the growth of Pinellia ternate. METHOD: SA of different concentration was sprayed to the plant as it grew about 15 cm high. Plant height, total chlorophyll content, activity of SOD, MAD content, photosynthesis speed, intercellular CO2 concentration, the transpiration speed and the leaf temperature were measured after 3 times spray. RESULT: When 0.5 mmol x L(-1) SA was sprayed, the intercellular CO2 concentration, activity of SOD and photosynthesis speed were increased, while leaf temperature and MDA content were decreased. CONCLUSION: SA at the concentration of 0.5 mmol x L (-1) was suitable for the growth of P. ternate. It obviously decreased sprout tumble and increased the fresh weight of tuber and the alkaloid content. PMID- 17802870 TI - [Functional genomics studies of Salvia miltiorrhiza I. Establish cDNA microarray of S. miltiorrhiza]. AB - OBJECTIVE: Establishing cDNA microarray, in order to study functional genomics of Salvia miltiorrhiza. METHOD: Total RNA samples were prepared from S. miltiorrhiza roots using a modified CTAB method. mRNA was isolated by Quichprep Micro mRNA Purification Kit from Pharmacia. Then cDNA was synthesized and cloned into the EcoRI-XhoI sites of the ZAP Express vector using a cDNA synthesis kit, and the ligation mixture was packaged using a ZAP-cDNA Gigapack Gold III cloning kit (Stratagene). The single phage was isolated for PCR amplification, Aliquots of the PCR reactions were analyzed in a 1.5% agarose gel to verify the quality of PCR. The remaining cDNA was purified by Multiscreen filter plates (Millipore) and aliquots were analyzed by agarose gel again to verify the quality of purification. Clones passed verification was resuspended in 15 microL 50% DMSO for arraying. An actin gene from S. miltiorrhiza was used for positive control. PloyA and 50% DMSO was used for negative controls. RESULT: Bacterial colonies containing cNDAs of S. miltiorrhiza were inserted with average insert size of 0. 5 kb to 2. 5 kb. Total 4 354 genes were singled out from the first 8 736 PCR product and used for cDNA microarray manufacture. Single color fluorescence hybridization showed that all positive controls had signals while negative controls had no signals. CONCLUSION: It was the first cDNA microarray about traditional Chinese herbs especially for geoherbs. It could be a powerful tool for studying functional genomics of S. miltiorrhiza. PMID- 17802871 TI - [Herbalogical textual research On "Gegen"]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To provide further research with literature evidence of the variety origin, traditional effect and dosage. METHOD: Textual research on medicinal works of past dynasties. RESULT: The origin plants are Pueraria lobata, P. thomosonii and P. eduli. Its present effect is the same as ancient literature. However the fresh juice of the plant used for the treatment of bitter by mad dog and aborticide as literature recorded should be proved by further researches. The dosage is different among past dynasties. CONCLUSION: As one of the often used Chinese materia medica, Gegen has a bright prospect. PMID- 17802872 TI - [Comparative study on main economic characters of different populations of Pinellia ternata in China]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the content of guanosine, total alkaloid and individual yield of Pinellia ternata from different populations in China and evaluate its quality. METHOD: Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the content of guanosine. The content of alkaloid was determined by ultra violet spectrophometry. The results were analyzed by SPSS software. RESULT: The contents of guanosine and total alkaloid in P. ternata were 0.0136% -0.0264% and 0.0155% -0.0652% respectively. Individual yield was 0.5536 2.9740 g. All of the populations could be classified into 3 types through hierarchical cluster analysis. CONCLUSION: There exist significant differences in the content of guanosine, total content of alkaloid and individual yield of P. ternata from different populations. It is suggested that breeding and selection for type II of P. ternata should be strengthened. PMID- 17802873 TI - [Methodological studies on equivalent relationship between granule for clinical prescription and clinical decoction of fructus evodiae]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the equivalent relationship between granule for clinical prescription and clincal decoction by use of fructus evodiae as a demonstrated object. METHOD: Compared the equivalent ratio relationship of granule for clincal prescription and clincal decoction by determination of evodiamine, rutaecarpine, evodine, total alkaloids and dried extract ratio as markers, ten batches reference decoctions were prepared according to clinical usage as evaluation standards, common-use processed fructus evodiae products, such as salt-processed fructus evodiae, liquorice-proccesed fructus evodiae, as researching objects, and finally validated by pharmacological trials. RESULT: Equivalent ratios of granule for clical prescription to clincal decoction are about two in all processed products, and the pharmacological evaluation showed no siginificant difference in this ratio. CONCLUSION: This equivalent ratio model could be referenced in the production. But, it must be noticed that different herbal medicines perhaps have different equivalent ratio, which should be studied further according to its techniques and production conditions, and finally need to be revalidated by clinical trial. PMID- 17802874 TI - [Effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde from processing of Rehmanniae Radix]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study on effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-hydroxy methyl-2 furaldehyde (5-HMF) from Rehmanniae Radix at various processing. METHOD: The Rehmanniae Radix was dried and prepared from the steaming process with 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol at 90 degrees C and 100 degrees C each other. And the changes of catalpol and 5-HMF was determinated. The extraction of 5-HMF and catalpol was sonicated in 30% methanol for 2 h. The analysis of 5-HMF and catalpol was conducted by HPLC with reversed-phase C-18 column and detected under UV 284 nm, 204 nm. Elution was carried out at 1.0 mL min(-1) with 3% acetonitrile. RESULT: From this analysis, we found out that the content of catalpol was decreased with the number of processing times, and content of 5-HMF was increased with the number of processing times at various processing. The temperature and concentration of ethanol can effect on content of catalpol and 5 HMF at processing. The Cooked Rehmanniae Radix processed at 100 degrees C, 10% ethanol is best. And the content of 5-HMF processed for more than 7 times was accorded with standard of Korea phamcopoetia. CONCLUSION: Analyze the effect of concentration of catalpol and 5-HMF from Rehmanniae Radix at various processing, and provide the foundation for further study. PMID- 17802875 TI - [Study on purification process of depsides in Salvia miltiorrhiza with macroporous resin]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the technological parameters of the purification process of Depsides in Salvia miltiorrhiza with macroporous resin. METHOD: The adsorptive characteristics and eluting parameters of the process were studied by taking the content of depsides as index. RESULT: 85 mL of extractive of depsides (1.25 g x mL(-1)) was purified with a column of macroreticular resin ( Phi30 mm,127 mL) and washed with 4 BV of distilled water, the eluted with 4 BV of 80% ethanol (1% ammonia). CONCLUSION: This process of applying macroporous resin to adsorb and purify depsides in S. miltiorrhiza is feasible. PMID- 17802876 TI - [Quantititive study for chromatographic fingerprints of processed products of Paeonia lactiflora]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the utility of Principal Factor Analysis (PFA) in chromatographic data for quality control. METHOD: Chromatographic fingerprints of processed root pieces of Paeonia lactiflora were determined by HPLC, the PFA was used for data processing. RESULT: The quantitative differences among different growing areas and different processing batches were found with the method. CONCLUSION: The method could be used in quality control for monitoring between batch products of traditional Chinese pharmaceutical process. PMID- 17802877 TI - [Separation and refine of Xiaoyao Pill by macroporous adsorption resin]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To search for the method used in refining Xiaoyao Pill by macroporous adsorption resin, 12 types of macroporous adsorption resin were optimized. METHOD: Static and dynamic adsorption test and de-adsorption test were carried out to screen the best macroporous resin. The single factor test was applied to optimize the manipulation parameters of macroporous resin. RESULT: The macroporous resin D-101-1 possessed the strongest adsorption ability, in addition to an easy de-adsorption property. CONCLUSION: The D-101-1 type macroporous adsorption resin shows better comprehensive adsorption property. It is available for the refine Xiaoyao Pill. PMID- 17802878 TI - [Study on micro-wave processed of Psoralea corylifolia with uniform and regression analysis]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To optimize the herb processing process for the total contains of psoralen and isopsoralen and the rate of extract in Psoralea corylifolia by micro wave herb processing. METHOD: The contains of psoralen and isopsoralen was obtained by HPLC. The micro-wave herb processing process was optimized by the way of uniform design and contour map. RESULT: The optimum process was:20% as salt concentration, 4h as immerse time, micro-wave strength as strong, 270 seconds as micro-wave time. The absolute error of the predicted value from the models were smaller than 6% and 0. 3% respectively. CONCLUSION: The regression models are notable and reasonable, which can forecast results precisely. PMID- 17802879 TI - [Studies on HPLC-fingerprint of Rhizoma Fagopyri Dibotoryis]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To establish an HPLC fingerprint of Rhizoma fagopyri dibotoryis. METHOD: The HPLC-electrochemical detection assay was used to establish the fingerprint of Rhizoma fagopyri dibotoryis. The sample was performed on a column of Diamonsil C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) which was eluted with methanol- 0.1 mol x L(-1) phosphate buffer (pH 2.5), the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), the column temperature was 35 degrees C, the reference electrode was ISAAC (in-situ silver/silver chloride), the work electrode was glassy carbon, the counter electrode was Pt platmun. RESULT: The HPLC fingerprint profiles of 6 Rhizoma fagopyri dibotoryis contains 6 common chromatographic peaks, and gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde and ( - ) -epicatechin were tested the samples. The contents of protocatechuic acid and protocatechuic aldehyde were from 0.004% to 0.05% and from 0.003% to 0.015%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method can be used to control the quality of Rhizoma fagopyri dibotoryis. PMID- 17802880 TI - [Chemical constituents from branch of Macaranga adenantha and their TNF-alpha inhibitory activity]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of the brach of Macaranga adenantha, and evaluate their TNF-alpha inhibitory activity. METHOD: The chemical conshifuents were isolated and purified by chromatographic methods. Structures of the compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods. The TNF-alpha secretion inhibitory activity of the mouse peritoneal macrophages was evaluated by MTT methods. RESULT: Ten compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as: cleomiscosin A (1), cleomiscosin B (2), ellagic acid 4-O-alpha-D rhamnopyranside (3), ellagic acid 4-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside (4), vanillic acid (5), (24R) -stigmast-4-en-3-one (6), (24R) -stigmast-3, 6-dione (7), (24R) -6beta hydroxy-stigmast-4-en-3-one (8), daucosterol (9), beta-sitosteryl glucoside-6'-O heptadecoicate (10). At a concentration of 10 micromol x L(-1), compounds 1, 3 and 4 showed inhibitory activity to TNF-alpha secretion of the mouse peritoneal macrophages with the inhibitory rates of 57.0%, 64.4%, and 57. 4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: All compounds were isolated from genus Macaranga for the first time. Compounds 1, 3, and 4 were active against TNF-alpha secretion of the mouse peritoneal macrophages. PMID- 17802881 TI - [Studies on chemical constituents from leaves of Sapium sebiferum]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from leaves of Sapium sebiferum. METHOD: The compounds were isolated and purified by silic gel column chromatography and preparative HPLC. The structures were identified by various spectral evidence. RESULT: Nine compounds were obtained and they were shikimic acid (1), kaempferol (2), quercetin (3), isoquercein (4), hyperin (5), kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glueopyranoside (7), gallic acid (8), rutin (9). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1, 5, 6 and 7 are isolated from this genus for the first time and compound 9 is isolated from this plant for the first time. PMID- 17802882 TI - [Studies on chemical constituents in herb of Centella asiatica]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from Centella asiatica. METHOD: Chemical constituents were isolated by repeated column chromatography (Toyopearl HW-40C and HPLC) and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic method. RESULT: Five compounds were identified as: docosyl ferulates (1), bayogenin (2), 3beta-6beta-23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (3), 3beta-6beta-23-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (4), D-gulonic acid (5). CONCLUSION: All of the Compounds were isolated for the first time from C. asiatica. PMID- 17802883 TI - [Determination of three glycosides from herbs of Swertia punicea by RP-HPLC]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To develop a RP-HPLC method for determination of three glycosides in Swertia punicea. METHOD: Chromatographic column: Alltimal C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). Mobile phase: methanol-water (including 0.05% H3PO4), and gradient elution. Flow rate: 1 mL x min(-1). Wavelength: 254 nm. Column temperture: 30 degrees C. RESULT: The calibration curves of gentiopicroside, mangiferin and swertrianolin were in good linearity over the range of 31.3-281.7, 0.31-2.78, 0.55-4.91 microg, (r = 0.9996, 0.9993, 0.9995). The average recoveries were 103.36%, 101.42% and 97.39%, with RSD less then 3% (n = 5). CONCLUSION: It is a simple and sensitive meathod in controlling the quality of S. punicea. PMID- 17802884 TI - [Studies on chemical constituents of Artemisia rupestris (II)]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Artemisia rupestris. METHOD: The chemical constituents were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel, polyamide and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis. RESULT: 11 compounds have isolated from this plant, and the structure of them have identified as robinin (1), quercetin (2), linearin (3), luteolin (4), sucrose (5), tilianin (6), luteolin-7-glucoside (7), beta-D-3' methoxy-4'-O-P-coumaroylglucoside (8), hirsutine (9), 3-(4-methoxy phenyl)-(E)-2 propenoic acid ethyl ester (10), rutin (11). CONCLUSION: All this compounds have been isolated from this plant for the first time. PMID- 17802885 TI - [Effect of roots of Ficus hirta on cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity and active components]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of the roots of F. hirta against the cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity and it's active components. METHOD: Cocaine hydrochloride was subcutaneously injected to make male ICR mice liver wounded. Male ICR mice were randomly ig administered with the F. hirta decoction. The dose groups are 100, 200, 300 g x kg(-1) herb materials per body weight. Cocaine hydrochloride was subcutaneously injected into the mice after the administration. The serum ALT, AST activity and the activity of CAT in liver homogenate were assayed, and liver change of pathomorphism was evaluated to prove the effect of the F. hirta decoction on cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity. And the activity of psoralean which was separated from the F. hirta decoction by bioassay-guided fractionation, was proofed in the same method. RESULT: We find that the F. hirta decoction shows a distinct effect on reducing serum transferase. The serum transferase and the content CAT in liver homogenate were dose-related reduced, and the histopathological examination found a significantly change of the liver tissues. And the psoralean, qua the mainly component, shows the same effect. CONCLUSION: F. hirta has the protective effect against the cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity. Psoralean is the basis. PMID- 17802886 TI - [Studies on hypoglycemic effect of extract of Balaophora polyandra in mice]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the hypoglycemic effect of the extract of B. polyandra (SHG). METHOD: The diabetic mice were induced by alloxan in ICR mice. The blood glucose concentration was measured by glucose oxidase method. The serum insulin level was determined by 125I-insulin radioimmunoassay kit. The hypoglycemic effect was evaluated by the levels of both fasting and no-fasting blood glucose. The effect on serum insulin level was estimated by the values of the blood insulin and the changes of the blood glucose induced by the glucose intraperitoneal injection. The effect on the glucose absorption was investigated by the oral sucrose or starch tolerance test. RESULT: Both of the fasting and no-fasting blood glucose levels were decreased significantly by the treatment of 20 or 30 g raw materials crude drug x kg (-1) SHG orally for 7-10 d in ICR mice or in alloxan diabetic mice. In the oral sucrose tolerance test or oral starch tolerance test, the administration of SHG reduced significantly the peak value of the blood glucose and the area under the blood glucose-time curve (AUC) in normal or alloxan diabetic mice, respectively. These effects of SHG were similar to those of acarbose, a kind of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. In the oral glucose tolerance test in normal and alloxan diabetic mice, SHG decreased both the blood glucose peak and the AUC induced by the glucose loading. But in the intraperitoneal injection glucose tolerance test the levels of insulin in both SHG and control mice were similar, however, the changes of the blood glucose level after the glucose-loading for 30 min in SHG mice was much lower than that in control mice. CONCLUSION: With the treatment of SHG, the fasting and no-fasting blood glucose concentrations were decreased and the glucose tolerance improved significantly in both normal and alloxan diabetic mice, and the inhibition of a-glucosidase might be one of its major mechanisms. PMID- 17802887 TI - [Effects of Rukuaixiao decoction on hyperplasia of mammary gland in rats]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of Rukuaixiao decoction (RKX) on hyperplasia of mammary gland in rats. METHOD: 60 SD female rats were radomly divided into blank control group, model group, tamoxifen group and different dose of RKX groups. Injection of estradiol and progesterone were given to establish rat models of mammary gland hyperplasia and RKX was given at the same time. Changes of breast diameter, mammilla height were measured; serum sex hormones levels, blood rheology, SOD activity and MDA content were estimated. Pathologic changes of mammary gland in rats were also observed under light microscope. RESULT: RKX could decrease the increased breast diameter, mammilla height, reduce the numbers of mammary gland lobules and relieve the pathologic changes of mammary gland. It could also decrease estradiol, prolactin levels and MDA content in serum, increase the serum progesterone level and inhibit the decrease of the coefficient of thymus. CONCLUSION: Rukuaixiao decoction has the function of treatment on hyperplasia of mammary gland. PMID- 17802888 TI - [Effects of stigma maydis polysaccharide on gastrointestinal movement]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of stigma maydis polysaccharide (SMPS) on gastrointestinal movement. METHOD: Taking charcoal as the indicator and taking ratio of charcoal movement, beginning time of black excretion and stool amount as the index to observe the effect of SMPS on intestinal movement in mice. Taking emthylorange as the indicator and taking the ratio of residual rate of methylorange as the index to observe the effect of SMPS on gastric emptying in mice. Taking methylene blue as the indicator and taking the time of gastric emptying and movement speed of intestinal content as the index to observe the effect of SMPS on gastrointestinal movement in rats. Observing the changes of cholecystokinin (CCK) level in plasm in rats. RESULT: Compared with control, the ratio of charcoal movement increased in mice (P <0.01). The beginning time of black excretion shortened and the stool amount increased in mice (P <0.01). The ratio of residual rate of methylorange increased in mice (P <0. 01). The time of gastric emptying prolonged in rats (P <0.01). The movement speed of intestinal content in rats accelerated (P <0.01). CCK level in plasm increased in rats (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Effects of stigma maydis polysaccharide on gastrointestinal movement are probably related to the increasing of CCK level in plasm. PMID- 17802889 TI - [Effects of micrometer compound rhizoma coptidis on nuclear factor-kappaB and inflammatory factors in rabbit fed with high lipid diet]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the micrometer compound rhizoma coptidis on inflammatory factors and its possible mechanism in rabbit fed with high-lipid food. METHOD: The levels of CRP, IL-1 and TNF-alpha were all determinated by ELISA method. The mRNA and activity of NF-kappaB were determinated by RT-PCR and EMSA, respectively. RESULT: The level of CRP, IL-1 and TNF-alpha were significantly increased by feeding for 16 weeks with high-lipid diet in rabbit. It was significantly increased that the mRNA and the binging activity with DNA of NF-kappaB in thorax aorta of rabbits fed by high-lipid diet, too. The micrometer compound rhizoma coptidis can reverse the effects of high-lipid diet on CRP, IL 1, TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB. CONCLUSION: The micrometer compound rhizoma coptidis can inhibit the expression of inflammatory factor possibly through inhibitting the expression and activity of NF-kappaB. PMID- 17802890 TI - [Clinical study of method of strengthening body resistance and disintoxication disintoxication in patients with HCC of post-TACE]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To research the effect of a complex prescription of Chinese crude drug with the function of strengthening body resistance and disintoxication disintoxication in patients with HCC of post-TACE. METHOD: 45 patients with HCC of post-TACE, as the treatment group, were treated by a complex prescription of Chinese crude drug with the function of strengthening body resistance and disintoxication disintoxication and routine methods of protecting liver. Other 37 patients, as the control group, with the same clinical feature were treated by routine methods of protecting liver only. In the later 1 month, accumulated points of clinical symptom, hepatic function and AFP were observed in all of the patients. And the clinical effect of the two groups was compared. RESULT: One week later, in the treatment group, there is no improvement in anorexia but nausea, abdominal distention and lassitude were improved more obviously than pretherapy in both a week and one month later (P < 0.01 or P <0.05). In the control group, anorexia were improved a week later (P <0.05), but there is no improvement in nausea, abdominal distention and lassitude at the same time, and one month later all of the indexes above improved (P <0.01 or P <0.05). Accumulated points of clinical symptom was decreased more obviously in the treatment group than in the control group in both a week and one month later (P <0.05). At the end of the therapy, in the both groups, ALT, TBIL and AFP all improved except ALB, (P <0.01 or P <0.05). And TBIL improved more obviously in the treatment group than in the control one month later (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: This complex prescription of Chinese crude drug can lighten the adverse reaction of post-TACE. And also it can promote the recovery of liver function and evaluate the quality of lives of such patients. PMID- 17802891 TI - [Effects of Danshen on number and activity of endothelial progenitor cells of patients with hypercholesterolemia]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Danshen on number and activity of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) of patients with Hypercholesterolemia. METHOD: 24 patients with Hypercholesterolemia were randomLy divided into 2 groups: control group (n = 12), and treatment group (n = 12, receiving Composite Denshen Pilulae, 10# tid for 2 weeks). after 2 weeks, 20 mL peripheral blood was obtained from each patient, Mononuclear fraction of human peripheral blood was obtained by density gradient centrifugation, plated on fibronectin coated culture dishes. The cells were identified by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry and tested the ability to intake ac-LDL. Cell clusters were viewed with an inverted microscope, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of PE-CD34 and FITC-AC133 was performed to detect number of EPCs, EPC proliferation and migration were assayed with MTT assay, modified Boyden chamber assay. EPCs adhesion ability assay was performed by replating cells on fibronectin-coated dishes, and then counting adherent cells. RESULT: Numbers of EPCs (10(3) cells per 1 mL peripheral blood) of treatment group was higher than control group (7.20 +/- 1.29 vs 6.88 +/- 1.00). Compared with group control, numbers of clusters (per 40 power microscopic field), adhesive EPCs (per 400 power microscopic field) and migratory EPCs (per 200 power microscopic field) of treatment group were significantly increased (4.47 +/- 0.94 vs 3.38 +/- 0.57, P <0.01, 11.81 +/- 2.29 vs 10.03 +/- 1.32, P <0.05 and 15.75 +/- 2.27 vs 11.95 +/- 1.28, P <0.01, respectively), while OD vallue of treatment group were significantly increased too (0.27 +/- 0.04 vs 0. 20 +/- 0.03, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Danshen can significantly enhance EPCs functional activity of patients with Hypercholesterolemia. PMID- 17802892 TI - Patient's page. Diabetes and oral health--what you should know.... PMID- 17802893 TI - Dental care benefits & pregnant women. PMID- 17802894 TI - Folic acid may prevent cleft lip and palate. PMID- 17802895 TI - Dentinogenesis imperfecta. PMID- 17802896 TI - Molecular biology and clinical associations of Roseoloviruses human herpesvirus 6 and human herpesvirus 7. AB - Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) are members of the Roseolovirus genus within the Betaherpesvirinae subfamily. HHV-6 and HHV-7 primary infection occurs in early childhood and causes short febrile diseases, sometimes associated with cutaneous rash (exanthem subitum). Both HHV-6 and HHV-7 are highly prevalent in the healthy population, establish latency in macrophages and T-lymphocytes, are frequently shed in saliva of healthy donors, and the pathogenic potential of reactivated virus ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe diseases in transplant recipients. These features have contributed to the notion that HHV-6 and HHV-7 are more or less "harmless" viruses. Consequently, the medical and scientific interest originally prompted by their discovery has been gradually waning. The aim of this review is to provide a short update of the current knowledge on these viruses, and to suggest that the medical importance of Roseoloviruses should not be understimated. PMID- 17802897 TI - Human papillomavirus infections: new perspectives for prevention and treatment. AB - Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been recognized as the main etiologic agent of cervical cancer and other anogenital neoplasms, and a leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. In the last twenty years, extensive research has contributed to document the molecular mechanisms of virus persistence and malignant transformation, confirming a direct role of viral proteins in these processes. A clear understanding of the molecular epidemiology of HPVs and the availability of powerful molecular diagnostic techniques have provided the background for prevention strategies of HPV-related carcinomas. Since these viruses are highly prevalent in the general population, strict screening programs are still necessary. Recently, major breakthroughs have emerged from immunological studies. Indeed, these studies have paved the way for medical treatment of HPV infections and provided the first highly effective preventive vaccines. For these principal reasons, the time has come for a great effort towards the eradication of these important human pathogens. The present review summarizes the main aspects of the virology, molecular epidemiology and molecular biology of HPV infection and highlights the recent perspectives of prevention and treatment of the HPV-related disease. PMID- 17802898 TI - Chronic infections and genetic factors in the development of ischemic stroke. AB - The aim of this study was to examine whether chronic infections and genetic factors of the host play roles in the pathophysiology of acute noncardioembolic ischemic stroke. Blood samples from 59 subjects with ischemic stroke and 52 control patients were investigated by nested PCR for the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA, HCMV DNA and enterovirus RNA, by ELISA for the levels of antibodies to C. pneumoniae, HCMV, HSV, HHV-6, EBV and the inflammatory chemokine IL-8, and by PCR for promoter polymorphism of the IL-8 and CD14 host genes. Associations of stroke with the HCMV IgG and HSV-1 IgA antibody levels were observed. No association of stroke was detected with the presence of C. pneumoniae, HCMV or enterovirus nucleic acids in the peripheral blood, C. pneumoniae IgM, IgG and IgA, the HSV IgG, the EBV IgG, or HHV-6 IgG antibody levels, the pathogen burden, the IL-8 or CD14 promoter polymorphisms, or with the serum levels of IL-8 in the overall study population. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that certain pathogens are involved in the development of ischemic stroke. PMID- 17802899 TI - Periodontal disease and coronary heart disease: an epidemiological and microbiological study. AB - AIMS: This is an investigation on the association between periodontal disease and an increased risk of coronary heart disease; the main hypothesis is that periodontal infections may increase the systemic inflammatory burden of the host above a threshold that may favour the atherogenic processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case-control study with 27 cases, cardiologically affected, and 15 healthy controls. Patients underwent a complete periodontal probing. Periodontal conditions were compared between cases and controls to assess the mentioned association and to search for periodontal conditions related to the increased coronary risk. The presence and prevalence of periodontal pathogens was assessed in crevicular fluid samples. RESULTS: The overall periodontal conditions resulted worse in the test group. In particular periodontal conditions such as the presence of deep pockets (probing depth >6 mm) and the loss of more than 12 teeth might represent indicators of a strongly increased risk of cardiological disease and microbiological investigations confirmed these findings; Prevotella gingivalis was the most common bacteria. CONCLUSION: This study supports the existence of an epidemiologic association between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease and confirms previous data present in the literature. Two periodontal parameters, deep pockets and number of missing teeth, seem to be important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. PMID- 17802900 TI - Molecular characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Izmir, Turkey. AB - In recent years, molecular typing methods have been used in epidemiologic studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in various areas of the world. However, there have been few data on this issue in Turkey. We describe the molecular characterization of 56 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates recovered from individual patients in Izmir and the surrounding area by three different molecular methods. Isolated M. tuberculosis strains were characterized by IS6110 RFLP, spoligotyping and major genetic group designation. In total, 51 RFLP and 35 spoligopatterns were identified. Fourteen (25%) isolates were indicated as low copy number. Based on three genotypic characterization methods together, five clusters with two isolates each were identified. Most of the isolates (98.2%) were assigned as genetic groups 2 or 3. Only one isolate was identified as Beijing family strain (principal genetic group 1). The shared international clades were found to be Beijing-family, var T1 (ST 37), LAM (Latin-American Mediterranean) 7 (ST 41), LAM 9 (ST 42), Haarlem 1 (ST 47), Haarlem 3 (ST 50) and T1 (ST 53). In this study, IS6110 RFLP, spoligotyping and major genetic group designation were found to be useful methods for molecular epidemiologic studies. PMID- 17802901 TI - Immunogenicity comparison of interferon beta-1a preparations using the BALB/c mouse model: assessment of a new formulation for use in multiple sclerosis. AB - The in vivo immunogenicity of a new interferon (IFN) beta-1a product (Rebif New Formulation; RNF) was compared with that of two approved recombinant human IFN beta-1a products (Rebif and Avonex). Immunogenic potential was assessed based on time to development of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and NAb titer. Female BALB/c mice (six in each group) received RNF, Rebif or Avonex (1.0 microg/mL subcutaneously three times weekly), and serum samples collected on Days 7, 21, and 35 (Study 1), or 28, 42, 49, and 60 (Study 2) were assayed for NAbs. In Study 1, no mice had NAbs at Day 7, but by Day 21 one mouse in the RNF group had NAbs, compared with three and four mice in the Rebif and Avonex groups, respectively. Results were similar in Study 2. All control mice were NAb negative; all actively treated mice had NAbs by day 35 or 42. Throughout Study 1, NAb titers were lowest in the RNF group and highest in the Avonex group, and at day 35, NAb titers were significantly lower in the RNF group than the Rebif group (p = 0.037). Results indicate that, on a gram-for-gram basis, RNF appears less immunogenic than Rebif or Avonex. PMID- 17802902 TI - Influence of aquatic microorganisms on Legionella pneumophila survival. AB - The ability of aquatic bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens SSD (Ps-D) and Pseudomonas putida SSC (Ps-C) to support the persistence of Legionella pneumophila (Lp-1) in an artificial water microcosm was investigated for 42 day, at two different incubation temperatures. At 4 degrees C, individually suspended Lp-1 was no longer detectable just after 24 hours, while in co-cultures with Pseudomonas, Lp1 showed a better survival capability. At 30 degrees C, Lp-1 alone displayed high survival rates over the entire period of observation. When Lp-1 was inoculated with Ps-C and Ps-D, its count showed a marked decrease, followed by a gradual and costant decline. PMID- 17802903 TI - Late-onset group B streptococcal disease by infected mother's milk detected by polymerase chain reaction. AB - Late-onset Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease is a cause of illness, death and neurological sequelae in infancy. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of late-onset GBS disease is poorly defined. Infected breast-milk has been suggested as a source of postnatal infection and invasive disease. We describe a late-onset GBS disease by infected mother's milk in a term newborn in which the detection of GBS in neonatal bloodstream (confirmed by culture) and in the mother's milk was performed by PCR. PMID- 17802904 TI - Long-term study on symptomless human metapneumovirus infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. AB - From October 2004 through October 2006 a study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in adult hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Sequential nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) were collected independently from respiratory symptoms and evaluated for hMPV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. Results indicate epidemiological and molecular differences between the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 periods and that hMPV seems not to symptomatically affect HSCT patients or cause late respiratory sequelae. In addition, data collected suggest a hospital origin of hMPV infection in most HSCT patients during the 2004-2005 period. PMID- 17802905 TI - Rate of cirrhosis progression reduced in HIV/HCV co-infected non-responders to anti-HCV therapy. AB - This is a retrospective longitudinal follow-up study of 25 HIV/HCV positive cirrhotic patients not responding to peg-IFN plus ribavirin, and 25 untreated controls matched for age (+/-5 years), gender and Child-Pugh score. The primary endpoint of the study was the incidence of cirrhosis progression (CP) defined as the occurrence of at least one of the following events: death, ascites, jaundice, encephalopathy, gastrointestinal bleeding and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). During the median follow-up of 54 months (34-89), four treated (16%) and 13 untreated patients (52%) experienced CP (p = 0.02). Poisson's regression model showed that the independent predictors of CP were Peg-IFN therapy (p = 0.016), positive HIV-RNA (p = 0.024), and altered ALP values (p = 0.012). Peg-IFN therapy seems to slow down the rate of cirrhosis progression also in HIV/HCV co-infected patients nonresponders to anti-HCV therapy, in comparison with untreated patients. PMID- 17802906 TI - Rare HVR1-HCV genotype 1b variants in patients with B non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Comparison with viral sequences detected in cases of lymphoproliferative disorders and B cell compartmentalisation. AB - We compared the E2-HVR1 region in HCV-1b positive B-NHL cases from a multicenter study with sequences from studies related to lymphoproliferative disorders and B cell compartmentalisation. We found rare and unique mutations both in B-NHL isolates and in cases with lymphoproliferative disorders and lymphocyte infection. These rare mutations could have an important effect on HVR1 region and, as a consequence, on the binding of E2 on CD81, with a possible implication for both antigenic stimulation and HCV entry. In conclusion, the HCV predominants circulating in B-NHL cases seem to be associated with clonal selection of rare variants. PMID- 17802907 TI - BKV QPCR detection and infection monitoring in renal transplant recipients. AB - BKV associated nephropathy (BKVAN) is a cause of renal dysfunction and loss of the graft in transplants. Viral primary infection is usually inapparent and then BKV establishes latency in kidneys. Reactivation occurs in immunocompromised conditions in renal transplant recipients who can develop a subclinical nephritis and eventually a BKV-associated interstitial nephritis or a BKVAN. In this study, we searched for BKV copies in urine and plasma of renal transplants by quantitative assay (QPCR). Results showed that in several patients clearance of viremia is associated with persistent viruria, suggesting that both specimens are necessary to correctly monitor a BKVAN. PMID- 17802908 TI - PCR real time assays for the early detection of BKV-DNA in immunocompromised patients. AB - Testing for viral BKV-DNA in urine is a non-invasive early detection and monitoring tool in the diagnostic of BKV-related pathologies: quantitative analysis by Real-Time PCR can provide useful information in addition to cytologic analysis, although our study suggests that high BKV viruria is not necessarily associated with kidney or bladder damage. PMID- 17802909 TI - Liver function parameters in HIV/HCV co-infected patients treated with amprenavir and ritonavir and correlation with plasma levels. AB - Acute liver toxicity is a frequent adverse event that occurs during antiretroviral therapy and was observed in 6-30% of the patients on treatment, especially in presence of HCV coinfection (Cooper et al., 2002, Maida et al., 2006, Sulkowski et al., 2000). A correlation between HCV-associated liver fibrosis severity and the risk of HAART associated hepatoxicity has been demonstrated (Aranzabal et al., 2005, Sulkowski et al., 2004). This high liver toxicity rate might be due to increased drug exposure in patients with liver disease (Veronese et al., 2000). It has been reported that patients with chronic hepatitis C show significantly reduced CPY3A4 and CYP2D6 activity in comparison with healthy volunteers (Becquemont et al., 2002). The aim of this study was to evaluate the liver function tests in HCV-co-infected patients treated with fos amprenavir and ritonavir. PMID- 17802910 TI - Virological responses in a patient with recent HIV-1 infection experiencing an EBV reactivation. AB - The dynamics of interactions between HIV and other viral agents and their reciprocal influence on the cellular immune response is not fully understood. A clinical report is here described regarding an EBV reactivation occurring during a recent HIV infection. The two viruses appear to act in a sequential manner, mutually influencing each other in their replication and leading to determine a clinical outcome in the patient under study. PMID- 17802911 TI - Use of T-SPOT.TB in latent tuberculosis infection diagnosis in general and immunosuppressed populations. AB - Immunosuppressed patients have a nine-fold greater risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) disease given the latent TB infection than the general population. Few data are available on the predictivity of T-SPOT.TB in immunosuppressed patients. We had a T-SPOT.TB determination and a TST from 197 immunosuppressed haematological patients and 324 community contacts of infectious TB cases. In the general population, TST was positive in 275 (84.9%), T-SPOT.TB in 167 (51.5%) (p < 0.0001). In immunosuppressed patients, TST was positive in 34 (17.3%), T-SPOT.TB in 70 (35.5%). T-SPOT.TB is not influenced by immunosuppression and even an indeterminate result may yield useful information on patient's anergy. PMID- 17802912 TI - Comparison of a commercial and an in-house T cell-based assay for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. AB - Identification of individuals with a tuberculosis infection is a very important element for the control of tuberculosis. The currently used tuberculin skin test has poor sensitivity and specificity. Recently, an important advance in tuberculosis diagnosis occurred with the development of in vitro T cell-based IFN gamma release assays. The aim of this study was to compare a RD1-based in-house ELISPOT-IFN-gamma assay with a commercial (T-SPOT.TB) assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection. The results showed an almost complete concordance between the two assays, confirming that our restricted but highly selected pool of peptides is sufficient to detect tuberculosis infection. PMID- 17802913 TI - Acquired AmpC type beta-lactamases: an emerging problem in Italian long-term care and rehabilitation facilities. AB - We report the multiple detection of Proteus mirabilis isolates, from 4 different long-term care and rehabilitation facilities (LTCRFs) of Northern Italy, resistant to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and cephamycins and producing an acquired ampC-like beta-lactamase, named CMY-16. Genotyping by PFGE showed that isolates were clonally related to each other, although not identical. In all isolates the bla(CMY16) gene was not transferable by conjugation and was found to be carried on the chromosome. These results revealed multifocal spreading of a CMY-16 producing P. mirabilis clone in Northern Italy and emphasize the emergence of similar acquired resistance determinants in the LTCRFs setting. PMID- 17802914 TI - Surveillance of Toxoplasma gondii infection in recipients of thoracic solid organ transplants. AB - We evaluated the frequency of seroconversion for toxoplasmosis in seronegative recipients of thoracic solid organ transplants with seronegative or seropositive donors and the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis with pyrimethamine+sulfametopirazine. One hundred and sixty one patients seronegative for toxoplasmosis were followed up at different intervals. Six patients out of 79 R-/D- and twelve out of 82 R /D+ seroconverted after chemoprophylaxis interruption. There was no difference between matched and mismatched recipients as to the frequency of seroconversion which therefore could not be related to donor seropositivity. Seroconversions were almost asymptomatic. All positive recipients should be tested if symptoms of infection are present. PMID- 17802915 TI - Candida albicans in a neonatal intensive care unit: antifungal susceptibility and genotypic analysis. AB - Invasive candidiasis in neonates has become an increasing problem over the past decade in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). From August 2005 to January 2006, six invasive candidiasis occurred in neonates in NICU of the S. Matteo hospital of Pavia. The study focused on the species involved and their in vitro antifungal susceptibility. Genotyping was conducted to determine clonal relatedness. A total of 22 yeasts were isolated from different biological samples of neonates during six months. The infants were infected with or colonized by Candida albicans and six patients developed C. albicans deep infections. The genotyping of the transposable intron region of C. albicans strains showed that they belonged to the genotype A (17 isolates) and genotype B (5 isolates). The RAPD confirmed these results. These data suggest that nosocomial transmission of C. albicans could be take into account as a mode of acquisition by neonates in NICUs at this hospital. PMID- 17802916 TI - Development and validation of a molecular method for the diagnosis of medically important fungal infections. AB - The increasing incidence of severe fungal infections highlights the need for rapid and precise identification methods in clinical mycology. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a culture-indipendent molecular approach that could allow the detection of fungal pathogens in clinical samples, with particular attention to the identification of drug-resistant Candida and Aspergillus species. A real-time multiplex PCR assay was developed using TaqMan probes specific for highly discriminating ITS sequences. In its multiplex format the assay showed a high specificity, clearly discriminating among different species, as well as a high sensitivity (20 CFU/1 mL sample), making it a potentially useful starting point for the development of a more complete molecular diagnostic assay. PMID- 17802917 TI - Analysis of HIV-1 drug-resistant variants in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from untreated individuals: implications for clinical management. AB - Genotypic resistance analysis on viral DNA and plasma was performed in 56 therapy naive patients with recent and chronic infection to assess the prevalence of mutations associated with drug resistance and compare cell-free and cell associated strains. Direct sequencing of DNA provirus disclosed key mutations to RT inhibitors more frequently than in plasma RNA. In addition, major mutations associated with drug resistance in the PR region were only found in PBMCs. Although our data are limited to a small cohort, they show a different resistance profile between plasma and PBMC compartments and may yield additional information for first-line antiretroviral regimens. PMID- 17802918 TI - Evaluation of Elisa test for therapeutic monitoring of Nelfinavir in HIV-positive patients. AB - Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an important tool in the management of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. The gold standard for measuring drugs plasma levels is High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Assay (HPLC) however it is technically demanding and time-consuming. We evaluated a new immunoenzymatic test (TDM-ELISA, Biostrands, Trieste, Italy) for nelfinavir and its active metabolite M8 in comparison with HPLC. A statistically significant difference in Ctrough between the two different tests was demonstrated but this difference was no longer significant when a value of 29% due to M8 aliquot was deleted. This faster TDM ELISA may have an important role for TDM in HIV patients taking ARVs. PMID- 17802919 TI - Antibiotic use: present and future. AB - Antibiotics were initially viewed as "wonder drugs" primarily because they were introduced at a time when only surgical drainage or spontaneous cures were available to treat serious bacterial infections. During the five or six decades since their introduction, several classes of these drugs became available including sulfonamides and trimethoprim, penicillins, cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines, colimycins, macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, rifamycins, glycopeptides, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, oxazolidinones, glycylglycines, lipoglycopeptides, and variations on these themes. Unfortunately, through a variety of mechanisms and perhaps as a result of their profligate use, many bacterial groups are exhibiting resistance to these antibiotics. At present, most bacterial infections can still be treated with available antibiotics used alone or in combination, but increasing numbers of clinical failures with the current armamentarium can be expected. Optimizing drug dosing and duration might help minimize the emergence of resistance in some situations. However, the future could look dim, as there are relatively few new agents on the horizon. A bold new look for antibacterial targets is needed. Surely our scientific abilities are up to this challenge. New approaches to antimicrobial chemotherapy are needed if we are to survive the increasing rates of antibiotic resistance predicted for the future. PMID- 17802920 TI - Antibiotic resistance in long-term care facilities. AB - Long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) comprise a heterogeneous group of institutions that provide a wide variety of services to diverse groups of patients, most of whom are elderly. Infections are common in LTCFs and these are complicated by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. The residents in LTCFs have a high frequency of colonization with antimicrobial-resistant organisms, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, penicillin resistant pneumococci, extended spectrum P-lactamase-producing gram-negative organisms, and fluoroquinolone-resistant gram-negative organisms. Although several control programs have been published, up to now there still is a long way to go in this area of health care. This review will briefly touch upon the clinical relevance of antimicrobial resistance in LTCFs. PMID- 17802921 TI - Epidemiology of infections caused by multiresistant gram-negatives: ESBLs, MBLs, panresistant strains. AB - Microbial drug resistance is a growing problem of global magnitude. In gram negative pathogens, the most important resistance problems are encountered in Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter, with increasing trends observed for all major anti-gram-negative agents (beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides). A matter of major concern is the emergence of new beta-lactamases capable of degrading the expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and/or carbapenems, such as the extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and the carbapenemases. These beta-lactamase genes are often associated with resistance determinants to non-beta-lactam agents (e.g. aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones), and strains producing ESBLs or carbapenemases often exhibit complex multidrug resistant phenotypes and sometimes are panresistant. The problem is worsened by the dearth of new agents active on multidrug-resistant Gram-negatives in the pipeline. The importance to develop better strategies to control resistance is underscored. PMID- 17802922 TI - Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in Lombardy Region in the period 2000-2006. AB - Epidemiological study of bacterial meningitis, particularly those forms susceptible to vaccination, is an indispensable tool in choosing vaccination strategies. Lombardy Region, where approximately 20% of the Italian population resides, has conducted an in-depth study on invasive meningococcal diseases and pneumococcal meningitis using available health statistics and performing a control of single cases to achieve complete knowledge of the phenomenon. The results, relating to the period 2000-2006, indicate limited incidence rates both for the general population and childhood age groups that do not justify hypotheses of a universal offering of the specific vaccines. However, the healthcare system must equip itself with additional tools for the identification of the serogroups and serotypes responsible for disease as a further support for possible choices modifying the current vaccination policies. PMID- 17802923 TI - Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in HAART and antibiotic therapy. AB - Therapeutic agents used to inhibit the HIV replication are used in combination. The achievement of effective plasma concentrations of the drug in its active form, and sustaining such concentrations for the duration of a dosing interval without exceeding thresholds of toxicity is fundamental in HIV therapy. The issues determining the absorption, biotransformation, distribution to and activity at the intended site, and elimination, are myriad and complex. Studies at molecular, cell, and tissue levels are useful for predicting the possible fate of these agents in vivo, but the wide inter individual variability shown in whole body pharmacokinetic studies is illustrative of the difficulty in making general statements rather than more guarded recommendations. PMID- 17802924 TI - Healthcare-related infections outside the hospital: a new frontier for infection control. AB - In all industrialized countries, an increasing number of persons are cared for outside the acute hospitals: thus, infection control programs should be adapted to the new scenario. This paper briefly reviews the epidemiological features of infections acquired outside the acute care hospital, focusing on residential homes for the elderly. An intervention study aimed at reducing the healthcare associated infections in 22 residential facilities in Emilia-Romagna region is described. PMID- 17802925 TI - The acquired experience and the programs for the prevention of nosocomial infections in Lombardy. AB - The authors present organization of Lombardy in the nosocomial infections' control. In particular they expose characteristics of Regional Coordination of the Hospital Committees (CR-CIO) and the plans for the CR-CIO in the two year period 2006-2007. Preliminary results of work groups show that the main problems in the control strategies are the difficulties in implementing theoretical notions in care programs. So it is therefore necessary to continue along this path to reach further goals and eventually change the adopted organizational. PMID- 17802926 TI - Prevention and control of emerging infections: a challenge for the 3rd millennium. AB - In the last 30 years, several emerging infections due to novel viruses have been identified, from haemorrhagic fever viruses to HIV, from the SARS-Coronavirus to Avian influenza viruses. Ecological and genetic changes are important determinants of the emergence of new viral infections, driving to an increase of R0 (the basic reproductive number) through increasing the probability of transmission. The current H5N1 epidemic may be considered a prepandemic paradigm that needs thorough investigation. PMID- 17802927 TI - Molecular epidemiology of ESbetaL producing P. mirabilis strains from a long-term care and rehabilitation facility in Italy. AB - We report the detection of multidrug resistant ESbetaL producing Proteus mirabilis isolates from a long-term care and rehabilitation facility (LTCRF) in Northern Italy. 53% of the collected P. mirabilis strains were ESbetaL producers. PCR and sequencing techniques confirmed the presence of the bla(TEM-92) and bla(CMY-16) resistance genes in 23/26 (88.5%) and 3/26 (11.5%) of the ESbetaL producers respectively. PFGE showed that the TEM-92 beta-lactamase producing isolates were not clonally related, indicating the presence of at least four different clonal lineages (A, B, C, D), whereas all the CMY-16 enzyme producers belonged in the same lineage. The bla(TEM-92) and bla(CYY-16) determinants were distributed in seven different wards, but in three of them they coexisted. Our results show that the most patients are co-colonized by ESbetaLs producing P. mirabilis strains at the time of admission to an LTCRF. An effective strategy to curtail the spread of ESbetaLs mediated resistance in LTCRFs could be to activate sourveillance programs to monitor routinely the entry of resistant bacteria. PMID- 17802928 TI - [Romanian Universities performances and Shanghai classification]. PMID- 17802929 TI - [Arterial stiffness in pediatric hypertension]. AB - Non invasive assessment of large arteries structure and function is a valuable tool for early detection of athero/arteriosclerosis and the cardiovascular risk. The vascular injury is mainly represented by increased arterial stiffness (increased pulse wave velocity--PWV), increased peripheral arteries reflectivity (Aix) and the occurrence of significant atheromatosis (increased clMT). Although well described in adult, there are few data in children regarding the impact of uremia on vascular structure and function. This paper is an overview of the main determinants of arterial compliance in children, focusing on recent data describing the repercussions of hypertension and renal failure in this age group. To date, our group has performed the only case control study in children in order to describe the arterial stiffness, the reflective properties of peripheral arteries as well as the carotid intima-media thickness on 18 children under chronic dialysis treatment (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). Comparing with control cases the dialysed children had a significantly higher PWV and Aix, which reinforce that uremia is associated with arterial stiffness even in children. There were no significant differences on IMT and PWV between hemodialysed and peritoneal dialysed children. In contrast with adult patient data, there was no favourable impact of hemodialysis session over PWv and Aix. PMID- 17802930 TI - [Corticosteroid resistance thrombocytopenia in connective tissue disorders and vasculitis]. AB - In rheumatic diseases there can appear deteriorations of the thrombocytes number in the sense of increase or decrease of this number.Thrombocytosis has 3 major causes: (1) reactive or secondary thrombocytosis; (2) family thrombocytosis and (3) clonal thrombocytosis. Thrombocytopenia, that is, decrease of the thrombocytes number below 150000/mmc is unusually in rheumatic diseases. Their mechanism of production can be central and peripheral. In the connective tissue disorders and vasculitis thrombocytopenia can has different causes: (1) decrease thrombocytes production; (2) splenic platelets sequestration; (3) peripheral platelets consumption; (4) peripheral immune mediated destruction of platelets. Thrombocytopenia is present in the following rheumatic diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Felty syndrome, vasculitis. Steroids are the conventional first line therapy for immune thrombocytopenia. Corticosteroid resistance can develop as a result of deteriorations that appear to the any level of pathway action of corticosteroids. PMID- 17802931 TI - [Role of video-capsule endoscopy in Crohn's disease]. AB - The technical and scientific improvements of the miniature electronic equipment made possible the occurrence of video-capsule endoscopy (VCE), which is a device having an enormous noninvasive investigation potential of the small intestine. One of the most attractive indications of VCE is the suspicion of Crohn's disease that has not been confirmed using standard imaging techniques. AIM: To assess the value of VCE in the diagnostic work-up of patients in whom there is clinical suspicion of small bowel Crohn's disease that cannot be confirmed using conventional techniques (upper and lower endoscopy, small bowel follow-through). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients (10 men, 11 women, mean age 36 +/- 7 years) with clinical and biochemical suspicion of Crohn's disease were included in the study. All the patients were evaluate before by the small bowel follow through, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy. RESULTS: In 15 patients (68%), lesions supporting the Crohn's disease diagnosis were detected by VCE. Complete visualization of the small bowel was achieved in all patients except for one where the capsule stopped upstream of a stenosis located at the terminal ileum level. The most frequent lesions included mucous erosions, aphthae, lineal or serpiginous mucous lesions, ulcers and fissures. CONCLUSIONS: VCE is an effective modality for diagnosis patients with suspected Crohn's disease undetected by conventional diagnostic techniques. PMID- 17802932 TI - [Clinical profiles of ulcerative colitis]. AB - Ulcerative colitis is a worldwide disorder, although its precise incidence varies; it is an inflammatory disorder that affects the rectum and extends proximally to affect a variable extent of the colon. The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical and laboratory data in a retrospective study made in 421 patients recovered between 1999-2003 in the gastroenterology unit. PMID- 17802933 TI - [Is there a role for a random measurement of 24-hour urine calcium excretion and serum total alkaline phosphatase in the determination of fracture risk in osteoporotic postmenopausal women?]. AB - Our objective was to explore whether a casual determination of 24-hour urinary calcium excretion and serum total alkaline phosphatase (TAP), in osteoporotic postmenopausal women are independent predictors for osteoporotic fracture. Subjects were 121 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (mean age 62.8 +/- 9.9) segregated in two study groups based on prevalence of osteoporotic fractures (51 women with prevalent fractures and 70 without fractures), similar in terms of age and BMI. We measured bone mineral density (BMD) by DXA at lumbar spine and femoral neck. Vertebral fracture assessment was done by plain X ray evaluation. Routine blood tests and extensive endocrine evaluation were performed in all patients to exclude secondary causes of osteoporosis. Serum TAP, calcium, phosphate and urinary calcium excretion was measured to evaluate bone metabolism. We did not find any significant differences between groups regarding lumbar T score (-3.1/-2.9 SD), femoral neck T score (-2.2/-1.8 SD), lumbar Z score (-1.5/ 1.9 SD) or femoral neck Z score (-1.5/-1.8 SD). Serum TAP was higher in fracture group (211.5 UI) comparing to non-fracture osteoporotic women (208.3 UI) without statistical significance. We were not able to find any significant difference between groups in terms of urinary calcium excretion (9.13/5.4 mEq/24h) or serum total calcium (4.8/4.9 mmol/l). CONCLUSION: in spite of a mean TAP near the upper limit of normal range which could be related to low bone mass, there is no significant relationship to fracture risk in osteoporotic postmenopausal women. Based on our data, a casual measurement of urinary calcium excretion seems irrelevant for BMD independent fracture risk assessment in this clinical setup. PMID- 17802934 TI - [Investigating the possibility of aerosol therapy individualization using the stochastic lung model]. AB - The aim of our study is to examine the possibility of individualizing aerosol therapy, by determining the ideal diameter of the inhaled particles and the optimal breathing pattern, using a computerized simulation program. In order to find the optimal breathing pattern, we used different variations of the tidal volume and breathing period. We tried to determine the ideal particle diameter by carrying out a series of simulations for particles with diameters ranging from 1 to 10 microns. Our results show that increasing the particle diameter will lead to higher deposition values in the upper respiratory regions and bronchi, and smaller values in the acinary regions of the lung. Repeated simulations have led to two different ideal particle diameters, according to the localization of the desired effect. This way, for the bronchial regions the ideal particle diameter is 10 microns, and for the acinary regions 2 microns. PMID- 17802935 TI - [Clinical outcome of lupus nephritis in Constanta County]. AB - The epidemiology of chronic renal failure (CRF) and renal replacement therapy (RRT) is under continuous surveillance all over the world. In Constanja county, as well as in other Romanian regions, an increase in the prevalence of patients on RRT (dialysis or transplantation) has been observed during the recent years. AIM: To determine the prevalence of chronic renal failure in Constanta county, in variable stages of evolution, as well as monitoring of renal replacement therapy in our region. METHODS: This epidemiological study is based on data collected from patients hospitalized in the 1st Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, or from other Department of the Emergency Hospital, regular periodic visits of predialytic patients in the Ambulatory Nephrology Cabinet and from the Hemodialysis Center of Constanta, in the interval of time 1st January 2003-30 June 2005. A total group of 585 patients were evaluated till the end of our study. The study was based upon the available clinical and biochemical data, obtained during routine clinical care. RESULTS: The disease affects more frequently the male gender and the young to middle-aged population. Because 56.88% of renal patients are in a predialytic phase, it is obvious that a large population group will need in the proximate future places for renal replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: CRF has a high incidence in Constanta county; the rate detected during our study was 82.1 cases per 100,000 population. Chronic glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis, followed by diabetic nephropathy were the most frequently reported causes of renal failure. The most frequent comorbid associated conditions were cardiovascular diseases, followed by infections and bone diseases, in both predialytic and dialytic/transplanted population. Almost 10% of our patients died during the study. The most frequent causes of death were: cardiogenic shock, arrhythmias, cerebral strokes and sepsis. PMID- 17802936 TI - [Clinical and epidemiologic considerations in the role of newborn diseases causing asthma in children]. AB - The authors present results of a multidisciplinary study in 712 children with asthma concerning the role of certain newborns events and the role of feeding in the onset of disease: resuscitation during the delivery--82.68%, respiratory distress--75.5%, Apgar score = 7 - 58.56%, bottle-feeding 50.50%, multi-pregnancy -44.23%, abnormal pregnancy--20.11%, premature infant and small for gestational age infant 10.60%, mother age less then 20 years 8.6%. PMID- 17802937 TI - [The TB infection in children with chronic renal diseases]. AB - The incidence of tuberculosis in the general population has risen in Romania over the past years. It is, therefore, presumable that this incidence is higher in the immuno-compromised hosts than in the general population. METHODS: We analysed the tuberculosis incidence in children with a chronic renal disease, the favourable factors, and also the tuberculosis impact on the evolution of the renal disease. The tracing period was of 12 years, the lot being composed of 168 patients: 96 with primitive or secondary chronic renal diseases who were treated with immunosuppressive agents and 72 with ESRD, undergoing chronic dialysis. The study traced: the main disease, the immunosuppressive therapy received at the time of the TB diagnosis, the age of the main disease at the time of the TB diagnosis and its evolution stage, the proper framing within the disease type. RESULTS: There were 22 cases of tuberculosis diagnosed (22.03%), 2 ending in deaths. 10 were TB infected (positive tuberculin skin test-TST) and 12 had TB-disease (5 cases of pulmonary and 6 of extra-pulmonary TB). The period between the diagnosing of the renal disease and that of the TB was, in average, around 6 months (between 0-48 months). Contact with other ill persons existed in only one case. Out of the cases diagnosed with TB, immunosuppression was present as a favouring factor in 9 cases (75%)--2 cases with ESRD and 7 cases with immunosuppressive therapy for the active renal disease. 4 cases with cortico-resistant nephritic syndrome (3 cases with mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis and one case which did not undergo biopsy) responded to the immunosuppressive treatment after the tuberculostatic treatment. CONCLUSION: The tracing of the TB infection is compulsory in the groups of patients presenting risks, even in the absence of suggestive epidemiologic data. Tuberculosis induces resistance to the immunosuppressive therapy, the remission being dependent on the efficiency of the tuberculostatic treatment. PMID- 17802938 TI - [Difficult diagnosis in pulmonary hydatidosis]. AB - Echinococcosis is a disease caused by a small taenid-tape of Echinococcus granulosus, a parasite that lives in the intestine of canines. Occasionally the intermediate host is the human being and it is located especially in the liver and in the lung having the shape of cysts. The diagnosis is often difficult because of the radiological aspect of the cysts, which are very much alike some tumor. The abstract contains two cases of pulmonary hydatid cyst and its steps towards the final diagnosis. PMID- 17802939 TI - [Acute myocardial infarction--a possible complication in polycythemia vera. Case report]. AB - A 66-year-old woman with Polycythemia Vera suffered an postero-inferior acute myocardial infarction: this is a relative rare association. The association between primary coronary angioplasty with stent implantation and anti-aggregant and myelosuppressive treatment was followed by important clinical benefits for the patient. To our knowledge, there are rare reports in the literature relating the triad of Polycythemia Vera, acute myocardial infarction and primary coronary angioplasty with stent implantation. PMID- 17802940 TI - [Neuropsychiatric manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus]. AB - Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) has become a popular term designing all neurological and psychiatric complications in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It occurs in up to two thirds of all SLE patients and it covers a vast array of disorders ranging from peripheral neuropathy to stroke, psychosis, and dementia. Mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of NPSLE include anti-neuronal antibodies, antiphospholipid antibody associated thrombosis, emboli from cardiac source and, rarely, vasculitis by immune complex depositions. Although the most common manifestations is cognitive dysfunction (50%), NPSLE may also present itself as peripheral neuropathy (15%), psychosis (10%), or other central nervous system abnormalities (stroke, organic brain syndrome, seizures). In lupus patients, one should always look for secondary causes of the neuropsychiatric manifestation, including infection, toxic metabolic abnormalities, and hypertension. We present two cases of SLE, which developed neuropsychiatric manifestations. PMID- 17802941 TI - Pregnancy and liver disease. AB - Liver dysfunction can appear at any point of pregnancy and causes great anxiety to the patient, her family and sometimes her medical attendants. This review concentrates on conditions specific to pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, toxemia of pregnancy, HELLP syndrome) and provides a guide in diagnosis and management of hepatobiliary conditions that are probably related to pregnancy (e.g., gallstones, Budd-Chiari syndrome) or that are not specific to pregnancy (e.g., acute viral hepatitis), and also the situations in which pregnancy occurs during pre-existing liver disease (e.g., chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Wilson's disease). PMID- 17802942 TI - [Laparoscopic surgery of the liver, in 92 cases]. AB - We analyze the experience in laparoscopic hepatic surgery of the Research Center of Laparoscopic and Open Surgery from Iasi between 1993-2006. This study includes 92 patients (0.9% from 10,367 laparoscopic operations) with liver pathology considered for laparoscopic treatment. We performed 42 Lin procedures (wide fenestration technique) for serous hepatic cysts, 32 cystectomies for hepatic hydatid disease, 10 non-anatomical hepatic resections (for 2 adenomas, 4 haemangiomas, 4 metastasis) and 8 steam water thermo-necrosis (for multiple hepatic metastasis). Conversion to open surgery rate was 8.7% (hepatic hydatid cysts--6 cases, serous hepatic cyst--1 case with associated acute cholecystitis, thermo-necrosis--1 case). We had no postoperative mortality and morbidity rate was 6.5%. The follow-up was available in all patients for a mean time of 12 months, by abdominal ultrasound exam and/or computed tomography. No evidence of disease recurrence was registered. We are at the beginning of the laparoscopic hepatic surgery and these results need to be confirmed. For the hepatic serous cysts the laparoscopic fenestration is the best treatment, but for the hepatic hydatid cyst, the laparoscopic approach is indicated only in selected cases: uni vesicular hydatid cyst, noncomplicated, localised into the "laparoscopic" segments of the liver. Albendazole treatment is also necessary in these cases. For all types of benign liver tumours, the best indication remains small, superficial lesions, located in the anterior or the lateral segments of the liver. When performed by expert liver and laparoscopic surgeons using an adequate surgical technique, the laparoscopic approach is safe for performing minor liver resection for malignant tumours and is accompanied by the usual postoperative benefits of laparoscopic surgery. PMID- 17802943 TI - [Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) can be done for lithiasic patients with cardiac arrhythmias with a lithotriptor without ECG triggering system--the experience of Iasi Urological Department]. AB - The recommendations for spark gap lithotripters include that the shock waves must be delivered according to the ECG, avoiding the discharge during the refractory part of the heart activity. The lithotripters we have in our department does not have from the factory an ECG correlated triggering system. Observing that ESWL for patients without heart problems did not induced arrhythmias, we decide to perform this procedure under strict cardiologic supervision to the patients having arrhythmias (chronic fibrillation, chronic atrial fibrillation, supraventricular arrhythmias, supraventricular premature beats, ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia). All the ESWIL sessions did not have any major incidents and all the patients return home safe, without any changes of the cardiac medication. Even we did not notice any aggravation of the cardiac arrhythmias during ESWL we consider that the careful monitoring of the patients by the cardiologist is necessary during the procedure, most of all when the spark gap lithotripter has not an ECG triggering system. PMID- 17802944 TI - [Algorithms for adding and subtracting noise levels]. AB - Nowadays 7% of Europe's workers suffer from work related hearing difficulties and noise induced hearing loss is among the most commonly reported occupational diseases in the E.U. In this situation the occupational health physician has to evaluate the noise level especially in industrial environment in order to help the patients and the employers to prevent the noise irreversible health damages. This material presents two simple algorithms to be used to calculate the resulting noise level when composing noise sources. Personal contributions. PMID- 17802945 TI - [Laser Doppler vibrometry: a new tool for diagnosing hearing loss with an intact eardrum]. AB - The diagnosis of hearing loss with an intact eardrum frequently requires an entire battery of hearing tests, without the guarantee of an exact diagnosis. The techniques frequently provide only orientation for it, without establishing the site of the lesion and the etiology of the hearing loss. Laser Doppler vibrometry is a new technique, which has recently proved capable, of partially resolving this problem. The method is based on the study of the sound-induced vibration of the eardrum in humans in vivo, using a laser Doppler vibrometer. The method proved to be useful in the diagnosis of the pathology of the middle ear sound transmission system, avoiding the need for exploratory tympanotomy. Called "laser audiometry", the method promises to become a new diagnostic tool for hearing impairment. PMID- 17802946 TI - Volatile induction and maintenance of anaesthesia (VIMA) with sevoflurane for surgical treatment of the choanal atresia in newborn. AB - A solved case of bilateral choanal atresia in a 10 hour newborn allowed the authors to make some pathogenic, clinic and therapeutic considerations. The paper underlines the high severity of the disease, which imposes the need of a quick diagnosis and an emergency surgical procedure assuring the airway patency and proper ventilation. The transnasal endoscopic approach is the procedure of choice, being quick, safe, providing direct and excellent visualization of the nasal cavity and posterior choanae, and having less postoperative morbidity than other surgical procedures. It is also emphasized the need of general anaesthesia with VIMA technique, which covers all the requirements of the anaesthesia in newborn. PMID- 17802947 TI - [Gastric stromal tumor. Case report]. AB - Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastro intestinal tract and express the c-kit proto-oncogene protein (CD 117). We report herein a case of a 58 years old male with upper abdominal pain and anaemia. Preoperative endoscopic and barium meal exams showed a submucosal tumor in the gastric fornix. Endoscopic biopsy revealed spindle-shaped cells with elongated nuclei specific of GIST. We performed a stapled resection of the gastric fornix associated with Hiss angle reconstruction. Postoperative histologic exam revealed the same spindle-shape cells characteristic of GIST with 2-5 mitosis/50HPF. Almost all of the cells showed immunoreactivity for c-kit, CD 34 and a Ki-67 labeling index of 30%. Postoperative course was non eventful and after 3 month the patient has no recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: GIST are rare gastric tumors and are usually associated with bleeding and abdominal pain. The preoperative diagnosis is usually established by endoscopy with biopsy or endoscopic ultrasonography fine needle aspiration and barium meal exam. Only immunoreactivity is able to differentiate GIST from other mesenchymal tumors. Surgical resection is a safe and effective treatment. The chemotherapy with tyrosine kinases competitive inhibitors (e.g. imatinib mesylate) is also recommended. PMID- 17802948 TI - [Clinical aspects of the post-caustic esophageal stenosis on 116 cases]. AB - 116 cases of post-caustic esophageal stenosis hospitalized in the Emergency Surgical Clinic of Iasi during the period 1982-2004 have been analyzed. The patients' ages, the 4th decade of age (24.13%) prevailed. The alkaline substances prevailed (84.48%). Eight patients benefited from an endoscopic examination in the 15th day from the injury, and presented lesion degree 1-2 C. Progressive dysphagia, retrosternal pain and weight loss-symptoms were in all cases. The most of the patients (65.50%) came for a medical consultation within the first 6 months. The diagnosis and localizing the esophageal stenosis were based on the endoscopic examination and radiology. The single or double stenosis esophagus prevailed. The corrosive substances represent a frequent cause of benign esophageal stenosis. PMID- 17802949 TI - [Neglected peritonitis of rare origin: atypical carcinoid]. AB - We present a clinical case of ileal carcinoid tumor manifested to a man about 53 years old, which was operated first time in emergency when right hemicolectomy was performed and after that reintervention for a small fistula. Finally this patient was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy in ambulatory care by oncologists. In conclusion we can say that acute appendicitis with generalized peritonitis could be one of form by manifestation of this tumor:ileal carcinoid tumor. PMID- 17802950 TI - Biosynthesis and physio-pharmacological actions of angiotensin peptides: 2. Physio-pharmacological properties. AB - The classic concept of the renin-angiotensin system being substantially accomplished by the new cognitive and applicative acquisitions, a natural reconsideration and completion is imposed. In consequence, ample referrals are made to the main central and peripheral actions of Angiotensins through specific receptors. Emphasis is given to the effects of Angiotensin IV and Angiotensin 1-7 which are different of those of Angiotensin II, underlining their possible role as counteracting factors to its actions, in order to remove the imbalances created by the predominating stimulation of vasoconstricting AT, receptors. There are also taken into account the mainly central neural actions of Angiotensin IV, while Angiotensin 1-7 seems to be active only in the periphery. At the end are mentioned the results of our own research on the vasodilating effects of Angiotensin 1-7 and its interrelations with Angiotensin II. New experimental proofs are brought both in favor of the endocrine, paracrine and autocrine role of the circulating and tissue renin-Angiotensin system and of the counteracting of the effects of Angiotensin II by a part of its metabolism products. PMID- 17802951 TI - [Reciprocal epithelio-stromal interactions in normal and neoplastic prostate]. AB - The epithelio-stromal interaction is important in the process of morphogenesis, differentiation, and hormone response, in normal and neoplastic prostate. Mesenchymal androgenic receptors (AR) initiates the prostatic development. Paracrine signals from the mesenchyme induce epithelial identity and regulates epithelial apoptosis. Induction of prostatic squamous metaplasia is mediated by both stromal and epithelial a estrogenic receptors (ERa). The basement membrane components, by laminins and integrin receptors, also regulates epithelio-stromal interactions, in embryogenesis, differentiation, tumoral invasion and metastasising process. Also growth factors, as epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), fibroblastic growth factor (FGF) and Saposin C, by their paracrine and autocrine action, are involved in the control of epithelial prostate cells proliferation. Supplementary, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) contributes, by its angiogenetic effect, to tumoral proliferation. A complete understanding of the complex regulatory epithelio stromal mechanism may provide new therapeutic targets in prostate tumoral pathology. PMID- 17802952 TI - [Chief teratogenic factors in facial abnormalities]. AB - Congenital anomalies of the face mainly originate in chromosomal and teratogenic factors. Cleft lip and cleft palate are common anomalies of the face and palate. Cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, occurs about once in 1000 births. Cleft palate occurs about once in 2500 births. Most cases of cleft lip and palate are determined by multiple factors, genetic and nongenetic, each causing only a minor developmental disturbance. This is called multifactorial inheritance. The purpose of this study is a review on teratogenic factors with action on the newborn face. PMID- 17802953 TI - Method for protein tagging in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. AB - Tagging is a useful method for the investigation of proteins. It allows the localization of the proteins in the cell, their purification in order to investigate their function and the determination of their expression. The aim of the present study was to tag the Rad32 protein of fission yeast (which is the homologue of Mre11 protein from humans) at its N-terminus. Rad32p as well as Mre11p are involved in the repair of DNA double strand breaks and in the DNA damage checkpoint. We carried out this tagging using the Cre-loxp recombination system. In a first step, a 2 kb DNA fragment was integrated upstream of the initiating codon of rad32 gene. This fragment encoded the TAP-tag (tandem affinity purification), a loxp site, a selectable marker (sup3-5), an exogenous promoter (nmt1) and a second loxp site, in this sequence. Following transformation of this DNA fragment into S. pombe cells, rad32 was under the control of the artificial promotor, which allows a controlled expression of the gene by thiamine. In a second step, the cells were transformed with a plasmid coding for Cre recombinase, which catalyses the excision of the DNA sequence between the two loxp sites, removing the marker and the artificial promotor. Thus the tag became attached to the rad32 gene upstream of the ATG, placing the gene under the control of its native promotor. The strain thus obtained will be subsequently used for evidencing the tagged protein by Western blotting and then for its purification in order to investigate its function. PMID- 17802954 TI - [Multi-objective optimization for fuzzy controller in neuro-muscular rehabilitation]. AB - The multi-objective optimization problem could be generally formulated as minimization of vector objectives subject to a number of constraints and bounds. Among the non-derivative problems, genetic algorithms have been proved to be a good solution in addressing ill-posed problem. We applied the multi-objective optimization to fuzzy controller design in order to obtain a optimal solution that is often a compromise between different objectives. The application that are targeted in this paper is the e-health in neuromuscular rehabilitation using electromyographies. Because our application is implemented using a micro controller with limited capabilities, that is flash memory, computational effort, and the clock frequency, the interest is to design the smallest fuzzy architecture possible in order to accomplish the objectives. The optimal set was used in order to achieves these objectives. PMID- 17802955 TI - [Diagnostic procedures in dental trauma]. AB - Dental trauma is an emergency. In such situations an early diagnosis to determine the nature and extent of the trauma is needed, through an comprehensive investigation including the circumstances of tre traumatic event, the medical history and a complete clinical and paraclinical evaluation. PMID- 17802956 TI - [Current aspects of risk factors in early stage cancer of the oral cavity]. AB - Understanding opinions, attitudes and practices of dental healthcare professionals is vital in order to assess their effectiveness in the prevention and early detection of oral cancer, thus helping to reduce its mortality and morbidity. There is current debate on whether the implementation of screening and detecting of risk factors as a separate procedure from the daily routine work of dental healthcare professionals would be an effective measure for the early detection and prevention of oral cancer. Being able to routinely detect oral cancer at an early stage and counsel patients in prevention is a continuous challenge for the dental profession. Dentists must be familiar with the risk factors and clinical signs and symptoms of oral cancer if they are to be effective in identifying, referring and counseling high-risk patients. PMID- 17802957 TI - [Implications of xerostomia in oral dis-homeostasis]. AB - Xerostomia represents the main symptom in several secretor dysfunctions, but can be also met as a stand alone disease. The goal of the current study is to remark the oral cavity changes in patients with xerostomia and the incurring factors. The research was carried on two groups : a study group (76 xerostomia clinical cases) and a control group (72 clinically healthy patients). The xerostomia diagnosis was based on anamnesis data, clinical examination of oral tissues and salivary tests for measuring the salivary flow rate at rest and in stimulation conditions. The results of the study showed changes in oral tissues: dry lips with angular cheilitis, pale oral mucosa, with frequent congestion, dryness, partially no papilla tongue, atrophied papilla and even deep fissures and ulcerations, and increasingly frequent carious lesions. In our study the value of the salivary rate flow was 0.60 +/- 0.01 ml/min in the control group vs 0.30 +/- 0.04 ml/min in the study group (p < 0.01). After stimulation the value of the salivary rate flow was 1.0 +/- 0.15 ml/min in the control group vs 0.7 +/- 0.18 ml/min in the study group. Xerostomia represents a reality encountered in every day dental medicine practice, with an essential role in protecting the oral tissue, and which can significantly affect the life quality. PMID- 17802958 TI - [The influence of polymerization method on the mechanical properties of dental resins composites]. AB - The aim of the study was to asses the influence of the time, method and type of light curing on the compressive strength of dental composites. Dental composite resin (T-Econom, Ivoclar Vivadent) was cured for 10, 30 or 40 sec. with either a commercial conventional halogen light curing unit (LCU)--Hilux, (Benliodlu Dental Inc), or a light emitting diode (LED), LCU-Bluedent LED Smart. The compressive strengths were determined after 72 h on samples 3 mm in diameter and 7 mm high using FPZ 100/1 device. RESULTS: The samples cured with LED LCU for 40 seconds in pulse mode showed the smallest values of compressive strength (245 MPa), while those cured with LED LCU for 40 seconds in ramp mode reached the highest values (295 MPa). Similar values for compressive strength were found for the samples polymerized with conventional halogen LCU and the samples cured with LED LCU in constant mode (283 MPa and 285 MPa, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Compressive strength depends on the light type and method. Tested LED curing light seems to induce similar compressive strengths as the halogen-based light. Using this conventional light curing unit requires at least 40 seconds of exposure in order to achieve adequate compressive strength. The LED light curing unit should be used in the ramp mode for at least 40 sec, followed by 10 sec in fast mode in order to achieve the best results. PMID- 17802959 TI - [Some possibilities to assess maxillary-mandibular occlusion in fixed dental prosthesis]. AB - Occlusion determination, registration and transfer represent an important phase of the fix prosthetic treatment. This goal can be achieved using different materials such as: silicon, special occlusal wax, ZOE paste, acrylic resin and occlusal rims. Specific techniques for specific clinical situations are described, together with some associated procedures: provisional restoration after tooth preparation and split wearing. PMID- 17802960 TI - [Considerations regarding the treatment with total dentures for patients with hyposalivation. A clinical case]. AB - The reduction of the saliva volume leads to a number of difficulties in wearing the total dentures and favours the appearance of the denture stomatitis. For this reason, the treatment of edentulous patients with xerostomia must begin with a complete clinical examination, in order to evaluate the conditions for prosthetic replacement and the amount of the saliva volume. One can appreciate the aetiology and the degree of the saliva volume's alteration trough subjective methods (questionnaires) and objective methods (a few clinical tests, i.e. the mirror test, the pH evaluation, the examination of the saliva). During the treatment, we must pay attention to the preprosthetic measures (the oral rehabilitation), to the treatment stages (special types of impressions, the correct determination of the occlusal and intermaxillary relationships, the aspect of the internal denture's surface), and to the after-treatment phase (the patient's instructions regarding denture's wearing and hygiene, the patient's monitoring). Respecting this rules we may increase the quality of total dentures for patients with xerostomia. PMID- 17802961 TI - Researches concerning the synthesis and antituberculosis action of some new sulphacetamide derivatives. AB - In the present study we emphasized the antituberculosis action of new sulphacetamide derivatives. In order o extend the research for obtaining antituberculosis substances, we decided to study the influence of the introducing of the thiourea and sulphamide groups in the molecule on the antituberculosis activity of the Isoniazid. We have developed a simple and precise method for obtaining the thiourea derivatives of sulphamides' isonicotinoilhydrazone. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was confirmed by the quantitative elemental analysis as well as IR spectral measurements. We tested the antituberculosis action of new eight obtained sulphacetamide derivatives. Testing new substances on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex implies the insemination of inoculums on tubes containing the new substances, in chosen concentrations. Early tests on Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains show susceptibility to these new compounds (for the tested concentrations). The new compounds represent a premise for obtaining new antimycobacterial agents. PMID- 17802962 TI - [Turbidimetric assay of famotidine]. AB - This paper proposes a new method for the quantitative determination of famotidine, based on its reaction with phosphomolybdic acid. The measurements were carried out at wavelength of 400 nm. This method has been validated and it has been applied to the determination of famotidine in pharmaceutical products. PMID- 17802963 TI - Susceptibility of Klebsiella spp. to cefpirome and cefepime. AB - Cefpirome and cefepime possess a greater antibacterial spectrum in vitro than third-generation cephalosporins because they are active against Enterobacteriaceae, which produce beta-lactamases, which may inactivate third generation cephalosporins. The aim of this study was to quantitatively compare the in vitro activity of cefpirome and cefepime against Klebsiella spp. isolates. We have studied 342 Klebsiella spp. clinical isolates, from some hospitals in Eastern Romania. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the dilution method in Mueller-Hinton agar. The mean MIC of sensitive population by cefpirome and cefepime was 1 mg/l, eight fold lower than breakpoint for susceptibility. The cefpirome and cefepime MICs remained below the proposed breakpoints for sensitivity of 8 mg/l for more 60% of strains. Mean "S" (mean MIC of the fully sensitive strains) is a very good indicator of the drug activity. Cefpirome and cefepime are active fourth-generation cephalosporins against clinical isolates of Klebsiella spp. PMID- 17802964 TI - [Victor Babes's messages]. AB - Victor Babes appears in the greatest history of medicine books, medical dictionaries and encyclopedias in the world. His extraordinary work has many priorities in microbiology, immunology and histopathology. He did not belong to a certain school. He taught himself. But Victor Babes joined the group of the great European doctors from the most famous European schools. He created well known professors in the field of human and veterinary medicine. Admirers, people who deny his accomplishments, historians and communist spokes-persons have written about him. He wrote about himself when he was forced to protect his dignity and his work. PMID- 17802965 TI - Give patients what they're looking for with integrative medicine. PMID- 17802966 TI - Customers are more than consumers. Realize the value of marketing to EMTs. PMID- 17802967 TI - Use IT to track your efforts. Interview by Kriss Barlow. PMID- 17802968 TI - Prediabetes. PMID- 17802969 TI - Partially fulfilled vision--let us look ahead. PMID- 17802970 TI - Dural biopsy-- an important prognostic indicator in tuberculous meningitis with hydrocephalus following shunt surgery. AB - This study has been carried out in the department of paediatric surgery, Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, with an aim to prognosticate the postoperative outcome of the patients of hydrocephalus following tuberculous meningitis after placement of ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Amongst various variables, clinical grading at the time of operation was thought to be an important predictor for outcome following ventriculoperitoneal shunt, but unfortunately remained unpredictable in final outcome in many patients. In the present study, pre operatively the patients were first graded clinically. In an attempt to prognosticate these patients, a tiny piece of dura was taken during placement of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt from the site of insertion of the shunt and the sample was sent for histopathological examination. Histopathological findings were classified as healthy dura and unhealthy dura (with cellular infiltration, fibrosis and calcification) and correlated with the postoperative clinical outcome. Out of total 28 patients treated from June, 2001 to September, 2005, 19 patients showed healthy dura and 9 patients showed unhealthy dura. Results in this study reveal that postoperative recovery and long term outcome of the patients with healthy dura are better and that of unhealthy dura are poor irrespective of pre-operative clinical grading. Fourteen (74%) out of 19 patients who had healthy dura improved satisfactorily whereas only 1 out of 9 patients who had unhealthy dura improved satisfactorily. PMID- 17802971 TI - Serum magnesium: an early predictor of course and complications of diabetes mellitus. AB - The aim of this study was to evaluate relationship between serum magnesium and course of diabetes mellitus and also to find out, if there is any relation between serum magnesium and various complications of diabetes mellitus. A cross sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between serum magnesium in 50 type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients with or without complications and 40 normal healthy persons. Serum magneisum estimation was done using calmagite dye method using autoanalyser (Beckman DU clin systems). Serum magnesium levels in diabetic population was significantly low (1.93 +/- 0.282 meq/l) in comparison to control (2.25 +/- 0.429 meq/l). It was statistically significant (+3.84; p < 0.005). Serum magnesium was significantly low in diabetes with complication than without complications (p < 0.001). Duration of diabetes and serum magnesium were inversely related. Poor glycaemic control was associated with hypomagnesaemia ( 2.623; p < 0.05). There was strong association between hypomagnesaemia and retinopathy (1.76 +/- 0.26), obesity (1.878 +/- 0.326) and hypertension (1.75 +/- 0.071) and it was statistically significantly (p < 0.005, 0.042, 0.000 respectively). Hence it is concluded that the change in serum magnesium level may have a bearing on the complication and morbidity in patients of diabetes mellitus. PMID- 17802972 TI - Polymerase chain reaction for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. AB - Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the amplification of a 169 bp DNA fragment specific for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was evaluated for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). A total of 105 CSF specimens from clinically suspected cases of TBM were studied. Clinical details of the cases and cytochemical parameters of the CSF specimens were recorded. For PCR 10 CSF specimens from cases other than TBM, 4 non-mycobacterial culture isolates (one strain of E coli, one strain of proteus species and 2 strains of salmonella species) and one sample of sterile distilled water were processed as negative controls. For positive control standard culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was processed with every batch of specimens. Besides PCR, smear for AFB by the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) and the fluorochrome method and culture on Lowenstein Jensen medium was also carried out. By PCR, 31.42% specimens were found positive, whereas by conventional culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium only 3.8% specimens were positive. PMID- 17802973 TI - Prediabetes and hypertension. AB - Prediabetes occurs due to two basic defects--insulin resistance and/or beta-cell failure. An observation suggested that insulin resistance may be associated with essential hypertension. There are some thoughts to favour the argument that insulin resistant Individuals are at a higher risk to develop hypertension as compared to insulin sensitive individuals. Some pathophysiological causes which have been commonly observed and hypothesised are narrated in this article. Management of hypertension in prediabetes should include antihypertensives and therapeutic lifestyle modification. To manage hypertension in prediabetes one should think for dietary modification, reduced salt intake, physical activity, smoking cessation, use of statins and antihypertensives. PMID- 17802974 TI - Insulin resistance and coronary artery disease. AB - A large body of clinical evidence supports aggressive cardiovascular risk management in combination with glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Glycaemic management in a patient with HbA1c that is at or near goal should include an assessment of postprandial glycaemia. Insulin sensitisers have glycaemic and non-glycaemic benefits and warrant consideration even if the HbA1c is not significantly elevated. Oral agents should always be combined with lifestyle modification, including regular exercise and attention to both individual food choices and overall calorie intake to further optimise glycaemic control. For cardiovascular risk reduction, LDL cholesterol as well as HDL cholesterol and triglycerides should be treated appropriately through lifestyle changes. Often pharmacotherapy with at least one lipid-lowering agent is required. Blood pressure control often requires the use of 3 or more antihypertensive agents in patients with diabetes. Clinical data support use of an ACE-inhibitor as first-line therapy for the prevention of micro-albuminuria in patients with diabetes and hypertension. Urine should be tested for micro-albumin at least annually. Low-dose (81 mg) aspirin is appropriate for patients over age 45 years for primary prevention of coronary heart disease. Multifactorial intervention has been shown in large studies such as the Diabetes Prevention Programme and Steno-2 to have significant cardiovascular benefit among patients at risk of developing diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes and micro albuminuria. Evidence-based treatments and therapeutic goals can build a practical framework for comprehensive outpatient management of patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Data from important ongoing studies will continue to shape this framework in the years ahead. PMID- 17802975 TI - Comparative evaluation of ophthalmoscopy and angiography for the assessment of retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus. AB - Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is emerging as a common cause of visual loss. This study was aimed at comparing the relative utility of fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) with ophthalmoscopy (OPT) in its diagnosis with a cross sectional cohort. A total of 100 patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus was divided into 3 groups depending on the duration from initial diagnosis and matched by important risk factors. Group A was < 5 years duration and had 31 patients; group B ranged between 5 and 15 years and had 40 patients; and group C were > 15 years with 29 patients. Parameters compared were: Normal retina (NR), background diabetic retinopathy (BDR), preproliferative diabetic retinopathy (PPR), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR); and clinically significant maculopathy (MAC). Dye leakage (DL) and micro-aneurysms (MA) were assessed separately as they are recognised early markers of DR. Result analysis revealed that FFA is well correlated with OPT (0.99) for all groups except group A, where DL (35.5%) played a significant role in altering the correlation (0.85 versus 0.98--OPT versus FFA); 8% of total patients revealed a worse grade with FFA compared to OPT, so appropriate grading of retinopathy is better with FFA at any duration. Less severe varieties of DR predominate in all the groups (BDR-77.4%, 80%, 24.1% respectively), more severe varieties dominate in group C (17.2% and 58.6% of PPR and PDR respectively). MAC is present significantly in group C. FFA is strongly advised, at least in the high-risk groups, at initial diagnosis for detection of DL and also appropriate grading. OPT is a simple and adequate option beyond 5 years of duration. OPT is as good as FFA for the diagnosis of MAC. PMID- 17802976 TI - Angioplasty of degenerated saphenous vein grafts--role of covered stents. AB - To study the safety and efficacy of covered stents in angioplasty of saphenous vein grafts a retrospective study was carried out among 12 consecutive cases admitted at the cardiology unit of Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences during last 3 years. Angioplasty of saphenous vein grafts is a challenging task due to the different nature of the disease in vein grafts compared to the native coronary arteries. The lesions in vein grafts are more often diffuse and have considerable loose atherothrombotic material that is prone for distal embolisation, resulting in slow flow/no reflow and myocardial damage. Use of covered stents for saphenous vein grafts appears to be feasible and safe. PMID- 17802977 TI - Variance in the treatment of vertebral haemangiomas. AB - Vertebral haemangiomas constitute an infrequently encounterd entity in clinical practice. Although x-ray, computerised tomography scan and magnetic resonance Imaging scan provide a pathognomic picture confirming the diagnosis of vertebral haemangiomas, angiography constitutes an important tool for diagnosis and helps in deciding and execution of treatment. Various treatment modalities like surgery, radiotherapy, pre-operative embolisation, percutaneous vertebroplasty and intralesional ethanol have been discussed in the setting of asymptomatic vertebral haemangiomas to those presenting with features of cord compression. PMID- 17802978 TI - Repair of inguinal hernia by a simple technique--a preliminary observation. AB - There are many techniques of repair of inguinal hernia but no single procedure has proved to be a complete one. Our primary aim is to find a simple, steady, durable, safe and low cost procedure that has least chance of recurrence as well as disability. The procedure followed in the technique of hernia repair is like that of Desarde with some modifications. The procedure was started with the poor patients (rickshaw pullers, day labours, laundry men) as they are reluctant to undergo operations until there is pain or obstruction. They work in discomfort even with the large hernia. One hundred and six patients were operated for repair of inguinal hernia by this technique in between 1996 and December 2002. Eighty six patients came for follow-up for more than one occasions. No recurrence has been detected in these patients as yet, but 20 out of 106 never reported. PMID- 17802979 TI - High resolution sonography for analysis of meniscal injuries. AB - High resolution ultrasonography was done prospectively in 51 adult patients with clinically suspected meniscal injuries to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography as a primary diagnostic tool and to see if it was possible to evaluate the site, extent and size of the tear. All cases were confirmed arthroscopically; ultrasonographic examination revealed inhomogenecity in 45 cases and this was accurate in 40 cases; in 3 cases ultrasonography gave a false positive result and in 2 cases the wrong meniscus was shown to be torn. The six cases with no findings on ultrasonography were proven to have no meniscal tear. The sensitivity of ultrasonography as a screening test to rule out meniscal injuries was thus 100%; on the other hand the specificity (false positive screening test) was 54%. It was no possible to determine the site, size or extent of the tear by the ultrasonographic examination. Even though magnetic resonance imaging is more accurate in giving an exact diagnosis, ultrasonography is an excellent primary diagnostic tool which is inexpensive with no side-effects, is readily available and has very good sensitivity and a reasonable specificity. PMID- 17802980 TI - Pyomyositis: a diagnostic problem. AB - A case of a 45-year-old lady presenting with symptoms suggestive of pancreatitis is described. Initially the findings on Imaging were ambiguous while the enzyme studies were against the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Recurrence of symptoms and with Increased intensity prompted repeated imaging and further investigations. Finally, by a combination of CT scan, MR imaging and muscle biopsy the rare diagnosis of pyomyositis was established. The fact that this case was difficult to diagnose because of its rarity and its mimicking pencreatitis is discussed. PMID- 17802981 TI - Liver transplantation in India: its evolution, problems and the way forward. PMID- 17802982 TI - Not being clear about authorship is lying and damages the scientific record. PMID- 17802983 TI - Screening for HIV infection by health professionals in India. AB - BACKGROUND: Stigma and discrimination, particularly in access to healthcare, remains a major problem for people Infected with HIV in most parts of India. METHODS: We did a multicentre study (n = 10) with a cross-sectional survey design using a standardized, interviewer-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 2200 healthcare providers participated. The knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to HIV service delivery were very poor with a mean overall KAP score of only 49.7% (CI: 49.1-50.3). Only 5%, 5% and 1% of the participants scored more than 75% separately for the dimensions of knowledge, attitude and practice, respectively. Only 24.4% and 36.7% of responders knew that HIV screening was not recommended prior to surgery and pre-employment check-up. Many doctors (19.4%) had refused treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) at least some of the time and nearly half (47.2%) identified and labelled them; 23.9% isolated them in separate care areas and 13.3% postponed or changed treatment based on the patient's HIV status. Screening for HIV prior to elective surgery was done by 67% of providers. While 64.7% of responders were aware of the existence of national guidelines on and recommendations for HIV testing, only 38.4% had read the policy document. CONCLUSION: There is a growing need to provide care, support and treatment to a large number of PLHA. The capacity of healthcare providers must be urgently built up so as to improve their knowledge of and attitude to HIV to enable them to deliver evidence-based and compassionate care to PLHA in various healthcare settings. PMID- 17802984 TI - Impact of a comprehensive telephone-based disease management programme on quality of-life in patients with heart failure. AB - BACKGROUND: Disease management programmes for patients with heart failure have improving the quality-of-life (QOL) of patients with heart failure. METHODS: Patients attending the heart failure clinic were randomized into 2 groups of 25 patients each. The control group was managed in the heart failure clinic and the intervention group underwent the following additional interventions: (i) interactive sessions with the patient and spouse informing them about the disease, drugs, and self-management of fluid intake and diuretic dose; (ii) a telephonic helpline was established and regular telephone calls made to reinforce the information and modify drug dosages. The QOL was assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy questionnaire. Functional capacity was assessed by the 6 minute walk test. Continuous variables were compared with the Student t-test (paired or unpaired). RESULTS: There was significant improvement in the QOL and functional capacity of patients in the intervention group compared with controls over a 6-month period. The mean (SD) QOL scores in the intervention group improved from 60.0 (23.6) to 76.3 (17.3) but did not change significantly in the control group (62.2 [22.6] to 63.4 [21.9]). There was a similar improvement in the functional capacity measured by the 6-minute walk test in the intervention group (from 202.2 [81.5] to 238.1 [100.9] metres, p < 0.05) but not in the control group (193.8 [81.5] to 179.7 [112.0] metres). In the intervention group, the use of beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was similar but in the intervention group patients were placed on higher doses. There was no significant difference in the number of emergency room visits or admissions in either group. For every 20 patients in the intervention group, 14 patients improved by 1 functional class while in the control group this was observed in only 3 patients for every 20 treated. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that in the setting of a developing country, improvement in QOL by intensive management of heart failure patients through a heart failure programme with telephonic reinforcement and a helpline is greater than that usually achieved with drug therapy in a routine heart failure clinic. PMID- 17802985 TI - End-of-life care of terminally ill geriatric cancer patients in northern India. AB - BACKGROUND: The geriatric population in India is increasing, and so is the prevalence of cancer. We aimed to study the knowledge, attitude and practices of end-of-life care issues of terminally ill geriatric cancer patients in our region. METHODS: A pilot cross-sectional qualitative study using case studies, focus group discussions on providers and recipients of palliative care, an open ended, interviewer administered questionnaire on specialist doctors and practitioners (50), geriatric cancer patients (20) and healthy family members of patients (30), was done in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India. RESULTS: Only 14 physicians (28%) could enumerate more than 3 important technical elements of end-of-life care. Two physicians (4%) utilized palliative care services but none had received training themselves. The explanations and counselling provided by physicians were mostly inadequate, incomplete and did not fully satisfy the patients and their relatives. Of the cancer patients, 19 (95%) desired to use special services but were unaware of such facilities. There was only one charitable organization for needy geriatric cancer patients in Lucknow. No specific health scheme existed in the programme of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. CONCLUSION: The knowledge and practices of physicians and specialists were not up to the expectations and requirements of terminally ill cancer patients. Curriculum-based learning or organized teaching of end-of-life care issues was non-existent. Western countries have well-organized subspecialty facilities for end-of-life needs; such facilities are lacking in India. Capacity building for the care of terminally ill geriatric cancer patients is urgently required in north India. PMID- 17802986 TI - Aetiology of peripheral lymphadenopathy in adults: analysis of 1724 cases seen at a tertiary care teaching hospital in southern India. AB - BACKGROUND: In patients presenting with peripheral lymphadenopathy, excision biopsy of the most accessible lymph node provides material to establish an early diagnosis, and is important in the management of these patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was done of 1724 lymph node biopsy specimens obtained from adult patients and submitted for histopathological examination over a 12-year period. RESULTS: About one-third (n = 614; 35.6%) of these patients had non specific lymphadenitis. This included a heterogeneous group of disorders comprising benign follicular hyperplasia, reactive hyperplasia, marked follicular hyperplasia and reactive sinus histiocytosis. Tuberculosis lymphadenitis (n = 540; 31.3%) and malignancy (n = 447; 25.9%) were the other common causes. Of the 540 patients with tuberculosis lymphadenitis, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status was tested in 424 (78.5%) patients; of these, 34 patients (8%) were HIV-seropositive. Epithelioid granulomas with caseation necrosis were more frequently seen in HIV-seronegative patients compared with HIV-seropositive ones (chi2 = 54.66; p < 0.001 ). In HIV-seropositive patients, multiple sites of lymph node involvement (chi2 = 40.597; p < 0.001), suppurative type with adjacent necrosis and panniculitis (chi2 = 68.128; p < 0.001), and non-reactive histological types (chi2 = 109.234; p < 0.001) were more commonly seen compared with HIV-seronegative patients. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (n = 36), Kimura disease (n = 7), Rosai-Dorfman disease (n = 6), were rare aetiological causes that have been infrequently reported from India. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the characteristic histopathological findings and uncommon aetiological causes of peripheral lymphadenopathy may spare patients from unnecessary evaluation and treatment. In HIV-positive patients, lymph node tuberculosis may be histopathologically unusual and may be suppurative or non-reactive in nearly one third of patients. PMID- 17802987 TI - Can Southeast Asia eradicate yaws by 2010? Some lessons from the Yaws Eradication Programme of India. AB - Yaws has traditionally been known as a skin disease that affects people living in hilly, remote and inaccessible areas. Despite the availability of successful treatment and yaws control programmes worldwide since 1948, yaws is endemic in a number of countries, probably because it is not considered a priority disease for eradication. The presence of a disease that can be eradicated in a community can be taken as a sign of 'backwardness' and an indicator of inappropriate public health efforts. Yaws is endemic in 3 countries of the Southeast Asia (SEA) Region of WHO-indonesia, India and Timor-Leste. The WHO SEA Regional Office has set a target for yaws eradication from the region by year 2010. Yaws eradication is at various stages in these countries. India has reported no cases for the past 3 years and has declared elimination. In the other 2 countries yaws eradication programmes are in their infancy and achieving the WHO regional goal appears impossible. However, if lessons are learnt from the Yaws Eradication Programme in India and an externally funded, technically supported, vertical programme is started immediately in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, the target would not be difficult to accomplish. PMID- 17802988 TI - Symptomatic uterine fibroids: is uterine artery embolization better than surgery? PMID- 17802989 TI - Approach to a person recently diagnosed with diabetes. AB - The physician who sees a newly diagnosed patient with diabetes can adequately fulfill his professional responsibilities by following a systematic approach to clinical diagnosis, investigations, appropriate treatment planning and involvement of the patient in is or her treatment through self-management education. Correct steps taken in the crucial initial period set the pace for optimum future management of this chronic disease. PMID- 17802990 TI - Brain death: some conundrums. PMID- 17802991 TI - World's first reported outbreak of iatrogenic fungal meningitis. PMID- 17802992 TI - Antituberculosis programmes in India: the absence of a public health approach. PMID- 17802993 TI - Diabetes, obesity and soft drinks. PMID- 17802994 TI - Better mental health scores in Indian patients with rheumatoid arthritis: what lies beneath? PMID- 17802995 TI - 'What would you like me to tell them about nursing?'. PMID- 17802996 TI - The role of nursing leadership in creating a mentoring culture in acute care environments. AB - High rates of retirement among older nurses and horizontal violence among younger nurses heighten the importance of mentoring in the context of overall organizational stability and performance. Viewing the essentials of mentoring in the context of organizational culture and leadership as a long-term commitment and solution rather than a short-term task will lead to improved staff retention, satisfaction, and, ultimately, patient outcomes. Using Bass's four leadership initiatives, a culture for mentoring can be achieved through inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, idealized influence, and intellectual stimulation. Alignment of organizational and mentoring goals is essential to a successful approach given that the qualities associated with leadership and mentorship are closely aligned. Mentoring cultures also depend upon elements of a stable infrastructure such as managerial and executive support, scheduling flexibility, incentives, and recognition. Transformational leadership practices are key to achieving the sustainable effects of mentoring programs that are rooted deeply in organizational culture. PMID- 17802997 TI - The economic impact of implementing an ergonomic plan. AB - It is of paramount importance for executives to be well aware of registered nurse (RN) hidden replacement costs related to musculoskeletal injuries. Developing and implementing an ergonomic plan that includes procurement of appropriate lifting equipment at the point of care makes sense. Armed with an ergonomic plan, proactive case management, and a return to work program, the organization is positioned for fiscal success. The ANA's Handle With Care campaign addressed the fact that 12% of RN turnover and 38% of RN workers' compensation pay are related to back strains. Using the benchmarks reported in the Handle With Care campaign, the average cost of replacing an RN who leaves nursing due to a back injury ranged from $25,450 to $38,280 per nurse. Health care worker injury prevention should be valued as a retention strategy, as well as a fiscal responsibility where all stakeholders benefit. PMID- 17802998 TI - Technicity in nursing and the dispensation of thinking. AB - While technology and health care delivery are inextricably and increasingly intertwined and technology has driven major advances in quality and efficiency in health care, technology does not replace the need for a thinking human being in care delivery. The term "technicity" refers to the tension created by the ability of humans to think versus their risk of being exploited as objects subservient to technologies. Drawing upon the philosophical works of Thoreau, Heidegger, and others, the authors pause on the conundrum created by expanding technology with the assumption that technological "improvements" should be evaluated with caution. Health care information systems are an example of tools that have improved our ability to collect and store information, but when systems "go down," staff can be rendered helpless. Similarly, technology can impose personal distance between the patient and provider in instances where staff are positioned as a mechanism for collecting data rather than a person interacting with another person. In some cases, health care providers function as navigators helping patients reach the correct pharmaceutical, rather than as teachers helping patients seek better health. Lastly, the tendency toward systems analysis in the context of the complex hospital environment leads solely toward uniform solutions rather than instances where a customized solution is warranted. PMID- 17802999 TI - Improving patient care by making small sustainable changes: a cardiac telemetry unit's experience. AB - With the introduction of each new drug, technology, and regulation, the processes of care become more complicated, creating an elaborate set of procedures connecting various hospital units and departments. Using methods of Adaptive Design and the Toyota Production System, a nursing unit redesigned work systems to achieve sustainable improvements in productivity, staff and patient satisfaction, and quality outcomes. The first hurdle of redesign was identifying problems, to which staff had become so accustomed with various work arounds that they had trouble seeing the process bottlenecks. Once the staff identified problems, they assumed they could solve the problem because they assumed they knew the causes. Utilizing root cause analysis, asking, "why, why, why," was essential to unearthing the true cause of a problem. Similarly, identifying solutions that were simple and low cost was an essential step in problem solving. Adopting new procedures and sustaining the commitment to identify and signal problems was a last and critical step toward realizing improvement, requiring a manager to function as "teacher/coach" rather than "fixer/firefighter". PMID- 17803000 TI - Learning the available and supplied religious facilities for inpatient services: an example of Taiwan's hospital environment. AB - Holistic nursing care is typically defined to include the assessment and support of a patient's religious background to respect his/her beliefs and promote coping with illness, rehabilitation, and/or dying. An assessment of Taiwanese hospitals reveals variation in the policies and environment supporting religious practices. The survey of nursing executives revealed that only 40% of hospitals had any facilities for religious service or prayer and only 4% employed a chaplain or recruited volunteers to provide religious support. Approximately 20% of hospitals did provide a room for special ceremonies, often used for rituals after patient death. PMID- 17803001 TI - A critical competency: determining and communicating the number of nurses you must hire. AB - Nurse leaders must understand and articulate critical concepts of budgeting and staffing to provide credible leadership to our nursing organizations. Determining the ideal number of nurses to hire on any given unit is as much an art as it is a science. Understanding the relationship between hiring requirements and the budget can lead your nursing organization to achieve important results for your hospital. PMID- 17803002 TI - Workforce shortages are a global issue. AB - A consortium of international organizations convened a first-ever Global Health Care Workforce Conference to discuss the worldwide shortages of health care workers and the migration patterns of health care workers from developing nations to the first world. Over 300 participants from 47 countries, including one-third from developing countries, discussed a variety of critical issues ranging from global immigration, recruitment, economics, to partnerships. Results, recommendations, and actionable items generated from the conference, as well as ways to put these ideas into practice, will be critical for sustaining and improving world health and the plight and numbers of health care providers. PMID- 17803003 TI - Bossing or serving? How leaders execute effectively. AB - Many new leaders believe that the way to get things done is to be autocratic and directive. Successful leadership is a negotiated process with the employees that must be mutually satisfying for the evolution into a high-performing unit or organization. Well-intentioned leaders often overlook the very simple truth of learning to help people move forward in their work and to treat people as decent human beings. PMID- 17803004 TI - Partnerships to address social determinants of health. AB - Social determinants and intractable health disparities among different populations rank at the top of challenges for health care leaders. Community academic partnerships offer a unique blend of resources and skills that may mitigate the consequences of social determinants on the community's health. Nursing leaders should consider seeking partnerships from a variety of sources. Partnering with local academic organizations might be particularly helpful if the program is developed in a manner which is respectful of the community and works for common goals. PMID- 17803005 TI - An interview with Peter I. Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN: on hopes and threats for nursing's future. AB - Peter I. Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN, reflects on several recently published studies examining workforce and nurse survey data and reveals more findings. Dr. Buerhaus identifies several policy and research priorities to accelerate progress and secure a more stable future for nursing. Dr. Buerhaus will be the recipient of the 2007 Nursing Economics/Margaret D. Sovie Writer's Award, for his collective works on nursing workforce issues in the journal, during the Nurse Faculty/Nurse Executive Summit, sponsored by Nursing Economics, in Scottsdale, AZ, November 29 December 1. PMID- 17803006 TI - Building a case for using technology: health literacy and patient education. AB - The interplay of a mobile population can affect the quality of patient outcomes and the economics of health care delivery significantly. Helping patients with limited English proficiency understand the basics of self-care for optimal health will continue to be a challenge in the delivery of the highest quality nursing care. Becoming familiar with high-quality, peer-reviewed, and reliable health education materials and Web sites is the responsibility of every health care provider so that patients receive culturally and linguistically appropriate resources to support healthy lifestyles and choices. PMID- 17803007 TI - Chronic opioid use is a risk factor for the development of central sleep apnea and ataxic breathing. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic opioid therapy for pain management has increased dramatically without adequate study of potential deleterious effects on breathing during sleep. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study comparing 60 patients taking chronic opioids matched for age, sex, and body mass index with 60 patients not taking opioids was conducted to determine the effect of morphine dose equivalent on breathing patterns during sleep. RESULTS: The apnea-hypopnea index was greater in the opioid group (43.5/h vs 30.2/h, p < .05) due to increased central apneas (12.8/h vs 2.1/h; p < .001). Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) in the opioid group was significantly lower during both wakefulness (difference 2.1%, p < .001) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (difference 2.2%, p < .001) but not during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (difference 1.2%) than in the nonopioid group. Within the opioid group, and after controlling for body mass index, age, and sex, there was a dose-response relationship between morphine dose equivalent and apnea-hypopnea (p < .001), obstructive apnea (p < .001), hypopnea (p < .001), and central apnea indexes (p < .001). Body mass index was inversely related to apnea-hypopnea index severity in the opioid group. Ataxic or irregular breathing during NREM sleep was also more prevalent in patients who chronically used opioids (70% vs 5.0%, p < .001) and more frequent (92%) at a morphine dose equivalent of 200 mg or higher (odds ratio = 15.4, p = .017). CONCLUSIONS: There is a dose-dependent relationship between chronic opioid use and the development of a peculiar pattern of respiration consisting of central sleep apneas and ataxic breathing. Although potentially significant, the clinical relevance of these observations remains to be established. PMID- 17803008 TI - Central sleep apnea on commencement of continuous positive airway pressure in patients with a primary diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea. AB - INTRODUCTION: Central sleep apnea (CSA) may occur in patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH) during commencement of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. The presence of CSA may limit the effectiveness of CPAP therapy. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of CSA amongst patients starting CPAP for OSAH and to identify possible predictors of this condition. METHODS: We reviewed the polysomnograms (PSGs) and clinical records of 99 consecutive patients with a primary diagnosis of OSAH who were referred for an in-laboratory CPAP titration study. Patients with a CSA Index of > or =5 per hour at or near (+/-1 cm H2O) prescribed CPAP level formed the CSA-CPAP group. The remaining patients made up the noCSA-CPAP group. Demographic, baseline and CPAP titration PSG variables were compared between the 2 two groups. RESULTS: 13 subjects (13.1%) had CSA-CPAP. Patients with and without CSA-CPAP did not differ with respect to age or body mass index. 46% of patients with CSA-CPAP had CSA on their baseline PSGs compared with 8% in the noCSA-CPAP group (p <0.01). CSA-CPAP patients also had a higher apnea hypopnea index (72.1 vs. 52.7 p = 0.02), a higher arousal index (43.3 vs. 29.2 p <0.01), and a higher mixed apnea index (6.8 vs. 1.3 p = 0.03), on their baseline PSGs. Therapeutic CPAP could not be determined in 2 CSA-CPAP patients due to a very high frequency (of severe) central apneas. In the remaining 11, the CPAP prescription to eliminate obstructive events was higher than in the noCSA-CPAP group (11.0 vs. 9.3 p = 0.08). AHI was greater both at or near prescribed CPAP (48.8 vs. 6.7 p <0.01) and overall (47.4 vs. 14.9 p <0.01). A history of ischemic heart disease or heart failure was more frequent amongst patients with CSA-CPAP than those without (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: A significant minority of patients with a primary diagnosis of OSAH have either emergence or persistence of CSA on CPAP. Risk factors include male sex, history of cardiac disease, and CSA on baseline PSG. PMID- 17803009 TI - Relationship of metabolic syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. AB - STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and metabolic syndrome represent significant risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to see how frequently metabolic syndrome occurred in patients with OSA and whether the presence of metabolic syndrome was correlated with age, sex, or severity of OSA. METHODS: We examined the records of 250 consecutive patients referred to our Sleep Disorders Center to have polysomnography for the evaluation of OSA and extracted clinical data from the patients' medical records. We compared the proportion of patients with OSA and metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia to the group without OSA. We also did subgroup analysis by age and sex. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients were included in the study. Of 146 patients with OSA, 88 (60%) had metabolic syndrome, whereas 33 of 82 patients (40%) without significant OSA had metabolic syndrome (p = .004). The proportion with hypertension was significantly higher in the OSA group (77% vs 51%; p = .001). The proportion of patients with hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia was not significantly different between the 2 groups. In men older than age 50 years, there was a significantly higher than expected proportion of OSA patients with metabolic syndrome and in the proportion with hypertension but not with a diagnosis of diabetes or dyslipidemia. In women (both older and younger than age 50), and in men younger than age 50, there was not an independent relationship between metabolic syndrome and OSA. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with OSA have a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and hypertension was significantly greater in the OSA group. No significant differences were noted between the 2 groups in the proportion of patients with diabetes and dyslipidemia. PMID- 17803010 TI - Exploratory polysomnographic evaluation of pregabalin on sleep disturbance in patients with epilepsy. AB - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of adjunctive pregabalin 300 mg/day versus placebo on polysomnographic (PSG) variables in patients with well controlled partial seizures and subjectively reported sleep disturbance. METHODS: An exploratory, 4-week, double-blind, randomized study in patients with well controlled partial seizures on AED monotherapy and subjective sleep disturbance over the previous 6 months. Mean changes from baseline to endpoint in PSG and subjective sleep variables (MOS Sleep Scale, Groningen Sleep Questionnaire) in patients on adjunctive pregabalin 300 mg/day (n=8) were compared with patients on placebo (n=7). RESULTS: Baseline PSGs showed sleep fragmentation. Mean sleep efficiency improved significantly in both treatment groups in the mean baseline to endpoint change; there was no significant between-group difference. Pregabalin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in number of awakenings (p = 0.02), and improvement in wake time after sleep onset approached significance (p = 0.055), suggesting improvement in sleep continuity that was not observed in the placebo group. Pregabalin was also associated with significant improvements in the MOS sleep disturbance and sleep quantity subscales compared with placebo (p < or =0.03). There were no changes in self-reported seizure control. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory pilot study suggests that pregabalin may improve sleep continuity in patients with clinically relevant sleep disturbance. The effect on disturbed sleep appears independent of seizure control. The effects of pregabalin on disturbed sleep and seizures and their interrelationships warrant further study. PMID- 17803011 TI - Examining initial sleep onset in primary insomnia: a case-control study using 4 second epochs. AB - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To explore the sleep onset process in primary insomnia patients, new rules for scoring 4-second epochs were implemented to score sleep and artifacts during initial sleep onset. Conventional scorings in 20-second and 60-second epochs were also obtained. METHODS: The start of the initial 60-second epoch of stage 1 was used to define "time zero" (t0). Sleep onset periods from 11 patients and 11 individually age- and sex-matched controls spanned from 5 minutes before t0 through 29 minutes after t0. Using the new rules, the periods were scored blind to group assignment. This t0 time-referenced the data analysis to one plausible midpoint in the sleep onset process. In parallel, latencies were time-referenced from good night time. RESULTS: Reliability in scoring sleep and artifacts was adequate (kappa = 0.68 & 0.63, respectively, p <0.001). Group differences in sleep latencies were marginal in 60-second and 20-second scoring but significant with a definition of 4-second sleep latency. Patients had more 4 second epochs scored as awake (Mantel-Haenszel chi2 = 271, d.f. = 1, p <0.001) and containing artifact (M-H chi2 = 143, p <0.001). Patients took longer to achieve 30 continuous 4-second epochs of NREM sleep (Breslow chi2 = 4.03, d.f. = 1, p = 0.045) after t0. Patients accumulated sleep more slowly with all 3 scoring rules after t0. A slower rate of accumulating sleep after t0 was detected only with the 4-second scoring (p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence was present for momentary state-switching instabilities in the patients during the initial sleep onset process. Using rules for scoring small epochs may reveal such instabilities more readily than traditional scoring methods. PMID- 17803012 TI - Do insomnia complaints cause hypertension or cardiovascular disease? AB - OBJECTIVE: We prospectively investigated odds ratios (ORs) for development of hypertension or cardiovascular disease by endorsement of sleep complaints. METHODS: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study is a prospective, population-based study of cardiovascular disease. Our study sample was 8757 ARIC participants without hypertension and 11,863 ARIC participants without cardiovascular disease at baseline. We applied multivariate regression analysis to predict the ORs of development of hypertension or cardiovascular disease over 6 years of follow-up by endorsement of symptoms of difficulty falling asleep (DFA), waking up repeatedly (SCD), awakening tired and fatigued (NRS), or combinations of these symptoms. We controlled for age, sex, alcohol intake, income, smoking, diabetes, heart disease, menopausal status, depression, educational level, Body Mass Index, respiratory symptoms, and pulmonary function. RESULTS: Endorsement of all 3 sleep complaints predicted a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease (OR 1.5, 1.1-2.0) but not of hypertension. Endorsement of either DFA or SCA predicted slightly increased risk of hypertension (OR 1.2, 1.03-1.3) CONCLUSIONS: The definition of insomnia affects its impact. A combination of 3 sleep complaints (DFA, SCD, NRS) predicted a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease but not hypertension, and a complaint of either DFA or SCD predicted increased hypertensive risk. It is not clear whether these modest and inconsistent effects are of clinical significance. PMID- 17803013 TI - Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of ramelteon in subjects with chronic insomnia. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and safety of ramelteon (MT1/MT2-receptor [corrected] agonist) in subjects with chronic primary insomnia. METHODS: Randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nightly ramelteon treatment (8 mg or 16 mg) in adults (N=405) with primary chronic insomnia (DSM-IV-TR). Latency to persistent sleep (LPS), TST, sleep efficiency, wake time after sleep onset, and number of awakenings were measured by polysomnography. Subject-reported measures were also assessed. RESULTS: LPS at Week 1 (primary measure) was significantly shorter with ramelteon 8 mg (32.2 min) or 16 mg (28.9 min) vs placebo (47.9 min; p <0.001). Significant improvements in LPS were maintained at Weeks 3 and 5. TST was significantly longer with both doses of ramelteon at Week 1 (p <0.001) vs placebo. Subject-reported sleep latency was significantly shorter with ramelteon 8 mg at Weeks 1, 3, and 5 (p <0.001) and ramelteon 16 mg at Weeks 1 and 3 (p < or =0.050) vs placebo. Wake time after sleep onset and number of awakenings were not significantly different with ramelteon 8 mg or 16 mg treatment vs placebo. Subjective TST was significantly longer with ramelteon 8 mg at Weeks 1, 3, and 5 (p < or =0.050) and ramelteon 16 mg at Week 1 (p = 0.003) vs placebo. Ramelteon had no clinically meaningful effect on sleep architecture, next-morning psychomotor tasks, alertness, or ability to concentrate. No withdrawal or rebound effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Ramelteon reduced LPS over 5 weeks of treatment in subjects with chronic insomnia, with no clinically meaningful sleep architecture alterations, next-morning residual pharmacologic effects, and no evidence of rebound insomnia or withdrawal. No numerical differences were observed between the 2 doses of ramelteon. PMID- 17803014 TI - Relationships between sleep quality and pH monitoring findings in persons with gastroesophageal reflux disease. AB - BACKGROUND: Nighttime reflux has been shown to be associated with esophageal mucosal injury, complications, and extra-esophageal manifestations. However, few studies have assessed the impact of gastroesophageal reflux on reported quality of sleep and quality of sleep on gastroesophageal reflux. AIMS: The aims of this study were (1) to determine the correlation between the severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and esophageal acid contact time and subjects' perceived quality of sleep; (2) to investigate the correlation between reported quality of sleep of the night prior and severity of GERD symptoms and esophageal acid contact time the following day; and (3) to define in a sleep laboratory the correlation between acid reflux events and sleep architecture. METHODS: Subjects with typical GERD symptoms > or =3 times a week underwent upper endoscopy and pH monitoring. These subjects subsequently completed the GERD Symptom Assessment Score (GSAS), and the Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep Habits (SHHS) Questionnaire to assess baseline sleep symptoms and GERD symptoms, including an index of GERD symptom severity (GERD symptom index). Before and after the pH test, the patients completed a different instrument, the Sleep Quality Questionnaire, utilized specifically to assess the quality of each subject's sleep before and after pH testing. Fifteen randomly selected subjects also underwent a polysomnographic study during the pH test. RESULTS: Forty-eight (33 males/15 females, mean age 48.8 +/- 17.1 y) subjects were prospectively recruited. Using data from the GSAS and SHHS questionnaires, disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep were found to be positively associated with greater severity of the GERD symptom index (r = 0.33, p <0.05). More frequent awakenings also correlated with a higher GERD symptom index (r = 0.4, p <0.01). Correlations between the Sleep Quality Questionnaire on the night before sleep testing and pH monitoring data showed that subjects with poorer sleep quality had longer acid reflux events (r=-0.34, p<0.05). More perceived awakenings also were correlated with the number of supine acid reflux events > 5 min (r=0.31, p<0.05) and the duration of the longest supine acid reflux event (r = 0.28, p = 0.05). Inverse correlations were observed between overall sleep quality on the pH testing night and a higher percentage of time spent with pH<4 supine (r=-0.432, p <0.002), and the duration of the longest acid reflux event during the entire night (r = -0.38, p <0.01) and supine (r=-0.37, p<0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Persons with worse GERD symptoms report poorer subject sleep quality. Poor sleep quality on the night prior to pH testing was associated with more acid exposure the following day. Greater acid exposure at night was related to a worse perception of sleep quality the next day. These findings suggest important interactions between GERD and sleep quality. PMID- 17803015 TI - Sleep related gastroesophageal reflux. The tip of the iceberg is showing! PMID- 17803016 TI - Obstructive sleep apnea caused by carotid body tumor: case report. AB - Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) results from a structural compromise of the upper airway combined with decrease in muscle tone during sleep. Overt upper airway pathology is rare, however a variety of pharyngeal tumors have been well described as a cause of OSA. We describe a case of a mass originating in the carotid body resulting in severe OSA with hypersomnia resistant to positive pressure ventilation. PMID- 17803018 TI - Violent dreaming and antidepressant drugs: or how paroxetine made me dream that I was fighting Saddam Hussein. PMID- 17803017 TI - Behavioral and physiological consequences of sleep restriction. AB - Adequate sleep is essential for general healthy functioning. This paper reviews recent research on the effects of chronic sleep restriction on neurobehavioral and physiological functioning and discusses implications for health and lifestyle. Restricting sleep below an individual's optimal time in bed (TIB) can cause a range of neurobehavioral deficits, including lapses of attention, slowed working memory, reduced cognitive throughput, depressed mood, and perseveration of thought. Neurobehavioral deficits accumulate across days of partial sleep loss to levels equivalent to those found after 1 to 3 nights of total sleep loss. Recent experiments reveal that following days of chronic restriction of sleep duration below 7 hours per night, significant daytime cognitive dysfunction accumulates to levels comparable to that found after severe acute total sleep deprivation. Additionally, individual variability in neurobehavioral responses to sleep restriction appears to be stable, suggesting a trait-like (possibly genetic) differential vulnerability or compensatory changes in the neurobiological systems involved in cognition. A causal role for reduced sleep duration in adverse health outcomes remains unclear, but laboratory studies of healthy adults subjected to sleep restriction have found adverse effects on endocrine functions, metabolic and inflammatory responses, suggesting that sleep restriction produces physiological consequences that may be unhealthy. PMID- 17803019 TI - A man with abnormal sleep behavior. PMID- 17803020 TI - Skin pigmentation changes in a patient with a sleep disorder. PMID- 17803021 TI - The genetics of Parkinson disease: to test or not to test. PMID- 17803022 TI - The CBANCH report--the burden of neurological diseases, disorders, and injuries in Canada. PMID- 17803023 TI - Progress in clinical neurosciences: The 'antiplatelet' agents and the role of the endothelium. AB - The antiplatelet drugs, commonly used in the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular disease, possess a number of effects that are independent of direct antiplatelet actions. Beneficial and detrimental effects both occur. The endothelium is an important mediator of these non-antiplatelet effects. We performed a literature search to locate articles related to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), clopidogrel, ticlopidine, and dipyridamole and the interactions of these medications with the endothelium. The role of each of the above medications is explored in relation to vasodilation, inflammation, oxidation, platelet leukocyte interactions, and thrombogenic tendency via platelet-vessel wall interactions. PMID- 17803024 TI - Primary Sjogren's syndrome associated neuropathy. AB - Primary Sjogren's syndrome (PSS) mainly affects exocrine glands and is clinically characterized by keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Among several possible extraglandular manifestations, involvement of the peripheral nervous system may occur with reported frequencies from 10% to 60%. Peripheral nerve manifestations constitute sensory neuropathy, including sensory ganglioneuronopathy, sensorimotor, including polyradiculoneuropathy and demyelinating neuropathy, motor neuropathy, multiple mononeuropathy, trigeminal and other cranial neuropathies, autonomic neuropathy, and mixed patterns of neuropathy. Knowledge of the neurological manifestations of PSS is hampered by evolving classification criteria of PSS over the years, and by use of highly selected patient populations on the basis of a primary neurological diagnosis. Sural nerve biopsy may show vascular or perivascular inflammation of small epineurial vessels (both arterioles and venules) and in some cases necrotizing vasculitis. Loss of myelinated nerve fibers is common and loss of small diameter nerve fibers occurs. Pathology in cases of sensory ganglioneuronopathy consists of loss of neuronal cell bodies and infiltration of T cells. Peripheral neuropathy in PSS often is refractory to treatment although newer biological agents may provide more effective treatment options. Current treatment strategies used in autoimmune neuropathies may be tried depending upon characteristics of the neuropathy and results obtained by a thorough clinical and laboratory investigation. PMID- 17803025 TI - Canadian Association of Neurosciences review: regulation of myelination by trophic factors and neuron-glial signaling. AB - Myelination in the nervous system is a tightly regulated process that is mediated by both soluble and non-soluble factors acting on axons and glial cells. This process is bi-directional and involves a variety of neurotrophic and gliotrophic factors acting in paracrine and autocrine manners. Neuron-derived trophic factors play an important role in the control of early proliferation and differentiation of myelinating glial cells. At later stages of development, same molecules may play a different role and act as inducers of myelination rather than cell survival signals for myelinating glial cells. In return, myelinating glial cells provide trophic support for axons and protect them from injury. Chronic demyelination leads to secondary axonal degeneration that is responsible for long term disability in primary demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and inherited demyelinating peripheral neuropathies. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling myelination may yield novel therapeutic targets for demyelinating nervous system disorders. PMID- 17803026 TI - Standardization and detailed characterization of the syngeneic Fischer/F98 glioma model. AB - INTRODUCTION: Adequate animal glioma models are mandatory for the pursuit of preclinical research in neuro-oncology. Many implantation models have been described, but none perfectly emulate human malignant gliomas. This work reports our experience in standardizing, optimizing and characterizing the Fischer/F98 glioma model on the clinical, pathological, radiological and metabolic aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: F98 cells were implanted in 70 Fischer rats, varying the quantity of cells and volume of implantation solution, and using a micro-infusion pump to minimize implantation trauma, after adequate coordinates were established. Pathological analysis consisted in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry for GFAP, vimentin, albumin, TGF-bl, TGF-b2, CD3 and CD45. Twelve animals were used for MR imaging at 5, 10, 15 and 20 days. Corresponding MR images were compared with pathological slides. Two animals underwent 18F-FDG and 11C-acetate PET studies for metabolic characterization of the tumors. RESULTS: Implantation with 1 x 10(4) cells produced a median survival of 26 days and a tumor take of 100%. Large infiltrative neoplasms with a necrotic core were seen on H&E. Numerous mitosis, peritumoral infiltrative behavior, and neovascular proliferation were also obvious. GFAP and vimentin staining was positive inside the tumor cells. Albumin staining was observed in the extracellular space around the tumors. CD3 staining was negligible. The MR images correlated the pathologic findings. 18F-FDG uptake was strong in the tumors. CONCLUSION: The standardized model described in this study behaves in a predictable and reproducible fashion, and could be considered for future pre clinical studies. It adequately mimics the behavior of human malignant astrocytomas. PMID- 17803027 TI - Survey of management of severe head injury in Canada. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine: 1. the degrees of consensus and disagreement among Canadian critical care clinicians regarding the appropriateness (benefit exceeding risk) of common therapeutic manoeuvres in patients with severe closed head injury (CHI), and 2. the frequency with which clinicians employed these manoeuvres. METHODS: The study design was a systematic scenario-based survey of all neurosurgeons and critical care physicians treating patients with severe CHI in Canada. RESULTS: In the scenario of acute epidural hematoma with mass effect, respondents agreed very strongly that surgery was appropriate. Clinicians reported mannitol and hypertonic saline as appropriate. Beyond these two interventions, agreement was less strong, and the use of the extraventricular drain (EVD), phenytoin, cooling, hyperventilation, nimodipine, and jugular venous oximetry (JVO) were of uncertain appropriateness. Steroids were considered inappropriate. In a scenario of diffuse axonal injury (DAI), clinicians agreed strongly that fever reduction, early enteral feeding, intensive glucose control, and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP)-directed management were appropriate. The use of mannitol, hypertonic saline, EVD, JVO, narcotics and propofol were also appropriate. Neuromuscular blockade, surgery, and hyperventilation were of uncertain appropriateness. The appropriateness ratings of the interventions considered in the scenario of an intracranial contusion mirrored the DAI scenario. In general, correlations between the reported appropriateness and frequency of use of each intervention were very high. An exception noted was the use of the JVO. The correlation between CPP-guided therapy and the use of the EVD was weak. CONCLUSIONS: This survey has described current practice with regard to treatment of patients with severe CHI. Areas of variation in perceived appropriateness were identified that may benefit from further evaluation. Suggested priorities for evaluation include the use of osmotic diuretics, anticonvulsants, and intracranial manometry. PMID- 17803028 TI - The cardiac R-R variation and sympathetic skin response in the intensive care unit. AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The central and peripheral nervous systems are often affected in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, especially those with prolonged assisted ventilation and sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The autonomic nervous system, however, has been under-investigated in such patients. We evaluated autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in 29 ICU patients with various neurological disorders. METHODS: Testing involved cardiac R R variation (CRRV) as an index of parasympathetic function and the sympathetic skin response (SSR) for sympathetic assessment. RESULTS: Only those 8 patients with sepsis-related neuropathy or encephalopathy had abnormal CRRV, while the SSR was absent in all but 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary study revealed a high incidence of autonomic dysfunction in ICU patients with various neurological disorders. PMID- 17803029 TI - Acute glomerulonephritis presenting with PRES: a report of 4 cases. AB - OBJECTIVE: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) occurs most commonly in the setting of known hypertension or use of immunosuppressive agents. DESIGN AND METHODS: We report four previously-well children who presented acutely with altered mentation, seizures and visual disturbances and were diagnosed with PRES. RESULTS: Only one child had a history of gross hematuria prior to the seizure. All four were discovered to be hypertensive only after onset of their neurological symptoms, and were subsequently diagnosed with glomerulonephritis. All four had rapid resolution of neurological symptoms with adequate treatment of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Blood pressure must be measured promptly in all children presenting with these symptoms. If elevated, the diagnosis of PRES should be strongly considered and a workup for renal disease pursued. PMID- 17803030 TI - Metastatic melanoma to the pituitary gland. AB - BACKGROUND: Metastasis to the pituitary gland is unusual, and occurs most often in patients with carcinomas of the breast or lung. Despite its propensity for spread to the brain, metastatic melanoma has rarely been described within the sella. METHODS: We report two cases of malignant melanoma pathologically confirmed within the pituitary, both metastatic from a primary site on the chest wall. In each patient, transsphenoidal resection of the tumor was incomplete and each received local radiotherapy after surgery. RESULTS: One patient recurred quickly and developed brain metastasis as well. He died four months after resection of the pituitary metastasis, but the second patient survived six months without recurrence. As intrasellar metastasis portends widespread systemic disease and may be synchronous with parenchymal brain metastasis, survival in such patients is limited regardless of adjunctive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Such cases are likely to arise more commonly in future due to the increasing incidence of melanoma. Identifying them by imaging alone is difficult due to inconsistent signal characteristics on MRI (as shown by these cases) and the confusion introduced by any associated intratumoral hemorrhage. PMID- 17803031 TI - Multimodal evoked potentials of Kennedy's disease. AB - BACKGROUND: Kennedy's disease (KD) is an X-linked recessive polyglutamine disease. Traditionally, it is a lower motor neuron syndrome with additional features such as gynecomastia and tremor. Sensory symptoms are minimal if ever present. We used multimodal evoked potential (EPs) tests to study the distribution of the involvement of the disease. METHODS: Visual, brainstem auditory, somatosensory and motor EPs were studied in six KD patients. All of them had typical presentations and had been proved genetically. RESULTS: Abnormal findings were noted as follows: prolonged peak latencies of visual EPs, increased hearing threshold level, inconsistent brainstem auditory EPs, decreased amplitudes of cortical potentials of somatosensory EPs, and increased motor threshold to transcranial magnetic stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our multimodal EP studies showed that KD involved multiple levels of the nervous system. It implies the widespread effects of the mutant androgen receptors. PMID- 17803032 TI - LRRK2 is not a significant cause of Parkinson's disease in French-Canadians. AB - BACKGROUND: An old founder mutation (G2019S) was found with high frequency in the North African Arabs (30%) and Ashkenazi Jews (18% ). OBJECTIVE: Demonstrate if mutations in the LRRK2 gene are a significant cause of Parkinson's disease (PD) in the French-Canadian founder population. METHODS: Cases were recruited through a designated movement disorder clinic in Quebec City. Every index case had to meet the Ward and Gibb criteria for PD. Controls consisted of a non-disease group of similar age and ethnicity as the cases. Exons 31 and 41 of LRRK2 were amplified by PCR with intronic primers in all 125 PD cases and directly sequenced on an ABI 3700 sequencer. Six single nucleotide polymorphism were typed in 125 PD cases and 95 normal controls. Associations between unrelated cases and matched controls were analyzed. Single marker analysis and haplotype association tests were performed. RESULTS: Sequencing analysis did not reveal any reported or novel mutations in exons 31 and 41 of LRRK2. The G2019S mutation as well as mutations affecting amino acid 1441 were absent in the 125 patients. The case-control association study performed to detect the presence of a common variant in LRRK2 did not provide any positive signal. Single-marker and haplotype analyses systematically gave non-significant P values. CONCLUSIONS: We performed a case control association study in 125 French-Canadian (FC) patients with PD and 95 FC controls and found that common variants in LRRK2 are unlikely to be a significant cause of late-onset PD in this founder population. PMID- 17803033 TI - LRRK2 screening in a Canadian Parkinson's disease cohort. AB - BACKGROUND: Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene (LRRK2) have become the most common known cause for developing Parkinson's disease. The frequency of mutations described in the literature varies widely depending on the population studied with most reports focusing only on screening for the most common G2019S mutation in exon 41. METHODS: In this study seven exons (19, 24, 25, 31, 35, 38, and 41) in LRRK2 where mutations have been reported were screened in 230 unselected Parkinson's disease patients using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The sequencing of samples with heteroduplex profiles revealed five novel and two known intronic sequence variants. In our cohort, we were unable to detect any of the known mutations in these exons or identify novel mutations within the LRRK2 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, despite the availability of diagnostic LRRK2 genetic testing it is unlikely to yield a positive result in this population. PMID- 17803034 TI - Coincidence vs cause: cure in three glioblastoma patients treated with brachytherapy. AB - BACKGROUND: Very long term survival after diagnosis of malignant glioma has been described in individual case reports. Survival of more than 10 years is extremely rare, especially when identified in 3 out of 71 patients assigned to one arm of a randomized controlled trial. PATIENTS: Three patients survived 11, 16, and 18 years following the diagnosis of glioblastoma and treatment with surgery, conventional fractionated radiation, and high-activity iodine-125 boost brachytherapy as part of a randomized controlled trial. CONCLUSION: Despite this apparent cause and effect relationship, statistical analysis shows no relationship between these cures and treatment with brachytherapy. Cure of glioblastoma remains rare. PMID- 17803035 TI - Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and changes of residence in Alberta. AB - BACKGROUND: Our objective is to examine how persons diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) change residence following disease onset. We hypothesize that persons choose to change residence (locally or regionally) in different ways depending on whether or not they have been diagnosed with MS/PD. We also estimate the effects of residence change on measures of disease prevalence made at several different levels of geography. METHODS: Using fee-for service and hospitalization data, we identify cases of MS and PD between 1994 and 2004. Both of these case groups are matched to controls based on age, sex, socioeconomic status and municipality of residence. We tabulate and compare the changes of residence among persons in the case and control groups. We also use these data to estimate the effects that changes in residence have on disease prevalence at three different levels of geography. RESULTS: Both MS and PD patients were more likely to change residence following disease onset compared to groups of matched controls (p<=0.001). Most changes of residence occur within the same municipality. The total magnitude of these changes is small, however, and is unlikely to affect estimates of disease prevalence; over our study period, the largest change in geographical prevalence estimates due to individual changes in residence was about 1%. CONCLUSIONS: Persons diagnosed with MS and PD both have mobility characteristics that differ from those of their respective control groups, and in general, are more likely to move to or between Edmonton and Calgary, and less likely to move out of province. However, the balance of mobility characteristics of persons with PD and MS appear unlikely to greatly affect the patterns observed on maps of disease prevalence. PMID- 17803036 TI - Ophthalmoplegic migraine: inflammatory neuropathy with secondary migraine? AB - BACKGROUND: This critical review provides a summary of the clinical presentation, neuroimaging, treatment and prognosis in pediatric ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM). The features of OM are not in keeping with its classification as a migraine variant. METHOD: We review 3 new and 37 reported pediatric OM cases. RESULTS: Headache was an inconsistent feature, with 25% patients showing no evidence of pain at the initial OM episode. Patients demonstrated: 1) prolonged time for symptom resolution to occur (median time 3 weeks); 2) tendency for recurrent episodes to have more severe and persistent nerve involvement; 3) evidence of permanent neurological sequelae with recurrent episodes (30% of patients); 4) rapid improvement and shortened duration with corticosteroid therapy and; 5) transient, reversible MRI contrast enhancement of the affected cranial nerve (86% of patients). These features would not be expected in primary migraine headache. CONCLUSION: A detailed understanding of the natural history of OM is essential for the clinical. This review provides support that OM may result from cranial nerve inflammation with headache a secondary and later feature of this condition. PMID- 17803037 TI - Oxidative stress after subarachnoid hemorrhage in gp91phox knockout mice. AB - BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress largely contributes to early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). One of the major sources of reactive oxygen species is NADPH oxidase, upregulated after SAH. We hypothesized that NADPH oxidase-induced oxidative stress plays a major causative role in early brain injury after SAH. METHODS: Using gp91phox knockout (ko) and wild-type (wt) mice, we studied early brain injury in the endovascular perforation model of SAH. Mortality rate, cerebral edema, oxidative stress, and superoxide production were measured at 24 h after SAH. Neurological evaluation was done at 23 h after SAH surgery. RESULTS: Genotyping confirmed the existence of a nonfunctional gp91phox gene in the ko mice. CBF measurements did not show differences in SAH-induced acute ischemia between ko and wt mice. SAH caused a significant increase of water content in the ipsilateral hemisphere as well as an increase of Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide production. There were no significant differences in post-SAH mortality rate, brain water content and the intensity of the oxidative stress between knockout and wild type groups of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that gp91phox is not critically important to the early brain injury after SAH. An adaptive compensatory mechanism for free radical production in knockout mice is discussed. PMID- 17803038 TI - Tumefactive demyelinating lesions. PMID- 17803039 TI - A patient with bilateral sciatic neuropathies. PMID- 17803040 TI - Neurological complications of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. PMID- 17803041 TI - Spondylolisthesis of C2 in an eight-week-old infant: long term followup. PMID- 17803042 TI - Management of isolated demyelinating episodes by North American neurologists. PMID- 17803043 TI - Severe, reversible dysphagia from chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine myopathy. PMID- 17803044 TI - Two causes of demyelinating neuropathy in one patient: CMT1A and POEMS syndrome. PMID- 17803045 TI - Symptomatic superficial siderosis due to an intracranial arteriovenous malformation. PMID- 17803046 TI - Pituitary apoplexy following cardiac surgery. PMID- 17803047 TI - An experimental model of Actinobacillus suis infection in mice. AB - Actinobacillus suis is an opportunistic pathogen of high health status swine and is associated with fatal septicemia, especially in neonatal pigs. A practical model of A. suis is unavailable currently. However, some evidence suggests that A. suis can infect nonporcine species. We therefore hypothesized that a mouse model of A. suis infection might be possible. To test this idea, we challenged CD1 mice with 3 strains of A. suis (2 porcine [SO4 and H91-0380] and 1 feline [96 2247]) by intranasal and intraperitoneal routes. We also evaluated the effects of coadministration of hemoglobin and immunosuppression by dexamethasone on the susceptibility of mice to A. suis infection. The feline and H91-0380 porcine strains induced clinical signs of acute disease and necrotizing pneumonia in mice similar to those seen in pigs. Although few bacteria were recovered, dissemination of A. suis was widespread. Generally, mice infected with the feline A. suis isolate had more severe clinical signs and higher bacterial titers than did mice infected with either of the porcine strains. Pretreatment of the mice with dexamethasone or addition of 2% porcine hemoglobin to the challenge inoculum appeared to hasten the onset of clinical signs by the porcine strains but had no significant effect on moribundity. These experiments demonstrate that mice can be infected with A. suis and subsequently develop pneumonia and bacteremia comparable to that seen in pigs, suggesting that mice may be used as a model for studying infection in swine. PMID- 17803048 TI - Carbamoylcholine chloride induces a rapid increase in IL6 in the nasal cavity of C57BL/6 mice. AB - Mice are widely used as models to study the roles of chemokines and cytokines in immune and inflammatory responses. In our work to determine the basal levels of cytokines in saliva, nasal wash fluid (NWF), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and serum of mice, we found that injection of carbamoylcholine chloride, used to stimulate saliva production, induced variations in the interleukin (IL) 6 levels of NWF and BALF supernatants. To characterize this response, C57BL/6 mice were given 10 microg carbamoylcholine chloride intraperitoneally and euthanized at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after injection. IL6 was increased in NWF supernatants by 2 to 3 h, remained elevated for 24 h, and declined by 48 h after injection. To determine whether carbamoylcholine chloride increased Th1 cytokine (IL2, IL12[p70], and interferon gamma), Th2 cytokine (IL4, IL5, and IL10), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or proinflammatory cytokine (IL1beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IL6 in saliva and serum) levels, mice were given 10 microg carbamoylcholine chloride and euthanized. In 47 mice, all cytokine levels in saliva supernatants, NWF supernatants, BALF supernatants, and serum were within normal reported levels (range, 1 to 364 pg/ml); in the serum of the remaining 3 mice, GM-CSF, IL1beta, and IL2 levels were increased. In summary, carbamoylcholine chloride induces a rapid, elevated IL6 response in the nasal cavity and respiratory tract of mice but does not alter the levels of other Th1, Th2, or proinflammatory cytokines. PMID- 17803049 TI - Effects of cage density on behavior in young adult mice. AB - Optimal housing conditions for mice can be achieved by minimizing environmental variables, such as those that may contribute to anxiety-like behavior. This study evaluated the effects of cage size on juvenile mice through assessment of differences in weaning weight, locomotor skills, and anxiety-like behavior. Eighteen pairs of male and pregnant female Swiss-Webster (Cr:SW) mice were housed in 3 different caging scenarios, providing 429, 505, or 729 cm2 of space. Litters were standardized to 10 pups per litter in each cage. Mice reared in each caging scenario were assessed with the open-field, light-dark exploration, and elevated plus-maze tests. No differences in weaning weight were noted. Mice reared in the 505- and 729-cm2 cages explored a significantly larger area of the open-field arena than did those in the 429-cm2 cages. Those reared in the 505-cm2 cages spent more time in the center of the open field than did those in the 729-cm2 cages, suggesting that anxiety-like behavior may be increased in the animals housed in the larger cages. This study did not establish a consistent link between decreased floor space and increased anxiety-like behavior; neither does there appear to be a consistent effect of available floor area on the development of locomotor skills on mouse pups. PMID- 17803050 TI - Phenotypic characterization of spontaneously mutated rats showing lethal dwarfism and epilepsy. AB - We have characterized the phenotype of spontaneously mutated rats, found during experimental inbreeding in a closed colony of Wistar Imamichi rats. Mutant rats showed severe dwarfism, short lifespan (early postnatal lethality), and high incidence of epileptic seizures. Mutant rats showed growth retardation after 3 d of age, and at 21 d their weight was about 56% that of normal rats. Most mutant rats died without reaching maturity, and 95% of the mutant rats had an ataxic gait. About 34% of the dwarf rats experienced epileptic seizures, most of which started as 'wild running' convulsions, progressing to generalized tonic-clonic convulsions. At age 28 d, the relative weight of the testes was significantly lower, and the relative weight of the brain was significantly higher, in mutant than in normal rats. Histologically, increased apoptotic germ cells, lack of spermatocytes, and immature Leydig cells were found in the mutant testes, and extracellular vacuoles of various sizes were present in the hippocampus and amygdala of the mutant brain. Mutant rats had significantly increased concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen, creatinine, and inorganic phosphate, as well as decreased concentrations of plasma growth hormone. Hereditary analysis showed that the defects were inherited as a single recessive trait. We have named the hypothetically mutated gene as lde (lethal dwarfism with epilepsy). PMID- 17803051 TI - Pancreaticoduodenal arterial rupture and hemoabdomen in ACI/SegHsd rats with polyarteritis nodosa. AB - Many lesions associated with aging have been well-characterized in various strains of rats. Although documented in Sprague-Dawley and spontaneously hypertensive rats, polyarteritis nodosa has not previously been reported in ACI/SegHsd rats. ACII SegHsd rats were maintained on high-fat (40.5%), low-fat (11.6%), and high-fat to low-fat dietary protocols to examine the correlation between dietary fat and the regulation of prostate 5alpha-reductase gene expression and prostate cancer. Seven rats died unexpectedly with hemoabdomen and rupture of the pancreaticoduodenal artery secondary to polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). The purpose of this study was to analyze the pathologic findings in these and the remaining ACI/SegHsd rats and to correlate the level of dietary fat with the presence of PAN, arterial rupture, and hemoabdomen. Approximately 65% of the rats had evidence of PAN by histopathology, with a 24% incidence of arterial rupture. Additional lesions noted included an 88% incidence of chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN) and a 32% incidence of cartilaginous foci in the aortic valve. We found no association between the percentage of dietary fat and incidence of PAN, CPN, or cardiac cartilage. Although arterial rupture is a known complication of polyarteritis nodosa in humans, this case series is the first to document arterial rupture and hemoabdomen in rats with PAN. PMID- 17803052 TI - Inhibition of fatty acid transport and proliferative activity in tissue-isolated human squamous cell cancer xenografts perfused in situ with melatonin or eicosapentaenoic or conjugated linoleic acids. AB - Melatonin and eicosapentaenoic and 10t,12c-conjugated linoleic acids suppress the growth-stimulating effects of linoleic acid (LA) and its metabolism to the mitogenic agent 13-(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-(S)-HODE) in established rodent tumors and human cancer xenografts. Here we compared the effects of these 3 inhibitory agents on growth and LA uptake and metabolism in human FaDu squamous cell carcinoma xenografts perfused in situ in male nude rats. Results demonstrated that these agents caused rapid inhibition of LA uptake, tumor cAMP content, 13-(S)-HODE formation, extracellular signal-regulated kinase p44/ p42 (ERK 1/2) activity, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) activity, and [3H]thymidine incorporation into tumor DNA. Melatonin's inhibitory effects were reversible with either the melatonin receptor antagonist S20928, pertussis toxin, forskolin, or 8-bromoadenosine-cAMP, suggesting that its growth-inhibitory effect occurs in vivo via a receptor-mediated, pertussis-toxin-sensitive pathway. PMID- 17803053 TI - Iron does not cause arrhythmias in the guinea pig model of transfusional iron overload. AB - Cardiac events, including heart failure and arrhythmias, are the leading cause of death in patients with beta thalassemia. Although cardiac arrhythmias in humans are believed to result from iron overload, excluding confounding factors in the human population is difficult. The goal of the current study was to determine whether cardiac arrhythmias occurred in the guinea pig model of secondary iron overload. Electrocardiograms were recorded by using surgically implanted telemetry devices in guinea pigs loaded intraperitoneally with iron dextran (test animals) or dextran alone (controls). Loading occurred over approximately 6 wk. Electrocardiograms were recorded for 1 wk prior to loading, throughout loading, and for approximately 4 wk after loading was complete. Cardiac and liver iron concentrations were significantly increased in the iron-loaded animals compared with controls and were in the range of those reported for humans with thalassemia. Arrhythmias were rare in both iron-loaded and control guinea pigs. No life-threatening arrhythmias were detected in either group. These data suggest that iron alone may be insufficient to cause cardiac arrhythmias in the iron loaded guinea pig model and that arrhythmias detected in human patients with iron overload may be the result of a complex interplay of factors. PMID- 17803054 TI - Big brains and blood glucose: common ground for diabetes mellitus in humans and healthy dolphins. AB - Healthy Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have a sustained postprandial hyperglycemia, producing a prolonged glucose tolerance curve and a transient, diabetes mellitus-like state during 6 to 72 h of fasting. To further assess dolphins as comparative models for diabetes in humans, we hypothesized that a suite of hematological and clinical biochemistry changes during the fasting state may mimic those reported in humans with diabetes. We conducted a retrospective analysis of covariance to compare fasting and nonfasting hematologic and serum biochemical data, including 1161 routine blood samples from 52 healthy bottlenose dolphins (age, 1 to 49 y; male and female) collected during 1998 through 2005. Most changes found in dolphins during the fasting state- including significantly increased glucose, platelets, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase; significantly decreased serum uric acid; and shifts toward a metabolic acidodic state (significantly increased blood CO2)--have been previously associated with diabetes mellitus in humans. Therefore, healthy bottlenose dolphins may be the first complete and natural comparative animal model for diabetes mellitus in humans. Similarities between dolphins and humans, including metabolic changes associated with high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets; large brain-to-mass ratios; high central nervous system demands for glucose; and similarly unique blood glucose-carrying capacities should be further assessed to better understand the potential evolutionary paths of diabetes mellitus in these 2 species. PMID- 17803055 TI - Anemia and antibodies to the 19-kDa fragment of MSP1 during Plasmodium falciparum infection in Aotus monkeys. AB - To determine whether antibodies to the 19-kDa fragment of merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1(19)) help to control blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum infection, we performed a rechallenge experiment of previously infected Aotus monkeys. Monkeys previously exposed to the FVO strain of P. falciparum that did or did not develop high antibody titers to MSP1(19) and malaria-naive monkeys were challenged with erythrocytes infected with the same strain. Prepatent periods were prolonged in previously infected monkeys compared with malaria-naive monkeys. Previously infected monkeys with preexisting anti-MSP1(19) antibodies showed low peak parasitemias that cleared spontaneously. Previously infected monkeys that had no or low levels of pre-existing anti-MSP1(19) antibodies also showed low peak parasitemias, but because of low hematocrits, all of these animals required treatment with mefloquine. All previously malaria-naive animals were treated because of high parasitemias. The results of this study suggest that antibody to the 19-kDa carboxy-terminal fragment of MSP1 plays a role in preventing the development of anemia, an important complication often associated with malaria. PMID- 17803056 TI - Relationship between sunlight exposure, housing condition, and serum vitamin D and related physiologic biomarker levels in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). AB - In primates, the primary source of vitamin D is synthesis in the skin through sun exposure. Decreased sun exposure may lead to vitamin D deficiency and consequently other health issues. In laboratory, sanctuary, and zoo settings, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) may be housed indoors for prolonged periods of time without regular exposure to unfiltered sunlight. However, little research has examined the relationship between housing conditions and vitamin D serum levels in captive chimpanzees. In this study, we retrospectively compared serum levels of total vitamin D, calcium, ionic calcium, phosphorous, albumin, and alkaline phosphatase in 18 female and 12 male chimpanzees as they cycled between indoor only and indoor-outdoor enclosures. Total vitamin D was significantly lower and alkaline phosphatase significantly higher when subjects were in the indoor-only enclosures compared with when they had regular access to outdoor enclosures. A vitamin D effect occurred only in young and prime-adult animals. Changes were significant in female but not in male chimpanzees. Calcium, ionic calcium, phosphorus, and albumin did not differ between indoor-only and indoor-outdoor enclosures. However, female chimpanzees exhibited significantly lower calcium and phosphorous levels while in the indoor-only enclosures. These results suggest that adult captive chimpanzees experience vitamin D deficiency when housed without regular access to unfiltered sunlight and that these effects may be more acute for adult female animals. PMID- 17803057 TI - AALAS position statement on the humane care and use of laboratory animals. PMID- 17803058 TI - Determination of paroxetine in plasma by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies. AB - A rapid and validated liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometric method (LC-MS-MS) has been developed and applied to pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies in 24 healthy male Korean volunteers. The procedure involves a liquid-liquid extraction of paroxetine (CAS 61869-08-7) and fluoxetine (internal standard, CAS 54910-89-3) with ether/methyl chloride (7:3, v/v) and separated by LC equipped with C18 column using acetonitrile: 5 mmol/L ammonium formate (4:3, v/v) as mobile phase. Detection is carried out on an API 2000 MS system by multiple reactions monitoring mode. The ionization was optimized using ESI(+) and selectivity was achieved by MS-MS analysis, mlz 330.0-->192.0 and m/ z 310-->148 for paroxetine and fluoxetine, respectively. The method has a total run time of 1.5 min and was linear over a working range of 0.05-20 ng/mL and the lower limit of quantification was 0.05 ng/ mL. No endogenous compounds were found to interfere with the analysis. The inter-day and intra-day accuracy was in the ranges of 102.69-107.79% and 102.07-109.57%, respectively and precision of inter day and intra-day expressed as relative standard deviation were 1.86-9.99% and 1.52-6.28%, respectively. The validation of this method on linearity, specificity, accuracy, precision as well as applicability to pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies by analysis of blood samples taken up to 72 h after oral administration of 20 mg of paroxetine in 24 healthy volunteers were found to be good performance. PMID- 17803059 TI - Pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence study of a generic amlodipine tablet formulation in healthy male volunteers. AB - Two different tablets containing amlodipine besylate (CAS 111470-99-6) (Vazkor 10 mg tablet as test preparation and 10 mg tablet of the originator product as reference preparation) were investigated in 18 healthy male volunteers in order to compare the bioavailability and prove the bioequivalence between both treatments after oral single dose administration. The study was performed according to an open-label, randomized, two-period cross-over design with a wash out phase of 21 days. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic profiling were taken up to 144 h post-dose, and amlodipine plasma concentrations were determined with a validated LC-MS/MS method. Maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of 6,183.7 pg/ml (test) and 5,366.7 pg/ml (reference) were achieved. Areas under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-infinity)) of 267,231.0 pg x h/ml (test) and 266,061.7 ng x h/ml (reference) were calculated. The median tmax was 5.6 h (test) and 6.1 h (reference). Plasma elimination half-lives (t 1/2) were 46.46 h (test) and 45.34 h (reference). Both primary target parameters AUC(0-infinity) and Cmax were tested parametrically by analysis of variance (ANOVA); 90% confidence intervals were between 93.20%-107.16% (AUC(0-infinity) and 103.36%-123.13% (Cmax). Bioequivalence between test and reference preparation was demonstrated since for both parameters AUC and Cmax the 90% confidence intervals of the T/R ratios of logarithmically transformed data were in the generally accepted range of 80%-125%. PMID- 17803060 TI - Comparative bioavailability cf two amlodipine formulation in healthy volunteers. AB - The present study was conducted to find out whether the bioavailability of a 10 mg amlodipine (CAS 88150-42-9) tablet (Intervask, "test") was equivalent to that that of a reference formulation ("reference"). The pharmacokinetic parameters assessed in this study were area under the serum concentration-time curve from time zero to 144 h (AUCt), area under the serum concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUCinf), the peak serum concentration of the drug (Cmax), time needed to achieve the peak serum concentration (tmax), and elimination half life (t(1/2)). This was a cross-over, randomized, single-blind study which included 12 healthy male and female volunteers under fasting condition. In each of the two study periods (separated by a washout of 3 weeks) a single dose of test or reference drug was administered. Blood samples were taken up to 144 h post dose, the plasma was separated and the concentrations of amlodipine were determined by a LC/MS method. The mean AUCt, AUCinf, Cmax, and t(1/2) were 353.15 ng x h/mL, 417.86 ng x h/mL, 8.08 ng/mL, and 48.04 h, respectively, for the test drug and 359.99 ng x h x mL(-1), 408.23 ng x h/mL, 8.22 ng/mL, and 43.81 h, respectively, for the reference drug. The median Tmax of the test drug and reference drug were 8.0 h and 8.5 h, respectively. The point estimators of the ratios test/reference drug for AUCt, AUCinf, and Cmax were 96.26%, 99.48%, and 97.03%, respectively. Furthermore, the 90% confidence intervals of the mean ratio of In-transformed were 83.73-110.68% for AUCt, 81.79-120.99% for AUCinf, and 81.94-114.81% for Cmax. It can be concluded that the two amlodipine tablets (test drug and reference drug) are bioequivalent in terms of the rate and extent of absorption. PMID- 17803061 TI - Tissue distribution and deposition of clofazimine in mice following oral administration with or without isoniazid. AB - Tissue distribution and deposition of clofazimine (CAS 2030-63-9) in mice were investigated following administration of clofazimine with or without isoniazid (CAS 54-85-3). Balb/c mice were administered clofazimine suspension in mustard oil orally at a daily dose of 20 mg/kg body weight either alone or along with isoniazid (10 mg/kg body weight) for 15 or 30 days. Various tissues (liver, lung, spleen, small intestine, heart, kidneys, mesentric fat, foot pad and nerve) and pooled plasma were analysed for clofazimine in all the treated groups. High levels of clofazimine were observed in tissues having reticulo-endothelial components (53-263 microg/g wet tissue). In other tissues the levels of the drug were relatively lower (8.1-42.8 microg/g of wet tissue). There was a significant amount of the drug in foot pads and pooled nerve tissue showed detectable amount of the drug. The plasma concentrations in all treated groups were in the range of 0.5-0.8 microg/ml. Tissue levels were found to be increased in selective tissues with the length of drug administration. Concomitant administration of isoniazid reduced clofazimine levels significantly in tissues like small intestine, spleen, and foot pad and resulted in an increase in plasma levels. PMID- 17803062 TI - Anti-rhinovirus-specific activity of the alpha-sympathomimetic oxymetazoline. AB - Oxymetazoline (CAS 2315-02-8, OMZ, Nasivin) known as the active ingredient in nose drops and sprays demonstrates excellent efficacy in the treatment of rhinitis symptoms that are mainly caused by Rhinovirus infections. To elucidate possible modes of action, the antiviral activity of OMZ was studied in vitro on human pathogenic viruses. No in vitro effects were detected against enveloped RNA viruses, Parainfluenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus and against Adenovirus, a non-enveloped DNA-virus. In contrast, OMZ showed a specific inhibition of Human Rhinovirus (HRV). Analysis of production of HRV-14 and HRV-39 after treatment of infected HeLa cells using plaque-reduction assay and virus titration showed a strong dose-dependent antiviral activity of OMZ. Additional data demonstrated that OMZ did also directly affect HRV-14 infectivity in a dose dependent manner. Analysis of a cell-protective effect of OMZ showed that pre treatment of HeLa cells decreased virus adsorption as well as virus replication. Furthermore, OMZ induced a down-regulation of ICAM-1 expression on Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-stimulated HeLa cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Taken together, these results show that OMZ besides its vasoconstrictive action also possesses potent antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, OMZ does not only reduce rhinitis symptoms but additionally offers a causal therapeutic approach. PMID- 17803063 TI - In vivo pharmacokinetics, metabolism, toxicity, and anti-HIV activity of N'-[2-(2 Thiophene)ethyl]-N'-[2-(5-bromopyridyl)]thiourea (HI-443), a potent non nucleoside inhibitor of HIV reverse transcriptase. AB - N'-[2-(2-Thiophene)ethyl]-N'-[2-(5bromopyridyl)]thiourea (CAS 258340-15-7, HI 443) is a potent non-nucleoside inhibitor of HIV reverse transcriptase (NNRTI) that was rationally designed as a candidate anti-HIV agent. The purpose of the present study was to examine the in vivo pharmacokinetics, metabolism, toxicity, and anti-HIV activity of HI-443. HI-443 was very well tolerated in CD-1 mice and Lewis rats without any detectable toxicity at single parenteral bolus dose levels as high as 80 mg/kg. Intraperitoneally administered HI-443 exhibited anti-HIV activity in the Hu-PBL-SCID mouse surrogate model for hunnan AIDS at a non-toxic daily dose level of 10-20 mg/kg. These preclinical research studies provide the basis for future preclinical studies and clinical development of HI-443 as a new NNRTI candidate. PMID- 17803064 TI - Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection with human ezrin peptide one (HEP1) in HIV infected patients. AB - This report shows the therapeutic benefit of HEP1 (human ezrin peptide 324-337; TEKKRRETVEREKE) monotherapy of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in HIV infected patients in two clinical studies. In the Pilot Study I, 16 of 18 patients responded well to the treatment with significant reductions of HCV viral load and a normalization of serum liver enzymes. In 8 of 18 patients, HCV RNA became undetectable, and 3 of 8 interferon/ribavirin treatment failure patients showed undetectable HCV load following HEP1 treatment. In the second study, 8 of 10 patients responded well to the treatment with a pronounced reduction of the HCV viral load and a normalization of serum liver enzymes. Three of 15 patients (20%) showed an undetectable viral load 30 days after the end of a 30-day course of HEP1 treatment. In both studies, all genotypes of HCV were sensitive to HEP1 treatment. Analysis of the combined data from both studies showed the overall efficacy of HEP1 therapy: in 37 HCV+HIV patients, HEP1 therapy gave the following results: 10 of 37 (27%) HCV+HIV patients showed a reduction of viral load between -7 log (-10,000,000x) and -3 log (-1000x); 4 of 37 (11%) a reduction of -3 log ( 1000x); 6 of 37 (16%) a reduction of -2 log (-100x); 11 of 37 (30%) a reduction of -1 log (-10x); 6 of 37 (16%) a reduction of less than -1 log (-10x); 0 of 37 (0%) had an increase in viral load, and the average reduction in viral load for all 37 patients was -2 log (-100x). No adverse reactions or side effects were detected and the improving CD4/CD8 ratio showed that the therapy had no negative impact on the immunological status. Thus, oral HEP1 therapy matches the efficacy results for injectable peginterferon/oral ribavirin therapy with the advantages of more rapid action and less side effects. HEP1 therapy should be used in patients where either peginterferon/ribavirin therapy fails or is contraindicated. PMID- 17803065 TI - Open questions on bioequivalence: what about the time interval between two consecutive trials? AB - The interval between two different consecutive pharmacokinetic trials in the same healthy volunteers lasts traditionally 3 months, in compliance with the turnover of blood donations in volunteers. The above trials, in fact, mainly bioequivalence trials, involve pharmacokinetic measurements and relevant blood withdrawals, e.g. 400-500 ml. Operating guidelines do not give any suggestion about the above lapse of time between two consecutive trials. An Italian Ministerial Decree (DM 122/98) requires the above period to last at least 6 months. This appears to be a unique more than a rare request in this field. In fact, it does not add anything to the quality of the trial and invades the field of competence of the ethics committees and virtually needs a national register of the volunteers to allow a check. This appears to be an additional open question on bioequivalence. PMID- 17803066 TI - Tuberculosis skin test (TST) conversion rates for U.S. Navy and Marine Crops personnel for 1999 to 2002. PMID- 17803067 TI - Challenges of meeting new department of defense sexual assault guidelines. PMID- 17803068 TI - Depression in entry-level military personnel. AB - OBJECTIVE: The goal was to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, depression in an entry-level U.S. Army population. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of U.S. Army soldiers in advanced individual training was performed by using an anonymous self-report survey including demographic data, history (including abuse and psychiatric treatment), and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9. RESULTS: Soldiers in advanced individual training (n = 1,184) were approached, and 1,090 (91.2%; 955 male soldiers and 135 female soldiers) voluntarily chose to participate. Eleven percent reported a psychiatric history, 26% reported a history of abuse, and 15.9% endorsed moderate or more severe current depressive symptoms (male, 15.0%; female, 22.2%). A history of psychiatric treatment (odds ratio, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-3.59; p = 0.009) and a history of verbal abuse (odds ratio, 4.11; 95% confidence interval, 2.45-6.90; p = 0.000) placed soldiers at higher risk for depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a higher than expected rate of depression in entry-level training soldiers and identifies some risk factors for depression. This indicates an important need for further study, effective screening, preventive counseling, and early intervention. PMID- 17803069 TI - The readiness estimate and deployability index and psychometric properties in army reserve nurses and medics. AB - The Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index measures the level of individual deployment readiness in Army Nurse Corps officers. The primary purposes of this pilot study were to determine the psychometric properties of the measure for Army Reserve component nurses and enlisted medical personnel and to compare the reliability between groups. The convenience sample consisted of 92 subjects. Internal consistency reliability for three of the six competencies and construct validity using the contrasted-groups approach were examined. Nurses reported greater competency than enlisted personnel in clinical and operational nursing skills but were lower in their self-assessment of soldier and survival skills. Findings suggest that more training in warrior tasks and drills is needed for both groups and that enlisted soldiers must enhance their clinical and operational skills. Unit commanders can use the Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index to measure individual readiness. PMID- 17803070 TI - Joint civilian/national guard mass casualty exercise provides model for preparedness training. AB - After-action reports on the 2005 hurricane relief efforts pointed to the need for effective and efficient civilian/military operational cooperation. Cited for particular attention was the interface with National Guard units. This article describes an exercise conducted with National Guard units and members of the Central New York Medical Reserve Corps to educate all participants in effective interaction during disaster responses. Using a unique health care facility located at the New York State Fairgrounds, this 2-day operation demonstrated that jointly trained civilian and military units become well prepared for the conduct of joint relief and rescue operations. PMID- 17803071 TI - Women veterans' perceptions and decision-making about Veterans Affairs health care. AB - The increase in women in the military is reshaping the veteran population and Veterans Affairs (VA) health care delivery imperatives. To determine women veterans' perspectives and decision-making about VA health care use, we conducted six focus groups (four VA users and two nonusers) and identified key themes. Barriers to VA use for both VA users and nonusers included lack of information about eligibility and available services. Nonusers often assumed the VA did not provide women's health care. All groups emphasized they required a health care system focused on quality and sensitivity to women's health issues. However, users and nonusers differed in perceptions of VA quality. VA environment and quality concerns led many women to limit their VA use to women's clinics. These qualitative findings provide a context to highlight where interventions and policies suggested by quantitative findings should focus. Dissemination of accurate information about VA eligibility and services, and continued responsiveness to women's perceptions of care are indicated. PMID- 17803072 TI - Relationships between the eligibility process, trust in the U.S. health care system, and patient satisfaction with the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center. AB - OBJECTIVES: This study assessed veteran perceptions of the eligibility process for health care services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the relationship of those perceptions to trust in the U.S. health care system. The study also examined how veteran perceptions of the eligibility process and trust were related to satisfaction. METHODS: A total of 124 veterans participated in this study, and data were analyzed with a general linear models approach. RESULTS: Three factors constituted the measure of veteran perceptions of the eligibility process, including meeting eligibility expectations, powerlessness, and complexity. The meeting eligibility expectations factor was found to moderate the relationship between trust and satisfaction. The powerlessness factor was found to be associated with satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Veteran perceptions of the eligibility process in the VA influence patient satisfaction. The armed services and the VA might improve veteran perceptions of the eligibility process and subsequent satisfaction by clearly explaining benefits available to veterans, offering education on the eligibility process, and clearly communicating about the eligibility process. PMID- 17803073 TI - Organizational characteristics associated with the availability of women's health clinics for primary care in the Veterans Health Administration. AB - OBJECTIVE: Women's health clinics (WHCs) offering integrated primary care (PC) and gender-specific services reduce fragmentation and improve quality of care for women. Our objective was to understand organizational influences on the development of WHCs for PC delivery in Veterans Health Administration (VA) facilities. METHODS: We surveyed PC directors at 219 VA facilities about the presence of separate WHCs for PC and evaluated organizational characteristics (e.g., authority, staffing, and resources) associated with their development. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-three VA medical centers (61%) have established WHCs for PC. VA facilities with WHCs for PC were significantly more likely to have PC leadership distinct from subspecialty care (odds ratio = 3.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-9.05). Local PC staff mix, team structure, and resource characteristics were not associated with WHCs. CONCLUSIONS: With the growth of women in the military and, in turn, in the VA, autonomy of PC leadership may drive VA-based innovations in women's health. PMID- 17803074 TI - The lessons learned from the canadian forces physiotherapy experience during the peacekeeping operations in Bosnia. AB - The musculoskeletal injuries and soldiers' demographic profiles observed by physiotherapy (PT) officers during the Canadian Forces peacekeeping mission Op Palladium in Bosnia between 2000 and 2004 were characterized. The number of PT visits (N = 4,167; range, 310-974) and gender distribution (N = 2,558 cases; male, 80.8%-91%; female, 9.0%-16.4%) varied between tours. On average, >30% of the entire Canadian Forces contingent required PT services. Lower limb injuries were the single leading reason for PT treatment (41.8%) followed by the spine (28.5%) and the upper limb (21.5%). The most commonly affected joints were the knee (17.2%) and ankle (16.1%), the shoulder (14.4%), and the lumbar spine (14.4%). The 26 to 35 age group and combat arms showed the highest incidence of musculoskeletal injuries (p < 0.001). The majority of cases seen were subacute and chronic (68%). Primary prevention activities and the capacity to provide the full scope of PT services were identified as two key factors contributing to the maintenance of operational readiness of the troops. PMID- 17803075 TI - Health-related quality of life in the Royal Norwegian Navy: does officer rank matter? AB - The health-related quality of life of Royal Norwegian Navy officers was compared with that of the general population and the association between health-related quality of life and the rank of the officers was estimated in a cross-sectional survey of 1,316 male officers, 25 to 62 years of age, in September 2002. Standardized scores for the SF-36 Health Survey were used for the comparison with the general population, and the mean raw scores for the eight SF-36 subscales were used for the association within the Navy study population. The health related quality of life of the Navy officers was similar to that of the general population of Norway when adjusted for age, gender, having a job, and educational level. Higher military rank among male Navy officers was associated with better health-related quality of life when adjusted for age but not when adjusted for other sociodemographic variables and lifestyle factors. Physical activity seemed to be the most important positive lifestyle factor. PMID- 17803076 TI - Evaluation of a combat medic skills validation test. AB - The purpose of this study was to describe validity and reliability of a skills based test (the Semi-Annual Combat Medic Skills-Validation Test) used by the Army to determine combat medic competency. An instrumentation design was used in which a panel of experts completed a content validity index on all skills. Simulation testing was used to determine criterion validity, intrarater, interrater, and test-retest reliability. Findings revealed that needle chest decompression, Combitube insertion, and automatic external defibrillator were the only skills with low validity (content validity index < or = 0.75). Splinting was recommended as an addition to the skill test. The validity criterion of a modified postcourse Emergency Medical Technician-Basic examination score was significantly related to the Semi-Annual Combat Medic Skills-Validation Test scores (r = 0.409, p = 0.006, two tailed). There was high intra- and interrater agreement on performance steps and skills. Higher subject scores were seen on the medical skills than on the trauma skills. When retested, there was significant improvement (t = 3.268, df = 7, p < 0.014, two tailed). PMID- 17803077 TI - To investigate the influence of acute vestibular impairment following mild traumatic brain injury on subsequent ability to remain on activity duty 12 months later. AB - The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between acute vestibular dysfunction as measured by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and the Dynamic Visual Acuity Test and the ability to remain on active duty status in the U.S. military 1 year after mild traumatic brain injury. This longitudinal prospective study was conducted by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Clinic at Marine Corp Base, Camp Pendleton, California. Participants (n = 47, controls = 44) were referrals to the clinic who had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury and were initially seen within 6 days of injury, then weekly for 1 month, and for follow-up 12 months later. The results demonstrated that those on active duty at 12 months were older in age, had more years of service, and had no history of psychiatric illness or apparent secondary gain issues. Acute vestibular dysfunction and demographic and injury variables were not significantly correlated or predictive of work status at 12 months. PMID- 17803079 TI - Molecular identification of the biowarfare simulant Serratia marcescens from a 50 year-old munition buried at Fort Detrick, Maryland. AB - Serratia marcescens are Gram-negative bacteria that were often used by the U.S. military and others to track movement of bacteria in the environment. As part of ongoing construction at Fort Detrick, Maryland, what appeared to be a small bomblet was found buried in the ground at the site of an old test grid. A sample of a clear, straw-colored liquid was aseptically removed from the plastic reservoir; the results of routine cultures on standard bacteriological media were negative. DNA was extracted from the sample and found to be 99% identical to S. marcescens. These results demonstrate the ability to identify the contents of a biological munition that had been buried for approximately 50 years. PMID- 17803078 TI - A procedure for soft tissue foreign body removal under real-time ultrasound guidance. AB - A 16-year-old, dependant, female patient presented to the emergency department complaining of a sewing needle stuck in her right great toe. The needle was removed with real-time ultrasound guidance, with no complications. The use of ultrasonography for localization of foreign bodies is discussed. PMID- 17803080 TI - Physiological effects of night vision goggle counterweights on neck musculature of military helicopter pilots. AB - Increased helmet-mounted mass and specific neck postures have been found to be a cause of increased muscular activity and stress. However, pilots who use night vision goggles (NVG) frequently use counterweight (CW) equipment such as a lead mass that is attached to the back of the flight helmet to provide balance to counter the weight of the NVG equipment mounted to the front of the flight helmet. It is proposed that this alleviates this stress. However, no study has yet investigated the physiological effects of CW during an extended period of time during which the pilots performed normal operational tasks. METHODS: Thirty one Canadian Forces pilots were monitored on consecutive days during a day and a NVG mission in a CH-146 flight simulator. Near infrared spectroscopy probes were attached bilaterally to the trapezius muscles and hemodynamics, i.e., total oxygenation index, total hemoglobin, oxyhemoglobin, and deoxyhemoglobin, were monitored for the duration of the mission. Pilots either wore CW (n = 25) or did not wear counterweights (nCW, n = 6) as per their usual operational practice. RESULTS: Levene's statistical tests were conducted to test for homogeneity and only total oxygenation index returned a significant result (p < or = 0.05). For the near infrared spectroscopy variables, significant differences were found to exist between CW and nCW pilots for total hemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and oxyhemoglobin during NVG flights. The CW pilots displayed less metabolic and hemodynamic stress during simulated missions as compared to the nCW pilots. CONCLUSION: The results of this study would suggest that the use of CW equipment during NVG missions in military helicopter pilots does minimize the metabolic and hemodynamic responses of the trapezius muscles. PMID- 17803081 TI - Comparison of M-16A2 and M-4 wounding potential. AB - OBJECTIVE: Concerns about altered wounding characteristics of the M-4 carbine have been raised during recent deployments. Using the wound profile method, the purpose of this study was to compare the M-16A2 rifle with the M-4 carbine. METHODS: The M-4 carbine and M-16A2 rifle were compared by firing five shots each into calibrated 10% ordnance gelatin at a distance of 3 m. Measured parameters included temporary cavity, projectile velocity, penetration depth, and bullet fragmentation. RESULTS: The M-16A2 rifle produced a higher muzzle velocity (3,155 ft/s vs. 2,848 ft/s; p < 0.001) and larger temporary cavity (15.5 cm vs. 12.5 cm; p = 0.027) but decreased penetration depth (44.7 cm vs. 48.7 cm; p = 0.04), compared with the M-4 carbine. CONCLUSIONS: The M-16A2 rifle demonstrated greater tissue disruption using the wound profile method, compared with the M-4 carbine. Reduction of the barrel length is the major factor producing the observed phenomena. PMID- 17803082 TI - Drowning deaths of U.S. Service personnel associated with motor vehicle accidents occurring in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 2003-2005. AB - OBJECTIVE: We examined common factors in vehicular drowning deaths that might lead to changes in equipment or training. METHODS: Drowning deaths among service members deployed to Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, 2003 to 2005, were ascertained using the Armed Forces Medical Examiner Tracking System database. Cases were linked to Army and Navy safety and investigative files. RESULTS: Fifty-two cases of vehicular drowning deaths were identified. These occurred mostly at night, were almost always the result of a rollover, and were most frequently associated with a high-mobility medium-weight vehicle. Seat belts were rarely worn, but the majority of injuries should not have been severe enough to affect egress from the vehicle. These drowning deaths seldom occurred while engaged with the enemy and were rarely associated with bad road conditions or bad weather. CONCLUSIONS: Effective preventive strategies might focus on training and equipment to reduce rollover events and on the expeditious extrication of victims. PMID- 17803083 TI - Obstructive sleep apnea in loudly snoring army conscripts. AB - One of the hallmarks of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is loud snoring. Army conscripts sleep in barracks, and loud snorers are easily detected. We made polygraphic recordings from these snorers during one night spent in the hospital, to find the ones suffering from OSA. Forty-nine conscripts (all male; mean age, 21 +/- 2 years; body mass index, 25 +/- 3 kg/m2) were studied; 32 (65%) complained about daytime sleepiness, and one had caused a shipwreck during an episode of fatigue. Oxygen levels decreased 4 to 9% >20 times per hour (4-9% oxygen desaturation index [ODI4] of >20 hours) for three subjects (6%). Eleven additional subjects (22%) had ODI4 values of >10 hours. Four (8%) of them did not complain about daytime sleepiness. The mean apnea index (AI) was 11 +/- 13 hours; 20 patients (41%) had AI values exceeding 10 hours. ODI4 and AI were significantly correlated (r = 0.67; p < 0.001). Body mass index did not correlate significantly with ODI4 or apnea index. Approximately one-fifth of loudly snoring conscripts suffer from OSA. Loud snorers should be examined before being selected for duties requiring maintenance of high alertness. PMID- 17803084 TI - Metabolic rate prediction by massless actigraphy for outdoor activities. AB - PURPOSE: In military scenarios, there is a need for a system that can enable identification of possible future injury during different activities that are considered to be physically strenuous. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of an octagonal actigraph in conjunction with heart rate (fc) measurements could serve as an accurate method for metabolic rate estimation for different free-living activities in field settings. METHODS: Twenty young healthy volunteers (10 men, 22 +/- 3 years of age, and 10 women, 23 +/- 3 years of age) participated in this study. All participants were exposed to six different activities (walking, running, sweeping, climbing and descending stairs, and shopping). Continuous actigraphic measurements were collected from the hip and wrist, fc was monitored with a Polar chest belt, and oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured with a K4b2 system. RESULTS: A prediction model for VO2 was constructed from actigraphic and fc measurements. Comparisons between predicted and measured VO2 values revealed high correlations (hip, R2 = 0.842; wrist, R2 = 0.822). CONCLUSIONS: This new prediction model highly correlated with VO2 measurements. The hip was found to be more favorable than the wrist for assessment of VO2 for different free-living activities. PMID- 17803085 TI - Esophagogastroduodenoscopy by a family physician: a case series demonstrating health care savings. AB - Rural Army community hospitals without gastroenterologists require civilian referrals for esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs). The goal was to determine whether an endoscopy-trained, military family physician saved health care dollars at an Army community hospital by decreasing outside referrals. We present a chart review of all 95 EGDs performed by a family physician at an Army community hospital between September 2003 and May 2005. The total facility cost was determined by using the cost of personnel, lost clinic hours, equipment, supplies, medications, continuing medical education, missed diagnoses, procedure complications, and need for additional referrals. The potential referral cost was determined by using local civilian endoscopy billing codes and TRICARE reimbursement rates for 2004. The total facility cost was $22,655.65 ($238.48 per EGD). The total referral cost would have been $55,614.95 ($585.42 per EGD). Using a family physician saved the hospital $32,959.30 ($346.94 per EGD). An endoscopy trained family physician saved significant health care dollars at an Army community hospital. PMID- 17803086 TI - True knot of the umbilical cord: a report of 13 cases. AB - True knots of the umbilical cord are complications that can result in obstetric disasters, including fetal asphyxia and eventual fetal death. This study reports on 13 patients with a true knot of the umbilical cord in a delivery population of 967 deliveries during a 1-year period. In this group, there was one second trimester fetal demise, four cases of fetal distress during labor necessitating cesarean delivery, and eight cases with a true knot found incidentally at delivery. No abnormal sequelae were found for the 12 viable newborns. True knots of the umbilical cord can be incidental findings; however, a tightened knot is reported to be associated with a fourfold increased risk of fetal death. Prenatal fetal surveillance, including targeted sonographic examination and Doppler studies, may identify true knots of the umbilical cord. Identification of high risk patients and clinical expertise in the management of these patients have not been established. PMID- 17803087 TI - Epidemiology of colds in military units during a German out-of-area mission in Kosovo (former Yugoslavia). AB - In the opinion of soldiers and unit surgeons, specific environmental and climatic conditions in the mission in the former Yugoslavia increase the incidence of severe infections of the respiratory tract (so-called "Kosovo Cough"). Proof is pending. Thus, colds were analyzed during Bundeswehr operations in the province of Kosovo. Over a period of 4 weeks in January 2003, all German soldiers who reported for medical treatment or requested medicine were registered. Patients provided information about their disease as well as information about smoking habits, etc. Two hundred three soldiers (9.2% of all) were treated for a cold. Although 72 soldiers (35.5%) complained about a subjectively perceived unusually long and severe clinical course, all infections proved uncomplicated from an objective viewpoint. The findings are inconsistent with an increased incidence of colds. There was no indication of the existence of the so-called "Kosovo Cough." PMID- 17803088 TI - Sui generis head trauma: a case with intracerebral phalanges. AB - In times of conflict, physicians can encounter all types of trauma, even uncommon trauma. The case we present is one of those cases. A 30-year-old, male, Army sergeant suffered polytrauma caused by fragmentation missiles and the shock wave from an antipersonnel mine in combat; the amputated fingers of the right hand produced ocular trauma, with loss of the right eyeball. The patient also suffered facial injuries and mild head trauma. Computed tomographic scans demonstrated intracerebral osseous objects. The patient underwent cranial wound debridement and dural repair, and several osseous objects, which corresponded to the victim's phalanges, were found in the cerebral parenchyma. In shock wave accidents, body parts from the victim can serve as missiles and can cause the same or greater damage, compared with conventional missiles. This is the first case of this kind of trauma published in the worldwide literature. PMID- 17803089 TI - Fatal pneumococcal meningitis: failure of acute care focus of medical practice. AB - A 27-year-old soldier with a childhood history of splenectomy died as a result of pneumococcal meningitis. There was no documentation of pneumococcal vaccine in his 8-year military medical record. In light of the soldier's 58 documented encounters with the military medical system, this fatal case illustrates the health care system's failure because of its focus on acute care medicine. Health care that addresses only the medical management of acute illnesses and injuries allows this type of fatal case to occur, because preventive measures are ignored. Comprehensive health care must focus on wellness and emphasize prevention, including risk factor identification and reduction, education and counseling, screening for early signs of illness, optimization of mental and emotional health, and maintenance of appropriate immunizations and other preventive and therapeutic countermeasures. Overcoming the limited medical focus on acute care of illnesses/injuries and implementing comprehensive health care require changes in the culture of both civilian and military medicine. PMID- 17803090 TI - Radiology corner. Answer to last month's radiology case and image: Brodie abscess. PMID- 17803091 TI - ODA & Oklahoma dentistry: the first 100 years. PMID- 17803092 TI - Technology can mitigate errors, but it's no panacea. You are central to a comprehensive safety culture in your practice. PMID- 17803093 TI - Does your practice allow dogs? PMID- 17803094 TI - We can provide health insurance for all Americans... if we only open our eyes. PMID- 17803095 TI - Congress begins action on 2008 Medicare cuts. Members' grassroots efforts essential. PMID- 17803096 TI - Malpractice insurance--a necessary but offensive cost. PMID- 17803097 TI - The unexpected shutdown. Do you have disaster-recovery plans for your practice's data? PMID- 17803098 TI - Which end is up? Human-factors engineering plays vital role in patient safety. PMID- 17803099 TI - Put your office in the driver's seat. Eight steps to streamline sales rep support. PMID- 17803100 TI - What if? The one question every administrator should ask. Use HIPAA rules as a blueprint for broader safety, security. AB - Are you doing enough to control security and privacy at your practice? Could you cope if your organization suffered a disaster that destroyed facilities, business documents and patient records? Although Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security and privacy rules focus on patient health information, they also point the way to a more comprehensive approach to managing risk. By using HIPAA rules as a blueprint, you can design policies and procedures to address everything from safeguarding financial information to protecting the personal safety of patients, physicians and staff. PMID- 17803101 TI - Not just for the birds. Assessing your medical practice for pandemic readiness. AB - Is your medical practice ready to deal with a pandemic avian flu--or any other potentially lethal disease? Your pandemic response plan should anticipate progressive levels relative to the event's severity. The degree of the outbreak will affect patients, staffing, supplies and basic services such as telephone, electricity, mail, Internet, water and repair support. It's likely that we can't depend on the federal government to come to our aid in a pandemic - resources will be spread too thin. The best defense is planning and preparedness. The practice that chooses not to plan for disasters risks loss of staff, patients and community status when catastrophe occurs. PMID- 17803102 TI - Safe and secure. How to create an effective OSHA compliance program in your practice. AB - Medical group practice administrators have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their employees and patients. You must create an effective Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance program in your organization. The complexity and diversity of OSHA standards are significant, and developing an effective program requires more than a cut-and paste approach. This article describes the scope of the task, the steps to take and tools you can use. PMID- 17803103 TI - Damage and partitioned mortality of teleosts discarded from two Australian penaeid fishing gears. AB - Six field experiments were perfromed to (1) quantify the scale loss and partitioned (immediate and short-term) mortality of key teleosts discarded from a penaeid seiner and trawler operating in 2 estuaries in southeastern Australia, and (2) assess the utility of modified operational and/or onboard handling procedures for maximising survival. For both gears, several non-target species were caught, handled and discarded according to 2 general categories of treatment ('mild' and 'extreme') representing the plausible limits of severity of commercial operations. The mild treatments involved the shortest conventional deployments of the gears followed by the immediate sorting of catches in water filled trays, while the extreme treatments comprised the longest conventional deployments and sorting in dry trays. Discards were examined for immediate mortalities and scale loss before sorting onboard, while live individuals of key species, along with appropriate numbers of controls, were released into sea cages and monitored for mortalities up to 5 d. For both gears, there was a trend of higher percentages of immediate mortalities in the extreme treatments, and more scale loss from dead than live seined and trawled silver biddy Gerres subfasciatus, seined tarwhine Rhabdosargus sarba and trawled yellowfin bream Acanthopagrus australis. Despite considerable interspecific variabilities, few intraspecific differences were detected between treatments for the short-term mortalities of live discards; however, for all species, these deaths were greater than those incurred by the controls (most of which survived). The partitioned mortality estimates were combined to provide a range of total mortalities for seined (95.97 and 99.07%, respectively) and trawled (71.74 and 97.64%) G. subfasciatus, seined R. sarba (23.95 and 100%) and trawled southern herring Herklotsichthys castelnaui (100%) and A. australis (3.40 and 35.01%). Because most deaths occurred irrespective of onboard handling procedures, we conclude that simply reducing the duration of gear deployments would provide a first step toward mitigating discard mortality in these fisheries. PMID- 17803104 TI - Detection of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in round gobies in New York State (USA) waters of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. AB - In May 2006 a large mortality of several thousand round gobies Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) occurred in New York waters of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Necropsies of sampled fish from these areas showed pallor of the liver and gills, and hemorrhagic areas in many organs. Histopathologic examination of affected tissues revealed areas of necrosis and hemorrhage. Inoculations of fathead minnow Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque, 1820) cell cultures with dilutions of tissue samples from the necropsied gobies produced a cytopathic effect within 5 d post-inoculation. Samples of cell culture supernatant were tested using RT-PCR and confirmed the presence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). Sequence analysis of the VHSV isolate resulted in its assignment to the type-IVb subgroup. The detection of VHSV in a relatively recent invasive fish species in the Great Lakes and the potential impact of VHSV on the ecology and economy of the area will require further investigation and careful management considerations. PMID- 17803105 TI - Phylogenetic analysis of spring virema of carp virus reveals distinct subgroups with common origins for recent isolates in North America and the UK. AB - Genetic relationships between 35 spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) genogroup Ia isolates were determined based on the nucleotide sequences of the phosphoprotein (P) gene and glycoprotein (G) genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on P gene sequences revealed 2 distinct subgroups within SVCV genogroup Ia, designated SVCV Iai and Iaii, and suggests at least 2 independent introductions of the virus into the USA in 2002. Combined P- and G-sequence data support the emergence of SVCV in Illinois, USA, and in Lake Ontario, Canada, from the initial outbreak in Wisconsin, USA, and demonstrate a close genetic link to viruses isolated during routine import checks on fish brought into the UK from Asia. The data also showed a genetic link between SVCV isolations made in Missouri and Washington, USA, in 2004 and the earlier isolation made in North Carolina, USA, in 2002. However, based on the close relationship to a 2004 UK isolate, the data suggest than the Washington isolate represents a third introduction into the US from a common source, rather than a reemergence from the 2002 isolate. There was strong phylogenetic support for an Asian origin for 9 of 16 UK viruses isolated either from imported fish, or shown to have been in direct contact with fish imported from Asia. In one case, there was 100% nucleotide identity in the G-gene with a virus isolated in China. PMID- 17803106 TI - Spores of two fish microsporidia (Pseudoloma neurophilia and Glugea anomala) are highly resistant to chlorine. AB - Pseudoloma neurophilia (Microsporidia) is the most common pathogen found in zebrafish Danio rerio research facilities. The parasite is associated with marked emaciation. Zebrafish laboratories usually disinfect eggs to prevent transmission of pathogens, typically with chlorine at 25 to 50 ppm for 10 min. The ability of chlorine to kill spores of P. neurophilia and 2 other microsporidia, Glugea anomala and Encephalitozoon cuniculi, was evaluated using 2 viability stains. SYTOX Green was used to visualize dead spores, and live spores were identified by their ability to extrude polar tubes in Fungi-Fluor solution following UV exposure. Results with both stains were similar at various chlorine concentrations for P. neurophilia and G. anomala, but Fungi-Fluor was not useful for E. cuniculi, due to the much smaller spore size. Using the SYTOX stain, we found that 5 ppm chlorine for 10 min causes 100% death in spores of E. cuniculi, which was similar to findings in other studies. In contrast, the spores of P. neurophilia and G. anomala were much more resistant to chlorine, requiring >100 or 1500 ppm chlorine, respectively, to achieve >95% spore death. Repeating chlorine exposures with spores of P. neurophilia using solutions adjusted to pH 7 increased the efficacy of 100 ppm chlorine, achieving >99% spore inactivation. We corroborated our viability staining results with experimental exposures of zebrafish fry, achieving heavy infections in fry at 5 to 7 d post-exposure in fish fed spores treated at 50 ppm (pH 9). Some fish still became infected with spores exposed to 100 ppm chlorine (pH 9.5). This study demonstrates that spores of certain fish microsporidia are highly resistant to chlorine, and indicates that the egg disinfection protocols presently used by most zebrafish research facilities will not prevent transmission of P. neurophilia to progeny. PMID- 17803107 TI - Validation of a quantitative PCR diagnostic method for detection of the microsporidian Ovipleistophora ovariae in the cyprinid fish Notemigonus crysoleucas. AB - Microsporidian parasites are easily detected by light microscopy when infections are heavy and spores are present. However, early infections without spores, or light infections with low numbers of spores, are easily missed. This limitation has made it difficult to conduct investigations into microsporidian prevalence and transmission. In this study, we developed a quantitative TaqMan polymerase chain reaction assay to assess the presence of Ovipleistophora ovariae in the tissues of the cyprinid fish Notemigonus crysoleucas (golden shiner). The efficiency of the primer set was 100.8%, with a correlation coefficient of threshold position to copy number of 0.997 over 9 logs using a plasmid containing the cloned reaction product. No product was produced from other closely related microsporidian species (Nucleospora salmonis, Pseudoloma neurophila, Glugea stephani, Heterosporis sp., and O. mirandella). The coefficient of variation for replicate assays done on different days was 12.4%. The assay detects O. ovariae reliably at less than 10 genomic copies and 0.14 spores per reaction, but maximum sensitivity is only achieved when sonication is included as part of the DNA purification step. Using the assay, we found 4.44 x 10(1) to 7.91 x 10(6) copies microg(-1) host DNA in female golden shiners, with the spore density increasing during the spawning season. The parasite was also detected for the first time in the testes of male golden shiners at 2.60 x 10(1) to 8.62 x 102 copies microg(-1) host DNA. PMID- 17803108 TI - Sequence analysis of OmNramp alpha and quantitative expression of Nramp homologues in different trout strains after infection with Myxobolus cerebralis. AB - Salmonid whirling disease caused by the metazoan parasite Myxobolus cerebralis is an ongoing problem in wild and farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss populations. Rainbow trout from different strains vary in susceptibility to the parasite. Identification of underlying mechanisms could be a starting point for improved control of the disease. We conducted infection trials using 2 rainbow trout strains and brown trout Salmo trutta fario, a species not susceptible to the parasite, to investigate host immune response and resistance mechanisms. We compared expression levels of 2 natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (Nramp alpha and beta) after infection with M. cerebralis. Total RNA was extracted from skin, muscle, kidney, head and spinal column, and gene expression was quantified by real-time PCR. Significant decreases in expression of both genes were observed at different time points in the infected susceptible rainbow trout compared to the non-infected group. Furthermore, the OmNramp alpha (O. mykiss natural resistance-associated macrophage protein alpha) sequences in 2 resistant and 1 non-resistant rainbow trout strain were analysed and compared for sequence aberrations. PMID- 17803109 TI - Neoparamoeba sp. and other protozoans on the gills of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in seawater. AB - Protozoan isolates from the gills of marine-reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts were cultured, cloned and 8 dominant isolates were studied in detail. The light and electron-microscopical characters of these isolates were examined, and 7 were identified to the generic level. Structure, ultrastructure, a species specific immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and PCR verified the identity of the Neoparamoeba sp. isolate. Five other genera of amoebae, comprising Platyamoeba, Mayorella, Vexillifera, Flabellula, and Nolandella, a scuticociliate of the genus Paranophrys, and a trypanosomatid (tranosomatid-bodonid incertae sedis) accompanied Neoparamoeba sp. in the gills. The pathogenic potential of the isolated organisms, occurring in conjunction with Neoparamoeba sp. in the gills of cultured Atlantic salmon smolts in Ireland, remains to be investigated. PMID- 17803110 TI - Intestinal pH profile in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and microhabitat preference of the flagellate Spironucleus salmonis (Diplomonadida). AB - In farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, the flagellate Spironucleus salmonis (Diplomonadida) is often found in the pyloric region of the intestine. While previous in vitro studies report a pH of 7.5 to 8.0 as optimal for presumed S. salmonis, no previous in vivo studies have investigated the relationship between pH and microhabitat preference. Therefore, in 698 rainbow trout (75% were 5 to 6 mo old juveniles, 10 to 20 cm total length), we recorded occurrence and density of S. salmonis, and pH, in the pyloric, anterior, middle, and posterior intestine. There were no significant differences in total length or weight between infected and uninfected fish. S. salmonis preferred the pyloric region, with occurrence and density decreasing significantly from pyloric to posterior regions. In infected fish, pH in pyloric (6.8 to 7.9, mean 7.3) and posterior regions (6.5 to 8.0, mean 7.1) was significantly lower than in anterior (6.5 to 8.5, mean 7.7) and middle (6.8 to 8.2, mean 7.7) regions; in uninfected fish, the pH profile was similar. At the individual level, 90 % of infected fish and 79% of uninfected fish showed this pH profile. In the pyloric region, pH was not significantly different among uninfected fish, and fish with light, moderate, or heavy infections. Our in vivo study suggests the optimal pH for S. salmonis is between 7.1 and 7.5, possibly close to 7.3 (the mean in pyloric region of infected fish). We conclude that while the presence of S. salmonis reflected tolerable pH, density of infection was not correlated with pH, and thus a causal relationship between microhabitat preference and pH is unlikely. PMID- 17803111 TI - Heat shock protein (hsp70) expression and thermal tolerance in sublethally heat shocked eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica infected with the parasite Perkinsus marinus. AB - To investigate whether sublethal heat shock protects Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) infected oysters Crassostrea virginica from lethal heat stress, and the effects of P. marinus infection on sublethal heat shock response, oysters were first experimentally challenged with P. marinus. Then, when infections in oysters progressed to moderate levels (parasite burden = 10(4) to 10(5) cells g(-1) wet tissue weight), oysters were treated with a sublethal heat shock at 40 degrees C for 1 h (heat shock + Dermo challenge). Other treatment groups included heat shocked, unchallenged (non-P. marinus challenged) oysters and non-heat-shocked, P. marinus-challenged and -unchallenged oysters. Thermal tolerance was compared among these treatments by administering a lethal heat treatment at 44 degrees C for 1 h, 7 d after sublethal heat shock. Sublethal heat shock enhanced survival to lethal heat treatment in both P. marinus-challenged and -unchallenged oysters. Although levels of hsp70 isoforms (hsp69 and hsp72) did not vary significantly by heat shock or infection with P. marinus, responses due to these treatments were apparent when comparing hsp70 levels within infected and uninfected oysters. Infection enhanced expression of hsp69, regardless of whether oysters were heat shocked or not. In uninfected oysters, hsp72 increased due to heat shock 2 and 7 d post heat shock. Overall, this study demonstrates that heat shock can improve survival in oysters, even in oysters infected with P. marinus. Expression of hsp70 varied among isoforms after sublethal and lethal heat shocks and in infected and uninfected oysters. The heat shock response was not negatively affected by P. marinus infection. PMID- 17803112 TI - [When the clients come before your own well being. A cause of burnout?]. PMID- 17803113 TI - Immunohistochemical diagnosis of persistent infection with Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) on skin biopsies. AB - Detection of persistent infection with BovineViral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is essential for both epidemiological and clinical reasons. In addition to the classical virological methods such as virus isolation in tissue culture, ELISA and RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry of skin biopsies has become a useful and reliable tool. Assuming that the presence of BVDV antigen in skin structures is restricted to persistent infection, this method could differentiate from transient infection. In order to answer this question, 6 calves were experimentally infected orally with a non-cytopathic genotype 1 BVDV strain belonging to the subtype k.The calves developed fever, mucopurulent nasal discharge, coughing and leucopenia with relative lymphopenia. Immunohistochemistry of skin biopsies taken daily up to day 13-post infection did not reveal any evidence of BVDV infection. BVDV was, however, isolated from blood samples on cell cultures. Anti-NS3-antibody-ELISA and serum neutralization tests showed that all six calves seroconverted. We conclude that in acute BVDV infections, with genotype 1 and the subtypes found in Switzerland (b, e, h and k) viral antigen is not found in epidermal structures of the skin. In contrast, persistently infected animals test positive for BVD viral antigen by immunohistochemistry of the skin. PMID- 17803114 TI - [Heifer breeding farms as a source for spreading the BVD virus?]. AB - It is well known that, in Switzerland, communal grazing of livestock on alpine pastures plays an important role in the spread of BVD virus. Analogously, we might expect that the communal raising on farms specialising in raising heifers of animals born on different farms would also favour the spread of BVDV. This study investigated whether a persistently infected (PI) breeding heifer kept on this type of farm over a period of 26 months would put the other animals at risk of being infected. The PI-animal was in contact with 75 heifers (here defined as contact animals) on this farm. Thirty-two of the contact animals that were probably pregnant (animals at risk of giving birth to a PI-calf) were moved to 8 different breeding farms (here defined as farms at risk). On these 8 farms, 246 calves were found to be at risk of being infected with BVDV. We examined 78 calves and investigated whether the move of the pregnant animals from their original farm had permitted the virus to spread to these 8 other farms. The contact animals had a seroprevalence of 92% and the animals at risk a seroprevalence of 100%. Only one PI-animal was found on the farms at risk. This BVD infection, however, occurred independently of the PI-breeding animal. Seropositive calves were found only on 2 farms. This study did not provide any proof for a spread of BVDV with the PI-breeding animal as a source; likewise, no persistent infection was proven to exist on the farms at risk. This result is likely to be representative for the endemic situation of BVD in Switzerland. Thus, PI-animals present on heifer raising farms infect calves well before servicing. Hence, no new PI-animals are generated, and the infection becomes self limiting. When we reconstructed the animal movements between the farms and determined the animals to be examined with the aid of the Swiss national animal traffic database (TVD) we found the data of 37% of the heifers to be incomplete and failed to successfully establish the whereabouts of 3 animals. PMID- 17803115 TI - The effect of carprofen on selected markers of bone metabolism in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis. AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug carprofen on bone turnover and to monitor the progress of chronic osteoarthritic dogs by measuring different bone markers and radiographic evalutation of the corresponding joints. For this purpose 20 dogs of different ages and weight were devided into 2 groups. Ten dogs were assigned to Group R, treated with carprofen, and ten dogs to Group C, which had no treatment. Radiographs of the affected joints were reviewed initially and six months later at the end of the experiment. Blood was taken 8 times from each dog. Four bone markers (Osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (bAP), carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), serum CrossLaps (CTX) as well as 1,25-(OH)2-Vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were monitored for 6 months. No significant group effects on bone markers were notied. In Group R a decrease in ICTP concentrations during the first three months and a significant decrease in CTX concentrations in the first two months of the study were observed. The bone formation marker bAP revealed a significant decrease throughout the experiment. Three dogs of Group C and one dog of Group R showed osteoarthritic progression in the radiographs. The significant decrease of CTX indicates that carprofentreatment could have a retarding effect on the progression of osteoarthritis. Radiological findings suggest that carprofen may delay osteophyte formation. The monitoring of focal metabolic processes as in bone of a osteoarthrotic joint is difficult, since the bone mass is very active and metabolic processes may have an influence on the monitoring. PMID- 17803116 TI - [Aspriation pneumonia in 40 cows after oral treatment]. PMID- 17803117 TI - Counterfeiting hits home. PMID- 17803118 TI - Riding the gray wave. PMID- 17803119 TI - A visual aide. PMID- 17803120 TI - Beyond workplace safety. PMID- 17803121 TI - Abort! Abort! PMID- 17803122 TI - Attributes of an injury-free culture: ownership. PMID- 17803123 TI - Steroids on the job: an emerging problem. PMID- 17803124 TI - Drugs and alcohol workplace trends. PMID- 17803125 TI - Meeting the work zone visibility deadline. PMID- 17803126 TI - FR layering for comfort and compliance. PMID- 17803127 TI - Unique hazards of shipbuilding and modular construction. PMID- 17803128 TI - Scaffolding good practices. PMID- 17803129 TI - Getting ready for rescue. PMID- 17803130 TI - High-stakes helpers. PMID- 17803131 TI - New systems protect control room employees. PMID- 17803132 TI - Isolation of Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 30 from a single almond orchard over a 5-year period. AB - In 2001, Salmonella Enteritidis phage type (PT) 30 was isolated from drag swabs of 17 61-ha almond orchards on three farms linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis associated with consumption of raw almonds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term persistence of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30 in one of the almond orchards associated with the outbreak. Swabs (gauze saturated with full strength sterile evaporated skim milk and attached to string) were pulled along the orchard floor in a standardized manner for 55 m. At each sample time, two pooled samples (four swabs each) were collected from each orchard quadrant. Swabs were enriched for Salmonella using a delayed secondary enrichment procedure developed for isolation of Salmonella from poultry houses. Suspect Salmonella isolates were selected, confirmed, serotyped, and phage typed, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns were determined after cleavage with XbaI and BlnI. Salmonella was recovered infrequently from pooled samples collected from January through July (3 of 56 samples, 5.3%). In general, Salmonella isolation frequency per sample time increased during and immediately after the harvest, when large amounts of dust were generated in or near the orchard: August, 4 (20%) of 20 samples; September, 13 (20%) of 64 samples; October, 27 (42%) of 64 samples; November, 4 (25%) of 16 samples; and December, 2 (25%) of 8 samples. All 53 Salmonella isolates during the 5 years were identified as Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30, and two PFGE patterns that differed by the presence of an approximately 40-kb fragment were identified. These data demonstrate the potential for long-term environmental persistence of Salmonella in almond orchards. PMID- 17803133 TI - Microbiological baseline study of swine carcasses at Swedish slaughterhouses. AB - This 13-month survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence and counts of foodborne pathogenic bacteria and indicator bacteria on swine carcasses in Sweden. A total of 541 swine carcasses were sampled by swabbing prechill at the 10 largest slaughterhouses in Sweden. Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica was detected by PCR in 16% of the samples. The probability of finding Y. enterocolitica increased with increasing counts of Escherichia coli. No samples were positive for Salmonella. The prevalences of Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, and verocytotoxin-producing E. coli were low (1, 2, and 1%, respectively). None of the verocytotoxin-positive enrichments, as determined by a reverse passive latex agglutination assay, tested positive for the virulence genes eaeA or hlyA by PCR. Coagulase-positive staphylococci, E. coli, and Enterobacteriaceae were recovered from 30, 57, and 87% of the samples, respectively, usually at low levels (95th percentiles, 0.79, 1.09, and 1.30 log CFU/cm2, respectively). The mean log level of Enterobacteriaceae was 0.35 log CFU/cm2 higher than that of E. coli on carcasses positive for both bacteria. The mean log level of aerobic microorganisms was 3.48 log CFU/cm2, and the 95th percentile was 4.51 log CFU/cm2. These data may be useful for risk assessment purposes and can serve as a basis for risk management actions, such as the use of E. coli as an alternative indicator organism for process hygiene control. PMID- 17803134 TI - Oral sodium chlorate, topical disinfection, and younger weaning age reduce Salmonella enterica shedding in pigs. AB - Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica can cause swine illness or human foodborne disease. Although nontoxic to mammalian cells, chlorate can be converted to cytotoxic chlorite by salmonellae. To test whether chlorate is effective at reducing Salmonella shedding in weaned pigs exposed to shedding dams, a chlorate nitrate-lactate (chlorate) oral dose was administered daily for 5 days following weaning, and this treatment was evaluated in combination with two weaning ages and a topical disinfectant. A total of 80 pigs were weaned at 10 or 21 days of age. Half within each age group were topically disinfected at weaning. Piglets were selected from dams for which Salmonella was detected in feces shortly after giving birth. Chlorate treatment reduced Salmonella prevalence and estimated Salmonella concentration in feces, cecal contents, and ileocolic lymph nodes. Younger weaning age (10 days of age) was associated with reduced shedding (lower concentration and prevalence) in samples collected at 10 days postweaning (DPW) and later. Chlorate treatment reduced the concentration of Salmonella in fecal samples at 5 DPW and in cecal samples at 14 DPW. The protective effects persisted through the end of the study at 14 DPW, 9 days after the final administration of chlorate. Disinfectant treatment reduced shedding in fecal samples at 14 DPW. Interactions were detected between the effects of chlorate and disinfection and between chlorate and weaning age. Chlorate treatment, topical disinfection, and younger weaning age may be useful tools for reducing Salmonella shedding on farms that practice segregated weaning and where sow-to-piglet transfer of Salmonella is an important source of infection in nursery pigs. PMID- 17803135 TI - Competitive inhibition bacteria of bovine origin against Salmonella serovars. AB - Studies were conducted to isolate bacteria inhibitory to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium definitive type (DT) 104 in vitro from cattle not carrying Salmonella and to determine the inhibitory activity of the isolated bacteria through competitive growth in cattle feces artificially contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 and S. enterica serovar Newport. Fecal samples (108) were obtained from dairy and beef cows. S. enterica serovars were isolated from 9.25% of the samples and included Salmonella Newport (4), Salmonella Bareilly (1), Salmonella Mbandaka (1), Salmonella Montevideo (1), Salmonella Meleagridis (1), and monophasic Salmonella (2). All four Salmonella Newport isolates were resistant to at least nine antibiotics. Of 1,097 bacterial isolates from cattle feces screened, 30 were inhibitory to Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in vitro. The inhibitory isolates included 22 Escherichia coli, 6 Bacillus circulans, 1 Serratia fonticola, and 1 Enterobacter cloacae. Typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed 17 distinguishable profiles among the 22 E. coli. Competitive inhibition isolates did not significantly reduce Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 during 21 days of storage at 37 degrees C in cattle feces. B. circulans (10(5) CFU/g of inoculum) significantly reduced Salmonella Newport on days 3 and 5 and on day 21 with 10(8) CFU/g of inoculum at 37 degrees C. At 21degrees C, significant reductions of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 occurred with 10(8) CFU of gram-negative competitive inhibition bacteria per g and 10(5) CFU of B. circulans per g on day 5 only. No significant reductions were observed with Salmonella Newport at 21 degrees C. The 25 competitive inhibition bacteria identified in this study offer a first step in identifying competitive inhibition bacteria that may reduce the level of intestinal carriage and fecal shedding of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 and Salmonella Newport in cattle. PMID- 17803136 TI - Microbiological characterization of lamb carcasses at commercial processing plants in the United States. AB - Although the United States produces 203 million lb (ca. 92.1 kg) of domestic lamb and mutton each year, thorough studies of the microbiological safety during lamb processing are lacking. To address this missing information, a total of 2,548 sponge samples from pelts, preevisceration carcasses, and postintervention carcasses were collected from multiple large commercial lamb processing plants to determine aerobic plate counts, the prevalences of Escherichia coli O157:H7, non O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), and Salmonella. The averages of the aerobic plate counts from pelts, the preevisceration carcasses, and the postintervention carcasses were 6.3, 4.4, and 2.4 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively. The prevalences of E. coli O157:H7 from the pelts, the preevisceration carcasses, and the postintervention carcasses were 12.8, 1.6, and 2.9%, respectively. The average Salmonella prevalences were 14.4, 4.3, and 1.8% for pelts, preevisceration carcasses, and postintervention carcasses, respectively. The most frequently identified Salmonella serotype was Heidelberg. The prevalences of non O157 STEC from pelts, preevisceration carcasses, and postintervention carcasses averaged 86.2, 78.6, and 81.6%, respectively. A total of 488 non-O157 S0TEC strains were isolated from postintervention carcasses. Sixty-nine different serotypes of non-O157 STEC were identified. The most frequently detected serotypes were O91:H14 (40.8%), followed by O5:H19 (18.4%). A small number of STEC serotypes associated with severe human illness were isolated from postintervention carcasses. These were serotypes O76:H19, O128:H2 (0.8%), O146:H8 (2.1%), ) O146:H21, O163:H19, and O174:H8 (1.3%). The results of this study establish a baseline for microbiological quality and prevalences of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and STEC in U.S. lamb processing plants. PMID- 17803137 TI - Prevalence and risk factors for Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. carcass contamination in broiler chickens slaughtered in Quebec, Canada. AB - An observational study was conducted to estimate prevalence and risk factors for Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. carcass contamination in broiler chickens. Eighty-two lots were sampled in four slaughterhouses located in the province of Quebec, Canada, over a 10-month period. Carcass contamination was evaluated by the carcass rinse technique for about 30 birds per lot. Exposure to potential risk factors was evaluated based on data from questionnaires, meteorology, and cecal cultures. Multivariable binomial negative regression models were used for risk factor analysis at the lot level. The prevalence of Salmonella-positive carcasses was 21.2% (95% confidence interval: 15.7 to 26.7%). Significant risk factors (P < 0.05) associated with a higher proportion of positive carcasses within lots were Salmonella-positive cecal culture, low rainfall during transportation to the slaughterhouse, temperature of > or = 0 degree C during transportation to the slaughterhouse, and a > or = 4-h waiting period in shipping crates before slaughtering. The prevalence of Campylobacter-positive carcasses was 35.8% (95% confidence interval: 27.1 to 44.5%). Lots containing birds with Campylobacter-positive cecal culture results, lots of birds that were slaughtered at the end of the week, and lots with at least 20% of birds with digestive contents detected in the jejunum at time of slaughtering had a significantly higher proportion (P < 0.05) of contaminated carcasses. These results support the importance of preharvest control measures implemented during rearing to reduce contamination of the final product. Weather during transportation to slaughter and the day of the week that birds were slaughtered also were associated with carcass contamination; further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms by which these factors influence carcass contamination. PMID- 17803138 TI - Effect of dry air or immersion chilling on recovery of bacteria from broiler carcasses. AB - A study was conducted to investigate the effect of chilling method (air or immersion) on concentration and prevalence of Escherichia coli, coliforms, Campylobacter, and Salmonella recovered from broiler chicken carcasses. For each of four replications, 60 broilers were inoculated orally and intracloacally with 1 ml of a suspension containing Campylobacter at approximately 10(8) cells per ml. After 1 day, broilers were inoculated with 1 ml of a suspension containing Salmonella at approximately 10(8) cells per ml. Broilers were processed, and carcasses were cooled with dry air (3.5 m/s at -1.1 degrees C for 150 min) or by immersion chilling in ice water (0.6 degrees C for 50 min). Concentrations of E. coli, coliforms, Campylobacter, and Salmonella recovered from prechill carcasses averaged 3.5, 3.7, 3.4, and 1.4 log CFU/ml of rinse, respectively. Overall, both chilling methods significantly reduced bacterial concentrations on the carcasses, and no difference in concentrations of bacteria was observed between the two chilling methods (P < 0.05). Both chilling methods reduced E. coli and coliforms by 0.9 to 1.0 log CFU/ml. Air and immersion chilling reduced Campylobacter by 1.4 and 1.0 log CFU/ml and reduced Salmonella by 1.0 and 0.6 log CFU/ml, respectively. Chilling method had no effect on the prevalence of Campylobacter and Salmonella recovered from carcasses. These results demonstrate that air- and immersion-chilled carcasses without chemical intervention are microbiologically comparable, and a 90% reduction in concentrations of E. coli, coliforms, and Campylobacter can be obtained by chilling. PMID- 17803139 TI - Variation in Salmonella resistance to poultry chemical decontaminants, based on serotype, phage type, and antibiotic resistance patterns. AB - Chemical decontaminants are currently under review for final approval by the European Union authorities with the aim of reducing the number and/or prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms on poultry. The purpose of the research being reported here was to determine the association, if any, of decontaminant resistance with the serotype, phage type, and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella strains. Sixty poultry isolates of Salmonella enterica (serotypes Enteritidis: phage types 1, 4, 4b, 6a, 14b, and 35; Typhimurium; Newport; Infantis; Poona; Virchow; Agona; Derby; and Paratyphi B) showing resistance to none (sensitive), one (resistant), two, three, four, five, six, seven, or nine (multiresistant) antibiotics were screened for resistance to 1,000 ppm acidified sodium chlorite, 1.2% trisodium phosphate, or 25% citric acid. D-values (seconds required for 1 log reduction in the number of bacteria) in peptone water, using a linear regression, of Salmonella in the presence of acidified sodium chlorite varied widely with serotype (the highest resistance levels were shown by serotypes Typhimurium, Newport, and Derby) and antibiotic resistance pattern (average values of 8.37 +/- 1.69 s for multiresistant strains as compared with 5.96 +/- 0.54 s for sensitive, P < 0.05). A positive relationship (0.775, P < 0.001) was found between acidified sodium chlorite D-values and the number of antibiotics to which strains were resistant. Both serotype and antibiotic resistance had only a slight influence over Salmonella resistance to trisodium phosphate, with average D-values from 12.44 +/- 0.91 s (sensitive strains) to 13.28 +/- 0.77 s (multiresistant) (P < 0.05). Neither serotype nor antibiotic profile was associated with Salmonella resistance to citric acid (average D-value of 12.20 +/ 0.81 s). Minimal differences in resistance to decontaminants were found among Salmonella Enteritidis phage types. Results in the present study highlight the importance of selecting an adequate strain (serotype and antibiotic resistance pattern) when acidified sodium chlorite and trisodium phosphate are tested against Salmonella to ensure that concentrations capable of inactivating all strains are used. PMID- 17803140 TI - Enhancing antimicrobial activity of lysozyme against Listeria monocytogenes using immunonanoparticles. AB - The antimicrobial efficacy of lysozyme may be reduced by undesirable interactions with food components and nontarget bacteria. Immunonanoparticles, i.e., nanoparticles functionalized with pathogen-specific antibodies, may serve as an antimicrobial carrier for improving the stability and activity of antimicrobials in foods. The objective of this research was to study the antimicrobial activity of lysozyme-carrying immunonanoparticles against Listeria monocytogenes. Polystyrene nanoparticles with active carboxyl groups were conjugated with anti L. monocytogenes antibody through covalent bonding. Enhanced antimicrobial activity of lysozyme-carrying immunonanoparticles was achieved when 0.04 microg/ml anti-L. monocytogenes antibody was used for coating nanoparticles and the resulting immunonanoparticles were then coated with lysozyme for 6 h. Lysozyme-carrying immunonanoparticles with a final concentration of 35 microg/ml reduced L. monocytogenes Scott A populations from ca. 5 log CFU/ml to below the detection limit (< 1 log CFU/ml) within 3 h. However, when 500 microg/ml lysozyme was used, ca. 2 log CFU/ml concentration of L. monocytogenes cells remained culturable after 5 h of treatment. The addition of lysozyme-carrying immunonanoparticles (37 microg/ml) to an L. monocytogenes solution of ca. 7 log CFU/ml for 6 h resulted in 0.9-, 1.0-, and 2.3-log greater reductions of L. monocytogenes cells than that achieved with lysozyme-carrying nanoparticles and lysozyme solutions of 500 and 50 microg/ml, respectively. Overall, lysozyme carrying immunonanoparticles had significantly more anti-L. monocytogenes activity (P < 0.05) than did lysozyme-carrying nanoparticles and lysozyme solutions at higher concentrations (500 and 50 microg/ml). Our study revealed that the use of lysozyme-carrying immunonanoparticles is more effective than direct addition of lysozyme for inactivating L. monocytogenes in nutrient broth. PMID- 17803141 TI - Combined use of ultrasound and natural antimicrobials to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes in orange juice. AB - The presence of Listeria monocytogenes could seriously affect the safety of nonpasteurized fruit juices. High-intensity ultrasound combined with mild heat treatment and natural antimicrobials may be an alternative technology for fruit juice preservation. The response of L. monocytogenes in orange juice to combined treatments involving moderate temperature (45 degrees C), high-intensity ultrasound (600 W, 20 kHz, 95.2 microM wave amplitude), and the addition of different levels of vanillin (0, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 ppm), citral (0, 75, and 100 ppm), or both was investigated to find the most effective inactivation treatment. Nonlinear semilogarithmic survival curves were successfully fitted by the Weibull model. The presence of vanillin or citral greatly increased the bactericidal effect of thermosonication and changed the distribution of inactivation times. When both antimicrobials were added together and ultrasound was applied, narrowest frequency shapes, skewed to the right, with low ariances and death time means between 1.6 and 2.6 min, were obtained. Orange juices with 1,500 or 1,000 ppm of vanillin and 100 ppm of citral were pleasant for the consumers. PMID- 17803142 TI - Aerosol studies with Listeria innocua and Listeria monocytogenes. AB - Aerosol studies of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing plants have been limited by lack of a suitable surrogate microorganism. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of using green fluorescent protein-labeled strains of Listeria innocua as a surrogate for L. monocytogenes for aerosol studies. These studies were conducted in a laboratory bioaerosol chamber and a pilot food-processing facility. Four strains of L. innocua and five strains of L. monocytogenes were used. In the laboratory chamber study, Listeria cells were released into the environment at two different cell numbers and under two airflow conditions. Trypticase soy agar (TSA) plates and oven-roasted breasts of chicken and turkey were placed in the chamber to monitor Listeria cell numbers deposited from aerosols. A similar experimental design was used in the pilot plant study; however, only L. innocua was used. Results showed that L. monocytogenes and L. innocua survived equally well on chicken and turkey breast meats and TSA plates. No-fan and continuous fan applications, which affected airflow, had no significant effect on settling rates of aerosolized L. monocytogenes and L. innocua in the bioaerosol chamber or L. innocua in the pilot plant study. Listeriae cell numbers in the air decreased rapidly during the first 1.5 h following release, with few to no listeriae detected in the air at 3 h. Aerosol particles with diameters of 1 and 2 microM correlated directly with the number of Listeria cells in the aerosol but not with particles that were 0.3, 0.5, and 5 microM in diameter. Results indicate that L. innocua can be used as a surrogate for L. monocytogenes in an aerosol study. PMID- 17803143 TI - An 8-year surveillance of the diversity and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in a chilled food processing plant analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism. AB - Contamination routes of Listeria monocytogenes were examined in a chilled food processing plant that produced ready-to-eat and ready-to-reheat meals during an 8 year period by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. A total of 319 L. monocytogenes isolates were recovered from raw materials (n = 18), the environment (n = 77), equipment (n = 193), and products (n = 31), and 18 different AFLP types were identified, five of which were repeatedly found to be persistent types. The three compartments (I to III) of the plant showed markedly different contamination statuses. Compartment I, which produced cooked meals, was heavily contaminated with three persistent AFLP types. AFLP type A1 dominated, and it comprised 93% of the isolates of the compartment. Compartment II, which produced uncooked chilled food, was contaminated with four persistent and five nonpersistent AFLP types. The equipment of compartment III, which produced cooked ready-to-reheat meals, was free of contamination. In compartments that produced cooked meals, the cleaning routines, product types, and lack of compartmentalization seemed to predispose production lines to persistent contamination. The most contaminated lines harbored L. monocytogenes in coolers, conveyors, and packing machines. Good compartmentalization limited the flow of L. monocytogenes into the postheat-treatment area and prevented the undesired movement of equipment and personnel, thus protecting the production lines from contamination. In compartment II, grated cheese was shown to cause product contamination. Therefore, special attention should be paid to continuous quality control of raw ingredients when uncooked ready-to-eat foods are produced. In compartment II, reconstruction of the production line resulted in reduced prevalence rates of L. monocytogenes and elimination of two persistent AFLP types. PMID- 17803144 TI - Comparison of multiplex PCR with conventional biochemical methods for the identification of Listeria spp. isolates from food and clinical samples in Queensland, Australia. AB - Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen with high mortality. L. monocytogenes and five other Listeria species can frequently be found in the same sample. To identify Listeria isolates found in foods to the species level, two multiplex PCRs were designed. The PCR and conventional biochemical methods were compared for the identification of 456 Listeria isolates collected from routine food quality monitoring schemes between June 2004 and February 2006 and for 62 L. monocytogenes isolates from patients between 1999 and 2005. The results showed that the PCR and biochemical methods had 100% agreement in Listeria identification. The distribution of Listeria species from foods was as follows: L. monocytogenes, 50.4%; L. innocua, 33.8%; L. welshimeri, 14.9%; L. seeligeri, 0.7%; L. grayi, 0.2%; and L. ivanovii, 0.0%. Additional analyses were performed to identify the major serotypes (1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c, and 4b) and the three lineages of L. monocytogenes isolates from foods and patients, with 1/2a (69.6%) and 1/2b (21.7%) dominating the food isolates and 1/2b (54.8%) and 4b (30.7%) dominating the patient isolates. The lineage results showed that isolates of 1/2a and 1/2c belonged to lineage II and that isolates of 1/2b and 4b belonged to lineage I. The multiplex PCRs for Listeria identification that have been established provide an accurate and rapid method for food quality control. This study has provided the basic knowledge of distribution of Listeria species and L. monocytogenes serotypes in Queensland, Australia, which is useful for epidemiological investigations of listeriosis. PMID- 17803145 TI - Shelf life establishment of a sliced, cooked, cured meat product based on quality and safety determinants. AB - In the present study, the distribution of the shelf life of cooked, cured meat products based on lactic acid bacteria growth and the distribution of the time to cause health risks based on Listeria monocytogenes growth were studied. Growth models, developed and validated on cooked meat products, were used to predict the growth of microorganisms. Temperature data were obtained from retail and home refrigerators. Distribution predictions were conducted by two approaches (time temperature profiles and Monte Carlo simulation). Time-temperature profiles were more appropriate to be used, because Monte Carlo simulation overestimated the growth of L. monocytogenes. Shelf life was greatly influenced by storage temperature, but initial microbial load had a smaller effect. The expiration date of cooked meat products might be based on only the growth of the spoilage microorganisms, and only when product contamination with L. monocytogenes cell concentrations is high does a product fraction pose health risks for consumers. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that storage temperature and temperature variability were the most important factors for the duration of shelf life. Distributions of shelf life and time to cause health risks give valuable information on the quality and safety of cooked meat products and may be used as practical tools by meat processors. PMID- 17803146 TI - Effects of single wavelength selection for Anisakid roundworm larvae detection through multispectral imaging. AB - The occurrence of parasites in fillets of commercially important fish species affects both food quality and safety. Presently, the detection and removal of nematode parasites is done by inspection on a light table (candling) and manual trimming of the fillets. This operation is costly and time-consuming and is not effective for detecting and removing all the nematodes in the fillets. In the last decades, several alternative methods have been proposed, but these methods have failed to replace the candling method. A newly described method called imaging spectroscopy has produced promising results because the operator can record both spectral and spatial information from an object. In this work, we studied single-wavelength bands from a spectral image. Discrimination between nematodes and other objects in the fillets is dependent on the level of contrast. Quantification of the contrast in such images revealed that the level of contrast varied when different wavelengths were selected, and these variations are correlated with the absorption properties of the nematode. Visible light scatters greatly in fish muscle, generally complicating the detection of nematodes. In this study, light scattering was used in a way that reduces the background complexity in spectral images. When light scattering properties were used in a wavelength range different from the bulk of the nematode light absorption, spectral images with significantly higher contrast were produced. PMID- 17803147 TI - Effect of lemon extract on foodborne microorganisms. AB - A quantitative investigation was conducted on the antimicrobial effect of lemon extract against some food spoilage microorganisms: yeasts, Bacillus species, and lactic acid bacteria. Growth kinetics and dose-response profiles were determined from experimental data obtained with a suitable macrodilution methodology based on a turbidimetric technique. Growth and no-growth status of microbial suspensions were expressed in terms of noninhibitory concentration (NIC) and MIC. Lemon extract was effective in inhibiting the growth of the investigated vegetative cells and spores of microorganisms; effects were similar for bacteria and yeasts. The NICs for all microorganisms were very small, at around 10 ppm. Based on MICs, among the Bacillus species, the more resistant was Bacillus licheniformis. For yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the least resistant, and similar results were obtained for Pichia subpelliculosa. Candida lusitaniae had an MIC of more than 100 ppm. Both Lactobacillus species were more resistant to lemon extract; concentrations necessary to provoke complete inhibition were approximately 150 ppm. PMID- 17803148 TI - Effects of ionizing radiation on sensorial, chemical, and microbiological quality of frozen corn and peas. AB - The effects of irradiation (0, 1.8, and 4.5 kGy) on the quality of frozen corn and peas were investigated during a 12month period of postirradiation storage at 18 degrees C. Irradiation of frozen corn and peas caused a reduction in ascorbic acid content of both vegetables and a loss of texture in peas but had no significant effects on instrumental color parameters (L*, a*, and b*), carotenoid and chlorophyll content, or antioxidant capacity of corn and peas. Irradiation reduced microbial loads of frozen peas and increased display life at 23 degrees C of thawed peas by preserving the green color, apparently because of slower increases in the population of acid-producing microorganisms in the irradiated samples. Overall, irradiation significantly reduced the microbial load and increased the display life of peas and had minimal detrimental effects on the quality of frozen corn and peas. PMID- 17803149 TI - Application of neural networks to simulate the growth profile of lactic acid bacteria in green olive fermentation. AB - The growth profile of five strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum ACA-DC 287, L. plantarum ACA-DC 146, Lactobacillus paracasei ACA-DC 4037, Lactobacillus sakei LQC 1378, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides LQC 1398) was investigated in controlled fermentation of cv. Conservolea green olives with a multilayer perceptron network, a combined logistic-Fermi function, and a two-term Gompertz function. Neural network training was based on the steepest-descent gradient learning algorithm. Model performance was compared with the experimental data with five statistical indices, namely coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean relative percentage error (MRPE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and standard error of prediction (SEP). The experimental data set consisted of 125 counts (CFU per milliliter) of lactic acid bacteria during the green olive fermentation process for up to 38 days (5 strains x 25 sampling days). For model development, a standard methodology was followed, dividing the data set into training (120 data) and validation (25 data) subsets. Our results demonstrated that the developed network was able to model the growth and survival profile of all the strains of lactic acid bacteria during fermentation equally well with the statistical models. The performance indices for the training subset of the multilayer perceptron network were R2 = 0.987, RMSE = 0.097, MRPE = 0.069, MAPE = 0.933, and SEP = 1.316. The relevant mean values for the logistic-Fermi and two-term Gompertz functions were R2 = 0.981 and 0.989, RMSE = 0.109 and 0.083, MRPE = 0.026 and 0.030, MAPE = 1.430 and 1.076, and SEP = 1.490 and 1.127, respectively. For the validation subset, the network also gave good predictions (R2 = 0.968, RMSE = 0.149, MRPE = 0.100, MAPE = 1.411, and SEP = 2.009). PMID- 17803150 TI - Food safety self-reported behaviors and cognitions of young adults: results of a national study. AB - With limited opportunities to learn safe food handling via observation, many young adults lack the knowledge needed to keep them safe from foodborne disease. It is important to reach young adults with food safety education because of their current and future roles as caregivers. With a nationwide online survey, the demographic characteristics, self-reported food handling and consumption behaviors, food safety beliefs, locus of control, self-efficacy, stage of change, and knowledge of young adults with education beyond high school (n = 4,343) were assessed. Young adults (mean age, 19.92 +/- 1.67 SD) who participated were mainly female, white, never married, and freshmen or sophomores. Participants correctly answered 60% of the knowledge questions and were most knowledgeable about groups at greatest risk for foodborne disease and least knowledgeable about common food sources of foodborne disease pathogens. They reported less than optimal levels of safe food handling practices. Young adults generally had a limited intake of foods that increase the risk of foodborne disease, positive food safety beliefs, an internal food safety locus of control, and confidence in their ability to handle food safely, and they were contemplating an improvement in, or preparing to improve, their food handling practices. Females significantly outperformed males on nearly all study measures. Future food safety educational efforts should focus on increasing knowledge and propelling young adults into the action stage of safe food handling, especially males. Efforts to improve knowledge and, ultimately, food safety behaviors are essential to safeguard the health of these young adults and enable them to fulfill the role of protecting the health of their future families. PMID- 17803151 TI - Comparison between self-reported and observed food handling behaviors among Latinas. AB - The study was conducted to compare and identify the magnitude of differences between self-reported and observed food safety behaviors among women preparing a chicken and salad dish at home. The observed food safety practices also were compared according to sociodemographic variables and prior food safety education. Sixty Puerto Rican women who were the main meal preparers for their households were recruited in Hartford, Conn. Three household visits were made to (i) deliver food ingredients to prepare the chicken and salad meal, (ii) conduct household observation, and (iii) conduct a self-reported survey. The difference between self-reported and observed behaviors varied across food handling and sanitation behaviors. There was a high level of inaccuracy for socially desirable behaviors such as hand washing; the vast majority of participants reported practicing these behaviors but they were not observed doing so. Cutting board washing also was considerably overreported, questioning the validity of these self-reported data for regression analyses. There was a significant association (P < 0.05) between proper thawing method and prior food safety education, use of cutting board and higher income, and washing tomatoes and having a positive attitude towards food safety. Results revealed that overreporting errors must be considered when analyzing and/or interpreting data derived from self-reported food safety consumer surveys and that food safety education and positive food safety attitudes are associated with recommended food safety behaviors. PMID- 17803152 TI - Statistical methodology for pathogen detection. AB - The main goal of the present study was to discuss the application of the McNemar test to the comparison of proportions in dependent samples. Data were analyzed from studies conducted to verify the suitability of replacing a conventional method with a new one for identifying the presence of Salmonella. It is shown that, in most situations, the McNemar test does not provide all the elements required by the microbiologist to make a final decision and that appropriate functions of the proportions need to be considered. Sample sizes suitable to guarantee a test with a high power in the detection of significant differences regarding the problem studied are obtained by simulation. Examples of functions that are of great value to the microbiologist are presented. PMID- 17803153 TI - Salmonella and Campylobacter in United Kingdom retail raw chicken in 2005. AB - The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency commissioned a survey of Salmonella and Campylobacter in raw, whole chickens at retail in Wales and Northern Ireland between March and December 2005 to measure the baseline prevalence rates of these two significant pathogens. In total, 877 retail samples were examined for Campylobacter and Salmonella by enrichment methods. Overall contamination rates of 70.2% for Campylobacter and 4.0% for Salmonella were found. There was a statistically significant difference in Campylobacter rates between fresh and frozen samples, with fresh samples having a higher rate. There was no statistically significant difference between samples taken from retailers and butchers. Campylobacter was significantly more common in Northern Ireland than in Wales. Salmonella was significantly more common in Wales. The findings indicate the need for further investigation to explore why measures that have been successful in reducing Salmonella in the United Kingdom in recent years have failed to contribute to the control of Campylobacter. Identifying the factors responsible could lead to the introduction of more effective controls throughout the industry. PMID- 17803154 TI - High level of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolated from broiler chickens in Estonia in 2005 and 2006. AB - The development of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli is a matter of increasing concern. Because campylobacteriosis is transmitted to humans usually via food of animal origin, the presence of antimicrobial-resistant campylobacters in broiler chickens has important public health implications. The aim of our study was to analyze resistance patterns of C. jejuni isolated from fecal samples collected at a large Estonian chicken farm, from cecal contents collected at slaughterhouses, and from meat samples collected at the retail establishments in 2005 and 2006. A total of 131 C. jejuni isolates were collected over a 13-month period and tested by the broth microdilution VetMIC method (National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden) to determine the MICs of various antimicrobials. Resistance to one or more antimicrobials was detected in 104 (79.4%) of the 131 isolates. High proportions of the isolates were resistant to enrofloxacin (73.3%) and nalidixic acid (75.6%). Multidrug resistance (resistance to three or more unrelated antimicrobials) was detected in 36 isolates (27.5%), all of which were resistant to enrofloxacin. Multidrug resistance was significantly associated with enrofloxacin resistance (P < 0.01), and the use of enrofloxacin may select for multiresistant strains. PMID- 17803155 TI - Development of macrolide-resistant Campylobacter in broilers administered subtherapeutic or therapeutic concentrations of tylosin. AB - The use of antimicrobials in food animal production, particularly those commonly used to treat infections in humans, has become a source of debate in recent years. However, limited data are available regarding the development of resistance following the subtherapeutic or therapeutic administration of antimicrobials in animal production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the administration of therapeutic and subtherapeutic concentrations of tylosin on the erythromycin susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from the ceca of treated broilers. In three replicated studies, day-of-hatch chicks were exposed to macrolide-susceptible C. jejuni or C. coli. At 2 weeks of age, tylosin was administered at subtherapeutic (22 ppm, continuously in the diet) or therapeutic concentrations (529 ppm, in the drinking water for 5 days). Broilers were sacrificed weekly. Total and erythromycin-resistant Campylobacter spp. were enumerated from individual ceca plus cecal contents. Overall erythromycin resistance was observed at a higher frequency (P < 0.01) among C. coli isolates (70.8%) than among C. jejuni isolates (36.8%) following tylosin administration. Across Campylobacter species, erythromycin resistance was observed at a higher frequency (P < 0.001) when tylosin was administered at subtherapeutic (62.7%) than at therapeutic (11.4%) concentrations. Subtherapeutic administration resulted in the recovery of 83.3 and 56.1% erythromycin-resistant isolates compared with only 33.3 and 7.9% of the isolates expressing erythromycin resistance following the administration of therapeutic concentrations for C. coli and C. jejuni, respectively. Further studies are needed to determine the factors involved in the apparent difference in the acquisition of macrolide resistance in C. coli compared with C. jejuni. PMID- 17803156 TI - Depletion study of enrofloxacin and its metabolite ciprofloxacin in edible tissues and feathers of white leghorn hens by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. AB - To ensure delivery of safe foods to consumers, withdrawal times for drugs must be respected according to the maximum residual limits established by regulatory agencies. Because of availability and price, feather meal is currently incorporated into animal feed as a protein source for farm species. Few data are available on residual drugs in feathers from treated animals. A depletion study was performed with laying hens treated intramuscularly with 5% enrofloxacin (Enromic) at 10 mg/kg body weight over 3 days. Thirty-three birds were treated and slaughtered at different times between 6 and 216 h after treatment; and samples of muscle plus skin, liver, kidney, and feathers were collected. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry method was validated before sample analysis to determine the decision limit, detection capability, recovery, and precision. Liver was the edible tissue with the slowest drug depletion. A withdrawal time of 6 days was calculated based on European Union maximum residual limits (100 microg/kg). A withdrawal time of 9 days was calculated based on Japan maximum residual limits (10 microg/kg). Enrofloxacin plus ciprofloxacin concentrations in feathers remained high through all sampling periods. Thus, feathers from treated animals should not be fed to food-producing animals. PMID- 17803157 TI - Occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in sandwiches available to hospital patients in Wales, United Kingdom. AB - A survey for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in hospital sandwiches was carried out in Wales, United Kingdom, between October 2005 and March 2006. The main aim of the survey was to establish the baseline rate of L. monocytogenes in hospital sandwiches after an outbreak of listeriosis among hospital patients in 2004 was epidemiologically linked to the consumption of contaminated sandwiches. The overall positive rate found in hospital sandwiches was 2.84% for enriched culture and 0.21% for direct counts. The unsatisfactory rate (> 100 CFU/g) for hospital sandwiches was 0.1%. The conclusion was that hospital sandwiches generally presented a low hazard to consumers. In addition to establishing the overall baseline and the unsatisfactory rates in hospital sandwiches in Wales for this period, the study compared the rates found in hospital sandwiches with the rates found in sandwiches simultaneously sampled from general retailers. The aim of this part of the study was to compare the relative rates associated with hospital and retail sandwiches to ascertain if there were any differences in the positive rate. The conclusion of this part of the survey was that there was not a statistically significant difference in rates between sandwiches sampled from hospitals and those sampled from general retailers. PMID- 17803158 TI - Radiation processing for elimination of Salmonella typhimurium from inoculated seeds used for sprout making in India and effect of irradiation on germination of seeds. AB - The effect of radiation processing on the germination of the sprout seeds mung (Phaseolus aureus), matki (Phaseolus aconitifolius), chana (Cicer arietinum), and vatana (Pisum sativum) in terms of percent germination, germination yield, sprout length, vitamin C content, and texture was investigated. Gradual decreases in the percent germination, germination yield, and sprout length with increases in radiation dose (0.5 to 2.0 kGy) were observed. Vitamin C content and texture remained unaffected for the seeds treated with doses of up to 2 kGy. To determine the efficacy of radiation treatment in elimination of foodborne pathogens, seeds inoculated with 4 log CFU/g of Salmonella Typhimurium were treated with radiation doses of 1 and 2 kGy. A reduction in counts of Salmonella Typhimurium in inoculated seeds after radiation treatment was observed. A radiation dose of 2 kGy resulted in the complete elimination of 4 log CFU/g of Salmonella Typhimurium from the inoculated seeds. However, on sprouting for 48 h, the count of Salmonella Typhimurium reached 8 log CFU/g for the control seeds and the seeds treated with a 1-kGy radiation dose. The aerobic plate counts for seeds were 2.0 to 2.6 log CFU/g, which were reduced to 0.9 to 1.2 log CFU/g on treatment with a 2-kGy radiation dose. On sprouting for 48 h, the aerobic plate count reached 8 log CFU/g for both the control and radiation-treated seeds. The study demonstrates that irradiation can control bacterial levels on seeds but not contamination introduced during posttreatment handling. Therefore, radiation processing of the final product (sprouts) is recommended, rather than of the seeds. PMID- 17803159 TI - Behavior of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in leafy vegetables. AB - Leafy vegetables, including lettuce and spinach, have been implicated in several outbreaks of foodborne disease caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7, a pathogen of increasing public health significance because of the severity of the gastrointestinal illness and long-term, chronic sequelae that can result from infection. A definitive association between the consumption of leafy vegetables and human disease provides implicit evidence of transfer from animal sources to field crops and retail commodities, including minimally processed or fresh-cut products. Understanding the behavior of E. coli O157:H7 in leafy vegetables during production, after harvest, in storage, during processing, and in packaged fresh-cut products is essential for the development of effective control measures. To this end, previous research on the fate of the species at each step in the production of market-ready leafy vegetables is reviewed in this study. Several critical gaps in knowledge are identified, notably uncertainty about the location of contaminating cells on or in plant tissues, behavior in packaged products stored at low temperatures, and the influence of environmental stresses on growth and infectivity. PMID- 17803160 TI - Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 2. Description of outbreaks by size, severity, and settings. AB - This article is the second in a series of several by members of the Committee on the Control of Foodborne Illness of the International Association of Food Protection, and it continues the analysis of 816 outbreaks where food workers were implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. In this article, we discuss case morbidity and mortality and the settings where the 816 outbreaks occurred. Some of the outbreaks were very large; 11 involved more than 1,000 persons, 4 with more than 3,000 ill. The larger outbreaks tended to be extended over several days with a continuing source of infections, such as at festivals, resorts, and community events, or the contaminated product had been shipped to a large number of customers, e.g., icing on cakes or exported raspberries. There were five outbreaks with more than 100 persons hospitalized, with rates ranging from 9.9 to 100%. However, overall, the hospitalization rate was low (1.4%), and deaths were rare (0.11% of the 80,682 cases). Many of the deaths were associated with high risk persons (i.e., those who had underlying diseases, malnutrition, or both, as in a refugee camp, or young children), but a few occurred with apparently healthy adults. An analysis of the settings for the food worker-related events showed that most of the outbreaks came from food service facilities (376 outbreaks [46.1%]), followed by catered events (126 outbreaks [15.4%]), the home (83 outbreaks [10.2%]), schools and day care centers (49 [6.0%]), and health care institutions (43 outbreaks [5.3%]). However, many cases resulted from relatively few outbreaks (< 30 each) associated with community events (9,726), processing plants (8,580), mobile/temporary service (5,367), and camps/ armed forces (5,117). The single most frequently reported setting was restaurants, with 324 outbreaks and 16,938 cases. Improper hygienic practices in homes, on picnics, or at community events accounted for 89 of the 816 outbreaks. There were 18 outbreaks associated with commercial travel in air flights, trains, and cruise ships over several decades, although only the last seems to be a major concern today. Sixteen outbreaks occurred where food, primarily produce, was harvested and shipped from one country to another. Sometimes the presence of an infected worker preparing food was only one of several factors contributing to the outbreak. PMID- 17803161 TI - [The effect of dead space fraction on weaning from mechanical ventilation in COPD patients]. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common disease that tends to occur worldwide. Physiologically, COPD represents a disruption in ventilation and in the exchange of gases in the lungs. Laboratory tests indicate elevated CO2 level, gradual reduction of the levels of oxygen and pH in arterial blood, and a consequent rise in the Dead Space Fraction (DSF) of the lungs. OBJECTIVE: Patients with COPD represent a large portion of those artificially ventilated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In an attempt to develop a prognostic tool for the length of treatment, we compared the proportion of DSF to the length of artificial respiration. METHODS: This study included 49 patients receiving ventilation due to exacerbation of COPD. Each patient's arterial blood gases (ABG) were measured upon admission. PECO2 was tested using a Datex S/5 instrument. Subsequently, DSF was calculated using the Bohr equation. Statistical data was analyzed using the SPSS-11 program. RESULTS: Patients included in the study were respirated from 5 to 161 hours (average 40 +/- 47). In addition to ABG measurements, PECO2 levels were measured and DSF calculated for each patient. DSF values varied from 0.22 to 0.74 (average 0.119 +/- 0.489). No correlation was found between DSF and length of artificial respiration. These findings do not contribute to the evaluation of the patient's condition nor do they enable us to predict the length of treatment necessary. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of Dead Space Fraction does not provide a factor in estimating the length of treatment for patients with acute respiratory failure due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). PMID- 17803162 TI - [A new oncogenetic service of counseling and diagnosing for hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)]. AB - BACKGROUND: Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome associated with a high risk for colorectal cancer (up to 80%), endometrial cancer (up to 60%), and increased risk for other malignancies, mostly ovarian and urinary system tumors. HNPCC is caused by a germline mutation in one of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes, mainly hMLH1, hMSH2 and hMSH6. The tumors present with microsatellite instability (MSI) associated with loss of heterozygosity of the affected gene, and with loss of expression of the gene product. Diagnosis of HNPCC involves tumor testing for MSI, immunohistochemistry staining and germ line mutation analysis of the suspected gene. Proper genetic counseling is based on the synthesis of the clinical, pathological and molecular data. Directed surveillance shows significant reduction in colon cancer incidence, cancer mortality and overall mortality among HNPCC patients. GOAL: To establish a multidisciplinary service for patients suspected of having HNPCC. METHODS: We have established a service which is based on tight collaboration between clinical departments and laboratories. The clinical work-up was conducted by a special oncogenetic clinic and the laboratory service consisted of tissue testing for MSI and immunohistochemistry, denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) for suspected genes, and mutation testing. RESULTS: The efficiency of detection of patients with HNPCC was high, completed in a multistep process. In the first year of our collaborative work, we have provided genetic counseling to over 100 families and performed suitable tests for 46 families. Among them we have identified more than 16 families with HNPCC; 4 showed absence of hMLH1, 1 showed absence of hMSH6, and 11 showed absence of hMSH2. All tumors that showed MSI also showed absence of either one of the three MMR proteins. We present the clinical, pathological and molecular features of our patients and discuss the implication of this data on future recommendations. PMID- 17803163 TI - [Epidemiological characteristics and trends of testicular cancer in Israel 1992 2002]. AB - OBJECTIVES: Numerous publications from Europe and North America show an increase in the incidence of testicular cancer in past years with substantial differences within and among the different countries. This study aimed to evaluate testicular cancer incidence and other epidemiologic characteristics in Israel in recent years. METHODS: Incidence data was retrieved from the Israeli National Cancer Registry database. Patients with primary testicular cancer diagnosed in the years 1992-2002 were evaluated. For the sample of the year 2002, cross reference and deeper epidemiologic characterization using hospital archives was performed. Incidence rates were calculated according to age standardized, world population based standard. Analysis of variables of age, religion, origin, occupation, risk factors and histological subtypes was performed. RESULTS: In the period of 11 years, 983 primary testicular cancer cases were diagnosed in Israeli citizens. Among Jewish men the incidence rate rose from 2.16 to 4.23/100000 while in Arabs it rose from 0.2 to 1.89/100000. Within the Jewish population the incidence rate elevation was notably prominent in immigrants from Asia and Africa. Considering the geographic distribution, in the Northern Negev changes in incidence rate were found to be more noticeable. A statistically significant decrease in the disease presentation age was observed. Germ cell testicular tumors are a leading cause of the process with an elevation of 86.2% in incidence rate from 1992 to 2002. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of testicular cancer has increased in Israel in recent years. This trend is strongly associated with previously reported data from economically developed countries. It varies between different population groups. No single hypothesis can be put forward to account for the sudden increase in the disease incidence. PMID- 17803164 TI - [Probiotics as prophylactic agents against antibiotic-associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients]. AB - BACKGROUND: Antibiotic associated diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity in hospitalized elderly patients. Probiotics may shorten the duration and reduce the recurrence incidence of this problem. The researchers assessed the protective effects of probiotics in hospitalized patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Hospitalized patients aged 18 or older, who were scheduled for antibiotic treatment, were randomly assigned to receive either probiotics or placebo in a double-blind placebo controlled study, within 24 hours from the beginning of antibiotic treatment and for three weeks later. Baseline fecal Clostridium difficile toxin levels (A and B) were obtained within 24 hours of treatment. The patients were monitored for diarrhea, antibiotic treatment and duration of stay. The probiotics were also analyzed for sensitivity to antibiotic treatment in vitro. RESULTS: Forty-two patients completed the study; 21 patients were treated with probiotics and 21 with placebo. Diarrhea occurred in 4 patients (9%): one in the placebo group and three in the probiotic group, p=NS. Clostridium toxin samples were negative in 17 (68%) samples and 8 (23%) were positive (+2 to +4). Diarrhea occurred only in patients treated with wide-spectrum antibiotics, (p = 0.04, Chi2). In-vitro culture of the probiotic capsules yielded gram-positive cocci and bacilli, which were susceptible to many of the antibiotics used by the patients in this study. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant protecting effect of prophylactic probiotics for antibiotic associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients under antibiotic treatment, mainly because of the susceptibility of the probiotic bacteria to the treatment. PMID- 17803165 TI - [Parents' risk perception and analysis of children's injuries scenarios from cold fat removers]. AB - BACKGROUND: Cold fat removers cause serious injuries to children. OBJECTIVES: (1) To examine the knowledge, awareness and reported behaviors of parents concerning cold fat removers and to follow trends over time, before and after an intervention program. (2) To learn the common scenarios of injuries from cold fat removers in order to deepen the understanding of their occurrence and to promote prevention activities. METHODOLOGY: (1) Three telephone surveys of a representative sample of parents of children under the age of 15 years in the Jewish population were conducted during the period January 2004-June 2006. The sampling was performed in two stages: a stratified sample and a random sample in each layer. Results were analyzed in accordance with the children's age and the socio-demographic characteristics of the families. (2) Analysis of the children's injuries scenarios from cold fat removers of hospitalized children was conducted. The scenarios were collected from seven hospitals in Israel during January 2004 June 2006. RESULTS: The percentage of parents that were aware of the danger of ingestion of cold fat removers was significantly higher in June 2005 (40%) in comparison to January 2004 (22%). Only half of the sampled parents in January 2005 (53%) were aware of the fact that body contact with cold fat removers is more dangerous than bleach. About two thirds of sampled parents in June 2005 stated that they store their detergents in a safe place: 46.5% of parents store their detergents on a high shelf and 18% store them in a locked place. Thirteen scenarios of children's injuries due to cold fat removers were analyzed. The results showed that most injuries were at home, and that the main failures were due to human factors, underestimation of danger and a combination of these factors. Most of the injuries occurred both to infants and toddlers under 4 years of age and also in young children (6-8 years old); half of the scenarios occurred in the Arab population. CONCLUSIONS: A positive trend in parents' awareness of the danger of cold fat removers was observed. This trend was noted over the same period of time that the intervention program conducted by Beterem and the Israeli Ministry of Health took place. Yet, we cannot determine in certainty that this positive trend was due to the intervention program. Intervention programs implemented through health professionals, changes in the product and research and evaluation should be continued and promoted. PMID- 17803166 TI - [The importance of CPR training for assessing the knowledge and skills of hospital medical and nursing personnel]. AB - BACKGROUND: Saving life demands only two hands and some basic knowledge. A qualified person can open airways, resuscitate, massage a heart and call for help. A person with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training can sustain an ailing person's heart and brain for a short time. However, knowledge of CPR guidelines and skills is not enough; medical and nursing practitioners must practice and train regularly to hone those skills. Western Galilee Hospital has developed simulator programs for surprise CPR training exercises in all hospital departments and units. OBJECTIVE: To use surprise drills in order to improve the quality of resuscitation and CPR methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ACLS (Advanced cardiac life support) instructors use a computerized simulation mannequin (SIM 4000). Two to three surprise drills are conducted in the hospital each week. At the end of each drill, a final report is given to the department head and a staff meeting is held to discuss the drill results. Between the years 2003-2005, 131 drills were carried out in 30 different departments of Western Galilee Hospital. Nine criteria are measured and scored in the drill: reaction time, ABC principles, calling the doctor, CPR knowledge, CPR skills, resuscitation management, staff work, resuscitation chart, and defibrillator management. Drills are compared with previous drills performed in the same department, and with drills conducted in other departments. Data is analyzed using Anova, Kruskal Wallis, independent t-test and Spearman correlation coefficient test. RESULTS: Improvement was found in the results of the drills held from 2003-2005, mainly in the medical departments as compared with the surgical departments and ambulatory clinics. The average score in 2005 was 77.2 (p = 0.001), compared with 74 (p = 0.012) in 2004, and 59 (p < 0.001) in 2003. Improved criteria included: calling the doctor, staff work, CPR knowledge, and defibrillator (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is our belief that surprise resuscitation drills are the key to improve functioning during actual emergency resuscitation, both on a departmental and a general hospital level. PMID- 17803167 TI - [Medical expert opinion--credibility, ethics, remuneration]. AB - Israeli Law requires a Personal Injury Claim to be supported by an Expert Medical Opinion. Such evidence provides the Court with information essential for the evaluation of scientific material, which is beyond the Court's "judicial knowledge". Incongruent Expert Opinions are not necessarily the result of deceit. Experts are entitled to differences in their respective evaluation and interpretation of data and conflicting medical opinions may be legitimate. The Court's duty and prerogative is to select the "legally correct" opinion. The sole tool at the Court's disposal is precise and logical thinking, aided by principles set by the U.S. Supreme Court for the evaluation of scientific evidence, and adopted by the Israeli Court. The choice of the "correct" opinion centers on it's objectivity. A court-appointed expert is not necessarily an effective solution. Remuneration of the expert by the interested party increases the level of mistrust. The difficult questions concerning the credibility of an opinion arise as the result of insufficient specific expertise of the witness, presentation by a pretender to expertise or plain misrepresentation of data, excerpts of literature etc. Such transgressions are best exposed by the opposing party's expert and attorney. The court has effective means for the control of such behavior. The fraudulent expert witness is neither immune to criminal prosecution, nor to civil suit. IMA's Code of Ethics for Experts is adequate. Expert's fees should be consistent with the effort involved, as well as with the expert's rank and experience. Any linkage of fees to the outcome of the procedure should be prohibited, as well as the intervention of "contractors". Attempts to limit experts' fees, may result in the abstention of the most knowledgeable specialists from such duties. The blame for a false opinion does not lie with the paying party, it is mostly the witness who is responsible. PMID- 17803168 TI - [Diseases don't sleep at night]. AB - Although humans spend as much as a third of their life sleeping, many schools of medicine around the world do not provide sufficient knowledge about the physiology and pathology of sleep to their students, as if diseases fall asleep at night. People suffering from impaired sleep are often unaware of the problem. Along with poor knowledge of sleep pathologies on the part of medical staff, this leads to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of sleep disorders. One of the symptoms indicating sleep abnormality is complaint of fatigue, which can represent: physical weakness, mental fatigue, or sleepiness. The latter type is associated with several sleep disorders, among which are: obstructive sleep apnea, periodic limb movement in sleep, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. To provide accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, medical education programs should offer the students a deeper knowledge of sleep medicine. PMID- 17803169 TI - [The problem of double loyalty: medical expert opinion and its cost]. AB - Legal procedures, dealing with medical issues like body damages or medical malpractice, are based upon expert medical witnesses. These are essential because the parties involved in the process do not hold the knowledge needed for the correct evaluation of the medical facts relevant to the discussed case. When such cases arrive at court, there are always at least two contradictive medical expert testimonies that are based on the same facts (otherwise, the case would have been settled outside the courtroom). The medical experts are paid for their services, a fact which raises criticism by both legal and medical systems and also creates an atmosphere of suspicion towards their testimony. Many questions are raised in light of the potential damage of such testimonies on the one hand, and the known difficulties of defining "the reasonable standard of care" for a particular case on the other. Worldwide, attempts are made to unify and standardize medical expert testimonies. In this review we present and elaborate on some of the criticism, as well as possible solutions (including one proposed by the authors) with regard to expert medical witnesses. PMID- 17803170 TI - [Movement disorders in sleep]. AB - Movements during sleep are quite common, especially among children and usually represent a benign and not intimidating condition. However, not infrequently, the presence of non-quiet sleep leads patients or their families to consult their family physician, since movements during sleep may be associated with several somatic or mental disorders, and may result in decreased quality of life. There are several clinical syndromes of pathological movements during sleep, which are usually classified according to the sleep stage at which they tend to occur. While the restless leg syndrome is one of the most common movement disorders, it usually occurs during wakefulness but commonly results in insomnia and is frequently associated with the periodic leg movement disorder of sleep. The movement disorders under parasomnias consists predominantly of disorders of arousal, sleep-wake transition disorders (rhythmic movement disorders), and rapid eye movement (REM) related disorders. This review briefly describes these movement disorders in sleep, and highlights their diagnosis and treatment. It emphasizes the recent development and novel knowledge in this field in recent years. PMID- 17803171 TI - [Internet addiction]. AB - The Internet provides inexpensive, interesting and comfortable recreation, but sometimes users get hooked. Thus, the computer-internet addiction concept has been proposed as an explanation for uncontrollable and damaging use. Symptoms of addiction could be compared to other addictive behaviors such as pathological gambling, kleptomania, trichotillomania, sex addiction and pyromania. Although criteria to diagnose this addiction have been proposed, methods of assessing excessive computer-internet use are limited. Early diagnosis could help the patient that suffers from this addiction before developing additional psychiatric diagnoses. A review of the proposed etiologies in the literature is summarized, together with recommendations for physicians and mental health officials. PMID- 17803172 TI - [Criteria for hospitalization of adolescents with anorexia nervosa according to postmodernistic approach]. AB - The increased incidence of eating disorders in the Western world raises the demand for discussion regarding recommendations for hospitalization of adolescents with these disorders. The American Psychiatric Association has established criteria for hospitalization that include physiological, psychological and social components. The societal and professional discussion regarding adolescent hospitalization is frequently based on obvious assumptions and accepted discourses, such as the hierarchical pattern in the medical model, the control perception, knowledge ownership, freedom of choice, etc. These issues challenge the discussion on the hospitalization of adolescents with eating disorders. Eating disorders involve dimensions of control, boundaries, and psychological space, which are the essence of the difference between therapy in hospital or in the community. Personality and personal patterns, as well as associated psychopathology, family structure and other factors influence these dimensions and the ability of teenagers to be helped by the professional frameworks approached by them. This manuscript raises questions in relation to issues regarding hospitalization based on conflicts unique to eating disorders. PMID- 17803173 TI - [Quinines--past and present]. AB - Quinines are known to mankind and have been in medical use against malaria for over 350 years. The revelation of quinines' activity against malaria in the 17th century brought a revolution to the medical world and had dramatic implications on the political arena of Europe at that time. The source of these materials is the bark of the Cinchona trees indigenous to remote mountain areas of Latin America. Great efforts were made in the search for the trees, and in growing them in other areas of the world. Today quinines are produced both synthetically and from the tree bark. Beside malaria, they are pivotal in the treatment of autoimmune disorders such as Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. PMID- 17803174 TI - [Risk-benefit assessment in determining decision-making capacity]. PMID- 17803175 TI - [Black tongue]. AB - In a patient with Sjogren syndrome, receiving prednisone and methotrexate, treatment with ceftriaxone was prescribed for presumed urinary tract infection. About 20 minutes from initiation of the intravenous drug administration, the patient's lips and tongue color turned black, without swelling or additional visible changes. The drug was discontinued immediately and the black color gradually disappeared within the next 24 hours. The patient recalled a similar past episode, following local anesthetic reagent injection to the gums, for tooth extraction. Black tongue may result from a fungal disease of mouth membranes, external pigment deposition, usually associated with drugs, such as bismuth preparations, and overproduction and deposition of melanin, induced by medications, such as minocin. It is assumed that ceftriaxone, herein linked to this condition for the first time, mediated the appearance of black tongue in our patient through overproduction or fast accumulation of melanin in the patient's mouth membranes. PMID- 17803176 TI - Pioneering Medicaid DM program produces robust outcomes. PMID- 17803177 TI - Omaha company capitalizes on the potential of self-care to drive down costs. AB - Engage patients in managing their own health now. Why? Because lifestyle-related chronic disease is overburdening the nation's health care system, and behavioral change is key to getting the problem under control. See how one Omaha-based company is leveraging the power of self-care to improve outcomes and lower health care-related costs. PMID- 17803178 TI - Kaiser moves obesity to the top of its clinical priority list. AB - Kaiser gets serious about tackling the obesity epidemic. Obesity is costing the country billions in unnecessary health care costs, and no single approach appears capable of solving the problem. Consequently, Kaiser has embarked on a comprehensive, multi-pronged effort that combines prevention and treatment strategies aimed at slowing and eventually reversing current trends. It's a complicated problem, but early outcomes are encouraging. PMID- 17803180 TI - Fast lithium ion conduction in garnet-type Li(7)La(3)Zr(2)O(12). PMID- 17803179 TI - A new quest to pinpoint high quality, cost-efficient chronic care standards. AB - Innovative new tool aims to boost quality and cost-efficiency of chronic care. There is now fresh evidence that many of the health care systems and regions that spend the most on chronic care actually have the least to show for it. That's according to a revealing new study completed by the Center for Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth Medical School. However, investigators have also produced an innovative new tool that health policy makers can use to model their practices and policies after the best this country has to offer. PMID- 17803181 TI - A titanium disilicide derived semiconducting catalyst for water splitting under solar radiation-reversible storage of oxygen and hydrogen. PMID- 17803182 TI - Synthesis and electronic structure of a terminal alkylborylene complex. PMID- 17803183 TI - Glycosylation status of haptoglobin in sera of patients with prostate cancer vs. benign prostate disease or normal subjects. AB - We studied chemical level and glycosylation status of haptoglobin in sera of patients with prostate cancer, as compared to benign prostate disease and normal subjects, with the following results. (i) Haptoglobin level was enhanced significantly in sera of prostate cancer. (ii) Sialylated bi-antennary glycans were the dominant structures in haptoglobins from all 3 sources, regardless of different site of N-linked glycan. The N-linked glycans at N184 were exclusively bi-antennary, and showed no difference between prostate cancer vs. benign prostate disease. (iii) Tri-antennary, N-linked, fucosylated glycans, carrying at least 1 sialyl-Lewis(x/a) antenna, were predominantly located on N207 or N211 within the amino acid 203-215 sequence of the beta-chain of prostate cancer, and were minimal in benign prostate disease. Fucosylated glycans were not observed in normal subjects. A minor tri-antennary N-linked glycan was observed at N241 of the beta-chain in prostate cancer, which was absent in benign prostate disease. (iv) None of these N-linked structures showed the expected presence of disialylated antennae with GalNAcbeta4(NeuAcalpha3)Galbeta3(NeuAcalpha6)GlcNAcbetaGal, or its analogue, despite cross-reactivity of prostate cancer haptoglobin with monoclonal antibody RM2. (v) Minor levels of O-glycosylation were identified in prostate cancer haptoglobin for the first time. Mono- and disialyl core Type 1 O-linked structures were identified after reductive beta-elimination followed by methylation and mass spectrometric analysis. No evidence was found for the presence of specific RM2 or other tumor-associated glycosyl epitopes linked to this O-glycan core. In summary, levels of haptoglobin are enhanced in sera of prostate cancer patients, and the N-glycans attached to a defined peptide region of its beta-chain are characterized by enhanced branching as well as antenna fucosylation. PMID- 17803186 TI - International consensus recommendations on the flow cytometric immunophenotypic analysis of hematolymphoid neoplasia. PMID- 17803188 TI - 2006 Bethesda International Consensus recommendations on the flow cytometric immunophenotypic analysis of hematolymphoid neoplasia: medical indications. AB - The clinical indications for diagnostic flow cytometry studies are an evolving consensus, as the knowledge of antigenic definition of hematolymphoid malignancies and the prognostic significance of antigen expression evolves. Additionally the standard of care is not routinely communicated to practicing clinicians and diagnostic services, especially as may relate to new technologies. Accordingly there is often uncertainty on the part of clinicians, payers of medical services, diagnostic physicians and scientists as to the appropriate use of diagnostic flow cytometry. In an attempt to communicate contemporary diagnostic utility of immunophenotypic flow cytometry in the diagnosis and follow up of patients with hematolymphoid malignancies, the Clinical Cytometry Society organized a two day meeting of international experts in this area to reach a consensus as to this diagnostic tool. This report summarizes the appropriate use of diagnostic flow cytometry as determined by unanimous approval of these experienced practitioners. PMID- 17803189 TI - 2006 Bethesda International Consensus recommendations on the immunophenotypic analysis of hematolymphoid neoplasia by flow cytometry: optimal reagents and reporting for the flow cytometric diagnosis of hematopoietic neoplasia. AB - Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry has become standard practice in the evaluation and monitoring of patients with hematopoietic neoplasia. However, despite its widespread use, considerable variability continues to exist in the reagents used for evaluation and the format in which results are reported. As part of the 2006 Bethesda Consensus conference, a committee was formed to attempt to define a consensus set of reagents suitable for general use in the diagnosis and monitoring of hematopoietic neoplasms. The committee included laboratory professionals from private, public, and university hospitals as well as large reference laboratories that routinely operate clinical flow cytometry laboratories with an emphasis on lymphoma and leukemia immunophenotyping. A survey of participants successfully identified the cell lineage(s) to be evaluated for each of a variety of specific medical indications and defined a set of consensus reagents suitable for the initial evaluation of each cell lineage. Elements to be included in the reporting of clinical flow cytometric results for leukemia and lymphoma evaluation were also refined and are comprehensively listed. The 2006 Bethesda Consensus conference represents the first successful attempt to define a set of consensus reagents suitable for the initial evaluation of hematopoietic neoplasia. PMID- 17803190 TI - 2006 Bethesda International Consensus recommendations on the immunophenotypic analysis of hematolymphoid neoplasia by flow cytometry: recommendations for training and education to perform clinical flow cytometry. AB - As clinical flow cytometry practices continue to expand and immunophenotyping for leukemia and lymphoma becomes more widespread, the need for defined guidelines for training of medical professionals is imperative. Standards of expected knowledge and skills are necessary to ensure reliable test results as well as provide direction to those who are considering adding flow cytometry to their clinical laboratory practice. Before now, no clear guidelines have been established for defining the areas of responsibility, education and training standards, and credentials that would be required to perform clinical flow cytometry for leukemia and lymphoma. As part of the 2006 Bethesda Consensus conference, a committee was formed to address this need and provide recommendations for training and education. The committee included laboratory professionals from private, public, and university hospitals as well as large reference laboratories that routinely operate clinical flow cytometry laboratories with an emphasis on lymphoma and leukemia immunophenotyping. This document represents the work of the committee. Categories of work responsibility are defined and the requisite education, training, and credentials, as well as measurement methods for assessing competency for each area of responsibility are provided. Additional recommendations are included that promote creating a specialty certification in flow cytometry, establishing benchmarks for training technologists and interpreters, and offer suggestions for minimum levels of experience to direct a clinical flow cytometry laboratory. PMID- 17803192 TI - Abnormal pelvic response to cough in women with stress urinary incontinence. AB - AIMS: To assess how muscular fatigue deteriorates the modulation of pelvic contraction during increasing cough efforts. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between the temporal course of pelvic floor activation during cough. METHODS: Informed consent was obtained from 20 women presenting with SUI and 6 continent women (overactive bladder syndrome [OAB]). Bladder pressure (BP) and external anal sphincter electromyographic activity (EAS EMGi) were recorded concomitantly during increasing cough efforts. Modulation of pelvic contraction was assessed before and after two types of intense pelvic exercise (Exercise #1: 10 successive strong cough efforts; Exercise #2: 10 pelvic contractions followed by a maximal pelvic contraction) at 0, 200, and 400 ml of bladder filling. We have also recorded electromyographic activity of external intercostal (EIC) muscles. RESULTS: Whereas the Exercise 1 had no effect on modulation, the Exercise 2 altered significantly the modulation of pelvic contraction during increasing cough efforts (P = 0.043) only in women presenting with SUI. The bladder filling volume seems to not significantly modify this modulation (P = 0.12). Median latency between the onset of the EAS EMGi and the onset of the EIC EMGi was -470 and -60 msec in OAB group and in SUI group, respectively (P = 0.012). There was a good correlation between mean latency (default of EAS EMGi pre-activation) and an altered modulation of pelvic contraction during increasing cough efforts (P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Some women with SUI exhibit an altered pattern of the PFM response during increasing coughing efforts. The lack of this modulation of PFM response to stress may be one of the pathophysiologic factors of SUI. PMID- 17803193 TI - A PP2A active site mutant impedes growth and causes misregulation of native catalytic subunit expression. AB - Activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is tightly regulated and performs a diverse repertoire of cellular functions. Previously we isolated a dominant negative active site mutant of the PP2A catalytic (C) subunit using a yeast complementation assay. We have established stable fibroblastic cell lines expressing epitope-tagged versions of the wild-type and H118N mutant C subunits and have used these cells to investigate mechanisms that regulate PP2A activity. Cells expressing the mutant C subunit exhibit a decreased growth rate and a prolonged G1 cell cycle phase. The mutant protein is enzymatically inactive, but extracts made from cells expressing the H118N C subunit show normal levels of total PP2A activity in vitro. The H118N mutant shows reduced binding to the regulatory A subunit, but binds normally to the alpha4 protein, a non-canonical regulator of PP2A. Expression of the H118N mutant interferes with the normal control of C subunit abundance, causing accumulation of the endogenous wild-type protein as well as the mutant transgene product. Our results indicate that the H118N mutant isoform retards C subunit turnover and suggest that PP2A C subunit turnover may be important for normal cell cycle progression. PMID- 17803194 TI - Aminopeptidase O contains a functional nucleolar localization signal and is implicated in vascular biology. AB - We have identified a gene trap integration into Aminopeptidase O, the gene encoding a member of the M1 family of metalloproteases. Using the betagal reporter of the gene trap vector, we have revealed that at least some ApO isoforms are expressed predominantly in embryonic and adult blood vessels leading us to propose that ApO plays a role in vascular cell biology. The protein produced from an engineered Gfp-ApO fusion cDNA localises to the nucleolus in transfected COS7 cells. We confirm that indeed the APO protein contains a functional nucleolar localisation domain by demonstrating that GFP-APO fusion proteins that lack the predicted nucleolar localisation signal are retained in the cytoplasm. We report the existence of multiple alternatively spliced Apo isoforms that differ with respect to the presence of exons encoding important functional domains. Alternative splicing predictably produces protein products with or without the catalytic domain and/or a nucleolar localisation signal and therefore likely represents an important mechanism in regulating the biological activity of APO that has been reported to cleave one of the peptides of the renin angiotensin pathway. PMID- 17803195 TI - Interaction between d- and p-block metals: synthesis and structure of platinum alane adducts. PMID- 17803196 TI - PAMPA--critical factors for better predictions of absorption. AB - PAMPA, log P(OCT), and Caco-2 are useful tools in drug discovery for the prediction of oral absorption, brain penetration and for the development of structure-permeability relationships. Each approach has its advantages and limitations. Selection criteria for methods are based on many different factors: predictability, throughput, cost and personal preferences (people factor). The PAMPA concerns raised by Galinis-Luciani et al. (Galinis-Luciani et al., 2007, J Pharm Sci, this issue) are answered by experienced PAMPA practitioners, inventors and developers from diverse research organizations. Guidelines on how to use PAMPA are discussed. PAMPA and PAMPA-BBB have much better predictivity for oral absorption and brain penetration than log P(OCT) for real-world drug discovery compounds. PAMPA and Caco-2 have similar predictivity for passive oral absorption. However, it is not advisable to use PAMPA to predict absorption involving transporter-mediated processes, such as active uptake or efflux. Measurement of PAMPA is much more rapid and cost effective than Caco-2 and log P(OCT). PAMPA assay conditions are critical in order to generate high quality and relevant data, including permeation time, assay pH, stirring, use of cosolvents and selection of detection techniques. The success of using PAMPA in drug discovery depends on careful data interpretation, use of optimal assay conditions, implementation and integration strategies, and education of users. PMID- 17803197 TI - Colonic delivery of beta-lactamases does not affect amoxicillin pharmacokinetics in rats. AB - Pectin beads containing beta-lactamases were designed for the hydrolysis of colonic residual antibiotics responsible for the emergence of resistance. Beads were prepared by ionotropic gelation in CaCl2 and stabilized by coating with polyethylenimine (PEI) to resist disintegration in the upper GI tract. Particle characterization showed that dried beads had a diameter around 1 mm independently of the presence of PEI. Seven to ten percent (w/w) of PEI was located on bead surface forming a coating layer as observed by scanning electron microscopy. PEI improved considerably bead stability in simulated intestinal medium while affecting slightly the encapsulation efficiency of active beta-lactamases. Coated beads were able to preserve beta-lactamases from premature leakage in the upper GIT whereas, in simulated colonic medium, pectinases induced matrix degradation and reduction of beta-lactamase content especially in beads coated in a 0.8% PEI solution. Finally, the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin in rat after oral administration was not modified by the co-administration of beads containing beta lactamases. In conclusion, PEI-coated beads are stable in the upper GIT but remain sensitive to the action of pectinolytic enzymes allowing release of beta lactamases in a colonic medium without modification of the absorption of a beta lactam antibiotic when co-administered with loaded beads. PMID- 17803198 TI - Design and evaluation of a dry coated drug delivery system with floating pulsatile release. AB - The objective of this work was to develop and evaluate a floating-pulsatile drug delivery system intended for chronopharmacotherapy. Floating-pulsatile concept was applied to increase the gastric residence of the dosage form having lag phase followed by a burst release. To overcome limitations of various approaches for imparting buoyancy, we generated the system which consisted of three different parts, a core tablet, containing the active ingredient, an erodible outer shell and a top cover buoyant layer. The dry coated tablet consists in a drug containing core, coated by a hydrophilic erodible polymer which is responsible for a lag phase in the onset of pulsatile release. The buoyant layer, prepared with Methocel K4M, Carbopol 934P and sodium bicarbonate, provides buoyancy to increase the retention of the oral dosage form in the stomach. The effect of the hydrophilic erodible polymer characteristics on the lag time and drug release was investigated. Developed formulations were evaluated for their buoyancy, dissolution and pharmacokinetic, as well gamma-scintigraphically. The results showed that a certain lag time before the drug released generally due to the erosion of the dry coated layer. Floating time was controlled by the quantity and composition of the buoyant layer. Both pharmacokinetic and gamma-scintigraphic data point out the capability of the system of prolonged residence of the tablets in the stomach and releasing drugs after a programmed lag time. PMID- 17803199 TI - Light scattering as spectroscopic tool for the study of disperse systems useful in pharmaceutical sciences. AB - The use of colloidal systems in pharmaceutical formulations, for addressing the issue of selective and controlled drug delivery or for improving drug availability, requires an accurate previous characterization of their chemical and physical properties. Light scattering is a useful and non-invasive method to study the structure and conformation of colloids in a wide space-scale, encompassing nanometric- to micrometric-sized particles, as well as their size distribution, surface electrostatic potential and aggregation phenomena occurring under proper conditions. In this review the physical bases of the light scattering approach are described and many examples are reported to discuss the examination of various multiphase systems useful in pharmaceutical fields. PMID- 17803200 TI - Stabilization of the N-terminal beta-hairpin of ubiquitin by a terminal hydrophobic cluster. AB - Study of model beta-hairpin peptides allows for better understanding of the factors involved in the formation of beta-sheet secondary structure in proteins. It is known that turn sequence, sidechain-sidechain interactions, interstrand hydrogen bonding, and beta-sheet propensity of residues are all important for beta-hairpin stability in aqueous solution. However, interactions of the sidechains of the terminal residues of hairpins are thought to contribute little to overall hairpin stability since these residues are typically frayed. Here, the authors report a stabilizing hydrophobic cluster of residues at the termini of the naturally occurring excised N-terminal beta-hairpin of Ubiquitin that folds autonomously in aqueous solution. Our data show that deletion of Met1 and Val17 from this hairpin destabilized the folded state in both aqueous solution and in aqueous-methanol solutions. These results suggest that interactions of terminal residues which are usually frayed can nonetheless contribute significantly to overall stability of beta-hairpin. PMID- 17803201 TI - Aplasia cutis congenita with skull defect in a monozygotic twin after exposure to methimazole in utero. AB - BACKGROUND: Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a condition in which localized or widespread areas of skin are absent at birth. Defective lesions show complete absence of all layers of skin, occasionally extending to skull or dura. ACC is etiologically heterogeneous; many different etiologies including teratogens have been documented. CASE: We describe the first reported case of a monozygotic twin with ACC after exposure to methimazole in utero. The female patient was born at 36 weeks gestation as the first child of monozygotic twins. The mother received methimazole between the 11th and 17th weeks of pregnancy because of transient hyperthyroidism. The second child did not have ACC. The patient had defects of the scalp, skull, and dura (7 x 5 cm) on the sagittal line of the parieto occipital region. No other malformations were noted. The scalp defect has been treated daily with sterile physiological saline and petrolatum dressing in addition to intravenous antibiotics. Trafermin, a recombinant human fibroblast growth factor, was sprayed from day 6 to promote epithelialization of the scalp defect. On day 21, she had high fever due to infection of the defect lesion, which was controlled by povidone iodine dressing and intravenous antibiotics. The defect of the scalp was well healed after 6 weeks, but the skull defect remained unclosed. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a rare case of a monozygotic twin with ACC and skull defect after methimazole exposure in utero. The findings of our case suggest that methimazole is a potential teratogen of ACC. PMID- 17803202 TI - Pai syndrome: first patient with agenesis of the corpus callosum and literature review. AB - BACKGROUND: Pai syndrome (PS) is a rare regional developmental defect of the face, mainly characterized by the variable association of midline cleft of the upper lip (MCL), duplicated maxillary median frenulum, and midline facial cutaneous and midanterior alveolar process polyps. Its entire clinical spectrum is still poorly delineated and the etiology remains unknown. CASE: We describe a 1-month-old boy presenting with MCL, left nostril hamartomatous mass, midline pedunculated polyp originating from the columella base, midline alveolar cleft, duplication of the upper median frenulum, unilateral persistent papillary membrane, lipoma of the corpus callosum, and additional minor facial dysmorphism. This patient also presents with agenesis of the corpus callosum, which has never been reported in PS. Literature review was carried out comparing clinical data of the 20 previously published patients with those observed in the present case. CONCLUSIONS: The minimum diagnostic criteria for PS has been fixed in one or more hamartomatous nasal polyps plus MCL (with or without cleft alveolus) and/or midanterior alveolar process congenital polyp. Additional common ancillary findings include duplicated median maxillary frenulum, hypertelorism, nasal cleft, midfrontal skin tags, and ocular and CNS structural abnormalities. However, mental retardation is only an occasional feature and seems to be related to coexisting conditions (such as chromosome imbalance). Literature review shows that PS is etiologically heterogeneous, as it may result from chromosome abnormalities and environmental/stochastic events, as well as de novo mutations. PMID- 17803203 TI - Glomerular filtration rate and coronary artery disease burden in patients with acute coronary syndrome. AB - BACKGROUND: Mild renal dysfunction may be associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. METHODS: The relation between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), as calculated from plasma creatinine at admission, and coronary artery disease burden (CADB), was studied in a cohort of 110 patients with acute coronary syndrome and coronary atherosclerosis. RESULTS: A relatively weak but significant negative correlation was found between eGFR and CADB as measured by angiography (coefficient correlation of - 0.26, probability value of 0.006); a similar association was seen in multiple regression analysis, taking CADB as dependent variable, and eGFR, age, plasma calcium and plasma phosphorus as independent variables. After dividing the 110 patients into eGFR tertiles (with mean values of 102.9 +/- 22.8, n = 37, 75.7 + or - 5.6, n = 36, and 53.1 +/- 13.4, n = 37, all in mL/min per 1.73 m(2)), mean CADB values of the lower and higher eGFR tertiles were found to be significantly different (270.6 +/ 176.4 and 192.9 +/- 78.5, respectively). Similar mean values for CADB and for eGFR were noted when patients with elevated ST segment/new left bundle branch block and patients with nonelevated ST segment acute coronary syndrome were compared. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that renal function of patients with acute coronary syndromes and coronary atherosclerosis, as estimated at admission, is negatively correlated with coronary artery disease burden. It is unknown whether renal dysfunction acts as a cause for accelerated coronary artery disease or if it merely acts as a surrogate marker for the overall systemic vascular system status. PMID- 17803204 TI - Does NT-proBNP remain a sensitive biomarker for chronic heart failure after administration of a beta-blocker? AB - BACKGROUND: Beta-blockers exert complex effects on plasma N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level. HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to investigate whether NT-proBNP was still able to mirror the severity of chronic heart failure and predict the prognosis of the disease after administration of a beta-blocker. METHODS: Forty-four patients with chronic congestive heart failure were enrolled in the study to randomly receive carvedilol or bisoprolol in addition to background therapy. These patients underwent clinical measurement and blood sampling for NT-proBNP measurement at baseline and 3 or 7 months after the addition of the beta-blocker. The patients were followed-up for 3 years in order to register the occurrence of all-cause death. RESULTS: NT-proBNP level showed a positive correlation with the severity of heart failure as evaluated by New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification both before and after administration of either beta-blocker. The relationship between NT-proBNP and NYHA class was not weakened with the duration of therapy. Furthermore, NT-proBNP was the only independent predictor of all-cause mortality both before and after administration of either beta-blocker. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), age, NYHA class and treatment group were not independently predictive of mortality in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of NT-proBNP to reflect the severity and to predict the endpoint in chronic heart failure is not undermined after administration of a beta-blocker, suggesting that NT-proBNP remains a sensitive biomarker for chronic heart failure both before and after administration of a beta-blocker. PMID- 17803205 TI - Effects of atorvastatin on coronary flow reserve in patients with slow coronary flow. AB - BACKGROUND: Statins improve endothelial functioning in patients with coronary artery disease and hypercholesterolemia, while substantially little is known about induced changes in myocardial microcirculation. However, although previous studies have suggested that microvascular abnormalities and endothelial dysfunction is responsible for slow coronary flow (SCF), there is no study investigating possible effects of statins on coronary microvascular function in patients with SCF. HYPOTHESIS: We prospectively investigated the effects of short term lipid-lowering therapy with atorvastatin on coronary flow reserve (CFR) reflecting coronary microvascular function in patients with SCF assessed by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE). METHODS: In an open clinical trial, CFR was studied in 20 subjects with SCF. TTDE was used to assess CFR at baseline as well as after 8 weeks of atorvastatin therapy. Coronary flow was quantified according to TIMI frame count (TFC). Coronary diastolic peak flow velocities were measured at baseline and after dipyridamole infusion. CFR was calculated as the ratio of hyperemic to baseline diastolic peak velocities. RESULTS: CFR was independently correlated with TFC. After 8 weeks of atorvastatin therapy, CFR values increased significantly (1.95 +/- 0.38 vs. 2.54 +/- 0.56, (p < 0.001). No change in hemodynamic parameters was noted during the entire study. The improvement in CFR was not correlated to the amount of lipid-lowering effect of atorvastatin. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that short-term lipid lowering therapy with atorvastatin improved CFR, which reflects coronary microvascular functioning in patients with SCF. PMID- 17803206 TI - Intraluminal filling defects on coronary angiography: more than meets the eye. AB - Intraluminal filling defects are occasionally encountered on coronary angiography and often related with coronary thrombi. However, other conditions affecting the coronary arteries may present with similar angiographic findings causing diagnostic uncertainty. Accurate characterization of the angiographic filling defect is critical, particularly in patients planned for a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as diagnosis of a coronary thrombus not only increases the risk of post procedural adverse events but also requires a specific therapeutic approach. In this paper, we report three patients in whom coronary angiography revealed intraluminal filling defects mimicking coronary thrombi. When further investigated with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as a part of the planned PCI, the thrombus was excluded and alternate etiology of the filling defect was confirmed in all patients. The angiographic "pseudothrombi" were produced by coronary dissection in one and by heavy calcification within the atherosclerotic plaque in two patients. The use of IVUS allowed accurate characterization of the angiographic filling defect and provided important information to guide management and optimize therapeutic approach. PMID- 17803207 TI - Giancarlo Rastelli: the scientist, the man. AB - Doctor Giancarlo Rastelli graduated from the University of Parma, Italy (cum laude) in July 1957, and in 1961, moved to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, New York. The name of Dr. Rastelli is recognized worldwide for the classification of the atrioventricular (AV) canal and for the procedure relating to the anatomical repair of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and pulmonary stenosis (PS). The most extraordinary aspect of his successful research work was that it was mostly done during the five years when Dr. Rastelli was fighting against his fatal illness. He died at the age of 36 years. Dr. Rastelli's fame as a scientist now belongs to the history of medicine. PMID- 17803208 TI - Communicating ideas about research and clinical perspectives through audio interviews with experts. PMID- 17803209 TI - Spiral multislice computed tomography coronary angiography: a current status report. AB - Multislice computed tomography coronary angiography (MSCT-CA) has emerged as a powerful noninvasive diagnostic modality to visualize the coronary arteries and to detect significant coronary stenoses. The latest generation 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanners is a robust technique which allows high-resolution, isotropic, nearly motion-free coronary imaging. Coronary stenoses are detected with high sensitivity and a normal scan accurately rules out the presence of a coronary stenosis. With the introduction of further novel concepts in CT technology one may expect that MSCT-CA will become a clinically used diagnostic tool. PMID- 17803210 TI - Computational studies of the structure, dynamics and native content of amyloid like fibrils of ribonuclease A. AB - The characterization at atomic resolution of amyloid-like protein aggregates is one of the fundamental problems of modern biology. In particular, the question whether native-like domains are retained or completely refolded in the amyloid state and the identification of possible mechanisms for macromolecular ordered aggregation represent major unresolved puzzles. To address these issues, in this article we examine the stability, dynamics, and conservation of native-like properties of several models of a previously designed amyloid-like fibril of RNase A (Sambashivan et al., Nature 2005; 437:266-269). Through the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have provided molecular-level insights into the role of different parts of the sequence on the stability of fibrils, the collective properties of supramolecular complexes, and the presence of native like conformations and dynamics in supramolecular aggregates. We have been able to show that within the fibrils the three-dimensional globular domain-swapped units preserve the conformational, dynamical, and hydration properties typical of the monomeric state, providing a rationalization for the experimentally observed catalytic activity of fibrils. The nativeness of the globular domains is not affected by the amyloidogenic stretches, which determine the molecular recognition process underlying aggregation through the formation of a stable steric zipper motif. Moreover, through the study of the hydration features of a single sheet model, we have been able to show that polyglutamine stretches of the domain-swapped ribonuclease tend to minimize the interaction with water in favor of sidechain-sidechain interactions, shedding light on the factors leading to the supramolecular assembly of beta-sheet layers into dry steric zippers. PMID- 17803211 TI - Acidic groups docked to well defined wetted pockets at the core of the binding interface: a tale of scoring and missing protein interactions in CAPRI. AB - Some challenging targets in CAPRI (T24/25 and T26) involve binding solvent accessible acidic residues at the core of the binding interface, where they are always found immersed in crystal waters. In fact, Asp and Glu residues are more likely to form part of the hydrogen bond network of their surrounding crystal water molecules than to form a buried salt bridge. Interestingly, many of the crystal waters mediating the intermolecular interactions of the acidic groups are already present in the unbound structure, reinforcing the notion that some water molecules behave as an extension of the protein structure. This is in contrast to acidic groups found in the periphery of the binding interface that form ubiquitous salt bridges that cement the high affinity complex, while at the same time they are exposed to rapidly exchanging water molecules. Because of this, dichotomy implicit solvent scoring functions fail to properly rank these complexes by prioritizing salt bridges rather than water mediated contacts. A detailed analysis of Target 24, for which our group predicted two out of the four successful homology model complex structures, and Target 26 reveal how crystal waters shape the binding cavities of acidic groups prior to binding, in agreement with the theory of anchor residues as mediators of protein recognition. PMID- 17803212 TI - The performance of ZDOCK and ZRANK in rounds 6-11 of CAPRI. AB - We present an evaluation of our protein-protein docking approach using the ZDOCK and ZRANK algorithms, in combination with structural clustering and filtering, utilizing biological data in Rounds 6-11 of the CAPRI docking experiment. We achieved at least one prediction of acceptable accuracy for five of six targets submitted. In addition, two targets resulted in medium-accuracy predictions. In the new scoring portion of the CAPRI exercise, we were able to attain at least one acceptable prediction for the three targets submitted and achieved three medium-accuracy predictions for Target 26. Scoring was performed using ZRANK, a new algorithm for reranking initial-stage docking predictions using a weighted energy function and no structural refinement. Here we outline a practical and successful docking strategy, given limited prior biological knowledge of the complex to be predicted. PMID- 17803213 TI - Lipoprotein lipase: A bioinformatics criterion for assessment of mutations as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. AB - Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism. Decrease of the LPL enzymatic activity leads to elevated triglycerides (TG) and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C levels), both risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, mutations, which decrease the LPL activity, may confer susceptibility to CVD. Here, the informational spectrum method (ISM), a virtual spectroscopy method for structure/function analysis of nucleotide and protein sequences, is applied for identification of evolutionary highly conserved information encoded by the primary structure of LPL. It was demonstrated that mutations, which alter the LPL enzymatic activity also alter this information. On the basis of this finding, an efficient and simple bioinformatics criterion for assessment of the pathogenic effect of LPL nonsynonymous single nucleotide substitution as a risk factor of CVD has been proposed. PMID- 17803214 TI - Protein-protein docking: progress in CAPRI rounds 6-12 using a combination of methods: the introduction of steered solvated molecular dynamics. AB - In recent rounds of CAPRI, the Bii group has employed a combination of techniques for the prediction of the structure of protein-protein complexes. We currently use third-party software for rigid-body and semiflexible docking (MolFit, 3D Dock, RosettaDock), and our own steered molecular dynamics (SMD) technique for flexible refinement. SMD has also been found to be useful for discriminating near native from false positive docking decoys. In addition to this, a variety of sources of information, including multiple descriptors of interface quality combined with a QSAR-like technique, published biological information, and continuum electrostatics calculations, are also used in the assessment of candidate complexes. We shall concentrate on results for CAPRI rounds 9-11 (targets 24-27). In these rounds, the Bii group has been successful in submitting a medium quality model for each of CAPRI targets 25 and 26, and a model of acceptable quality for target 27. PMID- 17803215 TI - DOCKGROUND system of databases for protein recognition studies: unbound structures for docking. AB - Computational docking approaches are important as a source of protein-protein complexes structures and as a means to understand the principles of protein association. A key element in designing better docking approaches, including search procedures, potentials, and scoring functions is their validation on experimentally determined structures. Thus, the databases of such structures (benchmark sets) are important. The previous, first release of the DOCKGROUND resource (Douguet et al., Bioinformatics 2006; 22:2612-2618) implemented a comprehensive database of cocrystallized (bound) protein-protein complexes in a relational database of annotated structures. The current release adds important features to the set of bound structures, such as regularly updated downloadable datasets: automatically generated nonredundant set, built according to most common criteria, and a manually curated set that includes only biological nonobligate complexes along with a number of additional useful characteristics. The main focus of the current release is unbound (experimental and simulated) protein-protein complexes. Complexes from the bound dataset are used to identify crystallized unbound analogs. If such analogs do not exist, the unbound structures are simulated by rotamer library optimization. Thus, the database contains comprehensive sets of complexes suitable for large scale benchmarking of docking algorithms. Advanced methodologies for simulating unbound conformations are being explored for the next release. The future releases will include datasets of modeled protein-protein complexes, and systematic sets of docking decoys obtained by different docking algorithms. The growing DOCKGROUND resource is designed to become a comprehensive public environment for developing and validating new docking methodologies. PMID- 17803216 TI - SOFTDOCK application to protein-protein interaction benchmark and CAPRI. AB - The success of molecular docking requires cooperation of sampling and scoring of various conformations. The SOFTDOCK package uses a coarse-grained docking method to sample all possible conformations of complexes. SOFTDOCK uses a new Voronoi molecular surface and calculates several grid-based scores. It is shown by the leave-one-out test that three geometry scores and an FTDOCK-like electrostatics score contribute the most to the discrimination of near-native conformations. However, an atom-based solvation score is shown to be ineffective. It is also found that an increased Voronoi surface thickness greatly increases the accuracy of docking results. Finally, the clustering procedure is shown to improve the overall ranking, but leads to less accurate docking results. The application of SOFTDOCK in Critical Assessment of PRedicted Interactions involves four steps: (i) sampling with INTELEF; (ii) clustering; (iii) AMBER energy minimization; and (iv) manual inspection. Biological information from literature is used as filters in some of the sampling and manual inspection according to different targets. Two of our submissions have L_rmsd around 10 A. Although they are not classified as acceptable solutions, they are considered successful because they are comparable to the accuracy of our method. AVAILABILITY: SOFTDOCK is open source code and can be downloaded at http://bio.iphy.ac.cn PMID- 17803217 TI - Protein-protein docking in CAPRI using ATTRACT to account for global and local flexibility. AB - A reduced protein model combined with a systematic docking approach has been employed to predict protein-protein complex structures in CAPRI rounds 6-11. The docking approach termed ATTRACT is based on energy minimization in translational and rotational degrees of freedom of one protein with respect to the second protein starting from many thousand initial protein partner placements. It also allows for approximate inclusion of global flexibility of protein partners during systematic docking by conformational relaxation of the partner proteins in precalculated soft collective backbone degrees of freedom. We have submitted models for six targets, achieved acceptable docking solutions for two targets, and predicted >20% correct contacts for five targets. Possible improvements of the docking approach in particular at the scoring and refinement steps are discussed. PMID- 17803218 TI - Structural characterization of the zinc binding domain in cytosolic PSD-95 interactor (cypin): Role of zinc binding in guanine deamination and dendrite branching. AB - Dendrite morphology regulates how a postsynaptic neuron receives information from presynaptic neurons. The specific patterning of dendrite branches is promoted by extrinsic and intrinsic factors that trigger the activation of functional signaling pathways. However, most of the regulating factors and the biochemical mechanisms involved in regulating dendrite branching are unknown. Our laboratory previously reported that cypin (cytosolic PSD-95 interactor) plays an active role in regulating dendrite branching in hippocampal neurons. Cypin-promoted increases in dendrite number are dependent on guanine deaminase activity. In order to identify the specific structural role of zinc-binding in cypin-mediated dendrite branching and guanine deaminase activity, we employed computational homology modeling techniques to construct a three dimensional structural model of cypin. Analysis of the protein-ion sequestration scaffold of this model identified several histidines and aspartic acid residues responsible for zinc binding. Single substitution mutations in these specific sites completely disrupted the guanine deaminase enzymatic activity and rendered cypin unable to promote dendrite branching in rat hippocampal neurons. The specific zinc ion-binding function of each residue in the protein scaffold was also confirmed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optic Emission Spectrometry. Inspection of our structural model confirmed that His82 and His84 coordinate with the zinc ion, together with His240, His279, and Asp330, residues that until now were unknown to play a role in this regard. Furthermore, promotion of dendrite branching by cypin is zinc-dependent. PMID- 17803219 TI - Age-dependent effects of TWEAK/Fn14 receptor activation on neural progenitor cells. AB - TWEAK/Fn14 signaling regulates progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in multiple organ systems. This study examined the effects of TWEAK (tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis) treatment on cultured mouse neural progenitor cells. The receptor for TWEAK is expressed by neural progenitor cells from the early embryonic stages through postnatal development. Although embryonic day 12 (E12) and postnatal day 1 (PN1) neural progenitor cells both express the receptor for TWEAK, TWEAK treatment of cultured E12 and PN1 progenitor cells resulted in age-dependent effects on proliferation and on neurite extension by neuronal progeny. TWEAK treatment did not alter proliferation of E12 neural progenitor cells but shifted PN1 progenitor cells toward cell-cycle phases G0 and G1 and reduced the rate at which they incorporated CldU. Conversely, the effects of TWEAK on axon elongation were more prominent in the earlier developmental stage. TWEAK induced extensive neurite outgrowth by the neuronal progeny of E12 but not PN1 progenitors. Treatment of the E12 progenitor cells with a TWEAK-neutralizing antibody repressed neurite extension, indicating that endogenous activation of this pathway may be required for neurite extension by the embryonic neuronal progeny. These studies indicate that TWEAK/Fn14 receptor activation exerts different effects on neural progenitor cells and their progeny depending on the developmental stage of the cells. PMID- 17803220 TI - Cross-talk between the epidermal growth factor-like repeats/fibronectin 6-8 repeats domains of Tenascin-R and microglia modulates neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. AB - Mounting evidence has demonstrated that the microenvironment of stem/progenitor cells plays an important role in their proliferation and commitment to their fate. However, it remains unclear how all elements, such as astrocytes, microglia, extracellular matrix molecules, soluble factors, and their cross-talk interactions in the microenvironments, affect neural stem/progenitor cell fate. This work explored the influences of cross-talk between Tenascin-R (TN-R) and microglia on neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. Our results show that microglia triggered by TN-R distinct domains EGF-like repeats (EGFL) and fibronectin 6-8 repeats (FN6-8) significantly enhanced the proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells and also obviously induced the differentiation into neurons but not oligodendrocytes. Neurite processes of neurons generated from neural progenitor cells were promoted by both EGFL and FN6 8 domains-activated microglia. Microglia triggered by EGFL and FN6-8 secreted brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta); interestingly, FN6-8 could activate microglia to secrete nerve growth factor in addition to BDNF and TGF-beta, but EGFL domain could not. All these data implied that the cross-talk between TN-R distinct domains EGFL/FN6-8 and microglia promoted neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and induced their differentiation into neurons. PMID- 17803221 TI - Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm following surgical revascularization. PMID- 17803222 TI - Preventing cardiovascular disease in women: an update. AB - Coronary heart disease (CHD) continues to be the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Evidence-based guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA) offer clinicians recommendations for preventing CHD in women delineating particular lifestyle, risk factor, and pharmacologic interventions. Cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, inappropriate diet, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome contribute to the risk of CHD in women, as in men. Lifestyle interventions substantially reduce that risk. Many women, however, require pharmacotherapy to control hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes to levels required for decreasing risk. New findings from clinical trials featuring women may enhance their CHD risk prediction and treatment. However, high coronary risk in many women continues to be underrecognized, and women remain undertreated with statins and other therapeutic agents. PMID- 17803223 TI - A filter enhanced sampling and combinatorial scoring study for protein docking in CAPRI. AB - Protein-protein docking is usually exploited with a two-step strategy, i.e., conformational sampling and decoy scoring. In this work, a new filter enhanced sampling scheme was proposed and added into the RosettaDock algorithm to improve the conformational sampling efficiency. The filter term is based on the statistical result that backbone hydrogen bonds in the native protein structures are wrapped by more than nine hydrophobic groups to shield them from attacks of water molecules (Fernandez and Scheraga, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2003;100:113 118). A combinatorial scoring function, ComScore, specially designed for the other-type protein-protein complexes was also adopted to select the near native docked modes. ComScore was composed of the atomic contact energy, van der Waals, and electrostatic interaction energies, and the weight of each item was fit through the multiple linear regression approach. To analyze our docking results, the filter enhanced sampling scheme was applied to targets T12, T20, and T21 after the CAPRI blind test, and improvements were obtained. The ligand least root mean square deviations (L_rmsds) were reduced and the hit numbers were increased. ComScore was used in the scoring test for CAPRI rounds 9-12 with good success in rounds 9 and 11. PMID- 17803224 TI - Thoughts about the abnormalities in the electrocardiogram of patients with acute myocardial infarction with emphasis on a more accurate method of interpreting S-T segment displacement: part II. PMID- 17803225 TI - Peptide hormone exendin-4 stimulates subventricular zone neurogenesis in the adult rodent brain and induces recovery in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. AB - We investigated the effects of exendin-4 on neural stem/progenitor cells in the subventricular zone of the adult rodent brain and its functional effects in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. Our results showed expression of GLP-1 receptor mRNA or protein in the subventricular zone and cultured neural stem/progenitor cells isolated from this region. In vitro, exendin-4 increased the number of neural stem/progenitor cells, and the number of cells expressing the neuronal markers microtubule-associated protein 2, beta-III-tubulin, and neuron-specific enolase. When exendin-4 was given intraperitoneally to naive rodents together with bromodeoxyuridine, a marker for DNA synthesis, both the number of bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells and the number of neuronal precursor cells expressing doublecortin were increased. Exendin-4 was tested in the 6 hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson's disease to investigate its possible functional effects in an animal model with neuronal loss. After unilateral lesion and a 5-week stabilization period, the rats were treated for 3 weeks with exendin 4. We found a reduction of amphetamine-induced rotations in animals receiving exendin-4 that persisted for several weeks after drug administration had been terminated. Histological analysis showed that exendin-4 significantly increased the number of both tyrosine hydroxylase- and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 positive neurons in the substantia nigra. In conclusion, our results show that exendin-4 is able to promote adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo, normalize dopamine imbalance, and increase the number of cells positive for markers of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra in a model of Parkinson's disease. PMID- 17803226 TI - Computerized acoustic cardiographic insights into the pericardial knock in constrictive pericarditis. AB - BACKGROUND: One of the clinical hallmarks of constrictive pericarditis is the pericardial knock, a high-pitched early diastolic heart sound. Making the clinical diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is challenging, as is accurate auscultation of the pericardial knock. HYPOTHESIS: We sought to assess the utility of a computerized acoustic cardiographic device in the assessment of the pericardial knock in patients with constrictive pericarditis. METHODS: We report a case series in which computerized acoustic cardiography (Audicor, Inovise Medical Inc., Portland, OR) is performed in patients with constrictive pericarditis. RESULTS: Three patients with constrictive pericarditis underwent computerized acoustic cardiographic recordings at the time of cardiac catheterization. In each case, initial physical examination by the internist and referring cardiologist did not appreciate a pericardial knock. Acoustic cardiography demonstrated a high-pitched early diastolic sound in each case. Time frequency representation analyses showed the high-frequency components of the pericardial knock sound. Repeat acoustic cardiography demonstrated resolution of the pericardial knock after pericardiectomy in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Non invasive computerized acoustic cardiography can demonstrate the high-pitched pericardial knock in patients with constrictive pericarditis. This may aid the bedside assessment of patients with diastolic heart failure, improving the clinician's ability to appreciate the ausculatory findings in constrictive pericarditis. PMID- 17803227 TI - Annular systolic velocity predicts the presence of spontaneous echo contrast in mitral stenosis patients with sinus rhythm. AB - OBJECTIVES: Thromboembolism is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in mitral stenosis (MS), even in sinus rhythm (SR). Spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) is the strongest predictor of thromboembolism. The aim of the study was to investigate if the annular velocities obtained with tissue Doppler imaging can predict the presence of SEC in MS patients with SR. METHODS: One hundred and five MS patients and 100 controls were included. Annular velocities were recorded. All patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography. Subjects were divided into three groups as controls (Group I), the patients without SEC (Group II) and the patients with SEC (Group III). RESULTS: Group III patients had lower ejection fraction, annular systolic velocity, smaller mitral valve area, higher transmitral gradient and larger left atrial size. The annular systolic velocity was the only independent predictor for SEC. The cutoff values of annular systolic velocity for prediction of the presence of any SEC and dense SEC were 13.5 and 11.8 cm/s, respectively. CONCLUSION: The annular systolic velocity is an independent predictor for SEC in MS patients with SR. PMID- 17803228 TI - Methemoglobinemia--a rare complication of transesophageal echocardiography. PMID- 17803229 TI - Isolated supravalvar aortic stenosis in an adult male. PMID- 17803230 TI - Mediastinal mass with blood supply from the coronary arteries. PMID- 17803231 TI - An evolutionary and structure-based docking model for glucocerebrosidase-saposin C and glucocerebrosidase-substrate interactions - relevance for Gaucher disease. AB - Gaucher disease, the most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder, is principally caused by malfunction of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA), a 497 amino acid membrane glycoprotein that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucosylceramide to ceramide and glucose in the presence of an essential 84 residue activator peptide named saposin C (SapC). Knowledge of the GBA structure, a typical (beta/alpha)(8) TIM barrel, explains the effect of few mutations, directly affecting or located near the catalytic site. To identify new regions crucial for proper GBA functionality, we analyzed the interactions of the enzyme with a second (substrate) and a third (cofactor) partner. We build 3D docking models of the GBA-SapC and the GBA-ceramide interactions, by means of methodologies that integrate both evolutive and structural information. The GBA SapC docking model confirm the implication of three spatially closed regions of the GBA surface (TIM barrel-helix 6 and helix 7, and the Ig-like domain) in binding the SapC molecule. This model provides new basis to understand the pathogenicity of several mutations, such as the prevalent Leu444Pro, and the additive effect of Glu326Lys in the double mutant Glu326Lys-Leu444Pro. Overall, 39 positions in which amino acid changes are known to cause Gaucher disease were localized in the GBA regions identified in this work. Our model is discussed in relation to the phenotype (pathogenic effect) of these mutations, as well as to the enzymatic activity of the recombinant proteins when available. Both data fully correlates with the proposed model, which will provide a new tool to better understand Gaucher disease and to design new therapy strategies. PMID- 17803232 TI - A holistic approach to protein docking. AB - Docking of unbound protein structures into a complex has gained significant progress in recent years, but nonetheless still poses a great challenge. We have pursued a holistic approach to docking which brings together effective methods at different stages. First, protein-protein interaction sites are predicted or obtained from experimental studies in the literature. Interface prediction/experimental data are then used to guide the generation of docked poses or to rank docked poses generated from an unbiased search. Finally, selected models are refined by lengthy molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit water. For CAPRI target T27, we used information on interaction sites as input to drive docking and as a filter to rank docked poses. Lead candidates were then clustered according to RMSD among them. From the clustering, 10 models were selected and subject to refinement by MD simulations. Our Model 7 is rated number one among all submissions according to L_rmsd. Six of our other submissions are rated acceptable. As scorer, eight of our submissions are rated acceptable. PMID- 17803233 TI - Assessing the energy landscape of CAPRI targets by FunHunt. AB - RosettaDock has repeatedly created high-resolution structures of protein complexes in the CAPRI experiment, thanks to the explicit modeling of conformational changes of the monomers at the side chain level. These models can be selected based on their energy. During the search for the lowest-energy model, RosettaDock samples a deep funnel around the native orientation, but additional funnels may appear in the energy landscape, especially in cases where backbone conformational changes occur upon binding. We have previously developed FunHunt, a Support Vector Machine-based classifier that distinguishes the energy funnels around the native orientation from other funnels in the energy landscape. Here we assess the ability of FunHunt to help in model selection in the CAPRI experiment. For all of 12 recent CAPRI targets, FunHunt clearly identifies a near-native funnel in comparison to the funnel around the lowest energy model identified by the RosettaDock global search protocol. FunHunt is also able to choose a near native orientation among models submitted by predictor groups, demonstrating its general applicability for model selection. This suggests that FunHunt will be a valuable tool in coming CAPRI rounds for the selection of models, and for the definition of regions that need further refinement with restricted backbone flexibility. PMID- 17803234 TI - HADDOCK versus HADDOCK: new features and performance of HADDOCK2.0 on the CAPRI targets. AB - Here we present version 2.0 of HADDOCK, which incorporates considerable improvements and new features. HADDOCK is now able to model not only protein protein complexes but also other kinds of biomolecular complexes and multi component (N > 2) systems. In the absence of any experimental and/or predicted information to drive the docking, HADDOCK now offers two additional ab initio docking modes based on either random patch definition or center-of-mass restraints. The docking protocol has been considerably improved, supporting among other solvated docking, automatic definition of semi-flexible regions, and inclusion of a desolvation energy term in the scoring scheme. The performance of HADDOCK2.0 is evaluated on the targets of rounds 4-11, run in a semi-automated mode using the original information we used in our CAPRI submissions. This enables a direct assessment of the progress made since the previous versions. Although HADDOCK performed very well in CAPRI (65% and 71% success rates, overall and for unbound targets only, respectively), a substantial improvement was achieved with HADDOCK2.0. PMID- 17803235 TI - Lattice simulations of cotranslational folding of single domain proteins. AB - We use lattice protein models and Monte Carlo simulations to study cotranslational folding of small single domain proteins. We show that the assembly of native structure begins during late extrusion stages, but final formation of native state occurs during de novo folding, when all residues are extruded. There are three main results in our study. First, for the sequences displaying two-state refolding mechanism de novo cotranslational folding pathway differs from that sampled in in vitro refolding. The change in folding pathways is due to partial assembly of native interactions during extrusion that results in different starting conditions for in vitro refolding and for de novo cotranslational folding. For small single domain proteins cotranslational folding is slower than in vitro refolding, but is generally fast enough to be completed before the release from a ribosome. Second, we found that until final stages of biosynthesis cotranslational folding is essentially equilibrium. This observation is explained by low stability of structured states for partially extruded chains. Finally, our data suggest that the proteins, which refold in vitro slowly via intermediates, complete their de novo folding after the release from a ribosome. Comparison of our lattice cotranslational simulations with recent experimental and computational studies is discussed. PMID- 17803236 TI - Docking without docking: ISEARCH--prediction of interactions using known interfaces. AB - The increasing number of solved protein structures provides a solid number of interfaces, if protein-protein interactions, domain-domain contacts, and contacts between biological units are taken into account. An interface library gives us the opportunity to identify surface regions on a target molecule that are similar by local structure and residue composition. If both unbound components of a possible protein complex exhibit structural similarities to a known interface, the unbound structures can be superposed onto the known interfaces. The approach is accompanied by two mathematical problems. Protein surfaces have to be quickly screened by thousands of patches, and similarity has to be evaluated by a suitable scoring scheme. The used algorithm (NeedleHaystack) identifies similar patches within minutes. Structurally related sites are recognized even if only parts of the template patches are structurally related to the interface region. A successful prediction of the protein complex depends on a suitable template of the library. However, the performed tests indicate that interaction sites are identified even if the similarity is very low. The approach complements existing ab initio methods and provides valuable results on standard benchmark sets. PMID- 17803237 TI - New insight into long-range nonadditivity within protein double-mutant cycles. AB - Additivity principles in chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics have been used extensively for decades. Nevertheless, it is well known that additivity frequently breaks down in complex biomacromolecules. Nonadditivity within protein double mutant free energy cycles of spatially close residue pairs is a generally well-understood phenomenon, whereas a robust description of nonadditivity extending over large distances remains to be developed. Here, we test the hypothesis that the mutational effects tend to be nonadditive if two structurally well-separated mutated residues belong to the same rigid cluster within the wild type protein, and additive if they are located within different clusters. We find the hypothesis to be statistically significant with P-values that range from 10( 5) to 10(-6). To the best of our knowledge, this result represents the first demonstration of a statistically significant preponderance for nonadditivity over long distances. These findings provide new insight into the origins of long-range nonadditivity in double mutant cycles, which complements the conventional wisdom that nonadditivity arises in double mutations involving contacting residues. Consequently, these results should have far-reaching implications for a proper understanding of protein stability, structure/function analyses, and protein design. PMID- 17803238 TI - GRID-MD-A tool for massive simulation of protein channels. AB - We present here a fast method for the exploration of channels in proteins based on molecular dynamics simulations of probe particles in a discrete grid space defined by an ensemble of protein conformations obtained either experimentally or by out-of-the-grid atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The method is able to provide millisecond-long trajectories with a small computational effort, requires no human intervention in defining possible exit pathways and can detect both major and minor channels, giving a correct balance to the relative flux between them. The Grid-Molecular-Dynamics approach is then a suitable method for massive exploration of channels in proteins, even of those with unknown functional annotation. PMID- 17803239 TI - Docking of protein molecular surfaces with evolutionary trace analysis. AB - We have developed a new method to predict protein- protein complexes based on the shape complementarity of the molecular surfaces, along with sequence conservation obtained by evolutionary trace (ET) analysis. The docking is achieved by optimization of an object function that evaluates the degree of shape complementarity weighted by the conservation of the interacting residues. The optimization is carried out using a genetic algorithm in combination with Monte Carlo sampling. We applied this method to CAPRI targets and evaluated the performance systematically. Consequently, our method could achieve native-like predictions in several cases. In addition, we have analyzed the feasibility of the ET method for docking simulations, and found that the conservation information was useful only in a limited category of proteins (signal related proteins and enzymes). PMID- 17803240 TI - TPR domain of NrfG mediates complex formation between heme lyase and formate dependent nitrite reductase in Escherichia coli O157:H7. AB - Escherichia coli synthesize C-type cytochromes only during anaerobic growth in media supplemented with nitrate and nitrite. The reduction of nitrate to ammonium in the periplasm of Escherichia coli involves two separate periplasmic enzymes, nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase. The nitrite reductase involved, NrfA, contains cytochrome C and is synthesized coordinately with a membrane-associated cytochrome C, NrfB, during growth in the presence of nitrite or in limiting nitrate concentrations. The genes NrfE, NrfF, and NrfG are required for the formate-dependent nitrite reduction pathway, which involves at least two C-type cytochrome proteins, NrfA and NrfB. The NrfE, NrfF, and NrfG genes (heme lyase complex) are involved in the maturation of a special C-type cytochrome, apocytochrome C (apoNrfA), to cytochrome C (NrfA) by transferring a heme to the unusual heme binding motif of the Cys-Trp-Ser-Cys-Lys sequence in apoNrfA protein. Thus, in order to further investigate the roles of NrfG in the formation of heme lyase complex (NrfEFG) and in the interaction between heme lyase complex and formate-dependent nitrite reductase (NrfA), we determined the crystal structure of NrfG at 2.05 A. The structure of NrfG showed that the contact between heme lyase complex (NrfEFG) and NrfA is accomplished via a TPR domain in NrfG which serves as a binding site for the C-terminal motif of NrfA. The portion of NrfA that binds to TPR domain of NrfG has a unique secondary motif, a helix followed by about a six-residue C-terminal loop (the so called "hook conformation"). This study allows us to better understand the mechanism of special C-type cytochrome assembly during the maturation of formate-dependent nitrite reductase, and also adds a new TPR binding conformation to the list of TPR-mediated protein-protein interactions. PMID- 17803241 TI - Evaluation of dissection after coronary stent implantation by intravascular optical coherence tomography. PMID- 17803242 TI - The role of aspirin resistance in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes. AB - The TIMI Risk Score recognizes prior aspirin use as an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in subjects presenting with an acute coronary syndrome. The etiology of this increased risk awaits clarification, but prior aspirin use may be associated with altered thrombus composition which is more resistant to current treatment modalities as compared to thrombus formation in subjects without prior aspirin use. Post hoc analysis of acute coronary syndrome trials has shown that prior aspirin users treated with unfractionated heparin are at particularly high risk. The addition of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor to unfractionated heparin or substitution of low-molecular-weight heparin significantly improves outcomes in prior aspirin users. The prognostic significance of prior aspirin use in acute coronary syndromes has important implications not only in clinical practice, but also in the design and interpretation of clinical trials. PMID- 17803243 TI - An unusual case of coronary to pulmonary artery fistula. PMID- 17803244 TI - Left ventricular noncompaction: cardiovascular magnetic resonance and echocardiographic imaging of a rare isolated midseptal form. PMID- 17803245 TI - Uncomplicated right ventricular lead perforation diagnosed with computed tomography after permanent pacemaker implantation. PMID- 17803246 TI - Acute myocardial infaction with simultaneous ST-segment elevation in the precordial and inferior leads due to unusually very long LAD extended to posterior wall of LV. PMID- 17803247 TI - Hemodynamically insignificant multiple internal mammary artery graft dissections. PMID- 17803248 TI - Conservative management of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm guided by cardiac magnetic resonance. PMID- 17803249 TI - An angiographic image of a giant left atrium. PMID- 17803250 TI - Evidence for the 3 10-helical structure of peptides based on antAib, a fluorophoric, anthracene-fused, 1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid. AB - Peptides based on 2-amino-2,3-dihydro-1H-cyclopenta[b]anthracene-2-carboxylic acid (antAib), a fluorescent, achiral, alpha-amino acid belonging to the class of C(i) (alpha)-->C(i) (alpha) cyclized, C(alpha,alpha)-disubstituted glycines, combined with L-Ala, up to the hexamer level, were synthesized by solution methods and chemically characterized. A conformational analysis by FTIR absorption and NMR techniques suggests that the highest oligomers of this series tend to fold into beta-turns/3(10)-helices. The UV absorption, CD, and fluorescence properties of these antAib/L-Ala model peptides are also described. PMID- 17803251 TI - False passage in the interventricular septum associated with small septal diverticulum. PMID- 17803252 TI - 'Rapping' up cardiac allograft vasculopathy. PMID- 17803253 TI - Water dissociation in the presence of metal ions. PMID- 17803254 TI - Ionothermal synthesis of unusual choline-templated cobalt aluminophosphates. PMID- 17803255 TI - A note on post-marketing safety study design to characterise time-dependent adverse events. AB - PURPOSE: To investigate a suitable post-marketing safety study design, that is number of patients and duration of exposure, to well characterise adverse events (AEs) profiles under limited resources, fixed patient-months. METHODS: A simulation study is conducted to investigate a suitable study design that can appropriately characterise the shape of the hazard function of AEs using the Weibull model. The reliability of the estimates is evaluated by referring their bias and mean squared error (MSE). RESULTS: In general, patients should be followed for a longer period even if the number of patients is relatively small for characterising delayed AEs. Patients' drop-out affects the estimation and deteriorates its reliability. For AEs that are likely to occur soon after the exposure, a study with relatively shorter duration and large number of patients is preferable. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to evaluate statistically the appropriate study design in planning a safety study so that a good estimate of the hazard function would be obtained. PMID- 17803256 TI - Optimizing in-kind drug donations for Tanzania-a case study. AB - A questionnaire survey (QS) among stakeholders in Tanzania had shown that in-kind drug donations (DDs) are important to boost the drug supply system. Major problems were their insufficient quantity for sustainable treatment and the discrepancy between the needs of the recipients and the donors' supply. Objectives in this study were to discuss these findings and to learn from key informants (KIs) how to improve the DD process. Data were collected through KI interviews in 2001/2002.A 30% gap in drug supply has to be bridged by DDs. KIs confirmed the importance of the World Health Organisation and Tanzanian DD guidelines as a tool for good donation practice and emphasized the role of the government in their implementation. They requested that donors meet the recipient country's regulatory requirements. In contrast to QS respondents, KIs did not view DD quality as a minor problem, and proposed that DD quality should be adapted to the national quality assurance procedures. DD processes could be improved through (a) effective implementation of DD guidelines as an aid for decision-making and for quality assurance, (b) availability of data to improve communication between donors and recipients, (c) transparency between recipients and donors and (d) clearly defined accountability. PMID- 17803257 TI - 'O-Acyl isopeptide method' for peptide synthesis: Solvent effects in the synthesis of Abeta1-42 isopeptide using 'O-acyl isodipeptide unit'. AB - 'O-Acyl isopeptide method' is an efficient synthetic method for peptides. We designed 'O-acyl isodipeptide units', Boc-Ser/Thr(Fmoc-Xaa)-OH, as important building blocks to enable routine use of the O-acyl isopeptide method. In the synthesis of an Abeta1-42 isopeptide using O-acyl isodipeptide unit Boc-Ser(Fmoc Gly)-OH, a side reaction, resulting in the deletion of Ser(26) in the O-acyl isopeptide structure, was noticed during coupling of the unit. We observed that the side reaction occurred during the activation step and was solvent-dependent. In DMF or NMP, an intramolecular side reaction, originating from the activated species of the unit, occurred during the activation step. In non-polar solvents such as CHCl(3) or CH(2)Cl(2), the side reaction was less likely to occur. Using CH(2)Cl(2) as solvent in coupling the unit, the target Abeta1-42 isopeptide was synthesized with almost no major side reaction. PMID- 17803258 TI - Targeted tyrosine iodination in a multi-tyrosine vasopressin analog. AB - Iodination of the conserved 2-tyrosine (Tyr(2)) residue in the pressin and tocin rings of arginine- or lysine-vasopressin (AVP or LVP), and oxytocin, respectively, impairs binding to their respective receptors. Synthetic antagonists that have their Tyr(2) either replaced by another amino acid or irreversibly blocked by an O-methyl or O-ethyl ether, but have, instead, an iodinatable phenol moiety outside the pressin/tocin ring, are used for radiolabeling. We explored another approach to avoid iodinating Tyr(2) by capping this residue with a reversible O-acetyl group, incorporated during peptide synthesis. The O-acetyl-Tyr(2) LVP peptide, with a free iodinatable tyrosine attached to the epsilon-amine of 8-lysine, is iodinated at a neutral pH and purified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) at an acidic pH, conditions under which the O-acetyl groups are stable. Deacetylation with hydroxylamine is selective, and leaves intact the disulfide bridge. The marked shortening of the HPLC retention time after deblocking produces a chemically homogeneous label, iodinated exclusively on the free tyrosine residue attached to the epsilon-amine of LVP. Hitherto, this (125)I labeled vasopressin agonist could be obtained only in low yield, via conjugation labeling with iodinated N-t-Boc tyrosine succinimidyl ester. This fully reversible tyrosine protection strategy does not require special equipment, and retains the conserved Tyr(2), typical of vasopressin and oxytocin agonists. PMID- 17803259 TI - Fetuses with Down syndrome have an enlarged anterior fontanelle in the second trimester of pregnancy. AB - OBJECTIVE: Neonates with Down syndrome are known to have an enlarged anterior fontanelle. The aim of this study was to assess whether fetuses diagnosed with Down syndrome in the second trimester have larger anterior fontanelles in comparison with normal euploid fetuses. METHODS: The study population included 13 fetuses with trisomy 21 and 26 normal euploid fetuses analyzed between the 19(th) and the 23(rd) weeks of gestation. The anterior fontanelle was assessed by three dimensional ultrasound, with the midsagittal plane of the fetal head being the reference view for acquisition of the volume. Anteroposterior and laterolateral diameters, perimeter and area of the fontanelle were then measured offline; the diameters were normalized for biparietal diameter and the perimeter and area were normalized for head circumference. Non-parametric statistical analysis was used to compare the mean values of all variables in the two groups of fetuses. Intra- and interobserver variability were also assessed. RESULTS: All variables except the fontanelle laterolateral diameter were significantly greater in Down syndrome fetuses than in controls, with anterior fontanelle perimeter/head circumference and fontanelle area/head circumference ratios showing the highest sensitivity for the detection of Down syndrome. Using a cut-off of 2.1 for the fontanelle area/head circumference ratio, the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of Down syndrome were 77% and 96%, respectively. CONCLUSION: During the mid trimester the dimensions of the anterior fontanelle are significantly increased in fetuses with Down syndrome in comparison with normal euploid fetuses. This finding may be of help in the detection of trisomy 21 at the time of the anomaly scan. PMID- 17803260 TI - Quantitative structure-activity relationship of rubiscolin analogues as delta opioid peptides using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). AB - Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies were carried out on a series of 38 rubiscolins as delta opioid peptides using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). Quantitative information on structure-activity relationships is provided for further rational development and direction of selective synthesis. All models were carried out over a training set including 30 peptides. The best CoMFA model included electrostatic and steric fields and had a moderate Q (2) = 0.503. CoMSIA analysis surpassed the CoMFA results: the best CoMSIA model included only the hydrophobic field and had a Q (2) = 0.661. In addition, this model predicted adequately the peptides contained in the test set. Our model identified that the potency of delta opioid activity of rubiscolin analogues essentially exhibited a significant relationship with local hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics of amino acids at positions 3, 4, 5, and 6. PMID- 17803261 TI - 2'-epi-orobanchol and solanacol, two unique strigolactones, germination stimulants for root parasitic weeds, produced by tobacco. AB - Germination stimulants for root holoparasitic weeds broomrapes ( Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) produced by tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) were purified and characterized. The root exudates of tobacco contained at least five different stimulants, and LC-MS/MS analyses revealed that four of them were strigolactones; a tetradehydrostrigol isomer, a didehydrostrigol isomer, and two strigol isomers. The two isomers of strigol were identified as (+)-orobanchol and its 2'-epimer by comparison of NMR and GC- and LC-MS data with those of synthetic standards. The structure of the tetradehydrostrigol isomer, the major stimulant of the bright yellow tobacco cultivars, was determined as 4-alpha-hydroxy-5,8-dimethyl-GR24 [( E)-4-alpha-hydroxy-5,8-dimethyl-3-(4-methyl-5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-2 yloxy)methylene)-3a,4-dihydro-3 H-indeno[1,2- b]furan-2(8b H)-one] and named solanacol. 2'-Epi-orobanchol and solanacol are the first natural strigolactones having a 2'-epi stereochemistry and a benzene ring, respectively. PMID- 17803262 TI - Analysis of flonicamid and its metabolites in dried hops by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. AB - An analytical method was developed for the determination of the neo-nicotinoid insecticide flonicamid ( N-cyanomethyl-4-trifluoromethylnicotinamide) and its metabolites N-(4-trifluoronicotinoyl) glycine (TFNG), 4-trifluoronicotinic acid (TFNA), and 4-trifluoromethylnicotinamide (TFNA-AM) in dried hops. The method utilized C18 and polymeric solid phase extraction (SPE) column cleanups, liquid liquid partitioning, and liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Method validation and concurrent recoveries from untreated dried hops ranged from 66 to 119% for all compounds over five levels of fortification (0.005, 0.02, 0.2, 2.0, and 4.0 ppm). Flonicamid-treated hop samples collected from three field sites had the following residues: flonicamid levels of 0.561 2.85 ppm, TFNA levels of 0.302-0.470 ppm, TFNA-AM levels of 0.038-0.177 ppm, and TFNG levels of 0.098-0.204 ppm. Untreated hop samples from all fields had residues <0.005 ppm for flonicamid, TFNA, TFNA-AM, and TFNG. The limit of quantitation and limit of detection for all compounds were 0.005 and 0.0025 ppm, respectively. PMID- 17803263 TI - S-alk(en)yl-L-cysteine sulfoxides and relative pungency measurements of photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic tissues of Allium porrum. AB - Three standard assays for pyruvate gave equivalent measurements of relative pungency for two leek cultivars ( 'Tadorna' and 'Ramona'). Background pyruvate levels varied depending on the assay used, ranging from 0.4 (lactate dehydrogenase) to 1.5 (high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) micromol g( 1) fresh weight (FW) on average. The relative pungencies of the two leek cultivars were also compared to total concentrations of the S-alk(en)yl-L cysteine sulfoxides (RCSOs). The average ratio of EPy to total RCSOs was 10.9, indicating that standard pungency assays underestimate the levels of RCSOs in the tissue. A detailed analysis of 'Tadorna' leaves showed that total RCSO concentrations decreased acropetally. Profiles were composed of (-/+)-methyl-, ( /+)-ethyl-, (+)-propyl-, and (+)-1-propenyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (MCSO, ECSO, PCSO, and 1-PeCSO, respectively). (+)-PCSO was the most prominent in green (2.4 mg g (-1) FW), yellow (5.5 mg g (-1) FW), and white (3.8 mg g (-1) FW) tissues. The prop(en)yl-L-cysteine sulfoxide derivatives were dominant in tissues that had photosynthetic capacity. The (+)-MCSO levels were high in the bulb (3.6 mg g (-1) FW). Interestingly, detectable levels of (-/+)-ECSO were measured in the leaves ( approximately 0.5 mg g (-1) FW). RCSO profiles of the different tissue regions were similar, but more (+)-PCSO and (+)-1-PeCSO were detected in the bulb. In general, mature upper leaf tissues had lower levels of total RCSOs. Overall, mild extraction methods and a low-temperature HPLC protocol (preferably with long retention times) achieved adequate compound separation and resolution of the diastereomers. PMID- 17803264 TI - Resveratrol content in strawberry fruit is affected by preharvest conditions. AB - This study investigated the occurrence of resveratrol in Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne and the effect of preharvest conditions on resveratrol content. Both cis and trans-resveratrol were detected in strawberry achenes (seeds) and pulp (receptacle tissue). Resveratrol was found to be higher in achenes than in fruit pulp. The levels of resveratrol were affected by genotype variations, fruit maturation, cultural practices, and environmental conditions. High growing temperature (25 and 30 degrees C) or enriched CO 2 in the atmosphere significantly enhanced resveratrol content of strawberries. Advancing maturation also increased resveratrol content. The mature pulp and achenes contained higher amounts of resveratrol than the immature fruit. Adding compost as a soil supplement or preharvest application of methyl jasmonate (MJ) also significantly enhanced the level of resveratrol in strawberry fruit. Among the plants grown in hill plasticulture, fruits of 'Ovation (B28)', 'Mohawwk', 'Earliglow', and 'B35' had higher amounts of resveratrol than fruits of other genotypes. 'Ovation' contained the highest amount of resveratrol among strawberries grown in matted row, whereas 'Latestar' contained the least. Ten of 14 tested genotypes (all except 'Allstar', 'Delmarvel', 'Northeaster', and 'MEUS 8') had higher amounts of resveratrol when grown in hill plasticulture compared to matted row. PMID- 17803265 TI - Ethylcellulose formulations for controlled release of the herbicide alachlor in a sandy soil. AB - The development of controlled-release formulations of alachlor to diminish its leaching in sandy soils, avoiding groundwater contamination and maintaining its efficacy, was studied. For this purpose, ethylcellulose (EC) microencapsulated formulations (MEFs) of alachlor were prepared under different conditions and applied to soil columns to study their mobility. The results show that in all cases the release into water of alachlor from MEFs was retarded when compared with commercial formulation. Total leaching losses in soil columns were reduced to 59% from 98%. The mobility of alachlor from EC microspheres into soil columns has been greatly diminished in comparison with its current commercial formulation (CF), above all with increasing EC/herbicide ratios. Distribution of alachlor applied as MEFs at different depths in the soil was higher in the soil surface (66.3-81.3% of herbicide applied at the first 12 cm). In contrast, the residues from CF along the complete soil column were only 20.4%. From the results of bioassays, MEFs showed a higher efficacy than CF at 30 days after the treatment. The use of ME formulations could provide an advantage in minimizing the risk of groundwater contamination by alachlor and reducing the application rates, as a result of maintaining the desired concentration of the herbicide in the top soil layer, obtaining longer periods of weed control. PMID- 17803266 TI - Cytotoxic and Antihaptotactic beauvericin analogues from precursor-directed biosynthesis with the insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159. AB - Precursor-directed biosynthesis was used to produce analogues of the cyclic depsipeptide mycotoxin beauvericin (1) using the filamentous fungus Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159. Feeding 30 analogues of D-2-hydroxyisovalerate and L phenylalanine, the natural 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid and amino acid precursors of beauvericin, led to the biosynthesis of novel beauvericins. Six of these were isolated and characterized, and their cytotoxicity and directional cell migration (haptotaxis) inhibitory activity against the metastatic prostate cancer cell line PC-3M were evaluated. Replacement of one, two, or all three of the D-2 hydroxyisovalerate constituents in beauvericin (1) with 2-hydroxybutyrate moieties (beauvericins G(1-3), compounds 2-4) caused a parallel decline of cell migration inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity, suggesting a requirement for a branched side chain for both of these biological activities at the corresponding positions of beauvericins. Replacement of one, two, or all three N-methyl-L phenylalanine residues of beauvericin with N-methyl-L-3-fluorophenylalanine moieties (beauvericins H(1-3), compounds 5-7) increased cytotoxicity without affecting antihaptotactic activity. PMID- 17803267 TI - Formation of an adduct between insulin and the toxic lipoperoxidation product acrolein decreases both the hypoglycemic effect of the hormone in rat and glucose uptake in 3T3 adipocytes. AB - Lipid peroxidation induced by reactive oxygen species might modify circulating biomolecules because of the formation of alpha,beta-unsaturated or dicarbonylic aldehydes. In order to investigate the interaction between a lipoperoxidation product, acrolein, and a circulating protein, insulin, the acrolein-insulin adduct was obtained. To characterize the adduct, gel filtration chromatography, sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and carbonyl determination were performed. Induction of hypoglycemia in the rat and stimulation of glucose uptake by 3T3 adipocytes were used to evaluate the biological efficiency of the adduct compared with that of native insulin (Mackness, B., Quarck, R., Verte, W., Mackness, M., and Holvoet, P. (2006) Arterioscler., Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 26, 1545-1550). Formation of the acrolein insulin complex in vitro increased the carbonyl group concentration from 2.5 to 22.5 nmol/mg of protein, and it formed without intermolecular aggregates (Halliwell, B., and Whiteman, M. (2004) Br. J. Pharmacol. 142, 231-255. The hypoglycaemic effect 18 min after administration to the rat is decreased by 25% (Robertson, R. P. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 42351-42354. An adduct concentration of 94 nM, compared to 10 nM for native insulin, was required to obtain the A 50% (concentration needed to obtain 50% of maximum transport of glucose uptake by 3T3 adipocytes). In conclusion, formation of the acrolein-insulin adduct modifies the structure of insulin and decreases its hypoglycemic effect in rat and glucose uptake by 3T3 adipocytes. These results help explain how a toxic aldehyde prone to be produced in vivo can structurally modify insulin and change its biological action. PMID- 17803268 TI - Performing organic chemistry with inorganic compounds: electrophilic reactivity of selected nitrosyl complexes. AB - The inorganic nitrosyl (NO(+)) complexes [Fe(CN) 5NO](2-), [Ru(bpy)2(NO)Cl](2+), and [IrCl 5(NO)](-) are useful reagents for the nitrosation of a variety of organic compounds, ranging from amines to the relatively inert alkenes. Regarding [IrCl 5(NO)](-), its high electrophilicity and inertness define it as a unique reagent and provide a powerful synthetic route for the isolation and stabilization of coordinated nitroso compounds that are unstable in free form, such as S-nitrosothiols and primary nitrosamines. Related to the high electrophilicity of [IrCl 5(NO)](-), an unusual behavior is described for its PPh 4(+) salt in the solid state, showing an electronic distribution represented by Ir(IV)-NO(*) instead of Ir (III)-NO(+) (as for the K(+) and Na(+) salts). PMID- 17803269 TI - Discovery and combinatorial synthesis of fungal metabolites beauveriolides, novel antiatherosclerotic agents. AB - For discovery of a new type of antiatherosclerotic agents, a cell-based assay of lipid droplet accumulation using primary mouse peritoneal macrophages was conducted as a model of macrophage-derived foam cell accumulation, which occurs in the early stage of atherosclerogenesis. During the screening of microbial metabolites for inhibitors of lipid droplet accumulation, 13-membered cyclodepsipeptides, known beauveriolide I and new beauveriolide III, were isolated from the culture broth of fungal Beauveria sp. FO-6979, a soil isolate, by solvent extraction, ODS column chromatography, silica gel column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. The structure including the absolute stereochemistry of beauveriolide III was elucidated as cyclo-[(3 S,4 S)-3-hydroxy 4-methyloctanoyl- l-phenylalanyl- l-alanyl- d-alloisoleucyl] by spectral analyses, amino acid analyses, and synthetic methods. Furthermore, the absolute stereochemistry was confirmed by the total synthesis of beauveriolides. Study on the mechanism of action revealed that beauveriolides inhibited macrophage acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity to block the synthesis of cholesteryl ester (CE), leading to a reduction of lipid droplets in macrophages. There are two ACAT isozymes in mammals, ACAT1 and ACAT2. ACAT1 is ubiquitously expressed in most tissues and cells including macrophages, while ACAT2 is expressed predominantly in the liver (hepatocytes) and the intestine (enterocytes). Interestingly, beauveriolides inhibited both ACAT1 and ACAT2 to a similar extent in an enzyme assay that utilized microsomes but inhibited ACAT1 selectively in intact cell-based assays. Beauveriolides proved orally active in both low-density lipoprotein receptor and apolipoprotein E knockout mice, reducing the atheroma lesion of heart and aorta without any side effects such as diarrhea or cytotoxicity to adrenal tissues as observed for many synthetic ACAT inhibitors. To obtain more potent inhibitors, a focused library of beauveriolide analogues was prepared by combinatorial chemistry in which solid-phase assembly of linear depsipeptides was carried out using a 2-chlorotrityl linker, followed by solution-phase cyclization, yielding 104 beauveriolide analogues. Among them, diphenyl derivatives were found to show 10 times more potent inhibition of CE synthesis in macrophages than beauveriolide III. Furthermore, most analogues showed selective ACAT1 inhibition or inhibition of both ACAT1 and ACAT2, but interestingly certain analogues gave selective ACAT2 inhibition. These data indicated that subtle structural differences of the inhibitors could discriminate the active sites of the ACAT1 and ACAT2 isozymes. Efforts of further analogue synthesis would make it possible to obtain highly selective ACAT1/ACAT2 inhibitors. PMID- 17803270 TI - Industrial-scale synthesis and applications of asymmetric hydrogenation catalysts. AB - This Account provides an overview of our activities in the area of asymmetric hydrogenation over the last 12 years. We discuss the manufacture of metal containing precatalysts and their use in asymmetric hydrogenation processes. Many of the metal complexes have been made on a multikilogram scale for our own use and also provided to our customers. In addition, we review some of the applications that we have developed for our asymmetric hydrogenation catalysts, many of which have been operated on commercial scales. This all underlines that asymmetric hydrogenation is a mature technology that has been adopted for use in the pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industries. PMID- 17803271 TI - Two multi-copper-containing heteropolyoxotungstates constructed from the lacunary Keggin polyoxoanion and the high-nuclear spin cluster. AB - Two novel high-nuclear copper-substituted polyoxometalates, Na16[Cu14(OH)4(H2O)16(SiW8O31)4].20.5H2O (1) and K10Na14[Cu10(H2O)2(N3)4(GeW9O34)2(GeW8O31)2].30H2O (2), containing 14 Cu2+ ions and 10 Cu2+ ions, respectively, have been obtained in aqueous solution and characterized by IR, UV, TG, element analysis, electrochemistry, and single crystal X-ray analyses. The polyoxoanion framework of 1 is composed of four [beta SiW8O31] units connected by 14 Cu2+ ions to constitute a tetrameric compound. In 2, two [beta-GeW8O31] anions and two [B-alpha-GeW9O34] anions are connected together by a [Cu10(N3)4O32(H2O)2] {Cu10(N3)4} cluster to construct a novel tetrameric compound. The results of the electrocatalytic experiments reveal that the reduced species of 1 and 2 have electrocatalytic activities for nitrate reduction. PMID- 17803272 TI - Electron-deficient N-heteroaromatic linkers for the elaboration of large, soluble polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their use in the synthesis of some very large transition metal complexes. AB - The selective oxidation of the perimeter of an extended polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), namely a six-fold tert-butylated tetrabenzo[bc,ef,hi,uv]ovalene, led to the formation of an alpha-diketone. The newly installed carbonyl centers allowed this building block to be converted into the largest known heteroatom-containing PAHs (up to 224 atoms in the aromatic core) by way of the quinoxaline ring condensation reaction. The tert-butyl substituents caused a distortion of the usually planar aromatic frameworks, which hampered the aggregation tendency of the extended aromatic pi-systems and led to extraordinarily high solubilities. All of the systems described here, even the giant phthalocyanine, could thus be purified using standard chromatographic techniques and characterized using typical spectroscopic methods. For the first time, fully resolved 1H NMR spectra of soluble, diamagnetic, 98- and 104-atom containing aromatic systems are presented. The computed and experimental UV/vis spectra emphasize the dependence of the characteristic alpha-, p-, and beta-bands upon the size of the PAHs. It was also possible to obtain the largest known ligand to yet be complexed around a ruthenium center. A quadrupolar solvatochromic effect was observed when two donating PAH moieties were fused to an accepting quinoxaline center, in which case the photoluminescence spanned a range of about 80 nm. Electrochemical properties of the new nanographenes were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, and this showed quasi-reversible reductions. PMID- 17803273 TI - A rhodamine-based fluorescent probe containing a Se-N bond for detecting thiols and its application in living cells. PMID- 17803274 TI - Ruthenium catalyzed decarbonylative arylation at sp3 carbon centers in pyrrolidine and piperidine heterocycles. AB - This paper describes the development of a new catalytic transformation, the ruthenium-catalyzed decarbonylative arylation of cyclic 2-amino esters, which replaces the ester group with an aryl ring at the sp3 carbon center. For example, proline ester amidine 1 is converted to 2-arylpyrrolidine 3 in the presence of arylboronic acids or esters as arene donors and Ru(3)(CO)(12) as the catalyst. This process provides a rapid access to a variety of 2-arylpyrrolidines and piperidines from commercially available proline, hydroxyproline, and pipecolinate esters. The examination of the substrate scope also showed that many arene boronic acids and boronate esters serve as coupling partners. The high chemoselectivity of this process was demonstrated and ascribed to the significant rate difference between the decarbonylative arylation and the C-H arylation. The decarbonylative arylation complements the C-H arylation, since the latter process lacks control over the extent of functionalization, affording a mixture of mono- and bis-arylpyrrolidines. When applied in tandem, these two processes provide 2,5 diarylpyrrolidines in two steps from the corresponding proline esters. It was also demonstrated that the required amidine or iminocarbamate directing group fulfills two major functions: first, it is essential for the ester activation step, which occurs via the coordination-assisted metal insertion into the acyl C O bond; second, it facilitates the decarbonylation, via the stabilization of a metallacycle intermediate, assuring the formation of the 2-arylated products instead of the corresponding ketones observed before by others. PMID- 17803275 TI - Determination of dendrigraft poly-L-lysine diffusion coefficients by taylor dispersion analysis. AB - This work focuses on the physicochemical characterization of dendrigraft poly-L lysines (DGLs) obtained by polymerization of N-carboxyanhydride in buffered water (pH 6.5). Diffusion coefficients (D) and hydrodynamic radii (Rh) of five successive DGL generations were determined by Taylor dispersion analysis (TDA). To our knowledge, this is the first experimental work using TDA for the characterization of dendrimer-like structures. Experimental Rh values obtained by TDA were compared to those derived from dynamic light scattering and size exclusion chromatography coupled to a triple detection (refractive index, viscosimetry, and static light scattering). Significant differences were obtained, especially for the highest generations, as a result of the inherent contribution of aggregates to the light scattering intensity. For that reason, TDA was found to be the most appropriate technique for determining the D values of these hyperbranched macromolecules. Regarding their physicochemical behavior, the experimental results confirm that DGLs are very similar to trifunctional dendrimers (exponential growth of the molar mass, almost linear variation of the hydrodynamic radius, high branching density, and maximum of the intrinsic viscosity or of the free volume fraction for generation 4). PMID- 17803276 TI - Lipolytic enzymes with improved activity and selectivity upon adsorption on polymeric nanoparticles. AB - Nanostructured polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were used as carriers for the preparation of bioconjugates with lipolytic enzymes, such as Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL). Simple addition of the lipase solution to the polymeric nanoparticles under protein-friendly conditions (pH 7.6) led to the formation of polymer-enzyme bioconjugates. Energy filtered-transmission electron microscopy (EF-TEM) performed on immuno-gold labeled samples revealed that the enzyme preferentially binds to the polymer nanoparticles and that the binding does not affect the nanostructured features of the carriers. The studies performed on the activity of the bioconjugates pointed out that the lipases adsorbed onto polymeric nanoparticles show an improved performance in terms of activity and selectivity with respect to those shown by lipases adsorbed on the same non-nanostructured carriers. The residual activities of CRL and PCL immobilized on nanostructured PMMA and PS reached 60% and 74%, respectively. Moreover, we found that enantioselectivity and pH and thermal stability increase upon immobilization. These results highlight the fact that new protein conformers with improved enantioselectivity stabilized after adsorption on nanoparticles are obtained. On the basis of the chemical structures of the selected polymers and the slopes of the adsorption isotherms, a hydrophobic binding model for lipase/nanostructured polymers is suggested. PMID- 17803277 TI - Effect of cross-linking with calcium ions on the physical properties of alginate films. AB - Three films of sodium alginate, with different amounts of guluronic fraction, were investigated with different techniques. On increasing the fraction of guluronic units the chain-to-chain interaction was promoted. The three samples were ionically cross-linked with calcium ions by soaking the films in a solution of calcium chloride. The introduction of the cross-linking points caused an appreciable change in the physical properties, and the results were discussed in terms of different composition of the materials and in terms of the increased free volume during the cross-linking process. PMID- 17803278 TI - Modeling of product removal during enzymatic conversions by using affinity molecules. AB - The feasibility of using magnetic particles for in-line product isolation during enzymatic conversion was studied. A comparison was made between a process based on magnetic particles and a conventional adsorption column. The enzymatic reaction was described by two consecutive first-order reactions (synthesis and subsequent hydrolysis), while the adsorption of substrate and product was described by multicomponent Langmuir isotherms. The yield as well as synthesis/hydrolysis ratio were calculated for various system characteristics. The results show that magnetic particles are very effective when the affinity with the particles is specific and for enzymatic conversions involving low ratios of the rate of synthesis versus the rate of hydrolysis. For slow conversions and for low specific affinity molecules column separations are more appropriate. PMID- 17803279 TI - Investigating the kinetics of the enzymatic depolymerization of polygalacturonic acid in continuous UF-membrane reactors. AB - A stirred tank membrane reactor is used to study the kinetics of polygalacturonic acid (PGA) enzymatic hydrolysis. The reactor operates in semicontinuous configuration: the native biopolymer is loaded at the initial time and the system is continuously fed with the buffer. The effect of retention time (from 101 to 142 min) and membrane molecular weight cutoff (from 1 to 30 kDa) on the rate of permeable oligomers production is investigated. Reaction products are clustered in two different classes, those sized below the membrane cutoff and those above. The reducing power measured in the permeate is used as an estimate of total product concentration. The characteristic breakdown times range from 40 to 100 min. The overall kinetics obeys a first-order law with a characteristic time estimated to 24 min. New mathematical data handling are developed and illustrated using the experimental data obtained. Finally, the body of the experimental results suggests useful indications (reactor productivity, breakdown induction period) for implementing the bioprocess at the industrial scale. PMID- 17803280 TI - Linear solvation energy relationship modeling and kinetic studies on reactive extraction of succinic acid by tridodecylamine dissolved in MIBK. AB - Equilibrium and kinetic studies for the extraction of succinic acid from aqueous solution with tridodecylamine diluted in MIBK are reported. All measurements were carried out at 298.15 K. The extent to which the organic phase may be loaded with succinic acid is expressed as a loading ratio, Z. The equilibrium data were also interpreted by a proposed mechanism of three reactions of complexation by which (1:1) and (2:1) acid-amine complexes are formed. Kinetics of extraction of succinic acid by tridodecylamine in MIBK has also been determined. Kinetic studies for the extraction of succinic acid from aqueous solution with tridodecylamine diluted in MIBK were carried out using a stirred cell for kinetic studies. The results of the liquid-liquid equilibrium measurements were correlated by a linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) model, which takes into account physical interactions. From the regression coefficients, information on the solvent-solute interaction is obtained and solvation models are proposed. PMID- 17803281 TI - Imaging diffusion in living cells using time-correlated single-photon counting. AB - Current efforts to monitor the diffusion of proteins in living cells are based on either fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, or image correlation spectroscopy. However, these methods cannot generate a map of diffusion times. Here, we introduce a new method termed diffusion imaging microscopy that combines scanning confocal microscopy, time correlated single-photon counting, and FCS and thus allows us to measure spatially resolved diffusion times. In our approach, we record scan images with time-resolved photon streams within each individual pixel. By extending the pixel dwell time to 25-100 ms, a software correlation of individual photons within each pixel yields the average diffusion time. Additionally, information on fluorescence intensity (number of photons) and fluorescence lifetime is available and can be used to sort fluorescence photons and to discriminate from autofluorescence. We evaluated our method by measuring diffusion times of dT20 TMR in solutions of different viscosity. We further demonstrate the applicability of the method to living cells and recorded a diffusion map of a living 3T3 mouse fibroblast incubated with dT20-ATTO488. PMID- 17803282 TI - Desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization. AB - An ambient ionization technique for mass spectrometry, desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization (DAPPI), is presented, and its application to the rapid analysis of compounds of various polarities on surfaces is demonstrated. The DAPPI technique relies on a heated nebulizer microchip delivering a heated jet of vaporized solvent, e.g., toluene, and a photoionization lamp emitting 10-eV photons. The solvent jet is directed toward sample spots on a surface, causing the desorption of analytes from the surface. The photons emitted by the lamp ionize the analytes, which are then directed into the mass spectrometer. The limits of detection obtained with DAPPI were in the range of 56-670 fmol. Also, the direct analysis of pharmaceuticals from a tablet surface was successfully demonstrated. A comparison of the performance of DAPPI with that of the popular desorption electrospray ionization method was done with four standard compounds. DAPPI was shown to be equally or more sensitive especially in the case of less polar analytes. PMID- 17803283 TI - Replication of DNA microarrays prepared by in situ oligonucleotide polymerization and mechanical transfer. AB - In this paper, we describe a method for replication of DNA microarrays. The approach involves in situ, enzymatic synthesis of a DNA complement array using a prefabricated master array, followed by mechanical transfer of the complement array to a second substrate. The new findings reported here include the following. DNA spots as small as approximately 100 microm can be faithfully replicated, replica arrays consisting of several different oligonucleotide sequences can be prepared, and such arrays are active toward hybridization of their complements. Up to 10 replicas can be prepared from a single master with no detectable progressive degradation of their activity. DNA master arrays consisting of long DNA templates (80-mer) can be replicated, as can large-scale master arrays consisting of approximately 2300 spots. PMID- 17803284 TI - Secondary organic aerosol formation during the photooxidation of toluene: NOx dependence of chemical composition. AB - The photooxidation of toluene is a potential source of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban air, but only a small portion of the compounds present in SOA have been identified. In this study, we analyzed the chemical compositions of SOA produced by photoirradiation of the toluene/NOx/air system in laboratory chamber experiments by a combination of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, hybrid high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and iodometry spectrophotometry. The dependence of the chemical composition on the initial NOx concentration was examined at initial NO concentrations ([NO]0) of 0.2 and 1 ppmv. Fifteen semivolatile products, including aromatic and ring-cleavage compounds, were quantified. However, the quantified products comprised only a small portion ( approximately 1 wt %) of the total aerosol mass. The total SOA yield ( approximately 13 wt %), the ratio of organic peroxides to total SOA mass ( approximately 17 wt %), and the density of SOA ( approximately 1.4 g cm-3) were independent of the NOx level, suggesting that the reaction mechanisms of the formation of major SOA products at [NO]0 = 0.2 and 1 ppmv are essentially the same. The negative-ion mass spectra of SOA samples showed that ion signals attributed to hemiacetal oligomers and/or decomposition products of peroxy hemiacetal oligomers were detected in the range of mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) between 200 and 500. The highest signals were detected at m/z = 155 and 177, and these were tentatively assigned to C7 unsaturated oxacyclic oxocarboxylic acids and C7 unsaturated oxacyclic dicarboxylic acids, respectively. We conclude that the major chemical components of the aerosol are hemiacetal and peroxy hemiacetal oligomers and low-molecular-weight dicarboxylic acids. PMID- 17803285 TI - Probing the intramolecular hydrogen bond of 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazoles in polar environment: a photophysical study of UV absorber efficiency. AB - An in-depth photophysical study is presented for a series of 2-(2 hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazoles (HBzTs); the structural characteristic of all these photostabilizers is their strong intramolecular hydrogen bridge (IMHB). Tinuvin P (TIN P, 11a) and six other HBzTs, with no substituent in the 3'-position ortho to the hydroxy function, show pronounced phosphorescence already in the dark (at 77 K in a polar glass). Upon irradiation, the phosphorescence intensity rises further until an equilibrium value is attained (up to 1.5 fold the dark value). A kinetic model is given which excellently reproduces this phosphorescence evolution: it demonstrates phosphorescence to arise from open conformers where the IMHB has been broken. Phosphorescence excitation spectra match the absorption spectra of the open conformer and also that of the O-methyl homologue 11A which cannot form an IMHB. Fluorescence spectra likewise prove the equilibrium between the closed and open conformer for these HBzTs. In unpolar glasses as well as in the crystalline state, TIN P displays a long-wavelength (red) fluorescence (with an enormous Stokes shift of approximately 10.000 cm-1) which is associated with the excited singlet state of the closed form after proton transfer within the IMHB, S1'(C). In polar matrixes, on the other hand, a blue fluorescence is observed (with a regular Stokes shift) for all those HBzTs which have no 3' substituent shielding the IMHB against being opened by the polar solvent. This blue fluorescence, just as the characteristic phosphorescence evolution for these compounds, is associated with the open conformer. For HBzTs with an (alkyl) group ortho to the bridging OH group, however, a long-wavelength (red) fluorescence is again observed. The shielding effect of the 3'-substituent shows a fine gradation, cumyl >/= 1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl (isooctyl) > t-butyl >/= methyl. PMID- 17803286 TI - Adiabatic passage in a three-state system with non-Markovian relaxation: the role of excited-state absorption and two-exciton processes. AB - The influence of excited-state absorption (ESA) and two-exciton processes on a coherent population transfer with intense ultrashort chirped pulses in molecular systems in solution has been studied. A unified treatment of adiabatic rapid passage (ARP) in such systems has been developed using a three-state electronic system with relaxation treated as a diffusion on electronic potential energy surfaces. We have shown that ESA has a profound effect on coherent population transfer in large molecules that necessitates a more accurate interpretation of experimental data. A simple and physically clear model for ARP in molecules with three electronic states in solution has been developed by extending the Landau Zener calculations putting in a third level to random crossing of levels. A method for quantum control of two-exciton states in molecular complexes has been proposed. PMID- 17803287 TI - Hydration behavior of alkyl amines and their corresponding protonated forms. 1. Ammonia and methylamine. AB - The structure and dynamics of hydration of ammonia/ammonium and methylamine/methylammonium systems have been studied by Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation. While methylamine interacts weakly with the aqueous environment, the interaction of ammonia is found to be much stronger than expected. Both protonated species show a highly structured first solvation sphere. The solvent exchange mechanisms for all species were also investigated, along with the geometry of the hydration spheres. Comparison of these exchange mechanisms with that published for the ammonium ion shows only a minor difference. Analysis of the respective distribution functions has allowed insight into the thermodynamics of solvation for both systems. The calculated pKa values (9.23/10.65) correspond very closely with the published experimental values of 9.25 and 10.65. PMID- 17803288 TI - Direct experimental evidence for a heterogeneous reaction of ozone with bromide at the air-aqueous interface. AB - Recent experimental and theoretical evidence has indicated an enhancement of the heavier halide ions at the air-aqueous interface, relative to their bulk concentrations. This, along with an order of magnitude discrepancy between measured and predicted Br2 production in the reaction of ozone with deliquesced NaBr aerosol, has led to the suggestion that an interface reaction occurs between ozone and bromide. We have used harmine, a beta-carboline alkaloid, as an interface-sensitive fluorescent pH probe in order to measure pH changes associated with the interfacial reaction of ozone and bromide. The rate of pH change depends upon the bulk bromide concentration in a way which is well described by a Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model. In the presence of octanol at the interface, the rate of pH change tracks the octanol adsorption isotherm, as expected if octanol enhances the concentration of ozone at the surface. PMID- 17803289 TI - Is nucleus-independent chemical shift scan a reliable aromaticity index for planar heteroatomic ring systems? AB - Density functional theoretical investigation has been performed to explore the reliability of the nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) scheme in assessing aromatic behavior of some planar six-membered heteroatomic systems. It has been observed that the NICS scan and the diamagnetic and paramagnetic contributions of the in-plane and out-of-plane components are quite reliable in assessing any aromatic or antiaromatic behavior in borazine. However, for boraphosphabenzene, the aromatic stabilization energy is too small to consider it as an aromatic system but the NICS scans and the homodesmotic reactions suggest an opposite trend. Interestingly, in the case of alumazene, a very shallow minimum is observed for the out-of-plane component, which suggests the presence of weak diamagnetic ring current. However, the diamagnetic and paramagnetic contribution curves to the out-of-plane component for alumazene clearly reveal a net paramagnetic contribution. Thus we may surmise that apart from the single NICS value, the NICS scan also is not a very authentic tool for the assessment of aromaticity of planar six-membered heteroatomic systems. PMID- 17803290 TI - Synthesis and biological evaluation of alkenyldiarylmethane HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors that possess increased hydrolytic stability. AB - Non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase (NNRTIs), albeit not the mainstays of HIV/AIDS treatment, have become increasingly important in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) due to their unique mechanism of action. Several years ago our group identified the alkenyldiarylmethanes (ADAMs) as a potent and novel class of NNRTIs; however, the most active compounds were found to be metabolically unstable. Subsequent work has led to the synthesis of 33 analogues, with improved metabolic profiles, through the replacement of labile esters with various heterocycles, nitriles, and thioesters. As a result, a number of hydrolytically stable NNRTIs were identified with anti-HIV activity in the nanomolar concentration range. Furthermore, an improved pharmacophore model has been developed based on the new ADAM series, in which a salicylic acid-derived aryl ring is oriented cis to the side chain and the aryl ring that is trans to the side chain contains a hydrogen bond acceptor site within the plane of the ring. PMID- 17803291 TI - Indolyl aryl sulfones as HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: role of two halogen atoms at the indole ring in developing new analogues with improved antiviral activity. AB - Indolyl aryl sulfones bearing the 4,5-difluoro (10) or 5-chloro-4-fluoro (16) substitution pattern at the indole ring were potent inhibitors of HIV-1 WT and the NNRTI-resistant strains Y181C and K103N-Y181C. These compounds were highly effective against the 112 and the AB1 strains in lymphocytes and inhibited at nanomolar concentration the multiplication of the IIIBBa-L strain in macrophages. Compound 16 was exceptionally potent against RT WT and RTs carrying the K103N, Y181I, and L100I mutations. PMID- 17803292 TI - Structure-activity relationships in the binding of chemically derivatized CD4 to gp120 from human immunodeficiency virus. AB - The first step in HIV infection is the binding of the envelope glycoprotein gp120 to the host cell receptor CD4. An interfacial "Phe43 cavity" in gp120, adjacent to residue Phe43 of gp120-bound CD4, has been suggested as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. We designed a CD4 mutant (D1D2F43C) for site-specific coupling of compounds for screening against the cavity. Altogether, 81 cysteine reactive compounds were designed, synthesized, and tested. Eight derivatives exceeded the affinity of native D1D2 for gp120. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) for derivatized CD4 binding to gp120 revealed significant plasticity of the Phe43 cavity and a narrow entrance. The primary contacts for compound recognition inside the cavity were found to be van der Waals interactions, whereas hydrophilic interactions were detected in the entrance. This first SAR on ligand binding to an interior cavity of gp120 may provide a starting point for structure based assembly of small molecules targeting gp120-CD4 interaction. PMID- 17803293 TI - High-efficacy 5-HT1A agonists for antidepressant treatment: a renewed opportunity. AB - We report the discovery of novel 5-HT1A receptor agonists and describe the process that led to the antidepressant candidate 9 (F 15599). 9 has nanomolar affinity for 5-HT1A binding sites and is over 1000-fold selective with respect to the other 5-HT1 receptor subtypes, 5-HT2-7 receptor families, and also numerous GPCRs, transporters, ion channels, and enzymes. In a cellular model of signal transduction, 9 activates h5-HT1A receptors with an efficacy superior to that of the prototypical 5-HT1A agonist (+/-)-8-OH-DPAT and comparators undergoing clinical trials. After acute oral administration in rats, 9 totally reverses immobility in the forced swimming test and produces behaviors characteristic of 5 HT1A receptor activation. However, these effects occurred at widely separated doses, suggesting that 9 discriminates between distinct populations of 5-HT1A receptors. While the clinical relevance of these observations is still unknown, this opens new perspectives for the treatment of depressive disorders. PMID- 17803294 TI - Post-translational modification of crystallins in vitreous body from experimental autoimmune uveitis of rats. AB - Experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) is a well-known animal model of posterior uveitis that is one of the major causes of blindness. EAU could be induced in susceptible animals (i.e., Lewis rat) by immune reactions using evolutionarily conserved retinal proteins, such as interphoto-receptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP), or epitaphs of the protein. First, we prepared the following four test groups that subsequently increased or decreased inflammation. (1) Normal control group, (2) IRBP-induced uveitis group, (3) Hemin-treated uveitis group, and (4) Sn(IV) protoporphyrin IX dichloride (SnPP)-treated uveitis group. Second, in the vitreous bodies of Lewis rats, the infiltrated proteins were analyzed using two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), MALDI-TOF/MS, and Micro LC/LC-MS/MS analysis. Finally, Western blotting was applied to confirm the relative amount of crystallins and phosphorylation sites of alphaB-crystallin. Thirty spots were identified in vitreous bodies, and 27 of these spots were members of the crystallin family. Unlike betaA4- and B2-crystallins (that were significantly increased without truncation), alphaA- and B-crystallins were only truncated in EAU vitreous body. Taken as a whole, in the rat EAU model, we suggest that post translational truncations of alphaA- and alphaB-crystallins, phosphorylation of alphaB-crystallin, and new production of betaA4- and betaB2-crystallins are intercorrelated with uveitis progression and inflammatory responses. PMID- 17803295 TI - TOPORS functions as a SUMO-1 E3 ligase for chromatin-modifying proteins. AB - TOPORS is the first example of a protein with both ubiquitin and SUMO-1 E3 ligase activity and has been implicated as a tumor suppressor in several different malignancies. To gain insight into the cellular role of TOPORS, a proteomic screen was performed to identify candidate sumoylation substrates. The results indicate that many of the putative substrates are involved in chromatin modification or transcriptional regulation. Transfection studies confirmed mammalian Sin3A as a sumoylation substrate for TOPORS. These findings suggest that TOPORS may function as a tumor suppressor by regulating mSin3A and other proteins involved in chromatin modification. PMID- 17803296 TI - Model for the water-amorphous silica interface: the undissociated surface. AB - The physical and chemical properties of the amorphous silica-water interface are of crucial importance for a fundamental understanding of electrochemical and electrokinetic phenomena, and for various applications including chromatography, sensors, metal ion extraction, and the construction of micro- and nanoscale devices. A model for the undissociated amorphous silica-water interface reported here is a step toward a practical microscopic model of this important system. We have extended the popular BKS and SPC/E models for bulk silica and water to describe the hydrated, hydroxylated amorphous silica surface. The parameters of our model were determined using ab initio quantum chemical studies on small fragments. Our model will be useful in empirical potential studies, and as a starting point for ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. At this stage, we present a model for the undissociated surface. Our calculated value for the heat of immersion, 0.3 J x m(-2), falls within the range of reported experimental values of 0.2-0.8 J x m(-2). We also study the perturbation of water properties near the silica-water interface. The disordered surface is characterized by regions that are hydrophilic and hydrophobic, depending on the statistical variations in silanol group density. PMID- 17803297 TI - Molecular modeling of oligopeptide adsorption onto functionalized quartz surfaces. AB - The adsorption of an EAK 16-II oligopeptide sequence in aqueous medium onto functionalized quartz surfaces has been studied by using force field calculations and molecular dynamics methods. Two different surfaces have been simulated respectively involving fully methylated and fully silanolic quartz surfaces. Geometry optimization and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the adsorption process is mainly governed by the electrostatic interactions between SiO- surface groups and the charged residues of the oligopeptide sequence. In particular, it was found that strong electrostatic interactions (a) prompt the parallel orientation of the oligopeptide with respect to the hydrophilic charged surface, resulting in an effective physisorption process and (b) stabilize the beta-sheet configuration of the physisorbed molecules. In particular, the end-on oligopeptide orientations are demonstrated to progressively lie back onto the hydrophilic surface, but this does not happen onto the hydrophobic surface. In any case, no physisorption process was observed for the fully methylated surface, where the molecule is seen to move away from the surface during the simulation time. PMID- 17803298 TI - Investigation of hydrate formation in the system H2-CH4-H2O at a pressure up to 250 MPa. AB - Phase equilibria in the system H2-CH4-H2O are investigated by means of differential thermal analysis within hydrogen concentration range 0-70 mol % and at a pressure up to 250 MPa. All the experiments were carried out under the conditions of gas excess. With an increase in hydrogen concentration in the initial gas mixture, decomposition temperature of the formed hydrates decreased. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra of the quenched hydrate samples obtained at a pressure of 20 MPA from a gas mixture containing 40 mol % hydrogen were recorded. It turned out that the hydrate has cubic structure I under these conditions. The Raman spectra showed that hydrogen molecules are not detected in the hydrate within the sensitivity of the method, that is, almost pure methane hydrate is formed. The general view of the phase diagram of the investigated system is proposed. A thermodynamic model was proposed to explain a decrease in hydrate decomposition temperature in the system with an increase in the concentration of hydrogen in the initial mixture. PMID- 17803299 TI - Complexation between sodium dodecyl sulfate and amphoteric polyurethane nanoparticles. AB - The complexation between negatively charged sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and positively charged amphoteric polyurethane (APU) self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) containing nonionic hydrophobic segments is studied by dynamic light scattering, pyrene fluorescent probing, zeta-potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the present paper. With increasing the mol ratio of SDS to the positive charges on the surface of APU NPs, the aqueous solution of APU NPs presents precipitation at pH 2, around stoichiometric SDS concentration, and then the precipitate dissociates with excess SDS to form more stable nanoparticles of ionomer complexes. Three stages of the complexation process are clearly shown by the pyrene I1/I3 variation of the complex systems, which only depends on the ratio of SDS/APU, and demonstrate that the process is dominated by electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic aggregation. PMID- 17803300 TI - Evaluation of surface charge density and surface potential by electrophoretic mobility for solid lipid nanoparticles and human brain-microvascular endothelial cells. AB - Electrophoretic mobility, zeta potential, surface charge density, and surface potential of cacao butter-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) were analyzed in this study. Electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential were determined experimentally. Surface charge density and surface potential were evaluated theoretically via incorporation of ion condensation theory with the relationship between surface charge density and surface potential. The results revealed that the lower the pH value, the weaker the electrostatic properties of the negatively charged SLN and HBMEC. A higher content of cacao butter or a slower stirring rate yielded a larger SLN and stronger surface electricity. On the contrary, storage led to instability of SLN suspension and weaker electrical behavior because of hydrolysis of ionogenic groups on the particle surfaces. Also, high H+ concentration resulted in excess adsorption of H+ onto HBMEC, rendering charge reversal and cell death. The largest normalized discrepancy between surface potential and zeta potential occurred at pH = 7. For a fixed biocolloidal species, the discrepancy was nearly invariant at high pH value. However, the discrepancy followed the order of electrical intensity for HBMEC system at low pH value because mammalian cells were sensitive to H+. The present study provided a practical method to obtain surface charge properties by capillary electrophoresis. PMID- 17803301 TI - Electrodeposition of carbon nanotubes-chitosan-glucose oxidase biosensing composite films triggered by reduction of p-benzoquinone or H2O2. AB - We report here on the electroreduction of p-benzoquinone (BQ) or H2O2 as a new trigger for simple, fast, uniform, and controllable electrodeposition of chitosan (CS) hydrogels and biosensing nanocomposite films of CS, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and glucose oxidase (GOD). The multiparameter electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) based on crystal electroacoustic impedance analysis was used to dynamically monitor the deposition processes. When the EQCM Au electrode was immersed in a weakly acidic solution (here pH 5.1 acetic buffer) containing BQ (or H2O2) and CS, the proton consumption during BQ (or H2O2) electroreduction increased the local solution pH near the electrode surface and led to the deposition of CS hydrogel on the electrode surface at local pH near and above the pKa value of CS. The concentration of BQ (or H2O2) required for CS electrodeposition was theoretically evaluated based on an electrogenerated base to-acid titration model and supported by experiments. Co-deposition of GOD and MWCNTs with the CS hydrogel was achieved, and the resulting MWCNTs-CS-GOD nanocomposite films were demonstrated for glucose biosensing. The MWCNTs-CS-GOD enzyme electrode prepared by BQ reduction exhibited a current sensitivity of 6.7 microA mM-1 cm-2 to glucose, and the linear range for glucose detection at 0.7 V vs SCE was from 5 microM to 8 mM, with a detection limit of 2 microM and a Michaelis-Menten constant of 6.8 mM. The BQ-electroreduction protocol exhibited the best sensor performance, as compared with H2O2-reduction and previously reported water-reduction values. The present protocol via electroreduction of a deliberately added oxidant that is accompanied by a local pH change is highly recommended for wider applications in pH-dependent deposition of other films. PMID- 17803302 TI - Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of N isopropylacrylamide: a comparison between a conventional and a fast initiator. AB - The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of N isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) was studied to determine the reasons for deviation of experimental molecular weights to lower molecular weight at high monomer conversion when S-1-dodecyl-S-(alpha,alpha'-dimethyl-alpha' '-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (CTAm) and S,S-bis(alpha,alpha'-dimethyl-alpha' '-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (CTAd) were used as RAFT agents at 65 degrees C. For this purpose, experiments were performed in N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) at the NIPAM/CTA ratio of 200 with initiators capable of yielding fast and slow initiation, respectively by photochemical and thermal process, either at ambient temperature or at 65 degrees C. When the polymerization of NIPAM was conducted under these conditions with Irgacure-2959 (IRGC) as photoinitiator, a continuing supply of primary radicals by incremental initiator addition was required to achieve reasonably high conversion. This effect was also apparent by the loss of linearity of the first-order kinetic plot with a conventional initiator (4,4 azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) (ACVA) as azo-initiator, 10h (t1/2) decomposition at 65 degrees C) indicating that steady-state concentration of the macroradical decreases significantly with the initiator consumption. Nevertheless, polymers with predictable number-average molecular weight Mn (i.e., based on [monomer]/([CTA] + [initiator]) ratio) and narrow polydispersities were obtained (PDIs << 1.2) with CTAm indicating that the process of chain growth was controlled. When CTAd was used, instead of CTAm, the polymers obtained were characterized by a larger polydispersity (1.2 < PDIs < 1.3). The so-called "living steady-state concentration" in chain equilibration together with the linear dependence of Mn vs conversion was observed only when the 200/1 NIPAM/CTA mixture in DMF was subjected to a permanent photoirradiation at 65 degrees C. With ACVA, the deviation of the experimentally measured molecular weights at high conversion was accounted for by the simultaneous self-initiated polymerization of NIPAM with the controlled process in the presence of CTA at 65 degrees C. Similar drift from the linear dependence Mn vs conversion was also observed at 65 degrees C when a significant number of low molecular weight polymer chains were generated intentionally by photodecomposition of IRGC. PMID- 17803303 TI - Structural study of BSA/poly(ethylene glycol) lipid conjugate complexes. AB - In this work we report the structural characteristics of bovine serum albumin/poly(ethylene glycol) lipid conjugate (BSA/PEG(2000)-PE) complexes under physiological conditions (37 degrees C and pH 7.4) for particular fractions of BSA to PEG-lipid concentration, c(BSA)/c(PEG)(2000)-PE. Ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy (UV) results shown that PEG(2000)-PE is associated to BSA, leading to protein unfolding for fixed c(BSA) = 0.01 wt % and variable c(PEG)(2000)-PE = 0.0015-0.6 wt %. Tryptophan groups on the BSA surface are in contact with the PEG lipid at c(PEG)(2000)-PE = 0.0015 wt %, while they are exposed to water at c(PEG)(2000)-PE > 0.0015 wt %. Dynamic and static light scattering (DLS and SLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) point out the existence of individual BSA/PEG-lipid complexes in the system for fixed c(BSA) = 1 wt % and variable c(PEG)(2000)-PE = 0.15-2 wt %. DLS shows that there is only one BSA molecule per protein/PEG-lipid complex, while SLS shows that the PEG-lipid associates to the BSA without promoting aggregation between adjacent protein/polymer-lipid conjugate complexes. SANS was used to show that BSA/PEG(2000)-PE complexes adopt an oblate ellipsoidal shape. Partially unfolded BSA is contained in the core of the oblate ellipsoid, which is surrounded by an external shell containing the PEG(2000)-PE. PMID- 17803304 TI - Hydrodynamic behavior of high molar mass linear polyglycidol in dilute aqueous solution. AB - Six high molar mass polyglycidol samples were obtained by fractionation of polyglycidol synthesized by means of cationic polymerization of ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether followed by cleavage of the protective groups. The fractions covering the molar mass range from 0.1 to 2.4 x 10(6) were studied by dynamic and static light scattering. The weight-average molar masses (Mw), second virial coefficients (A2), radii of gyration (Rg), diffusion coefficients (D0), hydrodynamic radii (Rh), and dynamic virial coefficients (kDphi) were determined for the single coil in dilute aqueous solution at 25 degrees C, and scaling equations were established. It was found that polyglycidol in water does not exhibit the expected asymptotic good solvent behavior. The scaling exponents for A2, D0, and Rh are even closer to those for polymer coils in marginal solvents than to the expected ones in the excluded-volume region. The values of the interpenetration parameter, psi, and kDphi are far from reaching limiting values even for the fractions of the highest molar masses. The scaling exponent for Rg as well as the Rg/Rh ratio, which was found to increase with increasing molar mass, imply elongated coil conformation in the high molar mass region. PMID- 17803305 TI - Integrated magnetic bionanocomposites through nanoparticle-mediated assembly of ferritin. AB - Magnetic (FePt) and nonmagnetic (Au) nanoparticles were used to assemble ferritin into near-monodisperse bionanocomposites featuring regular interparticle spacing. The FePt/ferritin assemblies are integrated magnetic materials with ferritin providing added magnetic volume fraction to the magnetic nanocomposite. These assemblies differ from either of their constituent particles in terms of blocking temperature (TB), net magnetic moment, coercivity, and remnance. PMID- 17803306 TI - A remodelled protease that cleaves phosphotyrosine substrates. PMID- 17803307 TI - Catalytic asymmetric diamination of conjugated dienes and triene. PMID- 17803308 TI - Catalytic asymmetric [4 + 2] cycloadditions of ketenes and N-thioacyl imines: alternatives for direct mannich reactions of enolizable imines. PMID- 17803309 TI - Studies toward the total synthesis of axinellamine and massadine. AB - Intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of several N-O linked 4-vinylimidazole dimers provide the expected adduct in moderate to good yield as a single, all trans stereoisomer, along with smaller amounts of the inverse electron demand adduct. Oxidative rearrangement of the cycloadducts occurs on treatment with Davis' reagent, providing a single spiro imidazolone in good yield and with excellent levels of stereocontrol albeit epimeric at the spiro center found in axinellamine and massadine. PMID- 17803310 TI - A new method for the synthesis of chiral beta-branched alpha-amino acids. AB - A new method for the synthesis of chiral beta-branched alpha-amino acids based on a copper-mediated directed allylic substitution reaction with Grignard reagents is reported. This is the first case in which a delta-stereogenic center is controlling the diastereoselectivity of an o-DPPB-directed allylic substitution. Depending on the alkene geometry of the starting material either diastereomer, anti or syn, is accessible with good levels of acyclic stereocontrol. PMID- 17803311 TI - Zeolite-directed cascade reactions: cycliacyarylation versus decarboxyarylation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acids. AB - The interaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylic acids with benzene derivatives was investigated in H-zeolites and led to two distinct but competing processes, cycliacyarylation and decarboxyarylation. Interestingly, H-USY selectively induced the cycliacyarylation cascade reaction, whereas H-ZSM5 selectively promoted the decarboxyarylation cascade. PMID- 17803312 TI - Phosphine-catalyzed construction of sulfur heterocycles. AB - A simple and efficient method for constructing sulfur heterocycles was developed using a phosphine-catalyzed tandem umpolung addition and intramolecular cyclization of bifunctional sulfur pronucleophiles on arylpropiolates. The reaction offers a promising route to synthetically useful as well as biologically active heterocycles under neutral conditions. PMID- 17803313 TI - Palladium-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective allylic alkylation of bis allylic carbonates derived from Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts. AB - Morita-Baylis-Hillman diene adducts are used as substrates in the palladium catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reaction with oxygen and carbon nucleophiles in good regio- and enantioselectivity. PMID- 17803314 TI - Photoisomerization of spiropyran for driving a molecular shuttle. AB - A novel light-powered molecular shuttle was synthesized which can switch the movement of a macrocycle between two distinct stations-dipeptide and zwitterionic ME-by exploiting the photoisomerization of spiropyran. The macrocycle resides selectively in the dipeptide station in the SP form and moves to the ME station under the irradiation of UV light. This movement process of the macrocycle is accompanied by reversible absorptive output signals which can be detected by the naked eye. PMID- 17803316 TI - Orientational effect of aryl groups in aryl selenides: how can 1h and 13c NMR chemical shifts clarify the effect? AB - Two sets of delta(H) and delta(C) are proposed by employing 9 (arylselanyl)anthracenes [9-(p-YC6H4Se)Atc: 1] and 1-(arylselanyl)anthraquinones [1-(p-YC6H4Se)Atq: 2] with various Y's. Structures of 1 and 2 are (A: pl) and (B: pd), respectively, for all Y examined in chloroform-d. After elucidation of the behavior of delta(H, C: 1) and delta(H, C: 2), they are applied to determine the structures in chloroform-d solutions for 1-(arylselanyl)naphthalenes (3), 1 (arylselanyl)-2-methylnaphthalenes (4), and 1-(arylselanyl)-8-bromonaphthalenes (5). Although the structure of 4 remains in (A: pl) in the solutions for all Y examined, that of 5 is (B: pd), except for Y = CN and NO2. On the other hand, 3 is shown to equilibrate between (A: pl) and (B: pd). Although the contributions of (B: pd) and (A: pl) are predominant for Y = NMe2 and NO2, respectively, the equilibrium constants change from Y to Y in the solutions. The results are supported by the quantum chemical calculations, containing the solvent effect of chloroform. These results demonstrate that delta(H, C: 1) and delta(H, C: 2), as well as delta(Se), serve as the practical standards for pl and pd, respectively, to analyze the structures of p-YC6H4ZR (Z = Se) in solutions. PMID- 17803317 TI - Enantioselective synthesis of trans-4-methylpipecolic acid. AB - An asymmetric synthesis for the preparation of both enantiomers of trans methylpipecolic acids is described. It is based on Sharpless epoxidation as a chirality source, regioselective ring opening with allylamine, and ring-closing metathesis to construct the piperidine ring. The stereogenic center at C-4 is set by stereoselective hydrogenation that is directed by the alcohol functionality of an intermediate and proceeds with good diastereomeric control (trans/cis 16/1). Crystallization of the Boc-protected amino acid afforded the target products with excellent chemical (98% de) and enantiomeric purity (99% ee). PMID- 17803318 TI - Hantzsch-type three-component approach to a new family of carbon-linked glycosyl amino acids. Synthesis of C-glycosylmethyl pyridylalanines. AB - C-Glycosylmethyl pyridylalanines reported in this paper constitute a novel family of glycosyl amino acids that contain a pyridine ring linking the carbohydrate and amino acid residues. These amino acids may serve to prepare nonnatural glycopeptides displaying firmly bound carbohydrate fragments through a rigid and highly stable tether. A viable route to these new hybrid molecules has been opened via thermally induced Hantzsch-type cyclocondensation using an aldehyde ketoester-enamino ester system. To one of these reagents was attached a C glycosyl residue, while to another was bound an amino acid fragment. In a one-pot optimized methodology, the dihydropyridine was not isolated while its purification was carried out by removal of unreacted material and side products using polymer-supported scavengers. Then the dihydropyridine (mixture of diastereoisomers) was oxidized by a polymer-bound oxidant to give the target pyridine bearing the two bioactive residues. In this way a range of eight compounds (58-68% yield) was prepared in which the elements of diversity were (i) the gluco and galacto configurations of the pyranose ring, (ii) the alpha- and beta-configurations at the anomeric center, and (iii) the positions of the carbohydrate and amino acid sectors in the pyridine ring. The orthogonal functional group protection in these amino acids allowed their easy incorporation into oligopeptides via sequential amino and carboxylic group coupling. PMID- 17803319 TI - Two complementary routes to 7-substituted chlorins. Partial mimics of chlorophyll B. AB - Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b exhibit distinct spectra yet differ only in the nature of a single substituent (7-methyl versus 7-formyl, respectively). Two complementary approaches have been developed for the synthesis of 7-substituted chlorins. The first approach is a de novo route wherein 2,9-dibromo-5-p tolyldipyrromethane (Eastern half) and 9-formyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,3,3 trimethyldipyrrin (Western half) undergo acid-catalyzed condensation followed by metal-mediated oxidative cyclization. The resulting zinc chlorin is sterically uncongested and bears (1) a geminal dimethyl group in the reduced, pyrroline ring, (2) a bromo substituent at the 7-position, and (3) a p-tolyl group at the 10-position. The second approach entails regioselective 7-bromination of a 10,15 diarylchlorin that lacks a substituent at the 5-position. In an extension of this latter approach, a 5,15-diarylchlorin that lacks a substituent at the 10-position undergoes regioselective bromination at the 8-position. The introduction of a TIPS-ethynyl, acetyl, or formyl group at the 7-position was achieved using Pd catalyzed reactions with the corresponding 7-bromochlorin. In the 10-p-tolyl substituted zinc chlorins, the series of substituents (7-TIPS-ethynyl, 7-acetyl, 7-formyl) progressively causes (1) a bathochromic shift in the absorption maximum of the B band (405 to 426 nm) and (2) a hypsochromic shift in the position of the Qy band (605 to 598 nm). The trends mirror those for chlorophyll b versus chlorophyll a but are of lesser magnitude. Taken together, the facile access to chlorins that bear auxochromes at the 7-position enables wavelength tunability and provides the foundation for fundamental spectroscopic studies. PMID- 17803320 TI - Effect of surface parameters on the performance of IgG-arrayed hydrogel chips: a comprehensive study. AB - In this article, the assay performance of 3D polyurethane (PU) hydrogel surfaces, used either plain or modified with cross linkers and additives in a direct immunoassay for IgG, is correlated with chip surface parameters such as water content and expansion, mechanical stability, hydrophilicity, thickness, and surface topography. Commercial chip surfaces ARChip Epoxy, Nexterion slide H and HydroGel are used as references. A strong correlation between assay sensitivity and physical surface parameters was found only for various hydrogels of the same chemical composition, in which cases assay sensitivity increases with decreasing hydrogel concentration as well as decreasing roughness, water content, and expansion. However, as is the case with all hydrogels tested, more hydrophobic layers with low water content are more highly reproducible from one measurement to another. PMID- 17803321 TI - Creation of lipid partitions by deposition of amphipathic viral peptides. AB - Phospholipid vesicles exhibit a natural characteristic to fuse and reform into a continuous single bilayer membrane on hydrophilic solid substrates such as glass, mica, and silica. The resulting solid-supported bilayer mimics physiological tendencies such as lipid flip-flop and lateral mobility. The lateral mobility of fluorescently labeled lipids fused into solid-supported bilayers is found to change upon deposition on the membrane surface of an amphipathic alpha-helical peptide (AH) derived from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A protein. The binding of the AH peptide to a phospholipid bilayer, with the helical axis parallel to the bilayer, leads to immobilization of the bilayer. We used AFM to better understand the mechanistic details of this specific interaction, and determined that the diminished fluidity of the bilayer is due to membrane thinning. Utilizing this specific interaction between AH peptides and lipid molecules, we demonstrate a novel process for the creation of lipid partition by employing AH peptides as agents to immobilize lipid molecules, thus creating a patterned solid support with partition-defined areas of freely mobile lipid bilayers. This architecture could have a wide range of applications in novel sensing, biotechnology, high-throughput screening, and biomimetic strategies. PMID- 17803322 TI - Racemic versus enantiopure alanine on Cu(110): an experimental study. AB - The adsorption of racemic alanine on the Cu(110) surface has been compared to that of enantiopure alanine using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). No evidence of chiral resolution at the surface was observed for the racemic system, indicating that the formation of separate enantiopure areas is not preferred. Also, in contrast to the enantiopure system, no chirally organized phase was observed for the racemic system. LEED shows that both systems display a common (3 x 2) phase at high coverage. However, the pathway and kinetic barriers to this phase differ markedly for the racemic and the enantiopure systems, with the racemic (3 x 2) appearing at a temperature that is more than 100 K below that required for the enantiopure system. In addition, we report intriguing complexities for the (3 x 2) LEED structure that is ubiquitous in amino acid/Cu(110) systems. First, a common (3 x 2) pattern with a zigzag distortion can be associated with both the racemic and enantiopure systems. For the racemic system, the coverage can be increased further to give a "true" (3 x 2) LEED pattern, which is a transformation that is impossible to enact for the enantiopure system. Most importantly, STM images of the "distorted" and "true" (3 x 2) structures created in the racemic system show subtle differences with neither arrangement being fully periodic over distances greater than a few molecules. Thus, the (3 x 2) phase appears to be more complicated than at first indicated and will require more complex models for a full interpretation. PMID- 17803323 TI - Primary versus ternary adsorption of proteins onto PEG brushes. AB - Polyethylene glycol (PEG) brushes are used to reduce protein adsorption at surfaces. Their design needs to allow for two leading adsorption modes at the brush-coated surface. One is primary adsorption at the surface itself. The second is ternary adsorption within the brush as a result of weak PEG-protein attraction. We present a scaling theory of the equilibrium adsorption isotherms allowing for concurrent primary and ternary adsorption. The analysis concerns the weak adsorption limit when individual PEG chains do not bind proteins. It also addresses two issues of special relevance to brushes of short PEGs: the consequences of large proteins at the surface protruding out of a shallow brush and the possibility of marginal solvent conditions leading to mean-field behavior. The simple expressions for the adsorption isotherms are in semiquantitative agreement with experiments. PMID- 17803324 TI - Quantifying hydrodynamic slip: a comprehensive analysis of dewetting profiles. AB - To characterize nontrivial boundary conditions of a liquid flowing past a solid, the slip length is commonly used as a measure. From the profile of a retracting liquid front (e.g., measured with atomic force microscopy), the slip length can be extracted with the help of a Stokes model for a thin liquid film dewetting from a solid substrate. Specifically, we use a lubrication model derived from the Stokes model for strong slippage and linearize the film profile around the flat, unperturbed film. For small slip lengths, we expand the linearized full Stokes model for small slopes up to third order. Using the respective model, we obtain, in addition to the slip length, the capillary number, from which we can estimate the viscosity of the fluid film. We compare numerical and experimental results, test the consistency and the validity of the models/approximations, and give an easy-to-follow guide of how they can be used to analyze experiments. PMID- 17803325 TI - Electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid and methanol on Pt deposits on Au(111). AB - This work presents characteristics of Pt deposits on Au(111) obtained by the use of spontaneous deposition and investigated by electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM). On such prepared and STM characterized Au(111)/Pt surfaces, we studied electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid and methanol. We show that the first monatomic layer of Pt displays a (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees surface structure, while the second layer is (1 x 1). After prolonged deposition, multilayer Pt deposits are formed selectively on Au(111) surface steps and are 1-20 nm wide and one to five layers thick. On the optimized Au(111)/Pt surface, formic acid oxidation rates are enhanced by a factor of 20 compared to those of pure Pt(111). The (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees Pt yields very low methanol oxidation rates, but the rates increase significantly with further Pt growth. PMID- 17803326 TI - Surface presentation of bioactive ligands in a nonadhesive background using DOPA tethered biotinylated poly(ethylene glycol). AB - We have developed surfaces for the selective presentation of biotinylated peptides and proteins in a background that resists nonspecific protein adsorption; controlled amounts of biotinylated poly(ethylene glycol) (MW 3400 Da; PEG3400) anchored to titanium-dioxide-coated surfaces via an adhesive tri-peptide sequence of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA3-PEG3400-biotin; DPB) were incorporated within a DOPA3-PEG2000 background. Using optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, we found that the amounts of sequentially adsorbed NeutrAvidin and singly biotinylated molecules increased proportionally with the amount of DPB in the surface. Biotinylated peptides (MW approximately 2000 Da) were able to fill all three of the remaining avidin-binding sites, while only one molecule of biotinylated PEG5000 or stem cell factor bound to each avidin. The resulting biotin-avidin-biotin linkages were stable for prolonged periods under continuous perfusion, even in the presence of excess free biotin. Hematopoietic M07e cells bound to immobilized peptide ligands for alpha5beta1 (cyclic RGD) and alpha4beta1 (cylic LDV) integrins in a DPB-dose-dependent manner, with near-maximal binding to cylic LDV for surfaces containing 1% DPB. Multiple ligands were adsorbed in a controlled manner by incubating NeutrAvidin with the respective ligands in the desired molar ratio and then adding the resulting complexes to DPB-containing surfaces. Cell adhesion to surfaces containing both cylic LDV and cyclic RGD increased in an additive manner compared to that for the individual ligands. The bioactivity of adsorbed biotinylated stem cell factor was retained, as demonstrated by DPB-dose-dependent M07e cell adhesion and ERK1/2 activation. PMID- 17803327 TI - Photon control of liquid motion on reversibly photoresponsive surfaces. AB - The movement of a liquid droplet on a flat surface functionalized with a photochromic azobenzene may be driven by the irradiation of spatially distinct areas of the drop with different UV and visible light fluxes to create a gradient in the surface tension. In order to better understand and control this phenomenon, we have measured the wetting characteristics of these surfaces for a variety of liquids after UV and visible light irradiation. The results are used to approximate the components of the azobenzene surface energy under UV and visible light using the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good equation. These components, in combination with liquid parameters, allow one to estimate the strength of the surface interaction as given by the advancing contact angle for various liquids. The azobenzene monolayers were formed on smooth air-oxidized Si surfaces through 3-aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane linkages. The experimental advancing and receding contact angles were determined following azobenzene photoisomerization under visible and ultraviolet (UV) light. Reversible light-induced advancing contact-angle changes ranging from 8 to 16 degrees were observed. A large reversible change in contact angle by photoswitching of 12.4 degrees was achieved for water. The millimeter-scale transport of 5 microL droplets of certain liquids was achieved by creating a spatial gradient in visible/UV light across the droplets. A criterion for light-induced motion of droplets is shown to be consistent with the response of a variety of liquids. The type of light-driven fluid movement observed could have applications in microfluidic devices. PMID- 17803328 TI - Thermal characterization of self-assembled monolayers of dialkyl disulfides containing the urea moiety. AB - Thermal behaviors of urea-containing dialkyl disulfides 4-(3 octadecylureido)phenyl disulfide (ODPD) and 3-(octadecylureido)ethane disulfide (ODED) and octadecyl disulfide (ODDS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were investigated by infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). Among the SAMs, the alkyl chain of ODPD is thermally reversible in the temperature region between 30 and 138 degrees C, whereas alkyl chains of ODED and ODDS are irreversible. With regard to the thermal stability of alkyl chains, ODED is superior to ODPD and ODDS. It is considered that the good thermal reversibility of the ODPD SAM is due to the rigid phenyl ring and the good thermal stability of the ODED SAM is due to the flexible ethylene linker. Moreover, 2D correlation analysis provides an enhancement of spectral resolution in amide II and CH2 antisymmetric stretching bands and suggests from the comparison of sequences of spectral events of ODPD and ODED SAMs that the last reorientation of the phenyl ring in the ODPD SAM is responsible for the good thermal reversibility. PMID- 17803329 TI - Poly(dimethylsiloxane) contamination in microcontact printing and its influence on patterning oligonucleotides. AB - It is well-established that, during microcontact printing (muCP) using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based stamps, some unexpected siloxane fragments can be transferred from the stamp to the surface of the sample. This so-called contamination effect coexists with the delivery of the molecules constituting the ink and by this way influences the printing process. The real impact of this contamination for the muCP technique is still partially unknown. In this work, we investigate the kinetics of this contamination process through the surface characterization of both the sample and the stamp after imprinting. The way both the curing conditions of the PDMS material and the contact time influence the degree of contamination of the surface is investigated on silicon and glass substrates. We propose a cleaning process of the stamp during several hours which eliminates any trace of contamination during printing. We show that hydrophobicity recovery of PDMS surfaces after hydrophilic treatment using oxygen plasma is considerably slowed down when the PDMS material is cleaned using our procedure. Finally, by comparing cleaned and uncleaned PDMS stamps, we show the influence of contamination on the quality of muCP using fluorescent DNA molecules as an ink. Surprisingly, we observe that the amount of DNA molecules transferred during muCP is higher for the uncleaned stamp, highlighting the positive impact of the presence of low molecular weight siloxane fragments on the muCP process. This result is attributed to the better adsorption of oligonucleotides on the stamp surface in presence of these contaminating molecules. PMID- 17803330 TI - Assembly of gold nanoparticles mediated by multifunctional fullerenes. AB - The understanding of the interparticle interactions of nanocomposite structures assembled using molecularly capped metal nanoparticles and macromolecular mediators as building blocks is essential for exploring the fine-tunable interparticle spatial and macromolecular properties. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the chemically tunable multifunctional interactions between fullerenes (1-(4-methyl)-piperazinyl fullerene, MPF) and gold nanoparticles. The interparticle spatial properties are defined by the macromolecular and multifunctional electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged nanoparticles and the positively charged fullerenes. In addition to characterization of the morphological properties, the surface plasmon resonance band, dynamic light scattering, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of the MPF-mediated assembly and disassembly processes have been determined. The change of the optical properties depends on the pH and electrolyte concentrations. The detection of the Raman-active vibration modes (Ag(2) and Hg(8)) of C60 and the determination of their particle size dependence have demonstrated that the adsorption of MPF on the nanoparticle surface in the MPF-Au nm assembly is responsible for the SERS effect. These findings provide new insights into the delineation between the interparticle interactions and the nanostructural properties for potential applications of the nanocomposite materials in spectroscopic and optical sensors and in controlled releases. PMID- 17803331 TI - Measuring health preferences for use in cost-utility and cost-benefit analyses of interventions in children: theoretical and methodological considerations. AB - Valuing the health of children for cost-utility or cost-benefit analysis poses a number of additional challenges when compared with valuing adult health. Some of these challenges relate to the inability of young children to value changes in health directly and the potential biases associated with using proxy respondents. Other challenges arise from children not being able to perform as independent economic actors, but dependent on others for care and decision making. In addition, illness in children may affect parent/caregiver quality of life, further complicating the measurement of value associated with a change in a child's health status. We review the most common approaches (QALYs and willingness-to-pay values) for valuing health in economic evaluations and consider the methodological and practical issues associated with measuring child health using each framework. Recommendations for advancing the field of valuing child health for economic evaluations will vary by age; a 'one size fits all' approach does not readily fit. Although limitations exist for all of the methods considered for valuing child health, the currently recommended approach for infants and preschoolers is direct valuation by a proxy respondent. For school age children and adolescents, existing multi-attribute instruments can be applied in some situations but direct valuation may be required for others. Future research should focus on minimising bias from proxy respondents, consideration of a family- or household-based approach to valuing health effects, and development of generic instruments with domains that are appropriate to children and that vary with age. PMID- 17803332 TI - The increasingly complex fourth hurdle for pharmaceuticals. AB - There are three known criteria that underlie drug reimbursement decisions: therapeutic value, cost effectiveness and burden of disease. However, evidence from recent reimbursement decisions in several jurisdictions points to residual unexplained variables, one of which may be budget impact. An economic rationale for carrying out budget impact analyses is opportunity cost, measured by the economic benefits foregone by using resources in one way rather than another. Under certain assumptions, cost-effectiveness analysis accounts for opportunity cost while conveying to the decision maker the price of maximising health gains, subject to a budget constraint. However, the underlying assumptions are implausible, particularly in the context of pharmaceutical care. Although drugs that are cost effective may lead to unambiguous health gains among patient groups for whom the drugs are indicated, the opportunity costs could conceivably lead to a reduction in aggregate health gains, or failure to meet different kinds of equity considerations. The pertinent policy question is where to find the resources to fund new innovations, such as cost-effective pharmaceuticals, or drugs targeting severe diseases. It may be a matter of redeployment of resources across healthcare sectors, cancelling the funding of (older) pharmaceuticals that are less cost effective, or delisting drugs that are cost effective but target less burdensome conditions. PMID- 17803333 TI - Modelling disease progression in Alzheimer's disease: a review of modelling methods used for cost-effectiveness analysis. AB - The literature reporting economic evaluations related to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has developed over the last decade. Most analyses have used economic models to estimate the cost effectiveness of drugs for the treatment of AD. This review considers the range of methods used in the published cost-effectiveness literature to model AD progression and the effect of interventions on the progression of AD. The review builds on and updates an earlier systematic review of cost-effectiveness studies on drugs for AD. Systematic and rigorous methods were used to search the literature for economic evaluations estimating the cost effectiveness of donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine or memantine in AD. The literature search covered a wide range of electronic databases (e.g. MEDLINE, EMBASE), and included literature from the inception of databases up to the end of 2005. The search identified 22 published economic evaluations. An outline and brief critical review of the identified studies is provided, and thereafter the methods used to model disease progression were considered in more detail. The review employs recent guidance on good practice in decision-analytic modelling in HTA to critically review the modelling methods used. Using this guidance, the models are assessed against the broad criteria of model structure, data inputs and assessment of uncertainty and inconsistency. Concerns were noted over the model structure employed in all models. The reliance on cognitive scores to model AD, the progression of the disease, and the effect of treatment on costs and consequences is regarded as a serious limitation in almost all of the studies identified. There are also limitations over the data used to populate published models, especially around the failure of studies to document and establish the basis for the modelling of treatment effects. It is also clear that studies modelling AD progression, and subsequently the cost effectiveness of treatment, have not addressed uncertainty or consistency (internal and/or external) in sufficient detail. Further research is required on more appropriate methods for the modelling of AD progression. In the meantime, future economic evaluations of treatment need to be more explicit on the methods used to model AD, and the data used to populate models. PMID- 17803334 TI - Epidemiology and economic impact of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: review and analysis of the literature. AB - In the past 2 decades, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become an increasingly prevalent problem in healthcare, both in acute care institutions and in the community. MRSA is associated with worse outcomes and higher costs for care than meticillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). MRSA is a particular problem in several conditions, including hospital-acquired pneumonia (including ventilator-associated pneumonia), skin and soft tissue infections, and diabetic foot infections. Hospitalisation costs associated with MRSA infection are substantially greater than those associated with MSSA infection, and MRSA has wider economic effects that involve indirect costs to the patient and to society. In several countries, infection control programmes have shown potential economic benefits, as savings accruing from strict and effective control have been shown to outweigh the cost of policy implementation. Standard therapy is based on glycopeptide treatment, usually with vancomycin, although resistance to this agent has emerged. Alternative available treatments for MRSA include teicoplanin, tigecycline, daptomycin, quinupristin-dalfopristin and the oxazolidinone, linezolid, which has a higher acquisition cost than vancomycin but is available as intravenous and oral formulations. Despite some limitations of analyses to date, linezolid has been shown to be cost effective in the treatment of MRSA and appears to be related, in part, to the drug's potential for facilitating earlier discharge from hospital. Current opinion favours rational prescribing to maximise therapeutic benefit and minimise the risk of further antibacterial resistance. PMID- 17803335 TI - Long-term clopidogrel therapy in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention. AB - BACKGROUND: The PCI-CURE (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention-Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events) and CREDO (Clopidogrel for the Reduction of Events During Observation) studies have demonstrated that, in addition to aspirin, pre-treatment with clopidogrel followed by long-term (i.e. 9 12 months) therapy significantly reduces the risk of atherothrombotic events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). OBJECTIVE: To examine the economic implications, from the Dutch healthcare perspective, of the use of clopidogrel in patients undergoing PCI (elective procedures or in patients with acute coronary syndrome), comparing pre-treatment followed by long-term therapy with only 4 weeks of treatment. METHODS: A lifetime Markov model was used to combine data from the PCI-CURE and CREDO trials with data from the literature concerning epidemiology, costs and quality of life. The model was run separately for each trial. Only direct healthcare costs (euro, year 2004 values) were considered. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 4% per anum. For each trial, the cost effectiveness is expressed as costs per life-year and QALY gained. Uncertainties are addressed by uni- and probabilistic multivariate sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: When starting with the data from the PCI-CURE trial, pre treatment plus 9-month clopidogrel therapy was predicted to save 1119 euros and gain 0.03 life-years and 0.07 QALYs per patient compared with short-term treatment. When starting with the data from the CREDO trial, the combination of pre-treatment and prolonged clopidogrel therapy (1 year) was estimated to save 497 euros and gain 0.10 life-years and 0.14 QALYs per patient. Univariate and probabilistic multivariate sensitivity analyses suggested that the conclusions were generally robust, but that the expected gain in survival for the PCI-CURE population was very sensitive to the effects on mortality within the combined endpoint of myocardial infarction/stroke-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: In The Netherlands, pre-treatment plus long-term (9-12 months) therapy with clopidogrel is estimated to save costs and increase (quality-adjusted) survival in the prevention of ischaemic events among patients undergoing elective PCI (CREDO) and in patients with acute coronary syndrome (PCI-CURE) compared with short-term treatment with clopidogrel without pre-treatment. PMID- 17803336 TI - Preferences of community pharmacists for extended roles in primary care: a survey and discrete choice experiment. AB - BACKGROUND: Major changes in the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists across the world are occurring. A new Scottish Community Pharmacy contract was introduced in April 2006, following the introduction of a similar contract in England in 2005. This contract encourages greater involvement in medicines management and other clinical cognitive roles, whilst retaining a supply function. OBJECTIVE: To use a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to examine the strength of preference of community pharmacists for existing and potential new roles, prior to the introduction of the new contract. STUDY DESIGN: The DCE was a component of a larger questionnaire, which assessed demography, workload, attitudes to, and satisfaction with, proposed new roles, and current levels of activity. Attributes and levels for the DCE were based on the recent policy document for Scotland, The Right Medicine, and informed consensus, respectively. Scenarios were organised into pairs, and pharmacists were asked "Which job would you prefer?" The questionnaire was mailed to all pharmacists working in the community setting in Scotland (n = 1621), as identified from a telephone survey. The questionnaire was totally anonymous, and two reminders were sent. RESULTS: There was an overall response rate of 56.4% (914/1621). Community pharmacists preferred to work in an extended pharmacy team, to have strong integration with secondary care, and to provide a minor illness advice service. In 2003, they would forgo an annual income of 3443 pounds, 2183 pounds and 2798 pounds, respectively to achieve this. However, overall, the pharmacists preferred more income to less. Repeat dispensing, chronic disease management, offering health promotion services, and the number of prescriptions dispensed per month were not significant predictors of job choice. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists placed the highest value on organisational aspects of their work, and having a first contact primary care role. Although total income was important, there were indications that they would be prepared to forgo income to attain their preferred job. PMID- 17803337 TI - Reliability of medicaid claims versus medical record data: in a cost analysis of palivizumab. AB - BACKGROUND: Palivizumab is one of the most costly paediatric medications for Medicaid and other health plans. It is uncertain whether the costs of palivizumab administration are justified in specific risk groups. Ongoing investigations of palivizumab require identification of reliable data sources. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the reliability between Medicaid paid claims data and medical records documentation in a cost analysis of palivizumab. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of data reliability was performed within a cost analysis study of palivizumab in a cohort of at-risk patients during the US 2002/3 respiratory syncytial virus season. Exposure classification (to palivizumab prophylaxis) was compared using Medicaid claims and medical records data. METHODS: The study was performed in 28 widely dispersed paediatric medical practices serving North Carolina, USA Medicaid patients within the AccessCare/Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) Program, an enhanced primary care case management programme. Patients were eligible if they were born between 1 March 2002 and 28 February 2003 at 32-35 weeks estimated gestational age, were enrolled in the North Carolina primary care case management Medicaid programme during the study period and were patients of the participating practices. Medicaid healthcare claims were obtained in December 2003 for services provided between October 2002 and May 2003. Medical records were abstracted by community-based case managers. Primary variables included frequency, dates and dose of palivizumab injections. The main outcomes measures were agreement in the number of palivizumab injections, dates of administration and doses of palivizumab between Medicaid paid claims and medical record data. RESULTS: Injection frequencies matched between medical record and Medicaid claims data for only 46.2% of study participants. Congruence in injection service dates occurred between data sources for only 1% of injections. Doses were similar between data sources for 81.9% of injections. CONCLUSIONS: In Medicaid recipients receiving palivizumab injection, Medicaid claims data were inconsistent with medical records data. Use of multiple data sources and validation are recommended to identify temporal relationships between drug administration and endpoints of interest. PMID- 17803338 TI - A lifetime modelled economic evaluation comparing pioglitazone and rosiglitazone for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the UK. PMID- 17803341 TI - The concept of complete remission of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease : comparative efficacy of pantoprazole and esomeprazole using the ReQuest questionnaire. AB - Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is associated with a broad array of symptoms that may be typical or atypical of the disease and that may be accompanied by erosive oesophagitis. Symptom scales that have historically been employed to assess response to treatment in GORD clinical trials do not typically account for the heterogeneous, episodic nature of GORD and the poor correlation between patients' and physicians' assessment of symptoms. The ReQuest questionnaire permits self-assessment of changes on a broad range of GORD-related symptoms on a daily basis and in combination with the Los Angeles (LA) classification (ReQuest/LA-classification) to assess complete remission of GORD. Pantoprazole and esomeprazole are two of the newer proton pump inhibitors and are the first to be systematically reviewed using the ReQuest(trade mark) questionnaire. Results from recent head-to-head trials have shown pantoprazole and esomeprazole to be highly and equally effective treatments for (i) rapid and sustained relief of ReQuest-assessed GORD-related symptoms in patients with non erosive GORD or endoscopically confirmed erosive GORD, and (ii) achieving a combined outcome comprising endoscopically confirmed healing and ReQuest-assessed symptom relief in patients with erosive GORD. There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that pantoprazole may be the better choice of treatment in terms of its potential to maintain control of symptoms in patients for whom night-time symptoms are a concern and if taken as on-demand rather than continuous maintenance therapy. PMID- 17803342 TI - Age and gender biases in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in a Finnish university hospital setting. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several studies have shown that treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) does not meet the goals set in recommendations. The aim of this study was to investigate the adequacy of CHD drug treatment and secondary prevention measures, particularly with respect to age and gender biases, in a Finnish university hospital setting. METHODS: The participant pool consisted of patients in FINCAVAS (Finnish Cardiovascular Study), which is a cohort study recruiting consecutive patients performing a clinical exercise test at Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. 802 patients (581 men, 221 women) with a prior diagnosis of CHD recruited between October 2001 and December 2004 were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Only roughly 12% of both men and women had an optimal risk factor profile. High blood pressure and hypercholesterolaemia were more common in women than in men, whereas smoking was more frequent among men. Men used ACE inhibitors (32.9% vs 20.4%, respectively), beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (80.8% vs 68.3%, respectively) and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) [69.7% vs 58.8%, respectively] more frequently than women, but the frequency of use of these medications was also not at the recommended levels in men. Risk factor control is poorer in older than younger age groups. CONCLUSIONS: CHD patients, particularly women, who performed an exercise stress test in a university hospital are suboptimally treated. PMID- 17803343 TI - Tolerability and safety of topiramate in Chinese patients with epilepsy : an open label, long-term, prospective study. AB - OBJECTIVES: This study focused on (i) evaluating the long-term tolerability and safety of topiramate in Chinese patients with epilepsy, and (ii) comparing the tolerability and safety of topiramate monotherapy versus polytherapy in the same population. METHODS: This was a prospective, open-label, long-term (36 months) clinical trial. 320 patients (275 adults and 45 children) with epilepsy were recruited into the study; of these, 156 patients had generalised seizures, 151 patients had partial seizures and 13 patients had unclassifiable seizures. All patients received topiramate approximately 200 mg/day either as monotherapy or as adjunctive therapy. At each visit, a physical examination and routine laboratory analysis were performed, and the adverse event (AE) profile was obtained by face to-face interview. RESULTS: 268 patients received topiramate 200 kb, providing further precision to the diploid nature of the genome. These data depict a definitive molecular portrait of a diploid human genome that provides a starting point for future genome comparisons and enables an era of individualized genomic information. PMID- 17803355 TI - Deletion of ultraconserved elements yields viable mice. AB - Ultraconserved elements have been suggested to retain extended perfect sequence identity between the human, mouse, and rat genomes due to essential functional properties. To investigate the necessities of these elements in vivo, we removed four noncoding ultraconserved elements (ranging in length from 222 to 731 base pairs) from the mouse genome. To maximize the likelihood of observing a phenotype, we chose to delete elements that function as enhancers in a mouse transgenic assay and that are near genes that exhibit marked phenotypes both when completely inactivated in the mouse and when their expression is altered due to other genomic modifications. Remarkably, all four resulting lines of mice lacking these ultraconserved elements were viable and fertile, and failed to reveal any critical abnormalities when assayed for a variety of phenotypes including growth, longevity, pathology, and metabolism. In addition, more targeted screens, informed by the abnormalities observed in mice in which genes in proximity to the investigated elements had been altered, also failed to reveal notable abnormalities. These results, while not inclusive of all the possible phenotypic impact of the deleted sequences, indicate that extreme sequence constraint does not necessarily reflect crucial functions required for viability. PMID- 17803356 TI - Cryptic population dynamics: rapid evolution masks trophic interactions. AB - Trophic relationships, such as those between predator and prey or between pathogen and host, are key interactions linking species in ecological food webs. The structure of these links and their strengths have major consequences for the dynamics and stability of food webs. The existence and strength of particular trophic links has often been assessed using observational data on changes in species abundance through time. Here we show that very strong links can be completely missed by these kinds of analyses when changes in population abundance are accompanied by contemporaneous rapid evolution in the prey or host species. Experimental observations, in rotifer-alga and phage-bacteria chemostats, show that the predator or pathogen can exhibit large-amplitude cycles while the abundance of the prey or host remains essentially constant. We know that the species are tightly linked in these experimental microcosms, but without this knowledge, we would infer from observed patterns in abundance that the species are weakly or not at all linked. Mathematical modeling shows that this kind of cryptic dynamics occurs when there is rapid prey or host evolution for traits conferring defense against attack, and the cost of defense (in terms of tradeoffs with other fitness components) is low. Several predictions of the theory that we developed to explain the rotifer-alga experiments are confirmed in the phage bacteria experiments, where bacterial evolution could be tracked. Modeling suggests that rapid evolution may also confound experimental approaches to measuring interaction strength, but it identifies certain experimental designs as being more robust against potential confounding by rapid evolution. PMID- 17803357 TI - Autoimmune response as a mechanism for a Dobzhansky-Muller-type incompatibility syndrome in plants. AB - Epistatic interactions between genes are a major factor in evolution. Hybrid necrosis is an example of a deleterious phenotype caused by epistatic interactions that is observed in many intra- and interspecific plant hybrids. A large number of hybrid necrosis cases share phenotypic similarities, suggesting a common underlying mechanism across a wide range of plant species. Here, we report that approximately 2% of intraspecific crosses in Arabidopsis thaliana yield F1 progeny that express necrosis when grown under conditions typical of their natural habitats. We show that several independent cases result from epistatic interactions that trigger autoimmune-like responses. In at least one case, an allele of an NB-LRR disease resistance gene homolog is both necessary and sufficient for the induction of hybrid necrosis, when combined with a specific allele at a second locus. The A. thaliana cases provide insights into the molecular causes of hybrid necrosis, and serve as a model for further investigation of intra- and interspecific incompatibilities caused by a simple epistatic interaction. Moreover, our finding that plant immune-system genes are involved in hybrid necrosis suggests that selective pressures related to host pathogen conflict might cause the evolution of gene flow barriers in plants. PMID- 17803358 TI - Down-regulation of NF-kappaB target genes by the AP-1 and STAT complex during the innate immune response in Drosophila. AB - The activation of several transcription factors is required for the elimination of infectious pathogens via the innate immune response. The transcription factors NF-kappaB, AP-1, and STAT play major roles in the synthesis of immune effector molecules during innate immune responses. However, the fact that these immune responses can have cytotoxic effects requires their tight regulation to achieve restricted and transient activation, and mis-regulation of the damping process has pathological consequences. Here we show that AP-1 and STAT are themselves the major inhibitors responsible for damping NF-kappaB-mediated transcriptional activation during the innate immune response in Drosophila. As the levels of dAP 1 and Stat92E increase due to continuous immune signaling, they play a repressive role by forming a repressosome complex with the Drosophila HMG protein, Dsp1. The dAP-1-, Stat92E-, and Dsp1-containing complexes replace Relish at the promoters of diverse immune effector genes by binding to evolutionarily conserved cis elements, and they recruit histone deacetylase to inhibit transcription. Reduction by mutation of dAP-1, Stat92E, or Dsp1 results in hyperactivation of Relish target genes and reduces the viability of bacterially infected flies despite more efficient pathogen clearance. These defects are rescued by reducing the Relish copy number, thus confirming that mis-regulation of Relish, not inadequate activation of dAP-1, Stat92E, or Dsp1 target genes, is responsible for the reduced survival of the mutants. We conclude that an inhibitory effect of AP 1 and STAT on NF-kappaB is required for properly balanced immune responses and appears to be evolutionarily conserved. PMID- 17803359 TI - Heritable stochastic switching revealed by single-cell genealogy. AB - The partitioning and subsequent inheritance of cellular factors like proteins and RNAs is a ubiquitous feature of cell division. However, direct quantitative measures of how such nongenetic inheritance affects subsequent changes in gene expression have been lacking. We tracked families of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as they switch between two semi-stable epigenetic states. We found that long after two cells have divided, they continued to switch in a synchronized manner, whereas individual cells have exponentially distributed switching times. By comparing these results to a Poisson process, we show that the time evolution of an epigenetic state depends initially on inherited factors, with stochastic processes requiring several generations to decorrelate closely related cells. Finally, a simple stochastic model demonstrates that a single fluctuating regulatory protein that is synthesized in large bursts can explain the bulk of our results. PMID- 17803360 TI - Ten_m3 regulates eye-specific patterning in the mammalian visual pathway and is required for binocular vision. AB - Binocular vision requires an exquisite matching of projections from each eye to form a cohesive representation of the visual world. Eye-specific inputs are anatomically segregated, but in register in the visual thalamus, and overlap within the binocular region of primary visual cortex. Here, we show that the transmembrane protein Ten_m3 regulates the alignment of ipsilateral and contralateral projections. It is expressed in a gradient in the developing visual pathway, which is consistently highest in regions that represent dorsal visual field. Mice that lack Ten_m3 show profound abnormalities in mapping of ipsilateral, but not contralateral, projections, and exhibit pronounced deficits when performing visually mediated behavioural tasks. It is likely that the functional deficits arise from the interocular mismatch, because they are reversed by acute monocular inactivation. We conclude that Ten_m3 plays a key regulatory role in the development of aligned binocular maps, which are required for normal vision. PMID- 17803361 TI - [The present condition of rapid diagnostic reagent for microbiology]. PMID- 17803362 TI - [Evaluation for anaerobic culture system: Anoxomat Mart II]. AB - Anoxomat Mart II (Mart Microbiology BV, Lichtenvooorde, Netherlands, Central Scientific Commerce Inc., Tokyo, Japan) is an anaerobic jar apparatus which uses a vacuum pump in combination with catalyst as gas replacement procedure to remove all traces of oxygen. As we had a chance to use Anoxomat Mart II, we compared it with other two anaerobic culture methods; namely AnaeroPack anaero (Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Tokyo, Japan) which employs anaerobic jar method, and Concept400 (RUSKINN TECHNOLOGY LTD, England; Central Scientific Commerce INc., Tokyo, Japan) which uses anaerobic chamber method. We used 10 different species of anaerobic bacteria obtained from ATCC. One strain each of 10 species was cultured and examined for measurement of the sensitibity of an anaerobic indicator, th number of bacteria after 48 hour culture, the diameter of colonies, and MIC value. As a result, the time to reach the anaerobic condition was around 30 minutes by the Mart II against around 60 minutes by the AnaeroPack anaero. There was no difference concerning the number of bacteria after 48 hour culture among three methods. But anaerobic bacteria cultured by Mart II tended to make bigger colonies compared to other two methods in the 5 strains out of 9, except for one strain in which the diameter of colonies could not be measured. On the other hand, the comparison of MIC value showed good correlation in 11 antibiotics out of 12 among three methods. The MIC value of 11 antibiotics fitted within 1 fold difference, and 2-fold difference was observed in only one antibiotic. Mart II is so small that it does cheep consumables. From these reasons, we concluded that Mart II can be one of the useful anerobic culture methods. PMID- 17803363 TI - Follow-up services after an emergency department visit for substance abuse. AB - OBJECTIVE: The recent introduction of substance abuse treatment measures to the Health Plan Employer and Data Information Set (HEDIS) highlights the importance of this area for managed care organizations (MCOs). Particularly challenging are members first diagnosed in an emergency department (ED). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective claims analysis. METHODS: Claims were abstracted for all members who used an ED in 2004 for a diagnosis of substance abuse in a large commercial MCO. General linear models were used to estimate the association between receiving follow-up care within 14 and 60 days and sex, age, type of primary diagnosis, substance abused, and level of use. RESULTS: Of the 1235 patients who visited an ED with a diagnosis of substance abuse, 13% received follow-up substance abuse services within 14 days of their ED visit. An additional 36% of patients had an outpatient service that did not code a substance abuse diagnosis within 2 weeks of an ED visit. The diagnosis breakdown of patients' primary diagnoses was 28% substance use, 13% mental health issues, and 59% nonpsychiatric (medical) disorders. The multivariable regression analyses revealed having a nonpsychiatric (medical) primary diagnosis was the strongest predictor of not receiving follow-up care (relative risk = 0.51) at 14 days compared with patients who had a mental health diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Training ED staff and nonbehavioral health outpatient providers in treatment follow-up for substance abuse may improve the quality of care for patients. Encouraging providers to code for substance abuse when treatment or counseling is delivered would improve health plan HEDIS scores. Interventions may be needed for frequent ED users with substance abuse. PMID- 17803364 TI - Combination vaccine use and vaccination quality in a managed care population. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a pentavalent combination vaccine on childhood immunization coverage rates and timeliness within a managed care organization. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective matched-cohort analysis of encounter data from administrative claims and a state immunization registry. METHODS: Children were stratified into 2 demographically matched cohorts (combination and reference), based on receipt of the DTaP/HepB/IPV combination vaccine. Children were followed until 24 months of age, and coverage rates and on-time rates were assessed. Outcomes were measured for the HEDIS Combination 2 vaccine series (4 doses of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis, 3 doses of polio, 1 dose of measles/mumps/rubella, 3 doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b, 3 doses of hepatitis B, and 1 dose of varicella) and each vaccine series individually. RESULTS: Children in the combination cohort were significantly more likely to be fully vaccinated for the HEDIS Combination 2 series by 2 years of age and to be vaccinated within the recommended age ranges. In the combination cohort 86.9% (752/865) of patients were fully covered compared with only 74.1% (641/865) of the reference cohort (P <.001). In the combination cohort 45.2% (391/865) of patients received vaccinations on time versus 37.5% (324/865) of the reference cohort, P = .001. CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of DTaP/HepB/IPV was associated with improved coverage and age-appropriate immunization in a managed care population. PMID- 17803365 TI - Do financial incentives in a globally budgeted healthcare payment system produce changes in the way patients are categorized? A five-year study. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the responses to financial incentives after a change in the payment system in a capitation-style healthcare payment system over a 5-year period. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal examination of cost, utilization, and diagnostic data. METHODS: Using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative data on healthcare users between fiscal years 1998 and 2002, we calculated the proportion of new patients entering each of the payment classes, the illness burden of patients entering the payment classes, and the profitability index (a ratio of payment to costs) for each class suspected of gaming and each control class. Our main dependent variables of interest were the differences in the measures between each utilization-based class and each diagnosis-based class. We used 2 different analytic approaches to assess whether these differences increased or decreased over time. RESULTS: No clear evidence of gaming behavior was present in our results. A few comparisons were significant, but they did not show a consistent pattern of responses to incentives. For example, 6 of 16 comparisons of profitability index were significant, but (contrary to the hypothesis) 4 of these had a negative value for the time parameter, indicating decreasing profitability in the utilization-based classes versus the diagnosis-based classes. CONCLUSIONS: Although the payment system could be manipulated to increase payment to VHA networks, no such consistent gaming behavior was observed. More research is needed to better understand the effects of financial incentives in other healthcare payment systems. PMID- 17803366 TI - Predicting HIV care costs using CD4 counts from clinical trials. AB - OBJECTIVE: To predict the effects of a new antiretroviral agent on the costs of care in a US HIV care setting. METHODS: Recent data on costs of patient care by CD4 count from 2 US cohorts (the HIV Research Network cohort and patients receiving primary care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham HIV clinic) were combined with CD4 count data from the POWER trials of the protease inhibitor darunavir. Patients in the POWER trials received either darunavir plus low-dose ritonavir (darunavir/r) or selected control protease inhibitors. The effects of rising CD4 counts with darunavir/r 600/100 mg twice daily on healthcare costs were predicted by using the US cohort data and published US antiretroviral drug prices. RESULTS: In the POWER trials, the overall cost of antiretroviral treatment including darunavir/r was $427 (1.4%) higher than that of combination treatment including control protease inhibitors. However, this increase may be offset by lower predicted costs of HIV care, leading to predicted net savings in overall costs of HIV treatment and care of $3613 per person-year based on data from the HIV Research Network cohort and $2836 per person-year based on data from the University of Alabama cohort. The prediction of cost savings is limited to the 12-month duration of the trial. CONCLUSION: By raising the CD4 count, new antiretrovirals could lower healthcare costs for HIV-infected people. This type of analysis could be used for other antiretrovirals, for a short-term assessment of overall budget impact. PMID- 17803367 TI - Overcoming inertia: improvement in achieving target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. AB - OBJECTIVE: To improve lipid management of high-risk patients in a large academic primary care practice. STUDY DESIGN: Educational intervention with historical controls. METHODS: We determined the likelihood of providers within an academic Veterans Affairs primary care practice to adjust simvastatin doses before and after a low-cost educational intervention. Study patients were enrolled during a 2-year preintervention period, had an indication to achieve a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level of <100 mg/dL, and were taking simvastatin but not at the maximum dose. We explored factors that might affect dose changing, including patient demographics, diabetes, coronary disease, patient medication adherence, and a threshold effect where LDL-C values just above the target might lead to provider inaction. RESULTS: Initially, 49% of 4048 patients met their LDL C target. Before the intervention, the simvastatin dose was changed at only 16% of 2103 patient visits where the patient was not at treatment target and was on less than the maximum dose. Providers were more likely to adjust the dose for patients with high LDL-C and those who were compliant, and less likely to adjust it for older or diabetic patients. After the intervention, 62% of 1414 patients met their treatment target. Compared with the preintervention period, providers were more likely to increase the simvastatin dose for patients not yet at their target (P = .023). CONCLUSION: Following a low-cost intervention, providers more aggressively treated high LDL-C in high-risk patients, and more patients reached their treatment target goal. PMID- 17803368 TI - A novel approach to the detection of genomic approximate tandem repeats in the Levenshtein metric. AB - An efficient algorithm for detecting approximate tandem repeats in genomic sequences is presented. The algorithm is based on innovative statistical criteria to detect candidate regions which may include tandem repeats; these regions are subsequently verified by alignments based on dynamic programming. No prior information about the period size or pattern is needed. Also, the algorithm is virtually capable of detecting repeats with any period. An implementation of the algorithm is compared with the two state-of-the-art tandem repeats detection tools to demonstrate its effectiveness both on natural and synthetic data. The algorithm is available at www.cs.brown.edu/people/domanic/tandem/. PMID- 17803369 TI - Comparing protein interaction networks via a graph match-and-split algorithm. AB - We present a method that compares the protein interaction networks of two species to detect functionally similar (conserved) protein modules between them. The method is based on an algorithm we developed to identify matching subgraphs between two graphs. Unlike previous network comparison methods, our algorithm has provable guarantees on correctness and efficiency. Our algorithm framework also admits quite general criteria that define when two subgraphs match and constitute a conserved module. We apply our method to pairwise comparisons of the yeast protein network with the human, fruit fly and nematode worm protein networks, using a lenient criterion based on connectedness and matching edges, coupled with a clustering heuristic. In evaluations of the detected conserved modules against reference yeast protein complexes, our method performs competitively with and sometimes better than two previous network comparison methods. Further, under some conditions (proper homolog and species selection), our method performs better than a popular single-species clustering method. Beyond these evaluations, we discuss the biology of a couple of conserved modules detected by our method. We demonstrate the utility of network comparison for transferring annotations from yeast proteins to human ones, and validate the predicted annotations. Supplemental text is available at www.cs.berkeley.edu/ approximately nmani/M-and S/supplement.pdf. PMID- 17803370 TI - A structure-based flexible search method for motifs in RNA. AB - The discovery of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) motifs and their role in regulating gene expression has recently attracted considerable attention. The goal is to discover these motifs in a sequence database. Current RNA motif search methods start from the primary sequence and only then take into account secondary structure considerations. One can think of developing a flexible structure-based motif search method that will filter datasets based on secondary structure first, while allowing extensive primary sequence factors and additional factors such as potential pseudoknots as constraints. Since different motifs vary in structure rigidity and in local sequence constraints, there is a need for algorithms and tools that can be fine-tuned according to the searched RNA motif, but differ in their approach from the RNAMotif descriptor language. We present an RNA motif search tool called STRMS (Structural RNA Motif Search), which takes as input the secondary structure of the query, including local sequence and structure constraints, and a target sequence database. It reports all occurrences of the query in the target, ranked by their similarity to the query, and produces an html file that displays graphical images of the predicted structures for both the query and the candidate hits. Our tool is flexible and takes into account a large number of sequence options and existence of potential pseudoknots as dictated by specific queries. Our approach combines pre-folding and an O(m n) RNA pattern matching algorithm based on subtree homeomorphism for ordered, rooted trees. An O(n(2) log n) extension is described that allows the search engine to take into account the pseudoknots typical to riboswitches. We employed STRMS in search for both new and known RNA motifs (riboswitches and tRNAs) in large target databases. Our results point to a number of additional purine bacterial riboswitch candidates in newly sequenced bacteria, and demonstrate high sensitivity on known riboswitches and tRNAs. Code and data are available at www.cs.bgu.ac.il/vaksler/STRMS. PMID- 17803371 TI - A novel method for signal transduction network inference from indirect experimental evidence. AB - In this paper, we introduce a new method of combined synthesis and inference of biological signal transduction networks. A main idea of our method lies in representing observed causal relationships as network paths and using techniques from combinatorial optimization to find the sparsest graph consistent with all experimental observations. Our contributions are twofold: (a) We formalize our approach, study its computational complexity and prove new results for exact and approximate solutions of the computationally hard transitive reduction substep of the approach (Sections 2 and 5). (b) We validate the biological usability of our approach by successfully applying it to a previously published signal transduction network by Li et al. (2006) and show that our algorithm for the transitive reduction substep performs well on graphs with a structure similar to those observed in transcriptional regulatory and signal transduction networks. PMID- 17803372 TI - Note on the computation of critical effective population sizes. AB - This work extends the work of Whitlock in examining the critical effective population sizes from the fixation of both deleterious and beneficial mutations under drift and selection to prevent mutation breakdown of the population. The validity of approximations for the probability of fixation depends on the nature of the assumed distribution for the fitness effect of both types of mutations. Using no approximation for the probability of fixation and assuming a heavy tailed fitness effect distribution, the current model indicates that the coefficients of variation for the fitness effect distributions of both types of mutations and the fitness effect distribution mean for the beneficial mutations are important predictors of the critical effective population size. The current model further predicts that very small populations can be sustained if the fitness effect variances for both types of mutations and the mean for beneficial mutations are large. PMID- 17803373 TI - The chronic fatigue syndrome: a comparative pathway analysis. AB - In this paper, we introduce a method to detect pathological pathways of a disease. We aim to identify biological processes rather than single genes affected by the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). So far, CFS has neither diagnostic clinical signals nor abnormalities that could be diagnosed by laboratory examinations. It is also unclear if the CFS represents one disease or can be subdivided in different categories. We use information from clinical trials, the gene ontology (GO) database as well as gene expression data to identify undirected dependency graphs (UDGs) representing biological processes according to the GO database. The structural comparison of UDGs of sick versus non-sick patients allows us to make predictions about the modification of pathways due to pathogenesis. PMID- 17803374 TI - A physical analogy of the genetic toggle switch. AB - We show that there is a physical analogy between a stochastic model of a genetic toggle switch system and a thermostated particle moving in a potential field, derived from the probability distribution of the toggle switch. This result suggests that one can actually simulate the dynamics of a more complex gene network by considering an ensemble of thermostated particles moving in a potential field, derived from the stationary distribution of the chemical stochastic model describing the gene network. PMID- 17803375 TI - Modeling the Hes1 oscillator. AB - Somitogenesis describes the segmentation of vertebrate embryonic bodies, which is thought to be induced by ultradian clocks (i.e., clocks with relatively short cycles compared to circadian clocks). One candidate for such a clock is the bHLH factor Hes1, forming dimers which repress the transcription of its own encoding gene. Most models for such small autoregulative networks are based on delay equations where a Hill function represents the regulation of transcription. The aim of the present paper is to estimate the Hill coefficient in the switch of an Hes1 oscillator and to suggest a more detailed model of the autoregulative network. The promoter of Hes1 consists of three to four binding sites for Hes1 dimers. Using the sparse data from literature, we find, in contrast to other statements in literature, that there is not much evidence for synergistic binding in the regulatory region of Hes1, and that the Hill coefficient is about three. As a model for the negative feedback loop, we use a Goodwin system and find sustained oscillations for systems with a large enough number of linear differential equations. By a suitable variation of the number of equations, we provide a rational lower bound for the Hill coefficient for such a system. Our results suggest that there exist additional nonlinear processes outside of the regulatory region of Hes1. PMID- 17803376 TI - Efficient algorithms for counting and reporting segregating sites in genomic sequences. AB - The number of segregating sites provides an indicator of the degree of DNA sequence variation that is present in a sample, and has been of great interest to the biological, pharmaceutical and medical professions. In this paper, we first provide linear- and expected-sublinear-time algorithms for finding all the segregating sites of a given set of DNA sequences. We also describe a data structure for tracking segregating sites in a set of sequences, such that every time the set is updated with the insertion of a new sequence or removal of an existing one, the segregating sites are updated accordingly without the need to re-scan the entire set of sequences. PMID- 17803377 TI - Quantitative model for binary measurements of protein-protein interactions. AB - We develop a stochastic model for quantifying the binary measurements of protein protein interactions. A key concept in the model is the binary response function (BRF) which represents the conditional probability of successfully detecting a protein-protein interaction with a given number of the protein complexes. A popular form of the BRF is introduced and the effect of the sharpness (Hill's coefficient) of this function is studied. Our model is motivated by the recently developed yeast two-hybrid method for measuring protein-protein interaction networks. We suggest that the same phenomenological BRF can also be applied to the mass spectroscopic measurement of protein-protein interactions. Based on the model, we investigate the contributions to the network topology of protein protein interactions from (i) the distribution of protein binary association free energy, and from (ii) the cellular protein abundance. It is concluded that the association constants among different protein pairs cannot be totally independent. It is also shown that not only the association constants but also the protein abundance could be a factor in producing the power-law degree distribution of protein-protein interaction networks. PMID- 17803378 TI - Combined FT-Raman and SEM studies of the effects of Er:YAG laser irradiation on dentin. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the molecular and morphological changes on dentin elements after Er:YAG laser irradiation. BACKGROUND DATA: Spectroscopy studies reporting the effects of Er:YAG laser irradiation as an alternative to acid etching are needed to better understand the laser's effects. METHODS: The occlusal one-third of the crown of six human third molars was removed. The dentin surface was schematically divided into areas corresponding to four surface treatment groups: control (group C): 37% phosphoric acid etching; group I: Er:YAG laser 80 mJ; group II: Er:YAG laser 120 mJ; and group III: Er:YAG laser 180 mJ. The analysis was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman) before and after the treatments. Raman data were submitted to ANOVA and Bonferroni tests. RESULTS: The SEM photomicrographs revealed open dentin tubules in the control group. The molars from groups I, II, and III showed partially open dentin tubules. SEM images showed that the laser-irradiated dentin surface was not favorable to the diffusion of monomers. A significant reduction of the spectra relative intensity was observed in group III specimens. CONCLUSIONS: Er:YAG laser irradiation with 180 mJ could produce chemical changes in proteins, phosphate, and carbonate in dentin. PMID- 17803379 TI - Low-level laser therapy (GaAs lambda = 904 nm) reduces inflammatory cell migration in mice with lipopolysaccharide-induced peritonitis. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to study the effect of an infrared low-level laser (GaAs lambda = 904 nm, 4 mW) on inflammatory cell migration in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peritonitis in mice. BACKGROUND DATA: It has been suggested that red wavelengths of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can exert anti-inflammatory effects, but little is known about the anti-inflammatory effects of infrared lasers. Peritonitis is a potentially life-threatening inflammatory condition that may be suitable for studying anti-inflammatory effects of infrared lasers. METHODS: Sixty male mice were randomly divided into five groups, and one group was given an intraperitoneal sterile saline injection. In the remaining four groups, peritonitis was induced by an intraperitoneal LPS injection. Animals in three of the LPS groups were irradiated at a single point over the peritoneum with doses of 3 J/cm(2), 7.5 J/cm(2), and 15 J/cm(2), respectively. The fourth group injected with LPS was an LPS-control group. RESULTS: At 6 hours after injection the groups irradiated with doses of 3 J/cm(2) and 7.5 J/cm(2) had a reduced number of neutrophil cells in the peritoneal cavity compared with the LPS-control group, and there were significant differences between the number of neutrophils in the peritoneal cavity between the LPS control group and groups irradiated with doses of 3 J/cm(2) (-42%) and 7.5 J/cm(2) (-70%). In the group irradiated with 15 J/cm(2), neutrophil cell counts were lower than, but not significantly different from, LPS controls (-38%; p = 0.07). At 24 hours after injection, both neutrophil and total leukocyte cell counts were lower in all the irradiated groups than in the LPS controls. The 3 J/cm(2) exposure group showed the best results at 24 hours, with reductions of 77% in neutrophil and 49% in leukocyte counts. CONCLUSION: Low-level laser therapy (904 nm) can reduce inflammatory cell migration in mice with LPS-induced peritonitis in a dose-dependent manner. PMID- 17803380 TI - Effect of the diode laser on bacteremia associated with dental ultrasonic scaling: a clinical and microbiological study. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential use of diode lasers (DLs) to reduce bacteremia associated with ultrasonic scaling (US). Furthermore, the clinical efficacy of DLs as an adjunct to US in the treatment of gingivitis was investigated. BACKGROUND DATA: Recently, lasers have found new applications in dental practice. The benefits of the use of DLs as an adjunct to US have not yet been determined. METHODS: Twenty-two gingivitis patients were treated using a split-mouth study design in which each side was randomly treated by US alone or DL followed by US (DL + US). Blood samples were drawn just before and during US in each treatment step to detect induced bacteremia. Clinical parameters including plaque index, sulcus bleeding index, probing depth, and relative attachment level were recorded at baseline and 4 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: Bacteremia was detected in 15 patients (68%) after US alone, and in 8 patients following DL + US (36%). The reduction of the incidence of odontogenic bacteremia during US after the application of DL was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Clinical signs improved eventually, with no significant differences between the two treatment regimens (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Application of DL energy can reduce bacteria in gingival crevices which may reduce bacteremia following US. The use of DL did not show additional clinical influence on gingival healing after treatment of gingivitis with US. PMID- 17803381 TI - Chemiluminescent analysis of light-irradiated leukocytes as a diagnostic tool for fast identification of pathological states. AB - OBJECTIVE: Reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly produced by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), are a significant part of host defense in pathologic states. We attempted to relate numbers of PMN and ROS generated within PMN to develop an alternative photochemical approach for evaluation of the potential of these cells to resist the development of inflammatory pathology. BACKGROUND DATA: Lack of sensitivity to light has been reported in healthy cells, while sensitivity to light characterizes cell pathology. METHODS: Human leukocytes from 34 donors were isolated and irradiated with a non-laser blue light (2 and 5 mW/cm(2) for 2 minutes), and a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay that reflects intracellular production of ROS was applied thereafter. The levels of basal chemiluminescence (BCL) were related to respective numbers of PMN. RESULTS: A light-insensitive cluster was discovered within the total sample and was considered to be a discrete nonpathological group. Following elimination of this group, the rest of the sample was divided into three well-defined light-sensitive groups, which were attributed to various pathological states, and differed in PMN numbers and BCL counts. Within these groups the two traits were interrelated, and each PMN range was associated with a respective level of intracellular ROS. CONCLUSIONS: Leukocyte responsiveness to light can be used for discrimination between pathological and nonpathological states and prognostic evaluation of pathological development. Patients exhibiting similar clinical symptoms could be divided into separate groups with potentially different outcomes. A novel definition of nonpathological states as well as the mechanism underlying the bell shaped curve that delineates the relationship between PMN number and intracellular ROS is suggested in pathological states. PMID- 17803382 TI - The effect of CO(2) laser irradiation on oral soft tissue problems in children in Sri Lanka. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of CO(2) laser irradiation on oral tissue problems in pediatric cases in Sri Lanka. BACKGROUND DATA: The CO(2) laser is now widely used as an effective surgical tool to cut or ablate soft tissues. However, few studies have reported the effectiveness of CO(2) laser for oral tissue problems in developing countries, where patients tend to have high rates of infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A continuous CO(2) laser (wavelength 10.6 mum; output power 3 or 4 W) was used for the treatment of 76 young patients (aged 1 to 15 years old) indicated mainly for labial or lingual frenectomy, mucocele excision, or other oral pathology. RESULTS: The CO(2) laser was found to have the following advantages: (1) greatly reduced operating time; (2) simple operative procedure; (3) no postsurgical infection; and (4) decreased or eliminated wound contracture and wound scarring. CONCLUSION: The CO(2) laser proved to be very safe and effective for soft tissue surgery in a developing country. PMID- 17803383 TI - Discrimination of normal and malignant mucosal tissues of the colon by Raman spectroscopy. AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the discrimination parameters Mahalanobis distance, spectral residuals, and limit tests, developed by this group to differentiate normal from malignant colon tissues. BACKGROUND DATA: Colon cancers are diagnosed using fiberoptic endoscopic localization and a subsequent histopathological examination of biopsied tissue, which is highly dependent on the skill and experience of the investigator. There exists a risk of missing significant lesions, especially with carcinoma in situ lesions. Raman spectroscopy, which is sensitive to biochemical variations in the samples and amenable to multivariate statistical tools, can lead to rapid and objective detection of colon cancer. METHODS: A total of 102 spectra from 11 normal and 11 malignant ex vivo colon tissues were recorded by conventional near infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy (excitation wavelength of 785 nm). Spectral data were analyzed by principal components analysis (PCA) and other discriminating parameters, namely Mahalanobis distance, spectral residuals, and a multiparametric limit test approach. RESULTS: Mean malignant spectra exhibit relatively stronger bands, suggesting the presence of additional biomolecules such as protein (stronger amide III and I), lipids (1,100, 1,300 cm(1)), and DNA (1,340, 1,470 cm(1)) versus those seen in normal tissue. Mean normal spectra indicate the presence of disordered structures (hump at 1,247 cm(1)). Scores of factor 1 gave good discrimination, and this is further fine-tuned by employing Mahalanobis distance and spectral residuals as discriminating parameters. A limit test approach provided unambiguous objective discrimination. CONCLUSION: This study further supports the efficacy of Raman spectroscopy, in combination with a limit test, for discrimination of normal and malignant colon tissues. The multiparametric limit test approach is user-friendly, and a clinician or minimally trained individual could directly compare the unknown spectra against the available standard sets to make the decision instantly, objectively, and unambiguously. PMID- 17803384 TI - The effects of laser irradiation on osteoblast and osteosarcoma cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 670-nm, 780 nm, and 830-nm laser irradiation on cell proliferation of normal primary osteoblast (MC3T3) and malignant osteosarcoma (MG63) cell lines in vitro. BACKGROUND: Some studies have shown that laser phototherapy is able to stimulate the osteogenesis of bone tissue, increasing osteoblast proliferation and accelerating fracture consolidation. It has been suggested that laser light may have a biostimulatory effect on tumor cells. However, the mechanism by which the laser acts on cells is not fully understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Neonatal, murine, calvarial, osteoblastic, and human osteosarcoma cell lines were studied. A single laser irradiation was performed at three different wavelengths, at the energies of 0.5, 1, 5, and 10 J/cm(2). Twenty-four hours after laser irradiation, cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase assays were assessed. RESULTS: Osteoblast proliferation increased significantly after 830-nm laser irradiation (at 10 J/cm(2)) but decreased after 780-nm laser irradiation (at 1, 5, and 10 J/cm(2)). Osteosarcoma cell proliferation increased significantly after 670-nm (at 5 J/cm(2)) and 780-nm laser irradiation (at 1, 5, and 10 J/cm(2)), but not after 830-nm laser irradiation. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the osteoblast line was increased after 830-nm laser irradiation at 10 J/cm(2), whereas ALP activity in the osteosarcoma line was not altered, regardless of laser wavelength or intensity. CONCLUSION: Based on the conditions of this study, we conclude that each cell line responds differently to specific wavelength and dose combinations. Further investigations are required to investigate the physiological mechanisms responsible for the contrasting outcomes obtained when using laser irradiation on cultured normal and malignant bone cells. PMID- 17803385 TI - Assessment of thermal alteration during class V cavity preparation using the Er:YAG laser. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the pulp thermal alterations during class V cavity preparations using the Er:YAG laser and high speed water flow. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty human teeth were selected and prepared for the thermocouple adaptation in the pulp chamber. The specimens were assigned to four groups: (1) laser 300 mJ/3 Hz, (2) laser 300 mJ/4 Hz, (3) high speed 9 mL/min water flow, and (4) high-speed 100 mL/min water flow. The temperature was measured before the beginning and at the end of the preparation, as well as during the procedures. The groups were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. RESULT: Data analysis disclosed temperature reduction at high-speed drilling with the high-speed total water flow group, and these values were statistically different from the other groups. The results of the 9-mL/min water flow group were similar to those of the 300-mJ/3-Hz group and different from the 300-mJ/4-Hz laser group. CONCLUSION: The laser promoted a greater increase in temperature only when compared with high-speed handpiece and water flow rate of 100 mL/min. PMID- 17803386 TI - Identification of calcifications in cardiac valves by near infrared Raman spectroscopy. AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to detect calcification in cardiac valves using near infrared Raman spectroscopy (NIRS). A Ti:sapphire laser pumped by an argon-ion laser operating at a wavelength of 830 nm was used for excitation of the valve samples, and Raman emission was detected by an optical spectrometer with a liquid nitrogen-cooled CCD detector. BACKGROUND: Cardiac valves are subjected to highly repetitive mechanical stresses, due to their over 40 million cardiac cycles per year. These structures may suffer cumulative lesions, complicated by the deposition of calcium phosphate, which can lead to clinically significant diseases. NIRS can provide important information about biological tissue composition and has been used for diagnosis of some types of human pathology. METHODS: Samples of normal and pathologic tissues 5 mm in size were analyzed. RESULTS: It was observed that the Raman spectrum of calcified cardiac valves presented different behavior when compared with normal valves. Differences were observed at the intensity of 960, 1,260, 1,452, and 1,660 cm(1) peaks. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that this technique could be used to detect calcium phosphate mineral deposition in cardiac valves. PMID- 17803387 TI - Effect of feldspathic ceramic surface treatments on bond strength to resin cement. AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of resin cement to feldspathic ceramic with various surface treatments. BACKGROUND DATA: Application of adhesive techniques is well established in restorative dentistry, yet the influence of surface treatments on the bond strength of resin cement to ceramic materials prior to luting or repair procedures remains unclear. METHODS: One hundred samples made of a feldspathic ceramic were divided into 10 groups (n = 10): (1) control (no treatment); (2) 10% hydrofluoric acid (HF); (3) 37% phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)); (4) 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride acid (APF); (5) diamond bur; (6) air abrasion with Al(2)O(3); (7) Al(2)O(3) + HF; (8) CoJet-Sand; (9) Er:YAG laser, and (10) Al(2)O(3) + Er:YAG laser. Afterwards, silane was applied and a resin cement cylinder was built. After 24 hours at 37 degrees C, the prepared specimens were submitted to a shear bond strength test and stereoscopic evaluation to determine the type of failure after rupture. RESULTS: Bond strength means were statistically different for the different surface treatments. The highest bond strengths were obtained with HF, CoJet-Sand, and Al(2)O(3). The groups treated with Al(2)O(3) + Er:YAG laser, diamond bur, and Al(2)O(3) + HF had moderate bond strengths. The lowest bond strengths were obtained with H(3)PO(4), APF, Er:YAG laser, and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The HF, CoJet-Sand, and Al(2)O(3) techniques were the most effective surface treatments. The null surface treatment proposed with the Er:YAG laser showed low bond strength, and seems to be inadequate for clinical use with the parameters tested. PMID- 17803388 TI - Effectiveness of low-level laser therapy in temporomandibular joint disorders: a placebo-controlled study. AB - OBJECTIVE: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) treatment for pain caused by temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) was investigated in a controlled study comparing applied energy density, subgroups of TMD, and duration of disorders. BACKGROUND DATA: Although LLLT is a physical therapy used in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, there is little evidence for its effectiveness in the treatment of TMD. METHODS: The study group of 61 patients was treated with 10 J/cm(2) or 15 J/cm(2), and the control group of 19 patients was treated with 0.1 J/cm(2). LLLT was performed by a GaAlAs diode laser with output of 400 mW emitting radiation wavelength of 830 nm in 10 sessions. The probe with aperture 0.2 cm(2) was placed over the painful muscle spots in the patients with myofascial pain. In patients with TMD arthralgia the probe was placed behind, in front of, and above the mandibular condyle, and into the meatus acusticus externus. Changes in pain were evaluated by self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Application of 10 J/cm(2) or 15 J/cm(2) was significantly more effective in reducing pain compared to placebo, but there were no significant differences between the energy densities used in the study group and between patients with myofascial pain and temporomandibular joint arthralgia. Results were marked in those with chronic pain. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that LLLT (application of 10 J/cm(2) and 15 J/cm(2)) can be considered as a useful method for the treatment of TMD-related pain, especially long lasting pain. PMID- 17803389 TI - Comparison of aminolevulinic acid- and hexylester aminolevulinate-induced protoporphyrin IX fluorescence for the detection of ovarian cancer in a rat model. AB - OBJECTIVES: This study set out to compare the photodetection of peritoneal micrometastases in an ovarian cancer model following administration of two precursors of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX): 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and hexylester aminolevulinate (He-ALA). METHODS: ALA or He-ALA (100 mg/kg) was injected into the peritoneal cavity of 16 rats with induced peritoneal metastases of ovarian cancer. Two hours later, the tumors were visualized laparoscopically using both white light for standard exploration and blue light for fluorescence. Peritoneal micrometastases were counted. Fluorescence intensities of tumoral and normal surrounding tissues were compared. The distribution of PpIX throughout the peritoneum was studied on frozen biopsies using fluorescence microscopy and correlated with pathological findings. RESULTS: The number of micrometastases detected by the fluorescence blue mode was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than with standard white light for both ALA (235 versus 198) and He-ALA application (248 versus 199). The mean fluorescence intensity ratio between tumor and normal surrounding tissue was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for He-ALA (1.55 +/- 0.1) compared to ALA (1.45 +/- 0.1). Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that the PpIX fluorescence remained limited to cancer cells. Macroscopically fluorescing nodules were histopathologically confirmed as malignant. CONCLUSION: He-ALA is an excellent precursor for PpIX synthesis, giving the highest PpIX fluorescence contrast between normal and tumoral peritoneal tissues. Imaging with He-ALA improves the detection of peritoneal metastases compared to ALA. PMID- 17803397 TI - Audit of deaths and palliative care referrals in a large Australian teaching hospital. PMID- 17803400 TI - Advocacy is essential to palliative care's future development. PMID- 17803401 TI - Palliative care clinical research networks, a requirement for evidence-based palliative care: time for coordinated action. PMID- 17803403 TI - Use of a report card to implement a network-based palliative care program. AB - OBJECTIVE: To report on implementation of a Veterans Affairs (VA) network-wide, standardized, high-quality palliative care (PC) program using a Web-based PC Report Card for performance monitoring and improvement. INTERVENTION: The PC director and coordinator and facility directors established interdisciplinary teams at five acute care and three nursing home sites. Teams were trained together and subsequently met quarterly for ongoing training. Additionally, the PC director and coordinator developed and implemented a Web-based PC Report Card on the network Intranet for PC coordinator to report performance data monthly to the PC teams. RESULTS: The number of patients in the network who received PC consults more than doubled in the first 4 years of the PC program. The percentage of deaths with PC consultation prior to death increased from 23% in fiscal year (FY) 2002 to 57% in FY06. Over the same period, the average days between the initial PC consultation and patients' death across all sites increased from 23 days to 106 days. COMMENT: All the sites established PC teams and the number of consultations showed a sustained increase over baseline in 2002. All sites improved on the key process measures captured by the Report Card. PMID- 17803404 TI - Initial experiences with subcutaneous recombinant human hyaluronidase. AB - We report here our retrospective observations on the use of recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) for the facilitation of subcutaneous hydration and drug infusion. Thirty-two patients were treated with rHuPH20 in a hospice setting over a 6-month period. Of these, 26 received this agent to enhance hypodermoclysis with standard hydration fluids for symptom control of delirium, myoclonus and mild to moderate dehydration. Flow rates up to 500 mL/hr were attained without difficulty. Electrolyte replacement in hydration fluid was achieved without incident in 5 patients receiving potassium and in 1 patient receiving both potassium and magnesium. In addition to use for hydration, 6 patients received recombinant human hyaluronidase to enhance subcutaneous infusion of 9 medications, primarily because the medication dosage required subcutaneous flow rates greater than the standard 3 mL/hr. There were no significant adverse events. Induration at the infusion site occurred in 1 patient receiving hydration and higher than expected serum lidocaine concentration was observed in another patient. Based on our positive initial experience with recombinant human hyaluronidase, there is interest in expanding its use in our facility in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. PMID- 17803405 TI - First, do not abandon. PMID- 17803406 TI - My journey. PMID- 17803407 TI - Surgical palliation of advanced gastrointestinal tumors. AB - Patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors suffer a spectrum of progressive symptoms that reduce their quality of life (QOL). Operative palliative strategies seeking to improve QOL and decrease symptom burden are poorly studied. This study seeks to measure the effect of operations on symptoms and QOL in patients with advanced gastrointestinal malignancies. Patients undergoing World Health Organization (WHO)-defined palliative operations for gastrointestinal cancers were prospectively followed with monthly QOL and Distress Thermometer surveys until 6 months post-operatively. Comparisons were made between preoperative and 3 month postoperative data. Parameters of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual QOL were measured on a scale of 0 (worst) to 5 (best). Frequency of occurrence and degree of distress caused by that specific symptom were scored from 0 (rarely/not at all) to 5 (most of the time/severely). Thirty-five patients had gastrointestinal cancer. The median age was 55.3 years. The most common symptoms were pain and obstruction. Thirty-three operations were abdominal. Ultimately, 34 patients (97%) were discharged home. When preoperative data were compared to 3 months postoperative, the frequency of the primary symptom improved by 2.22 (p = 0.001) and the distress it caused decreased by 1.82 (p = 0.004). Physical QOL decreased by 0.61 (p = 0.009), psychological QOL decreased by 0.50 (p = 0.015), social QOL decreased by 0.48 (p = 0.017), spiritual QOL decreased by 0.42 (p = 0.008), and overall QOL decreased by 0.50 (p = 0.012). Because of the unrelenting nature of gastrointestinal tumors, QOL over time will inevitably decrease. Palliative operations effectively improve symptom frequency and distress without greatly affecting the expected decline in QOL and its parameters. PMID- 17803408 TI - Palliation of pelvic and head and neck cancer with paclitaxel and a novel radiotherapy regimen. AB - PURPOSE: In patients with advanced malignancies, local palliation is undertaken if the patient is not a candidate for aggressive intervention. We developed a prospective study using the same radiotherapy schedule as the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 85-02 with the addition of the radiosensitizer paclitaxel to evaluate its effect on the tumor response rate, palliation of symptoms, and toxicity. METHODS: Twenty subjects with advanced pelvic or head and neck cancer were enrolled after signing an informed consent. Paclitaxel 60 mg/m(2) was administered 1 hour prior to the first day of each radiation cycle. Radiation therapy was delivered in 2 daily fractions of 3.7 Gy for 2 days every 3 weeks for three cycles (total dose 44.4 Gy). This radiotherapy schedule is referred to as "Quad Shot'' at our institution. RESULTS: Nineteen patients had adequate follow up data and were considered evaluable. Five patients had a complete response (CR) and 13 patients had a partial response (PR) with symptomatic improvement for a response rate of 94.7%. One patient only had a minimal response. Seventeen patients (89.5%) had palliation of their presenting symptom(s). Eight patients had effective palliative benefit lasting more than 6 months. Two patients experienced a grade 2 allergic reaction to paclitaxel, one of them received the last cycle of treatment with cisplatin obtaining a CR. No late toxicities have been observed. CONCLUSIONS: This palliative schedule has been shown to provide good tumor response and palliation of symptoms. The toxicity profile remains low with the addition of paclitaxel. Further investigation is warranted in a larger trial. Palliation of symptoms resulted in improved quality of life for this group of patients. PMID- 17803409 TI - Diagnosing and discussing imminent death in the hospital: a secondary analysis of physician interviews. AB - BACKGROUND: Many reports suggest clinicians are often inadequately prepared to "diagnose dying'' or discuss the likelihood of imminent death with patients and families. OBJECTIVE: To describe whether and when physicians report recognizing and communicating the imminence of death and identify potential barriers and facilitators to recognition and communication about dying in the hospital. METHODS: Secondary exploratory analysis of interviews with 196 physicians on the medical teams caring for 70 patients who died in the hospital. RESULTS: Although 38% of physicians were unsure on admission the patient would die during this hospitalization, over the course of hospitalization 86% reported knowing death was imminent. Most reported feeling certain days (57%) or hours (18%) before the patient died. Fewer than half of patients, however, were told of the possibility they might die. Communication was most likely to occur for patients who had at least one member of the medical team who was certain that death was imminent, patients who were lucid during their last days, and younger patients. Only 11% of physicians reported personally speaking with patients about the possibility of dying. Physicians who recognized imminent death early and who spoke with patients about the possibility of dying were more likely to report higher satisfaction with end-of-life care provided to patients. CONCLUSIONS: Because more than two thirds of patients were unconscious or in and out of lucidity in the last few days of life, waiting for certainty about prognosis may leave little opportunity to help patients and their families prepare for death. Our results identify opportunities for improvement in communication in the face of uncertainty about the imminence of death. In addition to potential benefits to patients and families, these findings suggest that enhancing communication practices may also benefit physicians through increased satisfaction with care and closer connection with those for whom they provide care. PMID- 17803410 TI - Causes of death at autopsy in an inpatient hospice program. AB - BACKGROUND: Although postmortem examination has been reported in a variety of settings and diseases, the medical literature only makes sparse mention of postmortem findings regarding the manner of death in terminally ill patients receiving palliative care. We sought to identify causes of death in an inpatient hospice program as determined by autopsy. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all deaths from January 1998 through June 2000 of the inpatient hospice unit at Audie L. Murphy Veterans Affairs Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, was conducted. Autopsies were routinely offered to survivors of all deceased patients during this period. Basic demographic and clinical characteristics were collected for all patients, and pathologic reports were reviewed. RESULTS: Forty-eight autopsies were conducted out of 260 deaths in the unit (18%). Patients who had autopsies were similar to nonautopsied patients in age, gender, length of stay, presence of cancer and whether this cancer was treated or not. Nonhispanic white patients were more likely to receive an autopsy and African American patients were less likely to receive one (p = 0.027). Most deaths were directly or indirectly related to the primary diagnosis. Pneumonia was present in 79% of all patients (n = 38), and appeared to be the major cause of death in 44% of patients (n = 21). Other deaths were determined to be due to cancer's direct effects, sepsis, ischemic heart disease, hepatic or renal failure, obstructive uropathy, subdural hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, hypercalcemia and endocarditis. CONCLUSION: Pneumonia is the most frequent cause of death in patients in this inpatient hospice program. PMID- 17803411 TI - Symptom concerns and resource utilization in patients with lung cancer. AB - OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer remains a major source of death in the United States. With the aging of the population, health policy makers are challenged to develop systems of care for the complex needs of these patients. This study sought to determine quality of life and symptom concerns in lung cancer patients. The study also sought to determine how supportive care resources were being used to address these concerns. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer presenting over a 12-month period were selected from the tumor registry. Charts were reviewed for demographic data, treatment history, treatment received, number and type of practitioner encounters, readmissions, and complications for a 6-month period. RESULTS: Of the 100 charts retrospectively reviewed, 4 patients had small cell and 96 patients had non-small cell lung cancer. The median age was 67 years. Fifty-three patients were men. The most common symptoms were pain, cough, dyspnea, and fatigue. A total of 114 referrals in 57 patients were made. Nutrition consultation was the most common. CONCLUSIONS: This study serves to guide the institution in the development of more effective support services for patients with lung cancer to address quality of life concerns through collaboration between clinicians and researchers. PMID- 17803412 TI - Symptoms and survival in patients with advanced disease. AB - Predicting survival in patients with advanced disease is challenging for health care providers. Accurate survival estimation using symptom assessment may assist physicians and patients in determining treatment options. This report analyzes prospective studies in adult patients with a median/mean survival of 6 months or less and identifies symptoms that are associated with decreased survival. To be included in this analysis, a study needed to have at least one symptom associated with decreased survival in a univariate or multivariate analysis. Twenty-two studies were identified and 15 symptoms were associated with decreased survival. Anorexia, delirium, and dyspnea were associated with decreased survival in most studies. Delirium and anorexia (but not dyspnea) were associated with decreased survival in most studies that included patients with a median survival of 30 days or less. More research is needed to investigate any associations between symptom characteristics and survival in patients with advanced disease. Short assessment tools using symptoms identified in this report, with a focus on symptoms that were found in multiple studies, need to be developed to better predict survival and guide patient treatment. PMID- 17803413 TI - Infant and child deaths in acute care settings: implications for palliative care. AB - OBJECTIVES: Despite 56% of child deaths occurring in inpatient hospital settings, who these children are and how they die has not been fully described. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of those infants and children who die in acute care settings, and describe the extent to which palliative care was used prior to their deaths. METHODS: This study used a retrospective descriptive design. The 2000 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) was analyzed to define the national population of infants and children who die in acute care settings. In addition, medical records of a random sample of deaths at a large academic children's hospital were reviewed to further characterize the events surrounding childhood deaths. RESULTS: The 2000 HCUP-KID included 13,643 deaths of children less than 18 years of age, representing an estimated 26,571 infant and child deaths, nationally. One hundred eleven infants and children who died at an academic children's hospital over four years were included in a detailed chart review. The majority of the deaths in both databases occurred in males, whites, and infants less than 12 months of age. Of the children who died in the academic children's hospital, most died in a critical care unit (86%). Fifty-four percent of the HCUP-KID deaths occurred in general hospitals and 46% occurred in children's hospitals. Children who died in children's hospitals had more complex chronic conditions (CCC) than in general hospitals. Regardless of hospital type, the most prevalent CCC categories were neuromuscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, congenital/genetic, and malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that large numbers of children die in both general and children's hospitals with a wide variety of illnesses and at all ages, indicating that all acute care pediatric providers need a working knowledge of and access to end-of-life and palliative care services. PMID- 17803414 TI - Survey of blood transfusion practice for palliative care patients in Yorkshire: implications for clinical care. AB - Blood transfusions can be used to palliate the symptoms of fatigue or dyspnea in the presence of anemia. We studied the transfusion practices of 8 hospices in our cancer network over a 1-year period. We identified 164 patients who received 650 units of blood in 230 transfusions. The majority of patients received a single transfusion (71%), of 2 or 3 units of blood (76%), as an inpatient (83%). Blood transfusions occurred in 140 (5.7%) of 2460 hospice admissions. Median survival following first transfusion was 42 days and significantly longer for outpatients compared to inpatients (median of 104 days and 36 days, respectively, p = 0.006). PMID- 17803415 TI - End-of-life preferences for atheists. AB - Atheists represent an understudied population in palliative care medicine. Although professional and regulatory organizations require an individualized plan of care for each patient and family, little is known about atheist preferences for end-of-life (EOL) care. The aims of this pilot study were twofold: (1) to explore the EOL preferences for atheists, and (2) to apply a threefold model of spiritual care (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and natural interconnectedness) to assess the appropriateness of potential interventions for a group of atheists. Eighty-eight participants completed either an online or paper survey. Analyses of open-ended and closed questions were consistent with prior studies on EOL preferences, including components of a ;;good death.'' The results related to the first aim of the study, to explore EOL preferences, suggests that participants view of a good death was expanded to include respect for nonbelief and the withholding of prayer or other references to God. Strong preference for physician assisted suicide and evidence-based medical interventions were central themes from participants. The second aim of the study, to apply a threefold definition of spirituality--which includes intrapersonal, interpersonal, and natural focus- appears appropriate in planning interventions for atheists at EOL. Participants expressed a deep desire to find meaning in their own lives (intrapersonal), to maintain connection with family and friends (interpersonal), and to continue to experience and appreciate the natural world (natural interconnectedness) through the dying experience. Additional research is necessary to explore the preferences for this understudied group. Further clarification of the use of the term "atheist'' is also necessary to ensure that the inclusion of all individuals with nontheist beliefs are represented in future research efforts. PMID- 17803416 TI - Social workers in palliative care: assessing activities and barriers in the intensive care unit. AB - Social workers are playing an increasingly important role in providing palliative care to dying patients and their families in the intensive care unit (ICU). The purpose of this study was to determine which activities social workers provided to families of patients who die in the ICU, what barriers to care social workers identified, and whether these activities and barriers were associated with the social workers' satisfaction with the care provided to family members. The study took place at a 350-bed hospital with 65 ICU beds. We examined hospital records and identified 253 consecutive eligible patients who had died in an ICU between August 2003 and March 2004. Of these, 157 (62%) received social work services from one or more social workers. One hundred and seventy-eight questionnaires were sent to 27 social workers; 20 social workers completed 150 questionnaires for 136 patients giving a response rate of 84% for questionnaires sent to social workers (150/178). A multiple regression model with clustering under social workers was used to analyze the data. Talking about the family's feelings and providing support for decisions made by the family were the most frequent activities provided by social workers; both were positively associated with the social workers' satisfaction with meeting families' needs. A heavy patient caseload was one of the most common barriers to care identified by social workers. In conclusion, we identified specific activities and barriers that, if targeted, might improve social workers' abilities to meet a family's needs and we also provided some preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of questionnaires designed to assess these constructs. PMID- 17803417 TI - On being fired: experiences of patient-initiated termination of the patient physician relationship in palliative medicine. AB - BACKGROUND: Being "fired'' by a patient is an uncomfortable, distressing, and awkward experience for most clinicians. Palliative care clinicians may be at increased risk of termination of the patient-physician relationship for a variety of reasons. Little has been written about the experience of patient-initiated termination of the patient-physician relationship, and to our knowledge, nothing has been written that is specific to palliative care. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the experience of termination, offer a framework for learning from and coping with the experience, and make recommendations for how to meet patients' needs after the termination. DESIGN: Case study and conceptual analysis of three cases from the experience of a palliative care fellow. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of patient-initiated termination of the patient-physician relationship can raise issues of rejection and self-doubt in the palliative care clinician, but can also provide important opportunities for growth, reflection, and learning. In some cases, re-connecting with the patients' families may be appropriate and beneficial for both the clinician and family. PMID- 17803418 TI - Characteristics, findings, and outcomes of palliative care inpatient consultations at a comprehensive cancer center. AB - PURPOSE: There is limited information available about the role and effect of a palliative care consultation service (mobile team, MT) in patient care. The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to determine the characteristics, findings, and outcomes of patients referred to MT in a comprehensive cancer center and to thereby gain information about its role in this setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group was 61 consecutive patients assessed by one MT during 2-month period. We reviewed their charts for information about demographic and disease features, reasons for consultation, findings, interventions, and outcomes. RESULTS: Patients were mainly referred by thoracic (n = 21; 34%), genitourinary (n = 10; 16%), and gynecology (n = 9; 15%) services. The majority of patients had metastatic disease (n = 56; 92%). Evaluation of pain was the main reason for the consultation (n = 47; 77%) followed by delirium (n = 10; 16%). The MT found a total of 449 symptoms (median 8 per patient), whereas the referring team had mentioned only 86 (1 symptom per patient) in their requests. Twenty patients (38%) screened positive for a history of alcoholism. The MT diagnosed delirium in 34 patients (56%) and frequently found features of opioid-induced side effects, such as sedation (n = 46; 75%), constipation (n = 43; 70%), and confusion (n = 34; 56%). Frequent MT interventions were: administration of neuroleptics (n = 33; 54%), opioid rotation (n = 30; 49%), and enema (n = 33; 54%). Seventeen patients (28%) showed symptoms improvement within 24 hours and 23 patients within 72 hours (38%). Twenty-five patients (41%) required transfer to the palliative care unit. CONCLUSIONS: The MT had a positive impact on these patients' care in terms of clinical findings and outcomes. Further investigations are warranted. PMID- 17803419 TI - Good communication: the essence and reward of palliative medicine. PMID- 17803420 TI - Communication strategies and cultural issues in the delivery of bad news. AB - Good communication is a fundamental skill for all palliative care clinicians. Patients present with varied desires, beliefs, and cultural practices, and navigating these issues presents clinicians with unique challenges. This article provides an overview of the evidence for communication strategies in delivering bad news and discussing advance care planning. In addition, it reviews the literature regarding cultural aspects of care for terminally ill patients and their families and offers strategies for engaging them. Through good communication practices, clinicians can help to avoid conflict and understand patients' desires for end of life care. PMID- 17803421 TI - A Doctor's question. PMID- 17803422 TI - Cutaneous metastases of prostate cancer. PMID- 17803427 TI - Food at end of life. PMID- 17803429 TI - Duration of action of topical antiallergy drugs in a Guinea pig model of histamine-induced conjunctival vascular permeability. AB - The topical application of 0.1% olopatadine has been shown to provide significant attenuation of histamine-induced conjunctival vascular permeability (CVP) within 5 min and for as long as 24 h following a topical administration. The duration of the action of olopatadine was compared to that of epinastine, azelastine, and ketotifen. Male Hartley outbred guinea pigs (weighing 250-300 g) were administered a drug or vehicle as single O.D. topical drops, at times ranging from 4 to 24 h prior to histamine challenge. One (1) h prior to histamine challenge, the animals were administered 1 mL of Evans blue dye (1 mg/mL) through the marginal ear vein. Histamine (300 ng) was administered by a subconjunctival injection, and the guinea pigs were sacrificed 30 min later. CVP was assessed as the area and color intensity stained with Evans blue dye. The potencies of each drug were determined by calculating a 50% effective dose (ED(50)) for the inhibition of vascular leakage, compared to vehicle treatment, at each time point. Olopatadine was the only compound tested that was significantly effective 16 h following a single topical application. The ED(50) for olopatadine at 16 h was 0.031%. Epinastine, azelastine, and ketotifen were only significantly effective for up to 4 h. Olopatadine exhibited the longest duration of action for inhibition of histamine-induced vascular permeability in guinea pigs of any topical antiallergic drug tested. Concentrations of olopatadine, which provided a greater than 50% inhibition of the histamine-induced vascular response, were consistently less than 0.1% over a 16-h pretreatment interval. PMID- 17803430 TI - Dipeptide monoester ganciclovir prodrugs for transscleral drug delivery: targeting the oligopeptide transporter on rabbit retina. AB - PURPOSE: The overall aim of this research work was to evaluate a series of dipeptide monoester prodrugs of an antiviral agent, ganciclovir (GCV), for oligopeptide transporter-targeted transscleral drug delivery to rabbit retina. METHODS: The permeability and enzymatic hydrolysis of dipeptide monoester GCV prodrugs were evaluated using freshly excized rabbit retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroidsclera (RCS) and sclera tissue preparations. Affinity and transport mechanism of these prodrugs and their translocation across RCS were investigated through competitive inhibition studies of [(3)H]glycylsarcosine with the prodrugs. RESULTS: The transport of glycylsarcosine was found to be saturable (K(m) = 1.21 +/- 0.41 mM, V(max) = 15.89 +/- 1.54 pmoles/min/cm(2)), pH, temperature, and energy dependant. Dipeptides, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and a beta-lactum antibiotic strongly inhibited the transport of glycylsarcosine indicating the functional presence of oligopeptide transport (OPT) system on the RPE. Dipeptide prodrugs (valine-valine-GCV, glycine-valine GCV, and tyrosine-valine-GCV), and valine-GCV demonstrate a high enzymatic stability and affinity toward the retinal OPT system. The transport of the prodrugs was significantly inhibited ( approximately 50%) in the presence of glycylsarcosine. The rank order of scleral permeability was Gly-Val-GCV approximately GCV>Val-GCV>Tyr-Val-GCV approximately Val-Val-GCV. The RCS permeability values of Val-GCV (3.29 +/- 0.09 x 10(6)cm/s), Val-Val-GCV (4.14 +/- 0.33 x 10(6)cm/s), Gly-Val-GCV (3.40 +/- 0.47 x 10(6)cm/s) and Tyr-Val-GCV (3.08 +/- 0.29 x 10(6)cm/s) were two-fold higher than that of GCV (1.61 +/- 0.06 x 10(6)cm/s). CONCLUSIONS: The dipeptide monoester GCV prodrugs, owning to higher lipophilicity and OPT-mediated translocation across RPE, appear to be promising candidates in the treatment of ocular cytomegalovirus infections following an episcleral administration. PMID- 17803431 TI - A novel in vivo rabbit model that mimics human dosing to determine the distribution of antibiotics in ocular tissues. AB - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to establish a novel method to predict the human ocular penetration and distribution of topical antibiotics by using a controlled rabbit model that mimics the human eye with manual blinking and tear flow. METHODS: After anesthetizing the rabbits, a single dose of commercial antibiotic formulations was given with precision directly onto the cornea. This was followed by a 30-min controlled period applying manual blinking (4 blinks/min) and a supplementary tear flow (2 microL/min) that mimics the human eye. Tear samples were collected every 5 min and after euthanasia, conjunctival, aqueous humor, iris-ciliary body, and scleral samples were collected. The corneas were mounted in perfusion chambers to determine the level and continuing rate of release of the antibiotics, the levels of which were all determined using high performance liquid chromatography analysis. RESULTS: U.S. formulations achieved conjunctival and corneal levels (MUg/g) as follows: moxifloxacin, 6.6 +/- 0.3 and 50 +/- 5; tobramycin, 3.1 +/- 1.4 and 20 +/- 5; gentamicin, <2 and <2; levofloxacin, 1.5 +/- 0.3 and 19 +/- 2; gatifloxacin, 0.9 +/- 0.1 and 11 +/- 1; and trimethoprim, <0.1 and 2 +/- 1. Japan formulations achieved conjunctival and corneal levels as follows: levofloxacin 2.1 +/- 0.8 and 12 +/- 2; gatifloxacin, 2.2 +/- 0.9 and 7 +/- 1; ofloxacin, 1.6 +/- 0.5 and 7 +/- 1; and tosufloxacin, 0.7 +/- 0.1 and 1.5 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- standard error, n = 4). CONCLUSIONS: Moxifloxacin achieved the highest levels of antibiotic in ocular tissues. In the conjunctiva and cornea, the moxifloxacin level was 3-30 times the level of other fluoroquinolones, at least twice the level of the aminoglycosides, and 25 times the level of the antibacterial trimethoprim. PMID- 17803432 TI - High-dose infliximab prophylaxis in endotoxin-induced uveitis. AB - PURPOSE: The aim of this study to analyze the preventive effect of high-dose infliximab in endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in rabbits. METHODS: An experimental study was conducted on 64 rabbits. Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide endotoxin was intravitreally injected. Infliximab was intravenously (i.v.) injected 24 h before the intravitreal injection (20 mg/kg). The animals were randomly assigned to five groups: group A, saline intravitreal injection; group B, Infliximab i.v. group C, infliximab + saline; group D, intravitreal endotoxin and group E, infliximab i.v. + intravitreal endotoxin. With two masked observers, a microscopic examination of aqueous humor (cells, tumor necrosis factor [TNF] alpha) and aqueous protein level were performed 24 h after an endotoxin injection and 48 h after an infliximab infusion. RESULTS: Infliximab treatment, at a dose of 20 mg/kg, significantly improved all the parameters. Inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly reduced in the iris, ciliary body, and anterior chamber (U Mann-Whitney test, P = 0.01). Associated with a lower level of TNF-alpha and protein exudate in aqueous humor (U Mann Whitney test, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Infliximab, at a dose of 20 mg/kg, is effective in the prophylaxis of the EIU. PMID- 17803433 TI - Comparative evaluation of bimatoprost monotherapy in primary chronic angle closure and primary open angle glaucoma eyes: a three-year study. AB - AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the long-term efficacy of bimatoprost 0.03% monotherapy in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) versus primary chronic angle closure glaucoma (PCACG) eyes. METHODS: A total of 55 consecutive primary adult glaucoma patients on bimatoprost monotherapy were prospectively evaluated in this 3-year, open-labeled, uncontrolled study. The primary outcome was the evaluation of a difference in the response to therapy of POAG eyes, as compared to PCACG eyes over a follow-up of 3 years. RESULTS: In the POAG group, the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) at the 36-month followup was found to be increased by 2.10 (+/-3.90) mmHg (confidence interval [CI], 0.975-4.185), compared to the mean IOP at 1 month (P = 0.047). In the PCACG group, the mean IOP at the 36-month follow-up was increased by 3.66) (+/- 3.34) mmHg (CI, 6.241-1.092), compared to the mean IOP at 1 month (P = 0.011). This upward drift in IOP was higher in the PCACG group, compared to the POAG group, but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.54). Patients with POAG and PCACG showed a 50% and 40% chance of having an IOP of <18 mmHg with bimatoprost monotherapy (P = 0.23), respectively, at the 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that bimatoprost 0.03% monotherapy significantly lowers IOP in both POAG and PCACG eyes over a period of 3 years, though its efficacy appeared to decrease over time, to a similar extent, in both groups. PMID- 17803434 TI - A comparative, placebo-controlled study of prostanoid fluoroprostaglandin receptor agonists tafluprost and latanoprost in healthy males. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the safety, tolerability, and pharmaco-dynamics of a novel prostanoid fluoroprostaglandin (FP)-receptor agonist, tafluprost (AFP-168), in healthy males. METHODS: This was a phase I study in healthy males 18-45 years of age (N = 49). Participants were randomized to receive 1 of 4 eye drops: tafluprost 0.0025% or 0.005%, latanoprost 0.005%, or a placebo, administered once-daily for 7 days, with 1 drop per eye. Safety and tolerability assessments and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were performed at defined intervals. RESULTS: Tafluprost was generally well tolerated. No serious adverse events were reported and no participants withdrew owing to an adverse event. IOP decreased over time, compared with baseline, in all 4 treatment groups. Treatment with tafluprost 0.005% resulted in a significantly greater reduction in IOP, compared with either latanoprost 0.005% or a placebo, at various time points during treatment. Ocular hyperemia and photophobia were more common with tafluprost 0.0025% or 0.005%, compared with latanoprost 0.005%. CONCLUSIONS: Tafluprost eye drops 0.0025% and 0.005% were generally well tolerated and safe. Tafluprost 0.005% reduced IOP more than placebo or latanoprost 0.005%. Therefore, tafluprost looks promising for further investigation. PMID- 17803435 TI - Safety and tolerability of olopatadine 0.2% in children and adolescents. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2% in children and adolescents 3-17 years of age. METHODS: In this 6-week, randomized, double-masked safety evaluation, eligible subjects with asymptomatic eyes underwent in-office visits at weeks 1, 3, and 6 and were contacted by telephone at weeks 2, 4, and 5. Qualified subjects were assigned randomly in a 2:1 ratio of olopatadine 0.2% to vehicle (identical formation without the active ingredient) for dosing on a once-daily schedule. Safety parameters assessed included adverse events, visual acuity, ocular signs (slit-lamp assessments), dilated fundus examinations, intraocular pressure (IOP), pulse, and blood pressure. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: An evaluation of 126 subjects (age range, 3-17) revealed no clinically relevant treatment-related changes in visual acuity, IOP, slit-lamp assessments, fundus examinations, or cardiovascular parameters. All adverse events reported were mild or moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Olopatadine 0.2% administered once-daily for 6 weeks is safe and well tolerated in children and adolescent patients. PMID- 17803436 TI - Ocular comfort of combination glaucoma therapies: brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% compared with dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5%. AB - PURPOSE: Successful management of glaucoma and ocular hypertension requires patient compliance with the therapeutic regimen. Because ocular discomfort affects compliance, we compared the comfort of brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% and dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5%. METHODS: In this single-centre, randomized, double masked, internally controlled/paired-eye study, 30 subjects without a significant ocular surface disease received brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% in 1 eye and dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5% in the fellow eye. They evaluated discomfort at 30-40 s and 5 min postinstillation. RESULTS: At 30-40 s, brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% provided significantly lower mean ocular discomfort scores than dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5% (P < 0.0001). This pattern persisted at 5 min but was not statistically significant. Significant differences were seen in the subjects' determination of the more comfortable treatment (P < 0.0001): brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% was rated as more comfortable than dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5% by 80% of subjects at 30-40 s and by 27% at 5 min. Only 10% of subjects at each time point rated dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5% as more comfortable. The remaining subjects reported no preference at either time point. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% was significantly more comfortable than dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5% upon instillation. Patients with ocular hypertension or glaucoma may be more compliant with brimonidine 0.2%/timolol 0.5% treatment. PMID- 17803437 TI - Zinc phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (ZnPcS4): a new photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy in choroidal neovascularization. AB - PURPOSE: The aim of this sutdy was to demonstrate the selective localization of a new photosensitizer, zinc phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (ZnPcS(4)), in rat eyes and investigate the ability of ZnPcS(4) to produce a photochemical closure of experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) upon irradiation with a 670-nm laser light. METHODS: To determine the biodistribution of ZnPcS(4) and the optimal timing of laser irradiation after photosensitizer administration, fluorescence microscopy with ZnPcS(4) was performed. CNV was created in the fundi of Brown-Norway rats using the argon laser model and documented by fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was performed at the dose of 2.0 mg/m(2) and laser fluences of 600 mW/cm(2) on the CNV and on normal retina and choroid. Treatment outcomes were assessed by FFA and OCT and confirmed by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated intense ZnPcS(4) fluorescence from the CNV, choriocapillaris, and retinal pigment epithelial cells. Peak ZnPcS(4) intensities in the choriocapillaris and CNV were detected at 10-20 min after an intravenous injection. FFA and OCT indicated that irradiation with 670 nm of laser light 20 min after a ZnPcS(4) injection produced a complete closure of CNV with minimal damage to the overlying retina. Histologic studies, using light and electron microscopy, demonstrated CNV endothelial cell necrosis with minimal damage to the surrounding tissues. CONCLUSIONS: ZnPcS(4) selectively localizes to the choriocapillaris and CNV in rats, resulting in the occlusion of laser-induced CNV with minimal damage to the retina tissues. ZnPcS(4) -PDT is a potential new strategy for the treatment of macular degeneration and other human diseases manifesting as CNV. PMID- 17803438 TI - Short-term results of intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema with retinal vein obstruction and diabetic macular edema. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the short-term effect, safety, and durability of intravitreally injected bevacizumab in patients with macular edema (ME) caused by retinal vein obstruction (RVO) and diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 39 eyes of 36 patients, 14 with ME caused by RVO and 25 with DME, who received intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) and were followed up for at least 3 months. Monthly assessments examined safety, best corrected visual acuity with an ETDRS chart (logMAR), and central retinal thickness (CRT) using optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: No significant ocular or systemic side-effects were observed. The follow-up period was 5.4 +/- 1.1 months (mean +/- standard deviation). During follow-up, the mean number of injections was 1.4 +/- 0.5. The baseline mean logMAR was 0.91 +/- 0.51, and the mean CRT was 552.6 +/- 186.7 microm. At 1, 2, and 3 months, the mean logMAR was 0.67 +/- 0.46 (paired t test, P < 0.001), 0.66 +/- 0.46 (P < 0.001), and 0.69 +/- 0.45 (P < 0.001), respectively, and the mean CRT was 323.1 +/- 151.9 mum (P < 0.001), 324.6 +/- 136.9 mum (P < 0.001), and 382.5 +/- 130.4 microm (P < 0.001), respectively. Fourteen (14) of 34 eyes with more than 3 months of follow-up required a second injection at a mean 3.4 +/- 1.0 months after the initial injection. For both ME caused RVO and DME patients, a bevacizumab administration improved logMAR and CRT at each time point through to 6 months, except for logMAR in DME at 1 week (P = 0.081), 5 months (P = 0.130) and 6 months (P = 0.759). CONCLUSIONS: An intravitreal bevacizumab injection for ME caused by RVO and DME was safe and effective for improving visual acuity and reducing CRT. PMID- 17803439 TI - Results of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection for the treatment of panuveitis attacks in patients with Behcet disease. AB - AIM: The aim of this study was to report our experience on an intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection for the treatment of unilateral severe panuveitis attacks in patients with Behcet disease (BD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 18 eyes of 15 consecutive patients with BD who received an IVTA injection. RESULTS: The indication for an IVTA injection was severe panuveitis attacks in 15 patients who were unresponsive or intolerant to systemic medications. Intraocular inflammation resolved after a mean period of 25 days following the IVTA injection. During a mean followup period of 28 months (range, 9-50), all eyes showed improvement in visual acuity (mean, 0.71 logMAR units). Twelve (12) eyes (66.6%) had an elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP). Cataract progression or new cataract formation was detected in 10 eyes (55.5%). Four (4) eyes (22%) had relapses 10-28 months (mean, 19) after the IVTA injection. CONCLUSIONS: The IVTA injection may be used as an adjunct therapy for the treatment of panuveitis attacks in patients with BD who are unresponsive or intolerant to systemic medications. Although it hastens the resolution of attacks and seems to have a long-term, anti-inflammatory effect, relapses can occur in the long term. It is also associated with a high rate of IOP elevation and cataract progression in this group of patients. PMID- 17803440 TI - Update: aptamers as novel radiopharmaceuticals: their applications and future prospects in diagnosis and therapy. AB - The production of biomaterials with the capacity to bind tightly and specifically to cell surface receptors of malignant cells can greatly benefit cancer diagnosis and treatment. Whereas antibodies have the ability to specifically recognize some tumor cell makers, their large size and immunogenecity markedly limit their value. The development of nuclease-resistant oligonucleotide agents, termed aptamers, offers an alternative to antibodies as targeting, diagnostic, and delivery agents. Using the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) methodology or other variations, one can select specific sequences that have appropriate binding affinities and specificities against clinically relevant markers from large libraries of oligonucleotide ligands. Aptamers have been found to bind their targets with high specificity and with dissociation constants in the subnanomolar or picomolar range. However, the possibility for the selected aptamers to be developed as targeting agents for diagnostic imaging or targeted radiotherapy purposes has yet to be realized. Peptide-coupling reactions between amino and carboxylic groups offer the possibility of labeling the aptamers with a number of chelators that, coupled with appropriate radionuclides, would generate novel targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and therapy of disease. The unparalleled combinatorial chemical diversity, small size, and modification ability of aptamers is expected to meet the criteria for robust, generic drug discovery technology and open new horizons for the development of future radiopharmaceuticals. PMID- 17803441 TI - Evaluation of the binding of radiolabeled rituximab to CD20-positive lymphoma cells: an in vitro feasibility study concerning low-dose-rate radioimmunotherapy with the alpha-emitter 227Th. AB - Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with the alpha-emitter 227Th is currently under evaluation. 227Th is conjugated to the chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab, using the chelator p-isothiocyanato-benzyl-DOTA. In this study, the binding of 227Th-DOTA-p-benzyl-rituximab to three different CD-20-positive lymphoma cell lines, Raji, Rael, and Daudi, were evaluated. Equilibrium and kinetic binding experiments were used to determine binding parameters, including the association and dissociation rate constants, the equilibrium dissociation constants, and the total number of antigens for Raji, Rael, and Daudi cells. There were significant differences between the cell lines with respect to both Kd and the total number of antigens. Rael cells had more than three times as many antigens as the other two cell lines, and the functional Kd found for Rael cells was significantly higher than that found for Raji and Daudi cells. These results were confirmed using flow cytometry. Rituximab was found to be localized in patches on the cell membrane. The findings indicated that 227Th-labeled rituximab has relevant antigen-targeting properties for radioimmunotherapy. PMID- 17803442 TI - Biodistribution of 211At-labeled humanized monoclonal antibody A33. AB - Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) could be a possible adjuvant treatment method for patients with colorectal carcinoma. The A33 antigen is a promising RIT target, as it is highly and homogenously expressed in 95% of all colorectal carcinomas. In this study, the humanized monoclonal antibody A33 (huA33), targeting the A33 antigen, was labeled with the therapeutic nuclide 211At, and the biodistribution and in vivo targeting ability of the conjugate was investigated in an athymic mouse xenograft model. There was an accumulation of 211At in tumor tissue over time, but no substantial accumulation was seen in any organ apart from the skin and thyroid, indicating no major release of free 211At in vivo. At all time points, the uptake of 211At-huA33 was higher in tumor tissue than in most organs, and at 8 hours postinjection (p.i.), no organ had a higher uptake than tumor tissue. The tumor-to-blood ratio of 211At-huA33 increased with time, reaching 2.5 after 21 hours p.i. The highest absorbed dose was found in the blood, but the tumor received a higher dose than any organ other than the thyroid. An in vivo blocking experiment showed that 211At-huA33 binds specifically to human tumor xenografts in athymic mice. In conclusion, the favorable biodistribution and specific in vivo targeting ability of 211At-huA33 makes it a potential therapeutic agent for the RIT of metastatic colorectal carcinoma. PMID- 17803443 TI - Radiotherapy of CD45-expressing Daudi tumors in nude mice with yttrium-90 labeled, PEGylated anti-CD45 antibody. AB - Studies were performed to determine the suitability of using the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-labeled AHN-12 anti-CD45 monoclonal antibody to deliver the high energy beta-particle-emitting isotope 90Y to a CD45+ B-cell Daudi lymphoma grown as flank tumors in athymic nude mice. The PEGylated radiolabeled antibody displayed a significantly better antitumor effect in the mouse tumor flank model (p<0.03) and significantly better blood pharmacokinetics in normal rats (p<0.05) than the non-PEGylated radiolabeled antibody. Studies of two different sizes of PEG showed that rats given 43 kDa of PEGylated AHN-12, but not 5 kDa of PEGylated AHN-12, had significantly higher radiolabeled antibody blood levels and, therefore, improved pharmacokinetics, as compared to rodents given non-PEGylated radiolabeled AHN-12 (p<0.05). Surviving mice revealed no signs of kidney, liver, or gastrointestinal damage by histology study. Notably, in vitro studies indicated that PEGylation did not have a major effect on labeling efficiency and the binding of labeled antibody. These findings indicate that PEGylation of radiolabeled anti-CD45 antibody may be a useful and desirable means of extending blood half-life and enhancing efficacy. Also, the final outcome may be impacted by the size of the PEG molecule used for the modification of the blood half-life. PMID- 17803444 TI - Review: dendritic cell-based vaccine in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. AB - Traditionally, immunology is mainly about the study of the immune response against foreign antigens, such as bacteria and viruses. Accordingly, tumor cells expressing alien or altered antigens make the attractive targets against which cancer immunology is initiated. However, recent comprehensive studies demonstrated that most prevalent antigens recognized by our immune system in cancer are those shared, nonmutated self-antigens expressed also by normal tissue cells. Thus, how to break the self-tolerance and avoid the concomitant autoimmunity remain the two challenges in cancer immunology. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most effective antigen-presenting cells. They are capable of capturing, processing, and presenting antigens to T- and B-cells. This feature targets dendritic cells as the ideal candidates for breaking self-tolerance in cancer immunology. Clinical trials have demonstrated that dendritic cells are effective messengers. They circulate around the body and stimulate cytotoxic T lymphocytes to clear tumor cells. Vaccination with DCs led to a clinical response in patients with melanoma, specifically those without significant autoimmunity. In this paper, we will examine the strategies and efficacies of DC-based vaccinations in the treatment of patients with melanoma. PMID- 17803445 TI - Extraperitoneal leakage as a possible explanation for failure of one-time intraperitoneal treatment in ovarian cancer. AB - We conducted a single-arm study to determine the biodistribution of intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered 90yttrium-labeled murine monoclonal antibody HMFG1 (90Y-muHMFG1) in patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. Seventeen (17) patients in complete clinical remission for epithelial ovarian cancer were included. After completion of chemotherapy, a mixture of 111indium labeled muHMFG1 (imaging) and 90Y-muHMFG1 (therapy) was i.p. administered by a surgically placed, indwelling i.p. catheter. Planar and single-photon emission computed tomography images were recorded to determine the distribution of the study medication during the first 6 days postinjection. Of the first 3 patients, 2 patients had extraperitoneal leakage of up to 50% of the injected dose within 24 hours after injection of the study medication. Extraperitoneal leakage was mainly seen in the retroperitoneal spaces covering the upper and lower quadrant of the abdomen. After adjustments in the procedure, leakage was observed in 2 of the remaining 14 patients. Extraperitoneal leakage of i.p. administered therapy does occur. Such leakage would reduce the locally delivered dose of a drug and could potentially have a negative impact on therapeutic efficacy. Given the potential attraction of developing i.p. treatments for intra-abdominal cancer, the observations in this study need to be taken into consideration. PMID- 17803446 TI - Analysis of multiple factors related to hematologic toxicity following 153Sm EDTMP therapy. AB - PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical factors related to hematologic toxicity caused by treatment with samarium-153 ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonic acid (153Sm-EDTMP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 206 secondary bone neoplasm patients treated with 153Sm-EDTMP were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression (SPSS 10.0 for Windows; Chicago, IL) and correlation analysis were used to evaluate the factors concerned. RESULTS: Age, number of bone metastatic lesions, chemotherapy before treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP, concurrence of radiotherapy, and times of repeated treatments with 153Sm-EDTMP were determined by single factor analysis to be related to hematologic toxicity. Chemotherapy before treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP, concurrence of radiotherapy, drug use to maintain normal white blood cell counts, and times of repeated treatments with 153Sm-EDTMP were determined by multiple factor analysis to be related to hematologic toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy before treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP, concurrence of radiotherapy, drug use to maintain normal white blood cell counts, and times of repeated treatments with 153Sm-EDTMP are the main clinical factors related to hematologic toxicity caused by 153Sm-EDTMP therapy. In patients with such factors, more attention might be paid to the change of blood cell counts after 153Sm-EDTMP therapy. PMID- 17803447 TI - Effect of antilymphoma antibody, 131I-Lym-1, on peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. AB - Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), unlabeled rituximab (Rituxan, Biogen Idec Inc., Cambridge, MA; and Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA) or radiolabeled 90Y-ibritumomab (Zevalin, Biogen Idec Inc., Cambridge, MA) and 131I-tositumomab (Bexxar; Glaxo Smith Kline, Research Triangle Park, NC), have proven to be effective therapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but also induce immediate and persistent decreases in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Lym-1, a mAb that selectively targets malignant lymphocytes, also has induced therapeutic responses and prolonged survival in patients with NHL when labeled with iodine 131 (131I). We have retrospectively examined its effect on PBLs in 41 NHL patients that had received 131I-Lym-1 therapy. Absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) were evaluated before and after the first and last 131I-Lym-1 infusion. Modest decreases in PBLs were observed in most of the patients. Using strict criteria to define recovery, time to recovery was determined for 19 patients, with the remainder censored because of insufficient follow-up (median follow up for censored patients: 22 days). Using Kaplan-Meier estimates, it would be predicted that 31% of patients would recover by 28 days and that median time to recovery would be 44 days after the last 131I-Lym-1 infusion. No predictors were found for time to recovery, considering such factors as the administered Lym-1 or 131I dose, spleen volume, or radiation doses to the body, marrow, or spleen. The data suggest that the effect of 131I-Lym-1 on ALC is the result of a nonspecific radiation effect, rather than a specific Lym-1 mAb effect. The shorter time required for ALC recovery after 131I-Lym-1 when compared to that reported for anti-CD20 mAbs, whether radiolabeled or otherwise, is probably related to differing mechanisms for lymphocytotoxicity and lesser Lym-1 antigenic density on normal B-lymphocytes. PMID- 17803448 TI - Recombinant expression of the beta-subunit of HLA-DR10 for the selection of novel lymphoma targeting molecules. AB - Selective high-affinity ligands (SHALs) were selected as substitutes for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to deliver radioisotopes to malignant tumors. Because a SHAL (5 KD) is considerably smaller in comparison to an antibody (150 KD), a significant therapeutic index (TI) enhancement for radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is anticipated. The antibody-antigen (Ab-Ag) model system chosen for the development of SHALs consists of Lym-1, a MAb with proven selectivity in non Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients and its well-characterized Ag, the beta subunit of HLA DR10. Whereas Lym-1 is readily available, the subunit of HLA-DR10 is not. Native, heterodimeric (alpha and beta subunits) HLA-DR10 can be purified from Raji cells, which are known to overexpress this Ag. Inconsistent homogeneity between preparations of HLA-DR10 solubilized in the presence of detergents prompted us to express a recombinant form of the beta subunit of HLA-DR10 in Escherichia coli. Negligible production yields ( or =15-year-old group). APSN was associated with more severe hypertension (P = 0.002 for systolic and P = 0.004 for diastolic blood pressure), acute renal failure (P = 0.003), persistent heavy proteinuria (P < 0.001 for 4+ proteinuria), severe lupus nephritis (class III and IV, P = 0.014, high activity and chronicity indices, P < 0.001) and a tendency to progress to end-stage renal disease. CONCLUSION: Systemic lupus erythematosus patients who underwent renal biopsies in our institute showed a prevalence of APSN comparable to those in western countries. The presence of APSN was significantly higher in the adult than in the paediatric population. Its association with poor prognostic indicators suggests poor renal outcome. Clinicians should be aware of this condition in order to give proper care to systemic lupus erythematosus patients. PMID- 17803472 TI - Thin basement membrane nephropathy and IgA glomerulonephritis: can they be distinguished without renal biopsy? AB - BACKGROUND: Thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) and IgA glomerulonephritis (IgA gn) are the most common primary glomerular conditions diagnosed on renal biopsy, performed for microscopic haematuria or microscopic haematuria with proteinuria. While up to 50% of patients with IgA gn will develop chronic renal failure, most patients with TBMN enjoy an excellent prognosis. Because TBMN is estimated to occur in up to 1% of the general population, differentiation between the two conditions without resort to renal biopsy is desirable. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of 248 patients diagnosed on renal biopsy as having either TBMN or IgA gn, sought to identify clinical or biochemical factors which would have enabled confident differentiation between the two conditions to be made without resort to renal biopsy. RESULTS: No single clinical or pathological variable adequately discriminated between the two conditions. Impaired renal function and heavy proteinuria were highly specific for IgA gn but lacked sensitivity in differentiating from TBMN. Isolated microscopic haematuria (IMH) was a more common finding in patients diagnosed with TBMN but, as a discriminator between TBMN and IgA gn, lacked sufficient specificity. However, if assumptions were made based on the differing incidence of a positive family history between IgA gn and TBMN, then specificity of >99% could be achieved. CONCLUSION: TBMN and IgA gn cannot be distinguished on the basis of clinical or pathological variables alone. However, in patients with IMH and a positive family history of either IMH or biopsy-proven TBMN, there is usually no need for renal biopsy. PMID- 17803473 TI - Urine interleukin-1beta in children with acute pyelonephritis and renal scarring. AB - AIM: Acute pyelonephritis is a common infectious disease in children and can result in permanent renal damage. Interleukin (IL)-1beta is an important inflammatory mediator that appears early during bacterial infection. This prospective study examined urine IL-1beta levels in children with acute pyelonephritis documented by (99m)Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan, and also evaluated whether this cytokine correlated with renal scarring. METHODS: A total of 75 children aged 1-121 months with a diagnosis of first-time febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) were studied. The following inflammatory markers were assessed: fever, white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, C-reactive protein (CRP) and urine IL-1beta. Urine samples were collected for IL-1beta measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and after antibiotic treatment of the infection. Follow-up DMSA scan was performed at 6-12 months after the acute pyelonephritis to detect renal scarring. Twenty children with other febrile illnesses served as non-renal febrile controls. RESULTS: The 75 children were divided into acute pyelonephritis (n = 41) and lower UTI (n = 34) groups according to the findings of DMSA scans. Fever, WBC count, neutrophil count and CRP were significantly higher in the children with acute pyelonephritis than in those with lower UTI (all P < 0.001). The initial urine IL-1beta levels of children with acute pyelonephritis were significantly higher when compared with lower UTI and non-renal febrile controls (P < 0.001). Urine IL-1beta in children with acute pyelonephritis was positively correlated with fever, CRP, WBC, neutrophil and leucocyturia. Renal scarring was found in 12 (29.3%) of the 41 children with acute pyelonephritis. The mean age was significantly lower in the children with renal scarring compared with those without (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results have shown that urine IL-1beta level may serve as a useful marker for the early detection of acute pyelonephritis in febrile children. Young children are at a risk of the development of renal scarring following acute pyelonephritis. PMID- 17803474 TI - Quantification of gene expression in urinary sediment for the study of renal diseases. AB - Urinalysis has been used extensively in clinical practice to aid in the diagnosis of various renal diseases. With the advances in technology of molecular biology, gene expression and proteomic studies are now possible for urinary sediment. In this review article, we focus on the quantification of messenger RNA expression in urinary sediment by reverse-transcription and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Recently, this technique has been explored for three potential applications: (i) distinguishing the different causes of kidney disease; (ii) assessment of kidney disease activity, progression and response to therapy; and (iii) as a tool to study the pathogenesis. Although the method is simple and non-invasive, it requires further research to define the role in routine clinical practice. At this moment, the technique should only be considered experimental albeit promising. PMID- 17803475 TI - Vascular calcification and arterial stiffness in chronic kidney disease: implications and management. AB - Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the commonest cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Vascular calcification (VC), induced by calcium and phosphate excess and uraemia, is a major risk factor and is independently associated with CV events and death. Local and systemic calcium-regulatory proteins as well as inhibitory extracellular factors are involved in the pathogenesis of VC. In CKD the balance becomes dysregulated leading to differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells into phenotypically distinct osteoblast-like cells with subsequent ossification of the arterial wall. Associated with imbalances in mineral metabolism, VC has intimate interactions with bone mineralization and enhanced bone resorption. Arterial stiffness represents the functional disturbance of VC, with reduced compliance of large arteries, and predominantly results from greater medial calcification. As with VC, arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of CV mortality and patients with CKD have greater arterial stiffness than the general population resulting in the principal consequences of left ventricular hypertrophy and altered coronary perfusion. Both VC and arterial stiffness can be measured through non-invasive techniques involving computed tomography, ultrasound, echocardiography, and pulse wave velocity. Management in CKD is difficult but detection, prevention and treatment is crucial to reduce CV mortality. The optimal control of mineral metabolism, especially hyperphosphatemia with non-calcium based phosphate binders, has been shown to be effective to reduce VC, and attenuation of arterial stiffness, especially with good blood pressure control, can have a favourable effect with regression of left ventricular hypertrophy. The use of bisphosphonates, calcimimetics, vitamin D therapy and newer experimental treatments, as well as nocturnal dialysis, may have potential benefit. PMID- 17803476 TI - Effect of N-acetylcysteine on renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease. AB - BACKGROUND: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is commonly administered to high-risk individuals to attenuate the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in spite of the debate regarding its efficacy. In several studies serum creatinine decreased after exposure to NAC and contrast dye. The mechanism by which NAC attenuates the decline in renal function is not known. Studies in subjects with normal renal function suggest NAC may have an effect on tubular secretion. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of NAC on renal function, measured by serum creatinine and Cystatin C, in patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. METHOD: Serum creatinine and Cystatin C were measured prior to, 4, 24 and 48 h after the administration of 600 mg oral NAC in 30 patients. The protocol was repeated with the addition of 1200 mg oral cimetidine administered 3 h before NAC. RESULTS: Serum creatinine was not significantly different from baseline (186 +/- 65 micromol/L) to 4 h (185 +/- 62 micromol/L), 24 h (187 +/- 64 micromol/L) or 48 h (184 +/- 61 micromol/L) post NAC, nor were Cystatin C levels. Co administration of cimetidine resulted in a significant rise in serum creatinine with no change in Cystatin C levels. CONCLUSION: This study failed to detect a change in serum creatinine or Cystatin C after a single dose of NAC in participants with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Further randomized trials of multiple doses and longer follow up are needed to confirm these results. PMID- 17803477 TI - Renal-related deaths in Indigenous people in Queensland, Australia. AB - AIM: Indigenous Australians have much higher mortality than non-Indigenous Australians. We aimed to quantify the excess of deaths with a renal causal assignment among Indigenous people aged 25 years and over in Queensland, Australia, 1997-2000 and their distribution by remoteness. METHODS: Both underlying and associated causes defined by ICD, 10(th) edition, were examined. Mortality rates were standardized to the concurrent non-Indigenous population. RESULTS: In Indigenous people, standardized mortality ratios with a renal assignment of death by remoteness of residence were 194% (Major City and Inner Regional), 439% (Outer Regional and Remote) and 782% (Very Remote). Of all these deaths with a renal assignment, only 18% had a renal assignment as the underlying cause. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease were frequent concomitant causes in deaths with a renal assignment. CONCLUSION: The Indigenous population in Queensland has elevated rates of renal deaths compared with the non-Indigenous population. This disparity increases markedly with increasing remoteness of residence. Reliance on underlying causes of death alone greatly underestimates the association of renal disease with deaths in this population. PMID- 17803478 TI - Trends in incidence of treated end-stage renal disease, overall and by primary renal disease, in persons aged 20-64 years in Europe, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region, 1998-2002. AB - AIMS: To determine if rates of diabetic and non-diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which had been rising in young and middle-aged adults in all populations up to the mid-1990s, had started to decline, and if so, whether improvement had occurred in respect of each of the principal primary renal diseases causing ESRD. METHODS: Poisson regression of age- and sex-standardized incidence of ESRD for persons aged 20-64 years in 18 populations from Europe, Canada and the Asia Pacific region, for 1998-2002. RESULTS: In persons from 12 European descent (Europid) populations combined, there was a small downward trend in all-cause ESRD (-1.7% per year, P = 0.001), with type 1 diabetic ESRD falling by 7.8% per year (P < 0.001), glomerulonephritic ESRD by 3.1% per year (P = 0.001), and 'all other non-diabetic' ESRD by 2.5% per year (P = 0.02). The reductions in ESRD attributed to hypertensive (-2.2% per year) and polycystic renal disease (-1.5% per year) and unknown diagnosis (-0.2% per year) were not statistically significant. On the other hand, the incidence of type 2 diabetic ESRD rose by 9.9% per year (P < 0.001) in the combined Europid population, although that of (principally type 2) diabetic ESRD remained unchanged in the pooled data from the four non-Europid populations. CONCLUSION: Recent preventive strategies, probably chiefly modern renoprotective treatment, appear to have been effective for tertiary prevention of ESRD caused by the proteinuric nephropathies other than type 2 diabetic nephropathy, for which the continuing increase in Europid populations represents a failure of prevention and/or a change in the nephropathic potential of type 2 diabetes. PMID- 17803479 TI - Candidemia-induced acute interstitial nephritis. PMID- 17803480 TI - Acute kidney injury complicating minimal change disease: the case for careful use of diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. PMID- 17803481 TI - Thoracic ectopic kidney. PMID- 17803482 TI - Mineral trioxide aggregate as a root canal filling material in reimplanted teeth. Microscopic analysis in monkeys. AB - This study analyzed mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) as a root canal filling material for the immediate reimplantation of monkey teeth. Four adult capuchin monkeys Cebus apella were used, which had their maxillary and mandibular lateral incisors on both sides extracted and reimplanted after 15 min. During the extra alveolar period, the teeth were kept in saline solution and after reimplantation retention was performed with a stainless steel wire and composite resin for 14 days. After 7 days, the reimplanted teeth were submitted to endodontic treatment with biomechanics up to file n. 30 and irrigation with a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)(2)], and then divided into two study groups: group I - root canal filled with a Ca(OH)(2) paste, and group II - root canal filled with MTA. Radiographic follow up was performed at 30, 60 and 90 days postoperatively, and after 180 days the animals were killed and specimens were processed for histomorphological analysis. The results revealed that most specimens of both groups presented organized periodontal ligament with no inflammation. The resorptions observed were surface resorptions and were repaired by cementum. Both MTA and Ca(OH)(2) were good root canal filling materials for immediately reimplanted teeth, providing good repair and also allowing biological sealing of some lateral canals. There was no significant difference between the study groups (alpha = 29.60%). PMID- 17803483 TI - An experimentally calibrated finite element study of maxillary trauma. AB - A baseball injury to an instrumented human cadaver maxillae was simulated with a regulation (142 g) baseball traveling at 14 m s(-1). Measurements of strain were obtained with three-axis strain gauge rosettes located at the medial palate and both canine fossae. A three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of a dentate human maxilla was constructed from computed tomography scans of the skull of an adolescent. This three-dimensional mathematical model of the maxilla was deemed geometrically accurate by convergence testing when the model's degrees of freedom approximated 74 000. The simulated load case involved a transient dynamic impact to the medial maxilla with boundary conditions imposed at skeletal buttresses of the model. The model was calibrated through direct comparison with the displacements and principal strains gathered from experimental and epidemiological data. The comparison of experimental and calculated principal strains as a result of the simulated impacts revealed a 1.7-11.4% difference. PMID- 17803484 TI - Comparison of acidic fibroblast growth factor on collagen carrier with calcium hydroxide as pulp capping agents in monkeys. AB - Acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) has been shown to facilitate wound healing by stimulating fibroblast proliferation and angiogenesis. It has also been reported to possess a powerful anti-apoptotic function This study compared the histological pulp responses to aFGF on collagen carrier and Ca(OH)(2) placed on the mechanically exposed dental pulp in monkeys at two observation periods. Thirty-six teeth with pulp exposures were distributed into three groups according to the capping agents used prior to application of the coronal seal: collagen based matrix carrier (group 1), aFGF on the collagen-based matrix carrier (group 2) and aqueous calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)(2)] paste (group 3). Specimens were harvested at 6 and 13 weeks postoperatively and prepared for hematoxylin and eosin, and Gram staining. Histological qualitative evaluation of pulp responses were performed under the light microscope following criteria modified from Cox et al. (17) and Hu et al. (18). Semi-quantitative analysis was also carried out using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests. There was neither negligible inflammatory infiltrates with no bacteria present in the three groups at both timings, nor was there any significant difference in the soft tissue organization among the three groups at or between the 6- and 13-week observation periods. At 6 weeks, the hard tissue barrier produced by Ca(OH)(2) group (1.040 +/- 0.089) was significantly more superior than aFGF/collagen carrier group (1.930 +/- 0.825) (P = 0.030) as well as collagen carrier group (3.142 +/- 1.069, P = 0.018). At 13 weeks, both aFGF/collagen carrier group (1.214 +/- 0.485) and the collagen carrier group (1.457 +/- 0.814) produced significantly better hard tissue barrier (P = 0.040 and P = 0.017, respectively) than earlier timing. However, these two groups did not induce significantly improved hard tissue barrier compared to that produced by aqueous Ca(OH)(2) paste which stimulated matrix secretion in a polar tubular dentin-like pattern. PMID- 17803485 TI - Brazilian dentists' knowledge regarding immediate treatment of traumatic dental injuries. AB - The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of dentists working in the city of Tubarao, southern Brazil, about the immediate treatment of traumatic dental injuries. A cross-sectional study was carried out involving all dentists who were working in the city in 2004 (n = 108). Data were collected through self applied questionnaires with questions about sex, time elapsed since graduation, whether the dentists had attended postgraduate courses and also four questions about traumatic dental injuries in which the dentists selected the best answer. The response rate was 86.1%. For the two questions related to dental avulsion, 36.6% and 16.1% of professionals respectively, chose the correct answer according to the literature. For the question related to coronal fracture, 75.3% chose the correct answer. For the questions related to an incident without dental avulsion or fracture, 73.1% chose the correct answer. Time elapsed since graduation was the only variable statistically associated with the correct answer for the question related to coronal fracture. A significantly greater number of professionals with < or = 10 years of experience chose the correct answer when compared with professionals with >10 years experience (P < 0.001). It can be concluded that the great majority of professionals would not intervene according to the literature in the cases of avulsion. Less time elapsed since graduation was statistically associated with the correct answer in the coronal fracture case. PMID- 17803486 TI - Self-reported dental and oral injuries in a population of adults aged 18-50 years. AB - Few population-based studies of traumatic dental injury in adults have been undertaken. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of injuries to the mouth and teeth among adults aged 18-50 years living in the Canadian province of Ontario. A telephone survey was undertaken based on random digit dialling and 2001 adults in the target age range were interviewed. Overall, 15.5% reported a history of injury to the mouth and teeth. Of these, one-third reported two or more episodes of injury. Males were more likely than females to report injury and to have experienced more than one injury. There was no association with age but a U-shaped relationship with education. When asked about the nature of the worst injury experienced, 85% with a history of trauma reported damage to the teeth and of these, 38.5% reported one or more teeth were chipped and 26.0% broke one or more teeth. One quarter (25.4%) reported avulsions and 6.5% reported luxations. Other types of injury were reported by 3.5%. Two-thirds of the injuries reported occurred before the age of 18 years and one-third after this age. One-fifth of those with tooth injuries had not been treated by a health professional. This was not associated with the nature of the damage that occurred; rather subjects from the lower educational groups were less likely than those from higher educational groups to have received treatment. There was a significant association between injuries to the mouth and teeth and injuries in other body locations. One-third of those reporting two or more episodes of the latter reported having experienced injuries to the mouth and teeth. The results of this self-report study indicate that dental trauma constitutes a significant health issue among adults and that a minority may be injury prone. Health promotion programmes to reduce the incidence of injury among lower socioeconomic groups are needed since these have high rates of injury and the lowest rate of receipt of treatment. PMID- 17803487 TI - New emphasis in the treatment of dental trauma: avulsion and luxation. AB - There are several protocols for the successful management of dental trauma emergencies. However, these existing protocols are inconsistent regarding several issues. As the Israeli dental community and patients have specific characteristics, a modified and adaptable protocol was required. This new protocol contains simple and straightforward clinical guidelines, arranged in table format, according to the nature of the trauma. The present study shows the protocol for luxation and avulsion injuries, with new recommendations for the treatment of luxated closed-apex teeth, the preferred at-site treatment and storage medium for avulsed teeth, and the conditioning of the root surface in these cases. To emphasize and explain the modification of this new protocol, research-based information has been incorporated. PMID- 17803488 TI - Oral trauma and dental emergency management recommendations of first-aid textbooks and manuals. AB - The recommendations of oral trauma and dental emergencies management of nine first-aid textbooks and manuals from the last two decades were evaluated. Only one book includes all the relevant topics: dental anatomy, management of tooth luxations and avulsion, tooth fracture, mandible dislocation, jaw fracture, intraoral bleeding and dental pain. Two books recommend self-replantation of an avulsed tooth, but four books detail the storage media and evaluate the importance of a quick referral to a dental surgery. In three first-aid books, the only mention of oral trauma is the hazard of choking from tooth fragments, and in one other book, only mandible dislocation is mentioned as oral trauma. The insufficient information of oral trauma management in these first-aid texts partly explains the previous reports of poor and inadequate knowledge in that topic among medics, teachers and the general public. PMID- 17803489 TI - Intrusive luxation: a case report. AB - Intrusive luxation is one of the most severe types of dental trauma. The occurrence of pulp necrosis in intruded teeth with open apices is 100%. The risk of development of inflammatory or replacement root resorptions is high. Thus, endodontic intervention is required soon after the occurrence of trauma, in an attempt to prevent or delay the appearance of such lesions. On the other hand, the access to the root canal is difficult, as the crown is intruded. A multidisciplinary approach comprising Surgery, Orthodontics and Endodontics is required to allow exposure of the crown, orthodontic extrusion and onset of endodontic therapy. The patient GCSA, aged 15 years, attended the community project 'Lugar de dente e na boca' ('teeth should be in the mouth') of the Federal University of Goias, Brazil, 1 week after complete intrusion of the right maxillary central incisor. Radiographic examination revealed that the incisal edge of this tooth was at the level of the crown-root interface of the adjacent teeth. After surgical exposure of the crown, pulp sensitivity was evaluated and was found to be negative. After onset of endodontic therapy, the patient was referred for orthodontic extrusion of the intruded tooth. Successive changes of root canal dressing were performed and the root canal was definitely obturated at 3 years and 6 months after onset of treatment. The present paper reports on a case of severe intrusive luxation, discusses the different treatments recommended for repositioning of traumatically intruded teeth, and questions the ideal period of maintenance of calcium hydroxide dressing in the root canal, in an attempt to prevent the occurrence of root resorption and repair any existing resorption. PMID- 17803490 TI - Conservative treatment of an ankylosed tooth after delayed replantation: a case report. AB - An 8-year-old boy sustained avulsion of his upper right maxillary central incisor and lateral luxation of his upper left maxillary incisors. Subsequently, the upper right maxillary central incisor developed replacement resorption, and both upper left maxillary incisors developed pulpal canal obliteration. In the ankylosed tooth, decoronation procedure was performed, and in the 44-month follow up period the involved alveolar site showed vertical apposition of bone and continuing replacement resorption. Decoronation is a surgical procedure that allows preservation of the bone volume for the future, avoiding aesthetic disturbances and more aggressive treatments in cases where other therapeutic alternatives are not feasible. PMID- 17803491 TI - Dental treatment of a 2-year-old victim of a suicide bomb attack. AB - The purpose of this report was to describe the diagnosis and dental treatment of a 2-year-old girl that was involved in a suicide bomb attack. A 14-months-old infant was severely injured when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device inside a crowded bus. Her injury was 'multi-system', mainly burns and fragments in her face, eyes and other parts of the body. Fifteen months later, she was brought to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry of the Hadassah School of Dental Medicine and the clinical and radiographic examination showed that she was caries free but there were dental trauma injuries to many teeth. Due to her non cooperative behavior and the extent of treatment the girl was scheduled for a one appointment treatment under deep sedation. Three days later, she was brought to the Emergency Room of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry complaining of pain on the lower left side of the mouth and a swollen vestibule and face could clinically be observed. The lower left first molar that apparently revealed only an enamel fracture and cracks at the time of treatment, actually revealed a necrotic pulp as a result of the blast. As this girl was caries free, and with no history of dental trauma due to any accident, the only explanation for the response of the pulp was the impact of the blast. In conclusion, the reaction of the dental pulp to the blast of an explosion is different than the reaction to other kind of insult and this should be taken in consideration when treating children after this kind of dental trauma. PMID- 17803492 TI - Re-attachment of a fractured tooth: a case report. AB - A 16-year-old patient who fractured her maxillary central incisors is presented. One of the original tooth fragments was available. The fracture was clean and there was no pulpal exposure. Juxtaposition of the fragment to the tooth showed that the margins of each fitted well against each other and no interfragmentary space was present. The fragment was re-attached with an adhesive bonding agent and the other tooth was restored with a resin composite. The esthetic result achieved in a single appointment was excellent. The tooth was vital and there was no change in the color of the tooth in 1-year recall. PMID- 17803493 TI - The impact of alleged abuse on behaviour in adults with severe intellectual disabilities. AB - BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are particularly vulnerable to abuse, and most incidents come to light through victim disclosure. Those people with severe or profound ID are not able to describe what has happened to them. This project aimed to describe the consequences of abuse and changes in behaviour following alleged abuse in 18 adults with severe ID. METHOD: Family members or other carers were interviewed to collect information about the alleged abuse. They were also asked about the person's adaptive and challenging behaviours at three time points: in the 3 months immediately prior to the abuse (time 1), in the 3 months immediately after the abuse (time 2) and in the 3 months prior to interview (time 3). RESULTS: A typical pattern emerged for both adaptive and challenging behaviours: there were few problems or difficulties at time 1, major difficulties at time 2 and some recovery by time 3. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence is mounting that clinicians considering the sequelae of abuse for people with severe or profound ID need to consider changes in adaptive and challenging behaviours, as well as the typical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. PMID- 17803494 TI - The effectiveness of antidepressant medication in the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review. AB - BACKGROUND: A comprehensive systematic review was performed to establish the current evidence base regarding the effectiveness of antidepressant medication for the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilities. METHOD: An electronic search of PsycInfo, Embase, Medline and Cinahl databases was conducted spanning the time period 1990 to October 2005 for primary trials. This was supplemented by hand searching and cross-referencing of relevant reviews. Strict scientific methodology requirements were formulated that the studies had to meet in order to merit inclusion in this review. RESULTS: One crossover randomized controlled trial in a small cohort, seven prospective uncontrolled trials and two retrospective studies were yielded in the search. Of these, one explored the effectiveness of the tricyclic antidepressant- clomipramine, and nine considered various selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). CONCLUSION: Evidence based primarily on a small number of either prospective or retrospective case studies that included a small number of participants and often used non-validated outcome measures for a short period of follow-up, suggests that antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, show improvement of aggression and self-injurious behaviour on average in less than 50% of cases and the rest show either no improvement or deterioration. The effect is most pronounced in the presence of an underlying anxiety or an associated diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Most studies have highlighted the concern regarding adverse effects. PMID- 17803495 TI - The effectiveness of antipsychotic medication in the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilities. AB - BACKGROUND: Psychopharmacological intervention in the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) has become a common treatment strategy. This has become a cause for concern, given that the evidence for its effectiveness is uncertain and most drugs are not licensed for this use. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic review of empirical research on the effectiveness of antipsychotic medication was conducted. Electronic and manual searches of literature were conducted. Stringent scientific methodology determined those primary trials that were worthy of inclusion. RESULTS: This review revealed one randomized controlled trial (RCT), one controlled, four uncontrolled prospective and three retrospective case series studies in adults. Additionally, two studies in both adults and children--one crossover RCT and one prospective controlled trial--were found. CONCLUSION: Presently, there is RCT based evidence for risperidone to be effective in both adults and children; however, this treatment carries a certain amount of risk associated with adverse effects. There is also evidence to support the use of other antipsychotics, primarily atypicals, but the evidence is based on noncontrolled case studies. There is currently not enough evidence available to recommend specific medication for specific behaviour problems. Before prescribing medication, clinicians should carry out a thorough assessment of behaviour, including its causes and consequences, and draw up a formulation providing the rationale for the prescribed intervention after considering all medication- and nonmedication-based management options. PMID- 17803496 TI - Emotional and behavioural problems in offenders with intellectual disability: comparative data from three forensic services. AB - BACKGROUND: Despite an increasing knowledge base concerning the assessment of emotional and behavioural problems in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), relatively little research has examined such problems in offenders with ID. METHODS: The study assessed 172 male offenders with ID in three service settings (high, medium-low security and community) using the Behaviour Rating Scale of the Emotional Problem Scales (EPS), with the aim of assessing differences in Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviour Problems. RESULTS: Normative information is presented on the Behaviour Rating Scale of the EPS across three levels of forensic ID care. It was found that offenders in higher secure care scored higher on sub-scales reflecting physical aggression than those in lower secure care. However, there was no difference in terms of other Externalizing Behaviour Problems, such as verbal aggression, non-compliance or hyperactivity. In addition, those offenders in higher secure care scored significantly higher on all Internalizing Behaviour Problems sub-scales, including anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed, including the utility of the EPS as a measure of clinical need and treatment outcome. PMID- 17803497 TI - Profiles and correlates of aggressive behaviour among adults with intellectual disabilities. AB - BACKGROUND: Despite the heterogeneity in aggressive behaviours observed among individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), little attention has been paid to the identification of typologies of aggression among individuals with mild or moderate ID and their associated factors. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to identify profiles of aggressive behaviour and their psychosocial correlates. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study of 296 adults with mild or moderate ID, information was gathered through interviews with the ID participants, their case manager and a significant other. Client files were also reviewed. RESULTS: Multiple correspondence analysis followed by hierarchical cluster analysis generated six distinct profiles of aggressive behaviour in this sample. The 'violent' group clearly stood out as lacking social and vocational involvement, having more severe mental health problems, high levels of impulsivity and antisocial tendencies compared with all other groups. DISCUSSION: The identification of distinct profiles of aggressive behaviour offers new possibilities for studying risk factors and eventually targeting specific risk prevention strategies. PMID- 17803498 TI - Assessment and treatment units for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour in England: an exploratory survey. AB - BACKGROUND: Evaluative studies have shown that special units for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) who have challenging behaviour have advantages and disadvantages. There has been no survey of their number or characteristics for nearly 20 years. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all National Health Service trusts that had ID inpatient beds, and all private or voluntary healthcare establishments providing services for people with mental health problems or ID. This asked for information about the unit, its residents and the views of the unit manager. RESULTS: Forty-four agencies confirmed that they provided assessment and treatment units, of which 38 returned questionnaires. These units served 333 people, of whom 75% had mild or moderate ID. A quarter had been there for more than 2 years. Forty per cent of residents had a discharge plan, and 20% had this and the type of placement considered ideal for them in their home area. The main strengths of the units were identified as the knowledge and experience of the staff and having sufficient staff; the main problems as inappropriate admissions, bed-blocking and the relationship with other services; difficulties with recruiting and retaining staff; the location and environment of the unit; and the mix of residents. CONCLUSIONS: There has been an increasing rate of provision of special units, which now predominantly serve people with moderate or mild ID. This model of service provision is becoming more widespread, but the potential problems identified 20 years ago are still present. Areas are identified for further research. PMID- 17803499 TI - Does operational diagnosis of schizophrenia significantly impact intellectual deficits in psychotic disorders? AB - BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that, as a group, patients with schizophrenia have intellectual deficits that may precede the manifestation of psychotic symptoms; however, how successfully intelligence tests are able to discriminate schizophrenia from other psychotic disorders has yet to be investigated in detail. METHODS: Using Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) data for 55 inpatients with schizophrenia and 28 inpatients with non-schizophrenic psychotic disorders (NSPD) (schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition, and psychotic disorders not otherwise specified), intelligence performance was compared between schizophrenia and NSPD and among different subtypes of schizophrenia. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ (VIQ) and performance IQ (PIQ) discrepancy, and subtest scores of WAIS-R between the patients with schizophrenia and those with NSPD. These diagnostic groups were not discriminated well by any WAIS-R variables. Schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms, on the other hand, had a significantly larger IQ discrepancy (VIQ > PIQ) than those without prominent negative symptoms and NSPD patients. Intelligence performance in schizophrenia did not differ with respect to diagnostic subtypes and longitudinal courses. CONCLUSIONS: The current study failed to show diagnostic usefulness of WAIS-R in discriminating schizophrenia and other psychoses. A diagnosis of schizophrenia does not significantly impact intellectual deficits in psychotic disorders. PMID- 17803500 TI - Validation of the mood and anxiety semi-structured (MASS) interview for patients with intellectual disabilities. AB - BACKGROUND: When assessing people with intellectual disabilities (ID), using the DSM-IV-TR can be challenging. Frequently, significant clinical data must be obtained from interviews with key informants. A new semi-structured interview tool was developed including behavioural descriptions of each DSM-IV-TR symptom criterion for a number of mood and anxiety disorders. A goal was to provide mental health clinicians with an instrument easy to use in clinical practice that would increase reliable identification of diagnostically important mood and anxiety symptoms. This is especially important given the fact that many experts believe these 'internalizing' clinical syndromes may often be missed in this population, because of characteristic limitations in expressive language skills. METHOD: To establish validity, the Mood and Anxiety Semi-structured (MASS) Interview-derived diagnoses were compared with clinical DSM-IV diagnoses derived from an extensive inpatient evaluation and classifications based on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for 93 psychiatric inpatients served on a specialized unit for people with ID and major mental health disorders. RESULTS: Agreement with the MASS Interview was high yielding significant kappa coefficients ranging from 0.42 to 0.78. CONCLUSIONS: The MASS Interview, a semi-structured interview containing behavioural descriptions of DSM-IV symptom criteria, shows promise as a potentially helpful tool in the psychiatric diagnostic evaluation of persons with ID and limited expressive language skills, in the detection of mood and anxiety disorders. The tool also yields a wide breadth of clinical information and is easy for mental health clinicians to use. PMID- 17803502 TI - Antidepressant prescribing and pregnancy: comment on 'Prevalence and predictors of antidepressant use in a cohort of pregnant women', by Ramos et al. PMID- 17803504 TI - A prospective observational study of the safety and acceptability of vaginal hysterectomy performed in a 24-hour day case surgery setting. PMID- 17803505 TI - Reducing Nigeria's high maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. PMID- 17803506 TI - The use of glargine in pregnancy. PMID- 17803509 TI - Abstracts of the Joint Meeting of the International Xenotransplantation Association (IXA), the International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association (IPITA), and the Cell Transplant Society (CTS), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, September 15-20, 2007. PMID- 17803510 TI - Detection and molecular characterization of calf diarrhoea bovine coronaviruses circulating in South Korea during 2004-2005. AB - Although the widespread occurrence of calf diarrhoea (CD) bovine coronavirus (BCoV) infections have been reported in most cattle producing countries, only the genetic differences in the BCoVs from American and Canadian isolates and/or strains have been identified and compared. Hence, it is unclear if the BCoVs circulating in the other countries have distinct genetic characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of CD BCoVs based on the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences of the spike (S) and haemagglutinin/esterase (HE) proteins in South Korea. RT-PCR and nested PCR using the primer pairs specific to the nucleocapsid gene, BCoVs detected the BCoVs in 56 (15.6%) of 359 diarrhoeic faecal samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the entire S gene indicated that 10 Korean CD BCoV strains clustered with other Korean BCoV strains with different clinical forms but were different from the American and Canadian BCoV strains. Moreover, the phylogenetic data of the aa sequences of the HE gene revealed all the Korean CD strains to be distinct from the other Korean BCoV strains with different clinical forms. These results suggest that the Korean BCoVs cause endemic infections in diarrhoeic calves in Jeonnam province and have taken a different evolutionary pathway from the BCoVs in other countries. Moreover, the different BCoV strains are circulating in the different clinical forms in South Korea. These results also suggest that vaccines against the BCoVs can be developed with each Korean BCoV in different clinical forms. PMID- 17803511 TI - Detection and identification of Salmonella Typhimurium in bovine diarrhoeic fecal samples by immunomagnetic separation and multiplex PCR assay. AB - The aim of this study was to use the immunomagnetic separation (IMS) test plus a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (m-PCR) assay to detect Salmonella at genus level and also for the identification of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in bovine diarrhoeic fecal samples. In all, 400 bovine diarrhoeic fecal specimens were examined by conventional bacterial culture, IMS, and m-PCR. For m-PCR assay, four set primers were selected: 139-141, specific for inv-A gene of Salmonella spp and the RfbJ, FliC and FljB, specific for the rfbJ, FliC and fljB genes of Salmonella Typhimurium or other Salmonella serovars with similar antigenic properties. Thirty-three (8.25%) out of the 400 fecal samples were culture positive for Salmonella serovars. Of these, 66.7% (22 of 33) were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and 9.1% (three of 33) were serovar Dublin. In the IMS + m-PCR, four amplified product (663, 526, 284 and 183 bp) were found in all specimens that had serovar Typhimurium (4,5,12:i:1,2), they corresponded, respectively, to the rfbJ, fljB, inv-A and Flic genes of this serovar. In serovar Dublin (1,9,12:g,p:-), Georgia (6,7:b:e,n,z(15)) and, Enteritidis (1,9,12;g,m:-) only one PCR product (284 bp) was amplified from the inv-A gene. In serovars Augustenborg (6,7:i:1,2) and Lindenburg (6,8:i:1,2) three positive bands (526, 284 and 183 bp) were amplified corresponding to the fljB, inv-A and Flic genes, respectively. In serovar Virchow (6,7:r:1,2) two amplified products (284 and 526 bp) from the inv-A and FliC genes were observed. In serovar Gloucster (1,4,12(27):i:1,w) three fragments (183, 284 and 663) from the FliC, inv-A and, rfbJ genes respectively, were observed. In the positive control as expected, four PCR products were amplified corresponding to the FliC, inv-A, fljB and rfbJ genes, respectively. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that detection of Salmonella at genus level with universal ST139-141 primers and identification of Salmonella Typhimurium by using specific primers of O4, H(2):1, 2 and H(1) antigens can potentially permit to more readily evaluate fecal and other types of samples for the presence of these organisms. Compared to bacteriological culture the combination of IMS and m-PCR resulted a faster method for the detection and identification of Salmonella at genus and serovar level by using of universal and specific primers. PMID- 17803512 TI - Chlamydophila psittaci DNA detection in the faeces of cage birds. AB - In this study, we investigated the shedding of Chlamydophila psittaci in faecal samples from cage birds using PCR testing. A total of 47 faeces samples were collected from four different aviaries. Main symptoms determined after clinical investigation and owner histories of the birds showed that the birds had respiratory system problems changing from mild to severe. They also showed conjunctivitis, diarrhoea or no symptoms at all. DNA extractions from faeces were performed with the QIAamp DNA Stool Mini Kit. Following PCR with Cp. psittaci specific primers, 43 (91.5%) samples were determined to harbour-specific DNA. Only one bird from each aviary was found to be negative by PCR. As all the samples from birds showing clinical signs were PCR positive, these signs could be correlated to psittacosis in these birds. Cp. psittaci shedding in faeces was detected in all the aviaries. After restriction analysis of PCR amplicons with AluI enzyme, all the isolates showed the same RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) patterns with the control Cp. psittaci DNA. PCR following QIAamp DNA stool mini kit extraction of faecal samples was found to be a rapid, specific, sensitive, reproducible test, which did not need additional nested PCR of samples. PMID- 17803513 TI - Variation in the immuno-pathological responses of lambs after experimental infection with different strains of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. AB - Ruminant infection by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes a granulomatous inflammatory response in the intestine and associated lymph nodes. Differences either in the affected organs or in the inflammatory infiltrate were observed between species and individuals. Such differences are usually attributed to variations in host immune responses or to inconsistent effects among different MAP strains. To evaluate if different MAP strains induce different immuno pathological responses in lambs, 28 one-month-old individuals were divided into six groups and inoculated with different MAP strains. Groups 1 and 2 were inoculated with two bovine strains isolated in Argentina that showed different genetic patterns after BstEII-IS900-RFLP (hereafter strains E and A respectively). Group 3 was inoculated with a bovine strain isolated in Spain obtained after a previous step of culture (patterns C1). Group 4 was inoculated with a homogenate of intestinal mucosa of a clinical case affected by the same bovine strain as that of group 3. Group 5 was inoculated with an ovine strain that was directly purified from the intestinal mucosa of a clinical case, and group 6 was kept as control (i.e. no inoculation). Peripheral immune responses were assessed until 150 days post-infection (dpi), when lambs were humanely killed. Pathological studies were performed in tissues from the intestine and lymph nodes. Lesion types and inflammatory infiltrates were examined as indicators of pathogenicity. All the lambs infected with bovine MAP strains showed a common lesion pattern regardless of the strain type. Such pattern was characterized by focal lesions mainly in the mesenteric lymph nodes, the presence of fibrous tissue, and, occasionally, necrosis in the granulomas as well as the presence of numerous giant cells. Differences in lesion severity were observed among groups: lambs from groups 1 and 2 had the highest number of granulomas and the largest lymph node area affected. Lesions in animals from group 5 (infected with an ovine strain) were more severe and occurred mostly in the intestinal lymphoid tissue; necrosis, fibrosis or giant cells were never detected in this group. These results indicate that the MAP strain type induces different pathological responses in lambs. PMID- 17803514 TI - Immunoproteomic assay of membrane-associated proteins of Streptococcus suis type 2 China vaccine strain HA9801. AB - Immunoproteomic approaches were undertaken to study the immunogenicity of the membrane-associated proteins of the Streptococcus suis type 2 (SS2) China vaccine strain HA9801. The membrane-associated proteins were enriched using the Triton X 114 extraction protocol and were analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and subsequent immunoblotting using the hyperimmune serum of SS2-HA9801 immunized specific pathogen free (SPF) minipigs. A total of 11 proteins were recognized, and the corresponding spots on a duplicate gel were excised and identified by MALDI-TOF MS. PMID- 17803515 TI - Pre-harvest interventions to reduce the shedding of E. coli O157 in the faeces of weaned domestic ruminants: a systematic review. AB - Our objective was to use formal systematic review methods to evaluate the efficacy of interventions to reduce faecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157 in post-weaned ruminants by increasing animal resistance. The methodology consisted of an extensive search to identify all potentially relevant research, screening of titles and abstracts for relevance to the research question, quality assessment of relevant research, extraction of data from research of sufficient quality, and qualitative summarization of results. The interventions evaluated included probiotics, vaccination, antimicrobials, sodium chlorate, bacteriophages and other feed additives. There was evidence of efficacy for the probiotic combination Lactobacillus acidophilus NP51 (NPC 747) and Propionibacterium freudenreichii and for sodium chlorate in feed or water. The effectiveness of vaccination varied among studies and among vaccine protocols and there was no consistent evidence to suggest that antibiotic use was associated with a decrease in faecal shedding of E. coli O157, or that current industry uses of antimicrobials were associated with increased faecal shedding. There were an insufficient number of studies available to address the effectiveness of bacteriophages and several other feed additives. In general, few of the primary studies evaluated the interventions under commercial housing conditions with a natural disease challenge, there were inconsistencies in the results among study designs and in some cases among studies within study designs, and a relatively large proportion of publications were excluded based on quality assessment criteria. Few studies reported on associations between the proposed intervention and production parameters, such as average daily gain and feed: gain ratio. While the results suggest that some interventions may be efficacious, there are knowledge gaps in our understanding of the efficacy of pre-harvest interventions to increase animal resistance to E. coli O157 that require further targeted research. PMID- 17803516 TI - Dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes in the southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) in the Eastern Pyrenees. AB - Two free-ranging southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) - one 4-year-old male and one 3-year-old male - were diagnosed with clinical dermatophytosis in the French and Spanish Eastern Pyrenees respectively. Skin samples were collected for microbiological studies, Trichophyton mentagrophytes being isolated and identified in both animals. The first chamois was found dead at the base of a cliff, and presented with alopecia and scaling on the dorsum and left forelimb. The second chamois showed grey-yellow, rough to raised scaling and crusting skin lesions at the base of the horns, around the eyes, dorsum of the nose, sternum, tail and limbs. Histological examination was carried out only on the second animal. The main lesions were orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis with focal parakeratosis, irregular to papillary epidermal hyperplasia, intracorneal neutrophilic pustules, perivascular to diffuse dermatitis with neutrophilic folliculitis and furunculosis. In those follicles with folliculitis and/or furunculosis, fungal hyphae and arthrospores associated with the follicular keratin and hair shafts were seen. PMID- 17803517 TI - The dark side of light at night: physiological, epidemiological, and ecological consequences. AB - Organisms must adapt to the temporal characteristics of their surroundings to successfully survive and reproduce. Variation in the daily light cycle, for example, acts through endocrine and neurobiological mechanisms to control several downstream physiological and behavioral processes. Interruptions in normal circadian light cycles and the resulting disruption of normal melatonin rhythms cause widespread disruptive effects involving multiple body systems, the results of which can have serious medical consequences for individuals, as well as large scale ecological implications for populations. With the invention of electrical lights about a century ago, the temporal organization of the environment has been drastically altered for many species, including humans. In addition to the incidental exposure to light at night through light pollution, humans also engage in increasing amounts of shift-work, resulting in repeated and often long-term circadian disruption. The increasing prevalence of exposure to light at night has significant social, ecological, behavioral, and health consequences that are only now becoming apparent. This review addresses the complicated web of potential behavioral and physiological consequences resulting from exposure to light at night, as well as the large-scale medical and ecological implications that may result. PMID- 17803518 TI - Melatonin inhibits oxidative stress and apoptosis in fetal brains of hyperhomocysteinemic rat dams. AB - Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases and complications during pregnancy. Increased homocysteine levels during pregnancy may elevate developmental risk on fetal brain structure and function. However, little is known about the mechanism of action of homocysteine on the degeneration of the fetal brain. Hence in this study, we examined the effects of maternal hyperhomocysteinemia on oxidative stress and apoptosis in brain tissues and investigated whether administration of melatonin to the mother would prevent homocysteine-induced oxidative cerebral damage in pups. Hyperhomocysteinemia was induced in female rats by administration of methionine at a dose of 1 g/kg body weight dissolved in drinking water during pregnancy. Some animals received methionine plus 10 mg/kg/day melatonin subcutaneously throughout pregnancy. After delivery, the level of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde + 4-hydroxyalkenals) was determined in different subfractions of pup brains. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation, levels of Bcl-2 protein and p53 mRNA expression were determined to evaluate apoptosis. Significant elevation was found in the levels of lipid peroxidation in subcellular fractions of the brain of pups of hyperhomocysteinemic dams. Increased DNA fragmentation and p53 mRNA expression was observed in the brain of pups of homocysteine-treated rats, while a significant reduction was seen in the levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 levels. Melatonin administration prevented markers of oxidative stress and biochemical signs of apoptosis. In conclusion, therapeutic administration of melatonin protects against the induction of oxidative stress and neural tissue injury and might prevent congenital malformations of fetal brain caused by maternal hyperhomocysteinemia. PMID- 17803519 TI - Cultured rat cortical astrocytes synthesize melatonin: absence of a diurnal rhythm. AB - Melatonin not only plays a major role in the regulation of circadian rhythms, but is also involved in antioxidative defense and immunomodulation. Circulating melatonin levels are derived primarily from the pineal gland while other sources of melatonin have also been reported. Here, we show for the first time that astrocytes from the rat cortex and glioma C6 cell line synthesize melatonin in vitro. In addition, we show the presence of serotonin, the precursor of melatonin and the two key enzymes in the pathway of melatonin synthesis, i.e. N acetyltransferase and hydroxyndole-O-methyltransferase in the cultured rat cortical astrocytes. Release of melatonin into the culture medium showed no diurnal changes. These point to astrocytes as a local source of melatonin in the rat brain. Its exact physiological function remains a topic for future studies. PMID- 17803520 TI - Involvement of protein kinase C in melatonin's oncostatic effect in C6 glioma cells. AB - Classical anticancer therapies often are ineffective in patients with malignant glioma who have a survival of <1 year. Our previous studies showed a potent inhibitory effect of melatonin on glioma cell proliferation. This effect seems to be mediated by the well-known antioxidant properties of this molecule and the negative regulation of some intracellular effectors, such as the kinase Akt or the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB. Finally, protein kinase C (PKC) also seems to be implicated in this effect although the intracellular pathways involved have not been elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the role of PKC in the regulation by melatonin of intracellular effectors leading to inhibition of cell proliferation. Activation of PKC by incubation with triphorbol ester acetate (TPA) blocks the inhibitory effect of melatonin on Akt and NF kappaB activity. Moreover, incubation with melatonin induces a decrease in p21 expression in these cells that is partially blocked by co-incubation with TPA. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin's oncostatic effect on glioma cells is mediated, at least in part, by the inhibition of PKC activity which, in turn, results in Akt and NF-kappaB activity inhibition and modulation of cell cycle-related gene expression. PMID- 17803521 TI - Neural stem cell transplantation and melatonin treatment in a 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson's disease. AB - Melatonin has multiple roles including neuroprotection. Melatonin signaling involves diverse targets including two G-protein-coupled receptors, MT(1) and MT(2), which have both been localized to the nigrostriatal pathway. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated preservation of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, following chronic treatment with a physiological dose of melatonin, in the 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson's disease. Additionally, we reported the presence of the melatonin MT(1) receptor subtype in cultured C17.2 neural stem cells (NSCs). In the present study, we examined the effects of C17.2 NSC transplantation on dopaminergic denervation following 6 hydroxydopamine lesioning in the rat striatum. Moreover, based on our detection of the MT(1) in these cells, we examined the effects of combined C17.2 NSC transplantation and melatonin treatment, following striatal lesioning. Behavioral studies indicated a marked inhibition of apomorphine-induced rotations in lesioned animals that received C17.2 NSC transplantation, melatonin, or the combined regimen. In addition, these treatments resulted in a significant protection of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the striatum and substantia nigra of lesioned animals, when compared with untreated controls. Lesioned animals treated with C17.2 NSCs, melatonin or a combination of both agents exhibited no significant differences in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells in the substantia nigra or ventral tegmental area ipsilateral or contralateral to the lesioned striatum. These findings suggest that stem cell therapy and concomitant use of neuroprotective agents such as melatonin could be a viable approach in Parkinson's disease. PMID- 17803522 TI - Inverse agonist exposure enhances ligand binding and G protein activation of the human MT1 melatonin receptor, but leads to receptor down-regulation. AB - Melatonin binds and activates G protein-coupled melatonin receptors. The density and affinity of the endogenous melatonin receptors change throughout the 24-hr day, and the exposure of recombinant melatonin receptors to melatonin often results in desensitization of the receptors. Receptor density, G protein activation and expression level were analyzed in CHO cell lines stably expressing the human MT1 receptors after 1 or 72 hr of exposure to melatonin (agonist, 10 nm) and luzindole (antagonist/inverse agonist, 10 microm). The 72-hr exposure to luzindole significantly increased the apparent receptor density in cell lines with both high and low MT1 receptor expression levels (MT1(high) and MT1(low) cells, respectively). In the constitutively active MT1(high) cells, luzindole pretreatment also stimulated the functional response to melatonin in [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding assays, whereas melatonin pretreatment attenuated the functional response at both time points. Receptor ELISA was used to analyze the cell membrane and total expression level of the MT1 receptor in intact and permeabilized cells, respectively. Luzindole pretreatment decreased the total cellular level of MT1 receptor in the MT1(high) cells at both time points but increased the cell surface expression of MT1 receptor at 72 hr. Melatonin significantly decreased MT1 receptor cell surface expression only in MT1(high) cells after a 1-hr treatment. These results indicate that melatonin treatment desensitizes MT1 receptors, whereas luzindole increases ligand binding and G protein activation. Luzindole also stimulates downregulation of the MT1 receptor protein, interfering with the synthesis and/or degradation of the receptor. PMID- 17803523 TI - Chemotactic effect of melatonin on leukocytes. AB - Melatonin seems to be an important stimulatory factor of the immune system. This indolamine is capable of inducing activation of leukocytes. Tissue leukocyte infiltration is a key feature of inflammatory and immune responses; however, there is no information about the effect of melatonin on leukocyte chemotaxis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the in vitro and in vivo effects of melatonin on leukocyte chemotaxis, on modulation of leukocyte chemotaxis to other chemoattractants and on the in vivo induction of leukocyte chemokines. Neutrophils and mononuclear leukocytes (PBMC) were isolated by a discontinuous gradient on Hystopaque. Chemotaxis was performed in blind well Boyden's chambers. In vivo chemotaxis was determined after intraperitoneal injection of melatonin into rats. Leukocyte chemotactic response and leukocyte chemokine expression were determined in human volunteers treated with 20 mg daily of melatonin. Increased neutrophils and PBMC chemotaxis in response to 1.2 nm melatonin was observed in vitro. Peritoneal leukocytes were found increased after melatonin injection. Humans treated with melatonin showed an increased neutrophil chemotactic response to a physiological chemoattractant and increased expression of intracellular chemokines; however, decreased chemotactic response and no chemokine expression were observed in PBMC. These data suggest that melatonin could have a relevant role during the tissue leukocyte infiltration in inflammatory and immune responses. PMID- 17803524 TI - Beneficial properties of melatonin in an experimental model of pancreatic cancer. AB - Pancreatic cancer is a major health problem because of the aggressiveness of the disease and the lack of effective systemic therapies. Melatonin has antioxidant activity and prevents experimental genotoxicity. However, the effect of melatonin in pancreatic cancer has not been tested. Pancreatic carcinogenesis was induced by N-nitrosobis (2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) in Syrian hamsters. Melatonin was administered during the BOP-induction phase (12 wk) and/or following the postinduction phase (12 wk). Different parameters of oxidative stress including lipid peroxides (LPO) and antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase) were determined in pancreatic tissue. Also, the presence of atypical hyperplasia (AH), well and moderately differentiated adenomacarcinoma (ADC-WD and ADC-MD, respectively) were studied. The administration of BOP induced an intense oxidative stress and ADC induction in the pancreas. The administration of melatonin during the induction or postinduction phase reduced LPO and improved the antioxidant status, as well as drastically reducing the presence of ADC but some AH remained. In conclusion, treatment with melatonin reduced oxidative damage and cancer nodules induced by BOP in the pancreas. PMID- 17803525 TI - Melatonin location in egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes: possible relation to its antioxidant mechanisms. AB - Although it is known that the antioxidant properties of melatonin can be modulated by its effect on membrane fluidity, there are few studies on this subject reported in the literature and they are controversial. In this study, viscosimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques were used to determine melatonin's effect and location on egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers mobility. Melatonin decreases the dynamic viscosity of the lipid dispersion. (31)P-NMR line width analysis indicated that melatonin induces a slight but uniform restriction of the lipid motional freedom in the polar head. However, melatonin changes in choline (13)C dynamics was only observed through chemical shift analysis. On the other hand, melatonin can induce an increase in the lipid nonpolar chain mobility, as observed by (13)C and (1)H relaxation time analysis. These results suggest the interfacial location of melatonin in the membrane. Additionally, the results of the analysis of the lipid (1)H-fitted exponential relaxation times suggest that melatonin promotes a molecular rearrangement of the bilayers. The melatonin effect and location in the lipid membrane may explain its antioxidant properties against lipid peroxidation induced by reactive species. PMID- 17803526 TI - Melatonin increases cleavage rate of porcine preimplantation embryos in vitro. AB - Melatonin has been used to promote in vitro embryo development in different species. This study determined the effects of melatonin on in vitro porcine embryo development; in particular, cleavage rate, blastocyst rate, and blastocyst cell number. Starting 5 hr after insemination, porcine zygotes were cultured in porcine zygote medium 3 (PZM-3) culture medium supplemented with melatonin at increasing concentrations (10(-12) M, 10(-9) M, 10(-6) M, 10(-3) M). Melatonin at a concentration of 10(-9) M had a positive effect on cleavage rates, while the highest concentration of melatonin (10(-3) M) significantly decreased cleavage rates. Although blastocyst rates were not increased by 10(-9) M melatonin, blastocyst cell numbers were significantly higher for embryos subjected to 10(-9) M melatonin. The expression levels of the pro-apoptotic gene BAX and anti apoptotic gene BCL2L1 in blastocysts were not affected by the presence of melatonin in the culture medium. To further study the protective properties of 10(-9) M melatonin against stressful conditions, hydrogen peroxide (0.01 mm) and heat (40 degrees C) were used during embryo culture. The addition of melatonin to embryos subjected to 40 degrees C for 3 hr increased cleavage rates, but had no protective effect for embryos subjected to 0.01 mm H(2)O(2), probably because the physiological levels of melatonin could not counteract the pharmacological levels of H(2)O(2). Our data indicate that 10(-9) M melatonin has a positive effect on porcine embryo cleavage rates and blastocyst total cell numbers and it might have a protective effect against heat stress. PMID- 17803527 TI - Adaptations for life in the Arctic: evidence that melatonin rhythms in reindeer are not driven by a circadian oscillator but remain acutely sensitive to environmental photoperiod. AB - In reindeer Rangifer tarandus, a high latitude species, the rhythmic production of melatonin periodically dissipates under natural photoperiods when, in mid winter, there is near permanent darkness and again, in summer, when there is permanent light. In spring and autumn, as expected, melatonin production reflects the ambient light:dark (LD) cycle. We investigated the expression of circadian mechanisms on blood levels of melatonin in reindeer. Two experiments were conducted in which animals were transferred from natural photic conditions into continuous darkness for 3 days: (i) in February, when they had been exposed to an LD cycle (11L:13D) and (ii) in July, when they had been exposed to permanent light. In July, plasma levels of melatonin rose abruptly on exposure to darkness but then declined over 24 hr before displaying a second rise and decline over the following 36 hr. In contrast, in February, levels of melatonin rose abruptly but then remained elevated for more than 60 hr in darkness. Melatonin secretion upon exposure to darkness did not conform to a circadian pattern and did not, therefore, support the hypothesis that pineal activity in reindeer is tightly regulated by circadian mechanisms. Instead the secretion of melatonin appeared to be acutely and directly sensitive to ambient lighting. The results are consistent with a model in which Arctic resident animals have adapted to extreme photic conditions by disconnecting the generation of the pineal melatonin signal from their circadian machinery and relying, instead, on its being driven by the LD cycle for just a few weeks annually in spring and autumn. PMID- 17803528 TI - A physiologically based mathematical model of melatonin including ocular light suppression and interactions with the circadian pacemaker. AB - The rhythm of plasma melatonin concentration is currently the most accurate marker of the endogenous human circadian pacemaker. A number of methods exist to estimate circadian phase and amplitude from the observed melatonin rhythm. However, almost all these methods are limited because they depend on the shape and amplitude of the melatonin pulse, which vary among individuals and can be affected by environmental influences, especially light. Furthermore, these methods are not based on the underlying known physiology of melatonin secretion and clearance, and therefore cannot accurately quantify changes in secretion and clearance observed under different experimental conditions. A published physiologically-based mathematical model of plasma melatonin can estimate synthesis onset and offset of melatonin under dim light conditions. We amended this model to include the known effect of melatonin suppression by ocular light exposure and to include a new compartment to model salivary melatonin concentration, which is widely used in clinical settings to determine circadian phase. This updated model has been incorporated into an existing mathematical model of the human circadian pacemaker and can be used to simulate experimental protocols under a number of conditions. PMID- 17803529 TI - Prevention by melatonin of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats injected with N nitrosodiethylamine. AB - N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) is a potent carcinogenic agent that induces liver cancer. To evaluate the chemopreventive function of melatonin in this experimental model, Wistar male rats received a single i.p. injection of NDEA or vehicle followed by weekly s.c. injections of carbon tetrachloride or vehicle for 6 weeks. Melatonin (5 mg/kg body weight) or its vehicle (0.5 mL saline) was given i.p. on a daily basis 2 hr before lights off for 20 wk. At the end of this period the rats were killed and liver and blood samples were taken for histological and biochemical studies. As markers for liver function, the activity of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) and the levels of alpha fetoprotein were measured in serum. To assess lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant status in liver and blood, the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and of reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) was assessed in liver and erythrocyte fraction of NDEA-treated rats. NDEA administration inhibited body weight, macro- and microscopically detectable liver tumors and increased levels of plasma AST, ALT and alpha-fetoprotein. NDEA treatment decreased liver TBARS levels and CAT and SOD activities and increased liver GSH levels and GST and GPx activities. Plasma TBARS were augmented, while plasma GSH levels and the activities of erythrocyte CAT, SOD, GST and GPx decreased, in NDEA-treated rats. Melatonin administration significantly curtailed tumor development and counteracted all the biochemical effects. PMID- 17803530 TI - Daytime/night-time and summer/winter melatonin and malondialdehyde rhythms: an inverse relationship. PMID- 17803532 TI - Surgical risk management. PMID- 17803533 TI - Correct patient, correct side and correct site surgery. PMID- 17803534 TI - Whither, not wither, for skills training. PMID- 17803535 TI - Chemical closure of tympanic membrane perforations. PMID- 17803536 TI - Abdominal resectional surgery in metastatic melanoma. PMID- 17803537 TI - CT angiographic imaging of the long saphenous vein: diagnostic overkill or a useful advance? PMID- 17803538 TI - Time to theatre and infection. PMID- 17803540 TI - Iatrogenic femoral aneurysms. PMID- 17803541 TI - Professionalism: the James Pryor memorial lecture. AB - James Pryor was born in country Victoria in 1928 and died there in 2002. He received his medical degree from Melbourne University in 1950 with honours in surgery. He went on to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. PMID- 17803542 TI - Judging doctors. AB - In three distinct situations, judges may be obliged to pronounce on doctors' opinions or conduct. The first of these is where they are deciding actions involving claims for personal injuries in respect of which doctors have given opinions to the court. The second situation in which the judge may be obliged to pronounce on a doctor's opinion or conduct is when, in a civil action, that doctor is sued for negligence. The third, even less common kind of case in which a judge or a retired judge may be obliged to pronounce on a doctor's opinion or conduct is when the judge has been appointed to conduct a Commission of Inquiry, which includes an inquiry into the quality of medical services. There is a fourth kind of case in which a doctor's opinion or conduct is in question. This is when the doctor is charged with a criminal offence, usually criminal negligence but sometimes grievous bodily harm and even manslaughter, as has occurred in one case recently in Queensland. Each of these situations involves different considerations and the application of different principles, although there are some factors common to more than one. And there are defects and illogicalities in some, which are not there in others. I propose to discuss each of these situations and, in some of them, expose what I see as some defects or illogicalities and suggest how I think they should be improved. PMID- 17803543 TI - Criminalization of medical error: who draws the line? AB - As stakeholders struggle to reconcile calls for accountability and pressures for increased patient safety, criminal prosecution of surgeons and other health-care workers for medical error seems to be on the rise. This paper examines whether legal systems can meaningfully draw a line between acceptable performance and negligence. By questioning essentialist assumptions behind 'crime' or 'negligence', this paper suggests that multiple overlapping and partially contradictory descriptions of the same act are always possible, and even necessary, to approximate the complexity of reality. Although none of these descriptions is inherently right or wrong, each description of the act (as negligence, or system failure, or pedagogical issue) has a fixed repertoire of responses and countermeasures appended to it, which enables certain courses of action while excluding others. Simply holding practitioners accountable (e.g. by putting them on trial) excludes any beneficial effects as it produces defensive posturing, obfuscation and excessive stress and leads to defensive medicine, silent reporting systems and interference with professional oversight. Calls for accountability are important, but accountability should be seen as bringing information about needed improvements to levels or groups that can do something about it, rather than deflecting resources into legal protection and limiting liability. We must avoid a future in which we have to turn increasingly to legal systems to wrong accountability out of practitioners because legal systems themselves have increasingly created a climate in which telling each other accounts openly is less and less possible. PMID- 17803544 TI - Learning the surgical craft: a review of skills training options. AB - Surgical practice is undergoing fundamental changes, and this is having a significant effect on the training of surgeons. Learning the craft of surgery is threatened by reduced elective operative exposure and general service cuts within public teaching hospitals, safer working hour legislation and pressures to accelerate the training of young surgeons. Rapid technological changes mean that 'old dogs' have to teach 'young dogs' many new tricks in a relatively adverse environment. This review outlines the great variety of resources available for skills-based training outside the operating room. These resources are ready to be used as a necessary adjunct to the training of competent surgeons in Australasia. PMID- 17803545 TI - The evolving role of the breast physician in the multidisciplinary breast team. AB - Breast physicians are medical practitioners trained in the diagnosis and management of breast disease. This relatively small group of specialized clinicians has a unique and expanding role in multidisciplinary breast teams in Australia and New Zealand. With minimal available published works, this article studies the varied roles that breast physicians carry out and the way they participate in the multidisciplinary team. Investigation of their current roles in breast medicine identified breast physicians providing a broad range of clinical care in public and private breast clinics and breast screening programmes as well as holding academic and administrative positions in clinical and non-clinical organizations. Numerous benefits for patients and for specialist breast clinicians working in partnership with breast physicians were identified. Breast surgeons are often the most advantaged by the contributions made by the breast physician to the multidisciplinary breast-care team with breast physicians particularly adding value to the service provided by breast surgeons. Breast physicians are well-trained, highly valuable members of the multidisciplinary breast team with a skill set that may enhance patient care at all stages from diagnosis to treatment to follow up. PMID- 17803546 TI - Chemical closure of chronic tympanic membrane perforations. AB - BACKGROUND: The purposes of closing chronic dry perforations of the tympanic membrane are to improve hearing and prevent middle ear infections. Before the use of the operating microscope and improved instrumentation, tympanic membrane perforations were closed by application of chemicals or with a temporary patch. Today, although surgery is the treatment of choice, small dry perforations may be successfully closed by chemical means in an office setting. METHODS: Twenty-eight of the 69 patients with chronic dry tympanic membrane perforations on the surgical waiting list at Hawke's Bay Regional Hospital, Hastings, New Zealand, underwent attempts at chemical myringoplasty. Two techniques were used: (i) cautery of the rim of the perforation with a silver nitrate bead on a metal probe and (ii) application of a urea ointment patch covering and overlapping the perforation. RESULTS: Eighteen of the 28 patients (64%) treated by chemical means experienced closure of their tympanic membrane perforations. Successful closure was achieved in 26% of the patients on the waiting list during the 6-month period. CONCLUSION: Chemical myringoplasty is not only of historical interest. It is an effective means of tympanic membrane closure in selected patients, thereby reducing the surgical waiting list and saving time and money for the patient, surgeon and hospital. PMID- 17803547 TI - Pneumonotomy: an alternative way for managing lung abscess. AB - BACKGROUND: Surgical resection (SR) is the most effective strategy in the management of patient with lung abscess who have failed medical treatment. Surgical drainage (SD) of lung abscess is an alternative in high-risk patients. There are limited findings in comparing the two procedures. The aim of this study was to compare surgical outcomes in patients who underwent SR versus SD. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 61 patients receiving surgical intervention for lung abscess in our hospital from 1994 to 2002. The patients were divided into two groups according to different surgical procedure. They are patients who received SR (lobectomy, pneumonectomy or wedge resection) and patients who underwent SD (pneumonotomy) of lung abscess. RESULT: There were 33 patients enrolled in SD and 28 patients in the SR for lung abscess. There was no significant difference between the two groups in number of risk factors or size or location of abscess. The operation time and blood loss seemed to be less in SD, although they did not reach statistic difference. Postoperative major complications were more frequent for SD than for SR (36.3 vs 32.1%, P = 0.038). The mortality rate and total complication rate were similar. CONCLUSION: When surgery is indicated for lung abscess, SR is the preferred procedure. Whenever there are great difficulties during SR or patients are unable to tolerate major pulmonary resection, SD can be an alternative choice. The techniques were relatively easy and effective. The surgical outcomes in short term was favourable and can be comparable to that of standard SR. PMID- 17803548 TI - The role of abdominal resectional surgery in metastatic melanoma. AB - BACKGROUND: We reviewed our experience to determine the role of resectional surgery in metastatic melanoma to the abdomen. METHOD: An observational study of 25 patients at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne from 1997 to 2005. RESULTS: The median survival after abdominal resectional surgery was 8.3 (range 0.4-41.1) months. Fourteen patients who underwent resection with curative intent (extra abdominal disease controlled and complete macroscopic clearance of abdominal disease) had improved survival compared with 11 patients who underwent palliative resection (12 month survival, 89 vs 10%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Survival was also superior in patients with up to two metastases compared with more than two (P = 0.0001) and in patients with serum albumin of at least 35 g/L (P = 0.0031). Intent of surgery (curative vs palliative) was the only factor significant on multivariate analysis (P = 0.001). Of patients with preoperative symptoms, 87% had resolution of these symptoms. Operative morbidity was 12%, and 30-day mortality was 4%. CONCLUSIONS: In a highly selected group of patients with intra abdominal melanoma metastases, resection of intra-abdominal metastases with curative intent resulted in prolonged survival compared with patients who underwent palliative resection. Those who underwent palliative resection had good relief of symptoms with minimal morbidity. PMID- 17803549 TI - Endorectal magnetic resonance imaging staging of prostate cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: There are important treatment and prognostic implications in distinguishing between organ-confined prostate cancer that has spread locally outside the capsule and that which has spread into the seminal vesicles. This study is the first Australian study to report local accuracy for the locoregional staging of prostate cancer with endorectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: From July 2002 to December 2005, 129 patients were referred for endorectal MRI for all indications. Inclusion criteria were biopsy-proven prostate cancer, minimum 4 weeks from previous biopsy and radical retropubic prostatectomy within 12 months of MRI. This yielded 47 patients. Those with prior hormonal and neoadjuvant radiotherapy or significant postbiopsy haemorrhage were excluded. In addition, those patients examined with our alternate-contrast enhanced protocol were also excluded. A total of 38 patients met all inclusion criteria. A General Electric 1.5-T whole-body MR imaging unit with an endorectal coil was used with interpretation by two genito-urinary MR radiologists. Final histopathological report was used for correlation. RESULTS: Median age was 60 years with a range 44-72 years. Median prostate-specific antigen was 6.3 with a range of 2-82, and median Gleason score was 6 with a range of 5-8. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion were 69, 82 and 76% and 60, 100 and 95%, respectively. For extraprostatic extension, 71, 86 and 79%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Staging accuracy is similar to internationally published standards. Improvements in hardware and software and increased reader experience will add value to the local Australian prostate imaging programme. PMID- 17803550 TI - Factors affecting false-negative breast sentinel node biopsy in Chinese patients. AB - BACKGROUND: The objective of the research was to validate our results on sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and to determine factors affecting false-negative (FN) rates of SLNB in Chinese patients with invasive breast cancers. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer was carried out from May 1999 to April 2006. A combination of radioisotope (99m)technetium(Tc)-albumin sulfur colloid and Patent Blue V dye was used to identify the sentinel lymph node. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was followed by standard level I and II axillary dissection in all patients. Various clinicopathologic variables were analysed to determine factors associated with FN SLNB. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-five Chinese patients received SLNB consecutively during the study period. Seventy-eight patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 56 patients with in situ carcinoma were excluded. A total of 231 patients were studied. Sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 221 patients (95.7%). There were 10 FN, resulting in a FN rate of 12.5% and accuracy rate of 95.5%. Only the number of sentinel lymph node harvested was found to be a significant factor affecting FN rates on univariate (P < 0.009) and multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio: 2.65; 95% confidence interval: 2.57-2.73; P < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese women, after this retrospective analysis of available findings, at least should sentinel nodes should be removed to reduce risk of false negativity. PMID- 17803551 TI - Computed tomography arteriography to assess greater saphenous vein as a conduit for peripheral bypass. AB - BACKGROUND: To determine whether computed tomography arteriography of the lower extremities (64-slice volume computed tomography (CT)), used in delineating the arterial tree in peripheral vascular disease, is useful in assessing suitability of greater saphenous vein as a vascular conduit for peripheral bypass grafting for limb-threatening lower limb ischaemia. A search of published works in August 2005 showed no similar study has been published. METHODS: A prospective study of nine consecutive patients who had undergone lower limb CT arteriography and long saphenous vein colour duplex ultrasound (U/S) were studied. RESULTS: Good concordance between colour duplex U/S and CT arteriography was obtained. CONCLUSION: Computed tomography images of the long saphenous vein as a part of arterial lower limb CT arteriography correlate well with preoperative conduit assessment colour duplex U/S findings of the long saphenous vein. PMID- 17803552 TI - Complications of internal fixation in paediatric fractures. AB - BACKGROUND: Most displaced fractures in children can be managed by closed treatment. Internal fixation of fractures is sometimes required to achieve satisfactory reduction with certain fractures. The aim of this study was to document the rate of complications associated with internal fixation of fractures in the paediatric age group. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on 268 consecutive children who had internal fixation of fractures from January 2000 to July 2004. The complications were categorized as major or minor. RESULTS: The average age was 9.2 years (range, 1.4-16.9). There were 327 fractures. Fifty-nine children had fractures of two bones. Humeral fractures accounted for 45.7% of fractures, forearm fractures 31.3%, tibial and fibular fractures 14.1% and femoral fractures 4.9%. There were 27 children (10%) with major complications and 49 children (18%) with minor complications. There were 18 children (6.7%) with both major and minor complications. A total of 66 (24.6%) children had complications. There were 23 children (8.5%) requiring further surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, 24.6% of children had complications associated with internal fixation. The risk of complications should be considered when electing to proceed with surgical treatment. Closed treatment should always be attempted in children unless there is a good indication for internal fixation. PMID- 17803553 TI - Factors affecting implant retention in infected joint replacements. AB - BACKGROUND: There is no standard treatment for infected joint replacements. The options available are varied, and treatment choices may pose problems in relation to both efficacy and cost-effectiveness. METHODS: A retrospective review of 73 patient records identified in our departmental audit database as infected joint replacements treated at Dunedin Hospital between 1990 and 2000 was carried out. The findings were analysed in terms of outcome of primary treatment, final outcome including prosthesis retention and bacteriology. RESULTS: Of the 73 patients (50 hips and 20 knees), the majority (69%) were managed by primary surgical debridement followed by intravenous antibiotics but about one-third (34%) lost their implants because of infection. Retention of implants was higher in acute infections (85-100%) as opposed to late infections (20-50%). The microbiological analysis showed that Staphylococcus and Streptococcus caused the majority (76%) of infections. CONCLUSION: In our series, a patient with an infected joint replacement had an approximately similar 30% chance of retaining the original prosthesis, undergoing a successful revision and having no implants in situ at the end of treatment. PMID- 17803554 TI - Secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism: role of preoperative localization. AB - BACKGROUND: The usefulness of both technetium Tc-99m sestamibi (MIBI) scintigraphy and ultrasonography (USG) scan for the detection of enlarged parathyroid glands secondary to renal hyperparathyroidism is rarely addressed. METHODS: A retrospective study from July 1999 to June 2005 was carried out on patients with secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism to determine the role of preoperative localization. RESULTS: In the 5 years, 73 patients with renal hyperparathyroidism underwent initial bilateral neck exploration with total parathyroidectomy. Four patients underwent neck exploration with parathyroidectomy for persistent hyperparathyroidism. Two patients underwent neck exploration with parathyroidectomy for recurrent hyperparathyroidism. For patients with initial secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism, MIBI scintigraphy correctly showed 101 of 276 (36.6%) surgically confirmed enlarged parathyroids, whereas USG scan showed 99 of 276 (35.9%) surgically confirmed enlarged parathyroids. For persistent or recurrent secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism, MIBI scintigraphy and USG scan had sensitivity of 100 and 50%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, preoperative localization studies have a limited value when used before first neck exploration in secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism because of the poor results in identifying all parathyroid glands. In persistent/recurrent hyperparathyroidism, it may play a useful role in localization of the missed or ectopic parathyroid gland. PMID- 17803555 TI - The effect of age on the quality of life of patients living with stomas: a pilot study. AB - BACKGROUND: The formation of a stoma is associated with important effects on quality of life (QOL). The objective of this prospective pilot study was to assess the effect of age on QOL after stoma formation. METHODS: Forty-nine patients requiring stoma formation had their QOL assessed by completion of the SF 36 v2 (SF-36v-1999 QualityMetric, Inc.) QOL questionnaire at three time points (preoperatively, at 6 months and at 12 months postoperatively). RESULTS: There was evidence of a difference in mental function according to age (P = 0.05) with younger patients continuing to improve in QOL to 12 months, whereas older patients started higher but any improvement in their QOL over time was too small to be shown. Physical function of QOL improved over time in both younger and older patients, but the pattern of change differed. Older patients started higher but reached their maximum QOL by 6 months, whereas younger patients continued to improve. There was also evidence of a difference related to presentation with acute presentations starting lower in terms of QOL than elective presentations and showing an increase in QOL at both 6 and 12 months. No difference in change in QOL could be shown for type of stoma, sex or reversal. CONCLUSIONS: There was evidence that age and presentation are factors that influence changes in the QOL of stoma patients. Studies have shown that a stoma nurse specialist may help to increase QOL. Therefore, stoma therapy should be targeted at older patients who require more physical and mental support in adjusting to life with a stoma. PMID- 17803556 TI - The effect of time to theatre on infection rate for open tibia fractures. AB - BACKGROUND: Open tibia fractures are an orthopaedic emergency. Surgical intervention has traditionally been recommended within 6 h of injury to decrease the risk of infection. There is little support for this time frame in published works, with no prospective randomized controlled trials to date. We sought to determine whether delay to definitive treatment affected the infection rate in open fractures of the tibia at our institution. METHODS: A retrospective review of 161 consecutive skeletally mature patients with open tibia fractures treated at Liverpool Hospital was carried out. Cases were reviewed using the department database and the medical records. Time between injury and surgery was recorded as 0-6, 6-12 or 12-24 h. The infection rate was calculated for each group, and statistical significance was calculated using the chi(2)-test. RESULTS: No increase in the infection rate was found with increasing time to theatre, as five of the six infections occurred in the 0 to 6-h group, and no infection occurred when treatment was delayed by more than 12 h. The infection rate was found to correlate with the grade of the open injury. CONCLUSIONS: The infection rate after open tibia fractures is strongly associated with the grade of the open fracture rather than the time to initial surgery. It may be justified to delay surgery on open tibia fractures until an optimal operating environment can be provided. PMID- 17803557 TI - Delay to surgery and mortality after hip fracture. AB - BACKGROUND: Hip fractures in elderly patients are associated with increased mortality. These patients frequently experience a delay to surgery for both medical and non-medical reasons. The effect of this delay on patient morbidity and mortality is controversial. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 222 consecutive patients greater than 50 years of age who underwent surgical management of a hip fracture at one tertiary hospital. Baseline measures recorded were age, sex, time to theatre, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores, type of surgery, number of theatre cancellations and the reason for any cancellation. Our primary outcome was 30-day mortality after surgery. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality after hip fracture was 7.2%. Patients who were operated on within 2 days of admission had a 30-day postoperative mortality rate of 5.8% versus 9.4% in those patients who experience a delay of more than 2 calendar days. This was not a statistically significant difference, and the effect of surgical delay was less on multivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, the only statistically significant predictors of 30-day mortality were an increasing ASA score and having a fracture treated with an arthroplasty procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Our study did not show a significant increase in mortality in patients whose surgery was delayed by more than 2 days. However, in the context of other published work, we would continue to recommend early surgery to minimize length of stay and complications. PMID- 17803558 TI - Waiting for elective surgery: effect on physical problems and postoperative recovery. AB - BACKGROUND: Long waiting times for elective surgery pose a threat to the quality of care. Our study aimed to assess (i) the physical symptoms and disabilities patients experience during the wait, (ii) the perceived improvements after surgery and (iii) whether problems increase during the wait or longer waits affect postoperative outcomes. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study with postoperative follow up was held among patients waiting for surgery of varicose veins (n = 176), inguinal hernia (n = 201) and gallstones (n = 128) in 27 hospitals. RESULTS: During the wait, each group reported increased levels of pain and impaired mobility (Nottingham Health Profile, P < 0.05). However, 15-41% of patients had no or mild symptoms, whereas 5% of inguinal hernia patients had severe pain and 17% of gallstone patients reported >or=1 colic attacks per week. Surgery resolved symptoms in 86-95% of patients. The length of the wait was not associated with problems during the wait or with postoperative outcomes (multilevel regression analysis, P > 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Waiting for general surgery primarily prolongs the suffering from symptoms, which are relieved by surgery. Although the prioritization of patients with more severe symptoms would reduce the overall burden of waiting, patients with minimal symptoms may be advised to refrain from surgery. PMID- 17803559 TI - Iatrogenic femoral artery aneurysms in orthopaedic practice. AB - BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic injury to the femoral vessel is a rare complication after fracture of hip. Pseudoaneurysm formation of superficial femoral artery or profunda femoris artery is detected quite late. We present our experience for surgical management of pseudoaneurysm of femoral artery after iatrogenic trauma during management of fracture of femur. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out for eight patients with femoral artery pseudoaneurysm treated surgically during the last 10 years in one surgical unit. RESULTS: Of eight patients with pseudoaneurysm of femoral artery, six had superficial femoral artery aneurysm and two profunda femoris artery aneurysm. Mean duration for presentation was 4 months (range 2-6 months). Methods of surgical intervention were direct closure of arterial defect after aneurysmectomy in six cases and use of saphenous vein patch graft for repair of artery in two cases. Mean size of aneurysm was 12 x 7 cm (range 8 x 4 cm to 20 x 12 cm). All patients were doing well during a mean follow up of 72 months (range 6-110 months). CONCLUSION: Large pseudoaneurysms of femoral arteries after iatrogenic injury during management of fractures of femur should be managed by aneurysmectomy and arterial repair with or without saphenous vein patch graft. PMID- 17803560 TI - Surgical volume influences survival in patients undergoing resections for stage II colon cancers. AB - BACKGROUND: There is current interest in the correlation between surgical volume and outcomes. Survival in patients with rectal cancer appears to improve when carried out by surgeons who do high volumes of procedures. A similar correlation for patients with colon cancer has never been clearly established. The aim of this study was to determine whether surgical volume was an independent predictor for survival in patients undergoing surgery for stage II colon cancer. METHODS: Population-based findings were collected from all patients diagnosed with stage II colon cancer in Western Australia between 1993 and 2003. The Kaplan-Meier product limit estimate of survival was used to calculate overall and cancer specific survival. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to define the correlation between a number of covariates and survival. The results are recorded as hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: From 1993 to 2003, 1467 patients underwent resections for stage II colon cancers. Significant independent predictors for overall survival were surgeon carrying out more than 25 procedures (P = 0.0001, HR 0.657, 95%CI 0.532-0.811), surgery in a private hospital (P = 0.0001, HR 0.487, 95%CI 0.400-0.594), use of chemotherapy (P = 0.001, HR 0.664, 95%CI 0.496-0.837), age at diagnosis (P = 0.0001, HR 1.014, 95%CI 1.027-1.044) and T staging and vascular invasion (T4 and vascular positive P = 0.001, HR 1.850, 95%CI 1.294-2.645). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical volume was a significant independent predictor for survival in patients undergoing resections for stage II colon cancers. Surgeons carrying out only 25 procedures over a 10 year period outperformed surgeons doing fewer cases. PMID- 17803561 TI - Update: notes on risk management. PMID- 17803565 TI - Mysterious surgical emphysema after umbilical hernia repair. PMID- 17803566 TI - Surgery to die for and surgical workload. PMID- 17803567 TI - A rare complication of bowel anastomosis causing obstructive ileus. PMID- 17803568 TI - Postoperative nosocomial Enterobacter Sakazakii sepsis. PMID- 17803569 TI - Use of a Minnesota tube to tamponade bleeding from an ileorectal anastomosis. PMID- 17803570 TI - The effect of glyceryl trinitrate on irrigation time and patient satisfaction. PMID- 17803571 TI - Bloodless cardiac surgery is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. AB - BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion with cardiac surgery accounts for 20% of transfusions in the United States. The effect of perioperative transfusion on cardiac surgery outcomes is unknown. We hypothesized that cardiac surgery with perioperative blood transfusion was associated with worse outcomes. METHODS: A prospectively maintained (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) institutional database was analyzed from 2000 to 2005. All patients undergoing coronary artery bypass and/or valve operations were evaluated for the association of preoperative and intraoperative risk factors with blood transfusion. The association of transfusion with postoperative complications and mortality was evaluated. RESULTS: During the study period, 2691 patients met inclusion criteria. Sixty four percent received transfusions. Preoperative risk factors associated with transfusion (p < 0.05) were lung disease, elevated creatinine, peripheral vascular disease, and previous cardiac interventions. Patients requiring transfusion were older (mean 65.2 vs. 61.2 years, p < 0.001). Transfusion was associated with longer cross-clamp (median 78 vs. 88 minutes, p < 0.001) and perfusion times (median 114 vs. 128 minutes, p < 0.001). Perioperative blood transfusion was associated with increased postoperative complications (53.5% vs. 30.5%, p < 0.001). Significant transfusion-associated complications were renal failure, prolonged ventilation time, pneumonia, cardiac arrest, gastrointestinal complications, atrial fibrillation, stroke, myocardial infarction, and bleeding requiring reoperation. Blood transfusion was associated with an increased operative mortality (3.4% vs. 1.7%, p = 0.005) and length of stay after surgery (median 6 vs. 5 days p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Identification and management of risk factors associated with transfusion may reduce the transfusion requirement, minimize perioperative complications and improve outcomes. Bloodless cardiac surgery is associated with a decreased morbidity and mortality. PMID- 17803572 TI - Early hemodynamic results of the Shelhigh SuperStentless aortic bioprostheses. AB - BACKGROUND: Stentless valves have been demonstrated excellent hemodynamic performances favoring the recovery of left ventricular function and the ventricular hypertrophy regression. The aim of the study was to evaluate the early hemodynamic performance of the Shelhigh SuperStentless aortic valve (AV). METHODS: Between July 2003 and June 2005, 35 patients (18 females; age 70.8 +/- 11.7 years, range: 22-85) underwent AV replacement with the Shelhigh SuperStentless bioprostheses. Most recurrent etiology was senile degeneration in 25 (71%) patients and 24 (69%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in nine patients (25.7%) and mitral valve surgery in two patients (5.7%). Doppler echocardiography was performed before surgery, at six-month and one-year follow-up. RESULTS: There were no hospital deaths and no valve-related perioperative complications. During one-year follow-up, no endocarditis or thromboembolic events were registered, no cases of structural dysfunction or valve thrombosis were noted. Mean and peak transvalvular gradients significantly decrease after AV replacement, with an evident reduction to approximately 50% of the preoperative values at six months. A 20% reduction was also observed for left ventricular mass (LVM) index at six months, with a further regression at one year. Correspondingly, significant increases in effective orifice area (EOA) and indexed EOA were determined after surgery (0.87 +/- 0.14 versus 1.84 +/- 0.29 cm2 and 0.54 +/- 0.19 versus 1.05 +/- 0.20 cm2/m2, respectively). Valve prosthesis patient mismatch was moderate in five patients and severe in one case. CONCLUSIONS: Shelhigh SuperStentless AV provided good and encouraging hemodynamic results. Long-term follow-up is necessary to evaluate late hemodynamic performance and durability of this stentless bioprosthesis. PMID- 17803573 TI - Atherosclerosis of radial and internal thoracic arteries used in coronary bypass: atherosclerosis in arterial grafts. AB - BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the degree and incidence of atherosclerosis in internal thoracic (ITA) and radial arteries (RA) harvested for coronary bypass grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The association of major clinical events and etiological factors for atherosclerosis was investigated in 770 arterial segments obtained prospectively from 480 patients. Potential risk factors for atherosclerosis were age, gender, smoking, diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic renal failure, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, hypertension, and a positive family history. RESULTS: Six types of histological lesions have been defined; grade III or more was present in the RA in 47 (16%) patients and in the ITA in 30 (7%). The mean grade was 1.6 +/- 0.6 in the ITA and 2.1 +/- 0.9 in the RA (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RA had a significantly greater prevalence of atherosclerosis than the same patients' ITA. There was a strong correlation between ITA atherosclerosis and age. The presence of calcification may lead surgeons to avoid an extra incision according to risk factors, although most of these are not predictive. PMID- 17803574 TI - The emerging epidemic of methamphetamine-induced aortic dissections. AB - The clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes of six consecutive patients presenting with acute aortic dissection secondary to hypertensive crises from methamphetamine use is described. Data were obtained prospectively from the expanded STS clinical database of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Washington, but reviewed in a retrospective fashion. These patients represent 5.5% of all patients diagnosed and treated for aortic dissection in the same time period (6/109) and 20% of all patients with aortic dissection under the age of 50 years (6/30). We conclude that young patients (65 ng/l) was revealed in seven patients (29%) in whom PTH values were suppressed by the UVB therapy. The serum levels of calcitriol, calcium, osteocalcin, thyroid hormones and creatinine were unaltered. CONCLUSION: UVB therapy in elderly psoriatic women improved psoriasis, increased serum 25(OH)D3 synthesis and reduced serum PTH concentrations. PMID- 17803596 TI - Treatment of vitamin D deficiency with UV light in patients with malabsorption syndromes: a case series. AB - BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) and short bowel syndrome (SBS) patients are unable to absorb vitamin D from the diet and thus are frequently found to be severely vitamin D deficient. We evaluated whether a commercial portable ultraviolet (UV) indoor tanning lamp that has a spectral output that mimics natural sunlight could raise circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in subjects with CF and SBS. METHODS: In initial pilot studies, two SBS subjects came to the outpatient clinic twice weekly for 8 weeks for UV light sessions of 6 min each. In a follow-up study, five CF subjects exposed their lower backs in a seated position to the sunlamp at a distance of 14 cm for 5-10 min depending on the skin type five times a week for 8 weeks. Blood samples for 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) measurements were performed at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS: In our study, with two SBS subjects, the indoor lamp increased or maintained circulating 25(OH)D levels during the winter months. We increased the UV lamp frequency and found an improved response in the CF patients. Serum 25(OH)D levels in CF subjects at baseline were 21 +/- 3 ng/ml, which increased to 27 +/- 4 ng/ml at the end of 8 weeks (P=0.05). PTH concentration remained largely unchanged in both population groups. CONCLUSION: A UV lamp that emits ultraviolet radiation similar to sunlight and thus produces vitamin D(3) in the skin is an excellent alternative for CF, and SBS patients who suffer from vitamin D deficiency due to fat malabsorption, especially during the winter months when natural sunlight is unable to produce vitamin D3 in the skin. This UV lamp is widely available for commercial home use and could potentially be prescribed to patients with CF or SBS. PMID- 17803597 TI - Efficacy of ALA-PDT vs blue light in the treatment of acne. AB - BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on the principle of using light excitation of a wavelength-specific endogenous or exogenous photosensitizer to destroy the target tissue, and has shown efficacy in the treatment of certain non melanoma skin cancers. PDT using aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has attracted attention in the treatment of acne vulgaris. METHOD: Twenty patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris on the face were treated with four sessions of topical ALA-PDT with blue light (415 nm) on the right side of the face compared with blue light alone on the left side of the face, each treatment being 1 week apart. Ten percent of topical ALA was applied to acne spots on the right side of the face with a 1-h incubation period and the entire face was treated with 48 J/cm(2) of 415 +/- 5 nm light from an articulated LED planar array. Evaluation was performed by counting acne lesions at baseline, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after the beginning of the treatment. Biophysical measurements included sebum levels and the erythema, and melanin indices. RESULT: At the given assessment times 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after the beginning of the treatment, the mean percent reduction in inflamed lesions counts tended to be higher in the ALA-PDT areas; it was 32%, 50.9%, 65.9% and 71.1%, respectively, compared with the blue-light-alone treatment, which was 20.7%, 27%, 57.7% and 56.7%, respectively, but without any statistical significance (P=0.092). There was no demonstrable significant change in sebum excretion, erythema or the melanin index after treatment. The side effects were pain, stinging, peeling, erythema, pruritus, oozing and pustules. These side effects were stronger on the ALA-PDT-treated side. CONCLUSION: From this study, the trend for ALA-PDT with blue light to be superior to blue light alone was observed, but it did not reach statistical significance. ALA-PDT had more side effects. PMID- 17803598 TI - On the relationship between fabric processing and ultraviolet radiation transmission. AB - BACKGROUND: The relationship between a fabric's physical characteristics and ultraviolet radiation transmission has been widely discussed in the literature. However, very few studies have taken into account the 'fiber-fabric construction processing' history of fabrics into consideration to fully elucidate the ultraviolet (UV) protection abilities of fabrics. This study reports the effect of fabric processing treatments, both chemical and bio-chemical, on the transmission of UV radiation (UVR) through selected white and un-dyed fabrics. METHODS: Eight woven fabrics were selected to illustrate the effect of chemical processing on UVR transmission. Fabrics were characterized with respect to fiber chemistry, fabric construction, weight, thickness, and chemical processing history. Influence of fabric characteristics and processing on Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) were studied. Furthermore, a knit bleached cotton T-shirt fabric was treated bio-chemically and the effect of bio-chemical processing on UPF was investigated. RESULTS: Physical characteristics of fabrics such as thickness, weight and cloth cover were shown to be only partly useful in explaining the UV protective abilities of fabrics in that the data show anomalies when only physical features of fabrics are considered without considering processing history. However, by taking into account the processing history of fabrics, the UPF values obtained can be fully explained. CONCLUSION: Chemical processing methods such as desizing and bleaching have a deleterious effect on UV transmission through fabrics. Bio-chemical processing such as the use of enzymes is comparatively benign and does not adversely impact the UV protective ability of cotton fabric. PMID- 17803599 TI - Ammonium chloride and L-tyrosine enhance melanogenesis in vitro but not in vivo even in combination with ultraviolet radiation. AB - BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Melanogenesis can be induced in vitro in melanoma cells and melanocytes by adding substances able to neutralize intracellular acidic organelles like melanosomes. Further addition of l-tyrosine enhances the melanogenesis by increasing the tyrosinase activity. As such, the property of tyrosine as a pigmentation enhancer is used in promoting creams containing tyrosine. The objective of this study was to investigate whether such an effect could actually be seen in a short term in vivo mouse study. METHODS: Lightly pigmented C3.Cg/TifBomTac hairless mice capable of pigmenting had ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and/or l-tyrosine applied topically (1/day for 3 weeks). Pigmentation of the mice was determined using the Kodak Gray Scale at days 0, 7, 14, and 21. RESULTS: Both NH4Cl and l-tyrosine yielded no significant effect, either alone or in combination, when applied using either hydrogel or moisturizing cream. Exposing mice to simulated solar radiation (4 standard erythema doses, 3/week) yielded increased pigmentation. However, no statistically significant difference was found between treatment with simulated solar radiation alone or in combination with NH4Cl and l-tyrosine. CONCLUSION: In spite of the commercial value of adding l-tyrosine to 'pigmentation-enhancing' creams, topically applied l-tyrosine showed no pigmentation-enhancing effect, neither alone nor in combination with ultraviolet (UV) radiation, providing a basis to contest such promotional measures. PMID- 17803600 TI - Evaluation of promotional gadgets integrating UV patches for public awareness on ultraviolet radiation. AB - BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet (UV) patches are included in promotional gadgets advertising the most diverse products. These items are freely distributed to the public as a suggestive instrument of information. This study intends to evaluate the accuracy of these gadgets in providing information about UV exposure as defined by the INTERSUN programme. METHODS: The design of five gadgets, the instructions and advices included, were analysed. The response of the patches has been compared with UV index measurements and related to the guidelines provided by the INTERSUN programme. The objectivity of the response and its interpretation have also been evaluated, comparing the readings by different operators. RESULTS: The gadgets provide non-standard and ambiguous information, they lack rigorous recommendations on solar protection and have a poor design. Although the patches underestimated UV radiation only a few times, overestimation occurred frequently. Observations pointed out the difficulty in establishing objective readings. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis highlighted the inadequacy of these items. This fact is serious because the gadgets are freely distributed to the public and some of the advertisers are well-known companies. Instead of using these gadgets, the public should pay attention to the information and advice provided by health and weather services. PMID- 17803601 TI - Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of actinic cheilitis. AB - Although actinic cheilitis is a common disease, it should be treated carefully because it can undergo malignant transformation. We report a case of actinic cheilitis treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), with satisfactory outcome in both clinical and pathological aspects. Actinic cheilitis is a pathologic condition affecting mainly the lower lip caused by long-term exposure of the lips to the UV radiation in sunlight. Analogous to actinic keratosis of the skin, actinic cheilitis is considered as a precancerous lesion and it may develop into squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of actinic cheilitis treated with PDT using ALA, with satisfactory outcome in both clinical and pathological aspects. PMID- 17803602 TI - Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards sun exposure in Chilean students. PMID- 17803604 TI - Acne vulgaris in richly pigmented patients. PMID- 17803605 TI - Acne keloidalis nuchae. PMID- 17803606 TI - Pseudofolliculitis barbae. PMID- 17803607 TI - Scalp alopecias in richly pigmented patients. PMID- 17803608 TI - Keloids. PMID- 17803609 TI - Chemical peels in richly pigmented patients. PMID- 17803610 TI - Hydroquinone--what is its future? PMID- 17803613 TI - Gestational age estimation on United States livebirth certificates: a historical overview. AB - Gestational age on the birth certificate is the most common source of population based gestational age data that informs public health policy and practice in the US. Last menstrual period is one of the oldest methods of gestational age estimation and has been on the US Standard Certificate of Live Birth since 1968. The 'clinical estimate of gestation', added to the standard certificate in 1989 to address missing or erroneous last menstrual period data, was replaced by the 'obstetric estimate of gestation' on the 2003 revision, which specifically precludes neonatal assessments. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these measures, potential research implications and challenges accompanying the transition to the obstetric estimate. PMID- 17803614 TI - United States vital statistics and the measurement of gestational age. AB - Estimates of the gestational age of the newborn based on US Birth Certificate data are extensively used to monitor trends in infant and maternal health and to improve our understanding of adverse pregnancy outcome. Two measures of gestational age, the 'date of the last normal menses' (LMP) and the 'clinical estimate of gestation' (CE), have been available from birth certificate data since 1989. Reporting irregularities with the LMP-based measure are well documented, and important questions remain regarding the derivation of the CE. Changes in perinatal medicine and in vital statistics reporting in recent years may have importantly altered gestational age data based on vital statistics. This study describes how gestational age measures are collected and edited in US national vital statistics, and examines changes in the reporting of these measures by race and Hispanic origin between 1990 and 2002. Data are drawn from the National Center for Health Statistics' restricted use US birth files for 1990 2002. Bivariable statistics are used. The percentage of records with missing LMP dates declined markedly over the study period, overall, and for each racial/Hispanic origin group studied. A marked shift in the distribution of the CE of gestational age was also observed, suggesting changes both in the true distribution of age at birth, and in the derivation of this measure. Agreement between the LMP-based and CE estimates increased over the study period, especially among preterm births. However, a high proportion of LMP dates continue to be missing or invalid and the derivation of the CE is still uncertain. In sum, although the reporting of gestational age measures in vital statistics appears to have improved between 1990 and 2002, substantial concerns with both the LMP-based and the CE persist. Efforts to identify approaches to further improve upon the quality of these data are needed. PMID- 17803615 TI - Menstrual versus clinical estimate of gestational age dating in the United States: temporal trends and variability in indices of perinatal outcomes. AB - Accurate estimation of gestational age early in pregnancy is paramount for obstetric care decisions and for determining fetal growth and other conditions that may necessitate timing the iatrogenic intervention or delivery. We sought to examine temporal changes in the distributions of two measures of gestational age, namely, those based on menstrual dating and a clinical estimate. We further sought to evaluate relative comparisons and variability in indices of perinatal outcomes. We utilised the Natality data files in the US, 1990-2002 comprising women that delivered a singleton livebirth between 22 and 44 weeks gestation (n = 42 689 603). Changes were shown in the distributions of gestational age based on menstrual vs. clinical estimate between 1990 and 2002, as well as changes in the proportions of preterm (<37, <32 and <28 weeks) and post-term (>or=42 weeks) birth, and small- (SGA; <10th percentile) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA; birthweight >90th percentile) births. While the absolute rates of preterm birth <37 weeks, SGA and LGA births were lower based on the clinical estimate of gestational age relative to that based on menstrual dating, the increases in preterm birth rate between 1990 and 2002 were fairly similar between the two measures of gestational dating. However, the decline in post-term births was larger, based on the clinical estimate (-73.8%), than on the menstrual estimate ( 36.6%) between 1990 and 2002. While the clinical estimate of gestational age appears to provide a reasonably good approximation to the menstrual estimate, disregarding the clinical estimate of gestational age may ignore the advantages of gestational age assessment in modern obstetrics. PMID- 17803616 TI - Trends and differentials in higher-birthweight infants at 28-31 weeks of gestation, by race and Hispanic origin, United States, 1990-2002. AB - Birth certificate gestational age data based on the date of the mother's last menstrual period (LMP) are considered problematic. Of particular concern are birthweight distributions for infants reported on the birth certificate as having been delivered at 28-31 weeks' gestation; these distributions have been shown to be distinctly bimodal. The 'second curve' of the birthweight distribution at 28 31 weeks includes implausible birthweight/gestational age combinations and, thus, has been hypothesised to represent erroneous gestational ages due to misidentification of the date of LMP. It has been suggested that such 'misclassification' has declined in recent years and that this change can affect trends in preterm birth rates (<37 weeks' gestation), particularly rates among non-Hispanic black infants. This present study used primarily simple and multivariable analyses to review trends and differentials in birthweight distributions at 28-31 weeks by race and Hispanic origin of the mother. It aggregated data for the years 1990-92 and 2000-02 from the US vital statistics Natality files. Over the decade, the percentage of births in the second curve declined for all births and for each racial and Hispanic origin group studied. The largest decline was observed for non-Hispanic blacks; the smallest for Hispanic births. Later initiation of prenatal care, younger maternal age, lower educational attainment, higher birth order and vaginal and singleton delivery were positively associated with a larger second curve, suggesting misclassification of gestational age. Declines in the second curve over the study period were suggested to contribute significantly to the observed decrease in overall preterm birth rates for non-Hispanic black births. Further analysis is needed to estimate the influence of reporting error on preterm birth rates by race and Hispanic origin. PMID- 17803617 TI - Effects of different data-editing methods on trends in race-specific preterm delivery rates, United States, 1990-2002. AB - In recent years, national vital statistics data indicate that the US preterm delivery rate has decreased among African Americans and increased among whites. These trends in preterm delivery rates may have been affected, in part, by improvements in the accuracy of gestational age reporting on birth certificates. Several data-editing methods have been developed with the intention of reducing the percentage of records with misclassified gestational age. We explored whether three data-editing methods yielded different trends in preterm delivery for years 1990-2002 among US non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic African American singleton livebirths. Using National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) public-use data, we assessed two published methods for editing gestational age, one by Alexander et al. and the other by Zhang and Bowes (Zhang/Bowes). We also assessed a third method that substitutes the clinical estimate (CE) of gestational age when the NCHS last menstrual period (LMP)-based estimate differs from the CE by more than 2 weeks (the LMP/CE method). The percentage of records excluded and/or reclassified by each method was calculated for years 1990, 1996 and 2002. Gestational age-specific birthweight distributions were plotted by race for each method. Preterm delivery rates were calculated and compared by method of editing over time. The percentage of records excluded or reclassified declined from 1990 to 2002 regardless of the method applied. For infants at 28-33 weeks' gestation using the NCHS edited data, birthweight distributions were bimodal, with the second (right-sided) mode showing a mean birthweight consistent with that of term infants. The second mode was less pronounced using the Alexander et al. and the Zhang/Bowes methods, and was not present when the LMP/CE method was used. From 1990 to 2002, preterm delivery rates increased for non-Hispanic whites regardless of method (range 21.3-31.3%). Preterm delivery rates increased slightly for non Hispanic African Americans with the LMP/CE method (1.8%), and decreased with the other methods (range 6.7-10.8%). Different approaches to editing gestational age from vital records can result in variation in preterm delivery rates and trends. Uncertainty persists around the true trends in preterm delivery, especially among African Americans. Additional research is needed to identify the approach that results in the most accurate classification of gestational age. PMID- 17803618 TI - Assessing the quality of last menstrual period date on California birth records. AB - Birth certificate last menstrual period (LMP) date is widely used to estimate gestational age in the US. While data quality concerns have been raised, no large population-based study has isolated data quality issues by comparing birth record LMP (Birth LMP) with reliable LMP dates from another source. We assessed LMP data quality in 2002 California singleton livebirth records (n = 515 381) and in a subset of records with linked prenatally collected LMP from California's statewide Prenatal Expanded Alpha-fetoprotein Screening Program (XAFP) (n = 105 936). Missing or incomplete LMP data affected 13% of birth records; 17% of those had complete LMP within XAFP records. Data quality indicators supported XAFP LMP as more accurate than Birth LMP, with a lower prevalence of digit preference, post-term delivery, out-of-range gestational age estimates and implausible birthweight-for-gestational age. The bimodal birthweight distribution evident at 20-31 weeks' gestation based on Birth LMP was nearly absent with XAFP LMP-based gestational age. Approximately 32% of the second birthweight mode was explained by apparent clerical errors in Birth LMP month. Digit preference errors, particularly day 1, were associated with gestational age overestimation. Preterm delivery rates were higher according to Birth (7.6%) vs. XAFP LMP (7.2%). One fifth of observed preterm and over half of observed post-term births using Birth LMP were not true cases; 15% of true preterm cases were missed. African American or Hispanic, less educated, and publicly or uninsured women were most likely to be misclassified and have large LMP date discrepancies attributable to clerical or digit preference error. The implementation of a revised birth certificate is an opportunity for targeted training and data entry checks that could substantially improve LMP accuracy on birth records. PMID- 17803619 TI - A comparison of LMP-based and ultrasound-based estimates of gestational age using linked California livebirth and prenatal screening records. AB - Although early ultrasound (<20 weeks' gestation) systematically underestimates the gestational age of smaller fetuses by approximately 1-2 days, this bias is relatively small compared with the large error introduced by last menstrual period (LMP) estimates of gestation, as evidenced by the number of implausible birthweight-for-gestational age. To characterise this misclassification, we compared gestational age estimates based on LMP from California birth certificates with those based on early ultrasound from a California linked Statewide Expanded Alpha-fetoprotein Screening Program (XAFP). The final sample comprised 165 908 women. Birthweight distributions were plotted by gestational age; sensitivity and positive predictive value for preterm rates according to LMP were calculated using ultrasound as the 'gold standard'. For gestational ages 20 27 and 28-31 weeks, the LMP-based birthweight distributions were bimodal, whereas the ultrasound-based distributions were unimodal, but had long right tails. At 32 36 weeks, the LMP distribution was wider, flatter, and shifted to the right, compared with the ultrasound distribution. LMP vs. ultrasound estimates were, respectively, 8.7% vs. 7.9% preterm (<37 weeks), 81.2% vs. 91.0% term (37-41 weeks), and 10.1% vs. 1.1% post-term (>or=42 weeks). The sensitivity of the LMP based preterm birth estimate was 64.3%, and the positive predictive value was 58.7%. Overall, 17.2% of the records had estimates with an absolute difference of >14 days. The groups most likely to have inconsistent gestational age estimates included African American and Hispanic women, younger and less-educated women, and those who entered prenatal care after the second month of pregnancy. In conclusion, we found substantial misclassification of LMP-based gestational age. The 2003 revised US Standard Certificate of Live Birth includes a new gestational age item, the obstetric estimate. It will be important to assess whether this estimate addresses the problems presented by LMP-based gestational age. PMID- 17803620 TI - Birthweight distributions by gestational age: comparison of LMP-based and ultrasound-based estimates of gestational age using data from the Swedish Birth Registry. AB - Studies based on data from the US have reported that the birthweight distribution at gestational age 28-31 weeks is bimodal with a second peak occurring at approximately 3300 g, suggesting that there is misclassification of term infants. In these studies, gestational ages were estimated from the date of the last menstrual period (LMP), and it has been suggested that ultrasound-based estimates of gestational age would eliminate the problem with bimodal birthweight distributions. Swedish data include both measures, thus offering an opportunity for comparison. All singleton births in Sweden from 1993 to 2002 with information on birthweight were included in the study (n = 917 901). Both LMP- and ultrasound based estimates of gestational age were available for 75.1% of the births. Two possible sources of misclassification were considered: measurement error, assuming that ultrasound-based estimates are better, and data entry errors. An algorithm for assessment of data entry errors was developed; 67.4% of the births were left for the analyses of data 'cleaned' from data entry errors. Based on the entire study population, the LMP-based birthweight curves for lower-gestational age preterm births were bimodal, with a second peak around 3500 g. The bimodal distribution was greatly attenuated when using ultrasound-based gestational age categories, but did not disappear. After cleaning the data, the LMP-based birthweight distributions for infants at gestational ages <32 weeks were no longer bimodal, and were very similar to the ultrasound-based curves. In conclusion, data entry errors are more likely to cause the bimodality in the birthweight distribution among preterm infants than measurement errors in the LMP based gestational age estimate. PMID- 17803621 TI - Gestational age estimates from singleton births conceived using assisted reproductive technology. AB - Information on gestational age for public health research and surveillance in the US is usually obtained from vital records and is primarily based on the first day of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP). However, using LMP as a marker of conception is subject to a variety of errors and results in misclassification of gestational age. Pregnancies conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART) are unique in that the estimates of gestational age are not based on the LMP, but on the date when fertilisation actually occurred, and thus most gestational age errors are likely to be due to errors introduced in recording and data entry. The purpose of this paper was to examine the birthweight distribution by gestational age for ART singleton livebirths reported to a national ART surveillance system. Gestational age was categorised as 20-27, 28-31, 32-36 and 37-44 weeks; birthweight distributions were plotted for each category. The distributions of very-low-birthweight (VLBW; <1500 g), moderately low-birthweight (1500-2499 g) and normal-birthweight infants for each gestational week were examined. At both 20-27 and 28-31 weeks, there was an extended right tail to the distribution and a small second mode. At 32-36 weeks, there were long tails in either direction and at 37-44 weeks, an extended tail to the left. There was a high proportion of VLBW infants at low gestational ages and a decreasing proportion of VLBW infants with increasing gestational age. However, there was also a fairly constant proportion of normal-birthweight infants at every gestational age below 34 weeks, which suggested misclassification of gestational age. Approximately 12% of ART births classified as 28-31 weeks' gestation had a birthweight in the second mode of the birthweight distribution compared with approximately 29% in national vital statistics data. Even when the birthweight and dates of conception and birth are known, questions remain regarding the residual amount of misclassification and the true nature of the birthweight distributions. PMID- 17803622 TI - The research implications of the selection of a gestational age estimation method. AB - There are three primary methods of gestational age estimation: dating based on last menstrual period (LMP), ultrasound-based dating and neonatal estimates. We review the strengths and limitations of each method as well as their implications for research. Dating based on LMP is a simple, low-cost method of estimating gestational age. Limitations associated with the use of menstrual-based dating include reporting problems such as uncertainty regarding the LMP date, possibly due to bleeding not associated with menses, as well as concerns about the incidence of delayed ovulation, which can result in invalid estimates of gestation, even for women with certain LMP dates. Given that most women in the US have at least one ultrasound during pregnancy, it is becoming increasingly common for clinicians to verify menstrual dates using early ultrasound. To calculate gestational age with the use of ultrasound, fetal measurements are compared with a gestational age-specific reference. The primary limitation of this method is the fact that the gestational age estimates of symmetrically large or small fetuses will be biased. Further, given that ultrasound references were developed using pregnancies that were dated according to reliable LMP dates, they are potentially biased in the same direction as dates calculated according to LMP. Neonatal estimates of gestational age have been shown to be the least precise dating method. To highlight the research implications of the choice of a gestational dating method, we used data from the Routine Antenatal Diagnostic Imaging with Ultrasound Study to identify risk factors for post-term delivery. Risk factors for post-term delivery are shown to vary according to the choice of a gestational dating method, suggesting that some findings are an artefact of the choice of a method rather than evidence of causality. PMID- 17803623 TI - Multiple imputation for national public-use datasets and its possible application for gestational age in United States Natality files. AB - Multiple imputation (MI) is a technique that can be used for handling missing data in a public-use dataset. With MI, two or more completed versions of the dataset are created, containing possibly different but reasonable replacements for the missing data. Users analyse the completed datasets separately with standard techniques and then combine the results using simple formulae in a way that allows the extra uncertainty due to missing data to be assessed. An advantage of this approach is that the resulting public-use data can be analysed by a variety of users for a variety of purposes, without each user needing to devise a method to deal with the missing data. A recent example for a large public-use dataset is the MI of the family income and personal earnings variables in the National Health Interview Survey. We propose an approach to utilise MI to handle the problems of missing gestational ages and implausible birthweight gestational age combinations in national vital statistics datasets. This paper describes MI and gives examples of MI for public-use datasets, summarises methods that have been used for identifying implausible gestational age values on birth records, and combines these ideas by setting forth scenarios for identifying and then imputing missing and implausible gestational age values multiple times. Because missing and implausible gestational age values are not missing completely at random, using multiple imputations and, thus, incorporating both the existing relationships among the variables and the uncertainty added from the imputation, may lead to more valid inferences in some analytical studies than simply excluding birth records with inadequate data. PMID- 17803624 TI - Biological functions of glucan-binding protein B of Streptococcus mutans. AB - INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus mutans has been implicated as a major causative agent of dental caries in humans. Bacterial components associated with the adhesion phase of S. mutans include glucosyltransferases, protein antigen C and proteins that bind glucan. At least four glucan-binding proteins (Gbp) have been identified; GbpA, GbpB, GbpC and GbpD. METHODS: In our previous study, the contributions of GbpA and GbpC to the virulence of S. mutans were investigated; however, the biological function of GbpB and its role in the virulence of S. mutans remain to be elucidated. Using a GbpB-deficient mutant strain (BD1), we demonstrated in the present study that GbpB has a role in the biology of S. mutans. RESULTS: The growth rate of BD1 was lower than that of other strains, while it was also shown to be less susceptible to phagocytosis and to form longer chains than the parental strain MT8148. In addition, electron microscope observations of the cell surfaces of BD1 showed that the cell-wall layers were obscure. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that GbpB may have an important role in cell-wall construction and be involved in cell separation and cell maintenance. PMID- 17803625 TI - Candida albicans THI13 disruption affects production of monocytic cytokines. AB - INTRODUCTION: The Candida albicansTHI13 gene was identified by its homology to the Candida tropicalis CtNMT1 gene, which is involved in pyrimidine precursor biosynthesis. METHODS: Disruption of THI13 revealed that this gene played a minor role in thiamin biosynthesis in C. albicans. Purified human monocytes were incubated with C. albicans at the optimal Candida: monocyte ratio of 0.5 and cytokines in the supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This experiment showed that the wild-type strain significantly induced interleukin-10 (IL-10) production but had little effect on IL-12 production, and that THI13 mutants had no significant effect on IL-10 production, though the IL-12 level was increased in the supernatants. These results suggest that THI13 is involved in the host effective immune response by regulating IL-10 and IL-12 production. PMID- 17803626 TI - Susceptibility of oral obligate anaerobes to telithromycin, moxifloxacin and a number of commonly used antibacterials. AB - INTRODUCTION: Obligate anaerobes are closely involved in the pathogenesis of oral and focal infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility profiles of obligate anaerobes of oral origin to telithromycin (TLM), moxifloxacin (MXF), and other antibiotics that are commonly used in dentistry. METHODS: The study sample comprised 172 obligate anaerobes isolated from the saliva of 43 adult volunteers. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the agar dilution technique in Brucella agar medium supplemented with vitamin K, haemin and 5% (volume/volume) laked sheep blood, and incubated under anaerobic conditions. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methodology was followed and its criteria were used for the qualitative interpretation of the results. The antibiotics evaluated were: amoxicillin (AMX), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (AMX-CLA), clindamycin (CM), metronidazole (MTZ), azithromycin (AZM), TLM and MXF. RESULTS: Resistance to AMX (MIC(90) > or = 16 mg/l) was observed in 45.3% of the obligate anaerobes and resistance to CM (MIC(90) > or = 16 mg/l) was found in 18.6%. All the isolates were sensitive to MTZ (MIC(90) = 1 mg/l) and 98.8% were sensitive to AMX-CLA (MIC(90) = 2 mg/l). The MIC(90) values for AZM, TLM and MXF were > or =16, > or =8 and > or =2 mg/l, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pathogenic, opportunistic and non-pathogenic obligate anaerobes showed high percentages of resistance to AMX and CM, and high MIC values for AZM in the absence of recently administered antibiotics. MXF showed a higher activity than TLM, similar to that detected for AMX-CLA and MTZ. In consequence, MXF could represent a possible alternative antimicrobial against obligate anaerobes of oral origin, particularly in those patients with allergy, intolerance or lack of response to AMX-CLA or MTZ. PMID- 17803627 TI - The role of cytokines in a Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced murine abscess model. AB - INTRODUCTION: Porphyromonas gingivalis is an important periodontopathic bacterium that is strongly associated with periodontal disease and is part of human dental plaque. Periodontal disease results from the interaction of the host with bacterial products, and T-cell-derived cytokines remain critical in the immunoregulation of periodontal disease. METHODS: The aim of this study was to examine the role of T helper type 1 [interleukin-12p40 (IL-12p40), interferon gamma, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)] and type 2 (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines in the immune response to a subcutaneous challenge with P. gingivalis using a well established murine abscess model, in genetically modified cytokine-specific knockout mice. RESULTS: IL-12p40(-/-) mice exhibited more advanced tissue destruction and a reduced inflammatory cell infiltrate after subcutaneous P. gingivalis challenge. Deficiency of IL-4 or IL-10 did not result in increased susceptibility to P. gingivalis-mediated tissue destruction. Furthermore, TNF deficiency appeared to reduce local tissue destruction. Interestingly, serum specific antibodies suggested a strong T helper type 2 response. CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate an important role for IL-12 in a primary P. gingivalis subcutaneous challenge. PMID- 17803628 TI - Genotypic and phenotypic analysis of Streptococcus mutans from different oral cavity sites of caries-free and caries-active children. AB - INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus mutans exhibits extensive genotypic diversity, but the role of this variation is poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the number and distribution of genotypes of S. mutans isolated from caries-active and caries-free children and to evaluate some of their phenotypic traits. METHODS: Stimulated saliva, tongue surface and biofilms over sound and carious teeth surfaces were sampled from 10 caries-free and 11 caries-active children aged 5-8 years. A total of 339 isolates of S. mutans were genotyped by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction using OPA2 primer. One isolate from each genotype was tested for its acid susceptibility and its ability to form a biofilm. RESULTS: Fifty-one distinct genotypes were determined, one to three genotypes in each oral sample. A single genotype was detected in seven children, whereas the remaining 14 children exhibited two to seven genotypes. There were no significant differences in the number of genotypes detected in caries-free and caries-active children. No correlation was observed between the number of genotypes and the mutans streptococci salivary levels. Five of the six high biofilm-forming genotypes were obtained from caries-active children, although the differences in biofilm formation between isolates from caries-free and caries active children were not statistically significant. Genotypes with low susceptibility to acid challenge were statistically more frequent among isolates from caries-active children than among those from caries-free children. CONCLUSION: The present data suggested that there were differences in the distribution of genotypes of S. mutans according to the oral site and that S. mutans populations differ in their acid susceptibility and ability to form biofilms, factors allowing their colonization of sucrose-rich environments. PMID- 17803629 TI - Herpesviruses in asymptomatic apical periodontitis lesions: an immunohistochemical approach. AB - INTRODUCTION: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have been recently detected in samples from apical periodontitis lesions by means of molecular biology techniques and a role in the pathogenesis of this disease has been suggested. The present study was designed to survey asymptomatic primary apical periodontitis lesions for the presence of HCMV- and/or EBV-infected cells by means of immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Apical periodontitis lesions were obtained from 35 patients [26 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -seronegative patients and nine HIV-seropositive patients] after tooth extraction and subjected to immunohistochemical analysis using monoclonal antibodies specific for HCMV and EBV. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 35 apical periodontitis lesions were positive for the target herpesviruses. Overall, EBV was found in 31% of the samples and HCMV in 23%, with 14% of the lesions showing EBV and HCMV dual infection. No association was found between HCMV or EBV with any particular histopathological type of apical periodontitis (P > 0.05). HCMV was significantly more frequent in apical periodontitis lesions from HIV-positive patients (67%) than in lesions from HIV-negative patients (8%) (P = 0.001). EBV was detected in 44% of lesions from HIV-positive patients and in 27% of lesions from HIV-negative patients, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.91). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that cells infected by HCMV and EBV can be found in apical periodontitis lesions, with a higher prevalence in HIV-positive patients. The specific role that these viruses play in the pathogenesis of apical periodontitis remains to be described. PMID- 17803630 TI - Steroid 5alpha-reductase activity of Treponema denticola. AB - INTRODUCTION: Previously we have shown that reference and freshly isolated Treponema denticola cultures possess 5alpha-reductase (5alpha-R) and 3beta- and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. A gene matching the 3-oxo-5alpha steroid 4-dehydrogenase family protein (gene ID: 2739284; locus tag: TDE2697) has been identified in T. denticola ATCC 35405. The aim of the work presented here was to optimize assay conditions and determine steroid substrate specificities for the 5alpha-R activity of T. denticola ATCC 33520. METHODS: 5alpha-R activity of cell-free preparations was assayed with radioactive steroid substrates. 5alpha R-reduced products were identified using thin-layer chromatography and a radioisotope scanner. Assay conditions were optimized for co-factor, buffer and pH requirements. Apparent substrate specificities were determined for progesterone, 4-androstenedione, testosterone and corticosterone. The time-course for metabolism of radiolabelled progesterone and cholesterol substrates was investigated with anaerobic cultures. RESULTS: The optimum pH for 5alpha-R was 5.5 and the preferred co-factor was NADPH. The order of the steroids with respect to their 5alpha-R substrate specificities was (in descending order): progesterone, 4-androstenedione, testosterone and corticosterone. There are at least two intermediates in the synthesis of 5alpha-dihydrocholesterol from cholesterol. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the 3-oxo-5alpha-steroid 4 dehydrogenase family protein gene of T. denticola codes for a functional protein that resembles mammalian 5alpha-R isoenzyme 2 with regard to co-factor requirement and pH optimum. PMID- 17803631 TI - Antibiotic resistance in an in vitro subgingival biofilm model. AB - INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to utilize an in vitro biofilm model of subgingival plaque to investigate resistances in subgingival biofilm communities to antibiotics commonly used as adjuncts to periodontal therapy. METHODS: Biofilms were grown on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite supports in trypticase-soy broth for 4 h-10 days and then exposed for 48 h to either increasing twofold concentrations of tetracycline, amoxicillin, clindamycin, and erythromycin or therapeutically achievable concentrations of tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, amoxicillin, metronidazole, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and amoxicillin/metronidazole. RESULTS: Concentrations necessary to inhibit bacterial strains in steady-state biofilms were up to 250 times greater than the concentrations needed to inhibit the same strains grown planktonically. In the presence of therapeutically available antibiotic concentrations, significantly higher proportions of the biofilms remained viable as the biofilms reached steady state growth. The combinations of amoxicillin/clavulanate and amoxicillin/metronidazole were the most effective in suppressing growth. These combinations were particularly effective against biofilms up to and including 7 days of age and inhibited 90% or more of the bacteria present relative to untreated controls. As the biofilms approached steady state, these combinations were less effective with 50-60% of the bacteria retaining viability. CONCLUSION: Most, but not all, species of subgingival bacteria are considerably more resistant in biofilms than in planktonic cultures. Resistance appeared to be age related because biofilms demonstrated progressive antibiotic resistance as they matured with maximum resistance coinciding with the steady-state phase of biofilm growth. PMID- 17803632 TI - Synthetic bromated furanone inhibits autoinducer-2-mediated communication and biofilm formation in oral streptococci. AB - INTRODUCTION: Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is a widespread communication-signal molecule that allows bacteria to sense and react to environmental factors. In some streptococci AI-2 is reported to be involved in virulence expression and biofilm formation. It has earlier been shown that the alga Delisea pulchra produces bromated furanones, which prevent bacterial colonization of the algae. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have previously published a novel and simple synthesis of (Z)-5 bromomethylene-2(5H)-furanone. In this study we showed that our synthesized furanone inhibited biofilm formation and bioluminescence induction by Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus intermedius, and Streptococcus mutans, as well as bioluminescence induction by Vibrio harveyi BB152. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the effect is linked to interference with the AI-2 signaling pathway because adding furanone to the medium had no effect on the ability of the AI-2-defective S. anginosus luxS and S. intermedius luxS mutants to form biofilms. PMID- 17803633 TI - Human cytomegalovirus is present in odontogenic cysts. AB - INTRODUCTION: Recent studies suggest that some viruses, including human cytomegalovirus (CMV), may be involved in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions. Since periapical cysts (PCs) represent the next stage in the evolution of periapical granuloma, it seemed reasonable to investigate the presence of CMV in PCs and any possible relationship between its presence and the clinical features of those cysts, as well as to compare the results obtained with corresponding findings in non-inflammatory lesions, like odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs). METHODS: Samples of 33 PCs and 10 OKCs, obtained at the time of surgery, were used for the detection of CMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Presence of the virus was correlated with clinical and radiographic features of the cysts. RESULTS: CMV was detected in 18 PCs (54.5%) and six OKCs (60%). The presence of CMV was more frequent in cyst samples collected from patients who reported previous episodes of acute infection. The presence of sinus tract was more frequent in CMV-positive cysts and CMV presence was less frequent in a group of cysts showing signs of acute inflammation at the time of sample collection. The mean sizes of CMV-positive and CMV-negative PCs were almost the same; CMV positive OKCs were slightly larger than CMV-negative OKCs. None of these results proved to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The presence of CMV in the cystic wall is a common feature of both inflammatory and non-inflammatory odontogenic cysts. Although this study has not proved that CMV affects pathogenesis of odontogenic cysts, such a possibility could not be ruled out. PMID- 17803634 TI - Activity of anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis egg yolk antibody against gingipains in vitro. AB - INTRODUCTION: We investigated the effect of anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis egg yolk antibody against gingipains [immunoglobulin Y (IgY)-GP] on gingipain activity in vitro. METHODS: IgY-GP was isolated from the yolks of White Leghorn hens immunized with purified gingipains. Control antibody (IgY) was isolated from the yolks of non-immunized hens. Gingipain activity was assessed according to the rate of enzymatic substrate hydrolysis. Human epithelial cells were cultured with or without gingipains and with gingipains pretreated with either IgY-GP or IgY. RESULTS: Hydrolytic activity decreased in the presence of IgY-GP. Cells incubated with gingipains showed a dose-dependent loss of adhesion activity. Pretreatment of gingipains with IgY-GP was associated with strong inhibition of cell detachment, whereas pretreatment with IgY was not. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that IgY-GP may be an effective immunotherapeutic agent in the treatment of periodontitis. PMID- 17803636 TI - Plant research in space and time. PMID- 17803635 TI - Further evidence that major outer membrane proteins homologous to OmpA in Porphyromonas gingivalis stabilize bacterial cells. AB - INTRODUCTION: Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the most important bacteria in the progression of chronic periodontal disease. We hypothesized that the major outer membrane proteins Pgm6/7, which are homologous to the OmpA protein in Escherichia coli, might contribute to the stabilization of the cell surface. In this study, the effects of Pgm6/7 on the cell surface were examined morphologically. METHODS: Deletion mutants of Pgm6/7 (Delta694, Delta695 and Delta695-694) were constructed using the polymerase chain reaction-based overlap extension method. Wild-type ATCC 33277 and Pgm6/7 mutants were grown under anaerobic conditions. Whole cells and thin sections of fixed cells were stained and examined by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Compared with the wild type, numerous vesicles released from cells were observed in each deletion mutant. The outer membrane appeared wavy and irregular. Increased numbers of vesicles were confirmed after their preparation from the culture supernatant. Total gingipain activity in vesicles was increased five- to 10-fold in the deletion mutants. CONCLUSION: This report provides further evidence that Pgm6/7 proteins in P. gingivalis play an important role in the maintenance of bacterial outer membrane integrity. PMID- 17803637 TI - Perennial challenges and opportunities. PMID- 17803638 TI - Sentinels at the wall: cell wall receptors and sensors. AB - The emerging view of the plant cell wall is of a dynamic and responsive structure that exists as part of a continuum with the plasma membrane and cytoskeleton. This continuum must be responsive and adaptable to normal processes of growth as well as to stresses such as wounding, attack from pathogens and mechanical stimuli. Cell expansion involving wall loosening, deposition of new materials, and subsequent rigidification must be tightly regulated to allow the maintenance of cell wall integrity and co-ordination of development. Similarly, sensing and feedback are necessary for the plant to respond to mechanical stress or pathogen attack. Currently, understanding of the sensing and feedback mechanisms utilized by plants to regulate these processes is limited, although we can learn from yeast, where the signalling pathways have been more clearly defined. Plant cell walls possess a unique and complicated structure, but it is the protein components of the wall that are likely to play a crucial role at the forefront of perception, and these are likely to include a variety of sensor and receptor systems. Recent plant research has yielded a number of interesting candidates for cell wall sensors and receptors, and we are beginning to understand the role that they may play in this crucial aspect of plant biology. PMID- 17803639 TI - The mycorrhiza helper bacteria revisited. AB - In natural conditions, mycorrhizal fungi are surrounded by complex microbial communities, which modulate the mycorrhizal symbiosis. Here, the focus is on the so-called mycorrhiza helper bacteria (MHB). This concept is revisited, and the distinction is made between the helper bacteria, which assist mycorrhiza formation, and those that interact positively with the functioning of the symbiosis. After considering some examples of MHB from the literature, the ecological and evolutionary implications of the relationships of MHB with mycorrhizal fungi are discussed. The question of the specificity of the MHB effect is addressed, and an assessment is made of progress in understanding the mechanisms of the MHB effect, which has been made possible through the development of genomics. Finally, clear evidence is presented suggesting that some MHB promote the functioning of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. This is illustrated for three critical functions of practical significance: nutrient mobilization from soil minerals, fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, and protection of plants against root pathogens. The review concludes with discussion of future research priorities regarding the potentially very fruitful concept of MHB. PMID- 17803640 TI - Response of the transcriptome of the intertidal red seaweed Chondrus crispus to controlled and natural stresses. AB - Intertidal seaweeds inhabit an inherently stressful environment with rapidly changing physical conditions with the turning tides. Many macroalgae are therefore very resistant to abiotic stress; however, the bases for this tolerance and the relative importance of different stressors are largely unknown. Here, the effects of stress on the transcriptome of the red seaweed Chondrus crispus were investigated using cDNA microarrays. The responses were studied after exposure to high light, high temperature, and hypo- and hyperosmotic conditions in the laboratory and compared with gene expression in nature at different stress loads: at high and low tide at solar noon, and during a cloudy and a sunny day, respectively. The study identifies key stress genes and marker genes for specific stressors. The data also provide an insight into the physiological effects of stress; for example, high light stress and high natural stress caused an increase in antioxidative proteins, suggesting an increased oxidative stress. Clustering analysis suggested that osmotic stress modulated the gene expression in nature under high-stress conditions and was thus the most significant natural stressor. The potential cross-talk between stress reactions and methyl jasmonate-induced responses was also investigated and is tentatively suggested to be mediated by reactive oxygen species. PMID- 17803641 TI - Steam-girdling of barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves leads to carbohydrate accumulation and accelerated leaf senescence, facilitating transcriptomic analysis of senescence-associated genes. AB - Leaf senescence can be described as the dismantling of cellular components during a specific time interval before cell death. This has the effect of remobilizing N in the form of amino acids that can be relocalized to developing seeds. High levels of carbohydrates have previously been shown to promote the onset of the senescence process. Carbohydrate accumulation in barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants was induced experimentally by steam-girdling at the leaf base, occluding the phloem, and gene regulation under these conditions was investigated using the Affymetrix Barley GeneChip array and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Transcript levels of plastidial (aminopeptidases, cnd41) and vacuolar (thiol and serine) proteases clearly increase in girdled leaves. Of special interest are cnd41, a plastidial aspartyl peptidase that has been implicated in Rubisco degradation in tobacco; and cp mIII, a highly upregulated carboxypeptidase. SAG12, hexokinases and other senescence-specific genes are also upregulated under these conditions. Applying a genomic approach to the innovative experimental system described here significantly enhances our knowledge of leaf proteolysis and whole-plant N recycling. PMID- 17803642 TI - Cotton GhDREB1 increases plant tolerance to low temperature and is negatively regulated by gibberellic acid. AB - The transcription factors C-repeat binding factors/dehydration-responsive element binding proteins (CBFs/DREBs) control the expression of many stress-inducible genes in Arabidopsis. A cDNA clone, designated GhDREB1, was isolated from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) by cDNA library screening. Northern blot analysis indicated that mRNA accumulation of GhDREB1 was induced by low temperatures and salt stress, but was not induced by abscisic acid (ABA) or drought stress in cotton seedlings. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants overexpressing GhDREB1 displayed stronger chilling tolerance than wild-type plants. Their leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, net photosynthetic rate and proline concentrations were higher than those of control plants during low-temperature treatment. However, under normal growth conditions, the transgenic tobacco plants exhibited retarded growth and delayed flowering. Interestingly, GhDREB1 transcripts in cotton seedlings were negatively regulated by gibberellic acid (GA(3)) treatment. Analysis of the promoter of the GhDREB1 gene revealed the presence of one low temperature and four gibberellin-responsive elements. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) signal intensity or beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activity driven by the GhDREB1 promoter was clearly enhanced by low temperature but repressed by GA(3). These results suggest that GhDREB1 functions as a transcription factor and plays an important role in improving cold tolerance, and also affects plant growth and development via GA(3). PMID- 17803643 TI - Rapid alteration of cellular redox homeostasis upon exposure to cadmium and mercury in alfalfa seedlings. AB - Here, the kinetics of oxidative stress responses of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seedlings to cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) (0, 3, 10 and 30 microm) exposure, expanding from a few minutes to 24 h, were studied. Intracellular oxidative stress was analysed using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) production was studied with Amplex Red. Growth inhibition, concentrations of ascorbate, glutathione (GSH), homoglutathione (hGSH), Cd and Hg, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, and expression of genes related to GSH metabolism were also determined. Both Cd and Hg increased cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and extracellular H(2)O(2) formation, but in different ways. The increase was mild and slow with Cd, but more rapid and transient with Hg. Hg treatments also caused a higher cell death rate, significant oxidation of hGSH, as well as increased APX activity and transient overexpression of glutathione reductase 2, glutamylcysteinyl synthetase, and homoglutathione synthetase genes. However, Cd caused minor alterations. Hg accumulation was one order of magnitude higher than Cd accumulation. The different kinetics of early physiological responses in vivo to Cd and Hg might be relevant to the characterization of their mechanisms of toxicity. Thus, high accumulation of Hg might explain the metabolism poisoning observed in Hg-treated seedlings. PMID- 17803644 TI - Contribution of new photosynthetic assimilates to respiration by perennial grasses and shrubs: residence times and allocation patterns. AB - Quantification of the fate of carbon (C) used by plant metabolism is necessary to improve predictions of terrestrial ecosystem respiration and its sources. Here, a dual isotope ((13)C and (14)C) pulse-label was used to determine the allocation of new C to different respiratory pathways in the early and late growing seasons for two plant functional types, perennial grasses and shrubs, in the Owens Valley, CA, USA. Allocation differences between plant types exceeded seasonal allocation variation. Grasses respired 71 and 64% and shrubs respired 22 and 17% of the label below-ground in the early and late growing seasons, respectively. Across seasons and plant types, approximately 48-61% of the label recovered was respired in 24 h, approximately 68-84% in 6 d, and approximately 16-33% in 6-36 d after labeling. Three C pools were identified for plant metabolism: a fast pool with mean residence times (MRTs) of approximately 0.5 and approximately 1 d below and above-ground, respectively; an intermediate pool with MRTs of 19.9 and 18.9 d; and a storage pool detected in new leaf early growing season respiration > 9 months after assimilation. Differences in allocation to fast vs intermediate C pools resulted in the mean age of C respired by shrubs being shorter (3.8-4.5 d) than that of the grasses (4.8-8.2 d). PMID- 17803645 TI - Geographic variation and plasticity to water and nutrients in Pelargonium australe. AB - Here, patterns of phenotypic plasticity and trait integration of leaf characteristics in six geographically discrete populations of the perennial herb Pelargonium australe were compared. It was hypothesized that populations would show local adaptation in trait means, but similar patterns of plasticity and trait integration. Further, it was questioned whether phenotypic plasticity was positively correlated with environmental heterogeneity and whether plasticity for water-use traits in particular was adaptive. Seedlings were grown in a glasshouse at six combinations of water and nutrient availability. Leaf anatomical, morphological and gas exchange traits were measured. High amounts of plasticity in leaf traits were found in response to changes in growth conditions and there was evidence of local adaptation among the populations. While there were significant correlations between plasticity and environmental heterogeneity, not all were positive. Notably, patterns of plasticity and trait integration varied significantly among populations. Despite that variation, some of the observed plasticity was adaptive: fitness was correlated with conservative water use when water was limiting. Pelargonium arrived in Australia approximately 5 million yr ago. It is concluded here that high amounts of plasticity, in some cases adaptive, and weak integration among traits may be key to the spread and success of this species. PMID- 17803646 TI - Ozone affects gas exchange, growth and reproductive development in Brassica campestris (Wisconsin fast plants). AB - Exposure to ozone (O(3)) may affect vegetative and reproductive development, although the consequences for yield depend on the effectiveness of the compensatory processes induced. This study examined the impact on reproductive development of exposing Brassica campestris (Wisconsin Fast Plants) to ozone during vegetative growth. Plants were exposed to 70 ppb ozone for 2 d during late vegetative growth or 10 d spanning most of the vegetative phase. Effects on gas exchange, vegetative growth, reproductive development and seed yield were determined. Impacts on gas exchange and foliar injury were related to pre exposure stomatal conductance. Exposure for 2 d had no effect on growth or reproductive characteristics, whereas 10-d exposure reduced vegetative growth and reproductive site number on the terminal raceme. Mature seed number and weight per pod and per plant were unaffected because seed abortion was reduced. The observation that mature seed yield per plant was unaffected by exposure during the vegetative phase, despite adverse effects on physiological, vegetative and reproductive processes, shows that indeterminate species such as B. campestris possess sufficient compensatory flexibility to avoid reductions in seed production. PMID- 17803647 TI - Biomass and compositional responses of ectomycorrhizal fungal hyphae to elevated CO2 and nitrogen fertilization. AB - The extramatrical mycelia (EMM) of ectomycorrhizal fungi make up a large proportion of the microbial diversity and biomass in temperate forest soils. Thus, their response to elevated CO(2) can have large effects on plant nutrient acquisition and carbon movement through forests. Here, the effects of CO(2) and nitrogen (N) fertilization on EMM biomass and community structure in Pinus taeda forest plots were examined using sand-filled mesh bags buried in the field, the contents of which were analyzed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and DNA sequencing. A total of 2138 sequences comprising 295 taxa were recovered; most (83.5%) were from ectomycorrhizal fungal taxa. No biomass increase was detected in elevated CO(2) plots relative to control plots, but individual taxa responded to both CO(2) and N fertilization, four of the six most abundant taxa were less frequent in N-fertilized plots. Thelephoroid and athelioid taxa were both frequent and abundant as EMM, and thelephoroid richness was extremely high. Russula and Cortinariaceae taxa were less abundant and boletoid taxa were more abundant as EMM relative to ectomycorrhizas. The EMM community, sampled across seasons and years, was dynamic with a high degree of interspecific variation in response to CO(2) enrichment and N fertilization. PMID- 17803648 TI - Decline of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in northern hardwood forests exposed to chronic nitrogen additions. AB - Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are important below-ground carbon (C) sinks that can be sensitive to increased nitrogen (N) availability. The abundance of AM fungi (AMF) was estimated in maple (Acer spp.) fine roots following more than a decade of experimental additions of N designed to simulate chronic atmospheric N deposition. Abundance of AMF was measured by staining and ocular estimation, as well as by analyzing for the AMF indicator fatty acid 16:1omega5c in phospholipid (biomass indicator) and neutral lipid (lipid storage indicator) fractions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal biomass, storage structures and lipid storage declined in response to N addition measured by both methods. This pattern was found when AM response was characterized as colonization intensity, on an areal basis and in proportion to maple above-ground biomass. The phospholipid fraction of the fatty acid 16:1omega5c was positively correlated with total AMF colonization and the neutral lipid fraction with vesicle colonization. Decreased AMF abundance with simulated N deposition suggests reduced C allocation to these fungi or a direct soil N-mediated decline. The fatty acid (phospholipid and neutral lipid fractions) 16:1omega5c was found to be a good indicator for AMF active biomass and stored energy, respectively. PMID- 17803649 TI - Inoculation of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) with the ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Rhizoscyphus ericae increases nitrate influx. AB - Despite the ubiquitous presence of ericoid mycorrhizal (ERM) fungi in cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), no prior studies have examined the effect of ERM colonization on NO(3)(-) influx kinetics. Here, (15)NO(3)(-) influx was measured in nonmycorrhizal and mycorrhizal cranberry in hydroponics. Mycorrhizal cranberry were inoculated with the ERM fungus Rhizoscyphus (syn. Hymenoscyphus) ericae. (15)NO(3)(-) influx by R. ericae in solution culture was also measured. Rhizoscyphus ericae NO(3)(-) influx kinetics were linear when mycelium was exposed for 24 h to 3.8 mm NH(4)(+), and saturable when pretreated with 3.8 mm NO(3)(-), 50 microm NO(3)(-), or 50 microm NH(4)(+). Both low-N pretreatments induced greater NO(3)(-) influx than either of the high-N pretreatments. Nonmycorrhizal cranberry exhibited linear NO(3)(-) influx kinetics. By contrast, mycorrhizal cranberry had saturable NO(3)(-) influx kinetics, with c. eightfold greater NO(3)(-) influx than nonmycorrhizal cranberry at NO(3)(-) concentrations from 20 microm to 2 mm. There was no influence of pretreatments on cranberry NO(3)(-) influx kinetics, regardless of mycorrhizal status. Inoculation with R. ericae increased the capacity of cranberry to utilize NO(3)(-)-N. This finding is significant both for understanding the potential nutrient niche breadth of cranberry and for management of cultivated cranberry when irrigation water sources contain nitrate. PMID- 17803650 TI - Medicago species affect the community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with roots. AB - Sequencing of the 5' end of the large ribosomal subunit (LSU rDNA) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were combined to assess the impact of four annual Medicago species (Medicago laciniata, Medicago murex, Medicago polymorpha and Medicago truncatula) on the genetic diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and on the relative abundance of representative AM fungal genotypes, in a silty-thin clay soil (Mas d'Imbert, France). Two hundred and forty-six Glomeromycete LSU rDNA sequences from the four plant species and the bulk soil were analysed. The high bootstrap values of the phylogenetic tree obtained allowed the delineation of 12 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), all belonging to Glomus. Specific primers targeting Glomeromycetes and major OTUs were applied to quantify their abundance by qPCR. Glomeromycetes and targeted OTUs were significantly more abundant in the root tissues than in the bulk soil, and the frequencies of three of them differed significantly in the root tissues of the different plant species. These differences indicate that, despite the absence of strict host specificity in mycorrhizal symbiosis, there was a preferential association between some AM fungal and plant genotypes. PMID- 17803651 TI - Simulation of the three-dimensional distribution of the red:far-red ratio within crop canopies. AB - It is widely recognized that the red:far-red ratio (zeta) acts as a signal that triggers plant morphogenesis. New insights into photomorphogenesis have been gained through experiments in controlled environments. Extrapolation of such results to field conditions requires characterization of the zeta signal perceived by plant organs within canopies. This paper presents a modeling approach to characterize this signal. A wheat (Triticum aestivum) architectural model was coupled with a three-dimensional light model estimating the irradiances of virtual sensors. Architectural parameters and zeta values were measured on two contrasting spring wheat canopies under outdoor conditions. Light simulations were compared with measurements, and an analysis of sensitivity to measurement conditions was carried out. The model results agreed well with measurements and previously published data. The sensitivity analysis showed that zeta strongly depends on canopy development as well as on sky conditions, sensor orientation, and sensor field of view. This paper shows that modeling enables investigation of zeta distribution in a canopy over space and time. It also shows that the characterization of light quality strongly depends on measurement conditions, and that any discrepancies in results are likely attributable to different experimental set-ups. The usefulness of this modeling approach for crop photomorphogenesis studies is discussed. PMID- 17803652 TI - Pathophysiological role of the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases in poorly differentiated gastric cancer. AB - p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) contribute to the loss of cell-cell contact and the round cell shape characteristic of poorly differentiated gastric cancer. In the present study it is demonstrated that phospho-p38 MAPK level significantly increased in poorly differentiated gastric cancers in comparison to differentiated cancers and normal gastric mucosa by immunohistochemistry. Next, the pathophysiological roles of p38 MAPK activation were investigated in differentiated gastric cancer cell lines MKN7 and MKN28 and poorly differentiated gastric cancer cell lines KATO-III and MKN45 cells by incubating with specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 or inactivating analog SB202474. The distribution of F actin on phalloidin staining was identified as fine cytoskeletal filaments in MKN7 and MKN28, but as dense membranous accumulation in KATO-III and MKN45 cells. The treatment with SB203580 but not SB202474 reduced irregular accumulation of F actin in KATO-III and MKN45 cells. The expression of E-cadherin, ZO-1, occludin and claudin 4 was higher in MKN7 and MKN28 than KATO-III and MKN45 cells. The expression of E-cadherin in KATO-III cells was increased following treatment with SB203580, suggesting the suppression of E-cadherin at the transcriptional level independent of its genetic alterations. Thus, p38 MAPK signaling might contribute to the acquisition of malignant properties in poorly differentiated phenotypes. PMID- 17803653 TI - Wilms' tumor 1 message and protein expression in bone marrow failure syndrome and acute leukemia. AB - Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) is a useful marker for the diagnosis of acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In the current study quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining were used simultaneously to examine the relationship between WT1 RNA and protein level and also to evaluate WT1 as a tool to differentiate aplastic anemia (AA) and MDS refractory anemia (RA). Three types of WT1 messages (total, exon 5(+) and KTS(+)) and WT1 immunostaining of these diseases were analyzed. An increase of all three WT1 messages in high-grade MDS and acute leukemia was observed as compared with the normal control, whereas there was no significant difference in WT1 message between AA and RA, suggesting that WT1 message is not a good tool to discriminate AA and RA. No significant difference was observed between normal and RA, except for exon 5 message. Three WT1 message levels had a significant correlation, suggesting that the total WT1 message is sufficient for clinical practice. Positive immunostaining of WT1 was observed only in the portion of acute leukemia and overt leukemia (OL) transformed from MDS with a high WT1 message level, suggesting the relatively high detection threshold of WT1 protein with the immunostaining method. PMID- 17803654 TI - Involvement of Escherichia coli in pathogenesis of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis with scavenger receptor class A and CXCL16-CXCR6 interaction. AB - Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is characterized by the infiltration of numerous foamy macrophages. Bacterial infection is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of XGC. Using XGC and cultured murine biliary epithelial cells (BEC), the participation of E. coli and the role of the scavenger receptor class A (SCARA), as well as chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 16 (CXCL16) and its receptor chemokine(C-X-C motif) receptor 6 (CXCR6), were examined in the pathogenesis of XGC. E. coli components and genes were detected in XGC on immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. SCARA-recognizing E. coli was found in foamy macrophages aggregated in xanthogranulomatous lesions. CXCL16, which functions as a membrane-bound molecule and soluble chemokine to induce adhesion and migration of CXCR6(+) cells, was detected on gallbladder epithelia, and CXCR6(+)/CD8(+) T cells and CXCR6(+)/CD68(+) macrophages were also accumulated. In cultured BEC, CXCL16 mRNA and secreted soluble CXCL16 were constantly detected and upregulated by treatment with E. coli and lipopolysaccharide through Toll-like receptor 4. These suggest that SCARA in macrophages is involved in the phagocytosis of E. coli followed by foamy changes and that bacterial infection causes the upregulation of CXCL16 in gallbladder epithelia, leading to the chemoattraction of macrophages via CXCL16-CXCR6 interaction and formation of the characteristic histology of XGC. PMID- 17803655 TI - PIK3CA mutation and amplification in human lung cancer. AB - To explore the significance of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, catalytic, alpha (PIK3CA) in the carcinogenesis in human lung, mutations and copy number changes were investigated in 148 Japanese patients with primary cancer of the lung. For biological validation, the effects of exogenously expressed wild-type and mutated PIK3CA were studied in an immortalized human airway epithelial cell line. Mutations in PIK3CA were found in five (3.6%) of the 139 available patients, and copy number gains were found in 21 (18.3%) of 115 patients, respectively. Overall, mutations or copy number gains were detected in 24 of the 106 patients (22.6%) for whom results in both analyses were available. The prevalence of copy number gains was higher in men, smokers, and in patients with squamous cell carcinoma than in the opposite categories. The copy number changes showed a trend toward higher prevalence in the earlier stages (P = 0.038). Interestingly, the presence of mutations and of copy number alterations were mutually exclusive in the present patients, implying that both entail equivalent oncogenic potential. Over-expressed wild-type PIK3CA and its two common mutants, K545E and H1047R, significantly enhanced the anchorage-independent growth activity and migration activity of immortalized airway epithelium 16HBE14o- cells, but the effects of the K545E and H1047R mutants were more remarkable than those of the wild-type. The present demonstrates an important role of PIK3CA in human lung carcinogenesis. PMID- 17803656 TI - Overexpression of the myc target gene Mina53 in advanced renal cell carcinoma. AB - The myc target gene Mina53 was reported to be overexpressed in esophageal cancer with a poor prognosis. The purpose of the present study was to examined Mina53 expression and its relationship to clinicopathological parameters in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Mina53 and Ki-67 expression was examined on immunohistochemistry for 64 surgically resected RCC and non-cancerous tissue. In addition, the relationship between Mina53 expression and clinicopathological prognostic factors of RCC such as age, stage, microvenous invasion (MVI), histological subtype, Ki-67 labeling index (LI), and prognosis, was examined. Mina53 was expressed in the nuclei of tumor cells and tubular nuclei of normal renal tissue. The expression level of Mina53 was significantly higher in patients with poor prognostic factors (stage IV, MVI-positive, and sarcomatoid RCC, and high Ki-67 LI). The prognosis of high Mina53-expressing tumors was significantly poorer than that of non-Mina53-high tumors (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, Mina53 is overexpressed in RCC tissue from patients with poor prognostic factors, suggesting that Mina53 overexpression is one of the factors for poor prognosis in RCC. PMID- 17803657 TI - Leiomyosarcoma with dedifferentiation in a premenopausal patient discovered after uterine artery embolization. AB - Although a hysterectomy is the most common treatment for relieving the symptoms attributable to uterine leiomyomas, uterine artery embolization (UAE) is now being used more frequently as an alternative to a hysterectomy. However, it is difficult to differentiate a leiomyoma from a leiomyosarcoma without performing a pathological examination. Reported herein is a rare case of leiomyosarcoma that showed dedifferentiation of the tumor cells after UAE. A premenopausal 48-year old woman had been suffering from hypermenorrhea for 4 years before visiting the clinic. She underwent UAE for suspected symptomatic leiomyoma. Two months later, dilatation and curettage was performed because of genital bleeding and a necrotic mass was submitted for pathological examination. Three months after curettage, with renewed symptoms, endometrial biopsy was done, which confirmed pleomorphic sarcoma. Metastatic nodes to the lung were also found at that time. Multiple leiomyosarcomas and a leiomyosarcoma showing dedifferentiation of the uterine body were found on pathological examination. The patient had metastatic nodes to the brain later and died of metastatic disease 20 months in total after UAE. This is a rare case of leiomyosarcoma with dedifferentiation and multiple metastases occurring after UAE, suggesting that dedifferentiation could be derived from ordinary leiomyosarcoma and that the traumatic effect of curettage might cause early metastasis. The present case is a warning that careful and detailed evaluation of the uterine tumor are needed before UEA. PMID- 17803658 TI - Senile EBV-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of indolent clinical phenotype with recurrence as aggressive lymphoma. AB - Senile EBV-associated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) was proposed as a new disease entity in 2003. This condition has a high incidence in elderly people without underlying immunodeficiencies, and is characterized by EBV-positive B cell proliferation with a polymorphic composition. Histologically, the disease has two subtypes. The polymorphic LPD (PLPD) subtype has a preferable prognosis, whereas the large cell lymphoma (LCL) subtype involves aggressive disease progression. Reported herein is a case of senile EBV-BLPD with indolent clinical features and PLPD subtype in the initial phase that recurred as an aggressive lymphoma 3 years after the initial diagnosis. In the recurrent phase, Southern blotting confirmed monoclonal proliferation of large lymphoid B-cells. In both the initial and recurrent phases, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) yielded a single discrete band of a similar size due to an immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangement, indicating that the large lymphoid B-cells retained identical monoclonality throughout the histological progression and over the whole clinical course. These results suggest that the PLPD subtype is a histological finding in early phase senile EBV-BLPD and that the LCL subtype reflects the progressive phase of the disease. PMID- 17803659 TI - Pleomorphic ductal carcinoma of the breast with predominant micropapillary features. AB - An 83-year-old woman with long-standing chronic ischemic cardiac and obstructive pulmonary disease, presented with a painless tumor in her right breast. Microscopically the tumor consisted of micropapillary formations and loosely cohesive nests and strands of large, highly pleomorphic cells. Micropapillary formations were surrounded by peritumoral retraction clefting, and the papillae lacked a true fibrovascular core. Multinucleated giant and bizarre tumor cells were also present and numerous. Within the tumor a high-grade intraductal component with the same cell morphology and necrosis and mucin production was found. Micropapillary pattern occupied approximately 60% of the tumor mass, loosely cohesive nests and strands approximately 20% and an intraductal component was noted in approximately 20% of the tumor mass. On immunohistochemistry the tumor cells were positive for pan-cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), S100 protein and E-cadherin while estrogen and progesterone receptors, HER2-neu and Bcl2 were negative. EMA staining was diffuse and observed in the outer and inner margins of neoplastic nests. The diagnosis of pleomorphic breast carcinoma with predominant micropapillary features was established. In summary, micropapillary carcinoma can be distinguished from other types of breast carcinoma with micropapillary growth pattern on the basis of reverse cell polarity, which is easily confirmed on immunohistochemistry. PMID- 17803660 TI - Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma producing hCG. AB - An 80-year-old woman with a pleomorphic carcinoma (PC) producing hCG was admitted to Nippon Steel Hirohata Hospital because of an abnormal shadow on CT seen during a follow-up examination after surgery for breast cancer. A right upper lobectomy was performed due to rapid growth of the shadow 3 months later. Macroscopically the tumor was a 4.8 x 4.0 cm well-circumscribed grayish-white mass. On histology the tumor consisted mostly of intermingled spindle and polygonal cells, while evidence of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was seen in a few areas. A diagnosis of PC was made due to hCG expression in approximately 20% of the spindle and polygonal cells on immunohistology. Six months after the operation metastasis to the liver and adrenal gland was seen on CT. The patient died due to metastases 1 year after the operation, even though the patient had been at stage 1B at the time of the operation and appropriate chemotherapy had been given. PC patients with immunohistochemical hCG expression have elevated risk of local recurrence and metastasis. PMID- 17803661 TI - Abstracts of the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Society for Clinical Cytology. Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. September 16-19, 2007. PMID- 17803662 TI - European research on cell and organ transplantation: towards novel opportunities? AB - Recent developments in basic and translational immunology open new exciting perspectives for clinical cell and organ transplantation, including the development of novel immunosuppressive agents, new diagnostic tools and validation of biomarkers for the prediction of rejection as well as the induction of tolerance. With respect to tolerance, a number of hurdles still need to be overcome before immunosuppressive drugs can be safely minimized or withdrawn in solid organ transplant recipients. Indeed, the human immune system appears more resistant to tolerance induction than expected from experimental studies in animals. Furthermore, the basic ethical principle 'primum non-nocere' prevents the implementation of clinical protocols endowed with a significant risk for graft and/or patient survival. With this background, the European Commission recently launched several initiatives to tackle unmet needs in transplantation medicine. Herein, we focus attention on the ongoing collaborative effort across the European Union aiming at identifying the current priorities requiring better integration of resources dedicated to transplantation research. PMID- 17803663 TI - Prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests in foreign-born children. AB - AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests (TST) in internationally adopted and immigrant children. To identify risk factors for positive TST in these populations. METHODS: The study was a retrospective medical record review in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. All children evaluated at the International Adoption and Immigrant Health Clinic of CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, Canada, between 01-01-1998 and 31-12-2001 were included. Demographic and anthropometrical data, BCG vaccination, TST, chest X-ray results and treatment were extracted from the medical records of the patients and analyzed. Positive TST was defined as induration = 10 mm, 48 to 72 hours after injection of five tuberculin units of purified protein derivate. RESULTS: Our population included 670 children: 112 immigrants and 558 adoptees. Median age was 6.9 years for immigrants and 1.1 years for adopted children. Overall incidence of positive TST was 12.2% in our cohort: 31% in the immigrant and 8% in the adopted children groups. There was one case of active tuberculosis. Older age on arrival in Canada and BCG vaccination were identified as risk factors for positive TST in our multivariate model. For each one-year increase in age on arrival in Canada, there was a 1.2 times greater risk for positive TST. CONCLUSIONS: Latent tuberculosis is a frequent problem in foreign-born children. The higher incidence in immigrant children can be explained by older age on arrival. PMID- 17803664 TI - Arterial thromboembolic disease: a single-centre case series study. AB - AIM: Paediatric venous thromboembolic disease has been reported with increased frequency during the last decade. In contrast, the pathophysiology of arterial thromboembolic disease in infants and children has not been adequately explored. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, aetiology, diagnostic criteria, management and outcome of arterial thromboembolism (TE) in a tertiary paediatric centre. METHODS: A prospective, single-centre registry was established at an Australian tertiary paediatric centre in order to address the aim of this study. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-two arterial thrombotic events occurred in 98 patients during 48 months. Infants were most likely to have a lower limb arterial TE (n = 22) whilst children were most likely to have a central nervous system arterial TE (n = 26). Surgery was a frequent predisposing factor in both infants and children. Doppler ultrasonography, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were the most commonly used diagnostic modalities. Unfractionated heparin was the most frequently used treatment in both age groups. At discharge, 25 infants and twelve children had complete resolution of their arterial TE. Direct thrombosis-related mortality was 4% in infants and 9% in children. Duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 900 days, with thirteen infants and 32 children never achieving complete resolution. Forty-nine percent of post discharge survivors had significant long term sequelae directly attributable to their arterial TE. CONCLUSION: Arterial TE occurred as frequently as venous TE in our tertiary paediatric population. The clinical outcome and long term sequelae of such events are significant. PMID- 17803665 TI - Use of the motor performance checklist to study motor outcomes in 5-year-olds. AB - AIM: To report findings about the Motor Performance Checklist (MPC) for 5-year olds, a simple 12-item instrument for assessing gross and fine motor skills, in a research study of neurodevelopmental outcomes after neonatal events. METHODS: We trained 10 examiners to use the MPC in a study of the outcomes of neonatal jaundice and dehydration in 339 5-year-old children. We compared MPC scores with those on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI R), the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration-Fourth Edition (VMI-4), and a standard neurological examination, and compared failure rates on each MPC item across examiners. Parent concerns about their child's development were addressed using the Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS). RESULTS: Children who 'failed' the MPC had 7-10 points lower mean scores on the WPPSI-R subscales (P = 0.001), 9-10 points lower mean scores on the VMI-4 subscales (P = 0.001), and were almost twice as likely to have a 'questionable' neurological examination score (adjusted OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.00-3.53, P = 0.005). On the PEDS, only the concern about the use of arms and hands was significantly associated with MPC failure. We found significant sex differences on four of the 12 MPC items. We also found differences in failure rates by different examiners. CONCLUSIONS: MPC scores correlated with other measures of neurodevelopment. Because of different failure rates across examiners, examiner terms need to be included if it is used in research studies. PMID- 17803666 TI - Neonatal circumcision: effects on breastfeeding and outcomes associated with breastfeeding. AB - AIM: There have been recurrent claims made that neonatal circumcision disrupts the development and maintenance of breastfeeding in infants. The aim of the current study was to use a longitudinal birth cohort study to examine the associations between neonatal circumcision status and both breastfeeding outcomes, and health and cognitive ability outcomes associated with breastfeeding. METHOD: Data were obtained from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal study of over 1000 individuals born in Christchurch New Zealand in mid 1977. Data were obtained for male cohort members (n = 635) on circumcision status, breastfeeding outcomes, health outcomes in infancy and cognitive ability outcomes later in life. RESULTS: Circumcision status was not significantly associated (P > 0.05) with breastfeeding outcomes in infancy, even following adjustment for covariate factors, including maternal age, family socio-economic status, ethnicity and birthweight. Also, circumcision status was not significantly associated (P > 0.05) with health in infancy and cognitive ability outcomes in later childhood, even after adjustment for covariate factors. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of an association between neonatal circumcision status and breastfeeding outcomes, or between circumcision status and health and cognitive ability outcomes associated with breastfeeding, and the findings do not support the view that neonatal circumcision disrupts breastfeeding. PMID- 17803667 TI - Efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in acute watery diarrhoea of Indian children: a randomised controlled trial. AB - AIM: To evaluate the role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) as probiotic in acute watery diarrhoea (AWD). SETTING: Hospital-based study. DESIGN: Randomised, controlled, blinded trial. PATIENTS AND METHOD: All patients of AWD (n = 684) admitted over 1-year period were invited to participate in the study as per predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomised to intervention and control groups. After adequate rehydration the intervention group (n = 330) received ORS with probiotic powder containing 60 million cells of LGG, while the control group (n = 332) received ORS alone twice daily for a minimum period of 7 days or till diarrhoea ceased. During the study period all patients received ORS and/or IV fluids for ongoing losses, and nutritional supplementation. None of them received any antibiotic or antidiarrhoeal medication. After exclusion of 16 patients, 646 (323 in each arm) patients completed the study. The daily frequency and total duration of diarrhoea and vomiting and the length of hospital stay were studied. Data were analysed by SPSS-10 software. Statistical significance was calculated by Student's t-test and chi2-test. RESULTS: Rotavirus was isolated in 75.85%. There was no significant difference between treatment groups in the daily frequency or duration of diarrhoea or vomiting or in the length of hospital stay. No complication was observed from the use of LGG. CONCLUSION: LGG supplementation does not decrease the frequency and duration of diarrhoea and vomiting in children with AWD, and does not reduce hospital stay in these patients. PMID- 17803668 TI - Quality of life assessment in a sample of patients affected by Prader-Willi syndrome. AB - AIM: The goals of this study are to investigate the quality of life of Prader Willi syndrome patients and to evaluate the relationship between quality of life and the clinical picture. METHODS: We performed a multicentric study on 40 consecutive patients with Prader-Willi syndrome. Quality of life was evaluated through the Short Form-36 and the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form-50 according to the age of patients. RESULTS: In patients older than 14 years old, quality of life is intensely impaired both in mental and physical aspects. Weight at the moment of the observation, birthweight and facial features are the main variables that influence quality of life. In patients who are 14 years old or younger, the Family Activity and Physical scores are lower for those patients with characteristic facial features and in patients with decreased fetal movement or infantile lethargy. Self-esteem is lower in patients with a higher Mini Mental Score. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and mental aspects of quality of life are impaired in Prader-Willi patients, weight is the clinical finding which mainly influences negatively the physical aspects of quality of life. However, weight does not cause mental problems. These are mainly due to the presence of characteristic facial features. Interestingly, a high birthweight is associated with less impairment of the mental aspects of quality of life. PMID- 17803669 TI - Mothers of pre-school children talk about childhood overweight and obesity: The Weight Of Opinion Study. AB - AIM: To investigate the perceptions of parents of young children aged 2-5 years regarding childhood overweight and obesity. METHODS: Parents with children in seven pre-schools and long day-care centres from diverse socio-economic areas across metropolitan Sydney and one rural area were recruited for focus groups. Focus group transcripts were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: Providing food was an emotional issue for the mothers in this study. They were more concerned about their young children being underweight than overweight, and this increased their stress around children's eating. Food treats were perceived as entitlements. Mothers did believe that they were responsible for their children's eating, but acknowledged the influence of other environmental factors related to food retail and marketing. Practical and safety issues limited opportunities for their children to be physically active beyond the formal child-care setting. Parents had practical suggestions for solutions to some of the barriers they experienced, and wanted support for their role. CONCLUSIONS: The emotional intensity of the mothers' perceptions about their children's eating and weight status suggests that interventions, including communications, need to go beyond information and engage with parents' emotions. Some food concerns were actually related to broader parenting issues and indicate the potential value for interventions to focus on behavioural parenting techniques. Preventive interventions need to acknowledge the issues faced by parents and support their role directly, such as through making healthy and active behaviours easily available, and indirectly, through providing local services, including early childhood services. PMID- 17803670 TI - Short duration of skin-to-skin contact: effects on growth and breastfeeding. AB - AIM: To compare weight gain and head growth in very-low-birthweight (VLBW, <1501 g) infants with or without exposure to short duration of skin-to-skin contact (STSC) during their stay in a neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS: Stable VLBW infants were randomised into either STSC or control group. Parents of the STSC group were encouraged to provide STSC for at least 1 h daily. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-six infants were randomised, but only 126 were enrolled (STSC group: n = 64; CONTROLS: n = 62). Infants in the STSC group had better mean weekly increase in head circumference (1.0 cm (SD = 0.3) vs. 0.7 cm (SD = 0.3); P < 0.0001) and higher breastfeeding rate at discharge (29.7% vs. 14.5%; P = 0.04). Although the mean duration of maternal education was longer in STSC (13.0 vs. 12.1 years; P = 0.04) than in controls, linear regression analysis showed that the significant predictors associated with weekly head growth were exposure to STSC (unstandardised coefficient: 0.2; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.1, 0.3; P < 0.0001) and head circumference of infants at the time of enrollment (unstandardised coefficient: -0.05; 95% CI: -08, -0.03; P < 0.0001); the number of years of maternal education was not a significant predictor. Logistic regression analysis showed that the only significant predictors of successful breastfeeding at discharge were receiving expressed breast milk at enrollment (adjusted OR: 4.1; 95% CI: 1.4, 11.7; P = 0.009) and receiving expressed breast milk during intervention period (adjusted OR: 8.3; 95% CI: 2.8, 24.4; P < 0.0001); exposure to STSC and maternal education were not significant predictors. CONCLUSION: Exposure to short duration of STSC may promote head growth in VLBW infants. PMID- 17803671 TI - Physician attitudes towards ventilatory support for spinal muscular atrophy type 1 in Australasia. AB - BACKGROUND: Without ventilatory support, premature death from respiratory insufficiency is virtually universal in infants with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1). With mechanical ventilation, however, long-term survival has been reported from numerous international centres. We aimed to characterize physician attitudes to the various forms of ventilatory support for children with SMA1. METHODS: We surveyed neurologists, respiratory physicians, clinical geneticists and intensivists from all major paediatric hospitals in Australia and New Zealand regarding their views on ventilatory management of SMA1. RESULTS: Ninety-two of the 157 (59%) physicians surveyed replied. Respondents included 16 clinical geneticists, 19 intensive care physicians, 28 neurologists and 29 respiratory physicians. Almost half (47%) opposed invasive ventilation of children with SMA1 and respiratory failure precipitated by intercurrent illness. The majority (76%) opposed invasive ventilatory support for chronic respiratory failure in SMA1. In contrast, non-invasive ventilation was felt by 85% to be appropriate for acute respiratory deteriorations, with 49% supporting long-term non-invasive ventilatory support. Most physicians felt that decisions regarding ventilation should be made jointly by parents and doctors, and that hospital Clinical Ethics Committees should be involved in the event of discordant opinion regarding further management. A majority felt that a defined hospital policy would be valuable in guiding management of SMA1. CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory support in SMA1 is an important issue with significant ethical, financial and resource management implications. Most physicians in Australian and New Zealand oppose invasive ventilatory support for chronic respiratory failure in SMA1. Non-invasive ventilation is an accepted intervention for acute respiratory decompensation and may have a role in the long-term management of SMA1. Clinical Ethics Committees and institutional policies have a place in guiding physicians and parents in the management of children with SMA1. PMID- 17803672 TI - Identifying and implementing prevention programmes for childhood mental health problems. AB - A substantial number of children and adolescents in Australia have mental health problems. This review provides guidance to service providers for selecting prevention programmes designed to reduce mental health problems experienced by children. It addresses three issues. First, it highlights the importance of utilising programmes that focus on risk and protective factors which have a causal relationship with mental health problems. Second, it describes approaches that can be used to assess the quality of programme evaluations, and identifies common characteristics of more effective programmes. Finally, it identifies general factors which influence the uptake of innovations, such as new prevention programmes, in health services. These features include, for example, compatibility with potential providers' values, norms and perceived needs, and some flexibility which allows potential providers to adapt programmes to suit their specific needs and context. Addressing these general issues is important to maximise the uptake of effective new prevention programmes. PMID- 17803673 TI - Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours among adolescents in Hong Kong: prevalence and correlates. AB - AIMS: To study the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours among adolescents in Hong Kong and to examine the socio-demographic and behavioural correlates. METHODS: Three secondary schools with different academic performance were selected from the Eastern District of Hong Kong. A total of 2382 students enrolled in Forms 1-7 at the three schools completed a specially designed questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions on socio-demographic information, body weight satisfaction, exposure to mass media, health behaviours as well as the Eating Attitudes Test - 26 (EAT-26). Data were analysed using Student's t-test, chi2 analysis and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Disordered eating (EAT score > or =20) was present in 52 (3.9%) adolescent boys and 68 (6.5%) adolescent girls. The youngest case was only 11 years old. A high degree of body weight dissatisfaction was shared by our adolescents. Teenage girls, overweight youths and those with poor academic performance were at increased risk of having disordered eating. Strong associations were found between disordered eating and other health-compromising behaviours including smoking, alcohol and soft drug use, delinquent behaviours, suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviours. Exposure to entertainment, beauty and youth magazines was positively related to disordered eating. CONCLUSIONS: Disordered eating is prevalent among adolescents in Hong Kong. It remains a significant public health challenge to our community. Prevention programmes targeting youths at the greatest risk should be considered. PMID- 17803674 TI - Use of naloxone during neonatal resuscitation in Australia: compliance with published guidelines. AB - AIMS: The aims of this study were to describe the use of naloxone during neonatal resuscitation in Australia, and to assess this against the published guidelines for use. METHODS: The states of Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory record the administration of naloxone in their statutory state perinatal database collections, covering all deliveries within each state. Relevant information was extracted from these databases. In addition, we interrogated the perinatal database from a single tertiary perinatal centre in Western Australia and conducted a chart review of the 100 most recent infants identified as receiving naloxone. RESULTS: A total of 531 058 liveborn infants from 1994 through 2004 were assessed. The administration of naloxone fell from 4% to 1% of liveborn infants during this period. There was inconsistent compliance with published guidelines. Forty-two per cent of infants received naloxone without documentation of prior ventilatory support, 14% of infants received naloxone without prior administration of maternal narcotics and 80% of infants were not monitored following naloxone administration. The prevalent route of administration was intramuscular. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a steady decrease in the use of naloxone for neonatal resuscitation, there is a considerable lack of compliance with published guidelines for use. Given the scant evidence supporting naloxone use during neonatal resuscitation and increasing documentation of potential deleterious effects, perhaps it is time to remove naloxone from our resuscitaires. PMID- 17803675 TI - Distribution of potassium ion and water permeable channels at perivascular glia in brain and retina of the Large(myd) mouse. AB - The dystroglycan protein complex provides a link between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Defective O-glycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan (alpha-DG) severs this link leading to muscular dystrophies named dystroglycanopathies. These are characterized not only by muscle degeneration, but also by brain and ocular defects. In brain and retina, alpha-DG and ECM molecules are enriched around blood vessels where they may be involved in localizing the inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Kir4.1, and aquaporin channel, AQP4, to astrocytic endfeet. To investigate in vivo the role of ECM ligand-binding to glycosylated sites on alpha-DG in the polarized distribution of these channels, we used the Large(myd) mouse, an animal model for dystroglycanopathies. We found that Kir4.1 and AQP4 are lost from astrocytic endfeet in brain whereas significant labeling for these channels is detected at similar cell domains in retina. Furthermore, while both alpha- and beta1 syntrophins are lost from perivascular astrocytes in brain, labeling for beta1 syntrophin is found in retina of the Large(myd) mouse. These findings show that while ligand-binding to the highly glycosylated isoform of alpha-DG in concert with alpha- and beta1-syntrophins is crucial for the polarized distribution of Kir4.1 and AQP4 to functional domains in brain, distinct mechanisms may contribute to their localization in retina. PMID- 17803676 TI - A statistical approach to quasi-extinction forecasting. AB - Forecasting population decline to a certain critical threshold (the quasi extinction risk) is one of the central objectives of population viability analysis (PVA), and such predictions figure prominently in the decisions of major conservation organizations. In this paper, we argue that accurate forecasting of a population's quasi-extinction risk does not necessarily require knowledge of the underlying biological mechanisms. Because of the stochastic and multiplicative nature of population growth, the ensemble behaviour of population trajectories converges to common statistical forms across a wide variety of stochastic population processes. This paper provides a theoretical basis for this argument. We show that the quasi-extinction surfaces of a variety of complex stochastic population processes (including age-structured, density-dependent and spatially structured populations) can be modelled by a simple stochastic approximation: the stochastic exponential growth process overlaid with Gaussian errors. Using simulated and real data, we show that this model can be estimated with 20-30 years of data and can provide relatively unbiased quasi-extinction risk with confidence intervals considerably smaller than (0,1). This was found to be true even for simulated data derived from some of the noisiest population processes (density-dependent feedback, species interactions and strong age structure cycling). A key advantage of statistical models is that their parameters and the uncertainty of those parameters can be estimated from time series data using standard statistical methods. In contrast for most species of conservation concern, biologically realistic models must often be specified rather than estimated because of the limited data available for all the various parameters. Biologically realistic models will always have a prominent place in PVA for evaluating specific management options which affect a single segment of a population, a single demographic rate, or different geographic areas. However, for forecasting quasi-extinction risk, statistical models that are based on the convergent statistical properties of population processes offer many advantages over biologically realistic models. PMID- 17803677 TI - A statistical theory for sampling species abundances. AB - The pattern of species abundances is central to ecology. But direct measurements of species abundances at ecologically relevant scales are typically unfeasible. This limitation has motivated a long-standing interest in the relationship between the abundance distribution in a large, regional community and the distribution observed in a small sample from the community. Here, we develop a statistical sampling theory to describe how observed patterns of species abundances are influenced by the spatial distributions of populations. For a wide range of regional-scale abundance distributions we derive exact expressions for the sampled abundance distributions, as a function of sample size and the degree of conspecific spatial aggregation. We show that if populations are randomly distributed in space then the sampled and regional-scale species-abundance distribution typically have the same functional form: sampling can be expressed by a simple scaling relationship. In the case of aggregated spatial distributions, however, the shape of a sampled species-abundance distribution diverges from the regional-scale distribution. Conspecific aggregation results in sampled distributions that are skewed towards both rare and common species. We discuss our findings in light of recent results from neutral community theory, and in the context of estimating biodiversity. PMID- 17803678 TI - Monotherapy with low-dose thalidomide for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: better response rate with earlier treatment. AB - BACKGROUND: Thalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug used in the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). The optimal dosing regimen of thalidomide is not known. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the overall response rate and response duration of 53 patients with relapsed MM who received thalidomide in a median dose of 100 mg daily. The aim of the study was to compare the response rates of thalidomide given as the second-line treatment to those of thalidomide given as the third-line therapy. RESULTS: Of 33 patients receiving thalidomide as second line, 13 (39%) had overall treatment response. Of 20 patients treated with thalidomide monotherapy as the third-line treatment, there were three treatment responses (15%) (P = 0.039). The median duration of treatment response in the second-line thalidomide group (12 months, range 6-60 months) was twice as long as that in the third-line thalidomide group (6 months, range 3-57 months), although the difference was not statistically significant, probably due to low number of patients. Only 6% of patients (3/53) had to stop the treatment because of toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Monotherapy with low-dose thalidomide results in treatment responses in approximately 30% of patients with advanced MM. The response rate appears to be higher if thalidomide treatment is started after the first relapse or progression in comparison with the second relapse or progression. Treatment toxicity is acceptable even with prolonged exposure to the drug. PMID- 17803679 TI - Mesothelin, a possible target for immunotherapy, is expressed in primary AML cells. AB - BACKGROUND: Mesothelin is a promising candidate for tumor-specific therapy because of its limited expression in normal tissues and high expression in several cancers. The expression of the protein mesothelin in hematological malignancies has not yet been analyzed. SS1(dsFv)PE38 is a recombinant anti mesothelin immunotoxin which is undergoing clinical evaluation in patients with mesothelin-expressing tumors. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study we show that the mesothelin protein is expressed in leukemic cells from children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This finding was confirmed by western blot, immunocytochemistry and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Despite the expression of mesothelin, the patient samples were not sensitive to immunotoxin SS1(dsFv)PE38 in MTT assays. CONCLUSIONS: Primary AML cells express mesothelin but SS1(dsFv)PE38 is not active in killing these cells. Other approaches that utilize mesothelin as a target might be more effective and should be tested against AML cells. PMID- 17803680 TI - Ligation of CD200R by CD200 is not required for normal murine myelopoiesis. AB - CD200R is an inhibitory receptor involved in the regulation of myeloid cells. It recruits Dok-1 and Dok-2, which are potent inhibitors of the Ras signalling pathway used by colony-stimulating factor (CSF) receptors. Dok-1/Dok-2 double knockout (DKO) mice develop leukaemia at 10-12 months of age. We investigated whether disturbed CD200R signalling could be responsible for this phenotype. Therefore, we studied whether CD200(-/-) mice have altered myelopoiesis and develop leukaemia. We report that CD200R is expressed on haematopoietic progenitor cells. However, CD200(-/-) mice have normal numbers of myeloid progenitors in the bone marrow and these cells have normal proliferative capacity. These results indicate that the development of leukaemia in Dok-1/Dok-2 DKO mice is not solely due to an absence of CD200R signalling. In addition, we show that the previously reported enhanced numbers of myeloid cells do not occur in all CD200(-/-) mice. We determined whether variations in the numbers of peripheral myeloid cells were due to an enhanced response to granulocyte-CSF (G CSF) or an inflammatory stimulus. Mobilisation of immature neutrophils via G-CSF and infiltration of mature neutrophils and macrophages upon thioglycolate injection were not altered in CD200(-/-) mice. We conclude that CD200(-/-) mice exhibit normal myelopoiesis and that development of leukaemia in Dok-1/Dok-2 DKO mice is not caused by a lack of CD200-mediated CD200R signalling. PMID- 17803681 TI - BRCA1 accumulates in the nucleus in response to hypoxia and TRAIL and enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. AB - A major contributing factor to the development of breast cancer is decreased functional expression of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1, BRCA1. Another key contributor to tumorigenesis is hypoxia. Here we show that hypoxia increased the nuclear localization of BRCA1 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cell lines without changing its steady-state expression level. Nuclear accumulation of BRCA1 was not evident in MCF-12A or HMEC (human mammary epithelial cell) nonmalignant mammary epithelial cells under the same conditions. Hypoxia also increased the cell surface expression of TRAIL on MDA-MB-468 cells. Neutralization of TRAIL precluded the hypoxia-induced accumulation of BRCA1 in the nucleus, whereas exogenously administered TRAIL mimicked the effect. Treatment of MDA-MB-468 cells with TRAIL resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in apoptosis. Furthermore, TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HCC1937 cells, which harbor a BRCA1 mutation, increased synergistically when wild-type BRCA1 was reconstituted in the cells, and downregulation of BRCA1 expression in MDA-MB-468 cells reduced the apoptotic response to TRAIL. These data provide a novel link between hypoxia, TRAIL and BRCA1, and suggest that this relationship may be especially relevant to the potential use of TRAIL as a chemotherapeutic agent. PMID- 17803682 TI - The PUA domain - a structural and functional overview. AB - The pseudouridine synthase and archaeosine transglycosylase (PUA) domain is a compact and highly conserved RNA-binding motif that is widespread among diverse types of proteins from the three kingdoms of life. Its three-dimensional architecture is well established, and the structures of several PUA-RNA complexes reveal a common RNA recognition surface, but also some versatility in the way in which the motif binds to RNA. The PUA domain is often part of RNA modification enzymes and ribonucleoproteins, but it has also been unexpectedly found fused to enzymes involved in proline biosynthesis, where it plays an unknown role. The functional impact of the domain varies with the protein studied, ranging from minor to essential effects. PUA motifs are involved in dyskeratosis congenita and cancer, pointing to links between RNA metabolism and human diseases. PMID- 17803683 TI - Probing the active site of Corynebacterium callunae starch phosphorylase through the characterization of wild-type and His334-->Gly mutant enzymes. AB - His334 facilitates catalysis by Corynebacterium callunae starch phosphorylase through selective stabilization of the transition state of the reaction, partly derived from a hydrogen bond between its side chain and the C-6 hydroxy group of the glucosyl residue undergoing transfer to and from phosphate. We have substituted His334 by a Gly and measured the disruptive effects of the site directed replacement on active site function using steady-state kinetics and NMR spectroscopic characterization of the cofactor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and binding of carbohydrate ligands. Purified H334G showed 0.05% and 1.3% of wild-type catalytic center activity for phosphorolysis of maltopentaose (kcatP = 0.033 s( 1)) and substrate binding affinity in the ternary complex with enzyme bound to phosphate (Km = 280 mm), respectively. The 31P chemical shift of pyridoxal 5' phosphate in the wild-type was pH-dependent and not perturbed by binding of arsenate. At pH 7.25, it was not sensitive to the replacement His334-->Gly. Analysis of interactions of alpha-d-glucose 1-phosphate and alpha-d-xylose 1 phosphate upon binding to wild-type and H334G phosphorylase, derived from saturation transfer difference NMR experiments, suggested that disruption of enzyme-substrate interactions in H334G was strictly local, affecting the protein environment of sugar carbon 6. pH profiles of the phosphorolysis rate for wild type and H334G were both bell-shaped, with the broad pH range of optimum activity in the wild-type (pH 6.5-7.5) being narrowed and markedly shifted to lower pH values in the mutant (pH 6.5-7.0). External imidazole partly restored the activity lost in the mutant, without, however, participating as an alternative nucleophile in the reaction. It caused displacement of the entire pH profile of H334G by + 0.5 pH units. A possible role for His334 in the formation of the oxocarbenium ion-like transition state is suggested, where the hydrogen bond between its side chain and the 6-hydroxyl polarizes and positions O-6 such that electron density in the reactive center is enhanced. PMID- 17803684 TI - The influence of cholesterol on the interaction of HIV gp41 membrane proximal region-derived peptides with lipid bilayers. AB - A small amino acid sequence (LWYIK) inside the HIV-1 gp41 ectodomain membrane proximal region (MPR) is commonly referred to as a cholesterol-binding domain. To further study this unique and peculiar property we have used fluorescence spectroscopy techniques to unravel the membrane interaction properties of three MPR-derived synthetic peptides: the membrane proximal region peptide-complete (MPRP-C) which corresponds to the complete MPR; the membrane proximal region peptide-short (MPRP-S), which corresponds to the last five MPR amino acid residues (the putative cholesterol-binding domain) and the membrane proximal region peptide-intermediate (MPRP-I), which corresponds to the MPRP-C peptide without the MPRP-S sequence. MPRP-C and MPRP-I membrane interaction is largely independent of the membrane phase. Membrane interaction of MPRP-S occurs for fluid phase membranes but not in gel phase membranes or cholesterol-containing bilayers. The gp41 ectodomain MPR may have a very specific function in viral fusion through the concerted and combined action of cholesterol-binding and non cholesterol-binding domains (i.e. domains corresponding to MPRP-S and MPRP-I, respectively). PMID- 17803685 TI - Metabolic pathways leading from amino acids to vitamin B12 in Propionibacterium shermanii, and the sources of the seven methyl carbons. AB - The metabolic pathways leading from l-[2-13C]aspartic acid, [2-13C]glycine and l [methyl-13C]methionine to vitamin B12 were investigated, focusing on the biosynthetic pathways leading to the aminopropanol moiety of vitamin B12 and on the role of the Shemin pathway leading to delta-aminolevulinic acid (a biosynthetic intermediate of tetrapyrrole), by means of feeding experiments with Propionibacterium shermanii in combination with 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The 13C methylene carbons of l-[2-(13)C]aspartic acid, which is transformed to [2 13C]glycine via l-[2-13C]threonine, and [2-13C]glycine added to the culture medium served mainly to enrich the seven methyl carbons of the corrin ring through C-methylation by S-adenosyl-l-[methyl-13C]methionine derived from catabolically generated l-[methyl-13C]methionine in the presence of tetrahydrofolic acid. The results indicate that the catabolism of these amino acids predominates over pathways leading to (2R)-1-amino-2-propanol or delta aminolevulinic acid in P. shermanii. Feeding of l-[methyl-13C]methionine efficiently enriched all seven methyl carbons. In the cases of [2-13C]glycine and l-[methyl-13C]methionine, the 13C-enrichment ratio of the methyl carbon at C-25 (the site of the first C-methylation) was less than those of the other six methyl carbons, probably due to the influence of endogenous d-glucose in P. shermanii. The almost identical 13C-enrichment ratios of the other six methyl carbons indicated that these C-methylations during vitamin B12 biosynthesis were completed before the amino acids were completely consumed. However, in the case of l-[2-13C]aspartic acid, the 13C-enrichment ratios of five methyl carbons were low and similar, whereas the last two sites of C-methylation (C-53 and C-35) were not labeled, presumably because of complete consumption of the smaller amount of added label. The ratios of 13C-incorporation into the seven methyl carbons are influenced by the conditions of amino acid feeding experiments in a manner that is dependent upon the order of C-methylation in the corrin ring of vitamin B12. PMID- 17803686 TI - Triterpene synthases from the Okinawan mangrove tribe, Rhizophoraceae. AB - Oleanane-type triterpene is one of the most widespread triterpenes found in plants, together with the lupane type, and these two types often occur together in the same plant. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk. and Rhizophora stylosa Griff. (Rhizophoraceae) are known to produce both types of triterpenes. Four oxidosqualene cyclase cDNAs were cloned from the leaves of B. gymnorrhiza and R. stylosa by a homology-based PCR method. The ORFs of full-length clones termed BgbAS (2280 bp, coding for 759 amino acids), BgLUS (2286 bp, coding for 761 amino acids), RsM1 (2280 bp, coding for 759 amino acids) and RsM2 (2316 bp coding for 771 amino acids) were ligated into yeast expression plasmid pYES2 under the control of the GAL1 promoter. Expression of BgbAS and BgLUS in GIL77 resulted in the production of beta-amyrin and lupeol, suggesting that these genes encode beta amyrin and lupeol synthase (LUS), respectively. Furthermore, RsM1 produced germanicol, beta-amyrin, and lupeol in the ratio of 63 : 33 : 4, whereas RsM2 produced taraxerol, beta-amyrin, and lupeol in the proportions 70 : 17 : 13. This result indicates that these are multifunctional triterpene synthases. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence comparisons revealed that BgbAS and RsM1 demonstrated high similarities (78-93%) to beta-amyrin synthases, and were located in the same branch as beta-amyrin synthase. BgLUS formed a new branch for lupeol synthase that was closely related to the beta-amyrin synthase cluster, whereas RsM2 was found in the first branch of the multifunctional triterpene synthase evolved from lupeol to beta-amyrin synthase. Based on these sequence comparisons and product profiles, we discuss the molecular evolution of triterpene synthases and the involvement of these genes in the formation of terpenoids in mangrove leaves. PMID- 17803687 TI - The 'pair of sugar tongs' site on the non-catalytic domain C of barley alpha amylase participates in substrate binding and activity. AB - Some starch-degrading enzymes accommodate carbohydrates at sites situated at a certain distance from the active site. In the crystal structure of barley alpha amylase 1, oligosaccharide is thus bound to the 'sugar tongs' site. This site on the non-catalytic domain C in the C-terminal part of the molecule contains a key residue, Tyr380, which has numerous contacts with the oligosaccharide. The mutant enzymes Y380A and Y380M failed to bind to beta-cyclodextrin-Sepharose, a starch mimic resin used for alpha-amylase affinity purification. The K(d) for beta cyclodextrin binding to Y380A and Y380M was 1.4 mm compared to 0.20-0.25 mm for the wild-type, S378P and S378T enzymes. The substitution in the S378P enzyme mimics Pro376 in the barley alpha-amylase 2 isozyme, which in spite of its conserved Tyr378 did not bind oligosaccharide at the 'sugar tongs' in the structure. Crystal structures of both wild-type and S378P enzymes, but not the Y380A enzyme, showed binding of the pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose at the 'sugar tongs' site. The 'sugar tongs' site also contributed importantly to the adsorption to starch granules, as Kd = 0.47 mg.mL(-1) for the wild-type enzyme increased to 5.9 mg.mL(-1) for Y380A, which moreover catalyzed the release of soluble oligosaccharides from starch granules with only 10% of the wild-type activity. beta-cyclodextrin both inhibited binding to and suppressed activity on starch granules for wild-type and S378P enzymes, but did not affect these properties of Y380A, reflecting the functional role of Tyr380. In addition, the Y380A enzyme hydrolyzed amylose with reduced multiple attack, emphasizing that the 'sugar tongs' participates in multivalent binding of polysaccharide substrates. PMID- 17803688 TI - Expression level and agonist-binding affect the turnover, ubiquitination and complex formation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor beta. AB - Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that modulate target gene expression in response to fatty acid ligands. Their regulation by post-translational modifications has been reported but is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated whether ligand binding affects the turnover and ubiquitination of the PPARbeta subtype (also known as PPARdelta). Our data show that the ubiquitination and degradation of PPARbeta is not significantly influenced by the synthetic agonist GW501516 under conditions of moderate PPARbeta expression. By contrast, the overexpression of PPARbeta dramatically enhanced its degradation concomitant with its polyubiquitination and the formation of high molecular mass complexes containing multiple, presumably oligomerized PPARbeta molecules that lacked stoichiometical amounts of the obligatory PPARbeta dimerization partner, retinoid X receptor. The formation of these apparently aberrant complexes, as well as the ubiquitination and destabilization of PPARbeta, were strongly inhibited by GW501516. Our findings suggest that PPARbeta is subject to complex post-translational regulatory mechanisms that partly may serve to safeguard the cell against deregulated PPARbeta expression. Furthermore, our data have important implications regarding the widespread use of overexpression systems to evaluate the function and regulation of PPARs. PMID- 17803689 TI - Correction of hypercalcaemia by cinacalcet in familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia. PMID- 17803690 TI - Cognitive impairment is prevalent in pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia, but not in pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism: possible cerebral imprinting of Gsalpha. AB - OBJECTIVE: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia (PHP-Ia) is a hereditary disorder characterized by resistance to multiple hormones that work via cAMP such as PTH and TSH, accompanied by typical skeletal features including short stature and brachydactyly, termed Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO). In affected kindreds, some members may have AHO but not hormone resistance; they are termed as pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (PPHP). The molecular basis for the disorder is heterozygous inactivating mutation of the Gsalpha gene. In affected families, subjects with both PHP-Ia and PPHP have the same Gsalpha mutations. The skeletal features common to PPHP and PHP-Ia are presumably caused by tissue-specific Gsalpha haploinsufficiency. Other features that distinguish between PPHP and PHP Ia, such as the multihormone resistance, are presumably caused by tissue-specific paternal imprinting of Gsalpha. This suggests that major differences in phenotype between PHP-Ia and PPHP point to specific tissues with Gsalpha imprinting. One such major difference may be cognitive function in PHP-Ia and PPHP. DESIGN: Description of a large family with PHP-Ia and PPHP. PATIENTS: Eleven affected subjects with PHP-Ia or PPHP in one family. MEASUREMENTS: Cognitive impairment (CI) was defined by a history of developmental delay, learning disability and the Wechsler intelligence scale. RESULTS: CI occurred only in the five PHP-Ia but not in the six PPHP subjects. Hypothyroidism which occurred in all PHP-Ia subjects was apparently not the cause of CI as it was mild, and was treated promptly. Analysis of additional Israeli cases, and the published cases from the literature, all with documented Gsalpha mutations, revealed that CI is prevalent in PHP-Ia [60 of 77 subjects (79%)] but not in PPHP [3 of 30 subjects (10%)] (P < 1 x 10(-6)). CONCLUSION: We suggest that Gsalpha is imprinted in the brain. PMID- 17803691 TI - The degree of external genitalia virilization in girls with 21-hydroxylase deficiency appears to be influenced by the CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene. AB - BACKGROUND: Women with 21-hydroxylase deficiency present much variability in external genitalia virilization, even among those with similar impairments of 21 hydroxylase (21OH) activity. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if the number of CAG (nCAG) repeats of the androgen receptor gene influences the degree of external genitalia virilization in women with CYP21A2 mutations, grouped according to impairment of 21OH activity. PATIENTS: The nCAG was determined in 106 congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) patients and in 302 controls. The patients were divided, according to their CYP21A2 genotypes, into Groups A and B, which confer total and severe impairment of 21OH activity, respectively. METHODS: The inactivation pattern of the X-chromosome was studied through genomic DNA digestion with Hpa II. The CAG repeat region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed by GeneScan. RESULTS: The nCAG and the frequency of severe skewed X inactivation did not differ between normal women and patients. The nCAG median in genotype A was 20.7 (IQR 2.3) for Prader I + II, 22.5 (3.6) for Prader III and 21 (2.9) for Prader IV + V (P < 0.05 for Prader III and Prader IV + V). The nCAG median in genotype B was 21.3 (1.1) for Prader I + II, 20.5 (2.9) for Prader III and 22 (2.8) for Prader IV + V (P > 0.05). A significant difference was found regarding the nCAG median in patients presenting Prader III from genotypes A and B. CONCLUSIONS: We observed great variability in the degree of external genitalia virilization in both CYP21A2 genotypes, and we showed that the CAG repeats of the androgen receptor gene influences this phenotypic variability. PMID- 17803692 TI - Pretransplant serum FT3 levels in kidney graft recipients are useful for identifying patients with higher risk for graft failure. AB - OBJECTIVE: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a condition associated with thyroid disturbances both in function and morphology. Recent studies demonstrated that serum free triiodothyronine 3 (FT3) levels are negatively correlated with serum markers of inflammation and endothelial activation in patients with ESRD. However, no previous research evaluated serum thyroid function parameters in relation to kidney graft outcome, as we aim to do so in this study. DESIGN: Serum FT3, free thyroxine 4 (FT4) and TSH levels were measured before transplantation in 196 kidney graft recipients. RESULTS: The graft survival rate at 5 years for all patients was 92.3%. Kidney graft recipients with normally functioning grafts showed serum pretransplant thyroid parameters similar to patients who experienced graft failure. Life-time analysis was performed after stratification of patients according to pretransplant serum FT3 levels < 3.1 pmol/l or > 3.1 pmol/l. A significantly different 5-year death-censored graft survival rate (93.9%vs. 76.5% for patients with normal or low FT3 levels, respectively; P < 0.01) and similar survival rate (death of patients with functioning grafts) (21.1%vs. 5.9%; P = 0.288) were observed. No similar feature was found for FT4 or TSH, suggesting that the effect is not related to hypothyroidism but rather dependent upon inappropriately low FT3 levels. Pretransplant serum FT3 levels were similar in patients who experienced early acute rejections as compared with nonrejector patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that among patients with ESRD undergoing kidney transplantation, those displaying lower pretransplant serum FT3 levels are at higher risk for subsequent graft failure. The demonstration of a predictive value of serum FT3 levels for graft survival suggests that measurement of pretransplant serum FT3 levels might represent a clinically useful parameter to identify patients with increased risk for graft failure. PMID- 17803693 TI - Expression of caveolin-1 in human adipose tissue is upregulated in obesity and obesity-associated type 2 diabetes mellitus and related to inflammation. AB - OBJECTIVE: Caveolin-1 (CAV-1) plays important roles in many aspects of cellular biology, including vesicular transport, cholesterol homeostasis and signal transduction. The aim of the present study was to explore gene expression levels of CAV-1 in human adipose tissue in obesity and obesity-associated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to analyse its potential implication in the inflammatory state associated with obesity. DESIGN AND METHODS: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) obtained from 15 females were used in the study. Patients were classified as lean (BMI 20.8 +/- 1.0 kg/m(2)) or obese (BMI 50.5 +/- 2.6 kg/m(2)). The obese group was further subclassified as normoglycaemic (NG) or patients with T2DM. Anthropometric measurements as well as circulating metabolites, hormones and adipokines were determined. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses were performed to quantify transcript levels of CAV-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1). RESULTS: The presence of CAV-1 protein was detected in VAT and SAT by immunohistochemistry. Both obese NG and with T2DM patients exhibited significantly higher CAV-1 expression levels in VAT and SAT compared with lean subjects (P < 0.05). No differences between obese NG and T2DM patients were observed in VAT. However, obese T2DM patients were found to have higher CAV-1 expression levels in SAT (P < 0.05) compared with obese NG patients. A significant correlation was found between CAV-1 mRNA expression levels in VAT and different circulating inflammatory markers such as sialic acid (SA) (P < 0.001) and fibrinogen (P < 0.001) as well as with MCP1 mRNA expression (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings show for the first time the upregulation of mRNA CAV-1 expression levels in VAT and SAT of obese NG and obese T2DM patients compared with lean controls, suggesting a role for CAV-1 in obesity and T2DM development. The association with different inflammatory markers further suggests an implication of CAV-1 in the low-grade inflammation accompanying obesity. PMID- 17803694 TI - Predictors of anterior pituitary insufficiency after traumatic brain injury. AB - BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported a high prevalence of hypopituitarism after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Risk stratification is a prerequisite for cost-effective hormonal screening of these patients. However, it is still unclear which risk factors predispose patients to develop anterior hypopituitarism after TBI. OBJECTIVE: To assess clinical and radiological risk factors for post traumatic hypopituitarism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight consecutive patients (52 men, 26 women; mean age 36.0 years, range 18-65 years) with mild, moderate or severe TBI were studied. Endocrine and clinical parameters were assessed 3 and 12 months after TBI. RESULTS: We found diffuse axonal injury, basal skull fracture and older age to be major risk factors of post-traumatic hypopituitarism. CONCLUSIONS: We have defined specific risk factors for the development of post-traumatic hypopituitarism that are consistent with pathophysiological considerations. These findings might help to identify at-risk patients. PMID- 17803695 TI - Clinicopathological correlations of Bcl-xL and Bax expression in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. AB - OBJECTIVE: The Bcl-2 family proteins are essential mediators in the apoptotic process. Our aim was to investigate whether anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL and pro apoptotic Bax were over-expressed in a large series of differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC) and to study their association with tumour presentation at diagnosis and prognosis. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We examined the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-xL and Bax in benign nodular thyroid disease (BNTD) and DTC and their association with clinicopathological parameters. Thyroid tissue samples were collected from an unselected series of patients undergoing surgical resection for DTC (n = 74) or BNTD (n = 15). RESULTS: Among DTC cases, expression of Bcl-xL was found to be high in 43.2% and low or absent in 56.8%. Expression of Bax was high in 75.7% and low or absent in 24.3%. Non-neoplastic thyroid tissue was largely unstained for both proteins. Among BNTD cases, expression of Bcl-xL was high in 13.3% and low or absent in 86.6%. Expression of Bax was high in 14.3% and low or absent in 86.6%. A significant association was found between Bcl-xL expression and the presence of high-risk histological subtype (P < 0.05), and regional lymph node (P < 0.01) and distant metastases (P < 0.01). The association between high Bcl-xL expression levels and a longer time of persistent disease after radioiodine ablation was also significant (P < 0.01). Bcl-xL expression was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor for persistent disease in DTC (relative risk, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.9; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-xL might be a valuable tool in the prediction of tumour aggressiveness in DTC. PMID- 17803696 TI - Glycohaemoglobin as a determinant of increased fibrinogen concentrations and low grade inflammation in apparently healthy nondiabetic individuals. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential role of glycohaemoglobin as a possible determinant of increased fibrinogen concentrations and low-grade inflammation in a group of apparently healthy, nondiabetic individuals not expressing clinically overt atherothrombosis. DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We performed a cross sectional analysis of the concentrations of glycohaemoglobin alongside the concentrations of quantitative fibrinogen and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). In all, 1511 males and 757 apparently healthy females, without diabetes mellitus or clinically evident atherothrombotic disease, were enrolled in the study during their routine annual health check-up. RESULTS: Glycohaemoglobin entered the linear regression models as a significant determinant of quantitative fibrinogen in both genders and of hs-CRP in men. We found this to be true even following the inclusion of multiple variables known to influence the intensity of low-grade inflammation, such as age, gender, waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, medications, hormone therapy, glucose levels (normal or impaired fasting glucose), smoking habits, family history of coronary artery disease, lipid profile as well as alcohol consumption and sports intensity. We found glycohaemoglobin to be a significant determinant of fibrinogen concentrations in apparently healthy nondiabetic individuals not yet presenting with evident atherothrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: This observation supports the idea that glycohaemoglobin might have an effect on fibrinogen concentrations in both genders and on hs-CRP in men. Moreover, our results suggest that glycohaemoglobin should be perceived as a continuous variable without a 'normal' cut-off point, as it may exhibit a detrimental role even when present in relatively low levels. PMID- 17803697 TI - Effects of serum TSH and FT4 levels and the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism on bone: the Rotterdam Study. AB - BACKGROUND: TSH and thyroid hormone may have independent effects on bone. In this study we investigated the association of TSH and free T4 (FT4) with different bone parameters in human subjects. TSH and FT4 are known to be associated with body mass index (BMI) and a higher BMI gives a higher bone mineral density (BMD). Thus, we aimed to determine whether the effects of TSH and FT4 on bone are mediated by BMI. As TSH exerts its biological effect through the TSH receptor (TSHR), the TSHR gene might be a candidate gene affecting bone mass. The TSHR Asp727Glu polymorphism is associated with lower TSH levels. We therefore examined the association of this polymorphism with bone parameters. METHOD: Genotypes were determined by Taqman assay in 4934 elderly Caucasian men and women of the Rotterdam Study, of whom BMD and bone geometry data were available. Serum thyroid parameters were available in a random set of 1327 subjects. RESULTS: Femoral neck BMD as well as narrow neck BMD and cortical thickness increased with serum TSH. However, FT4 was more strongly and negatively associated with bone parameters. Regression models showed BMI-dependent and -independent effects of both TSH and FT4 on bone. Carriers of the TSHR-Glu(727) allele had a 2.3% higher femoral neck BMD. CONCLUSION: In line with the effect of TSH on bone in mice, serum TSH shows a positive trend with BMD in human subjects, a finding that is strengthened by the association between the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism and femoral neck BMD. However, serum FT4 has a much greater influence on bone than TSH. PMID- 17803698 TI - Total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels and measures of glucose and lipid metabolism following pioglitazone treatment in a randomized placebo controlled study in polycystic ovary syndrome. AB - OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggested that the effect of adiponectin on insulin stimulated glucose metabolism is mediated primarily by the high molecular weight (HMW) form of adiponectin. In the present study we evaluated total and HMW adiponectin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and controls and examined possible mechanisms for increased insulin sensitivity during pioglitazone treatment. STUDY SUBJECTS: Thirty PCOS patients randomized to pioglitazone, 30 mg/day, or placebo for 16 weeks and 14 weight-matched healthy females were studied. DESIGN: Total and HMW adiponectin levels were measured, and euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamps and indirect calorimetry were performed. Delta-values denoted changes during pioglitazone treatment (16 weeks--basal). RESULTS: Pretreatment adiponectin levels were decreased in PCOS patients vs. controls (P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were found in HMW adiponectin levels. Following pioglitazone treatment, total and HMW adiponectin increased (all P < 0.05), whereas no significant changes were observed with placebo. Delta-total adiponectin levels correlated positively with the rate of Delta-insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (R(d)) (r = 0.89) and Delta-oxidative glucose metabolism (r = 0.71) and inversely with Delta-fasting free fatty acid (FFA) levels (r = -0.69) and Delta-lipid oxidation (r = -0.73) during insulin stimulation (all P < 0.01). Weaker correlations were found between Delta-HMW adiponectin levels and Delta-measures of glucose and lipid metabolism during insulin stimulation than with Delta-total adiponectin. CONCLUSION: A close correlation between increased total adiponectin levels and increased insulin stimulated glucose metabolism during pioglitzone treatment supports the hypothesis that the insulin-sensitizing effect of pioglitazone in PCOS is, at least in part, mediated by adiponectin. Measures of changes in HMW adiponectin did not add further information to this relationship. PMID- 17803699 TI - Modified-release hydrocortisone for circadian therapy: a proof-of-principle study in dexamethasone-suppressed normal volunteers. AB - BACKGROUND: All existing long-term glucocorticoid replacement therapy is suboptimal as the normal nocturnal rise and waking morning peak of serum cortisol is not reproduced. AIM: To test whether it is possible to reproduce the normal overnight rise and morning peak in serum cortisol using an oral delayed and sustained release preparation of hydrocortisone (Cortisol(ds)). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Six healthy normal male volunteers attended on two occasions, in a single-dose, open-label, nonrandomized study. Endogenous cortisol secretion was suppressed by administration of dexamethasone. Cortisol(ds) (formulation A or B) was administered at 2200 h on day 1. Blood samples for measurement of cortisol were taken from 2200 h every 30 min until 0700 h, then hourly until 2200 h on day 2. Fifteen body mass index (BMI)-matched control subjects had serum cortisol levels measured at 20-min intervals for 24 h. Serum cortisol profiles and pharmacokinetics after Cortisol(ds) were compared with those in controls. RESULTS: Formulations A and B were associated with delayed drug release (by 2 h and 4 h, respectively), with median peak cortisol concentrations at 4.5 h (0245 h) and 10 h (0800 h), respectively, thereby reproducing the normal early morning rise in serum cortisol. Total cortisol exposure was not different from controls. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time we have shown that it is possible to mimic the normal circadian rhythm of circulating cortisol with an oral modified-release formulation of hydrocortisone, providing the basis for development of physiological circadian replacement therapy in patients with adrenal insufficiency. PMID- 17803700 TI - Growth hormone (GH) replacement in hypopituitary adults with GH deficiency evaluated by a utility-weighted quality of life index: a precursor to cost utility analysis. AB - OBJECTIVES: To examine quality of life (QoL) measured by a utility-weighted index in GH-deficient adults on GH replacement and analyse the impact of demographic and clinical characteristics on changes in utilities during treatment. DESIGN: Utilities for items in the QoL-Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (QoL-AGHDA(utility)) were estimated based on data obtained from the general population in England and Wales (E&W). These estimates were used to calculate QoL changes in GH-treated patients and compare these with normative population values. PATIENTS: A total of 894 KIMS patients (53% women) from E&W were followed for 1 to 6 years. MEASUREMENTS: QoL-AGHDA(utility) at baseline and at the last reported visit, total QoL-AGHDA(utility) gain and QoL-AGHDA(utility) gain per year of follow-up. RESULTS: QoL-AGHDA(utility) in patients before GH treatment differed from the expected population values [0.67 (SD 0.174) vs. 0.85 (SD 0.038), P < 0.0001], constituting a mean deficit of -0.19 (SD 0.168). There was a difference in the mean QoL-AGHDA(utility) deficit for men [-0.16 (SD 0.170)] and women [-0.21 (SD 0.162)] (P < 0.001). The main improvement occurred during the first year of treatment [reduction of a deficit to -0.07 (SD 0.163) (P < 0.001) in the total cohort]; however, patients' utilities remained lower than those recorded for the general population during subsequent follow-up (P < 0.001). Despite an observed impact of age, primary aetiology, disease onset and comorbidities on QoL-AGHDA(utility), all patients showed a similar beneficial response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: QoL-AGHDA(utility) efficiently monitors treatment effects in patients with GHD. The study confirmed the QoL AGHDA(utility) deficit before treatment and a similar QoL-AGHDA(utility) gain observed after commencement of GH replacement in all patients. PMID- 17803701 TI - Abnormal heart rate recovery after maximal cardiopulmonary exercise stress testing in young overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome. AB - OBJECTIVE: Heart rate recovery (HRR) is a measure derived from exercise test, defined as the fall in heart rate during the first minute after maximal exercise. Abnormal HRR is a measure of autonomic dysfunction associated with an increased mortality. This study was performed to evaluate the HRR in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective controlled clinical study. PATIENTS: Seventy five PCOS women compared to 75 healthy women matched for age (21.7 +/- 2.1 years vs. 21.9 +/- 1.8 years, respectively) and body mass index (BMI) (29.0 +/- 2.6 kg/m(2) vs. 29.1 +/- 2.9 kg/m(2), respectively). MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were studied for their hormonal and metabolic profile, and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX). RESULTS: PCOS women showed a significantly reduced HRR (12.9 +/- 1.8 vs. 20.4 +/- 3.1 beats/min, P < 0.001) compared to healthy controls, an impairment in maximal oxygen consumption (18.0 +/- 2.3 ml/kg/min vs. 29.3 +/- 3.9 ml/kg/min) and in oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold (13.6 +/- 2.6 ml/kg/min vs. 24.2 +/- 3.0 ml/kg/min). In PCOS women, abnormal HRR was inversely correlated to BMI (r = -0.582, P < 0.001) and to the area under the curve for insulin (r = -0.596, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate an abnormal HRR after maximal CPX in young overweight PCOS patients, and that HRR should be investigated as a further potential marker of increased cardiovascular risk in PCOS. PMID- 17803702 TI - Correlation of serum IGF-I and IGFBP-1 and -3 to cardiovascular risk indicators and early carotid atherosclerosis in healthy middle-aged men. AB - OBJECTIVES: IGF-I, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 are putative mediators in cardiovascular disease. The present study examined (i) the correlations of circulating IGF-I, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 to established cardiovascular risk factors and signs of early atherosclerosis as reflected by ultrasound measurement of common carotid intima media thickness (IMT), and (ii) whether serum concentrations of these analytes are modulated during alimentary lipaemia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional clinical study. PATIENTS: A biobank and clinical database based on 96 healthy Caucasian men, aged 50 years, with an apolipoprotein (apo) E3/E3 genotype, who had originally undergone investigations of postprandial lipoprotein metabolism was used for the study. MEASUREMENTS: Total IGF-I, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 were determined in serum by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Free IGF-I was measured by a commercial two-site immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). RESULTS: In multivariate analyses, fasting serum free IGF-I correlated inversely with IMT and accounted for 5% of the variation in multiple R(2). When fasting serum IGFBP-1 was entered in the models instead of IGF-I, IGFBP-1 correlated positively with IMT and accounted for 6% of the variation in IMT. IGFBP-3 and total IGF-I were unrelated to IMT. There were no associations between free IGF-I and cardiovascular risk factors, whereas IGFBP-1 behaved like a component of the insulin resistance syndrome. Serum free IGF-I increased and IGFBP-1 decreased postprandially. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that serum free IGF-I and IGFBP-1 are implicated in early atherosclerosis. PMID- 17803703 TI - Is withdrawal of somatostatin analogue therapy in patients with acromegaly associated with an increased risk of acute biliary problems? PMID- 17803705 TI - Vertebral fracture assessment in patients presenting with incident nonvertebral fractures. AB - BACKGROUND: Patients with fractures should be prioritized for assessment for osteoporosis so that they can benefit from treatment for the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures. Assessment is seldom offered to patients with vertebral fractures because these fractures are typically not diagnosed. Vertebral fractures can be identified by vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) using current dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of vertebral fractures, using VFA, in patients presenting with nonvertebral fractures and to assess whether this impacts on the management of these patients. DESIGN: A cohort study undertaken in 577 patients aged 50 years or over including 455 women, who presented with nonvertebral fractures and who underwent routine post-fracture assessment by a Fracture Liaison Service (FLS). MEASUREMENTS: The numbers and severity of vertebral fractures were assessed in evaluable vertebrae from TV4 to LV4 in addition to bone mineral density (BMD) assessment. RESULTS: Using DXA, 76% of vertebrae could be evaluated by VFA. Of the men and women with nonvertebral fractures, 19-20% had at least one vertebral fracture. The prevalence ranged from 6% in men with humeral fractures to 32% among women with hip fractures. The prevalence of vertebral fractures correlated most strongly with increasing age and with severity of reduction of BMD. Using local treatment protocols, VFA would result in only 3% more patients receiving treatment for fracture secondary prevention. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with nonvertebral fractures, VFA identifies a substantial burden of prevalent vertebral fractures that have not hitherto been recognized. Nevertheless, VFA seldom influences the need for treatment for fracture secondary prevention after a nonvertebral fracture. PMID- 17803706 TI - Androgens stimulate endothelial progenitor cells through an androgen receptor mediated pathway. AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Testosterone (T) treatment has recently been shown to induce an increase in the number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) through a possible effect on bone marrow. Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadal (HH) men have low circulating EPCs that increase significantly after T treatment. Moreover, expression of the androgen receptor (AR) has been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in these cells, suggesting that T might also have a direct effect on EPC function. In the present study we investigated the expression and function of the AR in human EPCs and the in vitro effect of androgens on EPC function. Design and patients EPCs obtained from healthy male anonymous blood donors were analysed after androgen stimulation with and without AR antagonist administration (flutamide). RESULTS: Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated the expression of AR mRNA and protein in human EPCs. Stimulation of these cells with the synthetic androgen methyltrienolone (R1881) caused AR translocation in the nucleus, suggesting its activation. Colony forming unit (CFU), proliferation and migration assays under different doses of R1881 demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in EPC proliferation, migration and colony formation. All these effects are abolished by flutamide pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the increase in the proliferation, migration and colony formation activity of EPCs induced by androgens is an AR-mediated pathway. Androgen exerts these effects at concentrations that are physiologically present in men and therefore further studies are needed to clarify the clinical significance of these effects in normal and pathological conditions. PMID- 17803707 TI - Carotid integrated backscatter analysis in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine whether integrated backscatter (IBS) analysis combined with conventional ultrasonography could differentiate the tissue characteristics of carotid artery intimal hyperplasia in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). METHODS: Forty-one patients with SH, as judged by elevated serum TSH levels and free thyroid hormones within the normal range, and 31 sex- and age-matched euthyroid volunteers underwent two dimensional conventional ultrasonography and IBS analysis of the carotid wall. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and corrected IBS (C-IBS), an index of arterial wall degeneration and fibrosis, were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean IMT as well C-IBS values were higher in SH than in controls (P < 0.0001 for both), whereas the carotid diameter was not significantly different between the two groups. The distribution of C-IBS values in each group showed that regions with higher C-IBS values were found more frequently in SH patients than in control subjects. The percentage of regions that could be considered as fibromatous (C IBS value from -18 to -21 dB) was 28% in SH and 9% in euthyroid subjects (P < 0.0001). In the SH group, C-IBS values were significantly and positively associated with plasma TSH (r = 0.32, P < 0.05 and r = 0.59, P < 0.0001, respectively) and with both total cholesterol (r = 0.46, P = 0.01) and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (r = 0.55, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Carotid IMT in subclinically hypothyroid patients is higher than that in euthyroid controls. This is characterized by increased IBS values, which are related to the collagen content of the arterial wall. The severity of this remodelling process seems to be related to TSH and cholesterol levels. PMID- 17803708 TI - Evaluation of CDKN2C/p18, CDKN1B/p27 and CDKN2B/p15 mRNA expression, and CpG methylation status in sporadic and MEN1-associated pancreatic endocrine tumours. AB - OBJECTIVE: Menin, encoded by the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) gene at 11q13, enhances transcription of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDIs), CDKN2C (p18) and CDKN1B (p27) in mouse pancreatic islets, and inactivation of menin reduced CDKN2B (p15) expression in this mouse model. Here, we have compared the relative mRNA expression level and CpG methylation status of p18, p27 and p15 in 18 pancreatic endocrine tumours (PETs) with or without MEN1 gene mutations. DESIGN: Real-time quantitative PCR, DNA sequencing and pyrosequencing methylation analysis were employed. RESULTS: The p18 gene was expressed in 15 out of the 18 analysed PETs. The expression level was within the range of the normal pancreatic tissues or higher. Of the three remaining tumours with no expression, two displayed loss of heterozygocity (LOH) at 11q13, one derived from a MEN1 patient. The p27 gene was expressed in all PETs at a level higher than the normal pancreatic tissues, except for one tumour. Promoter methylation was not detected for p18 and p27. p15 expression was undetectable in 8/18 (44%) of the PETs, and no general relations to tumour syndrome, malignancy or MEN1 gene mutations were evident. This was not due to homozygous gene deletions, but the p15 promoter was hypermethylated in two insulinomas. No mutations were found in the p15 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of p15, p18 and p27 was not generally related to the MEN1 gene mutational status of the investigated 18 PETs. The p15 gene was silenced by promoter hypermethylation in two tumours. Dysregulation of menin and the CDIs are important in PET tumorigenesis, and their interrelations remain to be elucidated. PMID- 17803709 TI - Presence of spondyloarthropathy and its clinical profile in patients with hypoparathyroidism. AB - BACKGROUND: Though spondyloarthropathy has been described in patients with sporadic idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (SIH), the clinical profile is not known. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical profile including radiological features of spondyloarthropathy and prevalence of HLA-B27 allele in patients with hypoparathyroidism, and to identify any differences from ankylosing spondylitis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Clinical characteristics and radiographs of pelvis and spine were assessed in 40 consecutive patients with SIH. Radiographs were assessed by radiologist (RS) and rheumatologist (RG) for the features of spondyloarthropathy including sacroiliitis, syndesmophytes and hip joint calcification, and so on. HLA-B27 genotyping was carried out in patients with SIH, and 195 healthy controls using duplex PCR. Fourteen control radiographs were from age-matched normal individuals. RESULTS: Three patients with SIH had clinically overt spondyloarthropathy which closely resembled ankylosing spondylitis. Fourteen (eight females and six males) of the 40 patients with SIH showed radiological changes including syndesmophytes in lower dorsal or dorso lumbar spine (n = 6), sacroiliitis and new bone formation at the acetabular rim of the hip joint (n = 10). Though all six patients demonstrating syndesmophytes had new bone formation at hip, sacroiliitis was seen in only three of them. None of the 14 controls had syndesmophytes, sacroiliitis or hip joint calcification. The mean (SD) duration of illness (15.4 +/- 8.7 vs. 6.5 +/- 5.9 years, P < 0.01), BMI (24.1 +/- 5.2 vs. 20.8 +/- 3.7 kg/m(2), P = 0.04) and frequency of basal ganglia calcification was higher (100%vs. 57.7%, P < 0.01) in patients who showed changes of spondyloarthropathy in comparison to those without these changes. On multiple logistic regression analysis, only duration of hypoparathyroid illness was associated with spondyloarthropathy with an odds ratio of 1.17 (95% CI = 1.05 1.30, P < 0.01) per year increase in the duration. The mean age, serum total calcium, inorganic phosphorus and serum intact PTH (iPTH) levels were not significantly different between SIH patients with and without spondyloarthropathy. The frequency of HLA-B27 allele was comparable between SIH and the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, spondyloarthropathy is a distinct clinical entity in patients with SIH. Its salient clinical features include presence of syndesmophytes at the thoracic or thoraco-lumbar spine, mild sacroiliitis, calcification at the acetabular margin of hip, preserved bone density, equal distribution in both sexes and lack of HLA-B27 association. Presence of spondyloarthropathy, like basal ganglia calcification, is associated with longer duration of hypoparathyroidism. It is important to differentiate hypoparathyroid-related spondyloarthropathy from ankylosing spondylitis because the management for the two disorders is different. PMID- 17803710 TI - The natural history of subclinical hyperthyroidism in patients below the age of 65 years. PMID- 17803711 TI - Seminiferous tubule function in delayed-onset X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita associated with incomplete hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. AB - OBJECTIVE: X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC, OMIM 300200) due to mutations in the DAX-1 gene is frequently associated to hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (HHG, OMIM 238320). Clinical variants with delayed-onset have been recognized. The objective of this study is to assess Sertoli cell function throughout pubertal development in patients with childhood-onset AHC due to stop mutations in the DAX-1 gene. DESIGN: Observational follow-up study of gonadotrophin pulsatility pattern, and serum levels of antimullerian hormone and inhibin B through pubertal development in these patients. PATIENTS: Three patients belonging to two families with AHC were included in this study. MEASUREMENTS: The gonadotrophic pattern, serum inhibin B and antimullerian hormone were determined in relation to clinical Tanner stage of pubertal development. RESULTS: One patient showed a marked elevation in serum FSH concomitantly with low inhibin B and antimullerian hormone levels, indicating a primary testicular dysfunction. The other two patients showed a gonadotrophic pattern of HHG, and their serum levels of inhibin B and antimullerian hormone also reflected a moderate primary testicular dysfunction. The three patients were azoospermic. CONCLUSIONS: These cases give further insight into the clinical spectrum of phenotypes of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in patients with variants in hypogonadism associated with childhood-onset X-linked AHC due to DAX-1 mutations. PMID- 17803712 TI - Wide variation in surgical outcomes for acromegaly in the UK. AB - OBJECTIVE: Unsuccessful surgery for acromegaly has major consequences for the patient as well as financial consequences for the National Health Service (NHS). Surgical expertise affects the outcome. We have used the UK National Acromegaly Register to assess surgical outcomes in different centres to investigate whether these match the previously published case series. DESIGN: Retrospective and prospective observational study by analysis of anonymized national computer register records derived from individual clinical case records from 22 UK endocrine units and their associated pituitary surgical services. PATIENTS: Cases of acromegaly, presenting in 1970-2004, with levels of GH or IGF-1 (785 and 430 cases, respectively) recorded prior to transsphenoidal adenomectomy and in the 12 months postsurgery, before any subsequent pituitary surgery or radiotherapy. GH lowering pharmacological therapy was permitted only if suspended for biochemical testing. MEASUREMENTS: Percentage of cases with 'safe' mean postoperative GH levels (< 5 mU/l) and/or IGF-1 in the age- and sex-adjusted normal range. RESULTS: 'Safe' GH, normal IGF-1, or both was achieved for 26%, 29% and 20% of extrasellar macroadenomas (> 1 cm), respectively, 39%, 39% and 29% of intrasellar macroadenomas, 56%, 51% and 37% of microadenomas (< 1 cm) and 39%, 39% and 28% of cases overall. In centres contributing more than 10 patients' data, rates of safe GH levels ranged from 20% to 68% and IGF-1 from 19% to 55%. Success rates in attaining safe postsurgical levels of GH improved only slightly in the UK between 1974 and 1999 but markedly thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical outcomes for acromegaly in UK centres vary widely and historically have not, except in a few centres, matched those of large published series, which mostly have a success rate around 60%. Results have, however, improved substantially since 2000 and in the most successful units match those of the best published series. Experience is an important determinant of surgical success in acromegaly and the very recent improvement in surgical results in the UK coincides with a trend to concentrate pituitary surgery in the hands of a smaller number of specialists. Therefore, patients should be offered surgery by a dedicated pituitary surgeon with a caseload sufficient to offer the prospect of safe postsurgical GH and IGF-1 levels for the majority of cases. PMID- 17803713 TI - Antibody responses to deamidated gliadin peptide show high specificity and parallel antibodies to tissue transglutaminase in developing coeliac disease. AB - Coeliac disease (CD) is an enteropathy induced in genetically susceptible individuals by gluten components, gliadin, hordein and secalin, polypeptides present in cereals such as wheat, barley and rye, respectively. Although the disease starts as intolerance to gliadins, antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (tTG) in the gut epithelium are characteristic of the disease. Whereas serum autoantibodies against tTG (tTGA) are highly specific for CD, antibodies to gliadin are less informative as they can also be detected in other enteropathies, and even in healthy individuals. However, it was shown recently that antibodies to certain gliadin peptides occur with high specificity in CD patient sera. We developed a solid phase lanthanide-based immunofluorometric assay for simultaneous detection of serum IgA and IgG antibodies to a synthetic peptide derived from gamma gliadin of wheat comprising amino acids 86-103. Three glutamine residues of this native 18-mer peptide were replaced by glutamic acids and the peptide was biotinylated. Sera from 87 individuals who had undergone duodenal biopsy and were diagnosed with CD and from 81 healthy individuals were analysed for the presence of both IgA and IgG anti-gliadin peptide antibodies. The performance of the peptide AGA assay was excellent, showing a specificity and sensitivity of 90% and 92% for IgA, and 98% and 75% for IgG, respectively. The corresponding values for conventional anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests were 72% specificity and 87% sensitivity for IgA, and 64% specificity and 78% sensitivity for IgG. In a prospective study, almost all the tTGA-positive sera drawn from children who later developed CD were also positive for gliadin peptide antibodies. PMID- 17803714 TI - Misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortion at the regional hospital level: results from Tanzania. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of misoprostol versus manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for treatment of incomplete abortion. DESIGN: A prospective open-label randomised trial. SETTING: Kagera Regional Hospital, Bukoba, Tanzania. SAMPLE: Three hundred women with a clinical diagnosis of incomplete abortion and a uterine size <12 weeks. METHODS: A total of 150 women were randomised to either a single dose of 600 micrograms of oral misoprostol or MVA. If abortion was clinically complete at 7-day follow up, the woman was released from the study. If it was still incomplete, the woman was offered the choice of an additional 1-week follow up or immediate MVA. Cases still incomplete after a further week were offered MVA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of successful abortion (success defined as no secondary surgical intervention provided), incidence of adverse effects, patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Success was very high in both arms (misoprostol: 99%; MVA: 100%; difference not significant). Most adverse effects were higher in the misoprostol arm, although the mean pain score was higher in the MVA arm (3.0 versus 3.5; P < 0.001). More women were very satisfied with misoprostol (75%) than with MVA (55%, P = 0.001), and a higher proportion of women in the misoprostol arm said that they would recommend the treatment to a friend (95% versus 75%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Misoprostol is as effective as MVA at treating incomplete abortion at uterine size of <12 weeks. The acceptability of misoprostol appears higher. Given the many practical advantages of misoprostol over MVA in low-resource settings, misoprostol should be more widely available for treatment of incomplete abortion in the developing world. PMID- 17803715 TI - Is misoprostol a safe, effective and acceptable alternative to manual vacuum aspiration for postabortion care? Results from a randomised trial in Burkina Faso, West Africa. AB - OBJECTIVES: Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortion; however, few studies have systematically compared misoprostol's effectiveness with that of standard surgical care. This study documents the effectiveness of a single 600 micrograms dose of oral misoprostol versus manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for treatment of incomplete abortion in a developing country setting. DESIGN: Open-label randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Two university teaching hospitals in Burkina Faso, West Africa. POPULATION: Women of reproductive age presenting with incomplete abortion. METHODS: From April 2004 through October 2004, 447 consenting women with incomplete abortion were randomised to either a single dose of 600 micrograms oral misoprostol or MVA for treatment of their condition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Completed abortion following initial treatment. RESULTS: Regardless of treatment assigned, nearly all participants had a complete uterine evacuation (misoprostol = 94.5%, MVA = 99.1%; relative risk [RR] = 0.95 [95% CI 0.92-0.99]). Acceptability and satisfaction ratings were similar and high for both misoprostol and MVA, with three out of four women indicating that the treatment's adverse effects were tolerable (misoprostol = 72.9%, MVA = 75.8%; RR = 0.96 [95% CI 0.86 1.07]). The majority of women were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the method they received (misoprostol = 96.8%, MVA = 97.7%; RR = 0.99 [95% CI 0.96 1.02]), expressed a desire to choose that method again (misoprostol = 94.5%, MVA = 86.6%; RR = 1.09 [95% CI 1.03-1.16]) and to recommend it to a friend (misoprostol = 94.5%, MVA = 85.2%; RR = 1.11 [95% CI 1.04-1.18]). CONCLUSION: Six hundred micrograms of oral misoprostol is as safe and acceptable as MVA for the treatment of incomplete abortion. Operations research is needed to ascertain the role of misoprostol within postabortion care programmes worldwide. PMID- 17803716 TI - An examination of the role of opportunistic smear taking in the NHS cervical screening programme using data from the CSEU cervical screening cohort study. AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to study the prevalence of opportunistic smear taking in the NHS cervical screening programme between 1999 and 2003 and the relationship of this to screening interval policy. DESIGN: A cohort study of nearly 2 million women, with data on screening at ages 20-64 years from 1988 to 2003 has been constructed. Data from 1999 to 2003 have been used in this analysis. Screening episodes have been divided into those where the primary smear was initiated by the national call/recall system (invitational), normally at 3- or 5-yearly intervals, and those initiated by the GP or woman (opportunistic). Opportunistic smears were further classified as routine (occurring within 6 months of 3 or 5 years) or sporadic (occurring at other times). SETTING: NHS cervical screening programme. POPULATION: Four Health Authorities in England (now Primary Care Trusts) with supplementary studies on national data. METHODS: Screening episodes have been defined. All episodes start with a primary smear defined as being invitational or opportunistic in origin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Proportion of primary smear that were invitational or opportunistic. RESULTS: In total, 72% of incident screen primary smears were invitational and 28% were opportunistic. The proportion of opportunistic primary smears was 17 and 43% in 3- or 5-yearly screening policy areas, respectively, resulting in a considerably reduced average screening interval for women aged 20 64 years in 5-year policy areas. CONCLUSION: The NHS cervical screening programme is strongly influenced by opportunistic smear taking. In particular, nominally 5 year policy areas experienced much higher levels of opportunistic smear taking than those with a 3-year policy, causing the average interval in the 5-year areas to be much shorter than the policy would suggest. In future, with the change in national policy for inviting women aged 25-49 years every 3 years and those aged 50-64 years every 5 years, the level of opportunistic smear taking, particularly in the older group of women, needs to be carefully monitored. A lack of compliance may result in greater than predicted costs with little or no additional cancer prevention. PMID- 17803717 TI - The effect of cigarette or sheesha smoking on first-trimester markers of Down syndrome. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of cigarette or sheesha smoking on first trimester markers of Down syndrome. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: Primary care centres and antenatal clinics of Maternity and Children Hospital, King Abdulaziz University Hospital and New Jeddah Clinic Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. POPULATION: Women with a singleton pregnancy who were either nonsmokers (n = 1736) or cigarette smokers (n = 420) or sheesha smokers (n = 181). METHODS: Fetal nuchal translucency thickness (fetal NT), maternal serum free beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (free beta-hCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) were measured at 11 weeks 0 days to 13 weeks 6 days of gestation in all women. Women were grouped according to smoking status, confirmed by maternal serum cotinine measurements, and analyte levels between groups were compared. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fetal NT, maternal serum free beta-hCG, PAPP-A and cotinine measurements. RESULTS: Compared with nonsmoking women, fetal NT was significantly increased and free beta-hCG and PAPP-A levels were significantly decreased in both cigarette and sheesha smokers. There were significant relationships between all three markers and the number of sheeshas consumed per day. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette and sheesha smoking significantly affect first trimester markers of Down syndrome (fetal NT, free beta-hCG and PAPP-A). Correction for this effect in women who smoke might improve the effectiveness of first-trimester screening for Down syndrome in these women. The underlying mechanism(s) relating smoking to the changes in first-trimester markers require further studies. PMID- 17803718 TI - Survival and recurrent disease after postoperative radiotherapy for early endometrial cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. AB - OBJECTIVE: To clarify the effect of postoperative (adjuvant) external-beam pelvic radiotherapy (EBRT) for different grades of early endometrial cancer. SEARCH STRATEGY: Meta-analysis of data from randomised trials stratified by histological risk factors supported by cohort studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Cochrane methodology. DATA: Seven randomised trials were identified. Five were eligible for meta-analysis. Homogeneity was confirmed (I2 < 25%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survival, site of recurrence and added complications. MAIN RESULTS: EBRT after hysterectomy for low-risk disease increases the odds of death (OR for overall survival 0.71; 95% CI 0.52-0.96). EBRT does not appear to alter survival for intermediate-risk cancers (stage ICG1/2 and IBG3) (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.69-1.35). In contrast, EBRT offers a significant disease-free survival advantage for high-risk cancer (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.07-2.89). The survival advantage benefits one in ten women. The definition of high risk is variable across studies but focuses on ICG3 (deeply invasive, poorly differentiated) tumours. Pelvic EBRT reduces the risk of pelvic recurrent disease in all types of invasive endometrial cancer (OR 0.27; 95% CI 0.16-0.44), but local recurrence may respond to salvage treatment. The risk of distant metastasis appears to be increased significantly by prophylactic EBRT (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.07-2.35), but this might be because pelvic relapse in untreated women alters reporting of metastatic disease. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant EBRT should not be used for low- (IA, IBG1) or intermediate-risk (IBG2) cancer, but it is associated with a 10% survival advantage for high-risk (stage ICG3) endometrial cancer. This challenges the role of a staging lymphadenectomy. PMID- 17803719 TI - Induced abortion and risk of small-for-gestational-age birth. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of an association between previous induced abortion and subsequent birth of a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: General and university hospitals. METHODS: Cases were 555 women who delivered SGA babies. Controls were 1966 women who gave birth at term (>37 weeks of gestation) to healthy infants of normal weight on randomly selected days at the hospital where cases had been identified. All women in the case and control categories were interviewed on the obstetric wards by one of a team of six interviewers. During the interviews, information was obtained regarding general socio-demographic factors, personal characteristics and habits, gynaecological and obstetric history, general anamnesis, family history of obstetric and gynaecological diseases, and the age of the father of the child. Further information on current pregnancy and delivery was also collected. We used conditional multiple logistic regression (with age as the matching variable), with maximum likelihood fitting, to obtain odds ratios and their corresponding 95% CIs. Included in the regression equations were terms for education, plus terms significantly associated in this data set with the risk of SGA birth (smoking in pregnancy, history of SGA, gestational hypertension and parity). POPULATION: Women admitted to a general and a university hospital. RESULTS: No significant increase in the risk of SGA birth was observed in women with a previous induced abortion [odds ratio (OR) 1.0; 95% CI 0.6-1.7]. The OR for SGA birth was 1.2 (95% CI 0.7-2.1) for preterm and 1.0 (95% CI 0.7-1.4) for term SGA births. CONCLUSION: This study found no association between risk of SGA birth and induced abortion. PMID- 17803720 TI - Screening for cystoid macular oedema in children with uveitis using the retinal thickness analyser. AB - PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the retinal thickness analyser (RTA) as a means to identify the presence of cystoid macular oedema (CMO) in children with uveitis, whether the course of CMO can be monitored using this method, and whether there is a trend towards a correlation between macular oedema and visual acuity (VA) in children. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study with observer-blinded analysis included 25 eyes. Standardized testing for best corrected distance VA (d-VA), near (reading) VA (n-VA) and slit-lamp examination were conducted. Using the RTA, a 3 x 3-mm scan of the macula was obtained, which was then used to discern CMO and calculate mean foveal thickness (MFT). RESULTS: Macular scanning was possible in all children. Cystoid macular oedema was discerned in 10 eyes (40%) and ruled out in 15. In CMO eyes, d-VA was 0.5 Snellen and n-VA was 2 Jaeger; neither result differed significantly from those in eyes without CMO. Mean foveal thickness correlated with n-VA (r = 0.511, p = 0.015), but not with d-VA (r = 0.271, p = 0.191). After 3 months of tailored therapy, CMO was still detectable in six eyes. Changes in d-VA in the CMO and non-CMO groups were 3 +/- 2.1 and 0.8 +/- 1.8 Snellen, respectively; changes in n-VA were 1 +/- 1.4 and 0.1 +/- 0.3 Jaeger, respectively. Changes in MFT were - 244.8 +/- 137.4 microm and - 0.8 +/- 18.1 microm, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was found between the changes in MFT and n-VA (r = 0.629), but not with that in d-VA (r = 0.292). CONCLUSIONS: We used the RTA to establish the presence or absence of CMO according to measurements of the macular region. Our findings show that CMO is a common complication in children with uveitis and can be present even in cases with good d-VA. Mean foveal thickness as measured with the RTA correlates indirectly with n-VA. PMID- 17803721 TI - Lid margin split in the surgical correction of epiblepharon. AB - PURPOSE: To describe the technique of splitting the lid margin combined with the excision of redundant skin and muscle during the surgical correction of epiblepharon and to report its clinical outcome. METHODS: A combined procedure that included splitting the lid margin to repair lower eyelid epiblepharon was performed on 31 eyes of 19 consecutive patients. Lid margin splitting was performed along the grey line on the medial third or half of the lower eyelid by making a 1 mm-deep incision. Having made a transverse subciliary skin incision and a dissection between the tarsus and the orbicularis oculi muscle, the subcutaneous tissue of the superior edge of the incision was secured to the tarsus with interrupted sutures to evert the cilia. An excision of the redundant skin and orbicularis tissue was made and the skin was closed. The patients were followed for direct inspection of the wound, the split lid margin, the direction of the lashes and the status of the cornea. RESULTS: The mean postoperative follow-up period was 29.4 weeks. Symptoms disappeared in all patients. In 30 eyelids of 19 patients the cilia did not touch the cornea, even in the down-gaze. In one eyelid the cilium touched the medial conjunctiva, but not the cornea. The cosmetic outcome of the lower lid was satisfactory in all cases and the wounds of the split lid margin healed without scarring. To date, there have been no complications such as wound dehiscence, ectropion or eyelid retraction. CONCLUSIONS: The lamellar splitting of the lid margin is a beneficial addition to the repair of prominent lower lid epiblepharon, especially on the medial aspect of the eyelid. This simple technique ensures easier eversion of the cilia in epiblepharon repair, without disturbing the posterior lamella or causing unfavourable results. PMID- 17803722 TI - Longterm results of deep lamellar keratoplasty using grafts with endothelium. AB - PURPOSE: To report the longterm results of deep lamellar keratoplasty (DLK) using grafts with their own endothelia. METHODS: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients underwent DLK using grafts with endothelium. The average follow-up was approximately 80.0 months. Preoperative diagnoses included: corneal leukoma (five eyes); gelatinous drop-like corneal dystrophy (three eyes); Avellino corneal dystrophy (two eyes); corneal perforation (two eyes); corneal mucopolysaccharidosis (one eye), and keratoconus (one eye). RESULTS: Corrected visual acuity was improved in 13 eyes (93%), but ruptures of Descemet's membrane occurred in six eyes (43%) and a double anterior chamber was found in five eyes (36%) postoperatively. Despite this, all grafts remained clear as a result of their functioning endothelia. CONCLUSIONS: Deep lamellar keratoplasty using a graft with its own endothelium is a safe and valuable procedure with flexibility and feasibility that should suit corneal surgeons of all levels. PMID- 17803723 TI - Genetic analysis of FAM46A in Spanish families with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa: characterisation of novel VNTRs. AB - Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of retinal dystrophies characterised primarily by rod photoreceptor cell degeneration. Exhibiting great clinical and genetic heterogeneity, RP be inherited as an autosomal dominant (ad) and recessive (ar), X-linked (xl) and digenic disorder. RP25, a locus for arRP, was mapped to chromosome 6p12.1-q14.1 where several retinal dystrophy loci are located. A gene expressed in the retina, FAM46A, mapped within the RP25 locus, and computational data revealed its involvement in retinal signalling pathways. Therefore, we chose to perform molecular evaluation of this gene as a good candidate in arRP families linked to the RP25 interval. A comprehensive bioinformatic and retinal tissue expression characterisation of FAM46A was performed, together with mutation screening of seven RP25 families. Herein we present 4 novel sequence variants, of which one is a novel deletion within a low complexity region close to the initiation codon of FAM46A. Furthermore, we have characterised for the first time a coding tandem variation in the Caucasian population. This study reports on bioinformatic and moleculardata for the FAM46A gene that may give a wider insight into the putative function of this gene and its pathologic relevance to RP25 and other retinal diseases mapping within the 6q chromosomal interval. PMID- 17803724 TI - Detection of quantitative trait loci for body weights and conformation traits in Beijing ducks. AB - Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for body weights and conformation traits were detected in Beijing ducks. Traits included body weights (BW) at hatching and at 1 7 weeks of age; lengths of the body (BL), keel bone (KBL), shank (SL) and neck (NL) at 7 weeks of age; width of breast (BTW) at 7 weeks; and girths of shank (SG) and breast (BG) at 7 weeks. Using a half-sib analysis with a multiple-QTL model, linkage between the phenotypic traits and 95 microsatellite markers was studied. Six genome-wide suggestive QTL for three body weights and two conformation traits were identified in CAU1, CAU2, CAU6 and CAU12. Chromosome wide significant QTL influencing one body weight trait and one conformation trait were located in CAU4 and CAU10 respectively. Twelve chromosome-wide suggestive QTL for six body weight traits and four conformation traits were found in seven linkage groups (CAU1, CAU2, CAU3, CAU4, CAU6, CAU10 and CAU12). In addition, the QTL in CAU6 at 21 and 73 cM jointly affected SG and explained 10.6% of the phenotypic variation. This study provides the first evidence for QTL involved in body weights and conformation traits in ducks, and will stimulate further investigations into the genetic architecture of these traits in this species. PMID- 17803725 TI - Guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats. PMID- 17803726 TI - Guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats. Compiled by the Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). PMID- 17803727 TI - Estimation of absolute oral bioavailability of moxidectin in dogs using a semi simultaneous method: influence of lipid co-administration. AB - Moxidectin is a long-acting anthelmintic drug for which little is known about its kinetic behaviour in dogs and its oral absolute bioavailability has never been reported. We studied the pharmacokinetics of moxidectin in dogs, with a special emphasis on oral bioavailability and the influence of lipid co-administration, by using a semi-simultaneous method of administration. Ten Beagle dogs were dosed orally and then intravenously (i.v.) with 0.2 mg/kg moxidectin. The oral application was conducted with or without corn oil co-administration. Moxidectin concentration-time profiles in plasma were analysed using a compartmental modelling approach, designed to fit the oral and i.v. kinetic disposition curves simultaneously. In contrast to what happens in other species, our study indicates that the bioavailability of orally given moxidectin in dogs is nearly total (90.2 +/- 7.4%), and is not enhanced by lipid co-administration. The clearance, the volume of distribution, the mean residence time and the terminal half-life were similar to what was already described for other species. Finally our trial suggests that the body condition (degree of obesity) is likely to be a major determinant of moxidectin kinetics in dogs because of its modulation of the volume of distribution that indirectly controls the terminal half-life of the drug. PMID- 17803728 TI - Allometric scaling of marbofloxacin, moxifloxacin, danofloxacin and difloxacin pharmacokinetics: a retrospective analysis. AB - The purpose of this study was to examine the allometric analyses of marbofloxacin, moxifloxacin, danofloxacin and difloxacin using pharmacokinetic data from the literature. The parameters of interest (half-life, clearance and volume of distribution) were correlated across species as a function of body weight using an allometric approach (Y = aWb). Results of the allometric analysis indicated similarity between clearance and volume of distribution as they relate to body weight for all drugs. The elimination half-life was independent of body mass for all fluoroquinolones except moxifloxacin. Results of the analysis suggest that allometric scaling can be used as a tool for predicting pharmacokinetic parameters for fluoroquinolones. PMID- 17803729 TI - Comparative oxidative metabolic profiles of clomipramine in cats, rats and dogs: preliminary results from an in vitro study. AB - The objectives of this in vitro study were to describe cytochrome-dependent metabolism of clomipramine in canine and feline microsomes, compare metabolic profiles between cats, rats and dogs, and investigate a potential gender-related difference in metabolic activity between male and female cats. Pooled liver microsomes were incubated with clomipramine, where species and gender-specific reactions were initiated by the addition of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate regenerating system and quenched with methanol at 0, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min, and 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 min respectively. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure clomipramine and its metabolites. Preliminary results showed that cat microsomes biotransformed clomipramine slower and less efficiently than rat and dog microsomes. Moreover, gender differences in metabolic profiles suggested that male cat microsomes may be less efficient demethylators and hydroxylators than female cat microsomes. As gender metabolic differences may carry clinical significance for this antidepressant, further studies are warranted. PMID- 17803730 TI - The effect of amlodipine and the combination of amlodipine and enalapril on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in the dog. AB - Excessive aldosterone secretion is detrimental to the heart, vessels and kidneys, contributing to hypertension and the signs and progression of heart failure. Aldosterone secretion, abnormally elevated in heart failure and hypertension, can be blunted with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Amlodipine, used to treat hypertension and heart failure, was hypothesized to activate the renin angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). A study was conducted with six normal adult male beagle dogs. Each dog received amlodipine (0.57 mg/kg b.i.d.) for 6 days, followed by amlodipine (0.57 mg/kg b.i.d.) and enalapril (0.57 mg/kg b.i.d.) for 4 days. Blood pressure, heart rate, serum chemistries and urinary aldosterone excretion, as a measure of RAAS activation, were compared with baseline values. Blood pressure fell by approximately 7% with amlodipine (P = 0.05) and a further 7% with the combination of amlodipine and enalapril (P < 0.01). Blood urea nitrogen increased with the combination (P < 0.05) but only one dog became mildly azotemic. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation, based on 24 h urinary aldosterone excretion and by aldosterone:creatinine ratio was increased by approximately threefold (P < 0.05) with amlodipine administration. This effect was blunted by enalapril, such that aldosterone excretion was no longer different from that observed under control conditions, although values for 24-h aldosterone excretion did not return to pretreament levels. PMID- 17803731 TI - Equine recurrent airway obstruction does not alter airway muscarinic acetylcholine receptor expression and subtype distribution. AB - In recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) or heaves, bronchospasm has been attributed to enhanced cholinergic activity. However, the expression and function of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) and their signaling components are not yet known. Thus, we examined the expression, subtype distribution and postreceptor signaling pathways of mAChR in the peripheral lung, bronchial and tracheal epithelia with the underlying smooth muscle from nine horses with RAO and 11 healthy control horses. In RAO horses, no significant segment-dependent alteration in mAChR density and subtype distribution (assessed by [N-methyl-3H] scopolamine binding; ([3H]-NMS)), was found, except a trend in receptor down regulation in some peripheral parts of the lung. The total number of high mAChR binding sites (assessed by carbachol-displacement experiments in the presence or absence of guanosine 5'-triphosphate) was not changed in RAO, suggesting that the functional coupling of mAChR to the corresponding G-proteins is intact. The M2 mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase (AC) as well as the M3-receptor-G(q/11) phospholipase C (PLC) activity was not different between RAO and control airway tissues. In conclusion, in equine RAO airways, mAChR expression and function were not altered, and thus appear not to account for the enhanced cholinergic activity in RAO. PMID- 17803732 TI - Effects of Butafosfan on salivary cortisol and behavioral response to social stress in piglets. AB - We assessed the efficacy of Butafosfan, a component of Catosal, in the metaphylactic treatment of stress in pigs. Four 6-week-old female littermates were taken from 12 litters. They were confronted with a pig from a different litter for 2 h. There were 24 pairs, each consisting of confronting two unfamiliar pigs in a new pen. This housing of unfamiliar pigs provides a good, but simple, model of the psychosocial stress that pigs experience when housed in large groups on pig farms. Immediately before being housed with an unfamiliar pig, 12 pairs of pigs were injected subcutaneously with Catosal at a dose equivalent to 20 mg Butafosfan per kg body weight; the other 12 pairs received the control solution containing all ingredients of Catosal except Butafosfan. The frequency and duration of aggressive behavior and the salivary cortisol response were measured during the first 2 h of the encounter. No adverse effects associated with Catosal were observed. Subcutaneous injection of Catosal reduced the stress-induced salivary cortisol response and the frequency of aggressive behavior evoked by the social stress of housing two unfamiliar pigs together. PMID- 17803733 TI - Ampicillin pharmacokinetics in swine following needle-free, intramuscular, and intravenous administration. AB - A cross-over study design was used to determine the pharmacokinetics of ampicillin in swine. Each of eight pigs was subjected to all of the following three treatments: (1) intramuscular (i.m.) injection of 17.6 mg/kg of ampicillin trihydrate; (2) injection of a mean dose of 17.6 mg/kg of ampicillin trihydrate using a needle-free (NF) injection device; and (3) intravenous injection of 17.6 mg/kg of sodium ampicillin administered as a bolus. Ampicillin trihydrate administered by NF injection in this study was not statistically different from i.m. injection as measured by AUC(0-infinity), MRT, MAT, or Cmax. However, the 90% confidence limits about the difference in NF to i.m. mean Cmax and AUC(0 infinity) values, expressed relative to the i.m. treatment mean, exceeded the traditional bioequivalence limits of +/-20%. In part, failure to demonstrate bioequivalence was attributable to small study size and the large within-subject variability associated with this drug. Therefore the power of this study was not sufficient to definitively prove or disprove bioequivalence and additional studies to describe appropriate dosage regimens for ampicillin trihydrate when administered by NF injection to pigs are warranted. PMID- 17803734 TI - Characterization of cytochrome P450-mediated drug metabolism in cats. AB - In this study we examined activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A, 2C, 2D and 3A using hepatic microsomes from five male and five female cats. CYP1A, 2C, 2D and 3A activities were referred by ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD), tolbutamide hydroxylation (TBH), bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation (BLH) and midazolam 1'- and 4 hydroxylation respectively. The anti-rat CYP1A2 and CYP3A2 serum significantly inhibited EROD and midazolam 1'- and 4-hydroxylation, suggesting that EROD and midazolam 1'- and 4-hydroxylation were catalysed by CYP1A and 3A in cats respectively. Quinidine inhibited BLH in cats microsomes at quite low concentrations, suggesting that BLH was catalysed by CYP2D in cats. Tolbutamide hydroxylation activities were negligible in hepatic microsomes from both male and female cats, suggesting CYP2C activities of cats are extremely low. This suggests that CYP2C substrates should be carefully administered to cats. Although there is no sexual difference in CYP1A activities, there are differences in CYP2D and 3A activities of cats. CYP2D activities were higher (3-fold), but CYP3A activities were lower (one-fifth) in female cats. These results might suggest that CYP2D and 3A substrates should be prescribed for male and female cats using different dosage regimen. PMID- 17803735 TI - Plasma pharmacokinetics of midazolam in chickens, turkeys, pheasants and bobwhite quail. AB - In vivo plasma pharmacokinetics of midazolam hydrochloride (5 mg/kg i.v.) were determined in commercially raised broiler chickens, turkeys, ring-necked pheasants and bobwhite quail. Pharmacokinetic profiles of midazolam were similar for all four species, especially with regard to the area under the plasma drug concentration-time curve. Estimates of the half-life of elimination of midazolam were 0.42, 1.45, 1.90, and 9.71 h for turkeys, chickens, bobwhite quail, and pheasant, respectively. This was similar to the major metabolite (1 hydroxymidazolam). Elimination half-lives for 1-hydroxymidazolam were 1.35, 1.86, 1.97, and 13.97 h for turkey, chicken, bobwhite quail and pheasant, respectively. Elimination half-lives for 4-hydroxymidazolam were 0.76, 1.23, 2.85, and 13.82 h for chicken, turkey, pheasant, and bobwhite quail, respectively. In addition to traditional pharmacokinetic approaches to parameter estimation, a bootstrapping technique was employed to attempt to achieve more realistic approximations of the concentrations at later time-points. PMID- 17803736 TI - Stereoselective pharmacokinetics of ketorolac in calves after a single intravenous and oral dose. AB - The purpose of this study was to establish the stereospecific pharmacokinetics of ketorolac (KT) in calves following a single 2 mg/kg intravenous (i.v.) and a single 8 mg/kg oral dose. Plasma concentrations were determined using a stereoselective HPLC assay. Pharmacokinetic parameters for both the stereoisomers were estimated by model-independent methods. Following an i.v. dose, the plasma concentration profiles of the stereoisomers were similar with half-lives of 5.9 +/- 5.1 h for R-KT and 6.0 +/- 4.9 h for S-KT. Clearance values for R- and S-KT after an i.v. dose were 0.0470 +/- 0.0370 and 0.0480 +/- 0.0370 L/h/kg respectively. After an oral dose, the terminal half-lives were longer than following i.v. administration with values of 14.77 +/- 3.08 and 14.55 +/- 2.95 h for R-KT and S-KT respectively. The average oral bioavailability was 86.5 +/- 20.6% for R-KT and 86.7 +/- 20.3% for S-KT. The results indicate that the stereoisomers of KT have similar pharmacokinetic profiles in calves. Although, unlike humans, bioinversion between KT stereoisomers appears minimal in calves, studies with individual isomers are needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn about this lack of KT bioinversion. PMID- 17803737 TI - Pharmacokinetics and lung-targeting characterization of a newly formulated enrofloxacin preparation. AB - A new lung-targeting and controlled releasing preparation, enrofloxacin microsphere, was formulated and its physical properties, stability, pharmacokinetics and lung-targeting characteristics were tested in this study. The enrofloxacin microsphere prepared was demonstrated round and regular, which was easy to be dispersed and stable in both light stability test and heat stability test. Following intravenous administration of a single dose in dog, the drug concentration-time data in the lung were fitted most suitably with three compartment open model. Compared with enrofloxacin injection (Baytril, half-life of distribution phase in the lung was shortened from 0.72 to 0.16 h, half-life of elimination phase in the lung was prolonged from 5.15 to 33.86 h and clearance of drug concentration in the lung was decreased from 0.603 to 0.267 L/h/kg. Lung targeting parameters, including the relative intake rate (Re), targeting efficacy (Te) and the ratio of peak concentration (Ce), were calculated according to the pharmacokinetic parameters. The results showed that Re (2.48) and Ce (4.27) of the lung was much greater than that of other tissues and the ratio of Te(microsphere) to Te(Baytril) increased by a factor of 1.77 (compared with liver) to 3.51 (compared with spleen). Therefore, the enrofloxacin microsphere prepared in this study had controlled releasing and lung-targeting effects in dog. PMID- 17803738 TI - Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. AB - The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is regularly cultured and maintained in research laboratories and public aquaria. Rising concerns over the health of these captive animals makes the diagnosis and treatment of pathological conditions in L. polyphemus essential. This study investigated the kinetics of oxytetracyline following either intravascular or oral dosing. Oxytetracylcine is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used in the treatment of various bacterial diseases of aquatic animals. A noncompartmental model was developed to describe the pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline (OTC) in the horseshoe crab. The following parameters were determined for a single intravascular bolus of 25 mg/kg OTC: AUC = 9524.60 microg.h/mL, MRT = 443.65 h, Clb = 0.044 mL/min/kg, Vd(ss) = 1.164 L/kg, t(1/2) = 128.3 h, Cmax = 55.90 microg/mL, C(ave) = 27.39 microg/mL. Following a single oral bolus of 25 mg/kg, these parameters were calculated: AUC = 5861.81 microg.h/mL, MRT = 395.89 h, Clb = 0.071 mL/min/kg, Vd(ss) = 1.688 L/kg, t(1/2) = 210.0 h, Cmax = 7.83 microg/mL, C(ave) = 2.89 microg/mL, F = 61.56%. PMID- 17803739 TI - The effects of freezing skin on transdermal drug penetration kinetics. AB - This study investigated the effects of freezing canine skin on the penetration kinetics of hydrocortisone. Skin samples from three dogs were used for in vitro penetration studies commencing on the day of skin collection (fresh skin) and again after freezing at -20 degrees C for 1, 4, 8 and 12 months. When the data from the dogs was averaged, the pseudo-steady-state flux (Jss) of hydrocortisone through skin frozen for any duration was significantly (P < 0.023) greater than through fresh skin and there was a positive relationship (P < 0.007) between the length of freezing and DeltaJss. For all dogs, the lag times (tlag) calculated for hydrocortisone penetration were significantly (P < 0.029) shorter through skin that had been frozen, compared with fresh skin. However, the shapes of the permeation profiles of hydrocortisone appeared similar through the fresh and frozen dog skins and no differences were detected between the groups on histological examination. The results of this study have shown that freezing dog skin at -20 degrees C can significantly increase the transdermal penetration of hydrocortisone in vitro, and that the extent of this enhancement can increase with duration of freezing. PMID- 17803740 TI - Antimicrobial susceptibility and mechanism of resistance to fluoroquinolones in Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi. AB - The objective of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of 136 canine isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius and 10 canine isolates of S. schleiferi subspecies coagulans to 16 fluoroquinolones (FQs), and to investigate the mechanisms of resistance in the nonsusceptible isolates. Of the 136 of S. intermedius tested 98.5% were susceptible to all 16 FQs whereas only 40% of the 10 isolates of S. schleiferi subspecies coagulans were susceptible. Two isolates of S. intermedius and six isolates of S. schleiferi, were found to be resistant to 13 out of 16 FQs, while they retained their susceptibility to fourth generation FQs such as gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin and trovafloxacin. Sequencing of the quinolone-resistance determining regions of gyrA and grlA genes showed that in S. intermedius, dichotomous resistance to FQs was associated with the occurrence of one alteration in GyrA-84 and one in GrlA-80, while in S. schleiferi the same pattern of resistance was observed in isolates showing these changes only in gyrA. This study is the first to screen FQs of the second, third and fourth generation for antimicrobial resistance in clinical isolates of S. intermedius and S. schleiferi of canine origin, and to describe mutations in gyrA and grlA associated with FQ resistance in these bacterial species. PMID- 17803741 TI - Evaluation of the in vivo behaviour of gentamicin sulphate ocular mini-tablets in ponies. AB - The in vivo behaviour of 5% gentamicin sulphate ocular mini-tablets (2-mm diameter, 6.525 mg weight) was compared with gentamicin eye drops in six ponies. Two mini-tablets were inserted on the bulbar conjunctiva of the right eye while a similar dose of gentamicin was administered via eye drops in the left eye. Irritation induced by the mini-tablets and the eye drops was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (0-10). Tears were sampled with ophthalmologic absorption triangles for 1 min for the determination of the concentration of gentamicin sulphate using a microbiological plate diffusion method. Irritation induced by the tablets was minor and clinically acceptable (overall median score of 1.7 +/- 1.4). Eye drops induced a sharp increase in gentamicin sulphate concentration (364.4 microg/mL after 5 min) followed by a fast decline (10.8 microg/mL after 60 min). The increase in concentration induced by the ocular mini-tablets was less pronounced (up to 56.2 microg/mL after 30 min) and followed by a gradual decrease; the concentration remained above 15 microg/mL for 8 h. Ocular 5% gentamicin sulphate mini-tablets are clinically well-tolerated in ponies, assuring a constant concentration in the tears for at least 8 h. PMID- 17803742 TI - Effect of silymarin and vitamin E on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in dogs. AB - Drug-induced nephrotoxicity is an important cause of renal failure in dogs. Aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as gentamicin, can produce nephrotoxicity in dogs, due to in part to an imbalance of pro- and antioxidants (oxidative stress). Silymarin (the mixture of flavonolignans extracted from Silybum marianum) has potentially beneficial antioxidant properties. A control group (saline, group 1, n = 5) was compared with dogs that were administrated gentamicin by intramuscular injection, at dosage of 20 mg/kg, once daily for 9 days (groups 2-5, n = 5 per group). The effects of vitamin E (group 3) and silymarin (group 4) alone and in combination (group 5) were compared for induced nephrotoxicity. Renal function was assessed using serum biochemical markers (creatinine and urea). Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were measured as a marker of lipid peroxidation. The activity of total serum antioxidants (TSAO) was assessed as a marker of antioxidant defences. Serum creatinine and urea concentrations were increased significantly and TSAO was decreased significantly in group 2 compared with group 1. Serum creatinine concentrations but not urea concentrations were significantly lower in groups 3 and 4 than in group 2 (P = 0.001). Serum MDA concentrations was significantly different between groups 2 and 3 (P = 0.01), 2 and 4 (P < 0.001) and 4 and 5 (P = 0.01). TSAO activity was significantly in group 4 (silymarin) than in group 2 (P = 0.002). Silymarin and vitamin E decreased gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in dogs. PMID- 17803743 TI - Detection of the nt230(del4) MDR1 mutation in White Swiss Shepherd dogs: case reports of doramectin toxicosis, breed predisposition, and microsatellite analysis. PMID- 17803744 TI - Pharmacokinetics of injectable long-acting ivermectin aqueous suspension following subcutaneous administration in sheep. PMID- 17803745 TI - Comparison of plasma pharmacokinetic profile of ivermectin following administration of subcutaneous injection (Baymec) and oral tablet (Efektin) in goats. PMID- 17803746 TI - Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single dose of zoledronate in healthy dogs. PMID- 17803747 TI - Some pharmacodynamic effects of eformoterol in the horse. PMID- 17803748 TI - Pharmacokinetic disposition and bioavailability of cefepime in buffalo calves. PMID- 17803749 TI - Clinical relevance of cytomegalovirus infection in patients with disorders of the immune system. AB - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most important infectious complications of solid-organ transplantation, and is also responsible for serious, life-threatening diseases in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Tremendous progress has been made with respect to prevention and treatment of CMV disease in such patients. The use of anti-CMV drugs and the immune reconstitution achieved by use of anti-retroviral drugs has reduced the incidence of CMV disease dramatically. Nevertheless, problems of clinical relevance remain (e.g., drug toxicity, drug-drug interactions, antiviral resistance) and new problems have emerged. Intragenic recombination among different CMV strains has been identified as a possible source of novel CMV strains in patients with advanced HIV infection. Development of a protective CMV vaccine remains elusive, perhaps, in part, because of strain-specific variation in immunodominant epitopes. Late-onset CMV disease, which occurs several months or years after transplantation, has been recognised as a clinically relevant complication in transplant recipients. The most effective strategy for the prevention of CMV disease in transplant recipients (i.e., prophylaxis or pre emptive therapy) remains a matter of debate. A link between CMV infection and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disease characterised by flaccid paralysis, has been substantiated, but the efficacy of antiviral therapy in such patients remains to be determined. This review summarises the current status of CMV disease in immunocompromised patients, and discusses some of the emerging issues of clinical relevance with regard to CMV infection in patients with disorders of the immune system. PMID- 17803750 TI - An IS6110-targeting fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism alternative to IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA fingerprinting. AB - A rapid, simple and highly discriminatory DNA fingerprinting methodology which produces data that can be easily interpreted, compared and transported is the ultimate goal for studying the epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A novel TaqI fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (fAFLP) approach to M. tuberculosis DNA fingerprinting that targeted the variable IS6110 marker was developed in this study. The new method was tested for specificity and reproducibility, and compared with the standard reference IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method for a panel of 78 isolates. Clustering conflicts between the two methods were resolved using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) data. Comparison with an in-silico digestion of strain H37Rv showed that fAFLP-detected fragments were highly specific in vitro. The reproducibility of repeated digestions of strain H37Rv was 100%. Clustering results obtained by fAFLP and RFLP were highly congruent, with fAFLP allocating 97% of RFLP-clustered isolates to the same eight clusters as RFLP. Two single-copy isolates that had been clustered by RFLP were not clustered by fAFLP, but the MIRU-VNTR patterns of these isolates were different, indicating that the RFLP data had falsely clustered these isolates. Analysis by fAFLP will allow rapid screening of isolates to confirm or refute epidemiological links, and thereby provide insights into the frequency, conservation and consequences of specific transposition events. PMID- 17803752 TI - Abstracts of the 11th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS), Brussels, Belgium, 2007. PMID- 17803751 TI - Nosocomial infection caused by class 1 integron-carrying Staphylococcus aureus in a hospital in South China. AB - Staphylococcus aureus isolates (n = 30) from the environment or from surgical patients in a hospital in Guangzhou, China were investigated for the presence of class 1 integrons. The class 1 integrase (intI1) gene and its 3' conserved segment were detected by PCR. IntI1-positive isolates were further analysed for the presence of resistance gene cassettes using specific primers, intI1-K and In B. All isolates were also subjected to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR analysis. Sixteen (53%) clinical and environmental isolates were positive for the class 1 integrase gene and were also found to possess the aadA2 gene. The 30 isolates were classified into six distinct genotypes by RAPD-PCR analysis: type A (n = 2); type B (n = 2); type C (n = 3); type D (n = 7); type E (n = 8); and type F (n = 8). All isolates belonged to the same sequence type (ST239) by MLST. These results indicated transmission of S. aureus between the environment and patients, as well as the probability of nosocomial infection. PMID- 17803753 TI - Recruitment problems in psychiatry: just a matter of more exposition? PMID- 17803754 TI - The therapeutic relationship in secondary mental health care: a conceptual review of measures. AB - OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the conceptual basis of measures of the patient-professional relationship used in routine mental health services research by reviewing their face, content and construct validity. METHOD: A comprehensive literature search identified measures of the relationship used in mental health services research. The conceptual basis of each identified measure was identified by a review of measures' authors assessments of face, content and construct validity plus item analysis of the measures themselves. RESULTS: The search identified 15 measures. The seven developed in psychotherapy were likely to be better validated conceptually; most were based on therapeutic alliance models. Measures developed specifically for mental health services were based on a wider range of models including global assessments of the relationship. CONCLUSION: Most of the better validated measures originate in psychotherapy, but there is limited evidence for their validity in general mental health services. Four measures are recommended. PMID- 17803755 TI - Cognitive alterations in groups at risk for psychosis: neutral markers of genetic risk or indicators of social disability? AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether cognitive alterations associated with vulnerability to psychosis, are associated with expression of psychopathology and functional outcome in groups at different levels of risk for psychotic illness. METHOD: Neurocognition, psychopathology and functional outcome were measured in subjects with variable risk for psychosis: i) 29 patients with psychotic disorder, ii) 46 subjects at familial risk, iii) 41 subjects at psychometric risk and iv) 54 control subjects. RESULTS: Dose-response relationships between cognitive dysfunction and increasing risk for psychosis were found. Cognitive alterations were predicted by negative symptoms in patients and by positive psychotic experiences in the familial risk group. In both at risk groups, cognitive speed was associated with functional outcome. CONCLUSION: Some cognitive impairments serve as neutral endophenotypic marker across the psychosis continuum. However, other cognitive alterations associated with transmission of psychosis may have a direct impact on the pathway from risk to psychopathology and alterations in functioning. PMID- 17803756 TI - The effect of gender on emotion perception in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. AB - OBJECTIVE: Impaired emotion perception is documented for schizophrenia, but findings have been mixed for bipolar disorder. In healthy samples females perform better than males. This study compared emotion perception in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and investigated the effects of gender. METHOD: Visual (facial pictures) and auditory (sentences) emotional stimuli were presented for identification and discrimination in groups of participants with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and healthy controls. RESULTS: Visual emotion perception was unimpaired in both clinical groups, but the schizophrenia sample showed reduced auditory emotion perception. Healthy males and male schizophrenia subjects performed worse than their female counterparts, whereas there were no gender differences within the bipolar group. CONCLUSION: A disease-specific auditory emotion processing deficit was confirmed in schizophrenia, especially for males. Participants with bipolar disorder performed unimpaired. PMID- 17803757 TI - Characterizing anterior cingulate activation in chronic schizophrenia: a group and single-subject fMRI study. AB - OBJECTIVE: Functional abnormalities of the dorsal anterior cingulate (dAC) region have been emphasized in schizophrenia, particularly in relation to cognitive deficits. In this study, we sought to further evaluate the notion of dAC hypofunction in chronic schizophrenia patients using a cognitive task specifically designed to activate this region, enabling both group and single subject level analyses. METHOD: Twelve male schizophrenia patients and 14 male healthy subjects were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the multi-source interference task (MSIT). Patients and healthy subjects were matched for age, gender, education, task performance and gross surface morphology of the AC region. fMRI analyses were conducted at the group and single-subject levels using stringent whole-brain activation thresholds. RESULTS: Multi-source interference task performance was associated with large and significant activation of the dAC and supplementary motor area (SMA) in patients and healthy subjects. Standard comparison of the two groups indicated that the patients were comparable with healthy subjects in their dAC activation, but had a small cluster of greater SMA activation, while single-subject analyses identified minimal differences in the magnitude or spatial dispersion of dAC activation between the groups. CONCLUSION: These findings challenge existing notions of impaired dAC activation in chronic schizophrenia and suggest that the functional pathophysiology of this medial-wall region should be considered beyond straightforward models of hypoactivation. PMID- 17803758 TI - The association between traumatic experience, paranoia and hallucinations: a test of the predictions of psychological models. AB - OBJECTIVE: The current study investigated the relationship between trauma and predisposition to hallucinations and to paranoia in a non-clinical sample. METHOD: A total of 228 students completed online measures of trauma, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schematic beliefs, perceptual anomalies, and predisposition to hallucinations and paranoia. RESULTS: Associations were found between negative schematic beliefs, PTSD and predisposition to both paranoia and hallucinations. PTSD reexperiencing-symptoms were most strongly associated with a predisposition to hallucinations. Negative beliefs about self and others were most strongly associated with a predisposition to paranoia. CONCLUSION: The results provide support for the prediction that there may be two routes between trauma and predisposition to psychosis. Clear support was found for a link between trauma and psychosis mediated by negative beliefs about self and others. There may also be a direct association between re-experiencing symptoms and hallucinations. PMID- 17803759 TI - Anxiety symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: associations with social function, positive and negative symptoms, hope and trauma history. AB - OBJECTIVE: Anxiety is commonly observed in schizophrenia, but its relationship with other features of illness is unclear. METHOD: We examined correlations between measures of anxiety, positive and negative symptoms, hope, psychosocial function and trauma history among 128 participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Cluster analyses were conducted to determine whether we could detect a subgroup with severe anxiety. RESULTS: Higher levels of anxiety were associated with greater hallucinations, withdrawal, depression, hopelessness, better insight and poorer function. Cluster analyses produced three groups according to anxiety level: subclinical anxiety (n = 37), moderate anxiety (n = 55) and severe anxiety (n = 36). anova revealed that the severe anxiety group had more severe hallucinations, poorer psychosocial function and less hope than either of the other two groups. Self-report of sexual trauma predicted higher levels of anxiety overall. CONCLUSION: A subgroup of persons with severe anxiety may be identifiable in schizophrenia with a unique clinical profile. PMID- 17803760 TI - Prevalence of dementia in a southern European population in two different time periods: the ZARADEMP Project. AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of dementia in two different time periods and two different studies. METHOD: Representative, random samples of the elderly (>65 years) in the Zaragoza Study or ZARADEMP-0 (n = 1080) completed the previous decade, and now in Wave I of the ZARADEMP Project or ZARADEMP-I (n = 3715) were interviewed. Standardized measures included the Geriatric Mental State and the History and Aetiology schedule. Cases of dementia were diagnosed according to DSM IV criteria. RESULTS: Adjusted, global prevalence of dementia has not varied significantly: it was 5.2% (95% CI = 3.9-6.6) in ZARADEMP-0 and 3.9% (95% CI = 3.3-4.5) in ZARADEMP-I (prevalence ratio = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.56-1.02). However, the prevalence in ZARADEMP-I was significantly lower among men, particularly in all age groups between 70 and 84 years. CONCLUSION: Stability of the global prevalence of dementia in the elderly population has been documented. However, the decreased prevalence found in elderly men stimulated environmental hypotheses. PMID- 17803761 TI - The impact of contact with psychiatry on senior medical students' attitudes toward psychiatry. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the attitudes of Danish medical students as to the attractiveness of psychiatry as a career possibility and to asses the impact on such attitudes of actual contact with psychiatry. METHOD: A base-line survey included 222 senior medical students, of whom 160 were also surveyed subsequent to a 4-week psychiatric affiliation. RESULTS: The base-line survey shows that psychiatry is rated as less attractive than other specialization groups, and that working as health assistants in psychiatric wards contributes to the problematic image. However, a 4-week psychiatric affiliation resolves a number of image issues, and following such an affiliation more medical students were considering specializing in psychiatry. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that psychiatric affiliations can influence students' attitudes to psychiatry. The observed changes in attitudes lead to the presumption that some aspects of the image problem of psychiatry stem from inadequate knowledge of psychiatry as a specialty and the actual work psychiatrists perform. PMID- 17803764 TI - Dark matter in a deep-sea vent and in human mouth. PMID- 17803765 TI - New ways to break an old bond: the bacterial carbon-phosphorus hydrolases and their role in biogeochemical phosphorus cycling. AB - Phosphonates are organophosphorus molecules that contain the highly stable C-P bond, rather than the more common, and more labile, C-O-P phosphate ester bond. They have ancient origins but their biosynthesis is widespread among more primitive organisms and their importance in the contemporary biosphere is increasingly recognized; for example phosphonate-P is believed to play a particularly significant role in the productivity of the oceans. The microbial degradation of phosphonates was originally thought to occur only under conditions of phosphate limitation, mediated exclusively by the poorly characterized C-P lyase multienzyme system, under Pho regulon control. However, more recent studies have demonstrated the Pho-independent mineralization by environmental bacteria of three of the most widely distributed biogenic phosphonates: 2 aminoethylphosphonic acid (ciliatine), phosphonoacetic acid, and 2-amino-3 phosphonopropionic acid (phosphonoalanine). The three phosphonohydrolases responsible have unique specificities and are members of separate enzyme superfamilies; their expression is regulated by distinct members of the LysR family of bacterial transcriptional regulators, for each of which the phosphonate substrate of the respective degradative operon serves as coinducer. Previously no organophosphorus compound was known to induce the enzymes required for its own degradation. Whole-genome and metagenome sequence analysis indicates that the genes encoding these newly described C-P hydrolases are distributed widely among prokaryotes. As they are able to function under conditions in which C-P lyases are inactive, the three enzymes may play a hitherto-unrecognized role in phosphonate breakdown in the environment and hence make a significant contribution to global biogeochemical P-cycling. PMID- 17803766 TI - Rapid growth rates of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in the ocean. AB - We analysed bacteriochlorophyll diel changes to assess growth rates of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in the euphotic zone across the Atlantic Ocean. The survey performed during Atlantic Meridional Transect cruise 16 has shown that bacteriochlorophyll in the North Atlantic Gyre cycles at rates of 0.91-1.08 day( 1) and in the South Atlantic at rates of 0.72-0.89 day(-1). In contrast, in the more productive equatorial region and North Atlantic it cycled at rates of up to 2.13 day(-1). These results suggest that bacteriochlorophyll-containing bacteria in the euphotic zone of the oligotrophic gyres grow at rates of about one division per day and in the more productive regions up to three divisions per day. This is in striking contrast with the relatively slow growth rates of the total bacterial community. Thus, aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs appear to be a very dynamic part of the marine microbial community and due to their rapid growth, they are likely to be larger sinks for dissolved organic matter than their abundance alone would predict. PMID- 17803767 TI - Bacteriophage ecology in a small community sewer system related to their indicative role in sewage pollution of drinking water. AB - In view of various studies looking for the merit of coliphages as indicators of water pollution with viruses originating from faecal material, a small agricultural community (population of approximately 1500 inhabitants of all ages, 2-3 km from Haifa) was selected in order to understand these bacteriophage ecology (F-RNA and somatic coliphages) in its sewer and oxidation pond system. Along the sewer lines, it was possible to isolate constantly both bacteriophage types (F-RNA and somatic coliphages) at 10(2)-10(4) plaque-forming units (pfu) ml(-1). The average numbers of somatic and F-RNA phages isolated from oxidation pond were 10(3)-10(4) pfu ml(-1); however, somatic coliphages were undetectable for several months (April-August). Significant high correlation (0.944 < R(2) < 0.99) was found between increased anionic detergent concentrations and F-RNA coliphage numbers. Infants less than 1 year old excreted both phage types and few only F-RNA coliphages (at high numbers > 10(5) pfu g(-1)) for up to 1 year. The excretion of F-RNA coliphages was highly linked to Escherichia coli F(+) harborage in the intestinal track as found in their faecal content. Finally, three bacterial hosts E. coli F(+), F(-) and CN(13) tested for survivability in sewage filtrate revealed that E. coli F(+) had the highest survivability under these conditions. Presence of somatic and F male-specific phages in sewer lines of a small community are influenced by several factors such as: anionic detergents, nutrients, temperature, source (mainly infants), shedding and survival capability of the host strain. Better understanding of coliphages ecology in sewer systems can enhance our evaluation of these proposed indicator/index microorganisms used in tracking environmental pollution of water, soil and crop contamination with faecal material containing enteric viruses. PMID- 17803768 TI - Response of Alteromonadaceae and Rhodobacteriaceae to glucose and phosphorus manipulation in marine mesocosms. AB - Microbial successions were studied in experimental mesocosms of marine water in the presence of additional organic carbon (glucose), phosphorus (P) or both. P addition lead to pronounced blooms of phytoplankton and to significantly enhanced bacterial production. Characteristic succession patterns were observed for two phylogenetic groups of bacteria that both transiently formed > 50% of total cells. An initial bloom of bacteria affiliated to the Alteromonadaceae could not be assigned to any specific treatment and was interpreted as a response to the manipulations during mesocosm set-up. These bacteria rapidly declined with the appearance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, suggesting a negative effect of selective grazing. The persistence of Alteromonadaceae in the microbial assemblages was significantly favored by the presence of additional glucose. During the second half of the experiment, bacteria affiliated to Rhodobacteriaceae formed a dominant component of the experimental assemblages in treatments with addition of P. The community contribution of Rhodobacteriaceae was significantly correlated with chlorophyll a concentrations only in the P amended mesocosms (r(2) = 0.58). This was more pronounced in the absence of glucose (r(2) = 0.85). The phylogenetic and morphological diversity among Rhodobacteriaceae was high, and treatment-specific temporal successions of genotypes related to Rhodobacteriaceae were observed. We suggest that the observed succession patterns reflect different niche preferences: Alteromonadaceae rapidly responded to disturbance and profited from allochthonous glucose input, whereas Rhodobacteriaceae benefited from the phytoplankton bloom. PMID- 17803769 TI - High intraspecific recombination rate in a native population of Candidatus pelagibacter ubique (SAR11). AB - Recombination is an important process in microbial evolution. Rates of recombination with extracellular DNA matter because models of microbial population structure are profoundly influenced by the degree to which recombination is occurring within the population. Low rates of recombination may be sufficient to ensure the lateral propagation of genes that have a high selective advantage without disrupting the clonal pattern of inheritance for other genes. High rates of recombination potentially can obscure clonal patterns, leading to linkage equilibrium, and give microbial populations a population genetic structure more akin to sexually interbreeding eukaryotic populations. We examined eight loci from nine strains of candidatus Pelagibacter ubique (SAR11), isolated from a single 2L niskin sample of natural seawater, for evidence of genetic recombination between strains. The Shimodaira-Hasegawa test revealed significant phylogenetic incongruence in seven of the genes, indicating that frequent recombination obscures phylogenetic signals from the linear inheritance of genes in this population. Statistical evidence for intragenic recombination was found for six loci. An informative sites matrix showed extensive evidence for a widespread breakdown of linkage disequilibrium. Although the mechanisms of genetic transfer in native SAR11 populations are unknown, we measured recombination rates, rho, that are much higher than point mutation rates, theta, as a source of genetic diversity in this clade. The eukaryotic model of species sharing a common pool of alleles is more apt for this SAR11 population than a strictly clonal model of inheritance in which allelic diversity is controlled by periodic selection. PMID- 17803770 TI - Global survey of diversity among environmental saltwater Bacteriovoracaceae. AB - Halophilic Bacteriovorax (Bx), formerly known as the marine Bdellovibrio, are Gram-negative, predatory bacteria found in saltwater systems. To assess their genetic diversity and geographical occurrence, the small subunit rRNA (ssu-rRNA) gene sequences were analysed from 111 marine, salt lake and estuarine isolates recovered from 27 locations around the world. Phylogenetic analysis of these isolates using Geobacter as the outgroup revealed eight distinct ribotype clusters each with at least two isolates. Each cluster was composed of isolates with >or= 96.5% similarity in ssu-rRNA sequences. Three single isolate outliers were observed. Many of the Bx ribotypes were widely dispersed among different types of ecosystems (e.g. cluster III was recovered from the Great Salt Lake, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Chesapeake Bay and gills of aquarium fish). However, cluster V was only recovered from a single ecosystem, estuaries. Cluster V was originally detected in the Chesapeake Bay and subsequently in the Pamlico Sound/Neuse River system. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the sequences of the isolates from different environments were distinct from each other. The results of this study reveal the saltwater Bx to be phylogenetically and environmentally more diverse than was previously known. PMID- 17803771 TI - An annual cycle of dimethylsulfoniopropionate-sulfur and leucine assimilating bacterioplankton in the coastal NW Mediterranean. AB - The contribution of major phylogenetic groups to heterotrophic bacteria assimilating sulfur from dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and assimilating leucine was analysed in surface seawaters from Blanes Bay (NW Mediterranean) over an annual study between March 2003 and April 2004. The percentage of bacteria assimilating DMSP-S showed a strong seasonal pattern, with a steady increase from winter (8 +/- 5%) to summer (23 +/- 3%). The same seasonal pattern was observed for the rate of DMSP-S assimilation. The annual average percentage of DMSP-S-assimilating bacteria (16 +/- 8%) was lower than the corresponding percentage of leucine-assimilating cells (35 +/- 16%), suggesting that not all bacteria synthesizing protein incorporated DMSP-S. Smaller differences between both percentages were recorded in summer. Members of the Alphaproteobacteria (Roseobacter and SAR11) and Gammaproteobacteria groups accounted for most of bacterial DMSP-S-assimilating cells over the year. All major bacterial groups showed an increase of the percentage of cells assimilating DMSP-S during summer, and contributed to the increase of the DMSP-S assimilation rate in this period. In these primarily P-limited waters, enrichment with P + DMSP resulted in a stimulation of bacterial heterotrophic production comparable to, or higher than, that with P + glucose in summer, while during the rest of the year P + glucose induced a stronger response. This suggested that DMSP was more important a S and C source for bacteria in the warm stratified season. Overall, our results suggest that DMSP-S assimilation is controlled by the contribution of DMSP to S (and C) sources rather than by the phylogenetic composition of the bacterioplankton. PMID- 17803772 TI - Phylogenetic identity, growth-response time and rRNA operon copy number of soil bacteria indicate different stages of community succession. AB - Bacterial community succession corresponds to changes in the phylogenetic identity, growth-response time and rRNA operon (rrn) copy number of culturable populations. To test this hypothesis, we compared the bacterial fractions culturable from the oxic zone of flooded, unplanted paddy soil microcosms after 1 day (early succession) and 70-day (late succession) incubation periods. The proportion of bacteria that was cultivable on solid media corresponded for early and late succession to 37-40% and 31-35% of total DAPI cell counts, which were 7.40 (+/-0.36) x 10(8) and 5.54 (+/-0.28) x 10(8) cells per gram of dry soil, respectively. In colony-forming curve analysis, late successional bacteria showed a significant delay in their growth response compared with those from early succession. A total of 59 early successional isolates grouped into 16 species level clusters (SLC) plus three Bacilli-like SLC, while 66 late successional isolates formed 25 SLC plus five Bacilli-like SLC. Except Bacilli-like spp., isolates from early succession always belonged to different SLC than those from late succession. Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were typical of the early stage, while Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria prevailed in late succession. Considering all SLC except those assigned to Bacilli, growth-response time and rrn copy number were significantly correlated with successional stage. Isolates of most early successional SLC (14 of 16) formed visible colonies within 1 (11 SLC) or 2 days (three SLC) and contained >or= 4 rrn copies. In contrast, isolates of late successional SLC (23 of 25) formed visible colonies within 2 days (four SLC) or, in most cases, only within 3-15 days (19 SLC) and contained 90%) without a seasonal pattern. These estimates, however, translate into rather low rates of local annual survival of only ~40% and suggest that emigration was important. The estimated probability of emigration was 49%. CONCLUSION: Our analysis shows that terrestrial salamanders exhibit more migratory activity than commonly thought. This may be due either because the spatial extent of salamander populations is underestimated or because there is a substantial exchange of individuals between populations. Our current results are in line with several other studies that suggest high migratory activity in amphibians. In particular, many amphibian populations may be characterized by high proportions of transients and/or floaters. PMID- 17803830 TI - Multivariate predictors of social skills performance in middle-aged and older out patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. AB - BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment and negative symptoms are two of the primary features of schizophrenia associated with poor social functioning. We examined the relationships between clinical characteristics, specific cognitive abilities and social skills performance in middle-aged and older out-patients with schizophrenia and normal comparison subjects. METHOD: One hundred and ninety-four middle-aged and older schizophrenia out-patients and 60 normal comparison subjects were administered a standardized, performance-based measure of social skills using role-plays of various social situations [Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA)] and measures of current level of social contact (the Lehman Quality of Life Interview), psychiatric symptom severity [the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)], insight [the Birchwood Insight Scale (IS)] and cognitive functioning [the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (DRS)]. RESULTS: Patients demonstrated worse social skills compared with normal subjects. Better performance on the SSPA was associated with having less severe positive and negative symptoms, fewer social contacts, and better attention, initiation/freedom from perseveration, visuospatial ability, abstraction ability and memory. After controlling for demographic, clinical and insight-related factors, abstraction ability was the strongest predictor of social skills performance, followed by frequency of social contact. CONCLUSIONS: Social functioning (as measured through direct observation of social skills performance) was related to cognitive ability in out-patients with schizophrenia. Addressing such cognitive impairment may help to improve social functioning and result in greater overall quality of life. PMID- 17803831 TI - Conduct disorder among Asians and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders in the USA. AB - BACKGROUND: Conduct disorder (CD) is a relatively common disorder of childhood and adolescence in the USA with substantial associated morbidity, yet little has been published on CD among Asians and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (NH/PI) in the USA. METHOD: We used the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to examine the prevalence and correlates of retrospectively reported CD within Asians and NH/PI (18 years and older). We also completed logistic regressions to explore factors associated with CD within Asians (n=1093) and, separately, NH/PI (n=139) and to explain racial differences in CD prevalence. RESULTS: Asians were about a third as likely [odds ratio (OR) 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.58] whereas NH/PI were about two and half times more likely (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.31-5.06) to have had CD compared with Caucasian respondents. Within Asians and NH/PI, CD was strongly associated with adult antisocial behavior, substance use and affective disorders. Demographic factors, the age that subjects came to the USA, measures of family environment and family history could not explain the observed differences in prevalence of CD for NH/PI relative to Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS: Asian and NH/PI youth with CD represent a subgroup of Asian youth at very high risk for a number of serious psychiatric disorders. Further investigation is needed to explain the high CD prevalence among NH/PI. PMID- 17803832 TI - Parental punitive discipline, negative life events and gene-environment interplay in the development of externalizing behavior. AB - BACKGROUND: To investigate the extent to which three putative 'environmental' risk factors, maternal punitive discipline (MPD), paternal punitive discipline (PPD) and negative life events (NLEs), share genetic influences with, and moderate the heritability of, externalizing behavior. METHOD: The sample consisted of 2647 participants, aged 12-19 years, from the G1219 and G1219Twins longitudinal studies. Externalizing behavior was measured using the Youth Self Report, MPD, PPD and exposure to NLEs were assessed using the Negative Sanctions Scale and the Life Event Scale for Adolescents respectively. RESULT: Genetic influences overlapped for externalizing behavior and each 'environmental' risk, indicating gene-environment correlation. When controlling for the gene environment correlation, genetic variance decreased, and both shared and non shared environmental influences increased, as a function of MPD. Genetic variance increased as a function of PPD, and for NLEs the only interaction effect was on the level of non-shared environment influence unique to externalizing behavior. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of the influence of genetic risk on externalizing behavior is contextually dependent, even after controlling for gene-environment correlation. PMID- 17803833 TI - Impulsive-aggressive behaviours and completed suicide across the life cycle: a predisposition for younger age of suicide. AB - BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the association between impulsive-aggressive behaviours and suicide exists across different ages. METHOD: Via psychological autopsy, we examined a total of 645 subjects aged 11-87 years who died by suicide. Proxy-based interviews were conducted using the SCID-I & SCID-II or K SADS interviews and a series of behavioural and personality-trait assessments. Secondarily, 246 living controls were similarly assessed. RESULTS: Higher levels of impulsivity, lifetime history of aggression, and novelty seeking were associated with younger age of death by suicide, while increasing levels of harm avoidance were associated with increasing age of suicide. This effect was observed after accounting for age-related psychopathology (current and lifetime depressive disorders, lifetime anxiety disorders, current and lifetime substance abuse disorders, psychotic disorders and cluster B personality disorders). Age effects were not due to the characteristics of informants, and such effects were not observed among living controls. When directly controlling for major psychopathology, the interaction between age, levels of impulsivity, aggression and novelty seeking predicted suicide status while controlling for the independent contributions of age and these traits. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of impulsive-aggressive traits play a greater role in suicide occurring among younger individuals, with decreasing importance with increasing age. PMID- 17803834 TI - Combined dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing factor test in chronic fatigue syndrome. AB - BACKGROUND: Studies of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) point to hypofunction, although there are negative reports. Suggested mechanisms include a reduced hypothalamic or supra hypothalamic stimulus to the HPA axis and enhanced sensitivity to the negative feedback of glucocorticoids. The aim of the current study was to investigate HPA axis function in CFS with the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing factor (Dex/CRF) test, in analogy with research in affective disorders. METHOD: Thirty four well-characterized female CFS patients and 25 healthy control subjects participated in the low-dose Dex/CRF test. Current major depressive episode was an exclusion criterion. History of early-life stress (ELS) was assessed with the Structured Trauma Interview. RESULTS: Salivary cortisol responses after 0.5 mg Dex were lower in CFS patients than in controls (before 100 microg CRF, p=0.038; after 100 microg CRF, p=0.015). A secondary analysis revealed an influence of early-life stress and of oestrogen intake. After removal of the 10 participants who were taking an oral oestrogen, patients without a history of ELS showed lower cortisol responses than patients with ELS and controls (before CRF, p=0.005; after CRF, p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: CFS is globally associated with reduced cortisol responses in the combined low-dose Dex/CRF test, but this effect is only clearly present in CFS patients without a history of ELS. This study provides further support for an enhanced glucocorticoid negative feedback and/or a reduced central HPA axis drive in CFS. Furthermore, it demonstrates that ELS is an important variable to consider in CFS research. PMID- 17803835 TI - Effects of psychotherapy on regional cerebral blood flow during trauma imagery in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial. AB - BACKGROUND: Functional brain-imaging studies in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested functional alterations in temporal and prefrontal cortical regions. Effects of psychotherapy on these brain regions have not yet been examined. METHOD: Twenty civilian PTSD out-patients and 15 traumatized control subjects were assessed at baseline using psychometric ratings. Cerebral blood flow was measured using trauma script-driven imagery during 99mtechnetium hexamethyl-propylene-amine-oxime single-photon emission computed tomography scanning. All 20 out-patients were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list conditions. Treatment was brief eclectic psychotherapy (BEP) in 16 weekly individual sessions. RESULTS: At baseline, greater activation was found in the right insula and right superior/middle frontal gyrus in the PTSD group than in the control group. PTSD patients treated with BEP significantly improved on all PTSD symptom clusters compared to those on the waiting list. After effective psychotherapy, lower activation was measured in the right middle frontal gyrus, compared to the PTSD patients on the waiting list. Treatment effects on PTSD symptoms correlated positively with activation in the left superior temporal gyrus, and superior/middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: BEP induced clinical recovery in PTSD patients, and appeared to modulate the functioning of specific PTSD-related sites in the prefrontal cortical regions. PMID- 17803836 TI - Longitudinal associations between depressive and anxiety disorders: a comparison of two trait models. AB - BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are highly co-morbid disorders. Two latent trait models have been proposed to explain the nature of the relationship between these disorders. The first posits that depressive and anxiety disorders are both manifestations of a single internalizing factor. The second model, based on a tripartite model proposed by Clark & Watson [Journal of Abnormal Psychology (1991) 100, 316-336], proposes that depressive and anxiety disorders reflect a combination of shared and disorder-specific factors. METHOD: We directly compared the two models in a sample of 891 individuals from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project who participated in up to four diagnostic assessments over approximately 15 years. Structural equation models were used to examine the relationship between depressive and anxiety disorders across different developmental periods (<14, 14-18, 19-23, 24-30 years of age). RESULTS: The one- and three-factor models were hierarchically related. Thus, a direct comparison between the one- and three-factor models was possible using a chi2 difference test. The result found that the three-factor model fit the data better than the one-factor model. CONCLUSIONS: The three-factor model, positing that depressive and anxiety disorders were caused by a combination of shared and disorder specific factors, provided a significantly better fit to the data than the one factor model postulating that a single factor influences the development of both depressive and anxiety disorders. PMID- 17803837 TI - Collaborative care for depression in UK primary care: a randomized controlled trial. AB - BACKGROUND: Collaborative care is an effective intervention for depression which includes both organizational and patient-level intervention components. The effect in the UK is unknown, as is whether cluster- or patient-randomization would be the most appropriate design for a Phase III clinical trial. METHOD: We undertook a Phase II patient-level randomized controlled trial in primary care, nested within a cluster-randomized trial. Depressed participants were randomized to 'collaborative care' - case manager-coordinated medication support and brief psychological treatment, enhanced specialist and GP communication - or a usual care control. The primary outcome was symptoms of depression (PHQ-9). RESULTS: We recruited 114 participants, 41 to the intervention group, 38 to the patient randomized control group and 35 to the cluster-randomized control group. For the intervention compared to the cluster control the PHQ-9 effect size was 0.63 (95% CI 0.18-1.07). There was evidence of substantial contamination between intervention and patient-randomized control participants with less difference between the intervention group and patient-randomized control group (-2.99, 95% CI -7.56 to 1.58, p=0.186) than between the intervention and cluster-randomized control group (-4.64, 95% CI -7.93 to -1.35, p=0.008). The intra-class correlation coefficient for our primary outcome was 0.06 (95% CI 0.00-0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative care is a potentially powerful organizational intervention for improving depression treatment in UK primary care, the effect of which is probably partly mediated through the organizational aspects of the intervention. A large Phase III cluster-randomized trial is required to provide the most methodologically accurate test of these initial encouraging findings. PMID- 17803838 TI - Post-traumatic stress disorder following disasters: a systematic review. AB - BACKGROUND: Disasters are traumatic events that may result in a wide range of mental and physical health consequences. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is probably the most commonly studied post-disaster psychiatric disorder. This review aimed to systematically assess the evidence about PTSD following exposure to disasters. MethodA systematic search was performed. Eligible studies for this review included reports based on the DSM criteria of PTSD symptoms. The time frame for inclusion of reports in this review is from 1980 (when PTSD was first introduced in DSM-III) and February 2007 when the literature search for this examination was terminated. RESULTS: We identified 284 reports of PTSD following disasters published in peer-reviewed journals since 1980. We categorized them according to the following classification: (1) human-made disasters (n=90), (2) technological disasters (n=65), and (3) natural disasters (n=116). Since some studies reported on findings from mixed samples (e.g. survivors of flooding and chemical contamination) we grouped these studies together (n=13). CONCLUSIONS: The body of research conducted after disasters in the past three decades suggests that the burden of PTSD among persons exposed to disasters is substantial. Post disaster PTSD is associated with a range of correlates including sociodemographic and background factors, event exposure characteristics, social support factors and personality traits. Relatively few studies have employed longitudinal assessments enabling documentation of the course of PTSD. Methodological limitations and future directions for research in this field are discussed. PMID- 17803839 TI - Explaining the effect of a 1-year intervention promoting physical activity in middle schools: a mediation analysis. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the mediation effects of changes in psychosocial determinants of physical activity (attitude, social support, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers) on changes in physical activity. DESIGN: One-year intervention study with baseline and 1-year post measures of physical activity habits and psychosocial correlates. SETTING: Fifteen middle schools. SUBJECTS: Boys and girls (n = 2840) aged 11-15 years completed the validated questionnaires during class hours. RESULTS: The product of-coefficients test was used to asses the mediating effects. Self-efficacy for physical activity at school was found to be the only significant mediator of physical activity change. Specifically, self-efficacy for physical activity at school partly mediated the effect of the intervention on total and school-related physical activity change in the intervention group with parental support (P < 0.05). None of the other potential mediators, attitudes, social support, perceived benefits and perceived barriers, seemed to have had a positive effect. Even a suppressor effect was found for attitudes. Given that the effects of self efficacy and attitudes were of opposite direction, the total mediated/suppressed effects of the intervention were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Positive changes in total and school-related physical activity in adolescents could be partly explained by increases in self-efficacy for physical activity at school through a physical activity intervention in middle schools with parental support. However, the suppressor effect of attitudes decreased this effect. As this is one of the first true mediation analyses in this age group, further research is needed to replicate the importance of these mediators. PMID- 17803840 TI - Primary structure, expression and localization of two intermediate subunit lectins of Entamoeba dispar that contain multiple CXXC motifs. AB - We have recently identified 2 surface proteins in Entamoeba histolytica as intermediate subunits of galactose- and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-inhibitable lectin (EhIgl1 and EhIgl2); these proteins both contain multiple CXXC motifs. Here, we report the molecular characterization of the corresponding proteins in Entamoeba dispar, which is neither pathogenic nor invasive. Two Igl genes encoding 1110 and 1106 amino acids (EdIgl1 and EdIgl2) were cloned from 2 strains of E. dispar. The amino acid sequence identities were 79% between EdIgl1 and EdIgl2, 75-76% between EdIgl1 and EhIgl1, and 73-74% between EdIgl2 and EhIgl2. However, all the CXXC motifs were conserved in the EdIgl proteins, suggesting that the fold conferred by this motif is important for function. Comparison of the expression level of the Igl genes by real-time RT-PCR showed 3-5 times higher expression of EdIgl1 compared to EdIgl2. Most EdIgl1 and EdIgl2 proteins were co localized on the surface and in the cytoplasm of trophozoites, based on confocal microscopy. However, a different localization of EdIgl1 and EdIgl2 in intracellular vacuoles and a different level of phenotypic expression of the two Igls were also observed. These results demonstrate that Igls are important proteins even in non-pathogenic amoeba and that Igl1 and Igl2 may possess different functions. PMID- 17803841 TI - Modified permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion rat model aiming to reduce variability in infarct size. AB - In animal cerebral infarct experiments, the most important aspect is to produce consistent infarct size and localization. In an attempt to improve the conventional middle cerebral artery (MCA) coagulation technique, we developed a new animal model using a microclip to reduce variability in infarct size. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to right MCA occlusion. The animals were divided into two groups; conventional MCA occlusion group (Group 1; n = 9) and modified clip occlusion group (Group 2; n = 9). In Group 2, the proximal portion of MCA was occluded by applying a small clip just proximal to the olfactory nerve, and the MCA from the clipped position to the position just proximal to the level of the inferior cerebral vein was electrocoagulated using a bipolar diathermy in the same manner as in Group 1. In other words, the only difference between these two groups was the manner of occlusion of the most proximal portion of the MCA. Rats were killed 24 hours after the stroke-inducing surgery, and infarct volume was determined by an image analysis program following staining with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. The cortical infarct volumes were 51.0 +/- 13.8% in Group 1 and 46.3 +/- 6.2% in Group 2. The scattering of cortical infarct volume was significantly small in Group 2 (p=0.0176). The differences in scattering of striatal and total infarct volumes did not reach statistical significance. The present results demonstrated that the new MCA occlusion model using a clip significantly reduces the variability in cortical infarct volume, solving the problems of the model using coagulation alone. That permanent MCA occlusion model using a clip is an excellent method that produces more consistent and reproducible infarction. PMID- 17803842 TI - Post-carotid endarterectomy neurocognitive decline is associated with cerebral blood flow asymmetry on post-operative magnetic resonance perfusion brain scans. AB - OBJECTIVE: Up to 25% of patients experience subtle declines in post-operative neurocognitive function following, otherwise uncomplicated, carotid endarterectomy (CEA). We sought to determine if post-CEA neurocognitive deficits are associated with cerebral blood flow (CBF) abnormalities on post-operative MR perfusion brain scans. METHODS: We enrolled 22 CEA patients to undergo a battery of neuropsychometric tests pre-operatively and on post-operative day 1 (POD 1). Neurocognitive dysfunction was defined as a two standard deviation decline in performance in comparison to a similarly aged control group of lumbar laminectomy patients. All patients received MR perfusion brain scans on POD 1 that were analysed for asymmetries in CBF distribution. One patient experienced a transient ischemic attack within 24 hours before the procedure and was excluded from our analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent of CEA patients demonstrated neurocognitive dysfunction on POD 1. One hundred percent of those patients with cognitive deficits demonstrated CBF asymmetry, in contrast to only 27% of those patients without cognitive impairment. Post-CEA cognitive dysfunction was significantly associated with CBF abnormalities (RR=3.75, 95% CI: 1.62-8.67, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Post-CEA neurocognitive dysfunction is significantly associated with post-operative CBF asymmetry. These results support the hypothesis that post-CEA cognitive impairment is caused by cerebral hemodynamic changes. Further work exploring the relationship between CBF and post-CEA cognitive dysfunction is needed. PMID- 17803843 TI - Subtracted vortex centers path line method with cinematic angiography for measurement of flow speed in cerebral aneurysms. AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The assessment of blood flow speed by imaging modalities is of increasing importance for endovascular treatment, such as stent implantation, of cerebral aneurysms. The subtracted vortex centers path line method (SVC method) utilizes image post-processing for determining flow quantitatively. In current practice, intra-aneurysmal flow in an in vitro model is visualized by laser sheet translumination and digitally recorded. In this study, we applied this method to cinematic angiography (CA), which is the preferred imaging method for endovascular interventions, to analyse hemodynamic changes. The SVC method was applied to the images and compared with results of the slipstream line method with colored fluid. METHODS: A transparent tubular model was constructed of silicone which included an aneurysm 10 mm in diameter and having a 5 mm neck on a straight parent artery with a diameter of 3.5 mm. The model was integrated into a pulsatile circulation system. By CA, successive images at 25 frames/s with injection of contrast were obtained. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Rotating vortexes of contrast, which advanced along the wall of the aneurysm, were observed in successive images of the aneurysm cavity. This phenomenon was also observed in the successive images with the slipstream line method. The speed of the vortex center was calculated and the results show that the vortex speed of CA was the same as that under the slipstream line method. This indicates the possibility of applying the SVC method to medical imaging equipment for analysis of the flow in aneurysms containing stent. PMID- 17803844 TI - [Effects of paroxetine with or without zolpidem on depression with insomnia: a multi-center randomized comparative study]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of paroxetine with or without zolpidem on depression with insomnia. METHODS: 229 consecutive outpatients with the diagnosis of major depression based on the CCMD-3 criteria who visited the departments of mental counseling, psychiatric, or neurology in 11 general hospitals the country over during a period of 4 weeks, were randomly allocated into 2 groups: paroxetine + zolpidem group (Group A, treated with paroxetine 10 - 20 mg/d and zolpidem 10 mg/d H. d. for 4 weeks) and paroxetine group (Group B, treated with paroxetine only), among which 221 underwent intention-to-treat analysis and 207 underwent completer analysis (CA). Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD-17), Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI), and 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate the outcomes. RESULTS: One week after the beginning of treatment the reduction of PSQI score of Group A was 5.7, showing an improvement of sleep quality, significantly higher than that of Group B (1.6), and 4 weeks later the reduction of PSQI of Group A was 9.7 +/- 3.6, significantly higher than that of Group B (6.0 +/- 3.5, both P = 0.000). Four weeks after the beginning of treatment, the HAMD reduction rate of Group A was 68.5%, significantly higher than that of Group B (56.8%, P < 0.01), and the HAMA reduction rate of Group A was 66.2%, significantly higher than that of Group B (57.1%, P < 0.01), and the SF-36 score of Group A was 66 +/- 19 (last observation carry forward analysis) or 67 +/- 19 (CA), significantly higher than those of Group B (38 +/- 16 or 67 +/- 19 respectively, both P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant combined with hypnotic augments the effects of antidepressant on the depressive and anxiety symptoms. PMID- 17803845 TI - [Clinical effectiveness and safety study of combined therapy with an alpha blocker and an anticholinergic for patients with LUT/BPH]. AB - OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness and safety of the combined therapy of terazosin and tolterodine for LUT/BPH patients with dominant storage symptoms was evaluated. METHODS: The present study included 69 patients diagnosed as LUT/BPH by IPSS, flowmetry, ultrasound for prostate volume, residual urine, serum PSA and other methods, all of them fulfilled the study's inclusive/exclusive criteria. The principal exclusive criteria were prostate volume > 50 ml, Qmax < 10 ml/s and residual urine > 50 ml. All 69 patients had bothering storage symptoms after initial treatment with terazosin 2 mg once daily for one week., they were divided randomly into two groups. Terazosin group in which patients were treated with terazosin 2 mg once daily for six weeks, and combination group in which patients were treated with terazosin 2 mg once daily and tolterodine 2 mg twice daily for 6 weeks. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients with LUT/BPH were recruited with inclusive/exclusive criteria of our study, thirty-six patients were in terazosin group and 33 were in combination group. At baseline there were no significant differences between the groups, in mean age, body weight, prostate volume, IPSS, storage IPSS, voiding IPSS, Qmax and residual urine. The results showed that the IPSS was significantly improved in the two groups after treatment, but the reduction of IPSS in combination group was significantly greater than that in terazosin group (P < 0.001), and the decreased storage IPSS was the main contribution to the reduction of IPSS in combination group. There were no differences between the groups for Qmax and residual urine. CONCLUSION: Combined therapy with terazosin plus tolterodine for LUT/BPH patients with dominant storage symptoms can improve the IPSS, especially the storage IPSS, without any negative effects on uroflow rate and residual urine. Combining with inclusion/exclusion criteria of the study, we believe that combined therapy with alpha-blocker plus anticholinergics is an effective and safe treatment for LUT/BPH patients with relatively small prostate volume, moderate impaired Q(max) and dominant storage symptoms. PMID- 17803846 TI - [Proliferation of T lymphocyte subsets in asthma patients in clinical remission and molecular mechanism thereof]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To explore the rule of proliferation of T lymphocyte subsets in patients with clinical asthma remission and the molecular mechanism. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 15 asthmatic patients, 15 asthmatic patients in clinical remission, and 15 healthy control subjects, all sex-, and age-matched. CD(4)(+) T and CD(8)(+) T lymphocytes were isolated. Flow cytometry was used to examine the cell cycles of CD(4)(+) T and CD(8)(+) T lymphocytes. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins (CCRPs), including cyclin D, cyclin E, and P27(kip1), PI3K, and STAT6. RESULTS: (1) The percentage of G(0)/G(1) phase of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 82.00%, significantly lower than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (92.50% and 99.00%, Z = 12.35, P < 0.01). The percentage of S phase of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 18.00%, significantly higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (6.10% and 0.20% respectively, Z = 8.05, P < 0.05). The percentage of G(2)/M phase of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 2.80%, significantly higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (0.40% and 0 respectively, Z = 9.16, P < 0.05). The S + G(2)/M phase of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 18.00%, significantly higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (7.50% and 0.20% respectively, Z = 12.80, P < 0.05). The distribution of G(0)/G(1) phase of CD(8)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 44.60%, significantly lower than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (95.90% and 100.00% respectively, Z = 21.60, P < 0.01). The distribution of S phase of CD(8)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 51.70%, significantly lower than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (0.80% and 0 respectively, Z = 25.22, P < 0.01). The distribution of S + G(2)/M phase of the CD(8)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 55.40%, significantly higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (4.10% and 0 respectively, Z = 21.52, P < 0.01). (2) The expression level of P27(kipl) of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 13.20%, significant lower than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (38.80% and 47.20% respectively, Z = 10.63, P < 0.01). The expression level of cyclin D of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 35.00%, significant higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (28.20% and 13.10% respectively, Z = 10.66, P < 0.01). The expression level of cyclin E of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients was 7.90%, significant higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (6.30% and 3.70% respectively, Z = 6.64%, P < 0.05). The expression level of P27(kipl) of the CD(8)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 4.50%, significant lower than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (33.80% and 46.30% respectively, Z = 9.30, P < 0.05). The expression level of cyclin D of the CD(8)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 24.20%, not significant different from those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (26.10% and 32.20% respectively, Z = 0.09, P > 0.05). The expression level of cyclin E of the CD(8)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 9.30%, significant higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (5.60% and 3.50% respectively, Z = 4.91, P > 0.05). (3) The expression level of PI(3)K-110alpha of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 7.60%, significant higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (6.40% and 3.30% respectively, Z = 9.04, P < 0.05). The expression level of STST()6 of the CD(4)(+) T lymphocyte of the asthmatic patients was 8.20%, significant higher than those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (2.70% and 1.90% respectively, Z = 18.08, P > 0.01). The expression levels of PI(3)K-110alpha and STST(6) of the CD(8)(+) T lymphocytes of the asthmatic patients were not significant different from those of the asthmatic patients in clinical remission and healthy controls (Z = 4.91 and 5.70, both P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is excessive proliferation of CD(4)(+) T lymphocytes in the patients with clinical asthma remission, which may be related to the abnormal expression of CCRP (cyclin D, cyclin E, and P27(kip1)), PI(3)K, and STAT(6). PMID- 17803847 TI - [A static mechanical comparison between two transarticular internal fixation techniques in the lower cervical spine]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare static mechanical difference between two transarticular internal fixation techniques in the lower cervical spine. METHODS: Ten fresh human cadaveric cervical spines were harvested. On one side, transarticular pedicle screws were placed at the C3-4, C5-6, and C7-T1 levels, and transarticular screws were placed on the other side. The screw insertion technique at each level was randomized for right or left. The starting point for transarticular pedicle screw insertion was located at the midpoint of the inferolateral quadrant of the lateral mass and the direction of the screw was about 50 degrees caudally in the sagittal plane and about 45 degrees medially in the axial plane, and the starting point for transarticular screw insertion was 1 mm medial to the midpoint of the lateral mass, aiming in a 15 - 20 degrees caudally and 35 - 40 degrees lateral position. After screw placement, each set of vertebral bodies were mounted in a custom jig for axial pullout testing using a servohydraulic testing machine. The load-displacement curves were obtained for each screw pullout. RESULTS: The mean pullout strength for the transarticular pedicle screws was 668 N. This compares with 414 N for the transarticular screws (P < 0.05), but there was not significant difference statistically between different cervical levels (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The static mechanical strength of transarticular pedicle screws is superior to the transarticular screws, and the transarticular pedicle screw fixation has the biomechanical feasibility of clinical application. PMID- 17803848 TI - [Reconstruction of acetabular defect with wire mesh and impacted bone graft in cemented acetabular revision]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To discuss the method of reconstruction of acetabular bone defect with wire mesh, impaction bone-grafting and a cemented cup in acetabular component revision. METHODS: 21 hips in 21 patients, aged 50.1 (31 - 64), 2 hips being of the acetabular defect type I B, 1 hip of type II A, 4 hips of type II B, and 14 hips of type III according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) grading system underwent reconstruction with wire mesh, impacted bone grafts and cemented polyethylene acetabular component, and then were followed up for 47 months (36 - 60 months). RESULTS: The mean Harris hip score improved from the preoperative 55.7 points to 92.9 points at the last time of follow-up. Radiographic incorporation between host the bone and allograft was achieved 11.4 months after the operation on average. The mean change of inclination of acetabular components was 2.2 degrees , in which one acetabular component developed a change of 15.5 degrees . The inclination of acetabular components increased by 1.7 degrees on average 3 months after the operation and 2.0 degrees 6 months after the surgery. The acetabular cup migrated medially and superiorly by 3.93 mm and 4.41 mm respectively, peaking in the sixth month after the operation. One hip developed heterotopic ossification (Brooker grade I). One hip received repeat revision because of the aseptic loosening of the acetabular component 25 months after the revision surgery. CONCLUSION: The changes of the position of acetabular cup mainly occur within six months after the reconstruction of severe acetabular bone defect with wire mesh, impacted bone graft and cemented polyethylene acetabular component. To prevent the displacement of the acetabular cup, it is necessary to keep initial stability of the acetabular cups within six months after the index surgery. PMID- 17803849 TI - [Factors influencing the survival of patients with skull base chordoma]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors influencing the survival of patients with skull base chordoma. METHODS: The clinical data of 79 patients with skull base chordoma, with a male/female ratio of 1.3:1, who received operations in Tiantan Hospital between May 1993 and June 2005 were selected. Thirteen factors, including gender, age, main symptoms, positive signs, bulk of the tumor, having received operation or radiotherapy before admission, grouping and staging of the tumor's location, and texture, adherence, pathological and resection grouping of the lesion, underwent Kaplan-Meier single factor analysis, Cox regression, and t test. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier single factor analysis displayed that having received operation or radiotherapy before admission, adherence, pathological and resection groupings of the lesion were the risk factors of the patients' life span (all P < 0.01). Cox multiple factor analysis showed that the all of the above factors except adherence grouping of the lesion had statistical significance on the patients' life span (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Having received operation or radiotherapy before admission, adherence, pathological and resection groupings of the lesion influence the prognosis of skull base chordoma. PMID- 17803850 TI - [Clinical manifestations and molecular genetics of spinal bulbar muscular atrophy: report of 5 cases]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). METHODS: The clinical data, including case history, physical examination, biochemical analyses of blood, EMG, and muscle biopsy, of 5 Chinese patients with SBMA, all males, aged 29 - 58, with the onset age of 36 (17 - 49), were collected the information of in 5 cases. Four patients underwent PCR to examine the number of copies of CAG repeat region in androgen receptor (AR) gene. RESULTS: The clinical characteristics of the 5 patients included atrophy of lingualis, dysarthria, weakness and waste of the limbs, especially in the hands, and elevated creatine kinase (CK), fasting glucose, testosterone, and progesterone in the blood. EMG showed denervation motor potentials in all cases. The muscle biopsy in one case showed neurogenic atrophy. The number of (CAG) n repeat in AR gene was 50 - 62 in the, remarkably from that of 13 normal controls (19 - 20) without overlapping. CONCLUSION: SBMA affects the middle age males, shows a slowly progressing muscular atrophy in spinal and bulbar muscles. The different number of (CAG) n repeat of AR gene between the SBMA patients and the normal controls may be an important identification to differentiate SBMA from other motor neuron diseases. PMID- 17803851 TI - [Diagnosis and surgical treatment of pulmonary sequestration]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the classification, incidence, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and surgical treatment of pulmonary sequestration. METHODS: The clinical data of 23 patients with pulmonary sequestration, 13 males and 10 females, aged 39 (12 - 71), with a course of 3 days to 9 years, hospitalized during the period from May 1974 to November 2006, were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The cases of sequestration were presents which were resected and confirmed by pathology in our department. The incident rate of pulmonary sequestration was 0.29% among the patients who underwent operation during that period. Nineteen (83%) of the 23 patients suffered from interloper pulmonary sequestration and 4 suffered from extralobar pulmonary sequestration. Eighteen of the 23 patients had recurrent pneumonia with the clinical manifestations of cough, fever, and hemoptysis. Fourteen cases got confirmed diagnosis before operation. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration mainly depends on X-ray, CT and MRI. The sequestration should be removed whenever it is diagnosed. PMID- 17803852 TI - [Antisense targeting to human papillomavirus 18 E6/E7 affects the proliferation and apoptosis of human cervical carcinoma: an in vitro experiment with HeLa cells]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of eukaryotic fluorescent expression vector carrying antisense human papillomavirus (HPV) 18 E6/E7 on the growth and proliferation of human cervical carcinoma. METHODS: The HPV18 E6E7 with the length of 716 bp was amplified by PCR, the PCR product was inversely inserted into the eukaryotic fluorescent expression vector pEGFP-C1 so as to construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pEGFP-HPV18E6E7as (EGFP-18AS). Human cervical carcinoma cells of the line HeLa were cultured and randomly divided into 3 groups: Group A transfected with the recombinant plasmid EGFP-18AS, Group B transfected with the blank plasmid pEGFP-C1, and Group C without transfection used as control group. The mRNA expression of HPV 18 E6/E7 in the HeLa cells was detected by RT-PCR and protein expression of HPV18 E6/E7 HPV 18 E6/E7 in the HeLa cells was detected by. Western blotting MTT assay was performed to dynamically monitor the surviving cells and the cell apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: The protein and mRNA expression levels of HPV18 E6/E7 in the HeLa cells transfected with HeLa/18AS were both remarkably lower than those in the HeLa cells transfected with blank plasmid and those of the control group. The numbers of surviving HeLa cells of Group A was significantly lower than those of Groups B and C (both P < 0.05). The phenomenon of arrest of G(1) phase was remarkable in Group A. The apoptotic rate of the cells of Group A was 47.21%, significantly higher than those of Groups B and C (14.18% and 3.36% respectively, both P < 0.05). An increased number of cells with chromosome condensation and fragmentation was found in Group A as compared with Groups B and C. CONCLUSION: The recombinant pEGFP-HPV18E6E7as can effectively inhibit the growth and proliferation of human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, and further induce the cell apoptosis. The antisense RNA technology is available and may provide a new way to gene therapy of the cervical carcinoma. PMID- 17803853 TI - [Application of transforming growth factor-beta(1) on construction of tissue engineering heart valves: experimental in vitro]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF beta1) on construction of tissue engineering heart valves (TEHV). METHODS: Fresh porcine aortic valves were decellularized with trypsinase and detergent Triton X 100. Myofibroblasts were obtained from rat thoracic aorta, cultured, transfected with the vector containing TGF-beta1 gene-plasmid pcDNA3.0/TGF-beta1 mediated by lipofectamine 2,000 after 48 hours, screened by G418 for for 3 weeks. Decellularized valves were divided into 3 groups: Group A, seeded with the transfected myofibroblasts and cultured in medium without TGF-beta1, Group B, seeded with the transfected myofibroblasts and cultured in medium with TGF-beta1 10 ng/ml, and Group C, seeded with non-transfected myofibroblasts and cultured in medium without TGF-beta1. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the cell proliferation. DNA contents were measured. Hydroxyproline content was measured so as to indirectly test the collagen production. AGS-J mechanical testing instrument was used to test the mechanical properties of the strips of valves. RESULTS: Immunohistological investigation showed instant TGF-beta1 expression in the myofibroblasts 48 h after the transfection and stable TGF-beta1 expression 4 weeks later. Morphological examination showed that the myofibroblasts in Groups A and B were connected to one another closely with abundant extracellular matrix in the valves. The DNA contents of Groups A and B were (0.126 +/- 0.013) per thousand, and (0.109 +/- 0.004) per thousand, both significantly higher than that of Group [(0.089 +/- 0.011) per thousand, both P < 0.011], with a significant difference between Groups A and B (P < 0.05). The hydroxyproline content of Groups A and B were (5.83 +/- 0.67) per thousand and (5.02 +/- 0.40) per thousand, both significantly higher than that of Group C [(4.34 +/- 0.47) per thousand, both P < 0.05], with a significant difference between Groups A and B (P < 0.05). The maximum load of Groups A and B were (13.4 +/- 1.0) N and (11.7 +/- 1.4) N respectively, both significantly higher than that of Group C [(10.0 +/- 1.1) N, both P < 0.05], with a significant difference between Groups A and B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TGF-beta1 is an important and effective bioactive factor for cell proliferation and extracellular matrix growth of heart valve. It is of great value for constructing TEHV in vitro. PMID- 17803855 TI - [Budesonide attenuates airway remodeling and modules the expression of Janus protein tyrosine kinase 1, and signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 in asthma: an experiment with mice]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of budesonide (BUD) on the airway remodeling and the expression of Janus protein tyrosine kinases 1 (JAK1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in asthma. METHODS: Thirty female Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: control group; asthma group, sensitized on day 1, 8, and 15 and challenged from day 21 to 52 with periodically repeated intranasal drip of ovalbumin (OVA); and BUD treated group, undergoing intranasal drip of OVA as mentioned above and intranasal administration of BUD 2 hours before each OVA challenge. 24 h after the final OVA inhalation an invasive single-chamber whole body plethysmograph was used to assess the airway responsiveness. Then bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was obtained and ELISA was used to measure the contents of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL 13. The mice were killed and their lungs taken out. HE staining and periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining were used to observe the airway score of goblet cells. Peribronchiolar collagen deposition was imaged in Masson-stained lung sections. Biochemical assay was used to determine the total lung tissue level of collagen. Potass hydrolyse method was used to examine the content of hydroxyproline in the lung tissue. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (SMA), JAK1, and STAT6. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of alpha-SMA. RESULTS: The value of LogPC100 of the asthma group was 1.88 +/- 0.34, significantly higher than those of the BUD and control groups (1.79 +/- 0.18 and 0.82 +/- 0.78 respectively, both P = 0.000). The airway score of goblet cells of the asthma group was 3.05 +/- 0.23, significantly higher than those of the BUD and control groups (1.35 +/- 0.26 and 0.40 +/- 0.13 respectively, both P < 0.01). The hydroxyproline content of the asthma group was (459 +/- 47) microg/100 mg tissue, significantly higher than those of the BUD and control groups [(284 +/- 16) and (181 +/- 22) microg/100 mg tissue respectively, both P < 0.01]. The level of IL-4 of the asthma group was (14.4 +/- 1.12) ng/L, significantly higher than those of the BUD and control groups [(7.3 +/- 0.6) and (5.6 +/- 0.8) ng/L respectively, both P < 0.01]. The IL-13 level of the asthma group was (16.8 +/- 0.9) ng/L, significantly higher than those of the BUD and control groups [(10.6 +/- 0.9) and (5.6 +/- 0.8) ng/L respectively, both P < 0.01]. Treatment of BUD attenuated the allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and structural changes in airway, and decreased the values of the airway scores of goblet cells, and levels of hydroxyproline, IL-4, and IL-13 in comparison with the asthma group (all P < 0.01). Repeated OVA challenge resulted in an upregulation of the expression levels of alpha-SMA, JAK1 and STAT6 protein and alpha-SMA mRNA, while use of BUD suppressed these changes. The changes of JAK1 and STAT6 expression were correlated significantly with the changes in the airway score of goblet cells, hydroxyproline content, expression level of alpha-SMA, and levels of IL-4 and IL-13 in BALF (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BUD ameliorates the progression of airway remodeling following prolonged allergen challenge via regulation of JAK1/STAT6 signal pathway. PMID- 17803856 TI - [Fetal growth retardation and postnatal high fat diet on the development of insulin resistance and fertility: experiment with rats]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influences of fetal growth retardation (FGR) and postnatal high fat diet (HF) on the development of insulin resistance (IR), puberty development and fertility problems in female rat offspring. METHODS: FGR model was induced by maternal low protein diet. 32 newborn FGR rats and 32 control rats were randomly divided into two equal groups: FGR/HF group (with the mother rats given with high fat diet for 3 weeks after delivery), FGR/N (with the mother rats given with normal diet), C/HF group (control newborn rat group with the mother rats given with high fat diet), and C/N group (control newborn rat group with the mother rats given with normal diet). The pups were fed by mother milk. All pups were weaned at the 4th week of age and then fed with the diet the same diet as that during the lactation period until the end of experiment. From day 30 onwards, vaginal opening and oestrous cycle were inspected daily on 10 pups in each group. At the 13th week, body weight, length and perirenal fat weight/body weight (Fw/Bw) were recorded for 10 pups in each group. At the same time, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS), and testosterone level were measured. From the 13th week onwards, mating test was performed for 6 pups in each group. RESULT: At the 13th week, there was an obesity tendency in the FGR/N, FGR/HF and C/HF groups. The FINS levels were all higher, and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) levels were all significantly lower in these three groups than in the C/N group (all P < 0.05). The homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) levels of the FGR/N and FGR/HF groups were significantly higher than that of the C/N group (both P < 0.05), the FINS and HOMA-IR of the FGR/HF group were significantly higher than that of the FGR/N group (both P < 0.05). There was oligoovulation in the FGR and high fat diet rats, the pregnancy rate of the FGR/HF group was significantly lower than that of the C/N group (P < 0.05). FGR/HF group had the most serious obesity, IR and fertility problems. CONCLUSION: There are puberty disturbance, oligoovulation and IR in FGR and high fat diet rats. IR, puberty development and fertility problems are linked and occur independently of the postnatal nutrition, but can be exacerbated by postnatal high fat diet. PMID- 17803858 TI - [Protection of camelliasaponin C against injury of myocardial cells by anoxia/reoxygenation and mechanism thereof]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of camelliasaponin C (CS-C) pretreatment on myocardial cell injury induced by anoxia/reoxygenation. METHODS: Myocardial cells were obtained from neonatal SD rats, cultured for 3 to 4 days, added into the wells of a 24-well plate, and were divided randomly into five groups (8 wells for each group): control group, anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) group, added with anoxia culture fluid for 3 h and then added with imitation reperfusion fluid for 1 h, anoxia preconditioning (AP) group, undergoing anoxia for 10 min before A/R, CS-C pretreated group, added with CS-C 3.75 x 10(-7) mol/L 1 h before A/R, and glibenclamide (Glib) pretreated group, added with CS-C 3.75 x 10(-7) mol/L and Glib 12 microm 1 h before A/R. Trypan blue exclusion was used to detect the viability of the cardiomyocytes, the contents of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the supernatant of culture medium was measured. Electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of the cardiomyocytes. RESULTS: The contents of LDH of the A/R group was 57.8 U/L +/- 6.4 U/L, significantly higher than that of the control group (12.3 U/L +/- 1.7 U/L, P < 0.01), and the LDH value of the CS-C group was 39.8 U/L +/- 3.9 U/L, significantly lower than that of the A/R group (P < 0.01), not significantly different from that of the AP group (32.4 U/L +/- 5.2 U/L, P > 0.05), but significantly higher than that of the control group. The cardiomyocyte viability of the A/R group was 51.0% +/- 1.9%, significantly lower than that of the control group (92.0% +/- 2.0%, P < 0.01), the cardiomyocyte viability of the CS-C pretreatment group was 76.4% +/- 3.5%, significantly higher than that of the A/R group (P < 0.01), but not significantly different from that of the AP group (78.0% +/- 2.0%, P > 0.05). The cardiomyocyte ultrastructure of the A/R group was significantly changed, and the changes of cardiomyocyte ultrastructure in the CS-C pretreatment group were significantly attenuated compared with the A/R group. The content of LDH of the Glib group was 55.8 U/L +/ 5.0 U/L, significantly higher than that of the CS-C pretreatment group (P < 0.05), and the cardiomyocyte viability of the Glib group was 54.1% +/- 3.7%, significantly lower than that of the CS-C pretreatment group (P < 0.05), and the damage to the cardiomyocyte ultrastructure in the Glib group was more severe than in the CS-C group. CONCLUSION: The cardioprotective effect of CS-C pretreatment is similar to that of anoxia preconditioning and the effective mechanism would be related to the opening of ATP-sensitive K(+) channel. Glib can abolish the cardioprotective effect of CS-C pretreatment. PMID- 17803859 TI - [Effect of dizocilpine on P-glycoprotein expression in hippocampus in limbic seizure: experiment with rats]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of dizocilpine (MK801), a noncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor, on P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression after limbic seizure, and to explore whether NMDA receptor play a role in the regulation of P-gp expression during limbic seizure. METHODS: 120 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 equal sets. 50 rats in Set 1 underwent intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride, scopolamine, and pilocarpine so as to cause status epilepticus (SE) for 90 min. Then diazepam was given to terminate the SE. The rats were killed 0, 3, 6, 14, and 72 h after the SE respectively. The hippocampus was isolated. Realtime fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of multidrug resistance gene 1a (mdr1a) and mdr1b. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the P-gp. The rats were used as controls. Another 60 rats (Set 2) were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: control group, given with normal saline (NS) only, SE group, given with NS 20 min before administration of pilocarpine, and MK801 group, given with MK801 20 min before administration of pilocarpine. The 3 groups in Set 2 were further divided into 2 equal subgroups of 10 rats to be killed 6 or 24 h after SE. RESULTS: The mdr1a expression in hippocampus within 72 h after seizure was much higher at each time point: the level of mdr1a expression instantly after the seizure was terminated was [5.6 (2.9) x 10(5) mRNA copies/40 ng total RNA], significantly higher than that of the controls [2.4 (1.1) x 10(5) mRNA copies/40 ng total RNA, P < 0.05], increased to the level of [7.6 (6.3) x 10(5), P < 0.01] 3 h after, and kept at such level till 72 h after. The msr1b expression transiently increased 2.2 and 2.4 times that of the controls respectively 3 h and 6 h after the seizure was terminated [(3.3 +/- 0.4) x 10(4), and (3.6 +/- 1.0) x 10(4), both P < 0.01)]. The expression level of mdr1a 6 h after the seizure was terminated of the MK801 group was (4.3 +/- 0.8) x 10(5) and the expression level of mdr1b 6 h after the seizure was terminated of the MK801 group was (2.0 +/- 0.7) x 10(4), both significantly lower than those of the SE group (both P < 0.01). The P-gp expression level 24 h after the seizure was terminated of the MK801 group was 26.6 +/- 5.0 pieces of microvessels/400 times field, significantly lower than that of the SE group (39.0 +/- 4.1, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: MK801 down-regulates the overexpression of P-gp after seizure, which indicates that NMDA receptor may be involved in the regulation of P-gp expression during seizure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the overexpression of P-gp after seizure by inhibiting NMDA receptor's overactivation effectively. PMID- 17803860 TI - [MR imaging of embryonic stem cells labeled by superparamagnetic iron oxide]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the labeling efficiency of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles and its toxicity to mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and (embryoid body (ES)-derived cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Mouse ESCs of the line CGR8 were cultured and induced to differentiate into ES-derived cardiomyocytes. The EB derived cardiomyocytes were coincubated with SPIO contrast agent at different concentrations (1, 8, 9.3, 14, 28, and 56 mg/L) and transfection agent for 24 and 48 hours for cell labeling. Cells not labeled by SPIO and cells labeled by SPIO without transfection agent were used as controls. Spectrophotometer was used to detect the iron concentration in the cells. Confocal microscopy was used to test the intracellular calcium levels ([Ca(2+)] i). The ultrastructure of the cells was observed by electron microscopy. Ex vivo MRI was used to observe the signals of the cells. RESULTS: Iron-containing intracytoplasmic vesicles could be observed clearly with electron microscopy. The intracellular iron concentration was higher in the cells treated with transfection agent than in the cells not treated with transfection agent. The iron concentration of the cells treated with the SPIO at the concentration of 9.3 microg/ml for 24 hours was the highest. There were no differences in the morphology, contractile areas (chi(2) = 1.32; P = 0.25), and the beating frequency (t = 1.73; P = 0.10) between the EBs from iron labeled ESCs and from the control ESCs. The rhythmic intracellular free Ca(2+) fluctuation in the labeled cardiomyocytes was similar to that of the controls. The MR images with T(2)WI and T(2)WI sequences, especially those with T(2)WI sequence, of the ESCs showed that the signals of the SPIO labeled cells were lower than those of the SPIO-labeled cells. CONCLUSION: SPIO labeling of ESCs and ES-derived cardiomyocytes does not influence the cell viability and proliferation. The standard 1.5T MR equipment can image the labeled cells, thus offering the possibility of cell tracking and migration monitoring in MRI. PMID- 17803865 TI - A systematic review of the clinical, public health and cost-effectiveness of rapid diagnostic tests for the detection and identification of bacterial intestinal pathogens in faeces and food. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of tests for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial food poisoning in clinical and public health practice and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of these assays in a hypothetical population in order to inform policy on the use of these tests. DATA SOURCES: Studies evaluating diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests were retrieved using electronic databases and handsearching reference lists and key journals. Hospital laboratories and test manufacturers were contacted for cost data, and clinicians involved in the care of patients with food poisoning were invited to discuss the conclusions of this review using the nominal group technique. REVIEW METHODS: A systematic review of the current medical literature on assays used for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial food poisoning was carried out. Specific organisms under review were Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus. Data extraction was undertaken using standardised data extraction forms. Where a sufficient number of studies evaluating comparable tests were identified, meta-analysis was performed. A decision analytic model was developed, using effectiveness data from the review and cost data from hospitals and manufacturers, which contributed to an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of rapid tests in a hypothetical UK population. Finally, diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness results were presented to a focus group of GPs, microbiologists and consultants in communicable disease control, to assess professional opinion on the use of rapid tests in the diagnosis of food poisoning. RESULTS: Good test performance levels were observed with rapid test methods, especially for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The estimated levels of diagnostic accuracy using the area under the curve of the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was very high. Indeed, although traditional culture is the natural reference test to use for comparative statistical analysis, on many occasions the rapid test outperforms culture, detecting additional 'truly' positive cases of food-borne illness. The significance of these additional positives requires further investigation. Economic modelling suggests that adoption of rapid tests in combination with routine culture is unlikely to be cost-effective, however, as the cost of rapid technologies decreases; total replacement with rapid technologies may be feasible. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the relatively poor quality of reporting of studies evaluating rapid detection methods, the reviewed evidence shows that PCR for Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli O157 is potentially very successful in identifying pathogens, possibly detecting more than the number currently reported using culture. Less is known about the benefits of testing for B. cereus, C. perfringens and S. aureus. Further investigation is needed on how clinical outcomes may be altered if test results are available more quickly and at a greater precision than in the current practice of bacterial culture. PMID- 17803866 TI - WHIM syndrome. PMID- 17803867 TI - Physician involvement in capital punishment: simplifying a complex calculus. PMID- 17803868 TI - Effect of office-based ultrasonography on adherence. PMID- 17803869 TI - Should physicians participate in capital punishment? PMID- 17803870 TI - Does "Dispelling Confusion About Traumatic Dissociative Amnesia" dispel confusion? One clinician's view. PMID- 17803871 TI - Prophylaxis of Pneumocystis pneumonia in immunocompromised non-HIV-infected patients: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of prophylaxis for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii (formerly Pneumocystis carinii), for immunocompromised non-HIV-infected patients by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials that compared prophylaxis using antibiotics effective against P jirovecii, given orally or intravenously, vs placebo, no intervention, or antibiotics with no activity against P jirovecii. In addition, we included trials that compared different PCP prophylactic regimens or administration schedules. The search included the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, and conference proceedings. No language, year, or publication restrictions were applied. Two reviewers (H.G. and M.P.) independently searched, selected trials, extracted data, and performed methodological quality assessment. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model. RESULTS: Twelve randomized trials were identified, including 1245 patients (50% children) who had undergone autologous bone marrow or solid organ transplant or who had hematologic cancer. When trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was administered, a 91% reduction was observed in the occurrence of PCP (RR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.32); the number needed to treat was 15 (95% CI, 13-20) patients, with no heterogeneity. Pneumocystis pneumonia-related mortality was significantly reduced (RR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.94), whereas all-cause mortality did not differ significantly (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.18-3.46). Adverse events that required discontinuation occurred in 3.1% of adults and none of the children, and all were reversible. No differences between once-daily and thrice-weekly administration schedules were found. CONCLUSION: Balanced against severe adverse events, PCP prophylaxis is warranted when the risk for PCP is higher than 3.5% for adults. Adverse events are less frequent in children, for whom prophylaxis might be warranted at lower PCP incidence rates. PMID- 17803872 TI - Increased radiotracer uptake on positron emission tomography after invasive thoracic procedures: a case series. AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that tissue changes induced by invasive thoracic procedures may be associated with increased fluorine 18-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) scans, potentially leading to these tissue changes being mistaken for malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients undergoing bronchoscopies and FDG-PET at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville from February 2002 to September 2004 and identified patients who had undergone computed tomography (CT) of the chest and bronchoscopy before FDG-PET. We identified and reviewed the imaging studies of patients who had increased FDG uptake on PET scans and whose CT scans showed no corresponding abnormalities suggestive of malignancy. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients had undergone both bronchoscopy and PET within the defined study period. Of these, 45 (56%) underwent PET within 4 weeks after bronchoscopy, and 13 (29%) of these 45 patients had increased FDG uptake on PET scans that did not correlate with pathological findings on CT. We judged that increased uptake on 3 (23%) of the 13 PET scans was most likely related to the bronchoscopic procedure. Additionally, 2 patients who had undergone thoracoscopy after bronchoscopy but before PET had discordant CT and PET findings. CONCLUSION: Invasive thoracic procedures may cause an increased uptake of radiotracer on PET scans that could be mistakenly interpreted as evidence of malignancy. To avoid clinical misjudgment, clinicians should perform PET before invasive thoracic procedures. PMID- 17803873 TI - Cytochrome P450 2D6 genotype variation and venlafaxine dosage. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the presence or absence of a fully functioning cytochrome P450 2D6 allele was associated with the dosage of the antidepressant drug venlafaxine in patients who had either adverse effects or absence of a therapeutic response to treatment with the immediate release or extended release form of venlafaxine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the electronic medical records of 199 patients enrolled in a previous pharmacogenomic study (June 1, 2002 through April 30, 2004) who had either adverse effects or the absence of a therapeutic response to treatment with psychotropic medications. This review identified 38 patients previously treated with venlafaxine immediate release or extended release and subsequently genotyped for the 2D6 gene with a commercial genotyping assay. Their dosage was examined along with their 2D6 genotype to determine whether the presence or absence of a fully functioning 2D6 allele was associated with their venlafaxine dosage. RESULTS: Of the 38 patients, 5 had a 2D6 genotype that consisted of 1 inactive allele and 1 allele associated with decreased activity. None of these 5 patients were able to tolerate treatment with more than 75 mg/d of venlafaxine. The remaining 33 patients had at least 1 fully active 2D6 allele, 26 of whom had been able to tolerate treatment with 150 mg/d or more of venlafaxine (P less than .002). CONCLUSION: Genetic variations of the P450 2D6 gene may contribute to patient-specific variation in response to treatment with venlafaxine. Physicians should be alert to the possibility that an adverse reaction may indicate a slow metabolizer and consider genotyping such patients. PMID- 17803874 TI - Inadequate blood volume collected for culture: a survey of health care professionals. AB - Adequate blood culture volume is the single most important determinant for yield of organisms. We sought to determine whether health care professionals are aware of the current evidence-based recommendations for blood culture collection. An anonymous survey of employees qualified to collect blood cultures was conducted (July-October 2004) in an urban tertiary care facility. The survey asked,"What volume of blood should be collected in one bottle for a blood culture?" Of the 360 employees of the hospital surveyed, 355 returned evaluable answers for blood culture volume collected. Overall, 79% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74%-83%) answered less than 10 mL, and 44% (95% CI, 39%-49%) answered less than 5 mL of blood. When examined by occupation, 90% (95% CI, 86%-94%) of nurses, 97% (95% CI, 91%-100%) of technicians, and 55% (95% CI, 46%-64%) of physicians answered less than 10 mL; 52% (95% CI, 45%-59%) of nurses, 63% (95% CI, 46%-79%) of technicians, and 26% (95% CI, 18%-35%) of physicians answered less than 5 mL. Of all respondents, 21% (95% CI, 17%-25%) answered 1 mL or less. Our findings reveal that a high percentage of health care personnel do not know the optimal volume of blood recommended for collection. Because volume remains the most important determinant for the optimal yield of organisms, these findings raise an important quality assurance issue. PMID- 17803875 TI - Physician participation in capital punishment. PMID- 17803876 TI - Dispelling confusion about traumatic dissociative amnesia. AB - How survivors of trauma remember--or forget--their most terrifying experiences lies at the core of one of the most bitter controversies in psychiatry and psychology: the debate regarding repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse. Most experts hold that traumatic events--those experienced as overwhelmingly terrifying and often life-threatening--are remembered very well; however, traumatic dissociative amnesia theorists disagree. Although acknowledging that traumatic events are usually memorable, these theorists nevertheless claim that a sizable minority of survivors are incapable of remembering their trauma. That is, the memory is stored but dissociated (or "repressed") from awareness. However, the evidence that these theorists adduce in support of the concept of traumatic dissociative amnesia is subject to other, more plausible interpretations. The purpose of this review is to dispel confusion regarding the controversial notion of dissociated (or repressed) memory for trauma and to show how people can recall memories of long-forgotten sexual abuse without these memories first having been repressed. PMID- 17803877 TI - Syphilis in the United States: an update for clinicians with an emphasis on HIV coinfection. AB - Diagnosis and treatment of syphilis are challenging because of its variable clinical presentation and course and the lack of definitive tests of cure after treatment. This review of the most recent literature on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, current diagnosis, and treatment of syphilis is focused toward clinicians who treat patients with this disease. Syphilis coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus is emphasized because it is increasingly common in the United States and affects the initial presentation, disease course, diagnosis, and treatment of syphilis. Of particular consequence is the effect of human immunodeficiency virus on the clinical diagnosis, prevalence, and course of neurosyphilis, one of the most serious consequences of syphilis infection. PMID- 17803878 TI - HIV-1 infection and the kidney: an evolving challenge in HIV medicine. AB - With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the incidence of opportunistic infections has declined substantially, and cardiovascular, liver, and renal diseases have emerged as major causes of morbidity and mortality in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Acute renal failure is common in HIV-infected patients and is associated with acute infection and medication-related nephrotoxicity. HIV-associated nephropathy is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease in HIV-positive African American populations and may respond to HAART. Other important HIV-associated renal diseases include HIV immune complex kidney diseases and thrombotic microangiopathy. The increasing importance of non-HIV-associated diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and vascular disease, to the burden of chronic kidney disease has been recognized, focusing attention on prevention and control of these diseases in HIV-positive individuals. HIV-positive individuals who experience progression to end-stage renal disease and who have undetectable HIV-1 viral loads while receiving HAART should be evaluated for renal transplant. Emerging evidence suggests that HIV-positive individuals may have graft and patient survival comparable to HIV-negative individuals. Several studies suggest that HIV-1 can potentially infect renal cells, and HIV transgenic mice have clarified the roles of a number of HIV proteins in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated renal disease. Host factors may modify disease expression at the level of cytokine networks and the renal microvasculature and contribute to the pathogenic effects of HIV-1 infection on the kidney. PMID- 17803879 TI - Mayo Clinic and the origins of blood banking. PMID- 17803880 TI - Allergen immunotherapy. AB - Allergen immunotherapy involves exposing a patient to a gradually escalating dose of a specific allergen with the intention of decreasing allergic and inflammatory responses, ultimately leading to a sustained decrease in allergic symptoms. A build-up phase (once weekly injections) is followed by a maintenance phase (once monthly injections) that generally continues for 3 to 5 years. Allergen immunotherapy is indicated for select patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, allergic asthma, and stinging insect hypersensitivity. The safety and efficacy of allergen immunotherapy have been confirmed by numerous well-designed studies. Recent research has helped uncover the mechanisms by which allergen immunotherapy exerts its therapeutic effect, paving the way for the development of safer, more effective therapy for a wider range of allergic diseases. PMID- 17803881 TI - 20-year-old man with chest pain and malaise. PMID- 17803882 TI - Exacerbation of asthma by Florida "red tide" during an ocean sailing trip. AB - A 36-year-old man with adult-onset nonallergic triad asthma developed acute bronchospasm and copious sputum production during an offshore sailing excursion on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Symptoms were linked to proximity to blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (red tide) and heavy aerosolized brevetoxin exposure, and symptoms recurred during rechallenge. Patients with respiratory disease who are planning a visit to red tide-prone seaside areas should be cautioned to bring their pulmonary medications, and clinicians should be aware that reactive airway symptoms may be triggered by exposure to red tide. PMID- 17803883 TI - A multidisciplinary approach to the management of breast cancer, part 2: therapeutic considerations. AB - New approaches to breast cancer treatment have enhanced clinical outcomes and patient care. These approaches include advances in breast irradiation and hormonal and systemic adjuvant therapies. In addition to the identification of new drug targets and targeted therapeutics (eg, trastuzumab), there is renewed re emphasis in the development of biomarkers for the prediction of response to therapy. One example is the pharmacogenetics of tamoxifen metabolism and the individualization of hormonal therapy. The current treatment of breast cancer continues to evolve rapidly, with new scientific and clinical achievements constantly changing the standard of care and leading to substantial reductions in breast cancer mortality. The goal of this article is to provide clinicians who care for women with breast cancer a multidisciplinary, state-of-the art approach to the treatment of these patients. PMID- 17803885 TI - The conduct of clinical trials for medicinal products in europe in the light of the European clinical trials directive. Review of regulatory and practical aspects in the different countries. AB - The purpose of the clinical trial guidelines is to harmonise legislation in order to ensure consistency within Europe and thereby promote Europe's attractiveness for clinical research while maintaining or improving the protection of subjects who agree to participate. The French administrative system has hitherto been relatively favourable (with simple notification to a single Ethics Committee per study); it is thus important to maintain competitiveness in these respects, given that, in other areas (the time it takes to establish agreements, recruitment, etc.), other countries have the advantage. At the moment, this Directive has not been entirely transposed into French law. The pilot period established by the Afssaps (French drug agency) has made it possible to determine very quickly how to set things up. For Ethics Committees, the situation is more critical in that many points remain that need to be finalised (selection of members, internal rules, Competent Authority/Ethics Committee relationship, etc.). The Giens workshop issued a number of proposals and it hopes, through the Afssaps)/DGS (French agency of health in government)/LEEM Steering Group (French pharmaceutical companies association), to be able to help establish an efficient system which also correctly protect the patient. PMID- 17803887 TI - Integrity of scientific data: transparency of clinical trial data. AB - The integrity of the data from clinical trials and of its use is an essential element of the scientific method, and of the trust one can have in this method. There are many examples of fraud, and they recur regularly. The objective of this round table was to work on the definition of fraud, on its recognition and prevention especially in the institutional system. Fraud involves an active decision to cheat, and ranges from trying to hide incompetence to wholesale invention of data, patients or studies. Its frequency is difficult to evaluate but might be as high as 1% of all studies or publications. Fraud can involve ethics (post-hoc IRB [institutional review board] approval, IRB requests not applied, lack of consent), or any of the steps from realisation to interpretation of studies or trials. Identification of fraud is made harder by the usual risk for the whistle-blowers, who must be protected. Seeking fraud is implicit in Good Clinical Practices (GCP) that all industry sponsors must apply, but that are less often applied by institutional sponsors. It might be useful to install procedures to detect fraud in studies, especially institutional. Various statistical methods can be used to identify unusual data patterns that could suggest fraud. Once fraud is identified, its management is often not foreseen. Here again, clear procedures or recommendations would be of help. PMID- 17803889 TI - Guidelines for clinical research in developing countries. AB - On the basis of a review of current clinical research conditions in developing countries, guidelines have been formulated to ensure scientific validity as well as adherence to universal ethical principles. The main recommendation is that projects should be reviewed by two Institutional Review Boards, one in the country where the Study Sponsor is based, and another in the country where the study is being carried out. In addition, an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board should be set up and systems established to ensure the effective reporting of Serious Adverse Events and to specify the Sponsor's obligations after the end of the Study. PMID- 17803891 TI - Biotherapies: are they just like any other drugs? AB - "Biotherapies" include both biopharmaceuticals and cell and gene therapies. Biopharmaceuticals are macromolecules created by biotechnologies. In the case of monoclonal antibodies, the starting dose to be given to Humans is difficult to select because there may be no relevant animal model. At the time of registration, the knowledge of the mechanism of action of monoclonal antibodies is insufficient and cohort follow up studies are needed. Genetic predisposition and pharmacokinetics are interindividual sources of variability. Some of the adverse drug reactions are predictable but others are unexpected or even paradoxical. Cell and "ex vivo" gene therapies consist in the manipulation of collected cells and their infusion in autologous or allogenic clinical settings. The methodology of the clinical development of drugs cannot be readily applied to these therapies. On the other hand, "in vivo" gene therapy uses vectors or macromolecules which can be considered as biopharmaceuticals. PMID- 17803893 TI - Which pharmacovigilance for vaccines? AB - Vaccines are not separate health products but anti-infectious medicines administered for the large part prophylactically and for which the effect is immunological and not pharmacological. They should be evaluated by the usual methods of clinical pharmacology and pharmacovigilance, taking into account certain specificities (mechanism of action, manufacture, frequent administration to healthy subjects, particular recommendations, etc.). Experience from some vaccination campaigns have revealed insufficiencies notably in data collection allowing evaluation of the interest of a vaccine to public health, its relevance to the recent epidemiology of the disease in question and long-term security. The absence of data can generate fear in the general population that is broadcast by anti-vaccination lobby. For a more optimal pharmacovigilance of vaccines, it is necessary to: (i) improve the coherence between the evaluating authorities; (ii) set up, in addition to the usual risk management plan, an active microbiological and epidemiological surveillance and to follow up exposed populations; (iii) have programmes of education of the medical community regarding vaccination and health education for the general public. PMID- 17803894 TI - [The availability of the antidotes in the moroccan hospitals: a report revealing an urgency!]. AB - The objective of our survey is to value the availability of the antidotes in the main Moroccan hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A questionnaire constituted of 15 items and permitting to appreciate the availability of 43 antidotes selected in the literature, has been addressed to 9 hospitals of which 3 soldiers. RESULTS: Five per cent of the antidotes were available in all hospitals having answered to our questionnaire. Forty two per cent of the antidotes missed to all structures, the rest (47%) had a variable availability according to the structures. The list of the missing antidotes is long and contains classified vital products of group A of the recommendations of the IPCS (International Program on Chemical Safety) like the specific antibodies of the digoxine and the methylene blue. CONCLUSION: The found results are troubling and often unveil sometimes a big problem of management of these products vital and constituent the unique treatment. PMID- 17803895 TI - Healthy lifestyle by nutrition in adolescence (HELENA). A new EU funded project. AB - The key to health promotion and disease prevention in the 21st century is to establish an environment that supports positive health behaviour and healthy lifestyle from childhood. The HELENA project includes cross-sectional, crossover and pilot community intervention multi-centre studies, as an integrated approach to the above-mentioned problem. Dietary intake, nutrition knowledge and eating attitudes, food choices and preferences, body composition, biochemical, physical activity and fitness and genotype (to analyse gene-nutrient and gene-environment interactions) assessment will provide the full information about the nutritional and lifestyle status of the European adolescents. The requirements for health promoting foods will be also identified, and three sensory acceptable products for adolescents will be developed. Harmonization and standardisation of the assessments for both scientific and technological objectives should result in reliable and comparable data of a representative sample of European adolescents. This will contribute to understand why health-related messages are not being as effective as expected in the adolescent population. A realistic intervention strategy will be proposed in order to achieve the goals of understanding and effectively enhancing nutritional and lifestyle habits of adolescents in Europe. PMID- 17803896 TI - [A homage to Professeur Paul Montrastruc]. PMID- 17803897 TI - From exotic spice to modern drug? AB - The global demand for more affordable therapeutics and concerns about side effects of commonly used drugs are refocusing interest on Eastern traditional medicines, particularly those of India and China. PMID- 17803898 TI - Molecular understanding and modern application of traditional medicines: triumphs and trials. AB - Traditional medicines provide fertile ground for modern drug development, but first they must pass along a pathway of discovery, isolation, and mechanistic studies before eventual deployment in the clinic. Here, we highlight the challenges along this route, focusing on the compounds artemisinin, triptolide, celastrol, capsaicin, and curcumin. PMID- 17803899 TI - A fight for neurotransmission: SCRAPPER trashes RIM. AB - The presynaptic scaffold molecule RIM1alpha is important for regulating neurotransmitter release. In this issue, Yao et al. (2007) show in mice that an E3 ubiquitin ligase, SCRAPPER, targets a set of presynaptic proteins including RIM1alpha for degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Their results identify protein degradation as a mechanism for holding rapid synaptic communication in check. PMID- 17803900 TI - Connecting the dots between septins and the DNA damage checkpoint. AB - In budding yeast, septins are involved in the morphogenesis checkpoint and the DNA damage checkpoint, both of which regulate cell-cycle progression. In this issue of Cell, Kremer et al. (2007) link septins to DNA damage in mammalian cells by identifying a new signaling pathway that includes the adaptors SOCS7 and NCK. As NCK controls actin dynamics, this pathway may connect DNA damage responses and cellular morphology in metazoans. PMID- 17803901 TI - How hair gets its pigment. AB - Mutations in the transcription factor Foxn1 cause the nude phenotype in mice, which is characterized by a lack of visible hair. New work by Weiner et al. (2007) in this issue of Cell now shows that Foxn1 also contributes to hair color by marking which cells are to receive pigment from melanocytes. PMID- 17803902 TI - On the road to bacterial cell death. AB - How do antibiotics actually work? Although the primary cellular targets of many antimicrobial agents have been identified, the downstream events leading to bacterial cell death remain unclear. In this issue, Kohanski et al. (2007) provide evidence that the production of reactive oxygen species is a shared mechanism of cell death initiated by bactericidal antibiotics. PMID- 17803903 TI - Imaging in systems biology. AB - Most systems biology approaches involve determining the structure of biological circuits using genomewide "-omic" analyses. Yet imaging offers the unique advantage of watching biological circuits function over time at single-cell resolution in the intact animal. Here, we discuss the power of integrating imaging tools with more conventional -omic approaches to analyze the biological circuits of microorganisms, plants, and animals. PMID- 17803904 TI - A common mechanism of cellular death induced by bactericidal antibiotics. AB - Antibiotic mode-of-action classification is based upon drug-target interaction and whether the resultant inhibition of cellular function is lethal to bacteria. Here we show that the three major classes of bactericidal antibiotics, regardless of drug-target interaction, stimulate the production of highly deleterious hydroxyl radicals in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, which ultimately contribute to cell death. We also show, in contrast, that bacteriostatic drugs do not produce hydroxyl radicals. We demonstrate that the mechanism of hydroxyl radical formation induced by bactericidal antibiotics is the end product of an oxidative damage cellular death pathway involving the tricarboxylic acid cycle, a transient depletion of NADH, destabilization of iron-sulfur clusters, and stimulation of the Fenton reaction. Our results suggest that all three major classes of bactericidal drugs can be potentiated by targeting bacterial systems that remediate hydroxyl radical damage, including proteins involved in triggering the DNA damage response, e.g., RecA. PMID- 17803905 TI - Estrogen prevents bone loss via estrogen receptor alpha and induction of Fas ligand in osteoclasts. AB - Estrogen prevents osteoporotic bone loss by attenuating bone resorption; however, the molecular basis for this is unknown. Here, we report a critical role for the osteoclastic estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) in mediating estrogen-dependent bone maintenance in female mice. We selectively ablated ERalpha in differentiated osteoclasts (ERalpha(DeltaOc/DeltaOc)) and found that ERalpha(DeltaOc/DeltaOc) females, but not males, exhibited trabecular bone loss, similar to the osteoporotic bone phenotype in postmenopausal women. Further, we show that estrogen induced apoptosis and upregulation of Fas ligand (FasL) expression in osteoclasts of the trabecular bones of WT but not ERalpha(DeltaOc/DeltaOc) mice. The expression of ERalpha was also required for the induction of apoptosis by tamoxifen and estrogen in cultured osteoclasts. Our results support a model in which estrogen regulates the life span of mature osteoclasts via the induction of the Fas/FasL system, thereby providing an explanation for the osteoprotective function of estrogen as well as SERMs. PMID- 17803906 TI - A key presynaptic role in transformation for a widespread bacterial protein: DprA conveys incoming ssDNA to RecA. AB - Natural transformation is a mechanism for genetic exchange in many bacterial genera. It proceeds through the uptake of exogenous DNA and subsequent homology dependent integration into the genome. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, this integration requires the ubiquitous recombinase, RecA, and DprA, a protein of unknown function widely conserved in bacteria. To unravel the role of DprA, we have studied the properties of the purified S. pneumoniae protein and its Bacillus subtilis ortholog (Smf). We report that DprA and Smf bind cooperatively to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and that these proteins both self-interact and interact with RecA. We demonstrate that DprA-RecA-ssDNA filaments are produced and that these filaments catalyze the homology-dependent formation of joint molecules. Finally, we show that while the Escherichia coli ssDNA-binding protein SSB limits access of RecA to ssDNA, DprA lowers this barrier. We propose that DprA is a new member of the recombination-mediator protein family, dedicated to natural bacterial transformation. PMID- 17803907 TI - Septins regulate actin organization and cell-cycle arrest through nuclear accumulation of NCK mediated by SOCS7. AB - Mammalian septins are GTP-binding proteins the functions of which are not well understood. Knockdown of SEPT2, 6, and 7 causes stress fibers to disintegrate and cells to lose polarity. We now show that this phenotype is induced by nuclear accumulation of the adaptor protein NCK, as the effects can be reversed or induced by cytoplasmic or nuclear NCK, respectively. NCK is carried into the nucleus by SOCS7 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 7), which possesses nuclear import/export signals. SOCS7 interacts with septins and NCK through distinct domains. DNA damage induces actin and septin rearrangement and rapid nuclear accumulation of NCK and SOCS7. Moreover, NCK expression is essential for cell cycle arrest. The septin-SOCS7-NCK axis intersects with the canonical DNA damage cascade downstream of ATM/ATR and is essential for p53 Ser15 phosphorylation. These data illuminate an unanticipated connection between septins, SOCS7, NCK signaling, and the DNA damage response. PMID- 17803908 TI - Transgenerational stability of the Arabidopsis epigenome is coordinated by CG methylation. AB - Maintenance of CG methylation ((m)CG) patterns is essential for chromatin mediated epigenetic regulation of transcription in plants and mammals. However, functional links between (m)CG and other epigenetic mechanisms in vivo remain obscure. Using successive generations of an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant deficient in maintaining (m)CG, we find that (m)CG loss triggers genome-wide activation of alternative epigenetic mechanisms. However, these mechanisms, which involve RNA directed DNA methylation, inhibiting expression of DNA demethylases, and retargeting of histone H3K9 methylation, act in a stochastic and uncoordinated fashion. As a result, new and aberrant epigenetic patterns are progressively formed over several plant generations in the absence of (m)CG. Interestingly, the unconventional redistribution of epigenetic marks is necessary to "rescue" the loss of (m)CG, since mutant plants impaired in rescue activities are severely dwarfed and sterile. Our results provide evidence that (m)CG is a central coordinator of epigenetic memory that secures stable transgenerational inheritance in plants. PMID- 17803909 TI - Exonuclease-1 deletion impairs DNA damage signaling and prolongs lifespan of telomere-dysfunctional mice. AB - Exonuclease-1 (EXO1) mediates checkpoint induction in response to telomere dysfunction in yeast, but it is unknown whether EXO1 has similar functions in mammalian cells. Here we show that deletion of the nuclease domain of Exo1 reduces accumulation of DNA damage and DNA damage signal induction in telomere dysfunctional mice. Exo1 deletion improved organ maintenance and lifespan of telomere-dysfunctional mice but did not increase chromosomal instability or cancer formation. Deletion of Exo1 also ameliorated the induction of DNA damage checkpoints in response to gamma-irradiation and conferred cellular resistance to 6-thioguanine-induced DNA damage. Exo1 deletion impaired upstream induction of DNA damage responses by reducing ssDNA formation and the recruitment of Replication Protein A (RPA) and ATR at DNA breaks. Together, these studies provide evidence that EXO1 contributes to DNA damage signal induction in mammalian cells, and deletion of Exo1 can prolong survival in the context of telomere dysfunction. PMID- 17803910 TI - Structure and mechanism of a metal-sensing regulatory RNA. AB - Organisms maintain the correct balance of intracellular metals primarily through metal-sensing proteins that control transport and storage of the target ion(s). Here, we reveal the basis of metal sensing and genetic control by a metalloregulatory RNA. Our data demonstrate that a previously uncharacterized orphan riboswitch, renamed the "M-box," is a divalent metal-sensing RNA involved in Mg(2+) homeostasis. A combination of genetic, biochemical, and biophysical techniques demonstrate that Mg(2+) induces a compacted tertiary architecture for M-box RNAs that regulates the accessibility of nucleotides involved in genetic control. Molecular details are provided by crystallographic structure determination of a Mg(2+)-bound M-box RNA. Given the distribution of this RNA element, it may constitute a common mode for bacterial metal ion regulation, and its discovery suggests the possibility of additional RNA-based metal sensors in modern and primordial organisms. PMID- 17803911 TI - Xenopus Cep57 is a novel kinetochore component involved in microtubule attachment. AB - For chromosomes to congress and segregate during cell division, kinetochores must form stable attachments with spindle microtubules. We find that the centrosome protein, xCep57, localizes to kinetochores and interacts with the kinetochore proteins Zwint, Mis12, and CLIP-170. Immunodepletion of xCep57 from egg extracts yields weakened and elongated bipolar spindles which fail to align chromosomes. In the absence of xCep57, tension is lost between sister kinetochores, and spindle microtubules are no longer resistant to low doses of nocodazole. xCep57 inhibition on isolated mitotic chromosomes inhibits kinetochore-microtubule binding in vitro. xCep57 also interacts with gamma-tubulin. In xCep57 immunodepleted extracts, sperm centrosomes nucleate with normal kinetics, but are unable maintain microtubule anchorage. This characterization places xCep57 in a novel class of proteins required for stable microtubule attachments at the kinetochore and at the centrosome and suggests that the mechanism of microtubule binding at these two places is mechanistically similar. PMID- 17803912 TI - Crystal structure of the TLR4-MD-2 complex with bound endotoxin antagonist Eritoran. AB - TLR4 and MD-2 form a heterodimer that recognizes LPS (lipopolysaccharide) from Gram-negative bacteria. Eritoran is an analog of LPS that antagonizes its activity by binding to the TLR4-MD-2 complex. We determined the structure of the full-length ectodomain of the mouse TLR4 and MD-2 complex. We also produced a series of hybrids of human TLR4 and hagfish VLR and determined their structures with and without bound MD-2 and Eritoran. TLR4 is an atypical member of the LRR family and is composed of N-terminal, central, and C-terminal domains. The beta sheet of the central domain shows unusually small radii and large twist angles. MD-2 binds to the concave surface of the N-terminal and central domains. The interaction with Eritoran is mediated by a hydrophobic internal pocket in MD-2. Based on structural analysis and mutagenesis experiments on MD-2 and TLR4, we propose a model of TLR4-MD-2 dimerization induced by LPS. PMID- 17803913 TI - NF-kappaB is a negative regulator of IL-1beta secretion as revealed by genetic and pharmacological inhibition of IKKbeta. AB - IKKbeta-dependent NF-kappaB activation plays a key role in innate immunity and inflammation, and inhibition of IKKbeta has been considered as a likely anti inflammatory therapy. Surprisingly, however, mice with a targeted IKKbeta deletion in myeloid cells are more susceptible to endotoxin-induced shock than control mice. Increased endotoxin susceptibility is associated with elevated plasma IL-1beta as a result of increased pro-IL-1beta processing, which was also seen upon bacterial infection. In macrophages enhanced pro-IL-1beta processing depends on caspase-1, whose activation is inhibited by NF-kappaB-dependent gene products. In neutrophils, however, IL-1beta secretion is caspase-1 independent and depends on serine proteases, whose activity is also inhibited by NF-kappaB gene products. Prolonged pharmacologic inhibition of IKKbeta also augments IL 1beta secretion upon endotoxin challenge. These results unravel an unanticipated role for IKKbeta-dependent NF-kappaB signaling in the negative control of IL 1beta production and highlight potential complications of long-term IKKbeta inhibition. PMID- 17803914 TI - Dedicated epithelial recipient cells determine pigmentation patterns. AB - Mammals generate external coloration via dedicated pigment-producing cells but arrange pigment into patterns through mechanisms largely unknown. Here, using mice as models, we show that patterns ultimately emanate from dedicated pigment receiving cells. These pigment recipients are epithelial cells that recruit melanocytes to their position in the skin and induce the transfer of melanin. We identify Foxn1 (a transcription factor) as an activator of this "pigment recipient phenotype" and Fgf2 (a growth factor and Foxn1 target) as a signal released by recipients. When Foxn1 - and thus dedicated recipients - are redistributed in the skin, new patterns of pigmentation develop, suggesting a mechanism for the evolution of coloration. We conclude that recipients provide a cutaneous template or blueprint that instructs melanocytes where to place pigment. As Foxn1 and Fgf2 also modulate epithelial growth and differentiation, the Foxn1 pathway should serve as a nexus coordinating cell division, differentiation, and pigmentation. PMID- 17803916 TI - SnapShot: imprinted gene clusters. PMID- 17803915 TI - SCRAPPER-dependent ubiquitination of active zone protein RIM1 regulates synaptic vesicle release. AB - Little is known about how synaptic activity is modulated in the central nervous system. We have identified SCRAPPER, a synapse-localized E3 ubiquitin ligase, which regulates neural transmission. SCRAPPER directly binds and ubiquitinates RIM1, a modulator of presynaptic plasticity. In neurons from Scrapper-knockout (SCR-KO) mice, RIM1 had a longer half-life with significant reduction in ubiquitination, indicating that SCRAPPER is the predominant ubiquitin ligase that mediates RIM1 degradation. As anticipated in a RIM1 degradation defect mutant, SCR-KO mice displayed altered electrophysiological synaptic activity, i.e., increased frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. This phenotype of SCR-KO mice was phenocopied by RIM1 overexpression and could be rescued by re expression of SCRAPPER or knockdown of RIM1. The acute effects of proteasome inhibitors, such as upregulation of RIM1 and the release probability, were blocked by the impairment of SCRAPPER. Thus, SCRAPPER has an essential function in regulating proteasome-mediated degradation of RIM1 required for synaptic tuning. PMID- 17803917 TI - Repressors. PMID- 17803918 TI - The critical period. PMID- 17803919 TI - Flies' lives on a crab. PMID- 17803920 TI - Circadian vision. PMID- 17803921 TI - Rapid extraction of mean emotion and gender from sets of faces. PMID- 17803922 TI - Multiple queens means fewer mates. PMID- 17803923 TI - Involvement of deoxycytidylate deaminase in the response to S(n)1-type methylation DNA damage in budding yeast. PMID- 17803924 TI - Horizontal gene transfer of two cytoskeletal elements from a eukaryote to a cyanobacterium. PMID- 17803925 TI - Circadian clocks: timely interference by microRNAs. AB - Transcriptional/post-translational feedback loops have dominated ideas about how circadian clocks are able to keep time. An entirely new level of feedback regulation -- post-transcriptional regulatory microRNAs -- has now been added to the circadian mix. PMID- 17803926 TI - Animal cognition: multimodal tactics of orangutan communication. AB - Orangutans select different tactics for repairing failed communication, depending upon how well they are understood: they repeat signals if they are partially understood and switch tactics entirely if completely misunderstood. PMID- 17803927 TI - Microtubule polymerization: one step at a time. AB - The dynamic assembly of microtubules is a key factor in many of their functions in the cell and recent experiments give new insight into this process at the molecular level. PMID- 17803928 TI - Evolution of sociality: you are what you learn. AB - Division of labour is the cornerstone of successful societies. A new study has shown that individual experience can produce long-lasting task specialisation in ants. This asks for a reappraisal of the role of individual learning in insect societies. PMID- 17803929 TI - Brain science: from the very small to the very large. AB - We still lack a clear understanding of how brain imaging signals relate to neuronal activity. Recent work shows that the simultaneous activity of neuronal ensembles strongly correlates with local field potentials and imaging measurements. PMID- 17803930 TI - Centrioles: duplicating precariously. AB - To assemble a mitotic spindle and accurately segregate chromosomes to progeny, a cell needs to precisely regulate its centrosome number, a feat largely accomplished through the tight control of centriole duplication. Recent work showing that the overexpression of centriolar proteins can lead to the formation of multiple centrioles in the absence of pre-existing centrioles challenges the idea that it is a self-replicating organelle. PMID- 17803931 TI - Adaptive evolution: the legacy of past giants. AB - The wire syndrome shared by plants in New Zealand and Madagascar appears to have evolved convergently as a defence against herbivory from now extinct avian giants. PMID- 17803932 TI - Ape society: trading favours. AB - An alpha-male chimpanzee allots mating opportunities with receptive females in return for support from potential competitors. Although ubiquitous among humans and apparently rare among animals, exchange of one currency for another -- in this case sex for power -- may not be cognitively demanding. PMID- 17803933 TI - C(4) photosynthesis: convergence upon convergence upon... AB - C(4) photosynthesis has evolved independently numerous times in plants. New work suggests that these multiple origins are the result of recurring selection on a few amino acid positions in the key enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. PMID- 17803934 TI - Teaching with evaluation in ants. AB - Tandem running in ants is a form of recruitment in which a single well-informed worker guides a naive nestmate to a goal [1-8]. The ant Temnothorax albipennis recently satisfied a strict set of predefined criteria for teaching in nonhuman animals [9, 10]. These criteria do not include evaluation as a prerequisite for teaching [10]. However, some authors claim that true teaching is always evaluative, i.e., sensitive to the competence or quality of the pupil [11-13]. They then assume, on the premise that only humans are capable of making such necessarily complex cognitive evaluations, that teaching must be unique to humans. We conducted experiments to test whether evaluation occurs during tandem running, in which a knowledgeable ant physically guides a naive follower to a goal. In each experiment, we interrupted the tandem run by removing the tandem follower. The response of the leader was to stand still at the point where the tandem run was interrupted. We then measured how long the leader waited for the missing follower before giving up. Our results demonstrate T. albipennis performs three different kinds of evaluation. First, the longer the tandem has proceeded the longer the leader will wait for the follower to re-establish contact. Second, ant teachers modulate their giving-up time depending on the value of the goal. Finally, leaders have shorter giving-up times after unusually slow tandem runs. PMID- 17803935 TI - Nuclear receptor coregulators: judges, juries, and executioners of cellular regulation. AB - In a little more than 10 years, nuclear receptor (NR) coregulators (coactivators and corepressors) have contributed to our present realization that a great level of sophistication exists in transcriptional regulation. Here, we discuss the implications of coregulators as versatile regulatory agents, influencing not only transcriptional initiation but also elongation, splicing, and translation. In addition to this, there is an increasing recognition that they also regulate a variety of biological processes outside of the nucleus. An important concept that we wish to emphasize is that coregulators are both targets and propagators of posttranslational modification (PTM) codes. This underlies a sophisticated epigenetic regulatory scheme from which a complex and dynamic mammalian phenotype emanates. PMID- 17803936 TI - The tumor suppressor DAPK is reciprocally regulated by tyrosine kinase Src and phosphatase LAR. AB - Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a calmodulin-regulated serine/threonine kinase and elicits tumor suppression function through inhibiting cell adhesion/migration and promoting apoptosis. Despite these biological functions, the signaling mechanisms through which DAPK is regulated remain largely elusive. Here, we show that the leukocyte common antigen-related (LAR) tyrosine phosphatase dephosphorylates DAPK at pY491/492 to stimulate the catalytic, proapoptotic, and antiadhesion/antimigration activities of DAPK. Conversely, Src phosphorylates DAPK at Y491/492, which induces DAPK intra-/intermolecular interaction and inactivation. Upon EGF stimulation, a rapid Src activation leads to subsequent LAR downregulation, and these two events act in synergism to inactivate DAPK, thereby facilitating tumor cell migration and invasion toward EGF. Finally, DAPK Y491/492 hyperphosphorylation is found in human cancers in which Src activity is aberrantly elevated. These results identify LAR and Src as a DAPK regulator through their reciprocal modification of DAPK Y491/492 residues and establish a functional link of this DAPK-regulatory circuit to tumor progression. PMID- 17803937 TI - A molecular brake in the kinase hinge region regulates the activity of receptor tyrosine kinases. AB - Activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) cause cancer and skeletal disorders. Comparison of the crystal structures of unphosphorylated and phosphorylated wild-type FGFR2 kinase domains with those of seven unphosphorylated pathogenic mutants reveals an autoinhibitory "molecular brake" mediated by a triad of residues in the kinase hinge region of all FGFRs. Structural analysis shows that many other RTKs, including PDGFRs, VEGFRs, KIT, CSF1R, FLT3, TEK, and TIE, are also subject to regulation by this brake. Pathogenic mutations activate FGFRs and other RTKs by disengaging the brake either directly or indirectly. PMID- 17803938 TI - Docking of the proteasomal ATPases' carboxyl termini in the 20S proteasome's alpha ring opens the gate for substrate entry. AB - The 20S proteasome functions in protein degradation in eukaryotes together with the 19S ATPases or in archaea with the homologous PAN ATPase complex. These ATPases contain a conserved C-terminal hydrophobic-tyrosine-X motif (HbYX). We show that these residues are essential for PAN to associate with the 20S and open its gated channel for substrate entry. Upon ATP binding, these C-terminal residues bind to pockets between the 20S's alpha subunits. Seven-residue or longer peptides from PAN's C terminus containing the HbYX motif also bind to these sites and induce gate opening in the 20S. Gate opening could be induced by C-terminal peptides from the 19S ATPase subunits, Rpt2, and Rpt5, but not by ones from PA28/26, which lack the HbYX motif and cause gate opening by distinct mechanisms. C-terminal residues in the 19S ATPases were also shown to be critical for gating and stability of 26S proteasomes. Thus, the C termini of the proteasomal ATPases function like a "key in a lock" to induce gate opening and allow substrate entry. PMID- 17803939 TI - mtRF1a is a human mitochondrial translation release factor decoding the major termination codons UAA and UAG. AB - Human mitochondria contain their own genome, encoding 13 polypeptides that are synthesized within the organelle. The molecular processes that govern and facilitate this mitochondrial translation remain unclear. Many key factors have yet to be characterized-for example, those required for translation termination. All other systems have two classes of release factors that either promote codon specific hydrolysis of peptidyl-tRNA (class I) or lack specificity but stimulate the dissociation of class I factors from the ribosome (class II). One human mitochondrial protein has been previously identified in silico as a putative member of the class I release factors. Although we could not confirm the function of this factor, we report the identification of a different mitochondrial protein, mtRF1a, that is capable in vitro and in vivo of terminating translation at UAA/UAG codons. Further, mtRF1a depletion in HeLa cells led to compromised growth in galactose and increased production of reactive oxygen species. PMID- 17803940 TI - A model for how ribosomal release factors induce peptidyl-tRNA cleavage in termination of protein synthesis. AB - A major unresolved question in messenger RNA translation is how ribosomal release factors terminate protein synthesis. Class 1 release factors decode stop codons and trigger hydrolysis of the bond between the nascent polypeptide and tRNA some 75 A away from the decoding site. While the gross features of the release factor ribosome interaction have been revealed by low-resolution crystal structures, there is no information on the atomic level at either the decoding or peptidyl transfer center. We used extensive computer simulations, constrained by experimental data, to predict how bacterial release factors induce peptide dissociation from the ribosome. A distinct structural solution is presented for how the methylated Gln residue of the universally conserved GGQ release factor motif inserts into the ribosomal A site and promotes rapid reaction with the peptidyl-tRNA substrate. This model explains key mutation experiments and shows that the ribosomal peptidyl transfer center catalyzes its two chemical reactions by a common mechanism. PMID- 17803941 TI - Arx1 functions as an unorthodox nuclear export receptor for the 60S preribosomal subunit. AB - Shuttling transport receptors carry cargo through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) via transient interactions with Phe-Gly (FG)-rich nucleoporins. Here, we identify Arx1, a factor associated with a late 60S preribosomal particle in the nucleus, as an unconventional export receptor. Arx1 binds directly to FG nucleoporins and exhibits facilitated translocation through NPCs. Moreover, Arx1 functionally overlaps with the other 60S export receptors, Xpo1 and Mex67-Mtr2, and is genetically linked to nucleoporins. Unexpectedly, Arx1 is structurally unrelated to known shuttling transport receptors but homologous to methionine aminopeptidases (MetAPs), however, without enzymatic activity. Typically, the MetAP fold creates a central cavity that binds the methionine. In contrast, the predicted central cavity of Arx1 is involved in the interaction with FG repeat nucleoporins and 60S subunit export. Thus, an ancient enzyme fold has been adopted by Arx1 to function as a nuclear export receptor. PMID- 17803942 TI - Communication with the exon-junction complex and activation of nonsense-mediated decay by human Upf proteins occur in the cytoplasm. AB - The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway rids eukaryotic cells of mRNAs with premature termination codons. There is contradictory evidence as to whether mammalian NMD is a nuclear or a cytoplasmic process. Here, we show evidence that NMD in human cells occurs primarily, if not entirely, in the cytoplasm. Polypeptides designed to inhibit interactions between NMD factors specifically impede NMD when exogenously expressed in the cytoplasm. However, restricting the polypeptides to the nucleus strongly impairs their NMD-inhibitory function, even for those intended to inhibit interactions between the exon-junction complex (EJC) and hUpf3 proteins, which localize primarily in the nucleus. NMD substrates classified based on cell fractionation assays as "nucleus associated" or "cytoplasmic" are all inhibited in the same manner. Furthermore, retention of the NMD factor hUpf1 in the nucleus strongly impairs NMD. These observations suggest that the hUpf complex communicates with the EJC and triggers NMD in the cytoplasm. PMID- 17803943 TI - A conserved structural module regulates transcriptional responses to diverse stress signals in bacteria. AB - A transcriptional response to singlet oxygen in Rhodobacter sphaeroides is controlled by the group IV sigma factor sigma(E) and its cognate anti-sigma ChrR. Crystal structures of the sigma(E)/ChrR complex reveal a modular, two-domain architecture for ChrR. The ChrR N-terminal anti-sigma domain (ASD) binds a Zn(2+) ion, contacts sigma(E), and is sufficient to inhibit sigma(E)-dependent transcription. The ChrR C-terminal domain adopts a cupin fold, can coordinate an additional Zn(2+), and is required for the transcriptional response to singlet oxygen. Structure-based sequence analyses predict that the ASD defines a common structural fold among predicted group IV anti-sigmas. These ASDs are fused to diverse C-terminal domains that are likely involved in responding to specific environmental signals that control the activity of their cognate sigma factor. PMID- 17803944 TI - A transcription-independent role for TFIIB in gene looping. AB - Recent studies demonstrated the existence of gene loops that juxtapose the promoter and terminator regions of genes with exceptionally long ORFs in yeast. Here we report that looping is not idiosyncratic to long genes but occurs between the distal ends of genes with ORFs as short as 1 kb. Moreover, looping is dependent upon the general transcription factor TFIIB: the E62K (glutamic acid 62 --> lysine) form of TFIIB adversely affects looping at every gene tested, including BLM10, SAC3, GAL10, SEN1, and HEM3. TFIIB crosslinks to both the promoter and terminator regions of the PMA1 and BLM10 genes, and its association with the terminator, but not the promoter, is adversely affected by E62K and by depletion of the Ssu72 component of the CPF 3' end processing complex, and is independent of TBP. We propose a model suggesting that TFIIB binds RNAP II at the terminator, which in turn associates with the promoter scaffold. PMID- 17803945 TI - Autoregulation of the rsc4 tandem bromodomain by gcn5 acetylation. AB - An important issue for chromatin remodeling complexes is how their bromodomains recognize particular acetylated lysine residues in histones. The Rsc4 subunit of the yeast remodeler RSC contains an essential tandem bromodomain (TBD) that binds acetylated K14 of histone H3 (H3K14ac). We report a series of crystal structures that reveal a compact TBD that binds H3K14ac in the second bromodomain and, remarkably, binds acetylated K25 of Rsc4 itself in the first bromodomain. Endogenous Rsc4 is acetylated only at K25, and Gcn5 is identified as necessary and sufficient for Rsc4 K25 acetylation in vivo and in vitro. Rsc4 K25 acetylation inhibits binding to H3K14ac, and mutation of Rsc4 K25 results in altered growth rates. These data suggest an autoregulatory mechanism in which Gcn5 performs both the activating (H3K14ac) and inhibitory (Rsc4 K25ac) modifications, perhaps to provide temporal regulation. Additional regulatory mechanisms are indicated as H3S10 phosphorylation inhibits Rsc4 binding to H3K14ac peptides. PMID- 17803946 TI - HMGB1 is a cofactor in mammalian base excision repair. AB - Deoxyribose phosphate (dRP) removal by DNA polymerase beta (Pol beta) is a pivotal step in base excision repair (BER). To identify BER cofactors, especially those with dRP lyase activity, we used a Pol beta null cell extract and BER intermediate as bait for sodium borohydride crosslinking. Mass spectrometry identified the high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) as specifically interacting with the BER intermediate. Purified HMGB1 was found to have weak dRP lyase activity and to stimulate AP endonuclease and FEN1 activities on BER substrates. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed interactions of HMGB1 with known BER enzymes, and GFP-tagged HMGB1 was found to accumulate at sites of oxidative DNA damage in living cells. HMGB1(-/-) mouse cells were slightly more resistant to MMS than wild-type cells, probably due to the production of fewer strand-break BER intermediates. The results suggest HMGB1 is a BER cofactor capable of modulating BER capacity in cells. PMID- 17803947 TI - Repeat organization and epigenetic regulation of the DH-Cmu domain of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene locus. AB - The first steps of murine immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) gene recombination take place within a chromosomal domain that contains diversity (D(H)) and joining (J(H)) gene segments, but not variable (V(H)) gene segments. Here we show that the chromatin state of this domain is markedly heterogeneous. Specifically, only 5'- and 3'-most D(H) gene segments carry active chromatin modifications, whereas intervening D(H)s are associated with heterochromatic marks that are maintained by ongoing histone deacetylation. The intervening D(H)s form part of a tandemly repeated sequence that expresses tissue-specific, antisense oriented transcripts. We propose that the intervening D(H) genes are actively suppressed by repeat induced epigenetic silencing, which is reflected in their infrequent representation in DJ(H) junctions compared to the flanking D(H) genes. PMID- 17803948 TI - Tel1p preferentially associates with short telomeres to stimulate their elongation. AB - In many organisms, telomeric DNA consists of long tracts of short repeats. Shorter tracts are preferentially lengthened by telomerase, suggesting a conserved mechanism that recognizes and elongates short telomeres. Tel1p, an ATM family checkpoint kinase, plays an important role in telomere elongation, as cells lacking Tel1p have short telomeres and show reduced recruitment of telomerase components to telomeres. We show that Tel1p association increased as telomeres shortened in vivo in the presence or absence of telomerase and that Tel1p preferentially associated with the shortest telomeres. Tel1p association was independent of Tel1p kinase activity and enhanced by Mre11p. Tel1p overexpression simultaneously stimulated telomerase-mediated elongation and Tel1p association with all telomeres. Thus, Tel1p preferentially associates with the shortest telomeres and stimulates their elongation by telomerase. PMID- 17803949 TI - Surveillance of dengue fever cases using a novel Aedes aegypti population sampling method in Trinidad, West Indies: the cardinal points approach. AB - A novel dengue surveillance method is described and used to evaluate 100 suspected dengue fever (DF) cases in county St. Patrick, Trinidad, West Indies. From the 30 confirmed DF cases fully investigated within 48 h of diagnosis, 63% (19/30 houses) of their homes were found harboring Aedes aegypti immature stages. Only houses at the four cardinal points of the index case rather than the entire neighborhood were investigated. The results showed significantly (P<0.001) more Ae. aegypti positive houses were observed to the east (P<0.04) and west (P<0.01) than to the north and south (P>0.9). In addition, from the 150 houses inspected a total of 474 artificial containers were inspected and treated, of which 20.8% (99) were infested with Ae. aegypti immature stages. More than 49% of the containers inspected were small miscellaneous containers, but they only produced 4.0% of the Ae. aegypti immatures, of which only 0.4% were pupae. Water tanks (41.7%), drums (40.4%) and buckets (24.2%) produced over 98% of the pupae. The results of this study imply that dengue vector control programs in Trinidad could increase their efficiency by applying the cardinal points surveillance approach during DF case investigations and concentrating their vector control measures on the most productive containers located at the east and west of the index cases. PMID- 17803950 TI - Morphological and molecular differentiation between Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) and Dicrocoelium chinensis (Sudarikov and Ryjikov, 1951) Tang and Tang, 1978 (Platyhelminthes: Digenea). AB - Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) and Dicrocoelium hospes (Looss, 1907) are recognised to affect the liver of domestic and wild ruminants. A third species, Dicrocoelium orientalis which was described from musk deer in the Baikal region of the former Soviet Union and re-named to Dicrocoelium chinensis (Sudarikov and Ryjikov, 1951) Tang and Tang, 1978 was isolated from other species of deer in Asian countries and from mouflon and roe deer in Europe. Scant information is available for D. chinensis, including the range of species that act as definitive and intermediate hosts. To provide morphological and molecular evidences differentiating D. chinensis versus D. dendriticum, 239 Dicrocoelium spp. specimens were collected from sheep, cattle and sika deer from different localities in Austria, Germany and Italy. Specimens were morphologically identified based on the testes orientation, overall size, and level of maximum body width and other morphometric measurements. From this sample, 10 specimens of D. chinensis and 25 of D. dendriticum from different hosts and geographical localities were characterized molecularly through sequencing of partial 18S rDNA (approximately 1400 bp) and ITS-2 (including the 5.8S and 28S flanking regions; approximately 600 bp). Interspecific differences between D. dendriticum and D. chinensis of 0.14% and 3.8% were recorded in 18S rRNA and ITS-2 sequences, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses via Bayesian inference were conducted using sequences of ITS-2 (276 bp) and partial 28S (221 bp) of the above species of Dicrocoelium together with 20 species belonging to the Xiphidiata within the Plagiorchiida available in GenBank. Both gene regions were strongly concordant in differentiating the Dicrocoeliidae, Gorgoderidae and Plagiorchiidae and were in agreement with their current classification. Morphological and molecular characterization clearly differentiate D. dendriticum and D. chinensis as two distinct digeneans infecting ruminants. The implications on the separate status of D. chinensis on the etiology, biology and diagnosis of dicrocoeliosis are discussed. PMID- 17803951 TI - Advances in colloid and interface science. Foreword. PMID- 17803952 TI - [Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the nasal cavity]. AB - OBJECTIVES: Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is a rare tumor of the salivary glands with an incidence of less than 1%. Most cases arise in the parotid gland. Extraoral location is exceptional. The purpose of this study was to describe a case with nasal location, which is exceptionally reported in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report a case of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma arising in the nasal cavity of a 54-year-old woman. RESULTS: The woman presented with right recurrent epistaxis and on nasal endoscopic examination was found to have a polypoid tumor in the right nasal cavity. The CT-scan demonstrated a soft tissue mass without extension to the rhinopharynx or bony destruction. Histopathologic examination revealed the tumor to consist of a mixture of a solid, tubular, and trabecular structures with a double-layered arrangement of inner eosinophilic cells and outer clear cells. Dual differentiation toward myoepithelial and epithelial cells was confirmed immunohistochemically. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma in the nasal cavity is possible. In published cases, no recurrence or metastasis has been reported in this location. PMID- 17803953 TI - [Evaluating the knowledge of nasal polyposis in patients, GPs, and ENT specialists]. AB - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate education for adults with nasal polyposis (NP) and compare their knowledge and opinions on NP to those of a group of general practitioners and a group of ENT specialists. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study conducted on 87 consecutive subjects (33 patients with NP, 20 GP, and 34 ENT) using a questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge on NP (general, medical, and surgical information). RESULTS: The results obtained from the three groups of subjects (patients, GP, ENT) differed significantly on "overall knowledge of the disease." Patients and GPs showed similar results. The ENT group had significantly better results. CONCLUSION: Education in a this type of chronic disease of the upper respiratory tract seems necessary for the management of NP. This study also underscores the need for information transfer on NP from ENT specialists and GPs. PMID- 17803954 TI - Role of BMP-4 during tooth development in a model with complete dentition. AB - There are no reports in literature about roles of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) in tooth development in mammals with complete dentition (with all dental groups). The classical model of study is the mouse, which has distinctive incisor and molar patterns. The opossum Didelphis albiventris with five upper and four lower incisors, one canine, three premolars and four molars, on each side of the jaw, seems to be a convenient model for odontogenesis study. This investigation searched for similarities and differences in BMP-4 expression pattern between the opossum and the mouse. BMP-4 cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR and the expression pattern during molar tooth development was investigated by the immunoperoxidase method. Opossum BMP-4 mature protein has 95% of sequence similarity in relation to mouse and 94% to human. The BMP-4 expression pattern during opossum tooth development was suggestive of a role in dental organ initiation and morphogenesis. PMID- 17803955 TI - The role of PGR5 in the redox poising of photosynthetic electron transport. AB - The pgr5 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana has been described as being deficient in cyclic electron flow around photosystem I, however, the precise role of the PGR5 protein remains unknown. To address this issue, photosynthetic electron transport was examined in intact leaves of pgr5 and wild type A. thaliana. Based on measurements of the kinetics of P700 oxidation in far red light and re-reduction following oxidation in the presence of DCMU, we conclude that this mutant is able to perform cyclic electron flow at a rate similar to the wild type. The PGR5 protein is therefore not essential for cyclic flow. However, cyclic flow is affected by the pgr5 mutation under conditions where this process is normally enhanced in wild type leaves, i.e. high light or low CO(2) concentrations resulted in enhancement of cyclic electron flow. This suggests a different capacity to regulate cyclic flow in response to environmental stimuli in the mutant. We also show that the pgr5 mutant is affected in the redox poising of the chloroplast, with the electron transport chain being substantially reduced under most conditions. This may result in defective feedback regulation of photosynthetic electron transport under some conditions, thus providing a rationale for the reduced efficiency of cyclic electron flow. PMID- 17803956 TI - Induction of apoptosis by epigallocatechin-3-gallate in human lymphoblastoid B cells. AB - (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major constituent of green tea polyphenols, has been shown to suppress cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. In this study we investigated its efficacy and the mechanism underlying its effect using human B lymphoblastoid cell line Ramos, and effect of co-treatment with EGCG and a chemotherapeutic agent on apoptotic cell death. EGCG induced dose- and time-dependent apoptotic cell death accompanied by loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, and cleavage of pro-caspase-9 to its active form. EGCG also enhanced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pretreatment with diphenylene iodonium chloride, an inhibitor of NAD(P)H oxidase and an antioxidant, partially suppressed both EGCG-induced apoptosis and production of ROS, implying that oxidative stress is involved in the apoptotic response. Furthermore, we showed that combined-treatment with EGCG and a chemotherapeutic agent, etoposide, synergistically induced apoptosis in Ramos cells. PMID- 17803957 TI - CD4+ T cell acquisition of the bystander pMHC I colocalizing in the same immunological synapse comprising pMHC II and costimulatory CD40, CD54, CD80, OX40L, and 41BBL. AB - We previously showed that CD4+ T cells acquired peptide/major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) I and costimulatory molecules by dendritic cell (DC) activation. However, the molecular mechanism for pMHC I acquisition is unclear. In this study, by using a panel of engineered DC2.4 cells or incubation of these cells with Con A-stimulated CD4+ T cells, we conducted capping and synapse formation assay and examined them by confocal fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrated that (i) CD54 and CD80 colocalized with pMHC I/II in the same lipid rafts, whereas CD40, OX40L, and 41BBL localized in the lipid rafts but separately from pMHC I/II, and (ii) MHC I/II colocalized with the costimulatory molecules in the same synapse formed between a DC and a CD4+ T cell, leading to expression of the acquired bystander pMHC I on CD4+ T cells via internalization/recycling pathway. These results provide some useful information in composition and dynamics of immunological synapses. PMID- 17803958 TI - Homoisoflavanone inhibits retinal neovascularization through cell cycle arrest with decrease of cdc2 expression. AB - Neovascularization in the eye is the most common cause of blindness in all age groups; retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. Despite current advances in surgical treatments, ROP remains as the most serious problem of vision loss in children. Here, we report that homoisoflavanone, a natural product from Cremastra appendiculata, significantly reduces retinal neovascularization in a mouse model of ROP. Homoisoflavanone inhibited the cell growth of HUVECs, but its cytotoxic effect was not observed in a concentration range of 1-20 microM. HUVECs population gradually increased in G2/M phase and reduced in G0/G1 and S phases after exposure to the compound. Homoisoflavanone decreased the level of cdc2 expression whereas the level of p21WAF1 expression was increased in a dose-dependent manner. These data demonstrate that homoisoflavanone could inhibit retinal neovascularization and be applied in the treatment of other vasoproliferative retinopathies. PMID- 17803959 TI - P2X7 receptors mediate NADH transport across the plasma membranes of astrocytes. AB - NADH plays critical roles in mitochondrial functions and energy metabolism. There has been no study demonstrating that NADH can be transported across the plasma membranes of cells. In this study we tested our hypothesis that NADH can be transported across the plasma membranes of astrocytes by a P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) mediated mechanism. We found that treatment of astrocytes with NADH led to increases in both intracellular NADH and NAD+. Three lines of studies suggest that P2X7R mediates the NADH transport into astrocytes: the P2X receptor antagonist pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS) blocked the NADH transport; RNAi knockdown of P2X7R led to decreased NADH transport; and transfection of HEK293 cells with mouse P2X7R cDNA led to increased NADH transport. Collectively, our study provides the first direct evidence demonstrating that NADH can be transported across the plasma membranes of astrocytes by a P2X7R-mediated mechanism. Our study also suggests a novel approach for manipulating intracellular NADH and NAD+ levels. PMID- 17803960 TI - Sensitive detection of FGFR3 mutations in bladder cancer and urine sediments by peptide nucleic acid-mediated real-time PCR clamping. AB - Somatic mutations of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene were detected by peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated real-time PCR clamping. Mutation was detected in negative control containing only wild-type DNA due to a misincorporation of dNTPs to PNA binding sites when the amount of template DNA was decreased to 1 ng. Thus, the amount of template DNA was critical determinant of the assay sensitivity in PNA-mediated PCR clamping. Assay conditions were optimized to detect FGFR3 mutations in exons 7, 10, and 15, at a concentration of more than 1% mutated DNA using 50 ng of genomic DNA as the template. Mutations were detected in 12 of 13 (92.3%) tumor tissues and 11 of 13 (84.6%) urine samples from patients with superficial bladder cancer, while no mutations were detected in tissues and/or urine samples from patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer or chronic cystitis. PMID- 17803961 TI - Ptf1a and RBP-J cooperate in activating Pdx1 gene expression through binding to Area III. AB - Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (Pdx1) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in pancreas development and in maintenance of mature beta-cell function. However, it remains to be elucidated how Pdx1 gene expression is regulated in non-beta cells during pancreas development. Pdx1 and Ptf1a are expressed in pancreatic progenitor cells, which give rise to all three types of pancreatic tissue. In addition, Ptf1a has been shown to bind the mammalian Suppressor of Hairless (RBP-J) within the PTF1 complex. Furthermore, loss-of function approaches have revealed that all three factors are essential for early pancreas development. We therefore hypothesized that Ptf1a and RBP-J regulate expression of the Pdx1 gene in pancreatic precursors. Reporter gene analyses showed that Ptf1a transactivated Pdx1 promoter in pancreatic Panc-1 cells, which was enhanced by RBP-J. Deletion/mutation analyses of the Pdx1 promoter and electrophoretic gel-mobility shift assays identified the Ptf1a binding site in the well-conserved regulatory sequence domain, termed Area III, which was also confirmed by the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Furthermore, adenovirus mediated overexpression of Ptf1a, together with RBP-J, markedly increased Pdx1 protein levels in pancreatic AR42J-B13 cells. Our data suggest a novel transcriptional network, where Ptf1a and RBP-J cooperatively regulate Pdx1 gene expression through binding to Area III. PMID- 17803962 TI - Cloning of habutobin cDNA and antithrombotic activity of recombinant protein. AB - The habutobin cDNA was cloned from total RNA extracted from venom glands of Trimeresurus flavoviridis (the habu snake). The conceptual translation of 1539 bp of habutobin cDNA consists of 236 amino acids and its molecular weight is 25.7 kDa. Histidine (His)-tagged recombinant habutobin fusion protein, pET-r-habutobin and AcNPV-r-habutobin, was purified by bacterial system and baculoviral system, respectively. After refolding pET-r-habutobin, there were two protein bands at about 32 kDa and 65 kDa, indicating that habutobin might be produced as a monomer protein and processed to form two concatenated protein. Purified AcNPV-r habutobin dose-dependently increased fibrin forming activity and inhibited collagen-induced aggregation of rabbit washed platelets. Thus, AcNPV-r-habutobin produced by baculoviral system is very useful for study on structure-function relationship, which is necessary for developing an antithrombotic drug from habutobin. PMID- 17803963 TI - Solution structure of the cryptic mannitol-specific phosphotransferase enzyme IIA CmtB from Escherichia coli. AB - The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar phosphotransferase system (PEP PTS) is essential in the coupled transportation and phosphorylation of various types of carbohydrates. The CmtAB proteins of Escherichia coli are sequentially similar to the mannitol-specific phosphotransferase MtlA. The CmtB protein corresponds to the phosphotransferase enzyme IIA component. Here we report the solution structure of CmtB from E. coli at high resolution by NMR spectroscopy. The results show that CmtB adopts a globular fold consisting of a central mixed five-strand beta-sheet flanked by seven helices at both sides. Structural comparison with the IIA domain of MtlA (IIAMtl) reveals high overall similarity, while notable conformational differences at the active site are observed. The active site pocket of CmtB appears to be wider, and the hydrophobic regions around it is larger compared to IIAMtl. Further, the essential arginine residue at the active site of IIAMtl is substituted by a serine in CmtB. Instead, the active pocket of CmtB contains another arginine at a distinct position, suggesting different molecular mechanisms for phosphoryl transfer. PMID- 17803964 TI - Loss of ICAT gene function leads to arrest of ureteric bud branching and renal agenesis. AB - ICAT, inhibitor of beta-catenin and T cell factor, or Ctnnbip1, is a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway that interferes with the interaction between beta-catenin and T cell factor. Some ICAT-deficient (ICAT-/-) embryos exhibit unilateral or bilateral renal agenesis. In this study, we investigated developmental processes in the ICAT-/- kidney. ICAT was highly expressed in both the ureteric bud (UB) and the surrounding metanephric mesenchymal (MM) cells in the metanephros of embryonic day E11.5-E13.5 wild-type (ICAT+/+) mouse. In the E12.5-ICAT-/- metanephros, UB branching was delayed, and a T-shaped, bifurcated UB was frequently seen; this was never seen in the E12.5-ICAT+/+ metanephros. More apoptotic MM cells were detected in the ICAT-/- metanephros than in the ICAT+/+ metanephros. These results suggest that the loss of ICAT gene function causes the arrest of UB branching and the apoptotic death of MM cells, resulting in renal agenesis. PMID- 17803965 TI - Reversal of islet GIP receptor down-regulation and resistance to GIP by reducing hyperglycemia in the Zucker rat. AB - In type 2 diabetes (T2DM) beta-cell responsiveness to glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is reduced. In a model of T2DM, the VDF Zucker rat, GIP receptor mRNA and protein levels were shown to be down-regulated. Possible restoration of responsiveness to GIP in Zucker rats by reducing hyperglycemia has been examined. ZDF rats with extreme hyperglycemia demonstrated greater islet GIP receptor mRNA down-regulation (94.3+/-3.8%) than ZF rats (48.8+/-22.8%). GIP receptor mRNA levels in ZDF rats returned to 83.0+/-17.9% of lean following normalization of hyperglycemia by phlorizin treatment and pancreas perfusions demonstrated markedly improved GIP responsiveness. Treatment of VDF rats with a DP IV inhibitor (P32/98) resulted in improved glucose tolerance and restored sensitivity to GIP in isolated pancreata. These findings support the proposal that GIP receptor down-regulation in rodent T2DM is secondary to chronic hyperglycemia and that normalization of glycemia can restore GIP sensitivity. PMID- 17803966 TI - Tex261 modulates the excitotoxic cell death induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. AB - N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is a calcium-permeable ionotropic glutamate receptor and plays a role in many neurologic disorders such as brain ischemia through its involvement in excitotoxicity. We have performed differential display PCR to identify changes in gene expression that occur in the hippocampus of the mouse brain after intraperitoneal injection of NMDA and identified a gene, Tex261 as an inducible gene by NMDA stimulation in vivo. Tex261 mRNA was gradually induced in response to NMDA and reached about 4.5-fold at 24 h. When HEK 293 cells are transfected with NMDA receptors, the cells die in a manner that mimics excitotoxicity in neurons. HEK 293 cells transfected with the combination of Tex261 and the NMDA receptors NR1/NR2A produced the greater cell death compared with the cells transfected with the NMDA receptors alone. These findings suggest that Tex261 modulates the excitotoxic cell death induced by NMDA receptor activation. PMID- 17803967 TI - Transcriptional profiling of human embryonic stem cells and embryoid bodies identifies HESRG, a novel stem cell gene. AB - Embryonic stem (ES) cells can maintain self-renewal and differentiate into all three embryonic germ layer derivatives. The regulatory network of key transcription factors including Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 plays a crucial role in maintaining the pluripotency of ES cells. Dissection of these transcriptional regulators has provided critical insights into mechanisms underlying the self renewal and early differentiation of ES cells. Here, we identified a highly differentially expressed EST between human ES (hES) cells and 7-day embryoid bodies (EBs) by microarray analysis. By EST assembly, 5'-RACE and Northern blot, a novel hES cells related gene (named as HESRG) with two different transcripts in size of 1.2 and 3.1 kb was successfully cloned. Further RT-PCR and real-time RT PCR (qPCR) results showed that HESRG was highly expressed in undifferentiated hES cells, but not expressed in all kinds of normal human abortive fetal tissues or human adult testis. The expression of HESRG was repressed upon differentiation of hES cells, in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the transcription factor Oct4 binding site was found in the putative promoter region of HESRG. The above suggested an important role for the novel HESRG gene in supporting the undifferentiated state or self-renewal of hES cells. PMID- 17803968 TI - Design of protease-resistant myelin basic protein-derived peptides by cleavage site directed amino acid substitutions. AB - Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is considered to be a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. An attractive strategy to prevent activation of autoaggressive T cells in MS, is the use of altered peptide ligands (APL), which bind to major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecules. To be of clinical use, APL must be capable of resisting hostile environments including the proteolytic machinery of antigen presenting cells (APC). The current design of APL relies on cost- and labour intensive strategies. To overcome these major drawbacks, we used a deductive approach which involved modifying proteolytic cleavage sites in APL. Cleavage site-directed amino acid substitution of the autoantigen myelin basic protein (MBP) resulted in lysosomal protease-resistant, high-affinity binding peptides. In addition, these peptides mitigated T cell activation in a similar fashion as conventional APL. The strategy outlined allows the development of protease resistant APL and provides a universal design strategy to improve peptide-based immunotherapeutics. PMID- 17803969 TI - Lipid rafts and metabolic energy differentially determine uptake of anti-cancer alkylphospholipids in lymphoma versus carcinoma cells. AB - Perifosine is a member of the class of synthetic alkylphospholipids (APLs) and is being evaluated as anti-cancer agent in several clinical trials. These single chain APLs accumulate in cellular membranes and disturb lipid-dependent signal transduction, ultimately causing apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells. The APL prototype edelfosine was previously found to be endocytosed by S49 mouse lymphoma cells via lipid rafts. An edelfosine-resistant cell variant, S49(AR), was found to be cross-resistant to other APLs, including perifosine. This resistance was due to defective synthesis of the raft constituent sphingomyelin, which abrogated APL cellular uptake. Sensitivity of S49 cells to edelfosine was higher than perifosine, which correlated with a relatively higher uptake. Human KB epidermal carcinoma cells were much more sensitive to APLs than S49 cells. Their much higher APL uptake was highly dependent on intracellular ATP and ambient temperature, and was blocked by chlorpromazine, independent of canonical endocytic pathways. We found no prominent role of lipid rafts for APL uptake in these KB cells; contrary to S49(AR) cells, perifosine-resistant KBr cells display normal sphingomyelin synthesis, whereas APL uptake by the responsive KB cells was insensitive to treatment with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, a cholesterol sequestrator and inhibitor of raft-mediated endocytosis. In conclusion, different mechanisms determine APL uptake and consequent apoptotic toxicity in lymphoma versus carcinoma cells. In the latter cells, APL uptake is mainly determined by a raft- and endocytosis-independent process, but metabolic energy-dependent process, possibly by a lipid transporter. PMID- 17803970 TI - Motor space structures perceptual space: evidence from human saccadic adaptation. AB - Saccadic adaptation is the progressive correction of systematic saccade targeting errors. When a saccade to a particular target is adapted, saccades within a spatial window around the target, the adaptation field, are affected as a function of their distance from the adapted target. Furthermore, previous studies suggest that saccadic adaptation might modify the perceptual localization of objects in space. We investigated the localization of visual probes before and after saccadic adaptation, and examined whether the spatial layout of the observed mislocalizations was structurally similar to the saccadic adaptation field. We adapted a horizontal saccade directed towards a target 12 degrees to the right. Thirty-eight saccades towards the right visual hemifield were then used to measure the adaptation field. The adaptation field was asymmetric: transfer of adaptation to saccades larger than the adapted saccade was greater than transfer to smaller saccades. Subjects judged the localization of 39 visual probes both within and outside the adaptation field. The perceived localization of a probe at a given position was proportional to the amount of transfer from the adapted saccade to the saccade towards that position. This similar effect of saccadic adaptation on both the action and perception representations of space suggests that the system providing saccade metrics also contributes to the metric used for the perception of space. PMID- 17803971 TI - Estrogen receptor alpha and beta differentially regulate intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics leading to ERK phosphorylation and estrogen neuroprotection in hippocampal neurons. AB - Our previous analyses indicated that both estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes, ERalpha and ERbeta, contribute to estrogen neuroprotection [Zhao, L., Wu, T.-W., Brinton, R.D., 2004. Estrogen receptor subtypes alpha and beta contribute to neuroprotection and increased Bcl-2 expression in primary hippocampal neurons. Brain Res. 1010, 22-34]. In the present study, we sought to determine the underlying mechanisms by which ERalpha and ERbeta promote neuronal function, with a focus on neuroprotection, and whether these mechanisms are consistent with a classical nuclear or membrane ER-mediated response. Results of these analyses demonstrated that both the ERalpha-selective agonist, PPT (100 pM), and the ERbeta-selective agonist, DPN (100 pM), were effective in dynamically but differentially regulating intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) signaling in hippocampal neurons. Consistent with the direct measurement of neuroprotective outcomes [Zhao, L., Wu, T.-W., Brinton, R.D., 2004. Estrogen receptor subtypes alpha and beta contribute to neuroprotection and increased Bcl-2 expression in primary hippocampal neurons. Brain Res. 1010, 22-34], PPT and DPN exerted comparable efficacy in attenuating excitotoxic glutamate (200 microM)-induced intracellular Ca(2+) rise. In contrast, DPN was more efficacious than PPT in potentiating a physiological concentration of glutamate (25 microM)-induced intracellular Ca(2+) rise in these neurons. Further analyses revealed that both PPT and DPN increased ERK phosphorylation, however, the temporal profile and magnitude of response were unique to each molecule. The presence of the L-type Ca(2+) channel inhibitor, nifedipine (10 microM), partially inhibited 17beta-estradiol- and PPT-induced increase in phosphorylated ERK expression, whereas it induced a complete inhibition of DPN-induced increase in ERK phosphorylation. Additional neuroprotective experiments demonstrated that the MAPK inhibitor, PD 98059 (5 microM), partially blocked 17beta-estradiol-induced promotion of neuronal survival against excitotoxic glutamate (200 microM)-induced neurotoxicity, whereas it completely blocked both PPT- and DPN-induced neuroprotection. The presence of the nuclear ER antagonist, ICI 182,780 (1 microM), not only failed to block all 3 molecule-induced neuroprotection, but coadministration of ICI 182,780 and each single molecule exerted a comparable or even greater neuroprotection. Taken together, as an expansion of our previous analyses, these data indicate that both ERalpha and ERbeta contribute to neuronal mechanisms leading to estrogen promotion of neuronal function but with unique signaling profiles. Activation of ERbeta and induction of intracellular Ca(2+) influx via the L-type channels appears to be more closely associated with estrogen promotion of memory mechanisms. However, ERalpha and ERbeta play an equivalently important role in mediating estrogen neuroprotection, and, which is dependent upon the activation of the MAPK signaling. Further, the present analyses suggest that separate from a classical nuclear ER-mediated response, estrogen promotes neuronal survival likely through a non-nuclear cytoplasm or membrane-associated ER-mediated rapid signaling cascade. PMID- 17803972 TI - Expression of hexokinase isoforms in the dorsal root ganglion of the adult rat and effect of experimental diabetes. AB - The effect of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes on expression and activity of hexokinase, the first enzyme and rate-limiting step in glycolysis, was studied in sensory neurons of lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The DRG and sciatic nerve of adult rats expressed the hexokinase I isoform only. Immunofluorescent staining of lumbar DRG demonstrated that small-medium neurons and satellite cells exhibited high levels of expression of hexokinase I. Large, mainly proprioceptive neurons, had very low or negative staining for hexokinase I. Intracellular localization and biochemical studies on intact DRG from adult rats and cultured adult rat sensory neurons revealed that hexokinase I was almost exclusively found in the mitochondrial compartment. Duration of STZ-diabetes of 6 or 12 weeks diminished hexokinase activity by 28% and 30%, respectively, in lumbar DRG compared with age matched controls (P<0.05). Quantitative Western blotting showed no effect of diabetes on hexokinase I protein expression in homogenates or mitochondrial preparations from DRG. Immunofluorescent staining for hexokinase I showed no diabetes-dependent change in small-medium neuron expression in DRG, however, large neurons became positive for hexokinase I (P<0.05). Such complex effects of diabetes on hexokinase I expression in the DRG may be due to glucose-driven up regulation of expression or the result of impaired axonal transport and perikaryal accumulation in the large neuron sub-population. Because hexokinase is the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis these results imply that metabolic flux through the glycolytic pathway is reduced in diabetes. This finding, therefore, questions the role of high glucose-induced metabolic flux as a key driving force in reactive oxygen species generation by mitochondria. PMID- 17803973 TI - An fMRI investigation into the neural mechanisms of spatial attentional selection in a location-based negative priming task. AB - Selective attention enables us to respond to objects and events that are relevant to our goals for adaptive interactions with the environment. Despite evidence from research addressing the selection of a target location, little is known about the neural mechanisms of attentional selection in situations in which the selection is biased in favor of the information in the irrelevant location. In this study, we combined event-related fMRI and a location-based negative priming paradigm with a prime-probe-trial design to investigate the neural mechanisms of spatial attentional selection. Participants were instructed to respond to the location of a pre-specified target while ignoring a distractor at an irrelevant location. The goal of this study was twofold. First, we identified brain regions that are linked to conflict resolution situations, in which the selection bias puts the irrelevant information in the probe trial on a selection advantage over the target. Second, we determined the mechanism of conflict resolution when the encoding conditions of stimuli are manipulated by presenting stimuli either abruptly (onset) or masked (no-onset). The results showed that the bottom-up induced competition among stimuli in the target selection is stronger for onset than no-onset stimuli. The superior parietal lobule was sensitive to those changes in bottom-up-induced competition. Furthermore, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobe were activated to resolve the additional processing effort necessary to select the negatively biased target. In conclusion, the present study identified dissociable neural components needed to resolve the negative selection bias, which attentional modulation can be addressed in future studies by examining changes in the functional connectivity. PMID- 17803974 TI - Correlation of human cold pressor pain responses with 5-HT(1A) receptor binding in the brain. AB - We determined whether serotonin 5-HT(1A) receptor availability in the brain is associated with cold pressor pain (CPP) or sympathetic reflex responses. Psychophysical testing was performed in eleven healthy males who had participated in a positron emission tomography study with [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635 ligand for the assessment of 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential (BP). Psychophysical testing consisted of determining CPP threshold, tolerance, intensity, unpleasantness and CPP threshold modulation by conditioning CPP. Autonomic control was assessed by determining the cutaneous vasoconstriction responses in the finger induced by CPP and Valsalva maneuver. CPP intensity was inversely correlated with 5-HT(1A) BP in multiple cortical and subcortical areas, including the prefrontal and cingulate cortices, insula, amygdala and the dorsal raphe. CPP unpleasantness was not significantly correlated with 5-HT(1A) BP in any of the regions of interest. Increase of CPP threshold by conditioning CPP was directly correlated with 5-HT(1A) BP in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex. Vasoconstriction induced by Valsalva but not CPP was directly correlated with 5 HT(1A) BP in the ventral part of the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior insula. The results suggest that 5-HT(1A) receptors in the brain influence pain and Valsalva-induced sympathetic vasoconstriction reflex. In general, subjects with high availability of 5-HT(1A) receptors have low CPP intensity accompanied by a high capacity for central suppression of pain or a sympathetic vasoconstriction response by a Valsalva maneuver. PMID- 17803975 TI - Ultrasonic evoked responses in rat cochlear nucleus. AB - Numerous studies have reported auditory brainstem responses evoked by stimuli within the "normal" hearing range of rats, with maximum sensitivity peaking around 16 kHz. Yet rats also emit and respond to sounds in the ultrasonic (US) frequency range (30-100 kHz). However, very few electrophysiological studies have recorded auditory brainstem responses using US stimuli, and none have exceeded 70 kHz. We report here short-latency (1-3 ms) evoked potentials recorded in rat cochlear nucleus (CN) to US stimuli ranging from 40 to 90 kHz. Robust responses were recorded in 33 of 36 CN recording sites to stimuli ranging from 40 to 60 kHz; and twenty-eight of these sites continued to yield well-defined responses out to 90 kHz. Latencies systematically increased and overall amplitudes decreased with increasing US frequency. Amplitudes differed significantly in the three CN subnuclei, being largest in posterior-ventral (PVCN) and smallest in anterior-ventral (AVCN). The fact that well-defined responses can be recorded to stimuli as high as 90 kHz significantly extends the recorded upper frequency range of neural activity in the brainstem auditory pathway of the rat. These evoked potential results agree with the well-documented behavioral repertoire of rats in the US frequency range. PMID- 17803976 TI - Welcome to the real world: validating fixation-related brain potentials for ecologically valid settings. AB - Exploration of the real world usually expresses itself through a perceptual behaviour that is complex and adaptive -- an interplay between external visual and internal cognitive states. However, up to now, the measurement of electrophysiological correlates of cognitive processes has been limited to situations, in which the experimental setting confined visual exploration to the mere reception of a strict serial order of events. Here we show -- exemplified by the well known old/new effect in the domain of visual word recognition -- that an alternative approach that utilizes brain potentials corresponding to eye fixations during free exploration reveals effects as reliable as conventional event-related brain potentials. PMID- 17803977 TI - In vitro effect of PPAR-gamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism on the deposition of Alzheimer's amyloid-beta peptides. AB - Mounting evidence suggests that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) is involved in the modulation of pathogenic events related to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Such events would include the cerebral deposition of amyloid-beta (Abeta) and the consequent local inflammatory response. PPAR-gamma has been shown to act on both fronts, reducing either the secretion of Abeta or the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Recently, the relatively common Pro12Ala polymorphism in exon 2 of PPAR-gamma has been associated with higher risk for late onset AD. Here, we compare the effect of PPAR-gamma and its genetic variant on the secretion of Abeta. Our results indicate that, in neuronal cultured cells, the Pro12Ala substitution does not affect the anti-amyloidogenic capacity of PPAR-gamma. Additional factors, PPAR-gamma related, may therefore predispose aged subjects, carrying the Ala allele, to develop the neurodegenerative disease. PMID- 17803978 TI - Cell proliferation in the brains of NMDAR NR1 transgenic mice. AB - We have used genetically engineered NMDA receptor NR1+/- mice in which the gene for the NR1 subunit was modified in such a way that these mice express only 50% of the NR1 subunit. The NR1 subunit is necessary for NMDA receptor channel function. We investigated the effects of reduced NMDA receptor function on cell proliferation in the hippocampus and the amygdala of the adult mouse brain. Transgenic (NR1+/-) and wild-type (NR1+/+) mice were injected with BrdU. We collected brain sections cutting through the rostro-caudal extension of the entire hippocampus of the NR1+/- and NR1+/+ (wild-type) mice. The phenotype of BrdU-positive cells was identified by double labeling with antibodies to neuronal or glial markers. Our results show that the NR1+/- mice, which express the NMDAR NR1 subunit at a low level, have a significant (p<0.01) increase in the number of BrdU-positive cells in the dentate gyrus and the amygdala compared to NR1+/+ mice. Some of these dividing cells express the neuronal marker NeuN. Our results indicate that low expression of the NR1 subunit significantly increases cell proliferation and neurogenesis, suggesting that low NMDARs activity contributes to the increase in cell proliferation in the adult brain. PMID- 17803979 TI - The temporal representation of the delay of dynamic iterated rippled noise with positive and negative gain by single units in the ventral cochlear nucleus. AB - Spike trains were recorded from single units in the ventral cochlear nucleus of the anaesthetised guinea-pig in response to dynamic iterated rippled noise with positive and negative gain. The short-term running waveform autocorrelation functions of these stimuli show peaks at integer multiples of the time-varying delay when the gain is +1, and troughs at odd-integer multiples and peaks at even integer multiples of the time-varying delay when the gain is -1. In contrast, the short-term autocorrelation of the Hilbert envelope shows peaks at integer multiples of the time-varying delay for both positive and negative gain stimuli. A running short-term all-order interspike interval analysis demonstrates the ability of single units to represent the modulated pitch contour in their short term interval statistics. For units with low best frequency (approximate < or = 1.1 kHz) the temporal discharge pattern reflected the waveform fine structure regardless of unit classification (Primary-like, Chopper). For higher best frequency units the pattern of response varied according to unit type. Chopper units with best frequency approximate > or = 1.1 kHz responded to envelope modulation; showing no difference between their response to stimuli with positive and negative gain. Primary-like units with best frequencies in the range 1-3 kHz were still able to represent the difference in the temporal fine structure between dynamic rippled noise with positive and negative gain. No unit with a best frequency above 3 kHz showed a response to the temporal fine structure. Chopper units in this high frequency group showed significantly greater representation of envelope modulation relative to primary-like units with the same range of best frequencies. These results show that at the level of the cochlear nucleus there exists sufficient information in the time domain to represent the time-varying pitch associated with dynamic iterated rippled noise. PMID- 17803980 TI - Control processes in verbal working memory: an event-related potential study. AB - Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded using a large electrode array while subjects engaged in tasks designed to dissociate control from storage/maintenance processes in verbal working memory (WM). Increased ERP negativity (450-900 ms post-stimulus onset) over left frontal regions emerged only when required dynamic updating/revision of WM stores was initiated, with augmentation of right frontal negativity in the same epoch relative to more general overall task demands. Increased ERP positivity in a similar time window over parietal regions reflected initiation of required rehearsal/maintenance of memory set contents, with progressive amplitude increases with repeated dynamic updating/revision of memory stores, suggesting increased effortful activity to resist proactive interference effects. These findings are consistent with a left frontal-parietal network for process control in verbal working memory. PMID- 17803981 TI - Microvascular P-glycoprotein expression at the blood-brain barrier following focal astrocyte loss and at the fenestrated vasculature of the area postrema. AB - The multidrug transporter, P-glycoprotein, expressed at the blood-brain barrier is thought to be important for limiting access of toxic agents to the brain, but its relationship to astrocyte expression is unclear. We have studied P glycoprotein expression in the inferior colliculus after a temporary loss of blood-brain barrier integrity following chemically induced astrocyte loss and at the fenestrated vascular endothelium of the area postrema. Male Fisher F344 rats given 3-chloropropanediol showed astrocyte loss from 12 to 24 h until the lesion was repopulated 8-28 days later. In non-dosed tissue, P-glycoprotein expression was seen the entire length of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule immunoreactive vessels. Within 6 h of dosing, a significant (p<0.05) reduction in the total length of P-glycoprotein immunoreactive vasculature was evident. By 48 h, P-glycoprotein immunoreactivity was heavily fragmented. The total length of P glycoprotein immunoreactive vessels became minimal at 4 days (p<0.001) but was still present in many vessels. From 6 to 28 days, P-glycoprotein immunoreactivity returned across the inferior colliculus, in parallel with astrocytic repopulation of the lesion, and by 28 days resembled that seen in control tissue. The area postrema showed GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes but which made limited contact with the vasculature, while the platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule immunoreactive vasculature showed no expression of P-glycoprotein. These findings provide evidence supporting a link between GFAP-astrocyte and P-glycoprotein expression in the mature brain vasculature in vivo. PMID- 17803982 TI - Regioselective synthesis of 1I,1II,5I,5II,6I,6I,6II,6II-2H8-cellobiose. AB - Partially deuteriated 1,5,6,6-(2)H(4)-d-glucose and 1(I),1(II),5(I),5(II),6(I),6(I),6(II),6(II)-(2)H(8)-d-cellobiose were synthesized in high yields and on a large scale from d-glucose. (2)H enrichment at C-5 and C 6 of each glucopyranosyl unit in excess of 85% and 90%, respectively, was realized by (1)H-(2)H exchange in (2)H(2)O containing deuteriated Raney Ni. Nucleophilic addition of LiAlD(4) to 5,6,6-(2)H(3)-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-d gluconolactone led to a 98% (2)H enrichment at C-1. Deuteriated cellobiose is of interest as building block for the synthesis of a model compound of cellulose I. PMID- 17803983 TI - Effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on proliferation and differentiation of porcine preadipocyte in vitro. AB - 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, the physiologically active form of vitamin D3, exerts its functions through a receptor-mediated mechanism and plays an important role in the cell differentiation. This study investigated the effects of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the proliferation and differentiation of porcine preadipocyte. Stromal-vascular cells containing preadipocytes were prepared from dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissue of approximately 3-day-old Chinese male crossbred pigs. After confluence, the differentiation was induced by transferrin, dexamethasone and insulin for 2 days, and then subsequently cultured for 6 days. The cells were treated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 during the induction of differentiation (the early phase of differentiation) or throughout the differentiation period. The terminal differentiation markers, such as glycerol-3 phosphate dehydrogenase activity and lipid accumulation were measured during the process of cultures. The treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 severely affected the induction of all differentiation markers throughout the differentiation period. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 suppressed the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma mRNA and interfered with the induction of retinoid X receptor alpha mRNA. The mRNAs of the adipogenesis related genes, lipoprotein lipase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glucose transporter 4 were reduced when 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was added into differentiation medium. Also, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibited preadipocyte differentiation in dose dependent manner. These results suggested that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibited porcine preadipocyte differentiation through suppressing PPAR gamma and RXR alpha mRNA expressions and then down regulating the expression of adipogenesis-related genes. PMID- 17803984 TI - Soluble fibrin monomer degradation products as a potentially useful marker for hypercoagulable states with accelerated fibrinolysis. AB - BACKGROUND: Fibrin monomer (FM) and its complex (sFC) exist at high concentrations in hypercoagulable state blood. Two novel immunoassays for sFC (SF and FMC) using specific monoclonal antibodies (IF-43 and F405) were recently developed. METHODS: We measured the concentrations of thrombotic markers in 103 patients with DIC and thrombotic disorders. RESULTS: We found that the concentration of FMC was approximately 3.35-fold greater than that of SF. In patients with a high FMC/SF ratio, FDP and D dimer concentrations were increased, suggesting that the discrepancy in sFC concentrations was caused by fibrinolytic activity. Further, plasma samples from those patients were found to contain the X and Y-fragments of FM in addition to FM and sFC in a Western blotting assay using F405, which binds with those fragments. In an in vitro study, FM formed from pooled plasma containing EDTA was degraded to the X- and Y-fragments of FM by fibrinolytic activity, and we termed those FM degradation products (FMDP). CONCLUSION: Determination of FMDP is important for diagnosis of thrombogenic conditions associated with fibrinolysis, such as in patients with DIC, and it may serve as a useful marker for hypercoagulable states with accelerated fibrinolysis. PMID- 17803985 TI - Seeing is believing: the effect of brain images on judgments of scientific reasoning. AB - Brain images are believed to have a particularly persuasive influence on the public perception of research on cognition. Three experiments are reported showing that presenting brain images with articles summarizing cognitive neuroscience research resulted in higher ratings of scientific reasoning for arguments made in those articles, as compared to articles accompanied by bar graphs, a topographical map of brain activation, or no image. These data lend support to the notion that part of the fascination, and the credibility, of brain imaging research lies in the persuasive power of the actual brain images themselves. We argue that brain images are influential because they provide a physical basis for abstract cognitive processes, appealing to people's affinity for reductionistic explanations of cognitive phenomena. PMID- 17803986 TI - Accommodating variation: dialects, idiolects, and speech processing. AB - Listeners are faced with enormous variation in pronunciation, yet they rarely have difficulty understanding speech. Although much research has been devoted to figuring out how listeners deal with variability, virtually none (outside of sociolinguistics) has focused on the source of the variation itself. The current experiments explore whether different kinds of variation lead to different cognitive and behavioral adjustments. Specifically, we compare adjustments to the same acoustic consequence when it is due to context-independent variation (resulting from articulatory properties unique to a speaker) versus context conditioned variation (resulting from common articulatory properties of speakers who share a dialect). The contrasting results for these two cases show that the source of a particular acoustic-phonetic variation affects how that variation is handled by the perceptual system. We also show that changes in perceptual representations do not necessarily lead to changes in production. PMID- 17803987 TI - The seasonal peculiarities of force-frequency relationships in active ground squirrel Spermophilus undulatus ventricle. AB - The plasticity of calcium homeostasis is of crucial importance for the unique ability of the hibernators' heart to function under conditions of body temperature changing from 37 degrees C to near freezing point. However, the precise mechanism of calcium homeostasis regulation in these animals is largely unknown. Force-frequency relationship, as an indicator of participation of various sources of calcium (external and intracellular) in the activation of contraction, and post-rest potentiation as an index of the capacity of sarcoplasmic reticulum (intracellular calcium source) to store and release Ca(2+), were studied to analyse the role of different calcium-transporting systems in seasonal and temperature-induced changes in isometric twitch force of ground squirrel papillary muscles. The obtained results revealed significant functional differences during the annual cycle, which are indicative of an increased role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in regulation of contractility in animals in transition to the hibernation period. Also, how myocardium during the hibernation period copes functionally with acute decreases in temperature was investigated. PMID- 17803988 TI - Effects of pioglitazone and rosiglitazone on aortic vascular function in rat genetic hypertension. AB - Glitazones have beneficial antihypertensive effects independent of their insulin sensitizing action. We have studied the effects of pioglitazone and rosiglitazone on the endothelial ability to counteract vascular smooth muscle contractility in genetic hypertension. To achieve this, we measured isometric responses of aortic segments obtained from spontaneously hypertensive rats. The effects of glitazones on endothelial function were studied by assessing the endothelial modulation of phenylephrine-induced isometric contractions (10(-9)-10(-5) M) in the presence or absence of pioglitazone or rosiglitazone (10(-5) M), added directly to an organ bath or orally administered to the rats (pioglitazone, 10 mg/kg). The role of both NO and prostanoids was analyzed by performing experiments in the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and/or indomethacin (both 10(-5) M) in the organ bath. Concentration-dependent contractions to L-NAME (10(-6)-3 x 10( 4) M) in the presence or absence of glitazones were carried out as an estimation of basal NO release. Pioglitazone, but not rosiglitazone, increased contractile responses to phenylephrine in intact vessels. The contractile responses to phenylephrine obtained in the presence of glitazones were markedly diminished by indomethacin, but enhanced by L-NAME. Analogous results were obtained in aortas from pioglitazone-chronically treated animals. L-NAME concentration-dependent contractions were enhanced by both glitazones. Both glitazones lowered the sensitivity to acetylcholine (10(-9)-10(-5) M). In conclusion, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone alter vascular function differentially and through endothelium dependent mechanisms. These drugs act over the same pathways on the endothelium where they have a dual action, increasing both production of vasoconstrictor prostanoids and NO. The balance between both vasoactive substances determines the vascular response to glitazones. PMID- 17803989 TI - A pharmacological model for calcium overload-induced tachycardia in isolated rat left atria. AB - Few experimental models produce spontaneous tachycardia in normal left atria to allow the study of the cellular mechanisms underlying this contributor to atrial fibrillation. We reported 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) that provokes sporadic spontaneous mechanical activity and calcium leak in isolated rat left atria. Since sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak in the presence of high calcium load may trigger tachyarrhythmias, we tested how conditions that increase calcium load affect 2-APB-induced ectopic activity. Exposing superfused rat left atria to (i) 30 nM isoproterenol, (ii) 3 microM forskolin, (iii) 300 nM (-)BayK 8644 ((4S) 1,4-Dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-[2-(trifluormethyl)phenyl]-3 pyridinecarboxylic acid methyl ester), (iv) 300 nM FPL-64176 (2,5-Dimethyl-4-[2 (phenylmethyl)benzoyl]-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester) or (v) 120 microM ouabain increases their force of contraction, evidence of calcium loading, but does not produce ectopic activity. Spontaneous mechanical activity occurs in left atria superfused with 20 microM 2-APB at 47+/-6 contractions/min in the absence of pacing. Any of these five agents increase rates of 2-APB-induced spontaneous mechanical activity to >200 contractions/min in the absence of pacing. Washing tachycardic left atria with superfusate lacking 2-APB restores normal function, demonstrating the reversibility of these effects. Decreasing superfusate sodium reverses this tachycardia and two hyperpolarization-activated current (I(f)) inhibitors blunt this ectopic activity. Thus conditions that increase atrial calcium load increase the frequency of spontaneous mechanical activity. Decreasing extracellular sodium and I(f) inhibitors suppress this spontaneous tachycardia suggesting forward-mode sodium-calcium exchange and I(f) like activities underlie this activity. This model may help define cell pathways that trigger atrial tachyarrhythmias. PMID- 17803990 TI - Spatial control of protein phosphatase 2A (de)methylation. AB - Reversible methylation of the protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit (PP2A(C)(1)) is an important regulatory mechanism playing a crucial role in the selective recruitment of regulatory B subunits. Here, we investigated the subcellular localization of leucine carboxyl methyltransferase (LCMT1) and protein phosphatase methylesterase (PME-1), the two enzymes catalyzing this process. The results show that PME-1 is predominantly localized in the nucleus and harbors a functional nuclear localization signal, whereas LCMT1 is underrepresented in the nucleus and mainly localizes to the cytoplasm, Golgi region and late endosomes. Indirect immunofluorescence with methylation-sensitive anti-PP2A(C) antibodies revealed a good correlation with the methylation status of PP2A(C), demethylated PP2A(C) being substantially nuclear. Throughout mitosis, demethylated PP2A(C) is associated with the mitotic spindle and during cytokinesis with the cleavage furrow. Overexpression of PME-1, but not of an inactive mutant, results in increased demethylation of PP2A(C) in the nucleus, whereas overexpression of a cytoplasmic PME-1 mutant lacking the NLS results in increased demethylation in the cytoplasm-in all cases, however, without any obvious functional consequences. PME-1 associates with an inactive PP2A population, regardless of its esterase activity or localization. We propose that stabilization of this inactive, nuclear PP2A pool is a major in vivo function of PME-1. PMID- 17803991 TI - Interaction between single molecules of Mac-1 and ICAM-1 in living cells: an atomic force microscopy study. AB - The interaction between integrin macrophage differentiation antigen associated with complement three receptor function (Mac-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which is controlled tightly by the ligand-binding activity of Mac-1, is central to the regulation of neutrophil adhesion in host defense. Several "inside-out" signals and extracellular metal ions or antibodies have been found to activate Mac-1, resulting in an increased adhesiveness of Mac-1 to its ligands. However, the molecular basis for Mac-1 activation is not well understood yet. In this work, we have carried out a single-molecule study of Mac-1/ICAM-1 interaction force in living cells by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our results showed that the binding probability and adhesion force of Mac-1 with ICAM-1 increased upon Mac-1 activation. Moreover, by comparing the dynamic force spectra of different Mac-1 mutants, we expected that Mac-1 activation is governed by the downward movement of its alpha7 helix. PMID- 17803992 TI - The whole hexapeptide repeats domain from avian PrP displays untypical hallmarks in aspect of the Cu2+ complexes formation. AB - Prions, the infectious agents responsible for the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) have defied full characterization for decades. Although the interactions of Cu(2+) ions with PrP both in vivo and in vitro are well documented, there are still a lot of ambiguities concerning the biological and chemical nature of these effects. In this work, we have investigated the interactions of Cu(2+) ions with whole repeat region of the copper-binding domain (hexapeptide repeats) of chicken PrP. Our results provide explanations for the structural and chemical basis of the specific interactions of Cu(2+) ions with the hexapeptide repeat region. Furthermore, we show that SOD-like activity depends on Cu(2+) complexes. PMID- 17803993 TI - Fabrication of a dual substrate display to test roles of cell adhesion proteins in vesicle targeting to plasma membrane domains. AB - While much is known of the molecular machinery involved in protein sorting during exocytosis, less is known about the spatial regulation of exocytosis at the plasma membrane (PM). This study outlines a novel method, dual substrate display, used to formally test the hypothesis that E-cadherin-mediated adhesion directs basolateral vesicle exocytosis to specific sites at the PM. We show that vesicles containing the basolateral marker protein VSV-G preferentially target to sites of adhesion to E-cadherin rather than collagen VI or a control peptide. These results support the hypothesis that E-cadherin adhesion initiates signaling at the PM resulting in targeted sites for exocytosis. PMID- 17803994 TI - p40phox as an alternative organizer to p47phox in Nox2 activation: a new mechanism involving an interaction with p22phox. AB - p40(phox) activated phagocyte NADPH oxidase without p47(phox) in a cell-free system consisting of p67(phox), Rac and cytochrome b(558) relipidated with phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. The activation reached to 70% of that by p47(phox). Addition of p47(phox) slightly increased the activation, but not additively. p40(phox) improved the efficiency of p67(phox) in the activation. The C-terminus-truncated p67(phox), p40(phox)(D289A), p40(phox)(R58A), or p40(phox)(W207R) showed an impaired activation. A peptide corresponding to the p22(phox) Pro-rich region suppressed the activation, and far-western blotting revealed its interaction with p40(phox) SH3 domain. Thus, p40(phox) can substitute for p47(phox) in the activation, interacting with p22(phox) and p67(phox) through their specific regions. PMID- 17803995 TI - Complications of treatment of obstetric fistula in the developing world: gynatresia, urinary incontinence, and urinary diversion. AB - OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive review of the pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of gynatresia and urinary incontinence, 2 conditions that can arise following the repair of obstetric fistulas. The article discusses relevant issues with respect to urinary diversion in the treatment of obstetrical fistula and associated urinary incontinence. METHODS: A review was conducted of the existing literature and of the expert recommendations issued at the Gates Institute fistula meeting held in July 2005 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. RESULTS: Gynatresia and urinary incontinence develop in approximately 10% and 16% of patients, respectively, after the first repair. Urinary diversion may be necessary when fistulas cannot be closed vaginally or in cases of severe urinary incontinence following successful closure. Gynatresia, urinary incontinence, and urinary diversion are all associated with morbidity, and they require surgical and nonsurgical expertise for proper management. CONCLUSIONS: Closing the anatomical fistula is not always sufficient, and treatment paradigms must shift toward the prevention and repair of gynatresia and urinary incontinence at the time of the primary operation. PMID- 17803996 TI - The nurse teacher in clinical practice: developing the new sub-dimension to the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision (CLES) Scale. AB - BACKGROUND: Building on previous work undertaken in developing the clinical learning environment and supervision (CLES) scale this report outlines the development of a new sub-dimension to the CLES scale. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to develop an additional sub-scale to the CLES scale for measuring the quality of nurse teacher's co-operation with the crucial actors in the clinical practice of student nurses. DESIGN, SETTING AND METHODS: The original CLES scale and the subsequent CLES+T scale have been validated in two different empirical studies (N=416 and 549). Construct validity of the instrument was assessed with explorative factor analysis (EFA) and principal components analysis (PCA). RESULTS: The structure of the CLES+T scales factor model followed theoretical presumptions and the factors' eigenvalues and explanation percentages (64%) were sufficient. CONCLUSIONS: A validated evaluation tool-the CLES+T scale-can be used as a part of the total quality assessment of nurse education perceived by student nurses in Finland. PMID- 17803997 TI - Women's descriptions of symptoms and delay reasons in seeking medical care at the time of a first myocardial infarction: a qualitative study. AB - BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of mortality in women. Women have also been identified as late presenters in seeking medical care. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore and describe women's symptoms and the reasons for delay in seeking medical care at the time of the first myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: The study had an explorative and descriptive design based on content analysis approach. Nineteen women were interviewed at the hospital 2 or 3 days after hospitalisation. RESULTS: The result showed that the women had difficulties interpreting, understanding and linking the symptoms to CHD. They tried to handle the discomfort and even the chest pain, rather then ask for professional help. The women had problems with making the final decision. CONCLUSION: Women need to be made aware of the clinical symptoms of CHD, in order to understand the consequences of delay in seeking medical care following an MI. PMID- 17803998 TI - Identification, molecular characterisation and differential expression of caveolin-1 in Trichinella spiralis maturing oocytes and embryos. AB - Caveolins are integral membrane proteins implicated in cholesterol homeostasis and transport, endocytosis mechanisms and regulation of signal transduction in differentiated cells. In this work a caveolin-1 gene from the nematode Trichinella spiralis (Ts-cav-1) was cloned and identified as an adult-specific antigen. For this, a cDNA library of T. spiralis 3-day-old adult worms was screened using a stage-specific cDNA-labelled probe. One positive clone contained a cDNA insert of 1427-bp and a full-length open reading frame (ORF) of 687-bp, which encodes for a 229 amino acid polypeptide with a theoretical molecular weight of 26kDa. BLAST and FASTA searches revealed a 36% and 57% identity with Caenorhabditis elegans caveolin-1, respectively. Confocal laser microscopy analysis using antibodies generated against Ts-CAV-1 protein and cross-sections of adult parasites showed that Ts-CAV-1 gradually accumulates on the surface of Trichinella oocytes and embryos, reaching a maximum at 3days p.i., and decreasing during new-born larvae (NBL) development. RT-PCR assays of parasites from 1 to 4days p.i. showed a similar gene expression profile to that observed for Ts-CAV-1 which suggests a specific developmental regulation. Free cholesterol was mainly distributed in the female germ line and it displayed increasing membrane accumulation, similar to the pattern obtained for Ts-CAV-1 protein, which suggests a temporal membrane association with Ts-CAV-1 that in turn will perform the functions mentioned above. Our results strongly indicate that Ts-cav-1 from T. spiralis plays a role in oocyte maturation and embryogenesis during development, demonstrating gender-specific expression. PMID- 17803999 TI - Brachial artery vasoreactivity is associated with cross-sectional and longitudinal anatomical measures of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease. AB - BACKGROUND: The diagnostic and prognostic importance of brachial artery flow mediated dilation (BFMD) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not certain and associations between BFMD and recognized measures of atherosclerosis have not been well established. METHODS: We investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal correlations between repeated measures of BFMD and quantitative coronary artery angiographic (QCA) measurements of average percent diameter stenosis, number of lesions and minimum luminal diameter (MLD), and ultrasonographic measurement of carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) in an ethnically diverse cohort of postmenopausal women (n=132) with coronary artery disease (CAD). Subjects were participants in a 3-year randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, testing the efficacy of hormone therapy on atherosclerosis progression. Associations between BFMD and QCA measures, and between BFMD and CIMT were examined using measurements from the same study visit. RESULTS: BFMD was significantly inversely correlated with coronary artery stenosis at baseline (beta=-1.21% [S.E.(beta)=0.38], p=0.002). BFMD levels significantly predicted rate of change in CIMT over the trial period (beta=-0.76 microm/year [S.E.(beta)=0.29], p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Physiological and anatomical measures of atherosclerosis are correlated among postmenopausal women with CAD, which provides some validation of BFMD as a measure of atherosclerosis in high-risk populations. PMID- 17804000 TI - Relationship between brachial flow-mediated dilation and carotid intima-media thickness in an elderly cohort: the Cardiovascular Health Study. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in a large multi-ethnic elderly cohort. BACKGROUND: Brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a physiologic measure and carotid IMT is an anatomic structural measure of subclinical atherosclerosis. Both brachial FMD and carotid IMT have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular events. The relationship between brachial FMD and carotid IMT is less clear especially in older adults. METHODS: Brachial FMD, carotid IMT and traditional cardiovascular risk factors were measured in 2338 adults, age 72-98 years who were participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study. The relationship between FMD and IMT was assessed both unadjusted and also after adjusting for age, gender and race/ethnicity, BMI, HDL, LDL, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, current smoking, diabetes mellitus, hormone therapy and prior CVD. RESULTS: Both brachial FMD and carotid IMT correlated significantly with age, HDL levels, waist/hip ratio, serum cholesterol and number of CV risk factors. Brachial FMD was not associated with CCA IMT in this elderly cohort (Pearson partial correlation coefficient=-0.0252, p=0.222). In the adjusted linear regression model with CCA IMT as the dependent variable, brachial FMD was also not associated with CCA IMT (beta coefficient=-0.006, p=0.470). CONCLUSION: Brachial FMD and CCA IMT are not related in population-based older adults. Brachial FMD and CCA IMT may be distinct and independent stages in the complex atherosclerotic process. PMID- 17804001 TI - Capillary electrophoresis coupled with electrochemical detection using porous etched joint for determination of antioxidants. AB - Capillary electrophoresis coupled with electrochemical detection (CE-EC) for determination of antioxidants, propyl gallate (PG) and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), in cosmetic samples was proposed in this work. A porous etched joint was used to isolate the electrochemical detection from the electrophoretic high voltage. Compared with the 25 microm i.d. capillary without a decoupler in a CE EC system, a 75 microm i.d. capillary applied in the present system gave an improvement in both sample injection and sensitivity. Moreover, the carbon fiber working electrode could be directly in touch with the end of separation capillary due to the elimination of the effect of separation voltage on the EC detection, so the alignment of working electrode and capillary became easy and the dead volume was also decreased. Baseline separation of the two antioxidants was achieved by CE in a 50 cm long x 75 microm i.d. capillary at 20 kV using 5.0 mmol L(-1) phosphate buffer (pH 8.00). 0.7 V (versus Ag/AgCl) was applied to the carbon fiber electrode for electrochemical detection. Under the optimal condition, the precisions (RSD, n=4) of peak height and migration time of PG and TBHQ were 2.39-3.59% and 0.34-0.44%, respectively. The detection limits of PG and TBHQ were 2.51x10(-6) and 4.88 x 10(-6) mol L(-1) for standard solution and 0.0751 and 0.0328 mg g(-1) for the real cosmetic samples with consumption of 0.3g sample. Analysis of TBHQ and PG in cosmetics samples was also achieved with the present system and the spiked recoveries of two analytes in cosmetics samples were in the range of 93.6-98.8%. PMID- 17804002 TI - A study of the effects of column porosity on gradient separations of proteins. AB - The type of the stationary phase for reversed-phase liquid chromatography significantly affects the sample elution. Hydrodynamic properties, efficiency and gradient elution of proteins were investigated on five commercial C18 columns with wide-pore totally porous particles, with superficially porous layer particles, non-porous particles and a silica-based monolithic bed. The efficiency in the terms of reduced plate height is higher for low-molecular ethylbenzene than for proteins, but depends on the character of the pores in the individual columns tested. The superficially porous Poroshell and the non-porous Micra columns provide the best efficiency for proteins at high mobile phase flow rates, probably because of similar pore architecture in the stationary phase. The Zorbax column with similar pore architecture as the Poroshell active layer, i.e. narrow pore distribution of wider pores shows better efficiency than the packed column with narrow pores and broad pore distribution. The monolithic column shows lower efficiency for proteins at high flow rates, but it performs better than the broad pore distribution totally porous particulate columns. Different pore architecture affects also the retention and selectivity for proteins on the individual columns. The retention times on all columns can be predicted using the model for reversed-phase gradient elution developed originally for low-molecular compounds. Consideration of the limited pore volume accessible to the biopolymers has negligible effect on the prediction of retention on the columns packed with non porous or superficially porous particles, but improves the accuracy of the predicted data for the totally porous columns with broad pore distribution. PMID- 17804003 TI - Stir bar sorptive extraction of volatile compounds in vinegar: validation study and comparison with solid phase microextraction. AB - Stir bar sorptive extraction was evaluated for analysing volatiles in vinegar. The procedure developed shows detection and quantitation limits, and linear ranges adequate for analysing this type of compounds. The accuracy obtained was close to 100%, with repeatability values lower than 13%. The extraction efficiency is inversely affected by the acetic acid content. Although the absolute areas decrease, the compound area/internal standard area ratio remains constant, so for quantitative analysis, the acetic acid concentration does not affect the analytical data. The method was compared with a previous SPME method. Similar performance characteristics were obtained for both methodologies, with lower detection and quantitation limits and better repeatability reproducibility values for SBSE. Both analytical methods were used to analyse a variety of vinegars. The results obtained from both methods were in agreement. PMID- 17804004 TI - Size and shape separation of gold nanoparticles with preparative gel electrophoresis. AB - We employed agarose gel preparative electrophoresis to separate gold nanoparticles based on size, shape, and charge. The separating technique was first demonstrated by size separation of 5 nm, 15 nm, and 20 nm spherical gold nanoclusters; and further evidenced through the purification of crude 15 +/- 2.7 nm nanoclusters to nanoclusters that were 15 +/- 0.4 nm. The ability to separate gold nanoparticles by shape was also shown by the purification of a mixture of gold spheres, plates, and long rods. PMID- 17804005 TI - Analysis of ochratoxin A in milk after direct immunoaffinity column clean-up by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. AB - The present work describes a new analytical method for direct immunoaffinity column clean-up of ochratoxin A (OTA) in milk samples followed by determination of the toxin using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD). Two different immunoaffinity cartridges (IAC) were investigated, and Ochraprep columns were chosen because they showed the best results. An average recovery of 89.8% and a mean RSD of 5.8% for artificially contaminated cow's milk in the range of 5-100 ng/L were attained. The calculated limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were as low as 0.5 and 5 ng/L, respectively. This new easy and fast method avoids a previous liquid-liquid extraction step and therefore the use of toxic chlorinated solvents. Chromatograms of the final extracts were clean and OTA could be easily detected at a retention time of 8.4 min without interferences. To assess the presence of the toxin in cow's milk eight samples of skimmed and four samples of whole milk were analysed and OTA was not detected over the established detection limit. PMID- 17804006 TI - Vesicle-micelle transition in aqueous mixtures of the cationic dioctadecyldimethylammonium and octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactants. AB - The vesicle-micelle transition in aqueous mixtures of dioctadecyldimethylammonium and octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DODAB and C(18)TAB) cationic surfactants, having respectively double and single chain, was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), steady-state fluorescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and surface tension. The experiments performed at constant total surfactant concentration, up to 1.0 mM, reveal that these homologous surfactants mix together to form mixed vesicles and/or micelles, depending on the relative amount of the surfactants. The melting temperature T(m) of the mixed DODAB-C(18)TAB vesicles is larger than that for the neat DODAB in water owing to the incorporation of C(18)TAB in the vesicle bilayer. The surface tension decreases sigmoidally with C(18)TAB concentration and the inflection point lies around x(DODAB) approximately 0.4, indicating the onset of micelle formation owing to saturation of DODAB vesicles by C(18)TAB molecules. When x(DODAB)>0.5 C(18)TAB molecules are mainly solubilised by the vesicles, but when x(DODAB)<0.25 micelles are dominant. Fluorescence data of the Nile Red probe incorporated in the system at different surfactant molar fractions indicate the formation of micelle and vesicle structures. These structures have apparent hydrodynamic radius R(H) of about 180 and 500-800 nm, respectively, as obtained by DLS measurements. PMID- 17804007 TI - Analysis of the aggregation-fragmentation population balance equation with application to coagulation. AB - Coagulation of small particles in agitated suspensions is governed by aggregation and breakage. These two processes control the time evolution of the cluster mass distribution (CMD) which is described through a population balance equation (PBE). In this work, a PBE model that includes an aggregation rate function, which is a superposition of Brownian and flow induced aggregation, and a power law breakage rate function is investigated. Both rate functions are formulated assuming the clusters are fractals. Further, two modes of breakage are considered: in the fragmentation mode a particles splits into w2 fragments of equal size, and in the erosion mode a particle splits into two fragments of different size. The scaling theory of the aggregation-breakage PBE is revised which leads to the result that under the negligence of Brownian aggregation the steady state CMD is self-similar with respect to a non-dimensional breakage coefficient theta. The self-similarity is confirmed by solving the PBE numerically. The self-similar CMD is found to deviate significantly from a log normal distribution, and in the case of erosion it exhibits traces of multimodality. The model is compared to experimental data for the coagulation of a polystyrene latex. It is revealed that the model is not flexible enough to describe coagulation over an extended range of operation conditions with a unique set of parameters. In particular, it cannot predict the correct behavior for both a variation in the solid volume fraction of the suspension and in the agitation rate (shear rate). PMID- 17804008 TI - Physicochemical study of novel organoclays as heavy metal ion adsorbents for environmental remediation. AB - Four organic-modified clays based on a SWy-2 montmorillonite were prepared by embedding ammonium organic derivatives with different chelating functionalities (NH(2), COOH, SH or CS(2)) in the interlayer space of montmorillonite. Organic molecules such as (a) hexamethylenediamine, (b) 2-(dimethylamino)ethenethiol, (c) 5-aminovaleric acid and (d) hexamethylenediamine-dithiocarbamate were used for the clay modification in order to study the effect of the chelating functionality on heavy metal ions binding from aqueous solutions. The organoclays were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (FTIR) and NMR spectroscopies. The experimental data showed that the organic molecules are intercalated into the interlamelar space with the long dimension parallel to the clay sheets. Their sorbing properties were evaluated for the removal of heavy metals, Pb, Cd and Zn, from aqueous solutions as a function of the pH. When compared with the unmodified SWy-2 montmorillonite, the modified clays show significant improvement in terms of sorbing selectivity as well as of metal loading capacity. The fit to adsorption data by a Surface Complexation Model shows that the intercalated molecules act as specific binding sites in the clay. These contribute additional sorption capacity which is additive to the variable charge edge-sites of the clay in competition with the permanent charge sites. PMID- 17804009 TI - Monospecific and bispecific antibodies against E. coli O157 for diagnostics. AB - Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a serious human pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis, and occasionally hemolytic uremic syndrome. Identification of the O157 antigen is an essential part of the detection and management of E. coli O157:H7. A quadroma P126 secreting a bispecific hybrid MAb (bsMAb), which recognizes both E. coli O157 and horseradish peroxidase in one molecule was produced by somatic hybridization of hybridomas specific for E. coli O157 and HRPO molecule. A bridge ELISA was used to select the quadromas obtained for bispecific monoclonal antibody purification and characterization. Benzhydroxamic-acid agarose (BHA) affinity co-chromatography was used as a convenient one-step method for purifying the HRPO-bsMAb complex for ultrasensitive diagnostic applications. Sandwich ELISA for detecting E. coli O157:H7 with HRPO-bsMAb allows quick one step detection of spiked E. coli O157:H7. The detection sensitivities were 100 CFU, 750 CFU and 500 CFU per 1 ml of tap water, lake water and apple juice respectively by microtiter assay. E. coli O157:H7 detection with immunofilter ELISA and immunomagnetic ELISA formats was approximately 1 CFU/ml and 10 CFU/ml respectively. BsMAbs avoid enzyme conjugation, has highest specific activity and molecular uniformity without aggregates and contribute to good signal to noise ratios. This new bispecific antibody can be generated and purified from quadroma cultures by affinity co-chromatography in one step and can be used to develop a new generation of assays for public health applications in water, food and human sample testing. PMID- 17804010 TI - Isolation, propagation and characterization of cord blood derived CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells. AB - Regulatory T cells (Treg) have recently come to the fore in studies of immune regulation, particularly in autoimmune disease and cancer. While there appear to be several distinct subsets of T cells with regulatory function, a population described as natural Treg and characterized by expression of the transcription factor FOXP3 has attracted particular interest. These cells can be enriched using the surface markers CD4 and CD25, and cord blood is a convenient source of CD25+ Treg. We present detailed protocols for the enrichment of Treg from cord blood using CD25 and a magnetic bead procedure, yielding populations >80% positive for CD25 and 50-65% FOXP3 positive. This enrichment can be followed by a second magnetic bead or a flow sorting step, yielding >95% CD25 and >65% FOXP3 positive populations. Protocols are presented for propagation of these cells in culture (yielding >80% FOXP3 positive cells) and for their phenotypic and functional characterization. PMID- 17804011 TI - Hock immunization: a humane alternative to mouse footpad injections. AB - Footpad injection is a commonly used immunization method in mice. Being relatively easy to do with well-characterized lymphatic drainage, it has become a very useful immunization protocol to study local immune responses in draining lymph nodes. However, its disadvantages include use of only hind feet as a routine site of immunization since mice use their fore feet for food handling, and exacerbation of inflammation and swelling at the injection site leading to unrelieved pain and distress since feet are weight-bearing structures. With increasingly stringent Institutional guidelines for animal manipulations, there is increasing need for more humane protocols. A novel immunization protocol involving injection into the hock, the lateral tarsal region just above the ankle, a non-weight bearing structure draining to the same lymph node as the footpad, retains the advantages of footpad immunization without its drawbacks. This study, comparing immune responses between footpad and hock immunization in six different inbred mouse strains to two different protein antigens and a heat killed bacterium, shows that hock immunization is a better alternative to footpad immunization, inducing comparable immune responses and being considerably more humane. PMID- 17804012 TI - p66 Trp24 and Phe61 are essential for accurate association of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with primer/template. AB - Preventing dimerization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) constitutes an alternative strategy to abolish virus proliferation. We have previously demonstrated that a short peptide derived from the Trp cluster of the connection domain disrupts the RT dimer by interacting with Trp24 and Phe61 in a cleft located between the fingers and the connection domains of p51. Both Trp24 and Phe61 of p51 are essential for the stability of the RT dimer. Here, in order to understand the requirement of Trp24 and Phe61 in the p66 subunit, we have investigated their implication in the formation of RT primer/template (p/t) complexes and in RT processivity by combining pre-steady state and steady-state kinetics with site-directed mutagenesis. We demonstrate that both residues are essential for proper binding of the p/t and control conformational changes required for RT ordered mechanism. Trp24 and Phe61 act on p/t binding and remodeling of the catalytic site. Phe61G mutation increases the binding "on" rate of both p/t and mismatched p/t, yielding an unfavorable RT-p/t for polymerase catalysis, unable to pursue mispair extension. Considering the structure of unliganded RT, Phe61 seems to be involved in the dynamics of p66 thumb-finger interactions and in stabilization of the p/t in the catalytic site. In contrast, the p66 Trp24G mutation alters the overall kinetics of p/t binding and is essentially involved in stabilizing the RT-p/t complex by contacting the 5' overhang of the template strand. Mutation of both Trp24 and Phe61 alters mispair extension efficiency, suggesting that disruption of the tight contacts between the fingers domain and the 5' overhang of the template strand increases RT fidelity and reduces RT processivity. Taken together, these studies infer that mutations altering the aromatic nature of Phe61 or Trp24 that may occur to counteract peptide inhibitors targeting this region will generate an unstable RT exhibiting low polymerase activity and higher fidelity. As such, our work suggests that the combined application of peptide-based RT dimerization inhibitors is likely to be highly efficient. PMID- 17804013 TI - Folding mechanism of an ankyrin repeat protein: scaffold and active site formation of human CDK inhibitor p19(INK4d). AB - The p19(INK4d) protein consists of five ankyrin repeats (ANK) and controls the human cell cycle by inhibiting the cyclin D-dependent kinases (CDK) 4 and 6. We investigated the folding of p19(INK4d) by urea-induced unfolding transitions, kinetic analyses of unfolding and refolding, including double-mixing experiments and a special assay for folding intermediates. Folding is a sequential two-step reaction via a hyperfluorescent on-pathway intermediate. This intermediate is present under all conditions, during unfolding, refolding and at equilibrium. The folding mechanism was confirmed by a quantitative global fit of a consistent set of equilibrium and kinetic data revealing the thermodynamics and intrinsic folding rates of the different states. Surprisingly, the N<-->I transition is much faster compared to the I<-->U transition. The urea-dependence of the intrinsic folding rates causes population of the intermediate at equilibrium close to the transition midpoint. NMR detected hydrogen/deuterium exchange and the analysis of truncated variants showed that the C-terminal repeats ANK3-5 are already folded in the on-pathway intermediate, whereas the N-terminal repeats 1 and 2 are not folded. We suggest that during refolding, repeats ANK3-ANK5 first form the scaffold for the subsequent assembly of repeats ANK1 and ANK2. The binding function of p19(INK4d) resides in the latter repeats. We propose that the graded stability and the facile unfolding of repeats 1 and 2 is a prerequisite for the down-regulation of the inhibitory activity of p19(INK4d) during the cell cycle. PMID- 17804014 TI - Structure and function of the engineered multicopper oxidase CueO from Escherichia coli--deletion of the methionine-rich helical region covering the substrate-binding site. AB - CueO is a multicopper oxidase (MCO) that is involved in the homeostasis of Cu in Escherichia coli and is the sole cuprous oxidase to have ever been found. Differing from other MCOs, the substrate-binding site of CueO is deeply buried under a methionine-rich helical region including alpha-helices 5, 6, and 7 that interfere with the access of organic substrates. We deleted the region Pro357 His406 and replaced it with a Gly-Gly linker. The crystal structures of a truncated mutant in the presence and in the absence of excess Cu(II) indicated that the scaffold of the CueO molecule and metal-binding sites were reserved in comparison with those of CueO. In addition, the high thermostability of the protein molecule and its spectroscopic and magnetic properties due to four Cu centers were also conserved after truncation. As for functions, the cuprous oxidase activity of the mutant was reduced to ca 10% that of recombinant CueO owing to the decrease in the affinity of the labile Cu site for Cu(I) ions, although activities for laccase substrates such as 2,2'-azino-bis(3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), p-phenylenediamine, and 2,6 dimethoxyphenol increased due to changes in the access of these organic substrates to the type I Cu site. The present engineering of CueO indicates that the methionine-rich alpha-helices function as a barrier to the access of bulky organic substrates, which provides CueO with specificity as a cuprous oxidase. PMID- 17804015 TI - Requirement of helix P2.2 and nucleotide G1 for positioning the cleavage site and cofactor of the glmS ribozyme. AB - The glmS ribozyme is a catalytic RNA that self-cleaves at its 5'-end in the presence of glucosamine 6-phosphate (GlcN6P). We present structures of the glmS ribozyme from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis that are bound with the cofactor GlcN6P or the inhibitor glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) at 1.7 A and 2.2 A resolution, respectively. The two structures are indistinguishable in the conformations of the small molecules and of the RNA. GlcN6P binding becomes apparent crystallographically when the pH is raised to 8.5, where the ribozyme conformation is identical with that observed previously at pH 5.5. A key structural feature of this ribozyme is a short duplex (P2.2) that is formed between sequences just 3' of the cleavage site and within the core domain, and which introduces a pseudoknot into the active site. Mutagenesis indicates that P2.2 is required for activity in cis-acting and trans-acting forms of the ribozyme. P2.2 formation in a trans-acting ribozyme was exploited to demonstrate that N1 of the guanine at position 1 contributes to GlcN6P binding by interacting with the phosphate of the cofactor. At neutral pH, RNAs with adenine, 2 aminopurine, dimethyladenine or purine substitutions at position 1 cleave faster with glucosamine than with GlcN6P. This altered cofactor preference provides biochemical support for the orientation of the cofactor within the active site. Our results establish two features of the glmS ribozyme that are important for its activity: a sequence within the core domain that selects and positions the cleavage-site sequence, and a nucleobase at position 1 that helps position GlcN6P. PMID- 17804016 TI - Intermediate-type 20 S proteasomes in HeLa cells: "asymmetric" subunit composition, diversity and adaptation. AB - The 20 S proteasomes are cylinder-shaped heteromeric dimers with a subunit configuration of alpha7, beta7, beta7, alpha7. Replacement of the three active site-containing standard beta-subunits (beta1, beta2, beta5) by immuno-beta subunits (beta1i, beta2i, beta5i) results in formation of 20 S immuno proteasomes, while only partial replacement leads to intermediate-type proteasomes. Synthesis of immuno-subunits can be induced by interferon-gamma, which causes a complete transformation of three subtypes of standard proteasomes into three subtypes of intermediate-type proteasomes in HeLa cells, a process that results in a change in the proteolytic activities of the enzymes. HeLa cells producing the proteasome beta1-subunit tagged with the Fc region-binding ZZ domain of protein A were grown in the presence of interferon-gamma. From these cells, we have purified 20 S proteasomes by using IgG-affinity resin and analysed them by 2D PAGE. Our study showed that subunit replacement can be confined to one half of the proteasome cylinder, resulting in the formation of intermediate-type proteasomes with "asymmetric" subunit composition. Analysis of proteasomes purified from the cytoplasm, nucleoplasm, and microsomes of HeLa S3 cells reveals that all three compartments are furnished with intermediate-type proteasomes of different subtype and subunit composition, exhibiting different specific proteolytic activities. PMID- 17804017 TI - Investigation of HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, HHV-6 and HHV-8 DNA by real-time PCR in surgical resection materials of epilepsy patients with mesial temporal lobe sclerosis. AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the presence of viral DNAs of HSV-1, HSV-2, HHV-6, HHV-8, and CMV in hippocampus of the patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) syndrome. METHODS: Pathological specimens were obtained from 33 patients with MTLE undergone temporal lobectomy with amygdalo-hippocampectomy due to intractable seizures. Autopsy materials from the hippocampus of 7 patients without neurological disease were used as controls. The data was also correlated with the clinical history of patients including febrile convulsions, age, and history of CNS infections. Real-time polymerase chain reaction method was performed for detection of DNAs of these viruses. RESULTS: HHV-6, HSV-1 and HHV-8 were detected in the hippocampus of 3, 2 and 1 patients with MTLE respectively. None of the hippocampus of patients with MTLE was positive for DNA of HSV-2 and/or CMV. Three patients with positive HHV-6 DNAs had febrile convulsions and family history for epilepsy. None of our control specimens showed PCR positivity to any of the 5 tested viruses. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to report the presence of HHV-8 viral genome in the brain tissue of patient with MTLE. Viral DNAs were detected in a total of 18% of the patients in this study; we can conclude that activity of the latent virus in patients with hippocampal sclerosis should be more extensively studied to establish its role in active infection. PMID- 17804018 TI - Management of non-motor symptoms in advanced Parkinson disease. AB - Progress in pharmacology has markedly improved the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. The management of advanced Parkinson's symptoms, however, remains a challenge. These symptoms are divided into motor and non-motor symptoms. Non motor symptoms may appear early or late in the disease and sometimes even before the onset of the first motor symptoms confirming the diagnosis. The spectrum of non-motor symptoms encompasses autonomic dysfunctions, sleep disorders, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, cognitive dysfunction, dementia, paranoia and hallucinations. They are often less appreciated than motor symptoms but are important sources of disability for many PD patients. This review describes these non-motor symptoms and their managements. PMID- 17804019 TI - The modulatory role of androgens and progestins in the induction of vasorelaxation in human umbilical artery. AB - Sex steroids have been described as protectors of the cardiovascular system and one of their relevant actions is inhibition of vascular tone. However, this information has been derived from animal models. The aim of this study was to investigate the vasorelaxant properties of several progestins and androgens on the vascular tone of human umbilical artery (HUA) to elucidate their potential regulatory role on fetoplacental blood flow. HUA rings, obtained from umbilical cords at vaginal deliveries and cesarean section from term uncomplicated pregnancies, were isometrically recorded and precontracted with either KCl or serotonin. Subsequently, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, progesterone and some of their 5-reduced metabolites were added at different noncumulative concentrations on KCl-induced precontraction. There were significant differences in the vasorelaxing responses to these steroids; excluding 5alpha-pregnandione, the remaining steroids induced concentration-dependent vasorelaxations. In general, androgens were more potent than progestins, with 5beta dihydrotestosterone being the most potent one. These vasorelaxations remained unaffected by inhibitors of transcription and translation, selective steroid receptor antagonists, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor or specific blockers of K(+) channels. Interestingly, the serotonin contraction was significantly less sensitive to steroid-induced vasorelaxation. Moreover, the contraction evoked by Ca(2+) in depolarized tissues (by KCl-Ca(2+) free solution) was prevented by steroids. These data, taken together, suggest that sex steroids (particularly androgens) induce an acute (nongenomically-mediated) vasorelaxing effect on the HUA which may be mediated by: (i) a nitric oxide-independent pathway; and/or (ii) a decrease in external Ca(2+) influx by inactivating Ca(2+) channels, but not by activating K(+) channels. PMID- 17804020 TI - Berberine produces antidepressant-like effects in the forced swim test and in the tail suspension test in mice. AB - This study investigated the effect of berberine (BER) in the mouse forced swim test (FST) and in the tail suspension test (TST), two models predictive of antidepressant activity. We also investigated the antidepressant-like mechanism of BER by the combination of the desipramine [DES, an inhibitor of reuptake of noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT)], maprotiline (MAP, selective NA reuptake inhibitor), fluoxetine (FLU, selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor) and moclobemide [MOC, monoamine oxidase (MAO) A inhibitor). Then we further measured the levels of monoamines [NA, dopamine (DA) and 5-HT) in mice striatum, hippocampus and frontal cortex. The results show that BER (10, 20 mg/kg, p.o.), significantly reduced the immobility time during the FST and the TST. The immobility time after treatment with BER (20 mg/kg, p.o.) in FST was augmented by DES, FLU and MOC, and not affected by MAP. Furthermore, BER (20 mg/kg, p.o.) increased NA and 5-HT levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Our findings support the view that BER exerts antidepressant-like effect. The antidepressant-like mechanism of BER may be related to the increase in NA and 5-HT levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. PMID- 17804021 TI - The use of fish parasites as biological indicators of anthropogenic influences in coral-reef lagoons: a case study of Apogonidae parasites in New-Caledonia. AB - Parasite species have been widely used as fish host migration tag or as indicators of local pollution. In this paper our approach is to consider the entire parasite community as a biological indicator of the fish environmental conditions. Seven fish species belonging to the Apogonidae, Apogon bandanensis, A. cookii, A. doderleini, A. norfolkensis, A. trimaculatus, Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus and Fowleria variegata, were sampled on six stations in two bays (Grand-Rade and Sainte-Marie) around Noumea (New-Caledonia). The two bays are submitted to urban wastewater inputs alone or combined with additional industrial inputs which influences decrease from the inner part to the entrance of each bay. A total of 592 fish were dissected for macro parasite examination. Parasites were grouped according to their taxonomical rank and development stage for the analysis. We found an inconsistent effect of the confinement between the two bays, revealing that the parasite community is not the same in the two bays. Moreover, the encysted metacercariae found in the pericardic cavity were found to be significant indicators of the specific anthropogenically impacted environmental conditions prevailing in the inner parts of the two bays. Other parasite taxa were found to be significant indicators of specific environmental conditions in one or two stations among the six sampled. Results on parasite specificity and biological life cycle of the parasite taxa found in sampled Apogonid were further compared with environmental parameters. PMID- 17804022 TI - Extinction muddles and swindles. PMID- 17804023 TI - Enhancing language performance with non-invasive brain stimulation--a transcranial direct current stimulation study in healthy humans. AB - In humans, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to induce, depending on polarity, increases or decreases of cortical excitability by polarization of the underlying brain tissue. Cognitive enhancement as a result of tDCS has been reported. The purpose of this study was to test whether weak tDCS (current density, 57 microA/cm(2)) can be used to modify language processing. Fifteen healthy subjects performed a visual picture naming task before, during and after tDCS applied over the posterior perisylvian region (PPR), i.e. an area which includes Wernicke's area [BA 22]. Four different sessions were carried out: (1) anodal and (2) cathodal stimulation of left PPR and, for control, (3) anodal stimulation of the homologous region of the right hemisphere and (4) sham stimulation. We found that subjects responded significantly faster following anodal tDCS to the left PPR (p<0.01). No decreases in performance were detected. Our finding of a transient improvement in a language task following the application of tDCS together with previous studies which investigated the modulation of picture naming latency by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and repetitive TMS (rTMS) suggest that tDCS applied to the left PPR (including Wernicke's area [BA 22]) can be used to enhance language processing in healthy subjects. Whether this safe, low cost, and easy to use brain stimulation technique can be used to ameliorate deficits of picture naming in aphasic patients needs further investigations. PMID- 17804024 TI - Colour knowledge in semantic dementia: it is not all black and white. AB - In three experiments we assessed the colour knowledge of patients with semantic dementia, a neuro-degenerative condition that gradually erodes conceptual knowledge. In Experiment 1, the patients' colour naming performance correlated strongly with their object naming for frequency-matched items, with no patient showing better-than-expected naming of colours relative to objects. In Experiment 2, where patients were asked to colour black-and-white line drawings of common objects, all patients were impaired relative to controls, and performance correlated strongly with degree of semantic deficit. The fact that patients often erroneously selected green for fruits or vegetables, and brown for animals, suggests some preservation of general knowledge about the colours that typify a given domain. In Experiment 3, patients were given pairs of identical line drawings of familiar animals, fruits and vegetables--one of each pair coloured correctly, and one incorrectly--and were asked to choose the correct one. When the target's colour was characteristic of the domain, patients scored well; but when the distractor had a typical hue and the target's colour was unusual (e.g. a green versus an orange carrot), performance was far poorer. The results are discussed with reference to alternative theories about the neural basis of conceptual knowledge. PMID- 17804025 TI - Human oscillatory activity associated to reward processing in a gambling task. AB - Previous event-related brain potential (ERP) studies have identified a medial frontal negativity (MFN) in response to negative feedback or monetary losses. In contrast, no EEG correlates have been identified related to the processing of monetary gains or positive feedback. This result is puzzling considering the large number of brain regions involved in the processing of rewards. In the present study we used a gambling task to investigate this issue with trial-by trial wavelet-based time-frequency analysis of the electroencephalographic signal recorded non-invasively in healthy humans. Using this analysis a mediofrontal oscillatory component in the beta range was identified which was associated to monetary gains. In addition, standard time-domain ERP analysis showed an MFN for losses that was associated with an increase in theta power in the time-frequency analysis. We propose that the reward-related beta oscillatory activity signifies the functional coupling of distributed brain regions involved in reward processing. PMID- 17804026 TI - Food color, flavor, and conditioned avoidance among red-winged blackbirds. AB - The relationship between food flavors and postingestive feedback enables mammalian herbivores to procure nutrients and avoid toxins within ever-changing environments. We conducted four experiments with red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in captivity to determine the relative roles of color and flavor cues paired with negative postingestive feedback. We first conducted baseline tests to assess preferences for colors and flavors. All blackbirds preferred red- to blue colored food, and they preferred umami- (l-alanine) flavored to bitter/astringent food (tannic acid). We observed no difference in consumption of salty (NaCl) vs sour (citric acid) foods during baseline tests (i.e., neutral flavors). We then conditioned experimentally naive blackbirds with intraperitoneal injections of lithium chloride (LiCl) to avoid food treated with red and l-alanine, or red and NaCl (n=30 birds per conditioning group). Subsequent to conditioning with LiCl, three test groups were established from each conditioned group to evaluate color and flavor preferences, and preferences for novel color-flavor pairings (e.g., red/tannic acid vs blue/l-alanine). Blackbirds avoided red and salty food throughout the 4-day test. Avoidance conditioned with LiCl extinguished for preferred flavors, but not for colors, of food. Conditioning affected indifference for the otherwise preferred flavor and avoidance for the otherwise neutral flavor. Relative to the neutral-flavor conditioning group, the group conditioned with a preferred flavor exhibited stronger conditioned avoidance of colored food. Unlike conditioned flavor avoidance, birds were conditioned to avoid red food only when blue food was made familiar prior to conditioning. Collectively, these results illustrate that blackbirds used affective processes (flavor-feedback relationships) to shift preference for both novel and familiar flavors, and cognitive associations (colors) to avoid food, subsequent to toxin exposure. We discuss the opportunities afforded by affective and cognitive processing for reducing agricultural damage caused by blackbirds. PMID- 17804027 TI - Penicidones A-C, three cytotoxic alkaloidal metabolites of an endophytic Penicillium sp. AB - Along with the known secondary metabolites lumichrome, physcion, and emodin-1,6 dimethyl ether, three alkaloids named penicidones A-C (1-3) were isolated from the culture of Penicillium sp. IFB-E022, an endophytic fungal strain residing in the stem of Quercus variabilis (Fagaceae). The structures of penicidones A-C were established by a correlative interpretation of spectroscopic data including IR, UV and HR-ESI-MS, as well as by analysis of a set of 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The stereochemistry of compounds 1 and 2 was obtained by comparison of the optical rotation with those of vermistatin and its analogues. Penicidones A-C were the first group of natural products possessing a penicidone framework. Compounds 1-3 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines. PMID- 17804028 TI - The future of metabolic phytochemistry: larger numbers of metabolites, higher resolution, greater understanding. AB - Like all biological disciplines, phytochemical research has seen profound changes in recent years. Whilst enzyme and metabolite purification and characterisation and pathway identification remain vastly important, the relative ease at which we can now obtain genome scale information has facilitated analysis at the level of the metabolic network. In addition, in recent years we have experienced an explosion in the number of plant proteins for which structural information is available. However, despite the presence of sequence information from a growing number of photosynthetic species, the function of many genes, let alone their in vivo roles, remains unclear. This review attempts to provide both an overview of the current state of the art and a perspective of the major challenges that remain. PMID- 17804029 TI - Larvivorous fish against malaria vectors: a new outlook. AB - The use of larvivorous fish in malaria control is not new but a half-forgotten strategy. It has been shown to be effective and sustainable in many circumstances. A strategic action plan targeting relevant sibling species of the vectors as well as application of global positioning system technology to facilitate rapid re-checking of sites for the continuing presence of fish are important new features of this strategy. PMID- 17804030 TI - Darwinian fitness. AB - The term Darwinian fitness refers to the capacity of a variant type to invade and displace the resident population in competition for available resources. Classical models of this dynamical process claim that competitive outcome is a deterministic event which is regulated by the population growth rate, called the Malthusian parameter. Recent analytic studies of the dynamics of competition in terms of diffusion processes show that growth rate predicts invasion success only in populations of infinite size. In populations of finite size, competitive outcome is a stochastic process--contingent on resource constraints--which is determined by the rate at which a population returns to its steady state condition after a random perturbation in the individual birth and death rates. This return rate, a measure of robustness or population stability, is analytically characterized by the demographic parameter, evolutionary entropy, a measure of the uncertainty in the age of the mother of a randomly chosen newborn. This article appeals to computational and numerical methods to contrast the predictive power of the Malthusian and the entropic principles. The computational analysis rejects the Malthusian model and is consistent with of the entropic principle. These studies thus provide support for the general claim that entropy is the appropriate measure of Darwinian fitness and constitutes an evolutionary parameter with broad predictive and explanatory powers. PMID- 17804031 TI - Concentrations of particulate and dissolved cylindrospermopsin in 21 Aphanizomenon-dominated temperate lakes. AB - The cyanobacterial toxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is widely distributed in German lakes, but volumetric data for risk assessment are lacking and it is unclear which cyanobacterial species produce CYN in Europe. We therefore analyzed CYN concentration and cyanobacterial composition of 21 German lakes in 2005. CYN was detected in 19 lakes (102 of 115 samples). In total, 45 samples contained particulate CYN only, and 57 contained both dissolved and particulate CYN. The concentrations were 0.002-0.484 microg L(-1) for particulate CYN and 0.08-11.75 microg L(-1) for dissolved CYN with a maximum of 12.1 microg L(-1) total CYN. A drinking water guideline value of 1 microg L(-1) proposed by Humpage and Falconer [2003. Oral toxicity of the cyanobacterial toxin CYN in male Swiss albino mice: determination of no observed adverse effect level for deriving a drinking water guideline value. Environ. Toxicol. 18, 94-103] was exceeded in 18 samples from eight lakes due to high concentrations of dissolved CYN. CYN occurrence in the German lakes could not be ascribed to the three known CYN-producing species Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Anabaena bergii and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, which were detected in some lakes in low abundances. The highest correlation coefficients were observed between particulate CYN and the native Aphanizomenon gracile. It occurred in 98 CYN-positive samples, was the most abundant Nostocales and was the only Nostocales in five samples. This indicates that A. gracile is a potential CYN producer in German lakes. PMID- 17804033 TI - Stereopsis-dependent deficits in maximum motion displacement in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia. AB - Direction discrimination thresholds for maximum motion displacement (D(max)) have been previously reported to be abnormal in amblyopic children [Ho, C. S., Giaschi, D. E., Boden, C., Dougherty, R., Cline, R., & Lyons, C. (2005). Deficient motion perception in the fellow eye of amblyopic children. Vision Research, 45, 1615-1627; Ho, C. S., & Giaschi, D. E. (2006). Deficient maximum motion displacement in amblyopia. Vision Research, 46, 4595-4603]. We looked at D(max) thresholds for random dot kinematograms (RDKs) biased toward low- or high level motion mechanisms. D(max) is thought to be limited, for high-level motion mechanisms, by the efficiency of object feature tracking and probability of false matches. To reduce the influence of low-level mechanisms, we determined thresholds also for a high-pass filtered version of the RDKs. Performance did not significantly differ between strabismic and anisometropic groups with amblyopia, although both groups performed significantly worse than the age-matched control group. D(max) thresholds were higher for children with poor stereoacuity. This was significant in both anisometropic and strabismic groups, and more robust for high-pass filtered RDKs than for unfiltered RDKs. The results imply that impairment of the extra-striate dorsal stream is a likely part of the neural deficit underlying both strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia. This deficit appears to be more dependent on extent of binocularity than etiology. Our findings suggest a possible relationship between fine stereopsis, coarse stereopsis, and motion correspondence mechanisms. PMID- 17804032 TI - Rat coronaviruses infect rat alveolar type I epithelial cells and induce expression of CXC chemokines. AB - We analyzed the ability of two rat coronavirus (RCoV) strains, sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDAV) and Parker's RCoV (RCoV-P), to infect rat alveolar type I cells and induce chemokine expression. Primary rat alveolar type II cells were transdifferentiated into the type I cell phenotype. Type I cells were productively infected with SDAV and RCoV-P, and both live virus and UV inactivated virus induced mRNA and protein expression of three CXC chemokines: CINC-2, CINC-3, and LIX, which are neutrophil chemoattractants. Dual immunolabeling of type I cells for viral antigen and CXC chemokines showed that chemokines were expressed primarily by uninfected cells. Virus-induced chemokine expression was reduced by the IL-1 receptor antagonist, suggesting that IL-1 produced by infected cells induces uninfected cells to express chemokines. Primary cultures of alveolar epithelial cells are an important model for the early events in viral infection that lead to pulmonary inflammation. PMID- 17804034 TI - Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers associated with consumption of marine and freshwater fish in Hong Kong. AB - Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in market fish have not previously been reported in Hong Kong. Axial and ventral muscles from 10 each common species of freshwater and marine fish purchased from markets in Hong Kong were analyzed for 22 PBDEs. Among the 10 freshwater fish species, spotted snakehead (Channa maculate) contained the highest level of PBDEs in ventral muscle (130 ng g(-1) wet wt.). For marine fish, bigeye (Priacanthus macracanthus) showed significantly higher levels of PBDEs (60.7 ng g(-1)wet wt. in ventral tissue) than all other marine species. The levels of PBDEs in fish samples ranged from 0.53 to 130 ng g(-1)wetwt. The tetrabrominated congener BDE-47 and pentabrominated BDE-99 were the predominant congeners, which accounted for 27% and 30%, respectively, of the total PBDEs. Daily PBDE intake was calculated according to the different fish consumption rate for Hong Kong consumers, and the results ranged from 222 to 1198 ng day(-1) for marine fish and 403-2170 ng day( 1) for freshwater fish. The daily PBDE intake from fish reported here were higher than those reported from the United States (8.94-15.7 ng day(-1)) and Europe (14 23.1 ng day(-1)). PMID- 17804035 TI - Photodegradation fates of cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, and heptachlor in ethanol. AB - cis-Chlordane, trans-chlordane, and heptachlor were photodegraded in ethanol, and their degradation fates and degradation products were determined by a computational chemical method. The most degradable material was heptachlor (first order reaction constant k=0.13 min(-1)). Chlorine balances changed during UV irradiation, and the chlorine atoms in chlordane and heptachlor were eventually mineralized. cis-Chlordane, trans-chlordane and heptachlor each generated two di dechlorinated products. Reactivities at various positions in these compounds were predicted on the basis of bond dissociation energies calculated by nonempirical molecular orbital calculation (Gaussian 98W). PMID- 17804036 TI - The Laetoli footprints and early hominin locomotor kinematics. AB - A critical question in human evolution is whether the earliest bipeds walked with a bent-hip, bent-knee gait or on more extended hindlimbs. The differences between these gaits are not trivial, because the adoption of either has important implications for the evolution of bipedalism. In this study, we re-examined the Laetoli footprints to determine whether they can provide information on the locomotor posture of early hominins. Previous researchers have suggested that the stride lengths of Laetoli hominins fall within the range of modern human stride lengths and therefore, Laetoli hominins walked with modern-human-like kinematics. Using a dynamic-similarity analysis, we compared Laetoli hominin stride lengths with those of both modern humans and chimpanzees. Our results indicate that Laetoli hominins could have used either a bent-hip, bent-knee gait, similar to a chimpanzee, or an extended-hindlimb gait, similar to a human. In fact, our data suggest that the Laetoli hominins could have walked near their preferred speeds using either limb posture. This result contrasts with most previous studies, which suggest relatively slow walking speeds for these early bipeds. Despite the many attempts to discern limb-joint kinematics from Laetoli stride lengths, our study concludes that stride lengths alone do not resolve the debate over early hominin locomotor postures. PMID- 17804037 TI - Fertility and mortality patterns of captive Bornean and Sumatran orangutans: is there a species difference in life history? AB - Across broad taxonomic groups, life history models predict that increased ecological predictability will lead to conservative investment in reproductive effort. Within species, however, organisms are predicted to have increased reproductive rates under improved environmental conditions. It is not clear how these models apply to closely-related species. In this paper, we examine predictions from these models as applied to variability in reproductive rates between the two species of orangutans, Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean) and Pongo abelii (Sumatran). Orangutans exhibit characteristics of a "slow" life history strategy with large bodies, late age at maturity, low reproductive rates, and long lifespan. Recently, researchers proposed that Sumatran orangutans may have an even slower life history than Bornean orangutans as a result of ecological and genetic differences (Wich et al., 2004). We examined this hypothesis by studying important aspects of life history of both species under conditions of relative ecological stability, in captivity. In this large dataset, there were no significant species differences in age of first or last reproduction, completed fertility, perinatal and postnatal mortality, or female longevity. Bornean orangutans in captivity did have significantly longer interbirth intervals, and male Bornean orangutans had higher survival past maturity. Our results do not support the hypothesis that selection has led to decreased reproductive effort under conditions of increased habitat quality in Sumatra (Wich et al., 2004), and instead suggest that phenotypic flexibility may be particularly important in explaining differences between closely related species. PMID- 17804038 TI - Human hyoid bones from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). AB - This study describes and compares two hyoid bones from the middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain). The Atapuerca SH hyoids are humanlike in both their morphology and dimensions, and they clearly differ from the hyoid bones of chimpanzees and Australopithecus afarensis. Their comparison with the Neandertal specimens Kebara 2 and SDR-034 makes it possible to begin to approach the question of temporal variation and sexual dimorphism in this bone in fossil humans. The results presented here show that the degree of metric and anatomical variation in the fossil sample was similar in magnitude and kind to living humans. Modern hyoid morphology was present by at least 530 kya and appears to represent a shared derived feature of the modern human and Neandertal evolutionary lineages inherited from their last common ancestor. PMID- 17804039 TI - Effects of molecular weight of natural organic matter on cadmium mobility in soil environments and its carbon isotope characteristics. AB - We investigated the role of natural organic matter in cadmium mobility in soil environments. We collected the dissolved organic matter from two different types of natural waters: pond surface water, which is oxic, and deep anoxic groundwater. The collected organic matter was fractionated into four groups with molecular weights (unit: Da (Daltons)) of <1 x 10(3), 1-10 x 10(3), 10-100 x 10(3), and >100 x 10(3). The organic matter source was land plants, based on the carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C/(12)C). The organic matter in surface water originated from presently growing land plants, based on (14)C dating, but the organic matter in deep groundwater originated from land plants that grew approximately 4000 years ago. However, some carbon was supplied by the high molecular-weight fraction of humic substances in soil or sediments. Cadmium interacted in a system of siliceous sand, fractionated organic matter, and water. The lowest molecular weight fraction of organic matter (<1 x 10(3)) bound more cadmium than did the higher molecular weight fractions. Organic matter in deep groundwater was more strongly bound to cadmium than was organic matter in surface water. The binding behaviours of organic matter with cadmium depended on concentration, age, molecular weight, and degradation conditions of the organic matter in natural waters. Consequently, the dissolved, low-molecular-weight fraction in organic matter strongly influences cadmium migration and mobility in the environment. PMID- 17804040 TI - Field trials to assess the use of iron-bearing industrial by-products for stabilisation of chromated copper arsenate-contaminated soil. AB - Two industrial by-products with high iron contents were tested for their effectiveness in the stabilisation of arsenic and trace metals in chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-contaminated soil. Steel abrasive (SA; 97% Fe(0)) and oxygen scarfing granulate (OSG; 69% Fe(3)O(4)) were applied at levels of 1% and 8% (w/w) respectively to two soils with different organic matter contents. Field lysimeter measurements indicated that SA and OSG treatments decreased the arsenic concentration in pore water by 68% and 92%, respectively, for the soil with low organic matter content, and by about 30% in pore water of soil with high organic matter content. At pH < or =6, the amended soil with low organic content contained elevated levels of manganese and nickel in their pore water, which were sufficient to induce cytotoxic effects in L-929 mouse fibroblast cells. The industrial by-products have significant potential for soil amendment at field scale, but caution is required because of the potential release of their chemical contaminants and their reduced capacity for sorption of arsenic in organic-rich soils. PMID- 17804041 TI - Toxicological assessment of indium nitrate on aquatic organisms and investigation of the effects on the PLHC-1 fish cell line. AB - Indium nitrate is mainly used as a semiconductor in batteries, for plating and other chemical and medical applications. There is a lack of available information about the adverse effects of indium compounds on aquatic organisms. Therefore, the toxic effects on systems from four trophic levels of the aquatic ecosystem were investigated. Firstly, the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, the alga Chlorella vulgaris and the cladoceran Daphnia magna were used in the toxicological evaluation of indium nitrate. The most sensitive model was V. fischeri, with a NOAEL of 0.02 and an EC(50) of 0.04 mM at 15 min. Although indium nitrate should be classified as harmful to aquatic organisms, it is not expected to represent acute risk to the aquatic biota. Secondly, PLHC-1 fish cell line was employed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of toxicity. Although protein content, neutral red uptake, methylthiazol metabolization, lysosomal function and acetylcholinesterase activity were reduced in cells, stimulations were observed for metallothionein levels and succinate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. No changes were observed in ethoxyresorufin-O deethylase activity. To clarify the main events in PLHC-1 cell death induced by indium nitrate, nine modulators were applied. They were related to oxidative stress (alpha-tocopherol succinate, mannitol and sodium benzoate), disruption of calcium homeostasis (BAPTA-AM and EGTA), thiol protection (1,4-dithiotreitol), iron chelation (deferoxiamine) or regulation of glutathione levels (2 oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid and malic acid diethyl ester). The main morphological alterations were hydropic degeneration and loss of cells. At least, in partly, toxicity seems to be mediated by oxidative stress, and particularly by NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation. PMID- 17804042 TI - Greenhouse gas production in a pond sediment: effects of temperature, nitrate, acetate and season. AB - In this paper we investigate the impact of nitrate (NO(3)(-)) concentration and temperature on the production of carbon dioxide (CO(2)), methane (CH(4)) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O). We studied sediment collected during spring, summer and autumn from a constructed pond in South Sweden. Homogenised sediment samples were dark incubated in vitro under N(2) atmosphere at 13 degrees C and 20 degrees C after addition of five NO(3)(-) concentrations, between 0 and 16 mg NO(3)(-)-N per litre. We found higher net production of N(2)O and CO(2) at the higher temperature. Moreover, increased NO(3)(-) concentrations had strong positive impact on the N(2)O concentration, but no effect on CH(4) and CO(2) production. The lack of response in CO(2) is suggested to be due to the use of alternative oxidants as electron acceptors. Interaction between NO(3)(-) and temperature suggests a further increase of N(2)O net production when both NO(3)(-) and temperature are high. Our interpretation of the CH(4) data is that at high concentrations of NO(3)(-) temperature is of less importance for CH(4) production. We also found that at 13 degrees C CH(4) production was substrate limited and that the addition of acetate increased CH(4) as well as CO(2) production. There was a seasonal effect on gas production potential, with more CH(4) and N(2)O produced in spring than in summer. Re-calculation of the gas concentrations into global warming potential (GWP) units (i.e. CO(2), CH(4), and N(2)O transferred to CO(2) equivalents) shows that GWP increases with temperature. However, under environmental conditions generally occurring in South Swedish ponds, i.e. low temperature and high NO(3)(-) concentration during spring and high temperature and low NO(3)(-) concentration during summer, NO(3)(-) concentration is of minor importance. PMID- 17804043 TI - Are patients with thrombophilia and previous venous thromboembolism at higher risk to arterial thrombosis? AB - INTRODUCTION: Whether thrombophilic disorders, which are established risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE), also increase the risk of arterial thrombosis is still unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from 1081 consecutive patients (649 F/432 M, 16-93 years of age) with previous VTE registered in the MAISTHRO (MAin-ISar-THROmbosis) database with regard to arterial thrombotic events and contributing risk factors. Screening for thrombophilia included testing for factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A mutation, antiphospholipid antibodies and activities of factor VIII, protein C, protein S and antithrombin. RESULTS: Of the entire study cohort, 40 patients (3.7%) had a prior myocardial infarction (MI), and 41 (3.8%) suffered a stroke. Other arterial thrombotic events were rare. Elevated factor VIII levels were more prevalent in MI patients than in controls (44.4 vs. 25.9%, p=0.044), but after adjusting for the traditional cardiovascular risk factors, this relationship was no longer significant. We observed a higher rate of lupus anticoagulant in MI patients with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.3 (95%CI 0.84-12.8, p=0.090). No difference in any other tested thrombophilia was observed in patients with MI or stroke relative to those without. CONCLUSION: The cumulative incidence of arterial thrombotic events in VTE patients is low, and the inherited thrombophilias do not seem to substantially increase the risk of arterial thrombosis. PMID- 17804044 TI - Chemotherapy for recurrent cervical cancer. AB - OBJECTIVE: To give an overview of chemotherapy schemes used in recurrent cervical cancer. METHODS: A pubmed search was performed using chemotherapy and recurrent cervical cancer including articles until April 2007. RESULTS: Most recent articles and articles of interest are discussed. CONCLUSION: Single agent cisplatin (50 mg/m2) remains the current standard for recurrent cervical cancer. Numerous chemotherapeutic agents have been tested but did not show convincing evidence of improved survival rates, except for the GOG 179 study which showed an improved survival for the combination of cisplatin and topotecan compared with single agent cisplatin. However, nearly 60% of patients in both groups received prior cisplatinum therapy as a radiosensitizer, which could be responsible for the development of platinum resistance, causing lower response and survival rates in the single platinum group. Hence, the apparent benefit in the doublet group is maybe just a reflection from the change in primary therapy and patient population. It is hoped that current trials comparing standard therapy with other single or doublet chemotherapeutic regimens or that the use of molecular-targeted agents will give us promising therapeutic options in the future. PMID- 17804045 TI - British adults' views on the health benefits of moderate and vigorous activity. AB - OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that the promotion of moderate-intensity physical activity has created a widespread belief that moderate activity offers greater health benefits than vigorous activity. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis in Britain, where moderate activity has solely been recommended since 1995. METHODS: Nationally representative survey of 1191 Britons aged 16-65 surveyed from March 3rd to May 12th 2006. RESULTS: In support of the hypothesis, 56% of men and 71% of women aged 25-65 indicated that moderate activity offered greater health benefits than vigorous activity and indicated that moderate activity was recommended. CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers have an obligation to equip the public to make fully informed decisions about physical activity and health. British physical activity guidelines should be amended because most men and women erroneously believe that moderate activity offers greater health benefits than vigorous activity. PMID- 17804046 TI - Reducing underage cigarette sales in an isolated community: the effect on adolescent cigarette supplies. AB - OBJECTIVE: The current study explored the practicality of preventing underage retail cigarette sales and the relationship to cigarette supplies among adolescents. METHOD: In Fort Morgan, Colorado, an isolated rural community with below-average socioeconomic status and a large Latino population, supervised teenaged employees repeatedly attempted to buy cigarettes from every store over a 9-month period in 2005. Repeated violations were penalized. Cigarette acquisition and exchange among community adolescents were assessed before and after intervention using a high school student survey. RESULTS: The measured violation rate declined from 47% in the first week to 3.4% during the final three months, and high school student reliance on retail cigarette purchases declined. Adolescent cigarette supplies declined by approximately 15%. CONCLUSION: Isolated rural communities can reduce adolescent cigarette supplies by conducting consistent enforcement against retail cigarette sales to minors. Previous research suggests that reducing these sales may help reduce adolescent smoking. The current study demonstrates that enforcement is practical and effective. PMID- 17804047 TI - Kids on bikes: a community intervention. PMID- 17804048 TI - Familial risk and colorectal cancer screening health beliefs and attitudes in an insured population. AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between health beliefs and attitudes toward colorectal cancer screening, strength of family history risk, and being appropriately screened for colorectal cancer. METHODS: In February 2004, 7000 randomly selected members of a multi-specialty group practice located in Boston, MA were mailed a brief survey that was used to ascertain colorectal cancer family history. A follow-up survey that contained questions representing selected constructs of the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and healthcare experiences was then mailed to all 355 individuals who reported a family history in the initial survey and 710 randomly selected participants with no colorectal cancer family history. RESULTS: Participants who were appropriately screened had higher mean scores for perceived cancer risk, subjective norms, and perceived benefits and lower scores for perceived barriers. Multivariate findings indicate that having high perceptions of risk for colorectal cancer was a significant correlate of being screened appropriately among individuals with a strong family history. CONCLUSIONS: For those at greatest colorectal cancer risk due to family history, ensuring that these individuals understand their personal risk might lead to increased colorectal cancer screening participation. Future intervention research is warranted to examine if raising perceptions of risk can increase screening behaviors in individuals with colorectal cancer risk due to family history. PMID- 17804049 TI - Steroid hormones (17beta-estradiol and hydrocortisone) upregulate hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-3beta and insulin-like growth factors I and II expression in the gonads of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) in vitro. AB - Hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF-1alpha, -1beta and -3beta) and insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and -II), which are involved in liver-specific gene expression, metabolism, development and cell growth, have been found in the gonads of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). However, the functions of these factors and how they interact within the gonads of bony fish are not understood. In the present study, we provided experimental evidence that the expression of HNF-3beta in the gonads of tilapia, but not HNF-1alpha and -1beta, was affected in vitro by 17beta-estradiol and hydrocortisone. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed that tilapia HNF-3beta was mainly found in the nuclei of hepatocytes, the follicular granulosa cells of the ovaries, and the interstitial cells of the testes of adult tilapia. Further data were gathered at various steroid concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 nM) over various culture intervals (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 h) and subjected to semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The expression of downstream genes (IGF-I and -II) followed the same temporal patterns as HNF-3beta, albeit at decreased levels for 30 and 36 h culture intervals. Both hormones upregulated HNF-3beta mRNA expression at concentrations of 0.1-10 nM, and reached optimal physiological concentrations for induction of IGFs at 1-10 nM. The identity of the PCR fragments was concurrently verified by sequencing and PCR-Southern hybridization. We inferred that HNF-3beta and IGFs may play a regulatory role in tilapia gonads during oocyte maturation and spermatogenesis. PMID- 17804050 TI - Offspring derived from oocytes injected with rat sperm, frozen or freeze-dried without cryoprotection. AB - Sperm preservation is a valuable technique for maintaining genetic resources in biomedical research. In the present study, 10mM Tris-HCl and 1mM EDTA (TE buffer; a simple solution without cryoprotection), was used to freeze or freeze-dry rat sperm. The results were compared with rat sperm frozen using a solution containing Equex STM and egg yolk. Sperm from Wistar and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were evaluated by injecting them individually into oocytes derived from the same strain. Of the oocytes that survived after sperm injection, more than 94% were fertilized in all treatments of both strains. In the Wistar rat, 27, 20, 43, and 30% of 2-cell embryos developed to blastocysts, and 35, 9, 11, and 14% of 2-cell embryos developed to offspring from oocytes injected with fresh, frozen (Equex STM/egg yolk), frozen (TE buffer), and freeze-dried sperm, respectively. Using the analagous sources of sperm in the SD rat, 45, 14, 27, and 7% of 2-cell embryos developed to blastocysts, and 22, 0, 14, and 4% of 2-cell embryos developed to offspring. These results demonstrated that rat sperm could be frozen or freeze-dried using TE buffer. We concluded that this simple preservation method, in which cryoprotection was not required, allowed sperm to be preserved efficiently with maintenance of their fertilizing ability. PMID- 17804051 TI - Photopolymerization of N,N-dimethylaminobenzyl alcohol as amine co-initiator for light-cured dental resins. AB - OBJECTIVE: The present study was carried out in order to assess the suitability of N,N-dimethylaminobenzyl alcohol (DMOH) as co-initiator of camphorquinone (CQ) and 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione (PPD) in light-cured dental resins. METHODS: DMOH was synthesized and used as co-initiator for the photopolymerization of a model resin based on {2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloxyprop-1-oxy)phenyl]propane} (Bis-GMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Experimental formulations containing CQ or PPD in combination with DMOH at different concentrations were studied. The photopolymerization was carried out by means of a commercial light emitting diode (LED) curing unit. The evolution of double bonds consumption versus irradiation time was followed by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). The photon absorption efficiency (PAE) of the photopolymerization process was calculated from the spectral distribution of the LED unit and the molar absorption coefficient distributions of PPD and CQ. RESULTS: DMOH is an efficient photoreducer of CQ and PPD resulting in higher polymerization rate and higher double bond conversion compared with dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate. The PAE for PPD was higher than that for CQ. However, the polymerization initiated by PPD progressed at a lower rate and exhibited lower values of final conversion compared with the resins containing CQ. This observation indicates that the lower polymerization rate of the PPD/amine system should be explained in terms of the mechanism of generating primary radicals by PPD, which is less efficient compared with CQ. SIGNIFICANCE: The DMOH/benzoyl peroxide redox system, has recently been proposed as a more biocompatible accelerator for the polymerization of bone cements based on poly(methyl methacrylate), because cytotoxity tests have demonstrated that DMOH possesses better biocompatibility properties compared with traditional tertiary amines. The results obtained in the present study reveal the suitability of the CQ/DMOH initiator system for the polymerization of light-cured dental composites. PMID- 17804052 TI - Mental health systems in countries: where are we now? AB - More than 85% of the world's population lives in 153 low-income and middle-income countries (LAMICs). Although country-level information on mental health systems has recently become available, it still has substantial gaps and inconsistencies. Most of these countries allocate very scarce financial resources and have grossly inadequate manpower and infrastructure for mental health. Many LAMICs also lack mental health policy and legislation to direct their mental health programmes and services, which is of particular concern in Africa and South East Asia. Different components of mental health systems seem to vary greatly, even in the same-income categories, with some countries having developed their mental health system despite their low-income levels. These examples need careful scrutiny to derive useful lessons. Furthermore, mental health resources in countries seem to be related as much to measures of general health as to economic and developmental indicators, arguing for improved prioritisation for mental health even in low resource settings. Increased emphasis on mental health, improved resources, and enhanced monitoring of the situation in countries is called for to advance global mental health. PMID- 17804053 TI - Mental health and global movement of people. PMID- 17804054 TI - Nurses and mental health services in developing countries. PMID- 17804055 TI - Mental health and the mass media: room for improvement. PMID- 17804056 TI - Promotion of mental health in poorly resourced countries. PMID- 17804057 TI - Mental health and human rights. PMID- 17804058 TI - Treatment and prevention of mental disorders in low-income and middle-income countries. AB - We review the evidence on effectiveness of interventions for the treatment and prevention of selected mental disorders in low-income and middle-income countries. Depression can be treated effectively in such countries with low-cost antidepressants or with psychological interventions (such as cognitive-behaviour therapy and interpersonal therapies). Stepped-care and collaborative models provide a framework for integration of drug and psychological treatments and help to improve rates of adherence to treatment. First-generation antipsychotic drugs are effective and cost effective for the treatment of schizophrenia; their benefits can be enhanced by psychosocial treatments, such as community-based models of care. Brief interventions delivered by primary-care professionals are effective for management of hazardous alcohol use, and pharmacological and psychosocial interventions have some benefits for people with alcohol dependence. Policies designed to reduce consumption, such as increased taxes and other control strategies, can reduce the population burden of alcohol abuse. Evidence about the efficacy of interventions for developmental disabilities is inadequate, but community-based rehabilitation models provide a low-cost, integrative framework for care of children and adults with chronic mental disabilities. Evidence for mental health interventions for people who are exposed to conflict and other disasters is still weak-especially for interventions in the midst of emergencies. Some trials of interventions for prevention of depression and developmental delays in low-income and middle-income countries show beneficial effects. Interventions for depression, delivered in primary care, are as cost effective as antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS. The process and effectiveness of scaling up mental health interventions has not been adequately assessed. Such research is needed to inform the continuing process of service reform and innovation. However, we recommend that policymakers should act on the available evidence to scale up effective and cost-effective treatments and preventive interventions for mental disorders. PMID- 17804059 TI - Scale up services for mental disorders: a call for action. AB - We call for the global health community, governments, donors, multilateral agencies, and other mental health stakeholders, such as professional bodies and consumer groups, to scale up the coverage of services for mental disorders in all countries, but especially in low-income and middle-income countries. We argue that a basic, evidence-based package of services for core mental disorders should be scaled up, and that protection of the human rights of people with mental disorders and their families should be strengthened. Three questions are critical to the scaling-up process. What resources are needed? How can progress towards these goals be monitored? What should be the priorities for mental health research? To address these questions, we first estimated that the amount needed to provide services on the necessary scale would be US$2 per person per year in low-income countries and $3-4 in lower middle-income countries, which is modest compared with the requirements for scaling-up of services for other major contributors to the global burden of disease. Second, we identified a series of core and secondary indicators to track the progress that countries make toward achievement of mental health goals; many of these indicators are already routinely monitored in many countries. Third, we did a priority-setting exercise to identify gaps in the evidence base in global mental health for four categories of mental disorders. We show that funding should be given to research that develops and assesses interventions that can be delivered by people who are not mental health professionals, and that assesses how health systems can scale up such interventions across all routine-care settings. We discuss strategies to overcome the five main barriers to scaling-up of services for mental disorders; one major strategy will be sustained advocacy by diverse stakeholders, especially to target multilateral agencies, donors, and governments. This Series has provided the evidence for advocacy. Now we need political will and solidarity, above all from the global health community, to translate this evidence into action. The time to act is now. PMID- 17804060 TI - Users' networks for Africans with mental disorders. PMID- 17804061 TI - Barriers to improvement of mental health services in low-income and middle-income countries. AB - Despite the publication of high-profile reports and promising activities in several countries, progress in mental health service development has been slow in most low-income and middle-income countries. We reviewed barriers to mental health service development through a qualitative survey of international mental health experts and leaders. Barriers include the prevailing public-health priority agenda and its effect on funding; the complexity of and resistance to decentralisation of mental health services; challenges to implementation of mental health care in primary-care settings; the low numbers and few types of workers who are trained and supervised in mental health care; and the frequent scarcity of public-health perspectives in mental health leadership. Many of the barriers to progress in improvement of mental health services can be overcome by generation of political will for the organisation of accessible and humane mental health care. Advocates for people with mental disorders will need to clarify and collaborate on their messages. Resistance to decentralisation of resources must be overcome, especially in many mental health professionals and hospital workers. Mental health investments in primary care are important but are unlikely to be sustained unless they are preceded or accompanied by the development of community mental health services, to allow for training, supervision, and continuous support for primary care workers. Mobilisation and recognition of non-formal resources in the community must be stepped up. Community members without formal professional training and people who have mental disorders and their family members, need to partake in advocacy and service delivery. Population-wide progress in access to humane mental health care will depend on substantially more attention to politics, leadership, planning, advocacy, and participation. PMID- 17804062 TI - Resources for mental health: scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency. AB - Resources for mental health include policy and infrastructure within countries, mental health services, community resources, human resources, and funding. We discuss here the general availability of these resources, especially in low income and middle-income countries. Government spending on mental health in most of the relevant countries is far lower than is needed, based on the proportionate burden of mental disorders and the availability of cost-effective and affordable interventions. The poorest countries spend the lowest percentages of their overall health budgets on mental health. Most care is now institutionally based, and the transition to community care would require additional funds that have not been made available in most countries. Human resources available for mental health care in most low-income and middle-income countries are very limited, and shortages are likely to persist. Not only are resources for mental health scarce, they are also inequitably distributed-between countries, between regions, and within communities. Populations with high rates of socioeconomic deprivation have the highest need for mental health care, but the lowest access to it. Stigma about mental disorders also constrains use of available resources. People with mental illnesses are also vulnerable to abuse of their human rights. Inefficiencies in the use of available resources for mental health care include allocative and technical inefficiencies in financing mechanisms and interventions, and an overconcentration of resources in large institutions. Scarcity of available resources, inequities in their distribution, and inefficiencies in their use pose the three main obstacles to better mental health, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. PMID- 17804063 TI - No health without mental health. AB - About 14% of the global burden of disease has been attributed to neuropsychiatric disorders, mostly due to the chronically disabling nature of depression and other common mental disorders, alcohol-use and substance-use disorders, and psychoses. Such estimates have drawn attention to the importance of mental disorders for public health. However, because they stress the separate contributions of mental and physical disorders to disability and mortality, they might have entrenched the alienation of mental health from mainstream efforts to improve health and reduce poverty. The burden of mental disorders is likely to have been underestimated because of inadequate appreciation of the connectedness between mental illness and other health conditions. Because these interactions are protean, there can be no health without mental health. Mental disorders increase risk for communicable and non-communicable diseases, and contribute to unintentional and intentional injury. Conversely, many health conditions increase the risk for mental disorder, and comorbidity complicates help-seeking, diagnosis, and treatment, and influences prognosis. Health services are not provided equitably to people with mental disorders, and the quality of care for both mental and physical health conditions for these people could be improved. We need to develop and evaluate psychosocial interventions that can be integrated into management of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Health-care systems should be strengthened to improve delivery of mental health care, by focusing on existing programmes and activities, such as those which address the prevention and treatment of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria; gender-based violence; antenatal care; integrated management of childhood illnesses and child nutrition; and innovative management of chronic disease. An explicit mental health budget might need to be allocated for such activities. Mental health affects progress towards the achievement of several Millennium Development Goals, such as promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Mental health awareness needs to be integrated into all aspects of health and social policy, health-system planning, and delivery of primary and secondary general health care. PMID- 17804064 TI - Stigma and mental health. PMID- 17804065 TI - Launching a new movement for mental health. PMID- 17804066 TI - Male patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib involved in healthy pregnancies: report of five cases. PMID- 17804067 TI - NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species are responsible for the high susceptibility to arsenic cytotoxicity in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells. AB - We have previously demonstrated that an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) derived cell line NB4 exhibited a relatively higher basal level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than other leukemia cell lines, which is one of the mechanisms determining a higher apoptotic susceptibility of NB4 cells to arsenic trioxide (ATO)-induced apoptosis. Here we identified the source of the basal ROS generation in NB4 cells. We demonstrated the existence of all the components of phagocytic NADPH oxidase in NB4 cells and found that this oxidase could be effectively activated. The basal ROS generation in NB4 cells could be blocked by diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, but not by inhibitors of mitochondria respiratory chain, implying that NADPH oxidase played an essential role in maintaining the basal ROS level in NB4 cells. Furthermore, ATO induced cytotoxicity was reduced by pre-treatment with DPI in NB4 cells, suggesting the involvement of NADPH oxidase in ATO-induced cytotoxicity. Therefore, increasing the NADPH oxidase activity may be a novel mechanism to enhance cytotoxicity induced by anticancer agents. PMID- 17804068 TI - Cognitive processes associated with child neglect. AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare neglectful and non-neglectful mothers on information processing tasks related to child emotions, behaviors, the caregiving relationship, and recall of child-related information. METHOD: A natural group design was used. Neglectful mothers (N=34) were chosen from active, chronic caseloads; non-neglectful comparison mothers (N=33) were obtained from community agencies serving families. Participants were administered the IFEEL Picture task to assess maternal perceptions of infant emotions, eight vignettes of young children's behavior to assess attributions for child behavior across different scenarios, and a passage recall task to assess information processing problems. A measure of depression was used as a covariate to control for this variable. RESULTS: Neglectful mothers were significantly less likely to recognize infants' feelings of interest, more likely to see sadness and shame, more inaccurate at labeling infants' emotions, and had a more limited emotion vocabulary. They also made more internal and stable attributions for children's behaviors in situations where it was not clear whether a child was at risk of harm, and had poor recall of information. Depressive symptoms had little effect on these findings with the exception of information recall. CONCLUSIONS: Neglectful mothers show significant problems in information processing concerning their child's emotions and behaviors, which may affect their childrearing behavior. Cognitive-behavioral interventions to improve parents' abilities to recognize their child's emotions and to address maladaptive attributions may be of value. PMID- 17804069 TI - Pathogenic 'Bison-type' Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis genotype characterized from riverine buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in North India. AB - Despite low per-animal productivity of ruminants in developing countries, Johne's disease has not been investigated in buffaloes, which are primarily found in these countries. This is due to lack of expertise, diagnostic kits and priority to production diseases like Johne's disease. Presence of pathogenic Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) was investigated by screening of target tissues (mesenteric lymph nodes and large intestine) by culture and IS 900 PCR, in 50 sacrificed buffaloes. Indigenous ELISA kit originally developed for goats and sheep was standardized in buffaloes and used to estimate sero-presence of Map in 167 serum samples representing population of buffaloes in Agra region of North India. In culture, 48.0% buffaloes were positive from 50 tissues each from mesenteric lymph nodes (34.0%) and large intestine (36.0%). IS 900 PCR was standardized using specific primers (150 C and 921) and 229 bp-amplified product was characteristic for Map. Of the 25 mesenteric lymph nodes, 40.0% were positive in IS 900 PCR. Genomic DNA from Map cultures was successfully amplified from all the 24 isolates (100.0%). Map was further genotyped as 'Bison type' using IS 1311 PCR-REA. Culture of tissues showed high presence of Map in target tissues, despite high culling rate in buffalos in view of high demand of buffalo meat. Specific tissue-PCR provided rapid confirmation of Map infection in sacrificed buffaloes. In tissue-PCR, all the cultures were positive as compared to 40.0% detected directly from tissues. ELISA kit using indigenous protoplasmic antigen was highly sensitive as compared to commercial antigen in detecting Map infection therefore, could be used as 'Herd Screening Test' in buffaloes against Johne's disease. This pilot study first time reports a highly pathogenic 'Bison-type' genotype of M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis from the riverine buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) of Agra region in North India. PMID- 17804070 TI - Characterisation, dissemination and persistence of gentamicin resistant Escherichia coli from a Danish university hospital to the waste water environment. AB - The aim of the study was to investigate the potential spread of gentamicin resistant (GEN(R)) Escherichia coli isolates or GEN(R) determinants from a Danish university hospital to the waste water environment. Waste water samples were collected monthly from the outlets of the hospital bed wards and the inlet of the related waste water treatment plant (WWTP) from October 2002 to August 2003. Waste water samples were also collected monthly from a residential area in the same period to be able to compare the prevalence of GEN(R)E. coli isolates from hospital related and residential waste water. The waste water isolates were compared to GEN(R)E. coli isolates obtained consecutively from September 2002 to September 2003 from patients mainly with urinary tract infections at the hospital with respect to Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles. All isolates were investigated for GEN(R) mechanisms (aac(3)-II, aac(3)-IV, ant(2'')-I, armA), phenotypic resistance pattern, and virulence genes (hlyA, chuA, sfaS, fogG, malX, traT, iutA, fyuA, iroN, cnf1) to investigate if the hospital and waste water could be reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance and virulence. The ability for GEN(R) determinants to transfer horizontally was investigated by mating experiments. A total of 38, 15, 21, and two GEN(R)E. coli were isolated from patients, the hospital outlets, the inlet of the WWTP, and the residential area, respectively. GEN(R)E. coli were more prevalent in waste water from the hospital and the WWTP than in waste water from the residential area. PFGE profiling revealed no spread of specific patient isolates to the waste water. The aac(3)-II gene was detected both in patient and waste water isolates. Furthermore horizontal transfer of the aac(3)-II gene of patient origin to a recipient was shown in vitro, indicating a potential spread of the gene from patient isolates to waste water isolates. Regardless of origin, most isolates exhibited multi resistance and contained several virulence genes. In conclusion, our study showed a possible spread of aac(3)-II from the hospital to the waste water. Most of the GEN(R)E. coli isolates from both patients and waste water had a multi-resistant phenotype and contained virulence genes and should therefore be considered reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. PMID- 17804071 TI - Structural analysis and in vivo administration of an anti-idiotypic antibody against mAb 2F5. AB - Anti-idiotypic antibody (Ab2) 3H6 is directed against the human monoclonal antibody 2F5, which is one of a few neutralising antibodies against HIV-1. Since the binding epitope of 2F5 is cryptic and no neutralising immune response could be elicited by several potential vaccines comprising this region, Ab2/3H6 represents a potent vaccine candidate for active immunisation. Here we describe the molecular features of Ab2/3H6 after changing the antigen binding specificity by single point mutations in the complementarity-determining region 3 of the Ab2/3H6 heavy chain. The resulting Ab2/3H6 mutants were compared in several experimental settings to the wild type Ab2/3H6 Fab fragment. Moreover, we report about an immunisation study with Ab2/3H6 Fab variants, which elicited a specific 2F5-like humoral immune response in BALB/c mice. PMID- 17804072 TI - Comparison of the kinetics of iron release from a marine (Trichodesmium erythraeum) Dps protein and mammalian ferritin in the presence and absence of ligands. AB - The ferritin superfamily of iron storage proteins includes ferritin proper and Dps (DNA binding protein from starved cells) along with bacterioferritin. We examined the release of Fe from the Dps of Trichodesmium erythraeum (Dps(tery)) and compared it to the release of Fe from horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) under various conditions. Both desferrioxamine B (DFB), a Fe(III) chelator, and ascorbic acid were able to mobilize Fe from Dps(tery) at rates comparable to those observed for HoSF. The initial Fe release rate from both proteins increased linearly with the concentration of DFB, suggesting that the chelator binds to Fe in the protein. A small but significant rate obtained by extrapolation to zero concentration of DFB implies that Dps(tery) and HoSF might release Fe(III) spontaneously. A similar result was observed for HoSF in the presence of sulfoxine. In a different experiment, Fe(III) was transferred from holoferritin to apotransferrin across a dialysis membrane in the absence of chelator or reducing agent. The apparent spontaneous release of Fe from HoSF and Dps(tery) brings forth the hypothesis that the Fe core in Fe storage proteins might be continuously dissolving and re-precipitating in vivo, thus maintaining it in a highly reactive and bioavailable form. PMID- 17804073 TI - Reversible precipitation of bovine serum albumin by metal ions and synthesis, structure and reactivity of new tetrathiometallate chelating agents. AB - Independent research is an important component of any undergraduate chemistry program. This article reports the findings of two of many undergraduate research projects directed by Ed Stiefel in the hopes that the results will be inspiring and useful to the scientific community. The neurological disorders associated with insufficient copper in Menkes disease and an excess of copper in Wilson's disease are well established; however, recent evidence suggests that copper may also be involved in other disorders, such as Alzheimer's, angiogenesis, and prion diseases. The exact role of copper, however, is uncertain. This study examines the role of copper and zinc in the formation of protein deposits and the chelation and removal of the metal ions to reverse the process. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein forms a precipitate after the addition of approximately 6 copper(II) atoms or 8 zinc(II) atoms. Other metal ions, such as Ca(II), Al(III), Ni(II), and Co(II), did not precipitate the BSA even when the metal ion to BSA ratios were in excess of 1000. The copper and zinc protein precipitates returned to solution after addition of the chelating agents, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or tetrathiometallates [(MS(4)(2-)), where M=Mo, W]. Two new choline and acetylcholine tetrathiomolybdate and tetrathiotungstate chelating agents have been synthesized and characterized. The infrared (IR) and X-ray crystal structures of the complexes revealed that the (MS(4)(2-)) cores had approximate T(d) symmetry in the choline (Ch) salts and C(2v) symmetry in the acetylcholine (AcCh) salts. The AcCh salts hydrolyzed more slowly than the ammonium or Ch salts and the tetrathiotungstate salts hydrolyzed approximately two orders of magnitude more slowly than the tetrathiomolybdate salts. The slower hydrolysis of tetrathiotungstate may make it more useful as an inorganic reagent and therapeutic agent. PMID- 17804074 TI - New copper-based complexes with quinoxaline N1,N4-dioxide derivatives, potential antitumoral agents. AB - Taking into account our previous studies on cytotoxic metal compounds, new copper complexes with 3-aminoquinoxaline-2-carbonitrile N1,N4-dioxide derivatives as ligands were synthesized and characterized by different spectroscopic methods. The hypoxic selective cytotoxicity towards V79 cells and the superoxide dismutase like activity of the complexes were determined and related to physicochemical properties of the compounds. In particular, the copper(II) complex with 3-amino-6 chloro-7-fluoroquinoxaline-2-carbonitrile N1,N4-dioxide showed cytotoxic selectivity in hypoxia being the most lipophilic compound of the series. On the contrary, the complex with 3-aminoquinoxaline-2-carbonitrile N1,N4-dioxide was cytotoxic but not selective and that with 3-amino-7-chloro-6-methoxy-quinoxaline 2-carbonitrile N1,N4-dioxide was not cytotoxic towards V79 cells neither in oxia nor in hypoxia in the assayed conditions. The sigmam Hammett substituent electronic descriptor was related to the effect in hypoxic conditions and the SOD like activity was correlated to the effect in normoxia. PMID- 17804075 TI - Selenium supplementation increases liver MnSOD expression: molecular mechanism for hepato-protection. AB - Selenium is recognized as essential in animal and human nutrition. Several hypotheses have been advanced for its biological activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo effect of selenium on rat liver manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a key antioxidant enzyme, under naive and inflammatory conditions. Rats received sodium selenite supplementation and LPS injection. Whole-liver samples, isolated hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and blood samples were subjected to protein, RNA and biochemical analysis. Liver enrichment with selenium increased whole-liver MnSOD levels due to an increase in MnSOD transcription in hepatocytes. This was due to an increase in the ratio of specificity protein 1 to activating enhancer binding protein 2 DNA-binding activity. The inflammatory stimulus further elevated MnSOD levels in the whole liver that was abrogated in sodium selenite supplementation due to reduced transcription of MnSOD in Kupffer cells. Moreover, selenium enrichment decreased Kupffer cells IL-6 transcription in LPS-injected animals. Anti-inflammatory activity of selenium was demonstrated by normalized blood levels of ALT and IL-6 in LPS-injected animals. In conclusion, selenium up-regulates hepatocytes MnSOD expression, probably improving their anti-oxidant defense, while decreasing MnSOD and IL-6 transcription in Kupffer cells in the presence of inflammatory stimuli, attenuating their inflammatory response. This selective mechanism may explain the anti-inflammatory and hepato-protective effect of selenium. PMID- 17804076 TI - Anaerobic iron deposition into horse spleen, recombinant human heavy and light and bacteria ferritins by large oxidants. AB - Large-molecule oxidants oxidize Fe(II) to form Fe(III) cores in the interior of ferritins at rates comparable to or faster than the iron deposition reaction using O(2) as oxidant. Iron deposition into horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) occurs using ferricyanide ion, 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol, and several redox proteins: cytochrome c, stellacyanin, and ceruloplasmin. Cytochrome c also loads iron into recombinant human H-chain (rHF), human L-chain (rLF), and A. vinelandii bacterioferritin (AvBF). The enzymatic activities of ferritins were monitored anaerobically using stopped-flow kinetic spectrophotometry. The reactions exhibit saturation kinetics with respect to the large oxidant concentrations, giving apparent Michaelis constants for cytochrome c as oxidant: K(m)=39.6 microM for HoSF and 6.9 microM for AvBF. Comparison of the kinetic parameters with that of iron deposition by O(2) shows that large oxidants load iron into HoSF and AvBF more effectively than O(2) and may use a mechanism different than the ferroxidase center. Large oxidants did not deposit iron as efficiently with rHF and rLF. The results suggest that the heme groups in AvBF and the protein redox centers present in heteropolymers may assist in anaerobic iron deposition by large oxidants. The physiological relevance of iron deposition by large molecules, including protein oxidants is discussed. PMID- 17804077 TI - Random plasma concentrations of voriconazole decline over time. AB - We retrospectively collected information about 29 cancer patients who underwent measurement of their plasma concentration (PC) of voriconazole (VRC) (2002-2006). Nine patients (31%) had VRC PC <1 microg/ml. VRC PC <1 microg/ml occurred in 7 of 10 patients who were on VRC >2 months versus only 2 of 19 patients who were on VRC <2 months (P=0.001). VRC PCs were infrequently ordered, did not follow clear indications, and the use of the results was variable. PMID- 17804078 TI - Antimicrobial properties of berberines alkaloids in Coptis chinensis Franch by microcalorimetry. AB - The growth thermogenic curves of Escherichia coli (E. coli) affected by berberine, coptisine and palmatine were determined quantitatively by microcalorimetry. The power-time curves of E. coli with and without the three berberines alkaloids (BA) were acquired, meanwhile the extent and duration of inhibitory effects on the metabolism were evaluated by growth rate constant (k), half-inhibitory ratio (IC50), peak time of maximum heat-output power (tp), total heat-production (Qt) and so on. The inhibitory effects of BA on E. coli revealed that the sequence of their antimicrobial activity was berberine > coptisine > palmatine. The functional groups methylenedioxy at C2 and C3 on phenyl ring improve antimicrobial activity more remarkably than methoxyl at C2 and C3 on phenyl ring. However, the antimicrobial activity does not vary significantly with methylenedioxy or methoxyl at C9 and C10 on phenyl ring. PMID- 17804079 TI - Effectiveness of short-term and long-term psychotherapy on work ability and functional capacity--a randomized clinical trial on depressive and anxiety disorders. AB - BACKGROUND: Insufficient evidence exists about the effect of different therapies on work ability for patients with psychiatric disorders. The present study compares improvements in work ability in two short-term therapies and one long term therapy. METHODS: In the Helsinki Psychotherapy Study, 326 outpatients with depressive or anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to long-term and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, and solution-focused therapy. The patients were followed for 3 years from the start of treatment. Primary outcome measures were the Work Ability Index (WAI), the Work-subscale (SAS-Work) of the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS-SR), Perceived Psychological Functioning Scale, the prevalence of patients employed or studying, and the number of sick-leave days. RESULTS: Work ability was statistically significantly improved according to WAI (15%), SAS-Work (17%), and Perceived Psychological Functioning Scale (21%) during the 3-year follow-up. No differences in the work ability scores were found between two short-term therapies. The short-term therapies showed 4-11% more improved work ability scores than long-term therapy at the 7 month follow-up point. During the second year of follow-up, no significant differences were found between therapies. After 3 years of follow-up, long-term therapy was more effective than the short-term therapies with 5-12% more improved scores. No differences in the prevalence of individuals employed or studying or in the number of sick-leave days were found between therapies during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term therapies give benefits more quickly than long-term therapy on work ability but in the long run long-term therapy is more effective than short-term therapies. More research is needed to confirm these findings. PMID- 17804080 TI - Early-emerging cognitive vulnerability to depression and the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism. AB - BACKGROUND: Serotonin transporter promoter (5-HTTLPR) genotype appears to increase risk for depression in the context of stressful life events. However, the effects of this genotype on measures of stress sensitivity are poorly understood. Therefore, this study examined whether 5-HTTLPR genotype was associated with negative information processing biases in early childhood. METHOD: Thirty-nine unselected seven-year-old children completed a negative mood induction procedure and a Self-Referent Encoding Task designed to measure positive and negative schematic processing. Children were also genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR gene. RESULTS: Children who were homozygous for the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR gene showed greater negative schematic processing following a negative mood prime than those with other genotypes. 5-HTTLPR genotype was not significantly associated with positive schematic processing. LIMITATIONS: The sample size for this study was small. We did not analyze more recently reported variants of the 5-HTTLPR long alleles. CONCLUSIONS: 5-HTTLPR genotype is associated with negative information processing styles following a negative mood prime in a non-clinical sample of young children. Such cognitive styles are thought to be activated in response to stressful life events, leading to depressive symptoms; thus, cognitive styles may index the "stress-sensitivity" conferred by this genotype. PMID- 17804081 TI - Predominant polarity in bipolar disorder: diagnostic implications. AB - BACKGROUND: It has been reported that patients with bipolar disorder (BD) remain about 10 years symptomatic before the correct diagnosis is made. This fact is particularly important for patients with predominantly depressed polarity who tend to be diagnosed as suffering from unipolar major depressive disorder and treated with antidepressants. The present study was carried out to assess clinical differences between predominantly manic and depressed BD patients with a special focus on the time that patients remained undiagnosed. METHODS: Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics were obtained from a sample of 149 euthymic bipolar outpatients. Patients were divided into depressive or manic predominance of polarity. Clinical features, number of years undiagnosed (NYU) and occupational functioning were assessed in the two groups. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were classified as a "Depressive Polarity" whilst forty-seven were considered as "Manic Polarity". Depressive Polarity was associated with a longer delay to be diagnosed (F=14.43, df=89, p=0.001). The predominantly depressive patients tended to present a depressive onset of illness, earlier age of onset, longer duration of illness and higher number of suicide attempts than manic polarity patients. CONCLUSION: There was a marked clinical difference between predominantly manic and depressive bipolar patients. Predominantly depressive polarity is associated with a longer delay in receiving a correct diagnosis and effective treatment which has an important impact on the management of the illness. PMID- 17804082 TI - "Impulsive" youth suicide attempters are not necessarily all that impulsive. AB - BACKGROUND: The relationship between impulsivity and suicide has been conceptualized in the literature as a direct one. In contrast, Joiner's [Joiner, T.E., 2005. Why people die by suicide. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.] theory posits that this relationship is indirect in that impulsive individuals are more likely to engage in suicidal behavior because impulsivity makes one more likely to be exposed to painful and provocative stimuli. METHOD: Adolescents were selected from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) sample between the years of 1993-2003 who had planned for a suicide attempt but did not actually attempt (n=5685), who did not plan but did attempt ("impulsive attempters;" n=1172), and who both planned and attempted (n=4807). Items were selected from the YRBS to assess demographic variables, suicidal behaviors, and impulsive behaviors. RESULTS: Participants who had planned suicide without attempting were significantly less impulsive than those who had attempted without planning and than those who had both planned and attempted. Crucially, participants who had made a suicide attempt without prior planning were less impulsive than those who had planned and attempted. LIMITATIONS: We were unable to conduct a multi-method assessment (i.e., measures were self-report); the measure of impulsivity consisted of items pulled from the YRBS rather than a previously validated impulsivity measure. CONCLUSIONS: The notion that the most impulsive individuals are more likely to plan for suicide attempts is an important one for many reasons both theoretical and clinical, including that it may refine risk assessment and attendant clinical decision-making. PMID- 17804083 TI - Is a neutral face really evaluated as being emotionally neutral? AB - Most of the functional neuroimaging studies on emotion have used neutral faces as a baseline condition. The aim of the present study was to explore whether prototypical neutral faces are evaluated as displaying neutral emotions. Twenty one subjects performed the Extrinsic Affective Simon Task (EAST), a validated implicit task that measures the emotional evaluation of target stimuli. All stimuli consisted of two juxtaposed faces from standardized facial pictures. The attribute stimuli (positive vs. negative), which needed to be classified on the basis of extrinsic valence, were presented as black and white facial pictures. The target stimuli were color-filtered positive, negative, neutral, and positive/negative faces, and subjects were instructed to classify them on the basis of the filtered color (blue vs. green). The responses to the positive target faces were associated with the positive emotions and the responses to the negative target faces were associated with the negative emotions. For the neutral faces, the responses were similar to those of negative faces, while for the positive/negative stimuli, the responses were undifferentiated. These findings suggested that prototypical "neutral" faces may be evaluated as negative in some circumstances, which suggests that the inclusion of neutral faces as a baseline condition might introduce an experimental confound in functional neuroimaging studies. PMID- 17804084 TI - TGF-beta1 suppresses T cell infiltration and VP2 puff B mutation enhances apoptosis in acute polioencephalitis induced by Theiler's virus. AB - GDVII and DA strains of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) differ in VP2 puff B. One week after GDVII virus infection, SJL/J mice had large numbers of TUNEL+ apoptotic cells with a relative lack of T cell infiltration in the brain. DA viruses with mutation in puff B induced higher levels of apoptosis than wild type DA virus, but levels of inflammation in brains were similar between DA and DA virus mutants. The difference in inflammation among TMEVs could be due to TGF beta1 expression that was seen only in GDVII virus infection and negatively correlated with CD3+ T cell infiltration. PMID- 17804085 TI - Prenatal exposure to a pro-inflammatory stimulus causes delays in the development of the innate immune response to LPS in the offspring. AB - Growing evidence suggests that maternal health during the prenatal period is a critical determinant of adult immuno-competence. This study aimed to characterise the innate immune response to bacterial exposure in rat offspring following maternal exposure to a pro-inflammatory stimulus. The offspring's innate immune responses were investigated at four developmental timepoints in the rat by determination of immune cell subtypes and TNF-alpha and IL-1beta response to in vivo LPS exposure. The pre-weaned offspring of exposed dams demonstrated no immune response to the LPS challenge, whereas control offspring responded with a typical elevation in cytokine levels. In pubescence no differences were observed between the responses of the control and exposed offspring. In adulthood and senescence, offspring of endotoxin treated dams had significantly less monocytes in circulation than control offspring and differential sex effects were only evident in these older animals. The developmental profile of immune functioning following prenatal immune activation has not previously been demonstrated. This study highlights the prenatal period as one of importance in determining later immune function. PMID- 17804086 TI - Psychological and physical well-being in hearing-impaired children. AB - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychological and physical well-being in 6-11-year-old hearing-impaired children. METHODS: The cohort consisted of 70 boys and 61 girls who either attended a special school for deaf children (n=78) or a mainstream school (n=53). We used the FKSI (Frankfurt Self-Concept Scales for Children). RESULTS: Children in special schools saw themselves in a less favourable light than children in mainstream schools. They were less confident and less assertive. They reached lower scores in making friends, and were more anxious and sad. Children attending mainstream schools were found to be more self-confident the more pronounced the hearing loss was, but reported lower well-being in higher classes. The physical well-being, however, was not affected in children with hearing impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the self-perception of hearing-impaired children and normal hearing children must be taken into consideration when making a decision about the appropriate type of school for these individuals. PMID- 17804087 TI - Irradiated homograft cartilage in laryngotracheal reconstruction--a preliminary experience. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the suitability of irradiated homograft cartilage in pediatric laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR). METHODS: Retrospective case series at a tertiary care children's hospital. Pediatric patients with subglottic stenosis who had LTRs performed using irradiated homograft costal cartilage. Data was collected on postoperative complications, findings at subsequent endoscopic examinations and final outcome. RESULTS: Minor degrees of graft resorption were observed that did not affect eventual decannulation. CONCLUSION: Irradiated homograft costal cartilage can serve as a successful alternative to the traditional autologous costal cartilage in lower grades of laryngotracheal stenosis. PMID- 17804088 TI - Detection of bovine Herpesvirus type 5 in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded bovine brain by PCR: a useful adjunct to conventional tissue-based diagnostic test of bovine encephalitis. AB - The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of PCR technique for the detection of BoHV-5 in routinely formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissues in 20 naturally infected calves affected by fatal meningoencephalitis. Brains were divided into two halves, one kept fresh for virus isolation and PCR assay, targeting the glycoprotein C gene from BoHV-5 genome. The other half brain, corresponding to posterior cortex region, was submitted to formalin fixation and embedded into paraffin blocks for microscopic evaluation and total DNA isolation. Most of the slides showed severe multifocal non-supurative encephalitis with neuronal degeneration, neurophagia, and no acidophilic intranuclear inclusions could be found in neurons and glial. The 20 fresh samples were confirmed, by virus isolation and PCR assay, as having the BoHV-5 virus and, respective glicoprotein C sequence, while 15 of 20 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples were considered positive for the same analysis. The results revealed the first description of PCR efficiency, applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain collected from naturally infected calves, improving the detection of BoHV-5 from archival samples in South America. PMID- 17804089 TI - The disassembly, reassembly and stability of CCMV protein capsids. AB - Efficient procedures are described for the disassembly of Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus (CCMV) into its viral-RNA and capsid-protein components, the separation of the RNA and protein, and the reassembly of the purified protein into higher order nanoscale structures. These straightforward biochemical techniques result in high yield quantities of protein suitable for further biophysical studies (AFM, X-ray scattering, NMR, osmotic stress experiments, protein phase-diagram) and nanotechnology applications (protein enclosed nanoparticles, protein-lipid nanoemulsion droplets). Also discussed are solution conditions that affect the stability of the self-assembled protein structure and explicitly show that divalent cation is not required to obtain stable protein structures, while the presence of even small amounts of Ba(2+) have a significant impact on protein self-assembly. However, since high ionic strength solution conditions result in good yields of CCMV-like protein capsids, it is suggested that the highly charged cationic protein N-terminus could act as an electrostatic switch for protein self assembly and therefore be modulated by ionic strength and salt type. It was also found that CaCl(2)/RNA precipitation methods do not yield sufficiently pure protein samples. PMID- 17804090 TI - Perirhinal cortex damage and anterograde object-recognition in rats after long retention intervals. AB - Damage to the perirhinal cortex (PRh) in rats impairs anterograde object recognition memory after retention intervals of up to several hours, but there is little direct evidence to link PRh function to object-recognition abilities after substantially longer intervals that span several days or weeks. We assessed the effects of PRh lesions on anterograde object recognition using a novel-object preference test, with retention intervals lasting 24 h and 3 weeks. The rats received multiple exposures to the sample object during the learning phase--5 min per day on 5 consecutive days. Control rats displayed a significant novel-object preference after both retention intervals, indicating recognition of the sample object, whereas the rats with PRh lesions displayed a significant preference after the 24-h interval, but not after the 3-week interval. When the learning phase of the trial was shortened to a single 5-min session, the PRh group was impaired in the 24-h condition. The findings indicate that the disruptive effects of PRh damage on anterograde object recognition persist over very long postlearning intervals. The results indicate further that object recognition impairments following PRh damage are not ubiquitous, and that learning conditions play a significant role in determining the subsequent recognition performance in rats with PRh damage. PMID- 17804091 TI - Uptake and partitioning of copper and cadmium in the coral Pocillopora damicornis. AB - Coral-reef ecosystems are increasingly being impacted by a wide variety of anthropogenic inputs, including heavy metals, which could be contributing to coral reef stress and bleaching episodes. Fragments of Pocillopora damicornis were exposed in the laboratory to cadmium (Cd) or copper (Cu) chlorides (0, 5, 50 microg l(-1)) for 14 days and analyzed for metal content in the whole association, algal or animal fractions. Various physiological and biochemical parameters were also measured, such as, algal cell counts, mitotic index, chlorophyll content and levels of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH). Cd and Cu accumulation were observed at all time points and doses; there was no evidence of differential metal partitioning between the algal or animal fractions. No changes in algal cell density, mitotic index or chlorophyll content from the controls were observed in any of the metal treatments. GSH levels were significantly higher in the 5 microg l(-1) Cd (Day 4) and Cu (Days 4 and 14) treatments compared with controls at the same time point. Although no evidence of a bleaching response occurred, corals in both 50 microg l(-1) metal exposures sloughed off tissues and did not survive the duration of the exposure period. Our results demonstrate the accumulation of Cd and Cu in P. damicornis and mortality in the absence of a bleaching response. PMID- 17804092 TI - Systemic ghrelin sensitizes cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion in rats. AB - The feeding-relevant pathway by which food restriction (FR) augments cocaine action is unknown. Systemic administration of the 28-amino acid acylated peptide ghrelin (1-10 nmol) increases food intake in rats and circulating levels of rat ghrelin are up-regulated by FR. The present experiment examined the impact of repeated administration of ghrelin or vehicle on the subsequent capacity of cocaine to enhance locomotion in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated daily for seven days with 0, 5 or 10 nmol rat ghrelin (i.p.) in the home cage. On the 8th day, rats were transported to a testing room, placed in a locomotion chamber for 15 min, and then injected (i.p.) with 0, 7.5, or 15 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride. Locomotor activity was monitored over a 45 min post-cocaine period. Pretreatment with 5 or 10 nmol ghrelin alone did not significantly increase basal locomotion relative to that of the 0 nmol ghrelin group. Rats pretreated with 5 nmol or 10 nmol ghrelin showed an enhanced locomotor response after treatment with 15 mg/kg cocaine relative to rats treated with 0 nmol ghrelin. These results indicate that acute injection of ghrelin, at a feeding relevant dose, can augment the acute effects of cocaine on locomotion in rats. PMID- 17804093 TI - The transcriptional repression by NIPP1 is mediated by Polycomb group proteins. AB - NIPP1 is a ubiquitously expressed nuclear protein that represses the transcription of targeted genes. Here we show that the transcriptional repression by NIPP1 is alleviated by the RNAi-mediated knockdown of EED and EZH2, two core components of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), and by the overexpression of a catalytically dead mutant of the histone methyltransferase EZH2. NIPP1 is present in a complex with EED and EZH2 in vivo and has distinct binding sites for these proteins. These data disclose an essential role for the PRC2 complex in the transcriptional repression by NIPP1. PMID- 17804094 TI - Letter by Maurizia Grasso et al. regarding article, "Restrictive cardiomyopathy with atrioventricular conduction block resulting from a desmin mutation". PMID- 17804095 TI - Fall in readmission rate for heart failure after implementation of B-type natriuretic peptide testing for discharge decision: a retrospective study. AB - BACKGROUND: B-type natriuretic peptide is the most powerful predictor of long term prognosis in patients hospitalised with heart failure. On an outsetting basis, a decrease in B-type natriuretic peptide levels is associated to a decrease in event rate for outpatients managed using the neuro-hormone levels as the target in heart failure therapy. We have retrospectively checked whether the addition of pre-discharge B-type natriuretic peptide levels to a clinical instrumental decisional score for discharge decision in patients admitted for heart failure reduced readmission rate for heart failure and related cost. METHODS: We studied two series of consecutive patients admitted to the Heart Failure Unit due to acute heart failure as a main diagnosis. One-hundred and forty-nine patients discharged on the basis of the sole clinical acumen were compared to one hundred and sixty-six subjects discharged adding B-type natriuretic peptide levels to the decisional score. RESULTS: During a six-month follow-up period, there were 52 readmissions (35%) among the clinical group (n=149) compared with 38 (23%) readmissions in the B-type natriuretic peptide group (n=166) (chi(2)=5.5; P=0.02). Survival did not differ between groups (87%). Changes in B-type natriuretic peptide values were correlated to clinical events: a B-type natriuretic peptide value on discharge of < or =250 pg/ml or a reduction of > or =30% in B-type natriuretic peptide values predicted a 23% event rate (death, plus readmission for heart failure), whereas a far higher percentage (71%) were observed in the remaining patients (chi(2)=32.7; P=0.001). Likewise, the overall costs of care were lower (-7%) in the B-type natriuretic peptide group: 2.781+/-923 vs 2.978+/-1.057 euros per patient respectively. CONCLUSIONS: our study suggest that the addition of pre-discharge B-type natriuretic peptide levels to a clinical-instrumental decisional score for discharge decision in patients admitted for heart failure may contribute to reduce the number of readmissions and related cost. PMID- 17804096 TI - Increased P-wave dispersion in patients with Behcet's disease: is there an exaggeration in explaining the meaning? PMID- 17804097 TI - Diffuse coronary ectasia and intracoronary thrombus involving left circumflex coronary artery and presenting as acute coronary syndrome: report of two cases. PMID- 17804098 TI - Treatment of chronic heart failure with carvedilol in daily practice: the SATELLITE survey experience. AB - BACKGROUND: Beta-blockers are well established for treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the extent of implementation of trial results and guidelines in daily practice remains limited, and information regarding how patients feel is scarce. METHODS: In this prospective observational survey of 6 months duration, 531 physicians from 10 countries recruited 3748 beta-blockers untreated patients with CHF. We assessed the efficacy, tolerability and achieved dosage of carvedilol. In addition, patients assessed their well-being 3 times: at baseline, after 3 and 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Carvedilol was started in 3721 patients with CHF (median age 65 years, 60% men). NYHA class, clinical symptoms and signs, vital signs, 5-item well-being rating scale and visual analogue scale improved during the survey. Side effects, mostly fatigue, hypotension, and dizziness, were reported for 6.5% and 5% of patients at 3 and 6 months and carvedilol had to be discontinued in 63 patients. A total of 55 deaths (1.5%) and 520 hospitalisations in 466 patients (13%) were recorded. At 6 months the mean daily dose of carvedilol was 31+/-11 mg; 25 mg/day was prescribed to 35% and 50 mg/day to 26% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Initiation and up-titration of carvedilol in ambulatory care patients with CHF is feasible and safe. Its efficacy and tolerability were at least as good as in clinical trials, while the amelioration of patients' well-being was significant despite sub-optimal dosing. An additional effort should be done by physicians to treat their patients with CHF in daily practice with the recommended beta-blockers at optimal doses. PMID- 17804099 TI - Reversal of tolerance to nitroglycerin with vinpocetine: a role of calcitonin gene-related peptide. AB - Previous studies have shown that the development of tolerance to nitroglycerin is related to reduction of endogenous calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release. In the present study, Nitroglycerin caused a concentration-dependent relaxation concomitantly with a significant increase in the release of CGRP in the isolated rat thoracic aorta, an effect that was reduced by preincubation with capsaicin. Pretreatment with nitroglycerin significantly decreased its vasodilation and depressor effect and the release of CGRP, which was restored in the presence of vinpocetine, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase. The present results suggest that reversal of tolerance to nitroglycerin with vinpocetine is related to the increased release of CGRP in the rat. PMID- 17804100 TI - An integrated culture and real-time PCR method to assess viability of disinfectant treated Bacillus spores using robotics and the MPN quantification method. AB - Using robotics and the MPN technique, a 96-microwell method was developed to compare two procedures for enumeration of viable chlorine-treated B. atrophaeus spores: broth-culture enrichment followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis; and filter plating on agar. Recoveries of chlorine-treated spores were improved by broth enrichment over filter plating, whereas recoveries of non treated spores were not different in the two procedures. PMID- 17804102 TI - PCR-based diagnosis and quantification of mycotoxin producing fungi. AB - Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi which have toxicologically relevant effects on vertebrates when administered in small doses via a natural route. In order to improve food safety and to protect consumers from harmful contaminants, presence of fungi with the potential to produce such compounds must be checked at critical control points during production of agricultural commodities as well as during the process of food and feed preparation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based diagnosis has been applied as an alternative assay replacing cumbersome and time consuming microbiological and chemical methods for detection and identification of the most serious toxin producers in the fungal genera Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium. The current review covers the numerous PCR-based assays which have been published over the last decade since the first description of the use of this technology to detect aflatoxin biosynthesis genes in A. flavus. PMID- 17804103 TI - Heat and pulsed electric field resistance of pigmented and non-pigmented enterotoxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus in exponential and stationary phase of growth. AB - The survival of four enterotoxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus (with different pigment content) to heat and to pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatments, and the increase in resistance to both processing stresses associated with entrance into stationary phase was examined. Survival curves to heat (58 degrees C) and to PEF (26 kV/cm) of cells in the stationary and in the exponential phase of growth were obtained. Whereas a wide variation in resistance to heat treatments was detected amongst the four strains, with decimal reduction time values at 58 degrees C (D(58 degrees C)) ranging from 0.93 to 0.20 min, the resistance to PEF was very similar. The occurrence of a higher tolerance to heat in stationary phase was coincident with a higher content in carotenoid pigmentation in S. aureus colonies. However, cells of the most heat resistant (pigmented) and the most heat sensitive (non-pigmented) strains in the mid exponential phase of growth showed similar resistance to heat and to PEF. Therefore the increase in thermotolerance upon entrance into stationary phase of growth was more marked for the pigmented strains. Recovery in anaerobic conditions particularly enhanced survival to heat treatments in a non-pigmented strain. Strain CECT 4630, which possess a deficient sigma B activity, showed low heat resistance, low pigmentation, and reduced increase in thermotolerance in stationary phase. These results indicate that the magnitude of the development of a higher heat resistance in S. aureus in stationary phase is positively related to the carotenoid content of the strain. The development of tolerance to pulsed electric field was less relevant and not linked to the carotenoid content. PMID- 17804104 TI - Stability of mycotoxins during food processing. AB - The mycotoxins that commonly occur in cereal grains and other products are not completely destroyed during food processing operations and can contaminate finished processed foods. The mycotoxins most commonly associated with cereal grains are aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone. The various food processes that may have effects on mycotoxins include sorting, trimming, cleaning, milling, brewing, cooking, baking, frying, roasting, canning, flaking, alkaline cooking, nixtamalization, and extrusion. Most of the food processes have variable effects on mycotoxins, with those that utilize the highest temperatures having greatest effects. In general the processes reduce mycotoxin concentrations significantly, but do not eliminate them completely. However, roasting and extrusion processing show promise for lowering mycotoxin concentrations, though very high temperatures are needed to bring about much of a reduction in mycotoxin concentrations. Extrusion processing at temperatures greater than 150 degrees C are needed to give good reduction of zearalenone, moderate reduction of alfatoxins, variable to low reduction of deoxynivalenol and good reduction of fumonisins. The greatest reductions of fumonisins occur at extrusion temperatures of 160 degrees C or higher and in the presence of glucose. Extrusion of fumonisin contaminated corn grits with 10% added glucose resulted in 75-85% reduction in Fumonisin B(1) levels. Some fumonisin degredation products are formed during extrusion, including small amounts of hydrolyzed Fumonisin B(1) and N-(Carboxymethyl) - Fumonisin B(1) and somewhat higher amounts of N-(1-deoxy d-fructos-1-yl) Fumonisin B(1) in extruded grits containing added glucose. Feeding trial toxicity tests in rats with extruded fumonisin contaminated corn grits show some reduction in toxicity of grits extruded with glucose. PMID- 17804105 TI - Model on the microbial quality change of seasoned soybean sprouts for on-line shelf life prediction. AB - The growth of aerobic bacteria on Korean seasoned soybean sprouts was modelled as a function of temperature to estimate microbial spoilage and shelf life on a real time basis under dynamic storage conditions. Counts of aerobic bacteria on seasoned soybean sprouts stored at constant temperatures between 0 degrees C and 15 degrees C were recorded. The bootstrapping method was applied to generate many resampled data sets of mean microbial plate counts that were then used to estimate the parameters of the microbial growth model of Baranyi and Roberts. The distributions of the model parameters were quantified, and their temperature dependencies were expressed as mathematical functions. When the temperature functions of the parameters were incorporated into differential equations describing microbial growth, predictions of microbial growth under fluctuating temperature conditions were similar to observed microbial growth. PMID- 17804106 TI - Estimating microbial growth parameters from non-isothermal data: a case study with Clostridium perfringens. AB - Microbial growth parameters are usually calculated from the fit of a growth model to a set of isothermal growth data gathered at several temperatures. In principle at least, it is also possible to derive them from non-isothermal ('dynamic') growth data. This requires the numerical solution of a rate model whose coefficients are nested terms that include the temperature profile. The methodology is demonstrated with simulated non-isothermal growth data on which random noise had been superimposed to emulate the scatter found in experimental microbial counts. The procedure has been validated by successful retrieval of the known generation parameters from the simulated growth curves. The method was then applied to experimental non-isothermal growth data of C. perfringens cells in cooled ground beef. The growth data collected under one cooling regime were used to predict the organism's growth patterns under different temperature histories. The practicality of the method is currently limited because of the relatively large scatter found in experimental microbial growth data and the relatively low frequency at which they are collected. But if and when the scatter could be reduced and the counts taken at short time intervals, the method could be used to determine the growth model in situ thus enabling to translate the changing temperature during processing, transportation or storage into a corresponding growth curve of the organism in question. PMID- 17804107 TI - Mycotoxin production by Alternaria strains isolated from Argentinean wheat. AB - The toxigenic potential of Alternaria strains isolated from Argentinean wheat was investigated. A total of 123 strains were assayed for the production of tenuazonic acid (TA), alternariol (AOH) and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME). All but one of the isolates were able to produce at least one of the three mycotoxins. TA was produced by 72% of the strains (1-14782 mg/kg), AOH by 87% (4 622 mg/kg) and AME by 91% (7-2625 mg/kg). The average level of TA detected for all strains (1757 mg/kg) was higher than the average level of both alternariols (162 mg/kg for AOH and 620 mg/kg for AME). TA was the toxin produced at the highest concentration but in lower frequency. Most of the strains were able to synthesize more than one toxin: 74 isolates (60%) were positive for all three toxins, 30 (24%) for both AOH and AME, 5 (4%) for both TA and AME, and 2 (2%) for TA and AOH. The widespread occurrence of Alternaria in wheat and its ability to produce mycotoxins suggests the possible occurrence of its toxins in wheat naturally infected with this fungus. PMID- 17804108 TI - Inhibition of respiratory syncytial virus of subgroups A and B using deoxyribozyme DZ1133 in mice. AB - Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) commonly infects the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Currently, there is no effective treatment available. Deoxyribozymes are a potential therapeutic for RSV and their activity is based on the ability to bind and cleave complementary RNA sequences to inhibit protein expression. DZ1133 is a deoxyribozyme that targets the conserved genomic RNA sequence of the RSV nucleocapsid protein and has been shown to significantly inhibit various strains of RSV including subgroups A and B, standard A2 and CH18537 strains, and CQ381513, CQ381170, BJ01 and BJ04 strains. Treatment with DZ1133 decreased viral plaque formation in lungs of RSV-infected BALB/c mice. In addition, viral mRNA expression was reduced, airway inflammation was alleviated, and leukocyte counts were reduced in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of RSV-infected mice. The antiviral effect of DZ1133 was dose-dependent (0.2-0.8mg) and more efficient than antisense oligonucleotide inhibition of gene expression. However, levels of cytokines TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-12, and IL-10 induced by RSV infection were not affected by DZ1133 treatment. Our data demonstrate that DZ1133 is a potential therapeutic agent against both subgroups A and B RSV infection in vivo. PMID- 17804109 TI - Severe hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity. AB - Recently, hypoglycemia with endogenous hyperinsulinemia has been described after undergoing bariatric surgery because of morbid obesity. It has been theorized that after a gastric bypass surgery, some trophic factors affecting pancreatic beta cells could emerge. The authors present a case of morbidly obese patient with severe hypoglycemia 3 months after bariatric surgery. An abdominal helicoidally computed tomography scan showed a 1.7 cm tumor in the tail of the pancreas. Histopathology revealed an insulinoma with well-defined contours surrounded by pancreatic tissue with atrophic signs and with hyperplasia and hypertrophic phenomena compatible with nesidioblastosis in adjacent islets of the pancreatic duct. Authors hypothesize that maintenance of the stimulus produces hyperplasia/hypertrophy of the pancreatic islets and reemphasizes the dynamic qualities of pancreatic beta cells and the possibility of producing hyperplasia from the extreme resistance to insulin present in morbidly obese patients. PMID- 17804110 TI - Development of an auxiliary system for the execution of vascular catheter interventions with a reduced radiological risk; system description and first experimental results. AB - Vascular catheterization is a common procedure in clinical medicine. It is normally performed by a specialist using an X-ray fluoroscopic guide and contrast media. In the present paper, an image-guided navigation system which indicates a path providing guidance to the desired target inside the vascular tree is described with the aim of reducing the exposure of personnel and patients to X rays during the catheterization procedure. A 3D model of the patient vascular tree, reconstructed with data collected by an angiography before starting the intervention, is used as a guide map instead of fluoroscopic scans. An accurate spatial correspondence between the body of the patient and the 3D reconstructed vascular model is established and, by means of a position indicator installed over the catheter tip, the real-time position/orientation of the tip is indicated correctly. This paper describes the system and the operational procedures necessary to use the proposed method efficiently during a catheter intervention. Preliminary experimental results on a phantom are also reported. PMID- 17804112 TI - Considerations for the sensible use of rodent models of inflammatory disease in predicting efficacy of new biological therapeutics in the clinic. AB - Successful therapeutics for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases must be able to significantly dampen, and ideally reverse, the complex processes involved in the manifestation of inflammatory pathology in intact tissues and organs. Studies on human cells and tissues - both normal and diseased - are obviously critical for moving forward with a particular therapeutic strategy, but these types of studies are oftentimes limited in their complexity and usually fail to fully replicate the biology of the intact inflammatory environment and disease process. It is for this reason that development of a new drug generally relies on data generated from in vivo animal models that have been created to mimic aspects of the complex disease process in whole organs and whole animals. Although the intact animal model of disease provides the opportunity for key elements involved in inflammatory processes to be investigated in natural surroundings, the primary trigger for inflammatory activation in animal models is, by necessity, artificial and, of course, differs from the natural pathogenesis driving disease in humans. Despite the artificial way of inducing inflammatory responses, animal models of disease have proven invaluable for providing insight into the potential efficacy of new drugs, particularly when careful consideration has been given to ensure that the model system under study resembles the inflammatory pathway expected in human disease. The most common artificial approaches for stimulating inflammatory diseases in mice are quite varied, and range from overexpression or targeted deletion of genes in transgenic or knockout animals, immunization of animals with putative autoantigens, all the way to synthetic, chemical challenges. None of these artificial systems or triggers is wholly perfect at mimicking the complexity of human autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, but animal disease model data is an important, and very necessary, step in the path of drug development. This review will focus on the critical aspects of disease modeling in animals that should be considered when embarking on drug discovery programs, with particular attention on three of the major inflammatory diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and asthma. We will discuss the use of rodent models in predicting the outcomes of currently approved medicines with a focus on biological therapeutics, and will highlight ongoing clinical trials where there appears to be strong correlation between animal models and the initial indication of clinical efficacy. PMID- 17804111 TI - Hyaluronan-dependent pericellular matrix. AB - Hyaluronan is a multifunctional glycosaminoglycan that forms the structural basis of the pericellular matrix. Hyaluronan is extruded directly through the plasma membrane by one of three hyaluronan synthases and anchored to the cell surface by the synthase or cell surface receptors such as CD44 or RHAMM. Aggregating proteoglycans and other hyaluronan-binding proteins, contribute to the material and biological properties of the matrix and regulate cell and tissue function. The pericellular matrix plays multiple complex roles in cell adhesion/de adhesion, and cell shape changes associated with proliferation and locomotion. Time-lapse studies show that pericellular matrix formation facilitates cell detachment and mitotic cell rounding. Hyaluronan crosslinking occurs through various proteins, such as tenascin, TSG-6, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, pentraxin and TSP-1. This creates higher order levels of structured hyaluronan that may regulate inflammation and other biological processes. Microvillous or filopodial membrane protrusions are created by active hyaluronan synthesis, and form the scaffold of hyaluronan coats in certain cells. The importance of the pericellular matrix in cellular mechanotransduction and the response to mechanical strain are also discussed. PMID- 17804113 TI - Chronobiology in the endocrine system. AB - Biological signaling occurs in a complex web with participation and interaction of the central nervous system, the autonomous nervous system, the endocrine glands, peripheral endocrine tissues including the intestinal tract and adipose tissue, and the immune system. All of these show an intricate time structure with rhythms and pulsatile variations in multiple frequencies. Circadian (about 24 hour) and circannual (about 1-year) rhythms are kept in step with the cyclic environmental surrounding by the timing and length of the daily light span. Rhythmicity of many endocrine variables is essential for their efficacy and, even in some instances, for the qualitative nature of their effects. Indeed, the continuous administration of certain hormones and their synthetic analogues may show substantially different effects than expected. In the design of drug delivery systems and treatment schedules involving directly or indirectly the endocrine system, consideration of the human time organization is essential. A large amount of information on the endocrine time structure has accumulated, some of which is discussed in this review. PMID- 17804114 TI - Exacerbated radiodermatitis and bilateral subdural hemorrhage after whole brain irradiation combined with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for brain metastases in lung cancer. AB - A 57-year-old male developed an adenocarcinoma lung cancer in November 2003. He received the full course chemotherapy but without a significant regression. The targeted therapy gefitinib was prescribed 2 years after diagnosis, producing a very good partial response. However, brain metastasis was diagnosed. A whole brain irradiation was performed for 37.5Gy with a fraction size of 2.5Gy and gefitinib was replaced with erlotinib on the 5th day after radiation therapy commenced for disease progressing. Unexpectedly, the patient developed a severe skin reaction in the region exposed to the radiation field, and a bilateral subdural hemorrhage, following radiation therapy. The reaction was thought to be triggered by the combination of radiation and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which may be responsible for hypersensitizing the radiation response in normal tissue in the unique individual. PMID- 17804115 TI - A tenth crucial question regarding model use in phylogenetics. PMID- 17804116 TI - The role of parental control practices in explaining children's diet and BMI. AB - This paper aimed to investigate which parents use which types of parenting control practices to manage their children's diets and to assess the impact of these practices on children's dietary patterns and their BMI. A cross-sectional survey of 518 parents with children aged 4-7 years was carried out in 18 primary schools across the South of England. Measures included aspects of parental control practices and the child's diet. Results showed that older parents with a lower BMI and who were stay at home parents used more "snack overt control", "snack covert control" and "meal covert control" and those with more education used more covert control strategies. In contrast, male, non-white parents with younger children used more "pressure to eat". In terms of the children's diet, the results showed links between parental and child demographics and aspects of unhealthy and healthy food intake. In addition, links were also found for parental control practices. For example, eating more unhealthy snacks was related to less covert control and more pressure to eat, eating fruit and vegetables was related to higher levels of both overt and covert control over meals and less pressure to eat and being neophobic was related to less covert control over meals and more pressure to eat. The children's BMIs were unrelated to any variables measured in the study. PMID- 17804117 TI - Impact of the -1438G>a polymorphism in the serotonin 2A receptor gene on anthropometric profile and obesity risk: a case-control study in a Spanish Mediterranean population. AB - Research into the genetic factors that regulate food intake is arousing great interest. The polymorphism -1438G>A in the serotonin 2A receptor or 5 hydroxytriptamine (5-HT) type 2A receptor (5-HTR2A) gene has been associated with alterations in food intake such as anorexia and bulimia. However, its association with obesity has not been studied to the same extent. Our aim, therefore, was to estimate the association between the -1438G>A polymorphism and obesity risk and related anthropometric variables in a Spanish Mediterranean population. A case control study including 303 cases and 606 controls paired by gender and age was undertaken. The association between the -1438G>A polymorphism and obesity and other anthropometric measures was studied. No association with obesity risk was observed. However, when only the obese group was analyzed, it was observed that AA subjects presented a lower body mass index (BMI) than G allele carriers (35.2+/-5.3 kg/m2 vs 37.5+/-7.8 kg/m2; P=0.039). Moreover, significant differences were also obtained in waist perimeter that was lower in AA subjects compared to G allele carriers (105+/-11 cm vs 112+/-17 cm; P=0.011). In conclusion, although the -1438G>A polymorphism is not a relevant marker for obesity risk, this variant may play a role in determining BMI in obese subjects. PMID- 17804118 TI - Binge eating symptoms, diet composition and metabolic characteristics of obese children and adolescents. AB - This study aimed to determine the occurrence of symptoms of binge eating (BE) among children and adolescents seeking treatment for their obesity, as well as to evaluate their diet composition and metabolic characteristics. The Binge Eating Scale (BES) was answered by 128 children and adolescents (10.77+/-2.04 years, BMI 29.15+/-4.98 kg/m2, BMI Z score 2.28+/-0.46, 53.91% pubescent), who were classified into two subgroups--binge eaters (score greater than or equal to 18 points) and non-binge eaters (score lower than 18 points). Anthropometric data, body composition and Tanner stages were collected and dietary evaluation conducted. Blood pressure was determined, and glucose, lipid profile and insulin assays were performed. Insulin resistance was determined using HOMA-IR. BE symptoms were present in 39.06% of patients. Carbohydrate intake in diet composition was significantly higher among binge eaters. Children with BE did not demonstrate significant dissimilar metabolic characteristics when compared to their counterparts without BE. Therefore, BE seems to be a prevalent problem among children and adolescents seeking help for their obesity. When associated with obesity, this eating behaviour can influence macronutrient consumption through increased carbohydrate intake. Further research would be valuable to verify the reproducibility of these findings. PMID- 17804119 TI - Associations between children's television advertising exposure and their food consumption patterns: a household diary-survey study. AB - In a diary-survey study in 234 households with children aged 4-12 years, we investigated the associations between children's exposure to food advertising and their consumption of (a) advertised food brands, (b) advertised energy-dense food product categories, and (c) food products overall. Relations were examined using multiple hierarchical regression analysis, while controlling for various child (i.e., age, sex, television viewing time) and family variables (i.e., family income and consumption-related communication styles). Results showed that children's exposure to food advertising was significantly related to their consumption of advertised brands (beta=.21) and energy-dense product categories (beta=.19). The relation between advertising exposure and overall food consumption only held in lower-income families (beta=.19). In addition, consumption-related family communication was an important moderator of the relations between advertising and the food consumption variables. Socio-oriented family communication (i.e., striving for harmony and conformity) was particularly successful in reducing these relations. In conclusion, consistent with communication theories predicting spill-over effects of advertising, the impact of television food advertising exceeded the advertised brand and generalized to more generic unhealthy consumption patterns. Theoretical and societal consequences, as well as the important role of the family are discussed. PMID- 17804120 TI - A new class of analgesic agents toward prostacyclin receptor inhibition: synthesis, biological studies and QSAR analysis of 1-hydroxyl-2-substituted phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolines. AB - By studying the structural similarity of analgesic imidazolines and 2 phenylnitronyl nitroxides, 20 1-hydroxyl-2-substituted phenyl-4,4,5,5 tetramethylimidazolines (2a-t) were newly synthesized as selective antagonists of prostacyclin receptor (IP receptor). In the in vivo tail-flick assay, 2a-t (dose, 0.13 mmol/kg) receiving mice showed increased pain thresholds ranging from 20.52+/-7.25% to 90.94+/-11.97%, which were significantly higher than that ranged from 12.27+/-9.56% to 17.71+/-7.00% shown by normal saline (NS) receiving mice. In the in vivo tail bleeding assay, 2a-t (dose, 1.30 mmol/kg) receiving mice gave a bleeding time ranging from 116.3+/-8.0 s to 119.6+/-7.1 s, and NS receiving mice gave a bleeding time ranging from 116.7+/-7.5s to 119.1+/-8.7s, which were at a substantially equal level. These observations imply that no bleeding risk occurred even when 10-fold dose of analgesic assay was used. In the in vitro vasorelaxation assay, it was found that when the aortic strip contracted by noradrenaline (NE, final concentration, 10(-7) M) was treated with the solution of 2a-t in NS (final concentration, 5 x 10(-3) M) only lower percentage inhibitions ranged from 6.63+/-2.72% to 46.28+/-2.63% were recorded. Relatively higher concentration of 2a-t (5 x 10(-3) M) and relatively lower percentage inhibitions (13 of 20 less than 23.27+/-3.47%) suggest that 2a-t exhibit few vasodilation activity. To shed some light on the potential analgesic mechanisms of 2a-t, moreover, a QSAR analysis was carried out by using the multiple linear regression method. Taken altogether, the current study confirms that as selective antagonist of IP receptor 1-hydroxyl-2-substituted phenyl-4,4,5,5 tetramethylimidazoline may be a promising lead compound of analgesic agent without cardiovascular and bleeding side effects. PMID- 17804121 TI - Synthesis, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of some 1,2,4 triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles and 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazines bearing trichlorophenyl moiety. AB - The reaction of 2,3,5-trichlorobenzoic acid hydrazide with carbon disulfide and potassium hydroxide followed by treatment with hydrazine hydrate afforded 3 (2,3,5-trichlorophenyl)-4-amino-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione (6). Alternatively, this triazole was also synthesized by fusing 2,3,5-trichlorobenzoic acid with thiocarbohydrazide. Condensation of (6) with various aromatic carboxylic acids in the presence of phosphorous oxychloride or with phenacyl bromides afforded two series of fused heterocycles namely 6-(substituted aryl)-3-(2,3,5 trichlorophenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadizoles (7) and 6-(substituted aryl)-3-(2,3,5-trichlorophenyl)-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazines (8), respectively. The structures of these newly synthesized compounds are characterised by elemental analysis, IR, (1)H NMR and mass spectroscopic studies. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial and anti inflammatory activities. Some of the compounds exhibited promising antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. PMID- 17804122 TI - Inhibition of immune complex-mediated neutrophil oxidative metabolism: a pharmacophore model for 3-phenylcoumarin derivatives using GRIND-based 3D-QSAR and 2D-QSAR procedures. AB - In this study, twenty hydroxylated and acetoxylated 3-phenylcoumarin derivatives were evaluated as inhibitors of immune complex-stimulated neutrophil oxidative metabolism and possible modulators of the inflammatory tissue damage found in type III hypersensitivity reactions. By using lucigenin- and luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assays (CL-luc and CL-lum, respectively), we found that the 6,7 dihydroxylated and 6,7-diacetoxylated 3-phenylcoumarin derivatives were the most effective inhibitors. Different structural features of the other compounds determined CL-luc and/or CL-lum inhibition. The 2D-QSAR analysis suggested the importance of hydrophobic contributions to explain these effects. In addition, a statistically significant 3D-QSAR model built applying GRIND descriptors allowed us to propose a virtual receptor site considering pharmacophoric regions and mutual distances. Furthermore, the 3-phenylcoumarins studied were not toxic to neutrophils under the assessed conditions. PMID- 17804123 TI - Amino acid metabolism and inflammatory burden in ovarian cancer patients undergoing intense oncological therapy. AB - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cancer and oncological therapy are associated with a progressive physical deterioration, malnutrition, and enhanced inflammatory burden. Our considerable data showing the strong anabolic potential of amino acids (AA) led us to test whether AA can acutely stimulate muscle protein synthesis in cancer patients (CA) undergoing intense chemotherapy. METHODS: Mixed muscle fractional synthesis rate (FSR), rates of phenylalanine appearance and disappearance (Ra and Rd), and net phenylalanine balance (NB) were measured during a primed constant infusion of L-[ring-(2)H(5)]phenylalanine. Blood and muscle tissue samples were collected in the basal state and following ingestion of 40 g of AA given in 30 mL boluses every 10 min for 3h. Serum and tissue cytokines and NF-kappaB expression in skeletal muscle were measured and compared to normative, healthy older controls (OC). RESULTS: Skeletal muscle TNF-alpha, IL 6, and NF-kappaB were elevated in CA. FSR and model-derived protein synthesis (Rd) increased significantly from basal to AA (FSR: 0.052+/-0.009 vs. 0.120+/ 0.008%h(-1), P<0.001; Rd: 23.1+/-4.1 vs. 36.4+/-5.0 nmol min(-1) 100 mL leg(-1), P0.05). Model-derived protein breakdown (Ra) remained unchanged from basal to AA. Phenylalanine NB improved from a negative basal value (-16+/-2) to zero (0.8+/-6 nmol min(-1) 100 ml leg(-1), P0.05) following AA. CONCLUSION: Despite advanced cancer, ongoing therapy, and an enhanced inflammatory burden, AA were capable of acutely stimulating muscle protein synthesis in these patients. PMID- 17804124 TI - Comparative efficacy of an indigenous 'inactivated vaccine' using highly pathogenic field strain of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis 'Bison type' with a commercial vaccine for the control of Capri-paratuberculosis in India. AB - Johne's disease (JD) is endemic in goatherds located at Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, since 1979 and lately it has been reported from farmer's herds in equal frequencies. Despite using test and slaughter method for the control of JD for more than 25 years in these herds, incidence of JD has not been reduced. Efficacy of 'indigenous vaccine' containing native 'Bison type' genotype of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) was compared with commercial vaccine using challenge studies with homologous strain of MAP. Goat kids (85) were randomly divided in to three groups. Kids were vaccinated with 1 ml of vaccine subcutaneously and Sham-immunized with 1 ml of sterile PBS. All kids except 3 in each group were challenged twice at 75- and 275-day post vaccination (DPV). Four goats each from three groups were sacrificed at 200-day post-challenge to evaluate carcass and histopathologically for vaccine and challenge response in kids of different groups. Samples (blood, serum and fecal) were screened for LTT, ELISA and shedding of bacilli and data on live animal traits, mortality and experimental sacrifice were compared. Average body weights gained by goats in three groups at different stages of trials (0, 1-75, 76-275, 276-425 DPV) showed marked improvements in performance of vaccinated groups over 'Sham-immunized' group. Effect of vaccines against challenge became visible in terms of body weights gained at 276-425 DPV ('Bison' group gained significantly higher body weights than 'Sham-immunized'). Mortality was significantly less in two vaccinated as compared to 'Sham-immunized'. Vaccinated groups also had significant stimulation and sero-conversion for cell mediated and humoral immune response, respectively as compared to 'Sham-immunized'. Results of post challenged fecal culture showed significant reduction in shedding of MAP in both vaccinated groups than in 'Sham-immunized'. There was significant improvement in external and internal body traits and histological lesions in case of vaccinated than 'Sham-immunized' group. PMID- 17804125 TI - Protective immunization against visceral leishmaniasis using Leishmania sterol 24 c-methyltransferase formulated in adjuvant. AB - We present here the identification and characterization of Leishmania sterol 24-c methyltransferase (SMT), as well as data on protection of mice immunized with this Ag formulated in MPL-SE. Serological evaluation revealed that SMT is recognized by VL patients. C57BL/6 mice immunized with this vaccine candidate plus MPL-SE showed Ag-specific Th1 immune responses characterized by robust production of IFN-gamma upon specific Ag re-exposure in vitro. Upon challenge with L. infantum, mice immunized with SMT plus MPL-SE showed significant lower parasite burdens in both spleens and livers compared with non-immunized mice or mice injected with adjuvant alone. The results indicate that SMT/MPL-SE can be an effective vaccine candidate for use against VL. PMID- 17804126 TI - A mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lacking the 19-kDa lipoprotein Rv3763 is highly attenuated in vivo but retains potent vaccinogenic properties. AB - A mutant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Delta 19) lacking the 19-kDa lipoprotein grows well in culture in vitro but was shown here to be essentially incapable of any significant replication in mice, even in mice lacking the gamma interferon gene. Despite this, mice inoculated with Delta 19 were equally protected against an aerosol delivered challenge with M. tuberculosis compared to the conventional BCG vaccine. Cellular responses, including the generation of activated CD4 and CD8 cells secreting gamma interferon, were produced in similar numbers, and lung cells, particularly dendritic macrophages, exhibited high levels of Class-II MHC expression. These data show that despite being highly attenuated, the Delta 19 mutant strongly retained vaccinogenic properties. PMID- 17804127 TI - Oral mucosal diseases: mucous membrane pemphigoid. AB - Subepithelial vesiculobullous conditions are chronic autoimmune disorders that arise from reactions directed against components of the hemidesmosomes or basement membrane zones (BMZ) of stratified squamous epithelium to which the term immune-mediated subepithelial blistering diseases (IMSEBD) has been given. Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is the most common, but variants do exist. Non-immune disorders that involve these epithelial components typically have a genetic basis -the main example being epidermolysis bullosa. All subepithelial vesiculobullous disorders present as blisters and erosions, and diagnosis must be confirmed by biopsy examination with immunostaining, sometimes supplemented by other investigations. No single treatment reliably controls all subepithelial vesiculobullous disorders; the immunological differences within IMSEBD may account for differences in responses to treatment. Currently, as well as improving oral hygiene, immunomodulatory treatment is used to control the oral lesions of MMP, but it is not known if its specific subsets reliably respond to different agents. PMID- 17804128 TI - Transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM): an update. AB - Allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT)-related immunomodulation (TRIM) encompasses the laboratory immune aberrations that occur after ABT and their established or purported clinical effects. TRIM is a real biologic phenomenon resulting in at least one established beneficial clinical effect in humans, but the existence of deleterious clinical TRIM effects has not yet been confirmed. Initially, TRIM encompassed effects attributable to ABT by immunomodulatory mechanisms (e.g., cancer recurrence, postoperative infection, or virus activation). More recently, TRIM has also included effects attributable to ABT by pro-inflammatory mechanisms (e.g., multiple-organ failure or mortality). TRIM effects may be mediated by: (1) allogeneic mononuclear cells; (2) white-blood-cell (WBC)-derived soluble mediators; and/or (3) soluble HLA peptides circulating in allogeneic plasma. This review categorizes the available randomized controlled trials based on the inference(s) that they permit about possible mediator(s) of TRIM, and examines the strength of the evidence available for relying on WBC reduction or autologous transfusion to prevent TRIM effects. PMID- 17804129 TI - Assessment of sediment contamination in Casco Bay, Maine, USA. AB - The current status of contaminant concentrations in Casco Bay, decadal trends of these contaminants and changes in their geographical distribution are assessed using sediment samples collected approximately 10 years apart. In general, regulated contaminants appeared to be decreasing in concentration. Total PAH and dioxins/furans concentrations did not significantly change over this period. Total organochlorine pesticides, 4,4-DDE, 4,4-DDD, total DDT, PCB, tributyltin and total butyltin decreased in concentration. Trace element concentrations in sediments decreased at the majority of the sampling sites for chromium, nickel, and selenium while arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, silver, and zinc remained relatively constant. None of the contaminants measured has increased by more than a factor of 2. Selected sites located in the Inner Bay, where concentrations are higher and new inputs were more likely, showed increased concentrations of contaminants. Most contaminants were not found at concentrations expected to adversely affect sediment biota based on ERL/ERM guidelines. PMID- 17804130 TI - Treatment of existential distress in life threatening illness: a review of manualized interventions. AB - Understanding the factors that underlie existential suffering at the end of life has become the focus of a growing body of research. A number of studies have concluded that existential questions can be distressing for some patients. Other studies have shown that existential concerns are an important dimension of quality of life and can increase a patient's risk for suicidal ideation and desire for death. Over the years, a number of psychological interventions have been developed aimed at addressing such suffering in patients with cancer. In this paper, we review the evidence supporting the importance of existential concerns in terminally ill patients, describe eight manualized interventions explicitly addressing existential themes, and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions. Similarities and differences between each intervention are noted, and clinical and empirical considerations are discussed. PMID- 17804131 TI - Medically unexplained symptoms in children and adolescents. AB - A review is presented of the range of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in children and adolescents, with an account of the main presentations that are recognised in clinical settings in paediatric and children's mental health services. A summary of both epidemiological and clinical studies of symptoms and their associations is given, followed by a brief overview of aetiological theories and of management interventions. PMID- 17804132 TI - Mode of action as a determining factor in additivity models for chemical mixture risk assessment. AB - It is inevitable that in a lifetime humans will be exposed to a diverse array of chemical mixtures through occupational, recreational, and/or domestic activities. These mixtures may be simple, consisting of two or more definable compounds, or may be more complex containing several hundred related congeners and/or unrelated compounds. Due to a paucity of mixtures toxicity data, the estimation of risk of adverse health effects associated with mixtures typically comes from empirical observations of single chemical exposures. Under existing policy, characterizing the relative contribution of each compound depends on identification of the target organ or tissue dose, mode of action, and duration of effect. Currently, there is no consensus on what constitutes a toxic mode or mechanism of action, nor is there a universally accepted framework to determine similarity or independence of mode of action for mixtures risk assessment. This lack of a comprehensive classification paradigm for mode or mechanism of toxic action continues to be a major rate-limiting step in the advancement of mixtures risk assessment. A potential unifying approach to characterizing mode of action involves critical evaluation of data at all levels of biological organization for identification of 'key events'. Development of a biologically plausible weight of evidence description of the key obligatory steps in mechanistic pathways may facilitate selection of the most appropriate component-based mixtures risk assessment approach. Hypothetical case studies are presented to demonstrate the quantitative impact of the choice of dose addition or response addition to estimate risk. PMID- 17804133 TI - Altered antioxidant defense system in clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine Red Blood Cell (RBC) antioxidant enzyme activities and plasma Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) in clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings. METHODS: A case control study carried out on three groups: 60 schizophrenic patients treated with neuroleptics, 33 of their unaffected siblings and 30 healthy controls with no family psychiatric history. Biological markers were measured on fasting patients after a period of tobacco abstinence: RBC antioxidant enzyme activities - superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) - by spectrophotometry and plasma levels of TBARS by spectrofluorimetry. RESULTS: RBC SOD and CAT activities were significantly lower in schizophrenic patients and their unaffected siblings compared to the control group (P<0.001). Schizophrenic patients also had significantly lower RBC GSH-Px activity than controls (P=0.03), whereas their unaffected siblings had significantly higher RBC GSH-Px activity than controls (P=0.04). Plasma TBARS were higher in schizophrenic patients than their unaffected siblings: 2.1+/-0.8 micromol/l vs. 1.7+/-0.6 micromol/l (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities and an increase in lipid peroxidation confirming the existence of oxidative stress in schizophrenic patients treated with neuroleptics. Additionally, this suggests that the increase in GSH-Px activity in unaffected siblings would be a protective mechanism against oxidative stress and damage. Other studies are necessary to confirm these findings. PMID- 17804134 TI - Modulation of defensive responses and anxiety-like behaviors by group I metabotropic glutamate receptors located in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray. AB - Glutamatergic neurotransmission in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (dlPAG) is related to defensive responses. However, the role of group I glutamate metabotropic receptors (mGluR) in these responses has been poorly investigated. The objective of the present study, therefore, was to test the hypothesis that interference with group I mGluR-mediated neurotransmission in dlPAG could modulate defensive responses. Male Wistar rats with cannulae aimed at the dlPAG were submitted to the following experiments: 1. intra dlPAG injections of vehicle (veh, 0.2 microL) or (RS)1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid (AIDA, 30-100 nmol, an mGluR1 receptor competitive antagonist) followed, 5 min later, by veh or trans (+)-1-amino-1,3-ciclopentanedicarboxylic acid (tACPD, a group I and II mGluR agonist, 30 nmol); 2. intra-dlPAG injections of veh, AIDA (30 nmol) or 2-methyl-6 (phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP, an mGluR5 receptor non-competitive antagonist, 50 nmol) followed by trans-azetidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (tADA, a group I mGluR agonist, 10 nmol); 3. and 4. intra-dlPAG injections of vehicle, AIDA (10-30 nmol) or MPEP (10-50 nmol) before the elevated plus maze (EPM) test; 5. intra-dlPAG injections of vehicle, AIDA (30 nmol) or MPEP (50 nmol) before the Vogel punished licking test. tACPD induced defensive responses characterized by jumps and an increased number of crossings in the observation box. These responses were attenuated by AIDA (30 nmol). tADA produced similar responses, although of lower intensity. tADA effects were prevented by AIDA and MPEP. Both drugs also produced anxiolytic-like effects in the EPM and Vogel tests when injected alone. The results suggest that group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in the dlPAG facilitate defensive responses and may also be involved in regulating anxiety like behavior. PMID- 17804135 TI - Open-label study of s-citalopram therapy of chronic fatigue syndrome and co morbid major depressive disorder. AB - OBJECTIVE: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disorder with prominent symptoms of malaise, fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, and impaired concentration. The symptoms of CFS may often overlap those of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Treatment of CFS has generally been disappointing. We hypothesized that s-citalopram therapy may improve the symptoms of both disorders in CFS patients with co-morbid depression. METHODS: 16 patients received s citalopram 10 mg to 20 mg daily for up to 12 weeks. Outcome measures of CFS included the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ), the multi-dimensional Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), the CFS symptom rating (CFS-SR) 100 mm visual analogue scale, and the clinical global impressions severity (CGI/S) and change (CGI/C) ratings. Secondary outcomes of MDD included the Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the CGI/S and CGI/C ratings of MDD. RESULTS: We observed reductions in the mean CFQ score (p<0.0005), FIS score (p<0.0005), and CGI/S (p<0.0005) and CGI/C (p<0.0005) ratings over time. There was a significant improvement in 5 of the 8 CFS-SR symptoms: post-exertion malaise (p=0.001), headaches (p<0.0005), un-refreshing sleep (p<0.0005), and impaired memory and concentration (p<0.0005). There was also a reduction in mean HAM-D (p<0.0005), BDI (p<0.0005), CGI/S (p=0.001) and CGI/C (p<0.0005) ratings of MDD. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was limited and the study design was not double-blind or placebo controlled. CONCLUSION: We observed a significant reduction in both CFS and co morbid MDD symptom severity ratings, and improvement in 5 of 8 core somatic symptoms of CFS during s-citalopram therapy. PMID- 17804136 TI - Possible association between the -2548A/G polymorphism of the leptin gene and olanzapine-induced weight gain. AB - Antipsychotic-induced weight gain has important effects on treatment compliance and long-term health. Several reports have indicated that a -2548A/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the leptin gene is associated with antipsychotic induced weight gain. We hypothesized that there is a similar relationship between the -2548A/G SNP and olanzapine-induced weight gain. A total of 74 Korean schizophrenic patients were examined. Their weight was measured before starting olanzapine and after long-term treatment lasting for at least 3 months. The weight gain was significantly higher for patients with the AG genotype than for those with the AA genotype (p=0.029). Analysis of covariance also showed the difference of weight gain was still significant when adjusted for sex and treatment duration (p=0.046). This finding supports the presence of a relationship between the -2548A/G SNP of the leptin gene and weight gain in Korean schizophrenic patients receiving olanzapine treatment. PMID- 17804137 TI - A tetrachoric factor analysis validation of mixed depression. AB - BACKGROUND: Mixed depression, i.e. a Major Depressive Episode plus co-occurring manic/hypomanic symptoms, has recently become the focus of research. However, its diagnostic validity and bipolar nature are still not firmly supported. A bipolar nature could have significant treatment impacts. STUDY AIM: The aim was to psychometrically validate the concept of, and the bipolar nature, of mixed depression, by using (for the first time) tetrachoric factor analysis of its hypomanic symptoms. METHODS: Consecutive 441 Bipolar II Disorder (BP-II), and 289 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) outpatients were cross-sectionally assessed for Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and concurrent hypomanic symptoms (as binary variables) when presenting for treatment of depression, by a mood disorder specialist psychiatrist (FB), using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (as modified by [Akiskal HS, Benazzi F. Optimizing the detection of bipolar II disorder in outpatient private practice: toward a systematization of clinical diagnostic wisdom. J Clin Psychiatry 2005; 66: 914-921.]) in a private practice. Consecutive 275 remitted BP-II were also assessed for past hypomania. Mixed depression was defined as co-occurrence of MDE and 3 or more, usually subthreshold, hypomanic symptoms. RESULTS: In multivariable logistic regression, BP-II independent predictor variables were young onset age, MDE recurrences, mixed depression, and bipolar family history. Factor analysis of past hypomania symptoms found three factors: an "irritable mental overactivity" factor, an "elevated mood" factor, and a "motor overactivity" factor. Factor analysis of intradepression hypomanic symptoms in BP-II, and in MDD, found two similar mental and motor overactivity factors. Multivariate regression of the intradepression hypomanic factors versus bipolar validators, such as bipolar family history and young onset age, found significant associations. DISCUSSION: Findings could support the diagnostic validity, and the bipolar nature, of mixed depression, on the basis of the close similarities found between the factor structure of inter depression hypomania and intra-depression hypomanic symptoms. Impacts on treatment of a bipolar nature of mixed depression may be significant (e.g. more use of mood stabilising agents, less/no use of antidepressants). PMID- 17804138 TI - Probabilistic modelling of European consumer exposure to cosmetic products. AB - In this study, we describe the statistical analysis of the usage profile of the European population to seven cosmetic products. The aim of the study was to construct a reliable model of exposure of the European population from use of the selected products: body lotion, shampoo, deodorant spray, deodorant non-spray, facial moisturiser, lipstick and toothpaste. The first step in this process was to gather reliable data on consumer usage patterns of the products. These data were sourced from a combination of market information databases and a controlled product use study by the trade association Colipa. The market information study contained a large number of subjects, in total 44,100 households and 18,057 habitual users (males and females) of the studied products, in five European countries. The data sets were then combined to generate a realistic distribution of frequency of use of each product, combined with distribution of the amount of product used at each occasion using the CREMe software. A Monte Carlo method was used to combine the data sets. This resulted in a new model of European exposure to cosmetic products being constructed. PMID- 17804139 TI - Evaluation of the safety and bioactivity of purified and semi-purified glucoraphanin. AB - The anti-carcinogenic effects of broccoli have been attributed to sulforaphane, the hydrolysis product of glucoraphanin (GRP). Here we determined if purified GRP, in the absence of the plant-derived hydrolyzing enzyme myrosinase, could affect pulmonary and hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and/or NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) activity. Male F344 rats were administered semi synthetic, semi-purified or purified GRP (240 mg/kg: 550 micromol/kg rat daily for 4 days) by gavage. Hepatic and pulmonary NQO1 activity increased ( approximately 20%), but not EROD. Varying doses of semi-purified GRP (30, 60, or 120 mg/kg rat daily for 4 days) again caused no change in EROD activity, although a dose-dependent increase in NQO1 was seen. Urinary excretion of mercapturic acids showed no difference between preparations, and recovery increased with decreasing dose. Histopathologic examination revealed no abnormal tissues other than cecum, where inflammation was dose dependent; mild at 120 mg/kg and severe at 240 mg/kg, a greatly supra-physiological dose. We conclude that GRP 30-60 mg/kg p.o. is safe and effectively enhances NQO1 in all tissues evaluated. PMID- 17804140 TI - Protective effect of pine (Pinus morrisonicola Hay.) needle on LDL oxidation and its anti-inflammatory action by modulation of iNOS and COX-2 expression in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. AB - The protective effects of pine (Pinus morrisonicola Hay.) needle on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and nitric oxide production in macrophages as well as its bioactive compounds were investigated. Of the four solvent extracts, the ethyl acetate extract of pine needle (EAE-PN) exhibited the strongest scavenging action on free radicals. EAE-PN significantly inhibited copper-induced LDL oxidation through prolonging the lag phase of conjugated dienes formation and decreasing the relative electrophoretic mobility of LDL. Lipid accumulation and foam cell formation were significantly reduced when EAE-PN (75 microg/mL) was added to the medium co-incubated with macrophages cells and copper-induced LDL. EAE-PN also markedly inhibited reactive oxygen species production in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As regards NO production in cells, EAE-PN showed dose-dependent inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expressions in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were inhibited by EAE-PN. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression were suppressed by EAE-PN. The major phenolic compounds in EAE-PN were epicatechin and p-coumaric acid by HPLC analysis. The presence of epicatechin and p-coumaric acid in EAE-PN may be partially responsible for the biological action of EAE-PN. Taken together, these results suggest that EAE-PN may provide potential protective effects against LDL oxidation and attenuating excessive NO generation at inflammatory sites; consequently, this may contribute to anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory effects of EAE-PN. PMID- 17804141 TI - [Avatars in face transplants]. AB - Avatar carries a pejorative connotation often related to an unfortunate hazard. In face transplants, incarnations were numerous. The analysis of their evolution through time and increasing sophistication of procedures turn out to be informative regarding the wide disrepairs in the craniofacial area. The authors report the principal constraints of face transplant and the evolution in minds to deal with it. PMID- 17804142 TI - Hepatic nitroreduction, toxicity and toxicokinetics of the anti-tumour prodrug CB 1954 in mouse and rat. AB - 5-(Aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB 1954), a promising anti-tumour compound, is associated with clinical hepatotoxicity. We have previously demonstrated that human liver preparations are capable of endogenous 2- and 4 nitroreduction of CB 1954 to generate highly potent cytotoxins. The present study initially examined the in vitro metabolism of CB 1954 in S9 preparations of several non-clinical species and strains. The CD-1 nu/nu mouse and Sprague-Dawley rat were subsequently chosen for further assessment of in vivo metabolism and hepatotoxicity of CB 1954, as well as the mechanisms that may be involved. Animals were administered the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). At 562 micromol/kg, the mouse exhibited transaminase elevation and centrilobular hepatocyte injury. Moreover, thiol adducts as well as hepatic glutathione depletion paralleled temporally by maximal nitroreduction were observed. The rat had a much lower MTD of 40 micromol/kg and showed signs of gastro-intestinal disturbances. In contrast to mouse, peri-portal damage and biliary changes were observed in rat without any alterations in plasma biomarkers or hepatic glutathione levels. Immunohistochemical analysis did not reveal any correlation between the location of injury and expression of cytochrome P450 reductase and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1, two enzymes implicated in the bioactivation of this drug. In conclusion, the present study showed that following administration of CB 1954 at the respective MTDs, hepatotoxicity was observed in both mouse and rat. However, the degree of sensitivity to the drug and the mechanisms of toxicity involved appear to be widely different between CD-1 nu/nu mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. PMID- 17804143 TI - Inducibility of AhR-regulated CYP genes by beta-naphthoflavone in the liver, lung, kidney and heart of the pig. AB - The presence and inducibility of CYP enzymes belonging to the family 1 (CYP 1A1, 1A2 and 1B1) and AhR have been studied in liver, lung, kidney and heart of control and beta-naphthoflavone (beta NF)-treated pigs. Segments of so far undescribed genes for porcine CYP 1A2, 1B1 and AhR were identified by RT-PCR and their sequences found to be highly homologous to those of the corresponding human genes. The mRNA level of CYP 1A1 was induced by beta NF, although to a different extent, in liver, lung, kidney and heart. This transcriptional activation of CYP 1A1 was accompanied in microsomes of all these organs by an induction of 7 ethoxyresorufin deethylase activity (a marker of this isoform) and an increase in a protein band immunoreactive with anti-rat CYP 1A1. An increase in CYP 1A2 transcription and in activity of microsomal 7-methoxyresorufin demethylase and acetanilide 4-hydroxylase (both markers of 1A2) was observed in the liver and, to a very small extent, in the lung but not in kidney and heart. As to CYP 1B1, its transcription was detected in liver, lung and heart only following the beta NF treatment; however this mRNA expression did result in any detectable microsomal 17beta-estradiol 4-hydroxylase activity (a marker of this isoform). The CYPs induced by beta NF were further investigated by using some other marker activities. It was found that porcine CYP 1A1 and 1A2, unlike the human counterparts, could only deethylate 7-ethoxycomarin to a very small extent, if at all, whereas 7-ethoxy 4-trifluoromethylcoumarin was a good substrate for pig CYP 1A1. Overall, our results demonstrated a differential expression and regulation of the AhR-mediated CYP genes in liver, lung, kidney and heart of the pig.naphthoflavone. PMID- 17804144 TI - Who survives from out-of-hospital pulseless electrical activity? AB - AIM OF THE STUDY: To study factors associated with short-term and long-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest presenting with pulseless electrical activity (PEA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study. All out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Helsinki, Finland during 1 January 1997-31 December 2005 were prospectively registered in the cardiac arrest database. Of 3291 arrests 984 had PEA as the first registered rhythm. RESULTS: The use of adrenaline was the only factor associated with long term survival, by increasing mortality. Increasing delay to the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was the only factor associated with survival among patients that survived to admission, also by increasing mortality. There were no survivors that were discharged in overall performance category (OPC) 1-2 after a bystander-witnessed arrest (excluding cases of hypothermia and/or near-drowning) with first responding unit (FRU)-delay over 14 min, or that were resuscitated for more than 20 min. There were no survivors who were discharged in OPC 1-2 after an unwitnessed arrest with the duration of advanced life support (ALS) exceeding 5.5 min. CONCLUSIONS: The use of adrenaline during resuscitation was the only significant factor which was found to decrease the long-term survival. Among admitted patients, short delay to ROSC was the only factor associated with increased survival. Bystander-CPR and delays to the arrival of the FRU or to the initiation of ALS were not associated with survival. Therefore, it seems difficult to increase survival rates of PEA by improving the chain of survival. More effort should be put to education of the public to call for an ambulance before the cardiac arrest occurs. PMID- 17804145 TI - Instructions to "put the phone down" do not improve the quality of bystander initiated dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation. AB - OBJECTIVE: The quality of early bystander CPR appears important in maximizing survival. This trial tests whether explicit instructions to "put the phone down" improve the quality of bystander initiated dispatch-assisted CPR. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial, subjects were randomized to a modified version of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) version 11.2 protocol or a simplified protocol, each with or without instruction to "put the phone down" during CPR. Data were recorded from a Laerdal Resusci Anne Skillreporter manikin. A simulated emergency medical dispatcher, contacted by cell phone, delivered standardized instructions. Primary outcome measures included chest compression rate, depth, and the proportion of compressions without error, with correct hand position, adequate depth, and total release. Time was measured in two distinct ways: time required for initiation of CPR and total amount of time hands were off the chest during CPR. Proportions were analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum tests and time variables with ANOVA. All tests used a two-sided alpha-level of 0.05. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifteen subjects were randomized-107 in the "put the phone down" instruction group and 108 in the group without "put the phone down" instructions. The groups were comparable across demographic and experiential variables. The additional instruction to "put the phone down" had no effect on the proportion of compressions administered without error, with the correct depth, and with the correct hand position. Likewise, "put the phone down" did not affect the average compression depth, the average compression rate, the total hands-off-chest time, or the time to initiate chest compressions. A statistically significant, yet trivial, effect was found in the proportion of compressions with total release of the chest wall. CONCLUSIONS: Instructions to "put the phone down" had no effect on the quality of bystander initiated dispatcher-assisted CPR in this trial. PMID- 17804146 TI - Emergency medicine in the Comoros Islands. AB - The Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros lies off between Madagascar and the Southeast Coast of Africa, and comprises a group of three islands with a total population of 651,901. The average annual income per capita is US$ 470 and life expectancies at birth are 59.3 years for men and 63.9 years for women. It became independent from France in 1975 and for the past 17 years, Comorians have made significant progress in improving their healthcare system. The islands are frequently beset by natural disasters such as active volcano eruptions and hurricanes which resulted in the development of a special Emergency Response Program with the United Nations Disaster Management. The main focus of emergency medicine is disaster management and hospital-based clinical practice. There is a paucity of literature on emergency medicine in Comoros and this is the first article to report the current status of emergency medicine in Comoros Islands. PMID- 17804147 TI - Aspects of the general biology of adenosine A2A signaling. AB - Many of our current hopes of finding better ways to treat Parkinson's disease or to stop its progression rely on studies of adenosine A2A receptors in the brain. Yet any drug targeting central receptors will also potentially affect receptors in other sites. Furthermore, several fundamental aspects of adenosine receptor biology must be taken into account. For these reasons the "Targeting adenosine A2A receptors in Parkinson's disease and other CNS disorders" meeting in Boston included selected aspects of the general biology of adenosine A2A receptor signaling. Some of the presentations from this part of the meeting are summarized in this first chapter. As will be apparent to the reader, these different parts do not form an integrated whole, but they do indicate areas the organizers felt might illuminate remaining questions regarding the roles of adenosine A2A receptors. The contributors to this part of the meeting have summarized some of the key questions below. PMID- 17804148 TI - NAFTA and member country strategies for maritime trade and marine invasive species. AB - Maritime shipping has two vectors of spreading marine invasive species: ballast water inside the ship and biofouling on the hulls outside the ship. While some attention has focused on ballast water, virtually none is focused on biofouling. This paper offers a quantitative analysis of economic incentives for shippers and regulating ports to address both pollution vectors. The strategies to address the vectors are induced by incentive mechanisms involving liability, subsidies and taxes. Results show these offer ample incentives in order to truly foster abatement of both vectors. Data from North America's Pacific coast is included in the analysis. PMID- 17804149 TI - Prognostic implications of lymphangiogenesis in muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. AB - OBJECTIVES: Aim of the study was to describe and evaluate the association of lymph vessel density with clinicopathological parameters and survival in patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. METHODS: The data on 108 patients with muscle-invasive bladder TCC, who underwent radical cystectomy, were reviewed retrospectively. Sections were analysed immunohistochemically for D2-40, a specific lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) marker. Counts of lymph vessels were taken in intratumoural and peritumoural areas as well as in normal tissue. To detect proliferating LECs, we performed a double immunostaining for D2-40 and the proliferation marker Ki-67. RESULTS: Peritumoural vessels were observed in 105 (97.2%) sections and intratumoural vessels in 65 (60.2%). Higher intratumoural lymph vesseI density (LVD) correlated significantly with poor histological differentiation (p=0.01). Higher peritumoural LVD showed a significant association with the presence of lymph node metastasis (p=0.0004). However, LVDs had no statistically significant influence on survival. Intratumoural and peritumoural lymph vessels showed proliferating LECs in varying proportions in all examined samples. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first to suggest the existence of proliferating lymph vessels, and, therefore, of lymphangiogenesis in bladder TCC. To our knowledge, it is also the first to confirm a strong correlation of higher peritumoural LVD with the presence of lymph nodes in clinically localized invasive bladder TCC. These findings indicate that lymphangiogenesis may contribute to tumour dissemination and thus provide a potential target for bladder cancer therapy. PMID- 17804150 TI - Botulinum toxin A detrusor injections in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity significantly decrease the incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections. AB - OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of botulinum toxin A (BoNTA) injections into the detrusor muscle on the incidence of symptomatic urinary infections in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity. METHODS: Between February 2004 and June 2005, 30 patients (18 men, 12 women), mean age 39.4+/-12.1 yr, with neurogenic detrusor overactivity received an injection of 300 U Botox (Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) into the detrusor. Fifteen patients had multiple sclerosis, 14 had spinal cord injury, and 1 had myelitis. Twenty-two patients had urinary incontinence. Patients were either resistant to anticholinergic medications, had discontinued treatment because of adverse effects, or had contraindications to anticholinergic drugs. Before and 6 wk after injection, each patient kept a bladder diary and underwent urodynamic investigation, retrograde and voiding cystourethrography, and urine culture. All symptomatic urinary infections (pyelonephritis, orchitis, prostatitis) occurring in the 6 mo before and the 6 mo after injection were recorded. RESULTS: Before injection, the mean number of symptomatic urinary infections over 6 mo was 1.75+/-1.87. After injection, the mean was 0.2+/-0.41 (p=0.003), and only 3 patients presented symptomatic urinary infections. These patients were those who showed less improvement in their urodynamic parameters after injection (volume of the first uninhibited contraction, maximum bladder pressure, and maximum cystometric capacity, respectively; p=0.0037, p=0.0002, p=0.0027, ANOVA). CONCLUSIONS: BoNTA injections into the detrusor muscle significantly decreased the incidence of symptomatic urinary infections. This effect seems to be related to improvement in urodynamic parameters, reflecting improved reservoir capacity at low pressure. PMID- 17804151 TI - Editorial comment on: Botulinum toxin A detrusor injections in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity significantly decrease the incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections. PMID- 17804152 TI - Editorial comment on: Prognostic implications of lymphangiogenesis in muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. PMID- 17804153 TI - Editorial comment on: Prognostic implications of lymphangiogenesis in muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. PMID- 17804154 TI - Re: Inamasu J, Nakatsukasa M, Blood patch for spontaneous intracranial hypotension caused by cerebrospinal fluid leak at C1-2, Clin Neurol Neurosurg (2007), doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2007.05.006. PMID- 17804155 TI - Photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine in aqueous solution by TiO2-coated non-woven fibres. AB - The photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine has been investigated in aqueous solutions using TiO2 coated non-woven fibres as photocatalyst. The experiments were carried out to investigate the factors influencing the photocatalytic degradation, such as the previous adsorption in the dark, initial concentration of dye solution, temperature, and pH. The experimental results show that adsorption is an important parameter controlling the apparent kinetic constant of the degradation. The photocatalytic degradation rate was favoured by a high concentration of solution in respect to Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The degradation rate was pH and temperature dependent with a high degradation rate at high temperature. PMID- 17804156 TI - A sol-gel based solid phase microextraction fiber for analysis of aromatic hydrocarbons. AB - A sol-gel based solid phase microextraction fiber for headspace sampling (HP SPME) and GC determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) is introduced. The influences of fiber composition, microextraction conditions such as temperature and time on the fiber performance and desorption temperature and time were investigated. Under optimal conditions, the use of proposed fiber was thermally stable up to 250 degrees C and demonstrated high sensitive and fast sampling of BTEX from gaseous phase. Depending on the analysed substance, the linear range for a selected fiber and the applied GC-FID technique was from 4 to 80 ng mL(-1)with limit of detection (LOD) 0.2-0.7 ng mL(-1) and 100-1000 ng mL( 1) with LOD 8-20 ng mL(-1) for gaseous and soil samples, respectively. HP-SPME-GC analysis was highly reproducible-relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) were between 5.0 and 7.9%. The proposed fiber was successfully used for BTEX sampling from indoor air and headspace of soil samples. PMID- 17804157 TI - Experimental and numerical study of heavy gas dispersion in a ventilated room. AB - In order to better evaluate the consequences of an accidental release of heavy gas, such as uranium hexafluoride (UF(6)), in some installations in the nuclear fuel cycle, an experimental and numerical study was conducted by IRSN on heavy gas dispersion in a ventilated room. This study was based on about 20 injection configurations of a large quantity of a heavy tracer gas, sulphur hexafluoride (SF(6)), inside two ventilated rooms of different sizes. Stratification of the tracer gas was detected in all the configurations studied, even at low concentrations. Numerical simulations performed with the multidimensional CFX code enabled the stratification and the concentration levels reached in the rooms to be predicted overall, and the higher the air flow rate, the more satisfactory the comparison between simulation and experiment. PMID- 17804158 TI - Mass transfer of VOCs in laboratory-scale air sparging tank. AB - Volatilization of VOCs was investigated using a 55-gal laboratory-scale model in which air sparging experiments were conducted with a vertical air injection well. In addition, X-ray imaging of an air sparging sand box showed air flows were in the form of air bubbles or channels depending on the size of the porous media. Air-water mass transfer was quantified using the air-water mass transfer coefficient which was determined by fitting the experimental data to a two-zone model. The two-zone model is a one-dimensional lumped model that accounts for the effects of air flow type and diffusion of VOCs in the aqueous phase. The experimental air-water mass transfer coefficients, KGa, obtained from this study ranged from 10(-2) to 10(-3)1/min. From a correlation analysis, the air-water mass transfer coefficient was found to be directly proportional to the air flow rate and the mean particle size of soil but inversely proportional to Henry's constant. The correlation results implied that the air-water mass transfer coefficient was strongly affected by the size of porous media and the air flow rates. PMID- 17804159 TI - Untreated coffee husks as biosorbents for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. AB - The objective of this work was to propose an alternative use for coffee husks (CH), a coffee processing residue, as untreated sorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Biosorption studies were conducted in a batch system as a function of contact time, initial metal ion concentration, biosorbent concentration and pH of the solution. A contact time of 72 h assured attainment of equilibrium for Cu(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II). The sorption efficiency after equilibrium was higher for Cu(II) (89-98% adsorption), followed by Cd(II) (65 85%) and Zn(II) (48-79%). Even though equilibrium was not attained in the case of Cr(VI) ions, sorption efficiency ranged from 79 to 86%. Sorption performance improved as metal ions concentrations were lowered. The experimental sorption equilibrium data were fitted by both Langmuir and Freundlich sorption models, with Langmuir providing the best fit (R2>0.95). The biosorption kinetics was determined by fitting first and second-order kinetic models to the experimental data, being better described by the pseudo-second-order model (R2>0.99). The amount of metal ions sorbed increased with the biosorbent concentration in the case of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) and did not present significant variations for the other metal ions. The effect of the initial pH in the biosorption efficiency was verified in the pH range of 4-7, and the results showed that the highest adsorption capacity occurred at distinct pH values for each metal ion. A comparison of the maximum sorption capacity of several untreated biomaterial based residues showed that coffee husks are suitable candidates for use as biosorbents in the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. PMID- 17804160 TI - Inhibitory effects of toxic compounds on nitrification process for cokes wastewater treatment. AB - Cokes wastewater is one of the most toxic industrial effluents since it contains high concentrations of toxic compounds such as phenols, cyanides and thiocyanate. Although activated sludge process has been adapted to treat this wastewater, nitrification process has been occasionally upset by serious inhibitory effects of toxic compounds. In this study, therefore, we examined inhibitory effects of ammonia, thiocyanate, free cyanide, ferric cyanide, phenol and p-cresol on nitrification in an activated sludge system, and then correlated their threshold concentrations with the full-scale pre-denitrification process for treating cokes wastewater. Ammonia below 350 mg/L did not cause substrate inhibition for nitrifying bacteria. Thiocyanate above 200mg/L seemed to inhibit nitrification, but it was due to the increased loading of ammonia produced from its biodegradation. Free cyanide above 0.2mg/L seriously inhibited nitrification, but ferric cyanide below 100mg/L did not. Phenol and p-cresol significantly inhibited nitrification above 200 mg/L and 100mg/L, respectively. Meantime, activated carbon was added to reduce inhibitory effects of phenol and free cyanide. PMID- 17804161 TI - Recovery of Cu(II) and Cd(II) by a chelating resin containing aspartate groups. AB - A chelating resin, crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate-aspartic acid) (PASP), was synthesized by anchoring sodium aspartate to crosslinked poly(glycidyl methacrylate) for the recovery of Cu2+ and Cd2+ from aqueous solutions. The resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and mass balance. In non-competitive conditions, the adsorptions tended toward equilibrium at 60 min and the equilibrium adsorption capacities were 1.40 and 1.28 mmol/gPASP for Cu2+ and Cd2+, respectively. The adsorption isothermals of the metal ions by PASP followed the Freundlich isotherm. Adsorption of Cu2+ was affected slightly in the presence of NaNO3 (0-0.3M) but the uptake of Cd2+ decreased significantly in the same condition. Except pH> or =4.0, the adsorption capacity of each metal ion decreased with lowering of solution pH. The reusability of PASP in adsorptions was investigated for five successive adsorption-desorption operations. When the pH of Cu2+/Cd2+ mixture was 2 or 2.5, the competitive adsorption tests confirmed this resin had good adsorption selectivity for Cu2+ with the coexistence of Cd2+. PMID- 17804162 TI - Thermal characteristics of aluminum nanoparticles and oilcloths. AB - Exothermic behavior of aluminum nanoparticles (ANP) in aqueous medium of various pH values and oilcloths (OC) composed of linseed oil, SAE 10W-40 engine oil, or SAE 20W-50 engine oil in cotton or nylon was studied. The experimental results revealed that for ANP hydrolysis, a deviation of pH value from 7 yielded a decrease in onset temperature (Tonset), peak temperature, no return temperature, self-accelerating decomposition temperature, time to T(onset), time to maximum rate (TMRad), and activation energy. Also, reaction order and frequency factor increased as pH value deviating from 7. For decomposition of oily materials, Tonset of OC was lower than that of pure oil, suggesting that cotton and nylon enhanced the combustibility of the three oils. Besides, total enthalpy of OC was larger than that of the corresponding pure oil. Nylon-based OC produced larger total enthalpy than cotton-based OC, while the latter yielded shorter oxidative induction time (OIT) than the former. Moreover, reasonable discrepancy between experimentally determined OIT and theoretically estimated TMRad was obtained. Hydrolysis of damped ANP and decomposition of OC could be derived from heat accumulation, leading to release of a considerable amount of thermal energy at relatively low Tonset. PMID- 17804163 TI - Evaluation of various digestion procedures for trace element contents of some food materials. AB - The levels of trace elements in different types of food material consumed in Turkey were determined by flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Food samples were digested with dry ashing, wet ashing and microwave digestion procedures in this study. The microwave digestion procedure was chosen for the digestion of all the food samples because it required shorter time and made higher recovery (specially for Se). Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Al and Se were determined by flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSD) were found below 10%. The accuracy of the procedure was confirmed by certified reference materials. Moreover, this procedure was easier to use when compared with dry and wet digestions. PMID- 17804164 TI - Calcium peroxide (CaO2) for use in modified Fenton chemistry. AB - The use of calcium peroxide (CaO2) powder as a source of H2O2 to promote modified Fenton (MF) chemistry was studied. First, the rate of production and yield of H2O2 from CaO2 dissolving in water at pH 6-9, and 12-13 (i.e., unbuffered CaO2) was measured. The rate of CaO2 dissolution increased as pH decreased, from 62 h for complete dissolution at pH 12-13 to only 4h at pH 6. The yield of H2O2 also increased with decreasing pH, from zero at pH 12-13 to 82% at pH 6. The ability of CaO2 to promote MF oxidation of PCE was demonstrated with a hydroxyl radical (OH) scavenger (2-propanol) at pH 8. The scavenger inhibited PCE oxidation, but 97% of the PCE was oxidized without it. Release of Cl(-) showed that PCE was mineralized. Finally, PCE oxidation was compared with liquid H2O2 (pH 7) and with CaO2 (pH 6, 7, 8, 9). Liquid H2O2 showed the lowest efficiency (mol H2O2 consumed/mol PCE oxidized) and the greatest temperature increase, disproportionation to O2, and PCE volatilization. CaO2 was a more efficient oxidant than liquid H2O2 at all pH values because it only releases H2O2 upon dissolution, reducing the loss to O2 and volatilization. CaO2 performed optimally at pH 8. PMID- 17804165 TI - Vector field electron tomography of magnetic materials: theoretical development. AB - The theory of vector field electron tomography, the reconstruction of the three dimensional magnetic induction around a magnetized object, is derived within the framework of Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The tomographic reconstruction method uses as input two orthogonal tilt series of magnetic phase maps and is based on the vector slice theorem. An analytical reconstruction of the magnetic induction of a single magnetic dipole is presented as a proof-of concept. The method is compared to two previously reported approaches: a reconstruction starting from the gradient of the magnetic phase maps, and a direct reconstruction of the magnetic vector potential. Numerical examples as well as estimates of the reconstruction errors for a range of magnetic particle shapes are reported. PMID- 17804166 TI - Wettability of substrata controls cell-substrate and cell-cell adhesions. AB - The maintenance of endothelial cell (EC) monolayer architecture requires stable adhesions not only between neighboring cells but also between cells and the extracellular matrix. While the influence of biomaterials surface wettability on cell-substratum adhesion is rather well studied, its impact on cell-cell cohesion has not been extensively investigated. In the present study a model system consisting of hydrophilic and hydrophobic glass pre-coated with fibronectin and fibrinogen was used to study the influence of surface wettability on both types of cell adhesions. It was demonstrated that the substrate wettability controls the adhesion and cytoskeletal organization of endothelial cells, which has an impact on the subsequent ability of cells to establish stable cell-cell cohesions. These effects were related to the accessibility of specific domains of the adsorbed proteins. While the hydrophobic substratum promoted cell-cell cohesion, on hydrophilic substrata cell-substrate adhesion was dominant. In addition, evidence for an influence of surface wettability on the cross talk between integrins and cadherins was found. PMID- 17804167 TI - Chemical transformation and biological studies of marine sesquiterpene (S)-(+) curcuphenol and its analogs. AB - Chemical transformation studies of the marine sesquiterpene phenol (S)-(+) curcuphenol (1), isolated from the Jamaican sponges Myrmekioderma styx, were accomplished. In order to optimize the activity and better understand the SAR of (S)-(+)-curcuphenol, nineteen semisynthetic analogs were prepared and evaluated for activity against infectious diseases. A number of analogs showed significant activity against Mtb and Leishmania donovani, while showed good to moderate activities in antibacterial and antifungal assays as well as against Plasmodium falciparium (D6 clone) and (W2 clone). The analogs a, c, h, and r exhibited Mtb activity with MICs of 24.6, 41.2, 6.90, and 50.5 microM, respectively. Analog f showed enhanced activity against L. donovani with an IC50 of 0.6 microM and IC90 of 40 microM respectively. PMID- 17804168 TI - Induction of heat shock protein 70 by sodium arsenite attenuates burn-induced intestinal injury in severe burned rats. AB - The present study was designed to assess the effects of induced heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) on intestinal injury after severe burn. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, burn group (B group), sodium arsenite pretreatment group (SA group), and sodium arsenite+quercetin pretreatment group (SA+Qu group). Plasma endotoxin and d-lactic acid content were determined at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48h after severe burn. Samples of small intestine were obtained for histologic assessment of intestinal mucosal injury and the expression of HSP70 was assayed by Western blot. Apoptosis of the intestinal epithelial cells was examined by the TUNEL method. Results showed that SA pretreatment significantly increased expression of HSP70 in the small intestine. SA pretreatment attenuated the burn-induced increase in plasma endotoxin and d lactic acid content, intestinal injury scores and the percentage of apoptotic intestinal epithelial cells. Co-administration of quercetin with SA abolished the SA-induced HSP70 over-expression and the beneficial effects of SA. Our findings suggest increasing expression of HSP70 induced by SA pretreatment attenuates burn induced intestinal injury apparently by preventing apoptosis. PMID- 17804169 TI - Early enteral feeding for burned patients--an effective method which should be encouraged in developing countries. AB - A randomized control trial was conducted to investigate impact of early enteral feeding on immune, metabolic aspects and outcomes of 82 severe burned patients admitting to National Institute of Burns, Hanoi, Vietnam from November 2003 to November 2004. Fourty-one patients were in early enteral group and 41 patients were in total parenteral nutrition group. Blood samples were collected at admission and 7th day postburn to determine plasma level of IgG, IgM, insulin, corrtisol and blood absolute number of TCD4, TCD8. Intestinal chyme was drawn through a weighted feeding tube to determine intestinal secreted IgA. Results showed that, at the 7th day after burn, both humoral and cellular immunology recovered faster in enteral nutrition group as compared to total parenteral group (p<0.05). In the early enteral nutrition group, after 1 week, plasma concentration of cortisol decreased from 599.70 to 437nmol/l and that of insulin increased from 12.07 to 30.34micromol/ml. Vice versa, in the control group the change was in the reverse direction (p<0.01). Overall complication decreased in the enteral nutrition group in comparison with parenteral group. Finally, mortality was significantly lower in early enteral nutrition group as compared to the parenteral group (14.65% and 36.58%, respectively). In conclusion, early enteral nutrition after burn has positive effects on immune and metabolic function, and reduces complication as well as death rate. PMID- 17804170 TI - Use of an aspiration cannula for rapid deflation of tissue expander. PMID- 17804171 TI - Childhood characteristics associated with stage of substance use of American Indians: Family background, traumatic experiences, and childhood behaviors. AB - The purpose of this analysis is to examine childhood characteristics associated with stage of substance use in adulthood in two American Indian (AI) populations. Data were drawn from an epidemiologic study of two AI reservation populations for persons age 18-44 years (n=2070). We used descriptive and multivariate analysis to examine correlates of four mutually exclusive stages of substance use: lifetime abstinence (Stage 0), use of alcohol only (Stage 1A), use of marijuana/inhalants with or without alcohol (Stage 1B), and use of other illicit drugs with or without the previously listed substances (Stage 2). Problematic substance use by parents, younger age of first substance use, initiating substance use with a drug (with or without alcohol), and adolescent conduct problems were associated with higher stage substance use. Persons who experienced sexual abuse, witnessed family violence, or experienced other traumatic events before the age of 18 were more likely to be at Stage 1B than Stage 1A. These findings underscore the importance of providing effective interventions during childhood and adolescence to reduce the risk of substance use progression. PMID- 17804172 TI - Light, literacy and the absence of ultraviolet radiation in the development of myopia. AB - As the prevalence of myopia steadily increases, reaching as high as 90% in some populations, investigators continue to look for causative factors other than family history. Most current research suggests an association of axial myopia with reading or either the presence or absence of light. Even though these studies are frequently inconsistent, non-reproducible or contradictory, many clinicians utilize them in recommending treatments for children, such as bifocals or atropine. By reviewing the biologic effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields, we may gain insight into these discrepancies as well as unify the combined role of literacy and light in the pathogenesis of myopia. These biologic effects are wavelength specific. The wavelength of artificial (either incandescent or fluorescent) light is primarily 700-400 nm, while the wavelength of natural light is 700-200 nm, inclusive of the ultraviolet spectrum. So the opposite findings of myopia resulting from either accommodation under continuous light or under darkness (form deprivation) can be reconciled by restating it: Close focusing in the absence of UV light may provoke axial myopia. Experimental evidence exhibiting both scleral remodeling under accommodation as well as the inhibition of scleral remodeling by the hardening of collagen under ultraviolet exposure may support this concept. Perhaps new research can look into the role of the presence or absence of UV light in animal models of myopia. PMID- 17804173 TI - Hamming's "open doors" and group creativity as keys to scientific excellence: the example of Cambridge. AB - Dr. Charlton used diverse approaches to identify research institutions which provided home to outstanding scientists and work. One intriguing example of long lasting scientific excellence is Cambridge with 19 Nobel laureates who worked at the University or at the MRC Molecular Biology Unit when they received the prize between 1947 and 2006. With specific reference to Cambridge, I would like to complement the primarily quantitative assessment and offer considerations as to why and how research achievements may have clustered in space and time. Indeed, observations voiced by the mathematician Richard Hamming as to how great research can be pursued offer explanations for the series of great science in the UK. In my view, the most important determinant of the clustering may be illustrated by Hamming's fitting picture of "open doors": working in environments with the doors open allows constant interactions with peers with various disciplinary backgrounds, and thus fast avoidance of detours or dead ends in science and, ultimately, a focus on and the solution of problems of paramount, rather than of tangential, importance. Narrative insights into a strong argumentative tradition at Cambridge provided by Drs. Watson and Magueijo between 1968 and 2003 are in line with Hamming's suggestion and the value of group creativity. In the internet age with abundant interactions beyond home institutions we should not be surprised if clusters of great science were no longer confined to the usual suspect institutions which were awarded disproportionally with Nobel prizes in the past. PMID- 17804174 TI - Plasma rich in growth factors as a potential therapeutic candidate for treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis. AB - Despite high prevalence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), the treatment is mainly symptomatic. Considering epithelial implantation etiology of RAS, a novel therapeutic approach was presented. Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) contains various active ingredients including but not limited to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and fibrin products. PDGF accelerated the healing of ulcers. Moreover, it enhances epithelial-mesenchymal transition and hence aids in elimination of epithelial nests within underlying connective tissue. In addition, it modulated extracellular matrix and contributes to restoration of original tissue structure and function. Anti-inflammatory properties of PRGF in combination with the aforementioned scenario may prove useful both for resolution of acute periods of RAS as well as prevention of recurrent periods of the disease. PMID- 17804175 TI - Antidepressants may only be used as assistant therapy in cancer treatment. PMID- 17804176 TI - Fibrosis in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. AB - There is little quantitative information about the amount of fibrosis in lymphomas. The aim of the present study was to investigate the amount of fibrosis in lymphomas and to highlight the relationship between fibrosis and mast cells, the key players of fibrosis. Tissue sections of 60 patients with diagnosis of lymphoma were reevaluated for classification. The mean fibrotic-stained area percentage (F-SAP) was determined in van Gieson-stained digital images using image analysis (Mediscope, Dokuz Eylul University, Clinical Engineering, Turkey). Mast cells were visualized using streptavidin peroxidase immunohistochemistry with anti-tryptase staining. Twenty-seven (44%) cases were Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). F-SAP was 11.09+/-8.96 and 1.72+/-1.76 for HL and non-HL cases (Mann Whitney U, p<0.000), and the mean mast cell count (MMCC) was 24.63+/-13.58 and 8.03+/-8.07, respectively (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.000). There was a significant difference between F-SAP and MMCC concerning different types of lymphomas (Kruskal-Wallis test, p>0.000). F-SAP was highest in nodular sclerosis HL, and MMCC was highest in mixed cellular HL. There was a strong positive correlation between MMCC and F-SAP (Pearson Correlation test, p<0.000, r=0.51). These results suggest that the amount of fibrosis demonstrates differences in subtypes of lymphomas, and mast cells are increased in fibrosing lymphomas. However, it seems likely that more than one cell type is involved. PMID- 17804177 TI - Fungal infections of the heart: a clinicopathologic study of 50 autopsy cases. AB - Cardiac fungal infection (CFI) is relatively uncommon, but its incidence is increasing. It is associated with a grim prognosis, but some CFI patients can survive given an early diagnosis and aggressive therapy. To clarify the clinicopathologic features of CFI, a retrospective autopsy study was conducted. Among a total of 4396 autopsy cases collected over a 33-year period (1973-2005), 50 CFI patients (1.1%) were selected and studied clinicopathologically. The study subjects were 32 males and 18 females with a mean age of 65.5 years. Underlying diseases for CFI included solid malignant neoplasms (n=23), hematologic disorders (n=10), chronic renal diseases (n=7), liver diseases (n=5), diabetes mellitus (n=5), and other miscellaneous ailments. Antibiotics were given to 47 patients, while corticosteroids, antineoplastic drugs, and antifungal agents were used for 21, 12, and 12 patients, respectively. None of the patients was diagnosed to have CFI antemortem. Most patients (n=45) demonstrated multi-organ fungal infections with myocardial involvement. Causative pathogens were Candida (n=36), Aspergillus (n=9), Mucor (n=4), and Cryptococcus (n=1). Comparisons between previous CFIs (1973-1989) and recent CFIs (1990-2005) revealed an increasing proportion of non candidal CFIs (p=0.004) in the latter. Our results point to the clinical importance of defining diagnostic criteria and therapeutic strategies for CFIs, especially for non-candidal CFIs. PMID- 17804178 TI - Cooperation built the Tower of Babel. PMID- 17804179 TI - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from small and exotic animals at a university hospital during routine microbiological examinations. AB - Clinical specimens of small animals (n=869) were screened for the occurrence of methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA; MRSA) during routine microbiological examinations, and results were confirmed by a multiplex PCR strategy. The genetic relatedness of all mecA-positive S. aureus isolates was further investigated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), PCR for Panton-Valentine leukocidine genes (PVL) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec-typing (SCCmec). A total of 61 S. aureus isolates were found during a 20-month period of investigation, 27 (44.3%) of them harbouring the mecA gene for methicillin-resistance. The majority of MRSA were isolated in specimens from dogs (n=18) and cats (n=4). One guinea pig and one rabbit were found to be positive for an MRSA infected site. Similarly, three exotic animals, a turtle, a bat and a parrot, were found to be infected with MRSA. PFGE and MLST analysis revealed a certain genotype ("A" and "A-1") dominating the isolate collection (23 of 27). Furthermore, one isolate showed homologous PFGE pattern to the German epidemic strain Barnim ("BE") and another one ("BE-1") was considered to be closely related. A third genotype ("B") was detected in two cases. Two different sequence types (ST) were identified among the 27 MRSA isolates. PFGE type "A" and both strains related to the Barnim epidemic strain were assigned to ST22, whereas ST239 was associated to PFGE profile "B". The present data show that certain MRSA genotypes are capable of infecting a wide spectrum of small and exotic animals, especially in clinical facilities. PMID- 17804180 TI - Unexpected differences in dissolution behavior of tablets prepared from solid dispersions with a surfactant physically mixed or incorporated. AB - In a previous study, it was shown that the incorporation of poorly soluble drugs (BCS class II) in sugar glasses could largely increase the drug's dissolution rate [van Drooge, D.J., Hinrichs, W.L.J., Frijlink, H.W., 2004 b. Anomalous dissolution behaviour of tablets prepared from sugar glass-based solid dispersions. J. Control. Release 97, 441-452]. However, the application of this technology had little effect when high drug loads or fast dissolving sugars were applied due to uncontrolled crystallization of the drug in the near vicinity of the dissolving tablet. To solve this problem a surfactant, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), was incorporated in the sugar glass or physically mixed with it. Diazepam and fenofibrate were used as model drugs in this study. The dissolution behavior of tablets prepared from solid dispersions in which SLS was incorporated was strongly improved. Surprisingly, the dissolution rate of tablets prepared from physical mixtures of SLS and the solid dispersion was initially fast, but slowed down after about 10 min. The solid dispersions were characterized by DSC to explain this unexpected difference. These measurements revealed the existence of interaction of SLS with both the drug and the sugar in the solid dispersion when SLS was incorporated. It is hypothesized that due to this interaction, the dissolution of SLS was slowed down by which a high solubility of the drug in the near vicinity of the dissolving tablet is maintained during the whole dissolution process. Therefore, uncontrolled crystallization is effectively prevented. PMID- 17804181 TI - Impact milling of pharmaceutical agglomerates in the wet and dry states. AB - This study focused on the milling of wet granulated agglomerates at points before and after drying in a typical high-shear pharmaceutical process train. These steps, referred to here as wet and dry milling, utilized a conical screen mill. Milling of granulation in the wet state eliminated 1-10mm size agglomerates without affecting granule porosity or inducing further agglomeration. These millimeter-size agglomerates broke down during wet milling into moderately sized fragments larger than 125microm. In contrast, when milled after drying, these same 1-10mm-size agglomerates broke down predominantly into fine particles less than 125microm. Data from screen-less milling trials suggest that the mill screen served only as a classifier and did not significantly contribute to the route of breakage for either wet or dry milling. However, in the case of dry milling, mill screens with grated surface textures did result in fewer fines than non-grated screens. This may be a result of reduced residence time in the mill. Experiments varying the size fraction of feed material and the rotational speed of the mill's impeller identified impact attrition as the primary mechanism governing dry granule breakage. The findings in this study shed light into the fundamental breakdown behavior of pharmaceutical agglomerates and demonstrate how breakdown of wet agglomerates via a de-lumping step prior to drying can lead to a reduced level of fine particle generation during dry milling. PMID- 17804182 TI - Konjac glucomannan and konjac glucomannan/xanthan gum mixtures as excipients for controlled drug delivery systems. Diffusion of small drugs. AB - Konjac glucomannan (KGM), alone or in combination with xanthan gum (XG), was evaluated as main component of systems capable of controlling the diffusion of small molecules with a view of their use in drug delivery. To provide the study with enough general character, KGM batches were obtained from the three main areas of excipient harmonization (Europe, USA and Japan). The rheological evaluation at physiological temperature of KGM (0.5%, w/v) aqueous dispersions, with or without XG at different ratios, showed significant variability among the three KGMs owing to differences in the acetylation degree. The Japanese and European varieties of KGM synergically interact with XG giving rise to gel formation; the synergism being maximum at a 1:1 ratio. By contrast, the American KGM does not show such effect forming only viscous solutions. Drug diffusion coefficients of theophylline and diltiazem HCl, with different molecular size and net charge, were evaluated in systems containing KGM/XG ratio 1:1. KGM/XG systems were more efficient than the XG alone dispersion for controlling drug diffusion of small molecules because of the gel formation. These results point out the potential of mixtures of some KGM types with XG to develop delivery systems capable of maintaining physical integrity and drug release control for up to 8-h period. PMID- 17804183 TI - Herbal medicines as diuretics: a review of the scientific evidence. AB - There is increasing interest in the health and wellness benefits of herbs and botanicals. This is with good reason as they might offer a natural safeguard against the development of certain conditions and be a putative treatment for some diseases. One such area may be the lowering of blood pressure in those where it is elevated (i.e., hypertension). One class of clinical medicines used to lower blood pressure are known as diuretics and work by increasing the excretion of urine from the body as well as the amount of sodium in urine. There are a growing number of studies purporting diuretic effects with traditional medicines. The aim of this article was to review these studies and identify which extracts promote diuresis (which we assessed on terms of urine excreted and urinary sodium excretion) and also to identify the research needs in this area. We identified a number of species and genuses reporting diuretic effects. Of these, the most promising, at the present time, are the species Foeniculum vulgare, Fraxinus excelsior, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Petroselinum sativum and Spergularia purpurea, and species from the genuses Cucumis (Cucumis melo and Cucumis trigonus), Equisetum (Equisetum bogotense, Equisetum fluviatile, Equisetum giganteum, Equisetum hiemale var. affine and Equisetum myriochaetum), Lepidium (Lepidium latifolium and Lepidium sativum), Phyllanthus (Phyllanthus amarus, Phyllanthus corcovadensis and Phyllanthus sellowianus) and Sambucus (Sambucus mexicana and Sambucus nigra). However, there the number of studies is limited and we recommend that further studies be conducted to confirm reported effects. Such evidence is needed to provide scientific credence to the folklore use of traditional medicines and even be helpful in the development of future medicines, treatments and treatment guidelines. PMID- 17804184 TI - Atypical fibroxanthoma of the external ear in a cardiac transplant recipient: case report and the causal role of the immunosuppressive therapy. AB - Atypical fibroxanthoma (AF) is an unusual cutaneous fibrohistiocytic tumour that is most commonly found in ENT sun-exposed areas of elderly males. Cardiac transplant patients have an increased incidence of multiple cutaneous neoplasms, but the AF is uncommon. Although this neoplasm is benign, it may mimic spindle cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma on histologic examination. Immunohistochemical stains for cytokeratin, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin, S100 protein and vimentin may be helpful in differential diagnosis. AF rarely recur or metastasize, if wide excision has been performed. We present a case of a cardiac transplant recipient who developed, after multiple cutaneous squamous tumours, an AF of external ear following the prolonged immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporin. PMID- 17804185 TI - Clinical experience with collagen injection of the vocal fold: a study of 155 patients. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the results of laryngeal collagen injection. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study of patients who had undergone laryngeal collagen injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 275 patients treated with collagen injection and a review of the relevant literature on the results of treatment were presented. Follow-up studies were performed for at least 3 months on 155 patients. The patients' voice quality was assessed by perceptual voice analysis using the GRBAS scale, and their vocal function was assessed by acoustic and aerodynamic measures (maximal phonation time and mean flow rate). Assessments were performed before and after collagen injection. RESULTS: Mean objective measures and clinician's perceptual ratings demonstrated measurable improvement in vocal function and voice quality after collagen injection. There were no major complications and no hypersensitivity reactions. CONCLUSION: As an outpatient office procedure, collagen injection offers a simple, efficient and effective treatment for dysphonia. Various aspects of the procedure for anesthesia, injection techniques, and patient selection are discussed. PMID- 17804186 TI - Three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with cochlear otosclerosis. AB - A 51-year-old man had progressive hearing loss over more than 15 years. He had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Computed tomography (CT) showed extensive bilateral demineralization of the cochlear capsule, which is characteristic of diffuse cochlear otosclerosis. Three-dimensional fluid attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) of magnetic resonance imaging before enhancement revealed high signals in the cochlea and vestibule. Postcontrast 3D FLAIR revealed enhancement of the basal turn of the left cochlea. This is the first published case of the breakdown of the blood-labyrinth barrier in a patient with cochlear otosclerosis. Our findings suggest that the breakdown of the blood labyrinth barrier is associated with a part of SNHL in cochlear otosclerosis. PMID- 17804187 TI - Unusual clinical features in infantile Spinal Muscular Atrophies. AB - Spinal Muscular Atrophies (SMA) are a group of degenerative diseases primarily affecting the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and resulting in muscle weakness and atrophy. Diagnostic criteria were proposed by the International SMA Consortium (ISMAC) to differentiate"classical" proximal SMA caused by homozygous deletion or conversion of the SMN1 gene (5q13) from atypical SMA unlinked to chromosome 5q (non-5q-SMA entities). The aim of our study was to emphasize the unusual clinical features encountered in infantile SMA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 63 children with SMA hospitalized between 1985 and 2006. RESULTS: Forty-eight children suffered from classical SMA and 15 from atypical SMA, including 4 distal SMA, 2 scapuloperoneal SMA, one pontocerebellar hypoplasia type I, 7 neurogenic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (2 of them associated with a central nervous system (CNS) involvement) and one undetermined case. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the clinical variety of proximal SMA and put in perspective some exclusion criteria (CNS involvement, phrenic or facial palsy). Some symptoms allowed us to anticipate the normality of the SMN1 gene: improvement of motor condition, distal predominance and, more relatively, assymetry of motor weakness. Diagnosis difficulties were especially encountered in case of predominant distal deficit, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and associated clinical abnormalities. Detailed phenotypical description and syndromic regrouping of cases of atypical SMA lead to a better understanding of underlying physiopathological processes and to the identification of other genes involved in infantile SMA. PMID- 17804188 TI - Pitfalls of the application of microdialysis in clinical oncology: controversial findings with docetaxel. AB - Microdialysis is a novel and minimally invasive sampling technique, based on the diffusion of analytes from the interstitial compartment through a semi-permeable membrane, and enables direct assessment of tissue disposition and penetration of drugs. Variable antitumor responses may be associated with differences in tumor vascularity, capillary permeability or tumor interstitial pressure resulting in variable delivery of anticancer agents. In preparation of pharmacokinetic studies, aimed at measuring docetaxel concentrations in healthy and malignant tissues in vivo, in pre-clinical as well as clinical studies, in vitro recovery experiments were performed. In contrast to published data, the recovery experiments suggest that docetaxel has a very low recovery as a result of non specific binding to currently available microdialysis catheters. Here we discuss our findings with docetaxel in a historical perspective and we report on our experience using polysorbate 80 to eliminate the non-specific binding and its effects on the recovery of docetaxel. PMID- 17804189 TI - Age-related changes in BDNF protein levels in human serum: differences between autism cases and normal controls. AB - Accumulating evidence suggests the possible association between the concentrations of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and psychiatric disease with impaired brain development. Yet the reasons remain unclear. We therefore investigated the characteristics of serum BDNF as well as its age related changes in healthy controls in comparison to autism cases. BDNF was gradually released from platelets at 4 degrees C, reached a maximal concentration after around 24 h, and remained stable until 42 h. At room temperature, BDNF was found to be immediately degraded. Circadian changes, but not seasonal changes, were found in serum levels of BDNF existing as the mature form with a molecular mass of 14 kDa. In healthy controls, the serum BDNF concentration increased over the first several years, then slightly decreased after reaching the adult level. There were no sex differences between males and females. In the autism cases, mean levels were significantly lower in children 0-9 years old compared to teenagers or adults, or to age-matched healthy controls, indicating a delayed BDNF increase with development. In a separate study of adult rats, a circadian change in serum BDNF was found to be similar to that in the cortex, indicating a possible association with cortical functions. PMID- 17804190 TI - Cesium chloride protects cerebellar granule neurons from apoptosis induced by low potassium. AB - Neuronal apoptosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, and neuroprotective agents targeting apoptotic signaling could have therapeutic use. Here we report that cesium chloride, an alternative medicine in treating radiological poison and cancer, has neuroprotective actions. Serum and potassium deprivation induced cerebellar granule neurons to undergo apoptosis, which correlated with the activation of caspase-3. Cesium prevented both the activation of caspase-3 and neuronal apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Cesium at 8 mM increased the survival of neurons from 45 +/- 3% to 91 +/- 5% of control. Cesium's neuroprotection was not mediated by PI3/Akt or MAPK signaling pathways, since it was unable to activate either Akt or MAPK by phosphorylation. In addition, specific inhibitors of PI3 kinase and MAP kinase did not block cesium's neuroprotective effects. On the other hand, cesium inactivated GSK3beta by phosphorylation of serine-9 and GSK3beta-specific inhibitor SB415286 prevented neuronal apoptosis. These data indicate that cesium's neuroprotection is likely via inactivating GSK3beta. Furthermore, cesium also prevented H(2)O(2)-induced neuronal death (increased the survival of neurons from 72 +/- 4% to 89 +/- 3% of control). Given its relative safety and good penetration of the brain blood barrier, our findings support the potential therapeutic use of cesium in neurodegenerative diseases. PMID- 17804191 TI - Clinical utility of fine-needle aspiration for diagnosis of head and neck lymphoma. AB - BACKGROUND: Although fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is currently used for the diagnosis of lymphoma, its diagnostic utility in patients with head and neck (HN) lymphoma is unclear. We therefore assessed the utility of initial clinical and FNA diagnoses for HN lymphoma in a clinician's perspective. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of total 109 patients with HN lymphoma underwent both FNA and tissue diagnoses from January 2000 through December 2005. The diagnostic sensitivity of FNA was compared with that of histopathology. FNA diagnosis was based on cytomorphology alone in 69 patients and on immunophenotyping plus morphology in 40. RESULTS: On clinical diagnosis, lymphoma was suspected in 54 patients, nonlymphoma/metastatic malignancy in 31, and benign disease in 24. FNA diagnosed lymphoma in 41 patients; suspicious of lymphoma in 23; atypical lymphoma in 20; benign disease in 19; and was nondiagnostic in 6 patients. Diagnostic accuracy of FNA was not significantly improved by repeat core needle biopsy and immunophenotyping. Delay from FNA to tissue diagnosis was significant in the benign FNA-diagnostic group, with a mean 49 days. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and FNA diagnoses of HN lymphoma may be incomplete and include the potential pitfall of significant diagnostic delay. PMID- 17804192 TI - Determination of acid base balance and oil water partition coefficient of an atopy patch test of levofloxacin. AB - Levofloxacin, a quinolone used in the treatment of an upper respiratory tract infection is involved in skin reactions. Patch tests are helpful for the aetiological diagnosis. Unfortunately, they are known for their lack of sensibility. A weak transcutaneous penetration due to the physicochemical characteristics of tested drugs is a well-known cause of false negative results but these characteristics are usually unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate physicochemical parameters by potentiometric method in order to optimize the transcutaneous penetration of a preparation for patch test. This method is applicable to a medium such as the preparation for patch test. In order to value the stability of the preparation, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the level of levofloxacin was effectuated. In our study, spectrophotometric and potentiometric data at T0 and six months later with the preparation showed the stability of the preparation. The proportions of non-ionized (45%) and ionized levofloxacin (55%) were not modified. Further experiments are needed to choose the minimal efficient dose of the suspected molecule able to detect a positive reaction in cases of allergic reaction. In addition, this method could be useful in qualitative and quantitative control of preparations made at hospital. PMID- 17804193 TI - Effects of Ecklonia cava ethanolic extracts on airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation in a murine asthma model: role of suppressor of cytokine signaling. AB - Ecklonia cava (EC) is a brown alga that evidences radical scavenging activity, bactericidal activity, tyrosinase inhibitory activity, and protease inhibitory activity. However, its anti-allergic effects remain poorly understood. In the current study, we attempted to determine whether pretreatment with EC induces a significant inhibition of asthmatic reactions in a mouse asthma model. Mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) evidenced typical asthmatic reactions, as follows: an increase in the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; a marked influx of inflammatory cells into the lung around blood vessels and airways, and airway luminal narrowing; the development of airway hyperresponsiveness; the detection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and Th2 cytokines, including IL-4 and IL-5 in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid; and the detection of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the serum. However, the administration of EC extract prior to the final airway OVA challenge resulted in a significant inhibition of all asthmatic reactions. We also demonstrated that EC extracts treatment resulted in significant reductions on matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and Suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) expression and a reduction in the increased eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity. The treatment of animals with EC extracts resulted in a significant reduction in the concentrations of the Th2 cytokine (IL-4 and IL-5) in the airways, without any concomitant increase in the concentration of Th1 cytokines. These findings indicate that EC extracts may prove useful as an adjuvant therapy for allergic airway reactions via the inhibition of the Th2 response. Accordingly, this study may provide evidence that EC extract performs a critical function in the amelioration of the pathogenetic process of asthma in mice. PMID- 17804195 TI - No evidence for enhanced noise induced hearing loss after prenatal stress or dexamethasone. AB - It was recently implied that prenatal stress and fetal exposure to glucocorticoids may interfere with hearing ability and noise induced hearing loss in adulthood. In the present study pregnant Wistar rats were stressed during gestation by Chronic Mild Stress (CMS, a variable schedule of different stressors) or by dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid, i.e. a pharmacological stressor). At birth, but not at weaning, the dexamethasone offspring exhibited significantly decreased body weight compared to both control offspring and progeny from dams exposed to CMS during pregnancy. As adults, male offspring were exposed to 105 dB sound pressure level (SPL) wide band noise either continuously for eight hours or for two hours per day on three consecutive days. Oto-acoustic emissions and auditory brainstem responses were recorded before and after exposure to noise. Neither prenatal chronic stress nor prenatal dexamethasone exposure was associated with significantly enhanced noise induced hearing loss compared to controls, and these results were consistent in both subsets of animals. Our data do not support previous reports that prenatal exposure to mild stress nor to dexamethasone is detrimental to the hearing organ per se. However, hearing may be modulated by prenatal stressors under certain circumstances, of which the timing and degree are probably the most important. PMID- 17804194 TI - Long-term adverse effects of neonatal exposure to bisphenol A on the murine female reproductive tract. AB - The developing fetus is uniquely sensitive to perturbation by chemicals with hormone-like activity. The adverse effects of prenatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure are a classic example. Since concern has been mounting regarding the human health and environmental effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a high-production volume chemical with estrogenic activity used in the synthesis of plastics, we investigated its long-term effects in an experimental animal model that was previously shown useful in studying the adverse effects of developmental exposure to DES. Outbred female CD-1 mice were treated on days 1-5 with subcutaneous injections of BPA (10, 100 or 1000 microg/kg/day) dissolved in corn oil or corn oil alone (Control). At 18 months, ovaries and reproductive tract tissues were examined. There was a statistically significant increase in cystic ovaries and cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) in the BPA-100 group as compared to Controls. Progressive proliferative lesion (PPL) of the oviduct and cystic mesonephric (Wolffian) duct remnants were also seen in all of the BPA groups. More severe pathologies of the uterus following neonatal BPA treatment included adenomyosis, leiomyomas, atypical hyperplasia, and stromal polyps. These data suggest that BPA causes long-term adverse effects if exposure occurs during critical periods of differentiation. PMID- 17804196 TI - Blockage of tumor necrosis factor prevents intestinal mucosal inflammation through down-regulation of interleukin-23 secretion. AB - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays an important part in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases. Its expression is highly increased in inflamed mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease, and anti-TNF treatment appears to improve mucosal inflammation in these patients. However, the role of TNF in the pathogenesis remains to be investigated. In the present study, an experimental colitis was induced by transfer of syngeneic CD45RB(high)CD4(+) T cells into SCID mice. Quantitative analysis of interleukin (IL)-23p19 and IL-17 mRNA was demonstrated to be markedly increased in inflamed colon 4 and 8 weeks after CD45RB(high)CD4(+) T-cell transfer. These SCID recipients were treated i.p. with anti-TNF mAb starting at the beginning (early treatment) or 4 weeks (delayed treatment) after T-cell transfer to investigate the in vivo relevance of TNF to the pathogenesis. The results demonstrated that early treatment with anti-TNF effectively prevented intestinal mucosal inflammation, as evidenced by gradual increase of body weight and absence of diarrhea. Anti-TNF significantly suppressed leukocyte infiltration in the inflamed colon, and down-regulated IFN gamma, IL-2 and TNF secretion by lamina propria CD4(+) T cells. Interestingly, anti-TNF also significantly decreased expression of IL-23p19 and IL-17 in inflamed colon. Moreover, delayed anti-TNF treatment demonstrated to markedly improve mucosal inflammation. The data suggest that administration of anti-TNF reverses mucosal inflammation via down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-23p19 and IL-17, and decreased leukocyte infiltration in the bowel, thus providing additional relevance of target therapy against TNF. PMID- 17804198 TI - Periodontal regeneration of transplanted rat teeth subcutaneously after cryopreservation. AB - The periodontal regeneration of transplanted teeth after cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen overnight was previously examined using an animal model. The results showed that overnight cryopreservation did not have any severe adverse effects on periodontal healing. For clinical application, it is necessary to make the period of storage longer than in the preliminary study. In this study, the regeneration of periodontal tissues after cryopreservation for 4 weeks was examined. The maxillary molars of 4-week-old Wistar rats were extracted and transplanted into the abdominal subcutaneous tissue either immediately or after cryopreservation in a deep freezer at -80 degrees C. The donor teeth were frozen in a rate-controlling freezer. At 1, 2 and 4 weeks after transplantation, they were excised and observed under light microscopy. The cryopreserved teeth had acellular cementum with a rough surface at 1 week. With an increase in cementoblasts and the appearance of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, the surface had become smooth at 2 weeks. There was no progressive root resorption. Although the process took somewhat more time, the teeth cryopreserved for 4 weeks showed regeneration that was similar to that of the immediately transplanted teeth. PMID- 17804197 TI - Wnt5a promotes adhesion of human dermal fibroblasts by triggering a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt signal. AB - Frizzled-3 (Fzd3), highly expressed in both the central nervous system (CNS) and skin, plays essential roles in axonal growth and guidance during the CNS development and may be involved in maintenance of skin integrity, although its ligand remains undetermined. In this study, we demonstrate that Wnt5a specifically binds to Fzd3 in vitro and triggers phosphorylation of Akt mediated by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), but not that of ERK or protein kinase C, in human primary-cultured dermal fibroblasts. We have further found that such Wnt5a/Fzd3-triggered activation of the PI3K/Akt signal promotes integrin-mediated adhesion of human dermal fibroblasts to collagen I-coated dishes. Based on another finding that Wnt5a/Fzd3-triggered activation of the PI3K/Akt signal was blocked by an excess amount of a recombinant Fzd3-cysteine-rich domain (CRD), but not by that of a recombinant Fzd6-CRD, it is concluded that Wnt5a is a natural ligand of Fzd3 that triggers the PI3K/Akt signal and promotes adhesion of human dermal fibroblasts. PMID- 17804199 TI - Segmental bone tissue engineering by seeding osteoblast precursor cells into titanium mesh-coral composite scaffolds. AB - The size and specific shape of bone grafts are important for jaw reconstruction. In this experiment, segmental bone grafts were engineered in a predetermined shape via seeding osteoblast precursor cells into titanium mesh-coral composite scaffolds. Titanium meshes were moulded into the shape of a column with length 12 mm and diameter 8mm. The column was filled with natural coral granules and the complex acted as a cell-seeding scaffold. About 4 x 10(7) osteoblast precursor cells in 200 microl cell-culture medium were seeded into each of six scaffolds and incubated in vitro for 2 days. Then, the composites were implanted subcutaneously into the backs of nude mice and incubated in vivo. Two months after implantation, the animals were killed and new bone formed in the scaffolds was investigated by gross inspection, X-ray examination, histological observation and mechanical testing. The results showed that newly formed tissue was red and presented the gross appearance of bone, and kept the original shape of the column. Titanium mesh was situated on the surface of the bone graft. An X-ray blocking shadow was observed in and around the titanium scaffolds; most of the coral granules had been absorbed. Histological observation demonstrated a large amount of new bone formed and integrated well with titanium mesh. Mechanical testing showed that new bone improved the mechanical property of the graft significantly. In conclusion, a titanium mesh-coral composite scaffold with osteoblast precursor cells is an efficient means to engineer segmental bone, possessing the desired shape and mechanical strength. PMID- 17804200 TI - The effect of simvastatin on remodelling of the alveolar bone following tooth extraction. AB - Suppression of residual ridge resorption after tooth extraction is a hot spot in dental research. Recently, simvastatin was reported to influence bone turnover by stimulating bone formation. In this study, the effect of simvastatin application on residual ridge resorption following tooth extraction was investigated. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=30). Polylactic acid/polyglycolic acid copolymer carriers, with or without simvastatin, were implanted into extraction sockets of right mandibular incisors. The rats were killed at 1, 2, 4, 8 or 12 weeks after implantation. The relative height of the residual alveolar ridge was significantly greater in the experimental compared to the control group at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The bone mineral density in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. A larger newly formed bone island was observed in the experimental group at 4 weeks, and higher bone formation rate and quality were found than in the control group at different time points except 1 week. The findings indicate that local application of simvastatin would effectively preserve the residual alveolar bone by promoting bone formation in the extraction socket. PMID- 17804201 TI - Developmental trajectories of brain structure in adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: a longitudinal study. AB - The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is associated with very high rates of schizophrenia-like psychosis and cognitive deficits. Here we report the results of the first longitudinal study assessing brain development in individuals with 22q11.2DS. Twenty-nine children with 22q11.2DS and 29 age and gender matched controls were first assessed during childhood or early adolescence; Nineteen subjects with 22q11.2DS and 18 controls underwent follow-up during late adolescence-early adulthood. The 22q11.2DS subjects showed greater longitudinal increase in cranial and cerebellar white matter, superior temporal gyrus, and caudate nucleus volumes. They also had a more robust decrease in amygdala volume. Verbal IQ (VIQ) scores of the 22q11.2DS group that developed psychotic disorders declined significantly between assessments. Decline in VIQ in 22q11.2DS was associated with more robust reduction of left cortical grey matter volume. No volumetric differences were detected between psychotic and nonpsychotic subjects with 22q11.2DS. Brain maturation associated with verbal cognitive development in 22q11.2DS varies from that observed in healthy controls. Further longitudinal studies are likely to elucidate brain developmental trajectories in 22q11.2DS and their association to psychotic disorders and cognitive deficits in this population. PMID- 17804202 TI - Examining encoding imprecision in spatial working memory in schizophrenia. AB - BACKGROUND: Visuospatial working memory is not a unitary sketch pad but comprises independent dimensions of target distance and direction and at least two levels of detail (fine-grained and category level). The aim of this study was to examine these multiple aspects of encoding in patients with schizophrenia using a modified delayed response task. METHOD: 42 patients with schizophrenia and 48 healthy controls pointed, as accurately as possible from a fixed starting position, to the visual location of target stimuli presented to a touch-sensitive screen. An adaptive staircase procedure was used to equate stimulus duration for each individual. Encoding accuracy and maintenance of distance (mm) and direction ( degrees ) information was examined following a 0-second (immediate) or 4-second (unfilled) delay. Analyses utilized both absolute (unsigned) and signed data. RESULTS: The results showed that the average duration required to detect a target was significantly longer in patients than controls. When stimulus duration was equated, (a) the absolute accuracy of distance and direction responses was not significantly different between groups at 0-second delay but was significantly reduced at 4-second delay in patients with schizophrenia, and (b) signed direction errors at 4-second delay were significantly different between groups at stimulus angles greater than 90 degrees . CONCLUSIONS: The findings challenge previous suggestions of deficits in fine-grained encoding of spatial information in schizophrenia but confirm a difficulty maintaining both direction and distance details in working memory. Imprecision in spatial memory in schizophrenia also introduced greater bias from category level (prior) representations, especially in left hemi-space. PMID- 17804203 TI - Indications that topical L-carnitin-L-tartrate promotes human hair growth in vivo. PMID- 17804204 TI - Early-onset rhabdomyolysis related to daptomycin use. PMID- 17804205 TI - Guanosine possesses specific modulatory effects on NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission in intact mice. AB - Guanosine, a purine nucleotide, promotes the reuptake of l-glutamate by astrocytes; astrocytic reuptake of glutamate is a major mechanism of its synaptic inactivation. The current experiments showed that guanosine reduced the ability of MK-801 (dizocilpine), a noncompetitive NMDA receptor "open-channel" blocker, to raise the threshold voltage for electrically-precipitated tonic hindlimb extension in unstressed intact mice. This modulatory effect may be due to guanosine's removal of glutamate from the synaptic cleft, resulting in a reduced proportion of NMDA receptor-associated ion channels in the open configuration. The modulatory effect of guanosine on MK-801's ability to disrupt rotorod performance in unstressed mice or antagonize electrically-precipitated seizures in stressed mice was not seen. The inability to demonstrate modulation in the rotorod paradigm may reflect the sensitivity of this measure of motor incoordination to MK-801's disruptive effects. Whereas failure to see this effect in our incremental electroconvulsive shock paradigm in stressed mice may be due to the fact that stress and guanosine act in the same direction to reduce MK 801's antiseizure efficacy. Given the phencyclidine model of schizophrenia and its pharmacological actions as a noncompetitive NMDA receptor "open-channel" blocker and guanosine's antagonistic effect on MK-801's antiseizure efficacy in unstressed mice, the current data support development of guanine-based purines for the treatment of at least some aspects of schizophrenia. PMID- 17804206 TI - Phencyclidine-induced cognitive deficits in mice are improved by subsequent subchronic administration of the glycine transporter-1 inhibitor NFPS and D serine. AB - Accumulating evidence suggests that the glycine modulatory site on the NMDA receptor could be potential therapeutic target for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of the glycine transporter-1 (GlyT-1) inhibitor, (R)-(N-[3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4' phenylphenoxy)propyl])sarcosine (NFPS), on cognitive deficits in mice after repeated administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP). PCP (10 mg/kg/day for 10 days)-induced cognitive deficits were significantly improved by subsequent subchronic (2-week) administration of NFPS (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg/day) or D-serine (600 mg/kg/day). However, PCP-induced cognitive deficits were not improved by a single administration of NFPS (3.0 mg/kg). Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed that levels of GlyT-1 in the hippocampus, but not frontal cortex, of the PCP (10 mg/kg/day for 10 days)-treated mice were significantly higher than those of saline-treated mice. An in vivo microdialysis study revealed that repeated PCP administration significantly decreased the extracellular levels of glycine in the hippocampus, but not frontal cortex, of mice. These findings suggest that repeated PCP administration increased the density of GlyT-1 in the hippocampus of mouse brain, and that the GlyT-1 inhibitor NFPS could ameliorate cognitive deficits in mice after repeated administration of PCP. PMID- 17804207 TI - Increased sensitivity to antidepressants of D3 dopamine receptor-deficient mice in the forced swim test (FST). AB - Evidence exists for a dopaminergic system dysregulation in mood disorders. In particular, depression may be accompanied by a relative fall of brain dopamine (DA) availability, while the increase of dopamine D2/D3 receptors (D2R/D3R) binding may reflect a compensatory change following primary reduction of mesolimbic DA levels. It is well established that D3Rs, acting as autoreceptors, inhibit DA synthesis and release, although lack of selective compounds have limited the progress in understanding D3Rs role in mood disorders. Aim of this study was to assess the behavioral responses of D3R-deficient (D3(-/-)) mice tested in the forced swim test (FST) and to evaluate their sensitivity to the treatment with different antidepressant drugs. Different groups of mice received one injection of the tricyclic compound, clomipramine (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) or of one the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), paroxetine, sertraline or citalopram (1, 4 and 16 mg/kg), 30 min prior the behavioral test. Vehicle injected wild type (WT) mice and D3(-/-) animals were used as controls and submitted to the same experimental procedure. In a preliminary experiment, vehicle-injected D3(-/-) mice, but not their littermates, failed to show an increased immobility time in FST as compared to intact controls, suggesting an increased resistance to injection-induced stress in the former. Clomipramine 1 mg/kg failed to affect behavioral responses of both D3(-/-) mice and WT animals. After the 5 mg/kg dose, D3(-/-) and WT mice showed a better performance in FST than vehicle-injected controls, with a lower immobility time exhibited by D3(-/-) mice than that shown by WT animals. No difference was found between WT mice treated with the highest dose of clomipramine (10 mg/kg) and the respective controls, although D3(-/-) mice exhibited a decreased immobility time as compared to vehicle-injected controls. In contrast to WT animals, when treated with 1 mg/kg sertraline and the 4 mg/kg dose of every SSRI D3(-/-) mice exhibited a decreased immobility time in FST in comparison to vehicle-injected controls. Furthermore, 16 mg/kg doses of citalopram, paroxetine or sertraline induced a greater reduction of immobility time in D3(-/-) mice than in WT-treated animals as compared to their respective controls. These data suggest that D3(-/-) mice, as being more resistant to stressful procedure than WT littermates, are more sensitive to antidepressants in FST paradigm than the former. Although the present data do not allow any conclusion on the neurochemical base of this difference, it might be possible that the greater sensitivity to antidepressants depends on a higher DA levels in mesolimbic pathways following the lack of D3Rs. PMID- 17804208 TI - [Torticollis in children: diagnostic approach]. AB - Torticollis is an abnormal head posture. Clinical presentation includes ipsilateral tilt and controlateral rotation, and translation. Aetiologies are various including muscular entities, traumatic, inflammatory, infectious, tumour and non-muscular entities ocular, ORL or digestive. Majorities are minor and generally, a complete physical examination is sufficient to eliminate serious entities. Concretely, it is important to separate acute and chronic form. Traumatic torticollis justifies a systematic standard radiograph and then 15 days after dynamic evaluation. Septic torticollis evokes otolaryngological infection or spondylodiscitis. Chronic torticollis is congenital, postural or malformative. In case of recurrent form or torticollis with neurological abnormalities, TDM or RMI are necessary to eliminate tumoral diseases. PMID- 17804209 TI - Integrative mining of traditional Chinese medicine literature and MEDLINE for functional gene networks. AB - OBJECTIVE: The amount of biomedical data in different disciplines is growing at an exponential rate. Integrating these significant knowledge sources to generate novel hypotheses for systems biology research is difficult. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a completely different discipline, and is a complementary knowledge system to modern biomedical science. This paper uses a significant TCM bibliographic literature database in China, together with MEDLINE, to help discover novel gene functional knowledge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present an integrative mining approach to uncover the functional gene relationships from MEDLINE and TCM bibliographic literature. This paper introduces TCM literature (about 50,000 records) as one knowledge source for constructing literature-based gene networks. We use the TCM diagnosis, TCM syndrome, to automatically congregate the related genes. The syndrome-gene relationships are discovered based on the syndrome-disease relationships extracted from TCM literature and the disease-gene relationships in MEDLINE. Based on the bubble-bootstrapping and relation weight computing methods, we have developed a prototype system called MeDisco/3S, which has name entity and relation extraction, and online analytical processing (OLAP) capabilities, to perform the integrative mining process. RESULTS: We have got about 200,000 syndrome-gene relations, which could help generate syndrome-based gene networks, and help analyze the functional knowledge of genes from syndrome perspective. We take the gene network of Kidney-Yang Deficiency syndrome (KYD syndrome) and the functional analysis of some genes, such as CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone), PTH (parathyroid hormone), PRL (prolactin), BRCA1 (breast cancer 1, early onset) and BRCA2 (breast cancer 2, early onset), to demonstrate the preliminary results. The underlying hypothesis is that the related genes of the same syndrome will have some biological functional relationships, and will constitute a functional network. CONCLUSION: This paper presents an approach to integrate TCM literature and modern biomedical data to discover novel gene networks and functional knowledge of genes. The preliminary results show that the novel gene functional knowledge and gene networks, which are worthy of further investigation, could be generated by integrating the two complementary biomedical data sources. It will be a promising research field through integrative mining of TCM and modern life science literature. PMID- 17804210 TI - Cyclosporine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN): drug-lipid physicochemical interactions and characterization of drug incorporation. AB - Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) were produced loaded with cyclosporine A in order to develop an improved oral formulation. In this study, the particles were characterized with regard to the structure of the lipid particle matrix, being a determining factor for mode of drug incorporation and drug release. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements were employed for the analysis of the polymorphic modifications and mode of drug incorporation. Particles were produced using Imwitor 900 as lipid matrix (the suspension consisted of 10% particles, 8% Imwitor 900, 2% cyclosporine A), 2.5% Tagat S, 0.5% sodium cholate and 87% water. DSC and WAXS were used to analyse bulk lipid, bulk drug, drug incorporated in the bulk and unloaded and drug-loaded SLN dispersions. The processing of the bulk lipid into nanoparticles was accompanied by a polymorphic transformation from the beta to the alpha modification. After production, the drug-free SLN dispersions converted back to beta-modification, while the drug-loaded SLN stayed primarily in alpha modification. After incorporation of cyclosporine A into SLN, the peptide lost its crystalline character. Based on WAXS data, it could be concluded that cyclosporine is molecularly dispersed in between the fatty acid chains of the liquid-crystalline alpha-modification fraction of the loaded SLN. PMID- 17804211 TI - Polymers and nanoparticles: intelligent tools for intracellular targeting? AB - In recent years, a new generation of drugs has entered the pharmaceutical market. Some are more potent, but some are also more toxic and thus, therapeutical efficacy may be hindered, and severe side effects may be observed, unless they are delivered to their assigned place of effect. Those targets are not only certain cell types, moreover, in cancer therapy for example, some drugs even have to be targeted to a specific cell organelle. Those targets in eukaryotic cells include among others endo- and lysosomes, mitochondria, the so-called power plants of the cells, and the biggest compartment with almost all the genetic information, the nucleus. In this review, we describe how the drugs can be directed to specific subcellular organelles and focus especially on synthetic polymers and nanoparticles as their carriers. Furthermore, we portray the progress that has been accomplished in recent years in the field of designing the carriers for efficient delivery into these target structures. Yet, we do not fail to mention the obstacles that still exist and are preventing polymeric and nanoparticular drug carrier systems from their broad application in humans. PMID- 17804212 TI - New levodopa sustained-release floating minitablets coated with insoluble acrylic polymer. AB - The aim of this study was to develop a new coated multiple-unit sustained-release floating system that is able to float over an extended period of time. Levodopa was used as a model drug. The system consisted of a 3mm drug-containing gas generating core, prepared by melt granulation and subsequent compression, and coated with a flexible polymeric membrane. Eudragit RL30D and ATEC were used as a film former and a plasticizer, respectively. The coating level was fixed at 20% (w/w). The floating lag time decreased as the proportion of effervescent agents increased. The optimized coated floating minitablets could float within 20min and remained buoyant for more than 13h. In addition, a sustained release of levodopa for more than 20h was observed. PMID- 17804213 TI - Systematic review of the effects of chronic disease management on quality-of-life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AB - INTRODUCTION: Chronic disease management for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may improve quality, outcomes and access to care. OBJECTIVE: To investigate effectiveness of chronic disease management programmes on the quality-of-life of people with COPD. METHODS: Medline and Embase (1995 2005) were searched for relevant articles, and reference lists and abstracts were searched for controlled trials of chronic disease management programmes for patients with COPD. Quality-of-life was assessed as an outcome parameter. Two reviewers independently reviewed each paper for methodological quality and extracted the data. RESULTS: We found 10 randomized-controlled trials comparing chronic disease management with routine care. Patient populations, health-care professionals, intensity, and content of the intervention were heterogeneous. Different instruments were used to assess quality of life. Five out of 10 studies showed statistically significant positive outcomes on one or more domains of the quality of life instruments. Three studies, partly located in primary care, showed positive results. CONCLUSIONS: All chronic disease management projects for people with COPD involving primary care improved quality of life. In most of the studies, aspects of chronic disease management were applied to a limited extent. Quality of randomized-controlled trials was not optimal. More research is needed on chronic disease management programmes in patients with COPD across primary and secondary care. PMID- 17804214 TI - Wide dynamic range phase-sensitive surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on measuring the modulation harmonics. AB - In this study, a novel phase-sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) setup, based on temporal modulation of a pumping beam by a photoelastic modulator, and subsequent extraction of phase information at the second and the third harmonics of the modulation frequency, has been developed to study biomolecular interactions on SPR-supporting gold. We demonstrated that the design setup provides ultra-high phase sensitivity, together with a wide dynamic range of measurements. In particular, the proposed scheme was used to study real-time interaction of biotin-protein and streptavidin-BSA complexes. We have found that the proposed technique has a detection limit as high as 2.89 x 10(-7) in terms of refractive index units (RIU). In terms of biosensing performance, a detection sensitivity of 1.3 nM from the streptavidin-maleimide/thiolated BSA complex binding reaction has also been demonstrated. PMID- 17804215 TI - Holographic sensors for the detection of bacterial spores. AB - Holographic sensors for the detection of Bacillus species spore germination and vegetative growth are described. Reflection holograms were fabricated using a diffusion method for the distribution of ultra-fine silver bromide grains into pre-formed polymer films, followed by holographic recording using a frequency doubled Nd:YAG (532 nm) laser. Changes in holographic replay wavelength or diffraction intensity were used to characterise the swelling behaviour or structural integrity of a range of holographic matrices in response to various extracellular products of bacterial spore germination and vegetative metabolism. Divalent metal ion-sensitive holograms containing a methacrylated analogue of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) as the chelating monomer were successfully used to monitor Ca2+ ions released during B. subtilis spore germination in real-time, which was within minutes of sample addition; the holographic response manifested as a 16 nm blue-shift in diffraction wavelength over the progress of germination. Similarly, pH-sensitive holograms comprising methacrylic acid (MAA) as the ionisable monomer were responsive to changes in pH associated with early vegetative metabolism following germination of B. megaterium spores; a visually perceptible blue-shift in holographic replay wavelength of 75 nm was observed. Casein and starch-based holographic matrices, prepared by co-polymerisation of the appropriate substrate with acrylamide, were used to detect exo-enzymes released during later stages of B. megaterium and B. subtilis vegetative cell growth; holographic responses of both matrices were visible as a reduction in diffraction intensity due to progressive fringe disruption caused by enzymatic cleavage. The combined monitoring of various germination and growth events using the range of aforementioned holographic sensors provides a novel, comprehensive means for the detection of viable bacterial spores. PMID- 17804216 TI - Yield enhancement strategies for artemisinin production by suspension cultures of Artemisia annua. AB - Artemisinin, isolated from the shrub-Artemisia annua, is a sesquiterpene lactone used to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria. It is also effective against a wide variety of cancers such as leukemia and colon cancer. To counter the present low content in leaves and uneconomical chemical synthesis, alternate ways to produce artemisinin have been sought. But this compound remains elusive in cell cultures of A. annua despite the extensive studies undertaken. This work reports the first successful approach for production of artemisinin by cell cultures of Indian variety of A. annua. In the present study, an integrated yield enhancement strategy, developed by addition of selected precursor (mevalonic acid lactone) and elicitor (methyl jasmonate) at optimized concentrations, resulted in 15.2g/l biomass and 110.2mg/l artemisinin, which was 5.93 times higher in productivity in comparison to control cultures. PMID- 17804217 TI - Isolation and molecular analysis of R-gene in resistant Zingiber officinale (ginger) varieties against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. zingiberi. AB - Marker assisted selection (MAS) of resistant varieties is a reliable and faster method of selecting the right varieties for cultivation. The aim of the present study is to find the genes responsible for resistance in highly resistant varieties. In the present work we report the presence of a Resistance (R) gene of CC-NBS-LRR class of plant resistance genes. Both direct PCR amplification from genomic DNA as well as cDNAs, yielded a 0.6 kb DNA sequence indicating the absence of an intron. Sequence analysis of the PCR amplicon obtained from the genomic DNA showed very high homology to R-genes. An interesting observation from the present study is the presence of the R-gene in only resistant varieties. Neither the partially resistant or susceptible varieties showed the presence of this gene sequence. This in turn raises interesting questions on the evolution of these ginger varieties. The cloned R-genes provide a new resource of molecular markers for rapid identification of fusarium yellows resistant ginger varieties. PMID- 17804218 TI - Removal of copper ions by the filamentous fungus, Rhizopus oryzae from aqueous solution. AB - Removal of heavy metals present in wastewaters has been a major concern due to their non-biodegradability and toxicity. Removal of copper ion using NaOH treated Rhizopus oryzae biomass was investigated in a batch reactor. The copper uptake exhibited substantial enhancement both in terms of kinetics of uptake as well as the loading capacity. The copper biosorption by viable and pretreated fungal biomass fit well to a Lagergren's pseudo second order reaction in comparison to pseudo first order kinetics. Investigation on effect of pH indicated improved performance in the range of pH 4-6 in alkali treated biomass. Copper uptake exhibited by viable biomass was highest at 21 degrees C, unlike pretreated biomass that showed maximum uptake across the range of temperature 21-55 degrees C. The maximum copper loading capacity of the viable and pretreated biomass according to Langmuir isotherm was 19.4 and 43.7 mg/g, respectively. Distribution coefficient of pretreated biomass showed improvement at lower residual concentration, indicating a change in the nature of binding by the treated biomass. Copper uptake decreased with an increasing dose of biosorbent, although enhancement in the total metal ion removal was observed at higher dose. PMID- 17804219 TI - Purification and characterization of an alkaline keratinase from Streptomyces sp. AB - A protease producing bacterial culture ('S7') was isolated from slaughterhouse waste samples, Hyderabad, India. It was related to Streptomyces sp. on the basis of biochemical properties and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Purification of the protease present in the culture medium supernatant on sephacryl S-100 indicated that it contains a keratinase with 67% recovery, 2.5-fold purification and an estimated molecular mass of approximately 44,000 Da. Keratinase showed an optimal activity at 45 degrees C and pH 11. Keratinase activity increased substantially in presence of Ca(2+) and was inhibited in presence of PMSF and EDTA identifying it as a serine metalloprotease. Stability in the presence of detergents, surfactants and solvents make this keratinase extremely useful for biotechnological process involving keratin hydrolysis or in the leather industry. PMID- 17804220 TI - Response surface methodology for optimization of medium for decolorization of textile dye Direct Black 22 by a novel bacterial consortium. AB - Decolorization and degradation of polyazo dye Direct Black 22 was carried out by distillery spent wash degrading mixed bacterial consortium, DMC. Response surface methodology (RSM) involving a central composite design (CCD) in four factors was successfully employed for the study and optimization of decolorization process. The hyper activities and interactions between glucose concentration, yeast extract concentration, dye concentration and inoculum size on dye decolorization were investigated and modeled. Under optimized conditions the bacterial consortium was able to decolorize the dye almost completely (>91%) within 12h. Bacterial consortium was able to decolorize 10 different azo dyes. The optimum combination of the four variables predicted through RSM was confirmed through confirmatory experiments and hence this bacterial consortium holds potential for the treatment of industrial waste water. Dye degradation products obtained during the course of decolorization were analyzed by HPTLC. PMID- 17804221 TI - Larvicidal activity of tectoquinone isolated from red heartwood-type Cryptomeria japonica against two mosquito species. AB - Mosquito larvicidal activities of methanolic extracts from different plant parts of red heartwood-type Cryptomeria japonica D. Don against the fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were examined. Results of mosquito larvicidal tests demonstrated that the n-hexane fraction of C. japonica sapwood methanolic extract had an excellent inhibitory effect against the larvae of A. aegypti and A. albopictus and its LC50 values were 2.4 and 3.3 microg/ml, respectively, in 24h. Following the bioactivity-guided fractionation procedure, the active constituent isolated from C. japonica sapwood was characterized as tectoquinone by spectroscopic analyses. The LC50 values of tectoquinone against A. aegypti and A. albopictus in 24h were 3.3 and 5.4 microg/ml, respectively. In addition, comparisons of mosquito larvicidal activity of anthraquinone congeners demonstrated that anthraquinone skeleton with a methyl group at C-2 position, such as tectoquinone, exhibited the strongest mosquito larvicidal activity. Results of this study show that the methanolic extract of C. japonica sapwood may be considered as a potent source and tectoquinone as a new natural mosquito larvicidal agent. PMID- 17804222 TI - Synthesis and antitubercular activity of lipophilic moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin derivatives. AB - Fluoroquinolone (FQ) has a broad spectrum of activity against several bacteria, mycobacteria, parasites, and other diseases. Moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin are a new generation of fluoroquinolone agents with improved activity against Gram negative and positive bacteria. As lipophilicity is an important consideration in the design and activity of novel antibacterial agents, we report in this work the synthesis and biological evaluation of 12 lipophilic moxifloxacin or gatifloxacin derivatives, by reaction of 1-cyclopropyl-6,7-difluoro-1,4-dihydro-8-methoxy-4 oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid 13 with several N-monoalkyl 1,2-ethanediamine or 1,3-propanediamine. PMID- 17804223 TI - Cytotoxicity of the novel spin trapping compound 5-ethoxycarbonyl-3,5-dimethyl pyrroline N-oxide (3,5-EDPO) and its derivatives. AB - ESR spin trapping allows detection of superoxide radicals. Novel spin traps forming more stable superoxide adducts (t(1/2) ca. 12-55 min) were tested for their toxicity to cultured cells. The following toxicity ranking was obtained: 4,5-DPPO>4-BEMPO approximately 3-BEMPO>trans-3,5-EDPO>3,5-DPPO approximately 4,5 DiPPO approximately 4,5-EDPO>cis-3,5-EDPO approximately 3,5-DiPPO>DEPMPO. In conclusion, 4,5-EDPO, cis-3,5-EDPO and 3,5-DiPPO can be recommended for further investigation of superoxide in biological systems. PMID- 17804224 TI - Fluorinated pyrazole acids are agonists of the high affinity niacin receptor GPR109a. AB - A series of 5-alkyl pyrazole-3-carboxylic acids were prepared and found to act as potent and selective agonists of the human GPCR, GPR109a, the high affinity nicotinic acid receptor. No activity was observed at the highly homologous low affinity niacin receptor, GPR109b. A further series of 4-fluoro-5-alkyl pyrazole 3-carboxylic acids were shown to display similar potency. One example from the series was shown to have improved properties in vivo compared to niacin. PMID- 17804225 TI - Rational design of conformationally restricted quinazolinone inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. AB - A successful design of conformationally restricted novel quinazolinone derivatives linked via a cyclopentene moiety as potent poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) inhibitors has been developed. One selected member of the new series, 8-chloro-2-[(3S)-3-(4-phenylpiperidin-1-yl)cyclopent-1-en-1-yl]quinazolin-4(3H) one (S-16d), was found to be highly potent with IC(50)=8.7 nM and good brain penetration. PMID- 17804226 TI - Benzopyrans as selective estrogen receptor beta agonists (SERBAs). Part 5: Combined A- and C-ring structure-activity relationship studies. AB - Benzopyrans are selective estrogen receptor (ER) beta agonists (SERBAs), which bind the ER subtypes alpha and beta in opposite orientations. Here we describe the synthesis of a late stage intermediate that allowed us to combine A-ring and C-ring modifications and carry out simultaneous SAR studies at both positions. Modification of both positions proved additive, maintaining affinity and improving ERbeta selectivity up to 83-fold. An X-ray cocrystal structure confirms the previously observed binding mode in ERbeta. PMID- 17804227 TI - Optimization of a pyrazoloquinolinone class of Chk1 kinase inhibitors. AB - The development of 2,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]quinolin-4-ones as inhibitors of Chk1 kinase is described. Introduction of a fused ring at the C7/C8 positions of the pyrazoloquinolinone provided an increase in potency while guidance from overlapping inhibitor bound Chk1 X-ray crystal structures contributed to the discovery of a potent and solubilizing propyl amine moiety in compound 52 (Chk1 IC(50)=3.1 nM). PMID- 17804228 TI - Indoloxypropanolamine analogues as 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonists. AB - Analogues of pindolol, 1-(1H-indol-4-yloxy)-3-isopropylamino-propan-2-ol, were synthesized and evaluated as 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonists. The structural features required for optimal binding to the 5-HT1A receptor are as follows: S-2 propanol linker, 4-indoloxy substituent, and a large lipophilic cyclic amine substituent. PMID- 17804229 TI - Discovery and structure-activity relationships of new steroidal compounds bearing a carboxy-terminal side chain as androgen receptor pure antagonists. AB - Lead optimization of CH4892280 (4), an androgen receptor (AR) pure antagonist, was investigated. Compounds 6 and 7, which have a carboxylic acid at the end of the side chain at the position 7alpha of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), showed partial agonistic activities in reporter gene assay (RGA). Conversion of the steroidal core structure to 17alpha-methyltestosterone gave compound 14, which showed weak pure antagonistic activity. Optimization of the side chain by the insertion of a phenyl ring led to compounds 22 and 28-30, which showed pure antagonistic activities at submicromolar concentrations. The structure-activity relationships were clarified. PMID- 17804230 TI - Novel steroidal saponins, Sch 725737 and Sch 725739, from a marine starfish, Novodinia antillensis. AB - Bioassay-guided fractionation of an active fraction from an extract of a marine starfish, Novodinia antillensis, led to the isolation and identification of two new saponins, Sch 725737 (1) and Sch 725739 (2). Compound 1 was identified as the NaV1.8 inhibitor with IC(50) of approximately 9 microM. The purification and the structure elucidation of these two saponins are described. PMID- 17804231 TI - Cytostatic evaluations of nucleoside analogs related to unnatural base pairs for a genetic expansion system. AB - The introduction of an unnatural base pair into DNA enables the expansion of genetic information. To apply unnatural base pairs to in vivo systems, we evaluated the cytostatic toxicity of several nucleoside analogs by an MTT assay. Several nucleoside analogs based on two types of unnatural base pairs were tested. One is a hydrogen-bonded base pair between 2-amino-6-(2-thienyl)purine (s) and pyridin-2-one (y), and the other is a hydrophobic base pair between 7-(2 thienyl)imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (Ds) and pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde (Pa). Among the nucleoside analogs, the ribonucleoside of 6-(2-thienyl)purine possessed the highest cytostatic activity against CCRF-CEM and especially HT-1080, as well as the normal fibroblast cell line, WI-38. The other analogs, including its 2' deoxy, 2-amino, and 1-deazapurine nucleoside derivatives, were less active against CCRF-CEM and HT-1080, and the toxicity of these nucleosides toward WI-38 was low. The nucleosides of y and Pa were inactive against CCRF-CEM, HT-1080, and WI-38. In addition, no cytostatic synergism was observed with the combination of the pairing nucleosides of s and y or Ds and Pa. PMID- 17804232 TI - Evaluation of protein farnesyltransferase substrate specificity using synthetic peptide libraries. AB - Farnesylation, catalyzed by protein farnesyltransferase (FTase), is an important post-translational modification guiding cellular localization. Recently predictive models for identifying FTase substrates have been reported. Here we evaluate these models through screening of dansylated-GCaaS peptides, which also provides new insights into the protein substrate selectivity of FTase. PMID- 17804233 TI - Kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitors. Part 7: Design and synthesis of 3,3 disubstituted dihydropyrazolobenzoxazines as potent inhibitors of the mitotic kinesin KSP. AB - Observations from two structurally related series of KSP inhibitors led to the proposal and discovery of dihydropyrazolobenzoxazines that possess ideal properties for cancer drug development. The synthesis and characterization of this class of inhibitors along with relevant pharmacokinetic and in vivo data are presented. The synthesis is highlighted by a key [3+2] cycloaddition to form the pyrazolobenzoxazine core followed by diastereospecific installation of a quaternary center. PMID- 17804234 TI - 5'-Phenyl-3'H-spiro[indoline-3,2'-[1,3,4]thiadiazol]-2-one inhibitors of ADAMTS-5 (aggrecanase-2). AB - 5'-Phenyl-3'H-spiro[indoline-3,2'-[1,3,4]thiadiazol]-2-one inhibitors of ADAMTS-5 (Aggrecanase-2) have been prepared via commercially available starting materials. Selected compounds 23, 33-35 show sub-micromolar ADAMTS-5 potency and strong SAR trends with selectivity over the related metalloproteases ADAMTS-4 (Aggrecanase 1), MMP12, and MMP13. This series of compounds represents progress toward a selective ADAMTS-5 inhibitor as a disease modifying osteoarthritis drug. PMID- 17804235 TI - Evaluation of the prognostic value of 2005 St Gallen risk categories for operated breast cancers in Hong Kong. AB - Incorporating various new and conventional risk factors, the 2005 St Gallen risk categorization is a potentially useful prognostic tool for breast cancers. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate its application in Hong Kong. Of the 902 included female breast cancers with median follow-up of 5.4 years, 7%, 63% and 30% patients were classified as low-, intermediate- and high-risk categories, respectively. Their corresponding 5-year distant disease-free survivals (DDFS) were 100%, 92% and 72%, respectively (p<0.00005). In the intermediate-risk category, node-positive patients had marginally inferior 5-year DDFS than node negative patients (89% vs. 93%, p=0.0551). In the high-risk category, patients having HER2 overexpressed tumors and 1-3 positive nodes had significantly better DDFS than other patients with > or = 4 positive nodes (89% vs. 65%, p=0.0001). Overall, the 2005 St Gallen risk categorization had high prognostic value. However, the impact of HER2 overexpression might be affected by reproducibility of HER2 tests. PMID- 17804236 TI - Fertility and adjuvant treatment in young women with breast cancer. AB - Women of childbearing age with breast cancer are often concerned about whether they will become infertile after treatment, and for those who wish to bear children, whether a subsequent pregnancy will alter their risk of disease recurrence. The risk of chemotherapy-related amenorrhea (CRA), menopause, and infertility appear to be related to patient age and type of treatment received, though data regarding actual fertility following treatment are limited. There are options available for fertility preservation for young women who wish to have a biologic child after breast cancer and are at risk for infertility. Options include cryopreservation of embryos, oocytes, ovarian tissue prior to treatment, and ovarian suppression through chemotherapy. However, most of these are considered experimental, and there are limited data regarding the safety of such strategies. There has been concern that pregnancy after breast cancer may worsen prognosis in light of the endocrine manipulations used to treat breast cancer, particularly for women with hormone sensitive disease. Several studies addressing the potential risk of pregnancy after breast cancer have not revealed any negative effect on prognosis. However, these studies have significant limitations, and concerns about a negative impact for some remain. Ongoing and future prospective studies evaluating fertility and pregnancy issues for young breast cancer survivors are warranted for this vulnerable population facing this difficult issue. PMID- 17804237 TI - ROS, mitochondria and the regulation of autophagy. AB - Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an oxidative stress to which cells respond by activating various defense mechanisms or, finally, by dying. At low levels, however, ROS act as signaling molecules in various intracellular processes. Autophagy, a process by which eukaryotic cells degrade and recycle macromolecules and organelles, has an important role in the cellular response to oxidative stress. Here, we review recent reports suggesting a regulatory role for ROS of mitochondrial origin as signaling molecules in autophagy, leading, under different circumstances, to either survival or cell death. We then discuss the relationship between mitochondria and autophagosomes and propose that mitochondria have an essential role in autophagosome biogenesis. PMID- 17804238 TI - Mitochondria on the move. AB - Interactions of mitochondria with the cytoskeleton are crucial for normal mitochondrial function and for localization of the organelle at its sites of action within cells. Early studies revealed a role for microtubule motors in mitochondrial motility in neurons and other cell types. Here, we describe advances in our understanding of mitochondrial movement and distribution. Specifically, we review recent studies on proteins that mediate or regulate the interaction between motor molecules and the organelle, motor-independent mechanisms for mitochondrial motility, anchorage of mitochondria at cortical sites within cells and links between mitochondria-cytoskeleton interactions and mitochondrial plasticity. PMID- 17804239 TI - Actin up: regulation of podocyte structure and function by components of the actin cytoskeleton. AB - Podocytes of the renal glomerulus are unique cells with a complex cellular organization consisting of a cell body, major processes and foot processes. Podocyte foot processes form a characteristic interdigitating pattern with foot processes of neighboring podocytes, leaving in between the filtration slits that are bridged by the glomerular slit diaphragm. The highly dynamic foot processes contain an actin-based contractile apparatus comparable to that of smooth muscle cells or pericytes. Mutations affecting several podocyte proteins lead to rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, disruption of the filtration barrier and subsequent renal disease. The fact that the dynamic regulation of the podocyte cytoskeleton is vital to kidney function has led to podocytes emerging as an excellent model system for studying actin cytoskeleton dynamics in a physiological context. PMID- 17804240 TI - Winding up the cyanobacterial circadian clock. AB - The endogenous circadian clock of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus controls many cellular processes and confers an adaptive advantage on this organism in a competitive environment. To be advantageous, this internal biological oscillator must be reset daily to remain in synchrony with its environment and to transduce temporal information to control behaviors at appropriate times of day. Recent studies have discovered new components of these input and output pathways of the clock that help to 'wind up' our understanding of the clock system as a whole. Here we review the mechanisms by which S. elongatus maintains internal time, discuss how external stimuli affect this oscillation, and evaluate the mechanisms underlying circadian controlled cellular events. PMID- 17804241 TI - Recurrent stroke: the role of common carotid artery intima-media thickness. AB - The etiology of recurrent stroke is probably multifactorial and many recurrences remain unexplained by conventional risk factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate if common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), an established vascular risk factor, can predict recurrence in first-ever stroke survivors. Two hundred and eighty-four consecutive patients with a first-ever ischemic stroke were investigated with carotid ultrasonography and were screened for the first recurrent stroke up to 12 months. Sixteen (5.6%, 95% CI: 3.5-9.0%) recurrent ischemic strokes were recorded. Among demographic data, conventional vascular risk factors, presenting stroke features and ultrasonographic measurements, CCA-IMT was the only parameter that differed significantly between those who suffered a recurrent stroke and those who did not. Cox's regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, showed that CCA-IMT was the only independent predictor of stroke recurrence (HR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.11-2.46%). We propose that CCA-IMT measurements may help to identify stroke patients at higher risk for recurrence and to plan secondary prevention strategies. PMID- 17804242 TI - Airway obstruction after extubation following use of transesophageal echocardiography for posterior fossa surgery in the sitting position. AB - We report respiratory obstruction following surgery in the sitting position with tracheal intubation and placement of a transesophageal echocardiography probe. Obstruction was due to pharyngeal oedema, which resolved with 24 hours. The mechanisms of this complication are discussed. PMID- 17804243 TI - Synthesis, biological activity, and SAR of antimycobacterial 2- and 8-substituted 6-(2-furyl)-9-(p-methoxybenzyl)purines. AB - A number of 6-(2-furyl)-9-(p-methoxybenzyl)purines carrying a variety of substituents in the 2- or 8-position have been synthesized and their ability to inhibit growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro has been determined. It is demonstrated that sterical hindrance in the purine 8-position reduces activity and that C-8 should be unsubstituted. In the purine 2-position small, hydrophobic substituents are beneficial. The electronic properties of the 2-substituents appear to have only a minor influence on bioactivity. The compounds studied exhibit low toxicity toward mammalian cells (VERO cells) and are essentially inactive toward Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The most active and selective antimycobacterial in the series detected to date is the novel 2-methyl 6-furyl-9-(p-methoxybenzyl)purine with MIC=0.20 microg/mL against M. tuberculosis and IC(50) against VERO cells >62.5 microg/mL. Also the novel 2-fluoro analog and the previously known 2-chloro compound, both with MIC=0.39 microg/mL, are highly interesting drug candidates. PMID- 17804244 TI - Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of novel 1-arylmethyl-3-aryl-1H pyrazole-5-carbohydrazide derivatives as potential agents against A549 lung cancer cells. AB - A series of novel 1-arylmethyl-3-aryl-1H-pyrazole-5-carbohydrazide derivatives were synthesized, and the effects of all the compounds on A549 cell growth were investigated. The results showed that all the nine compounds had inhibitory effects on the growth of A549 cells and induced the cell apoptosis. The study on structure-activity relationships and prediction of lipophilicities of compounds showed that compounds with logP values in the range of 3.12-4.94 had more inhibitory effects on the growth of A549 cells. PMID- 17804245 TI - Antiproliferative activity of chalcones with basic functionalities. AB - A library of chalcones with different basic groups were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activities against the human breast cancer (MCF 7) and colon cancer (HCT 116) cell lines. Structure-activity relationships were analyzed by projection methods (PCA/PLS) and multiple linear regression. Polar volume, hydrogen bonding features, HOMO energies, and charge on the beta carbon were found to be important factors. A basic group on either ring A or B of the chalcone led to a favourable increase in polar volume, but when present on ring B, it increased HOMO energies and decreased the positive charge on the beta carbon, both of which led to lower activity. Several examples showed that final activity of the chalcone was influenced by compensatory interactions among these parameters. In general, a single basic group on ring A was associated with good activity. A notable exception was compound 1-123 which had basic groups on both rings A and B but still maintained a good activity profile with IC(50)<10 microM and selectivity ratios >2.5. There was some evidence to show that structural differences in chalcones influenced not only activity but mechanism of action. Compounds 6-130 and 7-140 which had basic groups on ring A interfered with cell cycle progression, but the dibasic chalcone 1-123 had no effect. PMID- 17804246 TI - Synthesis and pharmacological profile of serofendic acids A and B. AB - We present efficient syntheses of serofendic acids A and B (SA-A and SA-B), novel neuroprotective substances isolated from fetal calf serum. Biological and pharmacological evaluation showed that SA-A and SA-B have potent protective action against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, but do not interact directly with glutamate receptors. A pharmacokinetic study showed that they have good oral bioavailability in rats. The results indicate that SA-A and SA-B are potential lead compounds for candidate drugs to treat various neurological disorders. PMID- 17804247 TI - Negative staining across holes: application to fibril and tubular structures. AB - The negative staining technique, when used with holey carbon support films, presents superior imaging conditions than is the case when samples are adsorbed to continuous carbon films. A demonstration of this negative staining approach is presented, using ammonium molybdate in combination with trehalose, applied to several fibrillar and tubular samples. Fibrils formed from the amyloid-beta peptide and the protease inhibitor pepstain A spread very well unsupported across holes and the different polymorphic fibril forms can be readily assessed. However, tubular forms of amyloid-beta have a tendency to be flattened, due to surface tension forces prior to and during specimen drying. Sub-fibril assembly forms and D-banded rat tail type 1 collagen fibres are presented. The air-dried collagen images produced are shown to contain almost as much detail as those obtainable by cryo-negative staining. Fragile DNA and DNA-protein nanotubes are also shown to yield superior quality images to those produced on continuous carbon films. The iron-storage protein, frataxin, creates elongated oligomeric assemblies, containing bound ferrihydrite microcrystals. The iron particles within these flexuous oligomers can be defined in the presence of ammonium molybdate, but they are more readily demonstrated if the frataxin is spread across holes in the presence of trehalose alone. The samples used here serve to show the likely benefit obtainable from negative staining across holes for a range of other fibrillar and tubular samples in biology, medicine and nanobiotechnology. PMID- 17804248 TI - Bone structure investigation using X-ray and neutron radiography techniques. AB - In this paper we report a study of the periodic variation of bone tissue humidity immediately after death using both neutron and X-ray radiography techniques. After death, bone tissue experiences sequential change over time. This change consists of organic and inorganic phase variations of the bone structure, as well as gradual reduction of the bone's water content. These variations are investigated by periodically imaging dead bone using X-ray and neutron radiography. Chemical separation techniques such as calcification and decalcification were used to separate the organic and inorganic phases of the bone. Comparison between X-ray and neutron radiographs of bone following phase separation can be potentially used to investigate the bone disease or to determine a cause of death. In our experiments, we use adult rat femur bones, and the interpretations of these results are presented based on our understanding of bone structure and images produced by neutron and X-ray photon interactions. PMID- 17804250 TI - Biostimulation of Na,K-ATPase by low-energy laser irradiation (685 nm, 35 mW): comparative effects in membrane, solubilized and DPPC:DPPE-liposome reconstituted enzyme. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of low energy laser irradiation (685 nm, 35 mW) on the ATPase activity of the different forms of the Na,K-ATPase. METHODS: Membrane-bound and solubilized (alphabeta)(2) form of Na,K-ATPase was obtained from the dark red outer medulla of the kidney and proteoliposomes of DPPC:DPPE and Na,K-ATPase was prepared by the co solubilization method. Irradiations were carried out at 685 nm using an InGaAIP diode laser. RESULTS: The ATPase activity of the membrane fraction was not altered with exposition to irradiation doses between 4 and 24 J/cm(2). However, with irradiation doses ranging from 32 to 40 J/cm(2), a 28% increase on the ATPase activity was observed while when using up to 50 J/cm(2) no additional enhancement was observed. When biostimulation was done using the solubilized and purified enzyme or the DPPC:DPPE-liposome reconstituted enzyme, an increase of about 36-40% on the ATPase activity was observed using only 4-8 J/cm(2). With irradiation above these values (24 J/cm(2)) no additional increase in the activity was observed. These studies revealed that the biostimulation of ATPase activity from different forms of the Na,K-ATPase is dose dependent in different ranges of irradiation exposure. The stimulation promoted by visible laser doses was modulated and the process was reverted after 2 h for the enzyme present in the membrane and after about 5 h for the solubilized or the reconstituted in DPPC:DPPE-liposomes. PMID- 17804249 TI - Mouse models of diabetic neuropathy. AB - Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a debilitating complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Rodent models of DN do not fully replicate the pathology observed in human patients. We examined DN in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced [B6] and spontaneous type 1 diabetes [B6Ins2(Akita)] and spontaneous type 2 diabetes [B6 db/db, BKS-db/db]. Despite persistent hyperglycemia, the STZ-treated B6 and B6Ins2(Akita) mice were resistant to the development of DN. In contrast, DN developed in both type 2 diabetes models: the B6-db/db and BKS-db/db mice. The persistence of hyperglycemia and development of DN in the B6-db/db mice required an increased fat diet while the BKS-db/db mice developed severe DN and remained hyperglycemic on standard mouse chow. Our data support the hypothesis that genetic background and diet influence the development of DN and should be considered when developing new models of DN. PMID- 17804251 TI - Identification of peptide inhibitors of transforming growth factor beta 1 using a phage-displayed peptide library. AB - Pathologies such as liver fibrosis and scleroderma are characterized by harmful levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFbeta1). These levels could be neutralized if inhibitors of this cytokine were available. With this aim we searched for peptides with binding affinity for TGFbeta1 using a phage-displayed random 15-mer peptide library. Some peptides thus identified blocked activity of TGFbeta1 in vitro, as measured by their capacity to restore growth of Mv-1-Lu cells in presence of added TGFbeta1. Also, they inhibited TGFbeta1-dependent expression of collagen type I mRNA in liver of mice orally insulted with CCl(4). Intraperitoneal administration of 50 microg of peptide P17 (the most active 15 mer peptide, also referred to as P17(1-15)) inhibited expression of collagen type I mRNA by almost 100%. Interestingly, titration experiments showed that P17(1-12) (a peptide encompassing the first 12 amino acids of P17) was approximately four times more active than P17. These results suggest that both peptides, as well as others reported here, may be of therapeutic interest in processes requiring control of undesired high levels of TGFbeta1. PMID- 17804252 TI - ARHGAP4 is a novel RhoGAP that mediates inhibition of cell motility and axon outgrowth. AB - This report examines the structure and function of ARHGAP4, a novel RhoGAP whose structural features make it ideally suited to regulate the cytoskeletal dynamics that control cell motility and axon outgrowth. Our studies show that ARHGAP4 inhibits the migration of NIH/3T3 cells and the outgrowth of hippocampal axons. ARHGAP4 contains an N-terminal FCH domain, a central GTPase activating (GAP) domain and a C-terminal SH3 domain. Our structure/function analyses show that the FCH domain appears to be important for spatially localizing ARHGAP4 to the leading edges of migrating NIH/3T3 cells and to axon growth cones. Our analyses also show that the GAP domain and C-terminus are necessary for ARHGAP4-mediated inhibition of cell and axon motility. These observations suggest that ARHGAP4 can act as a potent inhibitor of cell and axon motility when it is localized to the leading edge of motile cells and axons. PMID- 17804253 TI - A recombinant CHSE-214 cell line expressing an Mx1 promoter-reporter system responds to both interferon type I and type II from salmonids and represents a versatile tool to study the IFN-system in teleost fish. AB - A transgenic cell line for the detection of salmon interferons (IFNs) has been established. It is based on a CHSE-214 cell line containing a reporter construct expressing firefly luciferase under the control of the rainbow trout promoter for the IFN-induced Mx1 gene. This cell line, named CHSE-Mx10, showed IFN-induced luciferase expression after more than 80 passages, confirming the stability of this cell line. Interestingly, the Mx promoter was shown to respond to both salmon IFN-alpha/beta and trout IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner, while there was no response to TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. IFN-alpha/beta activity could be measured at a range of 9-150 U/ml, and IFN-gamma showed activity between 10 and 100 ng/ml. The reproducibility of both responses was good. The CHSE-Mx10 reporter system constitutes a versatile tool to study the induction and regulation of IFN signaling in teleost fish. A preliminary study presented herein suggests that both infectious pancreas necrosis virus (IPNV) and salmon pancreas disease virus (SPDV) may block activation of the Mx promoter in CHSE-Mx10 stimulated with IFN alpha/beta. PMID- 17804254 TI - Innate immune gene expression in individual zebrafish after Listonella anguillarum inoculation. AB - Zebrafish were intraperitoneally injected with 10(6)CFU (LD50) Listonella anguillarum. Three inoculated and control fish were collected at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 22h post infection (hpi) and the expression of genes related to the immune response (il1b, cebpb, tfa, mpx, tnfa, nitr9, tlr22, hsc70, cp, mrlp1, c3b and lyz) in each fish was monitored by means of real-time RT-PCR. A similar experiment was performed considering an intermediate time point at 15 hpi. Different relative levels of expression were found among genes. Also, wide interindividual variation in gene expression for most genes was detected among fish, inoculated or not. A steady increase of expression starting from the initial stages of the interaction was found for interleukin-1beta. An initial increase in levels of gene expression was found for the genes coding for the CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Protein subunit beta and the Novel Immune-Type Receptor 9, although their levels decreased later on and were indistinguishable from the controls at 22 hpi. Finally, some genes (Transferrin, Myeloid-specific Peroxidase and Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha) were upregulated at 22 hpi. Taken together, our results show an induction in gene expression of genes involved in the inflammatory and immune response upon L. anguillarum infection but also reveal the existence of a wide variation in the levels of expression of the studied genes in the zebrafish population. PMID- 17804255 TI - Description of a fugu CXC chemokine and two CXC receptor genes, and characterization of the effects of different stimulators on their expression. AB - The primary structures of a CXC chemokine (CXCL8) and two CXC receptors (CXCR) have been characterized in fugu, Takifugu rubripes. Unlike mammalian and avian species, CXCL8 of teleosts including fugu lacks the ELR motif that appears to be important in ligand/receptor interactions on neutrophils. Genomic organization shows that fugu CXCL8 gene consists of four exons and three introns. As in other vertebrates, two CXCR genes isolated from fugu encode proteins CXCR1 and CXCR2 that possess characteristic seven transmembrane domains. Each receptor consists of two exons separated by an intron. Synteny analysis indicates that these two CXCRs were derived from whole genome duplication in teleosts, differing from mammalian CXCR1 and CXCR2. All of these genes are primarily expressed in the lymphoid tissues. Immune stimulation with PHA showed that the expression of both CXCL8 and CXCRs in PBL are upregulated even after only a short time period, but downregulated by LPS stimulation, implying that these genes are involved in the regulation of the immune response in fugu. PMID- 17804256 TI - Molecular characterization and gene expression of a CXC chemokine gene from Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. AB - Chemokines are small, secreted cytokine peptides that have the ability to recruit a wide range of immune cells to sites of infection and disease. A novel CXC chemokine was obtained from Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. This chemokine cDNA contains an open reading frame of 333 nucleotides encoding 111 amino acid residues containing four conserved cysteine residues. The gene is composed of four exons and three introns as are those of mammalian and fish CXC chemokines. Results of homology and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Japanese flounder CXC chemokine is closest to CXCL13 subgroup. The gene was expressed in immune-related organs, including head kidney, trunk kidney, spleen and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs). Japanese flounder CXC chemokine gene expression was observed at 3 and 6h after induction by LPS, but not at 3 and 6h after induction by poly I:C. These results suggest that the Japanese flounder CXC chemokine is probably associated with inflammatory as well as homeostatic functions. PMID- 17804257 TI - Mountains and valleys: binocular rivalry and the flow of experience. AB - Binocular rivalry provides a useful situation for studying the relation between the temporal flow of conscious experience and the temporal dynamics of neural activity. After proposing a phenomenological framework for understanding temporal aspects of consciousness, we review experimental research on multistable perception and binocular rivalry, singling out various methodological, theoretical, and empirical aspects of this research relevant to studying the flow of experience. We then review an experimental study from our group explicitly concerned with relating the temporal dynamics of rivalrous experience to the temporal dynamics of cortical activity. Drawing attention to the importance of dealing with ongoing activity and its inherent changing nature at both phenomenological and neurodynamical levels, we argue that the notions of recurrence and variability are pertinent to understanding rivalry in particular and the flow of experience in general. PMID- 17804258 TI - Brain tissue segmentation based on DTI data. AB - We present a method for automated brain tissue segmentation based on the multi channel fusion of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. The method is motivated by the evidence that independent tissue segmentation based on DTI parametric images provides complementary information of tissue contrast to the tissue segmentation based on structural MRI data. This has important applications in defining accurate tissue maps when fusing structural data with diffusion data. In the absence of structural data, tissue segmentation based on DTI data provides an alternative means to obtain brain tissue segmentation. Our approach to the tissue segmentation based on DTI data is to classify the brain into two compartments by utilizing the tissue contrast existing in a single channel. Specifically, because the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are more than twice that of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), we use ADC images to distinguish CSF and non-CSF tissues. Additionally, fractional anisotropy (FA) images are used to separate WM from non-WM tissues, as highly directional white matter structures have much larger fractional anisotropy values. Moreover, other channels to separate tissue are explored, such as eigenvalues of the tensor, relative anisotropy (RA), and volume ratio (VR). We developed an approach based on the Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) algorithm that combines these two-class maps to obtain a complete tissue segmentation map of CSF, GM, and WM. Evaluations are provided to demonstrate the performance of our approach. Experimental results of applying this approach to brain tissue segmentation and deformable registration of DTI data and spoiled gradient-echo (SPGR) data are also provided. PMID- 17804259 TI - Probing the transformation of discontinuous associations into episodic memory: an event-related fMRI study. AB - Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we identified brain regions involved in storing associations of events discontinuous in time into long-term memory. Participants were scanned while memorizing item-triplets including simultaneous and discontinuous associations. Subsequent memory tests showed that participants remembered both types of associations equally well. First, by constructing the contrast between the subsequent memory effects for discontinuous associations and simultaneous associations, we identified the left posterior parahippocampal region, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the basal ganglia, posterior midline structures, and the middle temporal gyrus as being specifically involved in transforming discontinuous associations into episodic memory. Second, we replicated that the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe (MTL) especially the hippocampus are involved in associative memory formation in general. Our findings provide evidence for distinct neural operation(s) that supports the binding and storing discontinuous associations in memory. We suggest that top-down signals from the prefrontal cortex and MTL may trigger reactivation of internal representation in posterior midline structures of the first event, thus allowing it to be associated with the second event. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex together with basal ganglia may support this encoding operation by executive and binding processes within working memory, and the posterior parahippocampal region may play a role in binding and memory formation. PMID- 17804260 TI - Analyzing for information, not activation, to exploit high-resolution fMRI. AB - High-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (hi-res fMRI) promises to help bridge the gap between the macro- and the microview of brain function afforded by conventional neuroimaging and invasive cell recording, respectively. Hi-res fMRI (voxel volume 0.001), they were more resistant to NaOCl (p < 0.001). At 96 hours, both microorganisms had higher viable counts and were more resistant to NaOCl in dual-species biofilms than in monospecies biofilms of the same microorganism (p < 0.001). As the age of the biofilms increased, so did their resistance to NaOCl. Mixed-species biofilms of F. nucleatum and P. micros showed a time-dependent synergy in growth and resistance to NaOCl. PMID- 17804320 TI - The effect of mineral trioxide aggregate on the contractility of the rat thoracic aorta. AB - Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is being advocated for vital pulp therapy. In the case of direct pulp capping, hemorrhage control is an important step on success, but little is known about the effect of MTA on pulpal bleeding. In addition, there has been a lack of information on the effect of MTA on smooth muscle contraction, such as can occur in the blood vessels of dental pulp. The present study assessed the vascular effects of MTA, using the rat aortic ring preparations as a tissue model. MTA (100-500 mg) induced dose-dependent contraction in rat thoracic aorta. The contractile effect of MTA was blocked by calcium channel blocker nifedipine (1 muM). These data suggest that the vasoconstrictor property of MTA is related to calcium influx and it may allow proper control of hemorrhage which is critical for the success of any pulp capping treatment. PMID- 17804321 TI - Kv1.4 subunit expression is decreased in neurons of painful human pulp. AB - Kv1.4, a subunit of voltage-gated K(+) channels, plays a large role in regulating neuronal excitability. The level of Kv1.4 expression is unknown in human sensory neurons innervating healthy or painful tissue. Therefore, we examined Kv1.4 immunoreactivity in axons innervating both clinically diagnosed asymptomatic and painful symptomatic human tooth pulp. Antibodies directed against Kv1.4 and PGP9.5, a protein marker for axons, was used to determine the proportion of PGP9.5 immunopositive tissue that was also immunopositive for Kv1.4. We report that on pulpal axons innervating symptomatic teeth Kv1.4 immunoreactivity, a correlate of decreased Kv1.4 expression, is significantly decreased (p < 0.0001), suggestive of a factor responsible for facilitating chronic dental pain and decreases in currents produced, such as I(A), in neurons innervating painful pulp. PMID- 17804322 TI - Evaluation of the bactericidal effect of Er,Cr:YSGG, and Nd:YAG lasers in experimentally infected root canals. AB - The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of the Er,Cr:YSGG laser and the Nd:YAG laser in experimentally infected root canals. Sixty single rooted teeth with straight canals were selected. After preparation and sterilization, the specimens were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis for 3 weeks. After irradiation by lasers, the number of bacteria in each root canal was examined. The Er,Cr:YSGG laser gave a reduction of 77% after irradiation at 1 W and 96% at 1.5 W, but there was no significant difference (p > 0.05). The Nd:YAG laser gave a reduction of 97% at 1 W and 98% at 1.5 W, and there was no significant difference (p > 0.05). Compared with the Er,Cr:YSGG laser, the Nd:YAG laser is more effective (p < 0.05). In conclusion, both lasers systems have a significant bactericidal effect in infected root canals, and the Nd:YAG laser is more effective than the Er,Cr:YSGG laser. PMID- 17804323 TI - Behavior of human dental pulp cells exposed to transforming growth factor-beta1 and acidic fibroblast growth factor in culture. AB - The development of methods for regenerative endodontic procedures requires an understanding of the factors regulating the development of odontoblasts from adult cell populations such as pulpal cell lines. In this study, we exposed cultures of human pulp cells (7th passage) to growth factors including transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1, at 1 or 5 ng/mL), acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF, 5 ng/mL), or a combination of the 2 growth factors and evaluated cellular morphology and markers of cell phenotype including alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin, bone sialoprotein (BSP), and dentin sialophosprotein (DSPP). The mean number of nucleoli in the 1 ng/mL TGF-beta1 group was significantly higher than with 5 ng/mL aFGF. Alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly greater with 1 ng/mL TGF-beta1 versus 5 ng/mL TGF beta1 + 5 ng/mL aFGF (P < .05). Osteocalcin mRNA was expressed in all samples. The cells exposed to 1 ng/mL TGF-beta1 were stimulated; however, exposure to growth factors for 8 days was not sufficient for expression of BSP and DSPP mRNA. Cells treated with 1 ng/mL TGF-beta1 exhibited higher activity, whereas 5 ng/mL aFGF-treated cells were inhibited. Although osteocalcin was observed in all cultures, suggestive of the potential for odontoblast formation, under the present conditions, the exposure to TGF-beta1 and aFGF was not sufficient to induce expression of the dentin matrix components BSP and DSPP. PMID- 17804324 TI - Expression of bone extracellular matrix proteins on osteoblast cells in the presence of mineral trioxide. AB - The biocompatibility of periapical tissue with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) affects its ability to repair and regenerate itself. Here we report the cytotoxicity of MTA and how it affects the expression of bone extracellular matrix protein in MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells. We quantified the cytotoxicity of MTA, amalgam, and Dycal (Dentsply/Caulk, Milford, DE) on MC3T3-E1 cells by measuring the ability of cells to cleave a tetrazolium salt to produce formazan dye during a period of 24, 48, or 96 hours. We used reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with primer sets for type I collagen, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein to measure the gene-expression response of MC3T3-E1 cells treated with MTA. MTA, amalgam, and Dycal were less toxic after 48 hours. MC3T3 E1 cell growth with MTA and Dycal was greater than nonstimulated controls. MTA caused an upregulation of type I collagen and osteocalcin messenger RNA expression after 24 hours. These results showed that, in the presence of MTA, cells grow faster and produce more mineralized matrix gene expression in osteoblasts. PMID- 17804325 TI - Effect of adhesive resin cements and post surface silanization on the bond strengths of adhesively inserted fiber posts. AB - This study evaluated the tensile bond strengths and the effect of silanization of fiber posts inserted with different adhesive systems. Sixty DT Light Posts (size 1) were used. Thirty posts were pretreated with silane. The posts were cemented into form-congruent artificial root canals (12 mm) of bovine dentine. Six groups were formed: G1, Prime&Bond NT/Calibra; G2, Monobond-S+Prime&Bond NT/Calibra; G3, ED Primer/Panavia 21ex; G4, Monobond-S+ED Primer/Panavia 21ex; G5, RelyX Unicem; and G6, Monobond-S+RelyX Unicem. The mean (standard deviation) tensile bond strengths (megapascals) were 7.69 (0.85) for G1, 7.15 (1.01) for G2, 6.73 (0.85) for G3, 6.78 (0.97) for G4, 4.79 (0.58) for G5, and 4.74 (0.88) for G6. G1 achieved significantly higher bond strengths than G3 and G5; G3 had significantly higher values than G5 (P < .05; Scheffe procedure). Silanization had no significant effect (P > .05, one-way analysis of variance). Tensile bond strengths were significantly influenced by the type of resin cement. Silanization of fiber post surfaces seems to have no clinical relevance. PMID- 17804326 TI - The anti-microbial effect against enterococcus faecalis and the compressive strength of two types of mineral trioxide aggregate mixed with sterile water or 2% chlorhexidine liquid. AB - The purpose of this in vitro study was 2-fold: First, to compare the antimicrobial effect of gray and tooth-colored mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) when mixed with sterile water or 2% chlorhexidine. Second, to compare the compressive strengths of the MTA/chlorhexidine versus MTA/sterile water samples. The antimicrobial effect test was accomplished by placing freshly mixed MTA samples on agar plates inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and comparing the zones of inhibition at 24 hours. In the compressive strength test, MTA pellets were allowed to set for 72 hours and then compressed to fracture by using an Instron testing machine. Values were recorded and compared. In the antimicrobial effect experiment, the zones of inhibition were significantly larger for samples mixed with 2% chlorhexidine. In the compressive strength study, statistical evaluation showed no significance due to variability. However, data revealed that MTA mixed with sterile water always had higher compressive strengths than MTA mixed with chlorhexidine. PMID- 17804327 TI - Effect of different all-ceramic crown system on fracture resistance and failure pattern of endodontically treated maxillary premolars restored with and without glass fiber posts. AB - Endodontically treated teeth are traditionally restored with a crown to prevent fracture. The aim of this study was to compare the fracture resistance and failure modes of endodontically treated maxillary premolars treated with or without a fiber post and restored with different types of crowns. Eighty human maxillary premolars were selected. After root canal treatment, the teeth were embedded in resin blocks and divided into four groups. Samples received MOD cavity preparations and were divided into two subgroups: with and without fiber posts and restored using porcelain fused to metal, lithium disilicate, fiber reinforced composite, or zirconia crowns. The specimens were vertically loaded in the central fossa using a universal loading machine until failure, and the maximum breaking loads were recorded. Samples were perfused with Indian ink to highlight the fracture lines and the mode of failure that was classified as restorable or nonrestorable. Even without post, all crown designs resisted vertically applied forces beyond those that may be encountered in the mouth. Two way analysis of variance revealed the use of a fiber post (p = 0.007) and the type of crown (p < 0.001) significantly affected the restorability of fractured teeth. The relationship between placing or not placing the post and the type of failure (restorable/nonrestorable) was found to be significant (chi(2) test, p = 0.002). Although post placement resulted in higher fracture resistance values, these were significant for Empress II crowns only. The results suggest that the posts could contribute to the reinforcement and strengthening of pulpless maxillary premolars. With respect to failure modes, placement of fiber posts improved the fracture from nonrestorable to restorable patterns. This study suggests that the placement of fiber posts is necessary to improve fracture resistance even under full-coverage crowns. PMID- 17804328 TI - Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of sodium hypochlorite, MTAD, and Tetraclean against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. AB - The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of 5.25% NaOCl, BioPure MTAD (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Johnson City, TN), and Tetraclean (Ogna Laboratori Farmaceutici, Milano, Italy) against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm generated on cellulose nitrate membrane filters. After incubation, the membrane filters were transferred into tubes containing 5 mL of the selected antimicrobial solution test agent or NaCl 0.9% (positive control) and incubated for 5, 30, and 60 minutes at 20 degrees C. After each period of time, the test agents were vortexed for 60 seconds to resuspend the microorganisms. Ten-fold serial dilutions were generated in reduced transport fluid. Each dilution was plated onto a brain heart infusion plates. The plates were then incubated for 48 hours in an aerobic atmosphere at 37 degrees C and colony-forming units per membrane was calculated. Statistical analysis showed that only 5.25% NaOCl can disgregate and remove the biofilm at every time; however, treatment with Tetraclean caused a high degree of biofilm disgregation in every considered time intervals as compared with MTAD (T5 p < 0.05, T30 p < 0.01, and T60 p < 0.001). PMID- 17804329 TI - An in vitro comparison of bond strength of various obturation materials to root canal dentin using a push-out test design. AB - The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the bond strength of various obturation materials to root canal dentin by using a push-out test design. Twenty five single-rooted extracted human teeth were used in this study. The crowns were removed, and root canal instrumentation was completed by using Endogel-coated 0.06 EndoSequence rotary files (Brasseler, Savannah, GA) and appropriate irrigation with 5.25% NaOCl and a final rinse with 17% EDTA. After instrumentation, the roots were randomly divided into five single-matched cone obturation groups (n = 5 roots/group), as follows: group 1, gutta percha with Kerr EWT (Kerr Corp, Romulus, MI); group 2, gutta percha with AH Plus (Dentsply, DeTrey, Germany); group 3, Resilon (Pentron Clinical Technologies, Wallingford, CT) and Epiphany (Pentron); group 4, Activ GP (Brasseler) obturation system; and group 5, EndoREZ obturation system (Ultradent, South Jordan, UT). The obturated roots were cut perpendicular to the long access to create 1-mm thick slices from the apical, middle, and coronal thirds. The bond strength was measured for each test slice with a push-out testing machine. Statistical analysis was completed by using a two-way analysis of variance and the post hoc Tukeys test with significance set at p < 0.05. Group 2 showed a significantly (p < 0.05) greater bond strength compared with all other groups. Also, groups 1 and 4 had significantly (p < 0.05) higher bond strengths compared with groups 3 and 5. PMID- 17804330 TI - Influence of different root canal-filling materials on the mechanical properties of root canal dentin. AB - The aims of this study were to compare Resilon (Resilon Research LLC, Madison, CT) in conjunction with either a bonding (Epiphany; Pentron Clinical Technologies, Wallingford, CT) or a nonbonding endodontic sealer (Pulp Canal Sealer; Kerr Corporation, Orange, CA) to EndoRez (Ultradent Products Inc, South Jordan, UT) and gutta-percha with regards to the physical properties and flexural stress in standardized dentin cylinders and the flexural stress of Resilon and gutta-percha. The external surface of 50 maxillary central incisors was reduced by means of mechanical milling to obtain dentin cylinders with an external diameter of 3 mm and minimum length of 12 mm. Root canals were prepared to obtain a standardized cylindrical preparation of 1.3 mm in diameter at the center of the root. The cylinders were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10): group 1: obturation with gutta-percha and Pulp Canal Sealer; group 2: obturation with Resilon, Epiphany primer, and Epiphany; group 3: obturation with Resilon and Pulp Canal Sealer; group 4: obturation with EndoRez methacrylate-based endodontic sealer; and group 5: dentin cylinders were not obturated. Ten gutta-percha (group 6) and Resilon (group 7) pellets for the Obtura gun were also tested. A three point bending test was used to measure the maximum load values of specimens from groups 1 to 5 and the flexural strength and flexural modulus values for specimens from groups 6 and 7. Statistical analysis was performed to determine significance differences (p < 0.05). An analysis of variance test showed no significant difference among groups 1 to 5 (p = 0.697; F = 0.60). An independent sample t test showed statistically significant differences between groups 6 and 7 in flexural strength (p = 0.000) and flexural modulus (p = 0.000). Within the limits of this study, it may be concluded that the currently available endodontic filling materials and their recommended adhesive procedures are not able to influence the mechanical properties of root canal dentin and that the flexural properties of Resilon and gutta-percha are too low to reinforce roots. PMID- 17804331 TI - Influence of surface treatments on the flexural properties of fiber posts. AB - The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three post-surface treatments on flexural properties of fiber posts. Three types of posts were selected (n = 88 per post type). Four groups of specimens were prepared for each different post (n = 22). For the control group, posts were used as supplied by the manufacturers. Silanization, hydrofluoric etching, and sandblasting with 50 microm Al(2)O(3) were performed on post surfaces for each of the other groups. Two posts of each group were submitted to a qualitative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Remaining specimens were positioned in a universal testing machine and a three-point bending test was conducted (n = 20) until fracturing of the posts. Flexural strengths and flexural modules were calculated and recorded. None of the surface pretreatments had a significant influence on the tested properties of the posts (p > 0.05). Visual analysis of SEM micrographs showed significant changes of post surfaces determined by each conditioning treatment, which could increase post-retentive properties. PMID- 17804332 TI - Shaping abilities of two different engine-driven rotary nickel titanium systems or stainless steel balanced-force technique in mandibular molars. AB - The purpose of this study was to compare apical transportation, working-length changes, and instrumentation time by using nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) rotary file systems (crown-down method) or stainless steel hand files (balanced-force technique) in mesiobuccal canals of extracted mandibular molars. The curvature of each canal was determined and teeth placed into three equivalent groups. Group 1 was instrumented with Sequence (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA) rotary files, group 2 with Liberator (Miltex Inc, York, PA) rotary files, and group 3 with Flex-R (Union Broach, New York, NY) files. Pre- and postoperative radiographs were superimposed to measure loss of working length and apical transportation as shown by changes in radius of curvature and the long-axis canal angle. Sequence rotary files, Liberator rotary files, and Flex-R hand files had similar effects on apical canal transportation and changes in working length, with no significant differences detected among the 3 groups. Hand instrumentation times were longer than with either Ni-Ti rotary group, whereas the rotary NiTi groups had a higher incidence of fracture. PMID- 17804333 TI - An in vitro comparison of bacterial leakage of three common restorative materials used as an intracoronal barrier. AB - The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate quantitatively the effectiveness of three different restorative materials used as an intracoronal barrier to prevent microleakage of endodontically treated teeth. Fifty-five extracted human single-canal teeth were used in this study. The teeth were endodontically prepared and obturated. Forty-five teeth were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: group 1: sealed with Ketac-Cem (3M ESPE, St Paul, MN) (n = 15), group 2: sealed with Clearfil Protect Bond/Clearfil AP-X (Kuraray, New York, NY) (n = 15), and group 3: sealed with Maxcem (Kerr, Orange, CA) (n = 15). Ten teeth were also randomly assigned to a negative control group (n = 5) and a positive control group (n = 5). Microleakage was tested by using a sterile two chamber bacterial method and Enterococcus faecalis was used as a microbial marker. Samples were incubated aerobically at 37 degrees C for 120 days. Bacterial leakage was determined by change in turbidity in the medium. Statistical analysis was performed using a Wald chi-square test. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in bacterial leakage was found between the three experimental groups tested. All positive controls leaked within 60 days and broth of the negative control group remained clear throughout the entire experimental period. PMID- 17804334 TI - Marginal leakage of different temporary restorations in standardized complex endodontic access preparations. AB - This study compared the marginal leakage of temporary restorations using Cavit, IRM, zinc phosphate cement (ZPC), and copper bands cemented with ZPC. Standardized complex endodontic access preparations were made in 176 extracted human molars. The teeth were divided into six groups, including positive and negative controls. A Universal matrix system was placed over each tooth before restoration, except in the copper band group, in which teeth were restored with ZPC after copper band cementation. Marginal leakage was evaluated with a binocular microscope after the teeth were immersed in artificial saliva, colored with 2% methylene blue and buffered to neutral pH, at 37 degrees C for various time intervals after thermal cycling. In the experimental groups, the differences in the leakage scores of the Cavit group and the other groups were very marked. The Cavit group presented the least marginal leakage, irrespective of time, whereas more than half the specimens from the IRM, ZPC, and copper band groups displayed severe leakage from day 1. PMID- 17804335 TI - Effects of time and concentration of sodium ascorbate on reversal of NaOCl induced reduction in bond strengths. AB - The use of NaOCl as an endodontic irrigant lowers the bond strength of resin cements but this can be reversed by the use of 10% sodium ascorbate for 10 min. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of time and concentration of ascorbate at restoring the bond strength. Group 1 roots were prepared using 0.9% NaCl as an irrigant; group 2 roots were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl; group 3 roots were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl followed by 10% ascorbate for 10 min; group 4 roots were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl followed by 10% ascorbate for 3 min; group 5 roots were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl followed by 10% ascorbate for 1 min; and group 6 roots were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl followed by 20% ascorbate for 1 min. All roots were then filled with C&B Metabond, stored 1 day in water, and then cross-sectioned into 6 slabs, 1 mm thick, that were trimmed and tested for tensile bond strength. The results demonstrated that 5.25% NaOCl irrigation produced (p < 0.05) significant reduction in resin-dentin bond strengths, but this can be reversed by 10% ascorbate treatment for 1 min. PMID- 17804336 TI - Overlooked complications of allergic reactions: allergic angina and allergic myocardial infarction. PMID- 17804337 TI - Genetic analysis of a wild-caught hybrid between non-sister Heliconius butterfly species. AB - Interspecific hybridization occurs regularly in wild Heliconius butterflies, although hybrid individuals are usually very rare. However, hybridization generally occurs only between the most closely related species. We report a rare naturally occurring hybrid between non-sister species and carry out the first genetic analysis of such distant hybridization. Mitochondrial and nuclear genes indicate that the specimen is an F1 hybrid between a female Heliconius ethilla and a male Heliconius melpomene, originating from a group of 13 species estimated to have diverged over 2.5 Myr ago. The presence of such distant natural hybrids, together with evidence for backcrossing, suggests that gene flow across species boundaries can take place long after speciation. Adaptive genes such as those involved in wing coloration could thus be widely shared among members of this highly mimetic genus. PMID- 17804338 TI - Applying a theory of expertise in health social work administration and practice in Australia. AB - Social workers in health care have been urged to identify the nature of their expertise and to articulate profession specific roles (Peckuconis et al., 2003). This paper reports on the use of a theory of professional expertise (Fook, Ryan, & Hawkins, 2000) in management and clinical practice within two Australian hospital social work settings. This theory, directly applicable to social work, was applied within these hospitals to differentiate levels in social work industrial awards, in staff selection, in supervision and continuing professional development. Specific and broader implications for application of this theory are discussed. PMID- 17804339 TI - Evidence that supports the value of social work in hospitals. AB - The value of hospital social work is supported by one hospital's tracking system that monitored social work discharge services and compared outcome with non social work discharges. The sample consisted of a total of 64,722 patients admitted to the "med-surg" hospital unit over a two and one-half year time period from 2002 to 2004. Of the total patients in the sample, 15.7% (n = 10,156) had social work involvement. Sixty percent of the social worker patients were age 70 or over compared with the mean age of the sample of 56.2 years. The mean length of stay for social work served patients was 11.4 days (sd = 13.9) compared to 4.3 days (sd = 6.3) non-social work patients, a difference that was significant (t = 68.3; p = .000). The authors attribute the longer lengths of stay to social workers' receiving older and more difficult-to-place patients. An evidence-based case is made for the cost-containment value of social workers in hospitals and for the creation of a tracking infrastructure to aid in monitoring the daily achievements of medical/surgical social workers. PMID- 17804340 TI - Collaborative models of patient care:new opportunities for hospital social workers. AB - Hospitals are increasingly recognizing the importance of moving away from the traditional medical model of care to more collaborative models that integrate patients and families into the planning and delivery of healthcare. A few existing studies suggest that collaborative models of care result in higher levels of consumer satisfaction, treatment compliance, effective team performance, and increased care coordination (Gance-Cleveland, 2005; DiMatteo et al., 2002; Reid Ponte et al., 2004; Institute for Family-Centered Care, 2004). Key values underpinning social work practice make medical social workers well positioned to play leadership roles as hospitals make the shift to more patient centered care. Specific strategies are presented for medical social workers to use in advocating for change in the way health services are planned and delivered within hospital settings. PMID- 17804341 TI - Practice-based research:changing the professional culture and language of social work. AB - Practice-based evaluation integrates research skills and techniques into the clinical process in order to correlate clinical interventions with treatment outcomes. Although most clinicians recognize the importance of some form of practice evaluation, barriers including lack of time, resources, expertise, and organizational support may deter such evaluation efforts. However, there are numerous advantages for clinicians and agencies to develop a culture that values and integrates practice evaluation into its daily work-life; these include opportunities for teamwork, collaboration, mentoring, and innovation. This paper defines practice evaluation research, identifies strategies for its implementation, and describes a framework for creating a "research friendly" culture. It further describes the implementation of such an innovative program in both a hospital and a mental health agency setting. PMID- 17804342 TI - Mothers of very preterm infants:perspectives on their situation and a culturally sensitive intervention. AB - This study was part of a larger study in which an individual, peer-support intervention for mothers of very preterm infants was evaluated. In the present study, ratings by mothers who received the culturally sensitive intervention were compared with ratings from a control group on their experience of the preterm birth, and the quality of their social support. Additionally, mothers who received the intervention also rated their comfort with social interactions in general, and with their support giver, as well as the qualities (e.g., supportive, friendly) of the support giver. The intervention was delivered in a metropolitan city in Canada with a considerably diverse population, for example, 41% spoke a mother tongue other than one of the two official languages (English and French) and 37% were a visible minority. Mothers with a preterm infant in the neonatal intensive care unit who agreed to participate were matched on language, culture, ethnicity, and characteristics of their infant to a volunteer, trained support giver with experience of preterm birth. Results indicated that the intervention helped mothers to feel more confident in their parenting, understand the medical condition of their infants, and experience greater quality of their listening support than control mothers. Intervention mothers also reported comfort interacting with people in general, and especially with the support giver. This study confirms and extends social support theory: Generic social support may be beneficial for caregivers of ill patients; however, specialized support appears to be particularly important for mothers of very preterm infants. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. PMID- 17804344 TI - Screening for intimate partner violence within a health care setting:a systematic review of the literature. AB - The purpose of this review is to present literature regarding intervention research on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) screening. Articles were obtained by searching six databases and review of reference pages. Of the articles selected for this review, all measured disclosure rates of IPV screening and five addressed safety practices, one study included both screening and safety practices. Two studies evaluated advocacy's impact on safety and the level of violence. Five studies reported referral initiation to advocacy services. The results suggest that screening is effective in identifying IPV; however, a causal link between screening practices, increased safety practices, and decreased violence cannot be established. Practice and research implications for social work are discussed. PMID- 17804345 TI - Loneliness and intimate partner violence:antecedents of alienation of abused women. AB - This study explored the perceived causes of loneliness of abused women. Eighty women, victims of domestic abuse, were compared with 84 women from the general population, who have had no history of abusive relationships. A 30-item-yes/no loneliness questionnaire was utilized in order to compare the causes of loneliness in the two samples. The factors that comprise the causes of loneliness are: Personal inadequacies, Developmental deficits, Unfulfilling intimate relationships, Relocation/significant separations, and Social marginality. Results confirmed the hypothesis that abused women, indeed, perceived the causes of their loneliness significantly differently than women in the general population do. The abused women scored significantly higher on all the subscales. PMID- 17804346 TI - Reactions of senior citizens to 9/11: exploration and practice guidelines for social workers. AB - Older Americans who have lived through several national tragedies have been found to experience a variety of reactions to 9/11. While several studies have examined the symptomatology of seniors, the authors examined some of their reactions to 9/11 and derived several practice guidelines to assist healthcare professions working with the elderly around issues of trauma. PMID- 17804347 TI - Survey on death and dying in Hong Kong: attitudes, beliefs, and preferred end-of life care. AB - Social Workers in end-of-life and palliative care have a particular opportunity to ease the dying process by providing culturally appropriate services to the dying and their families. In today's multicultural social environment, with an ever-increasing immigrant population, social workers are challenged to be knowledgeable about diverse cultures. Recently, a forum of health care professionals and social workers in Hong Kong conducted a survey of the general population to assess death and dying attitudes, beliefs, and preferences for end of-life care. Four-hundred-thirty Hong Kong Chinese participated in a telephone interview. Responses were compared by gender. The survey results not only contribute to an understanding of Hong Kong Chinese, but can inform social workers who practice with Chinese immigrants to the United States. PMID- 17804348 TI - Peer support to promote medication adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS: the benefits to peers. AB - Since early in the AIDS epidemic, HIV-positive individuals have benefited from the services of peer support or buddy programs. However, little research has focused on the experience of the peer providing support. We conducted qualitative interviews with nine HIV-positive peers who had participated in an intervention designed to provide support to other HIV-positive individuals as one means of promoting antiretroviral therapy adherence. Analyses of the peers' common dialogue about their involvement in the study revealed four main themes: social acceptance, reciprocal support, personal growth and empowerment, and resistance and other challenges. Recommendations for future research and for implementing similar interventions in a health care setting are provided. PMID- 17804349 TI - Needs of family caregivers caring for stroke patients: based on the rehabilitation treatment phase and the treatment setting. AB - The objective of the study was to identify the needs of family members across rehabilitation treatment phases and treatment settings. Participants were 123 family caregivers in rehabilitation settings in South Korea that replied to the survey. The needs were measured by the Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ) and the t test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze collected data. In the comparison of two rehabilitation phases, the family caregivers caring for their patients in the acute rehabilitation phase perceived the need for health information as more important than those in the postacute phase. In addition, the family caregivers caring for patients in the acute rehabilitation phase were less satisfied with community network support and family support than those in the postacute phase. In the comparison of treatment settings, family caregivers caring for their patients in outpatient clinic services showed the lowest satisfaction of their needs in four areas (health information, emotional support, instrumental support, and professional support) compared with those in inpatient facilities or day hospitals. Findings are discussed within the context of the empirical and theoretical literature and implications for social work practice are considered. PMID- 17804350 TI - Client and responder perceptions of a personal emergency response system: Lifeline. AB - A mixed methodology mail survey was used to gauge level of customer satisfaction with, and identify issues that may help improve, personal emergency response system service delivery. A total of 1,236 surveys were mailed out to subscribers of Victoria Lifeline (Canada; n = 618) and their designated responders (n = 618). Overall response rate was 50%. Significant predictors of subscriber and responder satisfaction were satisfaction with the service during an emergency and whether expectations of service were met. In addition, for responders, customer service also predicted satisfaction. Thematic analysis of subscriber and responder comments identified the need for improvement in several areas: equipment, cost of the service, training sessions for users, and communication between subscribers and service providers. Although more than 95% of subscribers and responders were satisfied with the service, the findings provide direction to personal emergency response service providers about ways in which their product and service delivery might be enhanced, and underscore the need for research examining the impacts of response systems on family caregivers and public policy regarding community care solutions. PMID- 17804351 TI - State Medicaid home care policies: inside the black box. AB - With Medicaid now the largest budget item for many states and the biggest payer of home and community-based services (HCBS), there is increasing interest in the policies used by states on their three main Medicaid HCBS programs: 1915(c) waivers, state plan personal care, and home health. This article presents an analysis of annual national surveys (2002-2004) of Medicaid HCBS programs that investigate the four main features over which states have discretion: (1) eligibility criteria, (2) services offered (including consumer direction), (3) discretionary cost controls (financial caps, service limits, and wait lists), and (4) workforce issues including the use of independent providers. The findings advance knowledge of state policy trends within each of the three programs and variations between them. PMID- 17804352 TI - Aging in place? Evidence that a state Medicaid waiver program helps frail older persons avoid institutionalization. AB - Long-term care will increasingly shift from institutions to home and community based services. Using data from a Medicaid home care waiver program in South Carolina, the Community Long-Term Care (CLTC) program, we evaluated differences in frailty and service use among CLTC clients between 1995 (n = 3,748) and 2005 (n = 9,157). The expectation was that CLTC clients had become more frail in that period, and had greater access to services in the community, results that might suggest the CLTC program had helped individuals to avoid institutionalization. Frailty measures included acute and chronic conditions, other health conditions, and activities of daily living (ADL). We evaluated the percentage of clients using services, and service use intensity. A large majority of clients in both years were impaired in at least four ADL. In 2005, CLTC clients were significantly more likely to have chronic conditions, including hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, diabetes, and renal failure (all p < 0.05). Clients were significantly more likely to receive specific services in 2005, including physical therapy, dialysis, and oxygen (all p < 0.05). Results suggest CLTC participants were more frail in 2005 than in 1995. This may reflect a successful effort to help individuals age in place in the community, delaying institutionalization. States may be able to control increases in Medicaid long-term care costs through home care programs that delay institutionalization. PMID- 17804353 TI - Level of empowerment and health knowledge of home support workers providing care for frail elderly. AB - The purpose of this study was to assess the profile of home support workers (HSWs) caring for the frail elderly and to determine the perceived empowerment levels and general health knowledge of these support workers. Background, work profile, empowerment level and health knowledge related to seniors of 64 HSWs were assessed using questionnaires. Findings revealed the majority of workers to be middleaged women, and their health knowledge scores were low. Empowerment levels were moderate as was formal power. Findings demonstrate the need to revise the curriculum of HSWs to include health topics, as well as the need for continued education and strategies to enhance empowerment levels. PMID- 17804354 TI - Managing depression in home health care: a randomized clinical trial. AB - A prospective randomized trial was conducted to examine the effectiveness, feasibility, and degree of implementation of home health care quality improvement interventions when implemented under usual conditions by usual care providers. A total of 311 older adults were randomized to enhanced usual care (EUC) that included routine depression screening and staff training in depression care management for older adults or to the intervention group (INT) that included antidepressants and/or psychotherapy treatment plus EUC. Implementing a routine screening protocol using the PHQ-9 and depression care management quality improvements is feasible in diverse home health care organizations and results in consistently better (but not statistically significant) depression outcomes in the INT group. PMID- 17804357 TI - Creating elder-friendly communities: preparations for an aging society. AB - Because many communities where older people live were not designed for their needs, older residents may require support to remain in the least restrictive environment. "Age-prepared communities" utilize community planning and advocacy to foster aging in place. "Elder-friendly communities" are places that actively involve, value, and support older adults, both active and frail, with infrastructure and services that effectively accommodate their changing needs. This paper presents an analysis of the literature and results of a Delphi study identifying the most important characteristics of an elder-friendly community: accessible and affordable transportation, housing, health care, safety, and community involvement opportunities. We also highlight innovative programs and identify how social workers can be instrumental in developing elder-friendly communities. PMID- 17804358 TI - Living on the margins: older homeless adults in Toronto. AB - A handful of scholars have acknowledged that, along side the traditional homeless, there are now older people who become homeless for the first time in old age. Few researchers, however, have systematically compared the recent older homeless with the chronic or traditional homeless. In the research presented here, we compare recent older homeless with long-term older homeless adults in Toronto according to their health and wealth, their housing history, and their use of health and social services. Findings indicate that people who become homeless for the first time at older ages have needs that are different from the lifetime elderly homeless and require different approaches to intervention. PMID- 17804359 TI - Housing disparities, caregiving, and their impact for older Puerto Ricans. AB - The needs of older persons in historically oppressed racial and ethnic populations remain "invisible" in the public arena (Wallace & Villa, 1999). Understanding the ethnocultural factors that shape their housing needs is essential to effective, equitable policy formation and program planning. This article examines the impact of housing disparities, health status, and cultural patterns of caregiving in relation to older Puerto Ricans on the U.S. mainland. Following a literature review of the socio-economic, living arrangement, and cultural profiles of older Puerto Ricans, policy recommendations to advance adequate housing options for this population are provided. The article concludes with a discussion of Section 202 housing policies and how they can be adapted to the current and emerging population of older Puerto Ricans. PMID- 17804360 TI - Challenges for grandparent housing programs. AB - The purpose of this article is to explore the current and developing grandparent caregiver housing programs throughout the United States. Telephone interviews were conducted with eight current and proposed sites for grandparent and/or relative caregivers throughout the United States. Housing design, funding sources, referral sources, service provided, and rules and regulations of the housing programs were discussed. Funding, education, and advocacy appeared crucial to helping these families provide safe homes for the children in their care. Recommendations are made for social workers and grandparent caregivers to lobby legislators for increases in funding for programs nationwide to ensure all grandparent families have safe, affordable and accessible housing. PMID- 17804361 TI - The application of the Olmstead decision on housing and eldercare. AB - This article reviews the Supreme Court's interpretation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and discusses its application for the frail older person. The parallels and differences between the societal ideas about, and the development of, community-based housing programs for younger populations of people with disabilities and for aging populations will be examined. This article explains how frail older people may be included in the ADA's definition of persons with disabilities. It then explains the Supreme Court's interpretation of discrimination in Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel Zimring (1999). Lastly, it examines the implications of the Olmstead decision for long-term care as it relates to housing for older people. PMID- 17804362 TI - Impact of the Olmstead decision five years later:a national perspective for social workers. AB - The Olmstead Decision of 1999 continues to have the potential to radically transform the long-term care system in the United States. This article will review the components of the decision and steps being taken by the federal and state governments to address its challenges and mandates. A number of key areas where social workers can play important roles will be described. PMID- 17804363 TI - The Olmstead decision and the journey toward integration:the evolution of social work responses. AB - The Olmstead decision declared unnecessary institutionalization as discrimination and triggered an expansion of community-based care for all people with disabilities including the elderly, thus accelerating integration. Setting a context for Olmstead and related social work interventions, this paper describes the evolution of definitions of disability and examines how social work has responded to the development of critical social policies aimed at increasing community integration. PMID- 17804364 TI - History, accomplishments, issues and prospects of supportive service programs in Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in new York State: lessons learned. AB - Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) provide unique settings for the delivery of a variety of supportive services to the elderly. New York State's experience with the development of supportive service programs within NORCs provides valuable information for community planners and practitioners in terms of factors that contribute to the evolution and shaping of supportive service programs and lessons learned from existing programs. PMID- 17804365 TI - Integrating services for older adults in housing settings. AB - This paper draws on the work of the Housing Plus Services committee of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (to which the authors belong), constituted in 2000. The Committee is comprised of a diverse group of practitioners, administrators, policy analysts, professors, and researchers who share a commitment to the integration of services in housing settings. Committee members present their work, including the typology and principles discussed in this paper, at national conferences (NLIHC, 2005) and contribute to publications on the web (Housing Plus Services Committee, 2005a) and in print (Cohen, Mulroy, Tull, White, & Crowley, 2004), in order to disseminate the work of the NLIHC in this area and engage in dialogue with service providers, housing developers, and policy makers. PMID- 17804366 TI - Anticipating relocation: concerns about moving among NORC residents. AB - Most older adults prefer to live at home as long as possible, requiring supports and services to help them age in place. This study examines the relocation concerns of a group of older adults in a suburban naturally-occurring retirement community (NORC). Twenty-six percent of the 324 residents interviewed expressed concern about having to move in the next few years. Residents who were worried differed from those who did not worry on a number of demographic and biopsychosocial characteristics. Overall, residents present a profile of vulnerability that calls for preemptive action to help them stay in their homes. A NORC is an ideal setting in which to provide supportive services. PMID- 17804367 TI - Introduction. PMID- 17804368 TI - Lesbian Studies after The Lesbian Postmodern: toward a new genealogy. AB - While Lesbian Studies is established as a commodity in the academic marketplace, its disciplinary contours are rather more obscure-and even more problematically, its disciplinary genealogy remains somewhat crude. The dominant genealogy of Lesbian Studies might best be characterized as a 'collision model,' a battle between politics and theory, even though much existing scholarship draws on both Lesbian-Feminist Theory and Queer Theory.1 This article proposes that the tools and methods of a sub-field called 'Lesbian Cultural History' might be useful in generating other historical accounts of the origins and evolution of Lesbian Studies. Such a project is vital because the writing of our disciplinary History clarifies how we envision a disciplinary future. PMID- 17804369 TI - A lesbian-feminist journey through queer nation. AB - This article is an auto-ethnographical review of the political experiences and literary career of one of the early lesbian feminist critics and theorists. It poses the question: what does it mean to be shaped by one theoretical and political discourse (Lesbian Feminism) and then thrust by historical change into another (Queer Theory)? With the author's life and work as a frame and exemplar, it illustrates the development of lesbian feminist thought. Ultimately, it argues that the insights and values of Lesbian Feminism should not be suppressed by those of Queer Theory, and calls upon lesbian feminists to re-insert themselves into current scholarly and theoretical debates. PMID- 17804370 TI - A seat at the table: some unpalatable thoughts on shame, envy and hate in institutional cultures. AB - The unmentioned emotions that ghost this article include hurt, rage, loneliness and melancholia. It addresses pervasive and pernicious emotional dynamics among lesbians who work within the career structure of third-level institutions. These dynamics are like the elephant in the sitting room--we've all been to some extent a party or witness to these scenarios and hence are all implicated in the psychic life of these dramas, but we don't describe or analyze these relationships or address their emotional impact. This article uses object-relations theory to better understand these dynamics in order that we may respond more reflectively, and hopefully ethically, to the damage they cause. PMID- 17804371 TI - Queer paradox/paradoxical queer: Anne Garreta's Pas un jour (2002). AB - This paper shows how Anne Garreta's Pas un jour (2002) is a decidedly queer text, in both the new and the old sense of that contested epithet. I examine three interrelated concerns central to Pas un jour. First, I analyze Garreta's mediation of desire in general: her own experiences of it; modalities thereof which subvert more 'normative' models of lesbianism; and her convergences with other gay, but male writers and theorists of desire such as Guy Hocquenghem, Gilles Deleuze and Michel Foucault. Second, I interrogate Garreta's dichotomy between desire and friendship, and adumbrate contrasts with Foucauldian theory. Finally, I scrutinize the meaning and value attributed to the particular body of desire with which Garreta is most commonly associated-homosexuality- and their links with those of a contemporary gay male writer, Dominique Fernandez. PMID- 17804372 TI - Being faithful: the ethics of homoaffection in Antonia Forest's Marlow novels. AB - This article examines the ethical force and function of same-sex relationships in a ten-volume sequence of English children's books, published between 1948 and 1982, by Antonia Forest (pseudonym for Patricia Rubinstein, 1915-2003). From the late 1940s onwards, Forest's fiction articulates what Adrienne Rich theorizes in her classic work of lesbian ethics, "Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying" (1975): the idea of same-sex bonds as the locus and standard of the ethical. Through the characters of the Marlow family (six sisters, two brothers) and their friends and enemies, Forest explores questions of honesty and self-deception, fidelity (both religious and personal) and betrayal, integrity and duality, performance and the boundaries of the self. Forest's exploration of these questions is persistently inflected by a resistance to heterosexuality and by a privileging of same-sex bonds, whether female or male. Forest's resistance to the pressures of conventional pieties and expected emotions, whether about love, friendship or the family, makes these books particularly important for lesbian readers. PMID- 17804373 TI - Fragmented identities, frustrated politics: transsexuals, lesbians and 'queer'. AB - This paper seeks to explore the complex position transsexualism has in relation to a range of personal identities and identity politics. In recent years there has been considerable debate over 'borderline identities' particularly between lesbians, transgenderists, and FTM and MTF transsexuals who transgress the identity category 'lesbian.'2 Stronger political affiliations between transsexuals, lesbians and feminists are argued for, and a greater recognition of the futility in attempting to demarcate the infinitely blurred ontological boundaries between 'sex,' gender and sexuality. Rather, we should focus on 'issue' based politics that challenge heterosexist and normative gender epistemologies and practices that restrict non-conformist subjectivities. PMID- 17804374 TI - Of hyacinths. AB - This essay comments on the state of publishing in the field of sexuality in the years since the publication of The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader (1993), which I co-edited with Henry Abelove and David M. Halperin. PMID- 17804375 TI - Feminist theorizing as 'transposed autobiography'. AB - This piece considers personal investments endemic in academic writing, more specifically, in Lesbian Studies. Taking Elizabeth Bowen's phrase, "transposed autobiography," as a starting-point, the author briefly discusses the development of lesbian/straight feminist debates, and continues to explore the relative absence of lesbianism in current feminist and queer theorizing. Three 'moments' serve to explain the casting aside of lesbian desire: the subsidence of lesbian/straight feminist debates, the prevalence of 'race'/ethnicity in critical theorizing and the emergence of post-theoretical trends of thought. PMID- 17804376 TI - Post-lesbian? Not yet. AB - Though some may encourage us to consider ourselves in a 'post-lesbian' era, political cultural and academic realities suggest something quite different. Analyzing specific cases in all three of these arenas can strengthen a resolve to insist on the preservation of both the term and concept embodied by 'lesbian.' Finally, this essay suggests several areas open for future investigation by scholars and activists alike. PMID- 17804377 TI - Through the looking glass. A '70s lesbian feminist considers queer theory. AB - Lesbian feminists who began their work in the 1970s probably share my mixed feelings about and attitudes towards Queer Theory: curiosity, envy, indignation and occasional agreement. The solar center of mostly male Queer Theory has young lesbian scholars orbiting around it. Gender used to share the stage with sexuality but now seems relegated to the wings. Like Marxists in the 1950s who remembered the heady days of the 1930s, we veteran lesbian feminists cannot help recalling the excitement and sense of possibility in Lesbian Studies twenty-five years ago. PMID- 17804378 TI - Rescuing lesbian camp. AB - This paper explores the limits of lesbian camp as it is currently conceived within Lesbian Studies. I argue, in what I hope is a rather circuitous way, that a reliance on repudiative models of identity formation fixes gender as complementary and sexuality as oppositional, irrespective of intention. In this context, I imagine instead what it would take to theorize femininity itself as camp, and femme subjects as ideal for working this through at the level of praxis. PMID- 17804379 TI - Refusing to make sense: mapping the in-coherences of 'trans'. AB - This article moves from the premise that 'lesbian' is a gendered embodiment marked and put in flux by century-long sexual politics and semiotics and asks how do we begin to map not only its own terrain but the incoherence generated by its intersections with transsexuality/transgender? The author suggests that it is precisely the power of Trans to not make sense that provides it with its most provocative power to disrupt and displace epistemological regimes and asks that we shift our attention from what we teach in Lesbian-Trans Studies to how we teach these studies. The article concludes by suggesting that it is in surprising our students with the failure to 'know' that we can reveal how knowledge is really a regime of received ideas, ideologies, prejudices and opinions, a way of not knowing that one does not know. PMID- 17804380 TI - Introduction. PMID- 17804381 TI - The relationship of lifetime polysubstance dependence to trauma exposure, symptomatology, and psychosocial functioning in incarcerated women with comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder. AB - There is a dearth of literature examining the relationship between trauma-related experiences, PTSD, and lifetime polysubstance dependence among incarcerated women. A sample of 69 treatment-seeking incarcerated women with current PTSD and comorbid substance use disorder (PTSD-SUD) were recruited from a northeastern state medium-security prison. Women with lifetime polysubstance dependence (PTSD SUD/LPD; n = 33) were compared to women with no lifetime polysubstance dependence (PTSD-SUD only; n = 36) across a range of features; trauma characteristics (e.g., number of traumas, type of trauma), associated symptoms (e.g., dissociation, anxiety), severity of substance use and psychosocial functioning. Women with PTSD and lifetime polysubstance dependence reported greater severity of drug and alcohol use, increased exposure to traumatic events (i.e., general disasters, crime-related events), and increased prevalence of PTSDrelated symptoms (i.e., derealization, survivor guilt). Trends also suggest that PTSD-SUD/LPD women are more likely to experience dissociation, anxiety, and sexual problems than PTSD SUD respondents. Treatment-related implications are discussed. PMID- 17804382 TI - Levels of trauma among women inmates with HIV risk and alcohol use disorders: behavioral and emotional impacts. AB - An increasing number of women are involved in the criminal justice system. Women in corrections are often of low socioeconomic status, medically underserved and exposed to a variety of traumatic events. Programs and services provided in correctional settings should be informed by the unique profiles and needs of these women. This study sought to identify distinct sub-groups (classes) of incarcerated women based on differences in their qualitative (types of trauma) and quantitative (number of) trauma experiences. Demographics, psychosocial and behavioral characteristics were measured in 149 women entering jail, who reported recent hazardous drinking and HIV sexual risk behavior. Two classes based on trauma exposure of women were identified through latent class analysis. The classes did not differ with respect to qualitative differences in trauma exposure (both classes reported all forms of trauma), but did differ with respect to quantitative differences (Class 2 reported more exposure to trauma in all categories than Class 1). The classes also differed significantly on current psychological functioning, alcohol treatment, problems, and consequences, drug histories, sexual risk, medical conditions, and social group characteristics. In all areas, members of Class 2 were significantly more likely to report higher levels of measured variables. Nearly all women in our sample reported levels of trauma exposure, suggesting a need for intervention and attention. Through identifying these separate classes, limited resources for trauma survivors in the correctional setting could be most appropriately allocated. PMID- 17804383 TI - Women domestic violence offenders: lessons of violence and survival. AB - This qualitative study examined female domestic violence offenders via structured interviews with 13 women referred for treatment in batterers' intervention programs in a major metropolitan area. The majority of women were victims of childhood abuse and/or witnessed violence between their parents. Most reported feeling cut-off from their mothers, left their childhood homes before the age of 18, and experienced violence at the hands of a prior partner. Women's motivations for current violence were primarily in self-defense or in retaliation for their partners' physical abuse, and secondarily in response to partner emotional abuse, control tactics, to get attention/be heard, or to express anger. A minority sought to control their partners. Differential treatment considerations and recommendations for women versus men batterers are included. PMID- 17804384 TI - Dissociation and memory for perpetration among convicted sex offenders. AB - Sex abusers' denial of their offenses poses serious problems for their victims, treatment providers, and researchers. Abusers deny their offenses for many reasons, including avoiding responsibility. It is possible that some abusers do not recall their offenses because of intoxication, head injury, or dissociative symptoms that affect their ability to encode or retrieve information. Self reports of dissociation during childhood victimization, during the perpetration of victimizing acts, and in everyday life were examined in a sample of 17 convicted sex offenders. Half of the participants reported some forgetting of instances when they had sexually abused another person. Forgetting perpetration was related to both dissociation at the time of the offense and dissociation in everyday life. Dissociating while the participants themselves were being physically or sexually abused as children was related to both dissociation during later perpetration and everyday dissociation as an adult. The results support continued research and clinical work to determine the frequency of dissociative symptoms and amnesia among sex abusers. PMID- 17804385 TI - Traumatized offenders: don't look now, but your jail's also your mental health center. AB - There are more than a million prison and jail inmates in the United States who have mental illness. As funding for State Hospitals has decreased, funding for needed community programs has often not kept pace. This has led to a population of homeless mentally ill, many of whom have co-occurring substance use disorders. Society's perhaps unconscious response has been to create 24 hour mental health units within prisons and jails. The authors contend that by doing so, we have 're criminalized' mental illness. The mentally ill prisoner is most often the victim of extreme family turmoil including physical and/or sexual abuse, parental substance dependence, and parental incarceration. Prisons and jails most often do not provide services for this highly traumatized population or recognize the need for such services. The authors report on problematic aspects of mental health care in prisons, and on several attempts to establish 'trauma-aware' care within the legal system. PMID- 17804386 TI - Developing and assessing effectiveness of a time-limited therapy group for incarcerated women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. AB - A thorough search of the literature has revealed little empirical research on the effects of trauma therapy with incarcerated women with histories of CSA. Psychotherapy, when available in a correctional setting, seems more related to resolving immediate crises that interfere with smooth management of the corrections environment rather than dealing with underlying problems such as CSA. The purpose of this preliminary investigation therefore was to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a time-limited, trauma-focused group intervention with a group of recently-incarcerated women volunteers who had experienced CSA. Five women completed the group plus pre- and post-test measures; a wait-list control group completed measures at the same intervals. Results were mixed in regard to the effectiveness of treatment: decreases were found in the mean Trauma Content (TC/R) scores of the Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM), but scores on the TSI and the SCL-90-R did not vary greatly. However, women in the control group showed consistent declines in scores during the wait-list period, suggesting the intervention may have helped newly incarcerated women adjust with less symptomatology. PMID- 17804387 TI - Through the bullet-proof glass: conducting research in prison settings. AB - A team of academic researchers, clinicians, prison administrators and undergraduate and graduate students came together to conduct an evaluation of a pre-release discharge planning program in a women's prison facility. This paper describes differences between academic and corrections systems, adaptations needed in order to work within the correctional system, pragmatic and ethical issues addressed by our team, and the joys and benefits we experienced doing the project. Team members who had not previously worked in a prison setting found it an extraordinary, transformative learning experience in spite of the challenges. PMID- 17804388 TI - Engagement of TLR3, TLR7, and NKG2D regulate IFN-gamma secretion but not NKG2D mediated cytotoxicity by human NK cells stimulated with suboptimal doses of IL 12. AB - NK cells express different TLRs, such as TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9, but little is known about their role in NK cell stimulation. In this study, we used specific agonists (poly(I:C), loxoribine, and synthetic oligonucleotides containing unmethylated CpG sequences to stimulate human NK cells without or with suboptimal doses of IL-12, IL-15, or IFN-alpha, and investigated the secretion of IFN-gamma, cytotoxicity, and expression of the activating receptor NKG2D. Poly(I:C) and loxoribine, in conjunction with IL-12, but not IL-15, triggered secretion of IFN gamma. Inhibition of IFN-gamma secretion by chloroquine suggested that internalization of the TLR agonists was necessary. Also, secretion of IFN-gamma was dependent on MEK1/ERK, p38 MAPK, p70(S6) kinase, and NF-kappaB, but not on calcineurin. IFN-alpha induced a similar effect, but promoted lesser IFN-gamma secretion. However, cytotoxicity (51Cr release assays) against MHC class I-chain related A (MICA)- and MICA+ tumor targets remained unchanged, as well as the expression of the NKG2D receptor. Excitingly, IFN-gamma secretion was significantly increased when NK cells were stimulated with poly(I:C) or loxoribine and IL-12, and NKG2D engagement was induced by coculture with MICA+ tumor cells in a PI3K-dependent manner. We conclude that resting NK cells secrete high levels of IFN-gamma in response to agonists of TLR3 or TLR7 and IL-12, and this effect can be further enhanced by costimulation through NKG2D. Hence, integration of the signaling cascades that involve TLR3, TLR7, IL-12, and NKG2D emerges as a critical step to promote IFN-gamma-dependent NK cell-mediated effector functions, which could be a strategy to promote Th1-biased immune responses in pathological situations such as cancer. PMID- 17804389 TI - Consumer engagement: whose responsibility is it? PMID- 17804390 TI - The role for leaders of health care organizations in patient safety. AB - We review what leaders of health care systems, including chief executive officers and board members, need to know to have "patient safety literacy" and do to make their systems safe. High reliability organizations produce reliable results that are not dependent on providers being perfect. Their characteristics include the commitment of leadership to safety as a system responsibility, with a culture of safety that decreases variability with standardized care and does not condone "at risk behavior." A business case can be made for investing resources into systems that produce good outcomes reliably. Leaders must see patient safety problems as problems with their system, not with their employees. Leaders need to give providers information to make and monitor system progress. All medical errors, including near misses, and processes associated with all adverse events may provide information for system improvement. Improving systems should produce better long-term results than educating workers to be more careful. PMID- 17804391 TI - Incomplete EHR adoption: late uptake of patient safety and cost control functions. AB - Many functions important to realizing the full potential from electronic health records (EHRs) may not be selected by all physicians using EHRs in the ambulatory setting. This article examines the extent to which EHR systems used by Florida physicians include functionalities that the Institute of Medicine has designated as being critical for optimal performance. Results indicate that EHR systems used by recent adopters, when compared with early adopters, appear to be missing key patient safety and cost control functions. Overall, many physicians are only partially adopting EHR technologies, suggesting that published adoption rates may be exaggerating the true rate of diffusion. PMID- 17804392 TI - Quality of clinical documentation and anticoagulation control in patients with chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in routine medical care. AB - OBJECTIVE: Anticoagulation quality and record documentation were retrospectively assessed in patients with chronic nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (CNVAF) managed in a routine care setting. METHODS: Medical record data extraction from physician practices in 4 regions of the United States. RESULTS: Of 686 patients, 59% had an electrocardiogram confirming CNVAF, 84% listed at least 1 stroke risk factor, and 60% indicated the goal target international normalized ratio (INR). Two thirds of INRs>3.0 or <2.0 had no recorded dose change, nor did 45% of INRs>5.0. Vitamin K was given (3%) or anticoagulation was temporarily discontinued (9%) for INRs>5.0. The median interval of INR testing was 21 days, which decreased to 7 days for INRs> 4.60. Patients spent 58% of the time in therapeutic range. CONCLUSION: Serious deficiencies in quality and documentation of routine medical care of anticoagulation for patients with CNVAF continue to exist. PMID- 17804393 TI - Factors contributing to maternal birth-related trauma. AB - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Quality Indicator tools were used to identify risk factors for maternal birth-related trauma rates in the 2003 Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the 2002-2004 Iowa State Inpatient Database. Risk adjusted analyses of these datasets isolated salient risk factors for maternal trauma. The rates of Iowa's risk factors for the most serious types of trauma- third/fourth-degree lacerations--were compared with national rates. The comparisons suggest that episiotomy, artificial rupture of membranes, obstructed labor, and late pregnancies are the most salient risk factors for third/fourth degree lacerations within Iowa. Thus, this research suggested that a combination of maternal, baby, and episiotomy factors contributed to the high prevalence of third/fourth-degree lacerations in vaginal deliveries in Iowa. Finally, our risk adjustment methodology could be used in a similar manner to analyze other discharge datasets for opportunities to improve maternal outcomes. PMID- 17804394 TI - Quality indicators in the Department of Veterans Affairs nursing home care units: a preliminary assessment. AB - The authors analyzed the minimum data set quality indicators data aggregated nationally from 134 Department of Veterans Affairs nursing home care units with more than 15,000 long-stay residents (>90 days) yearly for federal fiscal years 2003, 2004, and 2005. Despite an increase in the severity of illness and complexity of services as determined by the minimum data set case-mix indices, most of the minimum data set quality indicators showed an improvement (rate decrease) from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2005, whether examined on a year to-year basis or by an overall 3-year trend. Nationally, there was a 5.1% increase in average case-mix index, while 14 of 24 quality indicators showed a decrease in the prevalence/ incidence rates and only 4 quality indicators showed increased rates. These minimum data set results provide important information for Veterans Affairs quality managers regarding areas of achievement and also identify areas to be targeted for future quality improvement. PMID- 17804395 TI - Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies: practice-based learning and systems-based practice. PMID- 17804396 TI - Binding specificities of the GYF domains from two Saccharomyces cerevisiae paralogs. AB - We have used multivariate statistics and z-scales to represent peptide sequences in a PLS-QSAR model of previously studied binding affinities [Kofler,M., Motzny,K. and Freund,C. (2005b) Mol. Cell. Proteomics, 4, 1797-1811.] of two GYF domains to an array of immobilized synthetic peptides. As a result, we established structural determinants of the binding specificities of the two proteins. Our model was used to define new sets of yeast proteins potentially interacting with Syh1 (YPL105C) and Smy2 (YBR172C). These sets were subsequently examined for co-occurrence of Gene Ontology terms, leading to suggest a group of likely interacting proteins with a common function in mRNA catabolism. Finally, subcellular localization of a GFP-fused Syh1 and Smy2 reinforced the possibility that these proteins reside in cytoplasmic sites of mRNA degradation, thereby providing experimental confirmation to the predictions from the model. PMID- 17804397 TI - Metastatic esophageal tumor from cecal carcinoma. AB - A 55-year-old man developed progressive dysphagia 14 months after palliative colectomy and subsequent systemic chemotherapy for advanced cecal cancer with carcinomatosis peritonei. Radiologic and endoscopic examinations suggested a submucosal tumor in the lower esophagus causing a severe luminal stricture. A self-expanding metal stent was placed for palliation. The prosthesis was effective for several months, but ingrowth of the tumor caused re-stricture of the esophagus. Since his general condition was quite good without any evidence of recurrence of the cecal cancer, we performed bypass surgery for palliation. The pathological appearance of the tumor was compatible with the metastasis of cecal cancer. Our case suggests that a surgical approach can be considered as a therapeutic method for metastatic esophageal tumor, even in patients with advanced cancer, as long as the primary tumor is satisfactorily controlled. PMID- 17804398 TI - Letter to the editor: "Are voltage-dependent ion channels involved in the endothelial cell control of vasomotor tone?". PMID- 17804400 TI - How to diagnose diastolic heart failure: a consensus statement on the diagnosis of heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction by the Heart Failure and Echocardiography Associations of the European Society of Cardiology. PMID- 17804401 TI - Giant left atrium. PMID- 17804402 TI - Crystal structures of four types of human papillomavirus L1 capsid proteins: understanding the specificity of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. AB - Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are known etiologic agents of cervical cancer. Vaccines that contain virus-like particles (VLPs) made of L1 capsid protein from several high risk HPV types have proven to be effective against HPV infections. Raising high levels of neutralizing antibodies against each HPV type is believed to be the primary mechanism of protection, gained by vaccination. Antibodies elicited by a particular HPV type are highly specific to that particular HPV type and show little or no cross-reactivity between HPV types. With an intention to understand the interplay between the L1 structure of different HPV types and the type specificity of neutralizing antibodies, we have prepared the L1 pentamers of four different HPV types, HPV11, HPV16, HPV18, and HPV35. The pentamers only bind the type-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (NmAbs) that are raised against the VLP of the corresponding HPV type, implying that the surface loop structures of the pentamers from each type are distinctive and functionally active as VLPs in terms of antibody binding. We have determined the crystal structures of all four L1 pentamers, and their comparisons revealed characteristic conformational differences of the surface loops that contain the known epitopes for the NmAbs. On the basis of these distinct surface loop structures, we have provided a molecular explanation for the type specificity of NmAbs against HPV infection. PMID- 17804403 TI - The role of self-association in Fin1 function on the mitotic spindle. AB - Stabilization of spindle microtubules during anaphase is essential for proper chromosome segregation. Fin1 is a budding yeast protein that localizes to the poles and microtubules of the spindle during anaphase and contributes to spindle stability. The N-terminal half of Fin1 is phosphorylated at multiple sites by the cyclin-dependent kinase Clb5-Cdk1, and dephosphorylation in anaphase triggers its localization to the spindle. The C-terminal half of Fin1 contains coiled-coil motifs that are required for its self-association. Here we investigated the functional importance of the two regions of Fin1. Fin1 mutants lacking the C terminal coiled-coil domains localized to spindle pole bodies but not along spindle microtubules. These mutants failed to self-associate and displayed reduced binding to microtubules in vitro but were functional in vivo and stabilized anaphase spindles when dephosphorylated. Deletion of the Fin1 C terminus suppressed the lethal phenotypes of the phospho-mutant Fin15A. Our findings suggest that the N-terminal region of Fin1 is sufficient for its regulated function as a spindle-stabilizing factor and that this function involves association with the spindle pole body. The ability of the C-terminal region to promote Fin1 self-association and microtubule binding may underlie the lethal effects of the deregulated Fin15A mutant. PMID- 17804404 TI - The Sonic hedgehog pathway mediates carbamylated erythropoietin-enhanced proliferation and differentiation of adult neural progenitor cells. AB - Carbamylated erythropoietin (CEPO), a well characterized erythropoietin (EPO) derivative, does not bind to the classical EPO receptor and does not stimulate erythropoiesis. Using neural progenitor cells derived from the subventricular zone of the adult mouse, we investigated the effect of CEPO on neurogenesis and the associated signaling pathways in vitro. We found that CEPO significantly increased neural progenitor cell proliferation and promoted neural progenitor cell differentiation into neurons, which was associated with up-regulation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), its receptor ptc, and mammalian achaete-scute homolog 1 (Mash1), a pro-neuron basic helix-loop-helix protein transcription factor. Blockage of the Shh signaling pathway with a pharmacological inhibitor, cyclopamine, abolished the CEPO-induced neurogenesis. Attenuation of endogenous Mash1 expression by short-interfering RNA blocked CEPO-promoted neuronal differentiation. In addition, recombinant mouse Shh up-regulated Mash1 expression in neural progenitor cells. These results demonstrate that the Shh signaling pathway mediates CEPO-enhanced neurogenesis and Mash1 is a downstream target of the Shh signaling pathway that regulates CEPO-enhanced neuronal differentiation. PMID- 17804405 TI - Molecular identification of mammalian phosphopentomutase and glucose-1,6 bisphosphate synthase, two members of the alpha-D-phosphohexomutase family. AB - The molecular identity of mammalian phosphopentomutase has not yet been established unequivocally. That of glucose-1,6-bisphosphate synthase, the enzyme that synthesizes a cofactor for phosphomutases and putative regulator of glycolysis, is completely unknown. In the present work, we have purified phosphopentomutase from human erythrocytes and found it to copurify with a 68-kDa polypeptide that was identified by mass spectrometry as phosphoglucomutase 2 (PGM2), a protein of the alpha-d-phosphohexomutase family and sharing about 20% identity with mammalian phosphoglucomutase 1. Data base searches indicated that vertebrate genomes contained, in addition to PGM2, a homologue (PGM2L1, for PGM2 like 1) sharing about 60% sequence identity with this protein. Both PGM2 and PGM2L1 were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and their properties were studied. Using catalytic efficiency as a criterion, PGM2 acted more than 10 fold better as a phosphopentomutase (both on deoxyribose 1-phosphate and on ribose 1-phosphate) than as a phosphoglucomutase. PGM2L1 showed only low (<5%) phosphopentomutase and phosphoglucomutase activities compared with PGM2, but was about 5-20-fold better than the latter enzyme in catalyzing the 1,3 bisphosphoglycerate-dependent synthesis of glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and other aldose-bisphosphates. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that PGM2L1 was mainly expressed in brain where glucose-1,6-bisphosphate synthase activity was previously shown to be particularly high. We conclude that mammalian phosphopentomutase and glucose-1,6-bisphosphate synthase correspond to two closely related proteins, PGM2 and PGM2L1, encoded by two genes that separated early in vertebrate evolution. PMID- 17804406 TI - Calmodulin binds and stabilizes the regulatory enzyme, CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase. AB - CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCTalpha) is a proteolytically sensitive enzyme essential for production of phosphatidylcholine, the major phospholipid of animal cell membranes. The molecular signals that govern CCTalpha protein stability are unknown. An NH(2)-terminal PEST sequence within CCTalpha did not serve as a degradation signal for the proteinase, calpain. Calmodulin (CaM) stabilized CCTalpha from calpain proteolysis. Adenoviral gene transfer of CaM in cells protected CCTalpha, whereas CaM small interfering RNA accentuated CCTalpha degradation by calpains. CaM bound CCTalpha as revealed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and two-hybrid analysis. Mapping and site-directed mutagenesis of CCTalpha uncovered a motif (LQERVDKVK) harboring a vital recognition site, Gln(243), whereby CaM directly binds to the enzyme. Mutagenesis of CCTalpha Gln(243) not only resulted in loss of CaM binding but also led to complete calpain resistance in vitro and in vivo. Thus, calpains and CaM both access CCTalpha using a structurally similar molecular signature that profoundly affects CCTalpha levels. These data suggest that CaM, by antagonizing calpain, serves as a novel binding partner for CCTalpha that stabilizes the enzyme under proinflammatory stress. PMID- 17804407 TI - Retinoschisin (RS1), the protein encoded by the X-linked retinoschisis gene, is anchored to the surface of retinal photoreceptor and bipolar cells through its interactions with a Na/K ATPase-SARM1 complex. AB - Retinoschisin or RS1 is a discoidin domain-containing protein encoded by the gene responsible for X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), an early onset macular degeneration characterized by a splitting of the retina. Retinoschisin, expressed and secreted from photoreceptors and bipolar cells as a homo-octameric complex, associates with the surface of these cells where it serves to maintain the cellular organization of the retina and the photoreceptor-bipolar synaptic structure. To gain insight into the role of retinoschisin in retinal cell adhesion and the pathogenesis of XLRS, we have investigated membrane components in retinal extracts that interact with retinoschisin. Unlike the discoidin domain containing blood coagulation proteins Factor V and Factor VIII, retinoschisin did not bind to phospholipids or retinal lipids reconstituted into unilamellar vesicles or immobilized on microtiter plates. Instead, co-immunoprecipitation studies together with mass spectrometric-based proteomics and Western blotting showed that retinoschisin is associated with a complex consisting of Na/K ATPase (alpha3, beta2 isoforms) and the sterile alpha and TIR motif-containing protein SARM1. Double labeling studies for immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed the co localization of retinoschisin with Na/K ATPase and SARM1 in photoreceptors and bipolar cells of retina tissue. We conclude that retinoschisin binds to Na/K ATPase on photoreceptor and bipolar cells. This interaction may be part of a novel SARM1-mediated cell signaling pathway required for the maintenance of retinal cell organization and photoreceptor-bipolar synaptic structure. PMID- 17804408 TI - Expression and regulation of the osteoarthritis-associated protein asporin. AB - Asporin (ASPN) is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan that is involved in pathological processes of osteoarthritis. Previously, we showed that asporin can inhibit transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1)-mediated expression of cartilage matrix genes and chondrogenesis in vitro (Kizawa, H., Kou, I., Iida, A., Sudo, A., Miyamoto, Y., Fukuda, A., Mabuchi, A., Kotani, A., Kawakami, A., Yamamoto, S., Uchida, A., Nakamura, K., Notoya, K., Nakamura, Y., and Ikegawa, S. (2005) Nat. Genet. 37, 138-144). However, details about regulation of asporin itself are not yet known. Here, we examined ASPN expression in skeletal tissue and potential regulation of ASPN by TGF-beta. In situ hybridization revealed the presence of ASPN mRNA in the perichondrium/periosteum of long bones, but its absence in articular cartilage and growth plates. Immunohistochemical analysis also showed ASPN protein expression predominantly in the perichondrium/periosteum. TGF-beta1 induced endogenous ASPN mRNA expression over time in vitro, and this induction was suppressed by the TGF-beta type I receptor kinase inhibitor SB431542. Inhibition of Smad3 significantly reduced TGF-beta1 induced ASPN expression, whereas overexpression of Smad3 augmented the induction. Characterization of the human ASPN promoter region revealed a region from -126 to -82 that is sufficient for full promoter activity; however, TGF-beta1 failed to increase activity through the ASPN promoter. Our findings indicate that TGF-beta1 induces ASPN through Smad3 but that this induction is indirect. PMID- 17804409 TI - Dynamic receptor-dependent activation of inducible nitric-oxide synthase by ERK mediated phosphorylation of Ser745. AB - Nitric oxide (NO) is a pleiotropic regulator of vascular function, and its overproduction by inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) in inflammatory conditions plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. iNOS activity is thought to be regulated primarily at the level of expression to generate "high output" NO compared with constitutive NO synthases. Here we show iNOS activity is acutely up-regulated by activation of the B1-kinin receptor (B1R) in human endothelial cells or transfected HEK293 cells to generate 2.5-5 fold higher NO than that stimulated by Arg alone. Increased iNOS activity was dependent on B1R activation of the MAPK ERK. In HEK293 cells transfected with human iNOS and B1R, ERK phosphorylated iNOS on Ser745 as determined by Western analysis using phospho-Ser antibody, in vitro kinase assays with activated ERK, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Mutation of Ser745 to Ala did not affect basal iNOS activity but eliminated iNOS phosphorylation and activation in response to B1R agonist. Mutation of Ser745 to Asp resulted in a basally hyperactive iNOS whose activity was not further increased by B1R agonist. ERK and phospho-ERK (after B1R activation) were co-localized with iNOS as determined by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, ERK co-immunoprecipitated with iNOS. The discovery that iNOS can be phosphorylated by ERK and acutely activated by receptor-mediated signaling reveals a new level of regulation for this isoform. These findings provide a novel therapeutic target to explore in the treatment of vascular inflammatory diseases. PMID- 17804410 TI - Functional gene screening system identified TRPV4 as a regulator of chondrogenic differentiation. AB - Sox9 is a transcription factor that is essential for chondrocyte differentiation and chondrocyte-specific gene expression. However, the precise mechanism of Sox9 activation during chondrogenesis is not fully understood. To investigate this mechanism, we performed functional gene screening to identify genes that activate SOX9-dependent transcription, using full-length cDNA libraries generated from a murine chondrogenic cell line, ATDC5. Screening revealed that TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4), a cation channel molecule, significantly elevates SOX9-dependent reporter activity. Microarray and quantitative real time PCR analyses demonstrated that during chondrogenesis in ATDC5 and C3H10T1/2 (a murine mesenchymal stem cell line), the expression pattern of TRPV4 was similar to the expression patterns of chondrogenic marker genes, such as type II collagen and aggrecan. Activation of TRPV4 by a pharmacological activator induced SOX9 dependent reporter activity, and this effect was abolished by the addition of the TRPV antagonist ruthenium red or by using a small interfering RNA for TRPV4. The SOX9-dependent reporter activity due to TRPV4 activation was abrogated by both EGTA and a calmodulin inhibitor, suggesting that the Ca2+/calmodulin signal is essential in this process. Furthermore, activation of TRPV4 in concert with insulin activity in ATDC5 cells or in concert with bone morphogenetic protein-2 in C3H10T1/2 cells promoted synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycan, but activation of TRPV4 had no effect alone. We showed that activation of TRPV4 increased the steady-state levels of SOX9 mRNA and protein and SOX6 mRNA. Taken together, our results suggest that TRPV4 regulates the SOX9 pathway and contributes to the process of chondrogenesis. PMID- 17804411 TI - Survival in the presence of antifungals: genome-wide expression profiling of Aspergillus niger in response to sublethal concentrations of caspofungin and fenpropimorph. AB - How yeast cells respond to cell wall stress is relatively well understood; however, how filamentous fungi cope with cell wall damage is largely unexplored. Here we report the first transcriptome analysis of Aspergillus niger exposed to the antifungal compounds caspofungin, an inhibitor of beta-1,3-glucan synthesis, and fenpropimorph, which inhibits ergosterol synthesis. The presence of sublethal drug concentrations allowed A. niger to adapt to the stress conditions and to continue growth by the establishment of new polarity axes and formation of new germ tubes. By comparing the expression profile between caspofungin-exposed and nonexposed A. niger germlings, we identified a total of 172 responsive genes out of 14,509 open reading frames present on the Affymetrix microarray chips. Among 165 up-regulated genes, mainly genes predicted to function in (i) cell wall assembly and remodeling, (ii) cytoskeletal organization, (iii) signaling, and (iv) oxidative stress response were affected. Fenpropimorph modulated expression of 43 genes, of which 41 showed enhanced expression. Here, genes predicted to function in (i) membrane reconstruction, (ii) lipid signaling, (iii) cell wall remodeling, and (iv) oxidative stress response were identified. Northern analyses of selected genes were used to confirm the microarray analyses. The results further show that expression of the agsA gene encoding an alpha-1,3-glucan synthase is up-regulated by both compounds. Using two PagsA-GFP reporter strains of A. niger and subjecting them to 16 different antifungal compounds, including caspofungin and fenpropimorph, we could show that agsA is specifically activated by compounds interfering directly or indirectly with cell wall biosynthesis. PMID- 17804412 TI - Three binding sites for stalk protein dimers are generally present in ribosomes from archaeal organism. AB - Ribosomes have a characteristic protuberance termed the stalk, which is indispensable for ribosomal function. The ribosomal stalk has long been believed to be a pentameric protein complex composed of two sets of protein dimers, L12 L12, bound to a single anchor protein, although ribosomes carrying three L12 dimers were recently discovered in a few thermophilic bacteria. Here we have characterized the stalk complex from Pyrococcus horikoshii, a thermophilic species of Archaea. This complex is known to be composed of proteins homologous to eukaryotic counterparts rather than bacterial ones. In truncation experiments of the C-terminal regions of the anchor protein Ph-P0, we surprisingly observed three Ph-L12 dimers bound to the C-terminal half of Ph-P0, and the binding site for the third dimer was unique to the archaeal homologs. The stoichiometry of the heptameric complex Ph-P0(Ph-L12)(2)(Ph-L12)(2)(Ph-L12)(2) was confirmed by mass spectrometry of the intact complex. In functional tests, ribosomes carrying a single Ph-L12 dimer had significant activity, but the addition of the second and third dimers increased the activity. A bioinformatics analysis revealed the evidence that ribosomes from all archaeal and also from many bacterial organisms may contain a heptameric complex at the stalk, whereas eukaryotic ribosomes seem to contain exclusively a pentameric stalk complex, thus modifying our view of the stalk structure significantly. PMID- 17804413 TI - A novel allosteric pathway of thrombin inhibition: Exosite II mediated potent inhibition of thrombin by chemo-enzymatic, sulfated dehydropolymers of 4 hydroxycinnamic acids. AB - Thrombin and factor Xa, two important pro-coagulant proteinases, can be regulated through direct and indirect inhibition mechanisms. Recently, we designed sulfated dehydropolymers (DHPs) of 4-hydroxycinnamic acids that displayed interesting anticoagulant properties (Monien, B. H., Henry, B. L., Raghuraman, A., Hindle, M., and Desai, U. R. (2006) Bioorg. Med. Chem. 14, 7988-7998). To better understand their mechanism of action, we studied the direct inhibition of thrombin, factor Xa, factor IXa, and factor VIIa by CDSO3, FDSO3, and SDSO3, three analogs of sulfated DHPs. All three sulfated DHPs displayed a 2-3-fold preference for direct inhibition of thrombin over factor Xa, whereas this preference for inhibiting thrombin over factor IXa and factor VIIa increased to 17-300-fold, suggesting a high level of selectivity. Competitive binding studies with a thrombin-specific chromogenic substrate, a fluorescein-labeled hirudin peptide, bovine heparin, enoxaparin, and a heparin octasaccharide suggest that CDSO3 preferentially binds in or near anion-binding exosite II of thrombin. Studies of the hydrolysis of H-D-hexahydrotyrosol-Ala-Arg-p-nitroanilide indicate that CDSO3 inhibits thrombin through allosteric disruption of the catalytic apparatus, specifically through the catalytic step. Overall, designed sulfated DHPs appear to be the first molecules that bind primarily in the region defined by exosite II and allosterically induce thrombin inhibition. The molecules are radically different in structure from all the current clinically used anticoagulants and thus represent a novel class of potent dual thrombin and factor Xa inhibitors. PMID- 17804414 TI - A novel tyrosine phosphorylation site in protein kinase D contributes to oxidative stress-mediated activation. AB - Protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is a mediator of oxidative stress signaling where it regulates cellular detoxification and survival. Critical for the regulation of PKD1 activity in response to oxidative stress are Src- and Abl-mediated tyrosine phosphorylations that eventually lead to protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta) mediated activation of PKD1. Here we identify Tyr95 in PKD1 as a previously undescribed phosphorylation site that is regulated by oxidative stress. Our data suggest that PKD1 phosphorylation at Tyr95 generates a binding motif for PKCdelta, and that oxidative stress-mediated PKCdelta/PKD interaction results in PKD1 activation loop phosphorylation and activation. We further analyzed all PKD isoforms for this mechanism and show that PKD enzymes PKD1 and PKD2 are targets for PKCdelta in response to oxidative stress, and that PKD3 is not a target because it lacks the relevant tyrosine residue that generates a PKCdelta interaction motif. PMID- 17804415 TI - Stress-induced c-Jun activation mediated by Polo-like kinase 3 in corneal epithelial cells. AB - Polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3) activation occurs after exposure to environmental or genotoxic stresses. Plk3 regulates cell fate through regulating cell cycle progression. UV irradiation is one of the major environmental stresses that affect corneal epithelial wound healing. In the present study, we report that UV irradiation activated Plk3 and that Plk3 interacts with AP-1 and c-Jun, which appears to be important to mediate corneal epithelial cell apoptosis after UV irradiation. Recombinant Plk3, as well as Plk3 immunoprecipitated from UV irradiated cells, phosphorylated c-Jun in vitro. The phosphorylation of c-Jun by Plk3 immunoprecipitates was not altered by the pre-removal of JNK from the cell lysates. In addition, the effect of UV irradiation-induced phosphorylation of c Jun and apoptosis were not significantly affected by knockdown of JNK mRNA. Co immunoprecipitation reveals that Plk3 and c-Jun directly interacted with each other. Consistently, Plk3 co-localized with c-Jun to the nucleus after UV irradiation. Further, modulating Plk3 activities by overexpressing Plk3 or its mutants significantly affected UV irradiation-induced c-Jun activity and subsequent apoptosis. Our results thus provide for the first time that Plk3 mediates UV irradiation-induced c-Jun activation by phosphorylating c-Jun, suggesting that Plk3 plays an important role in mediating programmed cell death of corneal epithelial cells after UV irradiation. PMID- 17804416 TI - Cadmium trapping in an epithelial sodium channel pore mutant. AB - The putative selectivity filter of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) comprises a three-residue sequence G/SXS, but it remains uncertain whether the backbone atoms of this sequence or whether their side chains are lining the pore. It has been reported that the S589C mutation in the selectivity filter of alphaENaC renders the channel sensitive to block by externally applied Cd2+; this was interpreted as evidence for Cd2+ coordination with the thiol group of the side chain of alpha589C, pointing toward the pore lumen. Because the alphaS589C mutation alters the monovalent to divalent cation selectivity ratio of ENaC and because internally applied Cd2+ blocks wild-type ENaC with high affinity, we hypothesized that the inhibition of alphaS589C ENaC by Cd2+ results rather from the coordination of this cation with native cysteine residues located in the internal pore of ENaC. We show here that Cd2+ inhibits not only ENaC alphaS589C and alphaS589D but also alphaS589N mutants and that Ca2+ weakly interacts with the S589D mutant. The block of alphaS589C, -D, and -N mutants is characterized by a slow on-rate, is nearly irreversible, is voltage-dependent, and can be prevented by amiloride. The C546S mutation in the second transmembrane helix of gamma subunit in the background of the ENaC alphaS589C, -D, or -N mutants reduces the sensitivity to block by Cd2+ and renders the block rapidly reversible. We conclude therefore that the block by Cd2+ of the alphaS589C, -D, and -N mutants results from the trapping of Cd2+ ions in the internal pore of the channel and involves Cys-546 in the second transmembrane helix of the gammaENaC subunit. PMID- 17804417 TI - Structural insight into the interaction between platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3 and cytoskeletal protein skelemin. AB - Skelemin is a large cytoskeletal protein critical for cell morphology. Previous studies have suggested that its two-tandem immunoglobulin C2-like repeats (SkIgC4 and SkIgC5) are involved in binding to integrin beta3 cytoplasmic tail (CT), providing a mechanism for skelemin to regulate integrin-mediated signaling and cell spreading. Using NMR spectroscopy, we have studied the molecular details of the skelemin IgC45 interaction with the cytoplasmic face of integrin alphaIIbbeta3. Here, we show that skelemin IgC45 domains form a complex not only with integrin beta3 CT but also, surprisingly, with the integrin alphaIIb CT. Chemical shift mapping experiments demonstrate that both membrane-proximal regions of alphaIIb and beta3 CTs are involved in binding to skelemin. NMR structural determinations, combined with homology modeling, revealed that SkIgC4 and SkIgC5 both exhibited a conserved Ig-fold and both repeats were required for effective binding to and attenuation of alphaIIbbeta3 cytoplasmic complex. These data provide the first molecular insight into how skelemin may interact with integrins and regulate integrin-mediated signaling and cell spreading. PMID- 17804418 TI - The role of inositol acylation and inositol deacylation in the Toxoplasma gondii glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthetic pathway. AB - Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasitic protozoan that invades nucleated cells in a process thought to be in part due to several surface glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins, like the major surface antigen SAG1 (P30), which dominates the plasma membrane. The serine protease inhibitors phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluoride were found to have a profound effect on the T. gondii GPI biosynthetic pathway, leading to the observation and characterization of novel inositol-acylated mannosylated GPI intermediates. This inositol acylation is acyl-CoA-dependent and takes place before mannosylation, but uniquely for this class of inositol-acyltransferase, it is inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The subsequent inositol deacylation of fully mannosylated GPI intermediates is inhibited by both phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluoride. The use of these serine protease inhibitors allows observations as to the timing of inositol acylation and subsequent inositol deacylation of the GPI intermediates. Inositol acylation of the non-mannosylated GPI intermediate D-GlcNalpha1-6-D-myo-inositol-1-HPO4-sn lipid precedes mannosylation. Inositol deacylation of the fully mannosylated GPI intermediate allows further processing, i.e. addition of GalNAc side chain to the first mannose. Characterization of the phosphatidylinositol moieties present on both free GPIs and GPI-anchored proteins shows the presence of a diacylglycerol lipid, whose sn-2 position contains almost exclusively an C18:1 acyl chain. The data presented here identify key novel inositol-acylated mannosylated intermediates, allowing the formulation of an updated T. gondii GPI biosynthetic pathway along with identification of the putative genes involved. PMID- 17804419 TI - Crystal structure of the oxygenase component (HpaB) of the 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-monooxygenase from Thermus thermophilus HB8. AB - The 4-hydroxyphenylacetate (4HPA) 3-monooxygenase is involved in the initial step of the 4HPA degradation pathway and catalyzes 4HPA hydroxylation to 3,4 dihydroxyphenylacetate. This enzyme consists of two components, an oxygenase (HpaB) and a reductase (HpaC). To understand the structural basis of the catalytic mechanism of HpaB, crystal structures of HpaB from Thermus thermophilus HB8 were determined in three states: a ligand-free form, a binary complex with FAD, and a ternary complex with FAD and 4HPA. Structural analysis revealed that the binding and dissociation of flavin are accompanied by conformational changes of the loop between beta5 and beta6 and of the loop between beta8 and beta9, leading to preformation of part of the substrate-binding site (Ser-197 and Thr 198). The latter loop further changes its conformation upon binding of 4HPA and obstructs the active site from the bulk solvent. Arg-100 is located adjacent to the putative oxygen-binding site and may be involved in the formation and stabilization of the C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate. PMID- 17804420 TI - The involvement of Abl and PTP61F in the regulation of Abi protein localization and stability and lamella formation in Drosophila S2 cells. AB - Most aspects of cellular events are regulated by a series of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation processes. Abi (Abl interactor protein) functions as a substrate adaptor protein for Abl and a core member of the WAVE complex, relaying signals from Rac to Arp2/3 complex and regulating actin dynamics. It is known that the recruitment of Abi into the lamella promotes polymerization of actin, although how it does this is unclear. In this study, we found PTP61F, a Drosophila homolog of mammalian PTP1B, can reverse the Abl phosphorylation of Abi and colocalizes with Abi in Drosophila S2 cells. Abi can be translocalized from the cytosol to the cell membrane by either increasing Abl or reducing endogenous PTP61F. This reciprocal regulation of Abi phosphorylation is also involved in modulating Abi protein level, which is thought to affect the stability of the WAVE complex. Using mass spectrometry, we identified several important tyrosine phosphorylation sites in Abi. We compared the translocalization and protein half-life of wild type (wt) and phosphomutant Abi and their abilities to restore the lamellipodia structure of the Abi-reduced cells. We found the phosphomutant to have reduced ability to translocalize and to have a protein half-life shorter than that of wt Abi. We also found that although the wt Abi could fully restore the lamellipodia structure, the phosphomutant could not. Together, these findings suggest that the reciprocal regulation of Abi phosphorylation by Abl and PTP61F may regulate the localization and stability of Abi and may regulate the formation of lamella. PMID- 17804421 TI - MLH1- and ATM-dependent MAPK signaling is activated through c-Abl in response to the alkylator N-methyl-N'-nitro-N'-nitrosoguanidine. AB - N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N'-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) is a DNA-methylating agent, and deficiency in mismatch repair (MMR) results in lack of sensitivity to this genotoxin (termed alkylation tolerance). A number of DNA damage response pathways are activated in a MMR-dependent manner following MNNG, and several also require ATM kinase activity. Here we show that activation of the transcription factor c Jun is dependent upon both the MMR component MLH1 and ATM, but not ATR, in response to MNNG. In addition to c-Jun, the upstream MAPKs JNK and MKK4 are also activated in a MLH1- and ATM-dependent manner. We document that c-Jun activation is dependent on the MAPK kinase kinase MEKK1. Additionally, the tyrosine kinase c Abl is required to activate this signaling cascade and forms a complex with MEKK1 and MLH1. This study indicates that an arm of DNA damage-activated MAPK signaling is activated in an MLH1- and ATM-dependent manner in response to MNNG and perhaps suggests that dysregulation of this signaling is responsible, in part, for alkylation tolerance. PMID- 17804422 TI - Oncogenic events triggered by AID, the adverse effect of antibody diversification. AB - The generation of an efficient immune response depends on highly refined mechanisms of antibody diversification. Two of these mechanisms, somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR), are initiated by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) upon antigen stimulation of mature B cells. AID deaminates cytosines on the DNA of Ig genes thereby generating a lesion that can be processed into a mutation (SHM) or a DNA double-strand break followed by a recombination reaction (CSR). A number of mechanisms are probably responsible for regulating AID function, such as transcriptional regulation, subcellular localization, post-transcriptional modifications and target specificity, but the issue remains of how unwanted DNA damage is fully prevented. Most lymphocyte neoplasias are originated from mature B cells and harbour hallmark chromosome translocations of lymphomagenic potential, such as the c myc/IgH translocations found in Burkitt lymphomas. It has been recently shown that such translocations are initiated by AID and that ataxia-telangiectasia mutated, p53 and ARF provide surveillance mechanisms to prevent these aberrations. In addition, evidence is accumulating that AID expression can be induced in B cells independently of the germinal centre environment, such as in response to some viral infections, and occasionally in non-B cells, at least in certain inflammation-associated neoplasic situations. The most recent findings on AID expression and function and their relevance to the generation of oncogenic lesions will be discussed. PMID- 17804423 TI - Neurexin 3 polymorphisms are associated with alcohol dependence and altered expression of specific isoforms. AB - Neurexins are cell adhesion molecules that help to specify and stabilize synapses and provide receptors for neuroligins, neurexophilins, dystroglycans and alpha latrotoxins. We previously reported significant allele frequency differences for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the neurexin 3 (NRXN3) gene in each of two comparisons between individuals who were dependent on illegal substances and controls. We now report work clarifying details of NRXN3's gene structure and variants and documenting association of NRXN3 SNPs with alcohol dependence. We localize this association signal with the vicinity of the NRXN3 splicing site 5 (SS#5). A splicing site SNP, rs8019381, that is located 23 bp from the SS#5 exon 23 donor site displays association with P = 0.0007 (odds ratio = 2.46). Including or excluding exon 23 at SS#5 produces soluble or transmembrane NRXN3 isoforms. We thus examined expression of these NRXN3 isoforms in postmortem human cerebral cortical brain samples from individuals with varying rs8019381 genotypes. Two of the splice variants that encode transmembrane NRXN3 isoforms were expressed at significantly lower levels in individuals with the addiction-associated rs8019381 'T' allele than in CC homozygotes. Taken together with recent reports of NRXN3 association with nicotine dependence and linkage with opiate dependence, these data support roles for NRXN3 haplotypes that alter expression of specific NRXN3 isoforms in genetic vulnerabilities to dependence on a variety of addictive substances. PMID- 17804424 TI - Incidence of class A extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in Champagne-Ardenne (France): a 1 year prospective study. AB - OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency and diversity of extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs) in the Champagne-Ardenne region France, and to identify genetic elements associated with the bla(CTX-M) genes. METHODS: During 2004, all the non-duplicate isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to ceftazidime and of Enterobacteriaceae intermediate or resistant to ceftazidime and/or cefotaxime, screening samples excluded, were collected in 10 public hospitals and 3 private clinics. bla genes were sequenced and bla(CTX-M) environment characterized by PCR mapping. RESULTS: In Enterobacteriaceae (138/21 861; 0.6%), ESBLs were predominantly TEM-24 (n = 52; 37.7%) and CTX-M-15 (n = 37; 26.8%). Three new enzymes were identified, CTX-M-61 (CTX-M-1 group), TEM- and SHV type. A. baumannii (n = 5) produced VEB-1 and P. aeruginosa (n = 2) SHV-2a. ISEcp1 was detected in 22/27 strains, disrupted in 7 of them. The IS903-like element was downstream of bla(CTX-M-14) and bla(CTX-M-16). ISCR1 was found upstream of bla(CTX-M-2) and bla(CTX-M-9), and ISCR1 and bla(CTX-M-2) were located on a sul1-type class 1 integron. In comparison with 2001-02, ESBL distribution among Enterobacteriaceae showed an increase in CTX-M-type (44.9% vs 3.7% P < 10(-7)) due to Escherichia coli CTX-M-15 and to the almost total disappearance of TEM-3 (0.9% vs 51.2%). E. coli was the most frequent species (50.0% vs 5.1% in 1998) despite a similar prevalence to that in 1998 (0.5% vs 0.2%). CONCLUSIONS: A careful detection of bla(CTX-M)-type spread to other species would help to anticipate clonal endemics such as those observed in Enterobacter aerogenes TEM-24. PMID- 17804425 TI - Broad-spectrum beta-lactams for treating experimental peritonitis in mice due to Escherichia coli producing plasmid-encoded cephalosporinases. AB - OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between in vitro activity and in vivo efficacy of broad-spectrum beta-lactams for treating experimental infections due to Escherichia coli expressing two types of plasmid-mediated AmpC-type beta lactamases, LAT-1 and FOX-1. METHODS: Susceptibility testing and time-kill curves were determined for piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, cefepime and imipenem. A mouse model of peritonitis was developed to determine 50% effective doses (ED(50)s) of beta-lactams against E. coli clinical strains producing recombinant plasmids pLAT-1 and pFOX-1. RESULTS: MIC and MBC values correlated with the ED(50)s for ceftazidime, cefepime and imipenem. Among the beta-lactams tested, both cefepime and imipenem were effective for treating peritonitis caused by E. coli strains harbouring pLAT-1 or pFOX-1, whereas ceftazidime was effective only against E. coli (pLAT-1). Piperacillin/tazobactam was not effective for treating infections with either of these two strains. CONCLUSIONS: Piperacillin/tazobactam was not efficacious for treating infections due to E. coli producing plasmid mediated AmpC-type beta-lactamases, whereas cefepime and imipenem were efficacious. PMID- 17804426 TI - Development of a device to measure bracket debonding force in vivo. AB - The purposes of this study were to develop a device to measure bracket debonding force in vivo and to evaluate, in vitro, the bond strength obtained with the device and with tensile and shear bond strength (SBS) tests performed in a universal testing machine. The device was developed using polypropylene pliers (3M Unitek). The basic principle consisted of measuring the applied force to debond, using two strain gauges (Kyowa) bonded to the region of major deformation of the plier handles. The crowns of 75 bovine incisors were embedded in acrylic resin and orthodontic brackets were bonded to the facial surface with Transbond XT (3M Unitek). In group A (n = 25) debonding was carried out with the device, while tensile bond strength testing was performed in group B (n = 25) and SBS testing in group C (n = 25). A universal testing machine (EMIC-DL-2,000) was used for these last two groups. According to analysis of variance and Tukey's test (alpha = 0.05), the mean bond strength for group C (7.71 MPa) was statistically higher than for groups A (2.98 MPa) and B (2.69 MPa). Groups A and B were not statistically different. The device was shown to be feasible to obtain in vivo bond strength values for orthodontic brackets, and that the bond strength values were dependent on the method and direction of debonding. PMID- 17804427 TI - The effect of mode of breathing on craniofacial growth--revisited. AB - It has been maintained that because of large adenoids, nasal breathing is obstructed leading to mouth breathing and an 'adenoid face', characterized by an incompetent lip seal, a narrow upper dental arch, increased anterior face height, a steep mandibular plane angle, and a retrognathic mandible. This development has been explained as occurring by changes in head and tongue position and muscular balance. After adenoidectomy and change in head and tongue position, accelerated mandibular growth and closure of the mandibular plane angle have been reported. Children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) have similar craniofacial characteristics as those with large adenoids and tonsils, and the first treatment of choice of OSA children is removal of adenoids and tonsils. It is probable that some children with an adenoid face would nowadays be diagnosed as having OSA. These children also have abnormal nocturnal growth hormone (GH) secretion and somatic growth impairment, which is normalized following adenotonsillectomy. It is hypothesized that decreased mandibular growth in adenoid face children is due to abnormal secretion of GH and its mediators. After normalization of hormonal status, ramus growth is enhanced by more intensive endochondral bone formation in the condylar cartilage and/or by appositional bone growth in the lower border of the mandible. This would, in part, explain the noted acceleration in the growth of the mandible and alteration in its growth direction, following the change in the mode of breathing after adenotonsillectomy. PMID- 17804428 TI - A method for producing controlled fluoride release from an orthodontic bracket. AB - The aim of this study was to manufacture and test, in vitro, a novel modification to provide fluoride-releasing orthodontic brackets. Thirty-two orthodontic brackets were drilled to produce a recess (approximately 1.3 mm in diameter and 0.7 mm in depth) at the centre of the bracket base. Four materials, with and without the addition of sodium fluoride, a glass ionomer cement (Ketac Cem micro), a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC; GC Fuji Ortho LC), a zinc phosphate (Zinc Cement Improved), and a resin (Transbond XT) were used to fill the recess in the bracket base. Fluoride release was measured daily during the first week and then weekly for 10 weeks. An ion chromatograph with suppressed conductivity was used for free fluoride ion determination. Statistical analysis to determine the amount of flouride release was undertaken using analysis of variance and Tukey's test. During the first 2 weeks, the resin group, with the addition of 38 per cent sodium fluoride added, released significantly more free fluoride (P < 0.05), but after 2 weeks the fluoride release markedly decreased. After 5 weeks, the RMGIC group, with 15 per cent added sodium fluoride, had significantly higher (P < 0.05) daily fluoride release than the other groups. The findings demonstrated that an appropriate fluoridated material can be used as a fluoride-releasing reservoir in a modified orthodontic bracket to enable it to release fluoride over the period of fixed appliance treatment. PMID- 17804429 TI - Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of high-tryptophan rice expressing a mutant anthranilate synthase alpha subunit. AB - Transgenic rice plants overexpressing a mutant rice gene for anthranilate synthase alpha subunit (OASA1D) accumulate large amounts of free tryptophan (Trp) with few adverse effects on the phenotype, except for poor germination and weak seedling growth. Metabolic profiling of 8-d-old seedlings of Nipponbare and two high-Trp lines, HW1 and HW5, by high performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array (HPLC-PDA) confirmed that, relative to Nipponbare, only the peak attributed to Trp was significantly changed in the profiles of the OASA1D lines. More detailed and targeted analysis using HPLC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry revealed that the OASA1D lines had higher levels of anthranilate, tryptamine, and serotonin than Nipponbare, but these metabolites were at much lower levels than free Trp. The levels of phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) were not affected by the overproduction of Trp. Transcriptomic analysis by microarray validated by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that at least 12 out of 21 500 genes showed significant differential expression among genotypes. Except for the OASA1D transgene and a putative IAA beta glucosyltransferase, these were not related to Trp metabolism. Most importantly, the overexpression of the OASA1D and the consequent accumulation of Trp in these lines had little effect on the overall transcriptome, consistent with the minimal effects on growth and the metabolome. Integrated analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome of these OASA1D transgenic lines indicates that the over accumulation of free Trp may be partly due to the low activity of Trp decarboxylase or other metabolic genes that directly utilize Trp as a substrate. PMID- 17804430 TI - The influence of temperature on within-canopy acclimation and variation in leaf photosynthesis: spatial acclimation to microclimate gradients among climatically divergent Acer rubrum L. genotypes. AB - Leaf gas exchange and temperature response were measured to assess temperature acclimation within a tree canopy in climatically contrasting genotypes of Acer rubrum L. Over the course of two 50 d continuous periods, growth temperature was controlled within tree crowns and the steady-state rate of leaf gas exchange was measured. Data were then modelled to calculate the influence of genotype variation and vertical distribution of physiological activity on carbon uptake. The maximal rate of Rubisco carboxylation (V(cmax)), the maximum rate of electron transport (J(max)), leaf dark respiration rate (R(d)), maximum photosynthesis (A(max)), and the CO(2) compensation point (Gamma) increased with temperature during both (i) a constant long-term (50 d) daytime temperature or (ii) ambient daytime temperature with short-term temperature control (25-38 degrees C). In addition, within-crown variation in the temperature response of photosynthesis and R(d) was influenced by acclimation to local microclimate temperature gradients. Results indicated that carbon uptake estimates could be overestimated by 22-25% if the vertical distribution of temperature gradients is disregarded. Temperature is a major factor driving photosynthetic acclimation and within-crown gas exchange variation. Thus, this study established the importance of including spatial acclimation to temperature- and provenance-, ecotype-, and/or genotype specific parameter sets into carbon uptake models. PMID- 17804431 TI - Cd accumulation in roots and shoots of durum wheat: the roles of transpiration rate and apoplastic bypass. AB - Cadmium is readily taken up from soils by plants, depending on soil chemistry, and variably among species and cultivars; altered transpiration and xylem transport and/or translocation in the phloem could cause this variation in Cd accumulation, some degree of which is heritable. Using Triticum turgidum var. durum cvs Kyle and Arcola (high and low grain Cd accumulating, respectively), the objectives of this study were to determine if low-concentration Cd exposure alters transpiration, to relate transpiration to accumulation of Cd in roots and shoots at several life stages, and to evaluate the role of apoplastic bypass in the accumulation of Cd in shoots. The low abundance isotope (106)Cd was used to probe Cd translocation in plants which had been exposed to elemental Cd or were Cd-naive; apoplastic bypass was monitored using the fluorescent dye PTS (8 hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulphonate). Differential accumulation of Cd by 'Kyle' and 'Arcola' could be partially attributed to the effect of Cd on transpiration, as exposure to low concentrations of Cd increased mass flow and concomitant Cd accumulation in 'Kyle'. Distinct from this, exposure of 'Arcola' to low concentrations of Cd reduced translocation of Cd from roots to shoots relative to root accumulation of Cd. It is possible, but not tested here, that sequestration mechanisms (such as phytochelatin production, as demonstrated by others) are the genetically controlled difference between these two cultivars that results in differential Cd accumulation. These results also suggest that apoplastic bypass was not a major pathway of Cd transport from the root to the shoot in these plants, and that most of the shoot Cd resulted from uptake into the stele of the root via the symplastic pathway. PMID- 17804432 TI - Endovascular management of a thoracic aortic disruption following failure of deployment of a parachute. AB - Traumatic thoracic aortic disruption is a life-threatening lesion associated with a high surgical mortality. Endovascular stent graft repair is a minimal invasive approach that does not require a thoracotomy, aortic cross clamping and cardiopulmonary bypass. We report the use of an endoluminal graft to treat a 58 year-old male, who sustained multiple injuries including thoracic aortic disruption in a sky-diving accident due to failure of deployment of his parachute. PMID- 17804433 TI - Building comparative gene expression databases for the mouse preimplantation embryo using a pipeline approach to UniGene. AB - To understand early mammalian development there is a need to compare profiles of gene expression from different stages of the preimplantation mouse embryo. We describe here a method that uses gene expression data held in the UniGene database of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The full mouse UniGene database (build #151) contains 43,104 gene clusters generated from approximately 4.1 million sequences. The Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) used to build UniGene are derived from cDNA libraries that are archived separately in the database of Expressed Sequence Tags (dbEST) database, with their own catalogue numbers. The mouse dbEST database contains 32 non-normalized dbEST libraries constructed from preimplantation stages (unfertilized oocyte, fertilized oocyte, 2-, 4-, 8- and 16 cell embryo and blastocyst). These libraries contain 219,852 EST sequences mapping to 15,731 UniGene clusters. We have developed a computational pipeline approach that imports and aggregates inventories of gene expression contained in these dbEST libraries. It uses these data to build an annotated web-based database of preimplantation gene expression with an in-built capacity for comparison of expression profiles. Comparison of gene expression profiles obtained for each developmental stage show statistically significant changes in gene expression during preimplantation development. These in silico-generated profiles were validated using RT-PCR. PMID- 17804434 TI - Effects of inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor at time of selection on follicular angiogenesis, expansion, development and atresia in the marmoset. AB - This study determined the effects of inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at follicle selection. Marmosets were given an injection of VEGF antagonist, the VEGF Trap on Day 5 of the follicular phase and ovaries were evaluated on Day 10 or 15. Ovaries from controls were assessed on Day 5 (time of selection), Day 10 (peri-ovulatory) and Day 15 (luteal phase). At Day 10, ovaries of four of the five controls contained dominant follicles, while one had ovulated. VEGF Trap-treated ovaries also contained large follicles on Day 10, but VEGF inhibition had suppressed endothelial cell proliferation, leading to reductions in the thecal vascularization and plasma estradiol relative to controls. By Day 15, ovaries of controls contained active corpora lutea whereas ovaries of four of the five treated animals still contained large antral follicles similar in size to pre-ovulatory follicles, and one had small, avascular corpora lutea. However, these follicles had a restricted vasculature, increased incidence of activated caspase-3 staining and morphological features indicating they would become degenerative non-functional cysts. These results show that after follicle selection, VEGF is essential for angiogenesis and the generation of healthy ovulatory follicles and corpora lutea, but fluid accumulation can still occur in selected follicles in the absence of VEGF. PMID- 17804435 TI - A syntactic model to design and verify synthetic genetic constructs derived from standard biological parts. AB - MOTIVATION: The sequence of artificial genetic constructs is composed of multiple functional fragments, or genetic parts, involved in different molecular steps of gene expression mechanisms. Biologists have deciphered structural rules that the design of genetic constructs needs to follow in order to ensure a successful completion of the gene expression process, but these rules have not been formalized, making it challenging for non-specialists to benefit from the recent progress in gene synthesis. RESULTS: We show that context-free grammars (CFG) can formalize these design principles. This approach provides a path to organizing libraries of genetic parts according to their biological functions, which correspond to the syntactic categories of the CFG. It also provides a framework for the systematic design of new genetic constructs consistent with the design principles expressed in the CFG. Using parsing algorithms, this syntactic model enables the verification of existing constructs. We illustrate these possibilities by describing a CFG that generates the most common architectures of genetic constructs in Escherichia coli. AVAILABILITY: A web site allows readers to experiment with the algorithms presented in this article: www.genocad.org. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sequences and models are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID- 17804436 TI - Structure-based calculation of drug efficiency indices. AB - MOTIVATION: The efficiency indices (EI's) have been derived from the experimental binding affinities of drug candidates to macromolecules. These 'two-in-one' measures include information on both pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the candidate molecules. The time-consuming experimental measurement of binding affinities of extensive molecule libraries may become a bottle-neck of large scale generation and application of EI's. RESULTS: To overcome this limitation, structure-based calculation of new EI's is introduced using the modified free energy function of the popular program package AutoDock. The results are validated on experimental binding data of biochemical systems such as potent inhibitors bound to beta-secretase, a key enzyme of Alzheimer's disease and various drug-protein complexes. Application of new EI's is tested. Thermodynamics of EI's and their role in virtual high-throughput screening of drugs and in the development of docking programs are discussed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Accompanies this manuscript on the publisher's web site. PMID- 17804437 TI - Identification of potential HIV-1 targets of minocycline. AB - Minocycline, a broad spectrum antibiotic, has been discovered to have inhibitory activity against HIV-1 in vitro, but the targets inhibited are unknown. We used a docking with dynamics protocol developed by us to predict the binding affinities of minocycline against seven active sites of five HIV-1 proteins to putatively identify the potential target(s) of minocycline. The results indicate that minocycline has the highest predicted binding affinity against HIV-1 integrase. PMID- 17804438 TI - Multiple spaced seeds for homology search. AB - MOTIVATION: Homology search finds similar segments between two biological sequences, such as DNA or protein sequences. The introduction of optimal spaced seeds in PatternHunter has increased both the sensitivity and the speed of homology search, and it has been adopted by many alignment programs such as BLAST. With the further improvement provided by multiple spaced seeds in PatternHunterII, Smith-Waterman sensitivity is approached at BLASTn speed. However, computing optimal multiple spaced seeds was proved to be NP-hard and current heuristic algorithms are all very slow (exponential). RESULTS: We give a simple algorithm which computes good multiple seeds in polynomial time. Due to a completely different approach, the difference with respect to the previous methods is dramatic. The multiple spaced seed of PatternHunterII, with 16 weight 11 seeds, was computed in 12 days. It takes us 17 s to find a better one. Our approach changes the way of looking at multiple spaced seeds. PMID- 17804439 TI - Phylocomposer and phylodirector: analysis and visualization of transducer indel models. AB - Finite-state string transducers are probabilistic tools similar to Hidden Markov Models that can be systematically extended to large number of sequences related by indel and substitution processes on phylogenetic trees. The number of states in such models grows exponentially with the number of nodes in the tree, with the consequence that even quite small trees can be difficult to analyze or visualize. Here, we present two tools, phylocomposer and phylodirector, for working with string transducers. The former tool implements previously described composition algorithms for extending transducers to arbitrary tree topologies, while the latter generates short animations for arbitrary input alignments and phylogenetic trees, illustrating the state path through the composed transducer. AVAILABILITY: Phylocomposer and phylodirector are freely available at http://biowiki.org/PhyloComposer and http://biowiki.org/PhyloDirector PMID- 17804440 TI - Transducers: an emerging probabilistic framework for modeling indels on trees. PMID- 17804441 TI - Effect of ranolazine, an antianginal agent with novel electrophysiological properties, on the incidence of arrhythmias in patients with non ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: results from the Metabolic Efficiency With Ranolazine for Less Ischemia in Non ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 36 (MERLIN-TIMI 36) randomized controlled trial. AB - BACKGROUND: Ranolazine, a piperazine derivative, reduces ischemia via inhibition of the late phase of the inward sodium current (late I(Na)) during cardiac repolarization, with a consequent reduction in intracellular sodium and calcium overload. Increased intracellular calcium leads to both mechanical dysfunction and electric instability. Ranolazine reduces proarrhythmic substrate and triggers such as early afterdepolarization in experimental models. However, the potential antiarrhythmic actions of ranolazine have yet to be demonstrated in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Metabolic Efficiency With Ranolazine for Less Ischemia in Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome (MERLIN)-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 36 (MERLIN-TIMI 36) trial randomized 6560 patients hospitalized with a non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome to ranolazine or placebo in addition to standard therapy. Continuous ECG (Holter) recording was performed for the first 7 days after randomization. A prespecified set of arrhythmias were evaluated by a core laboratory blinded to treatment and outcomes. Of the 6560 patients in MERLIN-TIMI 36, 6351 (97%) had continuous ECG recordings that could be evaluated for arrhythmia analysis. Treatment with ranolazine resulted in significantly lower incidences of arrhythmias. Specifically, fewer patients had an episode of ventricular tachycardia lasting > or = 8 beats (166 [5.3%] versus 265 [8.3%]; P<0.001), supraventricular tachycardia (1413 [44.7%] versus 1752 [55.0%]; P<0.001), or new-onset atrial fibrillation (55 [1.7%] versus 75 [2.4%]; P=0.08). In addition, pauses > or = 3 seconds were less frequent with ranolazine (97 [3.1%] versus 136 [4.3%]; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Ranolazine, an inhibitor of late I(Na), appears to have antiarrhythmic effects as assessed by continuous ECG monitoring of patients in the first week after admission for acute coronary syndrome. Studies specifically designed to evaluate the potential role of ranolazine as an antiarrhythmic agent are warranted. PMID- 17804442 TI - Chronic bronchitis sub-phenotype within COPD: inflammation in sputum and biopsies. AB - The presence of chronic bronchitis predicts a more rapid decline of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The hallmark of COPD is airway inflammation. It was hypothesised that COPD patients with chronic bronchitis are characterised by a distinct inflammatory cell profile, as measured in bronchial biopsies and sputum. From 114 COPD patients (male/female ratio 99/15, mean+/-sd age 62+/-8 yrs, current smoking 63%, post-bronchodilator FEV(1) 63+/-9% predicted, no steroids), with and without chronic bronchitis, inflammatory cell counts in bronchial biopsies and induced sputum were measured. Analysis was carried out by logistic regression. COPD patients with chronic bronchitis had lower eosinophil counts in biopsies and higher percentages of sputum eosinophils than patients without those symptoms, which remained after adjustment for smoking and sex. Patients with chronic bronchitis also showed higher percentages of macrophages and lower percentages of neutrophils in sputum, which could be explained by differences in smoking and sex. It was concluded that chronic bronchitis reflects an inflammatory sub-phenotype among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The present results indicate a preferential distribution of eosinophils towards the airway lumen in patients with chronic bronchitis. This may have implications for anti-inflammatory treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with chronic bronchitis. PMID- 17804443 TI - Value of cancer antigen 125 for diagnosis of pleural endometriosis in females with recurrent pneumothorax. AB - The thorax is the most frequent extrapelvic location of endometriosis. Thoracic endometriosis is probably responsible for the high rate of recurrent pneumothoraces in females. The goal of the present prospective study was to assess the value of cancer antigen (CA)125 measurement in the detection of endometriosis in order to further enable early and adequate treatment of catamenial pneumothorax. Between January 2004 and March 2006, 31 females (mean age 32 yrs) underwent pneumothorax surgery. The control group comprised 17 males (mean age 27 yrs), who underwent videothoracoscopic pleural abrasion. Serum CA125 was measured around a menstrual period in females and before surgery in males. Videothoracoscopically diagnosed endometriosis occurred in 29% of females. The CA125 concentration was significantly higher in females with endometriosis compared to disease-free females (76.1 versus 16 U x mL(-1)). The mean value in males was similar to that observed in disease-free females. The frequency of thoracic endometriosis-related pneumothorax corresponds to, on average, a third of females presenting with recurrent pneumothorax. Early detection can be achieved with serum cancer antigen 125 measurement and may be helpful in indicating videothoracoscopic surgery. PMID- 17804444 TI - Expression and role of EGFR ligands induced in airway cells by PM2.5 and its components. AB - The aim of the current study was to establish the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand expression profile in human airway epithelial cells exposed to either particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) or its components and the involvement of EGFR ligands in PM(2.5) provoked airway inflammation. EGFR ligand mRNA and protein expression were studied in a human bronchial epithelial cell line and normal nasal cells exposed to noncytotoxic concentrations of PM(2.5) or its components. The autocrine role of EGFR ligands in airway epithelial cell pro-inflammation was determined by adding conditioned media from PM(2.5)-treated cells to fresh cells and measuring the secretion of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a pro inflammatory biomarker. PM(2.5)increased amphiregulin, transforming growth factor alpha and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor mRNA expression and protein secretion, with a slight contribution of aqueous metallic compounds and a strong participation of organic components putatively attributed to PM polyaromatic hydrocarbon content. PM(2.5)-induced EGFR ligands were involved in cellular GM CSF release. The current study revealed upregulation of several epidermal growth factor receptor ligands by airway epithelial cells exposed to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 microm and their contribution to bronchial epithelial cell granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor secretion by an autocrine action, suggesting that these ligands could elicit and sustain the particulate matter-induced airway pro-inflammatory response and contribute to bronchial remodelling. PMID- 17804445 TI - Tuberculosis and airflow obstruction: evidence from the PLATINO study in Latin America. AB - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between history of tuberculosis and airflow obstruction. A population-based, multicentre study was carried out and included 5,571 subjects aged > or =40 yrs living in one of five Latin American metropolitan areas: Sao Paulo (Brazil); Montevideo (Uruguay); Mexico City (Mexico); Santiago (Chile); and Caracas (Venezuela). Subjects performed pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry and were asked whether they had ever been diagnosed with tuberculosis by a physician. The overall prevalence of airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity post-bronchodilator <0.7) was 30.7% among those with a history of tuberculosis, compared with 13.9% among those without a history. Males with a medical history of tuberculosis were 4.1 times more likely to present airflow obstruction than those without such a diagnosis. This remained unchanged after adjustment for confounding by age, sex, schooling, ethnicity, smoking, exposure to dust and smoke, respiratory morbidity in childhood and current morbidity. Among females, the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were 2.3 and 1.7, respectively. In conclusion, history of tuberculosis is associated with airflow obstruction in Latin American middle-aged and older adults. PMID- 17804446 TI - Haemodynamically unstable pulmonary embolism in the RIETE Registry: systolic blood pressure or shock index? AB - Patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) presenting with haemodynamic instability have the worst prognosis. However, what is understood by haemodynamic instability has not been clearly defined. The Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad Tromboembolica (RIETE) is an ongoing registry of consecutive patients with symptomatic, objectively confirmed, acute deep vein thrombosis or PE. The present authors compared the predictive value of a systolic blood pressure (SBP) value of <100 mmHg and <90 mmHg and the shock index (cardiac frequency divided by SBP) on 30-day mortality in consecutive patients with PE. As of May 2006, 6,599 patients with PE were enrolled in the study. Of these, 417 (6.3%) died within 30 days: 153 of the initial PE, 29 of recurrent PE and 235 due to other causes. Of the 417 individuals who died, 127 (30%) had a positive shock index, 60 (14%) had SBP <100 mmHg and 33 (7.9%) had SBP <90 mmHg. On multivariate analysis any of the three parameters were independently associated with an increased mortality. The shock index had a higher sensitivity (30.5 versus 14.4 and 7.9% for SBP <100 mmHg and <90 mmHg, respectively) but lower specificity (86.3 versus 93.0 and 96.6). All three measures of haemodynamic instability are independent predictors of 30 day mortality. However, while the shock index had the highest sensitivity, a systolic blood pressure value <90 mmHg had the highest specificity. PMID- 17804447 TI - Experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia: evaluation of the associated inflammatory response. AB - An abnormal inflammatory response (IR) in pneumonia is associated with poor outcomes and high mortality. Animal models could help to better understand the relationship between the pulmonary infection and the associated IR. The aims of the present study were to validate an experimental model of pneumonia induced by the inoculation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ventilated piglets and to study the associated IR over a long period of time (96 h). Five Lagerwhite-Landrace piglets were ventilated for 4 days. After intubation, a solution containing 75 mL of P. aeruginosa (10(6) colony-forming units.mL(-1)) was bronchoscopically inoculated. Physiological and laboratory parameters were monitored throughout the study. Pro inflammatory cytokines were measured in serum and in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Histopathology of the lungs and cultures from blood, BAL and lungs were performed. All the animals developed histopathological evidence of pneumonia. Microbiological studies of both BAL and lung confirmed the presence of P. aeruginosa in all the samples. Throughout the study, an increase in interleukin-6 was observed in serum and in BAL. In conclusion, the experimental model of pneumonia induced by the inoculation of high concentrations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in ventilated piglets is feasible and could be appropriate for the evaluation of different aspects of the associated inflammatory response. PMID- 17804448 TI - Solitary pulmonary nodule evaluation with 99mTc-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile in a tuberculosis-endemic area. AB - High prevalence of tuberculosis increases the odds for nonmalignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Positron emission tomography (PET) using (18)F fluorodeoxyglucose is the method of choice for the identification of malignant SPNs requiring curative surgery. However, PET is not widely available. Technetium 99m methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) is inexpensive, widely available and shows increased uptake in malignant SPNs. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic value of MIBI single photon emission computed tomography to distinguish between benign and malignant SPNs in a tuberculosis-endemic area. In total, 49 patients with radiologically indeterminate SPNs (single lesion < or =6 cm in diameter) were prospectively evaluated with MIBI. The final diagnosis was established with bronchoscopy, fine needle aspiration, surgical resection or clinical follow-up for > or =2 yrs. A total of 12 (92%) out of 13 malignant lesions showed increased uptake of MIBI, while no uptake was observed in 33 (92%) out of 36 benign lesions. MIBI uptake indicated malignancy with a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and a negative predictive value of 97%. In this tuberculosis-endemic area, technetium-99m methoxy isobutyl isonitrile single photon emission computed tomography evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules had a high negative predictive value. Therefore, it has the potential to prevent unnecessary surgical resections of benign nodules and serve as a low-cost alternative when positron emission tomography is not available. PMID- 17804449 TI - A USA-based registry for pulmonary arterial hypertension: 1982-2006. AB - The aim of this study was to define the epidemiology of World Health Organization (WHO) Group I pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a large referral centre in the USA. The Pulmonary Hypertension Connection registry, initiated in 2004, evaluated all patients in a single USA practice from 1982-2006. For comparison, the authors divided the group by incident versus prevalent cohorts, aetiology and by treatment era. In total, 578 patients (77% female) aged 48+/-14 yrs were entered. Of these, 80% had class III or IV symptoms. Over time, connective tissue disease-associated PAH increased, while referrals for HIV remained low. One-third of patients were referred on calcium channel blocker therapy even though only 4.6% had an acute response to vasodilator challenge. When compared by treatment era, there were no differences in the severity of PAH. However, survival had improved over time, with a 1-yr survival of 85% in the incident cohort. In the USA, pulmonary arterial hypertension patients are still referred to tertiary centres too late. Referral of connective tissue disease is increasing, while referral of HIV remains low. Inappropriate calcium channel blocker treatment is common. Survival rates have increased but remain low suggesting that prognosis is improving but PAH is still a progressive, fatal disease. PMID- 17804450 TI - Demographic characteristics of patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Germany. AB - The aim of the present study was to determine the demographics of patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Germany. Data on 26,302 tuberculosis cases from a national survey carried out during the period 1996-2000 were analysed. The crude proportion of tuberculosis patients with extrapulmonary manifestations was 21.6%. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis was most likely among females, children aged <15 yrs and persons originating from Africa and Asia. Females tended to be more likely to have any form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis than males, except pleural tuberculosis. The strength of this association was strongest in the age range 25 64 yrs and less pronounced amongst the oldest patients. Children were particularly prone to the development of lymphatic and meningeal tuberculosis, whereas the likelihood of genitourinary tuberculosis increased with increasing age. Asian and African patients were generally more likely than persons from other areas to have lymphatic, osteoarticular, meningeal and miliary tuberculosis. The analysis shows important differences, by age, sex and origin, in the likelihood of a tuberculosis patient presenting with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Since the relative contribution of the foreign-born to tuberculosis in low-prevalence countries is rising, extrapulmonary tuberculosis must be taken into account more often in the differential diagnostic work-up of these patients, particularly among those originating from Asia and Africa. PMID- 17804451 TI - Three-dimensional computed tomography imaging in an animal model of emphysema. AB - Emphysema is a major health problem and novel drugs are needed. Animal disease models are pivotal in their development, but the validity and sensitivity of current tools for the evaluation of drug efficacy is limited. The usefulness of micro computed tomography (CT) as an innovative tool to assess emphysema in a mouse model was investigated. Serial CT scans were performed in bi-weekly intervals in Smad3 knockout (KO) mice, which spontaneously develop airspace enlargement. Lung density was quantified in two- and three-dimensional images and correlated to mean linear intercept and lung compliance. CT scans of Smad3 KO lungs revealed a significant decrease in lung density at age 8 weeks and a further progression at age 14 weeks with respect to age-matched wild-type (WT) animals. Emphysema could be reliably assessed with both the two- and three dimensional approach, but the three-dimensional approach was superior, due to normalisation to lung volumes and less variability. Lung compliance by week 14 was 0.053+/-0.005 and 0.034+/-0.002% of maximum volume.cmH(2)O(-1) for KO and WT mice, respectively, reflecting significant physiologically relevant emphysema. Small animal computed tomography imaging and density quantification in a reconstructed three-dimensional image is a useful tool for quantifying emphysematous changes in an animal disease model. It adds significant information to conventional assessment. PMID- 17804452 TI - Diagnostic value of serum immunoglobulinaemia D level in patients with a clinical suspicion of hyper IgD syndrome. AB - OBJECTIVE: The hyperimmunoglobulinaemia D and periodic fever syndrome (HIDS) was originally defined by the presence of a high serum level of immunoglobulin D associated with recurrent fever. Since the discovery of the mevalonate kinase gene (MVK) gene encoding the mevalonate kinase enzyme, most patients with a clinical diagnostic of HIDS are now found to have a mevalonate kinase deficiency based on metabolic and genetic data. We aimed to asses the value of a high IgD serum level for the diagnosis of HIDS in a cohort of patients with a phenotype of recurrent fever, and to characterize patients with a high IgD serum level without mevalonate kinase mutation. METHODS: Main clinical and biological data of 50 patients who presented with clinical signs compatible with HIDS have been prospectively registered on a standard form. Clinical data have been analysed according the IgD serum level and the presence of MVK mutation. RESULTS: The metabolic and genetic data establishing the diagnosis of HIDS correlated in all cases. In this series of 50 patients, the sensitivity of a high IgD value for the diagnosis of HIDS is 0.79. In five patients with MVK mutation, IgD levels were found to be in the normal range. Likelihood ratios indicate that IgD measurement is not relevant for the diagnostic of HIDS. Most patients with a high serum IgD level and no MVK mutation have no definite diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The clinical relevance of the IgD measurement for the diagnosis of MKD in our population appears as poor, as reflected by likelihood ratios which are both close to 1. PMID- 17804453 TI - Comparing morphometric X-ray absorptiometry and radiography in defining vertebral wedge fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. AB - OBJECTIVE: To compare the level of agreement of quantitative morphometry of the vertebrae on lateral views of the spine using conventional X-ray and using a dual X-ray absorptiometry device (DXA) in determining the degree of wedging of vertebrae in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: Thirty patients with AS underwent DXA to acquire single-energy morphometric X-ray absorptiometry (MXA) scans and conventional lateral radiography (MRX) of the thoracic and lumbar spine. Vertebral anterior and posterior heights were measured and the anterior/posterior (AP)-ratio was calculated. We analysed the level of agreement for vertebral wedging between MRX and MXA on the patient level and on the vertebral level, using average AP-ratios per patient, and per vertebra, as well as dichotomized AP-ratios (above or below cut-off levels that are commonly used to identify fractures). RESULTS: Per-patient analysis showed good agreement between both methods in the whole spine [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.64], as well as in the thoracic (ICC = 0.66) and lumbar spine (ICC = 0.62) separately. Analysis on individual vertebrae showed differences in agreement dependent on which part of the spine was measured. The ICC on all vertebrae was 0.71, 0.76 in the lumbar and 0.43 in the thoracic vertebrae. If AP-ratios were translated into fractures (yes vs no) using different cut off levels for a fracture (AP-ratios 0.75, 0.80 or 0.85) between-method agreement became fair to good (kappa 0.26-0.35 in the thoracic and 0.47-0.80 in the lumbar vertebrae). Differences in classifications were in both directions and in all vertebral fractures according to the Genant definition. In this study with a prevalence of 5% of vertebral fractures, the positive predicted value (PPV) was 39% and the negative predicted value (NPV) was 97%. CONCLUSION: Although the agreement between MRX and MXA in measuring global vertebral wedging, expressed as (mean) AP ratio, was good, the reliability of both measures to assess wedging at the vertebral level was highly variable, ranging from fair to very good agreement, dependent on the level. If fracture studies are performed with either of both the methods, the results of wedging at the individual vertebral level cannot be generalized to the other method, except for wedging <0.75 at the lumbar spine. However, as the NPV was high, DXA could be of clinical value to select patients for further evaluation by X-ray to assess vertebral fractures as a sign of bone failure. PMID- 17804454 TI - Recurrent spontaneous abortions in antiphospholipid syndrome: natural killer cells - an additional mechanism in a multi factorial process. PMID- 17804455 TI - BSR and BHPR guidelines for the management of adults with ANCA associated vasculitis. PMID- 17804456 TI - Phosphate binders and timing of levothyroxine administration. PMID- 17804457 TI - Regulation of the basolateral chloride/base exchangers AE1 and SLC26A7 in the kidney collecting duct in potassium depletion. AB - In the present study, the effect of potassium depletion on the expression of acid base transporters in the collecting duct was examined. Toward this end rats were fed a potassium-free diet for 3 weeks. Thereafter, the expression of the basolateral chloride/bicarbonate exchangers AE1 and SLC26A7 and the apical H(+) ATPase was examined by northern hybridization, immunoblot analysis and immunofluorescence labelling. The mRNA expression of AE1 increased by a robust approximately 500% in the cortex and approximately 70% in the outer medulla, which translated into a huge increase in AE1 protein abundance in the cortex and a moderate increase in the outer medulla in K-depletion. The mRNA expression of SLC26A7 did not change significantly but its protein abundance showed a robust increase in the outer medulla. The expression of SLC26A7 remained undetected in the cortex in K-depleted rats. The post translational increase in SLC26A7 membrane abundance in potassium depletion was recapitulated in vitro using epitope-tagged SLC26A7. H(+)-ATPase displayed enhanced apical plasma membrane immunoreactivity in the OMCD in K-depletion. We suggest that the up-regulation of SLC26A7 and AE1 on the basolateral membrane of A-intercalated cells in the OMCD and CCD, respectively, along with H(+)-ATPase on the apical membrane, contributes to enhanced bicarbonate absorption in the collecting duct in K-depletion. PMID- 17804458 TI - Hyperkalaemia in a tetraplegic adolescent due to de novo sodium channel mutation. PMID- 17804459 TI - Predictors of mortality in adult patients with congestive heart failure receiving nesiritide--retrospective analysis showing a potential adverse interaction between nesiritide and acute renal dysfunction. AB - BACKGROUND: A recent meta-analysis has suggested that nesiritide (NES), a new agent for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF), is associated with an increased risk of short-term mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively examined this issue among 1407 consecutive elderly CHF patients by Pearson's chi-squared test, and determined independent risk factors for 60-day mortality by multivariate analysis in a cohort of 682 patients for whom we had sufficient clinical and laboratory data. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that NES usage was associated with increased mortality (n=1407, 10 vs 6%, P=0.011; n=682, 19 vs 12.5%, P=0.046). However, by forward stepwise regression analysis, NES usage did not survive as an independent predictor of mortality. The following variables were independent predictors of mortality: development of acute renal failure (ARF) defined as an increase of serum creatinine (SCr) >or= 0.5 mg/dl; lack of beta-adrenergic blockade; increased admission blood urea nitrogen; digoxin use; and increased admission brain natriuretic peptide. When patients were stratified according to NES usage, ARF emerged as an independent risk factor for mortality only among patients who received NES. Strikingly, among CHF patients who developed ARF (n=102), NES usage emerged as the only independent predictor of mortality (P=0.006, OR=3.73, 95% CI 1.45-9.56). CONCLUSION: We conclude that, while NES per se is not independently associated with an increased risk for mortality, the development of ARF in association with NES use may confer an increased risk of mortality. PMID- 17804460 TI - Intrarenal administration of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin ameliorates ischaemic acute renal failure. AB - BACKGROUND: Thrombomodulin (TM) is an endothelial anti-coagulant cofactor which also has anti-inflammatory properties. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of recombinant human soluble TM (RHS-TM) on ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) renal injury. METHODS: A right nephrectomy was performed in rats, and the left kidney was filled with RHS-TM (0.25 mg/kg), argatroban (20 mg/kg) or a vehicle for 45 min. Before reperfusion, the fluid trapped in the kidney was completely removed. At 24 h after I/R, renal cortical blood flow was measured using a CCD video camera, and the kidneys were harvested for the study. Next, cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with RHS-TM (2, 10 or 50 mg/ml) or a vehicle, and incubated for 5 h in culture medium containing 300 microM hydrogen peroxide. Apoptotic cell death was analysed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry revealed that the level of TM expression decreased in rat kidneys after I/R. RHS-TM significantly decreased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels. It also prevented a reduction in cortical blood flow, and attenuated tubular damage and macrophage/neutrophil infiltration. In addition, the number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased significantly in rats treated with RHS-TM. In contrast, argatroban, an inhibitor of thrombin did not show significant renoprotective actions. The results of in vitro study showed that RHS-TM significantly suppressed the number of apoptotic cells. CONCLUSION: The transient intrarenal administration of RHS-TM, but not argatroban, to the kidney attenuates I/R renal injury. The present study suggests that RHS-TM would be a useful tool in preventing transplanted kidney damage or treating acute renal failure in the clinical setting. PMID- 17804461 TI - Back pain in a haemodialysis patient with severe atherosclerosis. PMID- 17804462 TI - Two-tier approach for the detection of alpha-galactosidase A deficiency in a predominantly female haemodialysis population. AB - INTRODUCTION: Fabry's disease (AFD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease, resulting from a deficiency in alpha-galactosidase A (AGALA). Untreated, this leads to precocious failure of vital organ function and death. As enzyme replacement therapy is available, it is of vital importance that affected individuals can be traced. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We set up a screening in the Flemish haemodialysis population using a two-tier approach. The first tier was a determination of alpha-galactosidase A activity using a dried blood spot on filter paper, in the second tier, patients with the lowest alpha-galactosidase levels were further subjected to mutation analysis of the GLA gene. RESULTS: 1284 patients (1047 women, 237 men) were evaluated for inclusion, eliminating patients with definite renal diagnoses. Total 922 patients (71.8 %) were screened (742 women, 180 men). Fifty seven patients were subjected to further genetic analysis. Three GLA mutation carriers were identified: two apparently nonrelated female patients carry the missense mutation p.Ala143Thr (c.427G > A), a missense mutation p.Trp236Arg (c.706T > C) was identified in a man. While the male patient had been clinically diagnosed with AFD, the female patients had remained unrecognized. Additional family based screening resulted in the identification of nine mutation carriers (four males and five females). DISCUSSION: We demonstrated that the prevalence of GLA mutation carriers in our haemodialysis population is 0.3%. Our results show that the proposed approach accurately detects AFD patients. We conclude that screening for AFD in high risk populations is a cost effective, technically feasible and clinically valuable objective. PMID- 17804463 TI - Chaperone activation of the hepadnaviral reverse transcriptase for template RNA binding is established by the Hsp70 and stimulated by the Hsp90 system. AB - Hepadnaviruses are DNA viruses that replicate by protein-primed reverse transcription, employing a specialized reverse transcriptase (RT), P protein. DNA synthesis from the pregenomic RNA is initiated by binding of P to the epsilon signal. Using epsilon as template and a Tyr-residue for initiation, the RT synthesizes a DNA oligo (priming) as primer for full-length DNA. Priming strictly requires prior RT activation by chaperones. Active P-epsilon complexes have been reconstituted in vitro, but whether in addition to the heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) system the Hsp90 system is essential has been controversial. Here we quantitatively compared Hsp70 versus Hsp70 plus Hsp90 RT activation, and corroborated that the Hsp70 system alone is sufficient; however, Hsp90 as well the Hsp70 nucleotide exchange factor Bag-1 markedly stimulated activation by increasing the steady-state concentration of the activated metastable RT form P*, though by different mechanisms. Hsp90 inhibition in intact cells by geldanamycin analogs blocked hepadnavirus replication, however not completely and only at severely cytotoxic inhibitor concentrations. While compatible with a basal level of Hsp90 independent in vivo replication, unambiguous statements are precluded by the simultaneous massive upregulation of Hsp70 and Hsp90. PMID- 17804464 TI - The hSNM1 protein is a DNA 5'-exonuclease. AB - The human SNM1 protein is a member of a highly conserved group of proteins catalyzing the hydrolysis of nucleic acid substrates. Although overproduction is unstable in mammalian cells, we have overproduced a recombinant hSNM1 protein in an insect cell system. The protein is a single-strand 5'-exonuclease, like its yeast homolog. The enzyme utilizes either DNA or RNA substrates, requires a 5' phosphate moiety, shows very little activity on double-strand substrates, and functions at a size consistent with a monomer. The exonuclease activity requires the conserved beta-lactamase domain; site-directed mutagenesis of a conserved aspartate inactivates the exonuclease. PMID- 17804465 TI - Role of horizontal incidence in the occurrence and control of chaos in an eco epidemiological system. AB - A predator-prey model with disease in the prey population is proposed and analysed. The mode of disease transmission plays an important role in such dynamics. Keeping this factor in mind, we observe the dynamics of such a system for simple mass action incidence and standard incidence. Our observations indicate that the phenomenon of rarity or non-occurrence of chaos in our proposed model is well defined if the mode of disease transmission follows standard incidence. Moreover, using the method of Latin hypercube sampling, we show that the region of stability increases if the disease transmission follows the standard incidence law. PMID- 17804466 TI - Polymorphisms in the genes of the urokinase plasminogen activation system in relation to colorectal cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: Extracellular matrix degradation, mediated by the urokinase plasminogen activation (uPA) system, is a critical step in tumor invasion and metastasis. High tumor levels of uPA and its inhibitor PAI-1 have been correlated with poor cancer prognosis. We examined four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a potential effect on expression of genes in the uPA system for their role in colorectal cancer susceptibility and prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We genotyped the SNPs in 308 Swedish incident colorectal cancer patients with up to 16 years of follow-up and in 585 age- and sex-matched controls. We evaluated the associations between genotypes and colorectal cancer and Dukes' stage. Survival probabilities were compared between different subgroups. RESULTS: Patients with PAI-1 -675 5G/5G genotype had better survival than patients with 4G/4G or 4G/5G genotypes when they had Dukes' stage A or B tumors (P = 0.023 and P = 0.015, respectively). No statistically significant association was observed between the SNPs and the risk of colorectal cancer or Dukes' stage. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a role for the PAI-1 genotype in colorectal cancer prognosis, but further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of our finding in the clinic. PMID- 17804467 TI - Clinically relevant fatigue in cancer outpatients: the Edinburgh Cancer Centre symptom study. AB - BACKGROUND: Fatigue is associated with cancer and its treatment but we know little about how many and which patients suffer fatigue of clinical severity. We aimed to determine the prevalence of clinically relevant fatigue (CRF) and its associations in outpatients with various cancer diagnoses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A survey of outpatients with colorectal, breast, gynaecological, genitourinary, sarcoma, melanoma and miscellaneous tumours at a regional cancer centre. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) fatigue subscale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). These self report data were linked to demographic and clinical variables. Data were available on 2867 outpatients. RESULTS: The prevalence of CRF (EORTC fatigue subscale > or =40) was 32% (95% confidence interval 31-34%). The variables independently associated with CRF were primary cancer site, having disease present, type of cancer treatment and emotional distress (total HADS score > or =15). Emotional distress had the strongest association with fatigue but half the cases of CRF were not distressed. CONCLUSION: CRF is common in cancer outpatients and is associated with type of disease and treatment, as well as with emotional distress. The association between CRF and emotional distress is strong but they are not equivalent conditions. PMID- 17804468 TI - Clinical and prognostic significance of histamine monitoring in patients with CML during treatment with imatinib (STI571). AB - BACKGROUND: Although imatinib is highly effective in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), drug-resistance may occur. Therefore, monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) during treatment with imatinib is important. However, most MRD parameters are expensive and require special technology. We determined the value of histamine as MRD-marker in CML. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Histamine levels were measured serially in whole blood samples before and during imatinib therapy in 80 CML patients by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Histamine levels were highly upregulated in CML at diagnosis compared to healthy controls, and correlated with the presence of basophils. During treatment with imatinib, histamine levels decreased and returned to normal levels in those achieving a complete cytogenetic response (CCR). Loss of CCR during therapy was invariably accompanied by an increase in histamine. Moreover, a histamine level of >100 ng/ml three or six months after start of imatinib was associated with a significantly reduced probability of survival (p<0.05). Whereas basophils were found to correlate well with histamine during imatinib, no correlations were found between histamine and Ph+ metaphases or histamine and BCR/ABL. CONCLUSION: Histamine-monitoring during treatment with imatinib is of prognostic significance. PMID- 17804469 TI - Primary intraocular lymphoma: an International Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma Collaborative Group Report. AB - BACKGROUND: Primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) is an uncommon subset of primary central nervous system lymphoma. Because it is rare and difficult to diagnose, the natural history and optimal management are unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 83 HIV negative, immunocompetent PIOL patients was assembled from 16 centers in seven countries. RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 65. Median ECOG performance status was 0. Presenting symptoms included blurred vision, decreased visual acuity, and floaters. Median time to diagnosis was 6 months. Diagnosis was made by vitrectomy (74), choroidal/retinal biopsy (6) and ophthalmic exam (3). Eleven percent had positive CSF cytology. Initial treatment was categorized as focal in 23 (intra-ocular methotrexate, ocular radiotherapy) or extensive in 53 (systemic chemotherapy, whole brain radiotherapy). Six received none; details are unknown in one. Forty-seven relapsed: brain 47%, eyes 30%, brain and eyes 15%, and systemic 8%. Median time to relapse was 19 months. Focal therapy alone did not increase risk of brain relapse. Median progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 29.6 and 58 months, respectively, and unaffected by treatment type. CONCLUSION: Treatment type did not affect relapse pattern, median PFS or OS. Focal therapy may minimize treatment toxicity without compromising disease control. PMID- 17804470 TI - Late effects in adult survivors of childhood cancer: the need for life-long follow-up. AB - BACKGROUND: To assess health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in childhood cancer survivors who were not involved in regular long-term follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three long-term survivors, median age 33 (19-50) years, follow-up 27 (9-38) years, were recalled to the long-term follow-up clinic. Most of them were treated in the period 1970-1990. Late effects were graded using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3 (CTCAEv3). HRQoL was assessed by RAND-36. Socio-economic factors were compared with data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). RESULTS: Grade 1-2 late effects were found in 54% of the survivors, grade 3-4 in 39%, two or more late effects in 70% and grade 2-4 previously unknown late effects in 33%. Survivors had significantly lower scores on RAND-36 compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: As nearly 40% of these long-term childhood cancer survivors suffer from moderate to severe late effects and 33% had previously unknown late effects it is worthwhile recalling these patients to follow-up. Where and by whom this follow-up can best be done is still a question that needs to be answered. PMID- 17804471 TI - What happened in Italy? A brief summary of studies conducted in Italy to evaluate the impact of the smoking ban. AB - The aim of this short report is to give a brief summary of the studies conducted in Italy in order to evaluate the impact of the ban on smoking in enclosed public places that came into force on 10 January 2005. Support of Italians for the smoking ban increased once the policy was introduced, and is still increasing. Surveys conducted among the Italian population and owners of hospitality premises report that the ban is generally respected. After the ban, environmental nicotine concentrations in four pubs and three discos in Florence and concentrations of particulate matter with diameter <2.5 microm in 50 hospitality premises in Milan, Trieste and Rome dropped to 70-97% of the concentrations recorded before the ban. In 2005 total sales of cigarettes in Italy decreased by 6.1% in comparison to 2004, from 98.8 to 92.8 million kg. In 2006 sales increased by 1.1% in comparison to 2005, partly attributed to the covered outdoor smoking places available in many restaurants and bars from the winter of 2005-2006. Smoking prevalence decreased from 2004 to 2006 by 7.3%, from 26.2% to 24.3%. PMID- 17804472 TI - Up-to-date monitoring of childhood cancer long-term survival in Europe: tumours of the sympathetic nervous system, retinoblastoma, renal and bone tumours, and soft tissue sarcomas. AB - BACKGROUND: Prognosis for most types of childhood tumours has improved during the last few decades. In this article we estimate up-to-date period survival for less common, but important childhood malignancies in Europe. METHODS: Using the database of the Automated Childhood Cancer Information System we calculated period estimates of 10-year survival for the 1995-1999 period for children aged 0 14 years diagnosed during 1985-1999 with tumours of the sympathetic nervous system (NS), retinoblastoma, renal tumours, bone tumours and soft tissue sarcomas in four European regions. RESULTS: Ten-year period survival for 1995-1999 was 66% in children with tumours of the sympathetic NS, 96% for retinoblastoma, 87% for renal tumours, 58% for bone tumours and 61% for soft tissue sarcomas. The higher period estimates, as compared with cohort and complete estimates indicate recent improvement in survival for tumours of the sympathetic NS and to a lesser extent for retinoblastoma and renal tumours. Region-specific period survival estimates were lowest for Eastern Europe for renal, bone and soft tissue tumours, but not for the other two tumour groups. CONCLUSION: There have been further improvements in the 1990s in long-term survival of children diagnosed with several malignancies, albeit to a different extent in different European regions. PMID- 17804473 TI - Expression patterns and predictive value of phosphorylated AKT in early-stage breast cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: AKT phosphorylation is a critical step in the activation of growth factor receptors and can mediate tumor resistance to anthracyclines. We evaluated the expression patterns and predictive value of phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) in breast cancer tissues. PATIENTS AND METHODS: pAKT expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 823 tumors from patients with early breast cancer enrolled in two randomized trials. The distribution of pAKT expression was correlated with HER2 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. The predictive value of pAKT for the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy was determined by test for interaction. RESULTS: pAKT, EGFR, and HER2 were expressed in 119 of 781 (15%), 118 of 758 (16%), and 99 of 775 (13%) assessable tumors. Staining was positive for pAKT in 28 of 99 (28%) and 90 of 676 (13%) HER2+ and HER2- tumors (P < 0.001). pAKT was expressed in 15 of 94 (16%) and 75 of 563 (13%) HER2-/EGFR+ and HER2-/EGFR- tumors, respectively (P = 0.49). A positive staining for pAKT did not correlate with prognosis (P = 0.94), and did not predict the resistance to anthracyclines (test for interaction, P = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: AKT phosphorylation is associated with HER2 expression but not EGFR expression in patients with early breast cancer. pAKT is not predictive for the efficacy of anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy. PMID- 17804474 TI - How common is familial cancer? AB - BACKGROUND: Family history of a disease may point to its heritable or environmental etiology. It can be described by the proportion of the familial disease, i.e. same disease in two or more family members. A family history always needs to be specified as to the number of generations covered and their ages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Proportions of site-specific familial cancers (familial proportions) were calculated using the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, the largest dataset of its kind in the world, with cancers from the Swedish Cancer Registry. Familial proportions refer to the offspring population up to age 72 years when their parents or siblings were diagnosed with a concordant (same) cancer. RESULTS: A total of 34 cancer sites and 205 638 cases were covered. Prostate cancer showed the highest familial proportion of 20.15%, followed by breast (13.58%) and colorectal (12.80%) cancers. Salivary gland cancers showed the lowest familial proportion of 0.15%, but bone, laryngeal, anal, connective tissue and other genital cancers also remained <1%. The familial proportion depended on the prevalence of the particular cancer and on its familial risk. CONCLUSIONS: The derived familial proportions can justifiably be used in statements 'X% of the patients had a family history of the cancer'. PMID- 17804475 TI - A retrospective study assessing the incidence, risk factors and comorbidities of pamidronate-related necrosis of the jaws in multiple myeloma patients. AB - BACKGROUND: Bone necrosis of the jaws is a newly recognized complication associated with the use of bisphosphonates. The true incidence of this complication is unknown and the pathophysiology is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of jaw necrosis among a homogeneous population of multiple myeloma patients receiving the bisphosphonate pamidronate, to investigate risk factors and comorbidities that increase the risk and to characterize the radiographic changes on conventional dental radiographs in terms of type and frequency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective review of medical and dental charts and databases in the medical oncology and dental departments at Princess Margaret Hospital, a tertiary cancer centre in Toronto. Two patient sample sizes were used, n = 655 for assessment of the incidence and n = 120 for analysis of the risk factors and comorbidities. RESULTS: The incidence was estimated at 3.2% (95% confidence interval). The following risk factors were found to be statistically significant: longer duration of pamidronate therapy (P < 0.001), dental extractions (P < 0.001), cyclophosphamide therapy (P < 0.014), prednisone therapy (P < 0.014), erythropoietin therapy (P = 0.006), low hemoglobin levels (P < 0.001), renal dialysis (P < 0.016) and advanced age (P < 0.001). Radiographic changes produced by the necrotic bone were less evident than the clinically exposed bone. PMID- 17804476 TI - Cancer treatment-induced alterations in muscular fitness and quality of life: the role of exercise training. AB - BACKGROUND: Cancer survivors experience muscular weakness and reduced mobility, thereby compromising quality of life. This investigation utilized moderate prescriptive exercise to improve upper- and lower-body muscular fitness, flexibility, depression and quality of life in cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five breast and prostate cancer survivors received cancer and medical history screening and a medical examination, as well as assessments of muscular strength (handgrip dynamometer) and endurance (bench press, lateral pull-down, leg press, shoulder press and curl-up crunch test), flexibility (Modified Sit and Reach), depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and quality of life (Quality of Life Index). Following the exercise assessments, cancer survivors trained in resistance exercise for 6 months during treatment or following treatment based on their results from the assessments and health status. RESULTS: Cancer survivors following treatment showed significant (P = 0.006) improvements in upper-body muscular endurance (+46.8%), lower-body muscular endurance (+67.1%), core muscular endurance (+32.5%) and flexibility (+6.2%), with concomitant improvements (P = 0.013) in depression (-25.6%) and total quality of life (+7.2%). Cancer survivors during treatment showed significant (P = 0.012) improvements in upper-body muscular endurance (+79.1%) and lower-body muscular endurance (+49.7%) while maintaining core endurance and flexibility in conjunction with improvements (P = 0.022) in depression (-43.0%) and quality of life (+11.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate-intensity individualized prescriptive exercise is a safe and efficacious means to augment muscular function and improve the quality of life of cancer survivors. PMID- 17804477 TI - Requestioning depression in patients with cancer: contribution of somatic and affective symptoms to Beck's Depression Inventory. AB - BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are a major complaint reported by cancer patients. Somatic and affective symptoms can contribute to depression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of somatic and affective depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in 213 hospitalized cancer patients prior to the start of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Seventeen of 213 patients (8%) were screened positive for major depression; 40 (19%) had mild to moderate depressive symptoms. The corresponding figures for somatic and affective symptoms were 33.3% and 2.8% in the patients with major depression and 23.0% and 8.0% in those with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Female patients, patients with solid tumour and those with functional limitations had significantly higher mean scores. All differences were related to higher scores in somatic and not in affective items. CONCLUSIONS: Most alterations in the BDI in cancer patients are related to somatic and not to affective symptoms and may be attributed not to depression but to severity of the underlying disease. PMID- 17804478 TI - Bloodstream infections in neutropenic patients: early detection of pathogens and directed antimicrobial therapy due to surveillance blood cultures. AB - Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are frequent infectious complications in neutropenic patients. In order to determine the efficacy of surveillance blood cultures (BCs) to detect BSIs prior to clinical manifestation we performed a prospective trial. One hundred patients with haematological malignancies and long term neutropenia following intensive cytotoxic therapies were recruited. BCs were taken thrice weekly during neutropenia. Forty-two patients were diagnosed with BSI. In 18 (43%) of those patients surveillance BC results were positive and identified microorganisms prior to onset of fever. In patients with positive surveillance BCs modification of the clinical management (specific antimicrobial therapy, CVC removal) resulted in a shorter time to defervescence (median 1.5 days) compared with patients with BCs positive after onset of fever (median 3.5 days, P = 0.004). In conclusion we detected causative microorganisms in more than one-third of BSIs prior to onset of clinical manifestation. The impact of surveillance BCs on the outcome has to be assessed in randomized studies. PMID- 17804480 TI - Temperature response of photosynthesis in transgenic rice transformed with 'sense' or 'antisense' rbcS. AB - The responses of chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange rate and Rubisco activation state to temperature were examined in transgenic rice plants with 130 and 35% of the wild-type (WT) Rubisco content by transformation with rbcS cDNA in sense and antisense orientations, respectively. Although the optimal temperatures of PSII quantum efficiency and CO(2) assimilation were found to be between 25 and 32 degrees C, the maximal activation state of Rubisco was found to be between 16 and 20 degrees C in all genotypes. The Rubisco flux control coefficient was also the highest between 16 and 20 degrees C in the WT and antisense lines [>0.88 at an intercellular CO(2) pressure (Ci) of 28 Pa]. Gross photosynthesis at Ci = 28 Pa per Rubisco content in the WT between 12 and 20 degrees C was close to that of the antisense lines where high Rubisco control is present. Thus, Rubisco activity most strongly limited photosynthesis at cool temperatures. These results indicated that a selective enhancement of Rubisco content can enhance photosynthesis at cool temperatures, but in the sense line with enhanced Rubisco content Pi regeneration limitation occurred. Above 20 degrees C, the Rubisco flux control coefficient declined. This decline was associated with a decline in Rubisco activation. The activation state of Rubisco measured at each temperature decreased with increasing Rubisco content, and the slope of activation to Rubisco content was independent of temperature. We discuss the possibility that the decline in Rubisco activation at intermediate and high temperatures is part of a regulated response to a limitation in other photosynthetic processes. PMID- 17804479 TI - Cognitive control, goal maintenance, and prefrontal function in healthy aging. AB - Cognitive control impairments in healthy older adults may partly reflect disturbances in the ability to actively maintain goal-relevant information, a function that depends on the engagement of lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). In 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, healthy young and older adults performed versions of a task in which contextual cues provide goal-relevant information used to bias processing of subsequent ambiguous probes. In Study 1, a blocked design and manipulation of the cue-probe delay interval revealed a generalized pattern of enhanced task-related brain activity in older adults but combined with a specific delay-related reduction of activity in lateral PFC regions. In Study 2, a combined blocked/event-related design revealed enhanced sustained (i.e., across-trial) activity but a reduction in transient trial related activation in lateral PFC among older adults. Further analyses of within trial activity dynamics indicated that, within these and other lateral PFC regions, older adults showed reduced activation during the cue and delay period but increased activation at the time of the probe, particularly on high interference trials. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that age related impairments in goal maintenance abilities cause a compensatory shift in older adults from a proactive (seen in young adults) to a reactive cognitive control strategy. PMID- 17804481 TI - AtNUDX1, an 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase, is responsible for eliminating oxidized nucleotides in Arabidopsis. AB - Cellular DNA, RNA and their precursor nucleotides are at high risk of being oxidized by reactive oxygen species. An oxidized base, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2' (deoxy)guanosine, can pair with both adenine and cytosine, and thus would cause both replicational and translational errors. Previously, we have reported that an Arabidopsis Nudix hydrolase, AtNUDX1, acts to hydrolyze an oxidized deoxyribonucleotide, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate (8-oxo dGTP). Here we showed that 8-oxo-dGTP pyrophosphohydrolase activity is not exhibited by any other Arabidopsis Nudix hydrolase. AtNUDX1 acted on an oxidized ribonucleotide, 8-oxo-GTP, with high affinity (K(m) 28.1 microM). In a transcriptional mutational analysis using the lacZ reporter gene, the phenotypic suppression of the lacZ amber mutation in a mutT-deficient Escherichia coli strain caused by the misincorporation of 8-oxo-GTP into the mRNA was significantly diminished by expression of AtNUDX1. These findings suggest that AtNUDX1 prevents transcriptional errors in vivo. A confocal microscopic analysis using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein demonstrated that AtNUDX1 is distributed in the cytosol, where the main pool of nucleotides in the cells exists. The level of 8-oxo-guanosine in genomic DNA was significantly increased in knockout nudx1 plants compared with wild-type plants under normal and oxidative stress (3 microM paraquat) conditions. The results obtained here indicate that AtNUDX1 functions in cellular defense against oxidative DNA and RNA damage through the sanitization of their precursor pools in the cytosol in Arabidopsis cells. PMID- 17804482 TI - Aldosterone-induced increases in superoxide production counters nitric oxide inhibition of epithelial Na channel activity in A6 distal nephron cells. AB - Oxygen radicals play an important role in signal transduction and have been shown to influence epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity. We show that aldosterone, the principal hormone regulating renal ENaC activity, increases superoxide (O2*) production in A6 distal nephron cells. Aldosterone (50 nM to 1.5 microM) induced increases in dihydroethidium fluorescence in a dose-dependent manner in confluent A6 epithelial cells. Using single-channel measurements, we showed that sequestering endogenous O2* (with the O2* scavenger 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl) significantly decreased ENaC open probability from 0.10 +/- 0.03 to 0.03 +/- 0.01. We also found that increasing endogenous O2* in A6 cells, by applying a superoxide dismutase inhibitor, prevented nitric oxide (NO) inhibition of ENaC activity. ENaC open probability values did not significantly change from control values (0.23 +/- 0.05) after superoxide dismutase and 1.5 microM NO coincubation (0.21 +/- 0.04). We report that xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine compounds increase local concentrations of O2* by approximately 30%; with this mix, an increase in ENaC number of channels times the open probability (from 0.1 to 0.3) can be achieved in a cell-attached patch. Our data also suggest that O2* alters NO activity in a cGMP-independent mechanism, since pretreating A6 cells with ODQ compound (a selective inhibitor of NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase) failed to block 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl inhibition of ENaC activity. PMID- 17804483 TI - Interference with TGF-beta signaling by Smad3-knockout in mice limits diabetic glomerulosclerosis without affecting albuminuria. AB - Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta plays a critical role in diabetic nephropathy. To isolate the contribution of one of the signaling pathways of TGF beta, the Smad3 gene in the mouse was knocked out at exons 2 and 3, and the effect was studied in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes over a period of 6 wk. TGF-beta activity was increased in the diabetic mice but was not able to signal via Smad3 in the knockout (KO) mice. As expected in the wild type, the kidneys of the STZ-diabetic mice showed both structural and functional defects that are characteristic of diabetic renal involvement. In the Smad3-KO mice, however, the defects that were improved were renal hypertrophy, mesangial matrix expansion, fibronectin overproduction, glomerular basement membrane thickening, plasma creatinine, and the blood urea nitrogen. The parameters not significantly altered by the Smad3-KO were albuminuria, reduction in podocyte slit pore density, and the increase in vascular endothelial growth factor abundance and activity. It seems that the absence of Smad3 modifies the natural course of murine diabetic nephropathy, providing renal functional protection and preventing structural lesions relating to kidney hypertrophy and matrix accumulation, even though albuminuria and changes in podocyte morphology persist. In conclusion, the effects of the Smad3-KO mirror the effects of anti-TGF-beta therapy in diabetes, suggesting that the chief component of TGF-beta signaling that is relevant to kidney disease is the Smad3 pathway. PMID- 17804484 TI - Genetic analysis of albuminuria in a cross between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. AB - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing medical problem and a significant risk factor for the development of end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular mortality. The genetic basis of CKD is recognized, but knowledge of the specific genes that contribute to the onset and progression of kidney disease is limited, mainly because of the difficulty and expense of identifying genes underlying CKD in humans. Results from genetic studies of CKD in rodents often correspond to findings in humans; therefore, we used quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis to detect genomic regions affecting albuminuria in a cross between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, strains resistant and susceptible to CKD, respectively. We identified several independent and interacting loci affecting albuminuria, including one QTL on mouse chromosome (Chr) 2 that is concordant with QTL influencing urinary albumin excretion on rat Chr 3 and diabetic nephropathy on human Chr 20p. Because this QTL was identified in multiple mouse crosses, as well as in rats and in humans, we used comparative genomics, haplotype analysis, and expression profiling to narrow the initial QTL interval from 386 genes to 10 genes with known coding sequence polymorphisms or expression differences between the strains. These results support the continued use of multiple cross-mapping and cross-species comparisons to further our understanding of the genetic basis of kidney disease. PMID- 17804485 TI - Renal and cardiac neuropeptide Y and NPY receptors in a rat model of congestive heart failure. AB - Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is coreleased with norepinephrine and stimulates vasoconstriction, vascular and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via Y1 receptors (R) and angiogenesis via Y2R. Although circulating NPY is elevated in heart failure, NPY's role remains unclear. Activation of the NPY system was determined in Wistar rats with the aortocaval (A-V) fistula model of high-output heart failure. Plasma NPY levels were elevated in A-V fistula animals (115.7 +/- 15.3 vs. 63.1 +/- 17.4 pM in sham, P < 0.04). Animals either compensated [urinary Na(+) excretion returning to normal with moderate disease (COMP)] or remained decompensated with severe cardiac and renal failure (urinary Na(+) excretion <0.5 meq/day), increased heart weight, decreased mean arterial pressure and renal blood flow (RBF), and death within 5-7 days (DECOMP). Cardiac and renal tissue NPY decreased with heart failure, proportionate to the severity of renal complications. Cardiac and renal Y1R mRNA expression also decreased (1.5-fold, P < 0.005) in rats with heart failure. In contrast, Y2R expression increased up to 72-fold in the heart and 5.7-fold in the kidney (P < 0.001) proportionate to severity of heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy. Changes in receptor expression were confirmed since the Y1R agonist, [Leu31, Pro34]-NPY, had no effect on RBF, whereas the Y2R agonist (13-36)-NPY increased RBF to compensate for disease. Thus, in this model of heart failure, cardiac and renal NPY Y1 receptors decrease and Y2 receptors increase, suggesting an increased effect of NPY on the receptors involved in cardiac remodeling and angiogenesis, and highlighting an important regulatory role of NPY in congestive heart failure. PMID- 17804486 TI - Evidence for restriction of fluid and solute movement across the glomerular capillary wall by the subpodocyte space. AB - The glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) is generally considered to consist of three layers: fenestrated glomerular endothelium, glomerular basement membrane, and filtration slits between adjacent podocyte foot processes. Detailed anatomic examination of the GFB has revealed a novel abluminal structure, the subpodocyte space (SPS), identified as the labyrinthine space between the underside of podocyte cell body/primary processes and the foot processes. The SPS covers 50 65% of the filtration surface of the GFB, indicating that SPS may influence glomerular permeability. We have examined the contribution of the SPS to the permeability characteristics of the GFB using multiphoton microscopy techniques in isolated, perfused glomeruli and in the intact kidney in vivo. SPS were identified using this technique, with comparable dimensions to SPS examined with electron microscopy. The passage of the intermediate-weight molecule rhodamine conjugated 10-kDa dextran, but not the low-weight molecule lucifer yellow ( approximately 450 Da), accumulated in SPS-covered regions of the GFB, compared with GFB regions not covered by SPS ("naked regions"). Net lucifer yellow flux (taken to indicate fluid flux) through identifiable SPS regions was calculated to be 66-75% of that occurring through naked regions. These observations indicate both ultrafiltration and hydraulic resistance imparted by the SPS, demonstrating the potential physiological contribution of the SPS to glomerular permeability. PMID- 17804487 TI - BMP7 is a podocyte survival factor and rescues podocytes from diabetic injury. AB - In early diabetic renal injury, there is podocyte drop-out (but no decrease in the number of other glomerular cells) which is thought to cause glomerular proteinuria and subsequent diabetic glomerular injury. We tested the hypothesis that early diabetic podocyte injury is caused, in part, by downregulation of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7) and loss of its autocrine function in murine podocytes. High glucose (HG; 25 mM) induces rounding of differentiated podocytes and changes in the distribution of F-actin but without quantitative changes in E cadherin and the podocyte markers podocin, CD2AP, Neph1, or synaptopodin. HG reduces BMP7 secretion and activity but does not affect BMP receptor levels in murine podocytes. In these cells, BMP7 effectively activates smad5 (but not smad1) and raises p38 phosphorylation [which is also increased by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)]. HG as well as TGF-beta raise caspase-3 activity, increase apoptosis, and reduce cell survival which is, in part, blocked by BMP7. Knockdown and forced expression studies indicate that smad5 is required as well as sufficient for these actions of BMP7. These findings indicate that BMP7 is a differentiation and survival factor for podocytes, requires smad5, and can reduce diabetic podocyte injury. PMID- 17804488 TI - Rac1 is required for reorientation of polarity and lumen formation through a PI 3 kinase-dependent pathway. AB - Epithelial cells are characterized by the ability to form sheets of cells that surround fluid-filled lumens. Cells in these sheets exhibit a characteristic subcellular polarity, with an apical pole that faces the lumen and a basolateral pole that is in contact with other cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). To investigate the signaling events required for polarization and lumen formation, we have taken advantage of the ability of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells to dynamically remodel their polarity in response to changes in ECM cues. When MDCK cells are grown in suspension culture, they form multicellular "inside-out" cysts with apical proteins found on the peripheral surface and basolateral markers on the interior surface. When these inside-out cysts are embedded in ECM, they rapidly reorient their polarity: apical proteins become localized to the inside surface, and basolateral proteins are found on the surface that contacts ECM. Here we have characterized the signaling requirements for these early molecular reorientation events. Specifically, expression of a dominant-negative form of Rac1 (DN-Rac1) blocks the reorientation of polarity. Phosphoinositide 3' kinase is required for apical membrane protein remodeling from the initial apical membrane surface. Cells expressing DN-Rac1 fail to detectably activate the PI 3 kinase/protein kinase B pathway. Last, we found that atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) is also required for reorientation of polarity, since an inhibitor of atypical PKC blocks reorientation. This effect cannot be overcome by constitutively active Rac1, demonstrating that both Rac1 and atypical PKC are required for reorientation of cellular polarity. PMID- 17804489 TI - Human papillomavirus E6 regulates the cytoskeleton dynamics of keratinocytes through targeted degradation of p53. AB - The attachment and spreading of keratinocyte cells result from interactions between integrins and immobilized extracellular matrix molecules. Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E6 augmented the kinetics of cell spreading, while E6 genes from HPV-11 or bovine papillomavirus type 1 did not. The ability of E6 to interact with the E6AP ubiquitin ligase and target p53 degradation was required to augment cell-spreading kinetics; dominant negative p53 alleles also enhanced the kinetics of cell spreading and the level of attachment of cells to hydrophobic surfaces. The targeted degradation of p53 by E6 may contribute to the invasive phenotype exhibited by cervical cells that contain high-risk HPV types. PMID- 17804490 TI - Claudin-6 and claudin-9 function as additional coreceptors for hepatitis C virus. AB - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global challenge to public health. Several factors have been proven to be critical for HCV entry, including the newly identified claudin-1 (CLDN1). However, the mechanism of HCV entry is still obscure. Presently, among the 20 members of the claudin family identified in humans so far, CLDN1 has been the only member shown to be necessary for HCV entry. Recently, we discovered that Bel7402, an HCV-permissive cell line, does not express CLDN1 but expresses other members of claudin family. Among these claudins, CLDN9 was able to mediate HCV entry just as efficiently as CLDN1. We then examined if other members of the claudin family could mediate entry. We show that CLDN6 and CLDN9, but not CLDN2, CLDN3, CLDN4, CLDN7, CLDN11, CLDN12, CLDN15, CLDN17, and CLDN23, were able to mediate the entry of HCV into target cells. We found that CLDN6 and CLDN9 are expressed in the liver, the primary site of HCV replication. We also showed that CLDN6 and CLDN9, but not CLDN1, are expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, an additional site of HCV replication. Through sequence comparison and mutagenesis studies, we show that residues N38 and V45 in the first extracellular loop (EL1) of CLDN9 are necessary for HCV entry. PMID- 17804491 TI - Novel TRIM5 isoforms expressed by Macaca nemestrina. AB - The TRIM5 family of proteins contains a RING domain, one or two B boxes, and a coiled-coil domain. The TRIM5alpha isoform also encodes a C-terminal B30.2(SPRY) domain, differences within which define the breadth and potency of TRIM5alpha mediated retroviral restriction. Because Macaca nemestrina animals are susceptible to some human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolates, we sought to determine if differences exist in the TRIM5 gene and transcripts of these animals. We identified a two-nucleotide deletion (Delta2) in the transcript at the 5' terminus of exon 7 in all M. nemestrina TRIM5 cDNA clones examined. This frameshift results in a truncated protein of 300 amino acids lacking the B30.2(SPRY) domain, which we have named TRIM5theta. This deletion is likely due to a single nucleotide polymorphism that alters the 3' splice site between intron 6 and exon 7. In some clones, a deletion of the entire 27-nucleotide exon 7 (Deltaexon7) resulted in the restoration of the TRIM5 open reading frame and the generation of another novel isoform, TRIM5eta. There are 18 amino acid differences between M. nemestrina TRIM5eta and Macaca mulatta TRIM5alpha, some of which are at or near locations previously shown to affect the breadth and potency of TRIM5alpha-mediated restriction. Infectivity assays performed on permissive CrFK cells stably transduced with TRIM5eta or TRIM5theta show that these isoforms are incapable of restricting either HIV type 1 (HIV-1) or simian immunodeficiency virus infection. The expression of TRIM5 alleles incapable of restricting HIV-1 infection may contribute to the previously reported increased susceptibility of M. nemestrina to HIV-1 infection in vivo. PMID- 17804492 TI - Ternary complex formation on the adenovirus packaging sequence by the IVa2 and L4 22-kilodalton proteins. AB - Assembly of infectious adenovirus particles requires seven functionally redundant elements at the left end of the genome, termed A repeats, that direct packaging of the DNA. Previous studies revealed that the viral IVa2 protein alone interacts with specific sequences in the A repeats but that additional IVa2-containing complexes observed during infection require the viral L4 22-kDa protein. In this report, we purified a recombinant form of the 22-kDa protein to characterize its DNA binding properties. In electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses, the 22 kDa protein alone did not interact with the A repeats but it did form complexes on them in the presence of the IVa2 protein. These complexes were identical to those seen in extracts from infected cells and had the same DNA sequence dependence. Furthermore, we provide data that the 22-kDa protein enhances binding of the IVa2 protein to the A repeats and that multiple binding sites in the packaging sequence augment this activity. These data support a cooperative role of the IVa2 and 22-kDa proteins in packaging and assembly. PMID- 17804493 TI - Modification of cellular autophagy protein LC3 by poliovirus. AB - Poliovirus infection remodels intracellular membranes, creating a large number of membranous vesicles on which viral RNA replication occurs. Poliovirus-induced vesicles display hallmarks of cellular autophagosomes, including delimiting double membranes surrounding the cytosolic lumen, acquisition of the endosomal marker LAMP-1, and recruitment of the 18-kDa host protein LC3. Autophagy results in the covalent lipidation of LC3, conferring the property of membrane association to this previously microtubule-associated protein and providing a biochemical marker for the induction of autophagy. Here, we report that a similar modification of LC3 occurs both during poliovirus infection and following expression of a single viral protein, a stable precursor termed 2BC. Therefore, one of the early steps in cellular autophagy, LC3 modification, can be genetically separated from the induction of double-membraned vesicles that contain the modified LC3, which requires both viral proteins 2BC and 3A. The existence of viral inducers that promote a distinct aspect of the formation of autophagosome-like membranes both facilitates the dissection of this cellular process and supports the hypothesis that this branch of the innate immune response is directly subverted by poliovirus. PMID- 17804494 TI - Escape from the dominant HLA-B27-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response in Gag is associated with a dramatic reduction in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication. AB - Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-positive subjects are uncommon in their ability to control infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). However, late viral escape from a narrowly directed immunodominant Gag-specific CD8(+) T lymphocyte (CTL) response has been linked to AIDS progression in these individuals. Identifying the mechanism of the immune-mediated control may provide critical insights into HIV-1 vaccine development. Here, we illustrate that the CTL escape mutation R(264)K in the HLA-B27-restricted KK10 epitope in the capsid resulted in a significant defect in viral replication in vitro. The R(264)K variant was impaired in generating late reverse transcription products, indicating that replication was blocked at a postentry step. Notably, the R(264)K mutation was associated in vivo with the development of a rare secondary mutation, S(173)A, which restored viral replication in vitro. Furthermore, infectivity of the R(264)K variant was rescued by the addition of cyclosporine A or infection of a cyclophilin A-deficient cell line. These data demonstrate a severe functional defect imposed by the R(264)K mutation during an early step in viral replication that is likely due to the inability of this variant to replicate efficiently in the presence of normal levels of cyclophilin A. We conclude that the impact of the R(264)K substitution on capsid structure constrains viral escape and enables long-term maintenance of the dominant CTL response against B27-KK10, providing an explanation for the protective effect of HLA-B27 during HIV infection. PMID- 17804495 TI - A single-amino-acid substitution in the P2 domain of VP1 of murine norovirus is sufficient for escape from antibody neutralization. AB - Noroviruses cause epidemic outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide, and the number of reported outbreaks is increasing. Human norovirus strains do not grow in cell culture. However, murine norovirus (MNV) replicates in the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line and thus provides a tractable model to investigate norovirus interactions with host cells. Epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the human norovirus strains Norwalk virus and Snow Mountain virus (SMV) identified regions in the P domain of major capsid protein VP1 important for interactions with putative cellular receptors. To determine if there was a relationship between domains of MNV VP1 and VP1 of human norovirus strains involved in cell binding, epitope mapping by phage display was performed with an MNV-1-neutralizing MAb, A6.2.1. A consensus peptide, GWWEDHGQL, was derived from 20 third-round phage clones. A synthetic peptide containing this sequence and constrained through a disulfide linkage reacted strongly with the A6.2.1 MAb, whereas the linear sequence did not. Four residues in the A6.2.1 selected peptide, G327, G333, Q334, and L335, aligned with amino acid residues in the P2 domain of MNV-1 VP1. This sequence is immediately adjacent to the epitope recognized by anti-SMV MAb 61.21. Neutralization escape mutants selected with MAb A6.2.1 contained a leucine-to-phenylalanine substitution at position 386 in the P2 domain. The predicted location of these residues on VP1 suggests that the phage peptide and the mutation in the neutralization-resistant viruses may be in close proximity to each other and to residues reported to be important for carbohydrate binding to VP1 of human norovirus strains. PMID- 17804496 TI - Crystallographic and biochemical analysis of rotavirus NSP2 with nucleotides reveals a nucleoside diphosphate kinase-like activity. AB - Rotavirus, the major pathogen of infantile gastroenteritis, carries a nonstructural protein, NSP2, essential for viroplasm formation and genome replication/packaging. In addition to RNA-binding and helix-destabilizing properties, NSP2 exhibits nucleoside triphosphatase activity. A conserved histidine (H225) functions as the catalytic residue for this enzymatic activity, and mutation of this residue abrogates genomic double-stranded RNA synthesis without affecting viroplasm formation. To understand the structural basis of the phosphatase activity of NSP2, we performed crystallographic analyses of native NSP2 and a functionally defective H225A mutant in the presence of nucleotides. These studies showed that nucleotides bind inside a cleft between the two domains of NSP2 in a region that exhibits structural similarity to ubiquitous cellular HIT (histidine triad) proteins. Only minor conformational alterations were observed in the cleft upon nucleotide binding and hydrolysis. This hydrolysis involved the formation of a stable phosphohistidine intermediate. These observations, reminiscent of cellular nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases, prompted us to investigate whether NSP2 exhibits phosphoryl-transfer activity. Bioluminometric assay showed that NSP2 exhibits an NDP kinase-like activity that transfers the bound phosphate to NDPs. However, NSP2 is distinct from the highly conserved cellular NDP kinases in both its structure and catalytic mechanism, thus making NSP2 a potential target for antiviral drug design. With structural similarities to HIT proteins, which are not known to exhibit NDP kinase activity, NSP2 represents a unique example among structure-activity relationships. The newly observed phosphoryl-transfer activity of NSP2 may be utilized for homeostasis of nucleotide pools in viroplasms during genome replication. PMID- 17804497 TI - Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 concerted integration by strand transfer inhibitors which recognize a transient structural intermediate. AB - Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) inserts the viral DNA genome into host chromosomes. Here, by native agarose gel electrophoresis, using recombinant IN with a blunt-ended viral DNA substrate, we identified the synaptic complex (SC), a transient early intermediate in the integration pathway. The SC consists of two donor ends juxtaposed by IN noncovalently. The DNA ends within the SC were minimally processed (~15%). In a time-dependent manner, the SC associated with target DNA and progressed to the strand transfer complex (STC), the nucleoprotein product of concerted integration. In the STC, the two viral DNA ends are covalently attached to target and remain associated with IN. The diketo acid inhibitors and their analogs effectively inhibit HIV-1 replication by preventing integration in vivo. Strand transfer inhibitors L-870,810, L-870,812, and L-841,411, at low nM concentrations, effectively inhibited the concerted integration of viral DNA donor in vitro. The inhibitors, in a concentration dependent manner, bound to IN within the SC and thereby blocked the docking onto target DNA, which thus prevented the formation of the STC. Although 3'-OH recessed donor efficiently formed the STC, reactions proceeding with this substrate exhibited marked resistance to the presence of inhibitor, requiring significantly higher concentrations for effective inhibition of all strand transfer products. These results suggest that binding of inhibitor to the SC occurs prior to, during, or immediately after 3'-OH processing. It follows that the IN-viral DNA complex is "trapped" by the strand transfer inhibitors via a transient intermediate within the cytoplasmic preintegration complex. PMID- 17804498 TI - Interaction of decay-accelerating factor with coxsackievirus B3. AB - Many entero-, parecho-, and rhinoviruses use immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptors that bind into the viral canyon and are required to initiate viral uncoating during infection. However, some of these viruses use an alternative or additional receptor that binds outside the canyon. Both the coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor (CAR), an Ig-like molecule that binds into the viral canyon, and decay accelerating factor (DAF) have been identified as cellular receptors for coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). A cryoelectron microscopy reconstruction of a variant of CVB3 complexed with DAF shows full occupancy of the DAF receptor in each of 60 binding sites. The DAF molecule bridges the canyon, blocking the CAR binding site and causing the two receptors to compete with one another. The binding site of DAF on CVB3 differs from the binding site of DAF on the surface of echoviruses, suggesting independent evolutionary processes. PMID- 17804499 TI - Characterization of the intracellular deproteinized relaxed circular DNA of hepatitis B virus: an intermediate of covalently closed circular DNA formation. AB - Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is formed by conversion of capsid-associated relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) via unknown mechanisms and exists in the nucleus of the infected hepatocyte as a minichromosome that serves as the transcription template for viral RNAs. To study the molecular pathway of cccDNA formation and its regulation by viral and cellular factors, we have established a cell line that supports the replication of an envelope protein-deficient HBV genome in a tetracycline-inducible manner. Following induction of HBV replication, the cells accumulate higher levels of cccDNA as well as larger amounts of deproteinized rcDNA (DP-rcDNA) than cells that replicate wild-type HBV genomes. These results indicate that HBV envelope proteins negatively regulate cccDNA formation, and conversion of DP-rcDNA into cccDNA is a rate-limiting step of cccDNA formation in HepG2 cells. Detailed analyses reveal the following: (i) DP-rcDNA exists in both cytoplasm and nucleus; (ii) while nuclear DP-rcDNA is sensitive to DNase I digestion, a small fraction of cytoplasmic DP-rcDNA is DNase I resistant; (iii) both DNase I-sensitive and resistant cytoplasmic DP-rcDNAs cosediment with capsids and can be immunoprecipitated with HBV core antibody; and (iv) a primer extension assay maps the 5' end of the minus strand of DP-rcDNA at the authentic end of virion rcDNA. Hence, our results favor a hypothesis that the removal of viral polymerase protein covalently linked to the 5' end of the minus-strand DNA occurs inside the capsid in the cytoplasm and most possibly via a reaction that cleaves the phosphodiester bond between the tyrosine of the polymerase and the 5' phosphoryl group of minus-strand DNA. PMID- 17804500 TI - Viral encounters with 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase and RNase L during the interferon antiviral response. PMID- 17804501 TI - Herpes simplex virus remodels T-cell receptor signaling, resulting in p38 dependent selective synthesis of interleukin-10. AB - Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific T cells are essential for viral clearance. However, T cells do not prevent HSV latent infection or reactivation, suggesting that HSV has the potential to modulate T-cell function. T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation is a potent and specific means of activating T cells. To investigate how HSV affects T-cell function, we have analyzed how HSV affects TCR-stimulated intracellular signaling and cytokine synthesis in mock-infected and HSV-infected T cells. Mock-infected T cells stimulated through the TCR synthesized a broad range of cytokines that included the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha, gamma interferon, and interleukin-2. In contrast, HSV-infected T cells stimulated through the TCR selectively synthesized interleukin-10, a cytokine that suppresses cellular immunity and favors viral replication. To achieve selective interleukin-10 synthesis, HSV differentially affected TCR signaling pathways. HSV inhibited TCR-stimulated formation of the linker for activation of the T-cell signaling complex, and HSV inhibited TCR-stimulated NF kappaB activation. At the same time, HSV activated the p38 and JNK mitogen activated protein kinases as well as the downstream transcription factors ATF-2 and c-Jun. HSV did not inhibit TCR-stimulated activation of STAT3, a transcription factor involved in interleukin-10 synthesis. The activation of p38 was required for interleukin-10 synthesis in HSV-infected T cells. The ability of HSV to differentially target intracellular signaling pathways and transform an activating stimulus into an immunosuppressive response represents a novel strategy for pathogen-mediated immune modulation. Selective, TCR-stimulated interleukin-10 synthesis may play an important role in HSV pathogenesis. PMID- 17804502 TI - Interactions between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and vaccinia virus in human lymphoid tissue ex vivo. AB - Vaccinia virus (VACV) has been attracting attention recently not only as a vector for various vaccines but also as an immunization tool against smallpox because of its potential use as a bioterrorism agent. It has become evident that in spite of a long history of studies of VACV, its tissue pathogenesis remains to be fully understood. Here, we investigated the pathogenesis of VACV and its interactions with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the context of human lymphoid tissues. We found that ex vivo-cultured tonsillar tissue supports productive infection by the New York City Board of Health strain, the VACV strain of the Dryvax vaccine. VACV readily infected both T and non-T (B) lymphocytes and depleted cells of both of these subsets equally over a 12-day period postinfection. Among T lymphocytes, CD8(+) cells are preferentially depleted in accordance with their preferential infection: the probability that a CD8(+) T cell will be productively infected is almost six times higher than for a CD4(+) T cell. T cells expressing CCR5 and the activation markers CD25, CD38, and HLA-DR are other major targets for infection by VACV in lymphoid tissue. As a consequence, VACV predominantly inhibits the replication of the R5(SF162) phenotype of HIV-1 in coinfected tissues, as R5-tropic HIV-1 requires activated CCR5(+) CD4(+) cells for productive infection. Human lymphoid tissue infected ex vivo by VACV can be used to investigate interactions of VACV with other viruses, in particular HIV-1, and to evaluate various VACV vectors for the purpose of recombinant vaccine development. PMID- 17804503 TI - Random T-cell receptor recruitment in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) specific CD8+ T cells from genetically identical twins infected with the same HIV 1 strain. AB - Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cytotoxic T-lymphocyte escape mutations represent both a major reason for loss of HIV immune control and a considerable challenge for HIV-1 vaccine design. Previous data suggest that initial HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses are determined largely by viral and host genetics, but the mechanisms influencing the subsequent viral evolution are unclear. Here, we show a random recruitment of T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta clonotypes of the initial HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T cells during primary infection in two genetically identical twins infected simultaneously with the same virus, suggesting that stochastic TCR recruitment of HIV-1-specific CD8(+) T cells contributes to the diverse and unpredictable HIV-1 sequence evolution. PMID- 17804504 TI - High fidelity of murine hepatitis virus replication is decreased in nsp14 exoribonuclease mutants. AB - Replication fidelity of RNA virus genomes is constrained by the opposing necessities of generating sufficient diversity for adaptation and maintaining genetic stability, but it is unclear how the largest viral RNA genomes have evolved and are maintained under these constraints. A coronavirus (CoV) nonstructural protein, nsp14, contains conserved active-site motifs of cellular exonucleases, including DNA proofreading enzymes, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) nsp14 has 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease (ExoN) activity in vitro. Here, we show that nsp14 ExoN remarkably increases replication fidelity of the CoV murine hepatitis virus (MHV). Replacement of conserved MHV ExoN active-site residues with alanines resulted in viable mutant viruses with growth and RNA synthesis defects that during passage accumulated 15-fold more mutations than wild-type virus without changes in growth fitness. The estimated mutation rate for ExoN mutants was similar to that reported for other RNA viruses, whereas that of wild-type MHV was less than the established rates for RNA viruses in general, suggesting that CoVs with intact ExoN replicate with unusually high fidelity. Our results indicate that nsp14 ExoN plays a critical role in prevention or repair of nucleotide incorporation errors during genome replication. The established mutants are unique tools to test the hypothesis that high replication fidelity is required for the evolution and stability of large RNA genomes. PMID- 17804505 TI - Fas ligand interactions contribute to CD8+ T-cell-mediated control of West Nile virus infection in the central nervous system. AB - West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that causes encephalitis, most frequently in elderly and immunocompromised humans. Previous studies demonstrated that CD8+ T cells utilize perforin-dependent cytolytic mechanisms to limit WNV infection. Nonetheless, the phenotype of perforin-deficient CD8+ T cells was not as severe as that of an absence of CD8+ T cells, suggesting additional effector control mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated the contribution of Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) interactions to CD8+ T-cell-mediated control of WNV infection. Notably, the cell death receptor Fas was strongly upregulated on neurons in culture and in vivo after WNV infection. gld mice that were functionally deficient in FasL expression showed increased susceptibility to lethal WNV infection. Although antigen-specific priming of CD8+ T cells in peripheral lymphoid tissues was normal in gld mice, increased central nervous system (CNS) viral burdens and delayed clearance were observed. Moreover, the adoptive transfer of WNV-primed wild-type but not gld CD8+ T cells to recipient CD8(-/-) or gld mice efficiently limited infection in the CNS and enhanced survival rates. Overall, our data suggest that CD8+ T cells also utilize FasL effector mechanisms to contain WNV infection in Fas-expressing neurons in the CNS. PMID- 17804506 TI - Myc and human papillomavirus type 16 E7 genes cooperate to immortalize human keratinocytes. AB - The E6 protein of the oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs), in combination with the E7 protein, is essential for the efficient immortalization of human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs). Since we recently demonstrated that E6 activates the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter via a Myc-dependent mechanism, we speculated that overexpressed Myc might be able to substitute for E6 in cell immortalization. Myc (similar to E6) was unable to immortalize HFKs when transduced alone, despite inducing high levels of telomerase activity. However, when transduced with E7, Myc immortalized HFKs following a brief but detectable crisis period. In contrast to E6 + E7-immortalized cells, the Myc + E7 immortalized cells expressed high levels of p53 protein as well as two p53 regulated proteins, p21 and hdm-2. The increase in p21 and hdm-2 proteins correlated directly with their mRNA levels, suggesting transcriptional activation of the respective genes by the overexpressed p53 protein. Interestingly, a significant proportion of the p53 protein in the Myc + E7-immortalized cells was localized to the cytoplasm, potentially due to interactions with the overexpressed hdm-2 protein. Regardless, cell immortalization by the Myc + E7 genes occurred independently of p53 degradation. Since we have already observed high-efficiency cell immortalization with the hTERT + E7 or E6 mutant (p53 degradation-defective) + E7 genes (i.e., no crisis period) that proceeds in the presence of high levels of p53, we hypothesize that the crisis period in the Myc + E7 cells is due not to the levels of the p53 protein but rather to unique properties of the Myc protein. The common factor in cell immortalization by the three gene sets (E6 + E7, Myc + E7, and hTERT + E7 genes) is the induction of telomerase activity. PMID- 17804507 TI - Differential expression of interferon (IFN) regulatory factors and IFN-stimulated genes at early times after West Nile virus infection of mouse embryo fibroblasts. AB - Although lineage I West Nile virus (WNV) strain Eg101 induced beta interferon (IFN-beta) production as early as 12 h after infection in primary mouse embryo fibroblasts and did not inhibit the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, it was still able to replicate efficiently. To gain insights about possible viral countermeasures used by this virus to suppress the host response, the cell transcriptional profile and the kinetics of IFN regulatory factor (IRF) expression and activation were examined at early times after infection. By 12 h after WNV infection, the majority of the up-regulated genes were ones involved in IFN pathways. However, comparison of IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression levels in mock-infected, IFN treated, and virus-infected cells indicated that WNV infection suppressed the up regulation of a subset of ISGs, including genes involved in transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, and stress responses, prior to 24 h after infection. Analysis of mRNA and protein levels for representative genes indicated that suppression was at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Translocation of IRF-3 to the nucleus was observed beginning at 8 h, IRF-7 expression was detected by 12 h, but IRF-1 expression was not detected until 24 h after infection. Virus-induced gene suppression was sufficient to overcome the effect of exogenous IFN pretreatment for 1 h but not for 4 h prior to infection. These data indicate that WNV can selectively counteract the host response at early times after infection by previously unreported mechanisms. PMID- 17804508 TI - Differential inhibition of type I interferon induction by arenavirus nucleoproteins. AB - We have documented that the nucleoprotein (NP) of the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is an antagonist of the type I interferon response. In this study we tested the ability of NPs encoded by representative arenavirus species from both Old World and New World antigenic groups to inhibit production of interferon. We found that, with the exception of Tacaribe virus (TCRV), all NPs tested inhibited activation of beta interferon and interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3)-dependent promoters, as well as the nuclear translocation of IRF-3. Consistent with this observation, TCRV-infected cells also failed to inhibit interferon production. PMID- 17804509 TI - Activation of the beta interferon promoter by unnatural Sendai virus infection requires RIG-I and is inhibited by viral C proteins. AB - As infection with wild-type (wt) Sendai virus (SeV) normally activates beta interferon (IFN-beta) very poorly, two unnatural SeV infections were used to study virus-induced IFN-beta activation in mouse embryonic fibroblasts: (i) SeV DI-H4, which is composed mostly of small, copyback defective interfering (DI) genomes and whose infection overproduces short 5'-triphosphorylated trailer RNAs (pppRNAs) and underproduces viral V and C proteins, and (ii) SeV-GFP(+/-), a coinfection that produces wt amounts of viral gene products but that also produces both green fluorescent protein (GFP) mRNA and its complement, which can form double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with capped 5' ends. We found that (i) virus induced signaling to IFN-beta depended predominantly on RIG-I (as opposed to mda 5) for both SeV infections, i.e., that RIG-I senses both pppRNAs and dsRNA without 5'-triphosphorylated ends, and (ii) it is the viral C protein (as opposed to V) that is primarily responsible for countering RIG-I-dependent signaling to IFN-beta. Nondefective SeV that cannot specifically express C proteins not only cannot prevent the effects of transfected poly(I-C) or (ppp)RNAs on IFN-beta activation but also synergistically enhances these effects. SeV-V(minus) infection, in contrast, behaves mostly like wt SeV and counteracts the effects of transfected poly(I-C) or (ppp)RNAs. PMID- 17804510 TI - Hepatitis C virus infection induces the beta interferon signaling pathway in immortalized human hepatocytes. AB - Beta interferon (IFN-beta) expression is triggered by double-stranded RNA, a common intermediate in the replication of many viruses including hepatitis C virus (HCV). The recent development of cell culture-grown HCV allowed us to analyze the IFN signaling pathway following virus infection. In this study, we have examined the IFN-beta signaling pathway following infection of immortalized human hepatocytes (IHH) with HCV genotype 1a (clone H77) or 2a (clone JFH1). We observed that IHH possesses a functional Toll-like receptor 3 pathway. HCV infection in IHH enhanced IFN-beta and IFN-stimulated gene 56 (ISG56) promoter activities; however, poly(I-C)-induced IFN-beta and ISG56 expression levels were modestly inhibited upon HCV infection. IHH infected with HCV (genotype 1a or 2a) exhibited various levels of translocation of IRF-3 into the nucleus. The upregulation of endogenous IFN-beta and 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 mRNA expression was also observed in HCV-infected IHH. Subsequent studies suggested that HCV infection in IHH enhanced STAT1 and ISG56 protein expression. A functional antiviral response of HCV-infected IHH was observed by the growth inhibitory role in vesicular stomatitis virus. Together, our results suggested that HCV infection in IHH induces the IFN signaling pathway, which corroborates observations from natural HCV infection in humans. PMID- 17804511 TI - B7 costimulation molecules expressed from the herpes simplex virus 2 genome rescue immune induction in B7-deficient mice. AB - The interaction between B7 costimulation molecules on antigen-presenting cells and CD28 on antigen-responsive T cells is essential for T-cell activation and maturation of immune responses to herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Vaccine induced immune responses also depend upon adequate upregulation of B7 costimulation molecules, but this signal may be limiting for replication defective virus vaccines. We investigated whether expression of B7 costimulation molecules by a prototypical replication-defective antiviral vaccine could enhance immune responses to the vaccine and whether B7-1 and B7-2 would be similarly effective. We altered an ICP8(-) replication-defective strain of HSV type 2 (HSV 2), 5BlacZ, to encode either murine B7-1 or B7-2. B7 molecule expression was detected on the surface of cells infected in vitro and at the RNA level in tissue of immunized mice. Immunization of B7-1/B7-2 knockout mice with B7-encoding virus modestly expanded the number of gamma interferon-producing T cells and significantly augmented class-switched HSV-specific antibody responses compared with the parental virus. Mice immunized with either B7-expressing virus showed less replication of challenge virus in the genital mucosa than mice immunized with 5BlacZ, markedly fewer signs of genital and neurological disease, and little weight loss. Virtually all mice immunized with B7-encoding virus survived challenge with a large dose of HSV-2, whereas most 5BlacZ-immunized mice succumbed to infection. These results indicate that protective immune responses can be enhanced by the inclusion of host B7 costimulation molecules in a prototypical replication-defective HSV vaccine against HSV-2 genital infection and that B7-1 and B7-2 induce immune responses with similar capacities to fight HSV-2 infection. PMID- 17804512 TI - Efficient thymopoiesis contributes to the maintenance of peripheral CD4 T cells during chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 2 infection. AB - Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) infection leads to a lifelong asymptomatic period in the majority of patients. Even in patients with progressive disease, a slow CD4 count decline characterizes the chronic phase of HIV-2 infection, suggesting that peripheral T-cell homeostasis is controlled better following HIV-2 infection than following HIV-1 infection. Herein we showed that, in contrast to HIV-1-infected patients, HIV-2-infected patients demonstrate enhanced thymic function compared to age-matched healthy individuals. The correlation between higher thymic production and lower CD4 T-cell loss in these patients suggests that efficient thymopoiesis is implicated in the long-lasting maintenance of CD4 T-cell counts in HIV-2 disease. PMID- 17804513 TI - Affinity thresholds for membrane fusion triggering by viral glycoproteins. AB - Enveloped viruses trigger membrane fusion to gain entry into cells. The receptor affinities of their attachment proteins vary greatly, from 10(-4) M to 10(-9) M, but the significance of this is unknown. Using six retargeted measles viruses that bind to Her-2/neu with a 5-log range in affinity, we show that receptor affinity has little impact on viral attachment but is nevertheless a key determinant of infectivity and intercellular fusion. For a given cell surface receptor density, there is an affinity threshold above which cell-cell fusion proceeds efficiently. Suprathreshold affinities do not further enhance the efficiency of membrane fusion. PMID- 17804514 TI - Effects of identity minimization on Moloney murine leukemia virus template recognition and frequent tertiary template-directed insertions during nonhomologous recombination. AB - Homology requirements for Moloney murine leukemia virus recombination were addressed in this study by monitoring titer defects observed when acceptor/donor template identity lengths were systematically reduced. Recombination acceptors with at least 16 contiguous bases of donor template identity were recognized as efficiently as longer acceptors. In contrast, a sharp 1-log titer drop was observed for an acceptor of only 15 bases long, with an additional 1-log titer decline for an 8-base acceptor and further decreases for shorter acceptors. Eighty-three independent nonhomologous recombination products were sequenced to examine recombination template selection in the absence of significant sequence identity. These replication products contained a total of 152 nonhomologous crossover junctions. Forced copy choice models predict that forced nonhomologous recombination should result in DNA synthesis to the donor template's 5' end, followed by microidentity-guided acceptor template selection. However, only a single product displayed this structure. The majority of examined nonhomologous recombination products contained junction-associated sequence insertions. Most insertions resulted from the use of one or more tertiary templates, recognizable as discontiguous portions of viral or host RNA or minus-strand DNA. The donor/acceptor template microidentity evident at most crossovers reconfirmed the remarkable capability of the reverse transcription machinery to recognize short regions of sequence identity. These results demonstrate that recruitment of discontiguous host or viral sequences is a common way for retroviruses to resolve nonhomologous recombination junctions and provide experimental support for the role of splinting templates in the generation of retroviral insertions. PMID- 17804515 TI - Signal peptide requirements for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein C maturation and virus infectivity. AB - Insertion of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) precursor glycoprotein C (GP-C) into the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum is mediated by an unusual signal peptide (SP(GP-C)). It is comprised of 58 amino acid residues and contains an extended hydrophilic N-terminal region, two hydrophobic regions, and a short C terminal region. After cleavage by signal peptidase, SP(GP-C) accumulates in cells and virus particles. In the present study, we identified the LCMV SP(GP-C) as being an essential component of the GP complex and show that the different regions of SP(GP-C) are required for distinct steps in GP maturation and virus infectivity. More specifically, we show that one hydrophobic region of SP(GP-C) is sufficient for the membrane insertion of GP-C, while both hydrophobic regions are required for the processing and cell surface expression of the GPs. The N terminal region of SP(GP-C), on the other hand, is essential for pseudoviral infection of target cells. Furthermore, we show that unmyristoylated SP(GP-C) exposes its N-terminal region to the exoplasmic side. This SP(GP-C) can promote GP-C maturation but is defective in pseudoviral infection. Myristoylation and topology of SP(GP-C) in the membrane may thus hold the key to an understanding of the role of SP(GP-C) in GP-C complex maturation and LCMV infectivity. PMID- 17804516 TI - Functional bundle branch block and orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia cycle length: do not bet on accessory pathway location. AB - AIMS: To show 2 examples in which the analysis of the effect of bundle branch block on orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia cycle length was misleading. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed an electrophysiological study in two patients with orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia showing a transition from wide to narrow QRS during tachycardia. Our two cases of left bundle branch block during reciprocating tachycardia using infero-septal pathways show that ventricular to atrial conduction time prolongation may be larger than 30 ms and may be concealed by a shortening of atrial to ventricular conduction time. In the 2 cases, the atrial insertion of the accessory pathway could be successfully ablated from the right atria at the ostium of the coronary sinus. CONCLUSIONS: The observation of the association between left bundle branch block and cycle length prolongation during reciprocating tachycardia may be associated with a successful ablation at the ostium of the coronary sinus. PMID- 17804517 TI - Persistent barium sulphate oesophagus opacification while pulmonary veins ablation. PMID- 17804518 TI - Review of NICE guidelines on routine postnatal infant care. PMID- 17804519 TI - New modes of mechanical ventilation in the preterm newborn: evidence of benefit. PMID- 17804520 TI - Haematology of Down syndrome. AB - Down syndrome is a common congenital disorder affecting approximately 1/1000 live births. Newborns and children with Down syndrome may present with many haematological problems. In addition, benign abnormalities of the blood count and blood film, which may manifest at any age, population-based and cancer-based registries and clinical trials suggest there is a approximately 12-fold increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the age group of 5-30 years that rises to approximately 40-fold in children younger than 5 years, and that there is a approximately 150-fold increased risk of acute myeloid leukaemia in children younger than 5 years. There is also a virtually unique predisposition to a transient neonatal leukaemia, known as transient abnormal myelopoiesis. Deaths from leukaemia, in part, account for the excess mortality associated with Down syndrome. This article reviews the clinical presentation and the progress made in the management of these disorders over the past decade. It also briefly considers the recent exciting scientific advances that have potential to transform management of leukaemia in children with Down syndrome and also have implications for management of childhood leukaemia more generally. PMID- 17804521 TI - The effect of resveratrol on a cell model of human aging. AB - The natural polyphenol resveratrol stimulates sirtuins and extends lifespan. Here resveratrol inhibited expression of replicative senescence marker INK4a in human dermal fibroblasts, and 47 of 19,000 genes from microarray experiments were differentially expressed. These included genes for growth, cell division, cell signaling, apoptosis, and transcription. Genes involved in Ras and ubiquitin pathways, Ras-GRF1, RAC3, and UBE2D3, were downregulated. The changes suggest resveratrol might alter sirtuin-regulated downstream pathways, rather than sirtuin activity. Serum deprivation and high confluency caused nuclear translocation of the SIRT1-regulated transcription factor FOXO3a. Our data indicate resveratrol's actions might cause FOXO recruitment to the nucleus. PMID- 17804522 TI - Age-related changes in the liver sinusoidal endothelium: a mechanism for dyslipidemia. AB - The liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) influences the transfer of substrates between the sinusoidal blood and hepatocytes and has a major role in endocytosis; therefore, changes in the LSEC have significant implications for hepatic function. There are major morphological changes in the LSEC in old age called pseudocapillarization. These changes include increased LSEC thickness and reduced numbers of pores in the LSEC, which are called fenestrations. Pseudocapillarization has been found in old humans, rats, mice, and nonhuman primates. In addition, old age is associated with impaired LSEC endocytosis and increased leukocyte adhesion, which contributes to reduced hepatic perfusion. Given that fenestrations in the endothelium allow passage of some lipoproteins, including chylomicron remnants, age-related reduction in fenestrations impairs hepatic lipoprotein metabolism. In old rats, caloric restriction was associated with complete preservation of LSEC morphology and fenestrations. In conclusion, pseudocapillarization of the LSEC is a newly discovered aging change that, through its effects on lipoproteins, contributes to the association between old age, dyslipidemia, and vascular disease. PMID- 17804523 TI - Hormonal and genetic influences on processing reward and social information. AB - Social neuroscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines tools from cognitive, cellular, and molecular neuroscience to understand the neural mechanisms underlying human interactions, emphasizing the complementary nature of different organization levels in the social and biological domains. Previous studies focused on the molecular/neuronal substrates of a variety of complex behaviors, such as parental behavior and pair bonding. Less is known about the various factors influencing interindividual differences in reward processing and decision making in social contexts, both relying upon the dopaminergic system. This review concerns (1) basic electrophysiological findings and recent neuroimaging findings showing that reward processing and social interaction processes share common neural substrates and (2) genetic and hormonal influences on these processes. Recent research combining molecular genetics, endocrinology, and neuroimaging demonstrated that variations in dopamine-related genes and in hormone levels affect the physiological properties of the dopaminergic system in nonhuman primates and modulate the processing of reward and social information in humans. These findings are important because they indicate the neural influence of genes conferring vulnerability to develop neuropathologies such as drug addiction and pathological gambling. Taken together, the reviewed data start to unveil the relationships between genes, hormones, and the functioning of the reward system, as well as decision making in social contexts, and provide a link between molecular, cellular, and social cognitive levels in humans. PMID- 17804524 TI - Neurocognitive inefficacy of the strategy process. AB - The most widely used (and taught) protocols for strategic analysis-Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) and Porter's (1980) Five Force Framework for industry analysis-have been found to be insufficient as stimuli for strategy creation or even as a basis for further strategy development. We approach this problem from a neurocognitive perspective. We see profound incompatibilities between the cognitive process-deductive reasoning-channeled into the collective mind of strategists within the formal planning process through its tools of strategic analysis (i.e., rational technologies) and the essentially inductive reasoning process actually needed to address ill-defined, complex strategic situations. Thus, strategic analysis protocols that may appear to be and, indeed, are entirely rational and logical are not interpretable as such at the neuronal substrate level where thinking takes place. The analytical structure (or propositional representation) of these tools results in a mental dead end, the phenomenon known in cognitive psychology as functional fixedness. The difficulty lies with the inability of the brain to make out meaningful (i.e., strategy-provoking) stimuli from the mental images (or depictive representations) generated by strategic analysis tools. We propose decreasing dependence on these tools and conducting further research employing brain imaging technology to explore complex data handling protocols with richer mental representation and greater potential for strategy creation. PMID- 17804525 TI - Being fed up: a social cognitive neuroscience approach to mental satiation. AB - Being fed up with something is a prevalent and fundamental human experience. Although the relevance of mental satiation, that is, the process of becoming fed up with an action, is highly acknowledged in organizational psychology, almost no empirical research has examined this concept. In this article, we take a social cognitive neuroscience approach to mental satiation. By building on and extending the classic work of Lewin and Karsten, we propose a new model of mental satiation that focuses on the cognitive, motivational, and neural processes underlying mental satiation. Our model starts with the assumption that repeated performance of an action undermines one's need for competence and hence leads to a loss of intrinsic motivation. We then distinguish between two phases of the satiation process: The first phase is characterized by a loss of intrinsic motivation to perform the action. The second phase starts when the intrinsic motivation has vanished and volitional control is required to continue the action. We predict that the loss of intrinsic motivation in the first phase of the satiation process is correlated with a decrease in activity in brain regions associated with positive hedonic experience, such as the nucleus accumbens, the ventral pallidum, and the medial orbitofrontal cortex. In contrast, the growing aversion toward the action during the second phase of the satiation process is predicted to be correlated with an increase in activity in brain regions associated with unpleasant affect and volitional control, such as the amygdala, the anterior insula, and the anterior cingulate cortex. PMID- 17804526 TI - Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Autoimmunity, November 29 December 3, 2006, Sorrento, Italy. PMID- 17804527 TI - Heat shock proteins and autoimmunity in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. AB - Studies aimed at elucidating the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of human atherosclerosis have emphasized the central role of inflammatory and immune cells. Atherosclerotic plaques are infiltrated by activated macrophages, T and B lymphocytes, plasma cells, and mast cells, releasing inflammatory molecules, which amplify the severity of the disease. Endothelial cells subjected to various stress conditions express increased amounts of heat shock proteins (HSPs), some of the most successfully conserved proteins throughout evolution. Many experimental observations reviewed in this article draw attention to several HSPs targeted by a specific cellular and humoral immune response in patients with atherosclerotic disease. The review also reports preliminary data obtained by our group on the possible role of HSP90 as a candidate autoantigen in carotid atherosclerosis. Our study deals with the presence of specific antibodies and T cells directed against HSP90 in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques. In 60% of these subjects' sera but in none of the sera from healthy controls immunoblotting (IB) detected the presence of specific antibodies. Moreover, 20% of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) samples from patients but none from healthy subjects proliferated in response to human purified HSP90. In vitro experiments showed an upregulation of HSP90 expression in endothelial cells exposed to oxidative stress by treatment with H(2)O(2) and greater release of soluble HSP90 in culture supernatants from H(2)O(2)-treated cells than from untreated cells. PMID- 17804528 TI - Atherosclerosis in ANCA-associated vasculitides. AB - It is currently accepted that atherosclerosis is rather, or also, an inflammatory disease and, indeed, vasculitis is defined by inflammatory infiltrates in blood vessel walls, albeit initially by different predominant cell populations and in arteries of different calibers. As for other chronic systemic inflammatory diseases, premature and accelerated atherosclerosis has emerged during the last 5 10 years as an important facet of vasculitides, independently of the other risk factors of cardiovascular disease and also, apparently, corticosteroids. Chronic systemic inflammation, like persistently active vasculitis, might play a role in early atherosclerosis, through the actions of C-reactive protein (CRP), some adhesion molecules, and/or cytokines, as well as local inflammation, perhaps through locally secreted TNF-alpha and/or upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases and oxidative stress. Endothelial cell dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness have also been found in vasculitis patients. Notably, some vasculitis treatments were able to reverse some of these endothelial cell anomalies. Unlike antineutrophil cytoplasm autoantibodies (ANCA), which were not shown to correlate with a higher risk of atherosclerosis or cardiovascular events, autoantibodies to endothelial cells, heat-shock proteins, or oxidized-LDL may also be implicated, although these latter are now thought to protect against atherosclerosis. It is likely that other, as yet unidentified, factors facilitating atherosclerosis may play more important roles in vasculitides. Until their precise identification, it remains important to take into consideration and treat, every time it is necessary and possible, the other well-known cardiovascular risk factors. PMID- 17804529 TI - CD4-positive effector memory T cells participate in disease expression in ANCA associated vasculitis. AB - Although the cause of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) remains undetermined, the presence of lymphocytic infiltrates in inflammatory lesions of patients suggests that vascular damage is immune mediated. Studies over the past decade have implicated a role for T cells in the pathogenesis of AAV as altered T cell phenotype has been observed in this disorder. The distribution of T cell subpopulations has been analyzed most intensely in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), where an expanded population of circulating CD4(+) effector memory T cells (CD4(+)T(EM)) was demonstrated. CD4(+)T(EM) cells play a major role in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. Specific suppression of CD4(+)T(EM) cells inhibits delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and has therapeutic potential in autoimmune disease. Thus, CD4(+)T(EM) cells may act as inducers of tissue injury and participate in the development of AAV. Therapies that target CD4(+)T(EM), without impairing the activity of other lymphocyte subsets, may hold therapeutic promise for AAV. PMID- 17804530 TI - Surface expression of fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) on CD4+/CD28 T cells in RA patients and correlation with atherosclerotic damage. AB - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis. Fractalkine, a CX3C/chemokine (CX3CL1), mediates monocytes-macrophage infiltration in activated endothelium, suggesting its specific role in atherosclerosis-related inflammation. In this study, we evaluate the following in early RA patients: the expression of fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) on CD4+/CD28- T cells, a subset involved in atherosclerotic infiltration; the correlation between this subset and validated markers of early atherosclerosis. CD4+ T cells were isolated by immunomagnetics beads in 50 early RA patients and 26 healthy controls (HC). After isolation, CD4+/CD28-/CX3CR1+ T lymphocytes were assessed by FACS analysis. Endothelial dysfunction was evaluated by both carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV). We observed: a higher expansion of CD4+/CD28- subset in RA patients when compared to HC (7.7%, 5.15-9.7 vs. 0.7%, 0.2-1.5, P < 0.01; respectively); this expansion directly correlated with increased IMT (0.91 mm, 0.5-1.3 vs. 0.7 mm, 0.2-1, P < 0.01; RA vs. C, respectively) and inversely correlated with FMV (3.5%, 1.7-7 vs. 9%, 3.5-11, P < 0.01; RA vs. C, respectively); the large majority of CD4+/CD28-, in RA, coexpressed CX3CR1 (93%, 67-99 vs. 30%, 10-48, P < 0.01; RA vs. C, respectively); this expansion significantly correlated with both the parameters of premature vascular damage and DAS 28. Our data suggest that CX3CL1/CX3CR1 axis might play a role in the induction and development of the endothelial dysfunction during RA. PMID- 17804531 TI - Free hemoglobin: a dangerous signal for the immune system in patients with carotid atherosclerosis? AB - Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory multifactorial disease in which immune responses are key pathogenetic factors. T cell-mediated immunity contributes to the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic disease, but the nature of antigens responsible for immune cell activation is still not completely elucidated. Convincing evidence supports a determinant role of autoimmune responses to self-structures in shaping the progression of the disease. Autoimmune responses may be directed against altered self-structures, such as oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Oxidative stress, increasingly reported in patients with atherosclerosis, is the major event causing protein structural modification, thus inducing the appearance of neo/cryptic epitopes on the molecule. Intraplaque hemorrhage, a common event in advanced lesions, causes the deposition of large amounts of hemoglobin (Hb). The pro-oxidative intraplaque microenvironment may induce structural changes in extra-erythrocytic free Hb, thus generating novel/cryptic autoantigenic epitopes. We demonstrated that an oxidized Hb preparation enriched in hemichromes expands IFN-gamma-secreting T lymphocytes in patients with advanced carotid atherosclerosis and enhances the phenotypical and functional maturation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Overall, our findings suggest that oxidized forms of Hb could act as a dangerous signal for the immune system, thus contributing to the inflammatory process that takes place within the atherosclerotic plaque. PMID- 17804532 TI - Lupus anticoagulant activity as a thrombosis risk factor in lung adenocarcinoma patients. AB - There is a high incidence of thrombosis in cancer patients. Retrospective studies indicate that lupus anticoagulant (LA) antibodies can be a thrombosis risk factor in cancer. In 77 patients with different forms of cancer LA and thrombosis incidence were retrospectively evaluated. In a prospective study, with 42 lung adenocarcinoma patients, we measured plasma LA, fibrinogen, factor VIII (FVIII), and thrombosis incidence. A high frequency of LA and thrombosis were observed in both studies. In isolation LA, increased levels of FVIII and fibrinogen could not be considered good markers for the development of thrombosis. PMID- 17804533 TI - Chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders and atherosclerosis. AB - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), periodontal disease (PD), and coronary artery disease (CAD) are common chronic inflammatory diseases. RA is associated with accelerated vascular risk resulting in an increased prevalence of CAD with attendant early mortality and excess morbidity. RA and PD have a common pathobiology. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between RA, PD, and CAD and the influence of systemic inflammatory factors. A total of 100 active RA patients of which 50 had established CAD and 50 had no CAD were assessed for PD. All subjects underwent a clinical, cardiac, dental, laboratory, and radiological evaluation. Blood samples were obtained and the level of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total white blood counts (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen and tumor necrosis alpha (TNF alpha), total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were assayed. The findings of this study demonstrated an association between RA, PD, and CAD. The RA patients with CAD had significantly more PD than RA patients without CAD, P < 0.001. The inflammatory markers hs-CRP, ESR, WBC, fibrinogen, and TNF-alpha were raised in all patients but were significantly higher in RA patients with CAD who also had PD, that is, in those with more inflammatory disease burden. HDL levels were lower in RA patients with CAD when compared to RA patients without CAD, P < 0.005. Evidence from this study shows an association between RA, PD, CAD, and systemic levels of the inflammatory mediators. The implication is that inflammation may be the central link between the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders and atherosclerosis. PMID- 17804534 TI - Migratory pathways of gammadelta T cells and response to CXCR3 and CXCR4 ligands: adhesion molecules involved and implications for multiple sclerosis pathogenesis. AB - Gammadelta T lymphocytes are thought to be involved in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. In this work, we discuss the characteristics of these cells and possible implications in the pathogenesis of MS, focusing on the mechanism(s) underlying extravasation and tissue localization. Phenotype and transendothelial migration of gammadelta T cells from healthy donors and patients with relapsing remitting MS were studied. In MS patients the V delta 2 T cell subset, expressing NKRP1A/CD161 adhesion molecule, is expanded and capable of transendothelial migration. V delta 1/V delta 2 subsets use distinct signal transduction pathways: V delta 1 cells lack NKRP1A and express PECAM-1/CD31, which drives transmigration, while V delta 2 cells are PECAM-1 negative and use NKRP1A. V delta 2 migration is coupled with CAMKII, whereas V delta 1 depend on PI-3K. NKRP1A and PECAM-1 selectively activate the two pathways: indeed, oligomerization of NKRP1A on V delta 2 T cells leads to CAMKII activation, occupancy of PECAM-1 on V delta 1 cells triggers the PI-3K-dependent Akt/PKB pathway. Moreover, V delta 2 T cells are CXCR3(bright)CXCR4(dull), while V delta 1 are mostly CXCR4(+). V delta 1 and V delta 2 cells transmigrate in response to IP-10/CXCL10 and SDF-1/CXCL12 according to the expression of their specific receptors. In a fraction of V delta 1 T cells coexpressing CXCR3 and CXCR4, the homeostatic chemokine 6Ckine/SLC/CCL21 is more effective. IP-10/CXCL10 or 6Ckine/SLC/CCL21 and SDF-1/CXCL12-induced transmigration is coupled to PI-3K/Akt/PKB, but only CXCR3 is capable of inducing CAMKII activation. We suggest that both subsets of gammadelta T lymphocytes may migrate to the site of lesion in MS using two different signaling pathways to extravasate and responding to different chemokines. PMID- 17804535 TI - Autoantibodies in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). AB - Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders defined behaviorally by abnormalities in social, verbal, and nonverbal communication. The etiologies of ASD are unknown, likely to be the result of a variety of numerous genetic, neurological, environmental, and immunological interactions that lead to a general behavioral phenotype defined as ASD. This review will focus on the various immune system anomalies, in particular, autoantibodies, which have been reported in subjects with ASD. In addition, we will discuss recent studies performed by our group concerning the presence of autoantibodies directed against neural antigens, which are observed in patients with ASD. PMID- 17804536 TI - Brain-specific autoantibodies in the plasma of subjects with autistic spectrum disorder. AB - Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed on the basis of behavioral parameters, several studies have reported immune system abnormalities and suggest the possible role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of ASD. In this study we sought to assess the incidence of brain-specific autoantibodies in the plasma of children with autism (AU) compared to age-matched controls including, siblings without ASD, typically developing (TD) controls, and children with other developmental disabilities, but not autism (DD). Plasma from 172 individuals (AU, n = 63, median age: 43 months; TD controls, n = 63, median age: 48 months; siblings, n = 25, median age: 61 months; and DD controls, n = 21, median age: 38 months) was analyzed by Western blot for the presence of IgG antibodies against protein extracts from specific regions of the human adult brain including the hypothalamus and thalamus. The presence of a approximately 52 kDa MW band, in the plasma of subjects with AU, was detected with a significantly higher incidence when compared to plasma from TD controls (29% vs. 8%, P = 0.0027 and 30% vs. 11%, P = 0.01, in the thalamus and hypothalamus, respectively). Reactivity to three brain proteins (42-48 kDa MW), in particular in the hypothalamus, were observed with increased incidence in 37% of subjects with AU compared to 13% TD controls (P = 0.004). Multiple brain-specific autoantibodies are present at significantly higher frequency in children with AU. While the potential role of these autoantibodies in AU is currently unknown, their presence suggests a loss of self tolerance to one or more neural antigens during early childhood. PMID- 17804537 TI - Autoantibodies against glial antigens in paraneoplastic neurological diseases. AB - Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are clinically heterogeneous manifestations of cancer, but are not caused by the tumor or its metastases. Because autoantibodies reacting with tumor and nervous system tissue have been described, an autoimmune pathogenesis is suspected. Most autoantibodies are directed against neuronal proteins. Here, we describe the impact of antiglial autoantibodies in paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. Anti-CRMP5 and antiglial nuclear antibody both can be associated with different paraneoplastic neurological syndromes and tumors. PMID- 17804538 TI - DNA microarray in search of new drug targets for myasthenia gravis. AB - DNA microarray technology was used to identify new potential drug targets for myasthenia gravis (MG), to delineate genes involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and to possibly target their protein products for immunotherapy. In this study we compared the gene expression in lymph node cells (LNC) and muscles of rats with experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG) to those of control, healthy rats. Of the genes that were found to be deregulated in EAMG, we chose to elaborate on two gene systems: (a) The chemokine IFN-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10, CXCL10), and its receptor (CXCR3) and (b) phosphodiesterases. PMID- 17804539 TI - Cytokine levels during pregnancy influence immunological profiles and neurobehavioral patterns of the offspring. AB - The underlying causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are unknown, but clinical and experimental studies indicate immune mechanisms, in general, and cytokine dysregulation, in particular, as contributing factors in their etiology. We developed a prenatal mouse model of autism to demonstrate that circulating levels of defined cytokines in pregnant dams could influence fetal development and behavioral characteristics in their offspring. We administered daily injections of murine IL-2 (0.4 mug in phosphate-buffered saline [PBS]) to pregnant mice during mid-gestation, and analyzed their offspring (IL-2 pups) in comparison to offspring of pregnant mice injected with vehicle only (PBS pups). Significant levels of IL-2 were present in amniotic fluid and tissues from embryos of dams given radiolabeled IL-2, indicating that the injected IL-2 crossed the placenta and entered the fetuses. Lymphocytes from IL-2 pups demonstrated accelerated T cell development, with a skewing toward TH1 cell differentiation. IL-2 pups also showed in vitro proliferative and cytotoxicity responses that were significantly higher than control PBS pups when stimulated with syngeneic B lymphoma cells or allogeneic spleen cells. In addition to their previously shown increases in open-field activity, grooming and rearing behavior, offspring of IL-2-injected (vs. PBS-injected) dams also displayed abnormal new motor learning as assessed through acquisition of the classically conditioned eyeblink response. These results suggest that increases in maternal levels of IL 2 during pregnancy induce in their offspring long-lasting increased vulnerability to neurobehavioral abnormalities associated with autism, and provide a valid animal model to determine the underlying immunological mechanisms. PMID- 17804540 TI - Antipituitary antibodies in idiopathic hyperprolactinemic patients. AB - Hyperprolactinemia is often observed in lymphocytic hypophysitis (LYH). To clarify the possible autoimmune pituitary involvement in patients with apparently idiopathic hyperprolactinemia we investigated the presence of antipituitary antibodies (APA) in hyperprolactinemic patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia and in those with prolactinoma. Sixty-six hyperprolactinemic patients (52 F, 14 M age range 28-42 years, group 1) were studied. Of them, 34 out of 66 showed clinical features of hyperprolactinemia and subsequently underwent cabergoline therapy; the 32 out of 66 patients without symptoms of hyperprolactinemia did not receive cabergoline therapy. Moreover, 32 patients (24 F/8M, age range 23-44 years) with hyperprolactinemia due to microprolactinoma (group 2) were also studied. APA, by immunofluorescence method, and anterior pituitary function were evaluated in both groups of patients. APA were present in 17 out of 66 (25.7%) patients in group 1 with titers ranging from 1/16 to 1/64. All patients of group 2 were considered APA negative because these antibodies were found at low titer (or= 1 in Binet stage B CLL patients, as opposed to stage A CLL patients. These findings invite analysis of the role of c-Cbl in CLL. PMID- 17804548 TI - Autoantibodies in patients with monoclonal gammopathies. AB - Although autoantibody activities are rather often associated to monoclonal gammopathies, only monoclonal immunoglobulins of the IgM isotype are really directed against autoantigens that are often polysaccharides or are formed by highly repetitive structures. This strict association is frequently revealed also by clinical manifestations of the autoimmune response generated by the monoclonal macroglobulin. Most monoclonal immunoglobulins of non-IgM isotype are instead totally inactive toward self-antigens, the autoantibody activity being instead associated, if present, to polyclonal immunoglobulins. Although the same BAFF/APRIL system is involved in perpetuation of humoral autoimmunity as well as in stimulation of clonal B-cell expansion, the autoimmune commitment of B cells of a non-IgM isotype is hardly compatible with their possible involvement in an uncontrolled proliferation pathway, whose prerequisite is the homing of these B cells to the bone marrow compartment. The IgM-secreting cells appear instead to possess a much lower tendency, and/or a looser requirement, for their homing in the bone marrow prior to their actual proliferation. This may explain the quite different consequences, in terms of autoimmunity, between IgM and non-IgM paraproteinemias. PMID- 17804549 TI - Significance of endogenous augmentation of antiganglioside IgM in cancer patients: potential tool for early detection and management of cancer therapy. AB - Gangliosides expressed by solid malignancies are shed into the circulation at a rate that varies with tumor stage, burden, and progression. Gangliosides have an immunosuppressive effect; thus an increase in the total ganglioside (TG) serum level may coincide with tumor progression. However, circulating gangliosides also may induce an endogenous IgM response. Unlike conventional pentameric IgM antibodies against peptide antigens, antiganglioside IgM antibodies can be polymeric and may not have a J-chain. Because these antibodies can remove shed gangliosides from the tumor microenvironment and the circulation, therapy that actively or passively augments serum levels of IgM against tumor-derived immunosuppressive gangliosides might restore immunocompetence and thereby slow tumor progression. The success of this approach, in passive and active specific therapy of cancer patients, requires analysis of biopsy tissue or sera of therapy recipients to confirm the presence of target gangliosides, such as GM2 or GD3. A patient's response to active or passive immunotherapy against a specific ganglioside target(s) can be monitored by serial assessment of serum specimens for TG level and antiganglioside IgM titer(s). This tailored approach to immunotherapy could be incorporated in postoperative adjuvant protocols. PMID- 17804550 TI - Cancer immunomics: from serological proteome analysis to multiple affinity protein profiling. AB - Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Thus, to identify any useful biomarkers is still a need. We performed "cancer immunomics" to identify autoantibody signatures produced in response to the presence of either breast or colorectal cancer. SERological proteome analysis (SERPA) was performed by two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis separation, immunoblotting, image analysis, and mass spectrometry. Alternatively, to identify the antigens recognized by the autoantibodies of cancer patients, we developed an approach combining 2-D immunoaffinity chromatography, enzymatic digestion of the isolated antigens, nano flow separation of the resulting peptides, and identification: MAPPing (multiple affinity protein profiling). By these approaches we identified both proteins recognized by autoantibodies independently of a cancer status, and a limited number of proteins reacting preferentially with cancer sera. PMID- 17804551 TI - Paraneoplastic pemphigus associated with Castleman's disease: usefulness of the laboratory of autoimmunity in the diagnosis of this disease. AB - We report on a case of paraneoplastic pemphigus associated with Castleman's disease. Clinical pathologic features were not conclusive. Diagnosis was established thanks to the detection of seric autoantibodies directed against intercellular substance by indirect immunofluorescence on monkey esophagus. The positive result of this test prompted us to reevaluate the patient and to detect the occult neoplasia. The demonstration of autoantibodies against plakins is the key marker of this disease but depends on tests that may not be readily available in many places like immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, or indirect immunofluorescence over rat bladder. In this setting, tests like indirect immunofluorescence over monkey esophagus, although unspecific, may aid in reaching the appropriate diagnosis. This case illustrates the importance of the laboratory of autoimmunity in the diagnosis of this type of pemphigus. PMID- 17804552 TI - Interleukin-2 mastering regulation in cancer and autoimmunity. AB - Autoimmunity and tumor immunity evolved as two distinct arenas in immunological research. However, the identification of self-antigens as the major components of malignant cells may define a central role for autoimmunity in cancer control tuned by peripheral immunoregulatory mechanisms avoiding self-aggression. Emerging evidence documents a triple antagonistic role of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in vivo promoting survival, apoptosis, and the generation of regulatory T cells. We have found that IL-2 administration reduces the clinical course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and enhances immunoregulation in tumor-bearing mice. However, actively induced anti-IL-2 antibodies restore the response to nominal antigens in tumor-induced immunosuppressed host and induced therapeutic effect in transplantable and chemically induced tumors. It is suggested that IL-2 may contribute dynamically to the maintenance of natural immunological tolerance, preventing pathological autoimmunity, but may affect antitumor immunity. Cancer research has gained from autoimmunity understanding that tumor escape strategies include the natural mechanisms of immune tolerance and the ways to imbalance the peripheral regulatory mechanisms. Interestingly, therapeutic manipulations of immunoregulation have limited antitumor effects, although promoting collaterally infrequent autoimmune diseases. It may suggest that tumors may reinforce tolerance to protect themselves from the immune attack, a process that may involve dynamically various mechanisms including IL-2. Understanding this acquired experience from tumors may help utilize them to revert the immunopathology in autoimmune diseases. PMID- 17804553 TI - Type II cryoglobulinemia is not associated with hepatitis C infection: the Dutch experience. AB - Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) are cryoprecipitable immunocomplexes. In type II MC, a combination of polyclonal and monoclonal immunoglobulins is found, whereas in type III a combination of polyclonal immunoglobulins is detected. MC is usually associated with hepatitis C (HCV) infection as has been found in studies that have been performed in countries with a high prevalence of HCV. Because HCV has an extremely low prevalence in the Netherlands (<0.1% of the population), we wondered whether HCV is also associated with MC in our regional referral center. To answer this question, we tested consecutive patients with type II MC for HCV antibodies and for HCV-mRNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Between January 2000 and June 2005, 22 patients tested positive for type II MC. Seven patients had essential MC, 2 patients had MC due to a lymphoproliferative disease, 10 patients had MC in the context of a systemic autoimmune disease, and 3 patients had MC without a clear diagnosis. HCV antibodies were not detected in any of the 22 patients. Also, all samples tested negative for HCV-mRNA. During follow-up none of these patients developed an HCV infection. In summary, the estimated occurrence of HCV in 60-90% of patients with MC is not found in our region where MC is only infrequently associated with HCV. In a substantial proportion of our patients a really "essential MC" is observed. A search for yet unknown etiological factors is clearly needed in these patients, who frequently have severe renal involvement warranting aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. PMID- 17804554 TI - The clinical significance of IgA antimitochondrial antibodies in sera and saliva in primary biliary cirrhosis. AB - It still remains unclear how antimitochondrial autoantibodies (AMA) are involved with immunopathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). We have suggested the potential role of IgA-AMA in damage to epithelial cells in PBC. In the current study, we investigated whether IgA-AMA were detectable in sera and saliva of PBC patients, to examine the association between detectable IgA-type autoantibodies in sera or saliva and progression of liver diseases. Fifty-three patients with PBC were enrolled, and IgA-AMA in sera and saliva were sought by immunoblotting using pork heart mitochondria as antigens. The progression of PBC was determined as Scheuer's classification consisting of four histological stages. We found IgA AMA, IgA-anti-PDC-E2, and IgA-anti-E3BP in 43/53 (81%), 37/53 (70%), and 35/53 (66%) sera of patients with PBC, but none of controls. The progression of PBC was statistically associated with presence of IgA-anti-PDC-E2 (P = 0.0124), but neither with IgA-AMA (P = 0.1296) nor anti-IgA-E3BP (P = 0.5973). In saliva, detectable IgA-AMA, IgA-anti-PDC-E2, and IgA-anti-E3BP were noted in 12/26 (46%), 6/26 (23%), and 11/26 (42%), respectively. Detection of IgA-anti-PDC-E2 was strongly associated with progression of PBC (P = 0.0002), whereas detection of IgA-AMA and IgA-anti-E3BP were not associated (P = 0.2145 and P = 0.5118). The current findings suggest that the presence of IgA-anti-PDC-E2 in sera or saliva might be associated with progression of PBC, although a prospective study with PBC patients with detectable IgA-anti-PDC-E2 at early stages will be required to conclude the contribution of IgA-anti-PDC-E2 to the progression of PBC. PMID- 17804555 TI - Altered pattern of connectivity in Chagas disease. AB - It has been proposed that natural autoreactivity plays a physiological role in the immune system by connecting all these clones (Id/anti-Id) and forming a dense and highly regulated network. In the present work, we analyzed the connectivity pattern in Chagas disease. Serum samples of 20 chronic chagasic cardiopathy (CCC) patients with dilated cardiopathy, 20 infected-asymptomatic subjects (IAS), and 20 healthy seronegative controls (H) were tested. Pattern of connectivity was distinguishable from that of healthy donor and those with CCC and IAS. This suggests that there are alterations in regulatory networks, inclusive being more evident in CCC patients than in IAS. PMID- 17804556 TI - Decrease in binding for the neuropeptide VIP in response to marked inflammation of the mucosa in ulcerative colitis. AB - The neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is involved in the neuroimmunomodulation of the intestine. In the present study, specimens from the sigmoid colon of ulcerative colitis (UC) and non-UC patients were examined for immunohistochemistry and in vitro receptor autoradiography. Marked occurrence of VIP binding was observed in the mucosa. However, there were very low levels of binding in areas showing pronounced inflammation/derangement. The study shows that marked derangement of the mucosa leads to a distinct decrease in VIP binding. Thus, it is possible that a decrease in trophic and anti-inflammatory VIP effects occurs in areas exhibiting a very marked inflammation. PMID- 17804557 TI - Are neurotrophins important in ulcerative colitis? AB - Neurotrophins are known to have growth, survival-promoting, and healing effects. The importance of neurotrophins in ulcerative colitis (UC) is, however, unclear. Recent studies in our group revealed that an occurrence of marked changes in neurotrophin expression patterns was related to a worsening of the disease process. There was thus an upregulation for the lamina propria cells but a downregulation in nerve structures concerning neurotrophin expressions in severe UC. The observations show that changes in the neurotrophin system are a part of the disease process in UC and are of interest as treatments interfering with neurotrophin effects in other situations have been found to have trophic and healing effects. PMID- 17804558 TI - Systemic multifocal epithelial inflammations associated with PBC-like bile duct damage in chronic colitis harboring TCR alpha -/- x AIM -/- mice: does lipoteichoic acid affect the pathogenesis of epithelial inflammation followed by fibrosis? AB - Autoimmune disorder and associated multifocal organ inflammations such as dry gland syndrome are occasionally observed; however, their etiologies are not clearly understood. We previously reported that chronic colitis-harboring TCR alpha(-/-) x AIM(-/-) mice show primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)-like bile duct damage in the liver. Gram-positive bacterial infection is one of the candidates for the pathogenesis of PBC. We also reported that the bacterial cell wall component lipoteichoic acid (LTA) was detected at the sites of inflammation around damaged bile ducts in PBC patients. On the basis of these facts, we hypothesized that LTA might affect the pathogenesis of bile duct damage in the livers of TCR alpha(-/-) x AIM(-/-) mice. LTA was detected not only in the portal area with inflammation in the liver but also throughout the gastrointestinal tract, from the stomach to the colon, and especially in the epithelium at sites of inflammation. In addition, LTA was detected around both pancreatic ducts with inflammation and at the distal renal tubules with inflammation in TCR alpha(-/-) x AIM(-/-) mice. Furthermore, in the liver, pancreas, kidney, and colon, fibrous stroma were detected at the sites of LTA-positive inflammation foci. Bacterial LTA might affect the pathogenesis of epithelial inflammation followed by fibrosis in systemic multifocal epithelial inflammations in chronic colitis-harboring TCR alpha(-/-) x AIM(-/-) mice with PBC-like bile duct damage. PMID- 17804559 TI - Role of the HLA class II: HCV-related disorders. AB - The paper highlights the role of different HLA class II molecules in hepatic and lymphoproliferative HCV-related disorders. HLA molecules have been reviewed, according to an in silico cluster classification, based on the sequence, the biochemical structure of the pockets, and the functional characteristics of the HLA II molecules. Thus, by reducing the complexity of HLA II polymorphism, characteristics that unite different HLA molecules with specific HCV-associated pathologies may be recognized with greater case. Results show that HLA clusters associated with better dlimination of the virus are protective against HCC development, while the same clusters are associated with a higher risk of developing cryoglobulinemic syndrome and the concomitant NHL. These data added further acknowledgements on pathogenetic mechanisms associated with HCV infection. Results also highlight differences of NHL occurring in HCV-positive subjects, with or without a concomitant type II autoimmune cryoglobulinemic syndrome, suggesting that cryoglobulinemic background associated with NHL should be considered in the evaluation of the effectiveness of new therapies in the course of HCV-associated NHLs. PMID- 17804560 TI - Gluten ataxia: passive transfer in a mouse model. AB - Gluten sensitivity is an autoimmune disease that usually causes intestinal atrophy resulting in a malabsorption syndrome known as celiac disease. However, gluten sensitivity may involve several organs and is often associated with extraintestinal manifestations. Typically, patients with celiac disease have circulating anti-tissue transglutaminase and anti-gliadin antibodies. When patients with gluten sensitivity are affected by other autoimmune diseases, other autoantibodies may arise like anti-epidermal transglutaminase in dermatitis herpetiformis, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies in thyroiditis, and anti-islet cells antibodies in type 1 diabetes. The most common neurological manifestation of gluten sensitivity is ataxia, the so-called gluten ataxia (GA). In patients with GA we have demonstrated that anti-gliadin and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies cross-react with neurons but that additional anti-neural antibodies are present. The aim of the present article is to review the knowledge on animal models of gluten sensitivity, as well as reviewing the role of anti-neural antibodies in GA. PMID- 17804561 TI - Aluminum is a potential environmental factor for Crohn's disease induction: extended hypothesis. AB - Aluminum (Al) is a common environmental compound with immune-adjuvant activity and granulomatous inflammation inducer. Al exposure in food, additives, air, pharmaceuticals, and water pollution is ubiquitous in Western culture. Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing intestinal inflammation in genetically susceptible individuals and is influenced by yet unidentified environmental factors. It is hypothesized, in the present review, that Al is a potential factor for induction or maintaining the inflammation in CD. Epidemiologically, CD incidence is higher in urban areas, where microparticle pollution is prevalent. Al immune activities share many characteristics with the immune pathology of CD: increased antigen presentation and APCs activation, many luminal bacterial or dietary compounds can be adsorbed to the metal and induce Th1 profile activity, promotion of humoral and cellular immune responses, proinflammatory, apoptotic, oxidative activity, and stress-related molecule expression enhancement, affecting intestinal bacterial composition and virulence, granuloma formation, colitis induction in an animal model of CD, and terminal ileum uptake. The Al-bacterial interaction, the microparticles homing the intestine together with the extensive immune activity, put Al as a potential environmental candidate for CD induction and maintenance. PMID- 17804562 TI - Humoral and cellular monitoring to predict the development of infection in Crohn's disease patients beginning treatment with infliximab. AB - Although severe infectious complications are rare, it is important to properly screen patients for predisposing conditions before beginning treatment with infliximab. We assessed immunity markers that might provide prognostic value for the development of infection in Crohn's disease patients after treatment with infliximab. In a prospective study, 34 fistulizing Crohn's disease patients (mean age 37 years) were studied. Patients were scheduled to receive three infusions of infliximab (5 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2, and 6. Immunologic studies: Serum immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM), IgG-subclasses, and complement (C3, C4, factor B) determined by nephelometry; CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+CD3- lymphocyte subsets performed by flow cytometry. During a mean follow-up of 56 months, 1 patient had disseminated tuberculosis and 2 patients had severe bacterial infections. The presence of infection was associated with significantly higher IgM (246 vs. 121 mg/dL; Mann-Whitney test, P = 0.01), lower C3 (64 vs. 118, P = 0.02), lower C4 concentrations (12 vs. 25, P = 0.02), and with decreased levels of CD19 B cells (47 vs. 290, P = 0.03) in the baseline study. Further prospective studies in a larger number of patients are suggested to examine whether early monitoring of immunocompetence might help to identify the risk of infection in patients treated with infliximab. PMID- 17804563 TI - Spectrum of autoantibodies in Tunisian adult type 1 diabetes mellitus. AB - As an autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by the presence of several autoantibodies. The aim of this study was to examine a broad spectrum of antibodies in Tunisian adult T1DM and to compare their prevalence with a healthy control group. Two hundred sixty-one diabetics and 100 healthy blood donors were enrolled in this study. Indirect immunofluorescence was performed for the detection of islet cell, antiendomysial, antinuclear, antimitochondrial, antismooth muscle, antireticulin, and antikeratin antibodies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for measuring anticardiolipin, antigliadin, antitransglutaminase, and antithyroperoxidase antibodies. Latex agglutination was used for the detection of rheumatoid factors. As expected, islet cell antibodies were the most frequent (33.7%). Antigliadin, antithyroperoxidase, and antikeratin antibodies were relatively frequent (18%, 15.3%, and 10.3%, respectively) and were statistically more prevalent in diabetics than in controls. There was no correlation between diabetes duration and any autoantibody, except for islet cell antibodies that were more frequent at the onset of diabetes. Several autoantibodies nonspecific of diabetes are frequent in diabetic patients, which may be associated with or predictors of some autoimmune diseases, and can also reflect a special profile of autoimmunity in diabetics in comparison to healthy controls. PMID- 17804564 TI - Circulating CD4+CD25 high regulatory T cells and natural killer T cells in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes or with diabetes-associated autoantibodies. AB - Type 1 diabetes is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease in which insufficient regulatory mechanisms are perceived to be involved in the pathogenesis. We used flow cytometry to analyze the proportion of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells and natural killer T (NKT) cells in peripheral blood obtained from 25 children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, 21 nondiabetic subjects positive for two or more diabetes-associated autoantibodies, and from 39 autoantibody-negative age- and HLA-matched control subjects. CD4(+)CD25(high) T cells were also stained for additional markers HLA-DR, CD69, and CD62L. As NKT cell markers, we used CD161, V beta 11, and V alpha 24. The frequency of CD4(+)CD25(high)HLA-DR(-) T cells was significantly higher in multiple autoantibody-positive children than in controls (P = 0.021). We also detected a significantly higher level of CD4(+)CD25(high)HLA DR(-) and CD4(+)CD25(high)CD69(-) T cells among children expressing three to four autoantibodies when compared to the controls (P = 0.004 and P = 0.048, respectively). The proportions of CD161(+)V beta 11(+) or V alpha 24(+)V beta 11(+) NKT cells were similar in all three groups of children studied. Interestingly, children with only two autoantibodies had a higher level of CD161(+)V beta 11(+) NKT cells than the controls (P = 0.002). Our data might be interpreted as indicative of an intensified regulatory response of regulatory T cells and NKT cells during the preclinical phase of the disease. PMID- 17804565 TI - CD40 is required for development of islet inflammation in the RIP-CD154 transgenic mouse model of type 1 diabetes. AB - Type 1 diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune disease where cells of the immune system destroy the insulin-producing beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The trigger(s) of the inflammatory reaction is yet unknown, but both genetic and environmental factors, including viruses or other pathogens, are thought to play a role. We have recently described a transgenic mouse model--the RIP-CD154 mouse- in which beta-cell-specific expression of CD154 (CD40 ligand) mediates immune activation, insulitis, and diabetes on a non-diabetes-prone background. By the use of bone marrow chimeric mice, we now demonstrate that a functional Cd40 gene is necessary for islet inflammation and we show that CD40 expression on bone marrow-derived cells is sufficient to trigger activation of the immune system and development of insulitis. PMID- 17804566 TI - Modulation of acute and chronic inflammation of the lung by GITR and its ligand. AB - Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related (GITR) protein, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is expressed in many components of the innate and adaptive immune system and modulates their activation following interaction with its ligand (GITRL). Here we review and discuss results described in previous publications where the role of the GITR/GITRL system in lung inflammation was evaluated using two experimental systems. We also discuss the proinflammatory role played by the GITR/GITRL system and the potential use of GITR fusion protein in inhibiting inflammation. PMID- 17804567 TI - Serum eosinophil cationic protein: a marker of disease activity in Churg-Strauss syndrome. AB - The cytotoxic proteins released by activated eosinophils should play a role in the development of Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS). Eighteen patients (15 males and 3 females, age 41 +/- 13.3 years) with CSS according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria were included in the study. Thirteen serum samples from 11 patients were obtained at the time of disease flare, and the sera from 6 of them were also obtained at the time of clinical remission. Sera from seven other patients were obtained in clinical remission. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies were detected in four (22.2%) patients. Fifteen healthy individuals were used as controls. Mean eosinophil count differed significantly between CSS patients with active disease and patients in clinical remission (3,407/mm(3) vs. 258/mm(3); P < 0.01), between CSS patients with active disease and healthy individuals (3,407/mm(3) vs. 211/mm(3); P < 0.01). Mean serum ECP levels differed significantly between patients with active or inactive disease (219 microg/L vs. 56.8 microg/L; P < 0.0001), between patients with active disease and healthy individuals (219 microg/L vs. 26.2 microg/L; P < 0.0001), but not between patients with inactive disease and healthy individuals (ns). Peripheral blood eosinophils count correlated with serum ECP during CSS flares disease (R = 0.6264; P < 0.05) and during periods of remission (R = 0.4798; P < 0.05). Our results support that ECP might be used as a disease activity marker in CSS. PMID- 17804568 TI - Spectrum of Wegener granulomatosis in a Mexican population. AB - Wegener granulomatosis (WG) is a disease considered infrequent among non Caucasians. Few data exist on its characteristics in Latin America, except for isolated case reports and a paper on clinical features from a Chilean group. In this article we present the clinical characteristics of our cohort plus a preliminary evaluation of the risk factors for death. In comparison to large series from countries with a high WG prevalence, we observed similar age and gender distribution, disease category (localized or generalized), PR3-ANCA positivity, remission, relapse frequency, mortality, and death causes. These last ones are equally distributed, but infections account for an important proportion. Factors related with mortality were mainly those associated with side effects of treatment. We are currently expanding the data on this item as in other series, death is mainly related to the disease itself. The pending agenda includes knowing the prevalence and incidence of WG in Mexico, as well as other characteristics, such as genetic factors, that may influence its behavior in our country. PMID- 17804569 TI - Measuring outcomes in PAH: the gap between the measures that are used and their validity. AB - Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has poor prognosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc), and at present the "gold standard" for diagnosis and follow-up of PAH in SSc is right heart catheterization (RHC) but it would be very useful to have a noninvasive way to follow these patients. Using the OMERACT criteria for validation of measures of response, the only fully validated measure for PAH in SSc has been the 6-min walking test. Multiple other measures are particularly valid (e.g., echocardiography, brain natriuretic protein [BNP], FV/DLCO) while a few are unlikely ever to be validated for various reasons (e.g., symptoms, MRA). A Delphi exercise among 78 experts (EPOSS) has been done and has developed a consensus document consisting of eight domains (lung vascular/PAP, exercise capacity, cardiac function, dyspnea, discontinuation of treatment, quality of life, lung parenchymal, and global state), which can be used and must be tested. PMID- 17804570 TI - Autosensitization as a pathomechanism in asthma. AB - Recent observations indicate that autoimmune disorders and allergies are more closely connected to each other than traditionally considered. Both diseases are characterized by a break of immunological tolerance and in both Th1- and Th2 driven mechanisms may be involved. Moreover, patients suffering from severe chronic atopic diseases have been shown to develop autoreactive antibodies and vice versa autoreactive IgE antibodies may contribute to the perpetuation of allergic immune responses. However, animal models for the investigation of the underlying mechanisms have not been available so far. Here we demonstrate that allergic sensitization and subsequent airway aerosol challenge of mice to a potential autoantigen leads to an allergic airway inflammation and chronic exposure of sensitized mice to a foreign allergen induces autoreactive antibodies. Thus, autoreactive immune mechanisms may be induced either by molecular mimicry or as a consequence of chronic allergic inflammatory processes and these reactivities may then possibly contribute to the perpetuation of allergic immune responses even in the absence of exogenous allergens and to the development of autoimmune diseases. PMID- 17804571 TI - Rheumatic fever: from innate to acquired immune response. AB - Rheumatic fever (RF) is triggered by S. pyogenes and affects 3-4% of untreated susceptible children. The immune response against streptococcal antigens can lead cross-recognition of heart tissue proteins resulting in rheumatic heart disease (RHD). HLA class II alleles have been associated with the development of RF/RHD. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is also located in the same chromosomal region of HLA genes and has been investigated in RHD patients from Mexico, Turkey, and Brazil. Associations with the TNFA-308 allele were found and probably are related to the development of valvular lesions. A deficient mannose-binding lectin (MBL) allele was found in Brazilian patients. MBL is a protein important for the first line of host defense against the bacteria. The association with diverse genes probably indicates a role of certain molecules in both the innate and adaptive immune response. Antigen-presenting cells bearing the HLA-DR7 molecule from RHD patients preferentially recognized a heart-tissue protein cross-reactive M5 (81 96) peptide. The same peptide was also recognized by heart tissue T cell clones. Cardiac myosin peptides were recognized by high numbers of intralesional T cell clones. The cytokine pattern of infiltrating mononuclear cells in both myocardium and valvular tissue showed a predominance of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma) and scarce production of regulatory cytokines, such as IL-4, in the valve tissue. IL-10, a predominant regulatory cytokine, was also secreted by large numbers of cells in both valve and myocardium tissue. Data here indicate the complexity of immune reactions leading to autoimmune lesions in RF/RHD. PMID- 17804572 TI - Role of Trypanosoma cruzi autoreactive T cells in the generation of cardiac pathology. AB - Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects several million people in Central and South America. About 30% of chronic patients develop cardiomyopathy probably caused by parasite persistence and/or autoimmunity. While several cross reactive antibodies generated during mammal T. cruzi infection have been described, very few cross-reactive T cells have been identified. We performed adoptive transfer experiments of T cells isolated from chronically infected mice. The results showed the generation of cardiac pathology in the absence of parasites. We also transferred cross-reactive SAPA-specific T cells and observed unspecific alterations in heart repolarization, cardiac inflammatory infiltration, and tissue damage. PMID- 17804573 TI - Adrenergic facilitation of GABAergic transmission in rat entorhinal cortex. AB - Whereas the entorhinal cortex (EC) receives noradrenergic innervations from the locus coeruleus of the pons and expresses adrenergic receptors, the function of norepinephrine (NE) in the EC is still elusive. We examined the effects of NE on GABA(A) receptor-mediated synaptic transmission in the superficial layers of the EC. Application of NE dose-dependently increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) recorded from the principal neurons in layer II/III through activation of alpha(1) adrenergic receptors. NE increased the frequency and not the amplitude of miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) recorded in the presence of TTX, suggesting that NE increases presynaptic GABA release with no effects on postsynaptic GABA(A) receptors. Application of Ca(2+) channel blockers (Cd(2+) and Ni(2+)), omission of Ca(2+) in the extracellular solution, or replacement of extracellular Na(+) with N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) failed to alter NE-induced increase in mIPSC frequency, suggesting that Ca(2+) influx through voltage-gated Ca(2+) or other cationic channels is not required. Application of BAPTA-AM, thapsigargin, and ryanodine did not change NE-induced increase in mIPSC frequency, suggesting that Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores is not necessary for NE-induced increase in GABA release. Whereas alpha(1) receptors are coupled to G(q/11) resulting in activation of the phospholipase C (PLC) pathway, NE-mediated facilitation of GABAergic transmission was independent of PLC, protein kinase C, and tyrosine kinase activities. Our results suggest that NE-mediated facilitation of GABAergic function contributes to its antiepileptic effects in the EC. PMID- 17804574 TI - A central pattern generator producing alternative outputs: pattern, strength, and dynamics of premotor synaptic input to leech heart motor neurons. AB - The central pattern generator (CPG) for heartbeat in medicinal leeches consists of seven identified pairs of segmental heart interneurons and one unidentified pair. Four of the identified pairs and the unidentified pair of interneurons make inhibitory synaptic connections with segmental heart motor neurons. The CPG produces a side-to-side asymmetric pattern of intersegmental coordination among ipsilateral premotor interneurons corresponding to a similarly asymmetric fictive motor pattern in heart motor neurons, and asymmetric constriction pattern of the two tubular hearts, synchronous and peristaltic. Using extracellular recordings from premotor interneurons and voltage-clamp recordings of ipsilateral segmental motor neurons in 69 isolated nerve cords, we assessed the strength and dynamics of premotor inhibitory synaptic output onto the entire ensemble of heart motor neurons and the associated conduction delays in both coordination modes. We conclude that premotor interneurons establish a stereotypical pattern of intersegmental synaptic connectivity, strengths, and dynamics that is invariant across coordination modes, despite wide variations among preparations. These data coupled with a previous description of the temporal pattern of premotor interneuron activity and relative phasing of motor neuron activity in the two coordination modes enable a direct assessment of how premotor interneurons through their temporal pattern of activity and their spatial pattern of synaptic connectivity, strengths, and dynamics coordinate segmental motor neurons into a functional pattern of activity. PMID- 17804575 TI - Thalamocortical conduction times and stimulus-evoked responses in the rat whisker to-barrel system. AB - Studies of the rodent whisker system indicate that somatosensory cortical circuitry operates at a millisecond timescale to transform sensory afferent signals from the thalamus. We measured axon conduction times and whisker-evoked responses of 48 thalamocortical (TC) neurons in the rat whisker-to-barrel pathway. Conduction times were derived from spike-triggered averages of local field potentials evoked in layer 4 cortical whisker-related barrels by the spontaneous firing of individual topographically aligned neurons in the ventral posterior medial thalamus. Conduction times varied fourfold, from 0.31 to 1.34 ms, and faster conducting TC neurons responded earlier and more robustly to controlled whisker deflections. Early arrival of highly responsive TC inputs, thought to contact inhibitory barrel neurons preferentially, could prime the cortical network, rendering it more selective for later-arriving signals. PMID- 17804576 TI - Different learned coordinate frames for planning trajectories and final positions in reaching. AB - We previously reported that the kinematics of reaching movements reflect the superimposition of two separate control mechanisms specifying the hand's spatial trajectory and its final equilibrium position. We now asked whether the brain maintains separate representations of the spatial goals for planning hand trajectory and final position. One group of subjects learned a 30 degrees visuomotor rotation about the hand's starting point while performing a movement reversal task ("slicing") in which they reversed direction at one target and terminated movement at another. This task required accuracy in acquiring a target mid-movement. A second group adapted while moving to -- and stabilizing at -- a single target ("reaching"). This task required accuracy in specifying an intended final position. We examined how learning in the two tasks generalized both to movements made from untrained initial positions and to movements directed toward untrained targets. Shifting initial hand position had differential effects on the location of reversals and final positions: Trajectory directions remained unchanged and reversal locations were displaced in slicing whereas final positions of both reaches and slices were relatively unchanged. Generalization across directions in slicing was consistent with a hand-centered representation of desired reversal point as demonstrated previously for this task whereas the distributions of final positions were consistent with an eye-centered representation as found previously in studies of pointing in three-dimensional space. Our findings indicate that the intended trajectory and final position are represented in different coordinate frames, reconciling previous conflicting claims of hand-centered (vectorial) and eye-centered representations in reach planning. PMID- 17804577 TI - Corticofugal modulation of multi-parametric auditory selectivity in the midbrain of the big brown bat. AB - Corticofugal modulation of sub-cortical auditory selectivity has been shown previously in mammals for frequency, amplitude, time, and direction domains in separate studies. As such, these studies do not show if multi-parametric corticofugal modulation can be mediated through the same sub-cortical neuron. Here we specifically studied corticofugal modulation of best frequency (BF), best amplitude (BA), and best azimuth (BAZ) at the same neuron in the inferior colliculus of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, using focal electrical stimulation in the auditory cortex. Among 53 corticofugally inhibited collicular neurons examined, cortical electrical stimulation produced a shift of all three measurements (i.e., BF, BA, and BAZ) toward the value of stimulated cortical neuron in 13 (24.5%) neurons, two measurements (i.e., BF and BAZ or BA and BAZ) in 19 (36%) neurons, and one measurement in 16 (30%) neurons. Cortical electrical stimulation did not shift any of these measurements in the remaining five (9.5%) neurons. Corticofugally induced collicular BF shift was symmetrical, whereas the shift in collicular BA or BAZ was asymmetrical. The amount of shift in each measurement was significantly correlated with each measurement difference between recorded collicular and stimulated cortical neurons. However, shifts of three measurements were not correlated with each other. Furthermore, average measurement difference between collicular and cortical neurons was larger for collicular neurons with measurement shifts than for those without shifts. These data indicate that multi-parametric corticofugal modulation can be mediated through the same subcortical neuron based on the difference in auditory selectivity between subcortical and cortical neurons. PMID- 17804578 TI - Reversible synaptic depression in developing rat CA3 CA1 synapses explained by a novel cycle of AMPA silencing-unsilencing. AB - In the developing hippocampus, experiments using whole cell recordings have shown that a small number of synaptic activations can convert many glutamate synapses to AMPA silent synapses. This depression of AMPA signaling is induced by low frequency (0.05-0.2 Hz) activation, does not require N-methyl-D-aspartate or metabotropic glutamate receptor activation for its induction, and does not readily reverse after stimulus interruption. Here we show, using field recordings and perforated patch-clamp recordings of transmission in developing CA3-CA1 synapses, that this synaptic depression also can be observed under more noninvasive recording conditions. Moreover, under these conditions, the synaptic depression spontaneously recovers within 20 min by the absence of synaptic activation alone, with a time constant of approximately 7 min as determined by field excitatory postsynaptic potential recordings. Thus as for the expression of long-term potentiation (LTP), recovery from this depression is susceptible to whole cell dialysis ("wash-out"). In contrast to LTP-induced unsilencing, the AMPA signaling after stimulus interruption was again labile, resumed stimulation resulted in renewed depression. The present study has thus identified a novel cycle for AMPA signaling in which the nascent glutamate synapse cycles between an AMPA silent state, induced by a small number of synaptic activations, and a labile AMPA signaling, induced by prolonged inactivity. PMID- 17804579 TI - Electrophysiological diversity of layer 5 pyramidal cells in the prefrontal cortex of the rhesus monkey: in vitro slice studies. AB - Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were employed to characterize the electrophysiological properties of layer 5 pyramidal cells in slices of the prefrontal cortex (Area 46) of the rhesus monkey. Four electrophysiologically distinct cell types were discriminated based on distinctive repetitive action potential (AP) firing patterns and single AP characteristics: regular-spiking slowly adapting type-1 cells (RS1; 62%), regular-spiking slowly adapting type-2 cells (RS2; 18%), regular-spiking fast-adapting cells (FA; 15%), and intrinsically bursting cells (IB; 5%). These cells did not differ with regard to their location in layer 5 nor in their dendritic morphology. In RS1 cells, AP threshold and amplitude did not change significantly during a 2-s spike train, whereas in RS2 and FA cells, AP threshold increased significantly and AP amplitude decreased significantly during the train. In FA cells, complete adaptation of AP firing was observed within 600 ms. IB cells displayed an all-or none burst of three to six APs, followed by RS1-type firing behavior. RS1 cells could be further subdivided into three subtypes. Low-threshold spiking (LTS) RS1 cells exhibited an initial doublet riding on a depolarizing potential at the onset of a spike train and a prominent depolarizing afterpotential (DAP); intermediate RS1 cells (IM) exhibited a DAP, but no initial doublet, and non-LTS RS1 cells exhibited neither a DAP nor an initial doublet. RS2 and FA cells did not exhibit a DAP or initial doublets. The distinctive firing patterns of these diverse layer 5 pyramidal cells may reflect different roles played by these cells in the mediation of subcortical neuronal activity by the dorsolateral PFC. PMID- 17804580 TI - Regulation of the crab heartbeat by FMRFamide-like peptides: multiple interacting effects on center and periphery. AB - We are studying the functional "logic" of neuromodulatory actions in a simple central pattern generator (CPG)-effector system, the heart of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. The rhythmic contractions of this heart are neurogenic, driven by rhythmic motor patterns generated by the cardiac ganglion (CG). Here we used anatomical and physiological methods to examine the sources and actions on the system of the FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) TNRNFLRFamide (F(1)), SDRNFLRFamide (F(2)), and GYNRSFLRFamide, an authentic Callinectes FLP. Immunohistochemical localization revealed a plexus of FLP-immunoreactive fibers in the pericardial organs (POs), from which modulators are released to reach the heart as circulating neurohormones. Combined backfill and immunohistochemical experiments indicated that the FLPs in the POs originated in the CNS, from large neurosecretory cells in the B cluster of the first thoracic neuromere. In physiological experiments, we examined the actions of the FLPs on the intact working heart, on the semi-intact heart in which we could record the motor patterns as well as the muscle contractions, on the isolated CG, and in a preparation developed to assess direct actions on the muscle with controlled patterns of motor neuron spikes. The FLPs had strong positive chronotropic and inotropic effects. Dissection of these effects suggested that they were produced through at least two primary actions of the FLPs exerted both on the heart muscle and on the CG. These primary actions elicited numerous secondary consequences mediated by the feedforward and feedback interactions that integrate the activity of the complete, coupled CPG-effector system. PMID- 17804581 TI - Long-lasting NMDA receptor-mediated EPSCs in mouse striatal medium spiny neurons. AB - Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) from dorsolateral medium spiny neurons (MSNs) were recorded in cortico-striatal slice preparations from postnatal day 6 8 (P6-8) and >P12 wild-type mice and mice that were lacking either the NR2A or the NR2C subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. EPSCs were elicited by stimulation of the excitatory afferents and the NMDA and non-NMDA receptor mediated components were pharmacologically isolated. The ratio of these components decreased with development and was significantly reduced only between age-matched +/+ and NR2A -/- neurons. In many MSNs, the NMDA-EPSC decay was characterized by the presence of a slow exponential component with a time constant lasting >1 s regardless of genotype or age. In the NR2A -/-, no developmental increase in the decay time (Tw) of the NMDA-EPSCs was observed although it was almost twofold longer than in +/+ MSNs. NR1/NR2B antagonists were ineffective in reducing the slow NMDA-EPSCs at all ages. Input-output studies revealed differences in stimulation threshold sensitivity of MSNs based on stimulus location. High-threshold responders were preferentially identified with stimulation from intracortical locations that produced considerably faster NMDA EPSCs, whereas low-threshold responders were mainly elicited with stimulation more proximal to the striatum and exhibited slower NMDA-EPSCs. A low-affinity competitive antagonist of NMDA receptors failed to alter the decay of NMDA-EPSCs elicited from either location, suggesting that glutamate spillover is not responsible for the long-lasting NMDA-EPSCs. Our data are consistent with the expression of a unique NMDA receptor complex in MSNs with very slow deactivation kinetics. PMID- 17804582 TI - Horizontal smooth pursuit adaptation in macaques after muscimol inactivation of the dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN). AB - The smooth pursuit (SP) system can adapt its response to developmental changes, injury, and behavioral context. Previous lesion and single-unit recording studies show that the macaque cerebellum plays a role in SP initiation, maintenance, and adaptation. The aim of this study was to determine the potential role of the DLPN in SP adaptation. The DLPN receives inputs from the cortical SP system and delivers eye and visual motion information to the dorsal/ventral paraflocculus and vermis of the cerebellum. We studied SP adaptation in two juvenile rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), using double steps of target speed that step- up (10-30 degrees/s) or step-down (25-5 degrees/s). We used microinjection of muscimol ( benzamil > EIPA > amiloride, with IC50 values of 0.14, 1.1, 10.5, and 143 microM, respectively. The inhibition potency positively correlated with the size of inhibitors. Using cell-attached patch clamping, we showed that the amiloride analogs decrease the open probability and mean open time but have no effect on single-channel conductance. Study of inhibition by phenamil in the presence of previously reported inhibitor tetrapentylammonium indicates that amiloride and organic cation inhibitors compete for binding the same site on TRPP3. TRPP3 may contribute to previously reported in vivo amiloride-sensitive cation transport. PMID- 17804602 TI - Candidate genes controlling pulmonary function in mice: transcript profiling and predicted protein structure. AB - Impaired development and reduced lung capacity are risk factors of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Previously, our genomewide linkage analysis of C3H/HeJ (C3H) and JF1/Msf (JF1) mouse strains identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the complex traits of dead space volume (Vd), total lung capacity (TLC), lung compliance (CL), and diffusing capacity for CO (D(CO)). We assessed positional candidate genes by comparing C3H with JF1 lung transcript levels by microarray and by comparing C3H, BALB/cByJ, C57BL/6J, A/J, PWD/PhJ, and JF1 strains, using exon sequencing to predict protein structure. Microarray identified >900 transcripts differing in C3H and JF1 lungs related to lung development, function, and remodeling. Of these, three genes localized to QTLs associated with differences in lung function. C3H and JF1 strains differed in transcript and protein levels of superoxide dismutase 3, extracellular [SOD3; mouse chromosome (mCh) 5: VD] and transcript of trefoil factor 2 (TFF2; mCh 17: TLC and D(CO)), and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 2 (ENPP2; mCh 15: TLC and CL). Nucleotide sequencing of Sod3, Tff2, and previously identified Relaxin 1 (Rln1; mCh 19: CL) uncovered polymorphisms that could lead to nonsynonymous amino acid changes and altered predicted protein structure. Gene targeted Sod3(-/-) mice had increased conducting airway volume (Vd/TLC) compared with strain-matched control Sod3(+/+) mice, consistent with the QTL on mCh 5. Two novel genes (Tff2 and Enpp2) have been identified and two suspected genes (Sod3 and Rln1) have been supported as determinants of lung function in mice. Findings with gene-targeted mice suggest that SOD3 is a contributing factor defining the complex trait of conducting airway volume. PMID- 17804603 TI - Transcriptional pathways associated with skeletal muscle disuse atrophy in humans. AB - Disuse atrophy is a common clinical phenomenon that significantly impacts muscle function and activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to implement genome-wide expression profiling to identify transcriptional pathways associated with muscle remodeling in a clinical model of disuse. Skeletal muscle biopsies were acquired from the medial gastrocnemius in patients with an ankle fracture and from healthy volunteers subjected to 4-11 days of cast immobilization. We identified 277 misregulated transcripts in immobilized muscles of patients, of which the majority were downregulated. The most broadly affected pathways were involved in energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, and cell cycle regulation. We also found decreased expression in genes encoding proteolytic proteins, calpain-3 and calpastatin, and members of the myostatin and IGF-I pathway. Only 26 genes showed increased expression in immobilized muscles, including apolipoprotein (APOD) and leptin receptor (LEPR). Upregulation of APOD (5.0-fold, P < 0.001) and LEPR (5.7-fold, P < 0.05) was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. In addition, atrogin-1/MAFbx was found to be 2.4 fold upregulated (P < 0.005) by quantitative RT-PCR. Interestingly, 96% of the transcripts differentially regulated in immobilized limbs also showed the same trend of change in the contralateral legs of patients but not the contralateral legs of healthy volunteers. Information obtained in this study complements findings in animal models of disuse and provides important feedback for future clinical studies targeting the restoration of muscle function following limb disuse in humans. PMID- 17804604 TI - Interferon type I and type II responses in an Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) SHK-1 cell line by the salmon TRAITS/SGP microarray. AB - Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines that have proinflammatory, antiviral, and immunomodulatory effects and play a central role during a host response to pathogens. The IFN family contains both type I and type II molecules. While there are a number of type I IFNs, there is only one type II IFN. Recently both type I and type II IFN genes have been cloned in salmonid fish and recombinant proteins produced showing IFN activity. We have stimulated an Atlantic salmon cell line (SHK-1) with both type I and type II recombinant salmonid IFNs and analyzed the transcriptional response by microarray analysis. Cells were exposed to recombinant IFNs for 6 or 24 h or left unexposed as controls. RNA was hybridized to an Atlantic salmon cDNA microarray (salmon 17K feature TRAITS/SGP array) in order to assess differential gene expression in response to IFN exposure. For IFN I and II, 47 and 72 genes were stimulated, respectively; most genes were stimulated by a single IFN type, but some were affected by both IFNs, indicating coregulation of the IFN response in fish. Real-time PCR analysis was employed to confirm the microarray results for selected differentially expressed genes in both a cell line and primary leukocyte cultures. PMID- 17804605 TI - Primer extension-based method for the generation of a siRNA/miRNA expression vector. AB - RNA interference (RNAi) has become a powerful technique for studying gene function, biological pathways, and the physiology of diseases. Typically, the RNAi response in mammalian cells is mediated by small interfering RNA (siRNA). The use of synthesized siRNA to silence gene is relatively quick and easy, but it is costly with transient effects. A short hairpin RNA (shRNA) with complementary sense and antisense sequences of a target gene separated by a loop structure results in gene silencing that is as effective as chemically synthesized siRNA with fewer limitations. However, current methods for constructing shRNA vectors require the synthesis of long oligonucleotides, which is costly and often suffers from mutation problems during synthesis. Here, we report an alternative approach to generate a shRNA expression vector with high efficacy. We utilized shorter ( 0.95) with each other, and the regression analysis was also highly significant (R(2) > 0.95). PMID- 17804651 TI - Simultaneous infection with more than one strain of Burkholderia pseudomallei is uncommon in human melioidosis. AB - A prospective study was performed to determine the rate at which patients with melioidosis are infected with more than one strain of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Genotyping of 2,058 bacterial colonies isolated from 215 samples taken from 133 patients demonstrated that mixed infection is uncommon (2/133 cases [1.5%; 95% confidence interval, 0.2 to 5.3%]). PMID- 17804652 TI - Yield of stool culture with isolate toxin testing versus a two-step algorithm including stool toxin testing for detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile. AB - We examined the incremental yield of stool culture (with toxin testing on isolates) versus our two-step algorithm for optimal detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile. Per the two-step algorithm, stools were screened for C. difficile-associated glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) antigen and, if positive, tested for toxin by a direct (stool) cell culture cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CCNA). In parallel, stools were cultured for C. difficile and tested for toxin by both indirect (isolate) CCNA and conventional PCR if the direct CCNA was negative. The "gold standard" for toxigenic C. difficile was detection of C. difficile by the GDH screen or by culture and toxin production by direct or indirect CCNA. We tested 439 specimens from 439 patients. GDH screening detected all culture-positive specimens. The sensitivity of the two-step algorithm was 77% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70 to 84%), and that of culture was 87% (95% CI, 80 to 92%). PCR results correlated completely with those of CCNA testing on isolates (29/29 positive and 32/32 negative, respectively). We conclude that GDH is an excellent screening test and that culture with isolate CCNA testing detects an additional 23% of toxigenic C. difficile missed by direct CCNA. Since culture is tedious and also detects nontoxigenic C. difficile, we conclude that culture is most useful (i) when the direct CCNA is negative but a high clinical suspicion of toxigenic C. difficile remains, (ii) in the evaluation of new diagnostic tests for toxigenic C. difficile (where the best reference standard is essential), and (iii) in epidemiologic studies (where the availability of an isolate allows for strain typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing). PMID- 17804653 TI - Assessment of population structure and major circulating phylogeographical clades of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in Bangladesh suggests a high prevalence of a specific subclade of ancient M. tuberculosis genotypes. AB - Spoligotyping was performed to study the population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains (n = 224) from Bangladesh. Strains were split into principal genetic group 1 (PGG 1 [75.0%]) and PGG 2 and 3 (25%). Forty-nine strains with a new spoligotype signature and considered as south or southeast Asian-linked emerging clones were designated as "Matlab type." PMID- 17804654 TI - Mycobacterium alsiense, a novel, slowly growing species isolated from two patients with pulmonary disease. AB - A previously undescribed, slowly growing Mycobacterium species was isolated from pulmonary specimens of two patients, one from Denmark and one from Italy. The isolates showed unique 16S rRNA internal transcribed spacers and hsp65 sequences: the 16S rRNA was most closely related to Mycobacterium szulgai and Mycobacterium malmoense. PMID- 17804655 TI - Correlation between infections with different genotypes of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus in subgingival samples and periodontal status of patients. AB - Accumulating evidence indicates that herpesviruses may be putative pathogens in various types of periodontal diseases. The present study was performed to examine infections with different genotypes of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein Barr virus (EBV) in subgingival samples from a Chinese population and to analyze the correlation with periodontal status. A nested PCR assay was used to identify the presence of HCMV, EBV type 1 (EBV-1), and EBV-2; and the amplicons were further analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. HCMV was detected in 79.0% of 143 chronic periodontitis (CP) patients, 78.5% of 65 gingivitis patients, and 76.3% of 76 periodontally healthy individuals, while EBV was found in 63.6%, 32.3%, and 30.3% of the three groups of subjects, respectively. The HCMV-positive PCR products from all the samples were identified as corresponding to gB genotype I (gB-I) or gB-II. HCMV gB-II (62.9%), EBV-1 (43.4%), and EBV-2 (18.2%) were associated with CP at higher frequencies (P < 0.05), whereas HCMV gB-I was more often observed in gingivitis patients (40.0%) and healthy individuals (40.8%) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a higher rate of coinfection with HCMV and EBV was shown in CP patients (52.4%), especially dual infections with HCMV gB-II and EBV-1 (30.8%) or HCMV gB-II and EBV-2 (12.6%), compared with the rates of single infections with HCMV or EBV (P < 0.05). Infection with HCMV gB-II, EBV-1, or EBV-2 was correlated with higher rates of bleeding on probing (P < 0.05). In patients infected with HCMV gB-II or both HCMV and EBV, including HCMV gB-II and EBV-1, a deeper probing depth or more serious attachment loss was found (P < 0.05). These findings clearly indicate that HCMV gB-II is the dominant genotype detected in subgingival samples in CP. HCMV gB-II infection and HCMV gB-II coinfection with EBV-1 are closely associated with periodontal tissue inflammation and destruction. PMID- 17804656 TI - Feasibility of a molecular screening method for detection of Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni in a routine community-based clinical microbiology laboratory. AB - Conventional diagnostic methods for the detection of Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni are laborious and time-consuming procedures, resulting in final results, for the majority of specimens, only after 3 to 4 days. Molecular detection can improve the time to reporting of the final results from several days to the next day. However, molecular assays for the detection of gastrointestinal pathogens directly from stool specimens have not made it into the routine clinical microbiology laboratory. In this study we have assessed the feasibility of a real-time PCR-based molecular screening method (MSM), aimed at S. enterica and C. jejuni, in the daily practice of a routine clinical microbiology laboratory. We have prospectively analyzed 2,067 stool specimens submitted for routine detection of gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens over a 7 month period. The MSM showed 98 to 100% sensitivity but routine culture showed only 77.8 to 86.8% sensitivity when an extended "gold standard" that included all culture-positive and all MSM-positive specimens, as confirmed by an independent secondary PCR of a different target gene, was used. An overall improvement in the rate of detection of both pathogens of 15 to 18% was observed. Both approaches performed nearly identically with regard to the specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, with the values for MSM being 99.7%, 93.1 to 96.6%, and 99.8 to 100%, respectively, and those for routine culture being 100%, 100%, and 97.6 to 99.5%, respectively. Finally, the final results were reported between 3 and 4 days earlier for negative specimens compared to the time of reporting of the results of routine culture. Positive specimens, on the other hand, required an additional 2 days to obtain a final result compared to the time required for routine culture, although preliminary MSM PCR-positive results were reported, on average, 2.9 to 3.8 days before the final routine culture results were reported. In conclusion, MSM can be incorporated into the daily practice of a routine clinical microbiology laboratory with ease. Furthermore, it provides an improvement in the screening for S. enterica and C. jejuni and substantially improves the time to the reporting of negative results. PMID- 17804657 TI - Use of peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization for definitive, rapid identification of five common Candida species. AB - We investigated a 2.5-h peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) assay with five Candida species-specific probes to identify Candida colonies and compared it to standard 2-h to 5-day phenotypic identification methods. Suspensions were made and slides were prepared and read for fluorescence per the manufacturer's instructions. Sensitivity was 99% (109/110), and specificity was 99% (129/130). PNA-FISH can rapidly identify those Candida species isolated most frequently. PMID- 17804658 TI - Tracing shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli O103, O145, and O174 infections from farm residents to cattle. AB - Severe diarrheal infections caused by Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli O103:H2:stx(1):eae-epsilon:ehx, O145:H28:stx(1):eae-gamma:ehx (two cases in a family), and O174:H21:stx(2c) in farm residents were traced to cattle. Molecular methods were applied to the isolation and characterization of the strains. The causative strains were also isolated from cattle samples 1 or 4 months later. PMID- 17804659 TI - Rapid multiplex nested PCR for detection of respiratory viruses. AB - Respiratory tract infections can be caused by a heterogeneous group of viruses and bacteria that produce similar clinical presentations. Specific diagnosis therefore relies on laboratory investigation. This study developed and evaluated five groups of multiplex nested PCR assays that could simultaneously detect 21 different respiratory pathogens: influenza A virus (H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1); influenza B virus; parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, 3, 4a, and 4b; respiratory syncytial virus A and B; human rhinoviruses; human enteroviruses; human coronaviruses OC43 and 229E; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus; human metapneumoviruses; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Chlamydophila pneumoniae; Legionella pneumophila; and adenoviruses (A to F). These multiplex nested PCRs adopted fast PCR technology. The high speed of fast PCR (within 35 min) greatly improved the efficiency of these assays. The results show that these multiplex nested PCR assays are specific and more sensitive (100- to 1,000-fold) than conventional methods. Among the 303 clinical specimens tested, the multiplex nested PCR achieved an overall positive rate of 48.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42.9 to 54.1%), which was significantly higher than that of virus isolation (20.1% [95% CI, 15.6 to 24.6%]) and that of direct detection by immunofluorescence assay (13.5% [95% CI, 9.7 to 17.4%]). The improved sensitivity was partly due to the higher sensitivity of multiplex nested PCR than that of conventional methods in detecting cultivatable viruses. Moreover, the ability of the multiplex nested PCR to detect noncultivatable viruses, particularly rhinoviruses, coronavirus OC43, and metapneumoviruses, contributed a major gain (15.6%) in the overall positive rate. In conclusion, rapid multiplex nested PCR assays can improve the diagnostic yield for respiratory infections to allow prompt interventive actions to be taken. PMID- 17804660 TI - Accuracy of Burkholderia pseudomallei identification using the API 20NE system and a latex agglutination test. AB - In an evaluation of the API 20NE for the identification of Burkholderia spp., 792/800 (99%) Burkholderia pseudomallei and 17/19 (89%) B. cepacia isolates were correctly identified but 10 B. mallei and 98 B. thailandensis isolates were not correctly identified. A latex agglutination test was positive for 796/800 (99.5%) B. pseudomallei isolates and negative for 120 other oxidase-positive gram negative bacilli. PMID- 17804661 TI - Comparison of plaque- and flow cytometry-based methods for measuring dengue virus neutralization. AB - As dengue vaccines enter clinical trials, there is a need for rapid and quantitative assays to measure neutralization. We have developed flow-based neutralization assays which generated results similar to those generated by the established, plaque reduction neutralization test. The flow assays are an improvement, as they use human cells and allow for high-throughput screening. PMID- 17804662 TI - Isolation and genetic characterization of a coinfection of non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli. AB - A coinfection of O177:NM and O55:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was identified for a child with acute bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome by using culture and serotype-specific molecular reagents. The profile of O157-related genetic islands revealed that the O55:H7 isolate was highly similar to O157 STEC whereas the O177:NM isolate lacked several fimbrial O islands and non-locus-of-enterocyte-effacement effector determinants. However, both STEC serotypes are known to cause serious disease, and the significant repertoire of virulence determinants in both strains made it impossible to determine their individual contributions to the clinical symptoms. PMID- 17804663 TI - Highly sensitive and broadly reactive quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assay for high-throughput detection of Rift Valley fever virus. AB - Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus is a mosquito-borne virus associated with large scale epizootics/epidemics throughout Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Virus infection can result in economically disastrous "abortion storms" and high newborn mortality in livestock. Human infections result in a flu-like illness, with 1 to 2% of patients developing severe complications, including encephalitis or hemorrhagic fever with high fatality rates. There is a critical need for a highly sensitive and specific molecular diagnostic assay capable of detecting the natural genetic spectrum of RVF viruses. We report here the establishment of a pan-RVF virus quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR assay with high analytical sensitivity (approximately 5 RNA copies of in vitro-transcribed RNA/reaction or approximately 0.1 PFU of infectious virus/reaction) and efficiency (standard curve slope = -3.66). Based on the alignments of the complete genome sequences of 40 ecologically and biologically diverse virus isolates collected over 56 years (1944 to 2000), the primer and probe annealing sites targeted in this assay are known to be located in highly conserved genomic regions. The performance of this assay relative to serologic assays is illustrated by testing of known RVF case materials obtained during the Saudi Arabia outbreak in 2000. Furthermore, analysis of acute-phase blood samples collected from human patients (25 nonfatal, 8 fatal) during that outbreak revealed that patient viremia at time of presentation at hospital may be a useful prognostic tool in determining patient outcome. PMID- 17804664 TI - Rapid microarray-based method for monitoring of all currently known single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with parasite resistance to antimalaria drugs. AB - Parasite drug resistance is partly conferred by single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and monitoring them has been proposed as an alternative to monitoring drug resistance. Therefore, techniques are required to facilitate analyses of multiple SNPs on an epidemiological scale. We report a rapid and affordable microarray technique for application in epidemiological studies of malaria drug resistance. We have designed a multiwell microarray that is used in conjunction with PCR-amplified target genes implicated in the drug resistance of malaria with subsequent one-tube minisequencing using two fluorochromes. The drug-resistance associated genes pfdhfr, pfdhps, pfcrt, pfmdr1, and pfATPase were amplified and analyzed for cultured Plasmodium falciparum strains and from field samples. We obtained a specificity of 94%, and comparison of field sample results to those of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing resulted in an overall consistency of >90%, except for pfdhfr51, for which most discrepancies were due to false determinations by RFLP of mixed infections. The system is sufficiently sensitive to assay parasites in clinical malaria cases and in most asymptomatic cases, and it allows high throughput with minimal hands-on time. The cost for the assay has been calculated as 0.27 euros/SNP (US $0.33), which is below the cost incurred with other systems. Due to the simplicity of the approach, newly identified SNPs can be incorporated rapidly. Such a monitoring system also makes it possible to identify the reemergence of drug-susceptible parasites once a drug has been withdrawn. PMID- 17804665 TI - Siderophore-based iron acquisition and pathogen control. AB - High-affinity iron acquisition is mediated by siderophore-dependent pathways in the majority of pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and fungi. Considerable progress has been made in characterizing and understanding mechanisms of siderophore synthesis, secretion, iron scavenging, and siderophore-delivered iron uptake and its release. The regulation of siderophore pathways reveals multilayer networks at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Due to the key role of many siderophores during virulence, coevolution led to sophisticated strategies of siderophore neutralization by mammals and (re)utilization by bacterial pathogens. Surprisingly, hosts also developed essential siderophore based iron delivery and cell conversion pathways, which are of interest for diagnostic and therapeutic studies. In the last decades, natural and synthetic compounds have gained attention as potential therapeutics for iron-dependent treatment of infections and further diseases. Promising results for pathogen inhibition were obtained with various siderophore-antibiotic conjugates acting as "Trojan horse" toxins and siderophore pathway inhibitors. In this article, general aspects of siderophore-mediated iron acquisition, recent findings regarding iron-related pathogen-host interactions, and current strategies for iron-dependent pathogen control will be reviewed. Further concepts including the inhibition of novel siderophore pathway targets are discussed. PMID- 17804666 TI - Regulation of vacuolar pH and its modulation by some microbial species. AB - To survive within the host, pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori need to evade the immune response and find a protected niche where they are not exposed to microbicidal effectors. The pH of the microenvironment surrounding the pathogen plays a critical role in dictating the organism's fate. Specifically, the acidic pH of the endocytic organelles and phagosomes not only can affect bacterial growth directly but also promotes a variety of host microbicidal responses. The development of mechanisms to avoid or resist the acidic environment generated by host cells is therefore crucial to the survival of many pathogens. Here we review the processes that underlie the generation of organellar acidification and discuss strategies employed by pathogens to circumvent it, using M. tuberculosis and H. pylori as examples. PMID- 17804667 TI - Distribution and physiology of ABC-type transporters contributing to multidrug resistance in bacteria. AB - Membrane proteins responsible for the active efflux of structurally and functionally unrelated drugs were first characterized in higher eukaryotes. To date, a vast number of transporters contributing to multidrug resistance (MDR transporters) have been reported for a large variety of organisms. Predictions about the functions of genes in the growing number of sequenced genomes indicate that MDR transporters are ubiquitous in nature. The majority of described MDR transporters in bacteria use ion motive force, while only a few systems have been shown to rely on ATP hydrolysis. However, recent reports on MDR proteins from gram-positive organisms, as well as genome analysis, indicate that the role of ABC-type MDR transporters in bacterial drug resistance might be underestimated. Detailed structural and mechanistic analyses of these proteins can help to understand their molecular mode of action and may eventually lead to the development of new strategies to counteract their actions, thereby increasing the effectiveness of drug-based therapies. This review focuses on recent advances in the analysis of ABC-type MDR transporters in bacteria. PMID- 17804668 TI - Ribosome biogenesis and the translation process in Escherichia coli. AB - Translation, the decoding of mRNA into protein, is the third and final element of the central dogma. The ribosome, a nucleoprotein particle, is responsible and essential for this process. The bacterial ribosome consists of three rRNA molecules and approximately 55 proteins, components that are put together in an intricate and tightly regulated way. When finally matured, the quality of the particle, as well as the amount of active ribosomes, must be checked. The focus of this review is ribosome biogenesis in Escherichia coli and its cross-talk with the ongoing protein synthesis. We discuss how the ribosomal components are produced and how their synthesis is regulated according to growth rate and the nutritional contents of the medium. We also present the many accessory factors important for the correct assembly process, the list of which has grown substantially during the last few years, even though the precise mechanisms and roles of most of the proteins are not understood. PMID- 17804670 TI - Mechanism of hypokalemia in magnesium deficiency. AB - Magnesium deficiency is frequently associated with hypokalemia. Concomitant magnesium deficiency aggravates hypokalemia and renders it refractory to treatment by potassium. Herein is reviewed literature suggesting that magnesium deficiency exacerbates potassium wasting by increasing distal potassium secretion. A decrease in intracellular magnesium, caused by magnesium deficiency, releases the magnesium-mediated inhibition of ROMK channels and increases potassium secretion. Magnesium deficiency alone, however, does not necessarily cause hypokalemia. An increase in distal sodium delivery or elevated aldosterone levels may be required for exacerbating potassium wasting in magnesium deficiency. PMID- 17804671 TI - The fructose nation. PMID- 17804672 TI - Dendritic cells in the kidney. AB - Dendritic cells (DC) in nonlymphoid organs function at the crossroads of innate and adaptive immunity, self-tolerance, and tissue homeostasis. This review provides an overview of the study of DC in the kidney, tracing its history leading to the current knowledge of the origins, migration, and function of renal DC. Together, these studies suggest that renal DC play a critical role in the health and disease of the kidney, opening the way to direct targeting of renal DC for therapeutic benefit. PMID- 17804673 TI - Chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular events, and the effects of perindopril based blood pressure lowering: data from the PROGRESS study. AB - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease, but evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions to reduce that risk is lacking. The Perindopril Protection against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS) study enrolled 6105 participants with cerebrovascular disease and randomly allocated them to perindopril-based blood pressure-lowering therapy or placebo. Individuals with CKD were at approximately 1.5-fold greater risk of major vascular events, stroke, and coronary heart disease, and were more than twice as likely to die (all P< or =0.002). Perindopril-based treatment reduced the risk of major vascular events by 30% and stroke by 35% among subjects with CKD, and the absolute effects of treatment were 1.7-fold greater for those with CKD than for those without. Considering patients with CKD and a history of cerebrovascular disease, perindopril prevented one stroke or other cardiovascular event among every 11 patients treated over five years. In conclusion, kidney function should be considered when determining the need for blood pressure lowering therapy in patients with cerebrovascular disease. PMID- 17804669 TI - Genomics of Actinobacteria: tracing the evolutionary history of an ancient phylum. AB - Actinobacteria constitute one of the largest phyla among bacteria and represent gram-positive bacteria with a high G+C content in their DNA. This bacterial group includes microorganisms exhibiting a wide spectrum of morphologies, from coccoid to fragmenting hyphal forms, as well as possessing highly variable physiological and metabolic properties. Furthermore, Actinobacteria members have adopted different lifestyles, and can be pathogens (e.g., Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Tropheryma, and Propionibacterium), soil inhabitants (Streptomyces), plant commensals (Leifsonia), or gastrointestinal commensals (Bifidobacterium). The divergence of Actinobacteria from other bacteria is ancient, making it impossible to identify the phylogenetically closest bacterial group to Actinobacteria. Genome sequence analysis has revolutionized every aspect of bacterial biology by enhancing the understanding of the genetics, physiology, and evolutionary development of bacteria. Various actinobacterial genomes have been sequenced, revealing a wide genomic heterogeneity probably as a reflection of their biodiversity. This review provides an account of the recent explosion of actinobacterial genomics data and an attempt to place this in a biological and evolutionary context. PMID- 17804674 TI - Mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition halts the progression of proteinuria in a rat model of reduced renal mass. AB - Many kidney transplant patients experience an increase in proteinuria when converted from a calcineurin inhibitor-based regimen to one based on a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, and preexisting proteinuria and poor renal function have been identified as risk factors for this increase. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of sirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, on renal function and histology in a proteinuric model of reduced renal mass. Sirolimus-treated animals had approximately half as much proteinuria as vehicle-treated animals (P < 0.05), and had less glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and inflammation. Immunohistochemistry showed that sirolimus attenuated the increased expression of renal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as well as the expression of VEGF receptors 1 and 2. In conclusion, sirolimus halted the progression of proteinuria and structural damage in a rat model of reduced renal mass, possibly through a reduction in renal VEGF activity. PMID- 17804675 TI - Chronic peritoneal dialysis in the United States: declining utilization despite improving outcomes. AB - In the United States, chronic peritoneal dialysis take-on has declined among incident ESRD patients. Although increasing age, co-morbidity, and body size may explain part of this decline, other factors likely contribute. Among incident ESRD patients in the United States, we found that peritoneal dialysis take-on significantly decreased from 11% in 1996 to 1997 to 7% in 2002 to 2003 (P < 0.001 for the trend). This decrease remained after adjusting for patient demographics, case-mix, and laboratory data, suggesting the involvement of other factors. This decline in utilization occurred during a time of improving outcomes for incident peritoneal dialysis patients, measured as reduced hazards for death or for the need to transfer to hemodialysis. In contrast, among patients initially treated with hemodialysis, the 12-month adjusted hazards for death or transfer to peritoneal dialysis slightly worsened or were unchanged over this same period. Therefore, the decline in peritoneal dialysis take-on cannot be entirely explained by increasing age, co-morbidity and body size of incident ESRD patients. The decline in utilization has occurred at a time when the early outcomes of CPD patients have improved. PMID- 17804676 TI - Angiopoietin-related growth factor suppresses gluconeogenesis through the Akt/forkhead box class O1-dependent pathway in hepatocytes. AB - Angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF; or Angptl6) is a liver-derived, circulating factor and is considered to be a regulator of metabolic homeostasis. AGF is capable of counteracting both obesity and obesity-related insulin resistance. However, the target tissues and the molecular mechanisms underlying the antiobesity and antidiabetic actions of AGF have not been completely defined. Using rat hepatoma H4IIEc3 cells or primary hepatocytes, we demonstrate that AGF suppresses glucose production in a concentration-dependent manner through reduced expression of a key gluconeogenic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), at both transcriptional and translational levels. The action of AGF on glucose production was inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with LY294002 [2-(4-morpholinyl)-8 phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one], a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, and Akt (protein kinase B) inhibitors. AGF increased the phosphorylation of Akt and its substrates, glycogen synthase kinase 3beta and forkhead box class O1 (FoxO1), a key transcription factor for G6Pase expression. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical approach with anti-FoxO1 antibody demonstrated that AGF stimulation promoted translocation of FoxO1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in the cells. These results suggest that in hepatocytes, AGF suppresses gluconeogenesis via reduced transcriptional activity of FoxO1 resulting from the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling cascades. PMID- 17804677 TI - EP2306 [2-(4-biphenyl)-4-methyl-octahydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ol, hydrobromide], a novel squalene synthase inhibitor, reduces atherosclerosis in the cholesterol-fed rabbit. AB - EP2306 [2-(4-biphenyl)-4-methyl-octahydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ol, hydrobromide] inhibits squalene synthase and lipid biosynthesis and possesses antioxidant properties. We hypothesized that EP2306 can effectively modify circulating lipids and reduce atherosclerosis in the cholesterol-fed rabbit. Animals were fed a high cholesterol diet for 4 weeks followed by 4 (phase 1 and 2) or 12 weeks (phase 3) of drug treatment while on high-cholesterol diet. In phase 1, the dose-effect relationship of EP2306 on lipids and atherosclerosis was established, and its most effective dose was determined (2 mg/kg). This dose reduced significantly total cholesterol (512 +/- 96 mg/dl before versus 320 +/- 124 mg/dl after treatment, p < 0.05) and atherosclerotic lesions compared with control animals. In phase 2, the effects of 2 mg/kg EP2306, 2.5 mg/kg simvastatin, and their combination were assessed. Although no significant effect on lipid parameters was observed, there was a significant reduction (35 +/- 5%, p < 0.05) of atherosclerotic lesions in animals treated with EP2306, a similar reduction with simvastatin, and a further reduction (48 +/- 7%, p < 0.05) when the two agents were combined. In animals treated for 12 weeks with the drugs (phase 3), only EP2306 significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesions by more than 50%, whereas simvastatin alone or in combination with EP2306 had no effect. Treatment with EP2306 did not adversely affect liver transaminases or cause any histopathological changes on various organs of the animals. In conclusion, we have shown that EP2306 inhibits atherosclerosis in vivo, indicating potential as a novel therapeutic agent for coronary artery disease and other atherosclerosis related disorders. PMID- 17804678 TI - Waist circumference thresholds provide an accurate and widely applicable method for the discrimination of diabetes. PMID- 17804679 TI - Microvascular and C-fiber function in diabetic charcot neuroarthropathy and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. AB - OBJECTIVE: Sympathetic denervation and hyperemia are implicated in the pathogenesis of Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) but are also features of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Differences in these physiological parameters were sought by determining C-fiber function (laser Doppler imager [LDI]flare technique) and maximum microvascular hyperemia (MMH) in 13 subjects with diabetic CN (DCN), 10 subjects with DPN, and 10 healthy control subjects. Additionally, unaffected limbs of the nine DCN subjects with unilateral CN (UCN) were studied to determine whether any observed differences precede CN. RESULTS: LDIflare area was reduced in DPN (mean +/- SD 1.41 +/- 0.51 cm(2)) and DCN (1.42 +/- 0.37) groups compared with the healthy control group (5.24 +/- 1.33; P < 0.0001). MMH was higher in DCN (432 +/- 88 PU [perfusion units]) than in DPN (262 +/- 71; P = 0.001) subjects but lower than in the control group (564 +/- 112; P < 0.01). LDIflare area and MMH were similar in the UCN and DCN groups. CONCLUSIONS: C fiber function is equally impaired in neuropathic patients with and without CN; however, a higher MMH distinguishes those with CN. Unaffected and affected limbs of those with unilateral CN have the same neurovascular abnormalities, suggesting that these abnormalities precede CN and are not a result of CN. PMID- 17804680 TI - Lipid, glycemic, and insulin responses to meals rich in saturated, cis monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated (n-3 and n-6) fatty acids in subjects with type 2 diabetes. AB - OBJECTIVE: The recommendations for dietary fats in patients with type 2 diabetes are based largely on the impact of fatty acids on fasting serum lipid and glucose concentrations. How fatty acids affect postprandial insulin, glucose, and triglyceride concentrations, however, remains unclear. The objective of this study was to study the effect of fatty acids on postprandial insulin, glucose, and triglyceride responses. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Test meals rich in palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and containing 1,000 kcal each were administered in a randomized crossover design to 11 type 2 diabetic subjects. Serum insulin, glucose, and triglyceride concentrations were measured for 360 min. All subjects received an isoenergetic diet of constant composition throughout the study. RESULTS: According to repeated-measures ANOVA, the insulin (P = 0.0002) but not glucose (P = 0.10) response was significantly different between meals. The insulin response was lower to meals rich in oleic acid or EPA and DHA than to meals rich in palmitic acid or linoleic acid (P < 0.01). The triglyceride response did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.06) but tended to be lower with EPA and DHA than with the other fatty acids. Similar trends were seen for area under the curve (AUC) and incremental AUC for serum insulin and triglycerides, but the differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with palmitic acid and linoleic acid, oleic acid or EPA and DHA may modestly lower insulin response in patients with type 2 diabetes without deteriorating the glucose response. EPA and DHA may also reduce the triglyceride response. PMID- 17804681 TI - Recruitment to a clinical trial improves glycemic control in patients with diabetes. AB - OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effect upon A1C of recruitment to a clinical trial in patients with diabetes who had been screened and interviewed to determine eligibility but whose therapy was otherwise unchanged. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Eligible trials were selected from the global program of an insulin manufacturer. Included were studies in which patients were seen on a single screening visit, pharmaceutical therapy was not altered before randomization, and A1C was measured in a central laboratory at both screening and randomization. Three trials involving patients with type 1 diabetes (n = 429) and three trials involving patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 611) were identified for analysis. The main outcome measure was change in A1C. Separate regression equations on the change in A1C were fitted for type 1 and type 2 diabetes and included effects of baseline A1C and the interval between the screening and randomization visits. RESULTS: A1C changed by -0.13% (range +0.09 to -0.26%) in those with type 1 diabetes at a median of 28 days and by -0.16% (-0.14 to -0.27%) for those with type 2 diabetes at a median of 14 days. The mean change in A1C in those with an interval of >or=28 days was -0.24% for those with type 1 diabetes and -0.23% for those with type 2 diabetes. The reduction was proportional to initial A1C, with large decreases in those with the poorest initial control but no overall change in those at or below the 10th percentile of A1C. CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment to a clinical trial, independent of any therapeutic intervention, produces improvements in glucose control. PMID- 17804682 TI - Change in albuminuria is predictive of cardiovascular outcome in normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria. PMID- 17804683 TI - Simvastatin reduces plasma osteoprotegerin in type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria. PMID- 17804684 TI - Perception of offspring risk for type 2 diabetes among patients with type 2 diabetes and their adult offspring. PMID- 17804685 TI - Evaluation of polyneuropathy markers in type 1 diabetic kidney transplant patients and effects of islet transplantation: neurophysiological and skin biopsy longitudinal analysis. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether islet transplantation may stabilize polyneuropathy in uremic type 1 diabetic patients (end-stage renal disease [ESRD] and type 1 diabetes), who received a successful islet-after-kidney transplantation (KI-s). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Eighteen KI-s patients underwent electroneurographic tests of sural, peroneal, ulnar, and median nerves: the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) index and amplitudes of both sensory action potentials (SAPs) and compound motor action potentials (CMAPs) were analyzed longitudinally at 2, 4, and 6 years after islet transplantation. Skin content of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and expression of their specific receptors (RAGE) were also studied at the 4-year follow-up. Nine patients with ESRD and type 1 diabetes who received kidney transplantation alone (KD) served as control subjects. RESULTS: The NCV score improved in the KI-s group up to the 4-year time point (P = 0.01 versus baseline) and stabilized 2 years later, whereas the same parameter did not change significantly in the KD group throughout the follow-up period or when a cross-sectional analysis between groups was performed. Either SAP or CMAP amplitudes recovered in the KI-s group, whereas they continued worsening in KD control subjects. AGE and RAGE levels in perineurium and vasa nervorum of skin biopsies were lower in the KI-s than in the KD group (P < 0.01 for RAGE). CONCLUSIONS: Islet transplantation seems to prevent long-term worsening of polyneuropathy in patients with ESRD and type 1 diabetes who receive islets after kidney transplantation. No statistical differences between the two groups were evident on cross-sectional analysis. A reduction in AGE/RAGE expression in the peripheral nervous system was shown in patients receiving islet transplantation. PMID- 17804686 TI - Plasmacytoid dendritic cells employ multiple cell adhesion molecules sequentially to interact with high endothelial venule cells--molecular basis of their trafficking to lymph nodes. AB - Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are natural type I IFN-producing cells found in lymphoid tissues, where they support both innate and adaptive immune responses. They emigrate from the blood to lymph nodes, apparently through high endothelial venules (HEVs), but little is known about the mechanism. We have investigated the molecular mechanisms of pDC migration using freshly isolated DCs and HEV cells. We found that pDCs bound avidly to HEV cells and then transmigrated underneath them. Two observations suggested that these binding and migration steps are differentially regulated. First, treatment of pDCs with pertussis toxin blocked transmigration but not binding. Second, pDCs were able to bind but not to transmigrate under non-HEV endothelial cells, although the binding was observed to both HEV and non-HEV endothelial cells. Antibody inhibition studies indicated that the binding process was mediated by alphaL and alpha4 integrins on pDCs and by intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, ICAM-2 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 on HEVs. The transmigration process was also mediated by alphaL and alpha4 integrins on pDCs, with junctional adhesion molecule-A on HEV cells apparently serving as an additional ligand for alphaL integrin. These data show for the first time that pDCs employ multiple adhesion molecules sequentially in the processes of adhesion to and transmigration through HEVs. PMID- 17804687 TI - Thymosin alpha1 activates the TLR9/MyD88/IRF7-dependent murine cytomegalovirus sensing for induction of anti-viral responses in vivo. AB - Reactivation of latent human cytomegalovirus following allogeneic transplantation is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and predisposes to severe complications. Thymosin alpha1 (Talpha1), a naturally occurring thymic peptide, is approved for treatment of some viral infections and as an immune adjuvant. Talpha1 successfully primed dendritic cells (DCs) for anti-microbial T helper type 1 resistance through Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9 signaling. We sought to determine here whether Talpha1 could play a role in murine cytomegalovirus infection (MCMV). To this purpose, susceptible, resistant and TLR-deficient mice were infected with MCMV, treated with Talpha1 and assessed for protection in term of microbiological and immunological parameters. Talpha1 protected susceptible and resistant mice from MCMV infection. The anti-viral effect of Talpha1 occurred through the activation of plasmacytoid DCs via the TLR9/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88-dependent viral recognition sensing, leading to the activation of IFN regulatory factor 7 and the promotion of the IFN-alpha/IFN gamma-dependent effector pathway. PMID- 17804688 TI - CD14+ antigen-presenting cells in human dermis are less mature than their CD1a+ counterparts. AB - We recently demonstrated that three antigen-presenting cell (APC) subsets exist in the healthy human dermis, CD14(+) and CD1a(+) dermal APCs and migratory dermal Langerhans cells. Here, we extend these findings by defining CD208 as an exclusive marker of migratory dermal Langerhans cells, confirming that migratory dermal Langerhans cells (CD1a(high) CD207(+) CD208(+)) and CD1a(+) dermal APCs (CD1a(mid) CD207(-) CD208(-)) are two distinct APC populations. Using flow cytometry and multicolor fluorescence immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that there were striking differences between CD1a(+) and CD14(+) dermal APCs in their expression of pattern recognition receptors and maturation markers. Expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, CD206 and CD209 was largely restricted to CD14(+) dermal APCs. Consistent with these observations, most CD14(+) dermal APCs expressed an immature phenotype when compared with CD1a(+) dermal APCs, which expressed high levels of the maturation marker CD83 on their cell surface. However, a subset of CD14(+) dermal APCs also expressed cell-surface CD83, associated with a loss of cell-surface TLR2, suggesting that they have the capacity to mature. CD14(+) dermal APCs are therefore the dominant cutaneous APC population capable of sensing ligands recognized by CD206, CD209 and TLR2 and subsequently may have the potential to mature. CD68 expression was largely restricted to a subset of CD14(+) dermal APCs, while both CD14(+) and CD1a(+) dermal APCs expressed CD11b and CD11c. These findings have important implications for understanding cutaneous immune responses in humans and for the optimization of vaccine delivery via the skin. PMID- 17804689 TI - The aged thymus shows normal recruitment of lymphohematopoietic progenitors but has defects in thymic epithelial cells. AB - Aging is associated with reduced numbers of all thymocyte sub-populations, including early T-cell progenitors. However, it is unclear if this is due to inadequate recruitment of lymphohematopoietic progenitor cells (LPCs) to the aged thymus or to abnormal development of T cells within the thymus. We found that LPCs from young mice were recruited equally well to the thymi of young or aged mice and that thymic stromal cells (TSCs) from young and old mice expressed similar levels of P-selectin and CCL25, which are believed to mediate recruitment of LPCs to the adult thymus. However, the number of recruited thymocytes in old thymus was markedly reduced after two weeks, indicating that T-cell development or proliferation is defective in the aged thymus. We also found that LPCs from aged and young mice have similar capacities to seed a fetal thymus that was transplanted under the kidney capsule. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) in aged mice had lower proliferative capacity and higher rate of apoptosis, compared with findings in young animals. In addition, immunofluorescence staining with antibodies to cortical and medullary TECs revealed that aged thymi had a disorganized thymic stromal architecture, combined with reduced cellularity of the medulla, and apoptosis of thymocyte sub-populations in the medullary microenvironment was increased, compared with that in young mice. We conclude that aging does not impair recruitment of LPCs to the thymus, but is characterized by abnormalities in thymic epithelial architecture, especially medullary TEC function that may provide sub-optimal support for thymic development of LPCs. PMID- 17804690 TI - Modulation of CD4 co-receptor limits spontaneous autoimmunity when high-affinity transgenic TCR specific for self-antigen is expressed on a genetically resistant background. AB - Myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) 139-151 is an immunodominant peptide that induces experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in H-2(s) SJL/J mice. While PLP 139-151-specific TCR transgenic (tg) 4E3 mice develop fulminant spontaneous disease on the susceptible SJL/J background, spontaneous EAE is dramatically reduced on the H-2(s) congenic B10.S background. On this resistant background, we observed a high frequency of positively selected tg CD4-CD8- (DN) thymocytes and peripheral DN tg T cells. Splenic DN tg T cells responded to anti CD3 stimulation similarly to CD4+ cells, but proliferative and cytokine responses to PLP 139-151 were blunted, implying that CD4 co-receptor down-regulation modulated T cell responses to the self-antigen in vitro. Adoptive transfer of tg DN CD3hi cells into RAG-deficient wild-type (WT) recipients induced EAE less efficiently than transfer of CD4+ T tg cells indicating the blunted responses of DN tg T cells to self-antigen in vivo. The frequency of tg DN T cells was irrespective of thymic expression of the autoantigen. These data implicate that down-regulation of CD4 co-receptor in the thymus, which is independent from the expression of thymic autoantigen, results in a blunted response to the autoantigen in the periphery and limits the incidence of spontaneous autoimmunity in genetically resistant mice bearing a large autoreactive tg T cell repertoire. PMID- 17804691 TI - Selective suppression of Th2-mediated airway eosinophil infiltration by low molecular weight CCR3 antagonists. AB - The effects of selective CC chemokine receptor (CCR)-3 antagonists on antigen induced leukocyte accumulation in the lungs of mice adoptively transferred with in vitro-differentiated T(h)1 and T(h)2 were investigated. Inhalation of antigen by mice injected with T(h)1 and T(h)2 initiated the migration of T cells themselves into the lungs. Subsequently, neutrophils massively accumulated in T(h)1-transferred mice, whereas eosinophil infiltration was specifically induced by T(h)2. CCR3 antagonists, SB-297006 and/or SB-328437, suppressed antigen induced accumulation of T(h)2 as well as eosinophils in the lungs, whereas they failed to affect T(h)1-mediated airway inflammation. Not only T(h)2 and eosinophil infiltration but also cellular mobilization in T(h)1-transferred mice was attenuated by an anti-CC chemokine ligand-11 antibody. CCR3 antagonists reduced chemokine production in the lungs of mice transferred with T(h)2 but not T(h)1, suggesting that down-regulation of chemokine synthesis is involved in the selective inhibition of T(h)2-mediated eosinophil infiltration by CCR3 antagonists. PMID- 17804692 TI - CD83 influences cell-surface MHC class II expression on B cells and other antigen presenting cells. AB - CD83 is a member of the Ig superfamily expressed primarily by mature dendritic cells (DCs). In mice, CD83 expression by thymic stromal cells regulates CD4(+) T cell development, with CD83(-/-) mice demonstrating dramatic reductions in both thymus and peripheral CD4(+) T cells. In this study, CD83 expression was also found to affect MHC class II antigen expression within the thymus and periphery. CD83 deficiency reduced cell-surface class II antigen expression by 25-50% on splenic B cells and DCs, thymic epithelial cells and peritoneal macrophages. Reduced class II expression was a stable and intrinsic property that resulted from increased internalization of class II from the surface of CD83(-/-) B cells. Otherwise, class II antigen transcription, intracellular expression, heterodimer structure, antigen processing and antigen presentation were normal. Reduced class II antigen expression was not the primary cause of the CD83(-/-) phenotype since thymocyte and peripheral T cell development was normal in class II(+/-) mice. Comparable blocks in CD4(+) thymocyte development were also observed in CD83(-/-) and CD83(-/-)class II(+/-) littermates. TCR and CD69 expression patterns in CD83( /-) mice further suggested that double-positive thymocytes proceed through the class II-dependent stages of positive selection in the absence of CD83. These studies further emphasize a role for CD83 in lymphocyte development and immune regulation and reveal an unexpected role for CD83 expression in influencing cell surface MHC class II turnover. PMID- 17804693 TI - Erythropoiesis and iron metabolism in dominant erythropoietic protoporphyria. AB - Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) results from deficiency of ferrochelatase (FECH). Accumulation of protoporphyrin IX causes life-long acute photosensitivity. Microcytic anemia occurs in 20% to 60% of patients. We investigated 178 patients with dominant EPP confirmed by molecular analysis. Erythropoiesis was impaired in all patients; all had a downward shift in hemoglobin (Hb), and the mean decreased in males by 12 g/L (1.2 g/dL). By World Health Organization criteria, 48% of women and 33% of men were anemic. Iron stores, assessed by serum ferritin (sFn), were decreased by two-thirds, but normal serum soluble transferrin receptor-1 and iron concentrations suggested that erythropoiesis was not limited by iron supply. FECH deficiency in EPP appears to lead to a steady state in which decreased erythropoiesis is matched by reduced iron absorption and supply. This response may in part be mediated by protoporphyrin, but we found no correlation between erythrocyte protoporphyrin and Hb, sFn, total iron-binding capacity, or transferrin saturation. PMID- 17804694 TI - CD3+CD4low and CD3+CD8low are induced by HLA-G: novel human peripheral blood suppressor T-cell subsets involved in transplant acceptance. AB - HLA-G is a tolerogenic molecule whose detection in sera and within allografted tissues is associated with better graft acceptance. HLA-G mediates T-cell differentiation into suppressor cells, which are thought to promote tolerance. Here, we investigated such T cells phenotypically and functionally and assessed their clinical relevance in the peripheral blood of patients who have undergone transplantation. Our results demonstrate that HLA-G expressed by antigen presenting cells or present as soluble protein down-regulates the expression of CD4 and CD8 on allostimulated T cells at both transcriptional and posttranslational levels. These CD3(+)CD4(low) and CD3(+)CD8(low) T-cell subsets are characterized by an increased proportion of cells expressing CD45RA and HLA DR, and a decreased number of cells expressing CD62L. In addition, these HLA-G induced CD3(+)CD4(low) and CD3(+)CD8(low) subpopulations are Foxp3-negative suppressor T cells whose function involves IL-10. Biologic relevance came from analysis of patients who underwent transplantation, with high HLA-G plasma concentrations associated with better graft survival. Peripheral blood from these patients contains increased levels of IL-10 concomitantly to an enhanced representation of CD3(+)CD4(low) and CD3(+)CD8(low) T cells compared with HLA-G negative patients who underwent transplantation and healthy individuals. These data define novel immunosuppressive subpopulations of peripheral blood T cells induced by HLA-G with potent implications in peripheral tolerance. PMID- 17804695 TI - An orally bioavailable parthenolide analog selectively eradicates acute myelogenous leukemia stem and progenitor cells. AB - Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of acute leukemia and likely contribute to both disease initiation and relapse. Therefore, identification of agents that target LSCs is an important consideration for the development of new therapies. To this end, we have previously demonstrated that the naturally occurring compound parthenolide (PTL) can induce death of human LSCs in vitro while sparing normal hematopoietic cells. However, PTL has relatively poor pharmacologic properties that limit its potential clinical use. Consequently, we generated a family of PTL analogs designed to improve solubility and bioavailability. These studies identified an analog, dimethylamino-parthenolide (DMAPT), which induces rapid death of primary human LSCs from both myeloid and lymphoid leukemias, and is also highly cytotoxic to bulk leukemic cell populations. Molecular studies indicate the prevalent activities of DMAPT include induction of oxidative stress responses, inhibition of NF-kappaB, and activation of p53. The compound has approximately 70% oral bioavailability, and pharmacologic studies using both mouse xenograft models and spontaneous acute canine leukemias demonstrate in vivo bioactivity as determined by functional assays and multiple biomarkers. Therefore, based on the collective preclinical data, we propose that the novel compound DMAPT has the potential to target human LSCs in vivo. PMID- 17804696 TI - Protective role of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein, survivin, in toxin-induced acute renal failure. AB - Acute renal failure (ARF) is a major worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality, lacking specific targeted, effective therapies. Renal tubular cell apoptosis has been recognized to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ARF, yet few studies have evaluated whether intervention in apoptotic pathways can ameliorate the deterioration in renal function associated with ARF. Using transgenic mice with diminished levels of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein, survivin, we show that survivin is required to protect the kidney from apoptosis, to suppress renal expression of p53, and to ameliorate renal dysfunction in two models of ARF. Gene delivery of survivin to wild-type mice and mice with 50% levels of survivin, prior to or at the time of induction of ARF, interferes with the deterioration of renal function and preserves the integrity of the kidneys and the renal tubular cells by inhibiting activation of apoptotic pathways in the kidneys and suppressing expression of p53. These results encourage further evaluation of survivin, its active structural domains, and other inhibitors of apoptosis proteins, for preventing and/or treating acute renal failure. PMID- 17804697 TI - What remains to be done. PMID- 17804698 TI - Leveraging the immune system during chemotherapy: moving calreticulin to the cell surface converts apoptotic death from "silent" to immunogenic. AB - In contrast to prior belief, tumor cell apoptosis is not necessarily silent but can be immunogenic. By tracing how anthracyclines and gamma-irradiation trigger immunogenic cell deaths, we found that they were causally connected to the exposure of calreticulin on the tumor cell surface, before apoptosis in the tumor cell itself occurred. Furthermore, we showed that calreticulin exposure was necessary and sufficient to increase proimmunogenic killing by other chemotherapies. Our findings suggest that calreticulin could serve as a biomarker to predict therapy-associated immune responses, and that tactics to expose calreticulin might improve the clinical efficacy of many cancer therapies. PMID- 17804699 TI - Toll-like receptor ligands energize peptide vaccines through multiple paths. AB - The potential of vaccines for cancer therapy or prevention has yet to be realized. Recently, we showed that using an immunologic adjuvant composed of a Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand can increase the production of antitumor CTLs produced by a peptide vaccine in a mouse model of breast cancer. By increasing the cross talk between the innate and adaptive immune systems, TLR ligands can drive expansion and memory of CTLs that can destroy cancer cells. PMID- 17804700 TI - Activation of double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase, a new pathway by which human polynucleotide phosphorylase (hPNPase(old-35)) induces apoptosis. AB - Human polynucleotide phosphorylase (hPNPase(old-35)) is a type I IFN-inducible 3',5' exoribonuclease that mediates mRNA degradation. In melanoma cells, slow and sustained overexpression of hPNPase(old-35) induces G(1) cell cycle arrest ultimately culminating in apoptosis, whereas rapid overexpression of hPNPase(old 35) directly promotes apoptosis without cell cycle changes. These observations imply that inhibition of cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis by hPNPase(old-35) involve multiple intracellular targets and signaling pathways. We now provide evidence that the apoptosis-inducing activity of hPNPase(old-35) is mediated by activation of double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR). Activation of PKR by hPNPase(old-35) precedes phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2alpha and induction of growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153) that culminates in the shutdown of protein synthesis and apoptosis. Activation of PKR by hPNPase(old-35) also instigates down-regulation of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-x(L). A dominant-negative inhibitor of PKR, as well as GADD153 antisense or bcl-x(L) overexpression, effectively inhibits apoptosis induction by hPNPase(old-35). These studies elucidate a novel pathway by which an evolutionary conserved RNA-metabolizing enzyme, hPNPase(old-35), regulates cell growth and viability. PMID- 17804701 TI - Oxygen concentration determines the biological effects of NOTCH-1 signaling in adenocarcinoma of the lung. AB - NOTCH signaling is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that regulates cell fate during development and postnatal life. It has been increasingly linked to carcinogenesis, although its role in cancer seems to be highly context and tissue specific. Although NOTCH signaling is required for lung development, little is known about its role in lung cancer. In this study, we show that NOTCH signaling, as measured by the gamma-secretase cleavage product N(IC)-1, is active in both normal human and lung tumor samples; however, downstream NOTCH readouts (i.e., HES-1 and HES-5) are elevated in lung tumors. Levels of NOTCH signaling components in primary human lung cells reflect observations in tissue samples, yet lung tumor cell lines showed little NOTCH signaling. Because oxygen concentrations are important in normal lung physiology and lung tumors are hypoxic, the effect of low oxygen on these lung tumor cell lines was evaluated. We found that hypoxia dramatically elevates NOTCH signaling (especially NOTCH-1) in lung tumor cell lines and concomitantly sensitizes them to inhibition via small-molecule gamma-secretase inhibitors or NOTCH-1 RNA interference. gamma Secretase inhibitor-induced apoptosis of lung tumor cells grown under hypoxic conditions could be rescued by reintroduction of active NOTCH-1. Our data strengthen the role of NOTCH in lung cancer and as a therapeutic target for the treatment of lung and other hypoxic tumor types. PMID- 17804702 TI - A dual phosphoinositide-3-kinase alpha/mTOR inhibitor cooperates with blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor in PTEN-mutant glioma. AB - We have shown previously that blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) cooperates with a pan-selective inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) in EGFR-driven glioma. In this communication, we tested EGFR-driven glioma differing in PTEN status, treating with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib and a novel dual inhibitor of PI3Kalpha and mTOR (PI-103). Erlotinib blocked proliferation only in PTEN(wt) cells expressing EGFR. Although erlotinib monotherapy showed little effect in PTEN(mt) glioma, PI-103 greatly augmented the antiproliferative efficacy of erlotinib in this setting. To address the importance of PI3K blockade, we showed in PTEN(mt) glioma that combining PI-103 and erlotinib was superior to either monotherapy or to therapy combining erlotinib with either rapamycin (an inhibitor of mTOR) or PIK-90 (an inhibitor of PI3Kalpha). These experiments show that a dual inhibitor of PI3Kalpha and mTOR augments the activity of EGFR blockade, offering a mechanistic rationale for targeting EGFR, PI3Kalpha, and mTOR in the treatment of EGFR-driven, PTEN-mutant glioma. PMID- 17804703 TI - In vivo role of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 in metabolic activation of mitomycin C and bone marrow cytotoxicity. AB - NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1(-/-) (NQO1(-/-)), NQO1(+/-) along with NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2(-/-) (NQO2(-/-)), and wild-type (WT) mice were exposed to five once weekly doses of mitomycin C. The mice were euthanized 15 weeks after the first dose. Blood cell counts and histologic analyses were done. WT and NQO2(-/-) mice showed hypocellularity and a significant increase in adipocytes in bone marrow. They also showed anemia because of the loss of RBC and hemoglobin. The neutrophils and platelets were reduced, whereas other blood cell types and tissues were normal. Interestingly, NQO1(-/-) mice showed a complete resistance to mitomycin C-induced bone marrow cytotoxicity and reduction in RBC, hemoglobin, and neutrophils. NQO1(+/-) mice also showed limited resistance to mitomycin C-induced bone marrow cytotoxicity. These data show a major in vivo role of NQO1 in metabolic activation of mitomycin C with implications in mitomycin C chemotherapy. PMID- 17804704 TI - Overexpression of the microRNA hsa-miR-200c leads to reduced expression of transcription factor 8 and increased expression of E-cadherin. AB - MicroRNAs are approximately 22-nucleotide sequences thought to interact with multiple mRNAs resulting in either translational repression or degradation. We previously reported that several microRNAs had variable expression in mammalian cell lines, and we examined one, miR-200c, in more detail. A combination of bioinformatics and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to identify potential targets and revealed that the zinc finger transcription factor transcription factor 8 (TCF8; also termed ZEB1, deltaEF1, Nil-2-alpha) had inversely proportional expression levels to miR-200c. Knockout experiments using anti-microRNA oligonucleotides increased TCF8 levels but with nonspecific effects. Therefore, to investigate target predictions, we overexpressed miR-200c in select cells lines. Ordinarily, the expression level of miR-200c in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells is low in contrast to normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Stable overexpression of miR-200c in A549 cells results in a loss of TCF8, an increase in expression of its regulatory target, E-cadherin, and altered cell morphology. In MCF7 (estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer) cells, there is endogenous expression of miR-200c and E-cadherin but TCF8 is absent. Conversely, MDA-MB-231 (estrogen receptor-negative) cells lack detectable miR-200c and E-cadherin (the latter reportedly due to promoter region methylation) but express TCF8. The ectopic expression of miR-200c in this cell line also reduced levels of TCF8, restored E-cadherin expression, and altered cell morphology. Because the down-regulation of E-cadherin is a crucial event in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, loss of miR-200c expression could play a significant role in the initiation of an invasive phenotype, and, equally, miR 200c overexpression holds potential for its reversal. PMID- 17804705 TI - Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin as a novel-targeted therapeutic for brain metastasis. AB - Brain metastasis is the most commonly occurring intracranial tumor whose incidence seems to be increasing. With standard therapy, the average survival time of patients is approximately 8 months, and treatment often leads to neurologic dysfunction in long-term survivors, emphasizing the need for novel therapeutics. Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) has recently been shown to rapidly and specifically destroy cancer cells expressing CPE receptors claudin 3 and claudin-4. Unfortunately, the utility of CPE is precluded by systemic toxicity because its receptors are expressed in numerous organs. Here, we provide the first preclinical evidence that CPE may be uniquely suited to the local treatment of brain metastasis. By immunohistochemical analysis, claudin-3 and claudin-4 were expressed frequently in metastases from breast (15 of 18), lung (15 of 20), and colon (12 of 14) carcinoma, and infrequently in metastases from renal cell carcinoma (2 of 16) and melanoma (2 of 16). In contrast, expression of claudin-3 and claudin-4 was absent in adjacent normal brain tissue. Further examination of the central nervous system (CNS) revealed low or undetectable levels of claudin-3 and claudin-4 in all regions tested by Western and immunohistochemical analysis. Treatment of breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA MB-468, NT2.5-luc) and normal human astrocytes with CPE in vitro resulted in rapid and dose-dependent cytolysis exclusively in breast cancer cells, correlating with claudin-3 and claudin-4 expression. Moreover, intracranial CPE treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth and increased survival in two murine models of breast cancer brain metastasis, without any apparent local or systemic toxicity. These data suggest that CPE therapy may have efficacy against a wide variety of brain metastases without CNS toxicity. PMID- 17804706 TI - Expression of interleukin-13 receptor alpha2 in glioblastoma multiforme: implications for targeted therapies. AB - Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and despite treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the median survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme is approximately 1 year. Glioblastoma multiforme explants and cell lines have been reported to overexpress the interleukin-13 receptor alpha2 subunit (IL13Ralpha2) relative to nonneoplastic brain. Based on this finding, a recombinant cytotoxin composed of IL13 ligand and a truncated form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (IL13-PE38QQR) was developed for the targeted treatment of glioblastoma multiforme tumors. In a recently completed phase III clinical trial, however, IL13-PE38QQR was found to be no more effective than an existing therapy in prolonging survival. To determine possible explanations for this result, we analyzed the relative expression levels of IL13Ralpha2 in glioblastoma multiforme and nonneoplastic brain specimens using publicly available oligonucleotide microarray databases, quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR, and immunohistochemical staining. Increased expression of the IL13Ralpha2 gene relative to nonneoplastic brain was observed in 36 of 81 (44%) and 8 of 17 (47%) tumor specimens by microarray and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR analyses, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining of tumor specimens showed highly variable expression of IL13Ralpha2 protein both within and across specimens. These data indicate that prescreening of subjects may be of benefit in future trials of IL13Ralpha2 targeting therapies. PMID- 17804707 TI - Crystal structure of the T315I Abl mutant in complex with the aurora kinases inhibitor PHA-739358. AB - Mutations in the kinase domain of Bcr-Abl are the most common cause of resistance to therapy with imatinib in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Second-generation Bcr-Abl inhibitors are able to overcome most imatinib-resistant mutants, with the exception of the frequent T315I substitution, which is emerging as a major cause of resistance to these drugs in CML patients. Structural studies could be used to support the drug design process for the development of inhibitors able to target the T315I substitution, but until now no crystal structure of the T315I Abl mutant has been solved. We show here the first crystal structure of the kinase domain of Abl T315I in complex with PHA-739358, an Aurora kinase inhibitor currently in clinical development for solid and hematologic malignancies. This compound inhibits in vitro the kinase activity of wild-type Abl and of several mutants, including T315I. The cocrystal structure of T315I Abl kinase domain provides the structural basis for this activity: the inhibitor associates with an active conformation of the kinase domain in the ATP-binding pocket and lacks the steric hindrance imposed by the substitution of threonine by isoleucine. PMID- 17804708 TI - Heterogeneity of TMPRSS2 gene rearrangements in multifocal prostate adenocarcinoma: molecular evidence for an independent group of diseases. AB - Recurrent gene fusions between the androgen-regulated gene TMPRSS2 and the ETS family transcription factors ERG, ETV1, and ETV4 have been identified in the majority of prostate adenocarcinomas (PCA). PCA is often multifocal with histologic heterogeneity of different tumor foci. As TMPRSS2 is a common 5' partner of ETS gene fusions, we monitored TMPRSS2 rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to study the origin and molecular basis of multifocal PCA heterogeneity. TMPRSS2 rearrangement was evaluated by FISH on a tissue microarray representing 93 multifocal PCAs from 43 radical prostatectomy resections. Overall, 70% (30 of 43) of the cases showed TMPRSS2 rearrangement, including 63% through deletion (loss of the 3' TMPRSS2 signal), 27% through translocation (split of 5' and 3' TMPRSS2 signals), and 10% through both mechanisms in different tumor foci. Of the 30 TMPRSS2 rearranged cases, 30% showed concordance in all tumor foci, whereas 70% were discordant in at least one focus. In TMPRSS2 rearranged cases, the largest (index) tumor was rearranged 83% of the time. Pathologic stage, size, or Gleason grade of the multifocal PCA did not correlate with overall TMPRSS2 rearrangement. Our results suggest that multifocal PCA is a heterogeneous group of diseases arising from multiple, independent clonal expansions. Understanding this molecular heterogeneity is critical to the future development and utility of diagnostic and prognostic PCA biomarkers. PMID- 17804709 TI - Mistaken identity of widely used esophageal adenocarcinoma cell line TE-7. AB - Cancer of the esophagus is the seventh leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Esophageal carcinoma cell lines are useful models to study the biological and genetic alterations in these tumors. An important prerequisite of cell line research is the authenticity of the used cell lines because the mistaken identity of a cell line may lead to invalid conclusions. Estimates indicate that up to 36% of the cell lines are of a different origin or species than supposed. The TE series, established in late 1970s and early 1980s by Nishihira et al. in Japan, is one of the first esophageal cancer cell line series that was used throughout the world. Fourteen TE cell lines were derived from human esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and one, TE-7, was derived from a primary esophageal adenocarcinoma. In numerous studies, this TE-7 cell line was used as a model for esophageal adenocarcinoma because it is one of the few esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines existing. We investigated the authenticity of the esophageal adenocarcinoma cell line TE-7 by xenografting, short tandem repeat profiling, mutation analyses, and array-comparative genomic hybridization and showed that cell line TE-7 shared the same genotype as the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines TE-2, TE-3, TE-12, and TE-13. In addition, for more than a decade, independent TE-7 cultures from Japan, United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands had the same genotype. Examination of the TE-7 cell line xenograft revealed the histology of a squamous cell carcinoma. We conclude that the TE-7 cell line, used in several laboratories throughout the world, is not an adenocarcinoma, but a squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Furthermore, the cell lines TE-2, TE-3, TE-7, TE-12, and TE-13 should be regarded as one single squamous cell carcinoma cell line. PMID- 17804710 TI - Thyroid-stimulating hormone initiated proliferative signals converge in vivo on the mTOR kinase without activating AKT. AB - Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) has long been recognized as the major proliferative and functional stimulus for thyroid follicular cells. TSH receptor (TSHR) engagement stimulates the production of cyclic AMP and the subsequent activation of downstream effector molecules, including protein kinase A, S6K1, and Rap1, whereas the role of the RAS and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signaling cascades downstream of TSHR is still controversial. Despite the abundance of candidates, it is still unclear which of these pathways represent(s) the key mitogenic output of TSH-initiated signaling. We have used an in vivo model of goitrogenesis to dissect the contribution of these pathways to TSH-induced thyrocyte proliferation and thyroid hyperplasia. We show that the in vivo proliferative response to chronic TSHR stimulation relies heavily on the activation of the mTOR/S6K1 axis, and that mTOR inhibition during goitrogenic stimulation abrogates the hyperplastic but not the hypertrophic thyrocyte responses to TSH, thus functionally uncoupling these two processes. Strikingly, goitrogenesis was not associated with an increase in AKT phosphorylation levels, underlining the existence of an AKT-independent pathway leading to mTOR activation upon TSH stimulation. PMID- 17804711 TI - HOXA5 acts directly downstream of retinoic acid receptor beta and contributes to retinoic acid-induced apoptosis and growth inhibition. AB - The promise of retinoids as chemopreventive agents in breast cancer is based on the differentiation and apoptosis induced upon their binding to the retinoic acid (RA) receptor beta (RARbeta). We have previously shown that HOXA5 induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells. In this study, we investigated whether RA/RARbeta and HOXA5 actions intersect to induce apoptosis and differentiation in breast cancer cells. We found that HOXA5 expression can be induced by RA only in RARbeta-positive breast cancer cells. We have, for the first time, identified the RA response element in HOXA5, which was found to be located in the 3' end of the gene. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that RARbeta binds directly to this region in vivo. Overexpression of RARbeta strongly enhances RA responsiveness, and knocking down RARbeta expression abolishes RA-mediated induction of HOXA5 expression in breast cancer cells. In addition, there is coordinated loss of both HOXA5 and RARbeta expression during neoplastic transformation and progression in the breast epithelial cell model, MCF10A. Knockdown of HOXA5 expression partially abrogates retinoid-induced apoptosis and promotes cell survival upon RA treatment. These results strongly suggest that HOXA5 acts directly downstream of RARbeta and may contribute to retinoid-induced anticancer and chemopreventive effects. PMID- 17804712 TI - YM155, a novel small-molecule survivin suppressant, induces regression of established human hormone-refractory prostate tumor xenografts. AB - Various accumulating evidence suggests that survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family, plays an important role in drug resistance and cancer cell survival in many types of cancer, including hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Here, we characterized YM155, a novel small-molecule survivin suppressant, using a survivin gene promoter activity assay. YM155 suppressed expression of survivin and induced apoptosis in PC-3 and PPC-1 human HRPC cell lines at 10 nmol/L. In contrast, YM155 up to 100 nmol/L showed little effect on expression levels of other IAP- or Bcl-2-related proteins. In a s.c. xenografted PC-3 tumor model in mice, 3-day continuous infusions of YM155 at 3 to 10 mg/kg induced massive tumor regression accompanied by suppression of intratumoral survivin. YM155 also completely inhibited the growth of orthotopically xenografted PC-3 tumors. No significant decreases in body weight were observed in mice treated with YM155 during the experimental period. Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated that YM155 is highly distributed to tumors and at concentrations approximately 20-fold higher than those in plasma. Our findings represent the first attempt to show tumor regression and suppression of survivin in p53 deficient human HRPC cells by a single small molecular compound treatment. Further extensive investigation of YM155 in many types of cancer, including HRPC, seems to be worthwhile to develop this novel therapeutic approach. PMID- 17804713 TI - Expression of a CALM-AF10 fusion gene leads to Hoxa cluster overexpression and acute leukemia in transgenic mice. AB - To assess the role of the CALM-AF10 fusion gene in leukemic transformation in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that expressed a CALM-AF10 fusion gene. Depending on the transgenic line, at least 40% to 50% of the F(1) generation mice developed acute leukemia at a median age of 12 months. Leukemic mice typically had enlarged spleens, invasion of parenchymal organs with malignant cells, and tumors with myeloid markers such as myeloperoxidase, Mac1, and Gr1. Although most leukemias were acute myeloid leukemia, many showed lymphoid features, such as CD3 staining, or clonal Tcrb or Igh gene rearrangements. Mice were clinically healthy for the first 9 months of life and had normal peripheral blood hemograms but showed impaired thymocyte differentiation, manifested by decreased CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells and increased immature CD4(-)/CD8(-) cells in the thymus. Hematopoietic tissues from both clinically healthy and leukemic CALM-AF10 mice showed up regulation of Hoxa cluster genes, suggesting a potential mechanism for the impaired differentiation. The long latency period and incomplete penetrance suggest that additional genetic events are needed to complement the CALM-AF10 transgene and complete the process of leukemic transformation. PMID- 17804714 TI - Genetic screening reveals an essential role of p27kip1 in restriction of breast cancer progression. AB - The genetic changes and mechanisms underlying the progression of estrogen dependent breast cancers to estrogen-independent, antiestrogen-resistant, and metastatic breast cancers are unclear despite being a major problem in endocrine therapy. To identify genes responsible for this progression, we carried out a genetic screening by an enhanced retroviral mutagen (ERM)-mediated random mutagenesis in the estrogen-dependent T47D breast cancer cells. We found that T47D cells contain only one p27kip1 (p27) allele coding for the p27 cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor. An ERM insertion into the p27 locus of T47D cells disrupted the p27 gene and created estrogen-independent and antiestrogen resistant breast cancer cells that still maintained functional estrogen receptors. Disruption of p27 in T47D cells resulted in several changes, and most of these changes could be rescued by p27 restoration. First, CDK2 activity was increased in the absence of estrogen or in the presence of estrogen antagonists tamoxifen or ICI 182780; second, amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1), a cancer overexpressed transcriptional coactivator, was hyperphosphorylated, which made AIB1 a better coactivator for E2F1; and third, growth factor receptor binding protein 2-associated binder 2 (Gab2) and Akt activity were increased following E2F1 overactivation, leading to a significant enhancement of cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the p27-deficient cells, but not T47D control cells, developed lung metastasis in an ovarian hormone-independent manner when they were i.v. injected into nude mice. In sum, loss of p27 activated AIB1, E2F1, Gab2, and Akt; increased cell migration and invasion; caused antiestrogen insensitivity; and promoted metastasis of breast cancer cells. These findings suggest that p27 plays an essential role in restriction of breast cancer progression. PMID- 17804715 TI - Glutathione peroxidase 3, deleted or methylated in prostate cancer, suppresses prostate cancer growth and metastasis. AB - Glutathione peroxidase 3 is a selenium-dependent enzyme playing a critical role in detoxifying reactive oxidative species and maintaining the genetic integrity of mammalian cells. In this report, we found that the expression of glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) was widely inactivated in prostate cancers. Complete inactivation of GPx3 correlates with a poor clinical outcome. Deletions (hemizygous and homozygous) of GPx3 gene are frequent in prostate cancer samples, occurring in 39% of the samples studied. The rate of methylation of the GPx3 exon 1 region in prostate cancer samples reaches 90%. Overexpression of GPx3 in prostate cancer cell lines induced the suppression of colony formation and anchorage-independent growth of PC3, LNCaP, and Du145 cells. PC3 cells overexpressing GPx3 reduced invasiveness in Matrigel transmigration analysis by an average of 2.7-fold. Xenografted PC3 cells expressing GPx3 showed reduction in tumor volume by 4.8-fold, elimination of metastasis (0/16 versus 7/16), and reduction of animal death (3/16 versus 16/16). The tumor suppressor activity of GPx3 seems to relate to its ability to suppress the expression of c-met. The present findings suggest that GPx3 is a novel tumor suppressor gene. PMID- 17804716 TI - Gamma-secretase inhibitor prevents Notch3 activation and reduces proliferation in human lung cancers. AB - Notch receptors are key regulators of development by controlling cell-fate determination in many multicellular organisms. Genes that are important for normal differentiation play a role in cancer when their normal functions became dysregulated. Notch signaling has been shown to promote and maintain survival of many types of cancers, and we previously have shown that Notch3 plays an important role in lung cancer. In this study, we showed that a high percentage of lung cancer lines expressed Jagged1, Notch receptors, and their transcriptional target genes (HES1, Hey1), suggesting that the Notch pathway plays an important role in lung cancer biology. Thus, inhibition of Notch receptor activation represents a compelling treatment strategy. Notch activation requires proteolytic cleavage of the receptor by gamma-secretase protein complex. In this study, we determined the ability of MRK-003, a gamma-secretase inhibitor, to inhibit Notch3 signaling, growth, and apoptosis of lung cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo using mouse xenograft models. We also found that MRK-003 inhibited Notch3 signaling, reduced tumor cell proliferation, inhibited serum independence, and induced apoptosis. This drug had no effect when Notch3 expression was knocked down using small interfering RNA (siRNA), suggesting that the observed effects were mediated by specific action on this receptor. In conclusion, these results support the hypothesis that inhibition of Notch activation using a gamma secretase inhibitor represents a potential new approach for the targeted therapy of lung cancer. PMID- 17804717 TI - NAC-1 controls cell growth and survival by repressing transcription of Gadd45GIP1, a candidate tumor suppressor. AB - Cancer mortality and morbidity are primarily related to recurrent tumors, and characterization of recurrence-associated genes should illuminate fundamental properties of tumor progression and provide new therapeutic targets. We have previously identified NAC-1, a member of the BTB/POZ gene family and a transcription repressor, as a gene associated with recurrent ovarian carcinomas after chemotherapy. We further showed that homodimerization of NAC-1 proteins is essential for tumor growth and survival. In this study, we applied serial analysis of gene expression and identified growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible 45-gamma interacting protein (Gadd45GIP1) as one of the downstream genes negatively regulated by NAC-1. NAC-1 knockdown in both SKOV3 and HeLa cells that expressed abundant endogenous NAC-1 induced Gadd45GIP1 expression transcriptionally; on the other hand, engineered expression of NAC-1 in NAC-1 negative RK3E and HEK293 cells suppressed endogenous Gadd45GIP1 expression. In NAC-1-expressing tumor cells, induction of dominant negative NAC-1 conferred a growth-inhibitory effect that can be partially reversed by Gadd45GIP1 knockdown. Induced Gadd45GIP1 expression resulted in growth arrest in SKOV3 and HeLa cells both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, NAC-1 contributes to tumor growth and survival by at least inhibiting Gadd45GIP1 expression, which has a tumor suppressor effect in cancer cells. PMID- 17804718 TI - Identification of an integrated SV40 T/t-antigen cancer signature in aggressive human breast, prostate, and lung carcinomas with poor prognosis. AB - Understanding the genetic architecture of cancer pathways that distinguishes subsets of human cancer is critical to developing new therapies that better target tumors based on their molecular expression profiles. In this study, we identify an integrated gene signature from multiple transgenic models of epithelial cancers intrinsic to the functions of the Simian virus 40 T/t-antigens that is associated with the biological behavior and prognosis for several human epithelial tumors. This genetic signature, composed primarily of genes regulating cell replication, proliferation, DNA repair, and apoptosis, is not a general cancer signature. Rather, it is uniquely activated primarily in tumors with aberrant p53, Rb, or BRCA1 expression but not in tumors initiated through the overexpression of myc, ras, her2/neu, or polyoma middle T oncogenes. Importantly, human breast, lung, and prostate tumors expressing this set of genes represent subsets of tumors with the most aggressive phenotype and with poor prognosis. The T/t-antigen signature is highly predictive of human breast cancer prognosis. Because this class of epithelial tumors is generally intractable to currently existing standard therapies, this genetic signature identifies potential targets for novel therapies directed against these lethal forms of cancer. Because these genetic targets have been discovered using mammary, prostate, and lung T/t antigen mouse cancer models, these models are rationale candidates for use in preclinical testing of therapies focused on these biologically important targets. PMID- 17804719 TI - Chromosomal instability and supernumerary centrosomes represent precursor defects in a mouse model of T-cell lymphoma. AB - A hallmark of carcinogenesis is resistance to cell death. However, recent studies indicate that Bax expression increased apoptosis and promoted oncogenesis. In this study, we hypothesized that Bax promotes tumor formation by increasing chromosomal instability (CIN). Consistent with this hypothesis, spectral karyotype analysis (SKY) of lymphomas derived from Lck-Bax38/1 mice were consistently aneuploid. To determine if CIN precedes tumor formation, quantitative cytogenetic analysis, SKY analysis, and quantitative centrosome staining were done on thymocytes from young premalignant mice. Between 6 and 10 weeks of age, thymi from Bax-expressing mice (either p53+/+ or p53-/-) had an increased percentage of aneuploid cells as well as an increase in cells with supernumerary centrosomes. For 3- to 6-week-old mice, Bax expression increased aneuploidy and supernumerary centrosomes in p53-/- mice but not in p53+/+ animals. Importantly, both aneuploidy and supernumerary centrosomes were attenuated by Bcl-2. Remarkably, SKY analysis showed multiple independent aneuploid populations in the p53-/- Bax-expressing mice between 3 and 6 weeks of age. These results indicate that oligoclonal aneuploidy and supernumerary centrosomes are early hallmarks of Bax-induced lymphoma formation and support a novel link between the Bcl-2 family and CIN. The data provide an attractive model for the paradoxical effects of the Bcl-2 family on carcinogenesis that have been observed in multiple studies of both humans and mice. PMID- 17804720 TI - Requirement for Rac1 in a K-ras induced lung cancer in the mouse. AB - Given the prevalence of Ras mutations in human cancer, it is critical to understand the effector pathways downstream of oncogenic Ras leading to transformation. To directly assess the requirement for Rac1 in K-ras-induced tumorigenesis, we employed a model of lung cancer in which an oncogenic allele of K-ras could be activated by Cre-mediated recombination in the presence or absence of conditional deletion of Rac1. We show that Rac1 function is required for tumorigenesis in this model. Furthermore, although Rac1 deletion alone was compatible with cell viability and proliferation, when combined with K-ras activation in primary epithelial cells, loss of Rac1 caused a profound reduction in proliferation. These data show a specific requirement for Rac1 function in cells expressing oncogenic K-ras. PMID- 17804721 TI - Activation of insulin-like growth factor signaling induces apoptotic cell death under prolonged hypoxia by enhancing endoplasmic reticulum stress response. AB - Malignant cells in solid tumors survive under prolonged hypoxia and can be a source of resistance to current cancer therapies. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), one of the downstream molecules of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway, is a key regulator of translation, integrating multiple environmental and nutritional cues. The activity of mTOR is known to be suppressed under hypoxic conditions in cancer cells, whereas the contribution of this suppression to cell survival has not yet been clarified. We show that stimulating IGF signaling provoked caspase-dependent apoptosis under low oxygen tension in two cancer cell lines, COLO 320 and AsPC-1. In concurrence with increased levels of BAD phosphorylation, cell death was not accompanied by cytochrome c release from mitochondria. The cells were rescued from apoptosis when phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) or mTOR activity was inhibited, suggesting that these signals are critical in the observed cell death. IGFs and insulin enhanced the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response as monitored by induction of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) proteins and the X box protein-1 splicing under hypoxic conditions, and this response was suppressed by inhibiting PI3K and mTOR activity. IGF-induced cell death under hypoxic conditions was prevented by treatment with cycloheximide, suggesting that de novo protein synthesis is required. Indeed, suppression of CHOP protein levels with small hairpin RNA reduced cell death. Taken together, the data suggest that stimulating IGF signaling under hypoxic conditions provokes apoptosis by enhancing the ER stress response. PMID- 17804722 TI - Ribosomal S6 kinase 2 is a key regulator in tumor promoter induced cell transformation. AB - The ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2), a member of the p90(RSK) (RSK) family of proteins, is a widely expressed serine/threonine kinase that is activated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 in response to many growth factors and peptide hormones. Its activation signaling enhances cell survival. However, the roles of RSK2 in cell transformation have not yet been elucidated. Here, we found that RSK2 is a critical serine/threonine kinase for the regulation of cell transformation. When cells were stimulated with tumor promoters, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) or 12-O tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), phosphorylation of RSK was increased within 5 min. Cell proliferation was suppressed in RSK2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) compared with RSK2(+/+) MEFs. Moreover, RSK2(-/-) MEFs accumulated at the G(1) phase of the cell cycle under normal cell culture conditions as well as after stimulation with EGF or TPA. In the anchorage independent cell transformation assay (soft agar), stable expression of RSK2 in JB6 cells significantly enhanced colony formation in either the presence or absence of tumor promoters. Furthermore, knockdown of RSK2 with small interfering RNA-RSK2 suppressed constitutively active Ras (Ras(G12V))-induced foci formation in NIH3T3 cells. In addition, kaempferol, an inhibitor of RSK2, suppressed EGF induced colony formation of JB6 Cl41 cells in soft agar, which was associated with inhibition of histone H3 phosphorylation (Ser(10)). These results showed that RSK2 is a key regulator for cell transformation induced by tumor promoters such as EGF and TPA. PMID- 17804723 TI - Human thyroid tumor cell lines derived from different tumor types present a common dedifferentiated phenotype. AB - Cell lines are crucial to elucidate mechanisms of tumorigenesis and serve as tools for cancer treatment screenings. Therefore, careful validation of whether these models have conserved properties of in vivo tumors is highly important. Thyrocyte-derived tumors are very interesting for cancer biology studies because from one cell type, at least five histologically characterized different benign and malignant tumor types can arise. To investigate whether thyroid tumor-derived cell lines are representative in vitro models, characteristics of eight of those cell lines were investigated with microarrays, differentiation markers, and karyotyping. Our results indicate that these cell lines derived from differentiated and undifferentiated tumor types have evolved in vitro into similar phenotypes with gene expression profiles the closest to in vivo undifferentiated tumors. Accordingly, the absence of expression of most thyrocyte specific genes, the nonresponsiveness to thyrotropin, as well as their large number of chromosomal abnormalities, suggest that these cell lines have acquired characteristics of fully dedifferentiated cells. They represent the outcome of an adaptation and evolution in vitro, which questions the reliability of these cell lines as models for differentiated tumors. However, they may represent useful models for undifferentiated cancers, and by their comparison with differentiated cells, can help to define the genes involved in the differentiation/dedifferentiation process. The use of any cell line as a model for a cancer therefore requires prior careful and thorough validation for the investigated property. PMID- 17804724 TI - Inactivation of Smad4 accelerates Kras(G12D)-mediated pancreatic neoplasia. AB - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most fatal human malignancies, with an overall 5-year survival rate of <5%. Genetic analysis of PDAC patient samples has shown that specific disease-associated mutations are correlated with histologically defined stages of neoplastic progression in the ductal epithelium. Activating mutations in KRAS are almost uniformly present in early-stage disease, with subsequent inactivating mutations in p16(INK4A), p53, and SMAD4 occurring in more advanced lesions. In this study, we have tested whether the loss of Smad4 would cooperate with an activating Kras(G12D) mutation to promote progression to PDAC using the Pdx1-Cre transgenic system to activate Kras(G12D) and delete Smad4 in all pancreatic lineages including the ductal epithelium. Analysis of double-mutant mice showed that loss of Smad4 significantly accelerated the progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (mPanIN) and promoted a high incidence of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia and active fibrosis compared with Pdx1-Cre;Kras(G12D) or Pdx1 Cre;Smad4(lox/lox) mice. Occasionally, double-mutant mice progressed to locally invasive PDAC with little evidence of metastases by 6 months of age and without the detectable loss of p53 or p16(Ink4A) expression or function. The loss of Smad4 only seemed to promote disease progression in the presence of the activated Kras(G12D) allele because we observed no abnormal pathology within the pancreata of 23 Pdx1-Cre;Smad4(lox/lox) animals that were analyzed up to 8 months of age. This indicates that Smad4 is dispensable for normal pancreatic development but is critical for at least partial suppression of multiple Kras(G12D)-dependent disease-associated phenotypes. PMID- 17804725 TI - Enrichment of a population of mammary gland cells that form mammospheres and have in vivo repopulating activity. AB - The identification of mammary gland stem cells (MGSC) or progenitors is important for the study of normal breast development and tumorigenesis. Based on their immunophenotype, we have isolated a population of mouse mammary gland cells that are capable of forming "mammospheres" in vitro. Importantly, mammospheres are enriched for cells that regenerate an entire mammary gland on implantation into a mammary fat pad. We also undertook cytogenetic analyses of mammosphere-forming cells after prolonged culture, which provided preliminary insight into the genomic stability of these cells. Our identification of new cell surface markers for enriching mammosphere-initiating cells, including endoglin and prion protein, will facilitate the elucidation of the cell biology of MGSC. PMID- 17804726 TI - Lipid raft specific knockdown of SRC family kinase activity inhibits cell adhesion and cell cycle progression of breast cancer cells. AB - Src family kinase (SFK) is known to control various cell functions, but the significance of the location of its activation was largely unknown. We herein revealed that SFK activation occurs in lipid rafts. Based on this finding, we have developed a lipid raft-targeted SFK inhibitory fusion protein (LRT-SIFP) that inhibits the SFK activity in lipid rafts. LRT-SIFP has a peptide inhibitor of SFK and a lipid raft-targeting sequence in which two cysteine residues are palmitoylated for clustering in lipid rafts. LRT-SIFP was found to inhibit cell adhesion and cell cycle progression of human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB231. On the other hand, the cell functions of MCF-7 cells were found to be not affected with a previously developed peptide inhibitor of SFK that lacks the lipid raft-targeting sequence. In addition, when we replaced the targeting sequence of LRT-SIFP with the consensus sequence for geranylgeranylation to make LRT-SIFP unable to cluster in lipid rafts, this mutated LRT-SIFP did not show any effect on the above cell functions of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, in contrast to the breast cancer cell lines, LRT-SIFP did not show any inhibitory effect on cell adhesion and cell cycle progression of human normal cell line HEK293. The present lipid raft-specific knockdown of SFK activity would potentially be useful for selective cancer therapy to prevent tumorigenesis and metastasis of breast cancer cells. PMID- 17804727 TI - Bone morphogenetic protein signaling suppresses tumorigenesis at gastric epithelial transition zones in mice. AB - Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is known to suppress oncogenesis in the small and large intestine of mice and humans. We examined the role of Bmpr1a signaling in the stomach. On conditional inactivation of Bmpr1a, mice developed neoplastic lesions specifically in the squamocolumnar and gastrointestinal transition zones. We hypothesized that the regulation of epithelial cell fate may be less well defined in these junctional zones than in the adjacent epithelium and found that the mucosa at the squamocolumnar junction in mice shows a lack of differentiated fundic gland cell types and that foveolar cells at the gastrointestinal junctional zone lack expression of the foveolar cell marker Muc5ac. Precursor cell proliferation in both transition zones was higher than in the surrounding epithelium. Our data show that BMP signaling through Bmpr1a suppresses tumorigenesis at gastric epithelial junctional zones that are distinct from the adjacent gastric epithelium in both cellular differentiation and proliferation. PMID- 17804728 TI - Dendrimer-modified magnetic nanoparticles enhance efficiency of gene delivery system. AB - Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) with a diameter of 8 nm were modified with different generations of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and mixed with antisense survivin oligodeoxynucleotide (asODN). The MNP then formed asODN-dendrimer-MNP composites, which we incubated with human tumor cell lines such as human breast cancer MCF-7, MDA-MB-435, and liver cancer HepG2 and then analyzed by 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, Western blotting, laser confocal microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Results showed that the asODN dendrimer-MNP composites were successfully synthesized, can enter into tumor cells within 15 min, caused marked down-regulation of the survivin gene and protein, and inhibited cell growth in dose- and time-dependent means. No.5 generation of asODN-dendrimer-MNP composites exhibits the highest efficiency for cellular transfection and inhibition. These results show that PAMAM dendrimer modified MNPs may be a good gene delivery system and have potential applications in cancer therapy and molecular imaging diagnosis. PMID- 17804729 TI - Identifying the estrogen receptor coactivator PELP1 in autophagosomes. AB - Resveratrol, a well-established phytoestrogen and chemopreventive agent, has gained much attention among oncologists because it can act as both estrogen receptor agonist and antagonist, depending on dosage and cell context. It is increasingly accepted that steroidal receptor coregulators may also function in the cytoplasmic compartment. Deregulation and altered localization of these coregulators could influence target gene expression and participate in the development of hormone-responsive cancers. Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine rich protein-1 (PELP1), a novel estrogen receptor (ER) coactivator, plays an important role in the genomic and nongenomic actions of ER. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that differential compartmentalization of PELP1 could be crucial in modulating sensitivity to tamoxifen. In this study, we investigated the role of PELP1 in resveratrol-induced autophagy in lung cancer and salivary gland adenocarcinoma cell lines. Resveratrol reversibly inhibited the growth of these cancer cell lines and induced autophagy, as evidenced by microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) up-regulation in a time-dependent and 3 methyladenine-sensitive manner. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that resveratrol induced PELP1 accumulation in autophagosomes with green fluorescent protein-LC3. The intermediary molecule involved in PELP1 accumulation in resveratrol-induced autophagosomes is hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HRS), a trafficking molecule that binds to PELP1. These results identify PELP1 for the first time in autophagosomes, implying that both PELP1 and HRS reallocate to autophagosomes in response to resveratrol treatment, which might be important in the process of autophagy in the cancer cells. PMID- 17804730 TI - Increased expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF5 is associated with decreased survival in breast cancer. AB - The selective ubiquitination of proteins by ubiquitin E3 ligases plays an important regulatory role in control of cell differentiation, growth, and transformation and their dysregulation is often associated with pathologic outcomes, including tumorigenesis. RNF5 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that has been implicated in motility and endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Here, we show that RNF5 expression is up-regulated in breast cancer tumors and related cell lines. Elevated expression of RNF5 was seen in breast cancer cell lines that became more sensitive to cytochalasin D- and paclitaxel-induced apoptosis following its knockdown with specific short interfering RNA. Inhibition of RNF5 expression markedly decreased cell proliferation and caused a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in response to stress in MCF-7 but not in p53 mutant breast cancer cells, suggesting a p53-dependent function. Significantly, high levels of RNF5 were associated with decreased survival in human breast cancer specimens. Similarly, RNF5 levels were higher in metastatic melanoma specimens and in melanoma, leukemia, ovarian, and renal tumor-derived cell lines, suggesting that increased RNF5 expression may be a common event during tumor progression. These results indicate that RNF5 is a novel regulator of breast cancer progression through its effect on actin cytoskeletal alterations, which also affect sensitivity of breast cancer cells to cytoskeletal targeting antineoplastic agents. PMID- 17804731 TI - Chemical inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase induces growth arrest and cytotoxicity selectively in cancer cells. AB - Development and progression of cancer is accompanied by marked changes in the expression and activity of enzymes involved in the cellular homeostasis of fatty acids. One class of enzymes that play a particularly important role in this process are the acetyl-CoA carboxylases (ACC). ACCs produce malonyl-CoA, an intermediate metabolite that functions as substrate for fatty acid synthesis and as negative regulator of fatty acid oxidation. Here, using the potent ACC inhibitor soraphen A, a macrocyclic polyketide from myxobacteria, we show that ACC activity in cancer cells is essential for proliferation and survival. Even at nanomolar concentrations, soraphen A can block fatty acid synthesis and stimulate fatty acid oxidation in LNCaP and PC-3M prostate cancer cells. As a result, the phospholipid content of cancer cells decreased, and cells stopped proliferating and ultimately died. LNCaP cells predominantly died through apoptosis, whereas PC 3M cells showed signs of autophagy. Supplementation of the culture medium with exogenous palmitic acid completely abolished the effects of soraphen A and rescued the cells from cell death. Interestingly, when added to cultures of premalignant BPH-1 cells, soraphen A only slightly affected cell proliferation and did not induce cell death. Together, these findings indicate that cancer cells have become dependent on ACC activity to provide the cell with a sufficient supply of fatty acids to permit proliferation and survival, introducing the concept of using small-molecule ACC inhibitors as therapeutic agents for cancer. PMID- 17804732 TI - Tissue-specific consequences of cyclin D1 overexpression in prostate cancer progression. AB - The cyclin D1 oncogene encodes the regulatory subunit of a holoenzyme that phosphorylates and inactivates the Rb protein and promotes progression through G(1) to S phase of the cell cycle. Several prostate cancer cell lines and a subset of primary prostate cancer samples have increased cyclin D1 protein expression. However, the relationship between cyclin D1 expression and prostate tumor progression has yet to be clearly characterized. This study examined the effects of manipulating cyclin D1 expression in either human prostatic epithelial or stromal cells using a tissue recombination model. The data showed that overexpression of cyclin D1 in the initiated BPH-1 cell line increased cell proliferation rate but did not elicit tumorigenicity in vivo. However, overexpression of cyclin D1 in normal prostate fibroblasts (NPF) that were subsequently recombined with BPH-1 did induce malignant transformation of the epithelial cells. The present study also showed that recombination of BPH-1 + cyclin D1-overexpressing fibroblasts (NPF(cyclin D1)) resulted in permanent malignant transformation of epithelial cells (BPH-1(NPF-cyclin D1) cells) similar to that seen with carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Microarray analysis showed that the expression profiles between CAFs and NPF(cyclin D1) cells were highly concordant including cyclin D1 up-regulation. These data indicated that the tumor-promoting activity of cyclin D1 may be tissue specific. PMID- 17804733 TI - Kallikrein 6 induces E-cadherin shedding and promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. AB - Recently, we described phorbol ester-induced expression of the brain and skin serine proteinase Bssp/kallikrein 6 (Klk6), the mouse orthologue of human KLK6, in mouse back skin and in advanced tumor stages of a well-established multistage tumor model. Here, we show KLK6 up-regulation in squamous skin tumors of human patients and in tumors of other epithelial tissues. Ectopic Klk6 expression in mouse keratinocyte cell lines induces a spindle-like morphology associated with accelerated proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity. We found reduced E cadherin protein levels in the cell membrane and nuclear translocation of beta catenin in Klk6-expressing mouse keratinocytes and human HEK293 cells transfected with a KLK6 expression plasmid. Additionally, HEK293 cells exhibited induced T cell factor-dependent transcription and impaired cell-cell adhesion in the presence of KLK6, which was accompanied by induced E-cadherin ectodomain shedding. Interestingly, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP 3 interfere with KLK6-induced E-cadherin ectodomain shedding and rescue the cell cell adhesion defect in vitro, suggesting the involvement of matrix metalloproteinase and/or a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) proteolytic activity. In line with this assumption, we found increased levels of the mature 62-kDa ADAM10 proteinase in cells expressing ectopic KLK6 compared with mock controls. Finally, enhanced epidermal keratinocyte proliferation and migration in concert with decreased E-cadherin protein levels are confirmed in an in vivo Klk6 transgenic mouse model. PMID- 17804734 TI - Cutaneous human papillomaviruses down-regulate AKT1, whereas AKT2 up-regulation and activation associates with tumors. AB - Epithelial tumorigenesis has been linked to AKT up-regulation. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) cause anogenital cancers and anogenital HPV infection up regulates AKT activity. Mounting evidence points to a role for cutaneous HPVs as etiologic factors in skin tumorigenesis. High-risk cutaneous beta HPVs have been linked to carcinogenesis in immunosuppressed patients, and high-risk cutaneous HPV8 genes enhance tumorigenesis in transgenic mice. We find that, in contrast to anogenital HPVs, cutaneous HPV8 early genes down-regulate epidermal AKT activity by down-regulating AKT1 isoform levels. This down-regulation occurs before papilloma formation or tumorigenesis and leads to cutaneous differentiation changes that may weaken the epidermal squame for viral release. We find that, in viral warts (papillomas) and HPV gene-induced epidermal tumors, AKT activity can be activated focally by up-regulation and phosphorylation of the AKT2 isoform. In squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), AKT1 down-regulation is also common, consistent with a viral influence, whereas AKT2 up-regulation is widespread. Activation of up-regulated AKT2 by serine phosphorylation associates with high-grade tumors. Our data suggest that AKT2 up-regulation is characteristic of SCC and that coincident AKT2 activation through serine phosphorylation correlates with malignancy. These findings highlight differences between the effects of anogenital and cutaneous HPV on epithelial AKT activity and furthermore show that AKT isoforms can behave differently during epidermal tumorigenesis. These findings also suggest AKT2 as a possible therapeutic tumor target in SCC. PMID- 17804735 TI - Side population cells isolated from mesenchymal neoplasms have tumor initiating potential. AB - Although many cancers are maintained by tumor-initiating cells, this has not been shown for mesenchymal tumors, in part due to the lack of unique surface markers that identify mesenchymal progenitors. An alternative technique to isolate stem like cells is to isolate side population (SP) cells based on efflux of Hoechst 33342 dye. We examined 29 mesenchymal tumors ranging from benign to high-grade sarcomas and identified SP cells in all but six samples. There was a positive correlation between the percentage of SP cells and the grade of the tumor. SP cells preferentially formed tumors when grafted into immunodeficient mice, and only cells from tumors that developed from the SP cells had the ability to initiate tumor formation upon serial transplantation. Although SP cells are able to efflux rhodamine dye in addition to Hoechst 33342, we found that the ability to efflux rhodamine dye did not identify a population of cells enriched for tumor initiating capacity. Here, we identify a subpopulation of cells within a broad range of benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors with tumor-initiating capacity. In addition, our data suggest that the proportion of SP cells could be used as a prognostic factor and that therapeutically targeting this subpopulation of cells could be used to improve patient outcome. PMID- 17804736 TI - Real-time imaging of tumor-cell shedding and trafficking in lymphatic channels. AB - In the present report, we show real-time imaging of cancer cell trafficking in lymphatic vessels. Cancer cells labeled with both green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the nucleus and red fluorescent protein (RFP) in the cytoplasm or with GFP only or RFP only were injected into the inguinal lymph node of nude mice. The labeled cancer cells trafficked through lymphatic vessels where they were imaged via a skin flap in real time at the cellular level until they entered the axillary lymph node. The bright fluorescence of the cancer cells and the real time microscopic imaging capability of the Olympus OV100 small-animal imaging system enabled imaging of the trafficking cancer cells in the lymphatics. Using this imaging strategy, two different cancer cell lines, one expressing GFP and the other expressing RFP, were simultaneously injected in the inguinal lymph node. Fluorescence imaging readily distinguished the two color-coded cell lines and their different abilities to survive in the lymphatic system. Using this imaging technology, we also investigated the role of pressure on tumor-cell shedding into lymphatic vessels. Pressure was generated by placing 25- and 250-g weights for 10 s on the bottom surface of a tumor-bearing footpad. Tumor cell fragments, single cells, and emboli shed from the footpad tumor were easily distinguished with the labeled cells and OV100 imaging system. Increasing pressure on the tumor increased the numbers of shed cells, fragments, and emboli. Pressure also deformed the shed emboli, increasing their maximum major axis. Imaging lymphatic trafficking of cancer cells can reveal critical steps of lymph node metastasis. PMID- 17804737 TI - Integrative analysis of genomic aberrations associated with prostate cancer progression. AB - Integrative analysis of genomic aberrations in the context of trancriptomic alterations will lead to a more comprehensive perspective on prostate cancer progression. Genome-wide copy number changes were monitored using array comparative genomic hybridization of laser-capture microdissected prostate cancer samples spanning stages of prostate cancer progression, including precursor lesions, clinically localized disease, and metastatic disease. A total of 62 specific cell populations from 38 patients were profiled. Minimal common regions (MCR) of alterations were defined for each sample type, and metastatic samples displayed the most number of alterations. Clinically localized prostate cancer samples with high Gleason grade resembled metastatic samples with respect to the size of altered regions and number of affected genes. A total of 9 out of 13 MCRs in the putative precursor lesion, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), showed an overlap with prostate cancer cases (amplifications in 3q29, 5q31.3-q32, 6q27, and 8q24.3 and deletions in 6q22.31, 16p12.2, 17q21.2, and 17q21.31), whereas postatrophic hyperplasia (PAH) did not exhibit this overlap. Interestingly, prostate cancers that do not overexpress ETS family members (i.e., gene fusion-negative prostate cancers) harbor differential aberrations in 1q23, 6q16, 6q21, 10q23, and 10q24. Integrative analysis with matched mRNA profiles identified genetic alterations in several proposed candidate genes implicated in prostate cancer progression. PMID- 17804738 TI - Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ubiquitination as a mechanism of acquired resistance escaping treatment by the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab. AB - Cetuximab is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-blocking antibody that has been approved for treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. In this study, we investigated biochemical changes in signaling pathways of a cetuximab-resistant subline of DiFi colorectal cancer cells (DiFi5) that was developed by exposing the parental sensitive cells to subeffective doses of cetuximab over an extended period of time. Compared with parental DiFi cells that express high levels of EGFR and in which cetuximab induces apoptosis, the cetuximab-resistant DiFi5 cells showed markedly lower protein levels of EGFR, an increased association of EGFR with Cbl, and an increased ubiquitination of EGFR. DiFi5 cells also had a markedly higher level of Src-Y416 phosphorylation both at baseline and on EGF stimulation. Although EGFR levels were low, DiFi5 cells responded to EGF stimulation with robust phosphorylation of EGFR on Y845 and strong phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, comparable to those of parental cells. Most importantly, inhibition of Src kinase activity with PP2 reversed the resistance of DiFi5 cells to cetuximab-induced apoptosis without affecting the levels of EGFR in the cells. Our results indicate that colorectal cancer cells may develop acquired resistance to cetuximab via altering EGFR levels through promotion of EGFR ubiquitination and degradation and using Src kinase-mediated cell signaling to bypass their dependency on EGFR for cell growth and survival. PMID- 17804739 TI - 5-Azacytidine induced methyltransferase-DNA adducts block DNA replication in vivo. AB - 5-Azacytidine (aza-C) and its derivatives are cytidine analogues used for leukemia chemotherapy. The primary effect of aza-C is the prohibition of cytosine methylation, which results in covalent methyltransferase-DNA (MTase-DNA) adducts at cytosine methylation sites. These adducts have been suggested to cause chromosomal rearrangements and contribute to cytotoxicity, but the detailed mechanisms have not been elucidated. We used two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy to analyze plasmid pBR322 replication dynamics in Escherichia coli cells grown in the presence of aza-C. Two dimensional gel analysis revealed the accumulation of specific bubble and Y molecules, dependent on overproduction of the cytosine MTase EcoRII (M.EcoRII) and treatment with aza-C. Furthermore, a point mutation that eliminates a particular EcoRII methylation site resulted in disappearance of the corresponding bubble and Y molecules. These results imply that aza-C-induced MTase-DNA adducts block DNA replication in vivo. RecA-dependent X structures were also observed after aza-C treatment. These molecules may be generated from blocked forks by recombinational repair and/or replication fork regression. In addition, electron microscopy analysis revealed both bubbles and rolling circles (RC) after aza-C treatment. These results suggest that replication can switch from theta to RC mode after a replication fork is stalled by an MTase-DNA adduct. The simplest model for the conversion of theta to RC mode is that the blocked replication fork is cleaved by a branch-specific endonuclease. Such replication-dependent DNA breaks may represent an important pathway that contributes to genome rearrangement and/or cytotoxicity. PMID- 17804740 TI - ICOVIR-5 shows E2F1 addiction and potent antiglioma effect in vivo. AB - During 2007, approximately 200,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with brain tumors. Gliomas account for 77% of primary malignant brain tumors, and the prognosis has hardly changed in the past 20 years, with only 30% of patients with malignant glioma surviving 5 years after diagnosis. Oncolytic adenoviruses are promising therapies for the treatment of gliomas. Here, report the antiglioma activity of the tumor-selective ICOVIR-5 adenovirus, which encompasses an early 1A adenoviral (E1A) deletion in the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein-binding region, substitution of the E1A promoter for E2F-responsive elements, and an RGD-4C peptide motif inserted into the adenoviral fiber to enhance adenoviral tropism. Mechanistic studies showed a dramatic addiction of ICOVIR-5 to the E2F1 oncogene in vitro and in vivo. This addiction was mediated by the occupancy of the ectopic adenoviral E2F1-responsive elements by the endogenous E2F1 protein resulting in high level of E1A expression in cancer cells and potent antiglioma effect. Importantly, we showed for the first time the ability of oncolytic adenoviruses to enhance E2F transcriptional activity in vivo, and we provided direct evidence of the interaction of the E2F1 protein with native and ectopic adenovirus promoters. Restoration of Rb function led to the association of Rb/E2F1 repressor complexes with ICOVIR-5 ectopic E2F1 promoter and subsequent down-modulation of E1A, dramatically impairing adenoviral replication. In xenografted mice, intratumoral injection of ICOVIR-5 resulted in a significant improvement of the median survival (P < 0.0001), and furthermore, led to 37% of long-term survivors free of disease. The antitumor activity of ICOVIR-5 suggests that it has the potential to be an effective agent in the treatment of gliomas. PMID- 17804741 TI - Retinoblastoma deficiency increases chemosensitivity in lung cancer. AB - The retinoblastoma (RB) tumor suppressor is mutated or functionally inactivated in the majority of human malignancies, and p16(INK4a)-cyclin D1-cyclin-dependent kinase 4-RB pathway aberrations are present in nearly all cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, the distinct role of RB loss in tumorigenic proliferation and sensitivity to chemotherapeutics was determined in NSCLC cells. Attenuation of RB led to a proliferative advantage in vitro and aggressive tumorigenic growth in xenograft models. Clinically, such aggressive disease is treated with genotoxic and cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. In vitro analysis showed that RB deficiency resulted in bypass of the checkpoint response to multiple chemotherapeutic challenges concomitant with an elevated apoptotic response. Correspondingly, RB deficiency in xenograft models led to increased chemosensitivity. However, this response was transient, and a durable response was dependent on prolonged chemotherapeutic administration. Together, these findings show that although RB deficiency enhances sensitivity to chemotherapeutic challenge, efficient and sustainable response is highly dependent on the specific therapeutic regimen, in addition to the molecular environment. PMID- 17804742 TI - Silibinin sensitizes human glioma cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis via DR5 up regulation and down-regulation of c-FLIP and survivin. AB - Silibinin, a flavonoid isolated from Silybum marianum, has been reported to have cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic effects. Here, we show that treatment with subtoxic doses of silibinin in combination with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces rapid apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant glioma cells, but not in human astrocytes, suggesting that this combined treatment may offer an attractive strategy for safely treating gliomas. Although the proteolytic processing of procaspase-3 by TRAIL was partially blocked in glioma cells, cotreatment with silibinin efficiently recovered TRAIL-induced caspase activation in these cells. Silibinin treatment up-regulated DR5, a death receptor of TRAIL, in a transcription factor CHOP-dependent manner. Furthermore, treatment with silibinin down-regulated the protein levels of the antiapoptotic proteins FLIP(L), FLIP(S), and survivin through proteasome-mediated degradation. Taken together, our results show that the activity of silibinin to modulate multiple components in the death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathway is responsible for its ability to recover TRAIL sensitivity in TRAIL-resistant glioma cells. PMID- 17804743 TI - Use of reverse genetics to enhance the oncolytic properties of Newcastle disease virus. AB - Naturally occurring strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) have shown oncolytic therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies and are currently in clinical trials. Here, we have evaluated the possibility to enhance the cancer therapeutic potential of NDV by means of reverse genetics. Mice bearing s.c. implanted CT26 tumors were treated with intratumoral (i.t.) injections of a recombinant NDV modified to contain a highly fusogenic F protein. These treated mice exhibited significant reduction in tumor development compared with mice treated with the unmodified virus. Furthermore, mice in a CT26 metastatic tumor model treated with an i.v. injection of the genetically engineered NDV exhibited prolonged survival compared with wild-type control virus. In addition, we examined whether the oncolytic properties of NDV could be improved by expression of immunostimulatory molecules. In this regard, we engineered several NDVs to express granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IFN-gamma, interleukin 2 (IL-2), or tumor necrosis factor alpha, and evaluated their therapeutic potential in an immunocompetent colon carcinoma tumor model. Mice bearing s.c. CT26 tumors treated with i.t. injections of recombinant NDV expressing IL-2 showed dramatic reductions in tumor growth, with a majority of the mice undergoing complete and long-lasting remission. Our data show the use of reverse genetics to develop enhanced recombinant NDV vectors as effective therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. PMID- 17804744 TI - Down-regulation of Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor leads to the inhibition of invasion and angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells. AB - The Forkhead Box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor has been shown to play important roles in regulating the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and transformation. Overexpression of FoxM1 has been found in a variety of aggressive human carcinomas including pancreatic cancer. However, the precise role and the molecular mechanism of action of FoxM1 in pancreatic cancer remain unclear. To elucidate the cellular and molecular function of FoxM1, we tested the consequences of down-regulation and up-regulation of FoxM1 in pancreatic cancer cells, respectively. Using multiple cellular and molecular approaches such as 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, gene transfection, flow cytometry, real-time reverse transcription-PCR, Western blotting, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis assays, we found that down-regulation of FoxM1 inhibited cell growth, decreased cell migration, and decreased invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. FoxM1 down-regulation also decreased cell population in the S phase. Compared with control, FoxM1 small interfering RNA-transfected cells showed decreased expression of cyclin B, cyclin D1, and Cdk2, whereas p21 and p27 expression was increased. We also found that down-regulation of FoxM1 reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor, resulting in the inhibition of migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. These findings suggest that FoxM1 down-regulation could be a novel approach for the inhibition of pancreatic tumor progression. PMID- 17804745 TI - Systemic delivery of (gamma1)34.5-deleted herpes simplex virus-1 selectively targets and treats distant human xenograft tumors that express high MEK activity. AB - Deltagamma(1)34.5 mutant herpes simplex type 1 viruses are under active clinical investigation as oncolytic therapy for cancer. Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) activity has been shown to suppress protein kinase R and thereby confer oncolytic susceptibility to some human tumors by R3616, a virus deleted for both copies of gamma(1)34.5. We report that systemic delivery of R3616 can selectively target and destroy human xenograft tumors that overexpress MEK activity compared with tumors that express lower MEK activity. These results suggest systemic delivery of R3616 may be effective in the treatment of some human tumors. PMID- 17804746 TI - A chemical screen identifies anisomycin as an anoikis sensitizer that functions by decreasing FLIP protein synthesis. AB - Malignant epithelial cells with metastatic potential resist apoptosis that normally occurs upon loss of anchorage from the extracellular matrix, a process termed "anoikis." Resistance to anoikis enables malignant cells to survive in an anchorage-independent manner, which leads to the formation of distant metastases. To understand the regulation of anoikis, we designed, automated, and conducted a high-throughput chemical screen for anoikis sensitizers. PPC-1 anoikis-resistant prostate cancer cells were seeded in hydrogel-coated ultralow binding plates for suspension conditions and standard tissue culture plates to promote adhesion. After seeding, cells were treated with aliquots from a library of previously characterized small molecules, and viability was assessed using the 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H tetrazolium, inner salt, assay. From this chemical screen, we identified anisomycin that induced apoptosis in suspension conditions, but was not toxic to these cells grown under adherent conditions. Anisomycin sensitized cells to anoikis by decreasing levels of the caspase-8 inhibitor FLIP and subsequently activating the death receptor pathway of caspase activation. Although anisomycin activated c-Jun-NH(2)-kinase and p38, these kinases were not functionally important for the effect of anisomycin on anoikis and FLIP. Rather, anisomycin decreased FLIP and sensitized cells to anoikis by inhibiting its protein synthesis. Finally, we showed that anisomycin decreased distal tumor formation in a mouse model of prostate cancer metastases. Thus, a novel chemical screen identified anisomycin as an anoikis sensitizer that acts by decreasing FLIP protein synthesis. Our results suggest that FLIP is a suppressor of anoikis and inhibiting FLIP protein synthesis may be a useful antimetastatic strategy. PMID- 17804747 TI - Radiosensitization and modulation of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase by 2 Methoxyestradiol in prostate cancer models. AB - 2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME2) is an endogenous estradiol metabolite that inhibits microtubule polymerization, tumor growth, and angiogenesis. Because prostate cancer is often treated with radiotherapy, and 2ME2 has shown efficacy as a single agent against human prostate carcinoma, we evaluated 2ME2 as a potential radiosensitizer in prostate cancer models. A dose-dependent decrease in mitogen activated protein kinase phosphorylation was observed in human PC3 prostate cancer cells treated with 2ME2 for 18 h. This decrease correlated with in vitro radiosensitization measured by clonogenic assays, and these effects were blocked by the expression of constitutively active MEK. Male nude mice with subcutaneous PC3 xenografts in the hind leg were treated with 2ME2 (75 mg/kg) p.o. for 5 days, and 2 Gy radiation fractions were delivered each day at 4 h after drug treatment. A statistically significant super-additive effect between radiation and 2ME2 was observed in this subcutaneous model, using analysis of within-animal slopes. A PC 3M orthotopic model was also used, with bioluminescence imaging as an end point. PC-3M cells stably expressing the luciferase gene were surgically implanted into the prostates of male nude mice. Mice were given oral doses of 2ME2 (75 mg/kg), with radiation fractions (3 Gy) delivered 4 h later. Mice were then imaged weekly for 4 to 5 weeks with a Xenogen system. A significant super-additive effect was also observed in the orthotopic model. These data show that 2ME2 is an effective radiosensitizing agent against human prostate cancer xenografts, and that the mechanism may involve a decrease in mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation by 2ME2. PMID- 17804748 TI - Meriolins, a new class of cell death inducing kinase inhibitors with enhanced selectivity for cyclin-dependent kinases. AB - Protein kinases represent promising anticancer drug targets. We describe here the meriolins, a new family of inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK). Meriolins represent a chemical structural hybrid between meridianins and variolins, two families of kinase inhibitors extracted from various marine invertebrates. Variolin B is currently in preclinical evaluation as an antitumor agent. A selectivity study done on 32 kinases showed that, compared with variolin B, meriolins display enhanced specificity toward CDKs, with marked potency on CDK2 and CDK9. The structures of pCDK2/cyclin A/variolin B and pCDK2/cyclin A/meriolin 3 complexes reveal that the two inhibitors bind within the ATP binding site of the kinase, but in different orientations. Meriolins display better antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties in human tumor cell cultures than their parent molecules, meridianins and variolins. Phosphorylation at CDK1, CDK4, and CDK9 sites on, respectively, protein phosphatase 1alpha, retinoblastoma protein, and RNA polymerase II is inhibited in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells exposed to meriolins. Apoptosis triggered by meriolins is accompanied by rapid Mcl-1 down-regulation, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspases. Meriolin 3 potently inhibits tumor growth in two mouse xenograft cancer models, namely, Ewing's sarcoma and LS174T colorectal carcinoma. Meriolins thus constitute a new CDK inhibitory scaffold, with promising antitumor activity, derived from molecules initially isolated from marine organisms. PMID- 17804749 TI - Gene-engineered varicella-zoster virus reactive CD4+ cytotoxic T cells exert tumor-specific effector function. AB - T cells with grafted specificities for surface antigens provide an avenue for rapidly producing immune effector cells with tumor specificity. However, the function of chimeric receptor (chRec) gene-modified T cells is limited by lack of T-cell expansion and persistence. We propose to use varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactive T cells as host for the chRec because these cells can be expanded both in vitro and in vivo by stimulation of their native receptor during endogenous reexposure to the virus or by administration of VZV vaccine. We obtained human T cells reactive with VZV from the peripheral blood of seropositive donors by stimulation with VZV lysate and evaluated their characteristics after genetic modification with two tumor-specific model chRecs. Cultures dominated by cytolytic CD4(+) T cells (VZV-CTL) could be expanded and maintained in vitro. Gene-modified VZV-CTL recognized and lysed tumor targets in a MHC-independent manner while maintaining functional, MHC-restricted interaction with VZV antigen through their native receptor. Thus, chRec-transduced VZV-CTL may provide a source of potent tumor-reactive cells for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. The availability of a safe and effective VZV vaccine provides the option of repeated in vivo stimulation to maintain high T-cell numbers until the tumor is eliminated. PMID- 17804750 TI - Foxp3 expression in pancreatic carcinoma cells as a novel mechanism of immune evasion in cancer. AB - The forkhead transcription factor Foxp3 is highly expressed in CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and was recently identified as a key player in mediating their inhibitory functions. Here, we describe for the first time the expression and function of Foxp3 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells and tumors. Foxp3 expression was induced by transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF beta2), but not TGF-beta1 stimulation in these cells, and was partially suppressed following antibody-mediated neutralization of TGF-beta2. The TGF-beta2 effect could be mimicked by ectopic expression of a constitutively active TGF beta type I receptor/ALK5 mutant. Down-regulation of Foxp3 with small interfering RNA (siRNA) in pancreatic carcinoma cells resulted in the up-regulation of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 expression, providing evidence for a negative transcriptional activity of Foxp3 also in these epithelial cells. Coculture of Foxp3-expressing tumor cells with naive T cells completely inhibited T-cell proliferation, but not activation, and this antiproliferative effect was partially abrogated following specific inhibition of Foxp3 expression. These findings indicate that pancreatic carcinoma cells share growth-suppressive effects with Treg and suggest that mimicking Treg function may represent a new mechanism of immune evasion in pancreatic cancer. PMID- 17804751 TI - Antitumor effect of antibody against a SEREX-defined antigen (UOEH-LC-1) on lung cancer xenotransplanted into severe combined immunodeficiency mice. AB - We previously reported the humoral immune response of tumor-infiltrating B lymphocytes in a lung cancer patient and 22 genes coding tumor-associated antigens identified using the serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning method. In this study, we investigated one of these genes, designated University of Occupational and Environmental Health-Lung cancer antigen-1 (UOEH-LC-1), which has an extracellular domain. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR revealed that UOEH-LC-1 was expressed ubiquitously in the normal tissues tested. However, it was overexpressed in 5 of 11 (45.5%) lung cancer cell lines and also in 9 of 15 (60%) lung cancer tissues compared with the paired normal lung tissues. A sequence analysis revealed that UOEH-LC-1 has a transmembrane domain. Flow cytometry analysis using a polyclonal antibody against UOEH-LC-1 revealed positive staining on lung cancer cell lines that were positive for expression of mRNA of UOEH-LC-1. Phage plaque assay showed the specific reactivity of anti-UOEH-LC-1 antibody against UOEH-LC-1 protein derived from the antigen encoding phage. By immunohistochemical staining with the anti-UOEH-LC-1 antibody, 7 of 28 (25.0%) lung cancer specimens showed positive staining on the cell surface. The administration of anti-UOEH-LC-1 antibody inhibited the growth of the UOEH-LC-1-positive tumors that were xenotransplanted into severe combined immunodeficiency mice. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity was one of the mechanisms to suppress the tumor growth. These results suggest that the antibody against UOEH-LC-1 therefore seems to have a promising therapeutic potential as a treatment for lung cancer. PMID- 17804752 TI - Tumor-associated Tn-MUC1 glycoform is internalized through the macrophage galactose-type C-type lectin and delivered to the HLA class I and II compartments in dendritic cells. AB - The type of interaction between tumor-associated antigens and specialized antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DCs) is critical for the type of immunity that will be generated. MUC1, a highly O-glycosylated mucin, is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated in several tumor histotypes. This results in the expression of tumor-associated glycoforms and in MUC1 carrying the tumor-specific glycan Tn (GalNAcalpha1-O-Ser/Thr). Glycopeptides corresponding to three tandem repeats of MUC1, enzymatically glycosylated with 9 or 15 mol of GalNAc, were shown to specifically bind and to be internalized by immature monocyte-derived DCs (iDCs). Binding required calcium and the GalNAc residue and was competed out by GalNAc polymer and Tn-MUC1 or Tn-MUC2 glycopeptides. The macrophage galactose-type C-type lectin (MGL) receptor expressed on iDCs was shown to be responsible for the binding. Confocal analysis and ELISA done on subcellular fractions of iDCs showed that the Tn-MUC1 glycopeptides colocalized with HLA class I and II compartments after internalization. Importantly, although Tn-MUC1 recombinant protein was bound and internalized by MGL, the glycoprotein entered the HLA class II compartment, but not the HLA class I pathway. These data indicate that MGL expressed on iDCs is an optimal receptor for the internalization of short GalNAcs carrying immunogens to be delivered into HLA class I and II compartments. Such glycopeptides therefore represent a new way of targeting the HLA class I and II pathways of DCs. These results have possible implications in designing cancer vaccines. PMID- 17804753 TI - Insulin-like growth factor-I, regulating aromatase expression through steroidogenic factor 1, supports estrogen-dependent tumor Leydig cell proliferation. AB - The aim of this study was to investigate the role of estrogens in Leydig cell tumor proliferation. We used R2C rat Leydig tumor cells and testicular samples from Fischer rats with a developed Leydig tumor. Both experimental models express high levels of aromatase and estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha). Treatment with exogenous 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) induced proliferation of R2C cells and up regulation of cell cycle regulators cyclin D1 and cyclin E, the expression of which was blocked by addition of antiestrogens. These observations led us to hypothesize an E(2)/ERalpha-dependent mechanism for Leydig cell tumor proliferation. In determining the molecular mechanism responsible for aromatase overexpression, we found that total and phosphorylated levels of transcription factors cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) were higher in tumor samples. Moreover, we found that tumor Leydig cells produce high levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), which increased aromatase mRNA, protein, and activity as a consequence of increased total and phosphorylated SF-1 levels. Specific inhibitors of IGF-I receptor, protein kinase C, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase determined a reduction in SF-1 expression and in IGF-I-dependent SF-1 recruitment to the aromatase PII promoter. The same inhibitors also inhibited aromatase expression and activity and, consequently, R2C cell proliferation. We can conclude that one of the molecular mechanisms determining Leydig cell tumorigenesis is an excessive estrogen production that stimulates a short autocrine loop determining cell proliferation. In addition, cell-produced IGF-I amplifies estrogen signaling through an SF-1-dependent up regulation of aromatase expression. The identification of this molecular mechanism will be helpful in defining new therapeutic approaches for Leydig cell tumors. PMID- 17804754 TI - Taxol increases the amount and T cell activating ability of self-immune stimulatory multimolecular complexes found in ovarian cancer cells. AB - It has been proposed that chemotherapy enhances tumor antigen (TA)-specific immunity. The molecular form of TA from ovarian tumor that activates cellular immunity is unknown. We report here identification of a novel molecular form of immunogenic TA for CD8(+) cells named self-immune stimulatory multimolecular complexes (ISMMC). ISMMC consist of a molecular complex of polyosome/ribosome bound ubiquitinated nascent HER-2 polypeptides. This complex is chaperoned by heat shock protein Gp96, which mediates ISMMC uptake by antigen-presenting cells through the scavenger receptor CD91. RNAs in ISMMC stimulate immature dendritic cells to secrete interleukin 12 and induce IFN-gamma in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ISMMC dissociate, retrotranslocate from the lysosome to cytoplasm, and are processed to peptides by the proteasome. At subpharmacologic doses, Taxol increased the amount of ISMMC by three to four times and modified their composition by inducing the attachment of cochaperones of HSP70, such as the mitotic-phase phosphoprotein 11J. On a total protein basis, Taxol induced ISMMC, expanded more CD8(+) cells, activated more CD56(+) NKG2D(+) cells to produce IFN-gamma, and were more potent inducers of high T-cell receptor density Perforin(+) cells than native ISMMC and peptide E75. Elucidation of the composition of ISMMC and identification of adducts formed by Taxol should be important for developing molecular cancer vaccines. PMID- 17804755 TI - Activity of androgen receptor antagonist bicalutamide in prostate cancer cells is independent of NCoR and SMRT corepressors. AB - The mechanisms by which androgen receptor (AR) antagonists inhibit AR activity, and how their antagonist activity may be abrogated in prostate cancer that progresses after androgen deprivation therapy, are not clear. Recent studies show that AR antagonists (including the clinically used drug bicalutamide) can enhance AR recruitment of corepressor proteins [nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) and silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid receptors (SMRT)] and that loss of corepressors may enhance agonist activity and be a mechanism of antagonist failure. We first show that the agonist activities of weak androgens and an AR antagonist (cyproterone acetate) are still dependent on the AR NH(2)/COOH terminal interaction and are enhanced by steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)-1, whereas the bicalutamide-liganded AR did not undergo a detectable NH(2)/COOH terminal interaction and was not coactivated by SRC-1. However, both the isolated AR NH(2) terminus and the bicalutamide-liganded AR could interact with the SRC-1 glutamine-rich domain that mediates AR NH(2)-terminal binding. To determine whether bicalutamide agonist activity was being suppressed by NCoR recruitment, we used small interfering RNA to deplete NCoR in CV1 cells and both NCoR and SMRT in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Depletion of these corepressors enhanced dihydrotestosterone-stimulated AR activity on a reporter gene and on the endogenous AR-regulated PSA gene in LNCaP cells but did not reveal any detectable bicalutamide agonist activity. Taken together, these results indicate that bicalutamide lacks agonist activity and functions as an AR antagonist due to ineffective recruitment of coactivator proteins and that enhanced coactivator recruitment, rather than loss of corepressors, may be a mechanism contributing to bicalutamide resistance. PMID- 17804756 TI - Inhibition of prostate cancer growth by muscadine grape skin extract and resveratrol through distinct mechanisms. AB - The phytochemical resveratrol contained in red grapes has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth, in part, through its antioxidant activity. Muscadine grapes contain unique phytochemical constituents compared with other grapes and are potentially a source for novel compounds with antitumor activities. We compared the antitumor activities of muscadine grape skin extract (MSKE), which we show contains no resveratrol, with that of resveratrol using primary cultures of normal prostate epithelial cells (PrEC) and the prostate cancer cell lines RWPE-1, WPE1-NA22, WPE1-NB14, and WPE1-NB26, representing different stages of prostate cancer progression. MSKE significantly inhibited tumor cell growth in all transformed prostate cancer cell lines but not PrEC cells. Prostate tumor cell lines, but not PrEC cells, exhibited high rates of apoptosis in response to MSKE through targeting of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt and mitogen activated protein kinase survival pathways. The reduction in Akt activity by MSKE is mediated through a reduction in Akt transcription, enhanced proteosome degradation of Akt, and altered levels of DJ-1, a known regulator of PTEN. In contrast to MSKE, resveratrol did not induce apoptosis in this model but arrested cells at the G(1)-S phase transition of the cell cycle associated with increased expression of p21 and decreased expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 proteins. These results show that MSKE and resveratrol target distinct pathways to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth in this system and that the unique properties of MSKE suggest that it may be an important source for further development of chemopreventive or therapeutic agents against prostate cancer. PMID- 17804757 TI - Seizure 6-like (SEZ6L) gene and risk for lung cancer. AB - DNA pooling in combination with high-throughput sequencing was done as a part of the Sequenom-Genefinder project. In the pilot study, we tested 83,715 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), located primarily in gene-based regions, to identify polymorphic susceptibility variants for lung cancer. For this pilot study, 369 male cases and 287 controls of both sexes (white Europeans of Southern German origin) were analyzed. The study identified a candidate region in 22q12.2 that contained numerous SNPs showing significant case-control differences and that coincides with a region that was shown previously to be frequently deleted in lung cancer cell lines. The candidate region overlies the seizure 6-like (SEZ6L) gene. The pilot study identified a polymorphic Met430Ile substitution in the SEZ6L gene (SNP rs663048) as the top candidate for a variant modulating risk of lung cancer. Two replication studies were conducted to assess the association of SNP rs663048 with lung cancer risk. The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center study included 289 cases and 291 controls matched for gender, age, and smoking status. The Liverpool Lung Project (a United Kingdom study) included 248 cases and 233 controls. Both replication studies showed an association of the rs663048 with lung cancer risk. The homozygotes for the variant allele had more than a 3-fold risk compared with the wild-type homozygotes [combined odds ratio (OR), 3.32; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.81-7.21]. Heterozygotes also had a significantly elevated risk of lung cancer from the combined replication studies with an OR of 1.15 (95% CI, 1.04-1.59). The effect remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, and pack-years of tobacco smoke. We also compared expression of SEZ6L in normal human bronchial epithelial cells (n = 7), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; n = 52), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC; n = 22) cell lines by using Affymetrix HG-U133A and HG-U133B GeneChips. We found that the average expression level of SEZ6L in NSCLC cell lines was almost two times higher and in SCLC cell lines more than six times higher when compared with normal lung epithelial cell lines. Using the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus database, we found a approximately 2-fold elevated and statistically significant (P = 0.004) level of SEZ6L expression in tumor samples compared with normal lung tissues. In conclusion, the results of these studies representing 906 cases compared with 811 controls indicate a role of the SEZ6L Met430Ile polymorphic variant in increasing lung cancer risk. PMID- 17804758 TI - Strong evidence of a genetic determinant for mammographic density, a major risk factor for breast cancer. AB - Increased mammographic density (MD), the proportion of dense tissue visible on a mammogram, is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, common in the population and clusters in families. We conducted the first genome-wide linkage scan to identify genes influencing MD. DNA was obtained from 889 relatives (756 women, 133 men) from 89 families. Percent MD was estimated on 618 (82%) female family members using a validated computer-assisted thresholding method. The genome-wide scan included 403 microsatellite DNA markers with an average spacing of 9 cM. Fine mapping of a region of chromosome 5p (5p13.1-5p15.1) was done using 21 additional closely spaced DNA markers. Linkage analyses were conducted to quantify the evidence for a gene responsible for MD across the genome. The maximum log odds for linkage (LOD) score from the genome-wide scan was on chromosome 5p (LOD = 2.9, supporting linkage by a factor of 10(2.9) or 794 to 1) with a 1-LOD interval spanning 28.6 cM. Two suggestive regions for linkage were also identified on chromosome 12 (LOD = 2.6, 1-LOD interval of 14.8 cM; and LOD = 2.5, 1-LOD interval of 17.2 cM). Finer mapping of the region surrounding the maximum LOD on chromosome 5p resulted in stronger and statistically significant evidence for linkage (LOD = 4.2) and a narrowed 1-LOD interval (13.4 cM). The putative locus on chromosome 5p is likely to account for up to 22% of variation in MD. Hence, 1 or more of the 45 candidate genes in this region could explain a large proportion of MD and, potentially, breast cancer. PMID- 17804759 TI - Comment on: A validated mathematical model of cell-mediated immune response to tumor growth. PMID- 17804761 TI - Central insulin regulates heart rate and arterial blood flow: an endothelial nitric oxide synthase-dependent mechanism altered during diabetes. AB - OBJECTIVE: Central neural insulin regulates glucose homeostasis, but less is known about its cardiovascular effects. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) derived nitric oxide (NO) represents a molecular link between metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Its role in the central nervous system remains to be determined. We studied the effects of central insulin infusion on femoral arterial blood flow and heart rate in normal chow-fed, high-fat diet-fed diabetic, and eNOS-null mice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We recorded heart rate and femoral blood flow (ultrasonic flow probe) during 3-h central insulin infusion in conscious, freely moving mice. To study the role of NO in this setting, we assessed total and phosphorylated eNOS in the hypothalamus and examined the effects of brain infusion of NO donors/NOS inhibitors on cardiovascular responsiveness to central insulin in these experimental mouse models. RESULTS: In normal mice, central insulin rapidly increased heart rate by 30% and more progressively increased blood flow by 40%. In high-fat diet-fed mice, the cardiovascular effects of insulin were blunted and associated with a 50% reduction of the total and phosphorylated eNOS expression in the hypothalamus, suggesting a causal link. In line with this hypothesis, in eNOS null mice and central N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine-infused normal mice, the cardiovascular effects of insulin were abolished, whereas central NO donor infusion restored these effects in eNOS-null mice. In high-fat diet-fed mice, central NO donor infusion mimicked the cardiovascular responses evoked by central insulin in normal mice. CONCLUSIONS: Central insulin has cardiovascular effects in conscious, freely moving mice that are mediated, at least in part, by central neural eNOS. These effects are impaired in insulin-resistant high-fat diet-fed mice. PMID- 17804762 TI - Common variants of the novel type 2 diabetes genes CDKAL1 and HHEX/IDE are associated with decreased pancreatic beta-cell function. AB - OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes is characterized by impaired pancreatic beta-cell function and decreased insulin sensitivity. Genome-wide association studies have identified common, novel type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci within the FTO, CDKAL1, CDKN2A/CDKN2B, IGF2BP2, HHEX/IDE, and SLC30A8 gene regions. Our objective was to explore the relationships between the diabetes-associated alleles and measures of beta-cell function and whole-body insulin sensitivity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 1,276 healthy subjects of European ancestry were studied at 19 centers. Indexes of beta-cell function (including 30-min insulin response and glucose sensitivity) were derived from a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, and whole-body insulin sensitivity (M/I) was assessed by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Genotype/phenotype relationships were studied by linear trend analysis correcting for age, sex, and recruitment center. RESULTS: CDKAL1 and HHEX/IDE diabetes-associated alleles were both associated with decreased 30-min insulin response (both P = 0.0002) and decreased pancreatic beta-cell glucose sensitivity (P = 9.86 x 10(-5) and 0.009, respectively), and these relationships remained after correction for M/I. The FTO susceptibility allele showed a weak but consistent association with increased adiposity, which in turn was linked to a decrease in M/I. However, none of the other novel diabetes susceptibility alleles were associated with insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: CDKAL1 and HHEX/IDE diabetes-associated alleles are associated with decreased pancreatic beta-cell function, including decreased beta-cell glucose sensitivity that relates insulin secretion to plasma glucose concentration. We confirmed the association between the FTO allele and increased adiposity, but none of the other novel susceptibility alleles were associated with whole-body insulin sensitivity. PMID- 17804763 TI - LPIN2 is associated with type 2 diabetes, glucose metabolism, and body composition. AB - OBJECTIVE: To identify the type 2 diabetes gene located at chromosome 18p11. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We investigated the region in a young genetically isolated population by genotyping 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 78 case subjects and 101 control subjects. Two SNPs were selected and followed up in two cohorts. The first cohort came from a general Dutch population. In this cohort, association with type 2 diabetes was investigated using 616 type 2 diabetic case subjects and 2,890 control subjects; association with oral glucose tolerance test data was performed in 361 normoglycemic people. Association with fat distribution was studied in the second replication cohort, consisting of 836 people from the genetically isolated population. RESULTS: At the initial step, we found that the common C allele of SNP rs3745012 was associated with type 2 diabetes (odds ratio 2.01, P = 0.03). This SNP is located at the 3' untranslated region of the LPIN2 gene, which is a plausible candidate for type 2 diabetes and obesity. In the cohort from the general Dutch population, we demonstrated that rs3745012 interacts with BMI in determination of type 2 diabetes: whereas in subjects with high BMI, the common C allele is associated with type 2 diabetes, the same allele exhibits a neutral or protective effect in lean subjects (P = 0.05 overall effect, P = 0.02 interaction). Most remarkably, rs3745012 strongly affected composite insulin sensitivity index (P = 0.006 for overall effect, P = 0.004 for interaction). In the second replication cohort, we found that the allele C of rs3745012 increases trunk-to-legs fat mass ratio (P = 0.001) and may affect other fat-related measurements. CONCLUSIONS: rs3745012 SNP of the LPIN2 gene is associated with type 2 diabetes and fat distribution. PMID- 17804764 TI - MicroRNA expression is required for pancreatic islet cell genesis in the mouse. AB - OBJECTIVE: The generation of distinct cell types during the development of the pancreas depends on sequential changes in gene expression. We tested the hypothesis that microRNAs (miRNAs), which limit gene expression through posttranscriptional silencing, modulate the gene expression cascades involved in pancreas development. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: miRNAs were cloned and sequenced from developing pancreata, and expression of a subset of these genes was tested using locked nucleic acid in situ analyses. To assess the overall contribution of miRNAs to pancreatic development, Dicer1, an enzyme required for miRNA processing, was conditionally deleted from the developing pancreas. RESULTS: Sequencing of small RNAs identified over 125 miRNAs, including 18 novel sequences, with distinct expression domains within the developing pancreas. To test the developmental contribution of these miRNAs, we conditionally deleted the miRNA processing enzyme Dicer1 early in pancreas development. Dicer-null animals displayed gross defects in all pancreatic lineages, although the endocrine cells, and especially the insulin-producing beta-cells, were most dramatically reduced. The endocrine defect was associated with an increase in the notch-signaling target Hes1 and a reduction in the formation of endocrine cell progenitors expressing the Hes1 target gene neurogenin3. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of a unique profile of miRNAs is required during pancreas development and is necessary for beta-cell formation. PMID- 17804766 TI - SIR 2006 annual meeting film panel case: polyarteritis nodosa in upper extremity arteries. PMID- 17804767 TI - Recommended reporting standards for endovenous ablation for the treatment of venous insufficiency: joint statement of the American Venous Forum and the Society of Interventional Radiology. PMID- 17804768 TI - Internal iliac artery embolization before endovascular repair of aortoiliac aneurysms with a nitinol vascular occlusion plug. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the acute and midterm effectiveness of a novel vascular occlusion device for embolization of the internal iliac artery (IIA) before endovascular repair of aortoiliac aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2005 and April 2006, nine men (mean age, 75 years +/- 5; range, 66-83 y) with aortoiliac aneurysms underwent bifurcated endovascular stent-graft procedures. All these patients were referred specifically for embolization. Pre- and perioperatively, eight patients underwent unilateral embolization and one underwent bilateral embolization of the IIA to prevent type II endoleak. Via a contralateral femoral approach with a 6-F or 8-F sheath, the embolization procedure was performed with an Amplatzer Vascular Plug, a self-expandable cylindrical device consisting of a nitinol-based wire mesh. Technical success, clinical outcome, and complications were evaluated. Follow-up at 3, 6, and 12 months was performed with clinical and radiologic examinations. RESULTS: IIA embolization was technically successful in all cases and no procedure-related complications occurred. Imaging at discharge and at 3-, 6-, or 12-month follow-up was accomplished in all nine patients. Control computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography did not reveal retrograde perfusion of the aneurysmal sac, ie, type II endoleak. Three of nine patients (33.3%) reported symptoms of buttock claudication that did not resolve completely. Clinical symptoms such as bowel ischemia or sexual dysfunction were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The midterm results of this study suggest that preoperative IIA embolization with a nitinol vascular occlusion plug during endovascular treatment of aortoiliac aneurysms is safe and effective. PMID- 17804769 TI - Angioplasty with or without stent placement in the brachiocephalic artery: feasible and durable? A retrospective cohort study. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent placement in isolated brachiocephalic trunk lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PTA, with or without stent placement, was used to treat 30 patients with isolated clinically significant stenoses (n = 25) or occlusions (n = 5) of the brachiocephalic artery. Initial clinical success was defined as a relief or substantial reduction of the preprocedural symptoms, and initial technical success was defined as a mean translesion pressure gradient of less than 5 mm Hg or a residual stenosis of less than 20%. Clinical evaluation and duplex Doppler ultrasonography of the lesion site were performed at follow-up. Clinical restenosis was defined as recurrent clinical symptoms and a lumen reduction of more than 50%, determining the primary clinical patency. Technical restenosis was defined as more than 50% lumen reduction with or without renewed clinical symptoms, determining the primary technical patency. RESULTS: The initial technical success rate was 83% (occlusions, 60%; stenoses, 88%), and the clinical success rate was 81%. Two patients had major complications, and four experienced minor complications. At a median follow-up of 24 months (4 weeks to 92 months), the primary clinical patency rate was 79% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 57%, 104%), with 83% (95% CI: 60%, 105%) for arteries with stents and 67% (95% CI: 13%, 120%) for those without stents (P = .11). The primary technical patency rate was 50% (95% CI: 24%, 76%). CONCLUSION: PTA with or without stent placement in a stenotic or occlusive brachiocephalic artery is a procedure of tolerable safety with a high initial success rate; however, only moderately rewarding results were obtained after 2 years. Selective stent placement probably improves long-term success. Primary PTA with selective stent placement in an atherosclerotic obstructive brachiocephalic artery should be considered the preferred treatment option. PMID- 17804770 TI - Regional differences of hemodynamics and oxygenation in the human calf muscle detected with near-infrared spectrophotometry. AB - PURPOSE: Measurements in muscle tissue are often performed at a selected single location over the muscle of interest. The hypothesis is that the values obtained reflect the status within the entire muscle or muscle group. This, however, may not be the case. The study was performed to investigate whether this hypothesis is true for hemodynamics and oxygenation in the healthy human calf muscle at rest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hemoglobin flow, blood flow, oxygen consumption, and venous hemoglobin oxygen saturation were mapped at 22 locations in 30 legs of 15 healthy subjects (nine women, six men aged 26-37 years) simultaneously by using frequency-domain near-infrared spectrophotometry with a specially designed probe during venous occlusion. RESULTS: For all parameters, spatial heterogeneity was found between subjects and within individual legs. All parameters were highly significantly different when comparing proximal and distal regions. Differences were also found between medial and lateral regions. The global mean values (+/ standard deviation) over all measurements were as follows: hemoglobin flow, 1.27 micromol per 100 mL/min +/- 0.88; blood flow, 0.56 mL per 100 g/min +/- 0.38; oxygen consumption, 0.016 mL per 100 g/min +/- 0.011; and venous oxygen saturation, 77.6% +/- 5.9. The thickness of the overlying adipose tissue had an influence on the measurements and must be considered. CONCLUSION: Highly significant spatial heterogeneity of hemodynamics and oxygenation was found in the healthy human calf muscle. PMID- 17804771 TI - Adjunctive use of C-arm CT may eliminate technical failure in adrenal vein sampling. AB - PURPOSE: To examine whether the use of C-arm computed tomography (CT) during adrenal vein sampling improves the technical success rate of the procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine consecutive patients with suspected primary hyperaldosteronism underwent standard adrenal vein sampling that included cortisol stimulation. The procedure was augmented with multiplanar C-arm CT images reconstructed from data acquired during a 180 degrees C-arm rotation. Whenever C-arm CT images showed the sampling catheter to be in the wrong position, the catheter was repositioned. Cortisol response was correlated to C arm CT findings. RESULTS: All patients had successful and diagnostic adrenal vein sampling. C-arm CT showed sampling catheter malposition in two patients (22%). Repeat C-arm CT after repositioning showed proper catheter location. Cortisol stimulation results and C-arm CT findings were concordant in 100% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: C-arm CT is reliable in confirming the location of sampling catheters during adrenal vein sampling. If the 100% concordance between cortisol stimulation and C-arm CT findings is found in larger groups, the technical success rate may approach 100%. Cortisol stimulation may become obsolete and repeat procedures unnecessary, with significant time and cost savings. PMID- 17804772 TI - CT angiography of the superior vena cava: normative values and implications for central venous catheter position. AB - PURPOSE: To determine normative data for radiographic landmarks of the superior vena cava (SVC) and the location of the junction of the SVC with the right atrium for use in the placement of central venous catheters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed 112 pulmonary computed tomographic (CT) angiograms obtained in seven men and seven women from each decade of life between the ages of 20 and 99 years. For each patient, the length of the SVC was measured from its origin to the cavoatrial junction. The distances from the carina and right tracheobronchial angle to the cavoatrial junction and the origin of the SVC were also measured. Interobserver variation in choosing the location of the carina and tracheobronchial angle was analyzed. RESULTS: The mean length (+/ standard deviation) of the SVC was 70.7 mm +/- 14.1. The mean distance from the superior margin of the SVC to the carina was 30.4 mm +/- 11.2, from the carina to the cavoatrial junction 40.3 mm +/- 13.6, from the superior margin of the SVC to the right tracheobronchial angle 21.7 mm +/- 10.8, and from the right tracheobronchial angle to the cavoatrial junction 49.0 mm +/- 13.6. There was a statistically significant difference in interobserver variation in selecting the location of the right tracheobronchial angle as compared to choosing the carina. CONCLUSION: Placement of the central venous catheter tip at or just below the level of the carina during inspiration ensures placement in the SVC. Placement of the central venous catheter tip approximately 4 cm below the carina will result in placement near the cavoatrial junction. PMID- 17804773 TI - Visualization of hepatic lymphatic vessels during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma. AB - PURPOSE: To analyze visualization of hepatic lymphatic vessels during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review was conducted of 255 tumors in 161 patients treated by TACE with catheterization of the most distal portion of the tumor-feeding branches. All TACE procedures were performed with use of a mixture of iodized oil and anticancer drugs followed by gelatin sponge particles. Arteriograms and spot radiographs obtained during TACE were reviewed to determine whether hepatic lymphatic vessels appeared. Serial computed tomography (CT) images after TACE were evaluated along with clinical symptoms in cases that exhibited lymphatic vessel visualization. RESULTS: Hepatic lymphatic vessels were demonstrated in eight tumors (3.1%) in eight patients during TACE. The mean tumor diameter was 1.7 cm +/- 0.7 (range, 1.0-3.3 cm), and mean volume of injected iodized oil was 1.7 mL +/- 1.0 (range, 1-4 mL). Lymphatic vessels were demonstrated followed by marked portal vein visualization (n = 5) or extravasation of a small amount of contrast material (n = 2). In the remaining patient, these were depicted during the early stage of the TACE procedure. On CT after 1 week, iodized oil in the lymphatic systems in the hepatoduodenal ligament was seen in six patients, and it was shown to have been retained in four of these patients on follow-up CT performed 2, 7, 11, and 21 months later, respectively. None of these patients presented any clinical symptom other than postembolization syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic lymphatic vessels were demonstrated in 3.1% of tumors treated by ultraselective TACE. Iodized oil in the lymphatic vessels may be retained for a relatively long time without specific symptoms. PMID- 17804774 TI - Radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective comparison of four radiofrequency devices. AB - PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of ablation techniques for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with the use of four radiofrequency (RF) devices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred patients with 133 HCC lesions no larger than 4 cm were treated with one of four RF devices: RF 2000 (maximum power, 100 W) and RF 3000 generators (maximum power, 200 W) with LeVeen expandable electrodes with a maximum dimension of 3.5 cm or 4 cm, internally cooled single electrode with a thermal dimension of 3 cm, and a RITA RF generator with expandable electrodes with a maximum dimension of 5 cm. RESULTS: Numbers of RF sessions needed per HCC to achieve complete necrosis were 1.4 +/- 0.5 with the RF 2000 device and greater than 1.1 +/- 0.3 with the other three devices (P < .05). The RF 2000 device required a more interactive algorithm than the RF 3000 device. Session times per patient were 31.7 minutes +/- 13.2 in the RF 2000 group and longer than 16.6 minutes +/- 7.5 in the RF 3000 group, 28.3 minutes +/- 12 in the RITA device group, and 27.1 minutes +/- 12 with the internally cooled electrode device (P < .005 for RF 2000 vs other devices and for RF 3000 vs RITA or internally cooled electrode device). Complete necrosis and local tumor progression rates at 2 years in the RF 2000, RF 3000, RITA, and internally cooled electrode device groups were 91.1%, 97.1%, 96.7%, and 96.8% and 12%, 8%, 8.2%, and 8.3%, respectively (P = .37). CONCLUSIONS: Ablation with the RF 3000 device required a shorter time than the other three devices and required a less interactive algorithm than the RF 2000 device. However, complete necrosis and local tumor progression rates were similar among devices. PMID- 17804775 TI - Hepatic infarction after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma with an internally cooled electrode. AB - PURPOSE: To elucidate the attributes of hepatic infarction after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with an internally cooled electrode. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed follow-up computed tomographic (CT) scans (follow-up period, 1-60.1 months; mean, 15.4 months) in 872 consecutive patients (male:female ratio, 672:200; mean age, 59.5 years) who had undergone 1,120 sessions of RFA for 1,335 HCCs with an internally cooled electrode. Diagnosis of hepatic infarction was made on the basis of CT findings. The authors evaluated the frequency of hepatic infarction, clinical features, initial and follow-up CT findings, accompanied complications, and prognosis. Potential risk factors were evaluated with multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The frequency of hepatic infarction was 1.8% (20 of 1,120 sessions). Common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (16 of 20 patients) and fever (11 of 20 patients). All infarctions were found at the first follow-up CT examination. Gas collections were noted in 65% of patients. All lesions showed progressive shrinkage. Accompanied complications were biloma (n = 2), abscess (n = 2), and portal vein thrombosis (n = 1). One patient with a lobar infarction died from hepatic failure. Older age (P = .048) and larger tumor size (P = .026) were statistically significant risk factors by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: RFA complicated by hepatic infarction is uncommon. Although hepatic infarction can be managed conservatively in most cases, possible extensive involvement should be considered seriously because it may cause mortality. PMID- 17804776 TI - Local tumor progression after radiofrequency ablation of colorectal liver metastases: evaluation of ablative margin and three-dimensional volumetric analysis. AB - PURPOSE: Detection of local tumor progression (LTP) after radiofrequency (RF) ablation of colorectal cancer liver metastases may facilitate repeat intervention with potential benefits for patient survival. Ablative margins 1 month after RF ablation may predict LTP, and repeated three-dimensional (3D) volumetric analysis of coagulation volume after ablation may provide earlier detection of LTP versus conventional morphologic criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients with LTP and four patients without LTP after a follow-up of at least 24 months were identified. Multidetector computed tomography (CT) was performed at 1 and 3 months after RF ablation and then at 3-month intervals until 24 months. Ablative margins were determined from preablation tumor diameter and the corresponding coagulation diameter 1 month after ablation. Postablation coagulation volume was measured from 81 follow-up multidetector CT images using a seeding-based semiautomatic 3D method. RESULTS: LTP was detected at a median of 9 months (range, 6-21 months) after RF ablation. A coagulation diameter smaller than the preoperative tumor diameter was associated with LTP. Increase in coagulation volume was found in six of seven patients at the time of diagnosis of LTP by conventional morphologic criteria. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional volumetric analysis of postablation coagulation volume is feasible for detection of LTP after RF ablation of colorectal cancer liver metastases. No advantage in early detection of LTP was found for 3D volumetric analysis compared with conventional morphologic criteria in this preliminary study. These findings may reflect a type II error caused by the limited sample size. PMID- 17804777 TI - Electromagnetic tracking for thermal ablation and biopsy guidance: clinical evaluation of spatial accuracy. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the spatial accuracy of electromagnetic needle tracking and demonstrate the feasibility of ultrasonography (US)-computed tomography (CT) fusion during CT- and US-guided biopsy and radiofrequency ablation procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors performed a 20-patient clinical trial to investigate electromagnetic needle tracking during interventional procedures. The study was approved by the institutional investigational review board, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Needles were positioned by using CT and US guidance. A commercial electromagnetic tracking device was used in combination with prototype internally tracked needles and custom software to record needle positions relative to previously obtained CT scans. Position tracking data were acquired to evaluate the tracking error, defined as the difference between tracked needle position and reference standard needle position on verification CT scans. Registration between tracking space and image space was obtained by using reference markers attached to the skin ("fiducials"), and different registration methods were compared. The US transducer was tracked to demonstrate the potential use of real-time US-CT fusion for imaging guidance. RESULTS: One patient was excluded from analysis because he was unable to follow breathing instructions during the acquisition of CT scans. Nineteen of the 20 patients were evaluable, demonstrating a basic tracking error of 5.8 mm +/- 2.6, which improved to 3.5 mm +/- 1.9 with use of nonrigid registrations that used previous internal needle positions as additional fiducials. Fusion of tracked US with CT was successful. Patient motion and distortion of the tracking system by the CT table and gantry were identified as sources of error. CONCLUSIONS: The demonstrated spatial tracking accuracy is sufficient to display clinically relevant preprocedural imaging information during needle-based procedures. Virtual needles displayed within preprocedural images may be helpful for clandestine targets such as arterial phase enhancing liver lesions or during thermal ablations when obscuring gas is released. Electromagnetic tracking may help improve imaging guidance for interventional procedures and warrants further investigation, especially for procedures in which the outcomes are dependent on accuracy. PMID- 17804778 TI - Translaminar cervical epidural steroid injection: short-term results and factors influencing outcome. AB - PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of translaminar cervical epidural steroid injection (ESI) in the management of localized or radicular neck pain and assess categoric factors that can help predict clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all patients studied, treatment of neck pain with oral pain medications or physical therapy had failed. A total of 280 translaminar cervical ESIs were performed in 161 patients with an average age of 58 years (range, 26-82 y). The average duration of symptoms until the time the procedure was performed was 18.2 months (range, 0.25-240 months). All patients were assessed by telephone approximately 10 days after the procedure to determine efficacy. RESULTS: Of the 280 total injections, 233 (83%) resulted in pain relief. Patients were more likely to experience pain relief if they presented with multilevel degenerative changes (odds ratio [OR] = 4.13, P = .0055), had radicular symptoms in the hand and/or finger (OR = 2.72, P = .0011), or underwent injection at the C7-T1 level (OR = 2.44, P = .0034). Patients who required narcotics for their symptoms before the procedure showed lower odds of pain relief (OR = 0.80, P = .4367). There were no major complications and the overall minor complication rate was 5.18%. CONCLUSION: Translaminar cervical ESI is a safe procedure. Although repeat injections may be necessary in some patients, excellent short-term clinical results can be achieved. PMID- 17804779 TI - Percutaneous antegrade removal of double J ureteral stents via a 9-F nephrostomy route. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of an antegrade approach in the removal of double J ureteral stents via preexisting nondilated nephrostomy routes under fluoroscopic guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Under fluoroscopic guidance and local anesthesia, antegrade removal of 39 ureteral stents in 27 patients was attempted by using a snare or basket. Indications for percutaneous stent removal included the presence of a preexisting nephrostomy route (n = 8), a surgical history resulting in an inaccessible retrograde route (n = 8), urethral stricture (n = 5), upward stent migration (n = 2), inability to obtain a lithotomy position (n = 1), fragmentation of the proximal stent (n = 1), and inability to find the ureteral orifice with a cystoscope (n = 2). RESULTS: Thirty seven of the 39 stents (95%) were successfully removed by using a snare or basket. Two stents (5.1%) could not be removed with a snare or basket because they were embedded against the renal calyx or pelvis. There were no major complications. Blood clot formation or laceration or tract leakage of the pelvicalyceal system occurred in six and two patients, respectively, all of which resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous antegrade removal of double J ureteral stents with a snare or basket via a nondilated nephrostomy route is effective without major complications in patients with an available nephrostomy route or an inaccessible retrograde option. PMID- 17804780 TI - Transabdominal percutaneous L5 S1 lumbar discectomy: interventional technique, early results, and complications. AB - PURPOSE: Anterior approaches to the lumbosacral spine have become increasingly common in spine surgery, but transabdominal percutaneous lumbar discectomy (TPLD) is challenging. This study describes TPLD and evaluates safety and early clinical results in the management of L5-S1 disc herniation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2001 and October 2006, 58 consecutive patients with L5-S1 disc herniations were treated with TPLD of the L5-S1 discs, and nine of the patients with L4-L5 disc herniations were treated with posterolateral percutaneous lumbar discectomy (PPLD) soon after TPLD. The patients were divided into two groups according the operator who performed the procedures. The patients were evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 5 years of follow-up. Logistic regression was used to analyze significant risk factors for complications. RESULTS: Mean hospital stay was 6.38 days +/- 8.48. VAS scores for leg pain and ODI scores showed significant improvement at last follow-up. All patients showed favorable results with no recurrent herniations. Major and minor complications occurred in eight (13.79%) and seven cases (12.06%), respectively, during and after the procedure. Major complications occurred in seven patients treated by operator A and one treated by operator B, a significant difference between operators (P = .044). Multivariate analysis revealed that only bowel preparation remained a significant predictor of complications (P = .040). CONCLUSION: TPLD was a safe and effective procedure for the removal of disc herniations at the L5-S1 level when total bowel preparation was performed. PMID- 17804781 TI - Experimental ovine model of primary venous valve incompetence: a pilot study. AB - PURPOSE: To compare two techniques used to create a larger animal model of venous valve incompetence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To achieve vein dilatation as the primary cause of valve incompetence, common carotid jugular vein (JV) fistulas were created and optional filters were placed into the JV of sheep. Altogether, nine inferior vena cava filters were placed in three sheep in two stages. Six filters were placed caudal to the most caudal JV valve in three sheep and removed 6 weeks later. Then, three filters were placed across the most caudal valve in two sheep with competent valves and removed 3 weeks later. A common carotid artery-JV fistula was created in three sheep and followed-up for 1-3 weeks. Ascending and descending venograms were obtained to determine the JV sizes and function of their valves. The JVs removed at necropsy were studied with venoscopy. RESULTS: Only one of the six JVs with filters caudal to the most caudal valve had incompetent valves after filter removal at 6 weeks. In addition, only one of three JVs with the filter across the valve had incompetent valves after filter removal at 3 weeks. At 1-3-week follow-up of the group with common carotid artery-JV fistula, all three JVs had incompetent valves in the cephalad vein portion, but only one JV had an incompetent valve in its caudal portion. At venoscopy, the incompetent valves showed various degrees of damage ranging from shortening to the destruction of valve leaflets. CONCLUSION: Dilation of the valve annulus with a removable vena cava filter failed to produce valve incompetence. The promising results with the common carotid artery-JV fistula justify further detailed research. PMID- 17804782 TI - Emergency retrieval of a G2 filter after complete migration into the right ventricle. AB - A G2 inferior vena cava filter migrated completely into the right ventricle, resulting in chest pain, ventricular tachycardia, and hypotension in a 63-year old man. Due to the filter's position, the patient was at high risk for further life-threatening cardiopulmonary complications. Percutaneous filter retrieval was successfully performed as a less-invasive alternative to open cardiothoracic surgery. PMID- 17804783 TI - Arteriovenous fistula after radiofrequency ablation of a renal tumor located within the renal sinus. AB - Radiofrequency (RF) ablation has been accepted as a safe minimally invasive treatment for renal cell carcinoma but may cause minor complications in a small number of cases. The present report describes the occurrence of an arteriovenous fistula after RF ablation of a renal tumor located within the renal sinus that subsequently required interventional therapy. PMID- 17804784 TI - Unexpected atypical findings on CT after radiofrequency ablation for small renal cell carcinoma and the role of percutaneous biopsy. AB - Radiofrequency ablation is a safe and effective treatment for small renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) in selected patients. After ablation, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is used to confirm complete eradication or the presence of residual unablated tumor. The characteristic findings associated with these imaging techniques have been described previously. When the appearance of the ablated tumor deviates from expected findings, percutaneous biopsy is necessary to further evaluate the ablation zone. The present report describes three patients whose atypical findings after ablation of small RCC prompted percutaneous biopsy. PMID- 17804785 TI - Use of a 5-F tight curve catheter to facilitate uterine artery embolization. PMID- 17804786 TI - Facile O-atom insertion into C-C and C-H bonds by a trinuclear copper complex designed to harness a singlet oxene. AB - Two trinuclear copper [Cu(I)Cu(I)Cu(I)(L)](1+) complexes have been prepared with the multidentate ligands (L) 3,3'-(1,4-diazepane-1,4-diyl)bis(1-((2 (dimethylamino)ethyl)(methyl)amino)propan-2-ol) (7-Me) and (3,3'-(1,4-diazepane 1,4-diyl)bis(1-((2-(diethylamino) ethyl)(ethyl) amino)propan-2-ol) (7-Et) as models for the active site of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO). The ligands were designed to form the proper spatial and electronic geometry to harness a "singlet oxene," according to the mechanism previously suggested by our laboratory. Consistent with the design strategy, both [Cu(I)Cu(I)Cu(I)(L)](1+) reacted with dioxygen to form a putative bis(mu(3)-oxo)Cu(II)Cu(II)Cu(III) species, capable of facile O-atom insertion across the central C-C bond of benzil and 2,3-butanedione at ambient temperature and pressure. These complexes also catalyze facile O-atom transfer to the C-H bond of CH(3)CN to form glycolonitrile. These results, together with our recent biochemical studies on pMMO, provide support for our hypothesis that the hydroxylation site of pMMO contains a trinuclear copper cluster that mediates C-H bond activation by a singlet oxene mechanism. PMID- 17804787 TI - Centromere identity is specified by a single centromeric nucleosome in budding yeast. AB - Chromosome segregation ensures that DNA is equally divided between daughter cells during each round of cell division. The centromere (CEN) is the specific locus on each chromosome that directs formation of the kinetochore, the multiprotein complex that interacts with the spindle microtubules to promote proper chromosomal alignment and segregation during mitosis. CENs are organized into a specialized chromatin structure due to the incorporation of an essential CEN specific histone H3 variant (CenH3) in the centromeric nucleosomes of all eukaryotes. Consistent with its essential role at the CEN, the loss or up regulation of CenH3 results in mitotic defects. Despite the requirement for CenH3 in CEN function, it is unclear how CenH3 nucleosomes structurally organize centromeric DNA to promote formation of the kinetochore. To address this issue, we developed a modified chromatin immunoprecipitation approach to analyze the number and position of CenH3 nucleosomes at the budding yeast CEN. Using this technique, we show that yeast CENs have a single CenH3 nucleosome positioned over the CEN-determining elements. Therefore, a single CenH3 nucleosome forms the minimal unit of centromeric chromatin necessary for kinetochore assembly and proper chromosome segregation. PMID- 17804788 TI - Immunochemical recognition of A2E, a pigment in the lipofuscin of retinal pigment epithelial cells. AB - The autofluorescent lipofuscin pigment A2E accumulates in retinal pigment epithelial cells with age and is particularly abundant in some retinal disorders. To generate a polyclonal antibody that recognizes this pyridinium bisretinoid molecule, we immunized rabbits with bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates in which the protein was linked to the A2E molecule via its pyridinium ethanolamine moiety. Analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of the A2E-BSA conjugate indicated the presence of five intact A2E molecules covalently linked to BSA, thus deeming it a suitable antigen for immunization. By immunocytochemical staining, the rabbit polyclonal antibody recognized A2E that had accumulated in cultured cells, whereas dot-blot analysis revealed binding to both A2E and A2E-rabbit serum albumin (A2E-RSA) conjugate but no cross-reactivity with various retinoids. Preimmune serum was nonreactive. In fluorescence spectroscopy studies, antibody-A2E binding was evidenced by a fluorescence increase and by a blue-shift in the emission maximum consistent with a change in A2E milieu upon antibody binding. The changes in fluorescence emission upon antibody binding could reflect several processes including restrictions on trans-cis isomerization and intersystem crossing of photo-excited A2E. PMID- 17804789 TI - Genome-wide association study for Crohn's disease in the Quebec Founder Population identifies multiple validated disease loci. AB - Genome-wide association (GWA) studies offer a powerful unbiased method for the identification of multiple susceptibility genes for complex diseases. Here we report the results of a GWA study for Crohn's disease (CD) using family trios from the Quebec Founder Population (QFP). Haplotype-based association analyses identified multiple regions associated with the disease that met the criteria for genome-wide significance, with many containing a gene whose function appears relevant to CD. A proportion of these were replicated in two independent German Caucasian samples, including the established CD loci NOD2 and IBD5. The recently described IL23R locus was also identified and replicated. For this region, multiple individuals with all major haplotypes in the QFP were sequenced and extensive fine mapping performed to identify risk and protective alleles. Several additional loci, including a region on 3p21 containing several plausible candidate genes, a region near JAKMIP1 on 4p16.1, and two larger regions on chromosome 17 were replicated. Together with previously published loci, the spectrum of CD genes identified to date involves biochemical networks that affect epithelial defense mechanisms, innate and adaptive immune response, and the repair or remodeling of tissue. PMID- 17804790 TI - The effect of climate variations on the dynamics of pasture-livestock interactions under cooperative and noncooperative management. AB - It is well known from Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons" [Hardin G (1968) Science 162:1243-1248] that, if open access is allowed, overgrazing typically results. Hardin, and most authors of the subsequent literature, adopted a static view of the underlying ecosystem. Here we extend this tragedy of the commons to consider the dynamics of the involved ecosystem as well. We consider a general model that allows for a variable carrying capacity of the pastures (due to variation in precipitation) and a stimulating effect on plant growth due to grazing. Our analysis further emphasizes the tragedy; in addition to overgrazing, the ecosystem may approach limit cycles. Thus, unless the pastoralists are able to coordinate themselves, the human capability of long-term planning will generally not stabilize the system. Although numerical optimization shows that a cooperative optimum would yield a high and stable harvest, the open-access system may produce limit cycles, in which even the peak harvest may be below the stable cooperative optimal harvest. Such fluctuations cause both losses in biomass production and utility losses. Our dynamic analysis also demonstrates that, in the absence of cooperation between herders, too much rain in an otherwise dry area might (temporally) destabilize the ecological grazing system through overstocking, subsequently leading to further overgrazing (which will be observed in, but not caused by, the typically dry conditions of landscapes where pastoralism is practiced). In short, through this study we have brought time (and temporal dynamics) into the Hardin's tragedy of the commons and show that the tragedy might be profoundly worsened. PMID- 17804791 TI - Alternative Neisseria spp. type IV pilin glycosylation with a glyceramido acetamido trideoxyhexose residue. AB - The importance of protein glycosylation in the interaction of pathogenic bacteria with their host is becoming increasingly clear. Neisseria meningitidis, the etiological agent of cerebrospinal meningitis, crosses cellular barriers after adhering to host cells through type IV pili. Pilin glycosylation genes (pgl) are responsible for the glycosylation of PilE, the major subunit of type IV pili, with the 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexose residue. Nearly half of the clinical isolates, however, display an insertion in the pglBCD operon, which is anticipated to lead to a different, unidentified glycosylation. Here the structure of pilin glycosylation was determined in such a strain by "top-down" MS approaches. MALDI-TOF, nanoelectrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, and nanoelectrospray ionization quadrupole TOF MS analysis of purified pili preparations originating from N. meningitidis strains, either wild type or deficient for pilin glycosylation, revealed a glycan mass inconsistent with 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexose or any sugar in the databases. This unusual modification was determined by in-source dissociation of the sugar from the protein followed by tandem MS analysis with collision-induced fragmentation to be a hexose modified with a glyceramido and an acetamido group. We further show genetically that the nature of the sugar present on the pilin is determined by the carboxyl-terminal region of the pglB gene modified by the insertion in the pglBCD locus. We thus report a previously undiscovered monosaccharide involved in posttranslational modification of type IV pilin subunits by a MS-based approach and determine the molecular basis of its biosynthesis. PMID- 17804792 TI - Astrocytes regulate GluR2 expression in motor neurons and their vulnerability to excitotoxicity. AB - Influx of Ca(2+) ions through alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors contributes to neuronal damage in stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS. The Ca(2+) permeability of AMPA receptors is largely determined by the glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2) subunit, receptors lacking GluR2 being permeable to Ca(2+) ions. We identified a difference in GluR2 expression in motor neurons from two rat strains, resulting in a difference in vulnerability to AMPA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo. Astrocytes from the ventral spinal cord were found to mediate this difference in GluR2 expression in motor neurons. The presence of ALS-causing mutant superoxide dismutase 1 in astrocytes abolished their GluR2-regulating capacity and thus affected motor neuron vulnerability to AMPA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity. These results reveal a mechanism through which astrocytes influence neuronal functioning in health and disease. PMID- 17804793 TI - The small interfering RNA production pathway is required for shoot meristem initiation in rice. AB - The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is a group of stem cells that are responsible for plant development. Mutations in rice SHOOTLESS2 (SHL2), SHL4/SHOOT ORGANIZATION2 (SHO2), and SHO1 cause complete deletion or abnormal formation of the SAM. In this study we showed that defects in SAM formation in shl mutants are associated with the loss of expression of the homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIPIII) family genes. Rice SHL2, SHL4/SHO2, and SHO1 encoded orthologues of Arabidopsis RNA dependent RNA polymerase 6, ARGONAUTE (AGO) 7, and DICER-like 4, respectively, whose mutations affect leaf development through the trans-acting siRNA (ta-siRNA) pathway. This suggested that the ta-siRNA pathway regulates the critical step of SAM formation during rice embryogenesis. The gain-of-function experiment by the ectopic expression of SHL4 resulted in reduced accumulation of an microRNA, miR166, and partial adaxialization of leaves, supporting a role for the ta-siRNA pathway in the maintenance of leaf polarity as previously reported in maize. Analysis of the spatiotemporal expression patterns of HD-ZIPIII and miR166 in wild-type and shl mutant embryos suggested that the loss of HD-ZIPIII expression in the SAM region of the developing embryo is the result of ectopic expression of miR166. Our analysis of shl mutants demonstrated that HD-ZIPIII expression regulated by miR166 is sensitive to the ta-siRNA pathway during SAM formation in rice embryogenesis. PMID- 17804794 TI - A mechanistic basis for converting a receptor tyrosine kinase agonist to an antagonist. AB - Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) activates the Met receptor tyrosine kinase by binding and promoting receptor dimerization. Here we describe a mechanistic basis for designing Met antagonists based on NK1, a natural variant of HGF containing the N-terminal and the first kringle domain. Through detailed biochemical and structural analyses, we demonstrate that both mouse and human NK1 induce Met dimerization via a conserved NK1 dimer interface. Mutations designed to alter the NK1 dimer interface abolish its ability to promote Met dimerization but retain full Met-binding activity. Importantly, these NK1 mutants act as Met antagonists by inhibiting HGF-mediated cell scattering, proliferation, branching, and invasion. The ability to separate the Met-binding activity of NK1 from its Met dimerization activity thus provides a rational basis for designing Met antagonists. This strategy of antagonist design may be applicable for other growth factor receptors by selectively abolishing the receptor activation ability but not the receptor binding of the growth factors. PMID- 17804795 TI - The missing piece of the type II fatty acid synthase system from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. AB - The Mycobacterium tuberculosis fatty acid synthase type II (FAS-II) system has the unique property of producing unusually long-chain fatty acids involved in the biosynthesis of mycolic acids, key molecules of the tubercle bacillus. The enzyme(s) responsible for dehydration of (3R)-hydroxyacyl-ACP during the elongation cycles of the mycobacterial FAS-II remained unknown. This step is classically catalyzed by FabZ- and FabA-type enzymes in bacteria, but no such proteins are present in mycobacteria. Bioinformatic analyses and an essentiality study allowed the identification of a candidate protein cluster, Rv0635-Rv0636 Rv0637. Its expression in recombinant Escherichia coli strains leads to the formation of two heterodimers, Rv0635-Rv0636 (HadAB) and Rv0636-Rv0637 (HadBC), which also occurs in Mycobacterium smegmatis, as shown by split-Trp assays. Both heterodimers exhibit the enzymatic properties expected for mycobacterial FAS-II dehydratases: a marked specificity for both long-chain (>or=C(12)) and ACP-linked substrates. Furthermore, they function as 3-hydroxyacyl dehydratases when coupled with MabA and InhA enzymes from the M. tuberculosis FAS-II system. HadAB and HadBC are the long-sought (3R)-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratases. The correlation between the substrate specificities of these enzymes, the organization of the orthologous gene cluster in different Corynebacterineae, and the structure of their mycolic acids suggests distinct roles for both heterodimers during the elongation process. This work describes bacterial monofunctional (3R)-hydroxyacyl ACP dehydratases belonging to the hydratase 2 family. Their original structure and the fact that they are essential for M. tuberculosis survival make these enzymes very good candidates for the development of antimycobacterial drugs. PMID- 17804796 TI - Monitoring of lipid storage in Caenorhabditis elegans using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. AB - Better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind metabolic diseases requires methods to monitor lipid stores on single-cell level in vivo. We have used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to demonstrate the limitations of fluorescence microscopy for imaging of lipids compared with coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy, the latter allowing chemically specific and label-free imaging in living organisms. CARS microscopy was used to quantitatively monitor the impact of genetic variations in metabolic pathways on lipid storage in 60 specimens of C. elegans. We found that the feeding-defective mutant pha-3 contained a lipid volume fraction one-third of that found in control worms. In contrast, mutants (daf-2, daf-4 dauer) with deficiencies in the insulin and transforming growth factors (IGF and TGF-beta) signaling pathways had lipid volume fractions that were 1.4 and 2 times larger than controls, respectively. This was observed as an accumulation of small-sized lipid droplets in the hypodermal cells, hosting as much as 40% of the total lipid volume in contrast to the 9% for the wild-type larvae. Spectral CARS microscopy measurements indicated that this is accompanied by a shift in the ordering of the lipids from gel to liquid phase. We conclude that the degree of hypodermal lipid storage and the lipid phase can be used as a marker of lipid metabolism shift. This study shows that CARS microscopy has the potential to become a sensitive and important tool for studies of lipid storage mechanisms, improving our understanding of phenomena underlying metabolic disorders. PMID- 17804797 TI - The self-inhibited structure of full-length PCSK9 at 1.9 A reveals structural homology with resistin within the C-terminal domain. AB - Mutations in proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) are strongly associated with levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood plasma and, thereby, occurrence or resistance to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Despite this importance, relatively little is known about the biology of PCSK9. Here, the crystal structure of a full-length construct of PCSK9 solved to 1.9-A resolution is presented. The structure contains a fully folded C-terminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD), showing a distinct structural similarity to the resistin homotrimer, a small cytokine associated with obesity and diabetes. This structural relationship between the CRD of PCSK9 and the resistin family is not observed in primary sequence comparisons and strongly suggests a distant evolutionary link between the two molecules. This three-dimensional homology provides insight into the function of PCSK9 at the molecular level and will help to dissect the link between PCSK9 and CHD. PMID- 17804798 TI - Real-time observations of single bacteriophage lambda DNA ejections in vitro. AB - The physical, chemical, and structural features of bacteriophage genome release have been the subject of much recent attention. Many theoretical and experimental studies have centered on the internal forces driving the ejection process. Recently, Mangenot et al. [Mangenot S, Hochrein M, Radler J, Letellier L (2005) Curr Biol 15:430-435.] reported fluorescence microscopy of phage T5 ejections, which proceeded stepwise between DNA nicks, reaching a translocation speed of 75 kbp/s or higher. It is still unknown how high the speed actually is. This paper reports real-time measurements of ejection from phage lambda, revealing how the speed depends on key physical parameters such as genome length and ionic state of the buffer. Except for a pause before DNA is finally released, the entire 48.5 kbp genome is translocated in approximately 1.5 s without interruption, reaching a speed of 60 kbp/s. The process gives insights particularly into the effects of two parameters: a shorter genome length results in lower speed but a shorter total time, and the presence of divalent magnesium ions (replacing sodium) reduces the pressure, increasing ejection time to 8-11 s. Pressure caused by DNA DNA interactions within the head affects the initiation of ejection, but the close packing is also the dominant source of friction: more tightly packed phages initiate ejection earlier, but with a lower initial speed. The details of ejection revealed in this study are probably generic features of DNA translocation in bacteriophages and have implications for the dynamics of DNA in other biological systems. PMID- 17804799 TI - Distinct thermal behavior of GeO2 glass in tetrahedral, intermediate, and octahedral forms. AB - One fascinating high-pressure behavior of tetrahedral glasses and melts is the local coordination change with increasing pressure, which provides a structural basis for understanding numerous anomalies in their high-pressure properties. Because the coordination change is often not retained upon decompression, studies must be conducted in situ. Previous in situ studies have revealed that the short range order of tetrahedrally structured glasses and melts changes above a threshold pressure and gradually transforms to an octahedral form with further pressure increase. Here, we report a thermal effect associated with the coordination change at given pressures and show distinct thermal behaviors of GeO(2) glass in tetrahedral, octahedral, and their intermediate forms. An unusual thermally induced densification, as large as 16%, was observed on a GeO(2) glass at a pressure of 5.5 gigapascal (GPa), based on in situ density and x-ray diffraction measurements at simultaneously high pressures and high temperatures. The large thermal densification at high pressure was found to be associated with the 4- to 6-fold coordination increase. Experiments at other pressures show that the tetrahedral GeO(2) glass displayed small thermal densification at 3.3 GPa arising from the relaxation of intermediate range structure, whereas the octahedral glass at 12.3 GPa did not display any detectable thermal effects. PMID- 17804800 TI - Mei4p coordinates the onset of meiosis I by regulating cdc25+ in fission yeast. AB - The kinase Cdc2p is a central regulator of entry into and progression through nuclear division during mitosis and meiosis in eukaryotes. Cdc2p is activated at the onset of mitosis by dephosphorylation on tyrosine-15, the phosphorylation status of which is determined mainly by the kinase Wee1p and the phosphatase Cdc25p. In fission yeast, the forkhead-type transcription factor Mei4p is required for expression of many genes during meiosis, with mei4 mutant cells arresting before meiosis I. The mechanism of cell cycle arrest in mei4 cells has remained unknown, however. We now show that cdc25(+) is an important target of Mei4p in control of entry into meiosis I. Forced dephosphorylation of Cdc2p on tyrosine-15 thus induced meiosis I in mei4 mutant cells without a delay, although no spores were formed. We propose that Mei4p acts as a rate-limiting regulator of meiosis I by activating cdc25(+) transcription in coordination with other meiotic events. PMID- 17804801 TI - Renal expression of parvalbumin is critical for NaCl handling and response to diuretics. AB - The distal convoluted tubule (DCT) plays an essential role in the reabsorption of NaCl by the kidney, a process that can be inhibited by thiazide diuretics. Parvalbumin (PV), a Ca(2+)-binding protein that plays a role in muscle fibers and neurons, is selectively expressed in the DCT, where its role remains unknown. We therefore investigated the renal phenotype of PV knockout mice (Pvalb(-/-)) vs. wild-type (Pvalb(+/+)) littermates. PV colocalized with the thiazide-sensitive Na(+)-Cl(-) cotransporter (NCC) in the early DCT. The Pvalb(-/-) mice showed increased diuresis and kaliuresis at baseline with higher aldosterone levels and lower lithium clearance. Acute furosemide administration increased diuresis and natriuresis/kaliuresis, but, surprisingly, did not increase calciuria in Pvalb(-/ ) mice. NaCl supplementation of Pvalb(-/-) mice increased calciuria at baseline and after furosemide. The Pvalb(-/-) mice showed no significant diuretic response to hydrochlorothiazide, but an accentuated hypocalciuria. A decreased expression of NCC was detected in the early DCT of Pvalb(-/-) kidneys in the absence of ultrastructural and apoptotic changes. The PV-deficient mice had a positive Ca(2+) balance and increased bone mineral density. Studies in mouse DCT cells showed that endogenous NCC expression is Ca(2+)-dependent and can be modulated by the levels of PV expression. These results suggest that PV regulates the expression of NCC by modulating intracellular Ca(2+) signaling in response to ATP in DCT cells. They also provide insights into the Ca(2+)-sparing action of thiazides and the pathophysiology of distal tubulopathies. PMID- 17804802 TI - Temperature-dependent heme kinetics with nonexponential binding and barrier relaxation in the absence of protein conformational substates. AB - We present temperature-dependent kinetic measurements of ultrafast diatomic ligand binding to the "bare" protoheme (L(1)-FePPIX-L(2), where L(1) = H(2)O or 2 methyl imidazole and L(2) = CO or NO). We found that the binding of CO is temperature-dependent and nonexponential over many decades in time, whereas the binding of NO is exponential and temperature-independent. The nonexponential nature of CO binding to protoheme, as well as its relaxation above the solvent glass transition, mimics the kinetics of CO binding to myoglobin (Mb) but on faster time scales. This demonstrates that the nonexponential kinetic response observed for Mb is not necessarily due to the presence of protein conformational substates but rather is an inherent property of the solvated heme. The nonexponential kinetic data were analyzed by using a linear coupling model with a distribution of enthalpic barriers that fluctuate on slower time scales than the heme-CO recombination time. Below the solvent glass transition (T(g) approximately 180 K), the average enthalpic rebinding barrier for H(2)O-PPIX-CO was found to be approximately 1 kJ/mol. Above T(g), the barrier relaxes and is approximately 6 kJ/mol at 290 K. Values for the first two moments of the heme doming coordinate distribution extracted from the kinetic data suggest significant anharmonicity above T(g). In contrast to Mb, the protoheme shows no indication of the presence of "distal" enthalpic barriers. Moreover, the wide range of Arrhenius prefactors (10(9) to 10(11) s(-1)) observed for CO binding to heme under differing conditions suggests that entropic barriers may be an important source of control in this class of biochemical reactions. PMID- 17804803 TI - Plant disease susceptibility conferred by a "resistance" gene. AB - The molecular nature of many plant disease resistance (R) genes is known; the largest class encodes nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) proteins that are structurally related to proteins involved in innate immunity in animals. Few genes conferring disease susceptibility, on the other hand, have been identified. Recent identification of susceptibility to the fungus Cochliobolus victoriae in Arabidopsis thaliana has enabled our cloning of LOV1, a disease susceptibility gene that, paradoxically, is a member of the NBS-LRR resistance gene family. We found LOV1 mediates responses associated with defense, but mutations in known defense response pathways do not prevent susceptibility to C. victoriae. These findings demonstrate that NBS-LRR genes can condition disease susceptibility and resistance and may have implications for R gene deployment. PMID- 17804804 TI - Recent transcontinental sweep of Toxoplasma gondii driven by a single monomorphic chromosome. AB - Toxoplasma gondii is a highly prevalent protozoan parasite that infects a wide range of animals and threatens human health by contaminating food and water. A markedly limited number of clonal parasite lineages have been recognized as predominating in North American and European populations, whereas strains from South America are comparatively diverse. Here, we show that strains from North America and Europe share distinct genetic polymorphisms that are mutually exclusive from polymorphisms in strains from the south. A striking exception to this geographic segregation is a monomorphic version of one chromosome (Chr1a) that characterizes virtually all northern and many southern isolates. Using a combination of molecular phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses, we conclude that northern and southern parasite populations diverged from a common ancestor in isolation over a period of approximately 10(6) yr, and that the monomorphic Chr1a has swept each population within the past 10,000 years. Like its definitive feline hosts, T. gondii may have entered South America and diversified there after reestablishment of the Panamanian land bridge. Since then, recombination has been an infrequent but important force in generating new T. gondii genotypes. Genes unique to a monomorphic version of a single parasite chromosome may have facilitated a recent population sweep of a limited number of highly successful T. gondii lineages. PMID- 17804805 TI - R-Spondin1 regulates Wnt signaling by inhibiting internalization of LRP6. AB - The R-Spondin (RSpo) family of secreted proteins act as potent activators of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. We have previously shown that RSpo proteins can induce proliferative effects on the gastrointestinal epithelium in mice. Here we provide a mechanism whereby RSpo1 regulates cellular responsiveness to Wnt ligands by modulating the cell-surface levels of the coreceptor LRP6. We show that RSpo1 activity critically depends on the presence of canonical Wnt ligands and LRP6. Although RSpo1 does not directly activate LRP6, it interferes with DKK1/Kremen-mediated internalization of LRP6 through an interaction with Kremen, resulting in increased LRP6 levels on the cell surface. Our results support a model in which RSpo1 relieves the inhibition DKK1 imposes on the Wnt pathway. PMID- 17804806 TI - Disrupted cardiac development but normal hematopoiesis in mice deficient in the second CXCL12/SDF-1 receptor, CXCR7. AB - Chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) attract immune cells, although their original evolutionary role may relate more closely with embryonic development. We noted differential expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR7 (RDC-1) on marginal zone B cells, a cell type associated with autoimmune diseases. We generated Cxcr7(-/-) mice but found that CXCR7 deficiency had little effect on B cell composition. However, most Cxcr7(-/-) mice died at birth with ventricular septal defects and semilunar heart valve malformation. Conditional deletion of Cxcr7 in endothelium, using Tie2-Cre transgenic mice, recapitulated this phenotype. Gene profiling of Cxcr7(-/-) heart valve leaflets revealed a defect in the expression of factors essential for valve formation, vessel protection, or endothelial cell growth and survival. We confirmed that the principal chemokine ligand for CXCR7 was CXCL12/SDF-1, which also binds CXCR4. CXCL12 did not induce signaling through CXCR7; however, CXCR7 formed functional heterodimers with CXCR4 and enhanced CXCL12-induced signaling. Our results reveal a specialized role for CXCR7 in endothelial biology and valve development and highlight the distinct developmental role of evolutionary conserved chemokine receptors such as CXCR7 and CXCR4. PMID- 17804807 TI - Impact of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen and sulfur deposition on ocean acidification and the inorganic carbon system. AB - Fossil fuel combustion and agriculture result in atmospheric deposition of 0.8 Tmol/yr reactive sulfur and 2.7 Tmol/yr nitrogen to the coastal and open ocean near major source regions in North America, Europe, and South and East Asia. Atmospheric inputs of dissociation products of strong acids (HNO(3) and H2SO(4)) and bases (NH(3)) alter surface seawater alkalinity, pH, and inorganic carbon storage. We quantify the biogeochemical impacts by using atmosphere and ocean models. The direct acid/base flux to the ocean is predominately acidic (reducing total alkalinity) in the temperate Northern Hemisphere and alkaline in the tropics because of ammonia inputs. However, because most of the excess ammonia is nitrified to nitrate (NO(3)(-)) in the upper ocean, the effective net atmospheric input is acidic almost everywhere. The decrease in surface alkalinity drives a net air-sea efflux of CO(2), reducing surface dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC); the alkalinity and DIC changes mostly offset each other, and the decline in surface pH is small. Additional impacts arise from nitrogen fertilization, leading to elevated primary production and biological DIC drawdown that reverses in some places the sign of the surface pH and air-sea CO(2) flux perturbations. On a global scale, the alterations in surface water chemistry from anthropogenic nitrogen and sulfur deposition are a few percent of the acidification and DIC increases due to the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO(2). However, the impacts are more substantial in coastal waters, where the ecosystem responses to ocean acidification could have the most severe implications for mankind. PMID- 17804808 TI - Topoisomerase V relaxes supercoiled DNA by a constrained swiveling mechanism. AB - Topoisomerase V is a type I topoisomerase without structural or sequence similarities to other topoisomerases. Although it belongs to the type I subfamily of topoisomerases, it is unrelated to either type IA or IB enzymes. We used real time single-molecule micromechanical experiments to show that topoisomerase V relaxes DNA via events that release multiple DNA turns, employing a constrained swiveling mechanism similar to that for type IB enzymes. Relaxation is powered by the torque in the supercoiled DNA and is constrained by friction between the protein and the DNA. Although all type IB enzymes share a common structure and mechanism and type IA and type II enzymes show marked structural and functional similarities, topoisomerase V represents a different type of topoisomerase that relaxes DNA in a similar overall manner as type IB molecules but by using a completely different structural and mechanistic framework. PMID- 17804809 TI - Spectroscopic validation of the pentameric structure of phospholamban. AB - Phospholamban (PLN) regulates calcium translocation within cardiac myocytes by shifting sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) affinity for calcium. Although the monomeric form of PLN (6 kDa) is the principal inhibitory species, recent evidence suggests that the PLN pentamer (30 kDa) also is able to bind SERCA. To date, several membrane architectures of the pentamer have been proposed, with different topological orientations for the cytoplasmic domain: (i) extended from the bilayer normal by 50-60 degrees; (ii) continuous alpha-helix tilted 28 degrees relative to the bilayer normal; (iii) pinwheel geometry, with the cytoplasmic helix perpendicular to the bilayer normal and in contact with the surface of the bilayer; and (iv) bellflower structure, in which the cytoplasmic domain helix makes approximately 20 degrees angle with respect to the membrane bilayer normal. Using a variety of cell membrane mimicking systems (i.e., lipid vesicles, oriented lipid bilayers, and detergent micelles) and a combination of multidimensional solution/solid-state NMR and EPR spectroscopies, we tested the different structural models. We conclude that the pinwheel topology is the predominant conformation of pentameric PLN, with the cytoplasmic domain interacting with the membrane surface. We propose that the interaction with the bilayer precedes SERCA binding and may mediate the interactions with other proteins such as protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 1. PMID- 17804810 TI - Magnetic microposts as an approach to apply forces to living cells. AB - Cells respond to mechanical forces whether applied externally or generated internally via the cytoskeleton. To study the cellular response to forces separately, we applied external forces to cells via microfabricated magnetic posts containing cobalt nanowires interspersed among an array of elastomeric posts, which acted as independent sensors to cellular traction forces. A magnetic field induced torque in the nanowires, which deflected the magnetic posts and imparted force to individual adhesions of cells attached to the array. Using this system, we examined the cellular reaction to applied forces and found that applying a step force led to an increase in local focal adhesion size at the site of application but not at nearby nonmagnetic posts. Focal adhesion recruitment was enhanced further when cells were subjected to multiple force actuations within the same time interval. Recording the traction forces in response to such force stimulation revealed two responses: a sudden loss in contractility that occurred within the first minute of stimulation or a gradual decay in contractility over several minutes. For both types of responses, the subcellular distribution of loss in traction forces was not confined to locations near the actuated micropost, nor uniformly across the whole cell, but instead occurred at discrete locations along the cell periphery. Together, these data reveal an important dynamic biological relationship between external and internal forces and demonstrate the utility of this microfabricated system to explore this interaction. PMID- 17804811 TI - Dissociable roles of the posterior parietal and the prefrontal cortex in manipulation and monitoring processes. AB - Numerous functional neuroimaging studies reported increased activity in the middorsolateral prefrontal cortex (MDLFC) and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during the performance of working memory tasks. However, the role of the PPC in working memory is not understood and, although there is strong evidence that the MDLFC is involved in the monitoring of information in working memory, it is also often stated that it is involved in the manipulation of such information. This event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging study compared brain activity during the performance of working memory trials in which either monitoring or manipulation of information was required. The results show that the PPC is centrally involved in manipulation processes, whereas activation of the MDLFC is related to the monitoring of the information that is being manipulated. This study provides dissociation of activation in these two regions and, thus, succeeds in further specifying their relative contribution to working memory. PMID- 17804812 TI - Configuration-dependent diffusion can shift the kinetic transition state and barrier height of protein folding. AB - We show that diffusion can play an important role in protein-folding kinetics. We explicitly calculate the diffusion coefficient of protein folding in a lattice model. We found that diffusion typically is configuration- or reaction coordinate dependent. The diffusion coefficient is found to be decreasing with respect to the progression of folding toward the native state, which is caused by the collapse to a compact state constraining the configurational space for exploration. The configuration- or position-dependent diffusion coefficient has a significant contribution to the kinetics in addition to the thermodynamic free energy barrier. It effectively changes (increases in this case) the kinetic barrier height as well as the position of the corresponding transition state and therefore modifies the folding kinetic rates as well as the kinetic routes. The resulting folding time, by considering both kinetic diffusion and the thermodynamic folding free-energy profile, thus is slower than the estimation from the thermodynamic free-energy barrier with constant diffusion but is consistent with the results from kinetic simulations. The configuration- or coordinate-dependent diffusion is especially important with respect to fast folding, when there is a small or no free-energy barrier and kinetics is controlled by diffusion. Including the configurational dependence will challenge the transition state theory of protein folding. The classical transition state theory will have to be modified to be consistent. The more detailed folding mechanistic studies involving phi value analysis based on the classical transition state theory also will have to be modified quantitatively. PMID- 17804813 TI - Polyamines regulate the stability of activating transcription factor-2 mRNA through RNA-binding protein HuR in intestinal epithelial cells. AB - Maintenance of intestinal mucosal epithelial integrity requires polyamines that modulate the expression of various genes involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Recently, polyamines were shown to regulate the subcellular localization of the RNA-binding protein HuR, which stabilizes its target transcripts such as nucleophosmin and p53 mRNAs. The activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) mRNA encodes a member of the ATF/CRE-binding protein family of transcription factors and was computationally predicted to be a target of HuR. Here, we show that polyamines negatively regulate ATF-2 expression posttranscriptionally and that polyamine depletion stabilizes ATF-2 mRNA by enhancing the interaction of the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of ATF-2 with cytoplasmic HuR. Decreasing cellular polyamines by inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) with alpha-difluoromethylornithine increased the levels of ATF-2 mRNA and protein, whereas increasing polyamines by ectopic ODC overexpression repressed ATF-2 expression. Polyamine depletion did not alter transcription via the ATF-2 gene promoter but increased the stability of ATF-2 mRNA. Increased cytoplasmic HuR in polyamine-deficient cells formed ribonucleoprotein complexes with the endogenous ATF-2 mRNA and specifically bound to 3'-UTR of ATF-2 mRNA on multiple nonoverlapping 3'-UTR segments. Adenovirus mediated HuR overexpression elevated ATF-2 mRNA and protein levels, whereas HuR silencing rendered the ATF-2 mRNA unstable and prevented increases in ATF-2 mRNA and protein. Furthermore, inhibition of ATF-2 expression prevented the increased resistance of polyamine-deficient cells to apoptosis induced by treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cycloheximide. These results indicate that polyamines modulate the stability of ATF-2 mRNA by altering cytoplasmic HuR levels and that polyamine-modulated ATF-2 expression plays a critical role in regulating epithelial apoptosis. PMID- 17804814 TI - Retrograde fluxes of focal adhesion proteins in response to cell migration and mechanical signals. AB - Recent studies suggest that mechanical signals mediated by the extracellular matrix play an essential role in various physiological and pathological processes; yet, how cells respond to mechanical stimuli remains elusive. Using live cell fluorescence imaging, we found that actin filaments, in association with a number of focal adhesion proteins, including zyxin and vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein, undergo retrograde fluxes at focal adhesions in the lamella region. This flux is inversely related to cell migration, such that it is amplified in fibroblasts immobilized on micropatterned islands. In addition, the flux is regulated by mechanical signals, including stretching forces applied to flexible substrates and substrate stiffness. Conditions favoring the flux share the common feature of causing large retrograde displacements of the interior actin cytoskeleton relative to the substrate anchorage site, which may function as a switch translating mechanical input into chemical signals, such as tyrosine phosphorylation. In turn, the stimulation of actin flux at focal adhesions may function as part of a feedback mechanism, regulating structural assembly and force production in relation to cell migration and mechanical load. The retrograde transport of associated focal adhesion proteins may play additional roles in delivering signals from focal adhesions to the interior of the cell. PMID- 17804815 TI - A single MAPKKK regulates the Hog1 MAPK pathway in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. AB - The Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) plays a central role in stress responses in the human pathogen Candida albicans. Here, we have investigated the MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK)-dependent regulation of the pathway. In contrast to the Hog1 pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is regulated by three MAPKKKs (Ssk2, Ssk22, and Ste11), our results demonstrate that Hog1 in C. albicans is regulated by a single MAPKKK Ssk2. Deletion of SSK2 results in comparable stress and morphological phenotypes exhibited by hog1Delta cells, and Ssk2 is required for the stress-induced phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of Hog1, and for Hog1-dependent gene expression. Furthermore, phenotypes associated with deletion of SSK2 can be circumvented by expression of a phosphomimetic mutant of the MAPKK Pbs2, indicating that Ssk2 regulates Hog1 via activation of Pbs2. In S. cerevisiae, the Hog1 pathway is also regulated by the MAPKKK Ste11. However, we can find no connection between Ste11 and the regulation of Hog1 in C. albicans. Furthermore, expression of a chimeric Pbs2 protein containing the Ste11-dependent regulatory region of S. cerevisiae Pbs2, fails to stimulate Ste11-dependent stress signaling in C. albicans. Collectively, our data show that Ssk2 is the sole MAPKKK to relay stress signals to Hog1 in C. albicans and that the MAPK signaling network in C. albicans has diverged significantly from the corresponding network in S. cerevisiae. PMID- 17804816 TI - Pho91 Is a vacuolar phosphate transporter that regulates phosphate and polyphosphate metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. AB - Inorganic polyphosphate (poly P) is a biopolymer that occurs in all organisms and cells and in many cellular compartments. It is involved in numerous biological phenomena and functions in cellular processes in all organisms. However, even the most fundamental aspects of poly P metabolism are largely unknown. In yeast, large amounts of poly P accumulate in the vacuole during growth. It is neither known how this poly P pool is synthesized nor how it is remobilized from the vacuole to replenish the cytosolic phosphate pool. Here, we report a systematic analysis of the yeast phosphate transporters and their function in poly P metabolism. By using poly P content as a read-out, it was possible to define novel functions of the five phosphate transporters: Pho84, Pho87, Pho89, Pho90, and Pho91, in budding yeast. Most notably, it was found that the low-affinity transporter Pho91 limits poly P accumulation in a strain lacking PHO85. This phenotype was not caused by a regulatory effect on the PHO pathway, but can be attributed to the unexpected localization of Pho91 in the vacuolar membrane. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that Pho91 serves as a vacuolar phosphate transporter that exports phosphate from the vacuolar lumen to the cytosol. PMID- 17804817 TI - Desmoglein-2: a novel regulator of apoptosis in the intestinal epithelium. AB - Intestinal epithelial intercellular junctions regulate barrier properties, and they have been linked to epithelial differentiation and programmed cell death (apoptosis). However, mechanisms regulating these processes are poorly defined. Desmosomes are critical elements of intercellular junctions; they are punctate structures made up of transmembrane desmosomal cadherins termed desmoglein-2 (Dsg2) and desmocollin-2 (Dsc2) that affiliate with the underlying intermediate filaments via linker proteins to provide mechanical strength to epithelia. In the present study, we generated an antibody, AH12.2, that recognizes Dsg2. We show that Dsg2 but not another desmosomal cadherin, Dsc2, is cleaved by cysteine proteases during the onset of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) apoptosis. Small interfering RNA-mediated down-regulation of Dsg2 protected epithelial cells from apoptosis. Moreover, we report that a C-terminal fragment of Dsg2 regulates apoptosis and Dsg2 protein levels. Our studies highlight a novel mechanism by which Dsg2 regulates IEC apoptosis driven by cysteine proteases during physiological differentiation and inflammation. PMID- 17804818 TI - Preventing the degradation of mps1 at centrosomes is sufficient to cause centrosome reduplication in human cells. AB - Supernumerary centrosomes promote the assembly of abnormal mitotic spindles in many human tumors. In human cells, overexpression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)2 partner cyclin A during a prolonged S phase produces extra centrosomes, called centrosome reduplication. Cdk2 activity protects the Mps1 protein kinase from proteasome-mediated degradation, and we demonstrate here that Mps1 mediates cyclin A-dependent centrosome reduplication. Overexpression of cyclin A or a brief proteasome inhibition increases the centrosomal levels of Mps1, whereas depletion of Cdk2 leads to the proteasome-dependent loss of Mps1 from centrosomes only. When a Cdk2 phosphorylation site within Mps1 (T468) is mutated to alanine, Mps1 cannot accumulate at centrosomes or participate in centrosome duplication. In contrast, phosphomimetic mutations at T468 or deletion of the region surrounding T468 prevent the proteasome-dependent removal of Mps1 from centrosomes in the absence of Cdk2 activity. Moreover, cyclin A-dependent centrosome reduplication requires Mps1, and these stabilizing Mps1 mutations cause centrosome reduplication, bypassing cyclin A. Together, our data demonstrate that the region surrounding T468 contains a motif that regulates the accumulation of Mps1 at centrosomes. We suggest that phosphorylation of T468 attenuates the degradation of Mps1 at centrosomes and that preventing this degradation is necessary and sufficient to cause centrosome reduplication in human cells. PMID- 17804819 TI - Induction of cellular senescence by insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 through a p53-dependent mechanism. AB - The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and aging. IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) are important members of the IGF axis. IGFBP-5 is up-regulated during cellular senescence in human dermal fibroblasts and endothelial cells, but the function of IGFBP-5 in cellular senescence is unknown. Here we show that IGFBP-5 plays important roles in the regulation of cellular senescence. Knockdown of IGFBP-5 in old human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) with IGFBP-5 micro RNA lentivirus caused partial reduction of a variety of senescent phenotypes, such as changes in cell morphology, increases in cell proliferation, and decreases in senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) staining. In addition, treatment with IGFBP-5 protein or up-regulation of IGFBP-5 in young cells accelerates cellular senescence, as confirmed by cell proliferation and SA beta-gal staining. Premature senescence induced by IGFBP-5 up-regulation in young cells was rescued by knockdown of p53, but not by knockdown of p16. Furthermore, atherosclerotic arteries exhibited strong IGFBP-5-positive staining along intimal plaques. These results suggest that IGFBP-5 plays a role in the regulation of cellular senescence via a p53-dependent pathway and in aging-associated vascular diseases. PMID- 17804820 TI - ARL4D recruits cytohesin-2/ARNO to modulate actin remodeling. AB - ARL4D is a developmentally regulated member of the ADP-ribosylation factor/ARF like protein (ARF/ARL) family of Ras-related GTPases. Although the primary structure of ARL4D is very similar to that of other ARF/ARL molecules, its function remains unclear. Cytohesin-2/ARF nucleotide-binding-site opener (ARNO) is a guanine nucleotide-exchange factor (GEF) for ARF, and, at the plasma membrane, it can activate ARF6 to regulate actin reorganization and membrane ruffling. We show here that ARL4D interacts with the C-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) and polybasic c domains of cytohesin-2/ARNO in a GTP-dependent manner. Localization of ARL4D at the plasma membrane is GTP- and N-terminal myristoylation-dependent. ARL4D(Q80L), a putative active form of ARL4D, induced accumulation of cytohesin-2/ARNO at the plasma membrane. Consistent with a known action of cytohesin-2/ARNO, ARL4D(Q80L) increased GTP-bound ARF6 and induced disassembly of actin stress fibers. Expression of inactive cytohesin 2/ARNO(E156K) or small interfering RNA knockdown of cytohesin-2/ARNO blocked ARL4D-mediated disassembly of actin stress fibers. Similar to the results with cytohesin-2/ARNO or ARF6, reduction of ARL4D suppressed cell migration activity. Furthermore, ARL4D-induced translocation of cytohesin-2/ARNO did not require phosphoinositide 3-kinase activation. Together, these data demonstrate that ARL4D acts as a novel upstream regulator of cytohesin-2/ARNO to promote ARF6 activation and modulate actin remodeling. PMID- 17804821 TI - Arrestins and spinophilin competitively regulate Na+,K+-ATPase trafficking through association with a large cytoplasmic loop of the Na+,K+-ATPase. AB - The activity and trafficking of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase are regulated by several hormones, including dopamine, vasopressin, and adrenergic hormones through the action of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Arrestins, GPCR kinases (GRKs), 14 3-3 proteins, and spinophilin interact with GPCRs and modulate the duration and magnitude of receptor signaling. We have found that arrestin 2 and 3, GRK 2 and 3, 14-3-3 epsilon, and spinophilin directly associate with the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and that the associations with arrestins, GRKs, or 14-3-3 epsilon are blocked in the presence of spinophilin. In COS cells that overexpressed arrestin, the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase was redistributed to intracellular compartments. This effect was not seen in mock-transfected cells or in cells expressing spinophilin. Furthermore, expression of spinophilin appeared to slow, whereas overexpression of beta-arrestins accelerated internalization of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase endocytosis. We also find that GRKs phosphorylate the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase in vitro on its large cytoplasmic loop. Taken together, it appears that association with arrestins, GRKs, 14-3-3 epsilon, and spinophilin may be important modulators of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase trafficking. PMID- 17804822 TI - The N-terminal transactivation domain confers target gene specificity of hypoxia inducible factors HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha. AB - The basic helix-loop-helix-Per-ARNT-Sim-proteins hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1alpha and HIF-2alpha are the principal regulators of the hypoxic transcriptional response. Although highly related, they can activate distinct target genes. In this study, the protein domain and molecular mechanism important for HIF target gene specificity are determined. We demonstrate that although HIF-2alpha is unable to activate multiple endogenous HIF-1alpha-specific target genes (e.g., glycolytic enzymes), HIF-2alpha still binds to their promoters in vivo and activates reporter genes derived from such targets. In addition, comparative analysis of the N-terminal DNA binding and dimerization domains of HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha does not reveal any significant differences between the two proteins. Importantly, replacement of the N-terminal transactivation domain (N-TAD) (but not the DNA binding domain, dimerization domain, or C-terminal transactivation domain [C-TAD]) of HIF-2alpha with the analogous region of HIF-1alpha is sufficient to convert HIF-2alpha into a protein with HIF-1alpha functional specificity. Nevertheless, both the N-TAD and C-TAD are important for optimal HIF transcriptional activity. Additional experiments indicate that the ETS transcription factor ELK is required for HIF-2alpha to activate specific target genes such as Cited-2, EPO, and PAI-1. These results demonstrate that the HIF alpha TADs, particularly the N-TADs, confer HIF target gene specificity, by interacting with additional transcriptional cofactors. PMID- 17804823 TI - Breast and cervical cancer screening rates of subgroups of Asian American women in California. AB - Although breast and cervical cancer screening rates for Asian American (AA) women are the lowest of any ethnic group in California, few causes for this are known. The authors used the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, conducted in five Asian languages, to conduct the first evaluation of Pap and mammography screening rates for a representative sample of 2,239 AA women. Wide variations in screening rates were found among the seven different subgroups of AA women studied: adjusted Pap test use ranged from 81% (Filipina Americans) to 61% (Vietnamese Americans). Mammography rates ranged from 78% (Japanese Americans) to 53% (Korean Americans). Disaggregating the AA data and using separate multivariate logistic regressions revealed that different factors were independently associated with the low screening rates for each subgroup. The measurement of additional contextual information is needed to identify structural barriers and community resources to provide clearer guidance for the design of effective screening promotion programs for AA subpopulations. PMID- 17804824 TI - Instruments for evaluating shared medical decision making: a structured literature review. AB - The author conducted a structured literature review of instruments for evaluating shared medical decision making. She included relevant instruments that were generalizable beyond specific situations and had been formally evaluated and organized them by domains of values or preferences, information and communication in decision making, and other aspects of decision making. For values or preferences, the author identified 11 instruments, mostly on preferences for roles and information. For information and communication, she found a systematic review of instruments for observational assessment of decision making, 3 additional observational instruments, and 3 questionnaires. For other aspects of decision making, the author identified 3 instruments in domains such as decision self-efficacy and 4 multidimensional instruments. Although instrument development tended to cluster in several areas and there were clear gaps in the literature, the diversity of instruments demonstrates the broad range of constructs involved in assessing shared decision making. PMID- 17804825 TI - Applying behavioral science to behavior change communication: the pathways to change tools. AB - Entertainment-education (EE) is a popular vehicle for behavior change communication (BCC) in many areas of public health, especially in the developing world where soap operas and other serial drama formats play a central role in encouraging people to avoid risky behavior. Yet BCC/EE developers have been largely unable to integrate behavioral theory and research systematically into storylines and scripts, depending instead on external, technical oversight of what should be an essentially local, creative process. This article describes how the Modeling and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS project at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a set of tools through which creative writers can exercise greater control over the behavioral content of their stories. The Pathways to Change tools both guide scriptwriters as they write BCC/EE storylines and help project managers monitor BCC/EE products for theoretical fidelity and sensitivity to research. PMID- 17804826 TI - Personality is as personality does. PMID- 17804827 TI - Narcissistic personality and vulnerability to late-life suicidality. AB - OBJECTIVE: Narcissistic personality (NP) has been implicated as a potential vulnerability factor for late-life suicide. The present study investigated whether NP increases vulnerability to suicidal ideation and behavior among geriatric depression day-hospital patients. METHODS: Using a retrospective database analysis, the authors examined demographic data, diagnostic information, and scores on self-report (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]) and clinician-rated depression measures (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HAM-D]), for 608 geriatric psychiatry patients 65 years or older. RESULTS: Of the 538 patients meeting study inclusion criteria, 20 had NP, defined as either narcissistic personality disorder (n = 13) or narcissistic personality traits (n = 7). Patients with NP were rated significantly higher on the HAM-D suicide item than those without NP, controlling for age, sex, depression (GDS), and cognitive functioning. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that NP may be a clinical marker of elevated suicide risk among depressed older adults. Clinicians are advised to assess the presence of self-pathology and its potential impact upon psychological functioning in depressed older patients, and to incorporate discussions of life transitions into therapeutic work with those at-risk for suicide. PMID- 17804828 TI - Overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of personality disorders in older adults. AB - OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence suggests that some of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition personality disorder (PD) criteria contain measurement bias across age groups. Specifically, this research showed that younger and older adults were differentially likely to endorse certain PD criteria, even when both groups were statistically matched using mechanisms of item response theory (IRT) for degree of PD pathology. For the analyses presented here, the authors used data from a large epidemiological study (N = 43,093), the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, to examine the influence of this item-level measurement bias for reaching accurate algorithmic PD diagnoses of older adults. METHODS: Joint probability analyses were used to determine the net effect of the item-level bias on the possible over- or underdiagnosis of six PDs in older adults. RESULTS: When older adults were compared to younger adults at equivalent levels of PD pathology, they were more likely to receive diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive and schizoid PDs. In contrast, they were less likely to receive diagnoses of avoidant and dependent PDs. Younger and older adults were equally likely to receive diagnoses of histrionic and paranoid PDs. Of the seven PDs assessed in this dataset, only these six lend themselves to this type of analysis; antisocial PD differs because a diagnosis depends upon the presence of conduct disorder. CONCLUSION: These findings raise concerns regarding the interpretation of existing older adult PD prevalence data. PMID- 17804829 TI - Modifiable characteristics of a healthy lifestyle in U.S. older adults with or without frequent mental distress: 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between frequent mental distress (FMD; 14 or more mentally unhealthy days during the previous 30 days), health behaviors, body weight, and use of preventive services among adults >or=65 years using the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). METHODS: Participants (N = 52,600) were asked how many days during the past 30 days that their mental health was not good. Having a healthy weight (body mass index 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), not smoking, consuming or = 85 dB of noise was 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.64, 1.23). Contrary to previous study results, the present findings did not demonstrate an increased acoustic neuroma risk related to occupational noise exposure even after allowing for a long latency period. The effect of nondifferential misclassification of exposure must be considered a potential cause of the negative findings. PMID- 17804861 TI - Glutathione levels modulate domoic acid induced apoptosis in mouse cerebellar granule cells. AB - Exposure of mouse cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) to domoic acid induced cell death, either by apoptosis or by necrosis, depending on its concentration. Necrotic damage predominated in response to domoic acid above 0.1 microM. In contrast, cell injury with apoptotic features (assessed by Hoechst staining and DNA laddering assay) was evident after exposure to lower concentrations of domoic acid (< or = 0.1 microM). The AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4 isoxazolepropionic acid)/kainate receptor antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro sulfamoylbenzo [f] quinoxaline, but not the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801, prevented domoic acid-induced apoptosis. To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in domoic acid-induced apoptosis, experiments were carried out in CGNs isolated from wild-type mice (Gclm (+/+)) and mice lacking the modifier subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase, the first and rate-limiting step of glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis (Gclm (-/-)). CGNs from Gclm (-/-) mice have very low levels of GSH and were more sensitive to domoic acid-induced apoptosis and necrosis than Gclm (+/+) CGNs. The antioxidant melatonin (200 microM) and the membrane-permeant GSH delivery agent GSH ethyl ester (2.5 mM) prevented domoic acid-induced apoptosis. Domoic acid increased formation of reactive oxygen species but did not affect intracellular GSH levels. Domoic acid also increased cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium levels, increased oxidative stress in mitochondria, and altered mitochondrial membrane potential, which ultimately caused cytochrome c release, activation of caspase-3, and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. These results indicate that low concentrations of domoic acid cause apoptotic neuronal cell death mediated by oxidative stress. PMID- 17804862 TI - A physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model for carbofuran in Sprague-Dawley rats using the exposure-related dose estimating model. AB - Carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl-N-methylcarbamate), a broad spectrum N-methyl carbamate insecticide, and its metabolite, 3-hydroxycarbofuran, exert their toxicity by reversibly inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE). To characterize AChE inhibition from carbofuran exposure, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model was developed in the Exposure Related Dose Estimating Model (ERDEM) platform for the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. Experimental estimates of physiological, biochemical, and physicochemical model parameters were obtained or based on data from the open literature. The PBPK/PD model structure included carbofuran metabolism in the liver to 16 known metabolites, enterohepatic circulation of glucuronic acid conjugates, and excretion in urine and feces. Bolus doses by ingestion of 50 microg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg carbofuran were simulated for the blood and brain AChE activity. The carbofuran ERDEM simulated a half-life of 5.2 h for urinary clearance, and the experimental AChE activity data were reproduced for the blood and brain. Thirty model parameters were found influential to the model outputs and were chosen for perturbation in Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the impact of their variability on the model predictions. Results of the simulation runs indicated that the minimum AChE activity in the blood ranged from 29.3 to 79.0% (as 5th and 95th percentiles) of the control level with a mean of 55.9% (standard deviation = 15.1%) compared to an experimental value of 63%. The constructed PBPK/PD model for carbofuran in the SD rat provides a foundation for extrapolating to a human model that can be used for future risk assessment. PMID- 17804863 TI - Tissue distribution and metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in embryonic and larval medaka (Oryzias latipes). AB - The need to understand chemical uptake, distribution, and metabolism in embryonic and larval fish derives from the fact that these early life stages often exhibit greater sensitivity to xenobiotic compounds than do adult animals. In this study, a 6-h acute waterborne exposure immediately after fertilization was used to quickly load the egg with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). This exposure was used to mimic the initial egg concentration of a persistent bioaccumulative toxicant that could result from maternal transfer. We used multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) in combination with conventional analytical chemistry methods to characterize the tissue distribution of BaP and its principal metabolites in medaka embryos and post-hatch larvae. Embryonic metabolism of BaP was evident by MPLSM prior to liver formation or heart development. A major product of this metabolism was identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry as BaP-3 glucuronide. MPLSM showed that metabolites were sequestered within the yolk, biliary system, and gastrointestinal tract. When the gastrointestinal tract became patent a few days after hatch, the metabolites were rapidly eliminated. These findings indicate that some of the earliest embryonic tissues are metabolically competent and that redistribution of BaP and its metabolic products occurs throughout development. Rapid metabolism of BaP substantially reduces the body burden of parent chemical in the developing embryo, potentially reducing toxicity. It remains unclear whether metabolism of BaP in medaka embryos leads to the formation of DNA adducts associated with genotoxic effects or yields metabolites that later lead to other toxicity in juveniles or adults. PMID- 17804864 TI - Higher sperm DNA damage in semen from men with spinal cord injuries compared with controls. AB - Semen from men with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and control subjects was investigated for sperm DNA damage using the sperm chromatin structure assay. Three experiments were performed. In experiment 1, the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was compared in semen from SCI subjects and control subjects. In experiment 2, the % DFI was determined in repeated ejaculations to examine the effect of anejaculation on DFI. In experiment 3, the DFI was determined in neat vs processed semen to examine the effect of necrospermia or leukocytospermia on DFI. The results of experiment 1 showed a significantly higher mean (+/- SEM) DFI in the semen of SCI subjects (65.2% +/- 6.6%; range, 42.3%-90.8%) compared with control subjects (15.4% +/- 2.9%; range, 5.4%-33.5%; P < .001). In experiment 2, there was a high correlation between the DFIs obtained in the first semen specimens and the DFIs obtained 3 days later in semen of the same SCI subjects (r(s) = .94; P < .02). In experiment 3, the results showed no significant difference between mean DFI in aliquots of neat semen (79.3% +/- 9.9%) vs matched aliquots of semen processed to remove dead sperm and leukocytes in SCI subjects (75.2% +/- 16.1%). The DFI is higher in semen from men with SCI vs controls. The cause of this condition is unknown but does not seem to be due to prolonged anejaculation or to the proximate conditions of necrospermia or leukocytospermia. The relevance of these findings to fertility outcomes with SCI male partners remains to be determined. PMID- 17804865 TI - Proinflammatory cytokines as an intermediate factor enhancing lipid sperm membrane peroxidation in in vitro conditions. AB - We have examined the effect of white blood cells (WBCs), various proinflammatory cytokines, or a combination of the two on the peroxidation of human sperm membrane lipids in in vitro conditions. Six recombinant cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), used singly or in combinations, were analyzed. WBCs were isolated from the whole heparinized blood using a density gradient technique (Histopaque 1.077). Spermatozoa were isolated from semen samples with normal sperm parameters by both the swim-up technique (swim-up fraction) and by a discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation (90% and 47% Percoll fractions). Peroxidative damage to sperm membrane lipids was assessed by determining the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in lysates of spermatozoa using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There were no statistically significant differences in MDA concentrations between sperm fractions incubated with cytokines and respective controls (spermatozoa alone). In spermatozoa isolated by the swim-up technique, the MDA level was significantly higher only after incubation with IL-6 and IL-8 plus WBCs when compared to sperm incubated with leukocytes alone (0.62 +/- 0.21 micromol/L and 0.42 +/- 0.22 micromol/L, respectively; P < .05). In spermatozoa recovered from the 47% Percoll, only a combination of IL-12 and IL-18 used together with WBCs was linked with a significant increase in MDA concentration (from 0.41 +/- 0.13 micromol/L to 0.65 +/- 0.19 micromol/L; P < .05). The results obtained suggest that cytokines produced during the inflammatory process intensify the level of oxidative stress caused by leukocytes, which may have serious consequences for sperm membrane integrity. PMID- 17804866 TI - Expression and distribution of laminin chains in the testis for patients with azoospermia. AB - The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between the expression of laminin in the testis and spermatogenesis, and the basement membrane (BM) of testicular tubules in fertile and infertile men. Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of 9 patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA), 9 patients with maturation arrest (MA), and 15 patients with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO). In testicular tissue, laminin was identified by staining with polyclonal antibodies. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), and testosterone were determined by chemiluminescence assays. In seminal plasma, laminin was estimated using a double-antibody enzyme immunoassay. BM thickness was significantly correlated with testicular tubule diameter (r = 0.49, P = .004) and FSH (r = 0.52, P = .008). The beta2 chain of laminin was most expressed on the inner BM of testicular tubules. The laminin index for the beta2 chain in SCO was significantly higher than in OA (P < .0001) and MA (P = .03). The mean seminal laminin levels in SCO were significantly lower than in OA (P < .001). We demonstrated that overabundance of the beta2 chain of laminin is associated with increased BM thickness and is possibly related to spermatogenic dysfunction. PMID- 17804867 TI - Discovery of oral fluid biomarkers for human oral cancer by mass spectrometry. AB - Proteomic analysis of human oral fluid (whole saliva) holds promise as a non invasive method to identify biomarkers for human oral cancer, a high impact local disease in the oral cavity affecting 38,000 Americans and with 350,000 cases worldwide annually. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization- mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was used to profile oral fluid samples from oral cancer and control subjects, and 46 peptides/proteins were found at significantly different levels between the two groups. To identify a candidate protein biomarker, oral fluid samples were separated by liquid chromatography (LC) using a C4 reversed-phase column. The collected LC fractions were monitored by MALDI-MS and the fraction containing the candidate biomarker was digested for LC-MS/MS analysis to identify it. The use of nanospray MS/MS for the identification of candidate peptide biomarkers was also demonstrated. This approach can be useful for the identification of protein or peptide biomarkers following MALDI-MS or surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization MS profiling of clinical samples. This study clearly demonstrated that oral fluid contains proteomic signatures that may serve as biomarkers for human diseases such as oral cancer. Once discovered and validated on a large and independent clinical cohort, oral fluid proteomic biomarkers may be extensively used for future disease diagnosis. PMID- 17804868 TI - Immunogenic chemotherapy: discovery of a critical protein through proteomic analyses of tumor cells. AB - The aim of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is to eliminate tumor cells. While the outcomes of these cytotoxic treatments have previously been assigned to their direct effects on tumor cells, recent findings have shown that the host's immune system also contributes to the success of chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic regimens. The finding that some cytotoxic antitumor coumpounds such as anthracyclines were capable of triggering a potent T-cell-dependent antitumor response has prompted the search for molecular determinants responsible for the immunogenicity of anthracyclines. Proteomic analyses of anthracycline-treated tumor cells have recently revealed the critical involvement of calreticulin in mediating the immunogenicity of dying tumor cells. Here, we focused on the molecular study of immunogenic chemotherapy which led to the characterization of calreticulin as a critical protein in immunogenic cancer cell death. PMID- 17804869 TI - The N-terminal 15-48 region of cyclin kinase inhibitor p21 is a determinant of basal expression. AB - The cyclin kinase inhibitor, p21, inhibits or arrests cell cycle progression in response to DNA damage and regulates the progression of apoptosis, either negatively or positively depending on the situation. The stability of p21 is regulated by its phosphorylation or through binding with partner molecules, and, when cells grow without DNA damage, the level of p21 is regulated by proteasome degradation. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism by which the basal expression level of p21 is stabilized. The transient expression of various p21 deletion mutants revealed a specific mutant with a deletion of 15-48 aa (Delta15 48C) that was extremely unstable. This mutant was stabilized by the proteasome inhibitor, lactacystin. Since the cysteine in the region of the alanine mutant did not destabilize p21, possible disulfide bonds formed by cysteines in the region are not responsible for the stabilization. The Delta15-48C was unstable in the cells stably expressing the 1-60 aa region, indicating that the 1-60 aa region did not function in trans. Fusion of the 1-60 aa fragment to the N terminal of Delta15-48C stabilized the product, indicating that the 1-60 aa region in the molecule is effective for the stabilization. We constructed cells that stably expressed Delta15-48C. The Delta15-48C was unstable, but was stabilized by lactacystin. Irradiation (5 Gy) enhanced the expression of Delta15 48C without elevation of mRNA levels and increased the binding with cyclin A or CDK2. Taken together, the 15-48 aa region of p21 is essential for basal expression by preventing degradation by the proteasome, which is distinct from the mechanism induced by DNA damage. PMID- 17804870 TI - Pharmacogenomics of a traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo) for cancer therapy. AB - In the present review, we give a short introduction into the history, philosophy and traditional diagnosis and therapy of Kampo, which has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine. The main focus is on pharmacogenomics of natural products derived from Kampo medicinal plants, with special emphasis on cancer treatment. One of these natural products with profound cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines is shikonin from the medicinal plant Lithospermum erythrorhizon. This compound has been selected to demonstrate how molecular determinants of response of tumor cells to Kampo-derived natural products can be investigated by microarray-based approaches. Synthetic or semi-synthetic derivatives of natural products from Kampo medicine may lead to novel drugs with improved features for cancer treatment. Kampo-derived natural products represent a valuable reservoir for individual tumour treatment strategies in the future. PMID- 17804871 TI - Diallyl disulfide induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 expression in human colon cancer colo 205 cells using differential display RT PCR. AB - Diallyl disulfide is one of the components of garlic and has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis in many cancer cell lines, though it is not reported to be associated with signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) expression. Moreover the role of STAT1 does not directly affect apoptosis in cancer cells after exposure to chemotherapy agents, though some reports showed that STAT1 is associated with apoptosis. In this study, differential display RT PCR was used to examine the effects of diallyl disulfide (DADS) on human colon cancer cells (colo 205). The results demonstrated that DADS induced the expression of STAT1 which was also confirmed using Western blotting. STAT1 decoy oligonucleotides were also used to block STAT1 mRNA and led to a decrease in the levels of STAT1 and to subsequence decrease in the percentage of apoptosis induced by DADS in examined colo 205 cells. PMID- 17804872 TI - DNA damage response: the players, the network and the role in tumor suppression. AB - One of the most common features of cancer is genetic instability. In response to numerous DNA-damaging insults, normal cells have evolved a complex mechanism to monitor and repair DNA damage lesions to maintain genomic integrity. The defects in DNA damage response, indeed, have been shown to associate closely with tumorigenesis. This review provides an overview on the molecular events in DNA damage signaling pathway, including cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair. The recent research discoveries on how dysfunction in DNA damage response contributes to genomic instability and cancer development are also discussed. PMID- 17804873 TI - Gaussian prefiltering of 123I DAT SPECT images when using depth-independent resolution recovery. AB - Previously we have investigated a depth-independent compensation for collimator detector response (CDR) included in the OSEM reconstruction, intended for SPECT images that have been corrected for scatter and septal penetration using convolution-based methods. In this work, the aim was to study how different filtering strategies affect contrast as a function of noise when using Gaussian smoothing filters in combination with the above-described CDR compensation. The evaluation was performed for (123)I dopamine transporter (DAT) SPECT images. Prefiltering with 2D Gaussian filter kernels, where the deterioration in resolution is included in the depth-independent CDR compensation, was compared to conventional postfiltering with 3D Gaussian filter kernels. Images reconstructed without filtering are also included in the comparison. It was found that there is little benefit in noise reduction when using CDR compensation. However, this variant of prefiltering gives consistently higher contrasts as a function of noise compared with the postfiltering alternative, and that could be of interest when using other types of filters with contrast improving properties. PMID- 17804874 TI - Four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging for the determination of tumour movement and its evaluation using a dynamic porcine lung phantom. AB - A method of four-dimensional (4D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been implemented and evaluated. It consists of retrospective sorting and slice stacking of two-dimensional (2D) images using an external signal for motion monitoring of the object to be imaged. The presented method aims to determine the tumour trajectories based on a signal that is appropriate for monitoring the movement of the target volume during radiotherapy such that the radiation delivery can be adapted to the movement. For evaluation of the 4D-MRI method, it has been applied to a dynamic lung phantom, which exhibits periodic respiratory movement of a porcine heart-lung explant with artificial pulmonary nodules. Anatomic changes of the lung phantom caused by respiratory motion have been quantified, revealing hysteresis. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the presented method of 4D-MRI. In particular, it enables the determination of trajectories of periodically moving objects with an uncertainty in the order of 1 mm. PMID- 17804875 TI - A local region of interest image reconstruction via filtered backprojection for fan-beam differential phase-contrast computed tomography. AB - Recently, x-ray differential phase contrast computed tomography (DPC-CT) has been experimentally implemented using a conventional source combined with several gratings. Images were reconstructed using a parallel-beam reconstruction formula. However, parallel-beam reconstruction formulae are not directly applicable for a large image object where the parallel-beam approximation fails. In this note, we present a new image reconstruction formula for fan-beam DPC-CT. There are two major features in this algorithm: (1) it enables the reconstruction of a local region of interest (ROI) using data acquired from an angular interval shorter than 180 degrees + fan angle and (2) it still preserves the filtered backprojection structure. Numerical simulations have been conducted to validate the image reconstruction algorithm. PMID- 17804876 TI - Cellular response to modulated radiation fields. AB - Cell survival following exposure to spatially modulated beams, as created by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), is investigated. In vitro experiments were performed using malignant melanoma cells (MM576) exposed to a therapeutic megavoltage photon beam. We compared cell survival in modulated fields with cell survival in uniform control fields. Three different spatial modulations of the field were used: a control 'uniform' field in which all cells in a flask were uniformly exposed; a 'quarter' field in which 25% of cells at one end of the flask were exposed and a 'striped' field in which 25% of cells were exposed in three parallel stripes. The cell survival in both the shielded and unshielded regions of the modulated fields, as determined by a clonogenic assay, were compared to the cell survival in the uniform field. We have distinguished three ways in which cell survival is influenced by the fate of neighbouring cells. The first of these (type I effect) is the previously reported classical Bystander effect, where cell survival is reduced when communicating with irradiated cells. We find two new types of Bystander effect. The type II effect is an observed increase in cell survival when nearby cells receive a lethal dose. The type III effect is an increase in the survival of cells receiving a high dose of radiation, when nearby cells receive a low dose. These observations of the Bystander effects emphasize the need for improved radiobiological models, which include communicated effects and account for the effects of modulated dose distribution. PMID- 17804877 TI - Generalized field-splitting algorithms for optimal IMRT delivery efficiency. AB - Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) uses radiation beams of varying intensities to deliver varying doses of radiation to different areas of the tissue. The use of IMRT has allowed the delivery of higher doses of radiation to the tumor and lower doses to the surrounding healthy tissue. It is not uncommon for head and neck tumors, for example, to have large treatment widths that are not deliverable using a single field. In such cases, the intensity matrix generated by the optimizer needs to be split into two or three matrices, each of which may be delivered using a single field. Existing field-splitting algorithms used the pre-specified arbitrary split line or region where the intensity matrix is split along a column, i.e., all rows of the matrix are split along the same column (with or without the overlapping of split fields, i.e., feathering). If three fields result, then the two splits are along the same two columns for all rows. In this paper we study the problem of splitting a large field into two or three subfields with the field width as the only constraint, allowing for an arbitrary overlap of the split fields, so that the total MU efficiency of delivering the split fields is maximized. Proof of optimality is provided for the proposed algorithm. An average decrease of 18.8% is found in the total MUs when compared to the split generated by a commercial treatment planning system and that of 10% is found in the total MUs when compared to the split generated by our previously published algorithm. PMID- 17804878 TI - A rebinned backprojection-filtration algorithm for image reconstruction in helical cone-beam CT. AB - In the last few years, mathematically exact algorithms, including the backprojection-filtration (BPF) algorithm, have been developed for accurate image reconstruction in helical cone-beam CT. The BPF algorithm requires minimum data, and can reconstruct region-of-interest (ROI) images from data containing truncations. However, similar to other existing reconstruction algorithms for helical cone-beam CT, the BPF algorithm involves a backprojection with a spatially varying weighting factor, which is computationally demanding and, more importantly, can lead to undesirable numerical properties in reconstructed images. In this work, we develop a rebinned BPF algorithm in which the backprojection invokes no spatially varying weighting factor for accurate image reconstruction from helical cone-beam projections. This rebinned BPF algorithm is computationally more efficient and numerically more stable than the original BPF algorithm, while it also retains the nice properties of the original BPF algorithm such as minimum data requirement and ROI-image reconstruction from truncated data. We have also performed simulation studies to validate and evaluate the rebinned BPF algorithm. PMID- 17804879 TI - Spatio-temporal analysis of molecular delivery through the blood-brain barrier using focused ultrasound. AB - The deposition of gadolinium through ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) openings in the murine hippocampus was investigated. First, wave propagation simulations through the intact mouse skull revealed minimal beam distortion while thermal deposition simulations, at the same sonication parameters used to induce BBB opening in vivo, revealed temperature increases lower than 0.5 degrees C. The simulation results were validated experimentally in ex vivo skulls (m = 6) and in vitro tissue specimens. Then, in vivo mice (n = 9) were injected with microbubbles (Optison; 25-50 microl) and sonicated (frequency: 1.525 MHz, pressure amplitudes: 0.5-1.1 MPa, burst duration: 20 ms, duty cycle: 20%, durations: 2-4 shots, 30 s per shot, 30 s interval) at the left hippocampus, through intact skin and skull. Sequential, high-resolution, T1-weighted MRI (9.4 Tesla, in-plane resolution: 75 microm, scan time: 45-180 min) with gadolinium (Omniscan; 0.5 ml) injected intraperitoneally revealed a threshold of the BBB opening at 0.67 MPa and BBB closing within 28 h from opening. The contrast enhancement area and gadolinium deposition path were monitored over time and the influence of vessel density, size and location was determined. Sonicated arteries, or their immediate surroundings, depicted greater contrast enhancement than sonicated homogeneous brain tissue regions. In conclusion, gadolinium was delivered through a transiently opened BBB and contained to a specific brain region (i.e., the hippocampus) using a single-element focused ultrasound transducer. It was also found that the amount of gadolinium deposited in the hippocampal region increased with the acoustic pressure and that the spatial distribution of the BBB opening was determined not only by the ultrasound beam, but also by the vasculature of the targeted brain region. PMID- 17804880 TI - Enhancement of subharmonic emission from encapsulated microbubbles by using a chirp excitation technique. AB - Subharmonic contrast imaging promises to improve ultrasound-imaging quality by taking advantage of an increased contrast to tissue signal. However, acoustic pressures beyond the subharmonic generation threshold using common ultrasound pulses may induce significant contrast microbubble destruction. In this work, a chirp excitation technique is presented to enhance the subharmonic emission from encapsulated microbubbles. Chirp signals with a center frequency of 5 MHz, variable frequency range and duration time are employed to drive microbubbles in numerical simulation and experimental studies. We provide a theoretical evaluation of the chirp excitation pressure threshold and the acoustic pressure dependence of subharmonic based on Church's model and demonstrate that the amplitude and axial resolution of the subharmonic can be optimized by proper selection of the frequency range and time duration of the chirp signal. Measurements are qualitatively in agreement with the simulation. Moreover, we demonstrate that chirp excitation may be able to improve the amplitude of the subharmonic component up to 22 dB over the pulse excitation. The chirp excitation technique could potentially be used for improving the subharmonic contrast imaging quality. PMID- 17804881 TI - Early experience in the use of quantitative image quality measurements for the quality assurance of full field digital mammography x-ray systems. AB - Quantitative image quality results in the form of the modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) are presented for nine full field digital mammography (FFDM) systems. These parameters are routinely measured as part of the quality assurance (QA) programme for the seven FFDM units covered by our centre. Just one additional image is required compared to the standard FFDM protocol; this is the image of an edge, from which the MTF is calculated. A variance image is formed from one of the flood images used to measure the detector response and this provides useful information on the condition of the detector with respect to artefacts. Finally, the NNPS is calculated from the flood image acquired at a target detector air kerma (DAK) of 100 microGy. DQE is then estimated from these data; however, no correction is currently made for effects of detector cover transmission on DQE. The coefficient of variation (cov) of the 50% point of the MTF for five successive MTF results was 1%, while the cov for the 50% MTF point for an a-Se system over a period of 17 months was approximately 3%. For four a-Se based systems, the cov for the NNPS at 1 mm(-1) for a target DAK of 100 microGy was approximately 4%; the same result was found for four CsI based FFDM units. With regard to the stability of NNPS over time, the cov for four NNPS results acquired over a period of 12 months was also approximately 4%. The effect of acquisition geometry on NNPS was also assessed for a CsI based system. NNPS data acquired with the antiscatter grid in place showed increased noise at low spatial frequency; this effect was more severe as DAK increased. DQE results for the three detector types (a-Se, CsI and CR) are presented as a function of DAK. Some reduction in DQE was found for both the a-Se and CsI based systems at a target DAK of 12.5 microGy when compared to DQE data acquired at 100 microGy. For the CsI based systems, DQE at 1 mm(-1) fell from 0.49 at 100 microGy to 0.38 at 12.5 microGy. For the a-Se units, there was a slightly greater reduction in average DQE at 1 mm(-1), from 0.53 at 100 microGy to 0.31 at 12.5 microGy. Somewhat different behaviour was seen for the CR unit; DQE (at 1 mm(-1)) increased from 0.40 at 100 microGy to 0.49 at 12.5 microGy; however, DQE fell to 0.30 at 420 microGy. DQE stability over time was assessed using the cov of DQE at 1 mm(-1) and a target DAK of 100 microGy; the cov for data acquired over a period of 17 months for an a-Se system was approximately 7%. For comparison with conventional testing methods, the cov was calculated for contrast-detail (cd) data acquired over the same period of time for this unit. The cov for the threshold contrast results (averaged for disc diameters between 0.1 mm and 2 mm) was 6%, indicating similar stability. PMID- 17804882 TI - Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography with functional and anatomical a priori information: feasibility study. AB - Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (FT) is an emerging molecular imaging technique that can spatially resolve both fluorophore concentration and lifetime parameters. In this study, we investigate the performance of a frequency-domain FT system for small inclusions that are embedded in a heterogeneous background. The results demonstrate that functional and structural a priori information is crucial to be able to recover both parameters with high accuracy. The functional a priori information is defined by the absorption and scattering maps at both excitation and emission wavelengths. Similarly, the boundaries of the small inclusion and different regions in the background are utilized as the structural a priori information. Without a priori information, the fluorophore concentration of a 5 mm inclusion in a 40 mm medium is recovered with 50% error, while the lifetime cannot be recovered at all. On the other hand, when both functional and structural information are available, the true lifetime can be recovered and the fluorophore concentration can be estimated only with 5% error. This study shows that a hybrid system that can acquire diffuse optical absorption tomography (DOT), FT and anatomical images in the same setting is essential to be able to recover the fluorophore concentration and lifetime accurately in vivo. PMID- 17804883 TI - Comparative evaluation of similarity measures for the rigid registration of multi modal head images. AB - Image registrations that are based on similarity measures simply adjust the parameters of an appropriate spatial transformation model until the similarity measure reaches an optimum. The numerous similarity measures that have been proposed in the past are differently sensitive to imaging modality, image content and differences in the image content, selection of the floating and target image, partial image overlap, etc. In this paper, we evaluate and compare 12 similarity measures for the rigid registration. To study the impact of different imaging modalities on the behavior of similarity measures, we have used 16 CT/MR and 6 PET/MR image pairs with known 'gold standard' registrations. The results for the PET/MR registration and for the registration of CT to both rectified and unrectified MR images indicate that mutual information, normalized mutual information and the entropy correlation coefficient are the most accurate similarity measures and have the smallest risk of being trapped in a local optimum. The results of an experiment on the impact of exchanging the floating and target image indicate that, especially in MR/PET registrations, the behavior of some similarity measures, such as mutual information, significantly depends on which image is the floating and which is the target. PMID- 17804884 TI - Tissue heterogeneity as a mechanism for localized neural stimulation by applied electric fields. AB - We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m(-1) to 0.333 S m(-1), simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far field' stimulation. PMID- 17804885 TI - Brachytherapy scatter dose calculation in heterogeneous media: I. A microbeam ray tracing method for the single-scatter contribution. AB - In this work, we propose a framework for calculating brachytherapy dose distributions in heterogeneous media. The approach taken includes analytical calculation of the primary dose, and separately treats contributions of the once scatter photons and multiple-scatter photons to the total scatter dose. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the once-scatter dose, which is based on a micro-beam ray-tracing model developed by the authors that incorporates an accurate description of the physical scattering of photons (Compton and Rayleigh scattering) with considerable flexibility in accommodating diverse geometries in a heterogeneous medium. The accuracy of the ray-tracing model has been verified by comparing model-calculated once-scatter doses with corresponding Monte Carlo results. For a 22 keV, 27 keV and 300 keV point source in water containing a disc shaped heterogeneity of whitlockite, stainless steel or lead, our calculated results for once-scatter doses are in excellent agreement with corresponding Monte Carlo results over a wide range of heterogeneity dimensions and positions. Our investigation also explores the differences between physical scattering and isotropic scattering in evaluating the once-scatter dose, and thus enables the domain of applicability of the latter to be assessed. An appropriate method for evaluating the multiple-scatter dose, which together with the micro-beam method described here provides a means to calculate the total dose, is the subject of a companion paper. PMID- 17804886 TI - Brachytherapy scatter dose calculation in heterogeneous media: II. Empirical formulation for the multiple-scatter contribution. AB - The presence of heterogeneous media can produce significant perturbations of dose distribution in brachytherapy. In a companion paper, we proposed a dose decomposition approach for dose calculation in a heterogeneous medium, which separately treats dose contributions from primary, once-scattered and multiple scattered photons. The companion paper also describes and verifies a micro-beam ray-tracing method for evaluating the once-scatter dose. This paper deals with the calculation of the multiple-scatter dose. We present two empirical formulations for evaluating the heterogeneity correction factor for a 27 keV point source in a water sphere containing a disc-shaped heterogeneity. The empirical formulations are based on nonlinear curve fitting of the Monte Carlo multiple-scatter dose estimates calculated for the heterogeneous system. Extensive benchmark comparisons show that these formulations provide results for the multiple-scatter dose that agree within 10% (and mostly within 5%) with corresponding Monte Carlo dose estimates. Combining them with the algorithms for primary and once-scatter dose calculation described in the companion paper yields results for the total dose of equivalent accuracy. The empirical formulations are expressed in simple mathematical forms which involve a separation of the geometry and position variables of the heterogeneous system. Such representation provides a good tool to investigate the heterogeneity-induced perturbation of a multiple scatter dose at low photon energy. PMID- 17804887 TI - Dosimetric consequences of a translational isocenter correction based on image guidance for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of the prostate. AB - Interfractional prostate motion during radiotherapy can have deleterious clinical consequences. It has become clinical practice to re-position the patient according to ultrasound or other imaging techniques. We investigated the dosimetric consequences of the linear translational position correction (isocenter correction) when a conformal IMRT technique with nine fields was used. Treatment plans of seven patients with empty and distended rectums were analyzed. The reference plans were calculated on the CT with an empty rectum. The treatment plans were transferred to a second CT with a distended rectum for an uncorrected setup of the patient referenced to bony anatomy and a corrected setup after translational position correction of the isocenter. The dosimetric consequences (with and without correction) were analyzed. For single treatment fractions, organ motion decreased the volume of the prostate encompassed by the 95% isodose (V95%) by up to -24%-p (percentage points). The mean rectum dose increased by up to 41%-p. Linear translational correction increased V95% of the prostate by up to 17%-p while the mean rectum dose was reduced by up to -23%-p compared to the uncorrected setup. Linear translational correction can improve radiation treatment accuracy for prostate cancer if geometrical changes are within certain limits. PMID- 17804888 TI - Possible fractionated regimens for image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy of large arteriovenous malformations. AB - The aim of this study was to estimate a plausible alpha/beta ratio for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) based on reported clinical data, and to design possible fractionation regimens suitable for image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT) for large AVMs based on the newly obtained alpha/beta ratio. The commonly used obliteration rate (OR) for AVMs with a three year angiographic follow-up from many institutes was fitted to linear-quadratic (LQ) formalism and the Poisson OR model. The determined parameters were then used to calculate possible fractionation regimens for IG-IMRT based on the concept of a biologically effective dose (BED) and an equivalent uniform dose (EUD). The radiobiological analysis yields a alpha/beta ratio of 2.2 +/- 1.6 Gy for AVMs. Three sets of possible fractionated schemes were designed to achieve equal or better biological effectiveness than the single-fraction treatments while maintaining the same probability of normal brain complications. A plausible alpha/beta ratio was derived for AVMs and possible fractionation regimens that may be suitable for IG-IMRT for large AVM treatment are proposed. The sensitivity of parameters on the calculation was also studied. The information may be useful to design new clinical trials that use IG-IMRT for the treatment of large AVMs. PMID- 17804889 TI - Performance of ultrasound based measurement of 3D displacement using a curvilinear probe for organ motion tracking. AB - Three-dimensional (3D) soft tissue tracking is of interest for monitoring organ motion during therapy. Our goal is to assess the tracking performance of a curvilinear 3D ultrasound probe in terms of the accuracy and precision of measured displacements. The first aim was to examine the depth dependence of the tracking performance. This is of interest because the spatial resolution varies with distance from the elevational focus and because the curvilinear geometry of the transducer causes the spatial sampling frequency to decrease with depth. Our second aim was to assess tracking performance as a function of the spatial sampling setting (low, medium or high sampling). These settings are incorporated onto 3D ultrasound machines to allow the user to control the trade-off between spatial sampling and temporal resolution. Volume images of a speckle-producing phantom were acquired before and after the probe had been moved by a known displacement (1, 2 or 8 mm). This allowed us to assess the optimum performance of the tracking algorithm, in the absence of motion. 3D speckle tracking was performed using 3D cross-correlation and sub-voxel displacements were estimated. The tracking performance was found to be best for axial displacements and poorest for elevational displacements. In general, the performance decreased with depth, although the nature of the depth dependence was complex. Under certain conditions, the tracking performance was sufficient to be useful for monitoring organ motion. For example, at the highest sampling setting, for a 2 mm displacement, good accuracy and precision (an error and standard deviation of <0.4 mm) were observed at all depths and for all directions of displacement. The trade-off between spatial sampling, temporal resolution and size of the field of view (FOV) is discussed. PMID- 17804890 TI - Microwave tomography for functional imaging of extremity soft tissues: feasibility assessment. AB - It is important to assess the viability of extremity soft tissues, as this component is often the determinant of the final outcome of fracture treatment. Microwave tomography (MWT) and sensing might be able to provide a fast and mobile assessment of such properties. MWT imaging of extremities possesses a complicated, nonlinear, high dielectric contrast inverse problem of diffraction tomography. There is a high dielectric contrast between bone and soft tissue in the extremities. A contrast between soft tissue abnormalities is less pronounced when compared with the high bone-soft tissue contrast. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of MWT for functional imaging of extremity soft tissues, i.e. to detect a relatively small contrast within soft tissues in closer proximity to high contrast boney areas. Both experimental studies and computer simulation were performed. Experiments were conducted using live pigs with compromised blood flow and compartment syndrome within an extremity. A whole 2D tomographic imaging cycle at 1 GHz was computer simulated and images were reconstructed using the Newton, MR-CSI and modified Born methods. Results of experimental studies demonstrate that microwave technology is sensitive to changes in the soft tissue blood content and elevated compartment pressure. It was demonstrated that MWT is feasible for functional imaging of extremity soft tissues, circulatory-related changes, blood flow and elevated compartment pressure. PMID- 17804891 TI - Analysis of the rigid and deformable component of setup inaccuracies on portal images in head and neck radiotherapy. AB - The issue of setup errors consisting of translation, rotation and deformation components in head and neck radiotherapy is addressed with a piecewise registration of small independent regions on a portal image to their reference position. These rectangular regions are termed featurelets as they contain relevant anatomical features. The resulting displacement vectors of each featurelet reflect both the center-of-mass (COM), i.e. the rigid, and the non rigid component of the setup error. The displacement vectors of a series of daily portal images were subjected to a principal component analysis. In addition to the mean, systematic displacement of each featurelet, this analysis yields correlated patterns of anatomical deformations. Hence, the physiological movements of an individual patient can be obtained without a biomechanical model. It is shown that in the presence of setup errors that are due to rotations or deformations a correction by the COM displacement may deteriorate the error of parts of the anatomy further. The featurelet analysis can be used to refine setup correction protocols, tune spatially variable setup margins in treatment planning and optimize patient immobilization devices. PMID- 17804892 TI - The Programme for International Student Assessment: an overview. AB - This paper provides an overview of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an on-going international comparative survey study of educational outcomes at age 15. PISA is sponsored by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and for the period 1998-2010 has been designed and implemented by a consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). PMID- 17804893 TI - Translation equivalence across PISA countries. AB - Due to the continuous increase in the number of countries participating in international comparative assessments such as TIMSS and PISA, ensuring linguistic and cultural equivalence across the various national versions of the assessment instruments has become an increasingly crucial challenge. For example, 58 countries participated in the PISA 2006 Main Study. Within each country, the assessment instruments had to be adapted into each language of instruction used in the sampled schools. All national versions in languages used for 5 per cent or more of the target population (that is, a total of 77 versions in 42 different languages) were verified for equivalence against the English and French source versions developed by the PISA consortium. Information gathered both through the verification process and through empirical analyses of the data are used in order to adjudicate whether the level of linguistic equivalence reached an acceptable standard in each participating country. The paper briefly describes the procedures typically used in PISA to ensure high levels of translation/adaptation accuracy, and then focuses on the development of the set of indicators that are used as criteria in the equivalence adjudication exercise. Empirical data from the PISA 2005 Field Trial are used to illustrate both the analyses and the major conclusions reached. PMID- 17804894 TI - Ameliorating culturally based extreme response tendencies to attitude items. AB - Using data from the PISA 2006 field trial, Rasch item response models are used to demonstrate that extreme response tendency was exhibited differentially across culturally distinct countries when answering Likert type attitude items. A single attitude scale is examined across eight culturally distinct countries in this paper. Two avenues to ameliorate this tendency are explored: first using dichotomous variants of the items, and second incorporating the country specific response tendency into the Rasch item response model. Analysis of the item variants reveals similar scale outcomes and correlations with achievement but preference for the Likert variant when test information is considered. A hierarchical analysis using facet models reveals that the data fit significantly better in a model that incorporates an interaction effect between the country and the item delta parameters. The implications for reporting attitudes measured with Likert items across cultures are outlined. PMID- 17804895 TI - The impact of differential investment of student effort on the outcomes of international studies. AB - International comparative assessments of student achievement, such as Trends in Mathematics and Science (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA) are becoming increasingly important in the development of evidence-based education policy. The potentially far-reaching influence of such studies underscores the need for these assessments to be valid and reliable. In education, increasing recognition is being given to motivational factors which impact on student learning. This research considers a possible threat to the validity of such studies by investigating the influence the amount of effort invested by test-takers has on their outcomes. Reassuringly, it is found that the reported expenditure of effort by students is fairly stable across countries. This finding counters the claim that systematic cultural differences in the effort expended by students invalidate international comparisons. Realistically reported effort expenditure is related to reading achievement with an effect size similar to variables such as single parent family structure, gender and socio economic background. Finally, when reporting trends, taking effort into account should be considered and may well facilitate the interpretation of national and gender trends in reading achievement. PMID- 17804896 TI - The influence of equating methodology on reported trends in PISA. AB - In 2005 PISA published trend indicators that compared the results of PISA 2000 and PISA 2003. In this paper we explore the extent to which the outcomes of these trend analyses are sensitive to the choice of test equating methodologies, the choice of regression models and the choice of linking items. To establish trends PISA equated its 2000 and 2003 tests using a methodology based on Rasch Modelling that involved estimating linear transformations that mapped 2003 Rasch-scaled scores to the previously established PISA 2000 Rasch-scaled scores. In this paper we compare the outcomes of this approach with an alternative, which involves the joint Rasch scaling of the PISA 2000 and PISA 2003 data separately for each country. Note that under this approach the item parameters are estimated separately for each country, whereas the linear transformation approach used a common set of item parameter estimates for all countries. Further, as its primary trend indicators, PISA reported changes in mean scores between 2000 and 2003. These means are not adjusted for changes in the background characteristics of the PISA 2000 and PISA 2003 samples - that is, they are marginal rather than conditional means. The use of conditional rather than marginal means results in some differing conclusions regarding trends at both the country and within country level. PMID- 17804897 TI - The computation of equating errors in international surveys in education. AB - Since the IEA's Third International Mathematics and Science Study, one of the major objectives of international surveys in education has been to report trends in achievement. The names of the two current IEA surveys reflect this growing interest: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Similarly a central concern of the OECD's PISA is with trends in outcomes over time. To facilitate trend analyses these studies link their tests using common item equating in conjunction with item response modelling methods. IEA and PISA policies differ in terms of reporting the error associated with trends. In IEA surveys, the standard errors of the trend estimates do not include the uncertainty associated with the linking step while PISA does include a linking error component in the standard errors of trend estimates. In other words, PISA implicitly acknowledges that trend estimates partly depend on the selected common items, while the IEA's surveys do not recognise this source of error. Failing to recognise the linking error leads to an underestimation of the standard errors and thus increases the Type I error rate, thereby resulting in reporting of significant changes in achievement when in fact these are not significant. The growing interest of policy makers in trend indicators and the impact of the evaluation of educational reforms appear to be incompatible with such underestimation. However, the procedure implemented by PISA raises a few issues about the underlying assumptions for the computation of the equating error. After a brief introduction, this paper will describe the procedure PISA implemented to compute the linking error. The underlying assumptions of this procedure will then be discussed. Finally an alternative method based on replication techniques will be presented, based on a simulation study and then applied to the PISA 2000 data. PMID- 17804898 TI - Antioxidant effect of sulphurous thermal water on human neutrophil bursts: chemiluminescence evaluation. AB - BACKGROUND: The activities of the HS (sulfhydryl or thiolic) group in the cysteine of glutathione or various low-weight soluble molecules (thiolic drugs), such as N-acethylcysteine, mesna, thiopronine and dithiotreitol or stepronine and erdosteine (prodrugs), include its antioxidant activity in the airways during the release of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (ROS, RNS) by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) activated in response to exogenous or endogenous stimuli. OBJECTIVE: In addition to being administered by means of thiolic molecules, the HS group can also be given by means of the inhalation of sulphurous thermal water. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sulphurous thermal water on the release of ROS and RNS during the bursts of human PMNs. METHODS: The luminol-amplified chemiluminescence methodology was used to investigate the ROS and RNS released by PMNs stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, before and after incubation with sulphurous water. Effects on cell-free systems were also investigated. RESULTS: The water significantly reduced the luminol-amplified chemiluminescence of N-formyl methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine- andphorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-activated PMNs on average from 0.94 to 15.5 mug/ml of HS, even after the addition of L-arginine, a nitric oxide (NO) donor. Similar findings have also been obtained in a cell free system, thus confirming the importance of the presence of the HS group (reductive activity). CONCLUSIONS: The positive effects of the activity of sulphurous thermal waters has been partially based on the patients' subjective sense of wellbeing and partially on not always easy to quantify symptomatic (or general) clinical improvements. Our findings indicate that, in addition to their known mucolytic activity and trophic effects on respiratory mucosa, the HS groups present in the sulphurous thermal water of this spring also have antioxidant activity that contributes to the therapeutic effects of the water in upper and lower airway inflammatory diseases. PMID- 17804899 TI - Acute improved hemodynamics following inhaled iloprost in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a potential consequence to pulmonary embolism. The histologic picture is similar to idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPAH) suggesting that vascular remodeling also contributes to CTEPH. The treatment of choice is pulmonary endarterectomy. However, this treatment option is not adequate for all patients with CTEPH. Currently, no data exist on standard vasodilative therapy for CTEPH. Intravenous and oral prostanoids, both well-known vasodilators in IPAH, have been used with promising results, whereas the same has not been consistently observed for inhaled iloprost. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined acute hemodynamic effects of inhaled iloprost in patients with CTEPH. METHODS: In a prospective study, right heart catheterization was performed in 20 patients (mean age 56 years, New York Heart Association class II-IV) at the time of diagnosis of CTEPH. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), cardiac output (CO), mean systemic arterial pressure (MAP) and oxygen partial pressure (PaO(2)) were obtained before and 20 min after inhaling 5 mug iloprost. Subsequently, all patients were evaluated for pulmonary endarterectomy. Six patients were eligible for surgery. RESULTS: Significant changes in pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics were observed following the inhalation of iloprost (before to after inhalation): PVR: 1,057 +/- 404.3 to 821.3 +/- 294.3 dyn.s.cm(-5), p < 0.0001; mPAP: 50.55 +/- 8.43 to 45.75 +/- 8.09 mm Hg, p = 0.0002; CO: 3.66 +/- 1.05 to 4.05 +/- 0.91 l/min, p < 0.0106. MAP and PaO(2) decreased significantly (MAP: 94.15 +/- 11.58 to 89.45 +/- 14.29 mm Hg, p = 0.0111; PaO(2): 7.33 +/- 1.17 to 6.64 +/- 1.25 kPa, p = 0.0260). CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic changes directly following inhalation of iloprost suggest a significant contribution of a reversible component of vasoconstriction to pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with CTEPH. PMID- 17804900 TI - Plasma protein Z and protein C inhibitors and their role in hypercoagulability of thalassemia. AB - A hypercoagulable state has been described in thalassemia patients, partly due to a deficiency of inhibitors, protein C (PC) in particular. Since a potential role of a new hemostatic factor named protein Z (PZ) has been reported in hypercoagulability, we evaluated plasma PZ and PC levels in thalassemia and their possible relation to the hypercoagulable state. Sixty subjects with thalassemia major and 10 with thalassemia intermedia (TI) followed at our Department were enrolled in the study. An age-matched control group of healthy subjects was considered. PZ, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, PC concentration (PC:Ag) and activity (PC:Act) were measured. PZ, PC:Ag and PC:Act were significantly lower in thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia subjects than in 30 healthy controls (p < 0.001), while thrombin-antithrombin complex levels were significantly increased (p < 0.001) and related to PC levels but not to PZ levels (p < 0.05). PZ and PC levels are reduced in thalassemia but only PC has an effect on the thalassemia hypercoagulable state. PMID- 17804901 TI - Safety of imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic crisis presenting as cholestatic jaundice. AB - Acute leukemia presenting as cholestatic jaundice is rare. It can occur due to granulocytic sarcoma compressing the bile ducts in case of acute myeloid leukemia. Rarely, diffuse infiltration of the liver sinusoids by the leukemic blasts can present as cholestatic jaundice. We report a case of chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blast cell crisis presenting with severe cholestatic jaundice due to diffuse infiltration of the liver sinusoids with lymphoblasts. This patient tolerated imatinib well and, coinciding with the hematological response, there was marked reduction in the cholestasis due to blast clearance from the hepatic sinusoids. He was subsequently treated with combination chemotherapy and achieved morphological and cytogenetic remission. PMID- 17804902 TI - First Turkish case of Bernard-Soulier syndrome associated with GPIX N45S. AB - Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) is a rare bleeding disorder characterized by giant platelets, thrombocytopenia, and a prolonged bleeding time. It is caused by homozygous defects in the glycoprotein (GP) Ib/IX/V complex, which is the receptor for the von Willebrand factor. We examined a Turkish patient with suspected BSS to identify a molecular basis. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that platelet GPIb alpha and GPIX expression was markedly reduced and DNA sequence analysis showed a homozygous N45S missense mutation in the GPIX gene. Haplotype analysis revealed that the family had the same disease haplotype associated with the GPIX N45S commonly found in Northern European BSS. This is the first non-Caucasian Turkish BSS case due to GPIX N45S and is likely the result of a recurrent mutational event. PMID- 17804903 TI - Nonhematological benefits of iron. AB - Iron deficiency anemia is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its importance in supporting erythropoiesis is unquestioned especially in those patients treated with erythropoietin. Clinical symptomatology such as fatigability, cold intolerance, failure to concentrate and poor effort intolerance is often attributed to anemia or uremia. That iron deficiency, per se, can cause these symptoms is poorly recognized. Clinical and animal studies that support the benefits of iron supplementation, independent of increasing hemoglobin, such as those on immune function, physical performance, thermoregulation, cognition, and restless leg syndrome and aluminum absorption is the subject of this narrative review. PMID- 17804904 TI - Slow intravenous iron administration does not aggravate oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers during hemodialysis: a comparative study between iron sucrose and iron dextran. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fast intravenous (i.v.) iron administration during hemodialysis (HD) is associated with the augmentation of oxidative stress and the increase in inflammatory biomarkers, which are also induced by the hemodialysis procedure itself. The aim of this study was to investigate if slow i.v. iron administration would aggravate the status of oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers during a hemodialysis session. METHODS: Twenty dialysis patients 30-92 years of age that were iron replete and had values for hemoglobin, transferrin saturation and serum ferritin among recommended goals were evaluated in three separate hemodialysis sessions. In the first session patients did not receive any iron treatment, whereas during the second and the third session patients received slow (60 min) i.v. infusions of 100 mg of iron sucrose and 100 mg of iron dextran, respectively. Blood samples were drawn before the hemodialysis session, 15 min after the end of iron administration and at the end of the hemodialysis session in all occasions, for the measurement of markers of oxidant stress (oxidized LDL and ischemia-modified albumin) and inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha). RESULTS: Oxidized LDL was not significantly altered during hemodialysis and this pattern was similar between the three occasions studied. In contrast, ischemia-modified albumin was significantly increased and this effect was also not different between the net hemodialysis and the occasions of iron administration. High-sensitivity CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were all significantly elevated during hemodialysis and again both types of iron administration did not produce significant changes in this pattern. CONCLUSION: We did not find an increase in the markers of oxidation/inflammation studied, after slow i.v. iron administration during hemodialysis session. PMID- 17804905 TI - Impact of valvular thickness on stroke recurrence in medically treated patients with stroke. AB - BACKGROUND: It remains controversial whether left-sided valvular thickening (VaT) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Little is known about the relationship between VaT and the recurrent adverse event rate in medically treated patients with stroke. METHODS: We examined the outcomes of 627 noncardioembolic stroke patients who were double-blindly assigned to either warfarin or aspirin therapy and assessed VaT using transesophageal echocardiography. Endpoints were recurrent ischemic stroke or death from any cause. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for covariates. RESULTS: VaT was present in 57.3% of the patients (359/627), 34.6% (271/627) involving the aortic valve and 46.4% (291/627) involving the mitral valve. There was no difference in the time to primary endpoints between those with and without VaT of the aortic valve (p = 0.49; hazard ratio, HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.74-1.85; 2-year event rates: 18.9 vs. 13.2%) or mitral valve (p = 0.66; HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.60-1.38; 2-year event rates: 16.9 vs. 14.7%). Among the patients with VaT, there was no significant difference in the time to primary endpoints between those treated with warfarin and those with aspirin (p = 0.13, HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.37-1.14, 2-year event rates: 15.2 vs. 22.7% for the aortic valve; p = 0.22, HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.40-1.23, 2-year event rates: 14.2 vs. 19.6% for the mitral valve). CONCLUSIONS: VaT does not appear to increase recurrent adverse event rates in medically treated patients with ischemic stroke, regardless of warfarin or aspirin therapy. PMID- 17804906 TI - Recurrent spontaneous vasospasm of cervical carotid, ophthalmic and retinal arteries causing repeated retinal infarcts: a case report. PMID- 17804907 TI - Report of the 16th European Stroke Conference, Glasgow, May 29 to June 1, 2007. PMID- 17804908 TI - Johann Jacob Wepfer Award 2007 of the European Stroke Conference to Prof. Charles Picton Warlow. PMID- 17804910 TI - Chances and battles in stroke research. AB - Here I have reviewed how good luck, bad luck and barriers determined my research directions in stroke over the last 30 or so years. Good luck should be exploited, and very often barriers can be not just overcome but put to good use as well. It is crucial for the young researcher to find mentors as good as I have had, and to move around to gain a broad experience, and for the experienced researchers to bring on the younger generation as I have tried to do. PMID- 17804911 TI - Urinary excretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1: a biomarker of active tubulointerstitial damage in patients with glomerulopathies. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The urinary concentration of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (uMCP-1) chemokine is increased in several proteinuric and/or inflammatory renal diseases. In the present study, we evaluated the association between uMCP-1 and renal function, proteinuria, glomerular and interstitial macrophage infiltration, and renal fibrosis in patients with primary and secondary glomerulopathies diagnosed by renal biopsy. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients aged 32.6 +/- 7.7 years were studied. uMCP-1 was determined by ELISA. Renal macrophage expression (CD68 positive cells) is reported as number of macrophages/10(4) microm2 of the cortical tubulointerstitial (TI) area or of glomerular capillary tuft area. Cortical interstitial fibrosis was quantitated by PicroSirius red staining under polarized light by a computerized manner. RESULTS: The uMCP-1 ratio (pg/ml/urinary creatinine mg/ml) was positively correlated (Spearman coefficient) with proteinuria (r = 0.4629; p < 0.005) and number of macrophages in the cortical TI area (r = 0.64; p = 0.0005), and negatively correlated with creatinine clearance (r = -0.4877; p < 0.001). The uMCP-1 ratio was not significantly correlated with number of macrophages/glomerular capillary tuft area (r = 0.27; p = 0.19) or with percent cortical interstitial fibrosis (r = 0.08; p = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: The uMCP-1 excretion is a biomarker of the inflammatory activity of the TI area, and does not reflect chronic interstitial damage. PMID- 17804912 TI - Characteristics and outcome of Chinese patients with both antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies. AB - BACKGROUND: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated systemic vasculitis (AASV) is a systemic autoimmune disease. A number of cases have been found to have antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody-positive serum. The purpose of the current article is to investigate the prevalence of anti-GBM antibodies in sera from a large cohort of Chinese patients with AASV and to characterize the clinical and pathological features of the 'double positive' patients. METHODS: Sera from 652 patients with AASV were screened by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmed by Western blot analysis using purified human alpha(IV)NC1 as antigen. Antigen specificity of anti-GBM antibodies was determined by ELISA using recombinant human alpha 3(IV)NC1 as solid phase ligand. Clinical and pathological data of patients with both ANCA and anti-GBM antibodies were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: 61/652 (9.36%) sera from patients with AASV were serum anti-GBM antibody positive and all recognized recombinant human alpha 3(IV)NC1. All the cases had renal involvement, 37/48 (77.1%) cases had pulmonary involvement, non-specific symptoms and other multisystem involvements were common. The renal survival was 14.6% (7/48) and patient survival was 37.5% (18/48) respectively at the end of 1 year. The following factors predicted poor prognosis: (1) serum creatinine >700 micromol/l (p = 0.034); (2) oliguria or anuria on diagnosis (p = 0.001); (3) high percentage (>85%) of glomeruli with crescents (p = 0.011); (4) high titer anti-GBM antibodies (p = 0.003), and (5) hemoptysis (p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Patients with double antibodies were not rare in AASV. They had multisystem involvement but poor short-term prognosis.Anti-GBM antibodies should be detected on diagnosis of AASV, especially for old ages. PMID- 17804913 TI - Caki-1 cells represent an in vitro model system for studying the human proximal tubule epithelium. AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: The human proximal tubule (PT) epithelium is distinguished from other nephron segments via several unique characteristics. Studies assessing PT epithelium increasingly employ cell lines, bypassing the complexity of primary cell cultures. However, few human model systems exist for studying PT cells in vitro. The current work involves an intensive characterization of Caki-1 cells, a commercially available human renal cell line. METHODS: Caki-1 cells were validated as a representative model system for PT cell research via morphological, physiological and biochemical investigations including light and transmission electron microscopy, transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) measurements and the detection of PT markers. RESULTS: Morphologically, these cells form a polarized monolayer with apical located microvilli and multiple mitochondria per cell. Low TER ranging from 2 to 28 Omega cm(2) was determined for Caki-1 cells, characteristic of the 'leaky' PT epithelium in vivo. Expression of the PT markers: NHE3, GGT, DPP IV, APM and AP were present in Caki-1 cells. Two epithelial markers, E-cadherin and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, were additionally observed. CONCLUSION: The current work is a concise summary which confirms that Caki-1 cells represent well-differentiated polarized PT cells in vitro, regardless of its cancerous origin and multiple passaging. They prove to be a significant contribution to the field of PT research. PMID- 17804914 TI - Platelet-derived growth factor reorganizes the actin cytoskeleton through 3 phosphoinositide-dependent and 3-phosphoinositide-independent mechanisms in human mesangial cells. AB - BACKGROUND: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent activator of mesangial cell proliferation and migration. Although phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) enzymes are important downstream targets of the PDGF receptor, the contribution made by their 3-phosphoinositide products in the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions has been questioned. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pharmacological inhibition of the PI3K activity blocks PDGF-induced migration of human primary mesangial cells using an in vitro scrape wound healing assay. Acute (<10 min) inhibition of the PI3K activity did not alter the effect of PDGF on either stress fibre dissolution or reorganization of focal adhesions. However, at later times (>30 min), PDGF-stimulated responses were inhibited. In contrast, PDGF-stimulated membrane ruffling remained insensitive to PI3K inhibitors throughout. Inhibition of protein kinase C and Erk also attenuated PDGF stimulated mesangial cell migration; however, neither signaling pathway was responsible for the initial effects on filamentous actin and focal adhesions. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that following PDGF stimulation of mesangial cells, reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton occurs in a biphasic manner. The mechanism responsible for mesangial cell migration that occurs immediately following PDGF stimulation may serve to 'prime' for the subsequent 3 phosphoinositide-, protein-kinase-C-, and Erk-dependent migration. PMID- 17804915 TI - Electroacupuncture protects against CCK-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. AB - OBJECTIVE: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to treat myalgia, adiposis and gastroenteropathy in Korea. EA as a complementary and alternative medicine has been accepted worldwide mainly for the treatment acute and chronic pain and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of EA on acute pancreatitis induced by cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK) in rats. METHODS: Animals were divided into four groups: (1) a normal group; (2) a CCK-induced acute pancreatitis group; (3) a CCK-induced acute pancreatitis group treated with 100-Hz EA, and (4) a CCK-induced acute pancreatitis group treated with 2-Hz EA. High-frequency (100-Hz) and low-frequency EA (2-Hz) stimulations were applied to an acupoint equivalent to Zusanli (ST36) in rats, followed by 75 microg/kg CCK subcutaneously three times, after 1, 3 and 5 h. The entire procedure was repeated over 5 days. Repeated CCK treatment resulted in typical laboratory and morphological changes in experimentally induced pancreatitis. RESULTS: EA significantly decreased the pancreatic weight/body weight ratio in CCK-induced acute pancreatitis, increased the pancreatic levels of HSP60 and HSP72, and decreased the beta-amylase and lipase levels associated with CCK-induced acute pancreatitis. Furthermore, the release of ACTH was increased in the blood serum of the EA-treated group. CONCLUSION: EA may have protective effects against CCK induced acute pancreatitis through the release of ACTH. PMID- 17804916 TI - The changes of posterior corneal surface and high-order aberrations after refractive surgery in moderate myopia. AB - PURPOSE: To compare forward shift of posterior corneal surface and higher-order aberration (HOA) changes after LASIK, LASEK, and wavefront-guided LASEK surgery in moderate myopia METHODS: One hundred eighty four eyes undergoing LASIK, LASEK and wavefront-guided LASEK with VISX STAR S4 were included in this study. The posterior corneal elevation was measured with Orbscan before, 2 and 4 months after surgery. Changes of the elevation were assessed using the difference map generated from preoperative and postoperative elevation maps. The values of higher-order aberrations were evaluated preoperatively and 2 months postoperatively with Wavefront aberrometer. RESULTS: The posterior corneal surface displayed forward shift of 27.2+/-11.45 micrometer, 24.3+/-9.76 micrometer in LASIK group, 23.4+/-10.5 micrometer, 23.6+/10.55 micrometer in LASEK group, 24.0+/-14.95 micrometer, 28.4+/-14.72 micrometer in wavefront-guided LASEK group at 2 months and 4 months, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among those three groups, and between 2 and 4 months. The root mean score (RMS) of HOA was increased after LASIK and LASEK (p=0.000, p=0.000, respectively). The mean change of HOA-RMS was significantly smaller in wavefront-guided LASEK than LASIK or LASEK (p=0.000, p=0.000, respectively, Bonferroni-corrected). CONCLUSIONS: The changes of posterior corneal surface forward shift showed no difference among LASIK, LASEK and wavefront-guided LASEK in moderate myopia. HOAs were significantly increased after LASIK and LASEK. The changes of HOAs were significant smaller in wavefront-guided LASEK than LASIK or LASEK. PMID- 17804917 TI - A comparison of the efficacy of cataract surgery using Aqualase with phacoemulsification using MicroFlow system. AB - PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes after phacoemulsification performed with the AquaLase and phacoemulsification in MicroFlow system, including surgically induced astigmatism (SIA), corneal endothelial cell damage and postoperative recovery of visual acuity. METHODS: The cataracts of Lens Opacities Classification System, version III (LOCS III) nuclear grade below 2 were subjected in this study. Nineteen eyes underwent cataract operation using AquaLase (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.). A control group (19 eyes) used the MicroFlow system (Millenium, Stortz, U.S.A.) and was selected by matching age, sex, systemic disease, corneal astigmatism and corneal endothelial cell density. All the surgeries were performed by the same operator. SIA, corneal endothelial cell loss, visual acuity, and corneal thickness were evaluated postoperatively. RESULTS: SIA in the group using AquaLase was less than that of the group using MicroFlow system (P=0.022) at 2 months postoperatively. Evaluation of corneal endothelial cell loss, recovery of visual acuity and corneal thickness found no statistically significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery using AquaLase induces less surgically induced astigmatism in mild to moderate cataracts. PMID- 17804918 TI - Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for choroidal neovascularization in patients with angioid streaks. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the functional and anatomic outcomes of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with angioid streaks. METHODS: The authors retrospectively evaluated 6 consecutive patients (6 eyes) with CNV secondary to angioid streaks. All patients were treated with standard PDT with verteporfin protocol. Standardized protocol refraction, visual acuity testing, ophthalmologic examination, color photographs, fluorescein angiograms and indocyanin angiograms were used to evaluate the results of PDT with verteporfin. Main outcome measures were visual acuity and CNV size. RESULTS: Their mean age was 61.3+/-5.50 years (range, 53-68 years). Follow-up time ranged from 12 to 38 months with mean of 20.5+/-10.91 months. The mean visual acuity at baseline was 20/100 (range 20/25-20/500), and the mean visual acuity at the last examination was 20/320(range 20/125-counting finger). The mean greatest linear dimension (GLD) at baseline was 2400+/-766.81 micrometer, and the mean GLD at the last examination was 3483+/-444.59 micrometer. CONCLUSIONS: PDT for CNV associated with angioid streaks seemed to slow down but not prevent the progression of the disease and associated visual loss. PMID- 17804919 TI - Evaluation of the efficacy of vitrectomy for persistent diabetic macular edema and associated factors predicting outcome. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of vitrectomy for persistent diabetic macular edema after laser photocoagulation or intravitreal triamcinolone injections and to determine the demographic and ocular factors that influence functional and anatomical outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 55 eyes (51 patients) that had persistent diffuse macular edema after laser photocoagulation or intravitreal triamcinolone injections. We compared preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuity and macular thickness by Optical Coherence Tomography and investigated factors including patient's age, presence of vitreomacular traction, grade of diabetic retinopathy, and intraoperative internal limiting membrane removal that may influence the surgical results. RESULTS: The mean preoperative BCVA (log MAR) was 0.91+/-0.40 (0.8-1.2). The BCVA improved to 0.72+/-0.39 (0.3-1.2). The mean preoperative macular thickness was 440+/-130 (202-805) micrometer and the mean macular thickness decreased to 306+/ 97 (136-580) micrometer postoperatively. The eyes showed statistically significant improvement in BCVA and central macular thickness (p<0.001). Preoperative better BCVA was associated with an improved postoperative visual acuity. (p=0.04). No other covariates were found to be statistically significant factors for prognosis of postoperative BCVA. CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with persistent diabetic macular edema after laser or IVTA injections, vitrectomy was effective for decreasing macular thickness and improvement of vision. The visual improvement after vitrectomy was associated with the preoperative better BCVA. PMID- 17804920 TI - Dark-room prone-position test for intermittent angle closure. AB - PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and safety of the dark-room prone-position test (DRPT) for intermittent angle closure (IAC) and to investigate the correlation between A-scan ultrasound biometric measurements and the results of DRPT. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed of 37 eyes in 24 patients who were diagnosed with IAC and received DRPT. The increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) induced by DRPT and the results from A-scan ultrasound biometric measurements were obtained. An increase in IOP of at least 8 mmHg from baseline was considered a positive result for DRPT. Associations between the increase of IOP induced by DRPT and the parameters of A-scan biometry were tested by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The DRPT results were positive in 28 eyes of 19 patients. After DRPT, the IOP returned to near-baseline levels within 2 hours in all patients; some patients were treated with anti-glaucoma eye drops. Lens thickness was significantly correlated with the amount of IOP elevation induced by DRPT (r=0.338, p=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: DRPT is a safe and effective test in patients with IAC. DRPT can be used effectively to make a concrete diagnosis of IAC. Lens thickness appears to be associated with a positive response to DRPT. PMID- 17804921 TI - Consecutive esotropia in intermittent exotropia patients with immediate postoperative overcorrection more than 17 prism diopters. AB - PURPOSE: To report the incidence and the factors of consecutive esotropia (ET) in patients with immediate postoperative overcorrection of at least 17 prism diopters (PD) after surgery for intermittent exotropia (X(T)). METHODS: Four hundred-five patients under the age of 18 were included in this study. They underwent bilateral lateral rectus recession (LROU-rec) or unilateral recession resection (R&R) for X(T). On postoperative day one, the patients with at least 17 PD overcorrection were classified as group 1 and those with less than 17 PD as group 2. Age, refractive error, type of surgery, lateral incomitancy, and the incidence of consecutive ET were analyzed for each group. RESULTS: Group 1 consisted of 116 patients (28.6%) and group 2 consisted of 289 (71.4%). At the six-month follow-up visit, consecutive ET had developed in 16 patients (13.8%) in group 1, and in five patients (1.7%) in group 2 (p<0.001). The occurrence of consecutive ET was not related to age at the time of surgery (p=0.46 in group 1; p=0.54 in group 2), refractive error (p=0.18 in group 1; p=0.08 in group 2), or the type of surgery (p=0.69 in group 1; p=1.00 in group 2). The incidence in group 1 was 23.8% in patients with lateral incomitancy and 8.1% in patients without lateral incomitancy (p<0.05). In group 2, the incidence was 4.4% in patients with lateral incomitancy and 0.5% in patients without lateral incomitancy (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Consecutive ET developed in 13.8% of patients with immediate overcorrection of at least 17 PD. Lateral incomitancy was the most important risk factor. PMID- 17804922 TI - Reduction of deviation angle during occlusion therapy: in partially accommodative esotropia with moderate amblyopia. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in ocular alignment in partially accommodative esotropic children age ranged from 3 to 8 years during occlusion therapy for amblyopia. METHODS: Angle measurements of twenty-two partially accommodative esotropic patients with moderate amblyopia were evaluated before and at 2 years after occlusion therapy. RESULTS: Mean deviation angle with glasses at the start of occlusion treatment was 19.45+/-5.97 PD and decreased to 12.14+/-12.96 PD at 2 years after occlusion therapy (p<0.01). After occlusion therapy, 9 (41%) cases were indications of surgery for residual deviation but if we had planned surgery before occlusion treatment, 18 (82%) of patients would have had surgery. There was a statistical relationship between increase of visual acuity ratio and decrease of deviation angle (r=-0.479, p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant reduction of deviation angle of partially accommodative esotropic patients at 2 years after occlusion therapy. Our results suggest that occlusion therapy has an influence on ocular alignment in partially accommodative esotropic patients with amblyopia. PMID- 17804923 TI - Relations between age, weight, refractive error and eye shape by computerized tomography in children. AB - PURPOSE: To investigate relationships between age, weight, refractive error, and morphologic changes in children's eyes by computerized tomography (CT). METHODS: Of the 772 eyes of 386 patients under the age of 20 years, who visited our Department of Ophthalmology between January 2005 to August 2006 and underwent CT of the orbit, 406 eyes of 354 patients with clear CT images and normal eyeball contour were enrolled in the present retrospective study. The axial lengths, widths, horizontal and vertical lengths, refractive errors, and body weight of eyes were measured, and relationship between these parameters were investigated. RESULTS: Axial length was found to correlate significantly with eye width (r=0.914), and in emmetropic eyes and myopic eyes, axial lengths and widths were found to increase as age and body weight increased. Axial lengths increased rapidly until age 10, and then increased slowly. In emmetropic eyes, widths/axial lengths increased with age, but in myopic eyes these decreased as age or severity of myopia increased. Moreover, as age increased, the myopic population and severity also increased. CONCLUSIONS: The axial length was longer in case of myopia compared to emmetropia in all age groups and there was almost no difference in the increase rate of axial length by the age of myopia and emmetropia. However, the width was wider in case of myopia compared to emmetropia in all age groups and the increase rate of width in myopia by age was smaller than that of emmetropia. Myopia showed decreasing rate of width/axial length with increase of age, from 1.004 in 5 years to 0.971 in 20 years. However, emmetropia showed increasing rate of width/axial length with increase of age, from 0.990 in 5 years to 1.006 in 20 years. PMID- 17804924 TI - A solitary fibrofolliculoma in the eyelid. AB - PURPOSE: To report the first case of a solitary eyelid fibrofolliculoma and to review the literature. METHODS: A 37-year-old female patient visited the outpatient department with a lesion in the right upper lid that had been growing steadily for a year. The patient had visited the local clinic, and under the diagnosis of chalazion had received incision and curettage twice, but the lesion had recurred. RESULTS: The 5x5 mm lesion was located near the upper lid margin. It was a red, hemispheric, smooth nodule, relatively solid to palpation and not painful. Excision and biopsy were performed, and through a histological exam, the diagnosis of fibrofolliculoma was later confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Solitary fibrofolliculoma is rare, and to the authors' knowledge, a lesion arising in the eyelid has not yet been reported. Fibrofolliculoma should be included in the differential diagnosis when a localized mass lesion arising in the eyelid is encountered. PMID- 17804925 TI - Bilateral peripheral infiltrative keratitis after LASIK. AB - PURPOSE: To present a case of peripheral infiltrative keratitis mimicking infectious keratitis on the flap margin and limbus, which appeared on the first postoperative day after the laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: A 36 year-old woman who underwent uneventful bilateral simultaneous LASIK developed multiple round infiltrate along the flap margin reaching to limbus from the 11 o'clock to 6 o'clock area in both eyes. RESULTS: The flap was lifted and irrigation was performed with antibiotics. but infiltration seemed to appear again. The infiltrate was more concentrated at the periphery and was extended to the limbus. Direct smear and culture for bacteria and fungus were negative. Topical prednisolone acetate 1% eye drops was added, infiltrative condition was resolved. CONCLUSIONS: LASIK induced peripheral infiltrative keratitis, in which infectious origin was ruled out, is reported. PMID- 17804926 TI - Optical coherence tomographic finding in a case of macular coloboma. AB - PURPOSE: To report the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in a patient with unilateral macular coloboma. METHODS: A 12-year-old male was presented with macular coloboma in the left eye. The optical coherence tomography was performed with fluorescein angiography (FA). RESULTS: The OCT revealed the crater-like depression in the macula, demonstrating atrophic neurosensory retina, and an absence of retinal pigment epithelium and choroid in the lesion. FA showed hypofluorescence corresponding to the size of the lesion in both early and late frames without leakage of dye at any stage. CONCLUSIONS: The OCT can be beneficial to confirm the diagnosis of macular coloboma. PMID- 17804927 TI - Retinal capillary hemangioma treated with verteporfin photodynamic therapy and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. AB - PURPOSE: To report a case of retinal capillary hemangioma treated with verteporfin photodynamic therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. METHODS: A 15-year-old female presented with metamorphopsia in the left eye for 7 days. Examination showed peripheral endophytic retinal capillary hemangioma, macular edema, and a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/50. The hemangioma and macular edema were treated with verteporfin photodynamic therapy and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. RESULTS: After 5 months of follow-up, involution of the hemangioma, reduction of macular edema, decrease of the feeder and draining vessel diameter, and improvement of best-corrected visual acuity to 20/25 was seen. CONCLUSIONS: This verteporfin photodynamic therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide appeared to cause involution of the hemangioma with reduction in macular edema and improvement in visual acuity. PMID- 17804928 TI - Retinal detachment with macular hole following combined photodynamic therapy and intravitreal bevacizumab injection. AB - PURPOSE: To report a case of retinal detachment with a macular hole following photodynamic therapy (PDT) using verteporfin and intravitreal bevacizumab injection in the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: A 58 -year-old woman was diagnosed with myopic CNV and treated with a combination of PDT with verteporfin and intravitreal bevacizumab injection that same day. She received the second injection of intravitreal bevacizumab four weeks after the initial treatment. RESULTS: The patient developed a sudden decline in vision one week after the second injection; and was subsequently diagnosed with retinal detachment associated with a macular hole. She underwent standard three-port pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling, fluid-air exchange and silicone oil injection. The retina was still firmly attached at the patient's final follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: PDT and intravitreal bevacizumab injection used for the treatment of myopic CNV can be associated with retinal detachment with a macular hole. Patients need to be informed about this potential complication, and a higher index of suspicion may be warranted in patients who report sudden vision loss after the treatment. PMID- 17804929 TI - [Reliability and validity of an instrument for adolescents meaning in life scale(AMIL)]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of an MIL instrument for adolescents. METHOD: The research design was a three-phase, methodological study. 1) The original 46 items of the Meaning in Life (MIL) Scale were reviewed and corrected partially by 20 adolescents. 2) The content was validated by an expert panel (n=15) and adolescents (n=5). 3) The instrument was validated by survey (n=468). Finally, 33 items were chosen for the adolescents meaning in life(AMIL) scale. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the 33 items was .92, confirming the high internal consistency of the instrument. 2) Eight factors were extracted through factor analysis: 'experience of love', 'making efforts for goal', 'awareness of essential being', 'awareness of self limitation', 'feeling of satisfaction', 'relation experience', 'positive thinking', and 'hope'. These factors explained 58.26% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: AMIL Scale was identified as a tool with a high degree of reliability and validity. The tool can therefore be effectively utilized to assess the degree of meaning of life in caring areas for adolescents. Studies on AMIL of different adolescent subjects are needed for further verification. PMID- 17804930 TI - [Predictors of participation in support groups among women with breast cancer]. AB - PURPOSE: This study examined what characteristics and variables predict participation in support groups for women with breast cancer. METHOD: 282 women with breast cancer from 4 hospitals located in Busan were included in the study. Data was measured on each participant from September 2006 to February 2007. Data was collected using structured researcheradministered sheets and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The clients reported medium levels of illness perception, anxiety and depression, stress with coping, social support and self-efficacy. 48.9% of women with breast cancer participated in support groups. Significant influencing factors on the participation in support groups were 'operation time(+)', 'illness perception(+)', 'social support(-)', and 'self-efficacy(+)' Those variables explained 73.4%. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to develop a strategy or promoting program for promotion of illness perception and self-efficacy of women with breast cancer. Thus, it is essential to provide participation to a support group to a women with breast cancer. PMID- 17804931 TI - [Comparing the effects of drug therapy, physical therapy, and exercise on pain, disability, and depression in patients with chronic low back pain]. AB - PURPOSE: This research was conducted to compare the effects of drug therapy, physical therapy, and exercise on pain, disability, and depression in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: The research design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this study were 28 patients for the drug therapy & physical therapy, 24 patients for the drug therapy & exercise, and 22 patients for the physical therapy & exercise. Data was collected by MVAS, Oswestry disability questionnaires, and questionnaires of depression. It was analyzed by paired t-test for effectiveness, ANOVA, and Scheffe for comparison of the effects of the 3 experimental treatments, using SPSS/WIN 12.0. RESULTS: There were no effects of drug therapy & physical therapy on pain, disability, and depression. However, there were effects of drug therapy & exercise and the physical therapy & exercise on pain, disability, and depression. The effects of physical therapy & exercise on pain, disability, and depression were the greatest, but there was no statistically significant differences between the drug therapy & exercise and the physical therapy & exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise is regarded as a more effective and easily accessible nursing intervention to apply alone than drug therapy or physical therapy simultaneously in reducing pain, disability and depression. PMID- 17804932 TI - [Analysis of RN-BSN students' clinical nursing competency]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate RN-BSN students' clinical nursing competency in order to establish baseline data for developing nursing competency based clinical education for RN-BSN students. METHOD: A survey of 1,453 RN-BSN students from 21 nursing schools was conducted using a self administered questionnaire. RESULT: The mean score of the clinical nursing competency was 2.93. The scores for competency were shown as 2.91 for nursing management, 2.94 for developing professionalism & legal implementation, 2.95 for critical thinking, 2.96 for teaching & leadership, and data collection, basic nursing care, and communication were above 3.00. The items perceived as insufficient competency were physical examination and observation & monitoring in data collection, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, psycho-social care, spiritual care, hospice in basic nursing care, application of knowledge and theory, formulating nursing diagnosis, nursing care planning in critical thinking, education material development, leadership, delegation in teaching and leadership, analysis of organization, planning, infection control, role & job description, evaluation of nursing activities in nursing management, quality improvement, and research in developing professionalism and legal implementation. CONCLUSION: This study will contribute to developing a nursing competency based on clinical education for RN-BSN students who have various education needs and clinical backgrounds. PMID- 17804933 TI - [Illness experience of people with chronic hepatitis B in Korea]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of people with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Korea. The specific aim was to identify major problems that people with CHB face and strategies that they are dealing with. METHODS: A grounded theory method was utilized. The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews from 12 CHB patients from one of the major hospitals in Korea. RESULTS: After constant comparative analysis, a core category emerged as "illness management with self-reliance and will." Seven major strategies that were identified in dealing with the illness were maintaining receptive and positive attitudes; restraining excessive work and greed; searching for information; controlling illness information; adhering to practices for not spreading the viral disease; abstaining from alcohol and smoking and maintaining healthy eating habits; nd using alternative therapies. The outcomes that result from employing these strategies were identified as burden, depression and helplessness, stress for maintaining compliance, and dispirited interpersonal relationships. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that most people with CHB in Korea have problems in psychosocial area. Thus health professionals need to provide not only informational support but also emotional one to improve quality of life of the people with CHB. PMID- 17804934 TI - [Factors influencing vitality among nurses]. AB - PURPOSE: This study was conducted to understand the degree of vitality, meaning in life and self-efficacy and to elucidate the factors influencing this vitality in the nurses of Korea. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of nurses from 4 hospitals was conducted by convenience sampling. Data collection was conducted through the use of questionnaires which were constructed to include a Vitality Self Test, Purpose in Life Test and Self-efficacy Scale. RESULTS: The degree of vitality in nurses was in the middle range. The nurses of this study had few goals towards meaning in life, and an existential vacuum state. A positive relationship was found between vitality and the research variables. The significant predictors influencing vitality in nurses were meaning in life, self efficacy, and clinical career, and these variables accounted for 28.7% of the variance in vitality. CONCLUSIONS: This results support that vitality is an important link with meaning in life and self-efficacy. There should be a comprehensive study in the future for in-depth understanding of the vitality of nurses. PMID- 17804935 TI - [Comparison of the effects of an exercise program in non-obese and obese women]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of an exercise program on physical fitness, obesity indices, and blood lipids in cases of non obese and obese women. METHOD: Data was collected from May, 2006 to November, 2006 in a public health center. All Subjects(37 women) participated in an exercise program that consisted of Latin dance, muscular strength training, and dumbbell exercises. Thirty-seven women were divided into two groups(16 non-obese women and 21 obese women) by %body fat. After 8 weeks, the effects of treatment were compared between pre-test and post-test in each group. RESULTS: Physical fitness(abdominal muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, agility, balance) was significantly different between the pre-test and post-test in the non-obese and obese group. Obesity indices(body weight, BMI) was significantly different in obese women after the 8-week exercise program. There was no decrease of blood lipids in either group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that an exercise program could be an effective nursing intervention to increase physical fitness in non-obese and obese women and to decrease obesity indices(body weight, BMI) in obese women. PMID- 17804936 TI - [The effects of a support group intervention on the burden of primary family caregivers of stroke patients]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the effects of a support group intervention on the burden of primary family caregivers of stroke patients. METHOD: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were 36 primary family caregivers of stroke patients [experimental(N=18) and control(N=18) groups] in a neurosurgery ward of a university hospital. The experimental group members participated in six sessions of a support group intervention for two weeks and the degree of their caregiving burden was evaluated. Data was analyzed by Chi-square tests, t-tests, and paired t-tests using SPSS 10.0. RESULT: The experimental group had a significantly lower total burden score (t=2.061, p= .047)and sub-scales of emotional(t=-3.319, p= .002), time-dependent(t=-2.045, p= .049) and developmental(t=-2.656, p= .012) burden scores than the control group, while no significant differences were found in physical, social or financial burden scores between the two groups. Within the experimental group, there was a significant decrease in physical(t=2.507, p= .023), emotional(t=4.754, p= .000), social(t=2.932, p= .009), time- dependent(t=5.015, p= .000) and developmental(t=7.541, p= .000) burden scores but not the financial burden score. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a support group intervention can be utilized as an effective nursing program to reduce the burden of primary family caregivers of stroke patients. PMID- 17804937 TI - [Development of a mentoring program to improve exercise and dietary habits of adolescents]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a mentoring program to improve the exercise and dietary habits of adolescents. METHODS: A non equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. The independent variable was a mentoring program for improvement of exercise and dietary habits of adolescents, in which the mentors were nursing students and the mentees were female middle school students. The dependent variables were weekly exercise frequency, weekly exercise time, perception of exercise benefit, frequency of vegetable intake, and dietary habits. The intervention was conducted by various methods such as group education, individual approach through the mentor-mentee relationship, and multimedia approaches. RESULTS: At follow-up, the perception of the exercise benefit was significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group. The weekly exercise frequency and frequency of vegetable intake in the intervention group were significantly greater after the intervention than those before the intervention. CONCLUSION: This mentoring program is potentially of an effective health promotion program for adolescents and will enable nursing students who participate in the program as mentors to gain confidence in their professional capability. PMID- 17804938 TI - [The study on predictors of depression for Korean female adolescents]. AB - PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were 1) to compare the contribution of demographic-behavioral variables and psychological variables in explaining the variance of depression, 2) identify the most important predictors of depression for Korean female adolescents. METHOD: The participants were 840 female adolescents. Data was collected through self-report questionnaires, which were constructed to include demographicbehavioral factors, self-esteem, hostility, hopelessness, and depression. Data was analyzed using the SPSS program. RESULT: Female adolescents' demographicbehavioral variables explained 17% of the variance in depression, and perceived physical health status, history of physical abuse, smoking, satisfaction of body weight, parental alcohol abuse, parental divorce, and history of suicidal attempt were the significant predictors of depression for female adolescents. Psychological variables explained 50% of the variance in depression, and self-esteem, hostility, and hopelessness were the significant predictors of depression for female adolescents. The significant predictors of depression among female adolescents' demographicbehavioral variables and psychological variables were self-esteem, hostility, hopelessness, perceived physical health status, parental alcohol problem, and history of physical abuse, explaining 52% of the variance in depression. CONCLUSION: In order to reduce depression in female adolescents, it is necessary to design an intervention program that emphasizes improving self-esteem while reducing hostility and hopelessness. PMID- 17804939 TI - [Family caregivers' experiences utilizing a nursing home for their elderly family members]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of the family caregivers using a nursing home for their elderly family members. METHOD: Participants for this study were 1 man and 9 women caregivers. Data was collected through in-depth interviews from October, 2005 to April, 2006 and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: "Finding a way to live together" emerged as a core category and it reflected expanding consciousness allowing them to see each other in a more positive view. The basic social process of "finding a way to live together" includes 3 phases: 1) recognizing the problems, 2) finding solutions to the problems, and 3) accepting the changes in their surrounding. Lack of privacy, family troubles, extreme distress, and unavailable caregivers are reflected in the process of recognizing the problems. The process of finding solutions was making a decision, obtaining family agreement, choosing the best nursing home, and enduring the financial burden. Possible outcomes of the last phase include recovering peace of mind and continuing conflict. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study offer suggestions for developing a strategy to help not only the elderly but also the family caregivers. PMID- 17804940 TI - [Scale development of free nursing home-adjustment for the elderly]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a scale of free nursing home adjustment for the elderly in Korea. METHOD: The developmental processes were construction of a conceptual framework, development of preliminary items, verification of content validity, twice data gathering, verification of construct validity, and reliability of final items. The first 53 preliminary items were obtained through review of literatures about nursing home adjustment and in depth interviews with 5 staffs of nursing home. These items were reviewed by five specialists for content validity and 39 items were chosen. The first data was collected from 107 elderly residing in 3 nursing homes and the second survey was from 147 residents who were living in five nursing homes. Finally this data was analyzed for construct validity and reliability. RESULT: There were 23 final items which were sorted into 5 factors. The factors were identified as 'Relocation distress symptom'(8 items), 'Making friends'(4 items), 'Acceptance of new residence' (6 items), 'Difficulty in group life'(3 items), and 'Having self worth'(2 items). The cumulative percent of variance was 53.466%. The reliability of the scale, Cronbach's alpha was .837. CONCLUSION: The result of this study could be used for measuring nursing home adjustment of the elderly. However, for further validity and reliability, repeated researches are needed. PMID- 17804941 TI - [Effects of telephone intervention as supportive nursing on self-care practices and qualify of life for gynecological cancer patients under chemotherapy]. AB - PURPOSE: The effects of telephone intervention on self-care practices and quality of life for gynecological cancer patients under chemotherapy was investigated. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design was used. The subjects were women cancer patients who had received less than two chemotherapy sessions at C university hospital of Chonnam province(26 in the experimental group: 25 in the control group). The patient's self-care practices(Na & Lee, 1999; Jang, 2004) and quality of life(Lee & Jo, 1997) were measured three times. using a questionnaire. The data was analyzed by Repeated Measures ANOVA, the Friedman test, and the Mann-Whitney test using the SPSS window version 12.0 program. RESULTS: This study showed that the score of self care practices and quality of life for the experimental group under telephone counseling were higher than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that a telephone intervention as supportive nursing care for women cancer patients under going chemotherapy was effective for self-care practices and qualify of life during the recovery period. Futhermore, this study also suggests that telephone counseling can serve as a continuing nursing supportive intervention for women cancer patients for the upcoming stages of further chemotherapy. PMID- 17804942 TI - [Factors on internet game addiction among adolescents]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore factors related to internet game addiction for adolescents. METHOD: This study was a cross-sectional survey, and data was collected through self-report questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the SPSS program. RESULTS: In logistic regression analysis, the risk of being addicted to internet games was 2.22 times higher in males than females. Adolescents with low and middle academic performance also had a higher risk(2.08 times and 2.54 times) to become addicted to internet games. For the location of the computer, the risk of becoming addicted to internet games were .01 times lower in the living room or brother or sisters' room than in their own room. The risk of becoming addicted to internet games was 1.18 times higher in the higher usage time of internet games. The risk of becoming addicted to internet games was .49 times lower in the more accepting and autonomic parents' rearing attitude and .02 times lower in the high self-efficacy group than the low group. CONCLUSION: The result of this study suggests that there are noticeable relationships between internet game addiction and gender, academic performance, location of computer, usage time of internet games, parents' rearing attitude, and self efficacy. PMID- 17804943 TI - [The reactions of emergency department nurses to violence: Q-methodological approach]. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the reactions of emergency department nurses to violence. METHODS: Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each item was used. Thirty emergency department nurses classified 33 selected Q-statements into a normal distribution using a 9 point scale. The collected data was analyzed using the Quanl PC Program. RESULTS: Three types of reactions to violence were identified. The first type(emotional and physical reactions) showed a sense of regret on the selection of an occupation and emotional and physical reactions such as anxiety, fear, depression, hopelessness, heart palpitations and trembling hands due to the violence. The second type(problem solving) actively coped to prevent the occurrence of violence, grasped the causes of violence and sought out a problem solving plan. The third type(anger reactions) felt a lot of anger against violence, and resented their reality of working under conditions of inadequately secured facilities and systems. CONCLUSION: The emotional and physical reactions type and the anger reactions type should be required to attend educational programs to improve attitudes and abilities to solve the problems in a more active and positive manner. PMID- 17804944 TI - [Conversation analysis for improving nursing communication]. AB - PURPOSE: Nursing communication has become more important than ever before because quality of nursing services largely depends on the quality of communication in a very competitive health care environment. This article was to introduce ways to improve nursing communication using conversation analysis. METHODS: This was a review study on conversation analysis, critically examining previous studies in nursing communication and interpersonal relationships. RESULTS: This study provided theoretical backgrounds and basic assumptions of conversation analysis which was influenced by ethnomethodology, phenomenology, and sociolinguistic. In addition, the characteristics and analysis methods of conversation analysis were illustrated in detail. Lastly, how conversation analysis could help improve communication was shown, by examining researches using conversation analysis not only for ordinary conversations but also for extraordinary or difficult conversations such as conversations between patients with dementia and their professional nurses. CONCLUSION: Conversation analysis can help in improving nursing communication by providing various structures and patterns as well as prototypes of conversation, and by suggesting specific problems and problem solving strategies in communication. PMID- 17804945 TI - [Assessment of hydration on the stratum corneum and the influencing factors in neonates]. AB - PURPOSE: The study was conducted to investigate the skin hydration level in various body sites and identify the influencing factors in neonates. METHODS: An exploratory comparison study was designed to measure the stratum corneum hydration, using a National DM-R2 on the forehead, abdomen, buttocks, and the back of the hands and feet of 198 neonates including 92 premature infants. RESULTS: The results showed 32.7%-36.5% of stratum corneum hydration for all sites. Premature infants revealed a higher hydration level on the peripheral sites (dorsal hand and feet) than those of the full-term infants, possibly resulting from therapeutic regimens including an incubator or radiant warmer. Infants in an incubator showed a higher hydration level than those in radiant warmers, suggesting more attention to fluid management for infants in the open environment. In addition, all stratum corneum hydration measurements except one, from the forehead, showed a positive correlation with postnatal age in full-term infants while showing no relation to any measurements in premature infants. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the very low skin hydration levels in hospitalized neonates, particularly in premature neonates with more susceptible skin hydration instability despite therapeutic interventions for fluid balance. More vigilant fluid management is imperative in neonates, particularly those in the open environment. PMID- 17804946 TI - [Knowledge, perception and health behavior about metabolic syndrome for an at risk group in a rural community area]. AB - PURPOSE: This study was to identify knowledge, perception and health behavior about metabolic syndrome for an at risk group in a rural community area. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 575 adults with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and/or abdominal obesity were recruited from 11 rural community health care centers. A questionnaire was developed for this study. Anthropometric measures were measured and blood data was reviewed from the health record. RESULTS: Knowledge about the metabolic syndrome was low as evidenced by only a 47% correct answer rate. Only 9% of the subjects ever heard about the disease, and 87% answered they do not know the disease at all. 87% of the subjects were not performing regular exercise, 31% drank alcohol more than once a month, 12.5% were current smokers, and 33.6% are did not have a regular health check-up. CONCLUSION: Development of systematic public health care programs are needed to prevent future increases in cardiovascular complications and to decrease health care costs. These might include educational programs for the primary health care provider and an at risk group, a therapeutic lifestyle modification program, and a health screening program to identify potential groups. PMID- 17804947 TI - [Educational issues and strategies to improve APN education]. AB - PURPOSE: This study was aimed at exploring the current status of graduate programs for an advanced practice nurse(APN) to recommend future directions of APN education. METHODS: A total of 142 students enrolled in seven APN specialty programs, 67 professors who were involved in APN education, and nine nurse administrators participated in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires and focus group interviews. RESULTS: The current definition of APN was found not to be specific enough to represent expected roles of APN in regards to knowledge, attitudes, roles, and skills. Standard curricula employed regardless of the area of APN specialty, lack of qualified clinical practice settings, as well as prepared instructors were found to be problematic. CONCLUSION: The following needs to be addressed: 1. redefining of APN roles, 2. tailoring specialty areas of APN, 3. consolidating educational programs, and 4. ensuring APN role models and faculty. Suggesting a CNS role in Korean APN, areas of APN should be rearranged to clarify their roles and educational programs need to be further developed to meet the expectations and quality of APNs. It is necessary to ensure APN's employment in the health care system by laws and policies to perform advanced nursing roles. PMID- 17804948 TI - [A study on job stress and the coping of ICU nurses]. AB - PURPOSE: This study investigated job stress and coping of ICU Nurses. METHOD: Data was accumulated from 206 ICU nurses serving at least more than one year in 500 bed order hospitals during the period of three months from June 1, to August 30, 2006. RESULTS: The average job stress was 2.96 +/- .95 points, which was relatively high. The average coping was 2.55 +/- .23 points. CONCLUSION: The extent of the job stress of ICU nurses was relatively high, and they received the heaviest stress from job circumstances. For the prevention of job stress, every effort is required to analyze the causes of stress caused by job circumstances and to pose an appropriate solution. Meanwhile, job stress, needs to be controlled using a solution for the central problem, and search for social support. PMID- 17804949 TI - High-cortisol states can masquerade as the cardiometabolic syndrome. PMID- 17804950 TI - Impact of establishing an Alzheimer's special care unit in a nursing home on facility occupancy and payer mix. AB - In this research, we used national data collected over a period of 12 years (1991 to 2003) to examine whether nursing homes opening an Alzheimer's Special Care Unit (A-SCU) subsequently influenced their occupancy, Medicare payer mix, or private-pay mix. Data used in this investigation primarily came from the 1991 to 2003 On-line Survey Certification of Automated Records and the Area Resource File. Approximately, 20% (n=2,815) of nursing homes had an A-SCU in 2003. We found that opening an A-SCU promoted more favorable occupancy rates and private pay mix, but did not influence Medicare payer mix. Three years after opening an A SCU, the gain in occupancy rate for nursing homes was more than 3% and the gain in private-pay census was approximately 2%. These gains occurred while the national trend was one of declining occupancy and private-pay census. PMID- 17804951 TI - Rates of depression in individuals with pathologic but not clinical Alzheimer disease are lower than those in individuals without the disease: findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA). AB - The prevalence of major depression is increased in Alzheimer disease (AD), but currently the basis of this association remains unclear. The present study examined rates of depression in 4 groups of participants with postmortem examination from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging: (1) cognitively normal controls with no Alzheimer pathology, (2) cognitively normal individuals with Alzheimer pathology, (3) individuals with mild cognitive impairment plus Alzheimer pathology, (4) individuals with clinical diagnoses of dementia plus Alzheimer pathology. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Individuals with Alzheimer pathology but no cognitive decline before death had significantly lower rates of depression than cognitively normal controls with no Alzheimer pathology and individuals with Alzheimer pathology plus clinical diagnoses of dementia. These findings suggest that depression is a risk factor for AD in the presence of AD pathology, but depression is not a risk factor for AD pathology. PMID- 17804952 TI - Do work-related stress and reactivity to stress predict dementia more than 30 years later? AB - The purpose of this study was to examine associations for work-related stress, reactivity to stress, and subsequent risk of dementia. The sample consisted of members of the population-based Swedish Twin Registry who were participants in the HARMONY study (n=2,049). We used case control and cotwin control designs, with information on work-related stress and reactivity to stress collected as part of a questionnaire completed in 1967. Dementia was diagnosed approximately 30 years later using a 2-stage procedure-screening for cognitive impairment followed by full clinical evaluation. We found that measures of work-related stress (job dissatisfaction and high job demands) were not associated with dementia risk. Greater reactivity to stress predicted higher risk of dementia controlling for age, education, sex, occupational status, alcohol use, and smoking status (odds ratio=1.57, 95% confidence interval 1.08-2.31). Cotwin control analyses also showed that dementia probands were more likely to report high reactivity to stress than their nondemented cotwins. We did not find evidence of an interaction between work stress and reactivity in predicting dementia. Overall, indicators of stress due to environment (ie, work) were not associated with dementia, whereas the individual characteristic of reactivity to stress predicted dementia risk. PMID- 17804953 TI - Validity of the clinical dementia rating scale for the detection and staging of dementia in Brazilian patients. AB - The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value and agreement analyses between Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and dementia diagnostic criteria (gold standard), Blessed Dementia Rating scale (BDRS), and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition, Revised (DSM III-R) criteria for severity. In a sample of 343 Southern Brazilian participants, CDR was consecutively assessed in 295 dementia patients (Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, and questionable) and 48 healthy elderly. The National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) criteria for probable Alzheimer disease and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN) for probable vascular dementia were the gold standard. A battery of cognitive tests and the Mini Mental State Examination (as a screening test at study entry) were also applied. Sensitivity and specificity were obtained through contingency tables. Validity and reliability were measured through kappa coefficient, Kendall b, and percent agreement. CDR agreement among raters was demonstrated by percent agreement. Agreement to gold standard was good (kappa=0.75), as well as to the Blessed scale (kappa=0.73), and excellent to the DSM III-R (kappa=0.78). CDR detection of dementia among healthy elderly or questionable dementia was 86% and 80% sensitive, respectively, and 100% specific for both settings. In conclusion, agreement of CDR global score with the gold standard was good, and diagnostic values were high. PMID- 17804954 TI - Telephonic Remote Evaluation of Neuropsychological Deficits (TREND): longitudinal monitoring of elderly community-dwelling volunteers using touch-tone telephones. AB - Use of interactive voice response (IVR) technology to monitor cognitive functioning in cognitively normal (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and mild dementia (MD) participants was examined using 107 community-dwelling participants, 65 to 88 years old. Baseline Clinical Dementia Ratings identified 36 participants as CN, 37 with MCI, and 34 as MD. Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) and Mini-Mental State Examinations were administered during clinic visits at weeks 0, 8, 16, and 24. IVR cognitive testing was completed at each visit and from participants' homes at weeks 4, 12, and 20. Study partners provided dementia symptoms severity ratings via IVR. The assessment system received 719 participant and 723 partner calls. All calls initiated by CN participants, 99.2% by MCI participants, and 87.3% by MD participants were completed. Telephonic Remote Evaluation of Neuropsychological Deficit tasks showed significant performance differences between participant groups, good reliability, and convergent validity with Mini-Mental State Examinations and ADAS Cog measures. Automated cognitive testing calls took about 18 minutes to complete, and informant calls took approximately 4 minutes. IVR informant data were convergent with the ADAS-Noncog measure. Computer-automated assessments of cognitive functioning via IVR provided reliable, valid data. Such assessments might benefit routine clinical care and large-scale, longitudinal research in the future, but will require additional research over longer periods. PMID- 17804955 TI - Perceived threat of Alzheimer disease (AD): the role of personal experience with AD. AB - The fear of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) is highly salient, particularly for biologic family members. The current study evaluated social/cognitive explanations for perceived AD threat beyond genetic relatedness, including personal experience with AD, belief in negative aging stereotypes, and performance on delayed memory tasks. Participants were 97 healthy older adults aged 50 to 85, self-referred for a free community memory screen. Results showed that, as expected, personal AD experience was related to perceived AD threat. Furthermore, consistent with expectations, AD experience moderated the relationship between perceived AD threat and other explanatory variables, including age, belief in negative aging stereotypes, and cognitive performance. In those with AD experience, whether genetic or not, younger age was associated with more perceived AD threat, but an inverse relationship was seen in those without AD experience. Those with genetic AD experience seem particularly vulnerable to the effects of negative age stereotype beliefs on perceived AD threat, and show an inverse relationship between their actual cognitive performance and their perception of personal AD threat. Results highlight the importance of considering personal experience with AD when assessing a person's self-reported concerns about AD or his/her own memory changes. PMID- 17804956 TI - Public opinion about Alzheimer disease among blacks, hispanics, and whites: results from a national survey. AB - Recent research has documented notable differences in knowledge, awareness, and cultural beliefs about Alzheimer disease (AD) among groups defined by race and ethnicity. The present study was conducted to assess racial differences in knowledge and attitudes about AD among a national sample of adults. Data from 1,176 adults aged 35 years and over (48.6% White, 25.7% Black, and 25.8% Hispanic) obtained via telephone interview were used in this study. Although some notable group differences defined by race/ethnicity were observed, more similarities in patterns of response were discovered than expected. Black and Hispanic respondents were significantly more likely to believe that AD is a normal part of aging, but were more optimistic about future advances in research than White participants. Compared with White and Black respondents, Hispanics were more likely to report feeling well-prepared for handling a diagnosis of AD in a family member. Overall, the results suggest that misconceptions about AD remain among large segments of the population, that AD remains a source of significant concern, and that continued efforts are needed to educate the public about this disease. PMID- 17804957 TI - Nonmedical influences on the use of cholinesterase inhibitors in dementia care. AB - We examined primary care physicians' (PCPs) attitudes toward cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) to better understand nonmedical factors influencing prescribing decisions in dementia care. In a cross-sectional, qualitative study, 40 PCPs were interviewed concerning their general approach to managing patients with dementia, and their care for a particular dementia case. Three readers independently identified and categorized themes associated with prescribing ChEI. Physicians' attitudes toward ChEI were also coded. Physicians were predominantly ambivalent (51%) or negative (31%) about prescribing ChEI for their patients with dementia. Nonmedical factors affecting prescribing included lack of knowledge, dependence on specialists, influence of family wishes and involvement, and physicians' values. PCPs reported that lack of knowledge and experience made prescribing decisions for ChEI challenging. Physicians reported feeling pressured by families to prescribe ChEI. Under these ambiguous conditions, some physicians prescribed medications simply to be able to offer "something" to patients. PMID- 17804958 TI - The National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) database: the Uniform Data Set. AB - The National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) is responsible for developing and maintaining a database of participant information collected from the 29 Alzheimer's Disease Centers (ADCs) funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The NIA appointed the ADC Clinical Task Force to determine and define an expanded, standardized clinical data set, called the Uniform Data Set (UDS). The goal of the UDS is to provide ADC researchers a standard set of assessment procedures, collected longitudinally, to better characterize ADC participants with mild Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment in comparison with nondemented controls. NACC implemented the UDS (September 2005) by developing data collection forms for initial and follow-up visits based on Clinical Task Force definitions, a relational database, and a data submission system accessible by all ADCs. The NIA requires ADCs to submit UDS data to NACC for all their Clinical Core participants. Thus, the NACC web site (https://www.alz.washington.edu) was enhanced to provide efficient and secure access data submission and retrieval systems. PMID- 17804959 TI - Coated-platelets are higher in amnestic versus nonamnestic patients with mild cognitive impairment. AB - Coated-platelets, a subset of platelets produced by coactivation with both collagen and thrombin, retain intact amyloid precursor protein on their surface. We analyzed blood samples from 66 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (36 amnestic and 30 nonamnestic) for coated-platelet production. Coated-platelet levels were significantly higher in amnestic compared with nonamnestic patients (P=0.037). These findings support the hypothesis that coated-platelets may be linked to the requisite alteration in amyloid precursor protein metabolism that occurs in Alzheimer disease. PMID- 17804960 TI - Fragile X premutation in a woman with cognitive impairment, tremor, and history of premature ovarian failure. AB - Few women with Fragile X tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) have been reported. They have milder manifestations at a later age than men. This gender difference may be related to the X inactivation pattern in women. We describe a woman who presented to her geriatrician with poor memory and was found to have ataxia and tremor. Additional queries yielded history of premature ovarian failure. Genetic testing showed heterozygous fragile X mental retardation gene premutation with 103 CGG repeats in the abnormal allele and 31 CGG repeats in the normal allele. Also, the X inactivation pattern was skewed with the active X chromosome predominantly having the premutation allele. We believe that FXTAS is more common in women than is generally thought and that many such patients masquerade as dementia of old age. Action tremor and ataxia associated with a history suggestive of premature ovarian failure should raise suspicions for FXTAS. PMID- 17804961 TI - The end of Alzheimer disease? PMID- 17804962 TI - Are women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at higher risk for development of Alzheimer disease? PMID- 17804964 TI - Genetics in orthopaedics. PMID- 17804965 TI - Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. PMID- 17804966 TI - Femoral fractures in revision hip surgeries with impacted bone allograft. AB - Impacted allograft bone in hip revision arthroplasty is a biologic reconstruction method that restores bone loss. Periprosthetic femoral fracture is one of the most frequent complications. However, the incidence, types of fracture, time of occurrence, predisposing factors, and whether and how complication affects the reconstruction are unknown. We analyzed 285 femoral revisions performed with this technique. Fractures occurred in 64 patients (22.4%). Fifty-nine of these 64 incidents (92%) occurred during surgery and five within the first postoperative year. Of the 59 intraoperative lesions, 34 were fractures (57.6%) and 25 were incidental perforations (42.3%). Most fractures and incidental perforations were associated with cement removal rather than the reconstructive technique. The reconstruction was compromised in two of the 34 fractures, but the remainder healed without complications. Five patients had a diaphyseal fracture develop within the first postoperative year, four of whom had an intraoperative incidental perforation. There was an increased risk of fractures within the first postoperative year in patients who had an incidental perforation during surgery and in those with severe bone defects. Despite the high rate of femoral complications associated with this reconstructive technique, most did not influence the reconstruction and only the intraoperative and postoperative complete diaphyseal fractures underwent additional treatment. PMID- 17804967 TI - Prognosis of radiation-induced bone sarcoma is similar to primary osteosarcoma. PMID- 17804968 TI - Summary of evidence regarding hospital strategies to reduce door-to-balloon times for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. AB - Despite the clinical importance of prompt percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, many hospitals do not routinely achieve the guideline-recommended 90-minute door-to-balloon times. In this review, we evaluate existing evidence that identifies effective hospital strategies for reducing door-to-balloon time. We performed a computerized search of MEDLINE and Current Contents for studies conducted in the last 10 years of hospital efforts to improve door-to-balloon times. We excluded studies that had <10 patients, had nonspecific efforts, or, for quantitative studies, lacked statistical tests; each study was independently evaluated by 3 researchers. We found 13 studies that examined the relationship between hospital-based strategies and door-to-balloon times. Three examined national samples of hospitals using cross-sectional designs; 8 were conducted in a single or small number of hospitals using pre/post interventional or cross-sectional designs, and 2 were qualitative in design. Strategies with the strongest evidence include (1) activation of the catheterization laboratory using emergency medicine physicians rather than cardiologists, (2) effective use of prehospital electrocardiograms, (3) performance data monitoring/feedback. Reasonable evidence exists for establishing a single-call system for activating the catheterization laboratory, setting the expectation that the catheterization team be available 20-30 minutes after being paged, and having an organizational environment with strong senior management support and culture to foster changes directed at improving door-to balloon time. In conclusion, although evidence of "what works" is based on observational studies rather than randomized trials, there is evidence on effective interventions to reduce door-to-balloon time. PMID- 17804969 TI - Improved treatment of hospitalized coronary artery disease patients with the get with the guidelines program. AB - Adherence to evidence-based interventions for hospitalized cardiovascular disease patients is not optimal. This study assesses the impact of a national quality improvement program on adherence to guidelines in these patients. Data from 92 hospitals from across the United States participating in the Get With The Guidelines program for at least 1 year for 11 acute and secondary prevention measures from a preintervention baseline period and the subsequent 4 quarters of a quality improvement intervention were analyzed. A patient group of 45,988 patients with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, revascularization, or peripheral vascular disease was included in this evaluation. Significant improvement from baseline was seen in 10 of 11 measures by the fourth quarter: use of early aspirin for acute myocardial infarction, 76.4% to 88.0% (P < 0.0001); early beta-blocker for acute myocardial infarction, 64.4% to 79.5% (P < 0.0001); beta-blocker at discharge, 75% to 82.1% (P < 0.0001); smoking cessation counseling, 58.7% to 74.3% (P < 0.0001); angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use for acute myocardial infarction, 64.5% to 69.9% (P < 0.0001); lipid treatment, 58.5% to 63.4% (P < 0.0001); lipid treatment for low-density lipoprotein > or =100 mg/dL, 60.4% to 67.0% (P < 0.0001); low-density-lipoprotein measurement, 48.8% to 53.2% (P < 0.0001); discharge blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg, 65.9% to 68.0% (P = 0.03); and referral to cardiac rehabilitation or exercise counseling, 65.0% to 88.3% (P < 0.001). Discharge aspirin use at 89.9% did not change. Statistically and clinically significant improvement in 10 of 11 quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients hospitalized for cardiovascular disease was seen in hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines. PMID- 17804970 TI - Multidisciplinary rounds (MDR): an implementation system for sustained improvement in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines program. AB - INTRODUCTION: Hospitals throughout the United States face the challenge of developing implementation systems able to sustain improved clinical care over years. The American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines (GWTGs) program helps hospitals address this challenge with a comprehensive approach to quality improvement for patients with CAD, heart failure and stroke. The Department of Medicine at Berkshire Medical Center, a 300-bed community teaching hospital, developed a clinical care improvement implementation system called multidisciplinary rounds (MDR). We report our performance in GWTGs using MDR. METHODS: MDR is a patient-focused communication system integrating care delivered by multiple providers using concurrent feedback, redundancy, and rapid cycle improvement. Providers from multiple disciplines meet for 1 hour 3 times per week to coordinate care and assure adherence to evidence-based guidelines for all non ICU medical patients. Following brief focused presentations, participants view our electronic medical record (EMR) projected on screens, which includes orders, diagnoses, laboratory, medications, cardiology reports, consultations, nursing documentation, smoking and immunization status, and other information. The leaders emphasize the importance of evidence-based order sets in our computerized provider order entry system (CPOE), checklists, and tools. Specific suggestions for interventions and documentation based upon AHA/ACC guidelines are provided. RESULTS: MDR has rapidly improved adherence to evidence-based measures in all GWTGs programs. In addition, MDR has been associated with sustained improvement in all modules. Berkshire Medical Center has received more performance achievement awards than any other hospital in the United States. These awards include 6 consecutive awards in GWTGs CAD, 3 in stroke, and 2 in heart failure. Cardiovascular process improvements have been associated with a reduction in inpatient AMI mortality from 8.75% to 5.20% (with an expected severity-adjusted mortality of 10.18%). Berkshire Medical Center provides about 80% of the acute care in Berkshire County and thus influences the outcomes of a large proportion of our community's patients. Between 1999 and 2004, Berkshire County had a 26.3% decrease in major CVD deaths compared with a Massachusetts decrease of 17.3% and a US decrease of 17.8%. We have seen a 44.4% decrease in AMI mortality, a 34.5% decrease in stroke mortality, and a 33.9% decrease in heart failure mortality. We have assisted multiple organizations in implementing GWTG and MDR. CONCLUSIONS: MDR at Berkshire Medical Center is a clinical quality-improvement implementation system that has driven sustained high-level performance in the American Heart Association's GWTGs. MDR has changed our culture, improved coordination of care, been flexible, and facilitated rapid and sustained process improvement. Improvement in evidence-based cardiovascular processes for CAD, stroke and heart failure have been associated with improved in hospital AMI mortality and decreased overall community cardiovascular, AMI, stroke and heart failure mortality. MDR can be used by multiple organizations to drive care improvement. PMID- 17804971 TI - Who should be admitted to the chest pain observation unit?: one urban hospital experience. AB - INTRODUCTION: Patients at low risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) can be safely treated in the chest pain observation unit (CPOU). The goal of the study is to identify the differences in risk profiles of patients with positive and negative workup. METHODS: The study is a retrospective CPOU chart review conducted over 6 months. Data collected included gender, age, race, history of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, family history of CAD, smoking, test results, and disposition. SPSS-12 program was used to analyze the differences in patient's characteristics. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-three patients were admitted to CPOU, 86% completed their workup, and 82% were discharged. Twenty four (10%) patients had positive stress test, of whom 13 (54%) had > or =3 risk factors. CONCLUSION: It is practical to admit patients to the CPOU. The study has shown that "ideal" patients for CPOU are those with < or =2 risk factors for CAD. PMID- 17804972 TI - Clinical decision support software for chronic heart failure. AB - Critical care pathways, protocols, and guidelines have become an everyday feature of clinical practice and represent a distillation of the best available evidence. Chronic heart failure guidelines can be complex, and it is acknowledged that a combination of knowledge and expert advice, in addition to guidelines, is required to optimally treat these patients. This current article describes the potential value of clinical decision support software (CDSS) in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure and practical aspects of using such a tool. Barriers to implementation of our tool included relatively low computer skills among family physicians and a lack of complexity within CDSS in addressing the wider nonmedical needs of patients. Improving computer skills, integrating CDSS into referral pathways, and requests for investigation may be ways of enhancing the use of this technology. PMID- 17804973 TI - Utility of stress echocardiography in identifying significant coronary artery disease in patients with left bundle-branch block. AB - HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the study was to determine the utility of stress echocardiography for identification of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in higher-risk patients with an underlying left bundle-branch block (LBBB). METHODS: Patients with LBBB undergoing stress echocardiography were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (no history MI), group 2 (history MI). Positive stress echocardiograms were compared with the presence of >50% luminal-diameter stenosis during coronary angiography. During the follow-up (FU) period, cardiac events were determined for hard and soft endpoints. RESULTS: Sixty consecutive patients with LBBB underwent stress echocardiography. Twenty-eight patients had a positive stress echocardiogram (20 group 1; 8 group 2). Nineteen of these patients underwent coronary angiography (14 group 1; 5 group 2). In group 1, regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) correlated with coronary anatomy in only 5 patients, while in group 2, RWMA correlated with coronary anatomy in only 2 patients. There were 12 false positives, with echocardiographic abnormalities identified. The positive predictive values in groups 1 and 2 were 35.7% and 40%, respectively. During the FU period, there was 1 mortality, 2 MI, 2 coronary revascularizations, and 6 hospitalizations (2 chest pain, 1 CHF, 3 coronary angiography). The negative predictive value for hard endpoints was 83%. CONCLUSION: Stress echocardiography has a poor positive predictive value to identify significant angiographic CAD in higher-risk patients with LBBB; however, the negative predictive value for hard ischemic events is similar to patients without LBBB. PMID- 17804974 TI - Automated detection of ventricular fibrillation to guide cardiopulmonary resuscitation. AB - Sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a catastrophic event, especially in out-of-hospital settings. Prompt detection of VF and preparedness to intervene with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and especially the delivery of an electrical shock is potentially lifesaving. The reliability and accuracy of automated VF detection by current versions of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) require interruption of CPR because the ECG signal, which is the source of rhythm detection, is corrupted by chest compressions. Significantly better outcomes have been reported if effective chest compression precedes electrical defibrillation and especially if interruptions are minimized. We therefore sought a method by which VF detection could proceed without interrupting chest compressions. A VF detection algorithm was therefore derived based on a method by which continuous wavelet transform is used, together with measurement of morphologic consistency. This method was intended to distinguish between disorganized and organized rhythms. The Fourier-transform-based amplitude spectrum analysis was then used to detect the likelihood that VF was the rhythm prompting the delivery of an electrical shock. The algorithm was validated on 33,095 electrocardiographic segments, including 8840 segments corrupted by compression artifacts from 232 patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Nine thousand one hundred eighty-seven of 10,042 VF segments and 20,884 of 23,053 non-VF segments were correctly classified, with a sensitivity of 91.5% and a specificity of 90.6%. Although the proposed algorithm has a lesser predictive value for VF detection than the uncorrupted ECGs in clinical settings, it has the major potential for automated rhythm identification to guide defibrillation without repetitive interruptions of CPR. PMID- 17804975 TI - Auditory efferent function is affected in multiple sclerosis. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated efferent medial olivocochlear (MOC) function in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Various afferent auditory abnormalities have been described in MS, but there is a paucity of data on efferent function. The brain stem is a site of predilection for MS plaques and the efferent MOC pathway may be affected at this level. METHODS: The study included 30 patients who had normal hearing. According to MRI findings, they were divided into two groups: those with an identifiable brain stem lesion (n = 10) and those with MS lesions in other parts of the central nervous system but without demonstrable MS plaques in the brain stem (n = 20). MOC function was evaluated by the olivocochlear suppression test, using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. All subjects underwent standard auditory tests, including pure-tone audiometry and recording of auditory brain stem evoked responses. Twenty-two healthy subjects with normal hearing, matched for age and gender, served as a reference group for the auditory data. RESULTS: The results showed that 66.6% of all patients had reduced MOC function, particularly those (90%) with identified lesions of the brain stem on MRI. Furthermore, abnormal MOC function was found in 55% patients without evidence of a brain stem lesion on MRI. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the evidence for a deficit of efferent auditory function in the majority of patients with MS. Taking into consideration the possible roles of the MOC system in processing of auditory information, abnormal MOC suppression in patients with MS may explain a variety of auditory presentations that are currently largely overlooked. This study also highlights the diagnostic value of the MOC suppression test as a site-of-lesion diagnostic test in MS and in identifying subtle brain stem lesions undetected by MRI, suggesting that subtle brain stem lesions may exist and that the MOC suppression test is sufficiently sensitive to detect them. Accordingly, the MOC suppression test may provide a tool for an early diagnosis of MS. PMID- 17804976 TI - Vocalizations of infants with hearing loss compared with infants with normal hearing: Part I--phonetic development. AB - OBJECTIVE: Infants with hearing loss are known to be slower to develop spoken vocabulary than peers with normal hearing. Previous research demonstrates that they differ from normal-hearing children in several aspects of prelinguistic vocal development. Less is known about the vocalizations of early-identified infants with access to current hearing technologies. This longitudinal study documents changes in prelinguistic vocalizations in early-identified infants with varying degrees of hearing loss, compared with a group of infants with normal hearing. It was hypothesized that infants with hearing loss would demonstrate phonetic delays and that selected aspects of phonetic learning may be differentially affected by restricted auditory access. DESIGN: The vocalizations and early verbalizations of 21 infants with normal hearing and 12 early identified infants with hearing loss were compared over a period of 14 mo (from 10 to 24 mo of age). Thirty-minute mother-child interaction sessions were video recorded at 6- to 8-wk intervals in a laboratory playroom setting. Syllable complexity changes and consonantal development were quantified from vocalizations and early verbalizations. Early behaviors were related to speech production measures at 36 mo of age. Participants with hearing loss were recruited from local audiology clinics and early intervention programs. Participants with normal hearing were recruited through day care centers and pediatrician offices. RESULTS: Relative to age-matched, normal-hearing peers, children with hearing loss were delayed in the onset of consistent canonical babble. However, certain children with moderately-severe losses babbled on time, and infants with cochlear implants babbled within 2 to 6 mo of implantation. The infants with hearing loss had smaller consonantal inventories and were slower to increase syllable shape complexity than age-matched normal-hearing peers. The overall pattern of results suggested that consonant development in infants with hearing loss was delayed but not qualitatively different from children with normal hearing. Delays appeared to be less pronounced than suggested by previous research. However, fricative/affricate development progressed slowly in infants with hearing loss and divergence from the patterns of normal-hearing children was observed. Six children (2 with normal hearing; 4 with hearing loss) were identified as atypical, based on their rates of development. At 24 mo of age, these children persisted in producing a high proportion (0.59) of vocalizations lacking consonants, which was negatively correlated with Goldman-Fristoe scores at 36 mo (r = -0.60). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that early-identified children are delayed in consonant and syllable structure development, which may influence early word learning rates. Fricative/affricate development appears to be challenging for some infants with hearing loss. This may be related to the effects of sensorineural hearing loss on high-frequency information, restricted bandwidth provided by amplification, and reduced audibility in contexts of noise and reverberation. Delayed fricative use may have implications for morphological development. Atypically slow rates of change in syllable development may indicate that a child is at risk for delayed speech development. PMID- 17804977 TI - Vocalizations of infants with hearing loss compared with infants with normal hearing: Part II--transition to words. AB - OBJECTIVE: By 24 mo of age, most typically developing infants with normal hearing successfully transition to the production of words that can be understood about 50% of the time. This study compares early phonological development in children with and without hearing loss to gain a clearer understanding of the effects of hearing loss in early-identified children. A secondary goal was to identify measures of early phonetic development that are predictors of later speech production outcomes. DESIGN: The vocalizations and early words of 21 infants with normal hearing and 12 early-identified infants with hearing loss were followed longitudinally over a period of 14 mo (from 10 to 24 mo of age). Thirty-minute mother-child interaction samples were video recorded at 6- to 8-wk intervals in a laboratory playroom setting. Vocalizations produced at 16 and 24 mo were categorized according to communicative intent and recognizable words versus other types. Groups were compared on the structural complexity of words produced at 24 mo of age. Parent report measures of vocabulary development were collected from 10 to 30 mo of age, and Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation scores at 36 mo were used in regression analyses. RESULTS: Both groups increased the purposeful use of voice between 16 and 24 mo of age. However, at 24 mo of age, the toddlers with hearing loss produced significantly fewer words that could be recognized by their mothers. Their samples were dominated by unintelligible communicative attempts at this age. In contrast, the samples from normal hearing children were dominated by words and phrases. At 24 mo of age, toddlers with normal hearing were more advanced than those with hearing loss on seven measures of the structural complexity of words. The children with normal hearing attempted more complex words and productions were more accurate than those of children with hearing loss. At 10 to 16 mo of age, the groups did not differ significantly on parent report measures of receptive vocabulary. However, the hearing loss group was much slower to develop expressive vocabulary and demonstrated larger individual differences than the normal hearing group. Six children identified as atypical differed from all other children in vowel accuracy and complexity of word attempts. However, both atypical infants and typical infants with hearing loss were significantly less accurate than normal hearing infants in consonant and word production. Early measures of syllable production predicted unique variance in later speech production and vocabulary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The transition from babble to words in infants with hearing loss appears to be delayed but parallel to that of infants with normal hearing. These delays appear to exert significant influences on expressive vocabulary development. Parents may appreciate knowing that some children with hearing loss may develop early vocabulary at a slower rate than children with normal hearing. Clinicians should monitor landmarks from babble onset through transitions to words. Indicators of atypical development were delayed and/or limited use of syllables with consonants, vowel errors and limited production of recognizable words. PMID- 17804978 TI - An assessment of threshold shifts in nonprofessional pop/rock musicians using conventional and extended high-frequency audiometry. AB - The clinical value of extended high-frequency audiometry for the detection of noise-induced hearing loss has not been established conclusively. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative temporary threshold shift (TTS) in two frequency regions (conventional versus extended high frequency). In this exploratory study, pure-tone thresholds from 0.5 to 14 kHz were measured in both ears of 16 nonprofessional pop/rock musicians (mean age, 35 yr; range, 27 to 49 yr), before and after a 90-minute rehearsal session. All had experienced repeated exposures to intense sound levels during at least 5 yr of their musical careers. After the rehearsal, median threshold levels were found to be significantly poorer for frequencies from 0.5 to 8 kHz (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p or=0.86), and there was strong evidence supporting the instrument's nomological validity. FAPCI scores were positively associated with duration of implant use (p < .001), and 4 yr of implant use were required before maximal FAPCI scores were achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Verbal communication is a critical developmental domain that allows for optimal future emotional, cognitive, and behavioral growth. The FAPCI instrument is the first validated instrument ever designed to assess real world communicative performance of a child with a cochlear implant. The systematic approach taken to development may enable FAPCI to be sensitive to other communication-related disorders commonly seen in childhood or to serve as a model for the development of other disorder-specific instruments. PMID- 17804985 TI - Beware the IDEs of March. PMID- 17804986 TI - DSM melancholic features are unreliable predictors of ECT response: a CORE publication. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between baseline melancholic features with outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder referred for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). METHOD: In a multihospital (Consortium for Research in ECT) collaborative ECT study, SCID-1 interviews were obtained at study entry. Ratings of the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression were obtained thrice weekly during the course of ECT, once during a subsequent treatment-free week, and periodically during 6-month continuation treatment with either bitemporal ECT or nortriptyline plus lithium (continuation pharmacotherapy). RESULTS: The evaluable sample was severely ill with a mean 24 item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of 35.2 (+/-6.9). Of 489 patients, 63.6% (311) met DSM-IV criteria for melancholic features. During acute ECT, 62.1% of those with melancholic features remitted, as compared with 78.7% for those without melancholic features (P = 0.002). During medication continuation treatment (continuation pharmacotherapy), relapse rates were higher for those with melancholic features than for those without these features. Conversely, with continuation ECT, the rate of relapse was lower for those with, compared with those without, melancholic features. CONCLUSIONS: Ascertaining melancholic features by SCID-1 criteria does not identify depressed patients more likely to respond to ECT as had been anticipated from the literature. Melancholic features were associated with poorer treatment outcomes in acute ECT. Those with melancholic features were less likely to relapse with continuation ECT, but those with melancholic features were more likely to relapse with continuation pharmacotherapy. The limitations of the DSM-IV criteria for melancholia are discussed. PMID- 17804987 TI - Glycopyrrolate prevents extreme bradycardia and cerebral deoxygenation during electroconvulsive therapy. AB - The stimulation phase of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) induces bradycardia. We evaluated the effect of this bradycardia on cerebral perfusion and oxygenation by administration of the anticholinergic drug glycopyrrolate (Glp). Cerebral perfusion was estimated by transcranial ultrasound in the middle cerebral artery reporting the mean flow velocity (middle cerebral artery [MCA] V(mean)), and cerebral oxygenation was determined by near-infrared spectroscopy of the frontal lobe. Before ECT, heart rate (HR) was 84 beats min(-1) (66-113; median and range) and decreased to 17 (7-85) beats min(-1) during the stimulation phase of ECT (P < 0.001). Middle cerebral artery V(mean) decreased 43% (9%-71%; P < 0.001), and frontal lobe oxyhemoglobin (O(2)Hb) concentration decreased from 0.6 (0.0-25.3) to 0.1 (-1.9 to 7.6) microM, whereas the deoxyhemoglobin concentration increased from -0.2 (-13.9 to 0.8) to 0.0 (-4.2 to 0.8) microM (P < 0.001). Pretreatment with Glp largely eliminated these effects during the stimulation phase of ECT, maintaining HR at 78 (40-94) beats min(-1), MCA V(mean) at 53 (37-77) cm s(-1), and O(2)Hb at 5.6 (10.6-38.5) microM (P < 0.05). After ECT, HR, cerebral perfusion and oxygenation normalized over approximately 3 minutes, whereas the electroencephalogram was unaffected by Glp. The results demonstrate that ECT is associated with hemodynamic effects severe enough to affect cerebral oxygenation and perfusion, and that these effects can be attenuated by Glp treatment. PMID- 17804988 TI - Changes in everyday and semantic memory function after electroconvulsive therapy for unipolar depression. AB - OBJECTIVES: This long-term prospective study focuses on the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on everyday memory function and on semantic memory function. METHODS: Results of memory test from 96 consecutive inpatients treated for unipolar depression were analyzed prospectively before ECT, after ECT treatment, and at 3- and 12-month follow-up. Everyday memory function was assessed by means of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) and semantic memory by 2 forms of the word fluency test. RESULTS: In our study, age had a constant and significant negative effect on everyday memory (RBMT score) over time. Bilateral electrode placement mainly influenced everyday memory, which was significantly improved at 3-month follow-up. One year after discharge, the RBMT scores were not significantly different from pretreatment levels, indicating that ECT does not affect everyday memory on the longer term. Scores on both word fluency tests for semantic memory were significantly influenced by age over time. The effect of age changed from a negative influence directly after ECT to a positive effect at follow-up. This advantage of higher age indicates that the semantic memory of older patients receiving ECT for severe mood disorder shows greater improvement at follow-up compared with younger patients. Over time, the scores on only 1 of the word fluency tests were significantly influenced by mainly bilateral electrode placement. CONCLUSIONS: A small but reversible decrease in everyday memory occurs after ECT in depressed patients, which is influenced by age and electrode placement. Semantic memory shows a fluctuating but recovering course, which is also influenced by age and electrode placement. During follow-up, the improvement in semantic memory was greater in the older patients. PMID- 17804989 TI - A comparison of propofol and thiopentone use in electroconvulsive therapy: cognitive and efficacy effects. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare thiopentone and propofol administration for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in terms of associated efficacy and cognitive side effects in the immediate and medium term. METHOD: Participants comprised 30 depressed patients who were administered either propofol or thiopentone as an anesthetic agent for ECT. Clinical rating scales and a battery of neuropsychological tests were administered at baseline, after 6 treatments, 1 to 3 days after treatment end point, and at 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: Thiopentone administration was associated with advantages in efficacy and cognitive side effects compared with propofol administration. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports some serendipitous findings regarding the comparative effects of the anesthetic agents, propofol and thiopentone. Although limited by small sample size, results suggest that thiopentone has advantages for use as an anesthetic agent with ECT compared with propofol. It also highlights the need for further investigation of the impact of anesthetic agents on the cognitive side effects and efficacy of ECT. PMID- 17804990 TI - Ictal electroencephalographic correlates of posttreatment neuropsychological changes in electroconvulsive therapy: a hypothesis-generation study. AB - OBJECTIVES: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been associated with memory and neuropsychological changes, but which features of ECT are associated with those changes have not been well investigated. The aim of this hypothesis-generation study was to examine correlations between ictal electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics and cognitive side effects after ECT. METHODS: Eight patients with major depressive disorder were examined with the Wechsler Memory Scale Revised (WMS-R), the Stroop test, the Trail Making Test, and verbal fluency before and after ECT treatment. Seven ictal EEG measurements (eg, slow-wave phase amplitude, postictal suppression) were manually rated by 3 independent psychiatrists. The correlations between ictal EEG measurements, changes in WMS-R subset scores, and non-memory-related neuropsychological assessments were examined with Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: Verbal memory, general memory, attention/concentration, delayed memory of WMS-R subset scores, and the Stroop test scores improved significantly after ECT treatment. Postictal suppression and slow-wave amplitude correlated positively with delayed memory and visual/verbal discrepancy score. Slow-wave amplitude correlated negatively with letter fluency. The longer the polyspike wave duration, the higher the attention/concentration test results. CONCLUSIONS: Certain ictal EEG measurements were associated with changes in several neuropsychological test results that had improved 2 weeks after the final ECT treatment. A hypothesis-testing study with a larger sample is needed to verify the relationships between EEG measurements and neuropsychological test performance. PMID- 17804991 TI - A questionnaire study of patients' experience of electroconvulsive therapy. AB - OBJECTIVE: To ascertain patients' experience of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) using a questionnaire having these features: short so to be acceptable to the elderly and the depressed; ascertaining experience, not opinions; coming from a 'neutral' source; and analyzed by methods that do not impose an arbitrary scale on ordinal response categories. METHOD: Two hundred eighty-eight traceable patients consecutively treated with ECT were surveyed, the majority by post. One hundred forty-eight replied. RESULTS: The conviction, a median of 4 years after ECT, that side effects persisted was related to current depression and, inversely, to age, but not to the number of ECT given. Current depression was also associated with a less favorable account of emotional support during ECT. Formal legal status had no effect on any of the answers, but refusal of, or agreement to ECT on sufferance, was linked to a relatively unfavorable view of it. Not all patients regarded the decision to give them ECT compulsorily wrong on principle; some judged by results. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of current depression contributes to several aspects of the patient's view of ECT given a median of 4 years earlier. The belief that side effects persist has a complex basis; but the importance of this belief is not thereby diminished. Legal compulsion of treatment adds its own quota of contention which can be mitigated, but not entirely dispelled, by careful adherence to the law. PMID- 17804992 TI - Serum sodium does not correlate with seizure length or seizure threshold in electroconvulsive therapy. AB - Disorders of sodium balance can result in seizures. In electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) practice, it is customary to obtain electrolytes, including sodium, before treatment. A question that arises is whether the patient with mild disturbances of sodium can safely be treated with ECT or whether normalization of serum sodium is needed first. In this series, 207 patients were treated with ECT and had a serum sodium performed within a week before the first treatment. A few patients were mildly hypernatremic or hyponatremic. We found no correlation between baseline sodium and seizure threshold or seizure duration at the first treatment session. We conclude that although it is ideal to have normal sodium values before ECT, mild abnormalities do not necessarily presage prolonged seizures or lower seizure thresholds in ECT. PMID- 17804993 TI - Etomidate and unpredicted seizures during electroconvulsive therapy. AB - Electroconvulsive therapy has been a novel treatment for about half a century, effective for severe psychiatric conditions. Over the years, the treatment has been refined with the addition of anesthesia. Different inducing agents have been used in clinical practice over the last few decades including propofol, methohexital, and etomidate. Previous literature rarely mentions seizures soon after induction with etomidate and typically only in anesthesia literature. We describe 2 cases with different demographics, diagnosis, and treatment that had seizures with the use of etomidate as an inducing agent. PMID- 17804994 TI - Electroconvulsive therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis. AB - There are relatively few case reports of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with multiple sclerosis. We present 3 such patients, all of whom received safe, effective ECT without evidence of acute neurological deterioration. We conclude that patients with multiple sclerosis being considered for ECT should have a thorough neurological evaluation, and the informed consent process should include discussion of the possibility of neurological deterioration. However, review of the literature and of our 3 cases does reveal that ECT can be used safely, at least in the short term. Long-term outcomes in such patients remain uncertain. PMID- 17804995 TI - Electroconvulsive therapy and ocular dystonia. AB - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been reported to be beneficial in various movement disorders, especially tardive dystonic reactions. In this article, we report an interesting case of drug-induced blepharospasm with ocular dystonia which improved with ECT. To our knowledge, a case of ocular dystonia improving with ECT has not been previously reported in the literature. PMID- 17804996 TI - Electroconvulsive therapy use in pregnancy. AB - Treatment of psychiatric disorders during pregnancy poses many challenges. Electroconvulsive therapy is a relatively safe and effective treatment during pregnancy if steps are taken to decrease potential risks. In this article, we discuss premature labor in a patient who underwent electroconvulsive therapy. PMID- 17804997 TI - Acute and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy for treatment of psychotic depression in a pregnant patient. AB - Depression may relapse during pregnancy in women with a history of depression. Treatments which may be effective for mothers may be harmful to the fetus. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been widely used in patients with different medical illnesses. It is safe, and its efficacy is well established. In our example, the patient was a 34-year-old white woman who was at 13 weeks' gestation at the time of admission to our hospital. Over a 1-month period, the patient underwent a total of 13 ECTs (3 times a week) and 3 more ECTs monthly until the birth of her child. After 10th ECT, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score was reduced from 33 before ECT to 7. After 3 more weekly ECTs, the patient was discharged from the hospital with a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of 3. The patient was instructed to continue maintenance treatment with ECT sessions monthly. Except for pelvic pain and transient fetal arrhythmias, no complications were reported. Thus, acute and maintenance ECT may be the choice of treatment in severely depressed or psychotic pregnant patients. PMID- 17804998 TI - The use of electroconvulsive therapy in postpartum affective disorders. AB - Postpartum affective disorders continue to be a major health issue for women. There is a general belief that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective in treating severe or treatment-refractory postpartum affective illnesses, but evidence to support this assertion is lacking. In this case series, we present 5 cases of women with postpartum depression and psychosis, all of whom had failed prior pharmacological therapy. All 5 women had a significant response within 3 to 6 treatments with ECT. Our findings suggest that ECT is overall an effective treatment of postpartum illnesses. In addition to being an excellent choice for women who have failed prior medication trials, ECT may also be considered for women whose severity of illness necessitates rapid symptom resolution. PMID- 17804999 TI - Prolonged and fluctuating giant T-wave inversion after electroconvulsive therapy. AB - A 76-year-old woman was scheduled to receive 8 treatments of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for severe depression. Although she experienced no adverse consequences in the first 2 treatments, giant T-wave inversion ensued from the third treatment despite no change in anesthesia or technical parameters of ECT. T wave inversion appeared to have almost disappeared 8 days after the third ECT, but reappeared at 3 weeks after treatment during severe pain from gallbladder stone. T-wave inversion lasted for 4 months with gradual attenuation. Exaggerated sympathetic stimulation associated with ECT as physical and emotional stressors might have played a role in the appearance of T-wave inversion similar to catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, reappearance of T-wave inversion may have been involved in additive effects of pain from gallbladder stone on vulnerability due to a catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy-like condition. PMID- 17805000 TI - Pseudocholinesterase deficiency and electroconvulsive therapy. AB - Clinically significant pseudocholinesterase deficiency is a relatively uncommon disorder, but when present, it presents clinicians with challenges regarding medication administration. This is especially true in cases of patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), as the presence of pseudocholinesterase deficiency limits the use of certain muscle relaxants. The authors describe a patient receiving ECT for treatment of his depression, who also possessed an unsuspected pseudocholinesterase deficiency. This was diagnosed after the patient was given succinylcholine, did not spontaneously recover motor function, and eventually required intubation. Subsequent ECT treatments were then managed with an alternative muscle relaxant which was not dependent on pseudocholinesterase for termination of action. PMID- 17805001 TI - Unilateral nondominant electrode placement as a risk factor for recall of awareness under anesthesia during electroconvulsive therapy. AB - BACKGROUND: Awareness under anesthesia can be a frightening experience for patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). CASE REPORT: We present a 19 year-old, 62-kg, bipolar woman who was prescribed right unilateral ECT for a treatment-refractory major depressive episode. Her premedication comprised thiopentone sodium (200 mg) and succinylcholine (30 mg). She received 3 treatments uneventfully. A day after the fourth treatment, she described her awareness of paralysis during the last procedure and refused further treatment despite the marked improvement that had resulted with ECT. DISCUSSION: Electroconvulsive therapy is more usually administered with bilateral than with unilateral electrode placement. During ECT, awareness under anesthesia and recall of paralysis (resulting from inadequate doses of anesthesia and/or premature administration of the muscle relaxant) may be more common than is generally realized but may not be reported by patients because bilateral ECT tends to obliterate the memory of the ECT procedure. If this is true, unilateral nondominant ECT, which is relatively memory sparing, may increase the chance of recollection of paralysis when narcosis under anesthesia is incomplete. Careful clinical assessment and monitoring of the depth of anesthesia using the bispectral index can minimize this risk of awareness under anesthesia. PMID- 17805002 TI - Continuation electroconvulsive therapy to prevent relapse of schizophrenia in relapse-prone patients. PMID- 17805003 TI - Hemodynamic effects of etomidate and propofol. PMID- 17805004 TI - ECT practice in India: reply to Dr Andrade (Andrade C. Electroconvulsive therapy in India. J ECT. 2006;22(3):231). PMID- 17805005 TI - Effect of the first electroconvulsive therapy in a series. PMID- 17805007 TI - Cytotoxic edema: monitoring its magnitude and contribution to brain swelling. AB - Cytotoxic edema (CytE) is an increment in total brain water produced when the excess water swells cells rather than expanding the extracellular space. CytE contributes to brain swelling with a resultant increase of intracranial pressure (ICP). However, questions remain concerning the magnitude of the contribution made by CytE to raised ICP and the ability of CytE by itself to produce lethal levels of ICP that result in brainstem herniation. These questions exist because there are pitfalls in estimating the magnitude of CytE and hence its contribution to ICP using either electron microscopy or in vivo surrogates for CytE such as impedance measurements or the apparent diffusion coefficient. Correlation of these measures has been made during CytE. However, the literature provides reasons to question whether any of these surrogates for CytE can give accurate quantitative measures of CytE. At present, there is little evidence to indicate that CytE can, by itself, raise ICP to lethal levels. However, because CytE can raise ICP, it is of interest to develop treatments to prevent or reduce CytE even though currently available data do not yet provide an established mechanistic basis upon which to base such therapy. PMID- 17805008 TI - Lysosomal dysfunction produces distinct alterations in synaptic alpha-amino-3 hydroxy-5-methylisoxazolepropionic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor currents in hippocampus. AB - The early processes that lead to synaptic dysfunction during aging are not clearly understood. Dysregulation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5 methylisoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors may cause age-related cognitive decline. Using hippocampal slice cultures exhibiting lysosomal dysfunction, an early marker of brain aging that is linked to protein accumulation, we identified alterations to AMPA and NMDA receptor mediated synaptic currents. The miniature and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents that were examined after 3, 6, and 9 days of lysosomal disruption showed progressive changes in amplitude, frequency, and rise and decay kinetics. To investigate whether modifications in specific channel properties of single synaptic receptors contributed to changes in the amplitude and time course of synaptic currents, we examined the single channel properties of synaptic AMPA and NMDA receptors. The channel open probability and the mean open times showed decreases in both receptor populations, whereas the closed times were increased without any change in the channel conductance. The Western blot analysis revealed a progressive decline in synaptic markers including glutamate receptor subunits. These results indicate that lysosomal dysfunction leads to progressive functional perturbation of AMPA and NMDA receptors in this slice model of protein accumulation, suggesting that age-related cognitive decline could result from altered glutamate receptor function before reductions in synaptic density. PMID- 17805009 TI - Glycoursodeoxycholic acid and interleukin-10 modulate the reactivity of rat cortical astrocytes to unconjugated bilirubin. AB - The pathogenesis of bilirubin encephalopathy seems to result from accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) within the brain. We have recently demonstrated that UCB causes astroglial release of proinflammatory cytokines and glutamate, as well as cell death. The bile acid glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) and the anti inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 have been reported to modulate inflammation and cell survival. In this study we investigated the effect of these therapeutic agents on the astroglial response to UCB. Only GUDCA prevented UCB induced astroglial death. The secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and IL-1beta elicited by UCB in astrocytes was reduced in the presence of GUDCA and IL-10, whereas the suppression of IL-6 was only counteracted by GUDCA. Neither GUDCA nor IL-10 modulated the accumulation of extracellular glutamate. Additionally, IL-10 markedly inhibited UCB-induced nuclear factor-kappaB nuclear translocation and cytokine mRNA expression, whereas GUDCA only prevented TNF alpha mRNA expression. Moreover, GUDCA inhibited TNF-alpha- and IL-1beta converting enzymes, preventing the maturation of these cytokines and their consequent release. Collectively, this study shows that IL-10 action is restricted to UCB-induced release of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta from the astrocytes, whereas GUDCA presents a more ubiquitous action on the astroglial reactivity to UCB. Hence, GUDCA may have potential benefits over an IL-10 therapeutic approach in reducing UCB-induced astrocyte immunostimulation and death. PMID- 17805010 TI - Characterization of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected cells in infiltrates associated with CNS opportunistic infections in patients with HIV clade C infection. AB - Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clade C is the most common HIV infection worldwide, yet its impact on the nervous system remains largely unknown. Autopsy studies from regions affected by this virus are scarce, and HIV dementia has only rarely been reported from these countries. Most patients who develop neurologic complications die of opportunistic infections. We thus conducted a neuropathologic study from a single institution in India to characterize the HIV-infected cells in the inflammatory infiltrates in a total of 15 cases (5 patients each who died of either CNS toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, or cryptococcal meningitis). Nearly, all patients had HIV-infected cells in the brain, although these cells were most abundant in patients with toxoplasma encephalitis. Interestingly, none of the patients had any multinucleated giant cells. HIV-infected cells were found in the parenchyma, perivascular regions, and choroid plexus and found infiltrating the parenchyma from the meninges, suggesting multiple portals of entry into the brain. These findings suggest the possibility that patients, even if successfully treated for an opportunistic inflection, may be at high risk of developing HIV encephalitis and subsequent dementia. PMID- 17805011 TI - Induction of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB as a prerequisite for disease development in susceptible SJL/J mice after theiler murine encephalomyelitis. AB - Theiler murine encephalomyelitis (TME) represents an important mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Activator protein and nuclear factor-kappaB proteins are interacting transcription factors controlling the expression of cytokines involved in the demyelination process. However, specific expression patterns of these transcription factors in susceptible and resistant mouse strains and their relationship to demyelination remains to be determined. The expression of activator protein-1 (c-fos and c-jun) and nuclear factor-kappaB (p50 and p65) genes, TME virus, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma was investigated in the spinal cord of TME virus (BeAn strain)-infected SJL/J and C57BL/6 mice until 196 days postinfection (dpi) using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, c-fos, c-jun, and p50 expression was examined by applying immunohistochemistry. In susceptible SJL/J mice, in contrast to resistant C57BL/6 mice, all investigated mRNA transcripts were upregulated in the early (0-7 days dpi) and late phases (28-196 days dpi) of TME. In addition, white matter lesions of SL/J mice were characterized by c-jun positive astrocytes and p50-positive mononuclear immune cells. Upregulation of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB in resident glial cells in the early phase followed by strong downstream tumor necrosis factor-alpha production might account for disease development in susceptible SJL/J mice. In the late phase, the formation of JUN/JUN homodimers in intralesional astrocytes might contribute to the sustained release of proinflammatory cytokines, thereby promoting disease progression. PMID- 17805012 TI - Extensive hippocampal demyelination in multiple sclerosis. AB - Memory impairment is especially prominent within the spectrum of cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis (MS), and a crucial role for hippocampal pathology may therefore be expected in this disease. This study is the first to systematically assess hippocampal demyelination in MS. Hippocampal tissue samples of 19 chronic MS cases and 7 controls with non-neurologic disease were stained immunohistochemically for myelin proteolipid protein. Subsequently, number, location, and size of demyelinated lesions were assessed. Furthermore, the specimens were stained for HLA-DR to investigate microglia/macrophage activity. An unexpectedly high number of lesions (n = 37) was found in 15 of the 19 MS cases. Mixed intrahippocampal-perihippocampal lesions, which were more often found in cases with cognitive decline, were large and did not respect anatomical borders. Moderate microglial activation was frequently observed at the edges of these mixed lesions. Isolated intrahippocampal lesions were also frequently found. These were smaller than the mixed lesions and had a specific anatomical predilection: the cornu ammonis 2 subregion and the hilus of the dentate gyrus were consistently spared. Microglial activation was rare in isolated intrahippocampal lesions. Our results indicate that hippocampal demyelination is frequent and extensive in MS and that anatomical localization, size, and inflammatory activity vary for different lesion types. PMID- 17805013 TI - Sodium channel expression within chronic multiple sclerosis plaques. AB - Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by focal destruction of myelin sheaths, gliotic scars, and axonal damage that contributes to the accumulation of nonremitting clinical deficits. Previous studies have demonstrated coexpression of sodium channel Nav1.6 and the sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX), together with beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP), a marker of axonal damage, in degenerating axons within acute MS lesions. Axonal degeneration is less frequent within chronic MS lesions than in acute plaques, although current evidence suggests that axonal loss in chronic lesions ("slow burn") is a major contributor to accumulating disability. It is not known, however, whether axonal degenerations in chronic and acute lesions share common mechanisms, despite radically differing extracellular milieus. In this study, the expression of sodium channels Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 and of NCX was examined in chronic MS plaques within the spinal cord. Nav1.2 immunostaining was not observed along demyelinated axons in chronic lesions but was expressed by scar and reactive astrocytes within the plaque. Nav1.6 immunoreactivity, which was intense at nodes of Ranvier in normal appearing white matter in the same sections, was present in approximately one-third of the demyelinated axons within these plaques in a patchy rather than continuous distribution. NCX was not detected in demyelinated axons within chronic lesions, although it was clearly present within the scar astrocytes surrounding the demyelinated axons. beta-APP accumulation occurred in a small percentage of axons within chronic lesions within the spinal cord, but beta-APP was not preferentially present in axons that expressed Nav1.6. These observations suggest that different mechanisms underlie axonal degeneration in acute and chronic MS lesions, with axonal injury occurring at sites of coexpression of Nav1.6 and NCX in acute lesions but independent of coexpression of these 2 molecules in chronic lesions. PMID- 17805014 TI - Apoptosis-inducing factor deficiency induces early mitochondrial degeneration in brain followed by progressive multifocal neuropathology. AB - Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) deficiency compromises oxidative phosphorylation. Harlequin mice, in which AIF is downregulated, develop a severe mitochondrial complex I (CI) deficiency, suggesting that Harlequin mice may represent a natural model of the most common oxidative phosphorylation disorders. However, the brain phenotype specifically involves the cerebellum, whereas human CI deficiencies often manifest as complex multifocal neuropathologies. To evaluate whether this model can be used as to study CI-deficient disorders, the whole brain of Harlequin mice was investigated during the course of the disease. Neurodegeneration was not restricted to the cerebellum but progressively affected thalamic, striatal, and cortical regions as well. Strong astroglial and microglial activation with extensive vascular proliferation was observed by 4 months of age in thalamic, striatal, and cerebellar nuclei associated with somatosensory-motor pathways. At 2 months of age, degenerating mitochondria were observed in most cells in these structures, even in nondegenerating neurons, a finding that indicates mitochondrial injury is a cause rather than an effect of neuronal cell death. Thus, apoptosis-inducing factor deficiency induces early mitochondrial degeneration, followed by progressive multifocal neuropathology (a phenotype broader than previously described), and resembles some histopathologic features of devastating human neurodegenerative mitochondriopathies associated with CI deficiency. PMID- 17805015 TI - Th1 polarization of CD4+ T cells by Toll-like receptor 3-activated human microglia. AB - Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are expressed by human microglia and translate environmental cues into distinct activation programs. We addressed the impact of TLR ligation on the capacity of human microglia to activate and polarize CD4 T cell responses. As microglia exist under distinct states of activation, we examined both ramified and ameboid microglia isolated from adult and fetal CNS, respectively. In vitro, ligation of TLR3 significantly increased major histocompatibility complex and costimulatory molecule expression on adult microglia and induced high levels of interferon-alpha, interleukin-12p40, and interleukin-23. TLR4 and, in particular, TLR2 had a more limited capacity to induce such responses. Coculturing allogeneic CD4 T cells with microglia preactivated with TLR3 did not increase T cell proliferation above basal levels but consistently led to elevated levels of interferon-gamma secretion and Th1 polarization. Fetal microglial TLR3 responses were comparable; in contrast, TLR2 and TLR4 decreased major histocompatibility complex class II expression on fetal cells and reduced CD4 T cell proliferation to levels below those found in untreated cocultures. All 3 TLRs induced comparable interleukin-6 secretion by microglia. Our findings illustrate how activation of human microglia via TLRs, particularly TLR3, can change the profile of local CNS immune responses by translating Th1 polarizing signals to CD4 T cells. PMID- 17805016 TI - Preferential loss of the nonimprinted allele for the ZAC1 tumor suppressor gene in human capillary hemangioblastoma. AB - Capillary hemangioblastomas (CHBs) are vascular, usually benign, tumors of the CNS, occurring either as a component of familial von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease or as a sporadic entity. Both familial and sporadic forms of VHL-associated tumors involve inactivation of the VHL gene; for CHB, 20% to 50% of sporadic cases are affected. However, other molecular alterations involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic CHBs, which represent up to 70% of CHBs, remain largely unknown. We previously identified a minimal deleted area at 6q23-24 in CHB, and the present study focused on the ZAC1 gene (6q24-25). ZAC1 is a maternally imprinted tumor suppressor gene with antiproliferative properties. We investigated loss of heterozygosity (LOH), promoter methylation, and expression status of ZAC1 in mainly sporadic cases of CHB. Our LOH analysis with 6 microsatellite markers spanning the ZAC1 gene region revealed a high frequency (6 of 10, 60%) of LOH. The promoter methylation analysis detected predominance of the methylated ZAC1 sequence in the majority (9 of 10, 90%) of the tumors. Immunohistochemistry exhibited a strongly reduced expression of ZAC1 in stromal cells of all CHBs studied. Collectively, our current results indicate that the absence of the unmethylated ZAC1 sequence was highly concurrent with ZAC1 region LOH or 6q loss and with lack of ZAC1 expression, suggesting preferential loss of the nonimprinted, expressed ZAC1 allele in CHB. This novel finding highlights the importance of ZAC1 in development of CHB, particularly in non-VHL-associated cases. PMID- 17805017 TI - Atypical anterior wall fracture of the acetabulum: case series of anterior acetabular rim fracture without involvement of the pelvic brim. AB - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe a form of anterior wall acetabular fracture, which has been inadequately defined in the literature. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients. SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS: A retrospective analysis of consecutive acetabulum patients treated by a single surgeon between 1999 and 2005 identified 6 patients with a form of anterior wall fracture without involvement of the pelvic brim. All fractures were treated operatively. INTERVENTION: Open reduction and internal fixation through an anterior surgical approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Final radiographic appearance and modified Merle d'Aubigne score. RESULTS: All 6 cases demonstrated characteristics of an atypical fracture of the anterior wall, involving the anterior rim of the acetabulum similar in nature to those described for the posterior wall, rather than the standard anterior wall fracture type described by Letournel. Of the 6 cases that were identified, 5 had follow-up 1 year or greater with a mean modified Merle d'Aubigne Score of 17 (range: 17-18). CONCLUSION: A form of anterior wall acetabular fracture exists, which involves the anterior acetabular rim without involvement of the pelvic brim. It can occur in young patients with high-energy mechanisms of injury, as well as in the elderly with low-energy trauma. With appropriate surgical management, using a modified Smith-Peterson approach, good to excellent clinical outcomes should be expected. PMID- 17805018 TI - Results of femoral intramedullary nailing in patients who are obese versus those who are not obese: a prospective multicenter comparison study. AB - OBJECTIVES: Antegrade femoral nailing through a piriformis fossa starting point in patients who are obese has been demonstrated to be problematic. Retrograde femoral nailing therefore has been advocated in this patient population, but little data exist to support such a recommendation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare antegrade and retrograde femoral nailing technique in both patients who are and are not obese. DESIGN: Prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized, internal review board (IRB)-approved study. SETTING: Four Level 1 trauma centers. PATIENTS: Patients (151) with a femoral shaft fracture (OTA 32) treated with intramedullary nailing were studied. Thirty-two with a body mass index (BMI) of >or=30 comprised the obese group (OG), and 119 with a BMI of <30 comprised the nonobese group (NOG). Antegrade nailing was performed in 15 patients from the OG and 84 from the NOG. Retrograde nailing was performed in 17 patients from the OG and 35 from the NOG. INTERVENTION: Reamed intramedullary nailing of a femoral shaft fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient and fracture characteristics, operative time, fluoroscopy time, healing, complications, and functional outcome based on the lower extremity measure (LEM) were evaluated. RESULTS: Antegrade technique in the OG was associated with a 52% greater average operative time (94 minutes) compared with antegrade nailing in the NOG (62 minutes; P < 0.003). For retrograde nailing technique, there was no difference in the average operative time between the OG (67 minutes) and NOG (62 minutes; P = 0.51). Antegrade technique in the OG was associated with a 79% greater average radiation exposure time (247 seconds) compared with antegrade nailing in the NOG (135 seconds; P < 0.03). For retrograde nailing technique, average fluoroscopy time was similar between the OG (76 seconds) and the NOG (63 seconds; P = 0.44). Within the OG, antegrade nailing required 40% greater average operative time (94 minutes versus 67 minutes, P < 0.02) and more than 3 times more average fluoroscopy time (242 seconds versus 76 seconds, P < 0.002) than retrograde nailing. Thirty-eight patients from the original cohort were not available for follow-up. Of the 113 patients followed (average 9 months, range: 4 to 25 months), healing complications occurred similarly between the 2 groups, with 1 nonunion and 2 delayed unions in the OG (12%), and 3 nonunions and 9 delayed unions in the NOG (14%). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence, in the form of decreased operative and radiation exposure times, to support the use of retrograde nailing technique for the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in patients who are obese. Also, antegrade nailing was found to require significantly more operative and radiation exposure time in the patient who is obese as opposed to the patients who is not obese. Although having similar baseline functional scores, patients who are obese recovered at a slower rate and more incompletely than patients who are not obese. PMID- 17805019 TI - Open reduction and internal fixation of tibial pilon fractures using a lateral approach. AB - OBJECTIVES: To assess the wound complications and reductions achieved in a cohort of patients with pilon fractures who were treated using a novel lateral approach. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Two level 1 trauma centers affiliated with academic institutions. PATIENTS/METHODS: All 44 fractures (in 43 patients) treated by the senior authors with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using the lateral approach as the primary approach were included. INTERVENTION: Data regarding medical comorbidities, mechanism of injury, soft-tissue injury sustained during the injury, treatment, wound healing, and secondary surgeries were recorded. Fractures were classified using the AO/OTA system with most being type C3. Eighteen fractures were open injuries (10 type 3). Fracture reductions were scored using the criteria of Teeny and Wiss. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Quality of articular reduction and soft-tissue healing. RESULTS: An anatomic or good fracture reduction was achieved in 41 fractures (93%), and a fair reduction was obtained in 3 fractures. Two patients were successfully treated for deep infection (4.5%), and 2 patients developed a wound dehiscence (4.5%). There were no amputations. Twelve patients underwent secondary surgeries (27%). Five of these were for symptomatic screw removal (related to the fibular hardware in all cases), and the sixth was for planned removal of a syndesmotic-type screw (13.6%). Four were for nonunion, representing 9% of all cases. The remaining secondary surgeries (2 cases) were performed for infection. Overall, 13.6% of patients underwent a secondary surgical procedure to address nonunion or infection. CONCLUSIONS: When applied in a staged fashion, the lateral surgical approach for pilon fractures provides excellent protection of the soft-tissue envelopes by creating thick flaps while allowing excellent visualization for reconstruction of the anterior and lateral distal tibia. PMID- 17805020 TI - Prognostic reliability of the Hawkins sign in fractures of the talus. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic reliability, sensitivity, and specificity of the Hawkins sign. The Hawkins sign is a subchondral radiolucent band in the talar dome that is indicative of viability at 6 to 8 weeks after a talus fracture. It is visible in the anterior-posterior view, but seldom appears on lateral radiographs. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1995 and December 2000, a total of 41 patients (13 female, 28 male) with displaced talar fractures were operated on in our hospital. Thirty-four patients with a mean age of 35 years (range 12-60) were followed for more than 36 months (range 36-52). The prognostic reliability of the Hawkins sign was studied in 31 of these patients using a two-by-two table. The Ankle-Hindfoot scale of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) was used as an outcome measure. RESULTS: No Hawkins sign was found in the five patients who developed avascular necrosis (AVN) of the talus. In the remaining 26 patients who did not develop AVN, a positive (full) Hawkins sign was observed 11 times, a partially positive Hawkins sign 4 times, and a negative Hawkins sign 11 times. The Hawkins sign thus showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 57.7%. The Hawkins sign (if present) appeared between the 6th and the 9th week after trauma. Mean [range] AOFAS scores were: Pain, 31 [10-40] out of 40; Function, 39 [14-50] out of 50; and Alignment, 7 [0-10] out of 10. The clinical results were satisfactory. CONCLUSION: The Hawkins sign is a good indicator of talus vascularity following fracture. If a full or partial positive Hawkins sign is detected, it is unlikely that AVN will develop at a later stage after injury. PMID- 17805021 TI - Vertically oriented femoral neck fractures: mechanical analysis of four fixation techniques. AB - OBJECTIVE: Femoral neck fractures in young individuals are typically high angled shear fractures. These injuries are difficult to stabilize due to a strong varus displacement force across the hip with weight bearing. The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability of four differing fixation techniques for stabilizing vertical shear femoral neck fractures. METHODS: Vertical femoral neck fracture stability was assessed using 4 surgical constructs in 32 cadaveric femurs: 7.3 mm cannulated screws placed in a triangular configuration (group 1), a 135-degree dynamic hip screw (group 2), a 95-degree dynamic condylar screw (group 3), and a locking proximal femoral plate (group 4). The 4 groups were matched for mean bone density and each specimen was tested under incremental loading, cyclical loading, and loading to failure. The modes of fixation failure were recorded for each specimen and the mean group stiffness, failure loads, and failure energies were calculated. RESULTS: All 8 specimens failed during incremental loading in group 1. Five of 8 constructs failed with incremental loading, and 3 failed with cyclical testing in group 2. The combined 16 specimens in groups 3 and 4 survived both incremental and cyclical loading. The differences in stiffness, failure loads, and failure energies between the 4 groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The strongest construct was the locking plate and the weakest construct was the 7.3-mm cannulated screw configuration. The cannulated screw configuration group failed as the screws backed out of the femoral head and by varus collapse of the osteotomy; the fixed angled devices all failed at the bone-implant interface. CONCLUSIONS: The strongest construct for stabilizing a vertical shear femoral neck fracture is the proximal femoral locking plate, followed in descending order by the dynamic condylar screw, the dynamic hip screw, and the 3 cannulated screw configuration. PMID- 17805022 TI - Ilizarov frame fixation without bone graft for atrophic humeral shaft nonunion: 28 patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up. AB - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcomes of patients with atrophic humeral shaft nonunion (HSNU) treated by Ilizarov frame fixation without the use of bone graft. DESIGN: A retrospective review of 28 consecutive patients treated in 1 center between 1996 and 2002. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 28 consecutive patients: 12 male and 16 female. Of the patients, 21 had been previously operated (15 by internal fixation using compression plates, 3 by intramedullary nailing, and 3 by external fixation), and 9 of those 21 patients also had failed revision procedures; 7 patients had been treated nonoperatively from the time of injury to the time of the index procedure for HSNU. Mean age at the time of the index operation was 44 years (16-73 years). INTERVENTION: Removal of the previous fixation device, excision of fibrous tissue at the HSNU site, opening of the intramedullary canal, excision of avascular bony ends, and stabilization fixation and compression of the humerus with an Ilizarov circular frame (proximal semicircular ring) using smooth 1.8-mm K-wires. No bone graft was used. The mean postoperative follow-up was 76 months (24-174 months). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Radiologic union using plain radiographs. Clinical and functional outcome using the Lammens system, which evaluates pain, range of shoulder and elbow movements (and their limitations), and humeral alignment and union. Patient subjective outcomes were assessed using a 4-point patient satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: Bony union was achieved in all 28 cases after a mean of 4.1 months (3.4-5.7 months). There were 6 superficial pin tract infections (which resolved with antibiotics) and 1 transient radial nerve palsy (which resolved at 2.5 months). One patient refractured his humeral shaft following a fall, but the fracture successfully united 5.7 months later after a further Ilizarov frame application. All patients had good or excellent functional outcomes and range of shoulder and elbow movements as rated by the Lammens scoring system. CONCLUSIONS: Ilizarov circular frame fixation without bone graft is a reliable method for the treatment of atrophic nonunion of the humerus, even after failed previous surgery. PMID- 17805023 TI - Metabolic and endocrine abnormalities in patients with nonunions. AB - OBJECTIVES: To determine whether patients with unexplained nonunions, patients with a history of multiple low-energy fractures with at least one progressing to a nonunion, and patients with a nonunion of a nondisplaced pubic rami or sacral ala fracture would have an underlying metabolic or endocrine abnormality that had not been previously diagnosed. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: From a larger series of 683 consecutive patients with nonunion seen by us between January 1998 and December 2005, 37 patients were referred to 1 of 2 clinically practicing endocrinologists to undergo an evaluation for metabolic and endocrine abnormalities. The screening criteria were: 1) an unexplained nonunion that occurred despite adequate reduction and stabilization (and debridement in initially infected cases) without obvious technical error and without any other obvious etiology; 2) a history of multiple low-energy fractures with at least one progressing to a nonunion; or 3) a nonunion of a nondisplaced pubic rami or sacral ala fracture. RESULTS: In all, 31 of the 37 patients (83.8%, 95% CI: 71.3% to 93.8%) who met our screening criteria had one or more new diagnoses of metabolic or endocrine abnormalities. The most common newly diagnosed abnormality was vitamin D deficiency (25 of 37 patients; 68%). Other newly diagnosed abnormalities included calcium imbalances, central hypogonadism, thyroid disorders, and parathyroid hormone disorders. All newly diagnosed abnormalities were treated medically. Eight patients who underwent no operative intervention following the diagnosis and treatment of a new metabolic or endocrine abnormality achieved bony union in an average of 7.6 months (range, 3 to 12 months) following their first visit to the endocrinologist. CONCLUSIONS: Although our study does not prove a causal link between metabolic and endocrine abnormalities and either the development or healing of nonunions, 84% of the patients who met our screening criteria were found to have metabolic or endocrine abnormalities, and eight of our patients achieved bony union following medical treatment alone. All patients with nonunion who meet our screening criteria should be referred to an endocrinologist for evaluation because they are likely to have undiagnosed metabolic or endocrine abnormalities that may be interfering with bone healing. PMID- 17805024 TI - Routine removal of external fixators without anesthesia. AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the degree of discomfort experienced by patients with routine removal of all external fixators without anesthesia. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Outpatient clinic and hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 106 consecutive patients for whom removal of external fixators was indicated. INTERVENTION: External fixators were removed without anesthesia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS) following external fixator removal and patients' reported willingness to repeat the procedure without anesthesia. RESULTS: Patients with pin site inflammation had a significantly higher VAS (4.82 vs. 2.92, P < 0.0001). The chi test revealed that pin site inflammation was less common with wrist spanning fixators than with lower extremity and pelvic fixators. No correlation existed between age, site of fixator, closed head injury, use of olive wires, or the duration of fixation and VAS. In all, 95 of 106 patients (89.6%) responded yes when asked if they would undergo removal of their fixator again without anesthesia. Despite the association between inflamed pin sites and a higher VAS, in 84% (37/44) of the cases with inflamed pin sites, the patient would choose to undergo fixator removal without anesthesia again. CONCLUSIONS: Removal of external fixators without anesthesia is well tolerated by the great majority of patients. Inflammation at pin sites is associated with a higher degree of discomfort during external fixator removal. Despite the higher pain score, most patients with pin-site inflammation report that they would repeat the procedure without anesthesia. PMID- 17805025 TI - Open diaphyseal long bone fractures: a reduction method using devitalized or extruded osseous fragments. AB - Open diaphyseal and meta-diaphyseal fractures of the lower extremity remain therapeutically challenging. Currently accepted treatment methods consist of a thorough irrigation and debridement of nonviable tissue combined with locked intramedullary nailing. Although exact reduction parameters remain controversial, achievement of a satisfactory reduction becomes increasingly difficult with fracture comminution and overt bone loss. We describe the simple technique of using multiple associated devitalized tibial bone fragments to obtain an accurate reduction prior to intramedullary nailing. This technique can be extended to other long bone fractures. PMID- 17805026 TI - Use of a 30-degree external rotation view for posteromedial tubercle fractures of the talus. AB - A fracture of the posteromedial talar tubercle is also referred to as the Cedell fracture and is an infrequently described injury. Failure to recognize this injury may lead to posteromedial ankle pain and tarsal tunnel syndrome. It is therefore important to diagnose these fractures at the time of the initial presentation to avoid future morbidity. Although plain radiography forms the mainstay of initial radiological evaluation of the ankle, these fractures are commonly missed and misdiagnosed because of poor visualization on routine ankle radiographs. Computed tomography helps for better visualization of this fracture at the higher risk of radiation. We evaluated the use of the 30-degree external rotation view for the diagnosis of fractures of the posteromedial tubercle of the talus using cadaver specimens. On the 30-degree external rotation view of the ankle, all fractures of the posteromedial tubercle of the talus were revealed. In contrast, the fracture was visualized in only 2 cases using the standard lateral radiograph of the ankle, and not once in the anteroposterior or mortise views. In conclusion, a 30-degree external rotation view is likely to show a fracture of the posteromedial tubercle of the talus in contrast to the 3 routine trauma views of the ankle, aiding in diagnosis and treatment strategy at time of initial presentation. PMID- 17805027 TI - Neglected, open, multiple carpal-metacarpal fracture dislocations of the hand--an unusual entity and its management. AB - A rare case of neglected, open, multiple carpal-metacarpal fracture dislocations complicated by wound infection, soft-tissue contractures, and Sudeck's dystrophy is reported. Satisfactory cosmetic and functional results at 2 years were achieved with staged distraction using Ilizarov's fixator to stretch soft tissues and gain length, followed by open reduction and internal fixation. PMID- 17805028 TI - Compartment syndrome of the thigh in an infant: a case report. AB - Compartment syndrome of the thigh in children is rare. We report a case of compartment syndrome of the thigh in an infant with a femur fracture resulting from suspected nonaccidental trauma. The delayed presentation of this injury may have been contributory to the development of compartment syndrome. The subtle physical findings in this case underscore the need for a high index of suspicion in making the diagnosis of compartment syndrome. The complete recovery of muscle function, even in the presence of significant tissue damage, is noteworthy and suggests that infants have a greater physiologic ability to recover in comparison with adults. PMID- 17805029 TI - L'asparaginase and methotrexate combinations: clashes of empiric success and laboratory models? PMID- 17805030 TI - Molecular pathology and epidemiology of nephrogenic rests and Wilms tumors. AB - Perilobar (PLNR) and intralobar nephrogenic rests (ILNR) are distinct precursor lesions of Wilms tumors that have different structural, clinical, genetic, and epidemiologic features. Wilms tumors in East-Asian children have unique epidemiologic features in that the incidence is about half that of white children, an early age at diagnosis, a male predominance, and an association with ILNR. Loss of IGF2 imprinting is associated with PLNR more commonly seen in Wilms tumors from white children than tumors from children of Asian descent. Therefore, this epigenetic difference and the higher frequency of PLNR provide an explanation for the interethnic variations in the incidence of Wilms tumor. The histopathologic, clinical, and genetic differences between ILNR and PLNR are described in this review, followed by a description of an epigenetic mechanism that underlies PLNR formation and the unique epidemiologic feature of Wilms tumors. PMID- 17805031 TI - Perspective: is childhood cancer a chronic disease? PMID- 17805032 TI - Urinary iron excretion in young thalassemic patients receiving combined chelation treatment with deferoxamine and deferiprone. AB - To assess and compare the individual effect of different chelation agents on urinary iron excretion (UIE), we asked every patient, receiving combined chelation treatment with deferiprone (DFP) and deferoxamine (DFO), to provide four 24-hours urine samples; 2 samples were collected during days when patient was receiving only DFP, whereas the other 2 were collected when both chelation agents were administrated. Thirty young patients (15 males and 15 females) with beta-thalassemia major and a mean age of 18.54+/-4.62 years participated in the study. Mean serum ferritin concentrations were calculated 1 year prior and 1 year after the urine collection. A significant reduction in ferritin (P=0.001) was shown in the whole patients' series. Combined administration of DFO and DFP resulted in a statistically significant higher UIE than DFP alone (P=0.0007). On an individual basis, DFO and DFP resulted in a median 2.3-fold increase in UIE compared to monotherapy with DFP, ranging from 0.28 to 7.34-fold. Despite this wide variability, combined chelation treatment with DFO and DFP seems to act additively in the majority of the patients, whereas in some patients the huge increase in UIE with DFO and DFP can only be attributed to a synergistic effect. PMID- 17805033 TI - A phase 2 feasibility study of sequential, dose intensive chemotherapy to treat progressive low-grade gliomas in children. AB - BACKGROUND: Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) comprise nearly 35% of pediatric brain tumors and often occur in young children. Many cannot be resected and radiation therapy can be associated with excessive toxicity in children. Centrally located tumors in young children, and those that progress after radiation remain therapeutic challenges. This phase 2 feasibility trial investigated dose intense, sequential chemotherapy in children with LGG. PROCEDURE: Ten patients less than 21 years of age with progressive LGGs were enrolled. Courses 1 and 4 consisted of carboplatin and etoposide; courses 2 and 5 consisted of cyclophosphamide and vincristine; courses 3 and 6 consisted of lomustine, procarbazine, and vincristine. Dose adjustments were made to maximize dose intensity but minimize toxicity. RESULTS: Fifty-five of 60 planned chemotherapy courses were administered in 10 patients. One patient with stable disease after 3 courses had complete surgical resection. Two patients taking anticonvulsants experienced prolonged myelosuppression, necessitating removal from study after 5 chemotherapy courses. During 5 of 6 chemotherapy courses, more than 80% of the planned chemotherapy dose intensity was delivered. Two patients had complete responses, 2 patients had partial responses, 3 patients had minor responses, and 3 patients had disease stabilization. No children had life threatening infection or hemorrhage. No patient experienced progressive disease during therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of sequential, dose intense chemotherapy was feasible and clinically tolerated. Concurrent anticonvulsant therapy limited dose intensity in 2 patients. Although efficacy appeared consistent with published larger series, small patient number in this study precludes definitive conclusions. PMID- 17805034 TI - Accuracy of 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in staging of pediatric sarcomas. AB - The present study was conducted to clarify the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-fluoro 2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in the staging in pediatric sarcomas. Fifty pediatric patients with histologically proven sarcomas who underwent 18FDG PET/CT before treatment were evaluated retrospectively for the detection of nodal and distant metastases. Diagnostic accuracy of 18FDG PET/CT in detecting nodal and distant metastases was compared with that of 18FDG PET and conventional imaging (CI). The images were reviewed and a diagnostic consensus was reached by 3 observers. REFERENCE standard was histologic examination in 15 patients and confirmation of an obvious progression in size of the lesions on follow-up examinations. Nodal metastasis was correctly assessed in 48 patients (96%) with PET/CT, in contrast to 43 patients (86%) with PET, and 46 patients (92%) with CI. Diagnostic accuracies of nodal metastasis in 3 modalities were similar. Using PET/CT, distant metastasis was correctly assigned in 43 patients (86%), whereas interpretation based on PET alone or CI revealed distant metastasis in 33 patients (66%) and 35 patients (70%), respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of distant metastasis with PET/CT was significantly higher than that of PET (P=0.002) or CI (P=0.008). False negative results regarding distant metastasis by PET/CT in 7 patients (14%) were caused by subcentimetric lesions (n=4), bone marrow lesion (n=2), and soft tissue lesions (n=1). PET/CT is more accurate and probably more cost-effective than PET alone or CI regarding distant metastasis in pediatric sarcomas. PMID- 17805035 TI - Bisphosphonate therapy for reduced bone mineral density during treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood and adolescence: a report of preliminary experience. AB - BACKGROUND: Osteopenia is a common consequence of the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and adolescents, due predominantly to glucocorticosteroid therapy. The pathogenesis relates to an imbalance of resorption over formation of bone. METHODS: Alendronate (Fosamax), an inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption, was administered for at least 6 months to 15 children with ALL during maintenance chemotherapy, after the diagnosis of osteopenia/osteoporosis by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. The height velocity was also measured during the administration of alendronate and again 2 years later. RESULTS: Areal bone mineral density Z scores of the lumbar spine had a median value of -1.32 before administration of alendronate and a median gain of +0.64, with 14/15 children showing improvement. There was no adverse effect of alendronate on height velocity, and the drug was well tolerated with no short term toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary experience suggests a potential value in the use of alendronate for the treatment of osteopenia/osteoporosis in children with ALL and points to the need for a randomized controlled trial of this intervention. PMID- 17805036 TI - BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis in pediatric cancer patients receiving high-dose cyclophosphamide. AB - Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a known complication of oxazophosphorine chemotherapy. BK virus (BKV) has been commonly found to be associated with hematuria in stem cell transplant patients; however, it has rarely been reported after cyclophosphamide chemotherapy alone. The authors present 3 cases of BK viruria with HC in nontransplant pediatric oncology patients. The 3 patients with BKV had more prolonged hematuria (14 to 16 wk) compared with 1 patient with BKV negative HC (10 wk). The HC necessitated chemotherapy delays and also prolonged supportive care. One patient was treated with intravenous cidofovir with resolution of BK viruria and hematuria. BKV may have an association with the development of HC in nonstem cell transplant patients receiving high-dose oxazophosphorine chemotherapy. HC may present early and be more prolonged in patients with BK viruria. Patients with HC after cyclophosphamide or ifosfamide with negative bacterial cultures should be studied for BKV. Cidofovir may be beneficial in certain patients with BK viruria and HC; however, definitive data will require a clinical trial. PMID- 17805037 TI - Osteoarticular manifestations as initial presentation of acute leukemias in children and adolescents in Bahia, Brazil. AB - OBJECTIVE: This study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of the osteoarticular manifestations on initial clinical presentation of acute leukemias (ALs) on childhood in the state of Bahia, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study assessed the medical records of 406 patients with AL from January 1995 to December 2004. RESULTS: Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) was diagnosed in 313 (77.1%) patients and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in 93 (22.9%) patients, including 241 males (59.4%) and 165 females (40.6%). Age ranged from 9 months to 15 years (average: 6.18 y). The most common presenting features were fever (18.5%), musculoskeletal diffuse tenderness (15.0%), pallor (11.4%), and leg tenderness (5.7%). Prior referral to our center, the most frequent initial diagnosis was anemia (15.8%), leukemia (15.0%), amygdalitis (3.7%), and rheumatic fever (2.7%). Osteoarticular manifestations were found on 54.7% of the patients with AL, with a higher frequency among patients between 1 and 9 years of age (58.7%, P=0.0007). The presence of joint tenderness (16.2% in ALLx5.4% in AML), arthritis (26.6% in ALLx9.7 in AML), bone tenderness (26.1% in ALLx16.1% in AML), limb tenderness (49.5% in ALLx25.8% in AML), and antalgic gait (32.8% in ALLx9.7% in AML) had higher prevalence on ALL. The large joints, chiefly the knees (10.6%), ankles (9.4%), elbows (4.4%), and shoulders (3.6%) were more often affected. CONCLUSIONS: AL should be considered on the differential diagnosis of osteoarticular symptoms of unknown etiology in children. PMID- 17805038 TI - Allergic reactions to E. coli L-asparaginase do not affect outcome in childhood B precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Children's Oncology Group Study. AB - We describe the outcome of children with B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia registered on Pediatric Oncology Group 8602 who switched to Erwinia asparaginase (ASP) due to an allergy to the Escherichia coli product. Between February 1986 and January 1991, children in complete remission after induction that included intramuscular E. coli ASP (6000 U/m2x6) were randomized for consolidation. One regimen included intensive weekly intramuscular E. coli ASP (25,000 U/m2/wkx24). In case of an allergic reaction to E. coli ASP, Erwinia ASP was substituted at the same dose and schedule. Of the 540 eligible patients, 408 switched to Erwinia ASP due to an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions were significantly associated with younger age, white race, and standard-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Multivariate Cox analysis adjusting for these factors demonstrated no correlation between the switch per se or the timing of the switch and event-free survival. PMID- 17805039 TI - A rare condition associated with celiac disease: Evans syndrome. AB - Celiac disease (CD) is one of the most common chronic disorders in childhood. Autoimmune and nonautoimmune disorders including dermatitis herpetiformis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and autoimmune thyroiditis can be encountered associated with CD. Common hematologic manifestations of CD include anemia owing to iron, folate, or vitamin B12 deficiency. We report a case with CD associated with Evans syndrome of whom to our knowledge, is the first child to be reported in the literature. PMID- 17805040 TI - Anti-D immunoglobulin-induced prolonged intravascular hemolysis and neutropenia. AB - Intravenous anti-D immunoglobulin (anti-D IVIG) is indicated for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in nonsplenectomized patients who are Rh(D) positive. Recent reports have described episodes of intravascular hemolysis after anti-D IVIG. We report an adolescent boy with chronic ITP who required multiple transfusions of erythrocyte suspensions when intravascular hemolysis persisted for 6 months after anti-D IVIG treatment. He did not have hemolytic anemia before treatment. The features of our case suggest that pediatric patients treated with anti-D IVIG for ITP should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of hemoglobinemia and/or hemoglobinuria, and clinically significant anemia. Our case proposes that persistence of immune hemolysis after this treatment may be related to presence of previously defined predisposing agents like tuberculosis and antituberculous therapy. Our observations suggest that steroid therapy can be effective in patients who developed prolonged hemolytic anemia and neutropenia after anti-D IVIG therapy. PMID- 17805041 TI - Radiofrequency ablation used for the treatment of frequently recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma in the masticator space in a 10-year-old girl. AB - Radiofrequency (RF) ablation was performed for the treatment of recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma in a 10-year-old girl. The tumor measuring 2.4 cm in a maximum diameter was in the right masticator space and invaded the buccal mucosa at the time of third local relapse after surgical intervention, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. The RF electrode was placed into the center of the tumor with the computed tomography fluoroscopic guide under general anesthesia. Tumor enhancement disappeared on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images after RF ablation. The tumor deciduated into the oral cavity 34 days after RF ablation showing apoptosis throughout the tumor on histologic study. Buccal mucosal injury cured but she suffered from trismus. The tumor has completely disappeared for 18 months after RF ablation. PMID- 17805042 TI - Childhood acute myeloid leukemia with hemophagocytosis by the blasts and inv(8)(p11q13) with MOZ-TIF2 fusion transcripts. AB - We describe a unique case of de novo childhood acute myeloid leukemia in which the blasts showed evidence of hemophagocytosis and harbored inv(8) (p11q13) chromosomal abnormality. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction showed the presence of 2 MOZ-TIF2 fusion transcripts. To our knowledge, this is the eighth overall and the fourth childhood case of acute myeloid leukemia with inv(8) (p11q13) with MOZ-TIF2 fusion. PMID- 17805043 TI - Secondary acute myeloid leukemia after etoposide therapy for retinoblastoma. AB - Retinoblastoma is the most common eye tumor in children and is highly curable. Patients with hereditary retinoblastoma, have an increased risk of developing additional tumors, predominantly sarcomas. Most chemotherapy regimens used in retinoblastoma include etoposide, an epipodophyllotoxin associated with a risk of secondary myeloid leukemia. The use of etoposide in patients with a cancer predisposition syndrome such as retinoblastoma is potentially harmful, however, reports of secondary acute myeloid leukemia in patients treated with etoposide for retinoblastoma are rare. We report a case of a patient who developed secondary acute myeloid leukemia after etoposide treatment for retinoblastoma. PMID- 17805044 TI - An Iranian child with HbQ-Iran [alpha75 (EF4) Asp-->His]/-alpha3.7 kb/IVSII.1 G- >A: first report. AB - BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin Q (HbQ)-Iran [alpha75 (EF4) Asp-->His] is an alpha-chain variant that in the heterozygous state has normal hematology and has not been reported in association with a thalassemic phenotype. Here, for the first time, we described the hematologic characteristics of a 5-year-old boy with HbQ-Iran/ alpha3.7 kb trans to HbQ-Iran mutation/beta0-thalassemia (IVSII.1.G-->A) living in the Kermanshah province of Iran. OBSERVATIONS: The level of HbQ-Iran was found to be 22.4%. However, a significant reduction in mean corpuscular volume (59.3 fL) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (19.6 pg) and an elevation of hemoglobin F (6.3%) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This report indicates that HbQ-Iran to be a benign structural variant of Hb, that in combination with -alpha3.7 kb gene and beta0-thalassemia, presents a minor beta-thalassemia picture with moderate anemia. PMID- 17805045 TI - Bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma: stage V disease. AB - Neuroblastoma frequently arises from the adrenal gland and has rarely been reported to arise synchronously in both adrenal glands. The majority of reports of bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma are in children under the age of 1 year. We present a case of bilateral adrenal neuroblastoma in an 8-year-old child. This is the first report of bilateral disease in a child over the age of 1 year with stage IV neuroblastoma. PMID- 17805046 TI - Clofarabine induced durable complete remission in heavily pretreated adolescents with relapsed and refractory leukemia. AB - Current treatments for relapsed/refractory leukemias are unable to achieve extended remissions in most patients even with multiagent chemotherapy. Clofarabine is a new nucleoside analog that has demonstrated clinical benefit in phase I-II studies, and is currently being studied in children and adults with leukemias and has been approved for the treatment of children with relapsed or refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia. We report the experience of three adolescents, two with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 3rd relapse and one with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia, who achieved complete remission with clofarabine. The remissions were sustained with repeated cycles of monotherapy for 47, 59, and 64 weeks, respectively. PMID- 17805047 TI - Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood in siblings: case report and review of the literature. AB - Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood is characterized by anemia due to decreased production of red blood cell precursors. It is almost always self resolving and requires clinical intervention only in severe cases. This article describes 2 cases in half-siblings diagnosed approximately 10 years apart. A review of the literature identifies 11 other sibling pairs. Our case suggests an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. To date, the gene involved in the development of transient erythroblastopenia of childhood has not been identified. PMID- 17805048 TI - Nonendemic Burkitt lymphoma presenting with an atypical clinical picture. AB - Primary appendiceal Burkitt lymphomas are rare occurring in 0.015% of all gastrointestinal lymphomas. Presentation of such lymphomas with peritonitis and obstructive jaundice owing to its subhepatic location is even more unusual. Burkitt lymphoma is very rare in children below 5 years old. We will present a 3 year-old boy with primary appendiceal lymphoma whose first symptom was obstructive jaundice caused by a ruptured retrocecal subhepatic appendix which in essence is a combination of all 3 mentioned occurrences complicated with acute abdomen. PMID- 17805049 TI - Combined neutrophil and erythrocyte agglutination in a 7-year-old boy. AB - Leukoagglutination is a rare in vitro phenomenon, with demonstration of both temperature and/or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dependence. We report a case of combined leukocyte and erythrocyte agglutination in a 7-year-old male with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Epstein-Barr virus coinfection. To our knowledge, this morphologic finding has not previously been described. PMID- 17805050 TI - AML1 mutation and FLT3-internal tandem duplication in leukemia transformed from myelodysplastic syndrome. PMID- 17805051 TI - The accuracy of PET(CT) in evaluating pediatric lymphoma. PMID- 17805052 TI - Routine use of PET scans after completion of therapy in pediatric Hodgkin disease results in a high false positive rate. PMID- 17805053 TI - Is lung cancer in never-smokers a different disease?--Back to the figures. PMID- 17805054 TI - Ras pathway activation in malignant mesothelioma. AB - INTRODUCTION: Mutations in Ras family genes are rare in malignant mesothelioma. The role of activation of the Ras signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of mesothelioma is not clear. METHODS: We studied the activation status of the Ras pathway and the status of other Ras-associated kinases in a panel of human mesothelioma cell lines. In addition, we tested the effect of inhibition of several kinase pathways on mesothelioma cell proliferation. The potential role of kinase signaling on the regulation of cap-dependent translation was also studied. RESULTS: In general, Ras-guanosine triphosphate (GTP) was higher in mesothelioma cell lines when compared with a nontransformed mesothelial cell line (LP9). Furthermore, known Ras effectors such as extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase were found to be active in most of the mesothelioma cell lines tested. Exposure to specific inhibitors of extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (U0126) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SP600125) significantly decreased the proliferation of H2596 and H2373 cells compared with mock-treated cells. SP600125-mediated c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibition, but not extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 inhibition, resulted in a decrease in phosphorylation of 4E-BP1, consequently decreasing cap-dependent activation. CONCLUSIONS: These experiments provide a rationale for targeting Ras and associated signaling pathways in mesothelioma and also suggest cap-dependent translation as one mechanism by which Ras induces proliferation in this disease. PMID- 17805055 TI - Neuronatin expression and its clinicopathological significance in pulmonary non small cell carcinoma. AB - INTRODUCTION: Neuronatin is a protein that is specifically expressed in the nervous system in the course of embryonal brain development, and its expression is limited to the pituitary gland in normal human adults. Neuronatin expression has been reported in some types of tumor. The purpose of this study was to clarify the significance of neuronatin expression in pulmonary non-small cell carcinoma. METHODS: We determined the frequency of neuronatin expression in surgically resected samples from non-small cell lung carcinoma (51 adenocarcinoma and 41 squamous cell carcinoma) by immunohistochemical staining, and investigated the correlations between expression level and various clinicopathological features. RESULTS: Expression of neuronatin was observed more frequently in squamous cell carcinoma (63%) than in adenocarcinoma (25%). In most cases, nontumorous lung tissue did not react with the antibody against neuronatin. In both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, less differentiated tumors expressed neuronatin more frequently than did differentiated tumors. In adenocarcinoma, but not squamous cell carcinoma, the prognosis of neuronatin positive cases was significantly worse than that of neuronatin-negative cases. CONCLUSION: Neuronatin expression is specific for tumor tissue and was detected in both pulmonary adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma at high frequency, particularly in less differentiated tumors. Neuronatin expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma, and may be useful as a prognostic marker for lung adenocarcinoma. PMID- 17805056 TI - HOXB2 as a novel prognostic indicator for stage I lung adenocarcinomas. AB - BACKGROUND: Outcomes of patients with lung adenocarcinomas can be predicted to some extent from the pathologic stage (p-stage). Although all attempts are made to fully remove cancer lesions, still a number of p-stage I patients without metastatic disease at the time of surgery develop recurrences and die of cancer. It is thus very important to identify p-stage I patients who are at risk of recurrence. METHODS: Previously, using microdissected samples, we identified metastasis-related genes. Using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis, we investigated the transcriptional levels of the top metastasis-related genes using 96 independent test lung adenocarcinoma samples and investigated their correlations with the prognosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We document evidence that p-stage I patients with HOXB2 up-regulation have a worse prognosis than those with HOXB2 down-regulation (p = 0.0065), whereas the HOXB2 status has no prognostic significance for p-stage II-IV patients. Comparing tumors and corresponding normal lung tissue, we confirmed HOXB2 up-regulated lesions to have much higher HOXB2 expression than the corresponding normal tissue. Confirmation with a larger number of samples is needed, with further research to clarify the molecular functions of HOXB2. PMID- 17805057 TI - Risk factors for recurrence and unfavorable prognosis in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer and a tumor diameter of 20 mm or less. AB - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for disease recurrence and unfavorable prognosis after surgical resection for stage I non small cell lung cancer in patients with tumor diameters of < or =20 mm. METHODS: One hundred sixty-three patients who had pathologic stage I non-small cell lung cancer with tumor diameters < or =20 mm and who had undergone a lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection were retrospectively reviewed. The relationships between clinicopathologic factors and clinical outcomes, including recurrence and survival, were then examined. The clinicopathologic factors examined in this study were age, sex, smoking status, preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen level, pathologic tumor size, histologic subtype, histologic grade, and visceral pleural invasion. RESULTS: Among the clinicopathologic factors that were examined, the histologic grade of the carcinoma status was significantly related to a high risk of recurrence when analyzed using univariate (p = 0.01) and multivariate analyses (p = 0.049). Regarding survival, patients with poorly differentiated carcinomas showed a significantly unfavorable overall survival (p < 0.001), disease-specific survival (p = 0.003), and disease-free survival (p = 0.002) compared with patients with well-/moderately differentiated carcinomas according to univariate analyses. A Cox proportional hazards model indicated that a poorly differentiated carcinoma status was the only independent factor for an unfavorable overall survival (p = 0.02), disease-specific survival (p = 0.046), and disease-free survival (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Poor differentiation of tumor was the only risk factor for recurrence and an unfavorable prognosis for stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients with tumor diameters of < or =20 mm. PMID- 17805058 TI - A web site on lung cancer: who are the users and what are they looking for? AB - PURPOSE: The Dutch Lung Cancer Information Centre launched the Web site www.longkanker.info in November 2003. The purpose of this article is to describe the launching of the Web site, its development, the type of visitors to the Web site, what they were looking for, and whether they found what they requested. METHODS: Supervised by a panel (pulmonologists, patients, communication specialists), a large amount of material about lung cancer has been collected and edited into accessible language by health care providers, and the Web site has been divided into special categories following the different stages that lung cancer patients, relatives, and health care providers go through during the illness. The Web site is updated regularly. Search engines have been used to check the position of the Web site as a "hit." Pulmonologists have been informed about the founding of the Web site, and all lung cancer outpatient clinics in The Netherlands have received posters, folders, and cards to inform their patients. Visitor numbers, page views, and visitor numbers per page view have been registered continuously. Visitor satisfaction polls were placed in the second half of 2004 and the second half of 2005. RESULTS: The Web site appeared as first hit when using search engines immediately after launching it. Half of the visitors came to the Web site via search engines or links found at other sites. The number of visitors started at 4600 in the first month, doubled in the next months, and reached 18,000 per month 2 years after its launch. The number of visited pages increased to 87,000 per month, with an average number of five pages per visitor. Thirty percent of the visitors return within the same month. The most popular pages are interactive pages with the overview of all questions to "ask the doctor" at the top with forum messages, survival figures of all form of lung cancer, and information about the disease. The first satisfaction poll obtained 650 respondents and the second 382. The visitors to the Web site are caregivers (57%), patients (8%), and others (students, people fearing lung cancer). Of the visitors, 895 found what they were looking for, and the satisfaction is the highest among nurses and caregivers (91% and 95%, respectively) and the lowest among physicians and patients (85% and 83%). CONCLUSIONS: Given the number of visitors to the lung cancer Web site, it can be concluded that there is a great need for additional information among patients and caregivers. The launched Web site www.longkanker.info has reached its goal of providing a dependable source of information about lung cancer and satisfying its visitors. PMID- 17805059 TI - Beliefs among physicians in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to non-small cell lung cancer. AB - PURPOSE: The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) has established evidence based guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of patients with lung cancer. Physicians' beliefs and practice patterns may differ significantly from established guidelines. We conducted a survey to assess and compare physician beliefs against the evidence-based guidelines. METHODS: A survey was sent by electronic mail (e-mail) in March 2006 to 2100 randomly selected physicians who were members of the ACCP practicing in the United States, followed by two reminder e-mails. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-seven surveys were completed and evaluable. The majority (84%) of the respondents reported having read, consulted, or used the guidelines to set practice policies, and 75% found the guidelines helpful. The respondents' practice beliefs were in agreement with the guidelines on the evaluation of operable patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, the role of chemotherapy in the treatment of stage III disease, and the evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of respondents' practice beliefs differed from the guidelines on issues such as screening for lung cancer, the survival benefit of chemotherapy in stage IV disease, and postoperative radiation therapy. Only a minority of respondents believed that chemotherapy improved quality of life in stage IV disease. The survey results indicate that there has been acceptance of the adjuvant chemotherapy and increasing integration of positron emission tomography in the evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule and in staging the mediastinum. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of physicians found the evidence-based guidelines beneficial; nevertheless, practice beliefs differ from the guidelines in select areas. PMID- 17805060 TI - Presentation and stage-specific outcomes of lifelong never-smokers with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). AB - BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking leads to lung cancer. Approximately 10% of patients with lung cancer are life long never-smokers. There are only limited data available on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of lung cancer in never smokers from the Western hemisphere. METHODS: Demographic and survival information was collected on 254 never-smokers with a confirmed pathologic diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by reviewing their medical records and the Social Security database. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 182 (71.6%) women and 72 (28.3%) men. The median age was 70 years (range: 31 91 years). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology accounting for 60.8% of all patients, followed by NSCLC not otherwise specified (14.4%), bronchoalveolar carcinoma (13.6%), squamous cell carcinoma (8.8%), and large-cell type (2.4%). Majority of patients presented with stage III or IV disease (62.5%). We compared survival between never-smokers and smokers with NSCLC matched for gender, histology, tumor stage, and years of diagnosis. No significant difference in 5 year survival was seen between never-smokers (27.2%) and smokers with NSCLC (31.3%; p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Two thirds of patients with lung cancer who report no history of tobacco smoking are women. In the matched case-control analysis, we report no significant survival difference between lung cancer in never-smokers and those with history of tobacco smoking and lung cancer. PMID- 17805061 TI - A prospective phase II study of induction carboplatin and vinorelbine followed by concomitant topotecan and accelerated radiotherapy (ART) in locally advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). AB - BACKGROUND: Survival of locally advanced/unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has improved with the use of concurrent radiation and chemotherapy over the past decades, but local and distant failure remain high. In addition, a key limiting factor in combining chemotherapy with accelerated radiotherapy (ART) is severe esophagitis. We investigated the toxicity, response rate, and overall survival (OS) with induction carboplatin and vinorelbine followed by concomitant topotecan and ART in patients with locally advanced/unresectable NSCLC. METHODS: In this phase II trial, stage IIIA or IIIB NSCLC patients with a Karnofsky performance score >60 were eligible. Patients received induction carboplatin (area under the curve = 5.5) on days 1 and 22, and vinorelbine (25 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, 22, and 29. During the concurrent chemoradiation, patients received intravenous topotecan (0.5 mg/m2) on days 43 to 47, days 57 to 61, and days 71 to 75 before the morning radiotherapy (RT) fraction. RT was administered in an accelerated fashion at 2 Gy per fraction, twice daily for five consecutive days, every other week, to a cumulative dose of 60 Gy during a 5-week period. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were accrued; of these, 35 were evaluable. Overall response rate was 71% (14% complete response, 57% partial response). Six of 35 (17%) patients had stable disease. Four (11%) patients progressed during treatment. At a median follow-up of 45 months for surviving patients, the median survival based on Kaplan-Meier estimates is 17.9 months. OS at 1, 2, and 3 years is 62%, 41%, and 33%, respectively. Actuarial 5-year OS is 21%. The median time to first relapse is 12.2 months (9.1-24.7 months). There were no cases of grade 3 or 4 esophagitis. CONCLUSIONS: This combined-modality regimen yielded encouraging OS rates, with no severe esophagitis. Using four-dimensional RT treatment planning, we plan to further evaluate altered fractionation RT and chemotherapy for this group of patients. PMID- 17805062 TI - Sequential chemotherapy with combination irinotecan and cisplatin followed by docetaxel for treatment-naive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: Sequential administration of platinum-based doublet therapy and then a taxane may reduce the risk of drug resistance and, therefore, improve treatment outcome. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of sequential administration of irinotecan and cisplatin and then docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Eligible patients received irinotecan in 60-mg/m2 infusions for 30 to 60 minutes on days 1, 8, and 15, and cisplatin in 75-mg/m2 infusions for 60 minutes on day 1 every 28 days for four cycles (IC). Regardless of the response, patients received up to four cycles of sequential docetaxel in 75-mg/m2 infusions for 60 minutes. RESULTS: Forty-six patients with histologically confirmed chemotherapy-naive stage IIIB or IV NSCLC were enrolled, of whom 42 were evaluable. The response rate at completion of chemotherapy with IC was 45.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.2%-60.3%). Five patients had improvement of disease status during sequential docetaxel, and seven patients had disease progression. Progression free survival was 8.0 months (95% CI: 5.4-9.9 months), and the overall median survival was 14.6 months (95% CI: 9.8-17.9 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 54.3%, 22.6%, and 12.1%, respectively. The incidence of severe (> or =CTC V2 grade 3) neutropenia during IC was 23.9% compared with 95.7% for sequential docetaxel (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Sequential administration of IC and then docetaxel is feasible and is associated with a prolonged progression free survival, but the current data do not confirm an improvement in treatment outcome by the sequential approach. PMID- 17805063 TI - Third-generation chemotherapy agents in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis. AB - PURPOSE: To estimate the efficacy of third-generation (3G) chemotherapy agents (paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and irinotecan) on response and survival in stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A meta analysis was performed using trials identified through MEDLINE. Results on tumor response and survival were collected from randomized trials comparing 3G monotherapy versus best supportive care (BSC), 3G monotherapy versus second generation (2G) platinum-based regimens, and 3G platinum-based regimens versus 2G platinum-based regimens. RESULTS: Of the 2480 citations screened, 20 randomized controlled trials fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 19 trials were used in the analyses. The data from two, three-arm trials were used in two different comparisons. Five trials (n = 1029 patients) compared 3G monotherapy with BSC. The summary risk difference (RD) for 1-year survival favored 3G agents by 7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2%, 12%). Four trials (n = 871 patients) compared treatment with 3G monotherapy versus 2G platinum-based regimens. The response RD was -6% (95% CI: -11%, 0%), and the 1-year survival rate RD was 3% (95% CI: -3%, 10%), suggesting that despite a slightly higher response rate for 2G platinum-based regimens relative to 3G monotherapy, there is equivalency in survival. Twelve trials (n = 3995) compared 3G versus 2G platinum-based regimens. The RD for response was 12% (95% CI: 10%, 15%). A RD for 1-year was not calculated, because of heterogeneity among the trials. A subset analysis of 3G versus 2G platinum-based doublets revealed a 1-year survival-rate RD of 6% (95% CI: 2%, 10%), favoring 3G platinum-based regimens without evidence of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: 3G agents have been a significant advance in the treatment of NSCLC. PMID- 17805065 TI - Endobronchial ultrasound appearance of pulmonary artery thrombus in a patient with thymic carcinoma. PMID- 17805064 TI - Irinotecan, carboplatin, and imatinib in untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a phase II trial of the Minnie Pearl Cancer Research Network. AB - INTRODUCTION: The tyrosine kinase KIT has variable expression in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and may be a prognostic factor. Imatinib targets KIT expression, providing rationale for studying its role in combination with chemotherapy in SCLC in a multicenter phase II trial. METHODS: Patients with untreated extensive stage SCLC received carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve of 4 on day 1; irinotecan 60 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15; and imatinib 600 mg/day. Treatment cycles were 28 days. Patients remained on imatinib until progressive disease or significant toxicity. RESULTS: Between September 2002 and May 2004, 68 patients were enrolled in this multicenter trial. Median age was 60 years (range, 37-81). The objective response rate was 66% (95% confidence interval: 54%-76%). Median progression-free survival was 5.4 months (95% CI: 4.3-6.0 months). Median overall survival was 8.4 months (95% CI: 6.3-10.5 months). Thirty-five percent of patients were alive at 1 year. Grade 3/4 hematologic toxicity included neutropenia (43%), anemia (16%), and thrombocytopenia (9%). Grade 3 nonhematologic toxicity included diarrhea (19%), fatigue (24%), and nausea (26%). Forty-eight of 56 patients (86%) with available tumor specimens had KIT expression detected. KIT expression did not appear to correlate with progression free survival or overall survival in a retrospective analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Irinotecan, carboplatin, and imatinib is a safe and generally well-tolerated regimen in patients with SCLC. However, the addition of imatinib did not improve results from those expected with chemotherapy alone. PMID- 17805066 TI - Occlusive left mainstem endobronchial carcinoid. PMID- 17805067 TI - Predicting risk of radiation-induced lung injury. AB - Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is the most common, dose-limiting complication of thoracic radio- and radiochemotherapy. Unfortunately, predicting which patients will suffer from this complication is extremely difficult. Ideally, individual phenotype- and genotype-based risk profiles should be able to identify patients who are resistant to RILI and who could benefit from dose escalation in chemoradiotherapy. This could result in better local control and overall survival. We review the risk predictors that are currently in clinical use--dosimetric parameters of radiotherapy such as normal tissue complication probability, mean lung dose, V20 and V30--as well as biomarkers that might individualize risk profiles. These biomarkers comprise a variety of proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines and molecules including transforming growth factor beta1 that are implicated in development and persistence of RILI. Dosimetric parameters of radiotherapy show a low negative predictive value of 60% to 80%. Depending on the studied molecule, negative predictive value of biomarkers is approximately 50%. The predictive power of biomarkers might be increased if they are coupled with radiogenomics, e.g., genotyping analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in transforming growth factor beta1, transforming growth factor beta1 pathway genes, and other cytokines. Genetic variability and the complexity of RILI and its underlying molecular mechanisms make identification of biological risk predictors challenging. Further investigations are needed to develop more effective risk predictors of RILI. PMID- 17805068 TI - Radiation-induced myonecrosis presenting as a subcutaneous mass after combined modality therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. PMID- 17805069 TI - Presentation of Garcin syndrome due to lung cancer. AB - Garcin syndrome consists of unilateral palsies of almost all cranial nerves without either sensory or motor long-tract disturbances and without intracranial hypertension, and it is caused by a malignant osteoclastic lesion at the skull base. A 60-year-old woman presented with dizziness and left facial palsy. Progressive left cranial nerve palsies developed over 2 months until gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed an intracranial extension of a tumor from the left skull base. A systemic survey revealed adenocarcinoma of the lung, which had metastasized along the skull base. We experienced a rare case of Garcin syndrome due to skull base metastases from lung cancer. PMID- 17805070 TI - Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis attributable to thymoma. PMID- 17805071 TI - Erlotinib effective against refractory bronchorrhea from advanced non-small cell lung cancer. PMID- 17805072 TI - Case report on PWC of a competitive cyclist before and after heart transplant. AB - INTRODUCTION: It has been well documented that for heart transplant recipients (HTR), posttransplantation physical work capacity (PWC) normally does not exceed 60% of the value for healthy age-matched controls. Few, if any, studies have undertaken posttransplantation PWC measurements of well-conditioned individuals (i.e., PWC>300 W). CASE SUMMARY: A 37-yr-old professionally trained male cyclist suffered an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) immediately after a road race and received a heart transplant (HT) 4 months after the AMI. The participant resumed training 1 month after surgery and underwent a maximal exercise test 6 months after surgery. Peak PWC (33.8 mL.kg(-1).min(-1), 250 W) was 92% of the age predicted maximum, and peak heart rate (165 bpm) was 96% of his known maximum. These results were similar to the participants in a study who had been training regularly for 36+/-24 months before testing, and PWC evaluations occurred 43+/-12 months after HT. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that 1) lifestyle before HT may positively affect posttransplantation PWC, 2) exercise capacity was not limited by chronotropic incompetence, and 3) a more aggressive approach to HT recovery could be applied to HTR with similar activity histories. PMID- 17805073 TI - Exercise testing in the presence of complete heart block. AB - A 28-yr-old female presented for preoperative evaluation. The resting ECG revealed sinus arrhythmia with complete heart block with a junctional escape rhythm and a ventricular rate of 43 bpm. The patient was in no apparent distress, and resting blood pressure was 80/50 mm Hg. Physical examination was largely unremarkable, with the exception of a soft, nontender, movable abdominal mass. The patient complained of mild dyspnea with stair climbing, but she was otherwise asymptomatic. Although high-grade atrioventricular (AV) block is considered a relative contraindication for exercise testing, this patient was referred for an exercise ECG stress test to assist in determining whether a electronic pacemaker or other therapy was necessary. A symptom-limited maximal ECG treadmill test was performed using the Bruce protocol. The resting HR before the test was 47 bpm, and resting blood pressure was 70/50 mm Hg. Beginning with the first stage of the test, sinus rhythm with a first-degree AV block was observed. The patient achieved 10.2 METs, with an HRpeak of 122 bpm and a peak blood pressure of 122/70 mm Hg. No ectopy was noted during exercise, no ST segment changes occurred during exercise or recovery, and the patient remained asymptomatic. The test was terminated because of the patient's inability to keep pace with the treadmill. On the basis of these results, no medical therapy or electronic pacemaker was recommended at this time, and the patient was permitted to undergo surgery for uterine fibroid tumors. This case illustrates that although complete heart block is a relative contraindication to exercise testing in some patients, the benefits of testing outweigh the risks. PMID- 17805074 TI - Risk factors for stress fracture among young female cross-country runners. AB - PURPOSE: To identify risk factors for stress fracture among young female distance runners. METHODS: Participants were 127 competitive female distance runners, aged 18-26, who provided at least some follow-up data in a randomized trial among 150 runners of the effects of oral contraceptives on bone health. After completing a baseline questionnaire and undergoing bone densitometry, they were followed an average of 1.85 yr. RESULTS: Eighteen participants had at least one stress fracture during follow-up. Baseline characteristics associated (P<0.10) in multivariate analysis with stress fracture occurrence were one or more previous stress fractures (rate ratio [RR] [95% confidence interval]=6.42 (1.80-22.87), lower whole-body bone mineral content (RR=2.70 [1.26-5.88] per 1-SD [293.2 g] decrease), younger chronologic age (RR=1.42 [1.05-1.92] per 1-yr decrease), lower dietary calcium intake (RR=1.11 [0.98-1.25] per 100-mg decrease), and younger age at menarche (RR=1.92 [1.15-3.23] per 1-yr decrease). Although not statistically significant, a history of irregular menstrual periods was also associated with increased risk (RR=3.41 [0.69-16.91]). Training-related factors did not affect risk. CONCLUSION: The results of this and other studies indicate that risk factors for stress fracture among young female runners include previous stress fractures, lower bone mass, and, although not statistically significant in this study, menstrual irregularity. More study is needed of the associations between stress fracture and age, calcium intake, and age at menarche. Given the importance of stress fractures to runners, identifying preventive measures is of high priority. PMID- 17805075 TI - The effect of oral contraceptives on bone mass and stress fractures in female runners. AB - PURPOSE: To determine the effect of oral contraceptives (OC) on bone mass and stress fracture incidence in young female distance runners. METHODS: One hundred fifty competitive female runners ages 18-26 yr were randomly assigned to OC (30 microg of ethinyl estradiol and 0.3 mg of norgestrel) or control (no intervention) for 2 yr. Bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) were measured yearly by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Stress fractures were confirmed by x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, or bone scan. RESULTS: Randomization to OC was unrelated to changes in BMD or BMC in oligo/amenorrheic (N=50) or eumenorrheic runners (N=100). However, treatment-received analyses (which considered actual OC use) showed that oligo/amenorrheic runners who used OC gained about 1% per year in spine BMD (P<0.005) and whole-body BMC (P<0.005), amounts similar to those for runners who regained periods spontaneously and significantly greater than those for runners who remained oligo/amenorrheic (P<0.05). Dietary calcium intake and weight gain independently predicted bone mass gains in oligo/amenorrheic runners. Randomization to OC was not significantly related to stress fracture incidence, but the direction of the effect was protective in both menstrual groups (hazard ratio [95% CI]: 0.57 [0.18, 1.83]), and the effect became stronger in treatment received analyses. The trial's statistical power was reduced by higher-than anticipated noncompliance. CONCLUSION: OC may reduce the risk for stress fractures in female runners, but our data are inconclusive. Oligo/amenorrheic athletes with low bone mass should be advised to increase dietary calcium and take steps to resume normal menses, including weight gain; they may benefit from OC, but the evidence is inconclusive. PMID- 17805076 TI - Exercise and calcium supplementation: effects on calcium homeostasis in sportswomen. AB - PURPOSE: Exercise-induced sweat calcium losses have been reported as substantial in male athletes. The first aim of the study was to quantify the increase in 24-h total dermal calcium losses and the net changes in calcium retention in active sportswomen after a 1-h strenuous exercise session. A second aim was to determine the effectiveness of calcium supplementation to offset any calcium loss. METHODS: Twenty-six premenopausal sportswomen completed three 8-d intervention phases in a randomized-order, crossover design. The three phases were placebo+no exercise (control), placebo+exercise, and 400 mg of calcium as calcium carbonate (TUMS Ultra) twice daily+exercise. The supervised exercise was 1 h.d(-1) cycling at 65 70% of heart rate reserve. A controlled diet of approximately 450 mg.d(-1) of calcium and 24-h pooled urine and fecal collections allowed determination of calcium balance on days 5-8 of each phase. Twenty-four-hour dermal collections were made at the end of each phase using a whole-body washdown procedure. RESULTS: Exercise increased (P<0.05) dermal calcium losses (means+/-SD, 92+/-49 vs 79+/-31 mg.d(-1) in the nonexercise intervention period), which was no longer significant (P=0.14) when calcium supplementation was provided (83+/-49 mg.d( 1)). Higher (P<0.01) urinary calcium excretion during calcium supplementation is suggestive of higher net calcium absorption. Exercise did not affect urinary calcium excretion indicating lack of compensation for dermal losses. Net calcium retention was positive only during the exercise+calcium supplementation intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium supplementation can correct for negative calcium balance attributable to low calcium dietary intake and additional dermal losses from exercise. PMID- 17805077 TI - Exercise training on disease control and quality of life in asthmatic children. AB - PURPOSE: Aerobic training has been shown to be effective in improving cardiopulmonary fitness in asthmatic children. However, the actual impact of physical training on clinical indicators of disease control remains controversial. METHODS: Thirty-eight children with moderate to severe persistent asthma were randomly assigned to control (N=17) and training (N=21) groups. Spirometry, exercise challenge, and maximum incremental cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed 16 wk apart. Daily doses of inhaled steroids and Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) scores were also recorded. RESULTS: Physical training was associated with significant improvements in physiological variables at peak and submaximal exercise (P<0.05); in contrast, no significant changes were found in controls. Severity of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and postexercise breathlessness were significantly lessened in trained patients; improvement in fitness and EIB, however, were not linearly related (P>0.05). In addition, PAQLQ scores improved only in trained children (P<0.01). Daily doses of inhaled steroids were reduced in trained patients (52%), but they remained unchanged or increased in controls (70.6%) (P=0.07). CONCLUSION: Supervised exercise training might be associated with beneficial effects on disease control and quality of life in asthmatic children. These data suggest an adjunct role of physical conditioning on clinical management of patients with more advanced disease. PMID- 17805078 TI - Prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in a cohort of varsity college athletes. AB - INTRODUCTION: Exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) occurs more commonly in elite athletes than in the general population. There have been relatively few prevalence studies examining EIB in college athletes despite studies which have shown significant morbidity from asthma attacks related to exercise occurring in athletes in this age group. None of the previous studies utilized eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH) testing, which is the currently recommended test to document EIB in Olympians. METHODS: Varsity athletes at The Ohio State University underwent EVH testing to assess for EIB. RESULTS: One hundred seven athletes from 22 sports participated. Forty-two of 107 athletes (39%) were EIB positive according to EVH results. Thirty-six of 42 EIB-positive athletes (86%) had no prior history of EIB or asthma. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of EIB according to sex of the athlete (P=0.65) or ventilation demands of the sport (P=0.64). Symptoms were not predictive of EIB (P=0.44). The prevalence of EIB was 36% in athletes with negative symptoms and 35% for those with positive symptoms. Athletes in high-ventilation sports were significantly more symptomatic (48%) than athletes in low-ventilation sports (25%) (P=0.02); however, there was no difference in the prevalence of EIB between the two groups (P=0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Varsity athletes show a high incidence of EIB when objectively diagnosed by a variety of pulmonary function criteria. Sex of the athlete or ventilation demands of the sport does not affect the prevalence of EIB. The use of symptoms to diagnose EIB is not predictive of whether athletes have objectively documented EIB. Empiric diagnosis and treatment of EIB on the basis of subjective symptoms alone may lead to an increased number of inaccurate diagnoses and increased morbidity. PMID- 17805079 TI - Contribution of youth sport to total daily physical activity among 6- to 12-yr old boys. AB - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to determine the contribution of organized youth sport to total daily physical activity (PA), and 2) to examine the contribution of daily recess and physical education (PE) to total daily PA. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 119 children wore an accelerometer during a school day in which they participated in organized youth sport. A subsample (N=36) wore the accelerometer on a nonsport day to examine day-to-day differences in PA. Total daily PA and PA during youth sport, recess, and PE were estimated. The contributions of youth sport, recess, and PE were determined by dividing the amount of PA from each activity by the total daily amount of PA. RESULTS: Approximately 110 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were achieved on the monitoring day. Youth sport contributed approximately 23% of the total MVPA, whereas PE and recess contributed almost 11 and 16%, respectively. Nearly half of the accumulated minutes of MVPA were attributed to unstructured activities (approximately 56 min). For the entire sample, approximately 52% of youth sport time was spent in either sedentary or light intensity activities, whereas moderate and vigorous physical activity accounted for approximately 27 and 22% of the time, respectively. During a nonsport day, participants engaged in significantly more sedentary activity (P=0.02) and significantly less moderate (P=0.02) and vigorous activity (P<0.001) compared with the sport day. CONCLUSION: Participants in this study averaged 110 min of MVPA during a day in which they participated in youth sport. The additional amount of MVPA accumulated on the sport day (approximately 30 min) was not maintained on a nonsport day. PMID- 17805080 TI - Large-scale applications of accelerometers: new frontiers and new questions. PMID- 17805081 TI - Physical activity and inactivity in an adult population assessed by accelerometry. AB - INTRODUCTION: Strong evidence suggests a link between physical inactivity and chronic disease prevalence in the adult population. To target the right groups for interventions in a population, accurate assessment of physical activity is important. The objective of this study was to assess the levels and pattern of physical activity and inactivity in an adult population sample using an objective method. METHODS: In total, 1114 adults (56% women, 45+/-15 yr), randomly recruited from the Swedish population across a year, used an accelerometer (Actigraph MTI) for seven consecutive days. Inactivity was defined as <100 counts per minute, and cutoff values for moderate and vigorous activity were 1952-5724 and >5724 counts per minute, respectively. Average intensity was measured as counts per minute. RESULTS: The adults were active in at least moderate-intensity activity for a median (intraquartile range) of 31 (18-47) min.d(-1). Fifty-two percent accumulated 30 min.d(-1) of at least moderate-intensity physical activity. Only 1% achieved those 30 min from three or more bouts of at least 10 min. Average intensity, moderate and vigorous physical activity was lower with higher age or body mass index (BMI). Men spent more time than women in moderate and vigorous physical activity, but there was no gender difference in average intensity. The variation in inactivity could not be explained by gender, age, or BMI. CONCLUSION: Objectively obtained estimates of physical activity yielded lower values and a different activity pattern compared with those obtained by commonly used self-reports. This highlights the need to better understand the nature and measurement issues of health-enhancing physical activity of adults. PMID- 17805082 TI - Actigraph accelerometer interinstrument reliability during free-living in adults. AB - The Actigraph (AG; model 7164 v. 2.2) accelerometer is widely accepted as a valid means of physical activity (PA) assessment. However, no studies have investigated interinstrument reliability for data collection in a free-living condition. PURPOSE: To determine agreement (on raw outputs and derived variables) between AG accelerometers worn concurrently on the right hip (RH) and left hip (LH) during 24 h of free-living. METHODS: Ten distinct pairings of AG were evaluated on 10 participants (four males, six females; age=30.1+/-3.8 yr). AG were worn during waking hours (other than water activities). Raw outputs were activity counts and steps. Derived variables were time (minutes) in sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous, and MVPA (moderate+vigorous) intensity using published cut points. Intraclass correlations (ICC), absolute percent error (APE), coefficient of variation (CV), and paired t-tests were evaluated between accelerometers. RESULTS: Raw variables of total activity counts and steps, and derived variables of time in sedentary, light, vigorous, and MVPA intensity displayed high interinstrument reliability. The ICC, APE, and CV values for moderate intensity were 0.98, 18.8%, and 13.5% and, for MVPA, 0.99, 3.7%, and 4.9%, respectively. Only MVPA displayed a statistically significant mean difference (2 min) between RH versus LH AG, but the effect size was small (ES=0.07). CONCLUSION: Results display evidence of decreased interinstrument reliability of moderate-intensity time assessed during free-living. If separate moderate and vigorous categories are not necessary for specific research questions, MVPA may be the optimal intensity range to report, at least in terms of interinstrument reliability. PMID- 17805083 TI - Aerobic exercise bout effects on gene transcription in the rat soleus. AB - PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify changes in gene transcription that occur in the soleus muscle of untrained, 10-wk-old rats after a single aerobic exercise bout, and to identify which families of genes are most likely affected. METHODS: Rats were either run for 2 h and killed 1 h after exercise, or they remained sedentary and were killed at a matched time. Soleus muscles from each animal were examined using DNA microarrays, four genes related to RONS were analyzed by PCR, and two proteins were checked by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: The microarray identified 52 genes significantly altered by the exercise. The major gene families altered were metabolism, apoptosis, muscle contraction, transcription/cell signaling, tissue generation, and inflammation. Real-time PCR was performed on four genes (NFkappaB, TNFalpha, Atf3, and Mgst1), and the results from PCR analysis agreed with the microarray results. NFkappaB and TNFalpha were unaltered, whereas Atf3 was upregulated and Mgst1 was downregulated in the exercised soleus muscles. NFkappaB protein level was not different between the two groups, whereas Atf3 protein level was elevated in the exercise group according to Western blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that 1 h after a 2-h run at approximately 65% of VO2max, the soleus muscle undergoes significant gene-transcript changes. Also, the genes examined with the real-time PCR matched the microarray results and the measured protein concentration concentrations agreed with gene-transcript data at the 1-h postexercise time point. PMID- 17805084 TI - Short-term exercise does not increase ER stress protein expression in cardiac muscle. AB - PURPOSE: Both short-term (three to five consecutive days) and long-term (weeks to months) endurance exercise training provides cardioprotection against ischemia reperfusion (IR)-induced injury. However, the mechanisms responsible for exercise induced cardioprotection are not well understood. Emerging evidence indicates that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) damage contributes to IR-induced myocardial injury. It follows that exercise-induced expression of ER stress proteins could serve as the mediators of exercise-induced cardioprotection against IR injury. Hence, these experiments tested the hypothesis that exercise training is associated with an increase in ER stress proteins in the heart. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (N=13) were habituated to treadmill running for 5 d, followed by five 60-min exercise bouts (approximately 70% of VO2max) on consecutive days. Infarct area resulting from IR was determined by a standard histological (triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC)) method. Cardiac levels of ER stress proteins Grp78, Grp94, and calreticulin were analyzed via Western blot. Moreover, we determined myocardial levels of heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) along with ER proteins associated with cellular injury, including CHOP, caspase 12, Puma, Noxa, and ATF3. RESULTS: Our exercise protocol resulted in cardioprotection as evidenced by reduced infarct size (P<0.05) and increased myocardial HSP72 levels (+227%; P<0.01) in the exercise-trained animals. Nonetheless, exercise training did not increase (P>0.05) cardiac levels of the ER stress proteins, Grp78, Grp94, and calreticulin. Moreover, exercise did not alter myocardial levels of CHOP, caspase 12, Puma, Noxa, or ATF3. CONCLUSION: These data reveal that short-term exercise training does not elevate ER stress proteins in the heart. Hence, the cardioprotective effect of short-term exercise training does not seem to be linked to ER stress adaptation. PMID- 17805085 TI - Ischemia-reperfusion-induced cardiac injury: a brief review. AB - Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is the primary contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease. Depending on the duration of ischemia, three levels of IR-induced cardiac injury have been identified. The cellular events leading to IR-induced cellular injury are complex, but the key elements include IR-induced radical production, cellular disturbances in calcium homeostasis, and activation of cellular proteases. Moreover, growing evidence indicates that mitochondrial injury plays a major role in IR-induced injury, because mitochondria seem to be the final arbitrators of IR induced cell death and determine whether the myocyte will die from necrosis or apoptosis. This review will provide a brief summary of our current understanding of the cellular events that contribute to IR-induced cardiac injury and cell death. Further, we will briefly introduce the concept of cardioprotection and outline several successful approaches that can induce a cardioprotective phenotype. Finally, in hopes of stimulating future research, this review will also identify important gaps in our knowledge of IR-induced myocardial injury. PMID- 17805086 TI - Exercise-induced cardioprotection: endogenous mechanisms. AB - It is now well established that exercise can result in cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury; however, the adaptations within the heart that provide the protection are still in doubt. The cytoprotective proteins receiving the most attention to date are antioxidant enzymes and heat shock proteins. The extent of I-R injury is dependent on the interactions of several events, including energy depletion, metabolite accumulation, oxidant stress, and calcium overload. Adaptations that directly influence any of these could affect I-R outcome. Thus, the exercise-induced cardioprotective phenotype is likely to include additional cytoprotective proteins beyond antioxidant enzymes or heat shock proteins. In this review, we will consider evidence for some of these in the cytosol, mitochondria, and sarcolemma of the cardiomyocyte. We will not consider potentially important adaptations within vascular tissue or the autonomic nervous system. Results of recent studies support the hypothesis that exercise leads to cardioprotective adaptations that are unique from other forms of preconditioning against I-R injury. PMID- 17805087 TI - Antioxidants and cardioprotection. AB - Limiting myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is essential for preventing contractile dysfunction and limiting morbidity and mortality associated with ischemic heart disease. Over the last few decades, it has become clear that during IR insults, myocardial oxygen radical formation is accelerated and plays a critical role in mediating cellular damage and dysfunction. This review provides a brief summary of a variety of approaches that have been undertaken to alleviate the oxidant stress associated with myocardial IR, and a summary of the data demonstrating the potential therapeutic value of oxidant scavenging in limiting IR-induced myocardial damage. Included is a review of investigations using novel free radical scavengers, antioxidant extracts from a variety of plants, polyphenolic compounds from foods such as cocoa, soy, grapes, and wine, as well as vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Also reviewed is the evidence that exercise-induced increases in endogenous antioxidants may be an important change contributing to cardioprotection. One must conclude from this brief review that current evidence suggests that enhancing oxidant-scavenging capacity protects against some of the cardiomyocyte disturbances during IR and helps salvage myocardial tissue. Data in cultured cell and animal models are convincing; trials in humans are significantly more conflicting, but still promising. PMID- 17805088 TI - Immunoendocrine response to cycling following ingestion of caffeine and carbohydrate. AB - PURPOSE: This study investigated the effect of caffeine consumed with and without carbohydrate (CHO) on immunoendocrine responses after exercise. METHODS: On four occasions, 12 recreational male cyclists cycled for 2 h at 65% V O2max. Sixty minutes before exercise, participants ingested 6 mg.kg(-1) body mass of caffeine (CAF) or placebo (PLA), then during exercise they consumed a 6% CHO or placebo (PLA) drink, providing CAF/CHO, PLA/CHO, CAF/PLA, and PLA/PLA conditions. RESULTS: f-MLP-stimulated neutrophil oxidative burst responses were significantly higher after exercise on CAF/CHO and PLA/CHO (both P<0.05) than PLA/PLA when expressed as a percentage of baseline value. The response on CAF/PLA tended to be higher than PLA/PLA at this point (P=0.056). No significant differences between CAF/CHO, PLA/CHO, and CAF/PLA were observed after exercise; however, only PLA/CHO showed no significant postexercise decline. Coingestion of CAF/CHO significantly attenuated epinephrine (P<0.05) and IL-6 (P<0.05) responses that occurred after ingestion of CAF alone (CAF/PLA) and significantly attenuated the transient alterations in circulating leukocyte (P<0.05) and neutrophil (P<0.01) counts. Plasma cortisol concentration was significantly lower on PLA/CHO than CAF/PLA and PLA/PLA after exercise (P<0.05). Perceived exertion during exercise was significantly lower on CAF/CHO than the other three trials (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Taken together, this suggests that coingestion of caffeine and CHO has greater influence on immunoendocrine responses than neutrophil functional responses to prolonged exercise. PMID- 17805089 TI - Quercetin reduces illness but not immune perturbations after intensive exercise. AB - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of quercetin supplementation on incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and exercise-induced changes in immune function. METHODS: Trained male cyclists (N=40) were randomized to quercetin (N=20) or placebo (N=20) groups and, under double-blind procedures, received 3 wk quercetin (1000 mg.d(-1)) or placebo before, during, and for 2 wk after a 3-d period in which subjects cycled for 3 h.d(-1) at approximately 57% Wmax. Blood and saliva samples were collected before and after each of the three exercise sessions and assayed for natural killer cell activity (NKCA), PHA-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation (PHA-LP), polymorphonuclear oxidative-burst activity (POBA), and salivary IgA output (sIgA). RESULTS: Pre- to postexercise changes in NKCA, PHA-LP, POBA, and sIgA did not differ significantly between quercetin and placebo groups. URTI incidence during the 2-wk postexercise period differed significantly between groups (quercetin=1/20 vs placebo=9/20, Kaplan-Meier analysis statistic=8.31, P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Quercetin versus placebo ingestion did not alter exercise-induced changes in several measures of immune function, but it significantly reduced URTI incidence in cyclists during the 2-wk period after intensified exercise. PMID- 17805090 TI - Study of human outdoor walking with a low-cost GPS and simple spreadsheet analysis. AB - PURPOSE: To determine whether a low-cost, commercially available global positioning system (GPS) can be used to study outdoor walking of healthy subjects, allowing the detection of walking and resting (nonwalking) periods and the accurate estimation of speed and distance of each walking periods. METHODS: The same EGNOS-enabled GPS receiver was used for all experiments. In experiment 1, various signal-processing methodologies were tested for the detection of both walking and resting bouts from a prescribed walking protocol (PWP) that was performed 21 times by six healthy subjects on an outdoor athletic track. In experiment 2, the accuracies of these processing methodologies were then tested through a blinded analysis of different PWP for 10 other healthy subjects in a designated public park. In experiment 3, speed and distance calculated by the GPS receiver during series of 100-400 m on an outdoor athletic track were compared with actual speed and distance. RESULTS: Raw data were inaccurate, but the combination of a low-pass filter, an adapted high-pass filter, and artifact processing enabled one to detect walking and resting bouts with an accuracy of 89.8% (95% CI, 84.4-93.4). A manual post-processing methodology, used to complete previous automatic processing results, provided the highest concordance with the PWP, reaching an accuracy of 97.1% (95% CI, 93.5-98.8). There was an excellent relationship both between actual and processed distances (R2=1.000) and between actual and processed speeds (R2=0.947). CONCLUSION: Low-cost, commercially available GPS may be accurate in studying outdoor walking, provided that simple data processing is applied. Future validation in diseased subjects could allow for the study of free-living walking capacity, such as maximal walking distance in vascular patients. PMID- 17805091 TI - Plasma volume response to 30-s cycle ergometry: influence on lipid and lipoprotein. AB - PURPOSE: It has been suggested that exercise-induced changes in plasma volume (PV) confound the interpretation of biochemical data obtained during the recovery period from exercise. No studies have sought to assess the effect of short duration, high-intensity exercise on PV change and plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. The purpose of this study was to compare power profiles, changes in PV, and plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations immediately after and 24 h after exercise. METHODS: Subjects undertook two 30-s, high-intensity cycle ergometer protocols after optimization of resistive loads calculated from total body mass (TBM) and fat-free mass (FFM). Power output indices were recorded and blood samples were analyzed before, immediately after, and 24 h after exercise. RESULTS: Peak power outputs were significantly greater in FFM (1020+/-134 vs 953+/-114 W for FFM and TBM, respectively, P<0.05). No differences were found between TBM and FFM for mean power output, fatigue index, or work done. Significant decreases (P<0.05) in PV of 12.0+/-5.7 and 12.3+/-6.7% were recorded immediately after exercise for both TBM and FFM, respectively. At 24 h after exercise, a significant (P<0.05) increase in PV of 4.2+/-10.3% was recorded for TBM only. Significant increases (P<0.01) were recorded for serum triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol immediately after exercise for both TBM and FFM. These increases disappeared when corrected for PV changes, with the exception of LDL cholesterol in TBM, which still displayed a significant increase compared with the preexercise values (2.50+/-0.74 mM (before) vs 2.72+/ 0.84 mM (immediately after)). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that short-duration, high-intensity cycle ergometer exercise tests can induce significant plasma volume decreases in untrained subjects, which may affect the interpretation of bloodborne biochemical parameters. PMID- 17805092 TI - Introduction to altitude/hypoxic training symposium. AB - Altitude/hypoxic training has traditionally been an intriguing and controversial area of research and sport performance. This controversial aspect was evident recently in the form of scholarly debates in highly regarded professional journals, as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) consideration of placing "artificially-induced hypoxic conditions" on the 2007 Prohibited List of Substances/Methods. In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding altitude/hypoxic training, this symposium was organized with the following objectives in mind: 1) to examine the primary physiological responses and underlying mechanisms associated with altitude/hypoxic training, including the influence of genetic predisposition; 2) to present evidence supporting the effect of altitude/hypoxic acclimatization on both hematological and nonhematological markers, including erythrocyte volume, skeletal muscle-buffering capacity, hypoxic ventilatory response, and physiological efficiency/economy; 3) to evaluate the efficacy of several contemporary simulated altitude modalities and training strategies, including hypoxic tents, nitrogen apartments, and intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE) or training, and to address the legal and ethical issues associated with the use of simulated altitude; and 4) to describe different altitude/hypoxic training strategies used by elite-level athletes, including Olympians and military special forces. In addressing these objectives, papers will be presented on the topics of: 1) effect of hypoxic "dose" on physiological responses and sea-level performance (Drs. Benjamin Levine and James Stray-Gundersen), 2) nonhematological mechanisms of improved performance after hypoxic exposure (Dr. Christopher Gore), 3) application of altitude/hypoxic training by elite athletes (Dr. Randall Wilber), and 4) military applications of hypoxic training (Dr. Stephen Muza). PMID- 17805093 TI - Effect of hypoxic "dose" on physiological responses and sea-level performance. AB - Live high-train low (LH+TL) altitude training was developed in the early 1990s in response to potential training limitations imposed on endurance athletes by traditional live high-train high (LH+TH) altitude training. The essence of LH+TL is that it allows athletes to "live high" for the purpose of facilitating altitude acclimatization, as manifest by a profound and sustained increase in endogenous erythropoietin (EPO) and ultimately an augmented erythrocyte volume, while simultaneously allowing athletes to "train low" for the purpose of replicating sea-level training intensity and oxygen flux, thereby inducing beneficial metabolic and neuromuscular adaptations. In addition to "natural/terrestrial" LH+TL, several simulated LH+TL devices have been developed to conveniently bring the mountain to the athlete, including nitrogen apartments, hypoxic tents, and hypoxicator devices. One of the key questions regarding the practical application of LH+TL is, what is the optimal hypoxic dose needed to facilitate altitude acclimatization and produce the expected beneficial physiological responses and sea-level performance effects? The purpose of this paper is to objectively answer that question, on the basis of an extensive body of research by our group in LH+TL altitude training. We will address three key questions: 1) What is the optimal altitude at which to live? 2) How many days are required at altitude? and 3) How many hours per day are required? On the basis of consistent findings from our research group, we recommend that for athletes to derive the physiological benefits of LH+TL, they need to live at a natural elevation of 2000-2500 m for >or=4 wk for >or=22 h.d(-1). PMID- 17805094 TI - Nonhematological mechanisms of improved sea-level performance after hypoxic exposure. AB - Altitude training has been used regularly for the past five decades by elite endurance athletes, with the goal of improving performance at sea level. The dominant paradigm is that the improved performance at sea level is due primarily to an accelerated erythropoietic response due to the reduced oxygen available at altitude, leading to an increase in red cell mass, maximal oxygen uptake, and competitive performance. Blood doping and exogenous use of erythropoietin demonstrate the unequivocal performance benefits of more red blood cells to an athlete, but it is perhaps revealing that long-term residence at high altitude does not increase hemoglobin concentration in Tibetans and Ethiopians compared with the polycythemia commonly observed in Andeans. This review also explores evidence of factors other than accelerated erythropoiesis that can contribute to improved athletic performance at sea level after living and/or training in natural or artificial hypoxia. We describe a range of studies that have demonstrated performance improvements after various forms of altitude exposures despite no increase in red cell mass. In addition, the multifactor cascade of responses induced by hypoxia includes angiogenesis, glucose transport, glycolysis, and pH regulation, each of which may partially explain improved endurance performance independent of a larger number of red blood cells. Specific beneficial nonhematological factors include improved muscle efficiency probably at a mitochondrial level, greater muscle buffering, and the ability to tolerate lactic acid production. Future research should examine both hematological and nonhematological mechanisms of adaptation to hypoxia that might enhance the performance of elite athletes at sea level. PMID- 17805095 TI - Application of altitude/hypoxic training by elite athletes. AB - At the Olympic level, differences in performance are typically less than 0.5%. This helps explain why many contemporary elite endurance athletes in summer and winter sport incorporate some form of altitude/hypoxic training within their year round training plan, believing that it will provide the "competitive edge" to succeed at the Olympic level. The purpose of this paper is to describe the practical application of altitude/hypoxic training as used by elite athletes. Within the general framework of the paper, both anecdotal and scientific evidence will be presented relative to the efficacy of several contemporary altitude/hypoxic training models and devices currently used by Olympic-level athletes for the purpose of legally enhancing performance. These include the three primary altitude/hypoxic training models: 1) live high+train high (LH+TH), 2) live high+train low (LH+TL), and 3) live low+train high (LL+TH). The LH+TL model will be examined in detail and will include its various modifications: natural/terrestrial altitude, simulated altitude via nitrogen dilution or oxygen filtration, and hypobaric normoxia via supplemental oxygen. A somewhat opposite approach to LH+TL is the altitude/hypoxic training strategy of LL+TH, and data regarding its efficacy will be presented. Recently, several of these altitude/hypoxic training strategies and devices underwent critical review by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for the purpose of potentially banning them as illegal performance-enhancing substances/methods. This paper will conclude with an update on the most recent statement from WADA regarding the use of simulated altitude devices. PMID- 17805096 TI - Military applications of hypoxic training for high-altitude operations. AB - Rapid deployment of unacclimatized soldiers to high mountainous environments causes debilitating effects on operational capabilities (physical work performance), and force health (altitude sickness). Most of these altitude induced debilitations can be prevented or ameliorated by a wide range of physiological responses collectively referred to as altitude acclimatization. Acclimatization to a target altitude can be induced by slow progressive ascents or continuous sojourns at intermediate altitudes. However, this "altitude residency" requirement reduces their utilization in rapid response military missions that exploit the air mobility capability of modern military forces to quickly deploy to an area of operations on short notice. A more recent approach to induce altitude acclimatization is the use of daily intermittent hypoxic exposures (IHE) in lieu of continuous residence at high altitudes. IHE treatments consist of three elements: 1) IHE simulated altitude (inspired oxygen partial pressure: PIO2), 2) IHE session duration, and 3) total number of IHE sessions over the treatment period. This paper reviews and summarizes the results of 25 published IHE studies. This review finds that an IHE altitude>or=4000 m, and daily exposure duration of at least 1.5 h repeated over a week or more are required to have a high probability of developing altitude acclimatization. The efficacy of shorter duration (<1.5 h) hypoxic exposures at >or=4000 m simulated altitudes, and longer exposures (>4 h) at moderate altitudes (2500-3500 m) is not well documented. The predominate IHE-induced altitude acclimatization response appears to be increased arterial oxygen content through ventilatory acclimatization. Thus, IHE is a promising approach to provide the benefits of altitude acclimatization to low-altitude-based soldiers before their deployment to high mountainous regions. PMID- 17805097 TI - Effects of obesity on the biomechanics of walking at different speeds. AB - PURPOSE: Walking is a recommended form of exercise for the treatment of obesity, but walking may be a critical source of biomechanical loads that link obesity and musculoskeletal pathology, particularly knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that compared with normal-weight adults 1) obese adults would have greater absolute ground-reaction forces (GRF) during walking, but their GRF would be reduced at slower walking speeds; and 2) obese adults would have greater sagittal-plane absolute leg-joint moments at a given walking speed, but these moments would be reduced at slower walking speeds. METHODS: We measured GRF and recorded sagittal plane kinematics of 20 adults (10 obese and 10 normal weight) as they walked on a level, force-measuring treadmill at six speeds (0.5-1.75 m.s(-1)). We calculated sagittal-plane net muscle moments at the hip, knee, and ankle. RESULTS: Compared with their normal-weight peers, obese adults had much greater absolute GRF (N), stance-phase sagittal-plane net muscle moments (N.m) and step width (m). CONCLUSIONS: Greater sagittal-plane knee moments in the obese subjects suggest that they walked with greater knee-joint loads than normal-weight adults. Walking slower reduced GRF and net muscle moments and may be a risk-lowering strategy for obese adults who wish to walk for exercise. When obese subjects walked at 1.0 versus 1.5 m.s(-1), peak sagittal-plane knee moments were 45% less. Obese subjects walking at approximately 1.1 m.s(-1) would have the same absolute peak sagittal-plane knee net muscle moment as normal-weight subjects when they walk at their typical preferred speed of 1.4 m.s(-1). PMID- 17805098 TI - Variation in neuromuscular responses during acute whole-body vibration exercise. AB - PURPOSE: Leg muscle strength and power are increased after whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise. These effects may result from increased neuromuscular activation during WBV; however, previous studies of neuromuscular responses during WBV have not accounted for motion artifact. METHODS: Sixteen healthy adults performed a series of static and dynamic unloaded squats with and without two different directions of WBV (rotational vibration, RV; and vertical vibration, VV; 30 Hz; 4 mmp-p). Activation of unilateral vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior was recorded using EMG. During RV and VV, increases in EMG relative to baseline were compared over a range of knee angles, contraction types (concentric, eccentric, isometric), and squatting types (static, dynamic). RESULTS: After removing large, vibration-induced artifacts from EMG data using digital band-stop filters, neuromuscular activation of all four muscles increased significantly (P 0.05); seroma rate, 1 percent versus 7 percent (p > 0.05); and prolonged induration, edema, and ecchymosis, 0 percent versus 22 percent (p < 0.05). The pain score for glue versus nonglue patients was 100 percent minimal versus 95 percent minimal and 5 percent moderate (p > 0.05). The average score for patient satisfaction (scale, 1 to 10, with 10 being best) for glue versus nonglue patients was 9.5 versus 9.0 (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of fibrin glue was associated with some benefits for rhytidectomy. Fibrin glue eliminated the use of drains. The difference in expanding hematoma was clinically, but not statistically, significant. The seroma rate was decreased and neared statistical significance. There was an impressive immediate decrease in postoperative swelling. The fibrin glue was most advantageous in eliminating prolonged induration, edema, and ecchymosis. There were no statistical differences between groups for patient satisfaction or pain. The use of fibrin glue has been shown to reduce some of the morbidity and severe complications of face lifting. PMID- 17805136 TI - Chin surgery VI: Treatment of an unusual deformity, the tethered microgenic chin. AB - BACKGROUND: Although the condition is rare, some children are born with cervical clefts or masses that require repair during infancy. The scarring in the submental region can tether the developing mandible at the menton, producing a developmental microgenia or "tethered chin." METHODS: A retrospective review of the senior author's (B.M.Z.) patient records was performed; three cases of tethered chin were identified. In each case, a staged surgical approach was used. RESULTS: In two cases, previous unsuccessful surgery complicated the initial presentation. In all cases, the underlying soft-tissue anomalies were addressed and the microgenia was corrected. Satisfactory aesthetic and functional results were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: The tethered chin represents a rare entity. Correction of the tethered chin requires a comprehensive understanding of the underlying abnormality and an appreciation of the multiple factors that contribute to chin function and aesthetics. PMID- 17805137 TI - Versatility of the superomedial pedicle in managing the massive weight loss breast: the rotation-advancement technique. AB - BACKGROUND: Management of the breast following massive weight loss is challenging. Specific issues include an unstable envelope (skin laxity) and an unstable mound (decent and volume loss). The evolution of a technique is presented. METHODS: A retrospective review of all massive weight loss patients who underwent superomedial pedicle mastopexy techniques was performed. The current procedure involves incorporating the lower pole of the breast and rotating it superiorly. The lateral breast flap is then advanced medially and plicated. This essentially (1) autoaugments the upper pole, (2) narrows the wide breast, (3) provides an internal sling, and (4) redefines and secures the inframammary fold. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included in the series. The average body mass index was 26.5, and the average weight loss was 121 pounds. Six patients (17 percent) had mastopexy augmentation. Wise pattern skin takeout was performed in 89 percent of patients. The revision rate for the series was 11 percent. The average follow-up was 1.7 years. CONCLUSIONS: The superomedial pedicle is a versatile, well-vascularized pedicle that allows for glandular plication of the lower pole and autoaugmentation of the upper pole once rotated. Parenchymal shaping through plication and suspension of the breast mound should improve breast shape over time, theoretically reducing the incidence of recurrent ptosis as breast shape relies less on the often inelastic skin envelope. It applies a familiar and reliable technique, with certain modifications, to improve results and maintain shape in the long, deflated, massive weight loss breast. PMID- 17805138 TI - Mexoryl: a review of an ultraviolet a filter. AB - It is widely known that ultraviolet light causes skin damage and melanoma. Different wavelengths of ultraviolet light penetrate the skin at different depths, causing varying levels of damage. Higher wavelengths tend to penetrate deeper and, consequently, are thought to induce a myriad of skin conditions, thereby playing a significant role in the photoaging process. Sunscreens containing the ultraviolet A blocker Mexoryl are important in impeding ultraviolet A light, potentially reducing many of the characteristics of skin aging and preventing biochemical changes that can lead to nonmelanoma carcinoma. Until now, sunscreen products sold in the United States focused on blocking ultraviolet B light. Those that did provide ultraviolet A filtering contained physical blocks (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) or the chemical block Parsol 1789 (avobenzone). These broad-spectrum sunscreens have limitations, such as degradation under ultraviolet exposure, that resulted in decreased effectiveness. Mexoryl, a novel ultraviolet A filter, provides efficient ultraviolet A coverage, better photostability, and enhanced water resistance. Sunscreens containing Mexoryl are widely used in Europe and Canada. It was not until July 24, 2006, that the U.S. Food and Drug Association approved the compound. PMID- 17805139 TI - Changing role of the library in plastic surgery education today. PMID- 17805140 TI - What is plastic surgery and who decides? PMID- 17805142 TI - Simultaneous endoscope-assisted contralateral breast augmentation with implants in patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps. PMID- 17805144 TI - The sitting, oblique, and supine marking technique for reduction mammaplasty and mastopexy. PMID- 17805146 TI - A case for sending mastectomy scars for routine histopathology. PMID- 17805147 TI - Durability of nasal reconstruction in an adolescent with relapsing polychondritis treated with infliximab. PMID- 17805148 TI - Lateral septal preservation: a technique to improve projection in inferior pedicle reduction mammaplasty by preventing lateral displacement of the pedicle. PMID- 17805149 TI - A baby with osteomyelitis after a grade II burn. PMID- 17805150 TI - Reconstruction of an Achilles tendon defect with vascularized abdominal wall fascia. PMID- 17805151 TI - Comparing the ultrasonically activated scalpel (Harmonic) with high-frequency electrocautery for postoperative serous drainage in massive weight loss surgery. PMID- 17805152 TI - Use of the vacuum-assisted closure system in the treatment of enterocutaneous fistulas: a follow-up. PMID- 17805154 TI - Radioscapholunate arthrodesis for advanced degenerative radiocarpal osteoarthritis. AB - Degenerative joint disease affecting the radioscaphoid and radiolunate articulations while sparing the midcarpal joint may be best treated by a radioscapholunate arthrodesis. Limited wrist fusions have been shown to reliably improve pain and maintain some wrist motion. However, nonunion rates have been reported to be relatively high with traditional forms of fixation such as multiple Kirschner wires or cannulated screws. We report a technique of using two angled 2.4-mm distal radius plates to provide locking plate stabilization for radioscapholunate fusions. Our technique also features careful preparation of the planned fusion sites and the use of iliac crest bone graft. We have not had any instances of nonunion or delayed union with this technique thus far. PMID- 17805155 TI - Technique of intercostal nerve harvest and transfer for various neurotization procedures in brachial plexus injuries. AB - Brachial plexus palsy caused by traction injury, especially spinal nerve-root avulsion, represents a severe handicap for the patient. Despite recent progress in diagnosis and microsurgical repair, the prognosis in such cases remains unfavorable. Neurotization is the only possibility for repair in cases of spinal nerve-root avulsion. Intercostal neurotization is a well-established technique in the treatment of some severe brachial plexus lesions in adults. In this article, we describe our experience and technique of intercostal nerve harvest for transfer in various neurotization strategies in posttraumatic brachial plexus reconstruction. Intercostal nerve harvest is a technique requiring meticulous technique and careful dissection along with proper hemostasis. It is also very important to preserve the serratus anterior muscle insertion and keep soft tissue stripping to a minimal. We do not osteotomize the ribs and believe that this adds to the morbidity and length of the procedure. Neurotization using intercostal nerves is a very viable procedure in avulsion injuries of the brachial plexus; however, there is some concern that in the presence of ipsilateral phrenic nerve palsy, it may lead to a significant compromise of respiratory function. In our experience, this is negligible with good long-term results. PMID- 17805156 TI - An evolving perspective on surgical teams to developing nations. PMID- 17805157 TI - When one has nothing, a little is a lot. AB - Volunteerism in Third World countries is a rewarding but humbling experience. Although different locations have specific issues that must be overcome, common threads are often found. Through experience, desire, and commitment, a great deal of value can be created by the work of volunteers-value for both the recipient and the giver. This article reflects some of my experiences and thoughts on this topic. PMID- 17805158 TI - Management of axillary burn contractures. AB - This article will review the basic principles and techniques of managing axillary burn contractures in both industrialized and developing nations. Surgeons specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery should be adept in treating axillary soft tissue deficits secondary to burn contractures. The focus of this article will be to provide suggestions for performing skin grafts and latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps, as well as illustrate guidelines for postoperative rehabilitation. PMID- 17805159 TI - Surgeons beyond borders: techniques revived in an underserved area. PMID- 17805160 TI - Soft tissue coverage of the elbow in a developing country. AB - Two cases that required soft tissue coverage to the anterior aspect of the elbow are presented. A fasciocutaneous intercostal perforator chest wall flap was used for one patient when only skin and fascia coverage was required. A latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was used to provide soft tissue coverage and supply motor power for elbow flexion after contracture release in the other. The surgical techniques for each of these flaps are discussed in the context of addressing soft tissue traumatic injuries about the elbow in a developing country with limited resources. PMID- 17805162 TI - A new surgical technique for the ligament reconstruction of the trapeziometacarpal joint. PMID- 17805165 TI - Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance features of gynecologic abnormalities in women presenting with acute or chronic abdominal pain. AB - Advances in technology and improved availability have led to increased use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate women presenting to the emergency department or to their primary care provider with abdominal and/or pelvic pain. Computed tomographic examinations are often performed to evaluate the presence of appendicitis or renal stone disease. However, gynecologic abnormalities are frequently identified on these examinations. Although ultrasound remains the primary modality by which complaints specific to the pelvis are evaluated, in many instances, CT and MRI imaging occurs before sonographic evaluation.Historically, because of cost, radiation exposure, and relative ease of use, ultrasound examinations have preceded all other imaging modalities when evaluating pelvic disorders. However, as CT and MRI technology have improved, their use in diagnosing causes of pelvic pain has become equal to that of ultrasound. In some cases, primarily because of historic comfort with sonographic evaluation, gynecologic abnormalities originally diagnosed on CT or MRI may be immediately and unnecessarily reevaluated by ultrasound. For a woman in her reproductive years, the most common adnexal masses are physiological cysts, endometriomas, and cystic teratomas. Although lesions are often asymptomatic and incidentally detected, they can present with pain, and they increase the risk of ovarian torsion. Common causes of chronic pelvic pain in this population include leiomyomata and adenomyosis. In postmenopausal women, ovarian carcinoma, which often does not present clinically until a late stage, has to be included in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses. If a gynecologic pathology is discovered on CT or MRI, an immediate follow-up ultrasound need not be pursued if the lesion can be characterized as benign, needing immediate surgical intervention, or a variant of normal anatomy. If, on the other hand, findings demonstrate a mass that either is uncharacteristic of a benign lesion, has an indeterminate risk for malignancy, or demonstrates suspicious characteristics for malignancy (such as enhancing mural nodules), further evaluation by serial ultrasound, biochemical marker, and/or CT or MRI is warranted. The purpose of this review is to present a series of commonly encountered gynecologic abnormalities with either CT or MR to make radiologists more familiar with gynecologic pathology on CT and MRI. PMID- 17805166 TI - Reimaging the female pelvis with ultrasound after CT: general principles. AB - Ultrasound is the most appropriate first imaging test to perform when gynecologic pathology is suspected based on clinical history or physical examination, and imaging is required. However, as a practical matter, a woman's first imaging test evaluating her pelvis may be a computed tomographic (CT) scan; this is especially true when these women present to an acute care facility or emergency department with chronic or acute lower abdominal pain. Radiologists need to be able to recognize the CT features of a variety of gynecologic conditions. However, just as importantly, radiologists should have a firm understanding of general principles that help to clarify when reimaging the pelvis with ultrasound is indicated; furthermore, a clear understanding of these principles helps to focus the sonologist's attention on the sonographic features that will be most helpful in further characterization of abnormal CT findings. This pictorial essay discusses these general principles that clarify when ultrasound is and is not helpful in reimaging the female pelvis after CT. PMID- 17805167 TI - Mullerian adenosarcoma of the ovary: case report and review of the literature. AB - Mullerian adenosarcoma is a rare neoplasm that can arise in both uterine and extrauterine locations. This report describes the ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging findings of one case of ovarian adenosarcoma and reviews the literature as to the previously described imaging findings. Adenosarcoma should be considered in patients with a predominantly solid pelvic mass on imaging, particularly in those with a history of endometriosis or findings compatible with endometriosis on ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. A very low resistive index on ultrasound may also be suggestive of this diagnosis. PMID- 17805190 TI - Duplex Doppler sonography of the carotid artery: velocity measurements in an artery with contralateral stenosis. AB - To determine if a significant contralateral stenosis affects interpretation tables of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery's degree of stenosis in duplex Doppler ultrasound, the records of 307 patients with carotid duplex ultrasound studies with an angiogram performed within 3 months without intervening intervention were retrospectively reviewed for peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, internal carotid artery-common carotid artery ratio, and angiographic degree of stenosis. Data were grouped into categories of degree of contralateral stenosis, and Pearson r correlation was used to determine significance of ipsilateral Doppler parameters to angiographic data. As the degree of contralateral stenosis increases, the correlation of ultrasound parameters becomes less significant. At a contralateral stenosis of less than 40%, the P value for peak systolic velocity was 0.0006; at a contralateral stenosis between 40% and 59%, the P value was 0.133; at a contralateral stenosis between 60% and 79%, the P value was 0.241; and at a contralateral stenosis between 80% and 99%, the P value was 0.439. Therefore, correlations are no longer significant at levels above 40% contralateral stenosis. The Doppler parameters were scattered in patients with greater than 40%contralateral stenosis, and "corrected" correlation tables could not be derived. As stenosis increases in the contralateral internal carotid artery, Doppler values become inaccurate in determining the degree of stenosis in the ipsilateral internal carotid artery, with the occurrence of both the overestimation and underestimation of the degree of stenosis. PMID- 17805191 TI - The fetal posterior fossa: clinical correlation of findings on prenatal ultrasound and fetal magnetic resonance imaging. AB - OBJECTIVES: Recognize posterior fossa anomalies on ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging and appreciate imaging pitfalls that may lead to misdiagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases are presented to illustrate normal development and various anomalies. Postnatal studies and autopsy are used for correlation with prenatal imaging. RESULTS: Normal anatomy and anomalies are demonstrated. Pitfalls such as cystic hygroma, pseudomasses, and use of nonstandard scan planes are illustrated. CONCLUSIONS: Recognizing normal developing structures is an important component of performing fetal ultrasound. Documentation of the cerebellum, vermis, and cisterna magna are required for posterior fossa evaluation in any American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine-certified practice. Normal variations are common, and understanding the anatomy is vital to avoid misdiagnosis and to accurately characterize abnormalities. PMID- 17805192 TI - The fetal cerebellar vermis: assessment for abnormal development by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. AB - Fetal magnetic resonance provides a new tool in the imaging of the posterior fossa and is proving useful in cases that are difficult to assess sonographically by allowing further assessment of the fourth ventricle, cisterna magna, and vermian growth and development. We describe various criteria with which to evaluate vermian growth, including vermian biometry and the relationship between the superior and inferior lobes. We demonstrate 2 markers of normal vermian development: the primary fissure and fastigial point. We illustrate the tegmento vermian angle, "closure" of the fourth ventricle, and communication of the fourth ventricle with the basal cisterns during development and in several disorders. We correlate those features with the expected embryological course of development and illustrate identification of these features and associated abnormalities of the posterior fossa, brain stem, and central nervous system in mid-trimester scans of fetuses with abnormal development. Correlation with contemporaneous ultrasound examinations is demonstrated. PMID- 17805195 TI - Effect of the Ala12 allele in the PPARgamma-2 gene on the relationship between birth weight and body composition in adolescents: the AVENA study. AB - The intent of this study was to assess whether the effect of birth weight on later body composition is modified by Pro12Pro, Pro12Ala, and Ala12Ala genotypes of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-2 (PPARgamma-2) gene. The PPARgamma-2 gene polymorphism was genotyped in 273 adolescents aged 13-18.5 y, born at term and whose birth weight was known. They were selected from a cross sectional multicenter study conducted in five Spanish cities in 2000-2002. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from weight and height measurements, and body composition and fat distribution were estimated from skinfold thickness. A total of 229 subjects (111 males and 118 females) carried the Pro12Pro genotype and 44 (22 males and 22 females) the Pro12Ala and Ala12Ala PPARgamma-2 genotypes. In the Pro12Pro group, birth weight Z score was positively associated with both fat-free mass (FFM) (p < 0.05) and fat mass (FM) (p < 0.05), but these relationships disappeared after controlling for age, gestational age, socioeconomic status (SES), physical activity, Tanner stage, sex, and BMI. In the Ala12 group, birth weight Z score was positively associated with FFM (p < 0.01), and this relationship remained significant after controlling for confounding variables (p < 0.05). Small body weight at birth may program lower FFM in adolescents carrying the Ala12 allele in the PPARgamma-2 gene. PMID- 17805196 TI - Acid gastroesophageal reflux in convalescent preterm infants: effect of posture and relationship to apnea. AB - Concerns regarding gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and associated apnea episodes result in some practitioners having convalescent, prematurely born infants sleep in the prone position. We have tested the hypothesis that such infants would not suffer from clinically important acid GER or associated apnea episodes more in the supine compared with the prone position. Lower esophageal pH was measured and videopolysomnographic recordings of nasal airflow, chest and abdominal wall movements, electrocardiographic activity, and oxygen saturation were made on two successive days of 21 premature infants (median gestational age 28 wk) at a median postmenstrual age (PMA) of 36 wk. On each day, the infants were studied prone and supine. The acid reflux index was higher in the supine compared with the prone position (median 3% versus 0%, p = 0.002), but was low in both positions. The number of obstructive apnea episodes per hour was higher in the supine position (p = 0.008). There were, however, no statistically significant correlations between the amount of acid GER and the number of either obstructive or total apnea episodes in either the supine or prone position. Supine compared with prone sleeping neither increases clinically important acid GER nor obstructive apnea episodes associated with acid GER in asymptomatic, convalescent, prematurely born infants. PMID- 17805197 TI - Recovery of exfoliated cells from the gastrointestinal tract of premature infants: a new tool to perform "noninvasive biopsies?". AB - To gain insight into specific gene expression in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of preterm infants, we adapted a method to isolate exfoliated epithelial cells. Gastric residual fluid aspirates (n = 89) or stool samples (n = 10) were collected from 96 neonates (gestational age, 24-36 wk). Cells were characterized by microscopic observation, cytokeratin-18 immunodetection, and expression of transcripts. The human origin of cellular DNA was confirmed by amplification of specific X and Y chromosome sequences. Isolation yielded 100-500 cells per sample for gastric aspirates (n = 8) and 10-20 cells for fecal samples (n = 5). Epithelial origin was confirmed by immunodetection of cytokeratin 18. Analyses of reverse transcribed products, using two independent methods, from 15 gastric fluid and two stool samples showed that 18S-rRNA and transcripts of beta-actin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), and period1 were in quantities corresponding to at least 10 cells. On 59 aspirates, we found beta-actin transcripts (all but one), cytokeratin 18 (eight positive of eight samples), SLC26-A7-1 (13 positive of 19 samples), period2 (17 positive of 17 samples), and clock (25 positive of 26 samples). Exfoliated cells can be recovered from gastric aspirates and fecal samples and serve as a tool to investigate the impact of therapeutic and nutritional regimens on the maturation of GI functions. PMID- 17805198 TI - The extent to which genotype information may add to the prediction of disturbed perinatal adaptation: none, minor, or major? AB - Studies have been performed to describe the significance of genetic polymorphisms in complications associated with disturbed perinatal adaptation. Due to the large number of interacting factors, the results of classic statistical methods are often inconsistent. The random forest technique (RFT) is a robust nonparametric statistical approach that overcomes this problem through the calculation of the importance of each factor. We used RFT to reanalyze the importance of 24 genetic polymorphisms in the classification of preterm infants (birth weight, 680-1460 g, n = 100) to affected and unaffected groups according to the presence of acute perinatal complications. The accuracy of classification was between 0.5 and 0.8 for each complication when only birth data were considered. However, when genetic polymorphisms with the highest importance scores (ISs) were included in the analysis, the accuracy of classification according overall morbidity, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), acute renal failure (ARF), infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS), cardiac failure (CF), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) improved from 0.69, 0.60, 0.70, 0.72, 0.68, and 0.57 to 0.77, 0.70, 0.76, 0.77, 0.76, and 0.64, respectively. Our findings suggest that genetic polymorphisms identified by RFT as predictors may improve the risk assessment of preterm infants. RFT is a suitable tool to develop risk factor patterns in this population. PMID- 17805199 TI - Bile salt-stimulated lipase and pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 are the dominating lipases in neonatal fat digestion in mice and rats. AB - During infancy, the basic conditions for digestion of dietary fat differ from later in life. The bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL) is an enzyme expressed in the exocrine pancreas and in some species (including human) also in the lactating mammary gland and secreted with the milk. The aim of this study was to compare the ontogeny of four pancreatic lipases [BSSL, pancreatic triglyceride lipase (PL), pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (PLRP2), and phospholipase A2 (PLA2)] in one species that supplies BSSL with milk (the mouse) and one that does not (the rat). We followed expression of the four pancreatic lipases from postnatal d 1 until after weaning in both species. We found that BSSL and PLRP2, two lipases with broad substrate specificity, dominated. It was not until weaning that significant expression of PL and PLA2 were induced. Thus, BSSL and PLRP2 seem to be responsible for fat digestion as long as milk is the main food. Moreover, the early temporal pattern of BSSL expression differed between species. We speculate that the milk-borne BSSL is able to compensate for a slower ontogeny of pancreatic BSSL expression in the mouse. PMID- 17805200 TI - Lower insulin secretory response to glucose induced by artificial nutrition in children: prolonged and total parenteral nutrition. AB - Long-term parenteral nutrition (TPN) in children is associated with sustained hyperinsulinemia due to a high nutriment infusion flow 12 h/24 h, with plausible lipotoxicity secondary to repeated lipid infusions and with changes in incretin hormone release. The aim of this study was to test whether long-term TPN can lead to an alteration in beta-cell function. Thirteen children (age 9.5 +/- 3.9 y) on total TPN without obvious alternation in glucose tolerance were included. beta Cell function was quantified with an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and a graded glucose infusion. First phase insulin release (FPIR) was low in five patients. The same demonstrated a lower insulin release under graded glucose infusion, although plasma glucose reached values as high as 15 mM. These data emphasize that metabolic conditions induced by TPN can lead to lower insulin secretory response to glucose. Patients who remain dependent on TPN are at risk of developing glucose tolerance disorders. PMID- 17805201 TI - Inhibition of milk ingestion and growth after administration of a neutral cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist on the first postnatal day in the mouse. AB - We have shown previously that neonatal exposure to the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist rimonabant (SR141716) interfered with suckling and development. However, it was not clear whether the developmental deficiencies were induced by neutral CB1 receptor blockade, thereby inhibiting endogenous cannabinoid "tone," or by inverse agonist reduction of constitutive CB1 receptors. CB1 receptor blockade supports our hypothesis that low CB1 receptor concentrations and/or reduced endocannabinoid levels underlie infant nonorganic failure to thrive (NOFTT). Inverse agonism implies that lower constitutive CB1 receptor activity may be responsible for impaired food intake in newborns. In the present study, we injected the neutral CB1 receptor antagonist 5-(4-chlorophenyl) 3-[(E)-2-cyclohexylethenyl]-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole (VCHSR1) to 1-d-old mouse pups and recorded weight gain, gastric milk contents (milkbands), axillary temperature, and survival between age 1 and 10 d. The results showed a dose-related interference with all measures. These data show that (1) growth failure induced by rimonabant is generalized to another CB1 antagonist and (2) cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation by endocannabinoids is essential for normal milk ingestion and development in mice. This supports our hypothesis that endocannabinoid deficiency and perhaps CB1 receptor dysfunction represents the uncharacterized biologic vulnerability, which underlies NOFTT. PMID- 17805202 TI - Monocyte mRNA phenotype and adverse outcomes from pediatric multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. AB - Impairment of the ability to mount an inflammatory response is associated with death from adult critical illness. This phenomenon, characterized by reduced monocyte production of proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), is poorly understood in children. We hypothesized that differential expression of inflammation-related genes would be seen in monocytes from children with adverse outcomes from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNF-alpha production and plasma cytokines were prospectively measured biweekly in children with dysfunction of two or more organs. Concomitantly, monocyte expression of 28 pro- and anti inflammatory genes [cytokines, Toll-like receptor (TLR)/nuclear factor kappaB (NF kappaB) signaling pathway members, inflammasome elements] was measured. Thirty children (22 survivors, eight nonsurvivors) were evaluated. High mRNA levels for interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK-M), and the putative inflammasome inhibitor pyrin were associated with death (p < or = 0.02). Plasma IL-10 levels were higher and ex vivo TNF-alpha production was lower in nonsurvivors (p < 0.05). Among survivors, high mRNA levels for IL-10, IRAK-M, pyrin, IRAK1, or TLR4 were associated with longer durations of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay and mechanical ventilation (p < or = 0.02). These data suggest that adverse outcomes from pediatric MODS are associated with an anti-inflammatory monocyte mRNA phenotype. Future studies are warranted to explore mechanisms of immunodepression in pediatric critical illness. PMID- 17805203 TI - Associations of birth size, gestational age, and adult size with intellectual performance: evidence from a cohort of Norwegian men. AB - The influences of prenatal and postnatal growth on intellectual performance are unclear. We examined the associations of birth size and gestational age with intellectual performance and explored whether these associations were influenced by adult body size and social factors. In this nationwide cohort study, the records of 317,761 male infants registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (1967-1979) were linked to the Norwegian Conscript Service (1984-1999). The variation in intelligence test score at age 18 due to birth weight and birth length was evaluated using absolute and standardized (z scores) values. Mean intelligence score increased by gestational age, birth weight, and birth length. However, a decline in intellectual performance was observed for gestational age >41 wk and birth weight >4500 g. There was a strong interaction on intellectual performance between birth size and gestational age (p < 0.0005). Adjusting for adult size strongly attenuated the association of birth size with intellectual performance. The overall R of intellectual performance explained by birth size was <1%; however, adding adult body size and social factors to the model increased R to 12%. In conclusion, the association of birth size with intellectual performance was weak, but still present after adjustment for adult body size and social factors. PMID- 17805204 TI - Frequency domain analyses of neonatal flash VEP. AB - A battery of frequency-dependent measures was made for high-density electroencephalographic recording measured in response to a flash stimulus in 12 normal term infants within 2 d of birth. Significant changes recorded in posterior electrodes in the same time window as the visual evoked potential (VEP) included increased local synchrony at approximately 40 Hz, increased power at approximately 16 Hz, the emergence of nonlinear coupling of lower (approximately 2 Hz) and higher frequency oscillations, and phase locking over a wide range of frequencies. This research provides evidence of neural synchrony and nonlinear coupling in response to a simple visual stimulus. These mechanisms are functional in early development. It is proposed that the frequency domain metrics of this study may augment current diagnostic measures of cortical function at birth. PMID- 17805205 TI - Ventilatory response to a hyperoxic test is related to the frequency of short apneic episodes in late preterm neonates. AB - Chemoreception is frequently involved in the processes underlying apnea in premature infants. Apnea could result from a decrease in carotid body effectiveness. However, increased carotid body activity could also initiate apnea through hypocapnia following hyperventilation when the receptors are stimulated. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between carotid body effectiveness and short apneic episodes in older preterm neonates. Carotid body effectiveness was assessed at thermoneutrality in 36 premature neonates (2.07 +/- 0.26 kg) by performing a 30-s hyperoxic test during sleep, the oxygen inhalation involving a ventilation decrease. Blood O(2) saturation (Sp(o2)) and ventilatory parameters were monitored before and during the hyperoxic test. Short episodes of apnea (frequency and mean duration) were recorded during the morning's 3-h interfeeding interval. Pretest Sp(o2) was not related to any of the measured respiratory parameters. A higher frequency of short apneic episodes was linked to a greater ventilation decrease in response to the hyperoxic test (rho = -0.32; p = 0.01). Increased carotid body response is correlated with greater apneic episodes frequency, even in the absence of concomitant oxygen desaturation. Fetal or early postnatal hypoxemia could have increased peripheral chemoreceptor activity, which could initiate a "overshoot/undershoot" situation, which in turn could induce a critical P(o2)/P(co2) combination and apnea. PMID- 17805206 TI - Prenatal stress and mixed-handedness. AB - Atypical lateralization, as indicated by mixed-handedness, has been related to diverse psychopathologies. Maternal prenatal stress has recently been associated with mixed-handedness in the offspring. In the present study, this relationship was investigated further in a prospective, methodologically comprehensive manner. Stress levels were determined three times during pregnancy by means of questionnaires and measurements of cortisol levels. The handedness of 110 6-y-old children (48 boys) was determined by independent observers. Mixed handedness was defined as using the opposite hand for one or more of the tested activities. Logistic regression analysis showed that more maternal daily hassles in late pregnancy and maternal mixed-handedness increased the chance of mixed-handedness in the offspring. In contrast, more pregnancy-related fear in late pregnancy and a longer duration of gestation were associated with a smaller chance of being mixed-handed. Prenatal stress measured during the first two periods of pregnancy or determined by cortisol was not related to mixed-handedness in the offspring. In conclusion, reported and physiologic measures of prenatal stress in a moderately stressed pregnant population were only partly related to offspring mixed-handedness. PMID- 17805207 TI - Postnatal development of monocyte cytokine responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide. AB - Early childhood is a period of heightened susceptibility to infection due to immaturity of the immune system, and the nature of these developmental deficiencies is only partially understood. In this study, we focused on the ontogeny of the innate immune system by investigating the capacity of mononuclear cells to secrete a wide spectrum of inflammatory cytokines in response to interferon (IFN)-gamma priming and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, namely IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-18, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and myxovirus resistance protein A, induced by type-I IFN, at several time points between birth (cord blood) and adulthood. Competence to produce all these cytokines followed a similar developmental pattern, with slow postnatal up regulation from the response observed in cord blood. Unexpectedly, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma showed slow postnatal up-regulation but also elevated cord blood responses equal to or greater than the adult level. This was transient and not observed at 2 mo of age, and was not related to predelivery stress of the newborns. Variations in Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 function may account for these age related differences in cytokine responses, as TLR4 expression on neonatal monocytes post LPS stimulation was elevated and sustained relative to infants and adults. PMID- 17805208 TI - Evaluation of fetal and maternal genetic variation in the progesterone receptor gene for contributions to preterm birth. AB - Progesterone plays a critical role in the maintenance of pregnancy and has been effectively used to prevent recurrences of preterm labor. We investigated the role of genetic variation in the progesterone receptor (PGR) gene in modulating risks for preterm labor by examining both maternal and fetal effects. Cases were infants delivered prematurely at the University of Iowa. DNA was collected from the mother, infant, and father. Seventeen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and an insertion deletion variant in PGR were studied in 415 families. Results were then analyzed using transmission disequilibrium tests and log-linear-model based analysis. DNA sequencing of the PGR gene was also carried out in 92 mothers of preterm infants. We identified significant associations between SNP in the PGR for both mother and preterm infant. No etiologic sequence variants were found in the coding sequence of the PGR gene. This study suggests that genetic variation in the PGR gene of either the mother or the fetus may trigger preterm labor. PMID- 17805209 TI - Hydrocortisone and indomethacin negatively modulate EGF-R signaling in human fetal intestine. AB - Concomitant use of hydrocortisone and the nonspecific cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin increases the risk for intestinal perforations in preterm infants. We determined whether this was associated with insufficient epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) signaling. We tested the effect of EGF, hydrocortisone, and indomethacin on its activation, cell proliferation and migration, COX-2 expression, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. Human small intestine epithelial cell line FHsInt74 and EGF-R-deficient mice [EGF-R (-/-)] were used as models. The data revealed that EGF-R signaling had a bimodal positive effect on fetal enterocyte: 1) it increased cell proliferation and migration synergistically with hydrocortisone and 2) up-regulated COX-2 mRNA expression and subsequent PGE2 production. Correlating with this, COX-2 protein expression was down-regulated in EGF-R (-/-) intestine. Despite a positive effect on cell proliferation with EGF, hydrocortisone blunted the stimulatory effect of EGF on COX-2 expression and PGE2 production. Addition of indomethacin even further inhibited the EGF-stimulated PGE2 synthesis. The data suggest that concomitant use of indomethacin and hydrocortisone on preterm infants, who physiologically synthesize only low levels of EGF-R ligands, may lead to intestinal problems related to failure in cytoprotective and regenerative events. PMID- 17805210 TI - Impact of nutrition on phenotype in CFTR-deficient mice. AB - To elucidate the impact of nutrition in cystic fibrosis (CF), we compared the phenotypic traits of Cftr -/- mice fed either a lipid-enriched liquid diet (Peptamen) or a standard chow combined with polyethylenglycol osmotic laxative (PEG), two strategies commonly used to prevent intestinal obstruction in CF mice. Survival, growth, liver, and ventilatory status were determined in Cftr -/- and Cftr +/+ mice, followed-up until 120 d. Ventilation was recorded in conscious animals using whole-body plethysmography. We found that the survival rate was similar in Peptamen and PEG Cftr -/- mice. Cftr -/- mice had lower minute ventilation than Cftr +/+ mice, whatever the diet. Both Cftr -/- and Cftr +/+ mice fed Peptamen displayed preadult growth delay compared with PEG-treated animals. Despite subsequent growth catch-up, Cftr -/- mice remained smaller than Cftr +/+ mice, whatever the diet. All Peptamen fed Cftr -/- mice showed hepatomegaly and liver steatosis, which also occurred but to a lesser extent in Peptamen fed Cftr +/+ animals. Therefore, while both treatment strategies are similarly efficient to avoid high mortality at weaning, Peptamen induces preadult growth delay and liver steatosis. These effects of diet are important to consider in future animal studies and also prompt to evaluate high-energy diets in CF patients. PMID- 17805211 TI - Butyrate regulates the expression of pathogen-triggered IL-8 in intestinal epithelia. AB - Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by an exaggerated immune response that involves pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-8. Production of these pro-inflammatory cytokines is triggered by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP). Butyrate, a product of bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates, has been reported to modulate inflammation in IBD, possibly by regulating production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, this effect of butyrate is controversial. In this study, we used Pam3CSK4 (Pam3CysSerLys4), the acylated NH2 terminus of the bacterial lipoprotein (a PAMP), to mimic in vivo infection of pathogens. Butyrate transiently down-regulated expression of IL-8 stimulated by Pam3CSK4. Treatment of cells with butyrate before Pam3CSK4, however, enhanced production of IL-8. Furthermore, butyrate induced expression of A20, a negative regulator of the nuclear factor-kappaB pathway. Over-expression of A20 inhibited Pam3CSK4-triggered IL-8 expression. Our data suggest that the inflammatory modulation of butyrate in IBD is mediated by A20 and a short pulse rather than continuous administration of butyrate may provide a protective effect on IBD. PMID- 17805212 TI - Opioids: from physical pain to the pain of social isolation. AB - The opioid systems play an important role in mediating both physical pain and negative affects (eg, the pain of social isolation). From an evolutionary perspective, it is not surprising that the neurocircuitry and neurochemistry of physical pain would overlap with that involved in complex social emotions. Exposure to trauma as well as a range of gene variants in the opioid system may be associated with alterations in opioid systems function, with changes in reward processing, and with vulnerability to substance abuse. A role for interventions with opioid agents in depression and anxiety disorders has been suggested. PMID- 17805213 TI - Findings with 0.25 mg dexamethasone suppression test in eating disorders: association with childhood trauma. AB - INTRODUCTION: While both blunted and enhanced cortisol suppression following a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) are described in eating disorders, some evidence suggests that enhanced cortisol suppression might be associated with the presence of trauma history. The objective of this study is to investigate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to a modified DST in eating disorders and its relationship with childhood trauma. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with eating disorders were studied with a 0.25 mg DST and with measures of childhood trauma. CONCLUSION: Patients with bulimia symptoms had significantly greater cortisol suppression than controls and restrictive anorexia patients (F=8.2, P<.05). Cortisol suppression was significantly correlated with intensity of childhood traumatic events (F=0.32, P<.05). Hypersensitive hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis response to DST in eating disorders may be related with a history of childhood trauma and suggests some biological similarities with posttraumatic syndromes that should be further explored. PMID- 17805214 TI - An open-label trial of aripiprazole monotherapy in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. AB - INTRODUCTION: Aripiprazole is a novel second-generation antipsychotic approved for the treatment of bipolar disorder in adults but there is no systematic data available in pediatric bipolar disorder. METHODS: This was an 8-week, open-label, prospective study of aripiprazole 9.4+/-4.2 mg/day monotherapy to assess the efficacy and tolerability of this compound in treating pediatric bipolar disorder. Assessments included the Young Mania Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Adverse events were assessed through spontaneous self-reports, vital signs weight monitoring, and laboratory analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 19 bipolar youth (79%) completed the study. Aripiprazole treatment was associated with clinically and statistically significant improvement in mean Young Mania Rating Scale scores ( 18.0+/-6.9, P<.0001). With the important exception of two cases of extrapyramidal symptoms that precipitated dropout, aripiprazole was well tolerated with no statistically significant increase in body weight (1.8+/-1.7 kg, P=.2). CONCLUSION: Open-label aripiprazole treatment was beneficial in the treatment of mania in youth with bipolar disorder. Future placebo-controlled, double-blind studies are warranted. PMID- 17805215 TI - Prolonged exposure therapy for chronic combat-related PTSD: a case report of five veterans. AB - Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy has been found efficient in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms mostly among rape victims, but has not been explored in combat-related PTSD. Five patients with severe chronic PTSD, unresponsive to previous treatment (medication and supportive therapy) are described. Patients were evaluated with the PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview, and Beck Depression Inventory, before and after 10-15 sessions of PE therapy. All five patients showed marked improvement with PE, with a mean decrease of 48% in PTSD Symptom Scale-Interview score and 69% in Beck Depression Inventory score. Moreover, four patients maintained treatment gains or kept improving 6-18 months after the treatment. The results suggest that PE was effective in reducing combat related chronic PTSD symptoms. PMID- 17805216 TI - The neuropsychiatry of adrenomyeloneuropathy. AB - BACKGROUND: While the adult form of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) has been associated with an elevated rate of affective disturbance, the myeloneuropathic form of the disease known as adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) has been associated with only occasional cases of major mental illness. Given that cerebral involvement occurs in up to half of AMN sufferers, we hypothesized that rates of mental illness may match those with adult ALD. OBJECTIVE: To describe the psychiatric, cognitive, and disability variables in a sample of Australian AMN sufferers. METHODS: Ten genetically confirmed AMN sufferers underwent diagnostic psychiatric interview (Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I Disorders), rating scales of psychiatric disturbance (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, and Short-Form 36), and cognitive function (the Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool and Mini-Mental State Examination). RESULTS: While the group as a whole was generally cognitively intact, it demonstrated a higher than expected prevalence of lifetime and current major affective illness. Current symptom levels were low at the time of study participation. Psychopathology did not relate to adrenal status, nor to level of physical or functional impairment. CONCLUSION: This small sample suggests that the level of psychiatric morbidity in AMN patients is elevated, and the rate of affective disturbance approaches those of adult ALD sufferers. This may reflect that AMN is not a "pure" myeloneuropathy, and that mild cerebral involvement may be associated with affective illness. PMID- 17805217 TI - Analysis of the rate of improvement of specific psychic and somatic symptoms of general anxiety disorder during long-term treatment with venlafaxine ER. AB - INTRODUCTION: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic illness with psychic and somatic symptoms that do not respond uniformly in the first weeks of treatment. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of pooled data from five placebo controlled, double-blind, randomized studies in non-depressed GAD patients treated with venlafaxine extended release (ER) or placebo was performed to determine the temporal response of psychic and somatic symptoms to treatment over 8 weeks. Two of the studies included extension phases of up to 6 months, the results of which were also analyzed here. RESULTS: The earliest symptoms to respond included both psychic symptoms (anxious mood, tension, behavior at interview) and somatic muscular, cardiovascular, and respiratory symptoms. The last symptoms to respond included the psychic symptoms of insomnia and fear and the somatic sensory, gastrointestinal and autonomic symptoms, perhaps in part because of drug-related side effects. Continuing treatment beyond 8 weeks in venlafaxine ER responders for up to 6 months of total treatment results not only in additional improvement in early-responding symptoms, but also in the improvement of late-responding symptoms, perhaps due in part to the development of tolerance to antidepressant side effects. CONCLUSION: Serious consideration should be given to maintaining partial responders to venlafaxine ER treatment on the same treatment for > or = 3-6 months. PMID- 17805218 TI - Akathisia: problem of history or concern of today. AB - Akathisia is a neurological side effect of antipsychotic medications, which are used to treat various psychiatric disorders, and is characterized by physical restlessness and a subjective urge to move. Although side effects, such as akathisia, dystonia, and dyskinesia, are common for conventional medications, these effects occur in reduced frequency with the use of new-generation antipsychotics. Despite a lowered incidence profile, akathisia and similar conditions continue to affect patients. Neuroleptic-induced akathisia can present as fidgety movements while seated, rocking in place while standing, pacing, or the inability to sit or stand still for an extended period of time as well as the overwhelming urge to move, which can cause severe distress and an increased risk of suicide for affected patients. First-line treatment of akathisia includes benzodiazepines or beta-blockers for patients who do not have symptoms of Parkinson's disease and anticholinergics for patients with Parkinson's symptoms. Clinicians should ensure that an accurate diagnosis of akathisia is made and target symptoms are decreasing due to treatment, which does not negatively affect the mental health of the patient. This expert roundtable supplement will address the diagnosis, pathophysiology, phenomenology, classification, and history of akathisia as well as provide screening tools and treatment options for the condition. PMID- 17805219 TI - First-episode psychosis: a window of opportunity for best practices. AB - Patients experiencing a first psychotic episode or early stages of psychosis present with key diagnostic issues for clinicians. At the time of first-episode psychosis presentation, it is crucial that clinicians select the most effective treatment option as immediate intervention offers the best chance for containing the illness. During this period, selecting the best treatment option is also important because functional impairment occurs most rapidly during this early period, which can alter the patient's future prognosis, level of necessary treatment, and affect morbidity. Although research has shown a decrease in brain gray matter for those who develop psychosis along with signs of functional impairment, many patients with psychosis remain untreated for extended periods of time and do not visit a clinician because of denial, fear of stigma, a failure to recognize the problem, or complexities of their care system. Prior studies have shown that when psychosis is left untreated, the patient outcome is worse than for a patient treated earlier in the course of illness. There is a range of treatment options for psychosis treatment, including use of first-generation or second-generation antipsychotic medication. Clinicians should note that both drug types are associated with certain side effects, such as tardive dyskinesia and weight gain, respectively. For both medication types, doses should be lower for patients with a first psychotic episode than for patients with chronic psychosis. Lastly, patients may present with various comorbidities, such as substance abuse, that also may affect treatment. This expert roundtable supplement will address the diagnosis and treatment selection for first-episode psychosis as well as comorbidities related to the condition. The use of first- or second-generation antipsychotics for psychosis treatment, dosing guidelines, and the antipsychotic side-effect profile will also be addressed. PMID- 17805220 TI - Suicide trends among youths and young adults aged 10-24 years--United States, 1990-2004. AB - In 2004, suicide was the third leading cause of death among youths and young adults aged 10-24 years in the United States, accounting for 4,599 deaths. During 1990-2003, the combined suicide rate for persons aged 10-24 years declined 28.5%, from 9.48 to 6.78 per 100,000 persons. However, from 2003 to 2004, the rate increased by 8.0%, from 6.78 to 7.32, the largest single-year increase during 1990-2004. To characterize U.S. trends in suicide among persons aged 10-24 years, CDC analyzed data recorded during 1990-2004, the most recent data available. Results of that analysis indicated that, from 2003 to 2004, suicide rates for three sex-age groups (i.e., females aged 10-14 years and 15-19 years and males aged 15-19 years) departed upward significantly from otherwise declining trends. Results further indicated that suicides both by hanging/suffocation and poisoning among females aged 10-14 years and 15-19 years increased from 2003 to 2004 and were significantly in excess of trends in both groups. The results suggest that increases in suicide and changes in suicidal behavior might have occurred among youths in certain sex-age groups, especially females aged 10-19 years. Closer examination of these trends is warranted at federal and state levels. Where indicated, health authorities and program directors should consider focusing suicide-prevention activities on these groups to help prevent suicide rates from increasing further. PMID- 17805221 TI - Multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections associated with raw tomatoes eaten in restaurants--United States, 2005-2006. AB - During 2005-2006, four large multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections associated with eating raw tomatoes at restaurants occurred in the United States. The four outbreaks resulted in 459 culture-confirmed cases of salmonellosis in 21 states. This report describes the epidemiologic, environmental, and laboratory investigations into these four outbreaks by state and local health departments, national food safety agencies, and CDC. The results of these investigations determined that the tomatoes had been supplied to restaurants either whole or precut from tomato fields in Florida, Ohio, and Virginia. These recurrent, large, multistate outbreaks emphasize the need to prevent Salmonella contamination of tomatoes early in the production and packing process. Current knowledge of mechanisms for tomato contamination and methods of eradication of Salmonella in tomatoes is incomplete; the agricultural industry, food safety agencies, and public health agencies should make tomato-safety research a priority. PMID- 17805222 TI - Asthma self-management education among youths and adults--United States, 2003. AB - Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease and major cause of morbidity in the United States. However, with appropriate medication, medical care, and self management, most asthma symptoms are preventable. Recent evidence indicates that asthma self-management education is effective in improving outcomes of chronic asthma. Guidelines issued by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) specify essential components of asthma management, including patient education, objective monitoring of symptoms, and avoiding asthma triggers. Healthy People 2010 objectives include increasing the proportion of persons with asthma who receive formal patient education from 8% to 30% (objective 24-6) and who receive care according to NAEPP guidelines (objective 24-7). The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) routinely includes questions that assess asthma status. In 2003, the survey included a series of questions designed to reflect clinical best practices for asthma and to serve as a baseline assessment for progress toward national respiratory health objectives. These questions have not been repeated in any NHIS since 2003 but are scheduled to be included in the 2008 NHIS. To characterize asthma education among youths and adults with current asthma by selected demographic characteristics, CDC analyzed data from the 2003 NHIS. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that the prevalence of asthma education varied by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and health insurance status. The findings also suggest that a substantial proportion of youths and adults with current asthma lack the education necessary for effective self-management and control of asthma symptoms. PMID- 17805223 TI - Cryptosporidiosis surveillance--United States, 2003-2005. AB - PROBLEM/CONDITION: Cryptosporidiosis, a gastrointestinal illness, is caused by protozoa of the genus Cryptosporidium. REPORTING PERIOD: 2003-2005. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION: State and two metropolitan health departments voluntarily reported cases of cryptosporidiosis through CDC's National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. RESULTS: During 2003--005, the total number of reported cases of cryptosporidiosis increased from 3,505 for 2003 to 3,911 for 2004 and to 8,269 for 2005. All reporting areas submitted reports, with more reports from northern states. Compared with other age groups, a greater number of case reports were received for children aged 1-9 years and adults aged 30-39 years. Peak onset of illness occurred annually during early summer through early fall. INTERPRETATION: Transmission of cryptosporidiosis occurs throughout the United States, with increased diagnosis or reporting occurring in northern states. An increase in cases reported for 2005 was attributable primarily to the occurrence of a single large recreational water-associated outbreak. State incidence figures should be compared with caution because individual state surveillance systems have varying capabilities to detect cases, and reporting might vary. The seasonal peak in age-specific case reports coincides with the summer recreational water season and might reflect increased use of communal swimming venues (e.g., lakes, rivers, swimming pools, and water parks) by young children. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Cryptosporidiosis surveillance provides data to educate public health practitioners and health-care providers about the epidemiologic characteristics and the disease burden of cryptosporidiosis in the United States. These data are used to improve reporting of cases, plan prevention efforts, and establish research priorities. PMID- 17805224 TI - Giardiasis surveillance--United States, 2003-2005. AB - PROBLEM/CONDITION: Giardiasis, a gastrointestinal illness, is caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis. REPORTING PERIOD: 2003-2005. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: State, commonwealth, territorial, and two metropolitan health departments voluntarily reported cases of giardiasis through CDC's National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. RESULTS: During 2003-2005, the total number of reported cases of giardiasis remained relatively stable. Reporting increased from 20,084 for 2003 to 20,962 for 2004 and then decreased to 20,075 for 2005. A total of 49 jurisdictions reported giardiasis cases; the number of areas reporting >15 cases per 100,000 population increased from four areas in 2003 to seven in 2005. Compared with other age groups, a greater number of case reports were received for children aged 1-9 years and for adults aged 30-39 years. Incidence of giardiasis was highest in northern states. Peak onset of illness occurred annually during early summer through early fall. INTERPRETATION: Transmission of giardiasis occurs throughout the United States, with increased diagnosis or reporting occurring in northern states. State incidence figures should be compared with caution because individual state surveillance systems have varying capabilities to detect cases. The seasonal peak in age-specific case reports coincides with the summer recreational water season and might reflect increased outdoor activity and exposures such as use of communal swimming venues (e.g., lakes, rivers, swimming pools, and water parks) by young children. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Giardiasis surveillance provides data to educate public health practitioners and health-care providers about the epidemiologic characteristics and the disease burden of giardiasis in the United States. These data are used to improve reporting of cases, plan prevention efforts, and establish research priorities. PMID- 17805225 TI - Identification of a chromosome 8p locus for early-onset coronary heart disease in a French Canadian population. AB - Susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD) has long been known to exhibit familial aggregation, with heritability estimated to be greater than 50%. The French Canadian population of the Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada is descended from a founder population that settled this region 300-400 years ago and this may provide increased power to detect genes contributing to complex traits such as CHD. Probands with early-onset CHD, defined by angiographically determined coronary stenosis, and their relatives were recruited from this population (average sibship size of 6.4). Linkage analysis was performed following a genome-wide microsatellite marker scan on 42 families with 284 individuals. Nonparametric linkage (NPL) analysis provided suggestive evidence for a CHD susceptibility locus on chromosome 8 with an NPL score of 3.14 (P=0.001) at D8S1106. Linkage to this locus was verified by fine mapping in an enlarged sample of 50 families with 320 individuals. This analysis provided evidence of linkage at D8S552 (NPL score=3.53, P=0.0003), a marker that maps to the same location as D8S1106. Candidate genes in this region, including macrophage scavenger receptor 1, farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1, fibrinogen-like 1, and GATA-binding protein 4, were resequenced in all coding exons in both affected and unaffected individuals. Association studies with variants in these and five other genes did not identify a disease-associated mutation. In conclusion, a genome-wide scan and additional fine mapping provide evidence for a locus on chromosome 8 that contributes to CHD in a French Canadian population. PMID- 17805226 TI - Validity and reproducibility of the NORBAGREEN food frequency questionnaire. AB - OBJECTIVE: To measure the validity and reproducibility of the NORBAGREEN food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). SUBJECTS/METHODS: In Finland, 125 subjects aged 25 64 years sampled from the five main regions of the FINDIET 2002 Study and in Lithuania, 99 citizens of Kaunas aged 19-75 years participated in the study. Reference methods for the FFQ were two 3-day FFQs in Finland and four 24-h recalls in Lithuania. The FFQ was repeated after 6-8 months in both countries. The outcome of the FFQ1 was correlated with the outcome of the reference methods and with the outcome of repeated FFQ2. Cross-classification of food intakes by FFQ1 and the reference methods was examined in tertiles. RESULTS: Validity correlations (FFQ vs the reference method, Spearman's correlation) were for vegetables, fruit and bread 0.50 (P<0.01), 0.53 (P<0.01) and 0.54 (P<0.01) in Finland; and 0.55 (P<0.01), 0.31 (P<0.01) and 0.51 (P<0.01) in Lithuania, respectively. Correlations were smaller for potatoes and fish. The overall proportion categorized in the same or adjacent intake tertiles with the two instruments was over 83% in both countries. Reproducibility correlations varied between 0.51 and 0.75 in the Finnish study, and between 0.51 and 0.83 in the Lithuanian study. CONCLUSIONS: The NORBAGREEN FFQ can be used to rank subjects according to vegetable, fruit and bread consumption. Questions on fish and potato consumption need to be developed further. PMID- 17805227 TI - Low serum selenium is associated with anemia among older adults in the United States. AB - OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that low serum selenium was associated with anemia in humans. SUBJECTS: A total of 2092 adults aged 65 and older, in the third National Nutrition Examination Survey, Phase 2 (1991-1994) (NHANES III). METHODS: Examination of the relationship between serum selenium and hematological indices in NHANES III. RESULTS: Anemia, defined by World Health Organization criteria, was present in 12.9%. Mean serum selenium among non-anemic and anemic adults was 1.60 and 1.51 micromol l(-1) (P=0.0003). The prevalence of anemia among adults in the lowest to highest quartiles of serum selenium was 18.3, 9.5, 9.7 and 6.9%, respectively (P=0.0005). The proportion of adults in the lowest quartile of selenium among those who were non-anemic or who had anemia due to nutritional causes, chronic inflammation, renal disease or unexplained anemia was 9.9, 27.5, 17.5, 24.0 and 15.4%, respectively. An increase in log(e) selenium was associated with a reduced risk of anemia (odds ratio per one standard deviation increase 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.97, P=0.03), adjusting for age, race, education, body mass index and chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: Low serum selenium is independently associated with anemia among older men and women in the United States. PMID- 17805228 TI - Nonlinear relationships between visceral fat area and percent regional fat mass in the trunk and the lower limbs in Japanese adults. AB - OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between visceral fat area (VFA) and regional fat mass (RFM) or its distribution characteristics and to compare these characteristics between normal and visceral obesity Japanese adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Nonobese and nonvisceral obese Japanese adults (control group (CG): 44 men and 47 women), obese but nonvisceral obese (obesity group (OG): 15 men and 21 women) and visceral obese group (VOG, 80 men and 17 women). Obesity and visceral obesity were defined as body mass index > or = 25 kg m(-2) and VFA > or = 100 cm(2), respectively, based on the criteria of the examination committee of criteria for obesity disease in Japan. RFM of the both arms, trunk and both legs were measured by DEXA, and we calculated the percent RFM (%RFM). The VFA and subcutaneous fat area were measured at the umbilicus level using CT scans. We examined the relationship between VFA and RFM or %RFM in the Japanese adult population. RESULTS: Although linear relationships were found between VFA and each RFM, nonlinear relationships were found between VFA and each %RFM. In CG, %RFM of the trunk increases and %RFM of the leg decreases with accumulating VFA, but these relationships declined in VOG. CONCLUSION: These results may suggest that the relationship between %RFM and VFA changes between different visceral obese levels, and for Japanese adults this is found at reaching a 100 cm(2) VFA, which corresponds to the criteria for visceral obesity. PMID- 17805229 TI - Fish oil supplementation improves large arterial elasticity in overweight hypertensive patients. AB - OBJECTIVES: To observe the effect of fish oil supplementation on arterial elasticity and blood pressure (BP) in overweight hypertensive patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical study, in which 52 overweight hypertensive patients from a community were selected and randomly allocated to two groups (26 in the fish oil group (3 g day( 1), fish oil capsules) and 26 in the placebo group (only capsules). All the subjects were follow-up for 8 weeks. The arterial elasticity was determined by CVProfilor DO-2020 and expressed as elasticity indexes (C(1)-large artery and C(2)-small artery). During the follow-up, totally nine cases were dropped out (three cases from the fish oil group and six cases from the placebo group). RESULTS: After 8 weeks follow-up, the large artery elasticity in the fish oil group, compared with its baseline, was significantly improved (C(1): 15.5+/-1.5 vs 12.8+/-3.7 ml mm Hg(-1) x 10), whereas no effects were found in the placebo group (C(1): 13.0+/-3.4 vs 13.4+/-3.8 ml mm Hg(-1) x 10), P=0.027, RM-ANOVA across the two groups. The small artery elasticity (C(2)), BP and pulse pressure were not found any changes, either in the fish oil group or in the placebo group. At same time, the serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(sVCAM-1) and leptin levels, the lipid profile and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) as well, did not show significant differences between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Fish oil supplementation certainly would improve large arterial elasticity but no effect on BP in overweight hypertensive patients. Further study is needed to confirm the benefits of fish oil supplementation on age-related increases in arterial stiffness. PMID- 17805230 TI - Consumption of isoflavone-rich soy protein does not alter homocysteine or markers of inflammation in postmenopausal women. AB - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of soy protein containing isoflavones on homocysteine (Hcy), C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1). SUBJECT/METHODS: In a randomized crossover design, 34 postmenopausal women consumed soy protein isolate (26+/-5 g protein containing 44+/-8 mg isoflavones per day) or milk protein isolate (26+/-5 g protein per day) for 6 weeks each. Fasting blood samples were collected at the end of each diet period and end points analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Concentrations of Hcy, CRP, sE-selectin, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 were not different between soy and milk diet treatments. Results did not differ by equol production status or by baseline lipid concentration. Adjustment for intake of folate and methionine did not alter the Hcy results. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that decreasing vascular inflammation and Hcy concentration are not likely mechanisms by which soy consumption reduces coronary heart disease risk. PMID- 17805231 TI - Using satellite derived land cover information for a multi-temporal study of self reported recall of proximity to farmland. AB - Exposure misclassification is a major concern in epidemiologic studies. The potential for misclassification becomes even more problematic when participants are asked to recall historical information. Yet, historical information is important in cancer studies, where latency is long and causative exposures may have occurred years or even decades prior to diagnosis. Even though self-reported proximity to farmland is a commonly used exposure measure, the accuracy of recall is seldom, if ever validated. Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and land cover information derived from satellite imagery can allow researchers to assess the accuracy of this exposure measure, and to quantify the extent and importance of exposure misclassification. As part of a bladder cancer case-control study in Michigan, participants were asked whether they lived on a farm, or within a distance of 1/4, 1/4-1, 1-5, or >5 miles from farmland for each residence over their lifespan. Responses from 531 participants over two time periods--1978 and 2001--were investigated. Self reported proximity to farmland was compared to a "gold standard" derived from Michigan land cover files for the same time periods. Logistic regression and other statistical measures including sensitivity, specificity, and percentage matching were evaluated. In comparing self-reported and land cover-derived proximity to farmland, cases exhibited better agreement than controls in 2001 (adjusted OR=1.74; 95% CI=1.01, 2.99) and worse agreement in 1978, although not significantly (adjusted OR=0.74; 95% CI=0.47, 1.16). When comparing 2001 with 1978, both cases and controls showed better agreement in 2001, but only cases showed a significant difference (adjusted OR=2.36; 95% CI=1.33, 4.18). These differences in agreement may be influenced by differences in educational attainment between cases and controls, although adjustment for education did not diminish the association. Gender, age, number of years at residence, and geocoding accuracy did not influence agreement between the proximity approaches. This study suggests that proximity measures taken from satellite-derived land cover imagery may be useful for assessing proximity to farmland, and it raises some concerns about the use of self-reported proximity to farmland in exposure assessments. PMID- 17805232 TI - Daily mercury intake in fish-eating populations in the Brazilian Amazon. AB - Although high levels of fish consumption and bioindicators of mercury exposure have been reported for traditional populations in the Amazon, little is known about their actual daily intake of Hg. Using an ecosystem approach, calculate daily mercury intake in adult fish-eaters, examine the relations between mercury intake and bioindicators of exposure and the factors that influence these relations. A cross-sectional dietary survey on fish and fruit consumption frequency was carried out with 256 persons from six villages of the Tapajos River. Fish portion per meal was determined. Mercury concentration was determined for 1123 local fish specimens. Daily mercury intake (microg/kg/day) was determined for men and women from each village using the average fish-mercury concentration for the fish caught in their fishing zone, the average quantity of fish per meal, fish-species frequency consumption and participants' body weight. Fish-mercury averaged 0.33 microg/g+/-0.33. Daily mercury intake varied between 0 and 11.8 microg/kg/day (mean 0.92 microg/kg/day+/-0.89) and varied by gender and village. Mean blood- and hair-mercury were 58.7+/-36.1 microg/l and 17.9+/-11.5 microg/g, respectively. There was a strong and positive relation between blood mercury and daily mercury intake, with an inverse relation for fruit intake and schooling; significant variations were observed with immigrant status, and among villages. Hair-mercury was directly associated with daily mercury intake and inversely related to schooling and fruit consumption. Fruit consumption modified the relation between daily mercury intake and blood-mercury levels: for the same daily mercury intake, persons eating more fruit had lower blood-mercury concentrations (ANCOVA Interaction term: F=10.9, P<0.0001). The median difference of the ratio of blood-mercury to daily mercury intake between low and high fruit consumers was 26, representing a 26.3% reduction. These findings reveal high levels of daily mercury intake. Rigorous studies for developing risk-based reference doses in the Amazon should be undertaken to orient viable risk management strategies to reduce exposure, while maintaining fish diet. PMID- 17805233 TI - A new method of longitudinal diary assembly for human exposure modeling. AB - Human exposure time-series modeling requires longitudinal time-activity diaries to evaluate the sequence of concentrations encountered, and hence, pollutant exposure for the simulated individuals. However, most of the available data on human activities are from cross-sectional surveys that typically sample 1 day per person. A procedure is needed for combining cross-sectional activity data into multiple-day (longitudinal) sequences that can capture day-to-day variability in human exposures. Properly accounting for intra- and interindividual variability in these sequences can have a significant effect on exposure estimates and on the resulting health risk assessments. This paper describes a new method of developing such longitudinal sequences, based on ranking 1-day activity diaries with respect to a user-chosen key variable. Two statistics, "D" and "A", are targeted. The D statistic reflects the relative importance of within- and between person variance with respect to the key variable. The A statistic quantifies the day-to-day (lag-one) autocorrelation. The user selects appropriate target values for both D and A. The new method then stochastically assembles longitudinal diaries that collectively meet these targets. On the basis of numerous simulations, the D and A targets are closely attained for exposure analysis periods >30 days in duration, and reasonably well for shorter simulation periods. Longitudinal diary data from a field study suggest that D and A are stable over time, and perhaps over cohorts as well. The new method can be used with any cohort definitions and diary pool assignments, making it easily adaptable to most exposure models. Implementation of the new method in its basic form is described, and various extensions beyond the basic form are discussed. PMID- 17805234 TI - Modeling energy expenditure and oxygen consumption in human exposure models: accounting for fatigue and EPOC. AB - Human exposure and dose models often require a quantification of oxygen consumption for a simulated individual. Oxygen consumption is dependent on the modeled individual's physical activity level as described in an activity diary. Activity level is quantified via standardized values of metabolic equivalents of work (METS) for the activity being performed and converted into activity-specific oxygen consumption estimates. However, oxygen consumption remains elevated after a moderate- or high-intensity activity is completed. This effect, which is termed excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), requires upward adjustment of the METS estimates that follow high-energy expenditure events, to model subsequent increased ventilation and intake dose rates. In addition, since an individual's capacity for work decreases during extended activity, methods are also required to adjust downward those METS estimates that exceed physiologically realistic limits over time. A unified method for simultaneously performing these adjustments is developed. The method simulates a cumulative oxygen deficit for each individual and uses it to impose appropriate time-dependent reductions in the METS time series and additions for EPOC. The relationships between the oxygen deficit and METS limits are nonlinear and are derived from published data on work capacity and oxygen consumption. These modifications result in improved modeling of ventilation patterns, and should improve intake dose estimates associated with exposure to airborne environmental contaminants. PMID- 17805235 TI - The impact of HIV on chronic kidney disease outcomes. AB - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a known complication of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but outcomes among HIV-infected patients with kidney disease are unknown. We studied a national sample of 202,927 patients with CKD (stage 3 or higher) for death, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the mean annual rate of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over a median period of 3.8 years. Within this sample, 0.3% of the patients were diagnosed with HIV, 43.5% were diabetic, whereas the remainder had neither disease. In this national CKD cohort, HIV-infected black patients were at higher risk of death, a similar risk for ESRD and loss of eGFR than black patients with diabetes. HIV infected white patients experienced higher rates of death but a lower risk of ESRD than their counterparts with diabetes. Our results highlight a need to study mortality and mechanisms of ESRD in the HIV infected population. PMID- 17805236 TI - Parathyroid hormone fragments inhibit active hormone and hypocalcemia-induced 1,25(OH)2D synthesis. AB - Carboxyl (C)-terminal fragments of parathyroid hormone (PTH) oppose the calcemic, phosphaturic, and bone-resorbing effects of active hormone. To study the action of these fragments on 1,25(OH)(2)D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) synthesis, we infused parathyroidectomized rats with human or rat active 1-34 or 1-84 PTH at doses selected to produce similar calcemic responses. Human active PTH influenced neither phosphate nor 1,25(OH)(2)D concentrations. However, active 1-34 rat PTH decreased phosphate to the same level as vehicle-treated rats and increased 1,25(OH)(2)D to very high levels, whereas active 1-84 PTH decreased phosphate but maintained 1,25(OH)(2)D. As the latter effect could have been due to C-terminal fragment generation during its metabolic breakdown, we infused a mixture of rat C terminal fragments alone or with rat 1-34. The C-terminal fragments decreased 1,25(OH)(2)D and prevented hypocalcemic-induced 1,25(OH)(2)D synthesis. When infused with active rat 1-34, they lowered the 1,25(OH)(2)D level to that seen with intact rat 1-84. The C-terminal fragments did not influence either basal or rat 1-34- or 1-84-induced CYP27B1 mRNA levels, suggesting that their inhibitory effects on 1,25(OH)(2)D synthesis appears to be post-transcriptional. PMID- 17805237 TI - Controversies in nephrology: renal albumin handling, facts, and artifacts! AB - In this article, we discuss and contradict a recent publication by Russo et al., which suggests that the filtration of large amounts of albumin followed by transtubular transport of intact albumin is a physiological phenomenon. PMID- 17805238 TI - The progression of coronary artery calcification in predialysis patients on calcium carbonate or sevelamer. AB - Coronary artery calcification is more prevalent in dialysis patients than in patients without kidney disease and this is associated with high serum phosphorus. In this study, we evaluate the effect of calcium carbonate or sevelamer treatments on the progression of calcification in 90 predialysis patients. Inclusion criteria were stable serum calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and a similar baseline total calcium score (TCS). These patients were not treated by phosphate binder, vitamin D, or statin. They were given low phosphorus diets without or with daily calcium carbonate or sevelamer throughout the study that averaged 2 years. Baseline demographic or clinical characteristics along with biochemical parameters were not different among the three groups. The TCS significantly increased in patients on the low-phosphorus diet alone, to a lesser extent in calcium carbonate-treated patients, and not at all in sevelamer treated patients. The progression of coronary calcification paralleled that of the calcium score. Our study shows that sevelamer treatment should not be restricted to dialysis patients; however, a larger study should be undertaken to confirm these results. PMID- 17805239 TI - Rosiglitazone decreases albuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients. AB - Thiazolidinediones are insulin-sensitizing compounds that reduce plasma glucose and improve the lipid profile of type 2 diabetic patients. We determined the effect of rosiglitazone in 15 type 2 diabetic patients and compared these results to 14 randomly assigned placebo patients. After 3 months, the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio was significantly decreased, while the glucose metabolic clearance rate, during insulin clamp, was significantly increased by rosiglitazone compared to the placebo group. Fasting free fatty acid and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were significantly decreased, while the adiponectin concentration was significantly increased by rosiglitazone treatment. The percentage decrease in albuminuria correlated with the decrease in fasting plasma glucose, free fatty acids TNF-alpha and the increase in fat mass, plasma adiponectin, and glucose metabolic clearance rate. Stepwise linear regression analysis showed the decrease in TNF-alpha and the increase in adiponectin were independently associated with decreased albuminuria. Our study indicates that thiazolidinediones may be useful to prevent nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients. PMID- 17805240 TI - Syndecan-1 deficiency aggravates anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis. AB - During the heterologous phase of experimental anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) nephritis, leukocyte influx peaks within hours, whereas albuminuria occurs within 1 day. In the subsequent autologous phase, endogenous anti-GBM IgG develops and albuminuria persists. Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans like syndecan-1 play multiple roles during inflammation and we evaluate its role in experimental anti-GBM disease using syndecan-1 knockout (sdc-1-/-) mice. During the heterologous phase, glomerular leukocyte/macrophage influx was significantly higher in the sdc-1-/- mice and this was associated with higher glomerular endothelial expression of specific HS domains. In the autologous phase, glomerular influx of CD4+/CD8+ T cells was higher in the sdc-1-/- mice and these mice had persistently higher albuminuria and serum creatinine levels than wild type mice. This resulted in a more sever glomerular injury and increased expression of extracellular matrix proteins. The sdc-1-/- mice developed higher plasma levels and glomerular deposits of total mouse Ig and IgG1 anti-rabbit IgG, whereas the levels of mouse IgG2a anti-rabbit IgG were lower. Furthermore, decreased Th1 and higher Th2 renal cytokine/chemokine expression were found in the sdc-1-/- mice. Our studies show that syndecan-1 deficiency exacerbates anti GBM nephritis shifting the Th1/Th2 balance towards a Th2 response. PMID- 17805241 TI - Role of SNAREs and H+-ATPase in the targeting of proton pump-coated vesicles to collecting duct cell apical membrane. AB - Recycling of H(+)-ATPase to the apical plasma membrane, mediated by vesicular exocytosis and endocytosis, is an important mechanism for controlling H(+) secretion by the collecting duct. We hypothesized that SNAREs (soluble N ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment proteins) may be involved in the targeting of H(+)-ATPase-coated vesicles. Using a tissue culture model of collecting duct H(+) secretory cells (inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells), we demonstrated that they express the proteins required for SNARE mediated exocytosis and form SNARE-fusion complexes upon stimulation of H(+) ATPase exocytosis. Furthermore, exocytic amplification of apical H(+)-ATPase is sensitive to clostridial toxins that cleave SNAREs and thereby inhibit secretion. Thus, SNAREs are critical for H(+)-ATPase cycling to the plasma membrane. The process in IMCD cells has a feature distinct from that of neuronal cells: the SNARE complex includes and requires the vesicular cargo (H(+)-ATPase) for targeting. Using chimeras and truncations of syntaxin 1, we demonstrated that there is a specific cassette within the syntaxin 1 H3 domain that mediates binding of the SNAREs and a second distinct H3 region that binds H(+)-ATPase. Utilizing point mutations of the B1 subunit of the H(+)-ATPase, we document that this subunit contains specific targeting information for the H(+)-ATPase itself. In addition, we found that Munc-18-2, a regulator of exocytosis, plays a multifunctional role in this system: it regulates SNARE complex formation and the affinity of syntaxin 1 for H(+)-ATPase. PMID- 17805242 TI - Concentric demyelination by self-organization: a new hypothesis for Balo's sclerosis. PMID- 17805244 TI - Drug insight: effects mediated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in CNS disorders. AB - The finding that activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) suppresses inflammation in peripheral macrophages and in models of human autoimmune disease instigated the evaluation of this salutary action for the treatment of CNS disorders with an inflammatory component. The fact that NSAIDs delay the onset of and reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), while also binding to and activating PPARgamma, led to the hypothesis that one dimension of NSAID protection in AD is mediated by PPARgamma. Several lines of evidence from experiments using AD-related transgenic cellular and animal models have supported this hypothesis. The capacity of PPARgamma agonists to elicit anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloidogenic and insulin-sensitizing effects might account for their observed protective effects. Several clinical trials employing PPARgamma agonists have yielded promising results, and further trials are in preparation. Positive outcomes following PPARgamma administration have been obtained in animal models of other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, both of which are associated with a considerable degree of neuroinflammation. Finally, activation of PPARgamma has been found to be protective in several models of multiple sclerosis. The verification of these findings in human cells prompted the initiation of clinical studies evaluating PPARgamma activation in patients with multiple sclerosis. PMID- 17805245 TI - Diagnosis and management of nonconvulsive status epilepticus in children. AB - Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) encompasses a wide range of diagnoses with variable outcomes and treatment recommendations. In children, NCSE can be observed in various conditions, including acute neurological injuries, specific childhood epilepsy syndromes and other neurological conditions, and can also be observed in individuals with learning difficulties. NCSE in children is thought to be under-recognized, and further studies examining the electrographic characteristics of very young children in NCSE would aid the prompt recognition of additional patients. Some subtypes of NCSE are probably more harmful than others, and long-term prospective studies are needed to evaluate the damaging potential of NCSE itself as opposed to that of the underlying circumstances in which it occurs. Specific data in childhood are clearly lacking, but extrapolation from adult studies indicates that aggressive treatment is most warranted in comatose patients. By contrast, a cautious approach seems to be indicated for absence status epilepticus, complex partial status epilepticus and electrical status epilepticus during sleep. PMID- 17805246 TI - The Huntington's disease-like syndromes: what to consider in patients with a negative Huntington's disease gene test. AB - Huntington's disease (HD), which is caused by a triplet-repeat expansion in the IT15 gene (also known as huntingtin or HD), accounts for about 90% of cases of chorea of genetic etiology. In recent years, several other distinct genetic disorders have been identified that can present with a clinical picture indistinguishable from that of HD. These disorders are termed Huntington's disease-like (HDL) syndromes. So far, four such conditions have been recognized, namely disorders attributable to mutations in the prion protein gene (HDL1), the junctophilin 3 gene (HDL2), and the gene encoding the TATA box-binding protein (HDL4/SCA17), and a recessively inherited HD phenocopy in a single family (HDL3), the genetic basis of which is currently poorly understood. These disorders, however, account for only a small proportion of cases with the HD phenotype but a negative genetic test for HD, and the list of HDL genes and conditions is set to grow. In this article, we review the most important HD phenocopy disorders identified to date and discuss the clinical clues that guide further investigation. We will concentrate on the four so-called HDL syndromes mentioned above, as well as other genetic disorders such as dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy, neuroferritinopathy, pantothenate-kinase-associated neurodegeneration and chorea-acanthocytosis. PMID- 17805247 TI - A case of levodopa-responsive camptocormia associated with advanced Parkinson's disease. AB - BACKGROUND: A 48-year-old man with a 9-year history of Parkinson's disease who had previously shown a good response to levodopa presented for evaluation of increasingly disabling motor fluctuations and marked camptocormia. INVESTIGATIONS: Video-recorded neurological examinations when in 'off' and 'on' states, brain MRI scan. DIAGNOSIS: Advanced Parkinson's disease complicated by levodopa-responsive camptocormia. MANAGEMENT: Adjustment of dopaminergic therapy (carbidopa-levodopa and entacapone) to minimize motor fluctuations and camptocormia. PMID- 17805251 TI - The big splash. PMID- 17805252 TI - Life as we know it. PMID- 17805253 TI - A question of breeding. PMID- 17805256 TI - Genomes within genomes. PMID- 17805257 TI - All about Craig: the first 'full' genome sequence. PMID- 17805258 TI - DNA probe finds hints of human. PMID- 17805259 TI - Turkish physicists face accusations of plagiarism. PMID- 17805261 TI - Biotech crop rules get rewrite. PMID- 17805262 TI - Snapshot: rare beef. PMID- 17805263 TI - Crashing DNA's ultraconservative party. PMID- 17805264 TI - The dune chorus. PMID- 17805267 TI - King coal constrained. PMID- 17805265 TI - Chinese law aims to quell fear of failure. PMID- 17805270 TI - Tigers in trouble: year of the tiger. PMID- 17805271 TI - Palaeontology: time traps. PMID- 17805272 TI - Taxonomy: the collector. Paddy Patterson interviewed by Brendan Maher. PMID- 17805273 TI - DAMA sheds light on dark-matter particles. PMID- 17805274 TI - Diverse approaches useful for microbicide trials. PMID- 17805275 TI - A paper should appear with all the information it needs. PMID- 17805276 TI - Poverty and environmental stress fuel Darfur crisis. PMID- 17805280 TI - HIV/AIDS: allied responses. PMID- 17805281 TI - Solar system: lethal billiards. PMID- 17805282 TI - Zoology: twice bitten. PMID- 17805284 TI - Physical oceanography: super spin in the southern seas. PMID- 17805283 TI - Earthquakes: Burma's fault. PMID- 17805285 TI - Cell biology: taxi service for lipids. PMID- 17805286 TI - Technology: biometric recognition. PMID- 17805287 TI - Dragging of inertial frames. AB - The origin of inertia has intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries. Inertial frames of reference permeate our daily life. The inertial and centrifugal forces, such as the pull and push that we feel when our vehicle accelerates, brakes and turns, arise because of changes in velocity relative to uniformly moving inertial frames. A classical interpretation ascribed these forces to acceleration relative to some absolute frame independent of the cosmological matter, whereas an opposite view related them to acceleration relative to all the masses and 'fixed stars' in the Universe. An echo and partial realization of the latter idea can be found in Einstein's general theory of relativity, which predicts that a spinning mass will 'drag' inertial frames along with it. Here I review the recent measurements of frame dragging using satellites orbiting Earth. PMID- 17805288 TI - An asteroid breakup 160 Myr ago as the probable source of the K/T impactor. AB - The terrestrial and lunar cratering rate is often assumed to have been nearly constant over the past 3 Gyr. Different lines of evidence, however, suggest that the impact flux from kilometre-sized bodies increased by at least a factor of two over the long-term average during the past approximately 100 Myr. Here we argue that this apparent surge was triggered by the catastrophic disruption of the parent body of the asteroid Baptistina, which we infer was a approximately 170-km diameter body (carbonaceous-chondrite-like) that broke up 160(-20)+30Myr ago in the inner main asteroid belt. Fragments produced by the collision were slowly delivered by dynamical processes to orbits where they could strike the terrestrial planets. We find that this asteroid shower is the most likely source (>90 per cent probability) of the Chicxulub impactor that produced the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) mass extinction event 65 Myr ago. PMID- 17805289 TI - Natural history and evolutionary principles of gene duplication in fungi. AB - Gene duplication and loss is a powerful source of functional innovation. However, the general principles that govern this process are still largely unknown. With the growing number of sequenced genomes, it is now possible to examine these events in a comprehensive and unbiased manner. Here, we develop a procedure that resolves the evolutionary history of all genes in a large group of species. We apply our procedure to seventeen fungal genomes to create a genome-wide catalogue of gene trees that determine precise orthology and paralogy relations across these species. We show that gene duplication and loss is highly constrained by the functional properties and interacting partners of genes. In particular, stress-related genes exhibit many duplications and losses, whereas growth-related genes show selection against such changes. Whole-genome duplication circumvents this constraint and relaxes the dichotomy, resulting in an expanded functional scope of gene duplication. By characterizing the functional fate of duplicate genes we show that duplicated genes rarely diverge with respect to biochemical function, but typically diverge with respect to regulatory control. Surprisingly, paralogous modules of genes rarely arise, even after whole-genome duplication. Rather, gene duplication may drive the modularization of functional networks through specialization, thereby disentangling cellular systems. PMID- 17805290 TI - Entanglement of single-atom quantum bits at a distance. AB - Quantum information science involves the storage, manipulation and communication of information encoded in quantum systems, where the phenomena of superposition and entanglement can provide enhancements over what is possible classically. Large-scale quantum information processors require stable and addressable quantum memories, usually in the form of fixed quantum bits (qubits), and a means of transferring and entangling the quantum information between memories that may be separated by macroscopic or even geographic distances. Atomic systems are excellent quantum memories, because appropriate internal electronic states can coherently store qubits over very long timescales. Photons, on the other hand, are the natural platform for the distribution of quantum information between remote qubits, given their ability to traverse large distances with little perturbation. Recently, there has been considerable progress in coupling small samples of atomic gases through photonic channels, including the entanglement between light and atoms and the observation of entanglement signatures between remotely located atomic ensembles. In contrast to atomic ensembles, single-atom quantum memories allow the implementation of conditional quantum gates through photonic channels, a key requirement for quantum computing. Along these lines, individual atoms have been coupled to photons in cavities, and trapped atoms have been linked to emitted photons in free space. Here we demonstrate the entanglement of two fixed single-atom quantum memories separated by one metre. Two remotely located trapped atomic ions each emit a single photon, and the interference and detection of these photons signals the entanglement of the atomic qubits. We characterize the entangled pair by directly measuring qubit correlations with near-perfect detection efficiency. Although this entanglement method is probabilistic, it is still in principle useful for subsequent quantum operations and scalable quantum information applications. PMID- 17805291 TI - Control of the electronic phase of a manganite by mode-selective vibrational excitation. AB - Controlling a phase of matter by coherently manipulating specific vibrational modes has long been an attractive (yet elusive) goal for ultrafast science. Solids with strongly correlated electrons, in which even subtle crystallographic distortions can result in colossal changes of the electronic and magnetic properties, could be directed between competing phases by such selective vibrational excitation. In this way, the dynamics of the electronic ground state of the system become accessible, and new insight into the underlying physics might be gained. Here we report the ultrafast switching of the electronic phase of a magnetoresistive manganite via direct excitation of a phonon mode at 71 meV (17 THz). A prompt, five-order-of-magnitude drop in resistivity is observed, associated with a non-equilibrium transition from the stable insulating phase to a metastable metallic phase. In contrast with light-induced and current-driven phase transitions, the vibrationally driven bandgap collapse observed here is not related to hot-carrier injection and is uniquely attributed to a large-amplitude Mn-O distortion. This corresponds to a perturbation of the perovskite-structure tolerance factor, which in turn controls the electronic bandwidth via inter-site orbital overlap. Phase control by coherent manipulation of selected metal-oxygen phonons should find extensive application in other complex solids--notably in copper oxide superconductors, in which the role of Cu-O vibrations on the electronic properties is currently controversial. PMID- 17805292 TI - The potential for giant tsunamigenic earthquakes in the northern Bay of Bengal. AB - The great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 came as a surprise to most of the earth science community. Although it is now widely recognized that the risk of another giant earthquake is high off central Sumatra, just east of the 2004 earthquake, there seems to be relatively little concern about the subduction zone to the north, in the northern Bay of Bengal along the coast of Myanmar. Here I show that similar indicators suggest a high potential for giant earthquakes along the coast of Myanmar. These indicators include the tectonic environment, which is similar to other subduction zones that experience giant megathrust earthquakes, stress and crustal strain observations, which indicate that the seismogenic zone is locked, and historical earthquake activity, which indicates that giant tsunamigenic earthquakes have occurred there in the past. These are all consistent with active subduction in the Myanmar subduction zone and I suggest that the seismogenic zone extends beneath the Bengal Fan. I conclude therefore that giant earthquakes probably occur off the coast of Myanmar, and that a large and vulnerable population is thereby exposed to a significant earthquake and tsunami hazard. PMID- 17805293 TI - Raptorial jaws in the throat help moray eels swallow large prey. AB - Most bony fishes rely on suction mechanisms to capture and transport prey. Once captured, prey are carried by water movement inside the oral cavity to a second set of jaws in the throat, the pharyngeal jaws, which manipulate the prey and assist in swallowing. Moray eels display much less effective suction-feeding abilities. Given this reduction in a feeding mechanism that is widespread and highly conserved in aquatic vertebrates, it is not known how moray eels swallow large fish and cephalopods. Here we show that the moray eel (Muraena retifera) overcomes reduced suction capacity by launching raptorial pharyngeal jaws out of its throat and into its oral cavity, where the jaws grasp the struggling prey animal and transport it back to the throat and into the oesophagus. This is the first described case of a vertebrate using a second set of jaws to both restrain and transport prey, and is the only alternative to the hydraulic prey transport reported in teleost fishes. The extreme mobility of the moray pharyngeal jaws is made possible by elongation of the muscles that control the jaws, coupled with reduction of adjacent gill-arch structures. The discovery that pharyngeal jaws can reach up from behind the skull to grasp prey in the oral jaws reveals a major innovation that may have contributed to the success of moray eels as apex predators hunting within the complex matrix of coral reefs. This alternative prey transport mode is mechanically similar to the ratcheting mechanisms used in snakes--a group of terrestrial vertebrates that share striking morphological, behavioural and ecological convergence with moray eels. PMID- 17805294 TI - Genome-wide expression dynamics of a marine virus and host reveal features of co evolution. AB - Interactions between bacterial hosts and their viruses (phages) lead to reciprocal genome evolution through a dynamic co-evolutionary process. Phage mediated transfer of host genes--often located in genome islands--has had a major impact on microbial evolution. Furthermore, phage genomes have clearly been shaped by the acquisition of genes from their hosts. Here we investigate whole genome expression of a host and phage, the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus MED4 and the T7-like cyanophage P-SSP7, during lytic infection, to gain insight into these co-evolutionary processes. Although most of the phage genome was linearly transcribed over the course of infection, four phage-encoded bacterial metabolism genes formed part of the same expression cluster, even though they are physically separated on the genome. These genes--encoding photosystem II D1 (psbA), high-light inducible protein (hli), transaldolase (talC) and ribonucleotide reductase (nrd)--are transcribed together with phage DNA replication genes and seem to make up a functional unit involved in energy and deoxynucleotide production for phage replication in resource-poor oceans. Also unique to this system was the upregulation of numerous genes in the host during infection. These may be host stress response genes and/or genes induced by the phage. Many of these host genes are located in genome islands and have homologues in cyanophage genomes. We hypothesize that phage have evolved to use upregulated host genes, leading to their stable incorporation into phage genomes and their subsequent transfer back to hosts in genome islands. Thus activation of host genes during infection may be directing the co-evolution of gene content in both host and phage genomes. PMID- 17805295 TI - Cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15 interact to form tip-link filaments in sensory hair cells. AB - Hair cells of the inner ear are mechanosensors that transduce mechanical forces arising from sound waves and head movement into electrochemical signals to provide our sense of hearing and balance. Each hair cell contains at the apical surface a bundle of stereocilia. Mechanoelectrical transduction takes place close to the tips of stereocilia in proximity to extracellular tip-link filaments that connect the stereocilia and are thought to gate the mechanoelectrical transduction channel. Recent reports on the composition, properties and function of tip links are conflicting. Here we demonstrate that two cadherins that are linked to inherited forms of deafness in humans interact to form tip links. Immunohistochemical studies using rodent hair cells show that cadherin 23 (CDH23) and protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) localize to the upper and lower part of tip links, respectively. The amino termini of the two cadherins co-localize on tip-link filaments. Biochemical experiments show that CDH23 homodimers interact in trans with PCDH15 homodimers to form a filament with structural similarity to tip links. Ions that affect tip-link integrity and a mutation in PCDH15 that causes a recessive form of deafness disrupt interactions between CDH23 and PCDH15. Our studies define the molecular composition of tip links and provide a conceptual base for exploring the mechanisms of sensory impairment associated with mutations in CDH23 and PCDH15. PMID- 17805296 TI - Temporal precision in the neural code and the timescales of natural vision. AB - The timing of action potentials relative to sensory stimuli can be precise down to milliseconds in the visual system, even though the relevant timescales of natural vision are much slower. The existence of such precision contributes to a fundamental debate over the basis of the neural code and, specifically, what timescales are important for neural computation. Using recordings in the lateral geniculate nucleus, here we demonstrate that the relevant timescale of neuronal spike trains depends on the frequency content of the visual stimulus, and that 'relative', not absolute, precision is maintained both during spatially uniform white-noise visual stimuli and naturalistic movies. Using information-theoretic techniques, we demonstrate a clear role of relative precision, and show that the experimentally observed temporal structure in the neuronal response is necessary to represent accurately the more slowly changing visual world. By establishing a functional role of precision, we link visual neuron function on slow timescales to temporal structure in the response at faster timescales, and uncover a straightforward purpose of fine-timescale features of neuronal spike trains. PMID- 17805297 TI - Polo inhibits progenitor self-renewal and regulates Numb asymmetry by phosphorylating Pon. AB - Self-renewal and differentiation are cardinal features of stem cells. Asymmetric cell division provides one fundamental mechanism by which stem cell self-renewal and differentiation are balanced. A failure of this balance could lead to diseases such as cancer. During asymmetric division of stem cells, factors controlling their self-renewal and differentiation are unequally segregated between daughter cells. Numb is one such factor that is segregated to the differentiating daughter cell during the stem-cell-like neuroblast divisions in Drosophila melanogaster, where it inhibits self-renewal. The localization and function of Numb is cell-cycle-dependent. Here we show that Polo (ref. 13), a key cell cycle regulator, the mammalian counterparts of which have been implicated as oncogenes as well as tumour suppressors, acts as a tumour suppressor in the larval brain. Supernumerary neuroblasts are produced at the expense of neurons in polo mutants. Polo directly phosphorylates Partner of Numb (Pon, ref. 16), an adaptor protein for Numb, and this phosphorylation event is important for Pon to localize Numb. In polo mutants, the asymmetric localization of Pon, Numb and atypical protein kinase C are disrupted, whereas other polarity markers are largely unaffected. Overexpression of Numb suppresses neuroblast overproliferation caused by polo mutations, suggesting that Numb has a major role in mediating this effect of Polo. Our results reveal a biochemical link between the cell cycle and the asymmetric protein localization machinery, and indicate that Polo can inhibit progenitor self-renewal by regulating the localization and function of Numb. PMID- 17805298 TI - Fc receptor but not complement binding is important in antibody protection against HIV. AB - Most successful vaccines elicit neutralizing antibodies and this property is a high priority when developing an HIV vaccine. Indeed, passively administered neutralizing antibodies have been shown to protect against HIV challenge in some of the best available animal models. For example, antibodies given intravenously can protect macaques against intravenous or mucosal SHIV (an HIV/SIV chimaera) challenge and topically applied antibodies can protect macaques against vaginal SHIV challenge. However, the mechanism(s) by which neutralizing antibodies afford protection against HIV is not understood and, in particular, the role of antibody Fc-mediated effector functions is unclear. Here we report that there is a dramatic decrease in the ability of a broadly neutralizing antibody to protect macaques against SHIV challenge when Fc receptor and complement-binding activities are engineered out of the antibody. No loss of antibody protective activity is associated with the elimination of complement binding alone. Our in vivo results are consistent with in vitro assays indicating that interaction of Fc-receptor-bearing effector cells with antibody-complexed infected cells is important in reducing virus yield from infected cells. Overall, the data suggest the potential importance of activity against both infected cells and free virus for effective protection against HIV. PMID- 17805299 TI - p53 is regulated by the lysine demethylase LSD1. AB - p53, the tumour suppressor and transcriptional activator, is regulated by numerous post-translational modifications, including lysine methylation. Histone lysine methylation has recently been shown to be reversible; however, it is not known whether non-histone proteins are substrates for demethylation. Here we show that, in human cells, the histone lysine-specific demethylase LSD1 (refs 3, 4) interacts with p53 to repress p53-mediated transcriptional activation and to inhibit the role of p53 in promoting apoptosis. We find that, in vitro, LSD1 removes both monomethylation (K370me1) and dimethylation (K370me2) at K370, a previously identified Smyd2-dependent monomethylation site. However, in vivo, LSD1 shows a strong preference to reverse K370me2, which is performed by a distinct, but unknown, methyltransferase. Our results indicate that K370me2 has a different role in regulating p53 from that of K370me1: K370me1 represses p53 function, whereas K370me2 promotes association with the coactivator 53BP1 (p53 binding protein 1) through tandem Tudor domains in 53BP1. Further, LSD1 represses p53 function through the inhibition of interaction of p53 with 53BP1. These observations show that p53 is dynamically regulated by lysine methylation and demethylation and that the methylation status at a single lysine residue confers distinct regulatory output. Lysine methylation therefore provides similar regulatory complexity for non-histone proteins and for histones. PMID- 17805301 TI - Insulin modulates gluconeogenesis by inhibition of the coactivator TORC2. AB - During feeding, increases in circulating pancreatic insulin inhibit hepatic glucose output through the activation of the Ser/Thr kinase AKT and subsequent phosphorylation of the forkhead transcription factor FOXO1 (refs 1-3). Under fasting conditions, FOXO1 increases gluconeogenic gene expression in concert with the cAMP responsive coactivator TORC2 (refs 4-8). In response to pancreatic glucagon, TORC2 is de-phosphorylated at Ser 171 and transported to the nucleus, in which it stimulates the gluconeogenic programme by binding to CREB. Here we show in mice that insulin inhibits gluconeogenic gene expression during re feeding by promoting the phosphorylation and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of TORC2. Insulin disrupts TORC2 activity by induction of the Ser/Thr kinase SIK2, which we show here undergoes AKT2-mediated phosphorylation at Ser 358. Activated SIK2 in turn stimulated the Ser 171 phosphorylation and cytoplasmic translocation of TORC2. Phosphorylated TORC2 was degraded by the 26S proteasome during re feeding through an association with COP1, a substrate receptor for an E3 ligase complex that promoted TORC2 ubiquitination at Lys 628. Because TORC2 protein levels and activity were increased in diabetes owing to a block in TORC2 phosphorylation, our results point to an important role for this pathway in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. PMID- 17805302 TI - Interaction of penton base Arg-Gly-Asp motifs with integrins is crucial for adenovirus serotype 35 vector transduction in human hematopoietic cells. AB - Most subgroup B adenoviruses (Ads), including adenovirus (Ad) serotype 35 (Ad35), bind to human CD46 as a receptor; however, the infection processes of subgroup B Ads following attachment to CD46 remain to be elucidated. Subgroup B Ads possess Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motifs in the penton base, similarly to subgroup C Ad serotypes 2 and 5. In this study, we examined the role of penton base RGD motifs in Ad35 vector-mediated transduction in human hematopoietic cells. Inhibition of interaction between integrins and the RGD motifs by divalent cation chelation and a synthetic RGD peptide reduced the transduction efficiencies of Ad35 vectors; however, the amounts of cell-associated vector DNA of Ad35 vectors at 4 or 37 degrees C were not decreased by divalent cation chelation or the RGD peptide. Mutation of penton base RGD motifs reduced the transduction efficiencies of Ad35 vectors, although the amounts of cell-associated vector DNA of Ad35 vectors at 4 or 37 degrees C were not altered by mutation of penton base RGD motifs in Ad35 vectors. Furthermore, preincubation with several types of anti-integrin antibodies significantly inhibited Ad35 vector-mediated transduction. These results suggest that interaction between integrins and penton base RGD motifs plays a crucial role in Ad35 vector-mediated transduction in hematopoietic cells, probably in the post-internalization steps. PMID- 17805303 TI - Lentiviral vector conferring resistance to mycophenolate mofetil and sensitivity to ganciclovir for in vivo T-cell selection. AB - Several clinical studies of gene-modified T cells have shown limited in vivo function of the cells, immunogenicity of the transgene, and lack of a selective advantage for gene-modified T cells. To address these problems, we developed a lentiviral vector (LV) that provides a selectable, proliferative advantage and potentially decreases immunogenicity for transduced T cells. The bicistronic vector expressed two genes linked with an internal ribosomal entry site. One gene is a variant of the inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2, inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH(IY)), conferring resistance to the immunosuppressive drug mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). The other is a suicide gene, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK), rendering proliferating cells sensitive to ablation with ganciclovir, fused to the selectable transmembrane marker DeltaCD34 (DeltaCD34/TK). Cells transduced with LV-DeltaCD34/TK.IMPDH(IY) were efficiently enriched by immunomagnetic selection for CD34, proliferated in 0.5-5 microM MMF, and were killed by 0.5-25 microg ml(-1) ganciclovir. We demonstrate efficient selection and killing of gene-modified cells and suggest LV DeltaCD34/TK.IMPDH(IY)-transduced T cells could be used to facilitate allogeneic hematopoietic cell engraftment. The expression of IMPDH(IY) would allow in vivo selection with MMF, and DeltaCD34/TK expression would allow rapid and safe elimination of transduced T cells if graft-versus-host disease developed. PMID- 17805304 TI - Inhibition of HIV-1 replication with designed miRNAs expressed from RNA polymerase II promoters. AB - Small interfering RNA (siRNA) mediates sequence-specific RNA cleavage and represents a potential approach to treat the infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Expression of a single siRNA species frequently led to the emergence of HIV escape variants. Thus, multiple siRNAs targeted to different regions in the HIV-1 genome may be required. However, overexpression of different anti-HIV siRNA genes from multiple pol III promoters can induce cell toxicity, thus may not be a viable option in the setting of human gene therapy trials. In the current study, we evaluated the strategy of using pol II promoters to drive the expression of siRNAs against HIV-1. We replaced the stem sequence in the stem loop structure of the well-characterized miR-30a with siRNA sequences and showed that designed microRNA (miRNA) could be expressed from pol II promoters. We demonstrated efficient inhibition of HIV-1 replication with such designed miRNA, but the efficacy was directly correlated with the expression level. Both the vector copy number and the promoter strength directly affected the ability of the siRNA to inhibit HIV-1 replication. We also showed that a combination of pol II and pol III promoters to express two different siRNAs increased the efficacy against HIV-1 replication without comprising cell viability. PMID- 17805306 TI - Erythropoietin prevents haloperidol treatment-induced neuronal apoptosis through regulation of BDNF. AB - Functional alterations in the neurotrophin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have recently been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Furthermore, animal studies have indicated that several antipsychotic drugs have time-dependent (and differential) effects on BDNF levels in the brain. For example, our previous studies in rats indicated that chronic treatment with the conventional antipsychotic, haloperidol, was associated with decreases in BDNF (and other neurotrophins) in the brain as well as deficits in cognitive function (an especially important consideration for the therapeutics of schizophrenia). Additional studies indicate that haloperidol has other deleterious effects on the brain (eg increased apoptosis). Despite such limitations, haloperidol remains one of the more commonly prescribed antipsychotic agents worldwide due to its efficacy for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and its low cost. Interestingly, the hematopoietic hormone, erythropoietin, in its recombinant human form rhEPO has been reported to increase the expression of BDNF in neuronal tissues and to have neuroprotective effects. Such observations provided the impetus for us to investigate in the present study whether co-treatment of rhEPO with haloperidol could sustain the normal levels of BDNF in vivo in rats and in vitro in cortical neuronal cultures and further, whether BDNF could prevent haloperidol-induced apoptosis through the regulation of key apoptotic/antiapoptotic markers. The results indicated that rhEPO prevented the haloperidol-induced reduction in BDNF in both in vivo and in vitro experimental conditions. The sustained levels of BDNF in rats with rhEPO prevented the haloperidol-induced increase in caspase-3 (p<0.05) and decrease in Bcl-xl (p<0.01) protein levels. Similarly, in vitro experiments showed that rhEPO prevented (p<0.001) the haloperidol-induced neuronal cell death as well as the decrease in Bcl-xl levels (p<0.01). These findings may have significant implications for the development of neuroprotective strategies to improve clinical outcomes when antipsychotic drugs are used chronically. PMID- 17805307 TI - Dopaminergic and glutamatergic regulation of effort- and delay-based decision making. AB - Cost/benefit decisions regarding the relative effort or delay costs associated with a particular response are mediated by distributed dopaminergic and glutamatergic neural circuits. The present study assessed the contribution of dopamine and NMDA glutamate receptors in these different forms of decision making using novel effort- and delay-discounting procedures. In the effort-discounting task, rats could either emit a single response on a low-reward lever to receive two pellets, or make 2, 5, 10, or 20 responses on a high-reward (HR) lever to obtain four pellets. In the delay-discounting task, one press of the HR lever delivered four pellets after a delay (0.5-8 s). A third task (effort-discounting with equivalent delays) was similar to the effort-discounting procedure, except that the relative delay to reward delivery was equalized across response options. The dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol reduced choice of the HR lever under all three testing conditions, indicating that dopamine antagonism alters effort-based decision making independent of any contribution of delay. Amphetamine exerted dose-dependent, biphasic effects; a higher dose (0.5 mg/kg) increased effort discounting, whereas a lower dose (0.25 mg/kg) reduced delay discounting. The noncompetitive NMDA antagonist ketamine (5 mg/kg) increased effort and delay discounting, but did not affect choice on the effort with equivalent delays task, indicating a reduced tolerance for delayed rewards. These findings highlight the utility of these procedures in pharmacologically dissociating the neurochemical mechanisms underlying these different, yet interrelated forms of decision making. Furthermore, they suggest that dopamine and NMDA receptors make dissociable contributions to these different types of cost-benefit analyses. PMID- 17805308 TI - Drug addiction as a pathology of staged neuroplasticity. AB - Using addictive drugs can evolve from controlled social use into the compulsive relapsing disorder that characterizes addiction. This transition to addiction results from genetic, developmental, and sociological vulnerabilities, combined with pharmacologically induced plasticity in brain circuitry that strengthens learned drug-associated behaviors at the expense of adaptive responding for natural rewards. Advances over the last decade have identified the brain circuits most vulnerable to drug-induced changes, as well as many associated molecular and morphological underpinnings. This growing knowledge has contributed to an expanded understanding of how drugs usurp normal learning circuitry to create the pathology of addiction, as evidenced by involuntary activation of reward circuits in response to drug-associated cues and simultaneous reports of drug craving. This new understanding provides unprecedented potential opportunities for novel pharmacotherapeutic targets in treating addiction. There appears to be plasticity associated with the addiction phenomenon in general as well as changes produced by addiction to a specific class of addicting drugs. These findings also provide the basis for the current understanding of addiction as a chronic, relapsing disease of the brain with changes that persist long after the last use of the drug. Here, we describe the neuroplasticity in brain circuits and cell function induced by addictive drugs that is thought to underlie the compulsions to resume drug-taking, and discuss how this knowledge is impelling exploration and testing of novel addiction therapies. PMID- 17805309 TI - Neuroplasticity of neocortical circuits in schizophrenia. AB - The core features of schizophrenia include deficits in cognitive processes mediated by the circuitry of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These deficits are associated with a range of molecular and morphological alterations in the DLPFC, each of which could be a cause, consequence, or compensation in relation to other changes, and thus reflect the neuroplasticity of the brain in response to the underlying disease process. In this review, we consider disturbances in excitatory, inhibitory, and modulatory connections of DLPFC circuitry from the perspective of disease- and development-related neuroplasticity and discuss their implications for the identification of novel therapeutic targets. PMID- 17805310 TI - Altered memory capacities and response to stress in p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) histone acetylase knockout mice. AB - Chromatin remodeling by posttranslational modification of histones plays an important role in brain plasticity, including memory, response to stress and depression. The importance of H3/4 histones acetylation by CREB-binding protein (CBP) or related histone acetyltransferase, including p300, was specifically demonstrated using knockout (KO) mouse models. The physiological role of a related protein that also acts as a transcriptional coactivator with intrinsic histone acetylase activity, the p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF), is poorly documented. We analyzed the behavioral phenotype of homozygous male and female PCAF KO mice and report a marked impact of PCAF deletion on memory processes and stress response. PCAF KO animals showed short-term memory deficits at 2 months of age, measured using spontaneous alternation, object recognition, or acquisition of a daily changing platform position in the water maze. Acquisition of a fixed platform location was delayed, but preserved, and no passive avoidance deficit was noted. No gender-related difference was observed. These deficits were associated with hippocampal alterations in pyramidal cell layer organization, basal levels of Fos immunoreactivity, and MAP kinase activation. PCAF KO mice also showed an exaggerated response to acute stress, forced swimming, and conditioned fear, associated with increased plasma corticosterone levels. Moreover, learning and memory impairments worsened at 6 and 12 months of age, when animals failed to acquire the fixed platform location in the water maze and showed passive avoidance deficits. These observations demonstrate that PCAF histone acetylase is involved lifelong in the chromatin remodeling necessary for memory formation and response to stress. PMID- 17805311 TI - Drugs of abuse specifically sensitize noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons via a non-dopaminergic mechanism. AB - A challenge in drug dependence is to delineate long-term neurochemical modifications induced by drugs of abuse. Repeated d-amphetamine was recently shown to disrupt a mutual regulatory link between noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons, thus inducing long-term increased responses to d-amphetamine and para chloroamphetamine, respectively. We show here that such a sensitization of noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons also occurs following repeated treatment with cocaine, morphine, or alcohol, three compounds belonging to main groups of addictive substances. In all cases, this sensitization is prevented by alpha 1b adrenergic and 5-HT2A receptors blockade, indicating the critical role of these receptors on long-term effects of drugs of abuse. However, repeated treatments with two non-addictive antidepressants, venlafaxine, and clorimipramine, which nevertheless inhibit noradrenergic and serotonergic reuptake, do not induce noradrenergic and serotonergic neurons sensitization. Similarly, this sensitization does not occur following repeated treatments with a specific inhibitor of dopamine (DA) reuptake, GBR12783. Moreover, we show that the effects of SCH23390, a D1 receptor antagonist known to inhibit development of d amphetamine behavioral sensitization, are due to its 5-HT2C receptor agonist property. SCH23390 blocks amphetamine-induced release of norepinephrine and RS102221, a 5-HT2C antagonist, can reverse this inhibition as well as inhibition of noradrenergic sensitization and development of behavioral sensitization induced by repeated d-amphetamine. We propose that noradrenergic/serotonergic uncoupling is a common neurochemical consequence of repeated consumption of drugs of abuse, unrelated with DA release. Our data also suggest that compounds able to restore the link between noradrenergic and serotonergic modulatory systems could represent important therapeutic targets for investigation. PMID- 17805312 TI - Differential effects of antipsychotic and glutamatergic agents on the phMRI response to phencyclidine. AB - Acute administration of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonists such as phencyclidine (PCP) or ketamine induces symptoms that closely resemble those of schizophrenia in humans, a finding that has led to the hypothesis that a decreased NMDAR function may be a predisposing or even causative factor in schizophrenia. However, the precise neuropharmacological mechanisms underlying these effects remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we applied pharmacological MRI (phMRI) to examine the brain circuitry underlying the psychotomimetic action of PCP in the anesthetized rat, and investigated how these functional changes are modulated by drugs that possess distinct pharmacological mechanisms. Acute administration of PCP (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) produced robust and sustained positive relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) changes in discrete cortico-limbo-thalamic regions. Pretreatment with the selective D2 dopamine antagonist raclopride (0.3 mg/kg i.p.) did not significantly affect the rCBV response to PCP, while the atypical antipsychotic clozapine (5 mg/kg i.p.) produced region-dependent effects, with complete suppression of the rCBV response in the thalamus, and weaker attenuation of the response in cortical and hippocampal structures. The response to PCP was strongly suppressed in all regions by pretreatment with two drugs that can inhibit aberrant glutamatergic activity: the anticonvulsant lamotrigine (10 mg/kg i.p.) and the mGluR2/3 agonist LY354740 (10 mg/kg i.p.). Taken together, our findings corroborate the pivotal role of dysfunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission in the functional response elicited by PCP, while the lack of effect of raclopride argues against a primary role of dopamine D2 receptor activation in this process. Finally, the thalamic effect of clozapine could be key to elucidating the functional basis of its pharmacological action. PMID- 17805313 TI - Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT): a gene contributing to sex differences in brain function, and to sexual dimorphism in the predisposition to psychiatric disorders. AB - Sex differences in the genetic epidemiology and clinical features of psychiatric disorders are well recognized, but the individual genes contributing to these effects have rarely been identified. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which metabolizes catechol compounds, notably dopamine, is a leading candidate. COMT enzyme activity, and the neurochemistry and behavior of COMT null mice, are both markedly sexually dimorphic. Genetic associations between COMT and various psychiatric phenotypes frequently show differences between men and women. Many of these differences are unconfirmed or minor, but some appear to be of reasonable robustness and magnitude; eg the functional Val(158)Met polymorphism in COMT is associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder in men, with anxiety phenotypes in women, and has a greater impact on cognitive function in boys than girls. Sex specific effects of COMT are usually attributed to transcriptional regulation by estrogens; however, additional mechanisms are likely to be at least as important. Here we review the evidence for a sexually dimorphic influence of COMT upon psychiatric phenotypes, and discuss its potential basis. We conclude that despite the evidence being incomplete, and lacking a unifying explanation, there are accumulating and in places compelling data showing that COMT differentially impacts on brain function and dysfunction in men and women. Since sex differences in the genetic architecture of quantitative traits are the rule not the exception, we anticipate that additional evidence will emerge for sexual dimorphisms, not only in COMT but also in many other autosomal genes. PMID- 17805315 TI - Vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease: new developments in drug therapy. AB - Controlling the development of vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease is essential, because it is associated with increased cardiovascular pathology. However, the precise mechanism of vascular calcification has not been completely elucidated. In the literature, the involvement of passive calcium and phosphate deposition as well as an active process stimulating the transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells into an osteoblastic phenotype is suggested. New promising insights into the etiology could lead to better treatment strategies, as Mizobuchi et al. now report. PMID- 17805316 TI - Hemodialysis vascular access: the Achilles' heel remains. AB - Maintaining vascular access for hemodialysis remains a leading cause of patient morbidity. Surveillance and other technologies continue to improve, but the goal of dramatically improved AV access patency remains elusive. PMID- 17805317 TI - Is the renal risk of adults determined in utero? AB - Renal (and cardiovascular) risks are to a considerable extent determined in utero. The results of the prospective study of Verburg et al., sequentially measuring the growth of fetuses and the volume of their kidneys in a large population-based sample, identify some determinants of impaired growth of fetal kidneys. PMID- 17805319 TI - The case: 69 year old man with sand in the urine. N-acetylsulfadiazine crystals. PMID- 17805320 TI - The operating surgeon is the major determinant for a successful arteriovenous fistula maturation. PMID- 17805321 TI - Right perirenal air: emphysematous pyelonephritis or duodenal perforation? PMID- 17805322 TI - Unsuspected mycotic aneurysm of renal transplant artery. PMID- 17805323 TI - Monocytes are activated in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and can contribute to bone marrow failure through CD40-CD40L interactions with T helper cells. AB - Immune mechanisms have been shown to contribute to the process of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)-related bone marrow (BM) failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible contribution of activated monocytes through CD40 CD40L(CD154) interactions with activated T helper cells. We demonstrated in 77 predominantly lower risk MDS patients that the CD40 receptor was expressed significantly higher on monocytes and that CD40L was expressed significantly higher on T helper cells in peripheral blood (PB) and BM. Increased levels of CD40 and CD40L were detected in the same patients. In addition, stimulation of the CD40 receptor on purified PB monocytes led to a significantly higher tumor necrosis factor alpha production in patients. Co-culture of BM mononuclear cells of 21 patients in the presence of a blocking CD40 monoclonal antibody (ch5D12) led to a significant increase in the number of colony-forming units. A correlation was seen between increased CD40 expression on monocytes with patients' age below 60 years and with the cytogenetic abnormality trisomy 8. These results demonstrate that CD40 expression on monocytes may identify a subgroup of MDS patients in whom immune-mediated hematopoietic failure is part of the disease process. As such, the CD40-CD40L-based activation of monocytes might be a target to counteract MDS-related BM failure. PMID- 17805324 TI - No role for CXCL12-G801A polymorphism in the development of extramedullary disease in acute myeloid leukemia. PMID- 17805325 TI - Mcl-1 and anticancer vaccination: identification of an HLA-A2-restricted epitope. PMID- 17805326 TI - Triggering of T-cell leukemia and dissemination of T-cell lymphoma in MMP-9 deficient mice. AB - Previous studies have shown that high levels of MMP-9 can be detected in the serum of patients with various lymphoid malignancies and in leukemia/lymphoma culture supernatants. Indeed, aggressive forms of lymphoma constitutively produce MMP-9 and its elevated levels in the serum or in tissues correlate with advanced stage and poor patient survival. In vitro, MMP-9, which is also produced by the host peritumoral cells in response to the presence of tumors, plays an important role in migration of tumor cells through artificial basement membranes or endothelial cells. In this study, using MMP-9-deficient mice, we show that absence of MMP-9 does not prevent the development of primary T-cell leukemia. Furthermore, MMP-9-deficient cell lines retained their tumorigenic potential, as shown by their ability to induce thymic lymphoma in young syngeneic wild-type animals. In addition, these MMP-9-deficient tumor cells disseminate in normal mice, or mice that are deficient for MMP-9, indicating that tumor growth and dissemination can occur in total absence of MMP-9. These results show for the first time than lymphoma growth can occur in total absence of MMP-9 and have consequences for therapy of invasive cancers with inhibitors of MMPs. PMID- 17805327 TI - Comprehensive genetic characterization of CLL: a study on 506 cases analysed with chromosome banding analysis, interphase FISH, IgV(H) status and immunophenotyping. AB - In CLL data from chromosome banding analysis (CBA) have been scarce due to the low proliferative activity of CLL cells in vitro. We improved the cultivation technique using an immunostimulatory CpG-oligonucleotide DSP30 and IL-2. A total of 506 CLL samples were analysed with CBA and interphase FISH using probes for the detection of trisomy 12, IgH rearrangements and deletions of 6q21, 11q22.3 (ATM), 13q14 (D13S25 and D13S319) and 17p13 (TP53). A total of 500 of 506 (98.8%) cases were successfully stimulated for metaphase generation and are subject to this study. Aberrations were detected in 415 of 500 (83.0%) cases by CBA and in 392 of 500 (78.4%) cases by FISH. CBA detected 832 abnormalities and FISH only 502. Therefore, CBA offers important information in addition to FISH. (1) CLL is characterized mainly by genomic imbalances and reciprocal translocations are rare. (2) A subgroup with complex aberrant karyotype (16.4%) is identified which is associated with an unmutated IgV(H) status and CD38 expression (P=0.034 and 0.02, respectively). (3) Additional abnormalities are detectable providing new biological insights into different CLL subclasses revealing a much more heterogeneous pattern of cytogenetic abnormalities as assumed so far based on FISH data only. Therefore, prospective clinical trials should evaluate the prognostic impact of newly available CBA data. PMID- 17805328 TI - Translocation t(4;14) retains prognostic significance even in the setting of high risk molecular signature. PMID- 17805329 TI - CREB regulates Meis1 expression in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells. PMID- 17805330 TI - Current status of reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation using alternative donors. AB - The optimal donor for a patient undergoing reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation remains a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched relative. Alternative donors such as matched unrelated donors (MUDs), mismatched related donors (haploidentical), or unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) units have emerged as options as well. The most experience thus far has been with MUD donors, mostly attributed to the development of allele-specific DNA-based HLA typing methods. The biggest drawback remains the significant delay needed to locate a donor. Haploidentical donors exist for almost all patients, and offer the convenience of a living related donor. However, significant rates of graft versus-host disease (GVHD) and other toxicities continue to complicate such HLA mismatching. UCB is the most recent option for source of stem cells. Frozen cord blood units can be acquired almost immediately and are able to safely traverse 1 or 2-HLA antigen mismatch barriers. The experience with UCB has been limited by the low cell dose, although recent innovations are attempting to overcome this. In this review, we summarize the current experience and knowledge with alternative donors as stem cell sources for reduced-intensity transplantation. PMID- 17805331 TI - NCOA3, a new fusion partner for MOZ/MYST3 in M5 acute myeloid leukemia. PMID- 17805332 TI - The immunomodulatory drug Leflunomide inhibits cell cycle progression of B-CLL cells. PMID- 17805333 TI - Platelet transfusion and survival in adults with acute leukemia. PMID- 17805334 TI - Marrow fibrosis and its relevance during imatinib treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. AB - In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), imatinib may reverse bone marrow fibrosis (MF). Whether the unfavorable prognosis of MF is also reversed and whether imatinib guarantees against evolution of MF are unclear as yet. Fifty-nine patients with Ph+ CML treated with > or = 400 mg imatinib/day were examined for MF in 6- to 12-month intervals. Imatinib effectively reversed initial MF (P<0.0005). However, during a follow-up period of up to 4.8 years, small foci with abnormal fiber increase (FFI) emerged in 8 of 30 pretreated and 6 of 29 non pretreated patients. Patients with FFI showed a significantly lower probability of achieving a complete cytogenetic or major molecular response (36 versus 81%; P<0.007). During the further follow up, 57% of patients with FFI but none of the other patients suffered from full-blown MF (P=0.00005). None of the patients with FFI or MF showed a Janus kinase-2 mutation (V617F). Evolutions of FFI and MF were independent significant predictors of imatinib failure (P=0.0031), accelerated phase and death of patients (P=0.0001; multivariate analyses). Imatinib effectively reverses initial MF in CML, but neither eliminates its unfavorable prognosis nor guarantees completely against new evolution of MF. PMID- 17805336 TI - Magnetic resonance imaging as a potential tool for objective visualization of venous leakage in patients with veno-occlusive erectile dysfunction. AB - Duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DDU) and dynamic infusion pharmacocavernosometry are the conventional diagnostic methods currently used to assess veno-occlusive hemodynamic status of patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). Dynamic infusion pharmacocavernosography is the standard method for demonstrating and visualization of venous leakage. To assess the potential application and utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in demonstrating and visualizing veno occlusive dysfunction in patients with ED. A total of 28 patients, (32-56 years of age; mean 43.4+/-7.2 years), with clinical symptoms of veno-occlusive ED participated in this study. All patients have undergone DDU and dynamic infusion pharmacocavernosometry and pharmacocavernosography to assess presence of venous leakage. Patients were then evaluated with MRI and enhancement by intracavernous injection of paramagnetic contrast agent and erection was induced by intracavernosal injection of pharmacological agents. Diagnosis of ED patients with venous leakage was confirmed in all 28 patients using DDU and dynamic infusion cavernosometry-cavernosography (DICC). Venous leakage was documented by conventional DICC in 21 of 28 patients (75%). Veno-occlusive dysfunction in all patients was also assessed by MRI to localize distal, proximal or mixed locations of draining veins from the corpora cavernosa. MRI visualized venous leakage patients, in which DICC did not confirm venous leakage. MRI may be a useful diagnostic tool for assessing veno-occlusive dysfunction in ED patients and may improve diagnosis of venous leakage visualization. PMID- 17805337 TI - The impact of formulary replacement of sildenafil by vardenafil at a local VA hospital. AB - The National Veterans Administration (VA) changed its formulary agent for the treatment of erectile dysfunction from sildenafil to vardenafil in January 2006 for economic reasons. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of this formulary change on the patients at a local VA hospital. All non-formulary requests for sildenafil between January 2006 and September 2006 were reviewed. A total of 169 non-formulary requests were made for sildenafil while 7657 patients filled vardenafil prescriptions. Overall, the formulary change from sildenafil to vardenafil appeared to be well tolerated by the vast majority of patients at this local VA hospital. The substantial cost savings to the VA seem to be justified by the minimal adverse effects on men treated for erectile dysfunction. PMID- 17805338 TI - Avicenna (AD 980 to 1037) and the care of the newborn infant and breastfeeding. AB - A brief historical review of medicine during the fourth century Islamic civilization or eleventh century AD in Persia or Iran was undertaken with its focus on Avicenna. A physician-philosopher, named Ibn Sina or Avicenna (980 to 1037), followed and further expanded the tradition of western philosophy and medicine by Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen. Avicenna, a physician, philosopher, astrologist, anatomist, pharmacologist, ethicist and poet wrote, the Canon of Medicine, the most comprehensive medical textbook of its time. This important textbook was extensively used in European medical schools for centuries after Avicenna's death. In the Canon of Medicine, a chapter is dedicated to the care of the newborn infant dealing with hygiene, breastfeeding and upbringing of the child. PMID- 17805339 TI - The effect of inhaled nitric oxide on pulmonary function in preterm infants. AB - OBJECTIVE: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants is associated with impaired alveolar growth, inflammation and airway hyperreactivity. In animal models of BPD, inhaled nitric oxide (NO) improves alveolar growth and inhibits airway smooth muscle proliferation. This study was designed to assess the effect of inhaled NO on resistance and compliance in ventilated preterm infants with evolving BPD. STUDY DESIGN: Expiratory resistance and compliance of the respiratory system were measured in 71 ventilated preterm infants, < or = 32 weeks gestation, randomized to NO (n=34) versus placebo (n=37) for > or = 24 days at 7 to 21 days of life. RESULT: At baseline expiratory resistance (231+/-71 versus 215+/-76 cm H(2)O l(-1) s(-1)) and compliance (0.49+/-0.14 versus 0.53+/ 0.13 ml cm H(2)O(-1) kg(-1)) were comparable between placebo and NO groups, respectively. There was no effect of NO on expiratory resistance or compliance at 1 h, 1 week or 2 weeks of study gas administration. CONCLUSION: NO had no short- or medium-term effect on expiratory resistance or compliance in ventilated preterm infants. PMID- 17805340 TI - Validation of the 4P's Plus screen for substance use in pregnancy validation of the 4P's Plus. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to validate the 4P's Plus screen for substance use in pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 228 pregnant women enrolled in prenatal care underwent screening with the 4P's Plus and received a follow-up clinical assessment for substance use. Statistical analyses regarding reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive validity of the 4Ps Plus were conducted. RESULT: The overall reliability for the five-item measure was 0.62. Seventy-four (32.5%) of the women had a positive screen. Sensitivity and specificity were very good, at 87 and 76%, respectively. Positive predictive validity was low (36%), but negative predictive validity was quite high (97%). Of the 31 women who had a positive clinical assessment, 45% were using less than 1 day per week. CONCLUSION: The 4P's Plus reliably and effectively screens pregnant women for risk of substance use, including those women typically missed by other perinatal screening methodologies. PMID- 17805341 TI - Apneic preterms and methylxanthines: arousal deficits, sleep fragmentation and suppressed spontaneous movements. AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine if apneic preterm infants currently treated with methylxanthines develop evidence of sleep deprivation from cumulative arousal and motor activational effects. STUDY DESIGN: Sleep, wake, arousal and actigraphic movements were monitored in extubated clinically stable premature infants (N=37). Neonates were free of other medications for >72 h and were grouped based on methylxanthine exposure: >5 days with caffeine (n=14), >5 days theophylline (n=13) or no prior exposure (n=10). RESULT: Duration of methylxanthine treatment predicted increased arousals, wakefulness and actigraphic movements, and decreased active sleep. Recording from 1200 to 0500 hours, methylxanthine-treated groups showed reductions in all arousal parameters: waking state, number of wake epochs, brief arousals and composite arousal index, and shorter fast-burst, sleep related motility than untreated controls. CONCLUSION: In apneic preterms, chronic methylxanthine treatment appears to produce sleep deprivation secondary to the stimulatory action of methylxanthines on arousal and motor systems. PMID- 17805342 TI - Almond oil implicated in a Staphylococcus capitis outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit. AB - OBJECTIVE: To develop an effective outbreak-control strategy by identifying the source and modes of transmission of Staphylococcus capitis in a 60-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a study among neonates hospitalized during the outbreak (June 2000 through November 2003). All cases of S. capitis colonization or infection detected by clinical samples during the outbreak were included. The molecular analysis of the isolated was assessed by pulsed-field electrophoresis. We reported the description of the outbreak and the measures taken during this investigation. RESULT: Thirty-three patients were colonized or infected by S. capitis. Mean gestational age was 28.5+/-4.4 weeks of gestation, mean birth weight was 1068+/-637.3 g and the mean length of hospital stay was 77.9+/-35.9 days. We observed that positive S. capitis cultures were over-represented in six beds of the NICU. Because S. capitis is known to thrive in lipid media, we cultured samples from the almond oil bottles assigned to these beds. S. capitis strain recovered from one of the almond oil sample was genetically identical to the strain recovered from the cases. CONCLUSION: Almond oil is an unusual reservoir infection. Control policy allowed prompt institution of measures that were successful in ending the outbreak. PMID- 17805343 TI - The Drosophila insulator proteins CTCF and CP190 link enhancer blocking to body patterning. AB - Insulator sequences guide the function of distantly located enhancer elements to the appropriate target genes by blocking inappropriate interactions. In Drosophila, five different insulator binding proteins have been identified, Zw5, BEAF-32, GAGA factor, Su(Hw) and dCTCF. Only dCTCF has a known conserved counterpart in vertebrates. Here we find that the structurally related factors dCTCF and Su(Hw) have distinct binding targets. In contrast, the Su(Hw) interacting factor CP190 largely overlapped with dCTCF binding sites and interacts with dCTCF. Binding of dCTCF to targets requires CP190 in many cases, whereas others are independent of CP190. Analysis of the bithorax complex revealed that six of the borders between the parasegment specific regulatory domains are bound by dCTCF and by CP190 in vivo. dCTCF null mutations affect expression of Abdominal-B, cause pharate lethality and a homeotic phenotype. A short pulse of dCTCF expression during larval development rescues the dCTCF loss of function phenotype. Overall, we demonstrate the importance of dCTCF in fly development and in the regulation of abdominal segmentation. PMID- 17805344 TI - Unlinking chromosome catenanes in vivo by site-specific recombination. AB - A challenge for chromosome segregation in all domains of life is the formation of catenated progeny chromosomes, which arise during replication as a consequence of the interwound strands of the DNA double helix. Topoisomerases play a key role in DNA unlinking both during and at the completion of replication. Here we report that chromosome unlinking can instead be accomplished by multiple rounds of site specific recombination. We show that step-wise, site-specific recombination by XerCD-dif or Cre-loxP can unlink bacterial chromosomes in vivo, in reactions that require KOPS-guided DNA translocation by FtsK. Furthermore, we show that overexpression of a cytoplasmic FtsK derivative is sufficient to allow chromosome unlinking by XerCD-dif recombination when either subunit of TopoIV is inactivated. We conclude that FtsK acts in vivo to simplify chromosomal topology as Xer recombination interconverts monomeric and dimeric chromosomes. PMID- 17805345 TI - Transcription of productive and nonproductive VDJ-recombined alleles after IgH allelic exclusion. AB - The process of allelic exclusion ensures that each B cell expresses a B-cell receptor encoded by only one of its Ig heavy (IgH) and light (IgL) chain alleles. Although its precise mechanism is unknown, recruitment of the nonfunctional IgH allele to centromeric heterochromatin correlates with the establishment of allelic exclusion. Similarly, recruitment in activated splenic B cells correlates with cell division. In the latter, the recruited IgH allele was reported to be transcriptionally silent. However, it is not known whether monoallelic recruitment during establishment of allelic exclusion correlates with transcriptional silencing. To investigate this, we assessed the transcriptional status of both IgH alleles in single primary cells over the course of B-cell development, using RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization. Before allelic exclusion both alleles are transcribed. Thereafter, in pre-BII and subsequent developmental stages both functional and nonfunctional VDJ- and DJ-transcription is observed. Thus, after the establishment of IgH allelic exclusion, monoallelic recruitment to heterochromatin does not silence VDJ- or DJ-transcription, but serves another purpose. PMID- 17805346 TI - Sequential steps and checkpoints in the early exocytic compartment during secretory IgM biogenesis. AB - The biogenesis of secretory IgM occurs stepwise under stringent quality control, formation of micro(2)L(2) preceding polymerization. How is efficiency of IgM secretion coupled to fidelity? We show here that ERp44, a soluble protein involved in thiol-mediated retention, interacts with ERGIC-53. Binding to this hexameric lectin contributes to ERp44 localization in the ER-golgi intermediate compartment. ERp44 and ERGIC-53 increase during B-lymphocyte differentiation, concomitantly with the onset of IgM polymerization. Both preferentially bind micro(2)L(2) and higher order intermediates. Their overexpression or silencing in non-lymphoid cells promotes or decreases secretion of IgM polymers, respectively. In IgM-secreting B-lymphoma cells, micro chains interact first with BiP and later with ERp44 and ERGIC-53. Our findings suggest that ERGIC-53 provides a platform that receives micro(2)L(2) subunits from the BiP-dependent checkpoint, assisting polymerization. In this process, ERp44 couples thiol-dependent assembly and quality control. PMID- 17805347 TI - T cell-induced secretion of MHC class II-peptide complexes on B cell exosomes. AB - Antigen-specific interactions between B cells and T cells are essential for the generation of an efficient immune response. Since this requires peptide-MHC class II complexes (pMHC-II) on the B cell to interact with TCR on antigen-specific T cells, we have examined the mechanisms regulating the persistence, loss, and secretion of specific pMHC-II complexes on activated B cells. Using a mAb that recognizes specific pMHC-II, we found that activated B cells degrade approximately 50% of pMHC-II every day and release 12% of these pMHC-II from the cell on small membrane vesicles termed exosomes. These exosomes directly stimulate primed, but not naive, CD4 T cells. Interestingly, engagement of antigen-loaded B cells with specific CD4 T cells stimulates exosome release in a manner that can be mimicked by pMHC-II crosslinking. Biochemical studies revealed that the pMHC-II released on exosomes was previously expressed on the plasma membrane of the B cells, suggesting that regulated exosome release from activated B cells is a mechanism to allow pMHC-II to escape intracellular degradation and decorate secondary lymphoid organs with membrane-associated pMHC-II complexes. PMID- 17805348 TI - Mutations in R-spondin 4 (RSPO4) underlie inherited anonychia. AB - Recently, we reported that mutations in the R-spondin 4 (RSPO4) gene underlie inherited anonychia/hyponychia. Here, we studied five consanguineous Pakistani families with recessive inheritance of a combination of anonychia and hyponychia. Homozygous mutations were identified in the RSPO4 gene in all five families. Three families had a splice site mutation at the exon 2-intron 2 boundary. One family had a 26 bp deletion encompassing the start codon, and the final family had a missense mutation changing the initiating methionine to isoleucine. We demonstrated by in situ hybridization that Rspo4 is exclusively expressed in the mesenchyme underlying the digit tip epithelium in the mouse at embryonic day 14.5 (e14.5). These findings expand our understanding of the role of RSPO4 in nail development and disease. PMID- 17805349 TI - In vitro and in vivo wound healing-promoting activities of human cathelicidin LL 37. AB - The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 plays an important role in host defense against infection. In addition to its antimicrobial action, other activities have been described in eukaryotic cells that may contribute to the healing response. In this study, we demonstrated that in vitro human cathelicidin activates migration of the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT, involving phenotypic changes related to actin dynamics and associated to augmented tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins involved in focal adhesion complexes, such as focal adhesion kinase and paxillin. Other events involved in the LL-37 response were the induction of the Snail and Slug transcription factors, activation of matrix metalloproteinases and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase , and phosphoinositide 3 kinase/Akt signaling pathways. These signaling events could be mediated not only through the transactivation of EGFR but also through the induction of G-protein coupled receptor FPRL-1 expression in these cells. Finally, by in vivo adenoviral transfer of the antimicrobial peptide to excisional wounds in ob/ob mice, we demonstrated that LL-37 significantly improved re-epithelialization and granulation tissue formation. The protective and regenerative activities of LL-37 support its therapeutic potential to promote wound healing. PMID- 17805350 TI - Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: assessment of medication risks with emphasis on recently marketed drugs. The EuroSCAR-study. AB - Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare but severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) related to a variety of medications. They have a significant public health impact because of high mortality and morbidity. A multinational case-control study conducted in Europe between 1997 and 2001 evaluated the risk of medications to induce SCAR. Cases were actively detected through a hospital network covering more than 100 million inhabitants. Three hospitalized patients per case matched on age, gender, and date of interview were enrolled as controls. After validation by an expert committee blinded to exposures, 379 SCAR cases and 1,505 controls were included. Among drugs recently introduced into the market, strong associations were documented for nevirapine (relative risk (RR)>22) and lamotrigine (RR>14), and weaker associations for sertraline (RR=11 [2.7-46]), pantoprazole (RR=18 [3.9-85]), and tramadol (RR=20 [4.4-93]). Strong associations were confirmed for anti-infective sulfonamides, allopurinol, carbamazapine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, and oxicam NSAIDs , with some changes in relative numbers of exposed cases. Thus, many cases were still related to a few "old" drugs with a known high risk. Risk was restricted to the first few weeks of drug intake. The use of such drugs as first line therapies should be considered carefully, especially when safer alternative treatments exist. A number of widely used drugs did not show any risk for SJS and TEN. PMID- 17805351 TI - Ocular findings in individuals with intellectual disability. AB - BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to assess refractive errors and ocular abnormalities in intellectually disabled (ID) children and adults. METHODS: In this study, a random sample of 180 participants with ages ranging from 9 to 50 were recruited and examined between January and April 2006. Refractive errors were measured by photorefractometer. The ophthalmologic examination consisted of a structural observation of the external eye, anterior and posterior segment evaluation, and examinations for strabismus. RESULTS: A refractive error was the leading ocular diagnosis, found in 56 of 166 patients. Strabismus was the second most frequent ocular abnormality. Eyelid abnormalities were detected in 30 patients. Cataract was the fourth most frequent ocular pathology and also most frequent intraocular one. Overall, 28 patients (16.9%) had anterior segment findings, of whom 18 had congenital lens opacity. Posterior segment findings were detected in 23 of 166 patients. INTERPRETATION: Ocular problems are common in ID individuals and are frequently correctable. We suggest that professionals provide early ophthalmologic examination and regular follow-up of young ID individuals. This would ensure that the required treatment of possible ocular disorders is received and would improve quality of life and social accommodation in this population. PMID- 17805352 TI - [Prevalence of and risk factors for functional dependence in the non institutionalised elderly population of 11 Italian Regions: results of the Argento Study, 2002.]. AB - INTRODUCTION: Elderly people who are not capable of performing the basic activities of daily living (ADL) represent a fragile population at greater risk for morbidity and mortality. In order to better describe the size and characteristics of the non self-sufficient population in Italy, we evaluated data from the Argento Study, a survey conducted in 2002 in 11 Italian regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 210 non-institutionalised elderly individuals aged >65 years was selected in each region (310 in the Campania region) by the cluster sampling technique. Home interviews were performed using a standardised questionnaire which included 6 questions on ADL. Participants were considered to have a severe level of dependence if unable to perform any of the 6 activities of daily living independently, partially dependent if able to perform only 1-5 activities independently, and self-sufficient if able to perform all of the activities. A multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors associated with functional dependence. RESULTS: Complete information regarding ADLs was available for 2,355 (99%) of the interviewed subjects. Of these, 78% (95% CI 76-80%) were found to be self-sufficient, 19% (95% CI 18-22%) partially dependent and 3% (95% CI 1.9-3.2%) severely dependent. Twenty percent of self sufficient subjects and 18% of partially dependent subjects lived alone. Multivariate analysis showed a statistically significant association between being either partially or severely dependent and the following factors: age >75 years (OR 2.8), female sex (OR 1.5), having >2 chronic disorders, (OR 2.8), history of ictus (OR 2.8), having a cognitive disorder (OR 2.6), vision problems (OR 2.3) and hearing problems (OR 1.9). DISCUSSION: These results highlight the presence of a substantial number of partially dependent elderly people that live in the community and that have numerous medical problems and a high frequency of cognitive disorders. It is essential that these fragile elderly subjects be identified, through the active involvement of general practitioners, so that the necessary measures may be undertaken to improve quality of life and of emergency interventions (for example, during heat waves). PMID- 17805353 TI - Two-dimensional model for three-dimensional index-guided multimode plasmonic waveguides and the design of ultrasmall multimode interference splitters. AB - We demonstrate that a three-dimensional (3D) index-guided multimode plasmonic waveguide can be approximated to a two-dimensional (2D) lossy slab waveguide by using an effective-index method. It is found that this 2D approximation is more accurate when the width of the multimode waveguide increases. Such a 2D approximation can be used for a quicker and more efficient design of complicated multimode plasmonic devices. 1 x N ultrasmall multimode interference splitters based on multimode surface plasmon waveguides are designed by using this 2D model and the designs are validated with a 3D finite-difference time-domain method. PMID- 17805354 TI - High-energy picosecond near-vacuum ultraviolet pulses generated by sum-frequency mixing of an amplified Ti:sapphire laser. AB - We demonstrate high-energy picosecond near-vacuum ultraviolet laser pulse generation. Frequency quadrupling is achieved by noncollinear sum-frequency mixing of the fundamental and the third harmonic of a two-stage Ti:sapphire amplifier in beta-BaB(2)O(4) crystal. UV pulses with energies of approximately 10 mJ tunable from 195 to 210 nm at a 10 Hz repetition rate are obtained. PMID- 17805355 TI - Developments on standoff detection of explosive materials by differential reflectometry. AB - Differential reflectometry (DR) is an effective tool to supplement existing explosives detection systems thus making the combined unit more effective than one tool alone. It is an optical technique in which the light beam (UV) emanates from an extended distance onto the substance under investigation, thus rendering it to be a standoff method. DR allows the measurement of the energies that electrons absorb from photons as they are raised into higher, allowed energy states. These electron transitions serve as a "fingerprint" for identifying substances. The device can be made portable; it is fast, safe for the public, does not require human involvement, is cost effective, and most of all, does not require ingestion of a suspicious substance into an instrument. Various embodiments are presented. PMID- 17805356 TI - Parallel self-mixing imaging system based on an array of vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers. AB - In this paper we investigate the feasibility of a massively parallel self-mixing imaging system based on an array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) to measure surface profiles of displacement, distance, velocity, and liquid flow rate. The concept of the system is demonstrated using a prototype to measure the velocity at different radial points on a rotating disk, and the velocity profile of diluted milk in a custom built diverging-converging planar flow channel. It is envisaged that a scaled up version of the parallel self mixing imaging system will enable real-time surface profiling, vibrometry, and flowmetry. PMID- 17805357 TI - Phase shift and penetration depth of metal mirrors in a microcavity structure. AB - Optical properties of metal films, such as phase shift on reflection or penetration depth of electromagnetic waves into mirrors, play an important role in determining the resonance wavelength of a microcavity. We created a series of lambda/2 cavities with a symmetrical structure of glass/Ag/lithium fluoride/Ag by changing the thickness of the Ag film. The penetration depth at different thicknesses of Ag film was obtained from the transmittance peaks of the cavities. Phase shift on reflection at the lithium fluoride-Ag interface was calculated based on the measured optical constants. The formulation between phase shift and penetration depth was proved by experimental results, which are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations. PMID- 17805358 TI - Focal shift in focused radially polarized ultrashort pulsed laser beams. AB - Beginning with a beam coherence polarization (BCP) matrix, we obtain an analytical intensity expression for radially polarized ultrashort pulsed laser beams that pass through an apertureless aplanatic lens. We also investigate the intensity distribution of radially polarized beams in the vicinity of the focus. The focal shift of these beams is studied in detail. The focal shift depends strongly on Z(F) that coincides with pi times the Fresnel number. PMID- 17805359 TI - Analysis of a plastic optical fiber-based displacement sensor. AB - An easy-to-manufacture setup for a displacement sensor based on plastic optical fiber (POF) is analyzed, showing computational and experimental results. If the displacement is the consequence of force or pressure applied to the device, this can be used as a force or pressure transducer. Its principle of operation consists of bending a POF section around a flexible cylinder and measuring light attenuation when the whole set is subjected to side pressure. Attenuations are obtained computationally as a function of side deformation for different design parameters. Experimental results with an actually built prototype are also provided. PMID- 17805360 TI - Tunable blue laser compensates for thermal expansion of the medium in holographic data storage. AB - A tunable laser optical source equipped with wavelength and mode-hop monitors was developed to compensate for thermal expansion of the medium in holographic data storage. The laser's tunable range is 402-409 nm, and supplying 90 mA of laser diode current provides an output power greater than 40 mW. The aberration of output light is less than 0.05 lambdarms. The temperature range within which the laser can compensate for thermal expansion of the medium is estimated based on the tunable range, which is +/-13.5 degrees C for glass substrates and +/-17.5 degrees C for amorphous polyolefin substrates. PMID- 17805361 TI - Semiconductor quantum-well saturable absorbers for efficient passive Q switching of a diode-pumped 946 nm Nd:YAG laser. AB - InGaAs quantum wells and a Bragg mirror structure are grown on a GaAs substrate to simultaneously serve as a low-loss saturable absorber and an output coupler for highly efficient Q switching of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at 946 nm. With an incident pump power of 9.2 W, the laser produces pulses of 38 ns duration with average pulse energy of as much as 20 microJ at a pulse repetition rate of 55 kHz. PMID- 17805362 TI - Holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid crystal films for transmission mode spectrometer applications. AB - We show proof of concept of a transmission-mode wavelength filtering device consisting of layered holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H PDLC) cells. H-PDLC cells were fabricated from a thiolene based polymer composite to have transmission notches in the near-IR wavelength range. Wavelength filtering was achieved by stacking four H-PDLC cells with transmission notches spaced at 10 nm intervals. Results show a broad transmission notch spanning the spectral width of the constituent cells. With bias applied to an individual cell within the stack, the transmission notch of the cell inverts and the overall transmission envelope changes shape. Using a transmitted energy sensing device and a lineshape mapping algorithm, spectral content can be determined to a resolution of 0.1 nm for narrow banded signals. Applications for this switchable wavelength filtering device include serial detection of spectral content for telecom data signals or chemical and biological sample identification through absorption or emission spectroscopy. PMID- 17805363 TI - Comparison of parallel-plate and in-plane poled polymer films for terahertz sensing. AB - We have performed calculations and measurements of the efficacy of two poling geometries of poled electro-optic (EO) polymer films for use in sensing terahertz (THz) radiation via EO sampling. Taking reflective and absorptive losses into consideration, we find that a parallel-plate (PP) poled film has a sensitivity maximum when oriented at 55 degrees to the incident probe and THz beams. In addition, we show that our in-plane (IP) poled polymer films are comparable in sensitivity to PP-poled films and discuss the potential for improving IP-poled polymer devices. PMID- 17805364 TI - Use of an intensity threshold to improve the visibility of ghost images produced by incoherent light. AB - In thermal light ghost imaging, the transparent mask, located in the object arm of the optical setup, is numerically reconstructed by correlating the speckle patterns acquired by the video camera with the output of a bucket detector placed behind the mask. We show that the visibility of images can be significantly improved by discarding every speckle pattern whose bucket output falls below a certain threshold. We also demonstrate that the efficiency of the conventional method strongly decreases when the speckle statistics deviate from the negative exponential, whereas the threshold method is more robust against changes in the statistical distribution of the speckle intensity. We also provide reasonable statistical explanations for these results. PMID- 17805365 TI - High-power, low-divergence, linear array of quasi-diffraction-limited beams supplied by tapered diodes. AB - We describe for the first time to our knowledge the performance for a linear array of tapered laser diodes with both fast- and slow-axis collimation using a microlens for fast-axis collimation and a laser-written phase plate for slow-axis collimation and correction of the residual fast-axis errors from lens aberrations, thermal lensing, astigmatism, pointing errors, and other wavefront distortions. The phase plate leads to M(2) factor reductions of 1.5 for the lensed array following the fast axis and 2.6 for the whole bar following the slow axis. PMID- 17805366 TI - Particle backscatter, extinction, and lidar ratio profiling with Raman lidar in south and north China. AB - Aerosol Raman lidar observations of profiles of the particle extinction and backscatter coefficients and the respective extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio) were performed under highly polluted conditions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in southern China in October 2004 and at Beijing during a clear period with moderately polluted to background aerosol conditions in January 2005. The anthropogenic haze in the PRD is characterized by volume light-extinction coefficients of particles ranging from approximately 200 to 800 Mm(-1) and lidar ratios mostly between 40 and 55 sr (average of 47+/-6 sr). Almost clean air masses were observed throughout the measurements of the Beijing campaign. These air masses originated from arid desert-steppe-like regions (greater Gobi area). Extinction values usually varied between 100 and 300 Mm(-1), and the lidar ratios were considerably lower (compared with PRD values) with values mostly from 30 to 45 sr (average of 38+/-7 sr). Gobi dust partly influenced the observations. Unexpectedly low lidar ratios of approximately 25 sr were found for a case of background aerosol with a low optical depth of 0.05. The low lidar ratios are consistent with Mie-scattering calculations applied to ground-based observations of particle size distributions. PMID- 17805367 TI - Imaging reflectometry in situ. AB - An innovative method of in situ real-time optical monitoring of thin film deposition and etching is presented. In this technique, intensity maps of a thin film corresponding to a series of wavelengths selected by a monochromator (300 800 nm) are recorded by a CCD camera. From the maps the reflectance spectra at individual points of the sample surface can be extracted. By fitting the reflectance spectra to the theoretical ones, the maps of a thin film morphology (including optical parameters) and their temporal development during technological processes can be obtained. The method was tested by in situ observation of the growth of silicon nitride and silicon oxide thin films prepared by ion beam sputtering and by the monitoring of etching of thermally grown SiO(2) thin films. PMID- 17805368 TI - Optical axis perturbation in folded planar ring resonators. AB - A mathematical model of a four-sided folded planar ring resonator is established. The model can be modified into a triangular ring resonator, a square ring resonator, and a four-sided folded ring resonator, all of which are widely used for ring laser gyroscopes by changing certain design parameters such as incident angle Ai and side ratio H. By use of the extended matrix formulation, the optical axis perturbation, including optical axis decentration and optical axis tilt, in those planar ring resonators is analyzed in detail resulting in some novel findings. It has been determined that the longer the mirror radius, the larger the mode volume, the higher the sensitivity of optical axis decentration and the lower the sensitivity of optical axis tilt. The same mirror misalignment value, mostly the misalignment induced by optical axis decentration in the x and y components, has the conventional ratio of 1:[cos(Ai)](2) for the symmetrical points of the resonator. Details of the effect of Ai and H on the optical axis tilt have also been determined. The difference in optical axis tilt between different kinds of ring resonator is disclosed. The sensitivity of optical axis tilt was found to undergo singular rapid change along with the right edge of the second stable area. This singular behavior is useful for those resonators that have a small incident angle, such as Ai=15 degrees , because those resonators have a second stable region. These interesting findings are important for cavity design, cavity improvement, and alignment of planar ring resonators. PMID- 17805369 TI - In situ infrared aerosol spectroscopy for a variety of nerve agent simulants using flow-through photoacoustics. AB - We present newly measured results of an ongoing experimental program established to measure optical cross sections in the mid- and long-wave infrared for a variety of chemically and biologically based aerosols. For this study we consider only chemically derived aerosols, and in particular, a group of chemical compounds often used as simulants for the detection of extremely toxic organophosphorus nerve agents. These materials include: diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP), dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP). As reported in a prior study [Appl. Opt. 44, 4001 (2005)], we combine two optical techniques well suited for aerosol spectroscopy [i.e., flow-through photoacoustics and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) emission spectroscopy], to measure in situ the absolute extinction and absorption cross sections over a variety of wavelengths spanning the IR spectral region from 3 to 13 mum. Aerosol size distribution(s), particle number density, and dosimetric measurements are recorded simultaneously in order to present optical cross sections that are aerosol mass normalized, i.e., m(2)/gram. Photoacoustic results, conducted at a series of CO(2) laser lines, compare well with measured broadband FTIR spectral extinction. Both FTIR and photoacoustic data also compare well with Mie theory calculations based on measured size distributions and previously published complex indices of refraction. PMID- 17805370 TI - Proposal for optical fiber designs with ultrahigh effective area and small bending loss applicable to long haul communications. AB - A proposal for the multiclad MII optical fiber structure with ultralarge effective area and small bending loss is presented. For the proposed structure small dispersion and dispersion slope are obtained thanks to what we believe to be a novel design method. The suggested design method is based on a weighted fitness function, which is applied to the genetic algorithm optimization technique. In the meantime, the foregoing structure introduces a special fiber whose mode field diameter is small and approximately insensitive to the variation of the effective area. Compared to the work reported previously, our method can precisely set the zero dispersion wavelength. The designed dispersion-shifted single-mode fibers have effective area, mode field diameter, and quality factor respectively within [150-194.79] microm(2), [6.82-7.95] microm, and [3.04-3.85] at lambda(0)=1.55 microm. An analytical method is used for the calculation of the dispersion and its slope. These calculations give dispersion and dispersion slope of [(-2.57 x 10(-4))-(-0.085)] ps/km/nm and approximately 0.064 ps/km x nm(2), respectively. PMID- 17805371 TI - Achromatic polarization rotator. AB - What we believe to be a new optical element consisting of a single piece isotropic material with three internally reflecting faces for polarization plane rotation by the angle phi=pi/2 is proposed. The principle of operation is based on the geometrical phase effect, which is different in its origin but produces a similar effect to the circular birefringence. It is shown that the rotator made of polymer as well as silica glasses is not affected by the chromatic dispersion in a visible range. PMID- 17805372 TI - Hard target UV lidar measurements of isoprene mixing ratios and emission rates from eucalyptus trees. AB - The application of UV lidar to measure isoprene concentrations for environmental studies has been investigated. With a hard target lidar system at 223 nm, isoprene mixing ratios above eucalyptus trees were measured with a sensitivity of about 1 ppbv. Results over a long timescale were compared with an existing model of isoprene emission for a wide range of temperature and sunlight values. Fast time dependent results yielded a leaf emission rate of 25 microg g(-1) hour(-1), consistent with emission from other eucalyptus species. Requirements for development of the system for range resolved isoprene number density measurements using atmospheric backscatter lidar are discussed. PMID- 17805373 TI - Thick, three-dimensional nanoporous density-graded materials formed by optical exposures of photopolymers with controlled levels of absorption. AB - Three-dimensional (3D) intensity distributions generated by light passing through conformal phase masks can be modulated by the absorption property of photosensitive materials. The intensity distributions have extremely long depth of focus, which is proportional to the size of the phase masks, and this enables one to pattern thick (approximately 100 microm), nanoporous structures with precise control of grade density. Various density-graded 3D structures that result from computational modeling are demonstrated. Results of x-ray radiograph and the controlled absorption coefficient prove the dominant mechanism of the generated graded density is absorption of the photosensitive materials. The graded-density structures can be applied to a chemical reservoir for controlled release of chemicals and laser target reservoirs useful to shape shockless wave compression. PMID- 17805374 TI - Control of resonance separation over a wide spectral range in multiwavelength resonant grating filters. AB - The spectral separation of resonances within multiwavelength resonant grating filters is studied through the use of a grating layer with constant structural parameters in combination with single-layer, multimode waveguides and multilayer, multimode waveguides. The use of multilayer, multimode waveguides are shown to provide the ability to control resonance separations for multiwavelength filters from hundreds of nanometers to only a few nanometers. PMID- 17805375 TI - Resolution investigation of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system. AB - Theoretical analysis and experimental investigations are presented on the resolution of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system. Theoretical modeling indicates that the resolution of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio of the input signal and the noise of the photodetectors associated with optical-to-electronic conversion. For experimental verification, a ratiometric system employing a macrobending standard single-mode fiber is developed and corresponding results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. PMID- 17805376 TI - Detection of gaseous plumes in IR hyperspectral images using hierarchical clustering. AB - The emergence of IR hyperspectral sensors in recent years enables their use in remote environmental monitoring of gaseous plumes. IR hyperspectral imaging combines the unique advantages of traditional remote sensing methods such as multispectral imagery and nonimaging Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while eliminating their drawbacks. The most significant improvement introduced by hyperspectral technology is the capability of standoff detection and discrimination of effluent gaseous plumes without need for a clear reference background or any other temporal information. We introduce a novel approach for detection and discrimination of gaseous plumes in IR hyperspectral imagery using a divisive hierarchical clustering algorithm. The utility of the suggested detection algorithm is demonstrated on IR hyperspectral images of the release of two atmospheric tracers. The application of the proposed detection method on the experimental data has yielded a correct identification of all the releases without any false alarms. These encouraging results show that the presented approach can be used as a basis for a complete identification algorithm for gaseous pollutants in IR hyperspectral imagery without the need for a clear background. PMID- 17805377 TI - Design of multiaperture masks for subnanometer correction of ultraprecision optical components. AB - A technique for correction of optical surfaces has recently been reported. The technique involves oscillating an optical surface back and forth behind a multiaperture mask to deposit a spatially varying dielectric layer onto the optic to create the desired surface profile. Details are reported of a modified mask design that inherently smooths the deposited layer used for these corrections. Results are also reported with regard to a recent correction that resulted in a thickness uniformity of better than lambda/2000 rms over a working aperture of 37.5 mm. PMID- 17805378 TI - Cascaded interferometric imaging spectrometer. AB - We present what we believe to be a novel method for order sorting a Fabry-Perot interferometer using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) in tandem. We demonstrate how the order sorting is achieved using a model instrument response as an example of an instrument working in the 5-25 microm band, although the method is generally applicable at all wavelengths. We show that an instrument of this type can be realized with a large bandwidth, a large field of view, and good transmission efficiency. These attributes make this instrument concept a useful technique in applications where true imaging spectroscopy is required, such as mapping large astronomical sources. We compare the performance of the new instrument to grating and standard FTS instruments in circumstances where the measurement is background and detector noise limited. We use a figure of merit based on the field of view and speed of detection and find that the new system has a speed advantage over a FTS with the same field of view in all circumstances. The instrument will be faster than a grating instrument with the same spectral resolution once the field of view is >13 times larger under high background conditions and >50 times larger with detector performances that match the photon noise from Zodiacal light. PMID- 17805379 TI - Quantitative analysis of bayberry juice acidity based on visible and near infrared spectroscopy. AB - Visible and near-infrared (Vis/NIR) reflectance spectroscopy has been investigated for its ability to nondestructively detect acidity in bayberry juice. What we believe to be a new, better mathematic model is put forward, which we have named principal component analysis-stepwise regression analysis backpropagation neural network (PCA-SRA-BPNN), to build a correlation between the spectral reflectivity data and the acidity of bayberry juice. In this model, the optimum network parameters, such as the number of input nodes, hidden nodes, learning rate, and momentum, are chosen by the value of root-mean-square (rms) error. The results show that its prediction statistical parameters are correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9451 and root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.1168. Partial least-squares (PLS) regression is also established to compare with this model. Before doing this, the influences of various spectral pretreatments (standard normal variate, multiplicative scatter correction, S. Golay first derivative, and wavelet package transform) are compared. The PLS approach with wavelet package transform preprocessing spectra is found to provide the best results, and its prediction statistical parameters are correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9061 and RMSEP of 0.1564. Hence, these two models are both desirable to analyze the data from Vis/NIR spectroscopy and to solve the problem of the acidity prediction of bayberry juice. This supplies basal research to ultimately realize the online measurements of the juice's internal quality through this Vis/NIR spectroscopy technique. PMID- 17805380 TI - High-sensitivity detection of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and its precursor acetone. AB - Triacetone triperoxide (C(9)H(18)O(6), molecular mass of 222.24 g/mol) (TATP) is a powerful explosive that is easy to synthesize using commonly available household chemicals, acetone, and hydrogen peroxide 1 2. Because of the simplicity of its synthesis, TATP is often the explosive of choice for terrorists, including suicide bombers. For providing safety to the population, early detection of TATP and isolation of such individuals are essential. We report unambiguous, high-sensitivity detection of TATP and its precursor, acetone, using room-temperature quantum cascade laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (QCL-PAS). The available sensitivity is such that TATP, carried on a person (at a nominal body temperature of 37 degrees C), should be detectable at some distance. The combination of demonstrated detection of TATP and acetone should be ideal for screening at airports and other public places for providing increased public safety. PMID- 17805381 TI - Signal-to-noise-ratio analysis for nonlinear N-ary phase filters. AB - The problem of recognizing targets in nonoverlapping clutter using nonlinear N ary phase filters is addressed. Using mathematical analysis, expressions were derived for an N-ary phase filter and the intensity variance of an optical correlator output. The N-ary phase filter was shown to consist of an infinite sum of harmonic terms whose periodicity was determined by N. For the intensity variance, it was found that under certain conditions the variance was minimized due to a previously undiscovered phase quadrature effect. Comparison showed that optimal real filters produced greater signal-to-noise-ratio values than the continuous phase versions as a consequence of this effect. PMID- 17805382 TI - Measurements of birefringent media properties using optical vortex birefringence compensator. AB - We present some applications of the optical vortex birefringence compensator, based on the C polarization type singularities generated using two Wollaston compensators. The theory and experimental results of birefringent media properties measurements are presented. The possibility of the simultaneous measurement of both the azimuth angle and the phase retardance has been analyzed and experimentally verified. PMID- 17805383 TI - No wavefront sensor adaptive optics system for compensation of primary aberrations by software analysis of a point source image. 2. Tests. AB - The description of an adaptive optics (AO) system with no wavefront sensor to correct primary aberrations is presented. This system is based on closed loop software that iteratively analyzes a point source target image on the instrument focal plane and suitably modifies the AO device. The performed tests with a pull only deformable mirror (DM) have shown that the system works very well, reaching an optimal focusing condition in a few seconds using standard components. Such a system can be conveniently applied in all the fields in which a not very fast optical adaptation is acceptable. PMID- 17805384 TI - No wavefront sensor adaptive optics system for compensation of primary aberrations by software analysis of a point source image. 1. Methods. AB - Adaptive optics (AO) has been recently used for the development of ophthalmic devices. Its main objective has been to obtain high-resolution images for diagnostic purposes or to estimate high-order eye aberrations. The core of every AO system is an optical device that is able to modify the wavefront shape of the light entering the system; if you know the shape of the incoming wavefront, it is possible to correct the aberrations introduced in the optical path from the source to the image. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility, although in a simulated system, of estimating and correcting an aberrated wavefront shape by means of an iterative gradient-descent-like software procedure, acting on a point source image, without expensive wavefront sensors or the burdensome computation of the point-spread-function (PSF) of the optical system. In such a way, it is possible to obtain a speed and repeatability advantage over classical stochastic algorithms. A hierarchy in the aberrations is introduced, in order to reduce the dimensionality of the state space to be searched. The proposed algorithm is tested on a simple optical system that has been simulated with ray-tracing software, with randomly generated aberrations, and compared with a recently proposed algorithm for wavefront sensorless adaptive optics. PMID- 17805385 TI - Channel modeling of light signals propagating through a battlefield environment: analysis of channel spatial, angular, and temporal dispersion. AB - Free-space optical communication (FSOC) is used to transmit a modulated beam of light through the atmosphere for broadband applications. Fundamental limitations of FSOC arise from the environment through which light propagates. We address transmitted light signal dispersion (spatial, angular, and temporal dispersion) in FSOC that operates in the battlefield environment. Light signals (photons) transmitted through the battlefield environment will interact with particles of man-made smoke such as fog oil, along the propagation path. Photon-particle interaction causes dispersion of light signals, which has significant effects on signal attenuation and pulse spread. We show that physical properties of battlefield particles play important roles in determining dispersion of received light signals. The correlation between spatial and angular dispersion is investigated as well, which has significant effects on receiver design issues. Moreover, our research indicates that temporal dispersion (delay spread) and the received power strongly depend on the receiver aperture size, field of view (FOV), and the position of the receiver relative to the optical axis of the transmitter. The results describe only specific scenarios for given types of battlefield particles. Generalization of the results requires additional work. Based on properties of the correlation, a sensitive receiver with a small FOV is needed that can find the line-of-sight photons and work with them. PMID- 17805386 TI - Experimental investigation of the performance of an annular aperture and a circular aperture on the same very-small-aperture laser facet. AB - A very-small-aperture laser (VSAL) with a circular aperture has a trade-off between the spot size and the output power. A nanometric annular aperture is fabricated to overcome this difficulty. The advantages of the annular aperture are demonstrated by measuring and comparing its near-field intensity distribution with that of a circular aperture. These apertures are fabricated on the same VSAL to ensure that they are under the same illumination conditions. The experimental results indicate that an annular aperture produces a smaller spot size and a higher peak intensity than a circular aperture. The confinement effect and the enhancement effect are attributed to the convergence of the power flow that passes through the annular aperture. The observed enhancement effect decreases when the distance from the VSAL facet is increased, but it does not vanish even when the distance is as large as 3.5 microm. PMID- 17805387 TI - Focal shift in focused truncated pulsed-laser beam. AB - The focal shift of a focused truncated pulsed-laser beam is investigated. In the case of the Fresnel approximation, the analytic expression of the time-averaged intensity distribution along the axis is derived based on the series expansion. It shows that the focal shift of the pulsed beam can be completely determined by a series of normalized spectrum moments and the central Fresnel number defined according to the central frequency of the pulse. The absolute value of the focal shift of the pulsed beam decreases monotonously and slowly with the normalized spectrum width increasing and the central Fresnel number fixed, and it increases monotonously with the central Fresnel number decreasing and the normalized spectrum width fixed. Besides the central Fresnel number and the normalized spectrum width, the shape of spectral intensity of the pulse affects the focal shift too. PMID- 17805388 TI - High-accuracy differential image motion monitor measurements for the Thirty Meter Telescope site testing program. AB - Differential image motion monitors (DIMMs) have become the industry standard for astronomical site characterization. The calibration of DIMMs is generally considered to be routine, but we show that particular care must be paid to this issue if high-accuracy measurements are to be achieved. In a side by side comparison of several DIMMs, we demonstrate that with proper care we can achieve an agreement between the seeing measurements of two DIMMS operating under the same conditions to better than +/-0.02 arc sec. PMID- 17805389 TI - Phase unwrapping method for three-dimensional stress analysis by scattered-light photoelasticity with unpolarized light. 2. Experiment. AB - A phase unwrapping method that employs scattered-light photoelasticity with unpolarized light was proposed for automated three-dimensional stress analysis [Appl. Opt. 45, 8848 (2006)]. I now demonstrate the validity of this method by performing nondestructive measurements at three different wavelengths of the secondary principal stress direction psi(j) and the total relative phase retardation rho(jtot) in the plane that contains the rotated principal stress directions in a spherical frozen stress model and compare the results obtained with mechanically sliced models. The parameters psi(j) and rho(jtot) were measured nondestructively over the entire field of view for the first time, to the best of my knowledge. PMID- 17805390 TI - Induced-dipole-electric-field contribution of atomic chains and atomic planes to the refractive index and birefringence of nanoscale crystalline dielectrics. AB - The induced-dipole-electric-field contribution to the refractive index at any location within a nanometer-scale dielectric is quantified by summing the electronic dipole contributions due to all the surrounding atoms in the dielectric. Using a tetragonal lattice and varying the ratio of lattice constants illustrates the important limiting chainlike and planelike behaviors. Strong polarizing effects and thus high refractive indices occur for an electric field applied along the length of a chain of atoms or applied in a planar direction to a plane of atoms. In contrast, a strong depolarizing effect and thus low refractive indices occur for an electric field applied normal to a chain of atoms or applied normal to a plane of atoms. Birefringence is increased or decreased by the simultaneous presence or absence of polarizing and depolarizing effects. PMID- 17805391 TI - Comments on "Absolute linearity measurements on a PbS detector in the infrared". AB - A recent publication [Appl. Opt. 45, 2381 (2006)] on detector nonlinearity contains serious misunderstandings of an earlier work [Appl. Spectrosc. 51, 576 (1997)] with regard to the relative importance of photon flux versus photon irradiance as the major cause of these nonlinearities. This comment provides some clarification for the readers to correctly understand the techniques used in the 1997 paper and explains why the Theocharous statement was incorrect. PMID- 17805392 TI - Bidirectional scattering distribution functions of maple and cottonwood leaves. AB - We present our investigations into the optical scattering properties of both sugar maple (Acer saccarum) and eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) leaves in the near-IR wavelength regime. The bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF) describes the fractions of light reflected by and transmitted through a leaf for a given set of illumination and observation angles. Experiments were performed to measure the BSDF of each species at a discrete set of illumination and observation angles. We then modeled the BSDFs in such a way that other researchers may interpolate their values for scattering in any direction under illumination at any angle. PMID- 17805393 TI - Reply to comments on "Absolute linearity measurements on a PbS detector in the infrared". AB - Some issues on the method used by Zhang et al. [Appl. Spectrosc. 51, 576 (1997)] to correct for the nonlinearity of a HgCdTe detector in Fourier transform spectrometry measurements are discussed in response to comments by Zhang. Other problems that must be taken into consideration before the effects of detector nonlinearity of HgCdTe detectors are fully accounted for in FT spectrometry are highlighted. PMID- 17805395 TI - Mortality from copper smelter emissions circa 1967. PMID- 17805397 TI - Smelters and mortality. PMID- 17805399 TI - Environmental tobacco smoke: incomplete research or author bias? PMID- 17805401 TI - Agriculture-COPD link bolstered. PMID- 17805402 TI - Temperance in green tea. PMID- 17805404 TI - Ethanol boosts gas engines. PMID- 17805407 TI - Waste couture: environmental impact of the clothing industry. PMID- 17805408 TI - Certified coffee: does the premium pay off? PMID- 17805413 TI - The forest for the trees: a systems approach to human health research. AB - We explore the relationship between current research directions in human health and environmental and public health policy. Specifically, we suggest there is a link between the continuing emphasis in biomedical research on individualized, therapeutic solutions to human disease and the increased reliance on individual choice in response to environmental and/or public health threats. We suggest that continued research emphasis on these traditional approaches to the exclusion of other approaches will impede the discovery of important breakthroughs in human health research necessary to understand the emerging diseases of today. We recommend redirecting research programs to interdisciplinary and population focused research that would support a systems approach to fully identifying the environmental factors that contribute to disease burden. Such an approach would be able to address the interactions between the social, ecological, and physical aspects of our environment and explicitly include these in the evaluation and management of health risks from environmental exposures. PMID- 17805414 TI - Environmental exposures and gene regulation in disease etiology. AB - OBJECTIVE: Health or disease is shaped for all individuals by interactions between their genes and environment. Exactly how the environment changes gene expression and how this can lead to disease are being explored in a fruitful new approach to environmental health research, representative studies of which are reviewed here. DATA SOURCES: We searched Web of Science and references of relevant publications to understand the diversity of gene regulatory mechanisms affected by environmental exposures with disease implications. DATA SYNTHESIS: Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, air pollutants, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, hormones, nutrition, and behavior can change gene expression through a broad array of gene regulatory mechanisms. Mechanisms include regulation of gene translocation, histone modifications, DNA methylation, DNA repair, transcription, RNA stability, alternative RNA splicing, protein degradation, gene copy number, and transposon activation. Furthermore, chemically induced changes in gene regulation are associated with serious and complex human diseases, including cancer, diabetes and obesity, infertility, respiratory diseases, allergies, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases. One of the best-studied areas of gene regulation is epigenetics, especially DNA methylation. Our examples of environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation are presented in the context of early development, when methylation patterns are initially laid down. This approach highlights the potential role for altered DNA methylation in fetal origins of adult disease and inheritance of acquired genetic change. CONCLUSIONS: The reviewed studies indicate that genetic predisposition for disease is best predicted in the context of environmental exposures. Second, the genetic mechanisms investigated in these studies offer new avenues for risk assessment research. Finally, we are likely to witness dramatic improvements in human health, and reductions in medical costs, if environmental pollution is decreased. PMID- 17805415 TI - Depuration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in breast milk from California first-time mothers (primiparae). AB - BACKGROUND: Little is known about the rates of loss (depuration) of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from mothers during lactation. Depuration rates affect infant exposure to chemicals during breast-feeding, and fetal and lactational transfers during subsequent pregnancies. OBJECTIVE: Our objective in this study was to estimate depuration rates of PBDEs and PCBs using serial samples of breast milk. METHOD: Nine first time mothers (primiparae) each collected samples at 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks after birth. Nine additional primiparae each collected two samples at varying time intervals (18 to > 85 weeks after birth). Analytical precision was assessed to evaluate the accuracy of measured monthly percentage declines in PBDEs and PCBs. RESULTS: The four major PBDE congeners decreased 2 or 3% +/- 1% per month over the 6-month period. These decreases were consistent over a 50-fold range (21-1,330 ng/g lipid weight) of initial PBDE concentrations in breast milk. The change in PCB-153 ranged from + 0.3% to -0.6% per month, with heterogeneous slopes and greater intraindividual variability. PBDE and PCB concentrations declined 1% per month over longer periods (up to 136 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that PBDEs and PCBs are not substantially (4-18%) reduced in primiparae after 6 months of breast-feeding. Consequently, the fetal and lactational exposures for a second child may not be markedly lower than those for the first. Participants were volunteers from a larger study population (n = 82), and were typical in their PBDE/PCB levels and in many demographic and lifestyle factors. These similarities suggest that our results may have broader applicability. PMID- 17805416 TI - Lead induces chondrogenesis and alters transforming growth factor-beta and bone morphogenetic protein signaling in mesenchymal cell populations. AB - BACKGROUND: It has been established that skeletal growth is stunted in lead exposed children. Because chondrogenesis is a seminal step during skeletal development, elucidating the impact of Pb on this process is the first step toward understanding the mechanism of Pb toxicity in the skeleton. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that Pb alters chondrogenic commitment of mesenchymal cells and to assess the effects of Pb on various signaling pathways. METHODS: We assessed the influence of Pb on chondrogenesis in murine limb bud mesenchymal cells (MSCs) using nodule formation assays and gene analyses. The effects of Pb on transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling was studied using luciferase-based reporters and Western analyses, and luciferase-based assays were used to study cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB), beta catenin, AP-1, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling. We also used an ectopic bone formation assay to determine how Pb affects chondrogenesis in vivo. RESULTS: Pb-exposed MSCs showed enhanced basal and TGF-beta/BMP induction of chondrogenesis, evidenced by enhanced nodule formation and up-regulation of Sox 9, type 2 collagen, and aggrecan, all key markers of chondrogenesis. We observed enhanced chondrogenesis during ectopic bone formation in mice preexposed to Pb via drinking water. In MSCs, Pb enhanced TGF-beta but inhibited BMP-2 signaling, as measured by luciferase reporter assays and Western analyses of Smad phosphorylation. Although Pb had no effect on basal CREB or Wnt/beta-catenin pathway activity, it induced NFkappaB signaling and inhibited AP-1 signaling. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro and in vivo induction of chondrogenesis by Pb likely involves modulation and integration of multiple signaling pathways including TGF beta, BMP, AP-1, and NFkappaB. PMID- 17805417 TI - Traffic-related atmospheric pollutants levels during pregnancy and offspring's term birth weight: a study relying on a land-use regression exposure model. AB - BACKGROUND: Some studies have suggested that particulate matter (PM) levels during pregnancy may be associated with birth weight. Road traffic is a major source of fine PM (PM with aero-dynamic diameter < 2.5 microm; PM(2.5)). OBJECTIVE: We determined to characterize the influence of maternal exposure to atmospheric pollutants due to road traffic and urban activities on offspring term birth weight. METHODS: Women from a birth cohort [the LISA (Influences of Lifestyle Related Factors on the Human Immune System and Development of Allergies in Children) cohort] who delivered a non-premature baby with a birth weight > 2,500 g in Munich metropolitan area were included. We assessed PM(2.5), PM(2.5) absorbance (which depends on the blackness of PM(2.5), a marker of traffic related air pollution), and nitrogen dioxide levels using a land-use regression model, taking into account the type and length of roads, population density, land coverage around the home address, and temporal variations in pollution during pregnancy. Using Poisson regression, we estimated prevalence ratios (PR) of birth weight < 3,000 g, adjusted for gestational duration, sex, maternal smoking, height, weight, and education. RESULTS: Exposure was defined for 1,016 births. Taking the lowest quartile of exposure during pregnancy as a reference, the PR of birth weight < 3,000 g associated with the highest quartile was 1.7 for PM(2.5) [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-2.7], 1.8 for PM(2.5) absorbance (95% CI, 1.1 2.7), and 1.2 for NO(2) (95% CI, 0.7-1.7). The PR associated with an increase of 1 microg/m(3) in PM(2.5) levels was 1.13 (95% CI, 1.00-1.29). CONCLUSION: Increases in PM(2.5) levels and PM(2.5) absorbance were associated with decreases in term birth weight. Traffic-related air pollutants may have adverse effects on birth weight. PMID- 17805418 TI - Life-span exposure to low doses of aspartame beginning during prenatal life increases cancer effects in rats. AB - BACKGROUND: In a previous study conducted at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation (CMCRC/ERF), we demonstrated for the first time that aspartame (APM) is a multipotent carcinogenic agent when various doses are administered with feed to Sprague-Dawley rats from 8 weeks of age throughout the life span. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this second study is to better quantify the carcinogenic risk of APM, beginning treatment during fetal life. METHODS: We studied groups of 70-95 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats administered APM (2,000, 400, or 0 ppm) with feed from the 12th day of fetal life until natural death. RESULTS: Our results show a) a significant dose-related increase of malignant tumor-bearing animals in males (p < 0.01), particularly in the group treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p < 0.01); b) a significant increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in males treated with 2,000 ppm (p < 0.05) and a significant dose-related increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in females (p < 0.01), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.01); and c) a significant dose-related increase in incidence of mammary cancer in females (p < 0.05), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this carcinogenicity bioassay confirm and reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APM's multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the acceptable daily intake for humans. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when life-span exposure to APM begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased. PMID- 17805419 TI - Half-life of serum elimination of perfluorooctanesulfonate,perfluorohexanesulfonate, and perfluorooctanoate in retired fluorochemical production workers. AB - BACKGROUND: The presence of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHS), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) has been reported in humans and wildlife. Pharmacokinetic differences have been observed in laboratory animals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this observational study was to estimate the elimination half-life of PFOS, PFHS, and PFOA from human serum. METHODS: Twenty-six (24 male, 2 female) retired fluorochemical production workers, with no additional occupational exposure, had periodic blood samples collected over 5 years, with serum stored in plastic vials at -80 degrees C. At the end of the study, we used HPLC-mass spectrometry to analyze the samples, with quantification based on the ion ratios for PFOS and PFHS and the internal standard (18)O(2)-PFOS. For PFOA, quantitation was based on the internal standard (13)C(2)-PFOA. RESULTS: THE ARITHMETIC MEAN INITIAL SERUM CONCENTRATIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS: PFOS, 799 ng/mL (range, 145-3,490); PFHS, 290 ng/mL (range, 16-1,295); and PFOA, 691 ng/mL (range, 72-5,100). For each of the 26 subjects, the elimination appeared linear on a semi-log plot of concentration versus time; therefore, we used a first-order model for estimation. The arithmetic and geometric mean half-lives of serum elimination, respectively, were 5.4 years [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.9-6.9] and 4.8 years (95% CI, 4.0-5.8) for PFOS; 8.5 years (95% CI, 6.4-10.6) and 7.3 years (95% CI, 5.8-9.2) for PFHS; and 3.8 years (95% CI, 3.1-4.4) and 3.5 years (95% CI, 3.0-4.1) for PFOA. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data, humans appear to have a long half-life of serum elimination of PFOS, PFHS, and PFOA. Differences in species-specific pharmacokinetics may be due, in part, to a saturable renal resorption process. PMID- 17805420 TI - Ameliorating the developmental neurotoxicity of chlorpyrifos: a mechanisms-based approach in PC12 cells. AB - BACKGROUND: Organophosphate developmental neurotoxicity involves multiple mechanisms converging on neural cell replication and differentiation. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated mechanisms contributing to the adverse effects of chlorpyrifos (CPF) on DNA synthesis, cell number and size, and cell signaling mediated by adenylyl cyclase (AC) in PC12 cells, a neuronotypic cell line that recapitulates the essential features of developing mammalian neurons. RESULTS: In undifferentiated cells, cholinergic receptor antagonists had little or no protective effect against the antimitotic actions of CPF; however, when nerve growth factor was used to evoke differentiation, the antagonists showed partial protection against deficits in cell loss and alteration in cell size elicited by CPF, but were ineffective in preventing the deterioration of AC signaling. Nicotine, which stimulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors but also possesses a mixture of prooxidant/antioxidant activity, had adverse effects by itself but also protected undifferentiated cells from the actions of CPF and had mixed additive/protective effects on cell number in differentiating cells. The antioxidant vitamin E also protected both undifferentiated and differentiating cells from many of the adverse effects of CPF but worsened the impact on AC signaling. Theophylline, which prevents the breakdown of cyclic AMP, was the only agent that restored AC signaling to normal or supranormal levels but did so at further cost to cell replication. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show definitive contributions of cholinergic hyperstimulation, oxidative stress, and interference with AC signaling in the developmental neurotoxicity of CPF and point to the potential use of this information to design treatments to ameliorate these adverse effects. PMID- 17805421 TI - Secondary sex ratio among women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero. AB - BACKGROUND: Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen widely prescribed to pregnant women during the mid-1900s, is a potent endocrine disruptor. Previous studies have suggested an association between endocrine-disrupting compounds and secondary sex ratio. METHODS: Data were provided by women participating in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) DES Combined Cohort Study. We used generalized estimating equations to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relation of in utero DES exposure to sex ratio (proportion of male births). Models were adjusted for maternal age, child's birth year, parity, and cohort, and accounted for clustering among women with multiple pregnancies. RESULTS: The OR for having a male birth comparing DES-exposed to unexposed women was 1.05 (95% CI, 0.95-1.17). For exposed women with complete data on cumulative DES dose and timing (33%), those first exposed to DES earlier in gestation and to higher doses had the highest odds of having a male birth. The ORs were 0.91 (95% C, 0.65-1.27) for first exposure at > or = 13 weeks gestation to < 5 g DES; 0.95 (95% CI, 0.71-1.27) for first exposure at > or = 13 weeks to > or = 5 g; 1.16 (95% CI, 0.96-1.41) for first exposure at < 13 weeks to < 5 g; and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.04-1.48) for first exposure at < 13 weeks to > or = 5 g compared with no exposure. Results did not vary appreciably by maternal age, parity, cohort, or infertility history. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, no association was observed between in utero DES exposure and secondary sex ratio, but a significant increase in the proportion of male births was found among women first exposed to DES earlier in gestation and to a higher cumulative dose. PMID- 17805422 TI - Maternal serum polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations across critical windows of human development. AB - BACKGROUND: Few data are available on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations over critical windows of human reproduction and development inclusive of the periconception window. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to measure changes in PCB concentrations from preconception to pregnancy, through pregnancy, or after a year without becoming pregnant. METHODS: Seventy-nine women planning pregnancies were prospectively enrolled and followed for up to 12 menstrual cycles of attempting pregnancy. Blood specimens were obtained from participating women preconceptionally (n = 79), after a positive pregnancy test leading to a live birth (n = 54) or pregnancy loss (n = 10), at approximately 6 weeks postpartum (n = 53), and after 12 unsuccessful cycles (n = 9) for toxicologic analysis of 76 PCB congeners. We estimated overall and daily rate of change in PCB concentration (nanograms per gram serum) adjusting for relevant covariates, serum lipids, and baseline PCB concentration. RESULTS: Significant (p < 0.0001) decreases in the mean overall and daily rate of change in PCB concentrations were observed between the preconception and first pregnancy samples for total (-1.012 and -0.034, respectively), estrogenic (-0.444 and -0.016, respectively), and antiestrogenic (-0.106 and -0.004, respectively) PCBs among women with live births. Similar significant decreases in total (-1.452 and -0.085), estrogenic ( 0.647 and -0.040), and antiestrogenic (-0.093 and -0.004) PCB concentrations were seen for women with pregnancy losses. No significant changes were observed for PCB congener 153. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that PCB concentrations may change during the periconception interval, questioning the stability of persistent compounds during this critical window. PMID- 17805423 TI - Differential response of Mono Mac 6, BEAS-2B, and Jurkat cells to indoor dust. AB - BACKGROUND: Airway toxicity of indoor dust is not sufficiently understood. OBJECTIVES: Our goal in this study was to describe the effects of indoor dust on human monocyte, epithelial, and lymphocyte cell lines. We aimed to a) obtain a comprehensive and intelligible outline of the transcriptional response; b) correlate differential transcription with cellular protein secretion; c) identify cell line-specific features; and d) search for indoor dust-specific responses. METHODS: Settled dust was sampled in 42 German households, and various contaminants were characterized. We exposed Mono Mac 6, BEAS-2B, and Jurkat cells to 500 microg/mL indoor dust for 6 hr. Outcome parameters included the transcriptional profile of an oligonucleotide microarray covering 1,232 genes. Significantly enriched Gene Ontology themes were calculated. Supernatant protein levels of 24 inflammatory response proteins served to confirm transcriptional results. RESULTS: An intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.8 indicated reasonable microarray reproducibility. The transcriptional profile was characterized by enhancement of detoxification and a danger and defense response. Differential gene regulation correlated with protein secretion (Goodman and Kruskal's gamma coefficient: 0.72; p < 0.01). Mono Mac 6 cells revealed the highest fraction of differentially expressed genes, dominated by up-regulation of various cytokines and chemokines. BEAS-2B cells revealed weaker changes in a limited set of inflammatory response proteins. No significant changes were observed in Jurkat cells. CONCLUSIONS: Monocytes are particularly responsive to indoor dust. We observed a classical T-helper 1-dominated immune response, which suggested that bioorganic contaminants are relevant effectors in indoor dust. PMID- 17805424 TI - Impact of smoking and thiocyanate on perchlorate and thyroid hormone associations in the 2001-2002 national health and nutrition examination survey. AB - BACKGROUND: Findings from a recent large study suggest that perchlorate at commonly occurring exposure concentrations may decrease thyroid hormone levels in some women. Decreases in thyroid hormone seen with perchlorate exposure could be even greater in people with concomitant exposure to agents such as thiocyanate that may affect the thyroid by mechanisms similar to those of perchlorate. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess the impact of smoking and thiocyanate on the relationship between urinary per-chlorate and serum thyroxine (T(4)) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). RESULTS: In women with urinary iodine levels < 100 microg/L, the association between the logarithm of perchlorate and decreased T(4) was greater in smokers [regression coefficient (beta) = -1.66, p = 0.0005] than in nonsmokers (beta = -0.54, p = 0.04). In subjects with high, medium, and low cotinine levels, these regression coefficients were -1.47 (p = 0.0002), -0.57 (p = 0.03), and -0.16 (p = 0.59). For high, medium, and low thiocyanate tertiles they were -1.67 (p = 0.0009), -0.68 (p = 0.09), and -0.49 (p = 0.11). Clear interactions between perchlorate and smoking were not seen with TSH or with T(4) in women with urinary iodine levels > or = 100 microg/L or in men. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that thiocyanate in tobacco smoke and perchlorate interact in affecting thyroid function, and this effect can take place at commonly occurring perchlorate exposures. Agents other than tobacco smoke might cause similar interactions, and further research on these agents could help identify people who are particularly susceptible to perchlorate. PMID- 17805425 TI - Persistent tissue kinetics and redistribution of nanoparticles, quantum dot 705, in mice: ICP-MS quantitative assessment. AB - BACKGROUND: Quantum dots (QDs) are autofluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals that can be used for in vivo biomedical imaging. However, we know little about their in vivo disposition and health consequences. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the tissue disposition and pharmacokinetics of QD705 in mice. METHODS: We determined quantitatively the blood and tissue kinetics of QD705 in mice after single intravenous (iv) injection at the dose of 40 pmol for up to 28 days. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurement of cadmium was the primary method of quantification of QD705. Fluorescence light microscopy revealed the localization of QD705 in tissues. RESULTS: Plasma half-life of QD705 in mice was short (18.5 hr), but ICP-MS analyses revealed QD705 persisted and even continued to increase in the spleen, liver, and kidney 28 days after an iv dose. Considerable time-dependent redistribution from body mass to liver and kidney was apparent between 1 and 28 days postdosing. The recoveries at both time points were near 100%; all QD705s reside in the body. Neither fecal nor urinary excretion of QD705 was detected appreciably in 28 days postdosing. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated deposition of QD705 in the liver, spleen, and kidneys. CONCLUSION: Judging from the continued increase in the liver (29-42% of the administered dose), kidney (1.5-9.2%), and spleen (4.8-5.2%) between 1 and 28 days without any appreciable excretion, QD705 has a very long half-life, potentially weeks or even months, in the body and its health consequences deserve serious consideration. PMID- 17805426 TI - Race, wealth, and solid waste facilities in North Carolina. AB - BACKGROUND: Concern has been expressed in North Carolina that solid waste facilities may be disproportionately located in poor communities and in communities of color, that this represents an environmental injustice, and that solid waste facilities negatively impact the health of host communities. OBJECTIVE: Our goal in this study was to conduct a statewide analysis of the location of solid waste facilities in relation to community race and wealth. METHODS: We used census block groups to obtain racial and economic characteristics, and information on solid waste facilities was abstracted from solid waste facility permit records. We used logistic regression to compute prevalence odds ratios for 2003, and Cox regression to compute hazard ratios of facilities issued permits between 1990 and 2003. RESULTS: The adjusted prevalence odds of a solid waste facility was 2.8 times greater in block groups with > or = 50% people of color compared with block groups with < 10% people of color, and 1.5 times greater in block groups with median house values < 60,000 dollars compared with block groups with median house values > or = 100,000 dollars. Among block groups that did not have a previously permitted solid waste facility, the adjusted hazard of a new permitted facility was 2.7 times higher in block groups with > or = 50% people of color compared with block groups with < 10% people of color. CONCLUSION: Solid waste facilities present numerous public health concerns. In North Carolina solid waste facilities are disproportionately located in communities of color and low wealth. In the absence of action to promote environmental justice, the continued need for new facilities could exacerbate this environmental injustice. PMID- 17805427 TI - Workgroup report: National Toxicology Program workshop on Hormonally Induced Reproductive Tumors - Relevance of Rodent Bioassays. AB - The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is currently reviewing its research portfolio as part of its efforts to implement the NTP Roadmap to achieve the NTP Vision for the 21st century. This review includes a recent workshop, "Hormonally Induced Reproductive Tumors-Relevance of Rodent Bioassays," held 22-24 May 2006, that was organized to determine the adequacy and relevance to human disease outcome of rodent models currently used in the 2-year bioassay for four types of hormonally induced reproductive tumors (ovary, mammary gland, prostate, and testis). In brief, none of the workshop's breakout groups felt the currently used models are sufficient. For some types of tumors such as prostate, no adequate animal models exist, and for others such as ovary, the predominant tumors in humans are of different cellular origins than those induced by chemicals in rodents. This inadequacy of current models also applies to the testis, although our more complete understanding of the responses of Leydig cells to hormonal changes in rats may prove predictive for effects in humans other than cancer. All breakout groups recommended that the NTP consider modifying its testing protocols (i.e., age at exposure, additional end points, etc.) and/or using alternative models (i.e., genetically engineered models, in vitro systems, etc.) to improve sensitivity. In this article we briefly review the workshop's outcome and outline some next steps forward in pursuing the workshop's recommendations. Breakout group reports and additional information on the workshop, including participants, presentations, public comments and background materials, are posted on the NTP website. PMID- 17805428 TI - Meeting report: the role of environmental lighting and circadian disruption in cancer and other diseases. AB - Light, including artificial light, has a range of effects on human physiology and behavior and can therefore alter human physiology when inappropriately timed. One example of potential light-induced disruption is the effect of light on circadian organization, including the production of several hormone rhythms. Changes in light-dark exposure (e.g., by nonday occupation or transmeridian travel) shift the timing of the circadian system such that internal rhythms can become desynchronized from both the external environment and internally with each other, impairing our ability to sleep and wake at the appropriate times and compromising physiologic and metabolic processes. Light can also have direct acute effects on neuroendocrine systems, for example, in suppressing melatonin synthesis or elevating cortisol production that may have untoward long-term consequences. For these reasons, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences convened a workshop of a diverse group of scientists to consider how best to conduct research on possible connections between lighting and health. According to the participants in the workshop, there are three broad areas of research effort that need to be addressed. First are the basic biophysical and molecular genetic mechanisms for phototransduction for circadian, neuroendocrine, and neurobehavioral regulation. Second are the possible physiologic consequences of disrupting these circadian regulatory processes such as on hormone production, particularly melatonin, and normal and neoplastic tissue growth dynamics. Third are effects of light-induced physiologic disruption on disease occurrence and prognosis, and how prevention and treatment could be improved by application of this knowledge. PMID- 17805429 TI - Error and bias in determining exposure potential of children at school locations using proximity-based GIS techniques. AB - BACKGROUND: The widespread availability of powerful tools in commercial geographic information system (GIS) software has made address geocoding a widely employed technique in spatial epidemiologic studies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the positional error in geocoding on the analysis of exposure to traffic-related air pollution of children at school locations. METHODS: For a case study of Orange County, Florida, we determined the positional error of geocoding of school locations through comparisons with a parcel database and digital orthophotography. We used four different geocoding techniques for comparison to establish the repeatability of geocoding, and an analysis of proximity to major roads to determine bias and error in environmental exposure assessment. RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE POSITIONAL ERROR IN GEOCODING OF SCHOOLS IS VERY SUBSTANTIAL: We found that the 95% root mean square error was 196 m using street centerlines, 306 m using TIGER roads, and 210 and 235 m for two commercial geocoding firms. We found bias and error in proximity analysis to major roads to be unacceptably large at distances of < 500 m. Bias and error are introduced by lack of positional accuracy and lack of repeatability of geocoding of school locations. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that typical geocoding is insufficient for fine-scale analysis of school locations and more accurate alternatives need to be considered. PMID- 17805430 TI - Arsenic exposure and cognitive performance in Mexican schoolchildren. AB - BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested an effect of high arsenic concentration on cognitive and neurobehavioral function in humans. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to identify demographic and nutritional factors that are associated with As exposure and the influence of this exposure on cognitive function in school age children. METHODS: We recruited 602 children 6-8 years of age living within 3.5 km of a metallurgic smelter complex in the city of Torreon, Mexico, to participate in a cross-sectional evaluation. Of these, 591 had complete anthropometry, iron, and zinc status by biochemical measurements in serum, blood lead concentration (PbB), and arsenic in urine (UAs), and 557 completed several cognitive performance tests. RESULTS: The mean for UAs was 58.1 +/- 33.2 microg/L; 52% of the children had UAs concentrations > 50 microg/L, and 50.7% of children had PbB > or = 10 microg/dL. UAs concentration was associated with low socioeconomic status. Nutritional status indicators were not related to UAs concentrations. Linear and logistic regressions adjusted for hemoglobin concentration, PbB, and sociodemographic confounders showed a significant inverse association between UAs and Visual-Spatial Abilities with Figure Design, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the WISC-RM Digit Span subscale, Visual Search, and Letter Sequencing Tests (p < 0.05). Boys excreted significantly more UAs (p < 0.05) and were affected on different cognitive areas than girls. CONCLUSIONS: Children living in an area contaminated with both As and lead showed that As contamination can affect children's cognitive development, independent of any effect of lead. PMID- 17805431 TI - Workgroup report: developing environmental health indicators for European children: World Health Organization Working Group. AB - A working group coordinated by the World Health Organization developed a set of indicators to protect children's health from environmental risks and to support current and future European policy needs. On the basis of identified policy needs, the group developed a core set of 29 indicators for implementation plus an extended set of eight additional indicators for future development, focusing on exposure, health effects, and action. As far as possible, the indicators were designed to use existing information and are flexible enough to be developed further to meet the needs of policy makers and changing health priorities. These indicators cover most of the priority topic areas specified in the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE) as adopted in the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in 2004, and will be used to monitor the implementation of CEHAPE. This effort can be viewed as an integral part of the Global Initiative on Children's Environmental Health Indicators, launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. PMID- 17805432 TI - Inhibitory effect of cyclooxygenase inhibitors on the step-through passive avoidance performance in mice treated with NC-1900, an arginine-vasopressin fragment analog. AB - To examine the participation of endogenous cyclooxygenase (COX) in the mnemonic effect of NC-1900, an arginine-vasopressin fragment analog, the latencies of mice in the step-through passive avoidance (PA) task were determined following the administration of COX inhibitors and/or NC-1900 (1 ng/kg). When administered immediately after the acquisition trial (Acq) in the PA task, indomethacin (20 mg/kg), a nonspecific COX inhibitor, and NS-398 (10 and 20 mg/kg), a specific COX 2 inhibitor, but not piroxicam (10 and 20 mg/kg), a specific COX-1 inhibitor, decreased the latency on the retention trial (Ret). The mnemonic effect of 1 ng/kg NC-1900 on the Ret in the PA task was also inhibited by the administration of either indomethacin (20 mg/kg) or NS-398 (20 mg/kg) but not by piroxicam. However, when 20 mg/kg indomethacin and NS-398 were administered 3 h after the Acq, the increase in Ret latency induced by NC-1900 was not inhibited. These results suggested that the action of NC-1900 on the early stage of memory formation in the PA task may be modulated by endogenous COX-2 but not by COX-1. PMID- 17805433 TI - Fluorescent liposomes for intravital staining of Kupffer cells to aid in vivo microscopy in rats. AB - The potential of newly formulated fluorescent-labeled liposomes for the intravital staining of Kupffer cells was evaluated in rats. Fluorescently labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC) was incorporated into liposomes consisting of PC and phosphatidylserine. After intravenous injection, Kupffer cells in the rat liver were intravitally stained and were clearly delineated under the fluorescence image of both confocal laser scanning microscopy and in vivo microscopy. Specificity of the staining was confirmed by immunohistochemistry using the anti rat macrophage antibody Ki-M2R, which suggested that the liposomes were selectively entrapped by the hepatic reticuloendothelial system. A time-course study revealed that the suitable observation window was between 16 and 24 h after the injection. Phagocytic activity of Kupffer cells after the administration of liposomes was examined by measuring the amount of hepatic uptake of intravenously administered fluorescent microspheres; no detrimental influence of the liposomes on the phagocytic activity was observed. Additionally, no histopathologic changes were found in the livers from liposome-treated rats. Therefore, the fluorescent labeled liposomes appear to be a useful research tool for labeling Kupffer cells for in vivo microscopic observation of the liver. PMID- 17805434 TI - The expression of estrogen receptors and the effects of estrogen on human periodontal ligament cells. AB - Osteoporotic women exhibit high frequency of alveolar bone loss and low bone density. Estrogen deficiency, which is vital in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis, has received increasing attention in the studies related to the periodontal diseases. Similar to most hormones, estrogen exerts its influence by binding to specific receptors, estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and beta. The periodontal ligament cells (PDLcs) are very important in maintaining the integrity of the periodontal tissue, which is the connective tissue located between the alveolar bone and the root surface of tooth. In this study, we evaluated the effects of estrogen deficiency on the alveolar bone in ovariectomized rats by histometric measurement of attachment level in vivo. Using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western-blot procedure, we also detected mRNA and protein products of ERs and investigated the effects of estrogen on bone-forming capability by monitoring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteocalcin production in cultured human PDLcs. Our results demonstrated that both ER-alpha and -beta were expressed in PDLcs. Moreover, when exposed to 17-beta estradiol, PDLcs exhibited positive modulation on ALP activity and osteocalcin production. The study suggests that estrogen and ERs may play an important role in periodontal diseases. PMID- 17805435 TI - Bupivacaine and ropivacaine: comparative effects on nerve conduction block. AB - Unlike other drugs which act in the region of the synapse, local anesthetics are agents that reversibly block the generation and conduction of nerve impulses along a nerve fiber. This study aims to investigate the comparative inhibitions of bupivacaine and ropivacaine on the frog sciatic nerve. Isolated nerves were transferred to the nerve chamber which includes Ringer's solution. The nerves were stimulated by standard square wave pulse protocols and the responses were recorded with conventional systems. Bupivacaine (n = 8) and ropivacaine (n = 8) were administered in the nerve chamber bath with cumulative concentrations (10( 9) to 10(-3) M) and the effects were monitored for variable time periods (5, 10 and 15 min). Both bupivacaine and ropivacaine significantly depressed the compound action potential (CAP) parameters in a dose-dependent (p < 0.05) and reversible manner. Difference in the effects of these two drugs was detectable only when the dose (> or =10(-5) M) and exposure time (15 min) were increased. Percent inhibitions in maximum derivatives and latency-period measurements have shown that ropivacaine is not only fast but also much more powerful in conduction block for longer and higher doses. Bupivacaine, on the other hand, is effective in the group of fibers with relatively slower conduction velocity for all the measured doses and time periods. In conclusion, ropivacaine has a sensory specific side of action, when compared with the bupivacaine. PMID- 17805436 TI - Elevated zero maze: a paradigm to evaluate antianxiety effects of drugs. AB - Elevated zero maze is a modification of the elevated plus maze model of anxiety in rodents. The novel design comprises an elevated annular platform with two opposite, enclosed quadrants and two open quadrants, removing any ambiguity in the interpretation of the time spent in the central square of the traditional design and allowing uninterrupted exploration. In the present study, we validated elevated zero maze as a tool to study antianxiety activity, using various standard anxiolytics belonging to different pharmacological groups, such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol etc., and compared the results with elevated plus maze. Bidirectional sensitivity of the model was also assessed using picrotoxin, pentylenetetrazol and flumazenil, the modulators of GABA(A) and benzodiazepine modulators. Animals were administered different standard antianxiety and anxiogenic drugs, and were allowed to explore the elevated zero maze (time spent in open arm, latency to enter in open arm, total number of entries in open arm and number of stretch attend postures [SAPs]) and elevated plus maze (time spent in open arm, latency to enter in open arm, total number of entries in open arm, first preference of the animal [open/closed] and number of stretchings). Selected drugs and doses were then assessed on the mirror chamber paradigm. Results of the present study indicated that elevated zero maze offered a better animal model to study antianxiety activity, when compared with elevated plus maze and mirror chamber. PMID- 17805437 TI - Method optimization to assess endothelial function in females-duration of glyceryl trinitrate effect. AB - Pulse-wave analysis (PWA) combined with pharmacological challenges has recently been used as a method to measure endothelial function. This involved administration of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), followed by salbutamol as endothelium-independent and -dependent vasodilators, respectively. The duration of GTN effect needs to be established before the administration of salbutamol. Baseline augmentation index (AIx) and pulse-wave velocity (PWV) measurements were taken in 11 healthy female subjects (mean age 23.27 +/- 3.66 years). Sublingual GTN 0.5 mg was administered for 3 min, followed by AIx and PWV measurements every 5 min till 20 min and then every 10 min until 40 min post-GTN. Maximum change in AIx post-GTN was at 3 min with a mean change from the baseline of -17.86% +/- 4.40% (p < 0.001). There were no significant changes noted after 30 and 40 min with mean change being -0.82% +/- 2.61% and 0.14% +/- 3.20%, respectively (p > 0.05). Significant changes in PWV were noted at 5 and 10 min with the mean change of -0.33 +/- 0.36 m/s and -0.33 +/- 0.35 m/s, respectively (p = 0.01). There were no further changes noted at 15 min and thereafter (p > 0.05). A duration of at least 30 min after GTN is required for AIx and PWV values to reach their baseline. Thus, the administration of salbutamol should be given only after 30 min of sublingual GTN for the assessment of endothelial function. PMID- 17805438 TI - Comparison between newer local anesthetics for myofascial pain syndrome management. AB - Myofascial pain syndromes are characterized by the presence of painful loci within muscles, tendons or ligaments, called trigger points. Infiltration of these points with local anesthetics is often used as a treatment modality. The aim of the study was to comparatively evaluate 0.25% levobupivacaine and 0.25% ropivacaine for trigger point injection regarding pain on injection, treatment efficacy and duration of symptoms remission. Sixty-eight patients, suffering from myofascial pain syndromes, were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either levobupivacaine or ropivacaine for trigger-point injection. After completion of the procedure, patients were asked to rate pain during injection and efficacy of the treatment, based on immediate relief. Two weeks later, they were asked about the duration of this relief. Statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between groups with respect to pain during injection, efficacy of the treatment and duration of pain relief. The two local anesthetics seem to be equally effective for trigger point infiltration. PMID- 17805439 TI - Gateways to clinical trials. AB - 101M, 12B75; ABT-869, Agomelatine, Alvocidib hydrochloride, Amb a 1 ISS-1018, AMG 386, Andolast, AP-23573, Arsenic trioxide, ATI-7505; BAY-68-4986, Berberine chloride, BNP-1350, BrachySil, Brostallicin hydrochloride; Caldaret hydrate, Cancer vaccine, Cediranib, CHAMPION everolimus-eluting coronary stent, CP-751871; D-4F, Degarelix acetate, Dofequidar fumarate; Ecogramostim, Enzastaurin hydrochloride, Etaracizumab, Everolimus; Fluticasone furoate; Glucarpidase; Hochuekki-to, Human papillomavirus vaccine; Icatibant acetate, INO-1001, Interleukin-21, Irofulven, ISIS-301012, Ixabepilone; KRN-951; Lacosamide; Mecasermin, Mecasermin rinfabate, Mepolizumab, Mesna disulfide, m-NO-ASA; Nematode anticoagulant protein c2, Nilotinib, Nolatrexed dihydrochloride; O6 Benzylguanine; Pemetrexed disodium, Perifosine, Pertuzumab, Plitidepsin, Prasterone, PRO-2000/5, PX-12, Pyridoxal phosphate; Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin, Retapamulin, Rinfabate, Rubitecan; Seliciclib, SR-271425, STA 4783; T- 2000, Telatinib, Temsirolimus, Terameprocol, Teverelix, Ticagrelor, Tipelukast, Tirapazamine; Uracil; Valspodar, Vatalanib succinate, Velimogene aliplasmid, Vitespen, Volociximab; XL-184. PMID- 17805440 TI - Poor people get cancer too. PMID- 17805441 TI - Pap smears in the Third World. PMID- 17805442 TI - SAMA's inward-looking approach to AIDS and ethics. PMID- 17805443 TI - Glibenclamide--what dose? PMID- 17805444 TI - Overestimation of the South African HIV incidence using the BED IgG assay? PMID- 17805445 TI - Condom failure in South Africa. PMID- 17805446 TI - African section of e-journal Rural and Remote Health. PMID- 17805447 TI - Unity on joint AIDS plan--now the real work begins. PMID- 17805448 TI - Black women at major risk for obesity-related diseases. PMID- 17805449 TI - Marathon deaths 'potentially preventable'. PMID- 17805450 TI - Tenofovir gel--the new HIV prevention 'banker'? PMID- 17805451 TI - The new challenge of corneal transplantation in South Africa. PMID- 17805452 TI - Should doctors charge doctors for their medical services? PMID- 17805453 TI - Reproductive choices made by South African mothers who have a child with Down syndrome. PMID- 17805454 TI - Evaluation of a diagnostic algorithm for smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected adults. AB - OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of and reduction in diagnostic delay attributable to a clinical algorithm used for the diagnosis of smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis (SNPTB) in HIV-infected adults. DESIGN: An algorithm was designed to facilitate clinicoradiological diagnosis of pulmonary TB (PTB) in HIV-infected smear-negative adult patients. A folder review was performed on the first 58 cases referred for empirical TB treatment using this algorithm. SETTING: Nolungile HIV Clinic, Site C, Khayelitsha. SUBJECTS: Subjects included 58 HIV-infected adult patients with suspected PTB consecutively referred to the local TB clinic for outpatient TB treatment using this algorithm between 12 February 2004 and 30 April 2005. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures were response of C-reactive protein, haemoglobin, weight and symptoms to TB treatment, and TB culture result. Diagnostic delay (in days) was calculated. RESULTS: Thirty two of the 58 patients (55%) had positive TB cultures (definite TB). Initiation of TB treatment occurred on average 19.5 days before the positive culture report. A further 21 patients (36%) demonstrated clinical improvement on empirical treatment (probable/possible TB). Two patients did not improve and subsequently died without a definitive diagnosis. Three patients defaulted treatment. CONCLUSIONS: SNPTB is more common in HIV-infected patients and leads to diagnostic delay. This algorithm allowed for earlier initiation of TB treatment in HIV-infected patients presenting with symptoms of PTB and negative smears or nonproductive cough in a high TB incidence setting. PMID- 17805455 TI - Cost to patients of obtaining treatment for HIV/AIDS in South Africa. AB - BACKGROUND: South Africa is providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV/AIDS free of charge in order to increase access for poorer patients and promote adherence. However, non-drug costs of obtaining treatment may limit access. We estimated the costs that South African patients incur in obtaining antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: A random sample of adult pre-ART and ART patients attending a public urban hospital (site 1), a peri-urban (informal settlement) non-governmental organisation (NGO) clinic (site 2), and a rural NGO clinic (site 3) were interviewed during a routine clinic visit. Mean and median costs were calculated for each site. RESULTS: Ninety-one per cent of subjects paid for transport to attend the clinic. The median cost was modest (R10 - R28), but patients in the top decile at sites 1 and 3 paid R50 or more. Mean transport costs were substantially higher at site 1 (R75) than at site 2 (R18) or Site 3 (R47). Site 1 waived its R45 visit fee for most subjects, but more than 80% of subjects at sites 2 and 3 paid fees of R30 and R70, respectively. Few subjects at any site paid for substitute labour (7%) or suffered income loss (12%) during the visit. In the previous week, 60% of all subjects purchased non-prescription medicines or special foods, at a median cost of R81, R45 and R50 for sites 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The upper quartile of patients paid more than R150 for these purchases. Twelve per cent of patients reported paying for other medical care in the previous week, while 48% said that they had utilised caretakers' time. CONCLUSIONS: Patients must visit a treatment clinic at least 6 times in the year in which they start ART. The average cost per visit is R120, plus travel and waiting time. Patients and caregivers also spend considerable time and money between visits. Patient costs should be considered in efforts to sustain adherence and expand access. PMID- 17805456 TI - Vaginal microbicides for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection -no evidence of an effect or evidence of no effect? AB - BACKGROUND: Vaginal disinfection is a simple, potentially effective strategy for reducing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV that can be implemented in combination with antiretroviral therapy or even in the absence of prenatal HIV testing. We systematically reviewed currently available randomised controlled trials to estimate the benefits and risks of this intervention. METHODS: We conducted an exhaustive search for published and unpublished trials assessing the effect of vaginal microbicides on MTCT of HIV, extracted data in triplicate, assessed statistical heterogeneity between trial results, and conducted meta analysis using Mantel-Haenszel's method. FINDINGS: Five potentially eligible studies were identified, two of which met eligibility criteria. Pooling the data shows that the effect of vaginal disinfection on the risk of MTCT of HIV (relative risk (RR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71 - 1.25) and neonatal death (RR 1.36, 95% CI 0.32 - 5.79) is uncertain. The combined data (two trials with 708 participants) had less than 80% power to detect a 30% reduction in the risk of MTCT of HIV from a baseline risk of 30%, and are compatible with a wide range of effects; from a 29% reduction to a 25% increase in risk. One trial, with 108 participants, showed no evidence that adverse effects increased in mothers (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.87 - 1.20) and found that adverse effects decreased in neonates (RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.32 - 0.64). INTERPRETATION: At present there is insufficient and inconclusive evidence on the effect of vaginal microbicides on the risk of MTCT of HIV. This review identifies the need and provides the impetus for an adequately powered randomised controlled trial to assess the effect(s) of this inexpensive intervention. PMID- 17805457 TI - Prevalence of bacterial contamination of powdered infant feeds in a hospital environment. AB - BACKGROUND: The study arose as part of a best-practice nutrition model regarding the introduction of ready-to-use (RTU) infant feeds in place of powdered infant feeds (PIFs) as a standard formula for infants under the age of 1 year who are unable to be breastfed. Internationally and locally there is grave concern regarding the safety and efficacy of mixing PIFs, especially in a hospital setting, and the resultant bacterial contamination causing enteric infections, especially in premature, immunocompromised and sick infants. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of bacterial contamination of PIFs given to infants at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town. METHODS: Quantitative levels of bacterial contamination were determined and were expressed as colony forming units (CFUs) per millilitre of sample. Aliquots of milk were inoculated onto agar, and the milk samples were then incubated at 25 degrees C overnight (N = 10), 30 degrees C overnight (N = 48) and 30 degrees C for 6 hours (N = 34). Post-incubation milk samples were cultured again. Contamination was defined as any positive culture before administration (i.e. pre incubation) or > 10(2) CFU/ ml after administration (i.e. post incubation). RESULTS: Fifty samples of PIFs (N = 82) were contaminated pre incubation, with 25/82 samples (30.4%) being heavily contaminated ( >or= 10(4) CFU/ml). Post incubation, 43/92 samples (46.7%) were contaminated with > 102 CFU/ml. The acidified PIFs appeared to have some bactericidal effect against some of the organisms, but not all. CONCLUSIONS: RTU infant feeds are sterile and are recommended for use in all hospitalised infants. The results of this study indicate that even when milk is prepared in a controlled environment there is significant bacterial contamination of PIFs post production. As RTU feeds are now readily available in South Africa every attempt should be made to use a sterile RTU system for hospitalised infants. PMID- 17805458 TI - Induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific to malignant glioma using T2 cells pulsed with HLA-A2-restricted interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2 peptide in vitro. AB - Interleukin-13 receptor alpha2 (IL-13Ralpha2) is a glioma-restricted cell-surface epitope not otherwise detected within the central nervous system. The present study is a report of a novel approach of targeting malignant glioma with IL 13Ralpha2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) induced from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors by multiple stimulations with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2-restricted IL-13Ralpha2(345-353) peptide-pulsed T2 cells. The induced CTL showed specific lysis against T2 cells pulsed with the peptide and HLA-A2+ glioma cells expressing IL-13R2(345-353), while HLA-A2 glioma cell lines that express IL-13Ralpha2(345-353) could not be recognized by CTL. The peptide specific activity was inhibited by anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibody. These results suggest that the induced CTL specific for IL-13Ralpha2(345-353) peptide could be a potential target of specific immunotherapy for HLA-A2 patients with malignant glioma. PMID- 17805459 TI - Identification of a differentially-expressed gene in fatty liver of overfeeding geese. AB - In response to overfeeding, geese develop fatty liver. To understand the fattening mechanism, mRNA differential display reverse transcription PCR was used to study the gene expression differences between French Landes grey geese and Xupu white geese in conditions of overfeeding and normal feeding. One gene was found to be up-regulated in the fatty liver in both breeds, and it has a 1797 bp cDNA with 83% identity to chicken SELENBP1. The sequence analysis revealed that its open reading frame of 1413 bp encodes a protein of 471 amino acids, which contains a putative conserved domain of 56 kDa selenium binding protein with high homology to its homologues of chicken (95%), rat (86%), mouse (84%), human (86%), monkey (86%), dog (86%), and cattle (86%). The function of this protein has been briefly reviewed based on published information. In tissue expression analysis, the expression of geese SELENBP1 mRNA was found to be higher in liver or kidney than in other tested tissues. The results showed that overfeeding could increase the mRNA expression level of geese SELENBP1. PMID- 17805460 TI - Hyperhomocysteinemia-mediated DNA hypomethylation and its potential epigenetic role in rats. AB - Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), which is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, might cause dysregulation of gene expression, but the characteristics and key links involved in its pathogenic mechanisms are still poorly understood. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of HHcy on DNA methylation and the underlying mechanism of homocysteine (Hcy)-induced DNA methylation. HHcy was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats after 4 weeks of a low, medium or high methionine diet. The levels of total homocysteine, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy) were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The expression levels of genes and proteins of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, DNA methyltransferase and methyl CpG-binding domain 2 were detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. A high-throughput quantitative methylation assay using fluorescence-based real-time polymerase chain reaction was employed to determine the levels of DNA methylation. The results indicated that HHcy induced the elevation of AdoHcy concentration, the decline of AdoMet concentration, the ratios of AdoMet/AdoHcy and the RNA and protein expression of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and methyl-CpG-binding domain 2, as well as an increase of DNA methyltransferase activity. With different methylation-dependent restriction endonucleases, the aberrant demethylation was found to prefer CCGG sequences to CpG islands. Increasing levels of HHcy significantly increased genome hypomethylation in B1 repetitive elements. The impacts of different levels of HHcy showed that the varied detrimental effects of HHcy could be attributed to different concentrations through different mechanisms. In mild and moderate HHcy, the Hcy might primarily influence the epigenetic regulation of gene expression through the interference of transferring methyl-group metabolism. However, at high Hcy concentrations, the impacts might be more injurious through oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation. PMID- 17805461 TI - Choline transporters in human lung adenocarcinoma: expression and functional implications. AB - Choline is an essential nutrient for cell survival and proliferation, however, the expression and function of choline transporters have not been well identified in cancer. In this study, we detected the mRNA and protein expression of organic cation transporter OCT3, carnitine/cation transporters OCTN1 and OCTN2, and choline transporter-like protein CTL1 in human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549, H1299 and SPC-A-1. Their expression pattern was further confirmed in 25 human primary adenocarcinoma tissues. The choline uptake in these cell lines was significantly blocked by CTL1 inhibitor, but only partially inhibited by OCT or OCTN inhibitors. The efficacy of these inhibitors on cell proliferation is closely correlated with their abilities to block choline transport. Under the native expression of these transporters, the total choline uptake was notably blocked by specific PI3K/AKT inhibitors. These results describe the expression of choline transporters and their relevant function in cell proliferation of human lung adenocarcinoma, thus providing a potential choline-starvation strategy of cancer interference through targeting choline transporters, especially CTL1. PMID- 17805462 TI - Isolation of Ty1-copia-like retrotransposon sequences from the apple genome by chromosome walking based on modified SiteFinding-polymerase chain reaction. AB - Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are powerful tools for studying genetic biodiversity, genome evolution, gene mutation, gene cloning and gene expression. The scarcity of retrotransposon sequence information restricts the development of these studies in higher plants. In the present study, 31 reverse transcriptase (RT) genes of Ty1-copia-like retrotransposons were identified from the apple genome by amplifying the RT coding region using degenerate primers. Nineteen RT genes showed extreme heterogeneity in terms of fragment size, base pair composition and open reading frame integrality. Originating from one 266 bp cloned RT gene, a 1966 bp Ty1-copia-like retrotransposon (named Tcrm1), including RT-ribonuclease H-LTR domain sequences, was achieved by chromosome walking based on modified SiteFinding-polymerase chain reaction. The comparison between Tcrm1 and other LTR retrotransposons in gene structure and sequence homology shows that Tcrm1 is the first Ty1-copia-like retrotransposon including an LTR domain in the apple genome. Dot blot analysis revealed that Tcrm1 copy number in the apple was approximately 1 x 10(3) copies per haploid genome. PMID- 17805463 TI - Modulation of Dishevelled and Vangl2 by all-trans-retinoic acid in the developing mouse central nervous system and its relationship to teratogenesis. AB - The response to exposure to all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) during embryogenesis varies from physiologic to severe teratogenic effects and is dependent upon the dose and the stage of development in all species. Vangl2 and Dishevelled genes play key roles in establishing planar cell polarity and regulating convergent extension movements during the neurula period. The effects of RA-mediated teratogenesis might be due to its misregulation of Vangl2 and Dishevelled genes. The aim of this study is to monitor the modulation of Vangl2 and Dishevelled in Kunming mouse embryos following maternal treatment with a single oral dose of 30 mg/(kg body weight) of RA during the neurula period. Exposure of 7.75 d embryos to RA induced characteristic morphological changes. The most obvious external effect was the failure of neural tube closure in the midbrain and forebrain regions in 10 d embryos, resulting in exencephaly in later embryos. RA treatment also led to a pronounced decrease of Vangl2 mRNA at 4 and 18 h and a pronounced increase at 66 h after maternal treatment, as detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Western blot analysis showed a marked decrease of Vangl2 protein at 18 and 42 h and a marked increase at 66 and 90 h after maternal treatment. Dishevelled1/2/3 mRNA was significantly down-regulated at 4 and 18 h and up-regulated at 42 h in the fetus after RA treatment, except for an up regulation of Dishevelled3 at 66 h. The Dishevelled2 mRNA and its protein matched each other. These results hinted that Vangl2 and Dishevelled genes might take part in RA teratogenesis of mouse embryos. PMID- 17805464 TI - Truncated human LMP-1 triggers differentiation of C2C12 cells to an osteoblastic phenotype in vitro. AB - LIM mineralization protein-1 (LMP-1) is a novel intracellular osteoinductive protein that has been shown to induce bone formation both in vitro and in vivo. LMP-1 contains an N-terminal PDZ domain and three C-terminal LIM domains. In this study, we investigated whether a truncated form of human LMP-1 (hLMP-1[t]), lacking the three C-terminal LIM domains, triggers the differentiation of pluripotent myoblastic C(2)C(12) cells to the osteoblast lineage. C(2)C(12) cells were transiently transduced with Ad5-hLMP-1(t)-green fluorescent protein or viral vector control. The expression of hLMP-1(t) RNA and the truncated protein were examined. The results showed that hLMP-1(t) blocked myotube formation in C(2)C(12) cultures and significantly enhanced the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. In addition, the expressions of ALP, osteocalcin, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and BMP-7 genes were also increased. The induction of these key osteogenic markers suggests that hLMP-1(t) can trigger the pluripotent myoblastic C2C12 cells to differentiate into osteoblastic lineage, thus extending our previous observation that LMP-1 and LMP-1(t) enhances the osteoblastic phenotype in cultures of cells already committed to the osteoblastic lineage. Therefore, C(2)C(12) cells are an appropriate model system for the examination of LMP-1 induction of the osteoblastic phenotype and the study of mechanisms of LMP-1 action. PMID- 17805465 TI - Expression of a buckwheat trypsin inhibitor gene in Escherichia coli and its effect on multiple myeloma IM-9 cell proliferation. AB - The gene of buckwheat trypsin inhibitor (BTI) has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The yield of this recombinant inhibitor was over 12 mg/L by using one-step purification on a Ni2+-NTA Sepharose column. Its molecular weight was 9322.1 Da, determined by mass spectrum analysis. The MTT and cytometry analyses showed that recombinant BTI could specifically inhibit the proliferation of IM-9 human B lymphoblastoid cells (from patient with multiple myeloma) in a dose-dependent manner. The test of recombinant BTI-induced apoptosis in IM-9 cells implied that the inhibitor might have potential application in the treatment of cancer. PMID- 17805466 TI - Cloning and identification of novel microRNAs from rat hippocampus. AB - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory molecules post-transcriptionally suppressing mRNA activity. Many miRNAs in various organisms have been cloned but many unknown miRNAs remain to be identified. Here we describe the cloning of six new miRNAs from rat hippocampus. Among them, four were not found in the rat miRBase, but were identical to their human and/or mouse homolog, therefore they were designated as rno-miR-92b, rno-miR-146b, rno-let-7g, and rno-miR-551b. The other two were derived from the other arms of the known miRNA precursors of rno miR-330 and rno-miR-384, and were not found in miRBase of all organisms. They were designated as rno-miR-330* and rno-miR-384*. The expression of these miRNAs was confirmed by RNA-tailing and primer-extension real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These six miRNAs were expressed at significantly higher levels in the hippocampus than in other tissues, including cerebral cortex, heart, liver, lung and kidney. miR-384* was 10 times more abundant than miR-384 in rat hippocampus, but little difference was found between miR-330* and miR-330 expression in the same tissue. PMID- 17805467 TI - Fast Fourier transform-based support vector machine for subcellular localization prediction using different substitution models. AB - There are approximately 10(9) proteins in a cell. A hotspot in bioinformatics is how to identify a protein subcellular localization, if its sequence is known. In this paper, a method using fast Fourier transform-based support vector machine is developed to predict the subcellular localization of proteins from their physicochemical properties and structural parameters. The prediction accuracies reached 83% in prokaryotic organisms and 84% in eukaryotic organisms with the substitution model of the c-p-v matrix (c, composition; p, polarity; and v, molecular volume). The overall prediction accuracy was also evaluated using the "leave-one-out" jackknife procedure. The influence of the substitution model on prediction accuracy has also been discussed in the work. The source code of the new program is available on request from the authors. PMID- 17805468 TI - Cloning, characterization, and expression patterns of three sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase isoforms from pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata). AB - A large amount of calcium is required for mollusk biomineralization. Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) is a well-known protein with the function of sustaining the calcium homeostasis. How does it possibly function in the process of pearl oyster biomineralization? Three SERCA isoforms, namely PSERA, PSERB, and PSERC were cloned from the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata. The cDNAs of the three isoforms were isolated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. PSERA consisted of 3568 bp encoding 1007 amino acids, PSERB included 3953 bp encoding 1024 amino acids, and PSERC comprised of 3450 bp encoding 1000 amino acids. The three isoforms showed high homology (65%-87%) with SERCAs from other species. Consistent with the results from other invertebrates, Southern blot analysis revealed that the three isoforms originated from a single gene that was also related to SERCA1, SERCA2, and SERCA3 of vertebrates. The splicing mechanism of the three isoforms was similar to that of isoforms of vertebrate SERCA3. Semiquantitative RT-PCR was carried out to study the expression patterns of the three isoforms. The results showed that PSERB was ubiquitously expressed in all tested tissues and was a potential "housekeeping" SERCA isoform; PSERA was expressed in the adductor muscle and foot and was likely to be a muscle-specific isoform, and PSERC was expressed in the other tissues except the adductor muscle or foot with the highest expression levels in the gill and mantle, indicating that it was a non-muscle-specific isoform and might be involved in calcium homeostasis during pearl oyster biomineralization. PMID- 17805469 TI - Predictability of copper, irgarol, and diuron combined effects on sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. AB - The aim of this work was to investigate the mixture toxicity of Irgarol (2 methylthio-4-t-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamino-s-triazine), Diuron (3-(3,4 dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea), and copper upon the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and to compare the observed data with the predictions derived from approaches of Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA). Copper spermiotoxicity was more sensitive (EC50 = 0.018 mg/L) than embryotoxicity (EC50 = 0.046 mg/L). The offspring malformations were mainly P1 type (skeletal alterations) in both cases, probably because copper competes to fix Ca2+. Irgarol and Diuron toxicity has been previously investigated. EC50 mixture embryotoxicity showed an EC50 of 1.79 mg/L, whereas spermiotoxicity mixture effects were lower than 11%. Both CA and IA modeling approaches failed to predict accurately mixture toxicity. For embryotoxicity, the IA model overestimated the mixture toxicity at effect levels of <80%. CA does not represent the worst-case approach showing values lower than IA (embryotoxicity) or similar (spermiotoxicity). PMID- 17805470 TI - Location of nerve entry points of flexor digitorum profundus. AB - The aim of this study was to elucidate the anatomical location of nerve entry points of Flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and its implications for non-surgical neurolysis. A total of 21 amputated forearms of 11 Korean fresh cadavers were dissected. Two transverse x-axes joined the medial and lateral epicondyles and the radial and ulnar styloid processes. The longitudinal y-axis joined the midpoints of the proximal and distal transverse x-axes. The locations of the points were marked relative to the forearm length (x) and forearm width (y). The number of nerve entry points from median nerve and ulnar nerve were average 3.91 +/- 0.62 (range 3-5, median 4) and 2.14 +/- 0.65 (range 1-3, median 2) respectively. Most (82.9%) nerve entry points of FDP from the median nerve were within two circles, with 15 mm diameter. The two circles were on medial 1/10 of forearm width from the y-axis, and on proximal 1/3 (1:2) and 2/5 (2:3) of forearm length on x-axis. Most (80.0%) nerve entry points of the ulnar nerve innervating FDP were within a 15 x 30 mm rectangle. Its center was located at +26.5% on x axis and -36.0% on y-axis. The nerve entry points used to be selected in performing non-surgical neurolysis with either ethyl alcohol (50%) or phenol (5 12%). PMID- 17805471 TI - Asymmetric cerebellar ataxia and limbic encephalitis as a presenting feature of primary Sjogren's syndrome. PMID- 17805472 TI - Association of genetic variations near P2 promoter of the hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha gene and insulin secretion index in Thais. AB - This study was aimed to assess the association of the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near P2 promoter (rs1884614 and rs2144908) of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha (HNF4A) with insulin secretion index and type 2 diabetes in Thais. Participants were categorized into three groups; unrelated type 2 diabetes (N = 219), prediabetes subjects (N = 228), and normal glucose tolerant controls (N = 203). Homeostasis model assessment was calculated for individual insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity index. Genotyping of both SNPs was done by allele-specific PCR technique. Difference of SNP allele frequencies between groups were computed using the chi (2)-statistic. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of SNPs on insulin secretion index. The clinical features of all groups were similar. We demonstrated genotype TT at rs1884614, BMI, and waist circumference were significantly associated with insulin secretion index (P = 0.023) but not with diabetes phenotype. PMID- 17805473 TI - Lack of association between the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPAR-gamma 2 gene and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Qatari consanguineous population. AB - Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) is a nuclear hormone receptor that serves as a master regulator for adipocytes-specific genes contributing to adipocytes differentiation, insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. The substitution of proline to alanine at codon 12 of the PPAR gamma 2 gene (Pro12Ala polymorphism) is most widely studied, and the associations with diabetes, obesity, and other clinical parameters have been reported and discussed in several ethnic groups. Among native Qatar ethnicity, however, there is no report about this polymorphism. The aim of this study was to estimate the allele frequency of the Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPAR gamma 2 gene among Qatari population and investigate the association between this polymorphism and obesity or type 2 diabetes. This is a matched case-control study. It was carried out among diabetic patients and healthy subjects at the Primary Healthcare Clinics, and the survey was conducted from February 2003 to March 2006 in Qatari male and female nationals aged 35 to 60 years. The study was based on matched age, sex, and ethnicity of 400 cases (with diabetes) and 450 controls (without diabetes). Face-to-face interviews were based on a questionnaire that included variables such as age, sex, sociodemographic status, body mass index (BMI), and obesity. Their health status was assessed by medical conditions, family history, and blood pressure measurements. The allele frequency of Pro12Ala polymorphism in PPAR gamma 2 gene among Qataris is lower than that in many Caucasian ethnic groups. No association is seen between the Pro12Ala and type 2 Diabetes (0.055 vs 0.059, OR = 1.1311, P = 0.669). Nearly half of the diabetic type 2 patients (48.5%) were obese (BMI > 30) compared to nondiabetic subjects (29.8%) (P < 0.001). In this study, no association is seen between the Pro12Ala polymorphism in PPAR gamma 2 gene and the type 2 diabetes in Qatar. PMID- 17805474 TI - Structural and biochemical studies on Pompe disease and a "pseudodeficiency of acid alpha-glucosidase". AB - We constructed structural models of the catalytic domain and the surrounding region of human wild-type acid alpha-glucosidase and the enzyme with amino acid substitutions by means of homology modeling, and examined whether the amino acid replacements caused structural and biochemical changes in the enzyme proteins. Missense mutations including p.R600C, p.S619R and p.R437C are predicted to cause apparent structural changes. Nonsense mutation of p.C103X terminates the translation of acid alpha-glucosidase halfway through its biosynthesis and is deduced not to allow formation of the active site pocket. The mutant proteins resulting from these missense and nonsense mutations found in patients with Pompe disease are predictably unstable and degraded quickly in cells. The structural change caused by p.G576S is predicted to be small, and cells from a subject homozygous for this amino acid substitution exhibited 15 and 11% of the normal enzyme activity levels for an artificial substrate and glycogen, respectively, and corresponding amounts of the enzyme protein on Western blotting. No accumulation of glycogen was found in organs including skeletal muscle in the subject, and thus the residual enzyme activity could protect cells from glycogen storage. On the other hand, p.E689K, which is known as a neutral polymorphism, little affected the three-dimensional structure of acid alpha-glucosidase. Structural study on a mutant acid alpha-glucosidase in silico combined with biochemical investigation is useful for understanding the molecular pathology of Pompe disease. PMID- 17805475 TI - Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism as a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy: a meta-analysis. AB - Investigations into the association between diabetic nephropathy (DN) and MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism in several case-control studies has yielded contradictory results. To shed light on these inconclusive findings, a meta-analysis of all available studies relating the C677T polymorphism to the risk of developing DN was conducted. The PubMed database was searched, and case-control studies investigating the association between MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism and DN were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis included 15 studies, of which 8 involved Caucasians and 5 East Asians; 11 studies involved subjects with type 2 diabetes and 4 with type 1 diabetes. The main analysis (all studies) revealed significant heterogeneity between the studies (P(Q)<0.01) and a marginal association between the 677T allele and the risk of developing DN; the random effects (RE) pooled odds ratio (OR) was 1.30 (1.03-1.64). However, the sensitivity analysis (exclusion of studies not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium) produced non-significant results. The recessive model derived significant results in main analysis [fixed effects (FE) OR=1.32 (1.10-1.58), P(Q)=0.27], and in type 2 diabetes [FE OR=1.30 (1.06-1.60), P(Q)=0.38]. The additive model produced significant association in main analysis [RE OR=1.65 (1.13-2.42), P(Q)<0.01] in Caucasians [FE OR=1.48 (1.11-1.98), P(Q)=0.17] and in type 2 diabetes [RE OR=1.65 (1.03-2.67), P(Q)<0.01]. However, sensitivity analysis diminished the significant results in type 2 diabetes. There is no differential magnitude of effect in large versus small studies. In conclusion, although there is some evidence of association between MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism and DN, the above findings reinforce the need for further and more rigorous association studies. PMID- 17805476 TI - Association analysis of HSP90B1 with bipolar disorder. AB - Pathophysiological role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response signaling has been suggested for bipolar disorder. The goal of this study was to test the genetic association between bipolar disorder and an ER chaperone gene, HSP90B1 (GRP94/gp96), which is located on a candidate locus, 12q23.3. We tested the genetic association between bipolar disorder and HSP90B1 by case-control studies in two independent Japanese sample sets and by a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) in NIMH Genetics initiative bipolar trio samples (NIMH trios). We also performed gene expression analysis of HSP90B1 in lymphoblastoid cells. Among the 11 SNPs tested, rs17034977 showed significant association in both Japanese sample sets. The frequency of the SNP was lower in NIMH samples than in Japanese samples and there was no significant association in NIMH trios. Gene expression analysis of HSP90B1 in lymphoblastoid cells suggested a possible relationship between the associated SNP and mRNA levels. HSP90B1 may have a pathophysiological role in bipolar disorder in the Japanese population, though further study will be needed to understand the underlying functional mechanisms. PMID- 17805477 TI - Spectrum and prevalence of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan: a study of 113 Japanese families. AB - Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) is a genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders. To shed further light on the clinical and genetic spectrum of ADCA in Japan, we conducted a study to determine the frequency of a new variety of different subtypes of SCAs among ADCA patients. This current study was carried out from April 1999 to December 2006 on the basis of patients with symptoms and signs of ADCA disorders. PCR and/or direct sequencing were evaluated in a total of 113 families. Among them, 35 families were found to have the mutation associated with SCA6, 30 with SCA3, 11 with SCA1, five with SCA2, five with DRPLA, and one with SCA14. We also detected the heterozygous -16C --> T single nucleotide substitution within the puratrophin-1 gene responsible for 16q22.1-linked ADCA in ten families. In this study, unusual varieties of SCA, including 27, 13, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, and 16 were not found. Of the 113 patients, 14% had as yet unidentified ADCA mutations. The present study validates the prevalence of genetically distinct ADCA subtypes based on ethnic origin and geographical variation, and shows that 16q-linked ADCA has strong hereditary effects in patients with ADCAs in Japan. PMID- 17805478 TI - First report of chromosome numbers of the Carlemanniaceae (Lamiales). AB - The Carlemanniaceae comprises two small genera that are restricted to East Asia: the Carlemannia and Silvianthus. These genera were previously placed in the Rubiaceae or Caprifoliaceae, but are now considered a distinct family that is probably related to the Oleaceae in the Lamiales. The family is still poorly understood with respect to its morphological characteristics. Here, we present the first report of the chromosome numbers of the family using species from both genera, i.e., Carlemannia tetragona, Silvianthus bracteatus ssp. bracteatus, and S. bracteatus ssp. clerodendroides. The species were compared with the chromosome numbers of Oleaceae and associated families using a Bayesian tree that was generated from rbcL and ndhF sequence data from Genbank. C. tetragona had 2n = 30 (x = 15), whereas the two subspecies of Silvianthus had 2n = 38 (x = 19). Comparisons of chromosome numbers support the distinctness of the Carlemanniaceae, not only from the Oleaceae (x = 11, 13, 23), but also from the Tetrachondraceae (x = 10, 11), a family that is possibly related to the Carlemanniaceae and/or Oleaceae in the Lamiales. The notable difference in chromosome number between Carlemannia and Silvianthus, as well as the differences in other characteristics (pollen, seed, and fruit morphology), suggests that the family split early in its evolution. PMID- 17805479 TI - Transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) allomone response to cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii, in a closed-dynamics CO(2) chamber (CDCC). AB - Allocation of allomones of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Gossypium hirsutum (Bt cotton) (cv. GK-12) and non-Bt-transgenic cotton (cv. Simian-3) grown in elevated CO(2) in response to infestation by cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, was studied in a closed-dynamics CO(2) chamber. Significant increases in foliar condensed tannin and carbon/nitrogen ratio for GK-12 and Simian-3 were observed in elevated CO(2) relative to ambient CO(2,) as partially supported by the carbon nutrient balance hypothesis, owing to limiting nitrogen and excess carbon in cotton plants in response to elevated CO(2). The CO(2) level significantly influenced the foliar nutrients and allomones in the cotton plants. Aphid infestation significantly affected foliar nitrogen and allomone compounds in the cotton plants. Allomone allocation patterns in transgenic Bt cotton infested by A. gossypii may have broader implications across a range of plant and herbivorous insects as CO(2) continues to rise. PMID- 17805480 TI - Pilot survey of avahi population (woolly lemurs) in littoral forest fragments of southeast Madagascar. AB - This study presents a pilot survey of the avahis (pair-living, nocturnal prosimians) living in threatened littoral forest fragments of southeastern Madagascar. In the period of October-December 2004, I evaluated the density of adult and newborn avahis (carried by the mothers) by counting the individuals encountered during 58 night walks in seven fragments of Sainte Luce and Mandena forests, along one trail/fragment. Along each trail, I used random plots (5 m2) for a preliminary characterization of the vegetation. The density of the population was not correlated with fragment size and number of plant morphospecies, while it was correlated with large tree availability. Possibly due to a low energy diet based on leaves and to specialized and energetically expensive vertical leaping, the loss of large trees by selective logging seems to affect avahi populations more than other variables. PMID- 17805482 TI - Adult male replacement and subsequent infant care by male and siblings in socially monogamous owl monkeys (Aotus azarai). AB - Owl monkeys (Aotus azarai) are small, territorial, socially monogamous primates that show intense infant care by the adult male in the group. It has been hypothesized that male care may be adaptive because it increases offspring survival and/or reduces the metabolic costs to the female of raising the offspring. Alternatively, males may provide care even when they are not related to the infants to increase future reproductive opportunities. We describe changes in infant care patterns that took place after the eviction of the resident male by a solitary male in an owl monkey population in the Argentinean Chaco. The resident male and mother provided all infant care during the first month of life of the infant, until the male was evicted. During the three-day male replacement event, care of the infant was shared among the mother, a four-year-old sister, and a one-year-old brother. The new male began contributing to infant care soon after entering the group, carrying, and interacting socially with the infant in much the same way as any male regularly does. However, despite receiving biparental care from both the original and new resident males, the infant disappeared at the age of four months and was presumed dead. These are the first reports of care by sibling and by non-putative fathers in wild owl monkeys. Given the significant amount of time that new pairs of owl monkeys spend before reproducing, it is possible that male care in owl monkeys functions as mating effort as much as or more than parenting effort. PMID- 17805483 TI - Lupus nephritis and Raynaud's phenomenon are significant risk factors for vascular thrombosis in SLE patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies. AB - This study is aimed to determine the predictors of nongravid vascular thrombosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies (SLE-aPL). A cohort of 67 SLE-aPL patients who had at least one positive test for lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin (aCL), or anti beta2glycoprotein-1(B2) was examined. Main outcome was the presence of vascular thrombosis. Association between thrombosis and risk factors was examined by contingency table. The odds ratio (OR) of significant predictors was determined by logistic regression. Three percent of patients were LA(+), 6% were aCL(+), 31% were B2(+), 3% were aCL(+)LA(+), 35.8% were aCL(+)B2(+), 7.5% were LA(+)B2(+), and 13.4% were positive for all tests. As for clinical manifestations, 79% had lymphopenia, 76% had lupus nephritis (LN), 41.8% had autoimmune hemolytic anemia, 34.3% had thrombocytopenia, 20.9% had abortion, and 19.4% had Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). Thrombosis occurred in 26 patients. The prevalence of thrombosis for SLE-aPL was 38.8%. Thrombosis was observed more frequently in patients with LA(+) (12 of 18) than the others (14 of 49; p = 0.01). Two-by-two table showed that oral contraceptive and LN were significantly associated with increased risk of thrombosis, while lymphopenia and antimalarials were significantly associated with decreased risk of thrombosis. Multivariate analysis confirmed that LN and RP were associated with increased risk of thrombosis (OR = 6.2 and 3.2; p = 0.005 and 0.008), while lymphopenia and antimalarials were associated with decreased risk of thrombosis (OR = 0.86 and 0.18; p = 0.02 and 0.034). LA is the strongest test to determine the risk of thrombosis in SLE-aPL. The presence of LN and RP strongly predicts thrombosis, while lymphopenia and antimalarials are protective. These findings help to identify patients who may benefit from prophylactic therapy. PMID- 17805484 TI - CAP2, cyclase-associated protein 2, is a dual compartment protein. AB - Cyclase-associated proteins (CAPs) are evolutionarily conserved proteins with roles in regulating the actin cytoskeleton and in signal transduction. Mammals have two CAP genes encoding the related CAP1 and CAP2. We studied the distribution and subcellular localization of CAP1 and CAP2 using specific antibodies. CAP1 shows a broad tissue distribution, whereas CAP2 is significantly expressed only in brain, heart and skeletal muscle, and skin. CAP2 is found in the nucleus in undifferentiated myoblasts and at the M-line of differentiated myotubes. In PAM212, a mouse keratinocyte cell line, CAP2 is enriched in the nucleus, and sparse in the cytosol. By contrast, CAP1 localizes to the cytoplasm in PAM212 cells. In human skin, CAP2 is present in all living layers of the epidermis localizing to the nuclei and the cell periphery. In in vitro studies, a C-terminal fragment of CAP2 interacts with actin, indicating that CAP2 has the capacity to bind to actin. PMID- 17805485 TI - Protein kinase C-beta inhibitor enzastaurin (LY317615.HCI) enhances radiation control of murine breast cancer in an orthotopic model of bone metastasis. AB - Radiation therapy is a widely used treatment for metastatic bone cancer, but the rapid onset of tumor radioresistance is a major problem. We investigated the radiosensitizing effect of enzastaurin, a protein kinase Cbeta (PKCbeta) inhibitor, on bone tumor growth and tumor-related pain. We found that enzastaurin enhanced the effect of ionizing radiation on cultured murine 4T1 breast cancer and murine endothelial cells, suppressing their proliferation and colony formation. Enzastaurin and ionizing radiation also induced caspase-mediated apoptosis of 4T1 cells to a greater degree than radiation alone. Enzastaurin treatment of 4T1 cells blocked the phosphorylation of PKCbeta, as well as Ras and two of its downstream effectors ERK1/2 and RAL-GTP. Using an orthotopic model of bone metastasis, we observed that a combination of enzastaurin and localized radiation treatment reduced tumor blood vessel density, bone destruction and pain compared to single modality treatment. In conclusion, we demonstrate that inhibition of PKCbeta in combination with localized radiation treatment suppresses tumor growth and alleviates pain as compared to radiation-only treatment. We also show that the radiosensitizing effect of enzastaurin is associated with suppression of tumor cell proliferation and tumor-induced angiogenesis possibly through inhibition of the Ras pathway. PMID- 17805486 TI - Pulmonary toxicity in patients treated with gemcitabine plus vinorelbine or docetaxel for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: outcome data on a randomized phase II study. AB - Studies with the gemcitabine/vinorelbine (GV) or the gemcitabine/docetaxel (GD) combinations have shown similar efficacy and less toxicity compared to platinum based chemotherapies, in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present trial was designed to test the efficacy and safety of both, GV and GD, combinations. Chemotherapy-naive patients (n=39)or=60% and adequate hematological, renal and hepatic function were randomly assigned to receive G 1,000 mg/m2+either V 25 mg/m2 or D 35 mg/m2 (all of which were administered i.v.) on days 1 and 8 every 21 days. Baseline characteristics were comparable in GV (n=20) and GD (n=19) groups. Results indicated objective response of 7 (35%) vs 6 (31%) patients and median time-to-treatment failure of 120 versus 90 days in the GV and GD arms, respectively. The most common non hematological toxicities were (GV vs GD): grade 2-4 pulmonary toxicity in 1 (5%) vs 7 (37%); grade 2-3 diarrhea 0 versus 4 (21%) and edema 1 (5%) vs 3 (16%); grade 3-4 hematological toxicities occurred in 3 (15%) vs 1 (5%) patients. Our results indicate that the combination of gemcitabine/docetaxel does not have a favorable safety profile with this schedule of administration, particularly in terms of pulmonary toxicity. PMID- 17805487 TI - 6-Phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFKFB3) is up-regulated in high-grade astrocytomas. AB - The bifunctional enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFK 2/FBPase-2) controls the glycolytic flux via the allosteric activator fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. Because of its proto-oncogenic character, the PFK-2/FBPase-2 of the PFKFB3 gene is assumed to play a critical role in tumorigenesis. We investigated the PFKFB3 expression in 40 human astrocytic gliomas and 20 non neoplastic brain tissue specimens. The PFKFB3 protein levels were markedly elevated in high-grade astrocytomas relative to low-grade astrocytomas and corresponding non-neoplastic brain tissue, whereas no significant increase of PFKFB3 mRNA was observed in high-grade astrocytomas when compared with control tissue. In the group of glioblastomas the PFKFB3 protein inversely correlates with EGFR expression. The findings demonstrate that PFKFB3 up-regulation is a hallmark of high-grade astrocytomas offering an explanation for high glycolytic flux and lactate production in these tumors. PMID- 17805488 TI - Immunonanoshells for targeted photothermal ablation in medulloblastoma and glioma: an in vitro evaluation using human cell lines. AB - We are developing a novel approach to specifically target malignant brain tumor cells for photothermal ablation using antibody-tagged, near infrared-absorbing gold-silica nanoshells, referred to as immunonanoshells. Once localized to tumor cells, these nanoshells are extremely efficient at absorbing near-infrared light and can generate sufficient heat to kill cancer cells upon exposure to laser light. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of immunonanoshells in vitro against both medulloblastoma and high-grade glioma cell lines. We used an antibody against HER2 to target gold-silica nanoshells to medulloblastoma cells, since HER2 is frequently overexpressed in medulloblastoma. We show that treatment with HER2-targeted nanoshells, but not non-targeted nanoshells, followed by exposure to laser light, can induce cell death in the HER2-overexpressing medulloblastoma cell line Daoy.2, as well as the parental Daoy cell line, which expresses HER2 at a moderate level, but not in dermal fibroblasts that do not express HER2. In an analogous set of experiments, we conjugated gold-silica nanoshells to an antibody against interleukin-13 receptor-alpha 2 (IL13Ralpha2), an antigen that is frequently overexpressed in gliomas. We demonstrate that these immunonanoshells are capable of inducing cell death in two high-grade glioma cell lines that express IL13Ralpha2, U373 and U87, but not in A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells that do not express significant levels of IL13Ralpha2. We believe that the use of antibody-tagged gold-silica nanoshells to selectively target cancer cells presents a promising new strategy for the treatment of central nervous system tumors that will minimize the damage and resulting toxicity to the surrounding normal brain. PMID- 17805489 TI - Serous retinal detachment in the macula related to latanoprost use. AB - A 67-year-old woman referred to our clinic complaining of decrease in vision and metamorphopsia for 1 month after initiating latanoprost therapy. Fundus examination and optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed serous detachment in the macula. The macular thickness measured by OCT was 532 microm. Latanoprost was discontinued. At follow-up, a progressive decrease in macular thickness and increase in visual acuity was observed. Four months later, serous detachment was completely resolved, and macular thickness measured by OCT was 186 mum. Latanoprost may lead a serous retinal detachment in the posterior pole. Clinicians should keep in mind that decreased visual acuity in patients using latanoprost might be related with this complication. PMID- 17805490 TI - Relative adrenal insufficiency in patients with acute spinal cord injury. AB - INTRODUCTION: Relative adrenal insufficiency has been shown to occur in the settings of critical illness and septic shock, impairing the body's ability to respond to stress. Studies have demonstrated that the treatment of adrenal insufficiency (AI) results in shock reversal, hemodynamic stability, and a subsequent decrease in mortality. Endocrine changes and AI have been reported in patients with spinal cord injuries during their extended courses of rehabilitation. DISCUSSION: We describe two cases of patients with cervical spine injuries who presented with acute adrenal insufficiency following their injuries. With the addition of low-dose corticosteroids, each patient had symptom resolution and demonstrated clinical improvement. CONCLUSION: Patients with spinal cord injuries are at risk for AI, both in the acute and chronic settings following injury prompting the need for an increased awareness of this condition. Although variability exists in the exact criteria for the diagnosis of AI, the combination of clinical symptoms, depressed serum cortisol concentrations, and responsiveness to exogenous steroid therapy should all contribute to the diagnosis of this condition. PMID- 17805491 TI - Transfusion related acute lung injury (TRALI) after plasma exchange in myasthenic crisis. AB - BACKGROUND: Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) is an uncommon but potentially fatal reaction that is both temporally and mechanistically related to receiving allogenic blood components. Although many patients with neurological disease receive plasma exchange, TRALI in a patient receiving plasma exchange for a neurological disease has not been previously reported. CASE: A 79-year-old woman with an 18-month history of myasthenia gravis, was treated with a 4-day course of plasma exchange for symptomatic control of ptosis, diplopia, generalized fatigue, and chewing difficulties. On her fourth day of receiving plasma exchange, she experienced sudden-onset chest heaviness, diaphoresis, and dyspnea with hypoxemia, unresolved by 5 l of oxygen via nasal cannulae. She was initially investigated for a myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolus, but these were ruled out. Chest radiograph demonstrated bilateral pulmonary edema and she was clinically diagnosed with TRALI. DISCUSSION: Although clinically identical to adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the association of TRALI with transfusion and its relatively lower mortality rate made it clinically distinct. Treatment is supportive, but patients who tolerate the initial reaction are likely to make full recovery within 72 h. Since prognosis can be excellent, identification and emergent management is essential, particularly in patients with comorbid neurological disease. PMID- 17805492 TI - Use of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) in neurocritical care patients. AB - INTRODUCTION: Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can be a common problem associated with the treatment of acute brain injury. High frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is a developing therapy for the treatment of ARDS in adult patients that can be life saving. However, often patients with acute, severe brain injury demonstrate intracranial hypertension (hICP) due to a variety of injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injury, mass lesion, acute hydrocephalus). There is concern over the use of HFOV due to its effects on intracranial pressure in patients with hICP. METHODS: Retrospective case series study. RESULTS: We describe the effects of HFOV on hemodynamics, respiratory function, and intracranial pressure in five patients with acute brain injury being treated for ARDS. CONCLUSIONS: HFOV did not cause unmanageable or sustained increases in ICP in our series of patients. It appears HFOV may be a relatively safe and effective means of oxygenating patients with severe ARDS and concomitant hICP secondary to acute brain injury. PMID- 17805494 TI - Symptomatic cerebral air embolism during neuro-angiographic procedures: incidence and problem avoidance. AB - BACKGROUND: While clinically symptomatic cerebral air embolism secondary to neuro angiographic procedures is rare, the incidence in a large series of procedures is unknown. Understanding this complication's frequency and etiology is critical if systems are to be instituted to reduce its incidence. METHODS: We prospectively reviewed 4,568 consecutive neuro-angiographic procedures performed between June 2000 and July 2005. The occurrence and etiology of a symptomatic air embolus was noted, and an incidence was calculated for all procedures and for diagnostic arteriograms and interventional procedures individually. RESULTS: Four symptomatic cerebral arterial air emboli occurred in 4,568 neuro-angiographic procedures over the five-year period (0.08%). No events occurred in 3,150 diagnostic angiograms while four occurred during 1,418 interventional procedures (0.2%). Two cases occurred during aneurysm coiling embolization (2/548; 0.4%); one case occurred during a carotid stent placement (1/138; 0.7%); one occurred during an internal carotid artery balloon occlusion test (1/73; 1.3%). Three of these complications resulted in permanent neurologic deficits while one resulted in a transient neurologic change that cleared within 60 min of onset. Sources for the emboli included the pressurized arterial flush lines connected to internal carotid artery catheters (three cases) and sudden hypotension with air subsequently entering the internal carotid artery catheter (one case). Two patients were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. CONCLUSION: Symptomatic cerebral air embolism is a rare event during neuro-angiographic procedures. Analysis of the etiologies of this infrequent event may permit us to further reduce its incidence. PMID- 17805495 TI - [Calculation of staffing requirements in anesthesia]. AB - Historically, calculation of staffing requirements for anesthesia has developed from index numbers derived from the workplace method to the service performance method (XX time). The DRG revenues result from an average calculation of costs that results from an assumed calculation of staffing requirements based on the service performance method. In contrast to the principle of full cost coverage, a much stronger process orientation is needed under the conditions of the DRG system. When calculating personnel needs this process orientation also requires that it be oriented to the organization by differentiating between theater related and non-theater-related anesthesiological services. In a second step the services rendered in a specified organization are then assessed for efficiency and if necessary optimized. Just as it applies to the whole clinical center, in departments of anesthesiology DRG revenues should be brought in line with the actual costs. PMID- 17805496 TI - [Systematic reviews and meta-analyses in surgery]. AB - The enormous number of medical publications available online and in print media makes it difficult for surgeons to keep abreast of new scientific developments. In addition to information overload and lack of time, studies of questionable quality and expertise when performing systematic literature searches jeopardize proper surgical decision making. The concept of systematic reviews (SR) and meta analyses (MA) is based on a critically appraised synthesis of individual trials addressing comparable medical problems. This qualitative evaluation and quantitative aggregation of research findings offer valid decision making tools for the clinician, scientist, and health care authorities. Systematic reviews employ comprehensive methods to control for potential bias when synthesizing individual trials. Thus the clinical question and methodological aspects should be defined a priori in a protocol. In the following step the relevant literature must be identified through systematic searches in databases. After critical assessment of the methodological quality and heterogeneity of individual studies, the results can be presented qualitatively. They also can be quantitatively summarized in MA if appropriate. Compared to single trials, properly conducted SR and MA facilitate more precise estimation of the treatment effect of surgical interventions. Hence they represent an ideal basis for future research endeavors. In conclusion, SR and MA implemented in clinical guidelines, evidence-based consumer information, or health technology assessment, enable the necessary bridging between research and clinical practice. PMID- 17805497 TI - [Total videoendoscopic thyroid resection by the axillobilateral breast approach. Operative method and first results]. AB - BACKGROUND: The axillobilateral breast approach (ABBA) is a procedure allowing thyroid resection without scarring at the neck. We operated on a series of 26 patients with this technique. METHOD: Via incisions at the edge of the mamilla and axilla, trocars are placed subcutaneously under the platyma. Dissection is performed bluntly and with an ultrasonographic scalpel under videoscopic control. The procedure itself corresponds to conventional surgery. The specimen is removed through the axillary trocar. RESULTS: Twenty-six female patients underwent thyroid resection using the ABBA technique. Subtotal resection was performed in 24. Mean operation times were 111 min (unilateral) and 187 min (bilateral). In none of these cases was conversion necessary. One transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and one paresis of the arm plexus were found postoperatively. CONCLUSION: In selected patients the ABBA technique is feasible and safe with the mandatory radicalness. The primary aim of this method is the cosmetic result. PMID- 17805498 TI - [Revascularisation of extracranial ICA occlusion. Comment to the article of Weis Muller et al. (2007)]. PMID- 17805499 TI - [Indication for emergent revascularisation of acute carotid occlusion]. AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We examined indications for emergent revascularisation of acutely occluded internal carotid artery (ICA) using current diagnostic methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 1997 to 2006 we prospectively followed 34 consecutive patients undergoing emergency revascularisation due to acute extracranial ICA occlusion and acute ischaemic stroke within 72 h after symptom onset (mean 25) and within 36 h after admission (mean 16). Exclusion criteria were occlusion of the intracranial ICA or ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA), ischaemic infarction of more than one third of the MCA perfusion area, or reduced level of consciousness. All patients underwent duplex sonography, cerebral CT, and/or MRI and angiography (MRA and/or DSA). We performed endarterectomy and thrombectomy of the ICA. RESULTS: Confirmed by postoperative duplex sonography at discharge, ICA revascularisation was successful in 30 (88%) of 34 cases. Postoperative intracranial haemorrhage was detected in two patients (6%) and perioperative reinfarction in one (3%). Compared to the preoperative status, 20 patients (59%) showed signs of clinical improvement by at least one point on the Rankin scale, ten patients (29%) remained stable, and two patients (6%) had deteriorated. The 30-day mortality was 6% (two patients). CONCLUSION: After careful diagnostic workup, revascularisation of acute extracranial ICA occlusion is feasible with low morbidity and mortality. PMID- 17805500 TI - [Paraneoplastic bullous pemphigoid in a man with breast and prostate cancer]. PMID- 17805501 TI - [Ultrasound and computer assisted surgery (CAS) in orbit surgery]. PMID- 17805504 TI - Antimicrobial mechanisms of the urinary tract. AB - The urinary tract is a key system to maintain the homeostasis of the human body. It is relatively open to the outside environment, the perineum, a region highly colonized by bacteria. Bacteria can even be found in urine of healthy individuals. Still, urinary tract infections are far less frequent than it could be expected under these conditions. The high resistance against such infections has been observed already more than 100 years ago. Since then, many antimicrobial mechanisms of the urinary tract have been elucidated. Some questions, however, remain challenges for patients, scientists and health care professionals. In this review, we try to summarize the achieved knowledge about mechanisms, maintaining the urinary tract free of infection. In addition, we discuss their relevance and possible clinical application. PMID- 17805502 TI - [Rhinosinusitis guidelines of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery]. PMID- 17805505 TI - [Diagnosis of chronic osteitis of the bones in the extremities. Relative value of F-18 FDG-PET]. AB - BACKGROUND: Noninvasive diagnosis continues to present a challenge in chronic bone infections. Positive intraoperative microbiological and/or histological results are regarded as the gold standard for confirmation of the diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the value of F-18 FDG-PET in the diagnosis of chronic osteitis in the patients of a department devoted specifically to septic orthopaedic surgery. In particular, the study was intended to answer the question of whether the results of FDG-PET correlate with those found in intraoperatively removed biopsy specimens (microbiology, histology) and what value this method of investigation has relative to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: An F-18 FDG-PET examination was performed preoperatively in each of 50 patients with a suspected diagnosis of "chronic osteitis of bone/s in a limb". All these patients had a history of an open fracture and/or a previous operation on the affected limb. The FDG-PET results were analysed blind. All patients enrolled in the study were subsequently operated on. After surgery, the results of histological and microbiological examination of the biopsy specimens taken intraoperatively were compared with the results of the FDG-PET and of CT (n=22) and MRI (n=18). Finally, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of each method were determined. RESULTS: Postoperatively the biopsy specimens from 37 patients yielded positive results in the microbiological and/or histological tests. According to this gold standard, then, osteitis was not present in 13 patients. In the preoperative FDG-PET report 34 of the patients whose microbiological and/or histological results were positive were correctly diagnosed as infection positive. In addition, 4 false-positive results were observed. False-negative results were recorded in 3 patients and true negative results, in 9. The sensitivity and specificity were 92% and 69%, respectively, for the entire group of patients. The accuracy was 86%. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 47%, 60% and 50%, respectively, for CT and 82%, 43% and 67%, respectively, for MRI. CONCLUSION: F-18 FDG-PET is a promising diagnostic imaging method with high sensitivity and accuracy in the investigation of chronic osteitis. If the result of FDG-PET is negative chronic osteitis can be virtually excluded. The results presented suggest that it is superior to CT and MRI in sensitivity and accuracy. A definitive diagnosis of chronic osteitis will continue to require an invasive method in the future, in the form of removal of biopsy specimens for microbiological and histological tests. PMID- 17805506 TI - [Is there an indication for adjuvant or neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy in bladder cancer?]. AB - Two recent meta-analyses demonstrated a significant influence of adjuvant as well as neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens on survival of patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Therefore, the introductory question can be answered with "yes". However, while providing the best evidence available to date on the subject, both analyses are based on clinical trials of dubious quality. Thus, the question today is not whether perioperative chemotherapy is advantageous in some patients undergoing radical cystectomy, but rather which subgroups will actually benefit from additional systemic treatment. Instead of a detailed literature overview, this article discusses potential advantages and disadvantages of perioperative chemotherapy and outlines basic principles for the design of future studies investigating both strategies in bladder cancer. PMID- 17805507 TI - [Is there an indication for neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapy in renal cell cancer?]. AB - Looking at the most frequent urological tumors kidney cancer has the worst prognosis. Primary therapy consists of operative tumor removal in most cases. A tumor cutoff between 4 and 5 cm represents the turn towards a significant risk for postoperative tumor relapse. In those patients neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy would be indicated. However, no phase III trials on neoadjuvant therapy of kidney cancer have been published in the literature. In contrast, five phase III trials on adjuvant therapy of kidney cancer have been published. In four trials interferon-alpha and/or interleukin-2 were applied. None of these trials had a positive outcome. Moreover, adjuvant cytokine therapy was associated with significant side effects in 30% of patients. In the fifth trial an autologous tumor cell vaccine (Reniale) demonstrated an improvement of progression-free survival and overall survival. Also, there were less than 1% side effects. Results from active trials investigating a combination of interleukin-2, interferon-alpha and 5-FU, or a heat shock protein vaccine or an antibody are awaited soon. New trials are testing tyrosine kidney inhibitors such as sunitinib and sorafenib. PMID- 17805508 TI - Disparate genetic influences on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes revealed by a lack of association between common variants within the TCF7L2 gene and PCOS. AB - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Common variants of the gene encoding transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) have a powerful effect on individual risk of type 2 diabetes (per allele odds ratio approximately 1.35). Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes are familial conditions sharing common features. Based on this, the aim of the present study was to establish whether variation in TCF7L2 also influences the development of PCOS. METHODS: We conducted a genetic association study of variants of TCF7L2 (rs7903146 and rs12255372) using both case-control and quantitative trait approaches. Case-control analyses were conducted in (1) 369 PCOS cases and 2574 controls of UK British/Irish origin, and (2) 540 women with PCOS symptoms and 1083 controls from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort of 1966. Quantitative trait analyses (androgen levels) were also performed (1249 individuals). RESULTS: There was no association between rs7903146 and PCOS in the UK case-control study (Cochran-Armitage test, p = 0.51); nor with symptomatic status in the Finnish cohort (p = 0.36). In addition, there were no relationships between the TCF7L2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs7903146 and androgen levels (UK cases, p = 0.99; Finnish controls, p = 0.57; Finnish symptomatic cases, p = 0.80). Results at rs12255372 were similar, reflecting strong linkage disequilibrium with rs7903146. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our study was powered to detect an effect on PCOS susceptibility similar to that previously reported for these variants on type 2 diabetes. Failure to detect any evident association with PCOS provides the strongest evidence yet that the genetic architecture of these related conditions is qualitatively distinct. PMID- 17805509 TI - Modestly increased beta cell apoptosis but no increased beta cell replication in recent-onset type 1 diabetic patients who died of diabetic ketoacidosis. AB - AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Type 1 diabetes is characterised by a deficit in beta cell mass thought to be due to immune-mediated increased beta cell apoptosis. Beta cell turnover has not been examined in the context of new-onset type 1 diabetes with diabetic ketoacidosis. METHODS: Samples of pancreas were obtained at autopsy from nine patients, aged 12 to 38 years (mean 24.3+/-3.4 years), who had had type 1 diabetes for less than 3 years before death due to diabetic ketoacidosis. Samples of pancreas obtained at autopsy from nine non-diabetic cases aged 11.5 to 38 years (mean 24.2+/-3.4 years) were used as control. Fractional beta cell area (insulin staining), beta cell replication (insulin and Ki67 staining) and beta cell apoptosis (insulin and TUNEL staining) were measured. RESULTS: In pancreas obtained at autopsy from recent-onset type 1 diabetes patients who had died of diabetic ketoacidosis, the beta cell deficit varied from 70 to 99% (mean 90%). The pattern of beta cell loss was lobular, with almost all beta cells absent in most pancreatic lobules; islets in lobules not devoid of beta cells had reduced or a near-normal complement of beta cells. Beta cell apoptosis was increased in recent-onset type 1 diabetes, but to a surprisingly modest degree given the marked hyperglycaemia (30 mmol/l), acidosis and presumably high NEFA. Beta cell replication, scattered pancreatic beta cells and beta cells in exocrine ducts were not increased in recent-onset type 1 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These findings do not support the notion of active beta cell regeneration by replication in new-onset type 1 diabetes under conditions of diabetic ketoacidosis. The gluco-lipotoxicity reported in isolated human islets may be less evident in vivo. PMID- 17805510 TI - [Epidemiology and pathophysiology of rotator cuff tears]. AB - Tears of the rotator cuff are one of the most common injuries to any tendon in the human body. Various theories and observations have since been made as to the origin of these tears. It is now commonly accepted to distinguish between"extrinsic" and"intrinsic" causes. Extrinsic describes an attrition which might have been caused by a subacromial bony conflict, while intrinsic changes originate within the tendon body itself due to age-related degenerative changes, giving rise to partial and later complete rupture of the tendon body. A better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanism will make it easier for the attending orthopedic surgeon to decide whether a more conservative or operative course will have the best outcome for the situation given. PMID- 17805511 TI - Ex vivo supplementation of TGF-beta1 enhances the fibrous tissue regeneration effect of synovium-derived fibroblast transplantation in a tendon defect: a biomechanical study. AB - The present study was conducted to test a hypothesis that the ex vivo supplementation of TGF-beta1 into medium will significantly improve the mechanical properties of the fibrous tissue regenerated in the patellar tendon defect after transplantation of cultured autologous synovium-derived fibroblasts. Thirty rabbits were divided into the following three groups. In Group A, we applied phosphate buffered saline of 0.1 ml to the defect created in the patellar tendon. In Group B, we transplanted autologous fibroblasts, which had been cultured into the tendon defect. In Group C, we transplanted autologous fibroblasts, which had been cultured with supplementation of TGF-beta1, into the tendon defect. Animals were killed at 6 weeks, and the regenerated tissue was examined for biomechanics and histology. The tangent modulus and the tensile strength of Group C were significantly higher than that of Group B, while the tensile strength of Group C was significantly lower than that of Group A. Histologically, vascular formation was abundantly found in the regenerated tissue of Groups B and C as compared to the regenerated tissues in Group A. The present study showed that transplantation of cultured autologous synovium-derived fibroblasts enhanced vascular formation in the fibrous tissue regenerated in the patellar tendon defect, while cell transplantation deteriorated the mechanical properties of the regenerated fibrous tissue. However, the ex vivo supplementation of TGF-beta1 into the medium significantly decreased mechanical deterioration of the fibrous tissue regenerated in the tendon defect after transplantation of cultured autologous synovium-derived fibroblasts. PMID- 17805512 TI - Unusual location and characterization of Cu/Zn-containing superoxide dismutase from filamentous fungus Humicola lutea. AB - The present study aims to provide new information about the unusual location of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) in lower eukaryotes such as filamentous fungi. Humicola lutea, a high producer of SOD was used as a model system. Subcellular fractions [cytosol, mitochondrial matrix, and intermembrane space (IMS)] were isolated and tested for purity using activity measurements of typical marker enzymes. Evidence, based on electrophoretic mobility, sensitivity to KCN and H(2)O(2) and immunoblot analysis supports the existence of Cu/Zn-SOD in mitochondrial IMS, and the Mn-SOD in the matrix. Enzyme activity is almost equally partitioned between both the compartments, thus suggesting that the intermembrane space could be one of the major sites of exposure to superoxide anion radicals. The mitochondrial Cu/Zn-SOD was purified and compared with the previously published cytosolic enzyme. They have identical molecular mass, cyanide- and H(2)O(2)-sensitivity, N-terminal amino acid sequence, glycosylation sites and carbohydrate composition. The H. lutea mitochondrial Cu/Zn-SOD is the first identified naturally glycosylated enzyme, isolated from IMS. These findings suggest that the same Cu/Zn-SOD exists in both the mitochondrial IMS and cytosol. PMID- 17805513 TI - Regulation of cuticle-degrading subtilisin proteases from the entomopathogenic fungi, Lecanicillium spp: implications for host specificity. AB - The ability to produce cuticle-degrading proteases to facilitate host penetration does not distinguish per se entomopathogenic fungi from saprophytes. However, adapted pathogens may produce host-protein specific enzymes in response to cues. This possibility prompted an investigation of the regulation of isoforms of the subtilisin Pr1-like proteases from five aphid-pathogenic isolates of Lecanicillium spp. Significant differences were found in substrate specificity and regulation of Pr1-like proteases between isoforms of the same isolate and between different isolates. For example, the pI 8.6 isoform from KV71 was considerably more active against aphid than locust cuticle and was induced specifically by N-acetylglucosamine (NAG). Isoform pI 9.1 from the same isolate was only produced on insect cuticle while most other isoforms were more prominent on chitin containing substrates but not induced by NAG. The ability to regulate isoforms independently may allow production at critical points in host penetration. Appearance of proteases (not subtilisins) with pI 4.2 and 4.4 only on aphid cuticle was a possible link with host specificity of KV71. The absence of C or N metabolite repression in subtilisins from KV42 is unusual for pathogen proteases and may help to account for differences in virulence strategy between aphid-pathogenic isolates of Lecanicillium longisporum (unpublished data). PMID- 17805514 TI - Induction of apoptosis in rabbit oral mucosa by 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride gel. AB - Applying of 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel to prevent caries in children has become very popular among dental practitioners. When applied to dental surfaces, however, APF often comes into contact with the oral mucosa. Due to the possibility of local toxic effect, we aimed to investigate the effects of APF on rabbit oral mucosa. Rabbits were sacrificed 1, 5 and 8 days after topical application of 1.23% APF on the oral buccal mucosa for 4 min. The nuclei with DNA strand breaks of the basal epithelial cell layer was estimated using terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated deoxyuridine-triphospate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). Epithelial cells were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The number of basal epithelial cells with DNA strand breaks increased with time in rabbits treated with 1.23% APF. Transmission electron microscopy revealed evidence of apoptosis in the parabasal and basal epithelial cells showed, with loss of cell-to-cell contact, nuclear chromatin condensation and apoptotic bodies. The results demonstrate in vivo that 1.23% APF induced apoptosis in basal epithelial cells of rabbit oral mucosa. It suggests the possible necessity to prevent oral mucosa contact when APF applied on teeth. PMID- 17805515 TI - Adaptation to excess acetylcholine by downregulation of adrenoceptors and muscarinic receptors in lungs of acetylcholinesterase knockout mice. AB - The acetylcholinesterase knockout mouse has elevated acetylcholine levels due to the complete absence of acetylcholinesterase. Our goal was to determine the adaptive changes in lung receptors that allow these animals to tolerate excess neurotransmitter. The hypothesis was tested that not only muscarinic receptors but also alpha(1)-adrenoceptors and beta-adrenoceptors are downregulated, thus maintaining a proper balance of receptors and accounting for lung function in these animals. The quantity of alpha(1A), alpha(1B), alpha(1D), beta(1), and beta(2)-adrenoceptors and muscarinic receptors was determined by binding of radioligands. G-protein coupling was assessed using pseudo-competition with agonists. Phospholipase C activity was measured by an enzymatic assay. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) content was measured by immunoassay. Muscarinic receptors were decreased to 50%, alpha(1)-adrenoceptors to 23%, and beta-adrenoceptors to about 50% of control. Changes were subtype specific, as alpha(1A), alpha(1B), and beta(2) adrenoceptors, but not alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor, were decreased. In contrast, receptor signaling into the cell as measured by coupling to G proteins, cAMP content, and PI-phospholipase C activity was the same as in control. This shows that the nearly normal lung function of these animals was explained by maintenance of a correct balance of adrenoceptors and muscarinic receptors. In conclusion, knockout mice have adapted to high concentrations of acetylcholine by downregulating receptors that bind acetylcholine, as well as by downregulating receptors that oppose the action of muscarinic receptors. Tolerance to excess acetylcholine is achieved by reducing the levels of muscarinic receptors and adrenoceptors. PMID- 17805516 TI - Rimonabant blocks the expression but not the development of locomotor sensitization to nicotine in rats. AB - RATIONALE: Cannabinoid, especially CB(1,) receptors have been implicated in the development and expression of a variety of behaviors produced by addictive drugs. OBJECTIVES: The intent was to determine if coadministration of the selective CB(1) receptor antagonist, rimonabant (SR141716A), would block the development or expression of locomotor sensitization to repeated injections of nicotine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Long-Evans rats were injected with either 2 mg/kg rimonabant or its vehicle 30 min before an injection of 0.4 mg/kg nicotine or saline and immediately placed in activity chambers for 1 h on each of six sessions on alternating days. Before the two subsequent challenge sessions, all rats were injected with the vehicle and 0.4 mg/kg nicotine combination and then with the 2 mg/kg rimonabant and 0.4 mg/kg nicotine combination, respectively. RESULTS: Repeated injections of nicotine produced a progressive increase in locomotion that was blocked by coadministration of rimonabant. However, the subsequent nicotine challenge increased locomotion in both nicotine-pretreated groups equally more than in the saline-pretreated groups. Coadministration of rimonabant along with nicotine on the second challenge decreased the locomotion of the nicotine-pretreated rats to equal that of the saline-pretreated rats. Rimonabant had no effect on the saline-pretreated rats. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that rimonabant blocks the expression but not the development of locomotor sensitization to nicotine. PMID- 17805517 TI - A potential function of endocannabinoids in the selection of a navigation strategy by rats. AB - RATIONALE: One of the adaptive abilities of the brain is the generation of a strategy to optimize acquisition of information, i.e., learning. In this study, we explored the role of environmental conditions (the light-dark cycle) and of the endocannabinoid anandamide in rats to select a strategy to solve the Barnes maze (BM). OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of manipulating the cannabinergic system on a spatial task in relation to the light-dark cycle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats received an intrahippocampal or intrastriatal administration of anandamide, AM251, or their combination at two different points of the light-dark cycle (1300 and 0100 hours), and their performance in the BM was evaluated. In addition, we determined the expression of the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) in the hippocampus and striatum throughout the light-dark cycle. RESULTS: Results indicate that rats solved the BM by using a spatial strategy during the light phase and a procedural (serial) strategy during the dark phase of the cycle. CB1R expression varied in the hippocampus, being higher at 1300 hours and lower at 0100 hours, whereas its expression remained unchanged in the striatum. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the brain, which include changes in the endocannabinoid system, prompt it to use different strategies (spatial and procedural, or others not evaluated in this study) to cope with the environmental demands. These cerebral changes are adaptive responses to the light-dark cycle. PMID- 17805518 TI - Retention behavior of ginsenosides on a poly(vinyl alcohol)-bonded stationary phase in hydrophilic interaction chromatography. AB - The influences of the organic component of the mobile phase and the column temperature on the retention of ginsenosides on a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) bonded stationary phase operated under hydrophilic interaction chromatographic mode were investigated. The retention of the ginsenosides was found to increase with increasing amount of acetonitrile (MeCN) in the mobile phase, which is typical of hydrophilic interaction chromatographic behavior. It was also found that the retention of the analytes was highly affected by the type of the organic modifier used. Aqueous MeCN (75-90%) gave the most satisfactory retention and separation of ginsenosides Rf, Rg1, Rd, Re, Rc, Rb2 and Rb1 compared with aqueous methanol, isopropyl alcohol or tetrahydrofuran at the same composition levels. The effects of the different types of organic modifiers on the retention of the analytes were attributed to their solvent strength and hydrogen-bond accepting/donating properties. The effect of temperature on the retention of ginsenoside on the PVA-bonded phase was assessed by constructing van't Hoff plots for two temperature ranges: subambient (273-293 K) and ambient-elevated (298-333 K) temperatures. van't Hoff plots for all analytes were linear at the two temperature intervals; however, the slopes of the lines corresponding to ginsenosides Rg1 and Re were completely different from those for the rest of the analytes especially in the subambient temperature range. Enthalpy-entropy compensation (EEC) studies were conducted to verify the difference in thermodynamics observed for ginsenosides Rg1 and Re compared with the other analytes. EEC plots showed that Rf, Rd, Rc, Rb2 and Rb1 were possibly retained by the same retention mechanism, which was completely different from that of Rg1 and Re at subambient temperatures. Retention prediction models were derived using multiple linear regression to identify solute attributes that affected the retention of the analytes on the PVA-bonded phase. The mathematical models derived revealed that the number of hydrogen-bond donors and the ovality of the molecules are important molecular properties that govern the retention of the compounds on the chromatographic system. PMID- 17805519 TI - Quality control of cosmetic mixtures by NIR spectroscopy. AB - Cosmetic preparations typically consist of mixtures of various compounds of natural origin or their derivatives. Their analysis is made rather difficult by their usually high complexity and is utterly impossible with a single analytical method; also, there is usually little to be gained by determining every individual component of the mixture. Rather, analyses are aimed at ensuring a proper balance between the contents of each component and thus require the use of methods capable of delivering global information. The combined use of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate spectral processing chemometric techniques has enabled the development of effective methods for establishing the composition of complex samples with acceptable levels of analytical properties, such as accuracy, precision and throughput. In this work, we developed partial least squares calibration models for the determination of each component in a cosmetic mixture, and global indices (viz. the hydroxyl value), simply from the NIR spectrum of the sample. The models thus obtained are accurate enough for use in quality control analyses of cosmetic preparations and provide an effective alternative to existing conventional global methods. PMID- 17805520 TI - Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry of covalent adducts of proteins and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, a reactive end-product of lipid peroxidation. AB - Covalent adduction of the model protein apomyoglobin by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, a reactive end-product of lipid peroxidation, was characterized by nanoelectrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR). The high mass resolving power and mass measurement accuracy of the instrument facilitated a detailed compositional analysis of the complex reaction product without the need for deconvolution and transformation to clearly show the pattern of adduction and component molecular weights. Our study has also demonstrated the value of electron capture dissociation over collision-induced dissociation for the tandem mass spectrometric determination of site modification for the 4 hydroxy-2-nonenal adduct of oxidized insulin B chain as an example. PMID- 17805521 TI - Plasticity and robustness of protein patterns during reversible development in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). AB - With age, worker honey bees normally proceed from performing activities inside the nest to foraging in the field, creating an age-related division of labor. We previously established that the whole-body protein profiles of nest workers and foragers are different, and proposed that this proteomic divergence in part is explained by a shift in metabolic requirements as worker bees initiate intense flight. The unique plasticity of honey bee worker ontogeny, however, provides further opportunities to investigate if such changes in the proteome are dynamic or, alternatively, are permanently induced. Through manipulation of the social structure of colonies, foragers can be forced to revert to nest tasks, and in the current study we investigate how protein profiles respond to such reverse development. By using a quantitative LC-MS/MS-based approach in conjunction with robust statistical validation we show that after reversal from foraging to nest activities, subsets of proteins are detected at relative concentrations that characterize nest bees, whereas other proteins remain unchanged at relative concentrations normally found in foragers. In all, we quantified the levels of 81 proteins, and for 22 of these we found significant differences between worker groups before and after reversion. We interpret these patterns as examples of plasticity and robustness at the proteome level that are linked to characteristics of behavior and aging in Apis mellifera. PMID- 17805522 TI - Recognition and management of potential drug-drug interactions in patients on internal medicine wards. AB - INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to study and possibly improve the clinical management of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) in hospitalized patients by specific interventions. METHODS: During the initial period, inpatients on three medical wards were screened for major and moderate pDDIs using the interaction screening program Pharmavista. During the second period, patients at discharge were screened similarly. After assessment of the detected pDDIs for clinical relevance, written recommendations and/or information about the pDDIs were sent to the treating physicians. Feedback from the physicians and implementation of the recommendations were analyzed. RESULTS: During the initial period, 502 inpatients were exposed to 567 pDDIs, of which 419 (74%) were judged to be clinically relevant. Three hundred and forty-nine substantiated recommendations and 70 simple information leaflets were handed out to the physicians. Eighty percent (278 of 349) of the recommendations were accepted and implemented. During the second period, 792 patients at hospital discharge were exposed to 392 pDDIs, of which 258 (66%) were judged to be clinically relevant. Two hundred and forty seven substantiated recommendations and 11 simple information leaflets were sent to the physicians. Seventy-three percent (180 of 247) of the recommendations were accepted. At hospital discharge, 47 of 71 interventions recommending checkable medication changes were implemented. One year after hospital discharge, 11 of 13 checked medication changes were still in place. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically relevant pDDIs are common in patients on medical wards, and their management can be influenced by providing substantiated recommendations to physicians. Most changes in medication following such recommendations are still in place 1 year after discharge. PMID- 17805523 TI - Inflicted T12 fracture-dislocation: CT/MRI correlation and mechanistic implications. AB - We describe the CT and MRI findings of a thoracolumbar neurocentral synchondrosis fracture-dislocation in an abused infant. The morphologic features of this classically described fracture, and the associated cervical and sacral spine injuries displayed on cross-sectional imaging, provide compelling evidence for a mechanism of massive hyperflexion and axial spinal loading. PMID- 17805524 TI - Prenatal diagnosis of chondrodysplasia punctata tibia-metacarpal type using multidetector CT and three-dimensional reconstruction. AB - We report a case of chondrodysplasia punctata tibia-metacarpal type (CDP-TM) that was diagnosed prenatally using multidetector CT (MDCT) with three-dimensional (3 D) CT reconstructions. Prenatal US had shown severe thoracic hypoplasia and rhizomelic shortening of the limbs, raising the suspicion of thanatophoric dysplasia. However, MDCT showed punctate calcifications in the epiphyseal cartilage of the humeri and femora, carpal bones, and paravertebral region. On 3 D CT, the tibiae were much shorter than the fibulae, the humeri were very short and bowed, and severe platyspondyly was evident. These findings led to the diagnosis of CDP-TM. The diagnosis was confirmed on postnatal radiographs. Prenatal MDCT with 3-D images may make a useful contribution to prenatal diagnosis in selected fetuses with severe skeletal dysplasia. PMID- 17805525 TI - Photoacoustic spectroscopy of aromatic amino acids in proteins. AB - This paper concerns the use of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) to study the presence of aromatic amino acid in proteins. We examined the aromatic amino acids in six proteins with well-known structures using absorption spectra of near ultraviolet PAS over the wavelength range 240-320 nm. The fundamental understanding of the physical and chemical properties that govern the absorption of light and a subsequent release of heat to generate a transient pressure wave was used to test the concept of monitoring aromatic amino acids with this method. Second derivative spectroscopy in the ultraviolet region of proteins was also used to study the regions surrounding the aromatics and the percentage area in each band was related in order to determine the contribution in function of the respective molar extinction coefficients for each residue. Further investigation was conducted into the interaction between sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and bothropstoxin-I (BthTx-I), with the purpose of identifying the aromatics that participate in the interaction. The clear changes in the second derivative and curve-fitting procedures suggest that initial SDS binding to the tryptophan located in the dimer interface and above 10 SDS an increased intensity between 260 and 320 nm, demonstrating that the more widespread tyrosine and phenylalanine residues contribute to the SDS/BthTx-I interactions. These results demonstrate the potential of near UV-PAS for the investigation of membrane proteins/detergent complexes in which light scattering is significant. PMID- 17805526 TI - Characterization of immune genes from the schistosome host snail Biomphalaria glabrata that encode peptidoglycan recognition proteins and gram-negative bacteria binding protein. AB - Peptidoglycan (PGN) recognition proteins (PGRPs) and gram-negative bacteria binding proteins (GNBPs) play an essential role in Toll/Imd signaling pathways in arthropods. The existence of homologous pathways involving PGRPs and GNBPs in other major invertebrate phyla such as the Mollusca remains unclear. In this paper, we report four full-length PGRP cDNAs and one full-length GNBP cDNA cloned from the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni, designated as BgPGRPs and BgGNBP, respectively. Three transcripts are generated from a long form PGRP gene (BgPGRP-LA) by alternative splicing and one from a short form PGRP gene (BgPGRP-SA). BgGNBP encodes a putative secreted protein. Northern blots demonstrated that expression of BgPGRP SA and BgGNBP was down-regulated in B. glabrata at 6 h after exposure to three types of microbes. No significant changes in expression were observed in snails at 2 days post-exposure (dpe) to the trematodes Echinostoma paraensei or S. mansoni. However, up-regulation of BgPGRP-SA in M line snails at later time points of infection with E. paraensei (i.e., 12 and 17 dpe) was observed. Our study revealed that exposure to either microbes or trematodes did not alter the expression levels of BgPGRP-LAs, which were consistently low. This study provides new insights into the potential pathogen recognition capabilities of molluscs, indicates that further studies of the Toll/Imd pathways in this phylum are in order, and provides additional ways to judge the importance of this pathway in the evolution of internal defense across the animal phyla. PMID- 17805527 TI - Novel thermotolerant laccases produced by the white-rot fungus Physisporinus rivulosus. AB - The white-rot basidiomycete Physisporinus rivulosus strain T241i is highly selective for degradation of softwood lignin, which makes this fungus suitable for biopulping. In order to promote laccase production, P. rivulosus was cultivated in nutrient-nitrogen sufficient liquid media containing either charcoal or spruce sawdust as supplements. Two laccases with distinct pI values, Lac-3.5 and Lac-4.8, were purified from peptone-spruce sawdust-charcoal cultures of P. rivulosus. Both laccases showed thermal stability at up to 60 degrees C. Lac-4.8 was thermally activated at 50 degrees C. Surprisingly, both laccases displayed atypically low pH optima (pH 3.0-3.5) in oxidation of the commonly used laccase substrates syringaldazine (4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde azine), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol and guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol). Steady-state kinetic measurements pointed to unusually low affinity to guaiacol at low pH, whereas the kinetic constants for the methoxyphenols and ABTS were within the ranges reported for other fungal laccases. The combination of thermotolerance with low pH optima for methoxylated phenol substrates suggests that the two P. rivulosus T241i laccases possess potential for use in biotechnological applications. PMID- 17805528 TI - Hyaluronic acid production by recombinant Lactococcus lactis. AB - Microbial hyaluronic acid (HA), commonly produced by pathogenic Streptococcus, was made possible to be produced by a generally recognized as safe Lactococcus lactis by coexpressing HA synthase and uridine diphosphate-glucose dehydrogenase (UDP-GlcDH) of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in a nisin-controlled expression (NICE) system. With scarce expressed HA synthase alone, the constructed recombinant L. lactis (LL-NA) strain could produce HA with a concentration about 0.08 g/l in the M17 medium supplemented with 1% (w/v) glucose. In contrast to HA synthase, UDP-GlcDH of Streptococcus could be overexpressed in the NICE system. With coexpression of heterologous UDP-GlcDH with HA synthase, the constructed LL-NAB strain grew slightly slower to a concentration about 10% lower that of the LL-NA strain. However, the HA concentration produced was enhanced about eightfold to 0.65 g/l. PMID- 17805529 TI - Membrane-bound L- and D-lactate dehydrogenase activities of a newly isolated Pseudomonas stutzeri strain. AB - Pseudomonas stutzeri SDM was newly isolated from soil, and two stereospecific NAD independent lactate dehydrogenase (iLDH) activities were detected in membrane of the cells cultured in a medium containing DL-lactate as the sole carbon source. Neither enzyme activities was constitutive, but both of them might be induced by either enantiomer of lactate. P. stutzeri SDM preferred to utilize lactate to growth, when both L-lactate and glucose were available, and the consumption of glucose was observed only after lactate had been exhausted. The Michaelis-Menten constant for L-lactate was higher than that for D-lactate. The L-iLDH activity was more stable at 55 degrees C, while the D-iLDH activity was lost. Both enzymes exhibited different solubilization with different detergents and different oxidation rates with different electron acceptors. Combining activity staining and previous proteomic analysis, the results suggest that there are two separate enzymes in P. stutzeri SDM, which play an important role in converting lactate to pyruvate. PMID- 17805530 TI - Four-dimensional computed tomographic imaging in the wrist: proof of feasibility in a cadaveric model. AB - OBJECTIVE: High-resolution real-time three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the moving wrist may provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of joint instability. The purpose of this work was to assess the feasibility of using retrospectively gated spiral computed tomography (CT) to perform four-dimensional (4D) imaging of the moving wrist joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cadaver forearm from below the elbow was mounted on a motion simulator which performed radioulnar deviation of the wrist at 30 cycles per minute. An electronic trigger from the simulator provided the "electrocardiogram" (ECG) signal required for gated reconstructions. Four-dimensional and 3D images were compared by a blinded observer for image quality and presence of artifacts. RESULTS: Image quality of 4D images was found to be excellent at the extremes of radial and ulnar deviation (end-motion phases). Some artifacts were seen in mid-motion phases. CONCLUSION: 4D CT musculoskeletal imaging is feasible. Four-dimensional CT may allow clinicians to assess functional (dynamic) instabilities of the wrist joint. PMID- 17805531 TI - MR imaging of the elbow in baseball pitchers. AB - Baseball pitcher throwing biomechanics are important to understanding the pathophysiology and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearances of injuries in baseball pitchers. Baseball pitchers experience repetitive excessive valgus forces at the elbow. Typical injuries are secondary to medial joint distraction, lateral joint compression, and rotatory forces at the olecranon. MR imaging is useful for evaluation of the elbow in baseball pitchers. PMID- 17805532 TI - Myocardial uptake of 99mTc-annexin-V and 111In-antimyosin-antibodies after ischemia-reperfusion in rats. AB - OBJECTIVES: Phosphatidylserin exposure on cell surfaces occurs early during apoptosis and is detected in vivo by using (99m)Tc-annexin-V (ANX). Cardiomyocyte membrane disruption is detected in vivo by using (111)In-antimyosin-antibodies (AM). We aimed to determine if ANX and AM allow evaluation of the time-course of these two distinct cell death events after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. METHODS: Coronary tying (20 min) followed by reperfusion (IR) was performed in 31 rats. Twelve of the rats were injected with ANX, 11 with AM, and eight with both tracers. Myocardial uptake of tracers was studied 1-2 h, 4 h, or 24 h after IR by scintigraphy (ANX, n = 14) and autoradiography (all cases), and compared to histology and Apostain staining. RESULTS: Scintigraphy was positive in all rats 2 h after IR and in three of five rats at 24 h. On autoradiography, ANX activity was intense in myocardial lesions as early as 1 h post-IR, whereas AM activity was mild at 2 h then increased at 4 h post-IR. ANX and AM uptakes evolved from mid-myocardium to endocardial and epicardial regions from 2 h to 24 h post-IR. Apostain staining was significant in myocardial lesions (p < 10(6) compared to six sham-operated rats). On histology, myocardial lesion was characterized by interstitial oedema, myocytes necrosis, and dramatic thinning at 24 h. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that ANX and AM allow temporal and regional evaluations of PS exposure and membrane disruption, respectively, during myocytes death after 20-min myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion. Also, (i) apoptosis starts very early in injured myocardium, (ii) myocyte necrosis occurs later (3-4 h post-reperfusion), and (iii) most dead cells are removed from mid myocardium between 6 h and 24 h after reperfusion. PMID- 17805533 TI - A novel murine model of allogeneic vaccination against prostate cancer. AB - Prostate cancer continues to be a major cause of death in men. Surgical and medical treatments of the disease have improved, but metastasic disease remains a significant clinical problem. Novel therapies such as whole cell vaccination offer the potential of treating disease by stimulating the immune system. To study the efficacy of a whole cell vaccine in prostate cancer two strains of mice were used: C57BL/6 (H-2Kb) and C3H/HeJ (H-2K(k)) in combination with four different cell lines. Thus, a model was constructed of allogeneic and syngeneic vaccine, as well as a challenge tumour for each strain. Two novel cell lines were developed during this study. Firstly, the non tumourigeneic PMC-1 was derived from a normal mouse prostate and immortalized with HPV16. Secondly, the tumourigeneic PMC-1 C6ras1p1 was transformed with human ras gene which formed tumours in both SCID and C3H/HeJ mice. Protection, and the nature of the immune response to syngeneic and allogeneic vaccine, in males and females was examined in both strains. Vaccination with both syngeneic and allogeneic irradiated whole cell vaccines induced protection from syngeneic challenge in females. However, no protection was observed when allogeneic vaccine was given to male mice. This correlated with the immune response. Two types of cellular immune responses were generated in females. A NK-mediated response was observed in C57BL/6 mice, whilst C3H/HeJ mice developed a CTL response. Little or no cellular immune response was observed in males. The cytokine profile in C3H/HeJ females was a mixture of Th1 and Th2 whilst a mainly Th1 profile was observed in C57BL/6 mice. Male mice showed a diminished cytokine secretion compared to females which was further depressed after challenge. The difference in immunity was largely as expected, since tolerance to prostate antigens should not normally develop in female mice. However, this makes this model particularly relevant clinically since it directly mimics the human situation and thus may accelerate the development of whole cell vaccines for clinical use. PMID- 17805534 TI - Re: Discrimination indices as screening tests for beta-thalassemic trait. PMID- 17805535 TI - Extramedullary relapse of therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome after donor leukocyte infusion. PMID- 17805536 TI - Distinct single nucleotide polymorphism pattern at the FUT2 promoter among human populations. AB - Many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified in the coding region of the FUT2 locus, which encodes secretor type alpha(1,2)fucosyltransferase. In this study, we analyzed the sequence variations in the proximal promoter region of FUT2 in several human populations. In African populations, we found two SNPs with intermediate frequency that affected the promoter activity in vitro with a cell type-specific pattern. On the other hand, these two African SNPs were rarely detected outside Africa. Linkage disequilibria (LD) were observed between some haplotypes of the promoter and coding regions, although no characteristic promoter haplotype was linked with the se(428) allele of the coding region, which is estimated to be old. The present results suggest that the pattern of variation in the proximal promoter differs between Africans and non-Africans. PMID- 17805537 TI - A facade of initial sacroiliac manifestation in Hodgkin disease. PMID- 17805538 TI - Pharmacokinetics of a HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor CP-724,714 in patients with advanced malignant HER2 positive solid tumors: correlations with clinical characteristics and safety. AB - PURPOSE: CP-724,714 is an orally available, small molecule, potent HER-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor under development for the treatment of advanced HER2 overexpressing cancers. In this study, the influence of baseline clinical characteristics and pathophysiological variables on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of CP-724,714, and the correlation between PK exposure and safety were examined in patients treated in the First-in-Human trial. PK and safety were also simulated for a Phase 2 trial at the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) to assess if the simulated PK exposures of CP-724,714 covered the preclinically predicted efficacious concentrations, and if the predicted incidence of hepatic toxicities (>or=CTC grade 3) was acceptable. METHODS: Patients (n = 30) with advanced malignant HER2 positive solid tumors were enrolled in this open label dose escalation study, and treated with daily oral dosing of CP-724,714 in 21-day cycles at the following dose levels: 250 mg QD, 250 mg BID, 400 mg BID, and 250 mg TID. PK parameter values were estimated using noncompartmental techniques. PK exposure parameters were correlated with the baseline pathophysiological variables, clinical characteristics, and safety. The simulations of PK exposures and the incidence of >or=grade 3 liver toxicity at the recommended Phase 2 dose were performed by nonparametric bootstrap (n = 1,000). RESULTS: C (max) and AUC increased in an approximate dose proportional manner. The terminal t (1/2) was approximately 4.5 h, and was constant across the dose range from 250 to 400 mg. There was some accumulation with BID and TID dosing with a mean AUC accumulation ratio approximately 1.2-1.5, consistent with the t (1/2). Inter-patient variability in PK parameters was 31-65%, resulting in a considerable overlap of systemic exposure parameters (C (max) and AUC) at higher doses (i.e., 250 mg TID and 400 mg BID), as expected for the narrow dose range. Significant correlations were observed for body size and oral clearance (CL/F) (r = 0.574, P = 0.001) and oral steady-state volume of distribution (V (dss)/F) (r = 0.669, P = 0.0001). The most frequently encountered toxicities were elevated ALT and AST, hyperbilirubinemia, rash, asthenia, and nausea/vomiting (N/V). The steady-state AUC0-24 h was significantly correlated with the elevation of total bilirubin (r = 0.670, P = 0.001), ALT (r = 0.548, P = 0.002), and AST (r = 0.461, P = 0.010). The simulation of the Phase 2 trial at 250 mg BID predicted that the 95% confidence interval of the simulated mean concentrations of CP-724,714 were above the preclinically predicted efficacious concentrations throughout the majority of the dosing interval. The probability for >or=33% incidence of grade 3 or greater elevations of liver function test (LFT) was low (1.1%). CONCLUSIONS: CP-724,714 demonstrates linear single-dose and multiple-dose PK. Both CL/F and V (dss)/F correlate with body size. Elevations of ALT, AST, and total bilirubin positively correlate with the steady-state AUC0-24 h. The Phase 2 trial simulation suggests that CP-724,714 will be well tolerated and that PK exposures will exceed the preclinically predicted efficacious level at the recommended Phase 2 dose (250 mg BID), supporting further evaluation of CP-724,714 in the Phase 2 trial. PMID- 17805539 TI - Suppression of thymidine phosphorylase expression by promoter methylation in human cancer cells lacking enzyme activity. AB - PURPOSE: Thymidine phosphorylase (TP, EC 2.4.2.4) activity varies in different human cancer cell lines. Nevertheless, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of TP expression in such cancers. Promoter methylation of dinucleotide cytosine-guanine (CpG) sites is a known mechanism of reversible gene expression silencing. METHODS: TP promoter methylation was investigated in five cancer cell lines (SKBR-3, 786-O, HT-29, MDA-231, DLD-1). TP mRNA levels were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. The degree of methylation was identified by bisulfite sequencing. Minimal TP promoter activity was determined by Luciferase reporter assays. DNA-protein interactions were evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. RESULTS: SKBR-3 cells exhibited the highest TP expression, 786-O, HT-29, and MDA-231 cells exhibited intermediate TP expression, while DLD-1 cells did not express TP as demonstrated by TP mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity levels. SKBR 3 lacked methylation in the TP promoter, intron 1 and exon 1 regions, while DLD-1 showed extensive methylation. Treatment of DLD-1 and SKBR-3 with the methylation inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-2dC), resulted in a concentration dependent increase in TP mRNA and protein levels in DLD-1 but not SKBR-3 cells. Trichostatin-A treatment, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, improved the 5-aza-2dC induced TP re-activation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that methylation significantly inhibits transcription factor binding. Supershift analyses suggest that the Sp1 and Sp3 (to a lesser degree) transcription factors have a role in the regulation of TP expression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that TP promoter methylation is a mechanism for down-regulation of TP expression in cancer cells and may have implications in modulating prognosis of cancer patients. PMID- 17805540 TI - The NLR-related disorders. PMID- 17805541 TI - The role of the inflammasome in cellular responses to toxins and bacterial effectors. AB - Invading pathogens are recognized by mammalian cells through dedicated receptors found either at the cell surface or in the cytoplasm. These receptors, like the trans-membrane Toll-like Receptors (TLR) or the cytosolic Nod-like Receptors (NLR), initiate innate immunity after recognition of molecular patterns found in bacteria or viruses, such as LPS, flagellin, or double-stranded RNA. Recognition of molecules produced only by a specific pathogen, such as a viral envelop protein or a bacterial adhesin does not appear to occur. Bacterial protein toxins, however, might compose an intermediate class. Considering the diversity of toxins in terms of structure, it is unlikely that cells respond to them via specific molecular recognition. It rather appears that different classes of toxins trigger cellular changes that are sensed by the cells as danger signals, such as changes in cellular ion composition after membrane perforation by pore forming toxins or type III secretion systems. The signaling pathways triggered through toxin-induced cell alterations will likely play a role in modulating host responses to virulent bacteria. We will here describe the few studied cases in which detection of the toxin by the host cell was addressed. The review will include not only toxins but also bacteria effectors secreted by the bacterium in to the host cell cytoplasm. PMID- 17805542 TI - The NLR network and the immunological disease continuum of adaptive and innate immune-mediated inflammation against self. AB - The nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat containing family (NLR) network has provided pivotal genetic and molecular insights into diseases that were hitherto regarded as autoimmune. The NLR-related disorders include rare monogenic autoinflammatory diseases collectively termed cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, Crohn's disease which is a common polygenic disease and also an association at the mechanistic level with gout and pseudogout. Unlike the classical autoimmune diseases where disease immunopathogenesis is played out primarily in the primary and secondary lymphoid organs, the immunopathogenesis of the NLR-related disorders is played out in the tissues where inflammation arises. As the genetic mutations or molecular cascades associated with the NLR-related disorders have a widespread cellular distribution, it has been somewhat enigmatic why these disorders attack certain territories, but not others. This implies that tissue-specific factors in the target organs themselves contribute to disease expression. Such examples include the high abundance of NOD2 expressing cells in the part of the gut most typically afflicted by Crohn's disease and the preferential deposition of crystals in the joints to where inflammation localises in gout and pseudogout. The NLR network is associated principally with increases in TNF or IL-1 production, both of which are key players in innate immunity. Therefore, the NLR network identifies at the genetic and molecular level a robust paradigm for innate immune activation against self. This tissue-specific-factor associated inflammation is the diametric opposite of classical autoimmunity. Of note, the MHC class-I-associated diseases including psoriasis (HLA-Cw6) and ankylosing spondylitis (HLA-B27) show striking clinical overlaps with Crohn's disease and also some rare monogenic diseases. Thus, the NLR innate immune pathway allows the full spectrum of inflammation against self to be viewed along an immunological disease continuum with autoantibody-associated disease at one end, innate immune diseases at the other and MHC class-1-related disorders as an intermediate. PMID- 17805543 TI - Regulatory molecules involved in inflammasome formation with special reference to a key mediator protein, ASC. AB - The recent identification of cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) with leucine-rich repeats, which recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), has been garnering considerable attention. Activated PRRs form molecular complexes called inflammasomes, consisting of related proteins that include procaspase 1[interleukin (IL) 1beta converting enzyme (ICE)]. Inflammasomes have been shown to facilitate molecular proximity, stimulate activation of procaspase 1, which consequently produces inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and IL-18 and ultimately lead to the initiation of innate immunity. An adaptor protein, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), which recruits PRRs carrying the pyrin homologous domain (PYD) and procaspase 1 through PYD and CARD, respectively, is responsible for the formation of some inflammasomes and also activation of procaspase 1. In this review, our main attention will be directed to PYD region analysis of ASC to understand the interaction between PYD carrying PRRs and ASC. Taking into consideration the other aspects of the ASC gene in the proapoptotic ability and down-regulation by methylation, the biological function of ASC will be discussed in relation to the epigenetic aspects of infection, inflammation, and cancer. PMID- 17805545 TI - The Shapley value of phylogenetic trees. AB - Every weighted tree corresponds naturally to a cooperative game that we call a tree game; it assigns to each subset of leaves the sum of the weights of the minimal subtree spanned by those leaves. In the context of phylogenetic trees, the leaves are species and this assignment captures the diversity present in the coalition of species considered. We consider the Shapley value of tree games and suggest a biological interpretation. We determine the linear transformation M that shows the dependence of the Shapley value on the edge weights of the tree, and we also compute a null space basis of M. Both depend on the split counts of the tree. Finally, we characterize the Shapley value on tree games by four axioms, a counterpart to Shapley's original theorem on the larger class of cooperative games. We also include a brief discussion of the core of tree games. PMID- 17805544 TI - Inflammasomes in inflammatory disorders: the role of TLRs and their interactions with NLRs. AB - The innate immune system relies on a variety of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs) to sense microbial structures that are present in pathogens. Various levels of crosstalk between the TLR and NLR pathways have been described, most notably the description of a molecular scaffold complex, termed the inflammasome, which requires input from both pathways and leads to the activation of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-18. In certain cases, the inflammatory process becomes dysregulated and chronic inflammatory diseases may develop. Understanding the interactions of the TLR and NLR pathways will provide further clues to the pathogeneses of these diseases and to the development of efficient therapies to combat them. PMID- 17805546 TI - Endobronchial lipomatous hamartoma: an unusual cause of bronchial obstruction (2007: 7b). AB - Imaging findings were reported in an unusual case of endobronchial lipomatous hamartoma obstructing the left mainstem bronchus. Computed tomography readily demonstrated the presence of fat density within the lesion narrowing the differential diagnosis to endobronchial lipoma or lipomatous hamartoma. PMID- 17805547 TI - Surgical treatment of spasticity in children: comparison of selective dorsal rhizotomy and intrathecal baclofen pump implantation. AB - INTRODUCTION: Neurosurgical treatments for spasticity in children include the traditional selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) and intrathecal baclofen pumps (ITBPs), which have been widely used in the past decade as an attractive alternative. The purpose of the study was to examine and compare the outcomes of these two procedures in the treatment of children with severe spasticity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of 71 children who underwent SDR for treatment of spasticity was compared with a group of 71 children matched by age and preoperative score on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) who underwent ITBP placement. Change in GMFCS score, lower-extremity tone (based on the Modified Ashworth-Bohannon Scale), and lower-extremity passive range of movement (PROM) at 1 year as well as the need for subsequent orthopedic procedures and parents' satisfaction were selected as outcome measures. RESULTS: At 1 year, both SDR and ITBP decreased tone, increased PROM, and improved function. Both procedures resulted in a high degree of patient satisfaction. Compared with ITBP, SDR provided a larger magnitude of improvement in tone (-2.52 vs -1.23, p < 0.0001), PROM (-0.77 vs -0.39, p = 0.0138), and gross motor function (-0.66 vs -0.08, p < 0.0001). In addition, fewer patients in the SDR group required subsequent orthopedic procedures (19.1 vs 40.8%, p = 0.0106). CONCLUSIONS: For children with moderate to severe spasticity, SDR and ITBP are both effective surgical treatments. Our results indicate SDR is more effective in reducing the degree of spasticity and improving function than ITBP is in this group of patients. PMID- 17805548 TI - Expression of neuronal markers in the secondary neurulation of chick embryos. AB - OBJECTIVE: The goal of our study was to evaluate the expression patterns of neuronal antigens during the process of secondary neurulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chick embryos of Hamburger and Hamilton stages 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 35, 40, and 45 were harvested, and tail sections were processed for neuronal antigen studies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The areas and periods showing positive reactions for each antigen are as follows: neuronal cell adhesion molecule (N CAM): the secondary neural tube and notochord from stages 18 to 26 and the germinal and mantle layers from stages 30 to 45; synaptophysin: the caudal cell mass, secondary neural tube, and notochord from stages 22 to 26, the germinal and mantle layers from stages 30 to 45, and the marginal layer at the later stages of development; neurofilament-associated protein (3A10): the dorsal white matter, dorsal root ganglion, and scattered cells around the germinal layer from stages 35 to 45; and neuronal nuclear-specific protein (NeuN): the mantle layer at stage 35, which shows decreased reaction at stages 40 and 45; islet-1: no remarkable staining on the caudal cell mass or on the other neural structures at all stages. Our results indicate that neuronal markers of the secondary neurulation in chick embryos have their own chronological patterns of expression. At early stages of secondary neurulation, N-CAM and synaptophysin are thought to modulate the differentiation of structures derived from the caudal cell mass. At later stages, N-CAM, synaptophysin, 3A10, and NeuN seem to be involved in the maturation of the caudal spinal cord. PMID- 17805549 TI - Survivin, p53, and Ki-67 as predictors of histopathologic response in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. AB - PURPOSE: The ability to predict response to chemoradiotherapy before the treatment may allow protecting poorly responding patients from the side effects of neoadjuvant treatment. Several molecular markers have been proposed to radio and chemosensitivity of rectal cancer. In this study, from pre-irradiation tumor biopsies, a novel and promising candidate factor survivin, and p53 and Ki-67 were assessed as predictors of response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Expression of each marker was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on pretreatment biopsies from 37 patients having rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and curative surgery. Treatment response was assessed histopathologically in the resected surgical specimen. RESULTS: There was no correlation between expression of p53, Ki-67, and survivin with response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that these molecular markers are not helpful to identify patients who would have benefit from neoadjuvant treatment of rectal cancer. Further investigations are necessary to select patients for preoperative treatment based on analysis of the preoperative biopsies. PMID- 17805550 TI - Caspase-3 activity, response to chemotherapy and clinical outcome in patients with colon cancer. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognostic value of the degree of apoptosis in colorectal cancer is controversial. This study evaluates the putative clinical usefulness of measuring caspase-3 activity as a prognostic factor in colonic cancer patients receiving 5-fluoracil adjuvant chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated caspase-3-like protease activity in tumours and in normal colon tissue. Specimens were studied from 54 patients. These patients had either stage III cancer (Dukes stage C) or high-risk stage II cancer (Dukes stage B2 with invasion of adjacent organs, lymphatic or vascular infiltration or carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA] >5). Median follow-up was 73 months. Univariate analysis was performed previously to explore the relation of different variables (age, sex, preoperative CEA, tumour size, Dukes stage, vascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, caspase-3 activity in tumour and caspase-3 activity in normal mucosa) as prognostic factors of tumour recurrence after chemotherapy treatment. Subsequently, a multivariate Cox regression model was performed. RESULTS: Median values of caspase-3 activity in tumours were more than twice those in normal mucosa (88.1 vs 40.6 U, p=0.001), showing a statistically significant correlation (r=0.34). Significant prognostic factors of recurrence in multivariate analysis were: male sex (odds ratio, OR=3.53 [1.13-10.90], p=0.02), age (OR=1.09 [1.01 1.18], p=0.03), Dukes stage (OR=1.93 [1.01-3.70]), caspase-3 activity in normal mucosa (OR=1.02 [1.01-1.04], p=0.017) and caspase-3 activity in tumour (OR=1.02 [1.01-1.03], p=0.013). CONCLUSION: Low caspase-3 activity in the normal mucosa and tumour are independent prognostic factors of tumour recurrence in patients receiving adjuvant 5-fluoracil-based treatment in colon cancer, correlating with poor disease-free survival and higher recurrence rate. PMID- 17805552 TI - Alexander disease with occipital predominance and a novel c.799G>C mutation in the GFAP gene. PMID- 17805553 TI - Mechanisms of amyloid plaque pathogenesis. AB - The first ultrastructural investigations of Alzheimer's disease noted the prominence of degenerating mitochondria in the dystrophic neurites of amyloid plaques, and speculated that this degeneration might be a major contributor to plaque pathogenesis. However, the fate of these organelles has received scant consideration in the intervening decades. A number of hypotheses for the formation and progression of amyloid plaques have since been suggested, including glial secretion of amyloid, somal and synaptic secretion of amyloid-beta protein from neurons, and endosomal-lysosomal aggregation of amyloid-beta protein in the cell bodies of neurons, but none of these hypotheses fully account for the focal accumulation of amyloid in plaques. In addition to Alzheimer's disease, amyloid plaques occur in a variety of conditions, and these conditions are all accompanied by dystrophic neurites characteristic of disrupted axonal transport. The disruption of axonal transport results in the autophagocytosis of mitochondria without normal lysosomal degradation, and recent evidence from aging, traumatic injury, Alzheimer's disease and transgenic mice models of Alzheimer's disease, suggests that the degeneration of these autophagosomes may lead to amyloid production within dystrophic neurites. The theory of amyloid plaque pathogenesis has thus come full circle, back to the intuitions of the very first researchers in the field. PMID- 17805551 TI - Diffuse glioma growth: a guerilla war. AB - In contrast to almost all other brain tumors, diffuse gliomas infiltrate extensively in the neuropil. This growth pattern is a major factor in therapeutic failure. Diffuse infiltrative glioma cells show some similarities with guerilla warriors. Histopathologically, the tumor cells tend to invade individually or in small groups in between the dense network of neuronal and glial cell processes. Meanwhile, in large areas of diffuse gliomas the tumor cells abuse pre-existent "supply lines" for oxygen and nutrients rather than constructing their own. Radiological visualization of the invasive front of diffuse gliomas is difficult. Although the knowledge about migration of (tumor)cells is rapidly increasing, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying infiltration of glioma cells in the neuropil have not yet been elucidated. As the efficacy of conventional methods to fight diffuse infiltrative glioma cells is limited, a more targeted ("search & destroy") tactic may be needed for these tumors. Hopefully, the study of original human glioma tissue and of genotypically and phenotypically relevant glioma models will soon provide information about the Achilles heel of diffuse infiltrative glioma cells that can be used for more effective therapeutic strategies. PMID- 17805554 TI - Thermal balloon endometrial ablation: a systematic review. AB - OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to review the role of thermal balloon endometrial ablation (TBEA) as an alternative in treating abnormal uterine bleeding. METHODS: Articles relevant to our review and relevant references from the initially identified articles on the field that were archived by May 2007, were retrieved from Pubmed. RESULTS: Success rates ranged from 83 up to 94%, with patient's satisfaction ranging from 57 up to 94%. Persisted menorrhagia could reach 17% in some studies. CONCLUSION: TBEA is an effective alternative method used in the treatment of menorrhagea which results in a significant reduction in menstrual bleeding and high satisfaction rates. However, a longer follow-up is required to determine the role of such a treatment. PMID- 17805555 TI - An alternative model for stapedectomy training in residency program: sheep cadaver ear. AB - To determine the usefulness of sheep cadaver ear as a complementary model for training of stapedectomy at residency programs, 2 of our 4 year residents were included in the study and each operated 20 sheep ears. All routine steps of stapedectomy operation were performed, and their success and complication scores were recorded. Performance of residents for stapedectomy and teflon piston placement in sheep ears were evaluated by the authors. Success of both residents improved progressively. Success and complications were impressively better in the second 10 ears than the initial 10 for each resident. Both residents had better outcomes in last 10 ears. Sheep cadaver ear is an excellent model for stapedectomy training in residency and helps to improve surgical skills. We offer sheep cadaver ear training model especially in the countries where obtaining human cadaver temporal bone is difficult. PMID- 17805556 TI - Effect of posterior juxtascleral triamcinolone acetonide on the efficacy and choriocapillaris hypoperfusion of photodynamic therapy. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of posterior juxtascleral triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection combined with photodynamic therapy with verteporfin (PDT) for treating exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the retreatment rates and the rate of choroidal hypoperfusion were investigated. METHODS: A total of 67 eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to AMD were included. Forty-four eyes underwent PDT alone (PDT-alone group), and 23 eyes underwent PDT with the posterior juxtascleral injection of TA (PDT+TA group). Every 3 months after the PDT, the eyes were evaluated with regard to BCVA and requirement for retreatment by fluorescein angiography (FA) with the aid of optical coherence tomography (OCT). Choroiocapillaris hypoperfusion was assessed by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) at 3 and 12 months. All patients completed a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: At the baseline, there was no difference in lesion type, size or visual acuity between the two groups. At 1 year, the change in BCVA was -0.0811 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) in the PDT-alone group, compared with -0.0432 logMAR in the PDT+TA group. There was no significant difference in the change in BCVA between the two groups (P = 0.6910). The PDT+TA group required a lower mean number of treatments (1.64 compared with 2.34 [P = 0.0223]) and showed a higher rate of choriocapillaris occlusion at 3 months, but no significant difference at 1 year (P = 0.9243) CONCLUSIONS: Fewer retreatments were required in the TA+PDT group. There was no significant difference in the change in BCVA between the two groups. Adjacent TA may promote short-term choriocapillaris hypoperfusion. PMID- 17805557 TI - Ophthalmologists, suicide bombings and getting it right in the emergency department. AB - BACKGROUND: The number and extent of worldwide suicide attacks has risen sharply in recent years. The objectives of this retrospective study are: to determine the prevalence and outcome of the victims who sustained ocular injury, to describe the activities of ophthalmologists in the setting of an emergency department (ED) receiving mass casualties of a suicide bombing attack and to illustrate some of the treatment obstacles that they encountered and the protocol. METHODS: A single centre, retrospective, interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were the victims of 13 suicide bombing attacks (2000-2004), treated at a level I trauma center of an Israeli tertiary care, municipal medical center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study includes a description of the ophthalmologist's role in the setting of mass evacuation to emergency facilities, prevalence and outcome of patients managed according to the recommended guidelines, and reemphasis of logistic and therapeutic guidelines for management of ocular injuries. RESULTS: The trauma center database yielded information on a total of 352 casualties from 13 suicide bombing attacks, including 17 surviving patients with any ocular/periocular trauma resulting from suicide bombing attacks. Six eyes required and underwent urgent primary closure of laceration for primary repair of open globe, one unsalvageable eye underwent primary enucleation, and two eyes underwent exploration of subconjunctival hemorrhage. Four eyes required additional surgical intervention, which was performed within 7 days (large intravitreal foreign bodies were extracted from three eyes whose final visual acuity was poor, and an intra-lenticular foreign body was extracted from the fourth eye whose final visual acuity was 6/12). The remaining eight patients received medical treatment as indicated and were continued to be followed up. DISCUSSION: Ocular trauma management under conditions of mass injuries requires special utilization of manpower and resources. Guidelines for efficacious patient management, description of the ophthalmologist's role, and the experience of one emergency facility are presented. PMID- 17805558 TI - Impact of interleukin-6 on the glucose metabolic capacity in rat liver. AB - The acute phase reaction mediated by the proinflammatory cytokine IL6 initiates a number of metabolic changes in the liver, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of the septic shock during prolonged exposition. Here, the impact of IL6 on the hepatic glucose providing capacity was studied by monitoring glycogen degradation and the expression of the gluconeogenic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) in rat livers during the daily feeding rhythm. Eight hours after i.p. injection of IL6, mRNA levels of alpha2-macroglobulin, a prominent acute phase reactant in rat liver, were elevated as shown by Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization (ISH). PCK1 mRNA levels were decreased by IL6 to 50% of levels in untreated animals due to the reduction of PCK1 mRNA in the periportal zone of the liver as shown by ISH. PCK1 enzyme activity was not affected by IL6. Glycogen degradation was accelerated by IL6, which led to nearly complete depletion of glycogen pools in periportal areas 8 h after IL6 injection. This was very likely due to inhibition of glycogen pool replenishment. Thus, the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver might contribute to the impairment of hepatic glucose production during prolonged acute phase challenge. PMID- 17805559 TI - Spatiotemporal burst coding for extracting features of spatiotemporally varying stimuli. AB - Encoding features of spatiotemporally varying stimuli is quite important for understanding the neural mechanisms of various sensory coding. Temporal coding can encode features of time-varying stimulus, and population coding with temporal coding is adequate for encoding spatiotemporal correlation of stimulus features into spatiotemporal activity of neurons. However, little is known about how spatiotemporal features of stimulus are encoded by spatiotemporal property of neural activity. To address this issue, we propose here a population coding with burst spikes, called here spatiotemporal burst (STB) coding. In STB coding, the temporal variation of stimuli is encoded by the precise onset timing of burst spike, and the spatiotemporal correlation of stimuli is emphasized by one specific aspect of burst firing, or spike packet followed by silent interval. To show concretely the role of STB coding, we study the electrosensory system of a weakly electric fish. Weakly electric fish must perceive the information about an object nearby by analyzing spatiotemporal modulations of electric field around it. On the basis of well-characterized circuitry, we constructed a neural network model of the electrosensory system. Here we show that STB coding encodes well the information of object distance and size by extracting the spatiotemporal correlation of the distorted electric field. The burst activity of electrosensory neurons is also affected by feedback signals through synaptic plasticity. We show that the control of burst activity caused by the synaptic plasticity leads to extracting the stimulus features depending on the stimulus context. Our results suggest that sensory systems use burst spikes as a unit of sensory coding in order to extract spatiotemporal features of stimuli from spatially distributed stimuli. PMID- 17805560 TI - Role of the reverse-Trendelenberg patient position in maintaining low-CVP anaesthesia during liver resections. AB - BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Trendelenberg position is recommended during liver resection, to decrease the risk of venous air embolism. However, this position raises the central venous pressure and may increase blood loss. We propose that the reverse-Trendelenberg position can be safely and effectively used to maintain a low central venous pressure during liver surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients underwent elective liver resection at a single centre during a 17-month period. Patients were positioned with a head-up tilt during division of the liver parenchyma. RESULTS: Patients had a mean central venous pressure of 9.2 mmHg when supine, despite fluid restriction. The central venous pressure fell consistently and rapidly when they were tilted head-up, to a mean of 1.7 mmHg. The resections were completed with a median operative blood loss of 600 mL. No patient developed a clinically apparent venous air embolism. Postoperative renal dysfunction that could be attributed to low central venous pressure anaesthesia occurred in only one case. CONCLUSION: The reverse-Trendelenberg position effectively lowers the CVP during liver surgery. It is easy to monitor, titrate and reverse, and avoids the need for complex pharmacological interventions. We recommend this position to liver surgeons and anaesthetists who have found it difficult to maintain a low CVP with the supine or Trendelenberg positions. PMID- 17805561 TI - Criteria for arrhythmogenicity in genetically-modified Langendorff-perfused murine hearts modelling the congenital long QT syndrome type 3 and the Brugada syndrome. AB - The experiments investigated the applicability of two established criteria for arrhythmogenicity in Scn5a+/Delta and Scn5a+/- murine hearts modelling the congenital long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3) and the Brugada syndrome (BrS). Monophasic action potentials (APs) recorded during extrasystolic stimulation procedures from Langendorff-perfused control hearts and hearts treated with flecainide (1 microM) or quinidine (1 or 10 microM) demonstrated that both agents were pro-arrhythmic in wild-type (WT) hearts, quinidine was pro-arrhythmic in Scn5a+/Delta hearts, and that flecainide was pro-arrhythmic whereas quinidine was anti-arrhythmic in Scn5a+/- hearts, confirming clinical findings. Statistical analysis confirmed a quadratic relationship between epicardial and endocardial AP durations (APDs) in WT control hearts. However, comparisons between plots of epicardial against endocardial APDs and this reference curve failed to correlate with arrhythmogenicity. Restitution curves, relating APD to diastolic interval (DI), were then constructed for the first time in a murine system and mono exponential growth functions fitted to these curves. Significant (P<0.05) alterations in the DI at which slopes equalled unity, an established indicator of arrhythmogenicity, now successfully predicted the presence or absence of arrhythmogenicity in all cases. We thus associate changes in the slopes of restitution curves with arrhythmogenicity in models of LQT3 and BrS. PMID- 17805562 TI - The cystic fibrosis transmembrane recruiter the alter ego of CFTR as a multi kinase anchor. AB - This review focuses on a newly discovered interaction between protein kinases involved in cellular energetics, a process that may be disturbed in cystic fibrosis for unknown reasons. I propose a new model where kinase-mediated cellular transmission of energy provides mechanistic insight to a latent role of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). I suggest that CFTR acts as a multi-kinase recruiter to the apical epithelial membrane. My group finds that, in the cytosol, two protein kinases involved in cell energy homeostasis, nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) and AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), bind one another. Preliminary data suggest that both can also bind CFTR (function unclear). The disrupted role of this CFTR-kinase complex as 'membrane transmitter to the cell' is proposed as an alternative paradigm to the conventional ion transport mediated and CFTR/chloride-centric view of cystic fibrosis pathogenesis. Chloride remains important, but instead, chloride-induced control of the phosphohistidine content of one kinase component (NDPK, via a multi-kinase complex that also includes a third kinase, CK2; formerly casein kinase 2). I suggest that this complex provides the necessary near-equilibrium conditions needed for efficient transmission of phosphate energy to proteins controlling cellular energetics. Crucially, a new role for CFTR as a kinase controller is proposed with ionic concentration acting as a signal. The model posits a regulatory control relay for energy sensing involving a cascade of protein kinases bound to CFTR. PMID- 17805563 TI - Early pulmonary manifestations of yellow nail syndrome: a case report. PMID- 17805565 TI - Mesometrial smooth muscle as an origin of female retroperitoneal (pelvic) leiomyomas. AB - Retroperitoneal (pelvic) leiomyomas have recently come to be recognized as distinctive lesions. Retroperitoneal leiomyomas occur almost exclusively in women, and past studies on these invariably emphasized a striking similarity between their histological features, with those of uterine leiomyoma, whereas their origin remains unknown. In this study, we took notice of mesometrial smooth muscle, which has been little known either clinically or pathologically, as a possible origin of tumor. Anatomically, the mesometrial smooth muscle was an accumulation of thin bundles (approximately 1 mm in thickness) that ran parallel to the oviduct. It was connected broadly with the lateral wall of the uterine body and ended in the pelvic floor. The mesometrial smooth muscle was present just beneath the serosal surface of the anterior aspect of the mesometrium and continuously transited from the smooth muscle bundles of the outer layer of the uterine myometrium. The muscle cells were immunopositive for smooth muscle cell markers and estrogen/progesterone receptors. In all of the six female retroperitoneal leiomyomas examined, hormone receptor-positive nontumorous smooth muscle layers were present in the periphery of the tumors, seemingly representing the mesometrial smooth muscles. In conclusion, we believe most retroperitoneal (pelvic) leiomyomas in females arise from the mesometrial smooth muscle. PMID- 17805564 TI - Pseudoneoplastic lesions of the testis and paratesticular structures. AB - Pseudotumors or tumor-like proliferations (non-neoplastic masses) and benign mimickers (non-neoplastic cellular proliferations) are rare in the testis and paratesticular structures. Clinically, these lesions (cysts, ectopic tissues, and vascular, inflammatory, or hyperplastic lesions) are of great interest for the reason that, because of the topography, they may be relevant as differential diagnoses. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the pseudoneoplasic entities arising in the testis and paratesticular structures; emphasis is placed on how the practicing pathologist may distinguish benign mimickers and pseudotumors from true neoplasia. These lesions can be classified as macroscopic or microscopic mimickers of neoplasia. PMID- 17805566 TI - The pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX-4 for colorectal liver metastases: a comparative study. AB - FOLFOX-4 (folinic acid/5-fluorouracil/oxaliplatin) chemotherapy is used to treat patients with colorectal liver metastases. We aimed to assess hepatic histopathological responses to neoadjuvant FOLFOX-4 chemotherapy in patients with colorectal liver metastases. We selected all patients (n = 54) treated with FOLFOX-4 for colorectal liver metastases between June 2002 and June 2005. Only 25 underwent hepatectomy and formed the study group. Histological responses were assessed in the study group and a matched control group (n = 25) that did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The median (IQR) body mass index in the study and control groups was 24 (22-26) and 24 (23-25) kg/m(2), respectively, (P = NS). Complete histological resolution of tumour occurred in six (24%) patients in the study group. Median residual tumour cellularity was less (35 vs 70%) and fibrosis greater (50 vs 5%) in patients in the study group when compared with controls (P < 0.001). The liver surrounding the tumour was steatotic in 17 (68%) patients in the study group and five (20%) controls (P = 0.001). Hepatic sinusoidal dilatation was more pronounced in patients in the study group than in controls (P < 0.001). The response to FOLFOX-4 was associated with tumour necrosis, fibrosis and inflammation. More than two thirds of patients undergoing hepatectomy after FOLFOX-4 had steatosis despite being non-obese. PMID- 17805567 TI - Adenocarcinoma of the minor duodenal papilla with intraepithelial spread to the pancreatic duct. AB - It is extremely rare to encounter tumors arising exclusively in the minor duodenal papilla. We report a 60-year-old male patient with a polypoid type of adenocarcinoma of the minor papilla. Preoperative examinations, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), suggested pancreas divisum and showed a series of stones in the dorsal pancreatic duct. The patient underwent subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (SSpPD). On histology, an adenocarcinoma was located in the minor papilla, which was limited to the mucosa, without invasion of the duodenum, sphincter muscles of the minor papilla, or the underlying pancreas. The carcinoma cells, together with dysplastic and hyperplastic epithelium of the pancreatic duct, extended peripherally within the pancreatic duct. No cystic dilatation of the pancreatic duct was observed. The ventral pancreatic duct was short and narrow; there was evidence of chronic pancreatitis in the dorsal pancreas, whereas the ventral pancreas was almost normal, suggesting the existence of pancreas divisum. Although it is well known that adenocarcinoma of the duodenal papilla is sometimes accompanied by intraepithelial spread in the pancreatic duct, an adenocarcinoma arising in the minor papilla in this case with pancreas divisum was more extended than our thoughts. PMID- 17805568 TI - Pituitary height and neuroradiological alterations in patients with Prader Labhart-Willi syndrome. AB - Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a genetic disorder due to an alteration in the paternally derived long arm of chromosome 15, is characterized by a complex clinical picture (short stature, obesity, hypogonadism) that seems to be referable to as a central hypothalamic/pituitary dysfunction. To determine whether there is any diminution in the anterior pituitary gland or other neuroradiological alterations, we retrospectively analysed 91 patients with PWS (42 females, 49 males; age range: 0.7-16.8 years) by cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of these 91 patients, MRI analysis showed a reduction in pituitary height in 45 patients (49.4%), a complete absence of the posterior pituitary bright spot in six patients (6.6%) and other neuroradiological alterations in ten patients (11%). Altogether, neuroradiological alterations were present in 61 of the 91 (67%) patients. Our results indicate that neuroradiological alterations are more frequent in PWS patients than has been reported to date. PMID- 17805569 TI - Nuclear to cytoplasmic shift of p33(ING1b) protein from normal oral mucosa to oral squamous cell carcinoma in relation to clinicopathological variables. AB - PURPOSE: p33(ING1b), as a candidate tumour suppressor gene, has been found to be expressed a proportion of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs), however, its clinicopathological significance is not studied yet. Our aim was to investigate association of p33(ING1b) expression with clinicopathological variables and particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine rich protein (PINCH) in OSCCs. METHODS: p33(ING1b) expression was immunohistochemically examined in 20 normal oral mucosa specimens and 49 OSCCs. RESULTS: Normal squamous cells showed only p33(ING1b )nuclear expression (no cytoplasmic expression), with a rate of 90% positive cases. While 24% of OSCCs appeared cytoplasmic expression (11 of them with weak nuclear staining) and the rest tumours (76%) were negative for p33(ING1b). Furthermore, the cases having lymph node metastasis showed a higher frequency of positive cytoplasmic expression than those without metastasis (P = 0.03). The p33(ING1b) cytoplasmic expression was positively related to PINCH expression (P = 0.04), the cases positive for both proteins had a high rate of the metastasis (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The transfer of p33(ING1b) protein from the nucleus to the cytoplasm may result in loss of normal cellular function of the protein, which might play a role in the tumourigenesis and metastasis of OSCCs. PMID- 17805570 TI - Treatment strategies that effectively reduce early recurrence risk in postmenopausal women with endocrine-sensitive breast cancer: AIs upfront vs. switching. AB - Several large, well-controlled clinical trials have now established that the aromatase inhibitors (AIs), including letrozole, anastrozole, and exemestane, are more effective than tamoxifen when used as adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Yet, it is an open question as to how these drugs should be best integrated into the adjuvant treatment regimen. Both letrozole and anastrozole have shown efficacy over tamoxifen when used as initial adjuvant therapy (initiated just following surgery for breast cancer), while exemestane and anastrozole have been used as switching adjuvant therapy, i.e., following 2-3 years of initial adjuvant tamoxifen therapy, with proven efficacy over continued tamoxifen. Studies demonstrate that recurrence risk peaks in the early period after surgery, and that distant metastases in particular, accounting for most of the early recurrences, have worse survival rates when compared with other types of recurrences. Treatments that reduce recurrences, especially distant metastases, in this early period are therefore likely to improve overall survival (OS) and reduce mortality from breast cancer. In this review, we discuss early recurrence risk among postmenopausal women with successfully treated early breast cancer, the efficacy of the different AIs in reducing early recurrences and distant metastases when incorporated into adjuvant therapy, and the evidence for increased OS when AIs are used as initial or switch adjuvant therapy. PMID- 17805571 TI - Imported diphyllobothriasis in Switzerland: molecular evidence of Diphyllobothrium dendriticum (Nitsch, 1824). AB - We report for the first time in Switzerland a clinical case because of Diphyllobothrium dendriticum, identified by molecular methods. We discuss the potential for this imported species to infect local intermediate hosts and thus to achieve autochthonous cyclic transmission. PMID- 17805572 TI - Detection of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in a new host--cockateel (Nymphicus hollandicus) using molecular methods. AB - A total of 123 avian faecal specimens randomly collected in Bohemian commercial aviaries, Zoo parks and countryside were screened for the presence of human pathogenic microsporidia by both calcofluor M2R staining and polymerase chain reaction. Of these, no positive sample was detected using microscopical examination, and one isolate was detected by polymerase chain reaction and identified as Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Cockateel (Nymphicus hollandicus) represents a new avian host of this microsporidian. PMID- 17805573 TI - Crenosoma vulpis in dog: first case report in Italy and use of the FLOTAC technique for copromicroscopic diagnosis. AB - Crenosoma vulpis is a metastrongylid nematode that infects the bronchi, bronchioles, and trachea of wild and domestic canids and various other carnivores. It is endemic in the red fox population in the north-eastern parts of North America and in Europe, including Italy. Dogs are susceptible to infection with clinical signs consisting primarily in a chronic cough. The present paper reports-to the authors' knowledge-the first case of spontaneous C. vulpis infection in a dog in Italy. In addition, it also reports, for the first time, the use of the FLOTAC technique for C. vulpis diagnosis in canine fecal samples, with results compared to the following four standard copromicroscopic techniques: the Baermann technique, the McMaster technique, the simple flotation technique, and the Wisconsin technique. The results showed that the FLOTAC technique produced mean larvae per gram of feces greater than that produced by the other more widely used diagnostic tools. After the treatment of the C. vulpis infected dog with a single oral dose of 0.5mg/kg milbemycin oxime, the clinical signs resolved and the shedding of larvae ceased. In conclusion, the discovery of C. vulpis for the first time in a dog in Italy indicates that the fox lungworm should be considered in the differential diagnosis of respiratory disease in dogs; in addition, the findings of the comparison study showed that the FLOTAC technique may improve the ability to accurately diagnose canine lungworm infections. PMID- 17805574 TI - Effect of Echinostoma friedi (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) experimental infection on longevity, growth and fecundity of juvenile Radix peregra (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) and Biomphalaria glabrata (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) snails. AB - The effect of Echinostoma friedi experimental infection on longevity, growth and fecundity of two susceptible first intermediate host snails, Radix peregra and Biomphalaria glabrata, was studied to contrast the level of compatibility. 120 R. peregra and 150 B. glabrata snails were used exposed to one, three or five miracidia and divided in three categories: INF (snails exposed and infected); ENI (exposed but not infected) and C (control or not miracidial-exposed snails). R. peregra INF snails' death process starts sooner, but in a prolonged extension, while B. glabrata INF snails have a much shorter life span. The infection and the miracidial exposure are able to reduce R. peregra normal development (stunting). B. glabrata INF snails' growth exceeds that of C snails (gigantism). E. friedi produces a total parasitic castration of R. peregra and B. glabrata INF snails. R. peregra would be considered as the required snail host, while B. glabrata only as an adequate snail host. PMID- 17805575 TI - Characterization of two rice peroxidase promoters that respond to blast fungus infection. AB - Peroxidase (POX) genes consist of a large gene family possibly contributing to self-defense, however constitutive and stress-induced expression patterns of individual gene were poorly understood in rice. We studied here the characteristic expression of two representative rice POX genes, R2329 and R2184, which are blast fungus-inducible (Sasaki et al. in Plant Cell Physiol 45:1442 1452, 2004). Basal GUS activity in R2329 promoter::GUS rice plants was 100-fold higher than that in R2184 promoter::GUS plants, and these levels reflected the transcript levels monitored by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. R2329 promoter was activated by blast fungus-infection and wounding, and R2184 promoter was activated by the fungal-infection and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-treatment. By histochemical GUS staining analysis, constitutive R2329 and R2184 expression was commonly found in vascular bundle and exodermis in leaves and roots, while the precise expression profile was characteristic. In blast fungus inoculated R2329 promoter::GUS leaves, GUS staining was induced just around fungus-induced local lesions. Analysis of the 5' deleted promoters suggests the presence of many kinds of stress-responsive elements in the regions between -1798 and -748 of R2329 promoter and between -1975 and -548 of R2184 promoter. These results revealed the stress-responsive characteristics of R2329 and R2184 promoters, and indicated the possible use for generation of useful transgenic plants. PMID- 17805576 TI - Epidermal stem cell fate: what can we learn from embryonic stem cells? AB - Because of its constant renewal and high propensity for repair, the epidermis is, together with the gut and the hematopoietic system, a tissue of choice to explore stem cell biology. Previous research over many years has revealed the complexity of the epidermis: the heterogeneity of the stem cell compartment, with its rare, slowly cycling, multipotent, hair-follicle, "bulge" stem cells and the more restricted interfollicular, follicle-matrix, and sebaceous-gland stem cells, which in turn generate the large pool of transit-amplifying progeny. Stem cell activity has been used for some considerable time to repair skin injuries, but ex vivo keratinocyte amplification has its limitations, and grafted skin homeostasis is not totally satisfactory. Human embryonic stem cells raise the hope that the understanding of the developmental steps leading to the generation of epidermal stem cells and the characterization of the key signaling pathways involved in skin morphogenesis (such as p63) will be translated into therapeutic benefit. Our recent results suggest the feasibility not only of identifying but also of amplifying human ES cells, early ectodermal progenitors with an intact multipotent potential that might improve the quality and functionality of grafts, provided that preclinical in vivo studies confirm our expectations from in vitro analysis. PMID- 17805577 TI - Adaptation of muscle fibre types and capillary network to acute denervation and shortlasting reinnervation. AB - We postulated that, in rat extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL), the length of capillaries per fibre surface area (Lcap/Sfib) and per fibre volume (Lcap/Vfib) could reflect fibre-type transformations accompanied by changes in oxidative metabolic profile and selective fibre-type atrophy. We excised rat EDL muscle 2 weeks after the sciatic nerve was cut (acute denervation; DEDL) and 4 weeks after the nerve was crushed (early reinnervation; REDL) and characterised muscle fibre type transformation by the expression of myosin heavy-chain isoforms and by succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and nicotinoamide adenine dinucleotide-tetrazolium reductase (NADH-TR) reactions. The numerical percentage (N/N) and area percentage (A/A) of pure and hybrid fibres and their diameter were determined, as was the A/A of SDH- and NADH-TR-positive fibres. The length of capillaries per fibre length (Lcap/Lfib), Lcap/Sfib and Lcap/Vfib were estimated in REDL and Lcap/Vfib in DEDL. In DEDL, the type 2x and 2b fibres evidently atrophied, with the N/N of type 2x fibres being lower and that of hybrid fibres higher. In REDL, the N/N of hybrid fibres was even higher, consequent to a lower N/N of type 2b fibres; however, fibre diameters approached values of the control EDL. Compared with control EDL, denervated and reinnervated muscles exhibited a higher A/A of oxidative fibres. This is probably the result of fibre-type transformation and selective fibre atrophy. We conclude that capillary length does not change during acute denervation and early reinnervation. The obtained higher values of Lcap/Sfib and Lcap/Vfib are related to changes in muscle fibre cross-sectional area. PMID- 17805578 TI - Lung stem cells. AB - The lung is a relatively quiescent tissue comprised of infrequently proliferating epithelial, endothelial, and interstitial cell populations. No classical stem cell hierarchy has yet been described for the maintenance of this essential tissue; however, after injury, a number of lung cell types are able to proliferate and reconstitute the lung epithelium. Differentiated mature epithelial cells and newly recognized local epithelial progenitors residing in specialized niches may participate in this repair process. This review summarizes recent discoveries and controversies, in the field of stem cell biology, that are not only challenging, but also advancing an understanding of lung injury and repair. Evidence supporting a role for the numerous cell types believed to contribute to lung epithelial homeostasis is reviewed, and initial studies employing cell-based therapies for lung disease are presented. As a detailed understanding of stem cell biology, lung development, lineage commitment, and epithelial differentiation emerges, an ability to modulate lung injury and repair is likely to follow. PMID- 17805579 TI - Roost selection and roost switching of female Bechstein's bats (Myotis bechsteinii) as a strategy of parasite avoidance. AB - Ectoparasites of vertebrates often spend part of their life cycle in their hosts' home. Consequently, hosts should take into account the parasite infestation of a site when selecting where to live. In a field study, we investigated whether colonial female Bechstein's bats (Myotis bechsteinii) adapt their roosting behaviour to the life cycle of the bat fly Basilia nana in order to decrease their contact with infective stages of this parasite. B. nana imagoes live permanently on the bat's body but deposit puparia in the bat's roosts. The flies metamorphose independently in the roosts, but after metamorphosis emerge only in the presence of a potential host. In a field experiment, the bats preferred non contagious to contagious day-roosts and hence were able to detect either the parasite load of roosts or some correlate with infestation, such as bat droppings. In addition, 9 years of observational data on the natural roosting behaviour of female Bechstein's bats indicate that the bats largely avoid re occupying roosts when highly contagious puparia are likely to be present as a result of previous occupations of the roosts by the bat colony. Our results indicate that the females adapted their roosting behaviour to the age-dependent contagiousness (emergence probability) of the puparia. However, some infested roosts were re-occupied, which we assume was because these roosts provided advantages to the bats (e.g. a beneficial microclimate) that outweighed the negative effects associated with bat fly infestation. We suggest that roost selection in Bechstein's bats is the outcome of a trade-off between the costs of parasite infestation and beneficial roost qualities. PMID- 17805580 TI - Online filtering of CO2 signals from a bioreactor gas outflow using a committee of constructive neural networks. AB - This work proposes a committee of Cascade Correlation neural networks as an online smoother for random measurement noise. The goals of this paper are twofold: first it intends to explore the possibilities of using a constructive neural network algorithm to learn how to filter typical noisy data from a bioreactor, CO(2) mol fractions of the effluent gas during the aerobic cultivation of Bacillus megaterium to produce the enzyme penicillin G acylase. Second, to propose a committee of such networks for achieving more realistic results, capturing the inherent trend of the process. In order to do that this paper discusses the advantages of using a constructive neural network algorithm, describes how the committee of NNs operates and evaluates its performance using real CO(2) online data obtained in laboratorial experiments. The paper also presents results obtained with classical filtering algorithms, for comparison. PMID- 17805581 TI - Bayesian analysis of the species-specific lengthening of the growing season in two European countries and the influence of an insect pest. AB - A recent lengthening of the growing season in mid and higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere is reported as a clear indicator for climate change impacts. Using data from Germany (1951-2003) and Slovenia (1961-2004), we study whether changes in the start, end, and length of the growing season differ among four deciduous broad-leaved tree species and countries, how the changes are related to temperature changes, and what might be the confounding effects of an insect attack. The functional behaviour of the phenological and climatological time series and their trends are not analysed by linear regression, but by a new Bayesian approach taking into account different models for the functional description (one change-point, linear, constant models). We find advanced leaf unfolding in both countries with the same species order (oak > horse chestnut, beech, and birch). However, this advance is non linear over time and more apparent in Germany with clear change-points in the late 1970s, followed by marked advances (on average 3.67 days decade(-1) in the 2000s). In Slovenia, we find a more gradual advance of onset dates (on average 0.8 days decade(-1) in the 2000s). Leaf colouring of birch, beech, and oak has been slightly delayed in the last 3 decades, especially in Germany, however with no clear functional behaviour. Abrupt changes in leaf colouring dates of horse chestnut with recent advancing onset dates can be linked across countries to damage by a newly emerging pest, the horse chestnut leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella). The lengthening of the growing season, more distinct in Germany than in Slovenia (on average 4.2 and 1.0 days decade(-1) in the 2000s, respectively), exhibits the same species order in both countries (oak > birch > beech). Damage by horse chestnut leaf-miner leads to reduced lengthening (Germany) and drastic shortening (Slovenia) of the horse chestnut growing season (-12 days decade(-1) in the 2000s). Advanced spring leaf unfolding and lengthening of the growing season of oak, beech and birch are highly significantly related to increasing March temperatures in both countries. Only beech and oak leaf unfolding in Germany, which is generally observed later in the year than that of the other two species, is more closely correlated with April temperatures, which comparably exhibit marked change-points at the end of the 1970s. PMID- 17805582 TI - Adjunct dipyrone in association with oral morphine for cancer-related pain: the sooner the better. AB - INTRODUCTION: Adjunct nonopioid analgesics may improve pain control in patients with cancer needing morphine or its derivates. Dipyrone is a cheap nonopioid analgesic widely used in many countries. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate, whenever morphine was started, if associating dipyrone with it would improve pain control and if this effect was time dependent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized crossover study. Thirty-four ambulatory cancer patients experiencing cancer-related pain for which oral morphine was to be started at the dose of 10 mg orally (PO) every 4 h were randomized to take either dipyrone 500 mg PO every 6 h or placebo. After 48 h, patients would be switched from dipyrone to placebo and vice versa. Pain was the primary outcome and was measured using a visual analogue scale before starting medications, at 48 and 96 h. RESULTS: We randomized 16 patients to start with placebo (group 1) and 18 with dipyrone (group 2). Pain scores for groups 1 and 2 were at baseline: 7.31 +/- 0.29 vs 6.88 +/- 0.28 (p = 0.3), at 48 h: 7.06 +/- 0.32 vs 5.5 +/- 0.31 (p = 0.001), and at 96 h: 3.18 +/- 0.39 vs 1.94 +/- 0.37 (p = 0.03). Both groups had significant improvements in pain scores after introducing dipyrone (p < 0.001, for both). Main toxicities were nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, and myalgias. Twenty-eight patients chose dipyrone, four placebo, and two were indifferent. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that dipyrone adds significantly to the analgesic effect of morphine and, when given at the time of starting morphine, results in better pain scores even after dipyrone is discontinued. PMID- 17805583 TI - On the perils of mycorrhizal status lists: the case of Buddleja davidii. AB - One observation in a mycorrhizal check-list that Buddleja davidii is nonmycorrhizal has been perpetuated in subsequent citations and used in a number of analyses of mycorrhizal ecology and evolution. Direct observation of B. davidii from New Zealand and the UK shows extensive arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal structures inside B. davidii roots. The suggestion that B. davidii is nonmycorrhizal is therefore not supported. The use of mycorrhizal checklists for analysis of plant traits and evolution needs to be undertaken with care to ensure the validity of underlying data. PMID- 17805584 TI - Prognosis of subacute low back pain patients according to pain response. AB - Centralization of referred pain or failure to centralize has in earlier studies been shown to be a predictor of low back pain prognosis. Research suggests that there are differences in how males and females experience pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome after 1 year, and to evaluate the prognostic value of the pain response in a mechanical test at the first consultation at a spine clinic, and the influence of gender, in order to identify patients with especially high risk of chronicity. The patients in this study were low back pain patients, included consecutively from a spine clinic in Northern Denmark. The criteria for entering this spine clinic were neck or low back pain with radiating symptoms and a duration of 4-26 weeks, without satisfactory improvement after treatment in the primary care system. The 793 patients were categorised into four subgroups according to their pain response in a mechanical test performed at the initial examination: centralization, non-lasting centralization, peripheralization and no effect. The patients were instructed in doing specific exercises according to the test results. The four subgroups were compared after 1 year with regard to changes in back and leg pain, disability and return-to-work status. The statistical evaluation was undertaken for the study group as a whole and stratified according to gender. A significant improvement in all outcome measures was found in all the subgroups, among both men and women. There were no systematic or statistically significant differences in the prognosis between the four subgroups of patients. The proportion of Centralizers in this study was 18%. The mechanical test at baseline is important for deciding the subject-specific exercises, but when treated according to test results, the prognostic value of the test seems limited. PMID- 17805585 TI - Action mechanism of bis(allixinato)oxovanadium(IV) as a novel potent insulin mimetic complex: regulation of GLUT4 translocation and FoxO1 transcription factor. AB - Bis(allixinato)oxovanadium(IV), VO(alx)(2) (alx is 3-hydroxy-5-methoxy-6-methyl-2 pentyl-4-pyrone), has been reported to act as an antidiabetic agent in streptozotocin-induced type-1-like and obesity-linked KKA(y) type 2 diabetic model mice. VO(alx)(2) is also proposed as a candidate agent for treating metabolic syndromes in animals. However, its functional mechanism is yet to be clarified. In this study, we examined whether VO(alx)(2) contributes to both the activation of the insulin signaling cascade that activates glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation and the regulation of the forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) transcription factor that controls the gene transcription of gluconeogenesis genes. The following three important results were obtained: (1) intracellular vanadium concentration in 3T3-L1 adipocytes is higher after treatment with VO(alx)(2) than with VOSO(4); (2) VO(alx)(2) stimulates the translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane following activation of the tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor beta-subunit (IRbeta) and insulin receptor substrate (IRS) as well as Akt kinase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; and (3) the mechanism of inhibition of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) catalytic subunit gene expression by vanadium is due to disruption of FoxO1 binding with the G6Pase promoter, which indicates that FoxO1 is phosphorylated by VO(alx)(2)-stimulated Akt in HepG2 cells. On the basis of these results, we propose that the critical functions of VO(alx)(2) involve the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt signaling through the enhancement of tyrosine phosphorylation of IRbeta and IRS, which in turn transmits the signal to activate GLUT4 translocation, and the regulation of the DNA binding activity of the FoxO1 transcription factor. PMID- 17805586 TI - Studying the structural properties of polyalanine and polyglutamine peptides. AB - Poly-(Ala) and poly-(Gln) peptides have important biological effects, and can cause various human illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases. Conformational analysis of these homo-oligopeptides (HOPs) was carried out by simulated annealing in order to identify their structural properties regarding secondary structures and intramolecular H-bonding patterns. Poly-(Ala) and poly-(Gln) peptides composed of 7, 10, 14 or 20 amino acids were modelled in both charged and terminally blocked forms. In the case of conformers derived from simulated annealing calculations, the presence of various secondary structural elements (different types of beta-turns, alpha-helix, 3(10)-helix, poly-proline II helix, parallel and antiparallel beta-strands) was investigated. Moreover, the intramolecular H-bonding patterns formed either between the backbone atoms for both HOPs or between the backbone and side-chain atoms for the poly-(Gln) peptides were examined. Our results showed that different secondary structural elements (type I and type III beta-turns, alpha-helix, 3(10)-helix, antiparallel beta-strand) could be observed in both poly-(Ala) and poly-(Gln) peptides and, according to their presence, characteristic H-bonding patterns formed mainly by i<--i+3 and i<--i+4 H-bonds could be found. PMID- 17805587 TI - The molecular genetics and neuropathology of frontotemporal lobar degeneration: recent developments. AB - The past year has seen a number of significant advances in our understanding of the neuropathological and molecular genetic basis of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Whereas, in the past, most attention focused on FTLD associated with tau-based pathology and microtubule associated protein tau gene (MAPT) mutations, there has recently been greater attention paid to non-tau FTLD. FTLD with tau-negative, ubiquitinated inclusions (FTLD-U) is now recognized as the most common pathology associated with clinical FTLD. Mutations in the progranulin gene (PGRN) have been identified as the cause of FTLD-U linked to chromosome 17. A rapidly growing number of PGRN mutations have been identified, and to date, all appear to cause FTLD by reducing the amount of functional PGRN protein (haploinsufficiency). The neuropathology associated with each of the known non-MAPT FTLD genes and loci (PGRN, valosin-containing protein gene, CHMP2B and 9p), has been shown to be a specific subtype of FTLD-U. The ubiquitinated pathological protein in FTLD-U has been identified as TAR deoxyribonucleic acid binding protein with M (r) 43 kDa (TDP-43). Immunohistochemical and biochemical studies of TDP-43 have helped to clarify the relationship between different sub types of FTLD-U and related conditions. It is anticipated that these discoveries will facilitate the development of new diagnostic tests and therapeutics. PMID- 17805588 TI - Evidence of shared risk for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease using family history. AB - This case-control study examined the potential for a common etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) using reported family history. Structured interviews were used to collect AD and PD family history from subjects (n = 1,531) with AD, PD, AD/PD, or controls. Intergroup analysis compared reported AD and PD family histories in the three case groups to the histories reported in the control group. Intragroup analysis stratified each diagnostic group based on positive family history of AD, then compared the subgroups for a family history of PD. Subjects with AD had a higher risk of having a family history of AD [odds ratio (OR) 2.3; 1.5-3.4] and subjects with PD had a higher risk of having a family history of PD (OR 2.2; 1.2-4.0) as compared to control subjects. Intergroup analyses revealed no significant crossed risk, increased risk of subjects with AD having a family history of PD vs controls and vice versa. Intragroup analysis found that subjects with PD and a family history of AD were more likely to have a family history of PD (OR 1.7; 1.1-2.6) when compared to subjects with PD and no family history of AD. A similar trend was found for subjects with AD (OR 1.7; 0.9-3.1). AD and PD cases each have an increased familial risk of their respective disease. Probands with AD or PD and a family history of either disease have a higher crossed risk of a family history of the other disease. These findings suggest the existence of common genetic and/or environmental factors that predispose to both AD and PD in the subset of cases with positive family history of both neurodegenerative diseases. PMID- 17805589 TI - Candida parapsilosis endocarditis: a comparative review of the literature. AB - Fungal endocarditis (FE) is an uncommon disease, and while accounting for only 1.3-6% of all cases of infectious endocarditis, it carries a high mortality risk. Although Candida albicans represents the main etiology of FE, C. parapsilosis is the most common non-albicans species. We report the case of a 32-year-old man with a history of prior intravenous drug (IVD) use hospitalized with endocarditis due to C. parapsilosis and review all 71 additional cases documented in the literature. A retrospective analysis of the 72 C. parapsilosis cases compared to 52 recently reviewed cases of C. albicans endocarditis was conducted to identify organism-specific clinical peculiarities. The most common predisposing factor for C. parapsilosis endocarditis (41/72; 57.4%) involved prosthetic valves followed by IVD use (12/72; 20%). Peripheral embolic and/or hemorrhagic events occurred in 28/64 (43.8%) patients, mostly in cerebral and lower limb territories. Overall mortality was 41.7%. Combined surgical and clinical treatment was associated with a lower mortality. Few patients received the newer antifungal agents, and it would appear that more experience is required for their use in the treatment of C. parapsilosis endocarditis. PMID- 17805590 TI - Chemical composition of the wax secreted by a scale insect (Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Green). AB - The wax material in the secretion of a scale insect,Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Green was analyzed chemically with special interest to the composition of higher fatty acids and higher alcohols. The wax consists of 34.2% fatty acids, 27.1% unsaponifiable matter and 29.5% resin acids. The fatty acids were found to be a complex mixture of 15 normal acids ranging from C(8) to C(32). Of these, octacosanoic, triacontanoic and dotriacontanoic acids comprise over 30% of the wax. Presence of relatively large amount of unsaturated fatty acids of the C(18) series (2.8% of the wax) is of particular interest.From the unsaponifiable fraction, only one saturated straight chain aleohol, bexacosanol, was detected (2.7% of the original wax). The other unsaponifiable matter was considered to be cyclic or branched carbon chain, and consisted of at least 12 to 20 compounds. The resin acid fraction was also found to be a complex mixture of at least 13 to 14 components. PMID- 17805591 TI - Thetrans-3-enoic acids ofGrindelia oxylepis seed oil. AB - trans-3-Hexadecenoic acid (14%) and the previously unreportedtrans-3-octadecenoic acid (2%) have been identified in seed oil ofGrindelia oxylepis Greene, Compositae. Evidence was also found for the existence of other acids withtrans-3 unsaturation. PMID- 17805592 TI - Low temperature direct methylation of lipids in biological materials. AB - The procedure for low temperature methylation of fatty acids in lipids by sulfuric acid-methanol has been adapted to direct methylation of fatty acids of lipids in biological materials without prior extraction of the lipids. Successful application requires a solution or a suspension of fine particles of the lipid bearing material in ether. Concentrated sulfuric acid is added to the solution or suspension at low temperatures followed by addition of absolute methanol. The acid is neutralized by methanolic KOH and the esters extracted. Application of the method to prepare methyl esters of lipids in cream, blood serum, swine liver and kidney tissue, and cells of yeast onStaphylococcus aureus show that fatty acid composition based on this method compares with that determined by methylation of extracted lipids. PMID- 17805593 TI - Lipoprotein synthesis. I. rat plasma lipoprotein composition and synthesis from radioactive precursors. AB - The in vivo synthesis of rat plasma lipoproteins was studied by the use of isotopic protein and lipid precursors. Labelled amino acids, palmitic acid and tripalmitin were administered by stomach tube and the radioactivity in the plasma lipoproteins was determined following preparative ultracentrifugal isolation at densities of 1.006, 1.019, 1.063 and 1.21 g/ml.In response to triglyceride feeding, amino acid composition of the high density lipoprotein changed little, but in the low density lipoproteins proportionality in the amino acid pattern was changed as reflected by increases and decreases in certain amino acids.Isotopic amino acids were not incorporated in proportion to the relative abundance with which they occurred in the lipoproteins. Triglyceride feeding markedly stimulated isotope utilization, especially in the low density fractions. Methionine, though only present in small amounts, was extensively utilized and it is suggested that this amino acid may play a significant role in the synthesis of lipoproteins, other than the role of a methyl donor for phosphatidylcholine. PMID- 17805594 TI - The occurrence of methyl methoxystearate isomers in the methyl esters prepared from sheep perinephric fat. AB - A fraction has been isolated from sheep perinephric fat and identified by techniques which included mass and infrared spectrometry, as a mixture of the 8 to 14-methoxyoctadecanoic acid isomers. It is postulated that these isomers are artifacts produced by rigorous esterification with methanol and concentrated H(2)SO(4) of a large sample of sheep perinephric fatty acids which are presumed to have contained trace amounts of constituent hydroxy fatty acids. It is estimated that these methoxystearic acid isomers represented approximately 0.08% of the total weight of fatty acids. PMID- 17805595 TI - Effect of isoessential fatty acid lipids from animal and plant sources on cholesterol levels in mature male rats. AB - Isopolyunsaturated lipids isolated from plant and animal sources were included in the diets of mature male rats. Liver and blood serum cholesterol lowering effects were noted only in the lipid from the vegetable source. The authors suggest that the cholesterol lowering effect of vegetable oils is associated with the generally betaunsaturated triglycerides found therein. PMID- 17805596 TI - Compositional variation in seed oils of theCrepis genus. AB - Seed oils from eight species of the genusCrepis (family Compositae) fall into three groups differing in chemical composition. Besides conventional fatty acids the oils contain either vernolic acid (47-68%), crepenynic (36-65%), or both (18 35% vernolic and 7-11% crepenynic). Within any one section of the genus, the oils are chemically similar, among the limited groups of samples examined. PMID- 17805597 TI - Metabolism of alpha-alkoxy glyceryl monoethers in rat liver, in vivo and in vitro. AB - An investigation of the metabolism of(14)C and(3)H labeled alpha-isomers of C(16) and C(18) alkoxy monoethers, administered intravenously and added to liver slices, showed extensive cleavage of the ether bond in rat liver. Approximately 99% cleavage of the C(16ratio0) ether bond and approximately 94% cleavage of the C(18ratio0) ether bond occurred in rat liver within 6 hours after intravenous injection. With doubly labeled chimyl alcohol ((3)H and(14)C), acetylation and subsequent acetolysis demonstrated that less than 0.92% of the phosphatides and less than 1.52% of total lipid radioactivity were in the form of alkoxy ethers. Long-chain fatty alcohols and fatty acids were the principal products of the ether cleavage in the liver. The relative rate of(14)C incorporation from chimyl alcohol and batyl alcohol into triglycerides and phospholipids, respectively, demonstrates that the palmitic (from chimyl alcohol) and stearic (from batyl alcohol) acids formed after cleavage enter the free fatty acid pool. The liver contained most of the radioactive label in the lecithin and cephalin of the microsomal fraction. Incubation of the labeled batyl or chimyl alcohols with liver slices resulted in the same products as in the in vivo experiments. Less than 1.4% of the C(16) and C(18) alkoxy ethers was oxidized to(14)CO(2) during a 3-hour incubation. In view of the extensive cleavage of the ether bond by liver, the hemopoietic and radioprotective activities reported for the alkoxy ethers should be reevaluated in terms of their metabolic products. PMID- 17805598 TI - Identification and distribution of epoxyacyl groups in new, natural epoxy oils. AB - New high-epoxy vegetable oils from nine species representing three plant families and four genera have been investigated. The epoxyacyl moiety in at least one oil from each genus was characterized and shown to be the (+)-vernoloyl (cis-12,13 epoxy-cis-9-octadecenoyl) group. Intraglyceride distribution studies revealed a general preference of the (+)-vernoloyl groups for the beta-position of triglyceride molecules. Interglyceride distribution of (+)-vernoloyl groups was studied in three oils and found not to agree with predictions based on either 1,2,3-random or 1,3-random-2-random distribution. A striking exception to the general intraglyceride distribution pattern was discovered in the monoepoxy triglyceride fraction fromEuphorbia lagascae seed oil. PMID- 17805599 TI - Isomeric monoethylenic fatty acids in herring oil. AB - Monoethylenic fatty acids from herring oil were concentrated by chromatography by chromatography on silver nitratesilicic acid columns. Examination of consecutive fractions by open tubular gas chromatography confirmed the preferential elution of longer chain length esters and of esters within one chain length with the double bond closer to the terminal methyl group. Isomeric monoethylenic fatty acids with double bonds in the positions closer to the carboxyl group than the approximate midpoint of the even-numbered fatty acid chains could not be adequately separated by gas chromatography and were determined by ozonolysis. The isomers observed are consistent with primary formation from saturated acids through the action of an enzyme specifically removing hydrogen atoms in positions Delta(9) and Delta(10) relative to the carboxyl group. Chain extension of particular monoethylenic isomers by two carbon atoms in the C(20) and longer chain lengths is apparently influenced by the position of the double bond. PMID- 17805600 TI - Interconversion of fatty aldehydes and dimethyl acetals at low temperatures. AB - Facile procedures are described for nearly quantitative conversion of saturated and unsaturated fatty aldehydes to their dimethyl acetals, and vice versa, at low temperatures. The methods are based on the chemical behavior of aldehydes and dimethyl acetals in 100% sulfuric acid. Under the experimental conditions described, no side reactions seemed to occur. The purity of the aldehydes and dimethyl acetals was ascertained by thin-layer chromatography, infrared spectra and other techniques. PMID- 17805601 TI - Thermal reactions of methyl linoleate. I. Heating conditions, isolation techniques, biological studies and chemical changes. AB - Methyl linoleate, diluted with an equal weight of methyl laurate, was heated without exclusion of air at 200C for 200 hours. The reaction mixture was separated by means of molecular distillation, urea adduction, column chromatography, and gas chromatography. Cyclic and aromatic materials were detected in the nonurea adductable monomer fractions. The dimer was separated into polar and nonpolar fractions. Analytical data for the nonpolar dimer are consistent with a cyclic Diels-Alder product. Bioassays showed the nonadductable monomer, the polar dimer, and a fraction of intermediate boiling point to be toxic when administered to weanling male rats. Urea-adductable fractions, nonpolar dimer, and polymer were not toxic. The concentrations of the toxic components were so low that the heated linoleate, before fractionation but after removal of the laurate, was not toxic. PMID- 17805602 TI - Thermal reactions of methyl linoleate. II. The structure of aromatic C18 methyl esters. AB - This second report describes the characterization of C(18) aromatic esters from the heated linoleate and the independent synthesis of two of them. The esters were isolated by a combination of molecular distillation, urea adduction, column chromatography, and gas chromatography. They were characterized by infrared, ultraviolet, NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The analytical data for the isolated esters were compared with the data for the synthetic esters, methyl 11-(2' methylphenyl) undecanoate, methyl 7-(2'-pentylphenyl) heptanoate, and methyl 8 (2'-butylphenyl) octanoate. The latter two compounds were found to be components of the aromatic fraction isolated from heated linoleate, and their synthesis is deseribed in detail. PMID- 17805603 TI - Thermal reactions of methyl linoleate. III. Characterization of C18 cyclic esters. AB - This third paper presents the isolation and characterization of nonaromatic cyclic monomers formed from the heated linoleate. The esters were isolated by a series of column chromatographic separations, followed by repeated gas chromatography to obtain fractions containing C(18) cyclic esters. Characterization of the esters was achieved by use of infrared, NMR, mass spectroscopy, and standard chemical analyses. Also characterized were the isomers found in a complex mixture of cyclic monomers which had been partially separated by column chromatography. Use of both physical and chemical methods of analyses permitted characterization of the mixture of isomers without their having been separated from each other. PMID- 17805604 TI - Cholesterol ester in degenerating nerve: Origin of cholesterol moiety. PMID- 17805605 TI - Preparation of pure methyl esters by counter double current distribution. AB - Counter double current distribution with continuous stills for solvent and product recovery and an acetonitrile-hexane solvent system is a convenient method for preparative isolation of individual fatty methyl esters. Preparations of pure methyl linoleate from safflower esters and a methyl arachidonate concentrate from hog liver lipids are described. PMID- 17805606 TI - A simple, rapid micromethod for the determination of the structure of unsaturated fatty acids via ozonolysis. AB - A micromethod for the localization of double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids via ozonolysis employing pyrolytic cleavage of ozonides in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst is described. Cleavage of the ozonides is carried out in a gasliquid chromatographie instrument in a small glass tube, containing the catalyst, inserted in the top of the column opposite the in input heaters at 225C. Ozonides of methyl esters of straight chain unsaturated fatty acids are cleaved through the action of the catalyst to aldehyde fragments which are swept simultaneously into the column for analysis.The double bond positions are deduced from the chain length of the fragments. The method is demonstrated on methyl oleate, linoleate, linolenate and arachidonate. PMID- 17805607 TI - Metabolism of(14)C-labelled oleic acid, erucic acid and nervonic acid in rats. AB - 1-(14)C-Oleic acid, 2-(14)C-erucic acid and 2-(14)C-nervonic acid were administered to rats by tail-vein and the distribution of radioactivity in liver lipids was determined at intervals from 15 min to 6 hr after injection. High levels of activity were found after short time intervals which were mainly associated with triglycerides in the case of oleic acid and with free fatty acids in the case of erucic acid and nervonic acid. The activity in these lipids decreased with time and was later exceeded by that in more polar lipids. In rats given erucic acid or nervonic acid, sphingolipids were more highly labelled than glycerophosphatides. Nervonic acid showed little tendency to form a complex with serum albumin and erucic acid complexed less readily than palmitic acid. PMID- 17805608 TI - Mass spectrometry of lipids. I. Cyclopropane fatty acid esters. AB - A method was developed for the almost quantitative conversion of unsaturated esters (from monoenes to tetraenes) to cyclopropanes using diiodomethane and a highly active zinc-copper couple. These derivatives are sufficiently volatile for GLC analysis andcis andtrans isomers can be distinguished by this technique. Equivalent chain lengths of the cyclopropane derivatives were measured on polar and nonpolar phases. The mass spectra of the monocyclopropane compounds are very similar to those of the parent unsaturated esters. Those of dicyclopropanes, however, are quite distinctive so that the original structure of the ester can be deduced. Polycyclopropanes give complex spectra which are difficult to interpret in terms of the position of the original double bonds. PMID- 17805609 TI - Reactions of dimethyl sulfoxide with sulfonate esters of fatty alcohols. I. Synthesis of higher saturated and unsaturated fatty aldehydes. AB - Long-chain saturated fatty aldehydes (C(10) to C(18)), as well as the C(18) unsaturated aldehydes (oleyl, linoleyl, and linolenyl), were synthesized in good yields by the selective oxidation of the sulfonate esters of the corresponding alcohols with dimethyl sulfoxide in the presence of sodium bicarbonate. Chromatographic procedures for the isolation of the pure aldehydes from the reaction mixtures are described. The purity of the aldehydes was ascertained by thin-layer chromatography, melting points of their 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazones, infrared spectra and other physical methods. PMID- 17805610 TI - The structure of the glycerides of ergot oils. AB - The oils from sclerotia or from suitable mycelial cultures ofClaviceps purpurea (ergot) contain up to 44% of ricinoleic acid but no free hydroxyl groups. This is due to the presence of, besides normal triglycerides, tetra-acid, penta-acid and hexa-acid triglycerides. These contain respectively one, two and three ricinoleic acids esterified to glycerol, these in turn being acylated at their hydroxy groups with normal long-chain fatty acids. By suitable complementary use of TLC, GLC and lipase hydrolysis techniques, the proportions, compositions and structures of these novel triglyceride classes were determined. Four types of positional specificities in fatty acid combinations could be shown by our procedures. These are discussed and, on the basis of our results, some tentative proposals as to possible biosynthetic mechanisms are advanced. PMID- 17805611 TI - Fatty acid distribution in the bovine pre- and postpartum testis. AB - Testes from fetuses, calves, bulls and recently castrated animals were analyzed for total lipids, lecithin, cephalin, triglycerides, diglycerides, cholesteryl esters and cholesterol. Total lipids increase somewhat with age, but in the castrated animal the increase is more marked. Phospholipid content increases with age, but decreases in the castrated animal. Cholesterol decreases and triglyceride increases after birth and in the castrated animal. Polyunsaturated acids increase with age in all lipid classes. Eicosatrienoic acid is more abundant in fetal testicular lipids than in testes removed after birth. In the castrated testis there is a general decrease in the unsaturated fatty acids. Acids of the omega6 family are the predominant polyunsaturated acids and increase somewhat with age in all lipids. The omega3 family of polyunsaturated acids appears mostly toward the end of fetal life and increases after birth. Acids of the linoleate family reach approximately 25% of total acids in most lipid classes at maturity whereas the omega3 acids range from 1 to 9%. PMID- 17805612 TI - Fractionation of triglyceride mixtures by preparative gas chromatography. AB - A semiautomatic system is described for gas-chromatographic separation and recovery of triglycerides of uniform molecular weight in milligram quantities. It employs an Aerograph Autoprep 700 (Wilkens Instrument and Research Inc.) equipped with a stream splitter and a hydrogen flame ionization detector. The column is an aluminum or stainless steel tube (1/4 in. O.D.x2 ft) and contains silanized Chromosorb W (60-80 mesh) coated with 5% (w/w) JXR or SE-30. Five to ten milligrams of mixed triglyceride are injected at a time and the temperature is programmed exponentially from 150 to 350C. With split ratios of 1ratio5 to 1ratio10 collections of 20 to 50 mg of each peak can be made with some 10 to 20 injections. PMID- 17805613 TI - A comparative study of the phospholipids and fatty acids of some insects. AB - Phospholipids of 27 species of insects representing 6 orders and 20 families were examined by DEAE cellulose column chromatography to determine the choline/ethanolamine phosphoglyceride ratios, and by gas chromatography to determine the constituent fatty acids.The phosphorus in the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides accounted for approximately 50% of the total lipid phosphorus in aphids (Homoptera) and in all but one family of Diptera (flies) examined while the phosphorus in the choline phosphoglycerides accounted for only about 25%. Ethanolamine and choline phosphoglycerides were present in approximately equal proportions in one family of Diptera and in the Coleoptera (beetles) examined. In the other insects examined choline phosphoglycerides predominated, ethanolamine phosphoglycerides comprising only about 25-30% of total lipid phosphorus as they do in most mammalian tissues.Diptera in which ethanolamine phosphoglycerides were the major phosphatides were also characterized by high proportions of fatty acids less than 18 carbons long, particularly palmitoleic acid, in the neutral lipids. Aphids are characterized by a preponderance of 14-carbon fatty acids. The evidence suggests that predominance of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides is associated with a preponderance of shorter chain fatty acids in the neutral lipids.Differences also exist between Diptera and other insects in the fatty acid compositions of different phosphatides, particularly with respect to the distribution of 18-carbon acids. The compositions observed in insects that contained large amounts of the choline phosphoglycerides are similar to those found in vertebrates. Similarities in fatty acid composition of the choline phosphoglycerides in such widely divergent organisms suggest that the fatty acids may play a greater role in phospholipid function than has heretofore been demonstrated. PMID- 17805614 TI - Gas-liquid chromatography of triglycerides from erucic acid oils and fish oils. AB - By critically selecting optimum operating conditions, quantitative gas-liquid chromatography of triglycerides has been extended to molecules containing substantial amounts of C(20), C(22), and C(24) fatty acids. The triglycerides of four erucic acid oils (water cress, rapessed, nasturtium, andLunaria annua) and two fully hydrogenated fish oils (menhaden and tuna) have been quantitatively analyzed by this technique. The average fatty acid chain length calculated from the triglyceride composition of each oil agreed closely with that determined by GLC of its respective methyl esters. Several conclusions about the triglyceride composition of the fats analyzed are discussed. PMID- 17805615 TI - Preparation of sulfate esters. AB - This communication reports a new method for the synthesis of sulfate esters, in good yield, under mild conditions. Sulfuric acid reacts with an alcohol and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in a polar solvent to produce sulfate esters. PMID- 17805616 TI - A comparison of acyltransferase activities in vitro with the distribution of fatty acids in lecithins and triglycerides in vivo. AB - The location and configuration of a double bond in a fatty acid influences the rate of its acyltransferase-catalyzed esterification to form lecithin and its distribution in vivo between the primary and secondary positions of triglycerides and lecithins.Saturated acids of shorter chain length are transferred at rates similar to the long chain unsaturated acids.The positional distributions of acids in the diglyceride units of liver triglycerides appear to be similar to that found in the lecithins.Acyltransferase activities measured in vitro have a considerable predictive value in terms of the ultimate distribution of fatty acids in glycerolipids in vivo. PMID- 17805617 TI - Quantitative recovery of short chain free fatty acids after gas chromatography. PMID- 17805618 TI - Quantitative separation of methyl 9-hydroxystearate from methyl 13 hydroxystearate by column chromatography on Silica gel. PMID- 17805619 TI - Cis-2-octenoic acid administration and essential fatty acid synthesis. PMID- 17805620 TI - Acyl migration in the conversion of lecithin to 1,2-diglyceride acetates by acetolysis. PMID- 17805621 TI - Isolation of methylcis-15-octadecenoate by chromatography on a silver-treated macroreticular exchange resin. PMID- 17805622 TI - Lipid synthesis in peripheral nerve from alloxan diabetic rats. AB - Decreased conduction velocity in the peripheral nerves of rats is noted after induction of diabetes. The slowing of nerve conduction is accompanied by a decrease in the in vitro incorporation of radioactive precursors into some of the myelin lipids isolated from nerve segments. Cerebroside synthesis is more depressed than that of any other fraction. A change in the type of cerebrosides synthesized is seen with a pronounced decrease in the rate of incorporation of saturated fatty acids. PMID- 17805623 TI - The synthesis of(14)C- and (3)H-labeled glycerol ethers. AB - The racemic(14)C-and(3)H-labeled alpha and beta derivatives of octadecyl glycerol ether (batyl alcohol) and of hexadecyl glycerol ether (chimyl alcohol) of high specific activity were synthesized by treating the appropriate alkyl halides with a large excess of the potassium salts of isopropylidene or benzylidene glycerol. By use of the trifluoroacetic anhydride esterification procedure, the labeled diesters of alpha and beta octadecyl and hexadecyl glycerol ethers were prepared. The labeled monoesters of beta octadecyl and of beta hexadecyl glycerol ethers were isolated from the reaction mixtures by silicic acid column chromatography. PMID- 17805624 TI - Pyrolysis chromatography of lipids. I. Mass spectrometric identification of pyrolysis products of hydrocarbons. AB - The products of pyrolysis at 600C of normal paraffins C(10)-C(18), 2-methyl octadecane, 4-methyl octadecane, 6-methyl octadecane, cyclohexyl decane, cyclopentyl decane, 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethyl nonane, pristane and phytane were studied by means of a pyrolysis gas chromatograph directly coupled to a mass spectrometer. n-Paraffins yield a homologous series of n-olefins. Branched paraffins yield two homologous series, one of n-olefins and one of branched olefins. The n-olefin corresponding to the position of the branch is not formed. Interpretation of pyrolograms is similar in principle to the interpretation of mass spectra. PMID- 17805625 TI - Effect of diet handling on nutritional studies with used frying fats. AB - A four-week experiment to study the significance of careful diet handling was carried out with weanling rats fed purified rations containing 15% of various fats. Fresh soybean oil was the fat in the control diet and the other fats, which had been used to prepare food by a commercial-type deep-frying operation, were soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil with iodine value (I.V.) 70, partially hydrogenated soybean oil with I.V. 108, and cotton-seed oil. A purified diet was fed ad libitum.Treatment of the dietary groups in regard to preparation and handling of the rations proved to be highly significant. That is, as opposed to weekly mixing and twice weekly feeding of the diets, daily preparation and feeding along with the use of antioxidants and refrigeration of the ingredients resulted in a much superior growth rate and a higher efficiency of feed conversion. Since this very significant response became apparent in less than four weeks, the importance of careful handling to minimize secondary effects within the diet must be emphasized. The fresh soybean oil control, and all of the used frying fats gave similar results. PMID- 17805626 TI - Phospholipase a properties of several snake venom preparations. AB - The hydrolytic properties of the venoms of seven species of snakes,Crotalus adamanteus, Ancistrodon contortrix, Naja naja, Bothrops atrox, Ophiophagus hannah, Crotalus atrox andVipera russeli, were studied with purified lecithins and mixtures of lecithins of known fatty acid and class composition as substrates.The relative rates of hydrolysis of the fatty acids by the above venoms were studied by analysis of the products of the reaction at intervals during the course of the reaction. Of the seven venoms studied, that ofOphiophagus hannah was the only one which did not give some degree of preferential rate of hydrolysis of individual fatty acids.In general, saturated fatty acids were liberated faster than unsaturated fatty acids; differences in the rates of the hydrolysis of individual saturate and unsaturated fatty acids were also observed. Individual classes of lecithin were also hydrolyzed at different rates. For the determination of the distribution of the fatty acids between the alpha- and beta-position of lecithin, the reaction should be carried to completion. If the reaction requires a prolonged time to go to completion, it should be carried out under nitrogen to prevent autoxidation. PMID- 17805627 TI - Stereochemistry of alpha-parinaric acid fromImpatiens edgeworthii seed oil. AB - alpha-Parinaric acid is a major constituent fatty acid (48%) fromImpatiens edgeworthii Hook F. seed oil. Partial hydrazine reduction of the tetraene gave products which permit defining the stereochemistry of alpha-parinaric acid. Its structure iscis-9,trans-11,trans-13,cis-15-octadecatetraenoic acid. The tetraene readily reacts with maleic anhydride to give the Diels-Alder product with notrans unsaturation. The formation of this adduct is contrary to previous reports. PMID- 17805628 TI - Keto fatty acids formCuspidaria pterocarpa seed oil. AB - The seed oil ofCuspidaria pterocarpa contains three keto fatty acids with unusually long carbon chains: 15-oxo-cis-18-tetracosenoic (5.4%), 17-oxo-cis-20 hexacosenoic (13.4%), and 19-oxo-cis-22-octacosenoic (3.3%) acids. These acids were isolated by countercurrent distribution of the corresponding methyl esters. Their structures were established by oxidative degradation, by reduction to known compounds, and by nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectra. PMID- 17805629 TI - Isolation and characterization of glycerides in human hair lipids by thin-layer and gas chromatography. AB - Techniques for the quantitative analysis of hair lipids using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) together with a proximate analysis of components in one sample deduced by these criteria are presented. Mono-, di- and triglycerides were separated by TLC using Silica Gel G as adsorbent. The chromatoplates were developed with 98% acetone+2% petroleum ether. Glycerides moved with the solvent front. The requisite portions were scraped off the plates and extracted with acetone and ether. Further TLC, limiting the migration of triglycerides and diglycerides was afforded by use of 95% ethanol as solvent in one direction while monoglycerides moved with the solvent front. For the separation of monoglycerides, chloroform was used as solvent in a second direction. Reference standards and several mixtures were run simultaneously and the spots identified by charring with concentrated sulfuric acid containing dichromate. Additional checking was effected by IR spectra. For determination of glyceride composition, methyl esters of the component fatty acids were prepared by transesterification and submitted to gas chromatography. Comparison of the levels of each of the constituent fatty acids showed no remarkable differences between the three classes of glycerides in one hair lipid pool. Although certain discrepancies in the amounts of a few fatty acid components might be construed for one pool of lipids from hair of white full-headed men (WF-9A) in contrast to findings with two Negro pools, no unequivocal conclusions can be drawn presently. PMID- 17805630 TI - An ethanolamine plasmalogen artifact formed by acetone extraction of freeze-dried tissue. AB - Extraction of freeze-dried tissues by acetone results in the in vitro production of an acetone derivative (imine) of the ethanolamine phosphatides. Some of the properties of the acetone imine of ethanolamine plasmalogen are discussed. PMID- 17805631 TI - Quinones and quinols as inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. AB - The influence of biological quinonoid compounds upon oxidative polymerization of lipids has been compared with that of simple quinones and antioxidants. A new procedure for the accelerated production and measurement of oxidative polymerization was used for this comparison. The biological quinones were found to be relatively ineffective as retarders of oxidative polymerization. Heme catalyzed lipid peroxidation, as measured by oxygen uptake, was inhibited by ubiquinone and ubiquinol, both having about one fourth of the antioxidant capacity ofa-tocopherol. The peroxidation of mitochondrial lipid in vitro was inhibited by the presence of exogenous ubiquinone indicating that this compound may contribute towards the protection of the organelle in vivo. PMID- 17805632 TI - Altered partition of serum cholesterol and cholesteryl ester in a petroleum ether ethanol-water system after incubation. PMID- 17805633 TI - Optically active aceto-triglycerides of oil fromEuonymus verrucosus seed. PMID- 17805634 TI - The hydrolysis of long chain trisaturated triglycerides by pancreatic lipase. PMID- 17805635 TI - Column chromatography of lipids containing hydroxy fatty acids. PMID- 17805636 TI - Investigation of the glyceride structure ofCardamine impatiens L. seed oil. PMID- 17805637 TI - Phosphonolipids. VII. Synthesis of phosphonic acid analogues of diether L-alpha Lecithins. PMID- 17805638 TI - An improved tank for development of preparative thin-layer chromatograms. PMID- 17805639 TI - Mechanism of lipoxidase reaction: Origin of the oxygen incorporated into linoleate hydroperoxide. PMID- 17805640 TI - Comments on the analysis of some triacid triglyceride mixtures. PMID- 17805641 TI - A solved problem of triglyceride analysis. PMID- 17805642 TI - The cholesterol complex in the myelin membrane. PMID- 17805643 TI - Mass spectrometry of lipids. II. Monoglycerides, their diacetyl derivatives and their trimethylsilyl ethers. AB - The mass spectra of 1- and 2-monoglycerides, their diacetyl derivatives and their trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether derivatives were recorded at high (80 eV) and low (6 13 eV) voltages. The fatty acid components of these derivatives included the even numbered saturated acids from capric to arachidic acid plus oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. Differences between isomeric 1- and 2-monoglycerides were not sufficient to provide a basis for the analysis of these isomers. Mass spectra of the monoglycerides were very similar to the corresponding methyl esters. Mass spectra of the diacetyl derivatives were qualitatively similar to triglycerides of long-chain fatty acids, but parent ions were not observed. The spectra of diacetyl derivatives may be used for distinguishing 1- and 2-monoglycerides, but the spectra of the TMS ethers are better in this regard. The latter derivatives have fragmentation patterns distinct for the 1- and 2-monoglyceride isomers, particularly at low electron voltages. PMID- 17805644 TI - An unidentified lipid prevalent in tumors. AB - An unidentified lipid was found in five different tumor sources. It was not found in liver, bone marrow or plasma from tumor-bearing animals, nor in the extracellular fluid supporting growth of Ehrlich ascites cells. The polarity of the unidentified component was similar to that of a glyceryl ether diester, and it was isolated in milligram amounts by preparative thinlayer chromatography. Neither methyl esters of fatty acids, vinyl ether diesters nor quinones were found in the structural makeup of this lipid. Thin-layer chromatography of the purified unidentified tumor lipid on Ag-impregnated silica layers revealed two main components of intermediary unsaturation. Saponification of the unidentified tumor lipid, when water washing was omitted, yielded two components that migrated at R(f)'s identical to those of free fatty acids and dihydroxy glyceryl monoethers. Neither acetate-1-(14)C nor palmitic-1-(14)C acid (single injections) was found to be incorporated into the unidentified lipid of a mature rat tumor. PMID- 17805645 TI - The prevalence of aliphatic delta-lactones or their precursors in animal fats. AB - Data are presented to show the occurrence of saturated aliphatic delta lactones, namely the delta-C(10), delta-C(12), delta-C(14), and delta-C(16), in numerous ruminant and monogastric animal fats. These trace components were isolated by silicic acid adsorption chromatography followed by identification employing gas chromatography. The general prevalence of the delta-lactones or their precursors in animal depot fat, mammary tissue, blood serum lipids and milk fat is suggestive that they occur commonly in animal fats and are related to lipid metabolism. PMID- 17805646 TI - Fatty acids in phospholipids isolated from human red cells. AB - Total lipids of packed erythrocytes from healthy men 22 to 25 years old were extracted with chloroform-methanol mixture. Phospholipid classes were separated from neutral lipids and pigments on a silicic acid column. Phosphatidyl inositol (PI) was freed of its contaminants phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidyl serine (PS) on an aluminum oxide column. Additional silicic acid columns with modified solvent systems were needed for complete separation of other overlapped phospholipid classes. The identification of phospholipids in each eluted fraction was accomplished by TLC, using the appropriate spray tests and reference compounds, and confirmed on each of the isolated phospholipids by IR spectrophotometry.The total content of phospholipids as determined by phosphorus analysis was found to be 2.63 mg/ml of packed cells. These phospholipids were found to have the following composition (in per cent of total phospholipid): PI, 2.3; PE, 13.4; ethanolamine plasmalogen (EP), 14.5; PS, 3.9; lecithin (L), 34.2; choline plasmalogen (CP), 1.4; sphingomyelin (Sph), 28.4 and lysolecithin (LL), 1.7. The fatty acid composition of each phospholipid was determined by GLC. The average number of double bonds per fatty acid in the isolated phospholipids was found to be as follows: PI, 1.5; PE, 1.9; EP, 3.6; PS, 2.1; L, 1.0; CP, 2.0; Sph, 0.2 and LL, 0.5. The positional distribution of fatty acids in both L and PE was ascertained by selective enzymatic hydrolysis with phospholipase A. Saturated fatty acids of L were esterified predominantly in the alpha'-position, whereas in PE only 63.9 mole per cent of the saturated fatty acids were found in this position. PMID- 17805647 TI - The GLC and TLC resolution of diastereoisomeric polyhydroxystearates and assignment of configurations. AB - Trifluoroacetate (TFA) derivatives of methyl 12-hydroxystearate, methyl ricinoleate, five positional isomers of methylthreo- anderythro dihydroxystearate, four diastereoisomeric methyl 9,10-12-trihydroxystearates, and four racemic diastereoisomeric methyl 9,10-12,13-tetrahydroxystearates were prepared and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). The isomericthreo- anderythro-dihydroxystearates that had not previously been resolved by GLC were separated. Excellent resolution of the diastereoisomeric pairs of methylthreo- anderythro-9,10-12-triand and methylerythro, erythro- andthreo, threo-9,10-12,13 tetrahydroxystearates was obtained by GLC of their TFA derivatives. Analyses of these high-molecular-weight compounds were carried out on polar and nonpolar packed columns used routinely for methyl ester analysis.The various methyl mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrahydroxysterate esters were also analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) on Silica Gel G adsorbent layers and on Silica Gel G impregnated with sodium arsenite.Relative and absolute configurations were assigned to the various diastereoisomeric tri- and tetrahydroxysterates based on information obtained from GLC, TLC, synthetic ratios, and molecular-models.A micro hydroxylation method that gives quantitative yields ofthreo- anderythro dihydroxy acids from various concentrations of C(18) monoene geometrical isomers was developed. Subsequent GLC analysis of the isomeric methyl dihydroxy TFA derivatives allows the quantitative determination of double-bond configuration on small samples without expensive or specialized equipment. PMID- 17805648 TI - Synthesis of cholesterol and total lipid by male and female rats fed beef tallow or corn oil. AB - Male and female weanling rats were fed diets containing 2 or 42% of calories as corn oil or 40% as beef tallow plus 2% as corn oil until they were 12 or 18 weeks of age. Incorporation of C(14)-acetate into lipids of serum and liver and concentration of lipids in serum, liver, and carcass at the end of these periods were determined.Net synthesis of noncholesterol lipid was repressed by changing the diet from 2% to 42% of calories from either dietary fat in both sexes and at both ages. Cholesterol net synthesis was enhanced 29-fold in males and 22-fold in females fed 42% corn oil compared to 2% corn oil to the age of 12 weeks. It was enhanced only 2.6-fold for males and 3.4-fold for females by 40% beef tallow plus 2% corn oil. At 18 weeks of age cholesterol synthesis in males fed 42% corn oil was 7.3 and in females 9.1 times the value for those fed 2% corn oil. At this age the values for rats fed 40% beef tallow plus 2% corn oil were 1.2 and 3.7 times those for 2% corn oil fed rats of the respective sexes. PMID- 17805649 TI - Fatty acid oxidation in relation to cholesterol biosynthesis in rats. AB - Groups of male and female rats were fed diets containing (calorie basis) 2% corn oil (low-fat, LF), 42% corn oil (CO) or 2% corn oil plus 40% beef tallow (BT) for 2 weeks. Then rats of each sex and diet group were given an intraperitoneal injection of(14)C-acetate,- stearate- oleate or linoleate. Acetate incorporation into cholesterol and rate of oxidation of each fatty acid were determined. Specific activity of cholesterol was higher in females than males, higher with 40% lipid in the diet than with 2% corn oil and higher for CO than BT. Linoleate was oxidized more rapidly than oleate which exceeded stearate. An index of dietary lipid oxidation was computed based on fatty acid oxidation rate, per cent of each fatty acid in the diet and per cent of lipid calories in the diet. Serum cholesterol-(14)C was found to be proportional to dietary lipid oxidation index. PMID- 17805650 TI - Thin-layer chromatographic separation of dimethylphosphatidates derived from lecithins. AB - The separation of lecithin derivatives based on their fatty acid substituents has been investigated. Several synthetic and natural lecithins were converted to their corresponding dimethylphosphatidates by hydrolysis with phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) and methylation of the resulting phosphatidic acids with diazomethane. These dimethylphosphatidates were separated into fractions by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. Separations were dependent on the total number of methylene groups and double bonds in the two fatty acid chains. Fractionated dimethylphosphatidates were extracted from the plates and fatty acids were determined. PMID- 17805651 TI - Fatty acid relationship in an aquatic food chain. AB - The relationships amongst the fatty acids of the lipids from members of a model aquatic food chain were examined. The basic pattern of the fatty acids in the members, algae-brine shrimp-hydra, originated in the phytoplankton. Fatty acids in the neutral lipids of adult brine shrimp,Artemia salina, closely resembled dietary, or algal, fatty acids, whereas the phospholipid acids differed considerably from those in the algae. Fatty acids from the total lipids ofHydra pseudoligactis fed brine shimp nauplii also resembled the dietary acids, but more C(20) polyunsaturates and fewer C(18) unsaturated acids were present in those raised at 10C than were found at 20C. PMID- 17805652 TI - The behavior of glyceride-fatty acid mixtures in bile salt solution: Studies by gel filtration. AB - Bile salt lipid emulsions were prepared which simulated the emulsified oil micellar phase system of the small intestinal content during fat digestion.Application of such emulsions to gel columns prepared and eluted with 6 mM sodium taurodeoxycholate separated an emulsion phase and a micellar phase. The distribution of lipid solutes into the two phases under these conditions was measured.Micellar dimensions were larger as lipid concentrations were increased. Inclusion of multiple lipid classes resulted in larger micellar particles.Monoglyceride and fatty acids were eluted completely in the micellar phase under these conditions. Minimal measurable amounts of triolein were recovered in micellar solution. This was confirmed by extraction, chromatographic separation and quantitative analysis. As diolein concentration was increased, less was recovered in the micellar phase. When monoglyceride was added, more diolein entered the micellar phase. Addition of triglyceride enhanced the distribution of diolein into the emulsion phase. PMID- 17805653 TI - The total synthesis of dilinoleoylphosphatidylserine and its activity in blood clotting systems. AB - A total synthesis ofDL: -phosphatidyl-(dilinoleoyl)-L: -serine was achieved by the acylation of the barium salt of the phthalimidomethyl ester of glycerophosphoryl-N: -anisyloxycarbonyl-L: -serine. The dilinoleoyl intermediate was treated with hydrazine to remove the phthalimidomethyl group and with hydrogen chloride to remove the anisyloxycarbonyl protecting group. The resulting phosphatidylserine was purified by Rouser's methods, solubilized, and tested for biological activity in the antithromboplastin, recalcification, and Hicks-Pitney tests. It was found to have about the same anticoagulant activity as beef brain phosphatidylserine and hence was more active than the less unsaturated phosphatidylserine synthesized earlier. PMID- 17805654 TI - A micromethod for the stereospecific determination of triglyceride structure. AB - Triglyceride lipase and diglyceride kinase can be used in a sensitive stereospecific analysis of the separate fatty acid compositions at the 1, 2 and 3 positions of a triglyceride.Diglyceride kinase fromEscherichia coli selectively catalyzes the phosphorylation of 1,2-diglycerides but not the 2,3 diglycerides.The composition of the 3-position in rat liver triglycerides is clearly different from that at the 1-position. PMID- 17805655 TI - The very long chain fatty acids of human brain sphingolipids. PMID- 17805656 TI - Purification of triglycerides with an alumina column. PMID- 17805657 TI - A simple device for preparative TLC. PMID- 17805658 TI - Separation of methyl eicosatetraenoate from methyl docosenoate by gas-liquid chromatography. PMID- 17805659 TI - Phospholipids of human serum. AB - Phospholipids extracted from normal human serum were fractionated into lecithin, lysolecithin, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine, and phosphatidyl inositol. Identification of each was established by thin-layer chromatography and infrared spectrophotometry. The content of plasmalogen was determined in both lecithin and phosphatidyl ethanolamine fractions. The composition of fatty acids and fatty aldehydes in isolated phospholipids is presented. The degree of unsaturation as reflected in the average content of double bonds per molecule of the fatty acids in phospholipids was: lecithin 1.2, choline plasmalogen 2.1, lysolecithin 0.6, sphingomyelin 0.2, phosphatidyl ethanolamine 2.8, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine 1.0, phosphatidyl serine 1.0, and phosphatidyl inositol 1.8. Both chlline and ethanolamine plasmalogen aldehydes were predominantly saturated. Molecular weight of each phospholipid was calculated from determined fatty acid and fatty aldehyde compositions; the phosphorus factor for each phospholipid was computed. On a weight percent basis, lecithin, sphingomyelin, and lysolecithin accounted for 95% of the total phospholipids. The ethanolamine-containing phospholipids accounted for 2.5%, and the remainder was divided among phosphatidyl inositol, choline plasmalogen and phosphatidyl serine. PMID- 17805660 TI - Determination of the specific positions ofcis andtrans double bonds in polyenes. AB - A method is described for the determination of the positions and geometric configurations of double bonds in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The procedure consists of three steps: 1) Partial reduction of the double bonds with hydrazine under conditions which give high yields of monoenes. 2) Isolation of thecis- and thetrans-monoene fractions by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) directly or in the form of their ozonide derivatives. In the former technique, selective argentation is employed, in the latter, silicic acid adsorption. 3) Determination of the structure of the monoenes via reductive ozonolysis. The position of the double bonds is determined from the structures of the monoenes. Since thecis-monoenes are separated from thetrans-monoenes the geometric configuration of each double bond is determined.The method also provides a direct determination of the spacings of the internal double bonds and it may be employed for the determination of the structures of mixtures of fatty acids in conjunction with direct ozonolysis procedures. The various ramifications of the method are demonstrated on pure fatty acids and model mixtures thereof. PMID- 17805661 TI - An electrostatic precipitator for preparative gas-liquid chromatography. AB - The effect of the operating variables of electrostatic precipitators on the recovery and structure of methyl esters and related aerosol forming compounds collected in preparative gas-liquid chromatography was studied.Aerosol formation was prevented by AC or DC voltages of 5000 to 12000 volts. AC was more effective than DC but caused changes in structure which were detectable by both thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatographic methods of analysis.An apparatus of simple construction and operation was designed for the collection of methyl esters and its use demonstrated with several model compounds. PMID- 17805662 TI - Laboratory contaminants in lipid chemistry: Detection by thin-layer chromatography and infrared spectrophotometry and some procedures minimizing their occurrence. AB - Many sources of contamination for lipid preparations exist in the laboratory. These contaminants can be detected using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and infrared spectroscopy. Numerous components that are potential contaminants and can lead to false analyses were demonstrated by TLC in laboratory soaps, cleaners, hand creams and lotions, hair tonics, laboratory greases, floor waxes, oil vapors, tobacco smoke, hydrocarbon phases for gas-liquid chromatography, etc. Procedures preventing introduction of contaminants are presented including descriptions of equipment and precautions to eliminate or minimize contamination. These are useful in isolation of pure polar and nonpolar lipids. PMID- 17805663 TI - Influence of temperature on the fatty acid pattern of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and guppies (Lebistes reticulatus). AB - Adult male mosquitofish were adapted to 14-15C and 26-27C water temperature over a 14-day period and the fatty acids from their total lipids analyzed by gasliquid chromatography.Newly born guppies were raised at the same temperature for eight weeks and analyzed in the same way. Some fish in the warm water group were subjected to a sudden drop in temperature and the changes of the fatty acids studied after two and eight days, and after two and four weeks.In all fish the tendency is toward higher unsaturation at lower temperature, but the acids involved in the change differ with the species of fish. A distinct difference is also obvious when guppies are raised at, or when they are adapted to the low temperature. The diet, too, influences the kind and amount of fatty acid synthesis and deposition. PMID- 17805664 TI - Fatty acids ofLindera umbellata and other Lauraceae seed oils. AB - Seed kernel oils of seven species of Lauraceae were examined and the fatty acid composition of six of these was determined. The oil ofLindera umbellata had 4% ofcis-4-decenoic, 47% ofcis-4-dodecenoic, and 5% ofcis-4-tetradecenoic acid in the total fatty acids. Positive identification of these acids was made and new derivatives were prepared. Possible routes of biosynthesis are discussed.Oils from the other species did not contain more than a trace of unsaturated C(10) C(14) acids. Their major acids were capric and lauric with varying amounts of unsaturated C(18) acids. PMID- 17805665 TI - Glycolipids ofBriza spicata seed. AB - The seeds ofBriza spicata contain 20% of lipid that is semisolid and quite unusual in character. This lipid contains 49% digalactosylglycerides, 29% monogalactosylglycerides, and consequently little, if any, conventional triglycerides. The predominant fatty acids present are palmitic, oleic, and linoleic. Partial resolution of the galactosylglycerides on the basis of fatty acid composition was achieved by countercurrent distribution. PMID- 17805666 TI - Absorption of Di- and triglycerides by intestinal slices in vitro. AB - The uptake by hamster intestinal rings of labeled 1,3-diolein and triolein in bile salt emulsions was studied.About 6% of triolein was taken up from emulsions containing glycerides and fatty acid in 6 mM sodium taurodeoxycholate. Lesser uptake was noted when triolein was emulsified with lecithin, cholesterol and bile salt; lowest uptake (3%) was observed from triolein-lecithincholesterol emulsions prepared without bile salt.Absorption of 1,3-diolein from bile salt emulsion was greater and acylation to triglyceride was observed.Diglycerides and triglycerides in small quantity may be absorbed intact from a micellar phase. PMID- 17805667 TI - Determination of the structure of lecithins. AB - A method is described for the determination of the classes of lecithins in terms of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids based on a total fatty acid composition, the composition of the fatty acids in the beta-position, and the amount of disaturated class determined via mercuric acetate adduct formation. The accuracy of the method was determined on lecithins of known composition and the method was applied to lecithins isolated from milk serum and egg lipids, safflower and soybean oils. PMID- 17805668 TI - Characterization of fatty acids from root and shoot lipids ofCapsicum species. AB - Lipids were extracted from the roots and shoots of four species of theCapsicum (pepper) genus and separated into three fractions: triglycerides; free fatty acids, mono- and diglycerides; and phospholipids. The component fatty acids were determined by subjecting the methyl esters to gasliquid chromatography. The predominate fatty acids obtained were palmitic (16ratio0) and linoleic (18ratio2), with lesser amounts of linolenic (18ratio3), stearic (18ratio1), and oleic (18ratio0). Differences existed in the neutral lipid fractions which might be of value from taxonomic interests; however, the phospholipids from each of the species and plant parts did not differ so greatly. A comparison of the amount of unsaturated fatty acids in the phospholipid fractions indicates that differences exist which might be of value in determining the relative sensitivity of the several species to chilling temperatures. PMID- 17805669 TI - Long-chain fatty acids containing ether linkage. I. The antibacterial and fungicidal activities of some new beta-alkyloxypropionic acids and their methyl esters. AB - beta-Alkoxypropionic acids and their methyl esters were made with alkoxy groups ranging from C(4)H(9)O to C(18)H(35)O: R-O-CH(2)CH(2)COOH (CH(3)). Methyl esters and acids were also made with one and with two oxyethylene groups between the alkoxy group and the propionic acid group: RO (CH(2) CH(2) O) n-CH(2)CH(2) COOH(CH(3)). The compounds were tested againstStaphylococcus aureus and againstPenicillium for growth inhibition. The optimum size of the alkoxy group appears to be R=C(12)H(25). Oxyethylene groups enhanced the activity againstS. aureus, but had relatively little effect againstPenicillium. PMID- 17805670 TI - Lipid peroxidation in rat tissue homogenates: Interaction of iron and ascorbic acid as the normal catalytic mechanism. AB - Iron and ascorbic acid appear to be the normal catalytic components responsible for the lipid peroxidation reaction in aerobically incubated rat tissue homogenates. The amounts of each present in the catalytically-active fractions of rat liver, brain, testis, and kidney are appropriate to explain the lipid peroxidation reaction measured. Utilization of ascorbic acid as part of the normal catalytic mechanism is indicated by the following: The catalytic activity of the tissue soluble phase occurs only in the small molecule fraction eluted from Sephadex, and ascorbic acid occurs only in this fraction; the extent of catalysis by the small molecule fractions of the soluble phases from several tissues is proportional to their ascorbic acid content; and pH effect on lipid peroxidation is the same for both soluble-phase and ascorbic acid catalysis. Utilization of iron as part of the normal catalytic mechanism is indicated by EDTA inhibition studies and by measurements of pH effects. Previous studies have demonstrated the lack of catalytic activity by cations other than iron for the lipid peroxidation reaction in homogenates. Lipid peroxidation is inhibited at high tissue concentration and the inhibition is due to components occurring in the large molecule fraction of the soluble phase. PMID- 17805671 TI - Quantitative determination of unsaturation in oils by using an automatic titrating hydrogenator. AB - A procedure was developed to adapt an automatic-titrating hydrogenator to the rapid determination of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds in seed oils. Its utility as a research tool for detecting unusual types of unsaturation was demonstrated by analysis of 35 oils. When the hydrogen-iodine value of an oil determined by the hydrogenator differed significantly from the iodine value by the Wijs method, the presence of unsaturation such as acetylenic or conjugated double bonds was indicated. For repetitive analysis of samples of the same oil, or of oils having nearly the same extent of unsaturation, the hydrogenator can successfully accomodate injection of a new sample every 2 to 5 min. Possible utility of the method for monitoring samples from a processing plant is apparent. PMID- 17805672 TI - Quantitative gas chromatography of sterols in the free form. PMID- 17805673 TI - Removal of water-soluble contaminants from lipid extracts of heart. PMID- 17805674 TI - Altered fatty acid distribution of glycerophosphatides induced by acetolysis. PMID- 17805675 TI - Phospholipids of the human lens. PMID- 17805676 TI - An unsolved problem of triglyceride analysis. PMID- 17805677 TI - Localization of unsaturation in fatty acids by identification of 2, 4 dinitrophenylhydrazones derived from ozonides by thin-layer chromatography. AB - The ozonides of unsaturated fatty acids may be reduced with 2,4 dinitrophenylhydrazine and the resulting aldehydes reacted with an excess of this same reagent to give the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of the aldehyde and aldoester fragments. The 2,4DNP of the aliphatic aldehydes can be separated by several thin-layer chromatography systems and are identifiable on the basis of their behavior in these systems. The methods described can be utilized for both qualitative identification as to the location of the double bond and for quantitative measurements of various positional isomers in some instances. All of the reactions may be performed on the plate for qualitative application, and the method can be applied to fatty acids in various forms. PMID- 17805678 TI - X-ray diffraction powder studies of some dithiol diesters of long chain acids. AB - X-ray diffraction powder data are reported for 25 mono- and dithiol diesters of straight chain aliphatic acids where the acid portion of the molecule consists of one of the following acids: octanoic, decanoic, dodecanoic, tetradecanoic, hexadecanoic or octadecanoic acids, and where the thiol portion consists of one of the following: 2-mercaptoethane, 1,2-ethanedithiol, 1,3-propanedithiol, 1,4 butanedithiol or 1,5-pentanedithiol. The individual compounds can be identified and distinguished by the long spacing data. The compounds crystallize in tilted monomolecular layers. PMID- 17805679 TI - Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of cyclopropene fatty acids. AB - A gas-liquid chromatographic method is described for the quantitative estimation of cyclopropene fatty acids as their methyl mercaptan derivatives. This method estimates individual cyclopropene acids as well as normal and cyclopropane acids. Nine seed oils were analyzed for their cyclopropene fatty acid content.Evidence was obtained for the presence of a cyclopropene fatty acid of shorter chain length than malvalic inAlthaea rosea cav and one with a higher chain length than sterculic inBombacopsis glabra seed oil. This method is less accurate for cottonseed oil than for the other oils tested because of the appearance of some unsymmetrical peaks of unknown origin.The mercaptan derivatives of the cyclopropene acids may be isolated by silver ion thin-layer chromatography.Small amounts of cyclopropane fatty acids were found in a number of the oils analyzed for cyclopropene fatty acids. PMID- 17805680 TI - Preparation and properties of various salt forms of plant phosphatidyl inositols. AB - The Ca and Mg content of flax and corn phosphatidyl inositol fractions has been determined. Procedures were devised to prepare various salt forms of phosphatidyl inositol. The divalent cations were exchanged for monovalent ions (Na or K) on chelating resin columns. With the Folch wash procedure the Na or K forms of phosphatidyl inositol were completely converted to the Ca form. The nature of the metal ion associated with the phosphatidyl inositol had a striking influence on the solubility properties of the lipid. The differences in mobility on silicic acid columns of the various salt forms were utilized to free the phosphatidyl inositol from nitrogenous contaminants. PMID- 17805681 TI - The isolation and partial characterization of gangliosides and ceramide polyhexosides from the lens of the human eye. AB - The first isolation of glycolipids from the lens of the human eye is described. Neutral (ceramide polyhexosides) and acidic (gangliosides) glycolipids were separated by column chromatography and further resolved by thin-layer chromatography. The components were methanolyzed, converted to trimethyl silyl ethers and the ratios of the components determined. Two types of monosialogangliosides were found. The most abundant ganglioside contained long chain base/fatty acid/glucose/galactose/neuraminic acid in the ratio 1/1/1/2/1. The ratio of components of the minor ganglioside fraction was 1/1/1/1/1. Dihydrosphingosine was the major base and the major fatty acids were palmitate and nervonate. The ceramide polyhexosides all had a glucose/galactose molor ratio of 1/1 and the mixture of ceramide polyhexosides had a dihydrosphingosine/sphingosine molar ratio of 7.85. The fatty acids ranged from C(10) to C(25) with both odd and even carbon chains and were saturated or monounsaturated with palmitate, oleate, and nervonate predominating. PMID- 17805682 TI - Evaluation of mathematical distribution methods for the determination of triglyceride composition. AB - The triglyceride composition of a number of animal and vegetable fats was determined directly by means of selective argentation and lipase hydrolysis, and compared to that given by the 1,3-random,2-random method of analysis described by Vander Wal [JAOCS37, 18 (1960)].Exceptions to the basic assumption of the 1,3 random,2-random method that the fatty acids in the 2-position are distributed randomly are reported.The analyses of some fats determined by the 1,3-random,2 random method agreed closely with those determined by the direct method, but the overall results indicated that methods based on mathematical distribution patterns generally are not as precise as direct methods. PMID- 17805683 TI - Antigenic properties of a synthetic protein complex with glycolipids and related substances. AB - Erythro-sphingosine was obtained from sphingomyelin by alkaline hydrolysis. N-p nitrobenzoyl-sphingosine, N-p-aminobenzoyl-dihydrosphingosine and dihydrosphingosine-protein were synthesized.It was found that dihydrosphingosine protein can produce a specific antibody which can be detected by the complement fixation test and by Ouchterlony's double diffusion method in agar. The determining factor of dihydrosphingosine may be due to the hydroxy groups at C(1) and C(3).In the course of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, the cross reactivity of rabbit antisera against spinal cord, and with psychosine-protein in particular, was observed by the complement fixation test and by the Arthus reaction. PMID- 17805684 TI - Naturally occurring epoxy acids. IV. The absolute optical configuration of vernolic acid. AB - Vernolic acid [(+)-cis-12,13-epoxyleic acid] was transformed by stereospecific reactions to a mixture ofthreo-9,10,12-andthreo-9,10,13-trihydroxyoctadecanols. The four components of this mixture were separately isolated by chromatography on thin layers impregnated with glycol-complexing agents. The 9,10,12 trihydroxyoctadecanols so obtained were identical to the corresponding derivatives of D-(+)-ricinoleic acid, thereby proving the absolute optical configuration of the epoxy group of vernolic acid to be D. As a corollary to this the absolute configurations of some other oxygenated fatty acids have been deduced. PMID- 17805685 TI - Metabolism of brain glycolipid fatty acids. AB - The metabolism of the fatty acid moieties of brain cerebrosides, sulfatides, and gangliosides is reviewed and discussed. The methodology involved in the isolation of the fatty acids is described briefly. It seems clear now that most of these acids are made by chain elongation of intermediate length fatty acids by addition of acetate residues. The unsaturated acids are made by desaturation of the intermediate length acids (palmitic, heptadecanoic, stearic) followed by chain elongation. The hydroxy acids are made directly from the corresponding nonhydroxy acids, saturated, unsaturated, and odd-numbered. All the hydroxy acids undergo oxidative decarboxylation to yield fatty acids containing one less carbon atom. The odd-numbered acids are also made from propionate, which is elongated to intermediate length acids and then to longer acids. The major intermediate length "primer" acid seems to be palmitate, but there is evidence that the stearate used for cerebroside synthesis is also madede novo from acetate. The ganglioside fatty acids were found to turn over somewhat faster than the other fatty acids. Two metabolic pools for the cerebroside acids were found, one with a very high turnover rate, the other with a very low turnover rate. PMID- 17805686 TI - Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of long chain isomeric glyceryl monoethers. AB - A quantitative method is described for the gas chromatographic analysis of glyceryl ethers using their trifluoroacetate (TFA) and trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether derivatives. Both derivatives are prepared at room temperature by reactions that proceed virtually to completion in less than 15 min, eliminating time-consuming derivative preparations and laborious clean-up steps of unreacted materials required by other methods. Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) resolves the 1- and 2 isomers of the glyceryl ether TFA derivatives, which have not been separated previously. Purified synthetic 1- and 2-glyceryl ethers, including saturated and mono- and diunsaturated, were used to evaluate several polar and nonpolar liquid phases for the analysis of the TFA and TMS derivatives. Analyses can be made on some liquid phases normally used for methyl esters, while others are unsatisfactory. A mixture of isomeric C(18) saturated and monoand di-unsaturated TFA derivatives was partially resolved; however, a complete analysis of this mixture can be made by preliminary separation of the unsaturates on silver-ion impregnated thin-layer plates or by GLC analysis alone with three different phases. PMID- 17805687 TI - Isolation of methylcis, cis-5, 13-docosadienoate fromLimnanthes douglasii oil. AB - Methylcis,cis-5,13-docosadienoate has been isolated from the mixed methyl esters of the fatty acid moiety ofLimnanthes douglasii oil by a combination of low temperature fractional crystallization and fractionation of mercuric acetate adducts. The methyl ester and its free acid have been characterized. PMID- 17805688 TI - The effect of dietary fat on fatty acid synthesis in cell-free preparations of lactating mammary gland. AB - Cell-free preparations of lactating mammary gland of rats maintained during lactation on a fat-free diet incorporated C(14)-acetate into fatty acids to a greater degree than preparations made from rats fed a similar diet containing 20% fat. The type of fat used did not affect the degree of inhibition of synthesis. C(14)-acetate was incorporated mainly into dodecanoic and tetradecanoic acids although labeling was observed in fatty acids from 8-18 carbons. The pattern of labeling was not significantly different in the various groups except for slightly decreased amounts of C(14) in the shorter chain fatty acids of preparations made from glands of rats on the fat-free or coconut oilcontaining diet. The fatty acids characteristic of the fed fat became prominent components of the microsomes and mitochondria as well as of the fat floating on the centrifuged homogenates (presumably milk fat). PMID- 17805689 TI - Synthesis oftrans-3-hexadecenoic acid and oftrans-3-hexadecenoic-1-C(14) acid. AB - Thetrans-3-hexadecenoic acid has been synthesized. Physical properties and chemical degradation prove its identity with the acid earlier isolated from several plant lipids. In the sequence of the synthesis, the introduction of a terminal triple bond into commercially available 1-tetradecene was performed by bromination and debromination with KOH and NaNH(2). Chain elongation by a Grignard reaction with CO(2) gave a carboxylic acid with a triple bond in the 2 position. Reduction with LiAlH(4) yielded the corresponding alcohol, and reduction of the triple to thetrans double bond was accomplished with Na in ethanol. Bromination of the alcohol with PBr(3) and conversion of the bromide to the nitrile with KCN or KC(14)N elongated the carbon chain to the desired length. Methanolysis with HCl in methanol and saponification with KOH formed the acid with acceptable yields, and in the case of the C(14)-labeled carboxyl, group, with high specific activity. PMID- 17805690 TI - Quantitative analysis of phospholipids by thin-layer chromatography and phosphorus analysis of spots. PMID- 17805691 TI - Occurrence of short chain triglycerides in human lens. PMID- 17805692 TI - The incorporation in toto of octadecanoic acid (formed from ingested octadecane-1 C(14)) into the lipids of the sebaceous glands of the rat. PMID- 17805693 TI - Excretion of lipids by the liver fluke (Fasciola Hepatica L). AB - Adult liver flukes kept in a glucoseenriched medium were found to excrete lipids. Analysis of the incubation medium showed that both neutral lipids (including cholesterol and its esters) and polar lipids were released. The rate of lipid excretion was greatly reduced when the excretory pores and mouths of the flukes were ligated. Histochemical examination of the flukes indicated that such lipids, released through the excretory pores, originate in the cells lining the excretory ducts. PMID- 17805694 TI - The occurrence of diastereomers of phytanic and pristanic acids and their determination by gas-liquid chromatography. AB - The methyl esters of phytanic (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic) and pristanic (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecanoic) acids derived from phytol each can be resolved into two diastereomers by gas-liquid chromatography on an efficient open tubular, gas-liquid chromatographic column with a polyester coating. Authentic D,D,D isomers prepared from the lipids of bacteriumH. cutirubrum gave only one peak. In mammals the D,D,D isomers usually predominate, but in marine life the L,D,D isomers apparently are the principal forms. The origin and metabolic roles of the diastercomers are discussed. PMID- 17805695 TI - Gas-liquid chromatography of triglyceride mixtures containing both odd and even carbon number fatty acids. AB - Quantitative GLC of triglycerides has been extended to natural fats containing both odd and even carbon number fatty acids. A 1.83-m glass column containing 3.0% JXR silicone on 100/120 mesh Gas-Chrom Q resolved triglycerides differing by only one carbon number. Peak resolution was significantly improved by hydrogenating each triglyceride sample prior to GLC analysis.The triglycerides of four fish oils (mullet, tuna, menhaden, and pilchard) and one seed fat (Acanthosyris spinescens) containing odd carbon number fatty acids were analyzed by this technique. The method was also useful for determining the triglyceride composition of the cyclopentene fatty acid oil fromHydnocarpus wightiana seeds. PMID- 17805696 TI - Search for new industrial oils. XIV. Seed oils of labiatae. AB - Seed of 194 species in 56 genera of Labiatae, representing six of the eight subfamilies, were analyzed for oil and protein and for fatty acid composition of the oil. The oils are diverse and include some that contain up to 70% oleic acid, 79% linoleic acid, or 72% linolenic acid. An allenic function occurs in a third of the samples from the subfamily Stachyoideae and in the one sample analyzed from the Prasioideae. A method for determining the allene was devised. Oils fromTeucrium species containtrans unsaturation in unidentified components. Oils from twoLamium species have both allenic andtrans unsaturation. Two species ofThymus appear to produce hydroxy acids. PMID- 17805697 TI - Fatty acid concentrations in synchronous cultures ofChlorella pyrenoidosa, grown in the presence and absence of glucose. AB - Total cellular fatty acids, of a high-temperature strain ofChlorella pyrenoidosa, were measured during a synchronous growth cycle in continuous light in the presence and absence of glucose.The fatty acid composition, consisting of saturated monoenoic, dienoic, and trienoic C(16) and C(18) fatty acids, remained essentially the same whether or not the cells were grown on glucose.Nearly all of the fatty acids increased irregularly in concentration during the growth cycle, showing a periodism during the prenuclear and cell-division stages of growth. Cultures exposed to glucose showed a more pronounced drop in the concentration of most of the fatty acids during both stages.None of the fatty acid concentrations, some of which have been implicated in the Hill reaction of a number of photosynthetic organisms, reflected the periodism in photosynthetic activity which was previously observed during the synchronous growth cycle of this organism.The changes in fatty acid concentration are discussed with relation to concurrent metabolic and cytological changes during cell maturation in this organism. PMID- 17805698 TI - The metabolism of C(14)-alpha-tocopheryl quinone and C(14)-alpha-tocopheryl hydroquinone. AB - The metabolism of C(14)-d-alpha-tocopheryl quinone (alpha-TQ) and its hydroquinone (alphaTHQ) was investigated. Forty-six hours after intraperitoneal administration of either compound to rats the radioactivity isolated from the liver was present almost exclusively in C(14)-alpha-TQ. The results indicated, however, that in situ this compound was present primarily in the reduced form. No conversion to C(14)-alpha-tocopherol or other liver metabolites was observed. alpha-THQ was eliminated from the tissues more rapidly than alpha-TQ. The main metabolite excreted in the urine was a conjugate of alpha-tocopheronic acid and the main metabolite excreted in the feces was a conjugate of alpha-TQ. Free C(14) alpha-TQ was present in the feces after administration of this compound but not after C(14)-alpha-THQ administration. PMID- 17805699 TI - Digestion of butyrate glycerides by pancreatic lipase. AB - The racemic triglycerides, glyceryl-1-palmitate-2,3-dibutyrate (PBB), glyceryl-1 butyrate-2,3-dipalmitate (PPB), glyceryl-2-butyrate-1,3-dipalmitate (PBP), and the diglyceride, racemic glyceryl-1-palmitate-3-butyrate (P-B) were synthesized and digested with pancreatic lipase. Each triglyceride was mixed with equimolar amounts of triolein (OOO) prior to incubation.The following order of digestion rates was observed: PBB>PPB>PBP>P-B. There was no evidence for short-chain fatty acid specificity; however the triglycerides containing butyric acid were hydrolyzed more rapidly than OOO. Based upon the fatty acid composition of partial glycerides, digestion of butyrate glycerides was not a simple phenomenon. For example, in the digestion of PBB, butyric acid accumulated faster than palmitic acid in the diglycerides, and monobutyrin was found to accumulate when the diglyceride, P-B, was digested. As evidenced by the fatty acid composition of the monoglycerides, positional specificity of pancreatic lipase was always maintained. PMID- 17805700 TI - Human placental lipid metabolism. III. Synthesis and hydrolysis of phospholipids. AB - Both diacyl GPC (glycerylphosphorylcholine) and diacyl GPE (glycerylphosphorylethanolamine) are synthesized in human placental tissue from their respective monoacyl precursors. The origin of the monacyl phosphatides is apparently not the result of placental phosphatide acyl-hydrolase activity. The most likely source is maternal serum. The declining level of 1-acyl GPC in maternal serum is not attributable to lysophosphatide acylhydrolase activity and is probably explained by placental utilization for the synthesis of diacyl GPC. PMID- 17805701 TI - Comparison of column chromatographic methods for the quantitative determination of mono- and digalactodiglycerides in fresh alfalfa (Medicago sativa). AB - Three column chromatographic procedures for separating and recovering the galactolipids in fresh alfalfa extracts were compared. Silicic acid chromatography yielded pure fractions by thin-layer chromatography, infrared absorption, and chemical analysis. The carbon-Celite column gave the highest yield of monogalactodiglyceride. Of the 1.2% total lipids of fresh alfalfa, approximately 12% was monogalactodiglyceride and 8% was digalactodiglyceride. Linolenic acid accounted for about 90% of the total fatty acids in these components. PMID- 17805702 TI - Polarography of conjugated unsaturated lipids. AB - Conjugated fat-soluble vitamins, methylenic interrupted and conjugated fatty acids were polarographically investigated in both basic and neutral solvents. The half-wave potentials of all-trans-retinol, 13-cis-retinol, all-trans-retinyl acetate, all-trans-retinal, and Vitamin D(2) and D(3) were related to the number of double bonds in conjugation and their geometrical configuration. A minimum of three double bonds in conjugation and their geometrical configuration. A minimum of three double bonds in conjugation was required before reduction took place at the cathode, and as the number of conjugated bonds increased in the lipid compounds, the initial reduction wave took place at a lower half-wave potential.Investigation of conjugated double bonds in triglycerides and in alkali isomerized linolenic and arachidonic acids gave reduction waves the half-wave potentials of which were related to the number of double bonds in conjugation. In both basic and neutral solvents there was a minimum of three double bonds in conjugation necessary to obtain a reduction wave at the dropping mercury electrode. Ultraviolet absorption curves of the prolonged reduction of polyunsaturated conjugated fatty acids indicate a step-wise reduction of each end of the polyunsaturated conjugated double bonds.In neutral solvent the log of the conjugated double bonds versus the half-wave potential (versus mercury pool anode) gave a linear equation, E(1)=2.98-1.6 log C. A proposed mechanism for the step-wise reduction of conjugated lipids is presented and discussed. PMID- 17805703 TI - Inhibition by cyclopropene fatty acids of the desaturation of stearic acid in hen liver. AB - The mechanism of the hardening of body fats of animals by dietary lipids which contain cyclopropene fatty acids has been studied. Dietary methyl sterculate increased the stearic acid content of egg yolk lipid and decreased the activity of the stearic acid desaturase system of hen liver. The cyclopropene fatty acids were specific inhibitors of the stearic acid desaturase system of hen livers since other fatty acids, including two possible metabolites of sterculic acid, failed to inhibit the system at equivalent concentrations. Sterculic acid was a more effective inhibitor of the system than malvalic acid. Kinetic studies have shown that the inhibition is irreversible. Apparent kinetic constants were determined for the system.The results support the hypotheses that cyclopropene fatty acids inactivate an essential component of the desaturase system, probably by combination with-SH groups, and that this inhibition causes many of the effects of dietary cyclopropene fatty acids, including permeability disorders of eggs. PMID- 17805704 TI - Biosynthesis of phospholipids in subcellular particles from cultured cells of human tissue. AB - A time study of the incorporation of(32)P(i) into the phospholipids of HeLa, KB, human heart, and liver tissue-culture cell lines has been carried out. The incorporation of(32)P(i) at various time-intervals into the phospholipids of nuclei, mitochondria, and microsomes of HeLa and KB cells was investigated. The labeling of the isotope into the phospholipids was divided into three groups.The first had two components: phosphatidyl inositol and polyglycerol phosphatides, which showed the greatest incorporation of the isotope as demonstrated in the specific activity values and the percentage of total radioactivity after 15 to 30 minutes of incubation. A second group was composed of the major phospholipids of all tissue-culture cell lines studied, phosphatidyl choline, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. At first, there was a delayed labeling of these phospholipids; however, after one hour of incubation, a rapid increase was shown in the incorporation of(32)P(i). A third group of lipids containing sphingomyelin and phosphatidyl serine demonstrated low specific activity values.The phospholipids of the subcellular fractions, nuclei, mitochondria, and microsomes, had a high degree of incorporation of the isotope into the individual phospholipids and probably represented an active process in the membranes of these cellular units or a renewal of the biological membrane structures. PMID- 17805705 TI - In vitro biosynthesis of fatty acids inDrosophila melanogaster. AB - A new in vitro technique, utilizing ruptured larvae ofDrosophila melanogaster, was employed to study the incorporation of(3)H-acetate into long-chain fatty acids. Preparative gas-liquid chromatography and scintillation spectroscopy were used to determine the relative activity of each fatty acid from total lipid extracts. Quantitative changes were observed in the distribution of label during the course of the incubation times, which ranged from five minutes to nine hours. All fatty acids which were observed to incorporate acetate in previous in vivo studies also showed incorporation of label under these in vitro conditions. It is concluded that this system may be useful for studying aspects on insect metabolism for short intervals of time. PMID- 17805706 TI - Pentane from thermal decomposition of lipoxidase-derived products. AB - Thermal decomposition of 13-hydroperoxyoctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid yields hydrocarbons as part of the scission products. Pentane is formed predominately and to the practical exclusion of all other short-chain hydrocarbons. PMID- 17805707 TI - Thermal hydrolysis of some natural fats. PMID- 17805708 TI - A simple method of preparing alcohol acetates, wax esters, and cholesterol esters. PMID- 17805709 TI - Extraction of chromatographically isolated fatty acids from liquid scintillation fluid. PMID- 17805710 TI - Pancreatic lipase hydrolysis as a source of diglycerides for the stereospecific analysis of triglycerides. PMID- 17805711 TI - A note on the mechanism of lipoxidase reaction and the origin of the oxygen incorporated into linoleate hydroperoxide. PMID- 17805712 TI - Lipid composition of beef heart ventricle. AB - The lipid class composition of beef heart ventricle was determined by a combination of diethylaminoethyl cellulose column chromatography and quantitative thin-layer chromatography. Percentages of the total lipid were: triglyceride, 43.6; cholesterol, 7.4; phosphatidyl choline, 22.8; phingomyelin, 4.0; phosphatidyl ethanolamine, 11.2; diphosphatidyl glycerol, 5.8; phosphatidyl serine, 1.2; phosphatidyl inositol, 3.0; phosphatidyl glycerol, 0.9; unsaturated hydrocarbon, 0.02; saturated hydrocarbon, 0.20. Nonlipid components represented 33.6% of the crude chloroform/methanol extracts. PMID- 17805713 TI - Agents affecting lipid metabolism. XXVI. Specificity of some inhibitors of the late stages of cholesterol biosynthesis. AB - The capacity of 22,25-DAC, AY-9944 and triparanol to inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis from three precursors, mevalonate, 7-dehydrocholesterol and desmosterol, has been studied in rat liver homogenates.Evidence is presented that, in vitro, 22,25-DAC, a potent inhibitor of the sterol Delta(24)-reductase, also inhibits the 7-dehydrocholesterol-Delta(7)-reductase system. PMID- 17805714 TI - Lysosomes and essential fatty acid deficiency. AB - The hydrolytic activity usually associated with lysosomes increased in the homogenates and subcellular fractions of rat liver as a result of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. The proportion of the total (tissue homogenate) activity found in each subcellular fraction, however, was unchanged by EFA deficiency.Lysosomes isolated from normal and EFA-deficient rat livers differed significantly in their stability to thermal and osmotic variations. This suggested that lysosomal membranes, like other membranes, were altered by EFA deficiency.In spite of increased tissue-bound hydrolytic activity and altered lysosomal membranes, hydrolytic activity of the serum was not markedly changed in EFA deficiency. These minor changes in hydrolytic activity and in lysosomal membrane stability seemed insufficient to explain the general lesions of EFA deficiency. PMID- 17805715 TI - The nature of the stimulatory role of the supernatant fraction on triglyceride synthesis by the alpha-Glycerophosphate pathway. AB - Evidence is presented as to the nature and mechanism of the stimulatory effect of the supernatant fraction on the biosynthesis of triglycerides via the alpha glycerophosphate pathway in the intestinal mucosa. When microsomes are employed as the enzyme source, the major lipid formed from either labeled palmitic acid orL: -alpha-glycerophosphate is phosphatidic acid and only a limited amount of triglyceride is synthesized. The addition of the supernatant fraction to microsomes results in a stimulation of triglyceride biosynthesis at the expense of phosphatidic acid. Employing the same microsomal fraction, the reaction sequence was followed step by step and the intermediates were isolated. The results suggest that the stimulatory role of the supernatant fraction can be attributed to the presence ofL: -alpha-phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (EC 3.1.3.4). The hydrolysis of the biosynthesized microsomal phosphatidic acid by the supernatant enzyme occurs at a faster rate than the hydrolysis of added phosphatidic acid prepared from egg lecithin. The initial acylation steps in the biosynthesis of triglycerides or phosphatidic acid via the glycerophosphate pathway occur only in the presence of fatty acid and the cofactors necessary for its activation. Under these conditions, fatty acyl-CoA will not substitute for the fatty acid activation system. PMID- 17805716 TI - Interaction of calcium ions with lecithin and sphingomyelin monolayers. AB - Dipalmitoyl lecithin and sphingomyelin monolayers have similar limiting areas, whereas their surface potentials are strikingly different. The double bond at the 4-5 position in sphingomyelin acts as an induced dipole in relation to the surface potentials. This was confirmed by the surface potential of hydrogenated sphingomyelin. The binding of calcium to lecithin and sphingomyelin monllayers resulted in an increase in surface potential. This increase was greater for the dipalmitoyl lecithin monolayer as compared to that for sphingomyelin. It is concluded that the binding of calcium ions to springomyelin monolayers is significantly reduced by the presence of the hydroxyl group at the 3-carbon position of the molecule. PMID- 17805717 TI - Mechanism of lipoxidase reaction. I. Specificity of hydroperoxidation of linoleic acid. AB - Linoleate hydroperoxides from autoxidation of methyl linoleate and from lipoxidase oxidation of linoleic acid are compared. Data indicate an equal amount of methyl 9- and 13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoate produced by autoxidation of methyl linoleate, and the exclusive formation of 13-hydroperoxyoctadeca-9,11 dienoic acid from the incubation of lipoxidase with linoleic acid. As a result of these findings, a specific mechanism for the reaction of lipoxidase with linoleic acid is postulated. PMID- 17805718 TI - Mechanism of lipoxidase reaction. II. Origin of the oxygen incorporated into linoleate hydroperoxide. AB - Two different series of experiments were performed to establish the origin of the oxygen molecule incorporated into hydroperoxide during the incubation of lipoxidase with linoleic acid. These showed, as previously assumed but never demonstrated, that the oxygen introduced into the hydroperoxide molecules comes from the gaseous phase and not from the aqueous phase. Furthermore, soybean lipoxidase does not catalyze the exchange between gaseous oxygen and water oxygen. Possibly, lipoxidase may be involved in the biosynthesis of hydroxytrans,cis conjugated octadecadienoates present in various seeds. PMID- 17805719 TI - Quantitative analysis of brain and spinach leaf lipids employing silicic acid column chromatography and acetone for elution of glycolipids. AB - Quantitative elution of acidic and neutral glycolipids of brain and spinach leaves from silicic acid columns with acetone was demonstrated. Cerebrosides and sulfatides of brain and sulfolipid and glycosyl diglycerides of spinach leaves were eluted quantitatively with acetone while prospholipids remained on the column. The observations provide the basis for an analytical procedure employing column and quantitative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Sephadex column chromatography is utilized for separation of lipids from nonlipids; silicic acid column chromatography for separation into neutral lipid, glycolipid and phospholipid fractions; and quantitative TLC for analysis of lipid classes of each column fraction. PMID- 17805720 TI - Chemical composition of subcellular particles from cultured cells of human tissue. AB - Chemical composition of subcellular components of HeLa, KB, human heart and liver tissue-culture cell lines have been studied.The concentration of RNA, protein and phospholipid (mug/mug of DNA) of total subcellular particles was similar for all four cell lines studied. The greatest RNA concentration and lowest protein concentration is found in the microsomes as compared to the other subcellular fractions of HeLa and KB cells.The lipid P/Protein N ratio of mitochondria was greater than the other subcellular fractions from tissue-culture cell lines studied. Phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine are the major phospholipids with the former more predominant in all of the subcellular fractions of tissue-culture cells studied. Phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl serine, sphingomyelin and polyglycerol phosphatide were shown to be present. Phosphatidyl choline composition (per cent of total lipid-P) is greatest in the microsomes when compared with the other subcellular fractions obtained from all of the cell lines studied except the nuclear fraction of human liver cells. Correspondingly, the mitochondrial fraction for all of the tissue culture cell lines contains the greatest composition of phosphatidyl ethanolamine except for the human liver and heart cells. The mitochondrial fraction contains the lowest amount of phosphatidyl inositol. Polyglycerol phosphatide is mainly present in the mitochondrial fraction of the tissue-culture cells. PMID- 17805721 TI - Isolation of a trimer of alpha-tocopherol from mammalian liver. AB - Evidence is presented for the formation in mammalian liver of a trimeric metabolite of alpha-tocopherol. This compound has been shown to be identical to a trimer produced by oxidation of alpha-tocopherol with alkaline K(3)Fe(CN)(6). In addition, confirmation was obtained for the occurrence in vivo of a dimeric metabolite reported previously. These compounds, together with tocopheryl-p quinone, are postulated to arise from reactions with lipid-free radicals or peroxides in the course of the antioxidant action of vitamin E. PMID- 17805722 TI - Phospholipids of the sea anemone: Quantitative distribution; absence of carbon phosphorus linkages in glycerol phospholipids; structural elucidation of ceramide aminoethylphosphonate. AB - The phospholipid composition of the sea anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima) was determined by quantitative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Phosphonic acids were not detected in phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, or phosphatidyl serine following isolation and hydrolysis. The structure of ceramide aminoethylphosphonate, a phosphonolipid, was elucidated by hydrolysis and oxidative degradation followed by characterization of the products by TLC and gas liquid chromatography. The long-chain base was shown to be sphingosine with the 2 aminoethylphosphonic acid group attached through the primary hydroxyl group at carbon one. Ceramide aminoethylphosphonate is therefore 1-(O-phosphonoethylamine) N-acyl sphingosine. PMID- 17805723 TI - Role of ATP in the inhibition of lipogenesis in fasted animals. AB - This study was undertaken to obtain information both in vivo and in vitro on the role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the inhibition of fatty acid synthesis in fasted mice.Fasted mice were injected intravenously with glucose or fructose or intraperitoneally with insulin to increase the supply of endogenous ATP. They then received acetate 1-(14)C, glucose 6-(3)H or fructose U-(14)C intravenously and were killed at various intervals. The controls received the labeled tracers only. The radioactivities of liver and carcass fatty acids were determined.The action of ATP on homogenized livers from fasted mice was also determined.The stimulation of lipogenesis was obtained under all these conditions, but only in animals fasted for 4 hr. Insulin was active only on the extrahepatic tissues. Fructose, as well as glucose, restored hepatic lipogenesis. In vitro, ATP restored lipogenesis by homogenized livers of mice fasted for 4 hr, but it inhibited the fatty acid synthesis by homogenized livers from unfasted mice.The significance of the results is discussed. PMID- 17805724 TI - Studies on the lipids of sheep red blood cells. I. Lipid composition in low and high potassium red cells. AB - The lipid composition of whole red blood cells was investigated in five sheep with red cells containing a low concentration of potassium (LK) and in five sheep with red cells containing a high concentration of potassium (HK). No apparent differences within the limit of error of the experiment were detected in the lipid class composition between the HK and LK red cells. Cholesterol, the only nonpolar lipid detected in the tissue, was present in oneto-one molar ratio to the total phospholipids. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine and sphingomyelin accounted for 85% of the total phospholipids; phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidic acid, and lysolecithin were present in lesser amounts. No lecithin was detected in any of the animals in this investigation. Plasmalogen compounds were found only in the ethanolamine lipids. The molar ratio of choline to noncholine phospholipids was also approximately one to one. It was concluded that the major lipid class distribution in the two types of red cells cannot be directly responsible for the differences observed in the cation concentrations in these cells in the two species of sheep. PMID- 17805725 TI - Separation of cholesterol-desmosterol acetates by thin-layer and column chromatography on silica gel G-silver nitrate. AB - A chromatographic method, using columns packed with Celite-Silica Gel G impregnated with silver nitrate, has been developed for the separation of cholesterol from desmosterol (24-dehydrocholesterol).The system employed allows a complete separation of the two sterols as acetates, as determined by gas-liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography.The recovery of pure cholesterol and desmosterol is quantitative. PMID- 17805726 TI - Lipid changes in rat brain during maturation. AB - Changes in lipid class distribution occurring during brain maturation in rats have been quantitatively investigated using a combination of DEAE column chromatography and quantitative thin-layer chromatography based on photodensitometry.Quantitative changes are presented for the single lipid classes in relation to brain weight, water content and total lipid variation at ages 2, 8, 16, 24, 37 and 50 days. The results indicate an accumulation of sphingolipids during brain maturation, particularly due to cerebrosides and sulfatides and a relative decrease of lecithin. PMID- 17805727 TI - Reaction of oxidizing lipids with ribonuclease. PMID- 17805728 TI - Quantitative separation of C-27 sterol precursors of cholesterol. PMID- 17805729 TI - Detection of phthalate esters as contaminants of lipid extracts from soil samples stored in standard soil bags. PMID- 17805730 TI - Rapid determination of lipids containing free amino groups with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid reagent. PMID- 17805731 TI - A note on the fatty acids present in oilseed phospholipids. PMID- 17805732 TI - The effect of antioxidant deficiency on tissue lipid composition in the rat. I. Gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle. AB - The gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle phospholipids of the antioxidant deficient rat fed a source of both linoleate and linolenate showed a progressive net increase in arachidonate, a progressive net decrease in all other polyunsaturated fatty acids, and there was a concomitant accumulation of fluorescent pigment of the lipofuscin or ceroid type in the tissue. An increased incorporation of intraperitoneally injected, isotopically labeled acetate into not only arachidonate but also the other higher polyunsaturated fatty acids, was observed. The net loss of the higher polyunsaturated fatty acids from the membrane lipids (presumably via lipid peroxidation) apparently was partially compensated by a homeostatic mechanism which involved conversion of the available precursors, linoleate and linolenate, to the higher polyunsaturated fatty acids. The rates of decrease of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the muscle phospholipids and accumulation of fluorescent pigment in the tissue were correlated with the rate of production of creatinuria. PMID- 17805733 TI - The effect of antioxidant deficiency on tissue lipid composition in the rat. II. Liver. AB - The hepatic phospholipids of the antioxidant-deficient rat fed a source of both linoleate and linolenate showed a progressive net decrease in eicosapentaenoate, a progressive net increase in arachidonate, and there was a concomitant accumulation of fluorescent pigment of the lipofuscin or ceroid type in the tissue. An increased incorporation of isotopically labeled acetate into both the tetraenoic and pentaplus hexaenoic acid fractions was also noted, indicating that the disappearance of polyunsaturated fatty acids was partially countered by increased synthesis. Comparable results were obtained on diets containing either suboptimum or adequate levels of biologically available selenium. Vesicular dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum was noted in animals fed the tocopherol deficient diet. In separate experiments using a necrogenic diet containing torula yeast, these subcellular alterations were found to be prevented by tocopherol but not by selenium, although selenium supplementation did prevent macroscopically observable damage. PMID- 17805734 TI - The effect of antioxidant deficiency on tissue lipid composition in the rat. III. Testes. AB - Production of testicular degeneration in the antioxidant-deficient rat resembles encephalomalacia in the chick in its dependence on essential (omega6) fatty acids and is distinct from the generalized response to all polyunsaturated fatty acids seen in nutritional muscular dystrophy in the rat. The nonessential (omega3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, lower the essential fatty acid content of the testicular lipids only slightly, are not themselves incorporated into this tissue to any appreciable degree and thus do not show the inhibitory effect on production of the antioxidant-deficiency sign noted in the studies on encephalomalacia. A direct relationship between the essential fatty acid content of the testes and the rate of testicular degeneration was found, but no effects of biologically available selenium and sulfur amino acids were evident. As the liver and muscle, onset of antioxidant-deficiency is characterized by a decrease in the most highly unsaturated fatty acid in the tissue (22ratio5-omega6 in this case) and a net increase in arachidonate. PMID- 17805735 TI - The effect of antioxidant deficiency on tissue lipid composition in the rat. IV. Peroxidation and interconversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in muscle phospholipids. AB - It has been suggested that the net changes which take place in the composition of the muscle phospholipid fatty acids of the antioxidant-deficient rat represent the balance of two opposing processes. To compensate for (A) the preferential peroxidative destruction of the most highly polyunsaturated fatty acids in the tissue there occurs (B) an increase in the conversion of available precursors to the higher polyunsaturated fatty acids. Analysis of the data in terms of peroxidation kinetics indicated that the onset of creatinuria in one group after 3 weeks and in a second group after 7 weeks on an antioxidant-deficient diet occurred in both cases concomitant with the peroxidative "disappearance" of approximately 125 mug of phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acid per gram wet weight of tissue or 2% of the total muscle phospholipid fatty acids. PMID- 17805736 TI - Relative incorporation of linoleic and arachidonic acid in phospholipids and triglycerides of different rat tissues. AB - Fat-deficient rats were fed different amounts of methyl linoleate for increasing periods of time. The fatty acid composition of triglycerides and phospholipids of epididymal fat pad, epirenal fat depot, intestinal fat depot, liver, and the pool of heart, kidney, lungs and pancreas was determined. The distribution of the total amount of linoleic and arachidonic acid incorporated into phospholipids and triglycerides per rat was calculated. Phospholipids and triglycerides of depot tissues presented different fatty acid compositions.Although the phospholipids of liver and the pool of heart, kidney, lung and pancreas specifically incorporated linoleic acid at the beginning they very rapidly attained a rather steady composition, whereas triglycerides went on incorporating the acid. The amount of linoleic acid incorporated into the phospholipids of depot tissues was rather small. The triglycerides undoubtedly contributed in the highest proportion to the total pool of linoleic acid. However, the highest proportion of arachidonic acid was found in the total pool of phospholipids.The total amount of linoleic acid incorporated into the phospholipids was an approximately lineal function of the amount of phospholipids independent of period of administration and doses of methyl linoleate. Besides presenting two lineal functions of the amount of phospholipids, arachidonic acid showed a vertical increase coincident with a vertical decrease of the amount of eicosa-5,8,11-trienoic acid. At this period no change in the amount of the phospholipid was shown. This phenomenon is explaioned as a possible direct replacement of eicosatrienoic acid by arachidonic acid. PMID- 17805737 TI - Metabolic conversions and the positional distributions in liver lecithin of some unnatural dienoic acids in the rat. AB - The metabolism of 9,15-octadecadienoate, 12,15-octadecadienoate and 7,13 eicosadienoate was investigated in the fatdeficient rat. The liver lecithins of those animals receiving 9,15- and 12,15-octadecadienoate, as well as the animal remaining on the fat-deficient control, were isolated. The fatty acid distributional pattern was determined by the use of lecithinase A. All three of the experimental dienoic acids were incorporated into tissue lipids. None of the acids, however, was converted to longer chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The 9,15-octadecadienoate was esterified almost exclusively to the beta-position of lecithin, whereas 12,15-octadecadienoate was about equally distributed between the alpha- and beta-positions. PMID- 17805738 TI - Pentacylic triterpenes ofJurinea anatolic boiss. andJurinea consanguinea DC. Fruit. AB - Pentacyclic triterpene alcohols, together with their acetate, myristate, and palmitate esters, comprise about 40% of the petroleum ether extract of the fruit (seed and pericarp) of twoJurinea species. All the triterpene esters and a porition of the free triterpene alcohols in theJ. anatolica extract are derived from the pericarp portion of the fruit. The triterpene alcohol moieties and their approximate percentage of the hydrolyzed extract ofJ. anatolica fruit are alpha amyrin, 5%; beta-amyrin, 6%; lupeol, 6%; and psi-taraxasterol plus taraxasterol, 16%.J. consanguinea fruit extract yields essentially the same amount of the same five triterpene alcohols on hydrolysis. These concentrations of triterpenoid materials are believed to be the largest found in plant tissues. PMID- 17805739 TI - Autoxidation of tissue lipids. I. Incorporation of dietary fatty acids and formation of monocarbonyl compounds in adipose tissue lipids of the vitamin E deficient rat. AB - Male weanling rats were fed vitamin E-deficient and vitamin E-supplemented diets containing 5% corn oil or cod-liver oil for 16 weeks, after which their adipose tissue lipids were extracted and analyzed in a nitrogen atmosphere for carbonyl compounds and fatty acids.The vitamin E-deficient cod-liver oil-fed rats, exhibiting incisor depigmentation and darkened adipose tissue, yielded lipids which had a lower iodine value, contained less polyunsaturated fatty acids, and contained more carbonyl compounds, particularly alkanals and alk-2-enals, than the lipids from the animals fed the vitamin E-supplemented cod-liver oil diet. The tissues of the vitamin E-deficient corn oil-fed rats contained less linoleate and more monocarbonyl compounds than those of the vitamin E-supplemented corn oil fed animals.The results indicate that vitamin E protection is necessary for the incorporation of C(20) and C(22) fatty acids into the tissues from the diet and that in the deficiency of vitamin E, a low level of autoxidation occurs in the tissues. PMID- 17805740 TI - Mechanism of suckling-rat hypercholesteremia. II. Cholesterol biosynthesis and cholic acid turnover studies. AB - Cholesterol biosynthesis from acetate-2-(14)C by the livers of suckling rats, which is known to be relatively slow, was increased 2-3-fold within 24 hours after severing the bile duct. Cholesterol synthesis by sham-operated litter mates showed no change under similar treatment. Mevalonate biosynthesis from acetate-2 (14)C in vitro by recombined liver microsomal supernatant (105,000xg) fractions from suckling rats also was only 10% of that of comparable recombined fractions from normal controls (young adult rats which were consuming colony diet). Activity was not improved by combining either the microsomal or supernatant fraction from suckling rat livers with the complementary fraction from normal adult livers. On the other hand, activity was restored to 100% when microsomes from livers of duct-served suckling rats were combined with the supernatant fraction from normal controls. Likewise, recombined liver fractions prepared from adult rats fed synthetic diets exhibited low activity for mevalonate biosynthesis. Activity was restored by bile duct cannulation, but inhibited when cholic acid was infused into the cannulated animal. Therefore, surgical procedures which interrupt the enterohepatic recirculation of bile components lead to a restoration of cholesterol biosynthesis and, at least in the adult animal where cannulation studies are practicable, this effect can be reversed readily by bile acid infusion.A slow rate of fecal excretion of(14)C-cholic acid was observed in suckling rats and rats fed synthetic diets, apparently reflecting an efficient enterohepatic recirculation of bile salts. The data suggest that under these dietary conditions bile salt retention either directly or indirectly influences hepatic synthesis of cholesterol. PMID- 17805741 TI - The isolation and tentative identification of diacylglyceryl ethers from the walker 256 carcinoma of the rat and a human lymphosarcoma. AB - An unusual lipid was observed and subsequently isolated by thin-layer chromatography from the lipids of the Walker 256 carcinoma of the rat and a human lymphosarcoma. This lipid has been tentatively identified as a diacylgllyceryl ether by thinlayer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography and infrared analysis. PMID- 17805742 TI - Determination of the structure of lecithins via the formation of acetylated 1,2 diglycerides. AB - A detailed procedure for quantitative determinations of molecular species of lecithins is described and applied to several lecithins isolated from natural sources. The method is based on the conversion of lecithin to acetylated 1,2 diglycerides and analysis of these compounds by methodology used for the determination of triglyceride structure.The preparation of the acetylated 1,2 diglycerides was carried out via hydrolysis with phospholipase C and acetylation of the resultant, 1,2-diglycerides with pyridine-acetic anhydride. Preparation of acetylated 1,2-diglycerides from lecithin by acetolysis with acetic acid-acetic anhydride was shown to be accompanied by intermolecular as well as intramolecular rearrangement of the fatty acids.The structure of the acetylated 1,2-diglycerides was determined by a combination of argentation-TLC and pancreatic lipase hydrolysis using internal standards for quantification. The method was applied to lecithins isolated from milk serum, egg, soybean, safflower seed and wheat germ lipids. PMID- 17805743 TI - Metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids in the intestine. AB - Rats fed a fat-free diet from weaning were contined on that diet alone or supplemented with methyl linoleate, methyl linoleate plus a mixture of antibiotics, or methyl arachidonate.Dietary linoleate and arachidonate reduced the concentration of octadecenoic acid and increased that of stearic acid in the mucosa and luminal lipids. This effect was prevented in the mucosa but not in the intestinal contents by antibiotic supplementation of the linoleate diet.Evidence for the conversion of linoleic into eicosatetraenoic acid was found in both mucosa and luminal lipids. The conversion was impaired by the addition of antibiotics to the diet.Linoleate feeding combined with antibiotic addition provided evidence for the intestinal hydrogenation of dietary linoleic into either octadecenoic or stearic acids by separate routes, the latter being impaired by antibiotic ingestion.The ingestion of methyl linoleate or arachidonate modified only slightly the fecal fatty acid pattern of rats previously on a fat-free diet. PMID- 17805744 TI - Chemical and physical properties of isomeric glyceryl monoethers. AB - Long-chain saturated and mono- and diunsaturated 1- and 2-glyceryl monoethers were synthesized by reacting 1,2-isopropylidene and 1.3-benzylidene glycerol potassium salts with alkyl halides in the preparation of the saturated monoethers, and with alkenyl-p-toluenesulfonates in the preparation of the unsaturated monoethers, followed by hydrolysis of the blocking groups with boric acid. The progress of the reaction was monitored by gasliquid chromatography (GLC) of the reaction mixture. The 2-glyceryl ethers, with two exceptions, had not been prepared previously. Normal propyl and 3-pentyl octadecyl ethers also were synthesized to aid in the interpretation of infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. All the ethers prepared were purified by preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and crystallization. Their purity was found to be greater than 95%, as determined by TLC and GLC, supported by NMR and IR spectra. The isomeric 1- and 2-glyceryl ethers were separated on Silica Gel G adsorbent layers impregnated with either sodium arsenite or boric acid and their TLC behavior interpreted, based on the polarity of the complexes formed. Melting point determinations indicated more than one polymorphic form. Comparison of IR and NMR spectra of the saturated and unsaturated isomeric glyceryl ethers, and various derivatives, demonstrated the applicability of these spectroscopy methods for characterization and structural determination, in addition to distinguishing between the two isomeric forms. PMID- 17805745 TI - cis-5,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoic and some unusual oxygenated acids inXeranthemum annuum seed oil. AB - Seed oil ofXeranthemum annuum (family Compositae) contains a number of unusual fatty acids in addition to palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic. These acids includecis-5,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoic, 5%;cis-9-L: ,10-L: epoxyoctadecanoic, 3%;cis-9-L: ,10-L: -epoxy-cis-12-octadecenoic (coronaric), 8%; andcis-12-D: ,13-D: -epoxy-cis-9-octadecenoic (vernolic), 2%; as well as a mixture of two hydroxy acids, 11%. The absolute configurations of the two 9,10 epoxy acids are established for the first time. PMID- 17805746 TI - Fatty acid composition of milk phospholipids. II. Sheep, Indian buffalo and human milks. AB - Phospholipids were isolated from sheep, Indian buffalo, and human milks, and their fatty acid compositions determined by gas chromatography. The specific distributions of fatty acids in phosphatidyl cholines (PC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamines (PE) were determined after phospholipase A hydrolysis.Fatty acid compositions and specific distributions were similar in sheep and buffalo milk phospholipids, and compared closely with those of bovine milk. Human milk phospholipids, particularly PE, contained much larger amounts of polyunsaturated acids, but negligible amounts of branchedchain acids. Palmitic and oleic acids were evenly distributed in human milk PC and PE, whereas they were preferentially located in the alpha' position in PC and PE of ruminant milks.The results are discussed in the context of current theories of lipid biosynthesis. PMID- 17805747 TI - Ultracentrifugal isolation of serum chylomicron-containing fractions with quantitation by infrared spectrometry and NCH elemental analysis. AB - An ultracentrifugal method for isolating chylomicron-containing fractions from serum by flotation, using either standard Spinco swinging-bucket rotors or a specially fabricated swinging-bucket rotor, is described. Lower limits of the S(f) rates of the chylomicron fractions are evaluated using a computer technique to define lipoprotein flotation over a nonlinear NaCl density gradient. The latter is prepared by a special overlayering technique.Quantitation within a 9-50 mug region of mass assay is accomplished by both infrared spectrometry and elemental analysis for N, C and H. Results indicate that the chylomicron concentration in serum for a small population of nonfasting male adults ranges from approximately 0-50 mg %. PMID- 17805748 TI - Contamination of methyl ester preparations during methylation of fatty acids on an ion exchange resin. PMID- 17805749 TI - Lipid droplets and glyceryl ether diesters in ehrlich ascites cells grown in tissue culture. PMID- 17805750 TI - Phosphonolipids. IX. Phosphonolipid metabolites: Synthesis of L-alpha-glyceryl-(2 trimethylammoniumethyl) phosphonate. PMID- 17805751 TI - Effect of phenazine methosulfate on the incorporation of C-labeled glucose into lipids of newborn brain. PMID- 17805752 TI - Elimination of contaminants during the isolation of fatty acid esters by preparative gas-liquid chromatography. PMID- 17805753 TI - Influence of medium-chain triglycerides on lipid metabolism in the rat. AB - Lipid metabolism was studied in rats fed diets containing corn oil, coconut oil, or medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), a glyceride mixture containing fatty acids of 8 and 10 carbons in length. The ingestion of MCT-supplemented, cholesterolfree diets depressed plasma and liver total lipids and cholesterol as compared with corn oil-supplemented diets. In rats fed cholesterol-containing diets, plasma cholesterol levels were not influenced by dietary MCT, but liver cholesterol levels were significantly lower than in animals fed corn oil. In vitro cholesterol synthesis from acetate-1-(14)C was lower in liver slices of rats that consumed MCT than in similar preparations from corn oil-fed rats. Studies of fatty acid carboxyl labeling from acetate-1-(14)C and the conversion of palmitate 1-(14)C to C(18) acids by liver slices showed that chain-lengthening activity is greater in the liver tissue of rats fed MCT than in the liver of animals fed corn oil. The hepatic fatty acid desaturation mechanisms, evaluated by measuring the conversion of stearate-2-(14)C to oleate, was also enhanced by feeding MCT.Adipose tissue of rats fed MCT converts acetate-1-(14)C to fatty acids at a much faster rate than does tissue from animals fed corn oil. Evidence is presented to show that the enhanced incorporation of acetate into fatty acids by the adipose tissue of rats fed MCT represents de novo synthesis of fatty acids and not chain-lengthening activity. Data are also presented on the fatty acid composition of plasma, liver, and adipose tissue lipids of rats fed the different fats under study. PMID- 17805754 TI - The lipids of the aging human brain. AB - Lipid compositions of the brains of human beings of different ages from 26 to 80 years have been determined by a combination of chromatographic techniques. No significant differences in composition were found among any of the adult agegroups, and it thus appears that the decline in brain weight and function with age is not associated with loss of any particular type of lipid. PMID- 17805755 TI - The distribution of labeled palmitic acid into the diglycerides and triglycerides of rat adipose tissue. AB - After in vitro incubation of rat epididymal fat pads with radioactive palmitic acid, the distribution of the label in the different lipid classes and in different triglycerides was determined by silica gel and silver nitrate-silica gel thin-layer chromatography (TLC).The radioactivity of the diglycerides was approximately half of the triglycerides. This ratio did not change with alteration in the time of incubation. It remained unaltered even after a subsequent 10-min incubation in a nonradioactive medium.When the fat pads were incubated, first with(14)C-, then with(3)H-labeled palmitic acid, the(3)H/(14)C ratio was slightly lower in diglycerides than in triglycerides.The fully saturated molecules contained 38% of the radioactivity of triglycerides. Addition of oleic acid or norepinephrine to the labeled palmitic acid-containing medium decreased this value. Subsequent incubation with these compounds did not alter the distribution of radioactivity. PMID- 17805756 TI - Phospholipase activity of rat tissues and its modification by trypsin(1,2). AB - Treatment with proteolytic enzymes before the addition of the phospholipid substrate increases the activity of the phospholipases of the spleen, thymys, bone marrow, lung, and liver of the rat. In contrast, the phospholipase activity of the intestine, which is higher than that of all other normal tissues, is not increased when incubated with proteases. The results of fractionation studies by high-speed centrifugation and gel filtration and differences in enzyme kinetics support the conclusion that the intestinal phospholipases differ substantially from phospholipases found in the other tissues. PMID- 17805757 TI - The biosynthesis of cyclopropane and cyclopropene fatty acids in plant tissues. AB - The biosynthesis of cyclopropane and cyclopropene fatty acids was investigated in seeds of several species of the order Malvales, including species with a high content of sterculic acid, a high content of malvalic acid, and a low content of these cyclopropene fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of the lipids in young and developing seeds is compared with particular attention to variations in cyclopropane and cyclopropene fatty acid contents.Incubation studies employing several(14)C compounds indicate that the methyl group of methionine is the most likely precursor of the ring-methylene carbon. A pathway for the synthesis of the cyclopropane and cyclopropene fatty acids is postulated. The origin of malvalic acid is also considered. PMID- 17805758 TI - The reaction of methyl sterculate and malvalate with silver nitrate-silica gel and its use as a basis for the estimation of cyclopropene fatty acids. AB - When in contact with silver nitratesilica gel, methyl esters of cyclopropene fatty acids undergo ring opening to yield pairs of isomers with methylene, hydroxymethyl, or nitratomethyl side-chains at the original ring positions. Thus the main products from methyl sterculate were the methyl 9 (or 10)-methylene octadec-10 (or 8)-enoates, and, in lesser quantities, the methyl 9 (or 10) (nitratomethyl)-octadec-9-enoates and the methyl 9 (or 10)-(hydroxymethyl) octadec-9-enoates. Hydrogenation quantitatively converted this mixture of isomeric pairs to a mixture of methyl 9- and methyl 10 methyloctadecanoates.Chromatography on silver nitrate-silica gel, followed by gas chromatography of the hydrogenated products, has been used as the basis of a new method for estimating individual cyclopropene and cyclopropane acids in lipids. PMID- 17805759 TI - The phospholipid composition of plasma in various mammalian species. AB - Plasma phospholipids in several common mammalian species, including cat, cow, dog, goat, guinea pig, horse, pig, rabbit, rat, and sheep, were analyzed by using chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. Lipids were extracted from plasma with chloroform-methanol 2ratio1 (v/v) and freed of nonlipid material by passage through a Sephadex column. The phospholipids were separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Spots were identified by spray reagents, also by infrared spectrophotometry. The relative distribution of the phospholipids was determined by phosphorus analysis on the spot scraped off the TLC plate.Lecithin, lysolecithin, and sphingomyelin were found in the plasma of all species and accounted for more than 95% of the phospholipids except in the rodents. Lecithin was without exception the major phospholipid in plasma (56 to 83%). Lysolecithin and sphingomyelin content varied between 8 and 23% and 6 and 15% respectively. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl inositol were the only noncholine containing phospholipids detected (detection limits 0.2%) in the plasma of these species. Together these compounds usually made up less than 5% of the total phospholipid. Rodents were an exception, especially the guinea pig, which had 21.7% phosphatidyl ethanolamine. PMID- 17805760 TI - The incorporation of ethanolamine into ether-containing lipids in rat brain. AB - After intracerebral injection of C(14)-ethanolamine into rats, the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides were isolated and hydrolyzed with mild alkali and acid. The specific radioactivity of the diacyl, acyl alkenyl, and acyl alkyl glyceryl-3 phosphorylethanolamine, the diacyl and acyl alkenyl glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, and sphingomyelin was determined at 0.5, 2, 24, and 48 hours. The specific radioactivity-time relationships show that the ethanolamine plasmalogen is not a precursor for the glyceryl ether form but suggest that acyl alkyl glyceryl-3 phosphorylethanolamine is desaturated to form some of the acyl alkenyl glyceryl-3 phosphorylethanolamine. The radioactivity in the choline portion of the choline phospholipids was very low. PMID- 17805761 TI - Determination of plasmalogens after treating with a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine phosphoric acid reagent. AB - A method for the quantitative determination of plasmalogens is described. Glycerophosphatide fractions from animal and plant sources were treated with a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-phosphoric acid reagent. The plasmalogen content was estimated by two different procedures after a single treatment with reagent: a) by determining the phosphorus content of diacyl phospholipid and (2-acyl) lysophospholipid separated by thin-layer chromatography, b) by spectrophotometric determination of the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones and phosphorus assay of the original untreated sample. The total plasmalogen content of an unfractionated extract may be determined easily by the latter procedure.The method described gives results comparable with those from the p-nitrophenylhydrazine method and iodination procedure. The usefulness of this 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine phosphoric acid treatment for further structural analyses of plasmalogens is discussed. PMID- 17805762 TI - Determination of petroselinic acid by microreactor chromatography. AB - The microreactor-ozonolysis technique was applied to the quantitative determination of the relative amounts of petroselinic and oleic acids in seven Umbelliferae seed oils. The operation was easy and rapid. Results were excellent when the method was tested on ester mixtures of known composition. When used on esters prepared from Umbelliferae seed oils, the method gave results comparable with those found by another procedure, also described, which combined thin-layer chromatography with either gas-liquid chromatography or ultraviolet spectrophotometry. PMID- 17805763 TI - Reduction of atherogenicity of natural fats by small additions of ethyl linoleate in the diet of the rat. AB - Ethyl linoleate was substituted in part for the 20% of butterfat, hydrogenated coconut oil, lard, or tallow in an atherogenic diet fed to rats throughout a 40 week experimental period. Aortic degeneration, evidenced by lipid infiltration of the intima, was observed in the control groups but not in the linoleate-fed groups. Groups that received butterfat or hydrogenated coconut oil showed reduced plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels when fed 2% of ethyl linoleate; groups that received lard or tallow showed no significant change in plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels when fed 2% of ethyl linoleate; and groups that received a fat free diet with 2% of ethyl linoleate showed lower plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels and more complete aortic protection than groups that were fed 20% of corn oil or cottonseed oil. The data suggest that, in the cholesterol-fed rat, the kind and amount of dietary fatty esters may influence aortic condition via some route(s) other than control of plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels. PMID- 17805764 TI - The triglyceride composition of 17 seed fats rich in octanoic, decanoic, or lauric acid. AB - Seed fats of eight species ofLauraceae (laurel family), six species ofCuphea (Lythraceae family), and three species ofUlmaceae (elm family) were extracted, and the triglycerides were isolated by preparative thin-layer chromatography. GLC of the triglycerides on a silicone column resolved 10 to 18 peaks with a 22 to 58 carbon number range for each fat. These carbon number distributions yielded considerable information about triglyceride compositions of the fats.The most interesting finding was withLaurus nobilis seed fat, which contained 58.4% lauric acid and 29.2-29.8% trilaurin. A maximum of 19.9% trilaurin would be predicted by a 1, 2, 3-random, a 1, 3-random-2-random, or a 1-random-2-random-3-random distribution of the lauric acid(3). This indicates a specificity for the biosynthesis of a simple triglyceride byLaurus nobilis seed enzymes.Cuphea lanceolata seed fat also contained more simple triglyceride (tridecanoin) than would be predicted by the fatty acid distribution theories. PMID- 17805765 TI - An autosampler for solvent-free sample introduction into a gas chromatograph. PMID- 17805766 TI - GLC and TLC analysis of isopropylidene derivatives of isomeric polyhydroxy acids derived from positional and geometrical isomers of unsaturated fatty acids. AB - Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were used to investigate the isomeric positional geometrical isopropylidene derivatives of nine isomeric dihydroxy esters, four isomeric methyl 9,10-12-trihydroxystearates, and eight isomeric methyl 9,10-12,13-tetrahydroxystearates prepared from unsaturated fatty acids. The isopropylidenes derived fromcis andtrans monounsaturated fatty acids were easily separated on both polar and nonpolar columns. Positional isopropylidenes derived from positional isomers of monounsaturated fatty acids were not separated on either liquid phase but were resolved by TLC.Four of the eight isomeric isopropylidenes derived from the four geometrical isomers of linoleic acid were resolved on the polar column; the other four isomers eluted as a single peak. The four isomeric isopropylidene trifluoroacetate derivatives derived from ricinoleic and ricinelaidic acids were also resolved on the polar column. GLC analyses were carried out with liquid phases of ethylene glycol succinate methyl silicone polymer (EGSS-X) and methyl silicone polymer (SE-30) packed columns. Isopropylidenes, in addition to their applicability for the resolution of polyhydroxy acid mixtures, are particularly useful for the determination of double bond positions and geometrical configurations of fatty acids without cleavage. PMID- 17805767 TI - X-ray diffraction study of some normal alkyl esters of long-chain acids. AB - X-ray powder diffraction data are reported for 15 normal long-chain esters. The compounds represent all combinations of acid and alcohol where the acid portion is n-tetradecanoic, n-hexadecanoic, or n-octadecanoic acid, and the alcohol portion is n-tetradecanol, n-pentadecanol, n-hexadecanol, n-heptadecanol, or n octadecanol. The individual compounds can be identified and distinguished by the diffraction data. Several of the esters have long spacings that are a linear function of the number of carbon atoms in the molecule and are consistent with a similar function for ethyl esters of long-chain acids. The remainder of the compounds crystallize in other polymorphic forms and therefore do not follow this function. PMID- 17805768 TI - The lactone precursor in fresh milk fat: Identification of the hydroxy fatty acids. AB - A series of hydroxy fatty acids was identified from a polar glyceride milk-fat fraction. These acids were identified as trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether methyl ester derivatives. Identification was achieved by mass spectral analysis and comparison of gas chromatographic retention times with authentic compounds. Mass spectral fragmentation patterns of the TMS ether methyl esters were obtained, and correlation of important ions for structural identifications were made. In addition, semiquantitative data are presented. PMID- 17805769 TI - Quantitative and qualitative lipid correlation in experimental endogenous hyperlipemia. AB - The reversible endogenous hyperlipemia in dogs, elicited by the detergent Triton which was given intravenously, was used to study the interrelations of serum lipids. In the cholesterol ester fraction an increase occurs in both monounsaturated and in saturated fatty acids, excepting myristic; while a decrease occurs in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acids of cholesterol esters of normal dogs contain 22% oleic acid, and only 24% when serum lipids are increased to almost double their normal value (TC=400-500 mg/100 ml). However there is a critical level above which a rapid rise in oleic acid occurs and, in severe hyperlipemia (TC=1500 +/-430 mg/100 ml), this acid constitutes almost half of the esterified fatty acid component.Since there is no evidence that Triton directly regulates fatty acid synthesis, the lipid fraction-fatty acid interrelationship may be secondary to lipid mobilization from endogenous sources. This concept is supported by the fact that the increased serum fatty acids are only those which can be synthesized by animals. It is suggested, on the basis of a marked increased of endogenously produced fatty acids, that, at critical lipid levels, shortage of polyunsaturated fatty acids from exogenous sources occurs. This might be of sufficient degree to accelerate fatty acid synthesis to meet the need for fatty acids for energy requirements. There may also be need of fatty acid for esterification of chiefly the accumulated free cholesterol split from lipoprotein by Triton.Triton-induced changes in cholesterol ester fatty acids result in patterns which closely resemble those in the adipose tissue of dog and man and in the serum of human endogenous hyperlipemia. PMID- 17805770 TI - Determination of the complete structure of natural lecithins. AB - A method is described for the separation, identification, and quantitative estimation of the individual molecular species occurring in natural lecithin mixtures. Purified lecithin preparations are converted into diglyceride acetates by enzymic dephosphorylation and acetylation. The diglyceride acetates are separated on the basis of the degree of unsaturation and the molecular geometry by means of chromatography on thin layers of silica gel which are impregnated with silver nitrate. The various acetates thus resolved are separately recovered from the plates and diluted with tridecanoin internal standard; the quantitative distribution of the molecular weights is determined by gas chromatography.Suitable aliquots of the saturated and unsaturated diglyceride acetates are further analyzed for over-all and for positional distribution of fatty acids. The identity and proportions of the various lecithins are deduced by integration and normalization of all the experimental data. Where doubt exists, specific diglyceride acetates are isolated by preparative gas chromatography, and their fatty acid composition is determined. The method is illustrated with data obtained for the mixed lecithins of egg yolk. The general approach is applicable to the determination of the structure of other phospholipids of comparable complexity. PMID- 17805771 TI - Ring location in cyclopropane fatty acid esters by a mass spectrometric method. AB - Ring location in cyclopropane fatty acid esters is accomplished simply and unequivocally with submilligram samples. The technique involves reductive ring opening with platinum catalyst and hydrogen in glacial acetic acid, to give a mixture of branched-chain and straight-chain acid esters. The sample is analyzed with a combination gas chrmatograph-mass spectrometer. Examination of the spectra obtained from the mixture of branched-chain acid esters permits assignment of the position of the methyl groups, and hence of the ring in the parent compound. PMID- 17805772 TI - Hepatic lipid metabolism in experimental diabetes: III. Synthesis and utilization of triglycerides. AB - Livers removed from normal rats, from alloxan diabetic rats maintained on insulin for two weeks (ADI+), and from insulin-treated diabetic rats from which insulin had been withdrawn two days before use (AD) were perfused in vitro with 120 mg (468 mumoles) palmitic acid-1-C(14). Under these conditions, output of TG (triglyceride) was depressed in livers from ADI+ rats and was negligible with livers from AD animals. The total incorporation of C(14) into perfusate TG paralleled the chemical measurments of TG output. The concentration of hepatic TG increased during perfusion of livers from normal or ADI+ rats but decreased during perfusion of livers from AD animals.A load of 120 mg of palmitic acid/3 hr was inadequate to maintain net accumulation of TG in livers from AD rats; furthermore it is implicit in this observation that the total load of NEFA (nonesterified fatty acid) perfusing livers from AD rats must be increased considerably to obtain a fatty liver. The total incorporation of C(14) into hepatic TG and the specific activity of hepatic TG were depressed during perfusion of livers from AD rats. The production of ketone bodies by livers from AD animals was about five times the normal rates; the output of ketone bodies did not differ from results of other experiments (1) in which the load of palmitic acid added to the medium was varied from 0-80 mg. These observations were discussed with reference to mechanisms for ketogenesis and fatty liver in alloxan diabetes. PMID- 17805773 TI - The renal phospholipid composition of choline-deficient rats. AB - The base composition of the phospholipids involved in the N-methylation pathway for the biosynthesis of phosphatidyl choline was determined in normal and severely hemorrhagic rat kidneys. There was a decrease in the proportion of phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine in the renal total lipids. The significant decrease of phosphatidyl ethanolamine in the kidney phospholipids appears to implicate this phospholipid to a greater extent than phosphatidyl choline in the etiology of the hemorrhagic syndrome. PMID- 17805774 TI - Identification and composition of turnip root lipids. AB - Two varieties of turnip, Laurentian and Wye, were examined for their lipid and fatty acid composition. Lipids extracted with 80% ethanol contained variable quantities of phosphatidic acid, which was considered to be an artifact. Crude lipids were fractionated by TLC, and fatty acids and sterols were analyzed by GLC. Among the common phospholipids, cardiolipid and phosphatidyl glycerol were abundant components. Linolenic acid comprised 60% of the total fatty acids. beta Sitosterol was the principal sterol, and about half of the carotenoids was lycopene. No great differences between the two varieties studied were observed however. PMID- 17805775 TI - A quantitation problem in the open tubular gas chromatography of fatty acid esters from cod liver lipids. AB - Methyl esters of fatty acids of marine origin contain large amounts of highly unsaturated long-chain fatty acids. It is shown that, although esters of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids can be quantitatively analyzed on open tubular columns with a flame ionization detector there are serious losses of the long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acids of marine oils on the column. Through comparison of chain-length composition and iidine value some correction factors are suggested for the highly unsaturated fatty acids which permit reasonably accurate analyses. PMID- 17805776 TI - Eicosenoic acid and other fatty acids ofSapindaceae seed oils. AB - The seed oils of 11 species ofSapindaceae were examined, and their fatty acid composition was determined.cis-11-Eicosenoic acid was identified as the major fatty acid ofKoelreuteria paniculata. It was present in nine of the 11 species in amounts from 8-60% of the total fatty acids and is evidently a common component of oils of this plant family. Arachidic acid was present in amounts up to 11%. Only three of the oils had acids of chain length greater than C-20. Seed oils of certain species ofKoelreuteria andCardiospermum are good potential sources of 11 eicosenoic acid. PMID- 17805777 TI - Optically active trihydroxy acids ofChamaepeuce seed oils. AB - Two trihydroxy acids have been isolated fromChamaepeuce afra (Jacq.) DC, seed oil and identified as (+)-threo-9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoic (phloionolic) acid (9%) and (+)-threo-9,10-,18-trihydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (14%). The unsaturated acid has not previously been found in nature. Nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, thin-layer chromatography, optical rotation, and identification of the oxidative cleavage products show that these two trihydroxy components have the structures indicated.Chamaepeuce hispanica DC. seed oil and the seed oil of an unidentifiedChamaepeuce species apparently contain these same two acids but in different proportions fromC. afra oil. PMID- 17805778 TI - The monoene and other Wax alcohols of human skin surface lipid and their relation to the fatty acids of this lipid. AB - 1) Wax alcohols (as acetates) were isolated from human skin surface lipid and separated into a saturated and a monoene fraction. 2) Four main chain types were found for both saturated and monoene alcohols: normal even, normal odd, iso and anteiso. ("Even" and "odd" refer to the number of C-atoms in the straight chain.) 3) The monoene alcohol acetates were separated into homologues of each chain type by preparative gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and the positions of the double bonds for each homologue were determined by analytical GLC of the original fraction, its hydrogenated derivative, and the products it formed by reductive ozonolysis. 4) The fragments formed by reductive ozonolysis of the monoene alcohol acetates were compared to those formed from the total monoenoic fatty acids (as methyl esters), both obtained from the same sample of surface lipid. (Comparisons were best made by ozonolysis of a portion of the entire sample of each ester group. a) The terminal ends of both groups of monoene fatty chains yielded a very similar pattern of aldehydes in terms of types and amounts. This could be explained by the hypothesis that both fatty acid and fatty alcohol chains of lengths ranging mainly from C(14) to C(18) were first biosynthesized, then desaturated at Delta6. b) The functional group ends gave a distinct pattern of aldehyde esters for the acids and another for the alcohols. Both patterns consisted nearly entirely of members having aneven number of C-atoms from the double bond to the functional group. This suggested that the members of each pattern were formed by chain extensions of an integral number of C(2) units beyond the lengths arrived at in 4a). Thus 71% of the fatty acid monoenes were not extended, 25% were extended by 1 C(2) unit and the remainder extended from 2 to 5 C(2) units, whereas nearly all the fatty alcohols were extended mainly by 2, 3 or 4 C(2) units, with decreasing amounts up to 8 C(2) units. 5) A small amount ( approximately 5%) of odd chain aldehyde esters for both fatty acids and fatty alcohols were found and some unidentified alcohols were detected. PMID- 17805779 TI - Fatty acids of the lipids fromPullularia pullulans. PMID- 17805780 TI - An in vitro approach to the mechanism of cholesterol deposition in vivo. PMID- 17805781 TI - On the phospholipases of yeast. PMID- 17805782 TI - Determination of unsaturation in oils in the presence of saturated aldehydes. PMID- 17805783 TI - Disc electrophoresis of human and animal serum lipoproteins. PMID- 17805784 TI - Effect of insulin on the oxidative desaturation ofa-linolenic, oleic and palmitic acids. PMID- 17805785 TI - Naming diastereoisomeric polyhydroxystearates. PMID- 17805786 TI - A comparative study of the lipids of chylomicron membrane and fat core and of the lymph serum of dogs. AB - Thoracic lymph was collected from 13 dogs fed corn oil and butterfat. The chylomicrons were isolated by centrifugation. The lipid composition of the fat core and the membrane of the chylomicron was compared to that of the surrounding lymph serum. The fat cores contained 90-96% triglyceride, 0.7-1.9% free cholesterol, 0.2-0.5% steryl ester, 0.9-3.5% free fatty acid and 1.4-6.1% diglyceride, but no phospholipid. The lipids of the membranes contained 58-75% phospholipid, 20-35% triglyceride, 2-5% free cholesterol, 1-2% free fatty acid, and 2-3% diglyceride, but little or no steryl ester. The membrane phospholipids were made up of 70-90% lecithin, 5-20% phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and 1-3% each of lysolecithin and sphingomyelin. The lymph serum contained 24-47% of total lipid as phospholipid, of which 70-92% was lecithin; the phosphatidyl ethanolamine, lysolecithin and sphingomyelin also present contributed 1-10% each. The neutral lipids of the lymph serum contained 49-75% triglyceride, 2-15% free cholesterol, 6-23% esterified cholesterol, 10-33% free fatty acid and 1-6% diglyceride.Alterations in dietary fat, or plant sterol supplementation led to lesser changes in the lipids of the chylomicron membranes than in the lipids of any other lymph fraction. The least variation was seen in the phospholipids. PMID- 17805787 TI - A comparative study of the lipids of globule membrane and fat core and of the milk serum of cows. AB - Nine samples of fresh raw cow's milk were separated into fat globules and milk serum by centrifugation. After destabilization by freezing and thawing, the milk fat globules were resolved into membranes and fat cores. The lipid composition of these structures was compared to that of the surrounding milk serum. Of the total milk fat, 95-98% was in the fat cores, 0.5-1% in the globule membranes and the rest (1.5-4%) in the milk serum. The fat cores contained 88-93% triglyceride, 5.2 9.8% diglyceride, 1.5-7.3% free fatty acid and 0.2-0.4% cholesterol, but no phospholipid. The lipids of the membrane contained 21-44% phospholipid, made up of about equal proportions of phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl choline, and sphingomyelin. The other lipids of the membrane (56-79%) consisted of 83-88% triglyceride, 5.1-10.7% diglyceride, 1-5.1% free fatty acid and 0.4-1.9% cholesterol. The milk serum contained 30-45% phospholipid divided about equally among phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl choline and sphingomyelin. The rest (55-70%) of the milk serum lipids was made up of 71-83% triglycerides, 4.3-10.1% diglycerides, 8.7-15.7% free fatty acids, and 1.2-8.4% cholesterol. Corresponding phospholipid classes of milk serum and globule membranes had identical fatty acid compositions. The triglycerides and diglycerides of the globule membranes possessed increased proportions of palmitic and stearic acids in comparison to the glycerides of the fat cores. PMID- 17805788 TI - Influence of medium-chain triglycerides on lipid metabolism in the chick. AB - The effect of corn oil, coconut oil, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT, a glyceride mixture consisting almost exclusively of fatty acids of 8 and 10 carbons in length) ingestion on lipid metabolism was studied in chicks. In chicks fed cholesterol-free diets, MCT ingestion elevated plasma total lipids and cholesterol and depressed liver total lipids and cholesterol when compared to chicks receiving the corn oil diet. As a consequence of the opposite effects of MCT ingestion on plasma and liver cholesterol and total lipids, the plasma-liver cholesterol pool was not altered. When cholesterol was included in the diets, dietary MCT depressed liver and plasma total lipids and cholesterol as compared with corn oil, consequently also lowered the plasmaliver cholesterol pool.The in vitro cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis from acetate-1-(14)C was higher in liver slices from chicks fed MCT than in those from chicks fed corn oil. The percentage of radioactivity from acetate-1-(14)C incorporated into the carboxyl carbon of fatty acids by liver slices was not altered by MCT feeding, indicating that the increased acetate incorporation represented de novo fatty acid synthesis. The conversion of palmitate-1-(14)C to C(18) acids was increased in liver of chicks fed MCT, implying that fatty acid chain elongating activity was also increased. Studies on the conversion of stearate-2-(14)C to mono- and di unsaturated C(18) acids showed that hepatic fatty acid desaturation activity was enhanced by MCT feeding. Data are presented on the plasma and liver fatty acid composition of chicks fed MCT-, corn oil-, or coconut oil-supplemented diets. PMID- 17805789 TI - Analysis of fecal neutral steroids and bile acids in humans on constant fat diet. AB - A method is described for the separation and quantification of fecal neutral steroids and fecal bile acids. The fecal extract is separated into the neutral steroid fraction and bile acid fraction with ionexchange resin columns. The principal neutral steroids and bile acids are then separated and quantitated by thin-layer chromatography. Values for the fecal neutral steroids, cholesterol, coprostanol and coprostanone and fecal bile acids, deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid of 5 subjects on a constant fat diet for a 3-week period are presented. PMID- 17805790 TI - (S)-1,2-diacyl-3-acetins: Optically active triglycerides fromEuonymus verrucosus seed oil. AB - The seed oil ofEuonymus verrucosus Scop., family Celastraceae, contains more than 90% 1,2-diacyl-3-acetins (monoacetotriglycerides). The constituent triglyceride acids, other than acetic, are the usual long-chain fatty acids.Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), infrared (IR) and hydrolysis with pancreatic lipase indicate that the acetic acid is esterified exclusively on the outer glycerol carbon atoms. The isolated mixed monoacetotriglycerides exhibit optical rotation caused by asymmetry of the central glycerol carbon atom. Comparison with synthetic products of known configuration shows that the natural material is essentially all (S)-1,2-diacyl-3-acetin.IR, TLC and GLC analyses indicate the presence of monoacetotriglycerides in seven other species of Celastraceae and five species in three other plant families in amounts from 13 to 98%. PMID- 17805791 TI - Fractionation and analysis of rat liver(14)CH (3)-lecithins labeled in vivo. AB - The(14)CH(3)-lecithins were biosynthesized by normal adult rats injected with(14)CH(3)-methionine. About 20% of the dose was incorporated into liver lecithins. The(14)CH(3)-lecithins were isolated by thin-layer chromatography. Separation of lecithins on AgNO(3)-treated silica gel yielded lecithins containing a saturated fatty acid in combination with mainly one unsaturated fatty acid, namely, oleic, linoleic, eicosatrienoic, or arachidonic acid. These fractions were eluted with methanolic choline chloride, which prevented elution of AgNO(3). The lecithins, after extraction into petroleum ether, were analyzed for radioactivity and for fatty acid composition. Yields were about 75%, based upon fatty acids or radioactivity applied to the plate.Specific activities differed sharply between the fractions, and arachidonoyllecithins had the highest specific activity. The sum of the activities contributed by each of the fractions agreed well with the specific activity of total lecithins, indicating the recovery of intact lecithin molecules. The recovery of intact molecules allows this procedure to be used with lecithins containing any isotopic labels.The high specific activity of arachidonoyl-lecithins relative to the other fractions indicates a high degree of specificity in the metabolic reactions which lead to the formation of rat liver lecithins. PMID- 17805792 TI - The metabolism of 1-(14)C arachidonic acid in pyridoxine-deficient and pair-fed control rats. AB - The metabolism of 1-(14)C arachidonate was studied in pyridoxine-deficient and pair-fed pyridoxine-supplemented control rats. The studies included intestinal absorption, oxidation to(14)CO(2), organ uptakes and distribution of(14)C in the fatty acids of the various organs. Generally, pyridoxine deficiency resulted in little or no alteration of the metabolism of arachidonic acid 6 and 12 hrs after oral administration. A notable exception occurred in hearts of deficient animals in which the proportion of the incorporated(14)C activity found in fatty acids other than 20:4 was larger than that observed in hearts of pyridoxine supplemented animals. A significant amount of(14)C activity in a water-soluble form was observed in hydrolysates of intestinal contents and of intestines of both groups. Pyridoxine-deficient rats had larger quantities than their respective pair-fed pyridoxine-supplemented controls. Most of the(14)C activity of fatty acids of various organs was present as arachidonic acid, but significant activity was present both in fatty acids of shorter and of longer retention time than 20:4. In brain about 20% of the(14)C activity in fatty acids was in a fraction tentatively identified as an 18:2 isomer. In lungs about 10% of the(14)C activity was in a fraction tentatively identified as a 22:2 isomer and a similar quantity was observed in a polyene tentatively identified as a 22:4. PMID- 17805793 TI - Resistance of certain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of marine oils to pancreatic lipase hydrolysis. AB - When whale oil triglycerides were subjected to pancreatic lipase hydrolysis, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids were found mainly in the di- and triglyceride products, suggesting that they are in the 1,3-positions but resistant to the action of the lipase. Their presence in the 1,3-positions was confirmed. Their resistance to pancreatic lipase hydrolysis was demonstrated by analysis of the products of the enzyme action on: (a) a concentrate of highly unsaturated whale oil triglycerides; (b) the latter after randomization; and (c) synthetic 1,2-di-octadecenoyl-3-eicosapentaenoyl glycerol.Docosapentaenoic acid was also shown to be present in the 1,3-position of whale oil triglycerides but was not lipase resistant. It is postulated that the presence of a double bond near the carboxyl group exercises an inhibitory effect, or that the location of the double bonds in the resistant acids places their terminal methyl groups close to the carboxyl, producing a steric hindrance effect. PMID- 17805794 TI - Brain cholesterol. XII. The incorporation of 1-(14)C-acetate into baboon sterol. AB - The incorporation of 1-(14)C-Acetate into tissue cholesterol of the baboon was measured. Using this indicator gray matter of the cerebrum indicated greater metabolic activity than did white matter.Other tissues besides neural tissue were examined. The peak of radioactivity occurred between 3 and 4 hr. The highest incorporation of radioactivity was measured in the adrenal gland. Liver, spleen and kidney values were of intermediate order. PMID- 17805795 TI - Maternal diet and brain fatty acids in young rats. AB - In order to determine to what extent maternal diet influenced the brain lipids of young rats, female rats were maintained on diets differing in fatty acid composition. Fatty acid determinations on the total brain lipids of the young from these dams indicated that the maternal dietary lipids influence the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of these animals. A maternal diet with a high linoleic-linolenic acid ratio (corn oil) resulted in lower levels of 22ratio6omega3 and higher levels of 22ratio5omega6 than one with a low linoleic linolenic acid ratio (grain). Transfer of young rats at birth to a foster mother, which was fed a diet differing from that of the natural dam, resulted in brain polyunsaturated fatty acid patterns at weaning similar to those of the natural young, and suckling, of the foster mother, thus indicating that the maternal diet in the immediate postnatal period can modify the brain lipids of young rats prior to weaning. The brain lipids of young rats from dams which were fed corn oil exhibited a marked tendency to incorporate 22ratio6omega3 in the immediate postnatal period in spite of a relatively high linoleic-linolenic acid ratio in the milk. PMID- 17805796 TI - Thin-layer chromatography of plasma lipids by single development. PMID- 17805797 TI - The chain-length overlap problem in gas-liquid chromatography with polyester liquid phases. PMID- 17805798 TI - Preparation and properties of an apoprotein derivative of human serum beta lipoprotein. AB - The aim of this study was to develop a convenient method for the preparation and study of a soluble delipidated form of human serum beta-lipoprotein. This was achieved by succinylation and delipidation with ether-ethanol (3ratio1). The succinylated apoprotein was soluble in either 0.13 M Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.2 (for beta-lipoprotein prepared by ultracentrifugation) or in the same Tris buffer to which 5 mM sodium decyl sulfate was added (for heparin-Mn precipitated beta lipoprotein). The immunological activity of beta-lipoprotein or its apoprotein were markedly altered by succinylation. Whereas the succinylated beta-lipoprotein appeared as one peak in the analytical ultracentrifuge, the succinylated apoprotein appeared as two. Under the electron microscope beta-lipoprotein and succinylated beta-lipoprotein were indistinguishable, appearing as uniform preparations of spherical particles 215 to 220 A in diamater. PMID- 17805799 TI - Human milk: Quantitative gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of triglyceride and cholesterol content during lactation. AB - Gas-liquid chromatography has been used to follow changes in the triglyceride composition of human colostrum and milk from one donor during the first 10 days postpartum and to compare the compositions obtained with those at later stages of lactation.New triglycerides of low molecular weight appeared during the first 5 days postpartum. Lower molecular weight triglycerides (>omega9>omega5>omega11; the straight odd chain series in contrast shows a large number of omega series with irregular distribution. The biosynthesis of the even chain fatty acid monoenes can be thought of as occurring in two stages: synthesis of 14ratioDelta9, 16ratioDelta9, 18ratioDelta9 and 20ratioDelta9, with 16ratioDelta9 predominating; elongation of these chains mostly by 1, 2, or 3 C(2) units but up to the unusually long lengths by 11 C(2) units. For the formation of the former, two schemes by known pathways are proposed.Iso and anteiso chains which are nearly all saturated comprised 1/3 the total fatty acids. PMID- 17805819 TI - The incorporation of(14)C-glycerol into different species of diglycerides and triglycerides in rat liver slices. AB - The relative rates of de novo synthesis of species of diglycerides and triglycerides from(14)C-glycerol were examined in rat liver slices. Diglycerides containing one or two double bonds per molecule and triglycerides containing four or more double bonds per molecule represented 70% and 60% respectively of the newly synthesized diglycerides and triglycerides. The newly synthesized triglycerides were more unsaturated than the endogenous triglycerides. Our results suggest that a nonrandom synthesis of species of diglycerides occurred followed by an almost random utilization of the various diglyceride species for the biosynthesis of triglycerides. PMID- 17805820 TI - Predicting the positional distribution of docosahexaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids in aquatic animal triglycerides. AB - The positional distribution of 22ratio6 and 22ratio5 in aquatic animal triglycerides can be predicted by simple proportionality equations of the typey=kx. The mole % 22ratio6 at the 1, 2, or 3 position (y) is obtained by multiplying the proportionality constant for that position (k (1),k (2), ork (3)) times the mole % 22ratio6 in the total triglycerides (x). For fish and invertebrate triglycerides,k (1)=0.28,k (2)=2.06, andk (3)=0.66. For marine mammal blubber triglycerides,k (1)=0.94,k (2)=0.22, andk (3)=1.84. The same equations apply to both 22ratio6 and 22ratio5. PMID- 17805821 TI - Human serum alpha-1-lipoprotein patterns revealed by starch gel electrophoresis. AB - The recognition of different serum alpha-1-lipoproteins patterns was made possible by improved lipoprotein staining and separation methods. Three common and some less common patterns were found. The common alpha-1-lipoprotein patterns, here called S, M and F, were found to differ in their relative frequency in men and women, and to be associated with significantly different serum alpha-1-lipoprotein concentrations. PMID- 17805822 TI - Structure and intraglyceride distribution of coriolic acid. AB - Coriolic [(R)-13-hydroxy-cis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoic] acid (III, R=Z=H) was isolated as the methyl ester from twoCoriaria seed oils in 66 and 68% yields. The double bonds and hydroxyl group were located by periodate-permanganate oxidation before, and chromic acid oxidation after, hydrogenation of the double bonds. Alternatively the positions of the functional groups were indicated by a convenient micro-ozonolysis-gas-liquid chromatographic procedure. Determination of products from partial hydrolysis of theCoriaria oils with pancreatic lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) revealed a preference of the corioloyl group for the 1,3-positions in triglyceride molecules. The possible significance of coriolic acid as an intermediate in the biogenetic conversion of linoleic acid to conjugated trienoic acids is discussed. PMID- 17805823 TI - Hydroxy fatty acids from cerebrosides of the central nervous system: GLC determination and mass spectrometric identification. AB - A method has been developed for GLC determination of hydroxy fatty acids (HFA) from cerebrosides of the central nervous system.Identification of HFA present in complex biological mixtures was achieved by the use of the combination gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. GLC separations and mass spectrometric determinations were carried out on the trimethylsilyl derivatives of HFA, which show excellent GLC characteristics and favorable cleavages to determine the position of OH groups on the aliphatic chain. The mass spectra of these derivatives present some unusual rearrangement ions, whose composition has been studied with the aid of deuterium labeled analogs. PMID- 17805824 TI - Uptake of cerebroside, cholesterol and lecithin by brain myelin and mitochondria. AB - The uptake of emulsified labeled lipids by rat brain myelin and mitochondria was studied. Cerebroside and lecithin uptakes were greatly stimulated by addition of salts, particularly those containing divalent cations. Cholesterol uptake was not influenced by salts. Increasing concentrations of detergent (non-ionic) were inhibitory. Delipidated membranes took up much less lipid, but pretreatment with lecithin partially restored the ability to take up cerebroside and cholesterol. The lipid uptake appears to be nonenzymatic and appears to depend on the size of the emulsified particles. The possible role of such a phenomenon in membrane formation and maintenance is discussed. PMID- 17805825 TI - Dietary induced alterations in swelling characteristics and endogenous phospholipase A(2) activity of rat liver mitochondria. AB - The present study describes the rapid alterations in the fatty acid patterns of phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine from rat liver mitochondria induced by corn oil feeding to EFA-deficient rats. Simultaneous changes occurring with comparable rates were observed in the swelling properties and phospholipase A(2) activity of the mitochondria. Mitochondria isolated from the liver of EFA deficient rats exhibited a high tendency to swell and a high phospholipase A(2) activity in comparison with those prepared from normal rat liver. Feeding of corn oil for 48 hr to the EFA-deficient rats completely reduced this high rate of swelling and phospholipase A(2) activity to the normal level. In the same time eicosatrienoic acid, a characteristic fatty acid constituent of phospholipids from EFA-deficient animals, was replaced by the more common fatty acids, linoleic and arachidonic. The possible relationship between fatty acid constituents of phospholipids, swelling properties and phospholipase A(2) activity in rat liver mitochondria are discussed. PMID- 17805826 TI - The behavior of proteolipids on dextran gel columns eluted with organic solvents. PMID- 17805827 TI - Effect of bile salts on hydrolysis of cholesteryl oleate by rabbit aorta. PMID- 17805828 TI - Fatty acid methyl esters in grasshopper eggs. PMID- 17805829 TI - Irreversible enzyme inhibition by a phosphatidic acid-like lipid. PMID- 17805830 TI - The occurrence of 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol (Dihydrocholesterol) in human skin surface lipid. PMID- 17805831 TI - Fungal spore phospholipids and the accumulation of selected chemicals. PMID- 17805832 TI - The phosphatidyl ethanolamine ofPseudomonas aeruginosa grown in hexadecane. PMID- 17805833 TI - Strain differences in the hypolipemic action of dietary calcium in mature male rats. AB - Two strains of rats, Holtzman and Wistar, were found to differ significantly in serum and fecal lipid response when fed a corn-soya diet containing 18% added cocoa butter or corn oil and 0.08% or 1.2% calcium. Interactions of strain with fat and with calcium were noted. The Holtzman rat usually had lower serum and tissue lipid levels and higher fecal lipid levels than the Wistar rat. The magnitude of the strain differences is sufficient to explain the incompatibility of results of the different investigators who have been studying lipid metabolism. PMID- 17805834 TI - Chloroplast pigments of the marine dinoflagellateGyrodinium resplendens. AB - The photosynthetic marine dinoflagellate,Gyrodinium resplendens, was grown axenically and harvested during logarithmic growth for analysis of its lipid soluble pigments. Chlorophylla and 8 carotenoids were isolated from the methanol and acetone extract by column and thin-layer chromatography. Chlorophyllc was isolated by partitioning the total extract between saline aqueous acetone and hexane.Absorption spectra taken in hexane, ethanol, methanol and carbon disulfide confirm the presence of beta-carotene, peridinin, dinoxanthin and diadinoxanthin as major carotenoids.Four new minor xanthophylls are also described, one of which, namedpyrrhoxanthin, resembles an alkali-labile keto-epoxide. At least one of the minor xanthophylls occurs as an ester.Diadinoxanthin fromGyrodinium and antheraxanthin fromEuglena gracilis seem to be identical with respect to absorption curves, polarity, number of 5, 6-epoxy groups and lack of allylic hydroxyl groups; however, co-chromatography of stereoisomers after iodine isomerization showed slight differences.Most of the carotenoids are further characterized here by their partition ratios between hexane and 95% methanol. Several of the carotenoids were tested for the presence of 5, 6-epoxy and allylic hydroxyl groups. Four of the pigments, comprising 91% of the total carotenoids are revealed as 5,6-monoepoxides by their instability toward dilute acid. One carotenoid resembles a diepoxide. PMID- 17805835 TI - The total synthesis and metabolism of 4-decenoate, dodeca-3,6-dienoate, tetradeca 5,8-dienoate and hexadeca-7,10-dienoate in the fat-deficient rat. AB - Methyl 4-decenoate (10ratio1omega6), methyl dodeca-3,6-dienoate (12ratio2omega6), methyl tetradeca-5,8-dienoate (14ratio2omega6) and methyl hexadeca-7,10-dienoate (16ratio2omega6) were prepared by total synthesis. Rats raised on a fat-deficient diet for 2 1/2 months received 100 mg per day of one of the experimental acids or methyl linoleate for a period of 16 days. The liver lipids were extracted, converted to methyl esters and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Neither 10ratio1omega6 nor 12ratio2omega6 served as biosynthetic precursors for linoleate. Small amounts of 14ratio2omega6 were convered to linoleate while 16ratio2omega6 served as an efficient precursor for linoleate and longer chain omega6 acids. None of the short chain omega6 acids were incorporated directly into liver lipids. PMID- 17805836 TI - Phospholipid distribution in blood and tissues of some submammalian species. AB - The pattern of phospholipid distribution in blood and tissues such as liver, heart, and kidney of four representative species of fish, toad, turtle, and pigeon has been studied. The percentage of phosphatidylcholine in plasma was similar, but in erythrocytes the difference was striking. Ethanolamine and serine plasmalogens were absent in the plasma of all the species. In erythrocytes the highest concentration of phosphatidylethanolamine was noted in the toad. The greatest difference in sphingomyelin and plasmalogen concentrations was found between toad and turtle erythrocytes.In the liver, phosphatidylcholine accounted for more than 55% of the total lipid phosphorus. The percentage of all individual phospholipids except sphingomyelin in kidney was comparable in all the species. PMID- 17805837 TI - Positional distribution of fatty acids in depot triglycerides of aquatic animals. AB - Stereospecific triglyceride analyses were performed on fats of the following animals: five aquatic invertebrates, five freshwater fish, six marine fish, three marine birds, two amphibia, two seals, a whale, and a marine turtle. The distribution of faty acids was asymmetrical in most cases. A formula is presented which describes the general tendencies of fatty acid distribution in many animal fats, and some special rules which modify this formula are stated. PMID- 17805838 TI - The structure of rat liver triglycerides. AB - The fatty acid compositions at the 1-, 2-, and 3-positions(3) of rat liver triglycerides were determined by using pancreatic lipase and diglyceride kinase. The distribution of acids between the 1- and 3-positions is not random; rather each position has a characteristic composition. The relative abundance of species and positional isomers in the triglyceride mixture was predicted by using values from the stereospecific analysis and assuming that the composition of each position is independent of the other two. The total triglyceride was resolved into species by using TLC with silver nitrate and Silica Gel G, and the relative amounts corresponded closely with those predicted on the basis of this assumption.The major species were isolated, and the distribution of their fatty acids among the three glyceride positions was determined. From these data the relative amount of each positional isomer was calculated. The results indicate that the esterification of fatty acids at each position proceeds with a specificity that is not correlated with the composition of the other positions with the molecule.The relative abundance of the different liver triglyceride species is also found to be related in part to the composition of the 1,2 diglyceride units found in the lecithins of this tissue. PMID- 17805839 TI - Caltha palustris L. Seed Oil. A source of four fatty acids withcis-5 unsaturation. AB - The seed oil ofCaltha palustris L. yields two unusual polyunsaturated components, all-cis-5,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid (23%) and all-cis-5,11,14,17-eicosatetraenoic acid (1%). The C(18) monoene fraction (26%) is a mixture ofcis-5- andcis-9 octadecenoic acids (2ratio1). The C(20) monoene fraction (12%) is a mixture ofcis 11- andcis-5-isomers (3ratio1). PMID- 17805840 TI - Search for new seed oils. XV. Oils of boraginaceae. AB - In a search for a preferred source of gamma-linolenic (all-cis-6,9,12 octadecatrienoic) acid, seed oils of 33 species of Boraginaceae were examined. The desired triene was found primarily in the subfamily Boraginoideae in amounts ranging from 0.2 to 18%. Oils of this subfamily also contain 0.2 to 15% of the tetraene, all-cis-6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoic acid. Total unsaturation and the relative proportions of the common acids varied widely in oils of the family. Monoene predominated in the subfamily Cordioideae, diene in Heliotropioideae, and a diverse composition among the Boraginoideae; seven had iodine values of 200 or above.Cordia verbenacea seed oil was unique among those examined in having 43% of C(20) acids and 23% of components more volatile in gas chromatography than the usual triglycerides. PMID- 17805841 TI - The occurrence and biosynthesis of gamma-linolenic acid in a blue-green alga,Spirulina platensis. AB - The acyl-lipid and fatty acid composition of six blue-green algae, namely,Spirulina platensis, Myxosarcina chroococcoides, Chlorogloea fritschii, Anabaena cylindrica, Anabaena flos-aquae, and Mastigocladus laminosus is reported.All contain major proportions of mono-and digalactosyl diglyceride, sulfoquinovosyl diglyceride, and phosphatidyl glycerol, but none possess lecithin, phophatidyl ethanolamine, or phosphatidyl inositol. Trans-3 hexadecenoic acid was absent from all extracts.The analyses provide further evidence that there is no general chemical or physical requirement for any specific fatty acid in photosynthesis. S. platensis is unique among photoautotrophic organisms so far studied, containing major quantities of gamma linolenic acid (6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid). This acid is synthesized by the alga by direct desaturation of linoleic acid and is primarily located in the mono and digalactosyl diglyceride fractions.The possible phylogenetic relationship betweenS. platensis and other plant forms is discussed. PMID- 17805842 TI - Metabolism of alkyl glyceryl ethers in the rat. AB - The metabolism of(14)C- and(3)H-labeled alkyl glyceryl ethers after intraperitoneal injections was examined in the liver and intestine of the rat. Additionally, in vitro experiments were conducted with intestinal homogenates and intetinal contents.From these investigations it was concluded that the liver and the intestine metabolize the alkyl glyceryl ethers very differently. Intestinal contents can alter alpha-batyl alcohol, as indicated by preliminary experiments, and intestinal cells contain enzyme systems which convert the alkyl glyceryl ethers to the mono- and di-acyl derivatives. Very little esterified glyceryl ethers were found in the liver lipids. The intestine contains an enzyme system which, although it has a greater specificity for chain length and for isomeric position of the ether than that of the liver system, does cleave the glyceryl ethers.From in vivo studies, of intestinal tissue it was concluded that all of the injected glyceryl ethers were converted intact the ethanolamine, serine, and choline alkyl glyceryl ether phospholipids; with the use of alpha-batyl alcohol, the phosphatidyl ethanolamine fraction, contained most of the labeled glyceryl ether phospholipid with beta-batyl alcohol, alpha-chimyl, and beta-chimyl alcohols, the phosphatidyl, choline fraction contained most of the labeled alkyl glyceryl ether phospholipid. No significant amount (<1%) of labeled alkyl glyceryl ether phospholipids was found in any of the rat-liver lipids. PMID- 17805843 TI - Autoxidation of saturated fatty acids. I. The initial products of autoxidation of methyl palmitate. AB - A highly purified methyl palmitate free of all detectable impurities was oxidized by aeration at 150C. Monohydroperoxide was shown by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), spot and spray test, and polarography to be the initial autoxidation product. PMID- 17805844 TI - Autoxidation of saturated fatty acids. II. The determination of the site of hydroperoxide groups in autoxidizing methyl palmitate. AB - The monohydroperoxides of methyl palmitate oxidized at 150C were concentrated, purified, and reduced to yield a mixture of isomers of monohydroxy palmitate. No evidence of unsaturation in these molecules could be obtained, and no direct method for the resolution or identification of the individual isomers was found. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of the reduced esters suggested that the hydroxy groups were not located at either end of the chain of the fatty ester.To establish the location of the initial oxidative attack on saturated esters, the reduced esters of oxidized methyl palmitate were chemically cleaved at the location of the hydroxy group by means of chromium trioxide oxidation and by the Beckmann transformation. The resulting mono- and dibasic fatty acids were methylated and analyzed by gas chromatography. This analysis indicated that the oxidation of methyl palmitate did not occur selectively at one location along the ester. Although all carbon atoms can apparently be oxidized, preferential oxidation was observed toward the center of the molecule. PMID- 17805845 TI - Composition of bile acids in ruminants. AB - The bile acids found in sheep bile, beef bile, beef feces, sheep fetus bile, and beef fetus bile have been analyzed by using conventional techniques. Animals maintained on natural and purified diets were used. The bile acids are a complex mixture of isomeric hydroxy- and keto-5beta-cholanoic acids which were substituted at one or several of the carbon atoms 3, 7, and 12. Cholic acid is the predominant bile acid found in these species. Deoxycholic acid was the major product formed from cholic acid when the animals were on a natural diet but the concentration of 3alpha, 12alpha-dihydroxy-7-keto-5beta-cholanoic acid was elevated in the animals that were maintained on a high concentrated purified diet (without roughage). The fetus bile was found to contain nearly all of the bile acids found in the bile of the mature animal but in different concentrations. PMID- 17805846 TI - The fatty acid and aldehyde composition of the major phospholipids of mouse brain. AB - Phospholipid classes were separated from mouse brain lipid extracts by preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Methyl esters were prepared from the intact phospholipids by direct transesterification at room temperature in the presence of silica gel by using 0.5M: NaOH-methanol in order to prevent interference by aldehydes or derivatives. Dimethyl acetal derivatives of phosphoglyceride alkenyl ethers (alkenyl moiety with a double bond in 1,2 position relative to oxygen linkage) were prepared, using 5% concentrated HCl in methanol, followed by preparative TLC for isolation.The major phospholipids present were ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPG) 39.8%, choline phosphoglycerides (CPG) 39.7%, serine phosphoglycerides (SPG) 15.0%, and sphingomyelin (Sph) 5.4%. One-fifth of the total phospholipids (PL) were in the form of plasmalogens, mainly EPG. Choline and serine plasmalogens were present in trace quantities. The major aldehyde components of the plasmalogens were 16ratio0, 18ratio0, and 18ratio1.The EPG were rich in long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids, including 28.8% of 22ratio6 and 17.0% of 20ratio4, but contained only 7.2% of 16ratio0. In contrast, the CPG contained 39.6% of 16ratio0, and 31.0% of 18ratio1 with a small content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The SPG exhibited a still different pattern containing 38.2% of 18ratio0, 23.2% of 18ratio1, 24.3% of 22ratio6, 2.9% of 16ratio0, and 3.8% of 20ratio4. PMID- 17805847 TI - Effects of experimental endogenous hyperlipemia on circulating leukocytes and erythrocytes. AB - Effects of hyperlipemia on circulating leukocytes and erythrocytes were studied in dogs which were given repeated, intravenous injections of a nonionic detergent, Triton WR-1339.Erythrocyte lipid concentrations increased from 3.6+/ 0.9 mg/10(10) cells in control animals to 9.3+/-1.5 mg in the hyperlipemic group. This increase was accompanied by a shift in the distribution of total fatty acids toward a higher percentage of saturated and monounsaturated acids. In contrast to the changes observed in erythrocytes, the leukocyte lipid content remained unaltered in dogs with serum cholesterol levels ranging from 500 to more than 2,000 mg/100 ml. Leukocyte counts rose whereas hematocrit values, hemoglobin concentrations, and erythrocyte counts decreased. Oxygen utilization studies showed no significant metabolic differences between leukocytes which were isolated from hyperlipemic or control animals. Circulating leukocytes in dogs with an endogenously induced hyperlipemia were shown therefore to maintain normal lipid concentrations and did not participate in lipophage formation, as reported for certain diet-induced lipemias. PMID- 17805848 TI - Autoxidation of tissue lipids. II. Monocarbonyl compounds formed by the autoxidation of methyl eicosapentaenoate, methyl docosahexaenoate, and cod-liver oil. AB - Fatty acid analysis of autoxidized cod-liver oil with a peroxide value of 192 showed significant degradation of only eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids of the linolenate family. Purified, mildly autoxidized cod liver oil with a peroxide value of 28, methyl eicosapentaenoate, and methyl docosahexaenoate produced carbonyl patterns in agreement with the accepted mechanism for olefinic autoxidation. In all cases the major products were propanal andn-pent-2-enal as predicted, andn-hex-2-enal andn-hept-2-enal as reported in the literature for linolenate. In addition, the same cod-liver oil, which had been heated to 188C in vacuum for 1 hr to decompose completely the hydroperoxides before carbonyl analysis, showed the presence ofn-hepta-2,4-dienal as predicted. PMID- 17805849 TI - Therans-3-enoic acids ofAster alpinus andArctium minus seed oils. AB - Thetrans-3-enoic acids ofAster alpinus (dwarf aster, rock aster) andArctium minus (burdock) seed oils have been isolated and characterized.Arctium seed oil containstrans-3,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoic acid (9.9%), andAster oil containstrans-3-hexadecenoic (7.1%),rans-3-octadecenoic (1.9%),trans-3,cis-9 octadecadienoic (3.0%),a ndtrans-3,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoic (13.7%) acids.Aster oil also has an epoxy acid as a minor constituent (ca. 2.0%), which has been identified ascis-9,10-epoxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid. PMID- 17805850 TI - Rapid determination of double-bond positions in monoenoic fatty acids by periodate-permanganate oxidation. AB - Tetramethylammonium hydroxide has been used in the extraction and pyrolysis methylation of the carboxylic acids produced by periodate-permanganate oxidation of monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters. This modification of the von Rudloff procedure allows rapid determination of double-bond positions and analysis of mixtures of positional isomers of monoenoic fatty acids. PMID- 17805851 TI - The distribution of phospholipids in some mammalian milks. AB - Phospholipids were isolated from cow, sheep, Indian buffalo, camel, ass, pig, and human milks. The distribution of phospholipids was determined by quantitative two dimensional thin-layer chromatography. The distribution of phospholipids was found to be remarkably constant in the milks of all the species studied, and it is concluded that the phospholipids probably fulfil similar or identical functions in these milks. PMID- 17805852 TI - Differentiation of nitrogenous phospholipids by infrared absorption between 9 and 11 microns. PMID- 17805853 TI - Device to apply detection reagents to microplates. PMID- 17805854 TI - An inexpensive, unbreakable chromatographic column. PMID- 17805855 TI - Calculation of the NMR spectrum of double-bond protons in aliphatic systems. AB - A simplified subspectral method is presented to determine coupling constants and chemical shifts for the group -CH(2) -CH=CH-CH(2)- in aliphatic compounds. Results are given for methyl esters of oleic, elaidic, erucic, and linoleic acid. These results are in agreement with more elaborate calculations. PMID- 17805856 TI - Influence of sex and gonadal hormones on lipid metabolism in essential fatty acid deficient rats. AB - Previous work has shown differences between male and female rats in their ability a) to mobilize linoleic acid from adipose tissue when the supply is limited; b) to maintain higher levels of circulating and liver arachidonic acid when dietary linoleic acid is limited; c) to prevent accumulation of cholesteryl ester (CE) in the liver; and d) to increase the proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in their plasma lecithins.Recent studies are reviewed which show that a) essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient rats exhibit the same kinds of sex differences as do rats on complete diets; b) these differences are mediated or at least influenced by estrogen; c) some of the differences may be attributed to differences in body size which result in less need for PUFA in structural phospholipid (PL); d) the rate of conversion of linoleic to arachidonic acid may differ under certain experimental conditions; and e) female rats have higher proportions of stearic and arachidonic acids in their liver lecithins than do males, which may relate to their higher rate of lecithin synthesis via methylation of phosphatidyl-ethanolamine. PMID- 17805857 TI - Relative incorporation of acetate and glucose into glycerides ofGlomerella cingulata. AB - Cultures of the fungusGlomerella cingulata were pulse-labeled for 30 min with 1 (14)C-acetate at ages from 2 to 12 days old. The greatest incorporation into triglycerides and phosphoglycerides occurred in the youngest cultures, but more of the radioactive acetate was diverted to the phosphoglycerides than to the triglycerides in these cultures.In another series of experiments the incorporation of 1-(14)C-acetate or 2-(14)C-glucose into the triglycerides and phosphoglycerides of the fungus was investigated at 15-minute intervals for 1 hr. Hydrolysis of the two classes of glycerides revealed some labeling of glycerol from acetate; but, not surprisingly, acetate was incorporated into the fatty acid moieties to a greater extent than into the glycerol moieties, and there was relatively greater incorporation of 2-(14)C-glucose into glycerol than into fatty acids. Some relationships of these results to the growth and development ofG. cingulata are suggested, and implications relative to control mechanisms are pointed out. PMID- 17805858 TI - Glyceride structure ofCardamine impatiens L. Seed oil. AB - A group of unusual triglycerides, in which one of the acyl groups is a vicinal dihydroxy acid with one of the hydroxyl groups acetylated, has been isolated fromCardamine impatiens L. (Cruciferae) seed oil. Hydrolysis of these triglycerides with castor bean lipase facilitated isolation and identification of a mixture of C(18), C(20), C(22), and C(24) hydroxy acetoxy fatty acids. Pancreatic lipase hydrolysis data revealed that these monoacetylated dihydroxy acid residues are esterified exclusively with one of the alpha-positions of the glycerol moiety. The remaining acyl groups are comprised of ordinary C(18) unsaturated acids (which occupy 98% of the beta-position), palmitic acid, and C(20), C(22), and C(24) monoenoic fatty acids. PMID- 17805859 TI - Retinol inhibition of some proteolytic enzymes. AB - Automated analyses were used to determine the effect of retinol on the activity of the following proteolytic enzymes: ficin (EC 3.4.4.12), bromelain (EC 3.4.4. 24), trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4.), chymotrypsin A (EC 3.4.4.5), papain (EC 3.4.4.10), clostridiopeptidase A (EC 3.4.4.19), pepsin (EC 3.4.4.1), cathepsin D (EC 3.4.4. 23) from rat-liver and rat-kidney lysosomes and the nonspecific proteolytic enzyme, pronase. Of these proteolytic enzymes only ficin, bromelain, and rat kidney lysosomal cathepsin D were inhibited significantly by 1x10(-4) M retinol.Some nonproteolytic enzymes not inhibited by retinol were acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), beta-acetylglucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30), arylsulfatase (EC 3.1.6.1), and pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40). The inhibition of cathepsin D varied with the substrate used, being greater with hemoglobin than with ovalbumin or bovine serum albumin. Carotene and retinol inhibited ficin and cathepsin D to similar extents. Retinol inhibition of ficin was partially reversible. These studies of proteolytic enzyme inhibition by retinol serve as a simple model for studying retinol-protein interactions in vitro. PMID- 17805860 TI - Tritium and(14)C counting in tissue samples by using liquid scintillation method. AB - The combustion method has been modified to increase the recovery of tritiated water after combustion of a tritium-labeled tissue sample. This was accomplished by cooling the bottom of the combustion flask in a dry ice-acetone bath while irradiating the top with an infrared lamp. The procedure resulted in at least 92% to 102% recovery of the tritiated water. The NCS solubilizer was found to be superior to hyamine for solubilizing(14)C labeled tissue samples. The samples yielded light yellow-colored solutions when incubated for 15 hr at 50-55C. The counting efficiency of this solution was 75% or higher. PMID- 17805861 TI - The total synthesis of phosphatidyl(Dioleoyl)hydroxy-l-proline and its activity in blood-clotting systems. AB - The phthalimidomethyl ester ofN-anisyloxycarbonyl-hydroxy-L: -proline was combined with phosphorus oxychloride andrac-1,2-diolein. The diolein was made by large-scale preparative application of the method of Krabisch and Borgstrom (1). The protected phosphatide, obtained by the phosphorylation reaction, was stripped of its protective groups under mild conditions. The phosphatidyl(dioleoyl) hydroxy-L: -proline was purified by TEAE cellulose (acetate) chromatography, as developed by Rouser (6), also by silicic acid chromatography. Aqueous dispersions of the material were tested for anticoagulant activity in the antithrom-boplastin test and the Hicks-Pitney test. The new phosphatide had about one-tenth of the activity of beef brain phosphatidylserine. PMID- 17805862 TI - An unsaturated phosphonic acid analogue of phosphatidylethanolamine and its activity in blood-clotting systems. AB - An unsaturated phosphonolipid analogous to phosphatidylethanolamine,rac dioleoylglyceryl(2-aminoethyl)phosphonate, was synthesized by a general method introduced by Baer for similar saturated substances. An improvement was made in the preparation of the phthalimidoethyl-phosphonic acid precursor.The phosphonolipid was purified by DEAE cellulose and silicic acid chromatography. It was tested by comparison with synthetic phosphatidyl (dioleoyl) ethanolamine and phosphatidyl(dilinoleoyl) ethanolamine in the Hicks-Pitney test and in a test for prothrombin conversion by using purified blood coagulation factors. In both tests it had more acceleratory activity than the synthetic phosphatidylethanolamines. PMID- 17805863 TI - Sterol metabolism. III. Sterols of marine waters. AB - The detection and tentative identification of three sterols, cholesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol, in hexane extracts of Gulf of Mexico waters has been achieved by using thin-layer and gas chromatographic procedures. The identifications are assigned on the basis of chromatographic properties of the free sterols, of their acetates, and of their trimethylsilyl ethers. PMID- 17805864 TI - The lipids of the common house cricket,Acheta domesticus L. I. Lipid classes and fatty acid distribution. AB - The lipids of the common house cricket,Acheta domesticus L., have been examined with the following results. The fatty acids associated with the lipid extracts do not change significantly from the third through the eleventh week of the crickets' postembryonic life. The major fatty acids are linoleic (30-40%), oleic (23-27%), palmitic (24-30%), and stearic acids (7-11%). There are smaller amounts of palmitoleic (3-4%), myristic ( approximately 1%), and linolenic acids (<1%). The fatty acid composition of the cricket lipids reflects but is not identical to the fatty acids of the dietary lipids: linoleic (53%), oleic (24%), palmitic (15%), stearic (3%), myristic (2%), and linolenic acid (2%).The amount of triglycerides present in the crickets increases steadily from the second through the seventh or eighth week of postembryonic life, then drops sharply. Other lipid classes, such as hydrocarbons, simple esters, diglycerides, monoglycerides, sterols, and free fatty acids remain about constant. The composition of the fatty acids associated with the tri-, di-, and monoglycerides and the free fatty acid fraction are all about the same. The fatty acids associated with the simple esters are high in stearic acid. PMID- 17805865 TI - The lipids of the common house cricket,Acheta domesticus L. II. Hydrocarbons. AB - The hydrocarbons of the common house cricketAcheta domesticus L. consist ofn alkanes (4%), 2-methylalkanes (20%), x-methylalkanes (59%), an unidentified series of alkanes (trace), and olefins (16-185). The major n-alkane isn nonacosane (3.5%). The major 2-methylalkanes are 2-methyloctacosane (8%) and 2 methyltriacontane (11%). The members of the homologous x-methylalkane series consist of mixtures of methylalkanes in which the methyl side-chain is located on the 13th, 15th, and 17th carbon atom in the chain. The major x-methylalkanes are the homologues containing 31 (3%), 33 (6.5%), 35 (12.5%), 37 (27%), and 39 (2.5%) carbon atoms. The olefins are a mixture of straight-chain and 2-methyl-alkenes and alkadienes. The major olefins contain 31 (3%) and 37 (7.5%) carbon atoms. PMID- 17805866 TI - The lipids of the common house cricket,Acheta domesticus L. III. Sterols. AB - Sterols constitute 1.95% of the total extractable lipids ofAcheta domesticus L., of which 18% are esterified. The free sterols consist of cholestane-3beta-ol (0.5%), Delta(5)-cholestene-3beta-ol (83.5%), Delta(7)-cholestene-3beta-ol (2.3%) Delta(5,7)-cholestadiene-3beta-ol (3%), Delta(5,22)-cholestadiene-3beta-ol (4%), Delta(5,7,22)-cholestatriene-3beta-ol (0.2%), campestane-3beta-ol (0.03%), Delta(5)-campestene-3beta-ol (1.0%), Delta(7)-campestene-3beta-ol (trace), Delta(5,7)-campestadiene-3beta-ol (0.2%), stigmastane-3beta-ol (0.09%), Delta(5) stigmastene-3beta-ol (2.1%), Delta(7)-stigmastene-3beta-ol (0.04%), Delta(5,7) stigmastadiene-3beta-ol (0.4%), Delta(5,22)-stigmastadiene-3betaol (0.1%). The same sterols are present in the esterified sterol fraction. Delta(7)-Sterols and Delta(5,7)-sterols are present in significantly larger amounts in the esterified fraction than in the free sterol fraction. By a comparison with the sterols of the cricket food, it is clear thatA. domesticus is capable of removing methyl and ethyl groups from C-24 of sterols of the campestane and stigmastane type. The ability to introduce a Delta(7) double bond into saturated and Delta(5)-sterols is indicated, and it is suggested that Delta(7)-sterols of the C(27), C(28), and C(29) sterol series may be intermediates in the conversion of Delta(5)-sterols to Delta(5,7)-sterols. PMID- 17805867 TI - Fatty acid composition ofClaviceps species. Occurrence of (+)-threo-9, 10 dihydroxystearic acid. AB - The fatty acids from sclerotia ofC. purpurea and of four otherClaviceps species have been examined chromatographically, and all contain greater or lesser amounts of various oxygenated fatty acids.C. sulcata was the most unusual in that it contained some 60% of (+)-threo-9, 10-dihydroxystearic acid. PMID- 17805868 TI - Isolation of cerebroside containing glucose (Glucosyl ceramide) and its possible significance in ganglioside synthesis. AB - A small amount of cerebroside containing glucose (glucosyl ceramide) was isolated from bovine brain by Florisil column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. The fatty acids of the glucosyl ceramide were palmitic and stearic acids; small amounts of oleic and linoleic acids were present.Rat brain tissue slices, incubated with U-(14)C-glucose, incorporated more radioacivity into glucosyl ceramide than into galactosyl ceramide. From these results the possible metabolic significance of the brain glucosyl ceramide in ganglioside metabolism is discussed. PMID- 17805869 TI - Studies on the lipids of sheep red blood cells. II. The incorporation of phosphorus into phospholipids of HK and LK cells. AB - The incorporation of inorganic phosphate (as NaH(2)PO(4)) into the phospholipids of sheep red blood cells was studied in vitro in blood samples from five highpotassium (HK) and five low-potassium (LK) sheep. The erythrocytes from HK sheep incorporated more activity in 4 hr than those from the LK sheep. However no activity was incorporated into the major phospholipids of the cells (phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine, and sphingomyelin) of either group. The phosphatidic acid fraction was labeled in both groups and to a significantly greater extent in the HK samples. However the highest activity in the phospholipid of sheep red-cells was located in three unknown compounds not previously detected. Their specific activities were the same in the HK and the LK samples although they were present in slightly larger amounts in the HK samples. In general, incorporation was at a rather low level, and from stoichiometric considerations it was concluded that the metabolism in the red-cell phospholipids could not be directly involved in the active transport of ions across the cell membrane. This work also confirmed a previous report that no quantitative differences exist among the major phospholipid classes in the two types of cells. PMID- 17805870 TI - Thealpha-oxidation system of brain microsomes. Cofactors foralpha-hydroxy acid decarboxylation. AB - A one-carbon degradation of long-chain fatty acids, which was found to occur in the brains of rats in vivo, has been investigated in a brain microsomal fraction in vitro. Decarboxylation of the alpha-hydroxy acid, a possible intermediate product between the substrate and the next shorter acid, in the presence of brain microsomal fraction was enhanced by ATP, NAD, and a dialyzable fraction from the supernatant fraction. The cofactor requirement for the decarboxylation of the alpha-hydroxy acids provided by the dialyzable fraction can be met by several reducing agents or ferrous ion. The effectiveness of several possible cofactors for the decarboxylation of alpha-hydroxy acids has been evaluated.It is concluded that the decarboxylation of the alpha-hydroxystearic acid may be a reaction with molecular oxygen catalyzed by an oxidase or oxygenase that requires iron in the reduced state for activity. The possibility that the reaction proceeds through an alpha-keto acid intermediate has been examined in the light of new knowledge of the conditions for decarboxylation. It is concluded that a short-lived keto acid is a possible intermediate. Definitive proof however is lacking because the characteristics of the reaction require that such an intermediate decarboxylate without dissociating from the enzyme. PMID- 17805871 TI - Curvilinear regression course of human brain lipid composition changes with age. PMID- 17805872 TI - Accumulation of a glycerolphospholipid in classical niemann-pick disease. PMID- 17805873 TI - Structure of bovine milk fat triglycerides : I. Short and medium chain lengths. AB - The triglycerides of bovine milk fat globules were isolated and separated into short, medium and long chain lengths by thin-layer chromatography. The molecular weight distribution and the fatty acid composition of the component triglycerides was then separately determined by gas chromatography following argentation-thin layer and preparative gas chromatography. Some 38 triglyceride types (28% of total), of which there could be up to 6 isomers, were specifically identified and quantitatively estimated. The quantitative estimates for the rest of the milk fat triglycerides were limited to much more complex glyceride groups. The results confirm the earlier claim that butyric and caproic acids occur in milk fat almost exclusively in combination with medium and long chain fatty acids. PMID- 17805874 TI - Sterol metabolism. IV. Microbial disposition of 5beta-cholestan-3beta-ol. AB - Cholesterol and 5beta-cholestan-3beta-ol have been detected by thin-layer and gas chromatographic means in hexane extracts of domestic sewage. Cholesterol was detected in the clear effluent after activated sludge treatment of domestic sewage, but 5beta-cholestan-3beta-ol was undetectable in treated sewage. Attempts to detect either sterol in hexane extracts of marine bay water have not been successful because of the interference of other lipid-like material. PMID- 17805875 TI - Acetylenic acid biosynthesis inCrepis rubra. AB - Time studies of crepenynic acid synthesis inCrepis rubra show that this acid is not present in the seed for several days after, flowering commences but builds up rapidly between the 14th and 28th days to become the major fatty acid of the seed oil.Radioactive tracer studies clearly demonstrate that the acetylenic bond is introduced into the carbon chain of a preformed long-chain fatty acid rather than built in during formation of the carbon chain. The nearest precursor found is oleic acid. There is no conversion to crepenynic acid by seed preparations ofcis,cis-linoleic acid,cis,trans (trans,cis)-linoleic acid, orcis-12,13-epoxy oleic acid. Possible biosynthetic pathways to explain these results are suggested.The crepenynic acid is chiefly, but not entirely, in triglycerides in the seed oil, and it has been shown to be esterified in the 2- and 3- positions of the triglyceride. PMID- 17805876 TI - The 9-hexadecenoic and 11-octadecenoic acid content of natural fats and oils. AB - The monoenoic methyl esters from numerous fats and oils which contained appreciablecis-9-hexadecenoic acid (cis-9-16ratio1) were isolated by liquid-solid chromatography on silver nitrate-silica gel. Analysis of the monoenes by packed and capillary column gas-liquid chromatography showed that significant amounts ofcis-11-octadecenoic acid (cis-11-18ratio1) were present in all samples. The amount ofcis-11-18ratio1 found in the monoenoic methyl esters increased proportionally to logarithmic increases in thecis-9-16ratio1 level. Most analyses reported in the literature also show this proportionality. This mathematical relationship suggests that chain elongation ofcis-9-16ratio1 tocis-11-18ratio1 is a biosynthetic pathway operative in a wide variety of species. PMID- 17805877 TI - Metabolism of chimyl alcohol and phosphatidyl ethanolamine in the rat brain. AB - Following intracerebral injection of(14)C-phosphatidylethanolamine and(3)H-chimyl alcohol into 18 day old rats, the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides were isolated and analyzed. The(14)C and(3)H activities in the dimethyl acetals derived from alkenyl acyl ethanolamine phosphoglycerides and in the glyceryl ethers derived from the alkyl acyl ethanolamine phosphoglycerides were measured. The absence of(14)C in the dimethyl acetals indicates that phosphatidyl ethanolamine is not transformed into phosphatidal ethanolamine under these circumstances. The increase with time of the(3)H content of the glyceryl ethers and dimethyl acetals indicates that chimyl alcohol was a precursor of both types of phospholipids. PMID- 17805878 TI - The lipids of human pancreas with special reference to the presence of fatty acid methyl esters. AB - Total lipids were extracted from human pancreas with chloroform-methanol, chloroform-methanol following acidification, and benzene. A similar proportional amount of total lipid was obtained by each procedure. Regardless of the method of extraction (i.e., whether or not methanol was present), a small proportion (about 1%) of the total lipid was found to consist of fatty acid methyl esters. Triglycerides constituted the major fraction (about 80%) of the pancreatic lipids; in addition to methyl esters, the remaining lipids comprised free fatty acids, phospholipids, cholesterol esters, and traces of free cholesterol. In general, each class of lipid had a similar over-all fatty acid composition with palmitic and oleic acids as predominant components. The methyl esters had a relatively high content of linolenic acid, and the free fatty acids contained a notably high proportion of palmitic acid, in each case accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the proportion of oleic acid present. PMID- 17805879 TI - The distribution of(14)C-labeled cholesterol in the dog: Effect of long-term epinephrine administration. AB - A time course study of(14)C-cholesterol distribution in dogs was performed after the intravenous administration of 4-(14)C-cholesterol. Liver cholesterol attained isotopic equilibrium with plasma cholesterol within 24 hr after the administration of the labeled cholesterol. The tissue cholesterol pools of most organs attained isotopic equilibrium with plasma cholesterol between the second and ninth day after 4-(14)C-cholesterol had been given. Thoracic aorta cholesterol equilibrated most slowly with plasma cholesterol. Thirty-seven to 75 days after the(14)C-cholesterol had been given, the specific radioactivity of thoracic aorta cholesterol was 2 to 5 times greater than that of plasma cholesterol and 1.73 and 1.65 times greater than that of the abdominal and terminal aortic segments respectively. Adrenal gland cholesterol attained specific radioactivities greater than that of plasma cholesterol between the fourth and ninth day after 4-(14)C-cholesterol had been given, and this relationship was maintained over the 75-day period of observation. The specific radioactivity of bile cholesterol was less than that of plasma cholesterol at all time periods.The daily administration of epinephrine in oil over a period of four to seven weeks was accompanied by a more equal distribution of(14)C-cholesterol throughout the length of the aorta. An increase in the specific radioactivity of kidney cortex cholesterol, relative to that of plasma and kidney medullary cholesterol, also was observed in epinephrine-treated dogs. PMID- 17805880 TI - Comparison of antioxidant activities of tocol and its methyl derivatives. AB - In tests with purified menhaden oil at 37C and with squalene at 37C and 50C, unsubstituted tocol, 7,8-dimethyl tocol (gamma-tocol), and 8-methyl tocol (sigma tocol) were superior antioxidants to 5,7-dimethyl tocol and 5,7,8-trimethyl tocol (alpha-tocol). In contrast to previous reports, there were no differences in the order of the activities of the tocopherols at different temperatures. PMID- 17805881 TI - Isolation and characterization of cholesterol-5B,6B-oxide from an aerated aqueous dispersion of cholesterol. AB - An unknown autoxidation product in an aerated cholesterol sol was isolated by preparative thin layer chromatography. This compound was identified as cholesterol-5beta,6beta-oxide by gas liquid chromatography along with infrared and mass spectrometry. PMID- 17805882 TI - Circum-annual changes in triglyceride fatty acids of bat brown adipose tissue. AB - A circum-annual study of the fatty acids of brown adipose tissue triglycerides ofEptesicus fuscus has demonstrated a rhythmic pattern of change. This is seen as a reciprocal shift of the levels of oleic and linoleic acids. Oleic acid levels are lower during the summer months and higher in the winter months. Levels of palmitic and linoleic acids reach maximal values in midsummer and fall significantly during the winter.Homogenates of brown adipose tissue produce more(14)CO(2) from 1-(14)C-palmitic acid than from 1-(14)C-oleic acid when incubated at temperatures below 20C. The formation of(14)CO(2) from either substrate was maximal in the neighborhood of 30C, and the temperature effect was enhanced by stimulation with DL-carnitine.It is proposed that the rhythmic change in brown adipose tissue triglyceride composition is a reflection of the different rates of fatty acid oxidation and the absence of normal food intake for extended periods of time. PMID- 17805883 TI - Dietary fat effect on incorporation and release of lipids and cholesterol by rat intestinal slices. AB - The effect of saturated and unsaturated fats on in vitro formation and release of lipids and cholesterol from(14)C acetate by rat intestinal tissue was investigated. The rats were fed a basal diet enriched with either 25% corn oil or lard and then sacrificed after a 10- or 25-day feeding period. It was observed that a similar(14)C lipid content but a greater(14)C cholesterol content was found in the intestinal tissue of rats fed corn oil than in rats fed lard for 10 days. After a longer period of feeding of 25 days, the intestinal tissue(14)C cholesterol level was decreased in the corn oil fed rats without any significant effect on other lipids. These data suggest that corn oil in some way influences cholesterol biosynthesis depending upon its degree of unsaturation and the period of time for which it is fed. The decrease at the later time might involve some mechanism which aids in getting rid of accumulated tissue cholesterol. Less(14)C lipid and(14)C cholesterol were released by the intestinal tissue of rats fed the unsaturated fat as compared with those fed the saturated fat, suggesting a possible role in vivo in reducing blood lipids and blood cholesterol levels. PMID- 17805884 TI - In vitro incorporation of acetate-1-(14)C into the phospholipids of rabbit and human endometria. AB - Endometria from nonpregnant and 6-day pregnant rabbits and from humans in the proliferative and secretory phases were incubated with 1-(14)C-acetate.(14)CO(2) was collected, and subsequently the amounts, specific radioactivities, and in some cases the fatty acid compositions of the isolated phospholipids were determined. Phosphatidyl choline was the phospholipid present in highest amount in endometria from both nonpregnant and pregnant rabbits, and in human endometria; this phospholipid also showed the highest degree of incorporation of(14)C-acetate. Pregnancy in the rabbit seemed to decrease the incorporation of(14)C-acetate into most of the endometrial phospholipid classes. In humans, the incorporation of acetate into phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine was lower in the secretory than the proliferative endometria.Of the fatty acids, linoleic acid in phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine of the rabbit endometria showed a significant relative increase during pregnancy and palmitoleic acid showed a decrease. PMID- 17805885 TI - Fatty acid metabolism in the chloroplast lipids of green and blue-green algae. AB - The pattern of uptake of radioactivity into chloroplast lipids when a green alga (Chlorella vulgaris) was incubated with sodium 2-(14)C-acetate differed appreciably from that obtained when two blue-green algae (Anabaena cylindrica andAnacystis nidulans) were incubated under similar conditions.The fatty acids of the digalactosyl diglyceride and sulphoquinovosyl diglyceride fractions from the blue-green algae were labeled more rapidly than were those of the corresponding fractions fromC. vulgaris, whereas the activity in the acids of the phosphatidyl glycerol fraction fromA. cylindrica andA. nidulans was relatively lower than that in the green alga. The results indicate that the metabolic behavior of chloroplast lipids may vary considerably according to the class of alga concerned.In all three alga, the evidence points to an intermediary function for the chloroplast lipids in fatty acid synthesis.Only limited exchange of acyl groups between the different chloroplast lipids seemed to occur during photoautotrophic growth. PMID- 17805886 TI - Liver lipids during development. AB - The fatty acid composition of the major liver microsomal phospholipids has been studied during pre- and postnatal development of the rabbit. The fatty acid composition of the total lipids, phosphatidyl choline, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine from animals -6, -3, 0, +3, +6, +9, +16, and +112 days of age was determined. Fatty acid composition is similar in phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine for oleic acid at +3, +6, +9, and +16 day old animals; palmitoleic acid at +9 day old animals and linoleic acid at -6, -3, and 0 day old animals.Palmitoleic acid demonstrated a uniform decrease during early development in the total lipids and in both phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine; however, in the 112 day animal, the amount was just slightly lower than that observed for the earliest prenatal animal studied. Oleic acid decreased considerably during early postnatal development in the total lipids, phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine, but an increase in the 112 day animal was observed. Linoleic acid fluctuated considerably throughout postnatal development in the total lipids as well as in the two major phosphatides.Lecithin biosynthesis has been studied by two pathways during development of rabbit liver from -6 days to +110 days. The two pathways of lecithin biosynthesis were evaluated by assaying the activities of the liver enzymes choline phosphotransferase and phosphatidylmethyltransferase at different time intervals during development. The greater enzymatic activity was observed in the cholinephosphotransferase during development. PMID- 17805887 TI - The fatty acid composition of some entomophthoraceae : II. The occurrence of branched-chain fatty acids inConidiobolus denaesporus Drechsl. AB - Lipids extracted fromConidiobolus denaesporus Drechsl. were found to contain three branched-chain fatty acids, which together comprised about 35% of the total fatty acids of the fungus. The branchedchain acids were identified by gas-liquid chromatography, infrared and mass spectroscopy as 12-methyl tridecanoic, 12 methyl tetradecanoic, and 14-methyl pentadecanoic acids respectively.Then saturated acids comprise C12, C13, C14, C16, and C18. Then C16,n C18, andn C20 unsaturated acids were also found. The occurrence of 15.2% of myristic acid and of 8.9% of eicosatetraenoic acid provides a further distinctive feature of the lipids ofConidiobolus denaesporus. PMID- 17805888 TI - Fatty acid composition of polar lipids of cotton buds. PMID- 17805889 TI - Selection and evaluation of gas chromatographic stationary phases for qualitative separation of components of lipid mixtures. PMID- 17805891 TI - Determination of double bond position in mono-unsaturated fatty acids using combination gas chromatography mass spectrometry. PMID- 17805890 TI - UDP-galactose: N-acetylgalactosaminyl-(N-acetylneuraminyl) galactosyl-glucosyl ceramide transferase activity in adult frog brain. PMID- 17805892 TI - Effect of hypercholesteremia on the activity of serum lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase. PMID- 17805894 TI - Differentiation of nitrogenous phospholipids by infrared spectroscopy. PMID- 17805893 TI - In vitro effect of prostaglandin (PGE(1)) on the release of glycerol and the metabolism of palmitic acid in rat adipose tissue. PMID- 17805895 TI - Relationship between linoleic acid and other omega6 fatty acids of human red cell total phospholipid. PMID- 17805896 TI - Chromatography of lipids on polystyrene gel columns. PMID- 17805897 TI - Fatty acid composition of milk phospholipids. III. Camel, ass, and pig milks. AB - Phospholipids were isolated from camel, ass, and pig milks, and their fatty acid compositions were determined by gasliquid chromatography. The specific distributions of fatty acids in phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) were determined. The results are compared with previous results for bovine, sheep, Indian buffalo, and human milks. The milk phospholipids which were studied can be grouped, on the basis of their fatty acid compositions, into those from ruminant herbivores, nonruminant herbivores, and nonherbivores. The phospholipids of camel milk however have features typical of all groups as well as 15% plasmalogen in the PE fraction. PMID- 17805898 TI - Phospholipid reactivation of plasmalogen metabolism. AB - This report is concerned mainly with the properties of an enzyme from rat liver microsomes which hydrolyzes the alkenyl ether bond of 1-(1'-alk-1'-enyl)-glycero 3-phosphoryl-choline (alkenyl-GPC hydrolase).Destruction of the normal environment of the microsomes by treatment with phospholipases A or C caused inactivation of the alkenyl-GPC hydrolase, which was then partially reactivated by the addition of exogenous phospholipids. Both sphingomyelin and diacyl-GPC were efficient in restoring activity; diacyl-GPE was less effective; and monoacyl GPC and monoacyl-GPE were ineffective. The presence of two long hydrocarbon chains in the lipid activator is apparently required for reactivation, suggesting that interaction of hydrophobic areas of the enzyme with the phospholipid is necessary for maximal activity. High concentrations of sucrose mimicked the effect of phospholipids, and because the sucrose and diacyl-GPC did not show an additive effect, they may reactivate the enzyme in a similar manner.Disrupting the enzyme's environment by freezing and thawing the preparation also resulted in a loss of enzymatic activity, which was restored by added exogenous phospholipids.The alkenyl-GPC hydrolase was inhibited by imidazole and some of its derivatives. Histidine and N-acetyl histidine did not inhibit the enzyme, presumably due to the presence of a negative charge on the carboxyl group rather than the steric bulk of that group, since histidine methyl ester did inhibit the enzyme. Kinetic evidence showed imidazole to be a competitive inhibitor. The enzymatic activity of imidazole-treated microsomes also increased following addition of exogenous phospholipids. Imidazole inhibition differed from the phospholipase A-inactivation in that it was partially reversed by KCl, but not by sucrose. Imidazole did not inhibit other microsomal enzymes tested, indicating that it is not a general inhibitor of membrane-associated enzymes. PMID- 17805899 TI - The effect of the environmental temperature on the fatty acid composition and on thein vivo incorporation of 1-(14)C-acetate in goldfish (Carassius auratus L.). AB - Two-year-old goldfish were adapted to 10C and 35C environmental temperatures during a three-week period, and the fatty acids from triglycerides and certain phospholipids were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Over-all unsaturation of the major fatty acids increased with lower temperature in all lipids which were examined although fish maintained at 10C actually had less polyenoic acid in their tissues than did those maintained at 35C.Fish acclimated to 10C and 30C were injected with 1-(14)C-acetate, and the activities of the isolated fatty acids were counted. The incorporation of(14)C into the fatty acids was much greater at the lower temperature. A comparison of the activities of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids within each temperature group revealed a tendency toward higher incorporation into the unsaturated acids at lower temperature. The possible correlations between accelerated biosynthesis of polyenoic acids and the lower tissue levels of these acids in the cold-adapted fish are discussed. PMID- 17805900 TI - Quantitative determination of alk-1-enyl- and alkyl-glyceryl ethers in neutral lipids and phospholipids. AB - A quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of alk-l-enyl- and alkyl glyceryl ethers is described. Complete hydrogenolysis of carboxylate and phosphate esters of neutral lipids and phospholipids was achieved with lithium aluminum hydride. The hydrogenolysis products of the glyceryl ether containing lipids, alk-l-enyl- and alkyl-glyceryl ethers and alcohols, were identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), and infrared spectroscopy. The alk-l-enyl- and alkyl-glyceryl ethers were quantitated by TLC photodensitometry. The specificity of this method can also be extended when used in conjunction with GLC, ion-complexing TLC, zonal scanning, and autoradiography to study composition, isomeric form, and the biosynthesis of glyceryl ethers in neutral and phospholipids.The percentage of alk-l-enyl- and alkyl-glyceryl ethers in bothtthe neutral lipids and phospholipids of various rat tissues was determined by the described method. Glyceryl ether glycerides represent 0.3-1.2% of the total neutral lipids whereas the glyceryl ether phosphatides of brain, heart, marrow, muscle, and spleen represent 4.5-12.0% of their total phospholipids. Higher concentrations of glyceryl alkyl than of alk-l-enyl ethers were found in the neutral lipids whereas the glyceryl alk-l-enyl ethers were found to predominate in the phospholipids. PMID- 17805901 TI - Cholesterol metabolism in the baboon. AB - Studies on the transport of exogenous and endogenous cholesterol in the baboon have been carried out using(14)C-acetate,(14)C-mevalonic acid, or(3)H cholesterol. The results suggest the following characteristics of cholesterol metabolism in the baboon: the serum alpha- and beta-lipoproteins show no preference in the transport of exogenous or endogenous cholesterol; the half-life (t(1/2)) of disappearance of cholesterol from the whole animal varied between 31 and 50 days; the daily rate of whole body cholesterol biosynthesis in the baboon (47 mg/kg/day) is comparable with that rate observed in the human being (18-41 mg/kg/day); after administration of(14)C-acetate,(14)C-mevalonic acid, or(3)H cholesterol to baboons, newly synthesized cholesterol esters appear to be incorporated to a greater extent into the serum alpha-lipoproteins. PMID- 17805902 TI - Studies on the specificity of a lipase system fromGeotrichum candidum. AB - The lipase system fromGeotrichum candidum preferentially hydrolyzed oleic acid, regardless of position, from the four possible racemic triglycerides containing oleate and palmitate. The rate of hydrolysis of these glycerides was most rapid when the substrate contained two moles of oleate. This acid was also preferentially released from a series of triglycerides containing oleate and two moles of a saturated fatty acid. The chain length of the latter did not alter the specificity for oleate.Equimolar quantities of oleic and linoleic acids were released when triolein and trilinolein (equimolar mixture) were hydrolyzed by this lipase. No differentiation between oleate and palmitoleate was observed when racemic glyceryl 1-palmitoleate-2,3-dioleate was the substrate. However, only 7.2 M%cis-vaccenic acid was released from glyceryl 1-cis-vaccenate-2,3-dioleate and 5.4 M% petroselinic acid from glyceryl 1-palmitoleate-2,3-dipetroselinate. It therefore appears that the enzyme may be specific forcis-9-unsaturation as well as forcis-9,cis-12-unsaturation. When specificity was assumed, the fatty acid compositions of the diglycerides obtained from digestions withG. candidum were close to theoretical. PMID- 17805903 TI - The effect of a polyunsaturated diet upon adipose-tissue fatty acids in young coronary males. A five-year cohort study. AB - The fatty acid composition in the adipose tissue of 38 electrocardiographycally confirmed coronary males, mean age 43.7 years, at ideal weight on a 30%-of calories controlled-fat diet, containing approximately 11.4% of calories as linoleic acid, was studied. The initial linoleic acid concentration in the adipose tissue was approximately 11 mole % of total fatty acids; for approximately the first 12 months it rose slightly and then rapidly increased to about 20% after 24 months. The overall response is sigmoidal in form and fits the equation: 1/y=0.025+0.066 (0.975)(x) in which y represents the adipose tissue linoleate as mole percentage of total adipose tissue fatty acids and x is the time in months.The relative increase in linoleic acid is not attributable to a decrease in any specific fatty acid. PMID- 17805904 TI - Sphingolipid metabolism in leucocytes. I. Incorporation of(14)C-glucose and (14)C galactose into glycosphingolipids by intact human leucocytes. AB - Glucosyl ceramide and lactosyl ceramide have been isolated from intact human leucocytes. Incubation of intact white blood cells with either(14)C-glucose or(14)C-galactose resulted in the incorporation of these tracers into the glycosphingolipids. The products were extracted by conventional procedures and purified by combined silicic acid column and thin-layer chromatography. The bulk of the radioactivity was found in the monohexoside and dihexoside ceramide fractions.Acid hydrolysis yielded glucose as the principal carbohydrate of the monohexoside ceramide, regardless of the sugar precursor employed. In the dihexoside ceramide fraction, galactose was liberated as the major sugar component. The specific activities of the lactosyl ceramide was found to be greater than that of the corresponding glucosyl ceramide. PMID- 17805905 TI - The maturation of rat brain myelin. AB - Myelin fractions were prepared from brains of 9- to 90-day-old rats by continuous and discontinuous sucrose density gradient procedures. Total protein and lipid content of myelin showed little variation, but lipid composition changed significantly during maturation. Cholesterol, galactolipids, and ethanolamine glycerophosphatide plasmalogen increased whereas choline glycerophosphatide content decreased with increasing age. The changes in lipid composition were more marked in the myelin prepared by the discontinuous gradient technique. The significance of these lipid changes in relation to their organization in the myelin membrane is discussed. PMID- 17805906 TI - A study on the biosynthesis ofcis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid. AB - Preliminary studies show that red stem, rust-infected wheat plants provide a means for investigating the biosynthesis of epoxy fatty acids. The incorporation of 1-(14)C-acetate intocis-9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid occurs at the stage of the infection when sporulation is proceeding, and at the same stage there is at least a fourfold increase in the synthesis of other fatty acids. The epoxy acid appears to be formed by the condensation of acetate units in a process that requires oxygen and is not stimulated appreciably by light.Labeled stearic and oleic acid are also incorporated into the epoxy acid without undergoing beta-oxidation. The rate of conversion of oleic acid is greater than stearic acid, thus indicating that oleic acid is an immediate precursor to 9,10-epoxyoctadecanoic acid. PMID- 17805907 TI - Triglyceride analysis by consecutive liquid-liquid partition and gas-liquid chromatography.Ephedra nevadensis seed fat. AB - The triglyceride composition ofEphedra nevadensis seed fat, which contains 16 different fatty acids, has been analyzed by a combination of liquid-liquid partition and gas-liquid chromatography. Triglycerides were first separated by liquid-liquid partition chromatography. The recovered fractions were then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography to determine the molecular weights of the triglycerides present. Consecutive separation by these two techniques resolved this complex seed fat into 30 different triglyceride groups.A method for preparative liquid-liquid partition chromatography of triglycerides is described in detail. Highly unsaturated triglyceride mixtures are easily resolved on the basis of "partition number" by using a hexadecane/nitroethane partition system. PMID- 17805908 TI - Quantitative gas chromatography, using retention times. AB - Diffusion of an injected sample within a gas chromatographic column does not begin from a point source but from a band. Therefore the method of calculating relative areas by using retention time x peak height may require a correction factor to give a more accurate estimate of peak areas. When this correction was applied, the analysis was comparable with that obtained by the more time consuming triangulation method. PMID- 17805909 TI - The lipid antioxidant properties of Iodine compounds. PMID- 17805910 TI - Fatty acid composition of the xanthophyll esters ofTagetes erecta Petals. PMID- 17805911 TI - Occurrence of inosine in Unwashed lipid extracts. PMID- 17805912 TI - Isolation of tetradecan-1,14-dioic acid from the comstock mealybug,Pseudococcus comstocki Kuwana (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). PMID- 17805913 TI - Thin-layer chromatography of phospholipids on alumina. PMID- 17805914 TI - Losses of fatty acids during the saponification extraction of small samples. PMID- 17805915 TI - Individual molecular species of phospholipids. VII. Analysis of lecithins containing ten to twelve double bonds. PMID- 17805916 TI - Lipid contaminants: Polypropylene apparatus and vacuum pumps. PMID- 17805917 TI - Three-dimensional rotational angiography of a patient with pulmonary atresia intact septum and coronary fistulas. AB - Three-dimensional rotational angiography (3D-RA) was used to image the coronary arteries of a 2(1/2)-year-old boy with pulmonary atresia intact septum and coronary fistulas. As seen in the accompanying video clips and stills, this imaging method is advantageous in depicting the coronary anatomy. Furthermore, less contrast is used for patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography with 3D-RA compared with biplane angiography. PMID- 17805919 TI - Which method is best for imaging of perianal fistula? AB - BACKGROUND: Successful surgery for perianal fistula is contingent upon accurate pre-operative classification of the primary tract and its extensions. We aimed to find, using "evidence based medicine" (EBM) methods, the optimal technique for fistula classification: MRI, anal endosonography (AES) or clinical examination. METHODS: A clinical question was derived, "In patients suspected of having perianal fistula, how does MRI compare to AES and clinical assessment for discriminating simple from complex disease". A search of primary literature and secondary evidence resources was performed and expert opinion sought. Inclusion criteria were blinded prospective studies (level 2b +) of patients undergoing preoperative MRI, clinical examination +/- AES using a clinical outcome based reference standard. Retrieved literature was appraised using EBM methods. RESULTS: The highest-ranking evidence found was level 1b. MRI is more sensitive 0.97(CI 0.92-1.01) than clinical examination, 0.75(0.65-0.86) but comparable to AES, 0.92(0.85-0.99) for discriminating complex from simple disease. The positive LR for MRI confirming complex disease is 22.7 compared to 2.1 and 6.2 for clinical examination and AES, respectively. CONCLUSION: MRI is the optimal technique for discriminating complex from simple perianal fistula, although AES is superior to clinical examination, and may be used if MRI availability is restricted. PMID- 17805918 TI - Responses of microbial communities in Arctic sea ice after contamination by crude petroleum oil. AB - Microbial communities associated with Arctic fjord ice polluted with petroleum oils were investigated in this study. A winter field experiment was conducted in the Van Mijen Fjord (Svalbard) from February to June 2004, in which the ice was contaminated with a North Sea paraffinic oil. Holes were drilled in the ice and oil samples frozen into the ice at the start of the experiment. Samples, including cores of both oil-contaminated and clean ice, were collected from the field site 33, 74, and 112 days after oil application. The sampled cores were separated into three sections and processed for microbiological and chemical analyses. In the oil-contaminated cores, enumerations of total prokaryotic cells by fluorescence microscopy and colony-forming units (CFU) counts of heterotrophic prokaryotes both showed stimulation of microbial growth, while concentrations of oil-degrading prokaryotes remained at similar levels in contaminated and clean ice. Analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed that bacterial communities in oil-contaminated ice generated fewer bands than communities in clean ice, although banding patterns changed both in contaminated and clean ice during the experimental period. Microbial communities in unpolluted ice and in cores contaminated with the paraffinic oil were examined by cloning and sequence analysis. In the contaminated cores, the communities became predominated by Gammaproteobacteria related to the genera Colwellia, Marinomonas, and Glaciecola, while clean ice included more heterogeneous populations. Chemical analysis of the oil-contaminated ice cores with determinations of n-C17/Pristane and naphthalene/phenanthrene ratios indicated slow oil biodegradation in the ice, primarily in the deeper parts of the ice with low hydrocarbon concentrations. PMID- 17805920 TI - Congenital bilateral lower lip pits associated with fistulae of the minor salivary glands: case report of the principal Van der Woude syndrome's trait. AB - BACKGROUND: Van der Woude syndrome (VWS; OMIM 119300) is an autosomal dominant developmental malformation presenting with bilateral lower lip pits related to cleft lip, cleft palate, and other malformations in about half the patients. These congenital lip pits appear clinically as a defect in the vermilion border of the lip. They are commonly related to fistulae of minor salivary glands with or without excretion. Usually the cause of cosmetic defects, VWS is preferably treated through simple excision. This report aims to describe a case of VWS involving a patient who presented with isolated congenital bilateral lower lip pits related to fistulae of the minor salivary glands, which were treated successfully through simple excision. CASE REPORT: A 5-year-old girl with a diagnosis of congenital bilateral lip pits associated with fistulae of minor salivary glands was treated successfully through simple excision. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical examination, sialography, and scintigraphy. A good aesthetic result was observed after 2 years of follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSION: Physicians must be aware of VWS because, although underreported and frequently not diagnosed, it is the most common cleft syndrome. PMID- 17805921 TI - Breastfeeding after reduction mammaplasty using different techniques. AB - BACKGROUND: This study reviewed mammary glandular function and breastfeeding after reduction mammaplasty performed via four different surgical techniques. Patients who underwent this procedure were asked to answer questions concerning the birth of a child, natural breastfeeding, and the reasons why natural breastfeeding was not performed or was interrupted. METHODS: Between 1992 and 2001, 368 reduction mammaplasties were performed in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the "La Sapienza" University of Rome. After reduction mammaplasty, 105 patients had a child and were enrolled in the study. Breastfeeding data were compared with data from hospital records at the time of surgery in terms of patient age, reduction mammaplasty technique, sensitivity of the nipple-areola complex after the operation, and proportion of the gland removed. RESULTS: Maternal breastfeeding was considered to have occurred if it lasted more than 3 weeks and was not accompanied by any nutritional supplements. Babies were breastfed by 60.7% of the patients who underwent a superior pedicle reduction mammaplasty, by 43.5% of those who underwent an inferior pedicle reduction mammaplasty, by 48% of those who underwent a medial pedicle reduction mammaplasty, and by 55.1% of those who underwent a lateral pedicle reduction mammaplasty. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that conservative reduction mammaplasty techniques supported by medical and paramedical staff permit subsequent breastfeeding. In particular, the best outcomes resulted from superior pedicle reduction mammaplasty. Skilled execution of the surgical technique is mandatory to guarantee adequate vascularization and sensitivity of the nipple areola complex and to spare as many of the glandular ducts and lobules as possible. PMID- 17805922 TI - Autologous platelet-rich plasma as an adipocyte in vivo delivery system: case report. AB - Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising alternative to current clinical treatments for restoration of soft tissue defects. A key element in the process of tissue engineering is an ideal implant that provides structural support and a favorable environment for growing cells. The authors hypothesized that autologous platelet-rich plasma (APRP) could be used as an in vivo adipocyte delivery system to favor cell survival and to stimulate early recruitment of microcapillaries to the site of implantation. Autologous fat was included in APRP and injected as a gel into a subcutaneous pocket created to correct a painful, adherent scar at the shoulder level in a 75-year-old woman. The surgical outcome was evaluated by histologic and immunohistochemical analysis as well as by ecography before and after surgery. The results were satisfactory, showing fat survival 1 year after surgery. The characteristics of this new material should stimulate research into future clinical applications for such cell constructs in plastic and reconstructive surgery. PMID- 17805923 TI - Evaluating success criteria and project monitoring in river enhancement within an adaptive management framework. AB - Objective setting, performance measures, and accountability are important components of an adaptive-management approach to river-enhancement programs. Few lessons learned by river-enhancement practitioners in the United States have been documented and disseminated relative to the number of projects implemented. We conducted scripted telephone surveys with river-enhancement project managers and practitioners within the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) to determine the extent of setting project success criteria, monitoring, evaluation of monitoring data, and data dissemination. Investigation of these elements enabled a determination of those that inhibited adaptive management. Seventy river enhancement projects were surveyed. Only 34% of projects surveyed incorporated a quantified measure of project success. Managers most often relied on geophysical attributes of rivers when setting project success criteria, followed by biological communities. Ninety-one percent of projects that performed monitoring included biologic variables, but the lack of data collection before and after project completion and lack of field-based reference or control sites will make future assessments of ecologic success difficult. Twenty percent of projects that performed monitoring evaluated >or=1 variable but did not disseminate their evaluations outside their organization. Results suggest greater incentives may be required to advance the science of river enhancement. Future river-enhancement programs within the UMRB and elsewhere can increase knowledge gained from individual projects by offering better guidance on setting success criteria before project initiation and evaluation through established monitoring protocols. PMID- 17805924 TI - Bring that pioneering spirit back! A 25-year perspective on the vascular stent. PMID- 17805925 TI - Chronic pelvic pain due to pelvic congestion syndrome: the role of diagnostic and interventional radiology. AB - Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common cause of gynecologic referral. Pelvic congestion syndrome, which is said to occurs due to ovarian vein incompetence, is a recognized cause of CPP. The aim of this paper is to briefly describe the clinical manifestations, and to review the role of diagnostic and interventional radiology in the management of this probably under-diagnosed condition. PMID- 17805926 TI - Rhizobium selenireducens sp. nov.: a selenite-reducing alpha-Proteobacteria isolated from a bioreactor. AB - A Gram-negative, nonpigmented bacterium designated strain B1 was isolated from a laboratory bioreactor that reduced selenate to elemental red selenium (Se(0)). 16S rRNA gene-sequence alignment identified the isolate as a Rhizobium sp. belonging to the Rhizobium clade, which includes R. daejeonense, R. giardinii, R. undicola, R. larrymoorei, R. radiobacter, R. rubi, and R. vitis. R. radiobacter and R. rubi are its closest relatives as indicated by 16S rRNA gene-sequence alignments, which differ from strain B1 by 2.6% and 2.8%, respectively. Within this group, strains that show variances > 0.8% to 2.2% have been classified as different species. The major cellular fatty acids present in the B1 strain were C16:0 (1.8%), C18:0 (3.38%), 18:0 3-OH (1.6%), 18:1 omega7c (86.8%), 19:0 cycloomega8c (1.5%), and summed features 2 (3.8%) and 3 (1.2%). The large amount of 18:1 omega7c present is constant with members of this group of bacteria, but the small amounts of 16:0, 19:0 cycloomega8c, and summed feature 3 shows variance from R. radiobacter and R. rubi. The strain's phenotypic and biochemical characteristics are consistent with its placement in this genus. PMID- 17805927 TI - Improving toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis strain contains the cry8Ca gene specific to Anomala corpulenta larvae. AB - The cry8C-type gene designated cry8Ca2, which was cloned and sequenced from a Bacillus thuringiensis isolate HBF-1 in China, consisted of an open reading frame of 3483 bp encoding a protein of 1160 amino-acid residues. Sequence analysis showed that the Cry8Ca2 protoxin of 130.5 kDa had 99.9% sequence homology with the previously reported Cry8Ca1 protein, with one mismatch between the two amino acid sequences. When the Cry8Ca2 toxin was expressed in a crystal-negative strain of B. thuringiensis (HD-73(-)), elliptical crystals were produced. Cell extracts from this recombinant strain showed insecticidal activity against Anomala corpulenta larva. Mutant cry8Ca2 genes, produced by polymerase chain reaction amplification with Taq DNA polymerase, were used to develop recombinant B. thuringiensis strains. Mutants producing higher levels of insecticidal activity were identified by bioassay. Thirty-five mutants forming crystals were characterized, and two of them showed significantly increased insecticidal activity against A. corpulenta larva. The 50% lethality concentrations (LC(50)) of the two mutants were 0.2334 x 10(8) and 0.2591 x 10(8) colony-forming units g( 1), considerably lower than the LC(50) of the wild-type strain HBF-1 (0.9583 x 10(8) CFU g(-1)) and that of B. thuringiensis serovar japonensis strain Buibui (1.0752 x 10(8) CFU g(-1)). PMID- 17805928 TI - Cloning and characterization of a 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-hydroxylase from the thermophile Geobacillus sp. PA-9. AB - A 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPA) hydroxylase-encoding gene, on a 2.7-kb genomic DNA fragment, was cloned from the thermophile Geobacillus sp. PA-9. The Geobacillus sp. PA-9 4-HPA hydroxylase gene, designated hpaH, encodes a protein of 494 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 56.269 Da. The deduced amino-acid sequence of the hpaH gene product displayed <30% amino-acid sequence identity with the larger monooxygenase components of the previously characterized two-component 4-HPA 3-hydroxylases from Escherichia coli W and Klebsiella pneumoniae M5a1. A second oxidoreductase component was not present on the 2.7-kb genomic DNA fragment. The deduced amino-acid sequence of a second C-terminal truncated open reading frame, designated hpaI, exhibited homology to extradiol oxygenases and displayed the highest amino-acid sequence identity (43%) with the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate 2,3-dioxygenase of Arthrobacter globiformis, encoded by mndD. These results, along with catalytic activity observed in crude intracellular extracts prepared from Escherichia coli cells expressing hpaH, is in support of a role for hpaH in the 4-HPA degradative pathway of Geobacillus sp. PA-9. PMID- 17805929 TI - Summation or axial slab average intensity projection of abdominal thin-section CT datasets: can they substitute for the primary reconstruction from raw projection data? AB - We hypothesized that that the summation or axial slab average intensity projection (AIP) techniques can substitute for the primary reconstruction (PR) from a raw projection data for abdominal applications. To compare with PR datasets (5-mm thick, 20% overlap) in 150 abdominal studies, corresponding summation and AIP datasets were calculated from 2-mm thick images (50% overlap). The root-mean-square error between PR and summation images was significantly greater than that between PR and AIP images (9.55 [median] vs. 7.12, p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test). Four radiologists independently compared 2,000 test images (PR [as control], summation, or AIP) and their corresponding PR images to prove that the identicalness of summation or AIP images to PR images was not 1% less than the assessed identicalness of PR images to themselves (Wald-type test for clustered matched-pair data in a non-inferiority design). For each reader, both summation and AIP images were not inferior to PR images in terms of being rated identical to PR (p < 0.05). Although summation and AIP techniques produce images that differ from PR images, these differences are not easily perceived by radiologists. Thus, the summation or AIP techniques can substitute for PR for the primary interpretation of abdominal CT. PMID- 17805930 TI - Translating the IHE Teaching File and Clinical Trial Export (TCE) profile document templates into functional DICOM structured report objects. AB - The Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Teaching File and Clinical Trial Export (TCE) integration profile describes a standard workflow for exporting key images from an image manager/archive to a teaching file, clinical trial, or electronic publication application. Two specific digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) structured reports (SR) reference the key images and contain associated case information. This paper presents step-by-step instructions for translating the TCE document templates into functional and complete DICOM SR objects. Others will benefit from these instructions in developing TCE compliant applications. PMID- 17805931 TI - Lizard epidermal gland secretions I: Chemical characterization of the femoral gland secretion of the sungazer, Cordylus giganteus. AB - The giant girdled lizard or sungazer, Cordylus giganteus, is endemic to South Africa. It has been suggested that in this species, as in other lizard species, epidermal glands in the femoral, pre-cloacal regions, and cloacal glands are the main sources of semiochemicals and that these secretions could play an important role at different levels of the social biology of the animals. To gain a better understanding of the nature of the femoral gland secretions of the sungazer, characterization of the constituents of the secretions was carried out. By using GC-MS analysis, in conjunction with auxiliary techniques, such as solventless sample introduction and trimethylsilyl derivatization, 53 relatively involatile compounds, including carboxylic acids, alcohols, ketones, esters, and steroids, were identified in the secretions of both sexes. The study showed that the secretions of male and female sungazers contain only semi-volatile chemicals. PMID- 17805932 TI - Intra-operative parathyroid hormone monitoring in patients with parathyroid cancer. AB - BACKGROUND: Intra-operative parathyroid hormone (PTH) monitoring (IPM) is 97% accurate in predicting postoperative eucalcemia in sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (SPHPT). However, its usefulness in parathyroid cancer has not been demonstrated. This study reports IPM accuracy during surgical resections for parathyroid cancer. METHODS: Eight of 556 consecutive patients with SPHPT underwent parathyroidectomy using IPM and had parathyroid cancer. Operative success was defined as eucalcemia > six months and operative failure/persistent cancer as hypercalcemia within six months of parathyroidectomy. The IPM criterion for operative success was defined as a >50% decrease of peripheral PTH levels from the highest either pre-incision or pre-excision values, 10 minutes after resection. RESULTS: In eight patients, 11 operations were performed. Ten operations (91%) resulted in >50% intra-operative PTH decrease. However, in only seven (70%) of these resections, eucalcemia was achieved for >6 months with five of these seven (71%) procedures being initial en bloc resections. The remaining 3/10 (30%) operations with >50% intra-operative PTH decrease resulted in operative failures. In the last operation, intraoperative parathormone monitoring (IPM) correctly predicted operative failure. IPM sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy in predicting outcome were 100, 40, 70, 100, and 75%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IPM with the criterion of >50% PTH drop from the highest level is less accurate in predicting operative success in parathyroid cancer when compared to SPHPT. A >50% intra-operative PTH level decrease in patients with parathyroid cancer, particularly in reoperative cases, is less predictive of complete resection. The initial recognition of this disease followed by proper resection remains essential in the treatment of parathyroid cancer. PMID- 17805933 TI - Simultaneous resections of colorectal cancer and synchronous liver metastases: a multi-institutional analysis. AB - BACKGROUND: The safety of simultaneous resections of colorectal cancer and synchronous liver metastases (SCRLM) is not established. This multi-institutional retrospective study compared postoperative outcomes after simultaneous and staged colorectal and hepatic resections. METHODS: Clinicopathologic data, treatments, and postoperative outcomes from patients who underwent simultaneous or staged colorectal and hepatic resections at three hepatobiliary centers from 1985-2006 were reviewed. RESULTS: 610 patients underwent simultaneous (n = 135) or staged (n = 475) resections of colorectal cancer and SCRLM. Seventy staged patients underwent colorectal and hepatic resections at the same institution. Simultaneous patients had fewer (median 1 versus 2) and smaller (median 2.5 versus 3.5 cm) metastases and less often underwent major (> or = three segments) hepatectomy (26.7% versus 61.3%, p < 0.05). Combined hospital stay was lower after simultaneous resections (median 8.5 versus 14 days, p < 0.0001). Mortality (1.0% versus 0.5%) and severe morbidity (14.1% versus 12.5%) were similar after simultaneous colorectal resection and minor hepatectomy compared with isolated minor hepatectomy (both p > 0.05). For major hepatectomy, simultaneous colorectal resection increased mortality (8.3% versus 1.4%, p < 0.05) and severe morbidity (36.1% versus 15.1%, p < 0.05). Combined severe morbidity after staged resections was lower compared to simultaneous resections (36.1% versus 17.6%, p = 0.05) for major hepatectomy but similar for minor hepatectomy (14.1% versus 10.5%, p > 0.05). Major hepatectomy independently predicted severe morbidity after simultaneous resections [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.4, p = 0.008]. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous colorectal and minor hepatic resections are safe and should be performed for most patients with SCRLM. Due to increased risk of severe morbidity, caution should be exercised before performing simultaneous colorectal and major hepatic resections. PMID- 17805934 TI - Peripheral cholangiocarcinoma with endoluminal tumor thrombus in main bile duct mimicking a Klatskin tumor. AB - BACKGROUND: Peripheral cholangiocarcinoma with endobiliary thrombus could be confused with Klatskin tumor, eventually leading to inappropriate therapeutic decision. CASE REPORT: A 56-year-old man presented with an obstructive jaundice. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a segment 7 liver tumor associated with a complete stop at the biliary bifurcation compatible with a Klatskin tumor. Surgical exploration revealed that biliary obstruction was caused by endobiliary tumor-related thrombus. A right hepatectomy was performed, allowing complete endobiliary thrombus extraction. At pathology, a T2N0 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was demonstrated. No adjuvant chemotherapy was given and currently, 22 months after surgery, the patient remains disease free. DISCUSSION: This case underlines the fact that intraductal growth of peripheral cholangiocarcinoma does not represent a contraindication for surgical treatment. MRI could be useful to differentiate such presentation of peripheral cholangiocracinoma from Klatskin tumor and orientate the surgical treatment. PMID- 17805935 TI - Combined resection of the pancreas and inferior vena cava for pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma. AB - Indications for pancreatic resections for metastatic disease have not yet been defined to date, and few guidelines exist for the management of these lesions. However, most authors recommend surgery as the treatment of choice for pancreatic metastasis (PM). Resection of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rarely done during removal of peripancreatic cancer. This report presents the first case of metachronous PM from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with IVC involvement successfully treated by en-bloc resection in a 70-year-old asymptomatic woman. The abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 4.0-cm mass in the tail and a 5.0-cm mass in the head of the pancreas with a suspected involvement of vena cava. An en-bloc total pancreatectomy was performed with excision of the involved portion of the cava vein. Histology confirmed the presence of two metastases from RCC with neoplastic infiltration of the IVC and without lymph node involvement. All surgical margins were tumor-free. At most recent follow-up 12 months after pancreatectomy, the patient has no evidence of disease. We believe that a multidisciplinary approach and careful evaluation and treatment of these patients is a mandatory component for patient selection. IVC resection should be performed only when a margin-negative resection is expected to be achieved. PMID- 17805936 TI - Volume and outcome for major upper GI surgery in England. AB - BACKGROUND: The correlation between hospital or surgeon volume and outcome for complex surgical procedures has been the subject of several studies in recent years. In the UK, such studies have been used to strengthen the case for centralization of such procedures. The recent availability of easily accessible and fully independent data on hospital outcomes for surgical services in the UK has provided the opportunity to review any potential associations between volume and outcome in the UK. METHODS: Hospital Episode Statistic (HES) data were collected through Dr Foster for four different upper GI procedures (gastrectomy, esophagectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, and liver resection) for a 6-year period from 1999 to 2005. Data for each procedure were divided into volume-dependant quartiles to assess any differences in mortality outcome. RESULTS: Generally, mortality rates for all four procedures are lower than previously studies have suggested. A significant trend favoring high volume providers was noted for esophagectomy, with mortality rates varying from 7.8% to 4.0% for lowest to highest volume providers (p < 0.001). A similar but less clear-cut trend was noted for pancreaticoduodenectomy. There was no significant difference for gastric and liver resection between low- and high-volume providers. There was a 20% decrease in centers performing esophagectomy and 28% for centers performing pancreaticoduodenectomy. CONCLUSION: There is a volume outcome association for esophagectomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy. There is no association for gastrectomy or hepatectomy. PMID- 17805937 TI - Trends in survival after surgery for cholangiocarcinoma: a 30-year population based SEER database analysis. AB - The prognosis of patients with cholangiocarcinoma historically has been poor, even after surgical resection. Although data from some single-institution series indicate improvement over historical results, survival after surgical therapy for cholangiocarcinoma has not been investigated in a population-based study. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to identify patients who underwent surgery for cholangiocarcinoma from 1973 through 2002. Multivariate modeling of survival after surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma showed an improvement in survival only within the last decade studied, resulting in a cumulative 34.4% improvement in survival from 1992 through 2002. In contrast, multivariate modeling of survival after surgery for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma revealed a 23.3% increase in adjusted survival per each decade studied, resulting in a cumulative 53.7% improvement from 1973 through 2002. We conclude that survival after surgery for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has dramatically improved since 1973. Patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, however, have achieved an improvement in survival largely confined to more recent years. We suggest that these trends are largely caused by developments in imaging technology, improvements in patient selection, and advances in surgical techniques. PMID- 17805938 TI - Local excision for ypT2 rectal cancer--much ado about something. AB - BACKGROUND: The role of local excision for pT2 distal rectal cancer has been challenged because of the observation of high rates of lymph node metastases and local failure. However, neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) has led to increased local disease control and significant tumor downstaging, possibly decreasing rates of lymph node metastases. In this setting, a possible role for local excision of ypT2 has been suggested. METHODS: A total of 401 patients with distal rectal cancer underwent neoadjuvant CRT. Tumor response assessment was performed after at least 8 weeks from CRT completion. One hundred and twelve patients with complete clinical response were not immediately operated on and were excluded from the study, and 289 patients with incomplete clinical response were managed by radical surgery. Patients with final pathological stage ypT2 were analyzed to determine the risk of unfavorable pathological features that could represent unacceptable risk for local failure after local excision. RESULTS: Eighty-eight (30%) patients had ypT2 rectal cancer. Final ypT status was not associated with pretreatment radiological staging (p = 0.62). ypT status was significantly associated with the risk of lymph node metastases, risk of perineural and vascular invasion, and recurrence (p = 0.001). Lymph node metastases were present in 19% of patients with ypT2 rectal cancer. The risk of lymph node metastases in ypT2 was associated with the presence of perineural invasion (47% vs 4%; p = <0.001), vascular invasion (59% vs 6%; p < 0.001), and decreased mean interval CRT surgery (12 vs 18 weeks; p < 0.001), but not with mean tumor size (3.2 vs 3.1 cm; p = 0.8). Disease-free and overall survival rates were significantly better for patients with ypT2N0 (p = 0.02 and 0.006, respectively). Fifty-five (63%) patients with ypT2 had at least one unfavorable pathological feature for local excision (lymph node metastases, vascular or perineural invasion, mucinous type or tumor size >3 cm). CONCLUSION: Lymph node metastases were present in 19% of patients with ypT2 and were significantly associated with poor overall and disease-free survival rates. The risk of lymph node metastases could not be predicted by radiological staging or tumor size. Radical surgery should be considered the standard treatment option for ypT2 rectal cancer after CRT. PMID- 17805939 TI - Guidelines for power and time variables for microwave ablation in a porcine liver. AB - The purpose of our study was to provide guidelines for the use of a novel microwave ablation system. Microwave ablations using a 915-MHz system were evaluated in a porcine liver. The independent variables were power and time, with the outcome variable being diameter of ablation. After ablations, livers were procured for measurement and histologic evaluation. Our study consisted of 420 ablations. The outcome variable, ablation diameter, was affected significantly by time, power, and time/power interaction (p<0.0001). For each time point, a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed an overall significant difference in ablation size X wattage (p<0.0001). Tukey tests at each time point showed ablation sizes at 45, 50, and 60 W were not significantly different. After it was determined that 45 W was optimal, a one-way ANOVA showed an overall significant difference in ablation sizes for time points at 45 W (p<0.0001). Tukey tests revealed that at 45 W, ablation sizes at 10, 15, and 20 min were not statistically different. We propose guidelines for diameters based on different time and power variables and recommend 45 W for 10 min to achieve optimal diameters at the shortest time and lowest wattage. PMID- 17805940 TI - Accumulation of metals on tobacco leaves (primings) grown in an agricultural area in relation to soil. PMID- 17805941 TI - Occurrence and fate of methoprene compounds in urban areas of southern Ontario, Canada. PMID- 17805942 TI - The role of the hypoxia-inducible BH3-only proteins BNIP3 and BNIP3L in cancer. AB - In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the biological functions of the atypical BH3-only proteins BNIP3 and BNIP3L, focusing on the role of these proteins in cancer. Hypoxia increases the expression of BNIP3 through the transcription factor HIF-1, but despite a considerable number of investigations, it has proven difficult to establish a clear role for BNIP3 in the cellular hypoxic response. BNIP3 can induce a form of cell death that shows features of both necrosis and apoptosis, but unusually for a BH3-only protein, death occurs independently of the BH3 domain and is critically dependent on a C-terminal transmembrane domain, which also localizes the protein to the mitochondria. BNIP3 expression does not always result in cell death, suggesting that additional factors may suppress BNIP3 or cooperate with it to induce death. BNIP3 is highly expressed in some tumors, including those of the breast, lung and cervix. However, in colorectal and pancreatic cancers BNIP3 is frequently epigenetically silenced, possibly reflecting different functions for BNIP3 in different tissues. Recent reports have shown that BNIP3 can induce autophagy and there is some evidence to suggest this may represent an emerging role for BH3-only proteins in general. However, the mechanism through which BNIP3 induces autophagy and the cellular consequences of this are yet to be established. PMID- 17805943 TI - Analysis of age-associated changes in mitochondrial free radical generation by rat testis. AB - Throughout spermatogenesis, mitochondria undergo a morphological and functional differentiation. Mitochondria are involved in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), considered one of the mediators of ageing. Particularly, lipid peroxidation is regarded as a major phenomenon by which ROS can impair cellular function. In the present study, we examined the production of superoxide anion, superoxide dismutase activity and the effect of Fe(2+)/ascorbate induced-lipid peroxidation on the respiratory chain activities of testis mitochondria throughout the process of spermatogenesis and ageing. Mitochondria from rat testes generated superoxide anion, mainly using NADH as substrate, which increased according to age. The activity of SOD is age-dependent and greatly stimulated during the first wave of spermatogenesis, but decreases in adulthood and old age. TBARS concentration was also markedly increased by ageing. The activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes is differentially affected by oxidative stress induced by iron/ascorbate, succinate-dehydrogenase activity being less vulnerable than that of NADH-dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase. The data suggest that ageing is accompanied by reduced activity of SOD, leading to excessive oxidative stress and enhanced lipid peroxidation that compromises the functionality of the electron transport chain. The data support the concept that mitochondrial function is an important determinant in ageing. PMID- 17805944 TI - Effect of a hydrophobic phospholipid lining of the gastric mucosa in bioadhesion. AB - PURPOSE: The role of a model hydrophobic phospholipid simulating lining of the gastric mucosa, as to adhesion of polymers with different surface functional groups and surface hydrophobicities, was evaluated using an in vitro gastric mucus model. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Front-faced fluorescence measurement was used to determine adhesion of fluorescent polystyrene microspheres with different surface functional groups. Contact angle measurements and sticking bubble technique were used to measure relative surface hydrophobicity of the polymers. RESULTS: Adhesion of fluorescent polystyrene microspheres using front-faced fluorescence measurement revealed the hydrophobic phospholipid lining of the in vitro gastric mucus model did not allow adhesion of microspheres with -COOH and NH(2) functional groups, whereas it did allow adhesion of microspheres with hydrophobic attributes. In addition, in vitro adhesive force studies using diblock copolymers of polystyrene and polyacrylate showed that the in vitro adhesive force between the hydrophobic phospholipid lining of the in vitro gastric mucus model and the polymer increased when the surface hydrophobicity of the polymer increased. CONCLUSION: The hydrophobic phospholipid acts as an adhesion barrier to hydrophilic bioadhesive polymers and polymers with surface functional groups of carboxylic acid and amine. The hydrophobic phospholipid lining of the gastric mucosa should be taken into considerations for screening and designing of a new gastric bioadhesive polymer. PMID- 17805945 TI - The biarsenical dye Lumio exhibits a reduced ability to specifically detect tetracysteine-containing proteins within live cells. AB - Investigating the localisation of proteins within live cells via fluorescence microscopy typically involves the fusion of the protein of interest to a large fluorescent protein such as green fluorescent protein (GFP). Alternate fluorescent labelling technologies such as the fluorescent biarsenical dye molecules (e.g. FlAsH, ReAsH) are preferable to the use of large fusion proteins in many respects and allow greater flexibility in terms of the location of the labelling site. We assessed the ability of the FlAsH-derived biarsenical dye molecule Lumio to label a range of tetracysteine containing proteins within live cells and report that although in some circumstances Lumio is capable of positively detecting such proteins, the sensitivity and specificity of labelling is significantly reduced, making the Lumio-labelling system unsuitable for the detection of a wide range of protein within live cells. PMID- 17805946 TI - The crystal structure of a trypsin-like mutant chymotrypsin: the role of position 226 in the activity and specificity of S189D chymotrypsin. AB - The crystal structure of the S189D+A226G rat chymotrypsin-B mutant has been determined at 2.2 angstroms resolution. This mutant is the most trypsin-like mutant so far in the line of chymotrypsin-to-trypsin conversions, aiming for a more complete understanding of the structural basis of substrate specificity in pancreatic serine proteases. A226G caused significant rearrangements relative to S189D chymotrypsin, allowing an internal conformation of Asp189 which is close to that in trypsin. Serious distortions remain, however, in the activation domain, including zymogen-like features. The pH-profile of activity suggests that the conformation of the S1-site of the mutant is influenced also by the P1 residue of the substrate. PMID- 17805947 TI - Investigating the putative binding-mode of GABA and diazepam within GABA A receptor using molecular modeling. AB - The three-dimensional structure of the GABA A receptor that included the ligand/agonist binding site was constructed and validated by using molecular modeling technology. Moreover, the putative binding-mode of GABA and diazepam with GABAA receptor were investigated by means of docking studies. Based on an rmsd-tolerance of 1.0 angstroms, the docking of GABA to alpha1/beta2 interface resulted in three multi-member conformational clusters and model 2 was supported by homologous sequence alignment data and experimental evidence. On the other hand, the docking of diazepam to alpha1/gamma2 interface revealed five multi member conformational clusters in the binding site and model 1 seemed to represent the correct orientation of diazepam in the binding site. PMID- 17805948 TI - Cytoplasmic and mitochondrial creatine kinases from the skeletal muscle of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Molecular cloning and enzyme characterization. AB - We have amplified two cDNAs, coding for creatine kinases (CKs), from the skeletal muscle of sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus by PCR, and cloned these cDNAs into pMAL plasmid. These are the first CK cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences from cetaceans to be reported. One of the two amino acid sequences is a cytoplasmic, muscle-type isoform (MCK), while the other was identified as a sarcomeric, mitochondrial isoform (sMiCK) that included a mitochondrial targeting peptide. The amino acid sequences of sperm whale MCK and sMiCK showed 94-96% sequence identity with corresponding isoforms of mammalian CKs, and all of the key residues necessary for CK function were conserved. The phylogenetic analyses of vertebrate CKs with three independent methods (neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood and Bayes) supported the clustering of sperm whale MCK with Bos and Sus MCKs, in agreement with the contemporary view that these groups are closely related. Sperm whale MCK and sMiCK were expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with maltose-binding protein, and the kinetic constants (K (m), K (d) and k (cat)) were determined for the forward reaction. Comparison of kinetic constants with those of human and mouse CKs indicated that sperm whale MCK has a comparable affinity for creatine (K (m) (Cr) = 9.38 mM) to that of human MCK, and the sMiCK has two times higher affinity for creatine than the human enzyme. Both the MCK and sMiCK of sperm whale display a synergistic substrate binding (K (d) /K (m) = 3.1-7.8) like those of other mammalian CKs. PMID- 17805949 TI - The influence of protein concentration on oligomer structure and catalytic function of two pyruvate decarboxylases. AB - As a general rule protein concentration typical for structural studies differs considerably from that chosen for kinetic investigations. Consequently, structure function relationships are often postulated without appropriate knowledge, whether the functional behaviour of the enzyme is the same in both protein concentration ranges. To deal with this question, substrate activation kinetics of two well-characterised yeast pyruvate decarboxylases, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and from Kluyveromyces lactis, were analysed over the broad protein concentration range 2-2,000 microg/mL. Analytical ultracentrifugation and small angle X-ray scattering were used to analyse the enzymes' oligomer structure in aqueous solution. For the upper part of the concentration range the determined parameters, like catalytic activity, observed substrate activation rates, sedimentation coefficients and scattering parameters are independent on enzyme concentration changes. No indication of protein aggregation is detectable. However, significant changes occur at low enzyme concentration. The catalytically active tetramer dissociates progressively into dimers with comparable catalytic activity, but with significantly accelerated substrate activation. PMID- 17805950 TI - myo-inositol phosphate isomers generated by the action of a phytase from a malaysian waste-water bacterium. AB - Using a combination of High-Performance Ion Chromatography analysis and kinetic studies, the pathway of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate dephosphorylation by a phytase from a Malaysian waste-water bacterium was established. The data demonstrate that the phytase preferably dephosphorylates myo-inositol hexakisphosphate in a stereospecific way by sequential removal of phosphate groups via D-I(1,2,3,4,5)P(5), D-I(2,3,4,5)P(4), D-I(2,3,4)P(3), D-I(2,3)P(2) to finally I(2)P. It was estimated that more than 90% of phytate hydrolysis occurs via D-I(1,2,3,4,5)P(5). Thus, the phytase from the Malaysian waste-water bacterium has to be considered a 6-phytase (E.C. 3.1.3.26). A second pathway of minor importance could be proposed which is in accordance with the results obtained from analysis of the dephosphorylation products formed by the action of the phytase under investigation on myo-inositol hexakisphosphate. It proceeds via D/L-I(1,2,4,5,6)P(5), D/L-I(1,2,4,5)P(4), D/L-I(1,2,4)P(3), D/L-I(2,4)P(2) to finally I(2)P. PMID- 17805951 TI - QHELIX: a computational tool for the improved measurement of inter-helical angles in proteins. AB - Knowledge about the assembled structures of the secondary elements in proteins is essential to understanding protein folding and functionality. In particular, the analysis of helix geometry is required to study helix packing with the rest of the protein and formation of super secondary structures, such as, coiled coils and helix bundles, formed by packing of two or more helices. Here we present an improved computational method, QHELIX, for the calculation of the orientation angles between helices. Since a large number of helices are known to be in curved shapes, an appropriate definition of helical axes is a prerequisite for calculating the orientation angle between helices. The present method provides a quantitative measure on the irregularity of helical shape, resulting in discriminating irregular-shaped helices from helices with an ideal geometry in a large-scale analysis of helix geometry. It is also capable of straightforwardly assigning the direction of orientation angles in a consistent way. These improvements will find applications in finding a new insight on the assembly of protein secondary structure. PMID- 17805952 TI - Usefulness of intrathoracic fluids accumulation monitoring with an implantable biventricular defibrillator in reducing hospitalizations in patients with heart failure: a case-control study. AB - BACKGROUND: The reduction of hospitalizations in patients with heart failure (HF) may have clinical and economical implications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a case control study, we compared the number of hospital admissions for congestive HF during the same follow-up period in two homogeneous groups of patients, each consisting of 27 consecutive patients treated with biventricular pacing and back up defibrillator (B-ICD) in our institution. The first group was implanted with an InSync Sentry, (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN, US), a B-ICD device with the OptiVol feature for monitoring intrathoracic fluid accumulation and equipped with an active acoustic alarm (Group 1); the second group was implanted with an InSync III Marquis (Medtronic), a B-ICD device with similar features except for the absence of the OptiVol (Group 2). Follow-up visits were performed at 3 month interval or in case of acoustic alarm. RESULTS: The patient clinical characteristics of the two groups were similar. In Group 1, with 359 +/- 98 days follow-up, 12 of the 27 patients, experienced 18 OptiVol alarms with only one hospital admission for congestive HF occurring in a patient who ignored the acoustic alarm for 13 days. In Group 2, eight HF hospitalizations occurred in seven patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The OptiVol feature is a useful tool for the clinical management of HF patients as it can result in early treatment during the pre-clinic stage of HF decompensation and in a significant reduction of hospital admissions for congestive HF. PMID- 17805953 TI - Prevalence and mortality of patients with myocardial infarction and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in a defined community: relation to the second multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial. AB - OBJECTIVES: We compared characteristics and mortality of patients from a community population meeting enrollment criteria of the second Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial (MADIT II) to those of the MADIT II subjects. BACKGROUND: MADIT II showed that implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) reduce mortality in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 4GlcNAc (II). In this report, a wider range of recognition factors of ECL toward known mammalian ligands and glycans were examined by enzyme-linked lectinosorbent and inhibition assays, using natural polyvalent glycotopes, and a glycan array assay. From the results, it is shown that GalNAc was an active ligand, but its polyvalent structural units, in contrast to those of Gal, were poor inhibitors. Among soluble natural glycans tested for 50% molecular mass inhibition, Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 capsular polysaccharide of polyvalent II was the most potent inhibitor; it was 2.1 x 10(4), 3.9 x 10(3) and 2.4 x 10(3) more active than Gal, tri-antennary II and monomeric II, respectively. Most type II-containing glycoproteins were also potent inhibitors, indicating that special polyvalent II and Galbeta1-related structures play critically important roles in lectin binding. Mapping all information available, it can be concluded that: [a] Galbeta1-->4GlcNAc (II) and some Galbeta1-related oligosaccharides, rather than GalNAc-related oligosaccharides, are the core structures for lectin binding; [b] their polyvalent II forms within macromolecules are a potent recognition force for ECL, while II monomer and oligo antennary II forms play only a limited role in binding; [c] the shape of the lectin binding domains may correspond to a cavity type with Galbeta1-->4GlcNAc as the core binding site with additional one to four sugars subsites, and is most complementary to a linear trisaccharide, Galbeta1-->4GlcNAcbeta1-->6Gal. These analyses should facilitate the understanding of the binding function of ECL. PMID- 17805963 TI - The use of the multivariate Principal Response Curve (PRC) for community level analysis: a case study on the effects of carbendazim on enchytraeids in Terrestrial Model Ecosystems (TME). AB - The effects of the fungicide carbendazim (formulation Derosal) on enchytraeids were determined in Terrestrial Model Ecosystem (TME) tests. TMEs consisted of intact soil columns (diameter 17.5 cm; length 40 cm) taken from three grassland sites (Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Bangor (Wales, England) and Florsheim (Germany)) or an arable site (Coimbra (Portugal)). Results for each TME site were evaluated using the multivariate Principal Response Curve (PRC) method. The resulting No-Observable Effect Concentrations (NOECs) for the community were compared with the NOECs generated by univariate statistical methods. Furthermore, the EC(50)s (median effect concentrations) for the three taxa with the highest taxon weights determined by the PRC were compared with EC(50)s for the other endpoints. In eight out of 16 cases the PRC revealed the lowest NOEC for the enchytraeid species community. The lowest EC(50)s with the closest 95% confidence limits were calculated for the abundance of the three taxa with the highest taxon weights identified by the PRC. The EC(50)s ranging from 0.19-2.79 mg carbendazim/kg soil are similar to values from laboratory toxicity studies reported in the literature. Therefore, PRC is a useful instrument to analyse microcosm and mesocosm experiments; it allows for determination of NOECs for the species community (NOEC(community)), the evaluation of the taxa with the most pronounced treatment-related decrease in abundance and of the calculation of meaningful EC(50) values for those. The resulting NOEC(community) and EC(50) values offer a comprehensive tool for the risk assessment of chemicals at the ecosystem level. PMID- 17805964 TI - Expression pattern and splicing function of mouse ZNF265. AB - ZNF265 is a newly identified arginine/serine-rich (SR) protein and has two transcript isoforms (ZNF265-1 and ZNF265-2) that autoregulate between each other. Previous studies have shown that ZNF265 regulates the Tra2 beta isoform splicing. Here, we demonstrate that two ZNF-265 transcript isoforms are expressed in various mouse tissues and that ZNF265-1 is a major isoform. The ZNF265-1 protein level in the cerebral cortex is significantly lower in relative to other tissues. The recombinant proteins of both isoforms are nuclear, in consistent with its functions as pre-mRNA splicing regulators. Splicing analysis with GluR-B and SMN2 minigenes demonstrates that ZNF265-1 inhibits the Flop exon and exon 7 usages in the splicing of two minigenes, respectively. The regulation of GluR-B and SMN2 pre-mRNA splicing by ZNF265 implies this newly identified SR protein may play important roles in maintaining normal neuronal function and SMA pathogenesis. PMID- 17805965 TI - Role of ubiquitin protein ligases in the pathogenesis of polyglutamine diseases. AB - The accumulation of intracellular protein deposits as inclusion bodies is the common pathological hallmark of most age related neurodegenerative disorders including polyglutamine diseases. Appearances of aggregates of the misfolded mutant disease proteins suggest that the cells are unable to efficiently degrade them, and failure of clearance leads to the severe disturbances of the cellular quality control system. The quality control ubiquitin ligases are now increasingly implicated in the biology of polyglutamine diseases, Parkinson's diseases, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Here we review the recent studies that have revealed a critical role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in understanding the pathogenesis of polyglutamine diseases. PMID- 17805966 TI - On an exponential bound for the Kaplan-Meier estimator. AB - We review limit theory and inequalities for the Kaplan-Meier Kaplan and Meier (J Am Stat Assoc 53:457-481, 1958) product limit estimator of a survival function on the whole line [Formula: see text] . Along the way we provide bounds for the constant in an interesting inequality due to Biotouze et al. (Ann Inst H Poincare Probab Stat 35:735-763, 1999), and provide some numerical evidence in support of one of their conjectures. PMID- 17805967 TI - Clinical outcomes and patency of self-expanding metal stents in patients with malignant upper gastrointestinal obstruction. AB - This study was performed to evaluate clinical outcomes and factors associated with patency of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) in patients with malignant upper gastrointestinal (UGI) obstruction. In 83 patients with malignant UGI obstruction, 118 SEMS placements were performed. Obstruction sites were esophagus/gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ) and gastric outlet (GO) in 41 and 42 patients, respectively. Technical success was achieved in 99.2% and clinical success in 90.5%, with no procedure-related complications. Re-obstruction and migration occurred in 38.1% during a mean follow-up of 137 days; both occurred significantly more often with GO than esophageal/GEJ obstruction (49.2% vs 23.9%). Patency rates of esophageal/GEJ obstruction were 93.5, 78.1 and 67.0% at 30, 90 and 180 days, respectively, and were significantly higher than those of GO obstruction-71.7, 51.8 and 32.5%. Palliative chemotherapy or radiation therapy was not associated with stent patency. Endoscopic SEMS placement is a safe and effective palliative treatment for malignant UGI obstruction, and complications or stent patency differed according to obstruction site. PMID- 17805969 TI - Successful treatment of acute pancreatitis with hydrocortisone in a patient postadrenalectomy. PMID- 17805968 TI - Fucoidin prevents Clostridium difficile toxin-A-induced ileal enteritis in mice. AB - Recent reports suggest increased incidence and severity of Clostridium difficile associated diseases. These facts have raised the need for additional clarification of pathogenesis and for a search for new therapeutic strategies. This study evaluated the effects of the polysaccharide fucoidin, an L-selectin blocker, on toxin-A-induced mouse enteritis. Fucoidin (25 mg/kg) or saline (0.1 ml) were injected systemically (ocular plexus) 5 min prior to local challenge with toxin A (5 microg/ileal loop) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Intestinal fluid volume/length and ileal loop weight/length ratios were calculated 3 h later. Ileal tissues were collected for histopathology and measurement of myeloperoxidase and adenosine deaminase activity. Fucoidin significantly (P < 0.05) prevented the toxin-A-induced increase in weight/length and volume/length ratios and reduced mucosal disruption, as shown in histopathology. Fucoidin also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced toxin-A-induced myeloperoxidase and adenosine deaminase activities. In conclusion, fucoidin reduces tissue injury and inflammation in toxin-A-induced mouse enteritis. PMID- 17805970 TI - Infliximab delays but does not avoid the need for surgery in treatment-resistant pediatric Crohn' disease. AB - The aim of this study was to review the impact of infliximab therapy on children with treatment-resistant Crohn's disease. Treatment resistance was defined as clinically active disease despite >4 months of immunosuppressive therapy. The outcome variables were time to first remission, duration of remission and the need for surgery. 24 children received 90 infusions of infliximab (16 boys; median 10.3y, range 1.0-14.4y); all had three infusions as an induction course. 17 (70.8%) achieved clinical remission, with 14/17 (82.3%) relapsing within 4 months of the third infusion. 6/7 in the non-responding group and 8/17 of the responders required surgery with an insignificant difference in the median time to surgery (p=0.49). Four remain dependent on regular infliximab. Infliximab is well-tolerated and highly effective in achieving clinical remission in children with refractory Crohn's disease but may only delay and not avoid the need for surgery. Failure to achieve clinical remission by the 3rd infusion significantly increases the risk of surgery. PMID- 17805971 TI - Drug-induced liver injury: review article. PMID- 17805972 TI - Liver transplantation using hepatitis B core antibody-positive grafts: review and university of Tokyo experience. AB - Hepatitis B surface antigen-negative and hepatitis B core antibody-positive grafts were considered unsuitable for transplantation. The number of potential recipients for liver transplantation now exceeds that of potential donor organs, which has led us to reevaluate the feasibility of these grafts. Several strategies involving prophylactic administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin and/or lamivudine to transplant recipients have been proposed. At the University of Tokyo, we have continued to use hepatitis B immunoglobulin monoprophylaxis with zero recurrence. In this article we report our experience with the use of hepatitis B surface antigen-negative/hepatitis B core antibody-positive grafts with hepatitis B immunoglobulin monotherapy. We conducted a review of the literature regarding the feasibility of these grafts to reconfirm optimal prophylactic strategies for preventing de novo hepatitis B virus infection in transplant recipients. PMID- 17805973 TI - Gene expression profile analysis of the spontaneous reversal of rat hepatic fibrosis by cDNA microarray. AB - Our aim was to gain insight into the gene expression profile during hepatic fibrosis autoreversal. Spontaneous recovery from hepatic fibrosis was created in SD rats by CCl(4) exposure for 8 weeks and then withdrawal for 6 weeks. Then differentially expressed genes during regression of fibrosis were analyzed using cDNA microarray. Results obtained were further subjected to hierarchical clustering and validated by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Expression of Mapk1 and Rps6ka1, which are critical members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, was also investigated by Northern blot and immunohistochemistry. Microarray hybridization identified 254 genes differentially expressed throughout resolution of fibrosis. Being verified by RT PCR, up- or down-regulated genes were classified into various groups according to clustering and function: (1) metabolic enzymes, (2) facilitated diffusion proteins/transporters/symporters, (3) gastrointestinal hormones/receptors, (4) lipoproteins/fatty acid binding proteins, (5) transcription factors/nuclear factors, and (6) the MAPK signaling pathway. The mRNA level of Mapk1 increased greatly as hepatic fibrosis reversed. Meanwhile Mapk1 and Rps6ka1 were proven to be expressed in hepatocytes and absent from mesenchymal cells. Six groups of genes exhibit a close relation to the recovery of CCl(4)-induced hepatic fibrosis. The MAPK signaling-dependent pathway, representing one of the gene groups, may contribute to the reversal of hepatic fibrosis. PMID- 17805974 TI - QRS template matching for recognition of ventricular ectopic beats. AB - We propose a quasi real-time method for discrimination of ventricular ectopic beats from both supraventricular and paced beats in the electrocardiogram (ECG). The heartbeat waveforms were evaluated within a fixed-length window around the fiducial points (100 ms before, 450 ms after). Our algorithm was designed to operate with minimal expert intervention and we define that the operator is required only to initially select up to three 'normal' heartbeats (the most frequently seen supraventricular or paced complexes). These were named original QRS templates and their copies were substituted continuously throughout the ECG analysis to capture slight variations in the heartbeat waveforms of the patient's sustained rhythm. The method is based on matching of the evaluated heartbeat with the QRS templates by a complex set of ECG descriptors, including maximal cross correlation, area difference and frequency spectrum difference. Temporal features were added by analyzing the R-R intervals. The classification criteria were trained by statistical assessment of the ECG descriptors calculated for all heartbeats in MIT-BIH Supraventricular Arrhythmia Database. The performance of the classifiers was tested on the independent MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database. The achieved unbiased accuracy is represented by sensitivity of 98.4% and specificity of 98.86%, both being competitive to other published studies. The provided computationally efficient techniques enable the fast post-recording analysis of lengthy Holter-monitor ECG recordings, as well as they can serve as a quasi real time detection method embedded into surface ECG monitors. PMID- 17805975 TI - Early detection of memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease: a neurocognitive perspective on assessment. AB - We propose that the earliest neuropsychological detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be informed by current views about the neuropathogenesis of AD and cognitive models of memory and its neurobiological substrates. The primary impairment in early AD is encoding/consolidation, resulting from medial temporal lobe (MTL) pathology. On theoretical and empirical grounds, paired associate learning (PAL) appears to be the ideal paradigm for detecting MTL dysfunction in early AD. It has not been embraced as a test of choice, however, and this critical review discusses why the paradigm may have not fulfilled its potential. We suggest that a new PAL variant, 'associate-recognition', may prove to be clinically efficacious. PMID- 17805976 TI - High power ultrasonics as a novel tool offering new opportunities for managing wine microbiology. AB - Industrial scale food and beverage processes that utilize microorganisms are typically faced with issues related to the exclusion, suppression or elimination of spoilage organisms. Yet the use of traditional anti-microbial treatments such as heat, chemical biocides or sterile filtration may themselves be restricted by regulations or else be undesirable due to their adverse sensory impacts on the product. High power ultrasound (HPU) is a technology whose application has been evaluated if not exploited in several food and beverage processes but has yet to be introduced into the wine industry. This review examines the research findings from related industries and highlights possible applications and likely benefits of the use of HPU in winemaking. PMID- 17805977 TI - Assessment of the utility of the tomato fruit-specific E8 promoter for driving vaccine antigen expression. AB - To assess the utility of the tomato fruit-specific E8 gene's promoter for driving vaccine antigen expression in plant, the 2.2 kb and 1.1 kb E8 promoters were isolated and sequenced from Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Jinfeng #1. The 1.1 kb promoter was fused to vaccine antigen HBsAg M gene for the transfer to Nicotiana tabacum, and the CaMV 35S promoter was used for comparison. Cholera toxin B (ctb) gene under the control of the 1.1 kb promoter was transformed into both N. tabacum and L. esculentum. Southern blot hybridization confirmed the stable integration of the target genes into the tomato and tobacco genomes. ELISA assay showed that the expression product of HBsAg M gene under the control of the 1.1 kb E8 promoter could not be detected in transgenic tobacco tissues such as leaves, flowers, and seeds. In contrast, the expression of HBsAg M gene driven by CaMV 35S promoter could be detected in transgenic tobacco. ELISA assay for CTB proved that the 1.1 kb E8 promoter was able to direct the expression of exotic gene in ripe fruits of transgenic tomato, but expression was absent in leaf, flower, and unripe fruit of tomato, and CTB protein was not detected in transgenic tobacco tissues such as leaves, flowers, and seeds when the gene was under the control of the 1.1 kb E8 promoter. The results indicated that the E8 promoter acted not only in an organ-specific, but also in a species-specific fashion in plant transformation. PMID- 17805978 TI - Genetic diversity analysis and conservation of the endangered Chinese endemic herb Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (Orchidaceae) based on AFLP. AB - Dendrobium officinale is a critically endangered perennial herb endemic to China. Determining the levels of genetic diversity and patterns of population genetic structure of this species would assist in its conservation and management. Data of 12 populations were used to assess its genetic diversity and population structure, employing the method of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). A high level of genetic diversity was detected (H (E) = 0.269) with POPGENE. As revealed by AMOVA analysis, there was moderate variation between pairs of populations with Phi(ST) values ranging from 0.047 to 0.578 and on average 26.97% of the genetic variation occurred among populations. Three main clusters were shown in UPGMA dendrogram using TFPGA, which is consistent with the result of principal coordinate ananlysis (PCO) using NTSYS. Keeping a stable environment is critical for the in situ conservation and management of this rare and endangered plant, and for ex situ conservation it is important to design an integrated germplasm bank. PMID- 17805979 TI - Effects of land use on concentrations of metals in surface soils and ecological risk around Guanting Reservoir, China. AB - It is accepted that the historical routine use of agrochemicals may have resulted in undesirable concentrations of metals in the environment. To investigate and assess the effects of land use on concentrations of heavy metals around the Guanting Reservoir in China, 52 surface soil samples (depth of 2-10 cm) were taken from areas where four types of land use were practiced (including arable land, woodland, bare land, orchard land). The metals and metalloids (As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Significant accumulation of As, Cd, and Cr was found in soils of arable land. Based on correlation and cluster analysis, it can be concluded that Cd and Zn originate mainly from phosphate fertilizer, Pb from the use of insecticides, fertilizers, and sewage sludge as well as air deposition, and Cu from copper-based fungicides, while As, Ni and Cr might come from parent soil material. According to an ecological risk analysis of metals based on the ecological index suggested by Hakanson, the four types of land can be ranked by severity of ecological risk as follows: arable land > woodland > bare land > orchard land, with a high ecological risk of Cd for all four types. Management measures for land use planners for avoiding water, soil, and sediment pollution caused by metals around the Guanting Reservoir are presented. PMID- 17805980 TI - Some binding properties of Omp T digested muscle tropomyosin. AB - Cleavage of vertebrate muscle tropomyosin by bacterial Omp T produces an amino terminally truncated product (residues 7-284). The proteolysed protein, which is resolved from the parent by electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulphate, can be generated from a variety of striated and smooth muscle tropomyosins, including ones from mammal, bird and fish. Edman-based sequencing and mass analysis confirm that the main site of chain hydrolysis is the peptide bond between Lys 6 and Lys 7. Loss of the hexapeptide, together with the blocking group, from tropomyosin weakens its affinity for troponin. Compared to wild type, the shortened forms of rabbit skeletal tropomyosin and Atlantic salmon fast skeletal tropomyosin, as well as the unacetylated (full-length) version of the latter, all display reduced affinity for both troponin and the amino-terminal fragment of troponin-T (residues 1-158), as judged by affinity chromatography. This is consistent with the view that the amino terminal region is required for full interaction with troponin-T. Truncated tropomyosin fails to bind to F-actin at micromolar concentration, as expected. Interestingly, binding is restored by troponin in the presence of either added Ca(2+) or EGTA. Digestion of muscle tropomyosin by Omp T, which can be carried out on quantitative amounts of protein, is concluded to yield a product that has useful biochemical applications. PMID- 17805981 TI - Evaluation of anticancer effects of newly synthesized dihydropyridine derivatives in comparison to verapamil and doxorubicin on T47D parental and resistant cell lines in vitro. AB - Failure of current anticancer drugs mandates screening for new compounds of synthetic or biological origin to be used in cancer therapy. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the main obstacles in the chemotherapy of cancer. Efflux of cytotoxic agents mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp or MDR1) is believed to be an important mechanism of multidrug resistance. Therefore, we decided to investigate the antiproliferative effects of seven newly synthesized 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) derivatives in comparison to verapamil (VP) and doxorubicin (DOX) on human breast cancer T47D cells and its MDR1 overexpressed and moderately resistant cells (RS cells) using MTT cytotoxicity assay. We also examined the effects of these compounds on cytotoxicity of DOX in these two cell types. The cytotoxicity assays using MTT showed that most of the tested new DHP derivatives and VP at 10 microM concentration had varying levels of toxicity on both T47D and RS cells. The toxicity was mostly in the range of 10-25%. However, the cytotoxicity of these DHP derivatives, similar to VP, was significantly less than DOX when comparing IC(50) values. Furthermore, these compounds in general had relatively more cytotoxicity on T47D vs RS cells at 10-microM concentration. Among new DHPs, compounds 7a (3,5-dibenzoyl-4-(2-methylthiazol-4-yl)-1,4-dihydro-2,6 dimethylpyridine) and 7d (3,5-diacetyl-4-[2-(2-chlorophenyl)thiazol-4-yl)]-1,4 dihydro-2,6-dimethylpyridine) showed noticeable potentiation of DOX cytotoxicity (reduction of DOX IC(50)) compared to DOX alone in both cells, particularly in RS cells. This effect was similar to that of VP, a known prototype of MDR1 reversal agent. In other words, compounds 7a and 7d resensitized RS cells to DOX or reversed their resistance. Results indicate that compound 7d exerts highest effect on RS cells. Therefore, these two newly synthesized DHP derivatives, compounds 7a and 7d, are promising as potential new MDR1 reversal agents and should be further studied on other highly resistant cells due to MDR1 overexpression and with further molecular investigation. PMID- 17805982 TI - Racial and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer incidence rates in the United States, 1992-2003. AB - OBJECTIVE: Differences in cervical cancer incidence rates by race/ethnicity persist in the United States. We examined these differences by histologic type and by various patient and socioeconomic characteristics. METHODS: Thirteen U.S. cancer registries were used to identify women 20-79 years of age diagnosed from 1992 to 2003 with invasive cervical cancer. Age-adjusted incidence rates and annual percent changes were calculated for four different races/ethnicities (Non Hispanic whites, Hispanic whites, African-Americans, and Asians/Pacific Islanders) for cervical cancer overall, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and adenocarcinoma (AC). RESULTS: Hispanic whites had the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer overall (24.2/100,000), SCC (18.3/100,000), and AC (4.6/100,000). Non-Hispanic whites had the lowest rates of cervical cancer overall (10.8/100,000) and SCC (7.2/100,000), while African-Americans had the lowest rate of AC (2.3/100,000). Incidence rates of cervical cancer overall and SCC declined across all racial/ethnic groups. Numerous variations in incidence rates and annual percent changes were observed when analyses were stratified by county level socioeconomic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in screening utilization and socioeconomic status may account for the majority of racial/ethnic disparities in cervical cancer incidence. Targeting groups with the greatest burdens of cervical cancer is of public health importance, particularly as we enter the human papillomavirus vaccine era. PMID- 17805983 TI - Pancreatic cancer, animal protein and dietary fat in a population-based study, San Francisco Bay Area, California. AB - OBJECTIVE: The associations between animal protein or fat and risk of pancreatic cancer have been reported previously with inconsistent results. A population based case-control study of pancreatic cancer was conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area to examine these associations. METHODS: A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was administered to 532 cases and 1,701 controls between 1995 and 1999. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed as estimates of the relative risk of pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: When comparing highest versus lowest levels of intake in multivariable adjusted models, positive associations were observed for several beef/lamb and individual animal protein items, including beef/lamb as a main dish (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.0-4.5), regular hamburger (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2-2.4), whole eggs (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0-2.4), butter (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.6-3.5), and total dairy not including butter (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.8-3.7). Some high-fat/processed-meat products (i.e., sausage, salami, bacon), but not all (i.e., beef, pork, or poultry hot dogs), also were positively associated with risk. An inverse association was noted for greater chicken/turkey consumption (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5-1.0). The risk comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles for fats and cholesterol consumption were: total fat (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1); animal fat (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4-2.5); saturated fat (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4-2.6); monounsaturated fat (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.8); and dietary cholesterol (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.0, all p-trends < or = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide some evidence that beef or lamb, eggs, dairy, fat, or cholesterol may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. PMID- 17805984 TI - Angiogenesis as a therapeutic target in arthritis: learning the lessons of the colorectal cancer experience. AB - The idea of a therapeutic modality aimed at 'starving' a tissue of blood vessels, and consequentially of oxygen and nutrients, was born from the concept that blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) is central to the progression and maintenance of diseases which involve tissue expansion/invasion. In the first instance, solid malignancies were the target for anti-angiogenic treatments, with colorectal cancer being the first disease for which an angiogenesis inhibitor--anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody bevacizumab--was approved in 2004. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has lead to many parallels being drawn between this chronic inflammatory disease and solid tumours, in that both involve tissue expansion, invasion, expression of cytokines and growth factors and areas of hypoxia/hypoperfusion. As a result, angiogenesis blockade has been touted as a possible treatment for RA. The lessons learnt during the progression of eventually successful therapies such as bevacizumab should undoubtedly guide us in the future development of comparable treatments for RA. PMID- 17805985 TI - Plasma glucose concentration is maintained during TSE infection of cattle and sheep. PMID- 17805986 TI - Chilling and freezing stress in live oaks (Quercus section Virentes): intra- and inter-specific variation in PS II sensitivity corresponds to latitude of origin. AB - Sensitivity to cold and freezing differs between populations within two species of live oaks (Quercus section Virentes Nixon) corresponding to the climates from which they originate. Two populations of Quercus virginiana (originating from North Carolina and north central Florida) and two populations of the sister species, Q. oleoides, (originating from Belize and Costa Rica) were grown under controlled climate regimes simulating tropical and temperate conditions. Three experiments were conducted in order to test for differentiation in cold and freezing tolerance between the two species and between the two populations within each species. In the first experiment, divergences in response to cold were tested for by examining photosystem II (PS II) photosynthetic yield (delta F/F m') and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of plants in both growing conditions after short-term exposure to three temperatures (6, 15 and 30 degrees C) under moderate light (400 micromol m(-2 )s(-1)). Without cold acclimation (tropical treatment), the North Carolina population showed the highest photosynthetic yield in response to chilling temperatures (6 degrees C). Both ecotypes of both species showed maximum delta F/F m' and minimum NPQ at their daytime growth temperatures (30 degrees C and 15 degrees C for the tropical and temperate treatments, respectively). Under the temperate treatment where plants were allowed to acclimate to cold, the Q. virginiana populations showed greater NPQ under chilling temperatures than Q. oleoides populations, suggesting enhanced mechanisms of photoprotective energy dissipation in the more temperate species. In the second and third experiments, inter- and intra-specific differentiation in response to freezing was tested for by examining dark-adapted F v/F m before and after overnight freezing cycles. Without cold acclimation, the extent of post freezing declines in F v/F m were dependent on the minimum freezing temperature (0, -2, -5 or -10 degrees C) for both populations in both species. The most marked declines in F v/F m occurred after freezing at -10 degrees C, measured 24 h after freezing. These declines were continuous and irreversible over the time period. The North Carolina population, however, which represents the northern range limit of Q. virginiana, showed significantly less decline in F v/F m than the north central Florida population, which in turn showed a lower decline in Fv/F m than the two Q. oleoides populations from Belize and Costa Rica. In contrast, after exposure to three months of chilling temperatures (temperate treatment), the two Q. virginiana populations showed no decline in F v/F m after freezing at -10 degrees C, while the two Q. oleoides populations showed declines in F v/F m reaching 0.2 and 0.1 for Costa Rica and Belize, respectively. Under warm growth conditions, the two species showed different F 0 dynamics directly after freezing. The two Q. oleoides populations showed an initial rise in F 0 30 min after freezing, followed by a subsequent decrease, while the Q. virginiana populations showed a continuous decrease in F 0 after freezing. The North Carolina population of Q. virginiana showed a tendency toward deciduousness in response to winter temperatures, dropping 58% of its leaves over the three month winter period compared to only 6% in the tropical treatment. In contrast, the Florida population dropped 38% of its leaves during winter. The two populations of the tropical Q. oleoides showed no change in leaf drop during the 3-months winter (10% and 12%) relative to their leaf drop over the same timecourse in the tropical treatment. These results indicate important ecotypic differences in sensitivity to freezing and cold stress between the two populations of Q. virginiana as well as between the two species, corresponding to their climates of origin. PMID- 17805987 TI - 3.0 T cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients treated with coronary stenting for myocardial infarction: evaluation of short term safety and image quality. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate safety and image quality of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) at 3.0 T in patients with coronary stents after myocardial infarction (MI), in comparison to the clinical standard at 1.5 T. METHODS: Twenty five patients (21 men; 55 +/- 9 years) with first MI treated with primary stenting, underwent 18 scans at 3.0 T and 18 scans at 1.5 T. Twenty-four scans were performed 4 +/- 2 days and 12 scans 125 +/- 23 days after MI. Cine (steady state free precession) and late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE, segmented inversion recovery gradient echo) images were acquired. Patient safety and image artifacts were evaluated, and in 16 patients stent position was assessed during repeat catheterization. Additionally, image quality was scored from 1 (poor quality) to 4 (excellent quality). RESULTS: There were no clinical events within 30 days of CMR at 3.0 T or 1.5 T, and no stent migration occurred. At 3.0 T, image quality of cine studies was clinically useful in all, but not sufficient for quantitative analysis in 44% of the scans, due to stent (6/18 scans), flow (7/18 scans) and/or dark band artifacts (8/18 scans). Image quality of LGE images at 3.0 T was not sufficient for quantitative analysis in 53%, and not clinically useful in 12%. At 1.5 T, all cine and LGE images were quantitatively analyzable. CONCLUSION: 3.0 T is safe in the acute and chronic phase after MI treated with primary stenting. Although cine imaging at 3.0 T is suitable for clinical use, quantitative analysis and LGE imaging is less reliable than at 1.5 T. Further optimization of pulse sequences at 3.0 T is essential. PMID- 17805988 TI - Characterization and expression profiling of tyrosine aminotransferase gene from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Dan-shen) in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis pathway. AB - A novel tyrosine aminotransferase gene (designated as SmTAT) involved in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis pathway is cloned from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bung. The full-length cDNA of SmTAT is 1,603 bp long with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,233 bp encoding a polypeptide of 411 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the SmTAT gene shared high homology with other known TATs. Analysis of SmTAT genomic DNA reveals that it contains 6 exons, 5 introns. The analysis of SmTAT promoter region and terminator region was also presented. Semi quantitative RT-PCR analysis reveals that the constitutive expression of SmTAT in stem is much higher than that in root, leaf. Further expression analysis reveals that the signaling components of defense/stress pathways, such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA), abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA) and ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B), up-regulate the SmTAT transcript levels over the control. This study provides useful information for further studying this gene and its function in rosmarinic acid biosynthetic pathway in S. miltiorrhiza, the roots of which so called ''Danshen'' possess many pharmaceutical properties for human health. PMID- 17805989 TI - Antioxidant action of Andrographis paniculata on lymphoma. AB - Regulation of the balance between production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by cellular processes and its removal by antioxidant defense system maintains normal physiological processes. Any condition leading to increased ROS results in oxidative stress which has been related with a number of diseases including cancer. Improvement in antioxidant defense system is required to overcome the damaging effects of oxidative stress. Therefore in the present study, effect of the aqueous extract of a medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata (AP) on antioxidant defense system in liver is investigated in lymphoma bearing AKR mice. Estimating catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S transferase monitored the antioxidant action. Oral administration of the aqueous extract of A. paniculata in different doses causes a significant elevation of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S transferase activities. It reveals the antioxidant action of the aqueous extract of AP, which may play a role in the anticarcinogenic activity by reducing the oxidative stress. LDH activity is known to increase in various cancers due to hypoxic condition. Lactate dehydrogenase is used as tumor marker. We find a significant decrease in LDH activity on treatment with AP, which indicates a decrease in carcinogenic activity. A comparison with Doxorubicin (DOX), an anticancerous drug, indicates that the aqueous extract of AP is more effective than DOX with respect to its effect on catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S transferase as well as on lactate dehydrogenase activities in liver of lymphoma bearing mice. PMID- 17805990 TI - Insulin-like growth factor 1 improves the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in a rat model of myocardial infarction. AB - BACKGROUND: Previous study demonstrated the improvement of cardiac function was proportional to the number of cells implanted. Therefore, increasing cell survival in the infarcted myocardium might contribute to the improvement of the functional benefit of cell transplantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: MSCs were treated with IGF-1 in vitro and infused into the acute myocardial infarction rats via the tail vein. After treatment of MSCs with IGF-1 for 48 h, flow cytometric analysis showed marked enhancement of expression of CXCR4 in the cell surface. After 4 weeks of transplantation, we found 1) a greater number of engrafted MSCs arrived and survived in the peri-infarct region; 2) TnT protein expression and capillary density were enhanced; 3) LV cavitary dilation, transmural infarct thinning, deposition of total collagen in the peri-infarct region and cardiac dysfunction were attenuated. CONCLUSION: 1) IGF-1 treatment has time-dependent and dose-dependent effects on CXCR4 expression in MSCs in vitro. 2) IGF-1 improves the efficacy of MSCs transplantation in a rat model of myocardial infarction mainly via enhancement of the number of cells attracted into the infarcted heart. These findings provide a novel stem cell therapeutic avenue against ischemic heart disease. PMID- 17805992 TI - Scene from the USA: the illogic of mandating screening without also providing for treatment. PMID- 17805993 TI - Cerebellar tasks do not distinguish between children with developmental dyslexia and children with intellectual disability. AB - This paper explored the claim that only children with developmental dyslexia, whose reading ability is discrepant from their average general reasoning ability show specific deficits in motor tasks assessing cerebellar functioning (Fawcett et al., 2001, Cerebellar tests differentiate between groups of poor readers with and without IQ discrepancy. J. Learning Disabilities, 34, 119) and rapid serial naming (RAN, Wolf & Bowers, 1999, The double deficit hypothesis for the developmental dyslexias. J. Educ. Psychol., 91, 1). All available children between the ages of 11 and 14 were recruited from two special schools for children with either (a) formally-diagnosed intellectual disabilities (N = 18); or (b) formal diagnoses of developmental dyslexia (N = 25). These two groups of children did not differ on gender, age, pseudoword decoding abilities, or on 7 of 8 literacy measures, but did differ significantly, as expected on verbal and non verbal reasoning tasks. Importantly, there were no deficits in bead threading ability or postural stability in the children with developmental dyslexia compared to the children with intellectual disabilities. There were also no between-group differences in rapid naming measures. The present results therefore provide no support for the claim that cerebellar deficits or RAN distinguish between children with dyslexia and children with intellectual disabilities that include reading. PMID- 17805994 TI - The vigilance, orienting, and executive attention networks in 4-year-old children. AB - The present study examined the development of lower and higher order forms of attention during the preschool years. Lower forms of attention were assessed with tasks that primarily engaged the attention functions of vigilance and orienting. Higher, executive forms of attention were assessed with tasks that involved inhibition and working memory. The findings revealed that performance improved significantly with age on measures of inhibition and orienting. Results are discussed in the context of the development of attentional networks. PMID- 17805995 TI - Neuropsychological abilities of preschool-aged children who display hyperactivity and/or oppositional-defiant behavior problems. AB - This study focused on gaining a better understanding of the neuropsychological abilities of preschool-aged children who show elevated levels of hyperactivity and oppositional-defiance. It examined the performance of children aged 48 to 67 months on tests of attention/executive function, language, memory, and sensorimotor abilities, as measured by the NEPSY and Conners' K-CPT. Two hundred thirty-seven children were divided into four subgroups based on mothers' report of behavior using rating scales and a diagnostic interview: hyperactive only (HYP), oppositional-defiant only (OD), hyperactive and oppositional-defiant (HYP/OD), and nonproblem. Children in the HYP/OD group scored significantly worse than nonproblem children on four of nine subtests on the NEPSY, including one test of executive function, one test of language comprehension, and both tests of short-term verbal memory. However, only the test of executive function (Statue) showed significant predictive power, and, while specificity of this subtest was good, sensitivity was poor. On the K-CPT, a continuous performance test, children in both the HYP and HYP/OD groups performed worse than children in the OD and nonproblem groups. When the NEPSY Statue subtest and the K-CPT were used together, overall predictive power was .74. Results suggest that neuropsychological deficits can be observed among preschool children with hyperactivity, particularly when comorbid oppositional-defiance is present; however, moderate predictive power suggests that these tests should be used in conjunction with other methods of assessment. PMID- 17805996 TI - Socio-communicative deficits in young children with Williams syndrome: performance on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. AB - In this investigation, the socio-communicative skills of 29 children with Williams syndrome aged 2 (1/2) to 5 (1/2) years were examined using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Module 1. Most of the participants showed socio-communicative difficulties. Approximately half of the participants were classified by the ADOS algorithm as "autism spectrum." Three participants were classified "autism." Difficulties with pointing, gestures, giving, showing, and eye contact were present for more than half of the participants, with many also showing difficulties with initiation and response to joint attention and with integration of gaze with other behaviors. Expressive and receptive language abilities of the children with Williams syndrome classified "autism spectrum" were weaker than for children classified nonspectrum, but expressive and receptive language level did not account for the socio-communicative difficulties. Implications for our understanding of the socio-communicative abilities of young children with Williams syndrome and diagnostic practices regarding dual diagnosis are discussed. PMID- 17805997 TI - [High-contrast resolution of film-screen systems in oral and maxillofacial radiology]. AB - PURPOSE: The aim was to determine differences in high-contrast resolution of film screen systems used in dental panoramic and cephalometric radiography by calculating the modulation transfer function (MTF). The radiographs used to determine the MTF should be taken by the same x-ray units as those used for patient radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MTF was determined using a lead grid and according to DIN 6867-2 for 11 film-screen systems (speed 250, speed class 200 and 400) used in dental radiographic diagnostics. The optical density was measured using a microdensitometer developed by PTB. RESULTS: With 10% of the modulation transfer factor, newly developed film-screen systems (speed class 200 and 400) demonstrated a resolution of 4.9 to 6 line pairs per mm (panoramic radiography). In cephalometric radiography a film-screen system (speed class 400 and green-sensitive film) had a resolution of 4.2 line pairs per mm and surpassed two film-screen systems (speed class 400, resolution of 3 line pairs per mm, blue sensitive films). CONCLUSION: The relevance of this study is underlined by the diagnostic reference doses defined in the German X-ray Ordinance (RoV) which are also intended for dentistry. Film-screen systems (speed 250, speed class 200) previously used in dental panoramic and cephalometric radiography can be replaced by newly developed film-screen systems (speed class 400). In dental radiography dose reductions are possible with film-screen systems (speed class 400) without impairing diagnostic accuracy. The introduction of newly developed film-screen systems (speed class 400) requires lower milliampere-seconds and therefore an adjustment of the x-ray units to lower milliampere settings. PMID- 17805998 TI - [Transarterial chemoperfusion of the pelvis--results in symptomatic locally recurrent tumors and lymph node metastases]. AB - PURPOSE: To evaluate local transarterial chemoperfusion (TACP) of therapy resistant, locally recurrent malignant tumors and lymph node metastases in the pelvis with respect to clinical response, tumor response and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2003 and 2005, 24 outpatients (median age 56.5 years, range 33-82) were treated with 128 TACPs (min. 3; mean 5 sess/patient) in 4-week intervals. Depending on the tumor location and vascularization, a fluoroscopy catheter was placed either in the abdominal aorta or internal pelvic artery. A combination of mitomycin C (6 mg/m (2)) and gemcitabine (1500 mg/m (2)) was administered over 60 minutes. The tumor size was measured using CT or MRI. The radiological response was classified according to RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) as "complete response" (CR), "partial response" (PR), "stable disease" (SD) and "progressive disease" (PD). The clinical response was classified as "response (clinical)" if the symptoms improved distinctly, "stable disease (clinical)" if complaints were stabilized, and "progression (clinical)" if symptoms deteriorated or new symptoms appeared. After the third TACP, patients were evaluated for clinical and radiological response. In the case of clinical and radiological progression, therapy was stopped and the patient was referred to the hospital's tumor board. In the case of radiological response and clinical progression or clinical response and radiological progression, therapy was continued. Therapy could be stopped by the patient at any time. RESULTS: Treatment was tolerated well by all patients. No clinically relevant problems and no grade III or IV toxicity according to CTC (Common Toxicity Criteria) appeared. Tumor-related pain, bleeding, restricted mobility of the lower extremities, incontinence, urinary tract obstruction, and constipation were reduced in 9/17, 5/6, 3/3, 1/3, 2/5, and 1/3 of cases (clinical response rate: 54%). Radiologically, 4/24 (17%) patients showed PR, 12/24 (50%) SD, and 8/24 (34%) PD (tumor control (PR+SD): 67% of cases). Tumor response (median survival since first TACP) was as follows: colorectal: 2 PR, 7 SD, 2 PD (11.5 months), ovarian: 1 SD, 2 PD (8.5 mon), cervical: 1 PR, 1 SD (6 mon), breast: 2 SD (6 mon), gastric: 1 PD (11 mon), adrenal gland: 1 PD (12 mon), anal: 1 PD (10 mon), prostate: 1 PD (20 mon), Gartner's duct: 1 PR (20 mon), renal cell carcinoma: 1 SD (10 mon). CONCLUSION: Since tumor-related complaints were improved in 54% of the cases and control of tumor growth (PR+SD) was achieved in 67% of the cases, TACP for recurrent pelvic malignancies should be considered as a palliative oncological treatment option. PMID- 17806000 TI - [Efficacy and longterm compliance of the vest preventing the supine position in patients with obstructive sleep apnea]. AB - BACKGROUND: Treating the positional obstructive sleep apnea with a vest preventing the supine position is well known to be riskless and inexpensive. It was the aim of this study to test the efficacy and, for the first time, the longterm compliance of this treatment. METHODS: 14 patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea (age 48.2 +/- 12.1 years; body-mass-index: 28.1 +/- 4.6 kg/m2 mean, +/- SD) were investigated polysomnographically without and with a vest preventing the supine position. 13.7 +/- 15.9 months later the patients were asked about the comfort of the vest and the nocturnal using time using the Likert scale, and data about the latest Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was collected. RESULTS: The respiratory disturbance index (RDI) was reduced statistically significant from 31.3 +/- 12.9/h to 13.8 +/- 9.0/h by wearing the vest (p < 0.001). Total sleep time at an oxygen saturation below 90% decreased from 8.2 +/- 7.1% to 3.8 +/- 4.5% (p < 0.001), the snoring time from 15.4 +/-19.6 % to 9.8 +/ 13.1% (p < 0.05) of the total sleep time (TST) and the arousal index from 23.1 +/ 16.0/h to 18.6 +/-11.4/h (p < 0.05). 24 +/-28.8 months later 28.6% of the patients were still using the vest. Of these patients the ESS decreased from 8.5 +/-3.2 to 6.5 +/-2.9 (p < 0.05). 72.4% of the patients refused the longterm therapy with the vest because of its low wearing comfort. CONCLUSIONS: Although the vest approved to be effective against positional obstructive sleep apnea, the longterm compliance is low because of its need getting used to. PMID- 17806001 TI - [Ackerman's tumor of the larynx and occupational exposure to asbestos]. AB - The so-called "Ackerman's tumor" is a neoplasm of uncertain dignity. Aim of this paper is to clarify, whether this is an asbestos-induced tumor of the larynx in accordance with German regulations for occupational diseases. A 43-year old male presented the clinical picture of a stenosing laryngeal tumor. A verrucous neoplasm without a proven malignity in the sense of an Ackerman's tumor was diagnosed through several sequential biopsies. Approximately 2 years later a total laryngectomy was performed, because of a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. An occupational disease in accordance with 4104 BKV was claimed in connection with an asbestos exposition of 28,3 fibre years (fibres/m3 x years). An Ackerman's tumor is--in accordance with its definition in the German-speaking area--not conclusively malignant, there is no indication of a relation between asbestos and such a tumor in literature, there is no specific benign disorder of the larynx caused by asbestos. This brings us to the conclusion that the Ackerman's tumor of the larynx is no asbestos-induced laryngeal tumor as per German occupational disease regulations. PMID- 17806002 TI - [Anosmics are more poorly able to taste than normal persons]. AB - INTRODUCTION: The senses of smell and taste interact closely during eating and drinking and can sensitize each other. The conditioning olfactory priming disappears with permanent anosmia, so one can suppose that has effects on taste sensibility. METHODS: The thresholds of taste recognition were measured for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter by using the 3-drops-method according to Henkin in 39 anosmics and were compared with those of 39 normal subjects of the same age and gender. RESULTS: Anosmics had a poorer, i. e. higher recognition threshold for all taste qualities than normal persons. The median recognition threshold of bitter was 8 times, of salty four times, and of sour twice higher. The median recognition thresholds of sweet were equal. The gustatory recognition thresholds of the young and older anosmics didn't differ significantly. The recognition thresholds of young and older normal subjects were not different except sour. The duration and the cause of anosmia had no influence on the recognition thresholds. CONCLUSION: Anosmics actually taste all four taste qualities more poorly. That olfacto-gustatory decline should be considered for insurance reports. Anosmics should be advised to spice their meals gustatorily for coping strategy. PMID- 17806003 TI - [Treatment guidelines for non-schizophrenic psychotic disorders?]. AB - OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of diagnostics, outcome and treatment of "non schizophrenic psychotic disorders" (ICD-10: delusional disorders, acute and transient psychotic disorders and schizoaffective disorders). METHODS: Literature was identified by searches in "Medline" and "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews". RESULTS: The frequency of "non-schizophrenic psychotic disorders" within the whole diagnostic group "schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders" (ICD-10) ranges between 22% and 49%. Patients with these disorders show a more favourable long-term outcome than those with schizophrenia. With regard to therapy, as yet only a small empirical database exists. The comparability of those studies is limited by the use of different diagnostic criteria. There are only few evidence-based treatment guidelines for these disorders. CONCLUSIONS: There is a substantial need for controlled studies on the treatment of "non-psychotic schizophrenic disorders". Alternatively, clinical guidelines could be based on a dichotomy of affective and schizophrenic disorders or on a dimensional approach. PMID- 17806004 TI - [Therapy effectiveness with violent and sex offenders]. AB - OBJECTIVE: In recent years, the offense preventive effect of forensic therapy has been the subject of controversial debate. In this review, the current state of therapy evaluation research in forensics is discussed, with special consideration of methodological aspects. METHODS: Systematic research of literature on studies that analyse the risk-reducing effect of offender therapies. RESULTS: The study designs are very heterogeneous and results are thus difficult to compare. Furthermore, there are only a few empirical studies on the relapse prevention efficiency of forensic therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the methodological diversity of the studies, a concluding evaluation of the efficiency of forensic psychotherapies is not possible. The conclusions drawn from meta-analyses must thus be interpreted with great care. PMID- 17806005 TI - [Involuntary Hospitalization in Frankfurt/Main, Germany--anachronism or up-to date?--the psychiatric information system PISA]. AB - OBJECTIVE: The evaluation of local mental health and complementary psychosocial care remains a difficult venture. For this reason systematic development of appropriate services is barely possible. The present study aimed to get reliable data of psychiatric in- and out-patient treatment as well as of complementary psychosocial care. METHODS: In the city of Frankfurt/Main the PISA project was initiated by the municipal mental health Mo-Ruservice. 677 involuntary hospitalizations were examined in the psychiatric clinics of the city of Frankfurt/Main with regard to diagnoses, socio-demographic data, complementary psychosocial outpatient care and circumstances of hospitalization. RESULTS: Any complementary psychosocial care was missing in more than seventy percent of patients. Only 10 percent of involuntarily admitted patients were examined by a physician before reaching the hospital and in only 1.3 percent the municipal mental health service had been consulted. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that a systematic improvement of precautionary complementary psychosocial care for risk patients is needed as well as the obligation of psychiatric emergency consultation before involuntary hospitalization. PMID- 17806006 TI - [Does sociotherapy lose importance in scientific discourse?]. AB - BACKGROUND: Sociotherapy is an approved method in the treatment of mental disorders. The present study aimed at evaluating the role of sociotherapy in a scientific journal during the last 20 years. METHODS: A systematic analysis of all papers published in the "Psychiatrische Praxis" in the years 1985/1986, 1995/1996 and 2005/2006 was carried out. RESULTS: During the last two decades the proportion of papers with sociotherapeutic topics has decreased significantly. 20 years ago one out of four articles dealt with sociotherapy, currently only one out of ten. In addition, the spectrum of themes is diminished, only the topics work rehabilitation and relatives are represented in the latest issues of the journal. CONCLUSION: In contrast to its clinical value, sociotherapy has lost importance in psychiatric research. Multidisciplinary collaboration is required to enhance sociotherapy in mental health care research. PMID- 17806007 TI - [Measuring cognitive change in patients with suspected dementia--change norms are lacking for psychometric instruments]. AB - A diagnosis of dementia as well as of mild cognitive impairment requires evidence of cognitive decline over time. Often, cognitive tests are administered to objectively measure cognitive change. However, changes in psychometric test scores do not necessarily result from true cognitive change. They might also be due to chance and to normal variability. This paper discusses why change norms are required for a reasonable interpretation of individual changes in test scores. Norms for change are lacking for most psychometric instruments used for dementia diagnosis in the German-speaking area. PMID- 17806008 TI - Implications of low vascular flow resistance in the umbilical artery--difference between the second and third trimester of pregnancy. AB - PURPOSE: An abnormally high (above 95th percentile) pulsatility index (PI) in the umbilical artery (UA) indicates impaired fetal outcome, whereas the impact of an ''abnormally'' low (below 5th percentile) PI in the second trimester is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2001 and 2004, second trimester pregnancy screening was performed at our institution on 5220 patients, and additional UA Doppler ultrasound on 547 (10.5%) of these patients, between 16th and 25th week of pregnancy. Files were available for analysis in our electronic database (PIA Fetal Database (GE, USA)). To evaluate the association of a UA PI below the 5th percentile in the second trimester of pregnancy with fetal anomalies and outcome, a retrospective database analysis was conducted. RESULTS: In 25 fetuses (3.6%), a UA PI below the 5th percentile was found. In 7 of these fetuses (28%), abnormalities of the urogenital tract were diagnosed. There were multiple pregnancies in 7 cases (28%), consisting of two triplets, each including one fetus with malformation, as well as five monochorial twin pregnancies, including 2 fetuses with malformations. In 11 pregnancies (44%), second trimester screening showed no anomalies. CONCLUSION: Only in 11 cases (44%) of fetuses with UA PI below 5th percentile in the second trimester, course and outcome of pregnancy were favourable, if defined as live birth without fetal malformations and uneventful neonatal period. The aetiology of an abnormally low UA PI in the second trimester seems to be diverse. Possible aetiological mechanisms will be discussed. PMID- 17806009 TI - Dental implantation: ultrasound transmission velocity to evaluate critical bone quality--an animal model. AB - PURPOSE: In dental implantology, preoperative evaluation of bone quality is an important aspect for the long-term success of the treatment. The insertion of implants into regions with a great portion of poorly mineralised cancellous bone, in particular, increases the risk of subsequent implant failure. The measurement of Ultrasound Transmission Velocity (UTV) proved to be a non-invasive and valid method for the assessment of mechanical properties of bone. The aim of this study was to correlate conventional histomorphometric bone properties with UTV-values from mandibular and iliac crest bone specimens in an animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 12 native (no sample preparation) porcine specimens from mandibular bone and 14 from iliac crest bone, respectively, were studied both by UTV measurement and by conventional histomorphometry. UTV-values were measured bicortically by three different investigators four times at each site. Bone samples from identical sites were obtained and ground down to a thickness of approx. 50 microm. Transmission light microscopy was used to assess the overall percentage of mineralised bone. Mineral bone density less than 40% was defined as "critical". RESULTS: The median bone density was 43 % for mandibular bone and 23% for iliac crest bone, respectively. The median UTV values of the mandible (1756 m/sec) were significantly higher than those of the iliac crest specimens (1613 m/sec). Intra-individual correlation testing illustrates a positive, statistically significant correlation between presurgical UTV measurement and the grade of mineralisation (r=0.54). ROC analysis defined a UTV breakpoint of 1767 m/sec to identify critical bone with a sensitivity of 75%. CONCLUSION: In this ex vivo model, UTV measurements have proven to be a reliable method for identifying critical bone quality prior to implantation. PMID- 17806010 TI - Ex-Utero Intrapartum Treatment (EXIT) in a giant case of Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation (CCAM) of the lung. AB - Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformations (CCAM) of the lung are a relatively rare anomaly. The majority of cases do not require any antenatal or perinatal interventions. However, selected cases need special and intensified management. This article discusses a case of a CCAM of the left pulmonary lobe covering 2/3 to 3/4 of the thoracic volume, causing mediastinal shift and hydrops. The enormous size required the planning of an EXIT (Ex Utero-Intrapartum Treatment) procedure, which was performed when the trial of intraoperative ventilation of the lungs was unsuccessful. A thoracotomy and resection of the left upper lobe were performed with the fetus on feto-placental circulation. After resection and closure of the thoracotomy, improvement of lung ventilation allowed the delivery of the child. The child and mother were discharged in a healthy condition. We conclude that the EXIT procedure is a feasible and potentially life-saving method for select cases of prenatally detected CCAM. PMID- 17806014 TI - [Cooperation of general practitioners with priority practices for addiction in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania]. AB - OBJECTIVE: The nine "priority practices for addiction" in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania participating in a model project are supposed to take a central and coordinating position within the addiction management. The aims of this study were to investigate a) the extent to which general practitioners are aware of these priority practices, b) the collaboration among general practices and priority practices and c) the predictors which promote cooperation. METHODS: One third of all general practitioners in Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania (n = 330) were randomly sampled. Of these, 250 (75,8 %) practitioners (M = 51 years, SD = 10; 55,6 % female) participated in a 10 minutes telephone interview. RESULTS: About a fourth of the practitioners reported cooperation with "priority practices for addiction". Of all practitioners 53,8 % were not collaborating with these practices or did not know about them. Logistic regressions revealed distance to a priority practices as the only significant predictor which indicated if practitioners referred patients to these priority practices. CONCLUSIONS The concept of this unique project is largely unknown and insufficiently used by practitioners. It should be more strongly communicated within the medical community in order to improve the numbers of referrals. Above that, these specialised practices should be established throughout the country. PMID- 17806015 TI - [Intervals between hospitalisations in schizophrenia patients under antipsychotics in depot-form versus oral second generation antipsychotics]. AB - OBJECTIVE: The reduction of the frequency of rehospitalisation is important for improving the outcomes for patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: This study compares the rate of rehospitalisation between patients with antipsychotics in depot-form (n = 77) and oral second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) (n = 156). RESULTS: Patients with antipsychotics in depot-form had lower risk of rehospitalisation than with SGAs in oral-form after 24 months (p = 0.027) and 36 months (p = 0.018) (Kaplan-Meyer survival analysis, Log-Rank). Long intervals between two hospitalisations were found for flupentixol depot and clozapine. CONCLUSIONS: Antipsychotics in depot-form require and active and close outpatient treatment, which may account for long intervals between hospitalisation improved outcomes for patients with schizophrenia. PMID- 17806016 TI - [The burden of depressive disorders in Germany - results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD)]. AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the disease burden of depression in Germany using preference-based valuations of depressive health states. METHODS: The data came from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) in which a representative sample of 3555 non institutionalised adults aged 18 years or older was interviewed in Germany. Computer assisted personal interviews included EQ-5D, SF-12, time trade-off (TTO) and contingent valuation (willingness-to-pay, WTP). Respondents in whom 12-month prevalence for a depressive disorder according to DSM-IV was identified, were compared to respondents without depressive disorders (controls). Disease burden was measured in terms of loss of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and loss of monetary benefit due to depression per year. Valuations of health-related quality of life (HRQL) were derived from EQ-5D (EQ VAS and EQ-5D Index), SF-12 (SF-6D Index) and TTO. Disease burden was estimated by calculating the difference between individual valuation of HRQL/WTP for full health of cases and mean valuation/WTP of controls matched by age and gender. Results were extrapolated to the total population. RESULTS: Depending on the valuation method, the loss of QALYs per year due to depression in Germany was 144,886 (TTO), 239,152 (EQ-5D Index VAS), 265,085 (EQ-5D Index TTO), 307,139 (EQ VAS) and 403,373 (SF-6D Index). The additional WTP for full health amounted to 4.3 billion Euro. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive disorders caused a substantial disease burden. Subjects affected by depression showed lower preference-based scores compared to subjects without depression. However, calculated QALY losses varied strongly by valuation method. PMID- 17806017 TI - Long oesophageal gaps - a new surgical technique: an experimental study on lambs. AB - AIM: The management of long gap oesophageal atresia remains a major challenge for the paediatric surgeon. In this experimental study on neonatal lambs, a Silastic tube was used to bridge a gap in the oesophagus. The Silastic tube was not fixed to the oesophageal edges but half a centimetre from the edge of the oesophagus. The oesophageal edges were left free to grow over the Silastic tube and bridge the gap. The aim of the study was to see whether the oesophageal edges would grow over the Silastic tube and form a continuous oesophagus. METHODS: Twelve neonatal lambs were included in the study. They were divided into 3 groups: Group A (control group) included 3 lambs where the oesophagus was transacted and anastomosed without excision of an oesophageal segment. Group B included 6 lambs where a wedge of the oesophagus was excised and a Silastic tube fixed to the inner mucosa. The oesophageal edges were in contact on one side. In group C (3 lambs), a 2-cm cylinder of the oesophagus was excised, a Silastic tube was fixed to the inner mucosa and a gap of 2 cm was left between the oesophageal edges. The lambs were sacrificed at two weeks to five weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no mortality, no anastomotic leakage and no wound infection in any of the lambs. The oesphageal edges grew and bridged the gap and formed a continuous tube. Histological examination showed new muscle fibres underneath the new mucosa. All lambs with Silastic tubes gained weight. Two lambs developed moderate to severe stricture. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the possibility of oesophageal growth over a Silastic tube to form a continuous oesophagus. Histological examination confirmed oesophageal growth and not healing through fibrous tissue. Further studies are needed to evaluate the technique in the thoracic oesophagus with long-term follow-up. PMID- 17806018 TI - Is ligation of azygos vein necessary in primary repair of tracheoesophageal fistula with esophageal atresia? AB - INTRODUCTION: Congenital tracheoesophageal fistula with esophageal atresia (TEF with EA) is not an uncommon disease of newborns. Classical approach for primary repair of TEF with EA is right thoracotomy with extrapleural approach, ligation of the azygos vein, identification and ligation of tracheoesophageal fistula, identification of upper esophageal pouch and end-to-end anastomosis. This study was conducted to evaluate if the ligation of the azygos vein is a must during primary repair of TEF with EA. METHOD: We studied 50 randomly selected cases in the last two years (Jan 2003 - Jan 2005). In 25 babies (group A), primary repair was done with preservation of the azygous vein while 25 babies (group B) were operated with a classical approach with ligation and division of the azygos vein. The postoperative result was comparative in both cases. RESULT: Postoperative pneumonitis was higher in the babies operated with the classical approach (56 % in group B and 12 % in group A) and was found to be statistically significant. In postoperative complication, anastomotic leak was slightly higher in group B but was not statistically significant. Mortality rate was similar in both groups. Babies in group A were hemodynamically more stable in comparison to group B. CONCLUSION: Preservation of the azygos vein maintains the normal venous drainage of mediastinum and hence decreases the postoperative chest congestion and pneumonitis in the postoperative period in cases of congenital esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, so it should be preserved whenever possible. PMID- 17806019 TI - Preliminary experience with tracheal stent application in children with tracheal stenosis. AB - Tracheobronchial stenosis in infants and small children is a frustrating lesion for both the pediatric surgeon and the patient and his or her family. Different surgical methods have been described to treat stenoses. Recently, tracheal stents have been introduced to relieve the airway obstruction in these patients. Here, we present 6 patients (2 newborns, 3 infants, and 1 three-year-old) with tracheal or bronchial obstructions treated with age-specific Palmaz balloon-expandable tracheal stents. One patient died due to sepsis. One patient's stent was removed successfully. No other problems occurred in the other 4 patients during 4 to 12 months of follow-up. PMID- 17806020 TI - Lung aplasia: anatomy, history, diagnosis and surgical management. AB - PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to define the details of the history and clarify the cause for respiratory distress, justify the need for surgical correction and suggest a rational operative technique for patients with lung aplasia. METHODS: Our experience with the management of 9 patients with lung aplasia and 1 patient with lung agenesis in the period from 1985 to 2004 is presented. All 10 patients were referred for respiratory distress. A detailed study of clinical symptoms and the data from X-ray, computed tomography (CT), tracheobronchoscopy and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) suggested that all patients had different degrees of mediastinal shift and heart rotation, tracheal kinking and compression of the aortic arch and innominate artery or emphysema of a single lung. Two of the patients required operation. RESULTS: We performed ipsilateral cephalad translocation of the diaphragm which resulted in complete recovery from respiratory distress and a significant improvement in tolerance of physical exercise in both patients. The good results in these patients were followed up for 8 and 2 years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that ipsilateral translocation of the diaphragm could be a useful alternative to unsuccessful symptomatic treatment in patients with lung aplasia. PMID- 17806021 TI - Evaluation of lung pathology in an experimental model of tracheal foreign body. AB - AIM: This experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the pathological changes caused by foreign body aspiration (FBA) on the lungs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was performed on 19 Wistar albino rats. The rats in the control group (n = 5) were not subjected to any procedures. The rats in the sham group (n = 5) underwent tracheostomy, and a feeding tube was inserted into each rat. In nine rats in Group 1 (the study group), small lead marbles were placed into their trachea in addition to the procedures applied in the sham group. Lung tomography was performed on all the rats. The lungs, heart, and trachea were removed en bloc under ketamine hydrochloride anesthesia and fixed in 10 % formalin solution at the end of one week. The lung tissues were examined for FB, perivascular and peribronchial inflammatory cell infiltration, intra-alveolar bleeding, and post obstructive emphysema. RESULTS: Tomography revealed FB in 4 rats and pathological evaluation showed FB in 7 rats. All the rats in Group 1 had peribronchial inflammation, while 7 rats (77.8 %) had perivascular inflammation. The sham and control groups were collectively referred to as Group 2 because of statistically similar findings. Group 1 and Group 2 significantly differed with respect to the findings of perivascular and peribronchial inflammation, intra-alveolar hemorrhage, and emphysema (p < 0.05). In Group 1, inflammation was detected in the opposite lobe of the lungs, although there was no FB. CONCLUSION: The presence of inflammation in the opposite lobe of the lungs where no FB was placed and in even those rats that expectorated the FB suggests that FBA is not a local pathology but a general pathology inducing inflammation in the whole lung. Thus, urgent removal of a foreign body is vital. PMID- 17806022 TI - Pulmonary function following completion of Minimally Invasive Repair for Pectus Excavatum (MIRPE). AB - Pulmonary function testing remains part of the routine preoperative investigations in patients with pectus excavatum, although there is evidence that reduced exercise capacity is predominantly due to impaired cardiovascular performance rather than ventilatory limitation. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the change of pulmonary function in patients after completion (metal bar removal) of minimally invasive repair for pectus excavatum compared to the preoperative functional results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent minimally invasive repair for pectus excavatum (MIRPE) between February 2000 and June 2006 and subsequently had their metal bars removed were examined. Pulmonary function tests were performed as part of the routine pre- and postoperative protocol. Vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV) and maximal expiratory flow rate at 25 % (MEF25) were evaluated. In addition, comparisons were made between patients with a low ( 6) pectus severity index (PSI) to establish the relative pre- to postoperative change of the above-mentioned lung function parameters. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were included in the study (14 males, 1 female). The median age at surgery was 15.9 years. The metal bar(s) were removed after a median of 37 months following the initial operation. Lung function tests were performed at a median of 32 days preoperatively and 129 days after completion of the procedure. Preoperative lung function values lay below population averages. The majority of patients had either a restrictive, obstructive or combined pulmonary disorder. Improvement was observed in all lung function parameters after metal bar removal compared to preoperative values and was significant for VC, FEV1 and the RV/TLC ratios. With regard to the severity of the deformity, although not statistically significant, patients with a higher PSI (> 6) appeared to benefit particularly from the operation. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that pulmonary function improves in patients after completion of minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum. However, a review of the literature suggests that, in all probability, following surgery, patients benefit more with regard to enhanced cardiovascular performance than from improved pulmonary limitations. The value of routine testing of pre- and postoperative lung function in patients with pectus excavatum is questionable. PMID- 17806023 TI - Electrophysiological evaluation of cremasteric reflex in experimental testicular torsion. AB - AIM: The aim of the study was the electrophysiological evaluation of the cremasteric reflex after experimental testicular torsion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten male Wistar rats were enrolled into the study. Genitofemoral nerve (GFN) motor conduction and cremasteric reflex (CR) responses were evaluated electrophysiologically after being subjected to anesthesia with intramuscular ketamin hydrochloride. Testicular torsion was performed by rotating the right testicle 720 degrees in a clockwise direction from a midscrotal incision. Electrophysiological evaluations were repeated in the early (30 minutes) and late (90 minutes) periods of testicular torsion. Subsequently, detorsion of the testicles was performed and electrophysiological recordings were completed after 60 minutes of detorsion. The CR was also evaluated clinically before each electrophysiological evaluation. The latency and duration of GFN motor conduction and CR responses was compared for base, early torsion, late torsion and detorsion recordings. Friedman's test for repeated measurements was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The CR, which was detected clinically before torsion and after detorsion, was not detected during torsion. When base, early torsion, late torsion and detorsion recordings were compared, there was no statistical difference with respect to both latency and duration of GFN motor conduction and CR responses (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although CR was not detected clinically during testicular torsion, the electrophysiological parameters of the reflex did not differ in the early and late periods of torsion in rats. The GFN motor conduction parameters also showed no differences. In conclusion, the absence of the CR after testicular torsion could not be confirmed by electrophysiological studies. PMID- 17806024 TI - Is neonatal circumcision judicious? AB - BACKGROUND: Circumcision is the most frequently performed procedure in male children. AIM: The aim of the study was to compare the outcome of circumcision performed in the early neonatal period and circumcision performed at 5 months of age. Setting of the study was the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study was performed as a prospective cohort study. RESULTS: A total of 350 infants were enrolled. 250 neonates were circumcised at the age of 1 to 4 days (early group) and 100 infants underwent circumcision at the age of 5 months (late group). A bone cutter was used for 50 neonates, a Gomco clamp in another 50 neonates, and a Plastibell in the remaining 250 cases (150 in the early group and 100 in the late group). Complications including meatal deformities, meatal stenosis, adhesions and infection were more frequent and more significant in the neonatal circumcision group. CONCLUSIONS: From our study, circumcision at 5 months results in significantly fewer serious complications than circumcision in the neonatal period, irrespective of the method used. Therefore, neonatal circumcision should not be recommended. PMID- 17806025 TI - Wound infiltration with levobupivacaine: an alternative method of postoperative pain relief after inguinal hernia repair in children. AB - The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of post-incisional wound infiltration with levobupivacaine in preventing the postoperative pain associated with inguinal hernia repair in children. Thirty boys, ASA I - II, aged 2 - 12 yrs., undergoing unilateral inguinal hernioplasty under general anaesthesia as day-case patients were allocated randomly to have postoperative analgesia either with post-incisional wound infiltration with levobupivacaine 1.25 mg/kg or with paracetamol 30 mg/kg administered rectally. Postoperative pain was assessed initially in the Post-Anaesthesia Care Unit and on the ward by an observer and afterwards for the next 24 h by the parents, using the Poker Chip Tool for preschoolers and the Visual Analogue Scale for older children, respectively. Postoperative pain was managed by giving paracetamol. The duration of the postoperative analgesia was estimated based on the time when rescue analgesia was first given. Assessment of the quality of postoperative analgesia was based on the children's behaviour. The wound infiltration group showed an increased duration of postoperative analgesia (p < 0.001) and early mobilisation, while the efficacy of postoperative analgesia tended to be more adequate, although no statistically significant difference was noted. PMID- 17806026 TI - Sternal cleft associated with enterogenous cyst treated during the newborn period. AB - We present the case of a newborn with sternal cleft (SC) and presternal enterogenous cyst operated on during the neonatal period. SC is an uncommon congenital malformation of the thoracic wall which can occur as an isolated form or in association with other malformations. To our knowledge, the presence of SC and enterogenous cyst has not been described to date. Early surgical repair of SC gives good aesthetic and functional results and is usually the preferred approach. PMID- 17806027 TI - Isolated ultra-long gap esophageal atresia - successful use of the foker technique. AB - OBJECTIVE: Ultra-long gap (> 3.5 cm) esophageal atresias (ULGEA) are very rare congenital disorders usually treated by esophageal substitution. Since the introduction of Foker's elongation technique for primary anastomosis, there is much controversy over whether the Foker method or esophageal substitution results in a better outcome. Until now, there was only one series, which had been reported by Foker himself. We therefore present the outcome 2.5 years after one of the first children was operated on with the Foker method in Europe (2003). PATIENT AND METHOD: A premature child (1820 g, 33 + 4 gestational week) born with isolated ULGEA (6-cm gap length/30.5-cm body length) was treated with the Foker technique. We present a critical review of the course together with any complications that can help in the clinical evaluation of the new technique. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Three thoracotomies and 5 dilating procedures over a period of 3 months were necessary to achieve primary anastomosis. Two major complications occurred (anastomotic leak and subsequent stricture). The boy was under mechanical ventilation for a total of 15 days. The Foker method seems to be quite feasible and quickly results in the expected primary anastomosis. The result in this single case is excellent. PMID- 17806028 TI - Gastric fibrolipoma causing bleeding in a child. AB - Gastrointestinal lipomas are uncommon benign tumors usually occurring in the colon and rarely in the stomach. We report a case of a 10-year-old boy who presented with a two-week history of epigastric abdominal pain and several episodes of melena. Gastroscopy revealed a soft, elevated, broad based, polypoid lesion on the posterior wall, without superficial erosion or ulceration. One week later the patient was readmitted with melena and hematemesis, followed by a significant drop of hematocrit levels. A laparotomy was carried out and the mass was excised. Histological findings were consistent with a submucosal gastric fibrolipoma resected IN TOTO. The clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of this condition are discussed. PMID- 17806029 TI - A sporadic abdominal desmoid tumour case presenting with intermittent intestinal obstruction. AB - Desmoid tumours, also known as aggressive fibromatosis, are rare lesions with an intermediate biological behaviour between benign fibrous lesions and fibrosarcomas. Although abdominal desmoids have an increased incidence in Gardner's syndrome, they are rarely found in an isolated form. We report the findings of a barium study, ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in a nine-year-old boy with intermittent nausea and vomiting, diagnosed as having a desmoid tumour. Although intra-abdominal desmoids are usually detected as a solitary lesion in sporadic cases, the presented case had two mesenteric lesions in the left upper quadrant. There was intestinal obstruction and the masses had invaded the colon wall. PMID- 17806030 TI - Congenital segmental dilatation of the small bowel (CSD). AB - Congenital segmental dilatation (CSD) is a rare pathology of unknown etiology, usually with early-onset presentation in the neonatal age. We present a case of CSD of the jejunum of a 9-year-old boy with severe malnutrition. Its clinical, radiological and histological features are similar to those described in the literature but the remarkable aspect of this case lies in its late presentation. PMID- 17806031 TI - Hepatoblastoma with congenital absence of the portal vein - a case report. AB - A 17-month-old girl who had been followed up as an extremely-low-birth-weight infant presented with hepatoblastoma in the right lobe of her liver. Preoperative angiography revealed an absence of the portal vein, and the visceral venous return was through the left renal vein into the inferior vena cava. No liver dysfunction and no jaundice were found; however, a marked elevation of the alpha fetoprotein level was noted. She underwent a typical right hepatic lobectomy successfully after chemotherapy and has no evidence of recurrence 6 months after surgery. PMID- 17806032 TI - Non-correctable biliary atresia with large extrahepatic cyst: a report of two cases. AB - Biliary atresia constitutes a serious problem in early infancy, due to the concomitant cholestasis. The conventional classification falls into 3 main types: type I, atresia of the common bile duct; type II, atresia of the hepatic duct; and type III, atresia of the porta hepatis. We report 2 unusual cases of biliary atresia type III with a cystic structure that could be mistaken for correctable biliary atresia or choledochal cyst. PMID- 17806033 TI - Parenting stress and related factors in parents of children with Tourette syndrome. AB - The objective of this study was to assess the stress of parents and its influencing factors in caring for children with Tourette syndrome. A total of 150 subjects, either fathers or mothers of children diagnosed with Tourette syndrome between the ages of 6 and 12, were recruited by purposive sampling from the membership roster of the Taiwan Tourette Family Association. Study tools included a Parenting Stress Index Form and Social Support Index Form. The standardized score for parent perception of parenting stress was 83.5. The main stressor of parents of children with Tourette syndrome was found to be child care difficulties. A correlation was found between parenting stress and child gender, age, school situation and disease severity; parent age and family income. A significant negative correlation (r=-.459, p<.01) was found between social support and parenting stress. It was revealed that social support had a significant effect on parenting stress in this study. Multiple linear regression analysis found disease severity and family income to be the variables with the greatest predictive power for parenting stress, explaining 42% of total variance. Results showed that factors affecting parenting stress included family income and disease severity. These findings should help clinical professionals develop more effective health care strategies to address the needs of children with Tourette syndrome and their parents. PMID- 17806034 TI - Exploration into the variance in self-reported health-related quality of life between the chronically-ill elderly and their family caregivers. AB - Differences in perspective with regard to Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) may significantly affect long-term care preferences. This study was developed to quantify the direction and magnitude of such differences and to explore factors accounting for HRQOL reporting differences between two groups, namely elderly individuals with chronic conditions and their primary family caregivers. Nurses in seven Taiwanese counties and cities interviewed 267 matched pairs of elderly individuals and primary family caregivers using a 28-item version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) adapted for use in Taiwan. Our study used the standardized response mean (SRM)--the ratio of the mean difference to the SD of that difference--to compare scores assigned by the two groups. Family caregivers assigned higher scores in all four HRQOL domains, with scores "moderately higher" in the physical domain and "slightly higher" in the other three. In addition to gender, several activities of daily livings (ADLs) in the physiological, environmental and psychological domains were identified as predictors of HRQOL differences. Marital status and presence of a primary caregiver were the two predictors in the social relationship domain. This study found elderly ADLs, gender, marital status, and the presence of a primary caregiver to be significant predictors of HRQOL differences. Study findings offer guidance to elderly individuals with chronic conditions and their family caregivers with regard to long-term care program arrangement in order to enhance elderly ADLs and family relationships and to achieve a better overall HRQOL for the elderly. PMID- 17806035 TI - The relationship between physical function, knowledge of disease, social support and self-care behavior in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. AB - The purposes of this study were to explore the relationships between physical function, knowledge of disease, social support, and self-care behavior in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to examine the predictive variables of self-care behavior. A cross-sectional design was developed and implemented in which 115 subjects with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited from two hospitals located in southern Taiwan. Findings demonstrated a significantly positive correlation between self-care behavior and age, physical function and social support. Age and social support represented the effective predictors of self-care behavior, explaining 13.4% of total self-care behavior variance. Study results suggest that healthcare providers should better understand the predictive factors of self-care behavior, design effective interventions and provide therapeutic information in order to facilitate better self-care behavior in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. PMID- 17806036 TI - Quality of life and its predictors for middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. AB - The purpose of this study was to explore the quality of life, and its predictors among middle-aged and elderly patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. 131 participants of age 40 or above were recruited from an outpatients department in one medical center in southern Taiwan. The study had a cross-sectional design; each participant was administered structured questionnaires, including the Diabetes Self-Care Behavior Scale, the Social Support Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). The results show that the predictors of patient's quality of life were diabetic self-care behaviors, economic status, and frequency of hospitalization, with a total variance of 21%. These findings can help health professionals to learn more about these patients. Furthermore, a suitable program and nursing interventions could be implemented to promote these patients' quality of life. PMID- 17806037 TI - Testing a model of stress and health using meta-analytic path analysis. AB - The goal of this study was to use meta-analytic path analysis to evaluate a theoretical model of stress and health. A meta-analysis technique was adopted to combine and re-analyze 477 studies that investigated stress-related topics between January 1980 and December 2003 in Taiwan. Databases searched included PerioPath-Index to Chinese Periodical Literature, Electronic Theses and Dissertations System, and NSC (National Science Council) Science and Technology Information System. Variables recorded included stress, health, social support, coping strategies, and personality traits. A correlation matrix of these variables was derived from meta-analytic data and then analyzed using structural path analysis to test the fitness of the hypothesized stress-health model to the observed aggregated data. Results showed the revised hypothesized model to be a reasonable, good fit to aggregated data. Based on the theoretical stress-health model developed in this study, subjective stress was found to have a substantively important and direct effect on health, whereas objective stress required the mediating function of subjective stress to exercise an influence on health. Such variables as social support, coping strategies, and personality traits had comparatively weaker influences, either direct or indirect, on the stress-health process. This study provided a holistic view on the relationship between stress and health in the context of stress and proposed a direction for future research and practice. PMID- 17806038 TI - Effects of single-hole and cross-cut nipple units on feeding efficiency and physiological parameters in premature infants. AB - The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of total milk intake, feeding time, sucking efficiency, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) of premature infants when fed with either signal-hole or cross cut nipple units. Twenty stable infants admitted to a level II nursery in a tertiary care center with gestational ages averaging 32.2+/-3.2 wks were enrolled. Subjects had an average postmenstrual age of 34.1+/-1.6 wks, and average body weight of 1996+/-112 gm. A crossover design was used and infants were observed for two consecutive meals separated by a four-hour interval. They were bottle fed with equal feeding amounts using a single-hole and cross-cut nipple administered in random order. Results showed that infants fed with single hole nipple units took more milk (57.5+/-8.3 ml vs. 51.6+/-9.5 ml, p=.011), had a shorter feeding time per meal (11.5+/-4.9 min vs. 20.9+/-5.0 min, p<.001), and sucked more efficiently (5.8+/-2.5 ml/min vs. 2.7+/-1.0 ml/min, p<.001) compared to those fed through cross-cut nipples. Infants using cross-cut nipple units had a higher RR (44.4+/-4.6 breaths/minutes vs. 40.8+/-4.9 breaths/minutes, p=.002) and SpO2 (96.1+/-1.4% vs. 94.6+/-3.2%, p=.044) than those using single-hole nipples. Oxygen desaturation (SpO2<90% and lasting for longer than 20 sec) and bradycardia were not recorded in either group of infants during feeding. Compared to using cross-cut nipple units, premature infants using single-hole nipple units take more milk and tend to tolerate feedings better. A single-hole nipple may be a choice for physiologically stable bottle-fed premature infants. PMID- 17806039 TI - Cross-sectional survey of women in Taiwan with first-degree relatives with osteoporosis: knowledge, health beliefs, and preventive behaviors. AB - No previous investigation has explored preventive behaviors among women with First-Degree Relatives (FDRs) diagnosed with osteoporosis, particularly Asian women. This study investigates osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs and preventive behaviors of women with a family history of osteoporosis, and the different knowledge and health beliefs regarding preventive behaviors of women with such a history. Women were recruited at a large public health center in northern Taiwan. A questionnaire was administered to women with FDRs with osteoporosis with a focus on osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs and preventive behaviors. Descriptive analysis was initially conducted. Correlation and differences between demographics, knowledge, health beliefs and preventive behaviors were rated for continuous variables, and the chi2 test was performed for categorical variables. A total of 251 who women satisfied the sampling criteria were invited to engage in the study. Two hundred and one women agreed to take part in the study, and the participation rate was around 80%. This work stresses the insufficiency of information on osteoporosis, constraining beliefs and ignorance of healthy preventive behaviors among women with FDRs with osteoporosis. Overall, the likelihood that women would take positive preventive behaviors is associated with their demographics and knowledge. The variables most strongly correlated with preventive behaviors for community-dwelling women are, in order, knowledge, number of children, educational level, knowledge of osteoporosis, experience of bone density examination, and whether or not women believed they had kyphosis. The results of this work can be applied to provide effective implementation guidelines for preventing osteoporosis, especially for women with a family history of the disease. PMID- 17806040 TI - A study of masturbatory knowledge and attitudes and related factors among Taiwan adolescents. AB - The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between masturbatory knowledge and masturbatory attitudes among Taiwan adolescents. This study was based on a structured questionnaire survey that used the Adolescent Masturbatory Knowledge Inventory (AMKI) and the Adolescent Negative Attitude toward Masturbation Inventory (ANAMI). Subjects were recruited from the third grade of high school and vocational school students aged 17-18 living in Kaohsiung (southern Taiwan) using stratified and cluster sampling approaches. Seven hundred and eighty questionnaires were sent out, with a 96.8% response rate. A total of 95.3% of male subjects and 30.3% of female subjects reported having masturbation experience. Masturbatory knowledge was significantly related to the variables "school system", "frequency of viewing pornographic media", "status of being sexually active", and "conversation about sex with friends". Masturbatory attitudes were significantly associated with the same variables as well as with gender and masturbatory behavior. Masturbatory attitudes were positively correlated with masturbatory knowledge. The school system explained 15.4% of masturbatory knowledge variance. Masturbatory knowledge, masturbatory behavior, frequency of viewing pornographic media and status of being sexually active explained 39.5% of masturbatory attitude variance. In conclusion, adolescents in Taiwan hold positive attitudes toward masturbation and reported having insufficient knowledge regarding masturbation. Results can assist school staffs and parents to gain a deeper understanding of adolescents' knowledge about and attitudes toward masturbation. PMID- 17806041 TI - The value of computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy for diagnosis of invasive fungal infection in immunocompromised patients. AB - We assessed Calcofluor white staining, Aspergillus polymerase chain reaction, and a galactomannan enzyme immunoassay for diagnosis of fungal infection with use of computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy specimens obtained from 61 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of computerized tomography, Aspergillus polymerase chain reaction, and galactomannan enzyme immunoassay were 100% and 50%, 100% and 86%, and 88% and 94%, respectively. PMID- 17806042 TI - Effectiveness of polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine in HIV-infected patients: a case-control study. AB - BACKGROUND: Polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) is recommended among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, although its effect in reducing the incidence of pneumonia or invasive pneumococcal disease is not well established. Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of 23-valent PPV in HIV-infected adults and the risk factors for pneumococcal pneumonia or invasive pneumococcal disease. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case-control study in 4 Spanish hospitals for the period from January 1995 through December 2005 using the HIV database from each hospital to identify case patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae disease and control subjects without a history of pneumococcal infection. RESULTS: A total of 184 case patients and 552 control subjects were identified. The factors associated with pneumococcal disease in bivariate analysis were active injection drug use (odds ratio [OR], 3.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2-5.55), alcoholism (OR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.86-4.91), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.3-5.1), cirrhosis (OR, 6.05; 95% CI, 3.2-11.4), antiretroviral therapy (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.16-0.32), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.97), viral load <5000 copies/mL (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.26-0.54), and previous PPV (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.24-0.65). Risk factors for pneumococcal disease in multivariate analysis were cirrhosis (OR, 5.64; 95% CI, 2.53-12.53), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.21-6.94), and alcoholism (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.11-4.19), whereas protective factors were receipt of antiretroviral therapy (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.14-0.36) and receipt of pneumococcal vaccine (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22-0.88), even in patients with CD4 lymphocyte counts <200 cells/microL. CONCLUSIONS: Antiretroviral therapy and PPV have a significant, independent protective effect against pneumococcal disease, regardless of CD4 lymphocyte count; thus, all patients with HIV infection should be vaccinated with PPV to prevent pneumococcal disease. PMID- 17806043 TI - Fatal outbreak of human toxoplasmosis along the Maroni River: epidemiological, clinical, and parasitological aspects. AB - BACKGROUND: Well-documented outbreaks of human toxoplasmosis infection are infrequently reported. Here, we describe a community outbreak of multivisceral toxoplasmosis that occurred in Patam, a Surinamese village near the French Guianan border. METHODS: From the end of December 2003 through the middle of January 2004, 5 adult patients in Patam, including 2 pregnant women, were initially hospitalized for multivisceral toxoplasmosis. A French-Surinamese epidemiological investigation was conducted in the village; inquiries and clinical examinations were performed, and blood and environmental samples were obtained. For all serologically confirmed cases of toxoplasmosis, molecular analysis and mouse inoculations were performed for diagnosis and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii. RESULTS: The hospitalized patients, who did not have any immunodeficiencies, presented with an infectious disease with multivisceral involvement. Serological examination confirmed acute toxoplasmosis. One adult died, and a neonate and a fetus with congenital toxoplasmosis also died. During the investigation, 4 additional acute cases of toxoplasmosis were diagnosed among the 33 villagers. Only 3 inhabitants had serological evidence of previous T. gondii infection. In total, we reported 11 cases of toxoplasmosis: 8 multivisceral cases in immunocompetent adults, resulting in 1 death; 2 cases of lethal congenital toxoplasmosis in a neonate and a fetus; and 1 symptomatic case in a child. Molecular analysis demonstrated that identical isolates of only 1 atypical strain were responsible for at least 5 of the 11 cases of toxoplasmosis in the outbreak. No epidemiological sources could be linked to this severe community-wide outbreak of toxoplasmosis. CONCLUSION: This report is in agreement with the particular features of toxoplasmosis involving atypical strains that were recently described in French Guiana. PMID- 17806044 TI - Viral load as a predictor of outcome in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. AB - Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a potentially fatal disease affecting multiple organ systems. To determine the association between viral load and severity of CCHF infection, quantitative measurement of CCHF virus was performed using 1-step reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for 36 patients with CCHF infection. Viral loads ranged from 1.1x10(3) copies/mL to > or = 9.9x10(9) copies/mL. Nine (25%) of 36 patients died. In 8 of the 9 patients with fatal outcomes, viral loads were detected that were > or = 1x10(9) copies/mL, whereas in 25 of the 26 patients with nonfatal outcomes, viral loads were detected that were < 1x10(9) copies/mL (P<.001). A viral load > or = 1x10(9) RNA copies/mL can be considered to predict a fatal outcome with a positive predictive value of 80%, with 88.9% sensitivity and 92.6% specificity. We suggest that viral load is a measure of the severity of CCHF. PMID- 17806045 TI - Clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with histoplasmosis: 2007 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. AB - Evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients with histoplasmosis were prepared by an Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. These updated guidelines replace the previous treatment guidelines published in 2000 (Clin Infect Dis 2000; 30:688-95). The guidelines are intended for use by health care providers who care for patients who either have these infections or may be at risk for them. Since 2000, several new antifungal agents have become available, and clinical trials and case series have increased our understanding of the management of histoplasmosis. Advances in immunosuppressive treatment for inflammatory disorders have created new questions about the approach to prevention and treatment of histoplasmosis. New information, based on publications from the period 1999-2006, are incorporated into this guideline document. In addition, the panel added recommendations for management of histoplasmosis in children for those aspects that differ from aspects in adults. PMID- 17806046 TI - Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in United States Navy recruits using the tuberculin skin test or whole-blood interferon-gamma release assays. AB - BACKGROUND: Military personnel are at risk for acquiring Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection because of activities in close quarters and in regions with a high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB). Accurate tests are needed to avoid unnecessary treatment because of false-positive results and to avoid TB because of false-negative results and failure to diagnose and treat M. tuberculosis infection. We sought to estimate the specificity of the tuberculin skin test (TST) and 2 whole-blood interferon-gamma release assays (QuantiFERON-TB assay [QFT] and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay [QFT-G]) and to identify factors associated with test discordance. METHODS: A cross-sectional comparison study was performed in which 856 US Navy recruits were tested for M. tuberculosis infection using the TST, QFT, and QFT-G. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, 5.1% of TSTs resulted in an induration > or = 10 mm, and 2.9% of TSTs resulted in an induration > or = 15 mm. Eleven percent of QFT results and 0.6% of QFT-G results were positive. Assuming recruits at low risk for M. tuberculosis exposure were not infected, estimates of TST specificity were 99.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98.3% 99.9%) when a 15-mm cutoff value was used and 98.4% (95% CI, 97.3%-99.4%) when a 10-mm cutoff value was used. The estimated QFT specificity was 92.3% (95% CI, 90.0%-94.5%), and the estimated QFT-G specificity was 99.8% (95% CI, 99.5%-100%). Recruits who were born in countries with a high prevalence of TB were 26-40 times more likely to have discordant results involving a positive TST result and a negative QFT-G result than were recruits born in countries with a low prevalence of TB. Nineteen (50%) of 38 recruits with this type of discordant results had a TST induration > or = 15 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The QFT-G and TST are more specific than the QFT. No statistically significant difference in specificity between the QFT-G and TST was found using a 15-mm induration cutoff value. The discordant results observed among recruits with increased risk of M. tuberculosis infection may have been because of lower TST specificity or lower QFT-G sensitivity. Negative QFT-G results for recruits born in countries where TB is highly prevalent and whose TST induration was > or = 15 mm suggest that the QFT-G may be less sensitive than the TST. Additional studies are needed to determine the risk of TB when TST and QFT-G results are discordant. PMID- 17806047 TI - Prospective comparison of the tuberculin skin test and 2 whole-blood interferon gamma release assays in persons with suspected tuberculosis. AB - BACKGROUND: Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are attractive alternatives to the tuberculin skin test (TST) for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. However, the inability to definitively confirm the presence of most M. tuberculosis infections hampers assessment of IGRA accuracy. Although IGRAs are primarily indicated for the detection of latent tuberculosis infection, we sought to determine the sensitivity of the TST and 2 whole-blood IGRAs (QuantiFERON-TB assay [QFT] and QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay [QFT-G]) in situations in which infection is confirmed by recovery of M. tuberculosis by culture. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional comparison study in which 148 persons suspected to have tuberculosis were tested simultaneously with the TST, QFT, and QFT-G. RESULTS: M. tuberculosis was cultured from samples from 69 (47%) of 148 persons suspected to have tuberculosis; the TST induration was > or = 5 mm for 51 (73.9%) of the 69 subjects (95% confidence interval [CI], 62.5% 82.8%). The QFT indicated tuberculosis infection for 48 (69.6%) of the 69 subjects (95% CI, 57.9%-79.2%) and was indeterminate for 7 (10.1%). The QFT-G yielded positive results for 46 (66.7%) of the 69 subjects (95% CI, 54.9%-76.7%) and indeterminate results for 9 subjects (13.0%). If subjects with indeterminate QFT-G results were excluded, 46 (76.7%) of 60 subjects (95% CI, 64.6%-85.6%) had positive TST results, and the same number of subjects had positive QFT-G results. HIV infection was associated with false-negative TST results but not with false negative QFT-G results. CONCLUSIONS: The TST, QFT, and QFT-G have similar sensitivity in persons with culture-confirmed infection. As with the TST, negative QFT and QFT-G results should not be used to exclude the diagnosis of tuberculosis in persons with suggestive signs or symptoms. PMID- 17806048 TI - Screening for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among high-risk patients and rates of subsequent bacteremia. AB - BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae have been associated with increased hospital costs, length of stay, and patient mortality. However, the role of routine inpatient surveillance for ESBL colonization in predicting related infection is unclear. METHODS: From 2000 through 2005, we screened 17,872 patients hospitalized in designated high-risk units for rectal colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae using a selective culture medium. In patients with a bloodstream infection due to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-BI) during the study period, surveillance results were evaluated for evidence of antecedent ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization. RESULTS: The rate of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization doubled during the 6-year study period, increasing from 1.33% of high-risk patients in 2000 to 3.21% in 2005. Among patients with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonization, 49.6% also carried vancomycin-resistant enterococci. The number of ESBL-BIs increased >4-fold in 5 years, from 9 cases in 2001 to 40 cases in 2005. Of 413 patients colonized with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, 35 (8.5%) developed a subsequent ESBL-BI. Of concern, more than one-half of all ESBL-BIs occurred in patients who were not screened. These 56 patients received a diagnosis of ESBL-BI in the emergency department, when hospitalized in low-risk medical units, or at transfer from an acute or long-term health care facility. CONCLUSIONS: Colonization with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae is increasing at a rapid rate, and routine rectal surveillance for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae may have clinical implications. However, in our experience, over one-half of patients with an ESBL-BI did not undergo screening through our current surveillance measures. As a result, targeted screening for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae among additional patient populations may be integral to future ESBL-BI prevention and management efforts. PMID- 17806049 TI - The epidemiology of invasive group A streptococcal infection and potential vaccine implications: United States, 2000-2004. AB - BACKGROUND: Invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. We report the current epidemiologic characteristics of invasive GAS infections and estimate the potential impact of a multivalent GAS vaccine. METHODS: From January 2000 through December 2004, we collected data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs), a population-based system operating at 10 US sites (2004 population, 29.7 million). We defined a case of invasive GAS disease as isolation of GAS from a normally sterile site or from a wound specimen obtained from a patient with necrotizing fasciitis or streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in a surveillance area resident. All available isolates were emm typed. We used US census data to calculate rates and to make age- and race-adjusted national projections. RESULTS: We identified 5400 cases of invasive GAS infection (3.5 cases per 100,000 persons), with 735 deaths (case-fatality rate, 13.7%). Case fatality rates for streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis were 36% and 24%, respectively. Incidences were highest among elderly persons (9.4 cases per 100,000 persons), infants (5.3 cases per 100,000 persons), and black persons (4.7 cases per 100,000 persons) and were stable over time. We estimate that 8950-11,500 cases of invasive GAS infection occur in the United States annually, resulting in 1050-1850 deaths. The emm types in a proposed 26 valent vaccine accounted for 79% of all cases and deaths. Independent factors associated with death include increasing age; having streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, meningitis, necrotizing fasciitis, pneumonia, or bacteremia; and having emm types 1, 3, or 12. CONCLUSIONS: GAS remains an important cause of severe disease in the United States. The introduction of a vaccine could significantly reduce morbidity and mortality due to these infections. PMID- 17806050 TI - Group A streptococcus epidemiology and vaccine implications. PMID- 17806051 TI - The role of Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum biovar 2 in postgonococcal urethritis. AB - BACKGROUND: There are few studies on coinfection with genital mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas in men with gonococcal urethritis (GU). The role of these species in postgonococcal urethritis (PGU) is poorly understood. Thus, we conducted a study to determine the prevalence of coinfection with genital mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas among men with GU and to assess the role of these pathogens in PGU. METHODS: Three hundred ninety men infected with culture-confirmed Neisseria gonorrhoeae participated in the study. Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum biovar 1, and Ureaplasma urealyticum biovar 2 in first-voided urine samples were detected by polymerase chain reaction-based assay at the patients' initial visits. PGU was judged to be present if the urethral smear was positive for polymorphonuclear leucocytes 7-14 days after treatment for gonorrhea. The association between each microorganism and PGU, measured by the odds ratio, was estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: C. trachomatis, M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. parvum biovar 1, and U. urealyticum biovar 2 were detected in 85 (21.8%), 16 (4.1%), 8 (2.1%), and 33 men (8.5%), respectively. In patients with chlamydia negative GU, coinfection with M. genitalium was associated with a 14.54-fold greater risk of PGU (95% confidence interval, 2.91-72.74), and coinfection with U. urealyticum biovar 2 was associated with a 3.64-fold greater risk of PGU (95% confidence interval, 1.24-10.63). CONCLUSIONS: Coinfection with M. genitalium or U. ureaplasma biovar 2 in men with GU was significantly associated with PGU, independent of C. trachomatis. Men with GU should be treated presumptively with antibiotics that are active against C. trachomatis, M. genitalium, and U. urealyticum biovar 2. PMID- 17806052 TI - Expanding the spectrum of pathogens in urethritis: implications for presumptive therapy? PMID- 17806053 TI - Herpes simplex encephalitis in Sweden, 1990-2001: incidence, morbidity, and mortality. AB - BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a devastating disease. METHODS: In Sweden, a nationwide retrospective study of the incidence, morbidity, and mortality associated with HSE during the 12-year period 1990-2001 was conducted. The national inpatient register data were used, and diagnostic data from the virus laboratories were validated. RESULTS: In the study period, 638 patients hospitalized in Sweden received a primary diagnosis of HSE. Of these, 236 patients had a confirmed infection of the central nervous system due to herpes simplex virus type 1. This corresponds to an incidence of confirmed HSE due to herpes simplex virus type 1 of 2.2 cases per million population per year. Of the survivors, 87% were readmitted to the hospital. The most frequent diagnosis at readmission was epilepsy, which was found in 49 patients (21% of the 236 total patients; 24% of 203 survivors), with a median onset 9.3 months after the diagnosis of HSE. This corresponds to a 60- to 90-fold increase in risk, compared with that for the general population. Neuropsychiatric sequelae were evident in 45 (22%) of 203 surviving patients. The incidence of venous thromboembolism, including pulmonary embolism, was 5-14 times higher than that in the general population. Among patients with HSE due to herpes simplex virus type 1, the 1 year mortality was 14% (33 of 236 patients died), which was 8 times higher than expected. CONCLUSIONS: This is, to our knowledge, the first study to report long term, nationwide follow-up data for patients with virologically confirmed HSE. There is considerable morbidity after HSE, with epilepsy being the most common diagnosis. This demonstrates the need for expanding our knowledge of the pathogenesis of HSE to direct more effective antiviral and antiinflammatory treatments. PMID- 17806054 TI - The incidence and severity of herpes simplex encephalitis in Sweden, 1990-2001. PMID- 17806055 TI - Micafungin versus caspofungin for treatment of candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. AB - BACKGROUND: Invasive candidiasis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with health care-associated infection. The echinocandins have potent fungicidal activity against most Candida species, but there are few data comparing the safety and efficacy of echinocandins in the treatment of invasive candidiasis. METHODS: This was an international, randomized, double-blind trial comparing micafungin (100 mg daily) and micafungin (150 mg daily) with a standard dosage of caspofungin (70 mg followed by 50 mg daily) in adults with candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. The primary end point was treatment success, defined as clinical and mycological success at the end of blinded intravenous therapy. RESULTS: A total of 595 patients were randomized to one the treatment groups and received at least 1 dose of study drug. In the modified intent-to-treat population, 191 patients were assigned to the micafungin 100 mg group, 199 to the micafungin 150 mg group, and 188 to the caspofungin group. Demographic characteristics and underlying disorders were comparable across the groups. Approximately 85% of patients had candidemia; the remainder had noncandidemic invasive candidiasis. At the end of blinded intravenous therapy, treatment was considered successful for 76.4% of patients in the micafungin 100 mg group, 71.4% in the micafungin 150 mg group, and 72.3% in the caspofungin group. The median time to culture negativity was 2 days in the micafungin 100 mg group and the caspofungin group, compared with 3 days in the micafungin 150 mg groups. There were no significant differences in mortality, relapsing and emergent infections, or adverse events between the study arms. CONCLUSIONS: Dosages of micafungin 100 mg daily and 150 mg daily were noninferior to a standard dosage of caspofungin for the treatment of candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. PMID- 17806056 TI - Evaluation of the nitrite and leukocyte esterase activity tests for the diagnosis of acute symptomatic urinary tract infection in men. AB - For 422 male patients with symptoms indicative of a urinary tract infection, nitrite and leukocyte esterase activity dipstick test results were compared with results of culture of urine samples. The positive predictive value of a positive nitrite test result was 96%. Addition of results of the leukocyte esterase test did not improve the diagnostic accuracy of the nitrite test. PMID- 17806057 TI - Candida krusei arthritis in a patient with hematologic malignancy: successful treatment with voriconazole. AB - Here, we report a case of disseminated Candida krusei infection in a patient who presented with arthritis. The infection was successfully treated with voriconazole after amphotericin B deoxycholate therapy had failed. PMID- 17806058 TI - A 60-year-old man with fever and a lung mass. PMID- 17806059 TI - Statistical analysis and application of quasi experiments to antimicrobial resistance intervention studies. AB - Quasi-experimental study designs are frequently used to assess interventions that aim to limit the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. However, previous studies using these designs have often used suboptimal statistical methods, which may result in researchers making spurious conclusions. Methods used to analyze quasi-experimental data include 2-group tests, regression analysis, and time-series analysis, and they all have specific assumptions, data requirements, strengths, and limitations. An example of a hospital-based intervention to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection rates and reduce overall length of stay is used to explore these methods. PMID- 17806060 TI - Pillbox organizers are associated with improved adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression: a marginal structural model analysis. AB - BACKGROUND: Pillbox organizers are inexpensive and easily used; however, their effect on adherence to antiretroviral medications is unknown. METHODS: Data were obtained from an observational cohort of 245 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected subjects who were observed from 1996 through 2000 in San Francisco, California. Adherence was the primary outcome and was measured using unannounced monthly pill counts. Plasma HIV RNA level was considered as a secondary outcome. Marginal structural models were used to estimate the effect of pillbox organizer use on adherence and viral suppression, adjusting for confounding by CD4+ T cell count, viral load, prior adherence, recreational drug use, demographic characteristics, and current and past treatment. RESULTS: Pillbox organizer use was estimated to improve adherence by 4.1%-4.5% and was associated with a decrease in viral load of 0.34-0.37 log10 copies/mL and a 14.2%-15.7% higher probability of achieving a viral load < or = 400 copies/mL (odds ratio, 1.8-1.9). All effect estimates were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Pillbox organizers appear to significantly improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy and to improve virologic suppression. We estimate that pillbox organizers may be associated with a cost of approximately $19,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. Pillbox organizers should be a standard intervention to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy. PMID- 17806061 TI - Simple, effective interventions are key to improving adherence in marginalized populations. PMID- 17806062 TI - Morbidity, mortality, and response to treatment by children in the United Kingdom and Ireland with perinatally acquired HIV infection during 1996-2006: planning for teenage and adult care. AB - BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that decreases in morbidity and mortality in cohorts of adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are showing signs of reversal. We describe changes over time in these characteristics and in the response to treatment among children in the United Kingdom and Ireland with perinatally acquired HIV infection, many of whom are now adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed prospective cohort data reported to the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC) and the Collaborative HIV Paediatric Study. RESULTS: By mid 2006, 1441 HIV-infected children were reported to NSHPC; 40% were > or = 10 years old at their most recent follow-up visit, and 34% were receiving care outside London. The proportion of children born abroad increased from 24% during 1994-1996 to 64% during 2003-2006. The percentage of total child time during which children received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) increased from 36% during 1997-1999 to 61% during 2000-2002 and 63% during 2003 2006. Of children who were naive to antiretroviral therapy at the start of HAART, the percentage with an HIV-1 RNA load of < 400 copies/mL after 12 months increased from 52% during 1997-1999 to 79% during 2003-2006. In multivariate analysis, only calendar time predicted virological response, whereas both younger age and lower CD4 cell percentage at HAART initiation predicted increases of > 10% in the CD4 cell percentage. A total of 31% of children aged 5-14 years and 38% aged > or = 15 years at their most recent follow-up visit had been exposed to drugs from each of the 3 main HAART classes. The rate of AIDS and mortality combined decreased from 13.3 cases per 100 person-years before 1997 to 3.1 and 2.5 cases per 100 person-years, respectively, during 2000-2002 and 2003-2006; rates of hospital admission also declined during this interval. Of 18 children known to have died since 2003, 9 died within 1 month after presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and mortality rates among HIV-infected children continue to decrease over time. Because these children are increasingly dispersed outside London, specialist care is now provided in national clinical networks. Transition pathways to adolescent and adult services and long-term observation to monitor the effects of prolonged exposure to both HIV and HAART are required. PMID- 17806063 TI - Oral lesions as clinical markers of highly active antiretroviral therapy failure: a nested case-control study in Mexico City. AB - BACKGROUND: Clinical markers that may predict virological failure during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have not been evaluated adequately. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related oral lesions as clinical predictors of virological failure in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted within a cohort of 1134 HIV-infected patients receiving HAART who attended the AIDS Clinic of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran in Mexico City during the period 1997-2005. Case patients were patients who, after achieving an undetectable viral load, had at least 1 viral load determination > or = 2000 copies/mL while receiving treatment. Control subjects were patients who, after achieving an undetectable viral load, continued to have undetectable viral loads during the follow-up period. There were 2-3 control subjects for each case patient, matched according to duration of follow-up. Oral examinations were blinded to viral loads and CD4+ lymphocyte counts. Analyses were performed with multivariate conditional logistic regression models, and associations were shown as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Positive predictive values were calculated. RESULTS: The target cohort consisted of 431 HIV-infected individuals; 47 case patients and 132 control subjects underwent complete oral examinations and formed the basis of the analysis. At the visit at which an undetectable viral load was determined, case patients and control subjects showed a similar frequency of HIV-related oral lesions (21.3% vs. 17.4%) (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.57-3.38; P=.47). At the visit at which virological failure was determined, case patients showed a higher risk for HIV-related oral lesions (OR, 14.5; 95% CI, 4.21-49.94; P<.001) and oral candidosis (OR, 26.2; 95% CI, 3.34-205.9; P<.001) than did control subjects. The positive predictive value of HIV-related oral lesions and oral candidosis to identify patients who experienced virological failure while receiving HAART was 80% and 83%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-related oral lesions and, specifically, oral candidosis may be considered to be clinical markers of virological failure in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART. PMID- 17806064 TI - Outcomes of dosage adjustments used to manage antiretroviral drug interactions. AB - Dosage adjustments are often used to manage HIV drug interactions, but little is known about their clinical significance. We examined patients from the Ontario HIV Cohort Study to assess the effects of dosage adjustments on plasma viral load. A significant reduction (0.67 log10 copies/mL) in viral load was associated with adjustments to manage efavirenz-based interactions (95% confidence interval, -1.33 to -0.01) but was not observed after adjustments to manage rifabutin-based (difference in viral load, 0.03 log10 copies/mL; 95% confidence interval, -0.71 to 0.77) or nevirapine-based interactions (difference in viral load, 0.09 log10 copies/mL; 95% confidence interval, -0.83 to 1.01). PMID- 17806066 TI - Is the severity of mumps related to the number of doses of mumps-containing vaccine? PMID- 17806067 TI - Please, do not forget Pasteurella multocida. PMID- 17806068 TI - Bovine lymphocyte counts key to disease recognition and control. PMID- 17806069 TI - Alkaline phosphatase: beyond the liver. AB - The alkaline phosphatases comprise a heterogeneous group of enzymes that are widely distributed in mammalian cells. They often are associated with cell membranes, but their exact physiologic function is unknown. Despite this, alkaline phosphatase activity is a very useful serum biochemical indicator of liver disease, particularly cholestatic disease. However, increases in the activity of alkaline phosphatase in serum and other body fluids may reflect physiologic or pathologic changes beyond those of hepatic origin. For example, nonhepatic increases in serum alkaline phosphatase activity are found in young animals, in pregnant and lactating females, and in association with high fat diets. Bone disease, endocrine disease, neoplasia, and other disorders can result in increased alkaline phosphatase activity. In addition, alkaline phosphatase activity may be increased due to induction by certain drugs such as glucocorticoids and anticonvulsants. In this article, we will review the physiologic and pathologic factors influencing the activity of alkaline phosphatase in serum and other body fluids, with an emphasis on disorders beyond liver disease. PMID- 17806070 TI - Serial blood lactate concentrations in systemically ill dogs. AB - BACKGROUND: Lactate concentration often is quantified in systemically ill dogs and interpreted based on human data. To our knowledge, there are no published clinical studies evaluating serial lactate concentrations as a prognostic indicator in ill dogs. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to perform a prospective study, using multivariate analysis, to determine whether serial lactate concentrations were associated with outcome in ill dogs requiring intravenous fluids. METHODS: Eighty sick dogs had lactate concentrations evaluated, using an analyzer that measures lactate in the plasma fraction of heparinized whole blood, at 0 hours and 6 hours after initiation of treatment. Severity of illness and outcome (survivor, nonsurvivor) were determined by reviewing the patient's record 2 weeks after admission. Lactate concentrations, age, body weight, gender, and severity of illness were evaluated using multivariate analysis to determine their effects on outcome. RESULTS: Dogs with lactate concentrations greater than the reference interval at 6 hours were 16 times (95% confidence interval = 2.32 112.71 times, P <.01) more likely not to survive compared to dogs with lactate concentrations within the reference interval. Lactate concentrations above the reference interval at 0 hours were not significantly related to outcome. However, hyperlactatemia that did not improve by > or = 50% within 6 hours was significantly associated with mortality (P = .024). CONCLUSION: Dogs with a lactate concentration higher than the reference interval at 6 hours were more likely not to survive. These results indicate an association between lactate concentration and outcome and emphasize the importance of serial lactate concentrations in evaluating prognosis. PMID- 17806071 TI - Comparison of a semiquantitative point-of-care assay for the detection of canine microalbuminuria with routine semiquantitative methods for proteinuria. AB - BACKGROUND: It has been speculated that renal disease can be identified through the detection and quantification of microalbuminuria, however, reliable measurement of albuminuria in any quantity can be challenging. Recently, a new point-of-care immunoassay was validated for the specific detection of microalbuminuria and early renal disease in dogs. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine if measurement of microalbuminuria by the point-of-care immunoassay correlated with results from routine semiquantitative methods for detecting proteinuria in dogs. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-eight urine samples, from 133 different dogs, submitted for urinalysis to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory at the University of Missouri-Columbia Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital were eligible for the study. Samples that contained >20 RBC/high power field (hpf) or >20 WBC/hpf were excluded, as were samples with insufficient volume to complete all tests. All samples were evaluated with a urinary dipstick with or without a sulfosalicylic acid turbidimetric test, a urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio, and the immunoassay for microalbuminuria. Data were analyzed by the Spearman rank order correlation. RESULTS: Microalbuminuria results correlated significantly with those of the dipstick (r = 0.715), sulfosalicylic acid test (r = 0.742), and UPC ratio (r = 0.830). Correlation between the immunoassay and UPC ratio was the same (r = 0.830) when only samples with trace or 1+ proteinuria by dipstick were analyzed (n = 51). CONCLUSIONS: The point-of-care immunoassay results for microalbuminuria correlated with the results of semiquantitative methods for detecting total proteinuria in dogs. Routine methods for canine proteinuria appear to be adequate for determining whether further testing for renal disease is warranted. PMID- 17806072 TI - Effectiveness of a computer-based tutorial for teaching how to make a blood smear. AB - BACKGROUND: Computer-aided instruction (CAI) was developed to teach veterinary students how to make blood smears. This instruction was intended to replace the traditional instructional method in order to promote efficient use of faculty resources while maintaining learning outcomes and student satisfaction. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a computer aided blood smear tutorial on 1) instructor's teaching time, 2) students' ability to make blood smears, and 3) students' ability to recognize smear quality. METHODS: Three laboratory sessions for senior veterinary students were taught using traditional methods (control group) and 4 sessions were taught using the CAI tutorial (experimental group). Students in the control group received a short demonstration and lecture by the instructor at the beginning of the laboratory and then practiced making blood smears. Students in the experimental group received their instruction through the self-paced, multimedia tutorial on a laptop computer and then practiced making blood smears. Data was collected from observation, interview, survey questionnaires, and smear evaluation by students and experts using a scoring rubric. RESULTS: Students using the CAI made better smears and were better able to recognize smear quality. The average time the instructor spent in the room was not significantly different between groups, but the quality of the instructor time was improved with the experimental instruction. CONCLUSIONS: The tutorial implementation effectively provided students and instructors with a teaching and learning experience superior to the traditional method of instruction. Using CAI is a viable method of teaching students to make blood smears. PMID- 17806073 TI - Plasma interleukin-6 response is predictive for severity and mortality in canine systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis. AB - BACKGROUND: Sepsis is still a major cause of death in both human and veterinary medicine. Early diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment. Identification of patients at risk for developing sepsis is already possible in human medicine through the measurement of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. In veterinary medicine, however, this has been investigated only in canine experimental models. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure IL-6 plasma levels in dogs with naturally occurring systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis and to analyze the value of IL-6 as a predictive parameter for severity and mortality. METHODS: Included in the study were 79 dogs that had been admitted to the small animal clinics of Munich and Berlin from July 2004 to July 2005 and that satisfied the diagnostic criteria for SIRS and sepsis as defined using established parameters. Measurement of plasma IL-6 levels on days 0, 1, and 2 was performed by the use of a colorimetric bioassay based on IL-6-dependent cell growth. RESULTS: Septic foci were identified in 43 patients (septic group), and 36 patients were enrolled in the SIRS group. The frequency of positive blood cultures was 11%. The overall mortality rate was 48%. Higher plasma IL-6 levels on the day of admission were significantly correlated with a more severe degree of disease, increased mortality rate, and earlier fatality. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma IL-6 concentration is predictive of outcome in canine SIRS and sepsis and may be a valuable laboratory parameter for assessing critically ill dogs. PMID- 17806074 TI - Evaluation of the Accutrend for lactate measurement in dogs. AB - BACKGROUND: Lactate concentrations are increasingly quantified in dogs using point-of-care instruments, but often without canine-specific method evaluation and instrument-specific reference intervals. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the precision of the Accutrend (Roche Diagnostics) for lactate determination in dogs, 2) determine the accuracy of the Accutrend using the Rapidlab 865 (Bayer Diagnostics) as the reference method, and 3) establish and compare reference intervals for lactate concentration in clinically healthy dogs for both instruments. METHODS: Precision was evaluated using low and high control materials, and variable (1 drop) and fixed (25 microL) sample volumes. Accuracy was determined by comparing lactate concentrations obtained with the Accutrend with those from the Rapidlab 865 in 273 heparinized canine jugular venous blood samples from 100 clinically healthy dogs and 107 systemically ill dogs (173 samples). Lactate reference intervals were established for both analyzers using data from the 100 clinically healthy dogs. RESULTS: The precision of the Accutrend was good (coefficients of variation, < or = 5.3%) for 25-microL samples but not when a drop was used. Lactate concentrations obtained on the Accutrend correlated poorly with those from the Rapidlab 865 (r = 0.864, mean bias = 0.66 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.57-0.76 with 95% limits of agreement = -0.87 (lower limit, 95% CI = -1.03 to -0.71) and 2.20 (upper limit, 95% CI = 2.04 to 2.36). The reference interval for canine lactate concentration on the Accutrend was 1.2-3.1 mmol/L compared with 0.46-2.31 mmol/L on the Rapidlab. CONCLUSION: Although precision was good with fixed sample volumes, blood lactate concentrations obtained on the Accutrend were significantly different than those on the Rapidlab 865, with systematic and random errors resulting in a positive bias. Further evaluation of the Accutrend is required before its use in dogs can be recommended. PMID- 17806075 TI - Platelet function in dogs: breed differences and effect of acetylsalicylic acid administration. AB - BACKGROUND: Clinical studies investigating platelet function in dogs have had conflicting results that may be caused by normal physiologic variation in platelet response to agonists. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate platelet function in clinically healthy dogs of 4 different breeds by whole-blood aggregometry and with a point-of-care platelet function analyzer (PFA 100), and to evaluate the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) administration on the results from both methods. METHODS: Forty-five clinically healthy dogs (12 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels [CKCS], 12 Cairn Terriers, 10 Boxers, and 11 Labrador Retrievers) were included in the study. Platelet function was assessed by whole-blood aggregation with ADP (1, 5, 10, and 20 microM) as agonist and by PFA-100 using collagen and epinephrine (Col + Epi) and Col + ADP as agonists. Plasma thromboxane B(2) concentration was determined by an enzyme immunoassay. To investigate the effect of ASA, 10 dogs were dosed daily (75 or 250 mg ASA orally) for 4 consecutive days. RESULTS: A higher platelet aggregation response was found in CKCS compared to the other breeds. Longer PFA-100 closure time (Col + Epi) was found in Cairn Terriers compared to Boxers. Plasma thromboxane B(2) concentration was not statistically different between groups. Administration of ASA prolonged the PFA-100 closure times, using Col + Epi (but not Col + ADP) as agonists. Furthermore, ASA resulted in a decrease in whole-blood platelet aggregation. CONCLUSIONS: Platelet function is influenced by breed, depending upon the methodology applied. However, the importance of these breed differences remains to be investigated. The PFA-100 method with Col + Epi as agonists, and ADP induced platelet aggregation appear to be sensitive to ASA in dogs. PMID- 17806076 TI - Hematologic values in young pretraining healthy Greyhounds. AB - BACKGROUND: Greyhound dogs have numerous clinicopathologic differences compared with other dog breeds, most notably in their hematologic profiles. The hematologic differences are likely related to breed; however, the influence of other factors, including age, sex, and training, has not been fully determined. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess hematologic values in young, healthy, pretraining Greyhounds and to determine the effects of age and sex on these findings. METHODS: Jugular venous EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples were collected from 43 healthy, pretraining Greyhounds between 5 and 13 months of age. Samples were analyzed within 24 hours of collection on an Abbott CELL-DYN 3500R hematology analyzer. Mean hematologic results for different age groups, and correlation with age and sex were determined for each analyte. Results were compared with adult canine, nonbreed-specific reference intervals. RESULTS: From the age of 9 to 10 months, Greyhounds had higher HCT, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC counts compared with adult canine reference intervals. Younger Greyhounds (5-6 months) had values comparable with reference intervals. Mean total WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts tended to be toward the lower end or below the reference intervals. HCT, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC counts were correlated positively with age, and platelet count was correlated negatively with age. No differences were found based on sex. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm that significant hematologic differences exist in pretraining Greyhounds by 9 to 10 months of age, when compared with adult canine, nonbreed-specific reference intervals; however, these differences are less marked in Greyhounds 5 to 6 months old. Given these findings, it is unlikely that factors such as training or racing are responsible for differences in hematologic values between adult Greyhounds and other breeds. PMID- 17806077 TI - Preanalytical factors affecting blood inorganic phosphate concentration in dairy cows. AB - BACKGROUND: Hypophosphatemia is a condition that affects feed intake and milk production in dairy cows, and, to assess it, a precise biological parameter is needed. Plasma inorganic phosphate (Pi) can be used as a potential indicator of bioavailability of feed phosphorus in dairy cows. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of sample type (serum vs. plasma), blood sampling site (jugular vs. coccygeal), and morning feeding on blood Pi concentration in dairy cows. METHODS: Blood samples from 28 clinically healthy multiparous Holstein cows were analyzed for Pi concentration. The animals were sampled twice by coccygeal vessel into Vacutainer tubes both with and without sodium heparin, 3 hours after the morning feeding. In 4 additional cows, the concentration of Pi was measured in blood samples obtained simultaneously by jugular and coccygeal venipuncture into heparinized tubes before the morning feeding and 2, 4, and 6 hours after the feeding. The results were analyzed using parametric statistical tests. RESULTS: Serum and plasma concentrations of Pi were correlated (r(2) = 0.999, P < .0001), but serum Pi concentration was higher than plasma Pi (P < .02). Plasma Pi concentration 2 hours after feeding tended to be higher than that before feeding in jugular samples, but the difference was not significant. There was no significant variation in plasma Pi during the morning postfeeding times, although jugular concentrations were 19% lower than coccygeal (P = .04). CONCLUSION: To increase the precision of plasma Pi measurements as an indicator of bioavailability of feed phosphorus, sample type, sampling time, and site must be taken into account, to correctly interpret plasma Pi concentrations. PMID- 17806078 TI - Measurement of myelin basic protein in the cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with degenerative myelopathy. AB - BACKGROUND: Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is part of a routine clinical workup in veterinary patients when neurologic disease is suspected. However, knowledge of particular protein markers of disease in CSF is limited. The concentration of myelin basic protein (MBP) in CSF is used as a biochemical marker in humans to evaluate demyelinating lesions in the central nervous system (CNS). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate an ELISA for determination of MBP concentration in the CSF of German shepherd dogs with degenerative myelopathy (GSDM). METHODS: Cross-reactivity of the anti-human polyclonal antibody used in a commercial ELISA (Active MBP ELISA, Diagnostic Systems Laboratories Inc, Webster, TX, USA) was tested with canine MBP by immunoblotting. CSF samples were collected from both the cisterna magna and the lumbar cistern of 8 clinically healthy control dogs and 8 German shepherd dogs clinically diagnosed with GSDM. MBP concentrations were measured in all CSF samples using the ELISA. RESULTS: The mean MBP concentration in CSF from the lumbar cistern of dogs with GSDM (3.13 -/+ 0.46 ng/mL) was significantly higher than that in the cisterna magna (0.70 -/+ 0.06 ng/mL) and from both cisternal (0.47 -/+ 0.07 ng/mL) and lumbar (0.94 -/+ 0.37 ng/mL) samples from control dogs. CONCLUSION: The MBP ELISA has potential as a supplemental test of CSF to diagnose demyelinating disorders in dogs. PMID- 17806079 TI - Comparison of results from the semiautomated serum bone alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme assay with the periosteal alkaline phosphatase assay for use in rat models. AB - BACKGROUND: Assessment of bone formation activity is an important component of pharmacologic efficacy and toxicity evaluations for compounds in development for osteoporosis therapies. Antemortem biomarkers of bone formation and remodeling in rodents are uncommon. While the periosteal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay is a postmortem and laborious means of testing bone-building activity, the semiautomated ALP isoenzyme assay is an antemortem assay that is performed on an automated chemistry analyzer after 2 simple dilutions of the initial serum sample and a short incubation. OBJECTIVES: The goal of our investigation was to determine if the serum bone ALP (BALP) data obtained from the semiautomated ALP isoenzyme assay had a similar pattern of response when compared with the periosteal ALP (PALP) assay for use in pharmacologic screening in rats. METHODS: Serum and bone tissue samples were obtained from orchidectomized Wistar rats, a model of clinically induced osteoporosis. Subsequent bone formation was initiated via treatment with one of several compounds. In study 1, orchidectomized male rats were given either vehicle, dihydrotestosterone or a testosterone derivative subcutaneously every 4 days for 28 days. In study 2, orchidectomized male rats were given either vehicle or compounds A, B, or C by oral gavage daily for 15 days. Blood and tibias were collected at necropsy. Serum was analyzed for BALP activity using a semiautomated ALP assay. Tibias from the same rats were analyzed for PALP activity. RESULTS: Serum BALP activity paralleled PALP activity within each group when compared with the controls. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the semiautomated serum BALP isoenzyme assay may be used as a biomarker of bone building potential in rat models of osteoporosis. This assay affords many advantages to investigators of musculoskeletal diseases, including the potential to measure multiple data points in a single study. PMID- 17806080 TI - CD34+, CD41+ acute megakaryoblastic leukemia in a dog. AB - A clinically normal, 5-year-old intact female German Shepherd dog was presented to the local veterinarian to be spayed. Results of a preoperative CBC included mild nonregenerative anemia, severe thrombocytopenia, and 17% unclassified cells. On cytologic examination of aspirates from the dog's enlarged spleen and peripheral lymph nodes, a population of primitive round cells that occasionally resembled megakaryocytes was observed. A bone marrow aspirate specimen was markedly hypercellular with approximately 65% of marrow cells comprising a homogeneous population of immature hematopoietic cells similar to those found in the spleen, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood. Using immunocytochemical stains with canine-specific antibodies, all neoplastic cells strongly expressed cytoplasmic CD41 and 20-70% of the neoplastic cells expressed CD34 weakly to moderately. Rare (<0.5%) neoplastic cells weakly expressed vWF. The cells were negative for all other markers. Based on these results and the morphology of the neoplastic cells, a diagnosis of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMegL) was made. In spite of treatment, results of a CBC performed 1 week later indicated progressive anemia and thrombocytopenia, and the dog was euthanized. To our knowledge, this report documents the first case of canine AMegL diagnosed with both anti-canine CD34 and CD41 antibodies. PMID- 17806081 TI - Phagocytic plasmacytoma in a dog. AB - A 4-year-old neutered male Golden Retriever was presented to the oncology service of the North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for staging of a histiocytic sarcoma of the left forelimb, diagnosed on the basis of biopsies submitted by the referring veterinarian. Cytologic assessment of aspirates of 2 splenic nodules identified on ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen revealed a highly phagocytic population of neoplastic round cells morphologically suggestive of plasma cells. Histologic assessment of the forelimb mass after amputation of the limb revealed a neoplastic round cell population demonstrating extensive cytophagia and erythrophagia. Immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor population revealed it to be negative for BLA.36 with sporadic positivity for lysozyme and CD79a. Immunofluorescent evaluation revealed weak tumor cell positivity for immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgM, but extensive strong positivity for IgG, confirming the plasma cell origin of the tumor. Although extensive phagocytic activity may strongly suggest histiocytic origin, plasma cell origin must also be considered among the differential diagnoses for phagocytic round cell tumors. PMID- 17806082 TI - Malignant melanoma in a zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata): cytologic, histologic, and ultrastructural characteristics. AB - An approximately 3-year-old adult male zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. The large darkly pigmented tumor was located in the coelom, extended from the apex of the heart to the cloaca, and was adherent to the intestines and the ventriculus. Dark small masses (likely metastases) were observed in the lungs. Cytologically, the neoplasm consisted mainly of round to oval cells with brown or pale blue to blue-brown pigment. Lesser numbers of cells were stellate to dendritic with abundant amounts of brown pigment granules or were markedly pleomorphic with variable amounts of pigment. Histologically, the tumor consisted of dense sheets and aggregates of infiltrative melanocytes that were negative for S-100 and Melan A. A few cells were consistent with "signet-ring" melanocytes. Melanocytes examined by electron microscopy contained typical structures, mainly premelanosomes and melanosomes, of this cell type. However, melanocytes with marked pleomorphism also contained intracytoplasmic aggregates of filaments, consistent with previously reported ultrastructural findings in signet-ring or rhabdoid melanoma of nonavian species. PMID- 17806083 TI - What is your diagnosis? Coelomic mass in a rock dove (Columba livia). AB - A 15-year-old domestic rock dove (Columbia livia) was presented to the Service de Medecine Zoologique of the Universite de Montreal with a 10-day history of lethargy and chronic weight loss of 1-year duration. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the coelomic cavity revealed the presence of effusion and a well-defined mass containing variably sized hypoechoic nodules of unknown origin. Cytologic evaluation of fine-needle aspirates of the mass indicated a malignant epithelial tumor consisting of round cells arranged individually and in clusters, with large nuclei, prominent nucleoli, moderate anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, atypical mitoses, occasional binucleation and multinucleation, and large numbers of ruptured cells. A diagnosis of seminoma was established on histologic sections obtained at necropsy. The cytologic features of this tumor were similar to those of canine seminomas except for the presence of lymphocytes, which were not observed in significant numbers in cytologic smears or histologic sections. Seminoma should be included in the differential diagnosis for a space-occupying mass causing organ displacement within the coelomic cavity of a male bird. PMID- 17806084 TI - Pelger-Huet anomaly in an Arabian horse. AB - A 9-year-old Arabian mare was evaluated for a 7-day history of malaise. Results of a CBC included a leukocyte concentration within the reference interval (8.4 x 10(3)/microL, reference interval 6.0-14.0 x 10(3)/microL) with an apparent degenerative left shift (segmented neutrophils 1.2 x 10(3)/microL, reference interval 2.5-7.5 x 10(3)/microL; hyposegmented neutrophils 1.8 x 10(3)/microL, reference interval 0.0-0.2 x 10(3)/microL). Serum clinical chemistry results included increased aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma glutamyltransferase activities. A presumptive diagnosis of hepatitis or cholangiohepatitis was made. The horse was treated with antimicrobials and the malaise quickly resolved. However, in a recheck CBC on day 13, the apparent degenerative left shift remained. Further evaluation of the blood smear revealed many hyposegmented granulocytes with coarse mature chromatin and normal cytoplasmic features. On the basis of the microscopic examination, the horse was diagnosed with Pelger-Huet anomaly. The patient's offspring was subsequently also diagnosed with Pelger-Huet anomaly on the basis of blood film examination. Neutrophil, eosinophil, and basophil mean nuclear scores in both affected horses (mare, range 1.5-2.6; offspring, range 1.6-3.2) were lower than those in 2 unrelated Arabian horses (range, 2.8-5.0) and 5 non-Arabian control horses (range, 2.8-5.0). Results of immunophenotyping and phagocytosis/oxidative burst assays via flow cytometry showed no difference in the expression of myeloid specific or adhesion molecules or in neutrophil function between affected and control horses. This is the second known report of equine Pelger-Huet anomaly, both of which affected Arabian horses. PMID- 17806085 TI - Analyses of intricate kinetics of the serum proteome during and after colon surgery by protein expression time series. AB - Monitoring changes in serum protein expression in response to acute events such as trauma, infection or drug intervention may reveal key proteins of great value in predicting recovery or treatment response. Concerted actions of many proteins are expected. Proteins sharing similar expression changes may function in the same physiological process. As a model we analyzed expression changes in serum of colon cancer patients, before, during, and after laparoscopic colon resection. Eight samples were taken from each of four patients before, during, and up to 5 days after surgery. Total serum and a low molecular weight fraction were analyzed by SELDI-TOF-MS. In total 146 masses were detected. A principal components analysis (PCA) illustrates the temporal variation in the postsurgery proteome. Time series for each mass could be clustered into four distinct groups based on similarity in expression pattern. Two masses of 11.4 and 11.6 kDa, part of a slow response cluster, were identified as forms of the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA). Fourteen more proteins belong to this cluster and may also function in acute phase response. We present an approach to analyze temporal variation in the proteome. This approach may be useful to evaluate surgical, nutritional, and pharmacological interventions. PMID- 17806087 TI - Excess indium and substrate effects on the growth of InAs nanowires. PMID- 17806088 TI - Separation of metallic and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes via covalent functionalization. PMID- 17806089 TI - Overcoming the inadequacies or limitations of experimental structures as drug targets by using computational modeling tools and molecular dynamics simulations. AB - X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and cryoelectron microscopy stand out as powerful tools that enable us to obtain atomic detail about biomolecules that can be potentially targeted by drugs. This knowledge is essential if virtual screening or structure-based ligand-design methods are going to be used in drug discovery. However, the macromolecule of interest is not always amenable to these types of experiment or, as is often the case, the conformation found experimentally cannot be used directly for docking studies because of significant changes between apo and bound forms. Furthermore, sometimes the desired insight into the binding mechanism cannot be gained because the structure of the ligand receptor complex, not having been time-resolved, represents the endpoint of the binding process and therefore retains little or no information about the intermediate stages that led to its creation. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are routinely applied these days to the study of biomolecular systems with the aims of sampling configuration space more efficiently and getting a better understanding of the factors that determine structural stability and relevant biophysical and biochemical processes such as protein folding, ligand binding, and enzymatic reactions. This field has matured significantly in recent years, and strategies have been devised (for example activated, steered, or targeted MD) that allow the calculated trajectories to be biased in attempts to properly shape a ligand binding pocket or simulate large-scale motions involving one or more protein domains. On the other hand, low-frequency motions can be simulated quite inexpensively by calculation of normal modes which allow the investigation of alternative receptor conformations. Selected examples in which these methods have been applied to several medicinal chemistry and in silico pharmacology endeavors are presented. PMID- 17806090 TI - Chiral memory: induction, amplification, and switching in porphyrin assemblies. AB - The interaction between the tetra-anionic porphyrin H2TPPS and its copper derivative, CuTPPS, with the tetra-cationic porphyrin H2T4 and its copper derivative, CuT4, leads, in aqueous solution, to the formation of remarkably stable and kinetically inert heteroaggregates. The aggregation process is under hierarchic control and, in the presence of a suitable chiral mold, leads to the formation of chiral porphyrin heteroassemblies as stable and inert as the achiral ones. Because of these properties, the chirality of the porphyrin "imprinted" heteroaggregates not only survives the disruption of the template, but also to its complete removal from the solution. Notably, the template-free chiral porphyrin system is an excellent mold for its own self-replication. The relevant characteristics of these chiral heteroaggregates together with the knowledge of the forces that guide the aggregation processes permitted us to design a new but similar system. This system not only is able to store chiral information, but also is capable to release and restore it reversibly, in a cyclic manner. This has been achieved by modulating the charges carried by one of the two coupled porphyrins through protonation under various pH conditions. The role of the central metal ion and the template-free chiral structure of the CuT4-H2TPPS heteroaggregate, determined through EDXD analysis, are also presented. PMID- 17806091 TI - Chirality sensing of fullerenes using cyclic hosts having a chiral N-substituted porphyrin: a remote substituent effect. AB - Cyclic host molecules 1 2H and 2 2H, having a chiral N-methylporphyrin unit, include C76 in their asymmetrically distorted pi-electronic cavity and are capable of spectral discrimination of the enantiomers of C76 by means of 1H NMR. Although the only structural difference between 1 2H and 2 2H is in the para substituents R on their meso-phenyl groups, the association constant of C76 with 1 2H is more than twice as large as that with 2 2H. The Delta H values for the association of C76 with these hosts are hardly different from one another, but a rather big difference exists in their DeltaS values (1 2H, -17.7 +/- 0.7 J mol( 1); 2 2H, -26.3 +/- 1.0 J mol(-1)). The difference in DeltaS is most likely due to a steric effect of the substituents on the conformational freedom of the hexamethylene linkers. Although the R groups are topologically remote from the binding site, they also affect the resolution of the diastereoisomerically split N-Me signals in the 1H NMR spectra of the hosts upon inclusion of C76. PMID- 17806092 TI - Ferrocene conjugates of chloroquine and other antimalarials: the development of ferroquine, a new antimalarial. PMID- 17806093 TI - Enantioselective synthesis of the complex rocaglate (-)-silvestrol. PMID- 17806094 TI - Borylene metathesis through [2+2] cycloaddition. PMID- 17806095 TI - Light-up Hoechst-DNA aptamer pair: generation of an aptamer-selective fluorophore from a conventional DNA-staining dye. AB - We have designed a strategy to generate a light-up fluorophore-aptamer pair based on a down-modification of a conventional DNA-staining dye to suppress its affinity to the original dsDNA targets, followed by reselection of aptamers that would bind to the modified dye. Following this line, we prepared a micropolarity sensitive Hoechst derivative possessing two tBu groups with low affinity to the usual AT-rich dsDNA targets. DNA aptamers selected in vitro from a random pool worked as triggers to enhance the fluorescence of an otherwise nonfluorescent Hoechst derivative, and the shortened 25-mer sequence showed remarkable enhancement (light-up). The 25-mer sequence was split into binary aptamer probes, thus enabling us to detect a target nucleic acid sequence with a single nucleotide resolution by use of unmodified DNA as a probe. PMID- 17806098 TI - Biodegradation of fuel oil hydrocarbons by a mixed bacterial consortium in sandy and loamy soils. AB - The aerobic degradation of light fuel oil in sandy and loamy soils by an environmental bacterial consortium was investigated. Soils were spiked with 1 or 0.1% of oil per dry weight of soil. Acetone extracts of dried soils were analyzed by GC and the overall degradation was calculated by comparison with hydrocarbon recovery from uninoculated soils. In sandy soils, the sum of alkanes n-C(12) to n C(23) was degraded to about 45% within 6 days at 20 degrees C and to 27-31% within 28 days, provided that moisture and nutrients were replenished. Degradation in loamy soil was about 12% lower. The distribution of recovered alkanes suggested a preferential degradation of shorter chain molecules (n-C(12) to n-C(16)) by the bacterial consortium. Partial 16S rDNA sequences indicated the presence of strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas citronellolis, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Toxicity tests using commercial standard procedures showed a moderate inhibition of bacterial activity. The study showed the applicability of a natural microbial community for the degradation of oil spills into soils at ambient temperatures. PMID- 17806099 TI - Precursor-directed biosynthesis of stilbene methyl ethers in Escherichia coli. AB - Stilbenes are bioactive compounds that show beneficial effects for humans, such as anti-tumor activity and survival improvement. Resveratrol, a representative of stilbenes and showing various health-improving activities, is rapidly metabolized in humans, and modified resveratrols are therefore desired as anti-cancer drugs and dietary polyphenols. An Escherichia coli system, in which an artificial stilbene biosynthetic pathway, including steps of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, 4 coumarate:CoA ligase, and stilbene synthase, was reconstructed, produced stilbenes in high yields: resveratrol from tyrosine and pinosylvin from phenylalanine. To incorporate a stilbene methyltransferase gene into this E. coli system, cDNA of Os08g06100 in Oryza sativa was expressed and its O-methylating activity toward stilbenes was confirmed. Incorporation of the pinosylvin methyltransferase (OsPMT) gene into the pathway established in E. coli led to production of mono- and di-methylated stilbenes. Furthermore, the OsPMT gene turned out to be useful in production of unnatural stilbene methyl ethers due to its rather relaxed substrate specificity; various carboxylic acids supplemented as precursors, such as p-fluorocinnamic acid, 3-(2-furyl)acrylic acid, 3-(2 thienyl)acrylic acid, and 3-(3-pyridyl)acrylic acid, to the E. coli system carrying the steps of 4-coumarate:CoA ligase, stilbene synthase, and OsPMT were converted to stilbene dimethyl ethers with the corresponding carboxylic moiety. PMID- 17806100 TI - Biosynthesis of 5-deoxyflavanones in microorganisms. AB - Flavanones are the common precursors of plant polyphenolic compounds collectively known as flavonoids. Leguminous plants have evolved a distinct class of flavanone molecules, known as 5-deoxyflavanones that play important roles in their symbiotic interactions. A four-step metabolic circuit was constructed in Escherichia coli with plant genes from heterologous origins: 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase from Petroselinum crispum, chalcone synthases (CHS) from Medicago sativa and Petunia x hybrida and chalcone reductase and chalcone isomerase from M. sativa. Evaluation of the different recombinant strains in shake flask experiments demonstrated that P. hybrida rather than M. sativa CHS resulted in the highest liquiritigenin production levels in glucose minimal medium, starting from precursor p-coumaric acid. Expression of the same recombinant pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in the accumulation of both 5-hydroxyflavanone and 5-deoxyflavanone, with the yields of the later lower than that achieved in E. coli. Other phenylpropanoid acid precursors, such as cinnamic acid and caffeic acid could also be metabolized through the recombinant pathway, yielding corresponding 5-deoxyflavanone compounds. The construction of such recombinant strains for 5-deoxyflavanone biosynthesis offers an alternative way to biochemically characterize flavonoid biosynthetic enzymes and promising production platforms for the biosynthesis of such high-value natural products. PMID- 17806101 TI - A novel antibiotic free plasmid selection system: advances in safe and efficient DNA therapy. AB - The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in the delivered plasmids is one of the drawbacks of modern gene therapy and DNA vaccine applications. Here, we describe a strategy that allows for plasmid selection in bacterial hosts, without the requirement of any selection marker. Several bacterial strains were modified, so that the plasmid's replicational inhibitor RNA I could suppress the translation of a growth essential gene by RNA-RNA antisense reaction. An essential gene (murA) was modified such that a repressor protein (tetR) would hamper its expression. Only in the presence of plasmid and, hence, RNA I, was tetR turned down and murA expressed. Different commercially available plasmids could be selected by various modified Escherichia coli strains. We further designed a minimalistic plasmid devoid of any selection marker. All of the clones (n=6) examined, when the modified strain JM109-murselect was used for selection, contained plasmids. Thus, we have designed bacterial host strains that for the first time serve to select and maintain plasmids without the use of any selection marker or other additional sequence on the plasmid. Consequently, such plasmids may not only be safer, but due to their decreased size, advantages for the manufacturer and higher transfection efficiencies are anticipated. PMID- 17806102 TI - Function of the SIRT1 protein deacetylase in cancer. AB - The NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylase SIRT1 is linked to cellular survival pathways by virtue of keeping the tumor suppressor gene p53 and members of the forkhead transcription factor family deacetylated. To validate SIRT1 as a therapeutic anti-cancer target, we performed immunohistochemistry experiments to study the in vivo expression of SIRT1 in cancer specimens. We show that human SIRT1 is highly expressed in cancer cell lines as well as in tissue samples from colon carcinoma patients. Interestingly, there is a strong cytosolic component in the SIRT1 expression pattern. We further characterized SIRT1 in p53-wild-type and -mutant cell lines and show that SIRT1 mRNA-knockdown leads to a p53-independent decrease of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. In addition, SIRT1 expression has been found to be inducible upon DNA damage. A previously discovered small molecule SIRT1 inhibitor with nanomolar in vitro activity has been tested in cancer relevant assays. The SIRT1 inhibitory compound showed no potent anti-proliferative activity despite hitting its molecular target within tumor cells. From these studies we conclude that it may not be sufficient to block the catalytic function of SIRT1, and that its survival effects may be mainly brought about by means other then the deacetylase function. The increased cytosolic expression of SIRT1 in cancer cells could be an indicator of such novel functions. PMID- 17806104 TI - Structure-function relationships in RNA and RNP enzymes: recent advances. AB - The structural biology of ribozymes and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) enzymes is now sufficiently advanced that a true dialogue between structural and functional studies is possible. In this review, we consider three important systems in which an integration of structural and biochemical data has recently led to major advances in mechanistic understanding. In the hammerhead ribozyme, application driven biochemical studies led to the discovery of a key structural interaction that had been omitted from previously-studied constructs. A new crystal structure of the resulting, tertiary-stabilized hammerhead has resolved a remarkable number of longstanding paradoxes in the structure-function relationship of this ribozyme. In the Group I intron ribozyme, a flurry of high-resolution structures has largely confirmed, but in some cases refined or challenged, a detailed model of a metalloenzyme active site that had previously been derived by meticulous quantitative metal ion rescue experiments. Finally, for the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome, recent biochemical and chemical results motivated by the pioneering crystal structures have suggested a picture of a catalytic mechanism dominated by proximity and orientation effects and substrate-assisted catalysis. These results refocus attention on catalysis as a property of the integrated RNP machinery as a whole, as opposed to a narrow concern with the RNA functional groups in immediate contact with the reactive center. PMID- 17806105 TI - High resolution q-space imaging studies of water in elastin. AB - We report on the direct measurement of the molecular diffusion coefficients of water confined to purified bovine nuchal ligament elastin by high resolution q space NMR imaging. The experimental data indicate that water trapped within an elastin fiber has two distinguishable molecular diffusion coefficients. The component with the slowest mobility has a diffusion coefficient on the order of 10(-6) cm(2)/s that varies inversely with the diffusion time and is seen to reduce near 37 degrees C. The component with higher mobility has a diffusion coefficient reminiscent of free water but is observed to also behave similarly at 37 degrees C. From our experimental data we extract the surface-to-volume ratio of pores within elastin and associated changes as a function of temperature. PMID- 17806106 TI - C(alpha)-methyl proline: a unique example of split personality. AB - Methylation at the C(alpha)-position of a Pro residue was expected to lock the preceding tertiary amide (omega) torsion angle of the resulting (alphaMe)Pro to the trans disposition and to restrict the phi,psi surface to the single region where the 3(10)/alpha-helices are found (in this five-membered ring residue phi is severely constrained to about +/-65 degrees by its cyclic nature). The results of the present X-ray diffraction work on a selected set of four N(alpha)-blocked, (alphaMe)Pro-containing, dipeptide N'-alkylamides clearly show that, although the region of the conformational map largely preferred by (alphaMe)Pro would indeed be that typical of 3(10)/alpha-helices, the semi-extended [type-II poly(Pro)(n) helix] region can also be explored by this extremely sterically demanding C(alpha)-tetrasubstituted alpha-amino acid. In addition, the known high propensity for beta-turn formation of the Pro residue is further enhanced in peptides based on its C(alpha)-methylated derivative. PMID- 17806107 TI - Evolution of fibrinogen-coated collagen patch for use as a topical hemostatic agent. AB - Human fibrinogen and thrombin have been combined and coated onto a collagen patch for use as a topical hemostatic agent. These agents have now been used for many years to induce rapid hemostasis and tissue sealing after various indications including thoracic-, plastic-, pediatric-, liver-, and minimally invasive surgery. The only ready-to-use fibrinogen-coated collagen patch at this moment, the third-generation surgical patch (SP-3), contains no bovine aprotinin (antifibrinolytic protein) in contrast to its precursor SP-2, and is thus devoid of bovine-derived components. In vitro studies have shown equal bioequivalence between SP-2 and SP-3. Various experiments in animal models under normal, stressful, and hyperfibrinolytic conditions showed that SP-3 has comparable tissue sealing properties and also outperformed fibrin sealants alone in some studies. The results from these pre-clinical bridging studies showed that aprotinin is not essential for the therapeutic efficacy of SP-3. In conclusion, SP-3 has evolved into a rapid, ready-to-use adjunct to primary measures for tissue sealing and hemostasis, suitable in cardiovascular-, thoracic-, neuro-, spleen-, kidney-, and liver-surgery. PMID- 17806108 TI - Surface damage analysis of retrieved highly crosslinked polyethylene tibial components after short-term implantation. AB - The use of highly crosslinked polyethylene (PE) in the knee remains controversial, because of reduced fatigue fracture properties of the material. The current study investigated postmelt surface damage as well as potential contributors to this damage in retrieved highly crosslinked PE tibial components, after short-term in vivo durations. Retrieved conventional PE tibial components were examined for comparison, as well as unused time zero highly crosslinked and conventional PE tibial components for inherent manufacturing surface characterization. Predominant surface damage modes on highly crosslinked PE components were machine mark loss and abrasion, while conventional PE components primarily had machine mark loss, abrasion, and delamination. In vivo duration, PE thickness, and conformity of the design were significant predictors of surface damage on retrieved conventional PE components. Donor weight and the conformity of the design were significant predictors of surface damage on retrieved highly crosslinked PE components. This retrieval data on highly crosslinked PE tibial components suggest that in vivo wear occurred, observed as postmelt surface damage. The highly crosslinked Durasul material examined in this retrieval study appeared to outperform the conventional PE components made from 4150 resin, ram extruded and gamma-sterilized in air, but not the conventional components made from 1020 resin, compression molding and gamma sterilization in nitrogen. Early retrieval data of highly crosslinked PE tibial components are important to serve as a benchmark to be compared with future longer-term retrieval studies investigating whether surface damage translates to clinically relevant particulate wear debris generation and PE clinical performance. PMID- 17806109 TI - Characteristics of Hylamer polyethylene particles isolated from peri-prosthetic tissues of failed cemented total hip arthroplasties. AB - Polyethylene wear particles are one of the most important factors affecting the results of total hip arthroplasty. Hylamer, a highly crystalized ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene, has been used in total hip arthroplasty for wear reduction, but has exhibited high wear rate and excessive osteolysis. The aim of the present study was to examine Hylamer wear particles in peri-prosthetic tissues with osteolysis obtained from two cases of failed cemented total hip arthroplasty at 8 and 6 years after operation. Polyethylene particles were isolated, and examined using a scanning electron microscope and image analyzer. Total numbers of Hylamer polyethylene particles in the two cases were 5.6 x 10(9) and 8.0 x 10(9) g(-1). Particle sizes (in equivalent circle diameter) for the two cases were 1.07 +/- 0.06 microm and 1.16 +/- 0.05 microm, and particle shapes (roundness) were 3.05 +/- 0.22 and 3.76 +/- 0.28. The Hylamer polyethylene particles were larger in size and more elongated and their number was larger, compared with the corresponding reported values for particles generated from conventional polyethylene. This increase in particle number and elongation may lead to early osteolysis in total hip arthroplasty with Hylamer. PMID- 17806110 TI - PMMA bone cement containing a quaternary amine comonomer with potential antibacterial properties. AB - An iodinated quaternary amine dimethacrylate monomer was synthesized and incorporated as a comonomer in acrylic bone cements. Bone cement is used in orthopaedic surgery and imparting antibacterial properties to the cement can be beneficial in the lowering of bacterial infection post surgery. PMMA based bone cements were modified by copolymerising the monomer methylmethacrylate (MMA) with a quaternary amine dimethacrylate by using the redox initiator activator system as used for curing commercial bone cements. The cements were prepared using the commercial PMMA bone cement CMW and the liquid component was modified with the amine to render antimicrobial properties to the cement. The physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of the modified cements were evaluated; in addition, the viability of the cement to function as a orthopaedic cement was also established, especially with an advantage of it being radiopaque, due to the inclusion of the iodine containing quaternary amine. The cytotoxicity of the modified cements were tested using a human cell model and the results indicated that the cells remained metabolically active and proliferated when placed in direct contact with the experimental cement specimens. The cements and their eluants did not evoke any cytotoxic response. PMID- 17806111 TI - Light-activation of resin cement through ceramic: relationship between irradiance intensity and bond strength to dentin. AB - This study investigated the relationship between the irradiance transmitted through ceramic and the bond strength of a resin cement to dentin. After application of an adhesive system, elastomer molds with cylindrical orifices (1.2 mm in diameter) were placed onto bovine dentin surfaces and filled with a photoactivated luting agent (Enforce; Dentsply Caulk). Light-activation was performed through a 0.6-mm-thick ceramic disc using different intensities: 250, 400, 550, 700, or 850 mW/cm(2). Control specimens were irradiated without ceramic (1050 mW/cm(2)). The radiant exposure was kept at 30 J/cm(2). Light spectral distribution was analyzed with a spectrometer. Microshear test was conducted and modes of failure were classified under SEM. Bond strength data were analyzed with ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls' test (alpha < or = 0.05), and failure scores with the Kruskal-Wallis test (alpha < or = 0.05). A linear regression model assessed the relationship between irradiance and bond strength. Groups light-cured at 250 and 400 mW/cm(2) presented lower bond strengths than groups activated at 850 and 1050 mW/cm(2). The linear regression showed that a decrease in light irradiance predicts a decrease in bond strength (r(2) = 0.955; p = 0.004). A predominance of mixed failures was observed. No significant alteration in the spectral wavelengths was observed. Despite the constant energy dose, the bond strength was dependent upon the irradiance level. PMID- 17806112 TI - Characterization and ornidazole release in vitro of a novel composite film prepared with chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol)/alginate. AB - To create a moist environment for rapid wound healing, a new C-P-A film with sustained antibacterial capacity had been developed by the casting/solvent evaporation method. This new type of C-P-A film consists of a chitosan top layer and sodium alginate sublayer separated by an ornidazole-incorporated poly(vinyl alcohol) layer, exhibited perfect binding characteristics among the three layers. Physical characterization of the C-P-A film showed that the triple-layerd film had excellent light transmittance, control of water vapor transmission rate, and fluid drainage ability promotion, compared with the single-layer film. From the in vitro release studies, about 90% of OD was released from the composite films within 60 min, and no significant difference was observed in cumulative release percentage with increases in the drug content. The composite film at low concentration of OD (1.0 mg/cm2) showed effective antimicrobial activity in the cultures of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in agar plates. The results obtained in this work indicated that the new type of C-P-A composite film incorporated with ornidazole has the potential for wound dressing application. PMID- 17806113 TI - Pore structure engineering for carbon foams as possible bone implant material. AB - In this study authors aim to produce carbon foams with controllable pore size and distribution with high ratio of open porosity and to determine the cytotoxicity, and the bio-compatibility of the carbon foams by controlled experiments on the Dawley rats. Carbon foams are produced from Mitsubishi AR pitch at different pressures, temperatures, pressure release times, and additives for the purpose of using it as a bone implant material. Carbon foams with controllable range of pore sizes and distribution by using temperatures between 283 and 300 degrees C, pressures between 38 and 78 bar, and pressure release times between 5 and 600 s. The highest total porosity was found to be 86%. This porosity level was also complemented by the highest density, and compressive strength. Addition of isotropic pitch, graphite powder and THF, toluene and xylene solvents resulted in higher pore volumes compared with no additives. In the case of exploiting this result, it should be noted that higher pore volumes are realized with drastic drop in porosity and strength. The ability of porous foam to provide scaffold to tissue in vivo was finally investigated after 3 months of implantation in adequate pockets in the nude mice for insertion. Histological examination of the engineered constructs revealed that the tissue adaptation and bone compatibility of the carbon foam material studies on rats was found to be satisfactory. Progression of connective tissue formation into the carbon implant was observed without any sign of cytotoxicity and incompatibility during the postoperative follow-ups. PMID- 17806114 TI - Accumulation of magnetically labeled rat mesenchymal stem cells using an external magnetic force, and their potential for bone regeneration. AB - We evaluated the effect of a novel mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) delivery system using magnetic beads and an external magnetic force, and investigated the osteogenic potential of MSCs coupled with magnetic beads in vitro. MSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of 8-week-old Sprague Dawley green fluorescent protein rats, and expanded in a monolayer culture system. Magnetic beads (Ferri Sphere 100C) with carboxyl groups on the surface were conjugated to anti-rat CD44 mouse monoclonal antibodies by an amide linkage. Expanded MSCs were then combined with the magnetic beads and the MSC-magnetic bead complexes were seeded onto phi100 mm dishes at low density (5 x 10(3) cells/dish) with or without the influence of an external magnetic force provided by a neodymium magnet and supplemented with osteogenic differentiation medium. The complexes could be accumulated effectively by the influence of the external magnetic force. Moreover, the complexes could also differentiate into the osteogenic lineage in the monolayer culture system, as verified by alizarin red staining and RT-PCR for alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin expression. These findings clearly demonstrate the possibility of a novel cell delivery system using MSCs with magnetic beads and an external magnetic force for bone regeneration. If this treatment option is established, it will be minimally invasive when compared to conventional treatments. PMID- 17806115 TI - Effect of controlled release of fibroblast growth factor-2 from chitosan/fucoidan micro complex-hydrogel on in vitro and in vivo vascularization. AB - We produced a chitosan/fucoidan micro complex-hydrogel as a carrier for controlled release of heparin binding growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2. Material consisting of a soluble chitosan (CH-LA) mixed with fucoidan yielded a water-insoluble and injectable hydrogel with filamentous particles. In this study, we examined the ability of the chitosan/fucoidan complex-hydrogel to immobilize FGF-2 and to protect its activity, as well as the controlled release of FGF-2 molecules. The chitosan/fucoidan complex-hydrogel has high affinity for FGF-2 (K(d) = 5.4 x 10(-) (9)M). The interaction of FGF-2 with chitosan/fucoidan complex-hydrogel substantially prolonged the biological half life time of FGF-2. It also protected FGF-2 from inactivation, for example by heat and proteolysis, and enhance FGF-2 activity. When FGF-2-containing complex hydrogel was subcutaneously injected into the back of mice, significant neovascularization and fibrous tissue formation were induced near the site of injection at 1 week, and the complex-hydrogel was biodegraded and disappeared by 4 weeks. These findings indicate that controlled release of biologically active FGF-2 molecules is caused by both slow diffusion and biodegradation of the complex-hydrogel, and that subsequent induction of vascularization occurs. FGF-2 containing chitosan/fucoidan micro complex-hydrogel is thus useful and convenient for treatment of ischemic disease. PMID- 17806116 TI - Adhesive properties of laminated alginate gels for tissue engineering of layered structures. AB - A significant challenge in tissue engineering is the creation of tissues with stratified morphology or embedded microstructures. This study investigated methods to fabricate composite gels from separately deposited alginate layers and examined the effects of processing methods on the mechanics of adhesion. Laminated alginate gels were created through a three step process which included: treatment of the interfaces with citrate; annealing of the gels to allow for molecular rearrangement of the alginate chains; and exposure to a CaCl(2) to crosslink the alginate sheets. Process variables included volume and concentration of applied citrate, annealing time, incubation time in CaCl(2), and CaCl(2) concentration. Laminated sheets were tested in lap-shear geometry to characterize failure phenomena and mechanical properties. The site of failure within the gel depended on the integrity of the interface, with weaker gels delaminating and gels with mechanical properties similar to that of bulk gels failing randomly throughout the thickness. Citrate volume, citrate concentration, CaCl(2) incubation time, and CaCl(2) concentration altered the mechanical properties of the laminated alginate sheets, while annealing time had little effect on all measured parameters. This study demonstrates the integration of separately fabricated alginate layers to create mechanically or chemically anisotropic or heterogeneous structures. PMID- 17806117 TI - Collagen-coated polylactide microcarriers/chitosan hydrogel composite: injectable scaffold for cartilage regeneration. AB - A novel structure of injectable scaffold is designed and fabricated by combining collagen-coated polylactide (PLA) microcarriers and crosslinkable chitosan hydrogel. The collagen-coated PLA microcarriers were firstly mixed with the hydrogel precursor, a thickening agent of konjac glucomannan (KGM), and redox initiators of ammonium persulfate and tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA). The mixture was then injected into a mold and incubated at 37 degrees C to obtain the composite scaffold. The hydrogel can deliver the collagen-coated PLA microcarriers to the desired site and, after gelation, will prevent them from uncontrolled movement. On the other hand, the collagen-coated PLA microcarriers can substantially enhance the mechanical properties of the composite system. It was found that the microcarriers suspended stably in 0.6% KGM/1% chitosan derivative (CML) solution at 37 degrees C at least for 15 min. The dynamic elastic modulus (G') of the composite scaffold increased along with the increase of the microcarrier content. G' of the composite scaffold with 10% microcarriers was measured as 0.87-2.15 MPa at a frequency range of 0.1-100 rad/s, which was 120-90 times higher than that of its hydrogel system alone (12.1-24.4 kPa). In vitro culture of chondrocytes/composite scaffold showed that the cell metabolic activity increased rapidly before day 9, then leveled off. Cells in the hydrogel could attach and grow on the surface of the collagen-coated PLA microcarriers to form confluent cell layers after days 9-12. These features make the composite scaffold to be injectable and applicable in either tissue engineering, or regenerative medicine, and in particular, in orthopaedics. PMID- 17806118 TI - Effect of chondroitin sulphate on material properties and bone remodelling around hydroxyapatite/collagen composites. AB - Chondroitin sulphate (CS) has an anti-inflammatory effect and increases the regeneration ability of injured bone. The goal of this study was to characterize the material properties and osteoconductive potency of calcium phosphate bone cements modified with CS. The early interface reaction of cancellous bone to a nanokristalline hydroxyapatite cement containing type I collagen (HA/Coll) without and with CS (HA/Coll/CS) in a rat tibia model was evaluated. Cylindrical implants were inserted press-fit into defect of the tibial head. Six specimens per group were analyzed at 2, 4, 7, 14, and 28 days. HA/Coll/CS composite cylinders showed a 15% increase in compressive strength and by investigations with powder X-ray diffraction more nontransformed cement precursor was found. The microstructures of both types of implants were similar. A significantly higher average number of TRAP positive osteoclasts and ED1 positive mononuclear cells were observed in the interface around HA/Coll/CS implants on day 4 and 7 (p < 0.05). At 28 days the direct bone contact and the percentage of newly formed bone were significantly higher around HA/Coll/CS implants (p < 0.05). The addition of CS appears to enhance bone remodelling and new bone formation around HA/Coll composites in the early stages of bone healing. Possible mechanisms are discussed. PMID- 17806119 TI - Plasma immersion ion implantation treatment of polyethylene for enhanced binding of active horseradish peroxidase. AB - Robust attachment of active proteins to synthetic surfaces underpins the development of biosensors and protein arrays. This paper presents the results of experiments in which energetic ions, extracted from an inductively coupled nitrogen plasma, are used to modify the surface of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The ability of the surface to bind active horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is significantly enhanced by the plasma treatment. The amide signal in infrared spectroscopy indicates an increased quantity of surface attached protein on the modified surface. The activity of the bound HRP remains high compared with that of protein attached to the untreated surface, after repeated washing in buffer solution. Although Tween 20 was an effective blocking agent for the unmodified polyethylene surface, binding of HRP to the modified surface is not inhibited by its presence. We propose that the treatment produces new binding sites on the surface and that the function of the HRP is retained because the treated surface is substantially more hydrophilic. PMID- 17806120 TI - Quantitative measurement of telomerase activity and localization of its catalytic subunit (hTERT) in chronic inflammation of capsule formation around various model implants and in sarcomas in a rat model. AB - Telomerase is upregulated in some preneoplastic lesions and overexpressed in the majority of malignant tumors, but absent in most nonneoplastic somatic tissues. We analyzed telomerase activity using TRAP-assay in capsule tissues in a rat model with chronic inflammation and in tumor, and visualized the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) by immunhistochemistry. Significant elevated telomerase activity was found in tumor tissue compared with nonneoplastic tissue (p = 0.047). Cases with a strong inflammation in capsule tissue showed a specific telomerase activity. In these cases, there were no significant differences in telomerase activities compared with malignant tumor tissue. We demonstrate elevated telomerase activity and its diagnostic limits around model implants in a rat model, and visualize its expression not only in malignant tissue but also in inflammatory cells. So the quantitative measurement of telomerase activity should not be applied in general as a marker for malignancy in capsule tissue. PMID- 17806121 TI - Dynamic mechanical properties of a biomimetic hydroxyapatite/polyamide 6,9 nanocomposite. AB - A biomimetic composite of nanohydroxyapatite (nHap) and semicrystalline polyamide 6,9 (PA 6,9) was synthesized by thermally induced phase separation. The nHap powder was dispersed in a polymer matrix with a low ratio ranging 1-10 wt %. The mean size of the nHap, determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was approximately 100-200 nm (length), 40-60 nm (width). Physicochemical analyses were performed in order to characterize the PA 6,9 and nHap separately on the one hand, and the PA 6,9/nHap composites on the other hand. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) have pointed out an optimization of the composite physical properties as a function of nHap content till a limit value of 5 wt %. Above this value, the mechanical properties decreased. Four main parameters have been found to influence the composite physical properties improvement: the fillers content, the physical structure of the polymeric matrix, the particles dispersion and the physical interaction strength between organic and inorganic phases. The dynamic mechanical properties of this biomimetic nanocomposite were compared with human cortical bone. PMID- 17806122 TI - Acute toxicity and irritation of water-based dextran-coated magnetic fluid injected in mice. AB - Based on the elements that magnetic nanoparticles could heat in an alternating magnetic field, magnetic fluid hyperthermia occurred to inhibit tumor growth in vivo. However, biocompatibility of those fluids as well as the fluid-body interaction remains unclear. In this article, acute toxicity and irritation of the water-based dextran-coated magnetic fluid (dextran-magnetic fluid) injected into mice subcutaneous tissues were examined. Lethal dosage 50 of single treatment with the magnetic fluid was 4409.61 +/- 514.93 mg/kg. When injected with 30 mg/0.3 mL dextran-magnetic fluid, activities of glutamicoxalacetictransaminase (AST) and glutamicpyruvictransaminase (ALT) and cell number of mice blood did not change statistically. Hemangiectasia and leucocytes infiltration were seen in subcutaneous tissues and these phenomena almost disappeared 72 h later. That is to say, the dextran-magnetic fluid was tolerable, safe, and biocompatible. The work is a basic for application of the dextran-magnetic fluid in subcutaneous tumor therapy. PMID- 17806123 TI - Protonation free energy levels in complex molecular systems. AB - All proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules contain residues capable of exchanging protons with their environment. These proton transfer phenomena lead to pH sensitivity of many molecular processes underlying biological phenomena. In the course of biological evolution, Nature has invented some mechanisms to use pH gradients to regulate biomolecular processes inside cells or in interstitial fluids. Therefore, an ability to model protonation equilibria in molecular systems accurately would be of enormous value for our understanding of biological processes and for possible rational influence on them, like in developing pH dependent drugs to treat particular diseases. This work presents a derivation, by thermodynamic and statistical mechanical methods, of an expression for the free energy of a complex molecular system at arbitrary ionization state of its titratable residues. This constitutes one of the elements of modeling protonation equilibria. Starting from a consideration of a simple acid-base equilibrium of a model compound with a single tritratable group, we arrive at an expression which is of general validity for complex systems. The only approximation used in this derivation is the postulating that the interaction energy between any pair of titratable sites does not depend on the protonation states of all the remaining ionizable groups. PMID- 17806124 TI - Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) and PDE inhibitors for treatment of LUTS. AB - Lower urinary tract (LUT) smooth muscle can be relaxed by drugs that increase intracellular concentrations of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Both of these substances are degraded by phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which play a central role in the regulation of smooth muscle tone. The distribution and functional significance of PDE enzymes vary in different tissues of the LUT. Targeting specific PDE isoenzymes should thus allow organ selectivity. PDE 4 and 5 appear to predominate in the prostate, PDE 1 and 4 are thought to influence detrusor smooth muscle function, and PDE 5 may be functionally important in the urethra and vasculature. Studies on the use of PDE inhibitors to treat various LUT symptoms (LUTS), have yielded favorable results. Thus, positive effects of the PDE 5 inhibitors sildenafil and tadalafil on symptoms and quality of life in men with LUTS, erectile dysfunction, and BPH have also been demonstrated. These effects may be due to effects on cGMP signaling and/or modification of afferent input from bladder, urethral, and prostate tissue. This review gives an update on the distribution of PDEs in structures relevant for LUT function, and discusses how inhibition of these enzymes can contribute to beneficial effects on LUTS. Information for the review was obtained from searches of the PubMed database, and from the authors' files. PMID- 17806125 TI - Light-emitting diode-compatible probes for indirect detection of anions in CE. AB - A range of compounds were evaluated as probes for the indirect detection of inorganic ions using CE and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the light source. Emphasis was placed on examining probes likely to absorb strongly in the UV-Vis region near 350-430 nm as compounds, which absorb at longer wavelengths tend to be bulkier and adsorb onto the capillary wall. These probes should act as a replacement for the very effective but carcinogenic probe chromate. Two probes were identified and evaluated: p-nitrophenol and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid. The former showed the most potential with low-mobility anions, while the later had a moderate electrophoretic mobility and was more suitable for a wider mobility range of analytes. However, neither could match the efficiencies and LOD of chromate for the separation of the fast inorganic ions such as chloride, nitrate and sulphate. Nevertheless, application of the 4-hydroxy-3,5 dinitrobenzoic acid system to the determination of oxalate in Bayer liquors showed excellent sensitivity and selectivity. PMID- 17806126 TI - An evaluation of the experimental approaches to detection of small ions in CE. AB - This review points out some important trends in the development of the detection techniques for small ions in CE. On the basis of selected literature references it briefly discusses some general requirements on detection techniques in CE. Various optical measurements, mass spectrometric approaches and electrochemical detection techniques are dealt with. Some specific features of microchip CE separation and detection are pointed out and possibilities of dual detection are mentioned. The principal parameters of the above detection techniques are then briefly compared. PMID- 17806127 TI - Determination of organic acids by CE and CEC methods. AB - A comprehensive overview of the analysis of low-molecular-mass organic acids employing electromigration methods in the capillary format is given. This review includes papers published since 2003 and can be seen as an update of the review paper published by Galli et al. in 2003. Tables included in this review contain application papers describing the determination of organic acids from a variety of fields like the analysis of food and beverages, environmental samples, samples from clinical origin, and from natural products. PMID- 17806128 TI - Simultaneous enantioseparation and sensitivity enhancement of basic drugs using large-volume sample stacking. AB - Simultaneous enantioseparation with sensitive detection of four basic drugs, namely methoxamine, metaproterenol, terbutaline and carvedilol, using a 20-mum ID capillary with native beta-CD as the chiral selector was demonstrated by the large-volume sample stacking method. The procedure included conventional sample loading either hydrodynamically or electrokinetically at longer injection times without polarity switching and EOF manipulation. In comparison to conventional injections, depending on the analyte, about several hundred- and a thousand-fold sensitivity enhancement was achieved with the hydrodynamic and the electrokinetic injections, respectively. The simple method developed was applied to the analysis of racemic analytes in serum samples and better recovery was achieved using hydrodynamic injection than electrokinetic injection. PMID- 17806129 TI - Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of new 1-[3-(4-arylpiperazin-1-yl)-2 hydroxypropyl]-pyrrolidin-2-one derivatives with anti-arrhythmic, hypotensive, and alpha-adrenolytic activity. AB - A series of novel arylpiperazines bearing a pyrrolidin-2-one fragment was synthesized and evaluated for the binding affinity of the alpha(1)- and alpha(2) adrenoceptors (AR) and for the antiarrhythmic and hypotensive activities of the compounds. The most potent and selective compound 1-[2-hydroxy-3-[4-[(2 hydroxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl]propyl]pyrrolidin-2-one 8 binds with pK(i) = 6.71 for alpha(1)-AR. Derivative 8 was also the most active in the prophylactic antiarrhythmic test in adrenaline-induced arrhythmia in anaesthetized rats. Its ED(50 )value equals 1.9 mg/kg (i.v.). Compounds with substituents such as a fluorine atom 4, a methyl 5, or a hydroxyl 8 group, or two substituents such as fluorine/chlorine atoms and methoxy groups in the phenyl ring, significantly decreased the systolic and diastolic pressure in normotensive anesthetized rats at a dosages of 5-10 mg/kg (i.v.). It was found that the presence of the piperazine ring and a hydroxy group in the second position of the propyl chain are critical structural features in determining the affinity of the compounds tested. PMID- 17806130 TI - Novel deoxyxylulosephosphate-reductoisomerase inhibitors: fosmidomycin derivatives with spacious acyl residues. AB - 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (Dxr) represents an essential enzyme of the mevalonate-independent pathway of the isoprenoid biosynthesis. Using fosmidomycin as a specific inhibitor of Dxr, this enzyme was previously validated as target for the treatment of malaria and bacterial infections. The replacement of the formyl residue of fosmidomycin by spacious acyl residues yielded inhibitors active in the micromolar range. As predicted by flexible docking, evidence was obtained for the formation of a hydrogen bond between an appropriately placed carbonyl group in the acyl residue and the main-chain NH of Met214 located in the flexible catalytic loop of the enzyme. PMID- 17806131 TI - Size-specific chemistry on bimetallic surfaces: a combined experimental and theoretical study. PMID- 17806132 TI - Characteristics and fate of the spermatozoa of Inachus phalangium (Decapoda, Majidae): description of novel sperm structures and evidence for an additional mechanism of sperm competition in Brachyura. AB - Various aspects of the reproductive anatomy of the spider crab Inachus phalangium are investigated utilizing light and electron microscopy. Spermatozoal ultrastructure reveals the presence of a glycocalyx in the peripheral region of the periopercular rim, never recorded before in crustacean sperm cells. Sperm cell morphological traits such as semi-lunar acrosome shape, centrally perforate and flat operculum, and absence of a thickened ring, are shared only with Macropodia longirostris, confirming a close phylogenetic relationship of these species and their separation from the other members of the family Majidae. Spermatozoa are transferred to females inside spermatophores of different sizes, but during ejaculate transfer, larger spermatophores might be ruptured by tooth like structures present on the ejaculatory canal of the male first gonopod, releasing free sperm cells. Such a mechanism could represent the first evidence of a second form of sperm competition in conflict with sperm displacement, the only mechanism of sperm competition known among Brachyura, enabling paternity for both dominant and smaller, non-dominant, males. In addition, we propose several hypotheses concerning the remote and proximal causes of the existence of large seminal receptacles in females of I. phalangium. Among these, genetically diverse progeny, reduction of sexual harassment and phylogenetic retention seem the most plausible, while acquisition of nutrients from seminal fluids, demonstrated in other arthropods, and suggested by previous studies, could be discarded on the basis of the presented data. PMID- 17806133 TI - Fitting observed and theoretical choices - women's choices about prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. AB - Choices regarding prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome - the most frequent chromosomal defect - are particularly relevant to decision analysis, since women's decisions are based on the assessment of their risk of carrying a child with Down syndrome, and involve tradeoffs (giving birth to an affected child vs procedure-related miscarriage). The aim of this study, based on face-to-face interviews with 78 women aged 25-35 with prior experience of pregnancy, was to compare the women' expressed choices towards prenatal diagnosis with those derived from theoretical models of choice (expected utility theory, rank dependent theory, and cumulative prospect theory). The main finding obtained in this study was that the cumulative prospect model fitted the observed choices best: both subjective transformation of probabilities and loss aversion, which are basic features of the cumulative prospect model, have to be taken into account to make the observed choices consistent with the theoretical ones. PMID- 17806134 TI - Rosiglitazone and cardiovascular risk. PMID- 17806135 TI - Rosiglitazone and cardiovascular risk. PMID- 17806136 TI - Rosiglitazone and cardiovascular risk. PMID- 17806137 TI - Central venous catheterization. PMID- 17806138 TI - Central venous catheterization. PMID- 17806139 TI - Central venous catheterization. PMID- 17806140 TI - The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis. PMID- 17806141 TI - Temporal window of metabolic brain vulnerability to concussions: oxidative and nitrosative stresses--part II. AB - OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of oxidative and nitrosative stresses in rats undergoing repeat mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) delivered with increasing time intervals. METHODS: Rats were subjected to two diffuse mTBIs (450 g/1 m height), with the second mTBI delivered after 1 (n = 6), 2 (n = 6), 3 (n = 6), 4 (n = 6), or 5 days (n = 6). The rats were sacrificed 48 hours after the last mTBI. Sham-operated animals were used as controls (n = 6). Concentrations of biochemical indices of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid, reduced and oxidized glutathione) and nitrosative stress (nitrite, nitrate) were synchronously measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in deproteinized tissue extracts (three right + three left hemispheres for each group of animals). RESULTS: Increase of malondialdehyde, reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio, nitrite, nitrate, and decrease of ascorbic acid and glutathione were dependent on the interval between impacts with maximal changes recorded when mTBIs were spaced by 3 days. Biochemical markers of oxidative and nitrosative stresses were near control levels only in animals receiving mTBIs 5 days apart. CONCLUSION: This study shows the remarkable negative contribution of reactive oxygen species overproduction and activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in repeat mTBI. Because these effects were maximal when mTBIs were spaced by 3 days, it can be inferred that occurrence of a second mTBI within the temporal window of brain vulnerability not only causes profound derangement of mitochondrial functions, but also induces sustained oxidative and nitrosative stresses. Both phenomena certainly play a major role in the overall brain tissue damage occurring under these pathological conditions. PMID- 17806142 TI - [Multicenter surgical trials recruiting in Germany. Current studies]. PMID- 17806143 TI - [Stable ischemic heart disease--medical treatment of PCI?]. PMID- 17806144 TI - South African AIDS policy lurches into new crisis. PMID- 17806145 TI - Economic concerns hamper tobacco control in China. PMID- 17806146 TI - [Abstracts of the 16th Annual Meeting of the Ophthalmologists Society of Saxony Thuringia, 22-23 June 2007]. PMID- 17806148 TI - Abstracts of the 91st Meeting of the German Society of Pathology, 30 May-2 June 2007, Magdeburg, Germany. PMID- 17806147 TI - Abstracts of the 40th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, July 21-25, 2007, San Antonio, Texas, USA. PMID- 17806149 TI - Functional disabilities and issues of concern in female Asian patients before TKA. AB - There is much enthusiasm in the current field of TKA to allow high-flexion activities that might be important for Asian patients. We investigated functional disabilities and their perceived importance before surgery in 97 Korean female patients undergoing TKA for advanced osteoarthritis. The most important issues relating to functional disability were difficulty in squatting, leg deformity, difficulty in kneeling, unequal leg length, and limping. The most important issues relating to perceived importance were difficulty in walking, daytime pain, limping, difficulty in climbing stairs, and need for walking aids. The severity of functional disabilities did not correlate with the perceived importance. The most important issues concerning patients were pain immediately after surgery, pain after discharge from the hospital, chance that surgery would not alleviate pain, pain during surgery, and risk of getting AIDS from a transfusion. We found high-flexion activities were rated as the most difficult functions, but they were not perceived as being as important as other items related to pain relief and routine daily activities. The issues related to high-flexion activities were of no more concern than other issues in Korean patients. PMID- 17806150 TI - Are fibula strut allografts a reliable alternative for periarticular reconstruction after curettage for bone tumors? AB - Bone tumors occurring in periarticular locations may cause a substantial risk of subchondral fracture and collapse. Poly-methylmethacrylate has been used for reconstruction in these instances because of its immediate structural stability. Allogeneic graft allows for biologic incorporation and remodeling, but it takes longer. Adding a fibula strut graft to the construct seems to provide structural stability during incorporation of the particulate graft. Seventeen of 22 (77.3%) patients returned to their full preoperative level of function after this procedure. We believe adding fibula strut to particulate allograft when using the buttress technique provides structural integrity and biologically active reconstruction, while maintaining a recurrence rate similar to those described for other reconstruction techniques. PMID- 17806151 TI - Bone graft for large bone cysts of the femoral neck in patients on hemodialysis. AB - Pathologic fracture of the femoral neck from an amyloid bone cyst in patients on long-term hemodialysis causes substantial morbidity. For patients with a bone cyst occupying more than 1/2 of the neck width, we have performed prophylactic internal fixation with an autogenous iliac bone graft. We describe our surgical technique and present clinical results from consecutively surgically treated patients. We determined whether our procedure successfully induced healing of the bone cyst, thus preventing a problematic sequel of fracture. From 1990 to 2003, 14 hips in 12 patients were treated, and the clinical results from these patients were retrospectively reviewed. One patient died 3 months after surgery; the remaining patients were followed for at least 3 years. In those 11 patients, bony healing was achieved in all cases with no recurrence of the cystic lesion. Considering the comparatively unsatisfactory results of internal fixation for pathologic fracture and THA for patients receiving long-term hemodialysis, our procedure gives surgeons another option for treating this difficult problem. PMID- 17806152 TI - Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid as a disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug: an in vitro and in vivo study. AB - Pharmacologic treatment of osteoarthritis has been confined mostly to analgesic or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs that only modify the symptoms. We asked whether anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid might act as a disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug. We evaluated the in vitro inhibitory effect of anthraquinone 2,6-disulfonic acid on cathepsin B activity and proteoglycan release from cultured rabbit cartilage challenged with interleukin-1beta in comparison with diacerhein, the prodrug of rhein. We studied the in vivo activity in an experimental osteoarthritis model induced by medial monolateral meniscectomy in rabbits. After 3 months of treatment with oral anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid or diacerhein at 25 mg/kg/day, the animals were sacrificed and the knees were retrieved; cluster chondrocytes, fibrillations, fissures, and osteophytes were studied on cartilage biopsies. The evidence for disease-modifying activity of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid was (1) the in vitro dose-dependent inhibition of cathepsin B activity, (2) the in vitro time- and dose-dependent inhibition of interleukin-1beta-stimulated proteoglycan release from the cartilage matrix, and (3) the in vivo reduction of all cartilage degeneration parameters. Our data suggest anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid is worth exploring for treating osteoarthritis. PMID- 17806153 TI - Scapular winging: an unusual complication of bracing in idiopathic scoliosis. AB - We describe a 15-year-old girl who had winging of the right scapula develop after incorrect use of a thoracolumbar orthosis. The girl was treated for idiopathic scoliosis, but after 2 years of bracing, progressive scapular winging and diminished range of motion in the right shoulder was observed. The girl reported that the superior part of the brace frequently hooked under the tip of the right scapula. This resulted in complete neuropathy of the dorsal scapular nerve. When using a thoracolumbar orthosis in the treatment of children with scoliosis, physicians must consider potential compressive injuries to the dorsal scapular nerve. PMID- 17806154 TI - [Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Prague]. PMID- 17806155 TI - Substantial differences in the kinetics of histamine release from human basophils caused by varying strengths of IgE-dependent activators. PMID- 17806156 TI - Part II. Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome: further correlations between compromised histamine degradation, eosinophilias and myopathies. PMID- 17806157 TI - Effect of sulphasalazine and balsalazide on histamine release from mast cells. PMID- 17806158 TI - Activation of cannabinoid receptors reduces allergen-induced oxidative stress damage during asthma-like reaction in sensitised guinea-pigs. PMID- 17806159 TI - Effects of the carbon monoxide releasing molecule CORM-3 in a coincubation model of rat mast cells with human neutrophils. PMID- 17806160 TI - Histamine differentially affects hypothalamic neuronal circuits during systemic allergic reaction. PMID- 17806161 TI - Distribution of tryptase-containing mast cells and metallothionein reactive astrocytes in human brains with amyloid deposits. PMID- 17806162 TI - Influence of (R)-alpha-methylhistamine on the histamine H3 receptor in the rat gastrointestinal tract. PMID- 17806163 TI - Influence of the H3/H4 receptor antagonist, thioperamide on regional haemodynamics in rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis. PMID- 17806164 TI - Music therapy, "adverse" diet and histamine. PMID- 17806165 TI - Role of histamine in ghrelin-induced gastroprotection against acute gastric lesions. PMID- 17806166 TI - Influence of amitriptyline on central histamine-induced reversal of haemorrhagic shock in rats. PMID- 17806167 TI - Involvement of the histaminergic system in the central cardiovascular regulation in haemorrhage-shocked rats with portocaval anastomosis. PMID- 17806168 TI - Histamine H4 receptors in human placenta in diabetes-complicated pregnancy. PMID- 17806169 TI - Locally secreted histamine may regulate the development of ovarian follicles by apoptosis. PMID- 17806170 TI - Mast cell-derived interleukin-8 may be involved in the ovarian mechanisms of follicle growth and ovulation. PMID- 17806171 TI - Endogenous and exogenous histamine influences on angiogenesis related gene expression of mice mammary adenocarcinoma. PMID- 17806172 TI - Nitric oxide involvement in histamine-mediated PANC-1 cells growth. PMID- 17806173 TI - Effects of histamine on triglyceride breakdown in mouse adipocytes. PMID- 17806174 TI - Novel ligands stabilize stereo-selective conformations of the histamine H1 receptor to activate catecholamine synthesis. PMID- 17806175 TI - Pharmacological classification of histamine H3 receptor agents across species is attributable to transmembrane 3 sequence differences. PMID- 17806176 TI - A new family of histamine H3 receptor antagonists based on a natural product: discovery, SAR, and properties of the series. PMID- 17806177 TI - Hepatic gene expression in genetically histamine H4 receptor deficient mice in normal and inflammatory conditions. PMID- 17806178 TI - Amine System Project. PMID- 17806179 TI - Luminometric determination of amine oxidase activity. PMID- 17806180 TI - Porcine plasma amine oxidase has a broad substrate specificity and efficiently converts histamine. PMID- 17806181 TI - Amitriptyline affects guinea-pig post-heparin plasma diamine oxidase activity. PMID- 17806182 TI - Distribution pattern of histamine H4 receptor in human synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. PMID- 17806183 TI - Evaluation of urinary N-methylhistamine excretion during a long-term follow up of patients with inactive Crohn's disease. PMID- 17806184 TI - Clinico-biological characteristics of flow cytometry applied to hypersensitivity to NSAIDs. PMID- 17806185 TI - Further studies on the mechanism of antiphagocyte-antioxidative effect of H1 antihistamines. PMID- 17806186 TI - Biphasic immunomodulating effect of cephalosporin derivatives in man in vitro and in vivo. PMID- 17806187 TI - [The history of Medical Association in Tarnow 1870-2005. From the Physicians' Club to the Polish Medical Association in Tarnow]. PMID- 17806188 TI - [The history of Medical Association in Tarnow 1870-2005. Activity of the Polish Medical Association in Tarnow during the years 1991-2005]. PMID- 17806189 TI - [An operative treatment of subcutaneous injuries of the achilles tendon using a reversed flap]. AB - In this study we present a method of an operative treatment of Achilles tendon injuries using reconstruction surgery with a reversed flap from the tendinous part of the triceps muscle of the calf. The method improves blood supply to the injured tendon, as well as its endurance by using a flap with good blood supply. The treatment outcome being very good in over 90% of cases justifies the method as the first choice of treatment. PMID- 17806190 TI - [The operative treatment of habitual humeral abarticulation using the Bankart method]. AB - The elaboration presents the results of the operating- treatment of the habitual humeral abarticulation using the intervention according to Bankart. In spite of more and more widely introduced arthroscopic treatment techniques of these dislocations, in cases when the copular and capsular structures which stabilize a joint are damaged, it is still a good method to be recommended. The recurrences of the habitual humeral abarticulation have not been observed. PMID- 17806191 TI - [Management of multiple open fractures of long bones in multiple trauma]. AB - Management of multiple injuries is presented in the following article. 14 patients with open fractures during multiple trauma were assessed taking into consideration: time of post trauma stabilization and such complications as osteitis and growth impairment. Patients' clinical status with specific aspects were assessed (stride, muscle atrophy, edema, limaxis). Infected tibia false joints were diagnosed in 3 patients. 2 cases concerned open fractures of the II degree and III degree degree of the tibia according to Gustilo. They were patients operated during the first 24 houre in the year 2000. No such complications as infected false joints were diagnosed in patients operated between the 8th-10th day post trauma. All patients achieved bone growth and normal waound post traumatic bone healing. PMID- 17806192 TI - [Diagnostic difficulties of popliteal fossa tumors basing on material presented by the traumatic and Orthopedic Surgery unit in Dabrowa Tarnowska]. AB - The elaboration presents cases of popliteal fossa tumors basing on the material presented by The Traumatic and Orthopedic Surgery Unit in Dabrowa Tarnowska. Special attention was given to numerous difficulties connected with the univocal diagnosis. It was based on accessible research methods and the need to extend diagnostic procedure to highly specialized procedures in justified cases. PMID- 17806193 TI - [Operating treatment results of acromioclavicular (joint) abarticulations in materials of the Traumatic and Orthopedic Surgery unit and Rehabilitation Unit in Dabrowa Tarnowska]. AB - The work presents results of operative treatment of acromioclavicular (joint) abarticulations using two different materials during syndesmoplasty of the coracoclavicular ligament, the steel loop of wire and the coal fibre (fabrics). Examining the patients, all the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment have been pointed out. In the reconstruction of coracoclavicular ligament, better results were obtained when using the steel loop. PMID- 17806194 TI - [The value of cervical lymph node ultrasound examination in patients suffering from laryngeal cancer]. AB - 51 patients with laryngeal cancer were surgically treated on the ENT Departament of the St Lukas District Hospital in Tarnow between the years 1997-2000. The local advancement was stated as T3 and T4 according to the TNM system. The high grade of tumour differentiation (G1) was established in 13 patients (25.5%), mediam (G2) in 22 (43.1%), and low grade (G3) in 16 patients (31.4%). According to USG examination lymph nodes were estimated as NO in 20 patients (39.2%), as N1 in 21 (41.2%), and as N2 in 10 patients (19.6%). 76 radical and modified radical neck dissections were performed. The presence of lymph node metastases was found in 27 patients (52.9%), in 4 cases there were occult metastases (20% of NO lymph nodes). High rate of metastases was correlated with low (75%) and mediam (54.5%) tumour differentiation grade, and with supraglottic tumour localisation in the larynx (58.6%). 3-year disease-free survival rate was estimated as 58.8%. Poor results of treatment were observed in patients with low grade of tumour differentiation (G3). PMID- 17806195 TI - [Epidemiology of occupational diseases in Tarnow and Tarnow District in years 1994-2003]. AB - An occurance and analysis of occupational diseases found in years 1994-2003 by State District Sanitary Inspector in Tarnow among workers of working places from Tarnow and Tarnow district were presented. In the discussed decade the following occupational diseases were dominate: bilateral permanent noise - induced hearing loss of cochlear type, chronic diseases of vocal organ related to excessive vocal effort and infections and parasitic diseases or their sequels. A diversification of the occupational diseases occurance among women and men was showed. Noxious agents being the reason for occupational diseases were presented. PMID- 17806196 TI - [An inveterate fracture of the barton type of the distal radius with dislocation in the radiocarpal joint--case history]. AB - Barton's fracture was first described and isolated as a disease entity in 1839. It is a quite rare fracture constituting, according to various authors 1.5-2.3% of the distal radius fractures. It is usually accompanied with subluxation or luxation in the radiocarpal joint. In the study we present treatment, dealing with operative difficulties and rehabilitation in a 52-year-old patient with an inveterate fracture of the Barton type of the distal radius with dislocation in the radiocarpal joint. He was previously treated by a local quack. The patient underwent an operative treatment; fragments were anatomically repositioned and a stable fixation was applied. As a result of treatment and intensive rehabilitation, we achieved synostosis and functionality of the wrist and left hand. PMID- 17806197 TI - [Acute cholestatic hepatitis caused by simvastatine in a 67-year-old patient]. AB - The following work presents the case of undesired during side effect (toxic hepatocellular damage ) by Simvastatine (Cardin). The main syptoms were jaundice and pruritus. Conclusions draw the attention to the role of history taking in the diagnosis of the described disease, as well as the importance of regular patient checkups whoin those use statines. PMID- 17806198 TI - [Difficulties in diagnosis of recurrent neurological symptoms in a patient with chronic discoid lupus erythematosus]. AB - This report presents neurological complications in the case of 51 year old patient suffering from chronic discoid lupus erythematosus for about 16 years. Since 2001 the symptoms of central nervous system damage have reoccurred. Despite many years of observation and progress in diagnostics the basis of this pathological process have not been identified. PMID- 17806199 TI - [Analysis of the use of coronary balloon angioplasty in staged treatment of patients with valvular heart disease and stenosing coronary arterial lesion (twelve-year experience)]. AB - The authors present the analysis of their twelve-year experience in staged treatment of patients with combined pathology using coronary balloon angioplasty (CBA). CBA was performed in 83 patients (mean age 61.7 +/- 9.0 years) prior to heart valve replacement. Mean functional class according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) was 3.3 +/- 0.5. Thirty-one (37.3%) patients displayed signs of circulatory decompensation. Nine (10.8%) patients had had myocardial infarction. Thirteen (15.6%) patients had been operated on for valvular heart disease. The authors present their own method of staged treatment of combined pathology, describe and substantiate a regimen of therapy with desaggregants, the timing of the second stage of treatment, and post-operative therapy with desaggregants. In-hospital lethality was 8.4%, which was lower than the lethality of combined surgery (14.5%). Actual three-year survival rate was totally comparable to that of patients who had undergone a combined surgery (87.8% and 88%, respectively). The method of two-staged treatment of patients with combined (valvular plus coronary) pathology allows for a significant improvement in their surgical treatment, and deserves further study and clinical application. PMID- 17806200 TI - [The present-day state of studies dedicated to the problem of hemoblastoses]. AB - The authors describe the main results of Hemablastoses project studies conducted within the framework of Federal target scientific and technical program in 2000 2004. They adduce research concept and the ways of solving the problem of hemoblastoses in the nearest years. Principally new approaches to the diagnostics and treatment of blood system diseases were developed; they were based on studies of cell and molecular mechanisms of their occurrence and development by methods of molecular biology and genetic engineering. PMID- 17806201 TI - [Highly pathogenic avian influenza: a new pandemic threat and possibilities to resist it]. AB - The review presents modern data on outbreaks of avian influenza subtype H5N1 and the incidence of the infection in animals, birds, and humans. The authors adduce data on the resistance of influenza A virus to physical and chemical factors. Factors making avian influenza A virus potentially capable of causing human pandemia are considered. The review also deals with public health possibilities in the event of influenza pandemia, and measures directed towards lowering its negative social and economic consequences. PMID- 17806202 TI - An interesting case of an erupted fused odontome. PMID- 17806203 TI - Tobacco--a known foe. PMID- 17806204 TI - Subtypes of borderline personality disorder, associated clinical disorders and stressful life-events: a latent class analysis based on the British Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. AB - OBJECTIVES: The current study examined the types of borderline personality profiles, associated psychological disorders and stressful life-events. DESIGN: Data from the British Psychiatric Morbidity Survey were used to examine homogeneous subtypes of participants based on their responses to nine borderline personality disorder (BPD) criteria. METHODS: Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify homogeneous groups, or classes, of individuals. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between classes and associated psychological disorders and stressful life-events. RESULTS: A 4 class solution provided the best fit, ranging from a class with a low probability of showing any BPD symptoms to a class whose members had a relatively high probability of endorsing all criteria. Severity of BPD was associated with higher co-morbidity and higher stressful life-events. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that four discrete classes make up the borderline continuum. PMID- 17806205 TI - [General preoperative care, local anesthesia, general anesthesia in ENT interventions, postoperative care]. PMID- 17806206 TI - Oncology nursing bibliography. PMID- 17806207 TI - Online correlation of spontaneous arterial and intracranial pressure fluctuations in patients with diffuse severe head injury. AB - Determination of relevant clinical monitoring parameters for helping guide the intensive care therapy in patients with severe head injury, is one of the most demanding issues in neurotrauma research. New insights into cerebral autoregulation and metabolism have revealed that a rigid cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) regimen might not be suitable for all severe head injured patients. We thus developed an online analysis technique to monitor the correlation (AI rho) between the spontaneous fluctuations of the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and the intracranial pressure (ICP). In addition, brain tissue oxygen (PtiO2) and metabolic microdialysate measures including glucose and lactate were registered. We found that in patients with good outcome, the AI rho values were significantly lower as compared with patients with poor outcome. Accordingly, microdialysate glucose and lactate were significantly higher in the good outcome group. We conclude that online determination of AI rho offers a valuable additional and technically easily performable tool for guidance of therapy in patients with severe head injury. PMID- 17806208 TI - Vasorelaxing effect of the Rho-kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, in isolated canine basilar arteries. AB - OBJECTIVES: Increased calcium sensitization mediated by Rho/Rho-kinase may be important in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm. The effects of a highly selective Rho-kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, were investigated on spasmogen-induced contractions of canine basilar artery. METHODS: Typical spasmogenic substances present after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), including prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a), 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB), sphingosylpho-sphorylcholine (SPC) and high K+, were used in the study. Isometric tension was recorded in canine basilar artery rings in vitro. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and contraction force were measured simultaneously in fura-2-loaded canine basilar artery strips. The myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation levels were measured by glycerol gel electrophoresis followed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Isometric tension recording revealed that the Rho-kinase inhibitor, Y-27632, dose dependently inhibited vasocontraction induced by PGF2a and SPC, but not that induced by DPB. Simultaneous recordings of [Ca2+]i and tension revealed that the vasorelaxing effect of Y-27632 was not associated with changes in [Ca2+]i, suggesting that Y-27632 may inhibit calcium sensitization. Vasocontraction induced by DPB was not inhibited by Y-27632, but was inhibited by staurosporine. Phosphorylation of MLC was increased by PGF2a and SPC, and significantly inhibited by Y-27632, whereas such phosphorylation was increased by DPB, but not significantly inhibited by Y-27632. DISCUSSION: Several spasmogenic mediators released after SAH may cause vasospasm through Rho-kinase-mediated increase in calcium sensitization. Rho-kinase inhibitors, including Y-27632, may be effective for the prevention of cerebral vasospasm after SAH. PMID- 17806209 TI - Progress examinations in pharmacy education. AB - Interest in the use of the progress examination has grown in the current culture of accountability in higher education. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's (ACPE's) Standards 2007 calls for comprehensive, knowledge- and performance-based examinations as part of a school or college of pharmacy's evaluation and assessment of student learning. Progress examinations have been used primarily in medical education. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the literature on progress examinations and considerations for their potential use within an effective assessment plan. PMID- 17806210 TI - [Conclusions]. PMID- 17806211 TI - Expanding role of minimally invasive aspiration biopsy after liver transplantation. PMID- 17806212 TI - The patience of patients. PMID- 17806213 TI - Letter to the editor regarding Nummela A, Keranen T, Mikkelsson L O. Factors related to top running speed and economy. Int J Sports Med 2007; 28: 655-661. PMID- 17806214 TI - [Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17806215 TI - [Dosage and adaptation of dialytic treatment. Hemodialysis centers guides]. PMID- 17806216 TI - [Topical problems of occupational pulmonary diseases and prospective research trends]. AB - The article covers contemporary data on structure of occupational pulmonary diseases, vital and disputable clinical and diagnostic topics on major entities: pneumoconiosis, occupational bronchitis and occupational bronchial asthma. The most prospective research trends are outlined. PMID- 17806217 TI - [On pathogenetic unity of pneumoconiosis and dust bronchitis]. AB - Results of complex study determining levels of IL-1-4-6 and TNO in bronchoalveolar lavage and blood serum helped to justify nososlogic independence of dust bronchitis and its pathogenetic commonnes with pneumoconiosis--that confirms combining them into a group of dust respiratory diseases. PMID- 17806218 TI - [State of locomotory system under chronic functional overstrain in female manual workers]. PMID- 17806219 TI - [Laboratory provision of primary health care in the Stavropol Territory: pleliminary results of work of clinical diagnostic laboratories at the equipment obtained by the priority national "health" project Biochemistry]. PMID- 17806220 TI - [Modified nutrient medium for microbacterial isolation]. AB - A new modified nutrient medium was obtained for mycobacterial isolation and cultivation. The medium proved to be more effective than the media traditionally used in phthisiobacteriology--Finn II medium and Lowenstein-Jensen medium. PMID- 17806221 TI - The number of authors in articles published in three general medical journals. PMID- 17806223 TI - THE ARMY-WORM IN MARYLAND. PMID- 17806222 TI - LIGHTHOUSE ILLUMINANTS. PMID- 17806224 TI - WHEAT-SMUT. PMID- 17806225 TI - DRIED BREWERS' GRAINS. PMID- 17806226 TI - Possible Dangers of Hypnotism. PMID- 17806227 TI - Color-Blindness among the Chinese. PMID- 17806228 TI - The International Medical Congress at Rome. PMID- 17806229 TI - Medical Treatment of Fractures. PMID- 17806230 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17806231 TI - Mount St. Elias. PMID- 17806232 TI - Origin of Right-handedness. PMID- 17806233 TI - Chalk from the Niobrara Cretaceous of Kansas. PMID- 17806234 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17806235 TI - SOME ASPECTS OF MODERN SPECTROSCOPY. PMID- 17806236 TI - ON CERTAIN COURSES NOT LISTED IN THE MEDICAL CURRICULUM. PMID- 17806237 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806238 TI - THE NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF BUFFALO-GRASS. PMID- 17806239 TI - THE MARQUESAS. PMID- 17806240 TI - THE NORTHERN RANGE OF THE SCORPION. PMID- 17806241 TI - OPALINA JAPONICA SUGIYAMA [NOT METCALF]. PMID- 17806242 TI - DRIED PREPARATIONS OF EARTHWORMS. PMID- 17806243 TI - A SIMPLE SHAKING APPARATUS FOR USE IN ENZYME STUDIES. PMID- 17806244 TI - FURTHER EVIDENCE OF INSECT DISSEMINATION OF BACTERIAL WILT OF CORN. PMID- 17806245 TI - PHYSIOLOGICAL STABILITY IN MAIZE. PMID- 17806246 TI - THE GEORGIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17806247 TI - Basic research and public support. PMID- 17806248 TI - Animals from the Amazon basin. PMID- 17806249 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806250 TI - Exporting Ph.D's: Is It Profitable? PMID- 17806251 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806252 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806253 TI - Captain levy and the army system. PMID- 17806254 TI - Clinical investigator, patient, pharmaceutical industry, and federal agencies. PMID- 17806255 TI - Linear Accelerators for Protons: New Developments: Some recent developments have made feasible proton accelerators of much higher power than earlier models. AB - The performance of existing linear accelerators has improved dramatically in the last few years as a result of redesign of the injector. The peak beams available surpass in intensity and quality those from other accelerators. Usually the operation has been pulsed, with a low duty factor. However, the recently developed accelerating structures now make it attractive to raise the average beam power by several orders of magnitude. New possibilities are apparent for the use of such beams for research in nuclear physics and other sciences. PMID- 17806256 TI - Ipatieff: man and scientist. PMID- 17806257 TI - Space budget: congress is in a critical, cutting mood. PMID- 17806259 TI - Communication Gap: LBJ's Monologue with the Intellectuals. PMID- 17806260 TI - Immunology: research at mill hill institute. PMID- 17806261 TI - Magnetic boundaries in the north atlantic ocean. AB - Magnetic boundaries parallel the continental slope and separate undisturbed from disturbed magnetic regions on both sides of the North Atlantic. The boundaries lie 2000 to 2500 kilometers from the axis of the mid-Atlantic ridge and roughly equidistant from it. The undisturbed zone, lying on the continental side of the boundaries, may reflect the long period of no reversals in magnetic polarity that occurred during the late Paleozoic. PMID- 17806262 TI - Far-infrared surveys of the sky. AB - A series of far-infrared surveys of the sky is searching for thermal radiation from interstellar grains and for other localized sources of far-infrared radiation. A balloon-borne germanium bolometer, cooled by liquid helium, is used in association with a telescope and spectral filters. During two initial flights the response to a black-body source was mainly between 300 and 360 microns. Approximately half the celestial sphere was surveyed, including most of the northern Milky Way. The angular resolution was 2 degrees. Moon was the only source of thermal radiation detected. The upper limit on the differential flux, relative to background, from other sources was 2 x 10(-23) watt per square centimeter per hertz, corresponding to an antenna temperature of 0.6 degrees K in the Rayleigh-Jeans approximation, or 10 degrees K for a black body. PMID- 17806263 TI - Interferometer experiment with independent local oscillators. AB - We have operated an interferometer with independent local oscillators and without any communication link of wide bandwidth between the elements of the interferometer. This makes operation possible at very long base lines because, heretofore, construction of the communications link has been the factor limiting the separation of the elements. In our system, coherence at the two elements is maintained through the use of two highly stable, atomic oscillators. The intermediate-frequency output signals are recorded at each element on a high speed digital tape recorder. Interference fringes are produced later by cross correlating the two tape records in a digital computer. PMID- 17806264 TI - Bistatic-radar detection of lunar scattering centers with lunar orbiter I. AB - Continuous-wave signals transmitted from Lunar Orbiter I have been received on Earth after they have been reflected from the surface of the moon. The frequency spectrum of the reflected signals is used to locate discrete, heterogeneous, scattering centers on the lunar surface. The scattering centers are probably distinguished from the surrounding terrain by a higher surface reflectivity. Continuous-wave bistatic radar could provide an important new method for the study and mapping of planetary surfaces. PMID- 17806265 TI - Photoperiodic control of the cloacal gland of the Japanese quail. AB - Changes in photoperiod cause correlated changes in testes, cloacal glands, cloacal foam, and reproductive behavior of male Japanese quail. The cloacal protrusion may serve as a convenient external index of androgen, permitting repeated measurement without operation on or killing of the animal. PMID- 17806266 TI - Silicone rubber: oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide measurement in gas mixtures. AB - Pressure changes, arising from counter diffusion of gases through a sealed silicone rubber tube, may be used to measure tension of gases in a mixture. When the tube is initially filled with one of the gases, and the mixture surrounds it, the pressure rise is related to the tension of the remaining gas. PMID- 17806267 TI - Thyrocalcitonin: evidence for release in a spontaneous hypocalcemic disorder. AB - Thyrocalcitonin content of thyroid gland extracts from normal postparturient cows was 3.9 times greater than in cows with postparturient paresis. The parafollicular cells in diseased cows were less numerous and appeared to have discharged their secretory products. An abrupt release of thyrocalcitonin near parturition may be related to the development of the hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia in this disorder. PMID- 17806268 TI - Antigenic study of the protein from a defective strain of tobacco mosaic virus. AB - Soluble protein from the defective strain PM2 of tobacco mosaic virus can be recognized as antigenically distinct from the protein of the wild-type tobacco mosaic virus by Ouchterlony and immunoelectrophoretic analyses at temperatures below 37 degrees C. At these temperatures a polymerized state of protein with a characteristic antigenic structure is present in the wild-type virus; this structure is absent from the PM2 preparations. Above 37 degrees C the precipitin patterns for tobacco mosaic virus and PM2 appear identical. PMID- 17806269 TI - Stretch receptors in the foregut of the blowfly. AB - Two bipolar neurons are located in a nerve branch connecting the recurrent nerve and foregut of the blowfly Phormia regina. Spike activity accompanying peristalsis or controlled enlargement of the foregut region is recorded from two cells in the recurrent nerve. The spikes are abolished by section of the nerve branch connecting recurrent nerve and foregut. It is concluded that the two neurons are the foregut stretch receptors predicted from results of behavioral experiments and vital to the regulation of feeding by the fly. PMID- 17806270 TI - Enterogastrone inhibits eating by fasted mice. AB - In mice fasted for 17 hours, administration of enterogastrone purified from hog duodenum reduced the food intake. This effect was greatest during the first 30 minutes, but the cumulative reduction continued for at least 4 hours. Other peptides prepared from hog duodenum or colon, as well as glucagon, secretin, glucose, and bovine serum albumin, were ineffective. PMID- 17806271 TI - Resistance shifts accompanying the evoked cortical response in the cat. AB - Clicks and flashes that evoke an electrical response from the auditory or visual cortex also evoke a resistance shift in the tissue. The resistance shift, a drop followed by a rise in resistance, closely follows the temporal pattern of the electrical response recorded simultaneously through the same electrodes. While several experimental manipulations produce corresponding changes in the amplitudes of both electrical response and resistance shift, the resistance shift is more sensitive to alterations in cortical temperature and anesthetic level. The two responses behave distinctly differently as a function of the depth of the electrode in the cortex. PMID- 17806272 TI - Aminoacidemias: effects on maze performance and cerebral serotonin. AB - The feeding of high dietary supplements of L-phenylalanine (7 percent) and L leucine (7 percent) to weanling rats is associated with poor performance in a multiple-T, water-escape maze. Supplements high in L-tryptophan (5 percent), on the other hand, result in maze performance which is superior to that of controls. Adding 5 percent tryptophan to the high-phenylalanine diet reverses the behavioral deficit. The quality of maze performance correlated with the cerebral content of serotonin. PMID- 17806273 TI - Modulation of elicited behavior by a fixed-interval schedule of electric shock presentation. AB - Responding elicited in the squirrel monkey by electric shocks presented every 60 seconds was gradually altered in temporal patterning, especially when the shock was also produced by responses under a 30-second fixed-interval schedule. The initially elicited pattern of maximal responding just after each shock was altered by the recurrent shock and by the added fixed-interval schedule to a pattern of maximal responding just before each shock. Most shocks were produced by responses and the response pattern was maintained for several months, but little responding occurred when shocks were omitted. PMID- 17806274 TI - Perceptual Deficit during a Mental Task. AB - Subjects monitored for a visual signal while engaged in a demanding mental task. The probability of detecting the signal depends on the time of its presentation during the 8 seconds of the task. A similar time course is observed for failures to detect and for changes of pupil size. Momentary variations in the load that the task imposes on the subject are reflected in both indices. Detection failures are not explained by the pupillary changes. PMID- 17806275 TI - Tetrodotoxin: comments on effects on squid axons. PMID- 17806276 TI - Pentylenetetrazol: failure to improve memory in mice. PMID- 17806278 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806277 TI - Biomedical research: changing mores. PMID- 17806279 TI - Seeding hurricanes. PMID- 17806281 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806280 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806282 TI - Thermodynamics and information. PMID- 17806283 TI - We are the government, you and I. PMID- 17806284 TI - Newton and the fudge factor. PMID- 17806285 TI - Distributional Ecology of New Guinea Birds: Recent ecological and biogeographical theories can be tested on the bird communities of New Guinea. AB - The concepts by which MacArthur and Wilson have transformed the science of ecology in the past decade, and the results of ecological studies such as mine on New Guinea bird communities, have implications for conservation policies. For example, primary tropical rain forest, the most species-rich and ecologically complex habitat on earth, has for millions of years served as the ultimate evolutionary source of the world's dominant plant and animal groups. Throughout the tropics today, the rain forests are being destroyed at a rate such that little will be left in a few decades. When the rain forests have been reduced to isolated tracts separated by open country, the distribution of obligate rain forest species will come to resemble bird distributions on New Guinea land-bridge islands after severing of the land bridges. The smaller the tract, the more rapidly will forest species tend to disappear and be replaced by the widespread second-growth species that least need protection (13). This ominous process is illustrated by Barro Colorado Island, a former hill in Panama that became an island when construction of the Panama Canal flooded surrounding valleys to create Gatun Lake. In the succeeding 60 years several forest bird species have already disappeared from Barro Colorado and been unable to recolonize across the short intervening water gap from the forest on the nearby shore of Gatun Lake. The consequences of the species-area relation (Fig. 1) should be taken into consideration during the planning of tropical rain forest parks (13). In a geographical area that is relatively homogeneous with regard to the fauna, one large park would be preferable to an equivalent area in the form of several smaller parks. Continuous nonforest strips through the park (for example, wide highway swaths) would convert one rain forest "island" into two half-size islands and should be avoided. If other considerations require that an area be divided into several small parks, connecting them by forest corridors might significantly improve their conservation function at little further cost in land withdrawn from development. Modern ecological studies may also be relevant to the understanding of human populations. For instance, during a long period of human evolution there appear to have been not one but two coexistent hominid lines in Africa, the Australopithecus robustus-A. boisei ("Zinjanthropus") line, which became extinct, and the Australopithecus africanus-A. habilis line, which led to Homo sapiens (27). The need to maintain niche differences between these lines must have provided one of the most important selective pressures on the ancestors of modern man in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Thus, any attempt to understand human evolution must confront the problem of what these ecological segregating mechanisms were. To what extent were contemporaneous species of the two lines separated by habitat, by diet, by size difference, or by foraging technique, and were their local spatial distributions broadly overlapping or else sharpened by behavioral interactions as in the case of the Crateroscelis warblers of Fig. 6? To take another example, there are striking parallels between the present distributions of human populations and of bird populations on the islands of Vitiaz and Dampier straits between New Guinea and New Britain. Some of these islands were sterilized by cataclysmic volcanic explosions within the last several centuries. The birds that recolonized these islands have been characterized as coastal and small-island specialists of high reproductive potential, high dispersal powers, and low competitive ability, unlike the geographically closer, competitively superior, slowly dispersing, and breeding birds of mainland New Guinea (10, 11, 13). It remains to be seen whether the people of the Vitiaz-Dampier islands, the Polynesians, and other human populations that colonize insular or unstable habitats also have distinctive population ecologies. PMID- 17806286 TI - Humanizing the Earth. PMID- 17806287 TI - Drug abuse: methadone becomes the solution and the problem. PMID- 17806288 TI - Relief from Heroin Craving without a Euphoric High. PMID- 17806290 TI - AMA Said to Kill Panel to Save Ads. PMID- 17806289 TI - Drug regulation: FDA replies to charges by economists and industry. PMID- 17806291 TI - Endangered species: diplomacy tries building an ark. PMID- 17806293 TI - Energy: drain on america first? PMID- 17806292 TI - Flora north america: project nipped in the bud. PMID- 17806294 TI - Somatic cell hybrids: impact on Mammalian genetics. PMID- 17806295 TI - Detection of radon emanation from the crater aristarchus by the apollo 15 alpha particle spectrometer. AB - The alpha particle spectrometer aboard the Apollo 15 command/service module was designed to detect alpha particles from radon decay and to locate regions with unusual activity on the moon. A significant increase in radon-222 activity was detected from a region containing the crater Aristarchus. The result is interpreted as probably indicating internal activity at the site. By analogy with terrestrial processes, increased radon emanation may be associated with the emission of other volatiles. PMID- 17806296 TI - Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer experiment: seasonal variation of ozone on Mars. AB - Ozone is observed to be present in the polar regions of Mars and to have a seasonal variation. In the summer, the amount present in the polar atmosphere is less than 3 micrometer-atmospheres. In the fall, ozone increases in amount and is found in association with the formation of the polar hood. In winter, the maximum amount of ozone is present, 57 micrometer-atmospheres over the polar hood and 16 over the polar cap. In spring, the amount over the polar cap decreases monotonically until by the beginning of summer the ozone disappears. Ozone is not observed in the equatorial region during any season. PMID- 17806297 TI - Ice and snow in eolian sand dunes of southwestern wyoming. AB - Snow becomes incorporated in eolian sand dunes of southwestern Wyoming when snow cornices on dune crests begin to melt, slide down the lee slope, and are covered by sand during subsequent lee-slide deposition. In some cases burial is rapid enough to provide the insulation necessary to preserve the ice and snow within the dune throughout the year. Deformed laminae associated with the incorporated snow are preserved, and these features may be of value as paleoclimatic indicators in ancient sandstone. PMID- 17806298 TI - Exhaust catalysts: appropriate conditions for comparing platinum and base metal. AB - There are fundamental differences in the behavior of alumina-supported samples of a platinum and a copper-chromium catalyst for oxidation of carbon monoxide in a simulated automotive exhaust stream. Ignoring such differences can result in inappropriate comparisons between oxidation catalysts for automotive application. PMID- 17806299 TI - Lunar surface radioactivity: preliminary results of the apollo 15 and apollo 16 gamma-ray spectrometer experiments. AB - Gamma-ray spectrometers on the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 missions have been used to map the moon's radioactivity over 20 percent of its surface. The highest levels of natural radioactivity are found in Mare Imbrium and Oceanus Procellarum with contrastingly lower enhancements in the eastern maria. The ratio of potassium to uranium is higher on the far side than on the near side, although it is everywhere lower than commonly found on the earth. PMID- 17806300 TI - Competition between Color Morphs of the Polychromatic Midas Cichlid Cichlasoma citrinellum. AB - The Midas cichlid, Cichlasoma citrinellum, is a polychromatic fish that occurs in Nicaragua. All of these fish start life as normally colored, cryptic individuals. In some populations a few fish change into conspicuously colored morphs, most frequently gold. When kept in unmixed color groups, golds and normals grow at the same rate; but when they are mixed, growth of the golds becomes faster and that of the normals slower. Golds dominate normals in contests over food, which accounts for their advantage. PMID- 17806301 TI - Juvenile hormone mimics: effect on cirriped crustacean metamorphosis. AB - A synthetic juvenile hormone mimic has been shown to cause premature metamorphosis of the cyprid larva of an acorn barnacle in concentrations as low as 10 parts per billion in filtered seawater. The effect of a juvenile hormone mimic on a crustacean has not previously been demonstrated. PMID- 17806302 TI - HESPEROPITHECUS,THE FIRST ANTHROPOID PRIMATE FOUND IN AMERICA. PMID- 17806304 TI - THE EDWARD C. PICKERING MEMORIAL. PMID- 17806303 TI - MEDALS AND DINNER OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17806305 TI - J. D. MITCHELL. PMID- 17806306 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806307 TI - DEFLECTION OF STREAMS BY EARTH ROTATION. PMID- 17806309 TI - POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE RED COLOR OF POTASH SALTS. PMID- 17806308 TI - THE FUTILITY OF THE HUMAN YOLK SAC. PMID- 17806310 TI - POPULAR SCIENCE. PMID- 17806312 TI - NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17806311 TI - CONTINUOUS RENEWAL OF NUTRIENT SOLUTION FOR PLANTS IN WATER-CULTURES. PMID- 17806313 TI - NOTE ON THE SYNTHESIS OF ETHYL BUTYRATE IN EGG SECRETION. PMID- 17806314 TI - THE HISTORICAL POINT OF VIEW IN THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17806315 TI - THE SINGING SANDS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. PMID- 17806316 TI - CAROTINOIDS AS FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINE. PMID- 17806317 TI - ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION. PMID- 17806318 TI - WOUND HEALING IN EXPERIMENTAL (CEILFIBRIN) TISSUE. PMID- 17806319 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. IV. PMID- 17806321 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17806320 TI - THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17806322 TI - The reader response: oyvey. PMID- 17806323 TI - Evolutionary relationships. PMID- 17806324 TI - Interdisciplinary communication. PMID- 17806325 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17806326 TI - Spotlight on behavioral research. PMID- 17806327 TI - Eurowomen in science band together. PMID- 17806328 TI - Goodbye, Columbus, Hello LBT. PMID- 17806329 TI - Delayed accolades for alaskan scientists. PMID- 17806330 TI - Windfall for u.s. Wellcome researchers. PMID- 17806331 TI - NRC on Environmental Research. PMID- 17806332 TI - Driven by the sun. PMID- 17806333 TI - Mass calculations add weight to QCD. PMID- 17806334 TI - Bound by light. PMID- 17806335 TI - Stratospheric Chlorine Injection by Volcanic Eruptions: HCI Scavenging and Implications for Ozone. AB - Because the output of volatile chlorine during a major volcanic event can greatly exceed the annual anthropogenic emissions of chlorine to the atmosphere, the fate of volcanic chlorine must be known. Although numerous observations have shown that volcanoes do not significantly contribute to the stratospheric chlorine burden, no quantitative explanation has been published. Hydrogen chloride (HCI) scavenging processes during the early phases of a volcanic eruption are discussed. A plume dynamics and thermodynamics model is used to show that HCI removal in condensed supercooled water can reduce HCI vapor concentrations by up to four orders of magnitude, preventing substantial stratospheric chlorine injection. PMID- 17806336 TI - Deceleration of interstellar hydrogen at the heliospheric interface. AB - High-resolution spectra of nearby stars show absorption lines due to material in the local interstellar cloud. This cloud is deduced to be moving at 26 kilometers per second with respect to the sun, and in the same direction as the "interstellar wind" flowing through the solar system. Measurements by the Ulysses spacecraft show that neutral helium is drifting through the solar system at the same velocity, but neutral hydrogen appears to be moving at only 20 kilometers per second, a result confirmed by new measurements of the hydrogen emission line taken by the High-Resolution Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. These results indicate that neutral hydrogen atoms from the local interstellar cloud are preferentially decelerated at the heliospheric interface, most likely by charge-exchange with interstellar protons, while neutral helium is unaffected by the plasma. The magnitude of the observed deceleration implies an interstellar plasma density of 0.06 to 0.10 per cubic centimeter, which in turn implies that the heliospheric shock should be less than 100 astronomical units from the sun. PMID- 17806337 TI - Slow magnetic relaxation in iron: a ferromagnetic liquid. AB - The remanent magnetization of single-crystal iron whiskers has been measured from 10(-5) to 10(4) seconds after the removal of an applied field. The observed response is accurately modeled by localized magnon relaxation on a Gaussian size distribution of dynamically correlated domains, virtually identical to the distribution of excitations in glass-forming liquids. When fields of less than 1 oersted are removed, some relaxation occurs before 10(-5) second has elapsed; but when larger fields are removed, essentially all of the response can be accounted for by magnon relaxation over the available time window. The model provides a physical picture for the mechanism and observed distribution of Landau-Lifshitz damping parameters. PMID- 17806338 TI - South asian summer monsoon variability in a model with doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. AB - Doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration in a global coupled ocean atmosphere climate model produced increased surface temperatures and evaporation and greater mean precipitation in the south Asian summer monsoon region. As a partial consequence, interannual variability of area-averaged monsoon rainfall was enhanced. Consistent with the climate sensitivity results from the model, observations showed a trend of increased interannual variability of Indian monsoon precipitation associated with warmer land and ocean temperatures in the monsoon region. PMID- 17806339 TI - A 3620-Year Temperature Record from Fitzroya cupressoides Tree Rings in Southern South America. AB - A tree-ring width chronology of alerce trees (Fitzroya cupressoides) from southern Chile was used to produce an annually resolved 3622-year reconstruction of departures from mean summer temperatures (December to March) for southern South America. The longest interval with above-average temperatures was from 80 B.C. to A.D. 160. Long intervals with below-average temperatures were recorded from A.D. 300 to 470 and from A.D. 1490 to 1700. Neither this proxy temperature record nor instrumental data for southern South America for latitudes between 35 degrees and 44 degrees S provide evidence of a warming trend during the last decades of this century that could be related to anthropogenic causes. The data also indicate that alerce is the second longest living tree after the bristlecone pine (Pinus Iongaeva). PMID- 17806340 TI - Phenotypic basis of reproductive success in a social insect: genetic and social determinants. AB - Social insects live in societies that include both reproductive and nonreproductive adults. Understanding the factors that determine which individuals become successful reproductives is necessary to explain the evolution of these societies. The phenotypic effects of the gene Pgm-3 (or a closely linked gene) that may cause workers of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta to selectively execute all queens of a specific genotype were investigated. These effects, which involve differences in queen reproductive development, are expressed only in colonies exhibiting a particular type of social organization (multiple-queen colonies), and it is only in such colonies that selective execution on the basis of genotype occurs. This is an unusual example of genotype-environment interaction in gene expression in which the environmental component is the social environment. The queens executed are, surprisingly, those with the greatest reproductive development. Thus, there is a counterintuitive relation between the potential and realized reproductive success of queens in multiple-queen societies of this ant. PMID- 17806341 TI - The conference on new research techniques. PMID- 17806342 TI - Serious thrills. PMID- 17806343 TI - Attention to terms. PMID- 17806344 TI - Biogenesis: some like it hot. PMID- 17806345 TI - Heat managers. PMID- 17806346 TI - The horse tree. PMID- 17806347 TI - The life voyage. PMID- 17806348 TI - Social gerontology. PMID- 17806349 TI - R&D powerhouses. PMID- 17806350 TI - Naturalist administrator. PMID- 17806351 TI - Unpopularized genius. PMID- 17806352 TI - Redefinitions in physics. PMID- 17806353 TI - Technological winners. PMID- 17806354 TI - Fixing images. PMID- 17806355 TI - Mathematical structures. PMID- 17806357 TI - All about Mars. PMID- 17806356 TI - Chaos theory. PMID- 17806358 TI - Southerly enterprises. PMID- 17806360 TI - The human scenario beclouded. PMID- 17806359 TI - Messier 31. PMID- 17806361 TI - Speaking remains. PMID- 17806362 TI - The wages of contact. PMID- 17806363 TI - Mesoamerican pantheon. PMID- 17806364 TI - A center in peru. PMID- 17806365 TI - Inducements to conflict. PMID- 17806366 TI - Exoticism reconsidered. PMID- 17806367 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17806368 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17806369 TI - Top quark search. PMID- 17806371 TI - Soviet-u.s. Seismological data exchange. PMID- 17806370 TI - BU "Takeover" of Chelsea Schools. PMID- 17806372 TI - Global Warming: Blaming the Sun: A report that essentially wishes away greenhouse warming is said to be having a major influence on White House policy. PMID- 17806374 TI - The shadow cone shed some light. PMID- 17806373 TI - Playing Three-Dimensional Pool: A group of chemistry "hustlers" has developed a new technique for analyzing surface structure; as one researcher says, they're "playing sticky pool with marshmallows". PMID- 17806375 TI - Readers write to right wrongs. PMID- 17806376 TI - Galileo (whew!) changes course. PMID- 17806377 TI - A passion for the little things among the planets: first direct view of solar system chaos. PMID- 17806378 TI - A Passion for the Little Things Among the Planets: The Poor Man's Grand Tour of the Solar System. AB - If mass were the only criterion, asteroids, satellites, and the smallest planet, Pluto, would not rate much attention. But they often held center stage early this month when planetary scientists gathered in Providence, Rhode Island, for the annual meeting of the Division of Planetary Science of the American Astronomical Society. Here is a selection of the news about the lesser bodies that so many researchers hold dear. PMID- 17806379 TI - A Passion for the Little Things Among the Planets: Which Way is North? Ask Right Handed Astronomers. PMID- 17806380 TI - A passion for the little things among the planets: largest radar detects dumbbell in space. PMID- 17806381 TI - Nabisco chips in $30 million. PMID- 17806382 TI - ACS Weighs in on Science Education. PMID- 17806383 TI - Misplacing kabul. PMID- 17806384 TI - Layoffs begin at research labs. PMID- 17806385 TI - Congress to help rebuild mouse lab. PMID- 17806387 TI - Bonfire to save the rhino. PMID- 17806386 TI - Rhino DNA mix and match. PMID- 17806388 TI - And Who's Behind That Mask? PMID- 17806389 TI - Max planck picks a lawyer as leader. PMID- 17806390 TI - Megaprojects Under Review at OSTP. PMID- 17806391 TI - The origins of ceramic technology at dolni vecaronstonice, czechoslovakia. AB - A typology was established for more than 5000 ceramic artifacts at Dolni Vestonice, Czechoslovakia. Conjectured methods of manufacture were confirmed by radiography. The compositions and mineralogy of the artifacts were identical to those of the local soil, loess. A firing temperature range of 500 degrees to 800 degrees C was measured and compared with those of hearths and kilns. The mechanism of sintering was impurity-initiated, liquid-phase sintering. Many fracture sections show evidence of thermal shock, although thermal expansion of the loess is low. The making, firing, and sometimes exploding of the figurines may have been the prime function of the ceramics at this site rather than being manufactured as permanent, portable objects. PMID- 17806392 TI - Chemical cartography: finding the keys to the kinetic labyrinth. AB - Very high resolution lasers allow spectroscopic pictures to be taken following a collision between two molecular reactants. The features of these "pictures" are the electronic, vibrational, rotational, and translational motions of the atomic particles, which relate the quantum states of the reactants to the quantum states of the products. Such state-to-state kinetic information can be used to test the shape and nature of the interaction potential that controls the collision process. The potential itself is akin to a map of the terrain through mountains and valleys where elevation is a measure of energy instead of height. Accurate mapping of this potential surface leads to an understanding of the forces which control rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions. The application of four different advanced laser techniques to the study of collisions between "hot" hydrogen(H) atoms and carbon dioxide(CO(2)) molecules has provided a wealth of information about both reactive and nonreactive collisions for this system. The availability of data for rotationally, vibrationally, and translationally inelastic excitation of CO(2) by H atoms, when compared with data for reactive events producing OH + CO, provides insights into the dynamics of collisions between H and CO(2), and illustrates the future promise of these powerful techniques for elucidating features of potential energy surfaces. PMID- 17806393 TI - Spatially resolved organic analysis of the allende meteorite. AB - The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in the Allende meteorite has been probed with two-step laser desorption/laser multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry. This method allows direct in situ analysis with a spatial resolution of 1 square millimeter or better of selected organic molecules. Spectra from freshly fractured interior surfaces of the meteorite show that PAH concentrations are locally high compared to the average concentrations found by wet chemical analysis of pulverized samples. The data suggest that the PAHs are primarily associated with the fine-grained matrix, where the organic polymer occurs. In addition, highly substituted PAH skeletons were observed. Interiors of individual chondrules were devoid of PAHs at our detection limit(about 0.05 parts per million). PMID- 17806394 TI - Covariance mapping: a correlation method applied to multiphoton multiple ionization. AB - In some cases there are hidden correlations in a highly fluctuating signal, but these are lost in a conventional averaging procedure. Covariance mapping allows these correlations to be revealed unambiguously. As an example of the applicability of this technique, the dynamics of fragmentation of molecules ionized by an intense picosecond laser are analyzed. PMID- 17806396 TI - Gordon research conferences -- "frontiers of science". PMID- 17806395 TI - Advance Registration Form: 1990 AAAS Annual Meeting [unknown] New Orleans 15-20 February. PMID- 17806397 TI - Responses to climate change: greenhouse warming. PMID- 17806398 TI - Money questions: the financing of biomedical research. PMID- 17806399 TI - Health differentials: minorities and cancer. PMID- 17806400 TI - Enzyme chemistry: mechanistic principles of enzyme activity. PMID- 17806402 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17806401 TI - Nonlinearities: order and chaos in nonlinear physical systems. PMID- 17806403 TI - ADVENTURES IN BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING. PMID- 17806404 TI - HARRY FIELDING REID. PMID- 17806405 TI - DAYTON STONER. PMID- 17806407 TI - THE FORESTRY MISSION TO CHILE. PMID- 17806406 TI - THE NEW YORK CITY MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17806408 TI - THE BENGAL FAMINE. PMID- 17806409 TI - THE RETIREMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. PMID- 17806410 TI - THE WORK OF DR. GEORGE HARRISON SHULL. PMID- 17806411 TI - CIVILIAN MEDICAL CONSULTANTS OF THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. PMID- 17806412 TI - EXOTOXINS FROM SLIME MOLDS. PMID- 17806413 TI - CHOLINESTERASES. PMID- 17806414 TI - HANDBOOK ON LABORATORY. ANIMALS. PMID- 17806415 TI - EUBIOTIC MEDICINE. PMID- 17806416 TI - THE CLEVELAND MEETING. PMID- 17806417 TI - THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. PMID- 17806418 TI - EXTRINSIC FACTOR IN PERNICIOUS ANEMIA: INEFFECTIVENESS OF PURIFIED CASEIN AND OF IDENTIFIED COMPONENTS OF THE VITAMIN B COMPLEX. PMID- 17806420 TI - A RHODOTORULA DEFICIENT FOR PARA-AMINO-BENZOIC ACID. PMID- 17806419 TI - PHOTOSENSITIVITY AS A CAUSE OF FALSELY POSITIVE CEPHALIN-CHOLESTEROL FLOCCULATION TESTS. AB - (1) Flocculation of cephalin-cholesterol emulsions by blood serum is markedly influenced by the amount of light to which the serum-saline-antigen suspensions are exposed. Protection from bright light, natural and artificial, has eliminated many falsely positive reactions. (2) Other factors that appear to influence the cephalin flocculation procedure have been briefly mentioned. Misses Dorothy Feinberg, Arvilla Howley and Mary Lanning contributed helpful technical assistance. PMID- 17806421 TI - LOAN TEACHING SETS ON BACILLARY DYSENTERY. PMID- 17806422 TI - ATTACHING POINTERS TO MICROSCOPE SLIDES. PMID- 17806423 TI - Does Genetic Endowment Vary by Socioeconomic Group? PMID- 17806424 TI - A CINCINNATI ELECTRIC RAILROAD. PMID- 17806425 TI - THE POEligTSCH FREEZING PROCESS IN MINING OPERATIONS. PMID- 17806426 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF SUGAR. PMID- 17806427 TI - FATTENING LAMBS. PMID- 17806428 TI - PEARL OYSTERS. PMID- 17806429 TI - THE WORLD'S FAIR OF 1892. PMID- 17806430 TI - HYGIENE CONGRESS. PMID- 17806431 TI - EAU DE COLOGNE TIPPLING. PMID- 17806432 TI - NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS. PMID- 17806433 TI - A NEW LAMP. PMID- 17806434 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17806435 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17806437 TI - Stellar Evolution and its Relation to Geological Time. By JAMES CROLL. New York, Appleton. 12Dagger. $1. PMID- 17806436 TI - MR. WALLACE ON DARWINISM. PMID- 17806438 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17806440 TI - THE CENTENARY OF THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17806439 TI - THE RETURN OF THE PULMOTOR AS A "RESUSCITATOR": A BACK-STEP TOWARD THE DEATH OF THOUSANDS. PMID- 17806441 TI - ORMSBY MacKNIGHT MITCHEL 1809-1862. PMID- 17806443 TI - THE POST-WAR FORESTRY POLICY OF GREAT BRITAIN. PMID- 17806442 TI - CLEVELAND ABBE 1838-1916. PMID- 17806444 TI - REORGANIZATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. PMID- 17806445 TI - THE RESEARCH COUNCIL ON PROBLEMS OF ALCOHOL. PMID- 17806447 TI - NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL GRANTS FOR RESEARCH IN ENDOCRINOLOGY. PMID- 17806446 TI - ANDREAS VESALIUS. PMID- 17806448 TI - CONFUSION OVER GLACIAL LAKE SPOKANE. PMID- 17806450 TI - EARLY HYDROGRAPHIC WORK ON AN AMERICAN LAKE. PMID- 17806449 TI - PRE-TENNYSONIAN THOUGHTS ON AIR TRANSPORTATION. PMID- 17806451 TI - A DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY. PMID- 17806452 TI - SEROLOGICAL REACTIONS WITH AN INDIFFERENT STREPTOCOCCUS IN PRIMARY ATYPICAL PNEUMONIA. PMID- 17806453 TI - LOW LIGHT INTENSITY AND COTTON BOLL-SHEDDING. PMID- 17806454 TI - THE ADRENALS AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TRANSPLANTED LEUKEMIA OF RATS. PMID- 17806455 TI - USE OF ENZYMES TO IMPROVE CYTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES. PMID- 17806457 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17806456 TI - A NYLON BLOOD AND PLASMA FILTER. PMID- 17806458 TI - INVESTMENT FOR PUBLIC WELFARE. PMID- 17806459 TI - PLAIN STATEMENTS ABOUT RACE. PMID- 17806460 TI - SILVER SPRINGS AND THE FLORIDA SHIP CANAL. PMID- 17806461 TI - LATRODECTUS GEOMETRICUS KOCH IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA. PMID- 17806462 TI - VAGAL AND SYMPATHETIC ENDINGS IN THE RABBIT INTESTINE. PMID- 17806463 TI - THE TOXICOGENIC AND TOXINIFEROUS INSECT. PMID- 17806464 TI - APPROPRIATIONS FOR GRANTS-IN-AID BY THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17806465 TI - BAR DUPLICATION. PMID- 17806466 TI - THIOUREA AS A KEY REAGENT FOR THE PREPARATION OF ALIPHATIC SULPHONYL CHLORIDES AND BROMIDES. PMID- 17806467 TI - LIVER AS A SOURCE OF VITAMIN G. PMID- 17806468 TI - THE USE OF HOLLOW GROUND SLIDES MADE WITH THE DENTAL ENGINE. PMID- 17806469 TI - PREPARATION OF AVIAN SPERM SMEARS FOR MICROSCOPY. PMID- 17806470 TI - THE NEW GERMAN CRUISERS. PMID- 17806471 TI - RADIO BEACONS. PMID- 17806472 TI - FORESTS AS NATURAL GAME FARMS. PMID- 17806473 TI - INSTRUMENT FOR MATCHING COLORS. PMID- 17806474 TI - HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURE. PMID- 17806475 TI - THE SAVING OF FARM SOIL. PMID- 17806476 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE ANTILLEAN REGION. PMID- 17806477 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL ARTICLE AND THE OBLIGATIONS OF ITS AUTHOR. PMID- 17806478 TI - HENRY BURCHARD FINE. PMID- 17806479 TI - HARRISON GRAY DYAR. PMID- 17806480 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806481 TI - THE GENEVA SUMMER SCHOOL OF ALPINE GEOLOGY. PMID- 17806482 TI - SCIENCE, METAPHYSICS AND BLOOD. PMID- 17806483 TI - THE APPORTIONMENT SITUATION IN CONGRESS. PMID- 17806484 TI - THE 1928 SILLIMAN LECTURES. PMID- 17806485 TI - "UNPROFITABLE METEORS" PAY LARGE DIVIDENDS. PMID- 17806486 TI - TERMINOLOGY OF "VITAMIN B". PMID- 17806488 TI - ULTRA-VIOLET EXHIBITS. PMID- 17806487 TI - A PRELIMINARY REPORT UPON THE UTILIZATION OF THE SPECTROPHOTOMETER IN THE DETERMINATION OF MINUTE AMOUNTS OF ALUMINUM. PMID- 17806489 TI - ISOLATION BY CATAPHORESIS OF VIRUS FROM VACCINIA-RECOVERED RABBITS. PMID- 17806491 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17806490 TI - The Complete Curriculum. PMID- 17806492 TI - Erratum. AB - In the news article, "Atomic Clock Discrepancy" [Science 127, 1107 (9 May 1957)], the values given for the accuracy and variation of the Atomichron are incorrect by a factor of 10. The possible accuracy of the Atomichron is 1 part in 10(10); the discrepancy between the American and British instruments is 9 parts in 10(10). PMID- 17806493 TI - Gases in Glaciers. PMID- 17806496 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17806494 TI - Sensitivity to Oxygen During Postembryonic Development of the Wasp Habrobracon. PMID- 17806497 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17806498 TI - Professor Tait on the reality of force. PMID- 17806499 TI - Atmospheric waves from Krakatoa. PMID- 17806501 TI - A near view of Krakatoa in eruption. PMID- 17806500 TI - North-eastern and north-western Indian implements. PMID- 17806502 TI - Professor Gill on assumptions of museum-keepers. PMID- 17806504 TI - Guyot's 'Creation'. PMID- 17806503 TI - PRESIDENT ELIOT ON A LIBERAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17806505 TI - 'A singular optical phenomenon.'. PMID- 17806507 TI - PROTECTION OF ALPINE PLANTS. PMID- 17806506 TI - THE MIDDLE YUKON.--II. PMID- 17806508 TI - THE DEEP-SEA CRUSTACEA DREDGED BY THE TALISMAN. PMID- 17806509 TI - THE WOBURN ROTATION EXPERIMENTS. PMID- 17806510 TI - THE AMERICAN FISH-CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17806511 TI - MEETING OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS AT PITTSBURGH. PMID- 17806512 TI - DEVELOPMENT OF THE THYROID AND THYMUS GLANDS AND THE TONGUE. PMID- 17806514 TI - THE GEOLOGY OF THE ASTURIAS AND GALICIA. PMID- 17806513 TI - RESEARCHES ON ASTRONOMICAL SPECTRUM-PHOTOGRAPHY. PMID- 17806515 TI - LOCKWOOD'S ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17806516 TI - A NEW CLASSIFICATION OF THE MOLLUSCA. PMID- 17806517 TI - ABORIGINAL LITERATURE OF AMERICA. PMID- 17806518 TI - M'ALPINE'S ZOOLOGICAL ATLAS. PMID- 17806519 TI - THE STUDY OF HEREDITY. PMID- 17806520 TI - NEW METEOROLOGICAL JOURNALS. PMID- 17806521 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17806522 TI - PHYSICIANS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17806523 TI - MEDICINAL LIQUOR RESTRICTION. PMID- 17806524 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17806526 TI - NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASES. PMID- 17806525 TI - GERMS IN SWIMMING POOLS. PMID- 17806527 TI - LONGEVITY AND HEART DISEASE. PMID- 17806528 TI - RECENT DISCOVERIES RELATING TO THE ORIGIN AND ANTIQUITY OF MAN. AB - Let us therefore conclude with consideration of the ancestry of man according to the modified concept of "dawn men," not "ape-men." In the first place, over an incredibly long period of time the Dawn Men have been tool-makers, of high adaptability and wonderful technique. We have then a biped, a being with a hand capable of grasping and controlling tools, a tool-maker with as fine a sense of touch as that of any of the present-day etchers, engravers and artists. In my opinion, the pro-man psychology, leaving out the evidence of anatomy and morphology, is certainly that of a Dawn Man and not of an "ape-man." I agree with my colleagues that man passed through an arboreal stage, but I believe that this stage did not progress so far as to carry man into a stage approaching that of the anthropoid apes. Dollo has stated the law of the irreversibility of evolution. The brachiating hand of the ape was used as a hook-apes do not grasp a branch with the fingers and thumb but hook the whole hand over the branch, as trapeze workers do to-day-and the thumb was therefore a grave danger. If man had gone through a prolonged period of brachiating in the branches of trees he would have lost his thumb. I agree to putting our arboreal ancestors back to Eocene time, but I predict that even in Upper Oligocene time we shall find pro-men, and if we find Oligocene pro-man-in Mongolia, for example-that he will have pro-human limbs, not proanthropoid ape limbs. PMID- 17806529 TI - NOMENCLATURAL EFFICIENCY. PMID- 17806530 TI - LABILITY IN FERRIC OXIDE HYDROSOLS. PMID- 17806531 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806532 TI - CORRELATION OF MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE POPULATION WITH ORIGINAL FOREST TYPE. PMID- 17806533 TI - "FINGER PRINTS" OF MINERALS. PMID- 17806534 TI - CONFUSION IN SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY. PMID- 17806535 TI - A NEW DEVICE FOR FILING MICROSCOPE SLIDES. PMID- 17806536 TI - A METHOD OF HANDLING SMALL OBJECTS PREVIOUS TO SECTIONING. PMID- 17806537 TI - THE CHLORIDES OF RUTHENIUM. PMID- 17806538 TI - STUDIES IN MICROBIAL THERMOGENESIS. AB - An apparatus for the study of the "spontaneous" heat production in stored organic materials has been described. Experiments with commercial cornmeal and cracked yellow field corn have shown that temperatures above 60 degrees C. can readily be produced under suitable conditions of moisture content, oxygen supply and insulation, and that marked heating does not take place in the absence of oxygen. "Spontaneous" heat production is the result of oxidative reactions and will not take place to any marked extent in the absence of air or oxygen. Stored organic materials will not heat if retained under anaerobic conditions. PMID- 17806539 TI - THE REGULAR SPRING MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. PMID- 17806540 TI - THE STUDY OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. PMID- 17806541 TI - SWEATING THE SCIENTIST. PMID- 17806542 TI - EFFECT ON THE PROPAGATION OF ELECTRIC WAVES OF THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, AUGUST 21, 1914. PMID- 17806543 TI - THE NAPIER TERCENTENARY CELEBRATION. PMID- 17806544 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17806545 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17806546 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17806547 TI - INTERPRETATIONS OF THE ANOMALIES OF GRAVITY. PMID- 17806548 TI - HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS: A COMMENTARY UPON DR. JOHNSTON'S ARTICLE. PMID- 17806549 TI - NOTES ON THE SEA ELEPHANT (MIROUNGA LEONINA). PMID- 17806550 TI - CARDS AS PSYCHOLOGICAL APPARATUS. PMID- 17806551 TI - NEW VANTAGE GROUNDS IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC. PMID- 17806552 TI - THE EFFECTS OF AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT ON IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. PMID- 17806553 TI - DO BRAIN WAVES HAVE INDIVIDUALITY? PMID- 17806554 TI - THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER IN VIRGINIA. PMID- 17806555 TI - THE USE OF THE TERMS COENOCYTE AND SYNCYTIUM IN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17806556 TI - NEW ENGLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE FIELD TRIP. PMID- 17806557 TI - INACTIVATION OF TOBACCO-MOSAIC VIRUS BY X-RAYS. PMID- 17806558 TI - CONTAMINATION AND COMPACTION IN CORE SAMPLING. PMID- 17806559 TI - VERTEBRATE REMAINS FROM CENOZOIC ROCKS. PMID- 17806561 TI - Astronomy funding at universities. PMID- 17806560 TI - NIH Grant Applications. PMID- 17806562 TI - Political psychiatry. PMID- 17806563 TI - Acupuncture, hypnotism, and magic. PMID- 17806566 TI - Professional and personal equality. PMID- 17806565 TI - State-specific sciences. PMID- 17806567 TI - A fellowship with essence. PMID- 17806568 TI - A Western apache writing system: the symbols of silas john. AB - At the outset of this article, it was observed that the adequacy of an etic typology of written symbols could be judged by its ability to describe all the emic distinctions in all the writing systems of the world. In conclusion, we should like to return to this point and briefly examine the extent to which currently available etic concepts can be used to describe the distinctions made by Western Apaches in relation to the writing system of Silas John. Every symbol in the Silas John script may be classified as a phonetic-semantic sign. Symbols of this type denote linguistic expressions that consist of one or more words and contrast as a class with phonetic-nonsemantic signs, which denote phonemes (or phoneme clusters), syllables (or syllable clusters), and various prosodic phenomena (2, pp. 2, 248). Phonetic semantic signs are commonly partitioned into two subclasses: alogographs (which denote single words) and phraseographs (which denote on or more words). Although every symbol in the Silas John script can be assigned to one or the other of these categories, such an exercise is without justification (21). We have no evidence to suggest that Western Apaches classify symbols according to the length or complexity of their linguistic referents, and therefore the imposition of distinctions based on these criteria would be inappropriate and misleading. A far more useful contrast, and one we have already employed, is presented in most etic typologies as an opposition between compound (composite) and noncompound (noncomposite) symbols. Used to break down the category of phonetic-semantic signs, these two concepts enable us to describe more or less exactly the distinction Apaches draw between "symbol elements put together" (ke?escin ledidilgoh) and "symbol elements standing alone" (ke?- escin doledidildaahi). The former may now be defined as consisting of compound phonetic semantic signs, while the latter is composed of noncompound phonetic-semantic signs. Up to this point, etic concepts have served us well. However, a deficiency appears when we search for a terminology that allows us to describe the distinction between "symbols that tell what to say" and "symbols that tell what to do." As far as we have been able to determine, standard typologies make no provision for this kind of contrast, apparently because their creators have tacitly assumed that systems composed of phonetic-semantic signs serve exclusively to communicate linguistic information. Consequently, the possibility that these systems might also convey nonlinguistic information seems to have been ignored. This oversight may be a product of Western ethnocentrism; after all, it is. we who use alphabets who most frequently associate writing with language (22). On the other hand, it may simply stem from the fact that systems incorporating symbols with kinesic referents are exceedingly rare and have not yet been reported. In any case, it is important to recognize that the etic inventory is not complete. Retaining the term "phonetic sign" as a label for written symbols. that denote linguistic phenomena, we propose that the term "kinetic sign" be introduced to label symbols that denote sequences of nonverbal behavior. Symbols of the latter type that simultaneously denote some unit of language may be classified as "phonetic-kinetic" signs. With these concepts, the contrast between " symbols that tell what to say" and "symbols that tell what to do" can be rephrased as one that distinguishes phonetic signs (by definition nonkinetic) from phonetic-kinetic signs. Purely kinetic signs-symbols that refer solely to physical gestures-are absent from the Silas John script. The utility of the kinetic sign and the phonetic-kinetic sign as comparative concepts must ultimately be judged on the basis of their capacity to clarify and describe emic distinctions in other systems of writing. However, as we have previously pointed out, ethnographic studies of American Indian systems that address themselves to the identification of these distinctions-and thus provide the information necessary to evaluate the relevance and applicability of etic concepts-are in very short supply. As a result, meaningful comparisons cannot be made. At this point, we simply alack the data with which to determine whether the kinetic component so prominen in the Silas John script is unique or whether it had counterparts else-where in North America. The view is still prevalent among anthropologists and linguists that the great majority of American Indian writing systems conform to one or two global "primitive" types. Our study of the Silas John script casts doubt upon this position, for it demonstrates that fundamental emic distinctions remain to be discovered and that existing etic frameworks are less than adequatelyequipped to describe them. The implications of these findings are clear. On the one hand, we must acknowledge the possibility that several structurally distinct forms of writing were developed by North America's Indian cultures. Concomitantly, we must be prepared to aabandon traditional ideas of typological similarity and simplicity among thes systems in favor of those that take into account variation and complexity. PMID- 17806569 TI - Science's Role in the World Health Organization. AB - One hears often of the financial contributions made by the United States to the support of activities within the U.N. system, but much less frequently about benefits obtained. A particular instance of the latter is worth citing. An analysis was recently made by N.W. Axnick and J.M. Lane (3) of the costs associated with the protection of the United States against smallpox in 1968. This was estimated to be $153.8 million, of which $0.7 million was contributed to WHO specially earmarked for its smallpox eradication program, and $3 million in U.S. bilateral assistance to 19 countries in West Africa. Ihe success of the WHO directed smallpox eradication program throughout the world has resulted in a 1972 decision by U.S. authorities to discontinue routine vaccination of the general population and of smallpox vaccination requirements for international travel to smallpox-free countries, which was estimated to involve economic costs of $135.7 million during 1968. The total current U.S. contribution (1972) to all activities of WHO is $27.6 million. Thus it will be seen that very substantial savings, probably exceding $100 million annually, wili accrue to the United States from the work of WHO on smallpox alone. PMID- 17806570 TI - Higher education in britain: polytechnics to the fore. PMID- 17806571 TI - Peer review: edwards denies system will be undone. PMID- 17806572 TI - Oceanography: albatross of diplomacy haunts seafaring scientists. PMID- 17806573 TI - Colleges sue for release of funds. PMID- 17806575 TI - Land use control: rockefeller task force calls for boldness. PMID- 17806574 TI - Physicians who falsify drug data. PMID- 17806576 TI - Organic crystals: hints of extraordinary conductivity. PMID- 17806577 TI - Influenza: the last of the great plagues. PMID- 17806578 TI - ERTS: Surveying Earth's Resources from Space. AB - Several errors occurred in the Research News story "ERTS: Surveying earth's resources from space" (6 Apr. 1973) by Thomas H. Maugh II. In column 3, page 50, the statement, "It thus maps an area of about 6.5 km(2) every day," should read "6.5 x 10(6) km(2)." In Fig. 3, the land masses are identified as Manhattan and Staten Island; actually, the spit at the left of the figure is Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and the barrier beaches further north are Rockaway, Long Beach, and Jones Beach, from left to right. The negative for Fig. 4 was inadvertently flipped over so that the illustration is a mirror image of the actual picture. It has also since been brought to the author's attention that " the previously unsuspected difference in salinity" in the Great Salt Lake described in the caption of Fig. 2 was, in fact, well known before the ERTS picture was taken. PMID- 17806579 TI - Avalanche mode of motion: implications from lunar examples. AB - A large avalanche (21 square kilometers) at the Apollo 17 landing site moved out several kilometers over flat ground beyond its source slope. If not triggered by impacts, then it was as "efficient" as terrestrial avalanches attributed to air cushion sliding. Evidently lunar avalanches are able to flow despite the lack of lubricating fluid. PMID- 17806580 TI - Monoclinic hydroxyapatite. AB - The existence of a monoclinic phase of hydroxyapatite, Ca(2)(PO(4))(4)OH, has been confirmed, by single-crystal structure analysis (weighted "reliability" factor = 3.9 percent on |F|(2)). The structure has space group P21/b, a = 9.4214(8) angstroms, b = 2a, c = 6.8814(7) angstroms, and gamma = 120 degrees , and is analogous to that of chlorapatite. The distortions from the hexagonal structure with which the monoclinic structure is pseudosymmetric are similar to those in chlorapatite, including enlargement of that triangular array of oxygen atoms in which the chlorine ion or, in hydroxyapatite, the hydroxyl hydrogen ion is approximately centered. The hydroxyapatite specimen was prepared by the conversion of a single crystal of chlorapatite in steam at 1200 degrees C, was mimetically twinned, and was approximately 37 percent monoclinic. PMID- 17806581 TI - Ice nucleation: elemental identification of particles in snow crystals. AB - A scanning field-emission electron microscope combined with an x-ray analyzer is used to locate the ice nucleus within a three-dimensional image of a snow crystal and determine the chemical composition of the nucleus. This makes it possible to better understand the effect of nuclei in cloud seeding. PMID- 17806582 TI - Europium anomaly in plagioclase feldspar: experimental results and semiquantitative model. AB - The partition of europium between plagioclase feldspar and magmatic liquid is considered in terms of the distribution coefficients for divalent and trivalent europium. A model equation is derived giving the europium anomaly in plagioclase as a function of temperature and oxygen fugacity. The model explains europium anomalies in plagioclase synthesized under controlled laboratory conditions as well as the variations of the anomaly observed in natural terrestrial and extraterrestrial igneous rocks. PMID- 17806583 TI - Stochastic generation of regular distributions. AB - A new class of models is proposed to describe the dynamic processes leading to the establishment of regular spatial patterns of structures in natural systems. Simple mathematical arguments are used to compute the saturating densities of the distributions, and these results are verified by computer simulation of model systems. PMID- 17806584 TI - Apollo 17 seismic profiling: probing the lunar crust. AB - Apollo 17 seismic data are interpreted to determine the structure of the lunar crust to a depth of several kilometers. Seismic velocity increases in a marked stepwise manner beneath the Taurus-Littrow region at the Apollo 17 site. A thickness of about 1200 meters is indicated for the infilling mare basalts at Taurus-Littrow. The apparent velocity is high (about 4 kilomleters per second) in the material immediately underlying the basalts. PMID- 17806585 TI - Condensation nucleus discriminator making optical measurements on fog: a tool for environmental research. AB - An instrument providing a new, rapid, and accurate method of determining the number and critical radii of condensation nuclei with radii under 200 angstroms is described. Based on the principle of the cloud chamber, the instrument measures transient changes in the attenuation and scattering of a monochromatic light beam by the growing fog droplets. From data obtained the absolute number concentration and radii of condensation nuclei can be calculated. Preliminary studies of aerosol formation in beta-irradiated mixtures of air and sulfur dioxide showed that carbon monoxide and methane inhibit the formation of nuclei; relative rate constants can be deduced. Some applications of this instrument for environmental and basic research are pointed out. PMID- 17806586 TI - Reproductive isolation of two tortricid moth species by different ratios of a two component sex attractant. AB - Two tortricid mitoth species, Adoxophyes orana and Clepsis spectrana, utilize the samne two isomers, cis-9- and cis-l1-tetradecenyl acetate, as their sex attractant. Commnlunication between the sexes of each species is separated effectively by a different blendinig of both compounds by the females and a different response to these blends by the males. PMID- 17806588 TI - Phanerozoic taxonomic diversity: a test of alternate models. PMID- 17806587 TI - Tool-making and tool-using in the northern blue jay. AB - Laboratory-raised Northeirn blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) have been observed tearing pieces from pages of newspaper and utilizing them as tools to rake in food pellets which were otherwise out of reach. The frequency of this behavior was dependenit upon the motivational state of the jay and the presence of food pellets. PMID- 17806589 TI - Literature. PMID- 17806590 TI - Amino Acid analyzer. PMID- 17806591 TI - Electron spectrometer. PMID- 17806592 TI - Rh incompatibility. PMID- 17806593 TI - Automated thin-layer chromatography. PMID- 17806594 TI - Moroccan crustal response to continental drift. AB - The refercnce to Bouguer anomalies in the caption to Fig. 2 of the report by W. H. Kanes et al. (Science, 1 June 1973, p. 950) is in error. Isostatic anomalies are meant.-Ed. PMID- 17806595 TI - National Academy of Engineering: Move toward Separate Status. AB - In a news story on the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) (Science, 18 May, p. 717), in the sentence beginning "In the engineers' view, the March decision became inevitable after the NAE cotuncil for the third time rejected a formula on governance..." the first reference the "NAE council" should have read "NAS council." PMID- 17806596 TI - THE DENVER MEETING. PMID- 17806597 TI - REGENERATION AND LIABILITY TO INJURY. PMID- 17806598 TI - SOME CONDITIONS INFLUENCING SUCCESS AT SCHOOL. PMID- 17806599 TI - MEMBERSHIP OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17806600 TI - THE VISUAL PERCEPTION OF SPACE. PMID- 17806602 TI - THE BRITISH CONGRESS ON TUBERCULOSIS. PMID- 17806601 TI - CIRCULAR OF INFORMATION IN REGARD TO THE CAUSATION AND PREVENTION OF MALARIAL FEVER. PMID- 17806603 TI - GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS AT PIKERMI. PMID- 17806604 TI - NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17806605 TI - ARTHUR CAYLEY. PMID- 17806606 TI - THE PROTOLENUS FAUNA. PMID- 17806608 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (VI.). PMID- 17806607 TI - VOLCANIC DUST IN TEXAS. PMID- 17806610 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17806609 TI - A LARGE REFLECTOR FOR THE LICK OBSERVATORY. PMID- 17806611 TI - PERMANENT ELEMENTS IN THE FLUX OF PRESENT-DAY PHYSICS. PMID- 17806612 TI - THE MUTUAL INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN THE ANIMAL BODY. PMID- 17806613 TI - SCIENTIFIC NAMES. PMID- 17806614 TI - SOME LIMITATIONS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD IN BIOLOGY. PMID- 17806615 TI - ADSORPTION AND EMULSION FORMATION. PMID- 17806616 TI - INVESTIGATIONS OF APPLICATIONS OF IODINE. PMID- 17806617 TI - EXCYSTATION OF COCCIDIAL OOCYSTS IN VIVO. PMID- 17806618 TI - WHAT IS THE BEST SYSTEM OF PRESENTING BIBLIOGRAPHIES? PMID- 17806619 TI - AN ELECTRIC KYMOGRAPH. PMID- 17806620 TI - A POSSIBLE RELATION BETWEEN NATURAL (EARTH) RADIATION AND GENE MUTATIONS. PMID- 17806621 TI - THE EFFECT OF VARYING THE DURATION OF X-RAY TREATMENT UPON THE FREQUENCY OF MUTATION. PMID- 17806622 TI - OVARIAN CHANGES DURING PREGNANCY IN THE RAT. PMID- 17806623 TI - PHYSICAL CONDITION AND EXERCISE. PMID- 17806624 TI - THE SIGHT OF BIRDS. PMID- 17806625 TI - THE LONDON PREHISTORIC SKULL. PMID- 17806627 TI - NO "LOST CONTINENT" IN PACIFIC OCEAN. PMID- 17806626 TI - ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONQUEST OF YELLOW FEVER. PMID- 17806628 TI - EOSINOPHILES IN MASTOID INFECTION. PMID- 17806629 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE KANSAS CITY MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17806630 TI - WAS THERE A PACIFIC CONTINENT? PMID- 17806631 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806632 TI - ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT AND ANTI-RACHITIC VITAMIN IN THE HENS' EGGS. PMID- 17806633 TI - ANENT THE "HARMLESS" CORAL SNAKE. PMID- 17806634 TI - NOMENCLATURE OF VITAMINES. PMID- 17806635 TI - THE STRUCTURE OF HIGH- (OR beta-) QUARTZ. PMID- 17806636 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF SOFT X-RAYS. PMID- 17806637 TI - THE NUMBER AND ARRANGEMENT OF FLAGELLA OF THE TYPHOID FEVER GERM, BACILLUS TYPHI. PMID- 17806638 TI - Prophecy Fulfilled. PMID- 17806639 TI - A Scientific Society--The Beginnings: Our nascent scientific society has ingested science but has not yet begun to digest and assimilate it. PMID- 17806640 TI - Mineral Raw Materials in the National Economy: Increases in world population and living standards call for a reevaluation of the domestic potential. PMID- 17806641 TI - To Test or Not to Test: Kennedy's Remarks at His Press Conference Make the Answer Quite Clear. PMID- 17806642 TI - Disarmament Agency: It Has Suddenly Stepped into Public View. PMID- 17806643 TI - Saucers, Pancakes, and Such. PMID- 17806644 TI - Conflicts of Interest: White House Issues Policy Statement on Use of Outside Consultants. PMID- 17806645 TI - Mathematics (Section A). PMID- 17806646 TI - Physics (Section B). PMID- 17806647 TI - Biology and Mathematics (A3). PMID- 17806648 TI - Geology and Geography (Section E). PMID- 17806649 TI - Astronomy (Section D). PMID- 17806651 TI - Society of Protozoologists (F2). PMID- 17806650 TI - Chemistry (Section C). PMID- 17806652 TI - Hormonal and Neural Bases of Reproductive Behavior. PMID- 17806653 TI - American Society of Zoologists (F1). PMID- 17806654 TI - Zoological Sciences (Section F). PMID- 17806655 TI - Anthropology (Section H). PMID- 17806656 TI - Botanical Sciences (Section G). PMID- 17806657 TI - Biomedical Information-Processing Organization (FG3). PMID- 17806658 TI - Society of Systematic Zoology (F3). PMID- 17806659 TI - American Society of Criminology (K3). PMID- 17806660 TI - Social and Economic Sciences (Section K). PMID- 17806661 TI - Psychology (Section I). PMID- 17806662 TI - American Sociological Association (K4). PMID- 17806663 TI - Medical Sciences (Section N). PMID- 17806664 TI - Management Science (K6). PMID- 17806666 TI - Pharmaceutical Sciences (Section Np). PMID- 17806665 TI - Dentistry (Section Nd). PMID- 17806667 TI - Agriculture (Section O). PMID- 17806668 TI - Land and Water Use. PMID- 17806669 TI - Education (Section Q). PMID- 17806670 TI - The Shaping of a Scientist. PMID- 17806671 TI - The Exceptional Child. PMID- 17806672 TI - Creativity in Science. PMID- 17806673 TI - Science Teaching Societies (Q8). PMID- 17806674 TI - American Nature Study Society (X3). PMID- 17806675 TI - Conference on Scientific Communication (X5). PMID- 17806676 TI - Scientific Research Society of America (X11). PMID- 17806677 TI - Conference on Scientific Manpower (X6). PMID- 17806678 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806679 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806680 TI - Humane Killing of Crustaceans. PMID- 17806681 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806682 TI - Support for Medical Research. PMID- 17806683 TI - Studies of the Cuna Religion. PMID- 17806684 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806686 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806685 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806687 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806688 TI - Shelter and Survival. PMID- 17806689 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806690 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806692 TI - Letter to the Editor. PMID- 17806691 TI - Isosceles Triangles and the Center of Population. PMID- 17806694 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17806693 TI - Arctic Research. PMID- 17806695 TI - THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. PMID- 17806696 TI - GEORGE D. SHEPARDSON. PMID- 17806697 TI - GEORGE E. BEYER; 1861-1926. PMID- 17806698 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806699 TI - THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF DE REVOLUTIONIBUS ORBIUM COELESTIUM. PMID- 17806700 TI - COMMENTS ON "VACUOLES". PMID- 17806701 TI - FLUORIDES VERSUS FLUOSILICATES AS INSECTICIDES. PMID- 17806702 TI - ON THE RETENTION OF A BALL BY A VERTICAL WATER JET. PMID- 17806703 TI - THE BASIS OF REFLEX COORDINATION. PMID- 17806705 TI - Grain elevator safety. PMID- 17806704 TI - THE MILLS COLLEGE MEETING OF THE PACIFIC DIVISION. PMID- 17806706 TI - Computer testing. PMID- 17806708 TI - Upgrading Policy Analysis: The NSF Role. PMID- 17806707 TI - Grain elevator safety. PMID- 17806709 TI - Oceanographic events during el nino. AB - El Nino events, the most spectacular instances of interannual variability in the ocean, have profound consequences for climate and the ocean ecosystem. The 1982 1983 El Nino is perhaps the strongest in this century. El Nino events usually have followed a predictable pattern, but the recent event differs markedly. The physical oceanography of this El Nino is described and compared with that of earlier events. PMID- 17806710 TI - Meteorological aspects of the el nino/southern oscillation. AB - The single most prominent signal in year-to-year climate variability is the Southern Oscillation, which is associated with fluctuations in atmospheric pressure at sea level in the tropics, monsoon rainfall, and wintertime circulation over North America and other parts of the extratropics. Although meteorologists have known about the Southern Oscillation for more than a half century, its relation to the oceanic El Nino phenomenon was not recognized until the late 1960's, and a theoretical understanding of these relations has begun to emerge only during the past few years. The past 18 months have been characterized by what is probably the most pronounced and certainly the best-documented El Nino/Southern Oscillation episode of the past century. In this review meteorological aspects of the time history of the 1982-1983 episode are described and compared with a composite based on six previous events between 1950 and 1975, and the impact of these new observations on theoretical interpretations of the event is discussed. PMID- 17806712 TI - How to Win Buildings and Influence Congress: A lobbying firm raises university construction funds and a storm of criticism through pork barrel politics. PMID- 17806711 TI - Biological consequences of el nino. AB - Observations of the 1982-1983 El Nino make it possible to relate the anomalous ocean conditions to specific biological responses. In October 1982 upwelling ecosystems in the eastern equatorial Pacific began a series of transitions from the normal highly productive condition to greatly reduced productivity. The highly productive condition had returned by July 1983. Nutrients, phytoplankton biomass, and primary productivity are clearly regulated by the physical changes of El Nino. Evidence from 1982 and 1983 also suggests effects on higher organisms such as fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, but several more years of observation are required to accurately determine the magnitude of the consequences on these higher trophic levels. PMID- 17806713 TI - The Pentagon's Ambitious Computer Plan: It wants to spend $600 million on artificial intelligence for smarter weapons systems. PMID- 17806714 TI - Historians Deplore Classification Rules: New restrictions on classification and declassification of documents are hampering historical research. PMID- 17806715 TI - Yellow Rain on Darwin's White Roses. PMID- 17806716 TI - EPA tightens pesticide, toxic chemical testing. PMID- 17806717 TI - Debate on Learning Theory Is Shifting: Though many psychologists and ethologists now agree on using a mechanistic approach, some linguists doubt its adequacy. PMID- 17806718 TI - Another Promising Code Falls: A code that looked too good to be true has a fatal weakness and now can be broken in a few seconds. PMID- 17806719 TI - Great basin archeology: man and environment in the great basin. PMID- 17806720 TI - The nursing profession: nursing history. PMID- 17806721 TI - The polar magnetosphere: high-latitude space plasma physics. PMID- 17806722 TI - Sedimentary processes: geochemistry of sedimentary ore deposits. PMID- 17806723 TI - Ethane ocean on titan. AB - It is proposed that Saturn's satellite Titan is covered by an ocean one to several kilometers deep consisting mainly of ethane. If the ocean is in thermodynamic equilibrium with an atmosphere of 3 percent (mole fraction) methane, then its composition is roughly 70 percent ethane, 25 percent methane, and 5 percent nitrogen. Photochemical models predict that ethane is the dominant end product of methane photolysis so that the evolving ocean is both the source and sink for continuing photolysis. The coexisting atmosphere is compatible with Voyager data. PMID- 17806724 TI - Heat Transfer in Magma in situ. AB - Heat transfer rates in a basaltic magma were measured under typical magma chamber conditions and a numerical model of the experiment was used to estimate magma viscosity. The results are of value for assessing methods of thermal energy extraction from magma bodies in the upper crust as well as for modeling the evolutionary track of these systems. PMID- 17806725 TI - Mesozoic mammals from Arizona: new evidence on Mammalian evolution. AB - Knowledge of early mammalian evolution has been based on Old World Late Triassic Early Jurassic faunas. The discovery of mammalian fossils of approximately equivalent age in the Kayenta Formation of northeastern Arizona gives evidence of greater diversity than known previously. A new taxon documents the development of an angular region of the jaw as a neomorphic process, and represents an intermediate stage in the origin of mammalian jaw musculature. PMID- 17806726 TI - Determination of thermal histories of archeological cereal grains with electron spin resonance spectroscopy. AB - The thermal histories of archeological cereal grains were examined by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Studies with modern samples of heated cereal grain showed that the parameters of the electron spin resonance signal characterize the maximum temperature to which the sample had previously been heated. This technique has applicability in archeology and other disciplines. PMID- 17806727 TI - A Climatic Freshening of the Deep Atlantic North of 50{degrees}N over the Past 20 Years. AB - Observations made in summer 1981 show a significant and widespread decrease in salinity, averaging 0.02 per mil, in deep waters of the subpolar North Atlantic over the past two decades. This implies a relatively rapid response of deep water formation to climatic perturbation. PMID- 17806729 TI - Ethanol modulation of opiate receptors in cultured neural cells. PMID- 17806728 TI - Nitrous oxide production in nearshore marine sediments. AB - Coastal marine sediments are shown to be a net source of nitrous oxide. The rates of nitrous oxide flux from sediments in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, ranged from 20 to more than 900 nanomoles per square meter per hour. Sediments from a eutrophic area had higher rates of net nitrous oxide production than sediments from relatively unpolluted sites. The benthic, nitrous oxide source exceeds the nitrous oxide source to the bay from sewage treatment plant effluent. PMID- 17806730 TI - Ethanol modulation of opiate receptors in cultured neural cells. PMID- 17806731 TI - Ethanol modulation of opiate receptors in cultured neural cells. PMID- 17806732 TI - Olfactory function after bulbectomy. PMID- 17806733 TI - A biologist visits cuba. PMID- 17806734 TI - Abuses of citation indexing. PMID- 17806735 TI - Geographical Distribution of NSF Grants. PMID- 17806736 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17806737 TI - Will, money, and giantism. PMID- 17806738 TI - Control by accountants. PMID- 17806739 TI - Weather modification: implications of the new horizons in research. PMID- 17806740 TI - Destruction of molecules by nuclear transformations. PMID- 17806741 TI - "The man-made world," a new course for high schools. PMID- 17806742 TI - Money for Research: LBJ's Advisers Urge Scientists To Seek Public Support. PMID- 17806743 TI - Harvard: beginning to worry about maintaining its faculty. PMID- 17806745 TI - Industrial emissions of carbon dioxide in the United States: a projection. AB - Carbon dioxide builds up in the eartht's atmosphere principally from increased use of fossil fuels. Estimates of the escalating uses of fossil fuels in the United States, especially for the generation of electric power and in the internal combustion engine, show that by the year 2000 emissions will have increased approximately eighteenfold from 1890. In the period 1965 to 1985 an emission-rate increase of around 4.0 percent per year compounded is expected. The expected intrusion and expansion of nuclear power will tend to lower the rates of increase of emission after 1985. Increases in emission rates in the rest of the world will probably equal or exceed the values projected for the United States. PMID- 17806746 TI - Ionium dating of igneous rocks. AB - Local fractionation of uranium and thorium, between minerals within a sample of igneous rock at the time of crystallization, makes it possible to date its solidification by use of ionium and uranium. Results on samples of granite, pumice, and lava suggest that this method of dating is reliable. PMID- 17806748 TI - Man-made lakes. PMID- 17806747 TI - Iodide abundance in oilfield brines in oklahoma. AB - Samples of subsurface water, oil, and rock from strata of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian age in the Northern Oklahoma Platform area were analyzed. Several of the water samples contained iodide at more than 500 parts per million. Analyses of the brines and rock indicated that the iodide originated organically. PMID- 17806749 TI - MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17806751 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17806750 TI - AN ETHNOGRAPHICAL COLLECTION FROM ALASKA. PMID- 17806752 TI - ELECTRICAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17806753 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17806754 TI - Indian Graves. PMID- 17806755 TI - Formation of the Explosive Chloride of Nitrogen by Electrolysis. PMID- 17806756 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17806757 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17806758 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17806759 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17806760 TI - More views on college admissions. PMID- 17806762 TI - DDT Observations. PMID- 17806761 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17806764 TI - Opposition to TIAA-CREF Bill. PMID- 17806763 TI - Scientific muckrakers' role. PMID- 17806765 TI - Troubled times for academic science. PMID- 17806767 TI - Recession in science: ex-advisors warn of long-term effects. PMID- 17806766 TI - Gel permeation chromatography. PMID- 17806768 TI - National academy of engineering selects new members. PMID- 17806771 TI - Discrimination: women charge universities, colleges with bias. PMID- 17806770 TI - Earth day: a fresh way of perceiving the environment. PMID- 17806772 TI - Recent deathe. PMID- 17806773 TI - Superconductivity in layered structure organometallic crystals. AB - Superconductivity persists in several, layered, transition metal dichalcogenide superconductors when the layers are spread apart to accommodate organic molecules between them. These materials are of interest not only because of their two dimensional character but also because they may provide a means for examining hypotheses regarding organic molecules and superconductivity. PMID- 17806774 TI - Radiation effects and oxygen vacancies in silicates. AB - Proton and electron irradiation of silicates, minerals, and rocks produces a paramagnetic defect whose resonance spectrum is identical to that of the singly charged oxygen vacancy in silica glass and alpha-quartz. It is suggested that this defect is characteristic of all structures containing SiO(4) tetrahedra. Cracks, fracturing, and electric discharges have been observed after irradiation in planes determined by the particle ranges. These processes may contribute to the erosion materials. PMID- 17806775 TI - Solar activity index: validity supported by oxygen isotope dating. AB - A significant correlation between oxygyn-18 concentration in a Greenland ice core and an index of solar activity supports the validity of the solar index. The correlation may result from an apparent control of temperature by solar activity. PMID- 17806776 TI - Coincidence of climatic and faunal fluctuations in pleistocene bermuda. AB - As the climate of Pleistocene Bermuda oscillated during the last two glacial cycles, coincident variation occurred for a variety of independent events in the form and diversity of land snails. This variation was influenced primarily by the availability of calcium carbonate for shell construction. PMID- 17806777 TI - Radioactivity induced in apollo 11 lunar surface material by solar flare protons. AB - Comparison of values of the specific radioactivities reported for lunar surface material from the Apollo 11 mission with analogous data for stone meteorites suggests that energetic particles from the solar flare of 12 April 1969 may have produced most of the cobalt-56 observed. PMID- 17806778 TI - Periphyton: autoradiography of zinc-65 adsorption. AB - The major site of sorption of zinc-65 in natural, matlike periphyton is on the upper surface of the community. There is a diffusion gradient within the community. Expression of results from short-term spiking experiments should thus be presented on an areal rather than gravimetric basis. PMID- 17806779 TI - Thoracic Temperature Stabilization byn Blood Circulation in a Free-Flying Moth. AB - The sphinx moth, Manduca sexta, maintains its thoracic temperature within a degree of 42 degrees C while in free flight over a range of air temperatures from about 17 degrees to 32 degrees C. Tying off the dorsal vessel abolishes temperature control. Moths with tied off vessels overheat and then stop flying at air temperatures of about 23 degrees C. However, flight at this temperature is possible when the thoracic scales are removed. The mechanism of temperature control involves transfer of the heat produced in the thorax to the blood pumped from the dorsal vessel, and the subsequent dissipation of this heat when the blood returns to the relatively cool abdomen. PMID- 17806780 TI - Antennal Receptors: Reactions to Female Sex Attractant in Periplaneta americana. AB - In Periplaneta americana, olfactory receptors on the antennae of male adults and nymphs respond at low threshold to the specific natural odorous attractant produced by virgin females. There are no receptors for that odor on the antennae of female adults or nymphs of any instar. PMID- 17806781 TI - Maize leaf elongation: continuous measurements and close dependence on plant water status. AB - A simple method was developed for measuring extensive intact leaves of monocots on a minute-by-minute basis. Growth was markedly reduced by a slight reduction in leaf water potential. When plants mildly deficient in water were irrigated, growth resumed virtually instantly. The transitional rapid growth aftr watering suggests that water deficit increased cell extensibility. PMID- 17806782 TI - Clutch size in birds: outcome of opposing predator and prey adaptations. AB - A model is proposed to explain clutch size in birds as the outcome of the interaction between predatory adaptations of birds to increase their feeding efficiency and adaptations of their food resources to avoid predation. Variations in clutch size are consistent with the model. A modification that incorporates the seasonality of food resources is also discussed. PMID- 17806783 TI - Circadian clock in insect photoperiodism. AB - Night-interrluption experiments with the wasp Nasonia vitripennis maintained in 48- and 72-hour light: dark cycles reveal two and three peaks of light sensitivity (diapause inhibition), respectively. The first peak is 19 hours after lights-on in all regimes tested; the later peaks occlur at 24-hour intervals thereafter, providing evidence for the circadian nature of the photoperiodic clock in this insect. PMID- 17806784 TI - Terrestrial and aquatic orientation in the starhead topminnow, fundulus notti. AB - Starhead topminnows from various shores of a small woodland pond were displaced to unfamiliar surroundings, and their orientation was tested in aquatic and terrestrial arenas. These fish used a sun compass to move in a direction which, at the location of their capture, would have returned them to the land-water interface. The fish accomplished directional terrestrial locomotion by using the position of the sun to align its body for each jump. On heavily overcast days many fish were unable to orient their bodies in a consistent direction from, jump to jump; this inability to orient resulted in random rather than linear movement. There was considerable individual variation in terrestrial locomotor ability. PMID- 17806785 TI - Quicklime: effects on soft-bodied marine organisms. PMID- 17806786 TI - Birth control for economic development? PMID- 17806787 TI - Initiation of the breakdown to turbulence. PMID- 17806788 TI - Origin of glass deposits in lunar craters. PMID- 17806789 TI - Hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase. PMID- 17806791 TI - Courses. PMID- 17806790 TI - Transplant donation procedures. PMID- 17806792 TI - Determinism: Bias and Complementarity. PMID- 17806793 TI - Cities in the Seas. PMID- 17806794 TI - The Cultures on the Campus. PMID- 17806795 TI - Advice for Congress. PMID- 17806796 TI - Igneous Rocks of the East Pacific Rise: The alkali volcanic suite appear to be differentiated from a tholeiitic basalt extruded from the mantle. AB - The apical parts of large volcanoes along the East Pacific Rise (islands and seamounts) are encrusted with rocks of the alkali volcanic suite (alkali basalt, andesine- and oligoclase-andesite, and trachyte). In contrast, the more submerged parts of the Rise are largely composed of a tholeiitic basalt which has low concentrations of K, P, U, Th, Pb, and Ti. This tholeiitic basalt is either the predominant or the only magma generated in the earth's mantle under oceanic ridges and rises. It is at least 1000-fold more abundant than the alkali suite, which is probably derived from tholeiitic basalt by magmatic differentiation in and immediately below the larger volcanoes. Distinction of oceanic tholeiites from almost all continental tholeiites is possible on the simple basis of total potassium content, with the discontinuity at 0.3 to 0.5 percent K(2)O by weight. Oceanic tholeiites also are readily distinguished from some 19 out of 20 basalts of oceanic islands and seamount cappings by having less than 0.3 percent K(2)O by weight and more than 48 percent SiO(2). Deep drilling into oceanic volcanoes should, however, core basalts transitional between the oceanic tholeiites and the presumed derivative alkali basalts. The composition of the oceanic tholeiites suggests that the mantle under the East Pacific Rise contains less than 0.10 percent potassium oxide by weight; 0.1 part per million of uranium and 0.4 part of thorium; a potassium:rubidium ratio of about 1200 and a potassium: uranium ratio of about 10(4). PMID- 17806797 TI - Infrared Spectroscopy and Catalysis Research: Infrared spectra of adsorbed molecules provide important information in the study of catalysis. AB - The examples discussed here represent only a small part of the published work relating to infrared spectra of adsorbed molecules. The publications in this field indicate that infrared spectroscopy is being used for surface chemistry research in about 50 laboratories throughout the world. This effort is mainly devoted to problems related to catalysis, and in this field infrared spectroscopy is the most widely used physical tool for surface chemistry studies. The general acceptance of infrared spectroscopy is primarily due to the fact that it provides information which is pertinent to the understanding of surface reactions on an atomic scale. During the last decade significant progress has also been made in the classical chemical techniques of catalysis study and in utilization of physical tools which depend on phenomena of magnetism, conductivity, low-energy electron diffraction, and electron emission. Probably the most important progress has been in the field of inorganic chemistry, where dramatic advances have been made in knowledge of metal coordination compounds. Such knowledge is vital to the understanding of catalysis on metal surfaces. I believe this progress has produced an attitude of sophisticated optimism among catalysis researchers with regard to eventual understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. This attitude is closely related to the realization that there is no "secret of catalysis" which places catalytic action beyond the limits of ordinary chemical knowledge (22). This view implies that the chemical aspects of heterogeneous catalysis are not unique and that the use of solid catalysts merely provides a highly effective exposure of catalytic atoms and facilitates separation of the products from the catalyst. Many capable catalysis researchers believe that studies of homogeneous catalysis provide the most direct route for the study of heterogeneous catalysis. Obviously homogeneous reactions catalyzed by compounds containing only one or two metal atoms do not leave room for effects associated with crystal parameters or with electronic band structure characteristic of the metallic state. At present, I believe, it is more reasonable to concede that these solid-state factors may play a role of secondary importance than to completely exclude them from consideration. The view that catalysis involves only conventional chemistry carried out under complicated conditions gives grounds for optimism, since it limits the boundaries of the problem. However, it also imposes a limitation on what might be expected from fundamental catalysis research. Most fundamental catalysis researchers do not rest their hopes on a single dramatic discovery which will make it possible to predict in detail the best catalyst for any specific reaction. The idea that catalysis researchers work with this goal in mind is as unrealistic as the idea that workers involved in practical catalysis development select constituents for catalysts by throwing darts at the periodic table. Although the fundamental catalysis researcher does not expect to advance ahead of general chemical knowledge, he does hope that he will not continue to lag behind. Infrared spectroscopy has provided a significant step toward closing the gap. PMID- 17806798 TI - Churchill College-- A Modern University College: New ideas are blended with traditional customs in both academic work and social life. PMID- 17806799 TI - Nobel Laureates: Bloch and Lynen Win Prize in Medicine and Physiology. PMID- 17806800 TI - Great Britain: Science and Labor's Squeak-in. PMID- 17806801 TI - Money for Science: NAS Studies Likely To Have Large Influence on Future of Government Support. PMID- 17806802 TI - Politics: Johnson and Goldwater Scientist Groups Show Differing Views on Civilian Technology. PMID- 17806803 TI - Interpretation of Ranger Photographs. AB - A dark stripe seen on the Ranger 7 photographs of the moon interrupts the ray patterns and fits a local pattern of lineation. This dark stripe is evidence of recent volcanism, of intermediate or acid type. PMID- 17806804 TI - Carbonate Deposits and Paleoclimatic Implications in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. AB - A narrow carbonate band consisting predominantly of Globigerina-rich sediments is present in the deep-sea deposits of the northeast Pacific Ocean extending almost parallel to the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Five radiocarbon dates in the cores from this area suggest that the greatest concentration of Globigerina-rich sediments occurred 27,000 to 12,000 years ago. This time interval corresponds roughly to the Vashon (late Wisconsin) glacial times in the Puget Lowland. The results suggest higher carbonate sedimentation in the northeast Pacific during glacial stages. PMID- 17806805 TI - Strontium Content and Variable Strontium-Chlorinity Relationship of Sargasso Sea Water. AB - Sargasso Sea water has a variable strontium-chlorinity relationship. This observation is contrary to the view that strontium in the ocean is in constant proportion to chlorinity. It is suggested that the increase in strontium concentration at 500 to 800 meters in Sargasso Sea water results from interaction between organic aggregates and the water. PMID- 17806807 TI - High-Pressure Polymorphs in the Silver Iodide Phase Diagram. AB - A good x-ray diffraction pattern has been obtained for the new phase of silver iodide stable in the vicinity of 3 kilobars at room temperature. A stability diagram of the six phases of silver iodide is presented to show the probable position of the narrow stability field of this phase. The x-ray diffraction data indicate that the cell symmetry of the new phase is probably orthorhombic. PMID- 17806806 TI - Crystal Structure of Weddellite. AB - On the basis of x-ray analysis of its crystal structure, weddellite (the tetragonal crystal of calcium oxalate polyhydrate) has been determined to be a zeolitic dihydrate salt. The oxalate ion has at least the symmetry 2mm and possibly the symmetry mmm. The calcium ion is coordinated with eight oxygen atoms arranged in the form of a distorted cubic antiprism. PMID- 17806808 TI - Effect of Traces of Large Molecules Containing Nitrogen on Hydrogen Overvoltage. AB - Organic amines, present in very small concentrations (below 10(-6) M) in 0.1N H(2)SO(4), cause a significant increase in hydrogen overvoltage, the effect being stronger the higher the molecular weight. The increase could be accounted for by the usual site-blockage concept. In the case of egg albumin, a drastic increase of over 300 mv was observed at 12.5 ma/cm(2) for a concentration of only 0.01 part per million. A new mechanism is proposed in which the dielectric constant and hydrogen-ion activity are believed to be depressed in a region twice as thick as the usual transition region. PMID- 17806809 TI - Enzymatic Mechanism for the Escape of Certain Moths from Their Cocoons. AB - An "escape hatch" from the cocoon of Antheraea pernyi is established by the hydrolytic action of a virtually pure proteinase which the moth first secretes and then dissolves by means of a solvent which maintains the enzyme at optimum pH. The proteinase is both synthesized and secreted by the maxillary galeae. The solvent derives from a pair of labial glands which have the form of long convoluted tubules lying alongside the foregut and opening to the exterior through a single aperture in the head. PMID- 17806810 TI - Plant Damage Caused by Irradiation of Aldehydes. AB - The report that damage to petunia has been correlated with the presence of aldehydes in the atmosphere is discussed in relation to recent laboratory findings. Laboratory investigations have shown that irradiation of formaldehyde in air will not cause plant damage to the varieties of petunia, pinto bean, and tobacco wrapper used, even when nitrogen oxide is added to the system. Irradiation of propionaldehyde in air does cause damage to these plants. Addition of nitrogen oxide to the irradiated propionaldehyde-in-air system does not markedly increase damage. PMID- 17806811 TI - Spore Discharge Mechanism in Basidiomycetes. AB - Spore discharge in basidiomycetes is effected primarily by the explosion of a small gas bubble in the area of the apiculus of the spore and by pressure of residual gas (probably carbon dioxide) that has accumulated between the inner wall and outer membrane of the spore apparatus. A somewhat similar mechanism of discharge has been discovered in an undescribed mycetozoan. PMID- 17806812 TI - Infestation of the Copepod Acartia tonsa with the Stalked Ciliate Zoothamnium. AB - An entire population of the copepod Acartia tonsa in the Patuxent River, Maryland, was infested with a stalked protozoan of the genus Zoothamnium. Each copepod had 25 to 200 ciliates attached around the appendages. The infestation occurred at the time when Acartia tonsa was being replaced as the dominant copepod by Acartia clausi. PMID- 17806813 TI - Inducing Resistance to Freezing and Desiccation in Plants by Decenylsuccinic Acid. AB - Decenylsuccinic acid induces resistance to desiccation, cold, and frost in young bean plants. When decenylsuccinic acid is sprayed on flowering peach, apple, and pear trees, most of the flowers are resistant to a frost of -6 degrees C. PMID- 17806814 TI - Circadian Leaf Movements in Bean Plants: Earlier Reports. PMID- 17806815 TI - Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems. PMID- 17806816 TI - Estuaries. PMID- 17806818 TI - Subunit Structure of Proteins. PMID- 17806817 TI - Bacterial Structure and Replication. PMID- 17806819 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17806820 TI - Nobel Laureates Issue Statement Supporting Johnson and Humphrey. PMID- 17806821 TI - (1)'ON THE ELECTRIFICATION OF AIR.'. PMID- 17806822 TI - (2)'ON THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF ROCK AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES.'. PMID- 17806823 TI - A DYNAMICAL HYPOTHESIS OF INHERITANCE. PMID- 17806824 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY (VIII.). PMID- 17806825 TI - ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY (LONDON). PMID- 17806826 TI - HAECKEL'S MONISM. PMID- 17806827 TI - THE GENUS ZAGLOSSUS. PMID- 17806828 TI - ANALYSIS OF WATER. PMID- 17806829 TI - NEW SOURCES OF FOOD. PMID- 17806830 TI - THE TAY BRIDGE DISASTER. PMID- 17806832 TI - GENERAL NOTES. PMID- 17806831 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MICROSCOPISTS. PMID- 17806833 TI - CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENCEPHALIC ANATOMY. PMID- 17806835 TI - SCIENCE AT BREAKFAST. PMID- 17806834 TI - DRY "MOUNTS" FOR THE MICROSCOPE. PMID- 17806836 TI - THE LATE MR. GREENE SMITH. PMID- 17806838 TI - BACTERIA IN THE AIR. PMID- 17806837 TI - DEYER'S ASTRONOMICAL RECORD. PMID- 17806839 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17806840 TI - PHLEBOTOMUS AND OROYA FEVER AND VERRUGA PERUANA. PMID- 17806841 TI - THE RELATION OF RESEARCH TO WEALTH PRODUCTION. PMID- 17806842 TI - FAMILY BUDGETS OF UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBERS. PMID- 17806843 TI - THE INDUSTRIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17806844 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806845 TI - PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE. PMID- 17806846 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF HYMENOLEPIS CARIOCA. PMID- 17806847 TI - THE WORD CARIBOU. PMID- 17806849 TI - THE LEAKAGE OF HELIUM THROUGH PYREX GLASS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17806848 TI - THE USE OF FRESH PIG OVARIES IN THE EMBRYOLOGICAL COURSE. PMID- 17806850 TI - EASY SAMPLING OF PLANT TISSUE. PMID- 17806851 TI - DIFFERENCES OBSERVED IN THE CONDITION OF THE SEA WATER AT THE MARGINS OF TWO OPPOSING TIDAL CURRENTS. PMID- 17806852 TI - THE INFLUENCE OF CO2 TENSION ON THE OXYGEN DISSOCIATION CURVE. PMID- 17806853 TI - THE REGULAR FALL MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL. PMID- 17806854 TI - Ecological Applications of Lansing's Physiological Work on Longevity in Rotatoria. PMID- 17806856 TI - The Centennial Celebration - Washington, D.C. September 13-17, 1948. PMID- 17806855 TI - Reid Hunt, 1870-1948. PMID- 17806857 TI - A Laboratory Test for the Virus of Poliomyelitis. PMID- 17806858 TI - Vitamin B12, A Cobalt Complex. PMID- 17806859 TI - Facts and Theories About Sympathins. PMID- 17806860 TI - A Synthesis of Benzylpenillic Acid. PMID- 17806861 TI - Atrophy of Ovaries Transplanted to the Spleen in Unilaterally Castrated Rats; Proliferative Changes Following Subsequent Removal of Intact Ovary. AB - An ovary placed in the spleen of an animal that has one normal ovary undergoes atrophy that starts as early as 24 days after transplantation. Severe atrophy is reached before 55 days, and subsequent changes are minor. The degree of atrophy is almost as intense as that noted in the hypophysectomized castrate animal with an ovarian transplant in the spleen (2). The transplanted ovary shows no evidence of any type of response to the hormonal influence that has stimulated the ovary that remained in situ. Removal of the normal ovary introduces the hormonal imbalance that was present in the original tumor animals. The atrophic ovarian parenchyma in the spleen in these, as well as in the hypophysectomized animals previously reported, retained its growth potentials and responded to the hormonal forces by assuming the changes that characterized the development of the luteoma. The action of the atrophic ovarian parenchyma is reminiscent of malignant cell deposits that may remain dormant or quiescent for long periods and then, for some unknown reason, suddenly undergo growth. PMID- 17806862 TI - Effect of Ryanodine on the Oxygen Consumption of Periplaneta americana. PMID- 17806863 TI - A New Method of Reporting Data on Reproduction and Lactation in the Mouse. PMID- 17806864 TI - A Staining Procedure for the Study of Insect Musculature. PMID- 17806865 TI - A Practical Method for the Illumination of Biological Material With Ultraviolet Rays. PMID- 17806866 TI - A New Tool for Infrared Studies. PMID- 17806868 TI - Musine grooming behavior. PMID- 17806867 TI - Atomic safety responsibility. PMID- 17806869 TI - Cancer policy statement. PMID- 17806870 TI - A decent, hardworking word. PMID- 17806871 TI - Mercury vapor sources. PMID- 17806872 TI - The dryden papers. PMID- 17806873 TI - Tenure. PMID- 17806874 TI - The outer solar system. PMID- 17806875 TI - National Academy of Engineering: Move toward Separate Status. PMID- 17806876 TI - Agriculture: social sciences oppressed and poverty stricken. PMID- 17806877 TI - Scientists go to washington. PMID- 17806878 TI - Cancer news: cancer society makes it with style. PMID- 17806879 TI - Academy response to shockley. PMID- 17806880 TI - Isospin in nuclei. AB - In the article "Isospin in nuclei" by D. Robson [179, 133 (1973)], several incorrect illustrations were included in Fig. 1. The errors include the following: row a, illustration 5; row b, the (6)(3)Li and (6)(5)B illustrations; and row c, the (6)(2)He illustration. A corrected version of Fig. 1 is shown below. PMID- 17806881 TI - Liquid helium-3: a new superfluid suggested. PMID- 17806882 TI - Cosmic ray sources: evidence for two acceleration mechanisms. AB - The dilference between the energy spectra of iron and other cosmic rays is interpreted in terms of two source mechanisms. One mechanism, possibly acceleration at neutron star surfaces, produces the iron, and another is responsible for the rest of the primary nuclei. Within this model, observations of high-energy cosmic rays could determine whether secondary nuclei are produced in the sources or in the interstellar medium. PMID- 17806883 TI - Obsidian hydration dates glacial loading? AB - Three different groups of hydration rinds have been measured on thin sections of obsidian from Obsidian Cliff, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The average thickness of the thickest (oldest) group of hydration rinds is 16.3 micrometers and can be related to the original emplacement of the flow 176,000 years ago (potassium-argon age). In addition to these original surfaces, most thin sections show cracks and surfaces which have average hydration rind thicknesses of 14.5 and 7.9 micrometers. These later two hydration rinds compare closely in thickness with those on obsidian pebbles in the Bull Lake and Pinedale terminal moraines in the West Yellowstone Basin, which are 14 to 15 and 7 to 8 micrometers thick, respectively. The later cracks are thought to have been formed by glacial loading during the Bull Lake and Pinedale glaciations, when an estimated 800 meters of ice covered the Obsidian Cliff flow. PMID- 17806884 TI - Rate constants for the reactions of hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals with ozone. AB - Chain decomposition of ozone by hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals has been observed. The rate constant at 3000 degrees K for OH + O(3)-->HO(2) + O(2) is 8 x 10(-14) cubic centimeters per second. The rate constant for HO(2) + O(3)--> OH + 2O(2), is 3 x 10(-15) cubic centimeters per second. These results have implications concerning stratospheric ozone. PMID- 17806885 TI - Magnetospheric dayside cusp: a topside view of its 6300-angstrom atomic oxygen emission. AB - An interference filter photometer on the ISIS-1l spacecraft generates global maps of the atomic oxygen emission at 6300 angstroms from the ionosphere. The most prominent feature observed is a band of permanent red aurora on the dayside of the earth, centered on magnetic noon at about 78 degrees magnetic (invariant) latitude, brighter than the quiet-time nightside aurora. PMID- 17806886 TI - Iguanid lizard from the upper cretaceous of Brazil. AB - Pristiguana brasiliensis, new genus and species, from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Formation of Brazil, is the oldest fossil referable to the living lizard family Iguanidae. It resembles living primitive South American iguanids in some features, but also shows similarity to members of the related family Teiidae. Iguanid fossils do not appear in North America until the early Eocene, probably by waif dispersal from South America during the late Paleocene or early Eocene. A southern continental (Gondwanan) origin of iguanids is more plausible than the northern one often suggested. PMID- 17806887 TI - Hypothermia of Broad-Tailed Hummingbirds during Incubation in Nature with Ecological Correlations. AB - The first continuous recordings of natural hypothermia, and the only evidences of hypothermia during incubation, were obtained from temperature sensors embedded in synthetic hummingbird eggs placed in the nests. Resorting to this energy conserving process was infrequent and could be correlated with reduced opportunity for energy intake. PMID- 17806889 TI - Invited lectures. PMID- 17806888 TI - Rifting and drift of australia and the migration of mammals. PMID- 17806890 TI - Introduction. PMID- 17806892 TI - Technical symposia. PMID- 17806891 TI - Central themes. PMID- 17806893 TI - Summaries of Mexico city meeting symposia. PMID- 17806894 TI - Canceled symposia. PMID- 17806895 TI - Molecular biology of human milk. PMID- 17806896 TI - Interferon. PMID- 17806897 TI - ELECTRICITY IN MINING. PMID- 17806898 TI - EVOLUTION OF MUSIC FROM DANCE TO SYMPHONY. PMID- 17806899 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17806900 TI - EXECUTION BY ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17806901 TI - PARASITES OF THE BLOOD. PMID- 17806902 TI - THE FOOD TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA. PMID- 17806903 TI - Strength: How to get Strong and keep Strong, with Chapters on Rowing and Swimming, Fat, Age, and the Waist. By RICHARD A. PROCTOR. London and New York, Longmans, Green, & Co. 12Dagger. 75 cents. PMID- 17806904 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17806905 TI - A Queer Maple-Tree. PMID- 17806906 TI - Lightning-Strokes. PMID- 17806907 TI - INDUSTRIAL NOTES. PMID- 17806908 TI - THE BEGINNINGS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN AMERICA. PMID- 17806910 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17806909 TI - RESEARCH COMMITTEES. PMID- 17806911 TI - MEDICINE AND RELATED ARTS IN CHEMICAL LABORATORIES. PMID- 17806912 TI - THYROID CULTURES OF PARAMECIA. PMID- 17806913 TI - AN INTERESTING COPEPOD FROM THE FINGER LAKES, NEW YORK. PMID- 17806914 TI - THE REST OF PERIOD OF SOLANUM TUBEROSUM IN RELATION TO AVAILABLE NITROGEN. PMID- 17806915 TI - THE CANADIAN BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN PHYTOPATHO-LOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17806916 TI - Translation by computer. PMID- 17806917 TI - Uncertainties of scientific exchange. PMID- 17806918 TI - Indigenous cultures. PMID- 17806919 TI - Production of services. PMID- 17806920 TI - Acceptable mass transportation. PMID- 17806922 TI - Politics and scholarship. PMID- 17806921 TI - AMA Membership. PMID- 17806923 TI - Observational paradoxes in extragalactic astronomy. PMID- 17806924 TI - The origins of taxonomy. AB - There are approximately 10 million kinds of olganisms in the world, of which we have described some 15 percent. The rapid growth of the human population will cause most of the remainder to disappear from the earth before they are seen by a taxonomist. These facts suggest a more rigorous application of priorities in systematic biology as well as a careful review of the principles upon which our taxonomic system is based. Folk taxonomies all over the world are shallow hierarchically and comprise a strictly limited number of generic taxa ranging from about 250 to 800 forms applied to plants and a similar number applied to animals. These numbers are consistent, regardless of the richness of the environment in which the particular people live. Very few specific and varietal taxa are recognized in folk taxonomic systems. Until the invention of movable type in the mid-l5th century, written taxonomies were simply records of the folk taxonomies of particular regions. Subsequently, with the possibility for the wide distribution of books, it began to seem worth while to attempt to describe and name all species of plants and animals in the world. By the year 1700, 698 genera of plants were recognized; and by the year 1778, some 1350 genera, including tens of thousands of species. In 1789 de Jussieu interpolated the family as a higher level taxonomic category in an attempt to reduce the number of important units in the system to a memorable number. The family is still the focal point in systems of angiosperm classification at present, several hundred families being recognized. Problems with the taxonomic system stem largely from the fact that it is not designed as an information retrieval device. In folk taxonomies, names are given to organisms and these are used to communicate about the organisms with others who already know the culturally significant properties of the organisms being discussed. In dealing with the vast numbers of organisms that exist, we tend to overemphasize the process of classification and the decisions it involves at the expense of the information about the organisms that we are supposedly accumulating. Frequent changes in names exacerbate the difficulties of the system and render it still less useful for information retrieval. With modern electronic data processing equipment, it has become possible to record information about organisms, to retain this information in a data bank, and to utilize it for various purposes, including the construction of various taxonomic systems. The invention of high-speed electronic data processing equipment is seen as analogous to but more important than the invention of movable type in the history of systematic biology. By using such equipment to its full potentialities, we should be able to achieve a qualitative improvement in our perception of the living world. PMID- 17806925 TI - Industrial laboratories: wither basic research? PMID- 17806926 TI - Higher education: reinforcement from the carnegie commission. PMID- 17806927 TI - Chile: planning for science faces obstacles old and new. PMID- 17806928 TI - Community mental health centers: storefront therapy and more. PMID- 17806930 TI - Problems at batavia: delays for high energy physics. PMID- 17806929 TI - Neuronal soma and whole neuroglia of rat brain: a new isolation technique. AB - In the report "Neuronal Soma and Whole Neuroglia of Rat Brain: A New Isolation Technique" by W. T. Norton and S. E. Podulso [167, 1144 (1970)], sentence 2, paragraph 3, column 1, p. 1144, should read: "The brains are trimmed of cerebellum and chopped fine (approximately 1 mm(3)) in an ice-cold medium consisting of 5 percent glucose, 5 percent fructose, and 1 percent bovine serum albumin (14) in 10 mM KH(2)PO(4)-NaOH buffer (pH 6.0)." PMID- 17806931 TI - Artificial microfossils: experimental studies of permineralization of blue-green algae in silica. AB - A technique has been developed to artificially fossilize microscopic algae in crystalline silica under conditions of moderately elevated temperature and pressure. The technique is designed to simulate geochemical processes thought to have resulted in the preservation of organic microfossils in Precambrian bedded cherts. In degree of preservation and mineralogic setting, the artificially permineralized microorganisms are comparable to naturally occurring fossil algae. PMID- 17806932 TI - Dielectric siphons. AB - The normally weak polarization force density, exerted on insulating dielectric liquids by a nonuniform electric field, is enhanced if high pressures are used. The result is a new class of orientation and guiding structures for liquids: electric "walls" contain the liquid. The dielectric siphon is an example of such a system. A simple laminar flow model for the device successfully describes the operation of the siphon. PMID- 17806933 TI - Paramagnetic ions in zoisite. PMID- 17806935 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17806934 TI - Critical phenomena. PMID- 17806936 TI - The geology of natural gas. PMID- 17806937 TI - The sculptures of Cozumalhuapa. PMID- 17806938 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17806939 TI - The ginkgo-tree. PMID- 17806940 TI - The classification and paleontology of the U. S. tertiary deposits. PMID- 17806941 TI - The scenery of Arizona. PMID- 17806942 TI - A rare dolphin. PMID- 17806943 TI - THE TYNDALL FELLOWSHIPS. PMID- 17806944 TI - THE LATEST VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17806945 TI - COMETS II AND III OF 1884. PMID- 17806946 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17806947 TI - THE LIQUEFACTION OF OXYGEN. PMID- 17806948 TI - THE FORM OF SHIPS. PMID- 17806949 TI - AN EDIBLE CLAM INTRODUCED ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. PMID- 17806950 TI - BONE-CAVES IN WALES. PMID- 17806951 TI - WORK OF THE CHALLENGER EXPEDITION. -- II. FROM A ZOOLOGICAL STAND-POINT. PMID- 17806952 TI - GLACIERS, AND THEIR ROLE IN NATURE. PMID- 17806953 TI - HOUSEHOLD SANITATION. PMID- 17806954 TI - This Week in SCIENCE. PMID- 17806955 TI - Jet-powered flight. PMID- 17806956 TI - Correction. AB - In the Research News article "A ;mitey' theory for gene jumping" (6 Sept., p. 1093), Jean Marx erred when she wrote that the groups of Marilyn A. Houck and Margaret G. Kidwell (Reports, 6 Sept., p. 1125) focused on Proctolaelaps regalis as a possible carrier of P elements among Drosophila species by a "process of elimination." Viruses were not screened for P elements during the study, as implied, nor were any other organisms. Rather, the work was initiated by acarologist Houck (then on the faculty of the University of Arizona), who was aware of P element history from conversations with the Kidwell lab. Houck and Ken Peterson, a postdoc in the Kidwell lab, then initiated the Southern blot analysis that pointed to the presence of P element DNA in P. regalis, and Jonathan Clark, a postdoc at Arizona's Center for Insect Science, significantly extended the work through the application of polymerase chain reaction. Their data do not exclude the possibility of viral participation in the system, however. PMID- 17806958 TI - Response. PMID- 17806957 TI - Erratum. AB - Shirey Malcom, in her editorial "Plugging the pipeline" (18 Oct., p. 353) mentions the AAAS Mentor Award and directs readers to page 387 of that issue. Because of a printer's error, a Call for Nominations for the Mentor Award did not appear on page 387 and appears instead in this issue (25 Oct., p. 587). PMID- 17806959 TI - Birds are birds. PMID- 17806961 TI - Chipping at the Edges of AXAF's Territory. PMID- 17806960 TI - X-ray astronomy: the unkindest cut. PMID- 17806962 TI - Rockefeller's $20 Million Gift. PMID- 17806963 TI - Lab of the rising microsuns. PMID- 17806964 TI - Nobel prizes '91: economics: transactional analysis. PMID- 17806966 TI - By jove, it works. PMID- 17806965 TI - Microbiologists look at biowarfare. PMID- 17806967 TI - Mt. Wilson Staves off Interference. PMID- 17806968 TI - Packard fellowships. PMID- 17806969 TI - Smart computer-assisted markets. AB - The deregulation movement has motivated the experimental study of auction markets designed for interdependent network industries such as natural gas pipelines or electric power systems. Decentralized agents submit bids to buy commodity and offers to sell transportation and commodity to a computerized dispatch center. Computer algorithms determine prices and allocations that maximize the gains from exchange in the system relative to the submitted bids and offers. The problem is important, because traditionally the scale and coordination economies in such industries were thought to require regulation. Laboratory experiments are used to study feasibility, limitations, incentives, and performance of proposed market designs for deregulation, providing motivation for new theory. PMID- 17806970 TI - X-ray diffaction evidence for nonstoichiometric rubidium-c60 intercalation compounds. AB - Powder x-ray diffraction at 300 K on equilibrated samples of several nominal compositions chi in Rb(chi)C(60) is reported. In addition to the face-centered cubic (fcc) (chi = 3, superconducting), body-centered tetragonal (chi = 4), and body-centered cubic (bcc) (chi = 6) stoichiometric phases, direct evidence for a dilute fcc doped phase, 0 x c 0.3 MeV are then (6.1 +/- 1.5) x 10(15), (3.9 +/- 1.0) x 10(15), (1.10 +/- 0.28) x 10(16), and (1.30 +/- 0.32) x 10(16) photons per second. The imaging of the strongest signal indicates a southeastern direction passing nearly overhead. The energy spectrum can be fit to an exponential with index 2.4 +/- 1.4. These transient events add to the already large backgrounds for celestial gamma ray sources. PMID- 17807614 TI - Physical mineralogy: structural and magnetic phase transitions in minerals. PMID- 17807615 TI - Confrontations close to home: contaminated communities. PMID- 17807616 TI - Some other books of interest: reviews in modern astronomy. PMID- 17807618 TI - Geologic tubes: explosion pipes. PMID- 17807617 TI - Some other books of interest: progress and opportunities in southern hemisphere optical astronomy. PMID- 17807619 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17807620 TI - A NEW GAS. PMID- 17807621 TI - THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY. PMID- 17807622 TI - GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION MEETING. PMID- 17807623 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17807624 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17807625 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17807626 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17807627 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17807628 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17807629 TI - THE SUPPOSED BIPOLARITY OF POLAR FAUNAS. PMID- 17807630 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17807631 TI - SOME REFLECTIONS CONCERNING VALENCE VARIATION AND ATOMIC STRUCTURE. AB - In bringing to a conclusion these few scattered reflections concerning valence variation and atomic structure, may I be permitted to say this: He who is experimentally inclined may henceforth take heart and he need not be quite so timid in interpreting strange chemical reactions on the assumption of possible anomaly in the valence of the reactants. The physicist has no hesitation in speaking of the temporary existence, at the higher temperature employed in spectroscopic work, of such molecules as BaCl, AlO, (HO), CH(+), CH(2), MgF, etc. Is it not possible that under the influence of surface forces somewhat similar valence variation may not be excluded even at lower temperatures? That these strange compounds are thermodynamically unstable may be true. Nevertheless, they may function as the mysterious catalysts, or as initiators of chain reactions. PMID- 17807632 TI - NEW CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION BASED UPON RESEARCHES ON THE TITANOTHERES AND THE PROBOSCIDEANS. PMID- 17807633 TI - GARDINER ON CORAL REEFS. PMID- 17807634 TI - MARINE TERTIARY IN ARIZONA. PMID- 17807635 TI - TREE TWIST. PMID- 17807636 TI - THE SO-CALLED AUTOXIDATION OF CYSTEINE. PMID- 17807637 TI - "AT THE TOP IS MAGIC". PMID- 17807639 TI - MAYAN SYMPOSIA AND EXHIBITS AT NEW ORLEANS. PMID- 17807638 TI - A NEW MUTATION IN THE HOUSE MOUSE (MUS MUSCULUS). PMID- 17807640 TI - THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17807641 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17807642 TI - THE COAST TRIBES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. PMID- 17807643 TI - LONDON LETTER. PMID- 17807644 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17807645 TI - A sensitive wind-vane. PMID- 17807646 TI - Comparative taxation. PMID- 17807647 TI - On certain electrical phenomena. PMID- 17807648 TI - Earthquake weather at sea. PMID- 17807649 TI - The characteristic curves of composition. PMID- 17807650 TI - A meteorological inquiry. PMID- 17807652 TI - Notes on the diet of amblystomas. PMID- 17807651 TI - Old maps of the Great Lakes. PMID- 17807653 TI - THE QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF ORGANIC REACTIONS. PMID- 17807654 TI - BACTERIOLOGY AS A NON-TECHNICAL COURSE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. PMID- 17807655 TI - TEACHING BY THE LECTURE SYSTEM. PMID- 17807656 TI - KAKICHI MITSUKURI. PMID- 17807657 TI - THE WESTERN EXCURSION FOLLOWING THE WINNIPEG MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17807658 TI - FOREST PRODUCTS INVESTIGATION. PMID- 17807659 TI - THE ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION FOR THE ERALDICATION OF HOOKWORM DISEASE. PMID- 17807660 TI - AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. PMID- 17807661 TI - A REPLY TO DR. PERCIVAL LOWELL. PMID- 17807662 TI - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLANETESIMAL HYPOTHESIS. PMID- 17807663 TI - AN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN CHEMICAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES. PMID- 17807664 TI - FAMILY RECORDS. PMID- 17807665 TI - THE MECHANICS OF BIOLOGY. PMID- 17807666 TI - NOTES ON ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17807667 TI - THE POSSIBLE EFFECT OF CEMENT DUST ON PLANTS. PMID- 17807668 TI - THE MOLECULAR CONSTITUTION OF SOLIDS. PMID- 17807669 TI - THE ALGAe OF THE ITHACA MARSHES. PMID- 17807670 TI - THE PROGRESS OF CHEMISTRY AND THE RICHMOND MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17807671 TI - THE LIMITATIONS OF TAXONOMY. PMID- 17807672 TI - THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH SITUATION IN THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES. PMID- 17807673 TI - WHAT IS A PLANT? PMID- 17807674 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17807675 TI - THE LUNAR ECLIPSES OF 1927. PMID- 17807676 TI - NATIVE AMERICAN APPLES. PMID- 17807677 TI - RESEARCH ON VIRUSES CAUSING PLANT DISEASES. PMID- 17807678 TI - BIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE. PMID- 17807679 TI - THE NATURE OF THE "INORGANIC PHOSPHATE" IN VOLUNTARY MUSCLE. PMID- 17807681 TI - POSSIBLE SOURCES OF SOME BOULDERS IN THE GLACIAL DRIFT OF MISSOURI. PMID- 17807680 TI - ON THE UPPER LIMIT OF VIBRATIONAL FREQUENCY THAT CAN BE RECOGNIZED BY TOUCH. PMID- 17807682 TI - ORIGINAL RESEARCH IN THE AMERICAN COLLEGE. PMID- 17807683 TI - THE FUNCTION AND CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS. PMID- 17807684 TI - THE FUNCTION AND CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS. PMID- 17807685 TI - THE ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17807686 TI - THE FUNCTION AND CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS. PMID- 17807687 TI - THE FUNCTION AND CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS. PMID- 17807688 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17807689 TI - ALASKA LETTER. PMID- 17807690 TI - ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES. PMID- 17807691 TI - MENTAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17807692 TI - The Formation and Dissipation of Sea-Water Ice. PMID- 17807693 TI - Wind Pressure and Velocity. PMID- 17807694 TI - The Geologists' Congress. PMID- 17807695 TI - AN EXPULSION OF SPARROWS. PMID- 17807696 TI - Sea-Water Ice. PMID- 17807697 TI - Eskimo and the Indian. PMID- 17807698 TI - The Pronunciation of 'Arkansas.'. PMID- 17807699 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17807700 TI - BOTANY OF THE FUTURE. PMID- 17807702 TI - MEASUREMENTS OF FOREST FIRE DANGER. PMID- 17807701 TI - NUCLEAR CONTROL OF CELL ACTIVITY. PMID- 17807703 TI - THE WOODS HOLE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17807704 TI - FILMY FERNS IN THE CAROLINAS. PMID- 17807705 TI - THE CAMBRIDGE MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17807706 TI - EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS PRODUCED BY INOCULATION OF HUMAN ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS. PMID- 17807707 TI - THE BEHAVIOR OF THE VIRUS OF YELLOW FEVER IN THE MOSQUITO, AEDES TRISERIATUS. PMID- 17807708 TI - A SIMPLE COMBUSTION TYPE OF CARBON MONOXIDE ESTIMATOR. PMID- 17807709 TI - CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-BREAKING AND BLUE NUCLEI AMONG CERTAIN COMMERCIAL TULIP VARIETIES. PMID- 17807710 TI - GROWING FUNGI ON CELLOPHANE. PMID- 17807711 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17807712 TI - Changing priorities? PMID- 17807713 TI - Changing priorities? PMID- 17807714 TI - Nuclear waste storage at yucca mountain. PMID- 17807715 TI - Response. PMID- 17807716 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17807717 TI - Could defense accelerator be a windfall for science? PMID- 17807718 TI - Shuttle mission to seek antimatter. PMID- 17807719 TI - HERA Physicists Finally Put Flesh on a Putative Particle. PMID- 17807721 TI - Leakey beaten by kenyan mob. PMID- 17807720 TI - Polymer cells achieve new efficiency. PMID- 17807722 TI - Antarctic drillers strike new depths. PMID- 17807723 TI - Etruscan tablet interpreted. PMID- 17807724 TI - Why Neurons Won't Regenerate. PMID- 17807725 TI - Roaring on the pacific rim. PMID- 17807726 TI - New member of dino family. PMID- 17807727 TI - NYU Primate Lab Changes Hands. PMID- 17807728 TI - Emplacement of cretaceous-tertiary boundary shocked quartz from chicxulub crater. AB - Observations on shocked quartz in Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary sediments compellingly tied to Chicxulub crater raise three problems. First, in North America shocked quartz occurs above the main K-T ejecta layer. Second, shocked quartz is more abundant west than east of Chicxulub. Third, shocked quartz reached distances requiring initial velocities up to 8 kilometers per second, corresponding to shock pressures that would produce melt, not the moderate pressure shock lamellae observed. Shock devolatilization and the expansion of carbon dioxide and water from impacted wet carbonate, producing a warm, accelerating fireball after the initial hot fireball of silicate vapor, may explain all three problems. PMID- 17807729 TI - Dark auroral oval on saturn discovered in hubble space telescope ultraviolet images. AB - Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet images of Saturn obtained with the Faint Object Camera near 220 nanometers reveal a dark oval encircling the north magnetic pole of the planet. The opacity has an equivalent width of approximately 11 degrees in latitude and is centered around approximately 79 degrees N. The oval shape of the dark structure and its coincidence with the aurora detected by the Voyager Ultraviolet Spectrometer suggest that the aerosol formation is related to the auroral activity. PMID- 17807730 TI - Urban leakage of liquefied petroleum gas and its impact on Mexico city air quality. AB - Alkane hydrocarbons (propane, isobutane, and n-butane) from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are present in major quantities throughout Mexico City air because of leakage of the unburned gas from numerous urban sources. These hydrocarbons, together with olefinic minor LPG components, furnish substantial amounts of hydroxyl radical reactivity, a major precursor to formation of the ozone component of urban smog. The combined processes of unburned leakage and incomplete combustion of LPG play a significant role in causing the excessive ozone characteristic of Mexico City. Reductions in ozone levels should be possible through changes in LPG composition and lowered rates of leakage. PMID- 17807731 TI - Polar standstill of the mid-cretaceous pacific plate and its geodynamic implications. AB - Paleomagnetic data from the Mid-Cretaceous Mountains suggest that Pacific plate motion during the Early to mid-Cretaceous was slow, less than 0.3 degree per year, resembling the polar standstill observed in coeval rocks of Eurasia and North America. There is little evidence for a change in plate motion that could have precipitated the major volcanic episode of the early Aptian that is marked by the formation of the Ontong Java Plateau. During the volcanism, oceanic plates bordering the Pacific plate moved rapidly. Large-scale northward motion of the Pacific plate began after volcanism ceased. This pattern suggests that mantle plume volcanism exerted control on plate tectonics in the Cretaceous Pacific basin. PMID- 17807732 TI - Boron nitride nanotubes. AB - The successful synthesis of pure boron nitride (BN) nanotubes is reported here. Multi-walled tubes with inner diameters on the order of 1 to 3 nanometers and with lengths up to 200 nanometers were produced in a carbon-free plasma discharge between a BN-packed tungsten rod and a cooled copper electrode. Electron energy loss spectroscopy on individual tubes yielded B:N ratios of approximately 1, which is consistent with theoretical predictions of stable BN tube structures. PMID- 17807733 TI - Vignettes: medical calculation. PMID- 17807734 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17807735 TI - THUNDER-STORMS. PMID- 17807736 TI - CUSTOMS OF COURTESY. PMID- 17807737 TI - GEORGE HAMMELL COOK. PMID- 17807739 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17807738 TI - The International Congress of Geologists. PMID- 17807740 TI - IS BEER-DRINKING INJURIOUS? PMID- 17807741 TI - THE ABORIGINAL MILLER. PMID- 17807742 TI - PARIS LETTER. PMID- 17807743 TI - A hairy human family. PMID- 17807744 TI - Atmospheric lines in the solar spectrum. PMID- 17807745 TI - The swindling geologist. PMID- 17807746 TI - Star rays and the corona. PMID- 17807747 TI - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PMID- 17807748 TI - Fort Ancient, Warren county, O. PMID- 17807749 TI - Early forms of writing. PMID- 17807750 TI - The West Indian seal. PMID- 17807751 TI - Butterflies in southern Connecticut. PMID- 17807753 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17807752 TI - On the coloration of mammals. PMID- 17807754 TI - THE AUSTRALIAN MEETING OF THE PAN-PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS. PMID- 17807755 TI - THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF RADIUM. PMID- 17807756 TI - THE SUBMERGED COASTAL PLAIN AND OLDLAND OF NEW ENGLAND. PMID- 17807757 TI - EXTENSIVE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY IN THE MIDDLE TERTIARY OF THE SOUTH TEXAS COASTAL PLAIN. PMID- 17807758 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17807759 TI - MR. BRYAN AND THE BISHOP. PMID- 17807760 TI - HYPERSENSITIVITY TO THE CASTOR BEAN. PMID- 17807761 TI - EXPERIMENTS WITH RATS ON THE INHERITANCE OF TRAINING. PMID- 17807762 TI - THE NON-INHERITANCE OF THE EFFECTS OF TRAINING. PMID- 17807763 TI - THE OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17807765 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17807764 TI - On Certain Loyalty and Security Hearings. PMID- 17807767 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17807766 TI - Fred E. Wright: 1878-1953. PMID- 17807768 TI - Structural Modification That Increases Translocatibility of Some Plant-Regulating Carbamates. PMID- 17807769 TI - Emeritus House. PMID- 17807771 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17807770 TI - National Association for Research in Science Teaching: A New Affiliated Society of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. PMID- 17807773 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17807772 TI - New Era of Geodesy. PMID- 17807775 TI - Some Glass Apparatus Improvements. PMID- 17807777 TI - A Defense against New Ideas. PMID- 17807776 TI - Cycle Analysis through Industry Study. PMID- 17807778 TI - THE PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF THE SENSITIVITY OF ANIMALS TO LIGHT. PMID- 17807779 TI - THE MECHANISM OF INJURY AND RECOVERY OF THE CELL. PMID- 17807780 TI - ISAO IIJIMA. PMID- 17807781 TI - POSITIVE RAY ANALYSIS OF LITHIUM. PMID- 17807782 TI - IMPOSSIBLE (?) STORIES. PMID- 17807783 TI - A REMEDY FOR MANGE IN WHITE RATS. PMID- 17807784 TI - THE RELATIVITY SHIFT OF SPECTRUM LINES. PMID- 17807785 TI - A NEW HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR GROWTH. PMID- 17807786 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17807787 TI - THE NEEDS OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17807788 TI - ADDRESSES AT THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW BUILDINGS OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. PMID- 17807789 TI - TIME RATIOS IN THE EVOLUTION OF MAMMALIAN PHYLA. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF THE AGE OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17807790 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17807791 TI - YOUNG WHITEFISH IN LAKE SUPERIOR. PMID- 17807792 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17807793 TI - IS THE POOR HATCHING OF NORMAL EGGS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MICROORGANISMS WITHIN THE EGGS? PMID- 17807794 TI - AN AVALANCHE OF ROCKS. PMID- 17807795 TI - HETERODERA RADICICOLA ATTACKING THE CANADA THISTLE. PMID- 17807796 TI - A NEW METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SOIL ACIDITY. PMID- 17807797 TI - EXPERIMENTAL EFFORTS TO RETAIN THE FRESHNESS IN CUT ROSE BLOOMS. PMID- 17807798 TI - Aspirations of black colleges. PMID- 17807799 TI - Those smelly roman lamps. PMID- 17807800 TI - Unknown species in the sea. PMID- 17807801 TI - Common leeches. PMID- 17807802 TI - Dynastic dutch. PMID- 17807803 TI - Guide for biology referees. PMID- 17807804 TI - Overconfidence in american technology. PMID- 17807806 TI - Congress, confusion, and indirect costs. PMID- 17807805 TI - The upper mantle of the Earth. PMID- 17807807 TI - Italy: first ph.d. Program stalled by new and old politics. PMID- 17807808 TI - ABM: Scientists' Loyal Opposition Finds a Forum. PMID- 17807809 TI - Lunar Science Institute: Link between NASA and Academe. PMID- 17807810 TI - Optical Studies of Pulsar NP 0532. AB - The period of optical pulsations from NP 0532 has been determined to within 3 nanoseconds on three different nights. The time rate of change of the period (dP/dt)(p) was 36.17 x 10(-9) second per day. The pulse shape was highly asymmetrical with strong indications of structure. The ratio of the amplitude of the main pulse to that of the interpulse varied with time. No evidence was found for photon coincidences in the pulse on a time scale shorter than 2 microseconds. PMID- 17807811 TI - Planetary probe: origin of atmosphere of venus. AB - The high temperatures and chemical composition, as determined by space probe and terrestrial observation, suggest that the present atmosphere of Venus has formed by chemical interaction with the lithosphere. Although the precise reactions have not been identified, good theoretical approximations to the molecular abundance may be obtained from reactions applicable to terrestial rocks. The high temperatures and chemical reactivity create conditions on Venus which are fundamentally different from those on the cooler terrestrial planets where the attainment of equilibrium is prevented by kinetic barriers. PMID- 17807812 TI - Thomy-headed worm infection in north american prehistoric man. AB - Examination of ova and parasites from coprolites of probable human origin revealed eggs of the phylum Acanthocephala. Specimens were gathered from Danger Cave in Utah, an area heavily populatd with definitive rodent hosts for the Acanthocephala species Moniliformis clarki. It is postulated that prehistoric man developed Acanthocephala infection by ingesting the arthropod intermediate host, or that he was a victim of false parasitism by ingesting the whole rodent. PMID- 17807813 TI - Glass-transition temperature of water. AB - The glass-transition temperature of water (T(g)) has been calculated by use of the Tammann-Hesse viscosity equation with the viscosity equal to 10(13) poise at T(g). The derived value of T(g),162 +/- 1 degrees K, is significantly higher than previous estimates. PMID- 17807814 TI - Gas vacuole development in a blue-green alga. AB - De novo productioni of gas vacutoles can be induced in the blue-green alga Nostoc muscorum by transferring the cells from a defined medium to distilled water. The unusual ultrastructure of the gas vacuole membranes permits their easy recognition when specimens are prepared for electron microscopy by freeze etching. The youngest gas vacuoles are biconical organelles; 48 hours after induction the gas vacuoles reach their miaximum observed length when they are cylinders (1.5 by 0.1 micro) with cornical ends. PMID- 17807815 TI - Conductivity and photoconductivity in egg white. AB - Activation energies of 1.47 to 2.94 electron volts were obtained in egg white. These values are too large to be consistent with the large observed currents if one uses a semiconductor model and indicate that the standard semiconductor model is inappropriate for this biological material. PMID- 17807816 TI - Microbody-like organelles in leaf cells. AB - An organelle approximately 0.5 to 1.5 microns in diameter, limited by a single membrane, occurs abundantly in the chlorophyllous cells of leaves of several dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plants. Its finely granular matrix frequently contains crystalline, fibrous, or amorphous inclusions. It is frequently appressed to a chloroplast or squeezed between chloroplasts so that its limiting membrane is in extensive contact with the outer membranes of the chloroplast envelopes. The organelle is probably identical with recently isolated leaf particles that contain enzymes involved in the metabolism of glycolate, a chloroplast product; it is interpreted as a form of plant microbody. PMID- 17807817 TI - New Antheridiogen from the Fern Onoclea sensibilis. AB - An antheridium-inducing hormone (antheridiogen) derived from the fern species Onoclea sensibilis (Polypodiaceae) is chromatographically distinct from the native antheridiogen of Pteridium aquilinum (Polypodiaceae). It also differs from the native antheridiogens of Lygodium japonicum and Anemia phyllitidis (Schizaeaceae). PMID- 17807818 TI - Fossil hominid taxonomy. PMID- 17807819 TI - Biological oceanography: models. PMID- 17807820 TI - Fluctuations in superconductors. PMID- 17807821 TI - The 84th Congress: Health and Medicine. PMID- 17807822 TI - Scientists and Engineers: Quantity plus Quality. PMID- 17807823 TI - Factors Limiting Higher Vertebrate Populations. PMID- 17807824 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17807825 TI - Scientific Meetings. AB - In the "Preliminary announcement of the seventh New York AAAS meeting," 25 May issue, page 949, the name "Society of Vertebrate Zoology" was mistakenly given as one of the cosponsors of the symposium on "Biotic communities in the past and today." The correct name of the society referred to is Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. PMID- 17807827 TI - News of Science. AB - Owing to a mistake in the release sent to us, the name of Willard H. Bennett appears as "Willard H. Beams" in the news item entitled "New Atom Smasher" on page 114 of the 20 July issue. PMID- 17807826 TI - Louis C. Karpinski, Historian of Mathematics. AB - In the obituary of Louis C. Karpinski on page 19 of the 6 July issue, the phrase "to the University of Strassbourg in France" is incorrect. Karpinski studied at the Kaiser Wilhelms-Universitat zu Strassburg when Strassburg was in Germany. PMID- 17807828 TI - Secondary-School Science Teachers. PMID- 17807829 TI - The Planet Pluto. PMID- 17807830 TI - Crucifix and Dagger. PMID- 17807832 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17807831 TI - Meriones. PMID- 17807834 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17807835 TI - Equipment News. PMID- 17807836 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17807837 TI - Mohole. PMID- 17807838 TI - "Brain Drain" Figures. PMID- 17807839 TI - Earthquake Source Mechanisms. PMID- 17807840 TI - The Bearing of Philosophy on the History of Science. PMID- 17807841 TI - Soviet-American Exchanges-- Tit-for-Tat Goodwill. PMID- 17807842 TI - SLAC: Stanford-AEC Accelerator Is Coming Along on Schedule, But Creating Some High Tension. PMID- 17807843 TI - Elliott Hearings Published. PMID- 17807844 TI - Origin of Diamonds in the Ureilites. AB - Diamonds in two of the three diamantiferous stony meteorites (ureilites) show a pronounced crystallographic orientation. This suggests that the diamonds were produced by shock during breakup of the meteorite's parent body rather than by high gravitational pressure. PMID- 17807845 TI - Xenon Fluorosilicate and Related Compounds. AB - The reaction product of Xe, F(2), and SiF(4) in a glow discharge has been shown to have a composition approximating Xe(2)SiF(6). It and a similar hexafluorophosphate are unstable at room temperature. A stable hexafluoro antimonate is formed from Xe, F(2), and SbF(5) at 250 degrees C. PMID- 17807846 TI - Mossbauer Effect for Surface Atoms: Iron-57 at the Surface of eegr A12O3. AB - The Mossbauer effect has been observed for Fe(57) atoms at the surface of eta Al(2)O(3). The Fe(57) is trivalent, and the quadrupole splitting found is consistent with a surface location. Anisotropy of thermal vibration relative to the surface is observed. PMID- 17807847 TI - Electrical and Thermal Measurements with Bridgman Anvils. AB - Multiple probe electrical and thermal measurements at high pressures can be made routinely with Bridgman anvils by using epoxide adhesive rings. PMID- 17807848 TI - Electrical Resistance of Cell Membranes of Avena coleoptiles. AB - The cell membrane resistance to direct current was measured in single cells for the first time in a higher plant tissue, oat coleoptiles (Avena sativa). On the assumption that the current density over the cell surface was uniform, a mean value of about 1300 ohm-cm(2) was found for cells in an external nutrient medium containing 1 mmole each of K(+), Na(+), and Ca(++) per liter. As expected, either decreasing K(+) concentration or increasing Ca(++) concentration increased the resistance. PMID- 17807849 TI - Sensitivity of Female Inbreds of Cucumis sativus to Sex Reversion by Gibberellin. AB - Two female inbred cucumbers were developed by substituting gene Acr for acr in the genetic backgrounds of the monoecious races Marketer and Tokyo, which exhibit weak and strong male tendency respectively. Marketer females are resistant and Tokyo females are sensitive to sex reversion in response to treatments with gibberellin A(3). Resistance and sensitivity of this type appear to depend upon the genetic system which controls sex tendency. PMID- 17807850 TI - Lower Limit of Water Availability to Plants. AB - Measurements of transpiration, cell division, and cell enlargement show that no single lower limit of available water can be defined for these three plant processes. The soil-water content at which permanent wilting is exhibited does not represent a true lower limit for any of these. PMID- 17807852 TI - Neutron Irradiations: Biological Effects. PMID- 17807851 TI - Zoonoses. PMID- 17807853 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17807854 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17807855 TI - Religion and scholarship. PMID- 17807856 TI - Jobs for mathematicians. PMID- 17807857 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17807858 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17807859 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17807860 TI - History of "ecology%". PMID- 17807861 TI - Terrestrial timekeeping and general relativity-a discovery. PMID- 17807862 TI - On the role of themata in scientific thought. PMID- 17807863 TI - Thematic Analysis in Science: Notes on Holton's Concept. PMID- 17807864 TI - Congress: House Votes Veto Power On All NSF Research Grants. PMID- 17807865 TI - Nuclear industry girds for battle. PMID- 17807866 TI - Arms controllers are pessimist eve of non-proliferation treaty review. PMID- 17807867 TI - Production of minority scientists. PMID- 17807869 TI - Some Bad News about Toxaphene. PMID- 17807868 TI - Health manpower bill: catch is distribution of doctors. PMID- 17807870 TI - GAO Gets a New R& D Chief. PMID- 17807872 TI - This oil not wanted. PMID- 17807871 TI - Buoys will be buoys. PMID- 17807873 TI - ERDA Shelves a Nuclear Waste Storage Plan. PMID- 17807875 TI - What is diabetes? What does it do? PMID- 17807874 TI - Diabetes: epidemiology suggests a viral connection. PMID- 17807876 TI - Quantitative formulation of reliability in stratigraphic correlation. AB - The probability that two stratigraphic events are in a particular order in a section in which they occur in sequence is p. Because of finite sampling, statistical techniques are used to calculate the parameters p' and p(l), which express the uncertainty of our knowledge of p; p' is the measured value of the maximum likelihood estimator of p and p(l) is the lower end point of the confidence interval on which p must lie. The most reliable sequence for stratigraphic correlation is obtained by maximizing the parameter p' (1-p(l)) between pairs of events. PMID- 17807877 TI - Molecular geometry in an excited electronic state and a preresonance Raman effect. AB - Observations of Raman spectra of various molecules at different exciting laser wavelengths lead to an empirical rule. If a Raman line becomes stronger when the exciting frequency is brought closer to the frequency of an electronic band, this means that the equilibrium conformation of the molecule is distorted along the normal coordinate for the Raman line in the transition from the ground to the excited electronic state. PMID- 17807878 TI - Chlorine compounds and stratospheric ozone. PMID- 17807879 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17807880 TI - SYLVESTER. PMID- 17807881 TI - THE GREAT FAULT AND ACCOMPANYING SANDSTONE DIKES OF UTE PASS, COLORADO. PMID- 17807882 TI - EXHIBITION IN SCIENCE BY THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17807883 TI - THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. PMID- 17807884 TI - THE GANODONTA OR PRIMITIVE EDENTATES WITH ENAMELLED TEETH. PMID- 17807886 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17807885 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17807887 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17807888 TI - NOTE ON A SIMPLE METHOD FOR NEWTON'S TOTAL REFLECTION EXPERIMENT. PMID- 17807889 TI - PROFESSOR SCOTT'S BIRD PICTURES. PMID- 17807890 TI - THE BRUCE ASTRONOMICAL MEDAL. PMID- 17807891 TI - CATHODE FILM CONTROL IN ELECTROMETAL DEPOSITION. PMID- 17807892 TI - THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS MADE PROFITABLE. PMID- 17807893 TI - THE ANTIVIVISECTION FIGHT IN ILLINOIS. PMID- 17807894 TI - AN ABSTRACTING SERVICE FOR TECHNIQUE IN BIOLOGICAL MICROSCOPY. PMID- 17807895 TI - A MODIFIED MEDIUM FOR THE STUDY OF INTESTINAL LACTOBACILLI. PMID- 17807896 TI - THE CULTURING OF FRESH-WATER AMOEBAE IN THE LABORATORY. PMID- 17807897 TI - ON AN ALKALOID FROM ERGOT. PMID- 17807898 TI - A SERLOGICAL OF THE ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS. PMID- 17807899 TI - INFLUENCE OF DEUTERIUM OXIDE ON THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS. PMID- 17807901 TI - THE MIGRATIONS OF PREHISTORIC MAN. PMID- 17807900 TI - REVERSIBLE PHYSICAL PROCESSES. PMID- 17807902 TI - EXPLORATIONS IN MID-SAHARA. PMID- 17807903 TI - SURGICAL TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS. PMID- 17807904 TI - THE JAPANESE BEETLE IN NEW HAVEN. PMID- 17807905 TI - THE COLLECTION OF REPTILES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. PMID- 17807906 TI - STATISTICS OF MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. PMID- 17807907 TI - THE NEED OF MORE WELL-TRAINED PRACTITIONERS OF MEDICINE. PMID- 17807908 TI - DOCTORATES CONFERRED IN THE SCIENCES BY AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES, 1922-1925. PMID- 17807909 TI - THE PROPOSED NATIONAL ARBORETUM AT WASHINGTON. AB - Nature. The proposed national arboretum at Washington would contain a permanent living collection of trees and other outdoor plants for purposes of scientific research and education. It would include the trees, shrubs, and perennials used in forestry and horticulture, and the wild relatives of these plants. It would be a bureau of standards for horticulture. It would contain a water garden and a wildrice preserve, and it would serve incidentally as a bird sanctuary. Economic value. The arboretum would make the work of the Department of Agriculture more valuable to the country in many ways, but especially through plant breeding. The development of faster-growing timber trees, improved fruits, and disease resistant plants generally, through the facilities afforded by the arboretum, would increase profoundly the agricultural wealth and welfare of the United States. Location. The Mount Hamilton and Hickey Hill tracts in the District of Columbia, together with the Anacostia River flats above Benning Bridge, constitute an admirable site for the arboretum, convenient in location and with a great variety of soils. Cost. About 400 acres of the proposed site is already owned by the government. It consists of marsh land, about to be drained by army engineers. The Mount Hamilton and Hickey Hill area, 408 acres, privately owned, was reported by the assessor in January, 1925, to be valued at $343,048, distributed among thirty owners. Maintenance. If the purchase of the Mount Hamilton and Hickey Hill tracts in the fiscal year 1927 is authorized, it is estimated that the cost of maintenance of the arboretum for the first three years would be as follows: 1927. Nothing 1928. $25,000 1929. $50,000. PMID- 17807910 TI - TRYPARSAMIDE. PMID- 17807911 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17807912 TI - NOTE ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE PROTOZOAN GENUS CRYPTOCHILUM MAUPAS. PMID- 17807913 TI - IS AN INTERNATIONAL LIST OF GENERA OF CULTIVATED PLANTS POSSIBLE? PMID- 17807914 TI - THE LOSSES IN TROUT FRY AFTER DISTRIBUTION. PMID- 17807915 TI - A NEW TYPE OF GASEOUS CATALYSIS. PMID- 17807917 TI - Manpower and Education. PMID- 17807916 TI - CONCENTRATION OF THE GROWTH-PROMOTING PRINCIPLE OBTAINED FROM YEAST. (VITAMIN B.). PMID- 17807918 TI - Scientists in the British Civil Service. PMID- 17807919 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17807920 TI - Subjective Evaluation and Reinforcing Effect of a Verbal Stimulus. PMID- 17807921 TI - Preparation of Pure Hydroxyapatite Crystals. PMID- 17807922 TI - Influence of "Aging" on the Characteristics of an Electrodeless Discharge. PMID- 17807923 TI - Beryllium-10 Produced by Cosmic Rays. PMID- 17807924 TI - Quantum Yields of Fluorescence of Plant Pigments. PMID- 17807925 TI - Influence of Crystalline Elastase on Experimental Atherosclerosis in the Chicken. PMID- 17807926 TI - Scientific Method, Statistical Inference, and the Law. PMID- 17807927 TI - Of Books and Reading. PMID- 17807929 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17807931 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807930 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807932 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807933 TI - Psychiatry. PMID- 17807934 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807935 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807936 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807937 TI - Specialization and medical education. PMID- 17807938 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17807939 TI - Automatic language processing: source of funds. PMID- 17807940 TI - Goals, priorities, and dollars. PMID- 17807941 TI - Cross-cultural teaching of science. PMID- 17807943 TI - Chemistry of silicon difluoride. PMID- 17807942 TI - Developments in federal policy toward university research. PMID- 17807944 TI - Medicine and politics: a fresh look at the british experience. PMID- 17807945 TI - Carnegie university: new institution emerging in pittsburgh. PMID- 17807946 TI - Electric utilities: technology leaps ahead of regulation. PMID- 17807947 TI - Grand canyon: udall drops controversial dam proposal. PMID- 17807949 TI - Superconductivity of metallic aluminum antimonide. AB - The high-pressure metallic phase of aluminunm antimnonide is super conducting [critical temperature T(c) (P approximately 125 kilobars) = 2.8 degrees +/-0.2 degrees K]. This transition temperature is significantly lower than the transition temperature of metallic germanium under an equivalent high pressure. A similar result had been previously found for superconducting indiumantimonide in comparison to tin. PMID- 17807950 TI - Indium as an impurity in ancient Western mexican tin and bronze artifacts and in local tin ore. AB - The presence of indium in a nodule of cassiterite from the State of Guerrero increases the probability that ancient tin and bronze artifacts from Guerrero, which contain indium as an impurity, were made locally from metal extracted from local tin ore. PMID- 17807951 TI - Molluscan Faunal Changes around Bermuda. AB - The recent appearance of large populations of certain adult marine mollusks in Bermuda shallows, unreported in previous surveys, suggests that an invasion is taking place, probably from Florida or the Bahamas, or from both. "Newcomers" grow to sizes larger than any known elsewhere, suggesting that the characteristically large sizes of some species in Bermuda reflect environmentalrather than genetic causes. PMID- 17807953 TI - Clathrate hydrates of some amines. AB - A crystallographic study of some alkylamine hydrates establishes that these are polyhedral clathrate hy drates. While the simpler alkylamines form hydrates with water structures re lated to those of the gas hydrates or the alkylonium salt hydrates, the di ethylamine and tert-butylamine hydrates have water frameworks forming cages which have not previously been ob served in the clathrate hydrates. PMID- 17807952 TI - Fission-fragment synthesis of a new nitrogen-fluorine compound. AB - Fission-fragment radiolysis of a mixture of NF(3) and F(2) at room temperature has resulted in the formation of a new, unidentified nitrogen fluorine compound that is stable at room temperature. PMID- 17807954 TI - Synthetic zeolites: growth of larger single crystals. AB - Synthetic zeolites 4A, P, and X were grown in acrylic gel to a size suitable for study of single crystals by x-ray diffraction. PMID- 17807955 TI - Primordial rare gases in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. AB - The primordial gases of eight unequilibrated ordinary chondrites are strongly fractionated with respect to" cosmic" proportions. The absolute amounts are roughly proportional to the degree of disequilibration. Apparently, ordinary chondrites originally contained considerably larger amounts of primordial rare gases. PMID- 17807956 TI - Fatty acids in eleven species of blue-green algae: geochemical significance. AB - Analyses of the total lipids of 11 species of blue-green algae showed a simple but qualitatively variable fatty acid composition. The species can be grouped in three categories on the basis of their oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid content. One species was unusual in that the ten-carbon acid accounts for one half of its total fatty acid. Branched chain acids are absent in the algae, but are major components of marine bacteria. The geochemical significance of the data is discussed. PMID- 17807957 TI - Structural aspects of reversible molecular oxygen uptake. AB - The system IrX(CO)[P(C(6)H(5))(3)](2) in benzene solution adds mo lecular oxygen reversibly if X is chlorine and irreversibly if X is iodine. The crystal structure of the complex IrIO(2)(CO)[P(C(6)H(5))(3)](2) * CH(2)Cl(2) is reported here and compared with a previous study of the structure of IrClO(2)(CO)[P(C(6)H(5))(3)](2). The O-O bond length is 1.47 +/- 0.02 angstroms in the irreversibly oxygenated iodo-compound and 1.30 +/- 0.03 angstroms in the reversibly oxygenated chloro compound. PMID- 17807958 TI - Cell cultures. PMID- 17807959 TI - Paleomagnetism: United States-Japan committee on scientific cooperation. PMID- 17807960 TI - THE PRINCIPLES OF THE THEORY OF MUTATION. PMID- 17807961 TI - THE PROBLEM OF LIGHTING IN ITS RELATION TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE EYE. PMID- 17807962 TI - CARL FUCHS. PMID- 17807963 TI - ESTIMATES OF POPULATION. PMID- 17807964 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17807965 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17807966 TI - A NEW FORM OF COLLECTING PIPETTE. PMID- 17807967 TI - LIGHTNING FLASHES. PMID- 17807968 TI - IS MELANISM DUE TO FOOD? PMID- 17807969 TI - DIRECT PROOF THROUGH NON-DISJUNCTION THAT THE SEX-LINKED GENES OF DROSOPHILA ARE BORNE BY THE X-CHROMOSOME. PMID- 17807971 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. IV. PMID- 17807970 TI - HOT WATER TREATMENT FOR COTTON ANTHRACNOSE. PMID- 17807972 TI - Federal funding: what are the priorities? PMID- 17807973 TI - Hornig's Accomplishments. PMID- 17807974 TI - Panama canal: widespread effects. PMID- 17807975 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17807976 TI - World population: control or crisis? PMID- 17807977 TI - Migratory habits of the scientific goose. PMID- 17807978 TI - Proposed american society for neurochemistry. PMID- 17807979 TI - AAAS Meetings: A Progress Report. PMID- 17807980 TI - Archeology in the soviet union. PMID- 17807981 TI - Secrecy and dissemination in science and technology. PMID- 17807983 TI - Earth Resources Satellite: Finally off the Ground? PMID- 17807982 TI - Biological warfare: is the smithsonian really a "cover"? PMID- 17807984 TI - Mineral source and transport in waters of the gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sea. AB - Mineral particles suspended in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea were analyzed in relation to clay mineral distributions in bottom sediments, to sedimentation processes active in the region, and to the prevailing currents. Circulation in the upper layers of water flowing from the Caribbean, carrying a micaceous-rich mineral assemblage, has exercised an influence on mineral transport into the Gulf of Mexico, different from the montmorillonite-rich load delivered by the Mississippi River. Particulate matter, suspended in North Atlantic water and Amazon River discharge, enters the Caribbean through the Lesser Antilles and contributes to the detrital mineral content of Caribbean water, as does that carried by the wind. PMID- 17807985 TI - Frequency Dependence of Polarization of Pulsar CP 0328. AB - The circularly polarized emission from the pulsar CP 0328 has an approximately flat spectrum in the 1-megahertz band centered at 113.6 megahertz, whereas the linearly polarized emission varies with frequency and from pulse to pulse. A simple model for the source that has a constant Faraday rotation measure fits some of the linearly polarized spectra observed for individual pulses, but changes in the rotation measure of as much as 30 radians per square meter are required between adjacent pulses. The simple model does not fit the average spectrum of the linearly polarized emission, although the average spectrum had the same form on two nights. PMID- 17807986 TI - Sedimentary phosphate method for estimating paleosalinities: limited applicability. AB - The sedimentary phosphate method for estimating paleosalinities was tested on argillaceous sediments from different formations and environments. Results reveal that the method cannot be used generally. PMID- 17807987 TI - Coalescence of two immiscible liquid drops. AB - When two immiscible liquid drops suspended in a third immiscible liquid are brought into contact, three equilibrium configurations which depend upon the spreading coefficients are possible. Experiments for a large number of systems, including three phase emulsions, confirm the theory and indicate the mechanisms of reaching equilibrium. PMID- 17807988 TI - Venus: absence of a phase effect at a 2-centimeter wavelength. AB - Observations of Venus made during 1967 and 1968 at a frequency of 15.4 gigahertz set an upper limits of 5 percent for the variation of brightness temperature with phase. This negative result appears to contradict earlier detections of a phase effect. By comparison with Virg A (3C 274), which has an assumed flux density of 29 x 10(-26) watt per square meter per hertz, the brightness temperature of Venus at this frequency is 485 + 60, -40 degrees K (mean error). PMID- 17807989 TI - Critical point drying for scanning electron microscopic sthdy of ciliary motion. AB - Scanning electron microscopic study of tile pattern of ciliary coordination and the form of the ciliary beat is now possible. Rapid fixation stops tile ciliary activity instantaneously, and critical point drying avoids distortion of the cilia by surface tension forces. Such stuidies have been made on the ciliate Opalina with this new technique. PMID- 17807990 TI - Discovery of the garnet, khoharite? PMID- 17807991 TI - Alternative explanation of the garnet occurrence in a meteorite. PMID- 17807992 TI - Size-frequency distributions of two intertidal species. PMID- 17807994 TI - THEOBALD SMITH; INVESTIGATOR AND MAN. PMID- 17807993 TI - Athelstan spilhaus, president-elect. PMID- 17807995 TI - RESPONSE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17807996 TI - ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAUSCH AND LOMB OPTICAL COMPANY. PMID- 17807997 TI - SOME RESULTS OF MICROSCOPICAL RESEARCH WHICH HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT FOR HUMAN WELFARE. PMID- 17807998 TI - PRESENTATION OF THE MICROSCOPE. PMID- 17807999 TI - EARLY OBSERVATION AND ATTEMPTED EXPLANATION OF THE GLACIAL DRIFT. PMID- 17808000 TI - RELATION OF ROOT PRESSURE TO PLANT DISEASE. PMID- 17808001 TI - TUMORS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER RESULTING FROM SOMATIC SEGREGATION. PMID- 17808003 TI - A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF DROUGHT ON TREES. PMID- 17808002 TI - REMARKABLE LIGHTNING BOLT. PMID- 17808004 TI - THE SEMIQUINONE OF THE FLAVINE DYES, INCLUDING VITAMIN B2. PMID- 17808005 TI - SURVIVAL OF ASCARIS EGGS AFTER CENTRIFUGING. PMID- 17808006 TI - ELECTRICAL BRAIN WAVES AND TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17808007 TI - PYRUVIC ACID IN URINE AFTER HARD EXERCISE. PMID- 17808008 TI - A PRACTICAL METHOD FOR INDUCING OVIPOSITION IN DIURNAL LEPIDOPTERA. PMID- 17808009 TI - AN ELECTRICALLY HEATED NEEDLE FOR PARAFFIN EMBEDDING. PMID- 17808010 TI - PREPARATION OF NON-TOXIC URINE FRACTIONS FOR ASSAY OF MALE HORMONE BY THE FEMALE BITTERLING TEST. PMID- 17808011 TI - OLD AND NEW AIMS AND METHODS OF MORPHOLOGY. PMID- 17808012 TI - THE NEW RELATIVITY IN PHYSICS. PMID- 17808013 TI - GRANTS BY THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17808014 TI - THE BREAD SUPPLY. PMID- 17808016 TI - CHANGES DURING QUIESCENT STAGES IN THE METAMORPHOSIS OF TERMITES. PMID- 17808015 TI - NON-ELECTROLYTES AND THE COLLOID-CHEMICAL THEORY OF WATER ABSORPTION. PMID- 17808017 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17808019 TI - JOHN JOSEPH RONAN. PMID- 17808018 TI - THE ORGANIZATION OF BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17808020 TI - GRANTS FOR WAR RESEARCH TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI. PMID- 17808021 TI - THE SUPPLY OF TECHNICAL MEN TO THE ARMED FORCES AND TO INDUSTRY. PMID- 17808022 TI - FELLOWSHIPS IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17808024 TI - RARE CHEMICALS. PMID- 17808023 TI - THE INTER-AMERICAN PROGRAM OF THE AMERICAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17808025 TI - PREDETERMINATION OF SEX. PMID- 17808027 TI - A NEED FOR MORE UNIFORM USAGE OF WORDS OF INDEFINITE MEANING. PMID- 17808026 TI - PEDIGREED PINE FOR NAVAL STORES PRODUCTION. PMID- 17808028 TI - CROSS-CIRCULATION AS A METHOD IN THE STUDY OF DRUG FIXATION AND POISONING. PMID- 17808029 TI - THE ACTION OF SULFANILAMIDE COMPOUNDS ON THE LETHAL FACTOR OF BACTERIAL TOXINS. PMID- 17808030 TI - ANTICIPATORY CARDIAC ACCELERATION DURING SLEEP. PMID- 17808031 TI - A RAPID METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF NITROGEN IN PLANT TISSUE. PMID- 17808032 TI - EDUCATION FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENT. PMID- 17808034 TI - PILOT TEACHING COURSES IN CANCER. PMID- 17808033 TI - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOCHEMICAL UNITS IN INFLAMMATORY EXUDATES. PMID- 17808036 TI - THE EIGHTH ANNUAL AMERICAN DESIGN AWARDS LUNCHEON. PMID- 17808035 TI - AN "AIR AGE" MAP OF THE WORLD. PMID- 17808037 TI - THE SUGAR RESEARCH FOUNDATION. PMID- 17808039 TI - FOURTH OUTBURST OF NOVA (T) PYXIDIS. PMID- 17808038 TI - THE CONCEPT OF A "STRAIN" IN BACTERIOLOGY. PMID- 17808040 TI - EARLY CENOZOIC FACIES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. PMID- 17808041 TI - SLEEP-ELECTRO-SHOCK THERAPY. PMID- 17808042 TI - RESEARCH AFTER THE WAR. PMID- 17808043 TI - CALCIUM IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL DDT POISONING. PMID- 17808044 TI - STUDIES ON HUMAN PLACENTAL THROMBOPLASTIN IN VITRO AND IN VIVO. PMID- 17808045 TI - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PATHOGENICITY AND pH TOLERANCE OF MICROORGANISMS. AB - An alkaline medium (Sabouraud's dextrose or maltose agar of pH 10.5) was found to be selective for dermatophytes in the presence of the rapidly growing saprophytic fungi and has been used to isolate dermatophytes from mixed cultures and leather. Virulent dysentery bacteria are able to grow in media of alkaline pH values, while non-virulent strains of the same microorganisms are inhibited completely or very greatly. It is strongly indicated that pathogenicity may be related to pH tolerance and it is suggested that this relationship may be explained by the presence of a trypsin-like enzyme or enzyme system, while a loss of pathogenicity is associated with a loss or weakening of this enzyme system. PMID- 17808046 TI - THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SUNFLOWER SEED MEAL. PMID- 17808047 TI - THE HOMING INSTINCT IN PIGEONS. PMID- 17808048 TI - A COLORIMETRIC METHOD FOR THE MICRO-DETERMINATION OF 2,2, BIS(P-CHLOROPHENYL) 1,1,1 TRICHLORETHANE (DDT). AB - A colorimetric method for the micro-determination of 2,2 bis(p-chlorophenyl) 1,1,1 trichlorethane (DDT) is presented. The test is based on the discovery that when DDT is heated in an anhydrous pyridine solution containing xanthydrol and solid potassium hydroxide a red color develops, which under proper conditions is proportional to the amount of DDT present. The reaction is sensitive to as little as 10 gammas of DDT. It will detect small differences in concentration within the range of 10 to 200 gammas. The test is relatively simple and can be run in a comparatively short time. PMID- 17808049 TI - A SIMPLE VOLUMETER. PMID- 17808051 TI - Availability of Radioactive Isotopes: Announcement From Headquarters, Manhattan Project, Washington, D.C. PMID- 17808050 TI - PHENOL AS A TERMITE REPELLENT. PMID- 17808052 TI - A Nuclear Research Institute at Oak Ridge: The Executive Committee, Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies. PMID- 17808054 TI - The Blood Parasites of the Blue Grouse. PMID- 17808053 TI - Interpretation of Resistance to Fusarium Wilt in Tomato. PMID- 17808055 TI - The Relative Effectiveness of Pure Penicillins G, X, and K. PMID- 17808056 TI - Why Is Taxonomy Ill-supported? PMID- 17808057 TI - Concerning Rains of Fishes. PMID- 17808058 TI - Cancer Research and Benefit to Patients. PMID- 17808059 TI - Monozygotic Twin Beef Cattle in Nutrition Research. PMID- 17808060 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17808061 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17808062 TI - The Scientific Council on Problems of the Physiological Theory of Academician I. P. Pavlov: A Study in Control. PMID- 17808063 TI - Conjugation in Tetrahymena. PMID- 17808064 TI - Some Oxidation Products of DL-agr-Tocopherol Obtained with Ferric Chloride. PMID- 17808065 TI - An Egg Encrusted with Protoporphyrin. PMID- 17808066 TI - The Accelerating Effect of Calcium on the Fibrinogen-Fibrin Transformation. PMID- 17808067 TI - Enzymatic Cytolysis of Epithelium by Filtrates of Feces from Patients with Ulcerative Colitis. PMID- 17808069 TI - Carbon--Carbon Bond Lengths. PMID- 17808068 TI - Effect of p-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid (CIPA) and 3-Indolacetic Acid (IA) on Certain Dehydrogenase Systems of the Tomato Fruit, L. esculentum. PMID- 17808070 TI - Migrating Aphids. PMID- 17808071 TI - Geometric Deviations in the Growth of Tissue Cultures. PMID- 17808072 TI - INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. PMID- 17808073 TI - RECENT EXPLORATIONS IN THE REGION OF THE GULF STREAM OFF THE EASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES BY THE U. S. FISH-COMMISSION. PMID- 17808075 TI - THE WEDGE-PHOTOMETER. PMID- 17808074 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES EXHIBITION. PMID- 17808076 TI - NOTES UPON THE FOETAL MEMBRANES OF THE OPOSSUM AND OTHER MARSUPIALS. PMID- 17808077 TI - RAINFALL AT PANAMA. PMID- 17808078 TI - THE COPPER-BEARING SERIES OF LAKE SUPERIOR. PMID- 17808079 TI - LIQUEFACTION, VAPORIZATION, AND THE KINETIC THEORY OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS. PMID- 17808080 TI - GERMS AND EPIDEMICS. PMID- 17808081 TI - Robins, sparrows, and earth-worms. PMID- 17808082 TI - Science for workingmen. PMID- 17808083 TI - The least bittern in Newfoundland. PMID- 17808084 TI - Use of the moxa in Japan. PMID- 17808086 TI - Sun's radiation and geologic climate. PMID- 17808085 TI - Marking geodetic stations. PMID- 17808087 TI - Intelligence of the crow. PMID- 17808088 TI - THE SYNTHESIS OF MINERALS AND ROCKS. PMID- 17808089 TI - THE GEOLOGY OF NATAL. PMID- 17808091 TI - INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC STATIONS. PMID- 17808090 TI - THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ANGLING. PMID- 17808092 TI - Between Two Extremes. PMID- 17808094 TI - Preparation of High School Science Teachers. PMID- 17808093 TI - Science and Foreign Affairs. PMID- 17808096 TI - United States To Pay Indemnity for Cranberry Losses. PMID- 17808095 TI - U.S. Meteorological Satellite Cameras Photograph Cloud Cover. PMID- 17808097 TI - Eisenhower and Macmillan Agree on Test Ban Approach. PMID- 17808098 TI - New Synthetic Lures for the Male Melon Fly. AB - Several para-substituted derivatives of 4-phenyl-2-butanone (I) have proved to be powerful attractants for the male melon fly (Dacus clucurbitae). These compounds, unlike anisylacetone, heretofore the best lure, attract even newly emerged flies. The most potent analog is 4-(p-acetoxyphenyl)-2-butanone (II), which also strongly attracts Dacus ochrosiae males. PMID- 17808099 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17808100 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17808101 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17808102 TI - Clinical Scientists. PMID- 17808103 TI - Revolution by Committee? PMID- 17808104 TI - THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA IN ITS RELATION TO THE ANIMAL LIFE OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA. PMID- 17808105 TI - THE NEEDS OF APPLIED OPTICS. PMID- 17808106 TI - INSECTS IN THEIR RELATION TO THE CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. PMID- 17808107 TI - CANCER AND HEREDITY. PMID- 17808108 TI - A MOLLUSK INJURIOUS TO GARDEN VEGETABLES. PMID- 17808109 TI - THE POISONOUS EFFECTS OF THE ROSE CHAFER UPON CHICKENS. PMID- 17808111 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17808110 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ZOOLOGISTS. PMID- 17808112 TI - Response. PMID- 17808113 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - In the report "A three-dimensional model for the hammerhead ribozyme based on fluorescence measurements" by T. Tuschl et al. (4 Nov. 1994, p. 785), the text of lines 28 through 30 in column 3 on page 785 should have read, "... we located 5 carboxyfluorescein at (d, -29.5 degrees , L-3.75 A) and 5 carboxytetramethylrhodamine at (a, -29.5 degrees -delta, -3.75 A)." In the same report, the second line of equation 1 in the legend to figure 3 was incorrectly printed. The correct equation appears below. [See the equation in the PDF file] Equation 1 in note 17 of the same report was also incorrectly printed. The correct equation appears below. [see the equation in the PDF file]. PMID- 17808114 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17808115 TI - NSF Hands Over the Internet .. PMID- 17808116 TI - Gingrich sees tax cuts, reform as spur for industry. PMID- 17808117 TI - Walker tells universities to look for help from industry. PMID- 17808118 TI - Making light work of brownian motion. PMID- 17808119 TI - Is a warmer climate wilting the forests of the north? PMID- 17808120 TI - Shock test squeezes core temperature. PMID- 17808121 TI - Keeping alive the spirit of einstein. PMID- 17808122 TI - Spreading the wealth. PMID- 17808124 TI - Recreating the miracle of ahaz. PMID- 17808123 TI - Blood in Canada. PMID- 17808125 TI - Fisher fights back. PMID- 17808126 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808127 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808129 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808128 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808130 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808131 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808132 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808133 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808134 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808135 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808136 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808137 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808138 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808139 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808140 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808141 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808142 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808144 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808143 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808145 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808146 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808147 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808148 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808150 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808149 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808151 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808152 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808153 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808154 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808155 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808156 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808157 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808158 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808159 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808160 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808161 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808162 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808163 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808164 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808165 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808167 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808166 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808168 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808169 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808170 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808171 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808172 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808173 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808174 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808176 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808175 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808177 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808178 TI - Through the glass lightly. PMID- 17808179 TI - Direct observations of excess solar absorption by clouds. AB - Aircraft measurements of solar flux in the cloudy tropical atmosphere reveal that solar absorption by clouds is anomalously large when compared to theoretical estimates. The ratio of cloud forcing at an altitude of 20 kilometers to that at the surface is 1.58 rather than 1.0, as predicted by models. These results were derived from a cloud radiation experiment in which identical instrumentation was deployed on coordinated stacked aircraft. These findings indicate a significant difference between measurements and theory and imply that the interaction between clouds and solar radiation is poorly understood. PMID- 17808180 TI - Self-Assembled Metal Colloid Monolayers: An Approach to SERS Substrates. AB - The self-assembly of monodisperse gold and silver colloid particles into monolayers on polymer-coated substrates yields macroscopic surfaces that are highly active for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Particles are bound to the substrate through multiple bonds between the colloidal metal and functional groups on the polymer such as cyanide (CN), amine (NH(2)), and thiol (SH). Surface evolution, which can be followed in real time by ultraviolet visible spectroscopy and SERS, can be controlled to yield high reproducibility on both the nanometer and the centimeter scales. On conducting substrates, colloid monolayers are electrochemically addressable and behave like a collection of closely spaced microelectrodes. These favorable properties and the ease of monolayer construction suggest a widespread use for metal colloid-based substrates. PMID- 17808181 TI - Granular convection observed by magnetic resonance imaging. AB - Vibrations in a granular material can spontaneously produce convection rolls reminiscent of those seen in fluids. Magnetic resonance imaging provides a sensitive and noninvasive probe for the detection of these convection currents, which have otherwise been difficult to observe. A magnetic resonance imaging study of convection in a column of poppy seeds yielded data about the detailed shape of the convection rolls and the depth dependence of the convection velocity. The velocity was found to decrease exponentially with depth; a simple model for this behavior is presented here. PMID- 17808182 TI - Lipid tubule self-assembly: length dependence on cooling rate through a first order phase transition. AB - The formation kinetics and self-assembly of multilamellar tubules of the diacetylenic phospholipid 1,2-bis(tricosa-10,12-diynoyl)-sn-glycerol-3 phosphocholine formed under controlled cooling rates were studied by x-ray diffraction and optical, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopy. Tubule formation was driven by a reversible first-order phase transition from an intralamellar, chain-melted L(alpha) phase to a chain-frozen L(beta), phase. These observations are the basis of a highly efficient method of tubule production in which tubule lengths can be controlled, between 1 and 100 micrometers, by varying the cooling rate. These tubules can be made in suspensions with 10 percent lipid by mass, far exceeding the lipid solubility limit. PMID- 17808183 TI - The Body Temperature of Tyrannosaurus rex. PMID- 17808184 TI - Response. PMID- 17808185 TI - Endangered millions. PMID- 17808187 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17808186 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17808188 TI - Time To Pause and Regroup? PMID- 17808189 TI - Determination of Stellar Distances. PMID- 17808190 TI - Elliott Inquiry: Chairman's Loss In Alabama Primary Raises Doubt About Future of Investigation. PMID- 17808191 TI - Technical Aid: Volunteer Group Enables Scientists, Engineers To Help Underdeveloped Nations. PMID- 17808193 TI - On Field Methods in Archeology: Seton Lloyd. PMID- 17808192 TI - ACE Study: Higher Education's Aloofness From "Occupational" Education Seems To Be Thawing. PMID- 17808194 TI - Composition of Basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. AB - Studies of volcanic rocks in dredge hauls from the submerged parts of the Mid Atlantic Ridge suggest that it consists largely of tholeiitic basalt with low values of K, Ti, and P. In contrast, the volcanic islands which form the elevated caps on the Ridge are built of alkali basalt with high values of Ti, Fe(3+), P, Na, and K. This distinct correlation between the form of the volcanic structures, elevation above the sea floor, and composition suggests that the islands of alkali basalt are derived from a parent tholeiitic magma by differentiation in shallow reservoirs. The volume of low-potassium tholeiites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and elsewhere in the oceans appears to be many times that of the alkali basalts exposed on oceanic islands. Tholeiitic basalts with about 0.2 K(2)O appear to be the primary and predominant magma erupted on the oceanic floor. PMID- 17808195 TI - Volcanic Ash from Mount Mazama (Crater Lake) and from Glacier Peak. AB - New petrographic and chemical data indicate that the great Mount Mazama eruption at Crater Lake, Oregon, about 6600 years ago was the source of most ash which has been called "Glacier Peak" and of some ash called "Galata." Glacier Peak volcano in Washington was itself the source of an older ash deposit, perhaps very late glacial or early postglacial in age. PMID- 17808196 TI - Temperature Regime of Deep Lakes. AB - New data concerning the temperature of maximum density of fresh water under pressure have been obtained in Great Bear Lake, in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Previous theoretical determinations are discussed; Strom's empirically determined figures are in agreement with these data. PMID- 17808197 TI - Geotropism: Its Orienting Force. AB - Seeds of Pisum sativum L. and other species were germinated and grown for five or more days on a continuously rotating vertical-axis turntable that developed a maximum centrifugal force of 1.79(g). Shoot (epicotyl) orientation in darkness was parallel to the resultant gravitational field. This is presented as confirmation of the hypothesis that the orienting force of geotropism of the higher plants is the inertial force of gravity. PMID- 17808198 TI - Neurophysiology: United States-Japan Joint Symposium. PMID- 17808199 TI - Earthquake Prediction. PMID- 17808200 TI - Solid-State Physics. PMID- 17808201 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17808202 TI - CHANGES OF LATITUDE. PMID- 17808203 TI - CONSERVATION AND MODERN LIFE. PMID- 17808204 TI - THE PRESENT SUPPLY OF BIOLOGICAL STAINS. PMID- 17808205 TI - LOWERY LAYMON LEWIS. PMID- 17808206 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17808207 TI - THE EVOLUTION OF CLIMATES: A REJOINDER. PMID- 17808208 TI - MOTORLESS FLIGHT IN ENGLAND. PMID- 17808209 TI - MISUSE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE. PMID- 17808210 TI - THE EFFECTS OF CAPTIVITY ON A SEX CHARACTER. PMID- 17808211 TI - ZOSTERA MARINA IN ITS RELATION TO TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17808213 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17808212 TI - THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17808214 TI - THE INTERNAL SECRETIONS AND HUMAN WELL-BEING. PMID- 17808216 TI - THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE AND FREE WILL. PMID- 17808215 TI - GEOMORPHIC NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17808217 TI - LORD KELVIN'S "MORTAL SPRING". PMID- 17808219 TI - NEWTON'S SAYING. PMID- 17808218 TI - ON "THE NEW CYTOLOGY". PMID- 17808220 TI - CHROMOSOMES OF PETUNIA. PMID- 17808221 TI - THE ADJUSTABLE DOUBLE SLIT. PMID- 17808222 TI - A TRIPLE-SPECTRUM DISCHARGE TUBE. PMID- 17808223 TI - FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON AN INHIBITOR PRINCIPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF A CHICKEN TUMOR. PMID- 17808224 TI - HUMAN SERUM, AGE AND MULTIPLICATION OF HOMOLOGOUS FIBROBLASTS. PMID- 17808225 TI - A PRACTICAL TEST FOR POTENCY OF EXTRACT OF CORPORA LUTEA. PMID- 17808226 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17808227 TI - Instrumentation. PMID- 17808228 TI - EPA scientific advisory panels. PMID- 17808229 TI - Computer-guided fertilizer application. PMID- 17808230 TI - Multidisciplinary economics. PMID- 17808231 TI - GE's Cool Diamonds Prompt Warm Words: Scientists at Harvard and MIT charge that General Electric has "arrogated to itself" the life's work of a lowly researcher. PMID- 17808232 TI - NASA Keeps Its Fingers Crossed While Magellan Shines. PMID- 17808234 TI - Squeezing out better weather forecasts. PMID- 17808233 TI - Who Can Forecast the Worst Weather?: As the National Weather Service becomes only one of a myriad of forecast sources, it is attempting to keep the competition out of the hazard warning business; it won't be easy. PMID- 17808235 TI - A window looking out on creation. PMID- 17808236 TI - The Study of Solid/Liquid Interfaces with X-ray Standing Waves. AB - The principles and applications of the x-ray standing wave technique are described. Emphasis is placed on its utility for the study of structure, composition, and distribution of interfacial species especially at solid/liquid interfaces. PMID- 17808237 TI - Instrumental requirements for global atmospheric chemistry. AB - The field of atmospheric chemistry is data-limited, primarily because of the challenge of measuring the key chemical constituents in the global environment. Several recent advances, however, in rugged, portable, remotesensing, ground based instrumentation and accurate, fast-response airborne instrumentation have provided powerful tools for the understanding of stratospheric ozone, particularly in polar regions. Current discoveries of the role of heterogeneous chemical processes point to the need for better techniques for characterization of stratospheric aerosols. In the troposphere, advances in in situ, sensitive methods for detecting reactive nitrogen compounds have demonstrated the role that these compounds have in controlling global oxidation processes, but better measurements of the reservoir species by which the long-ranged transport of pollutant-reactive nitrogen compounds is thought to occur are urgently needed. The role of hydrocarbons, particularly those of natural origin, in ozone formation in rural areas has focused attention on the requirement for better speciation of these ubiquitous compounds. Lastly, rigorous instrument intercomparison experiments have provided unbiased estimates of measurement capabilities. PMID- 17808238 TI - Neutron and gamma ray scattering measurements for subsurface geochemistry. AB - Developed for the oil industry, well logging instrumentation based on electrical, acoustic, and nuclear measurements has been providing information about the localization and evaluation of hydrocarbon-bearing strata for petroleum geologists and engineers since 1927. This method of exploring properties of the earth's crust without taking physical samples is attracting a growing audience of geologists and geophysicists because of recent developments that permit nondestructive measurements of subsurface geochemistry. A combination of nuclear measurement techniques, which use gamma ray and neutron sources, can provide detailed information on rock composition of interest to both industry and academia. PMID- 17808239 TI - Free-electron lasers: present status and future prospects. AB - Free-electron lasers as scientific instruments are reviewed. The present status and future prospects are delineated with attention drawn to the size, complexity, availability, and performance capability of this new tool. PMID- 17808240 TI - Developmentally regulated systemic endopolyploid in succulents with small genomes. AB - Nuclei from Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) exhibit multiple levels of ploidy in every tissue as revealed by flow microfluorometric analysis of isolated nuclei stained with mithramycin. Multiples of the haploid nuclear genome complement (1C) corresponding to 2C, 4C, 8C, 16C, 32C, and 64C were observed. The distribution of nuclei among the different ploidy levels is tissue-specific and in leaves is characteristic of the stage of development. This type of genome organization has been identified in eight other succulent CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) plant species with small genomes. Multiploidy may be a common property of this type of plant. PMID- 17808241 TI - Photoacoustic "signatures" of particulate matter: optical production of acoustic monopole radiation. AB - Absorption of pulsed laser radiation by a single particle generates a photoacoustic wave whose time profile can be measured with a wideband pressure transducer. Solution of the wave equation for pressure in one, two, and three dimensions shows that the photoacoustic wave is determined by the geometry and dimensions of the particle, and by its sound speed and density relative to the fluid that surrounds it. Photoacoustic waves, referred to here as signatures, are reported in experiments in which fluid droplets, cylinders, and layers are irradiated with 10-nanosecond laser pulses. PMID- 17808242 TI - Not so hot "hot spots" in the oceanic mantle. AB - Excess volcanism and crustal swelling associated with hot spots are generally attributed to thermal plumes upwelling from the mantle. This concept has been tested in the portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between 34 degrees and 45 degrees (Azores hot spot). Peridotite and basalt data indicate that the upper mantle in the hot spot has undergone a high degree of melting relative to the mantle elsewhere in the North Atlantic. However, application of various geothermometers suggests that the temperature of equilibration of peridotites in the mantle was lower, or at least not higher, in the hot spot than elsewhere. The presence of H(2)O-rich metasomatized mantle domains, inferred from peridotite and basalt data, would lower the melting temperature of the hot spot mantle and thereby reconcile its high degree ofmelting with the lack of a mantle temperature anomaly. Thus, some so-called hot spots might be melting anomalies unrelated to abnormally high mantle temperature or thermal plumes. PMID- 17808243 TI - Hematite nanospheres of possible colloidal origin from a precambrian banded iron formation. AB - Exceptionally small spheres (nanospheres) of hematite (diameters between 120 and 200 nanometers) occur in the Marra Mamba Iron Formation of the Hamersley Basin, Australia. The nanospheres are clustered into small aggregates and may have formed by structural ordering and dehydration of colloidal iron hydroxide particles. Individual spheres consist of numerous thin, curved hematite platelets surrounding a central void that is approximately half the diamter of the sphere; this texture suggests that they formed by a volume reduction of the original colloidal particles by approximately 12.5%. The occurrence of hematite nanospheres supports the hypothesis that some ofthe iron was deposited colloidally during the development ofbanded iron formations, approximately 2.5 billion years ago. PMID- 17808245 TI - AAAS * 91 The AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17808244 TI - Gordon research conferences. PMID- 17808247 TI - Population Biology of Genes and Molecules. Naouki Takahata and James F. Crow, Eds. Baifukan, Tokyo, 1990. xii, 370 pp., illus. {yen}9,270. From a symposium, Tokyo, Dec. 1988. PMID- 17808249 TI - Evolution of Laurussla. A Study in Late Palacozoic Plate Tectonics. Peter A. Ziegler. Published for the Royal Geological and Mining Society of The Netherlands by Kluwer, Norwell, MA, 1989. x, 102 pp., illus., + plates. $69. International Lithosphere Programme Designated Publication no. 0163. PMID- 17808250 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17808251 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17808252 TI - Erratum. AB - In line 7 of the caption for table 1 (p. 1682) of the report "Association of transfer RNA acceptor identity with a helical irregularity" by William H. McClain et al. (23 Dec., p. 1679), ">/=20%" should have been "1800 meters below sea level (>18 megapascals) in a backarc rift behind the Bonin arc produced a scoriaceous breccia similar in some respects to that formed during subaerial eruptions. Explosion of the magma is thought to have produced frothy agglutinate which welded either on the sea floor or in a submarine eruption column. The resulting 135-meter-thick pyroclastic deposit has paleomagnetic inclinations that are random at a scale of <2.5 meters. High magmatic water content, which is about 1.3 percent by weight after vesiculation, contributed to the explosivity. PMID- 17809907 TI - A comparison of the contribution of various gases to the greenhouse effect. AB - The current concern about an anthropogenic impact on global climate has made it of interest to compare the potential effect of various human activities. A case in point is the comparison between the emission of greenhouse gases from the use of natural gas and that from other fossil fuels. This comparison requires an evaluation of the effect of methane emissions relative to that of carbon dioxide emissions. A rough analysis based on the use of currently accepted values shows that natural gas is preferable to other fossil fuels in consideration of the greenhouse effect as long as its leakage can be limited to 3 to 6 percent. PMID- 17809910 TI - Teaching the History of Science. Michael Shortland and Andrew Warwick, Eds. British Society for the History of Science and Basil Blackwell, New York, 1989. viii, 281 pp. $29.95. Based on a conference, Oxford, U.K., 1987. PMID- 17809912 TI - METAL HYGIENE. PMID- 17809911 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17809913 TI - NERVOUS HEART. PMID- 17809914 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17809915 TI - SKIN DISEASES THAT MAY DEVELOP INTO CANCER. PMID- 17809916 TI - HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. PMID- 17809917 TI - PHYSICAL AILMENTS AND EMOTIONAL STATES. PMID- 17809918 TI - BUDGET NEEDS OF COLLEGE TEACHERS. PMID- 17809919 TI - SALARIES AND SUPPLEMENTARY EARNINGS OF COLLEGE TEACHERS. PMID- 17809920 TI - OBITUARY. PMID- 17809921 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17809922 TI - HORSES, DOGS AND CATS. PMID- 17809923 TI - BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF THE PRICKLY PEAR IN MADAGASCAR. PMID- 17809924 TI - ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY. PMID- 17809925 TI - THE RECENT BONE-CAVERN FIND AT BISHOP'S CAP, NEW MAXICO. PMID- 17809926 TI - EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17809927 TI - A METHOD FOR COMPARING THE VALUE OF AMMONIA NITROGEN AND NITRATE NITROGEN. PMID- 17809928 TI - A NEW TYPE OF RESPIRATION CHAMBER. PMID- 17809929 TI - BOTANICAL AND GEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR AN ANCIENT LAKE. PMID- 17809930 TI - RELATION OF EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT TO COURSE OF A B. ENTERITIDIS INFECTION IN MICE. PMID- 17809931 TI - THE PARTITION OF ENERGY. PMID- 17809932 TI - TRANSPORTATION AND COMBINATION. PMID- 17809934 TI - A NEW THEORY OF SEX-PRODUCTION. PMID- 17809933 TI - PLEASE EXCUSE THE KELEP. PMID- 17809935 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17809936 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17809937 TI - NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17809938 TI - ROBERT BOWNE WARDER. PMID- 17809940 TI - Needs in Engineering. PMID- 17809939 TI - Loyalty Oath. PMID- 17809941 TI - Law of Aging. PMID- 17809943 TI - The Moral Un-Neutrality of Science: The scientist's special responsibilities are examined an address given at the 1960 AAAS annual meeting. PMID- 17809942 TI - Advising the President on Manpower. PMID- 17809944 TI - Inauguration Week: Ike's Farewell Address; Reorganizing the AEC; Rules Committee Maneuvers. PMID- 17809945 TI - Test of Response Bias Explanation of Word-Frequency Effect. AB - Observers identified monosyllabic words presented in noise. It was found that controlling response bias eliminates the word-frequency effect. However, the magnitude of the word-frequency effect was greater than that predicted by a mathematical model denying stimulus words any role in producing the word frequency effect. PMID- 17809946 TI - Relation between the Inorganic Chemistry and Biochemistry of Bone Mineralization. AB - In vitro experiments with saliva resulted in precipitation of a mineral substance (dahllite or carbonate hydroxyapatite) which is comparable in composition and crystal structure to oral calculus. Similar mineral substances were produced from synthetic solutions containing sodium phosphate and calcium chloride (in addition to a buffer) in the presence of carbonic anhydrase and available carbon dioxide. It is concluded that the carbonate ion is essential to precipitation of bone mineral and that the principal biochemical catalyst in vivo is carbonic anhydrase. Bacteria are not essential to the precipitation, but they probably play a secondary role in connection with the formation of oral calculus, urinary calculus, and so forth. PMID- 17809947 TI - Relations between Whitefly and Sweetpotato Tissue in Transmission of Yellow Dwarf Virus. AB - One approach revealed the nature of the piercing-sucking-feeding mechanism of the abutilon whitefly, Trialeurodes abutilonea, a new vector of sweetpotato yellow dwarf virus. It showed the complete stylet from its origin in the rostrum to its termination in the plant's translocation stream. Another approach clearly delineated and confirmed the life cycle of the abutilon whitefly in relation to physical function and duration of each of the six stages. PMID- 17809948 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17809949 TI - The Chemical Study of Penicillin: A Brief History. PMID- 17809950 TI - A Principle for Maintaining Earthworms in Farm Soils. PMID- 17809951 TI - Distribution of C14 in Photosynthesizing Barley Seedlings. PMID- 17809952 TI - A Micromethod for the Determination of 1 -(+) Lactic Acid. PMID- 17809954 TI - Two Heads Better Than One? PMID- 17809953 TI - Histochemical Demonstration of Alkaline Phosphatase in Decalcified Dental and Osseous Tissues. PMID- 17809955 TI - Popularizing Science: Can it be done? One opinion is that very little of what scientists know can ever reach the public. PMID- 17809956 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17809957 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article "Color Defect and Color Theory" by C. H. Graham and Y. Hsia [Science 127, 675 (28 March 1958)], the last 13 lines in column 3, page 679, appear in reverse order. The bottom line should be read first, the second line from the bottom should be read second, and finally, the 13th line from the bottom should be read last. PMID- 17809958 TI - Department of Science. PMID- 17809959 TI - On the Pay of Biologists. PMID- 17809960 TI - Actinomycetes. PMID- 17809961 TI - Science and Religion. PMID- 17809962 TI - "If You Ples". PMID- 17809964 TI - Science and Religion. PMID- 17809965 TI - Science and Religion. PMID- 17809966 TI - CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOIL MICROBIOLOGY FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. PMID- 17809967 TI - THE AMERICAN FEDERATION FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH. PMID- 17809968 TI - RESEARCH LABORATORIES IN INDUSTRIES. PMID- 17809969 TI - FRANCIS RAMALEY. PMID- 17809970 TI - LAURENCE S. MOYER. PMID- 17809971 TI - PRESENT STATUS OF RESEARCH WORK UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE WAR PRODUCTION BOARD. PMID- 17809973 TI - SYNTHETIC RUBBER. PMID- 17809972 TI - LAWRENCE TWILLEY CLARK. PMID- 17809974 TI - SYMPOSIUM ON POTASH AT THE BUFFALO MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17809975 TI - THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. PMID- 17809976 TI - THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF RARE CHEMICALS AT THE ARMOUR RESEARCH FOUNDATION. PMID- 17809978 TI - ON THE ORIGIN OF THE DOMESTICATION OF THE DOG. PMID- 17809977 TI - RESEARCH ACTIVITY AND THE QUALITY OF TEACHING IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS. PMID- 17809979 TI - LAND AND WATER AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES. PMID- 17809980 TI - FIRST CASE OF HUMAN INFECTION WITH MESOCESTOIDES. PMID- 17809981 TI - THE SOUTHEASTERN SECTION OF THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17809982 TI - THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17809983 TI - THE ANTIGENIC PROPERTIES OF NATIVE AND REGENERATED HORSE SERUM ALBUMIN. PMID- 17809985 TI - QUANTITATIVE INTERNEURONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE HUMAN SPINAL CORD. PMID- 17809984 TI - COMMITTEE ON ANATOMICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17809986 TI - GROWTH STIMULATION OF PEAS BY TETRACHLORO-PARA-BENZOQUINONE, A FUNGICIDAL SEED PROTECTANT. PMID- 17809988 TI - Anthropos and ursus. PMID- 17809987 TI - THE BIOLOGICAL APPLICATION OF FOCUSED ULTRASONIC WAVES. PMID- 17809989 TI - Of state taxes and schools of engineering. PMID- 17809990 TI - Photovoltaics. PMID- 17809991 TI - Photovoltaics. PMID- 17809992 TI - Philip hauge abelson. PMID- 17809993 TI - The 1984 nobel prize in economics. PMID- 17809994 TI - Discovery of new variable radio sources in the nucleus of the nearby galaxy messier 82. AB - Widespread variability has been discovered in a large population of radio sources close to the nucleus of an active galaxy. The galaxy, Messier 82 (M82), and others similar to it show evidence for enhanced nuclear activity and unusually strong far-infrared emission. The observational data, obtained with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array in New Mexico over the past 3 years, provide the first direct "look" at a starburst-the phenomenon of sudden, rapid star formation which occurs near the nucleus of a small fraction of galaxies. Nearly all the brightest of about 40 radio sources in M82' s nucleus decreased in intensity over 2.7 years up to October 1983. One source, which in February 1981 was ten times as bright as our Galaxy's most luminous supernova remnant, turned off within only a few months. Most of the other ten strongest sources are declining so rapidly that they will fade into the background within 30 years. Thus, new supernovae are expected to appear in M82' s nucleus every few years. The discovery has revealed the "engine room" of the mysterious activity in M82 and, by implication, similar active galaxies which have disturbed nuclei and which are unusually luminous in the far infrared. An estimate of the rate of energy input by the radio-visible supernovae closely matches the far-infrared luminosities which were recently measured for M82 and other similar galaxies. PMID- 17809995 TI - Pentagon Decision-Making Comes Under Fire: Critics inside and outside the Pentagon say that senior officials have made some ill-advised weapons purchases. PMID- 17809996 TI - Troubles plague polish physicists. PMID- 17809997 TI - Global energy study under fire. PMID- 17809999 TI - Scientific boycott proposed to aid refusenik. PMID- 17809998 TI - Zeolites Catalyze Patent Dispute: Patent infringement suits involving corporate giants could hinge on esoteric points of analytic data; much is at stake. PMID- 17810000 TI - Two chilean professors released. PMID- 17810001 TI - Comings and goings. PMID- 17810002 TI - AID Turns Down IPPF. PMID- 17810003 TI - Three sites short-listed for nuclear waste dump. PMID- 17810004 TI - Psychologist's Suit Dismissed. PMID- 17810005 TI - VA Re-reconsiders Twin Study. PMID- 17810006 TI - NSF Readies New Engineering Program: A major effort to establish multidisciplinary centers on university campuses is being viewed with some apprehension. PMID- 17810008 TI - Seismic reflections from the deep mantle. PMID- 17810007 TI - Europeans adopt r&d plan. PMID- 17810009 TI - Prospects for short-term earthquake prediction. PMID- 17810010 TI - Old faithful not so faithful anymore. PMID- 17810011 TI - Strontium isotope dating achieves useful precision. PMID- 17810012 TI - Caldera watching continues here and abroad. PMID- 17810014 TI - 1984 election results. PMID- 17810013 TI - More Than a Planet, Almost a Star: The faint companion of van Biesbroeck 8 is the first known "brown dwarf"--a cosmic ember not quite massive enough to ignite. PMID- 17810015 TI - Reminder--Help AAAS Membership Office Stop Repetition. PMID- 17810016 TI - Proposals and resolutions invited for 1985 council meeting. PMID- 17810017 TI - Membership dues increase. PMID- 17810019 TI - Volcanic deposits: pyroclastic rocks. PMID- 17810018 TI - Systems of control: forces of production. PMID- 17810020 TI - The Interior of the Earth: Materials Science of the Earth's Interior. PMID- 17810021 TI - The dumping of wastes at sea: wastes in the ocean. PMID- 17810022 TI - Transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate to crystalline dahillite in the radular teeth of chitons. AB - A comparison of infrared spectra from individual teeth along the radula of a chiton (Polyplacophora, Mollusca) shows that the first-formed calcium phosphate mineral is amorphous. Over a period of weeks the mineral transforms to dahllite. The c axes of the dahllite crystals are aligned approximately perpendicular to the tooth surface. PMID- 17810023 TI - Amazon rain-forest fires. AB - Charcoal is common in the soils of mature rain forests within 75 kilometers of San Carlos de Rio Negro in the north central Amazon Basin. Carbon-14 dates of soil charcoal from this region indicate that numerous fires have occurred since the mid-Holocene epoch. Charcoal is most common in tierra firme forest Oxisols and Ultisols and less common in caatinga and igapo forest soils. Climatic changes or human activities, or both, have caused rain-forest fires. PMID- 17810024 TI - Climatic forcing: effects of el nino on a small, temperate lake. AB - Temperature profiles measured regularly for 21 years reveal the interannual differences in winter-to-summer heat gain in Castle Lake, California, a small subalpine lake. Year-to-year changes in large-scale climatic surface forcing, especially the amount of snowfall from February through April (which determines the date of thaw) coupled with the early heating and wind mixing after thaw, causes this interannual variation. The seasonal thermal structure for years in which the lake gains significantly more or less heat than normal-all of the El Nino years and several others-shows that the depth of the mixed layer and the mixing of heat into the stratified thermocline region control the storage of heat. The temperature of the mixed layer does not reflect abnormal thermal storage. Variations in mixing during early spring, which controls the heat content at Castle Lake, may also affect the annual average of the primary productivity. PMID- 17810025 TI - Deepest known plant life discovered on an uncharted seamount. AB - The discovery of abundant autotrophic macrophytes living below 200 meters indicates their importance to primary productivity, food webs, sedimentary processes, and as reef builders in clear oceanic waters. Estimates concerning minimum light levels for macroalgal photosynthesis and macrophytic contributions to the biology and geology of tropical insular and continental borderlands must now be revised. PMID- 17810026 TI - Speciation and stasis in marine ostracoda: climatic modulation of evolution. AB - Morphologic and paleozoogeographic analysis of Cenozoic marine Ostracoda from the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific indicates that climatic change modulates evolution by disrupting long-term stasis and catalyzing speciation during sustained, unidirectional climatic transitions and, conversely, by maintaining morphologic stasis during rapid, high-frequency climatic oscillations. In the middle Pliocene, 4 to 3 million years ago, at least six new species of Puriana suddenly appeared as the Isthmus of Panama closed, changing oceanographic circulation and global climate. Since then morphologic stasis has characterized ancestral and descendant species during many glacial-interglacial cycles. The frequency and duration of climatic events have more impact on ostracode evolution than the magnitude of climatic changes. PMID- 17810027 TI - In reply: crystalline form of native celluloses. PMID- 17810028 TI - Crystalline form of native celluloses. PMID- 17810029 TI - Grants to Self-Sponsored Foreign Graduate Students to Attend 10th AAAS R&D Colloquium. PMID- 17810031 TI - THE FOUNDATION OF A NATIONAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810030 TI - THE PITTSBURGH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810033 TI - MEMBERSHIP OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810032 TI - EXCERPTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE CENSUS COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810034 TI - THE WHALE-SHARK (Rhinodon typicus) AS AN AMERICAN FISH. PMID- 17810036 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17810035 TI - CAUSES OF THE SUDDEN DESTRUCTION OF LIFE IN THE MARTINIQUE VOLCANIC ERUPTION. PMID- 17810037 TI - A METEORIC IRON. PMID- 17810038 TI - STREPTOCOCCI CHARACTERISTIC OF SEWAGE AND SEWAGE-POLLUTED WATERS APPARENTLY NOT HITHERTO REPORTED IN AMERICA. PMID- 17810039 TI - SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SCIENCE AT THE PITTSBURGH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810040 TI - THE METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. PMID- 17810041 TI - EXPEDITION TO MARTINIQUE. PMID- 17810042 TI - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY NOTES. PMID- 17810043 TI - Water on venus and Mars. PMID- 17810044 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810045 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810046 TI - Si units and thermal energy. PMID- 17810047 TI - Long experience. PMID- 17810048 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810049 TI - The Demese ef the Ne'enderthels: Wes Lengege e Fecter? PMID- 17810050 TI - Delaney clause for birth defects. PMID- 17810051 TI - Support for reviews and data evaluation. PMID- 17810052 TI - Of atoms, mountains, and stars: a study in qualitative physics. PMID- 17810053 TI - Foreign technology and the United States economy. PMID- 17810054 TI - Strategic Arms Limitation (II): "Leveling Up%" to Symmetry. PMID- 17810055 TI - Biomedical research panel named. PMID- 17810056 TI - Pilots take unilateral action on flying hazardous cargo. PMID- 17810057 TI - Energy R & d: new jurisdiction for reorganized house committee. PMID- 17810059 TI - Vitamin d: investigations of a new steroid hormone. PMID- 17810058 TI - NAS Reports on International Biological Program. PMID- 17810060 TI - Isotope separation in a "seeded beam%". AB - A new method of separating isotopes in a gaseous mixture is described. The method takes advantage of the differences in velocities of isotopic species in a molecular beam formed by expansion of the mixture with a light gas from a nozzle source. For the separation of the hexafluorides of uranium-235 and uranium-238 the technique has an estimated separative work factor about 500 times higher than the gaseous diffusion process and 100 times higher than the curved-jet method. PMID- 17810061 TI - Energy conservation policies of the federal energy office: economic demand analysis. AB - Forecasts for crude petroleum consumption are presented which take into account attempts by the Federal Energy Office to regulate residential and commercial thermostats. On the basis of an economic demand model, it is found that lowering all thermostats by 6 degrees F would lower the projected residential and commercial petroleum demand in 1973 by 12 percent. This amount is compared to forecasts made by the Federal Energy Office and to the eflect of a price increase of $0.10 per gallon for heating oil. PMID- 17810062 TI - Agglomeration of ash in fluidized beds gasifying coal: the godel phenomenon. AB - In a bed of anthracite or bituminous coke fluidized by air at 10 to 15 meters per second at 1200 degrees to 1400 degrees C, molten ash forms beads on the surface of a coke particle, some exuding from its interior. The beads merge and detach them-selves to grow further as loose fluidized ash agglomerates of low carbon content. PMID- 17810063 TI - Sexual Selection in a Wild Population of the Butterfly Danaus chrysippus L. AB - Danaus chrysippus has two common forms, chrysippus and dorippus, in east Africa. Form chrysippus males have a mating advantage lasting 3 to 4 months, which is lost as their frequency increases. Female dorippus are normally superior to female chrysippus in sexual vigor. Sexual selection favoring different morphs in each sex contributes to the maintenance of the polymorphism. PMID- 17810064 TI - AAAS Human Rights Activities. PMID- 17810066 TI - Automobiles and Acid rain. PMID- 17810065 TI - Meningomyelocele. PMID- 17810067 TI - Corn mold controversy. PMID- 17810068 TI - The global agricultural support system. PMID- 17810069 TI - The Desertron: Colliding Beams at 20 TeV. AB - With today's technology, the center-of-mass energy of proton-proton and proton antiproton collisions can be extended by an order of magnitude beyond that achievable with machines presently in operation or under construction. Such a facility would open a vast new energy region which has been suggested theoretically to contain new kinds of particles and interactions. Several accelerator options, their rate capabilities, and their costs are described. PMID- 17810070 TI - Biotechnology in the marine sciences. AB - Genetic engineering applied to the production of fish, molluscs, algae, algal products, and crustaceans in natural environments and hatchery systems is still at the rudimentary stage. Cloning systems for producing commercially important chemicals, pharmacologically active compounds, and metamorphosis-stimulating substances present in marine organisms are being sought. Attempts are being made to develop useful drugs from the sea, including antineoplastic, antibiotic, growth-promoting (or -inhibiting), analgesic, and antispasmodic agents. Immediate commercial applications can be expected from engineered systems involving polysaccharide and specialty chemical production, with marine microorganisms as the source of genetic material. PMID- 17810072 TI - Nuclear Vote Threatens Draper Lab: A proposed law in Cambridge, Massachusetts, would make it a crime to work on nuclear weapons within the city limits. PMID- 17810071 TI - Mineralogic information from a new airborne thermal infrared multispectral scanner. AB - A new six-channel aircraft multispectral scanner has been developed to exploit mineral signature information at wavelengths between 8 and 12 micrometers. Preliminary results show that igneous rock units can be identified from their free silica content, and that carbonate as well as clay-bearing units are readily separable on the digitally processed images. PMID- 17810073 TI - Bell Labs--New Focus on the Bottom Line: Accustomed to a regulated life, how will the Labs do in the knock-down, drag-out world of competition? PMID- 17810075 TI - Suspect Terranes and Continental Growth: The dissection of western North America is forcing geologists to decide exactly what they know about the travels of continental rocks. PMID- 17810074 TI - EPA, Utilities Grapple with PCB Problems: PCB's in transformers may be a thing of the past sooner than expected. PMID- 17810076 TI - New Way to Catalyze Polymerization: Group transfer polymerization gives excellent control of molecular weight of acrylic polymers, allows introduction of functional groups. PMID- 17810077 TI - Century-Old Math Problem Solved: An incredibly indirect proof resolves an old problem and links two seemingly unrelated areas of mathematics. PMID- 17810078 TI - A step toward artificial chromosomes. PMID- 17810079 TI - Insurance program announcement. PMID- 17810081 TI - Editorial search committee announced. PMID- 17810080 TI - Junior high schools focus for new science education project. PMID- 17810082 TI - CHEMRAWN II Calls for Twofold Increases in World Food Production. PMID- 17810083 TI - GEM Alumni--Success Stories. PMID- 17810084 TI - Frontiers in primatology: primate communication. PMID- 17810085 TI - Mechanisms of food finding: herbivorous insects. PMID- 17810086 TI - The parity story: selected papers, 1945-1980, with commentary. PMID- 17810087 TI - Heat transfer measurements of the 1983 kilauea lava flow. AB - Convective heat flow measurements of a basaltic lava flow were made during the 1983 eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Eight field measurements of induced natural convection were made, giving heat flux values that ranged from 1.78 to 8.09 kilowatts per square meter at lava temperatures of 1088 and 1128 degrees Celsius, respectively. These field measurements of convective heat flux at subliquidus temperatures agree with previous laboratory measurements in furnace melted samples of molten lava, and are useful for predicting heat transfer in magma bodies and for estimating heat extraction rates for magma energy. PMID- 17810088 TI - Alluvial-river response to neotectonic deformation in louisiana and Mississippi. AB - Repeat geodetic surveys show uplift of the Monroe and Wiggins anticlines in Louisiana and Mississippi. There are deformed Quaternary terraces, which indicate long-term deformation in the valleys of the alluvial rivers that cross these structures, and there are floodplain and channel convexities that provide evidence of modern deformation. In addition, the channels show significant variations of morphology (sinuosity, gradient, and depth) and behavior appropriate to reaches of increased and decreased valley slope. These alluvial rivers are adjusting to modern deformation and their adjustment confirms two geodetic leveling anomalies. PMID- 17810089 TI - Chesapeake bay: an unprecedented decline in submerged aquatic vegetation. AB - Data on the distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay indicate a significant reduction in all species in all sections of the bay during the last 15 to 20 years. This decline is unprecedented in the bay's recent history. The reduction in one major species, Zostera marina, may be greater than the decline that occurred during the pandemic demise of the 1930' s. PMID- 17810090 TI - Free cupric ion activity in seawater: effects on metallothionein and growth in crab larvae. AB - Crab zoeae (Rhithropanopeus harrisii) were exposed during their development opment to a range of free cupric ion activities regulated in seawater by use of a copper chelate buffer system. Most cytosolic copper was found to be associated with metallothionein. Copper-thionein could be related to free cupric ion activity, and a shift in copper-thionein accumulation was correlated with inhibition of larval growth. These data reveal predictable relations between cupric ion activity in seawater and processes at the cellular and organismic levels. PMID- 17810091 TI - Catch a falling star: meteorites and old ice. AB - A model for the process of meteorite concentration in blue ice regions of the Antarctic ice sheet is proposed based on data from near the Allan Hills and the assumptions that both meteorite influx and glacial flow have been constant. The meteorite influx is calculated to be 60 x 10(-6) kilogram per square kilometer per year, and the age of the exposed ice to be 0 to 600,000 years, varying with distance from the Allan Hills. These results are in line with other estimates of influx rate and with measurements of the terrestrial ages of the meteorites, providing support for the assumption of steady flow and meteorite influx. This may be the oldest sequence of ice in stratigraphic order yet discovered, and the results imply that this part of the east Antarctic ice sheet has been approximately steady during this time interval. PMID- 17810093 TI - Neuron-glia adhesion is inhibited by antibodies to neural determinants. PMID- 17810092 TI - Eccentric ringlet in the maxwell gap at 1.45 saturn radii: multi-instrument voyager observations. AB - The Voyager spacecraft observed a narrow, eccentric ringlet in the Maxwell gap (1.45 Saturn radii) in Saturn's rings. Intercomparison of the Voyager imaging, photopolarimeter, ultraviolet spectrometer, and radio science observations yields results not available from individual observations. The width of the ringlet varies from about 30 to about 100 kilometers, its edges are sharp on a radial scale < 1 kilometer, and its opacity exhibits a double peak near the center. The shape and width of the ringlet are consistent with a set of uniformly precessing, confocal ellipses with foci at Saturn's center of mass. The ringlet precesses as a unit at a rate consistent with the known dynamical oblateness of Saturn; the lack of differential precession across the ringlet yields a ringlet mass of about 5 x 10(18) grams. The ratio of surface mass density to particle cross-sectional area is about five times smaller than values obtained elsewhere in the Saturn ring system, indicating a relatively larger fraction of small particles. Also, comparison of the measured transmission of the ringlet at radio, visible, and ultraviolet wavelengths indicates that about half of the total extinction is due to particles smaller than 1 centimeter in radius, in contrast even with nearby regions of the C ring. However, the color and brightness of the ringlet material are not measurably different from those of nearby C ring particles. We find this ringlet is similar to several of the rings of Uranus. PMID- 17810094 TI - Neuron-glia adhesion is inhibited by antibodies to neural determinants. PMID- 17810095 TI - Gordon research conferences: 1984 winter schedule. PMID- 17810096 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17810097 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17810098 TI - Achievement. PMID- 17810099 TI - International Studies and the Academicians. PMID- 17810100 TI - Harder by the Dozen. PMID- 17810101 TI - Letters to the Editor. PMID- 17810103 TI - National Planning of Science and Technology in France. PMID- 17810102 TI - Diversity of Institutional Goals. PMID- 17810104 TI - After the Moon Landing: Senate Hearings Open Way for Debate. PMID- 17810105 TI - Pollution: PSAC Panel Takes a Panoramic View. PMID- 17810106 TI - Naval Academy: Lockstep Program Is Abandoned. PMID- 17810107 TI - France Considers Significance of Nobel Awards. PMID- 17810108 TI - Titanium Dioxide in Pyroclastic Layers from Volcanoes in the Cascad Range. AB - Rapid determinations of titanium dioxide have been made by x-ray emission techniques to evaluate the potentiality of using the TiO(2) content of samples for checking field correlations and assisting in identification of pyroclastic units from Cascade volcanoes. Preliminary data suggest that the two most wide spread units have characteristic ranges of TiO(2) content and that other, less extensive layers have ranges which, though characteristic, often overlap the ranges of the more widespread layers. Relative to fresh samples,. weathered samples from B and C soil horizons are enriched in TiO(2). PMID- 17810109 TI - Radiation Sintering of Lunar Dust. AB - Protons in the solar wind displace atoms in the grains of lunar dust. These atoms may, through diffusion, sinter the dust layer into a partly coherent but still highly porous structure. PMID- 17810110 TI - Intercrystalline Links in Bulk Polyethylene. AB - Strength-promoting intercrystalline links in polyethylene, crystallized from the melt, have been observed under the electron microscope. The links measure up to many thousands of angstroms in length (depending upon the molecular weight of the polymer) and are of the order of 100 A in diameter. Their formation appears to be initiated by molecular chains which contact, and begin to crystallize upon, the surfaces of two or more different crystals, often some distance apart. Deposition continues until these molecular bridges are pulled taut. More molecules are laid down upon the bridges to build up the larger links, which are themselves crystalline and may well be extended-chain single crystals. PMID- 17810111 TI - Iron Minerals Formed by a Nuclear Explosion in a Salt Bed. AB - The nuclear event, Gnome, was carried out in halite in the Salado formation and yielded a varied mineral assemblage. The iron suppor members reacted in the salt melt and formed several iron oxide phases. The magnetite which formed during the fireball stage reached in various ways with the environment to form higher oxides and hydrated oxides. PMID- 17810112 TI - Physiological Predetermination: Imbibition, Respiration, and Growth of Lima Bean Seeds. AB - Temperatures 15 degrees C or lower during the first hour of imbibition immediately inhibited respiration in lima beans, with proportional inhibition of subsequent growth of seedlings. Correlations between initial respiration rates and growth rates of seedlings were found in diferent lots of seeds. PMID- 17810113 TI - Neurosecretory Supply to the Epidermis of an Insect. AB - Electron miticroscopy of the abdominal nerves of Rhodnius reveals neurosecretory axons which supply the abdomizinal epidermis. This suggests that thle epidermnal cells of insects are under more localized endocrine control than has previously been supposed. PMID- 17810114 TI - Circadian-RIhythms in Male-Ants of Five Diverse Species. AB - When kept at constant temperature and subjected to a daily cycle of light and darkness, males of Paraponera clavata, Iridomyrmex humilis, Solenopsis saevissima, Veromessor andrei, and Camponotus clarithorax were active at different hours. With Solenopsis and Veromessor the active hours relative to the laboratory dawn corresponded with the hours of mating flight in the field. In four of the five species the rise preceding maximum activity began before change to light or to darkness. This endogenous behavior, widespread in males, is of interest because timing in the worker caste has been questioned. PMID- 17810115 TI - Bacterial Contamination of Some Carbonaceous Meteorites. AB - Three types of bacteria were isolated from samples of two carbonaceous chondrites and identified as common contaminants that are widely distributed. PMID- 17810116 TI - Exchangeable Mass: Determination without Assumption of Isotopic Equilibrium. AB - The method of isotope dilution for determining the exchangeable mass of different substances in living organisms is, at best, approximate. A formally exact method, defining the otherwise vague concept of exchangeable mass, is proposed. The new method may serve as a standard for determining errors in results obtained by the earlier method. PMID- 17810117 TI - Physical Science. PMID- 17810119 TI - Cancer Research. PMID- 17810118 TI - Amendments to AAAS Constitution. PMID- 17810120 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17810121 TI - THE SOLAR CONSTANT OF RADIATION. PMID- 17810122 TI - SETH CARLO CHANDLER. PMID- 17810123 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATE SECRETARY FOR THE SOUTH. PMID- 17810124 TI - MINUTES OF THE SECOND MEETING OF THE PACIFIC COAST COMMITTEE. PMID- 17810125 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17810126 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17810127 TI - WHAT GRADES REPRESENT. PMID- 17810128 TI - FOSSIL PLANTS IN THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE. PMID- 17810130 TI - THE DECOMPOSITION OF SOIL CARBONATES. PMID- 17810129 TI - BEETLES BECOMING PARASITES. PMID- 17810131 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION C--CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17810133 TI - Basement Science. PMID- 17810132 TI - AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE SECTION F--ZOOLOGY. PMID- 17810134 TI - Scientist-Astronauts: Applications Invited. PMID- 17810136 TI - Standardized Tests: A Third Possibility. PMID- 17810135 TI - Reprints: A Proposal. PMID- 17810137 TI - Ground-Based Astronomy. PMID- 17810138 TI - Man's First Encounters With Metallurgy: Man's discovery of ores and metals helped to shape his sense of science, technology, and history. PMID- 17810139 TI - Flip: An Oceanographic Buoy: A novel structure provides a quiet platform of great stability for acoustic and other research at sea. PMID- 17810140 TI - Teaching and the Expanding Knowledge: The simplification that comes with expanding knowledge enables teaching to encompass this knowledge. PMID- 17810141 TI - Congress: With New Sides Chosen It Appears the Next Game May Be Played under Some New Rules. PMID- 17810142 TI - Krebiozen: Government Indicts Sponsors of Alleged Cancer Drug; Ivy, Durovic, among Those Named. PMID- 17810143 TI - Orgueil Meteorite: Organic Nitrogen Contents. AB - Purines, amino derivatives of sym-triazine, and substituted guanidines isolated from the Orgueil meteorite were identified by chromatographic, spectroscopic, and other techniques. The presence of large amounts of sym-triazine derivatives is of particular interest, because these compounds have no known biochemical significance. PMID- 17810144 TI - Transitional Ordovician Bivalve with Both Monoplacophoran and Lucinacean Affinities. AB - The rare and problematic Ordovician molluscan genus Babinka is a probable evolutionary link between the bivalve superfamily Lucinacea and some monoplacophora-like ancestral mollusc. Babinka provides the first direct evidence of a transition between the class Bivalvia and more primitive molluscan ancestors. PMID- 17810145 TI - Electrolytic Growth of Silver Dendrites. AB - The growth rates of silver dendrites formed in narrow capillaries by electrodeposition under various physical conditions have been determined. Dissolution of such dendrites as well as their growth can be reliably controlled. This principle may be used in the design of components for adaptive electronic systems. PMID- 17810146 TI - Pressure-Induced Trapping Phenomenon in Silver Iodide. AB - Observations of the optical properties and electrical conductivity of silver iodide at pressures between 2 and 4 kilobars are indicative of the formation of free silver (or silver and iodine) in this pressure range. On the basis of the sequence of events and the volume relations, this reaction could account for the smooth and reversible phase transformations of silver iodide in this pressure range. The phenomenon may be due to the trapping of an electron by the silver ion (in a thermally excited state) as a result of the distortion of the lattice under pressure. PMID- 17810147 TI - High Pressure Polymorphism in Cesium. AB - A new polymorph of cesium, existing over the narrow pressure range from about 42.2 to 42.7 kilobars at room temperature, has been discovered. Its crystal structure is face-centered-cubic with a = 5.800 +/- 0.007 A at 42.5 kb and 27 degrees C. Cesium-II, which exists over the pressure range 23.7 to 42.2 kb, is also face-centered-cubic with a = 5.984 +/- 0.011 A at 41 kb and 27 degrees C. An improved resistance-pressure curve and x-ray compressibility measurements for Cs are also given. PMID- 17810148 TI - Saturation Deficit of the Mesophyll Evaporating Surfaces in a Desert Halophyte. AB - The tensions developed in the internal evaporating leaf surfaces were estimated for a desert halophyte, Reaumuria hirtella, growing in its natural habitat. The method was based on the assumption that at zero transpiration the vapor pressure of the inner parts of the leaf was in equilibrium with that of the atmosphere, provided that stomatal resistance was constant during the measuring period. This could be ensured, since the measuring system controlled both the concentration of carbon dioxide and the atmospheric humidity, while measuring photosynthesis and transpiration simultaneously. Tension values of 180, 240, and 320 bars were recorded for three different Reaumuria hirtella plants. PMID- 17810149 TI - 131st AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17810150 TI - Physical Oceanography: Plans for U.S.-Japan Cooperation. PMID- 17810151 TI - Forthcoming Events. PMID- 17810152 TI - Meeting Notes. PMID- 17810153 TI - THE HISTORY OF THE BEGINNINGS OF THE SCIENCE OF PREHISTORIC ANTHROPOLOGY. I. PMID- 17810154 TI - CHEMISTRY AT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810156 TI - SOME NEW DATA FOR CONVERTING GEOLOGICAL TIME INTO YEARS. PMID- 17810155 TI - THE COLLECITIONS OF NATURAL HISTORY AT SOUTH KENSINGTON. PMID- 17810157 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17810158 TI - ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. PMID- 17810159 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17810160 TI - LIMITATIONS OF THERMODYNAMICS. PMID- 17810161 TI - THE TECHNICAL APPLICATION OF MICRO-ORGANISMS TO AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17810162 TI - AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEDICAL GROUP IN CATTELL'S THOUSAND LEADING MEN OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810163 TI - THE NATIONAL FORESTS. PMID- 17810164 TI - DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. PMID- 17810165 TI - NEW METHODS IN SOIL PROTOZOOLOGY. PMID- 17810167 TI - MINNESOTA MAN--A DISCUSSION OF THE SITE. PMID- 17810166 TI - THE ETIOLOGY OF PERNICIOUS AND RELATED MACROCYTIC ANEMIAS. PMID- 17810168 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF ANOPHELES MACULIPENNIS IN MEXICO. PMID- 17810169 TI - AN ANOMALOUS MUSCLE IN THE CALIFORNIA RIVER OTTER. PMID- 17810170 TI - EGGS OF A PENEID SHRIMP. PMID- 17810171 TI - THE EFFECT OF PROLACTIN ON THE ESTRUS CYCLE OF NONPAROUS MICE. PMID- 17810172 TI - X-RAY REFLECTIONS OF LONG SPACING FROM TENDON. PMID- 17810173 TI - FURTHER STUDIES ON ORAL IMMUNIZATION TO COLDS. PMID- 17810174 TI - A "GROWTH SUBSTANCE". PMID- 17810175 TI - APPARATUS FOR HEAVY WATER STUDIES IN SMALL ANIMALS. PMID- 17810176 TI - A METHOD OF PREPARING PARAFFIN SECTIONS OF BONE. PMID- 17810177 TI - WHITMAN'S WORK ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE GROUP OF PIGEONS. PMID- 17810178 TI - A PALEONTOLOGIC REVIVAL AT YALE UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17810179 TI - WILLIAM GILSON FARLOW. PMID- 17810180 TI - THE POLYDOGMATA OF THE PHYSICIST. PMID- 17810181 TI - TOTEM POLES FOR MUSEUMS. PMID- 17810182 TI - ANTS AND SCIENTISTS. PMID- 17810183 TI - TO KILL CATS FOR LABORATORY USE. PMID- 17810184 TI - CONCERNING APPLICATION OF THE PROBABLE ERROR IN CASES OF EXTREMELY ASYMMETRICAL FREQUENCY CURVES. PMID- 17810186 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17810185 TI - THE AMERICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810188 TI - Corrections and clarifications. AB - The names of Charles Kennel and Thomas A. Tombrello, Jr., were mispelled in John Travis' 30 April News & Comment article "LIGO: A $250 million gamble" (p. 612). PMID- 17810187 TI - Pan-american science collaboration. PMID- 17810189 TI - President's Lecture: The Need for Scientific Communication with the Public. PMID- 17810190 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17810191 TI - The ozone backlash. PMID- 17810192 TI - A fateful prediction. PMID- 17810193 TI - Stratospheric chlorine: blaming it on nature. PMID- 17810194 TI - Breaching industry-university barriers. PMID- 17810195 TI - More Doubt Cast on Peary's Claim. PMID- 17810196 TI - Profile of the aspiring physician. PMID- 17810197 TI - Latin science: what to do? PMID- 17810198 TI - Getting in touch with the edge of the solar system. PMID- 17810199 TI - Spinning in the dark. PMID- 17810200 TI - The biological history of a seaway. PMID- 17810201 TI - Reaction product imaging: the h + d2 reaction. AB - The differential cross section for the H + D(2) --> HD + D reaction has been measured using a technique called reaction product imaging. In this experiment, a photolytically produced beam of hydrogen (H) atoms crossed a beam of cold deuterium (D(2)) molecules. Product D atoms were ionized at the intersection of the two particle beams and accelerated toward a position-sensitive detector. The ion images appearing on the detector are two-dimensional projections of the three dimensional velocity distribution of the D atom products. The reaction was studied at nominal center-of-mass collision energies of 0.54 and 1.29 electron volts. At the lower collision energy, the measured differential cross section for D atom production, summed over all final states of the HD(v,J) product, is in good agreement with recent quasi-classical trajectory calculations. At the higher collision energy, the agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental results is less favorable. PMID- 17810202 TI - Seismicity remotely triggered by the magnitude 7.3 landers, california, earthquake. AB - The magnitude 7.3 Landers earthquake of 28 June 1992 triggered a remarkably sudden and widespread increase in earthquake activity across much of the western United States. The triggered earthquakes, which occurred at distances up to 1250 kilometers (17 source dimensions) from the Landers mainshock, were confined to areas of persistent seismicity and strike-slip to normal faulting. Many of the triggered areas also are sites of geothermal and recent volcanic activity. Static stress changes calculated for elastic models of the earthquake appear to be too small to have caused the triggering. The most promising explanations involve nonlinear interactions between large dynamic strains accompanying seismic waves from the mainshock and crustal fluids (perhaps including crustal magma). PMID- 17810203 TI - Diversity and extinction of tropical american mollusks and emergence of the isthmus of panama. AB - The gradual closure of the Panamanian seaway and the resulting environmental change stimulated an increase in Caribbean molluscan diversity rather than the mass extinction hypothesized previously on the basis of inadequate data. Upheaval of molluscan faunas did occur suddenly throughout tropical America at the end of the Pliocene as a result of more subtle, unknown causes. There is no necessary correlation between the magnitude of regional shifts in abiotic conditions and the subsequent biological response. PMID- 17810204 TI - Diversity of atlantic coastal plain mollusks since the pliocene. AB - About 70 percent of tropical western Atlantic mollusk species have become extinct since the Pliocene, which has led to perceptions of a corresponding decline in diversity. However, a compilation of gastropod species from Plio-Pleistocene faunas of the United States Atlantic coastal plain and from Recent western Atlantic faunas indicates that regional diversity has not changed since the Pliocene. Gastropod diversity in the Pliocene Pinecrest Beds in Florida approximates that seen today on either coast of Florida. Gastropod diversity is not demonstrably different in the Recent tropical western Atlantic than in the Recent tropical eastern Pacific. High extinction rates must have been balanced by high origination rates. PMID- 17810205 TI - Large odd-numbered carbon clusters from fullerene-ozone reactions. AB - The odd-numbered carbon clusters C(119), C(129), and C(139) have been observed in the mass spectra of toluene extracts of fullerene soots and of the products of ozone-fullerene reactions. Specifically, ozone-C(60) reactions yield C(119), ozone-C(70) reactions yield C(139), and ozone-(C(60)/C(70)) reactions produce C(119), C(129), and C(139). These unexpected species correspond to dimers of C(60), C(60)/C(70), and C(70), respectively, less one carbon atom, and are stable gas-phase ions with behavior similar to that of fullerenes. The results suggest a new route to functionalization and derivatization of fullerenes through controlled ozone-catalyzed cage-opening reactions. PMID- 17810206 TI - Identification of a sex pheromone from a spider. AB - The compounds (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid and its dimer, (R)-3-[(R)-3 hydroxybutyryloxy]-butyric acid, have been identified as sex pheromones of a spider. These compounds elicit web reduction behavior by males of Linyphia triangularis (Clerck) on the webs of unmated adult females. PMID- 17810207 TI - Unidirectional spread of secondary sexual plumage traits across an avian hybrid zone. AB - Theory predicts that traits under positive selection can rapidly cross a hybrid zone in spite of a substantial barrier to neutral gene flow between hybridizing taxa. An avian hybrid zone between Manacus candei (white-collared manakin) and M. vitellinus (golden-collared manakin) is reported here that displays an unusual pattern of noncoincident clines. Male secondary sexual traits of M. vitellinus have spread into populations that are genetically and morphometrically like M. candei. These birds have a lek breeding system in which male mating success is highly skewed, suggesting that sexual selection is driving male sexual traits across the zone. PMID- 17810209 TI - Creative misrenderings. PMID- 17810208 TI - Synthesis of polycrystalline chalcopyrite semiconductors by microwave irradiation. AB - Polycrystalline samples of the chalcopyrites CulnS(2), CulnSe(2), and CulnSSe were Prepared from stoichiometric mixtures of the pure elements by microwave irradiation. The reactions were performed in sealed quartz tubes in as few as 3 minutes. The products were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology and shape of the particles produced by this method suggest that the products are formed from liquid melts. This method could be applied to the production of bulk chalcopyrite as sources for thin film growth. PMID- 17810210 TI - The origins of script. PMID- 17810212 TI - Dolphin echolocation. PMID- 17810211 TI - Invertebrates long gone. PMID- 17810213 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17810214 TI - THE ATOMIC THEORY FROM THE CHEMICAL STANDPOINT. PMID- 17810215 TI - SOME OBJECTIONS TO THE ATOMIC THEORY. PMID- 17810216 TI - ON ARTIFICIAL PARTHENOGENESIS IN SEA URCHINS. PMID- 17810217 TI - A CURIOUS PHASE OF INTER-STREAM EROSION IN SOUTHERN OREGON. PMID- 17810218 TI - THE SIXTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. PMID- 17810219 TI - THE PLUMAGES AND MOULTS OF THE INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea). PMID- 17810220 TI - INDIAN PICTOGRAPHS ON THE DAKOTA SANDSTONE. PMID- 17810221 TI - SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF ORE DEPOSITS ON A GEOLOGICAL BASIS. PMID- 17810222 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17810223 TI - TOBACCO, TOBACCO-PIPES AND SMOKING. PMID- 17810224 TI - Photoconductive Cells for Detection of Infrared Radiation. PMID- 17810226 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17810225 TI - AAAS General Officers-1952. PMID- 17810227 TI - Further Notes on Discrimination. PMID- 17810228 TI - THE URBANA MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. PMID- 17810229 TI - THE WITTENBERG SYMPOSIUM ON THE FEELINGS AND THE EMOTIONS. PMID- 17810230 TI - THE GENE AND THE ONTOGENETIC PROCESS. PMID- 17810232 TI - A SUGGESTION OR HYPOTHESIS CONCERNING THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. PMID- 17810231 TI - NEWSPAPER REPORTS ON THE MEETINGS. PMID- 17810233 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17810234 TI - ACOUSTICS IN THE STUDY OF "SOLUTIONS". PMID- 17810235 TI - THE POISONING OF HONEY BEES BY COMMON ORCHARD SPRAYS. PMID- 17810237 TI - THYROXIN AND COAT COLOR IN DILUTE RACES OF MICE AND RATS. PMID- 17810236 TI - THE PHYSICS QUADRILATERAL. PMID- 17810238 TI - ON THE VELOCITY OF SOUND. PMID- 17810240 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17810239 TI - WATER TRANSLOCATION IN YOUNG FRUITS. PMID- 17810241 TI - Progress in Japanese science. PMID- 17810242 TI - Sciencescope. PMID- 17810243 TI - Science and technology policy headed for political maelstrom. PMID- 17810244 TI - Rivals for power lay down the law. PMID- 17810246 TI - Piercing Titan's Shroud. PMID- 17810245 TI - Proposed global network for ecology data stirs debate. PMID- 17810247 TI - Physicist wins bower award. PMID- 17810248 TI - Under the volcano. PMID- 17810249 TI - Don'T call it shop. PMID- 17810251 TI - Panel hopes compromise will bail out neutron source. PMID- 17810250 TI - Electronic battle over solar neutrinos. PMID- 17810252 TI - Crowding innovation out of evolution. PMID- 17810253 TI - Science weathers economic storm. PMID- 17810254 TI - Japan aims to link islands of science information. PMID- 17810255 TI - Universities and companies learn benefits of teamwork. PMID- 17810256 TI - Bright science city dreams face sober economic realities. PMID- 17810257 TI - Universities throw open doors to outside scrutiny. PMID- 17810258 TI - Japan learns to accommodate its global research partners. PMID- 17810260 TI - New developments in the science policy of Japan. PMID- 17810259 TI - MITI Ecoprojects Target the Desert--And the Home Front. PMID- 17810261 TI - Composite fermions in the quantum Hall regime. AB - Recent progress in the understanding of the two-dimensional electron system under the influence of a strong magnetic field is reviewed. This system is characterized by the existence of a particle called the composite fermion, which manifests itself in several dramatic experimental observations. PMID- 17810262 TI - Ultrahigh-Resolution X-ray Tomography. AB - Ultrahigh-resolution three-dimensional images of a microscopic test object were made with soft x-rays collected with a scanning transmission x-ray microscope. The test object consisted of two different patterns of gold bars on silicon nitride windows that were separated by approximately 5 micrometers. Depth resolution comparable to the transverse resolution was achieved by recording nine two-dimensional images of the object at angles between -50 and +55 degrees with respect to the beam axis. The projections were then combined tomographically to form a three-dimensional image by means of an algorithm using an algebraic reconstruction technique. A transverse resolution of approximately 1000 angstroms was observed. Artifacts in the reconstruction limited the overall depth resolution to approximately 6000 angstroms; however, some features were clearly reconstructed with a depth resolution of approximately 1000 angstroms. PMID- 17810263 TI - Self-Assembly of n-Alkyl Thiols as Disulfides on Au(111). AB - A grazing incidence x-ray diffraction study of CH(3)(CH(2))(9)SH self-assembled on the (111) surface of gold revealed a disulfide head group structure, which provides a context in which to understand the structure and self-assembly process of this widely studied system. The structure consists of a nearly hexagonal two dimensional arrangement of the hydrocarbon chains with a dimerization of the sulfur head groups (accommodated through a gauche bond), resulting in a S-S spacing of 2.2 angstroms. These results demonstrate the importance of internal molecular degrees of freedom in the templating of "soft" organic materials on inorganic substrates. PMID- 17810264 TI - Growth and sintering of fullerene nanotubes. AB - Carbon nanotubes produced in arcs have been found to have the form of multiwalled fullerenes, at least over short lengths. Sintering of the tubes to each other is the predominant source of defects that limit the utility of these otherwise perfect fullerene structures. The use of a water-cooled copper cathode minimized such defects, permitting nanotubes longer than 40 micrometers to be attached to macroscopic electrodes and extracted from the bulk deposit. A detailed mechanism that features the high electric field at (and field-emission from) open nanotube tips exposed to the arc plasma, and consequent positive feedback effects from the neutral gas and plasma, is proposed for tube growth in such arcs. PMID- 17810265 TI - Encapsulation of guest molecules into a dendritic box. AB - Dendrimers are well-defined, highly branched macromolecules that emanate from a central core and are synthesized through a stepwise, repetitive reaction sequence. The synthesis and characterization of dendritic boxes, based on the construction of a chiral shell of protected amino acids onto poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers with 64 amine end groups, is reported here. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation and optical data show that a dense shell with solid-phase character is formed. Guest molecules were captured within the internal cavities of the boxes when these boxes were constructed in the presence of guest molecules. The diffusion of guest molecules out of the boxes into solution was unmeasurably slow because of the close packing of the shell. These monomolecular dendritic containers of 5-nanometer dimensions with physically locked-in guest molecules were characterized spectroscopically. PMID- 17810266 TI - A central role of salicylic Acid in plant disease resistance. AB - Transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana expressing the bacterial enzyme salicylate hydroxylase cannot accumulate salicylic acid (SA). This defect not only makes the plants unable to induce systemic acquired resistance, but also leads to increased susceptibility to viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens. The enhanced susceptibility extends even to host-pathogen combinations that would normally result in genetic resistance. Therefore, SA accumulation is essential for expression of multiple modes of plant disease resistance. PMID- 17810267 TI - Response. PMID- 17810268 TI - Diamond-like carbon bonds. PMID- 17810269 TI - The right stuff. PMID- 17810270 TI - Vignettes: thanksgiving advisory. PMID- 17810271 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17810272 TI - The return of the takh. PMID- 17810274 TI - 1995-96 AAAS Fellowships for Scielltists & Engineers. PMID- 17810273 TI - Other books of interest. PMID- 17810275 TI - The graduate curriculum. PMID- 17810276 TI - Jets in extragalactic radio sources. AB - Observations now require that there be a continuous supply of energy to the giant extragalactic radio sources. These observations also suggest that this energy input may be in the form of streams or jets of gas emanating from the centers of galaxies and quasi-stellar objects. Current data indicate that the large-scale jet structures are not moving with relativistic speeds, as previously proposed. Slow-moving jets, which possess turbulent interiors and are dominated by relatively cool gas, can account for the observed jet properties at optical and radio wavelengths. Extremely small-scale jets observed adjacent to the central energy source may or may not be in relativistic motion. PMID- 17810277 TI - Nuclear Regulation Under New Management: The departure of commissioner Victor Gilinsky may make the NRC less contentious, but it will not lessen the nuclear industry's problems. PMID- 17810278 TI - Koshland named science editor. PMID- 17810279 TI - A Second Look at Virginia's Accelerator: Questions from the Senate stall construction of a $225-million machine and prompt a second review of its scientific merits. PMID- 17810280 TI - Looking at the debits on r&d tax credits. PMID- 17810281 TI - U.s. Says free market is key to population policy. PMID- 17810282 TI - Congressmen seek halt to plutonium shipment. PMID- 17810284 TI - Major materials facilities ranked. PMID- 17810283 TI - Developing a Big Picture of Earth's Mantle: The sounds of distant earthquakes, specially combined by large computers, are producing the first global, three dimensional maps of the mantle. PMID- 17810285 TI - Science and control: the new politics of science. PMID- 17810286 TI - Economic geology: metal deposits in relation to plate tectonics. PMID- 17810287 TI - Feelings about Risk: Workers at Risk. PMID- 17810289 TI - Reprints of books previously reviewed. PMID- 17810288 TI - Heat production in mammals: Mammalian thermogenesis. PMID- 17810290 TI - Holocene history of cedar and native Indian cultures of the north american pacific coast. AB - A comparison of paleobotanical records with archeological and ethnographic evidence from the Pacific Northwest shows a strong correlation between the expansion of Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) in coastal forests between 5000 and 2500 years ago and the evolution of a massive woodworking technology by native cultures. This suggests that an important component of cultural development was environmentally constrained until large cedar trees, the basic resource for canoe-building and plank-house construction, had become available in late Holocene time. PMID- 17810291 TI - Central pacific seabirds and the el nino southern oscillation: 1982 to 1983 perspectives. AB - The breeding chronology and reproductive attempts of the seabird community on Christmas Island in the central Pacific Ocean (2 degrees N, 157 degrees W) were interrupted by the 1982-1983 El Nino Southern Oscillation. The resultant reproductive failure and disappearance of the entire seabird community of this equatorial atoll represents the most dramatic interruption on record of a seabird community located distant from coastal upwelling. Our data indicate the effect that the abiotic and biotic aspects of a global atmospheric-oceanic anomaly have on marine birds. The 1982-1983 El Nino Southern Oscillation provides an example of selective pressures and a natural experiment in the study of vertebrate population dynamics. PMID- 17810292 TI - Siblicidal aggression and resource monopolization in birds. AB - In Texas, great egret Casmerodius albus chicks attack younger nestmates, often fatally (siblicide). By contrast, the young of neighboring great blue herons Ardea herodias seldom strike or kill siblings. These interspecific differences seem related to prey size: only fish provided by egret parents are small enough for chicks to monopolize (a process facilitated by aggression). Experimentally cross-fostered heron chicks raised on small prey by egret parents became siblicidal, but the reverse procedure of cross-fostering egret chicks did not reduce aggression or siblicide. PMID- 17810294 TI - Water proposals for new york. PMID- 17810293 TI - Sex ratio of sea turtles: seasonal changes. AB - Sex ratios of hatchling loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta taken from South Carolina and Georgia ranged from no females in nests laid in late May to 80 percent females in those laid in early July; the sex ratio decreased to 10 percent females in nests laid in early August. These seasonal changes are consistent with the role of temperature in directing sexual differentiation in various reptiles. The data have implications for understanding the demography of sea turtles and for their conservation. PMID- 17810295 TI - Of porpoises and bedbugs. PMID- 17810297 TI - Academic responsibility. PMID- 17810296 TI - Chemotaxis: divided and defined. PMID- 17810298 TI - The Japanese science education centers. AB - These six Japanese science education centers signify a sweeping reform of elementary and secondary school science teaching. They achieve their striking results because they are established on a permanent, local basis and are supported mainly by the local boards of education. They have avoided control by pedagogues and specialists in "education." Instead, they are operated by trained scientists and experienced school teachers who work together to devise programs specially suited to the needs of their teachers. With small and practicable steps, the teachers improve their understanding of methods which they can readily test in their own classrooms rooms and laboratories. The laboratory equipment in the science education centers is only slightly superior to that which the teachers have in their own schools, but superior enough to make them desire to improve their own facilities. Major facilities, such as x-ray machines, electron microscopes, telescopes (15-cm), and machine shops, as well as good working collections of minerals and fossils, and adequate greenhouses, permit the teachers to work with more expensive equipment, to gain a firsthand knowledge of its operation, and to bring groups of students to the center to observe what such instruments make possible. The use of American experimental course content improvement programs is widespread. Every science education center I visited is using PSSC, CHEMS, CBA, BSCS, or ESCP materials and studying the philosophy of these programs. Yet no center is entirely dependent on these programs, but uses them critically to supplement and improve its own courses. The emphasis is on good laboratory and field teaching as a basis for understanding scientific methods and concepts. Science as investigation and inquiry, instead of treatment solely as an authoritative body of facts, is coming into its own. The few defects of the science education centers of Japan inhere in the educational situation itself. The centers are at present inadequate to reach even a reasonable proportion of the science teachers within a 5-year, or even a 10-year cycle. The shortage of substitute teachers causes most of the courses to be far too brief for maximum effectiveness. Staff programming tends to be rather spotty instead of comprehensive. A major difficulty, frequently expressed, lies in the grim hold of the university entrance examination system over the science curricula of the lower schools. The university is the goal of every able student, for economic as well as intellectual reasons. To enter a university he must pass the examinations, which are established separately by each institution. The professor who makes out the examination questions therefore controls what must be taught and learned in the lower schools. This same rigorous control is in part reflected in the Ministry of Education syllabi, which must be followed by the teachers. Nevertheless, I found the men in the biological section of the Ministry of Education very enlightened and pressing for change. Many professors in the universities are also in the full current of modern biological thought, participate gladly in the programs of the science education centers, and would write examinations that emphasize interpreting data, applying tests to hypotheses, and drawing valid conclusions instead of merely memorizing and regurgitating facts. On the other hand, in many universities the upper positions are still filled by men to whom biology means classification rather than experimentation, morphology rather than biochemistry, organ physiology rather than cell biology. We cannot afford to discard taxonomy, morphology, or gross physiology-they are important parts of biology and will remain so. But they do not comprise all of biology-they are only a diminishing proportion of it. In Japan, as in the United States, the examination system must become more flexible. It must change with the development of science itself, must encourage scientific attitudes and cease defeating the introduction of new disciplines, new outlooks, new subject matter. The university and the examining boards in some educational systems indeed exhibit a rigor mortis. On balance, the science education centers in Japan may well represent the most significant educational experiment of our time. Their vitality, which springs from their local relationship to the prefectural schools and their permenent staffs, far exceeds in my own estimation that of most of the summer science institutes held in the United States, which lack that close relation to the local schools and which by their impermanency countenance ill-planned and ill-taught programs that are often little different from the usual summer school sessions. The best summer institutes in the United States are indeed very good, but far too few of them reach a passable standard. That is because, for the most part, their staffs are recruited quickly, teach their favorite subjects without much consideration of their appropriateness or suitability for improving science education in the lower schools, and depart without much contact with other members of the staff. What is needed is serious, continuous, prolonged, hard work devoted to the development of the right sorts of courses for renewing the training of science teachers. The Japanese seem to be achieving just that. We would do well, with our vast resources for the improvement of education, to emulate them. As they have profited by employing and improving upon our NSF supported programs in science education, we may likewise profit through the establishment of science education centers modeled on theirs. PMID- 17810300 TI - Education: racial controversy dogs u.s. Commissioner. PMID- 17810299 TI - Ionospheric topside sounding. AB - Over the past few years, the satellite topside sounders have significantly contributed to the understanding of the upper ionosphere. A great quantity of radio echo data has been accumulated, from which the ionospheric electrondensity distribution can be determined. The topside measurements of electron density essentially agree with similar measurements from the ground, except for an occasional 10-percent discrepancy near the peak of the ionosphere. While horizontal non-uniformity is a likely cause, this discrepancy has not yet been adequately explained. The electron-density scale heights measured at a constant altitude indicate both a higher temperature and a heavier mean ion mass at high latitudes. At low latitudes the topside measurements have shown the detailed latitudinal structure of the equatorial anomaly, demonstrating control by the geomagnetic field. A variety of electron-density irregularities have been studied. Most are greatly elongated along the magnetic field, and produce echoes either by lateral scattering, if they are thin, or by longitudinal ducting, if they are thick. Some of the thick irregularities are continuous between the hemispheres and support conjugate echo propagation. The topside sounders have revealed the complex structure of the ionosphere near the auroral zone and at higher latitudes. At night an east-west trough of greatly reduced electron density occurs equatorward of the auroral zone. At the auroral zone itself the electron density is high and quite variable, both in space and time. The electron density at the polar cap within the auroral zone is often uniform and smooth. Ionospheric irregularities are common in the area of the trough and the auroral zone. Among other satellites, the topside sounders have been used in various plasma studies involving the excitation and propagation of waves. These studies suggest that the ionosphere is an appropriate region for future plasma physics investigations, especially with rocket and satellite payloads designed specifically for that purpose. PMID- 17810301 TI - Condon To Head UFO Study. PMID- 17810303 TI - Conference on insect endocrines. PMID- 17810302 TI - U.s. China policy: conciliation or " collision course"? PMID- 17810304 TI - Radio rotation period of jupiter. AB - The results of observations of Jupiter at 18 megacycles per second indicate that the apparent rotation period drifts cyclically about a constant mean value. The most probable drift period appears to be 11.9 years, Jupiter's orbital period. The mean rotation period during one orbital period is about 0.3 second longer than that of the system III (1957.0) period. This is in close agreement with the rotation period deduced from decimetric observations and probably represents the true rotation period of the magnetic field. The cyclic drift in the rotation period of source A at 18 megacycles per second is explained on the basis of beaming of the escaping radiation at an angle 6 degrees north of the magnetic equator. The apparent rotation period of source A depends on the rate of change of the Jovicentric declination of Earth. PMID- 17810305 TI - Atomic nuclei: moments of inertia and quadrupole moments. AB - Moments of inertia and quadrupole moments of deformed even even nuclei were calculated in the closely packed spheron model. PMID- 17810306 TI - Fossil Occurrence of Murine Rodent (Nesokia indica) in the Sudan. AB - A specimen of the murid rodent Nesokia indica has been recovered from a late Paleolithic archeological site in the Sudan. This is a range 1200 km south of the site of any known occurrences, and it indicates a different environment near the Nile River than that which exists at the present time. The late Paleolithic water table is inferred to have been more stable, allowing for permanent moist soil. PMID- 17810307 TI - Continental margin of Western europe: slope progradation and erosion. AB - Reflection profiling of the continental margin off western Europe shows seaward dipping continental-slope deposits that have been dissected by submarine canyons west of the English Channel. These records refute previous interpretation of structural benches of older, nearly horizontal strata outcropping on the slope face. PMID- 17810308 TI - Folk taxonomies and biological classification. AB - A sample of 200 native plant names from the Tzeltal-speaking municipio of Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico, was found to consist of 41 percent that comprised more than one botanical species, 34 percent with a one-to-one correspondence, and 25 percent that referred to only a part of a botanical species. Cultural significance was least for the plants in the first group, greatest for those in the last group. Over half (60 percent) of the names for which there was one-to one correspondence were plants associated with Hispanic culture, introduced as named entities following the Spanish conquest. PMID- 17810309 TI - Gibberellin-like Substances in the Developing Apricot Fruit. AB - The concentrations of gibberellin-like substances in the seed, endocarp, and mesocarp of apricots correlates well with growth rates in these tissues between anthesis and maturity. The active substances are present in high concentration, are more polar than the known gibberellins, and are active in both the barley endosperm and dwarf maize bioassays. PMID- 17810310 TI - Protoplasts: preparation from higher plants. AB - Protoplasts can be readily prepared from higher-plant tissue with a concentrated Myrothecium cellulase preparation. An ionic osmoticum produced a higher yield and more viable protoplasts than did the nonionic man nitol osmoticum. Addition of polyuronidases or of ethylenediaminetetra-acetate did not increase the yield. Protoplasts could be prepared from root, leaf, and callus tissue as well as from coleoptiles. PMID- 17810311 TI - Middle devonian day and month. PMID- 17810312 TI - Aerobiology. PMID- 17810314 TI - THE CONDITION, PROSPECTS AND FUTURE EDUCATIONAL DEMANDS OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES. PMID- 17810313 TI - Forthcoming events. PMID- 17810315 TI - MAN'S PLACE IN NATURE. PMID- 17810316 TI - THOMAS BENTON BROOKS. PMID- 17810317 TI - PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE EMBRYOGENY OF NELUMBO. PMID- 17810318 TI - ARSENIC TESTS. PMID- 17810319 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. PMID- 17810320 TI - BOTANICAL NOTES. PMID- 17810321 TI - THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. PMID- 17810323 TI - Techniques and strategies of verification. PMID- 17810322 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17810324 TI - Verification and arms control. AB - Verification of arms control agreements has become a matter of widespread interest in the scientific community; the methods used by signatories to ensure compliance and the past record of compliance by the United States and the Soviet Union are being vigorously debated. Science has asked two experts in arms control, Manfred Eimer and Sidney Drell, to respond to questions about the means of verification, the current verifiability of agreements, and the future outlook. PMID- 17810325 TI - Earth's Early Atmosphere. PMID- 17810326 TI - Response: Earth's Early Atmosphere. PMID- 17810327 TI - Novelty of "supply-side ecology". PMID- 17810328 TI - U.s. Management and productivity. PMID- 17810329 TI - U.s. Management and productivity. PMID- 17810330 TI - Response: u.s. Management and productivity. PMID- 17810332 TI - EPA finds Western lakes free of Acid pollution, but vulnerable. PMID- 17810331 TI - Erratum. AB - In Eliot Marshall's article "End game for the N Reactor?" (News & Comment, 2 Jan., p. 17), the environmental group demanding an impact statement on the plant's restart is the Natural Resources Defense Council. The present manager of the N Reactor is UNC Nuclear Industries, Inc., not Rockwell International, which runs the PUREX plant at the same site. Both companies will be replaced by Westinghouse this year. PMID- 17810333 TI - Academy Panel Blasts U.S. Export Controls: It says restrictions are too extensive and cumbersome, American companies are losing business, and DOD's role is too powerful. PMID- 17810334 TI - Shuffle plan faulted. PMID- 17810336 TI - Science sections in u.s. Newspapers increase dramatically in past 2 years. PMID- 17810335 TI - A Crisis in Space Research: Almost by accident, NASA's science and applications programs are undergoing a massive transformation--with no money to pay for it. PMID- 17810337 TI - A geophysics potpourri in san francisco. PMID- 17810338 TI - Weather regimes: the challenge in extended-range forecasting. AB - A hypothesis to explain the low-frequency (10-to 90-day) variance of the mid latitude atmosphere is presented. In this hypothesis it is proposed that the planetary-scale waves forced by topography or other zonal inhomogeneities and the day-to-day weather disturbances (synoptic scales) influence each other to generate weather regimes. These quasi-stable flow configurations are responsible for short-range climate anomalies such as droughts, heat waves, deep freezes, and excessive precipitation, as the weather-producing disturbances are organized into storm tracks. Onset and disruption of the weather regimes may be induced by the anomalous development of perhaps a single cyclonic disturbance, which can throw the quasi equilibrium out of balance. Thus, rapid changes in flow regimes can occur almost at random. The development and transition of weather regimes may then be purely internal (that is, depending only upon the properties of the fluid motions themselves) to the atmospheric dynamics. This internal quality suggests that the chaotic, abrupt short-range climatic behavior of the mid-latitudes is a natural behavior of the system that requires no assistance from the outside. The weather regime concept presents a different view of the extended-range atmospheric behavior than the stimulus-response model, such as the atmospheric response to the El Nimo. PMID- 17810339 TI - Crystallographic R factor refinement by molecular dynamics. AB - Molecular dynamics was used to refine macromolecular structures by incorporating the difference between the observed crystallographic structure factor amplitude and that calculated from an assumed atomic model into the total energy of the system. The method has a radius of convergence that is larger than that of conventional restrained least-squares refinement. Test cases showed that the need for manual corrections during refinement of macromolecular crystal structures is reduced. In crambin, the dynamics calculation moved residues that were misplaced by more than 3 angstroms into the correct positions without human intervention. PMID- 17810340 TI - Thunderstorms: an important mechanism in the transport of air pollutants. AB - Acid deposition and photochemical smog are urban air pollution problems, and they remain localized as long as the sulfur, nitrogen, and hydrocarbon pollutants are confined to the lower troposphere (below about 1-kilometer altitude) where they are short-lived. If, however, the contaminants are rapidly transported to the upper troposphere, then their atmospheric residence times grow and their range of influence expands dramatically. Although this vertical transport ameliorates some of the effects of acid rain by diluting atmospheric acids, it exacerbates global tropospheric ozone production by redistributing the necessary nitrogen catalysts. Results of recent computer simulations suggest that thunderstorms are one means of rapid vertical transport. To test this hypothesis, several research aircraft near a midwestern thunderstrom measured carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, ozone, and reactive nitrogen compounds. Their concentrations were much greater in the outflow region of the storm, up to 11 kilometers in altitude, than in surrounding air. Trace gas measurements can thus be used to track the motion of air in and around a cloud. Thunderstorms may transform local air pollution problems into regional or global atmospheric chemistry problems. PMID- 17810341 TI - Validity tests of the mixing-length theory of deep convection. AB - The construction of solar or stellar models is hindered by the difficulty of computing, with sufficient accuracy, the convective fluxes in unstable regions. Although the mixing-length theory of convection has been used for more than three decades, its validity has neither been tested by experiment nor verified by computation. This report presents the results of a three-dimensional numerical simulation of deep and efficient convection that support two conclusions: (i) the basic picture proposed by the mixing-length theory is physically valid-the vertical correlation of the motion of fluid elements is proportional to the pressure scale height; and (ii) some dynamical variables, including the convective flux, can be approximately computed from the structure of the stratification with mixing-length approximations. PMID- 17810343 TI - A legendary debate: controversy in victorian geology. PMID- 17810342 TI - Fish in offshore kelp forests affect recruitment to intertidal barnacle populations. AB - Kelp forests along the coast of central California harbor juvenile rockfish that prey on the larvae of invertebrates from the rocky intertidal zone. This predation reduces recruitment to barnacle populations to 1/50 of the level in the absence of fish. The dynamics of the intertidal community are thus strongly coupled to the dynamics of the offshore kelp community. PMID- 17810344 TI - Non-revolutions: misunderstanding media. PMID- 17810345 TI - Metamorphic rocks: blueschists and eclogites. PMID- 17810346 TI - Memory systems: synapses, circuits, and the beginnings of memory. PMID- 17810347 TI - Comparative ecology: ecology and natural history of desert lizards. PMID- 17810348 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17810349 TI - The World Health Organization. PMID- 17810350 TI - Teaching Personnel. PMID- 17810351 TI - Velyien Ewart Henderson 1877-1945. PMID- 17810352 TI - Formation of Hyalite and Opal. PMID- 17810354 TI - Colistatin: A New Antibiotic Substance With Chemotherapeutic Activity. PMID- 17810353 TI - The Metabolism of a Very Small Mammal. PMID- 17810355 TI - The Milk Factor in Blood. PMID- 17810356 TI - An Indwelling Arterial Needle for Use in the Radial Artery. PMID- 17810357 TI - Origin of Microseisms. PMID- 17810358 TI - Successful Use of Oxidized Cellulose in Surgery of the Uterus. PMID- 17810359 TI - Adjective Derived From "Fission". PMID- 17810361 TI - Japanese Scientists and the POW's. PMID- 17810360 TI - Verb Derived From "Fission". PMID- 17810362 TI - Trophoblast Elements in Cancer. PMID- 17810363 TI - A Relativistic Misconception. PMID- 17810365 TI - Quantification of Micronutrients. PMID- 17810364 TI - Complement Fixation in Rats' Blood Sera. PMID- 17810366 TI - Two Kinds of Neutrons? PMID- 17810367 TI - UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION STATISTICS. PMID- 17810368 TI - 'ELIMINATION' IN FIXING GENOTYPES. PMID- 17810369 TI - POLYEMBRYONY AND THE FIXING OF SEX. PMID- 17810370 TI - LE FONDULE (FUNDULA CYPRINODONTA) OF CORBONNIER AN UMBRA. PMID- 17810371 TI - NOTES ON PHYSICS. PMID- 17810372 TI - NOTES ON ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17810373 TI - NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. PMID- 17810374 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17810376 TI - PROFESSOR OSBORN AND THE SECRETARYSHIP OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. PMID- 17810375 TI - EVENING TECHNICAL COURSES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17810377 TI - PRELIMINARY PROGRAM OF THE NEW YORK MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND THE AFFILIATED SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17810378 TI - FOSSIL LEAVES IN YELLOWSTONE PARK. PMID- 17810379 TI - TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION. PMID- 17810381 TI - NEWLY DISCOVERED COMET. PMID- 17810380 TI - PARESIS AND MALARIA. PMID- 17810382 TI - TRAFFIC SIGNS AND SIGNALS. PMID- 17810383 TI - A NATIONAL PRONGHORN SANCTUARY. PMID- 17810384 TI - THE STATE ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810386 TI - A NEW THEORY OF POLYGENIC (OR NON-MONOGENIC) FUNCTIONS. PMID- 17810385 TI - HESPEROPITHECUS APPARENTLY NOT AN APE NOR A MAN. PMID- 17810387 TI - THE PHYSICIST AND THE FACTS OF COLOR. PMID- 17810388 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17810389 TI - ADDITIONAL RECORDS OF THE OCCURRENCE OF THE FRESH-WATER JELLY-FISH. PMID- 17810390 TI - THE INDIGENOUS NATIVE POPULATION OF ALGERIA IN 1926. PMID- 17810391 TI - THE MAGNETO-OPTICAL EFFECT AND THE ZODIACAL LIGHT. PMID- 17810392 TI - DOES THE AMOUNT OF FOOD CONSUMED INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF AN ANIMAL? PMID- 17810393 TI - OVARIAN SECRETION AND TUMOR INCIDENCE. AB - (1) Non-breeding reduces tumor incidence in mice and delays the time of tumor appearance (207 mice used). (2) Two hundred and ten female mice castrated at 28 35 days behave much the same as non-breeding females. (3) Two hundred and forty one males castrated at 28-35 days did not develop tumor, thus resembling non castrated males. (4) Spontaneous tumors, never obtained in thousands of normal males of the stock used, may develop in castrated males which have received subcutaneous transplants of ovarian tissue (210 operated-four tumors). PMID- 17810394 TI - THE CHROMOSOMES OF THE RAT. PMID- 17810395 TI - SOME PROBLEMS OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. PMID- 17810396 TI - THE PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC AND THE COMMUNITY. PMID- 17810397 TI - TENTH INTERNATIONAL VETERINARY CONGRESS. PMID- 17810399 TI - MOSQUITOES POLLINATING ORCHIDS. PMID- 17810398 TI - TYPES OF SPECIES IN BOTANICAL TAXONOMY. PMID- 17810400 TI - TRIALS AND TROPISMS. PMID- 17810401 TI - AN AID TO STUDENTS. PMID- 17810402 TI - FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SURVIVAL OF BACTERIA AT TEMPERATURES IN THE VICINITY OF THE FREEZING POINT OF WATER. PMID- 17810403 TI - HEMOPHORIC FUNCTION OF THE THORACIC DUCT IN THE CHICK. PMID- 17810404 TI - A POSSIBLE MEANS OF IDENTIFYING THE SEX OF (+) AND (-) RACES IN THE MUCORS. PMID- 17810405 TI - THE EFFECT OF MOLTING ON RHEOTAXIS IN ISOPODS. PMID- 17810406 TI - A NEVADA RECORD FOR THE CANADA OTTER. LUTRA CANADENSIS (SCHREBER). PMID- 17810408 TI - Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell 1866-1948. PMID- 17810407 TI - Physics in Central and Southern Europe. PMID- 17810409 TI - Sex and Vigor in Populus. PMID- 17810411 TI - Starch Blue. PMID- 17810410 TI - Preparation of Succindialdehyde and Its Derivatives From Furan. PMID- 17810412 TI - Weed Control--A Liquid Concentrate of the Isopropyl Ester of 2,4-D Miscible With Oil or Water in Any Proportion. PMID- 17810413 TI - Significance of Distribution of Fluorescein in Sarcoma 180. PMID- 17810414 TI - The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis: II. Amino Acids. PMID- 17810415 TI - Physiological Adjustments in Chloride Balance of the Goldfish. PMID- 17810416 TI - Transmission by Leaf Hoppers of the Virus Causing Phloem Necrosis of American Elm. PMID- 17810417 TI - The Mechanism of Cysteine and Glutathione Protection Against Alloxan Diabetes. PMID- 17810418 TI - Adaptation of Selsyn Transmitters for Obtaining Isometric Myographs on the Cathode-Ray Oscilloscope. PMID- 17810419 TI - Effect of Calcium Chloride on the Preparation of Extracts of H. pertussis. PMID- 17810420 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810421 TI - THE INTELLECTUAL WORKER. PMID- 17810422 TI - PROBLEMS OF A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATOR. PMID- 17810423 TI - COOPERATION IN RESEARCH. PMID- 17810424 TI - ERIC KNIGHT JORDAN. PMID- 17810425 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17810426 TI - THE LIFE HISTORY OF A FAKE! PMID- 17810427 TI - DISTRIBUTION OF HYMENOPHYSA PUBESCENS. PMID- 17810428 TI - SPECIAL CHARACTERS FOR THE TYPEWRITER. PMID- 17810429 TI - THE S. T. DARLING MEMORIAL PRIZE. PMID- 17810430 TI - APPLICATION OF THE GENERIC NAME PHYLLOCOENIA MILNE EDWARDS AND HAIME AND THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17810431 TI - THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY. PMID- 17810432 TI - A NEGLECTED CAPILLARITY EFFECT. PMID- 17810433 TI - FEDERAL FORESTRY. PMID- 17810434 TI - THE ESSENTIALS OF AN EDUCATION. PMID- 17810436 TI - MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON POLICY OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810435 TI - ADDRESS BEFORE THE BIOLOGICAL DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810437 TI - THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM. PMID- 17810438 TI - MATHEMATICAL DEFINITIONS IN THE NEW STANDARD DICTIONARY. PMID- 17810439 TI - A REPLY TO DR. HERON'S STRICTURES. PMID- 17810440 TI - CHINA'S FOREIGN TRADE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES. PMID- 17810441 TI - FURTHER EXPERIMENTS ON OVARIAN TRANSPLANTATION IN GUINEA-PIGS. PMID- 17810442 TI - NUTRITION AND SEX DETERMINATION IN ROTIFERS. PMID- 17810443 TI - THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810444 TI - Science for the people. PMID- 17810445 TI - Quark etymology. PMID- 17810446 TI - Perspective. PMID- 17810447 TI - Airline fuel conservation. PMID- 17810448 TI - Change in operations research. PMID- 17810449 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810450 TI - Crib death. PMID- 17810451 TI - Support for williams & wilkins. PMID- 17810452 TI - Science management training. PMID- 17810453 TI - Marine science and the 1974 law of the sea conference. AB - More intensive and varied use of the oceans and their resources requires a more comprehensive legal reegime than previously. Three years of preparatory work have been completed leading toward the Law of the Sea Conference that opened on 20 June in Caracas, Venezuela. Although the details of the new reegime are still to be negotiated, it appears certain that the coastal nations will gain some form of jurisdiction over the fisheries and mineral resources off their shores. It is probable that a new "economic zone" will be established between a relatively narrow (12-mile) territorial sea and the international ocean space beyond. If, as seems likely, this economic zone is 200 miles wide, it will encompass some 37 percent of the ocean as shown in Fig. 1. Unless the scientific community can gather more support than it has to date, it seems probable that scientific research within this economic zone will only be possible with the consent of the coastal nation. The United States has proposed a compromise solution which attempts to balance the interests of the scientific community with those of the coastal state. Under the U.S. proposal, a research group abiding by certain specific obligations to the coastal state would be free to carry out its research activities without obtaining explicit consent from the coastal state. To date the U.S. proposal has received little official support from any nation, even from nations with major oceanographic interests. PMID- 17810454 TI - Science and national policy. PMID- 17810455 TI - India and Argentina: developing a nuclear affinity. PMID- 17810456 TI - How safe the safeguards? PMID- 17810457 TI - Con edison: endless storm king dispute adds to its troubles. PMID- 17810458 TI - Scientists Plan Protest during Nixon Summit in Moscow. PMID- 17810459 TI - Photocopying: supreme court, senate move on issue. PMID- 17810460 TI - Land Use Bill Appears Dead for this Congress. PMID- 17810461 TI - Solar power: promising new developments. PMID- 17810462 TI - Autoimmune diseases in animals: useful models for immunology. PMID- 17810463 TI - Poster sessions: a new look at scientific meetings. PMID- 17810465 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17810464 TI - Fossil plants and coal: patterns of change in pennsylvanian coal swamps of the illinois basin. AB - Coal palynology and studies of petrified peat indicate major changes in coal swamp floras and the botanical constituents of coal throughout Pennsylvanian time. The changes are the result of broad climatic shifts and local environmental factors. The most striking is the change from a lycopod-dominated flora to one in which tree ferns were the major element. This change occurred at the Desmoinesian Missourian (Westphalian-Stephanian) boundary and is probably multicontinental in scope. PMID- 17810466 TI - Perkin Centennial. PMID- 17810468 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17810467 TI - A. O. Weese, Ecologist. PMID- 17810469 TI - Harry J. Deuel, Jr., Student of Nutrition. AB - In an appreciative note of the life and work of Harry J. Deuel, Jr. [Science 124, 209 (3 Aug. 1956)], J. Murray Luck wrote that Deuel "was struggling to finish the third and final volume [of The Lipides] at the time of his death." Grace C. Deuel informs us that Deuel did in fact complete the third volume of The Lipides before his last illness and that the volume is scheduled for publication early in 1957. PMID- 17810472 TI - Miscellaneous Publications. PMID- 17810470 TI - Ord Kangaroo Rat in Captivity. PMID- 17810473 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17810475 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810474 TI - SCIENCE AND VALUES. PMID- 17810476 TI - THIRD SCARRITT EXPEDITION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PMID- 17810477 TI - FORMATION NAMES IN THE MACKENZIE RIVER VALLEY. PMID- 17810478 TI - CASUALTIES AMONG ANIMALS ON MOUNTAIN ROADS. PMID- 17810479 TI - A CHEMICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROTEIN-LINKED AND FREE NUCLEIC ACID. PMID- 17810480 TI - DIFFERENTIATION OF THE ANTIDERMATITIS FACTOR. PMID- 17810481 TI - WHY HAVE SOME INVESTIGATORS BEEN UNABLE TO GROW CHILOMONAS PARAMECIUM IN INORGANIC OR SIMPLE ORGANIC SOLUTIONS? PMID- 17810482 TI - PARADICHLOROBENZENE AS A HERBARIUM INSECTICIDE. PMID- 17810484 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810483 TI - A GERMINATOR FOR ROOT WORK. PMID- 17810485 TI - Raw materials: energy and environmental constraints. PMID- 17810486 TI - Cancer chemotherapy. PMID- 17810487 TI - "Facile humanists". PMID- 17810488 TI - Osmotic power plant. PMID- 17810489 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810490 TI - Solar energy absorption. PMID- 17810491 TI - Wind, waves, and women. PMID- 17810493 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810492 TI - Letters to the editor. PMID- 17810494 TI - Interaction of sperm with somatic cells. PMID- 17810495 TI - AAAS: Retrospect and Prospect. PMID- 17810496 TI - The long search for stable transition metal alkyls. PMID- 17810497 TI - Prehistoric intensive agriculture in the mayan lowlands. PMID- 17810498 TI - Watergate: 1972 campaigners tried to use R & d agencies. PMID- 17810499 TI - Oil and Gas Resources: Did USGS Gush Too High? PMID- 17810500 TI - Beagles: Army under Attack for Research at Edgewood. PMID- 17810501 TI - Nitrogen fixation: research efforts intensify. PMID- 17810502 TI - Mercury: more surprises in the second assessment. PMID- 17810503 TI - Nitrogen fertilizer. PMID- 17810504 TI - Human Biogeography: Similarities between Man and Beast. PMID- 17810505 TI - Mariner 10 mercury encounter. AB - Mariner 10's closet approach to Mercury on 29 March 1974 occurred on the dark side of the planet at a range of approximately 700 kilometers. The spacecraft trajectory passed through the shadows of both the sun and Earth. Experiments conducted included magnetic fields, plasma and charged particle studies of the solar wind interaction region, television photography, extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy of the atmosphere, the detection of infrared thermal radiation from the surface, and a dual-frequency radio occultation in search of an ionosphere. PMID- 17810506 TI - Preliminary infrared radiometry of the night side of mercury from mariner 10. AB - The infrared radiometer on Mariner 10 measured the thermal emission from the planet with a spatial resolution element as small as 40 kilometers in a broad wavelength band centered at 45 micrometers. The minimum brightness temperature (near local midnight) in these near-equatorial scans was 100 degrees K. Along the track observed, the temperature declined steadily from local sunset to near midnight, behaving as would be expected for a homogeneous, porous material with a thermal inertia of 0.0017 cal cm(-2) sec(-(1/2)) degrees K(-1), a value only slightly larger than that of the moon. From near midnight to dawn, however, the temperature fluctuated over a range of about 10 degrees K, implying the presence of regions having thermal inertia as high as 0.003 cal cm(-2) sec-(1/2) degrees K(-1). PMID- 17810507 TI - Observations at mercury encounter by the plasma science experiment on mariner 10. AB - A fully developed bow shock and magnetosheath were observed near Mercury, providing unambiguous evidence for a strong interaction between Mercury and the solar wind. Inside the sheath there is a distinct region analogous to the magnetosphere or magnetotail of Earth, populated by electrons with lower density and higher temperature than the electrons observed in the solar wind or magnetosheath. At the time of encounter, conditions were such that a perpendicular shock was observed on the inbound leg and a parallel shock was observed on the outbound leg of the trajectory, and energetic plasma electron events were detected upstream from the outbound shock crossing. The interaction is most likely not atmospheric, but the data clearly indicate that the obstacle to solar wind flow is magnetic, either intrinsic or induced. The particle fluxes and energy spectra showed large variations while the spacecraft was inside the magnetosphere, and these variations could be either spatial or temporal. PMID- 17810508 TI - Magnetic Field Observations near Mercury: Preliminary Results from Mariner 10. AB - Results are presented from a preliminary analysis of data obtained near Mercury on 29 March 1974 by the NASA-GSFC magnetic field experiment on Mariner 10. Rather unexpectedly, a very well-developed, detached bow shock wave, which develops as the super-Alfvenic solar wind interacts with the planet, has been observed. In addition, a magnetosphere-like region, with maximum field strength of 98 gammas at closest approach (704 kilometers altitude), has been observed, contained within boundaries similar to the terrestrial magnetopause. The obstacle deflecting the solar wind flow is global in size, but the origin of the enhanced magnetic field has not yet been uniquely established. The field may be intrinsic to the planet and distorted by interaction with the solar wind. It may also be associated with a complex induction process whereby the planetary interior atmosphere-ionosphere interacts with the solar wind flow to generate the observed field by a dynamo action. The complete body of data favors the preliminary conclusion that Mercury has an intrinsic magnetic field. If this is correct, it represents a major scientific discovery in planetary magnetism and will have considerable impact on studies of the origin of the solar system. PMID- 17810509 TI - Electrons and Protons Accelerated in Mercury's Magnetic Field. AB - Fluxes of protons with energies of approximately 550 kev and electrons with energies of approximately 300 kev which exceed approximately 10(4) and 10(5) cm( 2) sec(-1), respectively, have been discovered in the magnetosphere of Mercury. Electron fluxes > 10(3) cm(-2) sec(-1) also are observed in the outbound pass of the Mariner 10 spacecraft throuigh the magnetosheath. The intensity versus time profiles of the particle fluxes in the magnetosphere appear with sudden onsets of approximately 10(4) cm(-2) sec(-1) beginning at interplanetary background levels and persisting for times equivalent to their being distriblited spatially over regions having a scale size comparable to the planetary radius. For a spectral form dJ/dE alpha E-gamma, where J is the differential particle intensity and E is the kinetic energy, the typical values of gamma are gamma(p) = 5.5 for protons above 500 kev and gamma(e) >/= 9 for electrons above 170 kev. Large coherent electron intensity oscillations (variations of factors of 10 to 100) have been discovered with characteristic periods of approximately 6 seconds and with higher frequency components. In some cases proton bursts are found in phase with these oscillations. On the basis of the experimental evidence and a knowledge of the general magnetic field intensities and directions along the trajectory of Mariner 10 provided by the magnetic field observations, it is shown that the radiation events observed in the magnetosphere and magnetosheath are transient and are not interpretable in terms of stable trapped particle populations. Furthermtiore, experimental evidence strongly supports the view that the particles are impulsively accelerated and that the acceleration source is not more distant from the point of observation along lines of force than approximately 8 x 10(3) to 16 x 10(3) kilometers (3 to 6.5 units of Mercury's radius). Candidates for the regions most likely to be sources of particle acceleration are discussed, namely, the magnetotail and the magnetosheath. It is pointed out that the phenomena discovered at Mercury will place more stringent conditions on allowed mnodels for electron and proton acceleration than have heretofore been possible in studies within the earth's magnetosphere. PMID- 17810510 TI - Mercury's Atmosphere from Mariner 10: Preliminary Results. AB - Analysis of data obtained by the ultraviolet experiment on Mariner 10 indicates that Mercury is surrounded by a thin atmosphere consisting in part of helium. The partial pressure of helium at the terminator is about 5 x 10(-12) millibar. The total surface pressure of the atmosphere is less than about 2 x 10(-9) millibar. Upper limits are set for the abundance of various gases, including hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, argon, neon, and xenon. The wavelength dependence of Mercury's surface albedo is similar to that of the moon over a broad range of wavelengths from 500 to 1600 angstroms. Strong signals were recorded by the airglow instrument as Mariner 10 passed through the cavity behind Mercury. They are as yet unexplained but may provide information on the properties of the local plasma. PMID- 17810511 TI - Mercury's Surface: Preliminary Description and Interpretation from Mariner 10 Pictures. AB - The surface morphology and optical properties of Mercury resemble those of the moon in remarkable detail and record a very similar sequence of events. Chemical and mineralogical similarity of the outer layers of Mercury and the moon is implied; Mercury is probably a differentiated planet with a large iron-rich core. Differentiation is inferred to have occurred very early. No evidence of atmospheric modification of landforms has been found. Large-scale scarps and ridges unlike lunar or martian features may reflect a unique period of planetary compression near the end of heavy bombardment by small planetesimals. PMID- 17810512 TI - Mercury: results on mass, radius, ionosphere, and atmosphere from mariner 10 dual frequency radio signals. AB - Analysis of the radio-tracking data from Mariner 10 yields 6,023,600 +/- 600 for the ratio of the mass of the sun to that of Mercury, in very good agreement with values determined earlier from radar data alone. Occultation measurements yielded values for the radius of Mercury of 2440 +/- 2 and 2438 +/- 2 kilometers at laditudes of 2 degrees N and 68 degrees N, respectively, again in close agreement with the average equatorial radius of 2439 +/- 1 kilometers determined from radar data. The mean density of 5.44 grams per cubic centimeter deduced for Mercury from Mariner 10 data thus virtually coincides with the prior determination. No evidence of either an ionosphere or an atmosphere was found, with the data yielding upper bounds on the electron density of about 1500 and 4000 electrons per cubic centimeter on the dayside and nightside, respectively, and an inferred upper bound on the surface pressure of 10(-8) millibar. PMID- 17810514 TI - Coal Research. PMID- 17810513 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17810515 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17810516 TI - Radiochemical Preparation of Heptadecene-8. PMID- 17810518 TI - An Index of Educational Qualifications of a Faculty. PMID- 17810517 TI - Di-Section--a Dorsalgic Errata. PMID- 17810519 TI - Graduate school guessing game. PMID- 17810520 TI - XYY Chromosome and Criminal Acts. PMID- 17810521 TI - Gaps in the graduate training of students from abroad. PMID- 17810522 TI - Measuring social change. PMID- 17810523 TI - Desalted seawater for agriculture: is it economic? PMID- 17810524 TI - Naval R & d: conversion sought for radiological defense lab. PMID- 17810525 TI - University of Texas: on the way up -but politics still intrude. PMID- 17810526 TI - State universities: report terms desegregation "largely token". PMID- 17810527 TI - Automatic determination of crystal structure. AB - Several crystallographic computer programs have been organized into one large automatic program for solving crystal structures. The emphasis of this organization has been to produce a noninteractive system, that is, to have all decisions made by the computer. Input data are the raw intensity data, cell constants, space group, chemical formula, and other miscellaneous items. The output is a stereo picture of the contents in a unit cell. The program, operating in a noninteractive mode, has successfully solved compounds of unknown structure; in addition, for a test compound of completely unknown composition, this program deduced the correct structure with an average error in bond distance of 0.05 angstrom and an average error in bond angle of 7 degrees . PMID- 17810528 TI - Recent planktonic foraminifera: dominance and diversity in north atlantic surface sediments. AB - Foraminferal dominance values above 50 percent and associated diversity minimums in surface sediments of the North Atlantic coincide with past extremes of temperature, productivity, or salinity in overlying surface waters. These parameters delimit a cold PolarSubpolar water mass and an impoverished, saline Southern Sargasso Central water mass for the late Recent. Anticipated pole-to equator diversity and dominance gradients in the open ocean are virtually eliminated by the stronger trends of the vigorous subtropical North Atlantic gyre. PMID- 17810529 TI - Monomeric cobalt-oxygen complexes. AB - Some Schiff base complexes of cobalt(II) form stable cobalt-oxygen species in solution instead of the usual cobalt-oxygen-cobalt bridged complexes. These one to-one adducts were isolated as crystalline solids and characterized by means of elemental analysis, magnetic properties, and molecular weight determinations. PMID- 17810530 TI - Sex pheromone of the queen butterfly: biology. AB - Males of the queen butterfly Danaus gilippus berenice, deprived of the two extrusible brushlike "hairpencils" at the rear of their abdomen, are capable of courting females but incapable of seducing them. In normal courtship, an aphrodisiac secretion associated with the hairpencils is transferred by way of tiny cuticular "dust" particles to the antennae of the females. Of the two substances identified from the secretion, one (the ketone) acts as the chemical messenger that induces the females to mate. The only known function of the other compound (the diol) is to serve as a glue that sticks the dust to the female. Males were reared under conditions in which they produced subnormal amounts of ketone and showed reduced seductive capacity. Under certain experimental circumstances, the competence of these males was restored by addition of synthetic ketone. PMID- 17810531 TI - Sex pheromone of the queen bufferfly: electroantennogram responses. AB - Olfactory receptor responses (electroantennograms) were recorded from antennae of danaid butterflies. Antennae of male and female queen butterflies (Danaus gilippus berenice) respond equally strongly to the hairpencil of queen males, to its crude extract, and to one of its two identified secretory components (the ketone). Responses to the second component (the diol) are weak. Hairpencils of a related species, Lycorea ceres, which also contain the ketone, are equally effective in eliciting electroantennograms from both sexes of the queen. Antennae of another related species, the monarch (Danaus plexippus), respond to the same stimuli as does the queen. Monarch hairpencils, which lack the ketone, do not elicit electroantennograms in monarch or queen antennae. PMID- 17810532 TI - Sex pheromone of the queen butterfly: chemistry. AB - Two major components in the "hairpencil" secretion of the male of the queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus berenice) have been identified. One, a crystalline ketone (2,3-dihydro-7-methyl-1H-pyrrolizin-1-one), is known from another danaid butterfly. The other, a viscous terpenoid alcohol (trans, trans-3,7-dimethyldeca 2,6-dien-1,10-diol), is new; its structure is confirmed by an unambiguous synthesis. PMID- 17810534 TI - Selenodetic implications of mascons. PMID- 17810533 TI - Puparium formation in flies: contraction to puparium induced by ecdysone. AB - Larvae of the fly Calliphora erythrocephala (Meigen) were deprived surgically of their ring glands at an age prior to the appearance of ecdysone in the blood, and then injected with ecdysone. They contracted into the typical barrel-shaped puparium, before the onset of tanning. This proved that ecdysone controls the puparium contraction as well as tanning. PMID- 17810535 TI - Hormones in development. PMID- 17810537 TI - International and foreign meetings. PMID- 17810536 TI - Fetal growth and development. PMID- 17810538 TI - Preserving the Stuff of History. PMID- 17810539 TI - U.S. Geological Survey Radiocarbon Dates IV. PMID- 17810540 TI - Karl Lark-Horovitz, Physicist and Teacher. PMID- 17810541 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17810543 TI - On the Nature and Color of the Moon's Surface. PMID- 17810542 TI - Fall of the Sputnik I Rocket. PMID- 17810544 TI - Turbidity Currents and Displaced Fresh-Water Diatoms. PMID- 17810545 TI - Turbidity Currents and Displaced Fresh-Water Diatoms. PMID- 17810548 TI - Glucuronic Acid and Hyperbilirubinemia. PMID- 17810547 TI - Glucuronic Acid and Hyperbilirubinemia. PMID- 17810549 TI - Human Values. PMID- 17810550 TI - Human Values. PMID- 17810551 TI - Equipment. PMID- 17810552 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810553 TI - MEDICAL PROGRESS IN THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS. PMID- 17810554 TI - COAL IN GLACIO-FLUVIAL DEPOSITS IN OHIO. PMID- 17810555 TI - LIFE; A PHOTOCHEMICAL STEADY STATE. PMID- 17810556 TI - MAGNESIUM SULFATE VALUELESS AS A CONTROL FOR THE BEAN BEETLE. PMID- 17810557 TI - A MATTER OF TERMINOLOGY. PMID- 17810558 TI - USE OF DEXTROSE BY EXCISED TOMATO ROOTS. PMID- 17810559 TI - THE ANESTHETIC EFFECTS OF SOME N-ARYL BARBITURIC ACIDS CONTAINING DYE-FORMING GROUPS. PMID- 17810560 TI - DIFFRACTION OF X-RAYS BY BUILT-UP FILMS OF PROTEINS. PMID- 17810561 TI - A TUBULAR VACUUM TYPE CENTRIFUGE. PMID- 17810562 TI - World Health Day 1957: Food and Health. PMID- 17810563 TI - Fall of Parity: Recent Discoveries Related to Symmetry of Laws of Nature. PMID- 17810564 TI - Outer Space in Plants: Some Possible Implications of the Concept. PMID- 17810566 TI - News of Science. PMID- 17810565 TI - A. S. Pearse, Ecologist. PMID- 17810567 TI - Effect of Gibberellin on Germination of Lettuce Seed. PMID- 17810569 TI - Meetings and Societies. PMID- 17810568 TI - Temperature-Respiration Curve of Flour Beetles Exposed to Nonoptimal Temperatures. PMID- 17810570 TI - EQUIPMENT NEWS. PMID- 17810571 TI - The Federal Computing Machine Program. PMID- 17810572 TI - Building an Effective Technical Library. PMID- 17810573 TI - Social Responsibility in Science. PMID- 17810575 TI - Research Note on Randomization in a Social Experiment. PMID- 17810574 TI - Social Responsibility in Science. PMID- 17810576 TI - Concerning the Zoological Record. PMID- 17810577 TI - Scientfic Book Register. PMID- 17810578 TI - Correction. AB - We wish to correct an obvious error in our paper, "The Crystalline Form of Sodium Ascorbate" (Science 1948, 108, 713). On page 713 the sentence at the top of the second column should read: Forty grams (1 mole) of ascorbic acid was dissolved in 600 cc of hot absolute methyl alcohol. While still hot, it was treated under stirring with 250 cc of a warm solution of methyl alcohol containing 12.3 g (1 mole) of sodium methylate. The structure of sodium ascorbate as given by the U.S.P. (XIII, p. 898) was shown in our paper with the sodium substituting the acidic hydrogen of the carboxyl group, but we stated that it is commonly believed that the neutralization involves the hydroxyl group attached to the third carbon. We should also have added that with neutralization of this enolic hydroxyl group by sodium, the lactone ring of the ascorbic acid remains unbroken unless excess of sodium is added. The values found for carbon, hydrogen and sodium in the analysis of our sodium ascorbate are in agreement with the theoretical values calculated for the sodium lactone salt. PMID- 17810580 TI - In Defense of the USDA Research Administration. PMID- 17810579 TI - An Automatic Timer for Speakers. PMID- 17810582 TI - DESCRIPTION OF PERRET MOTORS AND DYNAMOS. PMID- 17810581 TI - ELECTRIC LIGHTING BY THE KNOWLES SYSTEM. PMID- 17810583 TI - CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING SOME EXTERNAL SOURCES OF INFECTION IN THEIR BEARING ON PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. PMID- 17810584 TI - LUCERNE OR ALFALFA. PMID- 17810585 TI - DR. BROWN-SEQUARD'S HYPODERMIC FLUID. PMID- 17810586 TI - HEALTH MATTERS. PMID- 17810587 TI - THE HEREDITY OF MYOPIA. PMID- 17810588 TI - ELECTRICAL NEWS. PMID- 17810589 TI - A Circular Note to Working Entomologists. PMID- 17810590 TI - Breathing. PMID- 17810591 TI - Are Beech-Trees ever struck by Lightning? PMID- 17810592 TI - LAW ACCORDING TO WHICH THE METALS, AND THEIR ORES, CAME TO, OR NEAR TO, THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH. PMID- 17810593 TI - THE UNITY OF NATURE: By The Duke of Argyll. PMID- 17810594 TI - IMPROVEMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. PMID- 17810595 TI - On the nutritive value of fish. PMID- 17810596 TI - SOME FACTS AND THEORIES BEARING A RELATION TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC FORMS ON THE GLOBE. PMID- 17810598 TI - TAXIDERMY. PMID- 17810597 TI - ANATOMY OF THE TONGUE IN SNAKES AND OTHER REPTILES, AND IN BIRDS. PMID- 17810599 TI - A POISONOUS PRODUCT OF FERMENTED INDIlAN CORN. PMID- 17810600 TI - NEW SPECIES OF MOLLUSCA AND ECHINODERMS. PMID- 17810601 TI - A FINE BOLIDE. PMID- 17810603 TI - Seventy-Five Years of Research in General Electric. PMID- 17810602 TI - DO SHARKS SWALLOW THEIR YOUNG FOR PROTECTION? PMID- 17810604 TI - Basic Instrumentation at the National Bureau of Standards. PMID- 17810606 TI - Into a New Century. PMID- 17810605 TI - The Basis for a Science of Instrumentology. PMID- 17810607 TI - Electron Interferometry. PMID- 17810609 TI - Instrument Society of America Annual Conference and Exhibit. PMID- 17810608 TI - Processing of Two-Dimensional Patterns by Scanning Techniques. PMID- 17810610 TI - The ER-55 Projector for Aerial Mapping. PMID- 17810611 TI - A Note on the Lead Isotope Method of Age Determination. PMID- 17810612 TI - A Technique for Collecting, Mounting, and Sectioning Airborne Particulate Material. PMID- 17810613 TI - Development of the ER-55 Projector. PMID- 17810615 TI - AGE, CHANGE AND THE ADAPTED LIFE. PMID- 17810614 TI - A Potential Hazard in Flame Photometry. PMID- 17810616 TI - ROBERT ANTHONY HATCHER (1868-1944). PMID- 17810617 TI - THE NATIONAL CHEMICAL EXPOSITION. PMID- 17810618 TI - THE VAUGHAN RESEARCH AWARDS IN HORTICULTURE. PMID- 17810619 TI - THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810620 TI - THE KENTUCKY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810621 TI - THE NORTH AMERICAN ARCTIC. PMID- 17810623 TI - ISOLATION OF ERGOSTEROL FROM PENICILLIUM NOTATUM. PMID- 17810622 TI - INTERPENETRATING CLIMAXES IN QUEBEC. PMID- 17810624 TI - THE GENERIC NAME OF THE SAND FLY. PMID- 17810626 TI - UNUSUAL MORTALITY AMONG GEOLOGISTS. PMID- 17810625 TI - THE PAPER SHORTAGE AND SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION. PMID- 17810627 TI - DOCTORATES IN SCIENCE. PMID- 17810628 TI - A FILTERABLE VIRUS ISOLATED FROM A CASE OF KAPOSI'S VARICELLIFORM ERUPTION. PMID- 17810629 TI - VARIABILITY OF THEILER'S VIRUS OF MOUSE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS. PMID- 17810630 TI - FRUCTOSAN, A RESERVE CARBOHYDRATE IN GUAYULE, PARTHENIUM ARGENTATUM GRAY. PMID- 17810632 TI - PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SEATTLE MEETING. PMID- 17810631 TI - NUCLEAR BEHAVIOR IN RELATION TO CULTURE METHODS FOR PENICILLIUM NOTATUM WESTLING. PMID- 17810633 TI - DR. GLENN E. CULLEN. PMID- 17810634 TI - THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810635 TI - THE NATIONAL FARM YOUTH FOUNDATION. PMID- 17810636 TI - THE AMERICAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION AND THE U. S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT. PMID- 17810637 TI - THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. PMID- 17810638 TI - MEDAL DAY OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE. PMID- 17810639 TI - MEDICAL FELLOWSHIPS OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. PMID- 17810640 TI - THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810642 TI - COLOR EFFECTS OBSERVABLE FROM FLUORESCENT LAMPS. PMID- 17810641 TI - MERCURY POISONING. PMID- 17810643 TI - IS SULFANILAMIDE BACTERIOSTATIC UNDER "ANAEROBIC" CONDITIONS? PMID- 17810645 TI - AN ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF MESOZOIC AND EARLY CENOZOIC PLANTS OF NORTH AMERICA. PMID- 17810644 TI - THE PEACE RESOLUTION OF SCIENTIFIC WORKERS. PMID- 17810646 TI - APPROPRIATIONS OF THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION FOR THE MEDICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES IN 1939. PMID- 17810647 TI - ASSOCIATION OF THE HETEROGENETIC ANTIGEN WITH A MATERIAL IN NORMAL AND TUMOR TISSUES SEDIMENTABLE AT HIGH SPEED. PMID- 17810649 TI - ON THE URINARY EXCRETION OF "FREE" SULFAPYRIDINE. PMID- 17810648 TI - ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSES OF HYPERIMMUNE SERA. PMID- 17810650 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810651 TI - EDUCATION BY AUTHORITY OR FOR AUTHORITY? ARE SCIENCE TEACHERS TEACHING SCIENCE? PMID- 17810652 TI - SURFACE CURRENTS IN DEEP TIDAL WATERS. PMID- 17810654 TI - ROOTING NORWAY SPRUCE CUTTINGS WITHOUT CHEMICAL TREATMENT. PMID- 17810653 TI - PROBLEMS OF WOUND HEALING IN RED CLOVER STEMS. PMID- 17810655 TI - PHYSIOLOGY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. PMID- 17810656 TI - THE ALABAMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810657 TI - ISOLATION FROM BEEF PANCREAS OF A CRYSTALLINE PROTEIN POSSESSING RIBONUCLEASE ACTIVITY. PMID- 17810658 TI - ISOSTERISM IN THE VITAMIN B COMPLEX. PMID- 17810659 TI - THE PRODUCTS OF THE CYCLIZING DEHYDRATION OF 1-BETA-PHENYLETHYLCYCLOHEXANOL-1 AND THE SYNTHESIS OF SPIROCYCLOHEXANE-1,1-INDANONE-3. AB - (1) Spirocyclohexane-1,1-indanone (VI) has been found among the oxidation products of the hydrocarbon mixture which results when 1-beta phenylethylcyclohexanol-1 is dehydrated, or when 1-beta-phenylethylcyclohexene is cyclized by aluminum trichloride, and its constitution has been proved by synthesis (2) Its oxime melts at 137-137.8 degrees (corr.). The oxime of m.p. 187.5 degrees , reported by Cook et al. therefore must be derived from some other ketone, perhaps the trans-ketooctahydrophenanthrene, since we were unable to isolate any oxime of m.p. 177 degrees , the figure which they reported for this compound. PMID- 17810660 TI - A REVERSED ALDOL CONDENSATION. PMID- 17810662 TI - METHOD OF EMBALMING LARGE INSECTS. PMID- 17810661 TI - AN X-RAY DENSITOMETER FOR MEASURING RELATIVE DENSITIES OF MUSCLE, BONE AND OTHER TISSUES. PMID- 17810664 TI - THE INTELLECTUAL MOVEMENT IN JAPAN. PMID- 17810663 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17810665 TI - THE AMERICAN CLIMATOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810666 TI - PROGRAMME OF THE INTERNATIONAL PHILOMATHIC CONGRESS. PMID- 17810667 TI - On a geodetic survey of the United States. PMID- 17810668 TI - Double vision. PMID- 17810669 TI - Absorption of mercurial vapor by soils. PMID- 17810670 TI - Pharyngeal respiratory movements of adult amphibia under water. PMID- 17810671 TI - Diathermancy of ebonite. PMID- 17810672 TI - University Responsibility. PMID- 17810673 TI - Pesticides: White House Advisory Body Issues Report Recommending Steps to Reduce Hazard to Public. PMID- 17810674 TI - NSF: New Study on Science, Math Teachers in High Schools Focuses on Their Education, Assignment. PMID- 17810676 TI - Conflict of Interest: New Law Eases Restrictions on Part-Time Expert Consultants to Government. PMID- 17810675 TI - House Armed Services Committee Forms R&D Subcommittee to Oversee Rising Research Funds. PMID- 17810677 TI - Translocation in the Giant Kelp Macrocystis. AB - Experiments with C(14)-labeled bicarbonate demonstrate that organic products of photosynthesis are transported through the stipe tissue of Macrocystis. Depending upon conditions, not all of which have been fully ascertained, the direction of transport may be either predominantly apical or toward the base of the plant. PMID- 17810678 TI - Plankton: Optimum Diversity Structure of a Summer Community. AB - The summer plankton community of the York River, Virginia, expends energy to establish and maintain a definite vertical diversity structure in a comparatively unstructured environment. The resultant organization, which involves relationships between diversity, power and efficiency, and stability, is nearly optimal for maximizing profit on the original energy investment. PMID- 17810679 TI - Erosion and Deposition of Italian Stream Valleys During Historic Time. AB - The recent geologic history of small streams in east-central Sicily and southern Etruria has been dated archeologically. In Sicily a period of deposition began post 8th century B.C. and had ended by 325 B.C. After a period of erosion, another, less extensive, alluviation took place, probably in medieval time. North of Rome in southern Etruria an alluviation that began no earlier than the late Roman empire probably continued into medieval time. PMID- 17810680 TI - Xenon Oxyfluoride. AB - The incomplete hydrolysis of XeF(6) has been used to prepare a xenon oxyfluoride, XeOF(4). The latter is a clear, colorless liquid, freezing at -41 degrees C. The infrared and Raman spectra show that the XeOF(4) molecule has a fourfold symmetry axis. The large Xe-O stretching force constant indicates the Xe-O bond has appreciable double bond character. PMID- 17810681 TI - Amino Acid Composition of Univalent Fragments of Rabbit Antibody. AB - Univalent fragments of gamma-globulin preparations from four individual rabbits were fractionated and the amino acid compositions of end fractions were compared. For amino acids with uncharged side chains, differences were consistently less than one residue per fragment of molecular weight 50,000. There were differences in the content of amino acids, other than glutamic acid, with charged side chains; these were in the direction expected on the basis of relative strength of adherence to carboxymethyl cellulose and electrophoretic mobility. Exclusive of any possible differences in amide, the total difference in charged groups was three to four residues per fragment. Sine the net charge of univalent fragments reflects that of the gamma-globulin molecule from which the fragments are derived, corresponding differences in composition may also exist among whole gamma-globulin molecules. PMID- 17810683 TI - ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS AND THE PUBLIC. PMID- 17810682 TI - Violence in Human Behavior. PMID- 17810684 TI - TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF OSMOTIC PRESSURE IN THE MEDICAL SCIENCES. PMID- 17810685 TI - THE COLLEGE MAN IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE. PMID- 17810686 TI - CONCERNING BOTANICAL INVESTIGATION IN COLLEGES. PMID- 17810687 TI - THE "KAISER-WILHELM INSTITUT FUR PHYSIKALISCHE CHEMIE UND ELEKTROCHEMIE". PMID- 17810688 TI - THE GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. PMID- 17810689 TI - SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. PMID- 17810690 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. PMID- 17810691 TI - THE NEEDS OF METEOROLOGY. PMID- 17810692 TI - "WASHINGTON SCIENCE". PMID- 17810693 TI - MORE BOTANICAL ERRORS. PMID- 17810694 TI - THE METHODS OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGISTS. PMID- 17810695 TI - REFORM IN COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS. PMID- 17810696 TI - THE INTERCOLLEGIATE GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION. PMID- 17810697 TI - A NEW MINNOW FROM COLORADO. PMID- 17810698 TI - A BACTERIAL GUMMOSIS OF CHERRIES. PMID- 17810699 TI - REVIEW OF THE BIRTH OF THE GREAT LAKES AND THEIR DESERTED SHORES. PMID- 17810700 TI - TEXAS CLAYS AND THEIR ORIGIN. PMID- 17810701 TI - KARYOKINESIS IN EMBRYOS OF THE DOMESTIC CAT.--PRELIMINARY NOTICE. PMID- 17810702 TI - THE PTERYLOGRAPHY OF THE PILEATED WOODPECKER (CEOPHLOEUS PILEATUS). PMID- 17810703 TI - SECRET LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN. PMID- 17810704 TI - PARASITISM OF MOLOTHIRUS ATER. PMID- 17810705 TI - AN INTELLIGENT SQUIRREL. PMID- 17810706 TI - ST. LOUIS LIMESTONE IN POWESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA. PMID- 17810707 TI - GOODE MEMORIAL MEETING. PMID- 17810708 TI - GEORGE BROWN GOODE. PMID- 17810709 TI - GOODE AS A NATURALIST. PMID- 17810710 TI - THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. PMID- 17810711 TI - THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY. PMID- 17810712 TI - THE AMERICAN MORPHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810713 TI - THE FLORIDA MONSTER. PMID- 17810714 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. PMID- 17810715 TI - A NEW SUBGENERIC NAME FOR THE WATER HARES (hydrolagus GRAY.). PMID- 17810717 TI - A NEW BOTANICAL LABORATORY IN THE AMERICAN TROPICS. PMID- 17810716 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17810719 TI - AN ALLOY COMPOSED OF TWO THIRDS ALUMINUM AND ONE THIRD ZINC. PMID- 17810718 TI - VERTEBRATES FROM THE KANSAS PERMIAN. PMID- 17810720 TI - FORMER EXTENSION OF GREENLAND GLACIERS. PMID- 17810721 TI - 'AN AMBITIOUS PARADOXER.'. PMID- 17810722 TI - COMPLIMENT OR PLAGIARISM. PMID- 17810723 TI - TWO EXTRAORDINARY BRITISH PATENTS. PMID- 17810725 TI - THE LAVOISIER MONUMENT. PMID- 17810724 TI - REDUCED RATES OF POSTAGE ON SPECIMENS OF NATURAL HISTORY IN THE INTERNATIONAL MAILS--AN APPEAL. PMID- 17810726 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17810727 TI - Global manufacturing competition. PMID- 17810728 TI - The SSC and a Balanced Budget. PMID- 17810729 TI - "Tradition" questioned. PMID- 17810730 TI - "Disloyalty" and DOD Funding. PMID- 17810731 TI - "Disloyalty" and DOD Funding. PMID- 17810732 TI - "Disloyalty" and DOD Funding. PMID- 17810733 TI - Erratum. AB - In the article "Bloch prepares NSF for lean years" by John Walsh (News & Comment, 25 Apr., p. 440), the labels for "Coordinated research" and "Large projects" were inadvertently reversed in a chart depicting the breakdown of the fiscal year 1986 National Science Foundation budget. Coordinated research accounts for 14% of total research, and large projects account for 20%. A corrected chart is shown below. [See Chart in Source PDF]. PMID- 17810734 TI - McTague Quits White House Post: The acting science adviser is leaving for the private sector, but no permanent replacement has been named; OSTP is facing an uncertain future. PMID- 17810735 TI - Midgetman Missile Plans Generate Political Debate: A new ICBM has been designed for use as a strategic reserve, although the Pentagon may not intend to use it that way. PMID- 17810736 TI - A worrisome shift in nuclear strategy. PMID- 17810737 TI - GAO Hits Accounting on DOE Accelerators. PMID- 17810738 TI - Wisconsin synchrotron ring back in business. PMID- 17810739 TI - MIT's Relationship With DOD Lab Criticized. PMID- 17810740 TI - Space science board endorses conventional rockets for science missions. PMID- 17810741 TI - Atoms in Strong Laser Fields Obey the Rules: Experimentalists and theorists now agree that the multiple ionization of rare gas atoms by infrared, visible, or ultraviolet laser light takes place one electron at a time. PMID- 17810742 TI - Sheila E. Widnall: President-Elect of AAAS. PMID- 17810743 TI - Accretion rate of extraterrestrial matter: iridium deposited 33 to 67 million years ago. AB - Iridium measured in 149 samples of a continuous 9-meter section of Pacific abyssal clay covering the time span 33 to 67 million years ago shows a well defined peak only at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. In the rest of the section iridium ranges from a minimum concentration near 0.35 nanograms per gram in the Paleocene to a maximum near 1.7 in the Eocene; between 63 and 33 million years ago the mean iridium accumulation rate is approximately 13 nanograms per square centimeter per million years. Correction for terrestrial iridium leads to an extraterrestrial flux of9 +/- 3 nanograms of iridium per square centimeter per million years, and an estimated annual global influx of 78 billion grams of chondritic matter, consistent with recent estimates of the influx of dust, meteorites, and crater-producing bodies with masses ranging from 10(-13) to 10(18 )grams. Combining the recent flux of objects ranging in mass from 10(6) to 10(7) grams with the flux of 10(14) - to 10(15) -gram objects indicates that the number of objects is equal to 0.54 divided by the radius (in kilometers) to the 2.1 power. Periodic comet showers should increase the cometary iridium flux by a factor of 200 to 600 on a time scale of 1 to 3 million years; the predicted iridium maxima (more than 30 times background) are not present in the intervals associated with the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary or the tektiteproducing late Eocene events. PMID- 17810744 TI - Distribution of and feeding by the copepod pseudocalanus under fast ice during the arctic spring. AB - The arctic copepod Pseudocalanus can be highly aggregated in the first few centimeters under landfast ice during spring in concentrations up to 10/(6) per cubic meter. Chlorophyll-derived pigments in the water, the abundance of animals, and their gut pigment index show fluctuations that may be tidally related. Short term grazing experiments performed at -1.7 degrees C, in which ice algae was used as food, yielded feeding rates comparable to the highest known for the genus. Arctic Pseudocalanus seem to feed opportunistically near the ice-water interface, either directly on the attached epontic (under ice) algae or as it erodes from the ice. PMID- 17810745 TI - Cultivation of the Drosophila sex-ratio spiroplasma. AB - Uncultivable for more than 25 years, the sex-ratio spiroplasma of Drosophila willistoni grew in a tissue culture medium (H-2) containing an embryo-derived lepidopteran cell line (IPLB-TN-R(2)). After adaptation, it grew in a cell-free H 2 medium. This success demonstrates the usefulness of cell culture systems for cultivation of fastidious microorganisms and facilitates study of the sex-ratio trait in Drosophila. PMID- 17810747 TI - Response: effects of growth hormone-releasing factor in the brain. PMID- 17810746 TI - Response: human brain receptor distribution. PMID- 17810748 TI - New "Expedition" Benefit Announced for AAAS Members. PMID- 17810749 TI - A centennial retrospect: geologists and ideas. PMID- 17810750 TI - Paleoclimatology: late cainozoic paleoclimates of the southern hemisphere. PMID- 17810751 TI - Plant population biology: genetic differentiation and dispersal in plants. PMID- 17810752 TI - The austronesian expansion: prehistory of the indo-malaysian archipelago. PMID- 17810753 TI - Some other books of interest: current perspectives in primate biology. PMID- 17810755 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17810754 TI - Some other books of interest: the genus coelomomyces. PMID- 17810756 TI - Chestnut blight. PMID- 17810758 TI - OSTP: The Last 4 Years. PMID- 17810757 TI - OSTP: The Last 4 Years. PMID- 17810759 TI - Intermediate bosons: weak interaction couriers. AB - Recent progress toward a complete theory of the weak interactions has led to sharper predictions for the properties of the hypothetical weak-force particles known as intermediate bosons. The history of speculations about intermediate bosons is briefly summarized and the (as yet negative) searches carried out for these particles are reviewed. Prospects for future searches-both direct ad indirect-are surveyed, and the consequences of finding the expected or unexpected are noted. PMID- 17810760 TI - Conceptual foundations of the unified theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions. PMID- 17810761 TI - Embodied energy and economic valuation. AB - Input-output analysis has been adapted to calculate the total (direct plus indirect) energy required to produce goods and services in the U.S. economy; this quantity has been termed the embodied energy. Usually, the energy required to produce labor and government services and the solar energy input to the economy are ignored by analysts. The former omission can be traced to the assumption that traditional primary factors of economic production-land, labor, and capital-are independent. A strong case can be made that these input factors are not independent and that energy is required for their production. Embodied energies can be calculated in this case by using input-output data. The results of such an analysis show that there is a strong relation between embodied energy and dollar value for a 92-sector U.S. economy if the energy required to produce labor and government services is included. PMID- 17810763 TI - Should N.y. Accredit foreign medical schools? PMID- 17810762 TI - For the weapons labs, a countdown of regents? PMID- 17810764 TI - A long-range plan for nuclear science. PMID- 17810765 TI - Annual meeting toronto 3-8 january 1981. PMID- 17810766 TI - A view of evolution. PMID- 17810767 TI - Implications of parasitism. PMID- 17810768 TI - Mesons and nuclei. PMID- 17810769 TI - Marine chemistry. PMID- 17810770 TI - Observations of a probable change in the solar radius between 1715 and 1979. AB - Solar eclipses were observed from locations near both edges of the paths of totality in England in 1715, in Australia in 1976, and in North America in 1979. Analysis of these observations shows that the solar radius has contracted by 0.34 +/- 0.2 arc second in 264 years. PMID- 17810771 TI - Origin of lead in andean calc-alkaline lavas, southern peru. AB - Lead isotope data from Quaternary andesitic lavas of the Arequipa and Barroso groups of southern Peru and from regional Precambrian granulitic gneisses reveal a lead component in the lavas from the gneisses. The lava leads can be accounted for by two-component mixtures of lead from mantle and lower crustal sources, although the mixing process need not have occurred in the lower crust. PMID- 17810772 TI - PRODUCTS and MATERIALS. PMID- 17810773 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810774 TI - A HUNDRED YEARS OF EVOLUTION. PMID- 17810776 TI - ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE DICTIONARY. PMID- 17810775 TI - A NEW MATHEMATICAL REVIEW. PMID- 17810777 TI - TERRACES IN THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY. PMID- 17810778 TI - A STAIN FOR FIBRIN, GRAM POSITIVE BACTERIA AND BASAL BODIES IN TISSUES. PMID- 17810779 TI - A MODIFICATION OF THE OSBORNEMENDEL SALT MIXTURE. PMID- 17810780 TI - AN OVO-TESTIS IN THE YELLOW PERCH (PERCA FLAVESCENS). PMID- 17810781 TI - THE CULTIVATION OF VACCINE AND OTHER VIRUSES IN THE CHORIOALLANTOIC MEMBRANE OF CHICK EMBRYOS. PMID- 17810783 TI - THE WARFARE OF THE FUTURE. PMID- 17810782 TI - INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN. PMID- 17810784 TI - PUBLIC LECTURES ON MEDICAL SUBJECTS AT THE HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL. PMID- 17810785 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL MUSEUMS. PMID- 17810786 TI - THE SARAH BERLINER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP FOR WOMEN. PMID- 17810787 TI - THE SECTIONAL MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810788 TI - THE ANNUAL DUES OF MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810789 TI - AN ELECTRIC STORM ON THE WASHAKIE NEEDLES. PMID- 17810790 TI - A NOTABLE CLOUD BANNER. PMID- 17810791 TI - THE TRAINING OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS. PMID- 17810792 TI - THE TARIFF AND SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. PMID- 17810793 TI - RECENT DISCOVERIES IN THE HISTORY OF THE COMMON EEL. PMID- 17810794 TI - THE ASTRONOMICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17810795 TI - THE CONVOCATION WEEK MEETINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. PMID- 17810796 TI - Safety of cosmetics. PMID- 17810797 TI - Lasers and eye protection. PMID- 17810798 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17810799 TI - Exercise and heart disease. PMID- 17810800 TI - Transplantation of cultured tissue. PMID- 17810802 TI - Administration of grant funds. PMID- 17810801 TI - Letter to the editor. PMID- 17810803 TI - Increasing world energy supplies. PMID- 17810804 TI - An Astronomical Puzzle Called Cygnus X-3: The early history of an x-ray, infrared, cosmic ray, and radio emitting star system. PMID- 17810805 TI - Watergate: verification of tapes may be electronic standoff. PMID- 17810806 TI - SIPI Appeals for Aid to Vietnam. PMID- 17810807 TI - Cancer: select committee calls virus program a closed shop. PMID- 17810808 TI - Sea law conference opens. PMID- 17810809 TI - Nuclear safeguards: holes in the fence. PMID- 17810810 TI - International conferences: a package deal that came unwrapped. PMID- 17810811 TI - Sakharov wants to leave. PMID- 17810812 TI - 1) New Optimism at NAL: Problems Continue, but Research Is Under Way. PMID- 17810813 TI - 2) Construction at CERN: Superconducting Concept Discarded. PMID- 17810814 TI - Point mugu, california, earthquake of 21 february 1973 and its aftershocks. AB - Seismological investigations show that the Point Mugu earthquake involved north south crustal shortening deep within the complex fault zone that marks the southern front of the Transverse Ranges province. This earthquake sequence results from the same stress system responsible for the deformation in this province in the Pliocene through Holocene and draws attention to the significant earthquake hazard that the southern frontal fault system poses to the Los Angeles metropolitan area. PMID- 17810815 TI - Premonitory Variations in S-Wave Velocity Anisotropy before Earthquakes in Nevada. AB - Application of nonhydrostatic stress to rock induces velocity anisotropy, causing the S wave to split into two components traveling with somewhat different velocities. Large premonitory changes in the extent of S-wave splitting have been observed for two earthquakes in Nevada. Observations of the difference between the two S-wave velocities may provide a simple method for pedicting earthquakes. PMID- 17810816 TI - Venus: composition and structure of the visible clouds. AB - It is proposed that the visible cloud deck on Venus is composed of droplets of sulfuric acid. These are formed by the very rapid photooxidation of carbonyl sulfide in the upper atmosphere. The clouds are best described as an extensive haze since the predicted particulate scale height probably exceeds the gas scale height within the layer. The predicted mixing ratio for water is 10(-6) (lower limit), and for both carbonyl sulfide and sulfur dioxide it is 10(-7) (upper limit); these are in good agreement with observations. Gaps in the layer are not possible unless the planetary scale dynamics produce cloud turnover times of less than a few days. Under these conditions the water mixing ratio could approach 10( 4) and the formation of a thin hydrochloric acid haze at high altitude above the main cloud is possible. PMID- 17810817 TI - Maternal behavior in wolf spiders: the role of abdominal hairs. AB - Newly emerged, juvenile wolf spiders do not settle on clothed or shaved areas of their mother's abdomen until after a period of days. Spiny, knobbed hairs, peculiar to adult female lycosids, apparently provide the stimulus and means for attachment by the inner layer of spiderlings. Innervated long, smooth hairs are mechanoreceptors which probably serve in other aspects of brood care. PMID- 17810818 TI - Earliest animal domestication dated? PMID- 17810819 TI - Programs of special interest to women and minorities. PMID- 17810820 TI - Techniques in somatic cell genetics as they pertain to senescence of diploid cells. PMID- 17810821 TI - Control of transcription. PMID- 17810823 TI - Culture sample collection and transport. PMID- 17810822 TI - Literature. PMID- 17810825 TI - Mineral lattice models. PMID- 17810824 TI - Fluorescence microscope. PMID- 17810826 TI - Air pollution monitors. PMID- 17810827 TI - Rhetorical Atrocity. PMID- 17810828 TI - Amylase Inhibition. PMID- 17810829 TI - The Accessibility of Knowledge. PMID- 17810830 TI - COMMENT AND CRITICISM. PMID- 17810831 TI - LEFT-HANDEDNESS.--A HINT FOR EDUCATORS. PMID- 17810832 TI - THE HUPA INDIANS: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC SKETCH. PMID- 17810833 TI - GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. PMID- 17810834 TI - The submerged trees of the Columbia River. PMID- 17810835 TI - The natural method of teaching languages. PMID- 17810836 TI - Language-teaching. PMID- 17810837 TI - A carnivorous antelope. PMID- 17810839 TI - On certain electrical phenomena. PMID- 17810838 TI - Inertia-force. PMID- 17810840 TI - German constructions. PMID- 17810841 TI - Respiration and pulse-rate of foreign residents. PMID- 17810842 TI - Osteological notes. PMID- 17810844 TI - Meetings & Conferences. PMID- 17810843 TI - Use of Manpower. PMID- 17810845 TI - Publications Received. PMID- 17810847 TI - The willingness to risk failure. PMID- 17810846 TI - This week in science. PMID- 17810848 TI - Erratum. AB - In the report "A plant leucine zipper protein that recognizes an abscisic acid element" by M. J. Guiltinan et al. (12 Oct., p. 267), figure 2 (p. 269) was incorrectly printed. The legend was correct. The correct figure appears below. PMID- 17810849 TI - Minority sciences? PMID- 17810850 TI - Slick fix for hubble space telescope? PMID- 17810851 TI - How Geography Boosted DOE's Budget. PMID- 17810852 TI - Women in science policy. PMID- 17810853 TI - Ecology hero in interior department. PMID- 17810855 TI - Kyoto laureates. PMID- 17810854 TI - Stanford fights back. PMID- 17810856 TI - Peer review of peer review? PMID- 17810857 TI - EPA flipflops on smoking critic. PMID- 17810858 TI - NAS to Study Federal Environment Role. PMID- 17810859 TI - Simulated travel in inner spaces. PMID- 17810860 TI - Putting Chaos to Work: Chaos is usually something to avoid, but it might come in handy for mixing industrial composites as quickly and efficiently as possible. PMID- 17810861 TI - Saturn mission backed, europeans relieved. PMID- 17810862 TI - How african are "killer" bees? PMID- 17810863 TI - Materials tips from sea urchins. PMID- 17810864 TI - Out on a limb: arthropod origins. PMID- 17810865 TI - The interdiffision of polymers. AB - In contrast to interdiffusion in simple liquids, interdiffusion of polymeric chains is dominated by their intertanglement and their large size. These properties profoundly reduce both the molecular mobilities and the role of entropy in driving the mixing. The resulting diffusional processes have only recently been studied. Such studies reveal a wide spectrum of behavior ranging from accelerated interdiffusion (for strongly compatible chains) to its suppression below the critical point for phase separation. Effects that are still poorly understood include the initial disposition at interfaces of the chains' ends (through which diffusion proceeds by reptation) and the need for cooperative motion, which can strongly magnify local friction. PMID- 17810866 TI - Land animals in the silurian: arachnids and myriapods from shropshire, England. AB - A new assemblage of arthropod cuticles from Upper Silurian rocks in Shropshire, England, includes at least two centipedes and a trigonotarbid arachnid. This unequivocal terrestrial fauna from the Silurian constitutes the earliest direct record of land animals. The presence of predatory arthropods suggests that complex terrestrial ecosystems were in place by the late Silurian (414 x 10(6) years before present) and that the animal invasion of the land occurred earlier than was previously thought. PMID- 17810867 TI - Hydroxyl radical photoproduction in the sea and its potential impact on marine processes. AB - Photochemical production rates and steady-state concentrations of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) were measured in sunlight-irradiated seawater. Values ranged from 110 nanomolar per hour and 12 x 10(-18) molar in coastal surface water to 10 nanomolar per hour and 1.1 x 10(-18) molar in open ocean surface water. The wavelengths responsible for this production are in the ultraviolet B region (280 to 320 nanometers) of the solar spectrum. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) appears to be the main source for .OH over most of the oceans, but in upwelling areas nitrite and nitrate photolysis may also be important. DOM in the deep sea is degraded more readily by .OH (and its daughter radicals), by a factor of 6 to 15, than is DOM in open-ocean surface water. This finding may in part bear on major discrepancies among current methods for measuring dissolved organic carbon in seawater. PMID- 17810868 TI - Intercalation of sea urchin proteins in calcite: study of a crystalline composite material. AB - Sea urchin skeletal elements are composed of single crystals of calcite. Unlike their synthetic counterparts, these crystals do not have well-developed cleavage and are consequently much more resistant to fracture. This phenomenon is due in part to the presence of acidic glycoproteins occluded within the crystals. By means of x-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation, it is shown that the presence of the protein in synthetic calcite only slightly decreases the coherence length but significantly increases the angular spread of perfect domains of the crystals. In biogenic calcite, the coherence length is 1/3 to 1/4 as much as that in synthetic calcite and the angular spread is 20 to 50 times as wide. It is proposed that the presence of macromolecules concentrated at mosaic boundaries that are oblique to deavage planes is responsible for the change in fracture properties. These results may be important in the material sciences, because of the unusual nature of this material, namely, a composite based on the controlled intercalation of macromolecules inside single-crystal lattices. PMID- 17810869 TI - The origin of crustacean biramous appendages and the evolution of arthropoda. AB - The evolution of biramous appendages in crustaceans is central to the debate on the origin of the arthropods. It is proposed that the biramous limb evolved through the basal fusion of adjacent pairs of ancestrally uniramous appendages. As a result, the existing system of homology, in which uniramous and biramous appendages are considered equivalent, may be invalid. Similarly, the homology of individual body segments between uniramians, such as insects and myriapods, and arthropod groups with biramous limbs is also called into question. Two uniramian segments, or a diplosegment, may be homologous to a single body segment in biramous groups. PMID- 17810871 TI - Science journalists selected for awards. PMID- 17810870 TI - An Organ-Specific Differentiation Gene, pha-1, from Caenorhabditis elegans. AB - Embryonic lethal mutations in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans were generated and screened for phenotypes that suggest regulatory functions in order to identify genes involved in the control ofearly development. In embryos homozygous for mutations in one such gene, pha-1, the pharynx fails to undergo late differentiation and morphogenesis. Early pharynx development is not affected; thus, pha-l controls the latter stages of this developmental process. All markers specific for differentiation in various pharyngeal cell types tested are affected, suggesting that pha-1 acts in an organ-specific, rather than cell type specific, manner. The temperature-sensitive phases of both temperature sensitive mutations indicate that pha-l function is required solely during midembryogenesis, shortly before the onset of morphogenesis. PMID- 17810872 TI - AAAS Forum on School Science Forum Convenes in Washington Next Week. PMID- 17810873 TI - Fang Lizhi Heads List of Plenary Speakers Set for 1991 AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17810874 TI - Resources available on education issues. PMID- 17810875 TI - Delegate needed for bangladesh meeting. PMID- 17810876 TI - New photo exhibit examines threatened rain forest. PMID- 17810877 TI - Member Donations Aid AAAS Efforts. PMID- 17810879 TI - Policy changes affect back issues. PMID- 17810878 TI - How to apply for the minority ethics and values workshop. PMID- 17810880 TI - Workshop to focus on ethics, values. PMID- 17810882 TI - The Chemical Industry In the USSR. An Economic Geography. Matthew J. Sagers and Theodore Shabad. Westview, Boulder, CO, 1990 (also available from American Chemical Society, Washington, DC). xxvi, 590 pp., illus. $89.95. American Chemical Society Professional Reference Book. PMID- 17810883 TI - Thirst and Sodium Appetite. Physiological Basis. Sebastian P. Grossman. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990. x, 289 pp., illus. $59.95. PMID- 17810885 TI - Products & materials. PMID- 17810884 TI - Supernovae. Albert G. Petschek, Ed. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990. xiv, 293 pp., illus. $59. Astronomy and Astrophysics Library. PMID- 17810886 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810888 TI - THE CENTRAL BODIES AGAIN. PMID- 17810887 TI - MICHAEL FARADAY. PMID- 17810889 TI - THE OCCURRENCE OF FILTERABLE FORMS OF BACTERIA IN NATURE. PMID- 17810890 TI - A NEW POSTERIOR PITUITARY PREPARATION. PMID- 17810891 TI - ANALYSES OF THE BLOOD OF IDIOTS. PMID- 17810892 TI - POSITIVE GAS AND WATER PRESSURE IN OAKS. PMID- 17810893 TI - DRAWINGS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS. PMID- 17810894 TI - A FUSED QUARTZ FERY PRISM. PMID- 17810895 TI - AN ADJUSTABLE DOUBLE-SLIT. PMID- 17810896 TI - HUMIDITY AND COMFORT. PMID- 17810897 TI - SAP FOR ANALYSIS BY BLEEDING CORN PLANTS. PMID- 17810898 TI - MODIFICATION OF THERAPEUTIC SERA WITH A VIEW OF AVOIDING COMPLICATIONS OF ALLERGIC NATURE. PMID- 17810899 TI - A POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEMOGLOBIN AND CHLOROPHYLL AS SHOWN BY THE USE OF LIVER EXTRACT. PMID- 17810900 TI - THE LIFE CYCLES OF TRICHOGRAMMA MINUTUM IN RELATION TO TEMPERATURE. PMID- 17810901 TI - THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17810902 TI - ZOOLOGY AT THE NEW YORK MEETING. PMID- 17810903 TI - THE FIRST REVISER OF SPECIES. PMID- 17810904 TI - A SHEEP-GOAT HYBRID. PMID- 17810905 TI - TYPES OF GENERA BY FIRST SPECIES. PMID- 17810906 TI - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LATENT CHARACTERS. PMID- 17810907 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY. PMID- 17810908 TI - THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL CONGRESS. PMID- 17810909 TI - A MONUMENT TO LAMARCK. PMID- 17810910 TI - The Natural Sciences Applied to Social Theory. PMID- 17810911 TI - A Note on Chatin and the Hypothesis that Endemic Goiter is Due to a Lack of Iodine. PMID- 17810912 TI - Sir John Herschel and Contact Lenses. PMID- 17810913 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17810914 TI - COUNT RUMFORD--SCIENTIST AND PHILANTHROPIST. PMID- 17810915 TI - IMPROVEMENT IN MORTALITY RATES AND EXPECTATION OF LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1890 TO 1920. PMID- 17810916 TI - FORA TO BE HELD AS PART OF THE PROGRAM OF THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ENTOMOLOGY. PMID- 17810917 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17810918 TI - DOES THE AMOUNT OF FOOD CONSUMED INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF AN ANIMAL? PMID- 17810919 TI - AMOEBA DOFLEINI (NERESHEIMER) VS. MAYORELLA BIGEMMA (SCHAEFFER) A CASE OF SYNONYMY. PMID- 17810920 TI - DIVING EXPERIMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI. PMID- 17810921 TI - DEVONIAN CONCRETIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NEW YORK. PMID- 17810922 TI - SCIENTIFIC THEORIES. PMID- 17810923 TI - A SIMPLE AND ACCURATE TIME MARKER. PMID- 17810924 TI - THE OXIDATIVE DESTRUCTION OF THE AGENT OF THE CHICKEN TUMOR I (ROUS). PMID- 17810925 TI - BACTERIAL FILTERS. PMID- 17810926 TI - STAINING REACTIONS OF FERN GAMETES. PMID- 17810927 TI - VELOCITY OF CADMIUM ATOMS REGULARLY REFLECTED FROM A ROCK SALT CRYSTAL. PMID- 17810928 TI - A UNIFIED COMMAND AND DEMOCRACY IN AGRICULTURE. PMID- 17810929 TI - THE FULLER UTILIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES FOR TOTAL WAR. PMID- 17810930 TI - RURAL LAND USE. PMID- 17810932 TI - THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. PMID- 17810931 TI - THE BRITISH TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION. PMID- 17810933 TI - THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. PMID- 17810935 TI - ON NUMBERING BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS. PMID- 17810934 TI - SORA, NEAR-VICTIM OF A FISH. PMID- 17810936 TI - THE TROPICAL CHIGOE IN CALIFORNIA. PMID- 17810937 TI - CENTENARY OF THE AMERICAN ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PMID- 17810938 TI - ANNUAL REPORT OF DR. JESSUP, PRESIDENT OF THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION. PMID- 17810939 TI - THE RELATION BETWEEN THE URINARY EXCRETION OF CITRIC ACID AND CALCIUM; ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR URINARY CALCIUM STONE FORMATION. PMID- 17810940 TI - NEGATIVE WATER BALANCES DURING EXPOSURES TO LOW BAROMETRIC PRESSURES. PMID- 17810941 TI - DETERGENTS AND STAINING OF BACTERIA. PMID- 17810942 TI - A FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE HARVARD KYMOGRAPH. PMID- 17810943 TI - A GRAVITY WRITING LEVER FOR RESPIRATORY TAMBOURS. PMID- 17810944 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. PMID- 17810945 TI - ADDRESS OF WELCOME. PMID- 17810946 TI - ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. PMID- 17810947 TI - PROCEEDINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION. PMID- 17810948 TI - THE DEFINITION OF THE ELEMENT. PMID- 17810950 TI - FAUNA AND FLORA OF PUERTO RICO. PMID- 17810949 TI - ENGINEERING EDUCATION AS A PRELIMINARY TRAINING FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORK. PMID- 17810951 TI - THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. PMID- 17810953 TI - POT-HOLE VS. REMOLINO. PMID- 17810952 TI - SCHEDULE FOR PSYCHOLOGY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE. PMID- 17810955 TI - RETURN OF THE WELLMANN EXPEDITION. PMID- 17810954 TI - NOTES ON INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. PMID- 17810956 TI - THE IMPURITY OF ICE. PMID- 17810957 TI - ELEMENTARY SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. PMID- 17810958 TI - AMERICAN BOTANISTS AND NOMENCLATURE. PMID- 17810959 TI - THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION AT ROCHESTER. PMID- 17810960 TI - CURRENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY.-- XIV. PMID- 17810961 TI - A Pre-Aino Race in Japan. PMID- 17810962 TI - On the Fundamental Hygpotheses of Abstract Dynamics; From Another Point of View. PMID- 17810963 TI - The Fundamental Hypothesis of Abstract Dynamics. PMID- 17810964 TI - ACid Prevention Of ChOlera. PMID- 17810965 TI - European Origin of the Aryans. PMID- 17810966 TI - The Grand-Gulf Formation. PMID- 17810967 TI - The Nomenclature Question. PMID- 17810968 TI - La Grippe. PMID- 17810969 TI - Mars. PMID- 17810970 TI - An anasazi solar marker? PMID- 17810971 TI - Erratum. AB - In the News and Comment article by R. Jeffrey Smith, "Reprocessing plans may pose weapons threat" (11 July, p. 250), it was reported that future reprocessing plants would process 150 tons of plutonium annually. The correct amount is 15 tons. PMID- 17810973 TI - Reindustrialization of america. PMID- 17810972 TI - An anasazi solar marker? PMID- 17810974 TI - The einstein observatory: new perspectives in astronomy. AB - High-sensitivity x-ray measurements with the recently launched Einstein Observatory are having a major impact on wide areas of astronomical research. The x-ray luminosity of young O, B, and A stars and late K and M stars is found to be several orders of magnitude greater than predicted by current theories of coronal heating. Detailed x-ray images and spectra of supernova remnants are providing new information on the temperature, composition, and distribution of material ejected in supernova explosions as well as of the material comprising the interstellar medium. Observations of galaxies are yielding insights on the formation and evolution of stellar systems and galaxies over a wide range of variables. X-ray time variations are being used to probe the underlying energy source in quasars and active galactic nuclei. The distribution of mass in clusters of galaxies is being traced through detailed x-ray images, and the data are being used to classify clusters and trace their formation and evolution. Substantial progress is being made in several areas of cosmological research, particularly in the study of the diffuse x-ray background. PMID- 17810975 TI - Innovation and scientific funding. PMID- 17810976 TI - France's All-out Nuclear Program Takes Shape. PMID- 17810977 TI - Jordanian accused of plagiarism quits job. PMID- 17810978 TI - Soviet scientist misses u.s. Parley. PMID- 17810979 TI - NAS Panel Downgrades Radiation Risks. PMID- 17810980 TI - Acid rain agreement. PMID- 17810981 TI - Fighting the spreading chestnut blight. PMID- 17810982 TI - But do they have metal detectors? PMID- 17810983 TI - Origins of the modern chemical industry. PMID- 17810984 TI - Latimeria. PMID- 17810985 TI - Alternative energy sources. PMID- 17810986 TI - Membrane pathobiology. PMID- 17810987 TI - A major meteorite impact on the Earth 65 million years ago: evidence from the cretaceous-tertiary boundary clay. AB - Evidence for a major meteorite impact on the earth 65 million years ago is shown by the presence of meteoritic debris in the "fish clay" from Denmark representing the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Noble metals (iridium, osmium, gold, platinum, rhenium, ruthenium, palladium, nickel, and cobalt), which are sensitive indicators of meteorites and are normally depleted on the terrestrial surface by factors of 10(4) to 10(2) relative to cosmic abundances, are enriched in this boundary clay by factors of 5 to 100 over the expected abundances. With the exception of rhenium, all the enriched noble metals in the clay are present in cosmic proportions, indicating that the impacting celestial body had not undergone gross chemical differentiation. The major extinction of life on the earth at the end of the Cretaceous Period may be related to the meteorite impact. PMID- 17810988 TI - Sulfur dioxide emissions from la soufriere volcano, st. Vincent, west indies. AB - During the steady-state period of activity of La Soufriere Volcano in 1979, the mass emissions of sulfur dioxide into the troposphere amounted to a mean value of 339 +/- 126 metric tons per day. This value is similar to the sulfur dioxide emissions of other Central American volcanoes but less than those measured at Mount Etna, an exceptionally strong volcanic source of sulfur dioxide. PMID- 17810989 TI - Geograpehic variation and episodic evolution in an ordovician trilobite. AB - A single lineage of the trilobite Flexicalymene shows two evolutionary "punctuated equilibria" within a 2-million-year, 1000-square-kilometer stratigraphic interval. The 2 x 10(5)-year-long "punctuation" may represent parapatric speciation. Commonness of depth-related clines before, during and after this event suggests that short-term adjustment to local conditions was important in long-term evolution. PMID- 17810991 TI - Correction. AB - In the article by Dr. Millikan entitled "The Progress of Physics From 1848 to 1948" (Science, September 3, p. 230) the last part of the fifth paragraph should have read: ". . . Ampere, the Frenchman, in the 1820's had developed that field with great skill and insight; while England's unsurpassed experimentalist, Faraday, had in 1831 discovered electromagnetic induction and in 1834 had laid the secure foundation for the whole field of electrolysis." PMID- 17810990 TI - Charting the Sea of Brain Waves. PMID- 17810992 TI - Bursts of Solar Noise at 45 Mc Accompanying the Large Sunspots of 1947. PMID- 17810993 TI - Beta-Glucuronidase. PMID- 17810994 TI - A Method for Recovery of Platinum From Potassium Iodoplatinate. PMID- 17810995 TI - More About Ridgway's Color standards and color nomenclature. PMID- 17810996 TI - A Qualitative Analysis of Amino Acids in Pollen Collected by Bees. PMID- 17810997 TI - The Formation of Monoiodotyrosine From Radioiodine in the Thyroid of Rat and Man. PMID- 17810998 TI - Some Factors Involved in Oxygen Evolution From Triturated Spinach Leaves. PMID- 17811000 TI - Determination of Exposure Time in Color Photomicrography. PMID- 17810999 TI - The Organic Acid Content of Various Samples of Raw Cotton Fiber in Relation to Ash Alkalinity and Leaching by Rain. PMID- 17811001 TI - A Simple Electronic Electrolytic Drop Recorder. PMID- 17811002 TI - Electrically Heated Wax Pencil for Sealing Inoculated Eggs. PMID- 17811003 TI - Structure of Nuclei and Nucleons: Extension of electron-scattering studies to higher energies gives a new model of the neutron and proton. AB - In concluding this discussion it may be appropriate to return to the theme introduced earlier and raise the question once again of the deeper, and possibly philosophical, meaning of the term "elementary" particle. As we have seen, the proton and neutron, which were once thought to be elementary particles, are now seen to be highly complex bodies. It is almost certain that physicists will subsequently investigate the constituent parts of the proton and neutron-the mesons of one sort or another. What will happen from that point on? One can only guess at future problems and future progress, but my personal conviction is that the search for ever-smaller and ever-more-fundamental particles will go on as long as man retains the curiosity he has always demonstrated (29). PMID- 17811004 TI - The Moon Illusion, II: The moon's apparent size is a function of the presence or absence of terrain. AB - We have examined the two types of explanations of the moon illusion-the egocentric, in which the differences in direction of the horizon and the zenith moons are thought of in relation to different angles of regard of the observer, and the objective, in which the presence or absence of the terrain is considered crucial. The former type is exemplified chiefly by the eye-elevation hypothesis in the work of Boring and his colleagues; the latter, by the apparent-distance hypothesis based on the superior cues to distance provided by the terrain. Boring had rejected the apparent-distance hypothesis on the grounds that the horizon moon is reported as nearer, not farther away, by most observers. He then performed experiments which supported the eye-elevation hypothesis. PMID- 17811005 TI - Richard Joseph Block, Biochemist. PMID- 17811006 TI - "Science of Survival": Founding Meeting Proceeds in Confusion and Ends in Bitterness, Chaos. PMID- 17811007 TI - Inorganic Precipitation of Carbon in Productivity Experiments Utilizing Carbon 14. AB - In a series of experiments where iron was added to natural waters and photosynthesis was measured by the radiocarbon method, we found that inorganic precipitation of carbon-14, presumably by mechanisms of occlusive coprecipitation, resulted from additions of 100 or more micrograms of iron per liter. Low levels of iron and prefiltered controls are suggested as correction measures. PMID- 17811008 TI - Course of Cation Absorption by Plant Tissue. AB - The absorption of rubidium by excised barley roots from solutions containing calcium was a strictly linear function of time for 1 hour and was temperature sensitive throughout; there was no evidence of an initial nonmetabolic exchange phase of uptake. The rubidium absorbed reached concentrations many times the external concentration without any slackening of the rate of absorption-evidence for a high degree of irreversibility of the overall absorption process. This is discussed in terms of the "enzyme-kinetic" model of ion transport by carriers. PMID- 17811009 TI - Formation of Double Hydroxides and the Titration of Clays. PMID- 17811010 TI - On "Reflexive Selection". AB - Some natural populations show an extremely high degree of polymorphism, especially in color and pattern, which may be interpreted as "protective variation." Two possible genetic models, one based on frequency-stat (like thermostat) and one based on higher selection value of heterozygotes, have been proposed to account for the phenomenon. PMID- 17811011 TI - Evocation by Fear of a Habit Learned for Electrical Stimulation of the Brain. AB - Rats were trained to press a lever for electrical stimulation of the brain. After extinction of the habit, fear-producing stimuli (a buzzer or electrical shock to the feet) recalled the rat to the lever, although its lever pressing on these occasions never produced further intracranial stimulation. Operant levels of the lever-pressing habit were also greatly increased for long periods following the fear-producing stimuli. The phenomenon is most striking in rats trained with tegmental electrodes and is almost completely absent in rats trained with electrodes in the hypothalamus. This suggests that electrical self-stimulation in some sites may be caused by an activation of mechanisms underlying normal fear and escape. PMID- 17811012 TI - Polemic in the political arena. PMID- 17811013 TI - Letters. PMID- 17811014 TI - What is a fair price for oil? PMID- 17811015 TI - Participatory technology. AB - The hunger to participate that exists today in various segments of the American public is in part a response to what some people perceive as an unresponsiveness of institutions and processes to the felt needs of the individual and of society. It is also, in part, an expression of a desire for a redistribution of power in American public life. Technology is one of the major determinants of the nature of public as well as private life in contemporary society. Participatory technology is an attempt on the part of diverse individuals and groups to influence technological processes through participation in existing or new public processes by which technology is or can be developed , controlled, and implemented. Like other processes of direct citizen participation in governmental decision making, it raises many questions about the adequacy of existing theories and practices of representative government. These questions cannot be answered on an a priori basis. Members of the educational, scientific, technical, and governmental communities should analyze these questions in an effort to develop answers that are appropriate to the particular situations for which they are responsible and with which they are concerned. PMID- 17811016 TI - Michigan war research charged. PMID- 17811017 TI - Clouds of venus: evidence for their nature. AB - The linear polarization of sunlight multiply scattered by the atmosphere, and cloud particles of Venus has been computed and compared with observations over the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the infrared region. The following properties of the visible cloud layer are derived: the refractive index of the cloud particles is 1.45 +/- 0.02 at a wavelength of 0.55 micron, and there is an indication of a slight decrease in the value from the ultraviolet to the near infrared region; the mean particle radius is very near 1 micron, and most of the particles are spherical; the cloud layer occurs high in the atmosphere where the pressure is about 50 millibars (equivalent to an altitude of approximately 20 kilometers on the earth). The results for the index of refraction eliminate the possibility that the visible clouds are composed of pure water or ice. PMID- 17811018 TI - Glenn T. Seaborg, president-elect 1971. PMID- 17811019 TI - Looking Backward--Chicago AAAS Annual Meeting. PMID- 17811020 TI - Preview of the 117th Meeting, AAAS, Cleveland December 26-30, 1950: General Information. PMID- 17811021 TI - Hotel Headquarters. PMID- 17811022 TI - Tours. PMID- 17811023 TI - Registration. PMID- 17811024 TI - AAAS Business Sessions. PMID- 17811026 TI - AAAS Awards. PMID- 17811025 TI - AAAS Special Sessions. PMID- 17811027 TI - AAAS Symposia. PMID- 17811028 TI - SUMMARY OF EVENTS. PMID- 17811029 TI - The Science Theatre. PMID- 17811030 TI - ANNUAL SCIENCE EXPOSITION. PMID- 17811031 TI - REPORT OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY. PMID- 17811033 TI - EMISSION OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE RADIUM PRODUCTS. PMID- 17811032 TI - JAMES MILLS PEIRCE. PMID- 17811034 TI - THE CRAYFISH INDUSTRY. PMID- 17811036 TI - THE USE OF ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPES IN DETERMINING THE SPEEDS OF MIGRATING BIRDS. PMID- 17811035 TI - NORTHERN LIMIT OF THE PAPAW TREE. PMID- 17811037 TI - A WORKABLE BED OF COAL IN NEBRASKA. PMID- 17811039 TI - ESTERIFICATION OF TERTIARY AND UNSATURATED ALCOHOLS. PMID- 17811038 TI - THE RELATION OF PRESSURE IN THE CORONARY VESSELS TO THE ACTIVITY OF THE ISOLATED HEART, AND SOME CLOSELY RELATED PROBLEMS. PMID- 17811040 TI - RECENT VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY. PMID- 17811042 TI - THE AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL. PMID- 17811041 TI - THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERY CONGRESS, 1908. PMID- 17811043 TI - THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. PMID- 17811044 TI - CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING. PMID- 17811045 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17811047 TI - OUR SEARCH FOR CHLOROPHYLL AND FOR THE VITAMINS. PMID- 17811046 TI - THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL COMPOSITION OF PROTOPLASM. PMID- 17811048 TI - UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NOTES. PMID- 17811049 TI - PLIOCENE URODELES IN WESTERN KANSAS. PMID- 17811050 TI - THE PRODUCTION OF MUTATIONS BY X-RAYS IN HABROBRACON. PMID- 17811051 TI - THE HIDING PLACES OF TREE-FROGS. PMID- 17811053 TI - CENTERS OF RESEARCH. PMID- 17811052 TI - THE ALBINO RAT. PMID- 17811054 TI - A WEIGHT-DRIVEN KYMOGRAPH. AB - (1) Herein has been described a stand for supporting the drum, a device for starting and stopping the drum and a circuit-breaker for a weight-driven kymograph (2) This device has proved satisfactory for recording simple muscular contractions, for securing data for the determination of the speed of the nerve impulse and for determining reaction times (3) With but a little training in technic, college freshmen have secured very good graphs with this apparatus (4) This machine, exclusive of the drum, has been constructed at less than one third the cost of a spring-driven kymograph, and the drum of the latter may readily be used for either, since but a few minutes are required to make the shift. PMID- 17811055 TI - MEASUREMENT OF RAPIDLY VARYING SURFACE TENSION. PMID- 17811057 TI - THE BACTERIAL LIGHT ORGAN OF CERATIAS. PMID- 17811056 TI - A NEW ARRANGEMENT FOR SHOWING THE DIURNAL VARIATION IN THE INTENSITY OF THE EARTH'S-SURFACE CHARGE AT A GIVEN PLACE. PMID- 17811059 TI - SCIENCE NEWS. PMID- 17811058 TI - THE SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION.